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A view of the polluted skyline in Paris, where a partial driving ban has been imposed in the past to reduce harmful smog. Stock picture

Concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are increasing at record-breaking speed to reach their highest level in 800,000 years.

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has warned that abrupt changes in the atmosphere seen over the last 70 years are "without precedent", and that concentrations have reached 403 parts per million, largely due to human activity.

Concentrations of CO2 are now 145pc of levels which existed in the 1750s, the Greenhouse Gas Bulletin says.

Rapidly increasing levels have the potential to initiate unprecedented changes in climate systems, leading to "severe ecological and economic disruptions", it added.

Warmest

Population growth, intensified agricultural practices, industrialisation and burning fossil fuels have resulted in average global temperatures increases of almost 1C in the last century.

Some of the warmest years on record have been in this century, and climate change is linked to more extreme weather events and could result in more severe hurricanes such as Ophelia, which struck in recent weeks.

"Without rapid cuts in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions, we will be heading for dangerous temperature increases by the end of this century," said WMO secretary-general Petteri Taalas. "Future generations will inherit a much more inhospitable planet."

"CO2 remains in the atmosphere for hundreds of years and in the oceans for even longer. There is currently no magic wand to remove this CO2 from the atmosphere."

The last time the Earth experienced a comparable concentration of CO2 was more than three million years ago, when temperatures were up to 3C warmer and sea levels were up to 20 metres higher than today.

Next week, an Emissions Gap Report by UN Environment will set out the level of reductions needed to keep global temperatures to no more than a 2C rise by 2050, a key pledge under the Paris Climate Agreement.

"The numbers don't lie. We are still emitting far too much and this needs to be reversed... We have many of the solutions already to address this challenge. What we need now is global political will and a new sense of urgency," said Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment.

UN climate change negotiations will be held from November 7 in Bonn, Germany.
Harvey Weinstein has been banned for life by the Producers Guild of America as allegations of sexual assault and harassment mount against the disgraced movie mogul.

The trade association announced on Monday that its board of directors had voted unanimously to take the unprecedented step of expelling Weinstein and imposing a lifetime ban.

Weinstein has been hit with a series of allegations, including accusations of rape, and is the subject of police investigations in London, New York and Los Angeles.

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The 65-year-old resigned from the guild rather than addressing its charges, according to a statement from the organisation.

In light of Mr Weinsteins widely reported behaviour, with new reports continuing to surface even now, the Producers Guilds National Board has voted unanimously to enact a lifetime ban on Mr Weinstein, permanently barring him from PGA membership, it said.

This unprecedented step is a reflection of the seriousness with which the Guild regards the numerous reports of Mr Weinsteins decades of reprehensible conduct. Sexual harassment can no longer be tolerated in our industry or within the ranks of Producers Guild membership.

It highlights how rapidly Weinstein has fallen from Hollywood king-maker, as in 2013 the guild handed him and his brother Bob one of its highest accolades, the Milestone Award, which has been awarded to the likes of Steven Spielberg, Walt Disney and Clint Eastwood.

The development came as more women came forward to The New York Times, the newspaper that first broke the scandal, and said they were preyed on by the producer in the 1970s, widening the time-frame of his alleged offending.

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The paper also reported claims that he had paid 100,000 dollars (76,000) to a dancer who appeared in one of his films to gag her from alleging he sexually assaulted her.

Weinstein has unequivocally denied all allegations of non-consensual sex and is suing his former studio, The Weinstein Company, for access to his emails that he believes contain information exonerating him.

The firm, which he co-founded with his younger brother, sacked him in the wake of the allegations being made public.

Actresses including Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Lupita Nyongo are among more than 60 women who have come forward to make allegations.

He has also been ousted from the The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hosts the Oscars, while The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) suspended his membership.
An arrest warrant has been obtained for actress Rose McGowan for felony possession of a controlled substance.

The felony charge stems from a police investigation of personal belongings left behind on a United flight arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport on January 20.

Police said the items tested positive for narcotics. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department obtained the warrant on February 1.

McGowan referred to the arrest with a post on Twitter, writing: Are they trying to silence me? There is a warrant out for my arrest in Virginia. What a load of horseshit.

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Police said they have attempted to contact McGowan so she can appear in court in Loudoun County, Virginia. The warrant has been entered into a national law enforcement database.

McGowan has been one of the leading voices against sexual harassment in Hollywood, and tweeted earlier this month that she was raped by a man with the initials HW.

The Hollywood Reporter said McGowan confirmed she was referring to disgraced media mogul Harvey Weinstein.
Policemen help a schoolgirl who inhaled tear gas fired as the police were trying to hold off a group of opposition supporters in Nairobi yesterday. Photo: Getty

Incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta won 98pc of the vote in a repeat election in Kenya, although only 39pc of voters turned out due to an opposition boycott, the electoral commission said.

The announcement touched off small protests in a few opposition strongholds, but also celebrations in pro-Kenyatta areas of the east African country. Veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga had already branded the election a farce.

Given the deeply polarised atmosphere, some Kenyans fear that the violence seen so far - for the most part protesters clashing with police - is starting to take on ethnic overtones after two deaths in clashes between rival groups at the weekend.

Yesterday, the US ambassador said Washington was "profoundly concerned" by the outbreaks of violence in Kenya - east Africa's biggest economy and a key security ally of the West against militant Islam.
An arrest warrant has been obtained for Rose McGowan (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

An arrest warrant has been obtained for actress Rose McGowan for possession of a controlled substance.

It stems from a police investigation of personal belongings left behind on a United flight arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport on January 20.

Police say the items tested positive for narcotics. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department obtained the warrant on February 1.

Police say they have attempted to contact McGowan so she can appear in a Virginia court. The warrant has been entered into a national law enforcement database.

McGowan has been one of the leading voices against sexual harassment in Hollywood in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

AP
A boat carrying up to 45 Rohingya Muslims fleeing Burma has capsized in the Bay of Bengal, and a Bangladeshi official said four bodies were recovered.

It was not clear how many people were missing.

Mohammed Mikaruzzaman, local government administrator at Ukhiya, said some 23 people were rescued and a dozen of them were being treated.

The boat capsized on Tuesday morning near Inani beach in Cox's Bazar district, which borders Burma.

The UN refugee agency said survivors told its staff that 42 people from six families left on a fishing boat in Burma's northern Rakhine state early on Tuesday.

The boat hit rough seas and capsized, trapping people underneath, the agency said.

More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have reached refugee camps in Bangladesh since Burma's security forces launched operations on August 25 that the United Nations and others have described as "ethnic cleansing".

About 190 people trying to flee have died in boat accidents in the Bay of Bengal or nearby waterways.

AP
An Australian MP has been slammed for her "ignorant, anti-Irish" statement while attempting to warn people about travelling conmen.

Consumer Affairs Minister Marlene Kairouz spoke as a nationwide campaign was launched in Australia to make people aware about scam artists who offer to carry out work or repairs to their homes.

The minister's comments sparked massive backlash, with many calling on her to apologise.

Her comments were aired on news channel 9News, where journalists reported that an Irish accent is a "common theme" in the scam.

They described the minister's statement as a "very, very broad warning."

"They know where to go, who to target, as soon as they get cash in their hands, they're gone," Minister Kairouz said at a press conference.

"If anybody knocks on your door that has an Irish accent, automatically ask them to leave."

However, people from both Ireland and elsewhere living in Australia have voiced their disgust at the statement.

"Absolutely no need to slam all Irish people and make racist comments like that," one person wrote.

"The Minister needs to apologise to the hard working Irish people in this country. I am Irish but people say oh are you Scottish all the time. How can they prove that they are Irish??"

Another wrote; "Well Minister, I am an Irish Community Nurse who knocks on many doors every day to provide care for people of all nationalities in this beautiful country. Shame on you for your ignorance and sweeping statement."

Another added; "This network should apologise to the Irish community and anyone with irish friends and family for entertaining this type of blare faced racism. How is this different then saying don't open your door to any person of colour or ethnicity ? Imagine in this day and age people can be so blind."

Another described the statement as "anti-Irish".

"Feel sorry for the woman who had been conned but cannot believe the Ministers blatant anti Irish statement! Shame on you!"

While another wrote that Irish people have respected work ethics in the country.

"Aussies have told us themselves that irish are often hired because of their work ethics. What a shameful, disgustingly racist comment."

The minister later apologised for her comments.

"Yesterday I made a comment at a scam awareness campaign launch that caused offence to people with Irish heritage.

"Recent scammers have been backpackers from the UK and Ireland and I was giving this info to the public. I admit I delivered this message poorly.

"I sincerely apologise for causing offence and my poor choice of words."

In a statement released today, the Australian Embassy in Ireland said it's aware of the comments and remarked on the "hugely positive contribution" Irish people have made to Australia.

"Over more than two centuries, people of Irish birth and heritage have made a hugely positive contribution to Australia, and continue to do so. This was publicly acknowledged recently by the Prime Minister, the Hon Malcolm Turnbull MP, who told President Higgins in Canberra: The warmth of the history and the family ties between Australia and Ireland couldnt be greater. Australia is the most Irish country in the world, (apart from Ireland, of course)

"The best way to sum up the attitudes of the Australian people towards the Irish is again to quote the Prime Minister: Youre so warmly welcomed. Youre among friends and among family."
Another Australian politician said he may have to quit Parliament because of dual citizenship, days after a High Court ruling was thought to have ended the crisis.

The court disqualified five politicians on Friday because each was found to hold citizenship of Australia and another country, and the constitution bans dual citizens from Parliament.

But on Tuesday, a senior senator from the governing Liberal Party said he may have to quit parliament.

Stephen Parry, who is president of Australia's upper house, said he has contacted UK authorities to check if he holds dual citizenship because of his British-born father.

Mr Parry said the court's decision made it clear he would have to resign if his dual nationality was confirmed.

AP

The five disqualified politicians included deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, the leader of the National Party, the junior partner in the Liberal party's ruling coalition.

Mr Joyce has renounced the New Zealand citizenship he inherited from his father but still must win a by-election if he wants to return to his seat.

Although most politicians in multi-cultural Australia have been checking their citizenship status since the crisis erupted, Mr Parry said he had only examined his own case after the High Court's decision on Friday.

He said his late father had moved to Australia from Britain as a boy in 1951, and that he was born in Tasmania in 1960.

Mr Parry said he had always regarded his father as Australian, particularly as he served in the Australian Army Reserve, but that he had now sought clarification from the British Home Office.

While previous politicians caught up in the crisis had sought legal advice, Mr Parry said last Friday's verdict made his options clear.

"In the event that I am found to hold British citizenship by virtue of my father's status, then I will clearly be in breach of Section 44(1) of the constitution and would therefore resign as President of the Senate" and as a senator for the state of Tasmania, Mr Parry said in a statement.

"I believe the High Court has made it abundantly clear what action is required."

Critics have condemned as outdated the 116-year-old constitutional ban on politicians having dual citizenship in a country where almost half the people are immigrants or have an overseas-born parent.

One senator, Sam Dastyari, made a joke of the situation on Twitter.

"For Halloween, I'm going to dress up as the constitution and just walk around parliament," he wrote.

AP
A Spanish judge has summoned the ousted Catalan Cabinet to appear this week in Madrid as part of a rebellion probe for pushing ahead with an independence declaration.

The fired president Carles Puigdemont and five other former members of his Cabinet are in Brussels seeking "freedom and safety", Mr Puigdemont told reporters on Tuesday.

He said he would return home if there were "guarantees" of a fair judicial process.

Spain's chief prosecutor is seeking charges of rebellion, sedition and embezzlement against Mr Puigdemont, his number two Oriol Junqueras and 12 more members of the ousted Catalan government.

Under Spanish law, the crimes can be punished with decades in prison.

Investigating judge Carmen Lamela said the group should appear in the National Court in Madrid on Thursday at 9am for interrogations that would last through Friday.
President Donald Trump will not visit the heavily fortified border between North and South Korea known as the Demilitarised Zone during his upcoming trip to Asia, the White House has said.

A senior administration official told reporters during a White House background briefing that there was not enough time in the president's schedule to accommodate a visit.

The president will be visiting Camp Humphreys, a military base about 40 miles south of Seoul, to highlight the US-South Korean partnership instead.

Every president but one since Ronald Reagan has visited the DMZ, which has separated the North and South for 64 years.

Mr Trump has clashed with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un whom he has dubbed Rocket Man during forays on Twitter and also in a speech at the UN general assembly.

AP
Politicians and forces controlling an eastern Libyan city have accused the Egyptian air force of conducting deadly air strikes, leaving a dozen civilians dead including an entire family.

Politician Hamad al-Bandaq said on Tuesday the fighter jets bombed a house in al-Fatayah district in eastern Darna late on Monday, killing at least 12 people.

Most of them were women and children who were paying a visit to their sick relative, he said.

A second airstrike bombed a shepherd and his family while they were sitting next to a fire pit on a chilly night.

Mr al-Bandaq said: "Entire families were wiped out."

Residents have not heard the usual noise of Libyan aircraft.

The Shura Council of Darna Mujahedeen, which controls the city, accused Egypt of carrying out the "brutal airstrike".

The Egyptian army declined to comment.

AP
A woman who pushed a man into the path of a moving tram has been jailed for five years.

Philip Carter, 30, was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision at Victoria station in Manchester city centre on June 11.

Charissa Brown-Wellington, 31, pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court last month to the manslaughter of Mr Carter.

The defendant must serve two-thirds of her sentence in prison before she can be considered for parole.

On her release she will be subject to an extended licence period of three years.

The court heard Brown-Wellington was "significantly affected" by alcohol and drugs when she became involved in an "exchange of abuse" at the Metrolink stop with Mr Carter, who had also been drinking.

Sentencing, Mr Justice William Davis told her: "That's as far as it should have gone ... but no, you reacted by pushing him forcefully and as it happened pushed him in in the direction of a tram just as it was moving away.

"He fell backwards and tragically fell between two cars of the tram. He was crushed to death in full view of any number of bystanders.

"There was more than one victim in this case because the effect of what you did was so dreadful.

"There was nothing accidental about you losing your temper and pushing this man forcefully."

The judge said he accepted the defendant did not intend to kill or seriously harm Mr Carter, but he noted she had a "long, bad" criminal record including offences of violence.

He said: "The reality is that though what you did was not unprovoked it was completely unnecessary and it was aggressive.

"It is merely yet another example of you reacting violently when faced with something you did not like very much.

Brown-Wellington, who is said to have a personality disorder which leads to acts of "impulsive violence", posed a significant risk of causing harm to the public until she "gets a grip" on her emotional well-being and substance misuse, the judge ruled.

Just before he passed sentence, a tearful Brown-Wellington cried from the dock: "It was an accident. I swear it was."

Brown-Wellington, from Chadderton, was not known to Mr Carter, the court was told.

Rob Hall, prosecuting, said the defendant and her fiance had earlier shared a bottle of wine in Manchester city centre.

She also drank two cans of lager, while toxicology tests showed drugs including ecstasy were in her system at the time.

CCTV captured her getting off a tram at about 7.45pm and an argument with Mr Carter, who was holding a bottle of alcohol, soon ensued.

Mr Hall said: "As the defendant got off the tram she was heard to say, 'What are you looking at?'

"Mr Carter said something back to her, the defendant turned and walked towards him shouting, 'You what? what the f*** did you say?'."

The row escalated as both told each other to "get the f*** out of my face", the court heard.

A push followed with both hands to his chest, said Mr Hall, which a number of witnesses described as "very excessive and not necessary" and led to Mr Carter falling off the platform.

Mr Carter suffered multiple crush injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

On her arrival at a local police station after she was arrested, Brown-Wellington told officers: "He should not have put his finger in my face. All my life I have had to put up with men putting their hands around me."

The court heard the defendant had 65 previous convictions including offences of assaulting police officers, affray and threatening behaviour. On one occasion she had used a weapon in committing an offence.

Mark Ford, defending, said the deceased, from Blackley, had directed offensive insults to his client, some of which referred to her colour.

The defendant had faced a number of difficulties as a result of traumatic events in her life of a "sensitive nature" which he did not want to outline in open court.

He said her four months in custody on remand ahead of sentencing had provided a "period of reflection".

He said: "She has used that time, not merely to consider the consequences of her actions, but to address the way her life was leading prior to her remand.

"She is still tormented to this day by the consequences of her actions."

Mr Ford said her remorse was "evident and genuine".

He went on: "This case is really the product of a coincidence of circumstances. Part of that was the provocation offered to her by the deceased.

"This is, in my submission, a singular, exceptional case."

He argued that the likelihood of a repeat of such violent conduct was now "diminished" as he urged the judge to be "merciful".

Following sentencing, Mr Carter's family said: "Phil was much loved by all his family and friends and had much life ahead of him.

"He was taken from us in June this year in completely unnecessary circumstances. We can't express how devastated we are that his life has been stolen from him.

"Phil is missed every minute of every day.

"Today his killer has been sentenced and justice has been served.

"We can try to repair our heartache although no matter how long the sentence is it will not bring Phil back or make our lives any easier.

"We need to attempt to move on and hopefully today will now provide closure for our pain over the last few months, however we will never forget Phil or the many memories he has given us."

Brown-Wellington had pleaded not guilty to murder which was accepted by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Catalan police officers stand guard at the Palau Generalitat in Barcelona, Spain, yesterday as civil servants faced into their first full work week since Spains central government overturned an independence declaration by firing the regions elected leaders. Photo: Manu Fernandez

Carles Puigdemont, the ousted president of Catalonia who defied the Spanish state by declaring his region's independence, has fled to Brussels, fuelling speculation that he may seek political asylum in Belgium.

Sources from the Catalan government, which has been formally removed from power by Mariano Rajoy, the Spanish prime minister, said that Mr Puigdemont had travelled to the Belgian capital yesterday, reportedly accompanied by five colleagues.

Yesterday, all 14 members of Mr Puigdemont's ousted executive were accused by Spain's chief prosecutor of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds for organising an illegal referendum in Catalonia before declaring independence.

Six members of the speaker's committee at the Catalan parliament face the same accusations for pushing ahead with illegal procedures before last Friday's proclamation of an independent Catalan republic.

Catalonia's public television channel TV3 said that Mr Puigdemont and some of his former government colleagues were "in a safe and secluded place".

On Sunday, Theo Francken, Belgium's migration minister, had appeared to invite Mr Puigdemont to request asylum in the country to avoid being arrested and facing up to 30 years in jail if found guilty of rebellion.

A spokesman for Mr Francken said yesterday that he could not confirm rumours regarding the deposed Catalan leader's presence in Brussels. The Belgian state broadcaster VRT said Mr Puigdemont would "meet lawyers and political representatives".

Mr Francken is a member of the New Flemish Alliance, the largest party in Belgium's coalition government, which has offered consistent support for the cause of Catalan independence.

Fernando Martinez Maillo, the chief spokesman of Spain's ruling Popular Party, said that fleeing to Brussels was an "error and a sign of desperation".

And there were signs in Catalonia that Mr Puigdemont's enthusiasm to flee the country was not shared by all of his former government colleagues, some of whom showed up for work in their departments yesterday, despite the imposition of direct rule from Madrid under emergency constitutional powers.

Decisions

"There are some people who are still working for Catalonia in the functions that correspond to them - and others who will explain their decisions at some point," a source from the office of Oriol Junqueras, Catalonia's ousted vice-president, said in apparent reference to Mr Puigdemont's journey.

The source said that the now deposed Catalan number two had gone to work in Catalonia's economy department. Josep Rull, another ousted government member, posted a photograph of himself at his desk, on which a copy of yesterday's edition of the Catalan newspaper 'El Punt Avui' was visible.

The Catalan Mossos d'Esquadra police force has been given direct orders from Madrid to file criminal reports against regional officials who did not accept their dismissals.

The mystery as to Mr Puigdemont's whereabouts deepened when he failed to attend a meeting of his PDeCAT pro-independence party at which it decided to run in elections imposed on the region and set for December 21.

Catalonia, a prosperous region with its own language and culture, triggered Spain's biggest crisis for decades by holding an independence referendum on October 1, which Spanish courts called illegal.

Yesterday's calm on the streets of Barcelona resolved a weekend of uncertainty during which it was not clear how the region would respond to central control.

A call for widespread civil disobedience from the main civic groups behind the secessionist campaign failed to attract many followers.

Most public sector workers such as teachers, firefighters and the police started work as normal yesterday and there was no sign of widespread absenteeism.

A trade union, Intersindical-CSC, which had called for a general strike in Catalonia, said yesterday it had cancelled it.

There were no signs of any spontaneous demonstration taking place.

Two-hundred thousand public sector workers receive salaries paid by the Catalan region, and another 100,000 in the region rely directly on the Madrid government.

Hundreds of thousands of supporters of a unified Spain marched on Sunday in one of the biggest shows of force yet by the so-called silent majority that has watched as regional political leaders push for Catalan independence.

Two opinion polls also showed support for independence may have started to wane. A Sigma Dos survey published in 'El Mundo' showed 33.5pc of Catalans were in favour of independence, while a Metroscopia poll published by 'El Pais' put that number at 29pc.

This compared to 41.1pc in July according to an official survey carried out by the Catalan government.

Opponents of secession largely boycotted the October 1 referendum, when participants voted overwhelmingly for independence on turnout of only 43pc. ( Daily Telegraph London)
German leaders on Tuesday marked the 500th anniversary since the day Martin Luther is said to have nailed his theses challenging the Catholic Church to a church door, a starting point of the Reformation.

German chancellor Angela Merkel and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier took part in a service in the famous Castle Church in Wittenberg, where Luther supposedly posted his 95 Theses on October 31 1517.

Thousands were participating in different church services throughout the day in the eastern German town.

The city also celebrated the anniversary with a medieval-style street festival including arts and cultural events.

In remembrance of the 500th anniversary, Reformation day is a public holiday in Germany this year.

As Protestantism spread following Luther's revolt against the Catholic Church, religious wars erupted, dividing western Christianity in a schism that resulted in hundreds of years of violence, persecution and discrimination.

AP
Iran's supreme leader has restricted the range of ballistic missiles manufactured in the country to 1,240 miles, the head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has said.

The decision limits the reach of the weapons to only regional Middle Eastern targets.

The comments on Tuesday by General Mohammad Ali Jafari to reporters mark the first acknowledgement that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has imposed limits on the country's ballistic missile programme.

It also appears to be an effort by Iranian authorities to contrast its programme, which they often describe as for defensive purposes, against those of countries like North Korea, which now uses its arsenal to threaten the United States.

The range encompasses much of the Middle East, including Israel and American military bases in the region.

That has caused concern for the US and its allies, even as Iran's ballistic missile programme was not included as part of the 2015 nuclear deal that Tehran struck with world powers.

Speaking on the sidelines of a conference in Tehran, Gen Jafari told journalists that the capability of Iran's ballistic missiles is "enough for now".

The Guard runs Iran's missile programme, answering only to Khamenei.

"Today, the range of our missiles, as the policies of the Iran's supreme leader dictate, are limited to 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles), even though we are capable of increasing this range," he said.

"Americans, their forces and their interests are situated within a 2,000-kilometre radius around us and we are able to respond to any possible desperate attack by them."

However, Gen Jafari said he did not believe there would be any war between Iran and the US.

"They know that if they begin a war between Iran and the United States, they will definitely be the main losers and their victory will by no means be guaranteed," he said.

"Therefore, they won't start a war."

While keeping with the anti-American tone common in his speeches, Gen Jafari's comments seemed to be timed to calm tension over Iran's missile programme.

AP
A leading opposition figure in Belarus has been detained by police, his wife said.

Marina Adamovich said in a Facebook post she was travelling with her husband, Mykola Statkevich, on Monday evening when they were stopped by traffic police, who detained Mr Statkevich.

Ms Adamovich said she was not told why he was detained.

Mr Statkevich had organised two events in Belarus this month, a protest march against the government on October 21 and a commemoration on Sunday for victims of Stalin-era political repression.

Mr Statkevich ran against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in the 2010 election and was arrested after a large demonstration protesting against the results.

He spent the next five years in prison.

He had been due to travel to Ukraine for a conference on Tuesday involving members of the European Parliament.

AP
Police tape rests on a damaged Home Depot truck sits after a motorist drove onto a bike path near the World Trade Center memorial, striking and killing several people Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

Emergency crews attend the scene of an alleged shooting incident on West Street in Manhattan, New York, U.S., October 31 2017. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

First responders tend to a victim after a shooting incident in New York City, U.S. October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Police block off the street after a shooting incident in New York City, U.S. October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

A woman is aided by first responders after sustaining injury on a bike path in lower Manhattan in New York, NY, U.S., October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

A NYPD officer stands guard over a white sheet-covered scene at a bike path in lower Manhattan in New York, NY, U.S., October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

A Home Depot truck is seen as New York city first responders are at the crime scene near a bike path in lower Manhattan in New York, NY, U.S., October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

The FBI is treating a truck attack in New York, in which eight people died and 15 were injured, as an act of terrorism.

An attacker drove a rented truck down a bike path in Manhattan a few blocks from the site of the World Trace Center memorial.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said the attacker had killed eight people in "a particularly cowardly act of terror".

Mr de Blasio said the attack was "aimed at innocent civilians going about their daily lives" and that "eight innocent people have lost their lives and over a dozen more are injured".

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Authorities respond near a damaged school bus Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, in New York. A motorist drove onto a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center memorial and struck several people on Tuesday police and witnesses said. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) Authorities investigate the wreckage of a Home Depot truck, top left, and a body under a white cloth, top right, after a motorist drove the truck down the bike path Tuesday Oct. 31, 2017, in New York. The motorist drove onto the busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center memorial Tuesday, killing several. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) Authorities stand near a damaged Home Depot truck after a motorist drove onto a bike path near the World Trade Center memorial, striking and killing several people Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) A Home Depot truck which struck down multiple people on a bike path, killing several and injuring numerous others, is seen as New York city first responders are at the crime scene in lower Manhattan in New York, NY, U.S., October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid NYPD investigators are at the crime scene near a bike path in lower Manhattan in New York, NY, U.S., October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Police investigate a vehicle allegedly used in a ramming incident on the West Side Highway in Manhattan, New York, U.S., October 31 2017. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly A Home Depot truck which drove down the bike path alongside the West Side Highway at full speed and hit several people is seen as New York city first responders are at the crime scene near a bike path in lower Manhattan in New York, NY, U.S., October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Emergency crews attend the scene of an alleged shooting incident on West Street in Manhattan, New York, U.S., October 31 2017. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly Pedestrians run off the street after a shooting incident near Chamber St. in New York City, U.S. October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton Police block off the street after a shooting incident in New York City, U.S. October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton / Facebook

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Whatsapp Authorities respond near a damaged school bus Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, in New York. A motorist drove onto a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center memorial and struck several people on Tuesday police and witnesses said. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the cycle path incident was a "lone wolf" attack, and there was no evidence it was part of a wider plot.

Argentina's foreign ministry has said "Argentine citizens died" in the New York cycle path terror attack.

Expand Expand Previous Next Close A NYPD officer stands guard over a white sheet-covered scene at a bike path in lower Manhattan in New York, NY, U.S., October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid Police tape rests on a damaged Home Depot truck sits after a motorist drove onto a bike path near the World Trade Center memorial, striking and killing several people Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) / Facebook

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Whatsapp A NYPD officer stands guard over a white sheet-covered scene at a bike path in lower Manhattan in New York, NY, U.S., October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

The attacker is a 29-year-old man. He has been identified as Sayfullo Saipov, two law enforcement officials said.

He drove onto a bike path at Houston Street and drove south until Chambers Street - around 20 blocks - hitting pedestrians and cyclists.

Once I got far enough away I took this video of the quick response from our amazing NYPD and NYFD pic.twitter.com/v0nwJiqmDw  josh goblin (@joshgroban) October 31, 2017

The driver then smashed into a school bus, injuring adults and children.

He then emerged holding a a paintball gun and pellet gun.

He was shot in the abdomen by a police offer and is now in hospital and is expected to live.

Expand Close First responders tend to a victim after a shooting incident in New York City, U.S. October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton / Facebook

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According to witnesses people on bikes were left scattered on the path and the attacker then rammed a school bus.

Some witnesses said he then got out of the truck screaming "Allahu Akbar". He wielded two guns, which police later said were fake.

Witnesses said they initially thought the attack was a Halloween prank.

The suspect was chased by police who shot him in the leg and arrested him. They said they were not seeking anyone else in connection with the attack.

Expand Close Emergency crews attend the scene of an alleged shooting incident on West Street in Manhattan, New York, U.S., October 31 2017. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly / Facebook

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Whatsapp Emergency crews attend the scene of an alleged shooting incident on West Street in Manhattan, New York, U.S., October 31 2017. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

Detectives have been searching the rented Home Depot truck for explosives.

A man who was riding in a taxi along the West Side Highway near Chambers Street in Lower Manhattan said he saw several people bleeding people on the ground.

One witness told the Telegraph: "I heard five shots and went over to window and saw people running around. Police and ambulance already at scene."

The incident happened in the area of Chambers and West Streets in the TriBeCa neighbourhood at 3.15pm.

One witness said on Twitter: Jesus! A car just ran over 2 people and then crashed into a school bus. I see two dead bodies and bikes on the floor destroyed."

Expand Close Police block off the street after a shooting incident in New York City, U.S. October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton / Facebook

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Laith Bahlouli, 14, a student at a nearby high school said: What happened was there was a car crash, he came out of one of the cars. He had two guns. We thought the guns were fake and it was a Halloween prank.

"We thought it was a Halloween thing. He started running around the highway. There was another guy in a green shirt that was chasing him around. I heard four to six gunshots  everybody starts running."

Alif Rahman, 14, another high school student, said he saw two bodies. Video from the scene showed at least two people lying apparently dead in the road.

At the scene the rented Home Depot truck was badly damaged along with two mangled bikes. Police began examining the rental truck for explosives.

Another witness Tawhid Kabir, 20,said: "I thought it was Halloween or something. I saw the gun and I realised it was serious.

Witness Michael Corbin said: "We all heard the gunfire. I heard distinctly five shots in quick succession." Another man told the New York Daily News he heard 15 shots.

In a statement the New York Police Department said: "A vehicle entered the pedestrian and bike path a few blocks north of Chambers Street.

"The vehicle struck multiple people on the path. There are several fatalities and numerous people injured.

"The vehicle continued south striking another vehicle. The suspect exited the vehicle displaying imitation firearms and was shot by officers. The suspect is in custody."

Jamal Lewis, a 17-year-old student who witnessed the attack said: I was walking down West street and heard a loud noise behind me. I saw the white pickup truck run over two cyclists and carried on. People were around their bodies, but they were dead. There was no screaming, people were in shock.

Reaction

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio condemned the attack at the NYPD press conference.

He called it a "very painful day in our city" and a "horrible tragedy".

"This was a cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians, aimed at people going about their lives," Mr Blasio said.

He praised the spirit of the city, saying: New Yorkers do not give in in the face of these kind of actions."

US First Lady Melania Trump has tweeted that her heart breaks for New York. Ms Trump said: "My heart breaks for #NYC today. Thoughts & prayers as we monitor the situation."

Donald Mr Trump tweeted around 20 minutes after his wife: "In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!"

Prime Minister Theresa May tweeted: "Appalled by this cowardly attack, my thoughts are with all affected. Together we will defeat the evil of terrorism. UK stands with #NYC."

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Donald Trump has claimed there was "no collusion" between his presidential campaign and Russia.

The US president was speaking on Monday after his ex-campaign chairman Paul Manafort and one of Manafort's former business associates Rick Gates were indicted on felony charges, including conspiracy against the US.

Manafort and Gates have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The same day Trump's former campaign adviser George Papadopoulous pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contact with the Russians.

Here is everything you need to know about the probe:

Who is Manafort?

Manafort joined Mr Trump's campaign in March last year and oversaw the convention delegate strategy. Mr Trump pushed him out in August amid a stream of negative headlines about Manafort's foreign consulting work.

Mr Trump's middle son, Eric Trump, said in an interview at the time that his father was concerned that questions about Manafort's past were taking attention away from the billionaire's presidential bid.

Manafort has been a subject of a longstanding FBI investigation into his dealings in Ukraine and work for the country's former president, Viktor Yanukovych. That inquiry was incorporated into Mr Mueller's broader probe.

Expand Close Paul Manafort has agreed to provide notes of a Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer (AP) / Facebook

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Previously, he denied any wrongdoing related to his Ukrainian work, saying through a spokesman that it "was totally open and appropriate".

What are Manafort and Gates accused of?

The indictment accused Manafort and Gates of funnelling tens of millions of dollars in payments through foreign companies and bank accounts as part of their political work in Ukraine.

It lays out 12 counts including conspiracy against the US, conspiracy to launder money, acting as an unregistered foreign agent, making false statements and several charges related to failing to report foreign bank and financial accounts.

The indictment alleges that they moved money through hidden bank accounts in Cyprus, St Vincent and the Grenadines and the Seychelles. In total, more than $75 million (64 million) flowed through the offshore accounts.

Manafort is accused of laundering more than $18 million (15 million), according to the indictment.

The 68-year-old was fired as Mr Trump's campaign chairman in August last year after word surfaced that he had orchestrated a covert lobbying operation on behalf of pro-Russian interests in Ukraine.

Expand Close Gates is a former Trump campaign aide (Susan Walsh/AP) / Facebook

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The indictment accuses Manafort and Gates of orchestrating a nearly decade-long conspiracy to covertly work for Ukrainian interests and launder millions of dollars through offshore accounts.

Specifically, the indictment accuses Manafort of using "his hidden overseas wealth to enjoy a lavish lifestyle in the United States, without paying taxes on that income".

That included using offshore accounts to purchase multimillion-dollar properties in the US, some of which the government is seeking to seize.

How does this involve Trump's presidential campaign?

The first indictments arising from special counsel Robert Mueller's sprawling investigation into possible co-ordination between Russia and Mr Trump's 2016 election effort bring the probe into a new phase and pose the threat of a years-long prison sentence for the man who once led the president's campaign.

But the indictment does not reference the Trump campaign or make any allegations about co-ordination between the Kremlin and the president's aides to influence the outcome of the election in his favour.

It does allege that a criminal conspiracy was continuing until February this year.

What has Trump said?

Mr Trump tweeted on Monday: "Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????"

Who else is involved in the investigation?

Robert Mueller was appointed as special counsel in May to lead the Justice Department's investigation into whether the Kremlin worked with associates of the Trump campaign to influence the 2016 presidential election.

The appointment came a week after the firing of James Comey, who as FBI director led the investigation, and also followed the recusal months earlier of attorney general Jeff Sessions from the probe.

Investigators have focused on associates including Manafort, whose home was raided in July by agents searching for tax and international banking records.

They have also investigated ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn, who was forced to resign in February after White House officials said he had misled them about his conversations with the Russian ambassador to the US.

Expand Close James Comey. Photo: AP / Facebook

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Mr Mueller's investigation has also reached into the White House, as he examines the circumstances of Mr Comey's firing.

Investigators have requested extensive documents from the White House about key actions since Mr Trump took office and have interviewed multiple current and former officials.

Mr Mueller's grand jury has also heard evidence about a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower attended by a Russian lawyer as well as Manafort, Donald Trump Jr, and the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Gates was Manafort's chief deputy and a key player from Mr Trump's campaign who survived Manafort's removal last summer.

Two weeks ago, he was still working for Tom Barrack, a Trump confidant, helping with the inauguration committee's campaign account.
US President Donald Trumps former campaign manager Paul Manafort departs US District Court after a hearing in the first charges stemming from a special counsel investigation of possible Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election in Washington. Photo: Jim Bourg/Reuters

Donald Trump's election campaign chairman was yesterday charged with secretly lobbying for a pro-Russian party in Ukraine in exchange for millions of dollars.

Paul Manafort, who held the campaign role for three months, was accused of working for the Party of Regions group for around a decade without telling US authorities.

During that time his firm is alleged to have met with Congressmen about sanctions against Ukraine and to have defended the controversial arrest of a political rival.

Mr Manafort also faces charges of laundering money through foreign companies and bank accounts and misleading the authorities about the true scale of his lobbying.

In a dramatic day in Washington DC, both Mr Manafort and his colleague Richard Gates handed themselves in to the FBI after being told they would be indicted. Together they face 12 charges including "conspiracy against the United States", "conspiracy to launder money", and being an "unregistered agent of a foreign principal".

Money laundering, the most serious charge, carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Mr Manafort and Mr Gates deny the charges.

Government lawyers requested that Mr Manafort's bail be set at $10m (8.58m) and Mr Gates's at $5m (4.3m). Both are under house arrest.

Mr Manafort's attorney said there was "no evidence" his client or the Trump campaign colluded with Russia and called the allegations "ridiculous".

The charges are the first to be brought by an official investigation into the Trump campaign's links with Russia, led by special prosecutor Robert Mueller.

Mr Trump and the White House last night said the charges were not directly linked to Mr Manafort's time with the campaign and dismissed any suggestion of "collusion" with Russia. Mr Trump tweeted: "Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?"

Encourage

Commentators suggest the arrests may be used to encourage Mr Manafort to share information with investigators in return for leniency. The developments marked another twist in the story of Mr Trump's ties to Russia that has continued to dog his first year in the White House, to the fury of the president.

Mr Manafort is an experienced operative who advised previous Republican presidential candidates, including Ronald Reagan and George H W Bush. He was taken on by the Trump campaign in March 2016 to secure the delegate votes needed to wrap up the Republican presidential nomination.

In May, Mr Manafort was promoted to campaign chairman and chief strategist - a position he held until August, when he resigned, as reports about his links to Ukraine began to surface. In a 31-page document published by the Department of Justice yesterday, Mr Manafort and Mr Gates were accused of overseeing a "multi-million-dollar lobbying campaign" that was never declared between 2006 and 2015.

The work was said to have been on behalf of Party of Regions, the Ukrainian political group known for its pro-Russian sentiments.

The party's leader, Viktor Yanukovych, became Ukrainian president in 2010 before fleeing in 2014 after an uprising that resulted in fighting in the east of the country. Mr Manafort and Mr Gates, his "right-hand man", were accused of using two Washington DC companies to lobby American politicians on behalf of the Ukrainian party.

"Among other things, they lobbied multiple members of Congress and their staffs about Ukraine sanctions, the validity of Ukraine elections, and the propriety of Yanukovych's imprisoning his presidential rival," the indictment reads.

They also fed back the information to their Ukranian paymasters, according to the charges, with Mr Manafort telling Mr Yanukovych in 2012 that he would provide a "weekly update" on progress.

The pair never told the US authorities of the work. It is illegal to act as a foreign "agent" seeking "United States influence" - one of the charges both men now face. ( Daily Telegraph London)
The White House yesterday tried to distance itself from George Papadopoulos, a Trump campaign adviser, after he admitted lying to the FBI about meetings he had with people linked to Russia.

Mr Papadopoulos, a little-known foreign policy adviser who joined the Trump campaign in March 2016, lied in January about communicating with people who he believed had ties to the Russian government.

His admission provides the clearest evidence yet that Donald Trump's presidential campaign team was aware that the Kremlin was actively trying to help their cause.

Mr Trump's campaign has always denied colluding with Russian efforts to sway the election outcome.

Court documents released yesterday stated that Mr Papadopoulos was allegedly told by an intermediary - a London-based professor - that Moscow had damaging information and that Mr Papadopoulos then tried to set up a visit to Russia.

"They have dirt on her," the professor told Mr Papadopoulos, according to the documents. "They have thousands of emails."

The exchange happened on April 26, months before the Democratic National Committee revealed it had been hacked.

Mr Papadopolous was arrested in July.

The documents unsealed yesterday show he has been co-operating with investigators led by Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating Russian election interference and any collusion with the Trump campaign.

Yesterday, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, insisted Mr Papadopoulos was a minor player who was not acting at the behest of the campaign. "He was a volunteer on the campaign and a volunteer member of an advisory council that met one time," she said.

While much of the attention was focused on the arrest of Paul Manafort, who served for three months as campaign chairman, Mr Papadopoulos's role could be more damaging to Mr Trump. Court papers describe how he passed on overtures from the Russian government, inviting Mr Trump to Moscow. When he described his contacts to an immediate superior, he was praised for "great work".

Other officials discussed the offer, with one higher ranking figure responding: "We need someone to communicate that DT is not doing these trips. It should be someone low level... so as not to send any signal."

The Russians followed up their offer by saying that if Mr Trump could not attend then the offer could be extended to a campaign official.

A figure referred to as a "campaign supervisor" encouraged Mr Papadopoulos to make the trip himself, although in the end it never happened.

He was first interviewed by the FBI in January and again in February, when he said he would co-operate and described the contacts as occurring before he joined the Trump campaign.

However, the criminal complaint says that days later he switched mobile phones and deactivated his Facebook account, which contained details of the communications, before setting up a new profile on the social media site.

Mr Papadopoulos first offered his services to Ben Carson, a rival of Mr Trump's for the Republican nomination. When Dr Carson dropped out, he joined the small team working for Mr Trump who unveiled his five-member foreign policy group during a conference call with the 'Washington Post'.

He named Mr Papadopoulos, saying: "George is an oil and gas consultant; excellent guy."

Mr Papadopoulos pleaded guilty on October 5 to lying to FBI agents, according to a court statement from Mr Mueller's office. The charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 (214,000) fine, which could be reduced as part of his plea deal. ( Daily Telegraph London)
Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga has harshly criticised an election rerun in which President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the winner.

He said it should be scrapped in favour of yet another vote and that the opposition would continue to protest in the streets.

Mr Odinga's first public comments since election results were announced on Monday suggested Kenya's political and ethnic tensions are unlikely to dissipate soon.

The opposition leader, who boycotted the October 26 vote, hinted his supporters could appeal to the nation's highest court to nullify a presidential election for the second time since August.

"We shall see to it that we conduct a free, fair and credible presidential election as ordered by the Supreme Court," Mr Odinga said on Tuesday.

"It's in our best interests that we do so sooner rather than later."

The court invalidated the August 8 election in which Mr Kenyatta was declared the winner after finding what it called "irregularities and illegalities".

Mr Kenyatta has said he expects legal challenges to the latest election, which he won with an overwhelming 98% of the vote because he faced no significant challenge.

The opposition also plans "economic boycotts, peaceful procession, picketing and other legitimate forms of protest", said Mr Odinga, emphasising that demonstrations would be peaceful.

However, his supporters have often clashed with police in Nairobi slums and opposition areas in western Kenya since the latest election.

At least nine people have been killed.

The opposition accuses security forces of using excessive force, while the government has said Mr Odinga's camp has incited violence.

"If there is no justice for the people, let there be no peace for the government," Mr Odinga said on Tuesday.

The unrest has highlighted divisions that continue to affect East Africa's economic hub.

Business and religious leaders pleaded for calm in a country weary of tension.

The head of a Kenyan business association, Nderitu Mwangi of the Hood Group, said companies have suffered big losses because of the turmoil.

The vote has left the country "grossly divided along ethnic and political lines", The National Council of Churches of Kenya said.

Kenya's election commission has said the turnout of registered voters in the October 26 election was about 40%, compared with roughly twice that in the August balloting.

Mr Odinga remained on the ballot and still got 73,000 votes, or just under 1%.

In August, he received 45% to Mr Kenyatta's 54%.

Voting did not take place in two dozen of Kenya's 290 constituencies due to opposition protests, although the election commission cited an election law that says final results can be announced if the outcome is not affected by the tally in areas that did not vote.

Mr Odinga, who is from the Luo ethnic group, and Mr Kenyatta, who is a Kikuyu, also faced off in a 2013 election similarly marred by allegations of vote-rigging.

The opposition leader also ran unsuccessfully in 2007, and ethnic-fuelled animosity after that vote killed more than 1,000 people and forced 600,000 from their homes.

AP
The pound made gains on Tuesday as investors reacted to news that the sixth round of Brexit talks would take place next week, giving hope of a potential deal between the UK and EU.

Sterling rose nearly 0.5% against both the US dollar and euro to trade at 1.327 and 1.139, respectively.

The currencys gains weighed on the FTSE 100, which ended the day up just 0.07% or 5.27 points at 7,493.08 points.

Listed multinational firms on the blue chip index tend to benefit when foreign currencies are stronger than the pound.

However, the FTSE 100 has clocked a 1.6% rise for October, marking its biggest monthly gain since May when it rose 4.39%.

Expand Close The pound was up after the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said the next round of meetings was being organised / Facebook

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Whatsapp The pound was up after the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said the next round of meetings was being organised

The UK currency  which had already been trading higher after the EUs chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, signalled that the two sides were arranging the next round of talks  received an added extra boost after UK Brexit Secretary David Davis confirmed that negotiations would take place next week.

David Madden, a market analyst at CMC Markets UK, said: This gave sterling traders some optimism as it moves along the post-Brexit deal possibility.

Mr Davis said he was seeking an intensification of negotiations, but assured the House of Lords EU Committee that Britain was on timetable to achieve its desired outcome by the scheduled date of withdrawal from the EU in March 2019.

Across Europe, the French Cac 40 ended higher by 0.18%, while the German Dax was closed for Reformation Day.

Brent crude prices were hovering near their highest level since June 2015, as investors awaited data from the American Petroleum Institute which would outline energy stockpiles across the US.

In UK stocks, Burberry shares fell 20p to 1,902p.

It came as the fashion house confirmed that president Christopher Bailey will step down from the board next year, ending his 17-year stint at the high-end fashion house.

BP shares climbed 3% to a seven-year high during morning trading, but ended the day up just 1.7% or 8.6p at 510.2p.

Investors were reacting to third quarter earnings results which showed that profits more than doubled in the third quarter to $1.9 billion (1.44 billion) amid a 14% jump in oil and gas production.

WPP was among the biggest risers, up 39p at 1,334p, despite having rolled back annual revenue targets, and warning that advertising spending was suffering as activist investors pressured firms to cut costs.

The advertising giant said like-for-like revenue and net sales for the full year would now come in broadly flat.

Away from the top tier index, Just Eat was one of the biggest risers on the FTSE 250.

The takeaway firms shares rose 40p to 780p after lifting its annual revenue guidance from 500 million to 515 million to between 515 million and 530 million, having booked revenues of 138.6 million for the three months ending in September, up from 94.5 million last year.

The move was largely driven by the continued strength of its Canadian-based SkipTheDishes business, which it snapped up in December last year

The biggest risers on the FTSE 100 were Croda International up 170p to 4,184p, easyJet up 41p to 1,339p, Segro up 16p to 543p, and WPP up 39p to 1,334p.

The biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 were Fresnillo down 35p to 1,302p, Imperial Brands down 70p to 3,070.5p, Glencore down 7p to 363p, and Randgold Resources down 135p to 7,395p.
Jennifer Appel, right, and Tasha Fuiava sit with their dogs on the deck of the USS Ashland after having been rescued (AP Photo/Koji Ueda)

Two women who were lost at sea for five months had an emergency beacon aboard their sailboat that was never activated, the US coast guard has said.

Spokesman Lt Scott Carr told The Associated Press that their review of the incident and subsequent interviews with the survivors revealed that they had the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) aboard, but never turned it on.

The device communicates with satellites and sends locations to authorities. It is activated when submerged in water or turned on manually.

During the post-incident debriefing by the coast guard, Jennifer Appel, who was on the sailboat with Tasha Fuiava, was asked if she had the emergency beacon on board. Ms Appel replied she did, and that it was properly registered.

"We asked why during this course of time did they not activate the EPIRB. She had stated they never felt like they were truly in distress, like in a 24-hour period they were going to die," said coast guard spokeswoman Petty Officer 2nd Class Tara Molle.

Lt Carr also said the coast guard made radio contact with a vessel that identified itself as the Sea Nymph in June near Tahiti, and the captain said they were not in distress and expected to make land the next morning. That was after the women reportedly lost their engines and sustained damage to their rigging and mast.

A retired coast guard officer who was responsible for search and rescue operations said that if the women used the emergency beacon, they would have been found.

"If the thing was operational and it was turned on, a signal should have been received very, very quickly that this vessel was in distress," said Phillip R Johnson.

The beacons are solid and built to be suddenly dropped in the ocean.

"Failures are really rare," Johnson said, but added that old and weak batteries also could cause a unit not to work.

It is not clear if the pair had tested it before the journey.

The two women met in late 2016, and within a week of knowing each other decided to take the trip together.

Fuiava had never sailed a day in her life. They planned to take 18 days to get to Tahiti, then travel the South Pacific and return to Hawaii in October.

They were rescued by the US Navy after they were spotted by a Taiwanese fishing vessel 900 miles southeast of Japan.

AP
Mumbai, Oct 31 (IBNS): The Indian market closed lower on Tuesday, with BSE Sensex down 36.11 points at 33230.05, and NSE Nifty down by 24.50 points at 10339.20.

On Tuesday, Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd announced its consolidated financial results for the second quarter and half year ended September 30, 2017

The company reported consolidated profit for July-September quarter at Rs 284.9 crore, down 3.4 percent compared with Rs 295 crore reported in the same period a year ago.



Profit was slightly better than analyst estimates due to improvement in operational performance, the company said.

Revenue during the quarter fell 1.1 percent year-on-year to Rs 3,546 crore which dented by US business; but increased 7 percent sequentially.

"Healthy performance in India, emerging markets, Europe and PSAI businesses, as well as continued focus on cost control, have contributed to sequential growth in topline as well as bottomline, with an EBITDA increase of 105 percent over previous quarter," GV Prasad, CEO and co-chairman said.

He said, "Looking ahead, we expect to see results from products launched in the U.S. during the first half of this fiscal. We will continue to focus on the launching of new products, as well as on improving operational efficiency and quality management systems across the company.

With Indian market regulator SEBI making it mandatory to link Aadhaar with all demat accounts, foreign portfolio investors have asked for clarification if the the rule also applies to them, according to media reports.



According to media reports, the August mandate, which asked the stock exchanges to freeze demat accounts of traders failing to provide Aadhaar details by December 31, was thought to be meant for domestic investors.

But it was not clear if overseas investors were also bound by the circular.

Top gainers on Tuesday included Axis Bank, ONGC, BHEL, HCL Tech, Bharti Airtel, BPCL and Hero Motocorp while UPL, Vedanta, Infosys, M&M, Gail, Tata Steel, SBI and Tata Motors declined.

Image: Wikimedia Commons
For the first time in its nine years of operations in the southern hemisphere, IceBridge will launch two consecutive, dedicated sets of Antarctic flights from two continentsSouth America and Antarcticawith two different aircraft and instrument suites.

This is an exciting and ambitious undertaking for IceBridge, as the dual campaigns will allow us to continue our surveys of important areas near the Antarctic Peninsula and greatly expand our coverage into the vast expanse of East Antarctica, said Nathan Kurtz, IceBridges project scientist and a sea ice researcher at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, read teh NASA website.

The first part of the campaign, which will continue through Nov. 26, is based in Ushuaia, Argentina. This is a new base of operations for IceBridge, which normally flies to Antarctica from Punta Arenas, Chile. The reason for the switch is that this fall, IceBridge scientists and instruments are traveling aboard a P-3 aircraft, which has a shorter range than their regular Antarctic ride, a DC-8.

By flying from Ushuaia instead of Punta Arenas, were saving ourselves an hour of flight time during our transit to and from Antarctica, Kurtz said. Because were trying to maximize our time collecting new data over and around Antarctica, that hour is a big deal.

The P-3 is flying over West Antarctica, the continents fastest-changing region, targeting sea ice in the Bellingshausen and Weddell seas and glaciers in the Antarctic Peninsula and along the English and Bryan Coasts. The IceBridge team has added new flight lines this year, including surveys of the Larsen C and Venable Ice shelves. In total, IceBridge scientists plan at least six P-3 flights and up to eleven if the notoriously difficult weather in this region cooperates.

Its first flight included a pass under the tracks of TanDEM-X, a radar-based satellite jointly operated by the German space agency DLR and Airbus Defence and Space SAS, a private company. By comparing IceBridges measurements to TanDEM-Xs, scientists want to see if they can use the data from the German spacecraft to detect the so-called frontal ice zone, a band of older and thicker sea ice that may exist near the northern edge of the ring of sea ice surrounding Antarctica and, if present, might have a protective effect on the sea ice pack.



For the P-3 flights, the mission is carrying its full instrument suite. The main instrument is a laser altimeter that measures the height of the ice surface. IceBridge is flying two versions of it: one equipped solely with a green laser and, for the first time, a dual-color version that transmits both infrared and green laser pulses. The P-3 is also flying three radar sounders that measure the thickness and layering of the snow and ice, a high-resolution camera to record the surveyed terrain and an infrared camera to measure surface temperature. The plane also carries a gravimeter and magnetometer that record small variations in Earths gravity and magnetic fields to measure the thickness of the ocean cavity beneath Antarcticas floating ice shelves, which is essential information for advancing the understanding of how the ice and ocean interact.

Starting in late November, IceBridge will carry out a second set of research flights, this time based in Antarctica. This will be the second dedicated Antarctic-based field campaign in IceBridges history. These flights are part of an ongoing collaboration with the National Science Foundation (NSF), which manages the U.S. Antarctic Program and operates three year-round U.S. research stations on the continent.

The flights will be aboard a Basler aircraft and launched from at least two Antarctic stations, NSFs McMurdo and Amundsen-Scott South Pole stations. The plane will be equipped with a laser altimeter and a new radar sounder.

Being based in Antarctica will allow IceBridge to fly areas of the continent that are unreachable from South America and to do more thorough surveys of regions that previously were at the farther edge of its reach, such as the 88 degrees South pole hole  the circular area around the South Pole where all ICESat-2 orbits will intersect each other.

When we fly to the pole hole from Chile with the DC-8, it requires flying for more than 12 hours, but we only get about 90 minutes near the pole and can only survey half of the area at a time, said Joe MacGregor, IceBridges deputy project scientist and a glaciologist at Goddard.

Flying to the pole hole from the South Pole itself will allow for a more thorough survey and provide an invaluable baseline for ICESat-2 measurements. If all goes as planned, within a few weeks following Operation IceBridges flights, Goddard researchers on the ground will also survey the pole hole using GPS and help further refine our knowledge of this region.

Some new targets for IceBridge during the Basler flights will be areas of the Texas-sized Ross Ice Shelf and several massive glaciers that flow through the Transantarctic Mountains from East to West Antarctica. During the second part of their Antarctic campaign, the IceBridge team hopes to complete at least 16 surveys.

Well survey some glaciers that, as far as we can tell, no one has surveyed with a laser and a radar previously, to map surface elevation and ice thickness. That meets the definition of Antarctic exploration, MacGregor said.

The mission of Operation IceBridge is to collect data on changing polar ice and maintain continuity of measurements between ICESat missions. The original ICESat mission launched in 2003 and ended in 2009, and its successor, ICESat-2, is scheduled for launch in late 2018. Operation IceBridge began in 2009 and is currently planned to continue until 2020 so it to overlaps with ICESat-2 to help scientists connect measurements from the two satellites.

NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia provided one of the laser altimeters and the infrared camera that are being used during IceBridges Ushuaia flights. The P-3 research aircraft is based at Wallops. IceBridge's three radar instruments come from the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas, while NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, California, provided the Digital Mapping System, and the gravimeter and magnetometer are managed by Columbia University. For the 2017 Antarctica-Based flights, the Basler aircraft is owned and managed by NASA contractor Airtec, the laser altimeter is provided by University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and the radar sounder comes from CReSIS.

Image: Credits: NASA/Nathan Kurtz
Power Publishers released "An Unimaginable Love" by author Anchal Srivastava, who is currently exploring her passion for the written word. In this interview, she speaks about her book and what started her journey.

Hi, Anchal! First of all, congratulations on the release of "An Unimaginable Love". Is this your first book?

Thank you so much for the wishes. Yes, this is my first book.

What kind of readers are you hoping to reach out to through your book?

I just hope the book reaches out to all age groups. Especially, the youths of this generation, graduates, postgraduates and working professionals in and out of India.

Since when did you discover your interest towards becoming an author?

Well, this response will be quite wordy. Please do spend your few minutes to know about my journey of becoming an author:

A quote that has been inspiring me always is -

If a drop of water falls in a lake there is no identity,

But, if it falls on a leaf it shines like a PEARL.

So, choose the BEST place where you can shine.

Hence, it landed me in the world of writers which is indeed the best place I can never ever have dreamt for.

Although I was writing for the local newspaper when I was in 7th and 8th standard, however, this didnt last long. I gave it a pause due to my class 10 board examination.

After a long break of five years, I again started writing a story in my free time, pondering that it might get published after a year. I was pursuing the third year of Engineering (Biotechnology) then.

As I became busy with projects, assignments, and placements, unfortunately, after writing a few chapters of the story I quit again. A frenetic job in a healthcare MNC compelled me to drop the dream of becoming a renowned writer.

The years passed by. It had been more than four years that i was working. I was following a hectic office schedule of more than nine hours a day.

Early this year, I came across the website mycity4kids, which is mainly based on parenting stories. I also found out many articles related to social issues, which we generally face in our day to day life.

After five years, I again thought of giving it a try, using my writing skills. I wrote the first article for this website.

My first blog on A thoughtful letter to my brothers future wife was viewed by 63.3K readers with more than thousands of comments and shares. This encouraged me to write more and more. Therefore, I wrote sixteen articles till now and the most appreciated among those was- aaaaaa aaaa aa? with 262.2K views and 15K likes.

With such appreciation and encouragement, I created my own blog in April 2017.

My blog was selected for Bloggers Recognition Award and was listed among the top among fifteen nominees from worldwide. One can also visit my blog for inspirational stories and articles related to social issues. All my articles have been praised by millions of readers from across the globe.

Looking at my writing skills, my husband encouraged me each day to write a book. I also thought of paying full attention towards my writing and this was a golden opportunity for me which might never return.

Being a full-time private employee, managing household chores, blogging and writing a book was not my cup of tea. Believe me, its not that easy. Somehow, I managed (Impossible becomes possible when life gives supportive and caring life-partner).

Eventually, I finished writing my first book in thirty-five days. Now I can proudly say that I had chosen the best place where I can shine.

Which genre of literature do you find the most appealing?

To be very frank, I am fond of romantic books and novels. Hence, love stories seem more appealing to me.

Have your friends gone through the book? What do they think about it?

Of course, my friends had read the book. It will be more interesting if I read our some of their reviews here:

"Amazing storyline.... Just can't stop me from re-reading it...."

"This book is one of the best of its kind.highly recommended.kudos to the author for such a lovely book."

"WOW......UNIQUE STORYLINE....JUST LOVED IT :)

RECOMMEND TO BUY ONE..."

"Awesome plot... captivating story...loved it"

Since your book is primarily a love story, what message does it convey to all young lovers out there?

The name of the book "An Unimaginable Love" itself reveals the extraordinary love between the two teenagers. This romantic story teaches to 'respect' the love, it shows that love is not a wastage of time. Patience and trust play an earnest role in this true love affair. And, the most important message it conveys to the young lovers is- being married in every love story is not the victorious ending, there is always a hidden achievement stored. True love never dies.
On October 17, 2017, at least 11 suspected terrorists were killed when two United States (US) drones fired six missiles on their hideouts in the mountainous region of the Kurram Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

On October 16, 2017, at least 20 suspected terrorists were killed in a similar US drone strike on another hideout in the same area. Four missiles were fired on a compound during the strike, in which suspected terrorists of the Haqqani Network were killed. According to media reports, the target of the attack was a Haqqani Network 'commander', Abu Bakar, who was killed along with his accomplices.

On September 15, 2017, three suspected terrorists were killed in a US drone attack in the Charmanak area of the Kurram Agency. "A remotely-piloted US aircraft fired two missiles at the home of Maulana Muhibullah," Kurram Agency Political Agent Baseer Khan Wazir stated, adding, "The Maulana, along with two others, was killed in the attack." Two Afghan Taliban sources later confirmed that Muhibullah was affiliated with the Haqqani Network "but wasn't a prominent figure".

According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), the US has carried out at least seven drone attacks inside Pakistan since the beginning of the current year (2017) resulting in at least 48 fatalities (data till October 29, 2017). During the corresponding period of 2016, there were just three such attacks, resulting in seven deaths. There were no further attacks through 2016.

The US first commenced drone strikes inside Pakistan on June 18, 2004, and has so far carried out at least 330 such strikes, resulting in over 2,861 fatalities (data till October 29, 2017).

There was a steep and sustained decline in number of such attacks since 2011 after a continuous escalation since 2008. Except for Washington's continuing flip-flop 'Pakistan policy' under former President Barrack Obama, there was nothing on the ground to justify the down trend in such attacks since 2011, as Pakistan continued to provide safe haven to Taliban and Haqqani network formations operating across its borders into Afghanistan.

When President Donald Trump assumed power in January 2017 and decided to re-configure America's 'Pakistan Policy', drone attacks were expectedly resumed. The first strike took place on March 2, 2017, killing two suspected terrorists in a border village along the AfPak border in FATA's Kurram Agency. Significantly, the last such attack had been recorded on May 21, 2016, in which Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in the Kuchaki area of Nushki District in Pakistan's Balochistan Province.

In the meantime, after almost six months of his Presidency, Trump announced his "new integrated strategy for the U.S. approach to South Asia" on August 21, 2017. In particular, the strategy outlined his approach to the Afghanistan-Pakistan conundrum, projecting a radical redirection in the US policy towards Pakistan. The policy statement observed,

.The next pillar of our new strategy is to change the approach and how to deal with Pakistan. We can no longer be silent about Pakistan's safe havens for terrorist organizations, the Taliban, and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond. Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our effort in Afghanistan. It has much to lose by continuing to harbor criminals and terrorists.

Not surprisingly, there have been at least four reported drone attacks inside Pakistani territory within a span of just 70 days since the declaration of the new policy. A further surge in such attacks can be expected, as the US continues to harden its position on Pakistan. Indeed, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who visited South Asia, between October 23-27, acknowledged on October 26, 2017, that he had told the Pakistan Government that Washington would implement its new strategy with or without Islamabad, because "this is what we think is necessary. And if you don't want to do that, don't feel you can do it, we'll adjust our tactics and our strategies to achieve the same objective a different way."

The increasingly inflexible US position, for the time being at least, has unnerved Pakistan. Unlike earlier instances of Pakistani protests against drone strikes as a violation of territorial integrity and sovereignty, this time the Pakistan establishment has out rightly denied the strikes within its territory in order to justify its claim that there are no terrorist safe havens within its borders. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement released on October 17, 2017, in the aftermath of October 16-17, drone attack thus claimed,

Military Operations are being conducted in Khost and Paktia, Afghanistan, by Resolute Support Mission (RSM) / Afghan Forces, opposite Kurram Agency. During last 24 hours, number of Air engagements has taken place in those areas inside Afghanistan with reports of heavy losses to Terrorists. As a follow up of COAS [Chief of Army Staff] visit to Afghanistan, coordination between the forces has enhanced. RSM timely shared details about the said operation within Afghan territory. There has been no air violation along Pak-Afg border in that area or any drone strike in Kurram Agency as being misreported by few.

The civilian Government too made an attempt to argue that there are no terror safe havens inside Pakistan, with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif sharing a chart of drone attacks carried out over the past 12 years, from 2005 till October 15, 2017, inside the Pakistani territory, and tweeting on October 25:

12yrs drone attacks chart. If we have sanctuaries why frequency is sharply down. US won't hesitate attacking funeral, weddings to get targets.

The charade of denials may serve a domestic political agenda, allowing the Army and political leaderships in Pakistan to save face; however, it can only harden US attitudes further, as there can be little doubt in Washington where its precision strikes are hitting terrorist hideouts. Unless Islamabad executes an unlikely and radical turnaround of its policies supporting terrorism - at least across the border into Afghanistan - US drones are likely to strike targets in Pakistan with rising frequency.
On October 25, 2017, three Islamic State (IS or Daesh) cadres, identified as Midilaj K.C. (26), Rashid M.P. (23), and Abdul Razakh K. (24), were arrested by the Valapattanam Police in the Kannur District of Kerala. All three youth, who were natives of Kannur District, were arrested by the Police. They had been kept under surveillance since they returned to India some four months earlier (date not specified), from Turkey.

Police said that they (the arrestees) had gone to Turkey and stayed there for three to four months and had been captured by Turkish authorities while they were trying to cross the border to Syria. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Kannur, P.P. Sadanandan stated that the accused were duly sent back to India by the Turkish Police and the accused reached Mumbai (Maharashtra) from where they came back to Kannur: "It's suspected they might have received IS training during their stay in Istanbul on their way to Syria." Sadanandan further disclosed that the arrestees had "opted for different routes to enter Syria. While Midhilaj chose the Sharjah-Iran-Turkey route, Abdhul Razakh chose the Dubai-Iran-Turkey route and Rashid opted for the Malaysia-Iran-Turkey route." They were arrested by the Turkish Police before they could cross over to Syria.

Again, on October 26, 2017, Kerala Police arrested another two Daesh cadres, identified as U.K. Hamsa aka Taliban Hamsa aka Biriyani Hamsa (57) and Manaf Rahman (42) from Thalassery in Kannur District. Hamsa was suspected to be the kingpin of the Daesh recruitment cell in the State and controlled Daesh-related activities in the Malabar region [which includes six northern districts of Kerala; Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad and Wayanad]. Rahman had been under surveillance since he was stopped at Mangalore Airport (Karnataka) while trying to make his way to Syria, along with his family, including five children, in December 2016. DSP Sadanandan asserted that Manaf Rahman had decided to go to Syria to fight for IS after coming into contact with Hamsa.

On October 25, 2017, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested two suspected Daesh cadres, identified as Mohammad Kasim Stimberwala and Ubed Ahmed Mirza, from Surat. The arrestees were reportedly planning terror attack in the State during the two-phase Gujarat Assembly Elections scheduled to be held on December 9 and 14, 2017. According to reports, they were planning an attack on a Jewish synagogue in the Khadia area of Ahmedabad in the 'very near future'. According to officials, the duo were in constant contact with their Daesh handler Shafi Armar aka Zahed-al-Hindi and Abdullah el Faisal, a Jamaica-born Muslim cleric who faces Daesh-related terrorism charges in the US, through social media.

On October 24, 2017, the family of one of the four boys from Kalyan in Maharashtra, who left for Iraq to join IS in May 2014, had received a call from an anonymous caller from a foreign number that their son Fahad Tanvir Sheikh had been killed while fighting for Daesh in Raqqa, Syria, the preceding week (date not specified). Sheikh was the last active member of the cell, following the arrest of Areeb Majeed who returned to India voluntarily in November 2014; and the killing of Saheem Farooque Tanki (reportedly killed in al-Hasakah city in Syria in January 2015) and Aman Naim Tandel (reportedly killed in an airstrike at an unspecified location in Iraq in November 2016). The four boys were the first reported cases of Indians joining Daesh.

According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), at least 111 persons (six in 2014, 19 in 2015, 54 in 2016 and 32 in 2017) have been arrested and another 56 persons (nine in 2014, 31 in 2015, eight in 2016 and eight in 2017) have been detained in connection with their Daesh linkages across India, thus far (data till October 26, 2017). At least another 88 Indians (Kerala - 53, Karnataka - nine, Maharashtra - seven, Tamil Nadu - six, Telangana - five, Uttar Pradesh - four, Andhra Pradesh - two, Jharkhand - one, Jammu and Kashmir - one) are believed to have joined Daesh in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Of these 88, who have traveled to Daesh 'territory', 25 are confirmed killed while fighting for IS.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has registered at least 21 cases related to IS activities in different parts of the country, so far. The first such case was registered on November 28, 2014, based on the allegation that "some Indian youths had joined a banned terrorist organisation, the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) and waged war against Asiatic Powers in alliance with the Government of India and are likely to commit terrorist acts in India." The case was registered against the four Kalyan youth who left the country in May 2014. NIA has submitted charge sheets in 14 of these cases. The number of charge sheeted persons in all these cases together stands at: 98. Of these, 65 have been arrested, while 33 are absconding. In a separate case, NIA charge-sheeted controversial preacher and the founder of Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), Zakir Naik, on October 26, 2017, for inciting youth to take up terrorist activities. Some of the youth who joined or attempted to join Daesh have claimed to have been 'inspired by' Naik, or have been linked to his organisations. According to the charge sheet, reportedly accessed by The Times of India,"Since he [Noor Mohammad] considered A-1 (Naik) an authority over Islamic viewpoint, he readily agreed to join the IS to fight jihad for them." According to the charge sheet, Noor Mohammad, a witness, who was on his way to Syria to join the IS but later aborted the plan, told the NIA that he was influenced by Naik's oratory at 'peace conferences' organised by IRF in 2007 and 2008.

Data and investigations suggest that South India has emerged as a focus of Daesh-linked activities. Apart from attaining 'numerical superiority' in arrests and detentions, the region also has the dubious distinction of accounting for the largest number (21) of Indian IS recruits killed (25) fighting for the Daesh. Moreover, 15 of the 21 killed were from Kerala alone. Four of the 15 deceased were part of a group 21 persons, including six women and three children, who went missing from Kasaragod and Palakkad Districts in June 2016 and had reportedly joined Daesh in Afghanistan. They were reportedly killed in US drone attacks in the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan between February and July 2017. Another 11 Keralites were killed fighting in different parts of Syria and Afghanistan, while five persons from Karnataka and one from Telangana were also killed. While two of the five from Karnataka were killed in Syria, there is no information about the location of killing of the remaining three. The person from Telangana was reportedly killed in Syria. Apart from South India, three persons from Maharashtra have been killed fighting for Daesh in Syria (two) and Iraq (one). One person from Uttar Pradesh has been killed in Syria.

Large scale non-violent radicalisation of Muslim youth and the association of a significant number with Daesh in the southern states such as Kerala, from where large numbers of migrants works in Gulf countries, have created enormous security vulnerabilities. Several Kerala youth who were working in different Gulf countries have also reportedly been radicalised and allegedly recruited to Daesh. During the interrogation of three Kerlalites who were arrested on October 25, 2017, it was also discovered that some of the youth who joined IS were part of the 'Bahrain Salafi group', a Kerala group propagating Daesh's extreme ideology. The authorities also worry that the number of Keralites who have joined IS could be much higher than official estimates, which are based on documented cases of missing persons.

Despite this, the lone violent incident which has so far been linked to Daesh in India was the March 7, 2017, train blast. According to the NIA case (No. RC-04/2017/NIA/DLI), preliminary investigations indicate the involvement of active members of IS in the low-intensity blast that took place in Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train at Jabri railway station in Madhya Pradesh on March 7, 2017, injuring 10 passengers. In the following 12-hour long anti-terror operation, an alleged IS-inspired terrorist, Mohammed Saifullah aka Ali, was killed by the Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) in the Thakurganj area in the outskirts of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh on March 8, 2017. At least six others were arrested: three from Hoshangabad District of Madhya Pradesh and another three from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Investigations suggest that Saifullah had also been tasked with securing arms and training facilities for a new IS-linked terror module in Uttar Pradesh.

Daesh has, thus, failed to make any deep inroads in India. Nevertheless, the recent arrests occur at a time when IS is losing its strongholds - including its 'headquarters' at Raqqa - in Syria and Iraq. According to the recent (October 2017) report of the Soufan Group, after the IS 'caliphate' began to lose its territory in both Syria and Iraq, more than 5,600 foreign fighters returned to their respective homelands. Though the report has not mentioned any number of Indian returnees, it disclosed that around 75 Indian fighters were believed to have joined the IS 'caliphate'.

However, Iraqi envoy to India, Fakhri H. Al Issa, stated on July 19, 2017,

..We know that at least 12 to 15 Indians were among the large number of foreign fighters who fought against our security forces during the ongoing operations in Iraq.. Foreign fighters often were killed and many managed to escape. We feel that some of the Indian fighters might have escaped and returned home in the way many foreign fighters returned home in Europe...

Indian authorities are concerned. A July 13, 2017, report noted that NIA had sent a list of people who left the country, possibly to join Daesh, to Immigration departments at airports across the country. Though the list does not reveal the total number of such people, it includes at least 183 youth from Kerala - 88 from Kasaragod, 33 from Kannur, 28 from Malappuram, 19 from Kozhikode, six from Kollam and five from Palakkad. There was no information about the remaining five on the list. Of these 183, 95 were believed to have gone to Afghanistan and rest were suspected to have gone to Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. Further, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) had issued a 'Red-corner notice' to immigration departments at the airports across the country. Indian embassies in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran and UAE (United Arab Emirates) have been told to remain on high alert while issuing documents, especially to those claiming to have lost their passports.

Further, S.K. Chhikara, Joint Secretary (Internal Security), Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA), stated on October 25, 2017, that "the NIA investigation is on to probe their [more than 50 Indian nationals who joined IS in the Middle East after the group's emergence in 2014] whereabouts. The NIA must contact the families of those who left for countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan to join IS, whose so-called 'caliphate' was collapsing due to sustained military assaults."

The October 2017 arrests and the preceding surveillance of the Daesh returnees, demonstrate that Indian intelligence and enforcement agencies are well aware of the risks constituted by the trickle of beaten terrorists returning to their home country. There is, clearly, no alarming threat from Daesh in India as suggested by some commentators. Nevertheless, individual or small groups of returnees do have the potential to orchestrate incidents of violence, or to spread their extremist ideologies among vulnerable elements within their own communities. It is, consequently, imperative that the Indian security establishment remains vigilant to thwart any incipient threat in context of the collapse of Daesh in its areas of dominance, and the potential for mischief by surviving elements, including Indian returnees.
New Delhi, Oct 31 (IBNS): Speaking at the flagging off programme for 'Run For Unity', Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday said that "people tried to ensure the contribution of Sardar Patel is forgotten", thereby raising the question, "Did he take a subtle jab at the opponents?"

It is no mystery that both the Congress and the BJP top brass trade barbs regularly, at times about petty issues, but more often than not they are direct in nature.

Even though the Prime Minister didn't indulge in name calling, it can only point towards one thing, as the Congress has wielded power in Indian politics and policy making for a good number of years.

"However, the youth of India respects him and his contribution towards the building of our nation," the Prime Minister added.

Hailing Indian's diversity, he said, "India is proud of our diversity. We are home to so many cultures, languages, lifestyles."

Experts feel that the recent barrage of allegations from Modi about how prominent Congress leaders, mainly the extended Nehru-Gandhi family, have tried to overshadow prominent Gujarati stalwart like Patel, is a strategy to sway the voters in the BJP's favour, ahead of the state polls, which is scheduled for Dec 9 and 14.
Milan/New Delhi, Oct 31 (IBNS): Several Indian students met with a racist attack recently in Milan, Italy where they were thrashed with a broken beer bottle and later threatened, media reports said.

The Indian students said that they were abused by the attackers for their skin colour and were asked to return to India.

Though the attacked students filed a complaint with the police, no action has been taken so far.

The students even said that they have been facing such attacks for last two months.

Asking not to worry, Indian external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj, tweeted:"Attack on Indian students in Milan : I have got the detailed report. Pls do not worry. I am monitoring the situation personally. @cgmilan1."
Mumbai, Oct 31 (IBNS) : A month after the stampede at Mumbai's Elphinstone station that left 23 people dead, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said the Army will rebuild the old foot overbridge where the tragic incident took place, taking up the work on "war footing," reports said..

He made the announcement while making a surprise visit to the station along with Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Speaking to reporters, Goyal said the Army has agreed to help in rebuilding the foot overbridge. The project will be completed by January 31, 2018.

Goyal also said two other foot overbridges in Mumbai have been identified for rebuilding.

"The work will be taken up on war footing and will be executed with military precision," he said.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who had discussed the issue with Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, said, Army has come and inspected and assessed where the bridge is going to be built. They will be there at every stage of the work."

"This is probably first time the Army to come in to build what could otherwise be called civil work," she added.

Several daily commuters died after they were trapped at the railway station and the footbridge as disturbing footage of bodies on the bridge, some against the railing, left everyone shocked.

The incident sent a shock wave across the country. Maharashtra Nava Nirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, while leading a demonstration against what he called "apathetic attitude" of the Railways authorities, threatened to stall PM Narendra Modi's dream project for Bullet train unless the century-old footbridge is rebuilt to accommodate the increased volume of daily commuters.
New Delhi, Oct 31 (IBNS) : Causing an embarrassment to his party, Subramanian Swamy, the maverick BJP leader, on Tuesday said that Aadhaar is a threat to national security.

The veteran leader tweeted that he will soon write a letter in this regard to PM Narendra Modi.

He also said he is also hopeful that the Supreme Court will strike it down.

"I am writing a letter soon to PM detailing how compulsory Aadhar is a threat to our national security. SC will I am sure strike it down", Swamy's tweet said.

The tweet comes after the Supreme Court on October 30 issued notice to the Centre on a petition challenging mandatory linking of Aadhaar number with mobile connections.

The top court had asked the Central Government to file response within the next four weeks.

A five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court will hear the matter of "constitutional validity" of Aadhaar card in the last week of November.
Patna, Oct 31 (TheBiharPost/IBNS): The JD-U on Tuesday expelled party leader Rajesh Singh after his photograph with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar went viral in the social media.

Singh, who was the Bhojpur block chief of the party, was main accused in the 2012 hooch deaths in which 29 people were killed, as per media reports.

Reports said Singh had facilitated a meeting between the chief minister and a villager who recently returned dowry for his sons wedding.

During the meeting, he took a selfie with the chief minister and posted it on the social media, which subsequently went viral.

It was later revealed that Singh was the key accused in the hooch deaths, which took place five years back.

As the matter reached the JD-U, the party leadership expelled Singh from the party.

RJD leader Tejahwi Yadav took a potshot at the chief minister for getting photographed with a hooch death accused.

thebiharpost.com/IBNS

Official Facebook page of Nitish Kumar
Mumbai, Oct 31 (IBNS): Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, on Tuesday criticised the central government's move to re-build Mumbai's Elphinstone bridge, where at least 23 people died in a stampede which occurred in late September.

The announcement has been made on Tuesday after a surprise visit by railway minister Piyush Goyal, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman along with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Criticising the Centre's decision, Captain Amarinder said on Twitter that army, who are trained for fighting in wars, should not be used for civilian works.

"The @adgpi job is to train for war, not to be used for civilian works @nsitharaman ji. Dont divert defence resources to civilian jobs.." he tweeted.

"Youre doing what General Kaul did with the 4th Div before 1962 war with China. It will set a very bad precedent. Pls avoid" the Punjab CM added in a follow up tweet.

Apart from the Punjab CM, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah too disapproved the idea of the government.

;

Abdullah tweeted to say: "The army was to be a measure of last resort to be called upon in extreme emergency. Now it seems like its the 1st number on the speed dial."

Speaking to reporters, Goyal said the Army has agreed to help in rebuilding the foot overbridge. The project will be completed by January 31, 2018.

Goyal also said two other foot overbridges in Mumbai have been identified for rebuilding.

"The work will be taken up on war footing and will be executed with military precision," he said.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who had discussed the issue with Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, said, Army has come and inspected and assessed where the bridge is going to be built. They will be there at every stage of the work."

"This is probably first time the Army to come in to build what could otherwise be called civil work," she added.

Several daily commuters died after they were trapped at the railway station and the footbridge as disturbing footage of bodies on the bridge, some against the railing, left everyone shocked.

The incident sent a shock wave across the country. Maharashtra Nava Nirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, while leading a demonstration against what he called "apathetic attitude" of the Railways authorities, threatened to stall PM Narendra Modi's dream project for Bullet train unless the century-old footbridge is rebuilt to accommodate the increased volume of daily commuters.
New Delhi, Oct 31 (IBNS): The Ministry of Railways (GoI) had requested Japans Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) for technical cooperation in Rail Safety.

Responding to Ministry of Railways request, MLIT deputed a team of Japanese Railway experts to India to assess incidents of rail breakage and suggest measures to improve safety in train operations.

The Memorandum of Cooperation on Railway safety was signed on 17.2.2017 between Ministry of Railways (GoI) and MLIT, Japan.

The MoC envisages cooperation in Rail Safety on area such as maintenance of Track (welding, rail inspection, track circuit etc.) and rolling stock maintenance. Capacity Development has been taken as a Technical Cooperation project under the MoC to develop Indian Railways capacity in respect of the above identified areas.

These areas have been incorporated in the Terms of Reference of cooperation.

A Mission from Japan comprising representatives of Japans MLIT, JICA(Japan International Cooperation Agency) and railway operators etc. are visiting India from 30.10.2017 to 2.11.2017.

On 31.10.2017, Honble Railway Minister Mr Piyush Goyal along with CRB and other Board Members has met with the Japanese delegation comprising members of ToR mission and members from the rail related industries.

Japanese delegation was headed by Japanese Ambassador in India Kenji Hiramatsu. During this occasion, a roundtable discussion was held with the Japanese delegation.

MR stressed on the total safety management. He also mentioned that IR is striving for zero accident regime. Japanese Ambassador in India Kenji Hiramatsu assured for full cooperation in this area based on the expertise available in Japanese Railways & Industry.
New Delhi, Oct 31 (IBNS): Noureddine Boutayeb, Minister of Interior of the Kingdom of Morocco is leading a composite delegation from various Ministries dealing with ICT and Socio-Economic Programmes and Moroccos National Bank to India from 28th October to 6th November, 2017.

The delegation met with Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home Affairs on Tuesday .

Boutayeb added that Morocco is emerging as a key counter-terror and de-radicalization partner in North Africa and they will like to share with India their experiences in this field. MoS for Home responded positively to the offer and added that India has also been a long sufferer of terrorism and Government of India was taking steps to counter this problem effectively. MoS Shri Rijiju welcomed the Moroccan offer.

The delegation is presently in India to study the Indian experience of Aadhar, Crime, Criminal Tracking Network & System (CCTNS) and benefits like DBT, Gas Subsidy, Digitised Banking Systems.

Mr. Boutayeb during interactions expressed his happiness at the fact that a big democratic country like India with a population of over 1.3 billion, with its diverse cultures, languages could implement Aadhar in India in the shortest possible time. He went on to add that Morocco is also in the process of implementing programmes based on the socio-economic model of India and that his delegations primary focus was to learn from the experiences of Indias model of development and socio-economic reforms initiated by the Indian Government.

MoS for Home also briefed in detail the Moroccan Minister of various initiatives like the very recently introduced Crime, Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) a mission mode project under the National e-Governance Plan which will help modernize the Police Force and envisages national wide networking enabling share of information between Police Stations, State Officers and Security Agencies. He also briefed how this provides citizen interface to register complaints and to avail citizen services and covers all 35 States and UTs in India. Moroccan side expressed interest in details of this Project. MoS also requested the Moroccan side for liberal visa regime for Indian citizens for more people to people contacts between the two countries and also facilitate visas to business community on both sides. He also requested for expeditious conclusion of Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty. The Moroccan side requested for e-visa facility to Moroccan citizens.

Boutayeb expressed his happiness on his visit to a great country like India and thanked MoS Shri Kiren Rijiju for the positive exchanges both sides had today.
Los Angeles, Oct 31 (IBNS): Joining the list of actresses who have alleged sexual assault by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, Italian-American actress Annabella Sciorra has made a fresh accusation against the movie moghul, saying he raped her in 1990s, media reports said.

In an interview to The New Yorker, one of the newspapers that first broke stories about accusations against Weinstein, "The hand that rocks the cradle" lead actor said the producer had "shoved" her onto bed and the two had sexual intercourse which was non-consensual.

"He shoved me onto the bed, and he got on top of me, Sciorra alleged in an interview with the New Yorker. I kicked and I yelled," she told the reporter.

However, the actress kept the whole incident a "secret" because of he fear that her career would be affected.

Joining the list of actresses, Montreal actress Erika Rosenbaum went public recently about her alleged sexual harassment complaints against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, saying the latter had harassed her years ago.

The Montreal actress, who was so far mum about the sexual harassment, going back to mid 2000, reached out to the original reporter, Jodi Kantor, to share her own experience.

Rosenbaum said she was shaken to hear the experiences of other actresses, including one Canadian, which were similar to her own experience.

Revealing her experience to the media, the Montreal actress said that Weinstein approached her aggressively thrice when she was in her early 20s, at a time she was pursuing her career in Los Angeles.

During the third occasion, Rosenbaum alleged the producer held lher by the back of her neck and masturbated while standing behind the actress.

Weinstein, however, denied any such allegations.

In the wake of the reports of sexual harassment of actresses by powerful Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, #MeToo has been flooding the social media for some days as tens and thousands of women have bared their hearts to reveal their own ugly experiences.

American actress Alyssa Milano, on October 15, wrote a post on Twitter and asked her followers to retweet it with a reply 'me too' if they were sexually harassed or assaulted , to imply the "magnitude of the problem".

Milano tweeted to say: "If youve been sexually harassed or assaulted write me too as a reply to this tweet."

The urge to retweet by the actress has sparked the hashtag as several women started to write on social networking sites #MeToo and some of them even shared their own experiences.



Image: twitter.com/AnnabellSciorra
New York, Oct 31(Just Earth News): While the Asia-Pacific trade outlook for this year is positive, some uncertainties  including the possible impact of structural rebalancing of China from export orientation to domestic consumption  are forecast for 2018, the United Nations commission for the region said Monday.

In its flagship annual report on trade and investment in the region, Channelling Trade and Investment into Sustainable Development, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) underscored the importance of integrated liberalization policies to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The impact analysis of different policy scenarios featured in the report make it clear that SDGs cannot be achieved through protectionist policies, said ESCAP Executive Secretary Shamshad Akhtar launching the report in Bangkok.

Akhtar emphasized that an integrated approach to trade and investment liberalization is essential to achieving the SDGs in the region, but that SDG-targeted trade and investment policies and complementary domestic policies need to mitigate social and environmental impacts of trade and investment.

What we need is targeted trade and investment liberalization policies that are more inclusive and mindful of the social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development, she stressed.

The report emphasized that cutting trade costs and deepening regional cooperation are key to reaping the benefits across the region, which may result in $100 billion more regional exports annually.

Export growth is forecast at 4.5 per cent for 2017 and foreign direct investment is also expected to rebound this year, building upon fast growth in greenfield investment in 2016 and continued investment liberalization.

The ESCAP study noted that the expected growth of exports by developing Asia-Pacific economies is 4.8 per cent while that of developed countries in the region is 3.3 per cent.

Some 'grey clouds' on the horizon

Countries previously affected by the slowdown of global value chains are expected to enjoy significantly better trade prospects this year. At the same time, the rising prices of industrial commodities and fuel will contribute to dynamic growth for commodity exporters.

The study also anticipates more modest export growth in 2018, at 3.5 per cent, while the import volume will increase by less than three per cent. Export and import prices, especially commodity prices, may trend downward, due to the potential slowdown of investment and consumption precipitated by rising uncertainties, causing slower trade value growth in 2018.

At the same time, deepening uncertainties may also affect the extent of investment liberalization, which is found increasing the gross domestic product (GDP) annually by $19.5 billion, while decreasing inequality in the region by 0.02 per cent per year.

Cautioning that there may be some grey clouds on the horizon, the report says structural factors that have contributed to weak trade performance since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis persist. For instance, import demand in China, especially for intermediate inputs, will moderate due to the structural rebalancing of China from export orientation to domestic consumption.

Moreover, while many of the fears about renewed trade protectionism from some developed economies may not be realized, rising uncertainties could be a disincentive for long-term investment and trade.

A strong message from the report is that integrated liberalization increases trade and GDP significantly more than any of the other stand-alone policy changes. This integrated approach facilitates the participation of countries in global value chains and significantly increases the competitiveness of regional exports  providing strong evidence of the important synergies that can be achieved by liberalizing and facilitating trade and investment.

Photo: Dominic Sansoni/World Bank

Source: www.justearthnews.com
New York, Oct 31(Just Earth News): More than a month after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, the island remains without an effective emergency response, a group of United Nations human rights experts warned on Monday, as they called on United States and Puerto Rican authorities to remove regulatory and financial barriers to reconstruction and recovery.

The hurricane has aggravated the island's existing dire situation caused by debt and austerity measures, the experts said in a news release issued by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), calling conditions alarming for the 3.5 million residents in the US territory.

Thousands of people are displaced, with homes destroyed, and without any relief in sight. More than 80 per cent of the population, or close to 2.8 million people, continue to live without electricity. Few hospitals are functioning. There are allegations that the water available for those who have access to it  may be contaminated, the experts elaborated.

With winter approaching, we call for a speedy and well-resourced emergency response that prioritizes the most vulnerable and at risk  children, older people, people with disabilities, women and homeless people, they stressed.

The Independent Expert on foreign debt and human rights, Juan Pablo Bohoslavsky, said that even before Hurricane Maria struck, Puerto Rico's human rights were being massively undermined by the economic and financial crisis and austerity policies, affecting the rights to health, food, education, housing, water and social security.

The experts maintained that even before the hurricane struck, nearly half of Puerto Rico's population were living below the poverty line.

We can't fail to note the dissimilar urgency and priority given to the emergency response in Puerto Rico, compared to the US states affected by hurricanes in recent months, pointed out Leilani Farha, Special Rapporteur on the right to housing.

After a natural disaster, with around 90 thousand homes totally destroyed, people are at their most vulnerable. It's the obligation of all levels of government to act to protect them, and to ensure that lives can return to some normality quickly. People need safe and adequate homes  temporary and long-term  with electricity, clean drinking water and sanitation facilities she stressed.

The Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Hilal Elver, highlighted: Hurricane Maria wiped out most of the island's crops. Banana and coffee  the Island's most valuable exports  were the hardest hit. The population is facing immediate food shortages but also long-term consequences from the destruction of the entire agricultural infrastructure.

We call on the United States and Puerto Rican authorities to remove regulatory and financial barriers to reconstruction and recovery, they stated. All reconstruction efforts should be guided by international human rights standards, ensuring that people can rebuild where they have lived and close to their communities. Reconstruction should aim to increase the resilience of Puerto Rico's infrastructure, housing and hospitals against future natural disasters.

They also stressed the need for debt relief for the island, which filed for bankruptcy in May 2017 under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act. A federal court in San Juan has begun hearings over the biggest public debt restructuring in US history.

Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.

Photo: Coast Guard/Kyle Niemi

Source: www.justearthnews.com
New York, Oct 31(Just Earth News): Some 3.2 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) conflict-ravaged south-central Greater Kasai region are severely food insecure, struggling to feed themselves and in urgent need of assistance, the head of the United Nations food relief agency warned Monday.

As many as 250,000 children could starve in Kasai in the next few months unless enough nutritious food reaches them quickly, said World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley as he wrapped up a four-day mission to the vast central African country that included a visit to Kasai.

We need access to those children, and we need money  urgently, he added.

Kasai's traditionally high malnutrition rates were exacerbated further after last year's inter-ethnic violence  characterized by large-scale killing, wholesale destruction of villages and crops, and targeting hospitals, clinics and schools. The region now accounts for more than 40 per cent of the DRC's 7.7 million severely food insecure.

WFP is ramping up emergency assistance there, planning to reach 500,000 of the most vulnerable by end-December  and many more by early next year. Dozens of staff are being deployed, 80 additional off-road trucks are being brought in to deliver food to remote areas, and the WFP-run UN Humanitarian Air Service is, presently flying aid supplies and workers to seven regional locations, is being expanded.

However, WFP's emergency operation, launched in August, has so far been financed by internal borrowings, and only one percent of the $135 million required through mid-2018 has been secured from the international community.

Although violence in Kasai has diminished in recent weeks, banditry and extortion are commonplace. Moreover, in a region the size of Germany with multiple active militias and a road network that is largely impassable during the September-December rainy season, humanitarian access is set to remain a challenge.

Beasley also witnessed WFP's work in eastern North Kivu province, which is also constrained by access challenges and limited funding. Just 250,000 of the province's one million displaced people  victims of two decades of conflict  are receiving assistance, and only half rations.

Much of DRC's population is dependent on subsistence farming, with competition for land often at the heart of the violence. Many conflict-displaced families who had returned to their villages in North Kivu and Kasai told Beasley they could not resume working their fields for fear of being attacked.

I have met too many women and children whose lives have been reduced to a desperate struggle for survival, Beasley pointed out. In a land so rich in resources, that's heart-breaking. And it's unacceptable.

The WFP chief acknowledged donor concerns about limited returns on investing in a better future for the Congolese, noting that some Governments have threatened to redirect such funding to countries where they say it will have more impact.

I hear those concerns, said Beasley. But let's not hold innocent women and children responsible for the failings of others.

What the brave people I met over the last few days want most of all is peace  peace to be able to grow their own food, to rebuild their lives and to build a brighter on Tomorrowon for their children. It's a simple, powerful message. I have conveyed it to President [Joseph] Kabila and members of his Government, urging that they do more to help this come about,' he concluded.

Photo: OCHA/Otto Bakano

Source: www.justearthnews.com
New York, Oct 31(Just Earth News): The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or D'aesh) may be largely pushed out of Syria's Raqqa governorate, but after years of oppression and nearly a year of intense fighting  marked recently by heavy airstrikes  humanitarian needs will continue to be large for some time, the top United Nations relief official told the Security Council Monday.

Since the beginning of the anti-ISIL offensive in November last year, airstrikes and clashes have resulted in more than 436,000 people being displaced from Raqqa to 60 different locations, including in neighbouring governorates, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator said briefing the Council via videoconference from Amman, Jordan.

One conclusion is obvious: the impact of the Syria crisis continues to be profound.

Expressing deep worry about the impact of fighting and airstrikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Raqqa governorate, with scores of civilians reportedly killed in recent months, he said he is also concerned for the safety and protection of civilians at risk from unexploded ordinance throughout Raqqa city, particularly those trying to return to their homes.

Despite the directive issued by local authorities for civilians not to return to the city until it is deemed safe, the UN anticipates that people will go back to try to check on and protect their homes and their personal assets, Lowcock explained.

Further to the east, in Deir Ez-Zor governorate, heavy fighting and airstrikes continue to result in civilian deaths and injuries. Large-scale displacement also continues, with the UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) reporting some 350,000 people displaced since August, including more than 250,000 people in October alone.

As for eastern Ghouta, Lowcock daily shelling has continued to be reported in recent weeks. Humanitarian access to eastern Ghouta  one of the four de-escalated areas where nearly 95 per cent of Syria's besieged population lives  has been severely curtailed for months. Since the start of the year 110,000 people have received food assistance, out of an estimated population of nearly 400,000.

On Monday the UN and partners delivered food, nutrition and health assistance to 40,000 people, he told the Council, warning however that an alarming number of child malnutrition cases have been recorded there, and more than 400 people with health problems require medical evacuation.

Overall, he said that more than 13 million people inside Syria still need humanitarian assistance. 6.3 million of them are exceptionally vulnerable and in acute need because of displacement, hostilities, and limited access to basic goods and services. Conflict and violations of international humanitarian law continue to be the principal drivers of humanitarian need, with civilians in many parts of the country enduring massive suffering.

Against this background, the UN and our partners continue to implement in Syria one of the largest humanitarian operations in the world, said Lowcock who is the UN Under-Secretary-General for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, noting, by example that in September, the World Food Programme (WFP) provided food assistance to more than 3.3 million people, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) reached over 1.5 million people, and the World health Organization (WHO) reached over 800,000 people.

He also went on to point out that cross-border assistance provided for in last year's Council resolution 2165 has been a lifeline, allowing the UN to reach millions of people in need in northern and southern parts of Syria. On average, aid was delivered to 2.76 million people a month through cross-border operations between January and August of this year.

Our experience with cross-line operations from within Syria [] leads us to believe that it would be impossible to reach those people in a sustained manner from within Syria. I therefore regard a renewal of resolution 2165 as essential. Millions of people depend on the activities it mandates, he underscored.

Photo: UNICEF/UN066040/Souleiman

Source: www.justearthnews.com




The situation in Sahel challenges us all, Guterres told the 15-member body, describing the difficult operational circumstances facing the joint force created by the Group of Five Sahel countries (G5)  Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger  to combat terrorism and organized criminal activity, and to promote stability and development in the region.



Time is against us, he said, stressing the need to unite efforts to address the root causes of instability in the region. He warned that not acting could have severe consequences for the region and beyond.



At the outset, Guterres paid tribute to the three Chadian peacekeepers of the UN Mission in Mali, known by its French acronym MINUSMA, who were killed in an attack on Thursday, as well as to their wounded colleagues.



Their sense of sacrifice compels us to urgently find solutions to counter terrorism in Mali, while ensuring the security and safety of MINUSMA contingents, he said.



In his 16 October report on the activities of the African-led joint force, the UN chief outlined four possible options to support the force, ranging from using the existing mandate of MINUSMA, to an expanded MINUSMA mandate, to the establishment of a dedicated United Nations support office.



Under the most ambitious plan, the office would provide full-fledged support, similar to that provided to the non-UN missions, such as the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). A less ambitious option would limit the scope of the office's services to logistical and 'soft' support.



The Secretary-General says in the report that he firmly believes that only predictable and sustainable funding and support will enable the Joint Force to contribute to the lasting stabilization of the Sahel.



'We must think of innovative actions in support of the G5 Sahel'  UN chief



At on Monday's meeting, Guterres described how poverty, underdevelopment and climate change have contributed to humanitarian and security crises in the Sahel, and how the weak institutions, exclusion and marginalization of some groups are exploited by extremists and terrorists.



He also said that porous borders facilitate the trafficking of human beings, drug and arms trafficking, and other criminal activities and that the humanitarian crisis is getting worse, with nearly five million people displaced, and 24 million people need humanitarian aid.



Given the urgency of the situation, we must think of innovative actions in support of the G5 Sahel efforts in the security field, but also in the areas of development and governance, Guterres said.



I therefore invite this Council to be ambitious in the choice it has to make. Strong political support for the G5 Sahel and material and operational support commensurate with the challenges are essential, he added.



Since taking office, prevention is my top priority, he emphasized, explaining that in the Sahel, this means preventing the region from sinking into chaos, which could have dangerous consequences for the continent and the entire world.



Earlier this month, Security Council members visited Mali, Mauritania and Burkina Faso to assess the level and the nature of the threat posed by terrorism and transnational organized crime in the Sahel, as well as the status of the operationalization of the joint force. The visiting mission also delivered a message to the parties in Mali regarding the need to accelerate the implementation of the 2015 Peace and Reconciliation Agreement.



UN Photo/Rick Bajornas







Source: www.justearthnews.com








New York, Oct 31(Just Earth News): A United Nations forum opened on Tuesday in Manama, Bahrain, highlighting the importance of entrepreneurship and innovation for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Convened under the theme of Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through entrepreneurship and innovation, the World Entrepreneurs Investment Forum (WEIF) 2017 seeks to leverage entrepreneurship and creative thinking to strengthen sustainable development around the world.

Inclusive and sustainable industrial development will continue to be a key driver of progress as we support [UN] Member States in this essential work, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, via a video message, to the World Forum.

I commend you for focusing this year's forum on the SDGs.

Recalling the establishment of UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)'s first Investment and Technology Promotion Office (ITPO-Bahrain) in Manama, in 1996, Guterres noted that, over the years, the so-called Bahrain model has created more than 16,000 jobs and raised more than $2 billion in investment.

On Tuesday, in 52 countries, it continues to advance entrepreneurship and change lives for the better, he added.

Organized by UNIDO in partnership with the Government of Bahrain, the World Forum is expected to draw more than 1,000 entrepreneurs; representatives of micro, small and medium enterprises; as well as financial institutions to build and foster partnerships and share best practices in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Also speaking at the opening, Hiroshi Kuniyoshi, the UNIDO Deputy Director General and Managing Director of External Relations and Field Representation, highlighted the importance of global partnerships for sustainable development.

Fostering entrepreneurship and innovation, and promoting impact investment [] is more important on Tuesday than ever before, as we all work together worldwide towards achieving the 2030 Agenda, he said, adding:

The role of impact investment and innovation is further highlighted by the SDGs, and especially Goal 9, which seeks to 'build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation'.

In his remarks, Kuniyoshi highlighted UNIDO's collaboration with Bahrain on programmes promoting investment and economic empowerment of youth and women through entrepreneurship development and support systems.

Further, recalling the Manama Declaration, adopted at the First International Entrepreneurs Investment Forum, in 2015, the senior UNIDO official called for a coordinated and inclusive approaching in promoting entrepreneurship involving all stakeholders, including civil society and academia.

The opening session also saw the designation of Adnan Kassar, a prominent business leader from Lebanon, as the Honorary Chairman of the UN Maritime-Continental Silk Road Cities Alliance.

On Tuesday's agenda at the World Forum also featured addresses by senior Government officials, business leaders, representatives of regional organizations and civil society leaders; a plenary session on the Maritime-Continental Silk Road; a side event on SDGs in Bahrain, which was organized jointly by UNIDO ITPO-Bahrain, UNDP and the UN Global Compact; and the inauguration of the Bahrain Entrepreneurs Exhibition.

The day also saw the launch of the Maritime-Continental Silk Road Entrepreneurs Alliance and Action Plan, and the unveiling of the Maritime-Continental Silk Road Cities Alliance Focal Point.

UN News is on location in Manama, Bahrain, covering the Forum and its associated events. Follow @UN_News_Centre and @UNNewsArabic for up to date news and highlights from WEIF 2017.

Photo: UN News/Vibhu Mishra

Source: www.justearthnews.com




UNHCR [the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees] is working with the Nigerian Government and other UN agencies on a contingency plan, readying humanitarian assistance for up to 40,000 people crossing into Nigeria, Babar Baloch, spokesperson for UNHCR, told reporters Tuesday at the regular press briefing in Geneva.



However, he pointed out that our fear is that 40,000 might actually be a conservative figure in a situation where the conflict might continue.



UNHCR and its Nigeria teams are currently evaluating the situation in various locations in south-eastern Nigeria and have registered some 2,000 people so far.



Additional 3,000 are awaiting registration, while more people might be stranded in forests in Cameroon when trying to cross the border.



Moreover, the UN agency has distributed relief items such as mattresses, blankets, mosquito nets, cooking utensils, hygiene kits, as well as 40 tons of food in Nigeria's Cross River state.



The current influx of Cameroonians seeking refuge in Nigeria poses additional challenges to the international community and a burden to an already stretched assistance, Baloch explained.



Nigeria and Cameroon are already grappling with one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with 2.5 million people displaced by Boko Haram insurgency, according to UNHCR.



Cameroon's Anglophone regions have seen multiple strikes and demonstrations over the past year as tensions have mounted over what the country's English-speakers see as discrimination against them in favour of the majority French-speaking population.



Photo/UNHCR







Source: www.justearthnews.com












Islamabad, Oct 31 (IBNS): Pakistan have returned five of the helicopters to the US which were given to monitor border areas of the nation with Afghanistan, media reports said.

Pakistan on Monday returned five remaining helicopters to the United States which were given earlier for monitoring the country's border with Afghanistan, sources told Geo News.

The US had given nine choppers to Pakistan, media reports said.

The helicopters were given to Pakistan in 2002.

Pakistan,however, returned four of them to Pakistan on Oct 15.

The remaining rotary-wing aircraft were loaded on a transport aircraft in Islamabad on Monday and are expected to reach the US early today, sources told Geo News.

Sources further added that the return of said helicopters will affect all operations, including the monitoring of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Toronto, Oct 31 (IBNS): Former premier David Peterson has received an apology from Ximena Morris, who accused the former of sexually harassing her after the Ontario Superior Court dismissed the lawsuit, media reports said.

Morris was an employee in Pan Am Games.

Morris has issued a statement to both Peterson and his wife Shelley.

The lawsuit was launched by Morris in 2015.

Explaining the reasons for launching the lawsuit, Morris' lawyer Lisa Talbot of Torys LLB, said: "We maintained from the outset that this action was brought solely to embarrass Ms. Peterson, as a well-known public figure, for the purpose of extracting funds from him and the co-defendants.

"And attempting to bring notoriety to Ms. Morris," Talbot said.

"On August 13, 2015, Ms. Morris counsel called counsel for TO2015 threatening to issue a statement of claim and to immediately disclose the allegations to the press if the defendants did not pay Ms. Morris $500,000 within half an hour," Morris' lawyer told the Star.

"When the defendants did not accept Ms. Morris demand, Ms. Morris and her counsel had the statement of claim issued immediately and went to the press."

Talbot even said the whole incident was unfortunate and should not have happened.

The allegations against Peterson was that he had embraced Morris inappropriately and also passed some humiliating remarks in public.

However, Peterson always maintain that he had done nothing wrong and countered the lawsuit with a defamation case.

Peterson was the premier between 1985 and 1990.

He was a key player in Pan Am Games.

(Reporting by Suman Das)
Ottawa, Oct 31 (IBNS): Canada's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth declined by 0.1% in August, media reports said.

The goods-producing industries have seen a decline by 0.7%.

Apart from manufacturing, oil and gas production has also declined.

Bank of Montreal economist, Doug Porter, was quoted by CBC News: "The run of amazing Canadian economic data is officially over, with growth coming back to reality in hurry."

Oil and gas production has gone down for the third consecutive month.

The service sector has seen a marginal growth, 0.1%.

This has turned out to be the first monthly decline since October 2016, report said.
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A source quoted by a leading daily reveals, The film kicks off in Mumbai in April and will be followed by an extensive shoot, both in India and abroad. At the moment, Imtiaz is still looking for a leading lady to be cast opposite Shahid for this rom-com.

Twitter

Following back to back controversies, Nawazuddin took to Twitter to announce that he's withdrawing his biography titled An Ordinary Life: A Memoir, few days after its release.

Twitter

A report by Manorama News has quoted director Omar Lulu saying, "Mia will have a character role apart from an item dance in the film."

Colors

"On the platform, today, there are two non-nepotistic people - Shah Rukh Khan and Sidharth Malhotra and rest of us - Sonakshi Sinha, daughter of veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha, Akshaye Khanna, son of late actor Vinod Khanna, Abhay Chopra and Kapil Chopra, sons of late filmmaker Ravi Chopra, are the brand ambassador of nepotism. As we stand together, it speaks a volume about how worth they are equally, efficiently and correctly, a news agency quoted him as saying.

Spacey has apologised, and he is being criticised heavily for the accusations made against him by Anthony Rapp. Perhaps, because an apology is not a bargain for such an inhumane act.
Sexually assaulting a 14-year-old actor years ago, coming out of the closet, Netflix canceling House of Cards season 7 and then his honour at the Emmy being revoked, Kevin Spacey's and the show's fans are devastated after these bombs were dropped one after the other.

amazon.com

The International Academy has announced that in light of recent events it will not honor Kevin Spacey with the 2017 Intl Emmy Founders Award  Intl Emmy Awards (@iemmys) October 30, 2017

Spacey has apologised, and he is being criticised heavily for the accusations made against him by Anthony Rapp. Perhaps, because an apology is not a bargain for such an inhumane act.

But more than that, fans are disappointed that they will not get to watch their favourite show anymore. What has disappointed them more is that a sexual harassment case has brought down an actor who played a president on TV, but not the "real president."

Why the House of Cards is collapsing because of sexual allegations, yet the sexual predator at 1600 Pennsylvania does not  Luisa Haynes (@wokeluisa) October 31, 2017

House of Cards was canceled, and Spacey's other projects can't fare much better. How many people did this asshole just put out of work?  James Austin Woods (@JamesAus10Woods) October 31, 2017

Sexual harassment and assault brings down a Fake TV President, but couldn't bring down the real President.

House of Cards  Jeeniya (@jeeniya90) October 31, 2017

Was hoping to see the real life US President impeached.

Instead, it's the one from House of Cards...  Luisa Haynes (@wokeluisa) October 31, 2017

Lol we can't even get a woman president on goddamn "House of Cards" https://t.co/qIWDRqfL8Y  Lauren Duca (@laurenduca) October 30, 2017

Kevin Spacey you FUCKED up b. Now we'll never know how House Of Cards ends, all cuz you hadda get handsy with a minor 30 years ago  pic.twitter.com/wI5lp1bQyO  Chris Webby (@ChrisWebby) October 31, 2017

Cancelled house of cards cause of all this stuff going on... I'm MAD AF  yogirelle (@jerrelle17) October 31, 2017

House of Cards is a euphemism for Hollywood. All of the glitz & glam are nothing but an affront for filth & sexual perversion.  Jill-Renee  (@mangomaxima) October 31, 2017

House of cards falls like a house of cards  Justsayin' (@6bird4) October 31, 2017

House of Cards canceled. Netflix has infinitely more integrity than Republican party. pic.twitter.com/Hgn6aMgY1X  imfabulous (@imfabulous13) October 30, 2017

It's time to say goodbye to House Of Cards. PS - Happy Halloween!
A 17-year-old girl who was allegedly gang-raped by three youth in Punjab's Fazilka village has died on Sunday.

The class 11 student was allegedly kidnapped on October 25 while she was returning to her home from school. The three youth gang-raped and dumped her in the bushes.

Representational Image

Jalalabad DSP Amarjit Singh said that the family did not inform the police and were treating the girl at home. It was only after someone from the village informed the police and action was taken. She died of excessive bleeding on October 28, Singh said.

Representational Image

On the basis of the complaint, a case of murder and gangrape was registered against a minor youth and two unidentified persons.

The body has been sent for a postmortem, the DSP said. No arrests have been made so far, he said, adding investigations were underway.
A Tamil Nadu-cadre trainee IPS officer has been arrested after Intelligence Bureau officers caught him cheating in the Union Public Service Commission (Main) Examination at a test centre in Egmore, Chennai. His wife has also been arrested from Hyderabad for assisting him in cheating.

According to police, the accused, identified as Safeer Karim, an assistant superintendent of police in Nanguneri, Tirunelveli, took a cellphone, a Bluetooth-enabled miniature camera in a shirt button and wireless earpieces into the examination hall in Presidency Girls Higher Secondary School.

Facebook

"Karim's wife, Joicy Joy, dictated the answers to him from Hyderabad," an investigating officer said. The Hyderabad police made coordinated arrests, taking Joy into custody at `La Excellence IAS -The Institute for Civil Services' at Ashok Nagar Crossroads in Hyderabad, where she was a visiting faculty member, as well as the institute's director and Karim's friend, P Rambabu.

"Karim wanted to join the IAS, so he took the UPSC exams again," the officer said.

Karim, from Aluva, Kerala, who ranked 112 in a second attempt at the UPSC exams in 2015 after falling short in the interview the previous year, is an electronics engineer and proprietor of Karim's IAS, which trains civil service candidates and has branches in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. The officer said the IB, suspecting that Karim had cheated in the first of five tests in the UPSC examinations on Saturday, had put him under surveillance. They also monitored his wife. Four IB sleuths followed him to the examination hall on Monday where Karim successfully tricked a couple of policemen who were frisking candidates at the entry.

Facebook

"Karim handed over his wallet and a cellphone to them from his trouser pockets, apologizing for forgetting to leave the handset in his car," the officer said. "But he had concealed another phone and wireless earpieces in his socks and a miniature camera in his shirt." The three-hour examination started at 9 am. Twenty minutes later, IB sleuths entered the hall, searched Karim and seized the cellphone, which had concealed under his seat, the camera and earpieces.

"Karim admitted during interrogation that he took photographs of the question paper and sent them to his wife, who relayed the answers to him," the officer said. The IB officers handed him over to police, who booked him under relevant sections of the IPC, including 420 (cheating and dishonesty) and 120b (criminal conspiracy), and under provisions of the IT Act, and took him into custody.

Police on Tuesday night produced Karim before a magistrate, who remanded him in judicial custody. Officers said he faces dismissal from the IPS because he is still on probation. Friends told investigators that after Karim met with an accident recently and failed police fitness tests, he believed he did not have a viable future unless he opted for the IAS, the officer said. They told officers that Karim had been a topper in the CAT business school entrance exam, but in 2015 set up institutes in Kerala to train students for the civil service exams. Kareem met Joy when she took a job as an economics teacher at his academy and married her in 2016.
1. Yes. The ordinance goes against state law and is not in the best interest of the cities.

2. Yes. At the very least, it should be amended to give police officers some discretion.

3. No. Voters approved the ordinance by large majorities; the councils cant ignore that fact.

4. No. The petition process has to be given a chance to work. Leave the ordinance alone.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say how the cities should move forward regarding the ordinance.

Vote

View Results
On Tuesday morning, the Elphinstone railway bridge was crowded enough for anyone to have a deja vu of the tragedy that happened a month ago. Travelling in Mumbai locals has been deemed as dangerous, especially after the Elphinstone railway bridge stampede.

The tragedy claimed as many as 23 lives and left several seriously injured. Regardless of the inquiries set up by the ministry and their outcomes, the question still lies that have the citizens and authorities learnt anything a month later?

CM Fadnavis, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal addressed the media on Tuesday.

More promises, more expectations

With an entourage of security forces, local policemen, and bureaucrats, Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Minister of Railways and Coal Piyush Goyal has visited the site where 23 Mumbaikars lost their lives, and several injured and scarred forever.

A month later, there are no changes on the bridge where tragedy took place, except the railings have been painted red

CM Fadnavis announced that the Elphinstone railway foot over bridge (FOB) will be built with the help of the Army at Elphinstone road and two other suburban stations, and will be completed by January 31, 2018. While it did invite a lot of flak from the opposition that the Army is supposed to protect the borders and not be a part of constructing bridges, Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal also backed the idea and tweeted about the same.

Armed Forces to help in constructing 3 FOBs at Elphinstone Rd, Currey Rd & Ambivali Stations. Work to be done by 31 Jan18 #MumbaiThanksArmy  Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) October 31, 2017

So, what changed apart from the city moving on as usual?

In the last one month, there has not been much of a change though on the station. The bridge that leads to the two exit on the western side of Elphinstone are still narrow. The western part of Elphinstone and Lower Parel accommodates maximum working class by having almost all major corporate offices in the area. From the outside, it looks like Mumbaikars have moved on from the tragedy, but deep down, they are all afraid that they may be next.

23 lost their lives and several were fatally injured on 29 August

The one bridge that connects two stations  Parel station of the Central Line and Elphinstone of the Western Line have only one exit. The footfalls on this bridge can almost be equivalent to Dadar station, one of the biggest and major stations, but with wider bridges to accommodate the crowd.

Archana Patri, a student and nearby resident travels through the same route and is still scared to do so

Archana Patri, a student who travels in the peak hours from Elphinstone seems terrified when we ask her how she feels after one month of the tragedy. She tells us that she herself had a narrow escape the day the stampede happened. I left home early that day and got to my college earlier than usual. It could have been me, and it could still be me or any of my family on this bridge. I live closeby so I do not have an option but to travel from here. My family and friends every day worry about me since this happened. I just hope the ministers have now made hollow promises this time, she told us.

Jayashree Khorate, 30, works in Parel for the last few years. She tells us that she too, is scared to travel, but since her office is close by she has to cross this particular bridge, and have to risk my life everyday to go to work, she tells us before answering her mothers phone to tell her she is okay and rushes off refusing to be photographed.

A medical van has been posted at the station 24x7

Discipline, or pure fear?

A van with medical facilities that has been parked at the Elphinstone station for 24 hours since the last 3 years by the Maharashtra government still stands there, with its medical assistants vigilant even in the relatively quieter time of a Tuesday afternoon. An assistant who wished not to be named said that people have now learnt to be more disciplined.

We have a 12-hour duty here, and if we compared the behaviour of the citizens before and after the incident, is that now, no matter how bad the rush is, and even if it rained, people have been following a single line and walking in complete discipline, the person said.

A slow progress of building a bridge has begun, and is expected to end by January end 2018

Another one said that there even been several injuries people had in that van, but on that day, even the doctor who supervises got stuck on the bridge and almost lived through the stampede.

People are now more aware, and citizens are genuinely angry, even a month later. They may seem calm, but we can see it on their faces  the fear with which they travel, an official working nearby said. It seems like the commuters may have learnt their lesson, but the government has made their promises, yet to be seen if hollow or not.

The bridge that killed many now sees people getting off it in a single line and with discipline, unlike before, rushing like cattle

Pledge of progress or only hollow hopes again?

There are not many major changes on the bridge, nor the station. The commuters are still risking their lives each day to go to work and come back. The lanes around the station are so narrow, that the commuters are now wondering where the new foot over the bridge connecting eastern and western side will be built. But perhaps the only noticeable change we see throughout is that the iron railings across the bridge have been freshly painted with a rusty red, as its smell lingers around the entire station, along with the smell of blood of 23 innocents who lost their lives there.
Remember when money in bulk was being deposited in Jan-Dhan accounts of poor people in India during demonetization, a lot of stood in sheer bewilderment as to where it came from.

But at least they knew it for a fact why it came.

However, in what looks like a case of complete haplessness, an Australian woman wake up to a staggering $24.5 million in her account recently. The woman, who is a lawyer was very well acquainted with consequences of using this money, which is why she immediately informed the bank and did not spend.

Also read: Survey Shows Majority Citizens Demand To Impose Fines On Banks For Compromising With Their Aadhaar Details

Clare Wainwrigh

Clare Wainwright claims that it was just a typo.

The 26-year-old received a letter from her bank back in September that the mortgage repayments for her home loan would be $25,102,107 instead of the agreed-upon $2,500. The bank, National Australia Bank (NAB) then transferred the amount to her account.

"I'm a lawyer, which is why I haven't spent the money," Clare told Fairfax Media.

"Mostly because I figured it wouldn't play out that well trying to play dumb on that."

Also read: Nearly A Year After Demonetisation, Reserve Bank Of India Is Still Verifying Returned Notes
A newly-wed bride in Pakistan's Muzaffargarh ended up killing 13 members of her family in a bid to murder her husband.

Picture for representation/ Reuters

According to a Telegraph report, the bride named Asiya mixed poison in a glass of milk to give her husband. Unfortunately, her mother-in-law, picked the same glass to make lassi for for a family of 27. Luckily, Amjad (Asiya's husband), refused to take the drink made by his mother.

The report states that Asiya made the plot to with her lover to escape the forced marriage two months ago.

The family initially thought that a lizard had fallen into the milk, poisoning it. But according to police, Asiya confessed to planning to murder her husband while in custody.

Forced marriages are a massive scourge in Pakistan, the Telegraph report quotes a study called UKs Forced Marriage Unit in 2016 wherein 612 of the 1400 cases involved women being forcefully wedded.
In a historic move Saudi Arabia has announced that women will be allowed to drive for the first time in the ultra-conservative kingdom next summer.

afp

The kingdom was the only the country in the world to bar women from driving and for years had garnered negative publicity internationally for detaining women who defied the ban. The move, which has been welcomed by the United States, represents a significant opening for women in Saudi Arabia, where women's rights have steadily and slowly gained ground over the years. Saudi women remain largely under the whim of male relatives due to guardianship laws.

ap

Women's rights activists since the 1990s have been pushing for the right to drive, saying it represents their larger struggle for equal rights under the law.

Some ultraconservative clerics in Saudi Arabia, who wield power and influence in the judiciary and education sectors, had warned against allowing women to drive. They argued it would corrupt society and lead to sin.

reuters

Women in Saudi Arabia have long had to rely on male relatives to get to work, run errands and simply move around. The more affluent have male drivers and more recently, in major cities, women could access ride-hailing apps like Uber and Careem.

The state-run Saudi Press Agency and state TV reported the news late Tuesday evening, saying King Salman decreed that both men and women to be issued drivers' licenses.

Women, however, will not be allowed to obtain licenses immediately. A committee will be formed to look into how to implement the new order, which is slated to come into effect in June 2018.

reuters

The kingdom had held out on allowing women to drive, despite a number of social openings and gains for women, including granting women the right to vote and run in elections for the first time in late 2015.
Nokias parent company HMD Global has launched its latest budget Android smartphone in India, the Nokia 2.

nokia 2

The device is the cheapest in the affordable series so far, priced at less than the existing Nokia 3. It has all the basic features a smartphone first-timer would want, for a pocket-friendly price.

The device has a 5-inch HD display (720x1280) with a 8MP rear camera and 5MP front shooter.It features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 processor with 1GB of RAM and 8GB inbuilt storage (expandable up to 128 GB via microSD).

Its got a metal frame with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 over the front display and a polycarbonate back. The Nokia 2 runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box, upgradeable to Oreo, and is powered by a massive 4100mAh battery with a supposed battery life of two days with moderate use. The phone supports dual Nano SIM cards.

What's with the Nokia 2's monster battery life?

Given the Nokia 2's pipsqueak hardware combo of a low-powered Qualcomm SoC, 1GB of RAM and a gargantuan 4100 mAh battery, it's not a surprise Nokia's making the audacious claim of 2 full days of battery life before recharging. We'll just have to wait and see if it actually translates into real life or not. What is clear is that the Nokia 2 will be second behind the Nokia 3310 in terms of battery life claim.

The Nokia 2 will be available in Copper Black, Pewter Black, and White colour variants at 99 euros across the globe mid-November. Thanks to that, we can expect the device to cost closer to Rs 7,000 when it lands here in India.
Gold (GC) Weekly Doji Near Key 1800 Level Tradable Patterns - 18 minutes ago Gold (GCZ22) is consolidating a second straight day just below the psychologically key 1800 whole figure level and the 38.2% Fib retrace of the March to October slide. GC is at risk ahead of the weekend... GCZ22 : 1,777.5 (+0.04%) GLD : 165.50 (+0.35%)

The Ongoing Coffee Plunge Best Weather Inc. - Tue Nov 15, 6:08PM CST Jim Roemer's video tells about the recent hail damage in Brazil and how he called the major down-move in coffee prices during the last two months. KCH23 : 159.50s (-4.43%) JO : 46.00 (-3.05%)

Cotton Rallies on Tuesday Barchart - Tue Nov 15, 4:22PM CST Tuesdays cotton trade bounced back with 285 to 346 point gains. New crop Dec rallied 184 points on the day, which discounted it to now 984 points under the spot Dec contract. The 11/14 Cotlook A Index... CTZ22 : 88.81 (+0.08%) CTH23 : 86.70 (-0.31%) CTK23 : 85.27 (-0.66%)

Wheats Gain on Tuesday Barchart - Tue Nov 15, 4:22PM CST Wheat markets ended the day with gains. At the high, Dec SRW was up to $8.43 for a 24 cent gain, but closed 9 3/4 cents higher. The other front months were 7 3/4 to 9 3/4 cents higher. KC wheats ended... ZWZ22 : 815-2 (-1.57%) ZWH23 : 836-0 (-1.42%) ZWPAES.CM : 7.6241 (+1.42%) KEZ22 : 953-0 (-1.04%) KEPAWS.CM : 9.2132 (+0.74%) MWZ22 : 963-0 (-1.13%)

Hogs Gain on Tuesday Barchart - Tue Nov 15, 4:22PM CST Tuesday hog futures closed with $0.45 to $1.12 gains through the front months. The USDA National Average Base Hog Price for Tuesday was $1.46 stronger to $85.54. The CME Lean Hog Index was $88.65 on 11/11,... HEZ22 : 85.325s (+0.53%) HEJ23 : 95.500s (+1.19%) KMZ22 : 95.900s (+0.24%)

Cattle Close Mixed on Tuesday Barchart - Tue Nov 15, 4:22PM CST Front month cattle futures ended 7 to 30 cents lower in some of the contracts, while Feb and April closed 50c and 30c in the black. Feeders worked $1.80 to $2.42 in the red. USDA reported limited cash... LEZ22 : 151.275s (-0.20%) LEG23 : 153.050s (+0.33%) LEJ23 : 156.725s (+0.19%) GFX22 : 175.675s (-0.72%) GFF23 : 177.025s (-1.35%)

Corn Rises on Tuesday Barchart - Tue Nov 15, 4:22PM CST Corn futures worked 7 to 10 cents higher on Tuesday. December ended the day near the mid point of the range, which took the contract to $6.75 at the high. The USDA announced a private corn sale of 230,185... ZCZ22 : 662-4 (-0.64%) ZCPAUS.CM : 6.6694 (+1.57%) ZCH23 : 664-6 (-0.67%) ZCK23 : 662-6 (-0.75%)

Soy Rallies on Tuesday Barchart - Tue Nov 15, 4:22PM CST Soybean futures closed the session with 14 to 17 cent gains on Tuesday. Jan was trading with 24 cent gains at the days highs. Meal futures ended with gains of $3.90 to $4.80/ton. BO prices closed with... ZSF23 : 1448-2 (-0.62%) ZSPAUS.CM : 14.3095 (+1.37%) ZSH23 : 1452-4 (-0.63%) ZSK23 : 1457-4 (-0.65%)
Asia Japan Pledges to Help Philippines Rebuild Marawi

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (L) shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe prior to their talks at Abe's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 30, 2017. / Reuters

TOKYO  Japan said on Monday it will help the Philippines rebuild conflict-torn southern Marawi city as well as other infrastructure in a deepening of ties to counter Chinas regional influence.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made the pledges in a joint statement with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte following talks in Tokyo.

Duterte on Oct. 23 announced the end of five months of military operations in Marawi held by Islamic State rebels in a conflict that destroyed much of the citys center and displaced some 300,000 people.

The Government of Japan recognizes that rehabilitation and reconstruction of the City of Marawi and is extremely important, the statement said.

Japan also offered to help with other projects ranging from rail infrastructure to river defenses including a possible 600 billion yen loan to help fund development of a subway in Manila.

The meeting was an opportunity for Abe to discuss security in Asia ahead of key regional meetings beginning with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gathering in Vietnam in November.

I confirmed with President Duterte that we are both maritime nations sharing basic values and strategic interests, Abe said during his joint announcement with Duterte. The two countries, he added, would address common issues including North Korea and a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Japan is concerned about Chinas growing power in the South China Sea and sees cooperation with the Philippines, which lies on the waterways eastern side, as key ally in helping prevent Beijings influence spreading into the western Pacific.

Duterte, unlike his predecessor, Benigno Aquino, has been less critical of Beijings island building in the South China Sea. The Philippine leader will return home on Tuesday after an audience with the Japanese Emperor.

Abe and Duterte will travel to Vietnam for the two-day APEC meeting from Nov. 11, which US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend.

Leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other countries in the region will meet again in the Philippines after the APEC gathering for the East Asia Summit and a gathering of ASEAN that will be chaired by Philippines president.

Duterte in his statement in Tokyo did not mention China, instead calling North Korea to halt its ballistic missile and nuclear test and return to talks with the US, Japan and other countries.
Burma Analysis: Are Sanctions the Answer in the Rakhine Crisis?

Myanmar army chief Snr-GenMin Aung Hlaing inspects troops during a parade to mark the anniversary of Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw. / Reuters

YANGON  In its strongest response so far to the Myanmar Armys handling of the Rakhine crisis, the United States last week joined the chorus of international condemnation by taking action against the countrys military leadership and considering targeted sanctions.

It was the second reaction by the international community this month to the Southeast Asian nation, following the European Union and its member states suspending invitations to the Myanmar Army chief and other senior military officers and reviewing all practical defense cooperation because of the disproportionate use of force against Rohingya Muslims in northern Rakhine State.

In its statement, the US State Department said: We are exploring accountability mechanisms available under US law, including Global Magnitsky targeted sanctions.

The US actions starting from Wednesday include the cessation of travel waivers for current and former members of the Myanmar military and a ban on US assistance for units and officers in northern Rakhine State. The US stated it was also mulling economic measures against those responsible for atrocities against the Rohingya.

The international community has been condemning Myanmar armed forces for inflicting on Rohingya Muslims arbitrary killings, arson and rape in northern Rakhine amid clearance operations that intensified in late August.

The operations were sparked by Muslim militant group the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army attacks on 30 police outposts in the region on Aug 25. The government denounced the group as terrorists and, in the aftermath of the attacks, more than 600,000 Muslims have fled to Bangladesh as of late October.

Myanmar armed forces chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing has repeatedly denied claims of atrocities, saying that his troops followed the rules of engagement.

But the US State Departments announcement along with the EUs action against the military leadership has raised concerns inside the country. US restrictions on its engagement with and military sales to the Myanmar Army were already in place.

Given the scope of the sanctions, however, some political observers have said the US actions will have little tangible impact on the military, but are instead designed to shame the armed forces, which has been trying to reengage with its international counterparts to develop a universally respected army after decades of Western sanctions.

Ko Ye of the Tagaung Institute of Political Studies said the US actions pursue the armys accountability for human rights abuses in Rakhine State.

Despite the armys current engagement with the West, we havent seen anything about Myanmar Armys dependence on them. Seemingly, the actions are intended to have a negative impact on the image of the institution rather than any substantial impacts, he said.

The Myanmar government seems to have taken the US announcement seriously though, perhaps because it is more precise than the EU statement, which would suspend invitations, review all practical defense cooperation and consider additional measures.

On Thursday, an editorial in state-run newspaper The Mirror slammed the US actions against the military leadership, saying those actions by no means help solve problems in Rakhine State.

What the international community should do is assess the military stand [on the Rakhine issue]right or wrongthrough dialogue, said the editorial in the Myanmar-language paper.

The State Counselor Offices director-general U Zaw Htay told The Irrawaddy that the US actions could hinder the governments ongoing peace process, development and democratization as a whole.

Their actions are not compatible with where we are heading now. Ordinary people are the most vulnerable when it comes to sanctions, he said.

Analysts have also voiced concerns that targeted sanctions against the military leadership could increase tension between the Daw Aung San Suu Kyi-led civilian government and the countrys powerful Tatmadawone of the biggest in Southeast Asia.

As the government has been struggling for national reconciliation, especially with the military, I am concerned that targeted sanctions would derail the effort, said U Maung Maung Soe, a Yangon-based political observer.

Sanctions Never Work

Myanmar and its some 400,000-strong military is no stranger to sanctions imposed by the West.

The EU has imposed sanctions on Myanmar since 1991, in the form of an arms embargo and visa ban on senior members of the then military regime State Law and Order Restoration Council, senior members of the security forces and their families.

Except for an arms embargo, all sanctions were suspended in 2013 in order to welcome and encourage reform.

US economic and financial sanctions were imposed in 1997 and were meant to isolate the then military junta. The US Treasurys blacklist included former dictator Snr-Gen Than Shwe, his military associates, military-owned businesses and cronies linked to military officials, but were lifted last year.

But the Wests decade-long sanctions have never been credited for the democratic transition in Myanmar that started in 2011.

Observers like Thant Myint-U write the impetus for change came not from western sanctions, which only reinforced isolation.

For some, the EU and US have not got far enough on punitive measures against the military.

Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, said via email it was very disappointing that the EU decided not to impose any sanctions on the military, only suspending invitations to senior military officers.

The failure of the USA to impose any significant sanctions combined with European Union is basically giving a green light for the military to continue ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, he said.

U Maung Maung Soe said western sanctions have never worked for Myanmar.

History has proved that it was the people who suffered most while the military leadership and China profited most out of the sanctions, he said, referring to the fact that western restrictions pushed the generals closer to China during the days of sanctions.

On Friday, International Crisis Group warned policy makers in Europe that re-imposing sanctions may not be helpful to address Myanmars Rohingya crisis as it could risk constraining future policy options as well as sending unintended signals to investors, impacting the economy to the detriment the countrys people.

Meanwhile, the impact of the re-imposition of sanctions remains hazy. In the wake of the US announcement, the military withdrew parts of its troops from northern Rakhine State and allowed the World Food Program to resume its aid work in the area. No one knows exactly if these decisions are the results of the sanctions. The military still has not yet made any official commentboth on the troops withdrawal and the re-imposition of sanctions.

On the other hand, its interesting to know how the restrictions on the military will affect the implementation of recommendations made by the Kofi Annan-led Advisory Commission on Rakhine State.

In conflict-torn northern Rakhine, the army would play a crucial role in the implementation, as they are at the forefront of operations on the ground and a considerable source of information.

Being aware of the armys position, the final report of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State notes that a high degree of autonomy for the military part of the government muddies the search for and implementation of a coherent and harmonized policy to the complex problems of Rakhine.

When asked if the sanctions would have any impact on the armys cooperation, U Aye Lwin, a Muslim member of the Kofi Annan-led Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, said he wanted only to see more positive approaches rather than saying yes or no to re-imposing sanctions against the military.

For the international community, it would be better to negotiate through dialogue, he said.
Burma Police Detain Two Municipal Officials in Naypyitaw for Alleged Bribes

Naypyitaw Municipality Market Department. / Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy

NAYPYITAW  Police detained two municipal officers in Naypyitaw on Sunday evening after the Anti-Corruption Commission found that the pair had solicited money from some shop owners.

According to the suggestion of the Attorney Generals Office, the commission has filed a lawsuit against the two under Article 56 of Anti-Corruption Law 2013, said U Thin Maung, a member of the anti-corruption commission.

U Min Lwin Soe, deputy director-general of the market department and Dr. Khaing Soe Hla, deputy director-general of the veterinary and butcher department under the Naypyitaw City Development Committee allegedly took 3.5 million kyats from butchers in order to help them avoid their licenses being suspended.

The municipality temporarily suspends the license of butchers who fail to sell meat regularly in markets.

In the said case, some butchers failed to sell meat at markets for a while because of a decline in meat consumption following an avian flu scare in August. Then, they allegedly paid the two municipal officials to avoid the suspension of their licenses, and filed a complaint that their licenses were suspended even after the alleged bribe.

The Anti-Corruption Commission has filed a complaint with us. We didnt arrest them. In corruption cases, the commission makes arrests on its own and files complaints with the police station, said police lieutenant Myint Aung of Zabuthiri Township Police Station.

Shop owners filed a complaint on Aug. 21 with the Anti-Corruption Commission, which then investigated the two officials.

One of the accused, U Min Lwin Soe, has denied taking bribes, and said that he would countersue the plaintiffs for defamation.

Though the two municipal officers are based in Naypyitaw, the trial will be held at the regional court of Mandalay Region, and the pair will be detained at Mandalay Region No. 3 Police Station, an official of Naypyitaw municipality told the The Irrawaddy.

Article 56 of the Anti-Corruption Law states that except the political post holder, any other authorized person convicted of committing bribery shall be punished with less than 10 years imprisonment and fine.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.
Burma USDP to Monitor Rohingya Refugee Verification Process

The USDP press conference on Monday. / Thet Htun Naing / The Irrawaddy

YANGON  Myanmars opposition party the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) said it would monitor the governments plan to change some of the criteria in the verification process of Rohingya refugees laid down in a 1993 agreement between the Bangladesh and Myanmar governments.

We are monitoring which points in the existing agreement the two governments would discuss, which points would be added and which points would be scrapped, said USDP central executive committee member U Wunna Maung Lwin at the partys press conference on Monday.

Last week, Myanmars home affairs minister Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe and his Bangladeshi counterpart Asaduzzaman Khan met in the administrative capital Naypyitaw to discuss the repatriation of refugees to Myanmar.

Following the meeting, Union minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, U Thein Swe, said the two governments would amend some of the provisions in the 1993 agreement.

The USDP has called on the government to listen to the voices of Arakanese locals and local organizations in amending the agreement, saying that it would make legal responses to any amendment unacceptable to citizens.

More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar since Aug. 25, when militant attacks on police outposts in Rakhines Maungdaw Township prompted clearance operations by the Myanmar Army. Many of the refugees bring testimonies of indiscriminate killings, rape and arson by security forces and local Arakanese.

The UN has called the campaign ethnic cleansing and there has been mounting international pressure on Myanmar to take back refugees.

The home affairs ministers during their meeting in Naypyitaw agreed on 10 points concerning border security and cooperation between the two countries. They also settled to finalize an agreement on the repatriation of refugees.

However, Bangladesh-based Dhaka Tribune quoted the Bangladeshi foreign minister as saying that Bangladesh did not get the expected response from the Myanmar government regarding repatriation at the meeting.

U Wunna Maung Lwin said the Myanmar government should be particularly careful of facts that can be harmful to the sovereignty and national interests of Myanmar during bilateral talks on the verification process.

In addition, the government should openly inform the public about discussions, he said.

Though the home affairs ministers agreed to halt the mass exodus of refugees last week, many Rohingya are still gathering at the border. On Oct. 29, 426 people left for Bangladesh in 14 vessels, according to a home affairs ministry statement.

At the meeting, Myanmar also handed over a list of suspects reportedly involved in the Aug. 25 attacks who fled to Bangladesh and requested the authorities there to investigate and return them to Myanmar.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.
Tuesday, Oct 31st, 2017 (9:12 am) - Score 5,723

After conducting an industry consultation Openreach (BT) has today claimed that ISPs offered broad support for their proposal to conduct a large scale rollout of Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) ultrafast broadband across the UK, which could in theory reach 10 million premises by 2025. But no deal.. yet.

At present most of Openreachs network across the United Kingdom remains dominated by slower hybrid fibre (FTTC) technologies, such as their up to 80Mbps VDSL2 and the newer up to 330Mbps G.fast service (only just starting to rollout), which mix fibre optic cable with less reliable copper lines that suffer signal degradation over distance (i.e. slower speeds on longer lines). FTTC solutions are quick to deploy and comparatively cheap.

On top of that the operator is also in the process of deploying their 1Gbps capable full fibre network, which uses significantly more expensive Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP/H) technology, to reach 2 million premises by 2020 (mostly new build homes and businesses). However the Government and Ofcom have been calling for more FTTP and so in July 2017 Openreach launched an industry consultation (here).

The consultation proposed a strategy that would aspire to reach 10 million premises with FTTP by around 2025, which they estimated could cost 300-600 per premises passed (total of between 3bn to 6bn); plus 175  200 to connect a customer. However they warned that this could only be done with support from the industry (ISPs) and key regulatory changes.

Openreachs List of Enablers for Larger Scale FTTP  Greater collaboration, including new investment, risk and cost sharing models.  Agreement on how mass migration of customers onto the new platform can be achieved (Openreach proposes that all customers should be migrated over to the new network as quickly as possible after it has been built in a given area).  Reducing logistical barriers, like improved planning and traffic management processes.  Agreement on the right way to spread the costs of a FTTP investment.  A legal and regulatory environment which encourages investment.

The challenge here is with the difficulty of marrying the industrys many competing interests and turning that into some sort of workable agreement, which is essential in order to avoid future legal and competition disputes. Ofcom has similarly said that a key test of their new regulatory approach (Strategic Review agreement with BT) will be whether or not Openreach can do a co-investment deal with another operator.

Sadly Openreachs update doesnt announce a specific agreement and instead sets a more general tone for their future direction, which still has many hurdles to overcome. Apparently most of the ISPs that responded (e.g. Sky Broadband, BT, TalkTalk, Vodafone etc.) said they expect Britains existing broadband technologies to provide enough speed for the majority of consumers, but no consensus was found on when Gigabit speeds will be needed.

Nevertheless the ISPs did agree that ultimately a large-scale FTTP network will be a necessity and, given the time-scales involved in building that network, there is said to be strong support for Openreach to start the engineering work required sooner rather than later. Several ISPs also expressed interest in sharing the risk of investment, albeit in return for preferential terms on the infrastructure thats built.

However Openreach has so far not been able to reach agreement on how the investment costs can be fairly recovered, as well as any required changes to the regulatory environment (e.g. changes to business rates and wholesale rules/charges) and the operator says that it is also working to prove that it can build FTTP at scale for a competitive cost (their on-going rollout should help with this).

Interestingly Openreach said that ISPs acknowledge that charging a large premium for ultrafast services alone is unlikely to succeed, but question how much more customers will be willing to pay for the same headline speeds on a better platform. Rival ISPs may be unwilling to accept a solution that doesnt enable them to offer a mass market affordable package or support some degree of wholesale control to help differentiate their products

The consultation also found strong support for a switchover approach to FTTP that would migrate all customers onto the new platform  and retire the old one  as quickly as possible after it has been built in a given area. But they warned that the operational complexity and cost of such a programme would be significant.

Clive Selley, CEO of Openreach, said: We believe that under the right conditions, we could build FTTP connections to ten million homes and businesses by the mid-2020s. We want to do it, we think its the right thing to do for the UK, but its clear that we cant do it alone, so Im encouraged to hear that our wholesale customers support our vision. Having said that, were under no illusions about the challenges that lie ahead because we need to build a business case thats workable and fair for everyone. That means we need a regulatory environment that encourages investment, and we need to agree how the costs of such a huge engineering project can be recovered fairly from all those that stand to benefit. Of course thats going to be tough, but we need to get into the detail of that now with our customers, with Ofcom and with Government. I believe Openreach has a critical role to play in achieving such an ambitious goal, and the prize for our CP customers, their customers and the UK as a whole could be huge.

The trouble is that Ofcom may be part of the problem. The regulator tends to focus on maintaining low pricing for consumers via strict regulation, which is something that even the Government warns may make it difficult to develop an investment model for full fibre services (here).

By contrast Openreach clearly wants more flexibility to recoup their investment (e.g. higher wholesale prices) and support for a plan to switch-off their old copper network as the new FTTP is rolled out, which requires that years of complex rules be examined (these have built-up around copper lines). On the upside they do at least appear to have some support from ISPs that have invested heavily in that copper, such as TalkTalk and Sky Broadband.

One report in August 2017 did suggest that Vodafone, which hasnt been back in the countrys residential market for very long, had proposed a serious co-investment deal as part of the consultation (here). Vodafone allegedly demanded a degree of exclusivity over any jointly built infrastructure (e.g. initial sole use of the infrastructure and first access to the fastest speeds), which might upset rivals and Ofcom.

The problem for Vodafone is that they have no real scale in the residential fixed line market and would need to gobble a rival in order to get that. At the same time anybody hoping that this will bring FTTP to rural areas should consider that the high cost of deployment, as well as commercial interests, will ensure that for many years most of it remains staunchly focused upon urban areas (give it a decade or two).

So what of Sky Broadband and TalkTalk? At present TT doesnt have a lot of money to spare and so they could only be a minor partner in any co-investment arrangement. Meanwhile Sky does have the money but they seem happy to buy whatever Openreach builds, not to mention that the potential purchase by FOX also highlights a degree of uncertainty about their future direction in the broadband market.

Openreach could of course choose to continue ploughing the hybrid fibre route, although over time this might come under increasing pressure from rival FTTP providers and Virgin Medias expansion (FTTP ISPs already offer Gigabit speeds and Virgins DOCSIS 3.1 upgrade should eventually do the same). Not to mention that future 5G fixed wireless links might also challenge hybrid fibre, but thats still a long way off.

Openreach now intends to develop a new network strategy based on the feedback, which they hope to publish by the end of 2017 and this will then be subject to a further consultation.
Tuesday, Oct 31st, 2017 (8:26 am) - Score 2,434

A team of scientists working in the Photonics Research Group at the University of Glasgow (Scotland) has made progress on a way to adapt twisted light across a wireless optical (laser) ultrafast broadband network, which they claim could make traditional fibre optic (FTTH/P) cables obsolete.

The act of twisting light in order to send more data, which is called Optical Angular Momentum (OAM), is not new and fibre optic networks can already do something similar (see our story from 2012). In fact even wireless radio networks have found ways of adapting such techniques (here). Usually this works by taking individual particles of light (photons) and passing them through a special hologram (like the ones you see on credit cards), which gives those photons a twist (OAM).

Unfortunately making twisted light work for a pure optical link across open spaces (i.e. no fibre cables required) has proven difficult to achieve due to problems with interference (simple changes in atmospheric pressures can scatter light beams and cause the spin information to be lost), but it could be the key to creating a viable last mile network for delivering reliable high capacity broadband connections to buildings.

Certainly it would be cheaper than laying new cables to distribute capacity and should be faster than point-to-point radio (Microwave etc.) alternatives over distance. In keeping with that the team, which also worked alongside researchers in Germany, New Zealand and Canada, examined the effects on both the phase and intensity of OAM carrying light over a real link in an urban environment.

The result is that they were able to setup a 1.6km long free space link (field test) in Erlangen (Germany), which passed over fields and streets and close to high-rise buildings in order to simulate a complex real-world environment. Previous studies had not fully characterised the effects of turbulent air on the phase of the structured light propagating over links of this length, but this one did.

The bad news is that they did encounter plenty of problems with the turbulent atmosphere, which highlighted the fragility of shaped phase fronts, particularly for those that would be integral to high-bandwidth data transfers. The good news is that the teams ability to understand all this means that a way forward may now be possible.

Dr. Martin Lavery, Head of the Structured Photonics Research Group, said: A complete, working optical angular momentum communications system capable of transmitting data wirelessly across free space has the potential to transform online access for developing countries, defence systems and cities around the world. Free space optics is a solution that can potentially give us the bandwidth of fibre, but without the requirement for physical cabling. This study takes vital steps forward in the journey towards high dimensional free space optics that can be a cheaper, more accessible alternative to buried fibre optics connections. With these new developments, we are confident that we can now re-think our approaches to channel modelling and the requirement places on adaptive optics systems. We are getting ever closer to developing OAM communications that can be deployed in a real urban setting. We want to start a conversation about the issues that need to be addressed and how we are going to move towards the resolution.

A copy of the paper can be found in the journal Science Advances, although we still appear to be a long way off seeing a commercially viable solution. On top of that its unlikely that such a mode of communication will actually make fibre optic cables obsolete, not least because by the time such a solution is actually developed (or should we say if) then many of its potential applications may have already been catered for by such cables. Its also unlikely to ever work over very long distances (e.g. oceans).

Dr Lavery undertook the work in partnership with researchers from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light and Institute of Optics, and the Universities of Otago, Ottawa and Rochester.
AT&T made two significant and related announcements this week.

The carrier launched a microservices supplier program that it says will enable businesses to upgrade their functionality far more quickly and in a more targeted manner than in the past.

The new service is in collaboration with IBM. Big Blue will help the carrier design, develop and deploy the microservices, which will cross sales, ordering and enterprise data. The press release defines microservices as a series of independent services working in concert to provide the desired functionality to end users:

Take a mobile payment function, for example. If it needs an upgrade or a new feature, its now possible to make changes without overhauling the whole app. Microservices can also be combined in multiple ways to develop tailored solutions for internal and external needs. This lets us offer new capabilities faster than ever before.

The other announcement was the creation of the Acumos Project. The initiative is being undertaken in collaboration with Tech Mahindra, an Indian IT services provider. The goal, according to Silicon Angle, is to create an open-source artificial intelligence platform.

Artificial intelligence (AI), the piece says, has a couple of foundational problems: It is expensive and exceedingly complex. The Acumos Project is aimed at meeting both of those challenges. The goal, the story says, is to establish a framework for machine learning that provides the ability to edit, compose, integrate, package, train and AI-based microservices.

The story offers an example that explains the idea of microservices is the desire build an AI-based analytics app. Instead of building it from scratch, Acumos-hosted elements for such things as location tracking and facial recognition can be linked together to provide the desired service.

Significantly, the initiative is open source and will be hosted by the Linux Foundation. Thus, everything developed by the companies, and whoever joins them, will be available for free to anyone who wants them.

IT Pro points out the relationship between microservices and service-oriented architectures (SOA). The linkage of independent preexisting modules, if it can be done securely, is a bit of a no-brainer in an environment in which services must be introduced very quickly. In addition to creating services more quickly, microservices can be more sharply targeted, according to the story:

Another characteristic of microservices is that they are structured around business competencies and needs. Whereas a monolithic application development process has different teams focusing on UIs, databases, layers, or server-side code, microservice architecture uses cross-functional teams. These teams are responsible for making explicit products based on one or many individual services communicating via a message bus.

The new world of service creation is a fast one. Microservices, DevOps and related processes are designed to keep organizations competitive in an industry that now needs to get things done in a New York minute.

Carl Weinschenk covers telecom for IT Business Edge. He writes about wireless technology, disaster recovery/business continuity, cellular services, the Internet of Things, machine-to-machine communications and other emerging technologies and platforms. He also covers net neutrality and related regulatory issues. Weinschenk has written about the phone companies, cable operators and related companies for decades and is senior editor of Broadband Technology Report. He can be reached at [email protected] and via twitter at @DailyMusicBrk.
Melbourne technology consultancy Transpire has won a $2.7 million contract from the Department of Veterans' Affairs to build a beacon network, smartphone application and a bespoke IT application for the new Sir John Monash Centre at the Australian National Memorial in Villers-Bretonneux, France.

The centre is scheduled to open in April 2018 and is meant to provide an experience of the Australian experience on the Western Front during World War I.

According to a statement from Transpire, the contract specified that visitors should be able to download an iOS or Android app to their smartphone and navigate the 480-square-metre gallery at their own pace, and in their chosen language.

Additionally, as they moved through, 450 bluetooth beacons  with custom-made antennae and software built by Transpire  would determine their location, prompting the 105 multimedia servers to launch video content to one of the nearest 450 screens and 10 projectors.

Transpire chief executive Luke Smorgonsaid the team worked closely with DVA to create the technology that would support an emotive and immersive experience for visitors.

The technology is capable of interacting with the user unprompted. Visitors dont need to scan or touch buttons to launch anything, it just naturally follows them around the centre, giving them a seamless, fully digitised interactive experience, he said.

Our team has addressed common beacon challenges around refraction, reflection, obstruction and different electrical congestion that no-one else in the world appears to have solved.

After scouring the world and consulting with experts to see if anyone else had cracked these issues, we set out to build our own.
"The CRO role is an important strategic addition to our global leadership team as Whispir moves into its next phase of growth," said founder, chief executive and chairman Jeromy Wells.

"In this position, Paul will help us meet growing international demand and ensure we can exploit all opportunities.

"Paul has been an integral part of Whispir's recent growth as we've doubled global headcount in less than 12 months and is the right person to help pilot Whispir into the future."

Bohannon's previous role at Whispir was that of executive vice-president for Australia and New Zealand.

He joined Whispir from Optus, where he was director of business development. Bohannon previously worked for Visionstream and Smartbill, and spent more than 20 years with Telstra, most recently as head of complex deals for Telstra Global.
1 Nov 2017: Trans-Tasman communications technology specialist Pyrios says businesses must factor platform flexibility into contact centre modernisation to cope with emerging digital channels.

The company argues that new technologies, such as emotional analytics and artificial intelligence, must be quick and easy to integrate as customers embrace new forms of communication.

Pyrios head of product and marketing Simon Nicholson said businesses evaluating new contact centre technology had to consider how they expected to interact with customers in an uncertain future.

Early contact centre modernisation drove a shift to more proactive outbound communication. From there, the rise of digital consumers created a riptide that swept businesses to omnichannel platforms. And now the tide is turning to platform flexibility to deliver personalisation  communication on customers preferred channels, including channels yet to emerge, said Nicholson.

A series of three eBooks published by Pyrios ' partner Genesys explores challenges of contact centre modernisation, covering key considerations, deployment choices, and distinctions between cloud 1.0 and cloud 2.0 contact centre technology.

The first eBook in the series, The essential guide to contact centre modernisation, frames broad considerations for contact centre modernisation.

Recognising key issues facing technology buyers, including end-of-life ACD (automatic call distributor), uncertainty around legacy vendors, emerging digital channels, and the need to maintain the history and context of customer conversations, the guide sets the scene for a closer examination of contact centre platform options covered in two subsequent eBooks: Ten considerations for moving your contact centre to the cloud, and Not all clouds are created equal.

Download the eBook 'The essential guide to contact centre modernisation' to start your journey to a future-proof contact centre platform.

Last year Pyrios inked a deal with cloud-based customer engagement specialist Interactive Intelligence  a company Genesys acquired in 2016  bringing cloud contact centre services to the Australian and New Zealand markets.

About Pyrios

Pyrios is a communications technology specialist. We deliver a range of smart communications technology, consulting, integration and managed services to help our clients deliver brilliant customer engagement, every time. Businesses call on us when they need to reduce communications costs, improve contact centre performance, open new marketing channels, win new customers, and gear up communications for rapid expansion. Or simply deliver better business outcomes through effective customer engagement. We provide services across Australia and New Zealand with offices in Auckland, Wellington, Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Perth. Learn more at www.pyrios.com. For useful news and updates follow Pyrios on Twitter (@PyriosSocial) and LinkedIn.

About Genesys

Genesys, the worlds #1 Customer Experience Platform, empowers companies to create exceptional omnichannel experiences, journeys and relationships. For over 25 years, we have put the customer at the centre of all we do, and we passionately believe that great customer engagement drives great business outcomes. Genesys is trusted by over 4,700 customers in 120 countries, to orchestrate over 24 billion contact centre interactions per year in the cloud and on premises. For more information www.genesys.com/anz.
ANALYSIS Google and other Internet companies may soon have to reckon with lawsuits over sex trafficking if a Senate bill designed to combat the trade online is passed by the US Congress.

The bill is just one of the many problems confronting Google which appears to have gone from being virtually unassailable on Capitol Hill during the days of the Obama administration, to being in the hunted category after its open support for the Democrats in the 2016 presidential election, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The bill  co-sponsored by Senator Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio, and Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut  and titled the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act of 2017 aims to change the Communications Decency Act to hold websites liable for publishing information designed to facilitate sex trafficking.

Until now, Section 230 has shielded Internet companies from criminal liability based on user conduct, The Guardian reported.

Google gave US$1.6 million to the Clinton campaign in 2016 and is now struggling to regain anything like the influence it wielded in Washington before the Trump administration took office.

Eric Schmidt, the head of Google's parent company Alphabet, created a company to provide digital services to the Clinton campaign and even drew up a detailed plan for the campaign.

Allegations that Russia used ads on Google, among other platforms, to try and influence the US elections have seen Democrats also become critical of a company which once was in lockstep with them.

Technology companies are due to face Congress on Tuesday and Wednesday US time for questioning on the Russia issue. A bill introduced by senators from both sides seeks to make it compulsory for Internet firms to disclose the financial backers of political online ads.

Online companies have been holding meetings to try and come up with a way to counter what they see as hostile forces in government. Media companies, affected by the tilt to online advertising, have helped to push the antipathy towards companies like Google and Facebook.

Oracle Corporation is the only technology company that has backed the bill against sex trafficking. The company's main online business is in the cloud.

Google's close ties with the White House have been said to be the main reason why the company has avoided a probe into unfair competition in the US. A probe was proposed by the Federal Trade Commission in 2012.

The lack of such cosy ties in the EU has cost Google which was hit with a US$2.7 billion fine in June for allegedly abusing its search engine dominance to give illegal advantage to its own comparison shopping service.

Google has won one victory in the US after Donald Trump came to office, lobbying successfully to get Utah Attorney-General Sean Reyes from being installed as FTC chairman. Last year, Reyes called for the closed anti-trust action against Google to be reopened.

But without allies in Congress, the search giant may find that its day of reckoning in the US is approaching sooner than it anticipated.
Telecommunications regulator the Australian Communications and Media Authority is contemplating whether certain industry functions, including the Do Not Call Register and sections of the Spam Act relating to electronic messaging should be self-regulated by industry.

The ACMA has just issued a consultation paper seeking feedback from industry prior to presenting its findings to the federal government for consideration by May next year.

Submissions are being sought for the regulatory functions, or parts of the functions, to be referred to industry for self-regulation including:

The Integrated Public Number Database (IPND);

The Do Not Call Register (DNCR) and responsibilities in relation to the Do Not Call Register Act 2006 and related industry standards; and

The regulation of commercial electronic messages under the Spam Act 2003.

In a preamble to the consultation paper the ACMA says its purpose is to advise the minister in relation to the telecommunications industry and matters affecting consumers of carriage services so that the legislation and regulations remain fit-for-purpose and operate in the public interest.

The consultation paper has been released following a report of the Review of the Australian Communications and Media Authority by the Department of Communications and the Arts in May 2017 which recommended that the ACMA consider the potential for self-regulation of various functions and whether it could outsource certain functions, or parts of functions.

The ACMA says all of the functions  technical standards, Integrated Public Number Database, Do Not Call Register, and action on unsolicited communications including spam  have been in place for many years under mature enabling legislation.

According to the authority, while the various regulations have provided important safeguards to Australians, the modern communications environment continues to evolve rapidly, raising issues of whether the regulations still serve the public interest - or whether they have been diminished to the point where regulation could be wound back and/or be moved to industry for management.

The ACMA also notes that broader reforms could be required to facilitate any move to self-regulation or alternate regulatory responses.

Broader reforms may also allow for more effective and efficient ways of implementing the governments stated policy in relation to the functions, the ACMA says.

A review into the ACMA Review has said that for a greater reliance on self-regulation to be effective, an essential element will be a strong commitment from industry, and for industry to remain responsive to consumer needs and support codes through high levels of voluntary compliance.

The review also noted that it will be necessary for self-regulatory codes to incorporate effective compliance processes, with those processes supported by the establishment of independent industry bodies to implement complaint-handling procedures.
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TeleSur | (Informed Comment) |  

Carbon dioxide or CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere have reached unprecedented high levels, a United Nations watchdog group reports, warning that urgent measures are needed to achieve the targets set by the Paris climate agreement and avoid cataclysmic changes in the earths climate conditions.

Concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere surged at a record-breaking speed in 2016 to the highest level in 800,000 years, the World Meteorological Organization said. The abrupt changes in the atmosphere witnessed in the past 70 years are without precedent.

Globally averaged concentrations of CO2 reached 403.3 parts per million in 2016, up from 400.00 ppm in 2015 because of a combination of human activities and a strong El Nino event, it added.

The Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, the U.N. weather agencys annual flagship report, tracks the content of dangerous gasses in the atmosphere in the industrial era, beginning in 1750.

Since the mid-18th century [when CO2 was 270 ppm], population growth, industrialized agricultural practices, increases in land use and deforestation, and the widespread use of hydrocarbons, heavy metals, rare earth minerals and agro-industrial chemicals have all contributed to the massive concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Deforestation for agriculture purposes has ensured that 37 percent of the Earths land surface is used for farmland and pasture, according to the World Bank, while land degradation has fueled the desertification of vast areas in once-biodiverse regions across the globe.

WMO chief Petteri Taalas told reporters that there is hope to reverse the worrying concentration rates but underscored that the time to act was now.

Without rapid cuts in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions, we will be heading for dangerous temperature increases by the end of this century, well above the target set by the Paris climate change agreement, Taalas said in a statement.

The effects of the failure to mitigate global warming will not of course come all at once, and will not affect all regions and populations equally, John Bellamy Foster argued in Monthly Review. But just a few years of inaction in the immediate future could lock in dangerous climate change that would be irreversible for the next ten thousand years.

The historic agreement approved by 196 countries two years ago is facing renewed pressure following US President Donald Trumps decision to quit the accord.

But nations are set to press on with the task of implementing it at climate talks in Bonn next week.

The numbers dont lie. We are still emitting far too much and this needs to be reversed, the head of U.N. Environment Erik Solheim said in a statement, reacting to the new report.

We have many of the solutions already to address this challenge, Solheim added. What we need now is global political will and a new sense of urgency.

However, questions remain as to whether the lofty goal of preventing disastrous climate change can be achieved within the framework of a global economic system that treats nature  land, air, food, water and mineral resources  as inputs for ever-increasing levels of private production and profit accumulation.

No matter how serious the planetary ecological emergency that confronts us today, no matter how far we go down the path to catastrophic climate change, the basic answer to the global environmental problem is at all times the same: the struggle to recreate a balance in our relation to the earth  before the earth system creates a balance of its own  one outside the contours of what constitutes a safe operating space for humanity, Foster and Paul Burkett argued in the book Marx and Earth.

What is required is the creation of a more collective, sustainable, egalitarian mode of production, they continued.

We will either socially develop in the not-too-distant future the forms of sustainable living that are now required, or this will be imposed on us, under far less favorable environmental conditions, by the planet itself.

Via TeleSur



Related video added by Juan Cole:

Record high in atmospheric CO2 levels reached in 2016
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By David Faris | (Informed Comment) |  

Yesterday the former chairman of President Trumps presidential campaign and the architect of last years Republican National Convention got up, got out of bed, drank his coffee and went to jail.

Shortly thereafter, one of the presidents erstwhile foreign policy advisors was revealed to be a cooperating witness in a widening investigation into possible collusion with Russia. The first development was expected, but the second appears to have caught the presidents team completely off guard, as Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was frogmarched to the podium with instructions to stage a new version of the Vietnam Wars five oclock follies. Americas second-greatest liar put on her signature, faux-urbane eyebrow-furrow and proclaimed that If any collusion took place it was with the Clintons.

Got it.

The days to come will be filled with breathless analysis of these indictments, as well as the inevitable ratcheting up of the war on Mueller himself being cooked up in the right-wing Feverglades. Like nearly every week since President Trump took office in January, this one will feel like an unpleasant mashup of an all-night rave and jury duty.

It is important not to let the coming circus obscure the underlying reality: yesterdays revelations, and the promise of more to come, are dreadful news for the worst elements of the Republican Party. How this ignominious pack of thieves, malefactors and swamp creatures reacts to the galloping disaster of their future electoral fortunes could make or break the American democratic experiment.

Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell and every Republican in Congress should have known how their little sojourn with Trump would end the minute they climbed into bed with him. A man whose desultory public life was riddled with undisputed wrongdoing and graft and a litany of disgusting comments, President Trump took office mired in a level of scandal that was utterly unprecedented in American history. More than a dozen women had publicly accused him of sexual harassment or assault, a cacophony of ugliness so pervasive the president and his apologists didnt even bother with rebuttals to the individual accusations.

During the campaign he publicly invited the Russian government to hack his opponents emails, used illegally obtained information in his speeches, threatened to jail his opponent and then just after the election settled a fraud case related to his fake university for a staggering $25 million. Despite credible allegations that he was highly leveraged to Russian creditors and that his properties in the past had, at minimum, been used by Russian money launderers and gangsters, he refused to release his tax returns to the public, an issue he continues to sidestep to this day.

Move along, said the Republican Party. We have deeply detested policy proposals to inflict on the 65 million Americans who voted against us. Carpe diem.

Many of Trumps announced picks for cabinet positions, notably Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, had ethics backgrounds that one could charitably call problematic. His first National Security Advisor, Retired Gen. Michael Flynn, was notoriously batty, had been dismissed from his position as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency for misconduct, and was suspected of illicit contacts with Russian intelligence as well as damaging connections with the authoritarian government in Turkey.

These corrupt men proceeded to treat their offices like corporate expense accounts, unapologetically wasting millions of tax dollars to take private jets for everything from routine travel to picking up the Chinese takeout at the corner shop. The shiftless miscreants the president appointed to oversee the workings of the federal government have gutted the State Department, destroyed morale at every single agency, and overseen a shockingly negligent response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico that has already left a thousand Americans dead and an entire island left to the mercy of con men and malicious incompetents. Graft and destruction are their raison detre. They have performed their task with an almost ghoulish elan, shocking even by the standards of the contemporary Republican Party.

Everything that President Trump and his congressional allies have done since taking office has driven their already awful public reputation further into the sub-basement of popular disdain. To understand what an upside-down achievement this truly is, consider that the economy is in the best shape it has been all century (this is not, of course, to be confused with an endorsement of todays economy), with unemployment claims near 4%, the stock market at an all-time high (the Dow 36,000 guy must be breathing a Malthusian sigh of relief), and consumer confidence soaring. The president generally gets good marks for his handling of the economy, because thus far his corrupt oligarchs have done little to disturb the peace of the capital markets that have delivered Gilded Age inequality to the Republican Partys donor class.

One measure of the GOPs position tottering on the edge of an electoral abyss is the generic congressional ballot polling performed by a number of organizations, which asks voters whether they would prefer a Democrat or Republican to represent them in Congress. At this stage in the 2006 midterm cycle (November 2005), the five most recent generic ballot polls averaged out to +9 points for Democrats in a race they won nationally by 7.9%. Today the average is +10.7. In early November of 2009, Democrats held a slim advantage in the polling average of 3.5%  they would go on the following year to an epic shellacking, losing 63 seats in the House in one of the worst electoral defeats in modern American history. Similarly in 2013, Democrats held a 4.6% lead in another race that would end with a bruising calamity. In every case, the numbers got significantly worse for the party in power over the subsequent year leading up to the actual election.

These numbers should terrify Republicans. Their doddering clod of a president is sitting on a 33% approval rating, and Special Counsel Robert Mueller is preparing a stack of additional indictments for Trump associates in an investigation that seems to get worse for Trumpworld with every passing day. Trumps handmaidens in Congress face a lose-lose scenario, in which continued ineptitude and failure to achieve a single tangible policy goal will collapse turnout with a base hooked on mainlining Fox News and Breitbart propaganda, while actually implementing the partys hardline platform will alienate the critical independent voters needed to sustain their ill-gotten power.

Their answer thus far is to pretend that worst scandal in American history  a presidential candidates team colluding with a hostile foreign power to undermine popular trust in the electoral process and deliver a victory  never happened, and have resurrected a preposterous conspiracy theory to redirect the publics anguish at Democrats. To believe this theory  that career civil servants in multiple agencies of the United States federal government conspired with the Republican-appointed FBI Director to malign Trump and throw the election to the Democrats, you must believe that a) James Comey was in on the ruse, but somehow decided to kick the election to Trump anyway with his idiotic Dear Jason Chaffetz letter on election eve, b) that none of the hundreds of people who had to have been in on this plot have said a word about it to anyone and that c) the Clinton campaign, having worked, curiously, with Russia to release damaging information about the candidate herself, decided to keep the juiciest nuggets of the Steele Dossier secret until after the election. Also something something Uranium One. If you believe all that, I have a spot open at my new university just for you.

What has happened is that the Republican Partys ideological bankruptcy has converged with its moral chasm to create an organization unconstrained by shame, accountability or public spirit. Whatever else they are, our GOP overlords arent stupid. They can read their own internal polling and they know what its telling them. What they do with that information could complete Americas transformation into an illiberal democracy if they choose to engage in more voter suppression, or if they go further and cross the Rubicon into actual vote fraud. They know the only thing standing between Democrats and a sweeping electoral victory is the rights control of election mechanisms in swing states. Democrats must be prepared, then, to fight and win at a disadvantage, and to ensure that if Robert Mueller is fired by the president, that every day between now and 2018 is treated like the constitutional crisis that it is.

David Faris is chair of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration at Roosevelt University in downtown Chicago. His books Dissent and Revolution in a Digital Age: Social Media, Blogging and Activism in Egypt (2013) (Here) and Social Media in Iran: Politics and Society After 2009 (Here) (with Babak Rahimi) focus on the use of digital media by social movements.



Related video added by Juan Cole:

Paul Manafort charged with US tax fraud over Ukraine work  BBC News
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Reprint edn.

Update: Reuters reports that Facebook says 126 million Americans may have seen Russia-linked political posts

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

In Edgar Allan Poes Purloined Letter, detective C. Auguste Dupin discovers a stolen letter in the thiefs own apartments after police searches had failed to turn it up. It was hidden in plain sight, on a card rack hanging from a ribbon, though it had been resealed. The police had assumed that it would have been hidden away and could not see it in the open.

Fox Cable News (not the affiliates but the national propaganda outfit) is the purloined letter of todays news. Because it is out in the open, it isnt being seen.

The allegation is that Vladimir Putin orchestrated the US news cycle by using Russian hackers and Russian media to collaborate with the alt-Neo-Nazi rag Breitbart and right wing social media to smear Hillary Clinton and build up Donald J. Trump. They are said to have targeted close states in hopes of suppressing the Democratic vote by smearing Secretary Clinton as a pedophile and part time witch.

The emails released by Donald Trump, Jr., show that the Russian government was likely using Russian friends of Trump to dangle tidbits before his team, to see how corruptible they were. When Trump Jr., Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort came running to meet Natalia Vesselnitskaya, they had their answer. That she did not fork over anything of consequence then is not important. She was an opening gambit, not the end game.

I have no idea whether the Russian narrative is correct. But what I do know is that a much more obvious and successful attempt to manipulate the American public toward the far right has been run by Rupert Murdoch at Fox Cable News since the 1990s.

In fact, Murdoch and Putin are very similar. Both are billionaires. Both are influencers in the US despite being born elsewhere. Despite Murdochs naturalization, his values are those of the old White Australia policies. Both are amoral and apolitical. Both push the agenda that they perceive will benefit them. Both have pushed Islamophobia for political purposes. Both helped elect Trump and so inflicted enormous harm on the United States of America.

Both use their control of media to engage bullying and threats of smears to manipulate people. John Major revealed that as soon as he became prime minister, Murdoch threatened him. He could have good press or bad press, Murdoch told him. It depended on Majors policies toward Europe.

Both use hacking to get information with which to smear enemies. Murdochs newspapers in the UK routinely hacked into peoples phone messages to get dirt on them. They then erased 20 million internal emails in an attempt to cover it up. Ive long suspected that Murdochs US operations must have done the same thing but that British law enforcement is much less corrupt than the American, so it never came out over here. Putin recently praised his own Russian hackers as patriots.

Murdochs Fox is an attempt to subvert American democracy. Its employees have deliberately falsified video. They have retailed blatant lies as news. They have supported an implicit white nationalism. They have propagandized relentlessly for climate denialism. They have promoted war and war industries. They are about knee-jerk support of the Republican Party and more recently of the Trump faction within it. They have show consistent bias against minorities. The whole Mexican Wall fantasy was pushed by Bill OReilly for years. Even right wing thriller writer Tom Clancy at one point told OReilly it was a stupid idea.

So as everybody is trying to track down some vague and complicated Russian plot, the Rupert Murdoch plot is in plain sight.

And to any extent the Russian election plot has some truth to it, it is simply a use of techniques pioneered by Murdoch and Fox.

Which M. Dupin in the corporate media will dare blow the whistle?



Related video:

Vox from last summer: The best Fox News explanations for Trump Jr.s Russia meeting
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By Jacopo Scita | (Informed Comment) |  

When President Trump, in the middle of his first speech at the United Nations, referred to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal as one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into he made the case that, under his administration, Washington plays its own game. On 14th October, less than one month since the UN speech, Trump refused to proceed with the periodical certification of the agreement, giving the Congress the power to introduce new sanctions against Iran and showing the clear will of renegotiate the deal unilaterally. The new Iran Strategy is on the table.

Even if the US complete withdrawal from the agreement does not seem a concrete option, Trumps rush of declarations and actions is fostering a negative perception among the international community. As pointed out by Gholamali Khoshroo, the Irans Ambassador at the UN, in a commentary published by The New York Times, the 2015 agreement is a multilateral deal, signed and then published as a resolution of the United Nations Security Council, which has given to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEI) the exclusive power to control and certify the implementation of the agreement. The European Union, through the direct negotiation of Germany, played a central role in the definition of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), which still represents a concrete result of European unity. Definitely something quite unique in the troublesome EU politics, and thus worthy of attention. China sponsored the agreement and has no political, nor economic reasons to renegotiate it, while the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Rybakov, is convinced that attempts to put JCPOA in question will not bring any result. In a nutshell, the discussions between Iran and the 5+1 countries generated an unexpected wide and stable consensus within the international community. Ignoring and surpassing it means going down the rabbit hole.

However, President Trump is not simply moving away the United States from the global consensus around the 2015 deal but he is treating it as a bilateral agreement between Washington and Tehran. Critics on Trumps moves are, in the last months, surpassing the ones of the deal itself, even among Washingtons more conservative clubs. Top analysts and former Pentagon officials are putting pressure on the administrations blindness. Nevertheless, what is really at stake for the US after Trumps attempt to transform the deal into a two-way relationship is American isolation within the international community.

The America First narrative that animated the Presidential Campaign of Donald Trump is rapidly transforming the US into an unpredictable outsider within the international community. This is definitely not new, since, after the Second World War, Washington has always acted independently and perhaps even beyond the limits of international norms and laws. This was possible because the United States were both a material and cultural superpower, able to shape a quite solid Western consensus around its policies. Nowadays, the relative power of America is, to some extent, declining and this is reducing its space of authority, as well as the possibility of being accepted as a justified outsider by its partners. America First is exacerbating the US disengagement from the international community, while the querelle around the nuclear deal is increasing the perception of the US as an international trouble maker and unreliable partner, as stated by Arshin Adib-Moghaddam, professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies.

Yet, Trumps strategy for the JCPOA becomes even more problematic if we think that beside the effort to regulate Tehrans nuclear programme there was the clear intention shared by all the parties involved- of promoting the re-inclusion of Iran within the international community. The European Union, the United Kingdom, China and Russia remain coherent with the consensus reached in October 2015, attracted by the political and economic opportunities offered by the re-election of the moderate Hassan Rouhani. Paradoxically, a deal that aimed to include Iran within a global consensus is resulting in the self-promoted exclusion of the United States from the international general agreement. US overseas partners (e.g. the UK and Europe) and old enemies are polarising themselves against Washington in a quite unprecedented way, signalling a problematic reality that goes extensively beyond the Iranian question.

Consequences can be dangerous. As the Iranian vice-president for Economic Affairs states, Trumps rhetoric has angered everybody. Yet, bi-lateralizing the agreement means re-focusing the rhetoric of US-Iran relations around the vitriol violence that dominated the post-1979 environment, giving substance to the claims of Tehrans most conservative and against-the-deal factions. It is no coincidence that, in his decertification speech, President Trump called for new direct sanctions towards the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Provoking the IRGC perhaps the strongest bastion of anti-Americanism in Iran- means treating the fragile equilibria on which the deal has been accepted by Tehrans establishment and, consequently, vanishing the diplomatic policy that sustained the IRIs moderate and pragmatic factions embodied by Iranian president Hassan Rouhani and foreign affairs minister Javad Zarif, says Stella Morgana, PhD candidate at Leiden University. Within the domestic battleground, Iranian moderates still find in the global consensus around the nuclear deal a safe harbor for its maintenance, deeply criticizing the unilateral approach promoted by the US administration.

Yet, Trumps decisions are eroding the base of the agreement, the internationalitythe existence of a global consensus- that forced all the parties and Iran in primis to reconsider their prejudices about the opponents. If this is undermined, the path of the nuclear deal will effectively be in danger.

In the growing-polarization of the Middle East, President Trump is once again discarding Iran and re-centring the US positioning around the safe and sound alliance with Israel and Saudi Arabia. However, Washington European partners seems not receptive to this policy, questioning more than ever the American hegemonic attractiveness. Javad Zarif, the Iranian Foreign Minister, tweeted that US and its allies are more worried that Iran abides by the JCPOA than violates it. Zarifs sharp tweet does not seem wrong: if Iran remains on track with the implementation of the JCOPOA, making the nuclear deal a two-way relationship remains the only option to increase the tensions with Teheran. However, after Trumps decertification of the deal, the global consensus around the preservation of the JCPOA has finally surpassed the importance of the agreement itself. Perhaps this is the worst picture for Washington.

Jacopo Scita is a postgraduate student at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

The indictment of George Papadopoulos, the foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign in 2016, for lying to the FBI is the most important news that came out Monday. What he lied about was the timeline of his contacts with the Russian Federation on behalf of Trump.

It turns out that he knew long before the general public did that the Russians had hacked the Democratic National Committees emails (the equivalent of Nixons Watergate break-in). And if he knew, then so did Trump. Which might explain why Trump publicly asked Russia to leak Clintons emails during the campaign:

Trump asks Russia to hack Hillarys emails

As for the complaint by the Trump camp that Papadopoulos was low-ranking, that is the point. The FBI turned up evidence that Papadopoulos was attempting to set up a meeting directly between Trump and Vladimir Putin. But another campaign official wrote in May, that

Trump himself is not doing these trips but that it should be someone low-level in the campaign so as not to send any signal.

Meanwhile, the contacts with the Trump campaign were not the only play the Russians had. They were also doing ad buys at Facebook. Quite effectively. Reuters reports that Facebook says 126 million Americans may have seen Russia-linked political posts.

Not only were RT and Sputnik, Russian government propaganda outfits, doing fake news stories on Hillary Clinton but that alt-Neo-Nazi roll of soiled toilet paper, Breitbart, amplified these fake news pieces for the American audience.

The Russian strategy was to divide Americans against themselves and to pillory Sec. Clinton from every angle.

One Russian account was the most popular Texas secession site on the internet. Mr. Putin resents that the US victory in the Cold War caused half of the Soviet Union to hive off into independent states, so that the remaining Russian Federation was much weakened and became much smaller, about half the size of the US instead of a peer country. The seceding republics took with them key strategic assets, such as the Black Sea naval base in the Crimea (a loss that Putin has rectified by military means).

So Russia hopes to break up the United States in revenge, and Texas seemed to them a likely secessionist state. Well, of course it is only the minority 45% that are non-Hispanic whites who are open to these treasonous blandishments. Texas white nationalist resentments helped throw the state to Trump, so whipping them up served Putin well.

The Russians also spoofed a Muslim-American site that praised Hillary Clinton, in order to further the narrative that she was soft on Muslim extremism while Trump was hard on it.

Russian intelligence also created Facebook ads to exacerbate racial tensions, attacking the protest movement Black Lives Matter, which sought an end to systematic police abuse of African-Americans, and using resentments of its protests to instigate white support for Trump.

These techniques, of seeking to put a particular candidate in power, of promoting secessionist sentiments, and instigating ethnic discontent, have been used by American administrations for decades.

So US and British intelligence in 1953 fomented a campaign of discontent against elected Iranian prime minister Mohammad Mosaddegh and managed to have him overthrown in favor of far right wing pro-American generals and the shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlevi. Mrs. Clinton was Mosaddeghized.

Then there was the case of then Rep. Jane Harman, who was offered a high position in Congress in a phone call by an Israeli spy if she would intervene to stop the prosecution of two staffers of the powerful American Israel PAC, AIPAC, for having passed classified documents to the Israeli ambassador in a bid to get up a war on Iran.

Harman publicly called for a covert effort to break up Iran by heightening non-Persian ethnic resentments, in a speech that almost certainly was written for her by Israels Likud Party.

This is not a joke. The Baluch separatist group Jund Allah has killed hundreds of civilians in horrific bombings.

Then the former head of the Council for Foreign Affairs and former NYT editor Leslie Gelb urged that the US break Iraq up into three parts. Again, one has a sense that this was primarily put forward for the supposed benefit of Israel. Ultimately, Gelb even managed to get the usually level-headed Joe Biden aboard with this scheme. As of this moment the Gelb plan seems to have entirely crashed and burned, though in 2015 you wondered if it hadnt come to pass.

So what is the difference between Putin raising ethnic tensions and promoting the break-up of the US, and Washington officials doing the same things to Iran and Iraq?

The US has rampaged around the world promoting coups (e.g. Iran, Chile, etc.), fostering private ethnic armies like the Pushtun Mujahidin in Afghanistan, who were set on the more left-leaning Tajiks in the 1980s, and fostering terrorism where it suited Washington. Hacking some email accounts and pulling the wool over the eyes of some Texas gun nuts? That was easy for Putins FSB.



Related video:

Why Trump Was A Candidate Putin Could Like | Putins Revenge | FRONTLINE
TORONTO, Oct. 31, 2017 /CNW/ - Avesoro Resources Inc. (AIM:ASO / TSX:ASO) ("Avesoro" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has entered into a conditional agreement to acquire the Youga Gold Mine and Balogo Gold Mine (the "Assets") in Burkina Faso through the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of MNG Gold Burkina SARL, Cayman Burkina Mines Ltd., MNG Gold Exploration Ltd., AAA Exploration Burkina Ltd. and Jersey Netiana Mining Ltd. and their subsidiaries (the "Acquired Entities" which collectively hold the Assets) from Avesoro Jersey Limited ("Avesoro Jersey"), a related party being the majority (73.5%) shareholder of the Company, for a total consideration of US$69.5 million (the "Acquisition").

The Company has today conditionally raised approximately 15.2 million (approximately US$20.0 million) through a placing of new Common Shares in the Company ("Placing Shares") to new and existing sophisticated and accredited investors at a placing price of 1.9 pence per Placing Share (the "Placing Price") (the "Placing"). Of the proceeds from the Placing, US$18.5 million will be used to fund the cash component of the Acquisition consideration and the remainder will be used for general working capital purposes. Up to a further US$2.5 million (gross) may be raised for working capital purposes by way of a Broker Option (the "Broker Option"), as determined by the Brokers, which will remain open for exercise by the Brokers until 5.00 p.m. London Time on 31 October 2017.

Highlights of the Acquisition

Consideration

US$69.5 million acquisition consideration to be funded through: US$51.0 million of Common Shares issued to Avesoro Jersey at the Placing Price being 2,033,492,822 new Common Shares ("Consideration Shares"); and US$18.5 million of cash raised via the Placing.



Strategic

Transformational acquisition for the Company which will add two producing mines to the Company's portfolio;

The transaction will simplify the management structure by bringing two mines into the Company from the wider Avesoro Jersey group. Following the Acquisition, Avesoro Jersey's shareholding in the Company will remain at approximately 73 per cent.;

Positive diversification of project and country risk;

Significant exploration upside added to the Company's portfolio; and

Continuation of the Company's long-term plan to become a premier mid-tier African gold producer.

Operational

Increases forecast proforma 2017 gold production to 180-190koz;

Proforma 2017 year to date cash costs of US$660/oz;

Increases forecast combined gold production for 2018 by approximately 60% to 230koz;

Assets being acquired at attractive valuation of 0.57x NAV1;

Assets already well understood by management who have managed them for the last 18 months under an owner operator mining model; and

Addition of 0.5Moz of Proven & Probable Mineral Reserves and 0.7Moz Inferred Mineral Resources, representing an increase of 72 per cent. and 50 per cent. respectively to the Company's Mineral Resource and Reserve portfolio.

The Company has conditionally raised approximately 15.2 million (approximately US$20.0 million) from institutional investors through a placing of 797,449,000 Placing Shares at a price of 1.9 pence per Placing Share, representing approximately 15.0 per cent. of the Company's existing issued share capital. The Placing Price represents a discount of approximately 1.3 per cent. to the closing price of the Company's shares on 30 October 2017, being the latest practicable date before publication of this announcement. Under the terms of the Broker Option, the Company may also issue up to a further 99,681,021 new Common Shares at the Placing Price to sophisticated and accredited investors if exercised by the Agents.

Serhan Umurhan, Chief Executive Officer of Avesoro, commented:

"I am delighted to announce that we have entered into an agreement with Avesoro Jersey Ltd to acquire the Youga Gold Mine and Balogo Gold Mine in Burkina Faso. The Assets will provide Avesoro with geographic diversity within West Africa and are highly complementary to our existing New Liberty mine, significantly increasing Avesoro's gold production, in addition to adding high quality exploration upside that will provide for further future organic growth. In conjunction with the turnaround at New Liberty, this acquisition marks a significant next step in achieving our long-term plan to become a premier mid-tier African gold producer."

The Acquisition is subject to stock exchange and minority shareholder approvals, as described further in this announcement. Closing is anticipated on or around 18 December 2017, as soon as practicable after shareholder approval is obtained when the Placing will also complete.

In addition, the Company intends to propose, subject to shareholder approval, a share consolidation (or reverse stock split) of the issued and outstanding Common Shares (the "Share Consolidation") at a share consolidation ratio of one (1) post-consolidation Common Share for every hundred (100) pre-consolidation Common Shares. The actual timing for implementation, if any, of the Share Consolidation would be determined by the Board of Directors based upon its evaluation as to when such action would be most advantageous to the Company and its shareholders, and would be expected to occur in early 2018.

The Company will in due course send a circular to shareholders convening a Special Meeting to seek minority shareholder approval for the Acquisition and shareholder approval of the Share Consolidation to be completed in 2018. In conjunction with the Acquisition, an independent committee of directors was created in July 2017 consisting of Mr David Netherway, Mr Jean-Guy Martin and Mr Loudon Owen (the "Independent Committee") to supervise the negotiation of the Acquisition and the preparation of an independent formal valuation required by Canadian securities laws.

The Independent Committee considers, having consulted with the Company's Nominated Advisor, that the terms of the Acquisition are fair and reasonable insofar as its shareholders are concerned.

The Independent Committee has unanimously recommended the approval of the Acquisition to the board of directors of the Company (the "Board"). Accordingly, and based on the recommendation of the Independent Committee, the Board intends to recommend that the Company's minority shareholders vote in favour of the resolution in respect of the Acquisition to be proposed at the Special Meeting.

This summary should be read in conjunction with the full text of the following Announcement and its Appendices. Capitalised terms used in this Announcement have the meanings given to them in Appendix B. Appendix A to this Announcement (which forms part of this Announcement) sets out the terms and conditions of the Placing. Persons who choose to participate in the Placing, by making an oral or written offer to acquire Placing Shares, will be deemed to have read and understood this Announcement in its entirety (including Appendix A) and to be making such offer on the terms and subject to the conditions herein, and to be providing the representations, warranties, agreements, acknowledgements and undertakings contained in Appendix A.

1 Purchase price of US$69.5m divided by discounted equity NPV (as per the latest NI 43-101) of the Youga Gold Mine and the Balogo Gold Mine adjusted for US$13.1m depletion of the ore bodies arising from production since the Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource reporting date of 28 February 2017.

About Avesoro Resources Inc.

Avesoro Resources Inc. is a west Africa focussed gold mining, development and exploration company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") and the AIM market operated by the London Stock Exchange ("AIM").

The Company's assets include the New Liberty Gold Mine in Liberia (the "New Liberty Gold Mine" or "New Liberty") which has an estimated Proven and Probable Mineral Reserve of 7.4 Mt with 717,000 ounces of gold grading 3.03 g/t and an estimated Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource of 9.6 Mt with 985,000 ounces of gold grading 3.2 g/t and an estimated Inferred Mineral Resource of 6.4 Mt with 620,000 ounces of gold grading 3.0 g/t.

The New Liberty Gold Mine is located within the Southern Block of the 100% owned Bea Mountain mining licence. This licence covers 478 km and has a 25 year, renewable, mineral development agreement. The Bea Mountain mining license also hosts additional gold projects of Ndablama, Gondoja, Weaju and Leopard Rock which host Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources. The Company also owns the adjacent Yambesei, Archaen West, Mabong and Mafa West licences, in addition to a gold exploration permit in Cameroon.

Continue Reading...
HIGHLIGHTS

Commercial production declared more than 2 months ahead of schedule following the rapid construction and ramp-up periods, with nameplate capacity achieved within weeks following the introduction of ore into the mill

Construction was completed $15 million below the initial $328 million budget

Performance trial testing was completed with all key metrics (including process rates, mill availability, and recovery rates) above design parameters

Mining activities are progressing well with nearly 3-months of feed already stockpiled and positive grade reconciliation against the resource model being achieved

No Lost-Time-Injury occurred over the 7-million manhours worked over the construction period

Hounde is expecetd to produce between 30,000-35,000 ounces at an AISC of $550-600/oz for Q4-2017

Exploration drilling has discovered several high-grade satelite mineralizations, for which results are expected to be published in the coming weeks

Abidjan, October 31, 2017 - Endeavour Mining Corporation (TSX:EDV) (OTCQX:EDVMF) ("Endeavour") ("the Company") is pleased to announce that the construction of its Hounde Project in Burkina Faso has been completed $15 million below its initial capital budget with commercial production being declared more than two months ahead of schedule as a stable nameplate capacity was achieved within weeks from first ore being introduced into the plant on September 25, 2017.

Sebastien de Montessus, President & CEO, stated: "We are extremely proud to declare commercial production ahead of schedule, below-budget, and most importantly at full nameplate capacity with all key metrics ahead of the assumptions set out in the feasibility study. I would like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our integrated project team led by Jeremy Langford, our COO & EVP Projects, which has successfully designed and delivered the project over the past 4 years from feasibility through to commercial production.

As demonstrated by its very low All-In-Sustaining Costs of below $600/oz, Hounde is expected to immediately start contributing to the Group's free cash flow generation. After unlocking value by successfully bringing the project into production, we now look forward to quickly creating further value through our exploration program."

The Hounde Mine began processing ore ahead of schedule on September 25, 2017, and achieved its first gold pour on October 18, 2017. A 7-day performance trial testing period was recently successfully completed with all key metrics above targets: processing rate of 8,600 tonnes per day (or 105% of nameplate capacity), overall plant availability of 96% (compared to the target of 91%) and gold recovery rate of 95% (compared to 93% expected over the life of mine). Over the remainder of the year maintenance and optimization down-time periods have been scheduled.

Mining activities at the Main Vindaloo open pit are progressing well with nearly 3-months' worth of feed already stockpiled and positive grade reconciliation against the resource model being achieved. The current stockpile totals 571,000 tonnes at 2.6 g/t containing 47koz, inclusive of 130,000 tonnes at over 5.0 g/t. Resettlement compensation for communities living near the high-grade Bouere and Dohoun satellite deposits has commenced, with mining activities scheduled to begin in late 2018.

The Hounde build was completed $15 million below the initial capital budget of $328 million. As construction was tracking ahead of schedule and below budget, Endeavour decided, in addition to the initial planned works, to spend an additional $21 million (mainly for the addition of a 26MW back up power station & fuel farm and to build a second tailings storage facility), bringing the total spend to $334 million.

Hounde is expected to produce between 30,000 to 35,000 ounces of gold at an All-in Sustaining Cost ("AISC") between $550-600/oz in Q4-2017. Endeavour will start reporting operating costs for Hounde beginning November 1, 2017.

Exploration drilling, which resumed in early 2017 following a two year period of inactivity, has confirmed the occurrence of high-grade mineralization at the nearby Kari Pump and other targets, with the initial results expected to be published in the coming weeks.

ABOUT THE HOUNDE PROJECT

Endeavour's 90%-owned Hounde Project has become the Company's flagship low-cost mine, ranking amongst West Africa's top tier cash generating mines, with an average annual production of 190,000 ounces at an All-In Sustaining Cost ("AISC") of US$709/oz over an initial 10-year mine life based on reserves. In its first four years, the average annual production is expected to be 235,000 ounces at an AISC of US$610/oz.[1]

The project is an open pit mine with a 3.0Mtpa gravity circuit / Carbon-In-Leach plant. Construction began in April 2016 and was completed in October 2017 ahead of schedule and below budget.

QUALIFIED PERSONS

Jeremy Langford BEng(Mech)hons, Endeavour's Chief Operating Officer - A Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy - FAusIMM, is a Qualified Person under NI 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release.

ABOUT ENDEAVOUR MINING

Endeavour Mining is a TSX listed intermediate African gold producer with a solid track record of operational excellence, project development and exploration in the highly prospective Birimian greenstone belt in West Africa. Endeavour is focused on offering both near-term and long-term growth opportunities with its project pipeline and its exploration strategy, while generating immediate cash flow from its operations.

Endeavour operates 5 mines across Cote d'Ivoire (Agbaou and Ity), Burkina Faso (Karma), Mali (Tabakoto), and Ghana (Nzema) which are expected to produce 600-640koz of gold at an AISC of US$860-905/oz in 2017. Endeavour's high quality development projects (Hounde, Ity CIL and Kalana) have the combined potential to deliver an additional 600koz per year at an AISC well below $700/oz between 2018 and 2020. In addition, its exploration program aims to discover 10-15Moz of gold by 2021 which represents more than twice the reserve depletion during the period.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Oct. 31, 2017) - Kenadyr Mining (Holdings) Corp. (TSX VENTURE:KEN) (OTCQB:KNDYF) (FRANKFURT:KM0) (the "Corporation" or "Kenadyr") is pleased to announce the first 9 drill holes at The East Zone.

East Zone Drilling





The Corporation has completed drilling to define the extent of mineralization on the section approximately 100 meters from the boundary to Zijin Mining Group Co Ltd.'s ("Zijin") Taldy Bulak Levoberejnyi ("TBL") Mine, and directly on strike from the last mine section of the TBL Orebody. Although the TBL Mine is highly variable in shape and grade from section to section, the section defined on Kenadyr's Borubai License is typical of the sections within the TBL Orebody.

South Zone

As well, previously announced Hole SZ-1-17 (40m @ 6.17 g/t Au and 5m @ 5.8 g/t Au) intersected what appears to be the extension of the TBL Orebody to the South, an area of gold mineralization (partially defined by extensive (over 98,200 meters on the Borubai Licenses) historic Soviet drilling). The mineralized zones extending in both directions onto the Borubai License (South Zone and East Zone) are open along strike, and well mineralized at the current extent of drilling.

Ongoing Program

Kenadyr is continuing with the drill program on the East Zone, initially stepping out drill fans on 50 meter sections, to test for the strike extension of the mineralization defined in these initial 9 drill holes.

The mineralized zone (East Zone) on Kenadyr's Borubai License is rising in elevation (as compared to the TBL orebody) and the Corporation intends to evaluate the East Zone as a potential open pit mining target.





A table of significant drill intersections from the initial 9 drill holes are tabled below:

Hole Number From To Interval g/t Au EZ-1 151 201 50 meters 8.15 including 161 179 18 meters 12.8 EZ-2 110 116 6 meters 1.13 EZ-2 132 136 4 meters 1.17 EZ-2 141 151 10 meters 1.03 EZ-2 194 200 6 meters 1.18 EZ-2 208 231 23 meters 2.19 including 213 229 16 meters 2.93 including 215 224 9 meters 3.55 EZ-3 190 250 60 meters 1.01 including 199 222 23 meters 1.23 including 199 202 3 meters 2.59 EZ-3 315 316 1 meter 2.27 EZ-4 180 209 29 meters 1.44 including 188 194 6 meters 2.01 EZ-4 237 239 2 meters 1.45 EZ-5 152 162 10 meters 1.02 includung 156 160 4 meters 1.53 EZ-5 174 212 38 meters 1 EZ-6 178 197 21 meters 1.67 including 182 191 9 meters 2.52 EZ-6 208 234 26 meters 1.2 including 214 215 1 meter 2.04 including 226 227 1 meter 2.64 229 233 4 meters 2.2 EZ-6 256 260 4 meters 1.56 EZ-7 190 202 12 meters 2.4 EZ-7 207 208 1 meter 2.48 EZ-7 216 227 11 meters 1.21 including 217 219 2 meters 3.4 EZ-8 146 208 62 meters 2.2 including 160 174 14 meters 3.15 including 166 168 2 meters 5.67 including 172 173 1 meter 5.42 including 186 204 18 meters 3.79 including 193 198 5 meters 10.41 EZ-8 212 222 10 meters 1.66 EZ-9 187 198 11 meters 2.56 including 187 195 8 meters 3.19 including 190 193 3 meters 6.2

The Corporation is confident that these intersections are approximate 'true widths'.





Kenadyr's Borubai project comprises a 100-per-cent-owned exploration license covering a contiguous 164-square-kilometre land package that encircles the Zijin/Kygysaltyn newly constructed and operational TBL mine, in northern Kyrgyz Republic.

Zijin, the majority owner of the TBL mine, is one of China's largest gold producers, second- largest copper and zinc producer, as well as a major producer of tungsten and iron ore (source: Zijin website). According to a news release published by Zijin. on Aug. 15, 2011, the national resources table of Kyrgyz Republic stated that the TBL field contains (C1 plus C2) 8,906,100 tonnes of gold ore (the average grade is 7.23 grams per tonne). The TBL mine is designed to produce 125,000 ounces of gold per annum. The TBL mine deposit is directly adjacent to Kenadyr's initial drill targets, the South Zone and East Zone, which were previously drilled by the Soviets, with drilling on the Borubai License exceeding 98,000 meters.

Readers are cautioned that the historical resource and reserve estimates relating to the TBL mine do not extend to the Borubai project. Kenadyr has not independently verified the information with respect to the TBL mine provided in this news release and it is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization on the Borubai project. Kenadyr is not aware of the resource and reserve categories, or the key assumptions, parameters and methods used to prepare the estimates on Zijin's TBL mine. The historical estimates on the TBL mine are not current mineral resources or mineral reserves as defined in National Instrument 43-101. Kenadyr considers the historical estimates on the TBL mine disclosed in this news release to be relevant to investors for the purpose of understanding Kenadyr's current drill program and exploration strategy.

Kenadyr's Borubai project, which surrounds the TBL mine, has been the subject of extensive historic exploration including drilling (98,200 metres in 184 diamond drill holes), trenching (13,800 cumulative metres), bulldozer cuts (33,400 cumulative metres), geologic mapping at 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 scales, ridge, spur and grid soil geochemistry for multi-elements (14,200 samples), rock geochemical sampling (2,320 samples), pan concentrate sampling (790 samples), 100 metres of adits, and 184 metres of underground raises. Additionally, the entire area has been subject to airborne magnetic, radiometric and gravity surveys, as well as ground-based resistivity and induced polarization surveys. Additional high grade gold targets exist throughout the Borubai license. The entire license has been subject to extensive geochemical and geophysical surveys, with follow up trenching and drilling on only a few of the identified anomalies.

Additional information in respect of the Corporation's business and the Borubai project is available in the Corporation's Annual Information Form dated April 28, 2017, available under the Corporation's profile on SEDAR.

Kenadyr has an expert team of mine developers with considerable local and regulatory knowledge, led by Chief Executive Officer Dr. Alex Becker, who has operated successfully in the country for much of the past 20 years. The board and management team includes; R. Stuart (Tookie) Angus (Chairman), Alexander Becker (Chief Executive Officer), Bryan Slusarchuk (President), Douglas J. Kirwin (Director), Brian Lueck (Director) and Kevin Ma (Chief Financial Officer). Mark Eaton will act as an adviser to the Corporation.

Brian Lueck, P. Geo, a director of Kenadyr and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release.

Appointment of Mr. Michael Velletta to Board

In additional news, Mr. Velleta has been appointed to the board of directors of Kenadyr. Mr. Veletta was one of the original directors of Kenadyr, as a private company, and will re-join the board effective November 1, 2017.
Bishopsgate, London (FSCwire) - The Board of SolGold (TIDM: SOLG) is pleased to provide an update on its 100% owned Machos - Florida Santa Cruz- La Hueca Project ("the Project") in Southern Ecuador.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Rock chip samples collected from the Project have returned high grade copper and gold mineralisation from extensive outcropping porphyry copper gold mineralisation over a broad 5km x 1km zone over an extensive area. Best results include: 13.82% Cu in sample R02000263 8.37% Cu in sample R02000310 4.08% Cu in sample R02000259 2.50% Cu in sample R02000307 1.80% Cu in sample R02000305 See Photographs herein.

25km long porphyry trend identified.

Jurassic in age similar to Fruta del Norte, Mirador and the giant La Alumbrera mine in Argentina (Glencore).

Samples were taken from an extensive zone of complex multiphase copper sulphide and magnetite mineralised quartz veining and hydrothermal alteration extending over an unclosed 5km long zone.

Stream sediment and panned concentrate sampling results have highlighted additional areas of strongly anomalous copper and gold mineralisation outside of the mineralised quartz vein zone, to be followed up with detailed prospecting and field mapping.

References to figures and tables relate to the version of this release on the Company's website (www.solgold.com.au) or visible in PDF format by clicking the link below:

http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/0751V_-2017-10-31.pdf

Further Information:

SolGold is continuing to pursue its strategy to become a tier one copper company through the aggressive exploration of the Company's extensive tenement portfolio in Ecuador.

The Machos - La Hueca Project is located on the gold-rich northern section of the prolific Andean Copper belt which is renowned as the production base for nearly half of the world's copper, (Figure 1). SolGold holds a 100% interest in the Project through its wholly owned Ecuadorean subsidiary company, Cruz del Sol S.A.

CEO Nick Mather commented:

"Following the discovery of the Alpala copper gold porphyry in Northern Ecuador and the rapid progression by SolGold towards the definition of the size, grade and extent of the exciting Alpala system, SolGold has developed a unique system and blueprint for the discovery of world class copper gold porphyry systems in Ecuador. This efficient blueprint, SolGold's status as the largest and most active tenement holder in Ecuador, the highly endowed nature of the geological terrain and the recent recognition of SolGold's exploration achievements positions SolGold as the best entry to copper-gold growth globally for investors. I am very confident that this discovery will further differentiate SolGold from its competitors in Ecuador over the coming year.

SolGold secured the first mover advantage in Ecuador three and a half years ago in 2014. Following the Cascabel discovery, the Company recognised the opportunity to secure and explore a geological terrain with the same broad geology and potential for similar copper endowment (plus gold benefits) along the Andean spine of Ecuador from the Peruvian to the Colombian borders.

The greater La Hueca zone is huge, covering a strike length of 25km of rocks of the same age as the giant and rich Alumbrera mine in Argentina across a corridor width of approximately 2km. The prevalence of rich gold with abundant magnetite, chalcopyrite, bornite and molybdenite assemblages suggests this system is rich, large and oxidised. A happy recipe, and its 100% owned by SolGold. We look forward to rapidly advancing this large and rich system."

Approximately 14 of 22 copper gold porphyry targets have been secured. To date SolGold has identified outcropping copper gold porphyry systems on five (5) of these targets:

La Hueca Machos Florida Santa Cruz (as detailed in this announcement); Machos; Porvenir; Timbarra; and Sharug.

Several others also show surface mineralisation including San Antonio and Agustin.

Exploration Activities & Results

SolGold has had field teams on the ground conducting reconnaissance sampling, mapping and prospecting at the La Hueca Project for several months. The summary table below details the total number of samples collected at the La Hueca Project to date. A strike length of 25km of prospective copper gold porphyry targets has been developed on the basis of outcropping mineralisation, strong stream sediment anomalism for copper and gold, and strong panned gold and magnetite concentrate results.

By comparison, the Alpala system was evident in a 50m channel in Alpala creek only, and the total tenement size at the La Hueca, Florida, Santa Cruz and Machos tenements is approximately three times the size of Cascabel.

Summary Sample Table

PROJECT TYPE # SAMPLES Machos Rock chips 185 Machos Stream Sediment 79 La Hueca Rock chips 288 La Hueca Stream Sediment 101 Total 653

Results from initial stream sediment and pan concentrate sampling in the La Hueca tenement area have identified several areas of interest known as the El Cerro Florida Naquipa and Eduardo prospects from north to south. Streams over a 6km x 4km zone draining the area of interest were ubiquitously rich in gold and magnetite indicating the prevalence of the copper gold mineralised porphyries in the area. The first stream anomaly followed up was recognised as exhibiting significant potassic and propyllitic alteration and mineralisation indicative of the presence of a large porphyry system. Detailed mapping and rock chip sampling was carried out to determine the extent of the alteration system. The results are detailed in Table 1 outlined below.

A northeast - southwest striking quartz stockwork was identified and mapped over a 5km length that remains open along strike northwest and southeast, and lies within an altered corridor several kilometres wide comprising mostly diorite host rocks. The most significant zone mapped so far within this diorite hosted quartz stockwork corridor displays very strong alteration and mineralisation over an area 700m long by 450m wide, characterised by with a multidirectional quartz vein network containing diagnostic copper gold porphyry minerals including notably chalcopyrite, bornite, molybdenite and magnetite associated with chlorite, sericite and epidote alteration. This zone has returned the highest grade copper and gold results.

Strong molybdenum mineralisation evident as molybdenite is ubiquitous in the La Hueca system and SolGold's technical advisors have opined that this indicates a substantial porphyry system sourcing mineralisation from a deep seated and strongly metal endowed batholith. SolGold believes that this is a favourable indicator for the ultimate size and grade of the system being explored at La Hueca.

Detailed mapping and sampling of the stockwork corridor continues with several new areas of strong alteration and mineralisation recently reported by the field teams to the northeast, southwest and west. In addition, several large geochemical stream anomalies outside of the stockwork corridor have been identified at the La Hueca Project that are yet to be investigated by SolGold's field teams.

SolGold will continue to provide updates on its regional exploration program and the results of its continuing field activities.

Qualified Person:

Information in this report relating to the exploration results is based on data reviewed by Mr Nicholas Mather (B.Sc. Hons Geol.), the Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Mr Mather is a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy who has in excess of 25 years' experience in mineral exploration and is a Qualified Person. Mr Mather consents to the inclusion of the information in the form and context in which it appears.
The Herald reports:

Political science lecturer and commentator Jon Johansson is the new chief of staff for New Zealand First.

Johansson is a key appointment following New Zealand Firsts decision to sign a coalition agreement with Labour.

He replaces David Broome, who previously worked for Federated Farmers.

Winston Peters announced Johanssons appointment as the partys chief of staff at Parliament today.

Johansson is a senior lecturer in comparative politics at the School of History, Philosophy, Political Science & International Relations at Victoria University of Wellington. His specialties include New Zealand and American politics, and political leadership.
Stuff reports:

While the biggest news of the day is the indictments Robert Mueller has handed down against former President Donald Trump aides Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, he also released a plea bargain with a heretofore minor figure in the Russia scandal by the name of George Papadopoulos. And that could actually be the days biggest news. Thats because while Manafort and Gates sure look like theyre going to jail, as of yet they arent cooperating with Muellers investigation. Papadopoulos is, which means that he likely has information that will lead Mueller closer to the heart of the case.

The Manafort indictment is no surprise. He has been dodgy for a long time and is a well known lobbyist for Russian interests. In fact one wag suggested he was in line to be Chief of Staff to Winston Peters considering Winstons strange insistence that we pursue an FTA with Russia and Belarus.

Papadopoulos has agreed to plead guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russians. Specifically, he falsely claimed that they had occurred before he joined the campaign in March 2016. He had communication with a professor who had contacts in the Russian government; this professor told him that the Russians had dirt on Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails. The professor introduced him to a female Russian national who was supposedly Vladimir Putins niece (it turned out she wasnt), and to someone who supposedly had connections in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Based on those conversations, Papadopoulos pressed the campaign to set up meetings with the Russians, a suggestion that never came to fruition.

So Russia was offering the e-mails. The question is whether anyone on the Trump campaign responded to them.

So what does this have to do with the larger case? I spoke this morning with Barbara McQuade, a professor at the University of Michigan law school who is a former US Attorney and has worked extensively in criminal and national security cases. I asked: If Papadopoulos was just some low-level nobody tossing around ideas that were rejected by the campaigns higher-ups, why would Mueller offer him a plea deal that is contingent on his cooperation? Doesnt that suggest that he has information that can be used to build a case against someone more important than him? I think its a fair conclusion to think that he has information that is valuable in the prosecution of others, McQuade says. You would only offer that cooperation if youve sat down with him and learned that he has information that is of value.

Going to get interesting. Sacking the FBI Director will turn out to be the stupidest thing Trump ever did, as this led to the Independent Counsel.

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Newshub reports:

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will head to Australia this weekend to meet with Malcolm Turnbull.

The Prime Minister said she will not be meeting with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.

Asked whether she expected the dual citizenship controversy to be raised, and whether she would apologise on behalf of Labours Chris Hipkins, she said: We were not responsible for that and therefore there is nothing to apologise for.

Ms Bishop previously threatened that she would find it very difficult to build trust with Labour if the party formed a Government, after Mr Hipkins asked questions in the New Zealand Parliament about dual citizenship.
Newshub reports:

Former Prime Minister Helen Clarks top advisor, Heather Simpson, has returned to advise the new Labour Government.

Ms Simpson has a three-decade working relationship with Ms Clark, working as chief of staff to the Labour Party before spending eight years advising Ms Clark at the UN.

Ms Simpson was given the moniker H2 to signify her proximity to H1  Ms Clark.

Her return is seen as a sign of Labours move to strengthen its management team behind the scenes.

She is assisting with the staffing of ministers offices and reviewing the review of the campaign.
It seems very clear that the truth is not being told over the funding of Labours intern scheme. Newsroom has more details:

Newly released documents have shed light on a troubled intern scheme linked to the Labour Party, with the partys secretary telling electoral officials the schemes organiser had not been forthcoming in disclosing how it was funded.  In response to a letter from the Electoral Commission, Labour Party general secretary Andrew Kirton asked for a meeting to discuss the unusual and complex situation, accompanied by Kensington Swan lawyer Hayden Wilson.

When you turn up with a lawyer, you know there are real issues!

The Electoral Commissions notes of the July 5 meeting record Kirton as saying McCartens vision appears to have been to create an independent entity supported by unions etc.

The scheme was run by Labour Party staff and used the Labour Party name and logo. It was about as independent as the media in Belarus.

Kirton estimated McCarten had spent $104,000 on the intern scheme, with the funding believed to come from a private funder who he has not disclosed. Andrew believes that Mr McCarten would not have funded any of the costs himself. Andre [sic] and Hayden indicated that Mr McCarten has not been forthcoming

So the General Secretary of the Labour Party is saying he does not believe Matt McCarten when McCarten says he paid for it all himself. This is staggering, especially as McCarten is the former Chief of Staff to two leaders.

Andrew and Haydens view is that the costs incurred were by Matt. They have stepped in to honour the bills, but at law they have no obligation because Matt was responsible [and] had unilaterally entered into these agreements and had no authority to incur costs on behalf of the party.

Two Labour Party staffers were working on the scheme. Advertisements appeared overseas promoting it all with the Labour name and logo.

The Electoral Commission then wrote to McCarten on July 10, asking him to provide information on who provided the funding for the campaign and the extent of Labours involvement. After he did not respond to a July 17 deadline, the commission wrote to him again on July 19 saying it was considering whether to refer the issue to the police given the amount of money involved and the seriousness of [the] allegation.

Only the Police have the power to investigate fully. They can access bank accounts and determine who actually paid for what.

He told the Electoral Commission the campaign had been set up by a few mates of mine after Labour decided not to run an official internship programme, and he had agreed to personally cover or raise the costs for the scheme.

A few mates? Who? The four people involved with it were two Labour Party staffers, a member of their National Council and McCarten. Were there others?

In a follow-up letter on August 1, McCarten said Farrar and media had made a series of assumptions that then lead to inaccurate conclusions, and the scale of the project was far smaller than had been suggested.

There were no assumptions. It was all based on the actual documents McCarten drew up saying what it would cost.

He had spent $65,094 on the scheme paid directly out of my personal bank accounts, including nearly $37,000 on accommodation and food as well as over $10,000 on rental cars and vans.

Im sorry but I am as skeptical as Andrew Kirton on this. Who happens to have a spare $65,000 sitting in their bank account to fund such a scheme. I know how much parliamentary staff are paid, and this is highly implausible.

McCarten said he was not working for Labour when he set the campaign up, and believed the interns would not have seen themselves as being part of the partys national campaign.

This is also wrong. He started work on this back in March when he was employed by the Leaders Office. And the interns absolutely saw themselves as part of Labours campaign  they cited Labour on their fundraising pages.

However, McCarten did not meet an August 17 deadline to hand over the information, with a follow-up email from the Electoral Commission on October 3  nearly two months later  asking him to provide a timeframe for a response. An Electoral Commission spokeswoman confirmed McCarten had still not provided it with the final donation figures, but there were no legal obligations yet. The next step is for candidates to file their return of election expenses and donations, and these are due on 23 January. The reason the Commission asked Mr McCarten to come back to us was to make sure the final figures were communicated to us and the candidates for their returns.

It is not just the figures needed, but who the contributors were. The Electoral Commission needs to satisfy itself that McCarten did indeed fund this all himself, and no-one else contributed.

Asked why he had said he secured a private funder for the scheme, McCarten replied: Because I just felt like it really, to be honest  it was really kind of tongue-in-cheek between myself and [the reporter]I meant it more as a joke, but of course theres no jokes in these matters.

This is why this must be investigated by someone who can get to the bottom of it. McCarten has made contradictory statements on who funded this. It would be naive to not try to establish the facts.

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PRESS RELEASE

Lake Chad, Transaqua Up-Front in Rome International Meeting

Oct. 29 , 2017 (EIRNS) At a three-day international "Water and Climate Summit," which took place in Rome Oct. 23-25, the issue of Lake Chad and the Transaqua project were prominently addressed. On the opening day, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni spoke about

"The case of Lake Chad, a lake feeding a basin of 70 million people and several countries, whose very serious crisis in the last decades has produced major effects: They speak about two and a half million displaced people in that basin."

There are evident connections between the "water crisis of Lake Chad and the emerging of terrorist threats in some of those regions and in particular ... of Boko Haram." Gentiloni then said that "we must all be aware, all committed, and Italy is trying to help with its foreign policy to recover Lake Chad."

These words by Gentiloni offered the opportunity to Sanusi Abdullahi, executive secretary of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), who spoke on the last panel of the second day, to ask concretely for help financing the water-transfer project.

First, Abdullahi thanked Gentiloni for having addressed the issue and then, answering to a question by EIR correspondent Claudio Celani on what kind of help he expects from the Italian government, Abdullahi said Rome should finance the feasibility study.

Abdullahi recalled that the first idea of a water-transfer plan, known by the name of Transaqua, was developed by an Italian firm, Bonifica, many years ago. The LCBC has now made a deal with PowerChina for an update on the situation of Lake Chad and

"I am also glad to mention that Bonifica, the initial team that conceptualized the dream ... of the Transaqua projectwhich was much more than transferring water from the Congo basin to the Sahelis also partnering with PowerChina to actualize this project."

The two firms agreed to prove the feasibility of the entire Transaqua project, and within that study, the feasibility of a first section of "inter-basin water transfer."

"In this context, it is the right time, it is a good opportunity for us to solicit more support, especially ... to conclude the feasibility study, to make sure that the program ... is economically viable, sustainable and in this regard we want the government of Italy to support us financially and also to support us politically ... to actualize this dream, because ... we expect the beginning to be a project that will catalyze pan-African projects ... to link the Central Africa with West Africa, the Sahel and also to generate opportunities for industrialization in the context of ... job activities constituting a large scale irrigation program "So, we are calling the government of Italy to support us financially to ensure that we conclude this feasibility study,"

the LCBC executive secretary concluded.
The office of the presidency has announced that Finnish firm UPM has asked the government led by President Tabare Vazquez for a 10-day extension on the deadline for signing off on the agreement to build a new pulp mill in central Uruguay. The Vazquez government and UPM have been negotiating a contract agreement since 2016 for the US$4bn project, which has been billed as the largest ever investment project in Uruguays history. The two sides announced that they had reached an agreement in principle on 20 October and that a final deal would be announced by the end of the month. However, an official statement said that the firm had requested more time to analyse the deal.

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Fans of spicy foods might be doing their hearts a favor by adding more heat to their meals, a new study from China suggests.

Researchers found that people in China who enjoyed spicy foods the most tended to eat less salt and have lower blood pressure than those who enjoyed spicy foods the least, according to the study.

And the link between spicy and salty foods could be traced all the way to the brain. [9 New Ways to Keep Your Heart Healthy]

The enjoyment of spicy foods significantly reduced a person's preference for salt  and subsequent intake of it  by modifying that individual's taste for salt in the brain, said lead author Dr. Zhiming Zhu, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at Third Military Medical University in Chongqing, China.

The findings, which were published today (Oct. 31) in the journal Hypertension, could have important implications for heart health. That's because, despite current efforts to reduce high blood pressure by cutting back on salt in cooking, at the table and in prepared foods, not much of a dent has been made in reducing people's salt intake, the researchers said. That's why a new  or different  approach may be needed to shift taste buds away from salt.

In the new study, the researchers wanted to see if adding spiciness to foods could be such a new approach. To do so, they recruited about 600 adults to see whether consuming more spicy food affected their taste preferences for salt.

Spicy foods and the brain

The people in the study were divided into three groups  low, medium and high preference  based on how well they could tolerate a solution containing capsaicin, which is the heat-producing compound found in chili peppers.

The researchers found that the more that people in the study said they enjoyed spicy flavors, the more sensitive they were to saltiness and the lower their threshold was for considering something too salty. This may be why lovers of spicy flavors tended to consume less salt  about 2.5 grams less per day on average  and had lower blood pressure than people who disliked spicy flavors, the study found.

People with a high preference for spicy foodhad systolic blood pressure that was reduced by an average of 8 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), and their diastolic pressure was reduced by an average of 5 mm Hg, compared to with people with a low preference for spicy food. (Systolic blood pressure is the top number in a blood pressure reading; diastolic blood pressure is the bottom number.)

To find out more about how people reacted to the taste of spicy and salty foods, researchers conducted brain scans of the study participants as they sampled these flavors. The researchers focused on two brain regions  the insula and orbitofrontal cortex  known to be responsive to the taste of salt. [Tip of the Tongue: The 7 (Other) Flavors Humans Taste]

The results showed that areas of the brain stimulated by salt and spiciness overlapped, and that spiciness further increased brain activity in areas activated by salt.

Spicy food may trick the brain into perceiving that the person is tasting a salty food, Zhu told Live Science. Spiciness makes a person taste a higher level of saltiness, even when a reduced amount of salt is actually consumed, Zhu said.

If a person can tolerate the heat, consuming more spicy food in the form of chili peppers or by gradually increasing hot spices in cooking may have health benefits, Zhu said. It appears to make a person more sensitive to the taste of salt, so they can enjoy food containing less of that ingredient, he said.

One of the limitations of the findings is that they may be generalizable only to people in China, because the phenomenon has not yet been studied in other populations, the researchers noted. In addition, the study looked at the impact only of capsaicin on salt preferences and not of other types of spices.

Originally published on Live Science.
A California woman became pregnant while she was already pregnant, in an extremely rare case that resulted in her carrying "twins" with two different sets of parents.

The 31-year-old woman, Jessica Allen, agreed to be a gestational surrogate for a Chinese couple that she met through a surrogacy agency in southern California, according to the New York Post. In April 2016, doctors used in vitro fertilization to produce an embryo for the Chinese couple, and implanted that embryo in Allen's uterus.

Allen soon became pregnant with the other couple's baby, but at six weeks of pregnancy, she was told she was carrying twins. Allen "was very surprised" to learn she was carrying two babies, she told ABC News. She believed the Chinese couple's embryo had split in two, making the twins identical, she said.

A month after she had given birth to the two babies, she learned that the "twins" were not identical. They looked different, and a DNA test confirmed that one baby was Allen's biological child and the other baby was the Chinese couple's child.

"It turned out that, in an extremely rare medical incident called superfetation, we had gotten pregnant naturally" after the IVF procedure, Allen told the New York Post. [9 Uncommon Conditions That Pregnancy May Bring]

Superfetation means that a woman becomes pregnant while she is already pregnant. It's extremely rare  fewer than a dozen cases of superfetation have been reported in the medical literature, said Dr. Saima Aftab, medical director of the Fetal Care Center at Nicklaus Children's Hospital, who was not involved in Allen's case.

Usually, when a woman becomes pregnant, several biological processes kick in that prevent her from getting pregnant a second time during the pregnancy: Her body releases hormones that halt ovulation (the release of an egg from the ovaries); a "mucus plug" develops in the cervix, which prevents sperm from traveling to the uterus; and the lining of the uterus changes, making it hard for another embryo to implant, Aftab said.

But with superfetation, a woman continues to ovulate after she becomes pregnant, and her ovaries release another egg that is then fertilized, resulting in a second pregnancy. It's important to note that, with superfetation, the two fetuses are different gestational ages, typically just a few weeks apart, Aftab said. This is different from fraternal twins, in which two eggs are fertilized at the same time, and the fetuses are the same gestational age.

Aftab said it's possible that superfetation happens more often than is reported; the condition may go undetected because the two fetuses are so close in age that they are simply considered twins. It's only when doctors can detect clear differences in the maturity of the fetuses  or when, as in Allen's case, the babies have different parents (or a different father)  that these cases are easier to detect, Aftab said.

Allen said she was "floored" when she learned one of the babies was hers. "I carried my own child. I didn't know he was mine," Allen told ABC News.

Allen said she underwent a complicated legal battle to get custody of her son, who was not legally her child when he was born. In February, Allen and her husband, Wardell Jasper, got custody of their son, whom they named Malachi.

Because superfetation is so rare, it's difficult to know whether IVF procedures, or surrogacy, can influence the likelihood of the condition, Aftab said. But these could be questions for future research.

In the meantime, this case should be a "reason for pause and thoughtfulness" among physicians and surrogacy organizations, Aftab said. In future surrogacy cases in which a twin pregnancy occurs unexpectedly, it would be in the interest of all parties to rule out superfetation as soon as possible, she said.

Original article on Live Science.
Long-Lost Salamander

(Image credit: Carlos Vasquez Almazan)

It's been 42 years since it was last sighted, but the Jackson's Climbing Salamander (Bolitoglossa jacksoni) is alive and well. This brilliant yellow salamander was discovered in Guatemala in 1975 and hadn't been seen since. But in October 2017, Ramos Leon, a guard at the Finca San Isidro Amphibian Reserve in the country's Cuchumatanes Mountains, found a juvenile of the species near the edge of the protected area. He snapped a photo and sent it to herpetologist Carlos Vasquez of USAC University of Guatemala, who confirmed that the Jackson's Climbing Salamander was back. [Read more about the lost salamander]

Golden Wonder

(Image credit: Carlos Vasquez Almazan)

The Jackson's Climbing Salamander is sometimes called the "golden wonder" for its brilliant coloration. Jeremy Jackson and Paul Elias discovered the species in 1975 during an expedition to the Cuchumantanes Mountains in Guatemala. It was put on the Top 25 list of "most wanted" species by the nonprofit Global Wildlife Conservation, which launched a Finding Lost Species earlier this year to search for species that haven't been seen for a long time but may not yet be extinct.

Face of Rediscovery

(Image credit: Carlos Vasquez Almazan)

A close-up of the face of the Jackson's Climbing Salamander. The long-ago discoverer of the amphibian was thrilled to learn it had been seen again.



"The night I got the news from Carlos that Bolitoglossa Jacksoni had been rediscovered, I flew off the couch where Id been falling asleep, let loose a string of expletives (in a good way), and did a little happy dance," Jeremy Jackson said in a statement.

Salamander on the Edge

(Image credit: Carlos Vasquez Almazan)

Herpetologist Carlos Vasquez Alamazan has been searching for the salamander since 2005, spending more than 3,000 hours in the field hunting for specimens. He trained the guards at the Finca San Isidro Amphibian Reserve to search as well, instructing them to search in bark and leaf litter and leaving them posters showing the salamander's bright coloration. Global Wildlife Conservation planned a January 2018 expedition to Guatemala to search for the salamander, but guard Ramos Leon found one in October.

Elusive beast

(Image credit: Carlos Vasquez Almazan)

The Jackson's Climbing Salamander is the first of the 25 species on Global Wildlife Conservation's list to be rediscovered. Other "lost" species include the Syr-darya shovelnose sturgeon (Pseudoscaphirhynchus fedtschenkoi), not seen since the 1960s, the Wondiwoi tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus mayri), missing from Indonesia since 1928, and the Fernandina Galapagos tortoise, discovered in 1906 and not seen since.

Lost species

(Image credit: Carlos Vasquez Almazan)

Global Wildlife Conservation's members are shocked but thrilled about the rapid discovery of one of their "top 25," a nonprofit spokeswoman said. "I love this story because it conveys how protecting habitat gives species a fighting chance to survive on this planet, Don Church, the president of the Austin, Texas-based Global Wildlife Conservation said in a statement. This rediscovery can only be a good omen for the future of the Search for Lost Species campaign. Its a sign that if we get out there and work at it, many of these species can be found and saved.

Most Wanted Poster

(Image credit: Courtesy Carlos Vasquez)

A "wanted" poster alerting guards at the Finca San Isidro Amphibian Reserve in Guatemala as to what to look for in the hunt for Bolitoglossa jacksoni. Herpetologist Carlos Vasquez led a workshop on the search for the amphibian at the reserve, which paid off when a guard photographed a juvenile specimen in October. [Read more about the lost salamander]
An aerial view taken on May 26, 2010, of the "Lusi" mud volcano and the mud it has spewed across surrounding villages in Porong, Sidoarjo district, on East Java.

On May 29, 2006, a torrent of mud spewed from vents that opened up in the ground in a densely populated area of the Indonesian island of Java. That mudflow eventually buried houses, businesses and roads over an area twice the size of Central Park in New York and drove tens of thousands of people from their homes. More than 11 years later, mud, rocks and gases still sputter from the gashes in the earth there.

A group of scientists now said they've figured out what's fueling the world's largest known mud eruption: an underground connection to nearby volcanoes that funneled hot water and other material below the area where the mud erupted. That piping-hot material baked the overlying sediment, priming it for an eruption; an earthquake lit the final fuse, and the mud spewed forth that spring day, the researchers said.

"This study shows that the whole system was powerful, naturally prepared and ready to come out to the surface," study co-author Adriano Mazzini, of the University of Oslo, told Live Science. [7 Ways the Earth Changes in the Blink of an Eye]

The work, detailed online Oct. 28 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, is the latest salvo in a scientific debate over what triggered the eruption. That debate began nearly the moment the first mud shot up from the ground. While the researchers behind the new study favor the explanation of an earthquake trigger, another group thinks a nearby, improperly drilled oil well set things in motion.

On May 29, 2006, mud started erupting from several vents on the Indonesian island of Java and hasnt stopped since. The eruption, known as Lusi, is history's most destructive ongoing mud eruption. (Image credit: Adriano Mazzini/The Lusi Lab Project)

One of the scientists in the latter group also disputed the findings of the new study, though another seismologist not involved with any work on the mud volcano said the new findings were plausible, but not definitive without further evidence.

Surprise eruption

Even though Indonesia is one of the most seismically and volcanically active areas on the planet, the mud volcano eruption came as a surprise, because there were no warning signs.

Villagers were forced to quickly flee, and the government eventually built levees to contain the tidal wave of mud. In the first few months, that material flowed at a rate that could fill 72 Olympic-size swimming pools every day. The eruption was dubbed "Lusi," a portmanteau of "lumpur," the Indonesian word for mud, and Sidoarjo, the region where the event occurred. [Image Gallery: This Millennium's Destructive Earthquakes]

Today, visitors can walk on the dried-up pool of mud and see roofs sticking out from the material. The still-erupting vents are fenced off, though "you can see these big mud blasts," Mazzini said, with "huge bubbles" like boiling yogurt. The area smells of oil and other hydrocarbons found below the surface, he said.

Lusis relentless sea of mud has buried some villages 130 feet (40 meters) deep and forced nearly 60,000 people from their homes. (Image credit: Adriano Mazzini/The Lusi Lab Project)

In the days after the mud volcano erupted, Mazzini and other geologists and seismologists set out to figure out what had set it off.

Some suspected the oil well almost immediately. The Indonesian company Lapindo Brantas was drilling for natural gas about a tenth of a mile from where the eruption occurred. According to the drilling logbooks, workers were having trouble controlling the pressure in the well the day before the eruption, Richard Davies, a petroleum geologist at Newcastle University in England, told Live Science. Drilling mud is put into such wells to keep the pressurized mud, natural gas and other material located below the Earth's surface from shooting up through the well.

The workers pulled out the drill bit, Davies said. The well, however, had a blowout preventer  the same apparatus whose failure led to the disastrous BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010  that kept the contents from blasting out of the well. But because the preventer worked, all that pressurized material trying to push up through the well fractured the surrounding rock, bursting forth via the Lusi eruption instead, Davies and his colleagues contended.

While the new study doesn't specifically address the final spark that caused the eruption, the study authors said they favor a different trigger: a 6.3-magnitude earthquake that struck the city of Yogyakarta 150 miles (240 kilometers) away two days before the eruption. Davies and his colleagues said the temblor was too far away and too weak to be the trigger.

Davies said he does agree with the authors on one point, that the fluids that led to the eruption likely traveled along a local fault system. And it is this fault system that researchers explored in the new study, which lays out the background setup for the eruption.

What lies beneath

To get a look at what was happening under the ground in the area of the mud volcano, Mazzini and his colleagues set up a network of 31 seismometers. Seismic waves bounce off different types of rocks, fluids and even voids in different ways, and so scientists can use the waves to detect underground features, such as faults and volcanic magma chambers.

Adriano Mazzini stands on top of dried mud from the Lusi eruption. (Image credit: Adriano Mazzini/The Lusi Lab Project)

The scientists saw features they interpreted as a magma chamber under the Arjuno-Welirang volcanic complex, located a few miles away from the Lusi eruption, and a large feature under the mud volcano that appeared to connect to a tunnel. [Sights and Sounds: Cali's Gurgling Mud Volcanoes]

The researchers said they suspect the tunnel acted as a conduit to funnel material from the volcanic complex to the area under the mud volcano. As the material built up, it baked the surrounding, hydrocarbon-rich sediment, generating gases that built up pressure, priming the area to blow with the right trigger.

The connection makes Lusi a hybrid system, Mazzini said: Not a purely sedimentary mud volcano, nor a hydrothermal volcanic system, but a meeting of the two.

Davies said he disagrees with that interpretation of what the images show. He has done similar imaging under mud volcanoes near the Caspian Sea and said he thinks the researchers are simply seeing the typical jumble of faults and mixed-up sediments that have shown up under other mud volcanoes.

"I'm highly, highly skeptical of this paper," he said.

Bill Menke, a seismologist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in New York, has done similar studies, though not in Indonesia, and said the authors' interpretation is entirely plausible because of the strength of the seismic wave signal they're seeing.

"I thought this was an excellent paper," Menke said.

The indirect nature of the images means that the results are somewhat ambiguous, though, he said. Other tests, such as one that measures how electricity travels through the ground, could back up the team's interpretation, as hot water is a good electrical conductor, Menke said.

Mazzini and his colleagues also pointed to other evidence to bolster their interpretation. That includes the high temperature  more than 200 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius)  of the mud coming out of the vent and a match between the chemical composition of the gas coming out of the mud eruption and the nearby volcanic complex.

Neither side in the debate over the cause of the Lusi eruption looks to budge anytime soon, though the drilling company has been ordered to compensate the victims, according to news reports.

And regardless of the trigger, Lusi looks to keep leaking mud to the surface for a long time to come, keeping residents wary and the government working to control the onslaught.

Original article on Live Science.
Smallpox has been eradicated for decades, but other, related "poxviruses" are still around and continue to pose a risk to humans, experts say.

In fact, cases of human infection with viruses in the same family as the smallpox virus are appearing in growing numbers.

What's more, in recent years, researchers have discovered several never-before-seen poxviruses that cause illness in people. In one case, a woman in Alaska who thought she had a spider bite turned out to have an infection with a new poxvirus, and doctors never determined exactly how she became infected.

"Poxviruses continue to pose a threat," Dr. Brett Petersen, a medical officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, said during a talk at an infectious disease conference called IDWeek, held in San Diego earlier this month. For this reason, there is a "need for continued vigilance and increased surveillance" for cases of poxviruses, Petersen said. [The 9 Deadliest Viruses on Earth]

Poxviruses are oval or brick-shaped viruses with large genomes, according to the CDC. Infections with poxviruses typically cause skin lesions or rashes. Perhaps the most famous poxvirus, the variola virus, causes smallpox, a highly contagious and sometimes fatal disease that was declared eradicated from the world in 1980 thanks to a global vaccination campaign, according to the World Health Organization. (Eradication means that cases of the disease no longer occur naturally anywhere in the world.)

But after the eradication of smallpox, researchers saw an increase in cases of some other diseases caused by poxviruses. In particular, there has been a rise in cases of monkeypox, which is closely related to smallpox; both belong to the poxvirus family called orthopoxvirus. (The two diseases have similar symptoms, but monkeypox is less deadly than smallpox: The fatality rate for monkeypox is 10 percent, versus 30 percent for smallpox.)

Human cases of monkeypox occur primarily in Central and West Africa, and the virus is transmitted to humans from the fluids of animal carriers, including rodents and primates.

In a study published in 2010 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers found that since the eradication of smallpox, cases of monkeypox had increased 20-fold in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, from less than 1 case per 10,000 people in the 1980s to about 14 cases per 10,000 people in 2006-2007. [27 Devastating Infectious Diseases]

Other African countries have seen rises in monkeypox as well. In just the last month, 36 suspected cases of monkeypox have been reported in Nigeria, according to The Conversation. If confirmed, the cases would be the first in the country since 1978.

Doctors in the western world also have reason to be on the lookout for monkeypox and related poxviruses. In 2003, the United States experienced an outbreak of monkeypox tied to a shipment of animals from Ghana. In total, nearly 50 confirmed or probable cases of monkeypox were reported in six U.S. states during the outbreak, according to the CDC. "These diseases are never as far away as we think," Petersen said.

Researchers also continue to discover new types of poxviruses in various parts of the world. In the Alaska case, which occurred in 2015, the woman went to the doctor because she had a lesion on her right shoulder, along with fever, fatigue and tender lymph nodes, according to a report of the case, published in June. Her doctors thought she might have chicken pox or shingles, but testing revealed that she had a type of orthopoxvirus that had never been seen before.

It took six months for the lesion to fully disappear, but the woman eventually recovered and did not transmit the infection to anyone else, the report said.

That case shows that there are "previously undiscovered, unrecognized, unknown poxviruses ... that are still being discovered to this day," Petersen said during his talk.

Efforts to discover exactly how the woman contracted the virus turned up empty. She had not traveled out of state, but her partner had traveled to Azerbaijan about four months earlier. Azerbaijan is next to the republic of Georgia, where another new orthopoxvirus was discovered, in 2013. But testing of her partner's items from the trip, such as clothes and souvenirs he brought back, did not show any evidence of orthopoxvirus DNA.

Testing of small mammals near the woman's home (such as shrews, voles and squirrels, which can carry orthopoxviruses), and testing of household areas that the small mammals may have touched, also came back negative. Still, the researchers said they were able to collect only a limited number of mammals from around the home. At this time, the most likely explanation for the patient's infection is that she was exposed to the virus around where she lived, near Fairbanks, Alaska, the report said.

"This discovery of a novel orthopoxvirus is the latest in a growing number of reports of human poxvirus infection published in recent years," the researchers said in their report.

One hypothesis for the increase in such infections is the cessation of smallpox vaccination, because such vaccination may have provided protection against other poxviruses, the researchers said.

"Continued emergence and re-emergence of orthopoxviruses is expected," the researchers wrote.

Petersen also noted that even though smallpox has been eradicated, the virus that causes the disease has not been completely wiped off the planet. Some stocks of the virus still exist in labs in the United States and Russia. And there's also concern that the virus could be used as a bioweapon. Earlier this year, scientists in Canada announced that they had re-created the horsepox virus, a relative of smallpox, in a lab using DNA fragments. The findings suggest scientists could also make the smallpox virus in a lab.

"Unfortunately, we're still talking about smallpox," Petersen said. "[But] hopefully, we'll never see another case."

Original article on Live Science.
A lost species of salamander has been rediscovered alive and well in Guatemala.

The Jackson's Climbing Salamander (Bolitoglossa jacksoni), a brilliant yellow-and-black amphibian, was last seen in 1975 and feared extinct. But this month, a guard at the Finca San Isidro Amphibian Reserve (also called the Yal Unin Yul Witz Reserve) in the Cuchumatanes Mountains spotted a juvenile of the species while out on patrol. The guard, Ramos Leon, snapped a photo and sent it to Carlos Vasquez, a curator of herpetology at USAC University in Guatemala, who confirmed its identity.

Vasquez himself had spent more than 3,000 hours hunting for the salamander since 2005, and trained Leon and his fellow guards on how to search for it.

"We had started to fear that the species was gone, and now it's like it has come back from extinction," he said. "It's a beautiful story and marks a promised future for the conservation of this special region." [Golden Wonder: Photos of the Jackson's Climbing Salamander]

Stunning rediscovery

The Jackson's Climbing Salamander is known as the "golden wonder" for its bright-yellow body, which is topped by a black streak running from its head to most of the way down its tail. It's named after its discoverer, Jeremy Jackson, who first identified it while exploring the Cuchumatanes with his friend Paul Elias, who was a college student at the time. They found three new species of salamander on that trip, including the long-limbed salamander (Nyctanolis pernix) and the Finca Chiblac Salamander (Bradytriton silus). Those species were found again on expeditions in 2009 and 2010, but the Jackson's salamander stayed missing.

The nonprofit group Global Wildlife Conservation put the Jackson's salamander on its Top 25 "most wanted species" list as part of its Search for Lost Species initiative. The initiative, which launched in April, aims to seek out 25 species that have not been seen for years or decades but aren't confirmed extinct. Among them are the Wondiwoi tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus mayri), seen only once in 1928 in Indonesia, and the pink-headed duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllacea), last seen in Myanmar in 1949.

Finding lost species

It was shocking to find the Jackson's salamander so quickly, said Lindsay Renick Mayer, a spokesperson for Global Wildlife Conservation. The group had planned an expedition to the region to search for the salamander in January, but Leon found the amphibian first.

"The night I got the news from Carlos that Bolitoglossa jacksoni had been rediscovered, I flew off the couch where I'd been falling asleep, let loose a string of expletives (in a good way), and did a little happy dance," Jackson, the salamander's original discoverer, said in a statement. He went on to praise the reserve that has protected the unwitting salamander species throughout the years.

"I'm more than delighted that Yal Unin Yu Witz exists so that Jacksoni and other wonders can survive, and I'm so pleased to hear that it was a guard protecting the preserve who found this beauty," he said.

"I love this story because it conveys how protecting habitat gives species a fighting chance to survive on this planet," Don Church, the president of the Austin, Texas-based Global Wildlife Conservation, said in the statement. "This rediscovery can only be a good omen for the future of the Search for Lost Species campaign. It's a sign that if we get out there and work at it, many of these species can be found and saved."

Original article on Live Science.
A mobile ice cream vendor has been granted a licence to sell ice cream in the Orewa Reserve car park and Stanmore Bay Reserve car park this summer.

An ice cream vendor has been seen operating occasionally in the Orewa Reserve car park on previous occasions but this is the first time one has been granted the licence that is required from the local board as land owner.

At its meeting last month, the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board granted Super Kool Ice Creams application to operate its ice cream van for a trial period of three months, from November 1, 2017 to January 31, 2018.

The van is only allowed to operate at the specific sites mentioned for approximately 30 minutes at any one time, between 12noon and 5pm on weekends and during school holidays.

After the trial period, a longer-term approval may be considered by the local board if requested by the applicant.

At the meeting, Council staff told the local board members that previous applications had been turned down because of competition with local ice cream sellers.

However, a High Court ruling has since established that competition cannot be used as a reason to decline such an application.

The local board does however have the power to decline a licence application, without giving a reason, if it chooses to do so.
Damage to the structural steel of The Nautilus apartment building in Orewa is more serious than previously thought, which has led to time and cost overruns in its repair.

Prendos NZ is project managing the work and contractors began repairing the 12-storey leaky structure a year ago. The project, which includes completely re-cladding the structure and repairs to the roof and podium, was expected to take two years.

Prendos director Philip OSullivan, who has oversight of the repair work, says once cladding was removed at the rear of the building, it became clear that the damage was more serious than initially thought.

Even though the damage was assessed, until you get the cladding off its hard to know the extent of the problem, he says. There has been extra work that we didnt expect, mainly more corrosion in the structural steel than was expected. Its just as well were doing it now, because the building was losing structural integrity.

He says that the companys best estimate at this stage is that the repairs will take another 18 months  six months longer than anticipated at the start.

A further complication is that the cladding originally used on the building was the type that was in the news earlier this year after the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower in London where many lives were lost.

As a result, Auckland Council is now working with Prendos to ensure appropriate safety measures are put in place during the re-clad. Mr OSullivan says the existing, fire prone cladding is aluminium coated plastic and this is being replaced with laminated aluminium to ensure it is up to the standards of the Building Code.

The additional work has put us behind and we are taking steps to change the process  doing more things at the same time, rather than sequentially to speed things up.

Prendos will also have to apply to the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board for an extension of time to use a portion of the Orewa Librarys carpark.

Naturally as more time and work is needed, this means it will cost more too, he says.

The High Court ordered Auckland Council to pay around $25 million to repair the building. It was hoped at the time that this sum would be sufficient to cover the work.

Mr OSullivan says that the Nautilus body corporate has been kept updated.

The work at the south western end of the building (the rear/tail) should soon be complete and more scaffolding should go up on other parts of The Nautilus shortly.
Crs John Watson and Greg Sayers would like the issue of creating a Maori ward for Auckland Council put before the public but the Mayor rejected the idea.

Mayor Phil Goff proposed the introduction of an elected Maori representative on the grounds that it helped meet Treaty of Waitangi obligations. Nine councillors and Mr Goff voted in favour of the Maori Ward in September, while five voted against and six (including Cr Wayne Walker) were not present and therefore ineligible to vote.

Cr Watson voted for the establishment of a Maori ward because, he says, it would be more democratic to elect a Maori representative onto Council in this way. He says this would be preferable to the current situation, where Maori issues are supported by the Independent Maori Statutory Board, whose members are not elected. The board was established in 2010 and has nine members who sit on Council committees and have voting rights.

Rodney Cr Greg Sayers voted against the Maori ward proposal. He says the matter is constitutional and should be put to the people to decide and Cr Watson agrees.

As long as the current situation with the Independent Maori Statutory Board is explained to voters, Id be in favour of a referendum, he says.

Cr Sayers put forward the idea of the referendum, but the Mayors amendment was voted in, so it didnt proceed.

Mr Goff said a referendum could cause division. We need to avoid that grievance festering and getting worse, he said.

Another issue facing the establishment of a Maori ward is whether it would mean creating a new ward. Cr Watson and Cr Sayers want government to change the law to accommodate the Maori ward as an extra seat rather than replace an existing seat.

Cr Sayers was disappointed with the lack of detail around the vote, with no mention of whether a councillor would lose their role or if a seat would be added to the governing body.

I doubt that parliament will support a change to the current law, Cr Sayers says.

If the Maori ward does get established then those enrolled in a Maori electorate will be able to elect the member to council. Cr Sayers says this means they will lose their usual vote for a councillor.

Ngati Manuhiri spokesperson Mook Hohneck says he supports the Maori ward.

Its another positive for Maori in helping to get our perspective across, but I would like the seat as additional to the existing ones, he says.

He is in discussion with Maori about whether removing their usual councillor vote in exchange for a Maori ward vote is appropriate.
Local News, Crime, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: October 31 2017

Antonia Barrone, a/k/a Mario Vrendenburg, Forged Documents And Collected Over $23,000 For Fraudulent Legal Services.

Albany, NY - October 31, 2017 - Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the felony conviction of Antonia Barrone, a/k/a as Mario Vrendenburg (Barrone), who pled guilty to operating a fake law firm and pretending to be a licensed attorney, as well as defrauding over 400 New Yorkers out of more than $23,000 over the course of nearly five years. After pleading guilty to Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, Barrone will serve 1  to 3 years in state prison and owe nearly $270,000 in restitution and penalties.

In May 2017, the Attorney Generals Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau filed a lawsuit in Albany County Supreme Court against NYS Prisoner Assistance Center, Inc., operating as the NYS Prisoner Assistance Center or NY Parole Aids (NYSPAC), and its owner, Barrone. The suit charged Barrone with bilking hundreds of New Yorkers, including prison inmates and their families, out of thousands of dollars to handle administrative parole appeals and other legal matters. The lawsuit alleged that Barrone operated these fraudulent businesses from her home and duped hundreds of consumers by falsely claiming to be an attorney and by misleading consumers to think that the NYS Prisoner Assistance Center was staffed with attorneys.

Practicing law without a license undermines our judicial system and puts vulnerable consumers in need of legal services at risk, said Attorney General Schneiderman. My office is committed to protecting the legal rights of New Yorkers and will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to ensure that those who attempt to impair that right are held accountable.

Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Acting Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci said, It is revolting to target inmates and their families at a time when they are preparing for an event as important as a Board of Parole interview and a chance at reentering the community. The Department will continue to do all it can to prevent unscrupulous people from taking advantage of and attempting to defraud New Yorkers.

According to papers filed by the Attorney Generals Office, although Barrone is not an attorney, she advertised an array of legal services on the NYSPACs website and charged thousands of dollars to provide legal services. The services included filing administrative and judicial appeals on behalf of inmates who were denied parole by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) and representing inmates at administrative hearings and individuals facing criminal charges in various New York State courts. In some cases, Barrone accepted fees but did not perform any services.

Following Attorney General Schneidermans lawsuit, in August 2017 , the Honorable Gerald W. Connolly of Albany County Supreme Court ordered Barrone and the NYS Prisoner Assistance Center to pay a $244,500 penalty to the State as well as full restitution of $23,427.70 to known consumers who paid for legal services. The judgment also prohibits Barrone and NYSPAC from practicing law without a license or advertising or selling legal or paralegal services.

In addition to the civil lawsuit, the Attorney Generals Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau launched a criminal investigation into Barrones conduct. On October 16, 2017, Barrone was arrested and arraigned in Albany City Court before the Honorable Holly A. Trexler on a felony complaint filed by the Attorney Generals Office charging: five counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree, a class D felony; two counts of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class D felony; one count of Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony; one count of Unauthorized Practice of a Profession, a class E felony; and, one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, a class E felony.

According to the Attorney Generals felony complaint and statements made by the prosecutor, between September 1, 2012 and April 30, 2017, Barrone pretended to be an attorney and stole thousands of dollars from the families of inmates who hired her to provide legal representation for their loved ones. In furtherance of her nearly five-year scheme, Barrone filed legal documents with forged signatures and fake notary stamps, wrote letters on behalf of consumers on letterhead bearing the name of the fictitious law firm Stacchini & Barrone, Attorneys at Law, and appropriated the name of a licensed attorney, without that attorneys knowledge.

Also according to the felony complaint, during the course of her scheme, Barrone made use of multiple different names, including Mario Vrendenberg, Antonio Barrone, Mario Stacchini, Mario Helems, T. Helems, and Mark Vredenburg. The prosecutor stated that Barrone and the entities she operated had over 400 clients seeking legal services throughout New York State, including but not limited to the Counties of Albany, Cayuga, Clinton, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schoharie, Suffolk, Ulster, Warren and Westchester.

Today, Barrone entered a guilty plea to one count of Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree before Albany County Court Judge Honorable Peter A. Lynch. Barrone is scheduled to be sentenced to 1  to 3 years in state prison on November 16, 2017, which will run consecutive to Barrones sentence of 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison also scheduled for November 16, 2017 for an unrelated felony conviction before Honorable Andrew G. Ceresia.

The Attorney General urges consumers who have a complaint against Barrone or the NYS Prisoner Assistance Center, Inc. to file a complaint online or call 1-800--771-7755.

Consumers can check whether an individual is a licensed attorney in New York State by visiting the New York State Unified Court Systems website

Todays convictions were the result of a joint investigation by the Attorney Generals Office and DOCCS. Attorney General Schneiderman thanks DOCCS for its valuable assistance in this matter.

Additionally, Attorney General Schneiderman thanks the Board of Parole Counsels Office, who uncovered Barrones efforts to deceive and bilk families by meticulously going through records and identifying this fraudulent activity. Their findings contributed to the Attorney General's investigation and criminal prosecution.

The civil case is being handled by Assistant Attorneys General Emily Auletta and Amy Schallop of the Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Laura J. Levine and Bureau Chief Jane M. Azia. Manisha M. Sheth is Executive Deputy Attorney General for Economic Justice.

The criminal case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Philip V. Apruzzese of the Attorney Generals Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Joseph DArrigo and Bureau Chief Stephanie Swenton. The Criminal Enforcement and Financial Crimes Bureau is Part of the Criminal Justice Division under Chief Deputy Attorneys General Jason Brown and Alvin Bragg.
Local Experts, Business & Finance, National & World News

By Long Island News & PR Published: October 31 2017

20 AGs File Amicus Brief In Case Over Colorado Bakery That Refused To Serve Same-Sex Couple.

New York, NY - October 31, 2017 - New York Attorney General Eric T Schneiderman today joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court defending the constitutionality of Colorados public accommodations law, arguing that a business owners personal beliefs do not give him or her the right to discriminate against customers.

A business owner cant pick and choose which laws to comply with in order to discriminate under the guise of free speech, said Attorney General Schneiderman. Personal beliefs do not give someone the right to discriminate. Our coalition of Attorneys General will continue to fight to protect New Yorkers and all Americans who are entitled to equal protection, no matter who they love.

The brief was filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The owner of the bakery refused to sell a wedding cake to a same-sex couple and is now challenging the Colorado public accommodations law, claiming it violates his rights to freedom of speech and free exercise of religion.

The Attorneys General filed the brief in support of the Colorado Civil Rights Commission and the couple to whom Masterpiece Cakeshop refused to sell a wedding cake.

In the brief, the Attorneys General write that states across the country have enacted laws to prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ people in the commercial marketplace, and that these laws ensure equal access to goods and services and combat the severe personal, economic, and social harms caused by discrimination. The Attorneys General argue that, under a long line of Supreme Court precedent, requiring businesses to comply with such laws does not violate the Constitution.

The Attorneys General further argue that the First Amendment exemption to public accommodations laws sought by the bakery would dramatically undermine anti-discrimination laws.

Allowing commercial businesses to use the First Amendment as a shield for discriminatory conduct would undermine state civil rights laws and the vital benefits they provide to residents and visitors, leaving behind a society separate and unequal by law. Many Americans would face exclusion from a host of everyday businesses or, at the very least, the ever-present threat that any business owner could refuse to serve them when they walk in the doorsimply because of their sexual orientation, or their race, religion, or gender, write the attorneys general.
Local News, Crime, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: October 31 2017

Op-ed Written by Congressman Lee Zeldin (NY-01).

Long Island, NY - October 31, 2017 - All around the nation, gang violence has affected us in a most tragic and unforgiving way. It has torn apart families, claimed countless lives, and turned once peaceful communities into dangerous neighborhoods. The Central American gang MS-13 in particular has caused irreparable and devastating harm, especially for us here on Long Island.

Only six months ago, four young men, two of whom were residents of the First Congressional District, were brutally murdered by this vicious gang is a senseless act of violence. MS-13s brutality truly knows no bounds. However, this is a fight which can be won. The federal government is taking a no nonsense approach to eradicate violent gangs, including an announcement just last week that the Department of Justice would be designating MS-13 as a new focus within the Justice Departments Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF is a nationwide effort that utilizes the resources and expertise of the United States leading law enforcement agencies to disrupt and dismantle major drug traffickers.

As a result of the Justice Departments designation, OCDETF will be able to use expanded capabilities to dismantle this vicious gang. This includes not only the federal racketeering statute called RICO, but also drug laws, gun laws, tax laws, and other means as necessary to put an end to this scourge. The task forces are comprised of our top security and law enforcement officials, such as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Continued death and destruction only emphasizes the need for the Administration's laser-like focus on eliminating this threat.

Under this designation, the OCDETF will now direct its resources on coordinated, nationwide investigations, targeting the activities of MS-13, while assisting in the Attorney General's efforts to generate indictments against individuals who are members of, or otherwise associated with, this vicious gang. Utilizing FBI and DEA intelligence analysts, the OCDETF Fusion Center (OFC) will support coordinated, multi-jurisdictional investigations focused on the disruption and dismantlement of the most significant MS-13 activities. This gang has shown that it is an urgent, deadly threat; this designation will provide the resources necessary to remove MS-13 members, its associates, and its activities, off the streets of Long Island.

We must be working together with allies at every level of government, especially within law enforcement. It is critical that these heroes, who work tirelessly to protect us and have sacrificed so much in the fight against violent gangs, are provided with every means necessary to take down these criminals. Eliminating the threats posed by MS-13 and other gang activity must remain a top priority, and is a mutually shared concern for all Americans.

This past July, I accompanied President Trump to Long Island to discuss the ongoing effort to eradicate MS-13 in Suffolk County and nationwide. This was in addition to Attorney General Jeff Sessions visit to Central Islip this past April, when he also addressed the rise in gang violence in our community. Gangs like MS-13 have no place here, and I applaud our allies at all levels of government and in our local communities for their active interest in this dire concern.

As a member of Congress, I have been working hard to ensure our officers are given every tool necessary to carry out their selfless mission. Last year, we passed into law several key pieces of legislation on this front. Some of these bills included the Federal Law Enforcement Self-Defense and Protection Act (H.R. 2137) and Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program Reauthorization Act (S. 125). This progress is important, but there is even more hard work that still lies ahead.

Deadly and disturbing does not even begin to describe some of the horrific crimes committed by this gang, and now more than ever before, we must band together to eradicate MS-13 and all others who intimidate and oppress our communities with violence.
School & Education, Local News, Politics

By Long Island News & PR Published: October 31 2017

Applications to be Accepted Today, Monday, Oct. 30 - Dec. 4.

Albany, NY - October 31, 2017 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the Excelsior Scholarship application for students to attend SUNY or CUNY tuition free this spring semester opened on Monday, October 30th and will be open until December 4th. Recipients of the Excelsior Scholarship's spring awards will join the more than 210,000 students already attending a public college or university in New York State tuition-free, and the 45,000 students deemed eligible for the Scholarship in the fall.

"New York's Excelsior Scholarship has succeeded in opening doors to opportunity for students and families across the state and this week, we reopen the application process for these individuals to get a quality education tuition-free," Governor Cuomo said. "I encourage income-eligible students in every corner of this state to take advantage of this chance to go to one of New York's top-notch SUNY and CUNY institutions this spring."

Students who did not receive the Excelsior Scholarship this fall and who meet all eligibility requirements can apply here starting today, October 30th. The Excelsior Scholarship is being phased in over three years. For the 2017-18 academic year New Yorkers with household incomes up to $100,000 are eligible, increasing to $110,000 in 2018-19, and reaching $125,000 in 2019-20. Students must be enrolled in college full-time and complete 30 credits per year (including Summer and January semesters) in order to receive the funding. However, the program has built in flexibility so that any student facing hardship is able to pause and restart the program, and all recipients can take fewer credits one semester than another in completing 30 credits per year.

Students are required to maintain a grade point average necessary for the successful completion of their coursework, and, as the program makes a major investment in the state's greatest asset - our young people - scholars will be required to live and work in-state after graduation for a duration equal to the number of years an Excelsior Scholarship was received.

Approximately 45,000 students were determined eligible for the Excelsior Scholarship this fall and are attending SUNY or CUNY tuition-free this year. This includes more than 23,000 who have their tuition covered through TAP, Pell and other financial aid, and nearly 22,000 who have their remaining tuition costs covered by the Scholarship. Students who learned of their eligibility for TAP and Pell through the Excelsior Scholarship application process may have otherwise been unaware of their ability to qualify for cost-free tuition. In total, approximately 53 percent of full-time SUNY and CUNY in-state students, more than 210,000 New York residents, are going to school tuition-free thanks to the addition of students receiving the Excelsior Scholarship.

Dr. Guillermo Linares, Acting President of the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation, said, "The opening of a spring application will enable many more students and families to benefit from this groundbreaking, first-in-nation program. The cost of college prevents many families with limited financial means from reaching their higher education goals. Tuition-free college removes that barrier for families in every corner of our state."

"Governor Cuomo's Excelsior Scholarship Program opens the door for thousands of students to receive a top quality higher education at any of SUNY's 64 colleges and universities," said SUNY Chancellor Kristina M. Johnson. "This first of its kind program ensures that New York State will continue to be a national leader in college accessibility and affordability, and we will work hard to unlock its full potential."

CUNY Chancellor James B. Milliken said, "With Excelsior Scholarships complementing TAP and PELL, more than 60 percent of CUNY students will end up attending college tuition-free this semester. The expanded access that Governor Cuomo's landmark Excelsior Scholarship program provides to lower-income and middle-class students positions New York as a national leader in college affordability."

To apply, students must also have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and the NYS Tuition Assistance Program application. Students currently receiving an award do not need to apply for a spring award.

Applications will be accepted through Monday, December 4. To learn more or to apply, click here

About the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation
Tech & Science, Nature & Weather, Local News, Business & Finance

By Long Island News & PR Published: October 31 2017

State Provides New Recognition and Technical and Expert Assistance to Businesses Committed to Sustainability.

Albany, NY - October 31, 2017 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today launched the New York Green Business program to formally recognize New York businesses operating sustainably and celebrate businesses that are implementing projects that go above and beyond relevant State laws and regulations to preserve and enhance New York's environment. NYGB members will benefit from the ability to market themselves as environmental leaders, receiving formal State recognition for their achievements, priority access to technical assistance and experts at the Pollution Prevention Institute, and access to a vast network of sustainability leaders.

"New York leads the nation in furthering environmental protections and supporting renewable energy, and we know that businesses and communities benefit from working together to build a cleaner, greener New York," Governor Cuomo said. "The New York Green Business Program will encourage other businesses to pursue sustainable practices, attract new customers and foster sustainable innovation that will benefit everyone."

To become a member of the NYGB a business must:

Have a good record of compliance with environmental laws and regulations;

Make commitments to projects that will lower their environmental footprint; and

Communicate their commitment to sustainability to their customers and employees.

Sustainable business practices include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, and water use, decreasing the use of toxic chemicals, procuring green products and local products, incorporating zero emissions vehicles into their fleets, installing EV chargers and renewables, and more.

Managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, NYGB is open to businesses, and other entities, in all sectors. The program has special entry requirements for breweries, restaurants, and garment cleaners to address their unique environmental impacts. The brewery portion of the NYGB program is the first such state government-run program in the nation, continuing New York's leadership and innovation in the craft beverage industry. The program is accepting applications for membership through December 15, 2017.

Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul said, "By incentivizing clean energy innovation through the NY Green Business program, Governor Cuomo is encouraging businesses to take an active part in protecting our environment and ensuring a more sustainable future through the use of clean energy. Investing in renewable energy and other clean energy solutions will continue to lower our state's carbon footprint while creating a stronger economy for future generations of New Yorkers."

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said, "Governor Cuomo has made New York a national environmental leader by advancing new and exciting programs to reduce energy use, protect and manage our irreplaceable natural resources, and helping communities adapt to our changing climate. The New York Green Business Program is another example of his commitment to recognize and celebrate the businesses, large and small, that are setting the example for others across New York State and the country to improve sustainability and their environmental footprint."

State Parks Commissioner Rose Harvey said, "Through both small and large contributions we all in our own way can be models of sustainability. Restoring wildlife habitats, transitioning to solar energy, implementing efficient LED lighting, improving insulation right down to installing new HVAC systems are just some of the examples State Parks is helping to contribute to a more efficient, attractive and healthy life and environment. Thank you Governor Cuomo and the DEC, the Green Business Program rightfully recognizes our communities who step forward, teach and inspire others to do just a little bit more."

Senator Tom O'Mara, Chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, said, "We are fortunate to have businesses, large and small, throughout New York State taking critical actions that create local jobs and economic opportunities while recognizing the overriding importance of environmental conservation and protection. These actions deserve to be encouraged and recognized for their contributions."

Senator Kathy Marchione said, "Going green is good for the environment, good for the bottom line and good for New York State. The New York Green Business Program will help even more businesses in utilizing sustainable best practices that lead to a healthier environment, a stronger economy and more jobs. I applaud the Governor for this program that will recognize job creators who make sustainability a priority and enhance New York's business climate, while protecting our environment and precious natural resources."

Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner said, "Preserving our environment's health and natural resources is important for the future of all New York families and businesses. I appreciate Governor Cuomo's leadership in recognizing local businesses that go above and beyond to lower their environmental footprint, and that are creating innovative strategies for increasing sustainability."

Deb Friedel, Director of Sustainability for Delaware North said, "Delaware North has been proud to be a member of this program through our environmentally friendly operations at The Gideon Putnam and Niagara Falls State Park for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, as well as at two of our gaming locations, Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack and Hamburg Gaming. We look forward to continuing to enhance these operations as the Department of Environmental Conservation launches an exciting new version of the initiative with the New York Green Business program."

DEC is holding a series of webinars to assist businesses in applying to the program on the following dates/times:

November 13, 10 a.m.: all applicants that are not a brewery, garment cleaner, or restaurant

November 13, 2 p.m.: garment cleaners

November 20, 1 p.m.: restaurants

November 20, 3:30 p.m.: breweries
Local News, Community, Charity & Cause

By Long Island News & PR Published: October 31 2017

Cmdr. Frank Ingargiola, of Huntington Station, New York, has accumulated over 1,850 flight hours.

Long Island, NY - October 31, 2017 - Helicopter Sea Combat Weapons School Pacific (HSCWSP) held a change of command ceremony on Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island, November 2.

Cmdr. Joshua Fagan, of Bellflower, California, relieved Cmdr. Frank Ingargiola, of Huntington Station, New York , as commanding officer of HSCWSP. Capt. Ryan Carron, deputy commodore of Helicopter Sea Combat Wing Pacific, presided over the transfer of command.

Ingargiola led HSCWSP Phoenixes through multiple large-scale joint and multinational training exercises. HSCWSP has participated in multiple exercises over the past year, including Red Flag 17-2, Angel Thunder, Northern Strike, Phoenix Fire, and Dawn Blitz. Under his tenure, HSCWSP launched the annual Phoenix Fire exercise - a combined arms, live-fire joint exercise designed to enhance the HSC communitys combat readiness through robust and realistic training incorporating air-to-surface and surface-to-surface close air support (CAS) with coalition joint terminal air controllers (JTACs). This last year, over 18 squadrons, 11 ground units, and one naval surface vessel expended more than 68,000 pounds of ordnance in 32 events.

Ingargiola started his military career in the United States Marine Corps in 1996, and transitioned to become a Naval Aviator in 2003. Since then, he has accumulated over 1,850 flight hours in the HH-60H, SH-60F and MH-60S.

Reflecting on his time in the command, Ingargiola said I have loved my time here with the great men and women of the weapons school! This command is the cornerstone of knowledge and tactical excellence for the betterment of the community. I couldnt ask for a better cadre of instructors and personnel! Im so proud of all you have done and will continue to do!

Upon detaching from HSCWSP, Ingargiola will report to amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) in Norfolk, Virginia.

Fagan graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1999 and began his career as an Air Force Acquisitions Officer. In 2003, he transferred into the United States Navy and earned his Wings of Gold in 2004. Since then, he has completed multiple deployments in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions in the Republic of the Philippines, and as a part of combined joint special operations task force, completing over 144 combat sorties and 2,175 flight hours in the HH-60H, SH-60F and MH-60S. He reported aboard HSCWSP as the executive officer in August 2016.
SCPD: Mastic Man Fatally Stabs the Mother of His Three Children

Local News, Crime

By Long Island News & PR Published: October 31 2017

Kenneth Smith, 32, stabbed Krystal Nash, 28, during a domestic dispute at her home. Nash was later pronounced dead at a local area hospital, officials report.

SCPD have arrested Kenneth Smith, 32, who fatally stabbed the mother of his three children in Mastic, on Monday, October 30.

Mastic, NY - October 31, 2017 - Suffolk County Police have arrested a man who fatally stabbed the mother of his three children in Suffolk County Police have arrested a man who fatally stabbed the mother of his three children in Mastic, New York , on Monday, October 30, 2017.

Kenneth Smith stabbed Krystal Nash during a domestic dispute at her home, located at on Patchogue Ave., at approximately 7:35 a.m. Smith fled the scene in the victims car. A relative in the house called 911. Nash was transported to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue , where she was pronounced dead. Homicide Squad detectives located the victims vehicle at a residence on Thrasher Drive in Bellport . Smith, who was in the vehicle, was arrested and charged him with Murder 2nd Degree.

Smith, 32, and Nash, 28, have three children together, a 10-year-old boy, 7-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy. The children, who were home at the time of the incident, were not harmed.

Smith, who resided on Patchogue Ave., will be held at the Fifth Precinct and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on October 31.

The investigation is continuing. Anyone with information is asked to call the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.
by Thom Forbes @tforbes, October 30, 2017

Painting the potential outcome as merger of equals, Akzo Nobel, which is based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Philadelphia-based Axalta Coating Systems confirmed reports this morning that they are in constructive discussions. They are currently the No. 3 and No. 4-ranked manufacturers respectively in the global paints and coatings market, trailing Sherwin-Williams/Valspar and PPG.

The combined company would have added scale to generate better pricing for raw materials, eliminate overlapping operations and gain new customers to help revive profit growth. Coatings are used to prevent corrosion and improve durability across sectors including the automotive, electronics, mining and marine industries, Ben Dummett writes for the Wall Street Journal.

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It would be the first major deal by [Akzo] CEO Thierry Vanlancker, who took over in July after Akzo spurned a $30.2 billion takeover offer from U.S. rival PPG Industries, point out Toby Sterling and Bart H. Meijer for Reuters.

Akzo underlined in a brief statement that the talks will not affect its decision to sell its Chemicals Divisions, valued at 8-10 billion euros. It reiterated promises to return the vast majority of proceeds to shareholders, Sterling and Meijer continue. Akzo said merging with Axalta, whose truck coatings business fills a hole in its portfolio, would create a leading global paints and coatings company.

Axalta, in its statement, says it will pursue such a transaction only if its board of directors determines that it is in the best interest of Axalta to do so. There can be no assurances that a definitive agreement between the parties will be reached or on what terms.

In a note this morning, Bernstein analysts say a combination with Axalta would be sensible, combining the third- and fourth-ranked manufacturers in a market that remains relatively fragmented, Ellen Proper and Manuel Baigorri write for Bloomberg. But the analysts also point out that there are some antitrust concerns, particularly in the auto refinishings sector.

Akzo Nobel is looking to pay close to no premium in any deal, a person familiar with the matter told Bloomberg this weekend. Axalta, of which Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is the largest shareholder, soared 17% in New York Friday after Reuters first reported the talks, valuing the company at about $8.1 billion. Akzo Nobel has a market value of about $22.6 billion, Proper and Baigorri point out.

Earlier this year, Akzo Nobel was criticized by some of its big shareholders, including activist investor Elliott Management, after it rebuffed an unsolicited $29 billion buyout offer from U.S. rival PPG Industries, John Murray Brown observes for Financial Times. Under Dutch takeover rules, PPG is unable to make another bid for Akzo Nobel until December.

Brown observest that analysts say Akzo Nobels talks with Axalta may be an attempt to block off any possibility of losing its independence.

Akzo rebuffed PPG on the grounds they undervalued the business and [demonstrated] a lack of cultural understanding, Jack Torrance reports in The Telegraph.

Akzo Nobel says it origins can be traced all the way back to a foundry established in the Swedish countryside by Paul Hossman in 1646. And, in 1852, no less than Alfred Nobel funded the setting up of a company which went on to become Eka, now part of our Specialty Chemicals business.

PPF was founded as the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co. in 1883 by Capt. John B. Ford and John Pitcairn and now has operations around the world.

Axalta, which traces its lineage to the founding of Herberts, the original producer of Standox paint products, in 1866, says it has 52 manufacturing facilities serving more than 100,000 customers in 130-plus countries. It has 13,000 employees worldwide. Its coatings protect customers products against heat, light, corrosion, abrasion, moisture and chemical attack, it tells us in a short promotional video. It was acquired by DuPont in the 1990s and renamed DuPont Performance Coating. It was spun off as an independent company with its new name and identity in 2013.

Presumably chairman and CEO Charles W. Shaver and his team are brushing up on Akzo Nobels storied corporate culture, among other details relating to whether the deal is in its best interests.
by Sara Guaglione , October 30, 2017

Sponsors help bring to life a number of publishers ambitions, from partnering on events to paid content. But what about sponsoring a publishers office?

It is a unique opportunity, and Domino pounced on it. The home-decor magazine was moving its headquarters in New York City to a new office space on West 39th Street, about two blocks west from its smaller location.

Domino, which works closely with brand partners in the design world, reached out to sponsors to collaborate on the new space. Nearly a year later, Publishers Daily visited Dominos office, which is an interesting example of publishers working with brands for sponsorship opportunities beyond traditional advertising.

The new office is not just a stylish workplace for Dominos employees. CRO Beth Brenner told PD the space also acts as a studio for the magazine's content and can highlight their brand partners. A large paid deal with Bosch, for example, is behind the appliances in Dominos kitchen, which are also featured in an online series, Brenner said.

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It is often hard for [these companies] to get beautiful photography for their products, she added. These creative assets are highly valuable to them.

A monthly cooking series shot in Dominos kitchen integrates sponsored products, such as a story on how to make butternut squash toast photographed on the quartz Caesarstone kitchen countertop.

Another story on how to make candy bark with leftover Halloween treats features the Crossvilles tiles in the background of the photos, All-Clad cookware and a Wolf Gourmet blender.

Upon entering, the first object that catches your eye is the large, white reception desk; surface sponsored by Caesarstone. The reception area is furnished by Anthropologie; HGTV by Sherwin Williams provided the trendy, Rachel Pink paint for the walls. CB2 supplied most of the office furniture and accessories  from the brass and beige office chairs to the teal desk drawer sets.

The Container Store provided the immaculate prop closet, and the grid wallpaper lining one wall of the conference room is by Unison, adorned with magnetic whiteboard accessories like plastic sticky notes and calendars from Visual Magnetics.

About 40 people work at the office, including Domino CEO Nathan Coyle, who says he sits at a circular desk to facilitate collaboration with his team.

To find the right partners for the kitchen, Domino tapped renovation matchmaking company Sweeten, which connected the publisher with the contractors at Best & Company. The farmhouse sink and brass faucet is from Kohler. The brass sconces are by Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co.

Even the sponges are sponsored. The brand behind them, called Skura Style, launched a subscription service for sponges just this month.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, October 30, 2017

In another blow to Turn, a federal appellate court said Monday it won't reconsider a recent decision allowing consumers to sue the ad company over its alleged use of "supercookies."

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said Monday that none of its judges requested a vote on Turn's request for a new hearing. The decision leaves in place a ruling issued in September, when a three-judge panel ruled that Turn, now owned by Amobee, was not entitled to have the consumers' lawsuit sent to arbitration.

The long-running battle stems from allegations that Turn tracked Verizon wireless users via "headers" -- 50-character alphanumeric strings -- that the carrier previously injected into all unencrypted mobile traffic. Those headers enabled ad companies to compile profiles of users and serve them targeted ads. The headers, also known as zombie cookies, or "supercookies," allow ad companies to recreate cookies that users delete.

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Verizon originally said ad networks weren't likely to draw on the headers in order to compile profiles of Web users. But in January of 2015, researcher Jonathan Mayer reported that Turn drew on Verizon's headers to collect data and send targeted ads to mobile users who delete their cookies.

Turn initially acknowledged Mayer's report, and defended use of the tracking headers. Several days later, the company changed its position and stopped using the tracking headers.

Verizon customers Anthony Henson and William Cintron subsequently brought a class-action complaint against Turn in federal court. Turn argued that the matter should be sent to arbitration on the grounds that the consumers' allegations were closely connected to their agreements with Verizon. Those subscriber agreements call for arbitration of all disputes.

A trial judge accepted Turn's argument, but last month a panel of the 9th Circuit issued a "writ of mandamus" that effectively reversed the trial judge's decision. Turn subsequently requested a re-hearing in front of at least 11 of the circuit judges. The company argued that appellate judges can only issue writs of mandamus when a trial judge's decision is "clearly erroneous" -- which, according to Turn, is an "exceedingly high bar" that is only available in exceptional circumstances."

"If allowed to stand, this decision would open the floodgates to ... petitions challenging orders compelling arbitration of class claims," Turn unsuccessfully argued in papers filed earlier this month.

Last year, Turn resolved a privacy complaint by the Federal Trade Commission over the supercookies. That settlement bars Turn from misrepresenting its online data collection practices.
by Ray Schultz , October 31, 2017

Microsoft has discontinued its Outlook.com Premium email service  at least for new subscribers. The company announced on its website that Premium features are now included with subscriptions to Office 365 Home and Office 365 Personal.

Existing subscribers can continue to receive the same benefits by renewing their subscriptions. Microsoft adds that it has no plans to discontinue the standalone subscription for existing subscribers at this time.

Microsoft will also continue to support custom domains for current Premium customers: they will be automatically included in their yearly subscription fee. But that apparently does not cover new Office 365 subscribers.

The company states that it is working on a solution to help users shift their domains to other providers, but adds that for now you should continue to renew your Outlook.com Premium subscription to retain control of your domain and to continue using your personalized email address.

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Another feature -- Microsofts personalized email offering -- will also be missing from either version of Office 365.

Meanwhile, the company states that premium customers can subscribe to Office 365, but will not receive refunds for the time left on their Premium subscriptions.

The following premium benefits are available to Office 365 subscribers:
by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, October 31, 2017

Twitter Acting General Counsel Sean Edgett told Congress that less than 5% of the microblogging networks users are fake.

During testimony before a Senate committee hearing that also included legal and policy executives from Facebook and Google, Edgett said: We estimate that less than 5% of Twitter users are false accounts, spam or automated.

The disclosure appears to dispel industry wisdom that a significant amount of the traffic on Twitter is from bots.

The testimony, which was far-ranging, got into intricate details covering steps that the major digital platforms take to avoid being used for disinformation, especially by foreign actors such as Russia or Islamic Jihadist groups.
During a Congressional hearing on Tuesday, Facebook said it dramatically underestimated the number of U.S. users who were exposed to Russian-backed disinformation leading up to the 2016 presidential election.

Trolls backed by the Russian government reached roughly 126 million U.S. Facebook users, said Colin Stretch, the social giants general counsel.

The revised estimate is many times more than the 10 million U.S. users that Facebook said Russian trolls reached, in early October.

More troubling, Facebook might eventually be forced to revise its estimates again in the future, Stretch admitted. Our investigation continues, and we expect to keep the committee up to date on any further discoveries, Stretch told members of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, on Tuesday.

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In our investigation, which continues to this day, we found that foreign actors used fake accounts to place ads on Facebook and Instagram that reached millions of Americans over a two-year period. Those ads were used to promote pages, which, in turn, posted more content, Stretch said.

Taking preemptive action ahead of the Russia-related hearing, Facebook on Friday said stricter ad guidelines were on the way.

Beginning next month, Facebook users in Canada will be able to click View Ads on a Page to view the ads a Page is running on Facebook, Instagram and Messenger. If all goes according to plan, Facebook will then roll out the new model in the United States and beyond by summer 2018.

Ultimately, all Pages will be impacted by the change, and Facebook is requiring that all ads be associated with a Page as part of the ad creation process. The ultimate goal is to add transparency to Facebooks ad operations, according to its VP of Ads, Rob Goldman.

Transparency helps everyone, especially political watchdog groups and reporters, keep advertisers accountable for who they say they are and what they say to different groups, Goldman explained in a blog post.

During the initial test in Canada, Goldman said Facebook will only show active ads. Yet, when it expands to the States, the plan is to begin building an archive of federal-election related ads in order to show both current and historical federal-election related ads.

In addition, Facebook plans to include ads in a searchable archive, which, once full, should cover a rolling four-year period.

The company also plans to provide details on the total amounts spent on ads, the number of impressions delivered, and demographics information about impacted audiences.

Moving forward, Facebook will also require more thorough documentation from advertisers before they can run election-related ads. Once verified, advertisers will have to include a disclosure in their election-related ads, which reads: Paid for by.

When users click on the disclosure, they will be able to see details about the advertiser, and, like other ads on Facebook, they will also be able to see an explanation of why they saw a particular ad.

Facebook is also building machine learning tools that can sniff out less-than-forthcoming political advertisers.

Facebook first announced&nb sp;plans to begin forcing Pages to disclose the source of funding behind political ads, in late September.

The pledge followed revelations that Russian disinformation specialists had used Facebook to influence voters during the most recent presidential election.

In response, the company promised to share details of those campaigns with Special Counsel Robert Mueller as part of his investigation.

Over the next year, meanwhile, Facebook recently announced plans to increase its investment in security and election integrity by adding more than 250 people across related teams.

On Wednesday, Facebooks general counsel is expected to testify before the House of Representatives panel as part of its investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
What does it mean to know thyself? In ancient Greece, this was an important adage that philosophers and statesmen put at the forefront of their society. To know thyself was the first step in understanding human nature, they believed.

Share on Pinterest Who are we? Were scientists, journalists, and wordsmiths. But today, were witches, animals, and lion tamers.

Today is Halloween  a day of wearing masks. This got me thinking about the invisible ones that we mostly wear during the other days of the year. To know yourself physically, mentally, or even spiritually is a form of unmasking. Knowledge is power, and thats what were here to help you with.

But firstly, who are we? The Medical News Today editorial team consists of 17 wise souls, many of whom are scientists, journalists, and wordsmiths (although today, many of them are witches, animals, and lion tamers).

Collectively, we are the number 12 health website in the world (but watch this space  we will crack the top 10 shortly). Most importantly, we are curious. Were curious about how the body works, and were fascinated by the science behind it.

This curiosity has prompted us to come out with weekly factoids, posted on our social media channels. We were frequently yelling interesting facts that wed uncover in our work across the office, so we decided to share them with you.

For example, did you know that if you unraveled all of the DNA in your body, it would reach to the sun and back more than 300 times? Fascinating!

What else is fascinating and mysterious? How about the female orgasm  a topic that our resident scientist explored and that you were eager to read about.

Interestingly, a professor quoted in this article revealed that the keys to achieving more frequent female orgasms were identified [] as being in the mind and in the relationship. This is yet another example of the power in knowing yourself.

You were also curious about why women tend to avoid sex as they age and how black tea boosts weight loss by altering gut bacteria.

Some of the scientific breakthroughs we reported on this month included the discovery of a new Parkinsons disease-causing mechanism and an allergy drug that has the potential to reverse multiple sclerosis.

In terms of self-care, you wanted to know most about the health benefits of turmeric tea, the benefits of armpit detoxification, and the health merits of brown versus white rice.

As today is Halloween, however, and candy will likely be in abundance, Ill leave you with a more modern adage that I think the ancient Greeks would nevertheless support:

Everything in moderation, including moderation. Oscar Wilde

Is there anything that youre curious about health-wise? If so, let us know, and well help you on your journey to knowing yourself. Dont forget to find us on Twitter and Facebook for more fascinating factoids.

Have a very safe and very happy Halloween, from all of us at MNT.
A study in mice has discovered that amyloid beta, the protein that causes one of the hallmarks of Alzheimers disease in the brain, may also come from other parts of the body.

Share on Pinterest Scientists find that amyloid beta can permeate the blood-brain barrier to give rise to Alzheimers disease.

In the journal Molecular Psychiatry, researchers describe how they surgically attached mice to each other for several months to show that amyloid beta in the bloodstream can enter the brain and cause symptoms of Alzheimers disease.

If the study findings are true of humans, then the team hopes that they might lead to drugs that do not have to target the brain, which is difficult to reach and treat. It might be easier eliminate the protein before it reaches the brain  for example, by targeting the liver or kidneys instead.

As co-senior researcher Weihong Song, a professor of psychiatry at the University of British Columbia in Canada, explains, The blood-brain barrier weakens as we age. That might allow more amyloid beta to infiltrate the brain, supplementing what is produced by the brain itself and accelerating the deterioration.

Alzheimers disease is the most common form of dementia, which is a brain-wasting disorder that progressively destroys peoples ability to reason, remember, communicate, and take care of themselves.

Although there is a type of Alzheimers that can strike younger people, it is more common in those aged 60 and older.
Horror has always been a tricky genre to play with  more like a hit or miss  for the directors. You either make a great film that attains cult status or you make something so bad that it makes people burst out laughing instead of screaming in fear. After all, there's a reason why Stephen King's 'It' and 'The Exorcist'; and '1920'and 'Phoonk' exist in the same universe. But, no matter how much we shriek and tremble after watching Hollywood classics, Japan is the badass daddy of all when it comes to playing with horror and supernatural thrillers.

 Showgate

J-Horror has been making people pee their pants in fear since 1960s when classics like 'Onibaba' and 'Kwaidan' were released and is worshipped globally by every avid fan of supernatural thrillers. They bow down in front of the awesome imagination and rich story-telling of Japanese directors. Well, for a land that has given us Akiro Kurosawa and Takashi Miike; you can't expect anything but the best.

So, without further ado, we present to you the ultimate J-horror list that we bet you wouldn't be able to watch alone. So, go ahead and dare your friends to finish the entire list.

1. Ringu - 1998

 Basara Pictures

Hideo Nakata does a fantastic job in scaring the life out of people with his 1998 psychological horror 'Ringu'. The film revolves around a reporter who sets out to investigate the mystery behind a certain videotape that is cursed  whoever watches the tape dies within 7 days.

The 2002 hit film 'The Ring' starring Naomi Watts was an American remake of this classic.

2. Ju-On: The Grudge - 2002

 Pioneer LDC

The brutal murder of a woman and her child casts an evil curse on a house and anyone who sets foot inside gets killed by the vengeful spirits. Directed by Takashi Shimizu, this movie is the third installment in the 'Ju-on' series.

3. Noroi: The Curse - 2005

 Xanadeux

Created in a documentary and 'found footage' format, this movie revolves around a paranormal expert who disappeared while filming the most disturbing documentary of his career on an ancient demon. This movie f**ks with your mind as you try to figure out who the real demon is.

4. Audition - 1999

 Basara Pictures

Takashi Miike waves his magic wand around 'Audition' and turns it into a classic film that you just can't afford to miss. A widower decided to start dating again and stages an audition to meet potential partners. He eventually starts dating a woman only to realize that she might be a psychopath with a dark and brutal past.

5. Onibaba - 1964

 Kindai Eiga Kyokai

If you haven't seen 'Onibaba', then you are really missing out on the best movie ever made in the world. Directed by Kaneto Shindo, this is a historical drama horror in the backdrop of a civil war, where two women kill soldiers and steal their possessions. One of the women comes across a demon mask and dons it to frighten the other woman.

6. Marebito - 2004

 Adness K.K.

'Marebito' is another classic which many people wouldn't even dare to watch in the first place. The mere synopsis sends chills down our spine, so one can only imagine how gruesome and intense the movie is going to be. A cameraman, obsessed with fear brings a woman home, only to realize that she survives on blood. How he looks after her, while dodging certain bizarre characters, weaves the rest of the plot.

7. Over Your Dead Body - 2014

 Celluloid Dreams

'Over your dead body' also known as 'Kuime' is a 2014 J-horror movie that takes on through the life of characters both on and off stage. As the line between reality and fantasy gets blurred, the characters find themselves trapped in a deadly love game that soon turns into an evil grudge.

8. Kwaidan - 1964

 Toho Company

Another classic film directed by Masaki Kobayashi, 'Kwaidan' is a compilation of four Japanese folk tales, each with their own tinge of supernatural elements that will surely leave you trembling in fear. We recommend this as a must-watch movie.

9. Ichi The Killer - 2001

 Omega Project

When Takashi Miike helms a film, there is no room for any doubts about the movie being an average one and 'Ichi The Killer' furthers the same. Also known as 'Koroshiya Ichi', this movie is a Japanese crime-horror that revolves around a sadomasochistic hoodlum who comes across a psychotic killer after his boss goes missing.

10. Dark Water - 2002

 Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co.

The movie talks about a mother who is going through an ugly divorce and fighting for her young daughter's custody. However, after the mother and daughter move into a new apartment, they realize they aren't the only residents. They start seeing disturbing visions and start getting haunted by the ghost of a young girl who tries everything to draw them towards the supernatural.

Most of you must be getting all jazzed up for 'trick or treat' aka Halloween. But, for the rest it's yet another legit reason to binge-watch horror movies, along with the uninvited guests who will join us between 3 and 4 a.m. (ghosts should get an opportunity to watch their on-screen avatars too).
Shiny and glowing skin, smoky eyes, perfectly coiffed hair and eye-popping apparel. No we are not talking about our lovely Bollywood divas, but the classic look of K-pop male idols. Now, while India is yet to fully embrace the Korean wave of music what we can learn and appreciate for sure is how these Hallyu (Korean wave) artists are smashing stereotypes of masculinity left, right and centre.

 Twitter-SM Entertainment

Let's be brutally honest. How many times have you made fun of a man who seems to be dressed a wee bit more flamboyantly than the usual? How many times have you smirked wickedly when a guy talked about his love for shoes? And lastly, how many times have you channelled your inner Supreme Court judge when facing a man talking passionately about skincare?

We are all guilty here. After all, Indian men were brought up with the concept of a certain defined radius of masculinity which, God forbid, no one dare challenge.

I can't tell you how many times I have mentally beaten up people (both men & women) for saying things like Pink? Really? I thought you were a guy! or this particular one which turns me into an angry bear, GAY LAG RAHA HAI!. I swear, such narrow minded barbs and jabs only show how much more we need to develop as a society.

via GIPHY

The Korean pop industry boasts of a stellar line up of pretty boy bands who besides smashing records with their amazing music are stealing millions of hearts across the globe with their perfect, doll-like look which, sometimes, appears to be computer generated (seriously).

via GIPHY

Bands like BTS, EXO and GOT7, who are the current flavour, are filled with boys who are driving women around the planet to insanity with their looks. Colourful hair, skin which is unbelievably clear and a pop of tint on their lips is enough to leave fans obsessing for hours. Unfortunately, this look is brushed aside as downright girly as the concept of men wearing makeup is still unacceptable in many of our societies.

 Twitter- Big Hit Entertainment

V from BTS is one classic example of someone who constantly juggles bold choices and regular looks, pulling off both with flair. On stage while performing, he flaunts bedazzled jackets, oversized hoodies, smoky eyes, contact lenses and unbelievably bouncy hair.

 YouTube

While appearing on talk shows and game shows, he jazzes up the regular shirts-pants combo with a beret or earrings. Both ways, he ends up looking immaculate in pictures which leave his fans and public, in general, with jelly-legs.

via GIPHY

Now, while some of our Indian bros are still learning how to use a face wash (sigh), we have men in Japan and Korea who not only use a variety of skincare products but also dabble with make up in their daily routine. They are ditching the traditional 'manly suit', which has always been believed to be a confidence booster for men, and are boldly embracing outfits & colours that highlight their personal best features, ranging from displaying sexy collarbones to flaunting sculpted thighs and knees.

 Twitter- Allure

K-pop's leading men are redefining the very idea of masculinity, and while it is still being digested by men from other cultures and countries, we applaud their daring choices which highlight their individuality and speak volumes about their identity.

 Facebook- Shinee Official

Many Korean idols openly talk about their rigorous skincare regimes and often take to social media showing fans how they take care of their skin and the range of products they use. The sheer confidence with which they display that side of theirs is commendable. Sadly, here in India, we still lose our minds when an actor wears pink or rocks an outfit that is even slightly unconventional for a man.

 Viral Bhayani

We are hoping Bollywood stars take a page from Korean oppas and just stop already with the predictable blue-black-suit-shirt-sneaker look which is justno other way to say thisBORING! Why should poor Ranveer Singh single-handedly shoulder the burden of being the daring fashion challenger?

 Facebook Ranveer Official

However, top marks go to our men from the North-East, whose fashion sense can give stellar competition to their female counterparts. Many men from the north-eastern states are inspired by K-pop artists and it is visible in their day to day life. I lived in Nagaland for four years and was witness to it. I dreaded going to church every Sunday, because I knew I would be the only one looking like garbage in my plain jeans and shirt while the Naga dudes layered their hoodies with leather jackets and rocked artfully ripped jeans and sneakers. Most importantly, they did not just copy paste K-pop fashion, but carried a certain look with their individuality stamped over it.

 Facebook- Big Bang

If a man wants to look more physically attractive to others, or even himself, then no one has the right to stop him. There is no set concept of masculinity in any culture and everyone needs to be open to change. Some are able to celebrate themselves as men within the traditional boundaries while some find solace in a hint of kohl.

 Facebook- BTS

By showing their fans that they can be sexy even with shiny jackets and oversized sweaters, K-pop idols are sending a message saying Watch me! There is nothing girly in this. I can sing, dance while looking pretty and still rock your damn world.

via GIPHY

via GIPHY

So, just unclench already and walk boldly into that salon and ask for a facial if you want. This writer has personally seen men who are trying to experiment with makeup, skincare and keep up with fashion trends, but are violently demotivated by society including their own sisters and girlfriends. We are forgetting that gender roles are not set in stone and we have all the right to bring about change. Experimenting is the key here and it needs to be embraced by both sexes.

 Facebook- BTS Official

Now, while K-pop single-handedly cannot bring a revolution into the lives of Indian men, it can surely inspire one to go beyond the boundaries and have fun with life.

So, the next time you see your buddy trying to jazz up his regular look, please don't be a jerk and shoot him down with your venomous jibes. Also, if you feel your hands inching towards that particularly funky pair of shoes, go for it.
31.10.2017 LISTEN

Miss Health Africa, Queen Esther Otuonye, has been left heartbroken by the death of her mother to breast cancer.

Mrs Otuonye, devoted mother to Esther, died in Federal Medical Center, Keffi at the age of 52 after losing her battle to breast cancer with her crushed family at her bedside.

The tragic news comes just two weeks after Queen Esther Otuonye's Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign in Lagos.
Singing and directing music from the four walls of the Tema International School as the founding member of the Genesis Band, then to the music scene at Berklee College of Music, Nana Yaw Ankama-Asamoah is gradually making his mark in the Ghanaian and Boston Gospel Industries.

A quick chat with gospel artist and worship leader, Nana, allowed us to get up and personal with him.

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself. Who is Nana Yaw Ankama-Asamoah, for those meeting you for the first time?

A: I'm a 24-year-old Musician, Gospel Artiste, Music Producer and Recording Engineer. I graduated from the prestigious Berklee College of Music in 2016. I majored in Music Production & Engineering (MP&E).

Q: You are versatile when it comes to music. Tell us the different instruments you play.

A: I play the drum set, piano, hand percussion, bass. I also fiddle on the guitar if needed in a particular song or set list.

Q: Have you always been interested in music?

A: Yes! It's been quite a long journey when it comes to music so kindly permit me to go down memory lane.

I remember very clearly when I was about age three that my dad bought my younger brother and myself, a 'kiddy' drum set. We played on those till we destroyed them. However, it did not stop our love for music. We transferred that zeal to my mum's pots, pans and gallons, using them as a make shift drum set, in addition to our toy guitar, we formed our band in the backyard of our home. Our backyard band performed for our neighbors and childhood friends, who stood over the walls of our home to watch us. Those were some fantastic moments.

My father has always been my inspiration when it comes to music. Being a drummer for the evergreen, contemporary gospel choir in Ghana, Joyful Way Incorporated, he usually took my brother and I on their tours and crusades. Watching him play the drums was a delight, which inspired my brother and I to play the drums.

As a self taught drummer, I played at church and many events. I gradually saw my love for the piano springing up. I started very basic piano lessons at age eight. However, due to time constraints and other factors, it only lasted for three months. I did not give up. I taught myself to play songs by ear. If I heard anything on a record, on TV or radio, I made sure that tune was part of my repertoire.

It was around that time that I developed an ear for vocal harmony and choral music.

In high school, I formed the Genesis Band, a gospel choir that originated in Tema International School that is still standing and attaining great heights in gospel music in Ghana. I loved to jam with band mates, arrange songs, vocal harmonies and instrument parts. The Genesis experience also instilled some leadership skills in me that I really cherish to this day.

In my high school and teenage years, I attained certificates from The Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) in classical piano (Grade 3) and another one in Music Theory (Grade 5). I also achieved a certificate in music through the International General Certificate of Secondary Examinations.

I decided in high school that music is what I'm going to pursue. So when the Berklee opportunity came my way, I was extremely happy.

Q: How will you describe your sound?

A: I believe my sound comes from the different genre of music I listened to growing up. It's a mix of gospel, jazz, classical, pretty much anything with a good groove. I've embraced all these styles and brought them into the gospel genre.

Q: What do you hope to achieve with your music?

A: I hope that everyone who listens to my music will have a connection with God. It's my hope that my songs will draw them close or closer to God and that they will fall deeply in love with Him.

Q: What connection do you see between music and spirituality?

A: I believe music carries the ability to take one beyond the natural. I've also always believed that where speech and persuasion fails, music is victorious and has the power to take the listener or the audience to places, both emotionally and spiritually.

Q: What has Nana the Musician been up to?

A: I've been working on my music, an upcoming EP and certain upcoming events that I'm involved in. I'm also collaborating with other artists both in the US and Ghana, on their various projects. I'm also looking to take my studio to a commercial level.

Q: When can we expect your music?

A: I don't have a specific date for the launch of my EP but I'm hoping to release it sometime in the first quarter of 2018, next year.

Q: You were also involved in the Undignified Concert held at the Quodesh Family Church, Winchester, formerly known as Lighthouse Chapel International (LCI), Boston. Correct?

A: Yes, guilty as charged.



Q: Tell me how that vision came about.

A: The Undignified Praise and Worship Team was birthed from the Bible verse that says David danced before the Lord unashamedly and regardless of those around. After David's wife, Michal confronted him about his 'embarrassing' behavior in the presence of his servant, David replied and said, I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. What David was saying is that, if praising God causes him to loose his clothes (as was the case) or if serving God is supposedly embarrassing or degrading, he (David) will do so even the more.

This scripture drove us to initiate a night of worship and praise, where people can connect to God through music and let themselves loose in His presence.

We are in the planning stages of this year's event.

Q: Wow. That's powerful. I heard from the grapevine that you were involved in a concert with Nigerian award winning gospel artist, Nathaniel Bassey. How did you feel about this event and what roles did you play in the concert?

A: It was an honor to share the stage with Minister Nathaniel Bassey. His music has been a great blessing to me and it was a great privilege to be the music director and sound engineer for the opening section of the night. I was also a featured artist on the program, that night. It was an honor to be a part of that event.

Q: I also heard from the grapevine as well that you are also a producer and keyboardist on an upcoming album with renowned Ghanaian lawyer and music hobbyist, Ace Anan Ankomah. How did this collaboration come about and how has it been working with Mr. Ankomah and the team?

A: Working with Uncle Ace, as I often refer to him, was a fantastic experience. My father and Uncle Ace were a superb drum and bass duo for Joyful Way Inc., back in their secondary school, university days and some years beyond that period. Uncle Ace contacted me about a personal music project he was working on to commemorate his 50th birthday. I am greatly honored to be a part of the team.

Q: What kind of impact do you see your music having 10 to 20 years down the line?

A : I see my music being a blessing to the listeners and giving them a chance and an atmosphere to draw close to God, to have a deeper relationship with God.

Q: It was a pleasure talking to you this afternoon and getting to know you. Thanks for your time. All the best in your future endeavors.
The maiden edition of a music and cultural festival dubbed 'Edemfest', which is being organised by hiplife artiste Edem, will take place on November 3 on the Keta High Street in the Volta Region.

The event which has rapper Edem as the headline artiste is considered by many music fans and stakeholders as Ghana's biggest musical concert to be held in the Volta Region.

The maiden edition of the event will bring together individuals and lovers of dancehall, hip-hop, Afro-pop, hiplife music fans who will witness performances from cultural musical groups and some of Ghana's finest award-winning artistes.

Some of the artistes billed to rock the event include Samini, Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, VVIP, MzVee, Ebony, Yaa Pono, M.anifest, Worlasi, Pappy Kojo and Magnom.

Others are Kemenya, Medal, Teephlow, Gemini, Kwaw Kese, Article Wan, Pope Skinny, Tinny, Keenly Ice, Agbeshie and Epixode.

Actor Lil Win will also be in attendance, and he will be joined by Starr FM Drive Show host, Giovani Caleb.

The organisers disclosed that the much-hyped event has been endorsed by high-profile personalities such Awoamefia of Anlo, Togbi Sri II, Dan Abodakpi the Zikpitor of Anlo, among others.

Edem explained that the music and cultural festival is a way of giving back to society and engaging communities as part of his corporate social responsibility.

The event is being sponsored by MTN Ghana, Adonko Bitters, Nesher Malt, Pepper Dem, GbevuNation, Clayman Impressions and Rej Engineering.
The day has finally come. Its been months and months since you filed the original petition. Youve been through more paperwork than you can remember. Now, finally, its time for your visa interview at the consulate. What can you do to maximize your chances of success?

There are no secrets to a visa interview. But there are common sense steps you can take to be best prepared. I have had the chance to talk to U.S. consular officers from Canada to Thailand, and their feedback is similar. The advice below comes from those officers, as well as the State Departments published recommendations and my own experience with clients.

Before the day of the interview

At this point you will have received detailed instructions about what documents you are required to bring to the interview. In marriage based cases these instructions are typically sent by the National Visa Center; in fiance(e) cases they come directly from the consulate. Each consulate has its own specific instructions which can be found here .

Remember that all the items you already filed with your petition (the I-130 or I-129f) will be in the file. This can be confusing, since the checklist you received may indicate items that you already filed. There is no need to re-file a document that you already sent. On the other hand, you may have filed a copy of a document, and the consulate wants an original.

The medical examination is often the last thing an applicant does prior to the interview. Every U.S. consulate has different local guidelines for how medical exams are completed. Its important to look at your consulates website to find out how to complete the medical examination. Do this as early as possible, since advance preparation is sometimes required. You can find a complete list of all consulate websites here .

Here is the basic list of documents you should bring, but please look at your specific appointment instructions.

Do not make travel arrangements to the U.S. before your visa interview. Even if the application is successful delays are possible. It is a bad idea, for that reason, to buy tickets before you actually have the visa in your hands.

Getting to the consulate for the interview

On the day of the interview, make sure to leave yourself plenty of time to get to the consulate. But know that if you get to the consulate early you may not be allowed in. Some consulates do not allow entry until an hour before your scheduled appointment. You should also plan on a long line, depending on the consulates. There may be many, many other applicants scheduled at the same time. Be prepared to wait outside the consulate for a long time, and dress appropriately for the weather.

Most attorneys recommend you dress formally for the visa interview. I agree, except that you should dress in a way that is also natural to yourself as an individual. If you are a man and dont own a formal suit, there is no need to go out an buy one for the interview. A simply shirt and tie is sufficient. The point is that you need to dress in a way that shows respect to the consular officer. But you also need to be able to feel like yourself at the interview. If you never ware highly formal clothes, dont start now.

U.S. consulates are tightly security controlled. Expect armed guards at the entrance and strict security measures. Do not bring anything to the consulate that could be viewed as a weapon. Cell phones are typically not allowed in. Some consulates have boxes where you can leave them at the front door, but many do not. For this reason it is a good idea to bring only your passport, identification, and documents required for the interview.

After you pass through security you will go to an interview waiting room. Usually you will be assigned a numbered ticket and screens in the room show which numbers are being called. The waiting rooms can be as small as a few chairs, or very large.

Who are the interviewing officers?

The officer conducting the interview is a Foreign Service Officer with State Department. Getting in to the Foreign Service is extremely difficult, and you can be guaranteed the officer will be highly intelligent. Foreign Service officers receive extensive legal training, as well as training in the local language and culture. Treat this person like a capable professional because he or she most certainly is.

Understand that visa officers have extraordinarily high case loads. The officer conducting your interview will have had little if any time to review your file.

What to expect at the interview

Visa interviews are usually conducted at windows, like you may have seen in a high-security bank. You will generally stand at the interview window with the officer sitting or standing on the other side. There us usually a microphone system that allows you to talk to the officer through the glass. (Often the microphone is above in in a half-dome). Here are some of the most important things to know about the visa interview itself:

It will likely be short . You may have likely spent many, many hours preparing your case. You have spent months waiting for this interview. But the interview itself may last as few as 5 minutes. Occasionally visa interviews may last over half an hour, and you may be taken to a separate room for additional questioning. In most cases, however, the interview will seem like its over very quickly.

. You may have likely spent many, many hours preparing your case. You have spent months waiting for this interview. But the interview itself may last as few as 5 minutes. Occasionally visa interviews may last over half an hour, and you may be taken to a separate room for additional questioning. In most cases, however, the interview will seem like its over very quickly. This is about you not your paperwork . The purpose of the interview is for the officer to interview you, not to read you paperwork. Do not spend your time trying to tell the officer about what is already in the file. Do not spend your time trying to give the officer hundreds of more documents. The officer wants to have an opportunity to talk to you, and will make a judgment largely based on that conversation.

. The purpose of the interview is for the officer to interview you, not to read you paperwork. Do not spend your time trying to tell the officer about what is already in the file. Do not spend your time trying to give the officer hundreds of more documents. The officer wants to have an opportunity to talk to you, and will make a judgment largely based on that conversation. This is a conversation, not a test . Many visa applicants try to guess what questions they will be ask. Some try to prepare their answers ahead of time. This is not a good idea. Every consular officer I have ever spoken to says the same thing: they want to be able to have a natural conversation with the applicant. This becomes impossible if the applicant has already decided what they are going to tell the officer. If you have a rehearsed speech prepared it only reduces your credibility. It makes the person look like they are trying to fake it with the officer.

. Many visa applicants try to guess what questions they will be ask. Some try to prepare their answers ahead of time. This is not a good idea. Every consular officer I have ever spoken to says the same thing: they want to be able to have a natural conversation with the applicant. This becomes impossible if the applicant has already decided what they are going to tell the officer. If you have a rehearsed speech prepared it only reduces your credibility. It makes the person look like they are trying to fake it with the officer. There usually are no trick questions . The questions asked at the visa interview are usually not tricky. The officer will generally ask about why you are applying for a visa. They may ask about prior trips to the U.S. They may ask about your background. But none of this is tricky  the questions should all be things you can naturally be expected to answer.

. The questions asked at the visa interview are usually not tricky. The officer will generally ask about why you are applying for a visa. They may ask about prior trips to the U.S. They may ask about your background. But none of this is tricky  the questions should all be things you can naturally be expected to answer. Stop. Listen. Breath. Answer. You will be nervous at the interview. When the officer asks a question listen carefully to exactly what they are asking. If you dont understand, ask the officer to clarify. Give a short, clear answer to the question and stop talking when you have.

You will be nervous at the interview. When the officer asks a question listen carefully to exactly what they are asking. If you dont understand, ask the officer to clarify. Give a short, clear answer to the question and stop talking when you have. Never express anger . No matter what happens at the visa interview, remain respectful to the consular officer. You are never, ever going to win an argument with the officer by getting aggressive. State your answers to questions clearly and respectfully. If you disagree about a statement made by the officer you may express this, but do so with extreme respect. Consular officers have a tremendous amount of authority.
Photo credit - Blackbridalbliss.com

31.10.2017 LISTEN

1. People pity you.

"Aww, you poor thing! You proposed to him?"

Women fear their friends and family offering some weird mix of support and compassion when telling them they proposed . Which is crazy, because guess what? They didn't ask for your shoulder to cry on.

We fear that we look weak and desperate  that our noncommital gents were willing to let the years ride out so far that marriage would never be on the table. But guess what? The only difference between a man and a woman proposing is the genitals of the person on one knee (if they even take tradition that far).

2. Tradition is supposedly very romantic .

People find tradition romantic. Think about Thanksgiving: we're taught to get together with family and sip wine and eat lavish meals... all without so much as a thought toward what precipitated the celebration of Thanksgiving (ahem, slaughter and colonization, that is).

But people are comforted and find meaning (or create new meaning) through tradition. And that's OK. That's a good thing. It keeps the earth rotating and people sane.

But at a point, we have to let tradition be a choice and not a mandate, because while it's sweet to see a guy so smitten that he asks for marriage, it's just as lovely to see a woman do it! Also, if we all followed tradition, well... Hillary wouldn't be running for presidency. #HillaryForPresident

See More: 4 Things Guys Do That Mean They're Really Into You

3. Some places even have laws about women proposing.

Apparently, women in Finland can only propose to their fellows on leap years  February 29  for good luck. Same goes in Scotland. With archaic laws, or at least commonly accepted traditions like these  even if they're not punishable by law  it perpetuates the idea that it's just bad luck for a woman to pop the question. Funny, because it's mostly men that propose and our divorce rate isn't exactly low.

4. Women have been taught to be passive.

Even today, as we constantly disrupt the status quo, many women tend to think they should be feminine. This means waiting for the guy to ask you on a date, waiting for the guy to buy a drink, waiting for the guy to message you on Tinder . Because otherwise, you're desperate or slutty or pushy.

Of course, not everyone equates these behaviors to something bad (hello, Bumble app!). But this all goes back to the construct of gender norms. Cue the Southern Belle voice: We're just pretty little ladies sittin' here waiting on a big strong man to come and whisk us away to our future!

See More: 20 Inspirational Quotes Every Strong Woman Needs To Hear (And Memorize!)

Because gender is way, way too big of a topic to get into here, just know that we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg in terms of being conscious about gender construction and its damages. It's not all horrible. The world won't end if the guy makes a first move, sure. But anything that says a woman shouldn't have the choice (or else they're weird or lame or desperate) is an issue.

5. When people think of a woman proposing as an attack on male masculinity, it suggests that men are entitled to power, choice and approval and that women are not.

If a woman proposing has the capability of breaking all construct of masculinity, there's an issue. Is it really hanging on by that tiny of a thread? Damn. Besides the fact that our ideas of masculine and feminine to some extent are constructed and perpetuated by stupid people throughout history, it's an issue that only men can propose because they ought to have the option to.

In this line of thinking, women are stripped of their choice and power  which is what women have contended with for centuries, really. People feel comfortable with men having the upper-hand. And that's because it was only about a half-decade ago that women were able to, you know, get a job that wasn't fetching coffee for their male counterparts. Social change takes time, and stupidity is contagious.

But so is dialogue! Speak up, speak out and don't tell women that they're lame for proposing . Because that makes you even lamer.
President Nana Addo held a closed-door meeting with Togo's President , Faure Gnassingbe some ten days ago, over the political crisis in that country.

The President, who revealed this, said the meeting was aimed at bringing the current crisis in Togo to a closure.

The President disclosed this today [Monday], at a meeting with chiefs and elders of Aflao in the Volta Region, who had expressed concern about the situation in Togo and its effects on Ghana, as some Togolese were already seeking refuge in the Aflao area and its environs.

The President said , The Togolese President came to see me in Tamale ten days ago, and we are talking to see how we can bring this crisis to a closure and bring stability back to Togo. It is in our interest to do so.

A number of protests have been staged in Togo by opposition parties in recent times, as calls for the country to return to the use of the 1992 constitution which imposes limits in presidential terms heightens.

The agitation has led to a public outcry, with some persons including the MP for North-Tongu and former Deputy Minister of Education, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, calling on the President of Ghana to intervene.

26 Togolese arrested for illegal protest in Accra

Already, twenty-six Togolese nationals are in the grips of the Police in Ghana, for attempting to stage an unlawful demonstration in Accra over the political situation in their country.

President Akufo-Addo described the situation as worrying, adding that, he will play his part to ensure that the crisis is resolved.

The events that have taken place next door in Togo, are disturbing for all of us and especially for you, I know what it means. I remember vividly in 2005 when the former President Eyadema died, there were problems over the succession. Over 100,000 refugees stringed across the border. Many of them I think are still there. They have not gone back to Togo, so I know that anything that happens in Togo is a matter of very great concern and it is a concern to me and the people of Ghana.

The appeal we are making are falling on very sympathetic ears. I am not staying idle on this matter. We are acting. Let us pray for the blessing of the Almighty, and we can find a solution that will be in the interest of the people of Togo and by implication the people of Ghana.

We're acting on Togo's political crisis  Nana Addo

President Akufo-Addo stated that his administration is working seriously behind closed-doors to bring the current political crisis in Togo to a closure.

Political crisis

Faure Gnassingbe has been in power since 2005 after the death of his father, General Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled Togo for nearly 50 years.

The anti-Gnassingbe protests, that have seen hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets across the country, have resulted in over 15 people killed and scores injured.

Three new street marches have been announced for November 7, 8 and 9, despite the Togolese government's ban on weekday protests.

Togo's opposition parties have been demanding a return to constitutional term limits for the Presidency, and also for President Faure Gnassingbe to step down.

ECOWAS leaders bashed over seeming silence

ECOWAS leaders have been criticized for their seeming silence over the matter.

But Ghana's Minister of Foreign Affairs , Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey has indicated that The other ECOWAS countries are all engaged to ensure that everything is okay in our sister country in terms of their politics and adhering to their constitution.



By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @EfeAnsah
The suspended General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwabena Agyapong, has disclosed that there is a deliberate attempt to damage his political aspirations by peddling slanderous allegations and falsehood.

He, however, told the Daily Graphic I am consoled by his grace.

In a telephone chat with the Daily Graphic on Sunday, he insisted good shall eventually triumph over evil.

Meanwhile, Mr Agyapong has threatened to sue a Kumasi based lawyer who described him as Judas Iscariot in the NPP.

During a panel discussion on Kumasi-based Ultimate radio, a private legal practitioner, Mr Kwame Adofo, stated that Mr Agyapong was likened to biblical Judas Iscariot by betraying the party through the leaking of vital information to political opponents.

His comments come in the wake of continuous pressure on the National Executive Committee of the party to reinstate Mr Agyapong.

However, Mr Adofo, who is against the reinstatement, stated that Kwabena Agyapong is a Judas of NPP. No way should he be reinstatedafter Judas regretted what he did, he threw the money away and hanged himself.

He added that Kwabena Agyapong has committed a political suicide. Hes finished as far as the NPP is concerned. Hes better off joining the NDC if he is to have any future, but as far as NPP is concerned, he is finished, how can you trust somebody who compromised when

NPP was in opposition?

But Mr Agyapong, who is unhappy with the comments, has directed his lawyers to write to Mr Adofo to retract the statement by Tuesday or face them in court.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Mr Agyapong confirmed the threat to sue.

He further disclosed that his lawyers were studying other audio recordings in which the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the party, Mr Bernard Antwi Boasiako, made derogatory remarks against him.

Northern NPP divided?

Relatedly, mounting calls for the reinstatement of Mr Agyapong has seemingly exposed division among executives of the ruling NPP in the Northern Region.

Two groups held separate press conferences in Tamale last week holding divergent views on the petition asking for Mr Agyapong to be put back in his position in the party.

The partys regional communication directorate supported calls for Agyapongs return at their news conference at Mafara Hotel.

The communicators explained that Mr Agyapong, the elected General Secretary who is under indefinite suspension, has shown enough maturity and love for the party and must be brought back.

Rule of law

As a party, we are acclaimed as believers in the rule of law and protectors of the rights of the vulnerable.

As things stand now, it appears there is a deliberate attempt to run down the mandate that the delegates exercised so emphatically in Tamale in April 2014.

This [continuous suspension of Mr Agyapong will make a mockery of the congress process, the group averred.

But the United Young Patriots described the calls as propaganda, needless and a waste of precious time.

The group said the National Executive Council of the party did not violate the constitution in the matter relating to the suspension of Mr Agyapong.

The Young Patriots advised Mr Agyapongs supporters to stop the distractions and lend support for the policies launched by the President.
Police in the Central region has said the 17-year-old suspect in the defilement of a 4-year old girl at Assin Adadientem needs a psychological assessment.

The police prosecutor said the accused needs to be psychologically stable for a trial which could take a toll on the teenager.

The suspect emerged from an in-camera hearing of the case shedding tears and looking "very gloomy", Joy News' Richard Kwadwo Nyarko reported.

He said the suspect's father was buried last Saturday and he is going through a period of grief, in addition to having to deal with a criminal trial amidst national outrage.

The Police warned that neglecting the psychological needs of the suspect in favour of the victim could leave the teenager distraught.

They also asked for more time to conduct further investigations following the alleged defilement on October 20, 2017.

The case was adjourned to November 9, 2017, and the suspect has been remanded in police custody.

The mother of the suspect has said she doubts her son really committed the alleged crime but has left "everything to God".

Her son was turned in by the family after the police intensified a search for him following a Joy News report on the incident last Tuesday.

Since then, the story has grabbed media headlines, triggered social media hastags and the state's attention.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) David Asante Apeatu has ordered the Central regional police command to take over the case from the Assin Fosu police.

The Assin Fosu Divisional Police head, Chief Superintendent Henry Bacho, was summoned by the regional police commander COP Reverend David Nenyi Ampah-Bennin to explain the delay in arresting the suspect after it was first reported by the parents.
30.10.2017 LISTEN

The three soldiers arrested by some residents of Tarkwa in the Western Region for allegedly extorting monies from them, are not members of government's Operation Vanguard Task-force, according to the Ghana Armed Forces.

The Director of Public Relations of the Armed Forces, Lt. Colonel Eric Aggrey Quarshie, who said this, explained that, the three were rather men from the Air-force base in Takoradi.

The three, namely; AC2 Oliviete Solomon with service No.207333, AC2 Agantwuo Agana, No. 207323, and Joseph Osei Abraham, No. 207356 AC2, were handed over to the Tarkwa Divisional Police Command, by residents who arrested them.

The soldiers on board a taxicab on Saturday evening, are said to have gone to Aboso, a mining community in the Tarkwa-Nsauem Municipality, and combed around gold buying shops, where they extorted both cash and gold from unsuspecting dealers.

Members of the Aboso community, who were suspicious of the operations of the soldiers, raised an alarm, mobilized and arrested them.

The soldiers were taken to the Aboso Police Station and later handed over to the Tarkwa Divisional Police Command.

Reports from Tarkwa had suggested that, the soldiers admitted the offence upon interrogation by their senior officers from the Operation Vanguard task-force, which is on a national assignment to help government root out illegal mining also known as galamsey.

Lt. Colonel Quarshie indicated that, military authorities are lasing with the Police in the area to get to the bottom of the matter.

He said the three will be sanctioned if it comes to the fore that they have contravened the regulations.



By: Marian Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
The Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, is calling for the head of Ghana's High Commissioner to South Africa, George Ayisi-Boateng, for stating publicly that his first commitment as a public officer, is to members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) because they are more Ghanaian.

According to him, Mr. Ayisi-Boatengs comment is discriminatory and undeserving of a government appointee whose duty is to remain fair in the discharge of his duty.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said President Akufo-Addo must immediately dismiss the diplomat for the irresponsible comment.

Ideally, he should resign and apologize to Ghanaians, and to the President for betraying the trust that was reposed in him. He should be doing the honorable thing, but we know that in this our country, that does not happen quite often The foreign minister, the president, must recall him with immediate effectIt is clear that this mindset cannot represent Ghana, he said.

The diplomat, while addressing members of the Tertiary Students' Confederacy Network (TESCON) in the Ashanti Region over the weekend, said his first priority is to members of the party, and that if he had his own way, members of TESCON will be prioritized for various jobs.

this government is doing its best to create job opportunities and me for instance, I told my people over there [that], it is because of NPP that I'm here, so the NPP man is my priority. I told them when NDC was in power it was Kwesi Ahwoi who was there, now we are in power, so Ayisi-Boateng is here with you. My topmost priority is the problems of an NPP person before any other Ghanaian, take it or leave it, he said.

But Ablakwa in reaction, said the comment is reprehensible.

His comment is reprehensible, unacceptable and must be condemned by all of us. The constitution demands of all public officers to be fair, and treat all Ghanaians equally. The High Commissioner to South Africa is Ghana's High Commissioner to South Africa, not the NPP's High Commissioner. He is paid from the taxes of all Ghanaians, NPP, NPP, CPP, and everyone.

He said he was there to prioritize NPP members and others can wait. It is shocking. It is shocking he said there were some people who were more Ghanaian than others, Ablakwa said.

Okudzeto Ablakwa further noted that, the minority in parliament will commence processes to demand action against Mr. Ayisi Boateng if the President does not act.

[It is] very insentient, very belligerent He knows that what he is saying is unacceptable, very unconstitutional, but he says damn the consequences. Clearly, he has made it untenable for him to hold office as High Commissioner in South Africa.If the President does not act swiftly on this matter, we will be compelled to take advantage of the standing orders of parliament and file a number of processes, he noted.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) wants radical reforms at Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) following the scandalous mismanagement of pension funds.

The demand formed part of a seven-point resolution put before government during an interaction with President Nana Akufo-Addo, Monday.

But the umbrella body of trade unions, however, opposes the option of private sector participation. Joy News report on the Trust revealed $72 million was spent on an ICT infrastructure.

The payment deemed pricey struggled to work and had to go through more expensive upgrades.

The Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) is investigating five former officials of SSNIT for financial malfeasance.

Granted an opportunity to interact with the President, the TUC Secretary-General, Dr Yaw Baah used the scandal as a reference point in his call for reforms.

"We think there is an urgent need for very radical reforms at SSNIT", he said and propose five steps to do this.

He called for a review of National Pensions Act 766 that established National Pensions Regulatory Authority which regulates SSNIT.

Dr Baah called for the establishment of a stakeholders committee composed of representatives from government, employers, unions, and pensioners.

The committee should meet at least once every year to receive and consider reports from Board and Management.

The committee should have the power to review "all decisions and operations of SSNIT with a special focus on major investments and payment of benefits to retirees".

The TUC also wants external evaluators to review SSNIT's operations once every four years in addition to annual audits. He called on the government to settle outstanding arrears it owes SSNIT.

The TUC also kicked against governments decision to sell off some thermal properties of the Volta River Authority. The staff union at VRA has warned the intended sale would lead to an increase in utilities.

The Union distanced itself from the intended deal adding that VRA is capable of managing the plants efficiently and effectively.

"Mr President, I am afraid we cannot support the sale of VRA plants," Dr Baah said.

He explained that the VRA thermal plants are strategic assets which are "so crucial" for the country's industrialisation development and the president's vision.

Government last month advertised the sale of at least the majority stake of some thermal plants owned by the VRA.

The Daily Graphic advertisement on August 23, 2017, indicated that the sale forms part of governments efforts to restructure the energy sector.

Dr Yaw Baah also accused the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) of using the backdoor to engage workers of the Electricity Company of Ghana in the privatization process.

MiDA is transaction advisor to the privisation process which is part of conditionalities for Ghana to access the second compact of the US Millennium Challenge Account worth $500million.

The private investor is expected to run ECG for 20 years.

The thorny issue of the implications of the privatisation on the workers was also discussed. The TUC got assurances from the government that no staff will be worse off under any new management of the ECG.

Workers of the Electricity Corporation of Ghana have demanded a severance package ahead of the planned privatization under the Millennium Challenge Power Compact agreement.

The demand is a sudden change in strategy by the workers who for years have vehemently resisted the plan to privatize the power distribution company.

In his initial reaction, the President expressed interest in further interactions with the TUC because it forms an "important component" in the country's economic development.

He explained that his government needs an "extremely strong and tenacious" relationship with the TUC if its "clear" plan to accelerate economic development is to be achieved.

"There will be many challenges along the way which requires some understanding", he said.

After listing their 'negotiable' demands, the TUC leadership entered into a closed-door meeting with the president.

Employment and Labour Relations minister, Ignatius Baffour Awuah briefed the media at the end of that closed-door meeting.

He later told Joy News, the discussions were fruitful but decisions are yet to be formalized.

Story by Ghana|myjoyonline.com
Ghana Post has dismissed claims of interference with its security set up for the controversial digital addressing software, GhanaPost GPS.

The Deputy Manager in charge of Finance and Administration, Kweku Tabi Amponsah told Joy News Monday their checks do no show a breach of security.

The $2.5 million software has been criticized by some IT expert as being less secured, amid claims that they have been able to hack into it.

Although it has been barely a month since the digital property address system was launched to formalise and transform Ghanas economy, there have been many concerns.

Problems such as internet connectivity and usability, and the originality of the idea by software developers, Vokacom, have been among the key concerns.

However, it is emerging that the software is also fraught with a number of security lapses that expose users to identity theft.

An IT expert, Stefan Froehlich, told Joy News data that has been fed into the digital addressing system could also be hacked and manipulated.

Since the new addressing system will be used in the national ID card next month, Stefan Froehlich has adviced the government to resolve the issues before the ID card project rolls out.

Yesterday I posted a proof of concept on my Twitter page where I signed up with [some numbers], 0 and nine digits, and I was able to sign on successfully. This means that it is possible people can fake their addresses.

"I can sit on the internet and listen to other peoples communication to their servers, that means I can steal peoples identification, I can steal peoples names and numbers and that is basically identity theft right there, said Froehlich.

But Ghana Post has denied such claims, adding any such attempt will be treated as a criminal case.

Mr Amponsah said, it has not come to my notice personally that somebody has been able to hack into the system and make changes.

The issue of hacking has to do with legality so if somebody is able to do that then the appropriate quarters will have to look at what the person did," he added.

Hacking is illegal I will not encourage anybody to do that. The system is secured and we have not had any issues. The system is kept at a secured location with multiple firewalls that people will not easily be able to access, he assured.

Acting Managing Director of Ghana Post, James Kofi, also defended the system saying we have been looking [for the breaches in the system] but we havent found what they [IT experts] are talking about.

He told Emefa Apawu on the Joy FMs Newsnight programme our doors are opened if they find loopholes the can come to Ghana Post Head Office and show us what they have.

Our technical team is there and we can look at it together. As of now, we have 24 hours monitoring and there has not been any kind of intrusion.

Mr Kofi said they have not approached anyone as they do not want to encourage any hacker.
US President Donald Trump said Monday that US special forces had captured a man linked to the 2012 attack on the American mission in the Libyan city of Benghazi.

"Yesterday, on my orders, United States forces captured Mustafa al-Imam in Libya," Trump said in a statement, which came as the White House was rocked by the indictment of three campaign aides.

Trump said Imam "will face justice in the United States for his alleged role in the September 11, 2012 attacks in Benghazi."

Shortly afterwards, the US Attorney's Office for Washington announced that Imam, described as being approximately 46 years old, had been charged.

Under a recently unsealed three-charge complaint, Imam will be tried for "killing a person in the course of an attack on a federal facility involving a firearm."

He also faces a firearms charge and one of providing "material support to terrorists resulting in death."

An alleged mastermind of the attack, 46-year-old Ahmed Abu Khattala, is already on trial in the United States, accused of being a commander of the Ansar al-Sharia militia.

The attack killed US ambassador Chris Stevens as well as three other American personnel, and became emblematic of conservative opposition to then secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

Several congressional investigations were launched, along with a State Department security review, into both the handling of the attack and how it was described in the media.

Clinton was never convincingly tagged with wrongdoing or negligence, but the issue haunted her failed 2016 presidential campaign and may have contributed to Trump's victory.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson welcomed Trump's announcement.

"I am deeply grateful to the US military, law enforcement and intelligence community for their efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators of the September 11, 2012 terrorist attacks," he said.

Tillerson said he had spoken to some of the relatives of those killed in the raid "to underscore the US government's unwavering support."

Choking on smoke

On September 11, 2012 -- the anniversary of the 2001 Al-Qaeda attacks on New York and Washington -- fighters launched a surprise attack on a US diplomatic compound in Benghazi.

The eastern city had been a hotbed of support for the rebels who the year previously, backed by NATO bombing runs, had overthrown dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

But since the fall of the regime, like many areas of Libya, it had fallen prey to faction fighting among rival militias -- including some inspired by global jihadist groups.

Then president Barack Obama's government was criticized for, in some initial reactions, ascribing the attack to regional popular anger over a US-produced, amateur anti-Islam film.

But it was subsequently concluded that it was a coordinated militant operation.

Ambassador Stevens and Sean Smith, a State Department technician, died of smoke inhalation as armed men attacked and set fire to a building in the diplomatic compound.

The group later fired mortar rounds at a building used by the CIA, killing Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, two former members of the Navy SEALs working as contractors.

Trump's statement did not go into detail as to how the latest suspect, Imam, was captured.

But Abu Khattala was captured in 2014, when US special forces carried out a commando raid based on intelligence provided by a friend who received a $7 million reward from the US government.

Hunt for justice

Abu Khattala was taken to a US Navy ship, where he was first subjected to a secret, classified interrogation before being questioned by FBI agents who informed him of his legal rights.

Defense attorneys have since claimed that his 13-day voyage to the United States was dragged out unnecessarily to prevent him from having proper legal counsel. Prosecutors deny this claim.

Trump suggested that even the second arrest had not brought an end to the US hunt for justice.

"To the families of these fallen heroes: I want you to know that your loved ones are not forgotten, and they will never be forgotten," he said.

"Our memory is deep and our reach is long, and we will not rest in our efforts to find and bring the perpetrators of the heinous attacks in Benghazi to justice."

He restated US support for the UN-backed reconciliation process in Libya and urged its citizens to supports efforts to build a unified government and military.
30.10.2017 LISTEN

Akosua Kyerewaa, the 2nd Runner-up in the TV3's Ghana's Most Beautiful Fame has presented learning materials to some deprived basic schools at Adeiso in the Upper West Akim District of the Eastern Region.

The items are 1,000 exercise books, boxes of pencils and sharpeners.

Among the beneficiary schools include the Anglican Junior High School (JSH)/Primary, Presbyterian JHS/Primary and the Methodist JHS/Primary.

Akosua Kyerewaa, popularly known as 'Akos' used the occasion to launch her non-governmental organisation called 'Support Learning Project,' to contribute to education of school children.

She said she would continue to donate to schools in the Eastern Region to enhance teaching and learning for the children to benefit from the ongoing free education.

Miss Akosua Kyerewaa said her organisation would soon offer scholarships to brilliant but needy children and urged parents and guardians to enrol their children into school, especially the girl-child.

Mr Moses Tetteh Pornotey, the District Director of Education for Upper West Akim who received the items on behalf of the schools, assured the donor that the materials would be equally shared among the beneficiary schools to promote education.

Mr Eugene Sackey, the Upper West Akim District Chief Executive and Mr Derek Ohene Assifo, the Member of Parliament for the area jointly launched the Support Learning Project of Akosua Kyerewaa.

They commended her for her initiative and appealed to other organisations to assist in the implementation of the project for the realization of her vision.

GNA
Mr Jacob Osei Yeboah, Election 2016 Independent Presidential Candidate, has urged government to resource the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for effective research.

He stressed the need for sponsorship of Scientific Research for the sustenance of Industries in the country.

'Ghana has been endowed with a lot of potential and huge natural and human resources and therefore has no excuse to fail industrially'.

He said Industrialization starts with research scientists and could only be sustainable through continuous interaction with industrial research findings.

Mr Yeboah said this at the 28th Annual General Meeting of the Research Staff Association of the CSIR, on the theme: "CSIR as the Catalyst for Accelerated Sustainable Industrial Growth in a Healthy Environment", held in Gomoa Fetteh in the Central Region.

According to him, nations whose leaders have lost the providential way towards national development would fail to resource Councils as the CSIR for effective delivery of their mandates towards scientific national development.

He said industrialization does not only impart on economic growth of the nation but also on the social and the environmental developments.

He said CSIR was a major tool for industrialization adding that 'CSIR is the catalyst of industrialization and it is non-negotiable for serious and genuine industrialization of Ghana".

Mr Yeboah said CSIR should have a non-destructible structure but should continually be in a position to initiate and accelerate sustainable industrialization in a healthy environment.

Mr Yeboah said that for CSIR to be a catalyst for industrialization there should be a strategic positioning of Institute of Industrial Research (IIR) as the penultimate step towards industrialization after the establishment of scientific research findings.

He said when Ghana utilizes the technologies available to her the country would be in the best position to create jobs for its teaming youth.

He said the government's flagship policy of 'One District One Factory,' is a good start but said 'it is just a drop in the ocean of industrialization when it comes under the lenses of CSIR".

He said without the involvement of the CSIR, the current implementation model of 'One District One Factory,' might not generate the critical number of employment for the youth.

Professor Victor K. Agyeman, CSIR Director-General in a speech read on his behalf said the focus of the council was to help run the nation and its development process without aid.

He said: 'this country cannot grow and reach where we all aspire to, if there is no sustainable industrial growth to transform the economic fortunes of this country".

According to him, all the economic giants of the world and that of emerging economies got to where they are through industrialization adding that Ghana could not afford to delay any longer.

He urged government to create an enabling environment to encourage the private sector and particularly the financial institutions to support long term financing in research.

GNA

By Kwamina Tandoh, GNA
30.10.2017 LISTEN

A military court in Cameroon has sentenced an opposition party leader to 25 years in prison after an unfair trial, Amnesty International said today.

Aboubakar Siddiki, President of the main opposition party in northern Cameroon, Mouvement patriotique du salut camerounais, was today convicted of charges including hostility against the homeland, revolution and contempt of the President, despite no credible evidence being presented to the court. In the same trial, Abdoulaye Harissou, a well-known notary, was also sentenced to three years prison for non-denunciation. However, the court finally dropped all charges against three journalists - Baba Wame, Felix Ebole Bola and Rodrigue Tongue who were charged in 2014 with non-denunciation of information and sources in relation to the same affair.

Aboubakar Siddiki is the latest victim of the Cameroonian authorities strangling of opposition voices. Alongside Abdoulaye Harissou he has already spent more than three years in detention, suffered torture and now he must face a future behind bars on the basis of a politically motivated and deeply flawed trial, said Ilaria Allegrozzi, Amnesty Internationals Lake Chad Researcher.

While the decision to acquit the three journalists comes as a great relief, they should never have been charged in the first place simply for doing their job, and there should be no place for civilians in front of a military court.

Aboubakar Siddiki and Abdoulaye Harissou were arrested in August 2014, accused without evidence of being involved in a conspiracy to destabilise the country. They were held incommunicado for over 40 days in an illegal facility run by the General Directorate of External Relations and subjected to torture.

Initially charged with complicity in murder, illegal possession of arms, hostility against the homeland, revolution, non-denunciation and contempt of the President, their trial began on 22 January 2016. On 9 October 2017, all charges except non-denunciation were dropped against Harissou, but those against Siddiki were maintained.

In February 2017, the President of the military court ruled that all the evidence, except the report of the preliminary investigation, brought by the prosecution against Harissou and Siddiki were to be rejected because they did not support the charges. This decision was reaffirmed by a newly-appointed judge in April 2017. However, Harissou and Siddiki were never released, and were still convicted.

26 hearings before the military court

Siddiki, Harissou and the three journalists have attended 26 hearings before the Yaounde military court, with hearings repeatedly postponed. The trial was marred by multiple irregularities including witnesses refusing to testify because of intimidation, the admission of evidence extracted under torture the failure to disclose relevant documents to the defense lawyers.

The three journalists were initially charged in October 2014 with non-denunciation of information and sources under Cameroons Criminal Code and placed under judicial control which was lifted in January and February 2015 for each of them. Last month, the charges were requalified with contempt of the President of the Republic.

Having already been detained for more than three years awaiting trial, Abdoulaye Harissou should now be released from prison according to Cameroonian law. The lawyers of Aboubakar Siddiki have confirmed that they will appeal the judgement.

This unfairness of this trial underscores the lack of independence and impartiality inherent in military courts in Cameroon, as elsewhere. The presumption of innocence, the right to an adequate defence and the independence of proceedings were all seriously undermined, said Ilaria Allegrozzi.

We are calling on the Cameroonian authorities to release and drop all charges against Aboubakar Siddiki and Abdoulaye Harissou, and refrain from ever using military courts to prosecute civilians.
30.10.2017 LISTEN

Ghana's High Commissioner to South Africa, Mr. George Ayisi - Boateng has bemoaned over the recent violence within the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) over school feeding programme.

According to him, violence is not a characteristics of NPP adding member should exercise restraint.

The authorities should amicably find a lasting solution to the school feeling wranglings in the party, he said.

"Let me take this opportunity to beg Party sympathizers to calm down, it is true that everybody has high expectations but God has time for everybody," he noted.

"Every position is occupy by one person so I am appealing to our members to have patient as the President is working with humility and calmness and party faithful must follow same," Mr. Ayisi Boateng stated.

He appealed to the party youth wing not to do anything to tarnish the image of the Party and the government because where their leader is working hard to transform the nation.

Recently, the Northern Regional School Feeding programme office remains shut eight days after a pro-New Patriotic Party (NPP) group, Burma Camp locked the office.

The group have vowed not to open the office until their grievances are met, a stance that has left school children hungry.

The October 16, shut down was led by Kamil Sulemana who has pointed out that monitoring officers are also doublings as caterers who cook for two or three schools.

The situation, he said compromises the quality of the monitoring and is a clear case of conflict of interest.

He does not understand why the cooking jobs should be shared among a select few when several other women in the party need jobs.

Speaking to otecfmghana.com, the founder Member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region, Mr. George Ayisi Boateng emphasised that President Nana Akufo Addo led NPP government is working assiduously to create jobs for the youth in the country so they should desist from any acts of violence.

The factories we are trying to build are for the youth adding that they should exercise enough restraint while their grievances are being addressed.

He, therefore, appealed to the authorities to amicably solve the problem.
Nanung is one of the kingdoms within the Mole Dagbani and has Bimbilla as its head. The history of Nanung kingdom goes back to the time when Naa Gmantambo (the son of Naa Gbeewa) travelled to Nanung from the present day Dagbon kingdom. The Nanung kingdom like other kingdoms within the Mole Dagbani group has a well-established chieftaincy with a clear hierarchy regarding succession.

The ascension to Bimbilla skin as a paramount chief has nothing to do with democratic practices where a candidate needs to have a certain number of supporters. One becomes a Bimbilla Naa purely on qualification base on the customs of Nanung chieftaincy. The lay down customs are that; one must be a royal and becomes a sub-chief and then graduate to the Bimbilla paramountcy through one of the two established gates of succession (Bangyili and Gbungmayili). Nakpa is the most senior of all skins within the Gbungmaliyi. Dakpam also takes the same position within Bangyili. By this custom, a royal shall not become a Bimbilla Naa if he has not pass through the line of succession.

The genesis of the Bimbilla mess begun in 1990 when Kpatihi-Naa Ponado Nantogma and Lepuhi-Naa Azumah Abudulai petitioned the Judicial Committee of the Northern Region House of Chiefs. One of the reliefs sought by the petitioners was That the enskinment of Bakpab-Naa Salifu Dawuni (2nd Respondent) as Nakpa-Na is void The Judicial Committee of the Northern Region House of Chiefs under the chairmanship of Yunyoo-Rana was not convinced by the argument presented by the petitioners. The Committee accordingly ruled against the petitioners. The petitioners were unsuccessful in their appeal at the National House of Chiefs in Kumasi.

Why is Bimbilla and the Nanung Kingdom in a total anarchy today? The performance of the funeral rites of the late Bimbilla Naa Abarika Atta in 2002 was the last straw that broke the camels back. The state and other stakeholders blatantly failed to enforced The Nakpa Ruling that clearly stated that Nakpa-Na Salifu Dawuni was the successor to the Bimbilla throne after the demise of the sitting Bimbilla-Na.

Every peace-loving person needs to research into the issues of Bimbilla paramountcy. Late Mr. Andani Dassana was a royal from the same Gbungmayili gate as late Na Salifu Dawuni. The difference between the two princes was that while Na-Salifu Dawuni occupied different chieftaincy skins Mr. Andani Dassana had never became even a regent to his father. Who is re-writing history here? Without any bad intent, supporters of the late Na-Salifu Dawuni are ready to defend the truth and tradition of Nanung that the Houses of Chiefs failed to do.

What were the rulings of the houses of chiefs? Again, I respect the sanctity of our judicial bodies including the house of chiefs. But their ruling raises so many questions. One of the rulings was that Naa Salifu Dawuni was not qualified because he was a great grandson of a chief. The question we continue to ask is what happened to their ruling in 1993 that explicitly declared that base on the known and established customs of Nanung nothing stops a great grandson from ascending the Bimbilla throne? Another confusion in the judgment of the house of chiefs was that, the verdict was passed in favor of Mr. Andani Dassana because majority of the kingmakers rooted for Mr. Andani. Unfortunately, majority do not carry the votes when it comes to customs and tradition of Nanung. The house of chiefs failed to remind themselves of a similar contest between Naa Dassana (father of Mr. Andani) and Bakpab-Naa Dawuni. Three out of the nine kingmakers support Mr. Andanis father and he ascended the throne because he was the chief of Nakpa, which is senior to Bakpaba. If it worked for Na Dassana why must it change against Na-Salifu Dawuni?

The crisis in Bimbilla can be solved immediately without losing a single soul. People have now realized that the Kpatihi family is fighting for recognition in Nanung and are hiding behind the chieftaincy stalemate. This is what Nanumbas must rise up against. The Andani faction with the support of government officials had unfettered access to the media and had chained out unthinkable lies to the public. The good people of Nanung sat back with the conviction that the very known customary practices of Nanung stood the test of time and could not get corrupted. Unfortunately, right was wrong when the likes of James Agalga and A.B.A Fusheini were entrusted with the power of the state. The case was before court when Mr. John Dramani Mahama and some of his appointees arrogated to themselves powers of the court, hijacked the airwaves and addressed Mr. Andani Dassana as overlord of Bimbilla. I was wondering where Mr. Dramani Mahama left his history.

The DCE and the burial of late Na-Salifu Dawuni

The family of the late Na-Salifu Dawuni requested for the mortal remains of the late chief for burial. The request was granted by the Northern Region Security Council. When the news broke up, then the machinations were all over. It started with a whole minority in Ghanas Parliament with their usual press conference. It is only God who knows the evil mind that James Agalga has about Nanung; the land that brought him up. This move couple with the misreports by some media houses was less poisonous than what the DCE for Nanumba North Abdulai Yakubu did. The plan was to heighten tension in Bimbilla in other to frustrate the burial of the late Na-Salifu Dawuni. James Agalga was at it again people are fleeing Bimbilla when in actual fact people rather entered Bimbilla to witness the burial ceremony. They couldnt stop the burial and resorted to plan B. The DCE and the NPP constituency chairman (N-nabiya) curved out plan against the outdooring of the installed regent. The duo met in the DCEs house on the night of 19th October. Before that, Alhassan Mobila and one other person were positioned at the outskirt of the town and fired guns. Immediately this happened, the DCE took a phone and started calling. This was done to create the impression that Bimbilla was on fire. Thank God the IGP saw everything on his visit to Bimbilla. Not even a single person was insulted.

The question many people are asking is why the DCE who is a public officer conniving with hooligans not only to create war but also deceiving the public? Bimbilla was very peaceful during the burial and subsequent rites and its still peaceful. My appeal is for the public to keep an eye on the DCE because his entrenched position on the Bimbilla issue could derail the peace process. On a more serious note, Bimbilla will become more peaceful if the state withdraws security from the various houses in Bimbilla. The presence of security post at the various houses is compounding the issue. Its just a nuisance cost to the district assembly and the state.

Salifu Mufteen

( A native of Nanung) [email protected]
30.10.2017 LISTEN

Let me start with a quote that just popped up like a light bulb in the head of Archimedes: To say that despite the unprecedented progress of Akufo-Addo his government is spineless, then John Mahamas incompetent, inefficient, lazy, terrorist and thieving government didnt even qualify to be a jelly fish.

Let me explain the genesis of KokoonAnyidohos foolishness and John Mahamas habitual pickpocketing.

Deprived as they were, both thieves mentioned above had nowhere to go, but stand under the leaking shelter of the umbrella. On his own, John Mahama allegedly stole over 10 billion US Dollars of Ghanas money. KokoonAnyidoho spent the whole time kissing the arse of John Evans Atta-Mills that he did not realise that the money was dropping from another hole. All he got was faecal appreciation!

Now let me get to the essence of the matter. You see, when we said that John Mahama was incompetent, it was true to the letter. He cancelled all the excellent policies of the previous NPP administration under His Excellency John Agyekum Kufuor because he wanted to channel the moneys into his pocket. Information gathered allege that his sister would basically maraud her way into the ministries that she dealt with in order to get paid first before everyone else. InusahFusseini created a portfolio of projects under his Ministries that he stole moneys from dubbed, Projects of the Office of the President. That portfolio got the larger part of any amount allotted to the Ministry he was in at the time, in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

The reason that contractors were not paid during the NDC was because moneys disbursed to the various accounts of government sectors were inevitably channeled into the pockets of a few. In fact, I believe that Akufo-Addosgovernment should arrest the thieves of the NDC government including its two ringleaders, John DramaniMahama and his brother, Ibrahim. I know it is coming, but it is taking time. Ghanaians are thirsty for JUSTICE!

Has the clown KokoonAnyidoho forgotten the gestapo governance that they malevolently subjected the nation to? Has this blubber of lard forgotten that the John Mahama administration saw unprecedentedly more demonstrations that all governments put together since independence? Why would you suppose that Ghanaians continue to demand the autopsy report of the allegedly slain President, John Evans Atta Mills? Did John Mahama really order the killing? The nation has since his death demanded for the autopsy report because people are throwing such horrific allegations that insinuate that John Mahama actually did it!

I heard AsieduNtetia say that Akufo-Addo supports vigilantism. But what would you expect of a perpetually drunkpalmwinetapper, who wasadmitted at pantang mental hospital for long? First of all, word is making the rounds that the baby with sharp teeth, OkudzetoAblakwa is dealing with terrorist organisations from across the desert. It is said that Suhyini, MahamaAyariga, and Ablakwa have created amongst themselves an axis of evil that is planning mayhem in the country.

I am asking the authorities to stem the proliferation of evil by arresting the triad and bringing them to book over fake terror alerts, intent to cause pandemonium, and spreading fear amongst the masses. These jokers have yet to be weaned off their wives breast milk.

If the Kokoon, Ntetia, Akuse3, and gyimifo) want a media war, let them bring it on. I have an inexorable arsenal to deploy against them, and that will keep me writing for two decades.

And as far as the garrulous empty barrel, who makes no sense out of the nonsense that he spews, John Mahama, he is the worst failure any President can ever be. In fact, the petty thief, AkuaDonkor, would still have managed a better job in spite of her unrestrained urge to piss even during an interview.

John Mahama and his government committed treason. Left up to me, they would be sentenced to the gallows to hang for doing Mother Ghana in.

#ISwearNDCGovtOfficialsWillGoToJail
31.10.2017 LISTEN

A healthy workforce is a great asset to every nation. A nation that seeks to progress, takes the health if its people seriously. It therefore suggests that the health of the people in a country cannot be taken for granted. This is because the strength of the country's workforce to a large extent depends on the health of its people.

In Ghana, only a few people do routine medical checks to know their medical status. People care less about their health, forgetting that without good health, they cannot work. People give all attention and time to their job and other social demands.

Unfortunately, the average Ghanaian worker works all year round, eats all kinds of food and drink everything, and yet fails to find the time to go for medical screening.

In Ghana, there are a few competent health advocates who send information to the people at their footsteps by way of health talks to help educate them on their health.

The bold initiative by these health experts has helped save many Ghanaians who otherwise would have suffered some health complications one way or the other by now.

Many also believe that without the timely intervention of these advocates, many of the people would have died by now.

Ghanaians must therefore be grateful to these individuals who have worked tirelessly to equip them with the necessary health information that has kept them alive to date.

One of such health experts in Ghana today is the chief Executive Officer of Brainwave Consult Ltd, Doctor Bettina Boohene Andah. Dr. Boohene is arguably the most wanted health advocate in Ghana today. She has become the face of health talk in Ghana and beyond. Dr. Boohene is found at almost every function giving information on preventive health and nutrition free of charge.

In a close up interview, the doctor told Kojo Aidoo, the editor of Journalists In Community Development (JICD) that Brainwave is passionate about preventive healthcare and nutrition, and these are the two areas of her concern. "The main objectives of Brainwave is to ensure that people are healthy. This will enable them to go about their normal duties in good health at all times. So we set up wherever possible and deliver accurate health information through health talks to the people at their workplaces, churches, mosques, schools, etc. for free" she told the reporter.

According to the doctor, she speaks to people in bigger groups to achieve the desired effect at one goal. She explained that the talks sometimes take a day, two days or even a week, depending on the situation.

"Talks take place within the working environment whilst the people work so that their work is not disrupted" she added

The organization which has offices in Achimota and East Legon, here in Accra has over the years, given health information to many groups in the country to encourage them to take their health seriously.

Dr. Bettina further stated that it is important for corporate organisations in Ghana to encourage their staff to engage in healthy practices in order to ensure high productivity at their workplaces.

"Corporate organisations should set up a bugdet to ensure that workers of the organisation periodically go for routine medical screening" she told the reporter.

She said if this is not done, it would cost the organization more money in attempting to deal with the situation after many of the staff have to leave post because of ill health.

She further asked Ghanaians to maintain a healthy eating habit and avoid eating the wrong food. She again asked them to avoid the habit of eating too much and too often, saying that practice does not encourage healthy living.

The doctor also advised the public to improve on their meal times, and said the meal times of most Ghanaians are too poor.

"They often skip breakfast for lunch, lunch for supper" she said.

In her concluding remarks, the doctor asked Ghanaians to exercise sufficiently instead of living a more sedentary lifestyle.

She therefore encouraged them to maintain a habit of walking, rather than always sitting in their comfortable cars.
The media plays a pivotal role in our governance system. It's therefore not surprising when the framers of our constitution have made adequate provisions in chapter 12 of our constitution.

Primarily, media establishment are to inform, entertain and set the agenda for national discourse. In some instances, it puts pressure on government to act and signal government officials the feelings and aspirations of the citizenry.

Human civilization has gone through phases and now we are in the informational age. So the quest for balanced reportage is unquestionable and non negotiable.

However, a nation is at risk if you have a polarized and sick media. The Genocide in Rwanda is still fresh in our minds. In Ghana, we are faced with a cabal that is specialized in toppling government. The scheme is simply applying the hypodermic theory, which argues that information is "short" into the receiver's mind and readily accepted.

In the run up to the elections, we heard a lot: corruption, incompetence, "stealers" etc. Even a journalist travelled to Burkina Faso to do a story about Ford Expedition, which failed to stand but did the political damage as planned.

Today, they are sick. The public is not informed of the numerous corruption, lawlessness, nepotism, and insecurity that has bedevilled the state. Their interest is on KB report.

How can the KB report curb the enormity of lawlessness by these parallel forces (militias)? To publicly condemn these boys and call them for coffee and party is most sickening.

In July 1963, Dr Martin Luther king Jr published an excerpt from his "letter from Birmingham jail." He espoused brilliantly that, "man became endowed with a conscience. And he has now reached the day when violence towards another human being must become as abhorrent as eating another's flesh"

A government that breeds lawlessness, corruption, insecurity is sick to the bone. In nine months, the government has borrowed over GH 27bn without anything to show for. It has employed a whooping 110 family and friends who are only good at insults, opulence and arrogance.

I wish to communicate forcefully, to all who may be expecting this sick government to curtail these hooligans to rethink. The government is simply impotent to deal with them. The public outbursts and utterances by leading figures of government provide a pseudo shell for these "thugs" to continue to torment innocent Ghanaians.

Our security service is one of the best in the sub region .They have the men and women to mute and crash these cowards into ashes. The problem however, is the top command. There is seemingly leadership paralyses in the police service under this IGP. I don't know if he care a bit about his integrity and image? The men and women in uniform have virtually become helpless and tamed.

The vice president of the Republic is one of my kinsmen and as custom demands, I ought to be measured in my public utterances about his failed leadership.

His own political blunders has exposed him to all well meaning Ghanaians. In fact, a time would come when he greets school children good morning, they would tell him to wait for them to watch the position of the sun before responding.

I think as a dominion of competence, he should have spared us the unfortunate remarks about the 419 Ghana post App. These blunders and many others have reduced him to a "liar".I am therefore unable to accept any invitation to join the bandwagon, because of my respect for our northern custom and traditions.

The average Ghanaian lives in fear today than it was a year ago. In short, these hooligans have succeeded in creating a ghastly atmosphere. Even government officials have become refugees in their own country. Take the case of the karaga DCE who was detained in police custody to avert any mob justice from NPP supporters.

The dream of our forefathers to seeing us write what we think say what we feel, and go to bed without fear of arrest or political victimization is gradually becoming a mirage. The Ghanaian today want an end to these series of NPP sponsored lawlessness, They want a country which has a balanced media, stable economy, jobs,quality education, equitable and affordable healthcare. They say, to accept the existence of a parallel force is alien to our constitution and a sign of a failed state.

Mr president take charge and show leadership. You may need a cup of coffee to keep awake.

Author: Azeko Razak.

[email protected]

Tel:0245519547
31.10.2017 LISTEN

This initiative demonstrates the companys commitment to fighting Mobile Money fraud and empowering customers on how to manage their Airtel Money accounts so that they dont become victims of fraud.

Airtel Money is ISO 27001:2013 certified  demonstrating its focus on ensuring that customers funds on the platform are secure at all times.

In order to protect their customers from potential fraudulent activities on their mobile money accounts, Airtel Money, the award winning and innovative Mobile commerce service from Airtel Ghana, launched a month long outreach to sensitize the Ghana Police Service, Criminal Investigation Department, Customers, Agents, Merchants and Staff on Mobile Money fraud  how to spot and report it.

The training session which was held on 19th October, 2017 for the Ghana Police Service, concluded the month long sensitization campaign for stakeholders. The session was to educate and empower these stakeholders to prevent/reduce the incidence of fraud and to demonstrate Airtels commitment to ensuring that customers funds are safe and secured on Airtel Money.

During the session, the Airtel Money team raised awareness on Mobile Money fraud and empowered stakeholders with the knowledge to spot and report any fraud related incidence. Emphasis was placed on the onboarding process of customers and agents as well as current mobile money fraud typologies and scenarios and controls that stakeholders need to institute to prevent these situations.

Photo caption:Samuel Eduam, Senior Manager, Compliance, Airtel Ghana, leading the session

Samuel Eduam, Senior Manager, Compliance of Airtel Ghana, said, Customers, Agents and Merchants are advised to always check and know their balances after every transaction and change their PIN immediately they suspect a compromise. Customers, agents and merchants can also send fraud incidents to the short code 480 or send an email to [email protected] for immediate attention.

Rosy Fynn, Marketing Director, Airtel Ghana added, All employees who work on Airtel Money prior to their appointment undergo a background check including Police clearance. We urge customers not to share their pin code with anyone or write it on a piece of paper. We are aware of the tricks fraudsters use to steal from innocent customers, and this is why we have improved our fraud prevention capabilities to protect our customers from existing and emerging tactics by fraudsters.

Airtel Ghana remains committed to protecting its customers against Mobile Money fraud.

About Bharti Airtel

Bharti Airtel Limited is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 17 countries across Asia and Africa. Headquartered in New Delhi, India, the company ranks amongst the top 3 mobile service providers globally in terms of subscribers. In India, the company's product offerings include 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services, mobile commerce, fixed line services, high speed home broadband, DTH, enterprise services including national & international long distance services to carriers. In the rest of the geographies, it offers 2G, 3G and 4G wireless services and mobile commerce. Bharti Airtel had over 372 million customers across its operations at the end of March 2017. To know more please visit, www.airtel.com

About Airtel in Africa

Airtel is driven by the vision of providing affordable and innovative mobile services to all. Airtel has 17 operations in Africa: Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Airtel International is a Bharti Airtel company. For more information, please visit www.airtel.com , or like the Airtel Ghana Facebook page via www.facebook.com/airtelgh or follow us on Twitter via the handle @airtelghana.
Much as Ex-President Mahama was absolutely right for condemning the abhorrent and unbridled vigilantism in Ghana, he was, in all honesty, not right for suggesting that it was rather the NPP Party that introduced vigilantism into Ghanaian politics (See: Mahama jabs NPP over uncontrolled vigilantism; graphic.com.gh/ghanaweb.com, 30/10/2017).

Truth must however be told, the said NPP youth have been going overboard and must be condemned in no uncertain terms.

In as much as the NPP youth in question worked selflessly and strenuously to ensure the election of President Akufo-Addo, their apparent disgusting actions cannot be condoned by well-meaning Ghanaians.

But all said and done, the apparent hypocrisy and the dishonesty being exhibited by some members of the opposition NDC really bothers me, I must confess.

In so far as some of the NPP youth abhorrent conduct is completely out of order, I do not think it is right for the NDC operatives to seek to exonerate themselves from any blame in respect of uncontrolled vigilantism in Ghana.

In any case, much as discerning Ghanaians have every right to ventilate their arousing disgust over the seemingly reprehensible conduct, it would be absolutely wrong for the experienced politicians like Ex-President Mahama to seek to suggest that the said youths despicable behaviour is alien to Ghana politics.

I have always maintained that some of us were old and fortunate enough to have witnessed the revoltingly ugly events which took place over a period of three decades (1970-1990s), and therefore cannot be hoodwinked by the propagandists.

As a matter of principle and honesty, no true patriot will ever support lawlessness. In that regard, some of us will rightly support genuine calls to disband such groups.

However, the apparent glint of hypocrisy being displayed by some members of the opposition NDC cannot be allowed to go unchallenged.

Let us face it, though, we cannot pretend to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs and principles, while we continue to practice vice.

I have said time and time again that when experienced politicians keep holding on to vague rhetoric and political insobrieties with a view to deceiving the unsuspecting Ghanaians, it gives some of us the reason and the energy to counter the apparent propaganda.

Of course, it is heartrending to continue reading and listening to the groundless claims from the NDC quarters that it was the NPP Party that introduced vigilantism and lawlessness into Ghana politics.

Well, I am pretty sure that there are numerous vigilante groups in Ghana, including those in the camp of the opposition NDC. So why are the opposition NDC operatives only finding it convenient to limit their scope to the Invincible and Delta Forces?

Believe it or not, it was the founders of the NDC Party who introduced vigilantism in Ghana. Truly, the extent of the harassment we received from the paramilitary groups which were created by the founders of the NDC Party was out of this world.

If we stroll down memory lane, in their desperate attempts to defend their illegitimate power and lay the foundation for a supposedly true democracy in Ghana, the PNDC regime created a controversial countrywide network of People's Defence Committees (PDCs) and Workers' Defence Committees (WDCs), reorganised and renamed, in late 1984 as Committees for the Defence of the Revolution (CDRs) whose collective mandate was to defend the revolution by hook or by crook.

The PDCs and the WDCs (Workers Defence Committees) had their own courts and "meted out justice according to no established legal procedures [Amnesty International, 1983).

The CDRs were established in villages, urban communities, and workplaces and intended to be the organs of popular power and political initiative.

In addition, Forces' Defence Committees were established in the armed forces and the police service.

It was alleged that the principal functions of the CDRs were to ensure democratic participation in decision making in all communities and workplaces; to guard against corruption, abuse of power, sabotage, and social injustice; and to promote sustained national productivity by focusing efforts on the productive sectors of the economy.

The other mass organizations of the revolution were the National Mobilisation Program, the Civil Defence Organisation (the militia), the National Youth Organising Commission, and the June Four Movement.

The National Mobilisation Program started as an emergency programme to receive and resettle Ghanaian returnees from Nigeria in 1983. It soon developed into a cooperative movement engaged in a variety of economic and community development projects throughout Ghana.

The Civil Defence Organisation, popularly known as the militia, was set up as a paramilitary institution to assist other state organizations in national emergencies such as invasions, bush fires, and floods. Members received special training in combat readiness to defend the nation against internal and external aggression and economic sabotage.

The militia, in addition to combating crime in local communities, engaged in voluntary social and economic activities to help promote community development. In this effort, it was often assisted by the National Youth Organising Commission, created in 1982 as part of the PNDC's efforts to establish a youth movement to carry out the objectives of the 31st December 1981 Revolution.

The June Four Movement was a militant mass revolutionary movement dedicated to keeping alive the ideals of the June 4 1979 uprising that Rawlings had led. It sought to arouse the population at large to assist in establishing so-called people's power within the avowed objectives of the revolutionary process.

Before the establishment of the district assemblies in 1989, the PNDC government was able to reach the rural population and to broaden its base of support by direct consultation.

This was achieved through chiefs, the CDRs, and other national bodies such as the Democratic Youth League of Ghana, which in 1988 claimed a nationwide membership of more than 100,000. Other such groups included farmers' organizations, market women's associations, trade union groups, students' organizations, and religious and other bodies.

The PNDC's political opposition back then, however, hotly contested the democratic nature of such organs and saw them as nothing but state-sponsored vigilantes engaged in intimidation and human rights abuses (Source: U.S. Library of Congress).

Somehow, it is being alleged that when Ghana returned to democratic rule, some members of the paramilitary groups who could not get the opportunity to join any of the security services bolted with their guns and infiltrated the major political parties in the country.

And, we have unfortunately sat idly over the years and allowed the boisterous homicidal brats and other ill-motive paramilitary groups to cause havoc to innocent Ghanaians.

Given the circumstances, it would be hypocritical on the part of the opposition NDC operatives to attempt to put all the blame on one particular party with regard to the creation of vigilante groups in Ghana.

K. Badu, UK.

[email protected] ; please visit me at: alljoycom.wordpress.com

References:

www.Graphic.com.gh

www.ghanapoliticsonline.com

www.ghanaweb.com

Amnesty International (1983), Amnesty International's Concerns in the Republic of Ghana: An Amnesty International Background Paper. London: AI

U.S. Library of Congress (2017), Ghana: The Revolutionary Organs, (online). Available: countrystudies.us/Ghana/93.htm

Rawlings, J. J. (2017), June 4 Full Speech, (online). Available: www.starrfmonline.com

Badu, K. (2017), Bongo MP, It Was the NDC That Came out of Coup detats, (online). Available: www.ghanaweb.com
31.10.2017 LISTEN

The Adaklu Tordze Bridge, near Waya, the Adaklu District capital, has developed deep cracks with its wind walls washed off, rendering the bridge, a death trap.

The about 50 metre bridge, said to be over 60 years, is in a near-collapse state, posing a threat to motorists, farmers, students and traders.

A red flag pole, erected almost in the middle of the road by locals to signal danger, appear not deterring enough, with heavy vehicles still using the bridge.

Mr Edmund Asenso, Deputy Regional Director, Department of Feeder Roads told the media at the site that continuous over flooding weakened the wind walls of the bridge and washed it away.

He said the impact of heavy vehicles was also 'pushing some materials' weakened by the flood and cautioned vehicles against the use of the facility until it was fixed or replaced by a steel bridge.

'We have to fix the wind walls as a short term measure but we need to replace this one with a steel bridge and also stop heavy vehicles from using it for now,' Mr Asenso stated.

Mr Phanuel Kadey Donkoh, the District Chief Executive, said the Assembly wrote to the Department of Feeder Roads and NADMO to help fix the bridge before it collapses and render more than 20 communities in the district totally cut off.

Mr Kwame Agbodza, Member of Parliament for Adaklu said the total collapse of the bridge could mean no access to healthcare, school and market to hundreds of people who would be cut off from the capital.

He therefore appealed to government to prioritise the Abuadi-Waya-Keyime road stretch and fix the bridge and open the area for rapid development.

Mr Agbodza said the main challenges of Adaklu were potable water and road, saying that, the fixing of those challenges would give a 'better impetus' to government's one district, one factory initiative.

He commended the Department of Feeder Roads for being responsive to the needs of Adaklu over the years.
Mr. Samuel Kofi Sakey, the Social Service sub-committee chairman of Tarkwa Nsuaem Assembly, has called on the government to intensify public education on the importance and use of the white cane.

"The white cane has existed across the world and serves as traveling aid for the blind and visually impaired".

Mr. Sakey said this in Tarkwa during the celebration of the white cane day celebration in Western Region.

The white cane safety day is observed on October 15 every year worldwide to create awareness of the importance of the white cane and to promote a safe environment for users.

Mr Sakey advised motorists to always stop for people with a white cane to enable them to cross the road.

The Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Gilbert Kennedy Asmah said the purpose of the celebration was to educate Ghanaians about how the visually impaired could use the white cane to live and work independently in their communities.

He said another significance of the day was to further acknowledge the abilities and successes achieved by the visually impaired.

Mr Asmah said government had allocated three per cent of the District Assembly Common Fund to the the disability fund to support persons living with disability to engage in poverty alleviation ventures.

He said all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies had a Disability Fund Management Committee (DFMC) to manage it effectively.

The function of the committee, he said, was to vet and approve applications received from persons with disabilities and disburse the funds for each quarter allocation, monitor and supervise the utilization of the fund.

The committee, he noted, also presents quarterly reports on the management of the fund to the District Assembly and District/National Council on Persons with Disability.

Mr Asmah entreated the physically challenged to join associations such as the Federation of Ghana Blind Union and Persons with Disabilities to help them acquire skills, financial assistance, information and knowledge.

Mr. Daniel Okyere, Municipal President, Ghana Federation of the Disabled, advised Ghanaians to protect and take good care of their eyes.
The Ghana National Association of Garages has warned developers to stay off the 151.68 acre Suame Light Industrial Complex land.

That swath of land had been acquired by the government for the garages association in 1989 and it vowed to do everything to protect it.

The warning comes amid reported threats by a private developer to demolish workshops of artisans on a three-acre stretch of the land they are occupying.

The developer, Mr. Joseph Emmanuel Anie Budu, is said to have secured an order by Tema High Court to take possession of immovable property there.

A press statement signed by Mr. Kwame Peprah, Ashanti Regional Secretary of the Association, was however defiant and indicated that, it would not let go any inch of its land.

They would resist any attempts to level their shops and would protect their land.

It added that, the artisans would hit the streets - stage a massive demonstration within the next two weeks against those selling the Suame/Tafo magazine lands.

Copies of their statement were made available the Regional Minister, the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, the Regional Police Commander and the Suame Police Commander.
31.10.2017 LISTEN

The Right Reverend (Rt Rev.) Seth Senyo Agidi, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana has advised Christians to serve God and humanity in obedience and truth.

He urged Christians to live a Christ-like life of love, humility, selflessly, with godliness and good neighbourliness as demonstrated by Christ.

'Today's leadership is not an opportunity to serve in humility and obedience but is an opportunity to amass wealth, and so there is corruption in the church and the nation'. id.

Rt. Rev. Agidi was delivering a sermon on the theme: 'Labouring in the Lord's Vineyard-60 Years of Service to God and Country,' at the Garrison Methodist-Presbyterian Church (GMPC), Burma Camp in Accra, to climax the 60th Anniversary Celebrations of the Church.

The thanksgiving service was the climax of activities including medical outreach, donations and a revival session lined up for the Diamond Jubilee Celebration.

Rt. Rev. Agidi asked Christians to strive to win souls for Christ as directed by God in Mathew 28:19.

He prayed for God's guidance and protection for the church and entreated members to unite and work towards the growth of the church.

He also admonished Christians to be prayerful and always find time to study the Bible and lead humble lives worthy of emulation.

Lieutenant General Obed Akwa, the Chief of the Defence Staff on behalf of the Military High Command, donated an amount of GHE5,000.00 and $1,000 to support the Church in its activities.

Citations were also presented to distinguished personalities who have contributed enormously to the development of the church.

The GMPC which started in June 1957 has membership from the Methodist, Presbyterian and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana.

It also has a few members of other denominational faith such as AME Zion Church and the Salvation Army.

GNA

By Kwamina Tandoh, GNA
Private medical institutions complement the efforts of government to provide Ghanaians with an equal opportunity to access medical care.

This observation was made by Professor Aaron Lante Lawson, Interim Chief Executive Officer of the University of Ghana Medical Centre, at the Matriculation and White Coat ceremony of the Accra College of Medicine at Adjiringano on Saturday.

He said until recently one could only obtain training in medicine in public universities.

Prof Lawson said gaining admission has always been a problem in view of the limited space in for the large number of people whose dream was to become medical professionals.

He said this had a negative impact on the doctor-patient ratio leaving many Ghanaians who needed medical care at the hands of quack doctors.

Prof Lawson commended the College for providing more Ghanaians with an opportunity to study medicine.

He urged the matriculating students to develop analytical minds and to remember that there was no easy way to success other than perseverance.

Prof Lawson asked them to study hard to gain knowledge as this would help them to practice effectively in their chosen field.

He advised them to uphold the rules and regulations of the College and to adhere to the disciplinary code and ethical values of the profession.

Prof Afua Hesse, President of the College, urged the students to be honest to touch the lives of others if they should live meaningful lives.

She said stressed the determination of the staff and faculty of the College to help the students to achieve their aim.

Prof Hesse said the College would continue to offer world-class medical training that is relevant and research-oriented towards solving problems.

Dr Kwaku Agyeman Manu, Minister of Health, in a speech read on his behalf, commended the College for filling a gap in the country's medical education and urged the students to be role models in the efforts to ensure the well-being of all Ghanaians.
31.10.2017 LISTEN

Bishop Gordon Kisseih, Presiding Bishop of the Life International Church, has called on Christians to open a new chapter by refraining from acts which could hinder national development.

He said Christians will be doing disservice to the nation if they do not allow the teachings of Jesus Christ to reflect in their daily lives.

Bishop Kisseih was speaking over the weekend at the 30th Anniversary celebration of the church which was held under the theme: 'Exploits' at Achimota.

He attributed the country's socio-economic woes to Christians mad rush for monetary gains instead of seeking their spiritual well-being.

Bishop Kisseih said the church which was established in 1987, has opened many branches across the country including Amasaman, Tema, Kpone, Koforidua, Tamale Mankessim, Tarkwa and Cape Coast.

He said the church has also been able to put up a senior high school at Tema and has produced a number of graduates who are excelling at various tertiary institutions.

The Presiding Bishop said the church has also established fellowships and ministries in all the branches and are working effectively for the promotion of the gospel.

'As the church began to grow, he said, there arose the need to raise more pastors and leaders for the church and to meet this human resource requirement the Bible College initially known as the Heritage Bible School was founded in 1995.

Bishop Kisseih said the church has been supporting orphanage homes with donations over the years as part of its social responsibilities.

He expressed the hope that the church would continue to preach the unadulterated word of God for the benefit of mankind. GNA
An Accra Circuit on Monday sentenced one Stephen Gbafa, to ten years imprisonment in hard labour for possessing 42 compressed parcels of dried leaves which was Indian hemp.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge, but was found guilty after trial.

The court presided over by Mr Aboagye Tandoh in sentencing him said the court took into consideration of the 23 months he had already spent in custody as well as his counsel's plea for mitigation.

The court also ordered the Criminal Investigative Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service to destroy the exhibits in the presence of the Court's Registrar and leave one gram to be destroyed three months later.

The Ghana News Agency noted during the trial that the Prosecution which was led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Atibila told the court that the complainants are Policemen from Alpha Swat Unit, Accra Region, whilst the convict is a Security Officer with COB 'A' Industries Limited, producers of standard water.

The Prosecution said on October 3, 2015 at about 1700 hours, the complainants had information that the convict had taken delivery of a sack containing some substances suspected to be Indian hemp at Agbogbloshie onion market and has boarded a taxi heading towards the 37 Military Hospital.

The prosecution said the complainants quickly proceeded to the Kanda Highway and fortunately caught with Stephen and one Reindolf Anthony on board the cab.

ACP Atibila said they arrested the two, searched the cab and found 42 brownish parcels containing dried leaves in the boot.

He told the court that, the two together with the exhibits were sent to the Regional CID, where Stephen stated that it was his son Courage Gbafa who sent him the exhibits from Hohoe, and that Reindolf was only a friend whom he pleaded with to accompany him to Agbogbloshie to receive the exhibits.

GNA

By Hafsa Obeng, GNA
31.10.2017 LISTEN

Philip Akpeena Assibit, a Representative of Goodwill International Group (GIG) has said there was no position as a Managing Consultant at the Management Development Productivity Institute (MDPI).

He said it would be false to say that he signed as a Managing Consultant on the MDPI letterhead.

Mr Assibit was answering to questions during cross-examination, where, Mrs Evelyn Keelson, a Senior State Attorney suggested to him that he used of MDPI letterhead with the signature as managing consultant to mislead the public.

However the prosecution exhibited an MDPI letter head where Mr Assibit had signed as Managing Consultant.

Mr Abuga Pele, the former National Co-ordinator of GYEEDA and Mr Assibit, a Representative of GIG, are facing various charges of causing financial loss of 4.1 million Ghana Cedis to the State.

Assibit is being accused of putting in false claims that he had secured a 65-million-dollar World Bank funding for the creation of one million jobs for the youth, which led government to part with GH 4.1 million to his company but failed to deliver per the agreement.

The Accused said that he did not sign as Managing Consultant of MDPI, because there was never such position, adding that 'i cannot have impersonated for a position that does not exist.'

He said it was normal to interchangeably use MDPI and GIG letterheads for works done because there was a relationship because the two institutions.

'I had no motive to achieve except merely using it because that is administratively convenient and normal, since we use their office for all our administrative purposes,' he said.

The State said, the Accused had the opportunity through his lawyers to confront Kofi Humado, Former Minister of Youth and Sport and Dr Sulley Gariba of MDPI on agreement,

Assibit said he was not a lawyer and could not tell the court, why the lawyers did not confront the two personalities on some of the vital documents on the contract.

He said minutes from the Minister now in evidence in the court indicate that there existed a standing agreement which shows that he (Minister) was aware of the contract, hence no need to ask him further questions.

He said considering the substance of documentary evidence before the court as well as witness testimonies in the case, Mr Humado and Dr Gariba were led by prosecution to mislead the court.

The case has been adjourned to Wednesday, November 1, 2017 for further cross-examination.

GNA

By Morkporkpor Anku, GNA
31.10.2017 LISTEN

Mr. Kenneth Ashigbey, Managing Director, Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), on Monday expressed gratitude to the National Media Commission (NMC) for giving him the opportunity to serve the Company and mother Ghana.

'I wish to wholeheartedly thank the National Media Commission for the opportunity it gave me to serve my country in this noble capacity of managing one of the most reputable media house in West Africa,' Mr Ashigbey stated at the induction of the new Board of the GCGL in Accra.

The nine member Board is under the Chairmanship of Professor Kwame Karikari, a Journalism and Communications Expert, and the founding Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa.

Other members of the Board include Mr Ashigbey, Ms Ajoa Yeboa Afari, Chairperson, Editors' Forum of Ghana; Mr Osei Afriyie, Dr Rita Larsen-Reindorf, Nana Otuo Acheampong, Dr Mawuli Adjei, Mr Mohammed Yusuf Twumasi and Mr Bismarck Emmanuel Badu.

Nana Kwesi Gyan-Apenteng, Chairman, NMC, administered the Oath of Office to the new Board; however, Mr Osei Afriyie was not available to part take in the induction ceremony.

Mr Ashigbey said: 'I have enjoyed every minute of the journey with Graphic and the NMC. I believe no one here is in doubt why I am thanking the NMC, as it is known that I leave the company only two days after this inaugural ceremony.

'I guess this is the shortest stint as a member of any board, serving for only two days. I intend to serve it to the best of my abilities as I have done on previous occasions'.

To the new Board, Mr Ashigbey said: 'You come in at a time when global print media is facing the challenge of decline as a result of changing media consumption, the digital and social media onslaught.

'This challenge is even more pronounced in our country, where reading culture is poor and our laws allow the bastardization of newspaper content with radio and Television Stations virtually reading all newspaper contents on sponsored programmes,' he added.

He said additionally media houses copy the content from newspapers and produce them online without even offering back link credits.

He said this calls for creativity to confront this challenge frontally in order to keep the company running; declaring that, 'We have taken some steps in this direction'.

He said the strategy as approved by the Board, was to stabilize and reverse the decline in their core business, newspaper and adverts sales whiles aggressively diversifying the company's portfolio with high growth rates.

He said the 2016 audited accounts of Graphic saw it posting a profit before tax of GHE922,150.00 and earnings per share of 0.2662, a growth of 174 per cent over 2015 figures.

He said additionally, for the first time in the history of the Company, after the legal separation, G-PAK was able to convert its negative income surplus into positive due to increased sales and better cost management'.

Quoting the External Auditors O.A.K Chartered Accountants, Mr Ashigbey said: 'There are a lot of opportunities for G-Pak and I urge the new Board to pay special attention to building its capacity and allowing it to fly with a lot more autonomy.

'We have set up the Graphic Print Supplies to supply all print related materials, alongside this we have the Graphic Courier Service, which relies on our already existing capacity to bring additional revenue.

'We are in the process of signing an MOU with Mega Choice Network to start the Graphic TV project and that should be pursued,' he said.

He said the conversion of the Graphic Clinic to offer Laboratory and Pharmaceutical services to the public for profit had been planned; adding that, the conversion of some of the landed properties into multi user accommodation, had also been planned.

He said there was a paper to set-up the Graphic School of Excellence, to start training manpower, not only to feed Graphic, but the industry at large, starting with Editorial and Printing staff.

He explained that all of these need a vigorous push to realize their full potential to cushion the Company from turbulence that the print industry was currently experiencing.

Nana Gyan-Apenteng said in a couple of days, the Managing Director of GCGL, Mr Ashigbey would leave because he had chosen to retire with some years of his contract still remaining.

'I tried to persuade him to stay.I had refused to accept his letter for a number of days. But you cannot employ a person against his or her will, so sadly we have to say goodbye to Ken. We wish him well,' the NMC Chairman said.

Prof Karikari lauded the stability of the GCGL as compared to other public service organisations, and appealed to the management and staff of the Company for their cooperation with the Board to enable them to deliver on their mandate.

Prof Omane Antwi, the former Board Chairman, GCGL, said one of the challenges facing the Company was the huge indebtedness of metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, in terms of newspapers supplied to them and their placement of adverts in the newspapers.

He recommended to the new board to pursue an aggressive Digital Media Strategy, which would ensure engagements of the youth and attain market leadership in audience share within the digital media space with profitable business model. GNA

By Iddi Yire/Stella Opokuwaa Asare, GNA
31.10.2017 LISTEN

Dr Ekow Spio-Garbrah, a former Minister of Trade and Industry, has been honoured at the Ghana Peace Awards 2017, for his outstanding contribution towards the promotion of peace in Ghana and Africa.

The Ghana Peace Award recognises leaders who take on challenges for the greater good, encouraging the next generation of leaders that have genuinely excelled in various spheres of life and have contributed to the advancement of Ghanaians and Africans.

The award maintains the highest ethical and leadership platforms in Ghana over the years.

The event, which took place in Accra, had other awardees such as the late Major Maxwell Adam Mahama, who was honoured posthumously for his contributions towards peace in Ghana and Africa he met his untimely death at Denkyira Obuasi.

The award was received by his widow, Barbara Mahama.

Others awardees were Reverend Professor Immanuel Agbozo, the Founder of the Ghana Evangelical Society and Enoch Mission; Mrs Charlotte Osei, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commisison; Dr Kotei Djani, Chief Executive Officer, Groupe Ideal; Dr John Kudalor, a former Inspector General of Police; Mr Ben Brako, a musician and Prophet Dr Cephas Kwame Kpegah Tamakloe, General Overseer, Breaking Yoke Ministry.

The rest are Mr Asamoah Gyan, the Captain of the Senior National Team, the Black Stars; Mr Kwesi Pratt Jr, Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper; and Dr De-gaulle Moses Dogbatey, Chief Executive Officer OF Medi-Moses Prostate Centre.

Dr Sio-Garbrah, who received the Humanitarian and Service Award, in his remarks, lauded the organisers of the event for recognising his contributions towards the advancement of the course of humanity.

He urged Ghanaians to preserve the peace and stability of the nation; adding that instability and lack peace drives away potential investors from the country.

Prof Emmanuel Yao Nash of the Ghana Peace Awards expressed their gratitude to all who worked to protect and promote fundamental human freedoms. GNA

By Iddi Yire, GNA
31.10.2017 LISTEN

The Donkey Sanctuary and the Ghana Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (SPCA) has urged government to enforce the law banning the slaughter and export of donkey skins from the country.

The Donkey Sanctuary leadership is in the country leading efforts to draw global attention to the trade in donkey skins for the use in traditional Chinese remedies.

The law prohibiting the slaughter and export of donkey skins was passed at the beginning of the year.

On 17th January 2017, Ghana's 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,' the Donkey Sanctuary said in a statement copied to the GNA on Monday.

It quoted Ghanaian authorities as saying: '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.'

'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.'

The statement warned that 'Both The Donkey Sanctuary and Ghana SPCA are of the view that if this law is not upheld, the welfare of donkeys and Ghana's 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.'

'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'. Alex Mayers, Head of programmes, at The Donkey Sanctuary said.

'Imagine the devastation for the thousands of people who rely on donkeys for water, ploughing and rural transport.'

He further noted that '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 more 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.'

Amasaba Abdul-Yakeen Aluizah at Ghana SPCA said; 'Having observed the unregulated slaughter of the donkeys in the Upper East region, we are much worried about the welfare issues, and consumers and handlers of the meat and skins are exposed to disease risk.

'There is mislabelling of donkey meat as bushmeat bagged in large quantities and transported to southern parts of Ghana. We are again worried that the rapid reduction in donkey population means the rising rate of the time-burden of rural women and reduction in land tillage by peasant farmers who rely on donkeys for farming.

'The value of the skin has introduced a new dimension of donkey poaching into these communities which is taking away the working animals from vulnerable people.'

The Donkey Sanctuary is leading 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.

The Donkey Sanctuary say criminal traders are also sourcing, transporting and slaughtering the domestic animals inhumanely, and causing devastation to the people who depend on them for their livelihood.

GNA

By D.I. Laary, GNA
Extreme weather caused some $129 billion (111 billion euros) in economic losses last year, said a report Tuesday that warned the bill will keep climbing as climate change boosts droughts, storms and floods.

There was a 46-percent increase in weather disasters from 2010 to 2016, with 797 "extreme" events recorded last year, according to research published in The Lancet medical journal.

These "resulted in $129 billion in overall economic losses" -- a figure roughly matching the budget of Finland.

Losses were counted as damage to physical assets and did not include the "economic value" of deaths, injury or disease caused by extreme events.

An observed increase in weather disasters in recent years, the report said, cannot yet be unequivocally be attribute to climate change.

But the evidence "might plausibly be interpreted as showing how climate change is changing the frequency and severity of these events", the authors wrote.

Climate scientists are loath to blame any particular weather event on global warming -- a phenomenon that needs to be monitored over decades.

The carcass of a dead cow lies in the Black Umfolozi River, dry from the effects of drought in South Africa

But looking to the future, the authors are under no illusions that climate change will fuel the "frequency and severity" of tropical storms, droughts and flooding around the world.

The finances of poor countries are disproportionately hard hit, said the report compiled by experts from 24 academic institutions and inter-governmental bodies including the World Health Organization and World Meteorological Organization.

Their losses from freak weather events were more than three times higher in 2016 than in 2010, and as a proportion of GDP, much greater than in rich nations.

Wheat and mosquitoes

In high-income countries, about half of economic losses were insured, compared to less than one percent in poor nations.

The researchers calculated that rising temperatures caused a loss of about 5.3 percent in labour productivity in outdoor workers since 2000.

Vehicles stop on the side of a road as a tornado rips through a residential area in Oklahoma

Over the same period, the number of vulnerable people exposed to heatwaves -- putting them at risk of heatstroke, heart failure or dehydration -- increased by about 125 million.

The rising mercury also caused a near 10-percent rise since 1950 in the disease-spreading "vectoral capacity" of a mosquito bearing the potentially deadly dengue virus.

"Climate change is expected to have an impact on crop production, with a one-degree-Celsius rise in temperatures associated with a six-percent decline in global wheat yields and a 10-percent decrease in rice grain yields," said a statement in The Lancet, warning of growing hunger.

The world's nations have pledged to limit average global warming caused by humankind's emission of fossil fuel gases, to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from pre-Industrial Revolution levels.

We have already reached about 1 C.

US President Donald Trump has pulled his country out of the pact, though the withdrawal can only become effective in about four years.

Chinese residents look at a flooded area caused by heavy rain in Beijing

On top of the risk to life, limb and property from heatwaves, floods and storms, as well as the spread of water-borne diseases and disease-bearing insects, climate change may also pose longer-term health dangers, the report said.

"Indeed, emerging evidence is suggesting links between a rising incidence of chronic kidney disease, dehydration, and climate change," the authors wrote.

Experts commenting on the report agreed more research is needed to clearly attribute health impacts to climate change.

There was no doubt, however, of the link between temperature trends and human activities, nor about "the urgency of addressing the issues raised by this report", said Clare Goodess of the University of East Anglia's Climate Research Unit.
PZ Cussons Ghana Limited, a leading producer and distributor of personal and homecare products, has donated large consignment of healthcare products valued at GHC30,000.00 to the Amasaman District Hospital in Accra.

The items which included several boxes of Robb Cough Mixture, Carex Hand Gel and Camel Antiseptic Liquid, were meant for the use and care of patients on admission at the hospital.

Presenting the products to the hospital, the Head of Brand Development and Activation at PZ Cussons Ghana, Madam Hafsa Arthur, said the donation was the first among several others to be made to the hospital.

She noted that similar donations and support had been made to hospitals across the country, citing the immediate past donation to the Mother and Baby Unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, which was in response to a Joy FM report on the plight of babies at the hospital.

According to Madam Hafsa Arthur, these donations align with a rolled out programme of providing medical resources to healthcare providers and patients.

Apart from the donations, PZ Cussons Ghana has partnered with the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) to educate and sensitize health professionals and patients on various health issues.

In line with our corporate mission of improving the lives of our consumers, PZ Cussons Ghana believes this kind gesture will help alleviate challenges the hospital is facing on daily basis, and also go a long way to save lives and put smiles on faces, she said.

Madam Hafsa Arthur commended the management and staff of the Amasaman District Hospital for their hard work and dedication to provide better healthcare to patients at the hospital. She urged them to make good use of the products while reiterating the commitment of PZ Cussons Ghana to build a fruitful relationship that would help find solutions to challenges faced by the hospital.

Appreciation

Dr. Sarpong Ntiamoah, a Medical Superintendent, who received the items on behalf of the hospital, was grateful to PZ Cussons Ghana for the donation.

He expressed his profound gratitude to PZ Cussons Ghana for honouring their promise, a gesture he said would lead to infection prevention.

Dr. Ntiamoah gave the assurance that the hospital would put the items to good use in order to assuage the incidence of the spread of infection among caregivers and patients in the hospital.

He lauded PZ Cussons Ghana for the gesture and called on other corporate bodies, individuals and groups, to commit to contributing to the cause of improving and saving lives.

Story by Ghana|Myjoyonline.com
31.10.2017 LISTEN

Even though my appetite for political discourse has immensely waned owing to intuitive urge to pursue a different task that will be of a much better collective benefit to Ghanaians and etch my name in their hearts and minds, I will spare a moment to share my views on the latest news involving the suspended General Secretary of NPP, Mr Kwabena Agyei Agyepong.

Some so-called friends, fans and supporters of Kwabena Agyepong, divisive and myopic as they usually are, have embarked on organising press conferences agitating for the reinstatement of Kwabena Agyepong as either the General Secretary of NPP or a member of NPP. Personally, I have nothing against their quest for his reinstatement but I have more to query about their idol, Kwabena Agyepong.

Has he exhibited sufficient level of political maturity, expressions of remorsefulness and readiness to re-join the New Patriotic Party (NPP) as either the General Secretary or an ordinary member as I am? I am afraid not!

Kwabena may be well educated. He may be rich and have connections but I can state without mincing words that he has an ego that is unbefitting of a person seriously aspiring to obtain political laurels.

Yes, he is my son by virtue of the Akan clanship where his biological father was an Agona same as me. Moreover, my family and his Dads family were so close and were more of brothers and sisters than mere friends hence addressing Kwabena as my son and offering him advice via the Ghana internet news portals. However, as obstinate as he is and dubiously entrenched in his own ways, he kept ignoring my fatherly truthful advice to him.

Mind him, wisdom is not the prerogative of the rich or the most well educated. As old age is not a repository of wisdom or grey hair an indication of wisdom, so does richness or attainment of higher education with the concomitant scary degrees not a mark of ones intelligence or wisdom.

What has he shown to portray to the NPP faithful and Ghanaians that he is ready to serve them honestly? Is he behind, and goading, those claiming to be his fans who are organising press conferences requesting for his reinstatement? What are his reasons for demanding his reinstatement? Has he made any official approach, either verbal or written adducing the reasons for his reinstatement?

I remember very well placing a publication on Ghanaweb and Modernghana advising him to join the 2016 presidential and parliamentary campaign when the going got tough. He ignored me. If he had thrown his full weight behind the campaign as did Mr Alan Kwadwo Kyeremateng, alias Alan Cash, nobody would today be having any qualms about his requisition for reinstatement, even though he could have been a mastermind and/or orchestrator of the rumoured Agenda 2020. He could even have landed a Ministerial appointment if he had done exactly as I suggested to him.

Yes, he might have secretly supported NPP financially to win some swing constituencies; however, that was not enough. His presence on the ground doing effective campaigning could have endeared him more to many a Ghanaian that felt offended by his initially perceived acts of sabotage meant to cost NPP and Nana Akufo-Addo victory in 2016. Nonetheless, as what is written is written with man proposing but God disposing, what God had said about his servant Nana Akufo-Addo came to pass.

If Kwabena were remorseful, he would not tolerate any aggressive methods of press conferences and issuance of threats by his fans to going about his desire for comeback into the NPP fold. He would write an apologetic letter stating his regrets and requesting for his acceptance back, to the NPP National Executive Council. This approach will be the best way forward by anyone showing sense of political maturity and remorse for their already committed acts of condemnatory sabotages against their political party and people.

Being older than Kwabena by age and doubling as his father by extension of my Agona clan and brotherly close friendship with his fathers late nephew Kwame Nyame (Emmanuel Marfo) of blessed memory, let me recount the following true story in case he might learn something better from it for his future guidance.

Once in Kumawu, the then topmost rich people met to discuss an important issue with the motive of finding the way forward. They are all dead by now anyway. They were Messrs B. A. Mensah, Kwadwo Bannor, Kwame Kodua, Aboagye, Kwame Antoh alias Oh Yes, etc. Fortunately or unfortunately, there was one poor man who happened to be in the meeting. He was one Opanin Mensah, the uncle of Mr Bannor and the oldest among all those present in the meeting.

Opanin Mensah had his house between that of the late Master Koo Ani Akyire and Mr Larbi. A public pipe (tap) was right in front of his house and he had a daughter, Akua Saah, who happened to be the tallest female at the Kumawu Presbyterian Middle school in those days.

Back to the story, at a point in the meeting, Mr Mensah stood on his feet to make a contribution. Barely had he made his suggestion or put across his contribution when Mr Bannor was alleged to have shouted at him to sit down saying, It is rich people that have met here to discuss an issue but not poor people.

Therefore, you have no right to talk. Sit down! The old man had to sit down. However, Mr Kwame Kodua was said to have stood up and said, what Opanin Mensah had said made sense. He was seconded by all the other rich people. They agreed that what the poor old man had said was the answer to the way forward they were seeking and hence adopted it.

This brief narration is to convey to the attention of Kwabena Agyepong that it is better to listen to wise admonition from others regardless of how poor, young or old, or less educated they may be. Their advice may hold the key to unlocking the solution you may be seeking.

Until Kwabena goes through the proper channels with the show of honest remorse and convincing level of political maturity, he should not be reinstated to his post of General Secretary as sought by his fans. We should not be compelled to revisit that dangerous era of Agenda 2020 by whomever.

I shall fight in Kwabenas corner if I saw that he has indeed regretted his diabolic Agenda 2020 intents; reined in his fans agitating for his reinstatement and gone about things in a politically-matured manner. Until them, let him wallow in political dungeon.
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Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) are appealing for an extension of the payment date of some taxes.

The OMCs contend that the current twenty-one day period for payment of taxes such as the Special Petroleum Tax, is adversely impacting their operations.

According to the CEO of the Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMCs), Mr. Kwaku Agyeman Duah, the situation has also compelled some market operators to borrow from banks to meet the timelines.

The request by the OMCs came in a response to Citi Business News question on major expectations in the 2018 budget to be presented to Parliament in November.

The problem that we have as OMCs is the number of days that we need to pay the taxes; it is so restrictive, it's unpalatable and it squeezes us so much especially when you are not making the sales. We have the situation where even when you have not finished selling the products, you will need to pay the taxes but where do you get the money from? It means you would have to go to the banks again to borrow money and pay, Mr. Agyeman Duah told Citi Business News.

He added that he is however hopeful of a major change following continuous discussions with the government.

This is something which has been a cyclical thing which is worrying us so we are having discussions with government which we hope to get the number of days which is about twenty-one to twenty five days, extended to at least thirty-one days.

The government in the 2017 budget, reduced the Special Petroleum Tax for downstream petroleum sector players to 15% from the 17.5%.

This is among others to relieve the operators of the burden and also cushion consumers in times of price surge on the global market.

Aside the Special Petroleum Tax, retailers of petroleum products are expected to charge; Excise duty, road fund, energy fund, energy debt recovery levy as well as Price stabilisation and recovery levy as part of the taxes and levies components for the price build up.

Meanwhile the AOMC boss tells Citi Business News his side is not anticipating any major tax reductions to be announced in the 2018 budget.



By: Pius Amihere Eduku/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana
Director of News Programming at Citi FM, and Host of the award-winning Citi Breakfast Show, Bernard Koku Avle, has left Ghana for Denmark, to have audience with Her Majesty the Queen, ahead of the latter's visit to Ghana.

Bernard is joined by Portia Sonia Adoley Gabor of TV3, Kate Baaba Hudson of Daily Graphic, and Jubal Kwaku Amedetor, also of TV3.

The 3-day press trip to Denmark for the selected Ghanaian journalists, is in preparation for the visit of the Danish Queen to Ghana, on November 23  24, 2017.

The press trip from October 30 to November 2, 2017, comes with a comprehensive program, including a unique opportunity for a press conference with Her Majesty the Queen.

It will also include visits to businesses and cultural locations in Copenhagen and its surroundings.

Background

At the invitation of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Denmark's Head of State, Her Majesty the Queen, will visit Ghana from 23  24 November on an official State Visit.

Margrethe II is the Queen of Denmark.

The State Visit will emphasize and consolidate the long-standing and well-established relations between Ghana and Denmark, while at the same time marking the gradual transition of the relations from aid to trade.

The Queen will be accompanied by a Danish business delegation within three focus sectors, namely food & agriculture, sustainability, maritime, infrastructure and railways.

The visit by the Queen was first announced in a statement issued by the Danish Embassy in September , 2017.

Ghana and Denmark have enjoyed strong commercial ties over the years, and this visit by the Queen, is expected to strengthen those bonds.

During many years, Denmark through the Danida Development Cooperation has played an important role in developing key sectors and institutions in Ghana the Embassy said.

It noted that With Ghana's graduation to a middle-income country, and the prospects of sustainable economic growth, Denmark is gradually transitioning from development cooperation to trade cooperation in line with the visions by the Government of Ghana, the Embassy said.

The Danish Queen is expected to attend the opening of the conference and pay visits to several local business and cultural institutions.



By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie/citifmonline.com/Ghana
MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, is pushing for the Ghanas High Commissioner to South Africa, Mr George Ayisi-Boateng, to be sacked for disclosing he will put the interests of NPP members before any other Ghanaian.

This dangerous envoy must jump or be pushed, declared Mr Ablakwa.

Addressing some members of the Tertiary Students Confederacy Network (TESCON) at a ceremony to usher in fresh students of Kumasi Technical University into the network over the weekend, Mr Ayisi-Boateng said members of the governing NPP and its student wing are his priority in his dealings at his duty post.

George Ayisi Boateng explained that it is by dint of the hard work party loyalists put in that saw the party recapture power so it will be the right thing to do.

Mr Ayisi-Boateng

He further urged other government appointees to do same.

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who is Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs said the comments by Mr Ayisi-Boateng suggests that some are more Ghanaian than others.

 don't remember when I ever heard a top diplomat speak of his own nationals who pay him with their taxes with such contempt at a public forum before university students who would have gone to listen to a possible role model to be inspired and to be better citizens, Mr Ablakwa adds.

Read below Ablakwas reaction to Ayisi-Boatengs comments.

GHANAS HIGH COMMISSIONER TO SOUTH AFRICA NOT NPP'S HIGH COMMISSIONER TO SOUTH AFRICA

How tragic that at a time Parliament led by Rt. Hon. Speaker Oquaye has been united on the need for foreign embassies in Ghana to treat fellow Ghanaian visa applicants with dignity, our own High Commissioner to South Africa will be propounding an incendiary theory that suggests that some are more Ghanaian than others. That he's told his Foreign Service Staff that he's in South Africa for NPP people and that others should wait - "take it or leave it."

Don't remember when I ever heard a top diplomat speak of his own nationals who pay him with their taxes with such contempt at a public forum before university students who would have gone to listen to a possible role model to be inspired and to be better citizens.

Without a doubt, H.E Ayisi Boateng's comments are worse than that of Hon. William Quaitoo - the Deputy Agric Minister who resigned a while ago for tribal bigotry.

This dangerous envoy must jump or be pushed.

Instructively, we are led by a former Foreign Minister and we wait to see how he deals with his disgraced representative in South Africa.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com
College of Education Teachers Association (ETAG) has threatened to embark on nationwide strike over their salary arrears.

In a statement signed by the National Secretary of the Association, Prince Obeng Himah said, if the Ministry of finance fails to pay the outstanding areas due them by Wednesday November 1, 2017 all the members will withdraw their services effective by Thursday November 2, 2017

He added that salary arrears to their members has been outstanding Since October 2016.It should be remembered that in October 2016, the Finance Ministry through the controller and Accountant-General's Department (C'A'G'D) migrated tutors of the thirty-eight public colleges of education onto the colleges of education pay structure.

Read statement below

DECLARATION OF STRIKE BY COLLEGES OF EDUCATION TEACHERS

ASSOCIATION OF GHANA

The Leadership of colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (ETAG) is directing all members of the Association to withdraw their services effective Thursday, November 2, 2017 if the Ministry of Finance fails to pay our outstanding areas on Wednesday November 1 2017.

The action is in demand for payment of salary arrears to members that has been outstanding Since October 2016.It should be remembered that in October 2016, the Finance Ministry through the controller and Accountant-General's Department (C'A'G'D) migrated tutors of the thirty-eight public colleges of education onto the colleges of education pay structure.

This followed the passage of the Colleges of Education ACT 847 in 2Ol2 to upgrade the colleges to tertiary status and subsequent engagement by the National council of Tertiary Education Fair wages and Salaries commission Ministry of Education, colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) and other relevant stakeholders.

Regrettably, one year down the line, salary affairs which is the difference between the previous salary levels and the new salary levels from the period of January to September 2016 remains outstanding.

Not even CETAG's submission of proof of documentary commitment by the Fair wages and Salaries commission (F'W'S'C) setting 1st January, 2017 the effective implementation for the migration of the tutors will get the Ministry of Finance to pay the arrears' CETAG consequently, reported the matter to the National Labour Commission for settlement

After months of entering appearance and hearing by CETAG on one side and the Ministry of Finance alongside Ministry of Education on the other hand, the commission gave a remarkable Ruling on the 4th October 2017 asking the Ministry of Finance to rise with appropriate bodies and make all effort to pay the arrears in two weeks effective the ruling date. Unfortunately, todays date is 30th October, 2017 but the money is yet to be paid.

On the basis of this development, leadership has decided that members should withdraw our services in all the thirty-eight public colleges of education till such a time that the arrears is fully paid to members, having duly consulted all Local and Zonal branches of the Association on the matter.

By this directive, we entreat all Local branches to wear red bands from Tuesday, 3Ist October, 2017 to Wednesday 1stSeptember 2017 to be followed by strike on Thursday, November 2, 2017, if the Ministry of Finance fails to comply with the NLC ruling. All local chairpersons are advised to give their Principals a copy of this directive.

Find attached a copy of the NLC ruling on the matter for your analysis.

COLLEEES OF EDUCATION

TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF GHANA

(Prince Obeng Himah) National Secretary










It is sad to constantly reading and hearing what is happening in Ghana economy with its political interjections across the media landscape on every policy initiated by a government in Ghana. The aim of this article is to narrate and advise both government and the citizenry and also the computer software developers or internet security technocrats about the way and manner we handle important initiatives despairingly. This is to add a voice of Management expertise on current policies and happenings that surrounds certain policies implementation as sagas.

First and foremost, it is important for every government to set up any policy it deem it fit for the nation irrespective of any political party in power but it is also important for the government to always do due diligence of any creation of policy before making it public. Ironically, it appears that every policy in Ghana is done at a rush manner because of the constant perceived of some public outcry anytime any government institute a policy and then try to outdoor it or implement such policy into the economy. Lets put politics aside and do critical and constructive critique of policies in Ghana rather than always trying to win political points be it a government in power or an opposition party, which is out of government.

It is important for government to always try as much as possible to consider management by efficiency, which simply means knowing what is right and doing it right. If government is putting up a policy without considering how efficient and effective it would be, then, every citizen has the right to criticize such decision. But is it true that, only when a policy is implemented and in action, is the time one could determine whether such policy implemented is efficient and effective. This is the more reason why government must always perform feasibility studies, piloting, test amend and test severally and also engage other scholars or technocrats across the political landscape in Ghana for their input or affirmation of the policy as designed, since we are all Ghanaians. If such is always done, I dont think that any opposition member will turn round to badly discuss or criticize the implementation of any policy. Governments always fail in this manner of management practice, which must be incorporated into to the way and manner they create policies by involving and engaging opposition in any policy discourse. Not that, a sitting government create and implement, and for opposition to hold press conferences to state their dissatisfaction to the media landscape. I dont think this is the way forward as a country just in the name of democracy and freedom of speech. In fact, it is not a good practice for governments to just believe that after going through the procurement processes and then selected a potential contractor/bidder and handed over the contract is going to yield a perfect objective of the policy or programme at hand, no. There should always be another expert knowledge and ideas as to what the winner of the contract or the contractor produces in a form of seeking these experts knowledge for competence in delivery of the service.

Besides, it seems the practice of governance processes and procedures in this country are not up to standard, simply, because governments have not been able to implement a single policy with an overall support of the masses especially, those who know how. It is something that current and successive governments must work on to achieve, in that, at least majority of the populace will have understanding of what is to be implemented and how successful or achievable it will be. But if we do everything in this country in terms of party lines, only to score political points just because of promises in the partys manifestoes then we are bad managers of the economy. It seems also that, governments have failed to understand the concept of Management Information Systems (MIS), and its applications and implications if not well practiced. This simply refers to data designed into systems, converted into information from both internally and externally to managers to enable them to make timely and effective decisions. The question is, how accurate are those policy decisions taken for the people to trust and follow and do as they are told? Basically, this refers to the paper work that is presented by the government to the winner of the bid as a contract, but also what the contractor produces as finish production of the job are those matters and issues that should help the government to make proper decisions. If such does not conform to plans then it will always become a failure.

The essence of all these is that, I expect every technocrat or specialist in Ghana to always perform and act professionally with due diligence in their criticism of government policies in public and in all media types. This is because, if a policy or programme is not implemented and put into action, you will never know whether it will be achievable or not and therefore, quickly running down every policy that government initiates and introduces without putting a contribution through the right channel as a professional. And then using media airwaves is unprofessional and lacks technocratic morality, which is bad management expertise in practice. Professionals and experts must always follow due processes and channels in adding their voices or expertise to work for mother Ghana rather than always seeking to score political points. The same way is that ruling governments must always understand and pay attention to concerns raised by members of the public if it comes to their attention officially/formally and thereby not rubbishing or disregarding such effort made by a citizen. Because, these are the main reasons why other people always resort to the media airways to air out their knowledge of a particular issue or programme which in effect causes confusing and stumbling block to every progress that the governments want to make or do. This is always a problem in Ghana.

For example, looking at the recent happenings in Ghana about the current government introducing its programmes and policies, it has all received mockery and laughing stocks from some people of the public. That is, the SHS placement system, free education, digital addressing system and the general digitalization policies the current government enrolled so far, and each of these policies has received negative comments which government will always have to come back several times to explain matters to Ghanaians as clarification for understanding.

For me, I think because of the four (4) year period of rule of government, make every government to rush on policies and programmes at all times in this country since the inception of the 1992 constitution. Yes, technological systems are developed to help mankind or any entity to work fast, quickly, efficiently and effectively. And these are the main purposes of technology and nothing else. But since, technology is created and design by human beings, it has its own challenges that it brings upon the users of such devices, no doubt about that.

Therefore, the governments has not really done well in the execution of SHS placement system since, no one knows what the general process is in that policy, it is only the government (may be Ministry of Education and WAEC), and the I.T. officers in charge of the programme policy. But I must say that they have not done well to show us professionalism and how good technocrats they are in handling such programme, in which the process brings a lot of problems for condemnation by the public. It is very bad for them and the government. In management practice, there is no excuse for failures and poor performance of any work because management demands professionalism, efficiency and effectiveness, and above all good productivity, which means successes and achievements. But it is always a failure, why? I believe some people are not really technocrats as they want us to believe and so government must always do proper scanning and experimenting for the right caliber of contractors and staffs. The reason for this is that, if the policy is well developed with the necessary policy documents as dummies, then the public or parents must know this before even the process start. Besides, it must be trust worthy by citizens in that, they will not be cheating and favouritism. If the systems are properly and technically designed, and its allowed to work, then no one will show blame or complain.

Another instance is the, addressing system, which in fact, baffles me a lot as the current government did not get their decisions right. Because, technically and I.T. security wise, they should have known that this system they are trying to implement cannot be broadly applied to all persons and activities at once. They should have stressed that it is only for government purpose at the moment to get address to each home and company buildings for tax purposes. This will have solve half of the problems because, it is very bad practice for government to implement a programme policy and want individuals to use their own personal devices like mobile phones to help it to capture address data. This is very bad practice in management process and functions because, 1. The system will receive fake names and addresses 2. It will be a mess and confused system since the system is about satellite systems 3. Criminals could invade the system for their bad acts because it will be easy for them to trace anybody they want to locate etc. In fact, I find it difficult to understand why the government tried to make it look cheap? Why cant the government make it like a project work and hire people to go round and capture the addresses data for them and in this case the government will allocate physically the addresses to the homes? This alone could create part-time or temporal job vacancies for the state, for the unemployed to get something to do.

One disaster about the way the government want can never work because, e.g. can you force people to use their personal phones to do something for you voluntarily in this kind of economy with polarization of issues? More so, I am highly disappointed about the company government engaged to handle this policy. I dont see them as experts, I doubt because they should know better. Again, I would advise the government to always include experts and other technocrats in the cabinet meeting for matters concerning Information Technology because I dont think all the members in the cabinet has prerequisite knowledge about Computer programming and Computer systems Engineering and so on to ask intriguing questions for proper perusals. If this was done, I believe a lot would have been improved. As it stands now it is about people going to the Google play store and to download the address system app. Who will pay for the bundle of downloading the app? I dont know whether the laws or constitution of Ghana enforce people to use their personal phones for this work and how about those who dont have phones. I understand they can go to the nearby Post Office to request them to come and get the address for them, wow, I guess this is after thought of the policy. How about if they decide not to even go?

The same issues must be properly considered under the National Identification project, in that, proper address details such as name of property, property number if any or use the plot number, traditional family head name if any, region, town, village, area common name known and is familiar by the people, persons name, DoB, age if necessary, street address if available, occupation/profession if any, postal address (dont think it is necessary since it is not linked to any of our locations), etc. Of course, not all of these features will be included on the ID card but the database I suppose should have this broad information about citizens for future use if any problem occurs. Such broad database will be useful for security officers and other government agencies. I also would have wished that the works done so far in terms of systems designed would have been published for the public expert input. Public systems development does not only lie on the onus of the NI Authority.

Public must be engaged to understand what is been developed since it is about citizens future. Recruiting and training people to execute the project can come with data systems design problems such as the suggestions I have indicated above, are they included? Ghanas social and cultural lifestyle is different from European countries and so, our systems cannot look like theirs. The NI cards database must have a history of Ghanaian citizens, if not, then, it will be shambles in effect. Hence, management functions must be duly followed in practice. Finger prints are also important for security reasons as well. Will the NI cards have date of issue? Will it also have expiry date and if so for what purpose? I think profession as occupation must be on the card. Street names and address, do we have proper streets across the country? No. We have bush and pot holes and rocks streets and how can they be labeled? Hence, first thing first, this is why the rush on the digital addressing system since the street naming becomes defunct.

More importantly, I must also blame those few guys who show their knowledge about this policy in the media. I think it is bad, they should have written to the government about their knowledge of it rather than presenting it as if, it is bad for government to allocate address to homes and office buildings. I even think that the Police CID or BNI can invite anybody who goes on the media airwaves to show how they have cracked or hacked into that addressing system. Because, Internet security or computer security is not a joke whereby people will be performing illegality and show casing it to the public. Since hacking means gaining unauthorized access to data in a computer system or device. It is unprofessional and criminal, they should know better. Hackers are always on the hide because such act is illegal. Systems must be protected against hackers, why because it is an offence or criminality to do that and it is not for fun or merry making? Lets be serious professionals in this country. What is cybercrime then? How about trespass or just breaking somebodys door and entering? So, if you find any system weak, put it into writing to the right quarters for redress, I think it will be a good practice to do this rather than showing it or discussing it to the public. We are all the government isnt it? And so we must all look for good things for Ghana.

Of course, the contractor has done a poor job by not having proper managerial skills in advising government of what is doable and what is not in the mean time. Besides, the whole system is not the contractor own system developed, hence, it is technically problematic. Google and other third party software are part of this system as integration. I also, read that there is Data Protection Act in place to monitor and safeguard this addressing system. But this protection has nothing to do with the citizens directly at this stage since they are not even the custodian of such data information. Data Protection is only a measure just in case the wrong is committed then what will happen next and this lie heavily on the contractor.

In conclusion, both the government and some technocrats must be careful one way or the other and do due diligence and constantly apply managerial skills for proper decision making about policy design and implementation.

Thanks.

A-K Adam

[email protected]
The Youth Organizer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Sammi Awuku, has conceded that his party cannot control all its members across the country, thus should not be blamed for the rise in acts of political vigilantism.

Since the NPPs election victory, the escalation of such acts of lawlessness by irate NPP youth, has prompted renewed scrutiny, but has been met with little restraint from the partys supporters or increased action from law enforcement.

The lack of action from police is seen by some to be emboldening such incidents.

The most recent incident, in Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region, saw offices of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) locked up by some youth of the area alleged to be members of the NPPs Invincible Forces.

Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Awuku however cautioned against treating the increased vigilantism as an NPP matter, and asserted that we must also treat it as a matter that cuts across the political divide and not limit it to just the NPP.

If we also want to play the partisan card, we can give a total recall of hundreds of incidents, but that does not solve the matter, he added.

Police must step up

Echoing President Nana Akufo-Addos comments on the acts of vigilantism , Mr. Awuku said the NPP has been clear in its condemnation of such acts, and shifted the onus onto the police to act decisively on such incidents.

The police should not wait to be prompted by the Asylum Down Head office of the NPP or the Flagstaff House before they can do their work because, per the laws of our country, they are mandated to enforce these laws.

The NPP has millions of supporters nationwide and the party leadership cannot remote control someone in Techiman, he argued further.

What we can all do will be to support these security agencies. Anybody who breaks the law, deal with the person ruthlessly, according to the laws of our country.

The incident at Techiman adds to the growing list of similar acts of lawlessness perpetrated by NPP-affiliated groups over the last seven days.

Other more recent incidents include disturbances in Karaga and Sissala West, perpetrated by alleged NPP supporters.

Following that, youth aligned to the NPP stormed an Assembly election in Adeiso in the Eastern Region, and allegedly assaulted some assembly members when the election did not go their way.

These added to 18 separate attacks previously reported by Citi News since the NPP assumed the mantle of governance.



By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
WASHINGTON  Former CIA director James Woolsey pitched a $10 million contract to two Turkish businessmen to help discredit a controversial U.S.-based cleric while Woolsey was an adviser to Donald Trump's election campaign, three people familiar with the proposal said.

Just eight days after formally joining Trump's campaign as an adviser on national security issues, Woolsey met on Sept. 20, 2016 with businessmen Ekim Alptekin and Sezgin Baran Korkmaz over lunch at the Peninsula Hotel in New York, they said.

Woolsey and his wife, Nancye Miller, proposed a lobbying and public relations campaign targeting Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric who lives in Pennsylvania.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses Gulen of instigating a failed coup in July 2016 and wants him extradited to Turkey to face trial. Gulen has denied any role in the coup.

In an email memo seen by Reuters, Woolsey and Miller sketched a plan to "draw attention to the cleric's possible role in the coup attempt" and encourage an official investigation into his activities.

Alptekin, an ally of Erdogan, had already agreed through one of his companies to a $600,000 contract with the consulting firm of Michael Flynn to research Gulen. Flynn was also a Trump campaign adviser and later became his national security adviser before being fired in February.

Woolsey was a member of Flynn's firm, the Flynn Intel Group, according to a Justice Department filing by the firm and an archive of the company's website, although a spokesman for Woolsey disputed that characterization, saying he was an unpaid adviser and his affiliation was "loosely defined."

At the Sept. 20 meeting, Miller said she and Woolsey were in a better position than Flynn to influence decision-makers about Gulen's alleged role in the coup, according to Alptekin and two other people familiar with the discussion.

Bidding for a lobbying or consulting contract with a foreign company or government is not illegal, and Woolsey and Miller did not win the contract in any event.

But the previously undisclosed meeting shows for the first time that two Trump aides were competing with each other to win the lucrative business deal with Alptekin. The deal with Flynn is now being investigated by special counsel Robert Mueller as part of his wider probe into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russians who tried to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Peter Carr, a spokesman for Mueller, declined to comment.

Jonathan Franks, a spokesman for Woolsey and Miller, said his clients were not under investigation.

Flynn is a central figure in Mueller's investigation because of conversations he had with then-Russian ambassador Sergei Kislyak last year and because he waited until March to retroactively register with the Justice Department as a foreign agent for the work he did for Alptekin.

In that filing, Flynn's lawyer, Robert Kelner, said the work done for Alptekin's company "could be construed to have principally benefited the republic of Turkey."

Flynn was fired as national security adviser in February after misleading Vice President Mike Pence about the extent of his conversations with Kislyak.

Franks described the Sept. 20 meeting as "unremarkable" and said Miller could not locate the email memo or remember writing it.

He also said Woolsey had pursued with Turkish interests an "economic development proposal in the wake of the coup that centered around reassuring folks that Turkey was a safe place to do business" but that the project's focus was not on Gulen.

Alptekin said Woolsey and Miller pursued his business at the Sept. 20 meeting, pitching the project to target Gulen, but he decided to stick to his contract with Flynn's firm.

Kelner declined to comment for this story.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

SCRUTINY

The disclosure in March of Flynn's contract to discredit Gulen sparked intense media scrutiny of people who had worked with Flynn, including Woolsey.

Shortly after, Woolsey alleged in media interviews that Flynn and others had, at a Sept. 19, 2016 meeting in New York, discussed with Turkey's foreign and energy ministers the idea of covertly spiriting Gulen out of the United States and to Turkey.

Flynn has denied through a spokesman ever discussing such a plan. Alptekin also denied it was ever discussed and said Woolseys claim was "all the more astounding" because he had sought Alptekins business at a meeting the following day.

"His story is fiction," Alptekin told Reuters.

Franks said Woolsey stands by his account of the meeting.

Woolsey first proposed the $10 million project to Korkmaz, the second Turkish businessman, at a meeting in California in August 2016. The proposal was outlined in an email sent from Miller to Woolsey on Aug. 18, printed out and shown by Woolsey to Korkmaz, who then forwarded it on to Alptekin.

Korkmaz, who had known Woolsey for some years, invited Woolsey to the meeting, according to two people familiar with the meeting. Korkmaz told Woolsey that he was looking for someone who could handle a lobbying and public relations project related to Gulen.

Korkmaz and Alptekin have no business ties but knew each other through a U.S-Turkey trade group, according to two people with knowledge of their relationship. Anil Leylek, a spokeswoman for Korkmaz's company, declined to comment.

Franks confirmed the August meeting but described it as "brief" and "not a pitch."

Woolsey and Miller's proposal included getting Washington insiders like then-Senator Jeff Sessions, who is now Trump's attorney general, to co-author articles on the situation in Turkey, engaging with influential lawmakers such as Republican Senator Bob Corker, and getting Woolsey on Fox News and CNN, the memo said.

"The cost of this engagement will be $10,000,000," it said.

Woolsey, who led the CIA for two years under former President Bill Clinton, joined the Trump campaign in September. He was on the transition team after Trump's election victory in November but he stepped down in January.

Franks said Woolsey was an unpaid adviser to the campaign, had no obligation to report any efforts to pursue work for Turkish interests, and was now being smeared.

With growing speculation that indictments could be handed down soon, its not a surprise that others are attempting to accomplish in the press what they cannot in the grand jury room," Franks added.

(Additional reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara and Julia Harte in Washington; Editing by Kieran Murray and Ross Colvin)
" The Ghanaian people offered me the rare honour to serve my country as the Vice President and I did same in all humility and with the guidance of Allah. As I bow out, I entreat that we focus on what binds us than what breaks us. "- Alhaji Aliu Mahama

The history books of Ghana would be deficiently incomplete without the mention of the personal input and motivations injected into project Ghana by Alhaji Aliu Mahama, the late Former Vice President of Ghana. The quality of life he lived enabled him to embody the ideal of inter-group cohesion, close knitted brotherhood and unity not only in his home regions of the North but also on the Ghanaian national level, to an extent that is perhaps without historical equivalent. It is therefore not the least surprising when in the aftermath of his sudden demise, there have been a popular coalesce of legit demand for the immortalisation of his memory.

Aliu Mahama, by the dint of his industry, blossomed from the part of the country that was at the period inflicted by ruthless indigence. The challenges of the times and how he rose to become a role model to many and an essential commodity to Ghana places Aliu's legacy in a progressive perspective with consequences on collective actions against poverty, illiteracy and disruption of harmony.

Aliu Mahama's influence on the Northern liberation struggle against ethnic violence still remain an inspiration and a reminder to Northerners to adopt human spirit that will enable them forge ahead in the face of disagreement and to reconcile with former adversaries. Many a budding politician draw lessons from Aliu Mahama rare sense of personal sacrifice in the cause of pursuing the collective good and the wellbeing of all. The very life of Aliu Mahama challenged the unfettered grips of illiteracy, poverty and unhealthy ethnic rivalry that characterized many parts of the Northern-halt of the country.

Beyond representing a symbol of peaceful collective action for change and for development, was on merit, actively involved in resolving many conflicts that rocked the North. He initiated many fora for the mediation of issues on conflicts. After democratically stepping out as Deputy President of Ghana in January 2009, he became a venerable elder of the NPP and a statesman whose contribution could not be over emphasise. As chief sponsor of the education of many Ghanaian students, he funded and pushed hard to make the lives of far too many successful men from the North.

The legacy of Aliu Mahama indeed transcends the borders of Ghana. He is a legacy for leadership and humanity as a whole. As a strong advocate for better standard of living for all, Aliu Mahama concern himself with insisting for freedom from the shackles of poverty through the power of education. Aliu Mahama lived a life filled with the belief that education and disciplined life-long learning are the most powerful weapons for changing the world. In his own words, knowledge/education remains the sole strong conqueror of poverty  in every human setting.

As we set the grounds to commemorate Alhaji Aliu Mahama, it is important Ghanaians take inspiration from Aliu Mahamas leadership in the continuum fight for social and economic liberation; and his love of education and discipline as a weapon of change. We should celebrate the life and achievement of this great national icon of peace, harmony and respect for humanity. Indeed, our national values  growing our people, delivering the Ghanaian interest, advancing public good, constantly raising the bar of industry, respecting each other and upholding the highest level of integrity  find expression in the legacy of this towering figure who believed in making a difference than living a mere life.

Aliu Mahama may not have lived in the era of Dr. JB Danquah, Kwame Nkrumah, Paa Grant and others when the struggle for Ghanaian liberation from colonialism was at its peak. However, rising to the challenge of leadership, together with his keen support for education have doubtlessly put Alhaji Aliu Mahama on a pedestal among the pantheon of national heroes.

Abdallah, Abdul Matin

The writer is a student of Economics at the University of Ghana and an avid adherent of the ideals of the late Aliu Mahama.
The Center for Progressive Governance (CenProG) has noted with shock the contents of an audio recording in which Ambassador Ayisi Boateng is heard stating that he has no obligation to Ghanaians living in South Africa but to only NPP members.

The statement by the diplomat is most reckless, unnecessary and very unfortunate and we will call on him to do the honourable thing by resigning from the position and rather taking up a party position since he owes allegiance only to the NPP but not Ghanaians.

We at CenProG have observed the arguments for and against the contents of the audio with people justifying the statements that he was addressing party supporters. This defence is rather weak and hollow to the extent that the ambassador stated that he had made the statement earlier and had dared Ghanaians to take it or leave it.

CenProG notes rather worryingly that Mr Ayisi Boateng was admonishing others to emulate this rather unfortunate posture as if to say that you are not a Ghanaian unless you hold a membership card of the NPP. The country does not need this and we condemn such acts in no uncertain terms.

The crux of our call for his resignation is the fact that we have recorded several incidences of xenophobic attacks on other nationals in South Africa and so it is the duty of an ambassador to ensure the well being of Ghanaians living in South Africa especially when these attacks happen. Mr Ayisi Boateng per his statement and logic will however not ensure the safety and security of Ghanaians but rather allow them to suffer such attacks in South Africa unless they are able to prove membership of the NPP.

Mr Ayisi Boateng is being paid with the Ghanaian taxpayers' money and not from the dues of NPP party members and so with this evidence of gross partiality, the taxpayers money cannot be used to pay him to go ahead and discriminate among Ghanaians in broad daylight.

We, like other discerning Ghanaians both home and in South Africa, have therefore lost confidence in Mr Ayisi Boateng to continue to serve the interest of our brothers and sisters who are in there to seek greener pastures and so in the interest of the country, he must resign and allow for someone who will serve Ghanaians to take up the position.

CenProG also calls on His Excellency the President to as a matter of urgency sack Mr Ayisi Boateng if he fails to resign to exhibit that he is the father of the nation and therefore represents the interests of Ghanaians both home and abroad regardless of tribe, gender or politics.

God Bless our homeland Ghana and make it GREAT and STRONG.

Signed

Sawadogo Mahmoud

Executive Secretary, CenProG

0504607005/0244997751

Mallam Yahya Mohammed

Executive Director, CenProG

0243728659

Cc:

His Excellency Nana Akuffo Addo,

Flagstaff House,

Accra.
Ghanas leading mobile financial services firm Zeepay has enjoyed massive reviews from Better Than Cash Alliance in its 2017 Country Diagnostic report titled, Building an Inclusive Digital Payments Ecosystem: The Way Forward.

The Better Than Cash Alliance is a partnership of governments, companies, and international organizations that accelerates the transition from cash to digital payments in order to reduce poverty and drive inclusive growth.

Based at the UN, the Alliance has 60 members, collaborates closely with other global organizations, and is an implementing partner for the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion.

The Diagnostic Report shows Ghana has taken important steps toward digitizing its economy, and has several of the building blocks of an inclusive digital ecosystem already in place. It also assesses Ghanas progress to date, and sets out specific policy recommendations that can accelerate Ghanas journey towards a more digital economy.

The report asserted that Zeepay has further improved Ghanas payment infrastructure and to a certain extent, facilitated interoperability.

The report also stated that, Zeepay and other fintech companies have invested in developing platform infrastructure that supports card, mobile, and web (internet banking) payments and offers interoperable person-to-person (P2P) transfers and electronic payments for government services, utility payments, and merchant payments

The report noted that Zeepay does not focus only on innovative products for banked Ghanaians, but equally focusing on bringing the unbanked into the financial stream.

Founded in 2014, Zeepays key services currently include MM retail payments, digital receipt of international remittances, P2P transfers between banks and mobile money wallets, as well as supporting other third party related payment transactions. Zeepay was awarded StartUp of the Year at the Premium Bank Ghana StartUp Awards in July 2017, and have received over USD 200,000 in angel funding by 2015, the report further noted.

In June 2017, the company announced a collaboration with Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications, the National Board for Small Scale Industries, and the United Nations Capital Development Fund to launch a Digital for Inclusion program, with the aim of improving Ghanas digital economy through interconnection which is focused on smallholder cocoa communities and the Zongo communities.
31.10.2017 LISTEN

The impunity of the nomadic Fulani has reached a dangerous crescendo. The lull following their earlier attacks on their hosts in the lush grass growing areas of the country was, we guess, to rearm and descend upon us again. They have by the recent attacks served notice that they can graze their cattle anywhere they survey. We have by this been sufficiently forewarned.

Unconfirmed reports have it that a young man in Yendi has been killed by the Fulani. The circumstances are yet to be established as the Police are investigating.

The situation is akin to an invasion of course, because our country is hosting unwillingly an unusual number of nomads who do not respect our laws. Woe betides anybody who calls their bluff for their actions. Those who challenged them earlier did not live to tell their stories. That is where we have reached with our killer guests.

In as much we must respect the ECOWAS protocol on free movement of citizens from member countries, we won't be in breach of this if we took a decisive action against nomads who come into our country armed and ready to pull the trigger to kill our compatriots.

This past few weeks have been a de ja vu affair reminding us about how the nomads unleashed a similar reign of terror a few years ago when a joint military/police operation had to be put together to flush them out and to manage the situation.

The bloodshed associated with the Fulani menace does not look like ending any time soon considering its recent resuscitation and the resultant fatalities in the Eastern Region and elsewhere.

There must be a closure to this impunity. Unless we begin to see it as an 'invasion' we would not be able to prescribe an appropriate and effective antidote.

It has lingered for many years now. That we still have not been able to address it suggests a failure of the earlier interventions.

Our borders are porous and we have spoken about that for a long time now. We are definitely not primed to wall our frontiers as Donald Trump plans doing with the US/Mexican border but we can raise the standards of our immigration officers by providing them with the necessary and basic equipment to deal with the 'invasion' somewhat.

The youth in some communities where Fulani have set foot are threatening to confront the aliens and when that happens, the fallouts can be disastrous.

Deploying troops and the Police to parts of the country prone to Fulani invasion is an expensive venture even though for now it is the best option available to us.

Our grasslands provide rare pasture for their cattle and so the Fulanis are ready to engage in duels with anybody who seeks to deny their cattle access to grass. It is for this reason that we must prepare ourselves to deal with the nomads head on.
At least 12 people have been killed in an air strike in Libya's besieged eastern jihadist stronghold of Derna, a medical source said on Tuesday.

Most of the victims, including women and children, are from the same family, the source at the Harish hospital said, adding that three people were left critically wounded by the bombing conducted Monday evening.

It was not immediately clear who carried out the strike.

The attack has not been claimed by forces loyal to strongman Khalifa Haftar, which have been besieging Derna for months and regularly conduct air strikes against the eastern city.

Derna, some 900 kilometres (560 miles) east of Tripoli, was known for being a bastion of jihadists even before the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

Haftar's forces are waging a campaign against jihadist groups, including efforts to capture the city from the "Revolutionary Shura Council of Derna", a coalition of militias close to Al-Qaeda.

Jihadists in the conflict-torn country have frequently accused Haftar's main international backers, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, of participating in deadly raids.

Egypt in late May said it launched strikes in the region of Derna after a bloody attack on its soil claimed by the Islamic State group that left 29 people dead.

Controversial strongman Haftar supports an administration based in the country's east that has refused to recognise the UN-backed Government of National Accord based in Tripoli.
In much of my travel as a researcher on African Diaspora communities around the world, I have mostly had an amazing level of support from Ghanaian diplomats for the last twenty years, even while being a government critic.

Most of our career diplomats are very professional. I still remember for instance the high level reception I received in the embassy at Beijing with the ambassador himself taking me to lunch. I won't forget the fufu I ate with other Ghanaian delegates at the residence of our ambassador in Addis. And I still remember vividly the young Ghanaian diplomat who insisted on driving my wife and I to Brussels airport. I enjoyed these hospitalities irrespective of whether it was Rawlings or Kufuor or Mills or Mahama who was president.

But everything has changed under the partisan and even ethnocentric Akuffo Addo NPP regime. We have a bad, partisan, anti-Nkrumah president who is going around appointing some highly unpatriotic, ethnocentric ambassadors like the guy in South Africa who is said to have declared that he will serve pro-NPP Ghanaians first before trying to attend to other Ghanaians.

Ghanaians are clamouring on social media and elsewhere for the unpatriotic Ayisi Boateng to be removed as our ambassador in Pretoria.

I have no hope that our useless, partisan president Addo will even bat an eye!

Prof. Dr. Adams Bodomo,

Professor of African Studies (Chair of Languages and Literatures),

Director, Global African Diaspora Studies (GADS) Research Platform,

http://gads.univie.ac.at/

University of Vienna, African Studies Department,

Spitalgasse 2, Court 5.1, 1090 Vienna, AUSTRIA
Telecom operator, Tigo Ghana, at the weekend won the 'CSR Award for Education and 'CSR Partnership Initiative of the Year at the 7th Ghana CSR Excellence Awards held in Accra.

This marks the second straight year that the company has won the education category for its unique approach to improving education in communities.

Over the years, Tigo has invested heavily into its educational initiatives such as Shelter for Education, which provides infrastructure and technology support to basic schools in deprived communities in the country.

It is also improving the reading culture among children in basic schools through its partnership with 'Raising Readers Ghana'. For the 'CSR Partnership Initiative of the Year, the company, known for using mobile technology to transforms lives, was highly praised for its Automated Birth Registration system initiative, a partnership with UNICEF and the Births and Deaths Registry.

The system has revolutionized the birth registration process in the over 300 communities where it is currently being piloted  providing ease and convenience for both parents and registration officials. Since May 2016, the system has registered over 328,882 new births.

Organised by the Centre for CSR, West Africa, a leading Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability strategy development and policy advocacy in the West Africa, the awards, which is in its 7th year received over 100 entries from different industries in Ghana.
New Takoradi, Ghana, 30th October, 2017 Blue Ocean Investments Limited, the second largest bulk distribution company (BDC) of fuels in Ghana, showed its solidarity with the New Takoradi community by donating to support this years celebration of the Kundum festival.

The donation comprised of six bags of rice, four gallons of cooking oil, eight crates of beer, six boxes of mineral drinks, 10 boxes of mineral water, two bottles of Schnapps and one cow. In addition to this, Blue Ocean donated a cash amount of two thousand Ghana cedis (GHS2,000.00) to the community festivities.

Speaking on behalf of the Blue Ocean team, Mr. Henry Osei, Deputy General Manager of Blue Ocean Investments said that this donation was to symbolise Blue Oceans support of the New Takoradi community, where one of its depots is located.

We are glad to be able to support the New Takoradi community, home to one of our depots. The community has welcomed us with open arms, and we believe that supporting the Kundum festival, central to New Takoradi culture, is one way of showing our gratitude to them, said Mr. Osei.

Adding to this statement, Mr. Michael Mensah, Operations Manager of Blue Ocean Investments, highlighted the importance of this donation to effective operations in the community.

Earning the social license to operate is very important to what we do. It is good for the community in which we operate to feel the benefit of our presence here, so I am happy that we have been able to make a worthy contribution, said Mr. Mensah.

Receiving the donation, the Chief of New Takoradi, Nana Kwesi Abeka, expressed his profound gratitude on behalf of the community.

We are most grateful to Blue Ocean Investments for making this donation to our community. The Kundum festival has great significance in our culture, so we appreciate Blue Ocean Investments support and acknowledgement of this, said Nana Kwesi Abeka.

Following this donation, a courtesy call was made on the paramount chief of the Takoradi area, Osahene Katekyi Busumakura III, Omanhene of Takoradi.

The Omanhene welcomed Blue Ocean Investments to the community once more, and encouraged the BDC to continue with such positive community engagements as they would go a long way to further deepen the relationship between the company and the community.

Blue Ocean Investments has made significant investments in oil storage infrastructure in Ghana. In addition to its state-of-the-art storage facility in Takoradi which stores and distributes gasoline and gasoil, the company owns and operates two storage terminals in Tema storing Aviation fuel, Gasoil and Gasoline, as well as a depot at the Kotoka International Airport that stores Aviation fuel.
Government needs to take a critical look at taxes paid by mining companies and businesses in the informal sector in order to boost revenue mobilization.

The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), an economic think tank, which gave the advice recently, in its pre-2018 budget review document, said the country's authorities must reduce the widespread tax exemptions and evasion, broaden the tax base, strengthen revenue administration, improve tax compliance and help combat abuses and corruption.

The mining sector in Ghana, it said, had a dominant potential to contribute to national resource mobilization.

However, the sector's contribution to government revenue has not grown with the same pace, and the overall impact of the sector to national development, despite the mineral commodity boom, is not very visible.

This is because the incentives accorded mining companies have greatly limited the share of government revenue from the sector and constrained the opportunities for government to mobilize adequate resources to fund social and development programmes. The framework of the current mining legislation in the country, which generally seeks to encourage foreign investment, is not necessarily compatible with the maximization of revenue and attainment of social and economic development, Prof Newman Kusi, Executive Director of IFS, told journalists.

He said the range of capital allowances, list of mining related equipment and items exempted from custom duties, non-payment of capital gains taxes, Value Added Taxes (VAT), dividend withholding taxes, corporate income taxes, huge offshore sales revenue retentions and the payment of royalty at the lowest allowable rate, constrain domestic revenue generation, resulting in less visible contribution of the sector to national economic development.

He, therefore, emphasised that to ensure that the country benefitted from the mining sector in terms of growing its tax base, the government has to undertake a complete review of the mining fiscal regime and its investment and stabilization agreements.

That would require re-examination of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) and a review of mining contracts and agreements.

Ghana's Minerals and Mining Act, 2006, (Act 703) provides for fiscal stabilization, mining investment and development agreements.

These agreements are supposed to be signed by mining companies with mining leases for specific mining prospects.

Also, it provides for companies to negotiate stability agreements to ensure that mining companies, for a period not exceeding 15 years, are not affected by new legislative enactments and amendments that would adversely affect their operations.

In addition, companies with investment portfolios exceeding US$500 million may negotiate development agreements with the government.
Mustapha Ussif

31.10.2017 LISTEN

The Acting Executive Director of the National Service Secretariat (NSS), Mustapha Ussif, has disclosed that 57 persons who posed as National Service personnel have been arrested in Tamale, the Northern Regional capital, and are currently under police investigation.

According to him, payment was delayed due to some technical hitches and inconsistencies in the process of authentication and validation of all national service personnel across the country.

Mr Mustapha Ussif indicated that the exercise was necessary as it had exposed a number of irregularities.

In a statement, he said all national service personnel who did not partake in the biometric registration exercise were not captured for payment of the September, 2017 allowance.

All such people have therefore been asked to visit the designated centres in Accra, Kumasi, or Tamale without any further delay, to complete their biometric registration for their names to be validated for payment of allowances due them.

Meanwhile, management of the NSS has appealed to the public to assist it by providing information on imposters to the security agencies.

The National Service Secretariat has announced payment of allowances for 58,000 service personnel in the public sector for the month of September, 2017.

About 8,000 others have their allowances on hold and are under investigation over suspicion of impersonation and disqualification.

FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale
Within the legal fraternity, they always espouse that Justice Delayed is Justice Denied and I hope all those with UEW at heart are currently witnessing the sad events on the campus following the injunction put on the legally appointed FO and Vice Chancellor. It is worrying for some of us as products of this noble institution to see the injustices that continue to gain roots daily in a growing university as UEW. I hope all the caricatures fuelling the dirty ambitions of a failed Catholic priest to be a VC at all cost are watching and can see where the university is heading towards. Let us first consider the legal perspective of the case. It is sad and regrettable that all the reliefs that the judge relied on before granting the injunction have been withdrawn from the Winneba High Court by Hon. Alex Afenyo Markin. Amount so many reliefs (a-m), the reliefs that he is seeking a ruling on now include:

A declaration that the extension of the mandate of the Governing Council of the 1st Respondent by the 2nd respondent to stay in office to perform such functions as a properly appointed council was in breach of Section 8 Act 672. A declaration that no authority or institution of state has any power to extend the tenure of a member of the Governing Council of the 1st Respondent unless such extension is in accordance with Act 672 A declaration that all appointments made by the defunct Governing Council which constituted themselves as the Governing Council of the 1st Respondent by virtue of the directives of the 2nd Respondent are null and void and of no legal effect A declaration that all decisions taken by the defacto body of persons who constituted themselves as Governing Council is null and void and of no legal effect.

A declaration that the Memorandum of Understanding between Ghana Highway Authority and the 1st Respondent was a sham and used as a decoy to embezzle public funds. My Question: Was Avoke VC then?

A declaration that the illegally appointed Principal Officers of the 1st Respondent wilfully misappropriated public funds by failing to put to public tender for the construction of the North campus road and thereby causing financial loss to the state. My Question: Was Avoke VC then?

Why is the injunction still in place? This has allowed this failed catholic priest and academic to continue to perpetuate injustice on the University campus. When I passed through the campus a few days ago, I lamented over the division that this wicked hearted man together with his innocent servants have brought to a university where people were once together. There is suspicion at its peak and nobody seems to trust the other yet this man is still allowed to serve mass and some Catholics even take HOLY BREAD FROM HIMthis is indeed sad! The numbers in your church is fast reducing, yet that is not your concern. Where is the Oath you swore at your ordination? You can deceive your colleagues that you scored the highest mark at the interview but for political reasons you claim Prof Mawutor Avoke was considered over you, but you know deeply that records can be referred to. This was the misinformation you gave when you were asked for details on the UEW saga. You keep painting your ignorance by suggesting that you are only doing what a court has asked you to do. I pray for this issue to come to an end and I shall make public the videos of all satanic things you and your people do when darkness takes over light on the campus. Innocent ones such as Bawah are desperately trying to defend people they know little about. Sooner, he (Bawah) shall get to know the mistakes he made on UEW campus. Do not attempt to ask why we call you a failed academic, Rev Afful-Broni. Before the Winneba High Court mysteriously assigned you the title Ag-VC which I am told is even in conflict with University Statues, if your name was heard, then it was in connection with Church activities, most money-oriented such as Harvest, mention them. Secondly, I Victor K. Owusu dare challenge you that there is no single external assessment of yours in all promotions you have had in the University that really was good enough to have earned you the requested promotions. The reports I intercepted on your promotions indicate that right from your promotion from senior lecturer to the mysterious FOOL PROFESSOR you currently have, the Appointment and Promotions Board would always have to say Let us give it to him. You publish in journals that are only known by you and yet you wont hide yourself. Anytime I chance on you on campus, I laugh at you because you simply are not a happy man. God is watching you and your wicked heart. The malice you continue to show on campus shall follow on you for the rest of your life. You need repentance and I mean it when I say this. Because of your ambitions to be a VC, you see the chaos you have brought to the University? As for your colleague, the Effutu MP (Freemason Treacherous Devil Incarnate Alex Afenyo Markin) who went to mess up at the Supreme Court during the hearing of a certiorari and prohibition application against the Winneba High Court on October 26, 2017, I leave him for now. I shall return to him in subsequent write-ups. You, Rev Afful-Broni financed the other ethnocentric bigots like Dandy, Antwi Danso, Braako (who have all benefited from your distribution of the Universitys cake) to go to the Supreme Court and misbehave? No wonder Dandy had to quickly get to you at the Manaheight hotel in Mankesim after their dismissal to play melodies for you since you could neither eat nor drink. In his company was Amponsah who is one of your treacherous supporters. This was the problem you caused yourself when you lost by scoring the lowest mark when you challenged Professors such as Prof Avoke to become a VC. Compare his assessment reports with yours, and you could even make them public as you did of his Vouchers a few weeks ago. There we would see you will hide your face as a FOOL professor. May God touch your heart to get some humility into yourself and appreciate that you have been pushed to where you are and not promoted like the Professor you are competing with.

Those who think that everything is fine in UEW are tickling themselves and laughing. Anyone who is in support of the Ag. VC (Who is a disgraced to Professorship and Priesthood) of UEW is an idiot. Morons like Bawah will always write nonsense and try to shield the truth. In an article written by Bawah titled Why Some Public Officers Fail in Ghana; the Case of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), he tried to paint a good picture of the Ag. VC so that the black CASSOCK the Ag. VC is wearing will be white in the eyes of students and his church members. Bawah claimed that It is heartwarming that the Acting VC, Rev. Fr. Prof. Afful-Broni, recently paid unannounced visits to all the halls, and measures are now being put in place to address the defects at the halls. May the Good Lord continue to guide and bless the selfless Acting VC of UEW! Bawah, it is a lie and let me tell you that you are been used stupidly to let right thinking students and staff think that Rev. Fr. Prof. BLACK CASSOCK MAN Afful-Broni is a good person. Was it not Avoke and co that instituted the 6000-bed capacity project for students that is now stalled because of a self-seeking MP of Effutu? Bawah also wrote that It is apparent from the above that it is nothing but outright greed that gave birth to the current legal impasse at UEW. If someone is greedy then it is Rev. Fr. Prof. BLACK CASSOCK MAN Afful-Broni. He is currently the Pro VC and at the same time Ag. VC (Which was not through consensus of UEW governing council) and sometimes, he will be chairing 2 meetings at the same time by shuttling between them and take sitting allowances for both. Bawah needs to reapply to be a lecturer and after that, he should be taken through an orientation on financial matters of UEW. Bawah has refused to read the UEWs financial regulations and write anything that passes through his anus as financial irregularities in UEW. No wonder, he is learning from Assoc. Prof. Abakah (a failed Professor himself and one that has no legacy on UEW campus after several years of victimising colleagues and students). This is the man who has been trumpeting corruption and malfeasance in UEW. Your Excellency, Nana Addo-Danquah, you have been deceived by Hon. Alex Afenyo Markin and co that there are a lot of corruption and malfeasance going on in UEW and that Assoc. Prof. Abakah should be made the council chairman to correct all the allegations. The council chair, Assoc. Prof. Abakah is rather milking UEW through sitting allowances. If he checks his pockets and he has no kwacha, or he receives his utility bills and sees that there is no financial hope, then he would call for an emergency council meeting. Yesterday, October 25, 2017, council sat for only 20 minutes and allowances were paid. Within two months, he has called 7 emergency and 2 general council meetings. The meetings too are not towards resolving the current impasse at UEW. I pray that the current government headed by Nana Addo-Danquah will let Assoc. Prof. Abakah relinquishes his position as the chairman of the governing council of UEW.

We wondered why they chose you Prof Abakah to help our Alma Mater as a council Chairman. You hate Prof Avoke just because he is an Ewe, yet he has trained so many PhDs and MPhils who are serving in various capacities in this university. That is the true legacy of a Professor. I hope you would soon name the PhD and Mphil/MA holders you trained while you were at this university. We only remember you for taking our school fees as responsibility allowances as HoD, Dean and the ProVC you won through a tribal war as you are known for. You keep trumpeting at every university gathering that you have come to fight corruption, yet you are calling for meetings always to drain the Universitys coffers. I hope you stop this cheap talk else I shall dig deeper and petition the President of Ghana on your appointment. Also remember that as much as you call for meetings to make money, never let that make you forget your regular medical appointmentsyooooI hope you know what I MEAN!

For the Deputy Registrars, accept my condolences! When most insiders including well-thinking alumni like me, took up the task to fight injustice, you thought we envied this mistakenly ordained Catholic Priest. You see the Council Chairman has denied all of you the opportunity to serve as registrar and has launched another tribal missile by bringing on Osei-Braimah as Registrar. This is a man I am told ran away from the University. Even more worrying is the fact that he cannot construct two sentences in English without facing troubles. When I intercepted his acceptance letter, I imagined the doom that awaits this University. Even coherence in writing is as problematic for him as what you and I have been managing from Salifu Alhassan Bawah. For me in my little corner, I expect him to enjoy his position only as much as those who brought him.

Professor Ameyaw, you only came to your senses when you were warned that you needed to be careful since you were a potential Pro VC Nominee!! It is sad that your change is this situational. Fortunately, we have gotten to know your true colour already. As for Prof Kankam, since he is nearing retirement after probably managing his age, I leave him in peace today.

I would end by telling Salifu Alhassan Bawah to stop attacking innocent people on suspicion. I am Victor K. Owusu (an Alumnus of UEW). If you were a product of this institution, I am sure you might have taught in same way as I do. Braako, good luck in your foolishness. You are being used but you have had your donation already as another senior lecturer in the system.

Lest I forget, I chanced on a WhatsApp in circulation and it is worth to share the tweaked version with you. Rev. Fr. Prof. BLACK CASSOCK MAN Afful-Broni, Nana Ghartey, C/R House of Chief President, all led by Assoc. Prof. Abakah, went to see the President last week for him to make Rev. Fr. Prof. BLACK CASSOCK MAN Afful-Broni VC. The President told them he doesn't appoint VC'S so they should go and follow the University's procedures. So, they left with disappointment. The new plan of Rev. Fr. Prof. BLACK CASSOCK MAN Afful-Broni and Devil Incarnate Alex Afenyo Markin is to send people to come and arrest Prof. Avoke and humiliate him for nothing. Since they know the arrest would not last for long, the next thing is to send armed men to attack and finish him. This is their new plan because they have lost it all so claim they will not allow him to come back either. Since these plans have leaked, the council chairman has to be forced to call for an emergency meeting today, October 31, 2017 to rule that some officers, including VC and FO should be asked to step aside for investigation to continue. Is UEW governing council an investigative agency? I pray that this their last plan will fail. Today's emergency meeting is called because they are aware that the supreme court ruling comes next week Wednesday may bring new dimensions so they have to use all means to prevent the VC and the FO to return to work.

Long Live Ghana! Long Live UEW!!!

Victor K. Owusu (An Alumnus of UEW)

[email protected]
The acting Managing Director of Ghana Post, Mr. James Kwofie has asked Ghanaians and the media to focus on the massive benefits that will to accrue to the government, the business community and Ghanaians at large, with the introduction of the new digital property addressing system in Ghana.

He insists the focus on security of the new system in the last few days clearly show the interests that Ghanaians have on the GhanaPostGPS Application''.

''We can talk about security which is obviously an ongoing concern so we cannot say that it is 100% impossible to hack it but the probability or likelihood is very very slim. Every system is liable to hacking but we have put strict levels of access controls so that access to the information on the system is on the need-to-know basis. There is 24hr monitoring and well know if anybody attempts to hack our system. So far, we are secured.'

Mr. Kwofie called on the public and the media to shift the focus of the discussion to the more tangible benefits of the new digital addressing systems to the general public, the police, the economy, the government and to the revamping of the business of postal services in Ghana in general.

The benefits for this new digital address system are very huge. This is a game changer for Ghana. All local government agencies can use it for planning purposes, municipalities and district assemblies can use it to value properties, the waakye seller can use it to make her location easier to her costomers. The digital address is going to become the way of life in how the country does business so lets focus on that.

The acting Managing Director also assured that the issue of double deliveries of parcels because of not being able to find the right addresses is over with the new digital addressing system. This reduces the cost of doing business for Ghana Post. It will also be the basis for all e-comerce platforms so that people can now sit in Ghana and buy things from abroad and have it delivered to them directly to their homes in Ghana.

And we are working with ECG and Ghana water company to ensure that all the digital addresses are on the utility bills etc. For those who have no access to smart phones or internet, or who are generally unable to generate their own digital addresses, the GhanaPostGPS also has an offline mode that has been set up so that people can walk into our offices and we can help them generate their own digital addresses.
All is set for the first ever Ghana Property Show in Nigeria, with a delegation of over 15 leading Ghanaian Real Estate Companies preparing to visit the country to showcase an impressive array of Ghanaian housing stock.

Announcing this event at a special press briefing in Lagos-Nigeria this week, Mr. George Osei, co-organiser of the event, stated that the Ghana Property Show in Nigeria has been designed as a unique platform to showcase and market top Ghana-based real estate investment opportunities to interested Nigerian investors and non-resident Ghanaians alike.

On what informed the hosting of this event, Osei acknowledged that the Nigeria-Ghana trade and cultural relationship dates back several decades ago. Nigerians and Ghanaians are known to share a great a deal of cultural, social and business relationship. For years, citizens of both countries have traded business and exchanged visits, so much so that many Nigerians have found a second home in Ghana and vice-versa

This property tradeshow has been long overdue and is now taking place due to overwhelming demand from the to the hundreds of Nigerian investors and Non-resident Ghanaians who are keen, willing and waiting to invest in Ghanaian real estate.

It is a known fact that Ghana is currently one of the most attractive African property investment destinations for the legion of avid real estate investors. The benefits of investing in Ghanaian real estate are numerous and include: a stable and rapidly growing economy, stable political climate favourable foreign investment environment, low taxation levels, solid and favourable returns on investment, a friendly people and environment, decent and improving basic infrastructures, remarkable ease of doing business, educated workforce and great food (I recommend waakye, kenkey and jollof

According to Mr. Steve Ike, CEO of BMJA Services and co-organizer of the event, the aim is to use the event to promote deeper and broader economic, cultural and commercial relations between Ghana and Nigeria.

The Ghana Property Show in Nigeria will feature general discussions about the Ghanaian investment climate, the real estate industry, as well as related information on the culture, education and sundry socio-economic factors. At the event, guests can look forward to special and exclusive offers including immediate sign-up benefits, opportunity to arrange all-expensive paid trips to Ghana, and instant gifts

Special guest speakers from both the Ghana High Commission in Nigeria and the counterpart Nigeria High Commission in Ghana, officials from the Trade & Investment ministries, the tourism board, as well as industry experts have been invited to make presentations and to provide answers to salient questions about investing in Ghana.

The array of property stock to be showcased at the event will include residential, commercial, retail, hotel/hospitality, and industrial properties. The coverage area where these properties are located extends from Accra, the Ghana Capital city, to Tema, Kumasi and other exciting locations.

Over 1,000 investors have already been confirmed to attend the event which would facilitate direct connections between participating companies and potential investors. The Ghana Property Show is scheduled for December 9, 2017 at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The Presbyterian University College Ghana (PUCG) has secured $44,000 from Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund to execute a project on conservation of endangered primates in three forest reserves in Ghana.

The project by the university forms part of reforms being introduced by management to network with research collaborators in order to boost its research profile.

It will be implemented over a 16-month period.

I am by this new drive of management appealing to industry and other organizations to sponsor or undertake joint research ventures with the university since we are the only private university located very close to the Afram Plains, he said.

The President of the University, Rev Prof. Emmanuel Adow Obeng, disclosed this at the university's 11th graduation, which was under the theme, Achieving Vision: The Role of Leadership.

The event, which was held at the Ramseyer Conference Hall at Abetifi in the Eastern Region recently, saw the graduation of 837 students.

Eighty-five of the graduating class received first class honours, 401 and 248 received Second Class Upper and Lower honours respectively while 88 had third class and 15 received passes.

New Programmes

Rev Prof Adow Obeng also stated that the university has introduced a number of new professional programmes at the undergraduate level to attract more students, as well as contribute to national development.

He cited Bachelor of Sc. Acturial Science, Bachelor of Laws (LLB), PhD in Optometry, B.Sc in Computer Engineering, BA in Communication Studies, adding that negotiations with the National Accreditation Board (NAB) were far advanced.

Earlier in July this year, the university introduced graduate programmes leading to the attainment of M.Ed. Educational Studies across its three campuses in Kwahu, Akropong and Kumasi.

PUCG, in order to give an international dimension to its programmes, has started a link up with Canterbury Christ Church University, UK for programmes in Midwifery and Physiotherapy, he announced.

The President bemoaned the recent increase in the number of universities in the country that offer nearly the same programmes.

He stressed the need for authorities to cap the number of new private universities except those prepared to offer specialized programmes like Engineering, Health, Technology as determined by the NAB.

Adow Obeng, who spoke on a number issues relating to the development of the University, called on government to extend financial support to PUCG and other high performing institutions, adding that government should abolish the 25% tax on private universities.

The acting Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Dr Victor Okoe Abbey, averred that the church will consider a sustained budget line for the university in due course.

He called on the students to be guided by what he termed Presbyterian discipline, as they move out into the job market.
BURKINA FASO Ambassador to Ghana, Pingrenoma Zagre, has lauded President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's 'One District, One Factory' policy, saying it is a good example to follow.

He said the 'One District, One Factory' programme has several benefits such as food security and the creation of jobs, just to mention a few, so the policy should be supported by all and sundry.

The One District, One Factory programme is very laudable and I think it is a good example for all of us in the West African sub-region to follow, Mr Zagre stated in Kumasi on Saturday.

This was when the Burkina Faso envoy paid a visit to the Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Osei Assibey Antwi where they discussed issues concerning Ghana and Burkina Faso's growth.

Mr Zagre said Ghana is Kumasi, stating that the central location of Kumasi makes the city a perfect place to do business, adding that Ghana, in particular Kumasi, has long relations with Burkina Faso.

He stressed the need for Ghana and Burkina Faso to deepen their close ties to help create jobs and wealth for the people of the two sister countries, adding that the two countries have the potential to rapidly transform, working together.

Mr Zagre saluted Osei Assibey Antwi for his tireless effort to make Kumasi look clean and green once again, stating that the KMA chief's laudable sanitation programme is also worthy of emulation.

On his part, Osei Assibey said Kumasi and Ouagadougou have a long sister-city relationship, and should therefore prioritize the areas they want to do business saying Ghana and Burkina Faso should move from normal friendship and venture into business for mutual growth.

He urged Burkina Faso investors to come to Kumasi to do business because the city is well positioned and equipped for business.

Mr Osei Assibey stated that the two countries can work together in the areas of portable water production, plastics and food processing, saying KMA is ready to offer land to any Burkina Faso investor.
A group known as Alliance for Women in the Media (West Africa) made up of prominent women and journalists in the Ghanaian media on Friday, petitioned parliament to ensure that the Inspector-General of Police brings the case in which a 17-year-old boy cruelly defiled a four-year-old girl at Adadientem in the Assin South district of the Central Region to the police headquarters in Accra for proper investigations to be conducted.

The group in presenting the petition to the Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, said bringing the case to Accra will facilitate speedy investigations into the matter since Accra has all the experts in carrying out such investigations.

The group led by Mercy Adjabeng said it is worried about the way the case is being handled by the Central Regional police and wants Accra to take it over to ensure justice.

The Majority Leader who received the petition on behalf of the speaker expressed gratitude to the women group for the initiative.

He indicated that Members of Parliament were also shocked by the news that after the grown up boy had defiled the little girl, no official complaint was made to the police while the boy was exonerated by the chief of the town.

He said President Akufo-Addo was also outraged on hearing the news.

He promised that the leadership of both the Majority and Minority will meet the speaker and find a way of pushing the concerns of the group to the appropriate quarters for action to be taken.

He thanked the group for recognising the important role of parliament and urged the group to work and partner with other civil society groups to bring up issues of national concern to the public domain and also put the executive on its toes to be able to offer effective governance to the people of Ghana.

Meanwhile the MP for Assin South, Rev John Ntim Fordjour has told the press that he has personally taken up the bills of the victim at the St Francis Xavier Hospital at Assin Fosu.

According to him, he has also arranged for a psychological therapist to help the victim recover from the trauma she went through.

He disclosed that through his arrangement, the victim and his mother had been relocated from the town to a new community to avoid the incidence of stigmatisation.

He said physically, the victim is doing well and will need special protection and psychological therapy.
MR, KWAKU Ansa  Asare, the Rector of MountCrest University College, (MCU), has accused the Executive Secretary of the National Accreditation Board, Kwame Dattey and the Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo of working against the interests of his school.

Kwaku Ansa  Asare explained that the decision of the NAB Executive Secretary to place embargo on the admission of fresh students is unlawful.

The Rector who was speaking during the inauguration of 14 new Council Members and the 7th Matriculation ceremony of the school recently on the theme 'Tackling Affiliation And Accreditation Challenges Facing Private Institutions; The Role of Government,'' appealed to President Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo to intervene as a matter of urgency.

On June 13, 2016, a Joint Quality Monitoring and Verification Panel of the National Accreditation Board/General Legal Council (NAB/GLC), visited Mountcrest and concluded that the student/staff ratio was beyond the acceptable level and directed the school to revise it before January 31 this year.

But the University contends that before the January 31 deadline, public notices appeared in national newspapers and social media announcing that NAB had placed an embargo on fresh admissions into its Law programmes, adding the Board has deprived the University of the opportunity to rectify the situation as requested in a letter dated November 30, and addressed to them.

The Rector, however, considered NAB's action as an act of sabotage stating that, I regret to say that Private Universities see the role of the National Accreditation Board as very oppressive, very divisive and very destructive. I want government to investigate the circumstances that have led to the placing of a ban on the admission of fresh students to Mount Crest University College's faculty of Law.

Minister Intervention

Madam Ama Dokua Asiamah  Adeji, Deputy Minister of Information described the rector's remarks as very unfortunate but promised to convey same to government.

He gave the assurance that NAB under the current administration would not be oppressive and proper structures would be put in place to ensure that all institutions benefit from its operations.

In all 400 freshers were admitted to pursue various programmes.
All 26 Togolese have been charged after they were arrested at Nima in Accra, for staging an unplanned protest calling for the exit of their embattled President, Faure Gnassingbe.

At an Accra Circuit Court hearing Tuesday, the plea of 19 of them were taken with all pleading not guilty to all three charges.

The plea of a minor and six others who told the court they can only speak French and Hausa, is yet to be taken by the court which is waiting for an interpreter.

They were picked up at the Kawukudi park by officers of the Greater Regional Command last Saturday.

The protest formed part of series of actions by dissatisfied Togolese to press home their demand for constitutional reforms in the country.

The suspects including two leaders were part some 300 nationals from Ghanas immediate eastern neigbour, who had converged in Accra early Saturday to protest over the political tension in Togo.

There are fears the situation in the former French colony could degenerate into a full-blown civil war following bloody clashes between armed security forces and civilians protesting the half a century rule by the Gnassingbe dynasty.

Since the first protests on August 18, eight people have been killed, including a 10-year-old child, three teenagers and two soldiers, while there have been about 100 injured.

Amnesty International said at least 28 people out of more than 100 arrested have been convicted in connection with the protests.

Togo's opposition has repeatedly called for a limit of two, five-year terms for the president and the resignation of Faure Gnassingbe.
The Gender and Social Protection Minister, Otiko Afisah Djaba has brushed off threats by caterers under the School Feeding Programme to hit the streets in protest of unpaid arrears.

She said the caterers have no legitimate right to demonstrate.

When I came in February, there was a debt of GHS114 million from the previous administration, we have been able to pay it. Currently, we have paid GHS151 million to caterers so what are you demonstrating about?

Monies that were due you, we are paying, we cannot pay all of them at once but we are paying. Even caterers who were owed in 2009 till date, some of them are still owed, they never went on strike because they understand that school feeding is pre-financed, she added.

Her comment came after a group calling itself the Concerned Caterers Association last week threatened to embark on a naked demonstration if the government failed to pay all arrears owed them within a week.

Their ultimatum expires today, Tuesday, October 31, 2017.

But the Minister said the planned protest is baseless.

What are they demonstrating about, she questioned adding you dont have a legitimate right to demonstrate because we are paying what we owe you.

Meanwhile, some women groups and polling station women organizers of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) are accusing the Minister of selective recruitment of caterers.

In responding to the claims, Madam Djaba said her Ministry has every right to engage caterers, just as is done in other Ministries.

But it looks like in the area of school feeding, the Regional Chairman of the party in the Northern Region seems to think that he should be engaging the staff.

"It has never happened that it is a Regional Chairman that handles the staff, she added.

Madam Djaba accused the Northern Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bugri Naabu, of being behind the ongoing lawlessness in the Region where party supporters are locking the offices of the programme in protest of not being employed.

She said the party will continue to engage the chairman and the supporters to bring an amicable solution to the situation.
Two men from the Tamale Township are in police custody for attempting to sneak into the girls dormitory of Vitting Senior High School over the weekend.

They were accosted by the schools Cadet Corps led by the Senior House Mistress upon a tip-off, and handed over to the police.

This happened 10 hours ahead of a Citi News report about inadequate dormitories compelling some of the male students to sleep under trees, whilst some female students sleep in the compound of the overcrowded dormitory.

Sleeping in the compound makes them vulnerable to recalcitrant men from outside who often sneak in there to take advantage of the situation.

The unfenced single girls dormitory block is isolated from the main compound on the north-eastern corridor of the school.

Some of the traumatized female students raised concerns about their insecurity at night, and called for adequate security measures.

They also appealed to the government to fence the entire school and expand infrastructure there.

The schools Preps prefect, Abdul Mumin Imoro, who doubles as a member of the Cadet Corps, said they have intensified their night patrols, particularly around the girls dormitory block.

The schools authorities have since remained tight-lipped on the dire situation there, which requires immediate attention.



By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Some former presidents of the Tertiary Students' Confederacy Network (TESCON), in the Ashanti Region, have commended Ghana's High Commissioner to South Africa, George Ayisi Boateng , for making public his commitment to prioritize members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in his dealings with Ghanaians.

The former executives said they are hopeful that Mr. Ayisi Boateng will be appointed to a higher public office to enable him to advance his cause in the interest of members of the party and those of TESCON.

In a statement copied to citifmonline.com, the group said Mr. Ayisi Boateng's conduct continues to inspire them although they are unemployed.

They said in the light of the development, they were waiting patiently for the right time to be fixed [in various positions].

The group also chided members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for condemning Mr. Ayisi Boatengs comment, arguing that they [NDC] did the same whilst in power.

'NPP members more Ghanaian than others'  SA High Commissioner

Ghana's High Commissioner to South Africa, George Ayisi Boateng, among other things, suggested that some citizens are more Ghanaian than others , hence deserve better treatment and immediate attention from his outfit.

According to him, the more Ghanaian people, loyalists of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), must have their interests prioritized by all government appointees.

Read the full statement below:

We the past TESCON Presidents bring you greetings from our homes. Although unemployed and waiting patiently for the right time to be fixed, we wish to state emphatically that we are very proud of you, H.E. Ayisi Boateng, the High Commissioner to South Africa.

We have heard and read diverse backlash and attacks from the babies with sharp teeth in opposition regarding your statement at a TESCON meeting at Kumasi Technical University that TESCON members are your priority and to that extent, NPP members.

You have been our source of inspiration during our days in opposition and you continue to inspire us. Travelling from South Africa to attend our programs alone tells us to do more since there is hope for the future because we are always remembered by you.

Onipa nua affectionately called has proven beyond reasonable doubt that he has TESCON members at heart and we also pledge to be present any time you call on us, we are going to be present.

It is our fervent hope and prayer that very soon, you shall be appointed to an office in Ghana that will aid you to continue helping the youth as you have always envisioned. God continue to bless your positive thoughts for us.

TO PAST TESCON LEADERS

We shall by this call on former and past TESCON leaders in government to turn to TESCON members and aid us since they are our source of inspiration. We shall however forever be grateful to the likes of lawyer Justin Koduah Frimpong( CEO of YEA) ,lawyer Henry Nana Boakye aka Nana B (deputy CEO of NSS ), Mr Nelson Owusu Ansah ( Ashanti regional youth organizer and YEA director) and many others for their immense support to TESCON in Ashanti region. We recognise your efforts. They have made TESCON members their priority and we really appreciate it.

TO THE OPPOSITION (NDC)

To the opposition, our only advice to them is to concentrate on fixing their tattered party just as the KBs report is suggesting and stop creating something out of nothing because we all saw how they treated our TEIN counterparts.

It was very normal to treat TEIN members special but abomination now to treat TESCON members special. They must get over the elections shock and give proper opposition to the government for the formulation of better policies that will help develop the country.

..SIGNED..

Hon George Krobea Asante

Former TESCON President

GIMPA, KUMASI

Yiadom BOAKYE Emmanuel

Former TESCON President

KNUST

Nana Osei

Former TESCON President

CSUC

Seth Osei Acheampong

Former TESCON President

University of Education, Kumasi



By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
The decision of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's government to permanently resolve the age-long Dagbon chieftaincy impasse between the Abudu and Andani Royals in Dagbon, has again hit a snag at the Manhyia Palace.

Representatives of both sides of the chieftaincy divide in Dagbon, resumed sittings at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi on Saturday October 28, 2017, to scrutinize the agenda required for the implementation of the final phase of the road-map to peace in Dagbon.

But the meeting was inconclusive because of disagreements about the performance of the funeral of the late Yaa-Naa, Mahamadu Abdulai IV, in the old Gbewaa Palace at Yendi.

While the Abudus insisted that the funeral should be performed in the old Gbewaa Palace in line with the customs and traditions of Dagbon, the Andanis remained defiant on their opposition to the proposal.

The heated arguments there necessitated the meeting's postponement for two weeks, from the renewed peace talk's resumption day.

Citi News sources at the said meeting revealed that, the Abudu Royals representatives accused the head of three eminent Kings Mediation Committee, the Asantehene Otumfour Osei II of open bias.

Previous boycott by Abudu Royals

The Abudu Royals representatives at the Manhyia Palace on Friday January 28, 2016, petitioned the Asantehene-led Mediation Committee, and reaffirmed their boycott of proceedings there.

They refused to honour subsequent invitations by the committee for fresh talks on the implementation of the final phase of the road-map to peace in Dagbon.

In a petition, they accused the Mediation Committee of open bias, saying, We have served notice to the Committee of Eminent Chiefs (CEC) on their inability to avail themselves for the committee's sittings for lack of consistency until certain decisions of the body are implemented.

They further chronicled the following in that petition. We have noticed, regrettably that the committee has abandoned their own Road-map to the peace document, and now operate under the sole direction of a so-called 'Kuga-Naa' who is, with the support of the Andani Family, usurping the powers of the Gushei-Naa.

The committee has failed to give true meaning to clause 'i' of their Road-map to peace document which states that: ''the old Gbewaa Palace should remain free of occupation or any activity until a date is set for the performance of the funeral rites of Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV.''

The intent of the committee, expressed in the Final Peace Agreement, that: ''we therefore conclude that the funeral should take place at the Gbewaa Palace'' has not come to fruition. This clause was made in reference to Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV.

A visit by Mr. Owusu Boateng, Ashantehene's Secretary, to the Bolin-Lana Palace with a contractor who was introduced as the one engaged by the committee to rehabilitate the old Gbewaa Palace has not yielded any results.

Their most recent promise on December 5, 2015 that ''the Abuduswill take occupation of the Gbewaa palace to perform the final funeral rites of Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV between January 8 and 15, 2016'' has not been fulfilled.

We have also noted, with regrets, that the committee has failed to follow the letter and spirit of clause '10' of a 'Reconciliation Agreement' reached by the two feuding royal families in 1987 which states that: ''on the death of Ex Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai, he should be accorded the full funeral rites of a Yaa-Naa in the light of the Supreme Court ruling of 17th December, 1986''.

Given these reasons amongst other things, the family has been compelled to temporally suspend appearance before the Committee pending commencement of rehabilitation works at the old Gbewaa Palace as contemplated in the above submissions.

We are convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the Committee has preponderance of evidence before it to take the giant step of rehabilitating the old Gbewaa Palace for the funerals to take place there. There is absolutely nothing to negotiate about as far as this already settled matter is concerned.

They nonetheless reiterated the urgent need for renovation of the old Gbewaa palace in Yendi, ceremonial ground for the final funeral rites of the late two Dagbon overlords.

Peace Talks resumption agreement

The representatives of the two Royals in Dagbon, on Tuesday September 5, 2017, agreed to resume peace talks at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi.

Government's Inter-Ministerial Committee set up to permanently solve the problem succeeded in convincing them to return to the negotiation table.

The Inter-Ministerial Committee is made up of the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, and the National Security Ministry.

The Northern Regional Minister, who doubles as Chairman of the Regional Security Council, Salifu Saeed, is the lead advocate.

President Nana Addo's golden dream about Dagbon

It is President Nana Akufo Addo's wish that Dagbon should have a substantive Yaa-Naa before the 2017 Damba Festival in December.

During his recent visit to Dagbon, the President said his best Christmas gift to the people there and the entire Ghanaian populace will be the enskinment of a new Yaa-Naa, ahead of this year's Damba Festival celebration.

He promised to make available the necessary resources to enable the Otumfuo Mediation Committee bring to finality the chieftaincy stalemate in Dagbon which intensified following the demise of the late Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani II on March 27, 2002.

The President, who is passionate about Dagbon's genuine reconciliation and unity is convinced that Dagbon deserves a new Yaa-Naa.

The Dagbon chieftaincy stalemate prominently features in the President's speech wherever he is addressing the chiefs and people of the Northern Region.

Andani Royals strong resistance

The Andani Royals have relentlessly resisted any attempt to perform the funeral of the late Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV in the old Gbewaa Palace in Yendi.

They have always argued that, the late Yaa-Naa Mahamadu Abdulai IV, died as a private person in life, hence their opposition to calls for his funeral to be performed as that of a Yaa-Naa.

Late Yaa-Naa's children demonstrate in Tamale

The children of the late overlord of Dagbon, Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani II on Friday, April 3, 2015, demonstrated on the streets of Tamale and reiterated their incessant calls for justice.

In solidarity, the late Dagbon Overlord's widows and sympathizers participated in the peaceful demonstration.

They presented a petition to then Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, for onward submission to then President John Dramani Mahama.

The petition was headlined, Petition on the matter concerning the murder of Yaa-Naa Yakubu Andani II and towards the restoration of the stability and integrity of the traditional authority in Dagbon.

The family's Spokesperson, a son of the late Dagbon Overlord, Abdulai Yakubu Andani who read the petition accused government, saying, The government of the day embarked on a deliberate attempt at whitewashing this monumental crime with the setting up of the Wuaku Commission. In the process of manipulating investigations, the Commission preferred charges which do not exist in our statute books on some two individuals thereby ensuring that they would be discharged by the law courts and this was exactly what happened.

When in 2010 the government of the NDC almost belatedly responded to honor its manifesto promise, some hasty arrests of some suspects were made, who were hurriedly arraigned. The lack of professional commitment and the subsequent prosecution was clearly discernible, he added.

Abdulai Yakubu further said their late father's death is still fresh in their minds, not motivated by vengeance, but the need to deliver justice which according to him, is a prerequisite for ensuring peace.

This is why we reiterate the demand that those who were responsible for the murder which was committed on March 27, 220, are made to answer for their crimes.

Retired Major Sulemana's doubt about the Otumfuo Committee's locus

The Regent of Tolon, Retired Major, Sulemana Abubakari in 2015, questioned the locus of the three eminent chiefs committee headed by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, whose task is to amicably resolve the protracted Dagbon chieftaincy dispute.

He is convinced the Otumfuo Mediation Committee is cosmetic on the face value in its attempt to permanently resolve the Dagbon chieftaincy dispute.

As a member of the Abudus Representatives at the Manhyia Palace, he took this position at his palace in Tolon on the occasion of the 2015 Damba festival.

He underscored the need for the Abudu and Andani royals to trace their history to help them address the root cause of the disputes.

According to Major (Rtd.) Sulemana Abubakari, either the overlord of Mamprugu Traditional Area or the overlord of Nanung Traditional should be made to head the committee to solve the feud.
31.10.2017 LISTEN

DELHI PUBLIC School International (DPSI)- Ghana, has been awarded the European Quality Award for its contribution to the education industry in the West African sub-region.

Director of DPSI Ghana, Mukesh Thakwani received the award on behalf of the school at the International Festival Business Triumph and the European Awards Night held in the French Riviera, the world's festival capital in Cannes, recently.

The European Quality Award is given out annually by the Europe Business Assembly (EBA) Global to organisations that distinguish themselves in their fields of endeavour.

"Dear Mr Mukesh Thakwani, Europe Assembly highly values further cooperation with your company. We are honestly gratified by your success and achievements, and we emphasise the highest standard of your business dealings as well as your company's orientation towards state-of-the-art technologies and consumer interests," EBA Global said in a statement signed by its VIP Programme Coordinator, Anastasia Mallwill.

Commenting on the coveted award, Mr Thakwani said, DPSI-Ghana has since its inception in 2010 made conscious efforts to positively contribute to quality education across West Africa not only in academics but also in extracurricular activities.

"DPSI received this award for its contribution to the education industry in West Africa," he said.

According to him, "DPSI students are not only doing well in academics, but they are also doing well in other extracurricular activities."

He indicated that the school was into a lot of extracurricular activities like swimming, chess, dance and music, among others.

"DPSI children do very well not only in academics but also in extracurricular activities," Mr Thakwani, an Indian business mogul stressed.

On the schools academic performance, he said, "we are very proud to say that this year, our results were very, very good. Some of the students scored more than 80 stats in different subjects."

'Catching On'

With the achievements the school has chalked so far, Mr. Thakwani said, DPSI Ghana's dream of significantly contributing to quality education in West Africa is 'catching on.'

About DPSI Ghana

DPSI Ghana was founded in September 2010 by a renowned Indian industrialist and philanthropist, Mukesh Thakwani, under the aegis Delhi Public School  a chain of schools all around the globe known for its holistic education.

Mr Thakwani's mission has always been to champion the cause of education in the West African sub-region, by providing a world-class educational system.

DPS International Ghana is affiliated with the University of Cambridge International Examinations and Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi (CBSE)

According to its Director, the school today boasts of 700 students from 28 different countries

Mr Mukesh Thakwani, Director of DPSI Ghana, received the European Quality Award on behalf of the school at the International Festival Business Triumph and the European Awards Night held in the French Riviera, the world's festival capital in Cannes, recently.
31.10.2017 LISTEN

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Monday indicated that government was taking steps to resolve the rising political stalemate in neighbouring Togo, in Ghana's interest.

He said the standoff between the opposition political parties and the Togolese government was a matter of great concern to Ghana, saying, 'I cannot be idle as these events takes place.'

President Akufo-Addo gave the assurance when Togbega Amenya Fiti V, Paramount Chief of the Anlo-Aflao Traditional State, together with Chiefs of the State, paid a courtesy call on him at the Flagstaff House in Accra.

Togbega Fiti V during the call pleaded with the President to intervene in the standoff to restore peace and order in Togo in order to prevent the situation where the influx of refugees could upset the economic fortunes of the Aflao Traditional Area.

The President disclosed that he had had serious discussions with the Togolese leader Faure Gnassingbe when he (Faure) called on him in Tamale last two weeks when he was on tour of the Northern Region.

He said he was also in talks with the political actors in Togo to chart a path for lasting peace in that country.

'The Togolese President came to see me in Tamale 10 days ago, and I have been meeting a lot of the political actors in the situation, and, definitely, we are all working to see how we can bring this crisis to a closure, and bring stability and peace back to Togo. It is in all of our interests to do so,' he said.

The President recounted the disturbances that occurred in 2005, in the wake of the death of the former President of Togo, GnassingbA EyadAma, and the succession problems it created, which resulted in over 100,000 Togolese refugees streaming across the border into Ghana.

'Anything that happens in Togo is a matter of great concern to you. It is a matter of concern to us and all the people of Ghana. You can be sure that I cannot be idle, as these events take place,' he said.

'I am not staying idle in this matter. We are acting. Let us pray for understanding and the blessing of the Almighty so that we can find a solution, that will be in the interest of the people of Togo, and then, by implication, the people of Ghana,' he told Togbega Fiti V and his chiefs.

President Akufo-Addo also called on Togbega Fiti V to support government in ensuring that the 24-hour open border policy served its purpose, and was not abused to the benefit of criminals and smugglers.

He said the policy was in conformity with Ghana's commitment to ECOWAS, and it Protocols on the Free Movement of Goods and Persons, thus the Chiefs and people of the Anlo-Aflao State should complement the law enforcement agencies in ensuring that smuggling was not a part of the open-border policy.

'When policies such as this are being implemented for constructive purposes, there are always a few criminal minds who want to use it for another purpose. It is a good occasion to ask for your help so that those who want to use the open-border for smuggling and illicit activities, as much as possible, we mobilise the population and make sure that it doesn't happen.'

'Mobilise the population to act against syndicates that want to use the border for smuggling activities,' the President urgd.

On a request by Togbega Fiti V for the creation of a new municipality out of the Ketu South for the people of Aflao, President Akufo-Addo assured the chief that government was working on the proposal and was ready discuss the modalities for creating the new municipality with the traditional authority.

'I have done a lot of work on your behalf, and the Minister for Local Government, Hajia Alima Mahama, is waiting to hold a meeting with you, in order to bring the Municipality into being. For me, it makes a lot of sense (that the Municipality is created).'

The President reiterated the commitment of government to working with traditional authorities in this country, noting that the Constitution of the Republic requires that Central Government works hand-in-hand with the traditional authorities to give the country good governance.

'I am extremely committed to the teachings of the Constitution that we should work together. We have to co-operate for the benefit of the people of Ghana,' he added.

Togbega Fiti V thanked the President for the various initiatives that had been implemented by his government to boost the socio-economic fortunes of the area, and pleaded for all uncompleted projects started by the previous administration to be finished.

GNA

By Ken Sackey, GNA
31.10.2017 LISTEN

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has established a 'mycotoxins' laboratory - a major step to aid the development of a viable agro-processing industry.

It would help to properly monitor the infestation of mycotoxin in food supply to enable the country to competitively export cereal grains, legumes, animal and animal products.

'Ghana is unable to competitively export the aforementioned crops because of the uncertainty of toxin levels.'

Apart from the export industry, the laboratory would also assist to make sure that food supply for local consumption and industry are also safe.

According to the KNUST 2016 Research Report the laboratory is equipped with mycotoxin and chemical analytical capability for testing raw materials and end products within the food industries, poultry and livestock, especially in the central and northern parts of the country.

Mycotoxins are a group of naturally occurring chemicals produced by certain fungi and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) estimates that 25 per cent of the world's crops are affected by these of which the most notorious are aflatoxins.

These potent toxins have severe effects on animal and human health as well as adverse economic impact in terms of reduced livestock productivity, loss of foreign exchange earnings and costs of monitoring and detoxification.

The report said the laboratory would help to respond to the lack of commercial and research responsive analysis system that would serve the industry to meet demands of increasingly more sophisticated markets.

It was set up through private/public partnership between United States Agency for International Development (USAID), KNUST, Agro Food Processing Companies and Ghana Poultry Industry.

The mycotoxins laboratory has been working with both local and internationally sponsored projects and rendering analytical and consultancy service to food and agro-processing industries, regulatory agencies, donor agencies, research institutions, students and the general public, the report added.

GNA

By Stephen Asante/Florence Afriyie Mensah, GNA
Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah, Minister of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR), on Tuesday, cautioned against the opting out of some public sector institutions from the National Pension Scheme, saying that, it could jeopardise the sustainability of the Scheme.

He said hitherto, only article 71 office holders in the judiciary were entitled to the CAP 30 Pension Scheme but now junior Judges had been included, whilst Senior Police Officers are on a similar scheme equivalent to the CAP 30.

'Day-in-day out, we've been receiving petitions from various institutions arguing that, per the Law establishing them, they were supposed to be on CAP 30 instead of on the National Pension Scheme,' he added.

Mr Awuah, who was inaugurating an 11 - Member Advisory Group to review the pay system in Ghana, charged the Advisory Group to look at the pay system in Ghana and see how to link it to productivity to ensure appropriate compensation.

That, he said, was in line with the government's agenda to compensate workers efficiently according to work done.

The Minister said there would be amendments to include a representative each, from the Civil Service, Public Service Commission and Organised Labour unto the Advisory Group to make the number 14.

The Advisory Group, chaired by Mr Wireko Brobbey, Deputy Minister of Finance, would also look at the total pension Scheme, including the Tier 2 Pension Scheme as well as identifying other best practices and systems worldwide and advice the government.

Mr Awuah said the Group was free to adopt and seek advice from best pay systems across the globe, adding that, they have three month to report back to the Ministry.

He said it became necessary to put up the group to complete the earlier work done in the area, to facilitate policy decisions and the sustainability of the entire pension scheme.

Madam Abena Osei Asare, Deputy Minister of Finance, who is also a member of the advisory Group, said the setting up the Group was in the right direction because salaries would continue to take the chunk of the tax revenue.

She said currently, salary related expenditure takes more than 50 per cent of the tax revenue, and that, it was in the right direction to engage Organised Labour to develop an efficient system to help generations to come.

Mr Brobbey, on his part, thanked the two Ministries for the confidence reposed in them and pledged their commitment to work hard to achieve their goals.

He said the three months given the group meant that they do not have enough time for luxury but to put in their efforts and complete the job before the deadline.

Mr Brobbey said they hope to cut down on their travels and rather resort to electronic means to reduce cost, and expressed the hope that the two Ministries would guide them to excel in their work.

Mr John N.O Ankrah, the representative of the Civil and Local Government Staff Association on the Group, on behalf of Organised Labour, urged the two Ministries to allow the Advisory Group to review the pay system of article 71 Public Office holders, as well as all the institutions exempted from the Single Spine Pay Policy to allow fairness in Ghana's pay system.

Dr Baah Boateng, the Ghana Employers' Association (GEA) representative on the Group, said compensation is both a reward and a cost to enterprise and expressed his appreciation that this time around salaries would be linked to productivity.

He pledged the GEA's commitment to help the Group to come out with a comprehensive report.

GNA

By Patience Gbeze, GNA
Ghana's High Commissioner to South Africa, George Ayisi Boatengs pledge to prioritize the welfare of New Patriotic Party (NPP) members before considering other Ghanaians, has been met with outrage and calls for his dismissal from some sections of the public.

He made these remarks at a ceremony over the weekend to welcome fresh members of the tertiary wing of the NPP, Tertiary Students' Confederacy Network (TESCON) at the Kumasi Technical University.

 this government is doing its best to create job opportunities and me for instance, I told my people over there [that], it is because of NPP that I'm here, so the NPP man is my priority. I told them when NDC was in power it was Kwesi Ahwoi who was there, now we are in power, so Ayisi-Boateng is here with you. My topmost priority is the problems of an NPP person before any other Ghanaian, take it or leave it. Indeed I'm not boasting, but I've started meeting the NPP groups. Every weekend I meet some group members and I tell you if I had my way, every job opportunity that will come will go to a TESCON member before any other person. And I know my colleague appointees also have the same feeling except that because of IMF we cannot do anything now.

Some Citi FM listeners vented their spleen on the Citi Breakfast Show, and described the comments as distasteful.

Some also took offense to the undertone of partisanship and cronyism in the High Commissioners comments.

The only problem I have is giving the opportunity to someone who does not qualify to work in the name of parties. If that is the way to go, then I am disappointed in what honorable Ayisi Boateng said, one listener stated.

But a lot more scorn of Mr. Ayisi Boatengs comments was noted on social media.

Some also called him a disgrace and described him as incompetent to head the South African Mission.

Comparisons were made to the former deputy Agriculture Minister, William Quaitoo, who resigned from his portfolio after making ethnocentric comments.

No remorse

The outrage notwithstanding, Mr. Ayisi Boateng has defended his comments and said he found nothing wrong with his pledge to put NPP members before other Ghanaians.

When you have a large family but you first make you're your wife and children eat first before othersWhat is wrong with that? I am not divisive, he said.

The Minority spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has already called on President Akufo-Addo to immediately terminate his appointment as High Commissioner, since his comment is divisive and reprehensible.

But Mr. Ayisi Boateng has said he is unperturbed. Whilst attempting to deny making the statement, he said he stands by it.



By: citifmonline.com/Ghana
Nigeria's former president Goodluck Jonathan should be given the equivalent of $2.7 million to testify at the corruption trial of his party's former spokesman, his lawyer said on Tuesday.

The money would cover costs to enable him to attend the case, Mike Ozekhome told reporters outside the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Olisa Metuh is accused of fraudulently receiving 400 million naira ($1.1 million, 945,000 euros) from Jonathan's former national security advisor, Sambo Dasuki.

The money was allegedly diverted from funds meant to procure weapons and equipment for the fight against Boko Haram and was used to fund Jonathan's failed re-election bid in 2015.

Both Metuh, a former communications chief for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Dasuki, who is being tried separately, have said Jonathan was aware of the payments.

Lawyers for Metuh have summonsed both Jonathan and Dasuki to give evidence. But both failed to appear in court last week.

Ozekhome on Tuesday said Jonathan was "not the proper person to testify in these proceedings at all".

But he said if the judge maintained he should testify, the court "should order Olisa Metuh... to deposit the sum of one billion naira" to cover Jonathan's travel costs.

The money would also cover "logistics and the security personnel that will have to accompany him" from his home in Otuoke, in southern Nigeria, to the capital, added Ozekhome.

Otuoke, in oil-rich Bayelsa state, is some 680 kilometres (422 miles) by road from Abuja, where Jonathan is known to own property.

Jonathan was defeated by Muhammadu Buhari at elections that year.

Buhari has since embarked on an anti-corruption drive to root out endemic graft in government and public service.

Critics have accused him of a political witch-hunt as only members of the PDP and Jonathan's administration have been arrested and charged.

Jonathan's name has cropped up in a number of investigations and several members of his family and close allies have been taken to court.

But he is not thought to have been formally questioned.
President Nana Akufo-Addo has urged the Civil Service to co-operate with government in ensuring the implementation of policies, and the realisation of the vision of a prosperous, progressive Ghana.

He said his government is committed to working with the Civil Service in an atmosphere of transparency and openness, adding we see the civil service as a strategic partner of the State, in being able to assist us to realise our objectives.

The President made this known on Tuesday, when he swore into office the 8-Member Governing Body of the Civil Service Council, at an event at the Presidency.

The Council is chaired by Justice Rose Constance Owusu, a retired Supreme Court Judge. The other members of the Council are Nana Kwasi Agyekum Dwamena; Justice Henrietta Abban; Edwin P.D. Barnes; Isaac Kwame Asiamah; Isaac Bampoe Addo; Mary Imelda Amadu; and Isaac Tetteh Adjovu.

President Akufo-Addo noted that the objectives of government are paramount today because the Ghanaian people accepted the platform on which he and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presented to them in the run-up to the December 2016 elections.

That is the meaning of a mandate in a democracy, which means the policies on which we were elected are the policies of our people today, and, therefore, all of us have to co-operate in making sure that those policies are realised, the President said.

President Akufo-Addo noted that in recent years, there have been arguments about whether the Civil Service owes its allegiance to the state, or to the government of the day.

He noted, however, that the Civil Service should be at the heart of the State, and should be a body of experienced administrators who will help the government of the day carry out its mandate.

The President added we are, today, in a multi-party, democratic framework in Ghana, and it means governments will come and go, but the Civil Service should be there all the time and provide experienced administrators that can help successive governments discharge their duties.

He, thus, urged the Civil Service Council to deal with issues of promotions, the postings of Chief Directors, amongst others, stressing that you have to be guided by what is in the interest of the country and the public interest of Ghana.

Additionally, President Akufo-Addo admonished the Council to deal with the problems that have bedevilled the Civil Service over the years  corruption, excessive red tape-ism, excessive bureaucratisation, overt political involvement  stressing that the Council has the responsibility for ensuring that the Civil Service stays on an even keel and that these matters are confronted.

It was the expectation of the President that the Council will give me good and honest advice, advice devoid of partisanship; advice that will help me do my work well. And that you will assist me to give strategic direction to the civil service in the way in which it mobilises and deploys its human resources.

President Akufo-Addo, in expressing his delight about the composition of the Council, was confident that the leadership of the body is in strong hands, and I am sure they will give direction to the Civil Service, and help us realise our objectives. Help us do a good job for Ghanaians, because in all cases, at all times, it is their welfare that has to guide our actions.

On her part, Chairperson of the Council, Justice Rose Owusu, on behalf of the other members of the Council, thanked President Akufo-Addo for the honour done and the confidence reposed in them.

We acknowledge the fact that the task ahead is onerous, but with the help of the Almighty God and his direction, we pledge to discharge the duties attached to this appointment to the best of our abilities.

We also thank you sincerely for the privilege of involving us in your noble agenda for the transformation of our dear country, Ghana. We will do our best, and, as you said, the primary consideration being the interest of Ghana and the people of Ghana, Justice Rose Owusu added.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com |
31 October 2017: Breast cancer can have devastating emotional effects on women. Some breast cancer survivors, especially those who have to undergo a mastectomy, are faced with having to overcome the psychological trauma that comes with losing the quintessence of what makes them feminine.

According to the 2013 National Cancer Registry (NCR) , one in 28 South African women, irrespective of their race, have a lifetime risk of developing breast cancer.

Profmed , a leading medical scheme exclusively available for graduate professionals, believes that breast cancer awareness shouldnt be boxed into a single month, but rather throughout the year.

While National Breast Cancer Awareness month plays an integral role, the seriousness of this disease shouldnt be underestimated. It is one of the most common cancers among women, not just in South Africa, but worldwide, explains Graham Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of Profmed.

However, despite the seriousness of breast cancer, Anderson explains that with the modern medical innovation, breast cancer should no longer be considered a death sentence.

At Profmed we believe that prevention is better than cure. That is why we urge our members to go for annual check-ups. One of the earliest ways to detect breast cancer is by self-examination, explains Anderson.

According to the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), breast self-examination plays an integral role in the early detection of breast cancer. It is imperative for women to conduct a breast self-examination at least once a month. If you discover a lump, you should consult your medical practitioner as soon as possible. More often than not a lump is harmless, however, by identifying one you are dramatically enhancing your chances of early detection, says Anderson.

During self-examination, CANSA clarifies that many women have a pattern of lumpiness in their breasts which is normal. However, if women feel or see any change in their breasts or underarms, they need to consult a medical practitioner immediately.

Anderson explains that mammograms also play an important role in the early detection of breast cancer. According to CANSA, a mammogram is a special x-ray which has revolutionised early detection and has played a vital role in avoiding mastectomies.

We urge women, aged 40 and above to go for annual mammograms to make sure they are able to detect breast cancer as early as possible. We offer our female members full annual coverage to have their annual mammograms and other early detection measures, concludes Anderson.

To find out more about this illness and how it can be detected, visit www.cansa.org.za or your nearest medical practitioner today.
Accra, GHANA  During an October 31 ceremony hosted at the U.S. Embassy, Ambassador Robert P. Jackson honored nine Ghanaian communities selected to receive grants to promote education, agriculture and economic growth at the local level.

The grants, totaling $75,000, are part of the Ambassadors Small Grants Program. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ambassador Jackson praised the communities for developing sustainable, high-impact, community-supported projects.

As grantees, you are joining a distinct group of communities and organizations throughout Ghana, he noted.

You have demonstrated that you can unite your political, civil society, religious and business leaders to provide for the needs of your community  with a little extra assistance from the U.S. government. But in reality, the real efforts are yours, and we are honored to be your partner.

Projects and communities/organizations selected for funding include:

The Nerebehi Integrated Community Centre for Employable Skills (ICCES) Training Center in the Ashanti Region: construction of an electrical workshop

The Misthy Cee Development Center in the Ashanti region: completion of a school dining hall

The Ampabame Community in the Ashanti region: completion of a primary school and a junior high school

Keba Africa: the purchase of new furniture and learning materials for the Castle Road Special School in Accra

The Zimnuopare community in the Upper West Region: completion of a classroom block

The Ebongapar Womens Group in the Upper West Region: reconstruction of a shea processing facility
The Aussie market may have been on a tear recently, but one sector hasnt had any joy. Telco stocks have been absolutely left behind over the past 12 months. And its all thanks to the National Broadband Network (NBN).

There has been a massive transfer of value from the listed telecommunications companies to NBN Co, the company that manages the infrastructure. But it simply hasnt been enough. The NBN simply doesnt make enough money to justify its enormous investment.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) wants the government to do something about it. As the Financial Review reports:

The competition regulator has urged the federal government to rescue NBN Co, by either writing down its value so it can charge lower prices, offering relief on its debt repayments, or paying for hard-to-connect households directly through budget handouts. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission recommended the Turnbull government consider whether NBN Co should continue to be obliged to recover its full cost of investment through its prices, in a draft report on the communications sector released on Monday. NBN Co currently collects an average $43 a month from retail service providers for each home they sell in to, but needs $52 just to recover costs, let alone fulfil the governments expectations of a 3 per cent annualised return on its $50 billion investment in the network.

In other words, the NBN is losing money. But because the Rudd government all those years ago mandated the building of a nearly new telecoms infrastructure that requires a commercial return to keep the expense out of the federal budget, the pricing structure is all screwed up.

Its resulted in retail broadband margins being crushed. Previously, resellers would gain access to (usually) Telstras network at a wholesale price that enabled them to earn a decent retail margin.

Now, the cost of accessing the NBN is higher, but consumers arent willing to pay higher prices. And nor should they. Especially when in many cases the service is hardly any different to the old ADSL broadband service.

As a result, internet service suppliers are under the pump. Thats why the telco sector has underperformed so badly over the past year. The chart below shows that while the ASX 200 has increased by about 12% in 12 months, the telco index is down about 30%.



Source: Optuma

[Click to enlarge]



Given Telstra [ASX:TLS] is by far the largest stock in the index, it has helped drag the sector down. But other large players like TPG [ASX:TPM] and Vocus [ASX:VOC] are also down heavily.

This wasnt hard to see coming. In early December last year, I warned readers of Crisis & Opportunity to avoid the sector. I wrote:

Heres the problem As the NBN rollout continues, more people are signing up to the network. The margins the telcos make on NBN services are much less than what they make on standard broadband services. The problem is that access charges to use the NBN network are too high. And thats because the cost of the NBN rollout has been massive. By the time it is finished (apparently around 2020, but dont hold your breath) the capital cost will be in the vicinity of $60 billion. The high access charges are an attempt to get a return on this expenditure. But it wont work, because high costs will impede the take-up of the NBN. In addition, the telcos will build their own infrastructure where they can to circumvent the NBN charges, and new wireless technology (5G) is not far away. This means that there wont be anywhere near the eight million households hooked up to the NBN that the government expects. Its an all round debacle. Quite possibly the NBN will go down as the most expensive white elephant in Australias history. In the short term this is creating a bunch of headwinds for telco stocks. Take-up of NBN services is still growing strongly, as its in its early stages. With each household that switches from an old broadband service to the NBN, the retail margin falls dramatically. With the recent profit announcements by TPG and VOC, this headwind has become apparent. Hence the recent sell-off in the sector. But its also created uncertainty around the regulatory environment moving forward. The way that NBN pricing is structured right now is unsustainable. Its also reducing competition, as smaller players are unable to compete. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission are due to release a report on the state of the market early next year, as they know the current structure, if left alone, wont produce competition. On top of all this, there have been calls for the government to write off a large part of the NBN investment. Doing this will enable it to lower its access charges and still earn a decent rate of return on the lowered capital value of the project. This is the most sensible outcome. But given politicians are involved, I dont expect it to happen anytime soon. Putting all this together, the industry is in a state of flux. Thats why youre seeing share prices of the major players hitting new lows. The growth premium is coming out of the sector, and increasing uncertainty is being priced in. In the short term, this means you should avoid the sector.

I thought there might be some buying opportunities in the sector by now. But the short term is playing out for a little longer than I expected.

With the sector down 30% since I wrote that, clearly were closer to the bottom. But one of my rules is not to buy into a downtrend, no matter how compelling the opportunity.

And judging by Telstras share price (see chart below), its a sector Id advocate continuing to avoid for now.



Source: Optuma

[Click to enlarge]



With a bit of luck, Telstra could be finding a bottom around here. But you want to see more evidence before guessing that is whats happening. In other words, you want to see the share price make a higher low to indicate the worst is over and investors are accumulating the stock at these low levels.

When accumulation takes place, shares move into stronger hands that will only sell at higher prices. It will be a few more months until we know whether this is the case with Telstra.

Until then, Id continue to steer clear of telcos.

Regards,

Greg Canavan,

Editor, Crisis & Opportunity
By Elizabeth A. Faulkner, a lecturer in law at Staffordshire University. She recently completed her doctoral thesis The Trafficking of Children; International Law, Modern Slavery and the New Abolitionists at De Montfort University. Her interests, broadly conceived, are in international child law, human rights, and gender and the law, and she specialises in human trafficking, migration, slavery, exploitation and sexual violence. Originally published at openDemocracy

The new estimates on modern slavery hide incontrovertible biases within them, but their weight will be used to justify the actions of white saviours for years to come.

The emotive power of slavery statistics is reflected in how unquestioned they are within the mainstream press. There are over 40 million slaves in the world today, a new report from the International Labour Organisation and the Walk Free Foundation said in September, and around the world the number went: 40 million slaves on Facebook, 40 million slaves on Twitter, 40 million slaves in the The Washington Post, the Guardian, the Independent, Spiegel Online, Al Jazeera, the Hindu. Apart from Daniel Mugges analysis for this site, can you think of anywhere that has responded critically to the release of the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, or acknowledged in their reporting the substantial criticism levelled against Walk Frees methodology in the past?

The UN enshrined the eradication of modern slavery by 2030 into sustainable development goal 8.7. But, the world wont be in a position to achieve the sustainable development goals unless we dramatically increase our efforts to end these scourges, warned Guy Ryder, the director-general of the ILO. These new global estimates can help shape and develop interventions to prevent both forced labour and child labour.

There are a number of problems with all this. Neither the producers of the new estimates nor the reporting around them acknowledge the imperialistic nature of the statistics themselves, or the influence of exclusively western thinking upon them. The individuals and institutions involved are furthermore reticent to see the racist echoes of Kiplings white mans burden underlying their creation and within the policy-making surrounding them. These variations on a theme are not entirely distinct from one another, nor are they the same. The challenge here is to break down the narrative of the contemporary abolitionist movement, and highlight the racial undertones of the discourse; the abolitionist cultural imperialism.

Abolitionist Cultural Imperialism

The key players in what is most effectively described as the contemporary abolitionist movement are easily identifiable, with the Walk Free Foundation positioning itself as its champion. Founded in 2013 by the family of mining magnate, Andrew Forrest, Walk Free orchestrated the first Global Slavery Index (GSI) and supported this latest, UN-backed edition. Both deploy the moral power of the term slavery to generate outrage against what their authors class as modern slavery, and use statistics to bolster the legitimacy of their claims.

The numbers, however, hide an implicitly racist bias. For example, previous editions of the Global Slavery Index, the flagship product of the Walk Free Foundation, identified the best and worst states fighting contemporary slavery, praising the former and shaming the latter. Unsurprisingly, the best were all Euro-American and the worst African and Asian  a setup which positions the predominately white West as morally superior to and leader of the non-West.

This is an incomplete view to say the least, one which is only made possible by selectively cherry-picking developments that confirm the overall view. For example, the GSI lauds legislation like the UKs Modern Slavery Act while overlooking the lethal consequences of UK immigration policies or the effects of Western neoliberalism on the non-West. Is this not a classic form of whitewashing and cultural imperialism?

Similar things can be said about the inclusion of forced and child marriage in this new round of estimates. For instance, if forced marriage is a form of slavery, why isnt forced motherhood? British Prime Minister Theresa May styles herself as leading the fight against modern slavery and has gone on record in support of these estimates  thereby agreeing that forced marriage is a form of contemporary slavery  yet she remains virtually silent over the issue of abortion access in Northern Ireland. What is the difference?

Likewise with child marriage. Plenty of children from predominantly non-White countries are said to have been forced into marriage, implying that the cultural backwardness of their societies leaves the Western world little choice but to lift them up and rescue them. For if the West wont intervene, who will? But in the UK, children aged over 16 can get married so long as their parents consent. How, then, are they not also victims of modern slavery, victims of cultural backwardness?

The point here is that the elasticity of the term slavery and its very selective application obscures the power relations behind any determination of what counts as a problem. In this case, the racialised and culturally imperialist biases of those doing the determining are clear to see. The British government makes its positions clear through its policies on abortion, marriage, migration, and the right to work. The Walk Free Foundation on how it chooses to collect, compare, and display data. The message these positions promote is that the Western saviours of the world can do no wrong, especially in interaction with corrupt, culturally inferior others.

A new Civilising Mission?

At their core, then, these latest modern slavery statistics appear to implicitly charge those from superior cultures with the same civilising mission that Kipling mandated to his fellow colonists in the early twentieth century. The use of the term slavery is designed to shock and provoke moral panic in response to apparent injustice. Yet those injustices and the anti-slavery response to them are racially coded, with white superiority and non-white inferiority written into their DNA. Indeed, it is no coincidence that the imagery deployed by the abolitionist movement often echoes colonial imagery, with individuals framed as victims of their own society, from which they require liberation by the morally guided white rescuer.

Overly simplistic calls to free the slaves in response to the release of these latest statistics fail to recognise how the contemporary abolitionist movement is being wielded as a hypocritical weapon of morality. It seeks to civilise cultures which fail to adhere to the moral standards and expectations of the certain quarters of the West, without acknowledging either the Wests role in perpetuating inequality, injustice and exploitation overseas, or the Wests frequent failure to live up to its own ideals at home. Until these factors and structural relationships are acknowledged, and a whole new map of where (and at whose behest) exploitation occurs, the fight against modern slavery remains a hollow call.
Well, that was fast. Due to the late hour, forgive me for being a bit terse.

From Politicos daily European news summary:

Catalonias deposed President Carles Puigdemont is coming to this years Halloween party dressed as the EUs worst nightmare. He will be trick or treating today at 12:30 p.m. at a Brussels press conference, expected to be held at Residence Palace, with up to five fellow ex-ministers: Joaquim Forn (interior), Meritxell Borras (public administration), Dolors Bassa (employment), Antoni Comin (health) and Meritxell Serret (agriculture), in Belgium on the run from Spanish authorities.

#Puigdemont flight works well for Spain. No messy arrest = no political martyr status #catalonia  katya adler (@BBCkatyaadler) October 30, 2017

And despite the threats of a general strike and fulminations about Catalonian civil servants refusing to take orders from Madrid, Catalans appeared overwhelmingly to accept the new status quo. From Reuters (hat tip Oregoncharles):

On Friday, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy dismissed Catalonias secessionist government, called a regional election for Dec. 21 and said the central government would take direct control. That process began smoothly on Monday as employees ignored calls for civil disobedience and turned up for work, while secessionist parties agreed to stand in the December poll. Some of the most prominent ousted Catalan leaders, including Puigdemont and Vice President Oriol Junqueras, had said they would not accept their dismissal. But their respective parties, PdeCat and Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, said on Monday they would take part in the election called by Rajoy, a tacit acceptance of direct rule from Madrid. The regional parliament canceled a meeting for Tuesday, another signal lawmakers accepted they had been dismissed. A call for widespread civil disobedience from the main civic groups behind the secessionist campaign failed to attract many followers. Public-sector workers such as teachers, firefighters and the police mostly started work as normal on Monday and there was no sign of widespread absenteeism.

As the Financial Times put it more succinctly:

The dream of Catalan separatists of creating Europes newest state appeared to crumble on Monday as Madrid moved swiftly to take control of the breakaway region following the decision by its parliament on Friday to declare independence from Spain Some former Catalan ministers had said that moves by the Spanish government to assume control would be met with rebellion on the streets and a campaign of civil disobedience. But that failed to materialise, and Spain re-established its authority over the region with ease.

Some readers had argued vociferously that the results of a referendum in which the balloting was not reliable due to a lack of ballot controls plus boycotting by those opposed to independence should nevertheless be treated as valid. The majority it showed was suspect by virtue of the fact that the regional governments own polls, pre-election, showed only 41% support for independence.

Some argued that the thuggish crackdown on the day of the polling would increase support for the separatists. But as I had indicated, there was good reason to doubt this would have much impact. People are very attached to their prior beliefs. Secession is a hotly and regularly debated issue in Catalonia. Only those who did not have an established position would be move by the spectacle of Guardia Civil head-breaking. How many would that be? Only at most a small percentage of undecides, which would be too few to shift the majority view into the pro-independence camp..

Moreover, as the possibility of independence came closer to being enacted, the divided interests of the forces supporting it became more evident. The main players were anarcho-syncicalists and rich bourgeios Catalans. The latter werent all that committed to secession, particularly since their main beef was economic, the taxes they paid to poorer regions. The costs of breaking away would greatly exceed any benefits of autonomy. Catalonia was in no way, shape, or form ready to operate as an independent state, even before you get to the huge difficulties posed by lack of EU support and widespread indications that no (or at least no country that counted) would recognize them.

Recent poll results also showed support for secession to be fading. Again from Reuters:

Two opinion polls showed support for independence may have started to wane. A Sigma Dos survey published in El Mundo showed 33.5 percent of Catalans were in favor of independence, while a Metroscopia poll published by El Pais put that number at 29 percent.

And before readers start complaining about El Pais, the accuracy of the poll is a function of the polling organization. If Metroscopia is a reputable pollster, there is no reason to doubt the results, particularly since its within range of the Sigma Dos results. And we see the sentiment shown in both polls confirmed by the lack of rebellion, or even much friction, in Catalonia on Monday.

Greece had good reason to persist in what was nevertheless certain to be a doomed fight with the Trokia in 2015. The country had been abused for no reason that made any economic sense, as Yanis Varoufakis tried explaining to European leaders. But in their political calculus, it was far more attractive to keep kicking the can down the road, and that mean continuing to squeeze the Greek people. Despite lacking its own currency and being dependent on ECB support of its banking system, two fatal weaknesses, Greece was nevertheless vastly more capable of going it alone that Catalonia every would have been by having a fuller government apparatus and vastly greater support of its people. The Greek fight in 2015 was noble even though at the same time painfully naive to watch, since its failure was predestined. By contrast, it was hard to muster much sympathy for Catalonia, when it was only a minority, albeit a large one that wanted to break free of Spain, and then too often for reasons that, when the veneer was stripped away, were simply selfish: a rich region didnt want to send its tax dollars to poorer ones. This was not a serious enough set of grievances to support the backbreaking work and hard economic costs that rupture from Spain would entail. Enough Catalans recognized it to meekly accept the humiliation of direct rule by Madrid.
The New McCarthyite program of demonizing anyone and anything associated with Russia continues apace. A Soros-funded think tank called European Values has put out a screed (no exaggeration, read the hyperventilating tone of the report) which has as its major aim chilling the participation of guest speakers on RT, per its title, The Kremlins Platform for Useful Idiots in the West.

This self-styled think tank posted a list of people who had appeared on RT on a series of its shows since 2013. Despite its claims of being comprehensive, the former producer of the RT show Boom Bust, Ed Harrison, quickly identified some names that were missing, and I am sure if he thought further, he could come up with more.

The list is so lengthy and includes so many highly respected people that I doubt including will hurt them in any way. But some were mighty annoyed anyhow:

Glad to know I am on @GeorgeSoros-funded think tank's blacklist of journalists. Illustrates authoritarian tilt of war monger #Soros. | https://t.co/ensaWFv93E  Christopher Whalen (@rcwhalen) October 29, 2017

I didnt read the list as carefully as I could (see this spreadsheet, and notice it has lots of categories), plus my selection was admittedly personal. These names caught my eye:

Anat Admati

Dan Alpert

Kofi Annan

John Authers

James Baker

Bruce Bartlett

Bill Black

Hans Blix

Russell Brand

Sherrod Brown

Pat Buchanan

Richard Borosage

Erin Brockovich

Pierce Brosnan

Helen Clark

Dick Cheney

Andrew Cockburn

William D. Cohan

Jeremy Corbyn

Russell Crowe

Ann Coulter

Satyajit Das

David Davies

Richard Dawkins

John Dean

Alan Dershowitz

Barry Eichengreen

Jesse Eisenger

Keith Ellison

Nigel Farage

Harrison Ford

Morgan Freeman

Malcolm Gladwell

Glenn Greenwald

Mikhail Gorbachev

Bob Graham

Amy Goodman

Germaine Greer

Tulsi Gabbard

Stephen Hawking

Seymour Hersh

Katrina vanden Heuvel

Mark Halperin

David Igantius

Laura Ingram

Jeremy Irons

Gary Johnson

Neil Kinnock

Naomi Klein

Jon (they spelled it John) Krakauer

Jesse Jackson

Kerry Kennedy

Les Leopold

Michael Lind

Chris Matthews

John Mauldin

Ralph Nader

Michelle Obama

Nomi Prins

Yasmin Qureshi

Barry Ritholtz

Dan Rather

Jacob Rees-Mogg

Robert Reich

Jim Rogers

Kevin Rudd

Donald Rumsfeld

Paul Ryan

Bernie Sanders

Lee Sheppard

Ben Stein

Jill Stein

Gloria Steinem

Matt Taibbi

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Jean-Claude Trichet

Mike Tyson

Cenk Uygur

Dick Van Dyke

Yanis Varoufakis

Evangelos Venizelos

Denzel Washington

Marcy Wheeler

Oprah Winfrey

Bob Woodward

The irony here is that I appear to have been picked up for what were my last appearances on RT, mainly on Ed Harrisons Boom Bust show. As much as I like Ed and enjoyed that the interviews were six to ten minutes (leisurely by TV standards), I quit doing pretty much all TV (save Bill Moyers show) because it was a lot of work for little payoff. First, they tend to ask you to appear the same day and spout off, which never works for me (I am too time stressed to drop everything and fit an appearance into my schedule). Second, you have to do some research perp. Third, for the level of TV I was invited to do, I would have to go to a remote studio. That means you do your own hair and makeup. Women have to use specialized makeup for high def camera (different foundations, more like paint primer, requires use of bronzers and blush, and hooker level eye liner). It takes 20 minutes to do it if you dont screw up the liner. Even in studios (where the makeup artists do it and they know the lighting, so they know were they can do less v. more), its a bare minimum of ten minutes for them, more like 15-20. Fourth, you have to transit time to and from the studio and you need to get there at least 15 minutes before the hit time.

So its a minimum of a three hour time sink all in, which is longer than it takes to do a post. And while readers liked seeing me on TV, I didnt get new readers this way. The audiences for the shows to which Id be invited were not all that large and overlapped heavily with my existing audience.

And as for the productiveness of this attack on RT, which no matter what you think of RT, is an attack on the First Amendment. On one level, it wont dent any of the reputations of the individuals named, since with so many prestigious names across such a wide range of positions, being on this list is in practice meaningless. But it will still have a chilling effect on RTs ability to attract guests, at least in the US. As Ed Harrison pointed out:

Even if we expose this move for the McCarthyism it is, the blacklist will still have its intended impact by putting a chill on RTs ability to get guests. EVERYONE will think twice before appearing on the network. The damage has been done.

And as Mark Ames confirmed:

But the point of the McCarthyism more than anything has been to scare respectable people away from so much as appearing on RT. Its worked, because our spooks know that Americans with media ambitions are easily frightened by anything that can hurt their social capital.

But the perverse bit is, that as John Helmer pointed out in previous reporting, and the the think tank study confirmed, RTs audience in puny. So why should anyone care if it has no real reach?

From Helmer via e-mail, who has been blacklisted by RT for reporting on how it exaggerated the size of its audience:

Rag picking is a sorry task, but occasionally there are gems to be salvaged [the screenshots are from the think tank report]: In short, this is evidence, again, of the self-sucking icecream. RT is an audience failure. In order to earn its budget from the Kremlin, it used to rely on trickery in Nielsen and other survey manipulation, fabricated data, bots, etc. For example, Nielsen told me in 2009, when I investigated, that because RT places its service on hotel room televisions, the audience count includes every guest who turns on the TV set in the hotel room. It apparently didnt occur this moron to speak to Nielsen. When I ran this story in Asia Times  http://johnhelmer.net/black-hole-television-how-the-little-pigs-lie-to-the-big-bad-wolf/  [RT editor-in-chief Margarita] Simonyan issued a lawfirm libel threat until AT agreed to give her a large interview space in which to damn everything I had done. Peter Lavelle, now the anchor for RTs John McLaughlin-mimic show, telephoned because he was terrified Simonyan would realize I had been talking to him by telephone and by email. Nowadays, no trickery is needed. The USG, the US media, Pomerantz, Edward Lucas et al., all do the job of promotion for RT  so Putin is convinced, and [Press Secretary Dmitry] Peskov grows rich. Simonyan too.

So while this little hit piece on potential RT guests will probably be effective, at least in the US, in hurting RTs ability to produce credible content, it will increase its appearance of effectiveness and hence its funding. So this may not net out to be a negative and could still over time be a net plus for RT.

And thats before we get to the fact that some individuals who dont like intimidation campaigns, such as Russell Brand and Nicholas Nassim Taleb, having some sport with this, particularly since many of the people on this list have much bigger megaphones than the think tank shooting at them.

Put it another way: this sort of report is not the product of a confident ruling class. Its far too easy to blame a legitimacy crisis on outside agents when the fault lies in decades of neglecting the most fundamental responsibility of leadership: that of making a serious effort to assure the welfare of ordinary people. Even if one were to believe the barmy thesis that RT has damaged the US body politic, its because the the rot is so widespread that takes only a minuscule dose of PR to further weaken the foundations.
(Natural News) A new study reveals that 42 percent of food contamination warnings in California is linked to high levels of lead in candy since the state passed a law on testing and monitoring the food item in 2006.

Thousands of candy brands have been reported to contain lead  mostly imported ones from Mexico, China, and India  than for any other contamination. As many as 10,000 children are poisoned by lead in California each year, according to a study by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

Lead study author Dr Margaret Handley urges consumers and policy-makers alike to make sure that children dont receive or eat lead-contaminated candies during trick-or-treat this Halloween. The National Retail Federation predicted that a record-breaking $9.1 billion would have been spent on candies this Halloween; majority of which would have been imported to California from Mexico (34 percent), China (24 percent) and India (20 percent).

The UCSF study reports that candy made up the majority of lead warnings issued for imported food products  a total of 96.3 percent between 2001 and 2014. Lead poisoning is also estimated to have affected more than one million American children during the study period.

The findings also suggest that lead contamination was probably under-reported prior to the testing program in 2007. One report, published back in 2002, claimed that about 15 percent of the 1,000 cases of lead poisoning in California were linked to candy imported from Mexico. The report led to legislation passed in 2006 and the Food and Drug Branch (FDB) of the California Department of Public Health to oversee candy testing and warnings, which includes releasing annual lists of tested candies. As of September 13, none of the candies tested this year contained more than .005 parts per million (ppm), the permissible level in California.

The FDB site also includes a list of candies that have been banned for contamination, mostly imported ones from Mexico, India, and Japan. There was also a recall for the popular Red Vines licorice candies in 2012, though it was again allowed to be sold the next year. The list however, appears to only be updated to 2013.

As more lead sources are identified we must develop prevention approaches for all of them, and not just replace one prevention approach with another, Dr Handley said in a press release.

If there is anything we have learned from the lead poisoning disaster in Flint, Michigan, it is not to oversimplify or cut corners when it comes to identifying and removing sources of lead poisoning, she added, recalling the Flint, Michigan water crisis, where cost-cutting measures led to tainted drinking water that contained lead. (Related: Pharma company cashed in on Flint water crisis, raised lead poisoning drug prices 2,700 percent.)

Lead contamination is a serious health problem that can cause brain and nervous system damage, as well as hearing and speech problems. It can also affect the development, learning, and behavior of growing children. Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, upset stomach and hyperactivity usually follow lead poisoning. These symptoms however, are so similar to those exhibited by a child who only had too much candy, that they are often overlooked and not diagnosed.

The CDC, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned that lead has been detected in candy wrappers, particularly those for imported candies. These sweet treats are prone to lead contamination when their ingredients were not processed and prepared properly, or the ink used on the candy wrappers contains lead that seeps into the candies themselves.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

TheGuardian.com
(Natural News) At some point, I keep hoping that the lunatics who call themselves college and university professors and who are so consumed with Alt-Left hate for people and ideologies they dont like or understand will no longer be taken seriously or allowed to infect young, impressionable minds.

Sadly, that day has not yet arrived, as evidenced by the fact that one professor who claims that modern science is invalid not because its incorrect but because its racist.

How? Well, because science was mostly discovered by white men, of course.

As reported by Campus Reform, a feminist professor at the University of California-Davis (no surprise there) is promising to challenge the authority of science by rewriting knowledge with a feminist spin.

In other words, she plans on re-teaching known scientific facts to emphasize her own political and sociological point of view, regardless of its validity. And apparently, thats just fine and dandy with the politically compromised cowards who run the university, though it should not be okay with students and parents who are footing the exorbitant tuition.

Sara Giordano is arguing that traditional science is tainted as it relies on a colonial and radicalized form of power. Therefore, it must be shelved in favor of an anti-science, antiracist, feminist approach to knowledge production.

Knowledge production? Where do these people pull these terms from (I have an idea).

And wait a minute  isnt scientific knowledge a known quantity, regardless of who figured it out or discovered it? I mean, are Benjamin Franklins discoveries regarding electricity now no longer valid because he was a white, male colonist?

How about Alexander Graham Bells principles of telephonic communicationswere generations of Americans just living a lie when they picked up and used a telephone?

What about Louis Pasteur, the French microbiologist and chemist? Were his scientific breakthrough techniques curbing bacterial contamination and saving an untold number of lives racist because he was a white male?

Are Dr. George Washington Carvers inventions and scientific research with peanuts only valid because he was black?

These are ridiculous questions because Giordanos reasoning for discounting known scientific quantities and facts is ridiculous. (Related: University professor claims MATH is racist, because whites have a natural advantage should algebra and geometry be banned for EQUALITY?)

Nevertheless, there she is, teaching our young people (how to hate, how to be intolerant of others points of view, and of course how to be biased against gender and skin color  all at a price of thousands of dollars per year).

Giordano says shes concerned that science has earned its epistemic authority through its own co-constitution with colonization and slavery, and therefore relies on a colonial and racialized form of power (George Washington Carver was born a slave, in Missouri).

Science, therefore, is not only rooted in racism (except for black, Hispanic and Asian scientists) but also used to perpetuate racism and colonial practices (she obviously doesnt know that Europe and the United States no longer have colonies).

At the root of the justification for social inequality then is Western science, she says, claiming that sciences distinction between humans and non-humans has allowed capitalism [to become] justified as a natural economic system.

[Of course she has to critique capitalism  shes a Leftist. But she doesnt mind that her employer uses a very capitalistic principle  turning a profit  in order to continue paying her salary.]

So whats her solution, you ask?

We need to disrupt the epistemic authority of Science[and] the assumption that science = truth, Giordano wrote in an essay for the journal Catalyst, further arguing that this can be done by implementing a feminist science practice that explicitly unsticks Science from Truth.

Oh.

Only in the strange, disturbed, alternative universe of Left-wing thought can a professor advocate for ideology-based science, rather than science as simply the state of knowing  regardless of who figures it out.

Read more of J.D. Heyes work at The National Sentinel.

Sources include:

CampusReform.org

CampusInsanity.com
An attorney for the man accused of igniting the 391-acre Bear Fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains earlier this month entered not guilty pleas on behalf of the suspected arsonist Tuesday morning.

Multiple witnesses said they saw Marlon Coy, who is also accused of looting a home evacuated by the blaze, set the fire, which wiped out six structures and forced scores of people to flee their homes.

"Let's be honest, he lit a fire that caused an evacuation and burned 300-plus acres," Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeff Rosell said. "That's not something that happens everyday in this county, and it's arson, it's not an accident."

While in the courtroom, Coy appeared to mouth the words "you're next" to Rosell, who later said "bring it on."

Coy's attorney on Monday entered not guilty pleas on the accused's behalf for three arson charges and a not guilty plea for allegedly being a felon in possession of a gun.

Coy had already entered not guilty pleas on seven other charges related to the same time period and same location where fire investigators believe the fire started.

Coy remains jailed, and his bail sits at $800,000.
The National Park Service has withdrawn plans to pay nearly $100,000 for a project honoring the legacy of the Black Panther Party after police groups complained to President Donald Trump.

The park service had pledged $98,000 to the University of California, Berkeley for a two-year research project on the black power group, which was founded in Oakland in 1966.

The Fraternal Order of Police sent a letter to Trump expressing outrage and shock that the park service would pay to honor a group associated with killing a park ranger. A party member was convicted of murdering Ranger Kenneth Patrick in 1973 while he was on patrol at a national seashore near San Francisco.

Park service spokesman Jeremy Barnum said Monday that a cooperative agreement to fund the project was not finalized, and the agency withdrew funding after an additional review of the project. He declined further comment.

Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., called withdrawal of the funding outrageous. The Black Panther Party was an integral part of the civil rights movement and the public has a right to know their history, Lee said.

Lee, who represents Oakland, urged the park service and Interior Department to provide a full explanation of why funding for the project was dropped.

The police group said in its Oct. 19 letter to Trump that the only meaning that the Black Panthers brought to any lives was grief to the families of their victims. The FOP said its research indicated that 16 law enforcement officers, including Patrick, were killed by Black Panther members.

Why would the NPS seek to commemorate the activities of an extremist separatist group that advocated the use of violence against our country  a country they perceived as their enemy? the police group wrote.

The Black Panthers formed in Oakland to defend African-Americans against police brutality and protect the rights of a downtrodden people to determine their own future. The party scared mainstream America with their calls for revolution that were at odds with Martin Luther King Jr.s insistence on peaceful protest.

After the group launched armed patrols, California lawmakers repealed a law that allowed people to carry loaded weapons in public. The Panthers gained national attention when they carried guns into the state Capitol in protest.

The Panthers eventually imploded, weakened by internal fighting and by a government effort to undermine the group. Former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover said the Black Panthers represented the nations greatest threat to internal security. The Nixon administration moved to shut the group down.
Police in East Palo Alto are asking for help finding a high school student who was last seen Thursday evening, police said.

Jonathan Bedolla, a student at Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, left campus around 3 p.m. Thursday.

Police said he went to work at the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto and was last seen leaving the shopping center around 5 p.m.

"We are asking all of you to pray for Jonny's well-being and safe return," the schools' President Lars Lund and Principal Barry Thornton said in a Facebook post Sunday. "The entire Serra community cares about Jonny very much, and is praying for him to come home safely right away."

Earlier in the day, school staff had contacted Bedolla's mother about some disciplinary action.

Police said Bedolla's mother called her son more than once and sent him text messages; however, he hasn't responded or been in touch with any family members.

Police said Bedolla was thought to be near the Menlo Park Caltrain station Thursday evening, but police don't know where he may have been going.

Bedolla does not suffer from any medical conditions and is not considered to be at risk. Additionally, police don't' believe there is any foul play involved in his disappearance.

Anyone who may have information about Bedolla's whereabouts is asked to email East Palo Alto police anonymously at epa@tipnow.org or by sending a text or leaving a voicemail at (650) 409-6792.
A grocery store employee in San Francisco trying to stop a male suspect from stealing items was bit multiple times by the suspect's dog and was also stabbed by the man, according to police.



A grocery store employee trying to stop a suspect from stealing items was bit multiple times by the male suspect's dog and was also stabbed by the man, according to police.

The attempted theft and attack, which left the victim in life-threatening condition, occurred around 12:30 a.m. at a Safeway near the corner of 7th Avenue and Cabrillo Street, police said.

After trying to stop the suspect, the victim and suspect became entangled in a physical altercation, police said. The suspect's dog proceeded to bite the employee on the legs and in the buttocks. The victim also suffered a stab wound to his back.

As other employees rushed to aid their coworker, the suspect tried to stab them as well, according to police.

The suspect eventually fled the scene before later being detained and arrested, police saidA grocery store employee in San Francisco trying to stop a male suspect from stealing items was bit multiple times by the suspect's dog and was also stabbed by the man, according to police.

The attempted theft and attack, which left the victim in life-threatening condition, occurred around 12:30 a.m. at a Safeway near the corner of 7th Avenue and Cabrillo Street, police said.

After trying to stop the suspect, the victim and suspect became entangled in a physical altercation, police said. The suspect's dog proceeded to bite the employee on the legs and in the buttocks. The victim also suffered a stab wound to his back.

As other employees rushed to aid their coworker, the suspect tried to stab them as well, according to police.

The suspect eventually fled the scene before later being detained and arrested, police said.
BOX SCORE

SAN JOSE -- Rookie defenseman Tim Heed scored a tiebreaking goal on the power play early in the third period to spoil Patrick Marleau's return to San Jose by leading the Sharks to a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night.

Heed scored on a slap shot from just above the faceoff circle with 15:49 to play and assisted on Joe Pavelski's second-period goal to give the Sharks their 10th straight win over Toronto. Joel Ward added an empty-net goal for San Jose.

This time it came with Marleau in a Maple Leafs sweater as he returned to the arena he called home for his first 19 seasons in the NHL. Marleau left as a free agent this summer to sign an $18.75 million, three-year contract with Toronto.

Marleau finished with two shots on goal but didn't record a point as Martin Jones made 16 saves for San Jose to improve to 7-0 against the Maple Leafs. Jones has allowed just 10 goals in those starts.

Auston Matthews scored in the first period and Nazem Kadri added a goal with 1:10 remaining to cut San Jose's lead to 3-2. The Maple Leafs have lost four of five and were held to only two shots on goal in a span of more than 31 minutes in the second and third periods.

Frederik Andersen made 36 saves but had no chance on Heed's slapper that went into the top corner after Timo Meier had drawn a cross-checking penalty from Dominic Moore early in the period.

The night started with an emotional pregame ceremony for Marleau. The Sharks played a video tribute to Marleau and he received a loud ovation that lasted nearly 90 seconds from the fans, who chanted "Pat-ty! Pat-ty!" Players from both teams tapped their sticks in appreciation as the spotlight shined on Marleau and he waved to the crowd.

The Sharks then controlled play for the first two periods but were unable to translate their 25-11 advantage in shots on goal to a lead on the scoreboard.

The Maple Leafs struck first midway through the first period when Matthews beat Logan Couture to the rebound of a point shot from Nikita Zaitsev and knocked it into the open net for his ninth goal.

San Jose tied it midway through the second when Pavelski deflected Heed's point shot past Andersen for his third goal.

NOTES: Thornton got an assist on San Jose's first goal, giving him 1,399 points to move past Jari Kurri for sole possession of 20th place on the career list. ... Toronto forwards James Van Riemsdyk (lower body) and Matt Martin (upper body) returned to the lineup after missing one game each.

UP NEXT:

Maple Leafs: Visit the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night.

Sharks: Host the Nashville Predators on Wednesday night.
Bullying at school is getting worse for California students who are Muslim, according to a new study by the Council on American Islamic Relations, or CAIR.

The group's annual survey of more than 1,000 students ages 11 to 18 shows the kids feel less safe in public schools.

More than half report being made fun of or abused for being Muslim, 26 percent claim they were cyberbullied and more than a third of Muslim girls say their Islamic head scarves, or hijabs, were tugged or offensively touched, the study shows.

"My daughter had multiple incidents at her public high school last year as a freshman," parent Noshaba Afzal said. "She's a young woman who choses to wear hijab." Afzal said her older daughter didn't wear the scarf when she went to the same school, and she had no problems.

The family was most disturbed that a teacher reacted negatively to the younger daughter's scarf, prompting the family to seek resolution with the district superintendent.

CAIR is calling on public schools to implement more studies of different cultures, so all students feel more included.
A Massachusetts man has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to murder and kidnapping charges in the death of a woman whose body was found at a rest area.

Cape Cod Times reports 27-year-old Denzel Chisholm will not be eligible for parole in the deal he made with prosecutors Monday.

Chisholm, an alleged leader of the Nauti-Block street gang, was one of three people indicted in the 2015 stabbing and shooting death of 28-year-old Christine Ferreira. Authorities say Ferreira was killed in retaliation for testifying against another alleged gang member.

Chisholm's sister, Shannelle, pleaded guilty Monday to a charge of conspiracy after her murder charge was dropped. Prosecutors say the third man is scheduled to appear in court in the upcoming weeks.
A nurse was killed Sunday in a hit-and-run crash in East Brookfield, Massachusetts.

Police are investigating the death of Lisa Germain, who was killed during the storm around 6 p.m. on East Main Street.

"Blink of an eye, you didn't see nothing," said Jan Savage. "It was that quick."

Germain was killed in front of Savage's home. Germain was parked just steps away from Dunny's bar, where an employee says she was enjoying their well-known Blues Night.

Savage says after the crash, bar customers and a driver rushed to help.

"All I heard was a guy saying call 911. She was laying on the ground, he was feeling for her pulse saying she had a pulse, then saying 'I don't think she has a pulse anymore," Savage said.

Germain was a nurse in the Neonatal intensive care unit at MetroWest Medical Center.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of Lisa Germain," the hospital said in a statement. "She was a great friend, mentor and team member. She will be deeply missed by everyone at MetroWest."
Iris Acosta has spent the last two decades enrolled in an immigration program that has helped her get a work permit, put three children through school in her native Honduras and obtain health insurance to cover her cancer treatment.

Now, the 51-year-old hotel housekeeper from Los Angeles fears it could all come to an abrupt halt.

Acosta is one of about 400,000 immigrants who have been allowed to remain here under a little-known humanitarian program that could be on shaky ground in President Donald Trump's administration as it comes up for renewal in the coming months for many of its recipients.

The beneficiaries  many who came to the country illegally from Honduras and El Salvador  worry the administration will phase out their access to the program and deport them to countries where they haven't lived in years.

"I don't know what I'd do in my country," said Acosta, who has lived nearly half her life in the United States. "I have nothing there."

The program known as Temporary Protected Status is geared toward countries ravaged by natural disasters or war. It is a temporary fix for immigrants without legal status, much like the more widely known Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to protect from deportation immigrants brought to the U.S. as children  an initiative Trump recently ended.

Ten countries are currently designated for the program, with more than 70 percent either from El Salvador or Honduras, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The program was created by law, but the White House decides which countries should participate and for how long.

When the federal government taps a country for the program, its citizens already in the United States are allowed to remain and work here, regardless of how they came. They can't bring family to join them, and immigrants who arrive later are not allowed to sign up.

The U.S. government offered the status to Hondurans and Nicaraguans after their countries were decimated by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and to Salvadorans after a deadly 2001 earthquake. The idea was to let immigrants work and send money back to help relatives recover from the damage and not burden the countries with a large number of deportees.

While the status was meant to be temporary, it was repeatedly renewed by the Bush and Obama administrations over concerns the countries could not shoulder the return of so many people. As a result, some immigrants have been allowed to stay in the U.S. for 20 years.

The program is up for renewal again in the coming months, with decisions on Honduras and Nicaragua expected by early November.

Officials at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services have not said what the administration plans to do. The Homeland Security Secretary will review country conditions and make a decision at least 60 days before each country's status expires.

The Trump administration has stepped up immigration enforcement and signaled it could take a harder line on the program.

Since taking office, Trump has ended the program for Sudan and issued a shorter-than-usual renewal for Haiti, which was designated after a devastating 2010 earthquake.

Immigrant advocates are trying to raise awareness about the program and pressure lawmakers to lobby the administration to keep it. Unions and immigrant rights groups held rallies and a vigil this week in Washington and Los Angeles.

Still, the program has received scant attention compared to the soon-to-expire DACA program for young immigrants  many of whom are college-educated, American-raised, politically connected and internet-savvy. In contrast, those with temporary protected status often work in housekeeping or construction and lack the political clout of their DACA counterparts.

"This is working population through and through," said Cecilia Menjivar, a professor of sociology at University of Kansas, who has done research on those covered by the program.

Acosta came to the United States illegally in 1992 after she couldn't make ends meet at her job at a pool hall in Honduras. She started as a housekeeper in different homes, but once she had a work permit she got a formal job with steady pay and benefits.

She was also able to help her mother and children recover from the hurricane. They were evacuated before the storm hit but lost most of their belongings when their Tegucigalpa apartment flooded.

Erick Midence, a 58-year-old in Oxnard, California, said the program helped him grow his construction business and stop living in fear of immigration authorities.

"Though some suffered misfortune, others of us were helped by Hurricane Mitch," said Midence, also from Honduras.

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, said the program needs to be overhauled so it can be returned to its temporary nature. One alternative, he said, would be to let immigrants who have had the work permits a long time remain but place legislative checks on how the program is used in future crises.

"It is the only way you can avoid this absurd situation where people are here temporarily for 20 years," Krikorian said.

As immigrants in the program brace for changes, some are taking advantage of favorable rulings in two U.S. circuit courts that let them apply for green cards. The rulings apply to those who are married to Americans or who have adult children who are U.S. citizens.

Midence, for one, is exploring the idea since his children are now in their 20s and 30s and have U.S. citizenship.

But for many, it's not an option. Salvadoran immigrant Edwin Murillo relies on the status to run his construction business and raise his 10- and 4-year-old daughters in Dallas.

"We don't know what will happen tomorrow," said Murillo, 42, who has lived in the United States for nearly two decades. "But we are really afraid."
A witness testifying in a sexual harassment hearing in Chicago Tuesday accused Illinois state Sen. Ira Silverstein, majority caucus chair, of harassing her.

Denise Rotheimer, who has authored several bills connected to victims of crime, said Silverstein used "power" and "mind games" against her and made comments about her appearance.

"What I dealt with Silverstein, I ended up six weeks in a crisis," she testified in the hearing. "I lost 20 pounds, my hair fell out. I was so scared that I would have to admit myself into a hospital because I went down to 109 pounds. I had no control in the situation. He had so much power over me and the mind games he played, the tactics he played and he knew this is my heart, what he was able to do and invade my privacy, my space, the offenses that I received."

The accusations came during a House Personnel and Pensions Committee hearing where a group of women discussed sexual harassment they experienced in their careers in Illinois politics. Earlier in the hearing House Speaker Michael Madigan proposed an amendment to sexual harassment policies and training.

"I apologize if I made Denise Rotheimer uncomfortable," Silverstein told NBC 5. "I will await the commission's results."

Illinois became the latest to join the chorus of statehouses nationwide alleging sexual harassment is pervasive in the halls of political power. Signatures piled up last week on an open letter describing harassment and intimidation for women trying to negotiate legislation and work on campaigns.

"Every industry has its own version of the casting couch," read the letter circulating in Illinois, which by last Tuesday had more than 130 signatures. "Ask any woman who has lobbied the halls of the Capitol, staffed Council Chambers, or slogged through brutal hours on the campaign trail. Misogyny is alive and well in this industry."

Rotheimer authored Jasmine's Law after her daughter was raped at age 11. She had been pursuing a bill to provide legal representation to crime victims, which Silverstein became a sponsor of.

"I have 400 pages of Facebook messages from the time Silverstein started this invasion of my space, and I submitted it as evidence," Rotheimer said. "He would Facebook me at midnight, call me at midnight. I mean you have no idea the torment -- I went to my state's attorney in April when I had that crisis asking him to take my place on the bill because I couldn't take it anymore."



Rotheimer claims she filed a complaint to the Senate a year ago but "there was no real response."

Illinois political fundraiser Katelynd Duncan, who helped craft the Illinois letter  signed "The Women Who Make Illinois Run" and accompanied by a private Facebook group  said she was fired from a political campaign in her 20s for reporting inappropriate behavior.

"Very early on in my career, I was taught if I speak up, there'll be negative repercussions," she said. "I had to modify my behaviors to continue doing my job."

State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz, an Illinois Democrat, filed a resolution last week "to change the culture that breeds such behavior." Another proposal was in the works to require legislators, lobbyists and staff to undergo sexual harassment training. Top leaders said they also would require policies for lobbyists.
A 20-year-old man who didnt resurface after his canoe capsized Sunday morning in a northwest Indiana lake was still missing Monday night as authorities concluded their second day of searching.

Keegan Whaling of Valparaiso and a friend were canoeing shortly before 7 a.m. Sunday about 150 yards offshore in Long Lake, which is just north of Valparaiso, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

The canoe capsized and both men fell into the water, according to IDNR.

Whalings friend was able to swim to shore and summon help from a nearby resident, saying he did not see Whaling make it to shore, IDNR said. It is believed he is still in the water.

No foul play is suspected, IDNR said.

Indiana Conservation Officers, members of the Porter County Dive Team and the Valparaiso Police Department used sonar, rescue divers and unmanned aerial vehicles to search for Whaling until about 10 p.m. Sunday, IDNR said.

The search continued from 8 a.m. to about 7 p.m. Monday with a boat-mounted sonar system. Divers manually checked the heavily weeded areas of the lake, but the search was hindered because divers and their gear became tangled in weeds, IDNR said.

Search efforts will be scaled back due to the lakes conditions and include Indiana Conservation Officers checking the area by boat, IDNR said.

Nearby residents and lake users will be advised of the situation so they can immediately call conservation officers at (812) 837-9536 if a body is found.
After 123 days without one, the state of Connecticut has a budget.

Gov. Dannel Malloy Tuesday signed into the law the bipartisan budget agreement members of the General Assembly reached, but he vetoed appropriations in support of a new hospital tax proposal and said the budget is by no means a perfect document.

The budget includes reforms to strengthen Hartford and other cities and fully-funds state pensions, according to the governors office.

After 123 days without a budget, it is time to sign this bipartisan bill into law and continue the steady and significant progress our state has made over the past several years, Malloy said in a statement. Connecticuts families and businesses deserve to have a budget in place, one that provides a stable environment to live and work. While there are certainly many provisions of this budget I find problematic, theres also a clear recognition of many of the fiscal priorities and concerns Ive consistently articulated since January. I appreciate the work of the General Assembly in passing a budget to my desk that I can sign.

Malloys office said there are provisions of this budget that the administration finds problematic, but, taken as a whole, the budget incorporates many of Malloys policy priorities, including creating a municipal accountability review board aimed at playing a significant role in bringing the City of Hartford back from the brink of bankruptcy and providing the state the necessary tools to intervene early to restore fiscal stability to struggling towns and cities.

"The good news is that our towns and cities will finally have relief in the way of state aid and our much needed social services programs will continue, House Republican Leader Themis Klarides said in a statement. The bad news is the issues regarding our hospitals remain unresolved because of the Governors line item veto, and the House and Senate will have to address that.

This budget truly meets the needs of our state by investing in our workforce, our students and our state colleges and universities, while providing cities, towns and boards of education with certainty and predictability. At the same time, this budget makes important systemic reforms that will result in significant long-term savings and pays down Connecticuts pension liabilities," Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney (D-New Haven) said in a statement.

The budget restores much of the higher education funding that was cut for UConn and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system, includes a constitutional spending cap, municipal mandate relief, and required votes on all collective bargaining agreements by the legislature.

The budget adopts changes to the Estate Tax and Insurance Premium Tax and supports an initiative to assist residents with crumbling foundations.

While this may be a step in the right direction, make no mistake about it  this is by no means a perfect document and it is not one I would have negotiated, Malloy said in a statement. There are real legal and structural issues with the budget presented to me, and I have concerns about the states ability to keep it in balance over the biennium and beyond. Thats why, along with my signature, I am also line-item vetoing a component of the budget relating to the supplemental payments to hospitals that would leave Connecticut taxpayers exposed to legal challenges and a potential $1 billion budget shortfall per year. I strongly urge my colleagues in the General Assembly to convene as soon as possible to pass a legal alternative to the illegal hospital tax and troublesome supplemental payment and rate language presented in the bill.
After two weeks of preparations, and hours of labor, the New Haven Department of Parks and Recreation, and Department of Public Works have cut the holiday tree theyll display this year on the New Haven Green.

It arrived on the historic New Haven Green and was lifted into place around noon.

The tree was cut from Elizabeth LaPointes yard in Branford earlier that morning.

The 65-foot-tall Norway Spruce weighs more than 10,000 pounds has been on her Branford property for more than 50 years.

Well thats not my tree anymore, LaPointe said. Its New Havens.

LaPointes husband and a neighbor planted the tree and her family decorated it for the holidays for two years, until it became too big.

Its massive size caught the attention of New Haven Parks and Recreation, according to manager Bill Carone.

Staff members drove by this tree a couple of months ago, and it was one of our top three, and we decided to go to this one, Carone said.

"We look for a lot of the same things that homeowners look for in their tree," said Rebecca Bombero, director of New Haven Parks, Recreation, and Trees Department. "You want something that is straight and tall and full."

LaPointe was surprised when the department came knocking at her door because she thought someone had made a complaint about the tree.

I thought, Why are they here? Then he said something about, Well, did you call a couple of years ago to have it out as a Christmas tree on the New Haven Green? Then it dawned on me, yes I did, she said.

LaPointe said shes looking forward to seeing the tree lit for the first time on Nov. 30, but is more excited about the future of her giving tree.

Shes been told that when it comes down after Christmas, itll be used to, make park benches, lumber for Houses for Humanity. So that, that makes me happy, she said.

The tree will be decorated over the next couple of weeks with 30,000 LED bulbs in time for the tree lighting ceremony on Thursday, November 30.

You can watch the tree lighting live on NBC Connecticut. The event will also stream live on nbcconnecticut.com and in the NBC Connecticut app.

NBC Connecticut is proud to be the official television partner of the New Haven Green's winter festivities.
Blind for more than 20 years because of degenerative eye disease, a Georgia man now has a new look at life. Its all thanks to the device doctors are calling the bionic eye.

For the past two decades Walfre Lopez lived in the dark. I was around 21 years old when I started to lose my vision, Lopez said.

He was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease. His son, now 21, was just two years old at the time. His daughter, whom hes never seen, is now 12. While doctors told Lopez and his family theres nothing they could do, they never gave up hope.

Lopez is the first patient at the University of Florida Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville to get the bionic eye. In a complex surgery by ophthalmologist Gibran Khurshid, a computer chip implanted in the back of the eye interacts with electrodes placed on the eyes surface, making artificial vision possible with special glasses.

The special glasses, they have a small high definition camera which captures the images, explained Gibran Khurshid, MD, Ophthalmologist at UF Health Eye Center.

Its not vision as Lopez used to know it, but it allows him to see shapes and contrasting images.

"We are giving you a 7th sense and then we teach you how to use it as a vision," Khurshid continued.

"After 20 something years, it's really exciting," said Lopez.

A life-changing procedure that brings tears of joy.

"Last night I couldn't sleep because I said, 'Wow it's the first day that Walfre can see at least something about me,'" said Lopez's wife, Marioly.

Doctors say the device is not for everyone. It will only help people suffering from blindness caused by diseases affecting the retina, like retinitis pigmentosa.

The FDA first approved retinal implants in 2013. Since then, the devices have improved the vision of nearly 900 people world-wide.

Contributors to this news report include: Sarah Rosario, Field Producer; Dan and Debbie Huntting, Videographers; Cyndy McGrath, Supervising Producer; Gabriella Battistiol, Assistant Producer; Roque Correa, Editor.


The U.S. soldier killed in a helicopter crash Friday near Kabul, Afghanistan, was identified Sunday by the Defense Department, NBC News reported.

Chief Warrant Officer Jacob Sims, 36, died in Logar province in what the Pentagon said was an accident not caused by enemy action. He was assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

Six other service members were injured in the incident, and an investigation has been opened.

"Our thoughts are with his family during this tragic time, and we join them in mourning the loss of their loved one who took to the sky and bravely volunteered on behalf of his country," Rep. Dennis Heck, D-Washington, who represents the district that includes Lewis-McChord, said in a statement Sunday.


What to Know Sayfullo Saipov wrote in a note found in his truck that he rammed into people in New York City for ISIS, sources say

He's an Uzbek national who lives in Paterson, New Jersey, as a permanent resident; he has a wife and two children

He worked as a commercial truck driver and Uber Driver. The popular ride-sharing service said he was banned after Tuesday's attack

UPDATE: Attack Suspect Gleeful Over Deadly Manhattan Rampage, Left 'ISIS Lives Forever' Note in Truck



The 29-year-old man detained after a flatbed truck zoomed down a popular lower Manhattan bike path, killing at least eight people and injuring nearly a dozen, left a note in the vehicle claiming he committed the attack for ISIS, according to law enforcement sources.



Authorities said the man -- identified by sources as Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, who was an Uber and commercial truck driver living in Paterson, New Jersey -- is thought to be a "lone actor" in the attack in the Hudson River Greenway on Tuesday afternoon. U.S. counterintelligence officials added that no group has taken responsibility for the attack.

Sources said he rented the truck from a Home Depot in Passaic, drove over the George Washington Bridge and sped down the greenway for more than a dozen blocks before deliberately ramming into a school bus for children near Stuyvesant High School and P.S. 89.

Two staff members and two children on the bus were injured, police said.



The Uzbek national, who is a permanent U.S. resident, then shouted "Allahu Ackbar," got out of the rented truck and was seen running through traffic on West Street with a pellet gun and a paintball gun before being shot in the abdomen by a police officer on patrol and taken into custody. He's being treated at Bellevue Hospital.

Sources said that though Saipov lives in Paterson, he had a Florida license with a Tampa address on him when he was arrested. Police and federal agents were seen swarming the neighborhood street where he lived on Tuesday night as well as the Passaic Home Depot where he rented the flatbed truck and left his family minivan.

A family friend described the suspect as calm and hard-working, while President Donald Trump derided him as "sick and deranged."



Residents in the area said that Saipov had a wife and two young children and that they had lived in the home on and off for about three years. Fellow Muslims in the neighborhood said that while he and his wife appeared to be practicing the faith, they only saw him at the local mosque once or twice.

"We are not like him," said Mohammed Ghaith, who goes to the mosque. "Not harmful or anything like that. I don't know what he's been through or what he went through but we should all be like peace."

Kobiljon Matkarov, a Facebook friend of Saipov's, told NBC News that the two met while they were both living in Florida.

"He was very happy guy," said Matkarov, who is also from Uzbekistan. "He liked the US. He is no terrorist. He's all the time happy, smiling all the time."

Uber said Saipov had passed a background test to drive for the service, and that he had been banned from accessing the app after Tuesday's attack. The company added that it is reviewing Saipov's history with the service and cooperating with the FBI.

Saipov pleaded guilty to two traffic offenses in Pennsylvania between 2012 and 2015, according to records from the Keystone State. He was also arrested for failing to appear in court after getting another traffic citation in Missouri in 2015; he later paid a fine and served no jail time. It's not clear if he had any other criminal history beyond the traffic offenses.

Anyone with information on Saipov or the attack is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS or the FBI's tips hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Health officials in Colorado say two cases of Hepatitis in that state stem from the outbreak in San Diego, according to a published report.

The Denver Post quotes state epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy as saying that two of that states 58 reported cases of Hepatitis A were linked to San Diego.

Earlier this month, an Arizona report stated one person who traveled from San Diego has been linked to a Hep A outbreak in Maricopa County.

Nineteen people have died in the San Diego County Hepatitis A outbreak.

From November 22 through Oct. 19, there have been 516 confirmed cases have been reported in the county with 40 cases pending confirmation. Twenty new cases are reported per week on average, officials said.

The mean age of a Hepatitis A patient in San Diego County is 43 years old, according to Public Health Officer Wilma Wooten, MD, MPH.

Of the people who have died in the outbreak, 10 were homeless. One used illicit drugs. Three were both homeless and illicit drug users.

However, two neither used drugs or were considered homeless, according to county health officials.

As of October 24, 128 cases have no connection to homelessness or illicit drug use, Wooten said.

Hepatitis A is spread person-to-person through contact with a fecal-contaminated environment, according to the San Diego County Health and Human Services.
Maryland was the first state to pass legislation taking on prescription price gouging, but the law is being challenged in federal court.

Under the current law, Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh can take manufactures that arbitrarily raise prices on established drugs to court, but the pharmaceutical companies are appealing the law in federal court.

In recent years, the price of generic drugs have started to sky rocket, Frosh said. It is hard to understand why.

The Spaldings, who live in a Prince Georges County, Maryland, retirement community, have a monthly budget for prescriptions they need and said they are lucky to have good insurance that covers the medicine. However, they have friends who arent so fortunate, and they are worried about them.

Some of them are making choices between paying rent and getting drugs, said Hannah Spalding.

For Prince George's County Executive Rushern Baker, the issue is very personal.

A lot of you know that my wife was diagnosed with early onset dementia, Baker said. A drug that cost me, full price, $100 when we started out was $300. That's how much it had gone up.

Frosh is asking the public to help save the law by sharing their gouging stories on a state blog.
For years, the Halloween decorations at a home in Virginia have included a figure hanging by its neck from a rope on the front lawn.

The homeowners say the figure is just regular Halloween gore. But some neighbors said they saw a disturbing replica of a black man who had been lynched.

"What appeared to be hanging in the trees was essentially an effigy of a black person being lynched, and I was horrified," neighbor Jamie Stevenson said.

She said she noticed the figure on Saturday after moving into the neighborhood in March.

She talked to neighbors and learned the figure had been part of the elaborate display for several years. So, she emailed the homeowners who hung it.

"As your neighbor and a person of color, I find this racist. I find this deeply offensive," she wrote. "Would it be possible for you to remove this racially loaded effigy from your display for the good of the neighborhood?"

One of the homeowners responded, writing in part: "It is not my intent to offend anyone. I put out much gore at Halloween ... The kids seem to love it."

"I never realized the Monster in the tree had darker skin. If you see it up close it is indeed a Monster with a blood clawed head and face," the email continued.

On Monday, the figure had been removed. The homeowners, who declined to speak on camera, said they took it down Sunday. They said their decorations always draw many visitors, and acknowledged that a few people had previously complained about the figure hanging from the rope.

They invited News4 into their garage to see the face of the figure up close, to underscore their point that it's simply a ghoul or monster.

They said they were upset their new neighbor had accused them of putting up a racist display.

Stevenson said she was glad to see the figure gone, but she was still upset.

"When someone tells you something is racist, the best thing to do is acknowledge it, apologize, change your behavior," she said.

Other neighbors said they enjoyed the display for years and did not see a problem with it. They declined to speak on camera and said the issue had been blown out of proportion.

Stevenson said she knew that by raising a concern, she might be shunned by some neighbors.
DNA evidence led to the arrest of a man accused of sexually assaulting four women in a northern Virginia apartment more than 20 years ago, police said.

Fairfax County police on Monday announced charges against Jude J.D. Lovchik, 49, of Ocala, Florida. Lovchik lived in northern Virginia until last month.

He is being held on a fugitive charge but will face charges including armed burglary, abduction with intent to defile and sodomy after he is extradited to Virginia.

The case is from June 1995, when four women were assaulted in an apartment in Reston, police said.

Police said they received the DNA evidence in August of this year as they pursued a lead in the case.
A Virginia man was charged with first-degree murder Tuesday after his wife was found dead in a home with several children.

Frank D. Price Jr., 47, called a family member early Saturday and asked them to come to his Chantilly home and take care of the kids, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office.

After that, Price was involved in a serious head-on crash near Gum Spring Road and Mayhew Lane about 6 a.m., according to the sheriff's office. He was taken to Reston Hospital with minor injuries. The other driver involved was taken to Reston Hospital with serious injuries, police said.

The sheriff's office went to Price's home at 8:15 a.m. after a family member found Price's wife, 36-year-old Winsome Ann Marie Price, dead inside the home.

Frank Price is being held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center.

The driver of the other vehicle involved in the crash was transferred to The George Washington University Hospital where she is recovering, according to the sheriff's office.

The investigation into the crash continues.
A Virginia teenager critically injured in a crash that killed his mother says his heart is broken but his body his mending.

Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, the Democratic candidate for governor of Virginia, paid a visit to Inova Childrens Hospital Tuesday and wound up in an eighth floor room where 17-year-old Ben Kaplan is spending his 54th day since he was flown to the hospital from the crash scene in critical condition.

Mind my asking why you are in hospital? Northam asked Ben.

A man crashed his car when my mom was driving me to work, Ben answered. And I lost my mom.

On Sept. 8 about 4:50 p.m., a man driving a bus converted into a food truck called Danes Great American Hamburger ran a stop sign on Watson Road and slammed into the Kaplans Audi station wagon on Evergreen Mills Road, killing 39-year-old Erin Kaplan and injuring Ben, his two sisters and his grandmother.

Only Ben remains hospitalized, but his improvement is remarkable to see.

It's been tough, he said. I have a broken heart over the loss of my mother, but every day gets a little better, and I couldnt do it without my grandma.

He joked with Northam about how his hair is growing back around the staple scar circling his head.

"Do you like my mullet?" he asked.

The community has embraced the Kaplan family, raising tens of thousands of dollars to help with medical costs. Ben's sisters attended a recent volleyball game fundraiser.

In spite of his pain and loss, Ben is grateful.

It's meant the world to me, he said. The man who hit our car, he taught me about the evil in the world, but seeing all these kind actions has really taught me that the world can be very nice, too.

The Virginia Department of Transportation is fortifying the shoulder to improve safety at Watson and Evergreen Mills roads, and the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office is hitting the area with a special enforcement campaign.

"Right now, it's very very difficult, and we have so much traffic in this community," Sheriff Mike Chapman said.

Deputy Garry Epple pointed out speed control signs that also gather data about how people drive and traffic volume so they can determine the best times to patrol.

"I just don't want anyone to go through what I've gone through," Ben said. "Its' really hard."

Ben gets out of the hospital Tuesday. He's moving to a rehabilitation facility.

No charges have been filed in the crash.
The lights are back on in 102,000 of the more than 118,000 Vermont homes and businesses that lost power in Mondays wind storm, according to a late-afternoon update from electric utilities Tuesday.

However, the remaining restoration work is challenging in many places, because of rough terrain and broken poles.

"Theres no way we could get a bucket [truck] in here, with all the debris and the way the ground cover is," said Peter Rossi of the Vermont Electric Co-op, hiking with necn into a hard-to-access utility pole right-of-way in Williston.

Rossi said all the cross-arms on the stretch of poles he showed necn were snapped off, and some of the poles themselves broke, too.

Kristin Carlson of Green Mountain Power said roughly 100 power poles remained broken as of late Tuesday afternoon.

Carlson said despite 500 line crews working 24/7 to clear them, there are also still dangerous downed power lines out there that people must avoid.

Early Monday, wicked winds lashed the state, with blasts of 60 miles per hour and even more fierce gusts in some locations.

In video provided to necn by viewer Daria Bishop, you can see a unit atop a power pole shooting off a large flash of sparks during the wind storm, when it apparently failed.

Because power poles often run through heavily-wooded areas, in locations that are tough to access with large trucks, the work of line crews can be slow-going, Rossi noted. Additionally, he said many poles need individual attention by climbers to hoist new wires.

That is why Rossi warned that it could take until the end of the weekor possibly the weekend in isolated spotsto get everyones power back on.

"In some areas, you can go one pole and you have some twisted wires. You can go three more poles on the same line, and you have a leaning tree," Rossi said. "So its really hard to assess."

The Vermont Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security announced the American Red Cross will open a shelter in Milton Tuesday at the Milton Elementary School on Herrick Avenue. Anyone who may need shelter is urged to call 2-1-1 for assistance, the department said.

State emergency management officials also announced the Vermont National Guard will open some armories for people without power to charge cell phones, access running water and restrooms, and to warm up.

The armories opening their doors include facilities on Fairground Road in Bradford, Pearl Street in Enosburg Falls, Overlook Drive in Lyndonville, Farr Avenue in Morrisville, Fairfield Street in St. Albans, Ferris Street in Swanton, and Armory Lane in Westminster.

Those facilities will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until Friday, emergency officials said.

Jim Nellis of Hinesburg was one of many people in his community still in the dark Tuesday.

"You understand pretty quickly how convenient electricity is when you dont have it," Nellis said, noting he is staying patient and operating a generator for limited power needs. "Theres nothing you can dothe line crews are probably working 24 hours."

Down the road in Hinesburg, Jennifer Thompsons daughter was watching a DVD in the car, with no working player in the house. They, too, were staying patient.

"Were hanging in," Thompson told necn. "We know everyones working as hard as they can."

The Vermont Electric Co-op said more line crews are on their way from Illinois to help out, and while teams are making good progress, they wont stop until the job is done.

The Vermont Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security issued the following safety reminders Tuesday:

 Never run a generator indoors, including the garage or any building attached to the home. Run generators away from the house and make sure exhaust is not coming in through windows and doors. Carbon monoxide from exhaust can be deadly.

 Never use a heating source unless it is intended for that purpose and venting outside.

 Make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms work.

 Continue to check in with friends and neighbors, particularly those who are elderly or otherwise need assistance.
A Massachusetts woman convicted in the death of a man in a Worcester park has been sentenced to a maximum of 13 years in prison.

Prosecutors announced Monday 33-year-old Erika Mullen will serve 10 to 13 years in prison for the October 2015 stabbing death of Carlos Estrada.

Mullen was originally facing murder charges, but a jury found her guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Prosecutors say Mullen was with her boyfriend in University Park when they were approached by Estrada, who had a knife and a bag of heroin. A fight broke out, and Estrada was stabbed five times.

Mullen denied stabbing him and instead accused her boyfriend. He is awaiting trial on a first-degree murder charge.
This is a directory of businesses, projects and organisations in Norwich and Norfolk who want to advertise their services to the local Christian community. Please click on the names on the left for further details.

If you would like to add your business to this directory, click here for more details or e-mail Keith Morris or ring 07712 787762 for more details of what services are available.



Please note our website terms and conditions when using any of our advertisers.






Telepresence has become a very intelligent business strategy, especially for companies that are spread across multiple sites or for those that have clients in many locations that they need to deal with on a fairly regular basis. Using what is in essence a fairly simple robot, anyone can transport himself to another location, move around through offices and interact face to face with people they might not otherwise ever meet. Granted theyre going to look something like large iPads held up by a couple metal rods riding on top of self-propelled vacuum cleaners, but the experience is still surprisingly effective.

I recently had a chance to transport myself using one of the Beam presence systems built by Suitable Technologies. I sat in my office in the mountains in Virginia while being transported to an office suite in Palo Alto, California, and interacted with two members of the staff. I had previously spoken with one of the same companys customers at yet another location to get a feel for how they were using their Beams.

Also on Network World: Inside Bank of America's IT transformation

During my telepresence visit, I operated both the Beam and the BeamPro. Each device allowed me to move around the suite, test the controls and look around. How did it feel? It was surprisingly easy to maneuver my way around the office space. With two views of the space  one that looked straight ahead and one that looked down at what would have been my feet, it was easy to avoid bumping into desks, running into walls or hitting anything on the floor. In fact, with just minor instructions, I was soon in charge and moving confidently about on my own.

Beams are unable to deal with stairs, but they roll easily around offices with considerable speed. In fact, I was able to spin around in place and move around at a pace that would have been a comfortable walking speed in my old office in Annapolis or around my home. Ive called the Beam a fairly simply robot because it doesnt have arms that can manipulate objects. It cant help out on an assembly line or even open doors. Its controls allow it to be moved around while showing the operators face at the remote site and the space in front of and around the Beam at the other.

Of the two Beams I drove, one gave me a little more stature and a larger face when I dealt with people in the office, along with some more advanced controls. Both were easy to operate.

I was also easily able to park the device that I was using at the end of my visit, getting it back to its charging station. Most of the parking operation was automated once I moved the Beam into position in front of the parking spot.

And, of course, I did all this while sitting at my desk and using an app supplied to me prior to my test drive.

Driving one of these robots, you can move around offices, attend meetings, meet and greet remote coworkers or clients, and get a feel for how the remote office is organized. You can move through doorways and down halls with ease.

One view allowed me to see not only where I was headed but to follow what is called a predictive path  curved lines on the screen that showed me where I will be heading if I continued in my current path. In fact, that view was very much like the backup camera view in my car that makes backing up much easier because I can easily tell if Im moving along a safe path or am about to run into another car.

In addition, jumping onto the Beam that was reserved for me and then, later, to another model was extremely easy and the entire time my connection was smooth and flawless.

The benefits of telepresence technology

Just about any staff member who needs to interact with remote staff or customers can benefit from telepresence technology  even sysadmins. Back in the days when I worked in a busy IT office and had colleagues in about five widely separated office locations, it would have been very helpful to have been able to visit the other offices and interact with my colleagues face to face. It was far too expensive and time consuming to travel to Seattle or even Florida from Annapolis except for very important meetings. With a robot in place at each location, however, staff in Annapolis could have reserved one of them from time to time to spend virtual time at one of the other locations.

In fact, this is how Jeani Vance, CIO of Prophets Chicago office, described how they use their Beams. They have a unit ready at each of a number of international sites (San Francisco, Chicago, New York, London and Hong Kong) and allow their staff of 300 employees to reserve them as needed  saving money, as well as their workers energy.

From my experience as a long-time technical worker, getting to know coworkers and customers on more than a phone-call basis makes it easier and more comfortable to talk with them. Teleconferences help, but the comments that people make when exiting meetings and heading back to their offices are often as valuable as any they share during the meetings and being part of those conversations can be invaluable.

Saving your company the cost of airfare and hotels is only a small part of the story. Establishing a presence at a remote site while sitting comfortably in your office and taking part in the casual hallways chats is an altogether different level.

In addition to helping companies that have many sites or an international presence, I would love to see this kind of technology available to people who want to visit family at remote nursing homes or hospitals, to visit with doctors, lawyers, teachers and others. Maybe someday this will be common. In any case, my test drive was very enjoyable, and I was surprised at how quickly I felt very comfortable driving the Beam.
Does IoT stand for internet of threats? One senator says it might soon, and warned that the internet of things could pose a direct threat to economic prosperity, privacy and our nations security.

Indeed, security issues plaguing IoT devices have long been a concern, and last week congressional Democrats introduced a bill designed to help mitigate what are seen as widespread vulnerabilities. But while the effort is noble and may help raise awareness of the issues, there are lots of reasons why the Cyber Shield Act of 2017 wont end up doing much to actually solve the problem.

Whats in the Cyber Shield Act of 2017

The bill, in the works for months and introduced by Sen. Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts (who made the internet of threats quip in a statement) and Rep. Ted W. Lieu from Los Angeles, calls for a voluntary scheme to evaluate, certify and label IoT devices that meet certain benchmarks for internet and data security. The idea is to create a Cyber Shield Advisory Committee made up of industry representatives, cybersecurity experts, public interest advocates and government wonks. Reporting to the secretary of commerce (currently Wilbur Ross), the committee would have a year to establish the content and format of the proposed IoT device labels.

Its a good idea, really. After all, the best time to secure an IoT device is before it gets deployed, and a cybersecurity seal of approval could theoretically help warn consumers away from the most vulnerable choices.

Why it probably wont work

But even assuming the bill were to be enacted  which hardly seems likely for a consumer-oriented Democratic bill floated during the Trump administration  its difficult to see how it would make a real difference.

Also in Network World: 5 reasons why device makers cannot secure the IoT platform

First, despite all those experts populating the committee, it could be very difficult for everyone to agree on exactly what constitutes better IoT security. That means they will likely end up with only the most obvious and generic recommendationswhich could be woefully inadequate to protect against determined attacks. And it seems clear that cybersecurity threats develop much faster than Congress can move (the bill suggests updating the criteria every two years), making many of the benchmarks obsolete even before theyre established.

Perhaps most importantly, though, the program would be completely voluntary. Vendors could choose whether or not to participate, and its not clear who would vet the vendors claims of compliance. Similarly, consumers could very well choose to buy devices with bad ratings  or no certification at all  that offer low prices or compelling features. More to the point, would such a label bring value to enterprise IoT buyers?

Also in Network World: Fixing, upgrading and patching IoT devices can be a real nightmare

A better bet might be the bipartisan IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2017, introduced earlier in October, which would require IoT vendors selling into the government market to state that their products employ user-configurable passwords, can be patched when necessary and dont include known vulnerabilities. While the government market isnt critical to many IoT vendors, it could help spur the whole market to take security more seriously. And as a more limited bipartisan measure, it actually stands a snowballs chance of making it into law.
Backgrounder

The Joint Canada-Israel Health Research Program is a seven-year, CA$35 million partnership between the Azrieli Foundation, Canada's International Development Research Centre, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Israel Science Foundation that draws on the scientific strengths of Canadian and Israeli researchers in the broad field of biomedicine. It is expected to fund up to 30 collaborative projects involving researchers from Canada and Israel, as well as from low- and middle-income countries.

Selected Cancer Research Projects

In October 2016, the partners launched the 3rd call for research proposals in the field of cancer. The proposals were evaluated by an international committee, Chaired by Prof. Edward Harlow from the Department of Biological Chemistry & Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School. Six world-class teams were selected from among 56 proposals and will receive funding totaling up to C$ 7 million over the next three years.

The following list of projects is in alphabetical order according to the Canadian Nominated Principal Investigators' last names.

NOTCH as master regulator of breast cancer subtype and intratumoral heterogeneity Researchers: Sean Egan (Hospital for Sick Children), Ittai Ben-Porath (Hebrew University of Jerusalem), Anaapoorni Rangarajan (Indian Institute of Science)

The role of IL6 in liver cancer linked to metabolic liver disease Researchers: Jennifer Estall (IRCM), Eitan Galun (Hadassah Medical Centre), Mehmet Ozturk (Bilkent University, Turkey)

Targeting senescence cells in pancreatic cancer Researchers: Gerardo Ferbeyre (Universite de Montreal), Valery Krizhanovsky (Weizmann Institute of Science), Paloma Kalegari (Brazil)

Systematic and comprehensive analysis of mutant p53 proteins in lung cancer in vitro and in vivo Researchers: Daniel Schramek (Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute), Moshe Oren (Weizmann Institute of Science), Patricia Aston-Prola (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) and Nicolas Gonzalez Foutel (Universidad San Martin, Argentina)

Understanding the role of type 1 interferon in resistance to cancer immunotherapy Researchers: David Spaner (Sunnybrook Research Institute - University of Toronto); Gideon Schreiber (Weizmann Institute of Science); You-Jun Li (Jilin University - China)

The role of epitranscriptome and translational dysregulation in cancer Researchers: Ivan Topisirovic (McGill University), Dan Dominissini (Sheba Medical Center), Glaucia Noeli Maroso Hajj (AC Camargo Cancer Centre, Brazil)



Source: http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/
Germ-killing robots are being enlisted to further safeguard Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) patients from health care-associated infections.

The robots will be deployed in selected inpatient areas, starting this month with the Vanderbilt Regional Burn Center at Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital.

After a patient is discharged and routine room decontamination with liquid disinfectants is complete, a robot will be wheeled in to flood the room with ultraviolet radiation (UV) in amounts sufficient to kill microorganisms that may linger on surfaces, including drug-resistant organisms like MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and VRE (vancomycin-resistant enterococci).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on any given day in the United States about one in 25 hospital patients has at least one health care-associated infection.

In a large randomized trial sponsored by the CDC, the robots were shown to reduce common health care-associated infections by 30 percent.

"We're starting in the Burn Center because that's a very vulnerable population and we never want those patients to have trouble with infections," said Thomas Talbot III, M.D., MPH, professor of Medicine and Vanderbilt's chief hospital epidemiologist.

Vanderbilt has purchased two of the robots, manufactured by Memphis, Tennessee-based Tru-D SmartUVC. The second robot will be assigned to a unit early next year, to be selected based on population data from Vanderbilt's clinical lab.

"We'll deploy the second machine wherever it can be of greatest use," Talbot said.

The robots work alone in vacated rooms, with cabinets and drawers opened and curtains and hallway doors closed. From the hallway an environmental services tech uses a handheld computer to turn on the robot remotely. UV bounces around the room to reach all exposed surfaces, not just those in the machine's direct line of sight.

Infection control robots began appearing on the market earlier this decade as health care payers began penalizing hospitals with higher infection rates.

The machines help eliminate guesswork, shutting themselves off once their sensors have registered set amounts of UV reflected back from surfaces in the room. In testing at Vanderbilt they required an average 25 minutes to decontaminate a patient room at their normal setting.

A higher setting is used for rooms where a c. diff (Clostridium difficile) infection has occurred.

"For UV to be of benefit you have to continue to clean rooms correctly and continue to follow all infection control practices, like good hand hygiene," Talbot said.

The hospital will monitor effects of the robots not only on infection rates but also on unit efficiency and workflow.

"We'll be developing protocols to help optimize use of the robots without delaying patients arriving from the emergency department or the recovery room," Talbot said.
UT social work professor Sunha Choi recently published an article in Population Health Management on the effects of Medicaid expansion on low-income individuals' access to health care.

Choi and her team analyzed a nationally representative sample of 544,307 adults ages 26 to 64 from all 50 states and Washington, DC. They examined how Medicaid expansion affected insurance access in 2015, the second year of the expansion. Their results indicate substantial increases in health care access between 2012 and 2015 in Medicaid expansion states.

Those who resided in the Medicaid expansion states were more likely to have health insurance, have a usual source of care, and receive a routine checkup, and were less likely to not see a doctor because of cost compared to low-income residents in nonexpansion states.

"This study demonstrated that state-level Medicaid expansion improved health care access among low-income US residents," said Choi. "Residents in nonexpansion states were disproportionately negatively affected by states' decision to not expand Medicaid coverage."
Spectral Engines, a growth company that originated at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, is about to launch a portable drug screening device police patrols can use for rapid and cost-efficient on-site screening of suspected drugs. The pocket-size scanner reports the results in the user's mobile phone in a matter of seconds. There is also international demand for such an innovation, and therefore a total of EUR 2.4 million in EU funding was granted for the device's productization.

The newly developed small device, weighing only a few hundred grams, will change the future of police work in war on drugs. Besides being the first pocket-size drug screening device available for field work, the device is also more than 20 times cheaper than any other devices in current use.

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"Our drug screening device is significantly smaller than the competing ones currently on the market. The device is designed for field work and it uses the mobile phone as its user interface. Devices are cloud-connected which enables easy machine learning-based application algorithm development for different drugs," says the company's CCO Janne Suhonen.

The Spectral Engines scanner allows an accurate and reliable identification of such drugs as cocaine, heroin, and amphetamine from very low drug concentrations. As needed, the multi-purpose device's identification algorithms can be updated to identify various designer drugs as well.

In addition to police use, the scanner is also suited for the use of the customs, the military and other similar organizations, where it may be important to identify foreign substances.

The technology of the device created in the NarcoScan project is based on infrared spectroscopy and the MEMS technology studied at VTT.

First products to enter market next spring

The competitive funding from the EU Horizon 2020 programme won by Spectral Engines enables rapid and cost-efficient productization of the drug screening device.

"The EU funding guarantees that we can proceed rapidly from the first prototype to mass production, and allows us to assign several man-years of labor on this productization project. We will be able to launch the first products next spring, and early next year we will also begin field testing with the first pilot customers", Suhonen says.

The company has already collaborated with the leading criminal laboratories, and its research partners come mainly from the United States and Europe. The EU funding enables expanding the cooperation to various new laboratories for the development of model libraries.

The granted funding provides also a solid foundation for rapid growth of Spectral Engines. With the help of the funding, the company will also be able to develop portable sensor technology and cloud computing solutions for other applications. VTT Ventures Oy is one of the funding bodies of Spectral Engines.
People across South Yorkshire are being offered the opportunity to test the SOS UK phone app which could potentially help healthcare professionals to know about allergies, conditions or other important facts about themselves in an emergency.

The app, which is being offered free of charge to users as part of the Perfect Patient Pathway NHS Test Bed project, also has the potential to alert next of kin or emergency contacts of the persons whereabouts in an emergency situation.

The SOS UK app is one of a number of technology solutions that are being tested alongside new ways of delivering healthcare as part of the Perfect Patient Pathway Test Bed program.

The Perfect Patient Pathway is one of only seven sites in the country chosen to be a national Test Bed pilot site by NHS England. The Test Bed sites bring together GPs, hospitals, care homes and others to work with technology companies to see how new combinations of products and processes could improve patient care.

The project involving the SOS UK app is one of six projects being undertaken by the Perfect Patient Pathway Test Bed across South Yorkshire.

The SOS UK phone app is free to download for the patient or carer to create a health record, showing the information they want to share in an emergency such as allergies, medicines long term conditions, and/or special needs. The app then creates a unique QR code that can be saved to the phone lock screen or printed on an emergency card via the app. The app does not automatically link to any health organizations and there is no requirement on health professionals to review information entered into the SOS UK app but if a paramedic or A&E doctor/nurse has the technology available to them, they can scan the code using any QR code scanner or the camera on an iPhone / iPad, and have access to the details the patient/ carer has voluntarily entered.

It is envisaged this would be useful for circumstances where the patient may not be able to tell the healthcare professional this information themselves, perhaps due to being unconscious or if they cannot recall important information. The app also immediately notifies a users emergency contacts where they are when the code is scanned, or when the user taps the SOS UK emergency call button.

Liz Howarth, South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Perfect Patient Pathway Test Bed Program Director said:

The Test Bed is an exciting program that allows us to see whether combining all sorts of new technologies with new ways of working can further improve patient care. We are offering people across South Yorkshire the opportunity to try out the SOS UK app, so that we can evaluate whether it is a good tool for improving peoples health.

The SOS UK is available from both the iTunes and Google Play app stores for download free of charge up until December 1st this year.

Dr. Bettina Experton, Founder and CEO of Humetrix said:
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wasn't scheduled to come onstage to talk health care until after 11 a.m. But college students started lining up as early as 5 a.m.  the Sunday morning of Halloween weekend, no less  in the hopes of scoring what appeared to be the weekend's hot ticket.

In Washington, D.C., Sanders is often portrayed as a radical, a politician on the fringe. The popularity of his 2017 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination caught party insiders off-guard and much of the political establishment view his signature single-payer health plan as unworkable or impractical.

But here at the University of Toronto's Convocation Hall, flanked by Ontario's premier, Kathleen Wynne, and leadership from Canada's left-wing New Democratic Party (NDP), Sanders received a celebrity's welcome.

"He's a bit of a folk hero up here," said Dr. James Sugiyama, a Toronto-based family physician, who, after failing to procure a ticket to Sunday's lecture, watched the event with friends on a web-based livestream at a restaurant down the street. "We're staunch supporters and believers that what Bernie is talking about is the right thing to do."

Canada's universal health care system, which dates to 1968, is beloved by much of its citizenry  it's a point of pride, many locals say.

Thank you, Toronto. I'm proud to join with you in the global fight for universal health care. pic.twitter.com/lx8MnbsGmX -; Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) October 29, 2017

Sanders' speech capped off a weekend trip to Toronto, which included hospital visits and roundtables, and which his office framed as an educational tour of the Canadian health care system  an example of the single-payer approach that Sanders often cites in speeches on his home turf. The lecture was the one public component of the trip, which also grabbed headlines from the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and other local outlets.

Tickets were snapped up well in advance, though the 5 a.m. college students eventually made it off the waitlist. Organizers estimated about 1,700 tickets were available, which sold out in about 30 seconds, according to Sanders' office.

The lecture took on the tenor of a practiced American rally  albeit, one where the crowd was warmed up by a string quartet  featuring Sanders' familiar talking points, repurposed for a new audience.

Sanders' comments went well beyond universal health insurance, touching on the importance of a $15 minimum wage and combating climate change. And there were the standard critiques of Obamacare repeal efforts in Washington, of income inequality and of the influence of so-called special interests.

The audience  which included left-leaning doctors, politicians and college students  was there to experience the Sanders' magic, to "feel the Bern" firsthand. They snapped photos and burst frequently into claps, cheers and whistles, even for policies that more obviously affected their American neighbors to the south. They gave more than one standing ovation.

"Our mission is to have the courage to ask the questions  to take on the incredible special interests who have so much power in my country, your country and all over the world," he said
Healthcare staff who regularly share the emotional, social or ethical challenges they face in the workplace experience less psychological distress, improved teamwork and increased empathy and compassion for patients and colleagues, a new study commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research reports.

In the first in-depth study in the UK, researchers from the University of Surrey, Kings College London, the University of Sheffield and The Kings Fund examined the impact of Schwartz Center Rounds (Rounds), on both clinical and non-clinical staff. Rounds are monthly forums that offer a safe space for staff to share experiences with colleagues and to discuss the challenges they face in their work and its impact on them.

The psychological wellbeing of 500 staff members who attended Rounds regularly, irregularly or not all, was measured over an eight-month period, using the clinically validated GHQ-12questionnaire.

Researchers found that the wellbeing of staff who attended Rounds regularly significantly improved, with the proportion of those with psychological distress halving- down from 25 percent to 12 percent. There was little change in the psychological wellbeing of staff that did not attend Rounds over this period.

When asked of the benefits of Rounds, participants noted that attending led to greater understanding, empathy and tolerance towards colleagues and patients and positive changes in practice.

Following the publication of the Francis report which highlighted Schwartz Rounds as being a way of fostering good teamwork and improving morale amongst staff, the implementation of Rounds in the UK rapidly increased. The research found that Rounds were implemented variably and challenges to implementation and sustainability included ward staff attendance, and the workload and resources required for planning and running Rounds.

Jill Maben, Professor of Nursing at the University of Surrey and formerly of Kings College London, said:

Delivering care to patients at some of the most challenging times in their lives has an emotional impact on staff, which undoubtedly impacts on their own wellbeing and on their work. Our study is the first in the UK to demonstrate that those who regularly attend Rounds see significant benefits; their symptoms of anxiety and depression are reduced, they are better able to cope with the issues they face and have more empathy towards patients and colleagues, which undeniably has a positive impact on those in their care. Given these impacts it is good to see Rounds running in over 160 organizations in the UK, particularly in light of the Francis report, which called for more compassionate patient care. The challenge is for organizations to continue to invest in Rounds in resource-constrained environments.

Dr. Cath Taylor, Reader at the University of Surrey and formerly of King College London, said:

NHS and hospice staff are the unsung heroes of our society, but the physical and emotional demands placed on them often go unnoticed, leading to high rates of burn out and people often leaving the profession. Rounds are a unique organizational wide intervention that we found benefited many attendees.

Professor Jo Rycroft-Malone, Director of the NIHRs Health Services and Delivery Research (HS&DR) Program, said:

The NIHR is proud to have funded an important piece of research which is the first in depth study of its kind to evaluate the impacts of Schwartz Center Rounds. We feel this was an important area to research following the Francis Report highlighting the importance of Rounds. Hospital and hospice staff work incredibly hard to care for patients and it is crucial that they can ease the physical and emotional demands they face while also helping to boost colleagues teamwork and morale and improve care, compassion and empathy for patients.

Professor Jeremy Dawson, Professor of Health Management at the University of Sheffield, said:

Schwartz Center Rounds offer a valuable support system to healthcare staff, that can help to improve wellbeing, and that enable a focus on compassion and empathy towards colleagues and patients that is difficult to achieve in their otherwise hectic working lives.

Jocelyn Cornwell, Chief Executive of The Point of Care Foundation (which holds the license to promote and support Schwartz Rounds in the UK and Ireland) said:
Researchers at Okayama University describe in the Journal of Neuroscience that a certain protein known to play a major role in circadian rhythmicity  humans intrinsic 24-hour biological cycle  is also key to proper brain functioning. The findings may increase our understanding of neurological diseases and guide the development of future treatments.

Confocal microscopy images showing the evolution of astrocyte activity (GFAP; increasing with age) and pericyte marker expression (Desmin, CD13, PDGFR; decreasing with age) in mice with Bmal1 deficit.

Patients suffering from psychiatric or neurological diseases often have irregular sleep patterns. In fact, neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimers, are believed to be caused by a disturbed biological response to the day/night cycle (a.k.a. circadian rhythm). A team of researchers led by Takeshi Takarada from Okayama University has now identified a link between circadian rhythm disturbance and brain dysfunction. The scientists showed that a protein called Bmal1, known to play an important role in circadian rhythmicity, also regulates the stability of the bloodbrain barrier (BBB), a semipermeable membrane in the brain that separates blood from other, extracellular fluid.

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Takarada and colleagues made their discovery by studying the function of Bmal1 in transgenic green-fluorescent-protein (GFP) mice. The introduction of GFP is a commonly used biomedical technique for obtaining fluorescence microscopy images  in this case, of the brains of mice. First, the researchers found that deletion of Bmal1 molecules results in an increased activity of astrocytes, a type of cell in the brain that provide biochemical support to the BBB. They then observed that Bmal1 deficiency leads to higher-than-normal permeability of the BBB due to pericyte dysfunction. Pericytes are cells needed to sustain proper BBB function; they regulate capillary blood flow.

As to the origin of the pericyte dysfunction causing reduced integrity of the BBB, the scientists were able to show that Bmal1 deletion affects the expression of platelet-derived growth factor receptor  (PDGFR) proteins in pericytes, which leads to a decrease in pericyte coverage of blood vessels in the brain. This reduced coverage was found to be age-dependent.

The work of Takarada and colleagues clearly establishes a connection between circadian rhythms and the physiological stability of the BBB: Bmal1 is involved in both. The scientists, therefore, concluded that:

 Bmal1 may represent a novel target for the discovery and development of therapies for many neurodegenerative and/or psychiatric disorders related to abnormal BBB integrity.

Source: http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/
Many states permit the use of medical marijuana. Now there's evidence that pot might work as "marital marijuana," revving up sex drives in both men and women.

The exact nature of the cannabis-coitus connection remains unresolved, but researchers attempted to cut through the haze with a new study published in the November issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

It showed that people who toke up are more likely to get down (and dirty).

It actually doesn't matter who's partaking  male or female, single or married, childless and carefree, or busy breeder. Among all demographic and ethnic groups, those who smoke weed reported having more sexual intercourse than those who don't, the research shows.

"I was surprised," said Dr. Michael Eisenberg, the study's senior author and an assistant professor of urology at Stanford University School of Medicine.

The study is based on surveys of more than 50,000 Americans ages 25-45, conducted over more than 10 years by the National Center for Health Statistics.

Before seeing the results, Eisenberg had been telling his patients that getting baked might be a drag on their sex drive or performance. But now he's much more confident that marijuana isn't interfering with sexual behavior. And that's good information these days, especially in a state like California, which already allows medical marijuana and is preparing to go all the way with recreational sales next year.

Last November, California voters approved Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, making California one of eight states  plus the District of Columbia  to legalize the drug for recreational use. The measure immediately made it legal for adults 21 and over to possess up to 1 ounce of cannabis, but delayed legal pot sales from licensed retailers until the beginning of 2018.

Eisenberg cautioned against drawing unwarranted conclusions from the study and cited the statistical adage that "correlation does not equal causation."

"This doesn't mean that if you want to have more sex, you should start smoking marijuana," he said. "That's definitely not what this data supports."

But Eisenberg said the study could change how he counsels patients who already smoke marijuana. Previously, he'd advised them to quit smoking pot if they were having trouble with libido or sexual performance.

Now he thinks quitting might not be necessary, and that patients can focus on other lifestyle changes to increase libido.

"If somebody is using marijuana to help them for chronic back pain or something like that, there may be other interventions that we can think about targeting, rather than telling them they have to stop, otherwise their sex life is doomed," he said.

Pot use and sexual activity appear to have a "dose-response relationship." That means the more you smoke, the more likely you are to have had sex in the past month.

"The daily users, for example, compared to the never-users, reported about 20 more sexual encounters a year. So I think that is a significant difference," Eisenberg said.

The survey respondents were not asked how much pot they smoked when they smoked. But it did ask about how much sex they had. According to the study, non-users said they had engaged in sexual intercourse between five and six times in the previous month.

But daily pot smokers reported having intercourse about seven times over that same period. The frequency was somewhere in between for people who smoked marijuana less often, on a weekly or monthly basis. They reported having sex more than abstainers, but less than daily users.

"For every group, the more marijuana use that they reported, the more sex they reported as well," Eisenberg said. "So that  made me think that there could potentially be some biologic explanation here."

Dr. Holly Richmond, a sex therapist who practices in Los Angeles and Portland, Ore., calls that finding "fantastic."

"Obviously Im not going to tell a couple that doesnt use marijuana to use it," she said. But "if they were interested, I would offer the information."

Richmond said she has seen mixed results among her clients who use marijuana. Some couples tell her that they have more sex when they use pot; others have less.

She said those differences are probably attributable to how much pot someone smokes instead of how often they smoke.

"Too much can lead to lethargy and really checking out, which does not facilitate [emotional] connection at all, and definitely doesnt encourage sexual activity," she explained.

The results shed no light on what factors drive the association between pot use and sex, according to Dr. Igor Grant, chair of psychiatry and director of the Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research at the University of California-San Diego.

The simplest explanation might be that the type of person who smokes pot  or is willing to admit it in a survey  also likes sex more. Grant called those people "risk-takers" or "sensation-seekers."

"Drug use is one type of sensation-seeking behavior, and obviously sex is another," he said.

Eisenberg said the study also controlled for other risk-taking behaviors, such as cocaine or alcohol.

He suspects marijuana may be stimulating arousal or other neural pathways in the brain. That's different from Viagra, which works directly on the vascular system to improve blood flow to the penis.

But the study has some limitations. For instance, the study relies on self-reporting  and therefore imperfect memories  from participants who were asked to remember how many times they smoked pot in the past year and how many times they had sex in the past four weeks.

Also, the survey asked only about sex between men and women, so it's unclear how marijuana affects same-sex encounters.

Still, the results fly in the face of some previous research, such as studies indicating that heavy marijuana use is associated with erectile dysfunction. Plus, research on cigarette smoking shows negative vascular effects that can interfere with male arousal, Eisenberg said.

The results also contradict stereotypes about stoners. Grant summed it up as "people just, you know, not feeling like having sex if they're stoned all the time."

Richmond, the sex therapist, agreed that those stereotypes exist, so this study could be reassuring to people who enjoy marijuana and also enjoy sex. At the very least, the study shows smoking weed doesn't appear to decrease sexual activity.

"Individuals and couples look for additional ways to create novelty in the relationship and have fun, and [in some states] thats now a legal and accessible way to do it," she said.

This story is part of a partnership that includes KQED, NPR and Kaiser Health News.
SU2C, the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, LUNGevity, and American Lung Associations LUNG FORCE Commit $16.6 Million to New Approach

Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C), joined by the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, LUNGevity, and the American Lung Association, announced today four teams of top researchers who will carry out an attack on cancers of the lung and pancreas using a radical new approach of interception of cancers at very early stages, when they can be more successfully treated.

The SU2C Cancer Interception initiative is focused on developing both the technologies needed to find cancer or pre-cancerous activity at its earlier possible juncture, and the treatments to stop its progression, said Phillip A. Sharp, PhD, institute professor at MITs Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Nobel laureate, and chairman of SU2Cs Scientific Advisory Committee. This could save many lives and avoid untold human suffering.

The announcement was made here at the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), the National Cancer Institute, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer. AACR is the Scientific Partner of SU2C.

The development of cancers, like heart disease, can be intercepted with risk-reducing agents in the same way that cancers can be treated with drugs or that cardiovascular disease can be intercepted with antihypertensive agents, statins, and other risk-reducing drugs, said Elizabeth H. Blackburn, PhD, president of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and author of a seminal 2011 article on cancer interception published in Cancer Prevention Research, an AACR journal. This new commitment by SU2C and its collaborators is an important step in the development of cancer interception.

SU2C was joined by the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, LUNGevity, and the American Lung Association and its LUNG FORCE initiative in funding four research teams, two each on cancers of the pancreas and lung, to a total of $16.6 million. Selected by blue-ribbon Stand Up To Cancer Joint Scientific Advisory Committees in a process managed by AACR, the teams are:

SU2C-Lustgarten Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Interception Dream Team: Intercepting Pancreatic Cancer in High-Risk Cohorts. Funding: $7 million. Leader: Anirban Maitra, MBBS, scientific director of the Sheikh Ahmed Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston. Co-leaders: Michael G. Goggins, MD, professor of pathology, medicine and oncology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore; and Scott M. Lippman, MD, director of Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego Health.

SU2C-Lustgarten Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Interception Translational Research Team: Developing Novel Approaches to Treat and Evaluate Early Pancreatic Cancer. Funding: $2.6 million. Leader: David P. Ryan, MD, chief of the division of hematology and oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston. Co-leader: Alec Kimmelman, MD, PhD, chair of radiation oncology at Perlmutter Cancer Center at NYU Langone.

SU2C-LUNGevity-American Lung Association Lung Cancer Interception Dream Team: Intercept Lung Cancer Through Immune, Imaging, and Molecular Evaluation (InTIME). Funding: $5 million. Leader: Avrum Spira, MD, professor of medicine, pathology and bioinformatics, and director of the Boston University-Boston Medical Center Cancer Center. Co-leader: Steven Dubinett, MD, associate vice chancellor for research at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and director of the lung cancer research program at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

SU2C-LUNGevity-American Lung Association Lung Cancer Interception Translational Research Team: Blood-based Early Interception of Lung Cancer. Funding: $2 million. Leader: Lecia V. Sequist, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine, and director of the Center for Innovation in Early Cancer Detection (CIECD) at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. Co-leader: Maximilian Diehn, MD, PhD, assistant professor of radiation oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine.

The four teams cover a range of approaches to the very early detection and treatment of cancer.

The SU2C-Lustgarten Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Interception Dream Team will perform genetic screening on family members of 2,000 people who already have pancreatic cancer for their own risk of developing it. Positive mutation carriers will then be tested with highly sophisticated and sensitive imaging techniques to detect smaller cancers missed by the human eye. A smaller group of people with pre-cancerous lesions in the pancreas will be given a vaccine intended to induce the bodys own immune system to attack the cancer. Finally, the team aims to develop a blood test for pancreatic cancer that can be used for people at high risk, such as those with new-onset diabetes.

"By focusing on individuals at high risk of pancreatic cancer, we hope to intercept the disease process at a very early stage when it can be more successfully treated, and thus save many lives," Maitra said.

The SU2C-LUNGevity-American Lung Association Lung Cancer Interception Dream Team will develop diagnostic tools, such as nasal swabs, blood tests, and radiological imaging, to confirm whether lung abnormalities found on chest imaging are benign lung disease or lung cancer. To protect against recurrence of disease that has already been successfully treated, new blood tests will help identify patients at the earliest stages of recurrence, enabling timely interventions such as immunotherapy.

We plan to develop technology that can, in a very sensitive way, pick up the small amount of DNA that might be present in the blood of someone whos harboring a lung cancer deep within their lung tissue  a noninvasive way of measuring a persons risk of having lung cancer, Spira said.

Lab Diagnostics & Automation eBook Compilation of the top interviews, articles, and news in the last year. Download a copy today

The SU2C-Lustgarten Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Interception Translational Research Team will test new and intensive preoperative treatments to allow more patients to achieve a complete resection (surgical removal) and eradicate micrometastatic disease. The team will conduct a clinical trial to evaluate the addition of losartan, a drug that may enhance the efficacy of the chemotherapy FOLFIRINOX in pancreatic cancer patients by altering the tumor microenvironment. The team will also evaluate the addition of immunotherapy to FOLFIRINOX and losartan. It will also use organoids  tiny colonies of living cells  to determine if they can be used to predict patient response to FOLFIRINOX and other therapies.

We want to intercept the disease when it is still localized and make patients good candidates for surgery, Ryan said. Then the surgeons can go in and get it all out so there is no cancer left behind.

The SU2C-LUNGevity-American Lung Association Lung Cancer Interception Translational Research Team will develop Lung Cancer Interception Assay (LCIA) that can be used in conjunction with low-dose CT scans, based on blood-based assays that examine circulating tumor cells and circulating tumor DNA. After completing pilot testing as part of this Translational Research Grant, the team plans to move the LCIA forward to larger, prospective clinical trials.

Its extremely frustrating that were not technically able to find lung cancer earlier in the majority of patients, Sequist said. We need to change the paradigm that we use to identify patients so that they are found early enough to offer them curative treatment. If we really want to save more lives from lung cancer, we have to exponentially improve our diagnostics.

We are pleased to once again join forces with Stand Up To Cancer, said Robert Vizza, PhD, the Lustgarten Foundations vice chairman, research. If we are able to diagnose patients earlier and increase the number of patients who can have surgery, we will significantly increase survival rates.

Finding lung cancer early, when it is most treatable, is a critical step to saving thousands of lives, said Andrea Ferris, president and CEO of LUNGevity. Our programmatic focus and investment in finding better ways to detect, diagnose, and now intercept lung cancer in its earliest stages is strengthened by this collaboration with SU2C and the American Lung Associations LUNG FORCE. It is our goal to find noninvasive, widely available diagnostic and early detection tools that will dramatically change outcomes for people with lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths, and one of the reasons the disease is so deadly is because lung cancer diagnosis occurs in the later stages, when it is less likely to be curable, said American Lung Association National President and CEO Harold P. Wimmer. To save lives, we must catch the disease sooner. The concept of intercepting lung cancer before it starts is revolutionary and could truly turn the tide against this terrible disease and save lives.

Lung cancer is by far the leading cancer killer in the United States, with nearly 156,000 deaths expected in 2017, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). More than 222,000 cases are expected to be diagnosed this year. The five-year survival rate is estimated to be 18 percent.

Cancer of the pancreas is considered one of the deadliest cancers because the rate of people surviving five years from diagnosis is very low  only about 8 percent. While pancreatic cancer accounts for only 3 percent of all cancers diagnosed, it causes 7 percent of all cancer deaths. About 54,000 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the United States in 2017, and about 43,000 will die from it, according to the NCI.

The lung and pancreas Interception Dream Teams bring to 22 the number of Dream Teams launched by SU2C since the first Dream Teams were awarded in 2009. The new Translational Teams bring the number in that category to nine. SU2C has also awarded 46 Innovative Research Grants (IRGs) to individual scientists, and a host of other grants and awards to encourage innovative and collaborative cancer research, with funds committed by philanthropic, organizational, corporate, and individual donors, as well as nonprofit groups working with SU2C.
Each year, the United States suffers an extreme shortage of organ donations, with only a quarter of patients in need receiving a transplant. Many transplantable organs are lost when a donor's heart fails, and the organs stop receiving vital blood flow. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh can potentially double the amount of successful organ donations by developing a novel stent to maintain blood flow to organs, even during the donor's final heart beats.

The National Institutes of Health awarded a four-year, $1.3 million R01 grant to a University of Pittsburgh research collaboration between the Department of Surgery and the Department of Industrial Engineering. The study titled "An Organ Perfusion Stent as an Alternative to Surgery in Donor Organ Recovery" will develop a dual chamber organ perfusion stent made of smart material to direct selective blood flow during transplant surgeries.

Leading the study are Principal Investigators Bryan W. Tillman, assistant professor in the Division of Vascular Surgery at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC); Youngjae Chun, associate professor of industrial engineering and bioengineering; and Sung Kwon Cho, associate professor of mechanical engineering and materials science at Pitt's Swanson School of Engineering.

The stent will isolate visceral arteries--which supply blood to many major organs--without disturbing the heart. To make the stent, the research team will use a superelastic material with a flexible shape memory effect called nitinol, or nickel titanium.

"The shape memory behavior of nitinol is critical for endovascular devices such as stents, filters, and occluders, because at low temperatures, nitinol can easily be collapsed, inserted into a catheter, and delivered into the body," said Dr. Chun. "Once inside, the body heat will change nitinol's properties to be superplastic without any actuation force, which is really beneficial for a wide-range of catheter-based procedures."

The organ perfusion stent can be inserted by a clinician into the femoral artery after the delivery of a guide wire and a catheter. This small puncture or "needlestick" method allows clinicians to maintain selective blood flow to certain organs without disrupting others' natural functioning. The much larger organ stent in its compressed state can be delivered to the desired organ and deployed.

"We can target the kidneys, pancreas, and liver," said Dr. Chun. "Transplants involving any major organs connected to the main aorta will be able to benefit from this new technology."
Who is Mister Terrific and what are his powers?

Michael Holt AKA Mister Terrific is a mainstay of the Justice Society and he could be coming to the DCEU
Michael Griffin led the NASA Constellation rocket program which spent over $10 billion (2004-2010) before it was cancelled.

Led a program that spent a lot of money but delivered nothing

Mike Griffin has been nominated by the Trump administration to be the principal deputy undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.

At the first meeting of the National Space Council Oct. 5, Griffin warned that U.S. adversaries have figured out that space is critical to the United States method of fighting and winning wars, and they are taking, with all deliberate speed, steps to nullify that advantage.

The Ares I prototype, Ares I-X, successfully completed a test launch on October 28, 2009. Launch Pad 39B was damaged more than with a Space Shuttle launch. During descent, one of the three parachutes of the Ares I-Xs first stage failed to open, and another opened only partially, causing the booster to splash down harder and suffer structural damage. The launch accomplished all primary test objectives.

Delays in the Ares I development schedule due to budgetary pressures and unforeseen engineering and technical difficulties would have increased the gap between the end of the Space Shuttle program and the first operational flight of Ares I. Because the Constellation program was never allocated the funding originally projected, the total estimated cost to develop the Ares I through 2015 rose from $28 billion in 2006 to more than $40 billion in 2009. In December 2011, NASA administrator Charlie Bolden testified to congress that the Ares I would cost $44.5 billion a year, and $1.6 billion per flight.

Now talking big about spending a lot of money on aviation and space

What is needed is an overarching commitment of the United States in all things aerospace, Griffin said. That would require a concerted effort to ensure We will never again fail to have a human presence in space. We will never again have a slower airplane than we used to have. We will never have, again, an airplane that cant fly as high as we used to have. We will never retreat from the frontiers of aviation and space. This is a concept that the Chinese and Russians understand well, Griffin added.

The Chinese are building and have tested hypersonic systems that can overfly our air defense and underfly our missile defense, he said. If the secretary of defense ordered an aircraft carrier into the South China Sea and China didnt want it there, that carrier would be at risk, he said. If this is a position that the United States cares to accept going forward, then I would submit that we are on our way to being the American version of losing the British Empire.

It does not sound like Mike Griffin has learned any lessons about having more efficient development. He mainly argues for turning open the procurement taps wide and leaving them open.

For those support pacificism, Mike Griffin will continue the US overpayment for military and space systems. So the US will continue to get less bang for the bucks.
Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed the first miniature laser in which the light is guided along the floor of an open metallic trench. The laser could act as a nanoscale device to sense minute amounts of pollutants and other chemicals in the environment, or detect the surface binding of biomolecules for medical diagnostics.

Above -Illustration depicts cavity and sidewalls, made of silver, that form the miniature laser fabricated by scientists working at NIST. The cavitys ultrathin coating (flat red layer) is the amplifying layer used to induce SPP lasing under illumination from above (blue-green light beam); a small amount of the red laser light leaks through a nanoscale notch positioned just below the cavitys floor enabling researchers to monitor small wavelength shifts induced by the presence of the molecules on the cavity floor.

Credit: NIST

Wenqi Zhu of NIST and the University of Maryland, along with NIST physicists Henri Lezec and Amit Agrawal, described their work (link is external) in a recent edition of Science Advances. The work was performed in collaboration with Nanjing University in China and the University of Michigan.

The development of the new laser relies on the interaction between photonsparticles of lightand the sea of electrons that floats along the surface of a metal. Interactions between the photons and ripples in the electron sea yield a special type of light wave, dubbed a surface plasmon polariton (SPP), which is tightly confined to travel only along the metals surface. This confinement makes the SPPs highly sensitive to anything lying on the metal surface.

As a first step toward building the miniature laser, the team fashioned out of silver a small trench-shaped open cavity in which SPPs can resonate. The cavity is a flat surface flanked by tiny, mirror-like sidewalls that reflect the surface waves back and forth.

Through careful fabrication, the resonant cavity possessed two key properties: all of its interior surfaces were smooth on an atomic scale, varying in thickness by no more than a few nanometers, and its sidewalls were perpendicular with respect to the flat cavity floor. The design, made possible by molding silver using a precisely patterned silicon template, enabled the SPPs to bounce back and forth across the cavity hundreds of times without losing significant energy, like a guitar string sustaining a pure note for a long time. That property, known as high quality factor, or high Q, is essential for constructing a laser. The Q measured by the team is the highest to date for any visible-light resonator using only SPPs.

The high Q also enabled the cavity to act as an extremely selective filter for SPPsonly those with wavelengths that fell within a narrow band could resonate in the cavity. The narrow range is important because it enables the resonant cavity (even before it became part of a laser) to become a highly sensitive detector of tiny changes in its environmentthe presence of particulate matter or the addition of a thin film to the cavitys floor. Such changes shift the center of the band of wavelengths that will resonate in the cavity.

By achieving a narrow resonance, the shift in wavelength is clear, and the open cavity can act as an exquisitely sensitive detector, said Lezec.

After demonstrating that the cavity could be used as a sensor, the team then worked to turn their design into a laser. They did so by adding an ultrathin coating to the cavity that amplified the intensity of the SPP traveling through the structure. This is the first nanoscale laser ever constructed by manipulating an SPP traveling on a single flat metal surface, Lezec noted.

Simulations suggest the SPP laser could become an even more sensitive detector for biological, chemical and environmental materials than using just the resonant cavity. The design of the laser also enables it to be easily integrated into a photonic circuit and may also enable new studies of quantum plasmonics, the nanoscale interaction of matter with the quantum properties of light.
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Aadhaar, a threat to national security, SC will strike it down: Swamy

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Senior BJP leader, Subramanian Swamy has termed Aadhaar as a threat to national security. In a Tweet, Swamy said that he would be writing to the Prime Minister about the same.

I am sure that the Supreme Court will strike it down, he also said. In his tweet, Swamy says, "I am writing a letter soon to PM detailing how compulsory Aadhar is a threat to our national security. SC will I am sure strike it down."

I am writing a letter soon to PM detailing how compulsory Aadhar is a threat to our national security. SC will I am sure strike it down.  Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) October 31, 2017

On Monday the Supreme Court granted time to the Centre to file its reply to a petition that challenged linking of Aadhaar with mobile. Notices were also issued to the telecom companies.

In another development, the SC pulled up the West Bengal government for challenging the Aadhaar Act. The court asked how could a state challenge an act that was passed by Parliament. It said that West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee could file the petition in her individual capacity. The court however permitted her to amend the petition and re-file it.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, October 31, 2017, 9:45 [IST]
Comment: Bengaluru's flyover not a walkover, but the finest steel has to go through the hottest fire

'BJP is scared of me, not Modi', clarifies K'taka CM Siddaramaiah

India

oi-Madhuri

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday clarified his remarks that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is scared of him and not the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"I never said that. Had said 'BJP is scared of me' not the Prime Minister. I was misquoted," Siddaramaiah said.

Earlier on Monday, it was reported that Siddaramaiah had said Modi is scared of him and has been attacking him during his Karnataka visits because of his growing popularity among the people.

"The Prime Minister is scared of me. That's why he's targeting me every time he visits Karnataka," he said, the Times of India reported.

OneIndia News
Hizbul Mujahideen offers Rs 20 lakh reward to kill J&K minister

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

A high alert has been sounded after it came to light that the Hizbul Mujahideen has hatched a plan to kill a top minister in Jammu and Kashmir. Chatter that was picked up suggested a plan being hatched by the terror group to kill a minister to avenge the probe being conducted by the National Investigation Agency.

The Hizbul Mujahideen chief, Syed Salahuddin who personally is overseeing the execution of this plan has also announced a reward of Rs 20 lakh for the person who carries out the killing.

The Intelligence Buerau says that the plan has been hatched to kill Sajjad Ahmed Lone. A team which would carry out the assassination has already been identified and they are in the Valley, the IB says.

The NIA had recently arrested Shahid Yousuf, the son of Salahuddin the terror funding probe. The Hizbul Mujahideen chief had cried foul over the arrest and said that these were sustained efforts made to scuttle the voices of freedom in the Valley.

In recently times, the Hizbul Mujahideen had also directed its men to target government officials who they thought were playing the role of informers. The outfit said that if such officers are killed, then it would spread fear in the minds of those who are working for the Indian agencies.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, October 31, 2017, 10:03 [IST]
How Modis phone a friend is denting Rahuls development gone crazy in Gujarat

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

In 2014, it was 'chai pe charcha.' In 2017 ahead of the Gujarat Assembly Elections 2017, it is 'Modi's phone a friend' strategy that is making heads turn.

Audio clips of Narendra Modi's calls to party workers in Gujarat are being shared widely on the social media. It started off with a call to Gopal Gohil, the BJP's general secretary of Ward Number 13 in Vadodra.

He tells Gohil, who is also a shopkeeper to ignore the negativity in the campaign. He reminds him of how he was called a 'maut ka saudagar' and how he did not let it deter him. I continued working for the development of Gujarat, Modi also tells Gohil.

The other call made was to Sumitraben at Dharmapur in Valsad district. During the call, Modi recollects a dish she had cooked for him during a visit to Dharmapur. She tells him that it was soup that she had made for him. Ignore the politics of cast by the Congress, he tells her.

These calls have had a huge impact on the people. Gohil said that the pep talk has helped and he promises to go that extra mile to ensure that BJP wins Gujarat comfortably. He also says that during the conversation, Modi made a mention about his stationary shop. I was taken aback and speechless, he also says.

BJP leaders tell OneIndia that the dial a friend strategy has had a huge impact. It is a completely different strategy adopted by the PM and is aimed at negating Rahul Gandhi's social media campaign, the BJP leaders also say. For the Gujarat elections, the Congress has adopted the online campaign, Vikas gando thai gayo che, or development has gone crazy.

OneIndia News
How Taliban Biriyani Hamsa radicalised Muslims in South India

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Taliban Biriyani Hamsa was arrested recently by the Kerala police. Hamsa was arrested along with Manaf Rahman on the charge that they were recruiting for the Islamic State.

Hamsa who was leading the module according to the police was the mastermind of ISIS related activities in the Malabar region. During the course of the investigation, the police realised that his imprint went beyond the Malabar region.

He was allegedly in touch with operatives in Andhra, Telangana and Karnataka. The 52 year old is a radical and upon his arrest he told the police that ISIS is true Islam. He further dared the police to bring in a religious scholar so that he could prove that ISIS is true Islam.

Investigations revealed that he had operated from the Gulf since 1998. He is said that have been radicalised at the Al-Ansar, a Bahrain based religious centre which today is suspected of being a training centre for ISIS operatives.

The ISIS has been desperately trying to make inroads in South India. Hamsa according to investigators was the main link between the recruiters and the operatives.

An investigators informed OneIndia that Hamsa is a hard nut to crack. He is highly radicalised and his school of thought is radical Islam. He wanted to spread the ideology of the ISIS in Southern India and at every meeting he would say that it is only the Islamic State that preaches true Islam.

The police with the help of the National Investigation Agency is now trying to track down the modules set up by Hamsa and his associate Manaf Rahman. The police say that Manaf is well connected in Karnataka and handled most of the recruitments in the state. The focus was largely in the bordering areas. The investigators say that they were also trying to recruit more people in the Mangaluru-Bantwal areas which is relatively closer to Kasargod which has been branded as a radical hub.

Hamsa would tell the recruits to either go to Syria or continue to operate in India. He would however insist more that they operate in India as he felt the need to strengthen the ISIS in India. Sources say that Hamsa stayed focused only on the southern part of the country. With him being questioned, the police say that more arrests would follow.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, October 31, 2017, 9:55 [IST]
'Medicine can also be studied in Tamil medium!' - CM Stalin's efforts are getting a growing response

Mayor Priya is not the puppet but the savior - How did Chennai recover from the floods?

Chennai Rains: How Twitter users are constantly updating, dispelling rumours

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Recommended Video

Chennai Rains : Social media working hard to keep on track after heavy rains | Oneindia News

Chennai, Oct 31: Rains mean celebrations. Unfortunately, times have changed. We have stopped enjoying the big monsoon spell. In fact, we don't enjoy any season anymore.

As every time rain visits any of the big cities--be it Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad--apprehension of waterlogging, traffic snarls, muddy roads, to name a few negatives associated with 'modern' day rainfall, haunts us.

On Monday, when Chennai received heavy rainfall, the story was no different as several areas were mildly flooded causing massive traffic jams in busy thoroughfares of the city. Along with Chennai, Tamil Nadu's coastal areas too received rainfall.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in Chennai and at least eight other coastal districts in Tamil Nadu over the next 24 hours, which means Tuesday is also going to be a wet day for the southern state.

In order to save students from the usual "horrors" associated with rains, district administration in Chennai and Kancheepuram have declared holiday for all schools and colleges on Tuesday.

The rains have been caused by the cyclonic circulation which is currently prevailing over the Southwest Bay of Bengal off the Sri Lankan coast and the Tamil Nadu coast, Skymet Weather reported. Within 24 hours on Monday, the Nungambakkam observatory recorded 20 mm rainfall in Chennai, added Skymet Weather.

Papanasam in Tirunelveli district received 5 cm rainfall, while Mylaudy and Kuzhithirai areas in Kanyakumar districts received 5 cm and 4 cm rainfall respectively, PTI reported.

Now, as heartbeats of several faint-hearted and the curious ones have increased, worrying trouble due to rains, it's social media, especially the micro-blogging site, Twitter, that is constantly providing weather updates and at the same time dispelling rumours to avoid panic among the residents of Chennai.

Chennai, as we have seen during the 2015 floods, has a strong presence of social media warriors who came to the rescue of thousands of people.

Thus since Monday, the hashtag--#ChennaiRains--remained one of the top trends.

Here we bring you some tweets from accounts which are dedicatedly involved in disseminating information on Chennai rains:

The account, @chennaiweather, tweets everything related to Chennai Weather. "Wants to know about Chennai Weather? You can email me your queries to info@chennaiweather.org," reads the bio of the account.

New spell approaching #chennai. Rain possible around 9 am  Chennai Weather (@chennaiweather) October 31, 2017

Please don't spread rumours and create panic regarding flooding in #chennai. Chennai lakes are almost empty.Nothing to worry for now  Chennai Weather (@chennaiweather) October 30, 2017

Then the twitter account, @ChennaiRains, is "an independent weather blogging community from Chennai." "Providing weather updates for events influencing Chennai & South India," reads the account's bio.

#Thunderstorms moving in from East. Next round of #Chennairains after a brief respite. South areas could see heavier spells going by radar pic.twitter.com/umRJEaZ0eN  Chennairains (@ChennaiRains) October 31, 2017

Morning update of #Chennairains in and around Chennai pic.twitter.com/fyONQdP5to  Chennairains (@ChennaiRains) October 31, 2017

The bio of the account @praddy06 reads, "I am not doing this full time, so my updates will be mostly during non-office hours. In the days of heavy rains, I break this self-imposed rule."

No words to describe the spell, the roads in Anna Nagar have turned into Streams with rainfall close to 100 mm... https://t.co/wblUnettFr  TamilNadu Weatherman (@praddy06) October 30, 2017

Thank you all !!!! we are now a 3 lakhs family, excited by the rains, i missed seeing the numbers. I thank you... https://t.co/sWv9NaDWhK  TamilNadu Weatherman (@praddy06) October 30, 2017

OneIndia News
Indian student attacked in Italy's Milan; Swaraj monitoring situation

India

oi-Madhuri

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday tweeted out about an Indian Students attacked in Milan city in Italy and that she is personally monitoring the situation.

In a tweet, Swaraj said,''I have got the detailed report. Do not worry, I am monitoring the situation personally.''

Earlier on Monday, unfortunate incident of attacks on the Indian students residing in Milan were reported to the Indian Consulate in Milan.

Taking to its Twitter handle, the Consulate General of India in Milan urged all Indian students studying in the main city of Lombardy Region of Italy not to panic. It also said that the Consulate is taking up the matter to the highest level of law and order.

They further requested the students to report such matters to the Consulate on 3290884057 immediately. The Consulate has also advised the students to be in touch with each other as well as with the Consulate "and spread the information among other students about the areas where they face such incidents".

OneIndia News
Jet Airways hijack scare: Not the first time suspect created ruckus on a flight

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

On Monday, a Jet Airways flight had to make an emergency landing at the Ahmedabad airport owing to a security scare. A note was found on the flight in which an explosion was threatened if the plane was not diverted to Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

The authorities identified the suspect as Salla Birju and say that he is a resident of Rajula in Amreli district. This is however is not the first time that Birju has been involved in a plane related incident.

On an earlier occasion, he had created a ruckus on a flight after a cockroach was found in his food. The airline staff however realised that the cockroach was planted and the issue was resolved immediately.

In Monday's incident, the staff of the airline managed to identify Birju to be behind the incident after a roll of toilet paper had gone missing from the restroom. A few minutes after the plane had taken off, the air-hostess realised that an entire roll had to be replaced. When she returned to the restroom to replace the roll, the threat note was found. The staff realised that Birju had used the restroom, immediately after the air-hostess had exited it.

After this incident, the government has instructed that Birju be placed under the no-fly list until the matter is investigated thoroughly.

OneIndia News

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Story first published: Tuesday, October 31, 2017, 6:18 [IST]
AAP vs LG fight again and this is time it is on Gandhi Jayanti

Mahatma Gandhi's bust set on fire in Madhya Pradesh

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Unidentified people set fire to Mahatma Gandhi's bust in Joura's Gandhi Park, Morena, Madhya Pradesh. Police has registered a case against unidentified people under IPC Section 295 and the search for culprits has begun.

Unfortunately, the incident comes on the day of the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel.

Under IPC Section 295 a person shall be punishable with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both for injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class.

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Story first published: Tuesday, October 31, 2017, 12:24 [IST]
Don Mukhtar Ansaris son and UP MLA, Abbas Ansari arrested by ED

Manish Sisodiya claims his PA 'arrested' by ED after conducting raids

\"Why Jacqueline not arrested yet?\" Delhi court asks ED, reserves bail order for tomorrow

Narada sting case: ED grills TMC's Sougata Roy

India

pti-PTI

Kolkata, Oct 31: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday questioned Trinamool Congress MP Sougata Roy over his alleged involvement in the Narada tapes corruption scandal.

Roy, who was summoned by the agency, went to the ED office in Salt Lake, a senior official said.

The Lok Sabha member from Dum Dum constituency was one of the several Trinamool Congress MPs, MLAs and ministers who were purportedly shown accepting money from a businessman in a sting video.

Narada News CEO Matthew Samuel had posed as the businessman and conducted the sting operation.

Besides Roy, the other prominent leaders facing allegations of involvement include Kolkata Municipal Corporation Mayor Sovan Chatterjee, Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim and Rural Development Minister Subrata Mukherjee.

They have already been interrogated by the agency.

The Narada sting tapes were released to different news organisations before the 2016 Assembly elections in West Bengal. The Central Bureau of Investigation and ED are investigating the case.

PTI
PM Modi hails Team India for WB ranking in ease of doing business

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Describing World Bank's latest annual 'ease of doing business' report as historic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it is the outcome of the all-round and multi-sectoral reform push of Team India.

In a series of tweet, PM Modi explained how Team India achieved this meteoric rise in rankings and outlined the way forward.

He said, " Historic jump in 'Ease of Doing Business' rankings is the outcome of the all-round & multi-sectoral reform push of Team India. Easier business environment is leading to historic opportunities for our entrepreneurs, particularly MSME sector & bringing more prosperity. " PM Modi further commented.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated, "The Government has undertaken an extensive exercise of stakeholder consultations, identification of user needs, government process re-engineering to match government rules and procedures with user expectations and streamline them to create a more conducive business environment.

Modi said that over last three years, his government has seen a spirit of positive competition among states towards making business easier which has been beneficial.

Outlining the path forward, PM said, " Guided by the Mantra of 'Reform, Perform & Transform' we are determined to further improve our rankings & scale greater economic growth."

India jumped 30 spots to secure a place among the top-100 countries on World Bank's ease of doing business ranking list in 2018.

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Story first published: Tuesday, October 31, 2017, 21:29 [IST]
'Medicine can also be studied in Tamil medium!' - CM Stalin's efforts are getting a growing response

Mayor Priya is not the puppet but the savior - How did Chennai recover from the floods?

Rains bring Chennai to a halt, as several areas get waterlogged

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Recommended Video

Chennai rains puts city to a stand still, several areas inundated by rainwaters | Oneindia News

Chennai, Oct 31: As predicted by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), rain lashed Chennai on Tuesday. Because of heavy rainfall, several areas in the city were inundated by rainwaters.

According to a report by ANI, Chennai's Anna Nagar west area was completely waterlogged following heavy rains in the city.

#TamilNadu Heavy water-logging in #Chennai's Anna Nagar West area following heavy rain the city pic.twitter.com/EHG36JX0fr  ANI (@ANI) October 31, 2017

The IMD predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in Chennai and at least eight other coastal districts in Tamil Nadu over the next 24 hours on Monday. Chennai and other coastal areas in Tamil Nadu started getting rainfall since Monday.

The rains have been caused by the cyclonic circulation which is currently prevailing over the Southwest Bay of Bengal off the Sri Lankan coast and the Tamil Nadu coast, Skymet Weather reported.

Within 24 hours on Monday, the Nungambakkam observatory recorded 20 mm rainfall in Chennai, added Skymet Weather. Papanasam in Tirunelveli district received 5 cm rainfall, while Mylaudy and Kuzhithirai areas in Kanyakumar districts received 5 cm and 4 cm rainfall respectively, PTI reported.

"Chennai is ready to face heavy rain. Storm water drains have been cleaned and some 300 chronic water stagnation points have been identified. We have readied 400 suction pumps to remove water during heavy rain," D Karthikeyan, Chennai Municipal Corporation Commissioner, was quoted as saying by NDTV.

On Monday evening, district administration in Chennai and Kancheepuram have declared holiday for all schools and colleges on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, like Monday, due to rains, the city witnessed heavy traffic jams on its busy thoroughfares.

Unfortunately, one person lost his life due to rains as the wall of his house collapsed in Thanjavur district on Monday. The 38-year-old man was killed in Thinnaiyoor near Orathanadu, according to the police.

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Story first published: Tuesday, October 31, 2017, 12:56 [IST]
Sardar Patel gave message to world that no one can destroy India's unity and integrity: Amit Shah

Fact Check: Is this picture showing Nehru, Ambedkar taken at first Iftar Party of Independent India?

Sardar Patels legacy was ignored says Modi after flagging of Run for Unity

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today flagged off the Run for Unity on Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, which is the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Earlier the PM paid floral tributes to Patel. The others who paid tributes were President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, Vice-President, Venkaiah Naidu and Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh.

In a video posted on Twitter, the PM said, 'We salute Sardar Patel on his Jayanti. His momentous service and monumental contribution to India can never be forgotten.' PM Modi also paid tribute to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary.

Modi said in his address that the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel also is the death anniversary of former prime minister, Indira Gandhi. The PM said that he is proud of the contributions made by Patel. His contributions before and after independence has made us all proud, Modi further stated.

PM @narendramodi pays floral tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary pic.twitter.com/pm87pVyF1G  Doordarshan News (@DDNewsLive) October 31, 2017

While flagging off the Run for Unity, Modi said that he is really happy that the young generation is taking part in this event. He said that India is a country that is full of diversity. Unity in diversity is our speciality, he also said.

Modi said that many people tried to ensure that Patel's contributions were forgotten. His legacy was ignored by many governments, Modi also added.

However the youth of this nation respects him for his contribution towards building the nation.

OneIndia News
Vyapam scam: CBI gives clean chit to Shivraj Singh Chouhan, files chargesheet against 490 accused

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday filed chargesheet against 490 accused in connection with the infamous Vyapam Scam in Madhya Pradesh.

According to the sources, the chargesheet also sees no mention of current Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The CBI further states the allegations put forward by former chief minister Digvijaya Singh have no basis.

In February 2015, Digvijay Singh had claimed that he was in possession of a pen drive that purportedly contained the telephone number of Chouhan and his wife and alleged exchange of messages between the couple and some of the Vyapam scam accused.

The CBI has further said that there was no tampering with the evidence related to the scam, which involved irregularities in admissions and recruitments.

The Vyapam scam dates back to 2007, with investigations in the case starting after some details came to light in 2013. The scam came into light in 2013, with reports that bribes were being paid by those seeking admission to medical colleges. In exchange for kickbacks, those in the government were allowing imposters to take the admission exam.

The Supreme Court has ordered a CBI probe into the multi-crore cash-for-jobs scam in the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board that has resulted in unexplained deaths of key accused and witnesses.

OneIndia News
Ghazwa-e-Hind in Assam: NIA roped in as Islamists plan destruction of India

Want to experience carbon-free holidays? Head to Majuli in Assam

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Guwahati, Oct 31: Recently, Assam's brand ambassador and Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra featured in a beautiful advertisement showcasing varied cultures, communities and landscapes of the state.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Assam is trying its best to promote the state in the tourism map of India to attract both local and foreign tourists in hordes.

As a part of its attempt to boost the tourism industry, the Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) will launch the Majuli Sustainable Tourism Development Project (MSTDP) this week to encourage carbon-free tourism experience in the country's largest river island.

The project will be launched on November 2 and feature daily cycle rides to different Mishing villages and Vaishnavite Satras in the island where trained storytellers will narrate the history, tales and legends of the mystic island to the tourists, ATDC Chairman Jayanta Malla Baruah said.

The Mishing tribesmen are Vaishnavites who are followers of Lord Krishna and comprise 60 per cent of the population in Majuli.

Storytelling is the key element of the eco-friendly tourism project. It aims at taking tourists through a virtual tour of culture, folk literature, art and craft and the society as a whole.

"Thirty cycles painted orange--the colour of sunset will be launched as part of the carbon-free travel experience at Majuli and also create an environmental protocol for tourism industry in the island," he said.

There will be different cycle tourism activities like tours for students and only women tours where the visitors can experience authentic village life and learn about Sattriya culture, he said.

"The project also envisages different levels of interventions consisting of capacity building programmes and catalyst funding for women and indigenous communities who are working in the field of art and craft", Baruah said.

The 30 cycles are high quality Btwin Rockrider cycles with gear, are light weight and ideal for difficult terrain.

They will be available on rent for the tourists at Majuli. Helmets and other gears will also be provided to the visitors for their safe ride.

The ATDC is aiming to promote Majuli as a "responsible" tourism destination in the northeastern region. "We are trying to introduce quality tourism products and the entire programme is designed in a way that the benefit of tourism will be shared with host communities," he said.

The MSTDP will be managed by Root Bridge Foundation, an NGO promoting sustainable tourism practices in northeast India.

"The project aims to make Majuli a centre of experiential and transformational travel, which are the latest travel trends and cultural immersion is the key element," Root Bridge Foundation Chairman, Javed said.

Experiential travel, also known as immersion travel, is a form of tourism in which people focus on experiencing a country, city or particular place by connecting to its history, people and culture.

The Assam government had recently announced that Majuli will be the first carbon neutral district in the country and steps have been initiated to achieve the goal.

So, next time you plan your holidays, don't forget to visit Majuli for a carbon-free vacation, instead of the popular crowded tourist destinations in the country.

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Story first published: Tuesday, October 31, 2017, 14:14 [IST]
Morbi Bridge is not the only Incident - Quality of Bridges, roads and Highways in BJPs government!

When Commonwealth games bridge collapsed, it was the Army that constructed it in 2010

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The Kerala Bailey Bridge too was constructed by the 14 Madras Engineering Group.

A big hue and cry was made over the Army being roped in to construct the foot over bridge in Mumbai after 23 people were killed in a stampede last month. Earlier in the day, Railway Minister, Piyush Goyal and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited the site.

Following the announcement that the Army would be roped in to construct the Elphinstone Bridge, there were a series of comments mocking the decision. Many asked if the Army should be diverted for civilian works. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh questioned the need to rope in the Army. However before making a hue and cry one needs to ask, if this is the first time that the Army has been roped in to carry out work in civilian areas.

Let us rewind to the 2010 Commonwealth Games. A suspension bridge outside the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium collapsed in which 27 workers died. The UPA government had then called in the Army to reconstruct the bridge and the same was done in flat 6 days.

The Kerala Bailey Bridge too was constructed by the 14 Madras Engineering Group. The bridge was constructed in Kerala across the Kallada river in Enathu. The Army completed the job in 48 hours following which the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the bridge.

In the year 1959, Lt General B M Kaul who was the Chief of General Staff under Project Amar. Under this project the Army was involved in the construction construction of 1,450 houses in Ambala, Haryana.

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Story first published: Tuesday, October 31, 2017, 18:42 [IST]
Several Afghans on Germany's evacuation list have died

13th batch of medical assistance to Afghanistan delivered by India

Taliban bans women from parks and gyms in Afghanistan

Afghanistan: 12 injured in magnetic IED explosion

International

oi-Madhuri

Around twelve people were wounded in magnetic IED explosion against NDS vehicle in Pul-e-Khumri on Monday.

The incident is reported in Puli Khumri main square, Baghlan province of Afghanistan where 12 people were injured.

On October 27, Afghan forces killed eight Taliban militants in northern province of Baghlan.

On October 21, at least 15 cadets were killed in a suicide attack at Marshal Fahim Military Academy in Kabul. On the same day, at least 72 people were killed and several others wounded in two bomb attacks at mosques in Afghanistan.

OneIndia News
Expert on counter terror and China, General Naravane will add great value to national security

EU parliamentarian lauds India for appointing Dineshwar Sharma as J&K interlocutor

International

oi-Madhuri

A member of European Parliament on Monday lauded India's decision of appointing Dineshwar Sharma as interlocutor for Kashmir as another step to connect with Kashmiris, with the objective of bringing peace to the region.

Petras Austrevicius, Member of the European Parliament, slammed Pakistan for terrorising Jammu and Kashmir, ANI quoted an EP Today article as saying.

He said,''sadly, but as expected, Pakistan and its political proxies in Jammu and Kashmir have rejected all interaction with the newly appointed interlocutor, leaving no doubt about their motives and intentions."

Austrevicius further mentioned that EU should focus now on enhancing its cooperation with India in areas like foreign and security affairs, and supports its efforts to bring peace to Kashmir, while also boosting its exchanges in trade, education, culture and scientific research.

On October 23, Sharma was appointed by the Centre to initiate dialogue with elected representatives of the state, political parties, different organisations and residents of the state.

Sharma is an officer from the 1979 Indian Police Service batch and the former director of the Intelligence Bureau. He has been the interlocutor for talks with rebel groups in Manipur and Assam, as well.

OneIndia News
India jumps 30 ranks to stand 100th in World Bank's ease of doing business

International

pti-PTI

India has jumped 30 places to rank 100th in the World Bank's ease of doing business ranking, helped by a slew of reforms in taxation, licensing, investor protection and bankruptcy resolution.

The ranking comes as a shot in the arm for the Narendra Modi government amid dissenting voices in certain quarters about implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as well as demonetisation.

In its annual report Doing Business 2018: Reforming to Create Jobs, the World Bank said that India's ranking reflects nearly half of the 37 reforms, adopted since 2003, implemented in the last four years.

The ranking, however, does not take into account business environment post implementation of GST, which weaved the country of 1.3 billion into one market with one tax and removed inter-state barriers for trade.

India, which was ranked 130th among the 190 nations, is "one of the top 10 improvers in this years assessment, having implemented reforms in 8 out of 10 doing business indicators," it said. This is the first time India has broken into top 100 nations.

India is the only large country this year to have achieved such a significant shift.

The parameters that witnessed improvement in 2016-17 were India making it faster for start business, reduction in procedures and time required to obtain building permit, easier access to credit, protecting minority investors, ease of paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and making resolving insolvency easier, the World Bank said.

But it still lags in areas such as starting a business, enforcing contracts and dealing with construction permits.

It takes 30 days now to register a new business, down from 127 days 15 years ago, but "the number of procedures is still cumbersome for local entrepreneurs who still need to go through 12 procedures", it said.

"This is a major major jump," Rita Ramalho, Acting Director for World Banks Global Indicators Group, told PTI in Washington, attributing the climb of 30 places to the series of reforms undertake by the Modi government since 2014.

The GST, which was implemented from July 1, will get reflected only in next years ease of doing business report.

"GST reforms have not been counted this year. It would come into play for the report next year," Ramalho said, adding that demonetisation was not covered.

PTI
In Iran, men and women are 'equal' only in torture

Iran says President Rouhani turned down meeting with Trump

International

pti-PTI

Tehran, October 30: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani turned down a meeting with President Donald Trump during his visit to New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly in September, said Iran's foreign ministry.

The Sunday report by the semi-official ILNA news agency quotes ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi as saying "an intention was expressed by the American side that was not approved by President Rouhani," in reference to the alleged meeting request.

In 2013, then US President Barack Obama and Rouhani spoke by telephone, the highest-level contact between the two countries in decades, prompting an outcry from Iranian hardliners. Since then there has been no such communication between Tehran and Washington.

US and Iran officially severed diplomatic ties in 1979.

PTI
To take water from Brahmaputra to Xinjiang, China plans 1,000 km tunnel

International

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

In a move that would worry India, China is planning to construct a 1,000 kilometre long tunnel to take Brahmaputra water to Xinjiang. Top scientists backed by the Communist Party of China are working on this mega project.

The tunnel which would be the longest in the world could create a major water crisis in the north eastern state as the Tsangpo is an upper riparian river. A blue print for the same was submitted in March, reports state.

Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported, citing experts involved in the project said that the engineers are testing techniques that could be used to build the 1,000-km tunnel to carry water from Tibet to the Taklimakan Desert in Xinjiang.

The report also said, "Wang Menshu, China's top tunneling expert, suggested the government "drain the Yarlung Tsangpo River at Sangri county in southern Tibet, near the disputed border with India."

"Wang said the project would also prompt protests from India and Bangladesh, which lay downstream. But compared to other proposals, which would require the construction of massive dams on the river, the underground tunnels would leave Tibet's natural landscape largely unscathed," the report further stated. "It won't leave a mark on the surface for other countries or environmental activists to point their fingers at," Wang also said.

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Story first published: Tuesday, October 31, 2017, 6:22 [IST]
India's stand on Rohingyas gracious so far but housing them would be risky

Why so many underage Rohingya girls are getting married, pregnant

International

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Dhaka, Oct 31: Meet 15-year-old Najma (name changed to protect her identity), who has been staying in a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district after she fled from Myanmar's Rakhine State in September.

Najma is like any other teenager with a wide smile. However, what will strike you most about the 15-year-old girl is that she is a mother of two children. While her first child was born when she was just 13, Najma gave birth to her second baby after she turned 15 early this year.

Like Najma, in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, hundreds of child brides have taken shelter after violence broke out in Myanmar on August 25. These underage girls are not only married, but in most cases they are either pregnant or are already mothers.

According to a report by Dhaka Tribune, the reason behind so many underage Rohingya refugee brides is that parents of these girls in order to save them from getting sexually assaulted by Myanmar's army men and Mogh extremists are marrying them off at an early age.

The reality came to the forefront as thousands of minor Rohingya girls started to visit medical centres at refugee camps in Cox's Bazar for pregnancy-related diseases.

Moreover, these young girls from Rakhine State try to get pregnant immediately after childbirth as they have the notion that Myanmar's military men and extremists don't harm pregnant women/girls.

Speaking to Dhaka Tribune, Dr AZM Zajid, coordinator of a medical centre near Panbazar at Balukhali of Ukhiya upazila, said: "Every day, some 3,000 to 5,000 Rohingya people visit this centre with numerous diseases. Of them, 400 to 500 are expectant mothers who come to receive treatment for pregnancy-related complications.

"Many of them are suffering from various risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth. We have to struggle to provide treatment to this many patients at a time."

Quoting victims, Zahid said: "In Rakhine, girls are married off at a very young age as their parents hold the belief that army men and Mogh would not target their married daughters.

"And the girls expect baby soon after their marriage. As a result, they each have five to 12 children. Even, we have treated expectant mothers as young as 12/14."

In Rakhine State, it has almost become a social convention for underage girls to get married. Girls as young as 10 years old are also getting married among the Rohingya refugee community.

According to an estimate, at least 604,000 Rohingyas have fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh since violence broke out in their homeland on August 25.

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Story first published: Tuesday, October 31, 2017, 11:42 [IST]
Yggdrasil's Joker Millions Progressive Slot Pays 3.5 Million Jackpot

Published October 31, 2017 by Brett C

Yggdrasil Gamings Joker Millions Progressive paid a handsome 3.5 million jackpot to a lucky player at Vera&Johns mobile casino. This marks the second multimillion euro jackpot since July 2017!

Yggdrasil Gamings management team is celebrating yet another milestone in the companys rich history  a 3.5 million jackpot prize winner. A Swedish player pocketed 33,748,248 Swedish kronas  the equivalent of 3.48 million  on Joker Millions. This progressive jackpot slot game has a tendency of landing mega-money jackpots several times a year.

On Thursday, 26 October 2017, a lucky mobile player at Vera&Johns casino hit the winning combination and scooped up this life-changing jackpot prize. All it took was 0.70, or 7.5 Swedish kronas to transform his life instantly. The chief executive officer of Yggdrasil Gaming, Fredrik Elmqvist was delighted with the win, and expressed his excitement for the lucky player.

In July 2017 a 5.1 million jackpot payout was hit with Yggdrasil Gamings progressive slot game. The current jackpot tally of 3.5 million equals the jackpot amount that was hit in December 2016 over the Christmas season. That means a total of over 12.1 million has been won in 10 months, with at least two months to go before another possible Christmas jackpot.

The head of gaming from the winning mobile casino Vera&John, Victor Olinger paid tribute to the fantastic progressive jackpot game, Joker Millions. According to him, it is one of the most popular games at the casino, and players love competing for the mega-money prize pools on offer. Other massive progressive jackpot games available through the software provider include Holmes and the Stolen Stones, and Empire Fortune.

The Lucky Spin

Yggdrasil Gaming posted details of the lucky spin on their YouTube channel on October 27, 2017. The Swedish player started with a 6 x Mystery Win, followed by a Jackpot Spin. That was all it took to rack up an incredible jackpot payday of 3,476,015 on a mobile device.
From Consortium News



U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets with Saudi King Abdullah in Riyadh on March 30, 2012.

(Image by [State Department photo]) Details DMCA



Because of the failure of the corporate press to report fully on Hillary Clinton's policy failures throughout her career, it was difficult for voters to perceive how dangerous her presidency might have been, although many Democratic voters bolted to Bernie Sanders and enough Americans voted against her last November to give Donald Trump his narrow Electoral College victory.

In the following conversation with the legendary filmmaker and muckraking journalist John Pilger, we leap off from his recent article regarding Clinton's new book and her recent appearance on Australian Broadcasting (ABC).

In the interview, I delve with Pilger into the career of Clinton as a hawkish U.S. senator who continued her interventionism as Secretary of State, not only voting for the Iraq War in 2002 but protecting the 2009 coup in Honduras and pressing for the "regime change" war in Libya that turned the once-prosperous country into a failed state. She also chuckled at the news of the rape-murder of deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Dennis Bernstein: Hillary Clinton has been featured on Australian Media to talk about her new book and apparently to blame anyone and everyone for the fact that she lost the election to Donald Trump.

John Pilger: Actually, the interview I wrote about was conducted in New York but it was broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on their flagship current affairs program called "Four Corners." The interviewer was someone with a reputation for hard-hitting interviews named Sarah Ferguson. I thought it was an extraordinary display of Clinton's attempting to justify herself after all these months.

When I was in New York recently I read quite a few interviews conducted by female reporters with Hillary Clinton in which she was portrayed as a feminist and therefore all else should be set aside if not forgiven. This was what came across in the Sarah Ferguson interview. It opens with "your pain seemed almost visceral, describe your pain to us." It was as if she were being invited to lie on a therapist's couch instead of being interviewed. This has run right through interviews with Clinton by women journalists. The whole question of identity politics has such potency now that a corrupt politician who deceived and abused the electorate can be held up as a martyr.

There is nothing in the interview, for example, about why she described ordinary Americans who might have voted for Trump as "irredeemable and deplorable." Nothing about how she earned from Goldman Sachs speeches a total of about $670,000, displaying the sort of greed that upset ordinary people in the US.

And of course there is the central issue of the emails leaked by WikiLeaks, which showed how involved Clinton has been with the whole violent, corrupt world of the Gulf and jihadism. The very people backing jihadism, especially Saudi Arabia, were donating large sums to the Clinton Foundation. All this is missing from this and other interviews. It shows how the power of identity politics can eclipse the facts. There was even a photograph I saw in New York of a reporter with her arm around Clinton, consoling her.

Dennis Bernstein: The feeling you get in watching this whole thing unfold is that this is a full-court press to distract from the content of the released emails.

John Pilger: It is very easy to distract attention from something if you simply don't mention it. I have always felt that the most virulent form of censorship is censorship by omission. The whole nefarious state of the Clintons and the Clinton Foundation is simply left out of these interviews. Hillary Clinton is able to plead a kind of special case for herself because she is a woman and a feminist.

Dennis Bernstein: After this interview with the Australian Broadcasting Company, the producer referred to Julian Assange as "Putin's b*tch."

John Pilger: The producer re-tweeted a troll message to advertise the interview with Clinton, and especially the component in which she defames Julian Assange. You have to remember, this is the state broadcaster in Australia, which is Julian Assange's country. Assange pointed out that the ABC's code was meant to prevent this kind of bias. It was a particularly bad interview but in a sense it was also a very typical one. It allowed a figure of great power and contention to say anything she wanted to say without challenge.

There was no mention of Libya in all of this. Libya was Hillary Clinton's invasion. It was Hillary Clinton who famously rejoiced on camera the gruesome murder of Colonel Gaddafi -- 40,000 people died in this criminal US and NATO invasion. None of this was mentioned, no solidarity with the women who died. There is no solidarity with the women who will suffer as a result of the coup in Honduras, which Clinton signed off on as secretary of state. Simply to make an exception of women like Hillary Clinton because she is a woman and would have been the first female president of the United States seems to me to be a very powerful form of censorship what we should be aware of.

Dennis Bernstein: Hillary Clinton laughed at Qaddafi's on-camera assassination. She thought that was funny. She bragged about sustaining the coup in Honduras over the opposition of all the presidents in Central America, which has now led to Honduras being the murder capital of the world.

Next Page 1 | 2

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From Paul Craig Roberts Website

As the presstitute media has no allegiance to truth, one has to wonder if we can even believe obituaries.

For what it is worth, perhaps nothing, the presstitutes report that three US aircraft carrier battle groups are off North Korea or on the way there.

What for? Why are the morons in Washington following the 19th century British practice of sending warships? This is juvenile. China has already said that China will allow no attack on North Korea unless Korea strikes first. The Russians have indicated their opposition as well. Both China and Russia have missiles that can wipe out the three aircraft battle groups at will. So what is the point of sending obsolete ships, like the battleships anchored in Pearl Harbor for the Japanese, other than to have them obliterated and to use their demise as an excuse to start World War III?

The two-bit punk Washington puppet, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg, has declared that "We recognize that Europe has also entered the North Korean missile range, and NATO member states are already in danger." Remember, this was the same lie told about Europe being in range of non-existent Iranian missiles, an excuse for putting US missiles on Russia's border just as North Korea is being used to put US missiles on China's border.

We also have the report that Vice President Pence visited the Minot Nuclear missile base and recklessly and irresponsibly told the launch crews:

"We are entering a very dangerous time, and I have come here personally to tell you that you may receive a Launch Order in the near future. I want you to know that we have planned for all contingencies, but it is possible that things may escalate beyond what we believe will take place. If you receive a properly formatted launch order, you launch. Don't waste time trying to confirm the order, because it is not standard operating procedure for you to delay like that. If you get a launch order, carry it out."

This irresponsible and reckless statement by a US vice president comes as the Russians celebrate the Soviet military official who refused to believe the Soviet warning system of incoming US nuclear missiles and did not start the process that would have resulted, for a warning system failure, in nuclear Armageddon.

We should be scared to death that US political leaders are so insensitive to the ever present chance of false warnings. The moron Pence is a danger to all of humanity. Pence is not a patriot protecting us, he is an idiot who should be impeached for his utter and total irresponsibility before he destroys us all.

Go online and read. False nuclear attack alarms were commonplace during the Cold War, but both Washington and Moscow were too responsible to act on them. Now we have an idiot vice president who wants to act on them!

The idiots in Washington have ordered outmoded B-52 bombers to be on 24-hour alert. Why? Not a single one of them could penetrate Russian air defense. What is the purpose of this nonsensical order except to worsen distrust between nuclear powers. What crime is worse than worsening distrust between nuclear powers? Why is Washington completely hooked on criminal behavior? Who is responsible? Why are they not arrested for the endangerment of humanity and life on planet Earth?

Washington's disregard of urgent warnings from Russia and China is the most extraordinary thing I have experienced in my life.

Why is it that Washington and Washington's vassals can't hear when powers capable of destroying all of them clearly state that they have had enough of Washington's arrogance and hubris?

click here


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Roland Martin in the last few days seemed to be the go-to man to check Trump, his supporters, and Democrats. Today he gave a schooling to Trump's Chief of Staff John Kelly. And he castigated Laura Ingraham, one of the Rights biggest hacks devoted to misinforming the Trump base further.

Martin did not hold back as he appropriately excoriated General John Kelly for his inept statements about the civil war and Robert E. Lee in this excerpted video.

"John Kelly said that to not appreciate this shows a lack of appreciation for history," co-host Ali Velshi said. "You have tweeted out this morning calling Kelly's comments insanely stupid. Tell me how you really feel about this."

"Yeah. I'm not going to allow four stars to allow stuck on stupid to simply go on," Roland Martin said. "Here's a man who's utterly clueless. For him to say that, well, we could have compromised. Really? We did compromise. It was a thing called the United States Constitution. And do you know what that said? If you're black, you're 3/5 of a human."

Martin then went on to summarily school the clueless general.

"What he should do is go read Lawrence Goldstone's book Dark Bargain where details the compromises made with the South just to get the Constitution passed.," Martin said. "You want to talk compromise? How about the Hayes-Tilden Compromise, which was never written down called the Great Compromise of 1877 that ended the 12 years of Reconstruction and ushered in Jim Crow. They removed the federal troops from the last three remaining southern capitals. We could talk about compromise -- the fact we had a Civil Rights Act of 1866, one in 1875, and we didn't another one til 1957, which was rather weak. How about compromise? We had three Reconstruction amendments: the 13th Amendment, the 14th Amendment, and the 15th Amendment. But you know what? America didn't care about those constitutional amendments because of that 1877 compromise, which led to the Civil Rights Act of '64 and the Voting Rights Act of '65 and the Fair Housing Act of '68. And so I need John Kelly to actually go back and read a history book that my 12-year-old nieces are reading right now because clearly, he fell asleep in history."

Stephanie Ruhle then asked Martin to expand on another ridiculous statement Kelly made.

"I don't know if he fell asleep in history, but I'll tell you, my son who's in the sixth grade is reading that same history Roland's nieces are," Ruhle said.."What about Kelly's claim that 150 years ago, states were more important than country, and that he gave up his country to fight for the state of Virginia -- Robert E. Lee I'm talking about."

"Well, guess what then," Roland Martin said. "Then I want to see General Kelly defend anybody who's in ISIS. Because you know what they're doing? They're giving up country for ideology. It's the same exact thing. See, this is how we normalize white supremacy. And then to say, well, we don't have an appreciation of history. I love this whole deal about how, well, you know, he was an honorable man. Really? There were abolitionists during that particular period who did not believe in slavery. So, don't call the men of their time. But maybe General Kelly also didn't read this, which was from Wesley Norris, one of the slaves that he had, where he said that when we ran away, he asked why did we run away. And we said because we're free. He ordered us to be beaten, given 50 lashes. And then when one of his overseers wouldn't do it, he called Dick Williams, a county constable, who was called in to give us the lashes. And it was Lee who said lay it on well, an injunction which he did not fail to heed. Not satisfied with simply lacerating our naked flesh, General Lee then ordered the overseer to thoroughly wash our backs with brine, which was done. You call that honorable? You call that decent? "

Ali Velshi then asked Martin if people who claim one should not judge by today's standards. Martin made it clear there were honorable white people, specifically white abolitionists living in those times, so there was nothing noble about neither slave owners or the perpetrators of the evil acts.

"We have too many people in this country who are white who do not know history, who want to somehow glorify these Confederate leaders," Martin said. "And I'm telling you right now, they ain't my founding fathers and they're not my leaders. We need to have real history, not a his-story, but history. And I will say that John Kelly, shame on you."

And Martin was not done. He wanted to let Lauran Ingraham know she conducted an uninformed interview.

"Real quick," Martin said. "Laura Ingraham, you need to go read a history book too because if you let him lie like that in front of you, you don't know what the hell you're doing."

Of all those critiquing Kelly's most uninformed response, Roland Martin has been the most on point.
Officials from Saudi Arabia and Israel met on Monday in Los Angeles, California, in a move that could be a major step towards a thaw in the relations between the two countries.

The meeting was held on the sideline of the Middle East Security Forum at Sinai Temple, Los Angeles. It was attended by Prince Turki al-Faisal, former Saudi Intelligence chief, Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi ambassador to the U.S., and Dr. Yousef bin Trad bin Yousef Al-Sadoun, deputy minister for international organization affairs of Saudi Foreign Ministry as the Saudi representatives on one side of the table and Efraim Halevy, former Mossad chief and Ron Dermer, Israel's ambassador to the U.S. who represented Israel on the other side of the table, sources close to the two sides confirmed.

The two sides discussed latest developments in the Middle East, Arab-Israeli relations, and the prospect of Saudi Arabia-Israel diplomatic relations. They set a timetable in order to accelerate the process of normalizations of relations and clearing of mutual misunderstanding, which is going to be presented to senior officials of the two countries, the sources said.

This was the first formal meeting between Israel and Saudi Arabia that included incumbent officials from both countries. Some retired politicians had already played role in political lobbying to bring Saudi Arabia and Israel closer to each other, including Prince Turki al-Faisal, who has had a key role in behind-the-certain activities in this regard.

The new crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad bin Salman aims at introducing fundamental reforms in the kingdom's foreign policies beside socio-political ones. Establishing relations with Israel would be in line with the same agenda.
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From Down With Tyranny



"For certain of their leaders, modern-day liberalism is a way of rationalizing and exercising class power." ~~ Thomas Frank The real resistance occurred in 2016. It failed in both parties. ~~ Yours truly

There's something greatly troubling about what the media-fronted #Resistance has morphed into, but I'm having trouble writing about it (it's lightly touched here: "A Nation in Crisis, Again"). Partly the problem is the marshaling of pages of proof; partly the problem is the unstoppability of the train wreck that will ensue. Perhaps I'll write about the train wreck instead.

After all, as noted in the link above, "No Praetorian Guard, once it grows muscular, reverts back to a simple barracks unit just because new leadership arrives." And the anti-Trump leadership in both parties is growing us a Praetorian Guard, if we don't have one already. You may be cheering it onward as we speak, depending on the latest lashings from former and current security state personnel, but what you're cheering, if you do, enables an unelected, uncontrolled and muscular security state, one you've certainly been appalled by in many other contexts.



Trump will go; but the unelected state will grow only stronger, now with help from the #Resistance. Do you see the dilemma? How to write about this to a nation in love with what it will come, but only later, to hate?



How Principled Is the #Resistance?





"At the beginning of Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State in 2009, the Honduran military ousted democratically elected President Manuel Zelaya in a coup d'etat. The United Nations condemned the military coup and the Organization of American States suspended Honduras from its membership, calling for Zelaya's reinstatement. Instead of joining the international effort to isolate the new regime, Clinton's State Department pushed for a new election and decided not to declare that a military coup had occurred.



"'If the United States government declares a coup, you immediately have to shut off all aid, including humanitarian aid, the Agency for International Development aid, the support that we were providing at that time for a lot of very poor people,' Clinton said when asked about Honduras in April. 'So, our assessment was, we will just make the situation worse by punishing the Honduran people if we declare a coup and we immediately have to stop all aid for the people, but we should slow walk and try to stop anything that the government could take advantage of, without calling it a coup.'



"Clinton said that she didn't want Zelaya returning to power. 'Zelaya had friends and allies, not just in Honduras, but in some of the neighboring countries, like Nicaragua and that we could have had a terrible civil war that would have been just terrifying in its loss of life.'



"Emails that have since surfaced show that Clinton and her team worked behind the scenes to fend off efforts by neighboring democracies through the Organization of American States to restore the elected president to power."

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The Freedom Movement of Kurdistan Society (Tevger Azadi) is going to replace Barzani and Talabani Mafia type leadership in 'the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq (KRG)' sooner than later.

United Kurdish people's front was imposable to be established while Barzani and Talabani ruled KRG region of Iraq. Almighty God helped Kurdish people by driving Massoud Barzani to madness by holding Referendum without UN, the US and international support. Barzani tribe leader lost 52% of the KRG land in few days. His Barzani tribal military forces were not able to fight Iraqi 'Popular Mobilization Forces (Arabic: hashad al-shaabi).'

Islamic Republic of Iran and Turkey helped 'hashad al-shaabi of Islamic Shi'a terrorist forces' to defeat Barzani Kurdish tribal forces, while Talabani tribal forces joined Iranian supported 'hashad al-shaabi' to take over Oil-rich Kirkuk.

The 'hashad al-shaabi is Islamic Shi'a terrorist forces' similar to the 'ISIS Islamic Sunni terrorist forces'. Turkey and Qatar are supporting 'ISIS Islamic Sunni terrorist forces' and Iran is supporting 'hashad al-shaabi of Islamic Shi'a terrorist forces'.

The Syrian Democratic Forces, commonly abbreviated as SDF or QSD, are a multi-ethnic and multi-religious alliance of predominantly Kurdish YPG and YPJ forces, but also Arab and Assyrian/Syriac militias, as well as some smaller Turkmen, Armenian, Circassian and Chechen groups/participation in the Syrian Civil War.

The US ally for Coalition against ISIS helped QSD above to defeat the 'ISIS Islamic Sunni terrorist forces.' Turkey and Qatar helped ISIS Terrorist forces in the Syrian civil war in the same time.

The stories of Syrian civil war are going to repeat in the KRG region of Iraqi Kurdistan sooner than later. Tevger Azadi of Kurdistan is similar to the PYD of Syria and PJAK of Iran Kurdish political parties loyal to Abdullah Ocalan. Remember YPG and YPJ Kurdish forces fought back against ISIS Islamic terrorist forces in Syria. The Kurdish people forces under the command of 'Tevger Azadi of Kurdistan' organization will lead Kurds of Iraq to defeat 'hashad al-shaabi of the Islamic Shi'a terrorist forces' in Iraq to liberate Oil-rich Kirkuk.

References

Iraqi Kurdish Leader Barzani Resigns Aftr Failed Independence Referendum

https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Iraqi-Kurdish-Leader-Barzani-Resigns-After-Failed-Independence-Referendum-20171030-0004.html

Freedom Movement of Kurdistan Society (Tevger Azadi)

http://tevger.co/Drejey-hawal.aspx?id=11103&LinkID=1

Syrian Democratic Forces

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Democratic_Forces
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.The women had complied with the laws to cover up yet were severely beaten if they dared look at a man..

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In its regime-change, "Assad Must Go!", anti-humanitarian war against Syria, the Canadian government is using public funds to support war, poverty, and unspeakable misery.

As Prof. Chossudovsky notes in the Forward to Voices from Syria:

"Everybody in Syria knows that Washington is behind the terrorists, that they are financed by the U.S (at tax payers' expense) and its allies, trained and recruited by America's Middle East partners. Saudi Arabia, Qatar have been financing and training the ISIS-Daesh, al Nusra terrorists on behalf of the United States. Israel is harboring the terrorists out of the occupied Golan Heights, NATO in liaison with the Turkish high command has since March 2011 been involved in coordinating the recruitment of the jihadist fighters dispatched to Syria ""1

By supporting a war of terror beneath the lies of "humanitarianism", we are agents for an overseas holocaust, but we are also agents for misogyny, human exploitation, environmental and economic devastation, poverty, disease, totalitarian oligarch rule and a long list of war-imposed evils. In fact, the aggressive warfare to which Canada is committed is anti-Life by any measure.

Peace-activist Janice Kortkamp recently visited Al Mayadeen, -- liberated by the Syrian Arab Army, and described as the "economic capital of ISIS" -- where she witnessed Empire's foot print at its finest.

Kortkamp and her friends, pictured below, are standing beneath a sign which dictates the dress-code for females living in the (previously) Daesh-controlled area.

Photo credit: Janice Kortkamp

In a journal entry, Kortkamp added:

" (t)he women had complied with the laws to cover up yet were severely beaten if they dared look at a man. Children were not allowed to go to school. People were starved while terrorist fighters feasted on hoarded food.2

This is what Canadian "progressives", "feminists", and "human rights defenders" are supporting when they support Canada's war on Syria.3 In fact, all Canadians are supporting this when we pay our taxes.

Silence is complicity.

Notes

1 Mark Taliano, Voices from Syria, Global Research, 2017. Excerpt from Forward.

2 Janice Kortkamp, Deir Ezzor diary part 5b. 27 October, 2017.

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We are Our Hope

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Papadopoulos Guilty, Paul Manafort and Rick Gates indicted and still Huckabee-Sanders claims from podium that nothing has anything to do with you, her Bully Pulpit boss.

Swaggering past tossed Russian flags, you, like Martin Shkreli, assume Master Race membership, but hope overcomes the treachery that reduces our youth to an Opioid bottom-line byproduct of pharmaceutical and congressional collusion.

Thinking yourself the boss of bosses, you've cheated government funding, pocketing taxpayer money, like papa Fred pick-pocketed Eisenhower, but we indict hope to shine the light of truth through the fog of Twitter storms.

Shadowing Roy Cohn's ghosts of darkness, you strut daddies, you are killers, you are kings, in your personal rut of emptiness, devoid of empathy. While we honor recapturing our American Dream -- you dishonor the loss of Gold Star families -- and expose your Massive Intelligence Failure.

Our hope remains securely invested in the American ideal of freedom, embracing the liberty to marry whomever we choose, an independent judicial branch and a laser beam focus on the locations you consider while personally interviewing potential U.S. attorneys.

Imposing a gold-plated Betsy DeVos for maximum stress on students and teachers, can't bait-and-switch our national hope for public education into the glitter of your fool's gold.

Using our Federal Communications Commission as a propaganda tool for self-righteous Baltimore brothers will fail to sway our hope toward deniers of Jefferson's separation of church and state.

You can encourage Ryan Zinke to wipe his dirty feet on our environment, but we rise above arrogance, real and fabricated terrorism and seize the day.

You may have heralded in further restrictions on our civil liberties, with HHS zealot, Scott Lloyd, denying a seventeen-year-old her right to a legal abortion -- an act of injustice, for which Attorney General Jeff Sessions reserves his right to remain silent -- but, through federal laws upheld by our Supreme Court, we find hope in social services that assist in both pregnancy prevention and prenatal care.

Following the crumbs left behind by Nixon, you can build a wall between Justice for All, and We the People, but hope keeps our hearts, minds and focus clear, even in the fog of phony recusal.

You can try to erase Eric Holder's DOJ, but Elyse Goldweber, Sally Yates and all united with #MeToo women against men like you, are the wind of hope beneath our wings. Remembering your refusal to rent to people of color, America turns blue, resisting white supremacists in league with you.

You, whose trust is in Bannon's Alt-Right Tiki-torch Nazis, are no match for our Gettysburg Address-ensconced hope in The Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968, and judiciary giants: Derrick Watson, Theodore Chuang, James Robart, Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan.

Repeatedly professing provocative prevarications, trusting, A Lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes, will never defeat an all-inclusive patriotism that increasingly strengthens the tie that binds America's greatest hope: Civil discourse, mutual respect and propelling forward together.

Your impulsive and aggressive top-down extremist Messianic intimidation can only isolate some Americans from United We Stand, some of the time.

You can expect Americans to respond to you like your employees, obligated to perform duties, unquestioningly, sexually or otherwise, and you can agree, no degree from the College of the Ozarks without passing a mandatory class in their Patriotic POV. However, our national consciousness is measured not only by Free Will, but our Bill of Rights, Freedom of Choice and the freedom to, just say no to any negative manipulation in the equality of our three branches of government, by the dictates of morally bankrupt, economic elites.

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From Alternet

Yet again, red and blue America look at the same events and draw different conclusions.



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The ink was barely dry on the first indictments and pleading from special counsel Robert Mueller, and the country was already hearing two vastly different accounts of what's at stake, what it means and where we go from here.

Those seeing the U.S. as a nation of laws saw the first tangible signs that Mueller is making real headway proving the Trump campaign sought to engage Russia in its anti-Hillary Clinton efforts, and how top campaign officials had no hesitation to break U.S. laws to profit from advising nations with pro-Russia ties. The indictment of Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort and his business partner, Rick Gates, for money laundering and tax evasion, was not exactly a surprise. But the guilty plea from former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos, which cited campaign documents exploring Russian help to obtain "dirt" on Clinton via stolen emails, was blockbuster material.

That Mueller had kept the Papadopoulos plea, dated October 5, secret for weeks was remarkable, given how leak-ridden Washington is. Analysts quickly noted that the guilty plea blows apart every claim by Trump's defenders that their side sought no help from Russia. Raw Story noted that Papadopoulos worked under Jeff Sessions during the 2016 campaign, raising questions about what Sessions knew. AlterNet cited investigative reporting tying Wilbur Ross -- now commerce secretary -- to the biggest bank in Cyprus, where Russian oligarchs dominate depositors and the country where Manafort laundered millions.

It was "very significant" how much detail was cited in Mueller's first indictments, a federal public defender told AlterNet, as, "they usually say as little as possible." He noted that the absence of references to Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser at the White House and on the campaign, who also apparently did not report foreign income, "suggests he [Flynn] may be cooperating."

Mueller's opening moves suggest his investigation has entered the territory Trump most feared: his business deals with wealthy Russians investing in Trump properties in the U.S., and his campaign's openness to having Russian help to beat Clinton.

But if Monday's indictments and pleadings are a hopeful sign for Americans who did not vote for Trump, who have become tired of his persona and policies, or who simply despise him and all he stands for, then the opposite dynamic was unfurling among Americans in red-state America and those who predominantly watch pro-GOP media.

On the right, defending Trump, is White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who repeatedly dismissed the indictments and pleadings, saying their references to top campaign aides exploring Russian help -- as captured in emails explicitly raising that prospect -- were irrelevant, a trifle, a coincidence, and a distraction from what Mueller should be investigating: Hillary Clinton. Her remarks came after a weekend when the right-wing press launched preemptive attacks. Fox News and the New York Post, both owned by Rupert Murdoch, called for Mueller's resignation. Sanders did not go that far, but repeatedly said with a straight face that whatever was in the indictments had nothing to do with Trump's campaign.

"Look, today's announcement [from Mueller] has nothing to do with the president, has nothing to do with the president's campaign or campaign activity. The real collusion scandal, as we've said several times before, has everything to do with the Clinton campaign, Fusion GPS and Russia," Sanders said, citing that campaign's opposition research in her response to the daily press briefing's opening question. "There's clear evidence of the Clinton campaign colluding with Russian intelligence to spread disinformation and smear the president to influence the election. We've been saying from day one there has been no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion, and nothing in the indictment today changes that at all."

These talking points were quickly echoed on Steve Bannon's Breitbart.com and Fox News, which were the top-trafficking websites for Republican voters in the run-up to the 2016 election. Those websites also featured breaking news about longtime Democrat-connected lobbyist Tony Podesta -- brother of Clinton's campaign chair -- resigning from his firm because he made money from some of the same Ukraine deals where Manafort apparently laundered his profits. The right-wing websites also featured more accusations of sexual harassment in Hollywood circles, Obama's ties to Clinton's campaign effort -- in short, anything to underscore the right's vitriol for Democrats and Trump critics.

At the White House press briefing, reporters repeatedly pushed back, saying, essentially, wait a minute, Papadopoulos pleaded guilty and agreed that the facts proved he was in touch with Russians on behalf of the Trump campaign to obtain stolen Clinton emails. Sanders pretended none of this was real, or really mattered, or meant anything.

Here's one exchange from a White House-issued transcript:

Question: But the George Papadopoulos agreement is about the campaign. It is specifically about the campaign -- Sanders: It has nothing to do with the activities of the campaign. It has to do with his failure to tell the truth. That doesn't have anything to do with the campaign or the campaign's activities.

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See original here

By Mark Sumner

Both the Paul Manafort/Rick Gates indictments and the George Papadopoulos statement of charges show that special counsel Robert Mueller is moving forward slowly, deliberately, and with great detail. In the case of Papadopoulos, almost every relevant conversation is documented -- with the notable exception of the fact that we're explicitly told that the facts "do not include all the known facts." What's included is just the information that was used to indict Papadopoulos for lying to the FBI. It's not at all everything he knows about connections between the Trump campaign and Russia.

But what's there is already interesting.

(includes some events not in the statement, in italics)

6 March -- George Papadopoulos learns that he will be made an official foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign. He also learns, from someone who is a "supervisor" in the campaign, that a focus of the Trump campaign is on an "improved relationship with Russia."

19 March -- Clinton adviser John Podesta's GMail account hacked.

24 March -- Papadopoulos meets with a Russia-connected professor and a Russian female that he believes to be an agent of the Kremlin. Following this meeting, Papadopoulos emails both the "campaign supervisor" and "other members" of the campaign and tells them about his meeting, describing it as an effort to arrange a meeting "between us and Russian officials." The campaign supervisor responds that he will work on it, and tells Papadopoulos "Great work."

31 March -- Papadopoulos attends a "national security meeting" with Donald Trump and informs Trump that he has contacts to arrange a meeting between Trump and Russian leadership.

26 April -- Papadopoulos meets with professor who tells him the Russians have "thousands of emails" containing "dirt" on Hillary Clinton that would be useful to the Trump campaign.

3 June -- Rob Goldstone emails Donald Trump Jr to inform him that the Russians have "dirt" on Hillary Clinton as part of a program to help Donald Trump.

9 June -- Russian officials and Trump's senior campaign staff meet in Trump Tower.

1 July -- Papadopoulos emails a "High Ranking Official" in the campaign, and asks what to do about a potential trip to Russia. He's referred back to the "Campaign Supervisor." Campaign officials pass around a note saying they should send someone "low level" in the campaign so as "not to send any signal."

27 July -- Donald Trump issues a plea to Russians to steal Hillary Clinton's email.

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On Monday morning, shortly after special counsel Robert Mueller announced the indictments of former Trump campaign officials Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, President Donald Trump tweeted, "There is NO COLLUSION!" But soon after that, Mueller's office released a "statement of offense" outlining one major instance of when the Trump campaign tried to collude with Russia as the Kremlin was mounting a covert operation against the 2016 election to benefit Trump.

This case involved George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, who has pleaded guilty to making false statements to FBI agents investigating the Trump-Russia scandal.

In August, the Washington Post reported that Papadopoulos had tried to set up a meeting between the Trump campaign and Russian officials. Mueller's statement reveals that Papadopoulos, often with the knowledge of campaign officials, attempted to forge a back-channel bond with Russian officials -- and he did so after there were public indications the Kremlin was behind the hack-and-dump operation targeting the Hillary Clinton campaign. The statement also suggests that he hoped to obtain Clinton emails from the Russians.

Here's what happened. In early March 2016, Papadopoulos, a former intern and researcher at the conservative Hudson Institute in Washington who had briefly advised the presidential campaign of Ben Carson, learned that he would be a foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign. He was living in London at the time. During a trip that month to Italy, he met a professor based in London who claimed to be well connected with Russian government officials. Papadopoulos thought that if he could cozy up to this person, it would boost his standing within the campaign.

Later, while back in London, he met with the academic, who brought along a Russian woman he introduced as a relative of Vladimir Putin. Afterward, Papadopoulos emailed his campaign supervisor that he had met with these two people and they had discussed setting up a meeting between the campaign and "the Russian leadership" to discuss US-Russia ties under a President Trump. The statement doesn't identify the supervisor, but the Post reported in August that his supervisor was Sam Clovis, who was heading up the Trump campaign's policy team. The supervisor replied that Papadopoulos should make no commitments but added, "Great work."
From The Progressive

The swampish saga would be hard to invent. In early October, Puerto Rico's Energy Power Authority awarded a $300 million tax-funded contract to reconstruct the island's hurricane devastated power grid to a two-person, two-year-old firm based in the small Montana hometown of Trump Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. The company is financially backed by a major donor to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

About 80 percent of Puerto Rico is still without power. Many hospitals are still dark. Local citizens needing medical treatments such as surgeries or dialysis have been forced to flee to places where electric power is available.

Puerto Rico's power grid centers on antiquated oil, gas, and coal generators, the median age of which is 44 years. Just two percent Puerto Rico's juice came from wind and solar. One wind farm, on the south side of the island, survived Hurricane Maria largely intact, as did at least one small commercial solar array.

For Puerto Rico's 3.4 million residents, restoring power is a matter of life and death. But the $300 million dollar contract was handed, with no public hearings, legislative discussion or long-term planning, to Whitefish, an obscure company from rural Montana.

At least one Zinke relative -- his son -- has worked on part-time contract for Whitefish. Zinke claims he had nothing to do with the deal.

Anti-Trump sentiment is rampant throughout the island, fed by a lack of concern expressed by the President for Puerto Ricans' dire situation, and capped by a recent visit in which he pitched paper towels to a crowd of bewildered local residents. When San Juan mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz questioned the contract with Whitefish, the company threatened to stop work, then apologized.

The Puerto Rican power company's contract astoundingly exempted Whitefish from official audits, stating, "In no event shall (governmental bodies) have the right to audit or review the cost and profit elements." It also waived "any claim against Contractor related to delayed completion of the work," meaning Whitefish was empowered to pretty much take as long as it wanted to complete the job.

Whitefish wasted no time deploying a gold-plated battalion of high-priced contract workers into the island. Each was granted $1,000 travel expenses for each flight to and from the island. The workers' contracts called for $80/day in food expenses and $332/day for lodging. Wages were set at $240/hour for a foreman and $227/hour for linemen doing jobs for which prevailing U.S. wages are about $43/hour for supervisors and $23/hour for linemen. In other words, the deal reeked of Trump-era crony capitalism. When word spread, angry locals showered Whitefish workers with rocks and bottles.

But that was not the worst of it. Whitefish appeared to be rebuilding the wind-ravaged grid along exactly the same lines that existed prior to the storm. In other words, the company was reconstructing what was wiped away a month ago, and what would be virtually certain to be wiped away again by the next hurricane.

Since Maria, a lively public dialog has erupted over how to rebuild the island's power system with sustainable design. Tesla's Elon Musk sent in a shipment of Powerwall batteries designed to service solar-powered arrays. Tesla also installed a solar/battery/micro-grid array to make the Hospital del Nino entirely self-sufficient.

Musk has been in discussion with Puerto Rico's Governor Ricardo Rossello about rebuilding the region along renewable lines, with windmills and photovoltaic panels powering a network of micro-grids that would give towns, neighborhoods and buildings a resilient safety net capable of weathering the inevitable next storm.

Multi-billionaire Richard Branson, whose private Necker Island was ravaged by recent storms, has also called for a "Green Marshall Plan" to rebuild the Caribbean with renewable energy. In a recent New York Timesop-ed, coauthored with green energy guru Amory Lovins, Branson wrote that by solarizing and decentralizing the region's grids, "we can stop blackouts caused by monster storms while also saving fossil fuel and reducing emissions of the greenhouse gases that warm the planet and make these storms more likely and destructive."

Since Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria roared through Texas, Florida, and the Caribbean, smaller nonprofits and activist organizations have also been focused on the vision of a totally green-powered master plan.

On Sunday, October 29, amidst a firestorm of local and Congressional inquiries, The New York Times reported that Governor Rossello had canceled the Whitefish contract. The company claims to have already spent millions. The court cases will undoubtedly churn up numerous storms of their own.

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Nikki Haley and Congolese Rape Victim

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Haley was in DRC last week to meet with Kabila. According to reports from the Agence France-Presse (AFP), and other sources, Haley told Kabila to hold elections in 2018 if he wants to count on American backing. Kabila has a target date of 2019, which will not hold, given past promises and obfuscations. His term expired December 16, 2016.

"For every day which goes by without holding elections, a woman is raped, a child has an unwanted pregnancy, children are inducted by armed groups," Haley said.

We can only hope that the recent bloody news from Goma, combined with Haley's emotional visit to the Mungote Camp in Kitchanga, translates into a river of compassion. News reports in the US mainstream focused on Haley's difficult visit with rape survivors and her first-hand look at the atrocious conditions in an IDP camp of 15,000 located 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Goma. Haley also traveled to to Ethiopia and South Sudan, where she met with President Salva Kiir. Congo was the final stop on Ambassador Haley's visit.

As someone who has visited similar camps, I can tell you that there is no way one can leave and forget. What has been seen cannot be unseen, even with the passage of years. The photos I took from 2009-2012 look much like the photos that were released by Haley's team.

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PeopleBackgroundCheck.com Launches New National Public Record Reports

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Background Reports that Include Criminal and Public Records are Now Available on Nearly EveryPerson in the CountryPeople-Background- Check.com offers instant access to detailed personal background check reports. Thewebsite aggregates public records on more than 94% of the people in the country today withproprietary data sources to form a single view into a persons history.People Background Check improves public access to state and national records. There are many peoplesearch websites, but none of them offers the depth of free information available on the personal profilepages of People Background Check. These profile pages are historical records of individual people thatcombine with their latest online mentions, social media accounts and references to create a livingprofile of each person in the country. The individual profiles include phone numbers, addresses andsocial media mentions, while detailed background reports give people the tools to find, research andknow their neighbors, verify online dating profiles, find old friends and classmates and other people intheir lives and communities.The high-volume data aggregation system powering the new website processes more than 25 billionrecords annually. Users get access to more than 300 online and proprietary data sources with reportsthat contain more than 40 possible data points dating back to 1940 and updated daily. No membershipis required for access and users pay only for what they need.Millions of people search for background information about other people each month. The PeopleBackground Check website and allows people to know the personal history of every person that comesinto contact with them and their family. These reports include criminal history, civil judgments like liens,bankruptcies, and marriage and divorces records, plus address history, relative names, age, date of birthand email addresses whenever the records exist and are publically available.Look for someone you know today to find them instantly  where have they lived, where do they work,were they ever arrested  and get ready to learn more than you ever thought they would tell you.About People Background CheckPeople Background Check (check.com/) is a people search service thatprovides public records, criminal record information and complete background checks.People Background Check is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act(FCRA). This site should not be used to make decisions about employment, tenant screening, or anypurpose covered by the FCRA.Public Relations contact:People Background Check, Inc.customer-service@people- background-check.com2016 People Background Check, Inc. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of theirrespective owners.Street: 25 West Main St.City: WashingtonState: DCPostal Code: 20004
Global Aloe Vera Gel Market 2017 - Forever Living Products, Herbalife International, Aloecorp, Aloe laboratories, Terry Laboratories, Inc.

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The global aloe vera gel market has experienced a healthy growth in the past few years. The major factors driving the growth of the market are the diverse applications of aloe vera gel in cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industries.Request a free sample copy of the report:The latest report by IMARC Group, titled Aloe Vera Gel Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2017-2022, finds that the global aloe vera gel market reached a value of US$ 465 Million in 2016, exhibiting a CAGR of around 11% during 2009-2016. Aloe vera is a succulent plant which grows in the rosette pattern. The thick green leaves produce gel and latex which find various applications in cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The gel is a jelly-like clear substance constituting of mainly water and nutrients. On the other hand, the latex is a yellow coloured substance found just under the green skin of the plant. Aloe vera is known for its numerous health benefits as it helps in reducing inflammation, building immunity, lowering the risk of cancer and regulating blood sugar. It also prevents signs of ageing, reduces acne, lightens blemishes, moisturizes skin, reduces dandruff and promotes hair growth.Highlights of the global aloe vera gel market:Diverse applications of aloe vera gel in different industries contribute to the market growth.Based on applications, the cosmetic industry accounts for nearly a half of the market share.Thailand represents the largest producer, holding around a third of the global production.Healing and restorative properties of aloe vera gel find diverse applications in several industries ranging from cosmetic to food and beverage. As aloe vera gel is rich in fibres and natural nutrients, it is also used for manufacturing juices, yogurt, zero-sugar drinks, etc. Rising demand for these organic products by the health-conscious customers has contributed to the growth of the market. Additionally, increasing prevalence of lifestyle disorders such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, ailments caused by smoking and drinking, hypertension and diabetes are fuelling the market of aloe vera gel. Rising consumer awareness about the side effects caused by chemical products in the cosmetic industry has increased the demand for natural-based products. On account of this, aloe vera gel is being used in various skin and hair products such as shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers, facewash, etc. According to the report, the market is further expected to reach a value of US$ 767 Million by 2022.Read full report with TOC @The market has been segmented on the basis of applications where the cosmetic industry represents the largest consumer of aloe vera gel, accounting for nearly a half of the total consumption. It is followed by pharmaceutical and food industries. Region-wise, Thailand represents the leading producer of aloe vera gel, accounting for a third of the global production. Other major regions include Dominican Republic, United States, China, Guatemala, Mexico and Costa Rica. On the other hand, Asia represents the leading consumer of Aloe Vera gel, accounting the major part of the total share. On analysing the competitive landscape of the market, the key players found are Aloe Vera Australia, Aloecorp, Forever Living Products, Herbalife International, Aloe laboratories, Terry Laboratories, Inc., Lily of the Desert, Foodchem International Corporation and Pharmachem Laboratories Inc.Browse related reports:Castor Oil Market:Palm Oil Market:About UsIMARC Group is a leading market research company that offers management strategy and market research worldwide. We partner with clients in all sectors and regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their businesses.IMARCs information products include major market, scientific, economic and technological developments for business leaders in pharmaceutical, industrial, and high technology organizations. Market forecasts and industry analysis for biotechnology, advanced materials, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, travel and tourism, nanotechnology and novel processing methods are at the top of the companys expertise.Contact usIMARC Group309 2nd St, Brooklyn, NY 11215, USAWebsite:Email: sales@imarcgroup.comUSA: +1-631-791-1145Follow us on twitter: @imarcglobal
Oct 31, 2017: Cancer Monoclonal Antibodies Market Forecast 2023 Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Merck

Cancer Monoclonal Antibodies

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http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-cancer-monoclonal-antibodies-sales-market-2017-demand-insight-key-players-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022/

A market study  Global Cancer Monoclonal Antibodies Market  examines the performance of the Cancer Monoclonal Antibodies market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Cancer Monoclonal Antibodies market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Cancer Monoclonal Antibodies market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Get Free Sample Of Report:The Global Cancer Monoclonal Antibodies Market 2017 report includes Cancer Monoclonal Antibodies market Size, Revenue, market Share, Cancer Monoclonal Antibodies industry volume, market Trends, Cancer Monoclonal Antibodies Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Cancer Monoclonal Antibodies Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2023.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Cancer Monoclonal Antibodies Market 2017:1. F. Hoffmann-La Roche2. Amgen3. Bristol-Myers Squibb4. Takeda Pharmaceuticals5. AstraZeneca6. Bayer7. Merck8. Janssen Biotech9. Novartis10. OncoMed Pharmaceuticals11. Pfizer12. Eli Lilly13. Sanofi14. TG Therapeutics15. CTI BioPharma16. Intas Pharmaceuticals17. Boehringer Ingelheim18. BiogenCancer Monoclonal Antibodies Market : Type Analysis Naked MAbs Conjugated MAbsCancer Monoclonal Antibodies Market : Application Analysis Immune System Suppressors Kill or Inhibit Malignant Cells Deliver Chemotherapy To Cancer CellsFirstly, the report covers the top Cancer Monoclonal Antibodies manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for More Info@Further, the Cancer Monoclonal Antibodies report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Cancer Monoclonal Antibodies industry, Cancer Monoclonal Antibodies industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Cancer Monoclonal Antibodies Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Cancer Monoclonal Antibodies research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Cancer Monoclonal Antibodies market revenue worldwide.Finally, Cancer Monoclonal Antibodies market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About UsSpire Market Research is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.United States
Oct, 31 2017: Water Supply Equipment Market Forecast 2023 Kaiquan, Aquatec, Toyo Denki, Pacific Pump, Shanghai Lianyu Pump

Water Supply Equipment

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Water Supply Equipment Market Research 2017A market study  Global Water Supply Equipment Market  examines the performance of the Water Supply Equipment market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Water Supply Equipment market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Water Supply Equipment market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Water Supply Equipment Market 2017 report includes Water Supply Equipment market Revenue, market Share, Water Supply Equipment industry volume, market Trends, Water Supply Equipment Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Water Supply Equipment Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Water Supply Equipment Market 2017 : Toyo Denki Xylem Aquatec Qingdao Sanli Group Kaiquan Group Shanghai Lianyu Pump Pacific Pump Group Lubing Maschinenfabrik Ludwig Bening China Lesso Group Advanced Drainage Systems KSBWater Supply Equipment Market : By Application Industrial Commercial ResidentialWater Supply Equipment Market : By Type Pump Control System Pipes SystemFirstly, the report covers the top Water Supply Equipment manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Water Supply Equipment report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Water Supply Equipment industry, Water Supply Equipment industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Water Supply Equipment Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Water Supply Equipment research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Water Supply Equipment market revenue worldwide.Finally, Water Supply Equipment market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USAWeb:Email: sales@spiremarketresearch.com
Oct, 31 2017: Hospital Foodservice Equipment Market Forecast 2023 Manitowoc, Middleby, Vollrath, Vanya, Cambro, Alto-Shaam

Hospital Foodservice Equipment

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Hospital Foodservice Equipment Market Research 2017A market study  Global Hospital Foodservice Equipment Market  examines the performance of the Hospital Foodservice Equipment market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Hospital Foodservice Equipment market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Hospital Foodservice Equipment market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Hospital Foodservice Equipment Market 2017 report includes Hospital Foodservice Equipment market Revenue, market Share, Hospital Foodservice Equipment industry volume, market Trends, Hospital Foodservice Equipment Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Hospital Foodservice Equipment Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Hospital Foodservice Equipment Market 2017 : Middleby Cambro ALI Standex International Hoshizaki Electric Manitowoc Vanya Alto-Shaam Boelter VollrathHospital Foodservice Equipment Market : By Application Small and Medium Sized Hospitals Large Sized HospitalsHospital Foodservice Equipment Market : By Type Refrigeration Equipment Food Preparation Equipment Food Holding and Serving Ware Washing Equipment Primary Cooking EquipmentFirstly, the report covers the top Hospital Foodservice Equipment manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Hospital Foodservice Equipment report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Hospital Foodservice Equipment industry, Hospital Foodservice Equipment industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Hospital Foodservice Equipment Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Hospital Foodservice Equipment research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Hospital Foodservice Equipment market revenue worldwide.Finally, Hospital Foodservice Equipment market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USAWeb:Email: sales@spiremarketresearch.com
Oct 31, 2017: Pneumatic Drill Market Forecast 2023 Ingersoll Rand, HITACHI KOKI, CS UNITEC, Bosch

Pneumatic Drill

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A market study  Global Pneumatic Drill Market  examines the performance of the Pneumatic Drill market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Pneumatic Drill market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Pneumatic Drill market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Get Free Sample Of Report:The Global Pneumatic Drill Market 2017 report includes Pneumatic Drill market Size, Revenue, market Share, Pneumatic Drill industry volume, market Trends, Pneumatic Drill Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Pneumatic Drill Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2023.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Pneumatic Drill Market 2017:1. Ingersoll Rand2. HITACHI KOKI3. DEWALT Industrial Tool4. CS UNITEC5. Bosch6. C. & E. Fein GmbH7. DEWALT Industrial Tool8. FestoolFirstly, the report covers the top Pneumatic Drill manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for More Info@Further, the Pneumatic Drill report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Pneumatic Drill industry, Pneumatic Drill industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Pneumatic Drill Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Pneumatic Drill research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Pneumatic Drill market revenue worldwide.Finally, Pneumatic Drill market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About UsSpire Market Research is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.United States
Oct, 31 2017: Industrial Desiccant Dryer Market Forecast 2023 Sullair, Rotorcomp, Ingersoll Rand, Kaeser Compressors

Industrial Desiccant Dryer

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Industrial Desiccant Dryer Market Research 2017A market study  Global Industrial Desiccant Dryer Market  examines the performance of the Industrial Desiccant Dryer market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Industrial Desiccant Dryer market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Industrial Desiccant Dryer market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Industrial Desiccant Dryer Market 2017 report includes Industrial Desiccant Dryer market Revenue, market Share, Industrial Desiccant Dryer industry volume, market Trends, Industrial Desiccant Dryer Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Industrial Desiccant Dryer Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Industrial Desiccant Dryer Market 2017 : Atlas Copco Ingersoll Rand SPX FLOW Kaeser Compressors Sullair KAWATA Gardner Denver MATSUI Rotorcomp BEKOIndustrial Desiccant Dryer Market : By Application Chemical Plant Power Plant Food Factory Pharmaceutical FactoryIndustrial Desiccant Dryer Market : By Type Intermittent Desiccant Dryer Continuous Desiccant DryerFirstly, the report covers the top Industrial Desiccant Dryer manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Industrial Desiccant Dryer report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Industrial Desiccant Dryer industry, Industrial Desiccant Dryer industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Industrial Desiccant Dryer Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Industrial Desiccant Dryer research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Industrial Desiccant Dryer market revenue worldwide.Finally, Industrial Desiccant Dryer market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USAWeb:Email: sales@spiremarketresearch.com
Oct 31, 2017: Polishing Machines Market Forecast 2023 MEPSA, Breton, AUTOPULIT, Lapmaster Wolters, OptoTech

Polishing Machines

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A market study  Global Polishing Machines Market  examines the performance of the Polishing Machines market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Polishing Machines market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Polishing Machines market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Get Free Sample Of Report:The Global Polishing Machines Market 2017 report includes Polishing Machines market Size, Revenue, market Share, Polishing Machines industry volume, market Trends, Polishing Machines Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Polishing Machines Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2023.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Polishing Machines Market 2017:1. SOMOS International2. MEPSA3. Breton4. AUTOPULIT5. Lapmaster Wolters6. OptoTech7. Presi8. SatislohFirstly, the report covers the top Polishing Machines manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for More Info@Further, the Polishing Machines report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Polishing Machines industry, Polishing Machines industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Polishing Machines Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Polishing Machines research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Polishing Machines market revenue worldwide.Finally, Polishing Machines market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About UsSpire Market Research is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.United States
Oct, 31 2017: Diplexers Market Forecast 2023 Walsin, Microlab, Eagle Aspen, Holland, Linear, Marki Microwave

Diplexers

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Diplexers Market Research 2017A market study  Global Diplexers Market  examines the performance of the Diplexers market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Diplexers market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Diplexers market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Diplexers Market 2017 report includes Diplexers market Revenue, market Share, Diplexers industry volume, market Trends, Diplexers Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Diplexers Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Diplexers Market 2017 : Honeywell Murata STMicroelectronics TDK API Technologies AVX Yageo MACOM Holland EPCOS Taiyo Yuden Qorvo Johanson Walsin CTS Corporation Marki Microwave Wainwright Instruments Microlab BAMF Manufacturing Linear Eagle AspenDiplexers Market : By Application Electronics Industry Communications IndustryDiplexers Market : By Type 4000 MHzFirstly, the report covers the top Diplexers manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Diplexers report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Diplexers industry, Diplexers industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Diplexers Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Diplexers research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Diplexers market revenue worldwide.Finally, Diplexers market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USAWeb:Email: sales@spiremarketresearch.com
Oct, 31 2017: Elevator & Escalators Market Forecast 2023 Leo Elevators, Dalian Sigma, Hitachi, Otis Elevator

Elevator & Escalators

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Elevator & Escalators Market Research 2017A market study  Global Elevator & Escalators Market  examines the performance of the Elevator & Escalators market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Elevator & Escalators market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Elevator & Escalators market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Elevator & Escalators Market 2017 report includes Elevator & Escalators market Revenue, market Share, Elevator & Escalators industry volume, market Trends, Elevator & Escalators Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Elevator & Escalators Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Elevator & Escalators Market 2017 : Hitachi KONE Mitsubishi Electric Otis Elevator Schindler Elevator ThyssenKrupp Elevator Beacon Engineering Canny Elevator Chuo Elevator DAIKO Dalian Sigma Escone Elevators Eskay Elevators Express Elevator Fujitec Hangzhou Xo-Lift Elevator Leo Elevators Moriya Elevator Nippon OTIS Elevator Omega Elevators Saita Kougyou Sansei Yusoki Sanyo ElevatorElevator & Escalators Market : By Application Building MineElevator & Escalators Market : By Type Steel Elevator & Escalators Alloy Elevator & EscalatorsFirstly, the report covers the top Elevator & Escalators manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Elevator & Escalators report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Elevator & Escalators industry, Elevator & Escalators industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Elevator & Escalators Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Elevator & Escalators research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Elevator & Escalators market revenue worldwide.Finally, Elevator & Escalators market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USAWeb:Email: sales@spiremarketresearch.com
Oct, 31 2017: Energy Storage Modules (ESM) Market Forecast 2023 Samsung SDI, Siemens, Eaton, Eos Energy Storage

Energy Storage Modules (ESM)

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http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-energy-storage-modules-esm-market-2017-demand-insight-key-plyers-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022/

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Energy Storage Modules (ESM) Market Research 2017A market study  Global Energy Storage Modules (ESM) Market  examines the performance of the Energy Storage Modules (ESM) market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Energy Storage Modules (ESM) market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Energy Storage Modules (ESM) market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Energy Storage Modules (ESM) Market 2017 report includes Energy Storage Modules (ESM) market Revenue, market Share, Energy Storage Modules (ESM) industry volume, market Trends, Energy Storage Modules (ESM) Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Energy Storage Modules (ESM) Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Energy Storage Modules (ESM) Market 2017 : ABB CALB Maxwell Technologies Eaton Scheider Electric SONY Design Net Engineering Corvus Energy Systems Samsung SDI Panasonic BYD Siemens S&C Electric Company Eos Energy StorageEnergy Storage Modules (ESM) Market : By Application Telecom & Grid Power Industry Aerospace AutomotiveEnergy Storage Modules (ESM) Market : By Type Single Phase ESM Three Phase ESMFirstly, the report covers the top Energy Storage Modules (ESM) manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Energy Storage Modules (ESM) report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Energy Storage Modules (ESM) industry, Energy Storage Modules (ESM) industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Energy Storage Modules (ESM) Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Energy Storage Modules (ESM) research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Energy Storage Modules (ESM) market revenue worldwide.Finally, Energy Storage Modules (ESM) market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USAWeb:Email: sales@spiremarketresearch.com
Oct, 31 2017: Chiral Chromatography Columns Market Forecast 2023 Phenomenex, Daicel, Waters, Agilent Technologies

Chiral Chromatography Columns

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http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-chiral-chromatography-columns-market-2017-demand-insight-key-plyers-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022/

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Chiral Chromatography Columns Market Research 2017A market study  Global Chiral Chromatography Columns Market  examines the performance of the Chiral Chromatography Columns market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Chiral Chromatography Columns market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Chiral Chromatography Columns market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Chiral Chromatography Columns Market 2017 report includes Chiral Chromatography Columns market Revenue, market Share, Chiral Chromatography Columns industry volume, market Trends, Chiral Chromatography Columns Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Chiral Chromatography Columns Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Chiral Chromatography Columns Market 2017 : Agilent Technologies Thermo Fisher Scientific Waters Corporation Phenomenex Shimadzu Corporation Daicel CorporationChiral Chromatography Columns Market : By Application LC GC TLC SFCChiral Chromatography Columns Market : By Type Pre-Packed Columns Empty ColumnsFirstly, the report covers the top Chiral Chromatography Columns manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Chiral Chromatography Columns report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Chiral Chromatography Columns industry, Chiral Chromatography Columns industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Chiral Chromatography Columns Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Chiral Chromatography Columns research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Chiral Chromatography Columns market revenue worldwide.Finally, Chiral Chromatography Columns market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USAWeb:Email: sales@spiremarketresearch.com
Oct, 31 2017: PEGylated Proteins Market Forecast 2023 Pfizer, Crealta, Amgen, Roche, Merck Sharp & Dohme

PEGylated Proteins

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PEGylated Proteins Market Research 2017A market study  Global PEGylated Proteins Market  examines the performance of the PEGylated Proteins market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the PEGylated Proteins market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of PEGylated Proteins market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global PEGylated Proteins Market 2017 report includes PEGylated Proteins market Revenue, market Share, PEGylated Proteins industry volume, market Trends, PEGylated Proteins Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, PEGylated Proteins Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global PEGylated Proteins Market 2017 : ENZON Pharmaceuticals Merck Sharp & Dohme Roche Pfizer Amgen UCB Crealta (Savient)PEGylated Proteins Market : By Application Cancer Treatment Hepatitis Chronic Kidney Disease Leukemia SCID Rheumatoid Arthritis & Crohns DiseasePEGylated Proteins Market : By Type Colony Stimulating Factors Interferons Erythropoietin (EPO) Recombinant Factor Viii Monoclonal AntibodiesFirstly, the report covers the top PEGylated Proteins manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the PEGylated Proteins report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of PEGylated Proteins industry, PEGylated Proteins industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. PEGylated Proteins Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The PEGylated Proteins research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the PEGylated Proteins market revenue worldwide.Finally, PEGylated Proteins market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USAWeb:Email: sales@spiremarketresearch.com
Oct, 31 2017: Amphibious Landing Crafts Market Forecast 2023 Marine Alutech, Textron, Griffon Hoverwork, Moyre Ship Yard

Amphibious Landing Crafts

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Amphibious Landing Crafts Market Research 2017A market study  Global Amphibious Landing Crafts Market  examines the performance of the Amphibious Landing Crafts market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Amphibious Landing Crafts market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Amphibious Landing Crafts market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Amphibious Landing Crafts Market 2017 report includes Amphibious Landing Crafts market Revenue, market Share, Amphibious Landing Crafts industry volume, market Trends, Amphibious Landing Crafts Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Amphibious Landing Crafts Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Amphibious Landing Crafts Market 2017 : Textron Constructions Industrielles De La Mediterranee(CNIM) Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding Company Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) Griffon Hoverwork Limited L-3 Communication Almaz Shipbuilding Company Moyre Ship Yard Marine Alutech Strategic MarineAmphibious Landing Crafts Market : By Application Military CommercialAmphibious Landing Crafts Market : By Type Landing Craft Air Cushion Landing Craft Utility Landing Craft MechanizedFirstly, the report covers the top Amphibious Landing Crafts manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Amphibious Landing Crafts report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Amphibious Landing Crafts industry, Amphibious Landing Crafts industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Amphibious Landing Crafts Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Amphibious Landing Crafts research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Amphibious Landing Crafts market revenue worldwide.Finally, Amphibious Landing Crafts market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USAWeb:Email: sales@spiremarketresearch.com
US Pet Food Market 2017 - Nestle Purina PetCare, Mars Petcare Inc., Big Heart Pet Brands, Hills Pet Nutrition, Diamond Pet Foods, Blue Buffalo

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http://www.imarcgroup.com/dog-food-manufacturing-plant

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The US pet food market has experienced a healthy growth in the past few years. Major factors contributing to the market growth are humanization of pets, introduction of innovative and premium products, health-conscious consumers and rising disposable incomes.Request a free sample copy of the report:The latest report by IMARC Group, titled US Pet Food Market: Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2017-2022, finds that the US pet food market reached a value of US$ 24.8 Billion in 2016, exhibiting a CAGR of 5% during 2009-2016. Over the past few years, an increase in the number of pets has been witnessed in the United States. Pet owners, nowadays, treat their pets as human beings and are conscious about the health of the animals as they are for themselves. Owing to this, they have shifted towards using pet food which offers numerous advantages such as great taste, huge meat content, convenience and easy availability. Pet food also helps in keeping the animals satiated, along with supplying them with nutrients vital for their health.Highlights of the US pet food market:Humanization of pets by their owners has majorly contributed in the growth of the market.On the basis of pet type, dog food holds the majority of the total sales.Based on the product type, dry food accounts for the largest share.Pet humanization by the owners has increased the expenditure on the pet food to provide the animals with better quality food. Keeping health benefits in mind, pet owners are preferring organic and natural food products for their pets, thereby contributing in the market growth. Additionally, pet food companies are introducing products based on the breed, lifestyle, age, digestion capacity and nutrition requirements of different pets. These companies also provide products with different taste and flavour so as to increase their consumer-base. According to the report, the market for pet food in the United States is further expected to exhibit a CAGR of 4.8% during 2017-2022, reaching a value of US$ 32.9 Billion by 2022.Read full report with TOC @The US pet food market has been segmented on the basis of pet type. Due to rising trend of dog-ownership, dog food represents the largest segment. It is followed by cat food and other pet food such as fish food, small mammal/reptile food and bird food. On the basis of product type, the market is further segregated into dry pet food, treats and mixers, and wet pet food. Among these, dry pet food holds the majority of the total share. On analysing the competitive landscape of the market, the key players found are Mars Petcare Inc., Diamond Pet Foods, Nestle Purina Petcare, Blue Buffalo, Big Heart Pet Brands and Hills Pet Nutrition.Browse related reports:Pet Food Market:Dog Food Market:About UsIMARC Group is a leading market research company that offers management strategy and market research worldwide. We partner with clients in all sectors and regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their businesses.IMARCs information products include major market, scientific, economic and technological developments for business leaders in pharmaceutical, industrial, and high technology organizations. Market forecasts and industry analysis for biotechnology, advanced materials, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, travel and tourism, nanotechnology and novel processing methods are at the top of the companys expertise.Global Cigarette Lighter Market.Contact usIMARC Group309 2nd St, Brooklyn, NY 11215, USAWebsite:Email: sales@imarcgroup.comUSA: +1-631-791-1145
USCapital Partners Holds Exclusive Internet of Things Investor Event in San Francisco

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Internet of Things portfolio companies Discovery Sound Technology and Device Authority showcase their businesses at leading investor event at San Franciscos iconic Bently Reserve.San Francisco, CA, USA., October 31, 2017 -- On October 17th, US Capital Partners Inc. held a well-attended, exclusive investor reception, presentation, and networking event on the Internet of Things (IoT) at the historic Bently Reserve on 400 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA. Entitled Investing in Tech Companies that Leverage the Internet of Things, the event showcased two of the firms exclusive IoT investment opportunities.US Capital Partners is a full-service private financial group headquartered in San Francisco. Through its affiliatebroker dealer, US Capital Global Securities, the group provides private placement services and has wide distribution for debt and equity private placements. It is believed the groups technological innovations in finance reduces transaction friction and makes smaller deals more efficient and practical than ever before.The rapidly expanding IoT is a new interconnection of technology heralded as the next industrial revolution. More than half of major new business processes and systems are expected to incorporate some element of the IoT by 2020, according to Gartner.At the event, US Capital Global Securities showcased two of its exclusive IoT portfolio companies, Device Authority Limited and Discovery Sound Technology, LLC. Device Authoritys KeyScaler platform provides trust for IoT devices and the IoT ecosystem, to address the challenges of securing the IoT. The opinion is, Discovery Sound Technology provides an innovative cloud-based service platform that registers and evaluates heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment data for predictive maintenance, real-time diagnostics, and advanced analytics.This event was an excellent opportunity for investors to gain a better understanding of the IoT and to meet two of our exciting IoT businesses, said Jeffrey Sweeney, Chairman and CEO at US Capital Partners. The opportunity to participate in Device Authoritys $10 million preferred equity raise and Discovery Sound Technologys $5 million preferred equity raise is now open to eligible investors through our digital investment platform, available atBoth Device Authority Limited and Discovery Sound Technology are early stage, selling into their respective markets, and seeking growth capital.About US Capital Partners:Since 1998, US Capital Partners has been committed to providing small and lower middle market businesses and investors with sophisticated debt, equity, and investment opportunities usually available only to larger middle market companies and institutional investors. The firm manages direct investment funds and provides wealth management and M&A services. Operating with its registered investment bank affiliate, US Capital Global Securities, LLC, the firm acts as a licensed placement agent, and collaborates closely with its peers in professional banking and investment advisory.To learn more, email Jeffrey Sweeney, Chairman and CEO, at jsweeney@uscapitalpartners.net or call (415) 889-1010.Since 1998, US Capital Partners has been committed to providing small and lower middle market businesses and investors with sophisticated debt, equity, and investment opportunities usually available only to larger middle market companies and institutional investors.Fana RichardsonUS Capital Partners555 Montgomery Street, Suite 1501San Francisco, CA 94111415- 889-1010media@uscapitalpartners.net
Submarine Launched Missile Market Trends, Opportunities, Global Business Module, Analysis and Forecast to 2023

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Market HighlightsThe defense strategies of most countries rely significantly on their undersea warfare. With the emergence stealth attack submarines, the degree of undersea warfare has transformed. Also, the modernization and initiation of a number of submarine-launched missile programs add a new dimension to the submarine force. Therefore, undersea warfare is an important element of current and future military operational plans. China has started to deploy advanced nuclear attack and ballistic missile submarines throughout the world and is developing nuclear ballistic missiles in a bid to neutralize enemy units as well. In 2015, Saab developed Kockums A26, an advanced stealth submarine, which is 207 feet long and features a ghost mode to make it virtually undetectable when underwater. The vendor also signed a contract with the Swedish Navy, worth $1 billion, to develop two such submarines. In the same year, TKMS and Saab developed Horizontal Multi-Purpose Locks (HMPLs) and Vertical Multi-Purpose Locks (VMPLs), that were fitted into the A26 submarines, to carry more number of torpedoes, land-attack missiles, and anti-ship missiles.On the other hand, in 2016, North America has the highest share of the market; however, military budget cuts of the US will affect the market by 2023. The Budget Control Act (BCA) passed by the US Congress in 2011 aims to cut $487 billion from the overall military spending over the next 10 years, with an additional sequestration of $495 billion to address the short-term fiscal concerns.Get a Sample Report @Key PlayersThe prominent players in the submarine launched missile market includeAirbus Defense and Space,Boeing Defense,Space and Security,BrahMos Aerospace Limited,Lockheed Martin,Raytheon,BAE Systems,General Dynamics,MBDA and Moscow Institute of Thermal TechnologyMarket Research AnalysisIn the recent years, there have been a large number of armed conflicts such as the Syrian Civil War, the India-Pakistan stalemate over Kashmir, the Lebanon conflict, the ongoing Israel-Palestine dispute, the Russia and Ukraine conflict over Crimea, and the conflicts between the US and North Korea.With raging conflicts and growing extremist activities in several countries, there currently exists widespread humanitarian crises and instability. As a result, the defense authorities are focussing on having greater control over the surrounding and neighboring seas of their respective countries.Report Details @Scope of the ReportThis study provides an overview of the global submarine launched missile market, tracking market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next 6 years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global submarine launched missile market by its type, and regions.By TypeSubmarine-launched cruise missile (SLCM)Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM)By RegionNorth AmericaAsia PacificEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle East & AfricaMake an Enquiry @Continued..About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Spa Resort Market, By Spa Type (Salon Spa, Medical Spa, Hotel Spa, Others), and Geography - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017 - 2025

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Spa is a body relaxing activity, which makes use of mineral rich water for medicinal baths. Spa offers various medical treatments known as balneotherapy. Spa resorts are special places where treatments and various facilities are provided for health and wellness. These places are popular destinations for body relaxation and health management processes. Spa provides massages, salon services, skin treatments, Ayurveda medicines, and yoga therapy, among others. Spa is often used as a medium for managing stress, treating medical problems, reducing weight, boosting immune system, and detoxifying the body.Request sample of Spa Resort Market:Increase in travel and tourism activities coupled with increasing global health awareness are driving major growth of the spa resort market. Fast paced lifestyle, hectic work ethics, and high costs associated with healthcare are further expected to drive growth of the spa resorts market over the forecast period. Furthermore, increasing working population in emerging economies, have resulted in unhealthy lifestyle characterized by high levels of stress, coupled with increasing disposable income among the populace have boosted the demand for spa services, in turn propelling market growth.Spa Resort Market TaxonomyOn the basis of spa type, the global spa resort market is segmented into:Salon spaMedical spaHotel spaDestination spaMineral spaOthersGet discount on this report :Spa Resort Market outlook:Europe is the dominant region for the spa resort market and is expected to sustain its dominance throughout the forecast period. Growing focus and awareness on health and beauty, increasing expenditure on services such as massages, and facials, along with relatively high revenue generated in the region are the major factors fueling the spa resort market growth. Moreover, customized and mini treatments are driving growth of the market in this region, owing to the busy and sedentary lifestyle. Furthermore, tourism boost demand for spa resorts in the region. The region witnesses the presence of a large number of certified nutrients and cosmetics experts in spa resorts, in turn contributing to significant growth of the market in the region. According to the European Spa Association, Europe has over 1200 medical spa and health resorts in the region. European tourism statistics stated that over the period of 2006-2015, the average stay at tourist accommodation increased by 22%.Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region in the spa resorts market. Economic growth has led to the increasing personal disposable income in the region, which in turn, is expected to boost growth of the spa resorts market in the region. Emerging economies in the region such as Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand are lucrative tourist destination and are emerging as major spa resort spots in Asia Pacific. The profound impact on the spa industry of the region is a result of various regional practices such as Thai massage, Yoga, and Ayurvedic medicines that attract various tourists, annually. In 2015, international tourist arrival in the region increased by 6%, recording 279 million from around 110 million in 2000. Number of spa resorts are expected to reach 535 million by 2030, as stated by United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).Check the trending report of Spa Resort Market:Key players are adopting various inorganic growth strategies. For instance, Hyatt acquired New York-based Miraval group, a wellness resort and spa company in 2017. Major players operating in the spa resorts market include Emirates palace, Four Seasons Hotel limited, Massage Envy Franchising LLC, Jade Mountain Resort, Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Lanserhof Tegernsee, and Gaia Retreat & Spa.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.comVisit our news Website:
Green Coatings Market- Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Forecast

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Green coatings are eco-friendly paint coating with low volatile organic compound (VOC) content. Emission of VOC releases toxics in the surrounding air causing health problems, such as dizziness, headache, kidney damage, and harms the ozone layer. Development of sustainable products has gained importance over the past few decades, due to which manufacturers are focused on introducing eco-friendly products to the market. Manufacturers are aiming to produce high-performance coatings that have zero or low VOC with good durability. Application of green coatings in end-use industries and rising awareness regarding VOC emissions have contributed to the growth of the green coatings market globally.Request Sample Copy of this Report:Stringent government regulations have immensely driven the green coatings market globally. The first restriction on the emission of VOC was set up for Europe in 2003, which was termed as Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS), which was put forward by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Since then manufactures are working to produce green coatings, in turn fueling the growth of the green coatings market. Increasing cost of raw materials further increases the cost of green coatings, which is the restraint for the growth of global green coatings market. High investment cost further hinders the growth of green coatings market globally.Green Coatings Market TaxonomyOn the basis of coating type, the global coatings market is segmented as:Water-Borne CoatingsPowder CoatingsHigh-Solids CoatingsRadiation and UV-Cured CoatingsOn the basis of application, the global coatings market is segmented as:Architectural CoatingsInterior and Exterior CoatingsBuilding ProductsConstruction ProductsDecorative CoatingsOthersIndustrial CoatingsCoil CoatingsElectrical SteelMotorsExtrusion CoatingsAgricultural FinishesOthersAutomotive CoatingsOriginal Equipment Manufacturer & RefinishCar WheelsAgricultural and Industrial EquipmentOthersPackaging CoatingsFood & BeveragesHealthcareConsumer Packaged GoodsPersonal Care and CosmeticsIndustrial ChemicalsCan CoatingsOthersWood CoatingsConstruction ProductsFurnitureWood FinishesConsumer Stains & FinishesAerospace CoatingsOthersWater-borne coatings segment has proven to be the prominent segment of green coatings market, owing to its tremendous use in architectural and constructional activities. High solids coating segment is witnessed to gain traction, due to its increasing application in aerospace.Architectural coating segment has projected to have a significant growth rate in the global green coatings market, owing to increase in infrastructure spending in commercial and residential sectors.Green Coatings Market OutlookAsia Pacific is the fastest growing region in the green coatings market and is anticipated to have the highest CAGR over the forecast period, owing to the presence of major markets in the economies such as India, China, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Indonesia. The growth of green coatings market in this region is attributed to the growth of end-use industries namely architectural and automotive coatings in this region. The Make in India approach taken by the Government of India is expected to propel the growth of manufacturing sector, which is anticipated to drive the green coatings market over the forecast period.Europe holds the dominant position in green coating market, owing to the economic development and growing population in the economies such as Spain, Italy, and the UK. The UK National Infrastructure Delivery have planned infrastructure projects that include airports and seaports, which in turn is anticipated to fuel the green coatings market over the forecast period.North America is anticipated to witness a burgeoning growth in the green coatings market, owing to the presence of a large number of manufactures in this region. This is backed by the rising government regulations in this region. The Middle East and Africa are expected to have a significant growth in the green coatings market, owing to the rise in infrastructure industry in these regions.Various strategies are being put forward by coatings manufacturers, for instance, manufactures of paint are striving to enhance energy system by minimizing consumption of fuel and minimize waste. This is done with the use of renewable raw materials and product packaging improvement with materials that are recyclable and use of biofuel fuel in delivery trucks.View Full Report @Soy Bean Oil, Vegetable Oil, Castor Oil, and Milk Paint are some of the eco-friendly components, which are being introduced in the coating materials.The key companies operating in the global green coatings market include The Sherwin Williams Company, PPG industries, Akzonobel N.V., Axalta Coating System, BASF, Valspar Coporation, Kansai Paint Company Limited, Tikkurila OYJ, and Masco Corporation among others.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 UsMr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200 Seattle,WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Website:
World Voice Assistant Market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 34% by Forecast to 2023

Voice Assistant Market

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Market Highlights:Voice assistants are software programs that respond to voice commands in order to perform a range of tasks. They can find an opening in a consumers calendar to schedule an appointment, place an online order for tangible goods, and act as a hands-free facilitator for texting, among many, many other tasks.Major factors driving the growth of voice assistant market are increased instances of voice searches and higher penetration of broadband and internet connections. Increase in adoption of smart homes is another factor driving the growth of voice assistant market. Speech recognition and voice recognition technologies are being used in devices implemented in smart homes.Voice Assistant Market has been segmented on the basis of technology, application and end user. The application segment is further bifurcated into messenger bots, websites and contact centers. The websites segment is expected to dominate the application segment market and will generate highest revenue contributing to the global voice assistant market. The messenger bots segment is expected to grow at the highest segment during the forecast period.The voice assistant market is growing rapidly over 34% of CAGR and is expected to reach at approx. USD 7 Billion by the end of forecast period.Major Key Players: Apple, Inc. (U.S.) Amazon, Inc. (U.S.) Google, Inc. (U.S.) Microsoft Corporation (U.S.) Samsung Group (South Korea) Orange S.A. (France) Sony Corporation (Japan) Alibaba Group Holding Limited (China) Motorola Solutions, Inc. (U.S.) And Next IT Corporation (U.K.)Request a Sample Report @Voice Assistant Market Segmentation:The voice assistant market has been segmented on the basis of technology, application and end user. The end user segment is further bifurcated into individual users, SMEs and large enterprises. Individual users segment is more drawn towards the voice assistant applications like Apples Siri and Amazons Alexa. Artificial intelligence improvements and other infrastructure oriented advancements are basically driving the growth of voice assistant market.Market Research Analysis:The global voice assistant market, by geography, has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World. In the global voice assistant market, Asia Pacific is anticipated to witness relatively faster adoption and is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period as compared to other regions. Within Asia Pacific, voice assistant market is projected to contribute faster to the growth of revenue backed by increasing demand for innovative products and growing demand for voice-first technology in countries such as Japan, China and India. The growing need for customer relationship management is triggering the voice assistant market in the region.Across Europe, countries including Germany, France and the U.K. are anticipated to drive the growth of voice assistant market. In Europe, the high standards of living of people have led to an increase in investments in IoT by vendors and hence is the major driving factor for the growth of voice assistant market. The presence of advanced infrastructure and with the increasing adoption of technology and technological advancements in numerous countries are other factors driving the market growth of voice assistant market.Voice assistant market in the South America region is anticipated to witness relatively slower market growth. However, Brazil and Argentina among other countries are projected to witness slow yet steady growth. Voice assistant market in Middle East and Africa occupies a relatively smaller pie of the global voice assistant market.Regional Analysis:Regionally, North-America accounted for the largest market share from countries such U.S. among others. The reason is attributed to the increase in investments for these technological solutions, adoption of these smart temperature management solutions by various domains and low operational cost.However, Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow over the forecast period, 2017-2023. The reason is attributed to presence of large number of electronic manufacturers, increasing government initiatives and the increasing adoption of these solutions by various sectors.Access Report Details @Intended Audience Device manufacturers Network Operators Distributors Suppliers Research firms Software Developers Commercial Banks Vendors Semiconductor Manufacturers End-user sectors Technology InvestorsTable of Contents1 Market Introduction1.1 Introduction1.2 Scope of Study1.2.1 Research objective1.2.2 Assumptions1.2.3 Limitations1.3 Market Structure2 Research Methodology2.1 Research Type2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research2.4 Forecast Model2.4.1 Market Data Collection, Analysis & Forecast2.4.2 Market Size EstimationContinuedList of TablesTable 1 Voice Assistant Market, By TechnologyTable 2 Voice Assistant Market, By ApplicationTable 3 Voice Assistant Market, By End UserContinuedList of FiguresFigure 1 Research TypeFigure 2 Voice Assistant Market, By Technology (%)Figure 3 Voice Assistant Market, By Application (%)ContinuedAbout 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 Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Pest Control Services Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017-2025

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Pest control is the management and regulation of variety of living organisms that are harmful for the human population. Pests such as cockroach, termites and various other organisms affect and hinder human activities mainly in agriculture, commercial, industrial, and residential processes. Pest control services are carried out to ensure hygiene and a healthy lifestyle. Pest control services include chemical control, mechanical control, and synthetic control among others. The most common pest control technique include poisoned baits, chemical repellents, and traps.Request sample of Pest Control Services Market:Growing urbanization and the growing concern of health and hygiene in the emerging as well as developed countries is the major factor driving the market growth. Moreover, the growing pest population and infestation rates and also the significant growth in the tourism sector is expected to fuel the demand for pest control services. In addition, the emerging countries are majorly dependent on agricultural activities, where pest control services are majorly required, further fuels the market growth.However, the stringent government regulations related to limited use of toxic pesticides to reduce its impact on environment and health is one of the major factors hindering the growth of the pest control services market. The impact of this restraint is expected to intensify over the forecast period.Pest Control Services Market TaxonomyOn the basis of application, the global pest control service market can be segmented as:Insect controlBirds controlTermite controlRat and Rodents controlOthersOn the basis of service type, the global pest control service market can be segmented as:Chemical Control ServiceOrganic Control ServiceSynthetic Control ServiceMechanical Control ServiceOthersGet best discount on this report:On the basis of end user, the global pest control service market can be segmented as:AgriculturalIndustrialCommercialResidentialPest Control Services Market OutlookNorth America holds the dominant position in the global pest control service market and is expected to retain its dominance during the forecast period. In 2017, the Environmental Protection Council (EPA) has lifted the ban on the use of major pesticide, chlorpyrifos, which further fuels the demand for pest control services. Moreover, the Environmental Protection Council has also made the production of pesticides and insecticides mandatory in this region. U.S. is accounted as a major contributor to the growth of the pest control services market in North America and is expected to maintain its supremacy during the forecast period.Asia Pacific is expected to project the fastest growth during the forecast period on account of rapid adoption of services, due to strengthening government regulations. The emerging countries in the region such as India and Bangladesh mainly depends on the agricultural activities, thus increases the demand for pest control services in this region. In addition ,in 2015, the 29th Session of Asia and Pacific Plant Protection Commission (APPPC) has implemented International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM), which aims in the strengthening of information management , building capacities for pest management, and phasing out highly hazardous pesticides, thereby fuelling the market growth in this region.Europe is expected to exhibit growth in pest control services over the forecast period. Stringent government regulations accounted as a major factor for the steady growth of the pest control services market in Europe.Check the trending report of Pest Control Services Market:Key players in the Global Pest Control Services MarketKey players are adopting various strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, partnerships, and product innovations to ensure their long term sustenance in this market. In 2017, Arrow Exterminating Company, Inc. acquired Bugmaster Exterminators, which specializes in commercial and residential termite control, based in Houston, Texas.Some of the key players operating in the global pest control service market include Ecolab Inc., Rollins Inc., Massey Services Inc., Arrow Exterminators company, Bugmaster Exterminators, Dodson Brothers Exterminating company, Terminix pest control company, Anticimex, and Rentokil Initial.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.comVisit our news Website:
Embedded Hypervisor Software Market Key Players - Blackberry Ltd, Integrity, Mentor Graphics Corporation by Forecast to 2023

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Market Highlights:An embedded hypervisor is a type of virtual machine, which can support the necessities of embedded systems. Embedded systems consist of two components, one of which, real-time component is critical to performing specific tasks in a particular period of time while non-real time component, helps process real time information, manage and configure data. An embedded hypervisor is a hypervisor that is programmed through a processor or a computer.The global embedded hypervisor software market is highly competitive. Various established international brands, domestic brands and as well as new entrants form a competitive landscape. The key players are nonstop increasingly seeking market expansion through various strategic mergers and acquisitions, innovation, increasing investments in research and development and cost-effective product portfolio. The embedded hypervisor software market is highly competitive due to the presence of several large vendors.For instance, In July, 2015, Pike OS a product of SYSGO AG captures the automotive market. Through the usage of PikeOS hypervisor in the automotive industry the company is delivering safety and security functions.The factors contributing to the growth of the Embedded Hypervisor Software Market are growth in the industrial automation sector since industrial application needs real time operating system, increasing concerns about cyber-attacks, rapid adoption of industrial automation across the globe and the growing usage of hypervisor in transportation sector. However, factors such as high power consumption and memory consumption, high infrastructure and maintenance cost are hindering the growth of the embedded hypervisor software market.The market can be bifurcated on the basis of component, technology, tools, application and region. On the basis of component the market can be segmented into software and services. Out of the software, the market can be divided into android, linux and windows among others.The global embedded hypervisor technology market is expected to grow at USD 2,887.21 million by the end of year 2023 with 6.46% CAGR during forecast period 2017-2023.Request a Sample Report @Major Key Players: Blackberry Ltd (QNX) (Canada) Integrity (U.K.) Mentor Graphics Corporation (U.S.) SYSGO AG (Germany) Wind River(U.S.) SCIOPTA Systems (Germany) High Integrity Systems (U.S.) Silicon Labs (Micrium) (U.S) Kronosafe (France) Lynx software (U.S.) Open Kernel Labs (U.S.) OpenSynergy (Germany)Regional Analysis:The global embedded hypervisor software market is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period, 2017-2023. Automotive and aerospace segment of embedded hypervisor software market globally drives the market majorly due to increasing demand for better solutions for security and safety measures. The market is expected to have higher growth rate as compared to the previous years.The global embedded hypervisor software market segmented into four main regions such as North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe and Rest of the World. Automotive segment hold a largest share in the Asia-Pacific region. The reason is attributed to presence of large number of automobile manufacturers. Also, the automobile sector are looking for better high end technological solutions in this region. Therefore, automotive segment of embedded hypervisor software market accounted for the largest market share.Asia-Pacific region accounted for the largest market share in 2017. Countries such as Japan, China and India contributes largely to the overall market share. The reason is attributed to the increasing number of manufacturers, stringent government regulations, growing advancement and increasing adoption of high end technology in the field of automation are boosting the growth of card connector market in this region.North-America accounted for the largest market share. Countries such as U.S. and Canada contributes largely to the overall market share. The reason is attributed to standard regulation, advanced infrastructure, presence of large number of vendors and presence of technical expertise.Segments:For the purpose of this study, Market Research Future has segmented the market of embedded hypervisor software into device software, tools, application and region.Device Software RTOS Linux Android Graphics & Ui Safety & Security OthersTools Compile Design Debug Virtual Platforms Automotive Networking OthersApplications Aerospace Defense Industrial Automotive Transportation OthersRegion North-America Europe Asia-Pacific RoWIntended Audience: Device manufacturers Network Operators Distributors Suppliers Research firms Software Developers Commercial Banks Vendors Semiconductor Manufacturers End-user sectors Technology InvestorsBrowse Full Report Details @Embedded Hypervisor Software Market (MRFR) Research Analysis:On the basis of device software, the market can be segmented in to RTOS, Android, Linux, Graphics & UI and Safety & Security among others. Out of these, RTOS accounted for the largest market share majorly due to increasing demand for high end technologies, need access for real time data and increasing adoption of industrial automation. Furthermore, Linux is expected to grow at a fast pace over the forecast period, since it helps to reuse the existing property and protecting intellectual property while using these device softwares.On the basis of deployment, the market can be compile, design, debug virtual platform and automotive networking among others. Out of these, compile accounted for the largest market share. The reasons attributed are increasing need for data security and safety.Table of Contents1 Market Introduction1.1 Introduction1.2 Scope of Study1.2.1 Research Objective1.2.2 Assumptions1.2.3 Limitations1.3 Market StructureContinuedList of TablesTable 1 Embedded Hypervisor Software Market, By Device SoftwareTable 2 Embedded Hypervisor Software Market, By ToolsTable 3 Embedded Hypervisor Software Market, By ApplicationContinuedList of FiguresFigure 1 Research MethodologyFigure 2 Embedded Hypervisor Software Market, By Device Software (%)Figure 3 Embedded Hypervisor Software Market, By Tools (%)ContinuedAbout 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 Solutions, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Digital Freight Brokerage Market to Expand at a Mind-Boggling 61.7% CAGR during the period Between 2017 and 2025

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The Freight Brokering Industry, in which freight brokers match shippers to the carriers, has been around for quite a while now. However, emergence of digital freight broker companies in the recent past have revolutionized the industry.Currently, the competition in the relatively new digital freight brokerage market is moderate. However, in the years ahead, the competition will likely intensify on account of the foray of numerous solution providers.Request For Free Sample Report @Serving to boost the global digital freight brokerage market is the rising uptake of sophisticated smartphones, improved wireless connectivity, and advantages accorded by digital platforms such as better efficiency and reduced costs. This helps to save time and the brokerage money too. In the traditional freight brokerage market, carriers and the loads are forced to remain idle till the deal is finalized by brokers through phone or mail.A noticeable trend in the global digital freight brokerage market is the technological progress. However, a drawback is the upfront capital required for building the software. Once the company is up and running, there are some logistic hurdles to overcome as well.Being in a nascent state, the growth prospects in the global digital freight brokerage market is high. A research study by Transparency Market Research projects the market to expand at a mind-boggling 61.7% CAGR during the period between 2017 and 2025. Expanding at this pace, it will likely attain a value of US$10,964.3 mn by 2025 from US$144.5 mn.The market overview section of the report showcases the market dynamics and trends which includes drivers, restraints, opportunities that influence the current nature and future status of this market. It also provides an overview about the key market indicators given across the five geographical regions. Under the key strategies adopted by carriers section, strategies adopted by traditional 3PLs and carriers to cope up with technology platforms are described. Under the porters five forces analysis section, a brief analysis of the level of competition within the digital freight brokerage industry is given and business strategy is provided in order to determine the competitive attractiveness and intensity of the digital freight brokerage market. The report also includes key industry developments covering significant advances made by leading market players over the period of time.Global Digital Freight Brokerage Market: Competitive LandscapeThe report provides competitive landscape of the digital freight brokerage market, thereby listing out all the major players according to their geographic presence, market attractiveness and recent key developments. The competitive landscape section of the report gives an overview about the market share of several key players for the year 2016. The digital freight brokerage market data estimates are the result of our in-depth secondary research, primary interviews and in-house expert panel reviews.These market estimates have been analyzed by taking into account the impact of different political, social, economic, technological, and legal factors along with the current market dynamics affecting the market growth. Factors including market position, offerings and R&D focus are attributed to companys capabilities. This section also identifies and includes various recent developments carried out by the leading players. Moreover, key takeaways section provided at the end of competitive landscape section would help the operating companies to make the best move in the market.Browse Full Report With TOC @On the basis of transportation mode, the market has been divided into roadway, seaway, airway and railway. Owing to growth in adoption of applications by trucking industry, roadway segment is expected to show significant CAGR over the forecast period and projected to attribute to the highest revenue for the market in 2025. In terms of industry vertical, the market has been segmented into food & beverages, automotive, retail & e-commerce, healthcare, manufacturing and others. The others segment of industry vertical primarily consist of aerospace & defense industry.The Digital Freight Brokerage market has been segmented as below:The Digital Freight Brokerage Market, By Transportation modeRoadwaySeawayAirwayRailwayThe Digital Freight Brokerage Market, By Industry VerticalFood & beveragesAutomotiveRetail & E-commerceHealthcareManufacturingOther(aerospace & defense)The Digital Freight Brokerage Analysis, By Country/RegionNorth AmericaThe U.S.CanadaRest of North AmericaEuropeThe U.K.GermanyFranceRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaIndiaJapanRest of Asia PacificMiddle East & AfricaGCCSouth AfricaRest of Middle East and AfricaSouth AmericaBrazilRest of South AmericaEnquire About this Report @About UsMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research 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:
Global Waterbased Coatings Market is expected to be worth US$80.3 bn over 2016-2024

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Water-based coatings are a type of coating which use water as a solvent. Water is employed as a dispersal agent for resins to make them eco-friendly and easy to use. Water constitutes more than 75% of the coatings with traces of other solvents like glycol ethers. Rising architectural activities and stringent government regulation related to VOC content are the major drivers that drives the growth of water-based coatings market. Asia Pacific dominates the water-based coatings market in terms of demand. Countries such as China, India are expected to be the key consumers of water-based coatings. Volatility in raw material prices and susceptibility to environmental conditions is anticipated to hamper the market growth.Acrylic water-based coatings is anticipated to be the major segment during the forecast period, however polyurethane water-based coatings is expected to grow at highest CAGR compare to other resins type. In terms of end-use, building & construction is projected to be the major segment for water-based coatings. Automotive segment is also second most lucrative segment for water-based coatings market. Increasing awareness and stringent government regulations related to VOCs content related to coatings is estimated to offer major opportunities to the water-based coatings market in the next few years.Click to get sample PDF with TOC:This report analyzes and forecasts the market for Water-based coatings market at the global and regional level. The market has been forecast based on volume (Kilo tons) and revenue (US$ Mn) from 2016 to 2024, considering 2015 as the base year. The study includes drivers and restraints of the global water-based coatings market. It also covers impact of these drivers and restraints on demand for water-based coatings market during the forecast period. The report also highlights opportunities in the water-based coatings market at the global and regional level.The report includes detailed value chain analysis, which provides a comprehensive view of the global water-based coatings market. Porters Five Forces model for the water-based coatings market has also been included to help understand the competitive landscape in the market. The study encompasses market attractiveness analysis, where in resins and end-users are benchmarked based on their market size, growth rate, and general attractiveness.Global Waterbased Coating Market: SegmentationThe study provides a decisive view of the global water-based coatings market by segmenting it in terms of resins and end-users. In terms of resins water-based coatings is classified as acrylic, formaldehyde, polyurethane, alkyds, epoxy and others (including fluoro-polymers etc.). Acrylic water-based coatings is further segmented into Styrene acrylic. Further segmentation is based on End-users such as building & construction, automotive, furniture, electronics, marine, paper & printing and others (includes aerospace etc.). Automotive is further segmented into automotive OEM and automotive refinish for analysis. These segments have been analyzed based on present and future trends. Regional segmentation includes current and forecast demand for Water-based coatings in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa.The report provides the actual market size of water-based coatings for 2015 and estimated market size for 2016 with forecast for the next eight years. The global market of water-based coatings has been provided in terms volume and revenue. Market volume has been defined in Kilo tons and revenue in US$ Mn. Market numbers have been estimated based on resins and end-users of water-based coatings. Market volume and size have been provided in terms of global, regional, and country level markets.Global Waterbased Coating 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, European Coatings World, 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.Enquiry:The report comprises profiles of major companies operating in the global Water-based coatings market. Key players in the Water-based coatings market are BASF SE, Akzo Nobel N.V., Asian Paints, Axalta Coating Systems Ltd., Altana AG, Conren, ICA group, Schmid Rhyner AG, PPG Industries Inc., The Valspar Corporation, Sherwin-Williams, Kansai, NIPSEA Group, and Hebei Chenyang Industry & Trade Group Co., Ltd. Market players have been profiled in terms of attributes such as company overview, financial overview, business strategies, and recent developments.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:
Gas Insulated Switchgear Market Growth Opportunities, Key Driven Factors, Market Scenario Forecast to 2027

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Market Synopsis of Gas Insulated SwitchgearMarket ScenarioIncreasing manufacturing and production activities in the recent times is one of the main factors which are boosting the gas insulated switch market. High growth in the processing industry is also contributing to the growth of the gas insulated switchgear market. Increasing awareness among individuals regarding the need of renewable energy sources is translating towards demand in the Gas Insulated Switchgear Market.Key PlayerSome of the key Players in the Gas Insulated Switchgear market are Schneider Electric SE (France), ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Japan), Alstom SA (France), Siemens AG (Germany) othersRequest a Sample Copy @Regional Analysis of Gas Insulated Switchgear MarketAsia-Pacific is the leading regions for the gas insulated switchgear market mainly due to the attractive investment prospects in the transmission & distribution segment in this region. Favorable government policies for the gas insulated switch market in another factor contributing to the growth of the Gas Insulated Switchgear market. Development of new technologies and development of new techniques has resulted in high growth achieved by the North American region in this market.SegmentsThe gas insulated switchgear market is segmented on the basis of voltage into high voltage and medium voltage. On the basis of end-user the market has been segmented as industrial, utility, power generation, infrastructure, and others.Study Objectives of Gas Insulated Switchgear To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 10 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the global Gas Insulated Switchgear market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To Analyze the Gas Insulated Switchgear market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, Porters five force analysis. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to six main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East, and Africa To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by End-Users, by Voltage and by region as well as its sub segments To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, and new product developments in the global Gas Insulated Switchgear marketFor further information on this report @The report on Gas Insulated Switchgear of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value, Furthermore technological advancement, and macro-economic factors in the market have also been discussed in detail in the report. The report provides detailed information and strategies of the key players in the industry. The report also provides a broad study of the different market segments and regions.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Agriculture Robots Market is projected to reach US$5.7 bn over 2016-2024 - Demand for Automating Routine and Specialized Farming Tasks Bolster Uptake

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Agriculture robots perform different operational tasks such as capturing images, seeding, spraying water, harvesting, and milking among others. The growing need for food and scarcity of agriculture labor is boosting the growth of agriculture robots market. The global market for agriculture robots is majorly driven by increase in precision agriculture and increase in need for real time data which helps in decision making. Moreover, the global market of agriculture robots is experiencing a growth due to increased corporate farming and increase in demand for food production. The above mentioned trends are propelling the market of agriculture robots globally at a significant pace. Ongoing research and developments undertaken by different companies across the globe are expected to boost the market of agriculture robots during the forecast period.The growing market in the emerging regions such as Asia-Pacific and Latin America are anticipated to grow the market of agriculture robots in these regions. Propelled by rapidly increasing demand for food, the manufacturers are adopting new robust technologies to modernize the existing robots. In addition, robots also help in spraying the right amount of chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides without human involvement, which is generating interest among the farmers or growers round the globe.Click to get sample PDF with TOC:However, due to high cost of the machineries, the market of agriculture robots is experiencing a limitation in the market growth. Another factor hindering the growth of the market is the limited functionality of the agriculture robots. The effects of these limiting factors are expected to reduce over the forecast period from 2016 to 2024.Global Agriculture Robots Market: Scope of the StudyIn the report, the market of agriculture robots is segmented on basis of type, application and geography. The report also consists of market drivers, market restraints and future opportunities. It highlights the present market trends and provides forecast from 2016 to 2024, additionally it provides the market size of 2015. As per the present scenario for agriculture robots market and the future trends highlighted in this report, it is expected that the market will have substantial growth over the forecast period from 2016 to 2024.Geographically, the market of agriculture robots has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Latin America. North America has the largest market share in 2015 followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific. Asia-Pacific is estimated to be the fasted growing region globally with the highest CAGR. This is due to huge sums are being invested in the field of agriculture machineries.Based on by type segmentation, the market is bifurcated into UAV, driverless tractors, milking robots, automated harvesting machines and others. In terms of revenue UAV is estimated to be the fastest growing sub segment from 2016 to 2024. The UAVs are comparatively less expensive than the driverless tractors and due to increase in demand of precision agriculture the UAV sub segment is growing at a faster rate than the other sub segments. The driverless tractors held the largest market share in 2015 and is estimated to experience a downfall in market share till 2024.The application segmentation is categorized into field farming, dairy management, indoor farming, horticulture and others. The demand for fruit production is increasing at higher pace and due to this the horticulture sub segment is anticipated to be the fastest growing among other application segments. The field farming contributed the largest share of the total revenue in 2015. The report provides global market size and forecast from 2016 to 2024 for each segment along with market size of 2015.Enquiry:This report also includes company profiles of major as well as emerging players in the field of agriculture robots market that incorporates different strategies adopted by the companies to expand their distribution channel or developing their own machineries with more enhanced technologies. Most of the companies are undergoing research and developments which is anticipated to fuel the market of agriculture robots over the forecast period from 2016 to 2024.The major players in the market are AGCO Corporation, Harvest Automation, Inc., BouMatic Robotics BV, AgEagle Aerial Systems, Inc., Vision Robotics Corporation, Naio Technology, PrecisionHawk, Inc., SenseFly SA, Agribotix LLC, and Blue River Technology, Inc.Browse more details at: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 Biogas Plant Market 2016-2022 - 86,964 Biogas Plants to be Operational by 2022 - Asia Pacific led the overall market

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The global biogas plant market report by Transparency Market Research provides in-depth analysis of the biogas plant market globally. The report segments the market on the basis of feedstock type and geography. The report analyzes the global biogas plant market in terms of biogas plant volume (Units) 20162022. For this research study, the base year is 2015, whereas the forecast is from 2016 to 2022. The report provides a comprehensive competitive landscape and features companies involved in entire supply chain of biogas plant including component providers, biogas plant manufacturers, suppliers, EPC players and others. This report includes the key dynamics affecting the biogas plant market globally. The analysis in the report provides detailed insights of the global biogas plant market. The drivers, opportunities, and restraints of the market were analyzed in detail and are illustrated in the report. The report also provides a detailed industry analysis of the global biogas plant with the help of the Porters Five Forces Analysis model.Click to get sample PDF with TOC:The research report is segmented into feedstock type. Feedstock type segment is further segmented into agricultural waste, energy crops, sewage sludge, industrial waste, food & beverages processing residue, food & beverages waste.The global biogas plant market has been segmented geographically into five regions and further into sub-segmented 18 unique country sub-segments. The regional segments are North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. The 18 countries which have been separately addressed in this report are the U.S., Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the U.K., Russia, China, India, Japan, Oceania, Turkey, GCC, South Africa, North Africa, Brazil, and Mexico.On the basis of feedstock type, food & beverages processing residue and agricultural waste dominated the global biogas plant market in 2015. Biogas plant require regular supply of high yield feedstock to produce biogas and make biogas plant operations profitable. Single type or multiple types of feedstock can be fed simultaneously into biogas plant. Increasing greenhouse gases emission has increased the adoption of clean fuel across the globe. Various government incentives and subsidies have encouraged several companies to invest in construction of biogas facility. However, the global biogas market growth could be hampered by high initial investment and installation costs.Global Biogas Plant Market: Key AnalyticsAsia Pacific dominated the global biogas plant market in terms of biogas plant volume, in 2015. It is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.8% from 2016 to 2022. China, India, Japan, Australia, and ASEAN countries are some of the major countries in the Asia Pacific biogas plant market. Asia Pacific biogas plant market was dominated by biogas plants utilizing agricultural waste, F&B processing residue, and sewage sludge as the feedstocks. Rising investments for waste management coupled with growing energy imports have compelled various countries such as China and India to focus on alternate sources of energy such as biogas.Some of the major players operating in the global biogas plant market include Air Liquide, Wartsila, Scandinavian Biogas, EnviTec Biogas AG, Ameresco, Inc., Swedish Biogas International, PlanET Biogas Global GmbH, Agrinz Technologies GmbH, Beijing Sanyi Green Energy Development Co., Ltd., SP Renewable Energy Sources Pvt. Ltd., IES BIOGAS srl., Quadrogen, CH4 Biogas, Biofuel USA Corporation, and Biofrigas Sweden AB among others. The report provides an overview of these companies, followed by their financial details, business strategies, and SWOT analysis.Enquiry:Global Biogas Plant Market: By Feedstock Type- Agricultural Waste- Energy Crops- Sewage Sludge- Industrial Waste- Food & Beverages Processing Residue- Food & Beverages WasteBrowse more details at: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 RFID Market to Register a High CAGR of 14.3% During the Forecast Period 2017-2027

MRRSE

https://www.mrrse.com/sample/3268

https://www.mrrse.com/rfid-market

https://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/3268

https://www.mrrse.com/

https://www.industrynewsanalysis.com/

For most organizations, incorporating radio frequency identification (RFID) into their businesses involves more than simply inserting a new technology into existent business practices. Market Research Reports Search Engine reveals in its new report that organizations are changing their underlying business processes and even their strategies, both of which are driving the need for specialized RFID integration services.Request For Free Sample Report @RFID is a technology that uses radio frequency waves to exchange data between a reader and a movable object in order to locate, identify or track the object.The Global Market for RFID technologies should reach $16.2 billion and $38 billion in 2016 and 2021, respectively, demonstrating a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.6%. Tags, readers, and other hardware as a segment should reach $27.5 billion by 2021, up from $12.1 billion in 2016, reflecting a five-year CAGR of 17.9%. As a segment, software and integration services should reach $4.1 billion and $10.5 billion in 2016 and 2021, respectively, at a five-year CAGR of 20.6%.Tags, readers and other hardware accounted for the bulk ($10.5 billion, or 75%) of the global RFID market in 2015. Hardware expenditures are growing slower than software and integration services due in part to declining tag costs. As a result, hardware is expected to represent a smaller share (72.4%) of the RFID market by 2021.North America was the largest geographical market for RFID in 2015, with 35% of total sales, followed by Asia-Pacific at 30%. The percentage share of North America should decline to 29.1% by 2021. Asia-Pacific and other markets should gain market share at the expense of North America and Europe. Asia-Pacific should be the largest geographical market by 2021.By 2021, consumers as an end-user segment should replace transportation and logistics as the largest end-user segment with 22.7% of the market, up from 16.7% in 2015. The market share of transportation and logistics should fall to 17.4% by 2021 from 27.4% in 2015. Retail and personal services should increase its 2015 market share by 1.5%, reaching 17% by 2021.Browse Full Report With TOC @RFID tags segment by component likely to create high incremental opportunity in the global RFID marketRevenue from the RFID tags segment in the global RFID market was US$ 3,646.2 Mn in 2016, representing a CAGR of 17% from 2012 to 2016. According to Future Market Insights forecast, revenue from the RFID tags segment in the global RFID market is anticipated to increase from more than US$ 4,200 Mn in 2017 to over US$ 16.3 Bn by 2027 end, representing a CAGR of 14.3% from 2017 to 2027. The RFID tags segment is expected to create incremental opportunity of US$ 12.05 Bn between 2017 and 2027. Revenue from the RFID readers segment in the global RFID market is anticipated to increase from more than US$ 5,500 Mn in 2017 to over US$ 18 Bn by 2027 end, representing a CAGR of 12.2% from 2017 to 2027. The RFID readers segment is expected to create incremental opportunity of US$ 12.3 Bn between 2017 and 2027.Increasing use of RFID tags in supply chain management and in the healthcare sector anticipated to boost segmental revenue growth in the global RFID marketIncreasing need for RFID tags across the globe is driven by robust opportunities in the healthcare sector. In the healthcare sector, an increasing focus on RFID technology for tracking and classification of medical instruments has been driving the demand for RFID tags worldwide. This technology holds immense potential for improving supply chain efficiency and ensuring patient safety while at the same time reducing human errors in healthcare processes. Healthcare management and monitoring of critical care equipment represent other interesting areas of application for the RFID market.The adoption of RFID solutions has increased from larger customers such as Airbus, Boeing and the U.S. Department of Defense. Aerospace companies are increasingly leveraging RFID technology to garner benefits such as improved supply chain visibility, asset management and utilisation, work-in-process (WIP) tracking, improved maintenance tracking and efficient logistics and manufacturing operations. An increasing use of RFID solutions is the main driving force behind revenue growth in the global market.Rising need for efficient supply chain management is expected to support the growth of the North America RFID market during the forecast period. RFID stores detailed information related to the product on which it is tagged. The prices and details of the products with RFID tags are automatically recorded when the customer approaches the counter, without the need to scan each and every product, which saves the time of the customer. Moreover, it allows cost tally in one scan, which saves the time of the user as well as the product retailer. These advantages have encouraged retail and manufacturing companies to adopt RFID for tagging their products.Enquire About this Report @About UsMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research 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:
World Semiconductor Production Equipment Market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7% by Forecast to 2023

Semiconductor Production Equipment Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/4189

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/semiconductor-production-equipment-market-4189

Market Highlights:In semiconductor production equipment market, the information and communications products has huge demand for its equipment. These equipment offers higher performance chips delivered from equipment suppliers. These chips are widely used in plug-in electric vehicles, smart meters, solar panels, wind turbines, sensors and others. These semiconductors has transformed the process of generation, distribution, and consumption of energy.The global Semiconductor Production Equipment Market are bifurcated on the basis of type, product, dimension and region. The type is segmented into front-end equipment, backend equipment and others. The products are segmented into dicing machine, probing machines, wafer manufacturers, sliced wafer demounting, cleaning machine, wafer edge grinding machine, polish grinders and others. The dimension is segmented 2D, 2.5D, 3D and others. The region includes North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and rest of the world.The regional analysis of semiconductor production equipment market is being studied for region such as Asia pacific, North America, Europe and Rest of the World. North America is one of the leading region across the world in terms of market share in semiconductor production equipment market as the companies are producing the chips which is required to manufactures other products. The semiconductor production equipment market in Europe region is expected to witness rapid growth in the forthcoming period. Whereas, Asia-Pacific countries like China, Japan and India is an emerging market for semiconductor production equipment market and expected to be the highest CAGR in the coming years as the companies are taking interest in producing the semiconductor production equipment which is required to meet the demand of customers.The global semiconductor production equipment market is expected to grow at USD 63 Billion by 2023, at ~7% of CAGR between 2017 and 2023.Request a Sample Report @Major Key Players: Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. (US) Micron Technology Inc. (US) Intel Corporation (US) Applied Materials Inc. (US) AlsilMaterial (US) Atecom Technology Co., Ltd (Taiwan) Tokyo Electron Limited (Japan) LAM RESEARCH Corporation (US) KLA-Tencor Corporation (US) Screen Holdings Co., Ltd (Japan) Teradyne Inc. (US) ASML Holdings N.V. (Netherlands) Samsung Group (South Korea)Global Semiconductor Production Equipment Market SegmentationThe global semiconductor production equipment market are bifurcated on the basis of type, product, dimension and region. The type is segmented into front-end equipment, backend equipment and others.The products are segmented into dicing machine, probing machines, wafer manufacturers, sliced wafer demounting, cleaning machine, wafer edge grinding machine, polish grinders and others. The dimension is segmented 2D, 2.5D, 3D and others. The region includes North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and rest of the world.Market Research Analysis:On geographic basis, global semiconductor production equipment market is studied in different regions as Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of world. It has been observed that North America region is leading with market share growth in the semiconductor production equipment market.The semiconductor production equipment is gaining huge demand due to front end equipment which offers higher profitability to the companies and provides better services to meet the requirement of the customers. In this market, Europe is to be estimated to be the second largest market share for semiconductor production equipment during the forecast period.Regional Analysis:The regional analysis of semiconductor production equipment market is being studied for region such as Asia pacific, North America, Europe and Rest of the World. North America is one of the leading region across the world in terms of market share in semiconductor production equipment market as the companies are producing the chips which is required to manufactures other products.The semiconductor production equipment market in Europe region is expected to witness rapid growth in the forthcoming period. Whereas, Asia-Pacific countries like China, Japan and India is an emerging market for semiconductor production equipment market and expected to be the highest CAGR in the coming years as the companies are taking interest in producing the semiconductor production equipment which is required to meet the demand of customers.Browse Full Report Details @Intended Audience: Semiconductor production equipment manufacturing companies Original equipment manufacturers Semiconductor production equipment providers Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Manufacturers Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment Panel Technologists Research and development companies Market research and consulting firms Solution providers Technology standards organizations Technology investors System IntegratorsTable of Contents1 Market Introduction1.1 Introduction1.2 Scope of Study1.2.1 Research objective1.2.2 Assumptions1.2.3 Limitations1.3 Market Structure:1.3.1 Global Semiconductor Production Equipment Market: By Type1.3.2 Global Semiconductor Production Equipment Market: By Products1.3.3 Global Semiconductor Production Equipment Market: By Dimension1.3.4 Global Semiconductor Production Equipment Market: By RegionContinued.List of TablesTable 1 Semiconductor Production Equipment Market, By TypeTable 2 Semiconductor Production Equipment Market, By ProductsTable 3 Semiconductor Production Equipment Market, By DimensionContinued.List of FiguresFigure 1 Research MethodologyFigure 2 Semiconductor Production Equipment Market: By Type (%)Figure 3 Semiconductor Production Equipment Market: By Products (%)Continued.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Professional Coffee Machine Market 2017 Review With Major Manufactures - Delonghi, Philips, Melitta, Electrolux and Others

ReportsWeb

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http://www.reportsweb.com/global-professional-coffee-machine-market-research-report-2017

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Global Professional Coffee Machine Market Research Report 2017 newly adds in ReportsWeb.com database. This report covers leading key company profiles with information such as business overview, regional analysis, consumption, revenue and specification.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD) , market share and growth rate of Professional Coffee Machine in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast) , covering North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India.Global Professional Coffee Machine market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players including Delonghi, Philips, Melitta, Electrolux, Panasonic, Nestle Nespresso and Merolcafe.Get FREE Sample Copy of this report atOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into Espresso Machines, Filter Machines, Capsule Machines, Instant Machines and Others. On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales) , market share and growth rate of Professional Coffee Machine for each application, including Coffee shops, HoReCa (Food Service Industry), Office and Others.Access Report Datails atTable of Content1 Professional Coffee Machine Market Overview2 Global Professional Coffee Machine Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Professional Coffee Machine Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)4 Global Professional Coffee Machine Supply (Production) , Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)4.1 Global Professional Coffee Machine Consumption by Region (2012-2017)4.2 North America Professional Coffee Machine Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 Europe Professional Coffee Machine Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.4 China Professional Coffee Machine Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.5 Japan Professional Coffee Machine Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.6 Southeast Asia Professional Coffee Machine Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.7 India Professional Coffee Machine Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)5 Global Professional Coffee Machine Production, Revenue (Value) , Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Professional Coffee Machine Production and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.2 Global Professional Coffee Machine Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.3 Global Professional Coffee Machine Price by Type (2012-2017)5.4 Global Professional Coffee Machine Production Growth by Type (2012-2017)6 Global Professional Coffee Machine Market Analysis by Application6.1 Global Professional Coffee Machine Consumption and Market Share by Application (2012-2017)6.2 Global Professional Coffee Machine Consumption Growth Rate by Application (2012-2017)6.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities6.3.1 Potential Applications6.3.2 Emerging Markets/Countries7 Global Professional Coffee Machine Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Delonghi7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Professional Coffee Machine Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Delonghi Professional Coffee Machine Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Philips7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Professional Coffee Machine Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Philips Professional Coffee Machine Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Melitta7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Professional Coffee Machine Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Melitta Professional Coffee Machine Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview8 Professional Coffee Machine Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global Professional Coffee Machine Market Forecast (2017-2022)13 Research Findings and ConclusionPurchase this report -and get,Discount on report purchase -Contact Info:Name: Sameer JoshiEmail: sales@reportsweb.comOrganization: ReportsWebPhone: +1-646-491-9876ReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Air Conditioning Systems Market 2022 Development Trends

Crystal Market Research

http://www.crystalmarketresearch.com/report/air-conditioning-systems-market

http://www.crystalmarketresearch.com/report-sample/SE10306

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https://blog.crystalmarketresearch.com

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Crystalmarketresearch.com published air conditioning systems market by equipment, application and distribution channel - global industry analysis and forecast to 2022 from its database. the report reviews top companies involved and enlists all trials pertaining to the company.In 2012, the global air conditioning systems market was evaluated around USD 82.23 billion and is expected to reach approximately USD 142.74 billion by 2022 while registering itself at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.09% over the forecast period. Growing awareness levels and demand for energy efficiency on an international level is anticipated to impact the air conditioning systems industry positively. This is especially acute in developed countries like North America and Europe, owing to high infiltration of air conditioning systems in these countries. Regulatory standards for electrical equipment have demanded the energy efficient systems production and change from conventional equipment.Major Key Player-Daikin Industries LtdSamsung Electronics Co. Ltd.Hitachi LtdDenso Corporation,anon SystemsMitsubishi Heavy IndustriesSanden Corporation.Get complete access to Reports:The global air conditioning systems market is segmented as follows :By Equipment Portable air conditioning systems Splits ACs Windows air conditioning systems Chillers Cassette ACs Single Packaged AirsideBy Application Commercial Automotive Residential IndustrialGet Sample of this Report @Table of contents:1. Introduction2. Executive Summary3. Market Overview3.1. Introduction3.1.1. Market Definition3.1.2. Market Segmentation3.2. Market Dynamics3.2.1. Drivers3.2.1.1. Rapid growth in the construction and housing sector3.2.1.2. Stringent government regulations relating to emissions3.2.1.3. Rising demand from the commercial sector3.2.2. Restraints3.2.2.1. Low adoption rate due to high energy consumption3.2.3. Opportunities3.2.3.1. Development of Cost-effective Air Conditioning Systems4. Air Conditioning Systems Market, By Equipment5. Air Conditioning Systems Market, By Application6. Air Conditioning Systems Market, By Distribution Channel7. Air Conditioning Systems Market, By Region8. Company ProfilesBuy Report @About Crystal Market ResearchCrystal Market Research is a U.S. based market research and business intelligence company. Crystal offers one stop solution for market research, business intelligence, and consulting services to help clients make more informed decisions. It provides both syndicated as well as customized research studies for its customers spread across the globe. The company offers market intelligence reports across a broad range of industries including healthcare, chemicals & materials, technology, automotive, and energy.Contact:Judy304 South Jones Blvd, Suite 1896,Las Vegas NV 89107,United StatesToll Free: +1-888-213-4282Email: sales@crystalmarketresearch.comBlog:Website:Connect with us: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook
Global Service Delivery Automation Market Research Report 2017

https://marketreportscenter.com/request-sample/559734

https://marketreportscenter.com/request-discount/559734

https://marketreportscenter.com/reports/559734/global-service-delivery-automation-market-research-report-2017

The latest industry research report on Service Delivery Automation by MRC provides a thorough analysis of the global Service Delivery Automation market. The report scrutinizes the market by different segments including regions, applications, competitive landscape, etc. over the predicted time frame. This report provides 360 Degree perspective of the Service Delivery Automation industry with an all-inclusive discussion of definitions, classifications, and market players in the industry chain structure. It features qualitative and quantitative analysis of the industry taking into consideration the significant development factors, competition in the market, and important reasons impacting the market growth.Service Delivery Automation Report by Material, Application, and Geography  Global Forecast to 2021 is a professional and in-depth research report on the world's major regional market conditions, focusing on the main regions (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific) and the main countries (United States, Germany, united Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and China).The report firstly introduced the Service Delivery Automation basics: definitions, classifications, applications and market overview; product specifications; manufacturing processes; cost structures, raw materials and so on. Then it analyzed the world's main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, supply, demand and market growth rate and forecast etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.Get sample copy of this report @The report includes six parts, dealing with:1.) basic information;2.) the Asia Service Delivery Automation Market;3.) the North American Service Delivery Automation Market;4.) the European Service Delivery Automation Market;5.) market entry and investment feasibility;6.) the report conclusion.Table of ContentsPart I Service Delivery Automation Industry OverviewChapter One Service Delivery Automation Industry Overview1.1 Service Delivery Automation Definition1.2 Service Delivery Automation Classification Analysis1.2.1 Service Delivery Automation Main Classification Analysis1.2.2 Service Delivery Automation Main Classification Share Analysis1.3 Service Delivery Automation Application Analysis1.3.1 Service Delivery Automation Main Application Analysis1.3.2 Service Delivery Automation Main Application Share Analysis1.4 Service Delivery Automation Industry Chain Structure Analysis1.5 Service Delivery Automation Industry Development Overview1.5.1 Service Delivery Automation Product History Development Overview1.5.1 Service Delivery Automation Product Market Development Overview1.6 Service Delivery Automation Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.1 Service Delivery Automation Global Import Market Analysis1.6.2 Service Delivery Automation Global Export Market Analysis1.6.3 Service Delivery Automation Global Main Region Market Analysis1.6.4 Service Delivery Automation Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.5 Service Delivery Automation Global Market Development Trend AnalysisChapter Two Service Delivery Automation Up and Down Stream Industry Analysis2.1 Upstream Raw Materials Analysis2.1.1 Upstream Raw Materials Price Analysis2.1.2 Upstream Raw Materials Market Analysis2.1.3 Upstream Raw Materials Market Trend2.2 Down Stream Market Analysis2.1.1 Down Stream Market Analysis2.2.2 Down Stream Demand Analysis2.2.3 Down Stream Market Trend AnalysisPart II Asia Service Delivery Automation Industry (The Report Company Including the Below Listed But Not All)Chapter Three Asia Service Delivery Automation Market Analysis3.1 Asia Service Delivery Automation Product Development History3.2 Asia Service Delivery Automation Competitive Landscape Analysis3.3 Asia Service Delivery Automation Market Development TrendCheck Discount on Report atThe research report focuses on the analysis of its major geographies, and different segments. This all-inclusive study discusses the current market development and trends, important factors driving market growth like drivers, restraints, market projections, and market structure for each region and its sub-segments. It also provides glimpses on the recent technological advancements in the market along with detailed profiles of key industry players. The report also includes an analysis of the micro and macro aspects noteworthy for the present active and the new entities apart from the study of the value chain.Key Topics Covered in the Report:Comprehensive overview of parent market with market definition, classificationRecognition of factors influencing the market scenarios and analysis of market drivers, barriers, and their impact on the market growthCurrent and future market trends, market scope and detailed market segmentation on the basis of application, region, and competitive scenarioValue Chain Analysis, Strategic insights, and market estimationsTechnology, trends, developments, and changing market dynamics of the Cannabis Testing industryFacts, stats, historical data, market size forecast regarding volume and valueAnalysis of competitive landscape and assessments on a regional scale with company profiles of leading market players, finance metrics, product offerings and key business strategies and growth prospects for the projected periodInsights on prospective opportunities and challenges, success and riskThe report brings to your attention analysis of the Service Delivery Automation market in major geographies including North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World. This research report provides a complete insight of the market trends and guides in making informed business decisions. It gives a clear understanding of the competitive environment, key market players, their portfolio, and strategies. It also features a technological growth map over a time and helps understand its impact on the market.Report Details @Market ScopeThe research report takes different facets into consideration to scrutinize the global Service Delivery Automation industry. It brings to your attention market overview, market trends and future outlook, market growth and dynamics, market challenges and opportunities, competitive landscape, and potential investment segment.About Market Reports Center:Market Reports Center is an e-commerce platform obliging the needs of knowledge workers, experts, professionals who are subject to market research information for their work, or to make strategic business decisions. We are dedicated to create a comprehensive offering of market research which is accurate, credible and affordable.Market Reports Center currently has more than 5,00,000 plus titles and 50+ Publishers on our platform and growing consistently. We cover more than 35 industry verticals being: Automotive, Electronics, Manufacturing, Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare, Chemicals, Construction, Agriculture, Food, Beverages, Banking & Finance, Media and Government, Public Sector Studies.Connect for more details:Sam CollinsMarket Reports CenterHouse 421 Hudson Street New York, NY 10014, USA1-646-883-3044 (US)
United StatesDocking Station Market - Global Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017-2025

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/853

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-discount/853

https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/docking-station-market-853

http://www.coherentnews.com

Docking Station is an electronic device, which permits portable computers to connect with other devices. Increasing trend of bring your own device policy has become one of the major factors driving growth of the docking station market globally. According to Coherent Market Insights, the BYOD market is projected to reach up to US$ 266.2 billion by 2019. Increasing demand for BYOD trend is experienced due to increasing focus of companies on innovation and productivity, employee satisfaction and retention, and cost savings. Implementation of BYOD policy has created a comfortable environment among employees, as they do their own work on their device, which also increased the efficiency and productivity of the company. Hence, increasing BYOD trend has increased the demand for docking stations. Increasing number of sales units of mobile devices have also fueled growth of the docking station market.Request sample of Docking Station Market :Docking Station Market TaxonomyOn the basis of docks type, the global docking station market is segmented into:Laptop DocksHard Drive DocksMobile Device DocksThe laptop docks segment held the largest market share in 2016 and is projected to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period. Due to increasing adoption of laptops, which have replaced desktops, have increased the demand for laptop docks. According to coherent market insights, in 2016 around 156.8 million units of laptops were sold globally.On the basis of technology, the global docking station market is segmented into:Wired DocksWireless DocksWired docks segment held a dominating position in the market in 2016 and is projected to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period. Wireless docks segment is projected to exhibit the largest CAGR over the forecast period. The increasing demand for wireless technology has increased the demand for wireless docks.On the basis of application, the global docking station market is segmented into:CommercialResidentialGet best discount on this report :The commercial segment held a dominant position in 2016 and is projected to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period. The increasing adoption of wireless docking stations by small & medium and large enterprises have contributed to growth of this segment.Docking Station Market Outlook  North America holds significant market shareOn the basis of geography, the global docking station market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. North America holds a dominant position in the global docking station market and is projected to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period. The U.S. and Canada are major countries driving growth of the docking station market in the North American region. High adoption rate of docking system in various enterprises have contributed to the rapid growth in the region. Moreover, increasing implementation of bring your own device policy by various organizations have fueled the docking station market in North America. Similarly, Asia Pacific is projected to exhibit the highest CAGR over the forecast period. India, China, and Japan are some of the major countries driving growth of the market in Asia Pacific. The increasing penetration of mobile devices and growing number of tech savvy consumers, coupled with increasing disposable income among the populace, fuels growth of the docking station market in Asia Pacific.Key Players in the Global Docking Station MarketASUSTeK Computer Inc., Dell Inc., Hewlett-Packard Company, IBM Corporation, Lenovo Group Ltd., Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Sony Electronics Inc., StarTech.com, Toshiba Corporation, are some of the major players operating in the global docking station market. The new product launch become one of the key strategy adopted by the company. For example in 2017 the company Samsung Company announced that they have successfully launched a DeX docking station accessory for Galaxy S8.Check the trending report of Docking Station Market: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.comVisit our news Website:
Neem Extracts Market Growing Preference of Nature-based Cosmetic Products Fueling Demand

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The global neem extracts market has a fragmented vendor landscape on account of the presence of a large number of unorganized companies across the globe, observes Transparency Market Research in a recent report. However, a large share of the total global number of leading neem extract exporters are located in India. Domicile to over 150 small- and mid-sized companies operating in the neem extract sector, India holds a strong position in the global neem extract market and is expected to remain one of the key hubs for the overall development of the global neem extracts market in the near future.Download exclusive Sample of this report:However, these companies collectively account for a nominal share of the overall market and companies with advanced equipment for operations such as de-pulping, disinfecting, drying, extraction, and storage overshadow. Some of the leading companies in the global neem extracts market are Parker India Group Pvt. Ltd., Neeming Australia Pvt Ltd., Fortune Biotech Ltd., GreeNeem, P J Margo Pvt Ltd, E.I.D Perry India Ltd., and Prithvi Exports.In one of its recent reports, Transparency Market Research estimates that the global neem extracts market will exhibit a promising pace of expansion in the near future and rise from an opportunity of US$706 mn in 2015 to US$1,126.8 mn by 2019.Obtain Report Details @Asia Pacific Market to Present Considerable Growth OpportunitiesIn terms of application, the chemical and fertilizers segment accounted for the dominant share in the global market, representing an opportunity of US$498.79 mn in 2015. With rising focus on the use of bio-based fertilizers and several regulations arresting the growth of synthetic fertilizers working in favor of the bio-based fertilizer sector, the segment is likely to remain the key consumer of neem extracts in the near future, representing a revenue opportunity of US$768.14 mn by 2019.From a geographical standpoint, the market in Asia Pacific accounts for the dominant share of the overall market. The regional market overshadows other regions as the plantation of neem is majorly restricted to the South Asian region and there has been an ever-increasing demand for neem extracts in bio-based fertilizers, pesticides, and natural and herbal products across countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh in recent years.Rising Set of Applications in Cosmetics to Drive GrowthNeem is a popular medicinal herb and is extensively used in a vast array of applications ranging from natural skin care to pest control. The increasing side effects of chemical-based skin care products has awakened the consciousness of the people towards the use of safer, milder, and nature-based ingredients. Therefore, as the preference for nature-based products penetrates deeper in the psyche of the worldwide population, the global market for neem extracts is expected to gain traction.The demand for neem-based anti-aging and anti-acne skin care products has been rising of late. Growing geriatric population across several regions of the world has been responsible for the exploding demand for neem-based face washes, creams, gels, and lotions. Numerous soaps, hand washes, and oral care products such as toothpastes also use neem as a core ingredient. The market for neem extracts is being driven by increasing consumer base, high disposable incomes of the people, and growth of the cosmetics industry.This review of the global neem extract market is based on a recent market research report by Transparency Market Research, titled Neem Extracts Market (Application - Personal Care, Pharmaceuticals, Chemicals and Fertilizers, and Animal Feed) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20132019.For the study, the market has been segmented as follows:Global Neem Extracts Market by ApplicationsPersonal CarePharmaceuticalsChemicals and FertilizersAnimal Feed and Pet CareOthersAbout 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 business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Resin Capsules Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017-2025

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Resin, catalyst, and other additives are packed in polythene tubes to form resin capsules. They are widely used as an anchoring medium in tunnel construction, civil engineering, and mining industries. The advantages of using resin capsules are fast anchorage to the surrounding strata, immediate transfer of high load, resistance from the lateral and horizontal strata movements by full column bonded bolts, provide rigidity and strength, seals dripping holes, wet and elimination of deterioration of hole, remains unaffected by fresh or sea water, mild alkalis, and mild acids, provides resistance to anchoring failure due to vibration or blasting, and are easy to install. The rapid industrialization and urbanization has increased the demand for resin capsules. The increasing use of resin capsules in construction and mining industry are the growth drivers for resin capsules market. Shorter shelf life and health hazard are some of the factors hindering the growth of the resin capsule market.Request Smaple of Resin Capsules-Market:Resin Capsules-Market TaxonomyOn the basis of catalyst type, the global resin capsules market is segmented into:Oil-BasedWater basedOrganic peroxidesOn the basis of resin type, the global resin capsules market is segmented into:AcrylicEpoxyPolyesterOthersOn the basis of end user, the global resin capsules market is segmented into:ConstructionMiningManufacturingOthersPolyester resin has the largest demand, owing to its superior properties such as UV resistance. The demand for resin capsule is largest in mining sector, however the demand in construction industry is rapidly increasing due to various infrastructure development programs.Get Best Discount on this report:Resin Capsules -Market OutlookAsia Pacific is the leading market for resin capsules, owing to high investments in construction and mining industries. Regions such as India, China, and Australia have mineral resources of zinc, copper, aluminum, coal, limestone, and other precious metals which boost the resin capsules market. The plan of Indian government to auction 280 mines in 2017-18 with expected mineral value of US$ 153.64, will further boost the market for resin capsules. Moreover, various investment plans such as US$ 83.2 million by Hindustan Zinc by 2018 and US$3.72 billion by NALCO by 2020 in India, will benefit the resin capsules market. The rapid infrastructure development in China, is also propelling the growth of the market.U.S. has a lucrative demand for resin capsules in mining and construction industry. The investments of around US$ 33 billion by Canada and US$ 1 trillion by USA on infrastructure development in 2017, will be contributing towards the growth of resin capsules market.The demand for resin capsules in Europe is expected to increase, owing to the infrastructure development and increasing mining industries.In Middle East and Latin America, the infrastructure projects such as US$ 200 billion as part of 2030 development plan in Qatar and US$ 70 million infrastructure development in Columbia will rise the demand for resin capsules. Furthermore, the mining activities in this region will cause the growth of the demand for resin capsules.Africa has rich mineral resource. The investments done by the African government and mining companies in mining sector, will propel the growth of resin capsules market.Check the Trending Report of Resins Capsules Market:Key Players in the Global Resins Capsules MarketThe companies are adopting various growth strategies such as mergers and acquisitions to sustain their market positions. Some key players operating in the resin capsule market include Arkema SA, Barnes Group Inc., Bohle AG, DYWIDAG-Systems International, Fischer Holding GmbH & CO., Hexion Inc., Rawlplug, Orica Limited, Sika AG, and Sormat OY.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 UsMr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200 Seattle,WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:
The global printed antennas market is poised to be worth US$12.87 bn by 2025: MRRSE

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A new report added to the repository of Market Research Reports Search Engine Printed Antenna Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025 is a comprehensive repository of information, providing market share, size, and forecast.Request For Free Sample Report:The global printed antenna market is displaying steadfast growth on account of high-value applications of printed antennas. The rising adoption of printed antennas in the aerospace and defense industry is catapulting growth of this market by leaps and bounds. This is because printed antennae in combination with radio frequency identification technology facilitates efficient data transfer needed in aircrafts, spacecraft, missiles for navigation and information sharing. Not only this, the cost effectiveness of printed antennae due to its easy fabrication using advanced printed circuit technology is fuelling their demand across several end-use industries.Apart from this, considerable research and development for improvement in printing quality and efficiency is further triggering the growth of this market.Printed antennas have substantial applications in telecommunications industry. These antennas form an integral component of several mobile communication devices thereby enhancing the data transmission capabilities of these devices. For example, the flourishing telecommunication industry in emerging economies such as India and China presents ample growth opportunities to the printed antennas market.As per a report by Transparency Market Research, the global printed antennas market is poised to be worth US$12.87 bn by 2025 increasing from US$6.66 bn in 2016 at a CAGR of 7.7% between 2017 and 2025.Browse Full Report with TOC:Application of Screen Printing across Industry Verticals Ramps up DemandThe global printed antennas market is divided into five segments of ink-jet printing, screen printing, flexography printing, gravure printing, and others based on printing technology. The segment of screen printing leads the market in terms of value. Being one of the traditional forms of printing technology, screen printing is suitable for printing on large number of substrates such as plastic, paper, cellophane, and others. In addition, its application across several verticals and high accuracy outcomes adds to the advantage of screen printing.However, ink-jet printing technology is expected to rise at a considerable CAGR over the forecast period. Ink-jet printing supports digital printing and thus has rising applications across industries. Flexography printing is the newest form of printing technology and finds widespread application in military packaging and labelling. With the growth of the pharmaceuticals and defense sectors, flexography printing technology is anticipated to secure considerable market share over the forecast period.In terms of end-use, the segments into which the global printed antennas market is divided are automotive, telecommunication, aerospace and defense, pharmaceuticals, and others. In 2016, aerospace and defense held the leading share of the global printed antennas market. Printed antennae in combination with radio frequency identification technology extends efficient data transfer capabilities. The increasing use of printed antennas in the pharmaceuticals sector as an add-on in blood flow monitoring devices is expected to bode well for this end-use segment over the reports forecast period.Ceaseless Penetration of Mobile Devices Catapults Asia Pacific MarketThe key geographical segments into which the global printed antenna market is divided are North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. North America holds the leading share in the overall market on the back of increasing use of printed technology in defense sector that uses printed antennas for design of aircrafts. This, along with the growing investment in telecommunication and healthcare sectors is boosting the growth prospect of printed antenna market in North America.On the other hand, Asia Pacific holds immense potential to contribute to the growth of printed antenna market on account of rising penetration of mobile devices in the region.Some of the leading players in the global printed antenna market profiled in this report are Neotech AMT GmbH, Shure Inc., nScrypt Inc., Optomec Inc., Optisys Inc., Cobham plc, GSI Technologies, Mars Antenna & RF System, Thales S.A, and Texas Instrument Inc.Enquire About this Report:About UsMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research 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 UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At:
2017-2022 Cloud Computing Server Report on Global and United States Market, Status and Forecast, by Players, Types and Applications

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This report studies the Cloud Computing Server market status and outlook of global and major regions, from angles of players, regions, product and end Application/industries; this report analyzes the top players in global and major regions, and splits the Cloud Computing Server market by product and Application/end industries.The global Cloud Computing Server market is valued at XX million USD in 2016 and is expected to reach XX million USD by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.The Asia-Pacific will occupy for more market share in following years, especially in China, also fast growing India and Southeast Asia regions.United States will still play an important role which cannot be ignored. Any changes from United States might affect the development trend of Cloud Computing Server.EU also play important roles in global market, with market size of xx million USD in 2016 and will be xx million USD in 2022, with a CAGR of XX.Download Sample Report Copy From Here:The major players in global market includeAdobe SystemsBlackboardCiscoEllucianDell EMCInstructureMicrosoftNetAppOracleSalesforce.comSAPGeographically, this report split global into several key Regions, with, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Cloud Computing Server for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast)United StatesEUJapanChinaIndiaSoutheast AsiaTable of Contents1 Industry Overview1.1 Cloud Computing Server Market Overview1.1.1 Cloud Computing Server Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Cloud Computing Server Market Size and Analysis by Regions (2012-2017)1.2.1 United States Cloud Computing Server Market Status and Outlook1.2.2 EU Cloud Computing Server Market Status and Outlook1.2.3 Japan Cloud Computing Server Market Status and Outlook1.2.4 China Cloud Computing Server Market Status and Outlook1.2.5 India Cloud Computing Server Market Status and Outlook1.2.6 Southeast Asia Cloud Computing Server Market Status and Outlook1.3 Cloud Computing Server Market by End Users/Application1.3.1 Company1.3.2 Governmental agencies1.3.3 Others2 Global Cloud Computing Server Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Global Cloud Computing Server Market Size (Million USD) by Players (2012-2017)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) Profiles and Key Data3.1 Adobe Systems3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Adobe Systems Cloud Computing Server Revenue (Million USD) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Blackboard3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Blackboard Cloud Computing Server Revenue (Million USD) (2012-2017)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Cisco3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Cisco Cloud Computing Server Revenue (Million USD) (2012-2017)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Ellucian3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Ellucian Cloud Computing Server Revenue (Million USD) (2012-2017)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 Dell EMC3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Dell EMC Cloud Computing Server Revenue (Million USD) (2012-2017)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 Instructure3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Instructure Cloud Computing Server Revenue (Million USD) (2012-2017)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 Microsoft3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Microsoft Cloud Computing Server Revenue (Million USD) (2012-2017)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 NetApp3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 NetApp Cloud Computing Server Revenue (Million USD) (2012-2017)3.8.5 Recent Developments3.9 Oracle3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 Oracle Cloud Computing Server Revenue (Million USD) (2012-2017)3.9.5 Recent Developments3.10 Salesforce.com3.10.1 Company Profile3.10.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.10.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.10.4 Salesforce.com Cloud Computing Server Revenue (Million USD) (2012-2017)3.10.5 Recent Developments3.11 SAP4 Global Cloud Computing Server Market Size Application (2012-2017)4.1 Global Cloud Computing Server Market Size by Application (2012-2017)4.2 Potential Application of Cloud Computing Server in Future4.3 Top Consumer / End Users of Cloud Computing Server5 United States Cloud Computing Server Development Status and Outlook5.1 United States Cloud Computing Server Market Size (2012-2017)5.2 United States Cloud Computing Server Market Size and Market Share by Players (2012-2017)5.3 United States Cloud Computing Server Market Size by Application (2012-2017)6 EU Cloud Computing Server Development Status and Outlook6.1 EU Cloud Computing Server Market Size (2012-2017)6.2 EU Cloud Computing Server Market Size and Market Share by Players (2012-2017)6.3 EU Cloud Computing Server Market Size by Application (2012-2017)7 Japan Cloud Computing Server Development Status and Outlook7.1 Japan Cloud Computing Server Market Size (2012-2017)7.2 Japan Cloud Computing Server Market Size and Market Share by Players (2012-2017)7.3 Japan Cloud Computing Server Market Size by Application (2012-2017)8 China Cloud Computing Server Development Status and Outlook8.1 China Cloud Computing Server Market Size and Forecast (2012-2017)8.2 China Cloud Computing Server Market Size and Market Share by Players (2012-2017)8.3 China Cloud Computing Server Market Size by Application (2012-2017)9 India Cloud Computing Server Development Status and Outlook9.1 India Cloud Computing Server Market Size and Forecast (2012-2017)9.2 India Cloud Computing Server Market Size and Market Share by Players (2012-2017)9.3 India Cloud Computing Server Market Size by Application (2012-2017)10 Southeast Asia Cloud Computing Server Development Status and Outlook10.1 Southeast Asia Cloud Computing Server Market Size and Forecast (2012-2017)10.2 Southeast Asia Cloud Computing Server Market Size and Market Share by Players (2012-2017)10.3 Southeast Asia Cloud Computing Server Market Size by Application (2012-2017)11 Market Forecast by Regions and Application (2017-2022)11.1 Global Cloud Computing Server Market Size (Million USD) by Regions (2017-2022)11.1.1 United States Cloud Computing Server Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.2 EU Cloud Computing Server Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.3 China Cloud Computing Server Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.4 Japan Cloud Computing Server Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.5 Southeast Asia Cloud Computing Server Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.1.6 India Cloud Computing Server Revenue and Growth Rate (2017-2022)11.2 Global Cloud Computing Server Market Size by Application (2017-2022)12 Cloud Computing Server Market Dynamics12.1 Cloud Computing Server Market Opportunities12.2 Cloud Computing Server Challenge and Risk12.2.1 Competition from Opponents12.2.2 Downside Risks of Economy12.3 Cloud Computing Server Market Constraints and Threat12.3.1 Threat from Substitute12.3.2 Government Policy12.3.3 Technology Risks12.4 Cloud Computing Server Market Driving Force12.4.1 Growing Demand from Emerging Markets12.4.2 Potential Application13 Market Effect Factors Analysis13.1 Technology Progress/Risk13.1.1 Substitutes13.1.2 Technology Progress in Related Industry13.2 Consumer Needs Trend/Customer Preference13.3 External Environmental Change13.3.1 Economic Fluctuations13.3.2 Other Risk Factors14 Research Finding /Conclusion15 Methodology and Data Source15.1 Methodology/Research Approach15.1.1 Research Programs/Design15.1.2 Market Size Estimation15.1.3 Market Breakdown and Data Triangulation15.2 Data Source15.2.1 Secondary Sources15.2.2 Primary Sources15.2.3 DisclaimerBuy Now This Report From Here:Global QYResearch() is the one spot destination for all your research needs. 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Heat Guns Market To Grow Owing To Increasing Usage For Household, Commercial and Industrial Applications Till 2021 | Million Insights

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Global Heat Guns Market is segmented on the basis of Type spans Variable Temperature Heat Gun, and Dual Temperature Heat Gun. An instrument that is employed to release a stream of hot air at particular temperatures that can be held with the help of hand is called a heat gun. These types of guns typically have the form of a stretched out body that directs and points at what is to be heated. There is a handle that is fastened to it at right angles and a trigger in the similar general layout that acts as a handgun. They are also popularly known by other names like hot air guns or hot air stations.What actually a heat gun does is that it usually provides immediate, strong and controlled heat that can be centered and emphasized on a particular object, surface, or an area. It has been observed that heat guns have occupied the position of the traditional and conventional technique of applying intense heat as its utilization has been proved much secure and harmless as compared to the open flame.Full Research Report On Global Heat Guns Market Analysis available at:As far as the appearance and construction is concerned, it is very much identical to a hair dryer. However, the air that it gives off is at a very high temperature and the air is normally strained over the element and thereafter heated in the heat guns market. Heat guns find a variety of applications across several sectors ranging from physics, materials science, chemistry, engineering, to many other laboratory and workshop settings.Electronics is another field where heat guns are extensively used to desolder and rework surface-mounted circuit board components. Their utilization is also seen for functional testing of overheat protection devices, for securely simulating an overheat condition. It is known that numerous kinds of heat gun are used and operated at a variety of temperatures. In addition, diverse airflow are also employed to carry out varied actions including strip paint, shrink heat shrink tubing, shrink film, and shrink wrap packaging, dry out damp wood, bend and weld plastic, soften adhesives, and thaw frozen pipes.Heat guns are basically those power tools whose application can be observed in both commercial and personal sectors. It is said that the commercial versions are a little more powerful and expensive as compared to the home versions. Heat Guns Market is segmented on the basis of Applications spans Household, Commercial, Industrial, and Others. Among all the applications, it has been noted that the commercial and industrial segments are occupying the largest share in the market. Heat Guns Market is segmented on the basis of geographical location into North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and India.As far as the geography is concerned, North America is currently being considered as the leader of the market, the reason being availability of advanced technology, and existence of leading manufacturers in the particular region. The key players operating in the Heat Guns Market include Bosch, Makita, Milwaukee, Dewalt, Wagner Spraytech, Black & Decker, Weller, Steinel, and Hitachi.Request for Free Sample Copy:This report studies Heat Guns in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with Production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, covering 3M BOSCH Dewalt Grainger Approved Milwaukee Apex Tool Group TE Connectivity Hitachi Alpha Wire Wahl Panduit Weller Westward Master Appliance Porter Cable Steinel Unique Bargains ATD Tools Mintcraft Central Tools Nippon Value Brand Craftsman Surebonder Kreinik TruePower TR Industries Drill MasterMarket Segment by Regions, this report splits Global into several key Region, with production, consumption, revenue, market share and growth rate of Heat Guns in these regions, from 2011 to 2021 (forecast), like North America China Europe Japan India Southeast AsiaSplit by product type, with production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided into Type I Type II Type IIISplit by application, this report focuses on consumption, market share and growth rate of Heat Guns in each application, can be divided into Application 1 Application 2 Application 3Related Reports of this Category available at Million Insights:Million Insights, is a distributor of market research reports, published by premium publishers only. We have a comprehensive market place that will enable you to compare data points, before you make a purchase. Enabling informed buying is our motto and we strive hard to ensure that our clients get to browse through multiple samples, prior to an investment. Service flexibility & the fastest response time are two pillars, on which our business model is founded. Our market research report store, includes in-depth reports, from across various industry verticals, such as healthcare, technology, chemicals, food & beverages, consumer goods, material science & automotive.Office No. 302, 3rd Floor, Manikchand Galleria,Model Colony, Shivaji Nagar, Pune, MH, 411016 IndiaPhone: 91-20-65300184Email: sales@millioninsights.com
Edible Packaging Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017-25

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Edible packaging materials are made from proteins, polysaccharides, and lipids which are transformed into thin films. The film is converted into bags and pouches which are then used for wrapping food. They are commonly termed as food wrapped in food. Food packaged in edible packaging material is safe for human consumption. The main purpose of edible packaging is to create a strong barrier between the food and the environment which increases shelf life and quality of food and also reduce waste generation. A large amount of food packaging material is found in landfills. Usage of edible packaging would reduce the waste generated by food packaging industry. For instance, products such as, yogurt are double packaged where each serving is packaged in container and many such containers are packed in a large container. If each serving is packaged in edible packages than only larger package would be required.Request sample of Edible packaging Market:Edible packaging provides advantages such as improvement in mechanical properties such as migration and permeation, minimization of respiration in vegetables and fruits, limitation in movement of moisture and other gases, enhancement of sensory properties such as sheen, extension of shelf life and provide antioxidant or antimicrobial properties. They also provide health benefits by incorporation of minerals, vitamins, and bioflavonoids. The aforementioned advantages of edible packaging and reduction of packaging wastage are the major growth drivers for edible packaging market. Furthermore, the increase in demand for processed food and technology advancements are fueling the market growth. The challenges for edible packaging industry are high cost of materials as compared to synthetic packaging and regulatory requirements.Edible Packaging -Market TaxonomyOn the basis of material type, the global edible packaging market is segmented intoProteinsGelatinCorn ZeinWheat glutenSoy proteinsOthersLipidsWaxes and ParaffinShellac ResinsAcetoglycerideOthersPolysaccharidesCellulose and derivativesChitin and ChitosanStarchOthersSurfactantsComposite filmsOn the basis of end user, the global edible packaging market is segmented intoFood and BeveragesPharmaceuticalsOthersGet best discount on this report:Lipid based edible packaging formed the largest segment in 2016 as they provide protection from moisture and provide sheen which enhances aesthetics of the product. Protein based material is the fastest growing segment due the health benefits of proteins such as improvement in immunity and energy levels and maintains proper functioning of the body. Composite films are made by combination of materials to make a structurally strong and resistant packaging material. Moreover, proteins provides desirable mechanical and optical properties which helps them to prevent contamination by foreign substances. The demand for edible packaging is high in food and beverages industry.Edible Packaging -Market OutlookNorth America has highest producers and consumers of edible packaging. Thus, it has the highest demand for edible packaging. US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that 30.2% of household waste is from food packaging. Edible packaging is an excellent solution to reduce this waste. However, US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should accept edible packaging material in the category of generally recognized as safe (GRAS).In Europe, European Union ensures that the packaging material does not harm the food products or affect the taste, composition or odor of the food and also makes sure that the regulations are considered by the edible packaging industry. The importance of reducing waste and prolonging shelf life are driving the market of edible packaging in Europe.Asia Pacific is a lucrative market for edible packaging owing to increasing awareness about its benefits. The increasing disposable income of the consumers which influences the standard of living is growing the edible packaging market in this region.The edible packaging market is projected to grow in Latin America and Middle East owing to increase in urbanization, improvement in standard of living, and adoption of processed and packaged food. Furthermore, launch of various innovative products has augmented the growth. For instance, Bobs which is a fast food chain in Brazil serves burgers in edible papers since December 2012.Although there is low market penetration in Africa, innovations, creativity and sustainability awareness are increasing which in turn positively affects the edible packaging market.Check the trending report ofKey Players in the Edible Packaging MarketThe companies are adopting various organic and inorganic growth strategies to retain their market position. Some players operating in the edible packaging market include BluWrap, Devro PLC, JRF Technology LLC, MonoSol LLC, Safetraces Inc., Skipping Rocks Lab, Tate & Lyle Plc, Tipa Corp, Watson, Inc, and WikiCell Designs Inc.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.comVisit our news Website:
Global Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software Market Segmentation and Analysis by Recent Trends, Development and Growth by Regions to 2022

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Market Overview on Global Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software Industry:The research report titled Global Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software Market offers useful insights into the trends and the factors that propel this Global market. This market study comprehensively discusses the salient features of the Global Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software market in terms of the market structure and landscape, the challenges, demand factors, and the expected market performance.Download Sample Copy@The Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software market is characterized by constant technological innovation to keep pace with the changing industrial needs. This Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software Market report provides detailed analysis of worldwide markets for Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software from 2012-2017 and provides extensive market forecasts 2017-2022 by region/country and subsectors.The report firstly introduced the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software Market basics: definitions, classifications, applications and market overview; product specifications; manufacturing processes; cost structures, raw materials and so on. Then it analyzed the worlds main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, supply, demand and market growth rate and forecast etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.Scope of the ReportThis report studies the Global Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software market, analyzes and researches the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software development status and forecast in Global, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia.This report focuses on the Following top players:Siemens PLM Software, SAP, Oracle, Dassault Systemes, Deltek Costpoint, Aras, daPulse, Fast React Systems, Dozuki, PROCADMarket segment by Type, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software can be split intoPDM, CAD, CAE, FEA, MOM, OthersMarket segment by Applications,Mechanical Equipment, Automotive Industry, Shipping & Locomotive, Othersadditionally, this report recognizes pin-point investigation of adjusting competition subtleties and keeps you ahead in the competition. It offers a fast looking perception on different variables driving or averting the development of the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software market. It helps in understanding the key product areas and their future. It guides in taking knowledgeable business decisions by giving complete constitutions of the market and by enclosing a comprehensive analysis of market subdivisions. To sum up, it equally gives certain graphics and personalized SWOT analysis of premier market sectors.This Study on the Global Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software Market is an all-inclusive study of the business sectors up-to-date outlines, industry enhancement drivers, and manacles. It provides market projections for the coming years. It contains an analysis of late augmentations in innovation, Porters five force model analysis and progressive profiles of hand-picked industry competitors. The report additionally formulates a survey of minor and full-scale factors charging for the new applicants in the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software market and the ones as of now in the market along with a systematic value chain exploration.Make Enquiry for this Report @Table of ContentGlobal Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software Market Research Report 20171 Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software1.2 Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2012-2022)2 Global Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software Market Competitions by Manufacturers3 Global Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software Capacities, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)4 Global Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)5 Global Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software Productions, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6 Global Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software Market Analyses by Application7 Global Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis10 Southeast Asia Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software Development Status and Outlook11 Market Forecast by Regions, Type and Application (2017-2022)12 Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software Market Dynamics13 Market Effect Factors AnalysisContinuedView Complete Report@About Reports Monitor: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 usJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Global Energy Storage Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 20.18% by 2023

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Market HighlightsEnergy storage can be described as a technology that provides a preference to source power as and when required without backsliding to conventional energy sources. These energy systems are highly efficient and acts as flexible generation when needed. Energy storage systems can contribute to optimal use of generation and grid assets, and support emissions reductions in several economic sectors.Energy storage can be described as a technology that provides a preference to source power as and when required without backsliding to conventional energy sources. These energy systems are highly efficient and acts as flexible generation when needed. Energy storage systems can contribute to optimal use of generation and grid assets, and support emissions reductions in several economic sectors.The growing attention and substantial investment in renewable power energy generation is rigorously driving the global energy storage market. Major economies around the world are highly focusing on developing the renewable energy power generation so as to reduce their dependency on conventional power generation through fossil fuels. Renewable energy currently holds a substantial share in total global energy production. In 2016, World Energy Council quoted that, hydropower accounted for about 30% of the total global installed power generating capacity and about 23% of total global electricity produced.The Global Energy Storage Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 20.18% during the forecast period.Key PlayersThe key players of global energy storage market are AES Corporation (U.S), Tesla Inc. (U.S), General Electric Company (U.S), Voith GmbH (Germany), Sulzer Ltd. (Switzerland), Hydrostor Inc. (Canada), Highview Power Storage (U.K), Linde AG (Germany), Hydrogenics Corporation (Canada) and SolarReserve, LLC. (U.S).Request a Sample Copy @Europe region market is expected to grow at the fastest rate and hold the largest market size in forecast period.Europe region is the leading market for energy storage market and is followed by Asia-Pacific. Europe currently has about a cumulative energy storage capacity of approximately 30 GW. Open pumped hydro storage contributed about 25 GW and the remaining 5 GW capacity came through batteries, compressed air storage and thermal & electro-chemical energy storage. The Europe is addressing these new challenges in the energy system by promoting innovation in key technologies and developing suitable market rules. Technological innovation in storage falls under the Horizon 2020 programme and the Strategic Energy Technology Plan.Market Research AnalysisMechanical energy storage segment by type in global energy storage is expected to dominate market in forecast period.Mechanical energy storage, primarily refers to technologies, which convert electricity to mechanical or potential energy, and then store it as electricity, for later use. Currently, pumped hydro storage (PSH), compressed air energy storage and liquid air energy storage are generally considered the most mature method for electricity storage, with about PSH representing 99% of the currently installed electricity storage capacity. The growing demand for mechanical energy storage from the emerging economies, such as, Spain, Germany, China and India among others, are the key factor for driving the mechanical energy storage segment by type in global energy storage market.Scope of the ReportThe scope of the study segments the global energy storage market by its type, by end-user, by regions.By Type Mechanical Thermal Electro-Chemical ChemicalBy End-User Utility Commercial & Industrial ResidentialBy Regions North America Asia Pacific Europe Rest of the WorldFor further information on this report, visit @Table of Content1 Executive Summary2 Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.3 Assumptions2.4 Market Structure3 Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size Estimation3.5 Forecast Model4 Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers 214.1.1 Evolution in renewable energy power generation4.1.2 Gradual downfall in technology cost4.1.3 Increasing application of energy storage in all end-user industries4.2 Growth Drivers: Impact Analysis4.3 Restraints4.3.1 High initial capital investment 224.4 Growth Barriers: Impact Analysis4.5 Opportunity5 Market Factor AnalysisContinueList of TablesTable 1 Market Synopsis 13Table 2 Growth Drivers: Impact Analysis 22Table 3 Growth Barriers: Impact Analysis 23Table 4 Global Energy Storage Market, By Type, 2015-2023 (Usd Million) 33Table 5 Mechanical: Global Energy Storage Market, By Sub-Type, 2015-2023 (Usd Million) 34Table 6 Electro-Chemical: Global Energy Storage Market, By Type, 2015-2023 (Usd Million) 34Continue.List of FiguresFigure 1 Research Process Of Mrfr 16Figure 2 Top Down & Bottom Up Approach 18Figure 3 Forecast Model For Energy Storage Market 19Figure 4 Drivers, Restraints, And Opportunities Of Global Energy Storage Market 20Figure 5 Porter's 5 Forces Analysis Of Global Energy Storage Market 24Continue.Enquire about this Report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Agricultural Insurance Market Analysis- Size, Share, Growth, Industry Demand, Forecast, Application Analysis To 2017

Global Agricultural Insurance Market

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Agricultural insurance protects against loss of or damage to crops or livestock. It has great potential to provide value to low-income farmers and their communities, both by protecting farmers when shocks occur and by encouraging greater investment in crops. However, in practice its effectiveness has often been constrained by the difficulty of designing good products and by demand constraints.Get a Sample of Agricultural Insurance Market research report from Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Agricultural Insurance 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.Major Players Included in Agricultural Insurance Market:PICCZurich (RCIS)ChubbQBEChina United Property InsuranceAmerican Financial GroupPrudentialXL CatlinEverest Re GroupEndurance SpecialtyCUNA MutualAgriculture Insurance Company of IndiaTokio MarineCGB Diversified ServicesFarmers Mutual HailArcher Daniels MidlandNew India AssuranceICICI LombardScope of the Agricultural Insurance Industry on the basis of region:North 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)Browse full Report with table of contents and data tables For Agricultural Insurance Market Report @Market Segment by Type, covers:Market Segment by Applications, can be divided into:Crop/MPCICrop/HailLivestockOthersThere are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Agricultural Insurance market.Chapter 1, to describe Agricultural Insurance Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Agricultural Insurance, with sales, revenue, and price of Agricultural Insurance, 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, revenge and market share of Agricultural Insurance, 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 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, Agricultural Insurance market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Agricultural Insurance sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceCheck for Discount @Some points from TOC:-1 Market Overview1.1 Agricultural Insurance Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Crop/MPCI1.3.2 Crop/Hail1.3.3 Livestock1.3.4 Others1.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)1.4.1.1 USA Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.2 Canada Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.3 Mexico Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)1.4.2.1 Germany Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.2 France Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.3 UK Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.4 Russia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2.5 Italy Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)1.4.3.1 China Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.2 Japan Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.3 Korea Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.4 India Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.3.5 Southeast Asia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4 South America, Middle East and Africa1.4.4.1 Brazil Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.2 Egypt Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.3 Saudi Arabia Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.4 South Africa Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.4.5 Nigeria Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Market Opportunities1.5.2 Market Risk1.5.3 Market Driving Force.ContinuedFor more help Speak to our Experts @No. of Report Pages: 117Price of Report (Single User Licence): $3480About Global Info Reports:GIR Market Research is a company that simplifies how analysts and decision makers get industry data for their business. Our unique colossal technology has been developed to offer refined search capabilities designed to exploit the long tail of free market research whilst eliminating irrelevant results. GIR Market Research is the collection of market intelligence products and services on the Web. We offer reports and update our collection daily to provide you with instant online access to the worlds most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends.Contact us:+1-888-376-9998 (US)Email- sales@globalinforeports.comWeb-
Frozen Ready Meal Market- Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017-2025

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Ready Meals are complete meals that are already prepared, which are available in trays and require to be heated before serving. Frozen foods are said to be preserved foods, which resist the decay process and inhibit bacterial growth. Socio-economic expansion such as increasing women labor pool and increasing number of single member households has resulted in an increase in demand for convenience and minimal preparation foods that help save time and effort. Increase in growth of tourism and robust gross domestic product (GDP) are projected to increase demand for frozen foods. Moreover, product availability and retail shelf space play a key role in triggering growth of the frozen ready meal market. Distribution is a key factor in the current frozen food market. The factors hindering growth of this market include increasing number of private labels and local and unorganized brands. The innovative packaging of private and local brands attracts an enormous amount of consumers, ultimately fueling growth of the global market. Increase in the number of manufacturers of frozen food in the recent past, has led to large competition in the global market. Low cost of products provided by various suppliers has created a greater opportunity for users to choose a preferred supplier from the large number of global suppliers available in the market.Request Sample of Frozen Ready Meal Market:Frozen Ready Meal Market Taxonomy:On the basis of product type, the global market is segmented into:VegetablesSnacksSoupsMeat and PoultryPotatoesPieFrozen seafoodOthersOn the basis of moisture content, the global market is segmented into:Low moisture contentMedium moisture contentHigh moisture contentOn the basis of ingredient, the global market is segmented into:Natural colorHigh Intensity SweetenersFatty acidsFlavourantNatural FlavorsOn the basis of distribution channel, the global market is segmented into:SupermarketsHypermarketsConvenience storesSpecialty StoresOnlineAmong product type, the largest segments are soups and snacks. Frozen seafood and vegetables are expected to witness higher growth in the market over the forecast period. Supermarkets lead the distribution channel in the global scenario.Get discount on this report:Frozen Ready Meal Market Outlook- Europe holds a dominant position in the global frozen ready meal market.Europe is the largest producer of frozen ready meals, followed by North America. Frozen ready meals have increased shelf life than chilled products, which helps maintain freshness and nutritional quality of the product. Thus, frozen ready meals are a more convenient alternative to chilled products, thus driving growth of frozen ready meals, in turn driving growth of the market globally. Frozen ready meals offer larger product collection ranging from various types of vegetables to beef, thus offering consumers the opportunity for product selection. The growth prospects of E-commerce and demand for natural and organic products have led to an increasing growth of frozen ready meal market. The amenity of having individual serving meals with reduced demand for preparation is gaining popularity, thus boosting demand for vendors selling ready to eat meals.Check the Trending Report of Frozen Ready Meal Market:Some of the key players in the global frozen ready meal market are ConAgra Brands Inc., Maple Leaf foods Inc., BRF, Tyson Foods Inc., Pinnacle Foods Inc., Campbells Soup, Sanquan Foods, McCain Foods (India) Pvt. Ltd., Kellogg NA Co., General Mills Inc., Greencore Group, Iceland Foods, Nomad Foods Europe Ltd., FRoSTA AG, Maple Leaf Foods, NICHIREI CORPORATION , The Schwans Shared Services, 2 Sisters Food Group, Ajinomoto Co. Inc., Amys Kitchen Inc., EUROPASTRY SA, and Fluery Michon.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 UsMr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comVisit our news Website:
Baby Diapers Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017- 2025

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Baby diapers are a part of baby care products, which allows baby to urinate or defecate without spoiling clothes or external environment. The major factors contributing to the growth of the global baby diaper market are the advantages provided by diapers, such as safety, comfort, convenience, ready availability, easy disposal and cost effectiveness. Diapers are healthy for infant skin, as they reduce rashes, irritations, and infections. They provide comfort to the infant by their perfect fit, softness, absorbency, and breathable nature. Other factors increasing the growth of baby diaper market are increase in literacy, urbanization, increase in number of working mothers, growing affluence, and increase in per capita spending.Request sample of Baby diapers market:Constantly increasing competition is the greatest challenge for diaper market. Major market players are continuously innovating their products to meet consumer demands. They are also conducting advertising campaigns to seek the attention of the consumer.Global Baby Diapers - Market TaxonomyBased on product type, global baby diapers market is segmented into:Cloth DiapersFlat Cloth DiapersFitted Cloth DiapersPre-Fold Cloth DiapersAll in one cloth diapersOther cloth diapersDisposable DiapersUltra adsorbent DiapersRegular disposable DiapersSuper Absorbent DiapersBio-Degradable DiapersTraining NappiesSwim pantsBiodegradable DiapersSmart DiapersOthersGet best discount on this report:Based on distribution channel, global baby diapers market is segmented into:SupermarketsHypermarketsConvenient StoresSpecialty StoresOnline or E-CommerceDisposable diapers are commonly preferred because of their easy use and disposal. Bio-degradable diapers are gaining popularity due to their eco-friendly nature. E-commerce has caused a significant growth in the global market for baby diapers by increasing market penetration.Global Baby Diapers Market OutlookNorth America is the largest market for baby diapers due to high literacy rate, working population, and product development. Baby diapers have reached a high level of penetration in the market in this region. Biodegradable diapers is expected to be a major growth promoter for baby diaper market in the USA due to environmental regulations.In Europe, there is a prominent demand for disposable diapers especially in Western Europe. Demand for biodegradable diapers is predicted due to environmental regulations imposed by European Union.Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market, owing to increase in birth rate, female literacy, and increase in disposable and dual income. Considering the potential of this market, many big companies such as P&G and Huggies are making impactful launches. The 2008 baby milk scandal in China has led to increase in foreign baby care products, thereby increasing the market for baby diapers especially in urban areas in China.Latin America has a potential for growth in baby diaper market due to increase in birth rate especially in Brazil, Chile, and Peru.Africa has a great potential of growth in baby diaper market, as it has highest birth rate especially in Niger, Mali and Uganda. However, the market penetration in this region is very low.In Middle East, urbanization, modernization, and increase in literacy rate will be the major growth drivers for baby diapers market.The companies are adopting various organic and inorganic growth strategies to sustain their market positions. In 2014, an innovative product introduced by KimberlyClark Corp. is a diaper alert with smart phone application of alerting parents when babies wet their diaper. Smart diaper is another innovative product introduced by Pixie scientific LLC, which tracks the health of the child. Key players operating baby diapers market include Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Procter and Gamble, Unicharm Corporation, Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA, Kao Corporation, Johnson & Johnson Private Ltd., Nobel Hygiene Pvt Ltd., Bummis, Fujian Shuangheng Group Co. Ltd., and Bumkins Inc.Check the trending report of Baby Diapers Market: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.comVisit our news Website:
Halal products Market, Trends, Outlook Halal products Industry Insights, Opportunity Analysis, share, size

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The recent past has witnessed a rampant rise in demand for halal-certified products. This is mainly attributed to rampant growth in demand from end-use industries such as meat, beverages, and processed food. The halal products market is also diversifying from food segment to healthcare, pharmaceutical, toiletries, and other personal care products.Request sample of Halal products Market:The growth of Muslim population is the major driving factor of this market. Moreover, the rising development in the East and South East Asian countries has led to the increase in purchasing power among the population, further, augmenting the growth of Halal products market. The improvement in the supply chain in the retail sector is adding to the demand for Halal food products thereby adding to the growth of the halal products. Further, multilateral trade agreements and rise in consumption of halal products by other communities has boosted the flow of halal products in the global market.. However, the major restraint of halal products is the absence of standards of halal products globally and the companies operating in this field are required to seek certification from each country separately.Halal Product Market Taxonomy:On the basis of product type, the Halal Product Market can be classified as:Processed food and beverages.Halal meat productsHalal convenience foodHalal dairy productsHalal sauces, seasoning and condimentsOthersPharmaceuticalsCosmetics and personal careSkin Care ProductsColor Cosmetics ProductsLip Care ProductsEye Care ProductsNail Care ProductsFace Care ProductsHair Care ProductsFragrances ProductsOthersGet best discount on this report:On the basis of distribution channel, the Halal products market can be classified as:SupermarketHypermarketConvenience StorehttpsRetail StoreSpecialty StoreOnline store.Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics are the new addition to the Halal Products market along with health supplements. For instance, LOreal has obtained halal certification for its ingredients to cater the demands. Moreover, the online platform has seen major growth due to increased smart phone penetration in the emerging countries.Halal Products Market outlook:Asia pacific market is expected to show significant growth during the forecast period owing to the rise in the Muslim population. Moreover, the growth of retail sector in countries like India, China, Malaysia, and Indonesia are further increasing the growth of Halal products in Asia pacific.The halal products market in Europe has a steady growth owing to the less Muslim population in the region. However, Halal product market is rising due to increase in number of manufacturers in the region and non- Muslim consumers getting attracted due to the products safety and hygiene.The Middle East and Africa are expected to have substantial market growth in the forecast year owing to the increase of Muslim population in the region. Moreover, the rise of development in the countries and the disposable income has been a major driving factor for the growth of Halal product market. In addition, the increasing number of the certified Halal product producers has substantially augmented the demand in the area.Check the trending report of Halal products Market:Key Players in the Global Halal Products MarketThe major players are adopting various organic and inorganic growth strategies. For instance, in 2014, Warees Halal, a division of MUIS subsidiary Warees Investments Pte Ltd, has been given the task of helping companies to attain certification and carries out audits for MUIS. The major players in the Halal product market include Nestle S.A., The Coca Cola Company, Kellogg's Company, Krafts Food Group Inc., Unilever Plc, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, and L'Oreal S.A.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.comVisit our news Website:
Processed Food Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017-25

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Food which is altered using freezing, baking, and drying is called processed food. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines processed food as any raw agricultural products that has been subjected to cleaning, washing, milling, chopping, cutting, heating, blanching, pasteurizing, cooking, freezing, canning, drying, mixing, packaging, dehydrating or other procedures that modify the food from its natural state. Such process may include the additional ingredients such as flavors, nutrients, preservatives. These products are having a demand in the global market due to its advantages such as easy cooking or immediate consumption, easy handling, preservation, and storage. Changing lifestyle, safety, and convenience are the major driving factors for the global processed food market. Excellent marketing strategies for such products also play an important role. Innovative packaging is used by processed food industry which in turn increases the demand for the global packaging industry.The major challenge for the global processed food industry is the health awareness, food contamination, and government regulations. The health problems associated with preservatives and other additives is a major concern. However, the major players are coming up with innovative ideas such as fortification of various nutrients in the processed food to overcome this problem.Request a sample copy of this report:Global Processed Food -Market TaxonomyThe global processed food market is segmented on the basis of process, products, and application.Based on process, global processed food market is segmented into:MinimallyHighlyBased on product type, global processed food market is segmented into:Plant basedFruitsVegetablesLegumesExtracted foodsOthersAnimal basedMilkPoultryFleshyOthersBased on application, global processed food market is segmented into:Baked foodsBaby foodBreakfast CerealBiscuitsCheeseChocolate confectionaryIce creamsInstant NoodlesNon-alcoholic drinksNutsPastaReady mealsSauces, Dressings and condimentsSoupsYogurtOthersBaked goods, baby foods, breakfast cereals, chips, nuts, sweet snacks, candy, pet food, ready to eat meals, cheese yoghurt, salad dressing, instant products are few examples of processed food which are gaining popularity in the market.Access Table of Content (TOC) of the report:Global Processed Food Market OutlookNorth America is the largest market for processed food due to increased snacking trend. Furthermore, busy lifestyle, packaging innovation and expanded lifestyle plays a major role in increasing demand of processed food.Europe has high demand for high quality and nutritious food. The strict government regulations is the major challenge in this market. The basic food hygiene and food law requirements are in Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 and in Regulation (EC) No 825/2004 which plays a dominant role in European processed food industry.Processed food market is fast growing in Asia pacific region due to increase in population and increase in consumer buying power. The consumer spending in ndia on processed food is expected to grow to US$ 3.6 trillion by 2020. Cost competitiveness along with availability of raw materials are the growth drivers for the processed food industry in India and China.In Latin America, urbanization and modernization is creating a demand for processed food. However, regulations such as, special 8% tax on high calorie food in Mexico from January 2014 will have a considerable effect on the processed food market. Also, it will increase the demand for nutritious processed food in these regions.In Middle East, the limited agricultural production because of the nature of climate, terrain and water scarcity has led to a significant increase in the processed food market.United Nations estimated that the population of Africa will be doubled by 2020 which will be a market driver in this region. Low market penetration is the major restraint in Africa.Key players in the global processed food marketThe companies are adopting various organic and inorganic growth strategies to sustain their market positions such as partnership and mergers. For instance, in 2015, Krafts food and Hienz merged to expand their business. Also, Tyson food collaborated with Godrej India in 2008. Some of the important players in the global food industry market are Nestle, General Mills, Kraft Food, Inc., ConAgra foods, Inc., Tyson Foods, Kelloggs, Frito-Lay, JBS Food, Smithfield Food, Inc. and Mars, Inc.View this full 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.comVisit our news Website:
Global and China Tissue Culture Dish Market Intelligence Report and Development Overview 2017-2022

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Tissue Culture Dish Market is set to Grow according to the Expcted CAGRThe Global Tissue Culture Dish Market Research Report Forecast 2017-2021 is a valuable source of insightful data for business strategists. It provides the Tissue Culture Dish industry overview with growth analysis and historical & futuristic cost, revenue, demand and supply data (as applicable). The research analysts provide an elaborate description of the value chain and its distributor analysis. This Tissue Culture Dish market study provides comprehensive data which enhances the understanding, scope and application of this report.This report provides comprehensive analysis ofKey market segments and sub-segmentsEvolving market trends and dynamicsChanging supply and demand scenariosQuantifying market opportunities through market sizing and market forecastingTracking current trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive insightsOpportunity mapping in terms of technological breakthroughsThe report is split segment wise considering the following key regionsNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanAnd more.The report covers major commercial contenders and there market valuation including the prices, revenue, growth rate and market share with below mentioned top playersSCBTSTEMCELL TechnologiesThe Potts LabE&K Scientific, Inc.SoCal BioMedicalAnd moreAccess a sample report on:Browse Full Report from:The report discusses the following contentTOCChapter 1 Tissue Culture Dish Market Overview:Product Overview and Scope of Tissue Culture DishTissue Culture Dish Market Segmentation by TypeChapter 2 Global Economic Impact on Tissue Culture Dish Industry:Global Macroeconomic Environment AnalysisGlobal Macroeconomic AnalysisChapter 3 Global Tissue Culture Dish Market Competition by Manufacturers:Global Tissue Culture Dish Production and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)Global Tissue Culture Dish Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)Global Tissue Culture Dish Average Price by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)Chapter 4 Global Tissue Culture Dish Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017):Global Tissue Culture Dish Production by Region (2012-2017)Global Tissue Culture Dish Production Market Share by Region (2012-2017)Global Tissue Culture Dish Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)Chapter 5 Global Tissue Culture Dish Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2012-2017):Global Tissue Culture Dish Consumption by Regions (2012-2017)North America Tissue Culture Dish Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2012-2017)Europe Tissue Culture Dish Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2012-2017)About UsReports Monitor (ReportsMonitor.com) is a platform for companies looking to meet their 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. The prime focus is to get reliable data, Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Contact UsJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Global Medium Voltage Cables Market is predicted to grow at more than 6% by 2023

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Market HighlightsA medium-voltage cable is a cable with a voltage rating of above 1kV up to 100 kV. The growing areas of application of the medium voltage cables, is due to its low cost, high operational efficiency, improved system stability, proper load distribution between circuits, easy and quick installation and convenient virtual deployment of medium voltage cables, anywhere in the power network. The Global Medium Voltage Cables Market is driven by the increasing need for reliable electric supply & subsequent investment in transmission & distribution network, grid expansion, and developing safe electrical infrastructure.Medium-voltage cables are widely accepted across the world in the industrial & commercial sectors as a reliable & safe method to supply electricity. Medium-voltage cables increases transmission capacity, improves system stability, controls voltage regulation and ensures proper load division among supply lines. The constant need for electricity and the worldwide growth in grid infrastructure, will aid in the growth of global medium voltage cables market over the forecast period. However, fluctuating material costs may restrain the global medium voltage cables market.Growing electricity demand coupled with growing concern for safe transmission & distribution of electricity and the increasing grid infrastructure, will boost the global medium voltage cables market size over the forecast timeline. The global medium voltage cables market has witnessed a noteworthy growth due to growing electricity demand worldwide, mainly from Asia-Pacific region such as China and India, where rapid industrialization and urbanization have boosted the demand for medium voltage cables in commercial, industrial and utilities sector.Global Medium Voltage Cables Market is predicted to grow at more than 6% by 2023Key PlayersThe key players of the global medium voltage cables market are General Cable Corporation (U.S), Nexans S.A. (France), NKT Cables Group A/S (Denmark), ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), Prysmian S.P.A. (Italy), Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. (Japan), Southwire Company, LLC (U.S) Kabelwerke Brugg AG (Switzerland), Hebei New Baofeng Wire & Cable Co., Ltd. (China), LS Cable & System Ltd. (South Korea) and EL Sewedy Electric Company (Egypt).Request a Sample Copy @Asia-Pacific region is expected to dominate the marketThe medium voltage cables market in the Asia-Pacific region currently holds a large share of the total volume of medium voltage cables and is expected to dominate the market during forecast period, whereas, North America holds the largest share of the global medium voltage cables market. Rapid urbanization & industrialization in countries such as China, India, Indonesia and Australia demand continuous electricity supply for operation of industries, data centers, emergency services, and commercial & household purposes. This is creating a lucrative market for medium voltage cables in this region. Ageing conventional transmission & distribution network in the region, often hinder the supply for continuous power.Scope of the ReportThis study provides an overview of the global medium voltage cables market, tracking three market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global medium voltage cables market by its voltage rating, by installation, by end-user and by regions.By Voltage Rating 1-25 kV 26-50 kV 51-75 kV 76-100 kVBy Installation Overhead Underground SubmarineBy End-User Utilities Industries CommercialBy Regions North America Asia Pacific Europe Rest of the WorldFor further information on this report @Table of content1... Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope Of The Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market Size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3... Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis4... Global Medium Voltage Cables Market, By Installation4.1 Introduction4.2 Overhead4.3 Underground4.4 Submarine5... Global Medium Voltage Cables Market, By Voltage RatingContinue.Enquire about this Report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Linerless Labels Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017-2025

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Linerless labels are labels, which do not have backing paper and sticks on the application of pressure. Its function is to protect the packaged material from air, moisture, and contamination from external sources. Linerless labels possess several advantages over standard labels, which include zero liner wastage that leads to more labels per roll, lesser waste disposal resulting in reduced carbon emission, less storage space & transportation cost, and less downtime in label production.Food & beverages industry is a major driver for the linerless labels market. Linerless labels are widely used on packaged food products and medicines. Growing demand for pharmaceutical supplies and environment-friendly labels are the main drivers for the linerless label market. The emerging economies and new food products create opportunities for this industry to grow more. Despite its advantages, the increasing price of raw materials restrains the growth of linerless labels market.Request a sample copy of this report:Linerless Labels Market TaxonomyOn the basis of composition, the linerless labels market is classified into:Face StockAdhesiveTopcoatOn the basis of printing Ink, the linerless labels market is classified into:Water-based InksUV-curable InksSolvent-based InksHot Melt-based InksOn the basis of printing technology, the linerless labels market is classified into:Digital PrintingFlexographic PrintingGravure PrintingScreen PrintingLithography PrintingOffset PrintingLetterpress PrintingOn the basis of end-use industry, the linerless labels market is classified into:Food & BeverageConsumers DurablesHome & Personal CarePharmaceuticalRetail LabelsOthersFace Stock is a self-adhesive composite material, which is used to print and boost the image of a brand. Topcoat is a thin layer of paint like ink that helps inks bond to a films surface. Adhesive is the bottom sticky part of linerless labels, which is responsible for the stickiness of labels to surface.Solvent contains volatile organic compounds, which are harmful when inhaled or ingested, hence the market has witnessed a rise in eco-solvent - based inks that are derived from mineral oils. Water-based inks do not contain volatile organic compound but are of lower quality compared to other inks. UV inks are dry and do not contain any solvent or water.Access Table of Content (TOC) of the report:Linerless Labels Market OutlookAsia Pacific is the largest and fastest growing market in the linerless labels market. This is attributed to the rapid growth of end-use industries such as food & beverages in the region. Growing concerns regarding food safety in China has boosted the packaged food market. In India, the government has allowed 100% FDI in food processing industries, which is expected to boost the market growth. According to the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the food processing sector will attract investments worth US$ 33 billion during 2017-27North America and Europe are dominant markets in the packaged food market which has resulted in digital printing packaging market growth. A growing need for visually appealing packaging to attract youth customers has boosted market. The goals of aesthetically appealing packaging is to reflect the quality of the product. High quality and simplistic packaging designs are preferred by consumers.Latin America has 28% of the worlds arable land and 33% of the worlds freshwater supply. The food industry in this region is expected to supplement its growing populations and other regions such Europe and North America.Middle East has witnessed burgeoning growth in packaged food and pharmaceutical industry. The demand has been fuelled by a shift towards western trends such as ready-to-eat foods, pre packed meals and nutritional supplements. Increased automation by the major players such as Al Thika is expected to meet the rising demand of the region.Africa has witnessed rising growth in manufacturing sectors in countries of Nigeria, Ethiopia, Morocco, Senegal and South Africa. This has translated into growth of all end user industries thus augmenting digital printing packaging market growth.Major players in the linerless labels market are The 3M company (U.S.), Coveris Holdings S.A. (U.S.), CCL Industries Inc. (Canada), Constantia Flexible Group GMBH (Austria), RR Donnelley & Sons Company (U.S.), Gipako (Europe), Hub Labels (U.S.), Cenveo Corporation (U.S.), Reflex Labels (U.K.), and Raveenwood Packaging (U.K.).View this full 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.comVisit our news Website:
AT Automotive Torque Converter Market Competitive Analysis and Forecasts till 2022

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AT Automotive Torque Converter MarketWorldwide AT Automotive Torque Converter market research report provides the newest industry data and industry future trends, allowing you to identify the products and end users driving Revenue growth and profitability.AT Automotive Torque Converter Market report provides key statistics on the market status of the AT Automotive Torque Converter Industrialists and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the AT Automotive Torque Converter Industry.The industry report lists the leading competitors and provides the insights strategic industry Analysis of the key factors influencing the market.For Requesting a Sample Copy of This Report, Please Visit @The report includes the forecasts, Analysis and discussion of important industry trends, market size, market share estimates and profiles of the leading industry Players.Global AT Automotive Torque Converter Market: Product Segment AnalysisSingle-stage Type, Multistage TypeGlobal AT Automotive Torque Converter Market: Application Segment Analysis:4AT, 6ATGlobal AT Automotive Torque Converter Market: Regional Segment Analysis:USA. Europe. Japan. China. India. South East AsiaThe Players mentioned in our report:EXEDY, Kapec, ZF, Yutaka Giken, Schaeffler, Valeo, Allison Transmission, Precision of New Hampton, Aerospace Power, AisinBrowse Full Table of Contents and Report Description @Table of ContentsChapter 1 World AT Automotive Torque Converter Market share1.1 Major Production Market share by Players1.2 Major Revenue (M USD) Market share by Players1.3 Major Production Market share by Regions in 2017, Through 20221.4 Major Revenue (M USD) Market share By Regions in 2017, Through 2022Chapter 2 Supply Chain Analysis2.1 Industry Supply chain Analysis2.2 Raw material Market Analysis2.2.1 Raw material Prices Analysis 2012-20172.2.2 Raw material Supply Market Analysis2.2 Manufacturing Equipment Suppliers Analysis2.3 Production Process Analysis2.4 Production Cost Structure Benchmarks2.5 End users Market AnalysisContinuedAbout UsReports Monitor (ReportsMonitor.com) 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 UsJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Global Airport Security Industry to grow at 7% CAGR from 2017 to 2024

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Airport Security Market size was estimated at over USD 9 billion in 2016, and this is set to exceed USD 16 billion by 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc.High penetration of these solutions is due to the demand for advanced security systems such as biometrics in identity and access monitoring, contactless entryway checkpoints, x-ray scanners, and thermal cameras. Conventional security measures employ invasive procedures and protocols such as physical checks and body pat-downs which are highly uncomfortable.Request for a sample of this research report @To boost passenger convenience, airport security industry vendors are investing in R&D activities for the development of technologies such as x-ray scanners. In high-risk settings, preventive measures are required over reactive technologies. In such cases, it is essential to track and forecast security threats in contrast to taking measures to fix the issues after their occurrence.The rising penetration of smart technologies and IoT in airports is fueling the demand for airport security industry. These include technologies such as remote check-ins, sensor equipment, e-gates, RFID baggage reconciliation systems, etc. A major portion of the data is collected in real-time and stored in large central databases. The presence of security issues in such cases can leave the data vulnerable to attacks from internal and external parties. Wireless tracking technologies, for instance, can allow a hacker to utilize triangular algorithms or Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) Information to track the location of the Wi-Fi end-point user and unearth historical data such as the route taken by the users, purchasing data, etc.A major factor contributing to the high growth of the airport security market is the increase in the traveler populations, primarily in the Middle East and Asia Pacific. Large scale globalization and rapid industrialization is driving the movement of goods and people across country borders. Owing to this, airports in urban locations are increasingly experiencing high passenger traffic causing governments of varying economies to undertake massive projects for the upgrade of existing technologies and the development of new airports. In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the U.S government has increased the stringency of security procedures in and around the aircraft and passenger areas.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @The airport surveillance system market is anticipated to exhibit substantial growth during the forecast time-period. These systems are required to be functional at all times and sense multiple movements occurring at varying ranges. Additionally, these systems are supposed to function effectively in intense environmental conditions such as fog and storms and capture images in reduced visibility settings. The advent of 4K cameras and video units has revolutionized the airport security industry owing to their sharper and improved image quality and provide coverage for a wider area.The North America airport security market is anticipated to dominate in terms of revenue in the following years. This is mainly attributed to the high emphasis of the U.S government on security measures such as surveillance cameras and cyber security solutions. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has launched the testing of 3D checkpoint scanning technology at the Phoenix Sky Harbor and the Logan International Airport. The computed tomography screening equipment improves the threat detection capabilities by providing a more through 3D image of the screened cargo.Browse key industry insights spread across 126 pages with 59 market data tables & 30 figures & charts from the report, Airport Security Market Size By Technology (Perimeter Security, Cybersecurity, Surveillance, Screening, Access Control), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, France, China, India, Japan, ANZ, Brazil, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Africa), Application Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2017 - 2024 in detail along with the table of contents:Some of the players operating in the global airport security market include Thales Group, American Science and Engineering, Inc, Westminster Group PLC, Axis Communications, Scanna MSC Ltd., Bosch Security Systems, RedXDefense LLC, Fisher Research Laboratory, Hitachi Ltd, OSI Systems, Inc., and MilliVision Technologies.Companies are increasingly entering into long term partnerships with airports for the testing and deployment of their technologies. For instance, Izmir International Airport has entered into an agreement with Tyco Security Products for the provision of unified security solutions such as access control, location monitoring, and intrusion tracking.About Global Market Insights: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 us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone:1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:
Propeller Shafts Market Insights, Business Overview and Scope from 2017 to 2022

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ReportsWeb.com has announced the addition of the Global Propeller Shafts Industry 2017 Market Research Report The report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification.In this report, the global Propeller Shafts 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 Propeller Shafts in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast) , coveringUnited StatesEUChinaJapanSouth KoreaIndiaGet a Sample copy atGlobal Propeller Shafts market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingGKNNTNDanaNexteerHyundai-WiaIFA RotorionAAMJTEKTNeapcoMeritorShowaSeohan GroupHITACHIDongfengOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoSingle PieceTwo PieceThree PieceOn 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, includingPassenger VehicleCommercial VehicleComplete report is available atTable of Contents:1 Propeller Shafts Market Overview2 Global Propeller Shafts Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Propeller Shafts Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)4 Global Propeller Shafts Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)5 Global Propeller Shafts Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6 Global Propeller Shafts Market Analysis by Application7 Global Propeller Shafts Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 GKN7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Propeller Shafts Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 GKN Propeller Shafts Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 NTN7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Propeller Shafts Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 NTN Propeller Shafts Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Dana7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Propeller Shafts Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Dana Propeller Shafts Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview8 Propeller Shafts Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global Propeller Shafts Market Forecast (2017-2022)13 Research Findings and ConclusionGet Discount atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email:sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.533, 5th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
The global flexible battery market is expected to be worth US$2437.6 mn by 2025: MRRSE

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A new report added to the repository of Market Research Reports Search Engine Flexible Battery Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025 is a comprehensive repository of information, providing market share, size, and forecast.Request For Free Sample Report:The flexible battery market is presently at a nascent stage and is anticipated to rise rapidly with increasing research and development taking place in the field of battery technology. Huge investments from companies such as Panasonic Corp. and Samsung SDI Corp. Ltd. among others is expected to have a positive impact in the field of battery technology.Flexible batteries are light weight and easy to use and are increasingly used in products with limited internal space. As flexible battery are thin and bendable, they can be used as power sources on curved surfaces. Moreover, these batteries are eco-friendly and have low impact on the environment.The growth of global flexible battery market is driven by factors such as rising demand for IoT devices. Technological advancement in portable devices is expected to fuel growth of the global flexible battery market over the forecast period. Flexible batteries are used in portable devices as they can be adjusted in any size for different purposes.The surging demand for wearable devices in the past few years is positively impacting the growth of this market. With innovation in wearable electronics, the demand for flexible power source with high performance that can be integrated into various products is expected to be on the rise. Moreover, the increasing demand for thin flexible batteries across various application segments such as smart cards, medical devices, and wearable devices due to its low self-discharge rate is anticipated to have a positive bearing on this market over the forecast period.The global flexible battery market was valued at US$230.0 mn in 2016 and is expected to be worth US$2437.6 mn by 2025, rising at a CAGR of 32.9% between 2017 and 2025.Smart Packaging End-use Segment to Continue Dominance in FutureThe global flexible battery market is segmented in terms of chargeability into chargeable flexible battery and single use flexible battery. Of the two, the segment of chargeable flexible battery held the leading share in 2016 and is expected to retain its dominance during the forecast period.Browse Full Report With TOC:On the basis of product type, the market is segmented into thin film and printed battery, flexible zinc carbon battery, laminar lithium-polymer battery, and advanced lithium ion battery. Thin film and printed battery, among these, held the leading market share in 2016 and is anticipated to maintain its dominance over the forecast period.In terms of end user, the market is segmented into consumer electronics, smart packaging, healthcare, and transportation and logistics among others. Smart packaging displayed the leading demand for flexible batteries in 2016 accounting for 26.6% of revenue contribution. The segment is expected to display rapid growth owing to development of smart packaging industry across various parts of the world. The segment of smart packaging is anticipated to display the leading demand for flexible batteries among other end-use segments.Asia Pacific to Emerge as Significant MarketOn the basis of geography, the global flexible battery market is segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. In 2016, North America held the leading share of 32.5% in the market and was followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. The North America flexible battery market is predominantly driven by the U.S. This is due to the presence of a large number if flexible battery manufacturers combined with rising investment in extensive research and development pursuits in the field of battery technology.Top companies operating in the global flexible battery market include Panasonic Corporation, LG Chem Ltd., Ultralife Corporation, Blue Spark Technology, NEC Energy Solutions Inc., ST Microelectronics N.V., Enfucell Oy, Samsung SDI Co. Ltd., and Brightvolt Inc.Enquire About this Report:About UsMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research 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 UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At:
IT Operations and Service Management - Industry Key Players, Production Information Analysis and Forecast 2016 - 2024

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ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " IT Operations and Service Management (ITOSM) Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024 " to it's Large Report database.The research report on IT operations and service management (ITOSM) market provides a detailed analysis of how various organization use ITOSM solutions that helps to monitor, identify and recognize an irregular behavior of IT infrastructure and IT services and provide solutions aimed at improvement in management of the IT infrastructure. The IT operations and service management (ITOSM) market report provides analysis for the period from 2014 to 2024, wherein the period from 2016 to 2024 is the forecast period, 2015 is considered the base year, while data from 2014 has been considered as historical data. The report provides complete outlook of all the major countries across the geography of Asia Pacific, Latin America, North America, Europe, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). The Further, it also covers all the major trending factors and technologies supporting the growth of ITOSM market. Since not all the regions project similar growth, the reports also highlights the major factors supporting market expansion with respect to the region. In addition, opportunities that are anticipated to influence the market are also included in this report.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:Cloud computing is a dynamic trend that has significantly impacted on the way that business are operated. The increasing prevalence of cloud solutions has brought change in the operating models of an enterprise. Consolidation and centralization being the major advantage of the cloud based solutions, it has significantly accelerated the demand for ITOSM tools, and the report explains significance and impact of the factors trending and driving the market. Moreover, the report includes a broad coverage of underlying economic, environmental, and technological factors influencing the ITOSM market. An impact analysis of the key trends has additionally been provided for each geographic area in this report, keeping in mind the end goal to give an inside - out analysis of the situation of the ITOSM market, on a worldwide premise. The ITOSM market valuations are the outcome of our thorough market exploration, primary interviews, and in-house expert panel opinions.The report segments the global ITOSM market of by type into ITSM and ITOM, and subdivides the ITOM type into configuration, automation and discovery, event management, cloud provisioning, and workload and IT automation.Browse more details @Table of Contents1. Preface1.1. Research Scope1.2. Market Segmentation1.3. Research Methodology2. Executive Summary2.1. Global IT Operations and Services Management Market Snapshot2.2. Global IT Operations and Services Management Market Revenue, 2014  2024 (US$ Mn) and Year-on-Year Growth (%)3. Global IT Operations and Services Management Market Analysis, 2014  2024 (US$ Mn)3.1. Key Trends Analysis3.2. Market Dynamics3.2.1. Drivers3.2.2. Restraints3.2.3. Opportunities3.3. Global IT Operations and Services Management Market Analysis, By Type, 2014-2024 (US$ Mn)3.3.1. ITSM3.3.2. ITOM3.4. Global IT Operations Management Market Analysis, By Type, 2014-2024 (US$ Mn)3.4.1. Configuration Automation and Discovery3.4.2. Event Management3.4.3. Cloud Provisioning3.4.4. Workload and IT Automation3.5. Global IT Operations and Services Management Market Analysis, By Industry Vertical, 2014  2024 (US$ Mn)3.5.1. Banking, Financial Services & Insurance (BFSI)3.5.2. Telecom and ITAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMoz's service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at:
Automotive Labels Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017-2025

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Automotive labels serve the purpose of displaying company name, cost, technical information, components information, other specifications, and barcode in automobiles. These labels are durable even in high temperature. They are required to cope with engine conditions including high temperature and exposure to liquids such as brake fluid, screen wash, and engine oil.The growing demand from automobile industry for RFID labels and mandatory compliance with automotive labeling laws are the main drivers for automotive labels market. Emerging countries and new product launches open up new opportunities for the market growth. The initial cost of manufacturing is more if manufactured in small quantities, hence the cost to profit ratio is a concern to small manufacturers.Request sample of Automotive labels:Automotive Labels Market TaxonomyOn the basis of end use, the automotive labels market is segmented into:Asset LabelsDome LabelsBranding LabelsWarning LabelsInventory LabelsOn the basis of mechanism, the automotive labels market is segmented into:In-moldHeat TransferGlue-appliedPressure sensitiveOn the basis of identification methods, the automotive labels market is segmented into:HologramBarcodeRFIDOthersOn the basis of application, the automotive labels market is segmented into:Chassis LabelsEngine Component LabelsInterior LabelsExterior LabelsAsset tags are used to identify the product with unique serial number such as barcode. Dome labels are used to print the logo of the company. Branding labels and warning labels are used for printing brand name and cautions respectively for the appliances.Pressure sensitive labels are set on the application of pressure. Heat transfer labels are set on heat exposure and glue labels are applied by using adhesives. The segmentation based on application also depends on the label position.Automotive Labels Market OutlookAsia Pacific is the largest and estimated to be the fastest growing market due to burgeoning growth in the automobile industry, which has been driven by high automobile sales rate in India and China. According to China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), sales of cars in China stood at 28.03 million in 2016 and 3.00 million in India.Europe is the second largest automobile labels market due to the well-developed public transportation sector. Cars, vans, trucks, and buses in the region are considered to be the quickest, safest, and cleanest in the worldNorth America is an emerging region in the automobile labels market. Demand for automobiles for heavy transportation has risen in the U.S. and Canada. A high preference for personal transportation in North America is expected to drive the automobile sector in the region.Latin America is projected to augment market growth due to the need of personal transports and high disposable incomes. Argentina is the largest export market in Latin America, which is also affected by economic downturn like most other countries in Latin America.Get best discount on this report:The major players in the Automotive Labels Market are 3M (U.S.), Avery Dennison Corporation (U.S), UPM-Kymmene Corporation (Finland), H.B. Fuller (U.S.), Sika AG (Switzerland), CCL Industries Inc. (Canada), Barry-Wehmiller Companies Inc. (U.S), Dunmore (U.S.), Lewis Labels Products Corp. (U.S), and Precision Contract Manufacturing (U.S).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.comVisit our news Website:
Veterinary Antibiotics Market is expected to witness moderate growth during 2016-2024

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ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " Veterinary Antibiotics Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024 " to it's Large Report database.Mounting concerns over antibiotic resistance in humans and increasing demand for meat, milk, and eggs will continue to influence discussion on veterinary healthcare. While the US, Canada, and countries in Western Europe have some of the strongest animal healthcare standards  backed up by strong legislation  developing countries are also joining the fray with government support and legislation witnessing an uptick in recent years.The global veterinary healthcare market is currently valued at nearly US$ 35 billion, and is expected to witness steady growth rates in the next decade. However, there are a plethora of changes currently underway in this highly lucrative market that can have an impact on the stakeholders. Among rising concerns on the effect of long-term antibiotics use, many farm- and pet-owners are making the shift to vaccines. The move is being supported by veterinary healthcare activists. In view of anticipated growth of the veterinary vaccines market, which is estimated to reach $9.5 bn by 2020, Elanco LLC (Eli Lilly & Co.) recently opened a 48,000-square-facility in Indianapolis.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:The facility is expected to focus on developing vaccines for farm animals, which according to estimates total 70 billion. However, antibiotics arent expected to disappear anytime soon, as they remain a credible method of disease prevention and management around the globe. The global veterinary antibiotics market is expected to witness moderate growth during the forecast period 2016-2024.Impact of FDA Regulations on Animal Antibiotics MarketThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been working on regularizing the use of antibiotics in veterinary healthcare. From defining medically significant antibiotics in 2003 to setting up the Veterinary Feed Additive (VFA) rule, the FDA is keeping a strict watch on the non-prescribed use of antibiotics in animal feed. The VFD final rule, which will come into effect from January 1, 2017, makes it mandatory to present a prescription to a veterinarian for buying a feed containing a covered antibiotic. Although these regulations are anticipated to serve well in the long-term, they can stymie demand for veterinary antibiotics in the short-term.Browse more details @Europe Planning to Tighten its Grip on Veterinary AntibioticsThe proposed European Union regulation that governs the use of antibiotics on animals can also have an impact on sales in Europe. The proposal focuses on collecting, compiling, and reporting antibiotic use in animal feed and for disease mitigation. Regulatory authorities in Europe have been monitoring the state of veterinary healthcare and in 2015, EFSA, ECDC, and EMA concluded, in a joint report, that certain antimicrobials were associated with resistance to these antimicrobials in humans and animals.While demand for antibiotics in developed countries may decline in the future, manufacturers can look to consolidate their position in developing regions, where regulations on use of antibiotics arent as stringent as they are in the U.S. and Europe. The Asia Pacific veterinary antibiotics market is expected to grow at a higher CAGR than North America and Europe markets, owing to laxer regulations.Commonly used antibiotics in animal healthcare include tetracyclines, penicillin, and cephalosporins. These antibiotics have remained sought-after owing to their easy availability and low cost. According to a report by FDA, sales of veterinary antibiotics in the U.S. increased by nearly 23% between 2009 and 2014. The staggering growth is another key factor that has brought the alleged antibiotic abuse into limelight in the U.S.Veterinary Antibiotics Market: Key PlayersThe key players in the veterinary antibiotics market are Bayer Animal Health, Phibro Animal Health Corp.,Merial, Ceva Sante Animale S.A., Bioniche Animal Health, Fort Dodge Animal Health, Elanco Animal Health, Merck Animal Health, Virbac Animal Health, Zoetis, Inc., and Novartis Animal Health.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.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 analysisAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMoz's service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at:
Top 15 Petrochemicals Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017-2025

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Petrochemicals play an important role in the 21st century lifestyle and are utilized in various end use industries. The oil & gas Industry provides the feedstock in the form of crude oil, natural gas and their derivatives. Different kinds of processes employed on crude oil, and natural gas yield different products. The most sought-after product is ethylene, which holds a 25% market share in the global petrochemicals market. It is used as a feedstock for manufacture of polyethylene, polystyrene, ethylene glycol and ethanol. Ethylene is followed by benzene, propylene, xylene, butadiene in terms of market share. Some petrochemicals are used widely around the world in various application includes dyes, detergents, paint, plastic, rubber, textiles and fertilizers. The major drivers are the high dependency and lack of large scale alternatives to petrochemical products. The major competitor to petrochemicals are bio-based chemicals and as environmental consciousness increases, investment in bio-based chemicals is likely to escalate. In addition oil price instability also affects growth.Request a sample copy of this report:Top 15 Petrochemicals Market TaxonomyOn basis of type of PetrochemicalEthylenePropyleneBenzeneButadieneXylenesTolueneOn basis of type of Intermediate ChemicalsMethanolEthylene OxidePropylene OxideOn basis of type of polymerPolyethylene (PE)Polypropylene (PP)Polystyrene (PS)Polyester (PET)Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)On basis of End User IndustryPackagingAutomobileConstructionElectrical & ElectronicsAviationConsumer GoodsOthersEthylene, propylene are the most dominant chemicals in terms of market share, and are major feedstock for the manufacture of polyethylene, polypropylene and polypropylene oxide. Xylene is projected to be the fastest growing petrochemical market due to demand for polyester fibers. Furthermore, chemicals such as methanol, ethylene oxide and propylene oxide are used as reaction intermediates for light olefins, ethylene glycol, and polyurethane plastics respectively. Moreover, ethylene Oxide is also used as a fumigant and disinfectant. All the end user industries are majorly dependent on polymers with polystyrene being the most widely used. PVC is commonly used for pipes, furniture, and flooring application; and polyethylene for plastic bottles to consume edible and non-edible liquids.The packaging industry is the largest end use market of petrochemicals. As the disposable incomes in the developing world rise, consumer demand for packaged materials rises as they seek quality assurance. The packaging industry is directly affected by consumerism. Other end use industries such as automobile, construction, electrical and consumer goods require petrochemicals for product manufacture, and the healthy growth of these industries directly affect petrochemical market growth.Access Table of Content (TOC) of the report:h ttps://Top 15 Petrochemicals Market Outlook - Surging demand in Asia-Pacific Augmenting Market GrowthAsia Pacific market is a major processing hub for petrochemicals with India, China, and South Korea being major drivers. Six of the worlds ten largest refineries are in Asia Pacific with the largest being Reliance owned Jamnagar Refinery. This region has recently observed an upturn in consumption due to increased population. China has also claimed to have the worlds largest shale reserves but is unable to develop them due to water shortages. Technological Advancement in shale gas extraction is expected to complement growth.North America is a major processing hub. Feedstock is obtained from shale gas produced in the various US shale plays (Marcellus, Eagle-Ford, Permian, Barnett, Bakken and Niobrara). In addition, it is also one of the largest consumer of petrochemicals. Also, Middle East and North Africa are major sources of crude oil. There is also a significant presence of petrochemical industry in this region due to close proximity to crude oil source.Europe is a consumer market for petrochemicals with heavy dependency on North American and Asian markets. A west to east shift has been observed in the petrochemical market. Maturation in Europe has led to shifting of existing petrochemical infrastructure to countries such as India where labor is cheap.The growth focus is shifting to low cost feedstock availability such as CTO (Coal to Olefin), MTO (Methanol to Olefin), Shale Gas, Coal Bed Methane and bio feedstock to produce ethylene and propylene. These are considered as alternative processes for ethylene and propylene production. China has announced six CTO projects having total ethylene capacity of 1.62m tons/year.The major players in the Petrochemical Industry are BASF SE, ExxonMobil, The Dow Chemical Company, Shell Chemical Company, SABIC, Sinopec Limited, Lyondell Basell Industries, Total S.A., Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd., Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC and E. I. du Pont de Nemours and CompanyView this full 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.comVisit our news Website:
Introducing Today's Bosnian Version Mobile App

The Bible Translation That's Easy To Read, Understand And Remember

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Only Today's Bosnian Version makes it that easy. It is complete and ready to use New Testament translation of the Holy Bible into Bosnian using original language sources of Hebrew and Greek and localized weights and measures.Features such as talents, gerahs and minas conveniently converted for the reader into kilograms. And cubits into centimeters and shekels into KMs (convertible marks).You don't even need to know complex theology. It's the first Bible translation into Bosnian made to be easily understood by anyone.The familiar choice of words makes communication easy. And the verses can be shared using the built-in app functionality.Start by asking your fellow Bosnians if they would read easily understood text. You can learn to observe the work of the word of God in the Bosnian cultural setting.If you'd like to see for yourself how easy it is to read and enjoy the Today's Bosnian Version New Testament, visit our mobile app store and purchase the gift for your fellow Bosnian.The TBV is a modern translation of the Holy Bible into Bosnian using original language sources of Hebrew and Greek and localized weights and measures.Postanski pretinac 2571000 SarajevoBosnia
Synthetic Aperture Radar Market Forecast Report 2017 - 2022

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A Synthetic Aperture measuring instrument (SAR), or SAR, may be a coherent principally mobile or area borne aspect wanting measuring instrument system that utilizes the flight path of the platform to simulate a particularly giant antenna or aperture electronically, which generates high-resolution remote sensing imaging. Ground-based radars square measure gaining traction as they supply time period info in things like warfare. The radars effectively facilitate in activities like ground penetration, locating enemy weapons, and un-discharged tunnels, among others.The report on the global synthetic aperture radar market uses the top-down and bottom-up approaches to define, analyze, and describe the market trends for the next five years. The report also tracks the emerging applications, innovative technologies, and mergers & acquisitions. It also focuses on the growth drivers and restraints for the key market players during the forecast period.Download Free Sample:Regionally, the global synthetic aperture radar market is fragmented into Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe, North America, and Middle East & Africa. Among these, The European countries, like Russia, Germany, and the UK, has witnessed cuts in defense budgets thanks to economic conditions and money crises. What is more, the high prices of military radars and also the development of space-based radars demand immense disbursement on producing and R&D activities. Large-scale modernization activities of gift systems and rise in political tensions & border disputes within the Asia-Pacific countries of Bharat and China are driving the demand for military radars within the region. The race within the Asia Pacific region in conjunction with steady investments in ground-based measuring instrument systems is anticipated to stay the regional trade growth prospects upbeat.MARKET SEGMENTATIONThis report analyzes the synthetic aperture radar market by the following segments:Synthetic Aperture Radar Market, by Component1. Receiver2. Transmitter3. AntennaSynthetic Aperture Radar Market, by Platform1. Airborne2. GroundSynthetic Aperture Radar Market, by Frequency Band1. X Band2. L Band3. C Band4. S Band5. K, Ku, Ka Band6. UHF/VHF Band7. OthersSynthetic Aperture Radar Market, by Application Area1. Defense2. Commercial3. Synthetic Aperture Radar Market, by Mode4. Multimode5. Single ModeBrowse Report:About Scalar Market ResearchScalar Market Research Inc. aspires to assist organizations from around the world to achieve their business goal with premium market research reports and consulting services. Our real-time industry tracking with the help of advanced analytics offers a crystal clear view of all the activities in niche markets. Our team, with thorough global understanding, works relentlessly to gather the necessary market insights, including customer analysis, competitions and global forecast.Find out more about our services at:Contact:8770 W Bryn Mawr Ave.,Suite 1300Chicago, IL 60631Tel.: +1-800-213-5170 (U.S./Canada Toll-free)Email: sales@scalarmarketresearch.comFollow us on LinkedIn:
Robot Teach Pendant Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 20162024

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The teach pendant is a device that is used to control the industrial or non-industrial robot remotely. Teach pendant device provides a various settings which helps to control robots and also helps to design and develop new capabilities and featuresRequest sample of Robot Teach Pendant Market:The increasing R&D investment for the development of next generation robots become one of the key factor for the growth of robotic tech pendant market, globally. According to Coherent Market Insight analysis there was US$ 91.5 billion spending in robotic industry in 2016, up from US$ 71 billion and is forecasted to reach up to US$ 188 billion in 2020. Various R&D activities are trying to improve the technology in the robotics such as mechatronics, perception manipulation, navigation, gripping, and motion control. The second generation robots holds the technical capability of sensors and 3D- vision system which works with the integration of control system and intelligent algorithms with teach pendants which helps to identify the machine and human presence. For the next generation robotics the vendors are highly focused to improve the cognitive skills of robots with the help of control systems, sensors, high-power processors which helps robots to analyses the gathered information in real time entity and change its behavior accordingly. In addition to this, the increasing demand of non-automotive application and advancement of technology are also some of the major driving factors which increase the market of robot teach pendant globally.The alternative programing method become one of the major threat which hinders the growth of the global robotic teach pendant market. The robotic programing method is done by three approaches - online programming method, simulation or offline programming method and lead through programming method. The online programming method adopts teach pendant is a time consuming method. So simulation or offline programming method is adopted by the end users.Robot teach pendant Market TaxonomyOn the basis of deployment model, the global robot teach pendant market is classified into:Onpremises modelCloud based modelOn the basis of end users, the global robot teach pendant market is classified into:HealthcareDefense and securityAerospaceAutomotiveElectronicsDomesticOthersGet best discount on this report:On the basis of application, the global robot teach pendant market is classified into:Material handlingWelding applicationPainting applicationMaterial handling application holds the dominant position in the global robot teach pendant market and is projected to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period. This application is majorly influenced by increasing demand from various end users industries such as automotive, electronics and many more installing the automating process in there manufacturing units. The increasing demand to advanced product development and availability of less skilled labor majorly in developing countries such as China, India have increased the demand for 6robots as they have the capability to perform multiple tasks.Robot teach pendant market Outlook  Asia Pacific holds the largest market of the global robot teach pendant market.On the basis of geography, global robot teach pendant market is classified into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. Asia Pacific holds the dominant position in the global robot teach pendant market and is projected to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period. The increasing automotive industry in India and China provides a major opportunity for the robot teach pendant market in this region. According to Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles in 2016, China sold 28 million units of vehicles up from 24.7 million units in 2015.Check the trending report of Robot Teach Pendant Market:Key companies of the global robotic teach pendant marketABB Ltd, Fanuc Corporation, KUKA AG, Omron Adept Technologies, Inc., Yaskawa Motoman, COMAU S.p.A., DENSO Robotics, Epson America, Inc., Festo, Intelitek, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Nachi Robotic Systems Inc, Staubli International, Yamaha Robotics Inc. are some of major companies in the global robotic teach pendant market.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 UsMr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comWebsite:
Africa E-Learning Market: Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2017-2022

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Bharat Book Bureau provides the Trending Market Research Report; on Africa E-Learning Market: Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2017-2022E-learning is a system based on formalised teaching with the help of electronic resources. It can be termed as a network enabled transfer of skills and knowledge which offers the flexibility to fit in a large number of recipients at the same or different time schedules. It is gaining prominence in the African countries as classroom teaching is unable to meet the growing need to impart quality education. The African education system is underfunded with education institutes being situated in remote areas and lacking considerably qualified teaching staff. As a result of this, learners from different areas are encouraged towards adopting e-learning methods, such as K-12 sector, post-secondary, corporate and government learning, etc. According to IMARC Groups latest report titled, Africa E-Learning Market: Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2017-2022, the Africa e-learning market reached a value of more than US$ 600 Million in 2016, exhibiting a CAGR of around 15% during 2009-2016.From desktop computers to smartphones, e-learning spans the array of devices that are available for the consumers. It facilitates the learners to choose from a wide range of specially designed courses, along with accessing various learning tools, sharing content online, and engaging in interactive sessions from miles apart. E-learning also aids learners with different learning abilities to proceed through courses as per their convenience. As a result of its various advantages, the market for e-learning is further expected to reach a value of more than US$ 1,400 Million by 2022.Request a sample copy of Africa E-Learning Market Report @The report has segmented the market on the basis of type as packaged content, services and platform. Currently, packaged content accounts for the majority of the total market share. The market is further segmented on the basis of technology, covering mobile learning, simulation based learning, game based learning, learning management system (LMS), etc. Amongst these, mobile learning holds the majority of the market share. On a regional-basis, South Africa, Morocco, Nigeria, Tunisia, and Kenya emerge as countries where e-learning is gaining prominence rapidly. South Africa represents the largest region, accounting for nearly one-fourth of the African market. An analysis of the competitive landscape provides the details key players operative in the market. Some of the major players are Eneza Education, Via Afrika, Obami, Tutor.ng, and Dapt.io.This report provides a deep insight into the Africa e-learning industry covering all its essential aspects. This ranges from macro overview of the market to micro details of the industry performance, recent trends, key market drivers and challenges, SWOT analysis, Porters five forces analysis, value chain analysis, etc. This report is a must-read for entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, consultants, business strategists, and all those who have any kind of stake or are planning to foray into the Africa e-learning industry in any manner.To Browse the Entire Report, Visit:Key Aspects Analysed:Trends and dynamics in the e-learning market.Major product types and their current and future market potential.Major technology segments and their current and future market potential.Key drivers/restraints and their impact on the current and future market scenario.About Bharat Book Bureau:Bharat Book Bureau is the leading market research information provider for market research reports, company profiles, industry study, country reports, business reports, newsletters and online databases Bharat Book Bureau provides over a million reports from more than 400 publishers around the globe. We cover sectors starting from Aeronautics to Zoology.Contact us at:Bharat Book BureauTel: +91 22 27810772 / 27810773Email: poonam@bharatbook.comWebsite:Follow us on: Twitter|Facebook|LinkedIn|Google Plus
Fluorotelomer Market Professional Survey Report 2017 - DuPont, Daikin America, Fluoryx

Fluorotelomer Market

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This report studies Fluorotelomer 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.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, covering:DuPontDaikin AmericaFluoryx...On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into:C6C8OtherBrowse Complete Report with TOC @By Application, the market can be split into:Fire Fighting FoamsFood PackagingFluorosurfactants & Coating AdditivesTextilesBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaCheck for Discount @Some points from TOC:-8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Fluorotelomer8.1 DuPont8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.2.1 Product A8.1.2.2 Product B8.1.3 DuPont 2016 Fluorotelomer Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.1.4 DuPont 2016 Fluorotelomer Business Region Distribution Analysis8.2 Daikin America8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.2.1 Product A8.2.2.2 Product B8.2.3 Daikin America 2016 Fluorotelomer Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.2.4 Daikin America 2016 Fluorotelomer Business Region Distribution Analysis8.3 Fluoryx8.3.1 Company Profile8.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.3.2.1 Product A8.3.2.2 Product B8.3.3 Fluoryx 2016 Fluorotelomer Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.3.4 Fluoryx 2016 Fluorotelomer Business Region Distribution Analysis...About Us:QY Research Groups is a company that simplifies how analysts and decision makers get industry data for their business. Our unique colossal technology has been developed to offer refined search capabilities designed to exploit the long tail of free market research whilst eliminating irrelevant results. QY Research Groups is the collection of market intelligence products and services on the Web. We offer reports and update our collection daily to provide you with instant online access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on Global industries, companies, products, and trends.Contact us:Email- sales@qyresearchgroups.comWeb-
Superalloy Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Hitachi Metals, Nippon Yakin Kogyo, Doncasters, Haynes, Carpenter, Precision Castparts Corporation, VDM and Others

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Global Superalloy market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely CMK Group, VDM, Nippon Yakin Kogyo, Doncasters, Acronic, VSMPO-AVISMA, Precision Castparts Corporation, ATI, Haynes, Carpenter, Aperam, Eramet Group, AMG, Hitachi Metals and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Super alloy that exhibit excellent mechanical strength and creep resistance at high temperatures, good surface stability, and corrosion and oxidation resistance. They typically have an austenitic face-Center, June 2015ed cubic crystal structure with a base alloying element of nickel, cobalt, or nickel-iron. The development of superalloy has primarily been driven by the aerospace and power industries.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Superalloy Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:Precision Castparts CorporationATIHaynesCarpenterAperamEramet GroupAMGHitachi MetalsCMK GroupVDMNippon Yakin KogyoDoncastersAcronicVSMPO-AVISMAOthersGlobal Superalloy Market: Key Product TypeIron Based SuperalloyCobalt Based SuperalloyNickel Based SuperalloyOthersGlobal Superalloy Market: Key Application TypeAerospaceIGT (Electricity)IGT(Mechanical)IndustrialAutomotiveOil & GasOthersGlobal Superalloy Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Superalloy Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Superalloy Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Superalloy Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Superalloy Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Iron Based Superalloy1.2.2 Cobalt Based Superalloy1.2.3 Nickel Based Superalloy1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Aerospace1.3.2 IGT (Electricity)1.3.3 IGT(Mechanical)1.3.4 Industrial1.3.5 Automotive1.3.6 Oil & Gas1.3.1 Others........................Continue (Global Superalloy Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Global and China Femtosecond Lasers for Cataract Surgery Market Trends,Sales and Technology Progress 2017-2022

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Femtosecond Lasers for Cataract Surgery Market is set to Grow according to the Expcted CAGRThe Global Femtosecond Lasers for Cataract Surgery Market Research Report Forecast 2017-2021 is a valuable source of insightful data for business strategists. It provides the Femtosecond Lasers for Cataract Surgery industry overview with growth analysis and historical & futuristic cost, revenue, demand and supply data (as applicable). The research analysts provide an elaborate description of the value chain and its distributor analysis. This Femtosecond Lasers for Cataract Surgery market study provides comprehensive data which enhances the understanding, scope and application of this report.This report provides comprehensive analysis ofKey market segments and sub-segmentsEvolving market trends and dynamicsChanging supply and demand scenariosQuantifying market opportunities through market sizing and market forecastingTracking current trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive insightsOpportunity mapping in terms of technological breakthroughsThe report is split segment wise considering the following key regionsNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanAnd more.The report covers major commercial contenders and there market valuation including the prices, revenue, growth rate and market share with below mentioned top playersAlcon (Novartis)AbbottZiemerValeant (Bausch & Lomb)Calmar LaserAnd moreAccess a sample report on:Browse Full Report from:The report discusses the following contentTOCChapter 1 Femtosecond Lasers for Cataract Surgery Market Overview:Product Overview and Scope of Femtosecond Lasers for Cataract SurgeryFemtosecond Lasers for Cataract Surgery Market Segmentation by TypeChapter 2 Global Economic Impact on Femtosecond Lasers for Cataract Surgery Industry:Global Macroeconomic Environment AnalysisGlobal Macroeconomic AnalysisChapter 3 Global Femtosecond Lasers for Cataract Surgery Market Competition by Manufacturers:Global Femtosecond Lasers for Cataract Surgery Production and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)Global Femtosecond Lasers for Cataract Surgery Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)Global Femtosecond Lasers for Cataract Surgery Average Price by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)Chapter 4 Global Femtosecond Lasers for Cataract Surgery Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017):Global Femtosecond Lasers for Cataract Surgery Production by Region (2012-2017)Global Femtosecond Lasers for Cataract Surgery Production Market Share by Region (2012-2017)Global Femtosecond Lasers for Cataract Surgery Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)Chapter 5 Global Femtosecond Lasers for Cataract Surgery Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2012-2017):Global Femtosecond Lasers for Cataract Surgery Consumption by Regions (2012-2017)North America Femtosecond Lasers for Cataract Surgery Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2012-2017)Europe Femtosecond Lasers for Cataract Surgery Production, Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2012-2017)About UsReports Monitor (ReportsMonitor.com) is a platform for companies looking to meet their 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. The prime focus is to get reliable data, Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Contact UsJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
CNG Passenger Cars Market Report in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India: Radiant Insights

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This report studies CNG Passenger Cars 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, covering Volkswagen General Motors Daimler Fiat Ford PSA Peugeot Citroen Honda TATA Suzuki Hyundai Changan Geely Great Wall Iran Khodro IndustrialThe report Global CNG Passenger Cars Market Professional Survey Report 2017 is available now atOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into Small Car Minibus BusBy Application, the market can be split into Family Commercial Public ServiceBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want) North America China Europe Southeast Asia Japan IndiaRequest a Free Sample Copy of this Report @Table of ContentsGlobal CNG Passenger Cars Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of CNG Passenger Cars1.1 Definition and Specifications of CNG Passenger Cars1.1.1 Definition of CNG Passenger Cars1.1.2 Specifications of CNG Passenger Cars1.2 Classification of CNG Passenger Cars1.2.1 Small Car1.2.2 Minibus1.2.3 Bus1.3 Applications of CNG Passenger Cars1.3.1 Family1.3.2 Commercial1.3.3 Public Service1.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 IndiaRead more related reports by Radiant Insights: Intelligent Tires Sales Market Automotive Bumpers Sales MarketAbout Radiant Insights, IncRadiant Insights is a market research and consulting company offering syndicated research studies, customized reports, and consulting services. Market research studies are designed to facilitate strategic decision making, on the basis of extensive and in-depth quantitative information, supported by extensive analysis and industry insights. Using a patented and robust research methodology, we publish exhaustive research reports covering a host of industries such as Technology, Chemicals, Materials, and Energy. Radiant Insights has a strong base of analysts, consultants and domain experts, with global experience help for delivering excellence in all research projects.Media Contact:Michelle Thoras201 Spear Street 1100,Suite 3036,San Francisco,CA 94105, United StatesTel: 1-415-349-0054Toll Free: 1-888-928-9744Mail: sale@radiantinsights.com
Global Plastic-Free Packs Market: Industry Size, Share, Growth, Forecasts 2016 - 2024

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Latest industry research report on: Global Plastic-Free Packs Market | Industry Size, Share, Research, Reviews, Analysis, Strategies, Demand, Growth, Segmentation, Parameters, ForecastsGlobal Plastic-Free Packs Market: Brief AccountThe global plastic-free packs market receives its push or motivation from regulations such as ban on plastic bags and plastic products, which has been implemented in various nations worldwide. Cosmetic products manufacturers are investing strategically on sustainable developments both for mass and premium segments. This is boosting the growth of the global plastic-free pack market. In addition to this, there exists several stringent government regulations for the use of plastic or recycled plastics for food and beverages packaging, thus contributing to the growth of the plastic-free packs market. A surge in the sales of luxury items such as alcohol and perfumes is also leading the market towards growth as glass packaging is used. Moreover, the expansion of online retail has fueled the adoption of paper and paperboard packaging, furthering the plastic-free packs market.Complete Report Details @The report is an overview of the global plastic-free packs market, including growth drivers, growth inhibitors, trends, and opportunities in the industry. It segments the market on the basis of material, packaging type, end-use, and geography. Key players are profiled in the report and their business strategy has also been included. The past and current market size is used for the determination of the market size for the coming years. The report thus has in store, a wealth of useful information about the global plastic-free packs market and is a must-have for every new entrant wishing to invest in this market as well as those established, so as to make profitable business moves.Global Plastic-Free Packs Market: Trends and OpportunitiesCountries across the world have realized the environmental threat caused by plastic waste. Players in the packaging industry are thus compelled to think beyond plastic and opt for alternatives such as paper, glass, and metal. It has also been found that plastic in food packaging causes harm to human metabolism and this is another factor deterring companies from using plastics, thus driving the global plastic-free packs market. The beauty and cosmetic products industries are also opting for glass, metal, and paper packaging, as these materials are bio-degradable and can also be recycled.In the U.S., researchers have come up with an innovative form of packaging for food and beverages. Milk protein has been used to develop an edible film, which is similar to plastic wrap, and helps in the prevention of food spoilage. Innovations such as these are likely to boost the growth of the plastic-free packs market. Another trend in the packaging market is the use of recycled paper. Companies such as Shredhouse in the U.K. have launched shredded paper from single used coffee cups.Request For Sample Report @Global Plastic-Free Packs Market: Geographical AnalysisOn the basis of geography, the global plastic-free packs market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific and the Middle East & Africa. Of these, Asia Pacific holds key shares in the market, led by China, South Korea, and India. These countries hold considerable shares in glass and paper packaging market. Growth in the consumption of canned foods is another factor boosting the growth of this market. North America and Europe are also likely to hold significant shares in the market. In addition to this, the Middle East and Africa is estimated to expand at a moderate CAGR in the coming years.Global Plastic-Free Packs Market: Companies MentionedSome of the key operators of this market include: Rawlings & Son (Bristol) Ltd, WestRock Company, Multiscience GmbH, Orora Packaging Australia Pty Ltd Beatson Clark, ALL PACKAGING COMPANY, Abox, Zumbiel Packaging, Ardagh Group S.A., and HUBER Packaging,Have Any Query? Ask Our Expert @Market segmentation based on geography:North AmericaAsia PacificEuropeRest of the WorldThis report gives access to decisive data, such as:Market growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for the coming yearsKey highlights of this report include:Overview of key market forces propelling and restraining market growthUp-to-date analyses of market trends and technological improvementsPin-point analyses of market competition dynamics to offer you a competitive edgeAn analysis of strategies of major competitorsAn array of graphics and SWOT analysis of major industry segmentsDetailed analyses of industry trendsA well-defined technological growth map with an impact-analysisOffers a clear understanding of the competitive landscape and key product segmentsAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Contact UsState Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Website:Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Earth Leakage Protection Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Mitsubishi Electric, GE, Hitachi Industrial, Siemens, Fuji Electric, Broyce Control and Others

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Global Earth Leakage Protection market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Mitsubishi Electric, GE, Hitachi Industrial, Broyce Control, CHNT, Delixi, Schneider Electric, ABB, Eaton, Siemens, Legrand, Fuji Electric and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.This report studies the Earth Leakage Protection market. Earth Leakage Protection is used to protect the circuit from overload and short circuit. It is worked in the situation when it is in the event of a leakage fault and a fatal danger of personal electric shock. It can be used to protect overload or short circuit of the line or motor.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Earth Leakage Protection Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:Schneider ElectricABBEatonSiemensLegrandFuji ElectricMitsubishi ElectricGEHitachi IndustrialBroyce ControlCHNTDelixiOthersGlobal Earth Leakage Protection Market: Key Product Type1P2P3POthersGlobal Earth Leakage Protection Market: Key Application TypeFamily ExpensesFamily ExpensesCommercial BuildingIndustrialOthersGlobal Earth Leakage Protection Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Earth Leakage Protection Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Earth Leakage Protection Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Earth Leakage Protection Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Earth Leakage Protection Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 1P1.2.2 2P1.2.3 3P1.2.4 Others........................Continue (Global Earth Leakage Protection Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Automated Parking 2017-2022 by Segmentation: Based on Product, Application and Region

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Automated Parking MarketWorldwide Automated Parking market research report provides the newest industry data and industry future trends, allowing you to identify the products and end users driving Revenue growth and profitability.Automated Parking Market report provides key statistics on the market status of the Automated Parking Industrialists and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the Automated Parking Industry.The industry report lists the leading competitors and provides the insights strategic industry Analysis of the key factors influencing the market.For Requesting a Sample Copy of This Report, Please Visit @The report includes the forecasts, Analysis and discussion of important industry trends, market size, market share estimates and profiles of the leading industry Players.Global Automated Parking Market: Product Segment AnalysisSingle-stage Type, Multistage TypeGlobal Automated Parking Market: Application Segment Analysis:Residential, Mall, Office BuildingGlobal Automated Parking Market: Regional Segment Analysis:USA. Europe. Japan. China. India. South East AsiaThe Players mentioned in our report:Westfalia, Citylift, Robotic Parking Systems, Boomerang Systems, Parkmatic, Klaus Multiparking, TAPS, APS, UnitronicsBrowse Full Table of Contents and Report Description @Table of ContentsChapter 1 World Automated Parking Market share1.1 Major Production Market share by Players1.2 Major Revenue (M USD) Market share by Players1.3 Major Production Market share by Regions in 2017, Through 20221.4 Major Revenue (M USD) Market share By Regions in 2017, Through 2022Chapter 2 Supply Chain Analysis2.1 Industry Supply chain Analysis2.2 Raw material Market Analysis2.2.1 Raw material Prices Analysis 2012-20172.2.2 Raw material Supply Market Analysis2.2 Manufacturing Equipment Suppliers Analysis2.3 Production Process Analysis2.4 Production Cost Structure Benchmarks2.5 End users Market AnalysisContinuedAbout UsReports Monitor (ReportsMonitor.com) 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 UsJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Sterilization Trays Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Medline, Placon, Terumo, Summit Medical, Ethicon, Aesculap, Volk Optical and Others

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Global Sterilization Trays market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Pyxidis, Summit Medical, Ethicon, Key Surgical, Volk Optical, Aygun, WPI, Sklar, Medline, Placon, Terumo, Keir Surgical, Solvay, PST Corp, Aesculap and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Sterilization trays are a shallow sterilization platform designed for the carrying of items. They are often used in hospital, clinic, laboratory and other areas. Sterilization trays are rectangular, and they are designed to resist the heat of sterilization without corrosion.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Sterilization Trays Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:MedlinePlaconTerumoKeir SurgicalSolvayPST CorpAesculapPyxidisSummit MedicalEthiconKey SurgicalVolk OpticalAygunWPISklarOthersGlobal Sterilization Trays Market: Key Product TypeStainless Steel TraysPlastic TraysOthersGlobal Sterilization Trays Market: Key Application TypeHospitalClinicLaboratoryOthersGlobal Sterilization Trays Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Sterilization Trays Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Sterilization Trays Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Sterilization Trays Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Sterilization Trays Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Stainless Steel Trays1.2.2 Plastic Trays1.2.3 Others1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Hospital1.3.2 Clinic1.3.3 Laboratory1.3.4 Other........................Continue (Global Sterilization Trays Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Immortelle Extract Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Moellhausen, Talia, Helichrysum-croatia, Youngliving, Taosherb, Sinuo, Solaroma and Others

Immortelle Extract Market

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Global Immortelle Extract market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Solaroma, Provital Group, BIOETERICA, Taosherb, Sinuo, Haoyuan, Bolin, Helichrysum-croatia, Youngliving, Moellhausen, Talia, Italchile, Janousek, Laboratoire and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Immortelle extract is extracted from the flowers of helichrysum. The health benefits of immortelle extract can be attributed to its properties as an antispasmodic, anticoagulant, antiallergenic, antimicrobial, antihaematoma, antiphlogistic, etc. It is widely used in personal care, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Immortelle Extract Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:Helichrysum-croatiaYounglivingMoellhausenTaliaItalchileJanousekLaboratoireSolaromaProvital GroupBIOETERICATaosherbSinuoHaoyuanBolinOthersGlobal Immortelle Extract Market: Key Product TypeImmortelle Extract OilImmortelle Extract PowderOthersGlobal Immortelle Extract Market: Key Application TypePersonal CareCosmeticsPharmaceuticalsOthersGlobal Immortelle Extract Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Immortelle Extract Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Immortelle Extract Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Immortelle Extract Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Immortelle Extract Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Immortelle Extract Oil1.2.2 Immortelle Extract Powder1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Personal Care1.3.2 Cosmetics1.3.3 Pharmaceuticals........................Continue (Global Immortelle Extract Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Contemporary innovations in Natural Astaxanthin Market industry made available by top research firm

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ReportsMonitor.com has added United States Natural Astaxanthin Market Research Report 2017.Natural Astaxanthin Market Report communicates about the manufacturing process. The process is analysed thoroughly with respect three points, viz. raw material and equipment suppliers, various manufacturing associated costs (material cost, labour cost, etc.) and the actual process of whole Enterprise Natural Astaxanthin market.Geographically, this report splits the United States market into seven regions: The West, Southwest, The Middle Atlantic, New England, The South, The Midwest, with sales (volume), revenue (value), market share and growth rate of Natural Astaxanthin in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast).Top Key manufactures of Natural Astaxanthin Market are Cyanotech, Fuji, BGG, Parry Nutraceuticals(Valensa International), Algatechnologies, Biogenic, Jingzhou Natural Astaxanthin, Igene, Yunnan Alphy Biotech, ADM.Get Your Free Sample Report @The Natural Astaxanthin Market, presents critical information and factual data about the United States Natural Astaxanthin Market, providing an overall statistical study of this market on the basis of market drivers, market limitations, and its future prospects. The widespread United States Natural Astaxanthin opportunities and trends are also taken into consideration in Natural Astaxanthin industry.On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each Type, primarily split into Astaxanthin oleoresin,Astaxanthin powder.By Application, the market can be split into Nutraceuticals, Cosmetics, Food & beverages, Feed, Others.Some points from TOC:1 United States Natural Astaxanthin Market Size (Sales Volume) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)2 United States Natural Astaxanthin Market Size (Sales Volume) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20163 United States Natural Astaxanthin Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)4 United States Natural Astaxanthin Market Competition by Players/Suppliers5 United States Natural Astaxanthin Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (Product Category) (2012-2017)6 United States Natural Astaxanthin Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data7 Natural Astaxanthin Manufacturing Cost Analysis8 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers9 United States Natural Astaxanthin Market Size (Value and Volume) Forecast (2017-2022)Have a query on this report? @All aspects of the Natural Astaxanthin industry report are quantitatively as well as qualitatively assessed to study the United States as well as regional market comparatively. The basic information such as the definition, prevalent chain and the government regulations pertaining to the Natural Astaxanthin market are also discussed in the report.About UsReports Monitor (ReportsMonitor.com) is a platform for companies looking to meet their 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. The prime focus is to get reliable data, Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Contact UsJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Windshield Washer Fluid Market; Research Analysis and Growth Forecast by Manufacturers & Geographical Regions from 2017-2022

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Windshield Washer Fluid MarketWorldwide Windshield Washer Fluid market research report provides the newest industry data and industry future trends, allowing you to identify the products and end users driving Revenue growth and profitability.Windshield Washer Fluid Market report provides key statistics on the market status of the Windshield Washer Fluid Industrialists and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the Windshield Washer Fluid Industry.The industry report lists the leading competitors and provides the insights strategic industry Analysis of the key factors influencing the market.For Requesting a Sample Copy of This Report, Please Visit @The report includes the forecasts, Analysis and discussion of important industry trends, market size, market share estimates and profiles of the leading industry Players.Global Windshield Washer Fluid Market: Product Segment AnalysisReady to Use Fluid, Concentrated FluidGlobal Windshield Washer Fluid Market: Application Segment Analysis:Individual Consumers, Auto Beauty & 4S StoreGlobal Windshield Washer Fluid Market: Regional Segment Analysis:USA. Europe. Japan. China. India. South East AsiaThe Players mentioned in our report:ITW, 3M, Reccochem, ACDelco, Prestone, Soft 99, Bluestar, Sonax, Turtle Wax, SPLASH, Camco, Chief, PEAK, BotnyBrowse Full Table of Contents and Report Description @Table of ContentsChapter 1 World Windshield Washer Fluid Market share1.1 Major Production Market share by Players1.2 Major Revenue (M USD) Market share by Players1.3 Major Production Market share by Regions in 2017, Through 20221.4 Major Revenue (M USD) Market share By Regions in 2017, Through 2022Chapter 2 Supply Chain Analysis2.1 Industry Supply chain Analysis2.2 Raw material Market Analysis2.2.1 Raw material Prices Analysis 2012-20172.2.2 Raw material Supply Market Analysis2.2 Manufacturing Equipment Suppliers Analysis2.3 Production Process Analysis2.4 Production Cost Structure Benchmarks2.5 End users Market AnalysisContinuedAbout UsReports Monitor (ReportsMonitor.com) 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 UsJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Pharmacovigilance and Drug Safety Software Market: Pharmacovigilance and Drug Safety Software Market: Major Insights

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The global pharmacovigilance and drug safety software market is projected to create new opportunities in the coming years on account of the escalating complexity of drug safety regulations. Among the key contributing factors of the market could be tighter regulatory inspections implemented to control the rise of the incidences of drug-associated adverse events and spiraling concerns pertaining to patient safety.Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies are predicted to largely adopt pharmacovigilance software for curbing the burden on medical outlay and facilitating clinical trial programs. The fortifying growth of contract research organizations (CROs) that perform pharmacovigilance for pharma firms could also strengthen the growth of the global pharmacovigilance and drug safety software market.Obtain Report Details @As per Transparency Market Research (TMR), the global pharmacovigilance and drug safety software market could earn a US$187.0 mn by 2022 end after advancing from a US$143.6 mn achieved in 2017 at a CAGR of 5.4%.Global Pharmacovigilance and Drug Safety Software Market: Major InsightsThe world pharmacovigilance and drug safety software market is envisaged to gain momentum from crucial applications in clinical research for performing post-marketing surveillance roles and conducting clinical studies. On a global platform, some of the most commonly used pharmacovigilance software could be Argus and ArisG. The benefits that such software bring to the table, including decreased redundancy in data and ease of access, could strongly fuel the demand in the market. In the foreseeable future, the usage rate of pharmacovigilance tools is envisioned to receive a good boost due to the rising pressure on drug manufacturers to identify early indications of drug-related adverse interactions and increasing withdrawals of high-profile drugs.The world pharmacovigilance and drug safety software market is forecasted to be cataloged according to software type, end user, and delivery mode. In terms of segmentation by type of software, fully integrated software, issue tracking software, drug safety audits software, and adverse event reporting software could be prominent markets for pharmacovigilance and drug safety software. The adverse event reporting software market could rise at a 6.2% CAGR.By end user, the world pharmacovigilance and drug safety software market could see a segmentation into business process outsourcing (BPO) firms, CROs, pharma and biotech companies, and other pharmacovigilance service providers. On the basis of mode of delivery, there could be important segments such as on-premise and cloud-based keeping the hopes alive for growth.Make an Enquiry @Geographically, North America could secure a top position in the world pharmacovigilance and drug safety software market while raking in a US$79.2 mn by the end of 2022. Between 2017 and 2022, Europe is prophesied to make its contribution to the market by creating an absolute revenue opportunity that could be greater than that expected to be achieved by Asia Pacific except Japan (APEJ) during the forecast period. Markets such as Japan, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa (MEA) could be other key segments of the market.Global Pharmacovigilance and Drug Safety Software Market: Vendor LandscapeSome of the crucial companies functioning in the worldwide pharmacovigilance and drug safety software market could be UMBRA Global LLC, AB Cube, United BioSource Corporation, Sparta Systems, Inc., Oracle Corporation, EXTEDO GmbH, Ennov Solutions, Inc., and ArisGlobal.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 others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendationsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Well Intervention Market - Industry Analysis, Size, Trends, and Forecast Report 2025

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Global Well Intervention Market: OverviewWell intervention refers to assessing the potential of the well towards the end of its lifecycle. Well intervention operations provide an exact and an accurate analysis and diagnostics of the well to better the production levels through repairs and maintenance. The global well intervention market has been growing at a rapid pace due to the skyrocketing demand for energy. The unstoppable pace of urbanization and industrialization has instigated an unending demand for well maintenance, which necessitates timely interventions. The soaring demand for oil and gas is expected to be the key growth driver for the global well intervention market over the forecast period.Global Well Intervention Market: Key TrendsThe report suggests that the global well intervention market is likely to grow at a healthy CAGR due to rising number of deeper water activities as the subsea well count increases. The need for servicing is likely to soar due to increasing number of subsea wells. Rapid technological advancements have enabled production and exploration of oil and gas in extreme weather conditions and in toughest of terrains. This has resulted in depleting shallow water resources, thereby creating a need for well intervention.Request Sample Copy of the Report@Discoveries of newer oil fields and gas reserves have also triggered significant demand for well intervention. Analysts indicate that the demand for better recovery rates will also compel end users to opt for frequent well interventions in developed fields. Factors such as increased water or sand production, scaling in wells, and reduced pressure have been assessed to bolster the growth of the overall market.Global Well Intervention Market: Market PotentialThe fluctuating oil and gas prices across the globe has drastically affected the well intervention companies. To combat the fallout of volatile political conditions that are negatively impacting business, players in the global well intervention market are focusing on mergers and acquisitions to stay strong against the headwinds. For instance, GE Oil & Gas and Baker Hughes' joined hands in 2016 to add value to their product portfolio. The collaboration will be able to offer better intervention services to the aging oilfields. The companies are looking enable consumers to extract more hydrocarbons from current fields instead of developing new fields. This move is aimed at catering to consumers to are looking at making opex-driven decisions.Request TOC of the Report @Global Well Intervention Market: Regional OutlookFrom a geographic point of view, the global well intervention market is segmented into North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. Of these regional markets, North America well intervention market is expected to lead the pack. Currently, the U.S. holds a dominant share in the regional due to ongoing activities in the shale gas industry. Analysts project that the increasing investments in shale gas in the U.S. are likely to drive the North America well intervention market throughout the forecast period.Meanwhile, the Middle East and Africa market is also likely to experience a robust growth rate. Emerging economies of India and China are also likely to offer the global market a plethora of options to grow in the region of Asia Pacific. The burgeoning demand for oil and gas in these developing countries is expected to propel the Asia Pacific well intervention market over the forecast period.Get Discount @Key Players Mentioned in this Report are:Some of the key players operating in the global well intervention market are Baker Hughes Incorporated, GE Oil & Gas, Schlumberger Limited, Halliburton Company, Weatherford International plc, Archer Limited, Expro International Group Holdings Ltd., Welltec International ApS, Trican Well Service Ltd., TechnipFMC plc, Basic Energy Services, Inc., Key Energy Services, Inc., Superior Energy Services, Inc., and Lupatech SA , among others.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
Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) Industry To 2017 : Latest Market Research Report By Radiant Insights,Inc

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In this report, the Asia-Pacific Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) 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.Access Full Report With TOC @Geographically, this report split Asia-Pacific into several key Regions, with sales (K Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), including China Japan South Korea Taiwan India Southeast Asia AustraliaAsia-Pacific Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) sales volume, price, revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players including Keppel Sembcorp Marine DSME SHI HHI CIMC Raffles CMHI CSIC Dalian COSCORequest A Sample Copy Of This Report 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 into Jackup (Non-Floating) Semisubmersible (Floating) Drillship (Floating)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 Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) for each application, including Relatively Shallow Deep-waterOther Reports Published By Radiant Insights,Inc Aluminum Chlorhydrate Sales Market  Moissanite Industry About Radiant Insights,IncRadiant Insights is a platform for companies looking to meet their market research and business intelligence requirements. We assist and facilitate organizations and individuals procure market research reports, helping them in the decision making process. We have a comprehensive collection of reports, covering over 40 key industries and a host of micro markets. In addition to over extensive database of reports, our experienced research coordinators also offer a host of ancillary services such as, research partnerships/ tie-ups and customized research solutions.201 Spear Street 1100,Suite 3036, San Francisco,CA 94105, United States
Worldwide Technology of Master Data Management Market in Global Industry 2017

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Albany, NY, 31st October : Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Master Data Management Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024" globally.The master data management market has undergone tremendous advancement in the past few years. With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) the penetration of information technology across various industries has increased. Organizations have ramped up their investments in IoT technology. IoT offers a range of benefits to organizations in the sectors of cloud computing, big data analytics, and global networks. The global start up industry has grown hugely in the IoT sector. Also there has been a significant rise in the number of businesses conducted over the web over the past few years.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @Moreover, increase in the number of connected devices globally has also been one key factor in promoting the growth of IoT market. Economies across the world foresee the economic benefits of IoT. Considering the direct proportionality of growth in IoT to need for data management, the growth of IoT is expected to drive the demand for master data management in organizations. Master data management can enable organizations to derive actionable insights from the IoT data generated. Master data management offers actionable analytical and predictive data to organizations in order to carry out their business operations effectively related to product and customer data. For product and customer centric industries, availability of effective and accurate master data is critical. Discrepancy in customer as well as product related data can cost any organization hugely in terms of time and money.Therefore, the need to invest in effective master data management solutions has become vital for the success of any organization. Businesses today have to handle a large amount of data related to products and customers. Master data management focuses on managing product- and customer-related information through product data solutions and customer data solutions. Improper management of data can lead businesses to face loses in terms of money and time. Master data management serves as a central repository of master data, which is consolidated from various sources of data. Data-driven business operations rely hugely on master data. Master data management done correctly helps achieve risk management and regulatory compliance in organizations. Thus organizations consider investing in efficient data management and master data management solutions.This report on the master data management market provides analysis for the period from 2014 to 2024, wherein 2015 is the base year and the period from 2016 to 2024 is the forecast period. Data for 2014 has been included as historical information. The report highlights the various drivers, restraints, and opportunities expected to influence the markets growth during the said period. It also highlights the trends that prevail in the master data management market globally. The study provides a holistic perspective on market growth throughout the forecast period in terms of revenue estimates (in US$ Mn) across regions of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East & Africa (MEA), and Latin America (LATAM).This research report provides in-depth analysis of the master data management market, which is segmented on the basis of component, solution, and industry. The report provides cross-sectional analysis of the global master data management market in terms of market estimates and forecasts for all segments across regions.The report profiles the major players of the master data management market. The company profiling includes an overview of the company with respect to parameters such as company details, market presence and segmentation by geography, key developments, strategy and historical roadmap, and revenue and operating profits. Major business strategies adopted by these players, their market positioning, and their recent developments have also been identified in the research report. This report also provides market positioning analysis of major players in the master data management market based on their 2015 revenues. The major players profiled in the report include Informatica, IBM Global Services, Oracle Corporation, SAP SE, Stibo Systems, Riversand Technologies, Tibco Software, Agility Multichannel, and EnterWorks Acquisition Inc.Make an Enquiry about TOC @The global market for Master Data Management (MDM) market has been segmented as follows:Master Data Management Market: By ComponentBy SoftwareOn CloudOn PremiseBy ServiceConsultingSystem IntegrationOperations and MaintenanceMaster Data Management Market: By SolutionProduct Data SolutionCustomer Data SolutionMulti-domain MDM SolutionMaster Data Management Market: By IndustryGovernmentBanking, Finance and Insurance (BFSI)IT and TelecommunicationsHealth CareEnergy and UtilityTransportation and LogisticsManufacturingRetailOthersBrowse Report @Master Data Management Market: By RegionNorth AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle East and AfricaLatin AmericaResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @Follow me on :
Latest Study Of "Macrolide Antibiotics Market" Forecasts And Analysis Which Is Estimated To Grow At A CAGR Of +12.7% In 2024

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The Global Macrolide Antibiotics Market revenue is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.7% over the forecast period of 7 years, i.e. 2017-2024.Global Macrolide Antibiotics Market 2017 Industry Analysis, Technologies, Drugs, Growth Economies, Route of Administration, Infection & Forecasts to 2024 and Top Vendors are Merck Co. & Inc., Pfizer Inc., Sandoz International GmbH, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., and GlaxoSmithKline plc., Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc., Bayer AG, Abbott, Novartis AGThe upcoming market report contains data for historic years 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2017 to 2024.Major Report Drivers And Restraints Factors Of Global Macrolide Antibiotics Market: Growth in skin infections. Rise in demand of drugs against bacterial skin infections. Macrolide antibiotics increase the risk of sudden cardiac death.Global Macrolide Antibiotics Market By Drugs (Azithromycin, Clarithromycin, Erythromycin, Fidaxomicin, Telithromycin), By Route of Administration (Oral, Parenteral), By Infection (Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Legionella sp., Or Bordetella pertussis,Symptomatic Cat-Scratch Disease, Bacillary angiomatosis, Peliosishepatis, Cerebral Toxoplasmosis, Uncomplicated Skin Infections), By End User (Hospital, Dermatology Clinic, Clinic, Ambulatory Center, Research Laboratories), By Geography  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Get Free Sample Report Visit @Report Definition:Macrolides are a class of antibiotics derived from Saccharopolyspora erythraea. They inhibit protein synthesis in bacteria by binding to the 50S ribosomal element and effective against gram positive bacteria and intracellular pathogens such as Legionella, Mycoplasma and Chlamydia. It primarily acts as a bacteriostatic agent against many strains of Corynebacteria, listeria, Moxicella, streptococci, Neisseria meningitides, Staphylococci, Clostridia and Haemophilus sp.Competitive Analysis:The macrolide antibiotics market is highly fragmented and is based on new product launches and clinical results of products. Hence the major players have used various strategies such as new product launches, clinical trials, market initiatives, high expense on research and development, agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, and others to increase their footprints in this market. The report includes market shares of macrolide antibiotics market for global, Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and South America.Top Market CompetitorsSome of the major players operating in Global Macrolide Antibiotics Market Report are: Merck Co. & Inc. Pfizer Inc. Sandoz International GmbH Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. GlaxoSmithKline plc. Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. Bayer AG Abbott Novartis AG Sanofi AstraZeneca F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG Cempra, Inc. Macrolide Pharmaceuticals, Inc. SM Biomed Barkat Pharmaceutical Group Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Manufacturing Mustafa NevzatIlacSanayii A.S. Zhejiang Guobang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Tianyin Pharmaceutical Co., Inc. Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (JPMA) Murli Krishna Pharma among others.To Buy Complete Report Click Here:Report Segmentation:1. The global macrolide antibiotics market is segmented by drugs into azithromycin, clarithromycin, erythromycin, fidaxomicinand telithromycin.2. On the basis of route of administration the market is segmented into oral and parenteral.3. On the basis of indication the market is segmented into infection due to Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Legionella sp., Bordetella pertussis,symptomatic cat-scratch disease, Bacillaryangiomatosis, Peliosishepatis in patients with AIDS, cerebral toxoplasmosis, uncomplicated skin infections and others.4. On the basis of end user, the market is segmented into hospital, dermatology clinic, clinic, ambulatory center, research laboratories.Geographical Segmentation:On the basis of geography, global macrolide antibiotics market report covers data points for 28 countries across multiple geographies such as North America & South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. Some of the major countries covered in this report are U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, andBrazil among others. In 2017, North America is expected to dominate the market.Read more about the Global Macrolide Antibiotics Market Visit @Research Methodology of Global Macrolide Antibiotics Market:Data collection and base year analysis is done using data collection modules with large sample sizes. The market data is analyzed and forecasted using market statistical and coherent models. Also market share analysis and key trend analysis are the major success factors in the market report. To know more please Request an analyst call or drop down your inquiry.Demand Side Primary Contributors: Doctors, Surgeons, Medical Consultants, Nurses, Hospital Buyers, Group Purchasing Organizations, Associations, Insurers, Medical Payers, Healthcare Authorities, Universities, Technological Writers, Scientists, Promoters, and Investors among others.Supply Side Primary Contributors: Product Managers, Marketing Managers, C-Level Executives, Distributors, Market Intelligence, and Regulatory Affairs Managers among others.Related ReportGlobal Pen Needles Market  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Global Pen Needles Market, By Product Type (Standard Pen Needles, Safety Pen Needles), By Product Length (Nano Length, Medium Length, Long length), By Usability (Reusable Pen Needles, Disposable Pen Needles), By Application (Diabetes, Growth Hormone Deficiency, Others), By Therapy (Insulin, Glucagon-like peptide-1, Growth Hormones), By End-User (Hospitals, Clinics, OTC, Home Healthcare, Others), By Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Rest of the World)  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 Blog:Follow us on LinkedIn:
Global Solar PV Mounting Systems Market is predicted to grow at more than 7% by 2023

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Market HighlightsIncreasing demand for on-grid and off-grid electricity from remote areas for uninterrupted and reliable supply, will drive the growth of Solar PV Mounting Systems Market share. Increasing awareness regarding the adverse effects of greenhouse gas emissions on the environment and human health, is slated to encourage the usage of solar based power generation. Solar PV mounting systems find application across the utility, residential, and commercial sectors. Mounting expenditure on the green construction subject to the enforcement of zero emission legislations, will drive the solar PV mounting systems industry, across the commercial sector, over the forecast period. Solar PV mounting systems market size in the residential sector, is projected to witness a high surge, with the escalating demand for continuous power supply across the urban as well as rural regions.Solar PV Mounting Systems panels are an important aspect of solar panel installation. A solar PV mounting system is the supporting structure for the arrays of solar panels installed. The growing adoption of sustainable energy over the conventional systems, is creating a huge growth scope for the global solar PV mounting systems market size. Currently, the global Solar PV Mounting Systems market is increasing tremendously, due to major drivers such as commitment to develop a clean energy society, and government incentives & policies.Global Solar PV Mounting Systems Market is predicted to grow at more than 7% by 2023Asia-Pacific Region in Solar PV Mounting Systems Market is expected to have the fastest growth rateAsia-Pacific region holds the largest share of approximately 50% in global solar PV (Photo-Voltaic) mounting systems market in 2016, and is expected to grow at a high rate, resulting in growth in sale of solar PV mounting systems subsequently. The continuous growth in industrial & commercial and utility sector in Asia- Pacific, requires a high amount of electricity for their operations. Also, the government initiatives for the utilization of renewable energy, is making the end user opt for solar energy. All these factors will majorly constitute the growth of Solar PV Mounting Systems in the Asia-Pacific region for forecast period.Request a Sample Copy @Key PlayersThe key players of global solar PV mounting systems market are Schletter GmbH (Germany), Unirac (U.S), SolarWorld AG (Germany), Jinko Solar (China), K2 Systems GmbH (Germany), Quick Mount PV. (U.S), Landpower Solar Technology (China), RBI Solar (U.S), Mounting Systems, Inc. (U.S), Xiamen Grace Solar Technology Co., Ltd. (China), Versolsolar (China) and Clenergy (China).Scope of the ReportThis study provides an overview of the global solar PV mounting systems market, tracking three market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global solar PV mounting systems market by its product, by technology, by end-user and by region.By Product Rooftop Ground MountedBy Technology Fixed TrackingBy End-User Residential Commercial UtilityBy Regions North America Asia Pacific Europe Rest of the WorldFor further information on this report @Table of Content1... Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope Of The Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market Size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3... Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis4... Global Solar PV Mounting Systems Market, By Product4.1 Introduction4.2 Rooftop4.3 Ground Mounted5... Global Solar PV Mounting Systems Market, By TechnologyContinue..Enquire about this Report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Railway Maintenance Machinery Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Plasser & Theurer, CRCC High-Tech Equipment, Speno, Remputmash Group, Gemac Engineering, CRRC, Teraspyora-Steelwheel Oy and Others

Railway Maintenance Machinery Market

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Global Railway Maintenance Machinery market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely GEATECH Group, Gemac Engineering, CRRC, MATISA France, Vortok International, Teraspyora-Steelwheel Oy, Beijing Yan Hong Da Railway Equipment, Plasser & Theurer, CRCC High-Tech Equipment, Loram Maintenance of Way, Harsco, Strukton, Speno, Remputmash Group and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Railway maintenance machinery consists of work vehicles and some small equipment that are used for the maintenance of tracks.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Railway Maintenance Machinery Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:Plasser & TheurerCRCC High-Tech EquipmentLoram Maintenance of WayHarscoStruktonSpenoRemputmash GroupGEATECH GroupGemac EngineeringCRRCMATISA FranceVortok InternationalTeraspyora-Steelwheel OyBeijing Yan Hong Da Railway EquipmentOthersGlobal Railway Maintenance Machinery Market: Key Product TypeTamping MachineStabilizing MachineryRail Handling MachineryBallast Cleaning MachineOthersGlobal Railway Maintenance Machinery Market: Key Application TypeBallast TrackBallastless TrackOthersGlobal Railway Maintenance Machinery Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Railway Maintenance Machinery Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Railway Maintenance Machinery Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Railway Maintenance Machinery Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Railway Maintenance Machinery Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Tamping Machine1.2.2 Stabilizing Machinery1.2.3 Rail Handling Machinery1.2.4 Ballast Cleaning Machine1.2.5 Other1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Ballast Track1.3.2 Ballastless Track........................Continue (Global Railway Maintenance Machinery Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Structured Cabling Market: Present Scenario and the Growth Prospects with Forecast 2021

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ccording to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research Structured Cabling Market - Global Industry Analysis, Trend, Size, Share and Forecast 2015 - 2021, structured cabling market was valued at US$7.11 bn in 2014 and is expected to reach US$11.45 bn by 2021, at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2015 to 2021.Browse the full Structured Cabling Market - Global Industry Analysis, Trend, Size, Share and Forecast 2015 - 2021 report atThe global structured cabling market is primarily driven by increasing demand for higher bandwidth globally. High bandwidth is most important for applications such as video calling, faster data transmission, online gaming and file downloading among others. Thus with the increase in the number of internet users, the demand for high bandwidth is expected to increase considerably across different commercial, industrial and IT (information technology) sectors.According to the United Nations International Telecommunications Union, the number of internet users worldwide was estimated to be around 3 billion in 2014. This number is expected to increase considerably in the coming years and in line with this, structured network demand over corporate sector is also expected to increase through forecast period. This in turn triggers the need of advanced structured cabling solution globally. In addition, the need for modernization and expansion of communication network adopted by different enterprises is also expected to accelerate the demand for structured cabling globally.Get Brochure Of Report @The global structured cabling market is segmented on the basis of solution type, application and geography. By application, the structured cabling market has been segmented into commercial, residential, government, industrial and transportation. On the basis of solution type, structured cabling market is segmented into hardware, software and service.The hardware segment is further segmented into fiber cable, racks and cabinets, copper cable and patch panel and cross connects. By geography, the structured cabling market has been classified into: North America, Asia Pacific, Europe and Rest of the World (ROW).Among the different solution type of structured cabling, hardware segment held the largest market share with 89.0% share in 2014. The hardware segment is mainly driven by copper cable. However, across the different applications of structured cabling, the residential sector is expected to be the fastest growing market during the forecast period. The modular design of structured cabling is very flexible and supports future up gradation where new cable structure can be added or move without any new modification in the cabling infrastructure.Request A Sample Of Report @This makes it most suitable for residential purpose and thus results in higher adoption of structured cabling infrastructure in the residential sectors. By geography, North America held the largest market share in structured cabling market and accounted for 38.8% market share in 2014. Being a mature market owing to high penetration level, the structured cabling market in North America is predicted to experience sluggish growth in the coming years. Europe held the second largest market share in the global structured cabling market.Initiative taken by European Commission to reduce carbon emission and electricity consumption is also responsible for the robust growth of structured cabling market in Europe during the forecast period.Some of the major market players operating in the structured cabling market are: Legrand SA (France), Belden Inc. (US), CommScope Holding Company Inc. (Carolina), Schneider Electric SE (France), and Corning Inc. (New York) 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. 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:
Coconut Water Market 2017- Edward & Sons, Sococo, PECU, Grupo Serigy, CocoJal

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Apex Market Reports, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the "Coconut Water Market" across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of "Coconut Water Market" from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the global Coconut Water industry, and estimates the future trend of Coconut Water market on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares "Coconut Water Market" performance both in terms of volume and revenue.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This ReportVITA COCOCoca-Cola (Zico)Pepsico (ONE,Amacoco)Naked JuiceMaverick BrandsTaste NirvanaC2O Pure Coconut WaterTradecons GmbHAmy & BrianEdward & SonsSococoPECUGrupo SerigyCocoJalCoconut Palm GroupYeniuYedaoBeiqiThe market research report explores the Coconut Water market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of "Coconut Water Market". The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the Coconut Water market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Coconut Water. Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Coconut Water market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.The competitive landscape of the global market for Coconut Water is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Coconut Water market's production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Coconut Water market globally.Enquire Before Buying @The global Coconut Water market 2017 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Coconut Water production volume, data pertaining to demand and Coconut Water supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Coconut Water along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for Coconut Water across the world.About UsApex Market Reports offers elevating market research globally. We have collection of various syndicated reports of different categories. Apex Market Reports provides you to best services, weather youre searching for new trends in market or competitive scenario in emerging market.Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemical and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezCorporate Sales Specialist155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606Phone: +17739042683Email id - sales@apexmarketreports.comWebsite -
Plastisol Ink market forecast to 2022 published by leading research firm

Plastisol Ink market forecast to 2022 published by leading research firm

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ReportsMonitor.com has added United States Plastisol Ink Market Research Report 2017.Plastisol Ink Market Report communicates about the manufacturing process. The process is analysed thoroughly with respect three points, viz. raw material and equipment suppliers, various manufacturing associated costs (material cost, labour cost, etc.) and the actual process of whole Enterprise Plastisol Ink market.Geographically, this report splits the United States market into seven regions: The West, Southwest, The Middle Atlantic, New England, The South, The Midwest, with sales (volume), revenue (value), market share and growth rate of Plastisol Ink in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast).Top Key manufactures of Plastisol Ink Market are PolyOne, Lancer Group, Rutland Plastic Technologies, ICC, Huber Group, Fujifilm, Sunlan Chemicals, KARAN, Zhongyi Ink & Paint, Sophah Screen Printing Technology, Dexin.Get Your Free Sample Report @The Plastisol Ink Market, presents critical information and factual data about the United States Plastisol Ink Market, providing an overall statistical study of this market on the basis of market drivers, market limitations, and its future prospects. The widespread United States Plastisol Ink opportunities and trends are also taken into consideration in Plastisol Ink industry.On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each Type, primarily split into General Plastisol Inks, Non-Phthalate Plastisol Inks, Non-PVC Plastisol Inks.By Application, the market can be split into Cotton Fabric, Polyester & Nylon Fabrics, Blend Fabric, Others.Some points from TOC:1 United States Plastisol Ink Market Size (Sales Volume) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)2 United States Plastisol Ink Market Size (Sales Volume) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20163 United States Plastisol Ink Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)4 United States Plastisol Ink Market Competition by Players/Suppliers5 United States Plastisol Ink Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (Product Category) (2012-2017)6 United States Plastisol Ink Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data7 Plastisol Ink Manufacturing Cost Analysis8 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers9 United States Plastisol Ink Market Size (Value and Volume) Forecast (2017-2022)Have a query on this report? @All aspects of the Plastisol Ink industry report are quantitatively as well as qualitatively assessed to study the United States as well as regional market comparatively. The basic information such as the definition, prevalent chain and the government regulations pertaining to the Plastisol Ink market are also discussed in the report.About UsReports Monitor (ReportsMonitor.com) is a platform for companies looking to meet their 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. The prime focus is to get reliable data, Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Contact UsJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Financial Services Cybersecurity Systems and Services Market - Mobile Enterprise Management at the Helm of Market with Leading Share

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The global financial services cybersecurity systems and services market is foretold to gain impetus from the enactment of government statutes such as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley (GLB) Act which require financial companies to ensure the confidentiality and security of customers personal data. Such customer data could include social security numbers (SSNs), credit histories, income, account numbers, phone numbers, addresses, and names. Furthermore, a heightened response is expected from financial firms looking at the soaring prevalence and sophistication of cybercrimes since the last decade and a half.The global financial services cybersecurity systems and services market is forecasted to register a CAGR of 14.1% during the forecast timeframe 20172022. By 2022 end, the market could post a revenue of US$24.3 bn. In 2017, it earned around US$12.5 bn.Obtain Report Details @Global Financial Services Cybersecurity Systems and Services Market: Major InsightsThe international financial services cybersecurity systems and services market is envisioned to be labeled as a faster and larger-growing one for private sector cybersecurity. Banks and financial institutions such as Bank of America are foreseen to set no bar or constraint on cybersecurity outlay due to the urgency of the time and briskly widening reach of cybercrimes. The American Bankers Association Banking Journal reported in 2016 that cyber-related threats are now ranked higher by CEOs than those associated with energy prices, asset bubbles, and fiscal crisis. Forcepoint, in its 2015 Industry Drill Down Report, claimed that security incidents in the financial services industry occur 300 times more frequently than in other business sectors.The international financial services cybersecurity systems and services market is envisaged to award mobile enterprise management as a commanding segment expected to secure a stronger revenue of US$4.7 bn by 2022. However, there could be more markets for financial services cybersecurity systems and services as per solution and services segmentation showing face. These could be endpoint security, identity and access management, mobile security, security information and event management, content security, data loss prevention (DLP), datacenter security, and firewall.According to end user classification, the international financial services cybersecurity systems and services market is predicted to offer opportunities in segments such as banking, insurance, credit unions, stock brokerages, stock exchange, investment funds, consumer financing services, payment card and mobile payment services, and government-related financial services.Regionally, North America is prognosticated to make the cut in the international financial services cybersecurity systems and services market with a revenue of US$7.6 bn prophesied to be garnered by the end of 2022. Other markets such as Europe and Japan could also offer promising prospects in the coming years.Make an Enquiry @Global Financial Services Cybersecurity Systems and Services Market: Vendor LandscapeCompanies operating in the worldwide financial services cybersecurity systems and services market are anticipated to cash in on the opportunities birthing from building robust risk and security management programs for financial institutions. Such programs could help financial firms to empower their IT security while enjoying the confidence to innovate and compete strongly in their business. Vendors such as VMware, Inc., Akamai Technologies, Inc., Alert Logic, Inc., AlienVault, Inc., and Avast Software S.R.O. could be among the top names in the market. The report provides an all-inclusive profile account of each vendor studied.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 others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendationsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Major Advancements in the Specialty Fertilizers Market Technologies; Global Industry Analysis 2024

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Albany, NY, 31st October : Recent research and the current scenario as well as future market potential of "Specialty Fertilizers Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024" globally.Specialty fertilizers are granulated fertilizers which supply nutrients to the soil gradually. The measured nutrient uptake by plants can be achieved by usually modifying the fertilizer products through chemical techniques which reduces their solubility, or by physical methods such as coating encapsulation.Get PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @Specialty fertilizers can be classified into three general categories: slow-release fertilizers where release rates are difficult to estimate, controlled-release fertilizers where release rates are predictable, and fertilizers associated with inhibitors of enzymatic processes. Slow-release fertilizers release their nutrients at a less predictable rate and depend on other aspects of their formulations to release nutrients. The nutrients are available in a form that is not available to plants. They are converted by microorganisms present in the soil into nutrient forms which can be utilized by plants. Slow-release fertilizers can be synthetic or organic. Slow-release fertilizers are affected by multiple factors such as soil moisture, temperature, and ph. Controlled-release fertilizers are coated fertilizers which release nutrients over a specific period of time. The nutrients are usually packed in coated fertilizer granules. The coating materials and release mechanism are different for each product. Controlled release fertilizers are affected only by soil temperature which makes the release of their nutrients more predictable. Higher soil temperature causes the fertilizer to release nutrients more quickly.The demand for specialty fertilizers is expected to grow due to their advantages over the conventional fertilizers. Specialty fertilizers are more efficient, require less labor, and provide more consistent nutrients to plants. As the nutrients are released only in sufficient amounts which can be absorbed by the plants, the nutrients can be completely utilized by the plant. Specialty fertilizers also produce more compact plants that require less utilization of growth regulators. The risk of loss is high when using conventional fertilizers as the nutrient is soluble, and available in surplus quantity. However, specialty fertilizers are expensive as compared to the conventional fertilizers and have a limited use in the mainstream agriculture. This could hamper the growth of specialty fertilizer market to some extent.North America is the largest market for specialty fertilizers accounting for a majority of the global demand, followed by Asia Pacific and Western Europe. Emerging economies in Asia Pacific are expected to be the fastest growing markets for specialty fertilizers. Consumption of specialty fertilizers in India is still at a nascent stage. The expansion of Indian economy and increased awareness about the benefits of specialty fertilizers is expected to raise the demand for specialty fertilizers. In addition, concern for the environment is expected to further drive the demand for specialty fertilizers, especially in Asia Pacific and North America. Countries in Eastern Europe and the Middle East are expected to experience moderate market growth.The market is dominated by large and medium chemical and agricultural corporations. Some key players in this market include Yara International ASA (Norway), Agrium Inc. (Canada), Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. (Canada), Haifa Chemicals (Israel), Vardhaman Fertilizers and Seeds Pvt Ltd (India), Verdesian Life Sciences (the U.S.), Sungro Seeds Ltd. (India), and Sociedad Quimica y Minera S.A. (Chile). The companies are using strategic mergers and acquisitions to increase their market share. In addition, the companies are shifting their production facilities from developed economies to emerging economies due to availability of land, cheap labor, and government subsidies. Furthermore, they are using aggressive marketing tactics to remain competitive in the market.Make an Enquiry about TOC @The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth insights, understanding market evolution by tracking historical developments, and analyzing the present scenario and future projections based on optimistic and likely scenarios. Each research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology developments, types, applications, and the competitive landscape.The study is a source of reliable data on:Key market segments and sub-segmentsEvolving market trends and dynamicsChanging supply and demand scenariosQuantifying market opportunities through market sizing and market forecastingTracking current trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive insightsOpportunity mapping in terms of technological breakthroughsThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)TMR estimates the market size of various sectors using a combination of available data on the number and revenue of companies within each sub-sector and tiers of companies. The basic components used to determine market size and forecast for a specific product area are not only limited to supply-side data, but are also related to demand, industry trends, and the economic outlook. All the above data points are utilized to generate a statistical model targeting the sector marketplace. More than 300 TMR analysts across the world integrate these elements into a framework to determine the subsector market size for a base year and then forecast growth within each market.Browse Report @TMR regularly interviews technology and business professionals as an ongoing effort to track the latest developments within each sector. These continuous surveys are stratified by company size and industry segment and weighted to reflect the global market place. All data are collected on an ongoing effort through a structured questionnaire rolled over the web or conducted via telephones. This provides the TMR team opportunities to request for detailed question sets, complex skip patterns, and real-time calculations, which assists respondents in answering questions involving numbers and percentages. Respondents, who are interviewed as experts, are screened and qualified based on certain criteria in addition to their decision-making authority and the scope of activity within their organizations.ResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozMr. Nachiket Ghumare,90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA-Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn @Follow me on :
Blood Group Typing Market Rugged Expansion Foreseen by 2025

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Global Blood Group Typing Market: OverviewBlood group typing consists of various methods and techniques that are used to detect the group of blood. The correct and reliable grouping of blood is vital to fulfil a variety of clinical ends, especially for safe blood transfusion and in organ donation processes. In recent years, there have been marked developments in the conventional detection methods. Constant technological advancements in microarray, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and other assay-based techniques have improved detection methods. As a result, the market has seen the advent of high-throughput devices that enable clinicians in multiplexed and quantitative detection of various blood group antigens. Advanced methods such as quantum dots (QDs) and magnetic beads in assays improve identification and enhance clinical safety of blood transfusion.Global Blood Group Typing Market: Key TrendsThe rising number of blood donations and increasing number of patients needing transfusion due to accidents and trauma are the primary factors driving the blood group typing market. The growing demand for blood group typing for pregnancy and prenatal testing has boosted the market. Blood typing is also crucial to detect the condition of hemolytic disease of the newborn (HDN) in pregnant women, thereby stimulating the demand for such tests. Increasing application of blood group typing in forensic sciences is further expected to catalyze the market growth.Request Sample Copy of the Report@The advent of novel molecular diagnostic tools that help in reliable and rapid identification of group in a large blood samples is expected to provide abundant opportunities to market players. For instance, the molecular genotyping of ABO blood groups in large populations can be accomplished with the help of these methods.Global Blood Group Typing Market: Market PotentialA recent clinical study published in International Journal of Nanomedicine reveals that scientists have developed a novel multiplexed method for the identification of ABO blood groups. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, a prominent military institution of higher learning in China. Researchers conducting the study, quantified blood group A and B antigens with QD fluorescence assay (QFA). The assay integrates the traditional QD labeling with magnetic beads to make high throughput and quantitative method for rapid detection of antigens present in the ABO blood groups of fairly large volume populations. The scientists evaluated the efficacy of the method by testing the blood samples for 791 people and they confirmed that the accuracy was 100%; in addition, they asserted that when the conditions were optimized, even detection in weak samples produced satisfactory results.An estimate by the researchers states that the multiplexed detection can be completed within the short span of 35 minutes with over 105 RBCs (red blood cells). This study holds marked significance for blood transfusion safety. The findings of the study show promising prospect for the blood group typing market, since the testing process can be used to devise an effective clinical strategy to improvise on the identification methods for ABO blood groups.Request TOC of the Report @Global Blood Group Typing Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, North America is a prominent market for blood group typing devices and consumables. The regional market is expected to witness substantial growth in the coming years. The growth of the market is attributed to the constant technological advancements in PCR and assays for blood grouping leading to the design of cost-effective and novel blood-grouping platforms.Meanwhile, Asia Pacific is expected to provide lucrative avenues over the forecast period from 2017 to 2025. The impressive pace of growth of the Asia Pacific market for blood group typing is driven by some promising clinical studies in high throughput devices, increasing healthcare spending, and the growing number of blood transfusions.Get Discount @Global Blood Group Typing Market: Competitive AnalysisSeveral players are making innovations in their offerings and using advanced technologies to discover novel methods for blood group typing. Key companies operating in the blood group typing market are Novacyt Group, Day medical SA, Rapid Labs, Quotient, Ltd., AXO Science, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Inc. Immucor, Inc., and Grifols, S.A.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
Bakery Enzymes Market Subdivision, Technology, New Innovations, Future Guidelines, Key Players, Trends and Forecast 2022

Bakery Enzymes Market

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https://www.qyresearchgroups.com/report/global-bakery-enzymes-market-research-report-2017-d-350

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The Global Bakery Enzymes Market Research Report 2017 renders deep perception of the key regional market status of the Bakery Enzymes Industry on a Global level that primarily aims the core regions which comprises of continents like Europe, North America, and Asia and the key countries such as United States, Germany, China and Japan.Request for sample of Bakery Enzymes Market research report @The report on Global Bakery Enzymes Market is a professional report which provides thorough knowledge along with complete information pertaining to the Bakery Enzymes industry a propos classifications, definitions, applications, industry chain summary, industry policies in addition to plans, product specifications, manufacturing processes, cost structures, etc.The potential of this industry segment has been rigorously investigated in conjunction with primary market challenges. The present market condition and future prospects of the segment has also been examined. Moreover, key strategies in the market that includes product developments, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, etc., are discussed. Besides, upstream raw materials and equipment and downstream demand analysis is also conducted.Report Includes:-The report cloaks the market analysis and projection of Bakery Enzymes Market on a regional as well as Global level. The report constitutes qualitative and quantitative valuation by industry analysts, first-hand data, assistance from industry experts along with their most recent verbatim and each industry manufacturers via the market value chain. The research experts have additionally assessed the in general sales and revenue generation of this particular market. In addition, this report also delivers widespread analysis of root market trends, several governing elements and macro-economic indicators, coupled with market improvements as per every segment. Furthermore, the report contains diverse profiles of primary market players of Bakery Enzymes Market.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Bakery Enzymes in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), covering:North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, IndiaGlobal Bakery Enzymes market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players including:Dupont, Novozymes A/S, Riken Vitamin Co.Ltd., Engrain, Palsgaard A/S, Cargill Inc., David Michael & Co.,Purac Biochem B.V., Royal Dsm N.V., Associated British Foods Plc., Brewers Compass, Kerry GroupOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into:Lipase, Bacterial Xylanase, CellulaseOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Bakery Enzymes for each application, including:Commercial, HomeDetailed TOC and Charts & Tables of Bakery Enzymes Market Research Report available @The report is generically segmented into six parts and every part aims on the overview of the Bakery Enzymes industry, present condition of the market, feasibleness of the investment along with several strategies and policies. Apart from the definition and classification, the report also discusses the analysis of import and export and describes a comparison of the market that is focused on the trends and development. Along with entire framework in addition to in-depth details, one can prepare and stay ahead of the competitors across the targeted locations. The fact that this market report renders details about the major market players along with their product development and current trends proves to be very beneficial for fresh entrants to comprehend and recognize the industry in an improved manner. The report also enlightens the productions, sales, supply, market condition, demand, growth, and forecast of the Bakery Enzymes industry in the Global markets.Every regions market has been studied thoroughly in this report which deals with the precise information pertaining to the Marketing Channels and novel project investments so that the new entrants as well as the established market players conduct intricate research of trends and analysis in these regional markets. Acknowledging the status of the environment and products up gradation, the market report foretells each and every detail.So as to fabricate this report, complete key details, strategies and variables are examined so that entire useful information is amalgamated together for the understanding and studying the key facts pertaining the Global Bakery Enzymes Industry. The production value and market share in conjunction with the SWOT analysis everything is integrated in this report.Check for Discount @Table of Contents7 Global Bakery Enzymes Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Dupont7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Bakery Enzymes Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Dupont Bakery Enzymes Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Novozymes A/S7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Bakery Enzymes Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 Novozymes A/S Bakery Enzymes Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Riken Vitamin Co.Ltd.7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Bakery Enzymes Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Riken Vitamin Co.Ltd. Bakery Enzymes Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Engrain7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Bakery Enzymes Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 Engrain Bakery Enzymes Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Palsgaard A/S7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Bakery Enzymes Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Palsgaard A/S Bakery Enzymes Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 Cargill Inc.7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 Bakery Enzymes Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 Cargill Inc. Bakery Enzymes Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 David Michael & Co.7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 Bakery Enzymes Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 David Michael & Co. Bakery Enzymes Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 Purac Biochem B.V.7.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.8.2 Bakery Enzymes Product Category, Application and Specification7.8.2.1 Product A7.8.2.2 Product B7.8.3 Purac Biochem B.V. Bakery Enzymes Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.9 Royal Dsm N.V.7.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.9.2 Bakery Enzymes Product Category, Application and Specification7.9.2.1 Product A7.9.2.2 Product B7.9.3 Royal Dsm N.V. Bakery Enzymes Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.9.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.10 Associated British Foods Plc.7.10.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.10.2 Bakery Enzymes Product Category, Application and Specification7.10.2.1 Product A7.10.2.2 Product B7.10.3 Associated British Foods Plc. Bakery Enzymes Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.10.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.11 Brewers Compass7.12 Kerry GroupEnquiry before Buying @About Us:QY Research Groups is a company that simplifies how analysts and decision makers get industry data for their business. Our unique colossal technology has been developed to offer refined search capabilities designed to exploit the long tail of free market research whilst eliminating irrelevant results. QY Research Groups is the collection of market intelligence products and services on the Web. We offer reports and update our collection daily to provide you with instant online access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on Global industries, companies, products, and trends.Contact us:Jia Wang, Room B1510, ShijiKemao Building, No.66,Zhongguancun East Road,Haidian District, Beijing, 100190,China
Industrial burner Market: Present Scenario and the Growth Prospects with Forecast 2024

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According to a new research report by Transparency Market Research (TMR), the global market for industrial burners demonstrates a highly fragmented and a competitive landscape, owing to the presence of a large pool of participants.The rivalry between these players is likely to increase in the years to come, as these players are actively involving into innovations, advancement in current offerings, and the acquisition of smaller players to gain more visibility in this market, states the report.Obtain Report Details @As per the report, the global industrial burner market stood at US$19.6 bn in 2015. Researchers predict that the rise of this market will be at a CAGR of 3.0% during the period from 2016 to 2024, increasing the opportunity in this market to US$25.6 bn by the end of the forecast period. The petrochemicals segment has been reporting a higher consumption of these burners compared to other end users. The scenario is likely to remain so over the next few years due to a robust rise in the demand for petrochemicals in developing regions, particularly in Asia Pacific.The report also provides a geographical analysis of the worldwide market for industrial burners. According to it, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, North America, and the Middle East and Africa are the key regional markets for industrial burners across the world. In 2015, North America dominated the global market for industrial burners with an overall contribution of US$6.3 bn in terms of revenue.Get Brochure Of Report @The regional market is anticipated to retain its lead over the forecast period on account of the advanced infrastructure, high productivity, and the ample presence of natural resources. Currently, the North America industrial burner market is led by the U.S. and Canada and the scenario is expected to remain same in the near future. The U.S., being a prominent producer of oil and gas in the whole world, is likely to report a greater demand for these burners when compared to the other countries in this region.Asia Pacific is also anticipated to witness a high-paced growth in its market for industrial burners in the years to come, thanks to the large pool of international industrial burner manufacturers, looking to establish their manufacturing units in China and India, prompted by the low cost of raw materials and labor. Apart from this, the significant expansion in the petrochemical and the mining industries and the increasing implementation of various government policies to reduce carbon footprints in emerging Asian nations is also projected to boost this regional market in the near future, notes the research study.Request A Sample Of Report @The extensive deployment of burner management systems (BMSs) in a number of industries, thanks to the benefits these systems provide, such efficient protection against the explosion of boilers, has reflected greatly in the sales of industrial burners across the world, says the author of this report.Going forward, the phenomenal increase in the demand for industrial boilers, fueled by the rising industrialization in developing regions and the expanding industrial application base of these boilers, is likely to add remarkably to the growth of this market in the next few years. However, the difficulties faced in the retrofitting of industrial burners may impede the progress of this market in the near future, reports the research study.The study presented here is based on a report by Transparency Market Research (TMR), titled Industrial burner 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 Paper Pallet Market Research Report 2017 - Corrugated Pallets, Smurfit Kappa, FHG IPP Logipal

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Paper Pallet Market Research Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.The thorough report here assembles different perspectives having a place with the general Paper Pallet market which verbalizes the present-day data and future exposures with reference to the dynamic powers at play. The prime reason for the examination report is to offer the endorser with a sweeping format and make accessible the gainful certainties and records. The quantifiable and testing illuminations behind the examination other than executes data on issues, for example, drivers, shackles, and projections to gage the postponed outcome of the general Paper Pallet market through the cross of the said gage period in the examination report. The report in like course passes on a brief and world class record of the predefined market follows, which joins a couple of occasions of the veritable fixations at work which are concentrated to trigger change in the market or may cause any negative effect.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @This report other than stations into the general Paper Pallet market by in a general sense examining the thing and industrialized chain of the market. This is required to moreover help in passing on good 'ol fashioned information and data on compound parts of the fitting market, for example, material relating to methodologies for the directing body in the standard and general strata, transport and transmission structure, targets, and purposes behind premium got for the contributed mean.The report utilizes a couple of demonstrated industry examination and whole contraptions. They permit the examination collect pass on an uncovered fundamental assessment of the general Paper Pallet market and help endorser and market troupes to be advised with respect to theory and business judgments. The wide thinking of the examination gives a market position on an obvious and minute scale. It amasses key and optional research structures thusly. The administrators have figured the recorded encounters and rose it from the forward and thus around change parade circumstance to plan a structure for the general Paper Pallet market in the years ahead.Browse Complete Report with TOC @Global Paper Pallet market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingCorrugated PalletsSmurfit KappaFHG IPP LogipalSonocoConitex SonocoJinlong Paper ProductsYiqiangGL PackagingHongxingtaiYiheyi PackagingCortek Inc.Shenzhen DonghengTable of ContentsGlobal Paper Pallet Market Research Report 20171 Paper Pallet Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Paper Pallet1.2 Paper Pallet Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Paper Pallet Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Paper Pallet Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20162 Global Paper Pallet Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Paper Pallet Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Paper Pallet Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Paper Pallet Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Paper Pallet Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Paper Pallet Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)3 Global Paper Pallet Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 Global Paper Pallet Capacity and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 Global Paper Pallet Production and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 Global Paper Pallet Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.4 Global Paper Pallet Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)Get discount copy @List of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Paper PalletFigure Global Paper Pallet Production (K Units) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Types (Product Category) (2012-2022)Figure Global Paper Pallet Production Market Share by Types (Product Category) in 2016Figure China Paper Pallet Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Japan Paper Pallet Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Southeast Asia Paper Pallet Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure India Paper Pallet Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Global Paper Pallet Revenue (Million USD) Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Figure Global Paper Pallet Capacity, Production (K Units) Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Figure Global Paper Pallet Major Players Product Capacity (K Units) (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
Global Physiological Saline Sales Market Report 2017 - Cisen, Tiandi, Chimin

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Physiological Saline Sales Market Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.The report Physiological Saline Market Research Report 2017 is a comprehensive industry study featuring qualitative and quantitative analysis. For qualitative analysis, the Physiological Saline industry landscape and trends, technology landscape, industry dynamics and key events, key issues, policy and regulatory scenario, and competitive landscape, along with product benchmarking, has been employed.For quantitative analysis, the report considers the market volume and its revenue estimates along with forecasts for the various key segments of the market and presents a company market share analysis. In addition to this, the report implements a blend of primary and secondary research to forecast and estimate market growth. Along with primary and secondary research, the report also incorporates insights from industry leaders.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The report begins with an overview of the global Physiological Saline market and then elaborates on the China market. Throughout the study, the key global trends that will influence the China Physiological Saline market have been included. Furthermore, a detailed segmentation of the Physiological Saline market on the basis of product, application, and geography has been covered in the report. The key sectors with their market share in terms of volumes and revenue are available in the report. Additionally, a detailed evaluation of their sub-segments has also been included in this study.This research study serves as a valuable guide for both new entrants and established companies. The factors on the basis of which the companies compete in the Physiological Saline market have been scrutinized in the report. Further, key strategies of the leading market players are also available in the report. The report features key industry events and their impact analysis. In addition to this, strategic recommendations from lead analysts will help readers overcome the major challenges and tap the latest market opportunities in the Physiological Saline market.Global Physiological Saline market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Physiological Saline sales volume, Price (USD/Kg), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingBaxterHospira (Pfizer)Fresenius KabiBBraunOtsukaKelun GroupCR Double-CranSSY GroupCisenTiandiBrowse Complete Report with TOC @Table of ContentsGlobal Physiological Saline Sales Market Report 20171 Physiological Saline Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Physiological Saline1.2 Classification of Physiological Saline by Product Category1.2.1 Global Physiological Saline Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Physiological Saline Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Topical Type2 Global Physiological Saline Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application2.1 Global Physiological Saline Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1.1 Global Physiological Saline Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Physiological Saline Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Physiological Saline (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global Physiological Saline Sales and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)3 United States Physiological Saline (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 United States Physiological Saline Sales and Value (2012-2017)3.1.1 United States Physiological Saline Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.2 United States Physiological Saline Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.3 United States Physiological Saline Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)Get discount copy @List of Tables and FiguresFigure Product Picture of Physiological SalineFigure Global Physiological Saline Sales Volume Comparison (MT) by Type (2012-2022)Figure Global Physiological Saline Sales Volume Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 2016Figure Topical Type Product PictureFigure China Physiological Saline Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Europe Physiological Saline Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Japan Physiological Saline Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Southeast Asia Physiological Saline Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure India Physiological Saline Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Global Physiological Saline Sales Volume (MT) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)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
Global Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) Market 2022 - Boston Scientific, Direct Flow medical, Edwards Lifesciences Corporation

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022" to its huge collection of research reports.This given report on the global Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) market, is a result of a research conducted by a group of market research analysis experts with an aim to act as a reliable business material for stake holders. The report offers information on the current market scenario and the prospects that may arise in future as well. Use of well proven research methodologies is done in generating this report which offers both qualitative and quantitative analysis of all the aspects that may influence the growth of the global Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) market. The potential of lesser factors of the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) market can be evaluated by analysing its multiple segments such as products, end users, types, application, services, and others, whichever are applicable. The report also inspects the future scenarios of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) market in all the important regions across the world, such as North America, Latin America, Middle East and Africa (MEA), Asia Pacific, and Europe. The market potential of the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) of each region is provided by examining their related policies government, growth prospects, and demand percentage.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The report of the global Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) market gives out the estimation of the market size in terms of its value (USD million). Bottom-up as well as top-down approaches are applied in the report to project and confirm the size of the global Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) market and of its different other sub-segments.One of the important features of the study report is the company profiling chapter, where several leading players of the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) market have been inspected. Moreover, the competitive landscape of the global Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) market is researched along with identification of chances of upcoming players that are present in the market. The report give out some of the prominent companies in the global Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) market and inspects their tactical decisions such as mergers, collaborations, and acquisitions, new product announcements, and investments. Crucial information about the companies such as market share, business sales price, margin, and revenue generation, are provided in the research report.This report studies the global Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) market, analyzes and researches the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeBoston ScientificDirect Flow medicalEdwards Lifesciences CorporationJenavalve TechnologyMedtronicMeril Life SciencesSt. Jude MedicalSYMETISTranscatheter TechnologiesBrowse Complete Report with TOC @Table of ContentsGlobal Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI)1.1 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) Market Overview1.1.1 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook2 Global Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) 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 Boston Scientific3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business-Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 Direct Flow medicalGet discount copy @List of Tables and FiguresFigure Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) Product ScopeFigure Global Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) Market Size (Million USD) (2012-2017)Table Global Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Global Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) Market Share by Regions in 2016Figure United States Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure EU Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Japan Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure China Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure India Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) 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
Trends 2017 Fuel Card Global Market: Size, Forecasts 2021

Fuel Card

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"Global Fuel Card Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2017-2021)" The Report covers current Industries Trends, Worldwide Analysis, Global Forecast, Review, Share, Size, Growth, Effect.. .Description-' '-- Scope of the ReportThe report entitled Global Fuel Card Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2017-2021) provides an in-depth analysis of the global fuel card market with detailed description of market size and growth. The analysis includes market size in terms of value, market share by region and, addressable market. Fuel card penetration rate by region, on the basis of types of vehicle has also been provided.. .Get Sample Report With TOC @' 'The report also provides brief regional/country analysis of Europe. The analysis include market sizing in terms of value and fuel spending. Europe is expected to dominate the global fuel card market in the forecasted period also.Furthermore, the report also assesses the key opportunities available in the market and outlines the market dynamics that are and will be accountable for growth of the industry. Growth of the global fuel card market has also been forecasted for the period 2017-2021, taking into consideration previous growth outlines, growth drivers and the existing and forthcoming trends.A brief company profiling of major players namely BP, WEX Inc., FLEETCOR and, Royal Dutch Shell has been provided in the report on the basis of aspects like business overview, financial overview and business strategies adopted by respective companies.-- Company CoverageBritish Petroleum (BP)WEX Inc.FLEETCORRoyal Dutch Shell-- Region CoverageEurope-- Executive SummaryA card especially designed for the payment the fuel stations are known as fuel cards or fleet cards. The card is similar in appearance like a credit card, and works in a similar way.A wide variety of fuel cards are available in the market and each with different features and specifications. The most common types of fuel cards are: Branded Fuel Cards, Universal Fuel Cards and, Merchant Branded Cards. On the basis of type of vehicles, fuel cards are available for light fleets and heavy fleets.The global fuel card market has increased at a significant growth rate over the past few years and projections are made that the market would rise in the next four years i.e. 2017 to 2021. The global fuel card market is expected to increase on the back of rising demand for cashless fuel transactions, consolidation of the fragmented market, availability of a large number of value added services associated with fuel cards, etc. Yet the market faces some challenges such as rising competition from new entrants, changing legal framework, volatile oil prices, rising consumer expectations, etc.-- Table of Contents1. Executive Summary2. Introduction2.1 Overview of Fuel Card2.1.1 Types of Fuel CardOn the Basis of VehiclesOn the Basis of Enterprise2.1.2 Benefits of Fuel Card2.1.3 Major Fuel Card Providers3. Global Market Analysis3.1 Global Fuel Card Market Analysis3.1.1 Global Fuel Card Market by Value3.1.2 Global Fuel Card Addressable Market by Region3.1.3 Global Fuel Card Market Share by Region3.1.4 Global Light Fleet Fuel Card Penetration Rate by Region3.1.5 Global Heavy Fleet Fuel Card Penetration Rate by Region3.1.6 Global Fuel Card Addressable Market Segments by Region3.1.7 Global Revenue per Fleet Card4. Region/Country Analysis4.1 European Fuel Card Market Analysis4.1.1 European Fuel Card Market: An Outlook4.1.2 European Fuel Card Market by Value4.1.3 Northern Europe Fuel Card Market by Fuel Spending4.1.4 Western Europe Fuel Card Market by Fuel Spending4.1.5 Eastern Europe Fuel Card Market by Fuel Spending4.1.6 Southern Europe Fuel Card Market by Fuel Spending5. Market Dynamics5.1 Growth Drivers5.1.1 Availability of Host of Options5.1.2 Alleviation of Fuel Theft5.1.3 Cost Saving5.1.4 Rising Demand for Cashless Fuel Transactions5.1.6 Consolidation of Fragmented Market5.2 Challenges5.2.1 Rising Competition from New Entrants5.2.2 Changing Legal Frameworks5.2.3 Growing Consumer Expectations5.2.4 Fluctuating Oil Prices5.2.5 Limited Opportunities5.3 Market Trends5.3.1 Omnichannel Experience5.3.2 Loyalty Offering Programs5.3.3 Outsourcing of Fuel Card5.3.4 Technological Advancements5.3.5 Host Card Emulation6. Competitive Landscape6.1 The US Fuel Card Market Share by Players6.2 European Fuel Card Market by Key Players7. Company Profiling7.1 BP Global7.1.1 Business Overview7.1.2 Financial Overview7.1.3 Business Strategy7.2 FLEETCOR7.2.1 Business Overview7.2.2 Financial Overview7.2.3 Business Strategy7.3 WEX Inc.7.3.1 Business Overview7.3.2 Financial Overview7.3.3 Business Strategy7.4 Royal Dutch Shell7.4.1 Business Overview7.4.2 Financial Overview7.4.3 Business Strategy. .Report Enquiry and Other Query @ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Researchmoz Global Pvt. Ltd.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United States,Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free),Tel: +1-518-621-2074
Offshore Decommissioning Market : Evolving Market Trends & Dynamics 2025

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Global Offshore Decommissioning Market: OverviewOffshore decommissioning is the process of disassembling offshore oil platforms, which also includes burying the holes drilled into the ground for exploration and extraction purposes. Mature oil platforms can have an adverse impact on the surrounding environment, which necessitates their removal. The global offshore decommissioning market is likely to remain a key sector of the global oil and gas industry in the coming years, as the latter is likely to emphasize increasingly on offshore petroleum extraction. Well plugging and abandonment is likely to remain the key segment of the global offshore decommissioning market in the coming years, with the extensive scale of the operation key in ensuring a steady dominant share for the segment in the global market.Global Offshore Decommissioning Market: Key TrendsThe global offshore decommissioning market is likely to exhibit steady growth in the coming years due to the rising number of mature oilfields, which no longer remain commercially viable. The high number of aging platforms in shallow water is also likely to remain a key driver for the global offshore decommissioning market in the coming years.Request Sample Copy of the Report@On the other hand, the high cost of offshore decommissioning projects could hinder the growth of the global offshore decommissioning market. Due to the large scale of offshore oil and gas platforms, significant expenditure needs to be dedicated for effective offshore decommissioning projects. Since the expenses go toward removing a nonfunctional asset rather than expanding the existing capacity, many players in the global oil and gas industry have remained reluctant about offshore decommissioning. The technology required to carry out offshore decommissioning efficiently are also lacking in several regions, as is systemic support from the regulatory framework. This is also likely to restrain the global offshore decommissioning market in the coming years.The rising use of techniques to maximize and prolong the viability of oilfields is also likely to restrain the growth of the global offshore decommissioning market in the coming years. Refilling and other techniques can help extend the operational lifespan of oilfield by a few years, and result in further profits for the oil and gas operator. This remains a key challenge for the offshore decommissioning market in the coming years, as offshore decommissioning remains unprofitable both economically as well as logistically compared to these techniques.Request TOC of the Report @Global Offshore Decommissioning Market: Market PotentialOil and gas operations in the North Sea are likely to be vital to the global offshore decommissioning market in the coming years. The U.K. and Norway are among the leading oil producers operating in the North Sea and are likely to remain among the key consumers of offshore decommissioning technology in the coming years. As a result, Europe is likely to be the leading regional offshore decommissioning market over the coming years.Global Offshore Decommissioning Market: Geographical DynamicsFollowing Europe, North America is also likely to retain a significant share in the global offshore decommissioning market due primarily to the rising role of the U.S. in the global oil and gas sector. The U.S. has traditionally been a major player in the oil and gas industry and is a leading operator of offshore oilfields at present. The rising prominence of Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia in the global oil and gas sector is also likely to drive the Asia Pacific market for offshore decommissioning in the coming years.Get Discount @Global Offshore Decommissioning Market: Competitive DynamicsThe leading players in the global offshore decommissioning market include AF Gruppen ASA, Amec Foster Wheeler Plc, John Wood Group Plc, Ramboll Group, Aker Solutions ASA, and Tetra Technologies Inc.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
Pharmaceutical Packaging Equipment Market Players to Open Facilities Worldwide 2017 - 2025

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Pharmaceutical Packaging Equipment Market: OverviewThe global pharmaceutical packaging equipment market is estimated to witness a healthy growth in the coming years. Some of the key factors encouraging the growth of the market include cost containment in pharmaceuticals, rise in the funding for generics, and growing investments in biopharmaceutical research. The technological advancements in labeling and serialization solutions are anticipated to boost the growth of the global pharmaceutical packaging equipment market. Rising emphasis on labeling and serialization to counter the problem of counterfeiting of medicines will fuel the demand for pharmaceutical packaging equipment. The market however faces one challenge. The threat from being substituted by refurbished packaging equipment is present in the market. Refurbished packaging equipment is a viable alternative to new packaging equipment, which costs high. This is likely to restrain the growth of the market.Pharmaceutical Packaging Equipment Market: Key TrendsSome of thy key trends observed in the market are increasing investments in the manufacturing sector by players and consistent technological innovation taking place in the global pharmaceutical packaging equipment market. The flourishing pharmaceutical industry is directly responsible for the growth of the pharmaceutical packaging equipment market. Rising incidences of diseases and infections are pushing the pharmaceutical industry to grow, which in turn is pushing the demand for pharmaceutical packaging equipment. The market for pharmaceutical packaging equipment is especially slated to witness a high growth in developing nations such as China and India as these countries do not have high import duties. The need for inexpensive manufacturing facilities is making developing nations in Asia Pacific, a potential market for pharmaceutical packaging equipment.Request Sample Copy of the Report@Pharmaceutical Packaging Equipment Market: Market PotentialPackaging of pharmaceutical product is extremely vital for the pharmaceutical industry as packaging enables safety and quality of drugs. Thus, there will always be a demand for pharmaceutical packaging equipment in the pharma industry. In contrast with conventional packaging systems, pharmaceutical packaging equipment are automated, modern, and flexible, including primary packaging and secondary equipment, and labeling and serialization equipment. This helps in reducing the time for packaging, boosting production.Companies such as Robert Bosch Gmbh participate in innovation and develop new products, which is creating a positive outlook for the market. The company recently launched a new Sigpack VPF vertical flat pouch machine and also a HML horizontal flow wrapping machine. The former is developed to pack powders by producing sachets that can pack pain killers in powder form. The machines enables the production of sealed packages and can fill up to 1500 sachets per minute.Request TOC of the Report @Pharmaceutical Packaging Equipment Market: Regional OutlookThe report segments the global pharmaceutical packaging equipment market on the basis of geography into Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. North America led in the global pharmaceutical packaging equipment market on account of advancements in the pharmaceutical industry and economic growth of the region. The patent expirations of a number of drugs will also help the market in the region to grow.Pharmaceutical Packaging Equipment Market: Competitive LandscapeThe global pharmaceutical packaging equipment market is highly fragmented. The market is characterized by the presence of several local, regional, and multinational players. Some of the players in the market are: IMA S.p.A. (Italy), Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany), Korber AG (Germany), Multivac Group (Germany), Marchesini Group S.p.A. (Italy), Romaco Pharmatechnik GmbH (Germany), and OPTIMA Packaging Group GmbH (Germany). Key players in the market are striving for innovation so as to maintain their shares in the competitive market.Get Discount @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
Automotive Braking System Industry Type, Vehicle Type, Technology and Modes of Operations Report 2017-2025

The Insight Partners

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Automotive braking system is a device which is used to slow or stop a moving vehicle usually achieved by friction. A brake system is an important part of any vehicle to ensure the safety as the demand for speed is increasing steadily. Various types of braking system are used such as master cylinder, brake shoe, brake caliper, piston and many more but commonly used are disc brake and drum brake.The major driver influencing the growth of automotive are increasing demand in vehicle production and demand for improving the vehicle safety enforced by the government whereas the high cost associated with automotive braking system can act as a restraining factor in the market. Increasing production of heavy vehicle is expect to fuel the market in the forecasted period.Request Sample is Available atThe Automotive Braking System Market Analysis to 2025 is a specialized and in-depth study of the automotive braking system industry with a focus on the global market trend. The report aims to provide an overview of global automotive braking system market with detailed market segmentation by type, vehicle type, technology, modes of operation and geography. The global automotive braking system market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the leading market players and offers key trends and opportunities in the market.The report provides a detailed overview of the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides overview and forecast of the global automotive braking system market based on type, vehicle type, technology and modes of operation. It also provides market size and forecast till 2025 for overall automotive braking system market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South America (SAM). The market by each region is later sub-segmented by respective countries and segments. The report covers analysis and forecast of 15 counties globally along with current trend and opportunities prevailing in the region.Inquire before Buying atBesides this, the report analyzes factors affecting market from both demand and supply side and further evaluates market dynamics effecting the market during the forecast period i.e., drivers, restraints, opportunities, and future trend. The report also provides exhaustive PEST analysis for all five regions namely; North America, Europe, APAC, MEA and South America after evaluating political, economic, social and technological factors effecting the market in these regions.Also, key automotive braking system market players influencing the market are profiled in the study along with their SWOT analysis and market strategies. The report also focuses on leading industry players with information such as company profiles, products and services offered, financial information of last 3 years, key development in past five years.Some of the key players influencing the market are Robert Bosch GmbH, ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd, Continental AG, Mando Corp., Autoliv Inc., AKEBONO BRAKE INDUSTRY Co. Ltd., Federal-Mogul LLC, Wabco Holdings Inc., and Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.Complete Report is Available atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.comAbout Us:The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Media, and Telecommunication industries.533, 5th Floor, Amanora Chambers,Amanora Township, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Yeast Extract Market 2017 Covering USA, Europe, China, Japan, India, South East Asia

Yeast Extract Market 2017 Covering USA, Europe, China, Japan, India, South East Asia

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ReportsMonitor.com has added United States Yeast Extract Market Research Report 2017.Yeast Extract Market Report communicates about the manufacturing process. The process is analysed thoroughly with respect three points, viz. raw material and equipment suppliers, various manufacturing associated costs (material cost, labour cost, etc.) and the actual process of whole Enterprise Yeast Extract market. Geographically, this report splits the United States market into seven regions: The West, Southwest, The Middle Atlantic, New England, The South, The Midwest, with sales (volume), revenue (value), market share and growth rate of Yeast Extract in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast).Top Key manufactures of Yeast Extract Market are Angel, Lesaffre, ABF Group, DSM Food Specialties, Lallemand, Alltech Fermin, MC Food Specialties, Yeastock, KOHJIN Life Sciences, Savoury Systems International, Kerry, Leiber, Sensient BioNutrients.Get Your Free Sample Report @The Yeast Extract Market, presents critical information and factual data about the United States Yeast Extract Market, providing an overall statistical study of this market on the basis of market drivers, market limitations, and its future prospects. The widespread United States Yeast Extract opportunities and trends are also taken into consideration in Yeast Extract industry.On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each Type, primarily split into Yeast Extract Power, Yeast Extract Paste.By Application, the market can be split into Meat products, Instant Noodles, Soy Sauce, Biscuits.Some points from TOC:1 United States Yeast Extract Market Size (Sales Volume) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)2 United States Yeast Extract Market Size (Sales Volume) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20163 United States Yeast Extract Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)4 United States Yeast Extract Market Competition by Players/Suppliers5 United States Yeast Extract Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (Product Category) (2012-2017)6 United States Yeast Extract Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data7 Yeast Extract Manufacturing Cost Analysis8 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers9 United States Yeast Extract Market Size (Value and Volume) Forecast (2017-2022)Have a query on this report? @All aspects of the Yeast Extract industry report are quantitatively as well as qualitatively assessed to study the United States as well as regional market comparatively. The basic information such as the definition, prevalent chain and the government regulations pertaining to the Yeast Extract market are also discussed in the report.About UsReports Monitor (ReportsMonitor.com) is a platform for companies looking to meet their 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. The prime focus is to get reliable data, Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Contact UsJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Processed Poultry Meat Market,Industry Size,Trends, Analysis, and Forecast 2017 - 2024

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According to the latest update of the processed poultry meat market, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has filed a petition asking to add cancer warning labels to the packaging of processed poultry and meat products. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has received this petition with the intention of informing consumers about accurate nutritional value of various processed poultry and meat products and help them make better food decisions. Although the petition may affect the global market to some extent, there are a number of powerful drivers that are expected to ultimately compensate for the meagre restraints.Request Free Sample Report :The report on international processed poultry meat market for the forecast period 20162024 provides a broad evaluation on the basis of a key segmentation, which includes the different methods of processing. Considering the categorization by type, the market is segregated into three radical divisions, whereas geographically, the report studies the market in four major segments.Interested buyers of the report are offered verifiable projections of the processed poultry meat market with a view to help them make the best decisions in their business. All of these projections take root from authentic research methodologies and dependable assumptions. The report spans over a range of decisive facets of the market while presenting itself as a comprehensive depository of cutting-edge analysis and vital information.Global Processed Poultry Meat Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe processed poultry meat market is anticipated to experience few cutbacks in the event of rising health concerns and specific guidelines penned by governments around the world with regard to excessive usage of processed meat.Nonetheless, with the presence of a wealth of drivers in the global market, the demand for processed poultry meat is predicted to soar high. Out of which, higher feed conversion rate encouraging low cost of poultry meat production and rich protein content are expected to significantly boost the market. The rise in fast-casual and fast-food dining, presence of lesser calories compared to red meat, greater disposable income, improved shelf-life, year-round availability, and convenience are other key factors that are predicted to positively impact the market.Global Processed Poultry Meat Market: Regional OutlookThe global market for processed poultry meat is presently driven by one of the ongoing trends in the industry, i.e. vertical integration, where a company can easily expand its profit margin and magnify the efficiency of its operations.The report studies more of such salient trends in different geographical segments of the market. By geography, the market can be split up into segments such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World.Global Processed Poultry Meat Market: Company ProfilingThe global processed poultry meat market is foretold to be dominated by influential players, such as Sanderson Farms, Cargill, Inc., Sysco Corp., Tyson Foods, Inc., JBS S.A., and Pilgrims Pride Corp. The continuing presence of these companies in the processed poultry meat industry is expected to markedly impact the market. Using a qualitative and thorough analysis, the report offers an all-embracing overview of the potential opportunities and competitive scenario of the market.Major geographies analyzed under this research report are:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and Others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic Countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)The Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)This report gives you access to decisive data such as:Market growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for the coming yearsKey highlights of this report:Overview of key market forces propelling and restraining market growthUp-to-date analyses of market trends and technological improvementsPin-point analyses of market competition dynamics to offer you a competitive edgeAn analysis of strategies of major competitorsAn array of graphics and SWOT analysis of major industry segmentsDetailed analyses of industry trendsA well-defined technological growth map with an impact-analysisOffers a clear understanding of the competitive landscape and key product segmentsEnquire About This Report :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.State Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTelephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comGoogle+:Read More Industry News At:
Global France Facilities Management Market From 2016 - 2024: Increasing Demand for Standardization of Services to Boost Adoption

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global France Facilities Management Market From 2016 - 2024: Increasing Demand for Standardization of Services to Boost Adoption" to its huge collection of research reports.This report provides an analysis of the global facilities management market for the period from 2016 to 2024, wherein the period from 2016 to 2024 comprises the forecast period and 2015 is the base year. Data for 2014 is provided as historical information. The report covers all the major trends and technologies playing a major role in the growth of the facilities management market over the forecast period. It also highlights various drivers, restraints, and opportunities expected to influence the markets growth during this period. The study provides a holistic perspective of the growth of the facilities management market throughout the forecast period in terms of revenue estimates (in US$ Bn), across Asia Pacific (APAC), Latin America (LATAM), North America, Europe, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). The report provides a cross-sectional analysis of the global facilities management market in terms of market estimates and forecasts for all the segments across different geographic regions.Facilities management involves the management and maintenance of support services across multiple industries. Facilities management services are used to enhance the quality of core business processes and increase the efficiency of service throughout entire service application. The demand for reduced operational cost of business processes is expected to drive the facilities management market around the globe. Similarly, important government regulations and standards impended on various industries and rising adoption of outsourced services for the maintenance and support of business processes are expected to drive the market for facilities management. In addition, with the increasing adoption of facilities management market many of the service providers are focusing on delivering customized facility services according to demand. Similarly, companies prefer total facilities management services and bundled facilities management services delivery systems to enhance the overall performance of services.On the basis of service type, the facilities management market is segmented into hard services and soft services. On the basis of industry, the facilities management market is segmented into the corporate, government and public sector, health care, manufacturing, residential and education institutions, retail and commercial, and others (food, sport, etc.) segments. The report also includes competitive profiling of the major players associated with the facilities management market. The important business strategies adopted by them, their market positioning, and recent developments have also been identified in the research report. The increasing demand for efficiency and quality of services have led to the increased presence of facilities management service providers in the market.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The major players in facilities management market include Arthur McKay & Co Ltd., Bellrock Property & Facilities Management Ltd., Bilfinger HSG Facility Management GmbH, Broadspectrum (Australia) Pty Ltd., ISS World Services A/S, Knight Facilities Management, Quess Corp Ltd., Sodexo, Inc., and Spotless Group Ltd.Market SegmentationFacilities Management Market, By Service TypeHard ServicesSoft ServicesFacilities Management Market, By IndustryCorporateGovernment and Public SectorHealthcareManufacturingResidential and Education InstitutionsRetail and CommercialOthers (Food, Sport, etc.)In addition, the report provides market analysis of the facilities management market with respect to the following geographical segments:North AmericaThe U.S.CanadaEuropeUKGermanyFranceSpainItalyRest of EuropeAsia Pacific (APAC)ChinaJapanIndiaIndonesiaRest of APACBrowse More Details @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Hemodynamic Monitoring Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Hemodynamic Monitoring Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024" to its huge collection of research reports.Cardiovascular disorders are commonly observed in variable age group, which makes it necessary to see early detection and management of disease incidences. Burgeoning prevalence of lifestyle disorders and cardiac diseases is constantly raising the demand for hemodynamic monitoring devices. This has been a prominent driver for the growth of hemodynamic monitoring devices market globally, within the past decade.As cases of diabetes, obesity, blood pressure disorders, CVDs, stroke, and many more are on the rise, the need for routine assessment of standard hemodynamic parameters is also growing. These parameters include heart rate, blood volume, blood pressure, ECG, temperature, central venous pressure, blood gas analysis, and oxygen perfusion/peripheral venous oxygen saturation.When it comes to post-surgery monitoring of patients in critical care units, hemodynamic monitoring systems make one of the most critically required components in medical care arsenals of hospitals and healthcare facilities. As the number of both surgeries and hospitals are constantly increasing since the past few years, the demand for hemodynamic monitoring devices is also witnessing steady impetus.Hemodynamic monitoring primarily aims to accurately assess the cardiovascular system of patients and monitor their response to it but it also helps in recognizing the dysfunctioning of various organ systems. This has been another key factor propelling the demand for hemodynamic monitoring devices worldwide. Launch of new, innovative products will highly influence the market in the near future. In addition, growing popularity of disposables segment is also fueling recurrent demand for hemodynamic monitoring devices.Due to a growing trend of hospital system digitalization, the integration of monitoring devices with computers is gaining popularity worldwide, including developing nations, which are inclining more toward adoption sophisticated medical care infrastructure. These integrated systems enable critical care unit staffs to simultaneously view multiple patients parameters on the same machine. This is a key factor driving their popularity.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Where cardiac output monitoring has been traditionally performed using the thermodilution method via a PAC (pulmonary artery catheter) that was first introduced in the 1970s, it is now monitored using lesser invasive and more efficient techniques. The advent of technology and value added benefits of newly emerging monitoring system models are positively impacting the market growth.Minimally invasive cardiac monitoring involves all such devices and methods, which evaluate the entire cardiac output without using a PAC. Minimally invasive or non-invasive systems are hitting the industry and capturing sizeable markets, prominently attributed to their non-invasive nature. There are a few more methods recently introduced with minimal invasiveness but are lesser popular than their mainstream counterparts. However, introduction of a miniature TOE probe, offering the real time information about cardiac function and anatomy, is expected to create a massive impact on conventional management methods for ITU patients.North America is the key market globally, registering the highest consumption of hemodynamic monitoring devices, more than 30%. With increasing number of clinics, hospitals, and individually operating physicians adopting these devices, the U.S. is witnessing robust sales of hemodynamic monitoring systems, which are equipped with non-invasive technology. The U.S. FDA has recently passed an approval to ClearSight, an advanced product in the category. It will further contribute to the market growth in the near future.According to a recent survey, over 85% of septic shock patients in Canada and Europe standardize central venous pressure as a parameter to monitor the resuscitation of fluid. This figure highlights the extensive need for hemodynamic monitoring systems in these regions. The most promising market is however emerging in Asia Pacific, owing to increased concentration of governments on high quality healthcare. Japan is currently leading the APAC market for hemodynamic monitoring devices.Based on type, hemodynamic monitoring devices are pulmonary artery catheters (PACs), pulse contours, monitoring sensors, and esophageal Doppler. By application, the market is segmented into invasive, non-invasive, and minimally invasive. Among end users of hemodynamic monitoring systems, hospitals and clinics dominate the market, whereas ambulatory surgery centers and home healthcare units also record significant consumption.Some of the key players dominating the global market for hemodynamic monitoring systems include ICU Medical, Inc., Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, Cheetah Medical, GE Healthcare, Philips Medical, LiDCO Group Plc., Teleflex Incorporated, Siemens, PULSION Medical Systems SE, McKessen, Deltex Medical Group Plc., Hemo Sapiens, In., Tensys Medical, Inc., Osypka Medical GmbH, Schwarzer Cardiotek GmbH, and Drager Medical GmbH.Leading players are constantly launching innovative products and investing increasingly in R&D. Geographic expansion and strategic company tie-ups has been a profitable move for key companies, supporting the overall market growth.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.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 analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.Highlights of the report:A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsMarket segmentation up to the second or third levelHistorical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volumeReporting and evaluation of recent industry developmentsMarket shares and strategies of key playersEmerging niche segments and regional marketsAn objective assessment of the trajectory of the marketRecommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the marketBrowse More Details @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Healthcare WLAN Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Healthcare WLAN Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024" to its huge collection of research reports.Technology is making rapid inroads into the healthcare system. Storing the medical history on cloud and having real-time, location-independent access to it has become a key trend in the healthcare industry. Owing to the rapid advancements in the technological sector, many manual processes of the healthcare sector have been automated. Against the backdrop of these developments, the healthcare WLAN market is anticipated to witness steady growth during the forecast period 2016-2024. A combination of factors will contribute to the growth of the market during the forecast period. These range from growing healthcare budgets in emerging economies to rising awareness on the benefits of incorporating technology into healthcare.Healthcare WLAN Market: Key DriversFrom end-user perspective, hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and clinics are focusing on delivering high-quality, accurate services to their clients, owing to which adoption of technology is gaining traction. Although this trend is majorly observed in developed countries, steady economic growth in emerging countries is anticipated to provide an impetus to the growth of this market during the forecast period.Emerging economies, for long, have faced an uphill task in providing quality healthcare services to their citizens. Burdened by high population and limited resources, healthcare services in developing countries have left a lot to be desired. However, consistent economic progress has created a burgeoning middle class that views health and well-being as a necessity rather than an afterthought. Also, access to new wealth has offered these countries an opportunity of revamping their existing healthcare structure. Adoption of technology to offer quality services on a real-time basis is gaining traction in these countries, and it is anticipated that during the forecast period, many emerging countries, especially in Asia Pacific, will witness robust adoption of WLAN technology in their healthcare systems.Healthcare WLAN Market: Technological Innovation Boosting AdoptionIncorporation of WLAN in technology can also boost attendance rate for GP appointments. Billions of dollars are lost every year owing to non-attendance. Robust adoption of WLAN in healthcare is expected to reduce missed appointments, giving a fillip to the overall market.In addition to demand from end-users, another key factor that is expected to ramp up adoption is technological innovation. 802.11ac Wave 2 wireless is enabling more healthcare providers to transmit information at a higher speed than previous technology models.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Challenges for Adoption of WLAN in HealthcareWhile the global healthcare Wi-Fi market is anticipated to witness a steady growth in the future, there are certain challenges that need to be met before this technology becomes all-pervasive. Except for developed and fast-growing economies, awareness and adoption of WLAN in healthcare system is quite low in other regions of the world. Africa, home to over 1 billion people, is lagging in terms of adoption of technology and only South Africa has a robust system in place. Sluggish adoption in Africa can slow down the global rate; however, key players in the market have ample opportunities to tap into fast-growing economies in Asia Pacific.Leading companies in the market are focusing on consolidating their position by launching innovative products in developed countries. The strategy for developing countries is based around pricing, and collaborating with regional players is a key component of the strategy.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.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 analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.Highlights of the report:A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsMarket segmentation up to the second or third levelHistorical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volumeReporting and evaluation of recent industry developmentsMarket shares and strategies of key playersEmerging niche segments and regional marketsAn objective assessment of the trajectory of the marketRecommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the marketBrowse More Details @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Nuclear Medicine Global Market Trend, Research Approach, Data Analysis and Forecast to 2022

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The Global Nuclear Medicine Market accounted for $8.8 billion in 2014 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.6% to reach $20.4 billion by 2022. Nuclear medicine uses radiation to provide diagnostic information about the functioning of a person's specific organs, or to treat them. According to World nuclear association, Over 10,000 hospitals across the world use radioisotopes in medicine, and about 90% of the procedures are for diagnosis. The most commonly used radioisotope in diagnosis is technetium-99, accounting for more than 80% of all nuclear medicine procedures worldwide. Computed X-ray tomography (CT) scans and nuclear medicine contribute 36% of the total radiation exposure and 75% of the medical exposure to the U.S. population, according to a US National Council on Radiation Protection & Measurements report.For more information about this report:Factors driving the nuclear medicine market include advancements in radiotracers, increasing number of patients with cancer and cardiovascular ailment, increasing use of SPECT and PET scan results and alpha radio immunotherapy-based targeted cancer treatment. However, factors such as stringent regulatory guidelines, high capital investment, shorter half-life of radiopharmaceuticals and competition from conventional diagnostic procedures are inhibiting the growth of nuclear medicine market. Technological advancements in neurological applications and increasing demand from emerging countries are likely to create huge opportunities for the market growth.The Global nuclear medicine market is segmented on the basis of type, application and geography. By type, the market is classified into nuclear medicine diagnostic market and nuclear medicine therapeutic isotopes market. Based on the application, the nuclear medicine market is categorized into diagnostics and therapeutics applications. The diagnostic application is further segmented into SPECT and PET market, where SPECT market comprises cardiology, neurology, thyroid and other diagnostic applications. The PET market comprises oncology and other PET applications. The therapeutics application is further segmented into thyroid, bone metastasis, endocrine tumors and other therapeutic applications. By geography, it is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World. North America followed by the Europe dominates the global nuclear medicine market.Request Sample Copy atSome of the key players in nuclear medicine market include GE Healthcare (U.K.), Nordion, Inc. (Canada), Bayer Healthcare (Germany), Cardinal Health, Inc. (U.S.), Siemens Healthcare (PETNET) (Germany)., IBA Group (Belgium), Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc. (U.S.), Eczacibasi-Monrol Nuclear Products (Turkey), Ashby Gorman Baker Ltd, and Mediso Ltd.What our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 8 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsCompany Profiling9.1 GE Healthcare (U.K.)9.2 Nordion, Inc. (Canada)9.3 Bayer Healthcare (Germany)9.4 Cardinal Health, Inc. (U.S.)9.5 Siemens Healthcare (PETNET) (Germany)9.6 IBA Group (Belgium)9.7 Lantheus Medical Imaging, Inc. (U.S.)9.8 Eczacibasi-Monrol Nuclear Products (Turkey)9.9 Ashby Gorman Baker Ltd9.10 Mediso Ltd.Inquire before Buying atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Solar-powered UAV Market 2017 Growth, Opportunities, Analysis and Forecast to 2021

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Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones are autonomous aircraft, which are remotely controlled from the ground or through onboard computers. Conventional UAVs are available in various sizes. While the large-sized ones, which are employed for tactical missions, are powered by internal combustion engines, smaller ones are mainly powered by electric motors. However, since the last decade, the advent of new technologies has led to the development of UAVs powered by photovoltaic cells, hydrogen fuel cells, and hybrid-electric propulsions engines. Solar-powered UAV platforms use photovoltaic panels to absorb energy from the sun and convert it into electrical energy to thrust the engines. The use of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell system in a solar-powered UAV allows it to achieve an uninterrupted flight for over six months. The Helios Prototype was one of the earliest solar-powered UAVs (developed by AeroVironment in 1999 with funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)), which used PEM-based fuel system. Solar-powered UAVs find their applications in defense and commercial sectors.Publisher's analysts forecast the global solar-powered UAV market to grow at a CAGR of 12.65% during the period 2017-2021.For more information about this report:Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global solar-powered UAV market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the retail selling price as the average selling price of the product.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:-Americas-APAC-EMEAPublisher's report, Global Solar-powered UAV Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendors-AeroVironment-Airbus-Alphabet-Facebook-Thales GroupRequest Sample Copy atOther prominent vendors-AC Propulsion-Boeing-DJI-Lockheed Martin-Silent Falcon UAS-Sunlight PhotonicsMarket driver-Focus on greater use of renewable energy sources-For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challenge-Regulatory challenges with drone operations-For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trend-Focus on greater use of renewable energy sources-For a full, detailed list, view our reportInquire for Report atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.Pune, India
Nuclear Power Global Market Research Methodology, Research Scope Forecast 2022

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The Global Nuclear Power market is valued at 400GW in 2014 with a CAGR of 4% it is expected to reach 694GW by 2022. Many nations around the world are looking at nuclear power to protest the earth's climate from greenhouse gas emissions and from combustion of fossil fuels. Nuclear power is the only carbon free source and contributing a major part of power supplies. Whereas, some of anti-Nuclear activists and other environmentalists are strongly opposing the Nuclear power.For more information about this report:Despite having such strong proponents for growth, the heavy damage by nuclear reactor accidents has raised fright about the safety of nuclear energy. Due to controversies, nuclear power plants in some countries, particularly some in Europe, have taken the decision to phase-out nuclear energy. The huge costs of storing and monitoring radioactive waste generated in nuclear energy plants proves to be a major growth inhibitor. Although decisions are against in the expansion of nuclear power by leading economies, construction of new nuclear plants in China and Russia is likely to maintain the demand for nuclear power.The numbers clearly specify the improved susceptibility among global economies to adopt nuclear technology as a feasible alternative to fossil fuels for power generation. North America has largest nuclear power market owing to the large-scale installations in the U.S. In Europe, environmental regulations have also encouraged countries such as Germany, France and Spain to invest in the nuclear energy market. Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as the fastest growing market for nuclear energy owing to the construction of new nuclear power plants in China and India.Global Nuclear Power markets are mainly segmented by technology, by geography. Based on Technology, Nuclear Power markets are segmented into Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR), Boiling Water Reactors (BWR) and Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR). Nuclear Power Market, by geography is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World.Request Sample Copy atThe key players in the Nuclear Power market include, Alstom SA, Eletronuclear, Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy Ltd, United Uranium, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, Nukem Energy, Shanghai Electric, Uranium Corporation of India, Nuclear Power Corporation of India, and Siemens.What our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 8 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsCompany Profiling8.1 Alstom SA8.2 Eletronuclear8.3 Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy Ltd8.4 United Uranium8.5 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd8.6 Nukem Energy8.7 Shanghai Electric8.8 Uranium Corporation of India8.9 Nuclear Power Corporation of India8.10 SiemensInquire before Buying atContact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer service and our customer support team is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Lithium Ion Cell and Battery Pack Market - Growth Factors, Applications, Regional Analysis, Key Players and Forecast The lithium ion cell and battery pack market is gaining momentum as lithium-ion batteries offer advantages of higher efficiency and longer lifespan over other batteries such as lead acid ones. The rising demand for electronics with improved battery life and superior performance is expected to stir demand for lithium-ion batteries among manufacturers of consumer electronics. This is because lithium-ion batteries satisfy the demand for high power density needed by handheld devices for wireless data transmission and brighter resolution.



The increasing use of lithium ion batteries in barcode and RFID scanners due to their high energy density is also influencing the growth of lithium ion cell and battery packs market. Furthermore, the use of these batteries is rapidly gaining momentum in automotive, industrial, and energy sectors with the rising shift for sustainable clean fuels.



However, factors such as high prices of lithium-ion batteries that make them unsustainable for prolonged use such as in electric vehicles and their lower thermal stability are restraining the markets growth.



The global lithium ion cell and battery pack market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.0% between 2017 and 2025. The market stood at a valuation of US$32.17 bn in 2016 and is expected to reach a valuation of US$88.92 bn by 2025.



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Consumer Electronics Application Segment to Continue to Lead in Coming Years



In terms of power capacity, the lithium ion cell and battery pack market has been segmented into 5-25 Wh, 48-95 Wh, 18-28 KWh, 100-250 KWh, more than 300 KWh. Among these, 100-250 KWh stood as the most attractive segment in 2016 based on power capacity. The growth of this segment is primarily driven by demand for high capacity batteries for specific applications such as in high loading electric vehicles. The 18-28 KWh and more than 300 KWh segments are also expected to display considerable growth due to their applications in grid energy production.



In terms of pack type, series battery pack, parallel battery pack, and others are the segments into which the lithium ion cell and battery pack market is divided. The other battery pack stood as the leading segment in 2016 commanding a share of 83.9% in the overall market. The other battery pack segment is expected to lead throughout the forecast period attributed to their extensive applications across industry verticals. On the other hand, series and parallel battery packs have lower market shares due to their specific applications.



On the basis of shape, cylindrical, polygon, prismatic, and coin among others are segments into which the lithium ion cell and battery pack market is segmented.



By application, the market has been segmented into consumer electronics, medical, automotive, grid energy, and industrial among others. Consumer electronics leads the lithium ion cell and battery pack market with the segment holding 57.5% of the market in 2016. The segment is expected to lead over the forecast period due to their increasing application in consumer electronics.



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Asia Pacific Attracts Investments from Global Players



North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa are the segments into which the lithium ion cell and battery pack market is divided based on geography. In 2016, Asia Pacific contributed the leading revenue of almost 72.3% to the overall market in 2016. The expanding consumer electronics, automotive, and grid energy supplies exhibit a substantial demand for lithium-ion batteries is attracting investments from key market players.



Some of the top companies operating in the global lithium ion cell and battery pack market are Panasonic Corporation, Samsung SDI Co. Ltd., Toshiba Corporation, Hitachi Chemical Co. Ltd., Automotive Energy Supply Corporation, GS Yuasa International Ltd., Johnson Controls Inc., Shenzhen BAK Battery Co. Ltd., Future Hi-Tech Batteries Limited, Tianjin Lishen Battery Co. Ltd., Hunan Shanshan Toda Advanced Materials Co. Ltd., LG Chem, Power Inc., Amperex Technology Ltd., and Pulaed Technology Industry Co. Ltd. among others.



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Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.



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Global Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Sales Market By Top Players - Medtronic, St. Jude Medical (Abbott), Boston Scientific & Biotronik

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Sales Market By Top Players - Medtronic, St. Jude Medical (Abbott), Boston Scientific & Biotronik" to its huge collection of research reports.In this report, the global Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices 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 split global into several key Regions, with sales (K Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingMedtronicSt. Jude Medical (Abbott)Boston ScientificBiotronikLivaNova (Sorin)MedicoIMZCardioelectronicaCCCPacetronixQinming MedicalOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoPacemakerICDBI-V ICDTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate of Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices for each application, includingBradycardiaTachycardiaHeart FailureOtherTable of ContentsGlobal Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Sales Market Report 20171 Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices1.2 Classification of Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices by Product Category1.2.1 Global Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Type (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Pacemaker1.2.4 ICD1.2.5 BI-V ICD1.3 Global Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 Global Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Bradycardia1.3.3 Tachycardia2 Global Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application2.1 Global Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1.1 Global Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Global Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Sales and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.2.2 Global Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.3 Global Cardiac Rhythm Management Devices (Volume and Value) by RegionBrowse More Details @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Corrosion Test Chamber Market: By Application - Automotive, Electronic, Chemical Material & Other

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Corrosion Test Chamber Market: By Application - Automotive, Electronic, Chemical Material & Other" to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies Corrosion Test Chamber 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, coveringWeiss TechnikPRESTOEQUILAMCMEAESAutotechnologyItabashi RikakogyoQ-LABSingleton CorporationAngelantoniAscott-analyticalThermotronLinpinVLMC & WHastest SolutionsOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoSalt Spray TestCyclic Corrosion TestOtherBy Application, the market can be split intoAutomotiveElectronicChemical MaterialOtherTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @By Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaTable of ContentsGlobal Corrosion Test Chamber Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Corrosion Test Chamber1.1 Definition and Specifications of Corrosion Test Chamber1.1.1 Definition of Corrosion Test Chamber1.1.2 Specifications of Corrosion Test Chamber1.2 Classification of Corrosion Test Chamber1.2.1 Salt Spray Test1.2.2 Cyclic Corrosion Test1.2.3 Other1.3 Applications of Corrosion Test Chamber1.3.1 Automotive1.3.2 Electronic1.3.3 Chemical Material1.3.4 Other1.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Corrosion Test Chamber2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Corrosion Test Chamber2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Corrosion Test Chamber2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Corrosion Test ChamberBrowse More Details @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Antifouling marine coatings market to observe phenomenal global demand over 2016-2024, Asia Pacific to be a prominent revenue contributor

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The number of shipbuilding activities across the world have been increasing exponentially, and this factor will fuel marine coatings market significantly over the coming years, as the application of these coatings helps improve the shelf life and performance of these vessels.While development of new, modern, high tech ships are on a remarkable high, older ships are also being remodeled by means of minor repair and overhauling work. The aforementioned processes are significantly stimulating the demand for marine coatings globally. The strict norms regarding the usage of eco-friendly and high quality coatings will also favorably influence marine coatings industry trends. According to Global Market Insights, Inc., Marine Coatings market is projected to collect a revenue of USD 15 billion by 2024 with a CAGR of 7% over the coming seven years.Request for a sample of this research report @Taking into account the marine coatings application landscape, the industry is mainly divided into offshore vessels, deep sea, coastal, leisure boats, and containers. Leisure boats application segment collected a revenue of USD 1 billion in 2015 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of 7% over the period of 2016 to 2024, owing to the increased per capita income across regions such as Europe and North America.Anticorrosion coatings market was worth USD 3 billion in 2015 and is predicted to witness an annual growth rate of more than 6% over the coming years of 2016 to 2024, driven by the product demand to prevent corrosion and rusting. Anti-fouling is another lucrative product segment of marine coatings market. In 2015, anti-fouling coatings covered more than 40% of the revenue share and will collect high revenue over the coming timeframe. Anti-fouling coatings are extensively applied on the outer surface of the vessels to avoid the unwanted growth of marine organisms, which reduces the overall performance of the ship. The surging use of this product for overhauling and repairing work will influence marine coatings industry size considerably.North America and Europe have a huge demand for personal leisure boats as well as marine ships, which will ultimately boost marine coatings industry. With Japan, China, and South Korea being the chief contributors, Asia Pacific marine coatings market led the geographical landscape in 2015. The shipbuilding sector in these aforementioned countries is also on a lucrative growth path, thereby propelling the regional marine coatings industry. In fact, China led the worldwide shipbuilding sector with a contribution of more than 33% ship building industry share.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @Market players are shifting their focus on new product development to maintain their business position. The key players in marine coatings market are Nippon Paint, Sherwin-Williams, Hempel Group, AkzoNobel, PPG Industries, Kansai Paint Co., Ltd, Jotun, RPM International Inc., CHUGOKU MARINE PAINTS, Ltd., BASF, DuPont, and KCC Corp.About Global Market Insights: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 Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone:1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:
Rising consumer preferences for traditional and healthy food options in Western Europe are likely to propel the growth of the regional sourdough market

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The US$ 3.2 Bn sourdough market will continue to be positively influenced by increasing application in bread production. Of the US$ 3.2 Bn worth of sourdough sold in 2016, demand from the bread segment totalled US$ 2.36 Bn. This segment is projected to increase at a CAGR of 7.1% through 2026.The dominance of the bread segment can be gauged from the fact that other key application segments  pizza, buns, cakes, cookies, and waffles & pancakes  collectively accounted for nearly 27% revenue share.Future Market Insights estimates the Western Europe sourdough market to increase at a CAGR of 7.1% through 2026. In terms of revenues, the market is projected to grow 2X from its 2016 market valuation of US$ 1.21 Bn.Obtain Report Details @Key Supply-side and Demand-side Drivers:According to Future Market Insights report, demand for sourdough is increasing on account of its beneficial functional properties. Its property of enhancing flavour and texture is a key factor for its applications in the F&B sector, especially bakery sectorIncrease in the number of artisan bakeries is positively influencing the demand for sourdough. Particularly high demand for type 1 sourdough  made using only wild yeasts  is being witnessed in artisan bakeriesAvailability of sourdough products on e-commerce stores is also contributing to increasing salesGrowing demand for sourdough from the fast food and bakery sector is creating sizeable growth opportunities for manufacturersKey Trends Expected to Shape Global Sourdough Market:Dehydrated sourdough (Type III) is gaining traction in the bakery industry. Freeze-drying remains the preferred dehydration technique for manufacturers.Manufacturers are using devitalised sourdough for enhancing the aroma of products. Devitalised sourdough does not contain live organisms, enhancing its use as an aromatic agentConsumer demand for healthy food products has resulted into the launch of chocolate sourdough loaves. Further, Future Market Insights identified increasing use of type I sourdough.Make an Enquiry @Type III starter culture currently accounts for nearly half of the revenue share of the global sourdough market. Over 773 thousand tonnes of sourdough was sold in 2016; by the end of the forecast period, Future Market Insights estimates global volumes to surpass 1.3 million tonnes.Key companies profiled by Future Market Insights in its report include Puratos NV, Ernst Bocker GmbH & Co. KG, IREKS GmbH, Kampffmeyer Muhlen GmbH, Philibert Saveurs, Lesaffre, Dilbeek, Minden, Kulmbach, Hamburg, Pont-de-Veyle, and Marcq-en-Barul.About UsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.FMIs team of over 200 research analysts provides market intelligence at global, regional, and country level. Our analysts are committed to provide independent insights, relying on our cognitive defusion training module, which conditions them to look at data objectively and unbiasedly.ContactFuture Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email:sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
New Energy Vehicle Battery Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2017

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "New Energy Vehicle Battery Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.This report studies New Energy Vehicle Battery 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, coveringJohnson ControlGS YuasaSaft BatteriesEnerSysExide TechnologiesEast Penn ManufacturingA123 SystemsPrimearth EV EnergyAESCBoston PowerStorage Battery Systems (SBS)PanasonicBYDAxion Power InternationalLeoch International TechnologyCrown BatteriesSebangLishen BatteryOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoLithium Ion BatteryNI-MH BatteryOtherBy Application, the market can be split intoEVHEVOtherTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @By Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaTable of ContentsGlobal New Energy Vehicle Battery Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of New Energy Vehicle Battery1.1 Definition and Specifications of New Energy Vehicle Battery1.1.1 Definition of New Energy Vehicle Battery1.1.2 Specifications of New Energy Vehicle Battery1.2 Classification of New Energy Vehicle Battery1.2.1 Lithium Ion Battery1.2.2 NI-MH Battery1.2.3 Other1.3 Applications of New Energy Vehicle Battery1.3.1 EV1.3.2 HEV1.3.3 Other1.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of New Energy Vehicle Battery2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of New Energy Vehicle Battery2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of New Energy Vehicle Battery2.4 Industry Chain Structure of New Energy Vehicle BatteryBrowse More Details @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Rising demand for baby products containing exotic fruits is likely to create robust growth in the Exotic Fruit segment

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The rise in demand for baby food is expected to drive the growth of the Exotic Fruit segment during the forecasted period. Sales of instant baby foods is on the rise due to the fast paced life of modern day parents. The people living in urban areas dont have enough time to prepare food at home and thus tend to buy instant baby food products to fulfil the basic requirements of their infants.As most of the baby food products consist of exotic fruits such as banana, apple, melon and mango, there is a significantly high demand in the global market. Baby food products containing the puree of exotic fruits have a better taste and are most preferred by children, which in turn multiplies the sale of exotic fruit purees in the global fruit concentrate puree market. Exotic fruits are relatively cheaper than orchard or berry fruits.Consequently, various manufacturers are focussed towards providing puree concentrate made of exotic fruits. This factor is expected to create a positive impact on the Exotic Fruit segment.Obtain Report Details @The Exotic Fruit segment in the global fruit concentrate puree market is estimated to be valued at more than US$ 400 Mn in 2017, which is estimated to increase at a CAGR of 5.7% over the forecast period to reach more than US$ 700 Mn by the end of 2026.The Exotic Fruit concentrate puree market is anticipated to record absolute $ opportunity of US$ 274.34 Mn between 2016 and 2026. The Exotic Fruit segment is expected to expand at a CAGR of 3.8% in terms of volume over the forecast period.Many companies in North America and Europe are launching smoothies and juice products prepared from exotic fruit puree concentrate in powder form with added minerals and nutrients. These companies are selling their products directly to end-users/customers for direct consumption.Also, application across various food and beverage products is likely to increase the volume and value growth of the Exotic Fruit segment in the global fruit concentrate puree market. The rising use of puree concentrate made from exotic fruits as a sweetener in snacks and baby products is also creating robust growth in the Exotic Fruit segment.Make an Enquiry @The tomato puree concentrate segment is expected to remain the dominant segment in terms of both value and volume in the North America, Western Europe, and MEA fruit concentrate puree markets. In Latin America, the banana puree concentrate segment is expected to dominate in terms of both value and volume from 2015 to 2026.In Eastern Europe, the pineapple puree concentrate segment is anticipated to remain the dominant segment in terms of value from 2015 to 2026. While in the APEJ fruit concentrate puree market, the mango puree concentrate segment is expected to dominate in terms of value throughout the forecast period.About UsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.FMIs team of over 200 research analysts provides market intelligence at global, regional, and country level. Our analysts are committed to provide independent insights, relying on our cognitive defusion training module, which conditions them to look at data objectively and unbiasedly.ContactFuture Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email:sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
World Alginates Market Analysis 2016-2027: Key Findings, Regional Analysis, Key Players Profiles and Future Prospects

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Market  Overview:Alginates are a group of viscous polysaccharides derived from brown seaweeds and produced as an extracellular matrix by some bacterial species. Traditionally, Alginates have been used as thickeners, emulsifiers and stabilising agents in a number of food applications. A number of new food applications are emerging for Alginates, based on their unique biochemical and biophysical properties.Alginates are a biomaterial that has found numerous applications in biomedical science and engineering due to its favourable properties, including biocompatibility and ease of gelation. Alginates hydrogels have been particularly attractive in wound healing, drug delivery, and tissue engineering applications to date, as these gels retain structural similarity to the extracellular matrices in tissues and can be manipulated to play several critical roles.Over the last decades, Alginates, natural multifunctional polymers, have increasingly drawn attention as attractive compounds in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields due to their unique physicochemical properties and versatile biological activities.Western countries particularly the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Germany France have higher demand for Alginates. Rise in downstream market applications for Alginates from food and beverages, pharmaceuticals and other industrial applications are driving higher demand for Alginates.Alginates is gaining a huge traction especially from food and beverages industry in the current time, owing to its functional properties such as thickening agent, gelling agent, stabilizer, emulsifier and film-forming property. This increasing demand in food industry is attributed due to its extraction from natural seaweeds is it considered as one of safest food additive in food industry it is also certified by FAO/WHO. Simultaneously, Demand for Alginates from textile industry is also on rise as it can be used for printing, designing and dyeing on cotton and jute fabrics.Request a Sample Report @Key Players:CP Kelco, Ingredients Solutions Inc., Cargill Foods, P.L. Thomas & Co., TIC Gums, Linyi Viho Chem Co., Ltd., Foodchem International Corporation, Qingdao Tocean Chemical Co., Ltd, and Kimica are some of the key players at the forefront of competition in the Global Alginates Market and profiled in MRFR Analysis.Competitive Analysis:The Alginates market appears to be highly competitive and fragmented owing to the presence of several large and small key players accounting for a substantial market share. These key players compete based on pricing, and product innovation. Well established players incorporate acquisition, collaboration, partnership, expansion, and product in order to gain competitive advantage in this market and to maintain their market position. Manufacturers are striving to find ways to reduce raw material prices. Raw material suppliers apply the power to determine prices of raw materials, which has an impact on the business.Market  Segments:The Alginates Market can be segmented in to 4 key dynamics for the convenience of the report and enhanced understanding; Segmentation On the basis of Type: Comprises Laminaria, Macrocystis, Ascophyllum, Lessonia, Durvillaea, Ecklonia and others. Segmentation On the basis of Functions: Comprises Thickeners, Emulsifiers, Stabilizers, Acidity Regulators and others. Segmentation On the basis of Application: Comprises Food and Beverages, Biofuels, Textile Industry, Paper and Pulp, Pharmaceuticals and others. Segmentation On the basis of Regions: Comprises Geographical regions - North America, Europe, APAC and Rest of the World.Market  Synopsis:Alginate is used for substrate of colour paste when applying patterns to print fabrics, scarf, towel, etc. Use of alginate for printing of cotton, jute, rayon is mandatory. Alginate, a seaweed extract, is safer and easier to be decomposed compared with other substrate for textile printing, and gives easier waste water disposal. Alginate is used for the production of welding rod, as a binder of flux. Alginate is used as a binder and thickening agent for pet-food, fish feed, etc.Access Report Details @Regional Analysis: North-America dominated the market for Alginates in terms of demand with the largest market share, accounting for astronomical amounts and is expected to grow further over its previous growth records by 2027; Asia-Pacific is the growing market for Alginates market and is expected to grow at a substantial CAGR from 2016 to 2027. Europe and Asia Pacific regions being the largest producers of Alginates contribute majority of market share in global level market. In terms of value, it is expected that Europe and North America accounted for a major share in terms of value and also as a lucrative market in near future.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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.ContactMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Carbamide Market 2017: OCI, Koch Fertilizer, Qatar Fertiliser, Gulf Petrochemicals

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HTF MI published a new industry research that focuses on Carbamide market and delivers in-depth market analysis and future prospects of Global Carbamide 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. The study is segmented by Application/ end users [Agriculture, Chemical, Pharmaceutical, Food & Beverage & Others], products type [Pharmaceutical Grade & Agricultural Grade] and various important geographies like United States, China, Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia & India].Get Access to sample pages @The research covers the current market size of the Global Carbamide market and its growth rates based on 5 year history data along with company profile of key players/manufacturers such as OCI, Koch Fertilizer, LLC, Zuari Agro Chemicals Ltd, Qatar Fertiliser Company, Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association, Acron, Sichuan Meifeng Chemical Industry Co., Togliattiazot & EUROPAGES SA. The in-depth information by segments of Carbamide market helps monitor future profitability & to make critical decisions for growth. The information on trends and developments, focuses on markets and materials, capacities, technologies, CAPEX cycle and the changing structure of the Global Carbamide Market.The study provides company profiling, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information of key manufacturers of Global Carbamide Market, some of them listed here are OCI, Koch Fertilizer, LLC, Zuari Agro Chemicals Ltd, Qatar Fertiliser Company, Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association, Acron, Sichuan Meifeng Chemical Industry Co., Togliattiazot & EUROPAGES SA. The market is growing at a very rapid pace and with rise in technological innovation, competition and M&A activities in the industry many local and regional vendors are offering specific application products for varied end-users. The new manufacturer entrants in the market are finding it hard to compete with the international vendors based on quality, reliability, and innovations in technology.Global Carbamide (Thousands Units) and Revenue (Million USD) Market Split by Product Type such as Pharmaceutical Grade & Agricultural Grade. Further the research study is segmented by Application such as Agriculture, Chemical, Pharmaceutical, Food & Beverage & Others with historical and projected market share and compounded annual growth rate.Get customization & check discount for report @Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), and market share and growth rate of Carbamide in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), covering United States, China, Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia & India and its Share (%) and CAGR for the forecasted period 2017 to 2022.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 Carbamide market? Who are the key market players and what are their strategies in the Global Carbamide market? What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the Global Carbamide market? What trends, challenges and barriers are influencing its growth? What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the Global Carbamide market? What are the key outcomes of the five forces analysis of the Carbamide market?Buy this research report @There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the Global Carbamide market.Chapter 1, to describe Carbamide Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Carbamide , with sales, revenue, and price of Carbamide , 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 Carbamide , 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 United States, China, Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia & India;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application [Agriculture, Chemical, Pharmaceutical, Food & Beverage & Others], from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Carbamide market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Carbamide sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @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.Contact us :HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJNew Jersey USA  08837sales@htfmarketreport.com+1 (206) 317 1218
Rising adoption of Smartphone Compact Camera Module (CCM) Market Size, Trends & Forecasts 2021

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"The Report Global Smartphone Compact Camera Module (CCM) Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2017-2021) provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"Scope of the ReportThe report entitled Global Smartphone Compact Camera Module (CCM) Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2017-2021), provides analysis of the global smartphone CCM market, with detailed analysis of market size in terms of value, volume and segments.Moreover, the report assesses the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the industry. Growth of the overall smartphone CCM market has also been forecasted for the years 2017-2021, taking into consideration the previous growth patterns, the growth drivers and the current and future trends.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @Shenzhem O-Film Tech Co. Ltd, Sunny Optical Technology (Group) Company Limited, LG Innotek, and Foxconn Technology Co.Ltd. are some of the key players operating in the global smartphone CCM market whose company profiling is done in the report. In this segment of the report, business overview, financial overview and the business strategies of the companies are provided.Company CoverageShenzhen O-Film Tech Co. LtdSunny Optical Technology (Group) Company LimitedLG InnotekFoxconn Technology Co.LtdView Report @Executive SummaryCompact Camera Modules (CCM) are equipped with vital functions such as light sensing capabilities and down sampling features which further allow people to take photos by using electronic devices, such as smartphones and tablet PCs. The general features of CCM are ultra small and low-power camera module, super speedy autofocusing and low-illumination photo-taking and hand-shaking correction functions.The global smartphone CCM market can be divided on the basis of pixel, application, components and manufacturing process. On the basis of pixel, the market can be divided into less than 5MP, 8MP and greater than or equal to 10MP. On the basis of application, the market can be sub divided into automotive, industrial, security & surveillance and aerospace & defense. On the basis of components, the market can be sub segmented into sensors and lens while chip scale process and chip on board are the segmentations of the market under manufacturing process.The global smartphone CCM market is expected to increase at high growth rates during the forecast period (2017-2021). The global smartphone CCM market is supported by various factors such as growing popularity of social media, rising adoption of dual camera, increasing number of smartphone users and upsurge in disposable income.However, slow smartphone market growth in developed countries and technological complications are some of the challenges faced by the market. Growing use of dashcam in automotive, spike in demand for facial/ iris recognition and opportunities for O-Film in Apples CCM operations are some of the latest trends existing in the market.Send An Enquiry Request @Table of Contents1. Executive Summary2. Introduction2.1 Compact Camera Module (CCM):An Overview2.2 Compact Camera Module (CCM): Manufacturing Process2.3 Global Smartphone CCM Market Segments3. Global Market Analysis3.1 Global Smartphone CCM Market: An Analysis3.1.1 Global Smartphone CCM Market by Value3.2 Global Smartphone CCM Market: Value Analysis3.2.1 Global Smartphone CCM Market Segments by Value3.2.2 Global 5MP & Less and 8MP Resolution Smartphone CCM Market by Value3.2.3 Global 10MP & Above and Dual Camera Smartphone CCM Market by Value3.3 Global Smartphone CCM Market: Volume Analysis3.3.1 Global Smartphone CCM Market by Volume3.3.2 Global Smartphone CCM Market Volume by Segments3.3.3 Global 5MP & Less and 8MP Resolution Smartphone CCM Market by Volume3.3.4 Global 10MP & Above and Dual Camera Smartphone CCM Market by Volume4. Market Dynamics4.1 Growth Drivers4.1.1 Growing Popularity of Social Media4.1.2 Rising Adoption of Dual Cameras4.1.3 Increasing Disposable Income4.1.4 Increasing Smartphone Users Worldwide4.2 Challenges4.2.1 Slow Smartphone Market Growth in Developed Countries4.2.2 Technological Complications4.3 Market Trends4.3.1 Potential Opportunities for O-Film in Apples CCM Operations4.3.2 Growing Use of Dash Cam in Automotive4.3.3 Spike in Demand for Iris/Facial Recognition5. Competitive Landscape5.1 Global CCM Market Share Ranking (Units)5.2 Apple Total Addressable Market (TAM)About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Mr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Global Twin Turbochargers Market Professional Survey And Forecast Report 2017

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"The Report Global Twin Turbochargers Market Professional Survey Report 2017 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"This report studies Twin Turbochargers 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, coveringHoneywellBorgWarnerMHIIHICumminsBoschMahleContinentalHunan TyenWeifu TianliKangyueWeifang FuyuanShenlongOkiya GroupZhejiang RongfaHunan RugidoveGet Sample Copy Of This Report @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoTandem TurboParallel TurboBy Application, the market can be split intoDiesel EngineGasoline EngineBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaView Report @Table of ContentsGlobal Twin Turbochargers Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Twin Turbochargers1.1 Definition and Specifications of Twin Turbochargers1.1.1 Definition of Twin Turbochargers1.1.2 Specifications of Twin Turbochargers1.2 Classification of Twin Turbochargers1.2.1 Tandem Turbo1.2.2 Parallel Turbo1.3 Applications of Twin Turbochargers1.3.1 Diesel Engine1.3.2 Gasoline Engine1.3.3 Application 31.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Twin Turbochargers2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Twin Turbochargers2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Twin Turbochargers2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Twin Turbochargers3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Twin Turbochargers3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Twin Turbochargers Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Twin Turbochargers Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Twin Turbochargers Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Twin Turbochargers Major Manufacturers in 20164 Global Twin Turbochargers Overall Market Overview4.1 2012-2017E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2012-2017E Global Twin Turbochargers Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2016 Twin Turbochargers Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2012-2017E Global Twin Turbochargers Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2016 Twin Turbochargers Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2012-2017E Global Twin Turbochargers Sales Price4.4.2 2016 Twin Turbochargers Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)5 Twin Turbochargers Regional Market Analysis5.1 North America Twin Turbochargers Market Analysis5.1.1 North America Twin Turbochargers Market Overview5.1.2 North America 2012-2017E Twin Turbochargers Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.1.3 North America 2012-2017E Twin Turbochargers Sales Price Analysis5.1.4 North America 2016 Twin Turbochargers Market Share Analysis5.2 China Twin Turbochargers Market Analysis5.2.1 China Twin Turbochargers Market Overview5.2.2 China 2012-2017E Twin Turbochargers Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.2.3 China 2012-2017E Twin Turbochargers Sales Price Analysis5.2.4 China 2016 Twin Turbochargers Market Share Analysis5.3 Europe Twin Turbochargers Market Analysis5.3.1 Europe Twin Turbochargers Market Overview5.3.2 Europe 2012-2017E Twin Turbochargers Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.3.3 Europe 2012-2017E Twin Turbochargers Sales Price Analysis5.3.4 Europe 2016 Twin Turbochargers Market Share Analysis5.4 Southeast Asia Twin Turbochargers Market Analysis5.4.1 Southeast Asia Twin Turbochargers Market Overview5.4.2 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E Twin Turbochargers Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.4.3 Southeast Asia 2012-2017E Twin Turbochargers Sales Price Analysis5.4.4 Southeast Asia 2016 Twin Turbochargers Market Share Analysis5.5 Japan Twin Turbochargers Market Analysis5.5.1 Japan Twin Turbochargers Market Overview5.5.2 Japan 2012-2017E Twin Turbochargers Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.5.3 Japan 2012-2017E Twin Turbochargers Sales Price AnalysisAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Mr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Car Wax market report - manufacturers, countries, type and application, forecast to 2022

Car Wax Market

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Car Wax MarketReportsMonitor Publish a New Market Research Report on - Global Car Wax Market Research ReportSummary of Car Wax MarketBased on the Car Wax industrial chain, this report mainly elaborate the definition, types, applications and major players of Car Wax market in details. Deep analysis about market status (2012-2017), enterprise competition pattern, advantages and disadvantages of enterprise Products, industry development trends (2017-2022), regional industrial layout characteristics and macroeconomic policies, industrial policy has also be included. From raw materials to downstream buyers of this industry will be analyzed scientifically, the feature of product circulation and sales channel will be presented as well. In a word, this report will help you to establish a panorama of industrial development and characteristics of the Car Wax market.The Car Wax market can be split based on product types, major applications, and important regions.If you want sample of Car Wax Market ReportMajor Players in Car Wax market are:SONAX, Tetrosyl (CarPlan), Malco Products, Prestone, 3M, Mother's, Northern Labs, Henkel, Chief, Bullsone, Darent Wax, SOFT, Biaobang, Turtle WaxMajor Regions play vital role in Car Wax market are:North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanMiddle East & AfricaIndiaSouth AmericaOthersMost important types of Car Wax products covered in this report are:By Raw Materials: Natural Waxes, Synthetic Waxes.By Forms: Paste Waxes, Liquid Waxes, Spray Waxes, Colored Waxes.Most widely used downstream fields of Car Wax market covered in this report are:HouseholdAuto Beauty ShopOtherIf you want to Check Discount on Car Wax Market ReportTable of ContentGlobal Car Wax Industry Market Research Report1 Car Wax Introduction and Market Overview1.1 Objectives of the Study1.2 Definition of Car Wax1.3 Car Wax Market Scope and Market Size Estimation1.3.1 Market Concentration Ratio and Market Maturity Analysis1.3.2 Global Car Wax Value ($) and Growth Rate from 2012-20221.4 Market Segmentation1.4.1 Types of Car Wax1.4.2 Applications of Car Wax1.4.3 Research Regions1.4.3.1 North America Car Wax Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.4.3.2 Europe Car Wax Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.4.3.3 China Car Wax Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.4.3.4 Japan Car Wax Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.4.3.5 Middle East & Africa Car Wax Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.4.3.6 India Car Wax Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.4.3.7 South America Car Wax Production Value ($) and Growth Rate (2012-2017)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Drivers1.5.1.1 Emerging Countries of Car Wax1.5.1.2 Growing Market of Car Wax1.5.2 Limitations1.5.3 OpportunitiesContinueFull Report AccessList Of FiguresFigure Product Picture of Car WaxTable Product Specification of Car WaxFigure Market Concentration Ratio and Market Maturity Analysis of Car WaxFigure Global Car Wax Value ($) and Growth Rate from 2012-2022Table Different Types of Car WaxFigure Global Car Wax Value ($) Segment by Type from 2012-2017Figure By Raw Materials: Natural Waxes, Synthetic Waxes. PictureFigure By Forms: Paste Waxes, Liquid Waxes, Spray Waxes, Colored Waxes. PictureTable Different Applications of Car Wax..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. Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis. Our process is meticulously planned and executed in order to use maximum resources and explore the market for getting genuine insights.Address: Office C & D - 4th Floor, Siddhi Towers, Above Rupee Bank, Kondhwa Road, Pune 411048, Maharashtra, India
Global Linerless Labels Market Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016-2024

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"The Report Linerless Labels Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"The ever-evolving features in packaging of products and labels not only reflects the brand of the manufacturer but also differentiate their product packaging, offering consumers with the right information about the product.Get Sample Copy of This Report @ Additionally, labels not only comprises anti-counterfeiting properties but also tracing and tracking technologies in order to help manufacturers keep their track of internal processing and packaging , incoming ingredients and outgoing shipments to traders. Linerless labels are free of waste, hassle and liner and are available with a variety of adhesives to fit the exact application as per the requirement. In recent market scenario, prevention of waste, energy efficiency and preservation of natural resources are the major factors in growing importance for the label industry.Linerless Labels Market: DynamicsIncreasing demand for consumer goods and rising flexible packaging industry offers a million dollar opportunity for the global linerless labels market to grow in the near future. Futhermore, the impressive growth of food and beverage packaging products coupled with increasing demand in logistics and consumer durables has led the manufacturers to increase the demand of global linerless labels market. Various environmental issues in terms of printing on labels and increasing raw materials cost are some factors that hinder the growth of the global linerless labels market. Lack of awareness about types of labelling technologies are a key limitation in the linerless labels market.Linerless Labels Market: SegmentationOn the basis of composition, the global linerless labels market can be segmented into,CompositionFacestockAdhesivesOthersOn the basis of printing ink, the global linerless labels market can be segmented into,Water-based inkSolvent-based inkHolt melt-based inkUV curable inkView Report @ On the basis of printing technology, the global linerless labels market can be segmented into,Digital printingFlexographic printingGravure printingLithography printingScreen printingLetterpress printingOn the basis of application, the global linerless labels market can be segmented into,Food & beveragePharmaceuticalsPersonal careConsumer productsRetailOthers (apparels & textiles, industrial lubricant & paints, gifts)Linerless Labels Market: Region-wise outlookIn terms of geography, the global linerless labels market has been divided into five regions including North- America, Asia- Pacific and Middle-East & Africa, Latin America and Europe. Asia-Pacific is expected to attain the largest market share in the global linerless labels market owing to increasing population and consistent economic growth. Europe and North-America are other key markets expected to witness steady growth during the forecast period. Unlike Asia Pacific, where companies have the opportunity to expand and gain market footprint; these companies are trying to strategically maintain their market share in developed region. This is mainly attributed to increased market consolidation along with presence of large number of players trying to tap the market in North America and Europe. Next, MEA and Latin America are expected to witness substantial growth in order to gain upward traction by the end of forecast period.Request For Enquiry @ Linerless Labels Market: Key-PlayersCompanies are focused in making business strategies such as mergers, acquisitions and expansions in order to seek to be at the forefront of innovation and mark a global footprint in the global market by investing in technology. Some of the key market players engaged in the global linerless labels market are 3M Company, Coveris Holdings S.A., CCL Industries Inc., Constantia Flexible Group GMBH, and RR Donnelley & Sons Company, Innovia films, Reflex Labels limited, and R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to market segments such as geography, technology and applications.The Report covers exhaust Analysis on:Market SegmentsMarket DynamicsMarket SizeSupply & DemandCurrent Trends /Issues/ChallengesCompetition & Companies involvedTechnologyRegional Analysis includes:North AmericaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle East & AfricaThe report is a compilation of first-hand information, qualitative and quantitative assessment by industry analysts, inputs from industry experts and industry participants across the value chain. The report provides in-depth analysis of parent market trends, macro-economic indicators and governing factors along with market attractiveness as per segments. The report also maps the qualitative impact of various market factors on market segments and geographies.Check Discount @Report Highlights:Detailed overview of parent marketChanging market dynamics in the industryIn-depth market segmentationHistorical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and valueRecent industry trends and developmentsCompetitive landscapeStrategies of key players and products offeredPotential and niche segments, geographical regions exhibiting promising growthA neutral perspective on market performanceMust-have information for market players to sustain and enhance their market footprintThe report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth insights, understanding market evolution by tracking historical developments, and analyzing the present scenario and future projections based on optimistic and likely scenarios. Each research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology developments, types, applications, and the competitive landscape.The study is a source of reliable data on:Key market segments and sub-segmentsEvolving market trends and dynamicsChanging supply and demand scenariosQuantifying market opportunities through market sizing and market forecastingTracking current trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive insightsOpportunity mapping in terms of technological breakthroughsThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)TMR estimates the market size of various sectors using a combination of available data on the number and revenue of companies within each sub-sector and tiers of companies. The basic components used to determine market size and forecast for a specific product area are not only limited to supply-side data, but are also related to demand, industry trends, and the economic outlook. All the above data points are utilized to generate a statistical model targeting the sector marketplace. More than 300 TMR analysts across the world integrate these elements into a framework to determine the subsector market size for a base year and then forecast growth within each market.TMR regularly interviews technology and business professionals as an ongoing effort to track the latest developments within each sector. These continuous surveys are stratified by company size and industry segment and weighted to reflect the global market place. All data are collected on an ongoing effort through a structured questionnaire rolled over the web or conducted via telephones. This provides the TMR team opportunities to request for detailed question sets, complex skip patterns, and real-time calculations, which assists respondents in answering questions involving numbers and percentages. Respondents, who are interviewed as experts, are screened and qualified based on certain criteria in addition to their decision-making authority and the scope of activity within their organizations.About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Contact usMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Global Dry Milling Market Outlook and Forecast by 2022

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Orbis Research delivers key insights on the Global Dry Milling Market in a new report titled Global Dry Milling Market Research Report 2017-2022 by Players, Regions, Product Types and Applications. In this report, Orbis Research sheds light on the various factors and trends impacting market growth over the forecast period (2017  2022).DescriptionThe Global Dry Milling Market report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Dry Milling industry. This report evaluates the Global market for " Global Dry Milling".The Global Dry Milling Market report provides complete analysis of the Global Dry Milling Market by analysing all round market dynamics such as regional market opportunities, drivers, challenges, constraints, threats, and other market trends.The Global Dry Milling Market report contains latest Business Data resulting from various Research sources that helps Decision Makers to deliver a Distinctive and Trustworthy Analysis for Companys Growth.Get a PDF Sample of Global Dry Milling Market report at:The Global Dry Milling Market Survey starts with Industry overview of Global Dry Milling Market covering Major Regions Status, Industry Chain Structure, Definitions and Specifications, with a detailed focus on Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis including Raw Material Suppliers, Equipment Suppliers and Manufacturing Process.In Next Part, the researchers has collected and presented information on Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis which comprises of Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, R&D Status and Technology Source of Major Manufacturers in 2017.In following segment, with Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin, Business Region Distribution Analysis, Competition between various Company Profile has been given along with Product Pictures and Specifications in Global Dry Milling Industry Report.The Key Players Mentioned in Global Dry Milling Market Report are: Cargill (U.S.) Archer Daniels Midland Company (U.S.) Bunge Limited (U.S.) SunOpta, Inc. (Canada) Grain Millers Inc. (U.S.) LifeLine Foods, LLC (U.S.) Didion Milling Inc. (U.S.) Semo Milling, LLC (U.S.) Pacific Ethanol Inc. (U.S.) Green Plains Inc.(U.S.) Flint Hills Resources, LP (U.S.) C.H. Guenther & Son, Incorporated (U.S.) Valero Energy Corporation (U.S.) Tianjin Newidea Machinery Co., Ltd. (China) Yongkang Tianqi Shengshi Industry And Trade Co., Ltd. (China)Place a Purchase Order for this Report at:The Global Dry Milling Industry Report is also a Great Source of Marketing Type Analysis consisting:1. Global Dry Milling Regional Marketing Type Analysis2. Global Dry Milling International Trade Type Analysis3. Traders or Distributors with Contact Information of Global Dry Milling by Regions4. Global Dry Milling Supply Chain AnalysisKey Regions North America United States Canada Latin America Mexico Brazil Argentina Others Europe Germany United Kingdom France Italy Spain Russia Netherland Others Asia & Pacific China Japan India Korea Australia Southeast Asia Indonesia Thailand Philippines Vietnam Singapore Malaysia Others Africa & Middle East South Africa Egypt Turkey Saudi Arabia Iran OthersMain types of productsDry Milling Market, by Source Yellow corn White corn OtherDry Milling Market, by End Product Ethanol DDGS Corn Grits Cornmeal Corn FlourDry Milling Market, by Key Consumer Fuel Food FeedMajor Points from Table of Contents:Chapter One Methodology and Data SourceChapter Two Dry Milling Market OverviewChapter Three Dry Milling by Key Players 2012-2017Chapter Four Dry Milling by Regions 2012-2017Chapter Five Dry Milling Market by Product TypesChapter Six Global Key Players ProfileChapter Seven Dry Milling by Appliance 2012-2017Chapter Eight Industry Chain and Supply ChainChapter Nine Global Dry Milling Market Size (Sales and Revenue) Forecast (2017-2022)Chapter Ten Development Trend and Research ConclusionGot any Query? Feel free to ask us at:Lastly, the Report provides Development Trend Analysis for 2017-2022 years which will forecast Market Size (Volume and Value), Sales Price, Consumption Forecast, Market Trend (Product Type) and Market Trend (Application). Also the List of Major Consumers is analyzed and Contact Details are provided to easy communicating.Finally, the Report is concluded with Various Methodology, Analyst Introduction and Data SourcesOrbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Hector CostelloSenior Manager  Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas  75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +9164101019Follow Us on LinkedIn:
Dental Diagnostics and Surgical Equipment Market share research by applications and regions for 2017-2024

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The research report Dental Diagnostics and Surgical Equipment Market Size, Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, France, Italy, UK, Spain, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, South Africa), Application Development Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2017  2024, by Global Market Insights, Inc. says Dental Diagnostics and Surgical Equipment Market size is projected to experience significant growth from 2017 to 2024.Increasing number of clinical dental practitioners has enabled the end users to gain orthodontist care services at a greater base and surges the business returns over the coming years. Radiology and imaging simplifies prosthodontist diagnosis and enables better care management. Moreover, the advancement in technology that includes laser dentistry, digital X-rays with 3D imaging, and CAD/CAM technology has provided the dental diagnostics and surgical equipment market tremendous growth opportunities. The lack of awareness levels of consumers in emerging nations can hamper the business growth.Request for an in-depth table of contents for this report @Rising occurrence of oral diseases coupled with increasing demand for the cosmetic dentistry are the major factors driving the dental diagnostics and surgical equipment market growth. Substantial changeovers in the oral care requirements that includes patient preferences for painless surgery and diagnosis further boosts the demand for the industry over the forecast period.Disposition to junk food ingestion as well as inappropriate consumption behaviors by people propels the dental diagnostics and surgical equipment market size growth. Many of the old age patients have different oral disorders that includes, xerostomia and oral candidiasis that upsurges the business growth. Furthermore, substantial rise in the clinical visits has increased thereby, fuels the industry growth over the forecast timeframe. As per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2015, children of age between 2-17 had visits for approximately 84.7%, and adults of age between 18-64 accounted for 64.0% visits, whereas, the adults aging 65 and over has around 62.7% dental visits.Browse key industry insights from the report Dental Diagnostics and Surgical Equipment Market in detail along with the table of contents:The CAD/CAM dental system and equipment accounted for major share in type segment of the dental diagnostics and surgical equipment market owing to growing demand for precision and accuracy in design of bridges, caps and crowns. In addition, associated advantages such as, computer sculpting offers healthier tooth restoration, immediate 3D images eliminate time consuming processes, short sculpting time, restorations are more natural in appearance and durable, all such benefits encourage the patient preference for CAD/CAM equipment and systems. Hospitals segment will dominate dental diagnostics and surgical equipment market due to maximum number of surgeries being conducted in the hospitals and the availability of oral equipment and systems as in comparison with the dental clinics, thereby, provides faster prosthodontist procedures.U.S. accounted for major share of the industry owing to the presence of several leading players along with high number of geriatric population that can opt expensive prosthodontist procedure. Furthermore, rising demand for the cosmetic dentistry medication coupled with high number of advanced exodontist facilities available over the U.S. surges the business growth over the forecast period.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @China, India and South Korea will witness lucrative growth due to improving healthcare infrastructure along with rising disposable income and dental clinics providing advanced periodontist care. Rising periodontal and orthodontic diseases and the awareness levels for oral health hygiene ensures considerable increase in consumer base by preferring oral services thereby boosting the demand.Some of the industry players are Danaher, Sirona Dental Systems, Biolase Technologies, Carestream Health, Zolar Dental Laser, Dentsply International, 3M Company, Ivoclar Vivadent AG, American Medicals, Planmeca OY, Henry Schein, Midmark Diagnostic Group, and A-Dec. The industry players focus on strategic alliances, bonding of dental practitioners and clinics for promoting education in the utilization of novel technologies through webinars, conferences, and exhibitions worldwide that propels the dental diagnostics and surgical equipment market growth. For instance, in June 2017, Henry Schein announced enhancement of oral healthcare for refugees in Kenya with support in mobile exodontist hospital.Browse Related Reports:Dental Practice Management Software Market Size By Component (Scheduling, Patient Communication, Invoicing/ Billing, Payment Processing, Electronic Claims, Dashboard), By Deployment Mode (On-premise, Web-based, Cloud-based), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, China, India), Application Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016  2023About Global Market Insights: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 Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:Blog:
Cyber Security Market Key Players - Cisco Corporation, Mcafee Corporation, Trend Micro by Forecast to 2027

Cyber Security Market

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Market Scenario:Cyber security is one of the most important concerns for all the countries around the globe. As the technology is growing and new applications are coming into picture, hackers are finding the new loopholes and by that they are stealing the important and confidential datas from the servers and selling it to the other countries or in black market.The report on Global Cyber Security Market shows that total market size for the cyber security has been increase to billions and currently growing with the CAGR rate of high During the forecasted period it is expected that cyber-security market will touch the market size of USD in billion and will grow with the CAGR.Major Key Players: Cisco Corporation Mcafee Corporation Fortinet Inc, Trend Micro Inc Cassidian Cybersecurity Company Computer Science Corporation Booz Allen Hamilton Corporation Kaspersky Lab Fireeye inc, Symantec CorporationRequest a Sample @Study Objective of Cyber Security Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the global cyber security market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the cyber security market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW) To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by solution, by service, by application and sub-segments. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global cyber security solutions marketMarket SegmentationFor the better understanding of the report, the market for Global Cyber security has been segmented by solutions, services and by application verticals. Solutions include Network Security, Endpoint Security, Content Security, Application Security, Industrial Control System Security and Cloud Security. Services include- Design Services, Consulting Services, Risk Assessment Services, Training Services and Others. On the basis of application verticals, the market has been segmented as Telecommunication, BFSI, Manufacturing, Aerospace and Defense, Healthcare and OthersRegional AnalysisNorth America is leading in the market of Cyber Security. Countries like the US and Canada are well developed in the field of technology and also some of the major players who provide cyber security options are located in the North America. Europe is accounted for the second largest market share in the Cyber Security Market.Europe holds USD billions in the global market which is and currently growing with the CAGR rate. The main reason behind this is some countries of Europe have good command over the technology and most of the company in Europe region update their cyber security model periodically. Asia Pacific and MEA are fastest growing market for the cyber security.AmericasNorth America US Canada EuropeWestern Europe Germany France Italy Spain U.K Rest of Western EuropeAccess Report Details @Eastern EuropeAsia PacificAsia China India Japan South Korea Rest of AsiaTable of Contents1 Market Introduction1.1 Introduction1.2 Scope of Study1.2.1 Research Objective1.2.2 Assumptions1.2.3 Limitations1.3 Market StructureContinuedAbout 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
Contemporary innovations in Space Heaters Market industry made available by top research firm

Space Heaters Market

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ReportsMonitor.com has added United States Space Heaters Market Report 2017.Space Heaters Market Report communicates about the manufacturing process. The process is analysed thoroughly with respect three points, viz. raw material and equipment suppliers, various manufacturing associated costs (material cost, labour cost, etc.) and the actual process of whole Enterprise Space Heaters market.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global Space Heaters market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, covering Honeywell, Lasko, DeLonghi, Dyson, LifeSmart, Stadler Form, Vornado, Vornadobaby, Heat Storm, Bionaire, Crane USA, Duraflame, ECO-heater, Ecohouzng, ECONO-HEAT, King, Sunpentown, Intermatic, DAIKIN, ZIBRO, Midea, AIRMATE, Gree.Get Your Free Sample Report @The Space Heaters Market presents critical information and factual data about the global Space Heaters Market, providing an overall statistical study of this market on the basis of market drivers, market limitations, and its future prospects. The widespread global Space Heaters opportunities and trends are also taken into consideration in Space Heaters industry.On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each Type, primarily split into Ceramic Heaters, Infrared Heaters, Oil-Filled Heaters, Others.By Application, the market can be split into Household Use, Commercial Use, Industrial Use.This report studies Space Heaters market, especially in The West, Southwest, The Middle Atlantic, New England, The South, The Midwest, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2012 to 2016, and forecast to 2022.Have a query on this report? @All aspects of the Space Heaters industry report are quantitatively as well as qualitatively assessed to study the global as well as regional market comparatively. The basic information such as the definition, prevalent chain and the government regulations pertaining to the Space Heaters market are also discussed in the report.About UsReports Monitor (ReportsMonitor.com) is a platform for companies looking to meet their 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. The prime focus is to get reliable data, Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Contact Us:Office C & D - 4th Floor,Siddhi Towers,Above Rupee Bank,Kondhwa Road,Pune 411048,Maharashtra,IndiaIndia: +91 2069535353Jay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Airbrush Market (IWATA, TAMIYA, Badger, Harder & Steenbeck) Analysis & Forecast 2017-2022

Airbrush Market

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Global Airbrush Market Research Report 2017 is latest research study released by HTF MI evaluating the market, highlighting opportunities, risk analysis, and leveraged with strategic and tactical decision-making support. This study recognizes that in this quick-evolving, competitive environment, up-to-date industry information is essential to monitor performance & make critical decisions for growth and profitability. It provides information on trends and developments, focuses on markets and materials, capacities, technologies, and on the changing structure of the Global Airbrush Market.The Global Airbrush Market consists of different international, regional, and local vendors. The market competition is foreseen to grow higher with the rise in technological innovation and M&A activities in the future. 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.Get Access to sample pages @Global Airbrush market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includes IWATA, TAMIYA, Badger, Harder & Steenbeck, Paasche Airbrush, Sparmax, Testor, Mr.hobby, Hollywood Air, Dinair, TEMPTU, Luminess, Nien Tsz Lee, Airbase, Ningbo Lis Industrial, Rongpeng & AuaritaGlobal Airbrush (Thousands Units) and Revenue (Million USD) Market Split by Product Type such as Trigger, Feed System & Mix PointMarket Segment by Type 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022Trigger xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%Feed System xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%Mix Point 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 Industry, Coating & Printing Industry & Others with historical and projected market share and compounded annual growth rate.Global Airbrush (Thousands Units) by Application (2016-2022)Market Segment by Application 2012 2016 2022 Market Share (%)2022 CAGR (%)(2016-2022)Automotive Industry xx xx xx xx% xx%Coating & Printing Industry 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 Airbrush 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%Japan xx xx xx xx% xx%Southeast Asia xx xx xx xx% xx%India xx xx xx xx% xx%Total xx xx xx xx% xx%This independent 113 page research with title Global Airbrush Market Research Report 2017 guarantees you will remain better informed than your competition. The study covers geographic analysis that includes regions/countries like North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia & India and important players/vendors such as IWATA, TAMIYA, Badger, Harder & Steenbeck, Paasche Airbrush, Sparmax, Testor, Mr.hobby, Hollywood Air, Dinair, TEMPTU, Luminess, Nien Tsz Lee, Airbase, Ningbo Lis Industrial, Rongpeng & Auarita. With n-number of tables and figures examining the Airbrush , the research gives you a visual, one-stop breakdown of the leading products, submarkets and market leaders market revenue forecasts as well as analysis to 2022Further it focuses on Global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information. Whats more, the Airbrush industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @The study is organized with the help of primary and secondary data collection including valuable information from key vendors and participants in the industry. It includes historical data from 2012 to 2016 and projected forecasts till 2022 which makes the research study a valuable resource for industry executives, marketing, sales and product managers, consultants, analysts, and other people looking for key industry related data in readily accessible documents with easy to analyze graphs and tables. The report answers future development trend of Airbrush on the basis of stating current situation of the industry in 2017 to assist manufacturers and investment organization to better analyze the development course of Airbrush Market.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 Airbrush market?Who are the key market players and what are their strategies in the Global Airbrush market?What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the Global Airbrush market?What trends, challenges and barriers are influencing its growth?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the Global Airbrush market?What are the key outcomes of the five forces analysis of the Airbrush market?Buy this research report @There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the Global Airbrush market.Chapter 1, to describe Airbrush Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Airbrush , with sales, revenue, and price of Airbrush , 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 Airbrush , 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, Japan, Southeast Asia & India;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application [Automotive Industry, Coating & Printing Industry & Others], from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Airbrush market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Airbrush 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.Contact Us:HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road, Edison, NJ USA - 08837sales@htfmarketreport.comPh: +1 (206) 317 1218
Online Education Market Key Players - Adobe Systems, McGraw-Hill Education, Pearson Education by Forecast to 2023

Online Education Market

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https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/online-education-market-3957

Market Scenario:Online Education Market has been segmented on the basis of product, learning type and end user. The learning type segment is further bifurcated into synchronous learning and asynchronous learning. Asynchronous learning refers to online spaces where work is supported through the use of digital platforms like threaded discussions or emails. In asynchronous learning, the participants need not be compulsorily online at the time whereas in synchronous learning type, the users need to be online and is moreover like face-to-face learning environment. It involves real-time responses that allow better provision for clarity.Online Education Market refers to learning in a 100% virtual environment. Online education can play a major role in developing the education industry overall in terms of money as well as innovation. With growing popularity of internet and many active user, online education market is expected to witness high growth rate during the forecast period. Increasing implementation of IT security and cloud based solutions and rapid growth in digitization are the factors responsible for the growth of online education market.Major factors driving the growth of online education market are conducive government policies and increasing demand for technical education. Increase in popularity of distance learning is another major factor driving the growth of online education market.The global online education market is expected to grow at approx. USD 423 Billion by 2023, at 24% of CAGR between 2017 and 2023.Request a Sample Report @Major Key Players: Adobe Systems (U.S.) McGraw-Hill Education (U.S.) Pearson Education (U.K.) Blackboard (U.S.) Lynda.Com (U.S.) Aptara (U.S.) Docebo (Italy) Edmodo (U.S.) PowerSchool Learning (U.S.) Tata Interactive Systems (India)Study Objectives of Online Education Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the online education market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW). To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future perspective. To provide country level analysis of the market for segmentation on the basis of product, learning type and end user. To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for online education market. To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the online education market.Segments:Online education market can be segmented on the basis of following:By Product Content ServicesBy Learning Type Synchronous Learning Asynchronous LearningBy End User K-12 Education Higher Education Industry & ProfessionalRegional Analysis:The regional analysis of online education market is being studied for regions such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe and Rest of the World. It has been observed that North America is estimated to account for the largest share of the market, whereas Asia-Pacific is projected to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period.The major growth in online education market in North America is attributed to technical advancements and increasing use of internet, mobiles and tablets in that region.Access Report Details @Intended Audience Technology investors Integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) Research/Consultancy firms Educational Institutions StudentsTable of Contents1 Market Introduction1.1 Introduction1.2 Scope of Study1.2.1 Research Objective1.2.2 Assumptions1.2.3 Limitations1.3 Market StructureContinued.List of TablesTable 1 Online Education Market, By ProductTable 2 Online Education Market, By Learing TypeTable 3 Online Education Market, By End UserContinued.List of FiguresFigure 1 Research TypeFigure 2 Online Education Market, By Product (%)Figure 3 Online Education Market, By Learing Type (%)Continued.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our clients 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 Solutions, Application, Logistics 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
Patisserie Packaging Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024

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"The Report Patisserie Packaging Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"About Patisserie Packaging Market MarketPatisserie products are popular among all age groups and the sales are independent of occasions or seasons. Packaging plays an important role in patisserie products in increasing shelf life, marketing, prevention from mechanical damage, displaying food safety related warnings and nutrition value. Packaging vendors who provide innovative and creative packaging solutions are preferred by patisserie dealers, as it helps to strengthen sales by enhancing product visibility. Apart from protecting and containing the items, the packaging must be irresistible enough to appeal to a buyer and ultimately lead to a sale. Packaging supplies come in more sizes, shapes, textures, materials and printing options than ever before, hence containers that achieve a quality or feature that is extremely impressive can set any product apart from its competitors.Get Sample copy of this Report @Sale of patisserie is most commonly noted at retail outlets. In order to create a longer shelf-life, retailers have demanded the packaging manufacturers to improve the process of wrapping up such food items.Sales of patisserie have increased as urbanization has led the population to opt for food that is readily available. Increase in cases of stomach disorders are responsible for the dynamics of the global patisserie packaging market to go through unfavorable reforms. The key challenge restraining the fluent production of packaging products is the varying pack-sizes. Consumers prefer reusable plastic pouches as the ideal packaging product, which is in turn hampering the sales of traditional packaging products and declining the demand. The uneven culinary habits of the target population is also accounted as a major factor impeding the growth of the global patisserie market.View Report @Based on type of material, the patisserie packaging market can be segmented as follows:PlasticPaper and cardboard boxesCorrugated boxesFlexible packagingOthersSmall plastic patisserie packs, plastic cupcake boxes and plastic cake containers are widely used as they protect the contents from damage and leaking. Paper and cardboard boxes are used by the manufacturers in order to differentiate the product as well as to provide mechanical strength. Taken as a whole, corrugated boxes are considered to be an eco-friendly and sustainable form of packaging compared with other forms of packaging, including plastics. Huge investments are made to develop innovative solutions in corrugated box packaging. Overall, packaging manufacturers are expected to come up with resistant quality packaging materials in the coming years keeping prime focus on environmental protection and sustainability.Based on type of product, the patisserie packaging market can be segmented as follows:CakesCream bunsGateauxPastriesBased on geography, the patisserie packaging market can be segmented into five major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa. Overall, Asia Pacific (APAC) is expected to be the fastest growing segment during the forecast period. In countries like China, India and Japan, growth comes from an increase in the demand for poly bags. North America is expected to substantially contribute towards market growth on the grounds of rising demand for digitally-printed packages which creates a hyper-personal buying experience. Significant growth in bakery and confectionary in China will have a positive impact on the patisserie packaging market. Furthermore, growing demand for packaged foods and consumer goods is expected to increase the growth. Europe is further anticipated to boost the market growth over the upcoming years with regards to the rising demand for home delivery of patisserie products. Increase in sedentary lifestyle and eating habits in Latin America and MEA are expected to propel patisserie packaging market demand in the region.Send An Enquiry Request @Some of the top players operating in the patisserie packaging market are Papiers Paviot, Amcor Limited, LINPAC Senior Holdings Limited, Graphic Packaging International, Inc., Coyne & Blanchard, Inc., Mahalaxmi Flexible Packaging, Berry Plastics Corporation, Sealed Air, WestRock Company, AR Packaging Group AB and others.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.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 analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.Highlights of the report:A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsMarket segmentation up to the second or third levelHistorical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volumeReporting and evaluation of recent industry developmentsMarket shares and strategies of key playersEmerging niche segments and regional marketsAn objective assessment of the trajectory of the marketRecommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the marketNote: Although care has been taken to maintain the highest levels of accuracy in TMRs reports, recent market/vendor-specific changes may take time to reflect in the analysis.Buy Now @About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Internet of Things in Healthcare Market to grow at 15% CAGR from 2017 to 2024

Global Market Insights

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https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/iot-healthcare-market

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IoT Healthcare Market size is set to exceed USD 10 billion by 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc.The IoT healthcare market is primarily driven by the implementation of advanced digital solutions across the sector. The integration of such technology in the healthcare infrastructure is expected to streamline the operations, improvise the patient interactions and enhance the efficiency of processes. Increasing penetration of smartphones coupled with the improved internet connectivity worldwide is expected to fuel the growth. IoT has potential to reshape the industry due to the benefits such as remote monitoring of patients and management of facility assets.Increasing aging population in Japan and several other European countries such as Italy & Germany coupled with the rising number of chronic diseases will drive the IoT healthcare market growth over the forecast timeline. Technological advancements in the sector to provide accessible & inexpensive patient care solutions widens the scope for adoption of such solutions. It is gradually transforming the sector by focusing on the way devices, application as well as people interact with each other.Request for a sample of this research report @Lack of interoperability may hamper the IoT healthcare market growth. Interoperable systems enable share & retention of data automatically, eliminating the possibility of re-entering data each time. Issues such as difficulty in integration of devices made by different manufacturers, their inability to operate on other operating systems, poses challenge to mass consumerization of IoT solutions. In order to reach mass adoption, overcoming such risks restricting boundless connections of a connected world is a primary concern to the technology providers. Other factors such as high cost of infrastructure development followed by data privacy & security issues are predicted to curb the demand.Rising deployment of smart sensor technology in various systems enhances the capability of IoT healthcare market devices to collect more data associated with patients health. The gathered data is used to enhance the patient monitoring process and analyze it to discover new treatments for various other diseases. These technological solutions therefore help bridge the gap between the physical and the digital world.The benefits such as fast scalability in meeting customer demands followed by the upgradation in privacy & security is expected to drive the telemedicine growth in the IoT healthcare market. The application allows seamless exchange of data related to patient health via a telecommunication network, being a cost-effective option. Telemedicine solutions are specially meant for areas inaccessible to doctors where devices combined with satellite communications enable easy access.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @The U.S. IoT healthcare market is anticipated to hold majority of revenue share owing to the presence of highly advanced healthcare infrastructure coupled with the early adoption of sophisticated technologies. Mobile based applications offered by the technology providers has made it easier for facilities to share data with the patients. Increased spending on digital technologies by the regional government further contributes to the U.S. IoT healthcare market growth.Players in the IoT healthcare market include Microsoft Corporation, General Electric, IBM Corporation, Honeywell International Inc. and Cisco Systems Inc, Stanley Healthcare, Qualcomm Inc., SAP SE and Medtronic Inc. Considering the potential of implementing IoT solutions in the sector, players are increasingly investing on developing infrastructure for deployment of such technological solutions.Browse key industry insights spread across 130 pages with 155 market data tables & 12 figures & charts from the report, IoT Healthcare Market in detail along with the table of contents:About Global Market Insights: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 Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:
Global Digital Compass Market Growth Opportunities, Driving Factors by Manufacturers, Regions, Type & Application, Forecast Analysis to 2022

Digital Compass Market Analysis

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Global Digital Compass Sales Market Report 2017 is latest research study released by HTF MI evaluating the market, highlighting opportunities, risk analysis, and leveraged with strategic and tactical decision-making support. This study recognizes that in this quick-evolving, competitive environment, up-to-date industry information is essential to monitor performance & make critical decisions for growth and profitability. It provides information on trends and developments, focuses on markets and materials, capacities, technologies, and on the changing structure of the Global Digital Compass Market.The Global Digital Compass Market consists of different international, regional, and local vendors. The market competition is foreseen to grow higher with the rise in technological innovation and M&A activities in the future. 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 Digital Compass market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includes ST Microelectronics, Robert Bosch, Texas Instruments, Asahi Kasei Microdevices, Bell Automotive Products, Baolab Microsystems, Honeywell International, Sparton Corporation & BARIGO Barometerfabrik GmbHGlobal Digital Compass (Thousands Units) and Revenue (Million USD) Market Split by Product Type such as LTE & LTE-AMarket Segment by Type 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022LTE xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%LTE-A xx xx xx xx xx Xx xx-Change (%) xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx% xx%Get Access to sample pages @The research study is segmented by Application such as Automotive, Aeronautics & Defense with historical and projected market share and compounded annual growth rate.Global Digital Compass (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%Aeronautics xx xx xx xx% xx%Defense 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 Digital Compass in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringMarket Segment by Regions 2012 2016 2022 Share (%) CAGR (2016-2022)United States xx xx xx xx% xx%China xx xx xx xx% xx%Europe xx xx xx xx% xx%Japan xx xx xx xx% xx%Southeast Asia xx xx xx xx% xx%India xx xx xx xx% xx%Total xx xx xx xx% xx%This independent 109 page research with title Global Digital Compass Sales Market Report 2017 guarantees you will remain better informed than your competition. The study covers geographic analysis that includes regions/countries like United States, China, Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia & India and important players/vendors such as ST Microelectronics, Robert Bosch, Texas Instruments, Asahi Kasei Microdevices, Bell Automotive Products, Baolab Microsystems, Honeywell International, Sparton Corporation & BARIGO Barometerfabrik GmbH. With n-number of tables and figures examining the Digital Compass , the research gives you a visual, one-stop breakdown of the leading products, submarkets and market leaders market revenue forecasts as well as analysis to 2022Further it focuses on Global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specifications, sales, market share and contact information. Whats more, the Digital Compass industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Read Detailed Index of full Research Study at @The study is organized with the help of primary and secondary data collection including valuable information from key vendors and participants in the industry. It includes historical data from 2012 to 2016 and projected forecasts till 2022 which makes the research study a valuable resource for industry executives, marketing, sales and product managers, consultants, analysts, and other people looking for key industry related data in readily accessible documents with easy to analyze graphs and tables. The report answers future development trend of Digital Compass on the basis of stating current situation of the industry in 2017 to assist manufacturers and investment organization to better analyze the development course of Digital Compass Market.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 Digital Compass market?Who are the key market players and what are their strategies in the Global Digital Compass market?What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the Global Digital Compass market?What trends, challenges and barriers are influencing its growth?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the Global Digital Compass market?What are the key outcomes of the five forces analysis of the Digital Compass market?Buy this research report @There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the Global Digital Compass market.Chapter 1, to describe Digital Compass Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Digital Compass , with sales, revenue, and price of Digital Compass , 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 Digital Compass , 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 United States, China, Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia & India;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application [Automotive, Aeronautics & Defense], from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Digital Compass market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Digital Compass 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.Contact Us:HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road, Edison, NJ USA - 08837sales@htfmarketreport.comPh: +1 (206) 317 1218
Free-to-air (FTA) Service Market is expected to reach US$155.8 bn by the end of 2024: MRRSE

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A new report added to the repository of Market Research Reports Search Engine Free-to-air (FTA) Service Market - Europe and Middle East & Africa Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024 is a comprehensive repository of information, providing market share, size, and forecast.Request For Free Sample Report:The EMEA free-to-air services market is currently being driven by the speedy rate of adoption of digital technologies. The popularity of digital broadcasting and video-on-demand services are creating an ample demand for FTA services across the world and especially in the EMEA region. The EMEA free-to-air services market is also specifically being driven by the increasing proliferation of IPTV. However, the EMEA free-to-air services market is currently being restricted by the growing scope of piracy that digitization brings with it. The high rate of piracy is denying revenue to multiple players within the market and several of them are taking precautions to protect themselves from this loss of revenue.The EMEA free-to-air services market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 11.8% within a forecast period from 2016 to 2024, with regards to its value. At the end of 2015, the EMEA free-to-air services market was calculated at US$59.29 bn, and is expected to reach US$155.8 bn by the end of 2024.Europe Poses Leading Demand for Free-to-air ServicesAmong the key regions within the EMEA free-to-air services market, Europe had held the top spot in 2015. Europe is also highly likely to continue leading the EMEA free-to-air services market over the coming years, primarily due to the earlier adoption of key services in the market. As a result, Europe holds a much larger presence of the leading players  especially digital broadcaster  in the EMEA free-to-air services market. The heavy demand for FTA services in Europe has created a massive scope of entry for providers of FTA services in the EMEA region. Germany has especially been a key contributor to Europes lead in the EMEA free-to-air services market over the recent past. All in all Europe is expected to show a very optimistic CAGR of 12.1% in the EMEA free-to-air services market, between 2016 and 2024.Browse Full Report With TOC:Cable Television Takes up Lions Share in EMEA Free-to-air Services MarketThe EMEA free-to-air services market has been segmented on the basis of devices, into cable television, satellite television, mobile television, and radio. Of these, the market was dominated by cable television in 2015 by taking up close to three-fourths of the markets total value. It is also expected that cable television will remain the leading segment in the EMEA free-to-air services market for the immediate future, owing to cheaper and easier access and an already high user population. On the other hand, although satellite television held the second spot in the EMEA free-to-air services market in 2015 in terms of value, it is expected to expand at the leading CAGR between 2016 and 2024. A lot of nations in Europe have already taken to adopting digital TVs, further promoting the development and demand for satellite TV FTA services. The shift to digital TVs has allowed users to gain a better video quality and the highly demanded HD channel services.The list of leading players in the EMEA free-to-air services market in and at points till 2015, includes BT Group Plc., British Broadcasting Corporation, ITV Plc., Deutsche Telekom AG, RTL Group, ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, Rai Pubblicita, Eutelsat S.A., Sky Plc., and Mediaset SpA.Enquire About this Report:About UsMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of Market Research 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 UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:Read More Industry News At:
Health Functional Food Market Report 2017-Nestle, Cargill, ADM, Danone, Unilever, Coca Cola, Bunge, Barry Callebaut

Health Functional Food Market

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Apex Research, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the "Health Functional Food Market" across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of "Health Functional Food Market" from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the global Health Functional Food industry, and estimates the future trend of Health Functional Food market on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares "Health Functional Food Market" performance both in terms of volume and revenue.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This ReportNestleCargillADMDanoneUnileverCoca ColaBungeBarry CallebautAmwayHerbalife NutritionOriflame HoldingsUSANA Health SciencesThe market research report explores the Health Functional Food market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of "Health Functional Food Market". The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the Health Functional Food market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Health Functional Food. Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Health Functional Food market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.The competitive landscape of the global market for Health Functional Food is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Health Functional Food market's production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Health Functional Food market globally.Enquire Before Buying @The Global Health Functional Food market 2017 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Health Functional Food production volume, data pertaining to demand and Health Functional Food supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Health Functional Food along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for Health Functional Food across the world.About UsApex Market Reports offers elevating market research globally. We have collection of various syndicated reports of different categories. Apex Market Reports provides you to best services, weather youre searching for new trends in market or competitive scenario in emerging market.Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemical and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezCorporate Sales Specialist155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606Phone: +17739042683Email id - sales@apexmarketreports.comWebsite -
UV Curable Resins & Formulated Products Market, By Composition, Chemistry, Technology, and Application - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Opportunity Analysis, 2017-25

UV Curable Resins & Formulated Products Market

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UV curable resins are those resins that involve less harmful emissions, fast cure (high productivity), less energy consumption, less equipment space, low temperature treatment, and waste reduction. UV curable resins do not contain any organic solvents that harm the environment. These resins include monomers, oligomers, co-initiators, photo-polymerization, and various additives such as antioxidants, stabilizers, pigments, and plasticizers. UV curable resins are used in a wide range of applications in the ink and coating and adhesive industries. UV curable resins are the most preferred option for applications with fast-curing and fast-drying requirements.Low cost equipment associated with the manufacturing of UV curing resins along with technological development have helped drive growth of the market for UV curable resins and formulated products. Increasing demand for odor-free, safe, sustainable, and green materials has increased the demand for UV curing resins thus, boosting market growth. These resins offer benefits such as high productivity, cost effectiveness, durability, and low maintenance, which in turn, drives growth of the market for UV curable resins and formulated products. However, fluctuation in costs associated with its raw materials, high costs associated with R&D activities and initial investments of manufacturers pose as major restraints for growth of the market. Moreover, high conventional heat or infrared radiation involved in the UV curing process causes major complications in these products.Request a sample copy of this report:UV Curable Resins & Formulated Product Market Taxonomy:On the basis of composition, the UV curable resins & formulated products is segmented into:MonomersOligomersAdditivesPhotointiatorsOn the basis of chemistry, the UV curable resins & formulated products is segmented into:Non-Acrylates & OligoaminesAcrylatesEpoxy AcrylatesPolyether/Polyester AcrylatesUrethane AcrylatesOn the basis of technology, the UV curable resins & formulated products is segmented into:Water-borne UVSolvent-borne UV100% Solid UVPowder UVOn the basis of application, the UV curable resins & formulated products is segmented into:CoatingWood & Paper CoatingPlastic CoatingMetal CoatingOverprint VarnishPrinting Inks3D PrintingAdhesivesTOC of the report:UV Curable Resins & Formulated Products Market Outlook:Asia Pacific is the largest market for UV curable resins, both in terms of value and volume of the product than any other region across the globe. China, Japan, and India are countries possessing the largest consumer-demand for UV curable resins and products. Increasing demand for flexible packaging and rapid industrialization in these countries has led to the growing demand for UV curable resins and formulated products.The market in Europe is rapidly growing due to the increasing demand for plastic coatings, paper coatings, and wood coatings. Germany, U.K., and Sweden are countries experiencing lucrative growth of the UV curable resins and formulated market. Stringent government regulations imposed on the use of conventional methods that harm the environment, is a major restraining factor hampering market growth in the region.North America is the leading market for UV curable resins and formulated products. The U.S., Canada, and Mexico are countries holding the largest market for automobile and electronics products, thereby increasing the demand for UV curable resins and formulated products. The market in has witnessed significant growth due to high purchasing power and technological advancements in the region. The U.S. accounts for around 80% of the market share in in North America.In August 2016, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC) of Japan, acquired The Nippon Synthetic Chemical Industry Co. MMC also merged with Mitsubishi Rayon and Mitsubishi Plastic. Mitsubishi Rayon is a major supplier of acrylic resins, impact modifiers, and carbon fibers. Mitsubishi Plastic is a leading player in the agricultural film and plastic packaging industry, while Nippon is a leading player in water soluble film of PVOH for agricultural, medicines and chemicals.Key player in UV Curable Resins & Formulated Products:Some of the key player in UV Curable Resins & Formulated Products Market are Allnex Group (Germany), Arkema Group (France), Royal DSM (Netherlands), Nippon Gohsei (Japan), Covestro AG (Germany), IGM Resins B.V. (Netherlands), Hitachi Chemical Company Ltd., Toagosei Co. Ltd. (Japan), Miwon Specialty Chem Co. Limited (South Korea), Double Bond Chemical Ind. Co. Ltd., Jiangsu Sanmu Group Corporation, and BASF SE (Germany).View this full 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
Global Professional Coffee Machine Market Report 2017 Key Players : Delonghi, Philips

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Professional Coffee Machine Market Professional Survey Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.This report on the global Professional Coffee Machine market has been developed by a selected group of professional market research analysts, with a solitary goal to present the existing scenario of the market for Professional Coffee Machine and shed light on its growth prospects. The report targets audiences such as manufacturers of Professional Coffee Machine, government agencies, and other research consultancy service providers. The report presents extensive assessment of the crucial factors that may influence the demand in the global Professional Coffee Machine market, studies the challenges or pitfalls, and make a note of the latest trends, which the existing players must take into consideration in order to keep up in the market competition.This report on the global Professional Coffee Machine market provides estimations related to the market size in terms of value (USD million). It includes both bottom-up and top-down views so as to estimate and authenticate the size of the Professional Coffee Machine market and of numerous other associated submarkets in the overall global market. The opportunities that may open up in the market for Professional Coffee Machine by manufacturing countries, type, and application are presented for the duration of 2017 to 2022 have also been provide in the research report.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringDelonghi(Italy)Philips(Netherlands)Melitta(Germany)Electrolux(Sweden)Panasonic(Japan)Nestle(Switzerland)Merolcafe(China)As the study report targets the shareholders of the global Professional Coffee Machine market, it is only wise that some of the leading vendors that currently ply their trade in the global Professional Coffee Machine market are profiled so as to showcase their product portfolio, market share, and recent strategic business decisions taken for enhancing their market presence. This chapter is also focused at grasping the potential of the emergence of new players and what kind of new market opportunities lie in front of them. Leading players in the global Professional Coffee Machine market have been singled out with the help of secondary research, and their market dominance in respective regions have been assessed through rigorous primary as well as secondary research methodologies.Free Sample of this report is available upon request @Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Professional Coffee Machine1.1 Definition and Specifications of Professional Coffee Machine1.1.1 Definition of Professional Coffee Machine1.1.2 Specifications of Professional Coffee Machine1.2 Classification of Professional Coffee Machine1.3 Applications of Professional Coffee Machine1.4 Market Segment by Regions2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Professional Coffee Machine2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Professional Coffee Machine2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Professional Coffee Machine2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Professional Coffee Machine3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Professional Coffee Machine3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Professional Coffee Machine Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Professional Coffee Machine Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Professional Coffee Machine Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Professional Coffee Machine Major Manufacturers in 20168 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Professional Coffee Machine8.1 Delonghi(Italy)8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.3 Delonghi(Italy) 2016 Professional Coffee Machine Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.1.4 Delonghi(Italy) 2016 Professional Coffee Machine Business Region Distribution Analysis8.2 Philips(Netherlands)8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.3 Philips(Netherlands) 2016 Professional Coffee Machine Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.2.4 Philips(Netherlands) 2016 Professional Coffee Machine Business Region Distribution AnalysisAccess the Report and full TOC @List of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Professional Coffee MachineTable Product Specifications of Professional Coffee MachineTable Classification of Professional Coffee MachineFigure Global Production Market Share of Professional Coffee Machine by Type in 2016Figure Global Consumption Volume Market Share of Professional Coffee Machine by Application in 2016Table Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Professional Coffee Machine Major Manufacturers in 2016Table Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Professional Coffee Machine Major Manufacturers in 2016About 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 US:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
The US Home Dialysis Market 2021: Current and Future trends

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The Report The US Home Dialysis Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2017-2021) provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.bizScope of the ReportThe report titled The US Home Dialysis Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2017-2021) highlights an in-depth analysis of market sizing and growth of the US Home Dialysis Market. The analysis includes market size in terms of value as well as volume and market share by segments.Furthermore, the report also assesses the key opportunities available in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the industry. Growth of the US home dialysis market has also been forecasted for the period 2017-2021, taking into consideration the previous growth patterns, the growth drivers and the current and future trends.The competition in the US home dialysis market is stiff and majority of market share is dominated by few major players such as Fresenius Medical Care, DaVita, U.S. Renal Care and, Dialysis Clinic Inc. whose company profiling has been done in the report, which include their business overview, financial overview and respective business strategies.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @Company CoverageFresenius Medical CareDaVitaU.S. Renal CareDialysis Clinic Inc.Executive SummaryThe process of purifying blood by eliminating waste materials and excessive fluid from the body in case, the kidneys of the human body is not function properly is known as dialysis. In the dialysis process blood is filtered and purified with the help of technological advanced machinery. The treatment has been used since 1940s to treat patients suffering from chronic kidney diseases. It is the most widely accepted treatment for end stage renal diseases and kidney failures. The primary objective of dialysis process is to help damaged renal function. The three major types of dialysis are: Hemodialysis (HD), Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) and, Home Hemodialysis (HHD).View Sample PDF @A home dialysis is either hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis which can perform at home with the help of advanced machinery. A skilled clinical person can teach a person how to perform dialysis at home. Home dialysis has been recognized by patients and physicians as a safe and effective alternative to in-center treatment. Home dialysis is broadly classified into four categories: Daily home Hemodialysis (HD), Nocturnal Home hemodialysis, Nocturnal In-Center hemodialysis, Standard Home hemodialysis.The US Home Dialysis market, both in terms of value as well as volume has increased over the past few years and projections are made that the market would grow further at a rapid pace in the forecasted period i.e. 2017-2021 also. The US home dialysis market is expected to grow on the back of aging US population, growing kidney chronic diseases, rising life expectancy of dialysis patients, convenience over in-traditional dialysis centers, technological advancements such as trend toward using sorbent technology to allow online regeneration for dialysate to facilitate portability, etc. Yet the growth of the market is obstructed by factors such as technical issues, lack of substantial housing and legal and financial requirements.Table of Contents1. Executive Summary2. Introduction2.1 Overview of Dialysis2.1.1 Types of Dialysis2.2 Overview of Home Dialysis2.2.1 Types of Home Dialysis2.2.2 Home Treatments Comparison: Positives and Negatives3. The US Market Analysis3.1 The US Dialysis Market Analysis3.1.1 The US Dialysis Market by Volume3.1.2 The US Dialysis Market by Segments3.2 The US Home Dialysis Market Analysis3.2.1 The US Home Dialysis Market by Volume3.2.2 The US Home Dialysis Market by Value4. Market Dynamics4.1 Growth Drivers4.1.1 Aging Population4.1.2 Growing Chronic Kidney Disease4.1.3 Rising Life Expectancy of Dialysis Patient4.1.4 Great Deal of Convenience over Traditional In-Center4.1.5 Rising Healthcare Expenditure4.2 Challenges4.2.1 Technical Issues4.2.2 Lack of Suitable Housing4.2.3 Legal and Financial Requirements4.3 Market Trends4.3.1 Technological Advancements4.3.2 Prospective Payment System5. Competitive Landscape5.1 The US Home Dialysis Market Players Comparison by Products5.2 The US Home Dialysis Market Players by Number of PatientsAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Mr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Data Analytics Market Programmed To Worth 159 Billion USD At 31% of CAGR By 2022

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https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/data-analytics-market

Executive SummaryThis report studies the global Data Analytics Market, analyzes and researches the Software-Defined Wide Area Network development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market,Data Analytics is a statistical method of analyzing and examining very large amount of data and gain an effective outcome. The data which are processed in this method can be collected from past trends and helps to gain insightful information which can help in business growth. Cost reduction, faster decision making and new product or service launch are the key features in which data analytics can be a very helpful. High adoption rate of technology and growing analytics market has driven the market of data analytics. This market is currently growing with CAGR of ~31% and expected to grow at US $~159 billion by the end of forecasted period.Key Players for Data Analytics Market:IBM (U.S),Alteryx (U.S.)BigPanda (U.S.)SAS Institute (U.S.),Dell (U.S.),Microsoft Corporation (U.S.),Amazon Web Services (U.S.),Cogito Corporation (U.S.),Datameer (U.S.),Looker (U.S.)Request a Sample report @Segments:Global Data Analytic Market has been segmented on the basis of type, application and end users. Types of data analytics include Prescriptive, Predictive and Descriptive. Application includes- Web Mining, Data Mining, DBMS among others and By End Users the market has been segmented as- BFSI, Software/IT, Government, Healthcare, Media and Communication and Manufacturing among others.Regional Analysis of Data Analytics Market:North America is dominating the market due to technological advancement in U.S. and Canada.Asia-Pacific Data Analytics market has emerged as fastest growing market with CAGR. whereas Europe holds second position in global market with market shareIntended Audience Data Analytics Companies Analytics Service Providers Software Developer Companies Service Providers Manufacturing Companies Big Data Analytics Service ProvidersAccess report Details @Study Objectives of Data Analytics Market:To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global Data Analytics MarketTo provide insights about factors affecting the market growthTo analyze the Data Analytics market based on various factors- supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc.To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW)To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospectiveTo provide country level analysis of the market for segment by type, by application, by end users and sub-segments.To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the marketTo track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Global Data Analytics MarketTable of Content1 Market Introduction1.1 Introduction1.2 Scope Of Study1.2.1 Research Objective1.2.2 Assumptions1.2.3 Limitations1.3 Market Structure:1.3.1 Global Data Analytics Market, By Type1.3.2 Global Data Analyticss Market: By Application1.3.2 Global Data Analyticss Market: By End Users2 Research Methodology2.1 Research Process2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research2.4 Forecast Model2.4.1 Market Data Collection, Analysis & Forecast2.4.2 Market Size Estimation2.4.3 Market Crackdown & Data Triangulation3 Global Data Analyticss Market: Overview3.1 Introduction3.1.1 Definition3.1.2 Market Segmentation Of Data Analyticss Market4 Global Data Analytics Market, Competitive Landscape4.1 Key Strategies And Developments4.1.1 Acquisitions4.1.2 Partnerships & Collaborations4.1.3 Product Launch4.1.4 Business Expansion4.1.5 Others4.2 Porters Five Forces Analysis4.2.1 Threat Of New Entrants4.2.2 Bargaining Power Of Buyers4.2.3 Bargaining Power Of Suppliers4.2.4 Threat Of Substitutes4.2.5 Intensity Of Competitive Rivalry5 Market OverviewContinued..About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Low-calorie Food Market Forecast and Segments, 2014-2019

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https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/zero-calorie-low-calorie-food.html

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

U.S-based market research and analysis firm Transparency Market Research announces the publication of a new research report. The report states projects the global low calorie food market to expand to a total market value of US$10,414.7 million by 2019. The market for low calorie foods was worth more than US$7,400 million in 2013 and will display a 5.9% CAGR between the end of 2013 and the end of 2019 if these figures hold true. The report, compiled by expert market analytics, and presenting analysis of primary and secondary information with the help of reliable, precise analytical tools such as Porters five forces analysis, market attractiveness analysis, and SWOT analysis, is titled Low-calorie Food Market - Global Forecast, Share, Size, Growth and Industry Analysis, 2014 - 2019.Request ToC:The increasing prevalence of lifestyle conditions such as obesity and often-consequent diabetes are leading to the increased demand for low calorie food. Growing health awareness among the populace has increased visibility of the low calorie food market, which has emerged as a viable solution to obesity.Obesity is particularly rampant in developed countries such as the U.S., the U.K., and Australia, all three of which have an obesity prevalence of more than 20% in their total population. This spells good news for the global low calorie food market, as stated in the report.The relatively higher prices of low calorie foods had made it harder for the market to expand in APAC and RoW regions so far, so the market had been reliant on the developed world for most of its revenue. However, this could change in the next few years, with APAC and RoW countries gaining in purchasing power, a senior TMR analyst said.The report zeroes in on the potential development of the Asia Pacific and Rest of the World markets for low calorie food in the coming years and presents it as a promising opportunity for low calorie food manufacturers around the world. The low calorie food markets in China, India, and Brazil are examined in detail, since these countries have a high diabetic population.The report segments the global low calorie food market by type of sweetener into stevia, saccharin, sucralose, aspartame, and cyclamate. Of these, aspartame emerged as the market leader in 2013 owing to its easy substitutability with sugar in terms of taste and product preparation. However, it is unsafe for some demographics, including children. As a result, stevia and sucralose have enjoyed a surge in demand of late, with the market for stevia in particular expected to exhibit strong growth in the near future. Stevia has the advantage of having an extremely low glycemic index of these, as it releases zero to little glucose into the bloodstream upon digestion.Browse Market Research Report @The report puts major companies operating in the global low calorie food market under the microscope by examining their product segmentation, financial performance over recent years, and recent developments in the industry. Companies profiled in the report include Nestle SA, PepsiCo, Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, Abbott Laboratories, and Group Danone.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 business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Aerospace Coatings market outlook 2017-2024 growth, opportunity, manufacturer, key players, forecast

Aerospace Coatings market report

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Aerospace Coatings MarketDescription:Reports Monitor Publish a New Market Research Report on  Global Aerospace Coatings Market Analysis, Companies Profiles, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast to 2024.The global aerospace coatings market accounted for USD 1.40 billion in 2016 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.0% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2024.Based on geography, the global Aerospace Coatings market is segmented into 5 geographical regions, such as,North America, South America, Europe, APAC, MEA,Do you wish to check sample of Aerospace Coatings market report? @Some of the major players in aerospace coatings market includePPG Industries, Inc., Akzonobel N.V., Mankiewicz Gebr. & Co, The Sherwin-Williams Company, BASF SE, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Hentzen Coatings, Inc., IHI Ionbond AG, Zircotec Ltd., Mapaero, Argosy International, Hohman Plating & Manufacturing LLC, Brycoat.Inc, AHC Oberflachentechnik GmbH, Asahi Kinzoku Kogyo Inc., Zodiac Aerospace, Merck Performance Materials, Cheaerospacel, NVSC Speciality Coatings,International Aerospace Coatings Holdings LpThe aerospace coatings market is segmented on the basis of resin type into polyurethanes and epoxy.On the basis of technology, the market is segmented into liquid and powder.On the basis of user type, the market is segmented into MRO and OEM.On the basis of end-user, the market is segmented into commercial, military and general aviation.On the basis of application, the market is segmented into exterior and interior.Make an Enquiry of Aerospace Coatings market report@Table of Contents1 Introduction1.1. Overview Of The Global Aerospace Coatings Market1.2. Currency And Pricing1.3. Limitation1.4. Markets Covered2 Market Segmentation2.1. Key Takeaways2.2. Arriving At The Global Aerospace Coatings Size2.2.1 Vendor Positioning Grid2.2.2 Technology Life Line Curve2.2.3 Market Time Line2.2.4 Market Guide2.2.5 Company Positioning Grid2.2.6 Comapany Market Share Analysis2.2.7 Multivariate Modelling2.2.8 Standards Of Measurement2.2.9 Top To Bottom Analysis2.2.10 Vendor Share Analysis2.2.11 Data Points From Key Primary Interviews2.2.12 Data Points From Key Secondary Databases2.3. Global Aerospace Coatings Market: Research Snapshot2.4. Assumptions3 Market Overview3.1. Drivers3.2. Restraints3.3. Opportunities3.4. Challenges4 Executive Summary5 Premium InsightsContinued...Browse Detailed TOC, Tables, Figures, Charts and Companies Mentioned in Embedded Computer Market Research Report @In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Contact usJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:About usReports 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.Address: Office C & D - 4th Floor, Siddhi Towers, Above Rupee Bank, Kondhwa Road, Pune 411048, Maharashtra, India
Cardiac Output Monitoring Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024

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"The Report Cardiac Output Monitoring Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"About Cardiac Output Monitoring Devices MarketCardiac output is known as the volume of blood is pumped by from the right or left ventricle of heart per minute and which is dependent on heart rate, and stroke volume. The cardiac output increases during acute exercise and mental stress, while decreased cardiac output might include physical exercise of a intensity that the patient is not able to bear because of decrease in oxygen supply, obesity, ingestion of large meals that place an added workload on the heart, retention of fluid, emotional stress, hypervolemia, and smoking. It is essential to assess the state of patients blood circulation. Low cardiac output usually leads to a common problem of low blood pressure which might surface occur during surgery, or during postoperative care in the intensive care units.Get Sample copy of this Report @In high-risk surgical patients and critically ill patients the arterial blood pressure and cardiac output usually are monitored more comprehensively. Cardiac output monitoring devices are used to know the cardiac output of heart and arterial oxygen content which enable the circulation of continuous systemic oxygen supply to the body. Doubling the cardiac output leads to double amount of the oxygen supply to the tissues, while the low cardiac output leads to inadequate supply of oxygen to organs like brain and the low amount of cellular oxygenation can cause tissue and organ failure. The major observed causative factors for the decrease cardiac output are congenital heart defects, pathologic changes in the heart's muscle, blood dyscrasias, chronic pulmonary disease and electrolyte imbalances (as of potassium or calcium). According to North American Nursing Diagnosis Association, decreased cardiac output is defined as a state in which inadequate blood is pumped by the heart to meet the metabolic demands of the body. Cardiac output monitoring devices market is classified on the basis of product type, methods, end-user and geography.View Report @On the basis of product type the market is broadly classified into invasive, minimally-invasive and non-invasive cardiac output monitoring devices. The invasive cardiac output monitoring has been traditionally accomplished using the pulmonary artery catheter (PAC), but complications associated with PAC has markedly decreased the widespread use of the PAC. The market demand for the non- invasive devices is high followed by minimally invasive devices as compare to invasive devices, due to factors such as ease, accessibility and cost- effectiveness and fast response time. By methods the market is segmented as thermodilution method, pulse pressure analysis, Doppler method, bioimpedance and applied Fick principle. Each methods has its own merits and demerits. On the basis of end-user the market is segmented as hospitals, ambulatory care and critical care centers. By end-user hospitals covers the major market for cardiac output monitoring devices, because of reliability and conjunction of other therapeutic treatments. The factors such as raising incidences of cardiovascular diseases, increase in the number of people suffering from obesity, growing ageing population, and raising healthcare infrastructure facilities are the growth drivers of this market.By geography, the market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the world. Geographically, North America was observed to have the major share of cardiac output monitoring device market due to high healthcare awareness, prevalence of cardiovascular diseases and technological advancement in the region. Europe contributes to the second largest share in the cardiac output monitoring device market growth with raising ageing population. However, Asia Pacific region is expected to be the fastest growing due to the gradual adoption of improved technologies, emerging health care infrastructures, and raising population with cardiac problems and obesity. Followed by Rest of the world.Send An Enquiry Request @The major key players operating in cardiac output monitoring device market include Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, Cheetah Medical, PULSION Medical Systems SE, Philips Healthcare, LiDCO Group plc, Boston Scientific Corporation, GE Healthcare, and others. Bioreactance-based NICOM Cheetah Medical remains the topmost non-invasive market leader.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth insights, understanding market evolution by tracking historical developments, and analyzing the present scenario and future projections based on optimistic and likely scenarios. Each research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology developments, types, applications, and the competitive landscape.The study is a source of reliable data on:Key market segments and sub-segmentsEvolving market trends and dynamicsChanging supply and demand scenariosQuantifying market opportunities through market sizing and market forecastingTracking current trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive insightsOpportunity mapping in terms of technological breakthroughsThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)TMR estimates the market size of various sectors using a combination of available data on the number and revenue of companies within each sub-sector and tiers of companies. The basic components used to determine market size and forecast for a specific product area are not only limited to supply-side data, but are also related to demand, industry trends, and the economic outlook. All the above data points are utilized to generate a statistical model targeting the sector marketplace. More than 300 TMR analysts across the world integrate these elements into a framework to determine the subsector market size for a base year and then forecast growth within each market.TMR regularly interviews technology and business professionals as an ongoing effort to track the latest developments within each sector. These continuous surveys are stratified by company size and industry segment and weighted to reflect the global market place. All data are collected on an ongoing effort through a structured questionnaire rolled over the web or conducted via telephones. This provides the TMR team opportunities to request for detailed question sets, complex skip patterns, and real-time calculations, which assists respondents in answering questions involving numbers and percentages. Respondents, who are interviewed as experts, are screened and qualified based on certain criteria in addition to their decision-making authority and the scope of activity within their organizations.Note: Although care has been taken to maintain the highest levels of accuracy in TMRs reports, recent market/vendor-specific changes may take time to reflect in the analysis.Buy Now @About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Cross-Linked Polyethylene Market - Present Scenario and Growth Prospects 2017 - 2025

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Global Cross-Linked Polyethylene Market: SnapshotCross-linked Polyethylene (XLPE) is derived from polyethylene and with a 3D molecular bond, which is formed within the plastics structure. This molecular helps improving the overall characteristics such as abrasion, stress and chemical resistance, and heat deformation. A majority of XLPE used in tubing or piping is obtained from high-density polyethylene. Because XLPE contains cross-linked bonds within the polymer structure, it can change a thermoplastic into a thermoset.It is important to note here that cross-linking is achieved during or post extrusion of the tubing. Cross-linking is done to improve the elevated temperature characteristics in base polymer. The process that XLPE undergoes enables it to bend into a wide-radius turn or accommodate turns with the help of elbow joints. On back of its flexible properties, cross-linked polyethylene has become one of the leading contenders for use in residential water plumbing.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Direct routing of pipes is possible as well using cross-linked polyethylene. XLPE has properties that enable it run across a distribution point to an outlet fixture. Splicing or cutting the pipe is not required for this. Furthermore, direct routing helps in reducing the need for costly joints. Other benefits offered by cross-linked polyethylene include easier installation, improved water pressure at fixtures, negated fire risk during installation, ability to merge XLPE with existing PVC and copper systems, improved longevity, and other environmental benefits.However, it still has problems with yellow brass fitting. Also concerns relating to degradation from sunlight are yet to be resolved.Request TOC of the Report @Global Cross-Linked Polyethylene Market: OverviewPolyethylene is a commodity plastic that is available at low cost and is easy to process. Due to its thermoplastic nature, it cannot be reprocessed repeatedly; hence crosslinking is required to retain its desirable properties, especially at high temperatures. This process changes the nature of polyethylene from thermoplastic to thermoset, making it more durable.The cross-linked polyethylene market can be broadly classified on the basis of type into high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), polyolefenic elastomer (POE), and others such as linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE). Based on application, the market may be segmented into wires and cables, automotive, plumbing, and others, including dental, groundskeeping, medical, and sports.This report offers an in-depth analysis of market segments and the competitive landscape. The report also profiles major competitors in the global cross-linked polyethylene market based on various attributes such as company overview, SWOT analysis, product portfolio, financial overview, business strategies, and recent developments.Get Discount @Global Cross-Linked Polyethylene Market: Key TrendsOn the basis of type, high density polyethylene (HDPE) is a prominent segment of the cross-linked polyethylene market. Cross-linked HDPE has high demand due to its thermosetting nature, which offers better mechanical strength and greater stress crack resistance in comparison to traditional HDPE. Besides this, cross-linked HDPE is expansively used in the production of pipes and tubings to transport gases and cold/hot water and its low cost makes it a rapidly growing segment of the cross-linked polyethylene market. Apart from this, cross-linked HDPE delivers resistance to corrosion, abrasion, cracks, and stress because of its high tensile strength due to intensive cross-linking. On the other hand, high insulation properties of low density cross-linked polyethylene make them ideal for use in cables and wires.In terms of application, plumbing currently accounts for a major share in the market for cross-linked polyethylene. It is used in the construction of water transmission systems and sewer systems. The increasing investment in construction activities, plus several water infrastructure ventures being undertaken by emerging economies, is anticipated to drive market growth.The automotive industry is also assisting the growth of the cross-linked polyethylene market. For transmission and power distribution channels, cross-linked polyethylene are being heavily used to manufacture battery cables and automobile parts. The demand is expected to grow further due to the increase in hybrid and electronic cars.However, the risk of plumbing disasters and several safety issues are limiting the growth of the global cross-linked polyethylene market.Global Cross-Linked Polyethylene Market: Regional OverviewOn the basis of geography, the cross-linked polyethylene market can be segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. In terms of value and volume, Asia Pacific is slated to witness impressive growth in the market for cross-linked polyethylene over the course of the forecast period. The key factor driving the growth in this region is the large amount of investments made by companies, particularly in the automotive sector. In addition, strong industrial base in the construction sector and several production facilities are being shifted to emerging economies in the region, hence augmenting its growth.Global Cross-Linked Polyethylene Market: Key Market PlayersSome of the prominent key players in the global cross-linked polyethylene market are AkzoNobel N.V., The Dow Chemical Company, ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Inc., Borealis AG, LyondellBasell Industries, PolyOne Corporation, Arkema Group, 3H Vinacom Co., Ltd, Falcone Specialities AG, and Hanwha Chemicals.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
Global Thermo Hygrometer Market 2017: Honeywell, Dwyer, Omega, Parco, Ambient

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Global Thermo Hygrometer Market 2017-2022QY Market Research include new Thermo Hygrometer market research report "2016-2022 Report on Global Thermo Hygrometer Market Competition, Status and Forecast, Market Size by Players, Regions, Type, Application" to its huge collection of research reports.This report on the global Thermo Hygrometer market is highly helpful because it covers all the aspects which are important in deciding the future of this industry. The Thermo Hygrometer report is collated by full-fledged analysts who have created use of their market intelligence to explain all basic and crucial knowledge regarding the worldwide Thermo Hygrometer industry.Get Free Sample of Report Here:The Thermo Hygrometer market report makes use of tables, charts, graphs, maps, and statistics to present the data in the easiest way to understand. The Thermo Hygrometer market report is a comprehensive analysis of the key factors impacting the global Thermo Hygrometer industry. This Thermo Hygrometer market report includes both the driving factors as well as the restraining factors that are influencing the market's performance positively and negatively, respectively.Top Manufacturers Analysis Of This Research Report,PCE Instruments(Germany)Honeywell Analytics,Inc.(US)Dwyer Instruments(Canada)UEI(US)Omega Engineering(US)Parco Scientific Company(US)Terra Universal,Inc.(US)Reed-Direct(US)Fluke(US)InspectorTools(US)RS Components(UK)iTronics(US)Ambient Weather(US)La Crosse Technology(US)The present trends shaping the worldwide Thermo Hygrometer market and the way it will influence the Thermo Hygrometer market within the future are studied. Additionally to this, the future opportunities within the Thermo Hygrometer market that have the potential to assist the market to expand are given within the Thermo Hygrometer report.Enquire Here:The segments inside the global Thermo Hygrometer industry and their sub-segments also are studied in detail. This ensures that the whole Thermo Hygrometer market is covered. The leading segment along with the declining segment and also the most promising segment has been given during this Thermo Hygrometer report. This helps the newcomers, shareholders, readers, stockholders and leading manufacturers to choose which segment or sub-segment to speculate on therefore on acquire most profits.The Thermo Hygrometer market report discusses the degree of competition, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, and a threat of substitutes, both internal and external substitute of Thermo Hygrometer market. The threat of recent entrants or the barriers experienced by new and prime players in getting into the worldwide Thermo Hygrometer market has been mentioned. This offers new players a plan on whether or not they will exist within the competitive Thermo Hygrometer industry.About Us:Business Worldwide is a trusted brand in the research industry with a capability of commissioning complex projects within a short span of time with high level of accuracy. At Business Worldwide, we believe in building long-term relations with our clients. Our services cover a broad spectrum of industries including Energy, Chemicals and Materials, Automotive, Software and Aerospace.Contact Us:Joel JohnSuite #8138, 3422 SW 15 Street,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803
Automotive Adhesives market 2017-2024 | industry outlook, grow at a CAGR of 8.2%, trends and forecast

Automotive Adhesives market report

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Automotive Adhesives MarketDescription:Reports Monitor Publish a New Market Research Report on  Global Automotive Adhesives Market Analysis, Companies Profiles, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast to 2024.In this region, global automotive adhesives market projected for USD 4.20 billion in 2016 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 8.2% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2024.Based on geography, the global Automotive Adhesives market is segmented into 5 geographical regions, such as,North America, South America, Europe, APAC, MEA,Do you wish to check sample of Automotive Adhesives market report? @Some of the major players in automotive adhesives market include:3M, Bondo Corporation, Arkema Group, Bostik S.A., Ashland Global Holdings Inc., BASF SE, Bemis Associates, Inc., Covestro AG, DuPont, EMS-Chemie Holding AG, H.B. Fuller Company, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Huntsman Corporation, Illinois Tool Works, Inc., Permatex, Inc., Lord Corporation, Nippon Paint Co., Ltd., Nitto Denko Corporation, Royal Adhesives and Sealants, LLC, RPM International Inc., The Dow Chemical Company, Dow Corning Corporation, Three Bond Co., Ltd., Transtar Autobody Technologies, Inc., Wacker-Chemie AGThe automotive adhesives market is segmented on the basis of resin type into polyurethane, epoxy, acrylic, silicone, SMP, polyamide and others.On the basis of vehicle type, the market is segmented into passenger car, buses, heavy trucks, LCV and others.On the basis of application, the market is segmented into body in white (BIW), powertrain, paint shop and assembly.Make an Enquiry of Automotive Adhesives market report@Table of Contents1 Introduction1.1. Overview Of The Global Automotive Adhesives Market1.2. Currency And Pricing1.3. Limitation1.4. Markets Covered2 Market Segmentation2.1. Key Takeaways2.2. Arriving At The Global Automotive Adhesives Size2.2.1 Vendor Positioning Grid2.2.2 Technology Life Line Curve2.2.3 Market Time Line2.2.4 Market Guide2.2.5 Company Positioning Grid2.2.6 Comapany Market Share Analysis2.2.7 Multivariate Modelling2.2.8 Standards Of Measurement2.2.9 Top To Bottom Analysis2.2.10 Vendor Share Analysis2.2.11 Data Points From Key Primary Interviews2.2.12 Data Points From Key Secondary Databases2.3. Global Automotive Adhesives Market: Research Snapshot2.4. Assumptions3 Market Overview3.1. Drivers3.2. Restraints3.3. Opportunities3.4. Challenges4 Executive Summary5 Premium InsightsContinued...Browse Detailed TOC, Tables, Figures, Charts and Companies Mentioned in Embedded Computer Market Research Report @In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Contact usJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:About usReports 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.Address: Office C & D - 4th Floor, Siddhi Towers, Above Rupee Bank, Kondhwa Road, Pune 411048, Maharashtra, India
Global Energy Management Software Market 2017 -

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Global Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software Market 2017 Survival Strategies explore Economic Impact in Global Industries Manufactures, Growth, Size, Share, Trends, Development Challenges and Opportunities till 2022A Research study on " Global Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software Market 2017-2022 " represent the market share and size of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software in international Industry. MRS Research Group added latest market research report by QY Research. Research Report provides an essential information and statistically evaluated data about the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software. The research report provides a detailed study of the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software market, enlightening the major areas such as future market scenario, market growth factors, market growth restraints, and others. The advanced technological trends and various new opportunities are also provided in this research report.Read Detail Information of Reseacrh Report @Report Focuses on Some Important Manufacturers in Global Market Includes :SalesforceSAPOracleMicrosoftReport Covers by Some Importatnt Regions/Countries as Following :United States, EU, Japan, China, India, Southeast AsiaThe research report provides the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software markets classification in detail. The Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software market is bifurcated into a number of segments on the basis of materials,types,applications,and end-users. The geographical analysis of the global Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software market is also coveredin the report. The vital information mentioned in the research report helps in significantly predicting the future scope of the global market.Get Free Sample Copy Of Report @The various segmentation of the global market is based on the overall product profit, costing, global market growth, and manufacturing processes. The report covers a region-wise analysis which provides the customer with different market studies that give a detailed analysis of the product and its impact on the global market. The Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software report also highlights the growth statistics depending on the supply and demand in the different regions.Features of our report:1. The market analysis of the global market share, position, and size from the different regions are done.2. The admired players in the market and their share in the global market are discussed.3. Suggestions and the strategic plans that will help the new market players to maintain the competitive edge are also included.4. Several other major points that are included in the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software Market report are growth factors, limiting factors, challenges that are faced, new upcoming opportunities, the technological advancements, and much more.5. On the basis of the estimations of the global market, the recommendations and the observations are included in the business segments.6. The current trends that are being followed in the market are included along with examples.7. How the technological advancements and the research and development activities are impacting the market are further explained in detail.Read Complete Report with TOC @The Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software report covers the precisely studied and evaluated data of the global market players and their scope in the market using a number of analytical tools. The analytical tools such as investment return analysis, SWOT analysis and feasibility study are used to analyze the key global market players growth in the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software industry.About Us: MRS Research Group provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Prof Research cover more than 30 industries including energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free : +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@mrsresearchgroup.com
Compressor Rental Market - Future Market with Current Trend Analysis upto 2025

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Global Compressor Rental Market: SnapshotOn the back of urbanization and industrialization, the market for compressor rentals has been advancing steadily. In the years ahead too, it is slated to hold on to the pace of growth owing to improvement in their designs and technologies that is making them more efficient. Depending upon their design and function, compressors can be broadly segmented into two  centrifugal compressors and positive displacement compressors.Compressors can also be portable and hence can be used in domestic and industrial activities. This unique perceived benefit is also helping their rental market to grow.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Air compressors rental market, on the flipside, is hobbled by the steep cost of maintenance and contamination they cause of the surrounding air on account of the oil lubrication. They also cause noise pollution and this has been further crimping their uptake. Helping to overcome the challenge, however, is the emergence of oil-free compressors which are seeing swift uptake due to their positive impact on the environment.Currently, the construction sector accounts for maximum demand in the market for compressor rentals on account of their requirement in piling, blasting, spraying, and operating pneumatic tools require. Portable air compressors, particularly, are seeing quick adoption for carrying out the tasks.Caterpillar Inc., United Rentals, Inc., Atlas Copco, Ingersoll Rand, and Aggreko plc. are to name a few prominent players in the global market for compressor rentals. Currently these companies are expending money on research and development to come up with cutting-edge products that would consume less energy and be more effective.Request TOC of the Report @Global Compressor Rental Market: OverviewCompressors are devices that convert mechanical energy into pneumatic energy by using compressed air and gas. As this compressed air or gas is released, a considerable amount of energy is trapped, so as to utilize it for a variety of purposes, such as air transfer, cleaning, and pneumatic device activation. As the rate of urbanization and industrial activities increases, the market for compressor rentals will advance rapidly.The report provides key information about the market trends, opportunities, growth drivers and challenges, along with aspects such as market size, supply and demand ratio, and detailed market segmentation. The leading market players are analyzed in terms of their market shares, product portfolios, and business strategies.Global Compressor Rental Market: Drivers and RestraintsWith the development of designs of compressors, more efficiency has been attained so as to meet the demands of various end-users. Some of the compressors being portable, are extensively used in industrial and domestic activities, benefitting the growth of the global compressor rentals market. Technological advancement in the field of compressors is expected to boost the adoption rate of compressors. One example is that of air compressors. Traditional air compressors are run at full speed, and have to be stopped when they reach the right pressure. Then, the compressed air is stored to allow pressure hysteresis. As this is a wasteful practice, technological upgrades in air compressors have been carried out to control speed, thereby saving energy, and contributing toward market growth. Air compressors facilitate transfer of air in several industries such as chemical plants, oil extraction, food and beverage, automobiles, and transport. This is expected to expand the global market for compressor rentals.Get Discount @On the other hand, factors such as high maintenance costs and the contamination of air caused by oil lubrication are expected to limit growth. Also, oil-free compressors can be noisy, and thus can restrict demand for them.Global Compressor Rental Market: Key SegmentsThe market can be segmented based on end user, technology, types, and geography. On the basis of their design and function, compressors can be divided into centrifugal compressors and positive displacement compressors. In terms of end user, the market for compressor rentals was dominated by the construction segment. The construction segment gained prominence because the execution of construction and building activities such as blasting, piling, spraying, and operating pneumatic tools require portable air compressors.Oil-free air compressors have been growing popular recently as they supply non-contaminated air. The portable air compressors, on account of the convenience they offer, are high in demand in off-site operations. The key end-user segments for air compressors can be industrial, commercial, and residential. Industrial air compressors are similar to commercial air compressors; only they are more powerful and bigger in size and volume. Commercial level air compressors are not very portable when compared to residential ones, but they are certainly more powerful. They can run for a long time without a refill. On the residential level, air compressors are used to spray paint, fill air in balloons, balls, and tires. These functions are generally conducted with electric air compressors, which are ideal for domestic purposes. As the demand for air compressors in all these sectors increases, the compressor rental market is slated to present significant opportunities.Global Compressor Rental Market: Regional OutlookAccording to geography, the key segments can be Asia Pacific, Latin America, North America, Europe, and EMEA. The region of Asia Pacific has been exhibiting substantial growth, thanks to the presence of a number of capital-intensive companies that are inclined towards renting compressors instead of buying them. Large- scale construction projects in the countries of Asia Pacific, such as China, Thailand, and India, will further fuel market growth.Global Compressor Rental Market: Vendor LandscapeSome of the key players operating in the global compressor rental market include Caterpillar Inc., Ingersoll Rand, Atlas Copco, Aggreko plc, and United Rentals, Inc. One key development in the competitive landscape is the launch of new GA VSD+ oil-injected, compact, rotary screw compressors by Atlas Copco in 2013. These air compressors are designed to cut energy consumption to half the amount required by traditional compressors of similar type. The leading companies in the global compressor rental market have been emphasizing on better product offerings through increased investments in R&D activities.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
Window And Door Frame Market worth over $130bn by 2024

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https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/window-and-door-market

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Window and Door Frame Market size is anticipated to surpass USD 130 billion by 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc.A key factor contributing towards the high adoption of window and door frame market is the increasing focus on eco-friendly, recyclable products such as uPVC. The material is lightweight, corrosion-resistant and highly durable as compared to its wooden and aluminum counterparts. In tropical countries, the usage of wooden materials can result in trapping heat inside the commercial and residential building, leading to higher energy consumptions of cooling technologies. Owing to this the government in various economies, such as China, has initiated stringent regulations to minimize the usage of wooden products. The dilapidating and old building structure pose a health and safety risk to the occupants. The buildings can develop fault lines and structural damage over time that can cause large walls and ceilings to collapse. As a result, the existing structure requires renovations at regular intervals of time fueling demand for the window and door frame market.Request for a sample of this research report @Rapid industrialization and global economic growth is fueling the construction of new buildings and facilitating the growth of the window and door frame market. Several government bodies are funding the development of smart residential and commercial structures. Commercial consumers operating in sectors such as retail outlets and healthcare facilities demand such products that have electronic components encased into the material. For instance, automatic doors in retail stores are fitted with sensor technology to monitor human movement. Furthermore, government facilities have automated locking technologies installed in the door and window frame to ensure that intruders do not have access into certain locations. Additionally, automatic doors are increasingly penetrating the residential market as they allow the geriatric and the mobility impaired population ease of access without compromising on security driving window and door frame market.Browse key industry insights spread across 315 pages with 386 market data tables & 16 figures & charts from the report, Window And Door Frame Market Size By Material (uPVC, Wood, Metal), By Application (Residential [New Residential, Improvement & Repair], Commercial [New Commercial, Improvement & Repair]), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Germany, UK, Italy, France, Russia, Belgium, Poland, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, South Africa), Application Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2016  2024 in detail along with the table of contents:The presence of government regulations in various economies for the usage of ecofriendly materials is fueling the demand of the wood window and door frame market. There are several types of wood allowing the customer ample choices. Furthermore, it requires low maintenance and are more resistant to air and wind as compared to their steel counterparts. However, the demand for this material segment is anticipated to gradually decline as they can be affected by termites and moisture and offer much lower protection against break-ins and robberies as opposed to automated doors and windows.The residential window and door frame market is anticipated to exhibit approximately 5% growth in the forecast timespan. This is largely attributed to the development of smart cities and advanced infrastructures in countries such as Singapore and India. Features such as low maintenance and high durability of steel frames, have led to high adoption rates in residential sectors. Increasing rate of remodeling and replacement will also contribute to the growth in residential applications.Rapid industrialization in Asia Pacific is a major factor contributing to high growth of the window and door frame market. There is a high requirement for durable structure that can withstand long-term usage and provide features such as noise absorption. Additionally, the industrial sector in the region is rapidly growing leading to the large-scale construction of offices and factories. For instance, Yamazaki Mazak in China have announced the development of smart factories spanning more than 500,000 Sq. Ft. This will provide opportunities to the players for the supply of high quality equipment.Make an inquiry for purchasing this report @https://www.gminsights.com/inquirybefore-buying/244Players operating in the global window and door frame market include Croft, LLC, Chelsea Building Products, Deceuninck NV, Pella Corporation, Drew Industries Incorporated, Fortune Brands Home & Security, Royal Group Technologies, Soft-Lite LLC, Corialis Group, Masco Corporation, etc. The industry is characterized by a large number of mergers and acquisitions undertaken by the existing players to sustain market growth. For instance, in July 2016, Pella Corporation acquired Reilly Windows & Doors. This acquisition will benefit Pella to enhance its luxury portfolio with integration of Reilly to serve builders and architects better.About Global Market Insights: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 us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone:1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:
Global Service Robotics Market Size, Trends & Forecasts 2017-2021 : Company Coverage - Honda, Alphabet, Samsung, iRobot Corporation

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ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " Global Service Robotics Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2017-2021) " to it's Large Report database.Scope of the ReportThe report entitled Global Service Robotics Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2017-2021), provides analysis of the global service robotics, with detailed analysis of market size and growth, and segmentation of the industry. The analysis includes the market by value, by segments, by application and by region. The report also provides the analysis of the global service robotics market of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and ROW regions.Moreover, the report assesses the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the industry. Growth of the overall global service robotics has also been forecasted for the years 2017-2021, taking into consideration the previous growth patterns, the growth drivers and the current and future trends.iRobot Corporation, Samsung Electronics, Honda and Alphabet Inc. (Google Inc.) are some of the key players operating in the global service robotics market, whose company profiling has been done in the report. In this segment of the report, business overview, financial overview and business strategies of the companies are provided.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:Country CoverageNorth AmericaEuropeAsia PacificROWCompany CoverageiRobot CorporationSamsung ElectronicsHondaAlphabet Inc. (Google Inc.)Browse more details @Table of Content1. Executive Summary2. Introduction2.1 Robot: An Overview2.2 Characteristics of Robot2.3 Industrial Robots: An Overview2.4 Service Robots: An Overview2.4.1 Professional Service Robot2.4.2 Personal Service Robot2.5 Advantages and Disadvantages of Service Robots3. Global Market Analysis3.1 Global Service Robotics Market: An Analysis3.1.1 Global Service Robotics Market by Value3.1.2 Global Service Robotics Market by Segments3.1.3 Global Service Robotics Market by Region3.2 Global Professional Service Robotics Market: An Analysis3.2.1 Global Professional Service Robotics Market by Value3.2.2 Global Professional Service Robotics Market Share by Segments3.2.3 Global Professional Service Robotics Market Value by Segments3.3 Global Personal Service Robotics Market: An Analysis3.3.1 Global Personal Service Robotics Market by Value3.3.2 Global Personal Service Robotics Market Share by Segments3.3.3 Global Personal Service Robotics Market Value by SegmentsAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMoz's service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at:
Digestive Health Products Market Growth, Trends and Value Chain 2017-2022 by TMR

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Digestive health products are becoming an increasingly important part of the healthcare scenario in a number of regions due to the increasing awareness about the importance of digestive healthcare and the contribution provided by digestive health products in maintaining the overall health of an individual. Digestive health products help maintain a healthy level of gastric acids and gut flora to enable comprehensive digestion of various nutrients and a healthy digestive tract. Health of the digestive tract is a vital indicator of the individuals overall wellbeing, due to the considerable impact it has on various other systems functioning in the body. The global digestive health products market is thus likely to grow at a steady 3.9% CAGR over the 2017-2022 forecast period.Download exclusive Sample of this report:According to Transparency Market Research, the global digestive health products market was valued at US$68.8 bn in 2017 and is expected to rise to US$83.5 bn by 2022.Rising Awareness about Digestive Health Drives Demand for Digestive Health ProductsThe growth of a well-informed and affluent consumer demographic in developed regions has been a key driver for the global digestive health products market in recent years. Efforts by healthcare agencies to increase awareness about digestive health have also helped the global digestive health products market, especially in developed countries. Urban areas are likely to remain the key demand centers for the digestive health products market in the coming years due to the higher disposable income of the growing urban middle class, making this a key driver for the global digestive health products market.Browse Market Research Report @North America, Europe to Dominate Global Digestive Health Products MarketThe dominance of developed regions in the global digestive health products market is underlined in the geographical segmentation of the market, with North America dominating the global market figures in 2017 and looking likely to carry the dominance through the 2017-2022 forecast period. The North America market for digestive health products was valued at US$24.5 bn in 2017 and is likely to rise to US$29.4 bn by 2022 at a steady CAGR of 3.7% therein. Europe is also likely to remain a dominant contributor to the global digestive health products market in the coming years despite a slow 3.2% in the 2017-2022 forecast period. The Europe digestive health products market is likely to reach US$20.6 bn by 2022.Asia Pacific except Japan to Exhibit Rapid GrowthIn terms of growth rate, Asia Pacific except Japan (APEJ) is the dominant regional segment of the global digestive health products market. The robust 5% CAGR of the APEJ digestive health products market is expected to carry it to a strong valuation of US$18.1 bn by 2022, making it likely to emerge as a major contributor to the global digestive health products market in the coming years.Japan is also likely to contribute significantly to the global digestive health products market in the coming years, with the regional market expected to create an opportunity valued at more than US$1.5 bn between 2017 and 2022. Awareness about healthcare and especially digestive health is high in Japan and the growing geriatric population in the region is also expected to drive the demand from the digestive health products market in the region in the coming years.Competitive DynamicsLeading companies such as Yakult Honsha Co. Ltd., E. I. DuPont Nemours and Company, Nestle SA, Danone SA, Chr. Hansen Holding, Arla Foods Inc., Mondelez International Inc., Cargill Inc., General Mills, and PepsiCo Inc. are likely to dominate the global digestive health products market in the coming years.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 business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Silicon Wafers Market Worth 503 Million USD by 2022 with 8.5% CAGR

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The global market for Silicon Wafers is majorly driven by factors such growing electronic industry, increasing demand in Asia-pacific among others.Market HighlightsSilicon wafer provides the data processing capabilities and are majorly used in integrated circuits. The Silicon Wafers Market is segmented into 150mm, 200mm, 300mm, and 450mm on the basis of size of the silicon wafers. Presently, 300mm diameter wafers are widely used by the semiconductor industry. It is also expected that over the next couple of years, the market will show some progress towards the 450mm diameter wafers. But major manufacturers present in the market are restraining to invest in the new technology. The main reason behind it is high manufacturing costs of semiconductor processing tools. In spite of the above challenges, major companies in the market are still working on 450mm wafers. Due to high cost of manufacturing process of the 450mm will restrict the small companies to implement this technology. In 2015, the 300mm silicon wafers segment is dominating the market and accounting for about 60-65% of the market revenue due to high demand in the solar industry.Key Players Elkem AS (Norway) Addison Engineering (CA) Renewable Energy Corporation (Norway) Shin-Etsu Handotai Co. Ltd. (Japan) Siltronic AG (Germany) MEMC Electronic Materials Inc.(California) LG Siltron Inc.(South Korea) Advance Semiconductor Inc.(U.S.) SUMCO Corp.(Japan)Request a Sample Report @Moreover, the growing demand for the solar energy will contribute to the growth of the solar panel and solar cells which in turn will boost up the silicon wafer market as the silicon wafers are widely used in the manufacturing of the solar cells.Countries such as China, U.S and Japan are some of the major leading countries in this market. China is said to have the one of the largest market for the electronics. Semiconductor makers of the china are still behind the international rivals. To support the market, china government is making the effort to promote its domestic technology market by funding to support the industry players. There are also some companies such as Lenovo and Huawei technologies are the largest manufacturer and supplier of the technology.The global Silicon Wafers market is expected to grow at CAGR of 8.5% and estimated to reach at market size of US ~$503 million by the end of forecast period.Intended Audience Silicon wafers developers Integrated chip developers Government Agencies Research Institutes & UniversitiesMarket Research Future Analysis:The Global Silicon Wafers market is estimated to grow at a promising rate in upcoming years. EMEA is the leading region among North America, and Asia-Pacific region. Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing region which is estimated to show high growth during forecast period. Increasing demand of advanced technological gadgets such as computers, laptops, and smartphones is the major growth drivers for silicon wafers market in Asia-Pacific region. European region will show the steady growth in the silicon wafers market as the automotive, electronic market which make use of the silicon wafers are already established in the region.Browse Report @List of FiguresFigure 1 Research TypeFigure 2 Global Silicon Wafers Market: By Size (%)Figure 3 Global Silicon Wafers Market: By Type (%)Figure 4 Global Silicon Wafers Market: By Application (%)Figure 5 Global Silicon Wafers Market: By RegionFigure 6 North America Silicon Wafers Market, By Size (%)Figure 7 North America Silicon Wafers Market, By Type (%)Figure 8 North America Silicon Wafers Market, By Application (%)Figure 9 North America Silicon Wafers Market, By Countries (%)Figure 10 Europe Silicon Wafers Market, By Size (%)Figure 11 Europe Silicon Wafers Market, By Type (%)Figure 12 Europe Silicon Wafers Market, By Application (%)Figure 13 Europe Silicon Wafers Market, By Countries (%)Figure 14 Asia-Pacific Silicon Wafers Market, By Size (%)Figure 15 Asia-Pacific Silicon Wafers Market, By Type (%)Figure 16 Asia-Pacific Silicon Wafers Market, By Application (%)Figure 17 Asia-Pacific Silicon Wafers Market, By Countries (%)Figure 18 Row Silicon Wafers Market, By Size (%)Figure 19 Row Silicon Wafers Market, By Type (%)Figure 20 Row Silicon Wafers Market, By Application (%)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.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Dysphagia Supplements Market: Market Estimation, Dynamics, Regional Share, Trends, Competitor Analysis 2012-2016 and Forecast 2017-2023

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https://www.precisionbusinessinsights.com/market-reports/global-dysphagia-supplements-market/

Dysphagia referred as symptoms of difficulty & pain in swallowing. Furthermore in some of the cases swallowing may be impossible. Difficulty in swallowing may occur in fast eating and food is not chewed properly. But persistent dysphagia is a serious condition which needs treatment. Dysphagia occurs at any age but more common in older adults. Other symptoms may include drooling, regurgitations, frequent heartburn and others. There are two types of dysphagia, esophageal and oropharyngeal and many of the causes such as radiation therapy, scleroderma, neuronal disorders and esophageal tumors and other many causes lead to dysphagia.Increase in prevalence of the aging population and esophageal cancer cases who are susceptible to dysphagia is expected to drive the dysphagia supplements market over the forecast period. In addition, dysphagia is one of the major side effects seen in chain smokers. World Health Organization estimates that there are nearly 6 million people lose their lives due to tobacco every year. Furthermore increase in neurological strokes expected to further push the market growth. However, lack of standard tests for dysphagia and lack of awareness are expected to hamper the market growth during the forecast period.A sample of this report is available upon request @The dysphagia supplements market is classified on the basis of product type, distribution channelBased on product type, global dysphagia market is segmented as Powder thickener Instant food Ready to drink thickened beverages Oral nutritional supplementsBased on distribution channel, global dysphagia supplements market is segmented as Hospitals Retail Pharmacies OthersTo view TOC of this report is available upon request @Dysphagia Supplements market is expected to grow at significant rates owing to the factors such as esophageal cancer and growing aging population. According to World Health Organization (WHO), in 2010, estimated 524 million people are aged over 65 and it is expected to triple its number 1.5 billion in 2050. The marketplace has many strong players and scattered globally. Companies are collaborating the hospitals and nursing homes in dysphagia supplements market. Furthermore new product development and mergers and acquisitions key strategies adopted by the companies in the regions for expanding their global presence. For instance, in 2016, Alicia Foundation collaborated with Nutricia for suppling Catalonian hospitals with Nutilis thickening product from the company.Need more information about this report @Geographically Dysphagia Supplements Market is segmented as Latin America, Europe, Asia- Pacific, North America, and The Middle East & Africa. Europe is expected to grow at significant rates owing to rise in aging population, well-developed infrastructure and increase in tobacco usage. North America market is expected to grow at notable rates owing to factors such as widespread of awareness, aging population, and presence of many players in the region. Asia Pacific expected to grow at fastest rates owing to developing infrastructure, increase in healthcare expenditure and growing awareness.Some of the players in dysphagia supplements market are Kent Precision Foods Group, Inc. (Kent Corporation) (U.S.), Abbott Laboratories (U.S.), Nestle Health Science France. (Nestle S.A) (Switzerland), Danone S.A. (France), Nutri Co., Ltd.( Mitsui Sugar ) (Japan), Kissei Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Japan), Saraya Co., Ltd. (Japan) Kewpie Corporation (Japan) and Healthy Food Co., Ltd. (Japan) to name a few.Get access to full summary @"About Precision Business InsightsPrecision Business Insights is one of the leading market research and business consulting firm, which follow a holistic approach to solve needs of the clients. We adopt and implement proven research methodologies to achieve better results. We help our clients by providing actionable insights and strategies to make better decisions. We provide consulting, syndicated and customised market research services based on our client needs.""Precision Business Insights,Kemp House,152  160 City Road,London EC1V 2NXEmail: sales@precisionbusinessinsights.comToll Free(US): +1-866-598-1553
Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing Market share and growth rate Report 2017

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"The Report Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing Market Report 2017 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"In this report, the Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing 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 split Asia-Pacific into several key Regions, with sales (K Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Engine Bearing for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), includingChinaJapanSouth KoreaTaiwanIndiaSoutheast AsiaAustraliaView Report @Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Engine Bearing sales volume, price, revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingSKFSchaefflerNTNNSKIljinJtektWanxiangNachi-FujikoshiGKNHubei New TorchTimkenGMB CorporationHarbin BearingFKG BearingCU GroupWafangdian BearingGet Sample Copy Of This Report @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 intoBall Roller BearingTapered Roller BearingOn 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 Engine Bearing for each application, includinGasoline EngineDiesel EngineSend An Enquiry Request @Table of ContentsAsia-Pacific Engine Bearing Market Report 20171 Engine Bearing Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Engine Bearing1.2 Classification of Engine Bearing by Product Category1.2.1 Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Types (2012-2022)1.2.2 Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Ball Roller Bearing1.2.4 Tapered Roller Bearing1.3 Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Applications (2012-2022)1.3.2 Gasoline Engine1.3.3 Diesel Engine1.4 Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing Market by Region1.4.1 Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 South Korea Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Taiwan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.8 Australia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Asia-Pacific Market Size (Value and Volume) of Engine Bearing (2012-2022)1.5.1 Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.5.2 Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)2 Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing Competition by Players/Suppliers, Region, Type and Application2.1 Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1.1 Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing Sales Volume and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.2 Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing Sales and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.2.2 Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.3 Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing (Volume) by Application2.4 Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing (Volume and Value) by Region2.4.1 Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing Sales and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)2.4.2 Asia-Pacific Engine Bearing Revenue and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3 China Engine Bearing (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 China Engine Bearing Sales and Value (2012-2017)3.1.1 China Engine Bearing Sales Volume and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.2 China Engine Bearing Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.3 China Engine Bearing Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)3.2 China Engine Bearing Sales Volume and Market Share by Type3.3 China Engine Bearing Sales Volume and Market Share by Application4 Japan Engine Bearing (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4.1 Japan Engine Bearing Sales and Value (2012-2017)4.1.1 Japan Engine Bearing Sales Volume and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.2 Japan Engine Bearing Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.3 Japan Engine Bearing Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)4.2 Japan Engine Bearing Sales Volume and Market Share by Type4.3 Japan Engine Bearing Sales Volume and Market Share by Application5 South Korea Engine Bearing (Volume, Value and Sales Price)5.1 South Korea Engine Bearing Sales and Value (2012-2017)5.1.1 South Korea Engine Bearing Sales Volume and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.2 South Korea Engine Bearing Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.3 South Korea Engine Bearing Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)5.2 South Korea Engine Bearing Sales Volume and Market Share by Type5.3 South Korea Engine Bearing Sales Volume and Market Share by Application6 Taiwan Engine Bearing (Volume, Value and Sales Price)6.1 Taiwan Engine Bearing Sales and Value (2012-2017)6.1.1 Taiwan Engine Bearing Sales Volume and Growth Rate (2012-2017)6.1.2 Taiwan Engine Bearing Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)6.1.3 Taiwan Engine Bearing Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Mr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Global Mercury Vapourmeter Market 2017: Leeman, Tekran, Vera Tecco, Arizona, NIC, AZI

Mercury Vapourmeter Market 2017

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Global Mercury Vapourmeter Market 2017-2022QY Market Research include new Mercury Vapourmeter market research report "2016-2022 Report on Global Mercury Vapourmeter Market Competition, Status and Forecast, Market Size by Players, Regions, Type, Application" to its huge collection of research reports.This report on the global Mercury Vapourmeter market is highly helpful because it covers all the aspects which are important in deciding the future of this industry. The Mercury Vapourmeter report is collated by full-fledged analysts who have created use of their market intelligence to explain all basic and crucial knowledge regarding the worldwide Mercury Vapourmeter industry.Get Free Sample of Report Here:The Mercury Vapourmeter market report makes use of tables, charts, graphs, maps, and statistics to present the data in the easiest way to understand. The Mercury Vapourmeter market report is a comprehensive analysis of the key factors impacting the global Mercury Vapourmeter industry. This Mercury Vapourmeter market report includes both the driving factors as well as the restraining factors that are influencing the market's performance positively and negatively, respectively.Top Manufacturers Analysis Of This Research Report,LUMEX InstrumentsLeemanNICTekranAZIVera TeccoIon ScienceOhio LumexArizona Instrument LLCThe present trends shaping the worldwide Mercury Vapourmeter market and the way it will influence the Mercury Vapourmeter market within the future are studied. Additionally to this, the future opportunities within the Mercury Vapourmeter market that have the potential to assist the market to expand are given within the Mercury Vapourmeter report.Enquire Here:The segments inside the global Mercury Vapourmeter industry and their sub-segments also are studied in detail. This ensures that the whole Mercury Vapourmeter market is covered. The leading segment along with the declining segment and also the most promising segment has been given during this Mercury Vapourmeter report. This helps the newcomers, shareholders, readers, stockholders and leading manufacturers to choose which segment or sub-segment to speculate on therefore on acquire most profits.The Mercury Vapourmeter market report discusses the degree of competition, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, and a threat of substitutes, both internal and external substitute of Mercury Vapourmeter market. The threat of recent entrants or the barriers experienced by new and prime players in getting into the worldwide Mercury Vapourmeter market has been mentioned. This offers new players a plan on whether or not they will exist within the competitive Mercury Vapourmeter industry.About Us:Business Worldwide is a trusted brand in the research industry with a capability of commissioning complex projects within a short span of time with high level of accuracy. At Business Worldwide, we believe in building long-term relations with our clients. Our services cover a broad spectrum of industries including Energy, Chemicals and Materials, Automotive, Software and Aerospace.Contact Us:Joel JohnSuite #8138, 3422 SW 15 Street,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803
Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils Market Report 2017

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In this report, the Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils 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 split Asia-Pacific into several key Regions, with sales (K Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Evaporator Coils for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), includingChinaJapanSouth KoreaTaiwanIndiaSoutheast AsiaAustraliaView Report @Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Evaporator Coils sales volume, price, revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingCarrierYORKLennoxBryantBlack DiamondPayneRUUDTraneGet Sample Copy Of This Report @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 intoCased ACased NSlabUncased AOtherOn 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 Evaporator Coils for each application, includinAir ConditionerHeat PumpIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of ContentsAsia-Pacific Evaporator Coils Market Report 20171 Evaporator Coils Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Evaporator Coils1.2 Classification of Evaporator Coils by Product Category1.2.1 Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils Market Size (Sales) Comparison by Types (2012-2022)1.2.2 Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils Market Size (Sales) Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Cased A1.2.4 Cased N1.2.5 Slab1.2.6 Uncased A1.2.7 Other1.3 Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils Market by Application/End Users1.3.1 Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils Sales (Volume) and Market Share Comparison by Applications (2012-2022)1.3.2 Air Conditioner1.3.3 Heat Pump1.4 Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils Market by Region1.4.1 Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils Market Size (Value) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 South Korea Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Taiwan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.8 Australia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Asia-Pacific Market Size (Value and Volume) of Evaporator Coils (2012-2022)1.5.1 Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.5.2 Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)2 Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils Competition by Players/Suppliers, Region, Type and Application2.1 Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1.1 Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils Sales Volume and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.2 Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils (Volume and Value) by Type2.2.1 Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils Sales and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.2.2 Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)2.3 Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils (Volume) by Application2.4 Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils (Volume and Value) by Region2.4.1 Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils Sales and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)2.4.2 Asia-Pacific Evaporator Coils Revenue and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3 China Evaporator Coils (Volume, Value and Sales Price)3.1 China Evaporator Coils Sales and Value (2012-2017)3.1.1 China Evaporator Coils Sales Volume and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.2 China Evaporator Coils Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)3.1.3 China Evaporator Coils Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)3.2 China Evaporator Coils Sales Volume and Market Share by Type3.3 China Evaporator Coils Sales Volume and Market Share by Application4 Japan Evaporator Coils (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4.1 Japan Evaporator Coils Sales and Value (2012-2017)4.1.1 Japan Evaporator Coils Sales Volume and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.2 Japan Evaporator Coils Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)4.1.3 Japan Evaporator Coils Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)4.2 Japan Evaporator Coils Sales Volume and Market Share by Type4.3 Japan Evaporator Coils Sales Volume and Market Share by Application5 South Korea Evaporator Coils (Volume, Value and Sales Price)5.1 South Korea Evaporator Coils Sales and Value (2012-2017)5.1.1 South Korea Evaporator Coils Sales Volume and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.2 South Korea Evaporator Coils Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.3 South Korea Evaporator Coils Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)5.2 South Korea Evaporator Coils Sales Volume and Market Share by Type5.3 South Korea Evaporator Coils Sales Volume and Market Share by ApplicationAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of 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Hybrid Power Systems Market Is Expected To Develop At A CAGR Of 6.1% Between 2016 And 2024, With Its Valuation Increasing To US$703.55 mn

Hybrid Power Systems Market

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Hybrid Power Systems Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024" to its huge collection of research reports.The research study is designed to analyze the global hybrid power systems market. The market is calculated in terms of revenue (US$ Mn) based on the annual sales of hybrid power systems. The market for hybrid power systems has been segmented on the basis of type, end-use, and country/region. The global hybrid power systems market, based on type, has been segmented into wind-solar-diesel-hybrid, PV-diesel-hybrid, and others. On the basis of end-use, the hybrid power systems market has been segmented into residential, rural facility electrification, and others.The regional segments included in this study are North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (MEA), and South and Central America (SCA). These regional segments are further divided into country-wise segments. The report provides a detailed growth forecast for the 20162024 period, considering 2015 as the baseline year. Projections have been provided for revenue (US$ Mn) through the annual sales of hybrid power systems.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The report includes the key market dynamics affecting the demand for hybrid power systems. As a part of our market dynamics analysis, we have analyzed the market drivers, market restraints, and market opportunities. A comprehensive competitive landscape, which includes company market share analysis and market attractiveness analysis, has also been provided in this report. The report also provides a detailed industry analysis of the global hybrid power systems market with the help of Porters Five Forces model. The Porters Five Forces analysis aids in understanding the five major forces that affect the industry structure and profitability of the global hybrid power systems market. The forces analyzed are the bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes, and degree of competition.The study also includes the value chain of the global hybrid power systems market which provides a glimpse of key suppliers, manufacturers, and distribution channel as well as interaction of suppliers and buyers with end-users. The company market share analysis has been done considering the revenue and global penetration of key market players in the hybrid power systems industry. The market attractiveness involves benchmarking and ranking each technology and region on the basis of numerous parameters. The parameters selected are likely to have a pronounced effect on the demand for each technology in the current scenario as well as in the near future.Key participants in the global hybrid power systems market include Bergey WindPower Co., BORG Inc., Guangzhou HY Energy Technology Limited Corp., Kestrel Renewable Energy, KYOCERA Corporation, Panasonic Corporation, Schneider Electric SE, Sharp Electronics, Siemens AG, and Suzlon Group. This report provides an overview of these companies, followed by their financial revenues, business strategies, technical information, and recent developments.Global Hybrid Power Systems Market: Type Analysis- Wind-Solar-Diesel-Hybrid- PV-Diesel-Hybrid- OthersGlobal Hybrid Power Systems Market: End-Use Analysis- Residential- Rural Facility Electrification- OthersGlobal Hybrid Power Systems Market: Regional Segment Analysis- North America- U.S.- Canada- Mexico- Europe- Turkey- Kazakhstan- Russia- Rest of Europe- Asia Pacific- China- Japan- Australia- Indonesia- Rest of Asia Pacific- Middle East and Africa (MEA)- South Africa- Tanzania- Egypt- UAE- Rest of MEA- South and Central America (SCA)- Brazil- Chile- Rest of SCABrowse Detail Report With TOC @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Titanium Diboride Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024

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"The Report Titanium Diboride Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"About Titanium Diboride MarketTitanium diboride is a part of metallic hard materials group. It is widely known for its extreme hardness and its composition. It is composed of boron and titanium that are known for its resistance to mechanical erosion. It is also known to be a reasonable electrical conductor and therefore has application as a cathode material in aluminum smelting. It can also be shaped by electrical discharge machining. Titanium diboride is not readily available in nature but is synthesized by reduction reaction i.e. carbothermal reduction process. The chemical formula for titanium diboride is TiB2. Titanium diboride is a hexagonal crystal structure which has melting point of 2900 degree celcius. It has specific gravity of 4510 km/m3 and hardness of 9.5 (Mohs scale). The molecular weight of titanium diboride is known to be 69.54 g/mol.Get Sample copy of this Report @Titanium diboride has application in the areas including cutting tools, crucibles, armor, wear resistant coatings and neutron absorbers among others. The major application of titanium diboride is as evaporation boats for vapor coating of aluminium. Aluminium industry is the major consumer of titanium diboride. It is used as a raw material which is used in refining the grain size while casting aluminium alloys. Titanium diboride also acts as a corrosion resistor. Thin films of titanium diboride are used to provide corrosion and wear resistance to a tough or a cheap substrate. It is used as a component in special ceramic composites, as a component for refractories, electrode material in electrolysis cells in aluminium, etc.Increasing demand from the aluminium industry for various applications is the major factor driving the global titanium diboride market. Growing demand from the other end-user industries is also expected to boost demand for global titanium diboride market as wear resistance has become more critical concern. As demand for light weight and long lasting components is increasing, the demand for titanium diboride is also anticipated to grow in the near future. Aerospace industry is also responsible in contributing to the growth of global titanium diboride market.Rising health concerns related to titanium diboride are expected to hamper the growth of global titanium diboride market. Inhalation of titanium diboride may cause irritation to the mucous membrane and even may lead to boron poisoning. On ingestion it may lead to irritation in the gastrointestinal tract. It is also reported to affect the central nervous system. On exposure to skin it can cause dermatitis. These factors are expected to hamper the growth of titanium diboride in the market.View Report @North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW) are the major segments for global titanium diboride market. Asia Pacific is expected to consume large volume of titanium diboride owing to the growing demand from the aluminium industry in the region. North America and Europe are also expected to boost demand for titanium diboride due to the rising demand from the end-user and automobile industries in the regions.The key players profiled for global titanium diboride market include: ESK Ceramics GmbH & Co. KG, HardCoating Technologies Limited, 3M, CiDRA Precision Services, LLC, Treibacher Industrie Inc., H.C. Starck GmbH, ESPI Metals, GE Advanced Ceramics, Momentive Performance Materials Inc. (MPM), ADVANCED CERAMICS MANUFACTURING, Kurt J. Lesker Company, Ceradyne, Inc., MemPro Materials, VanadiumCorp Resource Inc, JAI Engineering Ltd, PLANSEE SE, Kennametal Sintec USA, Aremco and Kailash Marketing Associates among others.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth insights, understanding market evolution by tracking historical developments, and analyzing the present scenario and future projections based on optimistic and likely scenarios. Each research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology developments, types, applications, and the competitive landscape.The study is a source of reliable data on:Key market segments and sub-segmentsEvolving market trends and dynamicsChanging supply and demand scenariosQuantifying market opportunities through market sizing and market forecastingTracking current trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive insightsOpportunity mapping in terms of technological breakthroughsSend An Enquiry Request @The regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)TMR estimates the market size of various sectors using a combination of available data on the number and revenue of companies within each sub-sector and tiers of companies. The basic components used to determine market size and forecast for a specific product area are not only limited to supply-side data, but are also related to demand, industry trends, and the economic outlook. All the above data points are utilized to generate a statistical model targeting the sector marketplace. More than 300 TMR analysts across the world integrate these elements into a framework to determine the subsector market size for a base year and then forecast growth within each market.TMR regularly interviews technology and business professionals as an ongoing effort to track the latest developments within each sector. These continuous surveys are stratified by company size and industry segment and weighted to reflect the global market place. All data are collected on an ongoing effort through a structured questionnaire rolled over the web or conducted via telephones. This provides the TMR team opportunities to request for detailed question sets, complex skip patterns, and real-time calculations, which assists respondents in answering questions involving numbers and percentages. Respondents, who are interviewed as experts, are screened and qualified based on certain criteria in addition to their decision-making authority and the scope of activity within their organizations.Note: Although care has been taken to maintain the highest levels of accuracy in TMRs reports, recent market/vendor-specific changes may take time to reflect in the analysis.Buy Now @About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Server Software Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024

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"The Report Server Software Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"About Server Software MarketServers are classified into various types such as application servers, web servers, database servers, cloud computing servers and file servers. Application servers are designed to install, operate and host applications for the end users. Web server is a system that uses network protocols such as hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) to deliver the HTML files requested by the end user through its Internet browser. Database server is the backend system of the database application which is used to perform functions such as data analysis, data manipulation, storage and archiving. Cloud computing servers are remotely accessed servers, built, hosted and delivered through a cloud platform over the Internet. File server is a computer or device that handles the request for files and transfers the files as requested by the end user. Server software is specifically designed for operating, managing and increasing server computing power. Server software is built to interact with servers hardware, which includes processor, memory devices, input/output devices and other communication ports. Server software is installed on the server and could be accessed by multiple users on the network.Get Sample copy of this Report @The deployment of server in the organization enables the centralization of data and installed applications. This factor would significantly help in the growth of server software market. Extensive usage of computers, laptops and smartphones is the major factor driving the growth of server software market. Rising Internet penetration in emerging economies such as India and Brazil has created huge demand of web servers which supports the growth of web server software market. Growing demand from developers to create applications for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets supports the growth of server software market. Growth of cloud based applications and development in Internet of Things (IoT) applications are likely to create immense opportunities for server software market. However, integration and compatibility issues with processors/storage devices servers pose a challenge to server software market.Server software market is broadly segmented on the basis of server type, deployment and geography. On the basis of type, the server software market is segmented into application server software, web server software, database server software, cloud computing server software and file server software. On the basis of deployment, the server software market is segmented into on-premise and cloud deployment. Moreover, in terms of geographies, the global server software market is segmented into North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; Middle East and Africa; and Latin America. North America is one of the leading regions in terms of adoption of server software due to huge adoption of cloud services in the region. Server software market in Asia Pacific is anticipated to grow significantly during the coming years due to high rate of growth in Internet penetration and digitalization in the region.View Report @The major participants of the server software market include Microsoft Corporation, Dell Corporation, International Business Machine (IBM) Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Red Hat Inc., SAP SE, Apache Software Foundation, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LLC, CodeLathe LLC, and Aprelium.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth insights, understanding market evolution by tracking historical developments, and analyzing the present scenario and future projections based on optimistic and likely scenarios. Each research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology developments, types, applications, and the competitive landscape.The study is a source of reliable data on:Key market segments and sub-segmentsEvolving market trends and dynamicsChanging supply and demand scenariosQuantifying market opportunities through market sizing and market forecastingTracking current trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive insightsOpportunity mapping in terms of technological breakthroughsThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)TMR estimates the market size of various sectors using a combination of available data on the number and revenue of companies within each sub-sector and tiers of companies. The basic components used to determine market size and forecast for a specific product area are not only limited to supply-side data, but are also related to demand, industry trends, and the economic outlook. All the above data points are utilized to generate a statistical model targeting the sector marketplace. More than 300 TMR analysts across the world integrate these elements into a framework to determine the subsector market size for a base year and then forecast growth within each market.Send An Enquiry Request @TMR regularly interviews technology and business professionals as an ongoing effort to track the latest developments within each sector. These continuous surveys are stratified by company size and industry segment and weighted to reflect the global market place. All data are collected on an ongoing effort through a structured questionnaire rolled over the web or conducted via telephones. This provides the TMR team opportunities to request for detailed question sets, complex skip patterns, and real-time calculations, which assists respondents in answering questions involving numbers and percentages. Respondents, who are interviewed as experts, are screened and qualified based on certain criteria in addition to their decision-making authority and the scope of activity within their organizations.Note: Although care has been taken to maintain the highest levels of accuracy in TMRs reports, recent market/vendor-specific changes may take time to reflect in the analysis.Buy Now @About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Hand Hygiene Agents Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024

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"The Report Hand Hygiene Agents Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"About Hand Hygiene Agents MarketHand hygiene means to keep ones hands clean by washing hands (with soap and water), or disinfecting them with an antiseptic agent, using antiseptic handwash, antiseptic hand rub or surgical hand antisepsis to remove dirt, soil, and microorganism. Antiseptics has been recognized for more than 150 years as the single cost-effective and most prominent means of preventing hospital-acquired infection, as well as for reducing the spread of potential and deadly germs and hence risk of infections from the germs in the society which may lead to hospitalization. It is admissible in all expanse such as workplace, home, and schools. However, the importance of hand hygiene is very high in hospitals or other healthcare related setups.Get Sample copy of this Report @The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World health organization (WHO) and other leading healthcare organizations has given the specific guidelines and indications for hand hygiene in healthcare. The CDC has estimated that hand hygiene reduces the number around 31% of people getting sick with diarrhea, 58% with weakened immune systems and 16-18% of respiratory illness like cold in the general population. Increase widespread of hand hygiene products will prevent infections and promote the patient's safety. There are different types of hand hygiene methods which include routine hand wash, antiseptic hand wash, antiseptic hand rub and surgical antisepsis. Preventing sickness by maintaining hand hygiene will reduce the antibiotics overuse and can also prevent people from getting sick with the germs which are resistant to antibiotics which can be difficult to treat.The healthcare-acquired infections (HCAI) prevention and control need is driving the hand hygiene market. While the outbreaks of several infectious diseases like a spread of diarrheal and respiratory illness in many countries offering positive growth for the market. Government initiatives are also contributing to the growth of this market by launching various awareness campaigns and programs such as SAR Hand Hygiene Campaign and SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands annual global campaign by WHO, which was focused on patient safety and reducing health care-associated infection.View Report @The Hand Hygiene Agent Market has been segmented on the basis of types of antiseptic agents used for washing hands in different expanses from household to heathcare sector and based on geographical regions. By types of antiseptic agents, the market has been divided into alcohols, chlorhexidine gluconate, iodine and iodophors, and quaternary ammonium compounds. An alcohol-based hand rub must contain at least 60% -95% alcohol for use in a healthcare settings for optimum results. The concentration of chlorhexidine in antiseptic hand wash should be at least 4%, while the maximum number of iodophor preparations in hand hygiene contain 7.5%10% povidone-iodine. The quaternary ammonium compounds have a slow speed of action and used only in combination with alcohols. Due to the efficiency and the ease of using the alcohol-based hand rubs it is expected to become most popular. The alcohol based antiseptics contributing for the major share in this market, followed by Chlorhexidine and iodine based antiseptics. The rate of healthcare-associated infections was lowered when adherence to recommended hand hygiene practices were improved and antiseptic hand washing was implemented.On the basis of geographies, the market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Because of the high awareness towards hygiene, standard guideline, and proper training to the healthcare professional and general public, North America contributes for the highest share in this market. The Adoption of hand hygiene compliance monitoring (HHCM) devices in hospitals place Europe at the second position. Followed by Asia- Pacific and Rest of the world.The key players operating in the hand hygiene agents market are EcoHydra Technologies Ltd, GOJO Industries, Inc., Kutol Products Company, Inc., Deb Group, 3M Co., STERIS Corporation, Win-Medicare etc., are among other significant players worldwide. On the other hand, Kimberly-Clark Meritech are major companies in hygiene monitoring systems.Send An Enquiry Request @The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth insights, understanding market evolution by tracking historical developments, and analyzing the present scenario and future projections based on optimistic and likely scenarios. Each research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology developments, types, applications, and the competitive landscape.The study is a source of reliable data on:Key market segments and sub-segmentsEvolving market trends and dynamicsChanging supply and demand scenariosQuantifying market opportunities through market sizing and market forecastingTracking current trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive insightsOpportunity mapping in terms of technological breakthroughsThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)TMR estimates the market size of various sectors using a combination of available data on the number and revenue of companies within each sub-sector and tiers of companies. The basic components used to determine market size and forecast for a specific product area are not only limited to supply-side data, but are also related to demand, industry trends, and the economic outlook. All the above data points are utilized to generate a statistical model targeting the sector marketplace. More than 300 TMR analysts across the world integrate these elements into a framework to determine the subsector market size for a base year and then forecast growth within each market.TMR regularly interviews technology and business professionals as an ongoing effort to track the latest developments within each sector. These continuous surveys are stratified by company size and industry segment and weighted to reflect the global market place. All data are collected on an ongoing effort through a structured questionnaire rolled over the web or conducted via telephones. This provides the TMR team opportunities to request for detailed question sets, complex skip patterns, and real-time calculations, which assists respondents in answering questions involving numbers and percentages. Respondents, who are interviewed as experts, are screened and qualified based on certain criteria in addition to their decision-making authority and the scope of activity within their organizations.Note: Although care has been taken to maintain the highest levels of accuracy in TMRs reports, recent market/vendor-specific changes may take time to reflect in the analysis.Buy Now @About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
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Assisted Reproduction Technology Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024

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"The Report Assisted Reproduction Technology Devices Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"About Assisted Reproduction Technology MarketAssisted reproduction technology (ART) devices have been designed and developed to solve issues pertaining to fertility. Ever since the initial introduction of IVF (in-vitro fertilization) in 1978, technique to resolve pregnancy related issues have come a long way. The advent of assisted reproductive technology offer solutions such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF), gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT), intrauterine insemination (IUI), and surrogacy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that 208,604 ART cycles were conducted at 458 clinics in the U.S., of which 57,323 were live births and 70,354 were live born infants in 2014. Though the usage of ART is not significant, its demand has still soared in the recent past.Get Sample copy of this Report @The research report by Transparency Market Research provides a comprehensive outlook of the global assisted reproduction technology devices market. The publication is aimed at providing a detailed analysis of the segments in the market, the competitive landscape, financial outlook of the companies operating in the market, and the supply chain analysis.Global Assisted Reproduction Technology Devices Market: Drivers and TrendsThe global assisted reproduction technology devices market is expected to witness a significant boost in the coming years due to the growing support by governments for research and development. The rise in funding for developing efficient and safe assisted reproduction technology devices is expected to make a positive impact on the global market.The high prevalence of male and female infertility due to poor lifestyle choices, deferred pregnancies, and health conditions have collectively boosted the demand for assisted reproduction technology devices. Infertility in males is observed due to poor sperm count, blocked sperm ducts, and poor sperm movement. On the other hand, female infertility is usually a result of dysfunctional fallopian tubes along with issues related to cervix or uterus.View Report @The growth of medical tourism and the possibility of surrogacy in emerging economies has been crucial to the growth of this market in recent years. The high cost of using these technologies and devices in developed countries has dissuaded several patients and made them migrate to developing countries, where seeking medical treatment is relatively cheaper.Global Assisted Reproduction Technology Devices Market: Regional OutlookThe global assisted reproduction technology devices market is segmented into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. Of these, North America is expected to lead the global market in the coming years. The high rate of awareness amongst people about assisted reproduction technology devices market is expected to drive the regional market. Furthermore, incredible governmental support to the overall market in North America for in-vitro fertilization and high infertility rates are projected to boost the markets growth.Send An Enquiry Request @Europe also expected to steady growth in the overall assisted reproduction technology devices market in the coming years. The rising rate of medical tourism and acceptance of IVF are expected to propel the regional market in the coming years. Asia Pacific is also projected to emerge as a significant market for the assisted reproduction technology devices due to the emergence of medical tourism industry. The rising disposable incomes, late pregnancies, and rising women employment are expected to fuel the growth of this regional market in the near future.Key Players Mentioned in this Report are:Some of the key players operating in the global assisted reproduction technology devices market are Microm UK Limited, Irvine Scientific, Parallabs, Cryolab Ltd., European Sperm Bank Cosmos Biomedical Limited, and Origio.Global Assisted Reproduction Technology Devices Market by Geography:EuropeNorth AmericaAsia-PacificRest of the WorldThis report gives you access to decisive data such as:Market growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for the coming yearsKey highlights of this reportOverview of key market forces propelling and restraining market growthUp-to-date analyses of market trends and technological improvementsPin-point analyses of market competition dynamics to offer you a competitive edgeAn analysis of strategies of major competitorsAn array of graphics and SWOT analysis of major industry segmentsDetailed analyses of industry trendsA well-defined technological growth map with an impact-analysisOffers a clear understanding of the competitive landscape and key product segmentsNote : All statements of fact, opinion, or analysis expressed in reports are those of the respective analysts. They do not necessarily reflect formal positions or views of Transparency Market Research.Buy Now @About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Global Industrial Robot Market - Kawasaki, ABB, Panasonic, FANUC, Yaskawa, KUKA, OTC, Comau

Industrial Robot Market

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Global Industrial Robot market Report offers decisive insights into the overall Industrial Robot industry along with the market dimensions and evaluation for the duration 2017 to 2022. The forenamed research study covers extensive analysis of various Industrial Robot industry segments based on the type of applications, type of product Components and services, and different geographical regions.This report provides detailed analysis of worldwide markets for Industrial Robot from 2011-2016, and provides extensive market forecasts (2016-2021) by region/country and subsectors. It covers the key technological and market trends in the Industrial Robot market and further lays out an analysis of the factors influencing the supply/demand for Industrial Robot, and the opportunities/challenges faced by industry participants. It also acts as an essential tool to companies active across the value chain and to the new entrants by enabling them to capitalize the opportunities and develop business strategies.Browse full report with TOC @An industrial robot market is a robot system used for manufacturing. Industrial robots are automated, programmable and capable of movement on two or more axes. Typical applications of robots include welding, painting, assembly, pick and place for printed circuit boards, packaging and labeling, palletizing, product inspection, and testing; all accomplished with high endurance, speed, and precision. They can help in material handing and provide interfaces.Global Industrial Robot Market Outlook 2016-2021, has been prepared based on the synthesis, analysis, and interpretation of information about the global Industrial Robot market collected from specialized sources. The report covers key technological developments in the recent times and profiles leading players in the market and analyzes their key strategies.Global key players of the Industrial Robot Market : key playersABB (Switzerland)FANUC (Japan)Yaskawa (Japan)KUKA (Germany)OTC (Japan)Panasonic (Japan)Kawasaki (Japan)Comau (Italy)Shenyang Siasun (China)GSK CNC (China)Request Sample :This report describes a detailed study of the Industrial Robot market analysis of the market. All the five major factors have been quantified using the internal key parameters governing each of them. It also covers the market landscape of these players which includes the key growth strategies, geographical footprint, and competition analysis.The report studies the industry for (Industrial Robot Market) mainly covers 15 Topics acutely display the global Industrial Robot Market.Topic, this report analyzed the basic scope of this industry like definition, specification, classification, application, industry policy and news;Topic 2, the analysis on industry chain is provided including the up and down stream industry also with the major market players. And the analysis on manufacturing including process, cost structure and major plants distribution is conducted;Topic 3, 4 global and regional market is analyzed. In these chapters, this report analyzed major market data like capacity, production, capacity utilization rate, price, revenue, cost, gross, gross margin, supply, import, export, consumption, market share, growth rate and etc. For regional market, this report analyzed major regions like Global, North America, South America, Asia (Excluding China), China and ROW. These analysis are conducted;Topic 5, 6 and 7, the performance of major manufacturers are analyzed and then in Chapter 6 and 7 the analysis on major classification and application.Topic 8, Then the marketing channel analysis is provided including the major distributorsTopic 9 and 10, this report analyzed the market forecast from 2017 to 2022 for global and regional market in Chapter 9 and the new project investment feasibility analysis;Topic 11, At last, this report provided the conclusions of this researchThis report is a valuable source of guidance for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, customers, investors and individuals who have interest in this market.About Market Research Store:Market Research Store is a single destination for all the industry, company and country reports. We feature large repository of latest industry reports, leading and niche company profiles, and market statistics released by reputed private publishers and public organizations. Market Research Store is the comprehensive collection of market intelligence products and services available on air. We have market research reports from number of leading publishers and update our collection daily to provide our clients with the instant online access to our database. With access to this database, our clients will be able to benefit from expert insights on global industries, products, and market trends.3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138,Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442, USA
Global 3D Radar Market 2017: Raytheon, Honeywell, Leonardo, Harris, Aselsan

3D Radar Market 2017

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Global 3D Radar Market 2017-2022QY Market Research include new 3D Radar market research report "2016-2022 Report on Global 3D Radar Market Competition, Status and Forecast, Market Size by Players, Regions, Type, Application" to its huge collection of research reports.This report on the global 3D Radar market is highly helpful because it covers all the aspects which are important in deciding the future of this industry. The 3D Radar report is collated by full-fledged analysts who have created use of their market intelligence to explain all basic and crucial knowledge regarding the worldwide 3D Radar industry.Get Free Sample of Report Here:The 3D Radar market report makes use of tables, charts, graphs, maps, and statistics to present the data in the easiest way to understand. The 3D Radar market report is a comprehensive analysis of the key factors impacting the global 3D Radar industry. This 3D Radar market report includes both the driving factors as well as the restraining factors that are influencing the market's performance positively and negatively, respectively.Top Manufacturers Analysis Of This Research Report,Northrop Grumman Corporation (US)Raytheon Company (US)Thales Group (France)Airbus Defense and Space (US)BAE Systems plc (UK)Honeywell International Inc. (US)SAAB Group (Sweden)ELTA Systems Ltd. (Israel)Leonardo S.p.A. (Italy)Indra Sistemas, S.A. (Spain)Harris Corporation. (US)Aselsan A.S. (TR)The present trends shaping the worldwide 3D Radar market and the way it will influence the 3D Radar market within the future are studied. Additionally to this, the future opportunities within the 3D Radar market that have the potential to assist the market to expand are given within the 3D Radar report.Enquire Here:The segments inside the global 3D Radar industry and their sub-segments also are studied in detail. This ensures that the whole 3D Radar market is covered. The leading segment along with the declining segment and also the most promising segment has been given during this 3D Radar report. This helps the newcomers, shareholders, readers, stockholders and leading manufacturers to choose which segment or sub-segment to speculate on therefore on acquire most profits.The 3D Radar market report discusses the degree of competition, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, and a threat of substitutes, both internal and external substitute of 3D Radar market. The threat of recent entrants or the barriers experienced by new and prime players in getting into the worldwide 3D Radar market has been mentioned. This offers new players a plan on whether or not they will exist within the competitive 3D Radar industry.About Us:Business Worldwide is a trusted brand in the research industry with a capability of commissioning complex projects within a short span of time with high level of accuracy. At Business Worldwide, we believe in building long-term relations with our clients. Our services cover a broad spectrum of industries including Energy, Chemicals and Materials, Automotive, Software and Aerospace.Contact Us:Joel JohnSuite #8138, 3422 SW 15 Street,Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442United StatesToll Free: +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803
Global Infrared LED Market To Grow At A CAGR Of 12.54% During The Period 2017-2021  EPILEDS, EPISTAR, EVERLIGHT, NICHIA, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, Vishay Intertechnology

Infrared Light-emitting Diode Market

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Infrared Light-emitting Diode Market 2017-2021" to its huge collection of research reports.The light-emitting wavelength of infrared LEDs is between 800 nm and 980 nm. Infrared LEDs are widely used for night vision capabilities in CCTV cameras and as light sources for photo couplers, remote controllers, and infrared communications such as Infrared Data Association (IrDA).Technavios analysts forecast the global infrared LED market to grow at a CAGR of 12.54% during the period 2017-2021.Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global infrared LED market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated from the consumption of infrared LEDs across the world.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEuropeROWGlobal Infrared LED Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendorsEPILEDSEPISTAREVERLIGHTNICHIAOSRAM Opto SemiconductorsVishay IntertechnologyOther prominent vendorsCreeHigh Power LightingLextar ElectronicsLite-On TechnologyLumiledsMLS ElectronicsTOYODA GOSEIMarket driverIncreasing installation of CCTV cameras for surveillanceFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeAbsence of global LED standardizationFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendInfrared LEDs to assist in driver monitoringFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Browse Detail Report With TOC @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Market Share and Forecasts Research Report 2017

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MARKET STUDY REPORT DELIVERS SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION AND REALISTIC DATA OF THE TUNNEL BORING MACHINE (TBM) MARKET. THE REPORT PRESENTS A DEEP STUDY OF THE MARKET GROWTH FACTORS AND DRIVERS. IN-DEPTH RESEARCH OF THE TUNNEL BORING MACHINE (TBM) MARKET LIMITATIONS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES ENABLE THE USER TO MAKE THE FUTURE PROJECTION.A tunnel boring machine (TBM) Market is a machine used to excavate tunnels with a circular cross section through a variety of soil and rock strata. They may also be used for micro tunneling. In Japan and China, The machines used for soil are called shield tunneling machines and machines used for hard rock are called tunnel boring machine. But in Europe and USA, they are called the same name tunnel boring machine. The research we did include all of them.This report focuses on the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) 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.Request a sample copy of Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Market Research Report @Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers  Herrenknecht, CRTG, CRCHI, Robbins, Tianhe, LNSS, Komatsu, Mitsubishi, NHI, Kawasaki, IHI, Terratec, SELI, Tianye Tolian, Hitachi Zosen, Xugong Kaigong, STEC, JIMT.Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers:North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Table of Contents: Global Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Market Overview Global Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Market Manufacturers Profiles Global Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Market Competition, by Manufacturer Global Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Market Analysis by Regions Global Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) by Countries Global Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Market Segment by Type Global Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Market Segment by Application Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Market Forecast (2017-2022) Sales Channel, Distributors, Traders and Dealers Research Findings and Conclusion AppendixMarket Segment by Type, covers  Earth Pressure Balance Machines Slurry Shield (SS) Shielded Type TBMs Open Type TBMs MixshieldMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided into  City Rail System Railway and Highway Municipal Engineering OthersEnquire For Discount on Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Market Research Report @There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) market.Chapter 1, to describe Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), with sales, revenue, and price of Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), 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 Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), 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 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, Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceRelated Reports: -2017 Top 5 Cryocooler Players in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and AfricaThe Global Cryocooler market size will be XX million (USD) in 2022, from the XX million (USD) in 2016, with a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of XX% from between 2016 and 2022.Centralize market research purchases across your entire organization in one place.Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Market Study ReportThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:News:Connect with us: Google+ | LinkedIn | Twitter
Global System Integration Services Market To Grow At A CAGR Of 8.02% During The Period 2017-2021  Accenture, CSC, Fujitsu, HPE, IBM

System Integration Services Market

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global System Integration Services Market 2017-2021" to its huge collection of research reports.Businesses worldwide depend on software and technology integration solutions to achieve seamless operations and drive revenue growth. While innovative IT applications and integrated solutions have enriched business functions, IT departments are implementing relevant measures and upgrades to smoothen the IT and business operations. The companies seek integrated IT infrastructure solutions that are agile, resilient, secure, and cost-effective. It enables rapid integration of different processes, systems, services, information, and devices to enhance the overall business performance.Technavios analysts forecast the global system integration services market to grow at a CAGR of 8.02% during the period 2017-2021.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global system integration services market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated from system integration services in the global market.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEATechnavio's report, Global System Integration Services Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendorsAccentureCSCFujitsuHPEIBMOther prominent vendorsAtosBT Global ServicesCapgeminiCGICisco SystemsCMS IT Services (A Blackstone Portfolio Company)InfosysMicrosoftMuleSoftNECWiproMarket driverNeed for converged ICT infrastructureFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeTechnical issues and delay in integrating large-scale IT projectsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendIncreased adoption of cloud-based integration solutionsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?Browse Detail Report With TOC @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Marine Engines Market,Industry Analysis,Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2024

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Marine engines are machines that supply power to several kinds of vessels, auxiliary equipment, generators, and propulsion systems central to maritime activities and vehicles. Different types of marine engines are available that serve different purposes of various marine vehicles and systems. Marine engines can be classified according to different criteria, including the type of propulsion system in use, the power range of the engine, fuel used to power the engine, and major applications.Request Free Sample Report :This report on the global marine engines market provides users a proper understanding of all the crucial elements of the market and its present state. The report presents a 360-degree overview of the market and its major segments, its drivers, restraints, major trends influencing consumer choices, regulatory factors at play across major regional territories, technological and product advancements, and competitive landscape of the market.The exhaustive market data included in the report has been gathered with the help of a number of research methodologies and narrowed-down to conform to the specific needs of business decision makers in the global marine engines market.Global Marine Engines Market: Trends and OpportunitiesRise in the number of leisure marine travelers, vast expansion of the global seaborne transport industry, advent of technologically advanced and highly reliable engines, economic stability, and rising disposable incomes are the major factors that have driven the global marine engines market in the past few years.Stringent government regulations regarding emissions from marine vessels, increased awareness among consumers about the need to adopt greener fuels, and depleting reserves of conventional fuels are likely to boost the growth of the market. The global marine engines market is expected to witness development of products that conform to the stringent regulatory norms about emission and work with greener fuels such as LNG and solar and wind power.Nevertheless, the diesel marine engines segment is anticipated continue to dominate the global marine engines market. Major factors supporting the growth of this segment include easy availability of spare parts and repair networks and availability of trained personnel for repairing diesel engines across the globe. Steam engines have been phased out from several application areas. However, these will continue to dominate traditional and niche application areas such as LNG and coal carriers, icebreakers, and warships.Global Marine Engines Market: Region-wise OverviewThe global marine engines market has been examined from the point of view of the following key regional markets: Middle East & Africa, North America, South America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.Asia Pacific is the largest market for marine engines due to the flourishing shipbuilding industry in countries such as South Korea, India, China, and Japan. Flourishing seaborne transport in the region will allow the region to sustain its leadership position in the global marine engines market during the forecast period.Presence of some of the worlds largest manufacturers of marine engines in North America and Europe is likely to lead to an increase in investments in the marine engines market in these regions.Global Marine Engines Market: Competitive LandscapeMarine engine manufacturers are focusing on the design and development of fuel efficient and cleaner engines due to the stringent emission-related regulations laid down by major regions across the globe. Development of engines that will be powered by greener energy sources such as solar and wind power and LNG have gained increased focus in the past few years. Major companies operating in the global marine engines market are GM Powertrain, Caterpillar, Inc., Cummins Engines, Wartsila Corporation, and Rolls Royce.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.Browse Full Report With TOC :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 analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)The report has been compiled through extensive primary research (through interviews, surveys, and observations of seasoned analysts) and secondary research (which entails reputable paid sources, trade journals, and industry body databases). The report also features a complete qualitative and quantitative assessment by analyzing data gathered from industry analysts and market participants across key points in the industrys value chain.A separate analysis of prevailing trends in the parent market, macro- and micro-economic indicators, and regulations and mandates is included under the purview of the study. By doing so, the report projects the attractiveness of each major segment over the forecast period.Highlights of the report:A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent marketImportant changes in market dynamicsMarket segmentation up to the second or third levelHistorical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volumeReporting and evaluation of recent industry developmentsMarket shares and strategies of key playersEmerging niche segments and regional marketsAn objective assessment of the trajectory of the marketRecommendations to companies for strengthening their foothold in the marketEnquire About This Report :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.State Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTelephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comGoogle+:Read More Industry News At:
Global Industrial Valves Market Forecasts And Analysis Which Is Estimated To Grow At A CAGR Of +3.8% In 2024

Global Industrial Valves Market

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Global Industrial Valves Market accounted to USD 67.8 billion in 2016 growing at a CAGR of 3.8% during the forecast period of 2017 to 2024. The upcoming market report contains data for historic years 2015, the base year of calculation is 2016 and the forecast period is 2017 to 2024.Request for Sample Report @Some of the major players operating in this market are AVK Holding A/S, Avcon Controls Pvt Ltd, Cameron  Schlumberger, Crane Co., Emerson, Flowserve Corporation, Forbes Marshall, IMI PLC., Kitz Corporation, Metso Corporation, Neway Valves (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Pentair PLC,Velan Inc., Samson AG, The Weir Group, PLC, Spirax-Sarco Engineering PLCThe global industry valves market is segmented on the basis of material type, valve type, end-user and geography.Browse Full Report @On the basis of material type the industrial valves market is segmented into Steel, Cast Iron, Alloy Based, Cryogenic, Others. The alloy based market is expected to grow in the forecasted period.Request for TOC:On the basis of valve type the industrial valves market is segmented into Ball, Butterfly, Gate, Globe, Plug, Diaphragm, and Safety. The gate market is expected to grow in the forecasted period.On the basis of end-user the industrial valves market is segmented into Oil & Gas, Water & Wastewater, Energy & Power, Chemical, Food & Beverages, Pharmaceutical, Building and Construction, Others. The Oil & gas market is expected to grow in the forecasted period.On the basis of geography, industrial valves market report covers data points for 28 countries across multiple geographies such as North America & South America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. Some of the major countries covered in this report are U.S., Canada, Germany, France, U.K., Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, Russia, China, India, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Brazil among others. In 2017, North America is expected to dominate the market.Major Market Drivers and Restraints: Growing Demand in Oil & Gas Production High Demand for Energy in APAC Focus on Smart Cities in Emerging Economies Such as China and India Rising Demand for Automation Lack of Standardization in Certifications and Policies Slowdown in Oil & Gas and Mining Industries Downtime Due to Repairing of ValvesInquiry before Buying @Other ReportGlobal Temperature Sensor Market  Industry Trends and Forecast to 2024Global Temperature Sensor Market, By Type {Resistive Temperature Detector (RTD), Infrared Temperature Sensor, Thermistor, Fiber Optic, Thermocouple, IC Temperature Sensor, Bimetallic, MEMS Bases, Others}; Application (Consumer Electronics, Automotive, Aerospace and Defence, Healthcare, Chemical, Oil & Gas, Energy and Power, Food & Beverage, Retail sector, Manufacturing); Geography (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Europe, South America, Middle East and Africa)  Global 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:
Thrombectomy Devices Market : Report and Industry Outlook, 2017 - 2025

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Global Thrombectomy Devices Market: OverviewThrombectomy devices are used in surgeries to remove blood clots formed in situ within blood vessels. These devices are available in various types, including mechanical devices, basket/brush retrievers, stent retrievers, aspiration devices, ultrasonic devices, coil retrievers, and hydrodynamic devices. They are used to remove thrombus, which can happen anywhere within the vascular system of a human body and therefore, find their application in the cardiovascular system, peripheral vascular system, and neurovascular system. The end users of these devices, include ambulatory surgical centers, hospitals and surgical centers, academic institutes, and research laboratories.Global Thrombectomy Devices Market: Key TrendsThe rapidly growing geriatric population is fuelling the global demand for thrombectomy devices since aged people are highly susceptible to venous thromboembolism (VTE). Moreover, the rising occurrence of peripheral artery disease, acute myocardial infarction, and deep vein thrombosis, owing to the unhealthy and sedentary lifestyles is escalating the development of the global market for thrombectomy devices. The increasing government and consumer expenditure on the healthcare sector coupled with the presence of favorable medical reimbursement scenario is also stoking the growth of the market. Besides this, the spiraling demand for minimally invasive thrombectomy procedures is augmenting the market.Request Sample Copy of the Report@On the flip side, stringent regulations pertaining to the approval and manufacturing of thrombectomy devices is hampering the growth of the global market. Moreover, patients, particularly in developing and less developed nations, are less aware about thrombectomy, which in turn negatively impacts the growth of the market. The lack of skilled and well-trained surgeons is also inhibiting the growth of the global thrombectomy devices market.Global Thrombectomy Devices Market: Market PotentialThe global medical devices industry and its affiliated markets are largely influenced by government actions. Thus, favorable government policies are playing an instrumental role in the development of the global thrombectomy devices market. To put this in perspective, the U.K. National Health Service (NHS) is taking efforts to make mechanical thrombectomy more widely available to patients. In April 2017, the NHS decided to invest hefty sums in the development of an advanced treatment for strokes. With this intervention, nearly 8,000 people per year are expected to benefit from this treatment. The development of such treatments is likely to translate into the greater uptake of thrombectomy devices.Request TOC of the Report @Global Thrombectomy Devices Market: Geographical SegmentationThe key regions analyzed in the report are Asia Pacific, North America, Latin America, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. North America will command a substantial share in the global market throughout the forecast period. The growing popularity of technologically advanced thrombectomy products among surgeons and the availability of favorable reimbursement policies, especially in the U.S. are contributing to the growth of the region. Besides this, the presence of advanced healthcare infrastructure and the rising number of clinical trials are supplementing the market in North America.Asia Pacific will be an emerging market for thrombectomy devices. The widening base of target patient population, growing healthcare expenditure, and increasing awareness regarding novel devices among surgeons are stoking the growth of the region. In addition, the growth of the region can be attributed to the rising localized manufacturing and strengthening of distribution channels.Get Discount @Global Thrombectomy Devices Market: Competitive LandscapeThe majority of key players in the global thrombectomy devices market are looking upon mergers and acquisitions as viable strategies to expand their product portfolio. They are paying high attention to technological advancements and product upgradation to stay relevant in this highly competitive arena. Some of the key global participants in the global market are Stryker Corporation, Medtronic Plc, Boston Scientific Corporation, Penumbra Inc., Teleflex Incorporated, AngioDynamics Inc., The Spectranetics Corporation, Johnson and Johnson Inc., Terumo Corporation, and Vascular Solutions Inc.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
Antacid Medications Market - Global Industry Insights, Trends, Outlook, and Analysis, 20162024

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Antacid Medications Market OverviewAntacids are used to treat acid reflux that causes heartburn, indigestion, and stomach upset. They provide quick relief from heartburn, which is a major symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease and indigestion. Treatment with antacids is symptomatic and is usually recommended for minor symptoms. Antacids include magnesium carbonate, aluminum hydroxide, and magnesium trisilicate. Some people have reported allergic reactions to antacids. Antacids with magnesium may cause diarrhea, while those containing calcium and aluminum may cause constipation. Long-term use may cause kidney stones and may increase the risk of contracting osteoporosis. Popular antacid brands include Alka seltzer, Gelusil, Milk of Magnesia, Maalox, Gaviscon, Mylanta, Rolaids, and Tums.Request Sample Copy of the Business Report:Distribution channel of AntacidsAntacids are mainly sold through two distribution channels, namely chemists and non-chemist. Non-chemists comprise grocers, general stores, and food stores. Abbotts Digene and Pfizers Gelusil have a doctor heritage. Eno and Pudin Hara have an ayurvedic base and are available over the counter and are aiding in growth of the antacid medications market. Over-the-counter availability of antacids have enabled individuals to self-medicate their bouts of acid reflux, which can increase probability of suffering from stroke in the future. Antacids are available in different forms such as water dissolving tablet, powder form, and melt-in-mouth granules.Antacid medications market taxonomy  Formulation, Drug and DemographicAntacid medications market is classified by various ways such as by formulation, drug and Demographic. On the basis of formulation, the antacid medications market is classified as tablets, capsules, suspensions, and drops. On the basis of demographic, antacid medications market is classified as products for pediatrics and products for adults. On the basis of drug, antacid medications market is classified as histamine-2 (H2) blockers, proton pump inhibitor, and pro-motility agents. Examples of H2 blocker include Nizatidine, Ranitidine, Cimetidine, and famotidine. Proton pump inhibitors used for acid reflux include Rabeprazole, Esomeprazole, Lansoprazole, Pantoprazole, and Omeprazole. Pro-motility agents stimulate the muscles of gastrointestinal tract and strengthen lower esophageal sphincter, and reduce reflux into esophagus. Metoclopramide is used to treat heartburn associated with GERD.Access Table of Content (TOC) Of the Report:Increasing incidence of acid reflux in North America fueling growth of the antacid medications marketIncreasing trend of self-medication consequently fuels demand for OTC digestive products for treatment of gastrointestinal distress. Antacids are used to neutralize acidity and thus, are expected to lead to rampant increase in demand for the same in North America due to rising incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in the region. According to a study conducted by American Gastroenterological Association and published in International Foundation for Functional in February 2016, approximately one-third of the population in U.S. suffers from GERD. According to a study published in National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) in June 2014, the range of GERD prevalence was 18.1%27.8% in North America, 8.7%33.1% in the Middle East, 8.8%25.9% in Europe, 2.5%7.8% in East Asia, and 11.6% in Australia. Increasing prevalence of GERD creates a favorable environment growth of the antacid medications market.Increasing self-medication trend driving antacid medications market growthIncreasing inclination of the populace towards self-medication supplemented by growing availability of over-the-counter products in convenient to use sachets is a prevalent trend observed in the market. This trend is expected to continue over the forecast period, in turn fueling market growth.Global players operating in the antacid medications marketVarious companies manufacture antacids and other products for indigestion. Some of these are GlaxoSmithKline plc, Dabur India Limited, Abbott Laboratories, and Pfizer, Inc. Sun Pharma launched an ayurvedic digestive remedy called Pepmelt to compete with popular antacids such as Eno (GSK consumer healthcare), Digene (Abbott India), Pudin Hara (Dabur), and Gelusil (Pfizer). According to 2014 estimates of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), approximately 20% of the U.S. population suffered from gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD.Browse Research Report At: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.comVisit our news Website:
Global Labradorite Market Research Report Forecast 2017 to 2021

Global Labradorite Market Research Report Forecast 2017 to 2021

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ReportsWorldwide has announced the addition of a new report title Global Labradorite Market Research Report Forecast 2017 to 2021 to its growing collection of premium market research reports.The Global Labradorite Market Research Report Forecast 2017-2021 is a valuable source of insightful data for business strategists. It provides the Labradorite industry overview with growth analysis and historical & futuristic cost, revenue, demand and supply data (as applicable). The research analysts provide an elaborate description of the value chain and its distributor analysis. This Labradorite market study provides comprehensive data which enhances the understanding, scope and application of this report.To view a detailed description and Table of Contents please visit:This report provides comprehensive analysis of Key market segments and sub-segments Evolving market trends and dynamics Changing supply and demand scenarios Quantifying market opportunities through market sizing and market forecasting Tracking current trends/opportunities/challenges Competitive insights Opportunity mapping in terms of technological breakthroughsGlobal Ethylenediaminetetraacetic AcidEDTA Market: Regional Segment Analysis North America Europe China Japan Southeast Asia IndiaThe Major players reported in the market include: Asia Mineral Processing Co Eczacibasi Esan GP Minerals Micronized Group Sun Minerals company 6 company 7 company 8 company 9Reasons for Buying this Report This report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamics It provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growth It provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to grow It helps in understanding the key product segments and their future It provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitors It helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsTo Get Sample Copy of Report please visit @ReportsWorldwide.com is a leading provider of global market intelligence reports and services. With research reports from top publishers, consulting and advisory firms, ReportsWorldwide.com offers instant online access to a growing database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, geographies and trends.Press Contact:Abigail CrastoSenior Vice President101, Arch StreetBoston, MA 02110USPhone +1 (617) 398-1947abigail@reportsworldwide.com
E Cigarette Market Stock Anticipates the Increased Popularity of the E-Cigarette and Vaporizer

E-Cigarette Industry, E-Cigarette Market, E-Cigarette Segmentation, E-Cigarette Size

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Global E-Cigarette & Vaporizer MarketThe giants of tobacco companies has started competing aggressively by acquiring the top e-cigarettes brands and rolled out their own brands in the market with newer and advanced technological products. Furthermore, an overall non-uniformity of regulation and taxation policies has allowed large number of players to enter into the market.Global E-Cigarette & Vaporizer MarketThe E-Cigarette (Electronic Cigarette) was first introduced in the year 2003, by Hon Lik in China and was available commercially in the market by 2006. The recognition of e-cigarettes touched instant base with the US and European markets. Since then this industry has been growing at a rapid pace convincing players from Tobacco industry and Pharmaceutical industry to implement several strategies to grow and sustain in the market.The e-cigarette industry has come into limelight after 2012, when the tobacco giant Lorillard acquired the US based e-cigarette company, Blu Ecigs. The market was then taken over by the top tobacco giants through a series of mergers & acquisitions which has brought immediate value to the fledgling market.Request for Sample Report @Global E-Cigarette Growth InfluencerThe E-cigarette industry has come into limelight after 2012, when the tobacco giant Lorillard acquired the US based e-cigarette company, Blu Ecigs. The market was then taken over by the top tobacco giants through a series of mergers & acquisitions which has brought immediate value to the fledgling market.The giants of tobacco companies has started competing aggressively by acquiring the top e-cigarettes brands and rolled out their own brands in the market with newer and advanced technological products. Furthermore, an overall non-uniformity of regulation and taxation policies has allowed large number of players to enter into the market.Global E-Cigarette & Vaporizer Market: Regional AnalysisAsia-Pacific- Asia Pacific prolongs to be the manufacturing center for e-cigarette industry, making the region a predictable player in the supply side. More than 78% of the global production of e-liquids and e-cigarettes is done in China. On the other hand, a major share of the production and manufacturing are meant for export to the US and European market. Many Asian countries are ranked very high in the global tobacco consumption and the government is taking initiatives to bring turn down in such countrys smoking population.North America- North America is considered as the largest revenue generator in the Global E-cigarette market, with a major share contributed by the US. The relentless growth of the market can be primarily credited to the non-uniformity of regulations and the growing perception of e-cigarettes as possible smoking Cessation aid. Moreover, the study of the competitive landscape in the US has brought forward the occurrence of some of the giant e-cigarette brands which are rolled out by tobacco giants such as Philip Morris, Altria, and Lorrilard and among others.Browse Complete Report @Table of Content1 Introduction1.2 Scope Of The Study1.2.1 Research Objective1.3 Market Structure2 Research Methodology2.1 Research Process2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research2.4 Market Size Estimation2.5 Forecast Model3 Global E-cigarette & Vaporizer Market: Overview3.1 Introduction Of Global E-cigarette & Vaporizer Market3.1.1 Definition Of Global E-cigarette & Vaporizer Market3.1.2 Market Segmentation Of Global E-cigarette & Vaporizer Market3.1.2.1 Market Segmentation On The Basis Of Product Type4 Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restraints4.3 Opportunities4.4 Mega Trends4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators4.7 Important Pointers By Industry ExpertsGlobal E-Cigarette & Vaporizer Market: Key PlayersThe key players present in the Global E-Cigarette & Vaporizer Market Include :Altria GroupBallantyne BrandsBritish American Tobacco Plc (Bat)CB DistributorsBull SmokeCigavette, Clearette Electronic Cigarette CoCloudcig, Gamucci Electronic CigarettesElectronic Cigarettes International GroupFontem VenturesFin Branding Group LLC and others.Market Research Future introduces about Global E-Cigarette & Vaporizer Market during the forecast period 2017-2027 which mainly includes the growth drivers, trends and restraints and how the market will grow in the future across the globe. In this report, Market Research Future has focused on the current market scenario which includes market segmentation, market dynamics, and competitive landscape along with company profiles.Every report of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.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 ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaAkash Anand,Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Mammography Market Analysis By Procedure, Application, Technology & Global Foresight to 2022

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Market Research Future published a research report on Global Mammography Market - Forecast To 2022  Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2022.Global Mammography Market Information, by Technology (Digital mammography, 3D mammography, C-View 2D, breast tomosynthesis contrast enhance mammography, Analog, and Others), by Application (Screening, Diagnostic, and others) - Forecast till 2022Market Synopsis of Mammography Market:Market Scenario:Mammograms are low dose x-rays which can take X-ray picture of breast that can help detect various breast diseases like cancer. It cannot prevent breast cancer but mammography can detect cancer at an early stage which is helpful to start the treatment and cure of the same. Increase in number of breast cancer patients, growing awareness about health and increase in healthcare expenditure are the major drivers of mammography market. Technological advancement and accuracy in diagnosis are driving this market.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key Players for Mammography Market Market: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation Siemens Healthcare GmbH FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation General Electric Company Shimadzu Corporation Koninklijke Philips Carestream Health, Inc. Hitachi Medical Corporation Hologic, Inc.Regional Analysis of Mammography Market:Considering the global scenario of the market, North America region is believed to be the largest market for mammography Market. Moreover the European market is also growing and is the second largest market for mammography. On the other hand, Asia Pacific markets for mammography is expected to grow at the fastest pace during the forecasted period. Middle East and Africa is likely to have a limited but steady growth in the market.Segments:Mammography market been segmented on the basis of technology which comprises of Digital mammography, 3D mammography, C-View 2D, breast tomosynthesis contrast enhance mammography, Analog, and Others. On the basis of application, the market is segmented into Screening, Diagnostic, and others.Browse Full Report Details @TABLE OF CONTENT1. Report Prologue2. Introduction3. Research Methodology4. Market Dynamics5. Market Factor Analysis6. Mammography Market by Product Type7. Mammography Market by Application8. Mammography Market by RegionThe report of Mammography Market by Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detail analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts and key opinion leaders to gain a deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives a clear picture of current market scenario which includes past and estimated future market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides detail information about and strategies used by top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of different markets segments and regions.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Global Mammography Market - Forecast To 2022 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.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.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Water Purifier Market Key Players: Kent RO System Ltd., Hindustan Unilever Ltd., Ion Exchange, Tata Chemicals Ltd., Whirlpool India Ltd., Godrej Industries Ltd., Panasonic Corporation

Water Purifier Market

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Market Highlights:According to a report by World Health Organization, Every 21 seconds a child and 3.4 Million people globally dies every year due to water-borne disease. Hence, growing demand for clean and consumable water which is free from various hazardous chemicals and heavy metals. The global water purifier market is also influenced by various other factors such as increase in the disposable income of consumers and new product development for launching cost-effective purifiers with at par efficiency.Request a Sample Copy @Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global water purifier industry, tracking three market segment across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Rest of the world. The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global water purifier market. Based on Technology, it is bifurcated as Gravity purifier, UV Purifier and RO Purifier. On the basis of End-User, it is segmented as Commercial and Residential. On the basis of Channel of Distribution, it is segmented as Retail stores, direct sales and Online. On the basis of Region, it is segmented as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of world.Brief TOC for Water Purifier Market:1. Executive Summary2. Research Methodology2.1. Scope of the study2.1.1. Definition2.1.2. Research Objective2.1.3. Assumptions2.1.4. Limitations2.2. Research Process2.2.1. Primary Research2.2.2. Secondary Research2.3. Market size Estimation2.4. Forecast Model3. Market Dynamics3.1. Market Drivers3.2. Market Inhibitors3.3. Supply/Value Chain Analysis or Market Ecosystem3.4. Porters Five Forces Analysis4. Global Water Purifier Market, By Technology4.1. Introduction4.2. Gravity Purifier4.3. UV Purifier4.4. RO Purifier5. Global Water Purifier Market, By End-User5.1. Introduction5.2. Commercial5.3. ResidentialContinueMarket Research Analysis:The market is highly application based. The global water purifier market is highly competitive due to the presence of many established vendors who offer various series of purifiers with advance technology.On the basis of technology, RO purifiers acquired the largest market share in 2015, the segment is also anticipated to grow at a faster pace due to improved efficiency of the technology in water purification.On the basis of end-user, the market is bifurcated as commercial and residential and both expected to grow at substantially.On the basis of channel of distribution, online segment is expected to take lead in near future due to increasing digital activity.On the basis of region, APAC is the leading market and fastest growing market as well. But, the semi-urban and rural areas of the countries like India still remained untapped.Key Players of Water Purifier Market: Kent RO System Ltd. Hindustan Unilever Ltd. Ion Exchange Tata Chemicals Ltd. Whirlpool India Ltd. Hi-Tech RO Systems Essel Nasaka Godrej Industries Ltd. Panasonic Corporation Livpure Private LtdAccess Report Details @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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Biomassfired Heating Plant Market 2017 Analysis & Forecasts to 2022

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Global Biomassfired Heating Plant Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022 is a professional and in-depth study on the current trends and Future Forecast."A biomass-fired power plant market produces electricity and heat by burning biomass in a boiler.The most common types of boilers are hot water boilers and steam boilers. Wood chips, residues and other types of biomass are used in the boilers, in the same way as coal, natural gas and oil.This report focuses on the Biomassfired Heating Plant 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.Request a sample copy of Biomassfired Heating Plant Market Research Report @Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers  EON, Dong Energy, Drax Group, Aalborg, Comsa, Abantia, Aker Group, Fortum Keilaniemi, Eidsiva Fjernvarme, Suez, Statkraft, EHP, VATTENFALL, ZE PAK, MGT Power.Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers:North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Market Segment by Table of Contents: Global Biomassfired Heating Plant Market Overview Global Biomassfired Heating Plant Market Manufacturers Profiles Global Biomassfired Heating Plant Market Competition, by Manufacturer Global Biomassfired Heating Plant Market Analysis by Regions Global Biomassfired Heating Plant by Countries Global Biomassfired Heating Plant Market Segment by Type Global Biomassfired Heating Plant Market Segment by Application Biomassfired Heating Plant Market Forecast (2017-2022) Sales Channel, Distributors, Traders and Dealers Research Findings and Conclusion AppendixMarket Segment by Type, covers  5 MW 10~20 MW OthersMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided into  Power Generation Heat DistributionEnquire For Discount on Biomassfired Heating Plant Market Research Report @There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Biomassfired Heating Plant market.Chapter 1, to describe Biomassfired Heating Plant Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Biomassfired Heating Plant, with sales, revenue, and price of Biomassfired Heating Plant, 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 Biomassfired Heating Plant, 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, Biomassfired Heating Plant market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Biomassfired Heating Plant sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data sourceRelated Reports: -2017 Top 5 Tahini Players in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and AfricaThe Global Tahini market size will be XX million (USD) in 2022, from the XX million (USD) in 2016, with a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of XX% from between 2016 and 2022.Centralize market research purchases across your entire organization in one place.Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Market Study ReportThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:News:Connect with us: Google+ | LinkedIn | Twitter
Peptic Ulcer Drugs Market Analysis By Key Findings, Application, Segmentation & Global Foresight to 2022

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Market Research Future Issue Analysis report on Global Peptic Ulcer Drugs Market - Forecast To 2022 Market Trends, Scope, Stake, Progress, Analysis and Forecast to 2022.Global Peptic Ulcer Drugs Market Information, by Pharmacological class (proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), anti-histamines, H2 antagonists, antacids, antibiotics and others), by Clinical Application (gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcer, esophageal ulcer) - Forecast Till 2022Market Synopsis of Global Peptic Ulcer Drugs Market:Market Scenario:Peptic ulcer drugs are used to treat erosion of the gastrointestinal lining due to a variety of factors. Peptic ulcer is the result of an imbalance between aggressive and defensive fluids in the stomach. Peptic ulcer includes gastric, esophageal and duodenal ulcer. The global peptic ulcer drugs market was valued at approximately $29 billion in 2015, and is expected to reach $36.27 billion by 2022. Thus, the market is expected to show an average growth at a CAGR of 3.8 % from 2016 to 2022.The major driving factors for petic ulcers drug market are stress, drug induced ulcers, growing rate of infection by H.Pyrroli, changes in food, rise in cancer, tobacco and alcohol use. Constraining factors of this market are patent expiry, comparatively good treatment regimen of proton pump inhibitors, resistance of H.Pyrolli, extreme market fragmentation into many companies and great penetration of generics.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key Players For Global Peptic Ulcer Drugs Market: Novartis AG Daiichi Sankyo Company Limited Acetelion Ltd Boehringer Ingelheim Sanofi S.A. Astra Zeneca plc Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, Inc. Takeda Pharmaceuticals Company Limited Pfizer Inc. Helicure AB Eumedica PharmaceuticalsSegments:Global peptic ulcer drugs market has been segmented on the basis of pharmacological class (proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), anti-histamines, H2 antagonists, antacids, antibiotics and others), by clinical application (gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcer, esophageal ulcer) and region.Regional Analysis of Global Peptic Ulcer Drugs Market:Globally North America is the largest market of global peptic ulcer drugs. Europe is the second largest market for global peptic ulcer drugs. Soon the market of peptic ulcer drugs will be dominated by developing regions particularly Asia Pacific which will be the fastest growing region.Browse Full Report Details @Study Objectives Global Peptic Ulcer Drugs Market: To provide detail analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 5years of various segments and sub-segments of the global peptic ulcer drugs market. To provide an insight about factors affecting the market growth. To analyze the market based on various analyses which includes price analysis, supply chain analysis, Porters Five Force analysis etc. To provide past and estimated future revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective. To provide country level analysis of the market for segments such as by pharmacological class (proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), anti-histamines, H2 antagonists, antacids, antibiotics and others) and by clinical application (gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcer, esophageal ulcer) To provide overview of key players and their strategic profiling in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape of the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research & developments globally.The report of Global Peptic Ulcer Drugs Market by Market Research Future comprises extensive primary research along with detail analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain a deeper insights of the market and industry performance. The report gives a clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides detail information and strategies used by top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Global Peptic Ulcer Drugs Market - Forecast To 2022 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.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.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Radiology Information System Market Analysis By Applications, Competitive Landscape, Latest Trend & Global Foresight to 2022

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2464

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/radiology-information-system-market-2464

Market Research Future published a research report on Radiology Information System (RIS) Market Research Report - Global Forecast to 2022  Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2022.Radiology Information System (RIS) Market Information, by type (integrated RIS and standalone RIS), by Deployment Mode (Web-Based, On-Premise, Cloud-Based, and others), by Component (Software, hardware, services, and others) by end user (Hospitals, research laboratories, healthcare institutes, and others) - Forecast to 2022Market Synopsis of Radiology Information System (RIS) Market:Market Scenario:Globally the market for Radiology Information System (RIS) is increasing moderately. A radiology information system (RIS) is a networked system used for managing medical imagery and associated data. Radiology information system (RIS) is smart database that medical professionals use to keep track of patient data and which generated in the course of diagnosis and treatment. RIS is very useful in various operations such as patient registration, record keeping, resource management, examination performance tracking, examination interpretation, results distribution, and procedure billing. While most of the hospitals and other healthcare institutions are going the digital transformation converting from paper to a digital format. Increasing application of RIS in healthcare IS driving the market growth for Radiology Information System (RIS) market. North America is largest market for Radiology Information System (RIS) devices while Asia-Pacific is fastest growing market. Global Radiology Information System Market is expected to grow USD 901.8 million at the CAGR of 7.1% by 2022Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key Players for Radiology Information System Market (RIS):Some of the key players in this market are: Siemens Healthcare AG, GE Healthcare,Epic Systems Corporation, MedInformatix, Inc., Carestream Health, Inc., Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc.,Merge Healthcare Incorporated, Koninklijke Philips N.V, McKesson Corporation.Study objectives of Radiology Information System Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 7 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the Radiology Information System (RIS) Market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the Radiology Information System (RIS) Market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segments by type, by deployment mode, by end user, and its sub-segments. To provide overview of key players and their strategic profiling in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global Radiology Information System (RIS) market.Intended Audience Radiology Information System (RIS) equipment manufacturers Radiology Information System (RIS) equipment suppliers Contract Research Organizations (CROs) Research and Development (R&D) Companies Government Research Laboratories Independent Research Laboratories Government and Independent Regulatory Authorities Market Research and Consulting Service Providers Academic Institutes and UniversitiesSegments:Radiology Information System (RIS) Market has been segmented on the basis of type which comprises of integrated RIS and standalone RIS. On the basis of Deployment Mode, the market is segmented into Web-Based, On-Premise, Cloud-Based, and others. On the basis of Component, the market segmented into Software, hardware, services, and others. On the basis of end user, the market is segmented into Hospitals, research laboratories, healthcare institutes, and others.Browse Full Report Details @Regional Analysis of Radiology Information System (RIS) Market:Considering the global scenario of the market, North Americas region is believed to be the largest market for Radiology Information System (RIS). Moreover the European market is also growing continuously and expected to maintain its growth in near future. On the other hand, Asia-Pacific market is expected to grow at the fastest pace in the Radiology Information System (RIS) during the forecasted period. Middle East & Africa region are likely to have a limited but steady growth in the market.The report for Radiology Information System Market (RIS) of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different markets segments and regionsContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Radiology Information System (RIS) Market Research Report - Global Forecast to 2022 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.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.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Ambulatory Service Market Trends and Opportunities 2017

ReportsWeb

http://www.reportsweb.com/ambulatory-service-market-in-india-2017

http://www.reportsweb.com/inquiry&RW00011190688/sample

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ReportsWeb.com published Ambulatory Service Market from its database. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Publisher' latest market research report titled Ambulatory Service Market in India 2017 states that the market for ambulatory services in India will witness strong growth in the next five years. There has been an increase in demand for daycare services in the country owing to the convenience it offers to patients in terms of high quality treatment at a lower cost and lesser time. The growth of medical centers providing ambulatory surgeries has increased owing to its increased demand in the country in the last few years. This rise in demand can be attributed to the growing awareness among patients regarding the benefits of such procedures, as well as the increased affordability resulting from increasing disposable income. The willingness of insurance companies as well to cover certain medical procedures that do not require hospitalization is also benefitting the market considerably.For more information about this report @However, few patients have a perception that the fast turnaround of ambulatory procedures results in diagnostic errors, thereby reducing the credibility of such procedures among such patients. Moreover, the view that the lack of hospitalization after such surgeries may lead to poor post-operative care has also led to a few patients opting for traditional treatments with a larger hospitalization period despite the latter's higher cost. Despite these challenges, the market is expected to grow over the next five years and exhibit a strong CAGR.Coverage:Overview of the global ambulatory surgery market, and present and forecasted market size data over 2015 to 2020Overview of the ambulatory surgery market in India, and historical and forecasted market size data over 2012 to 2020Qualitative analysis of the major drivers and challenges affecting the marketAnalysis of the competitive landscape and profiles of major public and private players operating in the marketRequest a sample copy @Why Buy-Get a broad understanding of the ambulatory service market in India, the dynamics of the market and current state of the sectorStrategize marketing, market-entry, market expansion and other business plans by understanding the factors driving the growth of the marketUnderstand major competitors' business and market dynamics, and respond accordinglyMake more informed business decisions with the help of insightful recommendations provided to succeed in the marketCompanies Mentioned1. Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital Ltd.2. Fortis Healthcare Ltd.Private Companies1. Apollo Health and Lifestyle Ltd.2. CARE Hospitals Pvt. Ltd3. Max Healthcare Institute Ltd.4. Sankara Nethralaya Pvt. Ltd.5. Vasan Healthcare Pvt. Ltd6. Columbia Asia Hospitals Pvt. Ltd.Inquire for Report @Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@reportsweb.comReportsWeb.com is a one stop shop of market research reports and solutions to various companies across the globe. We help our clients in their decision support system by helping them choose most relevant and cost effective research reports and solutions from various publishers. We provide best in class customer Bauxite Mining and our customer support Bauxite Mining is always available to help you on your research queries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028
Patient Monitoring Devices Market Analysis By Product type, Driver, Segmentation & Global Foresight to 2022

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2484

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/patient-monitoring-devices-market-2484

Patient monitoring devices market information, by Product type (Central monitoring stations, Portable bedside monitors, Electrocardiogram (ECG) Devices, Hemodynamic Monitoring Devices, Fetal and neonatal monitors, Respiratory Monitors, Weight management monitors, Temperature monitoring devices, and Others), by end user (Hospitals and clinics, Ambulatory care centers, Home care, and others) - Forecast to 2022Market Synopsis of Patient monitoring devices Market:Market Scenario:Patient monitoring devices in this report refer to the sensors which are used in smart wearable devices. Global Patient monitoring devices market is driven by increasing demand of wearable for infants and continuously evolving sensor technology. With increasing personal care and health consciousness, for tracking biometrics such as calories burnt, heart rate and others, the demand for wearable fitness trackers and other wearable is increasing. Rapid expansion of internet of things (IoT) is driving demand of Patient monitoring devices in various application areas such as healthcare and fitness, consumer electronics and others.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key Players for Patient Monitoring Devices Market: GE Healthcare Roche Diagnostics BIOTRONIK SE & Co. KG Abbott Laboratories Siemens Healthcare Philips Healthcare CAS Medical Systems, Inc, Spacelabs Healthcare Honeywell International, Inc. Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co.Study objectives of Patient monitoring devices Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 7 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the Patient monitoring devices market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the Patient monitoring devices market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segments by product type, by end user and its sub-segments. To provide overview of key players and their strategic profiling in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global Patient monitoring devices market.Browse Full Report Details @Segments:Patient monitoring devices market has been segmented on the basis of product type which comprises Central monitoring stations, Portable bedside monitors, Electrocardiogram (ECG) Devices, Hemodynamic Monitoring Devices, Fetal and neonatal monitors, Respiratory Monitors, Weight management monitors, Temperature monitoring devices, and others. On the basis of end user, the market is segmented into Hospitals and clinics, Ambulatory care centers, Home care and others.Regional Analysis of Patient Monitoring Devices Market:Considering the global scenario of the market, North America region is believed to be the largest market for Patient monitoring devices. Moreover the European market is also growing and second largest market for Patient monitoring devices. On the other hand, Asia-Pacific market is expected to grow at the fastest pace in the Patient monitoring devices during the forecasted period. Rest of the World is likely to have a limited but steady growth in the market.The report for Patient Monitoring Devices Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different markets segments and regionsContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Patient Monitoring Devices Market - Global Forecast To 2022 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.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.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Adhesive Tapes Market Is Expected To Cross USD 62 Billion By 2022

Adhesive Tapes Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1718

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/adhesive-tapes-market-1718

Market Highlights:Adhesive tapes are plastic or paper strips coated with adhesive which enables it to stick or holds to different surfaces under normal circumstances. The tapes can be commodity or specialty depending on the application and is used in all packaging processes. It is used across various industries such as healthcare, automotive, construction, food & beverages, electronics among others. These tapes are applied in surgical containers, monitoring electrodes, and other medical devices.Request a Sample Copy @The Global Adhesive Tapes Market is driven by the growth in healthcare industry. The healthcare sector is the largest end-user of adhesive tapes. The industry uses such tapes in various applications such as covering wounds, for fixing cover shields during surgeries, and for cleaning purposes in sterilized room. This has fueled the demand across the globe, with well-established markets being North America and Europe and fast growing market being APAC.Furthermore the growth of automotive industry due to high demand for automobile from the emerging nations has led to the increased market for tapes, which is one of the largest applications after healthcare. The regions of APAC have shown high population and urbanization which fuels the demand for automobiles in the region. Also, APAC is currently valued as the fastest growing market for adhesive tapes and is expected to keep up the pace by 2022. The foreign and domestic investment in infrastructure industry widens the scope for these tapes in construction industry as well. The Global Adhesive Tapes Market is expected to cross USD 62 Billion mark at the end of the forecasted period and is expected to show a staggering growth at CAGR of approximately 5% from 2016 to 2022.Market Research Analysis:The market is highly application based. Its dependency on the end-use industry has widened over a period of time. The tapes are used extensively in all the packaging process and this is backed by high investment by packaging companies in the technology.It is expected that the Global Adhesive Tapes Market will advance with higher growth rate as compared to previous years. The current challenge for the market is fluctuating raw material prices. The increasing utility of adhesive tapes across sectors is driving the market of Adhesive Tapes. This is supported by the upcoming government policies to strengthen the infrastructure for the rising population and industrialization in emerging countries, especially in APAC. These policies induce the demand for these tapes in construction and healthcare sector in the region. Healthcare is the largest market by application and is expected to attain a similar share in global adhesive tapes market by 2022. By material, paper is expected to drive the maximum share in the forecasted period due to high demand for light weight backing material. Furthermore, the growth in automotive sector on a global level has fueled the demand.Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global adhesive tapes industry, tracking two market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the Global Adhesive Tapes Market as material, technology, and application. On the basis of material it is segmented as polypropylene, paper, and polyvinyl chloride. On the basis of technology it is segmented as hot melt, solvent, and others. On the basis of Application it is segmented as healthcare, food & beverages, construction, automotive, consumer and others.Key Players:The key players of global Adhesive Tapes market report include- 3M Company, Avery Dennison Corporation, Tesa SE, Nitto Denko Corporation, Lintec Corporation, Henkel AG & Company KGaA, Intertape Polymer Group, Shurtape Technologies LLC, Scapa Group Plc and Lohmann GmbH & Co.KG.Brief TOC for Adhesive Tapes Market:1 Executive Summary2 Scope of the Report2.1 Market Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.2.1 Research Objectives2.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations2.3 Markets Structure3 Market Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Secondary Research3.3 Primary Research3.4 Forecast Model4 Market Landscape4.1 Five Forces Analysis4.1.1 Threat of New Entrants4.1.2 Bargaining power of buyers4.1.3 Threat of substitutes4.1.4 Segment rivalry4.2 Value Chain of Global Adhesive Tapes MarketContinueAccess Report Details @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Global LTE Infrastructure Market Professional Survey Report 2017 : Motorola, Hitachi, Huawei

Market Research Reports

https://www.qyresearchreports.com/sample/sample.php?rep_id=1358094&type=E

https://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-lte-infrastructure-market-professional-survey-report-2017.htm

Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global LTE Infrastructure Market Professional Survey Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.The thorough report here assembles different perspectives having a place with the general LTE Infrastructure market which verbalizes the present-day data and future exposures with reference to the dynamic powers at play. The prime reason for the examination report is to offer the endorser with a sweeping format and make accessible the gainful certainties and records. The quantifiable and testing illuminations behind the examination other than executes data on issues, for example, drivers, shackles, and projections to gage the postponed outcome of the general LTE Infrastructure market through the cross of the said gage period in the examination report. The report in like course passes on a brief and world class record of the predefined market follows, which joins a couple of occasions of the veritable fixations at work which are concentrated to trigger change in the market or may cause any negative effect.This report other than stations into the general LTE Infrastructure market by in a general sense examining the thing and industrialized chain of the market. This is required to moreover help in passing on good 'ol fashioned information and data on compound parts of the fitting market, for example, material relating to methodologies for the directing body in the standard and general strata, transport and transmission structure, targets, and purposes behind premium got for the contributed mean.KNOW MORE WITH FREE SAMPLE STUDY @This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringNokia-Siemens NetworksAlcatel-LucentEricssonBroadcomCisco SystemsMotorolaHuaweiFujitsuAgilent TechnologiesNECAirspanThe report utilizes a couple of demonstrated industry examination and whole contraptions. They permit the examination collect pass on an uncovered fundamental assessment of the general LTE Infrastructure market and help endorser and market troupes to be advised with respect to theory and business judgments. The wide thinking of the examination gives a market position on an obvious and minute scale. It amasses key and optional research structures thusly. The administrators have figured the recorded encounters and rose it from the forward and thus around change parade circumstance to plan a structure for the general LTE Infrastructure market in the years ahead.Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of LTE Infrastructure1.1 Definition and Specifications of LTE Infrastructure1.2 Classification of LTE Infrastructure1.3 Applications of LTE Infrastructure1.4 Market Segment by Regions2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of LTE Infrastructure2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of LTE Infrastructure2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of LTE Infrastructure2.4 Industry Chain Structure of LTE Infrastructure3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of LTE Infrastructure3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global LTE Infrastructure Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global LTE Infrastructure Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global LTE Infrastructure Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global LTE Infrastructure Major Manufacturers in 20168 Major Manufacturers Analysis of LTE Infrastructure8.1 Nokia-Siemens Networks8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.3 Nokia-Siemens Networks 2016 LTE Infrastructure Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.1.4 Nokia-Siemens Networks 2016 LTE Infrastructure Business Region Distribution Analysis8.2 Alcatel-Lucent8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.3 Alcatel-Lucent 2016 LTE Infrastructure Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.2.4 Alcatel-Lucent 2016 LTE Infrastructure Business Region Distribution AnalysisBrowse Press Release of this Research Report:List of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of LTE InfrastructureTable Product Specifications of LTE InfrastructureTable Classification of LTE InfrastructureFigure Global Production Market Share of LTE Infrastructure by Type in 2016Figure Global Consumption Volume Market Share of LTE Infrastructure by Application in 2016Table Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global LTE Infrastructure Major Manufacturers in 2016Table Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global LTE Infrastructure Major Manufacturers in 2016About 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 US:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Rigid Packaging Market: Industry Analysis, Trends, Demand and Global Forecast to 2022

Rigid Packaging Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1772

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/rigid-packaging-market-1772

Market Highlights:Rigid packaging is used extensively across industries to package the products in order to facilitate the convenience and the physical and chemical form of the products. The key drivers responsible for the growth of such packaging are the demand from food & beverage, healthcare and personal care industries. These industries extensively such packaging for their end products like frozen meats, processed meats, ready-to-eat food items, drinks, cosmetics, medicines in the form of lotions, liquids and capsules, and many more.The market is majorly influenced by the presence of plastic. It is the most preferred material which is used as packaging by the manufacturers and consumers. The use of plastic ensures the durability of the packaging along with retention of the important minerals, nutrients and chemical properties of the product. This leads to the popularity of the material for packaging. Over 45% of the packaging market is dominated by plastic packaging and it is expected to show similar results by the end of the forecasted period.The healthcare and personal care industries accounts for a major share of the market after food & beverages. Packaging is very crucial to these industries as lot of chemical components are at play which needs very secured packaging for the product to retain its properties for which it is designed for. Both the medicines and the cosmetics are directly or in directly applied or consumed by the human body, which makes it even more important for the product to deliver the right results. Thus, these industries are highly packaging driven. The global rigid packaging market is expected to grow from about USD 187 Billion in 2015 to cross USD 275 Billion by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of 6% in the forecasted period.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Rigid Packaging Market: Amcor Limited Bemis Company Inc. Berry Plastics Corporation 3M Company Ball Corporation Ardagh Group Tray Pack Corporation Nampak Ltd. DS Smith Plc. Sealed Air CorporationMarket Research Analysis:The market is highly application based. The key driver for market growth is increased emphasis on packaging across all industries. This is backed by the need for packaging that retains the product value and form. It is expected that the global rigid packaging market will advance with higher growth rate as compared to previous years. However the current challenge for the market is the high demand for eco-friendly packaging along with increasing competition from emerging nations..On the basis of material, plastic leads the market in all the major regions across the globe. The share owes to the properties of plastic such as light-weight, and durability. On the basis of applications, food & beverage accounts for the largest share in the market. The share is attributed to the shift in preferences towards packaged food items. The industry demands durable packaging so as the food & beverage retains nutrition values with food safety.On the basis of region, APAC takes the lead as fastest growing market, followed by North America and Europe. APAC, due to its rising population and increasing disposable income, has seen changing lifestyles among the average consumer. This widens the demand for convenience food products. Furthermore the government initiatives taken for healthcare reforms augment the demand for the packaging from healthcare sector. The region has also seen a lot of investment in R&D towards the technological advancement in packaging industries.Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global rigid packaging industry, tracking three market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global rigid packaging market as material, product and application. On the basis of material it is segmented as metals, plastics, glass, paperboard, and others. On the basis of product it is segmented as bottles, cups & tubs, trays and others. On the basis of application it is segmented as food & beverages, healthcare, personal care, consumer goods, and others.Access Report Details @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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
The countdown to Global MilSatCom is on

www.globalmilsatcom.com/openpr

http://www.smi-online.co.uk

SMi Groups Global MilSatCom 2017 Conference & Exhibition will take place on 7-9 November at the Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel in London.Europes leading event for defence and military satellite professionals will open doors next week, with an expected attendance of over 500 delegates from nations and organisations including Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Ghana, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, USA and more.Military attendees are at an all-time high, with nearly 150 representatives from a global audience of armed forces.Featuring the shows best-to-date agenda, the three-day conference will provide delegates with over 40 presentations from leading commercial players as well as military and government personnel. An expert speaker list of over 50 industry movers and shakers will host exclusive presentations on core developing themes for MilSatCom this year, including GovSatCom, Wideband AoA, and ground segment innovations.This years programme is inarguably the best and most international in the events history, SMi Managing Director Dale Butler said. Delegate numbers are up by 30% and the event is looking to attract around 500 attendees this year, which will be a new record for the conference series.Described as the best networking event by its audience, delegates will also have the opportunity to meet and network with the Whos Who of the global milsatcom landscape through dedicated networking sessions hosted by SES, Airbus, Lockheed Martin and Eutelsat.The full roster of speakers and presentations can be found onFor those interested to attend, there is still a limited number of spaces left. Registration information can be found on the website.19th Global MilSatCom Conference and Exhibition7-9 November 2017Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel, London, UK---ENDS---Contact Information:For queries on military bookings, contact James Hitchen on jhitchen@smi-online.co.uk. For sponsorship and exhibition details, contact Alia Malick on amalick@smi-online.co.uk. For media enquiries contact Honey de Gracia on hdegracia@smi-online.co.uk.About SMi Group:Established since 1993, the SMi Group is a global event-production company that specializes in Business-to-Business Conferences, Workshops, Masterclasses and online Communities. We create and deliver events in the Defence, Security, Energy, Utilities, Finance and Pharmaceutical industries. We pride ourselves on having access to the worlds most forward thinking opinion leaders and visionaries, allowing us to bring our communities together to Learn, Engage, Share and Network. More information can be found atWestminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7XW
Cosmetic Packaging Market is Expected to Grow at a CAGR of 5.2% by 2022

Cosmetic Packaging Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1778

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/cosmetic-packaging-market

Market Highlights:The Global Cosmetic Packaging Market is competitive due to the high growth potential in the market and the presence of many small and large vendors. The key drivers of cosmetic packaging are growth on innovative and alluring packaging. Major cosmetics and personal care brands have started considering effective packaging as an important attribute of product marketing. Therefore, the strategy enhanced brand visibility, increased sales, reduced brand recall rates.The market is majorly influenced by the presence of plastic. It is the most preferred material which is used as packaging by the manufacturers and consumers. The use of plastic ensures the durability of the packaging along with retention of the important minerals and chemical properties of the product. The rising awareness about anti- aging products with the flourishing e-commerce sector in the APAC region is expected to increase the demand of this market.Request a Sample Copy @The hair and skin care industries accounts for a major share of the market. Packaging is very crucial to these industries as lot of chemical components are at play which needs very secured packaging for the product to retain its properties for which it is designed for. The cosmetics are directly or in directly applied on the human body, which makes it even more important for the product to deliver the right results.Key Players of Cosmetic Packaging Market: ABC Packaging Ltd Aptar Group Inc. Amcor Limited Albea S.A Fusion Packaging Gerresheimer AG HCP Packaging. Libo Cosmetics Company, Ltd. Quadpack Industries RPC Group Plc.Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global cosmetic packaging industry, tracking three market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the Global Cosmetic Packaging Market as material, product and application. On the basis of material it is segmented as metals, plastics, paper, glass and others. On the basis of product it is segmented as bottles, tubes, jars, containers, sticks, roller balls and others. On the basis of application it is segmented as hair care, skin care, nail care, makeup care and others.Brief TOC for Cosmetic Packaging Market:1 Executive Summary2 Scope Of The Report2.1 Market Definition2.2 Scope Of The Study2.2.1 Research Objectives2.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations2.3 Markets Structure3 Market Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Secondary Research3.3 Primary Research3.4 Forecast Model4 Market Landscape4.1 Five Forces Analysis4.1.1 Threat Of New Entrants4.1.2 Bargaining power of buyers4.1.3 Threat of substitutes4.1.4 Segment rivalry4.2 Value Chain of Global Cosmetic Packaging Market5 Industry Overview of Global Cosmetic Packaging Market5.1 Introduction5.2 Growth Drivers5.3 Impact analysis5.4 Market Challenges5.5 Impact analysisContinueMarket Research Analysis:The market is highly application based. The key drivers of cosmetic packaging are growth on innovative and alluring packaging. Major cosmetics and personal care brands have started considering effective packaging as an important attribute of product marketing. Therefore, the strategy enhanced brand visibility, increased sales, reduced brand recall rates.On the basis of materials such as glass, plastic, paper, metal, and wood are used for packaging cosmetics. Plastic leads the market in terms of both value and volume. The changing lifestyles and rising consumer preference the demand for eco-friendly products are increasing. The share owes to the properties of plastic such as light-weight, and durability. On the basis of applications, hair care and skin care accounts for the largest share in the market. The share is attributed to the changing lifestyles and preferences. The industry demands durable and light weight packaging.On the basis of region, UK, US and Germany contributes largely to the global cosmetic packaging market, majorly due to increase in demand for luxury goods. In terms of demand APAC is currently dominating the market. The rising awareness about anti- aging products with the flourishing e-commerce sector in the APAC region is expected to increase the demand of this market. The region has also seen a lot of investment in R&D towards the technological advancement in cosmetic packaging industries.Access Full Report @Target Audience: Manufactures Raw Materials Suppliers Aftermarket suppliers Research Institute / Education Institute Potential Investors Key executive (CEO and COO) and strategy growth managerAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Mobile Robotics Market: Quantitative Market Analysis, Current and Future Trends

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=23912

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/mobile-robotics-market-2017-2025.htm

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/23912

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The growing competitions among major players such as Alibaba, Amazon, and JD.com, characterizes the competitive landscape in the global Mobile Robotics Market, finds a new study by Transparency Market Research (TMR). The established participants are investing significantly in research and development as well as marketing resources, owing to which the competition within this market has intensified.With the producers focusing on manufacturing products at competitive prices, which are similar in functionality and performance and the rising number of new entrants, the degree of competition in this market is likely to remain high over the next few years, states the research report.Sample With Latest Advancements @As per TMRs estimations, the global market for mobile robotics, which was worth US$8.58 bn in 2016, is anticipated to rise at a healthy CAGR of 15.60% during the period from 2017 to 2025 and reach US$30.96 bn by the end of the forecast period. Unmanned ground vehicles have emerged as the key products in this market and are expected to retain their position over the next couple of years.Increasing Deployment of Mobile Robots in Manufacturing Sector to Ensure Asia Pacifics DominanceIn this research report, the worldwide market for mobile robotics has been classified into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America on the basis of geography. Asia Pacific led the global market in 2016 with 32.20% and is projected to maintain its dominance throughout the period of the forecast. The increasing deployment of mobile robots in the manufacturing sector is likely to drive the Asia Pacific mobile robotics market in the near future. Apart from this, the surge in the investment in defense and logistics sectors is also anticipated to increase the uptake of mobile robots in the coming years, reflecting greatly on the growth of this regional market.Browse Our Press Releases For More Information @According to the market study, mobile robots are mostly deployed in industrial and service applications. Among the two, mobile robots find a higher demand in the industrial application segment and the trend is likely to remain so over the next few years, states the reserch report.Increasing Usage of Mobile Robots for E-Commerce Logistics to Boost Markets GrowthThe increasing usage of mobile robots for e-commerce logistics is the key factor behind the substantial growth of the global market for mobile robotics, states the author of this research report. The recent rise in the e-commerce sector has fueled the demand for efficient order fulfillment, resulting into the rising integration of automation with manual labor to make the delivery system more efficient and reduce the online retail fulfillment costs. This, as a result, has impacted this market positively and is expected to have a high influence over the coming years.Browse Our Table of Content @The increasing demand for factory automation and the rising adoption of mobile robots in emerging economies, especially China, are also expected to stimulate this market over the forecast period. However, the high initial investments required for the deployment of mobile robots may hamper the growth of this market in the years to come, states the research study.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:
Medical Tourism Market Driven Under the Flagship of Asia Pacific Region

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1975

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/medical-tourism-market

Medical tourism market information: by treatment types (orthopedic/spine treatments, oncology/cancer treatments) - Forecast till 2023Market Research Future adds new report of Medical Tourism Market Research Report- Global forecast till 2023 it contains Company information, geographical data and Table of ContentMedical Tourism is not new to the world; from ages people have been traveling overseas for medical treatments. Yet, over the last few years the world is resonating with the term called Medical Tourism or medical travel. The landscape for Medical Tourism has changed significantly owing to a various reasons. The Medical Tourism market is booming and expected to gain further prominence over the forecast period attributed to the economic growth across the globe. Economic growth is also responsible for the ever changing preferences of destinations people travel to.Asklepios Kliniken Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH (Germany), Fortis Healthcare (India), Gleneagles Global Hospitals Group. (Singapore), Prince Court Medical Centre (Malaysia), Samitivej PCL (Thailand), Christus Muguerza (Mexico), and Anadolu Medical Center (Turkey) are some of the prominent players competing in the Global Medical Tourism Market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis.Get a Sample Report @Medical Tourism Market  OverviewAccording to a recent study report published by the Market Research Future, The global market of Medical Tourism is projected to accrue at a rapid pace during the forecast period (2017  2023). The Market is forecasted to account for an upsurge accretions of USD 226,762.7 Million by 2023with a whooping double digit CAGR of 21.4% during 2017 and 2023.The staggering accruals of Medical Tourism Market are attributed to the advanced and cost effective technologies. The increasing globalization, increasing global capital funding and advancement in medical technology has led to the betterment of international healthcare services. Medical Tourism Market is majorly led by the Medical excellence along with international accreditation. Increasing accredited facilities is a prime factor propelling the market growth of Medical Tourism. High treatment costs and lengthy waiting times for medical procedures, being the two major factors in driving medical tourism, are also supported by easier and cheaper international travel. While the U.K.s population prefers to travel abroad for bypassing long waits, patients from the U.S. travel outside for availing of treatments at cheaper costs.Worldwide Governments are keen and rendering the maximum support to entitle their country as a successful destination concerning healthcare system under the 2020 Vision. They ensure that there are numerous Specialty hospitals and clinics that measure up to international standards. Further, they ensure that there are renowned medical schools to ensure that the myriad of doctors and specialists graduate from there every year. Along with carrying these activities Governments also ensure that while costs are kept relatively low, the standard remains above average and competitive with the global markets. This factor, especially makes medical and health tourism so popular. Holistic approach in providing services, quality of treatments, and highly specialized and educated staff are biggest competitive advantage a country can have. From the very first point of patient s contact with the call centres or reception staff to the aftercare and follow up with the patient, these hospitals provide them with a 5-star treatment in every point of view. They promise worlds best medical care and quality service and work really hard to keep it up.One can never emphasize enough on the role of the private-public sector and the key public and government institutions on board of all the major initiatives and projects that would ultimately lead to a faster development of medical tourism. The policies that involve strategic and business-friendly visa regimes, taxation, investment levels, supporting infrastructure are all conducive to a healthier Medical tourism and network management growth. Tourist Boards introduce different websites for health tourism that connects private and public sector initiatives with potential medical travellers. Public sector has a great role in positioning a nation as one of leading destinations for medical travellers. Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Health, Chamber of Commerce, Tourist Board, and medical clusters are all working on this important vision of branding and positioning of a nation.Some hospitals in the market are developing a Health and Wellness Destination Guide. They consider such tool as necessary or preconditions for entering international markets after positioning the country as top notch destination for Medical Tourism.Medical Tourism Market  SegmentsThe Medical Tourism Market is segmented in to 2 key dynamics for the convenience of the report and enhanced understanding; Segmentation By Treatment: Comprises Cosmetic Surgery, Dentistry, Cardiology/ Cardiovascular Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery, Spine Treatments, Bariatric Surgery, Fertility/Reproductive System, Dental Treatments, Neurology/Neurosurgery Treatments, Fertility/IVF Treatments, Organ and Tissue Transplantation, Eye Surgery and Others. Segmentation By Regions: Comprises Geographical regions - North America, Europe, APAC and Rest of the World.Segment Cosmetic Treatments accounts for the largest market share which is 20%; followed by Dental and Orthopaedic/ Spine Treatments Segments which is 15% of market share. Cardiovascular/ Cardiology Treatments account for 13% of the market share. Neurology/ Neurosurgery Treatments, Fertility/ IVF Treatments and other hold for 10%, 8% and 6% of market share respectively.Browse Report Details @Medical Tourism Market  Regional AnalysisThe Asia Pacific region accounted for the largest share of the global medical tourism market, which had a lion share of 43.7% in 2016. This growth was attributed to heavy investment in infrastructure development, rising economy, technology up gradation, low cost and quality medical services, and government initiative to promote medical tourism in this region. Medical Tourism Market in India is booming attributed to the latest, low-cost technologies. The industry has evolved into a fully-fledged luxury market. Latest medical technologies in Indian hospitals at a lower cost is majorly contributing towards the country emerging as the premier Medical Tourism hub of the world. Treatments provided in India from accredited facilities are at par with any developed country in the world but at a lower cost, thus making giving Medical Tourism a competitive advantage over others. The digitisation in the health industry will also make the flow of foreign patients easier in the upcoming time.America holds the second position in the medical tourism, which is followed by Europe. Central and South American countries such as Mexico, Costa Rica, and Brazil are some of the most popular destinations for Americans and Canadians. The American medical tourism market is expected to grow till USD 102,496.8 million at a CAGR of 22% by end of the 2023.Europe is the growing market for the medical tourism. Since people from Western Europe are traveling to America to seek cost-effective treatments, which has relaxed the growth of the market.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Bio Mems Market: Quantitative Market Analysis, Current and Future Trends

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=15530

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/bio-mems-market.htm

https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/15530

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Transparency Market Research has observed the competitive landscape in the global Bio-MEMS Market to be quite consolidated. The top five players held a whopping share of about 45% in the global market in 2015. Abbott Laboratories, Becton Dickinson, Baxter International Inc., Medtronic, and Boston Scientific have been dominating the global market with their persistent efforts to develop innovative products and continuous research and development to enhance their existing product portfolio. These companies are also expected to strategize important mergers and acquisitions to win larger shares in the global market to remain dominant.According to the research report, the global bio-MEMS market was valued at US$695.0 mn in 2015. However, between the forecast years of 2016 and 2024, the global market is estimated to surge at a CAGR of 20.9% to reach a valuation of US$3.8 bn by the end of 2024.Sample With Latest Advancements @North America to Lead; Slated to Acquire 37.4% of Global Market by 2024On the basis of application, the global bio-MEMS market is segmented into neural implants, ENT implants, bionics, cardio-MEMS, and others. The cardio-MEMS segment is segment is estimated to show significant growth in the coming years as it is slated to acquire a share of 25.8% by the end of 2024. The high prevalence of heart-related issues is expected to keep the demand for cardio-MEMS to be high in the coming years.In terms of geography, the global bio-MEMS market is fragmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. In terms of revenue, North America is anticipated to lead the global market. This regional market is expected to garner a share of 37.4% by the end of 2024. The growing government grants to improve the healthcare infrastructure are considered to the key element to this growth.Browse Our Press Releases For More Information @Uptake of Microfluidics for Diagnostics Improves Adoption of Bio-MEMSThe global bio-MEMS market has been progressing against the backdrop of widening applications of tissue engineering in advanced surgical procedures. Bio-MEMS sensors, which include topical sensors are used to treat terminally ill patients. Collectively, these two factors are the key driving forces of the global bio-MEMS market. The uptake of microfluidics has also played a significant role directing the trajectory of the global market in a positive direction. Today, bio-MEMS are extensively being used for diagnostic purposes with the help of microfluidics. Furthermore, the market is also being driven by the advantage of bio-MEM such as quick detection of pathogens and bacteria. The high utility of bio-MEMS in the biomedical sector has proven to be essential and crucial to the growth of the global market, notes the lead author of this research report.Browse Our Table of Content @Complex Manufacturing Processes Threaten ProgressThe complex process of manufacturing MEMS and their sophisticated fabrication techniques have been the precise restraints for the global bio-MEMS market. Excessive dependency on technologically-advanced medical infrastructure has made adoption of bio-MEMS relatively difficulty. Analysts predict that these factors could hamper the growth of the overall market in the near future. In addition, the market will also be restrained from attaining its utmost potential due to the expensive nature of the technology. Implementation of MEMS is exceptionally expensive and unaffordable to many. This is a key restraint in the global bio-MEMS market.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:
Spinal Implants Market Analysis By procedure, type, Latest Trend & Key Players, Global Forecast to 2022

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2050

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/spinal-implants-market

Spinal implants Market Analysis, by procedure, by type (fusion implants, non-fusion implants), by material (titanium, titanium-alloy, stainless steel, and plastic), By Key Companies (Orthofix Holdings, Inc., RTI Surgical Inc. Stryker Corporation Quandary Medical LLC, Zimmer Biomet)- Forecast till 2022Market Synopsis of Spinal implants Market:Market Scenario:Spinal implants are devices used by surgeons for treating deformities, stabilizing and providing strength to the spine and for expediting the fusion process. Spinal implants are used for treating disorders which include degenerative disc disease, scoliosis, kyphosis, fracture, and spondylolisthesis. Rise in the number of vehicular accidents, increased spinal injuries and disorders, continuous rise in the geriatric and obese population are some of the factors that are fueling growth of the global spinal implants market.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key Players for Spinal implants Market: Alphatec Spine Inc Amedica Corporation Depuy Synthes Inc. (Johnson & Johnson) Exactech Inc. Globus Medical Inc. Integra LifeSciences, K2M Inc. LDR Holding Corporation Medtronic plc NuVasive Inc. Orthofix Holdings, Inc. RTI Surgical Inc. Stryker Corporation Quandary Medical LLC Zimmer BiometStudy Objectives of Spinal Implants Market: Providing detail analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 7 years of various segments and sub-segments of the spinal implants market. Giving insights about factors which are affecting the market growth. Analyzing the market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, Porters Five Force Analysis etc. Providing record about the past along with estimated future revenue of the markets segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa. Giving country level analysis of the market with respect to current market size and estimated future growth of the same. Providing country level analysis of the market segments by type, by procedure, by material and its sub-segments. Providing an overview of key players along with their strategic profiling in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies and drawing their current status in the market with respect to competition. Tracking and analyzing competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments along with research and developments currently happening in the global spinal implants market.Browse Full Report Details @Segments:Spinal implants market has been segmented on the basis of type of implant which comprises of fusion implants and non-fusion implants. On the basis of procedure, market is segmented into open surgery, and minimally invasive surgery. On the basis of material, market is again segmented into titanium, titanium-alloy, stainless steel and plastic.Regional Analysis of Spinal Implants Market:Globally North America is the largest market for spinal implants. Europe is the second-largest market. Furthermore Asia Pacific market is expected to be the fastest growing market for spinal implants.The report for spinal implants market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different markets segments and regionsContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Spinal Implants Market Research Report - Global Forecast To 2022chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.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.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Telemedicine Market - Driven By Advanced & Cost Effective Technologies to Grow at CAGR of 16.5% by 2022

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2216

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/telemedicine-market-2216

Global Telemedicine Market Information, by Type (Remote Monitoring and Real time interactive services), by Application - Forecast to 2022Market Research Future adds new report of Global Telemedicine Market Research Report - Forecast To 2022 it contains Company information, geographical data and Table of ContentTelemedicine (also referred to as "telehealth" or "e-health") allows health care professionals to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients in remote locations using telecommunications technology. Telemedicine allows patients in remote locations to access medical expertise quickly, efficiently and without travel. Telemedicine provides more efficient use of limited expert resources who can "see" patients in multiple locations wherever they are needed without leaving their facility.Competitive Analysis:Key players profiled in the report are Koninklijke Philips N.V. (The Netherlands), Medtronic (Ireland) AMD Telemedicine Technologies (U.S.), General Electric Company (U.K.), Neusoft Corporation (China), McKesson Corporation (US) , Intel (US), and IBM (US).Get a Sample Report @Market Segmentation:The global telemedicine market is segmented on the basis of type, which includes store and forward, remote monitoring, and real time interactive. On the basis of technology, the market is segmented into hardware, software, and services. The hardware is further segmented into on-site kiosks, telephone, and webcams. The software is further segmented into mobiles apps. The Services are further segmented into consultation, online video conferencing and academics. Furthermore, on the basis of application the market is classified into telecardiology, telepsychiatry, teleradiology, telepathology, teledermatology, teleaudiology, teleopthalmology, and others. On the basis of end users, the market is segmented into hospitals, clinical, medical institutes, and others.Market Highlights:The global telemedicine market is experiencing massive growth across the globe on account of extensive use of healthcare IT solutions, improved telecommunication infrastructure, and high demand for primary care services across the globe. Furthermore, rising prevalence of chronic diseases and technological advancement in the healthcare fuel the market growth. High installation cost of telemedicine solutions and availability of internet services in rural areas may restrain the market growth.The Global telemedicine market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16.5% during the forecast period.Regional AnalysisThe global telemedicine market is segmented on the basis of regions: The Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. The Americas accounts is the leading player in the global telemedicine market owing to an increasing demand for healthcare IT solutions, concentration of prominent market players, and availability of infrastructure for telemedicine.Europe is experiencing a significant growth in the telemedicine market owing to the availability of funds from the Europe Union (EU) for telemedicine projects.Asia Pacific shows phenomenal growth in telemedicine market and is expected to the fastest growing region as result of rising geriatric population and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases.The Middle East & Africa also show a steady rise in the telemedicine market.Browse Report Details @Brief TOC1. Report Prologue2. Introduction3. Research Methodology4. Market Dynamics5. Market Factor Analysis6. Global Telemedicine Market by Type7. Global Telemedicine Market by Technology8. Global Telemedicine Market by Application9. Global Telemedicine Market by End User10. Global Cell Counting Market by Region11. Company Profile12. Conclusion13. AppendixAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
CAS9 Technology Market Study By Medium, Application, Trend & Opportunities, Global Foresight to 2022

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2064

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/cas9-technology-market

CAS9 is an exceptional technological innovation that empowers genetic and therapeutic analysts to alter parts of the genome by removing, including or changing sections of the DNA. This technology right now is less complex, most adaptable and has precise technique for genetic manipulation hence it is causing a buzz in the science world. CAS9 is a genome altering technology that is creating a buzz in the science/healthcare world. It is faster in operation, monetarily less expensive and more efficient than previous technology used for altering DNA and has an extensive range of potential applications.This technology is yet to be performed upon humans, focus is currently on animals and on isolated human cells. It will help the healthcare/science industry to treat patients with fatal diseases. Based on the promising results of this technology, companies are investing massively in its research and development and are hoping to get the technology out of clinical trials as soon as possible. Globally the market for CAS9 technology is growing steadily and has a bright future.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Regional Analysis of CAS9 Technology Market:Globally North America is the largest market for CAS9 technology. Europe is expected to be the second-largest market. Furthermore Asia Pacific market is expected to be the fastest growing market for CAS9 Technology.Key Players for CAS9 Technology Market: CRISPR Therapeutics Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Lonza, Agilent Technologies GenScript Editas Medicine Horizon Discovery Group plc. New England Biolabs Transposagen Inc. CRISPR Therapeutics Albany Molecular Research Inc.Study objectives of CAS9 Technology Market: Giving detail analysis of the market structure along with its growth forecast for the next 7 years related to various segments and sub-segments of the CAS9 Technology market. Providing an insight about factors affecting the market growth. Analyzing the market based on various factors which includes price analysis, supply chain analysis, Porters Five Force Analysis etc. To provide historical and forecasting the future revenue of the markets segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa. Providing the country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and estimated growth of the market. To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to technology used, by application, by medium, end-user and its sub-segments. Presenting an overview of key players and their strategic profiling in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the in the market. Tracking and analyzing competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers & acquisitions, new product developments along with research and developments in the global CAS9 technology marketBrowse Full Report Details @Segments:CAS9 technology market has been segmented on the basis of medium which comprises of enzyme, RNA and others. On the basis of application the market is segmented into DNA sequence, DNA repair, gene library development, cell line engineering, genetic engineering, cancer, hepatitis B, gene therapy and others. On the basis of delivery IV infusion, injection, inhalation. On the basis of end-user, market is segmented into hospitals, biotechnology companies, research centers, and others.The report for CAS9 Technology market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different markets segments and regionsContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Global CAS9 Technology Market Research Report- Forecast To 2022 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.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.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
WEST SALEM  Robert G. Indahl, 81, of West Salem passed away Friday, Oct. 27, 2017. He went peacefully at home with the scent of fresh baked cookies filling the house and his wifes, daughters, and granddaughters voices in the air.

He was born in the summer of 1936, to Harry and Blanche (Osbourne) Indahl and often told fond memories of growing up on the farm. He graduated from West Salem High School in 1954 and entered the Wisconsin National Guard, where he served until 1962.

In August of 1964, he married Karen (Koll) Indahl and so began the adventure of their lives together. Having four daughters and one son made his life full, but he still found time for his many passions. He was fond of photography and art, returning to Western Technical College and earning a degree in commercial arts in 1992, he was often pestered by his children and later grandchildren, to draw pictures for them. He enjoyed camping and aviation, for a time holding his pilots license and part ownership in a plane. He liked to be prepared for anything and was known to carry more gadgets and tools in his pockets than seemed possible. He sang in barbershop quartets and in the church choir. He was very active in the church and on the school board and was a long-time member of the American Legion.

Maybe most importantly, over the years, Robert and Karen opened their home and hearts to numerous foster children, both official and unofficial. From babies dropped off wearing only diapers to their childrens friends. Many, many called them Mom and Dad. Robert was a man of patience and kindness and will be missed.

He is survived by his wife, Karen (Koll); daughters, Sarah (Joseph) Avampato, Rachel Indahl, Naomi (Derek) Olson and Rebecca Indahl; and his grandchildren, Ashley, Alexandria, Nicholas, Chloe, Fayth, and Infinity.

He is preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Pauline Ardel (Delbert) Wiltsie and Joyce (Leonard) Hemker; and his son, Joseph.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 2, at the Jandt-Fredrickson Funeral Home, Jostad Chapel, 121 N. Youlon St., West Salem. Pastor Wassermann will officiate. A visitation will be from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. Wednesday and from 10 a.m. until the time of service both at the funeral home. The family requests in lieu of flowers, those interested make a donation to an American Legion Building Fund or a charity of donors choice. Online condolences may be sent at www.jandtfredrickson.com.
Orthopedic Trauma Devices Market Analysis By Product Type, Material Type, Trend & Industry Growth, Global Foresight to 2022

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2080

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/orthopedic-trauma-devices-market

Orthopedic Trauma Devices Market Analysis, By Material Type, By Product Type, By End-User & is expected to grow at the CAGR of 8% Till 2022Market Synopsis of Global Orthopedic Trauma Devices Market:Market Scenario:Orthopedic trauma is a type of orthopedic surgery to heal the injuries happened to the musculoskeletal system of the body after trauma. It may lead to traumatic amputations, dislocations, connective tissue injuries and damage of soft tissues. Orthopedic trauma devices plays a key role during surgical treatment of traumatic orthopedic injuries. Increase in road accidents and severe fracture incidences worldwide are some of the factors driving the market for orthopedic trauma device.The global market for orthopedic trauma devices expected to grow at the CAGR of 8%.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key Players for Global Orthopedic Trauma Devices Market: Invibio (UK) BIOTEK (India) Auxein Medical (India) Stryker Johnson & Johnson Services, Inc. (US) DePuy Synthes Companies Ortho Max Manufacturing Company Pvt. Ltd. NuVasive, Inc. Orthofix Holdings, Inc. (Italy) Smith & Nephew MEDTRONIC B. Braun Melsungen AGStudy Objectives Global Orthopedic Trauma Devices Market: To provide detail analysis of the global orthopedic market structure along with forecast for the next 7 years of various segments and sub-segments of this market. To provide insights about factors which are affecting the market growth. To analyze the market based on various factors which includes price analysis, supply chain analysis, Porters Five Force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments of four main geographies and their countries- Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to current market size and future growth prospective. To provide country level analysis of the markets segments by material type, by product type, by end users and other sub segments. To provide overview of key players and their strategic profiling in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies and drawing a competitive structure of the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments along with research and developments that is happeningBrowse Full Report Details @Intended Audience Orthopedic Trauma Devices Manufacturers Orthopedic Trauma Devices Suppliers Private Research Laboratories Research and Development (R&D) Companies Market Research and Consulting Service ProvidersSegments:Global orthopedic trauma device market has been segmented on the basis of material type which comprises of bioabsorbable materials, non-absorbable materials and others. On the basis of product type; the market is segmented into screws, plates, patient specific implants and others. On the basis of end users; market is segmented into hospitals, rehabilitation centers, clinics and others.The report of Global Orthopedic Trauma Devices Market by Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with detail analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain a deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives a clear picture of the current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in of the market. The report provides detail information and strategies of top key players in the industry also gives a broad study of different markets segments and regions.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Global Orthopedic Trauma Devices Market - Forecast to 2022 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.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.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Tube Packaging Market Is Expected To Reach USD 8,297.7 Million By 2022

Tube Packaging Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1776

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/tube-packaging-market-1776

Market Highlights:A tube is a hollow container, made up of plastic, aluminum or paperboard. A tube packaging is used majorly for containing sticky liquids such as lotions, ointment, pastes and adhesive among others. The key drivers of the market are growth in growth in pharmaceutical industry, increase in demand from cosmetic industry, and innovation in packaging. The rising disposable income, and rising population will lead to the growth of the cosmetic industry. This will ultimately increase the growth of tube packaging market. The global tube packaging market is witnessing intense competition due to presence of large number of manufacturers. Growing consumption of cosmetics and oral care products across all age groups globally is primarily driving the market.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Tube Packaging Market: Amcor Limited (Australia) Sonoco Products Company (U.S.) Huhtamaki (Finland) CCL Industries (Canada) Albea Group (Luxembourg) Essel Propack Limited (India) Montebello Packaging (Canada) Unette Corporation (U.S.) World Wide Packaging LLC. (U.S.) Sinclair & Rush, Inc. (U.S.)Market Research Analysis:On the basis of region, Europe takes the lead as fastest growing market, followed by North America and APAC majorly due to increasing per capita income and consumer spending. The European region is marked with informed and quality conscious consumers. This widens the scope for full proof packaging technology that retains the properties and texture of the product in any segment: food, beverage, cosmetics, medicines, lotions, pastes, etc.Furthermore in the regions of APAC, there have been various government initiatives taken for healthcare reforms. This augments the demand for such packaging that preserves the medicinal value of the product throughout its shelf life and during usage. The region has also seen a lot of investment in R&D towards the technological advancement in packaging industries.Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global packaging foam market, tracking three market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global packaging foams market by material, by product, by application, and by region.By Materials: Laminate Plastic Aluminum OthersBy Product: Squeeze tubes Twist tubes OthersBy Application Personal Care Pharmaceuticals Food, Consumer goods OthersBy Region: North America Europe Asia-Pacific ROWBrief TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.3 Assumptions2.4 Market Structure3 Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size Estimation3.5 Forecast Model4 Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.1.1 Growth in pharmaceutical industry4.1.2 Increase in demand from cosmetic industry4.1.3 Innovation in packaging4.2 Restraints4.2.1 Fluctuation in raw material prices4.3 Opportunity4.3.1 Scope in the Developing Nations4.3.2 Impact of PackagingContinueAccess Report Details @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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Thermoform Packaging Market Forecast and Industry Overview to 2022

Thermoform Packaging Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1851

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/thermoform-packaging-market-1851

Market Highlights:The increasing demand from food & beverage and pharmaceuticals industries globally drives the market. The large consumer base, increasing manufacturing activities, cost-effective, environment friendly and increase in spending by consumers for packaged food. PET leads the market, majorly due to replacing polystyrene resin. Europe is the largest market. The global thermoform packaging market size was valued at around USD 32 Billion in 2015 and is expected to grow at CAGR of 7% by 2022.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Thermoform Packaging Market: Bemis Company, Inc. Sonoco Products Company E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company Amcor Limited DS Smith Plc. WestRock Company Display Pack Inc Tray Pack Corporation Lacerta Group Inc Sealed AirMarket Research Analysis:The market is highly application based. The factors contributing to the growth of the global thermoform packaging market is the increasing demand for convenient packaging, growth in food & beverage industry and cost-effective. The market is expected to have higher growth rate as compared to the previous years. Europe is the largest region for the thermoform packaging market, followed by Asia-Pacific and North-America. The main reason for the growth in the region includes the rapid growth of industries such as food & beverage and pharmaceuticals in Germany.Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global thermoform packaging market, tracking two market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global thermoform packaging market as material, type and application.By Material Plastic PET PP PVC Others Paper Aluminum OthersBy Type Blister Packaging Skin Packaging Clamshell Packaging OthersBy Application Food & beverage Pharmaceutical Electronics Personal care OthersBrief TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Scope Of The Report2.1 Market Definition2.2 Scope Of The Study2.2.1 Research Objectives2.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations2.3 Markets Structure3 Market Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Secondary Research3.3 Primary Research3.4 Forecast Model4 Market Landscape4.1 Five Forces Analysis4.1.1 Threat Of New Entrants4.1.2 Bargaining power of buyers4.1.3 Threat of substitutes4.1.4 Segment rivalry4.2 Value Chain of Global Thermoform Packaging Market5 Industry Overview of Global Thermoform Packaging Market5.1 Introduction5.2 Growth Drivers5.3 Impact analysis5.4 Market Challenges5.5 Impact analysisContinueAccess Report Details @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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email:sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Metal Cans Market Key Players - Rexam PLC, Silgan Containers LLC, Kian Joo Can Factory Berhad

Metal Cans Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1907

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/metal-cans-market-1907

Market Highlights:The popularity of metal cans is growing over the past few years. Metal cans are used for storage of food, beverage, oil and others. The major advantage of metal cans are that they are 100% recyclable. Rising disposable income, changing lifestyle, increasing demand for processed food products, rising demand for alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages fueled the demand of the market. Manufacturers are focusing on development of new products. The global metal cans market size is expected to cross USD 65 Billion at CAGR of approximately 4% by 2022.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Metal Cans Market: Rexam PLC Silgan Containers LLC Kian Joo Can Factory Berhad Independent Can Company Ball Corporation Crown Holdings, Inc, HUBER Packaging Group GmbH SKS Bottle & Packaging, Inc, Ardagh Group and Can Smart (PTY) LTD.Market Research Analysis:The market is highly application based. Food & beverage globally drive the market due to rising disposable income and changing lifestyles. The market is expected to have higher growth rate as compared to the previous years. On the basis of material, Aluminum accounted for the largest market share. Asian countries, especially India, China and Japan expected to grow fast over the forecasted period due to large population base, increasing demand for processed food & beverages and the growing consumer market. However, North-America is the largest region for the metal cans market and is expected to grow at a steady rate.Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global metal cans market, tracking three market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global metal cans market as material, type and application. On the basis of material it is segmented as Aluminum and Steel. On the basis of type it is segmented as 2-piece and 3-piece cans. On the basis of application it is widely used in food and beverage sectors.Brief TOC for Metal Cans:1 Executive Summary2 Scope Of The Report2.1 Market Definition2.2 Scope Of The Study2.2.1 Research Objectives2.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations2.3 Markets Structure3 Market Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Secondary Research3.3 Primary Research3.4 Forecast Model4 Market Landscape4.1 Five Forces Analysis4.1.1 Threat Of New Entrants4.1.2 Bargaining power of buyers4.1.3 Threat of substitutes4.1.4 Segment rivalry4.2 Value Chain of Global Metal Cans Market5 Industry Overview of Global Metal Cans Market5.1 Introduction5.2 Growth Drivers5.3 Impact analysis5.4 Market Challenges5.5 Impact analysisContinueTarget Audience: Manufactures Raw Materials Suppliers Aftermarket supplier Research Institute / Education Institute Potential Investors Key executive (CEO and COO) and strategy growth managerAccess Report Details @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Bubble Wrap Packaging Market will reach USD 10.73 Billion by 2023

Bubble Wrap Packaging Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1796

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/bubble-wrap-packaging-market-1796

Market Highlights:The increased demand for bubble wrap packaging depends heavily on the emergence of e-commerce platforms and organized retail outlets in cities and townships. The growth of e-commerce websites runs parallel with the packaging industry. The reason is the dependence of the online shopping portals on the logistics solutions. The industry depends on the safe and quick delivery of the products to the end-user. The packaging plays an important role. Bubble wraps are used extensively to ship the product in the best possible way, so that it reached the user without being damaged or tampered.Request a Sample Copy @Market Research Analysis:Asia-Pacific accounted for the largest market share of 31.54 % in 2016 and is expected to grow the highest during the forecast period owing to rising disposable incomes and the booming ecommerce industry. The protective packaging market in developing countries such as China and India are estimated to grow at a high rate in the forecast period. China is estimated to grow faster than any other country because of its strong economic growth along with increase in online shopping and rapid urbanization. China will account for the largest market share of 38.45% over the forecast period.Key Players:The key players of global bubble wrap packaging market report include Sealed Air Corporation (North Carolina), Veritiv Corporation (Georgia), Pregis Corporation (U.S.), Tarheel Paper & Supply Company (U.S.), Jiffy Packaging Co. (U.K.), iVEX Protective Packaging Inc.(U.S.), Barton Jones Packaging Ltd (U.S.), Automated Packaging System (U.S.), Abco Kovex Ltd (Ireland), Future Packaging and Machinery (PTY) Ltd (Johannesburg) and others.Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global bubble wrap packaging market, tracking three market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global Electronic goods packaging market by its material, product, application and region.By Material Polyethylene Kraft Paper Aluminum Foil OthersBy Product Bubble rolls Bubble Bag Bubble Mailer OthersBy Application Automotive Pharmaceutical E-commerce Electronics OthersBy Region North America Asia Pacific Europe Rest of the WorldAccess Report Details @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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Hot Drinks Packaging Market Demand, Trends and Global Forecast to 2022

Hot Drinks Packaging Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1821

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/hot-drinks-packaging-market-1821

Market Highlights:The rising demand of hot drinks in emerging countries has become the reason for the growth of the global hot drinks packaging market. Plastic pouches contribute largest to the market share in terms of material. Coffee and Tea industries extensively use hot drinks packaging. Manufacturers are introducing several innovative packaging methods to preserve the quality of hot drinks like coffee, tea and others. Companies are investing in materials that are light and cause less environmental impact. North America is the fastest growing region, majorly due to the increasing number of health-conscious consumers. The global hot drinks packaging market is projected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 3.3% in the forecasted period.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Hot Drinks Packaging Market: Associated British Foods Jacobs Douwe Egberts Nestle S.A Strauss Group Ltd. Tata Global Beverages Ltd. Unilever Apeejay Surrendra Group Bettys & Taylors Group Ltd. Barrys Tea Cantarella Bros Pty Ltd Eight O'Clock Coffee CompanyMarket Research Analysis:The market is highly application based. The key factors contributing to the growth of the global hot drinks packaging market are high efficiency of packaging machines, energy and cost savings due to flexible packaging and increased concern of source reduction & sustainability. The global hot drinks packaging market is expected to have higher growth rate as compared to the previous years. The growth of industry is further augmented by the demand from the regions of United States, India and China. North America is the largest growing region for the hot drinks packaging market, followed by Asia-Pacific and Europe. The main reasons for the growth in the region include increasing disposable income, changing lifestyle, rising annual foodservice consumption of premium tea & coffee and the increasing number of health-conscious consumers.Brief TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Scope Of The Report2.1 Market Definition2.2 Scope Of The Study2.2.1 Research Objectives2.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations2.3 Markets Structure3 Market Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Secondary Research3.3 Primary Research3.4 Forecast Model4 Market Landscape4.1 Five Forces Analysis4.1.1 Threat Of New Entrants4.1.2 Bargaining power of buyers4.1.3 Threat of substitutes4.1.4 Segment rivalry4.2 Value Chain of Global Hot Drinks Packaging Market5 Industry Overview of Global Hot Drinks Packaging Market5.1 Introduction5.2 Growth Drivers5.3 Impact analysis5.4 Market Challenges5.5 Impact analysisContinueScope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global hot drinks packaging market, tracking two market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global hot drinks packaging market as material and product. On the basis of material it is segmented as Plastic, Glass and others. On the basis of products it is widely used in Tea, Coffee and other hot drink products.Access Report Details @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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
MRSA Drugs Market Analysis By Industry Share, Growth, Revenue & Global Foresight to 2022

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2102

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/mrsa-drugs-market

MRSA Drugs Market Analysis, by Drug Origin (semisynthetic and synthetic drugs), by Drug Class, By Key Companies (Allergan, Plc, Merck Inc, Pfizer, Savara Pharmaceuticals, Sealife Pharma) - Forecast to 2022Market Synopsis of MRSA Drugs Market:Market Scenario:Most MRSA infections occur mostly to individuals who've been in hospitals or in other medicinal services facilities, for example, nursing homes and dialysis centers. When it occurs in these places, it's known as healthcare services related MRSA (HA-MRSA). HA-MRSA infection normally is related with obtrusive techniques or gadgets, for example, surgeries, intravenous tubing or fake jointsAnother type of MRSA disease has happened in most healthy individuals. Methicillin-safe staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) contamination is caused by a type of staph microscopic organisms that is resistant to a number of anti-toxins which are used to treat ordinary staph infections.Among these individuals who are diagnosed with MRSA (CA-MRSA), it ideally starts as an excruciating skin boil and spreads by skin-to-skin contact. People who are contaminated maximum are at-hazard populations which includes, secondary school wrestlers, child care workers and individuals who live in crowded places.Global MRSA Drugs is expected to reach USD 3.1 billion by the end of the forecasted period from 2016 to 2022; it is confidently expected that this market has a bright future.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key Players for MRSA Drugs Market: Allergan, Plc Merck Inc Pfizer Savara Pharmaceuticals Sealife Pharma Sequella Inc Theravance Biopharma Baxter International AstraZeneca GSK Cempra Inc Biopharma AS Galapagos NV XBiotech NovaDigm Therapeutics Inc.Regional Analysis of MRSA Drugs Market:Globally North America is the largest market for MRSA Drugs; Europe is expected to be the second-largest market. Furthermore Asia Pacific market is expected to be the fastest growing market for MRSA Drugs.Segments:MRSA drugs market has been segmented on the basis of drug class which comprises of folate antagonist, lipopeptides, tetracycline, oxazolidinone, cephalosporin, and lipoglycopeptide. On the basis of drug origin the market is also segmented into semisynthetic drug, synthetic drugs and others.Study Objectives of MRSA Drugs Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 7 years on various segments and sub-segments of the MRSA drugs market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To analyze the market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, Porters Five Force Analysis etc. To provide past and estimated future revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospect. To provide country level analysis of the market for segments by drug class, by drug origin, and its sub-segments. To provide overview of key players and their strategic profiling in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments along with research and developments in the global MRSA drugs market.Browse Full Report Details @The report for MRSA Drugs Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different markets segments and regionsContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from MRSA Drugs Market Research Report- Global Forecast To 2022 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.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.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Stick Pouches Packaging Market Is Predicted To Grow At A CAGR Of 6% By 2022

Stick Pouches Packaging Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2601

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/stick-pouches-packaging-market-2601

Market Highlights:The global stick pouches packaging market will be driven by growth in the flexible packaging market and the rise in demand for ready-made meals with extended shelf life due to the changing lifestyle of the people. The technological advancements and the extensive research & development in the field of packaging are also expected to drive the demand of the stick pouches packaging market. The emergence of concept of readyto-eat packaged food and the less logistics cost due to small and adjustable size is expected to drive the growth of the stick pouches packaging market.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Stick Pouches Packaging Market: Amcor Ltd. (Australia) Ampac Holdings, LLC (U.S.) Clondalkin Group (Netherlands) Sealed Air Corporation (U.S.) Astrapak Limited (South Korea) Bemis Company Inc. (U.S) Sonoco Products (U.S.)Market Research Analysis:The packaging type is the most important factor in food packaging, beverages, pharmaceutical and others. Polyethylene pouches, of all materials used for packaging, are the most commonly used material. The pouches are light weight and provide advantage of compact packaging for the purpose of logistics. The pouches are being extensively used for storing frozen food and even for packaging of the beverages. Therefore, growth in the concept of flexible packaging will directly influence the stick pouches packaging market.Asia-Pacific region is expected to dominate the stick pouches packaging market with highest CAGR due to the rapidly changing lifestyle, increase in the disposable income, extensive growth in population, and the constantly growing packaged food industry. The increase in sale of incense sticks and adoption among people in the region is also contributing to the growth of the market.Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global stick pouches packaging market, tracking two market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global stick pouches packaging market by materials, applications and regions.By Material Polyester Paper Polyethylene OthersBy Application Food & Beverages Pharmaceutical Consumer Goods OthersBy Region North America Asia Pacific Europe Rest of the WorldBrief TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope of the Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis4 Global Stick Pouches packaging market, By Material4.1 Introduction4.2 Polyester4.3 Paper4.4 Polyethylene4.5 Others5 Global Stick Pouches packaging market, By Application5.1 Introduction5.2 Food & Beverages5.3 Pharmaceutical5.4 Consumer Goods5.5 OthersContinueAccess Report Details @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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Green Packaging Market - Global Industry Analysis and Key Insights by 2023

Green Packaging Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2995

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/green-packaging-market-2995

Market Highlights:The growth of the global green packaging market is expected to be driven by the growing population, improved standard of living, and the shift preference of more sustainable packaging materials. Consumers of luxury goods are favoring green packaging techniques that use bio plastics. The industry is projected to witness an upsurge in the demand of sustainable packaging in the food & beverage, personal care, and healthcare industries. Several multinational companies have banded together to form a community called Together for Sustainability to promote sustainable developments.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Green Packaging Market: Amcor Limited (Australia) Bemis Company, Inc. (U.S.) Tetra Laval International S.A. (Switzerland) Mondi Plc (South Africa) WestRock Company (U.S.) BASF SE (Germany) Sonoco Products Company (U.S.) Smurfit Kappa Group PLC (U.S.) Sealed Air Corporation (U.S.) Huhtamaki OYJ (Finland)Market Research Analysis:The North America region is dominating the market of green packaging. The growing awareness and demand for sustainable practices among the middle-class population, is expected to favor the growth in the region.Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at a fast pace in the forecast period. Health consciousness of consumers and thus the preference of sustainable packaging, are driving the market of green packaging. Moreover, rapid lifestyle changes and economic growth, coupled with demand for eco-friendly products in Asia Pacific countries such as China and India has spiked the growth rate of green packaging in the region.Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global green packaging industry, tracking two market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global green packaging market as packaging type and application. On the basis of packaging type it is segmented as recycled content packaging and degradable packaging. On the basis of application it is segmented as food & beverage, health care, personal care and other.Brief TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope of the Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis4 Global Green Packaging Market, By Packaging Type4.1 Introduction4.2 Recycled Content Packaging4.3 Degradable packaging5 Global Green Packaging Market, By Application5.1 Introduction5.2 Food and Beverage5.3 Healthcare5.4 Personal Care5.5 OthersContinueAccess Report Details @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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Packaging Foams Market Is Expected To Grow At A CAGR Of 6% By 2023

Packaging Foams Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2748

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/packaging-foams-market-2748

Market Highlights:Foam is made up by mixing air and liquid together. Foam packaging is widely used in electronics, toys and others so as to protect the products. It can be used repeatedly and is less expensive than other form of packaging. The major factors that are responsible for the growth of this market are innovation in packaging technology, transportation technique and increase in the demand of online shopping worldwide. The increase in the demand of online packaging have led to the increase in the usage of packaging foam which have resulted in the growth of this market.Request for Sample Copy @Key Players: Armacell (Germany) JSP (Japan) Zotefoams Plc. (U.K.) BASF SE (Germany) Sealed Air Corporation (U.S.) Synthos SA (Poland) Rogers Corporation (U.S.) Kaneka Corporation (Japan) Arkema (France) Foampartner Group (Switzerland).Market Research Analysis:Asia-Pacific region is expected to dominate the market during the forecast period due to easy availability of raw material. The increase in the investment have led to the growth of packaging industry, ultimately resulting in the growth of this market. In China, India, Indonesia, and Thailand there is an increase in the online shopping due to which there is an increase in the usage of packaging foams. This will led to the growth of this market in this region. The ability to carter the mower market and the lower production cost have also led to the growth of this market.Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global packaging foam market, tracking three market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global packaging foams market by lock type, by vehicle type, by application, and by region.By Structure Flexible Foam Rigid FoamBy Material Polystyrene Polyurethane OthersBy Service Food Service Protective Packaging OthersBy Region North America Europe Asia-Pacific ROWBrowse Full Report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Tamara Thomsen will share Wisconsins rich maritime history in a lecture Thursday at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Thomsen, a Wisconsin Historical Society maritime archaeologist, will speak about the history of shipwrecks in the states portion of the Great Lakes during a lecture at 7:30 p.m. in Room 3310 in the UW-L Student Union. Her talk is free and open to the public and follows a social at 6:30 p.m. and an award ceremony for this years Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center James P. Gallagher Award in Archaeology Excellence.

During her presentation, Thomsen will explore Wisconsins Great Lakes shipwrecks through underwater video, historic photographs and the sharing archaeological discoveries. Attendees can learn how the Wisconsin Historical Society documents the more than 190 known shipwrecks that act as time capsules of the maritime past.

It should be entertaining for everyone, she said. And it wont just be Great Lakes ships. I will also include some on the Mississippi (River).

One of those wrecks still lies next to the city of La Crosse. The War Eagle, a famous paddle steamship, was built in 1854 in Fulton, Ohio, and had a 16-year career before sinking in flames.

During the Civil War, the ship functioned as a troop and supply carrier. It was purchased in 1866 by the La Crosse & St. Paul Packet Co. to transport passengers and freight between Galena and St. Paul.

On May 16, 1870, while unloading freight at the Milwaukee Railroad depot in La Crosse, the War Eagles carpenter attempted to repair a leaking cask of kerosene. His lantern ignited the kerosene and rapidly spread to the vessel, the adjoining pier and depot, and nearby railroad cars. The fire destroyed the ship, caused at least seven deaths and damaged much of the pier.

The talk will feature three of the archaeological surveys done on Lake Michigan as well as work on a proposed national marine sanctuary that would include three Wisconsin counties and 39 known shipwrecks. Wisconsin has 729 known losses of vessels over 50 years old, she said, but researchers know the locations of less than a third of them.

There is still quite a bit left to discover, she said. We are still looking at three or four shipwrecks a year.

MVACs James P. Gallagher Award in Archaeology Excellence will be presented posthumously to Dr. Thomas C. Pleger, a UW-L graduate whose subsequent career spanned 21 years of service in the UW System. Most recently, he served as president of Lake Superior State University in Michigan until his unexpected death earlier this year. MVAC founder James Gallagher will present the award to Plegers wife, Teresa.
Ophthalmic Viscoelastic devices Market 2017: Key Players  Johnson & Johnson, Alcon Laboratories Inc., Bausch & Lomb, Carl Zeiss AG, Rayner Company

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1396

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/1396

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/ophthalmic-viscoelastic-devices-market-1396

Market Research Future adds new report of Global Ophthalmic Viscoelastic devices Market Research Report it contains Company information, geographical data and Table of ContentOphthalmic Viscoelastic Devices (OVD) market information: by types (cohesive ophthalmic viscoelastic devices (OVDS), dispersive ophthalmic viscoelastic devices (OVDS)) by application (cataract surgery, glaucoma surgery, corneal transplantation, vitreoretinal surgery) by end-user (ophthalmic clinics & phaco centers, hospitals, academic & research institutes) - Global Forecast till 2027Get a Copy of Sample Report @Market Synopsis of Global Ophthalmic Viscoelastic devices Market:Market scenario:Ophthalmic viscoelastic devices (OVDs) are regarded as a standard tool used in the ophthalmic surgeries. Over the last decade, OVDs had acquired a lot of attention owing to their properties and advantages. Sodium Hyaluronate is the most widely used OVD material. OVD has a great impact on ophthalmic surgeries, especially cataract surgeries and other intraocular lens implantation. Many studies had proven that use of OVD has increased the success rate of the surgeries.The major driving factor for the ophthalmic viscoelastic devices market are increasing number of cataract and glaucoma surgeries across the globe, developments in OVDs and favourable reimbursement policies. On the other hand lack of general awareness and availability of alternative therapy has restrained the growth of the market.Considering all these factors the market for ophthalmic viscoelastic devices (OVD) is expected to reach $ 1,203.26 million by the end of 2027, this market is projected to growing at a CAGR of ~ 11.6 % during 2017-2027.SegmentationThe global ophthalmic viscoelastic devices (OVD) market is segmentedon the basis of types, application and end users. Based on types, the market has been segmented as cohesive ophthalmic viscoelastic devices (OVD) and dispersive ophthalmic viscoelastic devices (OVD).Based on the application, the market has been segmented as cataract surgery, glaucoma surgery, corneal transplantation and vitreoretinal surgery.Based on the end users, the market has been segmented as ophthalmic clinics & phaco centers, hospitals and academic & research institutes.Get more information of Reports @Key players of Global Ophthalmic Viscoelastic Devices (OVD) Market:Johnson & JohnsonAlcon Laboratories Inc.Bausch & LombCarl Zeiss AGRayner CompanyBohus BioTech ABLifecore Biomedical LLCThe report for Global Ophthalmic Viscoelastic Devices (OVD) Market by Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain a deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives a clear picture of the current market scenario which includes past and estimated future market size with respect to value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides detail information about and strategies used by top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.Key findingThe global ophthalmic viscoelastic devices (OVDs) market is growing at a growth rate of 11.59% during the period 2017-2027. Increasing prevalence of cataract and glaucoma surgeries, advances in the ophthalmic viscoelastic devices, and the increasing diabetic population are some of the major factors responsible for market growth.Currently, cohesive OVDs accounts for the largest market share in the global scenario due to their advantages and long history. They are easily removed from the eye, they have high molecular weight and high viscosity, making them the perfect agent for maintaining the space. There has been significant growth in the demand for the cohesive OVDs.Johnson & Johnson, Alcon Laboratories, Inc., Bausch & Lomb, Carl Zeiss AG are some of the prominent market players in the ophthalmic viscoelastic devices (OVDs) market.Regional AnalysisOn regional basis, North America has the largest market of Ophthalmic Viscoelastic devices. Due to the increasing diabetic and obese population in this region, these have become a major driving factor for this markets growth. Moreover increasing governments support has also lead to the growth of this market. Europe is the second largest market due to increasing aging population and technological advances here. Emerging economies like India and China in Asia-Pacific region has provided to be a fuel for the growth of this market here. Middle East and Africa contributes less to this markets growth.Browse Full Report @Market AssessmentThe report of global Ophthalmic Viscoelastic devices market by Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with detail analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts and key opinion leaders to gain a deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives a clear picture of current market scenario which includes past and estimated future market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides detail information about and strategies used by top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the markets segments and regions.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 North America, 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 questionsContact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Semiconductor Packaging Material Market Is Expected to Witness A Steady Growth By 2027

Semiconductor Packaging Material Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1217

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/semiconductor-packaging-material-market-1217

Semiconductor Packaging Material Global Market  OverviewA semiconductor package refers to a metal, plastic, glass or ceramic casing containing one or more semiconductor electronic components. Individual discrete components are typically etched in silicon wafer before being cut and assembled in a package. The package provides protection against impact and corrosion holds the contact pins or leads which are used to connect from external circuits to the device, and dissipates heat produced in the device. Thousands of standard package types are made, with some made to industry-wide standards and some particular to an individual manufacturer.Semiconductor packaging material market has witnessed a remarkable growth over the past few years, globally, owing to the rising demand for mobile phones, tablets and other communication devices and as per the MRFR estimation the market will keep on growing during the forecast year. The global semiconductor packaging material market had valued in billions in 2015, the market is expected to grow further surpassing its previous growth records by 2027 with a remarkable CAGR during the forecasted period (2017-2027), predicts the Market Research Future in the recent study report - Global Semiconductor Packaging Material Market.Request a Sample Copy @The semiconductor packaging materials is a major platform to the success of the semiconductor business across the globe and the changes in consumer electronics is driving the changes in packaging materials market. The major factor driving the global market of SPM is constantly growing mobile industry and technological advancements. The global market of semiconductor packaging material has augmented exceptionally well owing to the increased demand for mobile and other communication devices, enlightens us the MRFR Team Research Analyst while commenting upon this deep diving study report, presented through more than 100 market data tables and figures, widely spread over 115 pages.Semiconductor Packaging Material Global Market Key Players:Semiconductor packaging material manufacturers and subcontractors are experiencing a severe pricing pressure from their customers. Thus, manufacturers are pushing cost reduction at a faster pace to offset erosion in semiconductor average selling prices (ASP).Identified by MRFR Analysts, as the leading market players operating in the global semiconductor packaging material market primarily include, Henkel AG, Hitachi Chemical, Sumitomo Chemical, Kyocera Chemical, Mitsui High-Tec. Other prominent players of the SPM Market include Toray Industries Corporation, Alent PLC, LG Chemical and others.Semiconductor Packaging Material Global Market Segmentation:Semiconductor packaging material global market has been segmented in to 2 key dynamics for an enhanced understanding and convenience of the report.By Types: Organic substrates, bonding wires, encapsulation resins, ceramic packages, solder balls, wafer level packaging dielectrics and others.By Technology : Grid Array, Small Outline Package, Dual Flat No-Leads, Quad Flat Package, Dual In-Line Package and others.The World of consumer electronics shapes (Changes) depending upon the changes taking place in semiconductor devices world ie the thickness of the semiconductor device, die (diodes) attached and bonding wire and encapsulated with materials playing a major role enabling the development of newer packaging technologies.Semiconductor Packaging Material Global Market Synopsis & Scenario:Semiconductor packaging material global market is growing with the up surged Sales of Smartphones and Smart Devices, however the growth may get restricted by thehigh Dependency on Performance of Semiconductor Equipment IndustryRedistributed Chip Packaging is is very popular in the market; this has ultimately become a trend followed by almost every manufacturers of the global market of Semiconductor Packaging Material.Semiconductor Packaging Material Market Regional Analysis:Geographically, Asia-Pacific is one of the crucial markets due to the presence of vast electronic industry in China, Japan and South Korea. This factor has placed Asia-Pacific the leading market in near future followed by North America and Europe.Access Report Details @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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Metal Packaging Market Is Expected To Grow At A CAGR Of 3.28% By 2022

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1917

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/metal-packaging-market-1917

Market Highlights:Metal packaging is the process of enclosing or protecting products using materials such as aluminum and steel for distribution, storage, sale, and use. Such packaging is used across industries such as food & beverages, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and personal care.The growth of global metal packaging market can be attributed to factors such as increasing disposal income and changing consumer preferences. In addition, growing demand from the food and beverage markets has been instrumental in fuelling the overall growth in the packaging industry. However, increasing material cost and environmental issues are the major restraints to the growth of market.The global metal packaging market is poised to grow approximately at 3.28% CAGR and is estimated to touch USD 138.1 Million by the end of 2022.Request for a Sample Copy @Key Players of Metal Packaging Market: Amcor Ltd. (Australia) Ardagh Group (Ireland) CPMC Holdings Ltd. (China) Crown Holdings (U.S.) Grief Incorporated (U.S.) Silgan Holdings (U.S.) Rexam Plc. (U.K.) Toyo Seikan Group Holdings, Ltd. (Japan) Ball Corporation (U.S.) Huber Packaging Group GmbH (Germany)Regional Analysis of Global Metal Packaging MarketNorth America has dominated the market with 33.3% market share in 2015, factors such as fast-paced lifestyle leading to convenience packaging is driving the market. US is dominating the metal packaging market in North America with a market share of 80% in 2015.Asia-Pacific region is expected to show the fastest growth during the forecast period due to rapid urbanization, rising income & changing lifestyle in the region.Brief TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope of the Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces AnalysisContinueAccess Report Details @Target Audience Manufactures Raw Materials Suppliers Aftermarket suppliers Research Institute / Education Institute Potential Investors Key executive (CEO and COO) and strategy growth managerAbout 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 Components, Application, Technologies 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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Insulated Packaging Market Drivers, Trends, Opportunities and Forecast to 2022

Insulated Packaging Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2549

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/insulated-packaging-market-2549

Market Highlights:An insulated material is the combination of materials which reduces or prevent the transmission of heat and this materials have low thermal conductivity. Various end-user such as food & beverages, pharmaceutical, chemicals, cosmetics depend heavily on insulated packaging so as to protect the product from volatility in temperature, fire or explosion. Their products need proper packaging because they are subjected to extreme weather conditions, and pressure while transportation. The major drivers of growth of the insulated packaging market are rapid growth in e-commerce trend in emerging nations, rapid growth in urbanization, and increase in per capita income. Other factors responsible for the growth of this market are the rising customer spending, growing concern for the safety of products, growth in pharmaceutical industry, and high disposable income.Asia-pacific region is expected to dominate the insulated packaging market due to the growing end-user application. Due to increase in industrial network, Asia-Pacific region has emerged has the fastest growing region in this market. In Asia-Pacific, China is the largest region contributing to this market. Europe is the second largest region dominating the insulated packaging market due to rapid growth in packaged food industry and growing concern towards the safety of products.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Insulated Packaging Market: Deutsche Post DHL (Germany) E.I. Du Pont De Nemours and Co. (U.S.) Huhtamaki OYJ (Finland) Sonoco Products Company (U.S.) Exeltainer (Spain) American Aerogel Corporation (U.S.) Thermal Packaging Solution (Australia) TemperPack (U.S.) Insulated Products Corp (U.S) Davis Core & Pad Co. (U.S.)Market Research Analysis:The market is highly based on applications. Food and beverages segment is dominating the insulated packaging market due to growing middle-class population and the growing workforce. Also the use of insulated packaging is higher in food and beverage industry which boosts this market.The major drivers that have led to the growth of this market are the growing concern for the safety of products, growth in the packaging industry, high disposable income and increase in per capita income.There are various restraints that hinder the growth of insulated packaging market such as fluctuation in the raw material prices and high competitive environment due to the presence of small and big packaging firms.Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global insulated packaging market, tracking three market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global insulated packaging market by material, by packaging type, by application and by region.By Material Plastic Wood Corrugated Cardboards OthersBy Packaging Type Box & containers Bags Wraps OthersBy Application Food & Beverages Industrial Pharmaceutical Cosmetic OthersBy Region North America Europe Asia-Pacific ROWBrief TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope of the Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis4 Global Insulated Packaging Market, By Material4.1 Plastic4.2 Wood4.3 Corrugated Cardboards4.3 Others5 Global Insulated Packaging Market, By Packaging Type5.1 Introduction5.2 Box & Containers5.3 Bags5.4 Wraps5.5 OthersContinueAccess Report Details @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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Automotive Adhesives Market - Trends, Outlook and Opportunity Analysis 2022

Automotive Adhesives Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2550

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/automotive-adhesives-market-2550

Market Highlights:The demand for automotive adhesives market is expected to grow with the rising trend of lightweight and fuel efficient vehicles, which is encouraging the use of aluminum and other materials. This in turn, boosts the use of adhesives in the automobiles. The increase in the average use of automotive adhesive in the developing nations is expected to fuel the demand of automotive adhesives. The rapidly growing automotive industry in the developing nations is also expected to drive the growth of the market. However, the growth is projected to be restrained by the rapid fluctuations in the prices of raw materials.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Automotive Adhesives Market: The Dow Chemical Company (U.S.) Henkel (Germany) BASF (Germany) 3M Company (U.S.) Ashland Specialty Chemical Company (U.S.) H.B. Fuller Company(U.S.), Hindustan Adhesives Limited (India) Dynea International Oy (Finland) Hexion Specialty Chemicals Inc.(U.S) Covalence Specialty Adhesives LLC (U.S.)Market Research Analysis:Among all types, Polyurethane is expected to account for the largest share in the automotive adhesives market, owing to its superior properties such as the ability of bonding on different surfaces and UV & heat stability. Polyurethane adhesives are mostly used for the repair and maintenance work in automobiles. They are majorly used where there is requirement of higher efficiency at low operating costs. They possess the characteristics of fast curing, good chemical resistance, optical clarity and others.APAC region is expected to be the fastest growing region during the forecast period due to huge investments from existing key players in the region. The original equipment manufacturers of the region are working to incorporate lightweight materials in automotive manufacturing to reduce overall weight of the vehicle. For this, their major focus is on use of composite or plastic materials. These materials can only be bonded with the help of adhesives, thereby driving the growth of the automotive adhesives market. High economic growth rate and the increase in demand from end use automotive industry is also driving the growth of the market.Scope of the ReportThis study provides an overview of the global automotive adhesives market, tracking two market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global automotive adhesives market by its type, Application and region.By Type Polyurethane Acrylic Polyamide OthersBy Application Paint Shop Assembly Powertrain OthersBy Region North America Asia Pacific Europe Rest of the WorldBrief TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope of the Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis4 Global Automotive adhesives market, By Type4.1 Polyurethane4.2 Acrylic4.3 Polyamide4.4 Others5 Global Automotive adhesives market, By Application5.1 Introduction5.2 Paint Shop5.3 Assembly5.4 Powertrain5.5 OthersContinueAccess Report Details @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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Mechanical Hand Tools Market Is Expected To Reach USD 20,516.3 Million By 2023

Mechanical Hand Tools Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/3602

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/mechanical-hand-tools-market-3602

Market Highlights:The need for mechanical hand tools is gradually rising owing to factors such as, growing demand from construction industry coupled with increasing industrialization, growing application industries, increasing demand from household applications and among others. Mechanical hand tools are widely used in the construction industry. The rise in the number of manufacturing plants, where hand tools are majorly used, will lead to the growth of mechanical hand tool market. The industrial sector is expected to grow and would increase in demand for professional hand tools kit, thus leading to the growth of the market. On the other hand, the need for hand tools is likely to increase with the increase in the demand for wooden furniture. The key factors responsible for the growth of the furniture market is growth in construction and renovation activities. Increase in the number of single-person and two person households, has resulted in the increase in demand for small and convenient furniture.The global Mechanical Hand Tools market has witnessed a moderate growth over the past few year and it has been analysed that the market will grow at the same pace during the forecast period. This market was valued at USD 16,044.1 million in 2016 and is poised to reach USD 20,516.3 million with a CAGR of 3.67% during the forecast period.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Mechanical Hand Tools Market: Robert Bosch Tool Corporation (U.S) Stanley Black & Decker, Inc (U.S.) Snap-on (U.S.) TOYA SA (Poland) Metabowerke GmbH (Germany) Hilti Corporation (Liechtenstein) Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd (TTI) (Hong Kong) Makita Corporation (U.S.) Wurth Group (Germany) Klein Tools (U.S.)Brief TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope Of The Study2.3 Assumptions2.4 Market Structure3 Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary Research3.4 Market Size Estimation4 Market Dynamics4.1 Introduction4.2 Impact Analysis4.3 Market Drivers4.3.1 Growth In Construction Industry4.3.2 Growth In The Furniture Market4.3.3 Increase Use Of Capital Goods In Households4.4 Restraints4.4.1 Power Tools Replacing Traditional Hand Tools4.4.2 Fluctuation In Raw Material Prices4.5 Opportunities4.5.1 Broader Scope In Developing NationContinueRegional Analysis:Geographically, North America has emerged as the leading market for mechanical hand tools market consuming around 35.3% market share in 2016. US is one of the leading country in terms of consumption owing to the rising construction sites and rapid industrialization. Asia-Pacific region has registered itself as the fastest growing region with a CAGR of 4.00% during forecast period. Whereas Europe stood on third rank in terms of value.Browse Full Report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Crop Sprayer Market To Witness Steady Growth Through 2022

Crop Sprayer Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2867

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/crop-sprayer-market-2867

Market Highlights:Sprayers are generally used for spraying insecticides and pesticides on crops and plants. They are used in agriculture sector. Various government initiatives to increase the production of the agriculture and prevent the crop from harmful pest and disease will ultimately increase the demand of crop sprayers. Lack of awareness among farmers about the new technology may hamper the growth of the global Crop sprayer market.Request a Sample Copy @Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global crop sprayer market, tracking two market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global crop sprayer market by its product, capacity and region.By Product Fuel-based Electric Hand-heldBy Capacity Ultra Low Volume Sprayers Low Volume Sprayers High Volume SprayersBy Region North America Asia Pacific Europe Rest of the WorldKey Players of Crop Sprayer Market: Chafer Machinery Ltd (U.K) Zhejiang Ousen Machinery Co., Ltd. (China) CNH Industrial (U.K) Bucher Industries (Switzerland) Deere & Company (U.S.) Taizhou Sunny Agricultural Machinery Co., Ltd. (China) Exel Industries (France) STIHL Holding AG & Co. KG (Germany) Hymatic Agro Equipment Pvt. Ltd (India) ASPEE Group (India)Brief TOC:1 Executive Summary1 Introduction1.1 Definition1.2 Scope of the Study1.3 Assumptions1.4 Market Structure2 Research Methodology2.1 Research Process2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research2.4 Market Size Estimation2.5 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Drivers3.1.1 Growth in Agriculture sector3.1.2 Government Initiatives3.1.3 Farm Mechanization3.2 Restraints3.2.1 Relative lack of awareness3.2.2 Non-Repayment of loans3.3 Opportunity3.3.1 Scope in the Developing Nations3.4 Challenges3.4.1 Access to capitalContinueAccess Report Details @Market Research Analysis:On the basis of region, global crop sprayer market is segmented as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and RoW. Asia-Pacific accounts for the largest share of 32.4% in the global crop sprayer market in 2015 mainly due to the countries such as India, China, and Indonesia are major agricultural promoting countries. North America was the second-largest market in 2015, valued at USD 919.7 million in 2015. North America is the major producer of wheat, corn and soybean, which require the use of agricultural equipment such as crop sprayer, thereby driving the growth of the market. The region is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.80% during the forecast period. Europe is anticipated to grow with a CAGR of 4.30% during the forecast period.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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Lichen Nitidus Treatment Market by Sanofi, GlaxoSmithKline plc., AstraZeneca, Etc Key Players Forecasts to 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:Report Prologue2 Market Introduction2. Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.2. Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 Limitations3 Research Methodology3. Introduction3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary research3.4 Market Size Estimation4 Market Dynamics4. Drivers4.2 Restrains4.3 Opportunities4.4 Challenges4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators4.6 Technology Trends & Assessment5. Market Factor Analysis5. Porters five Forces Analysis5..1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers5..2 Bargaining Power of Buyers5..3 Threat of New Entrants5..4 Threat of Substitutes5..5 Intensity of Rivalry5.2 Value Chain5.3 Investment Feasibility Analysis5.4 Price Factor AnalysisContinuedAbout 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: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Grinding Machinery Market Is Expected To Grow At A CAGR Of 4.2% By 2023

Grinding Machinery Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/3753

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/grinding-machinery-market-3753

Market Highlights:The grinding machine is an industrial equipment used for creating smooth surface finish by removing unnecessary or excessive amount of material on a given product. The grinding machinery market has been experiencing continuous evolution over the years to cater the various needs of diversified industry verticals. The applications of grinding machines includes grinding of tools & cutters and their resharpening.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Grinding Machinery Market: Amada Machine Tools Co. Ltd. (Japan) DANOBAT (Spain) ANCA Pty Ltd. (Australia) Junker (Germany) Korber AG (Germany) Fives (France) Gleason Corporation (U.S.) Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies (U.S.) Makino Milling Machine Co. Ltd. (Japan) JTEKT Corporation (Japan)Market Research Analysis:The global grinding machinery market has been analyzed based on the three segments, namely types, end-user and regions. On the basis of types, the global grinding machinery market is segmented as cylindrical, surface, gear, tool & cutter and others. The market is collectively driven by cylindrical, surface and gear grinding machines segments.Based on end-user, the global grinding machinery market is bifurcated as general machinery, automotive machinery, precision machinery, and others, among which, general machinery accounted for the largest share in 2016 and is anticipated to continue the dominance during the forecast period. The growth of this segment is driven by factors such as rapid growth in emerging economies, rising innovation & up gradation of machines and the establishment of new manufacturing units.Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global grinding machinery market, tracking two market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global grinding machinery market by its types, by end-user and regions.By Types Cylindrical Surface Gear Tool & Cutter OthersBy End-User General Machinery Automotive Machinery Precision Machinery OthersBy Region Asia Pacific North America Europe Rest of WorldBrief TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope of the Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis4 Global Grinding Machinery Market, By Types4.1 Introduction4.2 Cylindrical4.3 Surface4.4 Gear4.5 Tool & Cutter4.6 Others5 Global Grinding Machinery Market, By End-User5.1 Introduction5.2 General Machinery5.3 Automotive Machinery5.4 Precision Machinery5.5 OthersContinueAccess Report Details @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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Testing, Inspection and Certification Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Dekra Certification, Intertek and Others

Testing, Inspection and Certification Market

https://goo.gl/qJAFvJ

https://goo.gl/qJAFvJ

https://goo.gl/qJAFvJ

http://marketreportscompany.com

Global Testing, Inspection and Certification Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Dekra Certification, Intertek and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2023, etc.Companies provide inspection, verification, testing and certification services and related support functions such as auditing, consulting and training. The purpose of these services is to increase productivity, help local manufacturers meet global standards, manage risk, and improve the quality, safety and compliance of a companys products and services.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Testing, Inspection and Certification Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:SGS GroupBureau VeritasDekra CertificationIntertekTUV SUDEurofins ScientificDNVTUV RheinlandUL LLCALS LimitedTUV Nord GroupMistras GroupSAI GlobalBSI GroupExova GroupOthersGlobal Testing, Inspection and Certification Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Testing, Inspection and Certification Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Testing, Inspection and Certification Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Testing, Inspection and Certification Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Testing, Inspection and Certification Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.4 Market Analysis by Regions1.4.1 North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)1.4.1.1 USA Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.2 Canada Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.1.3 Mexico Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)1.4.2.1 Germany Market States and Outlook (2012-2022)......................Continue (Global Testing, Inspection and Certification Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
The celebration of the Coulee Regions international connections kicks off Friday, and one of the presenters is a prime example of someone who came here to work and liked the area so much that she stayed, married and is raising a family here  at the same time she is nourishing global relationships for others.

Clare Wight, who left her native Brasilia, Brazil, a dozen years ago to become an au pair in La Crosse, now is the area representative for Cultural Care Au Pair, based on what she says are both altruistic and selfish motives.

To tell the truth, the main reason is not only to give back to the community but  kind of selfishly  for my own kids, Wight said in an interview.

The giveback is coordinating the stays of au pairs from other countries with local families while they take care of the children; the benefit to her own children is becoming increasingly acquainted with people from all over the world, said Wight, who outlines her services and philosophy on her web site Lets Talk Au Pair.

Au pairs are more than just nannies, she said. You can get any college kids to be nannies. Au pairs from other countries provide the cultural element of a global village.

Thats one of the reasons Lets Talk Au Pair will have a booth at the celebration launching the fifth annual Global Initiatives Week from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday in the Myrick Park Center at 2000 La Crosse St.

The event will include free appetizers from local restaurants, a multi-lingual childrens story time, cultural salutes with dances and music from other countries, and information about the Coulee Regions global ties.

The main value (of the week) is its a big celebration of the Coulee Regions global connections, said Miranda Panzer, international student adviser at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and chairwoman of Global Initiatives Week.

Weve been very lucky to pull together great examples of act local, think globally, Panzer said. Many local businesses are competitive on the global market.

Activities throughout the week, which lasts through Nov. 10, will include speakers, dance, art, poetry music, films, food and more.

We are starting the conversation on thinking globally. A big part of the week is starting the conversation, said Panzer, who works with 153 international students from 30 countries at UW-L.

I love to be able to interact with people from all over the world every day, she said.

Global interactions also are the driving force for Wight, who said during an interview that she became so attached to the family for whom she was an au pair  and they, to her  when she came to La Crosse that they remain close. She has four children, ages 3 months to 10 years, with her husband, Eric, but she said she also regards the four boys of Michelle and Kevin Bryant she looked after almost as her own.

The four boys are taller than me now, she said, laughing.

During the Global Initiatives opener, Wight plans to entertain children with laminated cards highlighting food, clothing and other goods that they are to line up with the right country of origin.

Kind of tickle them with how different countries are, she said.

She recalled that she was the only au pair when she first came to La Crosse but combined efforts to learn about the region at the same time she strove to tell people about her own heritage.

The more embedded, the more comfortable I was, she said.

Not only comfortable but also drawn back for a second year, when she also continued taking classes at Western Technical College, specializing in business marketing. She also met her eventual husband there and remains a blissfully married resident of West Salem.

The educational component is one of the stipulations that Cultural Care Au Pair requires in its program, in which families contract to host an au pair, who lives with the them with free room and board in exchange for working 45 hours a week caring for the children and doing child-related chores such as laundry, meals, taking them to extracurricular activities, etc.

The annual fee of $18,953.25, which breaks down to $1,579.44 a month may seem steep at first, until one factors in a comparison between that and child care at a day-care facility  without the number of hours and services an au pair provides vs. a nanny and/or a day care center, Wight said.

The total includes the weekly stipend of $195.75 that clients pay directly to the au pairs, as well as $200 to the company for coordinating and other services. Also included are a registration fee of $75, a $300 processing fee and an $8,595 program fee, which covers facets such as recruitment and screening, training, international round-trip airfare.

Averaging out to $9 an hour for au pair services a week, it is competitive for families with two kids or more, especially for infant care, Wight said.

The advantages and disadvantages balance each other out, she said, explaining, You have to have someone live with you  and you get to have someone live with you.

Parents date nights are easier, and the children have the equivalents of big sisters, she said, adding quickly that young men also are enlisted, being called bro pairs and becoming like big brothers.

Wight, who has had as many as five au pairs under her tutelage, has three now and hopes to cultivate more.

The cost in the slow pace of sign-ups is related more to the live-in aspect than the cost, Wight suggested.

In the Midwest, we dont do live-in very well, said Wight, one of 800 coordinators the company has.

Coordinators must live within an hour of au pairs they coordinate, but Wight is at a disadvantage, being the only coordinator in this area.

My only drawback is I cant have my own, because I cant be my own coordinator, and I could really use one right now, she said, chuckling at the irony.

On the other hand, au pairs have adjustments of their own, she said, adding, When you live with your boss, the lines can get a little blurry.

But overall, the experience is fulfilling and long-lasting, she said. She and her family regularly skype with au pairs who have been in La Crosse, and the cultural exchange is priceless.
Rice Milling Market Is Expected To Reach USD 392.6 Million By 2022

India Rice Milling Market

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/3566

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/india-rice-milling-market-3566

Market Highlights:The objective of a rice milling system is to remove the husk and the bran layers from paddy rice to produce whole white rice that are sufficiently milled, free of impurities. The increased investment in R&D and innovation has made the rice milling market flourish in the country. The India rice milling market is anticipated to witness the growing market due to changing scenario of Indian agriculture and especially agro-based processing industries.The market is highly driven by the healthy economic indicators in India such as increased disposable income of average household in the country. This has led to increased demand of clean and packaged rice, wheat and other grains. The processing companies in order to cater to the need of the people demand more of such machineries and thus the market has expanded over the years. However huge initial costs, crop failure and lack of warehouses acts as a restraint.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of India Rice Milling Market: Buhler Group G.G. Dandekar Machine Works Ltd. Satake Corporation Savco Sales Pvt Ltd. G.S International Fowler Westrup Mill Master Machinery Pvt Ltd. Perfect Equipments Patker EngineersMarket Research Future Analysis:Market Research Future analysis show that the market of India Rice Milling market is estimated to grow at 3.51% CAGR during 2016-2022. East India is expected to lead the market with the largest market share, West Bengal has been the largest rice producing state in the country. The state of West Bengal accounts for growing both domestic and international grades of rice and a fat share is exported to the international markets. States such as Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand and Odisha account mostly for domestic consumption and the variety also differs across boundaries. The East India rice milling market is expected to reach market size of USD 153.4 million by the end of 2022. It is projected to grow at 3.97% CAGR.Brief TOC:1 Introduction1.1 Definition1.2 Scope of the Study1.3 Assumptions1.4 Market Structure2 Research Methodology2.1 Research Process2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research2.4 Market Size Estimation2.5 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Drivers, Restraints and Trends of India Rice Milling Market3.2 Drivers3.2.1 Increased investment in technology upgradation and modernization of rice mills in India3.2.2 Government supportive policies and schemes3.3 Restraints3.3.1 Huge initial investment3.3.2 Crop Failure3.3.3 Lack of storage and warehousing infrastructure3.4 Opportunities3.4.1 Changing consumer preferencesContinueAccess Report Details @Target Audience: Organizations Manufacturer Research Institute / Education Institute Potential InvestorsAbout 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 Components, Application, Technologies 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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
India Seed and Grain Cleaning and Grading Machine Market Revenue, Application and Forecast To 2027

India Seed and Grain Cleaning and Grading Machine Market

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Market Synopsis of India Seed & Grain Cleaning and Grading Machine:The seed and grain cleaning and grading machine is a piece of equipment which is used in the agriculture industry mainly to clean the harvested grains and grade them on the basis of quality. The growth of the seed & grain cleaning and grading machine in India is influenced by factors such as agricultural economy and farm mechanization. However, relative lack of awareness and used farm equipment are the major restraints that could hinder the market growth.The India seed & grain cleaning and grading machine market was valued at USD 187.3 million in 2015, and is expected to reach USD 241.1 million by 2027.Key Players: Agrosaw (India) ANG Enterprise (India) Ganga Agro Food Industries (India) Goldin India Equipment Pvt. Ltd (India) Fabcon Machine Pvt Ltd (India) Rajkumar Agro Engineers Pvt Ltd (India)Request for a Sample Copy @Brief TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope of the Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces AnalysisContinueRegional Analysis of India Seed & Grain Cleaning and Grading Machine Market:The North Indian region dominates the India seed & grain cleaning & grading market with the market share of almost 34% and is expected to grow at 2.72% CAGR during the forecast period. The agriculture rich regions like Punjab and Haryana significantly contribute to the growing dominance of northern region. It is followed by South India which accounted for share of 24.98%.Browse Full Report @This research report has provides the insights, on various levels of analyses such industry analysis, market share analysis leading market players and their profiles. This report also helps in studying the target segments by providing views on emerging & high-growth segments and market conclusion. Together the market data comprise and discuss with the basic assessments on the competitive scenarios & strategies, of the India Seed and Grain Cleaning and Grading Machine Market, including the high-growth regions, countries and their political, economic and technological environments. Furthermore the project report also provides the views over the historical market values as well as, pricing and cost analysis of the same.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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Automotive Fuel Injection Market Is Expected To Grow At A CAGR Of 5.75% By 2023

Automotive Fuel Injection Market

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Market Highlights:The automotive fuel injection market growth is majorly driven by the booming automotive industry and increased income levels of people in the Asia-Pacific region. Countries like China, India and Thailand are registering huge sales in the automotive sector and there is a pressing demand to meet the stringent vehicle emission norms in the countries. Also, the increased sales of two-wheeler segment in the region is also adding to the drivers of the fuel injection market. However, the growth of this market can be restrained by the cost of the technology and the continuous research and development that is needed to update the system.Request a Sample Copy @Market Research Analysis:Globally, the automobile sector has been witnessing increased sales in the recent years. This is mainly due to the increased purchase capacity of the Asia-Pacific region. Additionally, fuel injections systems of automobiles have gained prominence in recent years because of increased demand for the fuel efficient as well as reduced emission vehicles.The Asia-Pacific region is expected to be the largest market for automobile fuel injections especially because of countries like China, Thailand and India in the region. The fuel injection market in North America and Europe is driven by the strong aftersales market in the regions. Global manufacturers are required by law to reduce the emission from automotive engines and also increase cleaner burning of fuels. All these factors are contributing to the growth of the automobile fuel injection market.Key Players of Automotive Fuel Injection Market: Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany) Delphi Automotive PLC (U.K) Denso Corporation (Japan) Carter Fuel System (U.S.) Edelbrock, LLC (U.S) NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd. (Japan) Infineon Technologies AG (Germany) Keihin Corporation (Japan)Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the Global automotive fuel injection market, tracking four market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the Global automotive fuel injection market by components type, fuel type, vehicle type, technology type and regions.By Components Type ECU Fuel Injectors, Pressure regulators, Fuel Pumps SensorsBy Vehicle Type Passenger Vehicle Commercial VehicleBy Fuel Types Gasoline Diesel Alternative FuelBy Technology Type Gasoline port injection Gasoline direct injection Diesel direct injectionBy Region North America Asia Pacific Europe Rest of the WorldBrief TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope of the Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis4 Global Automotive Fuel Injection Market, By Components Type4.1Introduction4.2 ECU4.3 Fuel Injectors4.4 Pressure regulator4.5 Pump4.6 Sensors5 Global Automotive Fuel Injection Market, By Vehicle type5.1 Introduction5.2 Passenger Vehicle5.3 Commercial VehicleContinueAccess Report Details @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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FuturePune, Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
N-Dimethylacetamide Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Huaxu Huagong, Akkim, Samsung and Others

N-Dimethylacetamide Market

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Global N-Dimethylacetamide Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Huaxu Huagong, Akkim, Samsung and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2023, etc.N-Dimethylacetamide (DMAC) is a colorless, high boiling, polar, hygroscopic liquid. DMAC is a good solvent for a wide range of organic and inorganic compounds and it is miscible with water, ethers, esters, ketones and aromatics compounds. It is used in the production of polyacrylonitrile and polyurethane based fibers, films and coatings. The polar nature of DMAC enables it to act as a combined solvent and reaction catalyst in many reactions producing high yields and pure product in short time periods.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global N-Dimethylacetamide Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:DupontZhejiang Jiangshan ChemicalShandong Jinmei Riyue IndustryBASFShanghai Jinshan JingweiTe An Ling Tian Fine ChemicalEastmanMGCHuaxu HuagongAkkimSamsungOthersGlobal N-Dimethylacetamide Market: Key Product TypePharmaceutical GradeIndustrial GradeOthersGlobal N-Dimethylacetamide Market: Key ApplicationPharmaceutical IndustryFiber IndustryPlastic IndustryCosmetic IndustryOrganic SynthesisOthersGlobal N-Dimethylacetamide Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global N-Dimethylacetamide Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global N-Dimethylacetamide Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global N-Dimethylacetamide Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 N-Dimethylacetamide Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Pharmaceutical Grade1.2.2 Industrial Grade1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Pharmaceutical Industry1.3.2 Fiber Industry1.3.3 Plastic Industry1.3.4 Cosmetic Industry1.3.5 Organic Synthesis1.3.6 Others1.4 Market Analysis by Regions.......................Continue (Global N-Dimethylacetamide Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Coating Equipment Market: In-Depth Industry Analysis By 2022

Coating Equipment Market

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https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/coating-equipment-market-2124

Market Highlights:A coating is also known as substrate which is applied to the surface of any object. Coating has different purpose, it may be used for decorative, functional or for both. The equipment which is used for covering the surface of an object is known as coating equipment. The major drivers of coating equipment are increasing demand by industries such automotive & transportation, aerospace, building & infrastructure. The other growth drivers are growing demand for new vehicles and aircraft, increase in industrialization and increase in the acceptance of coating equipment.Asia-Pacific region has been accounted for the highest CAGR for the forecast year due to huge demand for coating equipment. Various manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, research & development are been setup by the global companies to make presence in Asia-Pacific region. Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at highest CAGR during the forecast period because of the growing demand for various industrial products and consumer goods. The global coating equipment market is expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 5%.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Coating Equipment Market: Nordson Corporation (U.S.) Anest Iwata (Japan) Graco Inc. (U.S.) O.C. Oerlikon (Switzerland) IHI Ionbond AG (Switzerland) SATA GmbH & Co. KG. (Germany)Market Research Analysis:The market is highly application based. The industrial sector is dominating the coating equipment market by end-user, due to increasing need for the personalized coating equipment in various end-use industries. There is continues R&D carried out so as to develop new and advanced equipment.There is also seen an increase in demand of the coating equipment from the industries, which is backed by the rapid industrialization, building and infrastructures. Furthermore such coating equipment is used for coating heavy machines.There are various restraints which hinders the growth of the coating equipment markets such as high cost of coating equipment and fluctuation in the crude oil prices.Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global coating equipment market, tracking three market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC) and Rest of the World (ROW). The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global coating equipment market by its type, end-user and Region.By Type Liquid Coating Equipment Powder Coating Equipment Specialty Coating EquipmentBy End-Use Automotive Aerospace Industrial ConstructionBy Region North America Europe Asia-Pacific ROWBrief TOC:1 Market Introduction1.1 Introduction1.2 Scope of Study1.2.1 Research Objective1.2.2 Assumptions1.2.3 Limitations1.3 Market Structure:1.3.1 Global Coating Equipment: By Type1.3.2 Global Coating Equipment: By End-Userr1.3.3 Global Coating Equipment: By Region2 Research Methodology2.1 Research Type2.2 Primary Researchpt2.3 Secondary Research2.4 Forecast Model2.4.1 Market Data Collection, Analysis & Forecast2.4.2 Market Size Estimation2.4.3 Market Crackdown & Data Triangulation3 Market Dynamics3.1 Introduction3.2 Market Drivers3.3 Market Challenges3.4 Market OpportunitiesContinueAccess Report Details @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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Orthokeratology Lens Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Lucid Korea, Brighten Optix, Contex and Others

Orthokeratology Lens Market

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https://goo.gl/D8uN3i

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Global Orthokeratology Lens Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Lucid Korea, Brighten Optix, Contex and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2023, etc.Ortho-K is a non-surgical refractive treatment. In order to correct your short-sightedness and astigmatism, the cornea has to be re-shaped. Our optometrists tailor your Ortho-k lenses with highly permeable lens materials according to the precise measurement by the Corneal Topographer.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Orthokeratology Lens Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:AutekEUCLIDParagonAlpha CorporationLucid KoreaBrighten OptixContexProcorneaOthersGlobal Orthokeratology Lens Market: Key Product TypeBoston MaterialParagon MaterialOthers MaterialGlobal Orthokeratology Lens Market: Key ApplicationTeenagersAdultsGlobal Orthokeratology Lens Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Orthokeratology Lens Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Orthokeratology Lens Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Orthokeratology Lens Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Orthokeratology Lens Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Boston Material1.2.2 Paragon Material1.2.3 Others Material1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Teenagers1.3.2 Adults1.4 Market Analysis by Regions.......................Continue (Global Orthokeratology Lens Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Lateral Flow Readers Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Trinity Biotech, OpTricon, Quidel Corporation and Others

Lateral Flow Readers Market

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Global Lateral Flow Readers Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Trinity Biotech, OpTricon, Quidel Corporation and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2023, etc.Lateral Flow Reader is a universal mobile analysis device for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of lateral flow assays, immunological rapid tests for diagnostics, especially for point-of-care diagnostics. The tests can originate in multiple fields of application, such as cancer and heart disease diagnostics or drug screening.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Lateral Flow Readers Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:Alere (Abbott)QIAGENLRE Medical (Esterline)BD CompanySkannexAxxinDetektTrinity BiotechOpTriconQuidel CorporationAbingdonFio CorporationMagnasenseCellmicVICAMOthersGlobal Lateral Flow Readers Market: Key Product TypeHandheld ReadersBenchtop ReadersOthersGlobal Lateral Flow Readers Market: Key ApplicationClinical (POC)VeterinaryFood and BeveragePharma/BiologicsOthersGlobal Lateral Flow Readers Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global Lateral Flow Readers Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Lateral Flow Readers Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Lateral Flow Readers Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 Lateral Flow Readers Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 Handheld Readers1.2.2 Benchtop Readers1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Clinical (POC)1.3.2 Veterinary1.3.3 Food and Beverage1.3.4 Pharma/Biologics1.3.5 Other1.4 Market Analysis by Regions.......................Continue (Global Lateral Flow Readers Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
SIM Cards Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Eastcompeace, Wuhan Tianyu, DATANG and Others

SIM Cards Market

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https://goo.gl/GaQPDR

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Global SIM Cards Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Eastcompeace, Wuhan Tianyu, DATANG and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2023, etc.A subscriber identity module or subscriber identification module (SIM) is an integrated circuit that is intended to securely store the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) number and its related key, which are used to identify and authenticate subscribers on mobile telephony devices. It is also possible to store contact information on many SIM cards.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global SIM Cards Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:GemaltoG&DOberthurMorpho (Safran)VALIDEastcompeaceWuhan TianyuDATANGKONA Idz cardWatchdataHENGBAOXH Smartcard (Zhuhai)OthersGlobal SIM Cards Market: Key Product TypeSIM Cards with DESSIM Cards with 3DESSIM Cards with AESOthersGlobal SIM Cards Market: Key ApplicationMobile PhoneTabletWearable DeviceOthersGlobal SIM Cards Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Others)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia and Others)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia and Others)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Others)The Global SIM Cards Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global SIM Cards Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global SIM Cards Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Table of Contents:1 Market Overview1.1 SIM Cards Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 SIM Cards with DES1.2.2 SIM Cards with 3DES1.2.3 SIM Cards with AES1.2.4 Others1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Mobile Phone1.3.2 Tablet1.3.3 Wearable Device1.3.4 Other1.4 Market Analysis by Regions.......................Continue (Global SIM Cards Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Meat, Poultry, Seafood Packaging Market Revenue, Opportunity, Trend and Global Forecast to 2022

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/2351

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/meat-poultry-seafood-packaging-market-2351

Market Highlights:The growing population, improved standard of living, growing demand for ready to eat meals in emerging economies is expected to drive the growth of the global meat, poultry and seafood packaging market. Features such as longer shelf life and user friendly solutions in terms of storage are expected to fuel the market. Meat, poultry & seafood packaging are designed to meet all the physical requirement of the supply chain to ensure that the product arrives on time along with preserving the texture, nutritive quality and taste. Heightened demand for single portion and other smaller sized products will give the market significant level. Moreover, new trends shows that shift towards ready packaging as well as ready to eat meat, poultry & seafood which drives the demand for meat, poultry & seafood packaging market.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Meat, Poultry, Seafood Packaging Market: Bemis Company Inc. (U.S.) AEP Industries Inc. (U.S.) DuPont (EI) de Nemours (U.S.) Smurfit Kappa Group (Dublin) Visy Industries Holdings Pty Ltd (Australia) Tri-Mach Group Inc. (Canada), Printpack, Inc.(U.S.) ABBE CORRUGATED PTY. LTD (Australia) Cambridge Packing Company (U.S.)Market Research Analysis:Asia pacific region holding largest share in the global market. Awareness among consumers about healthy products and preference towards convenience are driving the market of meat, poultry & Seafood packaging. Moreover, Rapid lifestyle changes and economic growth, coupled with rising population in Asia Pacific countries such as China and India has spiked the growth rate of meat, poultry & Seafood packaging in the region.Brief TOC for Meat, Poultry, Seafood Packaging Market:1. Executive Summary2. Research Methodology2.1. Scope of the study2.1.1. Definition2.1.2. Research Objective2.1.3. Assumptions2.1.4. Limitations2.2. Research Process2.2.1. Primary Research2.2.2. Secondary Research2.3. Market size Estimation2.4. Forecast Model3. Meat, Poultry & Seafood Packaging Market Dynamics3.1. Market Drivers3.2. Market Inhibitors3.3. Supply/Value Chain Analysis or Market Ecosystem3.4. Porters Five Forces Analysis4. Meat, Poultry & Seafood Packaging Market, by Material4.1. Introduction4.2. Plastic4.3. Paper4.4. Metal5. Meat, Poultry & Seafood Packaging Market, by Type5.1. Introduction5.2. Rigid Packaging5.3. Flexible PackagingContinueScope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global meat, poultry & seafood packaging industry, tracking three market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global meat, poultry & seafood packaging market as material, type and application. On the basis of material it is segmented as plastic, paper and metal. On the basis of type it is segmented as rigid packaging, and flexible packaging. Additionally on the basis of application, it is segmented as fresh & frozen products, processed products, and ready-toeat products.Access Report Details @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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Clinical Prinatal Software Market Integrated Software and Standalone Software by Products and Forecasts To 2023

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The Worldwide Clinical Perinatal Software Market is growing at a steady pace and is expected to grow at a CAGR of ~7.2 % during review period 2017-2023. On the other hand, complex user interface and high cost of the software may slow the market growth over the assessment period. Increasing awareness and a rising birth rate & post-date pregnancy drive the growth of the market. Moreover, increasing healthcare expenditure, continuous development in technology, and increasing government support for research & development likely to boost the demand for the software.Get Sample Copy @The Clinical Perinatal Software Market report explores monitor health of fetus and pregnant women in-depth. It provides information about any complexity that may arise during the prenatal period, which helps to minimize the problems during the pregnancyRegional Analysis of the Global Clinical Perinatal Software MarketThe Americas region accounted for a lion share of USD 65.31 million in 2016, owing to the well-developed technology, high healthcare expenditure, and the presence of the leading players.Europe is the second largest market that holds a noticeable share of the global clinical perinatal software market. The European market is expected to grow significantly during the forecast period owing to well-developed healthcare infrastructure and increasing investment in healthcare. Germany, the UK, and France contribute significantly to the growth of the European market.In Asia Pacific, rising number of hospitals, increasing need for better diagnostic methods, and demand for cost-effective treatment & diagnostics services are the key factors for the market growth.The Middle East & Africa is expected to show steady growth in this market due to low technology penetration and less availability of innovative healthcare technologies.Some of key players profiled in the report are General Electric, Edan Instruments, Inc., Huntleigh Healthcare Limited, KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V, K2 Medical Systems, PeriGen, Inc, Cerner Corporation, Trium Analysis Online and others.Get Discount @Major TOC for Clinical Prinatal Software Market:1 REPORT PROLOGUE2 INTRODUCTION2.1 SCOPE OF STUDY2.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE2.3 ASSUMPTIONS & LIMITATIONS2.3.1 ASSUMPTIONS2.3.2 LIMITATIONS2.4 MARKET STRUCTURE3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY3.1 PRIMARY RESEARCH3.2 SECONDARY RESEARCH3.3 MARKET SIZE ESTIMATION3.3.1 MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS3.4 MARKET PRICING APPROACH..ContinuedAbout 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: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Erik Camayd-Freixas will present The Postville Immigration Raid: Lessons for the 21st Century at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, in the Viterbo University Fine Arts Center Main Theatre.

Camayd-Freixas is a professor of Hispanic studies at Florida International University and made headlines after his essay, Interpreting after the Largest ICE Raid in U.S. History: A Personal Account, and with his book, U.S. Immigration Reform and Its Global Impact, in which he denounces the criminalization of workers and the socioeconomic devastation of immigration enforcement in Postville, Iowa, and other places.

He has testified before Congress, contributed information to the U.S. Supreme Court, and received human rights awards from the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Americans for Immigrant Justice, the Guatemalan Foreign Ministry and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

This presentation is part of the Seven Rivers Undergraduate Research Symposium at Viterbo University and is part of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leaderships fall lecture series. Camayd-Freixas will also present World Wars: Propaganda vs. Critical Thinking at 10:15 a.m. Friday, Nov. 10, in the Fine Arts Center Main Theatre as the keynote address of the Seven Rivers Undergraduate Research Symposium.

Both presentations are free and open to the public. No tickets are necessary, but seating is limited. For a full schedule of D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership events, visit viterbo.edu/ethics. For more information about the Seven Rivers Undergraduate research Symposium, visit viterbo.edu/sevenrivers.
Variable Data Printing Labels Market Is Expected To Grow At A CAGR Of 14% By 2022

Variable Data Printing Labels Market

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Market Scenario:Variable data printing is a form of digital printing where elements such as text, graphics and images are changed from one printed piece to another by using information from an external database. Variable data printing labels allows personalizing the printing requirements according to a specific set of data. The growth of the market is expected to be driven by the ability of variable data printing labels to generate customized product information and serialized number printing at low cost and in less time. The variable data printing label is gaining importance with the rapid increase in the use of printing barcodes in various industry verticals such as pharmaceutical, consumer goods, and food & beverage. With the increase in the concept of barcode scanning for generation of invoices and the increase in demand for huge volume inventory tracking, the variable data printing labels market is growing significantly. The growth of packaging industry is also contributing significantly to the growth of the market. Global variable data printing labels market is expected to grow at around 14% CAGR during the forecast period.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Variable Data Printing Labels Market: HP Inc. (U.S.) WS Packaging Group, Inc. (U.S.) Canon Inc. (Japan) Cenveo, Inc. (U.S.) 3M Company (U.S.) Quad/Graphics Inc.(U.S.) Xerox Corporation (U.S.) Avery Dennison Corporation (U.S.) R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company (U.S.) Mondi Plc. (South Africa)Study Objectives of Variable Data Printing Labels Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 5 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the Global Variable Data Printing Labels market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To Analyse the Global Variable Data Printing Labels market based on various factors such as supply chain analysis, and Porters five force analysis To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to regions and their respective key countries To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segments by type, composition, application and region To provide strategic profiling of key players in the market, comprehensively analysing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyse competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Global Variable Data Printing Labels MarketBrief TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope of the Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis4 Global Variable Data Printing Label Market, By Type4.1 Release Liner4.2 Linerless Labels5 Global Variable Data Printing Label Market, By Composition5.1 Introduction5.2 Facestock5.3 TopcoatContinueAccess Report Details @Regional Analysis of Variable Data Printing Labels Market:The Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow the highest in the forecast period due to the presence of developing nations such as China and India, increase in the health & safety concerns among people, and the rapid increase in demand for consumer goods and lifestyle products. China is a leading manufacturer and supplier of printing materials and equipment. Thus, the region showcases huge growth opportunities for the variable data printing labels market.Intended Audience: Variable data Printing labels manufacturers Distributer & Supplier companies End Users consultants and Investment bankers Government as well as Independent Regulatory AuthoritiesAbout 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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Antimicrobial Packaging Market Analysis and Global Forecast to 2022

Antimicrobial Packaging Market

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Market Highlights:Antimicrobial packaging materials are used to prevent the food from spoilage. Most of the food is wasted due to spoilage. Packaging materials such as antimicrobial packaging materials are highly flexible, transparent, and prevent the passage of gases, liquids, and radiation. Materials are used in the form of thin films and sheets for food packaging. They increase the shelf life of packaged foods by preventing the passage of atmospheric air. Moreover, growing consumer awareness about health-related issues, rising consumption of products with shorter shelf life such as fresh meat products and increasing demand by various end-user industries such as food & beverage, healthcare, personal care, consumer goods, and agricultural products are the major factors driving the market of antimicrobial packaging.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Antimicrobial Packaging Market: BASF SE The Dow Chemical Company Mondi Plc PolyOne Corporation Biocote Limited Dunmore Corporation Linpac Senior Holdings Microban International Oplon Pure Sciences Ltd. Takex Labo Co. Ltd.Market Research Analysis:Asia pacific region holds the largest share in the global market. The major industries having a healthy demand for antimicrobial packaging are food & beverages, healthcare, personal care, consumer goods, and agricultural products. Moreover, awareness among consumers about importance of antimicrobial packaging and preference for convenience are driving the market of Antimicrobial packaging.The Asia-Pacific region leads the market due to its large population and its proven identity as a major manufacturing hub that offers production opportunities at affordable costs to companies. Moreover, Availability of advanced antimicrobial packaging materials and technology are expected to support the growth in demand for packaging in antimicrobial industry. Additionally, rapid lifestyle changes and economic growth, coupled with rising population in Asia Pacific countries such as China and India has spiked the growth rate of Antimicrobial packaging in the region.Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global antimicrobial packaging industry, tracking two market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the global Antimicrobial Packaging market as material, Type and Application. On the basis of material it is segmented as Plastic, Paper & Paperboard and others. On the basis of type it includes Bags, Pouches, carton packages and others .On the basis of application it is segmented as Food & beverages, Healthcare, Personal care and others.Brief TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope of the study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis or Market Ecosystem3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis4 Market, By Material4.1 Introduction4.2 Plastic4.3 Paper & Paperboard4.4 Others5 Market, By Packaging type5.1 Introduction5.2 Bags5.3 Pouches5.4 Carton packages5.5 OthersContinueAccess Report Details @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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Digital Printing Packaging Market is Expected to Grow at a CAGR of 10.5% by 2023

Digital Printing Packaging Market

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Market Highlights:Packaging industry will undergo a revolution due to the increasing applications of digital printing. Digital printing for packaging is a concept specifically introduced to attract consumers. This method includes printing of digital images or text on the product package. The increasing demand for flexible packaging coupled with growing demand for sustainable printing has been driving the global digital printing packaging market. Digitally printed packages improve workflow and enable innovative marketing. They help the brand owner for quicker marketing and promotion of the brand. These are the main factors fueling the market growth.Global digital printing packaging market, valued at USD 11.10 billion in 2015 is projected to grow at a CAGR of 10.5% during the forecast period.Request a Sample Copy @Key Players of Digital Printing Packaging Market: W S Packaging Group, Inc (U.S.) Weber Packaging Solutions Inc. (U.S.) Xerox Corporation (U.S.) Xeikon N.V. (Netherlands) Hewlett-Packard Inc. (U.S.) Mondi Group (South Africa) E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (U.S.) Quad Graphics, Inc. (U.S.) Labels in Motion (U.S.) Reel Appeal Limited(U.K.)Asia-Pacific is the largest growing market:On the basis of region, global digital printing packaging market is segmented as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and RoW. Asia-Pacific region dominates the digital printing packaging market. Rapid growth in e-retail sector is the primary driving factor of digital printing packaging market in Asia-Pacific region. Additionally, the rising consumer awareness and increase the demand of packaged food are also fueling the demand of this market. This region is expected to grow at the fastest pace during the forecast period.Europe is also expected to contribute significantly to the global digital printing packaging market mainly due to major demand from food & beverage industry. North America region and Rest of the World are expected to witness steady growth over the forecast period.Scope of the Report:This study provides an overview of the global digital printing packaging market, tracking four market segments across four geographic regions. The report studies key players, providing a five-year annual trend analysis that highlights market size, volume and share for North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. The report also provides a forecast, focusing on the market opportunities for the next five years for each region. The scope of the study segments the Global digital printing packaging market as packaging type, technology, application and end user.By Packaging Type Labels Flexible Packaging OtherBy Technology Inkjet Electrophotography OthersBy Application Boxes Bottles Cans OthersBy End-User Food & Beverages Personal care Pharmaceuticals Electronics Goods OthersBrief TOC:1 Executive Summary2 Research Methodology2.1 Scope of the Study2.1.1 Definition2.1.2 Research Objective2.1.3 Assumptions2.1.4 Limitations2.2 Research Process2.2.1 Primary Research2.2.2 Secondary Research2.3 Market size Estimation2.4 Forecast Model3 Market Dynamics3.1 Market Drivers3.2 Market Inhibitors3.3 Supply/Value Chain Analysis3.4 Porters Five Forces Analysis4 Global Digital Printing Packaging Market, By Packaging Type4.1 Labels4.2 Flexible Packaging4.3 Metal Packaging4.4 Other5 Global Digital Printing Packaging Market, By Technology5.1 Introduction5.2 Inkjet5.3 Electrophotography5.4 OthersContinueAccess Report Details @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.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com
Afghan officials have requested that the American military censor key figures from the effort to grow local security forces, and The N.Y. Times reports that the military will comply with that request.

The secrecy will make it difficult for the American public to gauge the progress of the Afghan forces. The NYT quotes John F. Sopko, the special inspector general in Afghanistan, as saying this:

The Afghans know whats going on; the Taliban knows whats going on; the U.S. military knows whats going on. The only people who dont know whats going on are the people paying for it.

The government usually doesnt classify good news. I dont want any nameless, faceless Afghan bureaucrat telling the American taxpayer what they ought to know.

The American military defended the move to classify information by saying it was done at the request of the Afghan government.

This isnt the first time information like this has been redactedthe Obama administration tried a similar tactic in 2015. At the time, officials said the data could endanger American and Afghan lives if made public. This time, however, the censorship comes as President Donald Trump ramps up the conflict.

As Afghan security casualties have steadily risen over the course of the last year, Trump has decided that strengthening the militarys presence with more troops and more airstrikes is the way to go. Now, Americans will have no way of knowing whether the casualties are increasing or decreasing, as that number was among the figures to be redacted. We wont even know how many troops are serving for the Afghan security forces.

Sopko warned The NYT that this could be a slippery slope. If they start classifying this stuff now, what are they going to do next month?
Petoskey hockey skates off with loss to Cheboygan in opener

PETOSKEY  Whether it comes as a season opener, a few games in or midseason, the rivalry between the Cheboygan and Petoskey hockey teams is one thats circled by both teams.
Mostly Other People Do the Killing started as a piano-less quartet, expanded to a septet to explore early New Orleans styles, raised hackles as a quintet when it created a note-for-note-improvisations-and-all recreation of Miles Daviss Kind of Blue, then settled back down to a quartet (this time featuring piano and saxophone) in 2015. Restless? Mutable? Fascinating.

In every incarnation, MOPDTK has been a subversive force, raiding the history of jazz as a way of insisting on its own personality. Though the band is led by bassist and composer Moppa Elliot, every member has been a fiendishly talented player with big ideas, and the result has been a series of recordings that have a point of view rather than just delivering good music. Buried at the heart of MOPDTK is the notion that jazz  the art form where instrumental improvisors play those classic songs for the cocktail drinking pleasure of folks over 40 (or 60?) or where the same is done maybe at Lincoln Center  requires some disruptive wit. Elliot names all his songs after towns in Pennsylvania, for example. Album covers may be parodies of much-beloved jazz album art. Pianist Ron Stabinsky is as likely to quote Queen as Cole Porter.

The latest from MOPDTK is another shift in form. Paint comes from the Mostly piano trio: Stabinsky, Elliot, and original drummer Kevin Shea. The feeling remains largely the same, as the group delivers a combination of immersion in honest jazz spirit and flights of fancy. But, perhaps because of the cohesion of the trio as a single voice, there are also moments when MOPDTK seems new, less antic, and more timeless.

Core to the balance and the sense of cohesion, is Shea. Quite often he proves himself a soulful, swinging timekeeper, someone who knows the tradition backwards and forwards. But he brings every track on Paint a sense of imminent thrill with a style that is frequently tumbling and rattling toward freedom even as it pulls back to perfect stops and precise accents. For example, at the top of Orangeville (yes, every song title has a color in it, hence Paint), Shea is playing like a team of five year-olds who just got to the percussive playground, even as the composition is a fairly mainstream bit of blues-drenched soul jazz. Something, you sense, is going to happen here beyond the groove. And so, when Stabinsky develops the theme, he ornaments it more, matching Sheas sound, and then the improvisation quickly becomes a wild flutter of notes in the pianos high register even as the bass continues a simple four-note rising pattern. Shea gets crazier too, and what we get is not a standard jazz solo over the chord progression but a much more interesting dose of free jamming that works from a single compositional motif. Elliots bass solo is a contrast, melodic and warm, with Stabinsky soundling slightly McCoy Tyner-ish in his accompaniment. And then were home again to the theme. Tradition satisfied, sure, but a freedom center to the enterprise.

This kind of fun combined with daring is all over Paint. Black Horse is a joyous swinger with a few quick shifts into a skittering Latin time, Shea at the controls at all times. Elliott has a crisp bass feature where Shea and Stabinsky trade mad phrases with him before he takes the melody for a bit. The closer, Whitehall sounds like a classic tune carved out of the fat part of the Tin Pan Alley tradition, but it morphs with each harmonic wave, then transitions into modern territory for a solo in modal modern style. Plum Run is a charming waltz that passes the melody from piano to bass and back again, with Stabinsky solo that toys with you before it sweeps you away.

This may be the first MOPDTK recording where you can forget, at times, that youre listening to jazzs merry pranksters. It turns out that Duke Ellington wrote a tune called Blue Goose  which is also a town in PA  so here it is, modern but not goofed on. Shea gives you that signature stumble-groove as Stabinsky rides over Dukes changes, but youre always in safe hands. Golden Hill is simply a gorgeous ballad, brought character but not lunacy as the rat-a-tat moments and climatic build between piano and drums prove creative but not disorienting in a post-modern jazz as commentary on itself way.

There are still moments of in-joke fun, however. Green Briar is a kick, a bashing tune that lets the trio really romp. The theme is consonant and sunny, punctuated with a stop-time figure that hooks your ear. Stabinsky dives into a soulful solo that has a slightly messy, late-1950s feeling, but about two minutes in he catches a whiff of the rippling style that we associate with pianist McCoy Tyner, at which point he goes full Mostly Other People Do the Killing on us  sliding in and out of specific quotes from Tyners iconic piano solo on John Coltranes most famous recorded version of My Favorite Things.

With a couple of other exceptions, Paint gives us a vision of MOPDTK as a band that has a maturing vision, a new sense of focus. I dont know if this is a better band , as jazz needs the critique that classic Mostly Other People Do the Killing always provided. But this new cast of the group is impressive on its own terms, with Stabinsky proving that he is a compelling primary soloist and with Shea pushing toward astonishment. I promise not to miss the pranksters if this direction continues.
The film, "Defining Hope," will be shown at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Marcus Cinema in La Crosse. Viterbo's nursing program is sponsoring the one-night screening and will host a panel discussion after the film.

"Defining Hope" is a documentary that follows patients' with life-threatening illnesses as they make choices about how they want to live, how much medical technology they can accept, what they hope for and how that hope evolves when life is threatened. It also follows the nurses who work with these patients and their families day after day during these crossroads.
Let me tell you about a man and a place far away from the cornfields of the Midwest: Jeff Pleadwell and Jeffs Pirates Cove at 111 Route 4, Ip Read moreJeffs Pirates Cove: A place of history
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Global IoT Security Market: SnapshotThe global Internet of Things (IoT) security market is slated to witness a tremendous growth during the forecast period from 2016 to 2024. The growth can be traced to a growing adoption of cloud based services for authentication process. Cloud is being used for the storage of biometrics information. As most organizations today are adopting cloud technology for storing their confidential data, there arises need for developing security measures to protect the cloud against unauthorized access. The high adoption of cloud based services by small and medium scale enterprises such as pay per use model, is offering flexibility and scalability to these enterprises and this has resulted in a staggering increase in the adoption of cloud based services for the purpose of data storage. This is expected to create a heightened need for IoT security solutions and drive the market worldwide.A sample of this report is available upon request @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=13133 The introduction of integrated security solutions is expected to fuel the growth prospects of the global IoT security market. The demand for IoT security solutions will increase among end users as there is a need for providing overall security to networks and devices. Since stand-alone IoT security solutions are expensive, most end users are opting for integrated IoT security solutions. Integrated IoT security solutions offer enhanced support and greater functionality to customers and this will provide the market a boost. Data loss prevention and firewalls are being integrated with IoT security solutions and this will further boost the growth of this market. This will decrease the IoT security solutions.Global IoT Security Market: OverviewAs the Internet of Things (IoT) is gradually moving from being a centralized structure to a more complex network of innumerable decentralized smart devices, the need for security of data will be acknowledged to a greater degree, thereby promoting the expansion of the global IoT security market. The larger the volume of the data transferred over to IoT, the bigger the risk of device manipulation, IP theft, identity theft, data falsification, and network or server manipulation.By type, endpoint security, cloud security, network security, and application security could be the key segments of the global market for IoT security. Manufacturing, energy and utilities, government, defense, information technology (IT) and telecommunication, banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI), transportation, logistics, and retail can be the major segments of the market based on application.All facets of the global IoT security market pertaining to the growth drivers, challenges, supply and demand, and current trends have been discussed in the report. The market size, historical developments, present scenario, and projected estimations have been revealed, together with relevant statistical data, charts, and figures. The progress of the key market players has also been mapped under the competitive landscape.Global IoT Security Market: Drivers and RestraintsWith the emergence of technologies such as cloud, a large volume of data faces threat from cyber-crime. The exceeding popularity of social media has also resulted in vulnerability to identity theft and data theft. Consequently, stronger platforms that combat cyber threats are being continuously developed by several firms. Moreover, the excessive usage of smartphones, laptops, and tablets has further led to the exposure of personal data.The prevalence of concepts such as Bring Your Own Phone (BYOP), Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), and Bring Your Own PC (BYOPC) has undoubtedly boosted the productivity of business enterprises, but has also raised data security concerns. Several enterprises and organizations are therefore in the quest for more efficient security solutions. All this has stoked the growth of the global IoT security market.Antithetically, lack of knowledge about the availability and benefits of IoT security solutions might inhibit growth. However, the towering demand for data security has led to the formulation of stringent laws and regulatory compliances by several governments, ensuring that the market would continue to expand at a significant pace over the next few years.Global IoT Security Market: Regional OutlookBy geography, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Europe, North America, and the Middle East and Africa are the key segments of the global market for IoT security. In terms of revenue, North America appears to be the dominant market. The growth of this region can be attributed to the extensive deployment of IoT devices across several domains and countries and the enforcement of regulatory frameworks. For example, the implementation of laws such as Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) have been propelling the market.The IoT security market in Asia Pacific has been growing rapidly, thanks to the greater number of business organizations, rise in mobile workforce, and the unregulated usage of the Internet. The expanding economy, social transformation, and the new national security policies in countries such as Japan, India, and Singapore have also been responsible for the growth of IoT security solutions across this region.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=13133 Companies mentioned in the research reportIBM Corporation, Symantec Corporation, Infineon Technologies, Cisco Systems, Inc., Hewlett Packard Development Company L.P., Sophos Plc, NSIDE Secure SA, ARM Holdings, Gemalto NV, and Intel Corporation are some of the major companies operating in the global market for IoT security.
North America Food Anti Caking Agents Market

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The North America Food Anti Caking Agents Market was worth USD 144.1 million in 2016 and estimated to be growing at a CAGR of 3.82%, to reach USD 173.81 million by 2021. North America is third largest for Food Anti Caking agents after Europe and Asia Pacific.Browse report details @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/north-america-food-anti-caking-agents-market-2586/ Market Conditions:Factors fuelling the growth of market are increasing demand and consumption of bakery and confectionary foods, increasing preference of consumers towards value ingredients, which have forced the manufacturers to make product improvements and need the make anti caking agents. Factors like changing food habits and upsurge in population have also assisted in the growth of market. On the other hand, factors like negative consumer insights and harsh government regulation are hindering the growth of market.The market for seasonings & condiments is expected to grow at a substantial rate mainly due to the change in consumer's tastes, improvements in food products, and aspiration to attain specific organoleptic properties in food products.North America Food Anti Caking Agents Market Segmentation: By Type: Calcium Compounds, Sodium Compounds, Magnesium Compounds, Microcrystalline Cellulose and Silicon Dioxide By Application: Spice, Seasoning & Condiments, Bakery, Flavor, Beverages, Dairy, Fruits & Vegetables and Chocolates By Geography: Introduction, United States and CanadaAvail Free Sample Market Brochure of the report for more information, Get a Copy @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/north-america-food-anti-caking-agents-market-2586/request-sample Geographical Brief:Geographically the market is segmented into USA and Canada. United States is the largest market in the region in terms of number of shares followed by Canada due to factors like the presence of market leaders coupled with a sophisticated food industry and growing demand for hassle free packaging and transport of food products.Key Players:Key companies operating in North America Food Anti Caking agents market includes, Sasol Wax Fuji Chemicals Industries Chemipol S.A. Huber Engineered Materials Agropur Ingredients PPG Industries Inc. Grain Corporation IMAC Inc Evonik Industries AG BASF Norkem Group Kao Chemicals PQ Corporation Bogdany Petrol Ltd. Sweetener Supply Corp.Make an Inquiry @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/north-america-food-anti-caking-agents-market-2586/inquire About MarketDataForecast: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.Media Contact:Abhishek ShuklaInternational Business Development ManagerMarket Data ForecastDirect Line: +1-888-702-9626; Mobile: +91 998 555 0206Mail: abhishek@ marketdataforecast.com Visit MarketDataForecast Blog @ http://www.marketdataforecast.com/blog/
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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for TIMIA Capital Corp.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - TIMIA Capital Corp. (TSX Venture:TCA). has issued a press release with the following headline:TIMIA Capital Announces $235,000 Net Income in Q3, 2017 ResultsTo 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 TIMIA Capital 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/TIMIA Capital Corp.Source: TIMIA Capital Corp. (TSX Venture: TCA)Date: October 31, 2017Time: 2:00 PM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of TIMIA Capital 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.)
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Data Brokers Market: OverviewData broker is a business that collects and stores the personal information about consumers and sells to organizations who require that data to design their marketing strategy based on the preferences of the customer. The data brokers collect this information from a variety of sources such as government records, browser cookies and credit/debit card transactions. The brokers integrate and synthesize the data using advanced analytics tools such as rapid miner and Google fusion tables to formulate individual profiles of the customers.A sample of this report is available upon request @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=13037 These individual profiles are updated regularly and are sold as per the demand of the buying organizations. The data brokers collect various kinds of data such as consumer data (personal information such as name and contact detail), commercial data (companies data), scientific data (weather information & drugs composition), real estate data (homes, farms or properties) and location data (global positioning, traffic and landmarks).Data Brokers Market: Key Growth EnablersThe data brokers store every bit of the information such as Internet activity, bulk transaction records and personal data such as date of birth, and books read. Various businesses are looking forward for that data to target the customers accordingly. This is the major driver for the growth of the market. Absence of data protection compliances in the emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil supports the growth of data brokers market. The data broker organizations support the companies in analyzing the buying pattern of the customers, thus support the organizations in developing products according to demand of the customers.Growth of Internet of Things (IoT) and rising demand of data analytics is anticipated to create immense opportunities for data brokers market. However, the customers are unaware of data being collected, thus privacy issues occur consistently. This is expected to provide hurdles in the growth of the data brokers market. The sector specific compliances pertaining to data privacy such as Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is further anticipated to present challenges to the players in this market.Data Brokers Market: SegmentationData brokers market is broadly segmented on the basis of product type, data type, insight level, and geography. On the basis of product type, the data brokers market is segmented into marketing products, risk mitigation products and people search products. Various data types associated with this market include consumer data, commercial data, scientific data, real estate data and geo-location data. On the basis of insight level, the data broker market is segmented into basic insights, smart insights and adaptive insights. Moreover, in terms of geographies, the global data brokers market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (MEA) and Latin America.North America has been the key contributor to the revenue generated by data brokers market during the last few years. This is attributed to presence of highly digit tech savvy population in the region which generates huge amount of data. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing region in terms of adoption of data broking services as it enables the businesses to design personalized promotional campaigns to target the mass population present in the region.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=T&rep_id=13037 The major participants in the data brokers market include Acxiom Corporation, CoreLogic Inc., DataLogix Inc., eBureau LLC, Experion Plc, Intellius Inc., Peekyou LLC, Databroker Ltd., Pipl Inc. and Epsilon Data Management LLC.
Nigeria has recorded a major leap in its ranking in the Ease of Doing Business ranking.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo welcomed the ranking on Tuesday and praised all those who contributed in making that possible.

Mr. Osinbajo, who expressed his satisfaction in a statement on Tuesday, said the development showed significant result.

The latest ranking saw Nigeria move up 24 places to 145th in its list.

Similarly, Nigeria was also identified as one of the top 10 most improved economies in the world.

A statement by Mr. Osinbajos Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, said the vice-president welcomed Nigerias improved performancs as one of the top 10 reforming economies in the world in 2017, after a decade-long decline in Nigerias rankings.

This year, Mr. President set us an ambitious target of moving up 20 places in the ranking  I am delighted that we have exceeded his goal, the statement said.

Improving the business environment is at the heart of the Buhari administrations reform agenda. We are reinforcing our economic turnaround by a vigorous and active implementation of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan so businesses operating in Nigeria can thrive and be competitive globally.

For the first time, coordinated efforts across various levels of governments have been undertaken to make it easier to do business in Nigeria.

I commend all stakeholders who worked with us to achieve this significant result, particularly the National Assembly, Lagos and Kano state governments, and the private sector.

The World Bank report showed that five reforms made it easier to do business in Nigerias two major cities, Kano and Lagos.

The reforms include Starting a Business; Dealing with Construction Permits; Registering Property; Getting Credit, and Paying Taxes.

On Tuesday, the vice-president said the Muhammadu Buhari administration would continue to ensure that Nigerians find it easier to do business.

The statement explained further that the World Bank report endorsed the direction that government has been taking to improve the ease of doing business in Nigeria over the last 12 to 18 months, adding that there is still much work to be done before the full impact of the reforms would be felt by Nigerians.

We are also collaborating with the National Assembly to deliver an Omnibus Bill to jointly furnish a more business-friendly legal framework for Nigerian businesses in the future, Mr. Osinbajo said.

Furthermore, the Federal Executive Council has approved the concession of our major international airports, which will be fast-tracked to enable easier movement of persons.

We are also nearing the implementation stage of our National Trading Platform to ensure our cross-border trading is more efficient, while collaborating with other countries to safeguard our security.

This policy will also be supported by ongoing reform efforts to simplify trading within Nigeria, whether that be the ease of trade in goods, regulatory approvals or the protection of intellectual property.
Egypt on Tuesday supported Bahrains decision to boycott all Gulf summits that Qatar would take part in.

Egypt totally understands the stand of Hamad Al-Khalifa, king of Bahrain not to take part in the meetings or summits of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in which Qatar will participate, spokesperson of the foreign ministry, Ahmad Zeid said.

Bahrains foreign minister on Monday suggested suspending Qatars GCC membership until it accepts the demands of the Arab countries boycotting Doha.

Bahrain decision is a matter of sovereignty to face the damages that harmed it due to the negative Qatari policies in the past years.

Egypt also underscored solidarity with Bahrain in all the decisions it has taken to preserve security and stability of its people, Zeid said.

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt on June 5 severed ties with Qatar over accusations of supporting extremism and being too close to Shiite rival Iran, charges Doha has denied.

(Xinhua/NAN)
The face-off between the management of Integrated Logistics Services Limited, INTELS, and the Nigerian Port Authority, NPA appears to have taken a twist for the worse, as the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority, OGFZA, has threatened to revoke the companys expatriate visas and audit its operations.

The OGFZA also accused INTELS of violating Nigerian laws in its operations.

However, INTELS hit back on Monday, describing claims by the agency as speculations and unproven allegations and its threats an unbridled desire to perpetrate mischief and malice against INL.

The OGFZA is responsible for licensing, regulating, supervising, managing, controlling and co-ordinating the activities of oil and gas free zones in the country.

INTELS was a concessionaire with the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, to provide management services as developer under the OGFZA law, including collection of revenues on behalf of government for goods and services shipped into the country through the zone.

The concession agreement also covered collection of revenues from all operators, including multinational oil and gas companies in the country doing business within the oil and gas free zone.

Recently INTELS fell out with the NPA for its alleged refusal to comply with government directive to remit all revenues collected on governments behalf through the Treasury Single Account, TSA, at the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

Documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES at the weekend revealed that unremitted revenues to the federation account between January and September 2017 by the company was over N40 billion.

The INTELS co-owner, Gabrielle Volpi, has since apologised to the NPA, saying his firm was now ready to comply with the TSA directive.

The new accusations by OGFZA, however, reveal that the firm still faces a lot of hurdles.

THE OGFZA ACCUSATIONS

In two separate letters dated October 23 and 29, addressed to INTELS Nigeria Limited, Managing Director, Mike Epelle, OGFZA frowned at the alleged serial breaches of the Oil & Gas Export Free Zone Act 2010, accusing the company and its affiliates of operating without a valid license since it failed to renew its license despite repeated reminders since June, 2017.

The first letter signed by OGFZA Managing Director, Okon Umana, accused INTELS of disposal of assets, including equipment imported into the free zone under the zero duty regime of the OGFZA Act without the consent of the Authority, in contravention of Section 12(6) of the Oil and Gas Export Free Zone Act 1996.

Some of the assets allegedly disposed of by INTELS and its 16 affiliates, include over 3,000 project vehicles, trucks, cranes, forklifts and assortment of construction equipment imported into the country.

Mr. Umana explained that the compliance audit on the activities of INTELS and its affiliates was to enable the Nigeria Customs establish the value of all assets disposed off allegedly without compliance.

Other allegations against the company, Mr. Umana said, included the refusal of INTELS and affiliates to allow the agency inspect the records relating to the imported items as well as access to their warehouse and other premises in contravention of Section 15(1) of the OGFZA law of 1996.

While also accusing INTELS of refusal to submit returns to the agency, Mr. Umana said the company refused to honour its demand notice to settle statutory obligations of over $31.5 million more than eight months since it was issued.

Besides, the agency said, INTELS has refused to refund over $18.37 million it collected illegally as oil and gas cargo charges between 2006 and 2016 in violation of Section 10(4) of the OGFZA Act of 2010 and Section 11 of the 2003 regulation.

Mr. Umanah said as a result of these alleged serial violations, the agency would not only apply appropriate sanctions against INTELS, but would cease to renew its operational licenses, while the visas of all its expatriates issued under the Free Zone regime would be cancelled forthwith.

The exercise, the OGFZA boss, explained, would help determine if INTELS had remitted the appropriate revenues that should have accrued to the federal government on the disposed assets.

Besides, the agency reminded INTELS management of the pending renewal of its operating license, since its expiration in December 3, 2016.

In the second letter signed by the Secretary/Legal Adviser to the Board, A. W. Sule, the OGFZA rejected objections by INTELS to the demand notice for the land lease/sublease charge, describing it as made in bad faith and an after-thought, in view of its initial acceptance and alleged payment of $3 million by its managing director.

The agency said the collection of the oil and gas charge by INTELS without its approval was illegal and should be refunded.

In response to the allegations, INTELS spokesperson, Bolaji Akinola, said on Monday that contrary to OGFZA claims, the company was neither owing, nor in violation of the OGFZA Act.

Such allegations are false and malicious and injurious to the business interest as well as reputation of INL, he said in a statement.

He said apart from exchange of correspondences on the issues, there have been meetings and discussions between both parties regarding various demand notices by OGFZA as well as other measures affecting INLs status and operations in the free zone.

Mr. Akinola accused OGFZA management of actions deliberately aimed at undermining INLs business and tarnish its reputation, including its refusal to release its operational license for 2017, despite that the company had paid in full all charges and renewal fees for the license.

He said the other fee was the new free zone tariffs on land charges imposed by the Free Zone (Tariffs & Other Charges) Order gazetted in 2015, but being implemented from 2017.

INL has raised some issues concerning the land charges with the result that the claim by the OGFZA on INL for those charges are presently being disputed. In essence, INL is not indebted to OGFZA, because the company is not liable to pay the land charges imposed on it by OGFZA, he noted.
The distribution of fertiliser products to Nigerias farmers has been a long running problem in Nigeria. There are huge challenges facing businesses looking to effectively distribute their products in a way that is reliable, efficient and cost-effective for both the distributor and the end users.

Our nations small-scale farmers have suffered for too long in the face of a poorly funded and inefficiently executed distribution chain that has failed to provide them with the fertiliser products they so desperately need in order to raise the productivity of their farms, Notore CEO, Onajite Okoloko, recently expressed.

FUNDAMENTAL CHALLENGES

One of the most important obstacles is the state of existing infrastructure in Nigeria. Poor roads, a lack of investment and a challenging climate all combine to make it difficult for any distributor to trust that they can rely on the network to deliver their products on time at a reasonable cost. Consider this incredible statistic: Nigeria loses around two per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) every single year because the nations infrastructure simply is not up to the job. Taking Nigerias GDP in 2016 as N101.59 trillion, that represents a loss of around N2.03 trillion.

FAILING CUSTOMERS

Another issue with fertiliser distribution chains in Nigeria in the past has been that the products have failed to reach or be accessible to those who need them most  and when they do, they are either adulterated to increase profits before they are sold on, or have been distributed in quantities that many small-scale farmers have been unable to afford. Farmers have had to travel long distances to buy fertilisers that are poor quality to begin with, and have then tried to use them without the support network of experienced and professional advisers who could help them to use the products effectively. The end result has been that many farmers have come to see fertilisers as expensive and ineffective  and strictly in terms of the experiences that many have with inferior, overpriced product in the past, it is hard to disagree with them.

A NEW WAY FORWARD

However Notores revolutionary model for its fertiliser supply chain is beginning to change these perceptions. Notores approach improves on what has gone before in a number of ways.

The first is in terms of affordability and wealth generation. Notore took a huge step forward by breaking bulk and reducing bag size  making it easier for small farmers to buy its products  but they have also created a supply chain that encourages entrepreneurship at a local level. Its extensive network of Village Promoters are now effectively running their own small businesses, selling on the products to local customers at an affordable rate.

This wealth generation extends to the Agro Dealers who supply the Village Promoters, and indeed the Transport Partners who supply the Agro Dealers.

CHANGING PERCEPTIONS

The second benefit Notores unique approach to its distribution network has brought is that it is making a huge difference in terms of farmers perceptions of fertiliser use. Thanks once again to the dedication and expertise of Notores Village Promoters and its teams of extension workers on the ground, farmers are now seeing the direct, and very practical benefits of using premium fertiliser, in the correct way, on their land.

Its a gradual, but very real revolution, said Mr Okoloko. Were beginning to make real progress in terms of domestic fertiliser use, and our ground-breaking model for distributing has had a big part to play in this.
The La Crosse Warming Center at 413 S. Third St. will open Wednesday, its traditional opening date of Nov. 1, with intake beginning at 7 p.m.

Another winter-related kickoff Wednesday will be the annual moratorium, from Nov. 1 through April 15, during which Wisconsin are prohibited from disconnecting customers who are behind on their bills.

The Warming Center can accommodate up to 40 people overnight, although coordinator Mark Schimpf doesnt expect it to be full its first night, when low temperatures are predicted to be around 40 degrees, with rainy conditions.

I dont have a clue for sure how many people will show up, he said. The weather is not great, but its not terrible. Last year, we had 12 the first night.

The Warming Center averaged 39 a night last season.

The center is in good shape with volunteers for intake shifts, Schimpf said. The intake shifts include providing a meal  a task that church groups and other organizations usually shoulder. It could use more overnight volunteers.

The center also could use donations of socks, razors, coffee and full-size bottles of shampoo, soaps and other sanitary items to stock the showers, Schimpf said. The donations can be dropped off at the center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, he said.

People who cant make it during those times ideally should drop them off before 6 p.m., before the center becomes busy with intake, he said.

For other donations to the center, contact Schimpf at 608-519-8020 or by email at mschimpf@cclse.org.

Regarding the utility cutoff moratorium, Xcel Energy intends to make sure people who need assistance paying bills can receive it.

We understand that customers can sometimes face challenges paying their electric and natural gas bills, and we want to provide the resources they need to make payment arrangements, said Pat Boland, manager of Xcels customer policy and assistance department.

We have several programs and work with many agencies that can provide assistance or identify other resources for customers in need, he said.

Xcel Energy also can provide contact information for local community energy assistance programs. For more information, customers can call Xcels 24-hour residential customer service line at 1-800-895-4999.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday announced that he plans to expand the Federal Executive Council, an indication more ministers are to be appointed into the cabinet.

Mr. Buhari stated this in his address to the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress on Tuesday.

The compressed Federal Executive Council will be expanded to bring in more supporters at Federal Level, with fresh ideas to be injected into the government, the president said.

Currently, the FEC meets once a week and is made up of one minister from each state of the federation.

The Nigerian constitution requires that at least one minister must come from each state.

In his speech to the APC NEC held at the partys national secretariat in Abuja, the president also thanked the governors of the party and the leadership of the National Assembly.

Read the full speech below.

May I warmly welcome everybody to this important meeting of our partys executive body?

Let me on a personal note thank you all for your prayers and good wishes, which the Almighty Allah answered in the restoration of my health.

I wish to thank you all Party leaders for helping to keep the government running smoothly during my prolonged absence.

I would like to start by commending our Party Leadership chaired by His Excellency, Chief John Oyegun. The Chairman and I worked harmoniously during 1984-85 in a previous government. Happily, circumstances have brought us again to positions of leadership in the country.

I want to thank Chief Oyegun and his staff for steering the party in the last two and a half years. Sometimes it is easier to manage failure than to manage success  and a big success such as that we have achieved.

I must also commend the leadership of the National Assembly led by Senate President His Excellency, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Rt. Hon. Speaker Mr. Yakubu Dogara. I must place on record the cooperation and understanding of the National Assembly including some non-APC members who rose above petty party interests and acted in the national interest.

My deep thanks also go to our State Governors who faced stiff challenges, especially their determination to maintain unity and tolerance among our communities. This is in the face of unnecessary politically motivated strife and violence. Credit should go to APC Governors for extending their hand of fellowship to their colleagues from other parties.

In my remarks to the Caucus meeting yesterday, I enumerated the progress that our government has made in the implementation of the programs of government and the Party Manifesto.

We can be proud of our achievements in the last two years, Boko Haram, Niger Delta, Regular Fuel, Improved Power, TSA, Agriculture and Fertilizer, above all, the knowledge that corruption will not be tolerated in this Government. We all know there is CHANGE.

Nigerias prestige has gone up, Nigeria is now credit worthy, a clear testimony of which was the over-subscription of the Euro-Bond by 4 times.

Nevertheless, we are not resting on our achievements. I am quite aware of the challenges before us.

Last year I said we would re-constitute the Boards of Parastatals.

I must regret the fact that we have not done so, for many reasons.

Some of us in this meeting may know I had given instructions since October 2015 for this exercise to start. But there have been inordinate delays through several Committees in an attempt to get the balance right and to make sure all parts of the country are equitably represented.

On the other hand I am keenly aware that our supporters are very eager for these appointments to be announced. By the Grace of God these appointments will be announced soon. Especially now that the economy is improving, we will have the resources to cater for the appointees.

By the same token the compressed Federal Executive Council will be expanded to bring in more supporters at Federal Level, with fresh ideas to be injected into the government.

Let me thank you all again for the commitment and dedicated service to our Party and to remind you that much more will be required of you in the coming months. I hope we can continue to depend on you.

If we keep united and rise above petty or personal quarrels we will surely achieve the desired CHANGE in the country.

I wish us happy deliberations.

Thank you.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday gave reasons why the boards of several parastatals have not been constituted.

The non-constitution of the boards of parastatals of various agencies has affected the smooth operations of such agencies.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the President of the Nigeria Medical Association, Mike Ogirima, blamed the rampant case of quack doctors across the country on the non-constitution of the board of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.

On Tuesday, while addressing the National Executive Council meeting of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Abuja, Mr. Buhari spoke on the non-constitution of the boards.

Last year I said we would re-constitute the Boards of Parastatals. I must regret the fact that we have not done so, for many reasons, he said.

Some of us in this meeting may know I had given instructions since October 2015 for this exercise to start. But there have been inordinate delays through several Committees in an attempt to get the balance right and to make sure all parts of the country are equitably represented.

Apart from the delays caused by getting the balance right mentioned by the president, he also gave an indication that the economic recession in Nigeria influenced his decision not to constitute the boards; saying the economy now being out of recession meant we will have the resources to cater for the appointees.

On the other hand I am keenly aware that our supporters are very eager for these appointments to be announced, the president said.

By the Grace of God these appointments will be announced soon. Especially now that the economy is improving, we will have the resources to cater for the appointees.

At the APC NEC meeting at the partys headquarters in Abuja, the president also spoke on the achievements of his government.

We can be proud of our achievements in the last two years, Boko Haram, Niger Delta, Regular Fuel, Improved Power, TSA, Agriculture and Fertilizer, above all, the knowledge that corruption will not be tolerated in this Government. We all know there is CHANGE, he said.

Nigerias prestige has gone up, Nigeria is now credit worthy, a clear testimony of which was the over-subscription of the Euro-Bond by 4 times.

Nevertheless, we are not resting on our achievements. I am quite aware of the challenges before us, Mr. Buhari said.
The newly-appointed Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, says he will work to ensure more cooperation between government ministries and departments.

Mr. Mustapha said this on Tuesday while speaking to State House correspondents after he met with President Muhammadu Buhari in his office.

Mr. Mustapha, who was appointed on Monday, said his role in the government is to coordinate and ensure the implementation of government policies.

Nigeria is not in lack of information and policy formulation, sometimes it is the synergy of those policies for the purposes of attending the goal that has been lacking, he said.

I think those are some of the things that I am going to bring to the office. There must be coordination, there must be synergy so that we can have a thrust that can move us forward, he said.

The SGF said he found Mr. Buhari in high spirit adding that the presidents return to good health is a miracle.

The President in his normal candour and humour just cracked jokes and he was in very high spirit.

I was pleasantly gladdened in my heart when I saw how robust and how uplifting he is in his spirit and in spite of the enormity of the fact that he has to deal with navigating the affairs of this nation.

But he looked in-charge, quiet, calm and calculated, and the beauty about it is that his recovery process has been very very remarkable, it is just a miracle and I just want to thank God for that, he said.

Mr. Mustapha said he will work to ensure that the Buhari administration achieves its three-pronged approach to governance by dealing with corruption, diversifying the economy and tackling insecurity.

He said the administration has done well in security and diversification of the economy.

Asked what he will do differently, Mr. Mustapha said he will wait until he takes the oath of office and receive briefings before deciding what to do.

Well, I will wait until the oath of office is administered on me. Once that is done, Ill now begin to take briefings from the office and begin to chart a roadmap.

It is always not too fashionable to begin to talk about an office you have never occupied. That will be being too presumptuous and I wouldnt want to do that at the moment.

I will want to step into the office first. But I have a general picture of where we should be going, he said.

He said Mr. Buharis policy on Agriculture is helping to curb poverty in the country.

He said the ANCHOR borrowers programme and others have the capacity to take Nigeria out of its economic difficulties.

I believe that if we can do that consistently for a number of years we will get out of this quagmire. Because a nation that cannot feed itself has a long way to go in terms of institutional and industrial development.

So, like I said I will not be too quick to say what I am going to do in office, but I have a general picture. Mr. President has cast the vision, all of us that are appointees of government have the singular responsibility to ensure that we run with that vision.

He has made it plain and any vision that has been made plain for those that are being charged with responsibilities are supposed to run with that vision to ensure that at the end of the day the dividends of democracy is delivered to the people of Nigeria, he said.

We will not disappoint Nigerians

The SGF, who was part of Mr. Buharis presidential campaign team, also assured that the administration will not disappoint Nigerians.

He said the campaign team went round the country seeking a mandate which was granted by the citizens freely.

It behoves on us charged with responsibilities to ensure that we do not disappoint them, he said.

Mr. Mustapha said he is aware of the high expectations of Nigerians from the Buhari administration.

You live with families and you know the expectations of families. You live in communities, you know the expectations of those communities.

You live in geographical jurisdictions and you know the expectations of those people.

But we have come at a time when the resources are very very lean, in some cases not available but I believe with prudent management as being put in place by Mr. President we will be able to navigate these very difficult terrain and at the end of the day every Nigerian will have a smile on his face, he said.

Mr. Mustapha said although the Buhari government is not promising heaven on earth, he said it can move Nigerians from a state of squalor in which they are to a state where there will be hope, there will be expectations.

He said hope does a lot of things, because of citizens desire to live for tomorrow.

And if there is hope that things will be better, the people of Nigeria are very understanding people and I can assure you that they will continue to give this government the kind of support that we require to push the nation ahead, he said.
A 43-year-old father, Musa Mohammed, has been arrested by the Rights Protection Agency in Niger for setting his 15-year-old son, Bello Musa, ablaze.

Mariam Kolo, the Director-General of the agency, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Minna.

She said that the incident occurred around Polytechnic Road, Bida, in Bida Local Government Area of the state.

Ms. Kolo explained that Mr. Musa tied the victim up and siphoned petrol from his motorcycle, poured it on the victim and set him on fire because of his alleged frequent quarrels with his elder brother.

According to her, the quick intervention of neighbours helped save the victim from being burnt to death.

During questioning, the father confessed that his action was as a result of the behaviour of the boy, that he is always quarrelling with his elder brother and rude to him.

He said that he was tired of the boys bad behaviour and had warned him several times to stop fighting his elder brother, but he refused to adhere to the warning, she said.

The director-general said that the accused would be charged to court under Section 25 of the Child Rights Law and Sections 299 and 348 of the Panel Code Law.

She said that the victim is receiving treatment at Umaru Ndayako General Hospital, Bida.

Earlier, the father admitted to have poured petrol on his son and set him ablaze.

However, he pleaded with the agency for leniency, saying he committed the offence out of anger.

(NAN)
Nigerian journalists on Monday evening hosted a delegation of Ethiopian journalists who are in the country for a programme tagged Uniting African Journalists.

The U.S. Embassy in Abuja Nigeria and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, initiated the programme which is geared towards exchanging and promoting connections between journalists in Africa especially between Ethiopian and Nigerian journalists.

Channels Television, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Radio Nigeria (FRCN), PREMIUM TIMES, Daily Trust, and Cool/Wazobia/Nigeria Info are among six Nigerian institutions partnering with the U.S. Embassy to host the delegation of Ethiopian journalists during the four-day visit.

Representatives of the six Nigerian media partners accompanied by Embassy staff from Abuja will visit Ethiopia from November 27 on the reverse trip of the exchange program.

Mannir Dan Ali, the Executive Director, Daily Trust Newspaper, who set the event in motion gave a breakdown of the past, present and future of the Nigerian media.

He said the online media has changed the game.

While commending PREMIUM TIMES for being investigative, factual and objective, he said, almost all 180 million Nigerians are now bloggers and journalists, that is why the need for factual reporting becomes essential.

Mr. Ali described the Nigerian media as vibrant and free compared to other climes where the media is constantly under threat.

Bayo Onanuga, the managing director, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN agreed with Mr. Ali on the freedom of the Nigerian press.

He said the only time a prominent oppression of the press was witnessed in the country was in 1986 when one of Nigerias most iconic journalist and founding editor-in-chief of Newswatch Magazine, Dele Giwa, was killed through a parcel bomb.

Our media should be likened to that of America, we fought for independence, fought against military oppression.

The Mainagate scandal making rounds in the country was blown open by PREMIUM TIMES and that is the power of the media, Mr. Onanuga said.

In his closing remark, Musikilu Mojeed, the Editor in Chief, PREMIUM TIMES, gave an insight on how tough and life threatening it is to do investigative journalism in Ethiopia.

He cited an incident where a reporter was charged with terrorism for receiving emails from a terrorist group.

Mr. Mojeed, however, urged the visiting Ethiopian journalists to feel free to pass across stories they feel uncomfortable to publish in their country.

We are ready to welcome and publish such stories at PREMIUM TIMES, he said.

Aruna Amirthanayagam, a representative of the U.S. embassy, earlier gave a warm welcome address to the visiting Ethiopian journalists.

The Ethiopian media partners for the event are: The Reporter Newspaper, Fortune Newspaper, Ethiopian Broadcasting Service, Sheger FM 102 Radio and Capital Newspaper-Crown Publishing.
Top leaders of the governing All Progressives Congress, APC, have passed a vote of confidence in the leadership of the party under John Odigie-Oyegun.

The vote of confidence was passed on the National Working Committee, NEC, at a meeting of the National Caucus of the party which held Monday evening at the new banquet Hall, State House Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari and had in attendance Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, and the newly-appointed Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.

The governor of Zamfara state and chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, Abdulaziz Yari, told waiting reporters shortly after emerging from the meeting that a vote of confidence had been passed on Mr. Oyegun and his team.

This meeting shows our unity in the party, shows our strength and our commitment to the party and to Nigerians, he said.

The national caucus is a prelude to the meeting of the National Executive Committee, which holds Tuesday at the national secretariat of the APC. Most decisions to be taken at the NEC are often discussed and agreed upon at the Caucus meeting.

Happenings in the party and media reports have shown that there could be an attempt to force Mr. Oyegun out of office during the NEC meeting today.

A national leader of the party and former governor of Lagos state, Bola Tinubu, is believed to be at the forefront of those gunning for Mr. Odigie-Oyeguns ouster.

On Monday, protesters stormed the partys main office in Wuse, Abuja, demanding that Mr. Oyegun step down.

A source at the party secretariat said it was in a bid to avoid crisis that Mr. Buhari separately met with Messr. Tinubu and Oyegun as well as the leadership of the national assembly Monday afternoon.

Those meetings appear to have yielded fruit as a smiling Mr. Oyegun told reporters after the talks that the meeting was very fantastic and that APC will emerge stronger after the NEC meeting.

A former governor of Yobe state, Bukar Ibrahim, also said contrary to reports of divisions in the party, the meeting was successful.

Remember you saw it in some of the newspapers that our crisis had deepened; APC is going to break, there is a plan to kick out our national chairman  none of these things happened.

It is a big family reunion and we are all happy and this party is going to dominate the Nigerian political space for a very long time to come. I dont want to predict any number of years, Mr. Ibrahim said.

Atiku conspicuously absent

Although the National Caucus meeting was well attended, a notable figure in the party, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, was conspicuously absent.

However, his spokesperson, Paul Ibe, told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr. Abubakars absence was not planned because he has been out of the country for six weeks, long before the meeting was announced.

Those who attended the meeting include governors, some ministers, lawmakers, as well as Mr. Tinubu and the former national chairman of the party, Bisi Akande.

There were also former governors and top government officials in the APC administration.
Following the impeachment of the former Secretary to the Government, Babachir Lawal and former boss of the National Intelligence Agency, Ayodele Oke, Nigerians have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts.

Both top officials were relieved of their duties after widespread public outcry.

Follow the development, President Buhari asked the anti-graft agency, EFCC to proceed with investigation of Messrs. Lawal and Oke.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, also registered their grievances and demanded the impeachment of President Buhari.

Mr. Lawal has since been replaced by Boss Mustapha.

Read reactions of Nigerians on Twitter below:

https://twitter.com/OsasCruz/status/925022043313188864

https://twitter.com/KingAbsolute_/status/925034609917808641

https://twitter.com/Rouvafe/status/925012919640870912

Babachir Lawal's case will likely follow the normal routine: -Prosecution

-Delay tactics

-Sweep under the carpet

-Case closed

-Free man pic.twitter.com/KN0qIe0nNH  Kemi Ariyo (@d_problemsolver) October 30, 2017

On Babachir Lawal and Amb. Ayo Oke: Those who ask the question of what next? The President has taken the administrative action. All other actions will be taken by relevant government agencies.  Garba Shehu (@GarShehu) October 31, 2017

https://twitter.com/GreatGracious/status/925079893792215040

"Boss Mustapha is Babachir Lawals first cousin"

Junaid Mohammed Why didn't you say he's also from Adamawa, NE too. Old Egbere!  Ayekooto (@DeeOneAyekooto) October 31, 2017

https://twitter.com/iykimo/status/925088855157628931

If they don't recover N200 million from Babachir Lawal and commence immediate prosecution of him & Ayo Oke, then it's retirement not sack.  Nejeeb Bello Oyarese (@NejeebBello) October 30, 2017

https://twitter.com/iam_2gunz/status/925017254265282560

https://twitter.com/MizCazorla1/status/925283531324084224

The Era of sacking and go home must stop. We must still prevail on @MBuhari to ensure the prosecution of Babachir Lawal. The time is NOW.  #OgbeniAsiwaju (@AsiwajuOladimej) October 30, 2017

The intention of the termination of Babachir Lawal's appointment is to distract Nigerians from Maina's reinstatement and escape scandal.  Oluyemi Fasipe (Igbalode Pastor) (@YemieFASH) October 30, 2017

https://twitter.com/femiTRIP/status/925046240756273153

Only explanation for the refusal of Buhari to sanction the immediate prosecution of Babachir Lawal & Oke is that the president is corrupt.  Comrade Deji Adeyanju (@adeyanjudeji) October 30, 2017

Am I the only one who has noticed that there is no instruction for security agencies to arrest & prosecute Babachir Lawal & Ayo Oke? https://t.co/Ml6KeJDFU7  Igala Alan Shore (@I_Am_Ilemona) October 30, 2017

Has the FG handed over Babachir Lawal's case file to the EFCC for more work & prosecution? They need to clarify this. That sack isn't ENOUGH  Bankole Akintunde Adebayo (@AdeBanqie) October 30, 2017

https://twitter.com/_Tweeteractive/status/925035618127831040
Politicians everywhere are never short on promises. After 16 years of rule by a party which oversaw rising corruption, growing poverty levels and a failing war against Boko Haram insurgency, Nigerians had had enough of the broken promises of the erstwhile ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

So, many Nigerians invested hope in Muhammadu Buhari whose All Progressives Congress promised change ahead of the March 2015 elections. Nigerians voted the APC in with a hefty majority, bringing about the first democratic power transfer between parties at the federal level in the countrys history.

After more than two years in office, Nigerians are questioning whether the Buhari-led administration is truly the change they bargained for.

An array of public policy experts who spoke at this years Buharimeter Citizens Town Hall Meeting organized by the Centre for Development and Democracy on Friday in Abuja said the government is moving at a very slow pace in meeting the demands of the people that voted it into office.

We have a so-called democratically elected government, which was accepted by the people because they felt that the Goodluck Jonathan-led administration was corrupt and should be made away with. But what is happening? asked a former vice-chancellor at the University of Abuja, Nuhu Yaqub, the chairman of the occasion and keynote speaker.

The Buhari administration is so sluggish in the implementation of its programmes and campaign promises.

Recently, resident electoral commissioners were appointed in about 12 states or so while that of 16 states is yet to be appointed. The issue is: what are you waiting for, bearing in mind that election is getting closer?

Mr. Yaqub, a professor, said though the Buhari administration has recorded successes in some areas, it derailed in keeping to its major campaign promises on security, corruption and the economy.

They decimated Boko-Haram in certain aspects. The question is when is the terminal point for Boko-Haram because they (Boko-Haram) appear to be a cat with nine lives that keep springing up every now and then? he said.

On the issue of corruption and economy, Mr. Yaqub asked where money recovered from looters so far is being kept.

My fear is that if care is not taken, another regime will come and give the money back to the people it was collected from. If the money is collected, let us know the actual amount collected, what is it going to be used for, how is it going to be utilized and why have so much money recovered and we still go out to borrow money to fund the budgets?

Idayat Hassan, the CDD director, said Mr. Buhari had spent 881 days in office but yet issues of corruption and insecurity were still rife in the country.

She said the Buharimeter came out of the challenge to assess governance in the country.

Her welcome address centred on Mr. Buharis fight against corruption and insecurity.

Ms. Hassan said Buharis administration was still under-performing in securing the nation, adding that although the administration prides its self with fighting corruption, it still lacks visible road map and strategy for the fight.

The Nigerian Country Director, Open Society Initiative for West Africa, Jude Ilo, expressed disappointment with certain developments under President Buhari, especially his governments consistent refusal and reluctance to obey court orders.

Other trends have worsened under this administration such as the worrying pattern of the governments reluctance to obey court orders. Nothing can justify the disrespect for the rule of law.

The sense that there is lack of commitment to the anti-graft campaign that heralded the coming into power of this government is fast destroying its credibility, Mr. Ilo said.

He also cited the inability of states to pay salaries, unemployment and the footprints of violence expanding from Plateau to Kaduna, from the marauding herdsmen to a resurgence of Boko Haram, Nigerians are worried about their safety and security, Mr. Ilo noted.

Patricia Achakpa, another member of a panel at the event, said over N872 billion had been invested in the North-east to tackle insurgency but there was nothing to show for the huge expenditure.

Ms. Achakpa said terrorism was being sponsored by many people in the area.

She also lamented the issue of gender imbalance in the Buhari administration.

The CDD launched Buharimeter to track the delivery of President Buharis campaign promises to Nigerians.

On May 28, the CDD released its two years assessment report of the administration titled: Buharimeter Mid-Term Report on the performance of the incumbent administration against its 222 campaign promises.

The CDD Director, Mrs. Hassan, said that the two years assessment report reveals that five of the campaign promises had not and cannot be achieved by the administration, noting that these constitute broken promises.

Buharimeter, according to CDD, used media reports, desk review and survey to match President Buharis campaign promises with public expectation and action taken by the government in its two years in office.

The report is a product of a National Survey on Buharimeter, carried out in all states and senatorial districts in Nigeria.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja addressed the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on issues affecting the party and the country.

Below is a full text of address:

MR. PRESIDENTS REMARKS AT THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC), TUESDAY 31ST OCTOBER 2017, AT THE NATIONAL SECRETARIAT, ABUJA

Protocols

May I warmly welcome everybody to this important meeting of our partys executive body.

Let me on a personal note thank you all for your prayers and good wishes, which the Almighty Allah answered in the restoration of my health.

I wish to thank you all Party leaders for helping to keep the government running smoothly during my prolonged absence.

I would like to start by commending our Party Leadership chaired by His Excellency, Chief John Oyegun. The Chairman and I worked harmoniously during 1984-85 in a previous government. Happily, circumstances have brought us again to positions of leadership in the country.

I want to thank Chief Oyegun and his staff for steering the party in the last two and a half years. Sometimes it is easier to manage failure than to manage success  and a big success such as that we have achieved.

I must also commend the leadership of the National Assembly led by Senate President His Excellency, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Rt. Hon. Speaker Mr. Yakubu Dogara. I must place on record the cooperation and understanding of the National Assembly including some non-APC members who rose above petty party interests and acted in the national interest.

My deep thanks also go to our State Governors who faced stiff challenges, especially their determination to maintain unity and tolerance among our communities. This is in the face of unnecessary politically motivated strife and violence. Credit should go to APC Governors for extending their hand of fellowship to their colleagues from other parties.

In my remarks to the Caucus meeting yesterday, I enumerated the progress that our government has made in the implementation of the programs of government and the Party Manifesto.

We can be proud of our achievements in the last two years, Boko Haram, Niger Delta, Regular Fuel, Improved Power, TSA, Agriculture and Fertilizer, above all, the knowledge that corruption will not be tolerated in this Government. We all know there is CHANGE.

Nigerias prestige has gone up, Nigeria is now credit worthy, a clear testimony of which was the over-subscription of the Euro-Bond by 4 times.

Nevertheless, we are not resting on our achievements. I am quite aware of the challenges before us.

Last year I said we would re-constitute the Boards of Parastatals. I must regret the fact that we have not done so, for many reasons.

Some of us in this meeting may know I had given instructions since October 2015 for this exercise to start. But there have been inordinate delays through several Committees in an attempt to get the balance right and to make sure all parts of the country are equitably represented.

On the other hand I am keenly aware that our supporters are very eager for these appointments to be announced. By the Grace of God these appointments will be announced soon. Especially now that the economy is improving, we will have the resources to cater for the appointees.

By the same token the compressed Federal Executive Council will be expanded to bring in more supporters at Federal Level, with fresh ideas to be injected into the government.

Let me thank you all again for the commitment and dedicated service to our Party and to remind you that much more will be required of you in the coming months. I hope we can continue to depend on you.

If we keep united and rise above petty or personal quarrels we will surely achieve the desired CHANGE in the country.

I wish us happy deliberations.

Thank you.
The trial of former Peoples Democratic Party spokesperson, Olisah Metuh, has again been adjourned till Wednesday to allow the court entertain arguments by prospective witnesses in the matter.

The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court presided over by Justice Okon Abang ruled that it would entertain arguments on a motion filed by one of the prospective defence witnesses, Sambo Dasuki, a former National Security Adviser.

The judge said he would entertain Mr. Dasukis motion filed through his lawyer, Ahmed Raji before listening to the submissions of counsel for the second defence witness, former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Mr. Jonathan had asked the court to order Mr. Metuh to make a deposit of N1 billion as travel and other logistics allowances before he can appear in the court.

Mr. Metuh is facing trial for alleged diversion of N400 million from the office of the former National Security Adviser. He is being tried alongside his company, Dextra Investment Ltd.

Following separate applications from Mr. Metuh, the court ordered the issuance of subpoenas on Mr. Dasuki and former President Jonathan to appear as defence witnesses in the matter.

The order was however objected by Mr. Mr. Raji who asked the court to set aside the subpoena on Mr. Dasuki pending his release from the custody of the State Security Service, SSS.

During its previous hearing, the court refused Mr. Rajis application, resulting in Mr. Raji filing a fresh motion at the Appeal Court.

On Monday, Mr. Raji asked the lower court to suspend its subpoena on his client, pending the determination of the application at the higher court.

Reacting to the various applications, counsel for Mr. Metuh, Emeka Etiaba, said the exercise of his clients right to fair hearing and defense of himself had been adversely misconstrued by the public.

Mr. Etiaba said his client was pained by the general perception of Nigerians on the views expressed by Mr. Metuh in his attempt to secure witnesses to defend himself.

Mr. Etiaba also reacted to an earlier remark made by the prosecution counsel, Sylvanus Tahir, alleging that Mr. Dasuki had refused to appear in court.

After Mr. Tahir made the submission at the opening of session, other counsel in the matter urged the court to disregard the submission but the lawyer insisted that the information about Mr. Dasukis refusal to appear in court was valid.

Mr. Etiaba reacted to Mr. Tahirs submission, saying the arguments raised in regards to Mr. Dasuki by Mr. Tahir could not be relied upon, since Mr. Tahir cannot be cross-examined on the submissions made in court.

Mr. Etiaba further said the two applications filed by Mr. Raji and counsel to Mr. Jonathan, Mike Ozekhome, were handed over to him in court on Tuesday.

He urged the court to allow the defence time to study and reply the application.

After taking arguments from the lawyers in previous applications, Mr. Abang adjourned to November 1 to entertain further arguments on the fresh motions.

Reacting to Mr. Etiabas request for time, Mr. Abang said the law does not mandate a lawyer to respond to applications in written form.

I have carefully considered arguments canvassed by learned counsel representing the applicant. It is my humble view that the ACJA governs proceedings in the court. It is my view that there is no express law with regards to how respondents should react to written application.

The counsel can respond through written addresses or address the court orally, said Mr. Abang.

The judge therefore ruled that the matter will continue on Wednesday for Mr. Metuhs lawyers to respond to the applications.

The Court shall hear the motions filed by the two applicants on November I, 2017. The respondents should file their affidavits before the close of work today, he said.

The judge added that the prosecution counsel failed to prove his submission that Mr. Dasuki refused to come to court.

From the arguments deduced, I cannot come to the conclusion that Mr. Dasuki has refused to obey the order made by the Appeal Court. The appearance of Dasuki will be handled administratively.

This matter is hereby adjourned again at the instance of the first defendant, being the person that called Dasuki to come to court.

Mr. Abang said the court would first entertain the application by Mr. Raji for it to suspend its discussion on the issuance of subpoena pending the decision of the Appeal Court, before listening to Mr. Ozekhomes appeal and other applications in the matter.

According to Mr. Abang, the decision of the court on Mr. Rajis application for suspension of the subpoena will determine whether Mr. Dasuki will be asked to testify in the next sitting.

Similarly the decision of the court on Mr. Rajis application about suspension of God subpoena will determine whether the motion by Mr. Ozekhome will be entertained.

The Court will first deliver ruling on Rajis application before that of Jonathan. Also the outcome of that application, will determine whether Dasuki will come to testify, Mr. Abang said.

The judge added that frivolous application for adjournment will not be allowed in the trial.

Before adjoining the matter, Mr. Abang repeated his previous warning against what he termed as selfish reporting by the media.

Mr. Abang reiterated his earlier submission that a Nigerian newspaper quoted him as insisting that Mr. Jonathan must appear in court, saying the paper interpreted court proceedings the way it liked.

Listen attentively to what is said in court. If I am too fast you can ask for certified true copy before you will publish what you like.

After delivering the ruling, Mr. Abang refused a request by Mr. Ozekhome to allow him time to study the reply brief expected to be submitted by counsel on the matter, before the next sitting.

Mr. Ozekhome had appealed to the court to allow for some time so that he could study the briefs so that he would plan his arguments from the points of law.

Responding to that application, Mr. Abang said it was too late to entertain the request because he could not go back to the records.

Speaking to journalists outside the courtroom, Mr. Ozekhome said the request made by his client had two faces: one was for the court to set side the subpoena or for an order to be made, pursuant section 241 (2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, or for the first defendant to deposit N1 billion as travel and other allowances for Mr. Jonathan.

Reacting to the order made by the court for counsel to submit their reply briefs to the fresh application on Tuesday, Mr. Etiaba said the trial of his client had been treated differently from similar trials since it started.

It is already well past 12 pm and we have been asked to submit replies to two applications, both of which are not less than 40 pages. That is what we are facing. Olisah Metuhs trial is one of a kind, said Mr. Etiaba.
The Madison Catholic Diocese doesnt have to be worried whether withholding funeral rites for people in same-sex unions offends public opinion, because its not inherently wrong to be out of step with contemporary sensibilities on matters of sacred theology, its leaders said Monday.

In other words, Monsignor James Bartylla said Monday, just because its modern  or legal under civil law, as the U.S. Supreme Court declared same-sex marriage to be in 2015  doesnt make it right in the churchs eyes.

We have to be careful not to engage in chronological fallacy, Bartylla said. This (issue) could easily fall into the cultural milieu where anything that is new is seen as a (positive) development and therefore correct.

Also, he added, civil law is not the arbiter of what is morally licit or illicit. It is not the arbiter, as we know from failed nations who allowed things or did things that were terribly immoral under the guise of the law.

Bartylla, who as vicar general is second-in-command to Bishop Robert Morlino, issued a controversial, confidential email to priests with Morlinos backing on Oct. 21 that, in part, spelled out a series of considerations that priests should use in deciding whether to provide funeral rites for Catholic parishioners in same-sex unions.

The email angered gay-rights advocates and others, who viewed it as backward and discriminatory when it became public a day later and included guidelines for priests such as not mentioning the name of the surviving partner and not making reference to the unnatural union if funeral rites are provided for someone in a same-sex union.

In addition, when priests are asked to provide funeral rites by the deceaseds family or same-sex partner, Bartyllas email said general considerations priests should keep in mind include the attitude of the family toward the church, whether the deceased or surviving partner was a promoter of the gay lifestyle, and whether the deceased person had shown signs of repentance before death.

While not without recent precedent  Bishop Thomas Paprocki in Springfield, Illinois, issued a similar directive this summer restricting funerals and the sacrament of communion for LGBT Catholics in same-sex marriages  publication of Bartyllas email sent shock waves through the LGBT community and its supporters in Madison.

Steve Starkey, executive director of Madison-based LGBT OutReach, sounded both saddened and flabbergasted when asked for his reaction to the Bartylla email.

I grew up in a Christian family and we were a really active Christian family, Starkey said. All of the teachings of Jesus and the Christian message are about faith, hope, charity and treating everyone with kindness. The thing that is so difficult for us to hear is that (being in a gay marriage) is a sin and theres nothing you can do about it and youre going to hell. How do you argue with that?

Bartylla met Monday with the Wisconsin State Journal to try to clarify the email and correct what the church views as misconceptions it produced as a result of misunderstandings of terminology that Bartylla described as similar to shoptalk of different tradespeople.

When priests talk to priests, with the benefit of having studied for years and years, we often speak in a kind of shorthand, Bartylla said. So the leakage of that email, either intentionally or by negligence, was wrong.

About the basic doctrine, Bartylla said its been true for centuries upon centuries, (over) 2,000 years of pastoral wisdom, that the church has held that any manifest sinners who are unrepentant should be denied funeral rites if public scandal cannot be mitigated.

He said manifest sinner referred to anyone whose sins are very public, or not just known to family and friends. And he said the term public scandal has a specific technical meaning in Catholic theology.

It doesnt mean surprise or shock or gossip, he said. Its the duty not to lead others into sin. So at a funeral, we have a duty  with all the living souls there  that we as a church not lead them into sin. We take that very seriously because we are there both for the living and the deceased, to pray for the deceased but also to bring the truth and good to all those who are there and faithful.

The repentance required of the manifest sinner includes even the slightest shred of repentance, Bartylla said, with every effort made to provide rites if possible.

These are case-by-case situations and I provided some guidelines, Bartylla said.

However, in what remains the main deal breaker for many, the church will never change its view that the homosexual act itself is a sin, Bartylla said, which it holds under natural law and church teachings tied to the sacred texts of canon law, catechism and the Bible.

To those who disagree, Bartylla said he would not vilify them and they should give him the same courtesy.

I find the (position that), Either you condone my or someones activity, or youre a hater or a bigot, as being fallacious, Bartylla said, though he stressed that rejecting homosexual acts did not mean gay people werent welcome in the Catholic Church, if they were open to changing.

I want to make sure  its clear to people that the church welcomes those who have same-sex attraction, Bartylla said. One of the gravest problems that would come from the leak is the perception that we do not care.
The wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, has congratulated the governments and people of the North-East region on the establishment of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) by President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to a congratulatory message by her Director of Information, Suleiman Haruna, on Tuesday in Abuja, the commission will cater for the humanitarian crises caused by the activities of insurgency in the region.

Mrs. Buhari, who was the key player in the struggle for the establishment of the Commission, said, This is a major milestone.

The bill has been in my heart since its conception and subsequent presentation to the National Assembly, which I attended personally she added.

The wife of the President, who hails from Adamawa State in the region, urged the relevant authorities to ensure full implementation of the act to provide much needed assistant to the people of the region, who have been ravaged by the insurgency.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr. Buhari had recently assented to the bill passed by the National Assembly for the Establishment of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), which was meant to provide succour to the people of the region.

(NAN)
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nasarawa State Command, has confirmed the death of its Commandant, Bashir Lawan-Kano.

The confirmation is in a statement by the Commands Public Relations Officer, Aso Okereke, made available to newsmen in Lafia on Tuesday.

Mr. Okereke stated that Mr. Lawan-Kano, aged 55, died at about 8.30 a.m. at Dalhatu Specialist Hospital on Tuesday after a brief illness.

He noted that the command had been plunged into mourning and had opened a condolence register at the state command headquarters in Lafia.

He added that the command has been plunged into mourning over the death of the commandant.

We will miss his sense of humour as he died at a time we need him most.

He left a wife and six children.

Born on January 1, 1962, Mr. Lawan-Kano was a graduate of political science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

He was a former senior lecturer with Kano State Polytechnic, before he transferred his service to NSCDC in 2005 as deputy commandant.

Until his death, he served as state commandant in Abeokuta, Owerri and Ebonyi before he was redeployed to Nasarawa State Command in 2015.

(NAN)
The World Bank-assisted Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) has requested Akwa Ibom Government to pay its N500 million counterpart fund for the control of erosion in the state.

The NEWMAP National Project Coordinator, Salisu Dahiru, made the request on Tuesday in Uyo at the launch of project in the state.

Mr. Salisu said that so far, the state had paid only N50 million out of the N500 million counterpart fund for NEWMAP activities.

He added that payment of counterpart fund was necessary to boost the tempo of NEWMAP operations in the state.

He noted that NEWMAP came into being following the failure of several agencies of government to address erosion problems in the country.

The NEWMAP coordinator, however, said Akwa Ibom earlier listed among the second phase of NEWMAP intervention activities was on the verge of surpassing the pioneer states in the project intervention.

He commended the state government for making efforts to map out erosion sites across the 31 local government areas of the state with aerial photographs.

The state governor, Udom Emmanuel, who launched the project, promised to support it by fulfilling the conditions for its successful implementation.

The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Moses Ekpo, urged communities benefitting from NEWMAP intervention to cooperate with the project team.

He said Akwa Ibom was in dire need of support from World Bank because of its peculiar environmental challenges such as perennial flooding and gully erosion.

I want to assure the World Bank that as a state that is faced with several environmental challenges, we will endeavour to meet the prerequisites to enable the state to benefit from financing.

I have directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the state as represented in NEWMAP Steering and Technical Committees to give the project the necessary support.

In his address, the states Commissioner for Environment, Iniobong Essien, said a total of 1,000 critical gully erosion sites had been documented in the state.

Mr. Essien said the execution of control measures in identified erosion sites across the 31 local government areas of the state would gulp N150 billion.

The commissioner said the State Steering and Technical Committees for NEWMAP were inaugurated in February this year.

Mr. Essien added that so far, NEWMAP had identified 10 critical gully erosion sites for immediate intervention in the state.

He disclosed that affected households would need resettlement to allow full implementation of the palliative measure and permanent intervention in line World Bank guidelines.

The launch of NEWMAP intervention was done at Etim Umana in Uyo, one of the critical gully erosion sites in the state capital.

Other severe sites in the state capital included St.Lukes Hospital gully erosion sites and IBB Avenue flood site.

(NAN)
The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has presented commendation letters to 88 outgoing members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for their contributions to Standards and Quality Control.

The Coordinator of SON in Anambra State, Nwaoma Olujie, made the presentation, in Awka, the state capital on Tuesday.

Mrs. Olujie said the corps members made the contributions through their Community Development Scheme (CDS) in the state.

The coordinator said the corps members had deepened and widened the sensitisation scope of its activities in the state.

She also lauded the NYSC members for creating Quality Control Clubs in some schools in the state, adding that it would make the attitude of the masses to quality more proactive.

Mrs. Olujie urged them to take the knowledge of their involvement in Quality Control CDS group to larger society to enhance the quality consciousness level of Nigerians.

We are proud of what you did during your service year as Quality Control ambassadors here in Anambra, she said.

Standard makes the difference and SON is the custodian, we shall continue to protect Nigerians from bad products and with what the NYSC QC CDS group is doing, we shall succeed.

We congratulate those of you who are going into the larger society and urge you to take what you learnt with you; we also pray that favour will locate all of you as you pass out from service.

One of the recipients, Onyinye Alisiobi, said she benefited from the experience and pledged to continue to enlighten people on quality matters.

Miss Alisiobi, who studied Microbiology at the Federal Polytechnic Nekede in Imo, said she now knew what to look out for in a product before buying and where to lay complaint.

Also, Paul Ekong, President of the QC CDS group in Awka, decried the high percentage of products in the market that had been adulterated.

Mr. Ekong said substandard products resulted to loss of money and life in extreme cases and urged policy enforcers to intensify campaigns against adulteration.

(NAN)
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Garba Umar, says it will deploy 28,000 of its personnel to ensure hitch-free state governorship election scheduled for November 18.

Mr. Umar said this at a meeting in Awka, the state capital, on Tuesday of heads of security formations in the state and representatives of the 37 political parties fielding candidates for the election.

He said that 400 vehicles, 100 flying boats consisting of 60 from the police and 40 from the Navy would be deployed for use by security operatives in riverine and upland communities.

Mr. Umar who also read the act guiding political parties before, during and after the election, cautioned them against defacing opposition posters, hate speeches, and other violent conducts.

He said that security operatives had identified 414 flash points of possible cases of electoral fraud and violence and had taken proactive measures to checkmate any security breech.

He said that the police and other security organisations would not spare anybody violating any law before, during and after the election.

The police have received a number of petitions from some stakeholders that are being investigated by the political desk of the state Criminal Investigation Intelligence Department (CIID).

Other issues that have arisen thus far are clashes in Nsugbe town between members of APGA and APC, clashes of parties on their campaigns tours at Nteje in Oyi where the PDP and APGA teams held rallies simultaneously on Oct.28, 2017, he said.

Mr. Umar however noted that Anambra was peaceful and promised that any negative mindset by any politician to cause problem in the polity would be met with the stipulated legal measures.

The Director, Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Isyaku, appealed to politicians to exercise maturity and decorum in the way and manner they attack each other on social media.

You have many issues to talk about, the welfare of the people rather than promotion of hate speeches, abusing each other is unnecessary because that will not make you to win, he said.

Chris Azor, the Anambra State Chairman of Civil Society Organisations called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure it did proper accreditation for agents of political parties for the election monitoring.

He alleged that some political parties issued fake INEC accreditation to their agents to enable them subvert the process.

The INEC Head of Media and Publicity, Leo Nkedife, said the commission was mindful of the antics of some over ambitious politicians to fake INEC accreditation, noting that more stringent measures have been adopted.

According to him, every agent of political parties must submit their particulars including passports for accreditation before being issued accreditation.

Mr. Nkedife said further that the INEC national chairman, Inspector-General of Police would hold a joint press conference on November 14 in Awka to highlight other issues before the election.

He said the conference would afford INEC the opportunity to sign MOU with various political parties on the need for peaceful, free and fair election in Anambra on November 18.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that representative of APC, APGA, PDP, and UPP at the occasion complained of the defacing of their posters and billboards.

(NAN)
The Lagos State Waterways Authority on Tuesday launched a safety campaign around jetties across the state to cushion the incessant boat mishaps on the waterways.

The sensitisation and awareness programme, which ends on November 10, is intended to educate both waterways operators and users on the need to embrace safety so as to reduce the number of deaths, the agency said.

The agency stated that a simulation exercise would be conducted on the last day of the campaign, to enlighten water users on what to do in case of a boat accident.

Damilola Emmanuel, LASWAs Managing Director, said the campaign was also aimed at auditing all the jetties in Lagos because most of them need upgrade.

We will also use the opportunity to create awareness on safety issues like wearing of life jackets, using good boats and enshrine general safety across the waterways, he said.

Next week, we shall be running a simulation; like if you put fall into water, what will actually happen to you. People to demonstrate that will wear life jackets and see how it will save them.

With that, people will be more aware that water transport is the safest mode of transport.

Three weeks ago, one person died after a passenger boat hit a submerged object and capsized at the Oworonsoki end of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.

Last August, 12 people died in a boat accident in the Ilashe area in an incident which LASWA attributed to overloading of passengers on an illegal jetty.

Mr. Emmanuel said the frequent accidents on the waterways had led to a reduction in the number of people using that means of transportation.

The number of passengers dropped from 2,000,000 monthly to 1,500,000 because of fear of safety, he said.

But we are looking into increasing the number at the upcoming months after the sensitisation exercise.

On first day of the safety campaign, five jetties were visited. Operators and passengers at Bayeku and Ijede jetties in Ikorodu as well as those in the Badore, Langbasa and Oke-Iranla jetties in Ajah axis also educated on safety measures.

During the campaign, LASWA promised to tackle issues raised by water users on security and overloading of passengers.
The Queen of The Netherlands, Maxima Cerruti, on Tuesday paid a courtesy visit to the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, as part of efforts to advance the United Nations financial inclusion advocacy as a vehicle to alleviate poverty and fostering equitable economic growth in Nigeria.

Queen Maxima, who was visiting Nigeria for the first time in the last five years, in her capacity as the Special Advocate to United Nations Secretary General on financial inclusion for development, said she was impressed by the initiatives of the state government to improve service delivery especially towards expanding access to affordable healthcare.

While noting that it was important for governments to prioritize access to affordable healthcare, she particularly lauded the health insurance scheme of the state government, which legal framework had already been put in place, saying that Governor Ambode deserved commendation for coming up with such laudable effort.

She said: Today I had opportunity to visit two clinics in the state where I saw the new pilot project in which you (Governor Ambode) has also started looking into which is to make health insurance possible even to the poorest of the people.

I was very impressed by the leadership that the state of Lagos has taken as to coming up with a law which makes health insurance mandatory and also to able to plan for the future and you are already doing some credit to some health facilities which off course will improve efficiency of a lot of these institutions. I commend you for your efforts and I will like to know from you Mr. Governor, what is your commitment on the future in this field, she said.

Responding, Mr. Ambode said the health insurance scheme of the state government aimed at expanding access and scaling up healthcare delivery in the state will commence in early 2018.

He said the legal framework to guide the implementation of the policy had already been put in place, while every necessary efforts to ensure the success of the scheme were being put in place.

Mr. Ambode, who received Queen Maxima alongside his wife, Bolanle Ambode, and other top officials of the state, commended the visitor for her efforts at advancing issues relating to healthcare and financial inclusion.

Speaking on the health insurance policy of the state government, the governor said: We are on the path of positive improvement on the things that have to do with health. Like the Queen rightly said, we have a law that allows us to do the Health Insurance Scheme which is targeted at the most-needy and the poor that cannot afford ordinary healthcare. We believe that if we pull the resources of every other person in the state together, those that cannot afford will be able to have a chance to access healthcare which is the main objective why the Queen has been going round to promote good healthcare for people generally.

We want to say that we are deeply committed to that vision and we are committed to that ideals and also say that we will do everything possible to make sure that the Health Insurance Scheme starts up early next year and we can now allow people to have some sense of inclusion which is one of the basic principles of good governance.

The main essence of good governance is for us to be able to carry everybody along. In a cosmopolitan city like Lagos that we have population of almost 22 million people and the majority can really not afford the things we want them to, and so we believe strongly that a partnership like this is one in the right direction.

On financial inclusion, Governor Ambode said the informal sector accounted for about 80 per cent of Lagos population, a development he said prompted his administration to set up N25 billion Employment Trust Fund (ETF) to serve as an instrument to grant members of the sector access to finance.

Besides, Mr. Ambode said, it was time to call on the federal government to scale up financial inclusion with the view to expanding access for more people to benefit, while also calling for escalation of mobile banking to ensure that more people from the rural areas have access to finance and all issues connected.

While drawing the similarities between Lagos and Netherlands, Mr. Ambode said the state, being a cosmopolitan city, is striving as much as possible to ensure that every resident is comforted with hope of great future.

He said the present administration in the state under him was also working hard to bequeath functional and affordable healthcare system to the people of the state, just as he assured that the state government would do everything possible to support the United Nations initiative being championed by Queen Maxima.
The police in Ogun State on Tuesday said they had rescued a kidnapped Chinese national, Lee Qiang, and arrested a member of the gang that kidnapped him

Mr. Qiang was reportedly kidnapped by six armed men at Ogere area of the state along the Lagos- Ibadan Expressway at about 5 p.m. on Monday while on his way to Abeokuta from Kogi State.

The police spokesperson in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said immediately the case was reported, the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, dispatched operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad, FSARS to the scene.

He said the anti-robbery squad led by its Commander, Uba Adam, swung into action, combed the entire area and later located the hideout of the kidnappers.

Mr. Oyeyemi said the hoodlums engaged the police officers in a gun battle but were overpowered and fled while one of them was arrested.

He said other members of the gang escaped with gunshot injuries, while the victim was rescued unhurt.

The police spokesperson said the arrested suspect was currently helping the police in their investigation, He said the victim who was full of praise for the police and has been reunited with his people.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Iliyasu, appealed to members of the public, especially hospitals and other health workers, to report anyone with bullet injuries in their area.
Wisconsins election IT infrastructure must be better secured before the 2018 election after federal officials said Russian government cyber actors targeted it during last years campaign, state elections commissioners said.

We now know from (the federal Department of) Homeland Security that the Russian government attempted to gain access to the Wisconsin election structure  and that theyre going to come back again, commission chairman Mark Thomsen said.

How the state should respond will be the topic of a special elections commission meeting next month. But Thomsen, a Democratic appointee to the commission, said Gov. Scott Walkers decision to cut funding for the commission in the state budget will make the task more difficult.

A Republican commission appointee, former state Rep. Dean Knudson, said there are some encouraging takeaways from last months disclosure that Russian government cyber actors targeted election systems in Wisconsin and 20 other states in 2016.

In Wisconsin, hacking attempts were thwarted by measures taken by the IT agency for state government, the Division of Enterprise Technology.

But Knudson said he favors additional security measures for state election systems, including the states voter registration database and election administration system, WisVote.

The database should be encrypted and two-factor authentication required for those with access, he said.

Communication with federal agencies that oversee homeland security and national intelligence matters also must improve, Knudson said. Homeland Security officials first informed state officials in September, 10 months after the election, of the hacking attempts. Even then, poor communication between the agencies resulted in confusion over whether state election systems were indeed targeted.

Theyve got to figure out how they can communicate more quickly, Knudson said.

In Illinois last year, Russian hackers gained access to the states voter registration database, which contains sensitive data on 15 million people, Bloomberg News reported. Hackers tried but failed to alter or delete some data.

In Wisconsin, however, the hacking attempts dont appear to have come close to their intended target.

In July 2016, Homeland Security officials said they confirmed Russia-linked scanning activity at an inactive IP address assigned to a Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development site. Federal officials said they believe the scans were looking for vulnerabilities in order to gain information about how to target elections systems, according to the elections commission.

State IT officials say they ward off millions of such attempts each year. The commission said these scanning attempts were unremarkable, except for the fact that (Homeland Security) later identified their source as being Russian government cyber actors.

In August 2016, state firewalls blocked an embedded ad at a public website from being displayed on an elections commission computer.

The ad could have led the user to a suspicious IP address connected to Russian government cyber actors, the commission said.

In the face of such threats, Thomsen said the commission must train local election officials, who frequently use the WisVote system, to secure it. That will require resources that Thomsen said hes concerned the commission wont have.

Walker, using his line-item veto authority last month, cut funding for five vacant positions at the elections commission that had been funded by a federal grant now set to expire.

Walker spokesman Tom Evenson rebuffed any suggestion that the governors veto will make elections in Wisconsin less secure.

The fact is these vacant positions had nothing to do with IT or cyber security as the Department of Administration provides cyber security for the commission, Evenson said.

Evenson added that the governor believes the commission can more cost effectively manage peak workload periods by hiring limited-term employees or contractors, as they did during the 2016 presidential election.

Knudson said he believes the commission can be effective even after Walkers veto. If a need for more staff is demonstrated in the coming months, Knudson said, hes open to asking the Legislatures Joint Finance Committee to fund it.

Theyve got to figure out how they can communicate more quickly. Former state Rep. Dean Knudson, Republican Elections Commission appointee
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.




By: SWFL Childrens Charities, Inc.

Florida SouthWestern Check Presentation

Contact

Holly Boldrin, APR, CPRC, Priority Marketing

239-267-2638, mediarelations@ prioritymarketing.com

***@prioritymarketing.com Holly Boldrin, APR, CPRC, Priority Marketing239-267-2638, mediarelations@prioritymarketing.com

End

-- SWFL Children's Charities, Inc. recently presented $200,000 to Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) to award scholarships to qualifying students within its health care programs. Helping educate Southwest Florida's next generation of health care providers, the organization has granted $1 million to FSW over the past nine years to support programs and scholarships focused on pediatrics.In 2015, SWFL Children's Charities, Inc. pledged $1 million to FSW, payable in five annual installments of $200,000, to award scholarships to qualifying health professional students with an interest in pursuing pediatrics right here in Southwest Florida. Contributions are raised through the Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest, SWFL Children's Charities, Inc.'s annual signature fundraising event, and are administered by the school."We are grateful for SWFL Children's Charities, Inc.'s continued support for our students and the future of health care here in Southwest Florida," said FSW President Dr. Jeff Allbritten. "The generosity of this organization has been influential in our efforts to continually educate rising generations of health care providers, and we are thankful for their lasting commitment so that we can continue preparing local students to better serve our community and children."In addition to FSW, the organization also supports two other primary beneficiaries, including the Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida and Florida Gulf Coast University, and has raised $18.7 million over the past nine years in support of these three local beneficiaries."Key to our organization's mission of providing children access to the best health care possible, FSW's health care programs are designed to create knowledgeable, trained professionals who are well-prepared to serve our community," said Elaine Hawkins, trustee and president of the board of directors, SWFL Children's Charities, Inc. "Our hope is that this contribution allows these well-deserving students to focus on becoming the best in their fields and go on to make a difference in the lives of our youngest patients here in Southwest Florida."SWFL Children's Charities Inc.'s annual signature fundraiser, the Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest, has raised $18.7 million over the past nine years, making it the most successful fundraising event in Lee County and one of the top-grossing wine fests in the country. The trustees and sponsors underwrite the event and the nonprofit, SWFL Children's Charities, Inc. donates 100 percent of the auction proceeds to three primary local beneficiaries. Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida is the most significant beneficiary of the event, which provides health services to children from Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. In addition, SWFL Children's Charities, Inc. grants funds to Florida Gulf Coast University and Florida SouthWestern State College to provide scholarships and equipment to educate the community's next generation of pediatric health care professionals, and is considering grants to other children's causes in Southwest Florida from 2018 proceeds. For more information, visit www.swflwinefest.org
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BioInformant, the first and only market research firm to specialize in the stem cell industry, announces the release of its "2018 Global Cord Blood Banking Industry Report." The 265-page report reveals key forces affecting the industry, presenting trend rate data for cord blood and tissue clinical trials, patents, grants, and scientific publications. It reveals public and private storage counts for cord blood and tissue on a global basis, as well as market size metrics for the public and private sectors, with five-year projections through 2022.

BioInformant releases 265-page report featuring cord blood banking industry leaders worldwide.

Over the past few years, the cord blood banking industry has substantially matured and consolidated, creating both threats and opportunities for the industry. Serious threats to the industry include low rates of utilization for stored cord blood, expensive cord blood transplantation procedures, difficulty educating obstetricians about cellular therapies, and an increasing trend toward industry consolidation.

However, there are also emerging opportunities for the industry, such as accelerated regulatory pathways for cell therapies in leading countries worldwide, including the U.S., Japan, South Korea, and EU. Cord blood banks are also diversifying into new types of stem cell storage, including cord tissue, placental tissue, amniotic tissue, menstrual fluid, adipose tissue, and more.

With the introduction of these new types of stem cell services, cord blood storage counts are becoming an outdated metric and "Revenue Generating Units" (RGUs) is becoming a more appropriate term.

Holding companies are also emerging as a global theme, allowing for increased operational efficiency and economy of scale. Cryoholdco has been acquiring cord blood banks throughout Latin America and Sanpower Group has been purchasing them within Asia.

Furthermore, growing investment is flowing into technologies to support ex vivo expansion of cord blood. Key strategies being explored for this purpose include nicotinamide-mediated (NAM) expansion, Notch ligand, SR-1, UM171, PGE2, and enforced fucosylation, among others. Market players developing cord blood expansion technologies include Gamida Cell Ltd, Nohla Therapeutics, Novartis, Fate Therapeutics, and others.

While market factors can vary by geography, it is crucial to have a global understanding of the market. Research advances, clinical trial findings, and technology advances do not know international boundaries. The cord blood market is global in nature and understanding dynamics limited to your region is not sufficient for making strategic, informed, and profitable decisions.

Finally, the report presents social analytics for the industry, including Google Trend and Google Adwords data. It identifies top landing pages and ad copy language used by cord blood industry leaders, allowing readers to get a behind the scenes look at marketing strategies used by their competition to attract new clients. Digital competition for cord blood has been growing increasingly competitive, with cord blood banks competing for online viewership of ads, website content, and ultimately, clients.

Because most cord blood banks are using Google Adwords to display advertisements, the term "cord blood" has become one of the 20 most expensive search terms on Google.

Based in Washington, DC, BioInformant has 10 years of experience in tracking the cord blood banking industry, attends and chairs global conferences about cord blood and perinatal tissues, and is a thought-leader interviewed by media sources that include the Wall Street Journal, AABB, Xconomy, and Vogue Magazine. The report aggregates finding from a decade of historical data, as well as hundreds of interviews conducted with leading executives from across the stem cell and cord blood industry.

Click here to view the Executive Summary, Table of Contents, and Featured Companies: https://www.bioinformant.com/product/cord-blood-banking-industry-report

Media Contact:

Cade Hildreth

Phone: 703.859.7617

Email: [email protected]

Related Links

Global Cord Blood Banking Industry Report

SOURCE BioInformant

Related Links

https://www.bioinformant.com


WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AARP Foundation announced today the release of a comprehensive national report by the Urban Institute examining current employment for low-income older workers and low- and middle-wage occupations projected to grow most rapidly between 2014 and 2024. This report, funded by AARP Foundation, is the first of its kind to study both older adults and low-income workers. With Americans living longer and life expectancy continuing to increase the research is designed to provide a better understanding of employment trends for low-income older workers.

Defining low income as 300% or less of the 2015 federal poverty level ($35,310 or lower for a one-person household) and looking at workers age 50 and older, the Urban Institute revealed that there are 13.2 million low-income older workers nationwide. In 2016, the median retirement age in the United States was 63 years old. Within this group, there are over 1.5 million older adult workers living below the federal poverty line ($11,770 for a single individual). Thus, there are more individuals 50 and over who work and live below the poverty line than there are unemployed individuals 50 and over.

The Urban Institute report discovered that low-income workers are less likely than other workers to plan to stop working in the next five years. In fact, almost half (44 %) of low-income workers have no plans to retire and the likelihood that workers stop working in the coming years decreases with income.

"Having a job doesn't guarantee that you'll be able to make ends meet," explains Lisa Marsh Ryerson, president of AARP Foundation. "That's the harsh reality highlighted by this report. It's a call to action to implement solutions that will help lift the burden of poverty from older workers."

The report examines the stark reality of how low-income older workers struggle to make ends meet and takes into account gender, age and ethnicity. Key highlights include:

There are over 1.5 million older adult workers living on $11,770 or less. Some 52% of older workers have a household income of $23,540 to $35,310 , 36% have an income of $11,770 to $23,422 , leaving 12% percent working-poor individuals age 50 or older earning less than $11,770 in a one-person household ( $15,930 in a two-person household).

More older adult women live in poverty. Examining household income by gender shows that women are slightly more likely (13%) than men (11%) to have income below $11,770 .

Over 8.8 million low-income older adults work full time. Overall, 67% of low-income workers age 50 or older report working full time (greater than 35 hours a week) and 33% report working part time.

More men work full time vs. more women working part time. Some 74% of low-income older men work full time compared with 60% of low-income older women. Conversely, low-income older women report working part time at a much higher rate (40%) than men (26%).

The older low-income adults get, the less they work. Over 36% of low-income older workers are ages 50 to 54, 29% are ages 55 to 59, 20% are ages 60 to 64, and the remaining 16% are age 65 and older.

Low-income older workers are racially and ethnically diverse and have varying education levels. Some 59 % of low-income older workers are non-Hispanic white, 19 % are Hispanic, 15% are non-Hispanic black, and 5% are Asian. Notably among low-income older workers, 17% of women are non-Hispanic black compared with only 12% of men, and 16% of women are Hispanic compared with 22% of men.

"Without action, poverty for seniors will increase," notes Ryerson. "We must use the vital information in this report to take action and prevent more older adults from succumbing to poverty."



To read the second release about occupation projections for low-income older workers please visit https://press.aarp.org/.

To find more information about AARP Foundation, visit aarpfoundation.org.



About AARP Foundation

AARP Foundation works to ensure that low-income older adults have nutritious food, affordable, livable and healthy housing, a steady income, and strong and sustaining bonds. We collaborate with individuals and organizations who share our commitment to innovation and our passion for problem-solving. Supported by vigorous legal advocacy, we create and advance effective solutions that help struggling older adults transform their lives. AARP Foundation is the affiliated charity of AARP. Learn more at aarpfoundation.org.

SOURCE AARP Foundation

Related Links

https://www.aarp.org/aarp-foundation


TEL AVIV, Israel, October 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Protected Media, the leading fraud prevention company that brings transparency and trust to digital advertising announced today the opening of its New York office to meet the increased demand for its anti-fraud products.

The newly appointed Vice President of Sales, Russell Isaacson, will leverage his proven business development experience to help North American companies ensure the legitimacy and effectiveness of their digital media investments. Previously Russell was VP of Brand Partnerships at Sovrn Holdings, where he worked with P&G's programmatic team and launched Sovrn's NY office. Other companies where Russell maximized digital ad value include Chango, Conde Nast and Expedia. In addition, Russell is an instructor of CRM and Digital Marketing at General Assembly and previously served as an adjunct professor in Integrated Marketing at the NYU School of Professional Studies.

Founded in 2014 by network security experts fighting cyber criminals for over 15 years, Protected Media has experienced 400% growth over the past year and currently has over sixty customers worldwide, including Revcontent and Smaato. Protected Media provides an innovative cyber security solution that ensures that every digital ad - display, mobile or video - is properly located, visible, and seen by real people.

"Our rapid growth affirms our ability to expand, lead and innovate," said Asaf Greiner, CEO of Protected Media. "Russell's proven experience building long term relationships and his vast network in the online marketing industry will enable us to gain a further foothold in the US market."

Russell Isaacson commented, "I am excited to join Protected Media and improve relationships between advertisers and publishers. Fraud undermines trust in the digital media supply chain, and we're on a mission to restore trust in the marketplace."

Protected Media utilizes unique cyber security methods to pinpoint the precise source of suspicious traffic with an unparalleled level of granularity and confidence. These advanced methods of fraud protection enable Protected Media to defend against the most sophisticated bots.

Currently under review for the Media Rating Council's SIVT (sophisticated invalid traffic) and viewability accreditations, Protected Media is an active member of the Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG).

ABOUT PROTECTED MEDIA

Protected Media's solutions enable buyers and sellers of digital advertising to ensure that display mobile and video ads are properly located, visible, and seen by real people. Protected Media's technology provides in-depth information at the impression level to detect problematic traffic so agencies can work side by side with publishers to identify and eliminate suspicious activity to dramatically increase over-all ad quality.

For more information, visit Protected Media.

CONTACTS:

Spicetree Communications

Wes Rogers

Mobile: +1-912-506-0869

[email protected]

SOURCE Protected Media
ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Air Force Association (AFA) announced today that its StellarXplorers Program, the National High School Space Competition, registered 180 teams in the program's fourth competition season, marking a 37 percent increase from the previous year.

"It's both exciting and gratifying to see the growth of the Program," said Stephen Gourley, StellarXplorers Program Director. "Having so many talented students and their dedicated educators participate bodes well for aerospace education and our nation."

High school students from 31 states and three overseas locations including, Kaiserslautern, Germany, Guam, and Osan Air Base, South Korea, will be represented during the 2018 competition season. Over two-thirds of the teams are involved in Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps Junior ROTC and Civil Air Patrol.

Students will compete to earn an all-expense-paid trip to the National Finals Competition in Colorado Springs, Co. in April 2018.

The StellarXplorers program is open to all high school students and is designed to inspire and attract high school students to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education careers through hands-on learning about technology by exercising critical thinking skills and emphasizing teamwork.

StellarXplorers is sponsored by the US Air Force STEM Program, United Launch Alliance, Orbital ATK, and SpaceX, and receives additional educational support from AGI, CEI and the Space Foundation.

To learn more about StellarXplorers, visit their website at www.stellarxplorers.org.

The Air Force Association is a non-profit, independent, professional military and aerospace education association. Our mission is to promote a dominant United States Air Force and a strong national defense, and to honor Airmen and our Air Force Heritage.

SOURCE Air Force Association

Related Links

http://www.afa.org


DuckChatSM can help users with topics such as enrollment, benefits options, insurance definitions and coverage choices. To start chatting, search for the Aflac Duck on Facebook Messenger. The Aflac Duck typically responds immediately and mimics human learning. This innovative learning style means that the more questions he is asked  from definitions of insurance lingo to the details of his life  the more he learns, the smarter he becomes and the better answers he provides. Aflac is the first voluntary insurance company to meet consumer demand for an easy way to access benefits information using the Facebook Messenger platform.

To complement the TV spot, the integrated marketing campaign will include content designed for digital and online video advertising, public relations support, and sponsorships with Hulu and the CW. Additionally, Aflac's tens of thousands of agents and brokers will be equipped with enrollment collateral to help improve their in-person benefits enrollment experience. The Aflac Duck's popular social networks (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) will showcase GIFs and short videos of the duck working overtime to respond to everyone's benefits questions.

"Particularly for those who have had questions go unanswered in the past or who have never enrolled in benefits before, DuckChatSM may help make the process easier and, perhaps, even fun thanks to a very chatty Aflac Duck," added Hernandez-Blades.

To learn more, search for the Aflac Duck on Facebook Messenger or visit www.aflac.com/duckchat.

About Aflac

When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For more than six decades, Aflac insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the United States, Aflac is the leader in voluntary insurance sales at the worksite. Through its trailblazing One Day PaySM initiative, Aflac U.S. can receive, process, approve and disburse payment for eligible claims in one business day. In Japan, Aflac is the leading provider of medical and cancer insurance and insures 1 in 4 households. Aflac insurance products help provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. For 11 consecutive years, Ethisphere has recognized Aflac as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies. In 2017, Fortune magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in America for the 19th consecutive year and in 2017 included Aflac on its list of Most Admired Companies for the 16th time. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac and One Day PaySM, visit aflac.com or aflac.com/espanol.

Aflac herein means American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus and American Family Life Assurance Company of New York.

Media contact  Kristen Fraser, 706.580.3813 or [email protected]

Analyst and investor contact  David A. Young, 706.596.3264 or 800.235.2667, FAX 706.324.6330, or [email protected]

SOURCE Aflac

Related Links

http://www.aflac.com


DUBLIN, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN) presented new analyses of VENUS II, the second of two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of ulipristal acetate (UPA), an investigational drug for the treatment of abnormal uterine bleeding in women with uterine fibroids.

"For a condition that affects an estimated 26 million women in the U.S.,1 there is a clear unmet medical need for new treatments for uterine fibroids," said Millie A. Behera M.D., FACOG, Reproductive Endocrinology and Fertility Medical Director, Bloom Reproductive Institute in Arizona. "I am hopeful that, if approved, the availability of a once-daily oral medication like ulipristal acetate will encourage women to have a discussion with their doctor about their options to treat this condition."

"Uterine fibroids are an indiscriminate disease that affect women regardless of their ethnicity or weight," said David Nicholson, Ph.D., Chief Research and Development Officer, Allergan. "However, uterine fibroids are three times more common in women of African-American ancestry compared to Caucasian women,2 and the risk of developing fibroids steadily increases based on weight3."

Three oral presentations were delivered at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine's 73rd Annual Congress (ASRM 2017) in San Antonio, Texas.

Three Key Presentations from the VENUS II Study:

Presentation O-66: UPA Treatment of Symptomatic Uterine Fibroids (UF): Subgroup Analyses By Race and BMI

Analyses from this presentation evaluated the efficacy of UPA regardless of a woman's body mass index (BMI) or race.

In VENUS II, more women achieved absence of bleeding (amenorrhea, the study's co-primary endpoint) with once-daily 10 mg and 5 mg UPA, relative to placebo, regardless of whether patients were Black or had a high BMI.

Overall, 66.9% of patients were Black and 56.7% had BMI 30 kg/m2. In Black and Non-black patients, more achieved amenorrhea with UPA 10 mg (48.6% and 68.0%) and UPA 5 mg (34.8% and 59.6%) versus placebo (0% for both), respectively. Similar results were observed regardless of BMI, with higher amenorrhea rates following UPA 10 mg and 5 mg versus placebo (30 kg/m2: 58.4% and 47.3% vs 0%; <30 kg/m2: 50.0% and 33.8% vs 0%), respectively.

Presentation O-64:The Second U.S. Phase 3 Study of UPA for Treatment of Symptomatic Uterine Fibroids

This presentation reported the percentage of women who achieved absence of bleeding who received two 12-week treatment courses of once-daily UPA or placebo. Absence of bleeding or amenorrhea was defined as no bleeding (spotting permitted) for the last 35 consecutive days on treatment.

In Treatment Course 1, 157, 162, and 113 patients were randomized to UPA 10 mg, UPA 5 mg, and placebo, respectively. Significantly more patients achieved amenorrhea with UPA (10 mg, 54.8%; 5 mg, 42.0%) versus placebo (0%; both p<0.0001). In Treatment Course 2, more patients maintained absence of bleeding with UPA 10 mg (Arm 5), 57.3%; and UPA 5 mg (Arm 3), 40.5% versus placebo (Arms 4 and 6), 8.0% (all p-values < 0.0001).

The most common adverse events (AEs), 5% in any UPA group, during Course 1 and first off-treatment were hot flush (UPA total vs placebo, 9.5% vs 1.7%), headache (7.3% vs 5.2%), fatigue (4.4% vs 4.3%), and nausea (5.4% vs 4.3%), and for Course 2 and second off-treatment was headache (4.0% vs 2.7%).

Presentation O-65 Quality of Life with UPA Treatment of Symptomatic Fibroids

The presentation examined whether UPA 10 mg and 5 mg improved quality of life and reduced limitations on social and physical activities, versus placebo. The analysis showed patient-reported improvements in social and physical activities based on the Uterine Fibroids Symptom and Health-Related Qualify of Life questionnaire (UFS-QoL). The UFS-QoL is a disease-specific, health-related quality of life instrument that measures the symptoms and impact of uterine fibroids.

In Treatment Course 1, mean change from baseline in HRQoL (Health-Related Quality of Life) Total Score was greater with UPA (10 mg, 51.0; 5 mg, 42.9) vs placebo (11.2; both p<0.0001). Improvements were also observed for Revised Activities subscale score (UPA 10 mg, 56.7; 5 mg, 48.3; placebo, 13.0; both p<0.0001) and remaining UFS-QoL subscales (p<0.0001 for UPA vs placebo).

In Treatment Course 2, there were improvements for UPA vs placebo in HRQoLTotal Score (mean change from baseline: 10 mg [Arm 5], 49.8; 5 mg [Arm 3], 44.5; placebo [Arms 4 and 6], 18.4; both p<0.0001), Revised Activities subscale score (10 mg, 54.9; 5 mg, 50.7; placebo, 20.9; both p<0.0001), and remaining subscales (p<0.01 for UPA vs placebo).

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.4

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.4,5

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.6 The economic burden of uterine fibroids is also large, costing the economy up to $34 billion each year.7

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 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.8

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 Marshal LM, Spiegelman D, Barbieri RL, et al. Obstet Gynecol. 1997 Dec;90(6):967-73.

3 Ross RK, Pike MC, Vessey MP, et al. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1986 Aug 9;293(6543):359-62.

4 De La Cruz MS, Buchanan EM. Am Fam Physician. 2017 Jan 15;95(2):100-107.

5 Borah BJ , Nicholson WK, Bradley L, et al. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2013;209:3119.e1-20.

6 Wechter ME, Stewart EA, Myers ER, et al. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2011;205(5):492.e1-492.e5.

7 Cardozo ER, Clark AD, Banks NK, et al. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2012 Mar;206(3):211.e1-9.

8 Data on file.

CONTACTS: Allergan:

Investors:

Daphne Karydas

(862) 261-8006





Media:

Mark Marmur

(862) 261-7558





Tara Schuh

(201) 427-8888

SOURCE Allergan plc

Related Links

http://www.allergan.com


Company invites individual and institutional investors as well as advisors to attend interactive real-time virtual VirtualInvestorConferences.com

AMARILLO, Texas, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Amazing Energy Oil and Gas Co. (OTCQX: AMAZ) ("Amazing", "Amazing Energy", or "the Company"), today announced that Willard G. McAndrew III, Chief Executive Officer, will present live at VirtualInvestorConferences.com on November 2.

DATE: Thursday, November 2, 2017

TIME: 11:30 am ET

LINK: https://tinyurl.com/112prepr

This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time - both in the presentation hall as well as the association's "virtual trade booth." If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an on-demand archive will be available for 90 days.

It is recommended that investors pre-register and run the online system check to save time and receive event updates.

Learn more about the event at www.VirtualInvestorConferences.com.

Recent Company Highlights

Amazing Energy Reaches Total Depth on its WWJD #23 Well in Pecos County

Amazing Energy Announces Spud Dates of WWJD #23 and WWJD #30 Wells

Amazing Energy Acquires Kansas Assets

Amazing Energy Appoints Three New Members to its Board of Directors and Strengthens Controls

Amazing Energy Appoints Willard G. McAndrew, III as Chief Executive Officer

Amazing Energy Retains MZ Group as Its Investor Relations Advisor

About Amazing Energy Oil & Gas Co.

Amazing Energy Oil and Gas, Co. is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company based in Amarillo, TX. The Company operates leaseholds in the Permian Basin of West Texas where it holds the rights within a 70,000-acre leasehold in Pecos County, TX as well as Mid-Continent leaseholds in Kansas. The Company primarily engages in the acquisition and exploitation of oil and natural gas properties with a focus on well-defined plays containing stacked pay zones. More information may be found on Amazing Energy's website at www.amazingenergy.com.

About VirtualInvestorConferences.com

Since 2010, VirtualInvestorConferences.com, created by BetterInvesting (NAIC) and PRNewswire, has been the only monthly virtual investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for presenting companies to meet directly with investors using a graphically-enhanced online platform.

Designed to replicate the look and feel of location-based investor conferences, Virtual Investor Conferences unites PR Newswire's leading-edge online conferencing and investor communications capabilities with BetterInvesting's extensive retail investor audience network.

SOURCE Amazing Energy Oil and Gas Co.

Related Links

http://www.amazingenergy.com


PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Saturday, November 4, the American Diabetes Association (Association) will host the annual Philadelphia Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes presented by Merck at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Walkers and runners will raise funds for research, programs and education that will help treat and prevent diabetes, find possible cures and improve the lives of all living with and affected by diabetes, while kicking off American Diabetes Month at the local level.

Each year, nearly 1,500 people show their support for the diabetes community at this event. This year, participants have the option to run or walk a 5K route along the Schuylkill River during a family-friendly event featuring activities for all fitness levels, including yoga on the museum's steps, a health and wellness village and numerous kids' activities.

November is American Diabetes Month, and throughout the month the Association will recognize the nearly half of all American adults living with diabetes or prediabetes, acknowledging the strength, courage and determination that people with diabetes show in managing the challenges of this chronic illness. In addition to the Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes, the Association will host an Education Recognition Program (ERP) Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support (DSMES) Symposium on November 17, and Charity Partner Night with the Philadelphia Flyers on November 21.

To view the routes and register to run or walk visit diabetes.org/phillywalk.

Novo Nordisk is the National Premier and Red Strider sponsor for Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes.

The Philadelphia Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes is presented by America's Diabetes Challenge, a program from Merck and the American Diabetes Association.

Other sponsors of the Philadelphia Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes include: Walgreen's, Independence Blue Cross, Subway, Nutrisystem, Mid Atlantic Retina, Laborers' District Council, and GEICO.

About the American Diabetes Association

Nearly half of American adults have diabetes or prediabetes; more than 30 million adults and children have diabetes; and every 21 seconds, another individual is diagnosed with diabetes in the U.S. Founded in 1940, the American Diabetes Association (Association) is the nation's leading voluntary health organization whose mission is to prevent and cure diabetes, and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. The Association drives discovery by funding research to treat, manage and prevent all types of diabetes, as well as to search for cures; raises voice to the urgency of the diabetes epidemic; and works to safeguard policies and programs that protect people with diabetes. In addition, the Association supports people living with diabetes, those at risk of developing diabetes, and the health care professionals who serve them through information and programs that can improve health outcomes and quality of life. For more information, please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit diabetes.org. Information from both of these sources is available in English and Spanish. Find us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn) and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).

SOURCE American Diabetes Association

Related Links

http://www.diabetes.org


Announced a $2.5 billion share-repurchase program and entered into an accelerated share repurchase (ASR) agreement to execute upon the first $1.0 billion by year end

Achieved double-digit oil-volume growth over second-quarter 2017 in the Delaware Basin, DJ Basin and deepwater Gulf of Mexico assets

Improved oil production mix to 57 percent versus 42 percent in the third quarter of 2016, significantly improving margins per barrel

Entered into an agreement to sell the company's Moxa asset in southwest Wyoming for approximately $350 million

Received clarity on the Ghana maritime boundary, enabling additional high-margin oil development, and completed the foundational Legal and Contractual Framework for the Mozambique LNG project

"I am very proud of the efforts exhibited by our people and the results achieved in the face of an unusually active hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico and a continuing volatile commodity environment," said Al Walker, Anadarko Chairman, President and CEO. "We have made significant progress in shifting our production mix toward higher-value oil, which has improved our margins per barrel(2) by about 34 percent year over year. We expect to improve our margins further as we finalize the sale of our Moxa gas asset, continue focusing investments in our high-quality oil plays, and drive greater efficiencies into the system. Although we have adjusted our full-year sales-volume guidance to reflect the impacts of hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Nate, as well as the sale of our Moxa asset, we still expect to exit 2017 with production rates of approximately 150,000 barrels of oil per day combined from the Delaware and DJ basins, and more than 130,000 barrels of oil per day from the deepwater Gulf of Mexico.

"Looking to 2018, we will continue to demonstrate financial discipline as a foundational principle," added Walker. "We will remain focused on returns by continuing to allocate upstream capital toward the higher-margin assets in our portfolio, which should generate substantial free cash flow in a $50 oil-price environment, with total capital spending, including Anadarko midstream spending on infrastructure in the Delaware Basin, inside of discretionary cash flow from operations."

OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

Anadarko's third-quarter 2017 sales volume of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs) totaled 58 million barrels of oil equivalent (BOE), or an average of 626,000 BOE per day.

In the Delaware Basin, Anadarko remains on track to achieve its expected exit rate of approximately 50,000 barrels of oil per day (BOPD). In the third quarter, the company achieved a new oil sales-volume record of 44,500 BOPD, while averaging 37,000 BOPD - a 13-percent increase over the second quarter of 2017. Anadarko averaged 16 rigs and six completions crews in the basin during the quarter, as it continued to focus on capturing operatorship over approximately 70 percent of its gross acreage position. Anadarko also made significant progress in applying its proven development model to the Delaware Basin, which includes building gathering and processing infrastructure to enable future growth and expanding takeaway capacity.

Anadarko also has a clear line of sight to reaching its expected exit rate of about 100,000 BOPD in the DJ Basin, where in the third quarter it achieved an oil production record of more than 90,000 BOPD, while averaging 83,000 BOPD, representing a 10-percent increase over the prior quarter. The company averaged six operated rigs and four completions crews in the basin during the quarter. The number of wells turned to sales increased by 70 percent versus the second-quarter 2017. The company continues to see strong results from its new completion design, which has been applied to more than 70 wells, the majority of which have been producing more than 150 days. These wells are demonstrating a cumulative oil uplift of more than 40 percent when compared to the previous design.

In the deepwater Gulf of Mexico, the company increased oil production by more than 10 percent relative to the second quarter of 2017, averaging 126,000 BOPD during the quarter. Production of approximately 840,000 BOE was deferred during the quarter as a result of hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The company's hub-and-spoke infrastructure continues to deliver significant value with new tiebacks at Horn Mountain and Marlin. Anadarko also added new tieback opportunities as the apparent high bidder on 10 blocks in the most recent Gulf of Mexico lease sale.

International and Alaska sales volume averaged 102,000 barrels per day, slightly less than the prior quarter due to the timing of liftings in Algeria. The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) has defined the border between Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire, which enables continued development in the TEN field. In addition, the partnership received approval from the Ghanaian government for the Jubilee full-field plan of development earlier this month, with drilling operations expected to commence in 2018. Anadarko also is continuing to generate substantial momentum with its Mozambique LNG project, having finalized the "marine concession" agreements with the Government of Mozambique during the quarter. These agreements marked the completion of the foundational Legal and Contractual Framework. Subsequent to quarter end, Anadarko also reached a 20-year Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) for 2.6 million tonnes of LNG per annum with PTT Public Company Limited of Thailand. The SPA is pending approval by the Government of Thailand.

OPERATIONS REPORT

For additional details on Anadarko's third-quarter 2017 operations and exploration program, please refer to the comprehensive Operations Report available at www.anadarko.com .

FINANCIAL SUMMARY

Anadarko ended the third quarter of 2017 with $5.25 billion of cash on hand. In September, the company announced a $2.5 billion share-repurchase program, which is authorized to extend through the end of 2018. Subsequently, Anadarko entered into an ASR agreement to complete the repurchase of $1.0 billion of shares prior to the end of 2017. In October, Anadarko entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Moxa asset in southwest Wyoming for approximately $350 million.

CONFERENCE CALL TOMORROW AT 8:00 A.M. CDT, 9:00 A.M. EDT

Anadarko will host a conference call on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017, at 8 a.m. Central (9 a.m. Eastern) to discuss third-quarter results. The dial-in number is 877.883.0383 in the U.S. or 412.902.6506 internationally. The confirmation number is 2812178. For complete instructions on how to participate in the conference call, or to listen to the live audio webcast and slide presentation , please visit www.anadarko.com . A replay of the call will be available on the website for approximately 30 days following the conference call.

FINANCIAL DATA

Ten pages of summary financial data follow, including current hedge positions, a reconciliation of "divestiture-adjusted" or "same-store" sales, and updated financial and production guidance.

(1) See the accompanying table for details of certain items affecting comparability. (2) See the accompanying Adjusted EBITDAX (Margin) table for a reconciliation of GAAP to the non-GAAP financial measure and a statement indicating why management believes the non-GAAP financial measure provides useful information for investors.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141103/156201LOGO

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation's mission is to deliver a competitive and sustainable rate of return to shareholders by exploring for, acquiring and developing oil and natural gas resources vital to the world's health and welfare. As of year-end 2016, the company had 1.72 billion barrels-equivalent of proved reserves, making it one of the world's largest independent exploration and production companies. For more information about Anadarko and APC Flash Feed updates, please visit www.anadarko.com .

This news 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. Anadarko believes that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions. No assurance, however, can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this news release, including Anadarko's ability to realize its expectations regarding performance; to successfully execute upon its capital program; to efficiently identify and deploy capital resources; to finalize the capital program for 2018; to meet financial and operating guidance and achieve the production levels identified in this news release; to meet the long-term goals identified in this news release; to consummate the transactions described in this release; to successfully complete the share-repurchase program; to successfully drill, complete, test and produce the wells identified in this news release; to timely complete and commercially operate the projects, infrastructure and drilling prospects identified in this news release; to finalize the necessary steps to ensure operatorship; and to successfully plan, secure additional government approvals, enter into long-term sales contracts, finance, build, and operate the necessary infrastructure and LNG park in Mozambique. See "Risk Factors" in the company's 2016 Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other public filings and press releases. Anadarko undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

Anadarko Contacts

MEDIA :

John Christiansen, [email protected] , 832.636.8736

Stephanie Moreland, [email protected] , 832.636.2912

INVESTORS :

Robin Fielder, [email protected] , 832.636.1462

Andy Taylor, [email protected] , 832.636.3089

Pete Zagrzecki, [email protected] , 832.636.7727

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Below are reconciliations of certain GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures, each as required under Regulation G of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. This non-GAAP information should be considered by the reader in addition to, but not instead of, the financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. The non-GAAP financial information presented may be determined or calculated differently by other companies and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures.

Management uses adjusted net income (loss) to evaluate operating and financial performance and believes the measure is useful to investors because it eliminates the impact of certain noncash and/or other items that management does not consider to be indicative of the Company's performance from period to period. Management also believes this non-GAAP measure is useful to investors to evaluate and compare the Company's operating and financial performance across periods, as well as facilitating comparisons to others in the Company's industry.





Quarter Ended September 30, 2017



Before

After

Per Share millions except per-share amounts

Tax

Tax

(diluted) Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders (GAAP)





$ (699)



$ (1.27)

Adjustments for certain items affecting comparability











Total gains (losses) on derivatives, net, less net cash from settlement of commodity derivatives*

$ (98)



(62)



(0.11)

Gains (losses) on divestitures, net

(194)



(123)



(0.23)

Impairments - exploration assets

(106)



(82)



(0.15)

Change in uncertain tax positions





(5)



(0.01)

Certain items affecting comparability

$ (398)



(272)



(0.50)

Adjusted net income (loss) (Non-GAAP)





$ (427)



$ (0.77)







* Includes $(39) million related to interest-rate derivatives and $(59) million related to commodity derivatives.





Quarter Ended September 30, 2016



Before

After

Per Share millions except per-share amounts

Tax

Tax

(diluted) Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders (GAAP)





$ (830)



$ (1.61)

Adjustments for certain items affecting comparability











Total gains (losses) on derivatives, net, less net cash from settlement of commodity derivatives*

$ (88)



(56)



(0.11)

Gains (losses) on divestitures, net

(414)



(261)



(0.51)

Impairments - producing properties

(27)



(17)



(0.03)

Restructuring charges

(112)



(71)



(0.14)

Tax indemnification

39



25



0.05

Change in uncertain tax positions





9



0.02

Certain items affecting comparability

$ (602)



(371)



(0.72)

Adjusted net income (loss) (Non-GAAP)





$ (459)



$ (0.89)







* Includes $(84) million related to interest-rate derivatives and $(4) million related to commodity derivatives.

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures

Management believes that the presentation of Adjusted EBITDAX (Margin) provides information useful in assessing the Company's operating and financial performance across periods.



Quarter Ended

September 30, millions 2017

2016 Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholders (GAAP) $ (699)



$ (830)

Interest expense 230



220

Income tax expense (benefit) (425)



(260)

DD&A 1,083



1,069

Exploration expense 751



304

(Gains) losses on divestitures, net 194



414

Impairments 



27

Total (gains) losses on derivatives, net, less net cash from settlement of commodity derivatives 98



88

Restructuring charges 3



112

Consolidated Adjusted EBITDAX (Margin) (Non-GAAP) $ 1,235



$ 1,144

Total barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) 58



72

Consolidated Adjusted EBITDAX (Margin) per BOE $ 21.29



$ 15.89



Management uses net debt to determine the Company's outstanding debt obligations that would not be readily satisfied by its cash and cash equivalents on hand. Management believes that using net debt in the capitalization ratio is useful to investors in determining the Company's leverage since the Company could choose to use its cash and cash equivalents to retire debt. In addition, management believes that presenting Anadarko's net debt excluding WGP is useful because WGP is a separate public company with its own capital structure.







September 30, 2017













Anadarko





Anadarko

WGP*

excluding millions



Consolidated

Consolidated

WGP Total debt (GAAP)



$ 15,573



$ 3,372



$ 12,201

Less cash and cash equivalents



5,251



153



5,098

Net debt (Non-GAAP)



$ 10,322



$ 3,219



$ 7,103































Anadarko









Anadarko

excluding millions







Consolidated

WGP Net debt







$ 10,322



$ 7,103

Total equity







13,922



10,782

Adjusted capitalization







$ 24,244



$ 17,885

Net debt to adjusted capitalization ratio













43%





40%







* Western Gas Equity Partners, LP (WGP) is a publicly traded consolidated subsidiary of Anadarko, and Western Gas Partners, LP (WES) is a consolidated subsidiary of WGP.

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Cash Flow Information (Unaudited)



Quarter Ended

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

September 30, millions 2017

2016

2017

2016 Cash Flows from Operating Activities













Net income (loss) $ (641)



$ (747)



$ (1,250)



$ (2,356)

Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities













Depreciation, depletion, and amortization 1,083



1,069



3,235



3,202

Deferred income taxes (854)



(301)



(1,026)



(1,121)

Dry hole expense and impairments of unproved properties 678



255



2,144



300

Impairments 



27



383



61

(Gains) losses on divestitures, net 194



414



(815)



516

Loss on early extinguishment of debt 







2



124

Total (gains) losses on derivatives, net 82



24



(33)



634

Operating portion of net cash received (paid) in settlement of derivative instruments 16



64



21



229

Other 68



53



225



256

Changes in assets and liabilities 13



(73)



(267)



32

Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities* $ 639



$ 785



$ 2,619



$ 1,877

Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities $ (1,242)



$ (291)



$ (26)



$ (1,256)

Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities $ (155)



$ 2,092



$ (527)



$ 2,421

















Capital Expenditures













Exploration and production and other $ 976



$ 586



$ 2,877



$ 1,921

Midstream - Anadarko** 131



16



258



45

Midstream - WES 224



95



661



355

Total 1,331



697



3,796



2,321







* Restructuring charges (excluding noncash share-based compensation) were $3 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2017, $110 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2016, $20 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2017, and $334 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016. Cash payments for restructuring charges were $2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2017, $35 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2016, $52 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2017, and $217 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016. ** Excludes Western Gas Partners, LP (WES).

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (Unaudited)



Quarter Ended

Nine Months Ended Summary Financial Information September 30,

September 30, millions except per-share amounts 2017

2016

2017

2016 Consolidated Statements of Income













Revenues and Other













Oil sales $ 1,567



$ 1,239



$ 4,652



$ 3,214

Natural-gas sales 269



435



1,090



1,121

Natural-gas liquids sales 265



227



768



640

Gathering, processing, and marketing sales 509



350



1,417



895

Gains (losses) on divestitures and other, net (114)



(358)



1,052



(388)

Total 2,496



1,893



8,979



5,482

Costs and Expenses













Oil and gas operating 257



198



748



608

Oil and gas transportation 220



256



698



744

Exploration 751



304



2,371



506

Gathering, processing, and marketing 398



291



1,108



758

General and administrative 280



362



840



1,116

Depreciation, depletion, and amortization 1,083



1,069



3,235



3,202

Production, property, and other taxes 159



148



449



422

Impairments 



27



383



61

Other operating expense 123



31



157



54

Total 3,271



2,686



9,989



7,471

Operating Income (Loss) (775)



(793)



(1,010)



(1,989)

Other (Income) Expense













Interest expense 230



220



680



657

Loss on early extinguishment of debt 







2



124

(Gains) losses on derivatives, net 82



25



(33)



629

Other (income) expense, net (21)



(31)



(43)



(86)

Total 291



214



606



1,324

Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes (1,066)



(1,007)



(1,616)



(3,313)

Income tax expense (benefit) (425)



(260)



(366)



(957)

Net Income (Loss) (641)



(747)



(1,250)



(2,356)

Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests 58



83



182



200

Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Common Stockholders $ (699)



$ (830)



$ (1,432)



$ (2,556)

Per Common Share













Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholdersbasic $ (1.27)



$ (1.61)



$ (2.60)



$ (5.00)

Net income (loss) attributable to common stockholdersdiluted $ (1.27)



$ (1.61)



$ (2.61)



$ (5.00)

Average Number of Common Shares OutstandingBasic 553



517



552



512

Average Number of Common Shares OutstandingDiluted 553



517



552



512

















Exploration Expense













Dry hole expense $ 565



$ 203



$ 1,408



$ 209

Impairments of unproved properties 113



52



736



91

Geological and geophysical, exploration overhead, and other expense 73



49



227



206

Total 751



304



2,371



506



Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (Unaudited)











September 30,

December 31, millions







2017

2016 Condensed Balance Sheets













Cash and cash equivalents







$ 5,251



$ 3,184

Accounts receivable, net of allowance







1,882



1,728

Other current assets







340



354

Net properties and equipment







27,832



32,168

Other assets







2,152



2,226

Goodwill and other intangible assets







5,671



5,904

Total Assets







$ 43,128



$ 45,564

Short-term debt







149



42

Other current liabilities







3,534



3,286

Long-term debt







15,424



15,281

Deferred income taxes







3,378



4,324

Asset retirement obligations







2,747



2,802

Other long-term liabilities







3,974



4,332

Common stock







57



57

Paid-in capital







11,972



11,875

Retained earnings







160



1,704

Treasury stock







(1,070)



(1,033)

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)







(337)



(391)

Total stockholders' equity







10,782



12,212

Noncontrolling interests







3,140



3,285

Total Equity







13,922



15,497

Total Liabilities and Equity







$ 43,128



$ 45,564

Capitalization













Total debt







$ 15,573



$ 15,323

Total equity







13,922



15,497

Total







$ 29,495



$ 30,820

Capitalization Ratios

















Total debt









53%





50%

Total equity









47%





50%



Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (Unaudited)

Sales Volumes and Prices



































Average Daily Sales Volumes

Sales Volumes

Average Sales Price

Oil

Natural Gas

NGLs

Oil

Natural Gas

NGLs

Oil

Natural Gas

NGLs

MBbls/d

MMcf/d

MBbls/d

MMBbls

Bcf

MMBbls

Per Bbl

Per Mcf

Per Bbl Quarter Ended September 30, 2017

































United States 266



1,086



88



25



100



9



$ 46.89



$ 2.69



$ 31.07

Algeria 60







4



6











52.91







32.98

Other International 27











2











51.95









Total 353



1,086



92



33



100



9



$ 48.31



$ 2.69



$ 31.15





































Quarter Ended September 30, 2016

































United States 233



2,003



122



22



184



11



$ 41.29



$ 2.36



$ 18.87

Algeria 65







7



7











45.88







23.74

Other International 19











1











45.61









Total 317



2,003



129



30



184



11



$ 42.49



$ 2.36



$ 19.13





































Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017

































United States 259



1,392



96



71



380



27



$ 47.63



$ 2.87



$ 27.43

Algeria 63







5



18







1



51.54







34.02

Other International 28











7











51.70









Total 350



1,392



101



96



380



28



$ 48.66



$ 2.87



$ 27.77





































Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016

































United States 230



2,164



124



63



593



34



$ 36.52



$ 1.89



$ 17.78

Algeria 63







6



18







1



42.27







23.55

Other International 16











4











40.80









Total 309



2,164



130



85



593



35



$ 37.91



$ 1.89



$ 18.04











































































Average Daily Sales Volumes MBOE/d

Sales Volumes MMBOE























































Quarter Ended September 30, 2017 626

58



















Quarter Ended September 30, 2016 780

72























































Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017 683

187



















Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016 800

219

























































Sales Revenue and Commodity Derivatives















Sales



Net Cash Received (Paid) from Settlement of Commodity

Derivatives millions Oil

Natural Gas

NGLs



Oil

Natural Gas

NGLs Quarter Ended September 30, 2017























United States $ 1,145



$ 269



$ 253





$ 12



$ 4



$ 

Algeria 291







12















Other International 131























Total $ 1,567



$ 269



$ 265





$ 12



$ 4



$ 



























Quarter Ended September 30, 2016























United States $ 884



$ 435



$ 212





$ 66



$ (2)



$ (1)

Algeria 276







15















Other International 79























Total $ 1,239



$ 435



$ 227





$ 66



$ (2)



$ (1)



























Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017



























United States $ 3,368



$ 1,090



$ 720





$ 27



$ (1)



$ (3)

Algeria 885







48















Other International 399























Total $ 4,652



$ 1,090



$ 768





$ 27



$ (1)



$ (3)



























Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016



























United States $ 2,305



$ 1,121



$ 602





$ 214



$ 13



$ (1)

Algeria 734







38















Other International 175























Total $ 3,214



$ 1,121



$ 640





$ 214



$ 13



$ (1)



Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Financial and Operating External Guidance As of October 31, 2017









Note: Guidance excludes 2017 sales volumes associated with the Eagleford, Marcellus, West Chalk/Eaglebine, Utah CBM and Moxa divestitures.













4th-Qtr

Full-Year



Guidance (see Note)

Guidance (see Note)

Units

Units

















Total Sales Volumes (MMBOE)

56



58



224



228

Total Sales Volumes (MBOE/d)

609



630



614



625



















Oil (MBbl/d)

357



364



343



348



















United States

279



283



257



260

Algeria

51



53



59



60

Ghana

27



28



27



28



















Natural Gas (MMcf/d)

































United States

1,000



1,035



1,065



1,085



















Natural Gas Liquids (MBbl/d)

































United States

84



88



87



90

Algeria

2



4



5



6









































$ / Unit

$ / Unit Price Differentials vs NYMEX (w/o hedges)

































Oil ($/Bbl)

(1.50)



2.50



(2.75)



1.25



















United States

(2.00)



2.00



(3.00)



1.00

Algeria





4.00



(2.00)



2.00

Ghana





4.00



(2.00)



2.00



















Natural Gas ($/Mcf)

































United States

(0.40)



(0.20)



(0.35)



0.25





















Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Financial and Operating External Guidance As of October 31, 2017









Note: Guidance excludes items affecting comparability.













4th-Qtr

Full-Year



Guidance (see Note)

Guidance (see Note)



$ MM

$ MM Other Revenues















Marketing and Gathering Margin

100



110



410



420

Minerals and Other

45



65



280



300









































$ / BOE

$ / BOE Costs and Expenses















Oil & Gas Direct Operating

4.40



4.65



3.95



4.30

Oil & Gas Transportation

3.50



3.70



3.60



3.80

Depreciation, Depletion, and Amortization

19.00



19.20



17.75



17.85

Production Taxes (% of Product Revenue)

6.0%



7.0%



6.0%



7.0%























$ MM

$ MM

















General and Administrative

240



260



1,060



1,080

Other Operating Expense

30



50



185



205

Exploration Expense















Non-Cash

10



40



1,445



1,475

Cash

65



85



280



300

Interest Expense (net)

220



235



900



915

Other (Income) Expense

(25)



(15)



(65)



(55)



















Taxes















Algeria (100% Current)

60%



70%



60%



70%

Rest of Company (60% Current/40% Deferred for Q4 and (50)% Current/150% Deferred for Total Year)

30%



40%



30%



40%



















Noncontrolling Interest

50



60



230



240





































Avg. Shares Outstanding (MM)















Basic

534



538



548



549

Diluted

534



538



548



549





































Capital Investment (Excluding Western Gas Partners, LP) $ MM

$ MM

















APC Capital Expenditures

1,065



1,265



4,200



4,400





















Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Commodity Hedge Positions As of October 31, 2017





























Weighted Average Price per barrel





Volume (MBbls/d)

Floor Sold

Floor Purchased

Ceiling Sold Oil















Three-Way Collars













2017















WTI

68 $ 40.00 $ 50.00 $ 58.84

Brent

23 $ 40.00 $ 50.00 $ 62.64





91 $ 40.00 $ 50.00 $ 59.80

















Volume

Weighted Average Price per MMBtu





(thousand

















MMBtu/d)

Floor Sold

Floor Purchased

Ceiling Sold Natural Gas















Three-Way Collars













2017



857 $ 2.10 $ 2.85 $ 3.64



















2018



250 $ 2.00 $ 2.75 $ 3.54

































Interest-Rate Derivatives As of October 31, 2017











Instrument Notional Amt. Reference Period Mandatory Termination Date Rate Paid Rate Received Swap $550 Million Sept. 2016  2046 Sept. 2020 6.418% 3M LIBOR Swap $250 Million Sept. 2016  2046 Sept. 2022 6.809% 3M LIBOR Swap $200 Million Sept. 2017  2047 Sept. 2018 6.049% 3M LIBOR Swap $100 Million Sept. 2017  2047 Sept. 2020 6.891% 3M LIBOR Swap $250 Million Sept. 2017  2047 Sept. 2021 6.570% 3M LIBOR Swap $250 Million Sept. 2017  2047 Sept. 2023 6.761% 3M LIBOR

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Reconciliation of Same-Store Sales

Average Daily Sales Volumes

Quarter Ended September 30, 2017

Quarter Ended September 30, 2016

Oil MBbls/d

Natural Gas

MMcf/d

NGLs

MBbls/d

Total

MBOE/d

Oil MBbls/d

Natural Gas

MMcf/d

NGLs

MBbls/d

Total

MBOE/d U.S. Onshore 129



980



78



370



126



1,034



78



376

Gulf of Mexico 126



106



10



154



65



77



6



84

International and Alaska 98







4



102



93







7



100

Same-Store Sales 353



1,086



92



626



284



1,111



91



560

Divestitures* 















33



892



38



220

Total 353



1,086



92



626



317



2,003



129



780











Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016

Oil MBbls/d

Natural Gas

MMcf/d

NGLs

MBbls/d

Total

MBOE/d

Oil MBbls/d

Natural Gas

MMcf/d

NGLs

MBbls/d

Total

MBOE/d U.S. Onshore 120



1,042



81



374



124



1,074



76



379

Gulf of Mexico 121



118



10



151



59



78



6



78

International and Alaska 102







5



107



89







6



95

Same-Store Sales 343



1,160



96



632



272



1,152



88



552

Divestitures* 7



232



5



51



37



1,012



42



248

Total 350



1,392



101



683



309



2,164



130



800







































* Includes Eagleford, Marcellus, Eaglebine, Utah CBM, East Chalk, Wamsutter, Ozona, Elm Grove, Hugoton, Hearne, and Carthage.

SOURCE Anadarko Petroleum Corporation

Related Links

http://www.anadarko.com


BAYPORT, Minn., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Andersen Corporation announced today the acquisition of Fenetres MQ Inc., a luxury window and door manufacturer headquartered in Sainte-Agathe, Quebec, Canada with manufacturing locations in Canada and Italy. MQ specializes in serving the luxury residential and commercial segments and is known for its work on complex, historic renovations of grand scale.

Andersen Corporation announced the acquisition of Fenetres MQ Inc., a luxury window and door manufacturer headquartered in Sainte-Agathe, Quebec, Canada with manufacturing locations in Canada and Italy. MQ specializes in serving the luxury residential and commercial segments and is known for its work on complex, historic renovations of grand scale. MQ, a well-respected and highly-regarded brand by discerning architects and builders, will complement Andersens Architectural Collection.

"The acquisition of MQ expands Andersen's product portfolio, increases our manufacturing capabilities and broadens our geographic reach," said Jay Lund, Andersen Chairman and CEO. "We are pleased that MQ's Founder and President Gilles Morin will continue to lead the business as we grow our presence in North America and Europe. We welcome all MQ employees into the Andersen family and look forward to a bright future together."

The MQ brand, a well-respected and highly-regarded brand by discerning architects and builders, will complement Andersen's Architectural Collection. The MQ product line includes many product styles, such as contemporary, European, classical, traditional, historic, and rustic. MQ's products are crafted of wood, aluminum-clad wood, bronze-clad wood, UPVC, and steel. MQ sells its products in Canada, the United States, the Caribbean, and Europe.

MQ is a private company founded in 1975. Financial terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

About Andersen Corporation

Headquartered in Bayport, Minnesota, Andersen Corporation and its subsidiaries manufacture and market window and door products under the Andersen, Renewal by Andersen, Silver Line, American Craftsman, EMCO, Weiland and MQ brands. Andersen is an international enterprise employing over 13,000 people in North America and Europe. Andersen was founded in 1903 and is a privately held company. Visit us at andersencorporation.com.

"Andersen" and all other marks where denoted are trademarks of Andersen Corporation and its subsidiaries.

 2017 Andersen Corporation. All rights reserved.

SOURCE Andersen Corporation

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"We are honored to be able to help the people of Puerto Rico at this extremely difficult time. Our company has provided emergency power after disasters such as the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan in 2012, and we know how critical it is to restore electricity as quickly as possible," said APR Energy Chairman John Campion. "I am extremely proud of our team for getting this plant up and running in just 15 days, one of the fastest installations ever for the TM2500."

On October 13  the day after the contract was signed with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contractor Weston Solutions  APR Energy's turbines arrived at the port of San Juan. The following day, they were transported to the Palo Seco power plant for installation.

"APR Energy is committed to helping Puerto Rico for as long as necessary, and we stand ready to provide additional generating capacity and grid stability support as requested," Campion said.

The Puerto Rico project uses the newest generation of GE's turbine technology found in jet aircraft engines. The fuel-flexible turbines offer a higher power density and lower emissions than competing solutions using diesel reciprocating engines, as well as the ability to switch from diesel to natural gas if necessary.

As the world's leading provider of mobile turbine power, APR Energy has used the technology to generate electricity on other Caribbean islands including Martinique and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. On St. Thomas, where the company has operated since 2012, its highly reliable TM2500 turbines continued to provide electricity to island residents while much of the power generation in other parts of the Caribbean was knocked out following Hurricane Irma in early September and Maria two weeks later.

More than 200 mobile and trailer-mounted TM2500s have been deployed globally and in some of the most extreme conditions on Earth, including the deserts of Africa and remote communities in Asia. Based on GE's proven LM2500 product family with over 90 million operational hours of experience, the TM2500 can be transported via land, sea or air and can be commissioned in days. It can ramp up to full power within minutes to support grid security during periods of high demand, and the latest TM2500 unit can generate more than 35MW of power using gas and/or distillate liquid fuels for greater flexibility.

About APR Energy

APR Energy is the world's leading provider of fast-track mobile turbine power, and has installed over 4,200MW of power capacity across more than 30 countries. Our fast, flexible and full-service solutions provide customers with rapid access to reliable electricity when and where they need it, for as long as they need it. Combining state-of-the-art, fuel-efficient technology with industry-leading expertise, our scalable turnkey plants help run cities, countries and industries around the world, in both developed and developing markets. For more information, visit the Company's website at www.aprenergy.com.

SOURCE APR Energy

Related Links

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NEW YORK, Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05168431





The global AI in retail market size is expected to grow from USD 993.6 million in 2017 to USD 5,034.0 million by 2022, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 38.3%. Increasing necessity for superior surveillance and monitoring at a physical store, growing awareness and application of AI in the retail industry, enhanced user-experience, improved productivity, Return on Investment (RoI), mainlining inventory accuracy, and supply chain optimization are some of the key factors fueling the growth of this market. Emergence of machine learning, deep learning, and Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology are expected to develop the AI-based solution for retail and thus, will create opportunities for the growth of this market. However, issues with diverse development framework, models, mechanism in AI; concern over privacy and identity of the individual; and lack of skilled staff are few major challenges in the AI in retail market.



"Predictive merchandising application is expected to hold the largest market size during the forecast period"

The predictive merchandising application has numerous added benefits resulting in one of the highest rated application in the retail industry. It is also known as personalized product recommendations or automated merchandising. This application is beneficial for both eCommerce and stores for optimizing purchase, provide allocation, and product assortment. Therefore, it is the most sought-after application of AI retail solution that will generate the highest revenue in the market as compared to other applications.



"North America is expected to have the largest market size during the forecast period"

Among regions, North America is the highest contributor in the adoption and implementation of AI in retail. The region, including the US and Canada, has shown increased investments in the market, and several vendors have evolved to cater to the rapidly growing market. In the present-day situation, diverse organizations in the retail and eCommerce in North America are extensively implementing AI solutions. Moreover, many retailers in the region are technically advanced and are evolving to increase revenue and sales at the same time to decrease operational expenses. IBM, Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Intel, and Amazon Web Services are some of the companies that provide AI in retail products and services in North America, contributing to the highest revenue generated by the region.



In the process of determining and verifying the market size for several segments and subsegments gathered through secondary research, extensive primary interviews were conducted with the key people. The break-up of the profiles of the primary participants is given below:

 By Company: Tier 1: 18%, Tier 2: 48%, and Tier 3: 34%

 By Designation: C-level: 22%, Director level: 43%, and Others: 35%

 By Region: North America: 23%, Europe: 48%, APAC: 16%, and MEA: 13%



The key vendors profiled in the report are as follows:

1. IBM (US)

2. Microsoft (US)

3. Amazon Web Services (US)

4. Oracle (US)

5. SAP (Germany)

6. Intel (US)

7. NVIDIA (US)

8. Google (US)

9. Sentient technologies (US)

10. Salesforce (US)

11. ViSenze (Singapore)



Research Coverage

The report is majorly segmented into types, technologies, solutions, services, deployment modes, applications, and region. Further, AI in retail market based on type includes online (eCommerce) and offline (brick-and-mortar store) retail. Technology segment is sub-segmented into machine learning and deep learning, NLP, and others which include analytics and process automation. Solution segment in the report comprises product recommendation and planning, customer relationship management, visual search, virtual assistant, price optimization, payment services management, supply chain management and demand planning, and others which include website and content optimization, space planning, fraud detection, and franchise management. Professional services and managed services are segmented under services segment. Further, deployment mode includes cloud and on-premise deployment, whereas application segment includes predictive merchandising, programmatic advertising, market forecasting, in-store visual monitoring and surveillance, location-based marketing, and others (real-time pricing and incentives, and real-time product targeting). The regions are segmented into North America, Europe, APAC, Latin America, and Middle East and Africa (MEA).



Reasons to buy the report

The report will help the market leaders/new entrants in this market in the following ways:

1. The report segments the market into various subsegments, hence it covers the market comprehensively. It provides the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall market and the subsegments. The market numbers are further split across different regions.

2. The report helps stakeholders to understand the pulse of the market and provides them with information on the key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities.

3. This report will help stakeholders to better understand the competitors and gain more insights to enhance their position in the business. The competitive landscape section includes new product launches/developments; partnerships and collaborations; mergers and acquisitions; and expansions.



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05168431



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



https://www.reportlinker.com





__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

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"The Ascend Hotel Collection has great appeal because it offers travelers unique and local experiences, while providing hoteliers with smart business solutions," said Janis Cannon, senior vice president of upscale brands for Choice Hotels. "Ascend is a proven leader in the soft brand concept which resonates with both consumers and owners alike because hotels keep their vibrant individuality as they gain access to Choice's industry-leading technology and tools as well as the award-winning loyalty program Choice Privileges."

Recent openings include:

Ascend Hotel Collection properties can be found in popular destinations around the U.S., as well as in France, United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Turkey, Australia, and Canada. New openings are expected every month for the remainder of 2017 in top travel markets, such as San Francisco, New Orleans and Brooklyn.

Choice's strategic alliance with Bluegreen Vacations has helped drive the Ascend Hotel Collection portfolio's remarkable expansion, particularly into key resort markets. This affiliation began in 2013 with 24 properties and, as a result of that success, has since expanded to 36 hotels and resorts across the United States.

Choice Hotels also recently redesigned its development website to create a more welcoming, dynamic and user-friendly experience for franchisees and developers. The updated site offers exciting visuals and easy to find information and resources, while also highlighting the value and benefits of developing a hotel with Choice. Enhancements to the site's technology include improved mobile capability, a content management system that allows for rapid updates and creative flexibility, as well as seamless email integration. Visit ChoiceHotelsDevelopment.com to experience the new site and learn more about development opportunities with Choice Hotels.

Ascend Hotel Collection: let the destination reach you.

The Ascend Hotel Collection is a global portfolio of unique, boutique and historic independent hotels and resorts and is part of Choice Hotels International, one of the world's leading hotel companies. Recognized as the hotel industry's first "soft brand" concept, the Ascend Hotel Collection has more than 190 properties open and operating worldwide, including in France, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Turkey, Australia, Canada, and the Caribbean region. Membership with the Ascend Hotel Collection enables distinctive, independent properties to gain a global presence while maintaining their local charm. For more information, visit www.choicehotels.com/Ascend.

About Choice Hotels

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is one of the world's largest hotel companies. With over 6,500 hotels franchised in more than 40 countries and territories, Choice Hotels International represents more than 500,000 rooms around the globe. As of June 30, 2017, 792 hotels were in our development pipeline. Our company's Ascend Hotel Collection, Cambria Hotels, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Sleep Inn, Quality, Clarion, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn, and Vacation Rentals by Choice Hotels brands provide a spectrum of lodging choices to meet guests' needs. With more than 32 million members, our Choice Privileges rewards program enhances every trip a guest takes, with benefits ranging from instant, every day rewards to exceptional experiences, starting right when they join. All hotels and vacation rentals are independently owned and operated. Visit us at www.choicehotels.com for more information.

About Bluegreen Vacations Corporation

Bluegreen Vacations Corporation (formerly Bluegreen Corporation), founded in 1966 and headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, is a leading vacation ownership company that markets and sells vacation ownership interests (VOIs) and manages resorts in top leisure and urban destinations. The Bluegreen Vacation Club is a flexible, points-based, deeded vacation ownership plan with approximately 210,000 owners, 66 Club and Club Associate Resorts and access to more than 11,000 other hotels and resorts through partnerships and exchange networks. Bluegreen Vacations also offers a portfolio of comprehensive, fee-based resort management, financial, and sales and marketing services, to or on behalf of third parties.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain matters discussed in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Generally, our use of words such as "expect," "estimate," "believe," "anticipate," "should," "will," "forecast," "plan," "project," "assume" or similar words of futurity identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current beliefs, assumptions and expectations regarding future events, which in turn are based on information currently available to management. We caution you not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements do not guarantee future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors.

Several factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements of the company to differ materially from those expressed in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, changes to general, domestic and foreign economic conditions; foreign currency fluctuations; operating risks common in the lodging and franchising industries; changes to the desirability of our brands as viewed by hotel operators and customers; changes to the terms or termination of our contracts with franchisees; our ability to keep pace with improvements in technology utilized for marketing and reservations systems and other operating systems; our ability to grow our franchise system; exposure to risks related to development activities; fluctuations in the supply and demand for hotels rooms; our ability to realize anticipated benefits from acquired businesses; the level of acceptance of alternative growth strategies we may implement; operating risks associated with our international operations; the outcome of litigation; and our ability to manage our indebtedness. These and other risk factors are discussed in detail in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission including our annual reports on Form 10-K and our quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.



 2017 Choice Hotels International, Inc. All rights reserved.

SOURCE Choice Hotels International, Inc.

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DRESHER, Pa., Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascensus, a technology-enabled solutions provider that helps more than 7 million Americans save for the future, has announced the acquisition of Retirement Strategies, Inc. (RSI). The retirement administration and plan design firm will immediately become part of Ascensus' retirement division.

RSI has been helping Americans retire since 1997 by focusing on relationship-centric service. The firm offers plan design, unbundled defined contribution and defined benefit administration, and daily recordkeeping, along with ERISA consulting. More than 600 small to mid-size employers work with RSI in implementing and designing appropriate retirement plans to fit the needs of their owners and employees. The firm is headquartered in Augusta, Georgia, with a second office in metro Atlanta.

"At RSI, we strive to make it easy for businesses to achieve meaningful tax deductions and savings for themselves and their employees while providing a true 'boutique' experience to clients in a timely, accurate, secure, and cost-effective manner," says Kasey R. Price, RSI's president and chief executive officer. "As part of Ascensus, we're positioned to leverage even more resources that can help employers implement retirement plans that promote corporate goals, control costs, and give their employees a sense of security."

"One of the things that makes RSI so attractive is their ability to offer the specialized services of a boutique-style plan administrator combined with up-to-date technology and a focus on quality," states Shannon Kelly, Ascensus' president of retirement. "In addition, their commitment to people, quality, and integrity is very much in line with Ascensus' Core Values. I'm pleased to welcome RSI's clients and associates to the Ascensus family."

"The acquisition of RSI is part of Ascensus' disciplined approach to M&A, as the firm fits nicely with our ongoing strategy, organizational structure, geographic expansion, and culture," says Raghav Nandagopal, Ascensus' executive vice president of corporate development and M&A. "We continue to explore other exciting opportunities in our core markets, product, and market adjacencies that accelerate our immediate and long-term growth plans."

About Ascensus

Ascensus helps more than 7 million Americans save for the futureretirement, college, and healthcare through technology-enabled solutions. With more than 35 years of experience, the firm offers tailored solutions that meet the needs of asset managers, banks, credit unions, state governments, financial professionals, employers, and individuals. Ascensus supports over 50,000 retirement plans, more than 4 million 529 college savings accounts, and a growing number of ABLE savings accounts. It also administers more than 1.7 million IRAs and health savings accounts. As of June 30, 2017, Ascensus had over $155 billion in total assets under administration. For more information about Ascensus, visit ascensus.com.

View career opportunities at careers.ascensus.com or on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/ascensus. For the latest company news, follow @AscensusInc on Twitter.

SOURCE Ascensus

Related Links

https://www.ascensus.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Amid growing stories about the proliferation of fake news and propaganda on social platforms, there is more attention than ever before on the veracity and accuracy of news and where it is sourced. A new survey released today by Sharethrough, the industry's leading native supply side platform, reveals that premium publishers have some of the strongest brands in the country, ranking far ahead of Facebook and Twitter in terms of trust, engagement, and transparency when it comes to news sourcing.

According to the survey  completed in September 2017 using Qualtrics and sampling 1,052 U.S. residents between the ages of 18 and 50  premium publishers are trusted far ahead of social networks to deliver news: 65% of respondents said they trusted Time, with CNN (60%), Wall Street Journal (59%) and the New York Times (59%) also scoring particularly high marks for trust. In comparison, less than half (41%) of U.S. respondents said they trust articles shared on Facebook, while 33% said they trusted Twitter. Social networks were less trusted by respondents and more openly distrusted, also. Twice as many respondents in the U.S. said that they didn't trust Facebook as said they didn't trust The New York Times (27% compared to 14%).

Most legacy premium publishing brands surveyed by Sharethrough were viewed favorably by the public, including Time, which 62% of respondents viewed favorably, CNN (57%), The New York Times (55%), Fox News (55%), and People (51%). One key area that contributes to this favorability toward premium publishers is an understanding of where news content is sourced from, which 84% of respondents feel is very important to know.

Premium publishers received far higher marks in this area than Facebook and Twitter. The New York Times led the way, with 75% of readers saying they knew where the information came from. The Wall Street Journal, Time, CNN, Washington Post, Fox and NPR all received high marks as well, easily eclipsing Facebook, where only 55% of readers said they understood where the article came from. Respondents were equally lukewarm on Twitter, with just 46% confident in the sourcing.

"There's an increasing focus in the industry on the dominance of the duopoly in advertising and the increased pressure this places on news publishers who have to compete for ad spend," said Dan Greenberg, founder and CEO of Sharethrough. "These survey results show that content and context matter in advertising, as much or even more than pure audience reach. If brands want to reach active and engaged consumers, then independent, premium publishers offer a unique experience that social networks can't compete with. Advertisers need to take notice of this trend, and keep balancing their ad spend on social networks with their ad spend publishers on the open-web."

This distrust comes even as social platforms exceed premium publishers in terms of time spent. More than two-thirds (69%) of people surveyed said they checked Facebook at least weekly, showing more active engagement than CNN and Fox News, the two premium publishers with the highest engagement rates. When users visit Facebook, they are spending substantial time there  39% spend more than 30 minutes, compared to just 17% who spend that same amount on The New York Times.

Additional findings

Younger readers express more trust in legacy publishers. The results indicated that it wasn't simply older audiences expressing these preferences, as younger readers spend more time reading premium publishers than they do scrolling for content. Respondents 18 to 34 years old said they are 17% more likely to read one more full article on The New York Times than they were on Facebook, and were 33% less likely to just browse headlines on the Times ' website than they were on Facebook.

The results indicated that it wasn't simply older audiences expressing these preferences, as younger readers spend more time reading premium publishers than they do scrolling for content. Respondents 18 to 34 years old said they are 17% more likely to read one more full article on than they were on Facebook, and were 33% less likely to just browse headlines on the ' website than they were on Facebook. Publisher brands carry more weight than celebrity personalities. As the idea of the celebrity influencer grows in marketing circles, U.S. respondents expressed more favorable opinions towards prominent publishers than leading celebrities: 46% of respondents expressed a favorable opinion of George Clooney , and 42% toward Beyonce, compared to 62%, who are favorable toward Time.

As the idea of the celebrity influencer grows in marketing circles, U.S. respondents expressed more favorable opinions towards prominent publishers than leading celebrities: 46% of respondents expressed a favorable opinion of , and 42% toward Beyonce, compared to 62%, who are favorable toward Time. New York Times compels readers to finish articles. Of all the premium publishers included in the study, the Times had the highest percentage of readers likely to read a full article, with 29%.

The study was conducted from August 25 to September 3, among a Qualtrics sample of 1,052 US residents ages 18-50, which was weighted evenly by gender and age. The study was also conducted in the UK from September 19 to 27, among 524 UK residents.

View the full report here.

About Sharethrough

Founded in 2008, Sharethrough is the leading global native advertising platform, helping publishers maximize revenue and brands earn meaningful attention by powering ads that fit into - rather than interrupt - the audience experience. Sharethrough's flagship product, Sharethrough for Publishers (SFP), is a Supply Side Platform that powers over three billion monthly ad impressions for the world's leading publishers, including CNN International, Time Inc., Scripps Networks Interactive, Wenner Media, USA Today Sports, and Forbes. Sharethrough is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Austin, Detroit, London, Tokyo and Toronto.

SOURCE Sharethrough

Related Links

http://www.sharethrough.com


Partnering with a law firm in the UK, Anexsys will use the ayfie Inspector for Relativity application to focus on contract analytics workflows and provide its eDiscovery customers with contractual insights during the M&A diligence process. Using Relativity's review, workflow and reporting capabilities, Anexsys will tailor the contract review experience to meet the engagement-specific requirements of its clients.

"The use of contract analytics and AI has become a regular talking point in the legal industry over the last year" said Rob Crowley, Managing Director of Anexsys. "Working closely with the ayfie team, we created a powerful, flexible contract review platform that enables legal teams to filter contract value, expire dates and other contract-specific metadata to prioritize high-risk contracts and demote low-risk or expiring contracts. I'm excited to offer ayfie's advanced analytics capabilities as an on-demand service hosted in Relativity, backed by Anexsys' eDiscovery consultants."

"For the past few months, Anexsys has served as a development partner with ayfie to create our new application, ayfie Inspector for Relativity. We're excited to continue working with them as they provide our solution to their customers and we're looking forward to entering a new market in the UK for M&A and other legal processes," said Rob Wescott, Chief Revenue Officer at ayfie, Inc.

About Anexsys Ltd  Anexsys Ltd (www.anexsys.com), formerly Hobs Legal Docs Ltd, was set up in 2004 and offers dedicated outsourced services to law firms, corporations and the public sector, operating from ISO 27001 accredited secure sites in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and Bristol. The company provides a full range of services including data collection, computer forensics, data processing, document hosting, managed services, outsourced review and reprographic services.

About ayfie, Inc.  ayfie (www.ayfie.com) provides products for eDiscovery, media, compliance and search across industries and geographies. The language processing technologies developed by ayfie are based on more than 30 years of research in linguistics, computational linguistics and computer science at a number of universities in particular the University of Munich and the University of Paris. Using these technologies, ayfie has created a unique text analytics platform, ranging from forensics over research to automated prediction based on unstructured text data. ayfie GmbH is a subsidiary of ayfie Inc. located in Munich focusing on research and development as well as service and support for the European market.

Learn more at www.ayfie.com or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

SOURCE ayfie, Inc.

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http://www.ayfie.com


BOSTON, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Pfizer executive joins AZTherapies focused on Alzheimer's Disease, ischemic stroke, and other neurological diseases by creating novel treatments for neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation.

AZTherapies, Inc. is a privately held advanced clinical stage pharmaceutical company located in Boston, MA that is developing breakthrough treatments for Alzheimer's disease, ischemic stroke, and other neurological diseases associated with neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. The lead product candidate, a combination therapy treatment of two re-engineered drugs, ALZT-OP1, is being studied in a Phase 3 Early Alzheimer's clinical trial, the COGNITE trial.

"We are excited to welcome Dr. Karen Reeves to AZTherapies as President and Chief Medical Officer," said Dr. David Elmaleh, AZTherapies Founder, Chairman, and CEO. "Dr. Reeves brings tremendous experience in over twenty years in big pharma and provides additional clinical development, business development, and management expertise to the talented AZTherapies management team. We are delighted to have Dr. Reeves' leadership as we move forward with our advanced product candidates."

Dr. Reeves joins AZTherapies with over twenty years of experience in Phase 1 through 4 drug developments, across multiple therapeutic areas, including neuroscience, oncology, immunology, and women's health. Most recently, Dr. Reeves held the position of Vice President, Head Global Clinical Submissions Quality and Innovation, Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer, Inc. At Pfizer, Dr. Reeves held multiple leadership positions in Worldwide Research and Development and Worldwide Regulatory and Safety, including Vice President, Neuroscience Clinical Development. Dr. Reeves has proven leadership in successful global drug development programs and approvals, including three marketed drugs in neuroscience. Under her direct leadership, Chantix gained FDA Priority Review and won the Prix Galien Award for Best Pharmaceutical, considered to be the highest accolade in Pharmaceutical Research and Development and has been approved in more than 80 countries. Dr. Reeves has extensive experience in neurology and psychiatry both as a clinician drug developer and in business development. Prior to her most recent position at Pfizer, Dr. Reeves was Head Global Medical Science at Astellas (Tokyo) Pharma Global Development based in the US and Netherlands. Dr. Reeves earned her B.A. from Yale University and her M.D. from University of Vermont Medical School and has held faculty positions at Harvard Medical School and Tufts Medical School.

"I'm thrilled and honored to join AZTherapies' senior management at this most important time," said Dr. Reeves. "Alzheimer's disease and stroke are devastating and heartbreaking neurological diseases for patients and families that demand better and newer treatments. The COGNITE trial in early AD is currently enrolling patients globally and has randomized over 280 patients. AZTherapies' combination therapy has the potential to address multiple mechanisms associated with amyloid plaques, neurodegeneration, and neuroinflammation that could potentially dampen neural death and neuroinflammation and lead to better outcomes for patients with Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases."

"AZTherapies' early AD treatment aims to prevent amyloid peptide oligomerization and plaque formation and lessen the neuroinflammatory response, the two triggers of Alzheimer's disease progression. Slowing these two processes, that constitute the present main scientific hypotheses, is the Holy Grail for disease modification," said AZTherapies' Scientific Advisory Board chair, Dr. Rudolph Tanzi, Joseph. P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Vice-Chair, Neurology; Director of Genetics and Aging Research Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital.

"Cognitive and behavioral impairment after stroke is unfortunately very common, and often even more disabling than paralysis from stroke. Treatment options are severely limited and no study has previously attempted such an early intervention to avert this outcome," added Dr. Scott Kasner regarding the planned AZTherapies stroke study. Dr. Kasner is the Director, Comprehensive Stroke Center, Sadri-Vakili, Ghazaleh Distinguished Professor, Professor of Emergency Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.

"AZTherapies' use of scales for cognition and function and brain biomarkers that are related to brain pathology increase the accuracy of early AD diagnosis and homogeneity of the randomized subjects for the COGNITE Trial," said Dr. Peter Conti, Professor of Radiology, Director Molecular Imaging Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California and a member of the Board of Directors at AZTherapies. Dr. Conti is a key expert on neuro-anatomy and early Alzheimer's diagnostics.

About AZTherapies, Inc.:

AZTherapies, (www.aztherapies.com) is an advanced clinical stage drug development company in Boston, MA. AZTherapies is innovating the discovery, development and commercialization of novel Alzheimer's Disease and ischemic stroke treatments which could fundamentally improve patient treatment, quality of life and disease management. The company's lead program, ALZT-OP1 is a combination therapy comprising two re-engineered drugs with well-known profiles with intellectual property protecting drug combination, dosing, formulation and drug properties that will deliver the drug to blood and brain. The company platform also includes ALZT-OP2, a potential disease modifying AD drug treatment in advanced preclinical development, AZHALER-D, a single dose disposable novel inhaler in late stage development, and ALZT-QoL, a neurodegenerative drug treatment designed to improve the quality of life of AD patients using a compensatory M1 (a muscarinic receptor agonist) with ligand/receptor mechanism to improve brain network connectivity. AZTherapies drugs are based on technologies developed at Massachusetts General Hospital, a Harvard Medical School Teaching Hospital.

Contact:

Bill Garofano

1-617-318-3424

[email protected]

SOURCE AZTherapies

Related Links

aztherapies.com


Both leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature said Tuesday the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. board should be allowed to review the pending $3 billion contract with Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn before voting on it.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, who support the deal, said in interviews the board should be able to review the contract.

That puts them at odds with WEDC Secretary Mark Hogan, who has said the agency will follow the usual process of providing the board with a staff review outlining the terms of the agreement, but not the contract itself.

I think they should have access, Fitzgerald said. They should be able to examine the language and know whats in it.

The issue was previously raised by WEDC board member Sen. Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee, after the board delayed a vote on the contract two weeks ago for unspecified reasons. Carpenter, who opposes the deal, has said the vote was delayed because the contract as written would have prevented the state from recouping funds from Foxconn if it didnt fulfill its end of the deal.

Vos said in principle the board members should be able to read the contract beforehand, though whether they would receive it a week beforehand or a day is up for discussion.

Its fair to say you should be able to read it before you vote on it, Vos said. Unfortunately sometimes people who are opposed to a project are willing to go to any extreme to try to scuttle it. If the goal is for people to do an adequate review so they know exactly what theyre voting on and know exactly whats in the contract, thats what should happen. If its to release the contract a week beforehand so they can have a press conference and try to bash the proposal and do everything to mischaracterize what it is, well, thats not helpful.

Fitzgerald said he spoke with Department of Administration Secretary Scott Neitzel about the issue on Sunday and that Neitzel agreed the contract should be made available to the board. However DOA spokesman Steve Michels said Tuesday there was a misunderstanding and that Neitzel supports the process the Board has in place and the detailed due diligence WEDC is doing to protect the taxpayers. A Fitzgerald spokesman declined to discuss the conversation further.

WEDC spokesman Mark Maley said Hogan, who is on a trade mission to Israel this week, has provided WEDC board members with several updates on contract negotiations and indicated the Foxconn contract will continue to go through the usual process. The board will review detailed information about the key elements of the contract, including job creation and capital investment requirements, the related tax incentives, the conditions for clawbacks, and the reporting and monitoring requirements, he said.

A spokesman for Gov. Scott Walker didnt respond to a request for comment.

Legislature approved deal

The Legislature has already approved the broad outline of the Foxconn deal, which Walker made with company president Terry Gou. It calls for $2.85 billion in tax credits for construction of the $10 billion facility in Racine County and the creation of up to 13,000 jobs.

The tax credits are refundable and will mostly be paid from existing tax collections because the company also will benefit from a state tax credit that almost eliminates state corporate taxes for all manufacturers. The amount of that benefit to the company is unknown.

The WEDC board is not expected to vote on the Foxconn contract until its next board meeting Nov. 8 at the earliest.

Also on Tuesday, Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz, D-Osh- kosh, named Foxconn critic and gubernatorial candidate Rep. Dana Wachs, D-Eau Claire, to the WEDC board. Wachs replaces former minority leader Rep. Peter Barca, D-Kenosha.

Barca voted in favor of the Foxconn deal, a move that was criticized by his Democratic colleagues before he resigned as minority leader.

In a statement, Hintz said Wachs has the legal expertise and statewide perspective to ensure this contract is given the scrutiny it deserves.

Walkers campaign did not respond to a request for comment about the presence of Wachs on the WEDC board. But Republicans have criticized Wachs for opposing the Foxconn deal.

Wachs record on Foxconn shows that hes been all talk and no action  looking to score cheap political points instead of working to bring tens of thousands of jobs to Wisconsin, Republican Party of Wisconsin spokesman Alec Zimmerman said.
"Affordable health insurance is essential to improving the health of any community," said Keri Eisenbeis, director of Government Relations and Community Outreach for BayCare. "A lot of people are receiving care who didn't have access to it before the Affordable Care Act. More than 1.7 million Floridians currently receive coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Some people may be uncertain about whether the Marketplace still exists after various efforts by Congress this year to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. We can assure our communities that the Marketplace is still here and will be open for business on Nov. 1."

Open Enrollment for 2018 health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace begins Nov. 1 and runs through Dec. 15. "It is important for the public to know that the enrollment period was reduced from three months to just 45 days this year," Eisenbeis said.

Coverage begins Jan. 1, 2018, if people are enrolled and premiums are paid by Dec. 15. BayCare Health Care Navigators are available to offer free, one-on-one assistance to help anyone understand their options and enroll in a plan. They are trained to provide unbiased information to consumers about health insurance, the Health Insurance Marketplace, qualified health plans and public programs, including Medicaid and Florida KidCare. Services are available year round to anyone seeking affordable health care in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Polk counties.

In addition, BayCare Health Care Navigators will be on site for an Enrollment Event (NAV Labs) where the public can either make an appointment or just walk in:

Nov. 18 , 10 a.m.  3 p.m.  South Florida Baptist Hospital, 301 N. Alexander St., Plant City, FL 33563.

,   South Florida Baptist Hospital, 301 N. Alexander St., 33563. Nov. 19 , noon  5 p.m.  Morton Plant North Bay Hospital, 6600 Madison St., New Port Richey, FL 34652.

"Despite reports that some areas of the country may not have any health plans available, all the counties we represent within the Marketplace have health plan options ready for purchase for 2018," Eisenbeis added.

Financial help is available for most Marketplace consumers. Surveys show that many of the remaining uninsured believe that they cannot afford coverage but have not explored their options. Nearly 90 percent of Marketplace enrollees in Florida receive financial help paying for premiums and more than 70 percent receive help with lowering deductibles and co-pays. The government estimates that many of the 28 million Americans that remain uninsured could be eligible for this help.

For more information about Open Enrollment, visit www.coveringtampabay.org. To reach a BayCare Health Care Navigator, please call (855) 404-3334.

About BayCare

BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 14 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and west central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Our mission is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care. For more information, visit www.BayCare.org.

SOURCE BayCare Health System

Related Links

http://www.baycare.org


NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bernstein Liebhard LLP is investigating whether the Board of Directors of Scana Corporation ("Scana" or the "Company") (NYSE: SCG) breached their fiduciary duties to the Company's shareholders.

Scana is a holding company for its subsidiary South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. ("SCE&G"), which sells electricity and natural gas. On July 31, 2017, SCE&G and Santee Cooper, South Carolina's state-owned electric and water utility, announced that they would abandon construction of two nuclear power plants in South Carolina.

Bernstein Liebhard is investigating allegations that SCE&G overcharged its customers by raising their rates to pay in advance for the construction of the company's subsequently abandoned nuclear plants.

Scana announced today that Kevin Marsh is retiring as chairman and CEO of Scana and SCE&G at the end of the year.

If you currently own Scana shares and are interested in discussing your rights, please contact Joseph R. Seidman, Jr. at (877) 779-1414 or [email protected].

Bernstein Liebhard LLP has pursued hundreds of securities, consumer, and shareholder rights cases and recovered over $3.5 billion for its clients. The Firm has been named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List" thirteen times.

ATTORNEY ADVERTISING.  2017 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (212) 779-1414. The lawyer responsible for this advertisement in the State of Connecticut is Michael S. Bigin. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

Contact Information

Joseph R. Seidman, Jr.

Bernstein Liebhard LLP

http://www.bernlieb.com

(212) 779-1414

[email protected]

SOURCE Bernstein Liebhard LLP

Related Links

http://www.bernlieb.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Blis, the global pioneer in advanced location data technology, has partnered with some of the world's leading third-party data and analytics companies to provide brands with a comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior both on and offline.

These collaborations with Oracle Data Cloud, RSi's Ansa, IRI and PushSpring are helping brands across North America craft hyper-targeted and highly effective campaigns.

"Blis can now provide our clients with a full suite of strategic data relationships to help maximize sales and marketing ROI," said Gil Larsen, VP Americas at Blis. "By coupling Blis' advanced location behavioral data with our partners' information about consumer purchase histories, store memberships and app usage, we can help our clients better understand and leverage consumer behavior both online and in the real world to effectively optimize campaigns and measure sales uplift."

Oracle Data Cloud creates advanced audience segments using purchase-based data plus lifestyle, online behavioral, demo and more across 91 percent of U.S. households. This enables Blis' clients to target category and brand buyers at scale, with relevant messages, to minimize waste. That same data can also be used to help measure how effectively campaigns are reaching those buyers.

RSi's Ansa provides Blis customers with daily, store-level POS-data to measure the impact of digital ads on in-store sales uplift at the nation's leading retailers. In addition to improving attribution, brands working with Blis can use this data to determine where their products aren't selling or where they tend to sell out and adjust localized ad spend accordingly.

IRI provides point-of-sale data from leading retailers and CPG companies from around the globe, enabling brands to measure in-store sales uplift as a result of digital media campaigns. This new partnership is empowering Blis' clients to improve attribution and make informed targeting decisions.

PushSpring allows Blis to target users based on what apps they have downloaded. For example, a CPG brand can now drill down and target users who only have the Sam's Club loyalty app.

By merging these powerful capabilities with Blis' advanced location data and technology, a consumer's real world and online behavior are now more closely linked than ever before, allowing marketers to improve targeting, attribution and measurable return on ad spend.

About Blis

Blis is the global pioneer in location data. Our proprietary technology and platform helps agencies and brands use location data to better understand consumer behavior, allowing for effective targeted advertising to drive business outcomes. We believe that where you go defines who you are and advertisers must capitalize on these insights for meaningful marketing experiences across devices. Our technology filters and scales location data, giving advertisers access to the most accurate location events, location data, and unique devices. The data is then applied across the apps that matter most to their consumers for targeting based on rich insights. Clients are supported by our location experts or can work in an agnostic service model of their choice. Since creating the world's first location data technology platform in 2004, Blis has grown to be a global company with 17 offices across 5 continents. Blis' clients include all major holding companies as well as leading brands in top verticals including Samsung, McDonald's, HSBC, Mercedes Benz and Peugeot.

Trademarks

Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

Media Contact:

[email protected]

VP Marketing, Americas

SOURCE Blis

Related Links

http://www.blis.com


WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bracewell LLP is pleased to announce that Angela B. Styles has joined the firm's Washington, DC office as a partner in the government contracts practice. Styles was previously with Crowell & Moring LLP, where she was a partner for more than 10 years, chaired the firm's government contracts practice and most recently served as firm chair.

Styles is one of the leading government contracts lawyers in the United States. Her practice focuses on government contracts counseling and litigation, including extensive experience with suspension and debarment, procurement ethics and compliance, civil fraud matters under the False Claims Act, mandatory disclosure, procurement integrity, the Anti-Kickback Act, GSA and VA schedule contracting and leasing, the National Lab Complex and compliance with the Buy American and Trade Agreements Act. For the last 10 years, Styles has been nationally ranked as a top government contracts lawyer in Chambers USA, with clients describing her as "very sharp" and "extremely knowledgeable."

"Angela is an exceptional practitioner with decades of experience in government contracts matters," said Bracewell Managing Partner Gregory M. Bopp. "Her proven leadership and expertise will be of great benefit to the firm and our clients. We are thrilled to welcome Angela to Bracewell."

Styles is the fourth in a series of strategic partner hires in Bracewell's Washington, DC office in the last eight months. In March, Robert J. Wagman Jr. joined Bracewell to establish the firm's government contracts practice. He will work with Styles on the continued expansion of that practice. Other recent partner hires include David A. Super, who joined Bracewell in July to lead the civil litigation practice in DC; and Hans P. Dyke, who joined in April as a partner in the energy projects practice.

"Angela and I have known each other professionally for more than 20 years," said Mark K. Lewis, managing partner of Bracewell's Washington, DC office. "She is one of the most highly respected and well-known government contracts practitioners. Angela's experience and relationships, both in private practice and the government, will strengthen Bracewell's ability to help our clients address the legal and regulatory issues associated with interfacing with the federal government."

Styles held key government positions within President George W. Bush's administration. She was the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy within the Office of Management and Budget at the White House, a position that required U.S. Senate confirmation. In addition, she served in the General Services Administration Public Buildings Service in a Senior Executive Service appointment. Styles has testified about complex federal procurement issues at more than 30 hearings before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. The relationships she established through these positions and as a leading resource in the field consistently enable Styles to solve complex client problems efficiently and without litigation.

"Angela brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our government contracts practice," said Wagman, who has known Styles for several years, including for a period of time when they were previously colleagues. "I look forward to building Bracewell's government contracts practice collaboratively with Angela. Her unique understanding of the ins and outs of Washington gives her a unique business perspective on the issues faced by companies doing business with the government."

"I'm excited to devote more time to working with my government contract clients and expanding government contracts work for existing Bracewell clients. I can imagine no better place to do so than Bracewell," said Styles. "Bracewell has successfully retained its authentic culture as it continues to grow to better serve the needs of its clients with an important strategic focus on energy and technology. I look forward to working with Bob and others in establishing Bracewell as a firm of choice for government contracts work."

Styles graduated with a B.A. with honors from the University of Virginia in 1990 and received her J.D. from The University of Texas School of Law in 1994. She has received numerous leadership awards throughout her career and is a frequent commentator in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, National Public Radio and C-SPAN's "Washington Journal."

About Bracewell LLP

Bracewell is a leading law and government relations firm primarily serving the energy, finance and technology industries throughout the world.

Our industry focus results in comprehensive state-of-the-art knowledge of the commercial, legal and governmental challenges faced by our clients and enables us to provide innovative solutions to facilitate transactions and resolve disputes. For more information, please visit bracewell.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.





SOURCE Bracewell LLP
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Business-Management-Degree.net has recently released their list of the Best Online Schools for Masters of Entrepreneurship, an in-depth index of the finest distance education institutions offering this degree program!

You may view the list, along with a description of the benefits of each institution, by clicking the link below:

http://www.business-management-degree.net/best-online-schools-masters-entrepreneurship/

Entrepreneurship is a broad discipline in business and management that gives students an incredibly strong understanding of marketing and administrative aspects of the profession. With this type of graduate training, individuals have the necessary skills for managing entire companies and corporations with efficiency and a high rate of success. It takes extreme discipline to retain as much knowledge and technique as is required in this profession, as it draws from numerous areas of the field to create well-rounded executives.

These renowned online schools give students excellent opportunities to form solid networking connections and broaden their horizons through exciting resources and opportunities. Through real-world simulations and training from top-rated faculty members, students gain exceedingly sharpened skills and invaluable information in these degree programs. Alumni can always count on their alma mater as a resource throughout their professional careers. Many of these online schools have been repeatedly recognized for their achievements in academia and are some of the finest in the country.

According to lead researcher and writer, Rowan Jones, "Individuals who are seeking to climb higher up the ladder within business industries should most definitely consider a master's degree in entrepreneurship, as it establishes all of the management and marketing techniques needed to earn positions such as CEO."

Below we have listed the schools that have made the Best Online Schools for Masters of Entrepreneurship:

Oklahoma State University - Stillwater , OK

, OK University of Florida - Gainesville, FL

- Southern New Hampshire University - Hooksett, NH

- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - Chapel Hill, NC

- Ball State University - Muncie, IN

- Drexel University - Philadelphia, PA

- University of Illinois Urbana Champaign - Champaign, IL

- Indiana University - Bloomington , IN

, IN Suffolk University - Boston, MA

- University of Arizona - Tucson, AZ

- Regent University - Virginia Beach, VA

- Clarion University of Pennsylvania - Clarion, PA

- Syracuse University - Syracuse, NY

- Fayetteville State University - Fayetteville, NC

- University of Arkansas - Fayetteville , AK

, AK West Chester University of Pennsylvania - West Chester, PA

- University of Massachusetts Amherst - Amherst, MA

- Northeastern University - Boston, MA

- University of Delaware - Newark, DE

- Benedictine University - Lisle, IL

These Best Online Schools for Masters of Entrepreneurship were chosen for several factors that put them ahead of other online graduate programs, due to the: nature of the coursework, degree of thoroughness and complexity of the curriculum, 100% online availability, sufficient financial aid availability, and an education that give students more than just classroom experience. Business-Management-Degree.net is an online web publication that is committed to enhancing the information available to students when choosing an academic institution.

The editors of Business-Management-Degree.net collect the most important and relevant data about colleges, universities, and campus facilities from various highly respected sources and offer them in a simple format that is easy to understand. In developing this list, Business-Management-Degree.net, chose not to list the schools in an ordered way, but instead highlighted twenty of the very best programs, all of which have their own unique strengths.

Contact:

Rowan Jones

Researcher/Writer

Business-Management-Degree.net

Email: [email protected]

Cell: (931) 636-4286

SOURCE Business-Management-Degree.net
The day-long C3 program on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at the company's Ridgeland headquarters will feature teams of up to four students each from 30 high schools in 12 central Mississippi counties competing for scholarships and other tech-related prizes. An April event featured 13 teams from schools in Hinds, Madison and Rankin counties.

Students and an adviser from each school will use critical thinking and problem solving skills to solve a fresh computer coding challenge during the day-long competition. C Spire has assigned employees with IT backgrounds and experience to help each team. Members of the top three teams will receive college scholarships.

"Building on our highly successful inaugural event, we're planning a fun, entertaining and educational day for all of the students who participate in the program," said Carla Lewis, chief information officer for C Spire. "Hopefully, we can inspire and encourage them to seriously consider IT and computer science as a career path."

Lewis said the company-sponsored coding challenges and support for other public and private programs like the Base Camp Coding Academy are designed to help C Spire deliver on its promise to help create and retain a 21st century technology workforce in its region.

Workers with a background in computer science are in high demand and short supply in Mississippi. Employers currently have over 1,200 unfilled job openings due to the serious shortage of trained, qualified IT workers, Lewis said. The average salary for qualified IT workers is nearly $69,000 a year, almost double the statewide average.

Nationwide, new research estimates that there will be a shortage of over 1 million software developers in the U.S. by 2020. "For all we know, the inventor of the next big thing or revolutionary app or software may be sitting in a Mississippi classroom waiting to be inspired and encouraged to become a leader in the digital economy," Lewis said.

The C3 program can serve as an important first step to increase interest in computer science, according to Lewis. In 2016, only 16 students in the state took the AP computer science exam and only three schools statewide offered the AP computer science course in 2015-16, according to Code.org, a computer science education advocacy group.

C3 is part of a broader C Spire Tech Movement initiative designed to leverage the company's technology leadership and investments to help transform its service areas. Other elements of the program include creation of a state-of-the-art digital customer care platform for customers and team members, massive deployment of broadband internet for homes and businesses and other leadership initiatives to drive innovation and development of a 21st century technology workforce.

"We live in a software-defined world where code and the internet directly impacts just about every aspect of our lives," Lewis said. "Computer science drives innovation and creates jobs throughout our economy, but we need to do more to encourage schools to offer courses and for young people to pursue IT and computer science as viable career choices."

For more information about C3, go to www.cspire.com/c3. For more information on C Spire products and services, go to www.cspire.com. For background on the importance of coding in information technology and computer science, go to https://code.org/.

About C Spire

C Spire is a leading technology company committed to transforming Mississippi through the C Spire Tech Movement, which includes the massive deployment of broadband internet to homes and small businesses, a state-of-the-art digital experience for its customers and team members, technology innovation leadership and the creation and retention of a 21st century technology workforce in its region. The company provides world-class, customer-inspired wireless communications, 1 Gigabit consumer Internet access as well as a full suite of dedicated Internet, wireless, IP Voice, data and cloud services for businesses. This news release and other announcements are available at www.cspire.com/news. For more information about C Spire, visit www.cspire.com or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cspire or Twitter at www.twitter.com/cspire.

SOURCE C Spire

Related Links

http://www.cspire.com


CAMBRIDGE, England and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- This week 8power unveils three new products in its Track 200 range of low power, energy harvesting sensors. 8power's products use patented technology to increase life and reporting rate in high end industrial applications including transport, infrastructure and shipping.

8power has chosen the 10th annual Telecom Council Carrier Connections (TC3) Summit in Silicon Valley to introduce their latest innovation. Major network providers attend TC3 to discover the latest technologies for delivering sector-specific, valued added solutions in different vertical and horizontal markets.

Paul Egan, VP, Business Development, at 8power is looking forward to building upon the company's growing ecosystem of partners. Paul explains: "Pre-launch feedback from customers has been tremendously encouraging. We are really excited about the new Track 200 sensors because they enable a level of granularity in industrial data collection not possible with devices currently on the market. Our patented technology captures power from the local environment using energy harvesting. As a result, 8power's Track 200 products can report mission critical information more frequently and in real time - at a significantly lower cost than wired systems. The Track Cloud platform processes this information as it arrives. By providing our partners and end customers with timely alerts, evidence and insights for decisions, we help them improve the quality they deliver, pinpoint faults and issues, optimise the use of assets, and reduce costs."

Contact

If you would like to arrange a meeting with Paul, book a demo, borrow a sample or request further information about 8power's Track range of self-powered sensors, please contact Paul Egan at [email protected] or call +44 1223 781610. Alternative contact: Antony Rix, 8power Limited, +44 1223 781610.

About 8power (Cambridge, England)

8power uses IoT and AI technology for collecting, analysing and acting upon sensing and measurement data in industrial wireless applications. Our Track 200 self-powered sensors monitor the condition of your high value assets in real time, for a long time - and our Track Cloud platform puts this asset intelligence at your fingertips with a powerful user interface and API for integrating with your own processes, software and hardware.

About TC3 (Mountain View, California)

Telecom Council Carrier Connections (TC3) is a 2-day, working summit where global telecommunication network operators, vendors, VCs and startups from across the ecosystem meet to bring innovation to market, faster.

SOURCE 8power Limited
Based on IBISWorld's report for the Pet Grooming & Boarding Industry, analysts are currently predicting a 7% annual growth through the next decade. Reflecting the brand's unceasing capacity to lead the doggy day care and boarding sector, Russell's speech poises Camp Bow Wow to lead this discussion by sharing ideas and best practices, so all can benefit by staying ahead of the expanding category. Russell's dynamic keynote address will further engage the room by uniting attendees around common themes experienced by those in the industry. Such topics to be discussed will include continuously improving the pet care experience for dogs and their owners, the future of regulation and the innovation required to remain a key player in the uncharted pet space.

A testament to the brand's position as the "leader of the pack," Russell also intends to share insights on Camp Bow Wow's successful growth model. The company focuses its progress on replicating its model across 40-plus states and nearly 150 locations. Attendees will garner insights into the brand's approach to targeting reliable franchisees, designing efficient facilities and supporting owners through individual site search. Additional corporate team members will take the stage to discuss seasoned tactics in marketing, R&D, technology and more.

"The pet industry is an exciting place to be as it has gained a lot of notice in recent years, and it's poised for tremendous growth. We're honored to be included in this event along with so many others who share our commitment to the care and safety of dogs," said Russell. "The Pet Boarding and Daycare Expo gives us an opportunity to share our unique experience in growing a successful model into a nationwide franchise, and to open discussion on the common issues that will impact all of us as the industry continues to evolve."

Following the keynote address, the brand will host a meet and greet to give all participants a chance to get to know the brand and the executives behind it. Russell and the Camp Bow Wow team view this as a chance to network and collaborate on new ideas with other key players in the sector in order to keep pushing the industry into its next phase.

For more information about Camp Bow Wow, to find a location near you, to become a franchise owner or to learn more about the Expo, please visit campbowwow.com, campbowwowfranchise.com or petboardingexpo.com.

About Camp Bow Wow:

In 16 years, Camp Bow Wow, the largest pet care franchise, has sold more than 180 franchises in 42 states and Canada. The company is a $100+ million dollar brand, with over 140 open locations and more than 40 in the process of opening across North America. In 2016 and 2017, the company was ranked #1 in the pet care category in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 list and named in Entrepreneur's 2017 Best of the Best List in pet services. The Camp concept provides the highest levels of fun, safety and service for its Campers, and peace of mind for their parents. Dogs romp together in an open-play environment and pricing is all-inclusive. The Westminster, Colorado-based company started franchising in 2003, and today over 70% of franchises have women in ownership positions. In addition to day care and overnight Camp, the company also offers in-home pet care, grooming services and a rewards-based dog training program. The Camp Bow Wow brand family also includes The Bow Wow Buddies Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing urgent medical care funds to dogs who are either homeless or whose parents cannot afford to pay their veterinary bills.

SOURCE Camp Bow Wow

Related Links

http://www.campbowwow.com


LOS ANGELES, October 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

If you had any doubt about Electric Vehicles (EVs) and their role in our future, news from GM should seal the deal. The giant automaker has just announced that it is working toward an all-electric, zero-emissions future.

This news just places further demand on the future needs for the material that fuels the new power cells for these vehicles, Lithium.

Lithium mining and production companies are seeing huge gains as the forecast demand reaches a fever pitch. These include Orocobre Ltd. (OTC: OROCF) (TSX: ORL), FMC Corporation (NYSE: FMC), Galaxy Resources (OTC: GALXF) and NRG Metals Inc. (TSX-V: NGZ) (OTC: NRGMF).

Goldman Sachs has gone as far as to label Lithium the "new gasoline" for its necessity in producing the new EV products, including those built by GM.

EVs depend on lithium-ion batteries for their efficient storage and effective operation. For this reason, increased demand for lithium has producers concerned about having enough of the metal to answer the rapidly growing demand.

However, many lithium companies are stepping up and planning to develop more lithium or tap new supplies in known regions.

A few of these are emerging companies looking to use the current positive market momentum to advance their positions.

A likely lithium developer in this category is NRG Metals Inc. (TSX-V: NGZ.V) (OTCQB: NRGMF), who have a potentially huge lithium brine project in South America. The company is ideally positioned and looking to mine in the very productive "lithium triangle".

Share prices of current lithium companies have been rising as the demand pours in. Leaders in the space include FMC (NYSE: FMC) the diversified chemical company that rallied 87% in 2017 based largely on its lithium unit, Australia's Orocobre Ltd. (OTC: OROCF) (TSX: ORL) who just announced its maiden year profits, as well as Galaxy Resources (OTC: GALXF), also an Australian mining concern that has continued its incredible run and rose over 5% to hit a multi-year high in October.

LITHIUM IS THE FUTURE FUEL, PERIOD

GM's mandate is really just the sign that EVs are the future and that Lithium will be the feedstock needed to power the revolution.

GM says it will begin with two new, fully electric models next year and then then at least 18 more by 2023.

That product roster puts the GM in line with a large crowd of automakers who have endorsed the age of electricity. In recent months, Volvo, Aston Martin, and Jaguar Land Rover have announced their EV initiatives. All of these are promising to move away from gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles.

China has even gone so far as to mandate that it will move toward a zero petroleum-powered vehicle level, but with no date attached for enforcement.

All this points to new estimates for just how much lithium will be needed.

Consultants Roskill have estimated 785,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent a year will be needed by 2025, amounting to a 26,000-tonne shortfall from anticipated supply, compared to 217,000 tonnes of demand versus 227,000 tonnes of supply this year.

However, those numbers are ratcheting up as each new automaker and power application manufacturer chimes in with their new plans.

It looks like lithium producers will have their hands full just trying to answer the increase in demand. Several are already increasing their production and refining capabilities, but that's not going to cut it if demand reaches the projected levels. We will need new lithium resources.

NEWS SOURCES WILL COME ONLINE

Analysts are telling us that one new lithium mine will need to come on line each year through 2025 in order to meet the rapidly growing demand for lithium. That would answer existing demand. But in order to avert a shortfall, there's going to have to be more exploration and development.

Two-thirds of proven reserves of lithium are concentrated in a small, high-elevation area of South America known widely as the Lithium Triangle for its position at the intersection of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile.

In fact, only four companies account for about 86% of all global lithium production. And within that group, over 70% of lithium production based is South America around the Lithium Triangle.

This is the likely area to seek near-term lithium production.

Emerging miner NRG Metals is putting its lithium strategy in play the Puna Region in Argentina. It's considered one of the most productive regions in that country, which produces about 50% of the world's lithium.

NRG METALS NEAR TERM OPPORTUNITY

NRG Metals hails from Canada, but its' lithium interests are located in Argentina. Canadian miners like the lithium space and have fared well.

NRG Metals has managed to put itself at the heart of the lithium trend. It has two projects; the Salar Escondido lithium project, a well-developed project heading into drilling, and the Hombre Muerto North lithium project in the province of Salta, now under exploration.

The region is also host to the Hombre Muerto Salar. That's where major lithium producer FMC is generating about 20,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent per year. It's also the location for Galaxy Resources' large development stage Sal de Vida project.

Using Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) geophysical survey NRG Metals has identified what it calls "a highly conductive horizon that is interpreted to represent a brine target with potential to host lithium"

In other words, they have found what it is like a salt lake, about 4 kilometers by 6 kilometers in size located at depths from 70 to 300 meters below the surface.

NRG Metals has been approved and plans to drill to define the actual lithium resources available. This could be the next major lithium resource in the area.

It appears clear from announcements by automakers like GM that the demand for lithium is continuing to escalate. The opportunity to respond to the demand is still wide open.

As these initiatives to increase the EV market emerge, new producers and near term producers of lithium could use the window to move to production. Smaller players like NRG Metals, and the leaders like FMC are both in a position to capitalize on the lithium trend.

POTENTIAL COMPARABLES

Orocobre Ltd. (OTC: OROCF) (TSX: ORL.TO)

Orocobre Limited operates primarily in Argentina in the mining industry. The Company engages in the production ramp up of its Olaroz Lithium Facility and the operation of Borax Argentina S.A. (Borax Argentina). Its segments include Corporate, the Olaroz project, South American Salars and Borax Argentina. Its primary focus is on exploration for and development of lithium, potash and salar mineral deposits. The Company's assets also include boron mines and processing facilities of Borax Argentina and a portfolio of brine exploration projects. Its Olaroz Lithium Facility is located in the Puna region of Jujuy Province in northern Argentina, over 230 kilometers northwest of the capital city of Jujuy.

FMC (NYSE: FMC)

FMC Corp. is a Philadelphia-based chemical company which is swiftly ramping up its lithium production. Last year, FMC said it was planning to triple lithium hydroxide production capacity by 2019. The first phase of the plan has already started. FMC management also said that it was not ruling out the possibility to spin-off FMC's lithium segment as a separate publicly owned company. BofAMerrill Lynch recently upgraded FMC stock to "Buy" from "Underperform," increasing the price target to $103.00 from $66.

Galaxy Resources (OTC: GALXF)

Galaxy Resources Limited is a lithium-focused resources company, with assets spanning Australia, Canada and Argentina. Galaxy is currently advancing plans to develop the Sal de Vida Lithium and Potash Brine Project ("Sal de Vida") in Argentina, which is situated in the Lithium Triangle, a region where Chile, Argentina and Bolivia meet. Sal de Vida is a proven high quality resource has excellent promise as a future low cost production facility. Galaxy also owns the Mt Cattlin Spodumene Mine near Ravensthorpe in Western Australia and the James Bay Lithium Pegmatite Project in Quebec, Canada.

For a more in-depth look into NGZ you can view the in-depth report at American News Group: http://usanewsgroup.com/2017/10/29/how-south-americas-lithium-triangle-is-gearing-up-to-feed-our-battery-addiction-3-2-2/

Article Source:

USA News Group

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URBANA, Ill. and NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Carle Foundation Hospital announced today it launched Carle Map powered by Connexient's MediNav solution for Digital Wayfinding and Indoor Navigation. Based in Urbana, Illinois, Carle is an integrated system of healthcare services including Carle Foundation Hospital, Carle Physician Group and Health Alliance Medical Plans.

Carle Map, powered by Connexient's MediNav, includes interactive directories, indoor maps, turn-by-turn navigation and more to enhance Patient Experience and address the challenges of wayfinding Carle Map features true turn-by-turn indoor navigation to guide visitors to their destinations, including off-route notification and recalculation if they go astray. The popular Parking Planner and My Car features solve the problems of where to park and how to find your car again after an appointment!

Connexient's MediNav is the market leading Digital Wayfinding and Indoor Navigation solution for Healthcare, with over 40 hospitals. MediNavTM solves the challenges of patient and visitor wayfinding with comprehensive directories and rich indoor maps, true turn-by-turn indoor navigation, "All Screens" support across Kiosk, Web and Mobile, and outdoor + indoor wayfinding that powers popular features like Parking Planner and My Car location saver.

Carle's deployment will include the integration of their Epic appointment scheduling solution and MediNav's end-to-end digital wayfinding and navigation to reduce missed or late appointments and drive an innovative new "Airline Check-in Model" personalized patient user experience.

"This tool will help us enhance the experience for our patients. It can be a challenge for patients or visitors to find their way through an unfamiliar hospital. By collaborating with Connexient, we can help make a trip to the hospital a little easier. The Carle Map is an important step forward for an even better patient experience," said Michael Sutter, Chief Innovation Officer for Carle.

"We are delighted to announce the launch of MediNav at Carle Foundation Hospital," commented Mark Green, Connexient's CEO and Co-Founder. "Carle has a deep commitment to innovation and healthcare transformation, and we are excited to move forward now on implementing advanced-use cases and integrations that will deliver not only a world-class patient experience, but also enterprise efficiencies and ROI."

About Carle

Based in Urbana, Illinois, The Carle Foundation is a vertically integrated health system with more than 7,000 employees in its hospitals, physician group and health plan. The 413-bed Carle Foundation Hospital is a Level I Trauma Center and offers Level III perinatal services. Carle is ranked in 2017 as one of America's 50 Best Hospitals by HealthGrades, a Best Hospital by U.S. News and World Report and has achieved Magnet designation, the nation's highest honor for nursing care. Carle serves people through high-quality care, medical research and education.

About Connexient

Connexient (www.connexient.com) provides innovative Indoor Mapping, Navigation and Location-based Services hospitals and healthcare networks with large, complex buildings and campuses. The MediNav Navigator Edition Patient Experience solution helps to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, reduce missed or late appointments and improve HCAHPS scores.

More than just a mobile app, Connexient's mission and vision is to navigation-enable Enterprise IT. The Connexient Mobile Application SDKs and Web APIs enable its clients to integrate its rich, navigation quality indoor maps and location-based services across Enterprise IT in areas such as asset tracking, staff and patient flow, facility management, safety and security and more, with use cases that bring compelling value to users and direct ROI in capturing lost revenue, reducing costs and increasing operational efficiency and intelligence.

CONNEXIENT CONTACT:

Geoff Halstead

(212) 763-6604 ext. 701

[email protected]

CARLE CONTACT:

Laura Mabry

(217) 326-8501

[email protected]

SOURCE Connexient

Related Links

http://www.connexient.com


CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CollegeFindMe today announced it has become an official partner of the America's Promise Alliance. As a partner, CollegeFindMe will work with America's Promise to help America's young people receive the resources they need to lead healthy, successful lives.

CollegeFindMe is a higher education organization based out of Cambridge, Massachusetts. CollegeFindMe works with a large database of colleges looking for students based on different criteria including extracurricular activities, test scores, GPA, and more. CollegeFindMe broadens students' opportunities by providing access to colleges across the United States, who can then send students offers. For counselors, CollegeFindMe facilitates their communication with students, in an easy and organized way.

America's Promise Alliance is the nation's largest network dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth. The Alliance brings together more than 400 national organizations and thousands of community leaders to focus the nation's attention on young people's lives and voices, lead bold campaigns to expand opportunity, conduct groundbreaking research on what young people need to thrive, and accelerate the adoption of strategies that help young people succeed. GradNation, a signature campaign, has helped to increase the nation's high school graduation rate to a record high. In the past 12 years, an additional 2 million young people have graduated from high school.

"Creating stronger communities where youth feel supported and encouraged is essential to America's future strength and vitality," said John Gomperts, president and CEO of America's Promise. "By coming together in common purpose, we demonstrate our commitment and the fact that we all have a role to play in the success of our children and youth, and we are infinitely more powerful as a united force. We're thrilled that CollegeFindMe has joined this movement."

Founded in 1997 at the Presidents' Summit for America's Future, America's Promise leads an alliance of organizations, communities and individuals dedicated to fulfilling the presidential declaration signed on that day calling upon the nation to keep five crucial promises to every young person in America: the presence of caring adults in their lives; safe surroundings to live, learn and grow; healthy starts and healthy childhoods; an effective education that builds marketable skills; and opportunities to serve others.

As an official partner, CollegeFindMe will support and take part in the work of America's Promise to help more of the nation's young people experience the Five Promises and finish high school prepared for college and the 21st century workforce.

"CollegeFindMe connects students, school counselors and colleges worldwide to simplify and expand the college application process and foster an outstanding educational experience. Our students go on to be open minded, global citizens; contributing to their community in impactful ways," said Christina Bai, CEO and Founder of CollegeFindMe. "We are excited to join the America's Promise Alliance, ensuring the success of America's youth."

To learn more about America's Promise Alliance, visit www.americaspromise.org.

About CollegeFindMe

CollegeFindMe is an online platform that connects students, school counselors and colleges worldwide, providing a convenient and efficient platform for students to communicate with colleges and for colleges to find their best fit students. Learn more about us at https://collegefindme.com/

Contact:

Vincenza Parella

(617) 401-2884

[email protected]

SOURCE CollegeFindMe

Related Links

https://collegefindme.com


The CoverNJ Coalition is committed to ensuring that New Jersey residents have access to a medical home, preventative care and the other essential health benefits that insurance provides. The Coalition announced its effort today during an outreach event hosted by RWJBarnabas Health at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, with coalition members, community representatives and U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6).

"In response to the recent federal cuts to ACA funding and outreach, groups from all across the state have come together to ensure New Jerseyans have the information and resources they need to get enrolled," said Maura Collingsgru, health care program director for New Jersey Citizen Action. "Consumers need to know they can still get financial assistance as in years past if they qualify and free enrollment assistance to help select the plan that is right for them."

The Coalition's key messages to N.J. residents:

The online marketplace at www.healthcare.gov is open for insurance sign-ups Nov. 1  Dec. 15 . It's available now for consumers to "window shop" and compare various insurance plans.

 . It's available now for consumers to "window shop" and compare various insurance plans. New Jersey's health insurance marketplace provides many coverage options for consumers to choose from.

health insurance marketplace provides many coverage options for consumers to choose from. A majority of New Jersey residents qualify for subsidies that help bring down their costs for insurance premiums. Last year, 79 percent of New Jersey enrollees received help paying for their premiums.

residents qualify for subsidies that help bring down their costs for insurance premiums. Last year, 79 percent of enrollees received help paying for their premiums. Nov. 1  Dec. 15 is the only window this year for people to sign up for coverage that begins Jan. 1 .

 is the only window this year for people to sign up for coverage that begins . Those already covered through the insurance marketplace should also go online at www.healthcare.gov to update their information or select a new plan if necessary.

New Jersey has enjoyed historic lows in its uninsured rate since the coverage provisions of the Affordable Care Act took effect in 2014. Today, just 6 percent of the state's residents are without health insurance; that's half the uninsured rate in the years before passage of the ACA.

New Jersey has three insurance carriers, offering 28 different health plan options, at four different coverage levels (Gold, Silver, Bronze, Catastrophic) available on the online marketplace this open enrollment period.

"Consumers in New Jersey will have a broad range of coverage options to fit their needs and may shop on the exchange or contact an insurer directly," said Wardell Sanders, Esq., president of the New Jersey Association of Health Plans. "It is critical, however, that consumers protect their health and act promptly during the shortened open-enrollment period to obtain coverage. New Jersey insurers will be active in communities across the state to assist with enrollment."

Coalition members expressed concern about a number of barriers this year that could dissuade consumers from using the healthcare marketplace and signing up for coverage, including: a much shorter sign-up window; deep cuts in the open enrollment marketing budget; funding cuts to support health navigators; and plans to shut down www.healthcare.gov for weekly maintenance on Sundays.

The Coalition also wants to alleviate any confusion about recent news announcing an end to Cost-Sharing Reduction payments. In spite of this change, eligible consumers will still receive cost-sharing reductions and premium subsidies.

"These organizations have made great strides in increasing health literacy, awareness and access to the information and tools needed to gain coverage," said John J. Gantner, president and CEO of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. "We thank you for the work you've done so far and we look forward to continuing to work with this coalition, as well as Congressman Pallone, to help New Jersey residents gain health coverage."

Coalition members are collaborating on a number of activities to raise awareness and support consumers shopping for insurance, including advertising and social media outreach, town halls and other enrollment events and a website, www.covernj.org, that helps connect New Jersey residents with enrollment counselors who can answer questions and help them sign up for coverage.

Said Congressman Pallone, "In an uncertain healthcare landscape, it is important for all of our healthcare delivery and education partners to remain united with the purpose of providing quality, affordable care and coverage for our communities. We must continue standing together to demonstrate that the health of New Jerseyans stands above special or political interests. I look forward to working with our partners to help enroll as many Jerseyans with quality healthcare coverage as possible."

Members of the CoverNJ Coalition include:

New Jersey Citizen Action

NJ For Health Care

New Jersey Hospital Association

New Jersey Association of Health Plans

New Jersey Policy Perspective

New Jersey Primary Care Association

New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute

HOPES CAP, Inc.

Planned Parenthood

Center for Family Services

Family Resource Network

Jewish Renaissance Medical Center

South Brunswick Public Library

Elizabeth Public Library

United Way of Central New Jersey

United Way of Greater Mercer

Fulfill (formerly Food Bank of Ocean and Monmouth Counties)

Greater Newark Healthcare Coalition

SOURCE New Jersey Hospital Association (NJHA)

Related Links

http://www.covernj.org/


SAN DIEGO, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cubic Corporation (NYSE:CUB) today announced that its Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) business division was awarded a $6.5 million contract from the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) to migrate the Cubic-operated back office system for the Breeze Card to the cloud. The migration will be implemented through Cubic's collaboration with Microsoft and the Microsoft Azure cloud platform.

"Throughout the years, Cubic has successfully helped MARTA and the Greater Atlanta area with many of its transportation challenges while continually improving the transit experience in the city," said Matt Cole, president of CTS. "Moving the Breeze Card system to the cloud will not only provide MARTA with enhanced functionality, but it also marks an important step in the journey to provide the best-in-class, next-generation transit service in Atlanta."

Under the contract, Cubic will also upgrade the Breeze Card system to the latest release of its NextFare central system software. The upgrade will improve user experience and operational efficiency by optimizing the database performance and data warehouse capability. This will make it easier for MARTA to maintain payment card industry (PCI) compliance and will provide enhanced network security and disaster recovery features.

"Our relationship with Cubic keeps us moving forward and into the future," said Torrey Kirby, interim assistant general manager of technology and chief information officer, MARTA. "Moving to the cloud will allow MARTA to leverage all of the new storage and security features, while becoming less dependent on often vulnerable, on-premises solutions  all to the benefit of Atlanta's travelers."

"We are happy to support Cubic and the City of Atlanta as they work to upgrade Atlanta's transportation systems to meet the demands of their growing urban community," said Mike Donlan, vice president of U.S. state and local government at Microsoft. "This collaboration is a great example of how cities are leveraging our modern cloud platform, Microsoft Azure, to help cities expand their smart city capabilities and serve citizens where they work, live and play."

CTS designed and delivered MARTA's Breeze Card, a card-based automated fare collection (AFC) system that utilizes Cubic's smart card ticketing technology, in 2006. Since then, Cubic has been providing maintenance and onsite support to MARTA and maintenance support to its regional partners, the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA), Cobb and Gwinnett counties and the Atlanta Streetcar. The Breeze Card system currently generates more than 106 million rides annually.

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


LAS VEGAS, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Dana Incorporated (NYSE: DAN) announced today that it will be offering a Builder Axle program to allow the inclusion of a new Dana 60 axle, with numerous upgrades, into a wide range of applications. The customizable Dana 60 front and rear axles allow different width and center drop dimensions for Jeep TJs and XJs, rock crawlers, bouncers, and other off-road vehicles.

Dana made the announcement at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, held here through Nov. 3 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Sourcing older used axles have numerous drawbacks, not the least that they are usually rusty, worn, and inferior in several areas, especially the unit-bearing hubs. The new Dana Builder Axle program makes it possible to purchase all new components with a dead-spindle style hub assembly incorporated.

"In the past, enthusiasts had to go to junk yards to source old axles, especially the Ford kingpin Dana 60 'snow-fighter,'" said Randall Speir, senior account manager, motorsports, for Dana. "Now, Dana is making new components available, including many upgrades like the option of disc brakes and ball-joint wheel-end kits. And, we will be continuing to add additional options in the future  like a kingpin knuckle kit, so off-roaders can build the 'Ultimate Snow Fighter' axle."

The Dana Builder Axle is only available through authorized Dana distributors. The Builder Axle consists of a center housing and tubes, as well as a wheel end option. Internal components are also available.

The Builder Axle comes on a pallet and the tubes must be cut to the individual application specifications. The quandry of "driver-side drop" versus "passenger-side drop" is no longer a limiting factor with the Dana program; simply cut the tubes and position the differential housing to "drop" where desired.

The ball-joint knuckle kit and future release kingpin knuckle kits offered through the Dana Builder Axle program are provisioned for an SPL70/1550 series wheel-joint and a high steering arm to accommodate lifted vehicle applications, a feature also not found on junkyard axles.

It is also possible to install disc brakes on the Dana Builder Axle. The ball joint knuckle kit is compatible with Dodge brakes. The future release of the kingpin knuckle kit is compatible with Dodge brakes, using hubs with an 8 on 6.5" bolt pattern, or Ford brakes, with an 8 on 170 mm pattern.

Dana will highlight a number of new products at its exhibit at SEMA, Booth No. 36193, located in the South Hall Upper at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

For more information on the Dana Builder Axle Program, go to DanaAftermarket.com.

About Dana in the Aftermarket

Powered by recognized brands such as Dana, Spicer, Victor Reinz, Glaser, GWB, Thompson, Tru-Cool, SVL, Magnum, and Transejes, Dana delivers a broad range of aftermarket solutions  including genuine, all makes, and value lines  servicing passenger, commercial, and off-highway vehicles across the globe. Leveraged by a global network of 13 distribution centers, Dana's dedicated aftermarket team provides technical service, customer support, high fill rates, and on-time delivery to customers around the globe. For product information visit Spicerparts.com. For E-catalog and parts location, visit DanaAftermarket.com. To speak with a Dana customer service representative call 1-800-621-8084.

About Dana Incorporated

Dana is a world leader in highly engineered solutions for improving the efficiency, performance, and sustainability of powered vehicles and machinery. Dana supports the passenger vehicle, commercial truck, and off-highway markets, as well as industrial and stationary equipment applications. Founded in 1904, Dana employs nearly 29,000 people in 34 countries on six continents who are committed to delivering long-term value to customers. The company reported sales of more than $5.8 billion in 2016. Based in Maumee, Ohio, the company's operations were selected as a 2017 Top Workplace in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan by The (Toledo) Blade. For more information, please visit dana.com.

SOURCE Dana Incorporated

Related Links

http://www.dana.com


WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Institutions of higher education are facing a series of upcoming federal data protection requirements, necessitating changes in their data management to maintain federal research and grants programs, says a new report, "Federal funding for Higher Education Institutions at Risk," issued today by Deloitte's Center for Higher Education Excellence and EDUCAUSE. The first compliance deadline for data received from the federal government (e.g., for certain defense-related research grants data) is Dec. 31, 2017.

"Whether a college or university has many large government research contracts or one small contract, each institution will need to comply with these new data protection standards," said Joanna Lyn Grama, Director of Cybersecurity and IT GRC Programs at EDUCAUSE. "Simply put, the evolving higher education threat landscape and very complex regulatory environment means that ad-hoc approaches to data management and protection are no longer adequate and formalized information security programs, based on recognized frameworks and responsive to specific regulations, are required."

"To get started down the path to compliance, institutions will first need to understand the challenges they'll face in complying with the new standard and then chart a course for getting from here to there," said Mike Wyatt, principal, Deloitte & Touche LLP, and a cyber-risk leader. "A tailored approach  encompassing, among other things, organizational change management, training, end-user adoption and process controls  is essential to achieving and sustaining compliance.

"Colleges and universities can see this challenge in two ways  as a risk to their federal grants and research funding or as a competitive advantage if they are more proactive in their compliance."

These new requirements are designed to safeguard a broad set of data known as controlled unclassified information (CUI). The National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Special Publication 800-171 states the requirements for protecting CUI when it shared by the federal government with nonfederal entities like colleges and universities. These data protection requirements are gradually being incorporated into federal government contracts. The Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) has now established NIST 800-171 as the minimum security standard for protecting both CUI and Covered Defense Information (CDI) (with compliance required by the end of this year). A Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) clause is expected to be published before the end of 2017 and apply NIST 800-171 standards to protect CUI associated with a broader set of civilian contracts. Additionally, in 2016, the US Department of Education communicated its intention to make student financial data subject to those same standards in the future.

Deloitte and EDUCAUSE have identified three challenges that may exist in many college and university settings, which may impact an institution's path to compliance:

Lack of executive and board-level attention: While awareness of NIST 800-171 is generally very high within the information technology and security community, it is not yet on the radar of many institutional leaders or boards of trustees because the issue has been cast as one of merely implementing a set of technical information security controls. To gain traction with institutional leaders, the conversation must be reframed in terms of enterprise risk management, with the business impact to the institution clearly spelled out.

While awareness of NIST 800-171 is generally very high within the information technology and security community, it is not yet on the radar of many institutional leaders or boards of trustees because the issue has been cast as one of merely implementing a set of technical information security controls. To gain traction with institutional leaders, the conversation must be reframed in terms of enterprise risk management, with the business impact to the institution clearly spelled out. Cultural barriers: The cultural heritage of higher education institutions is one of openness and sharing. If a US researcher is building on research done by a colleague in another country, it's normal for the two to talk, share information, and even collaborate. As a result, outside of defense-related research, there may be inherent resistance to the changes necessitated by NIST 800-171.

The cultural heritage of higher education institutions is one of openness and sharing. If a US researcher is building on research done by a colleague in another country, it's normal for the two to talk, share information, and even collaborate. As a result, outside of defense-related research, there may be inherent resistance to the changes necessitated by NIST 800-171. Governance coordination: With the growing demands for compliance work for International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Gramm Leach Bliley Act (GLBA), and other standards and now with NIST 800-171 compliance, it is no longer effective or economical to engage in information security and data management protections in a decentralized manner. An institutional, enterprise-level solution is needed, as well as a central authority, to assess and certify data and access compliance.

Deloitte and EDUCAUSE outlined six steps higher education leaders can take to develop a sustainable compliance program:

Form a working group with representatives from each of the institution's three main business units: academics, administration and research. The working group should have top-down support and the sustained engagement of leadership. Analyze the impact and scope by determining the applicable contracts and identifying data that must be controlled. Assess the current state of security and understand where CUI data resides (in on-premise campus systems and in cloud systems) and how it's processed from the point of receiving through the lifecycle. Develop a plan to achieve compliance and mitigate existing gaps by defining roles and responsibilities to achieve and maintain compliance. Establish responsibilities and efficient processes to achieve sustained compliance over the long haul. Employ third parties to provide a thorough review of current practices across the entire academic enterprise.

To review the Deloitte and EDUCAUSE report, go here.

About Deloitte

Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world's most admired brands, including more than 85 percent of the Fortune 500 and more than 6,000 private and middle market companies. Our people work across more than 20 industry sectors to make an impact that matters  delivering measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in our capital markets, inspire clients to see challenges as opportunities to transform and thrive, and help lead the way toward a stronger economy and a healthy society. Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them.

About EDUCAUSE

EDUCAUSE (www.educause.edu) is a higher education technology association and the largest community of IT leaders and professionals committed to advancing higher education. Technology, IT roles and responsibilities, and higher education are dynamically changing. Formed in 1998, EDUCAUSE supports those who lead, manage, and use information technology to anticipate and adapt to these changes, advancing strategic IT decision making at every level within higher education. A global nonprofit organization, EDUCAUSE members include U.S. and international higher education institutions, corporations, not-for-profit organizations and K-12 institutions. With a community of more than 85,000 individual participants located around the world, EDUCAUSE encourages diversity in perspective, opinion and representation. The EDUCAUSE Cybersecurity Program offers a number of resources to help colleges and universities develop and mature their information security and privacy programs.

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee ("DTTL"), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as "Deloitte Global") does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the "Deloitte" name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms.

SOURCE Deloitte

Related Links

http://www.deloitte.com/us


CHINO, Calif., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Diamond Wipes International, Inc. ("Diamond Wipes"), the leading developer and manufacturer of wipe products for over 20 years, announced today the launch of a new decontamination ("decon") body wipe, Hero Wipes that is specially formulated to remove toxic, cancer-causing carcinogens from the vulnerable skin of firefighters before they leave the scene of a fire.

Hero Wipes is scientifically tested and shown to be extremely effective in absorbing and clearing away harmful toxins that are linked to cancer. Specifically, Hero Wipes was shown to remove 98 percent of the toxic flame retardant TCEP and 83 percent of the carcinogen Benzopyrene, which is found in soot.

Fires carry soot and smoke from flame-retardants and other high-toxin synthetic materials. Furthermore, as firefighters wear an arsenal of protective gear into a fire, their body temperatures rise, which increases the skin's absorption level. These factors make the decontamination process a critical post-fire protocol for any firefighter. While the use of wipes for on-scene decon has been a customary process for many years, the wipes used are generally baby wipes, which unfortunately are not formulated to actively counter, attract and remove harmful carcinogens.

"The creation of Hero Wipes really began because of a conversation we had with a firefighter, who shared how distressed he was over the alarming cancer statistics faced by his fellow firefighters," said Eve Yen, founder, co-owner and president of Diamond Wipes. "I knew we could do something to help. We formulated a product that enables firefighters to perform effective on-scene decon, with a wipe that could actively remove the harmful carcinogens they commonly encounter."

Hero Wipes was established with a patent-pending balanced blend of ingredients that are shown to isolate and trap harmful chemical compounds within the wipe. They are intended for vigorous usage  each wipe is thick, tough, stretchable and virtually indestructible compared to run-of-the-mill baby wipes so they won't breakdown. Moreover, with its proven formula, Hero Wipes is ideal for the on-scene decon protocol as usage of an effective wipe limits the amount of time harmful carcinogens lingers on the skin.

"Once we developed Hero Wipes, we felt it was imperative to prove that it was effective, and invested in third party testing," added Yen. "With this data, we are able to stand behind Hero Wipes as an effective solution. Quite frankly, it's just too important to the men and women who need a product like this."

According to a study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, firefighters have a 9 percent higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer and a 14 percent higher risk of dying from cancer than the general US population. The risks are significantly higher for certain types of cancer including malignant mesothelioma and multiple myeloma.

Importantly, effective on-scene decon can reduce the amount of carcinogens that create an invisible but harmful trail, which has been traced to firefighters' personal vehicles and homes, as shown in the 2015 Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center's Firefighter Cancer Initiative.

Members of the firefighter community who want to learn more or make product requests can contact Diamond Wipes Customer Service at 1 (800) 454-1077 or email requests to [email protected].

About Hero Wipes

Hero Wipes is the first and only brand of decontamination wipes studied and proven to be effective in removing cancer-causing carcinogens from the vulnerable skin of firefighters. Hero Wipes are proven to clear a firefighter's skin of up to 98 percent of harmful carcinogens that are encountered during a fire. Hero Wipes are available online at www.myherowipes.com.

About Diamond Wipes

Diamond Wipes International (www.diamondwipes.com) specializes in developing and engineering new types of wipe products, all made in the USA. The company has over 20 years of developmental leadership with a continual focus on providing marketplace solutions. The company is headquartered in Chino, Calif., with additional manufacturing facilities in Bucyrus, Ohio. Diamond Wipes is proud to be an official sponsor of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (https://www.firehero.org) and donates 2 percent of revenue from the sale of Hero Wipes to the foundation.

SOURCE Diamond Wipes International, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.diamondwipes.com


"My family started Dickey's in 1941 and since then we have grown the Dickey's brand exponentially, turning it into a household name nationwide," says Roland Dickey, Jr., CEO of Dickey's Capital Group. "We have been searching for the perfect partner to be the first to take our company international and I believe we have found that in Serenity Hospitality. They see the vision we have for the future of Dickey's and will be an integral part of that. We greatly look forward to this partnership and the success that Dickey's will see in the Middle East."

Serenity Hospitality is led by Chief Executive Officer Youssef El Habbal who has over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry with a heavy focus on concept development and franchise operations.

"At Serenity Hospitality, LLC we take pride in owning innovative Food and Beverage concepts. After doing much research of high-quality American brands, we found that Dickey's business model, menu options and future plans aligned perfectly with what we were looking for," says Youssef El Habbal, CEO of Serenity Hospitality, LLC. "A company's values and heritage are extremely important to us, and Dickey's long family-owned history along with their promise to serve only the best food to their guests meet the values that we look for in a partner."

The 45 international Dickey's Barbecue Pit locations are slated to opened in seven countries throughout the Middle East including United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Lebanon. The first locations are planned to open in 2018 in the UAE.

"Dickey's Barbecue Pit looks forward to the value this expansion brings our current owners and national operations," says Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. "Having the opportunity to work with such experienced partners such as Serenity Hospitality says much about the quality, strength and future of our delicious barbecue and our ever growing brand."

To learn more about franchising with Dickey's, visit Dickey's franchising page or call 866-340-6188.

About Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc.

Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., the nation's largest barbecue chain was founded in 1941 by Travis Dickey. Today, all meats are still slow smoked on-site in each restaurant. The Dallas-based family-run barbecue franchise offers several slow-smoked meats and home style sides with 'No B.S. (Bad Stuff)' included. The fast-casual concept has expanded to more than 550 locations in 45 states. In 2016, Dickey's won first place on Fast Casual's "Top 100 Movers and Shakers" list and in 2017 again won a top 10 on the list. Dickey's Barbecue Pit has also been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine, Franchise Times, and Nation's Restaurant News. For more information, visit www.dickeys.com.

About Serenity Hospitality LLC

Serenity Hospitality LLC focuses on bringing innovation and excellence to the high-growth Food and Beverage market across the GCC and beyond. Serenity Hospitality is owned by SANAD AD, an Abu Dhabi-based investment house. Our team members possess cutting-edge local market knowledge and deep industry experience. In addition, our corporate dynamism enables us to conceptualize, launch, and manage brands efficiently and confidently.

Serenity Hospitality's portfolio includes Meshwari, a newly launched and acclaimed fast-casual Middle Eastern eatery, with additional innovative concepts under development throughout the region.

Media Contact:

Callie Head

[email protected]

Ashley Richardson

[email protected]

SOURCE Dickeys Barbecue Pit
SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- During the weekend of October 13th, Bridging the Gap, a national digital inclusion program, distributed over 300 computers and internet service to low-income residents of Salt Lake City. The computers were distributed in partnership with local housing authorities and nonprofits. Bridging the Gap is a nonprofit-led initiative of PCs for People and Mobile Beacon that helps community anchor institutions like housing authorities, schools, libraries and nonprofits provide affordable computers and internet service to individuals and families below the 200% poverty level.

Through the Bridging the Gap program, PCs for People distributed 300 refurbished computers and 4G LTE mobile hotspots with three months of unlimited internet service to eligible low-income individuals and families from the Housing Authority of Salt Lake City, the Housing Authority of the County of Salt Lake, Utah Nonprofit Housing Corporation, International Rescue Committee, and Utah Health & Human Rights. The distribution events took place on site at the Housing Authority of Salt Lake City, the Housing Authority of the County of Salt Lake, and Utah Nonprofit Housing Corporation. The Salt Lake City Public Library provided basic computer training and one-on-one technical assistance during the distribution events and will continue providing ongoing computer classes at the Library.

"Even though I work full time, I am still low-income," said Melissa Hoskin, a Bridging the Gap recipient. "So this is amazing to me, I have children who need the computer for everything... My two older children can't do anything without the computer."

Mobile Beacon donated 200 computers, 150 mobile hotspot devices, and provided monetary and on-site support for the events. Comcast Internet Essentials also attended and donated 100 computers to the event.

In 2018, Bridging the Gap will partner with local organizations to hold distribution events in Austin, TX, Memphis, TN, Phoenix, AZ and La Junta, CO. Learn more at pcsforpeople.org.

About Mobile Beacon: Mobile Beacon provides high-speed, low-cost, mobile internet access to the anchors of communities: the nonprofits, schools, libraries, and healthcare organizations that provide vital services to millions of Americans every day. Through this broadband service, organizations have an essential tool to fulfill their missions and maximize their philanthropic impact, which allows organizations to access more information, reach more people, and help more in their communities. Learn more at http://www.mobilebeacon.org.

About PCs for People: PCs for People is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides affordable computers, computer repair, and internet service to low-income families and nonprofits across the country. In addition, we provide digital literacy training to people with limited technological experience due to social, physical, or economic circumstances. PCs for People has distributed over 60,000 computers, subscribed thousands of families to low cost internet, and recycled millions of pounds of electronics. Our corporate services include secure IT asset disposition and AAA NAID certified data sanitization. Learn more at www.pcsforpeople.org.

Media Contact:

Lauren Yergeau, Mobile Beacon

401.934.0500

[email protected]



Sam Drong, PCs for People

651.354.2552 x805

[email protected]



SOURCE Mobile Beacon

Related Links

http://mobilebeacon.org


According to the new market research report "Digital Substation Market by Module (Hardware, Fiber Optic Communication Network, and SCADA), Type (Transmission and Distribution Substation), Voltage (Up to 220 kV, 220 - 550 kV, and above 550 kV), Industry, and Region - Global Forecast to 2023" , published by MarketsandMarkets, the market is expected to grow from USD 6.32 Billion in 2017 and is expected to reach USD 9.96 Billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 7.87% between 2017 and 2023. The moderate growth of the digital substation market can be attributed to the increase in demand for electricity and the need to replace aging infrastructure. Government funding initiatives in collaboration with the private utilities is increasing the installation of digital substations across the globe.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )

Browse 68 Market Data Tables and 39 Figures spread through 156 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Digital Substation Market - Global Forecast to 2023"



http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/digital-substation-market-43227003.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report



Hardware module expected to lead the digital substation market

The hardware module is expected to hold the largest share of the market between 2017 and 2023. The hardware module includes components such as transformers, bus bars, protection devices, and interfacing units. Transformers form a major part of the market, as they are the primary component that is installed in the substation. These hardware components have the largest share of the overall market owing to their extensive use in digital substations.

Digital substation market for the utility industry is expected to grow at the highest CAGR between 2017 and 2023

The utility industry is one of the booming application areas pertaining to digital substations, owing to the high demand-supply gap in energy in most of the developing and developed nations. Its market growth can be attributed to the increase in demand for renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, and hydro to meet the consumers' demand for power generation. Digital substations have a large scope in the utility industry as these systems are used in transmitting and distributing power.

Download PDF Brochure : http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=43227003

Asia Pacific held the largest share of the digital substation market in 2016

Asia Pacific (APAC) held the largest share of the market in 2016. This growth can be attributed to the fact that several initiatives have been taken up by the Government of India to develop its power and energy sector, which is a major factor supporting the growth of the digital substation market in APAC. For instance, in 2016, ABB Ltd. (Switzerland) received an order from the Adani Group (Ahmedabad) to commission five substations that would involve the integration of 648 MW solar project at Kamuthi in Tamil Nadu.

Inquiry Before Buy @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=43227003

Some of the major players in the digital substation market are ABB Group (Switzerland), General Electric (US), Siemens (Germany), Schneider Electric (France), and Cisco Systems (US).

Browse Related Reports

Packaged Substation Market by voltage Split (below 36kV and above 36kV to 150kV), by Application (Industrial, Infrastructure, and Power Utilities & Generation) and by Region - Global Trends and Forecasts to 2019

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/packaged-substation-market-26109112.html

HVDC Transmission Market by Component (Convertor Stations, Transmission Cables, and Others), Technology (CCC, VSC, LCC, and UHVDC), Project Type, Power Rating, Application, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2023

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/hvdc-grid-market-1225.html

Subscribe Reports from Semiconductor Domain @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Knowledgestore.asp

About MarketsandMarkets

MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

Contact:

Mr. Rohan

MarketsandMarkets INC.

630 Dundee Road

Suite 430

Northbrook, IL 60062

USA: +1-888-600-6441

Email: [email protected]





Visit Our [email protected] http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/electronics-and-semiconductors

Connect with us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets

SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
"APPA and members of the public power community were pleased to receive today's letter and the request for additional crews and equipment," said APPA President and CEO Sue Kelly. "We look forward to working with PREPA, our government partners, and the industry to support the ongoing power restoration process."

"EEI and our member companies welcome today's request from PREPA, which now allows our industry on the mainland to fully support the critical power restoration efforts underway in Puerto Rico," said EEI President Tom Kuhn. "We are already working with our member companies to mobilize crews, equipment, and technical experts in response to today's letter."

"Hurricane Maria caused historic damage to Puerto Rico, and considerable logistical issues remain," said Kelly. "We know that restoring power to Puerto Rico will be challenging. As the letter outlines, extensive portions of the transmission network in Puerto Rico run through rugged, mountainous terrain with little or no road access. Much of the infrastructure will need to be rebuilt before power can be restored. While this is not a typical restoration process, we are fully committed to overcoming those challenges and bringing our experience and resources to Puerto Rico."

"EEI looks forward to working with our member companies, APPA and our industry and government partners, and the PREPA team to accelerate the restoration mission and to restore power as quickly and safely as possible to our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico," added Kuhn.

Read the EEI and APPA response to PREPA's letter.

APPA is the voice of not-for-profit, community-owned utilities that power 2,000 towns and cities nationwide. APPA represents public power before the federal government to protect the interests of the more than 49 million people that public power utilities serve and the 93,000 people they employ. Our association advocates and advises on electricity policy, technology, trends, training, and operations. Our members strengthen their communities by providing superior service, engaging citizens, and instilling pride in community-owned power.

EEI is the association that represents all U.S. investor-owned electric companies. Our members provide electricity for 220 million Americans, and operate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. As a whole, the electric power industry supports more than 7 million jobs in communities across the United States. In addition to our U.S. members, EEI has more than 60 international electric companies, with operations in more than 90 countries, as International Members, and hundreds of industry suppliers and related organizations as Associate Members. Organized in 1933, EEI provides public policy leadership, strategic business intelligence, and essential conferences and forums.

SOURCE Edison Electric Institute

Related Links

http://www.eei.org


eHealth Technologies' services help top institutions across the nation transform how their specialty programs deliver patient care. eHealth Technologies offers the easiest and fastest process to get a referred patient's external records, images and pathology slides in the hands of the clinical team prior to their patients' first visit. This allows clinicians to practice at the top of their license so they can spend more time on patients, less on administrative and clerical tasks.

"I am thrilled that our company has made the Rochester Chamber Top 100 list six years in a row," stated Ken Rosenfeld, CEO & President at eHealth Technologies. "For over ten years eHealth Technologies' solutions have been driving more time with patients and less time on paperwork. I am very proud of our team's hard work, teamwork and dedication to supporting our customers and the patients they serve. We have an extraordinary team that has gone above and beyond what is required to facilitate patients' care in a timely manner while at the same time ensuring the growth and success of the company."

About eHealth Technologies

eHealth Technologies is the leading provider of referral solutions, serving over half of the nation's Top 100 hospitals, including 16 of the top 20 U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll Hospitals for 2016-2017, and leading Health Image Exchanges ("HIE") across the US. The company's eHealth Connect solutions enhance patient and physician satisfaction by streamlining care transitions and assuring physicians have the right information to care for their patients. eHealth Connect Image Exchange enables HIE subscribers access to full diagnostic quality medical records in the context of the patient record. Visit www.eHealthTechnologies.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

E: [email protected]

P: (877) 344-8999 ext. 617

SOURCE eHealth Technologies

Related Links

http://www.ehealthtechnologies.com


SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS, Brazil, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Embraer and American Airlines Inc. signed a firm order for ten E175 jets. American Airlines is exercising its purchase rights from its original contract with Embraer signed in 2013. This new order is in addition to the one placed in April for four aircraft; is valued at USD 457 million, based on current list prices, and will be included in Embraer's fourth-quarter backlog. Deliveries begin in 2018 and continue through mid-2019.

Combined with the airline's two previous orders for the E175, this new contract results in a total of 74 E175s for American Airlines.

American Airlines selected Envoy, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines Group Inc., to operate the ten aircraft, which will be configured with 12 First Class, 20 Main Cabin Extra, and 44 Main Cabin seats, for a total of 76 seats.

"Because of its excellent operational performance, the E175 has proven to be the right solution for American. This repeat order demonstrates the confidence that the airline has in Embraer and in the E175," said Charlie Hillis, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, North America, Embraer Commercial Aviation. "We are proud to be part of American Airlines Inc.'s overall fleet vision and are dedicated to serving their business needs."

Including this new contract, Embraer has sold more than 390 E175 jets to airlines in North America since January 2013, earning more than 80% of all orders in the 76-seat jet segment.

Since entering revenue service, the E-Jets family has received more than 1,800 orders and over 1,300 aircraft have been delivered. Today, E-Jets are flying in the fleet of 70 customers in 50 countries. The versatile 70 to 150-seat family is flying with low-cost airlines as well as with regional and mainline carriers.

Follow us on Twitter: @Embraer

About Embraer

Embraer is a global company headquartered in Brazil with businesses in commercial and executive aviation, defense & security. The company designs, develops, manufactures and markets aircraft and systems, providing customer support and services.

Since it was founded in 1969, Embraer has delivered more than 8,000 aircraft. About every 10 seconds an aircraft manufactured by Embraer takes off somewhere in the world, transporting over 145 million passengers a year.

Embraer is the leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 150 seats. The company maintains industrial units, offices, service and parts distribution centers, among other activities, across the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe.

CONTACTS:



Headquarters (Brazil)



Corporate Communications

[email protected]

Cell: +55 12 98152 4845

Tel.: +55 11 3841 6085



North America



Alyssa Ten Eyck

[email protected]

Cell: +1 954 383 0460

Tel.: +1 954 359 3847



Europe, Middle East and Africa



Guy Douglas

[email protected]

Cell: +31 (0)657120121

Tell: +31 (0)202158109



China



Mirage Zhong

[email protected]

Cell: +86 185 1378 5180

Tel.: +86 10 6598 9988



Asia Pacific



Nilma Missir-Boissac

[email protected]

Cell: +65 9012 8428

Tel.: +65 6305 9955

SOURCE Embraer S.A.

Related Links

http://www.embraer.com


WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Fannie Mae (OTC Bulletin Board: FNMA) today announced plans to report its third quarter 2017 financial results on Thursday morning, November 2, 2017, before the opening of U.S. financial markets.

Fannie Mae will host a conference call for the media to discuss the company's results at 8:00 a.m., ET, on November 2, 2017. The conference call will be concurrently webcast. The live audio webcast of the earnings release call will be available at http://event.on24.com/wcc/r/1530540-1/C3A0E6E91D09F6B41812453CFA50E99E, and the company's third quarter 2017 earnings news release, quarterly report on Form 10-Q, and other supplemental information will be available on the company's Quarterly & Annual Results webpage at fanniemae.com/financialresults. A transcript of the call also will be made available on the page.

WEBCAST DETAILS  Fannie Mae Third Quarter 2017 Financial Results

Please click on the link below to access the Webcast registration page. It is recommended that you test the connection to the Webcast prior to joining the event.

URL: http://event.on24.com/wcc/r/1530540-1/C3A0E6E91D09F6B41812453CFA50E99E

Fannie Mae helps make the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage and affordable rental housing possible for millions of Americans. We partner with lenders to create housing opportunities for families across the country. We are driving positive changes in housing finance to make the home buying process easier, while reducing costs and risk. To learn more, visit fanniemae.com and follow us on twitter.com/fanniemae.

SOURCE Fannie Mae

Related Links

http://www.fanniemae.com


Partridge is an accomplished trial lawyer who has tried a wide range of cases, from patent infringement to trade secrets, in diverse technologies including fiber optics, chemical processes and catalysis, filtering technology, and computer hardware and software. With an engineering background and outstanding advocacy skills, she has years of stand-up experience before both judges and juries trying cases for global companies in high profile competitor-to-competitor disputes.

"We are always looking for top talent to add to our deep bench of seasoned trial lawyers, and Jayme is a highly skilled IP trial lawyer who will be a tremendous addition to our team," said Kurt Glitzenstein, Fish's Litigation Practice Group Leader. "This is our second significant lateral hire this fall. These strategic hires further enhance our position as the market leader in IP litigation."

Partridge received her J.D., high honors, Order of the Coif, from the University of Texas School of Law in 1991 and her B.S., cum laude, Pi Tau Sigma, Tau Beta Pi, from Texas A&M University in 1982.

Fish & Richardson is a global patent prosecution, intellectual property litigation, and commercial litigation law firm with more than 400 attorneys and technology specialists in the U.S. and Europe. Our success is rooted in our creative and inclusive culture, which values the diversity of people, experiences, and perspectives. Fish is the No. 1 U.S. patent litigation firm, handling nearly three times as many cases as its nearest competitor; a powerhouse patent prosecution firm; a top-tier trademark and copyright firm; and the No. 1 firm at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, with more cases than any other firm. Since 1878, Fish attorneys have been winning cases worth billions in controversy  often by making new law  for the world's most innovative and influential technology leaders. For more information, visit https://www.fr.com or follow us at @FishRichardson.

Contact: Amy Blumenthal or Kelly Largey

Blumenthal & Associates

Fish & Richardson

617-879-1511

800-818-5070

[email protected]

[email protected]

SOURCE Fish & Richardson

Related Links

http://www.fr.com


Prescott, a patent and trade secret trial lawyer, has a background in civil and environmental engineering, as well as more than 15 years of experience protecting and defending clients in cases involving a wide range of technologies, including software, medical devices, and consumer products for both plaintiffs and defendants. She also has extensive experience leading all aspects of litigation, from pre-suit investigations to appeals, before federal courts nationwide.

She returns to Fish, where she worked from 2001 to 2009, after eight years of expanding her patent litigation practice in private practice and at a top 10 Fortune 500 company, where she led strategy for patent and consumer class action litigations, International Trade Commission investigations, and post-grant proceedings at the Patent Office.

"Katie's return to our Silicon Valley office adds tremendous strength to our team's ability to provide our clients with long-term plans and solutions, as well as creative and winning litigation strategies to protect their innovative products and services and to defend against accusations of infringement," said Michael Headley, managing principal of Fish's Silicon Valley office.

Prescott received her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, her M.S. in civil and environmental engineering from Stanford University, and her B.A. in earth and planetary science from Johns Hopkins University.

Fish & Richardson is a global patent prosecution, intellectual property litigation, and commercial litigation law firm with more than 400 attorneys and technology specialists in the U.S. and Europe. Our success is rooted in our creative and inclusive culture, which values the diversity of people, experiences, and perspectives. Fish is the No. 1 U.S. patent litigation firm, handling nearly three times as many cases as its nearest competitor; a powerhouse patent prosecution firm; a top-tier trademark and copyright firm; and the No. 1 firm at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, with more cases than any other firm. Since 1878, Fish attorneys have been winning cases worth billions in controversy  often by making new law  for the world's most innovative and influential technology leaders. For more information, visit https://www.fr.com or follow us at @FishRichardson.

Contact: Teresa Warren

or





Kelly Largey

TW2 Marketing









Fish & Richardson

619-582-5750 or 619-301-1814









800-818-5070

[email protected]









[email protected]

SOURCE Fish & Richardson

Related Links

http://www.fr.com


MILPITAS, Calif., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- FleetUp, a premier provider of ELD/HOS compliance solutions for Intelligent Fleet Management, today announced a partnership with Shipwell, a connected transportation management system (TMS) provider for shippers, brokers and carriers. The integration of Shipwell's algorithmic tracking technology with FleetUp's FMCSA-compliant electronic logging device (ELD) and fleet management system (FMS) provides fleet managers with a machine learning platform that enables smart scheduling and routing capabilities, data-driven driver selection and real-time communications between drivers and dispatchers on one connected platform.

The Shipwell/FleetUp enhanced platform enables fleet managers access to real-time location tracking technology which provides customers with up-to-date ETA per shipment, and the option to select drivers based on their previous drive times, loading and offloading history. Additionally, fleet management is made simpler with seamless document handling, and comprehensive load and shipment instructions shared with drivers en route using a connected device.

"Shipwell is constantly pushing the technology envelope to make shipper, broker and carrier lives easier. With the December ELD mandate approaching, we researched over sixty ELD devices for integration, and were impressed by FleetUp's robust ELD, fleet management platform, and API solution," said Greg Price, CEO at Shipwell. "Not only is the FleetUp compliance solution one of the easiest to install, it is competitively priced. This partnership is an exciting next step in the digital future of fleet management, and we will continue offering the best compliance and management solutions to our customers."

The Shipwell/FleetUp platform will be available with the industry-leading FleetUp ELD, which installs as a hidden device in under 10 minutes. Unlike competing Bluetooth-enabled solutions, this allows the OBD-II port to remain open for maintenance and for the continued tracking of GPS and vehicle data offline as a safe and reliable compliance solution.

"The integration and partnership of Shipwell and FleetUp makes sense," said Christian Renaud, research director, Internet of Things at 451 Research. "FleetUp's ELD and FMS offerings are proven and robust, and its telematics-based approach avoids potential driver safety issues from poor Bluetooth-based implementations. Fleets and enterprises need to pick the most secure and reliable option when betting the safety of their drivers and loads, and ensuring compliance."

Demonstrations of the integrated Shipwell/FleetUp platform can be requested by visiting shipwell.com/fleetup.

About Shipwell

Shipwell is on a mission to provide a delightful freight experience through freight automation technology and world-class business intelligence. The company is based in Austin, TX and provides a connected freight platform to help shippers, brokers, and carriers to seamlessly quote, book, track, and manage their freight shipments.

About FleetUp

Founded in 2013 and based in the heart of Silicon Valley, FleetUp offers a patented, FMCSA-compliant suite of integrated telematics and GPS applications. FleetUp provides service and distribution companies with unprecedented insight into their operations, empowering them with actionable data to optimize the efforts of vehicles and drivers, allowing for maximum revenue while reducing operating costs. For more information, please visit fleetup.com.

Contact:

Charles Orlando

FleetUp

855-274-2886 x715

[email protected]

Vered Hazanchuk

Walt & Company

408-369-7200 x2976

[email protected]

SOURCE FleetUp

Related Links

http://www.fleetup.com


BOSTON, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Freight Farms, the leading manufacturer of commercial-grade hydroponic farms built inside of shipping containers, today reported company growth to accommodate the increasing demand from new business sectors, and international markets. As the company continues to thrive, Freight Farms also announced a corporate expansion to the South End Exchange neighborhood of Boston.

With the new office, comes a new company direction. Small business farmers have historically shown the most interest in the company's flagship product, the Leafy Green Machine (LGM), to start or expand their business. However, over the past several months, Freight Farms has experienced widespread interest from larger entities. Restaurants, schools, universities, corporations, municipalities and non-profits are all buying LGMs. In the past year, sixteen businesses and campuses launched Leafy Green Machines. Additionally, Freight Farms has been working with major institutional food service providers Compass Group and Sodexo. By focusing on this channel, Freight Farms hopes to bring the LGM to many more communities, spreading sustainable farming methods to a broader audience.

"Local food is in high demand, and schools and businesses are prioritizing health, wellness and engagement now more than ever. The LGM fits seamlessly in with their goals, and we are re-focusing to meet the demands of a new market -- it's a very dynamic time to be in ag tech," said Brad McNamara, CEO and co-founder, Freight Farms.

"An important piece for Sodexo is our 'Better Tomorrow Plan,' which specifically focuses on individuals, our communities and our environment. Freight Farms has given us a great opportunity to have that engagement with students on a higher level, especially with sustainability," said Heather Vaillette, district manager of campus services and independent schools, Sodexo.

As Freight Farms continues to grow, it will not turn its back on the small business farmers who gave it its start. This channel is still growing as traditional farmers adopt Freight Farm's technology. With an LGM, farmers can extend their business year-round and provide crop protection in the face of increasingly extreme weather patterns.

"There are significant environmental benefits to farming in a hydroponic system, which allows farms to use 90 percent less water than traditional methods," said Jon Freidman, President and co-founder, Freight Farms. "The contained environment also eliminates the need for herbicides or pesticides, and the ability to farm anywhere reduces the impact of food transportation. As our user base expands to larger organizations, we look forward to seeing sustainable produce spread to new markets."

Notable moments 2016  2017:

April 2016  Partnered with Clemson University and NASA to explore Self-Sustaining Crop Production Units (SSCPU) as a new way of growing food in extreme climates and outer space.

 Partnered with and NASA to explore Self-Sustaining Crop Production Units (SSCPU) as a new way of growing food in extreme climates and outer space. September 2016  Kimbal Musk purchased 10 Leafy Green Machines to launch Square Roots  an urban farming accelerator  in Brooklyn, NY .

 purchased 10 Leafy Green Machines to launch Square Roots  an urban farming accelerator  in . November 2016  Freight Farms partnered with a major agricultural supplier located in the Netherlands to service Europe . To date, six Leafy Green Machines have been sold.

 Freight Farms partnered with a major agricultural supplier located in to service . To date, six Leafy Green Machines have been sold. January 2017  Introduced The 2017 Leafy Green Machine which contains all the components needed for commercial food production. It is equipped with the most advanced growing technology and engineered for easy operation, allowing users of all backgrounds to immediately start growing fresh food produce year-round.

 Introduced The 2017 Leafy Green Machine which contains all the components needed for commercial food production. It is equipped with the most advanced growing technology and engineered for easy operation, allowing users of all backgrounds to immediately start growing fresh food produce year-round. March 2017  Freight Farms partnered with Federal Realty Investment Trust. Leafy Green Machines will occupy unused parking areas to bring urban farming to shopping centers throughout the U.S. November 2017  The first federal farmer within the program, Nate Brown , launched his Leafy Green Machine.

 Freight Farms partnered with Federal Realty Investment Trust. Leafy Green Machines will occupy unused parking areas to bring urban farming to shopping centers throughout the U.S. April 2017  Freight Farms placed three farms in Dubai , marking an expansion into the Middle Eastern market. This mirrors similar expansion made in April 2016 , when Freight Farms placed containers in the Caribbean .

2017 Leafy Green Machine Stats:

The 40-foot container can produce 2-4 tons of produce a year.

The LGM comes equipped with 256 vertical growing towers to maximize space and production.

The LGM has 3,600 seedling sites and 4,300 growing sites.

LGMs are currently operating in climates between -40 degrees and 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

Freight Farmers can harvest 365 days a year.

The LGM automates temperature, water, nutrient levels, pH, CO2, and humidity to maximize growth.

Users can schedule, track, and control all farming components remotely using the farmhand platform.

About Freight Farms

Founded in 2010 in Boston, Freight Farms has established itself a leader in the agriculture technology industry. The company was the first to bring farming into a shipping container to create their flagship product: The Leafy Green Machine. The "LGM" is a complete vertical hydroponic growing facility built inside a repurposed container. It enables Freight Farmers to grow fresh food year-round, regardless of prior experience or environment. The LGM is outfitted with environmental controls and indoor growing technology, which can be monitored and controlled using Freight Farm's complimentary technology platform- farmhand. To date, there are over 150 farms in operation in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Dubai and the Caribbean. For more information about Freight Farms, visit www.freightfarms.com.

Media Contact

Elizabeth Yekhtikian

InkHouse for Freight Farms

[email protected]

SOURCE Freight Farms

Related Links

http://www.freightfarms.com


"These new products are part of the continued expansion of our impact tool offering," said James Stewart, Senior Product Manager for GEARWRENCH. "Larger size accessories like these are required by many users and GEARWRENCH is now able to provide high quality tool solutions for those requirements."

The following Impact Accessories are now available:

Cat. No. 84655  1/2" Drive Impact 1/2" F x 3/4" M Adapter

Cat. No. 84889  3/4" Drive Impact Universal Joint

Cat. No. 84893  3/4" Drive Impact Extension 13"

Cat. No. 84296  1" Drive Impact Universal Joint

Cat. No. 84297  1" Drive Impact 1" F x 3/4" M Adapter

Cat. No. 84298  1" Drive Impact Extension 7"

Cat. No. 84299  1" Drive Impact Extension 13"

About GEARWRENCH

GEARWRENCH is a premier hand tool brand from Apex Tool Group, one of the largest hand tool manufacturers in the world. Since the launch of the original patented five-degree ratcheting wrench, the GEARWRENCH brand has continuously led the industry with breakthroughs in pass-thru ratchets, sockets, screw/nut drivers, pliers, and specialty tools. For more information, visit www.gearwrench.com.

About Apex Tool Group

Apex Tool Group, LLC, based in Sparks, MD, is one of the largest worldwide producers of industrial hand and power tools, tool storage, drill chucks, chain, and electronic soldering products. Apex serves a multitude of global markets, including automotive, aerospace, electronics, energy, hardware, industrial, and consumer retail. For more information, visit www.apextoolgroup.com.

SOURCE Apex Tool Group

Related Links

http://www.apextoolgroup.com


WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Generations United, in partnership with National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) and A Second Chance, Inc., is launching a three-year initiative, GrAND Voices: Elevating and Strengthening African American and Native American Grandfamilies.

The initiative will recruit and prepare family caregivers to join Generations United's GrAND Voices network, a proven group of family caregiver advocates who educate, represent and testify on behalf of grandparents and other relatives raising children.

The project is funded by a $750,000 three-year grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, Mich.

"More than 2.6 million children live in grandfamilies. They are disproportionately children of color. Yet there are few proven supports available that honor their unique cultural strengths," said Donna Butts, executive director of Generations United. "We've found our Grand Voices Network to be very effective in telling grandfamilies' important stories to better educate elected officials and other leaders. This investment in Native American and African American voices is important and powerful."

Cori Matthew, NICWA director of programs and policy, states: "It is with great honor and privilege that the National Indian Child Welfare Association joins this project with Generations United and A Second Chance. It is so very important that our grandfamilies have a voice for our communities in raising awareness among federal and state policymakers and tribal leaders to advocate for change and influence policy, practice, and research."

The GrAND Voices project will engage the grandfamily caregivers in raising awareness with federal and state policymakers and tribal leaders. It will also elevate visibility of grandfamilies in the press as well as elevate the valuable role and need for supportive services for grandfamilies.

"We are encouraged by this joint partnership with Generations United and NICWA," said Dr. Sharon McDaniel, founder, president and CEO of A Second Chance, Inc. "The Kinship Triad, both inside and outside of the child welfare system, will have an opportunity to have their voices elevated, and inform public policy from a cultural lens."

The GrAND Voices initiative will include community-based projects to improve local supports and services for grandfamilies. It will culminate with the creation of toolkits and other resources for organizations serving Native American and African American grandfamilies, and the release of an action agenda to promote evidence-based practices for serving the families.

About Generations United

Generations United is home to the National Center on Grandfamilies, a leading voice for issues affecting families headed by grandparents and other relatives. Generations United's mission is to improve the lives of older people through intergenerational collaboration, public policies and programs for the enduring benefit of all. www.gu.org

About National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA)

National Indian Child Welfare Association (NICWA) is a private, nonprofit membership organization that works to support the safety, health and spiritual strength of American Indian and Alaska Native children along the broad continuum of their lives. NICWA supports tribes in building the capacity to prevent child abuse and neglect through positive systems change at the state, federal and tribal levels. www.nicwa.org

About A Second Chance Inc.

Founded by our CEO, Dr. Sharon McDaniel in 1994, A Second Chance, Inc. (ASCI) serves as a community-based organization whereby child welfare agencies can refer families, children, and youth for holistic professional services. ASCI's mission is to provide a safe, secure, and nurturing environment to children who are being cared for by their relatives or a close family friend - formally called "kinship care". www.asecondchance-kinship.com

About the W.K. Kellogg Foundation

The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Mich., and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org.

SOURCE Generations United

Related Links

http://www.gu.org


DETROIT, October 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Stratview Research announces the launch of a new research report on Global Braided Composites Market by End-Use Industry Type (Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Sporting Goods, and Others), by Architecture Type (Biaxial, Triaxial, and Others), by Fiber Type (Carbon Composites and Other Composites), by Resin Type (Thermoset Composites and Thermoplastic Composites), and by Region (North America, Europe, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2017-2022.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160831/402975LOGO )

This report, from Stratview Research, studies the braided composites market in the global advanced materials industry over the period 2011 to 2022. The report provides detailed insights on the market dynamics to enable informed business decision making and growth strategy formulation based on the opportunities present in the market.

Global Braided Composites Market: Highlights from the Report

As per Stratview Research, the global braided composites market is projected to offer healthy growth and reach an estimated US$ 382.5 million in 2022, which offers an opportunity to the composites industry players to align themselves with the market growth.

The author of the market report concluded that increasing production rates of next-generation aircraft, such as A350XWB; increasing production of luxury and hybrid vehicles; increasing demand for lightweight parts with the purpose to enhance fuel efficiency or to reduce carbon emissions; rising concern over VOC emissions; and an excellent performance of braided parts are the key factors propelling the demand for braided composites.

As per the study, aerospace & defense is projected to remain the largest segment of the global braided composites market during the forecast period of 2017 to 2022. Fan case containment and fuselage frames are some of the major applications of braided composites in the aerospace & defense industry. Automotive is likely to remain the fastest-growing segment of the global braided composites market during the same period, propelled by increasing production rates of hybrid and luxury cars coupled with rising usage of composites.

Based on architecture type, triaxial braided composite is expected to remain the largest segment during the forecast period. It is the most preferred choice for over braiding of parts, owing to its superior performance. Fan case containment is one of the major applications of triaxial braided composites.

In terms of fiber type, carbon fiber is projected to remain the most dominant fiber type in the global braided composites market during the forecast period. All the major end-use industries, such as aerospace & defense, automotive, and sporting goods, are predominantly using carbon fiber-braided composites, owing to their excellent weight reduction properties coupled with high-performance benefits.

Register Here for a Free Sample on the Report

In terms of region, North America is expected to remain the largest braided composites market during the forecast period, driven by the Aerospace & Defense industry. The USA is projected to remain the growth engine of the North American braided composites market over the next five years. Europe is likely to be the fastest-growing braided composites market during the same period, primarily driven by increasing production rate of A350XWB and increasing demand for composite rich hybrid and luxury vehicles.

The key braided composite part manufacturers are GE Aviation, Airbus Group, BMW AG, Exelis Inc., Sigma Precision Components Ltd., and GKN Aerospace. New application development, formation of mergers & acquisitions, and execution of long-term contracts with customers are the key strategies adopted by the major players to gain a competitive edge in the market.

Report Features

This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights on the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report:

Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis.

Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis.

Market trend and forecast analysis.

Market segment trend and forecast.

Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, product portfolio, product launches, etc.

Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities.

Emerging trends.

Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players.

Key success factors.

This report studies the global braided composites market and has segmented the market in five ways, keeping in mind the interest of all the stakeholders across the value chain. The following are the five ways in which the market is segmented:

Global Braided Composites Market by End-Use Industry Type:

Aerospace & Defense (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , and RoW)

Automotive (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , and RoW)

Sporting Goods (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , and RoW)

Others (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , and RoW)

Global Braided Composites Market by Architecture Type:

Biaxial (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , and RoW)

Triaxial (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , and RoW)

Others (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , and RoW)

Global Braided Composites Market by Fiber Type:

Carbon Fiber (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , and RoW)

Other Fibers (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , and RoW)

Global Braided Composites Market by Resin Type:

Thermoset Resins (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , and RoW)

Thermoplastic Resins (Regional Analysis: NA, Europe , and RoW)

Global Braided Composites Market by Region:

North America

Europe

Rest of the world

Stratview Research has several high value market reports in the composites and advanced materials industry. Please refer to the following link to browse through our reports:

Click Here for Other Reports from Stratview Research in the Advanced Materials Industry

Related premium market reports in the advanced materials industry are:

Global High-Performance Glass Fiber Market by End Use Industry, by Usage, and by Region, Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2016 - 2021

Global Composite Preforms Market by Application Segment, by Fiber Type, by Product Type, by Structure Type, and by Region, Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2016 - 2021

About Stratview Research

Stratview Research is a global market intelligence firm providing wide range of services including syndicated market reports, custom research and sourcing intelligence across industries, such as Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Mass Transportation, Consumer Goods, Construction & Equipment, Electronics and Semiconductors, Energy & Utility, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Oil & Gas.

We have a strong team of industry veterans and analysts with an extensive experience in executing custom research projects for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies, in the areas of Market Assessment, Opportunity Screening, Competitive Intelligence, Due Diligence, Target Screening, Market Entry Strategy, Go to Market Strategy, and Voice of Customer studies.

Stratview Research is a trusted brand globally, providing high quality research and strategic insights that help companies worldwide in effective decision making.

For enquiries, please contact:

Ritesh Gandecha

Stratview Research

E-mail: [email protected]

Direct: +1-313-307-4176



Please feel free to drop an enquiry with us or ask for a free sample in the below page and our team will get back to you very soon: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/contact.html.

SOURCE Stratview Research
ESSEX, England, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Franchise Magazine, an Aceville publication, has announced the launch of its Global Franchise Awards. Created to celebrate the hard work, drive and commitment of the people in the franchising sector on a global scale, the awards will recognize exceptional, innovative brands driving change within the international franchising community. The awards will be judged by key industry figures, and winners will be announced at the upcoming 2018 IFA Convention in Phoenix.

"Successful publishing both of print and online ventures depends on the sort of fruitful relationships which Global Franchise enjoys with people in the international franchise business," said Global Franchise Magazine Editor Ross Gilfillan. "To give something back to these exceptional people, we created the Global Franchise Awards to recognize their efforts and achievements."

Winners will be selected by a panel of leaders in the industry. The categories include:

International Food Franchise of 2018

International Fitness Franchise of 2018

International Elder Care Franchise of 2018

International Health & Beauty Franchise of 2018

Outstanding Asian Franchise

Outstanding Australian Franchise

Outstanding American Franchise

Outstanding European Franchise

Each winner will be selected based on four overarching criteria  global growth intentions, a strong franchisor/franchisee relationship, innovative marketing and promotional plans and having played a part in advancing the cause of international franchising. The awards are the first to recognize and celebrate excellence in international franchising.

"This company has a history of supporting the industries for which we produce magazines and websites," added Gilfillan. "In line with this, it seemed clear that we should organize awards that celebrated the master franchising we feature in the magazine  especially as this was not being done elsewhere in the business."

Franchisors can submit themselves for more than one category. Each application per award costs $200.00 to submit. The deadline to apply is December 31, 2017. To submit your franchise brand for consideration, please visit www.globalfranchiseawards.com. For more information about Global Franchise Magazine, please visit www.globalfranchisemagazine.com.

ABOUT GLOBAL FRANCHISE MAGAZINE

Global Franchise is the only franchise magazine catering solely to international franchising. Distributed in business and first class lounges at international air hubs around the world, it places your message into the hands of your target audience.

Media Contact: Alissa Stevens, Fishman Public Relations, 847-945-1300, [email protected]

SOURCE Global Franchise Magazine

Related Links

http://www.globalfranchisemagazine.com


LONDON, October 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Emergency Aids / On Field First Aid, Internal Fixator, External Fixator, Tourniquets, Stretchers, Bandages, XSTAT, Sternal Intraosseous, Screws, Nails, Unilateral & Bilateral Fixators, Circular Fixators, Hybrid Fixators, Upper Extremities, Lower Extremities, Hip and Pelvic, Lower Leg, Food and Ankle, Knee, Thigh, Torso, Upper Limbs, Cranium, Hospitals & Trauma Centres, Ambulatory Surgery Centres

The Global Military Medical & Humanitarian Trauma Care Innovations Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.8% in the first half of the forecast period. In 2016, the Internal Fixator segment accounted for 70.8%% of the Global Military Medical & Humanitarian Trauma Care Innovations Market.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/523989/Visiongain_Logo.jpg )

How this report will benefit you

Read on to discover how you can exploit the future business opportunities emerging in this sector.

In this brand new 189-page report you will receive 103 tables and 99 figures- all unavailable elsewhere.

The 189-page report provides clear detailed insight into the Global Military Medical & Humanitarian Trauma Care Innovations Market. Discover the key drivers and challenges affecting the market.

By ordering and reading our brand new report today you stay better informed and ready to act.

Report Scope

 Global Military Medical & Humanitarian Trauma Care Innovations Market forecasts from 2018-2028

 This report also breaks down the revenue forecast for the Global Military Medical & Humanitarian Trauma Care Innovations Market by Product Type:

- Emergency Aids / on Field First Aid: further broken down into Tourniquets, Stretchers, Bandages, XSTAT, Sternal Intraosseous

- Internal Fixator: further broken down into Screws, Nails and Others

- External Fixator: further broken down into Unilateral & Bilateral Fixators, Circular Fixators, Hybrid Fixators

- Others

This report provides a SWOT analysis for each submarket.

 This report also breaks down the revenue forecast for the Global Military Medical & Humanitarian Trauma Care Innovations Market by Site of Surgery:

- Lower extremities: further broken down into Hip and Pelvic, Lower Leg, Food and Ankle, Knee, Thigh

- Upper extremities: further broken down into Torso/Trunk, Upper Limbs, Cranium

 This report also breaks down the revenue forecast for the Global Military Medical & Humanitarian Trauma Care Innovations Market by End User:

- Hospitals & Trauma Centres

- Ambulatory Surgery Centres

 This report also breaks down the revenue forecast for the Global Military Medical & Humanitarian Trauma Care Innovations Market by regional and national market:

- North America: the US & Canada

- Europe: Germany, France, the UK, Spain, Italy and Rest of Europe

- Asia-Pacific: China, Japan, India and Rest of Asia-Pacific

- Latin America: Brazil, Mexico and Rest of Latin America

- Middle East & Africa: Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Rest of MEA

Each region is further segmented by product type, site of surgery and end user.

 Our study discusses the selected leading companies that are the major players in the Global Military Medical & Humanitarian Trauma Care Innovations Market:

- Johnson & Johnson

- Smith & Nephew

- B. Braun Melsungen AG

- Stryker Corporation

- Zimmer Biomet Holding, Inc.

- Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation

- CONMED Corporation

- Cardinal Health

Visiongain's study is intended for anyone requiring commercial analyses for the Global Military Medical & Humanitarian Trauma Care Innovations Market. You find data, trends and predictions.

Buy our report today Global Military Medical & Humanitarian Trauma Care Innovations Market Forecast 2018-2028: Emergency Aids / On Field First Aid, Internal Fixator, External Fixator, Tourniquets, Stretchers, Bandages, XSTAT, Sternal Intraosseous, Screws, Nails, Unilateral & Bilateral Fixators, Circular Fixators, Hybrid Fixators, Upper Extremities, Lower Extremities, Hip and Pelvic, Lower Leg, Food and Ankle, Knee, Thigh, Torso/Trunk, Upper Limbs, Cranium, Hospitals & Trauma Centres, Ambulatory Surgery Centres.

To request a report overview of this report please email Sara Peerun at [email protected] or call Tel: +44-(0)-20-7336-6100

Or click on https://www.visiongain.com/Report/2033/Global-Military-Medical-Humanitarian-Trauma-Care-Innovations-Market-Forecast-2018-2028

Companies Mentioned in This Report

B. Braun Medical India Pvt. Ltd.

B. Braun Melsungen AG

Biomet

Cardinal Health

CONMED Corporation

DeOst group

DePuy Synthes

Emerge Medical

EuroCiencia Colombia

Hill-Rom

Honeywell International Inc.

Howard Wright Europe Limited

Integra LifeSciences Holdings Corporation

Johnson & Johnson

MedShape, Inc.

Nextremity Solutions, Inc.

NORMED Medizin-Technik GmbH

Orthofix Holdings, Inc

Orthovera

Oyster Medisafe Limited

Panakeia, LLC

PerSys Medical

Pyng Medical

Response Ortho

RevMedx, Inc.

Small Bone Innovations, Inc.

Smith & Nephew

Stanmore Implants Worldwide Limited

Stryker Corporation

TyTek Group

Ulrich GmbH & Co.

Zimmer Holdings, Inc.

To see a report overview please email Sara Peerun on [email protected]

SOURCE Visiongain
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, GoFundMe announced a partnership with Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), the nation's largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. GoFundMe and TMCF are teaming up to raise money in support of students at the nation's 47 publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

"No American should be prevented from enrolling in and graduating from college because of money. Sadly, that is a reality for many HBCU students," said Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., TMCF President & CEO. "This innovative partnership with GoFundMe makes ordinary people extraordinary philanthropists, through their online giving platform now used to support deserving HBCU students pay for their college education."

"We are proud to partner with Thurgood Marshall College Fund and help HBCU students pay for college. Thousands of students have turned to GoFundMe to help pay for college, and with college tuition on the rise, it's more important than ever to help support students pursuing their higher education," said Rob Solomon, GoFundMe CEO. "This new partnership will make it simpler and easier for HBCU students to get the financial support they need to thrive at college."

Today, GoFundMe released a new TMCF fundraising hub, which will serve as a resource for students and their communities. We want to make it as easy as possible for GoFundMe donors to find students attending HBCUs, as well as giving students and their families the tips and tools they need for a successful campaign. GoFundMe and Thurgood Marshall College Fund launched six GoFundMe campaigns for students attending college at Howard University, Fayetteville State, Norfolk State, and South Carolina State. To make a contribution or to start a GoFundMe, please visit the TMCF fundraising hub here: www.gofundme.com/tmcf.

Charitable giving isn't a new phenomenon. For 30 years, TMCF has been raising money to support HBCUs and students across the country. What's different today is the ability to help just about anyone in the world in just a few clicksand GoFundMe's social fundraising platform does just that. For the first time, TMCF is making it possible for anyone to quickly raise funds to pay for college online. In minutes, you can donate to or create a GoFundMe campaign, share it on social media, and encourage your online networks to do the same.

Over the past several years, students, teachers, and parents are increasingly turning to GoFundMe to raise money for education expenses, including college tuition. In fact, in the last two years, over $100 million has been raised on GoFundMe for education-related campaigns, making it the fastest-growing category on the platform.

About GoFundMe

Launched in 2010, GoFundMe is the world's largest social fundraising platform, with over $4 billion raised so far. With a community of more than 40 million donors, GoFundMe is changing the way the world gives. Find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

SOURCE GoFundMe

Related Links

http://www.gofundme.com


ST. LOUIS, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Graybar, a leading distributor of electrical, communications and data networking products and provider of related supply chain management and logistics services, recently reported its third quarter results.

Graybar reported net sales of $1.7 billion in the third quarter, a 0.7 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Net income for the quarter was $29.4 million, down 2.3 percent from the same period in 2016.

For the first nine months of the year, the company reported net sales of $4.9 billion, a 3.3 percent increase from the same period last year. Net income for the first nine months of the year increased 13.6 percent to $80.4 million.

"We remain focused on growing our business profitably and driving innovation in the supply chain," said Kathleen M. Mazzarella, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Graybar. "We continue to make strategic investments in people, technology and service capabilities to provide an exceptional customer experience and accelerate our growth for the future."

Graybar, a Fortune 500 corporation and one of the largest employee-owned companies in North America, is a leader in the distribution of high quality electrical, communications and data networking products, and specializes in related supply chain management and logistics services. Through its network of more than 290 North American distribution facilities, it stocks and sells products from thousands of manufacturers, helping its customers power, network and secure their facilities with speed, intelligence and efficiency. For more information, visit www.graybar.com or call 1-800-GRAYBAR.

Media Contact:

Tim Sommer

(314) 573-2571

[email protected]

SOURCE Graybar

Related Links

http://www.Graybar.com


TSX: GPR

NYSE American: GPL

VANCOUVER, Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - GREAT PANTHER SILVER LIMITED (TSX: GPR) (NYSE American: GPL) ("Great Panther"; or the "Company") today reported financial results for the Company's three and nine months ended September 30, 2017. The full version of the Company's unaudited condensed interim consolidated financial statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") can be viewed on the Company's website at www.greatpanther.com or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. All financial information is prepared in accordance with IFRS, except as noted under the Non-IFRS Measures section. All monetary amounts are in US dollars ("USD"), unless otherwise specified.

"The third quarter was a very successful and eventful quarter for Great Panther. Our Mexican operations delivered production in support of our guidance for the year and continued to advance the permitting of the new tailings facility at Topia," stated Jim Bannantine, President & CEO. "After closing the acquisition of Coricancha just before the start of the third quarter, we quickly turned our attention to advancing a resource update and on engineering and environmental studies, and other evaluations in support of a decision to restart mine development. I am pleased that we continue to maintain a strong balance sheet with $55 million of cash and deposits, no debt and strong liquidity of our shares. These factors along with a solid management team put us in a good position to pursue acquisitions."

Revenues for the third quarter of 2017 were $18.3 million and increased by 17% over the same period in 2016 as a 20% increase in unit metal sales volumes offset declines in realized silver and gold prices. Despite the increase in revenue, Great Panther reported a net loss of $0.7 million for the third quarter of 2017, compared to net income of $2.1 million in the same quarter of 2016. The net loss is primarily attributed to a $1.2 million increase in exploration, evaluation and development ("EE&D ") expenditures reflecting the first full quarter of the Coricancha project and its care and maintenance costs since the closing of the acquisition on June 30, 2017. The Company also incurred a $0.9 million non-recurring general and administrative ("G&A") charge. In addition, mine operating earnings before non-cash items from the Company's Mexican operations were $1.1 million lower than the third quarter of 2016 due to a less favorable Mexican peso to US dollar foreign exchange rate, and higher unit production cost in Mexican peso terms. The latter is attributed mainly to a higher proportion of production from the higher cost Topia Mine and some non-recurring costs at Topia which increased its production costs for the quarter.

Cash cost per payable silver ounce ("cash cost") for the third quarter of 2017 was $5.82, while cash cost of $5.21 for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2017 is within the range of the Company's guidance for the full year 2017. All-in sustaining cost per payable silver ounce ("AISC") for the third quarter of 2017 was $13.75, bringing the AISC for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 to $15.60, also within the range of the Company's guidance for the full year 2017. AISC for the third quarter of 2017 also reflected the $0.9 million non-recuring G&A charge noted above (approximately $1.60 per payable ounce), and therefore the Company expects AISC to be lower for the current quarter and in the forseeable future.

Highlights of the third quarter 2017 compared to the third quarter 2016, unless otherwise noted:

Metal production increased 13% to 1,080,483 Ag eq oz;



Silver production increased 4% to 532,803 silver ounces;





Gold production increased 8% to 5,848 gold ounces;





Cash cost increased to $5.82 from $3.30 ;





from ; Cash cost per Ag eq oz increased 13% to $12.37 ;





; AISC increased 15% to $13.75 ;





; Revenues increased 17% to $18.3 million ;





; Mine operating earnings before non-cash items were $6.2 million , a decrease of 15%;





, a decrease of 15%; Adjusted EBITDA was $1.5 million compared to $4.7 million ;





compared to ; Net loss totaled $0.7 million , compared to a net income of $2.1 million ;





, compared to a net income of ; Cash flows from operating activities, before changes in non-cash net working capital was $2.4 million , compared to $4.2 million ;





, compared to ; Cash and short-term deposits decreased to $55.5 million at September 30, 2017 from $56.7 million at December 31, 2016 ; and





at from at ; and Net working capital decreased to $63.6 million at September 30, 2017 from $66.6 million at December 31 , 2016.

OVERALL PERFORMANCE - OPERATIONAL AND FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

















Q3 2017 Q3 2016 Change Nine months

ended

September 30,

2017 Nine months

ended

September 30,

2016 Change OPERATING RESULTS











Tonnes milled (excluding custom milling) 94,080 95,282 -1% 275,313 283,870 -3% Ag eq oz produced1 1,080,483 953,632 13% 2,912,959 3,001,188 -3% Silver production  ounces 532,803 510,491 4% 1,468,467 1,586,689 -7% Gold production  ounces 5,848 5,432 8% 16,570 17,032 -3% Payable silver ounces 552,218 442,277 25% 1,421,624 1,521,824 -7% Ag eq oz sold 1,082,451 864,605 25% 2,755,492 2,859,384 -4% Cost per tonne milled2 $ 116 $ 86 35% $ 103 $ 89 16% Cash cost2 $ 5.82 $ 3.30 76% $ 5.21 $ 2.96 76% Cash cost per Ag eq oz2 $ 12.37 $ 10.99 13% $ 11.71 $ 10.31 14% AISC2 $ 13.75 $ 11.97 15% $ 15.60 $ 9.23 69% AISC per Ag eq oz2 $ 16.42 $ 15.43 6% $ 17.06 $ 13.65 25%















(in 000's, unless otherwise noted) Q3 2017 Q3 2016 Change Nine months

ended

September 30,

2017 Nine months

ended

September 30,

2016 Change FINANCIAL RESULTS











Revenue $ 18,260 $ 15,631 17% $ 46,362 $ 49,366 -6% Mine operating earnings before













non-cash items2 $ 6,168 $ 7,231 -15% $ 17,032 $ 23,251 -27% Mine operating earnings $ 4,806 $ 6,072 -21% $ 13,934 $ 19,611 -29% Net income (loss) $ (666) $ 2,130 -131% $ 3,208 $ (2,620) 222% Adjusted EBITDA2 $ 1,482 $ 4,738 -69% $ 5,105 $ 15,143 -66% Operating cash flows before changes in













non-cash net working capital $ 2,425 $ 4,243 -43% $ 5,751 $ 14,857 -61% Cash and short-term deposits at end of period $ 55,489 $ 52,920 5% $ 55,489 $ 52,920 5% Net working capital at end of period $ 63,627 $ 68,229 -7% $ 63,627 $ 68,229 -7% Average realized silver price per oz 3 $ 16.99 $ 19.65 -14% $ 17.19 $ 17.84 -4% Average realized gold price per oz 3 $ 1,317 $ 1,326 -1% $ 1,290 $ 1,322 -2% Earnings (loss) per share  basic and diluted $ (0.00) $ 0.01

$ 0.02 $ (0.02)







_____________________________ 1 Silver equivalent ounces are referred to throughout this document. For 2017, Ag eq oz are calculated using a 70:1 Ag:Au ratio and ratios of 1:0.0559 and 1:0.0676 for the price/ounce of silver to lead and zinc price/pound, respectively, and applied to the relevant metal content of the concentrates produced, expected to be produced, or sold from operations. Comparatively, in 2016, Ag eq oz are calculated using a 70:1 Ag:Au ratio and ratios of 1:0.0504 and 1:0.0504 for the price/ounce of silver to lead and zinc price/pound, respectively, and applied to the relevant metal content of the concentrates produced, expected to be produced, or sold from operations. 2 The Company has included the non-IFRS performance measures cost per tonne milled, cash cost, cash cost per Ag eq oz, AISC, AISC per Ag eq oz, mine operating earnings before non-cash items, cost of sales before non-cash items and adjusted EBITDA throughout this document. Refer to the Non-IFRS Measures section of this MD&A for an explanation of these measures and reconciliation to the Company's reported financial results in accordance with IFRS. As these are not standardized measures, they may not be directly comparable to similarly titled measures used by others. 3 Average realized silver and gold prices are prior to smelting and refining charges.

REVIEW OF FINANCIAL RESULTS OF THE THIRD QUARTER OF 2017

Revenue increased by $2.6 million or 17% relative to the third quarter of 2016. This was primarily attributable to an increase in metal sales volumes ($3.9 million effect) as metal production at Topia during the third quarter of 2016 was negatively impacted by two temporary plant shut-downs. This offset a decrease in precious metal prices ($1.1 million effect). The Company's average realized silver and gold prices for the third quarter of 2017 were $16.99/oz and $1,317/oz, respectively. These compared to $19.65/oz and $1,326/oz in the third quarter of 2016.

Mine operating earnings before non-cash items decreased by $1.1 million relative to the third quarter of 2016 as the $2.6 million increase in revenue was more than offset by a $3.7 million increase in production costs. The increase in production costs was attributable to the greater proportion of production from the higher cost Topia Mine, lower silver grades at the Guanajuato Mine Complex ("GMC"), which increased unit production costs, and to the Mexican Peso ("MXN") strengthening 6% against the USD which had the impact of increasing production costs in USD terms. In addition, metal sales volumes increased by 25%. Topia's costs for the third quarter were also higher than normal as these reflected a land use payment and some other non-recurring costs.

General and administrative expenses totalled $2.3 million during the third quarter of 2017 compared to $1.1 million in the third quarter of 2016. During the quarter ended September 30, 2017, the Company incurred a non-recurring charge of $0.9 million associated with the transition to the new President and CEO from his predecessor.

EE&D expenses totalled $1.9 million in the third quarter of 2017, compared to $0.5 million in the third quarter of 2016. This was mainly due to an increase in spending at the Coricancha Mine Complex ("CMC"), which was partly offset by a reduction in exploration drilling at San Ignacio. The Company acquired the CMC on June 30, 2017 and incurred $1.5 million of expenditures related to the CMC during the quarter ended September 30, 2017.

Net loss for the third quarter of 2017 amounted to $0.7 million, compared to a net income of $2.1 million for the third quarter of 2016. The decrease in net income was largely due to a $1.2 million increase in G&A expenses (due mainly to the non-recurring charge noted above), a $1.2 million increase in EE&D expenses, and a $1.1 million decrease in mine operating earnings. These were partly offset by a $1.0 million decrease in foreign exchange losses.

Adjusted EBITDA decreased by $3.3 million in the third quarter of 2017 compared to the same period in 2016. The decrease reflected a $1.1 million decrease in mine operating earnings before non-cash items, a $1.2 million increase in G&A expenses before non-cash items, and a $1.2 million increase in EE&D expenses. These factors were partly offset by a $0.2 million increase in other income.

CASH COST AND ALL-IN SUSTAINING COST

Cash cost was $5.82 for the third quarter of 2017, a 76% increase compared to the third quarter of 2016. The increase in cash cost was predominantly the result of higher MXN unit production costs, in part due to the higher-cost Topia mine accounting for a higher proportion of production. These include a land use payment and inventory charges that were non-recurring. The increase in cash cost was also a function of lower grades at the GMC, and the strengthening of the MXN compared to the USD which had the effect of increasing cash operating costs in USD terms (production costs are predominantly denominated in MXN). These factors were partly offset by higher base metal by-product credits.

AISC for the third quarter of 2017 was $13.75, an increase of 15% compared to the third quarter of 2016. This was attributed to the increase in cash cost as described above, as well as higher G&A expenses which was mainly a factor of the non-recurring charges noted previously. These factors were partly offset by the impact of lower capital expenditures and EE&D costs at the operating mines. A significant portion of the higher G&A expense relates to the non-recurring charge discussed above.

Refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for further discussion of cash cost, cash cost per Ag eq oz, AISC, and AISC per Ag eq oz, and for a reconciliation to the Company's financial results as reported under IFRS.

CASH, SHORT-TERM DEPOSITS AND WORKING CAPITAL AT SEPTEMBER 30, 2017

At September 30, 2017, the Company had cash and short-term deposits of $55.5 million, compared to $56.7 million at December 31, 2016. The Company does not have any long-term debt.

Cash and short-term deposits decreased by $1.2 million in the first nine months of 2017 primarily due to $3.9 million in additions to mineral property, plant and equipment, and a $0.4 million foreign exchange loss on cash balances. These factors were offset by $1.7 million of cash generated by operating activities, $1.2 million in proceeds from the exercise of stock options, and $0.2 million in proceeds from disposal of plant and equipment.

At September 30, 2017, the Company had net working capital of $63.6 million compared to $66.6 million at December 31, 2016. The $2.9 million decrease during the first nine months of 2017 was primarily attributable to the acquisition of the CMC which had the effect of reducing the Company's reported working capital by $7.2 million (the largest of which are closure obligations of $4.8 million which must be presented as current liabilities and $2.6 million of accounts payable) and $3.9 million was spent on capital expenditures. These were partly offset by year-to-date Adjusted EBITDA of $5.1 million, year-to-date foreign exchange gain of $1.9 million, and proceeds from the exercise of stock options of $1.2 million.

OUTLOOK

The Company's production and cost guidance for the year ending December 31, 2017 remains unchanged:









Production and cash cost guidance Nine months ended

September 30, 2017 FY 2017

Guidance FY 2016

Actual Total silver equivalent ounces4 2,912,959 4,000,000  4,100,000 3,884,960 Total payable silver ounces 1,421,624 1,950,000  2,000,000 2,010,252 Cash cost5 $ 5.21 $ 5.00  $ 6.00 $ 3.65 AISC2 $ 15.60 $ 14.00  $ 16.00 $ 10.99

AISC for the first nine months of 2017 was at the higher end of the Company's annual 2017 guidance and higher than in the prior year due to capital expenditures associated with the Topia plant upgrade and new tailings handling facility incurred in the first half of the year, and a non-recurring G&A charge in the third quarter which amounted to approximately $1.60 per payable silver ounce) for the quarter. Accordingly, AISC is expected to trend lower in the forth quarter of 2017. Cash cost and AISC are, however, highly sensitive to fluctuations in the MXN/USD exchange rate.

Earlier in the year, the Company completed an outstanding condition required by the Mexican Environmental Authority ("SEMARNAT") for the Change in Use of Soils permit associated with the Topia Phase II tailings storage facility ("TSF") and during the third quarter it announced that it had resubmitted its application for this permit. Since the filing, there had been a lapse in a deadline for one aspect of the application: the environmental assessment study ("IP"), which has been resubmitted with the inclusion of expanded technical information. The Company expects that a response will be received by mid December 2017. All tailings are currently being deposited at the Phase I TSF and the Company believes that it will be able to obtain a permit for the Phase II TSF without interruption of operations at Topia. However, the deposition of dry tailings on the Phase I TSF cannot continue indefinitely and the Company cannot provide complete assurance that a disruption can be avoided.

The Company continues to actively monitor the remaining capacity of the Phase I TSF including undertaking geotechnical assessments by professional consultants. There remains a risk that the use of Phase I TSF has to be discontinued before a permit for the Phase II facility is obtained. In the event that there is a significant change to the Company's production guidance expectations, the Company will provide an update to the market as soon as possible.

______________________________________________________ 1 For 2017 guidance, Ag eq oz have been established using a 70:1 Ag:Au ratio, and ratios of 1:0.0559 and 1:0.0676 for the USD price of silver ounces to the USD price for lead and zinc pounds, respectively. For 2016, Ag eq oz were calculated using a 70:1 Ag:Au ratio, and a ratio of 1:0.0504 for the USD price of silver ounces to the USD price for both lead and zinc pounds. 2 Cash cost and AISC are non-IFRS measures. Refer to the Non-IFRS Measures section of this MD&A for an explanation of these measures and reconciliation to the Company's reported financial results in accordance with IFRS. As these are not standardized measures, they may not be directly comparable to similarly titled measures used by others.









Capex and EE&D expense guidance

(in millions) Nine months

ended

September 30,

2017 FY 2017

Guidance FY 2016

Actual Capital expenditures, excluding acquisition cost and

capital expenditures associated with the CMC $ 3.8 $ 6.3  $ 7.3 $ 4.8 EE&D  operating mines (excluding the CMC) $ 4.0 $ 3.5  $ 4.5 $ 3.5

As previously noted, the acquisition of the CMC was completed effective June 30, 2017. The Company is conducting evaluations of the mine and processing infrastructure, updating the mineral resource estimate, conducting environmental studies, and undertaking remediation activities for which the Company will be reimbursed under the purchase agreement. Depending on the outcome of the Company's evaluations, investments in support of a restart of mine development could commence in 2018. The Company expects the updated mineral resource estimate for the CMC to be completed and announced in the current quarter.

The Company continues to seek and evaluate additional acquisition opportunities in the Americas to meet the Company's growth objectives.

WEBCAST AND CONFERENCE CALL TO DISCUSS THE THIRD QUARTER 2017 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Great Panther will hold a live webcast and conference call to discuss the financial results on October 31, 2017, at 7:00 AM Pacific Time. Hosting the call will be Mr. Jim Bannantine, President and CEO, and Mr. Jim Zadra, CFO and Corporate Secretary.

Shareholders, analysts, investors and media are invited to join the live webcast and conference call by logging in or calling in five minutes prior to the start time.

Live webcast and registration www.greatpanther.com U.S. & Canada Toll-Free 1 866 347 6311 International Toll +1 323 794 2551 Conference ID 2275574

A replay of the webcast will be available on the Investors section of the Company's website approximately one hour after the conference call.

NON-IFRS MEASURES

The discussion of financial results in this press release includes reference to mine operating earnings before non-cash items, EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA, cash cost, cash cost per Ag eq oz, AISC and AISC per Ag eq oz, which are non-IFRS measures. The Company provides these measures as additional information regarding the Company's financial results and performance. Please refer to the Company's MD&A for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 for definitions and reconciliations of these measures to the Company's financial statements.

ABOUT GREAT PANTHER

Great Panther Silver Limited is a primary silver mining and exploration company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange trading under the symbol GPR, and on the NYSE American under the symbol GPL. Great Panther's current activities are focused on the mining of precious metals from its two wholly-owned operating mines in Mexico: the Guanajuato Mine Complex and the Topia Mine in Durango. The Company is also undertaking efforts to restart development of the Coricancha Mine in Peru which it acquired earlier this year and continues to pursue the acquisition of additional mining operations or projects in the Americas.

James Bannantine

President & CEO

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ON FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws (together, "forward-looking statements"). Such forward-looking statements may include but are not limited to the Company's production forecasts for its Guanajuato Mine Complex and Topia Mine in Mexico, the Company's expectation that it will be able to obtain the Topia Phase II TSF permit without interruption to operations at Topia, the Company's expectation that AISC will continue to decrease from the levels reported during 2017 and general guidance on unit costs, the Company's plans for the CMC, the overall economic potential of its properties, the availability of adequate financing, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements to be materially different. Such factors include, among others, risks and uncertainties relating to potential political risks involving the Company's operations in a foreign jurisdiction, uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, uncertainty in mineral resource estimation, physical risks inherent in mining operations, currency fluctuations, fluctuations in the price of silver, gold and base metals, completion of economic evaluations, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, permitting risks, the inability or failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis, and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in the Company's most recently filed Annual Information Form and Material Change Reports filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators available at www.sedar.com and reports on Form 40-F and Form 6-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov.

GREAT PANTHER SILVER LIMITED

CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION

(Expressed in thousands of US dollars - Unaudited)





September 30, December 31,



2017 2016







Assets











Current assets:





Cash and cash equivalents $ 35,496 $ 41,642

Short-term deposits 19,993 15,020

Trade and other receivables 15,691 10,178

Inventories 6,255 5,744

Other current assets 649 529



78,084 73,113







Non-current assets:





Inventories  non-current 1,629 

Reimbursement rights 11,168 

Mineral properties, plant and equipment 15,094 14,096

Exploration and evaluation assets 15,766 2,112

Intangible assets 32 22

Deferred tax assets 245 98



$ 122,018 $ 89,441







Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity











Current liabilities:





Trade and other payables $ 9,694 $ 6,017

Derivative liabilities 6 536

Reclamation and remediation provision  current 4,757 



14,457 6,553





Non-current liabilities:





Reclamation and remediation provision 22,767 3,466

Deferred tax liabilities 2,036 2,134



39,260 12,153







Shareholders' equity:





Share capital 130,137 128,485

Reserves 18,725 18,115

Deficit (66,104) (69,312)



82,758 77,288











$ 122,018 $ 89,441

GREAT PANTHER SILVER LIMITED

CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS)

(Expressed in thousands of US dollars)



(For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 (Unaudited)





Three months ended

Nine months ended



September 30,

September 30,



2017 2016

2017 2016













Revenue $ 18,260 $ 15,631

$ 46,362 $ 49,366













Cost of sales











Production costs 12,092 8,400

29,330 26,115

Amortization and depletion 1,244 1,083

2,782 3,448

Share-based compensation 118 76

316 192



13,454 9,559

32,428 29,755













Mine operating earnings 4,806 6,072

13,934 19,611













General and administrative expenses











Administrative expenses 2,289 1,070

5,262 3,502

Amortization and depletion 17 18

52 123

Share-based compensation 179 196

707 527



2,485 1,284

6,021 4,152













Exploration, evaluation, and development expenses











Exploration and evaluation expenses 1,878 513

4,520 2,539

Mine development costs 753 934

2,398 2,227

Share-based compensation 21 32

37 75



2,652 1,479

6,955 4,841













Impairment charge  

 1,679













Finance and other income (expense)











Interest income 180 70

603 118

Finance costs (470) (27)

(549) (74)

Foreign exchange gain (loss) 100 (909)

2,560 (10,405)

Other income 240 10

259 44



50 (856)

2,873 (10,317)













Income (loss) before income taxes (281) 2,453

3,831 (1,378) Income tax expense 385 323

623 1,242 Net income (loss) for the period $ (666) $ 2,130

$ 3,208 $ (2,620)













Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax











Items that may be reclassified subsequently to net income (loss):













Foreign currency translation (3) 72

46 5,573



Change in fair value of available-for-sale financial assets (net of tax) (3) 7

(4) (4)



(6) 79

42 5,569













Total comprehensive income (loss) for the period $ (672) $ 2,209

$ 3,250 $ 2,949













Earnings (loss) per share











Basic $ (0.00) $ 0.01

$ 0.02 $ (0.02)

Diluted $ (0.00) $ 0.01

$ 0.02 $ (0.02)

GREAT PANTHER SILVER LIMITED

CONDENSED INTERIM CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Expressed in thousands of US dollars)



For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 (Unaudited)





Three months ended

Nine months ended



September 30,

September 30,



2017 2016

2017 2016 Cash flows from operating activities:









Net income (loss) for the period $ (666) $ 2,130

$ 3,208 $ (2,620) Items not involving cash:











Amortization and depletion 1,261 1,101

2,834 3,571

Impairment charge  

 1,679

Unrealized foreign exchange loss (gain) 1,340 389

(152) 10,274

Income tax expense 385 323

623 1,242

Share-based compensation 318 304

1,060 794

Other non-cash items 68 (24)

(276) 77 Interest received 88 20

403 65 Income taxes paid (369) 

(1,949) (225)



2,425 4,243

5,751 14,857 Changes in non-cash working capital:











Trade and other receivables (4,349) (606)

(4,798) (6,056)

Inventories 1,421 (74)

(563) 700

Other current assets (61) 557

(111) (25)

Trade and other payables 59 (250)

1,374 (1,297)

Net cash provided by operating activities (505) 3,870

1,653 8,179













Cash flows from investing activities:











Additions to mineral properties, plant and equipment (1,069) (1,545)

(3,925) (2,871)

Cash received upon acquisition of Coricancha  

105 

Proceeds from (investments in) short-term deposits (3,111) 

(4,973) 

Proceeds from disposal of plant and equipment 184 

186 

Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities (3,996) (1,545)

(8,607) (2,871)













Cash flows from financing activities:











Proceeds from financings, net of expenses  28,152

 33,187

Proceeds from exercise of share options 302 296

1,160 1,807

Net cash from financing activities 302 28,448

1,160 34,994













Effect of foreign currency translation on cash and cash equivalents (494) 54

(352) (1,067)













Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (4,693) 30,827

(6,146) 39,235 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 40,189 22,093

41,642 13,685 Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 35,496 $ 52,920

$ 35,496 $ 52,920

SOURCE Great Panther Silver Limited

Related Links

http://www.greatpanther.com


LAKE OSWEGO, Ore., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (NYSE:GBX) will be presenting on Tuesday, November 7, 2017, at the Stephens Fall Investment Conference to be held in New York, NY.

The presentation will be webcast live, beginning at 4:00 pm EST, on Tuesday, November 7, 2017. Listeners can access the webcast at the Greenbrier website at www.gbrx.com. To register for or access the webcast, click on the announcement shown on the home page of the Greenbrier website. The webcast will be archived for 90 days.

About Greenbrier

Greenbrier, headquartered in Lake Oswego, Oregon, is a leading international supplier of equipment and services to global freight transportation markets. Greenbrier designs, builds and markets freight railcars and marine barges in North America. Greenbrier Europe is an end-to-end freight railcar manufacturing, engineering and repair business with operations in Poland and Romania that serves customers across Europe and in the nations of the GCC. Greenbrier builds freight railcars and rail castings in Brazil through two separate strategic partnerships. We are a leading provider of wheel services, parts, railcar management & regulatory compliance services and leasing services to railroads and related transportation industries in North America. Greenbrier offers freight railcar repair, refurbishment and retrofitting services in North America through a joint venture partnership with Watco Companies, LLC. Through other unconsolidated joint ventures, we produce industrial and rail castings, tank heads and other components. Greenbrier owns a lease fleet of over 8,300 railcars and performs management services for 355,000 railcars. Learn more about Greenbrier at www.gbrx.com.

SOURCE The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (GBX)

Related Links

http://www.gbrx.com


FAIRFAX, Va., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC) has awarded Greg Giddens, Executive Director of Modernization, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the prestigious Janice K. Mendenhall Spirit of Leadership Award for significant contributions to the federal information technology (IT) community. Giddens was among 8 individuals recognized for their leadership and commitment to public service at the ACT-IAC 2017 Executive Leadership Conference (ELC) in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.

Established in 2001, the Janice K. Mendenhall Spirit of Leadership Award commemorates the life of long-time civil servant Janice Mendenhall, an exceptional leader who was known for her dedication to mentoring others and strengthening government and industry relations. The award is the highest tribute ACT-IAC bestows annually.

ACT President Soraya Correa and IAC Chair Mitzi Mead presented Giddens with the award in recognition of his long history of leadership in ACT-IAC and his contributions to government. Greg Giddens is a career public servant who has dedicated his professional life to creating a more effective and innovative government. He joined the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2010 as the Executive Director of the Enterprise Program Management Office. Today, he is the Executive Director of Modernization. Prior to joining the VA he worked in several other Federal departments, including the Air Force, Coast Guard, Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security. His responsibilities have included a number of significant programs such as the DHS Secure Border Initiative. In every position, he has demonstrated a commitment to public service, selfless leadership, the highest ethical standards, and guiding others through mentorship. Giddens has also promoted effective and ethical communication between government and industry. He has worked to achieve that goal as a distinguished member and leader of ACT-IAC.

Correa and Mead also presented the ACT-IAC Leaders Award to Margie Graves (Office of Management and Budget) and Lesley Field (Office of Management and Budget) in recognition of their exceptional leadership and contributions to ACT-IAC and better government. Ms. Graves and Ms. Fields are developing policies and guidance designed to enhance Federal government mission delivery and improve operational activities while improving the investment of taxpayer dollars.

The ACT-IAC Individual Contributor of the Year Award  Government was presented to Maria Roat (Small Business Administration). Adelaide O'Brien (IDC Government Insights) received the ACT-IAC Individual Contributor of the Year Award  Industry. Both individuals were recognized for their significant contributions to ACT-IAC over the past year.

The ACT-IAC Rookie of the Year Award was presented to Mike Fischer (BRMi) and Dr. Michael Whitaker (ICF). This award honors individuals who are relatively new to ACT-IAC and, in a short time, have already demonstrated active involvement across a range of activities in the organization.

The Ginny McCormick New Heights Award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions as a volunteer  actively working towards a more effective and efficient government. The 2017 award was presented to Stu Hammer (DXC).

"ACT-IAC is a community of individuals and organizations who share a vision of a more effective and innovative government  and a commitment to collaboration. Today's awards recognize volunteers who have made an exceptional contribution to creating a better government for our nation," said ACT-IAC Executive Director Kenneth Allen.

ACT-IAC  Advancing Government Through Education, Leadership and Collaboration

SOURCE American Council for Technology

Related Links

http://www.actiac.org


LONDON, Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In this report, Parks Associates forecasts professionally monitored and self- monitored security system sales in the U.S. as well as total security adoption. The report includes forecasts of annual unit sales of professionally installed versus self- installed security systems. It provides unit and revenue forecasts for each market segment as well as the total value of professional and fee- based self-monitoring security services. In addition, it forecasts smart home controller attachment to security.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5166302



1.1 Purpose of Report

The residential professionally monitored security channel enjoyed a resurgence from 2013 to 2016. Will sales level out as pent-up demand is served? In this report, Parks Associates forecasts professionally monitored and self-monitored security system sales in the U.S. as well as total security adoption. We also forecast annual unit sales of professionally installed versus self-installed security systems.



We provide unit and revenue forecasts for each market segment, as well as the total value of professional and fee-based self-monitoring security services. In addition, we forecast smart home controller attachment to security. This report is part of a four-piece series focused on the U.S. residential security market. Paired with Home Security: Consumer Insights, Home Security: Channel Insights, and Competition in Residential Security, this series provides a comprehensive view of the residential security industry.



The purpose of this report is to outline the assumptions, drivers, and inhibitors of the residential security market, as well as provide a five-year forecast for multiple market segments. Companies seeking to enter or better position themselves within the security industry will benefit from understanding the overall volume of security systems in the U.S, the market size, and the addressable opportunity. In addition, the information in this report will help inform critical investment decisions which include product development, pricing strategies, market entry and exit, and potential mergers and acquisitions.



1.2 Scope of Report



This report focuses on the residential security market and includes the following content:

 Market sizing and forecasts for professional monitoring and self-monitoring segments

 Overall assumptions that help to address the forecast methodology

 Revenue forecast for total equipment and monitoring revenues



The key questions addressed and answered in this report include:

 What is the growth trajectory of overall adoption of home security?

 Which market segments are experiencing growth or decline?

 What is the growth rate of add-on services or products attached to security systems?

 How will security adoption based on installation method change in the forecast period?

 What are the revenue opportunities in residential security?



This report focuses on the U.S. marketplace. However, data for this report is gathered from Home Security NUMBERS which provides a global perspective.



1.3 Research Approach/Sources

Home Security: Market Sizing and Forecasts draws data from Home Security NUMBERS.



Supplementary information for Home Security NUMBERS is derived from the following sources:

 Interviews with and research on companies including smart home service providers, security providers, and monitoring companies

 Company financial reports and related secondary research

 Parks Associates consumer surveys and forecasts. The reader will notice that some device and system statistics are reported in a range. This reflects margin of error applied from our surveys.



For example, a device may be reported as having a 12%-14% adoption rate. Margin is important to consider for emerging devices in early adopter territory.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/5166302



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


AUSTIN, Minn., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL) today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Columbus Manufacturing, Inc., an authentic, premium deli meat and salami company, from Chicago-based Arbor Investments. This strategic acquisition positions Hormel Foods as a total deli solutions provider and enhances its other strong deli brands such as Hormel, Jennie-O, Applegate, and DiLusso.

"We are pleased to add Columbus to the Hormel Foods family. Columbus has an outstanding reputation in the food industry and is well-positioned in the advantaged retail deli category," said Jim Snee, president and chief executive officer at Hormel Foods. "Columbus is capitalizing on one of the fastest-growing areas in the retail grocery store with premium, authentic products that are on-trend with today's consumers who are looking for unique experiences, flavors, and products."

"The acquisition of Columbus will serve as a catalyst for uniting all our deli businesses into one customer-facing organization," Snee said. "This acquisition significantly enhances our scale in the deli by broadening our portfolio of products, customers, and consumers. The synergies we can unlock with this acquisition are clear and I'm excited for the next evolution of our company."

"As a millennial-focused brand, Columbus has generated category-leading growth through a passionate commitment to quality, simplicity, and time-honored recipes," said Joe Ennen, chief executive officer of Columbus Manufacturing, Inc. "In Hormel we are joining an organization whose values and culture perfectly align with our own."

The purchase price is approximately $850 million. Total annual sales are approximately $300 million with an expected growth rate in excess of 5 percent. Hormel Foods expects this acquisition to be modestly accretive to earnings per share in fiscal 2018. Full-year accretion in fiscal 2019 is expected to be between 6 to 8 cents per share.

The company will continue to operate from California and will report into the Refrigerated Foods segment. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals in the United States. Hormel Foods was advised by Barclays and Faegre Baker Daniels LLP. Columbus Manufacturing was advised by BofA Merrill Lynch and DLA Piper LLP (US). In addition, Rothschild provided financial advice to Columbus Manufacturing.

Hormel Foods will provide further comments about this deal during a conference call at 8:00 a.m. CT on Tuesday, October 31, 2017. Access is available at http://www.hormelfoods.com or by dialing 888-378-4439 and using the access code 4931265. The audio replay will be available beginning at 11:00 a.m. CT on Tuesday, October 31, 2017 and archived for one year.

About Hormel Foods Corporation  Inspired People. Inspired Food.

Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $9 billion in annual revenues across 75 countries worldwide. Its brands include SKIPPY, SPAM, Hormel Natural Choice, Applegate, Justin's, Wholly Guacamole, Hormel Black Label and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of "The 100 Best Corporate Citizens" by Corporate Responsibility Magazine for the ninth year in a row, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. In 2016, the company celebrated its 125th anniversary and announced its new vision for the future - Inspired People. Inspired Food. - focusing on its legacy of innovation. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com and http://csr.hormelfoods.com/.

About Columbus Manufacturing, Inc.

Columbus Manufacturing, Inc. is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Founded in 1917, the company produces award-winning Italian salami and deli meats sold under the Columbus brand. With its commitment to and reputation for quality, Columbus is quietly setting the pace for growth in the deli meat category. Its products are available at food retailers nationwide. The company operates two state-of-the-art production facilities in Hayward, California. More information can be found at www.columbuscraftmeats.com

About Arbor Investments

Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Arbor Investments is a specialized private equity firm that focuses exclusively on acquiring premier companies in the food, beverage and related industries. The firm has acquired or invested in over 52 food, beverage and related companies in North America. More information can be found at www.arborpic.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains forward-looking information based on management's current views and assumptions. Actual events may differ materially. Factors that may affect actual results include, but are not limited to: whether and when the required regulatory approvals will be obtained, whether and when the closing conditions will be satisfied and whether and when the transaction will close, whether and when the Company will be able to realize the expected financial results and accretive effect of the transaction, and how customers, competitors, suppliers and employees will react to the transaction. Please refer to the cautionary statement regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors that appear on pages 32 - 39 in the company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 30, 2017, which can be accessed at www.hormelfoods.com under "Investors-SEC Filings."

SOURCE Hormel Foods Corporation

Related Links

http://www.hormel.com


TEL AVIV, Israel, October 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

ICL (NYSE & TASE:ICL), a leading global specialty minerals and specialty chemicals company, by its subsidiary Dead Sea Works (DSW) signed an agreement for the first stage of the salt harvesting project at Pond #5, to preserve the pond's water level. The agreement was signed with Holland Shallow Seas Dredging Limited who was selected to lead the project.

Under the contract arrangement, the selected company will commence building a special dredger dedicated to the harvesting project, in the amount of US$ 280 million. The dredger is expected to be 24 x 120 meters and will be operated continuously by tens of employees who will be recruited by the contracting company.

The dredger will remove approximately 5.5 million cubic meters of salt per year from the southern basin of the Dead Sea.

The salt harvesting project is considered one of the most complex and expensive infrastructure projects in Israel and will cost approximately US$ 2 billion. According to the agreement signed with the State of Israel, ICL will finance 80% of the cost of the project.

The agreement will enable the salt harvesting operations to begin in the first half of 2019, with the completion of the dredger's construction and all the project's engineering and operational preparations, including the extensive infrastructure works that have been carried out in the past few years.

Noam Goldstein, Senior Vice President Potash and Magnesium: "Signing of the agreement represents a major step towards the actual harvesting operations, after a long process of statutory approvals and complex engineering and operational preparations. The agreement will enable us to begin harvesting operations in about 18 months, and to continue to meet our commitments to the State of Israel and to preserve the level of the water."

About ICL

ICL is a global manufacturer of products based on specialty minerals that fulfill humanity's essential needs primarily in three markets: agriculture, food and engineered materials. ICL shares are dual listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (NYSE and TASE: ICL). The company employs approximately 13,000 people worldwide, and its sales in 2016 totaled US$5.4 billion. For more information, visit the company's website at http://www.icl-group.com.

PRESS CONTACT

Maya Avishai

Head of Global External Communications

+972-3-684-4471

[email protected]



INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT

Limor Gruber

Investor Relations Manager

+972-3-684-4471

[email protected]



SOURCE ICL
NEWARK, N.J., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT), a global provider of communication and payment services, today launched BOSS Revolution MobileSM, a new U.S. mobile phone service that delivers big cost savings by allowing customers to pay for only what they use.

BOSS Revolution Mobile customers pay just $5/month for their line and then pay only for what they use. Pay-as-you-go rates are affordable and simple:

Domestic Airtime  just 1.5 cents per minute

per minute Domestic Texts  just 0.5 cents , and

, and Data  just 1.5 cents per megabyte.

Also, BOSS Revolution Mobile customers' data spend is capped at only $30 per month. After a customer spends $30 on data, data is free at speeds of 64 kbps or higher for the remainder of their month, providing big cost savings and eliminating surprise overage charges.

BOSS Revolution Mobile customers can save even more using the BOSS Revolution Calling app:

Wi-Fi calls from the app are FREE to any phone in the U.S., Mexico and many other countries

and many other countries Wi-Fi app-to-app calling is FREE  anywhere in the world

Wi-Fi app-to-app messaging is also FREE  anywhere in the world

"BOSS Revolution Mobile offers a different approach to wireless that can lead to substantial savings and no contracts," said Bill Pereira, CEO of IDT Telecom. "Using the BOSS Revolution Calling app and Wi-Fi, our customers will enjoy unlimited domestic calling, unlimited calling to Mexico and other popular international destinations, and unlimited messaging -- all included with their $5 per month line fee."

Visit the savings calculator at www.BossRevolutionMobile.com to see how much you can save.

"When using Wi-Fi is not convenient, calls, text and data over the BOSS Revolution Mobile network are extremely affordable," Pereira added. "And you can use all the data you want without fear of a 'gotcha' phone bill because the monthly data charge is capped at $30."

Customers can open a BOSS Revolution Mobile account and purchase a system-ready phone (including models from Apple, Samsung and Alcatel) or bring their own phone and purchase a SIM card with cash or credit directly from many of the 35,000 Boss Revolution retailers nationwide, or online at www.BossRevolutionMobile.com.

"Sprint is proud to be the wireless communication network supporting Boss Revolution Mobile," said Scott Kalinoski, Vice President of Sprint Wholesale Solutions. "Our nationwide 4G LTE network, together with IDT's expansive distribution model and their innovative approach to wireless with the Boss Revolution brand, is certain to be a success in the marketplace."

Visit www.BossRevolutionMobile.com for complete terms and conditions, current rates, network coverage and additional information.

All statements above that are not purely about historical facts, including, but not limited to, those in which we use the words "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "plan," "intend," "estimate," "target" and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While these forward-looking statements represent our current judgment of what may happen in the future, actual results may differ materially from the results expressed or implied by these statements due to numerous important factors. Our filings with the SEC provide detailed information on such statements and risks, and should be consulted along with this release. To the extent permitted under applicable law, IDT assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

About IDT Corporation:

IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT), through its IDT Telecom division, provides telecommunications and payment services to individuals and businesses primarily through its flagship BOSS Revolution and Net2Phone brands. IDT Telecom's wholesale business is a leading global carrier of international long distance calls. For more information on IDT, visit www.idt.net.

SOURCE IDT Corporation

Related Links

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RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Imageonix Technologies LLC, a Virginia-based emerging technology distributor, will now offer a series of facial recognition products through its newly established partnership with Tokyo-based Ayonix. Among the fastest 3-D facial recognition software in the world  with product applications for consumer product marketing, global security, and the medical industry  Ayonix has agreed to make its flagship facial recognition software package available to U.S. markets.

"American brands and agencies are just beginning to deploy facial recognition as a critical extension to video networks," said Dr. Sadi Vural CEO of Ayonix. "The ability to capture metadata throughout the media ecosystem is paramount. We look forward to pushing the barriers of our technology, helping media and marketing organizations monetize their out-of-home video messages with a comprehensive offline marketing tool that tracks ROI for media buys."

Imageonix leverages a global network of technology providers in three key areas  critical infrastructure systems support, wide-area public surveillance, and safe/smart city systems for municipalities. The addition of Ayonix' industry-leading 3-D facial recognition technology will provide domestic security and media verticals with a fast, accurate, and efficient solution that's currently unmet domestically.

"We're just a few months into this new venture and already we're seeing that the ability to capture data, influence point of sale purchases and build brand loyalty based on audience preferences. This capability will be a major win for brands struggling with out-of-home ad unit measurements and pervasive engagement," said Mike Broggie, CEO of Imageonix. "We're thrilled to be aligned with Ayonix, which as a leader in the space will continue to push commercial applications for the advertising industry."

About Imageonix

Imageonix is a Virginia-based technology solutions firm that partners with innovative developers serving global industrial security and digital media markets. To learn more, visit http://imageonix.com.

About Ayonix

Ayonix is a leading facial recognition developer whose 3-D software can match a person from 1 million records in under half a second with 99.9% accuracy. To learn more, visit http://ayonix.com.

SOURCE Imageonix

Related Links

http://www.imageonix.com


The Landing received the honor after demonstrating effective approaches that help improve performance and quality outcomes for residents. Silver Award recipients were recognized at the AHCA/NCAL's annual convention this Oct. and are eligible for achieving the program's highest gold status  awarded to only three communities in 2016.

Nestled perfectly into the surrounding Williamsburg Village, Immanuel's The Landing provides a full range of living options for an exceptional continuum of care. From independent living amenities to the complete services of long-term care, The Landing offers compassionate health care support, enriching activities, elegant dining experiences, and AgeWell, an exclusive wellness program with qualified, professional staff.

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) represent more than 13,000 non-profit and proprietary skilled nursing centers, assisted living communities, sub-acute centers and homes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. By delivering solutions for quality care, AHCA/NCAL aims to improve the lives of the millions of individuals who receive long term or post-acute care in our member facilities each day. For more information, please visit www.ahca.org or www.ncal.org.

Since 1887 Immanuel has been providing Christ-centered service to seniors, each other and the communities in which the organization serves. As a not-for-profit, serving arm of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) Immanuel's house of brands includes: Immanuel Communities, Immanuel Pathways, Immanuel Community Foundation and The Immanuel Vision Foundation. More about Immanuel's brands: Immanuel Communities owns and operates 10 independent living, assisted living and long-term care retirement communities on six campuses; Immanuel Pathways operates three PACE Centers in Iowa and Neb.; the Immanuel Community Foundation, a Resident Assistance Fund provides financial assistance to independent living residents; and the Immanuel Vision Foundation extends financial support to non-profit, charitable 501(c)(3) organizations that share purposes in alignment with Immanuel's service centered mission.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jennifer Knecht

Vice President Marketing and Communications

Immanuel

1044 N 115th Street, Suite 500, Omaha, NE 68154

Telephone: (402) 829-2929

[email protected]

SOURCE Immanuel

Related Links

http://www.immanuel.com


(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141106/714346 )

With Persistent Systems' assistance, IOT developed a portal that enforces a uniform structure for collecting, analyzing and reporting on planned IT activities - projects and ongoing operations - that facilitates IOT's ability to forecast demand on IT services and resources, leverage shared services opportunities, and assess IT project risk, complexity and priority to ensure consistency with statewide project management practices. The system, built with key input from the Indiana Department of Administration and other state agencies, will help save taxpayer dollars by providing a global view of IT projects and utilizing existing resources, where applicable, to manage and install new services.

Robert Paglia, Chief Administrative Officer, the Indiana Office of Technology:

"This implementation is a win-win not just for our centralized departments, but also for our agencies and of course all Hoosiers. The power and flexibility of the Salesforce Platform combined with Persistent Systems' expertise in understanding our business needs allowed the project to be delivered on time and on budget despite various changes to the project. 98% of our requirements could be done through configuration and only two small items needed any level of customization or coding."

Click here to watch Robert Paglia explain the initiative and its success (video)

Click here to learn more about Persistent Systems solutions built on the Salesforce Platform and visit us at Dreamforce.

Sudhir Kulkarni, President Digital at Persistent Systems:

"The beauty of building on the Salesforce platform is the freedom to build digital customer experiences with clicks, not code, making complex implementations, such as this Indiana's project, much easier and faster. What the Indiana Office of Technology is doing is a fantastic example of how to bring digital to a comprehensive platform for future growth and transformation, while dramatically elevating the customers' experience."

The implementation of the Persistent Systems solution empowers the Indiana Office of Technology to be on the front-end of procurement activities, proactively ensuring that the standards and tool sets are appropriate for its customers' needs.

Dave Rey, Salesforce EVP North American Public Sector:

"What we're doing with Persistent Systems for the State of Indiana is an example of how the Salesforce Platform can be adapted and implemented quickly so government agencies can better serve their citizens. It's exciting to see that some of the fastest adopters of the power of digital are in the public sector. The Indiana Office of Technology is indeed demonstrating that Indiana is a state that works; for all residents."

Salesforce and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc. (NYSE: CRM)

About Persistent Systems:

Persistent Systems (BSE & NSE: PERSISTENT) builds software that drives the business of our customers; serving software product companies and enterprises with software at the core of their digital transformation.

Forward-looking and Cautionary Statements: For risks and uncertainties relating to forward-looking statements, please visit: http://www.persistent.com/flcs .

Media Contacts:

Saviera Barretto

Text100

+91-84249-17719

[email protected]

Isha Kulkarni

Persistent Systems

+91-73505-21177

[email protected]

Ken Montgomery

Persistent Systems (US)

+1-949-939-5164

[email protected]



SOURCE Persistent Systems
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- InfluxData, the modern Open Source Platform built specifically for metrics and events that empowers developers to build next-generation monitoring, analytics and IoT applications, today announced that it has joined the Cloud Foundry Foundation, home of the industry-standard platform for cloud applications. InfluxData joins BNY Mellon, CA Technologies, Comcast, Fidelity, Fujitsu, Hitachi, HPE, Intel, and many others as a Foundation Silver member. The company aims to bring time series analytics of metrics and events to the forefront of the cloud native discussion as its growth extends across the Cloud Foundry ecosystem.

"We are excited to join the Cloud Foundry Foundation and add our voice to its impressive membership," said Brian Mullen, VP Business Development at InfluxData. "We're thrilled to lend our expertise and help the industry move quickly to cloud native architecture. We share a common goal of helping developers build applications faster, easier and to scale in today's cloud native environment."

InfluxData has been involved with many Foundation vendors and is an increasingly active contributor at Foundation events. Joining the Foundation underscores InfluxData's commitment to communities and open source to solve real business problems faster for customers. InfluxData provides a purpose-built platform for analyzing and acting on any time based data  from humans, sensors, or machines  seamlessly collecting, storing, visualizing, and turning insight into action. Platforms such as InfluxData are critical to any cloud-native application, providing the metrics and observability platform for better business outcomes.

"InfluxData has been a great contributor to the open source community for many years and is a perfect addition to the Foundation," said Abby Kearns, Executive Director, Cloud Foundry Foundation. "They continue to revolutionize the way metrics and events are collected and stored in a time series database  something that many users rely on when running workloads on multiple clouds for flexibility, efficiency and agility."

As a member, InfluxData will advocate the importance of two areas. First, open source is the foundation, and the industry should continue to focus on open-source software wherever possible. Cloud native architecture is most effective and technology standards are most widely adopted when built upon an open source foundation.

Second, metrics, events, and other time-based data are being generated at an exponential rate. As a growing requirement for analyzing today's complex metrics and events, time series applies to multiple layers of cloud native infrastructure and applications. InfluxData was built from the ground up for this purpose, and the company will contribute its extensive experience and perspective on the topic in its participation as a member of the Foundation.

The InfluxData Platform provides a comprehensive set of tools and services to accumulate metrics and events data, analyze the data, and act on the data via powerful visualizations and notifications. InfluxData's unique features enable customers to quickly build:

Monitoring, alerting and notification applications supporting their DevOps initiatives

IoT applications supporting millions of events per second, providing new business value around predictive maintenance and real-time alerting and control

Real-time analytics applications that are focused on streaming data and anomaly detection

InfluxData has rapidly built its developer and customer base across industries  including manufacturing, financial services, energy, and telecommunications  by delivering the fastest growing Open Source Platform that enables customers to derive better business insights, data-driven real-time actions, and a consolidated single view of their entire infrastructure  from applications to microservices, and from systems to sensors. More than 350 customers, including Cisco, Coupa, IBM, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Nordstrom, and Tesla, have selected InfluxData as their modern data platform for metrics and events. InfluxData is pioneering the shift to time series in a modern metrics and events platform, and is making it possible for customers to become data-driven and take on digital transformation initiatives.

About Cloud Foundry Foundation

The Cloud Foundry Foundation is an independent non-profit organization formed to sustain the development, promotion and adoption of Cloud Foundry as the industry standard platform for cloud applications. Cloud Foundry makes it faster and easier to build, test, deploy and scale applications. Cloud Foundry is hosted by The Linux Foundation and is an Apache 2.0 licensed project available on Github: https://github.com/cloudfoundry. To learn more, visit: http://www.cloudfoundry.org.

About InfluxData

InfluxData, the creators of InfluxDB, delivers a modern Open Source Platform built from the ground up for analyzing metrics and events (time series data) for DevOps and IoT applications. Whether the data comes from humans, sensors, or machines, InfluxData empowers developers to build next-generation monitoring, analytics, and IoT applications faster, easier, and to scale delivering real business value quickly. Based in San Francisco, InfluxData customers include Autodesk, Cisco, eBay, and Coupa. Visit https://www.influxdata.com/. Twitter: @influxdb.

InfluxData, InfluxCloud and InfluxDB are all trademarked by InfluxData. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Contact:

Dan Spalding, InfluxData

408-960-9297 | [email protected]

SOURCE InfluxData

Related Links

http://www.influxdata.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Information Builders, a leader in business intelligence (BI) and analytics, data integrity, and integration solutions, today announced that it has joined forces with OnApproach to help credit unions discern important trends related to member retention, branch performance, and lending activities. The joint solution, Information Builders' Accelerator for Credit Union Operations, available within the OnApproach CU App Store, is the latest example of Information Builders' Accelerators, which bring targeted pre-built analytics content to the Credit Union movement.

Tweet This: [email protected] joins forces w/ @OnApproach to launch analytics platform for credit unions & drive sustained growth http://ow.ly/ZCUk30ge0Oi

OnApproach, a credit union service organization (CUSO) dedicated to credit union success through a collaborative analytics ecosystem, sought help from Information Builders to enhance its CU App Store featuring the OnApproach M360 Enterprise data platform. M360 Enterprise enables credit unions to integrate their data into a single source of truth, as well as create communities of users, data scientists, and application developers to study trends in market and performance data. Information Builders will bolster this popular solution with its Accelerator for Credit Union Operations, which includes technologies for advanced analytics, collaboration, data pooling, and more.

"Credit unions depend on M360 Enterprise to increase efficiencies, manage risk, increase sales and profitability, and enrich member relationships," said Paul Ablack, Chief Executive Officer at OnApproach. "Now our analytics solution will include new pre-built BI content, such as an executive dashboard, data descriptions, sample data, and key performance indicators."

Information Builders brings unique technology capabilities to the partnership in the form of InfoApps, analytic assets that allow executives and operational managers to monitor critical credit union metrics. These innovative InfoApps will help all credit union staff to independently access, report, and explore M360 Enterprise data, significantly reducing dependence on IT staff. Business users will be able to monitor trends in account balances, asset distribution, delinquencies, loan-to-share ratios, member growth rates, and other important variables. An embedded report generator, based on Information Builders' patented InfoApp technology, will enable non-technical users to create their own dashboards, queries, and reports to complement these packaged analytic assets. Information Builders and OnApproach will promote the solution in the OnApproach CU App Store, along with training, technical support, and a Center of Excellence for education and knowledge.

"To keep up with global and large regional banks, credit unions need targeted analytics that help them with market segmentation, member acquisition and profiling, pricing optimization, and many other financial and operations functions," said Gerald Cohen, president and CEO at Information Builders. "We are excited to contribute to OnApproach's analytics platform, which facilitates deep analysis and exploration of the data to help these institutions gain the insights they need to manage customer relationships and develop new products and services."

About OnApproach

OnApproach is the only credit union service organization (CUSO) dedicated to credit union success through a collaborative analytics ecosystem. By providing a secure and frictionless data experience, OnApproach empowers credit unions to take full control of their own data and their own futures. We exist to serve the credit union movement with technology and expertise required for the digital transformation of the industry business model. OnApproach's collaborative ecosystem enables communities of users, data scientists, and application developers focused on analytics innovation.

About Information Builders

Information Builders provides solutions for business intelligence (BI), analytics, data integration, and data quality that help drive performance improvements, innovation, and value. Through one set of powerful products, we enable organizations to serve everyone  analysts, non-technical users, even partners, customers, and citizens  with better data and analytics. Our dedication to customer success is unmatched with thousands of organizations relying on us as their trusted partner. Founded in 1975, Information Builders is headquartered in New York, NY, with global offices, and remains one of the largest independent, privately held companies in the industry. Visit us at informationbuilders.com, follow us on Twitter at @infobldrs, like us on Facebook, and visit our LinkedIn page.

Press Contacts

Kathleen Moran

Information Builders

(917) 339-6313

[email protected]

Kate Clinton

LEWIS

(781) 761-4487

[email protected]

SOURCE Information Builders

Related Links

http://www.informationbuilders.com


WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 250 institutions worldwide are partnering with Blackboard to provide support for teaching students of all learning styles and abilities. These colleges and universities are giving their students access to more accessible digital course content through Blackboard Ally, a revolutionary solution that helps make course content more accessible for all learners.

The solution is now being used by institutions around the globe, including:

North Shore Community College (NSCC), MA: NSCC offers nearly 80 associate degree and certificate programs to approximately 11,000 students a year. Equal access to high quality, affordable academic programs is a key component of the college's mission and one of the four major themes laid out in its Strategic Plan for 2017-2021. NSCC decided to implement Blackboard Ally to ensure that all students had access to the learning materials necessary to be successful in their courses.

NSCC offers nearly 80 associate degree and certificate programs to approximately 11,000 students a year. Equal access to high quality, affordable academic programs is a key component of the college's mission and one of the four major themes laid out in its Strategic Plan for 2017-2021. NSCC decided to implement Blackboard Ally to ensure that all students had access to the learning materials necessary to be successful in their courses. Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC), WA: SBCTC advocates, coordinates and directs Washington state's system of 34 public community and technical colleges, which collectively serves 381,000 students. Blackboard Ally is helping the system open the "black box" of online course accessibility for both administrators and faculty. The tool is a valuable addition to the compliance efforts of SBCTC's colleges, and also empowers faculty to improve the quality and usability of their course content.

SBCTC advocates, coordinates and directs system of 34 public community and technical colleges, which collectively serves 381,000 students. Blackboard Ally is helping the system open the "black box" of online course accessibility for both administrators and faculty. The tool is a valuable addition to the compliance efforts of SBCTC's colleges, and also empowers faculty to improve the quality and usability of their course content. Utah State University , UT: Accessibility is a priority at Utah State University , which serves over 28,000 students. The university chose to implement Blackboard Ally as part of its continued efforts to provide student-level support, raise awareness of the importance of accessibility across campus, and also provide faculty with important guidance and education to create more inclusive online experiences.

Accessibility is a priority at , which serves over 28,000 students. The university chose to implement Blackboard Ally as part of its continued efforts to provide student-level support, raise awareness of the importance of accessibility across campus, and also provide faculty with important guidance and education to create more inclusive online experiences. Framingham State University, MA: Framingham State University, which enrolls more than 6,000 learners, prides itself on quality academic programs, affordability, and commitment to access for all qualified students. Framingham State decided to implement Blackboard Ally in Fall 2017 as part of its efforts to develop a coordinated approach to student learning as it relates to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the ADAAA (ADA Amendments Act) of 2008 and section 508 compliance services. Leading the effort are members of the faculty and staff from the Center for Academic Success and Achievement (CASA) and the Office of Education Technology.

Framingham State University, which enrolls more than 6,000 learners, prides itself on quality academic programs, affordability, and commitment to access for all qualified students. decided to implement Blackboard Ally in Fall 2017 as part of its efforts to develop a coordinated approach to student learning as it relates to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the ADAAA (ADA Amendments Act) of 2008 and section 508 compliance services. Leading the effort are members of the faculty and staff from the Center for Academic Success and Achievement (CASA) and the Office of Education Technology. Athens State University, AL: Serving over 3,000 students each semester, Athens State University is committed to ensuring that its facilities and the information, services, courses, and technology that it provides are inclusive and accessible. The implementation of Blackboard Ally is part of the university's Accessible Technology and Information Plan, which was developed last year by a committee comprised of faculty, ADA, Disability Services, and technical staff. The plan lays out a comprehensive strategy for raising awareness of accessibility issues, implementing accessibility solutions, and establishing an ongoing review process for digital content.

Blackboard Ally integrates with multiple learning management systems (LMS) and automatically runs course materials through an accessibility checklist that looks for common accessibility issues. The solution generates a range of more accessible alternatives for the instructor's original content including Semantic HTML, audio, ePub, and electronic Braille. It also provides educators with guidance for improving accessibility of their course materials, while supplying reporting on the current state of content accessibility at both the course and institutional level.

With its most recent release for self-hosted Moodle customers, Blackboard Ally now supports integration with four major learning environments along with Blackboard Learn, Moodlerooms and Instructure Canvas. In addition to the new Moodle integration, Blackboard Ally continues to expand its support to a growing list of languages that now also includes French, Danish, Portuguese and Brazilian Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish and Welsh.

"Digital accessibility is more than allowing students with disabilities to perceive, operate, and understand content; it is actually about ensuring that an institution promotes access and equity for all students. To that end, the power of Blackboard Ally extends beyond the classroom to the institution as a whole," said James Wiley, Principal Analyst at Eduventures. "By leveraging Blackboard Ally's feature set, educators are empowered to unlock content and deliver it to students who otherwise would find it challenging or impossible to use it in their efforts to be successful."

Blackboard Ally recently received a 2017 WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies (WCET) Outstanding Work (WOW) award, which is presented to colleges, universities, and organizations that implement exceptionally creative, technology-based solutions to contemporary challenges in higher education.

"Blackboard understands that accessibility of course content is an important priority at many institutions today, and that it also poses some significant challenges," said Nicolaas Matthijs, Product Manager at Blackboard. "We are committed to helping our partners overcome those challenges by providing more accessible, higher quality and more usable content that will benefit all learners."

In addition to Blackboard Ally, Blackboard also offers a range of accessibility services to help institutions more effectively serve a wide range of student needs. To learn more about Blackboard's accessibility products and services, visit http://www.blackboard.com/accessibility.

About Blackboard Inc.

Our mission is to partner with the global education community to enable learner and institutional success, leveraging innovative technologies and services. With an unmatched understanding of the world of the learner, the most comprehensive student-success solutions, and the greatest capacity for innovation, Blackboard is education's partner in change.

CONTACT:

Shawnee Cohn, Blackboard Inc.

202.303.9053 or

[email protected]

SOURCE Blackboard Inc.

Related Links

http://www.blackboard.com


BOSTON, Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM) (the "Company"), the storage and information management company, today announced a proposed offering by way of a private placement of a total of 400.0 million in aggregate principal amount of GBP senior notes due 2025 (the "Notes") by its wholly owned subsidiary, Iron Mountain (UK) PLC ("IMUK"). The Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed by the Company and the Company's subsidiaries that guarantee each series of its existing notes. The exact terms of the Notes and timing of the offering will depend upon market conditions and other factors.

The net proceeds from the offering of the Notes, together with borrowings under the Company's revolving credit facility, are intended to be used to fund the redemption of all of the outstanding 400.0 in aggregate principal amount of Iron Mountain Europe PLC's 6.125% GBP Senior Notes due 2022 (the "IME Notes"). The redemption of the IME Notes will be conditioned upon the completion of the offering of the Notes.

The Notes will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), or under any state securities law, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. The Notes are being offered only to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A and outside the United States in compliance with Regulation S under the Securities Act.

This announcement shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. This announcement does not constitute a notice of redemption with respect to the IME Notes. The formal notice of redemption will be provided separately in accordance with the terms of the indenture governing the IME Notes.

No action has been or will be taken in any jurisdiction by the Company or IMUK in relation to the Notes that would permit a public offering of Notes in any country or jurisdiction where action for that purpose would be required. The proposed offering comprises an offer of securities to the public for the purposes of the Prospectus Directive. However, no action is required to be taken under the Prospectus Directive in connection with such offer as the minimum denomination of the Notes will be 100,000.

The communication of this announcement and any other documents or materials relating to the Notes are not being made, and such documents and/or materials have not been approved, by an authorised person for the purposes of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Accordingly, such documents and/or materials are being distributed only to and are only directed at: (i) persons who are outside the United Kingdom to whom it is lawful to send the offering memorandum in respect of the Notes (the "Offering Memorandum"), (ii) persons having professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within the definition of investment professionals (as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended, the "Financial Promotion Order")), (iii) persons falling within Article 43 of the Financial Promotion Order, or (iv) any other persons to whom an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000) in connection with the issue or sale of any securities may otherwise lawfully be communicated or caused to be communicated (all such persons together being referred to as "Relevant Persons"). The Offering Memorandum and such documents and/or materials are directed only at Relevant Persons and must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not Relevant Persons. Any investment or investment activity to which the Offering Memorandum relates is available only to Relevant Persons and will be engaged in only with Relevant Persons and other persons should not rely on it.

About Iron Mountain

Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM) is the global leader for storage and information management services. Trusted by more than 230,000 organizations around the world, Iron Mountain boasts a real estate network of more than 85 million square feet across more than 1,400 facilities in 53 countries dedicated to protecting and preserving what matters most for its customers. Iron Mountain's solutions portfolio includes records management, data management, document management, data centers, art storage and logistics, and secure shredding to help organizations to lower storage costs, comply with regulations, recover from disaster, and better use their information. Founded in 1951, Iron Mountain stores and protects billions of information assets, including critical business documents, electronic information, medical data and cultural and historical artifacts. Visit www.ironmountain.com for more information.

Investor Relations Contacts:



Melissa Marsden

Faten Freiha Senior Vice President, Investor Relations

Director, Investor Relations [email protected]

[email protected] (617) 535-8595

(617) 535-8404

SOURCE Iron Mountain Incorporated

Related Links

http://www.ironmountain.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- IVY: The Social University ("IVY"),the community uniting the next generation of entrepreneurs, creatives, and innovative professionals, today launched IVY Media to facilitate learning and growth worldwide through free, actionable advice and lessons from today's world-renowned leaders and icons. IVY Media content, recorded live from over 1,000 annual IVY experiences, is designed to spark new ideas and inspire a global audience to take positive actions in the world around them. Every week, IVY's audience will have access to new videos and podcasts featuring actionable advice from leading minds in entrepreneurship, arts & culture, social impact, policy, wellness, philosophy, and science.

This announcement coincides with the hire of IVY's first Chief Partnership Officer, Ian Gerard, who will spearhead IVY Media and elevate partnerships to enhance IVY's online and offline experiences worldwide.

"What IVY has achieved through its 1,000-plus annual experiences is truly phenomenal, bringing together so many next-generation innovators and creatives since its launch four years ago," said Gerard. "IVY Media will extend the reach of these successes by bringing its fresh take on new media to a global audience that craves a new voice. If you have a desire to learn, grow, and connect with those that are pushing the envelope on a daily basis, IVY Media will be an invaluable platform for you."

IVY Media: Driving Connections & Impact Through Curated Content

IVY Media has the unique advantage of creating engaging content via its multiple channels  IVY TV, IVY Podcast, and IVY Magazine  through its IVY Experiences hosted across New York, D.C., Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, and global destinations.

All IVY Media content is tailor-made for a new generation of leaders whose work, life, and passions intersect into a seamless existence. Each story goes beyond providing "food for thought" and shares quick, practical advice any viewer could implement immediately. IVY Media also includes multiple formats to help its audience digest content in the way that works best for them. This includes IVY TV's actionable shorts to facilitate social sharing, weekly "Live from IVY" newsletters, and IVY Podcasts, formatted to engage listeners for the length of a city work commute.

At launch, IVY Media features keynotes and interviews with:

CEOs & Founders: Brooklinen, Chanel, charity: water, Dollar Shave Club, FEED, Gatorade, GE, Movember, SoulCycle, and WordPress;

Brooklinen, Chanel, charity: water, Dollar Shave Club, FEED, Gatorade, GE, Movember, SoulCycle, and WordPress; Style & Cultural Icons: Brian Grazer, Caitlin Jenner , Chef Morimoto, Daymond John , DJ Kaskade, Michael Chow , and Tamara Mellon ; and,

Brian Grazer, , Chef Morimoto, , DJ Kaskade, , and ; and, Education, Media & Policy Visionaries: Arthur Brooks , Laszlo Bock , Lisa Sugar , and Zalmay Khalilzad.

"IVY's goal is to engage and inspire our generation to make a daily positive impact in their broader communities," said Beri Meric, co-founder and CEO of IVY. "With the official launch of IVY Media, we'll combine the depth and power of our community with a new platform to inspire leaders, innovators, and creatives worldwide to grow and make a positive change together."

IVY Media's audience will also have the opportunity become an IVY member to attend IVY Experiences in person to connect directly with both its thought leaders and other members alike. Aligning with IVY's broader mission to bring together today's leading minds to engage and inspire one another, IVY Media also plans to provide tools to help its audience share their stories with the IVY community.

Gerard Leads New Team & Direction For IVY Partnerships

Gerard, a veteran generational marketing strategist and founder of Gen Art, has served as an adviser to IVY since its 2013 launch. During this time, Gerard drove innovator and influencer partnerships ranging from Cadillac and Clif Bar to LG and Johnnie Walker. In his new role, IVY expects to utilize and broaden the support of brand partners to further fuel IVY's domestic and global expansion.

In this new role, he will now oversee an in-house team of content creators, influencer marketers, and partnership associates to create meaningful partnerships with like-minded brands who seek to champion this new generational paradigm. In addition to IVY's current in-house content teams, key new hires include:

Shelby Simon , formerly of Odyssey & The Knot, to oversee content marketing;

, formerly of Odyssey & The Knot, to oversee content marketing; Christy Wilde , formerly of Fanology, to oversee social media content and engagement; and,

, formerly of Fanology, to oversee social media content and engagement; and, Meghan Kelleher, formerly with Waze and KIND Snacks, to oversee public relations.

To learn more about IVY and become a member, visit http://www.ivy.com. To view IVY Media's free content, visit http://tv.ivy.com. Brand partnership opportunities can also be seen at http://partnerships.ivy.com.

ABOUT IVY: THE SOCIAL UNIVERSITY

IVY: The Social University is the community uniting the next generation of entrepreneurs, creatives, and innovative professionals to learn, grow, and make an impact together. Since its launch in 2013, the IVY audience has grown to 20,000 members and 300,000 supporters across seven cities including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, D.C., and Miami. IVY curates and hosts 1,000-plus annual experiences featuring leading minds in entrepreneurship, art & culture, policy, health & wellness, and social impact. IVY members enjoy access to a lifetime of new experiences, connections, and opportunities, while partners  including like-minded institutions, organizations, and brand partners  collaborate with IVY to create compelling events and content to spark world-changing collaborations. IVY plans to expand globally in 2018 and to establish 50 global chapters within the next five years. To learn more and become a member, please visit IVY.com.

Press Contact: Meghan Kelleher, [email protected]

Related Links

IVY Media

IVY Membership

SOURCE IVY: The Social University

Related Links

http://www.ivy.com


BOSTON, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE: PDT) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund managed by John Hancock Advisers, LLC and subadvised by John Hancock Asset Management a division of Manulife Asset Management (US) LLC, announced today sources of its monthly distribution of $0.0975 per share paid to all shareholders of record as of October 12, 2017, pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan. This press release is issued as required by an exemptive order granted to the Fund by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Notification of Sources of Distribution

This notice provides shareholders of the John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE: PDT) with important information concerning the distribution declared on October 2, 2017, and payable on October 31, 2017. No action is required on your part.

Distribution Period: October 2017

Distribution Amount Per Common Share: $0.0975

The following table sets forth the estimated sources of the current distribution, payable October 31, 2017, and the cumulative distributions paid this fiscal year to date from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short term capital gains; net realized long term capital gains; and return of capital or other capital source. All amounts are expressed on a per common share basis and as a percentage of the distribution amount.

Source

Current

Distribution ($)

% Breakdown

of the Current

Distribution

Total Cumulative

Distributions for

the Fiscal Year to

Date ($)1

% Breakdown

of the Total

Cumulative

Distributions

for the Fiscal

Year to Date1 Net Investment Income

0.0829

85%

1.1692

100% Net Realized Short-

Term Capital Gains

0.0000

0%

0.0000

0% Net Realized Long-

Term Capital Gains

0.0081

8%

0.0000

0% Return of Capital or

Other Capital Source

0.0065

7%

0.0000

0% Total per common

share

0.0975

100%

1.1692

100%

















Average annual total return (in relation to NAV) for the 5 years ended on September 30, 2017

10.98%





Annualized current distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of September 30, 2017

7.33%





Cumulative total return (in relation to NAV) for the fiscal year through September 30, 2017

7.75%





Cumulative fiscal year-to-date distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of September 30, 2017

7.32%

You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's managed distribution plan.

The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income."

The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this Notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

The Fund has declared the October 2017 distribution pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan (the "Plan"). Under the Plan, the Fund makes fixed monthly distributions in the amount of $0.0975 per share, which will continue to be paid monthly until further notice.

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact your financial professional or call the John Hancock Investments Closed-End Fund Information Line at 1-800-843-0090, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time.

Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined by the United States securities laws. You should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Fund's control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

An investor should consider a Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing.

About John Hancock Investments

John Hancock Investments provides asset management services to individuals and institutions through a unique manager-of-managers approach. A wealth management business of John Hancock Financial, we managed more than $148 billion in assets as of September 30, 2017 across mutual funds, college savings plans, and retirement plans.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial

John Hancock Financial is a division of Manulife Financial, a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were C$1 trillion (US$780 billion) as of June 30, 2017. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers and administers a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, fixed products, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.

1 The Fund's current fiscal year began on November 1, 2016, and will end on October 31, 2017.

SOURCE John Hancock Investments
"Ken has demonstrated great digital leadership at The Modesto Bee, as evidenced by digital-only growth of 44 percent over two years," said Gary Wortel, McClatchy's west regional publisher. "Modesto has been one of the company's leaders in audience growth as well, and he recently completed the Bee 's move to a new location that beautifully reflects the future workspace of a digital media company.

"I am truly excited and humbled to be headed back to Fresno," said Riddick. "The chance to return and contribute to the digital future of these three media companies is a dream-come-true."

Tom Cullinan, Riddick's predecessor added "Ken is the perfect choice at the right time. He'll continue our mission to be a digital driven media company and to serve the community with quality public service journalism."

Riddick is returning to The Fresno Bee where he first started working for McClatchy in 1995, as Fresno's picture editor. In February of 1999, he was promoted to Fresno's managing editor for new media and was named director of interactive media that same year. Ken was then promoted to the executive director of interactive media for The Star Tribune in Minneapolis in 2003 and was named their senior vice president of interactive media in 2007. Ken's next role was vice president of digital for Hearst Newspapers where he was responsible for 16 locations.

Ken returned to McClatchy in 2010 as the vice president of digital for The Charlotte Observer and became president and publisher of The Modesto Bee in 2014.

Ken and his wife Catherine plan to move back to the Fresno area.

About McClatchy

McClatchy is a publisher of iconic brands such as the Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star, The Sacramento Bee, The Charlotte Observer, The (Raleigh) News & Observer, and the (Fort Worth) Star-Telegram. McClatchy operates 30 media companies in 14 states, providing each of its communities with high-quality news and advertising services in a wide array of digital and print formats. McClatchy is headquartered in Sacramento, Calif., and listed on the New York Stock Exchange American under the symbol MNI.

SOURCE McClatchy

Related Links

http://www.mcclatchy.com


PITTSBURGH, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kennametal Inc. (NYSE: KMT) announced they will attend the Baird Global Industrial Conference on November 9, 2017 in Chicago. Christopher Rossi, President & CEO, Jan Kees van Gaalen, Vice President & CFO and Kelly Boyer, Vice President, Investor Relations will be attending. The presentation slides will be available on the company's website www.kennametal.com on November 9, 2017. Once on the homepage, select "About Us", "Investor Relations" and then "Events".

At the forefront of advanced materials innovation for more than 75 years, Kennametal Inc. is a global industrial technology leader delivering productivity to customers through materials science, tooling and wear-resistant solutions. Customers across aerospace, earthworks, energy, general engineering and transportation turn to Kennametal to help them manufacture with precision and efficiency. Every day approximately 11,000 employees are helping customers in more than 60 countries stay competitive. Kennametal generated nearly $2.1 billion in revenue in fiscal 2017. Learn more at www.kennametal.com

SOURCE Kennametal Inc.

Related Links

http://www.kennametal.com


BOURNEMOUTH, England, October 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Kortext has been accepted onto the new Jisc Learning Analytics Purchasing Service, having been appointed as a supplier for Learning Analytics Solutions, Services and Infrastructure. This announcement means that Kortext are now the only company in the UK listed on both the SUPC eTextbook Provision (Southern Universities Purchasing Consortium) and the Jisc Learning Analytics Purchasing Service.

The aim of the new Purchasing Service is to create an efficient and cost-effective mechanism to enable Universities and Colleges nationally to buy add-on services that complement the core Learning Analytics Service they receive from Jisc.

Through our strong partnership with Microsoft, leveraging their Azure platform, Kortext have been able to provide a highly flexible solution to target improvements in student retention, progression and support. Learning analytics enable universities to produce a personalised approach to how they can aid student learning, develop independent study and encourage research skills, as set out by the TEF framework put forward by the Department of Education.

Andy Alferovs, Managing Director of Kortext said, "Being officially recognised by Jisc for our innovative advancements in Learning Analytics on the back of our SUPC announcement earlier this year is a mark of the progress we are making in supplying innovative solutions to support teaching and learning across the world. We would not have achieved so much this year without our university partners that have provided superb feedback and added to our development goals."

Phil Richards, Jisc's Chief Innovation Officer, commented, "Kortext impressed us with the capability of their platform and the flexibility of the analytics services and infrastructure they offered. With the analytics sector rapidly evolving we're excited to welcome such an innovative supplier into the Purchasing Service. We look forward to working more deeply with Kortext as they continue to grow, both in scale and capability, in the UK and internationally."

Anthony Salcito, Vice President Microsoft Education added, "We have worked closely with Kortext for over 2 years now and they have proven to be a great partner in building world class solutions that leverage the best of Microsoft's technologies to support education. We are excited by the developments they are working on in machine learning by leveraging Microsoft's artificial intelligence capabilities and we look forward to ongoing collaboration."

Kortext:

Kortext is a world leading digital textbook and personal study platform providing access to over 500,000 etextbooks from over 1,000 education publishers such as Wiley, Pearson, Oxford University Press. The platform provides an enhanced learning experience and is rapidly being adopted to support student retention, progression and success. Kortext partners around the world with local distributors, publishers and global technology companies to accelerate adoption of digital learning (http://www.kortext.com).

Jisc:

Jisc (http://www.jisc.ac.uk) is the UK's expert member organisation for digital technology and digital resources in higher education, further education, skills and research. Our vision is to make the UK the most digitally advanced education and research nation in the world.

We play a pivotal role in the development, adoption and use of technology by UK universities and colleges, supporting them to improve learning, teaching, the student experience and institutional efficiency, as well as enabling more powerful research.

At the heart of Jisc's support is Janet - the UK's world-class National Research and Education Network (NREN). Owned, managed and operated by Jisc, Janet comprises a secure, state-of-the-art network infrastructure spanning all four nations of the UK.

Further details about Jisc's R&D Learning Project and the new beta Learning Analytics Service are available from https://www.jisc.ac.uk/rd/projects/effective-learning-analytics and https://analytics.jiscinvolve.org/wp/ .

SOURCE Kortext
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bay Area business leaders and law enforcement executives attended Elite Interactive Solutions' second Remote Guarding Summit in Dublin, California on October 26, 2017. Hosted by Elite's Law Enforcement Advisory Board, the summit was designed to inform law enforcement executives on the ways Remote Guarding is revolutionizing the security industry and providing significant benefits to law enforcement.

The myriad benefits for Remote Guarded facilities include: dramatically improved officer safety, elimination of false burglar alarms, force multiplication, and effective prosecution support. The goal of the summit was to help law enforcement and business leaders understand the benefits of this technology-based service, which is significantly improving the security levels of their communities.

Captain Nate Schmidt of Dublin Police Services was happy to hear of the benefits Remote Guarding brings to law enforcement. "This is a great new solution that would be very beneficial towards improving officer safety and saving us time towards investigating false alarms," said Schmidt.

Increased officer safety is a result of Remote Guarding security agents remaining in contact with officers throughout an incident and providing live suspect descriptions, positions and warnings of possible weapons. In fact, Elite trains its agents to be live eye-witnesses to crimes in progress, which warrant a priority police response. Additionally, Remote Guarding not only enhances officer safety, but also has the documented ability to increase the likelihood of an arrest and conviction. Arrest rates for police calls increase from less than 1% with burglar alarms to as high as 40% with Remote Guarding.

Remote Guarding represents a massive breakthrough in the use of technology in security services. However, Elite's VP of Security, Forensics and Engineering, Rudy Aragon, was quick to point out that it takes much more than technology alone to prevent crime. "Technology has never solved a crime on its own and never will. Having the right expertise is essential to creating a successful Remote Guarding solution. We take the time to combine security consulting, system design, state of the art technology, customized processes and highly trained agents into a solution that makes true crime prevention a reality," said Aragon.

The summit attendees also included business owners and managers who interacted with law enforcement executives to learn how to improve security on their properties. Attendee Michael Clayton, Director of TAC Group was enthusiastic about what he learned. "The summit was quite informative, and the application of Remote Guarding in various industries is very interesting. The quick response it generates from law enforcement would help reduce business losses significantly," said Clayton.

Beyond generating enhanced police responsiveness, Remote Guarding has repeatedly shown the ability to dramatically increase crime prevention levels. The foundation of this revolutionary result is the capability of agents to speak directly to suspects via voice-downs that use speakers on the client property. These efforts, which most often engage trespassers and intruders before they even start their criminal activity, cause intruders to leave the premises nearly 97% of the time, reducing the need to call police. To date, Elite has prevented over 70,000 crimes and assisted in over 1,100 arrests.

Elite's Law Enforcement Advisory Board works to deepen ties with and inform law enforcement agencies across the country on Remote Guarding. Keith Bushey, a member of the Elite Law Enforcement Advisory Board, presented many of the benefits at this year's summit. "Law enforcement receives many benefits that help prevent crime and save on precious resources when property owners engage in Remote Guarding solutions. This summit helped illustrate how powerful collaboration between law enforcement and private industry can truly be," said Bushey.

Elite Interactive Solutions is the industry leader in fully interactive Remote Guarding services, using a proprietary combination of systems, processes and staff to deliver services via the only UL Certified Remote Guarding Command Center and the only FBI-LEEDA endorsed Remote Guarding company. With hundreds of large corporate customers throughout the US, Elite provides the highest level and most cost-effective security for commercial and multi-family facilities and properties. Accounts range from office buildings, warehouses, logistics, auto dealerships, apartment complexes, and many other industries. Contact Elite Interactive Solutions at [email protected]. Or call 877-435-4832.

SOURCE Elite Interactive Solutions

Related Links

https://www.eliteinteractivesolutions.com


CHICAGO, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Technomic Inc. is pleased to announce that Pete Bell has joined the company as senior principal in its Advisory Group, responsible for consulting and research engagements with the restaurant operator community.

To learn more about Pete and the rest of our subject matter experts, please visit us at https://www.technomic.com/about/subject-matter-experts.

"We are thrilled to have Pete join Technomic and bring his extensive brand management and consumer marketing experience to our organization," said Shawn Edwards, president of Technomic. "He offers a wealth of practical restaurant industry experience and knowledge to Technomic to help us grow our operator practice, especially as we contemporize our research and consulting approaches."

Most recently, Bell served as senior vice president of marketing at Fishbowl where he was instrumental in developing and marketing innovative guest analytic platforms. During his 30-year restaurant industry career, he also held senior marketing executive roles (including chief marketing officer) for a number of chain restaurant companies, such as Front Burner Restaurant, Specialty Brands Holdings Group, Smokey Bones, Friendly's Ice Cream and Boston Market.

About Technomic

Technomic Inc., a Winsight company, delivers a 360-degree view of the food industry. We impact growth and profitability for our clients by providing consumer-grounded vision and channel-relevant strategic insights. Our services range from major research studies and management consulting solutions to online databases and simple fact-finding assignments. Our clients include food manufacturers and distributors, restaurants and retailers, other foodservice organizations, and various institutions aligned with the food industry. Visit us at www.technomic.com.

About Winsight LLC

Winsight LLC is a recognized leader in business-to-business media and information services for the convenience-retailing, foodservice and grocery industries. Winsight has an extensive media portfolio, including five publications: CSP, Restaurant Business, FoodService Director, Convenience Store Products and Grocery Business. Winsight also offers a suite of digital products, including websites, e-newsletters, webinars, video products, mobile and tablet apps, and custom marketing solutions. In addition to more than 12 major EduNetworking conferences and advisory meetings, Winsight also produces seven exclusive, large-scale executive-level conferences: Restaurant Leadership Conference, Global Restaurant Leadership Conference, Outlook Leadership Conference, Convenience Retailing University, FSTEC, MenuDirections and Restaurant Directions. Winsight acquired Technomic Inc., a provider of primary and secondary market information and advisory services for the food industry. For more information on Winsight and its brands, go to www.winsightmedia.com.

Contact:

Press inquiries: Joe Pawlak, (312) 506-3940, [email protected]

SOURCE Technomic Inc.

Related Links

http://www.technomic.com


The section is focused on important topics of China's political, social and economic development. All the information is available in 15 languages, including Chinese, English, French, Russian, Arabic, Spanish and Japanese. "China Keywords" is produced in a joint effort by the China International Publishing Group, the China Academy of Translation, the Translators Association of China and China.org.cn .

The keywords cover several major categories, including the Belt and Road Initiative, the 13th Five-Year Plan, China-U.S. relations, the Chinese Dream, China's Political Development, and others.

One of the critical topics discussed during the 19th National Congress of the CPC was the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics in a new era. "China Keywords" provides a detailed breakdown of the key concepts in this topic, covering the basic line of the CPC, the primary stage of socialism, social harmony, common prosperity, fairness and justice, etc.

The English version of the site can be accessed from the China.org.cn front page by clicking on "China Keywords" under the section banners. Topics relevant to the 19th CPC National Congress are available by clicking on "More" on the "China Keywords" page.

China Keywords: http://www.china.org.cn/english/china_key_words/

The Belt and Road Initiative: http://www.china.org.cn/english/china_key_words/node_7248261.htm

About China.org.cn

Founded in 2000, China Internet Information Center (China.org.cn/China.com.cn) is a key state news website under the auspices of the State Council Information Office, and is managed by China International Publishing Group. We provide round-the-clock news service in ten languages. With users from more than 200 countries and regions, we have become China's leading multi-lingual news outlet introducing the country to the outside world.

We are one of the country's authoritative outlets for government press releases and are authorized to cover various major events. "Live Webcast" is our online webcasting service to present State Council Information Office press conferences in both Chinese and English languages. We are reputed for timely and accurate delivery of news and information, and wide interactions with audiences. In addition, we are authorized to publish and live broadcast major events and press conferences of ministries, local government agencies and institutions as well as enterprises.



In the era of mobile internet, we endeavor to create an array of products for mobile devices headed by the multilingual WAP platform and the mobile APP. We also use Chinese and international social media to publish information for different user groups.



In the future, CIIC will continue to offer authoritative information about China, tell China's stories, voice China's opinions, and introduce a vivid, panoramic and multicultural China to the world through multi-language, multi-media and multi-platforms.



SOURCE china.org.cn
NEWARK, N.J., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Legal-Bay LLC, The Lawsuit Pre-Settlement Funding Company, reports today that the New York Archdiocese has extended their deadline to file sexual abuse lawsuits against the Catholic Church. For victims who are seeking to pursue a lawsuit, the archdiocese will address any formal complaints filed prior to November 1, 2017, regardless of the time that has lapsed between any incident(s) and the filing date. Legal-Bay is an advocate for victims of abuse across the country, and with the ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW YORK INDEPENDENT RECONCILIATION AND COMPENSATION PROGRAM ("IRCP") PHASE II, is presently focusing their attention on the New York area.

Please visit the company's website at http://lawsuitssettlementfunding.com for more information on how Legal-Bay can help you during this difficult time. Legal-Bay also helps victims of sexual abuse or harassment in the workplace, sexual assaults by police officers or in prison, as well as discrimination and wrongful termination cases.

Chris Janish, CEO, commented on the company's focus of assisting plaintiffs in similar situations, "Unfortunately we have seen so many of these horrific cases, where someone in a trust position is criminally charged with a sex crime against a minor. It is important for our company to inform the public of their options in order to protect the innocent children in our world as well as support victims of sexual abuse looking to receive monetary compensation."

Legal-Bay has funded clergy sexual abuse cases throughout the country, and is well versed with each litigation, especially in situations where some of the Catholic churches have filed for bankruptcy to limit their payouts. Even in those cases, the law cash company was able to assist with providing lawsuit money to victims. Legal-Bay has funded these type of cases in New York, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida, California, Ohio, and Hawaii.

Legal-Bay is committed to aiding victims involved in such cases so that they can pay bills and live their lives in dignity while they wait for their settlement. Any funds received are done risk-free, since the funds only need to be repaid if the plaintiff is ultimately successful in collecting their money. For more information on the lawsuit funding programs and a complete list of cases Legal-Bay funds, including clergy or Catholic Church sexual abuse cases, sexual harassment in the workplace, prison rape cases, police brutality, video or text sex harassment, rape in group homes and other sex crime and commercial litigation cases, please visit the company's website at: http://lawsuitssettlementfunding.com

If you or a loved one require an immediate cash advance settlement funding, feel free to call Legal-Bay on its toll-free hotline at: 877.571.0405, where live agents are available to take a funding application.

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.

SOURCE Legal-Bay LLC
EMPIRE, Mich., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Lick the Plate on 93.9 The River where the Detroit, Windsor, and Michigan culinary and foodie communities tell their stories, is celebrating the freshwater surfing scene and the food that fuels it on its 5 episodes airing the week of October 30, 2017. Lick the Plate host David Boylan honed his early surfing skills on the Great Lakes, primarily in Grand Haven and other spots along the west coast of Michigan. His connection to Empire, Michigan through a sibling in the area led to meeting Ella and Beryl Skrocki, of the family owned and operated, Sleeping Bear Surf & Kayak. The Skrocki family has been leaders in the Great Lakes surfing scene since 2004 as retailers of boards, wetsuits and all surf and paddle related accessories. They also spread their stoke for surf and the freshwater through rentals, lessons and camps. Ella has surfed all over the Great Lakes, including a stint in Lake Superior and has been featured on the cover of Traverse Magazine. Ella is also a contributor to Great Lakes Surfer's Journal.

Ella and Beryl Skrocki with surfboards shaped for the Great Lakes at their Sleeping Bear Surf & Kayak store Beryl and Ella Skrocki recording their Lick the Plate on 93.9 The River show at Sleeping Bear Surf & Kayak

The correlation of surfing and the appetite it builds, along with October and November being prime surfing months on the Great Lakes inspired Boylan to feature Ella and Beryl on Lick the Plate. "It was such a treat for me to come across these two women who are so immersed in the freshwater surfing world," said Boylan. He added, "Ella totally walks the talk when it comes to knowing the weather patterns that create waves, then hitting the road to ride those waves, unless they happen to be in her own Empire backyard. She also has some killer selections for after surf-spots to quell that surfing appetite. Both Ella and Beryl also had some great picks and stories for the music episode which added to the fun of this interview."

When she's not surfing the lakes, Ella helps run Sleeping Bear Surf & Kayak and added, "When David approached us about this it sounded like a hoot, and made perfect sense, as surfing, food and music are such integral parts of our lives. A good surf session begins with fuel through great music and good food, and ends with a momentous, well-deserved meal. We love that he was able to combine them on Lick the Plate and it was so fun sharing our story."

Lick the Plate on 93.9 The River airs Monday  Friday during the first commercial break at 7pm and 10pm and can also be found on The River website in podcast format at http://www.iheartradio.ca/93-9-the-river/lick-the-plate-podcast-1.1930772

Lick the Plate also airs on 93.9 The River in Detroit and Windsor, MyNorth.com in Traverse City KSON, Sunny 98.1, FM94/9 in San Diego, Edible San Diego and The Coast News in Encinitas, California.

Media contact and sponsorship inquiries:

[email protected]

858.395.6905

About Lick the Plate

Lick the Plate has interviewed over 700 chefs, restaurateurs, growers, brewers and culinary personalities over the past 10 years as a column in the Coast News in Encinitas, California and in Edible San Diego. It's on-air and podcast presence began on 102.1 KPRI in San Diego in 2011, then in 2014 moved to the Entercom group of stations in San Diego that include KSON, FM94/9 and Sunny 98.1 where it still resides. In 2015 it expanded to 93.9 The River in Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario and recently joined MyNorth.com, a part of MyNorth Media in Traverse City, Michigan. Its unique format allows the radio audience to really get to know the culinary talent behind their favorite restaurants. Besides their culinary background and experience, guests share the road to their current position, music memories and dream concert lineup, where they eat and drink around town, and an in-depth look at their current menu. The original format has proven to be very popular with both the culinary community and their foodie audience. More at www.lick-the-plate.com

About The River

93.9 The RiverCIDR-FM is an adult alternative radio station located in Windsor, Ontario. With 100,000 watts of power, the signal is able to reach southeast Michigan and northern Ohio. In 2016, The River joined the iHeartRadio family of stations. The River plays a unique blend of new, classic and retro alternative hits alongside special programming such as "Lick The Plate." www.939theriverradio.com

SOURCE Lick the Plate

Related Links

http://www.lick-the-plate.com


WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- LifeStraw, a global leader in developing innovative filtration and purification products for safe drinking water, is deploying thousands of its high-impact water filters and purifiers to Puerto Rico to provide much needed access to safe drinking water following Hurricane Maria. The filters are made possible through donations to the LifeStraw Safe Water Fund, which is powered by consumer contributions to support communities devastated by natural disasters. LifeStraw is working with emergency responders on the ground in Puerto Rico to distribute its products to areas of the island that need them most.

One critical issue impacting Puerto Rico is an overwhelming lack of access to safe drinking water for the unforeseen future, as the storm dramatically affected the island's infrastructure. One month after the hurricane, CNN reported that nearly one million Puerto Ricans still remain without running water. LifeStraw's purifiers and filters serve as one solution to the country's long-term recovery effort, as they remove virtually all bacteria and parasites from contaminated water, making it safe to drink.

In just one month, more than $150,000 has been raised for the Safe Water Fund by consumers to support hurricane relief efforts following the storms that damaged parts of the Caribbean, Texas, Florida, and other areas in the Gulf of Mexico. Thanks to these donations, LifeStraw has provided access to safe water for more than 20,000 residents of Puerto Rico, but the need for support continues.

Contributions to the Safe Water Fund have resulted in a mix of LifeStraw, LifeStraw Go, LifeStraw Community, LifeStraw Family and LifeStraw Mission filters and purifiers deployed to Puerto Rico to provide individuals, families and entire communities access to safe water. In addition to funds raised by individual donors, LifeStraw is donating products directly, matching donations and devoting hundreds of man hours to coordinate relief efforts with partners, manage complex logistics, and conduct on-site education and training to ensure that the LifeStraw products are used effectively and properly maintained to have a sustainable impact.

Individuals and organizations can continue to make an impact for people in Puerto Rico by donating to the LifeStraw Safe Water Fund. The fund is managed by an independent 501-c3 public charity and all donations are tax-deductible. In addition to hurricane relief efforts, consumers can choose to support the expansion of safe water programs in primary schools in Kenya or India or suggest a new safe water program for consideration. To date, the fund has provided safe water for victims of the Ecuador earthquake and the Haiti floods in addition to supporting the victims of the hurricanes that hit Texas, Florida and the Caribbean.

For more information, visit the LifeStraw Safe Water Fund.

LifeStraw is a global company built on the foundation that doing good is good business. We put this mission into action by innovating game-changing solutions that contribute to a healthier, more sustainable planet. Technologically advanced LifeStraw water filters and purifiers are ideal for outdoor recreation, travel, emergency preparedness and humanitarian purposes. This year LifeStraw is expanding its safe water technology beyond removal of microbiological contaminants to also include removal of heavy metals including lead.

Contact:

Meryl Rader

9085283826

[email protected]

SOURCE LifeStraw

Related Links

http://lifestraw.com


VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Lifestyle Delivery Systems Inc. (CSE: LDS), (OTCQB: LDSYF) and (Frankfurt: LD6, WKN: A14XHT) ("LDS" or the "Company") announces that on October 26, 2017, the CSPA Group's extraction team from LDS Scientific began extraction and distillation of raw fresh frozen whole plant material for the purpose of conversion into medicinal cannabis products. An independent third party laboratory tested the whole plant material prior to processing. The results showed no trace amounts of pesticides, fungicides, mold or infestation. The LDS Scientific team is using fresh frozen whole plant material in order to preserve the complex array of cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids for inclusion into its medical cannabis products. The whole plant methodology may have additional benefits for patients if the entourage effect from combinations of plant chemicals described by some commentators results in enhanced benefits. There is no current clinical data developed in the U.S. to support these hypotheses, and the large majority of commentary is driven by anecdotal patient statements.

Brad Eckenweiler CEO of LDS stated, "The extraction and distillation of whole plant material began last week and medicinal cannabis product formulations and distillate processing is beginning today. We will run sample products and begin taking orders this week and based on those orders we will schedule corresponding production runs. We are confident that the market is ready for our products and that customers will appreciate the added benefit of knowing that each and every product has been tested and is honestly represented in dosage and quality." The LDS Scientific team anticipates releasing sales figures by the end of November 2017.

About Lifestyle Delivery Systems Inc.

The Company's technology produces infused strips (similar to breath strips) that are not only a safer, healthier option to smoking, but also a new way to accurately meter the dosage and assure the purity of the product. In addition, with the entering into its management services agreements with NHMC, Inc. and CSPA Group, Inc., the Company has begun its direct involvement in the growing of medicinal ingredients for, and the manufacturing of, its products. From seed to sale, the Company's products and ingredients will be tested for quality and composition throughout the formulation and production processes, resulting in a delivery system that is safe, consistent and effective.

On behalf of the board of directors of Lifestyle Delivery Systems Inc.

Brad Eckenweiler, CEO & Director

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

[email protected]

1-866-347-5058

And

Skanderbeg Capital Advisors

604-687-7130

[email protected]

Cautionary Disclaimer Statement:

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's limited operating history and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

SOURCE Lifestyle Delivery Systems Inc.

Related Links

http://www.lifestyledeliverysystem.com


The states troubled youth prison will be locked down this week to allow guards-in-training to search inmates cells for contraband.

The move comes after a number of assaults on staff by inmates in recent weeks and amid concerns of a brewing prison riot.

The institution will be locked down for two days while they shake down the entire institution and search it, said Doug Curtis, a retired guard who represents employees at the Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls.

Department of Corrections spokesman Tristan Cook said the search is being conducted by correctional officers in training and is a required task for every trainee to complete before being hired full-time.

Staff at the prison in recent weeks have reported an increasingly chaotic environment as administrators have struggled to implement a federal court order to reduce or eliminate the use of solitary confinement, pepper spray and restraints to manage inmate behavior, and fear a prison riot is being planned by inmates who they say are emboldened by the order and a number of lawsuits brought against DOC.

Cook, however, said this weeks search at the prison is part of training and there is no indication of plans of a riot.

Each (officer in training) conducts a search of a DOC facility prior to the completion of their training. During the search, trainees apply techniques learned during the Academy to search the Schools for contraband, Cook said. Violent or disrespectful behavior by youth is unacceptable and we will take decisive action to safeguard staff and youth.

Curtis said an emergency response team from Stanley Correctional Institution in Chippewa County is on hand to take care of any disturbances  which is not typical, and something he hadnt seen in the 20 years he worked at the youth prison.

On Oct. 22, five prison guards were sent to a hospital after an altercation, and about a week before that, two female prison staff members were knocked unconscious by inmates who werent in restraints.

The Wisconsin State Journal also reported that in late September, a group of inmates seeking retaliation against a guard conspired to electrocute him but were unsuccessful. In August, a group of inmates fleeing a fight scaled the walls of one cottage, stood on its roof and threw rocks, shingles and pieces of metal.

The staff assaults and violent episodes, which followed years of allegations of inmate abuse by prison guards, prompted two Republican lawmakers who represent the area to ask the federal judge to reverse his order to revise their practices and two Democratic lawmakers to introduce a bill to close the facility within a year.

The prison has been the target of lawsuits brought by current and former inmates alleging staff there have abused them through keeping inmates in isolation for weeks at a time, excessive pepper spraying and use of mechanical restraints.

Those allegations surfaced amid an investigation that began nearly three years ago and is now headed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The initiative aims to shift cultural mindset and encourage the creation of writing instruments as weapons, in the fight for peace against gun violence on US city streets. Liberty United then donates 20% of profits to fund safety and education for at risk children growing up with the threat of gun violence.

Founded in May 2017 as the first the social media creative agency grounded in mobile tech, Madison Avenue Social's work with A.T. Cross and Liberty United demonstrates the provocative nature that social media agency takes, as it works to "evoke emotion" in each of their client's diverse social media communications.

"Each year more than 17,000 American children fall victim to gun violence. Just one child is one too many," said A.T. Cross CEO, Robert P. Baird, Jr. "Our partnership with Peter Thum and Liberty United allows us to do our small part to help address this. Mad Ave Social's creativity is an integral part of the program that's given us power to create broad awareness for our messages almost immediately, so that we can help make a difference."

The serial number on each Cross X Liberty United Collector's Edition Pen was the exact registration number on the illegal confiscated gun. The pens bear different numbers, reflecting the last record of each gun that was used for illegal purposes. Twenty percent of Liberty United profits help provide safety and education for at-risk children growing up under the constant threat of gun violence.

In addition to the Cook County, IL Sheriff's office, other US city police departments in New Orleans, LA, Newburgh, NY, Philadelphia, PA and Syracuse, NY are partnering with Liberty United and Cross Pens to expand this national effort.

To date, Liberty United has received more than 5,000 illegal guns that have been destroyed and funded programs helping over 3,000 at-risk children.

"Our work on behalf of Cross and Liberty United is one of the most emotion-evoking campaigns we have produced to-date," said Mad Ave Social President, Deirdre Catucci. "We hope our work will put issues of gun violence prevention on the kitchen table. It's a profound responsibility which we take very personally."

Mad Ave Social Creative Assets:

Cross/Liberty United - Instagram (which also runs on FB, TW & LI)

About Liberty United

Liberty United is a social enterprise that transforms illegal guns into jewelry, accessories and art to reduce gun violence. Their mission to reduce gun violence funds programs to protect and educate at-risk children who are growing up with gun violence across the US. The venture is the brainchild of American entrepreneur and businessperson Mr. Peter Thum and Cara Buono, an American actress, who stars in "Stranger Things" on Netflix. To date, Liberty United has received more than 5,000 illegal guns that have been destroyed and funded programs helping over 3,000 at-risk children. Transform a gun. Transform a life. For more information, please contact https://libertyunited.com/

About the Cook County, IL Sheriff's Office

The second largest Sheriff's Department in the United States, employs more than 6,800 officers, deputies and civilians. Cook County is a county in Illinois. It is the second largest county in the United States. As of 2015, the population was 5.2 million. Its largest city and the county seat is Chicago, the third largest city in the United States. For more information, visit http://www.cookcountysheriff.org/

About CROSS

The story of the CROSS brand begins in 1846 when artisan Richard Cross, in partnership with his son Alonzo Townsend Cross, revolutionized fine writing instruments. Their early mark of entrepreneurial excellence included tools refined through more than 100 patents and accented by the spoils of the California gold rush. Still positioned to set the bar for what it means to symbolize achievement, human potential and usable luxury, CROSS seeks to provide those possessing extraordinary vision and a strong entrepreneurial spirit with the tools needed to make their mark. For more information, visit https://www.cross.com/

About Madison Avenue Social

Madison Avenue Social the first B2P Agency (business to people) that's grounded in mobile tech. Its trademark is "We Evoke Emotion." Every brand has a story to tell. Consumer's emotions create their reality, and with the right words, visuals, and engagement tactics, a brand's audience becomes part of the dialogue. Mad Ave Social finds each brand's unique voice, then turns their story into a conversation. The agency believes that social media is the first and only end-to-end medium that can spark awareness, engage interest, educate benefits, and inspire action, from initial message, all the way through toward brand loyalty and ultimately, advocacy. For more information, visit, https://www.madisonavenuesocial.com/

Media Contact:

Lynne Collins

[email protected]

1-646-286-4724

@LyCaLo

SOURCE Madison Avenue Social

Related Links

https://www.madisonavenuesocial.com


SEATTLE, Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Milliman, Inc., a premier global consulting and actuarial firm, today announced it has added Mall of America as a defined contribution client. Mall of America is a privately held corporation which is located in Minnesota.

"We chose Milliman for their reputation as a trusted service provider that values their clients. Partnering with Milliman provides our HR team the support and assistance to bring the best retirement plan and service to our team members," says Sue Amundson, Human Resources Director at Mall of America.

Milliman will provide recordkeeping, administration, communication and compliance services for the Mall of America Employee Retirement Savings Plan. Channel Financial is the independent investment advisor providing consulting services for the Plan and assisted with the record keeper search.

"Our mission at Milliman is to serve our clients to protect the health and financial well-being of people everywhere, and we strongly believe in providing superior service and value which exceeds our client's expectations," says Gerald Erickson, principal and senior consultant at Milliman. "We look forward to a long-standing relationship with Mall of America."

For more information about Milliman's employee benefit services, go to http://us.milliman.com/us/solutions/retirement/.

About Milliman

Milliman is a leading provider of consulting services and benefit administration. The firm has practices in healthcare, property & casualty insurance, life insurance and financial services, and employee benefits. Founded in 1947, Milliman is an independent firm with offices in major cities around the globe. For further information, visit milliman.com.

SOURCE Milliman, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.milliman.com


VANCOUVER, British Columbia, October 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Maxtech Ventures Inc. (CSE: MVT) (Frankfurt: M1N) (OTC: MTEHF), ("Maxtech" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it is moving forward with due diligence activities on its 100% owned assets in Mato Grosso, Brazil, and is beginning the final phase of exploration in order to acquire a trial mining license ("GUIA").

Maxtech in conjunction with Maringa, is currently coordinating a site visit to its assets in Mato Grosso within the next two weeks to evaluate in preparation for filing an application to the DNPM (National Department of Mineral Production, Departamento Nacional da Producao Mineral) for a GUIA (Guia de Utilizacao, i.e. trial mining use permit) license on the Juina Claims. Upon approval, the Company will have the ability to process "initial high-grade surface tonnage" and mine to a maximum of 6,000 tons of manganese. (as released on May 4th).

Additionally, Maxtech has completed due diligence on the targeted area in the state of Goias. The Company is evaluating the results and will ascertain if further research is warranted.

Peter Wilson, CEO of Maxtech said "This has been an exciting year for Maxtech. As it comes to a close, we are developing strong partnerships globally with potential offtake partners. Their expertise and continuous support of our exploration activities is pivotal to our success as a relevant manganese mining concern."

About Grupo Maringa

Founded in 1946, Grupo Maringa now has over 2,000 employees with over USD $200 million in 2016 revenues. The Maringa companies are located in the states of Parana and Sao Paulo. They produce sugar cane, sugar, ethanol, energy and manganese alloy. Maringa Ferro-Liga S.A. is a subsidiary of Grupo Maringa and is located in Itapeva, State of Sao Paulo. It is the second largest manganese ferroalloy producer in South America, producing high quality silico-manganese and high-carbon ferromanganese.

About Maxtech Ventures Inc.

Maxtech Ventures Inc. is a Canadian based diversified industries corporation with gold and manganese mineral properties. Its focus is on mining and the products that are derived therefrom.

Further information about the Company is available on http://www.SEDAR.com under the Company's profile.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Certain statements contained in this release may constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively "forward-looking information") as those terms are used in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and similar Canadian laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated", "anticipates" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to the business of the Company, the Property, financing and certain corporate changes. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

For additional information see the Company's web site at http://www.maxtech-ventures.com

Email to [email protected], Phone: +1-604-484-8989

SOURCE Maxtech Ventures Inc.
NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- McCann Worldgroup has been awarded multiple top honors at the London International Awards (LIA) recognizing creative excellence, winning an unprecedented total of six Network of the Year and Agency of the Year titles. This creative achievement at the LIA, which includes six Grand LIAs, reflects a total of 111 awards won by McCann Worldgroup agencies worldwide.

McCann Health was named Health & Pharmaceutical Network of the Year (global) .

. McCann Health India, in Delhi , was named both Health & Wellness Agency of the Year (global) and Pharmaceutical Agency of the Yea r (global) .

, was named both and r . McCann was named Network of the Year ( North America ) .

. McCann New York was named Agency of the Year (global) for the second year running, and Agency of the Year ( North America ).

Grand LIA recipients included campaigns created by McCann New York (3), McCann Health India, Delhi (2), and FP7/CAI, Cairo (1). In total 35 McCann Worldgroup agencies from 18 markets won 32 Gold LIAs, 30 Silver LIAs, 43 Bronze LIAs, and 45 Finalist points. These markets include Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

"As a global network, none of our agencies stand alone  and the LIA recognition in all of our regions has demonstrated this. We couldn't do it without exceptionally strong partnerships with clients who have been with us every step of the way," said Rob Reilly, Global Creative Chairman of McCann Worldgroup.

"It's an incredible tribute to our McCann Health teams and our clients to win these multiple awards recognizing both our global network overall and our agency in India," said Jeremy Perrott, Global Chief Creative Officer of McCann Health. "And it's especially gratifying to see the 'Immunity Charm' work for the Afghanistan Ministry of Public Health continue to win top awards in the industry, as it has throughout the year."

The LIA achievements follow a string of others globally for McCann in 2017, including winning the most top Grand Prix (six) at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and becoming the most awarded Cannes agency in North America. Also this year, McCann was named Network of the Year and Agency of the Year at the Golden Drum International Festival of Creativity; Agency of the Year at the Cresta Awards; Agency of the Year at the Clio Awards; Agency of the Year at The One Show; North American Agency of the Year at the New York Festivals; Network of the Year and Agency of the Year at the International ANDY Awards, in addition to taking the Best in Show GRANDY award; Network of the Year, Agency of the Year, and Digital Agency of the Year at the ADC 96th Annual Awards; and was ranked No. 1 Network Globally by The Midas Report. Additionally in the effectiveness awards arena, McCann was recognized as Network of the Year at the Latin American Effie Awards and as the most effective agency office in the North America Effies.

About McCann Worldgroup

McCann Worldgroup, part of the Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG), is a leading global marketing services company with 24,000 employees in more than 100 countries, comprising McCann (advertising), MRM//McCann (digital marketing/relationship management), Momentum Worldwide (total brand experience), McCann Health (professional/dtc communications), CRAFT (global adaptation and production), UM (media management), Weber Shandwick (public relations), FutureBrand (consulting/design), and PMK-BNC.

SOURCE McCann Worldgroup

Related Links

https://mccannworldgroup.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- OSNEXUS will be attending LISA17 to showcase its software-defined storage platform QuantaStor SDS together with AC&NC's JetStor storage solutions. Both companies will be demonstrating the latest in unified scale-out software-defined storage infrastructure and high-density storage enclosures. OSNEXUS will also be introducing its QuantaStor SDS Virtual Storage Appliances (VSAs) for Microsoft Azure.

OSNEXUS will be exhibiting at Booth 10 with AC&NC on November 1st and 2nd.

LISA is an annual, vendor-neutral conference for the wider system integration community. The LISA17 program addresses the overlap and differences between traditional and modern IT operations and engineering, and offers programs around three topics: architecture, culture, and engineering.

When:

November 1st, 2017 from 12 - 7 PM

November 2nd, 2017 from 10 AM - 2 PM

Where:

Pacific Concourse at Hyatt Regency

5 Embarcadero Center

San Francisco, California, 94111

Media Contact:

Scott Arenson

VP of Marketing at OSNEXUS

[email protected]

About OSNEXUS

Founded in 2010, OSNEXUS helps companies manage their storage ranging from small sites to hyperscale deployments across global datacenters with its QuantaStor industry-leading Software Defined Storage (SDS) platform. The QuantaStor Software Defined Storage platform provides scale-out file, block, and object storage as a single, easy-to-manage solution. Deployed by Fortune 500 companies worldwide, QuantaStor SDS addresses a broad set of storage use cases including server virtualization, big data, cloud computing, and high performance applications through scale-out physical and virtual storage appliances.

SOURCE OSNEXUS

Related Links

http://www.osnexus.com


TORONTO and HOUSTON, TX, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Medicenna Therapeutics Corp. ("Medicenna" or the "Company") (TSX: MDNA; OTCQX: MDNAF), a clinical stage immuno-oncology company, today announced that Dr. Martin Bexon, MD, Head of Clinical Development at Medicenna, will present results from earlier clinical trials at the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas' ("CPRIT") Fifth Innovations in Cancer Prevention and Research Conference to be held from November 13-14, 2017 in Austin, TX.

The poster presentation by Dr. Bexon will provide an overview of the safety and efficacy results from previous Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials of the targeted immunotherapy, MDNA55, in 66 patients with recurrent glioblastoma (rGBM), the most common and deadly form of brain cancer.

The details of the presentation are as follows:

Title: Clinical Safety and Efficacy of MDNA55: Results of 3 Studies in Recurrent Malignant Gliomas Date: Tuesday, November 14, 2017 Time: 10:00 AM Session: Treatment and Therapeutics Session ID: Poster Group B Location: Renaissance Arboretum Hotel, Austin, TX

About Medicenna Therapeutics Corp.

Medicenna is a clinical stage immuno-oncology company developing novel highly selective versions of IL-2, IL-4 and IL-13 Superkines and first in class Empowered Cytokines (ECs). Its wholly owned subsidiary, Houston-based Medicenna BioPharma, is specifically targeting the Interleukin-4 Receptor (IL4R), which is over-expressed by at least 20 different types of cancer affecting more than one million new cancer patients every year. Medicenna's lead IL4-EC, MDNA55 is enrolling patients in a CPRIT funded Phase 2b clinical trial for rGBM at leading brain cancer centres in the US. MDNA55 has completed 3 clinical trials in 72 patients, including 66 adults with rGBM, demonstrated compelling efficacy and obtained Fast-Track and Orphan Drug status from USFDA. Unlike most other cancer therapies, Medicenna's IL4-ECs have the potential to purge both the tumor and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, offering a unique treatment paradigm for a large majority of cancer patients.

For more information, please visit www.medicenna.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the future operations of the Company and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding future plans and objectives of the Company and others are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include the risks detailed in the annual information form of the Company dated June 15, 2017 and in other filings made by the Company with the applicable securities regulators from time to time.

The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements only as expressly required by Canadian securities law.

SOURCE Medicenna Therapeutics Corp.
MESQUITE, Texas, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bob Shapiro, of Identification Plates, Inc., Mesquite, Texas, earned the certification of Certified Advertising Specialist administered by Promotional Products Association International (PPAI; ppai.org), not-for-profit association for more than 11,000 members of the $20 billion promotional products industry.

Identification Plates, Inc. Bob Shapiro, CAS

The Certified Advertising Specialist (CAS), Master Advertising Specialist (MAS) and Master Advertising Specialist Plus (MAS+) Certifications are the promotional products industry's premier professional designations. Individuals with a PPAI Certification are seen as industry leadersthose who have attained a higher standard of professional competence, knowledge and experience. PPAI industry certification is acquired through a combination of: required certification classes, demonstrated years of employment in the industry, education, industry contributions and a successful demonstration of expertise. Certification is maintained through continuing education to ensure current knowledge and leading-edge professional skills.

The Certified Advertising Specialist (CAS) Certification requires 75 hours from a structured industry approved curriculum, a minimum three years of experience in the promotional products industry and a passing score on the CAS Certification exam. The rigorous curriculum required includes an overview of the promotional products industry, promotional programs, best practices/ supplier-distributor relations, advertising and marketing overview, product safety basics and business ethics. Upon completion of the core curriculum, individuals then have the opportunity to structure their own course schedules to deliver the greatest relevance and value for their careers.

Through industry certification, promotional products professionals can earn the designations of Certified Advertising Specialist (CAS), Master Advertising Specialist (MAS) or Master Advertising Specialist Plus (MAS+). PPAI Certification demonstrates a commitment to both business excellence and continual professional growth. A relatively small percentage of professionals hold these certifications and are known as the industry's innovators and leaders. PPAI Certification Program has been recognized as a reliable indicator of professionalism and excellence in the promotional products industry. For more information on the CAS, MAS, MAS+ Certifications, please visit www.ppai.org/certification or e-mail [email protected].

The promotional products medium is an essential element in the marketing communications mix. A "branded" tangible product turns an ordinary message into a marketing experience an audience can see, touch, hear, smell and even taste. Promotional products are one of the most efficient and effective media buys with the advertising industry. For more information about Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) or to learn more about the proven power of promotional products (including research and case studies), visit the PPAI website at www.ppai.org or contact PPAI at 972-258-3063 or [email protected].

About PPAI

Founded in 1903, the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) is the world's largest and oldest not-for-profit association serving more than 11,000 corporate members of the $20 billion promotional products industry which is comprised of more than 33,700 businesses and a workforce of more than 500,000 professionals. PPAI represents the industry in Washington, D.C., and advocates on its behalf. PPAI operates The PPAI Expo, the industry's largest trade show; provides the leading promotional products safety and compliance program, a prestigious professional development and certification program; and publishes industry trade journals and periodicals. The multi-billion-dollar industry includes wearables, writing instruments, calendars, drinkware and many other items, usually imprinted with a company's name, logo or message. For more information, visit PPAI.org and find us on Twitter @PPAI_HQ, Facebook, YouTube and Pinterest.

About Identification Plates

Identification Plates is a Texas-based manufacturer and distributor servicing the awards and personalization, promotional products, manufacturing and government markets. The company uses over 130 different types of sheet metal to fabricate stock and custom products while leveraging a variety of imprinting methods including chemical etching, screen printing, embossing, sublimation and engraving. For more information about Identification Plates, please call (800) 395-2570 or visit www.idplates.com.

CONTACT:

Kim R. Todora

PPAI

972-258-3063

888-426-7724

[email protected]

SOURCE Identification Plates, Inc.
BOSTON, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 1,200 MNA nurses at Tufts Medical Center will hold an informational picket on Thursday, November 2 from 5 to 7 p.m. outside the hospital in order to draw the public's attention back to the nurses' continued fight for a fair contract, as well as to put pressure on management to reach a fair settlement as soon as possible.

What: Informational Picket by the 1,200 RNs at Tufts Medical Center

When: Thursday, November 2 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Where: Main entrance of Tufts Medical Center, 800 Washington Street, Boston

The nurses, who held a historic one-day strike in July, resumed negotiations with management in late August and have held more than 10 sessions since then. Contract talks, however, have again stalled and resolution on the three key issues that originally led the RNs to strike  improved staffing, market-competitive wages, and equitable pension benefits for all RNs  remain mostly out of reach.

Nurses' Counter Proposal Would Allow for Freezing of Existing Pension Plan .

During the 10+ sessions since the strike, the RNs have made significant compromises on what the hospital originally identified as its main goal: to freeze the nurses' existing defined benefit (DB) pension plan. Most recently, and in response to an altered pension proposal put forth by management, the nurses presented a phase-in proposal that would allow the hospital to freeze the DB pension plan on December 31 of this year, contingent upon the hospital adding three years of service to the account of each participating nurse. Subsequently, on Jan. 1 of 2021, the hospital would contribute a match of up to four percent to the defined contribution (DC) plan of these same nurses. Meanwhile, nurses not in the defined benefit pension plan, but who participate in the defined contribution plan, would see their retirement benefits improve in the form of an increased contribution from the hospital.

"This was a serious compromise on our part," said Barbara Tiller, co-chair of the MNA bargaining unit at Tufts and an IV/PICC/CRN nurse. "Yes, it gives our youngest nurses a boost in retirement savings. And yes, it gets our senior nurses as close as possible to 100 percent of their previous DB benefit. But it is still a long way from a secure DB plan, such as a Taft-Hartley plan, and it is not nearly as competitive as we had hoped."

Mary Cornacchia, bargaining unit co-chair and OR nurse, added "We offered this compromise because management said the pension was their cornerstone issue, and we hoped it would result in progress on our remaining issues: staffing and market-competitive wages. We were wrong."

Real Nurses vs. Vague "Resources"

The nurses  who had already significantly revised their previous proposals on staffing  most recently presented simple, targeted language that would enhance staffing in key areas, including IV therapy, clinical resource, and charge nursing.

The nurses' proposals call on the hospital to have teams of IV and clinical resource nurses available on peak days/times, as well as permanently having charge nurses free of a patient assignment. Management has rejected these modest proposals and has repeatedly countered with murky language that proposes adding "resources" to these areas. The proposal on IV nursing is so murky, in fact, that management cannot even articulate how it will be operationalized.

"These teams are so basic they should already be in place," said Tiller. "Patients should not have to wait hours on end for IV or PICC-line insertions. But that's exactly what is happening at Tufts: endless wait times for essential care. Our proposals would solve this; management refuses to accept them."

Market-Competitive Wages

With the pension compromise the nurses offered, Tufts will save millions of dollars annually. The union is asking that some of those savings be reinvested in the nurses in the form of enhanced wages.

"The hospital's issues around recruitment and retention will not improve if management doesn't enhance wages beyond its last offer," added Cornacchia. "This should be easy given that we will be saving the hospital millions of dollars by letting the DB go. They have to move or we will lag even further behind the rest of the area hospitals."

Background

The 1,200 unionized MNA nurses at Tufts saw their contract expire on July, 30 of 2016, and they have been negotiating for a successor agreement for nearly 18 months. Their historic one-day strike  and subsequent four-day lockout  was held July 12 to 17 of this year. The nurses will next negotiate with management just prior to the informational picket on Nov. 2.

MassNurses.org  Facebook.com/MassNurses  Twitter.com/MassNurses  Instagram.com/MassNurses

Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 23,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association

Related Links

http://www.massnurses.org


PRINCETON, N.J., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As a result of new research, the GRE  General Test is poised to help law schools expand access to legal education and ease the burden for students interested in multiple education opportunities who would otherwise be required to prepare and pay for two tests.

After a series of school-specific studies, Educational Testing Service (ETS) -- working with 21 U.S. law schools -- conducted a national validity study to determine how well GRE  scores predict success in law schools. Written by David M. Klieger, Brent Bridgeman, Richard J. Tannenbaum, Frederick A. Cline and Margarita Olivera-Aguilar, "The Validity of GRE  Scores for Predicting Academic Performance at U.S. Law Schools" indicates that the GRE General Test is a strong, generalizably valid predictor of first-year law school grades. Furthermore, results show that the test adds to the prediction even when undergraduate grade point average already is available to predict those grades. The study also reiterated the reliability of the GRE test that had been shown in prior research.

"We've empirically confirmed that the GRE test is a valid and reliable tool for informing law schools' admissions decisions," said David Payne, Vice President and COO of Global Education at ETS. "In addition, our research findings show that the GRE test satisfies the requirement of ABA Standard 503, which requires that law schools use a valid and reliable admissions test to assess their applicants."

The skills assessed through the GRE test fit closely with the legal skills and educational objectives of law schools. Moreover, the test can also open a critical pipeline of law students with STEM backgrounds to meet society's and the profession's needs. As Klieger et al. note, the "GRE test could help expand access to legal education beyond the traditional pre-law degree fields. There are potential law school applicants who have either completed or are considering many non-legal STEM and non-STEM graduate and professional programs that require or recommend the GRE test."

Interest in the GRE test among law schools has been growing since last year when the University of Arizona's James E. Rogers College of Law decided to accept GRE scores for admission.

"Our goal was to open additional pathways to the College of Law, making our student body more diverse on all measures, including intellectual interests," said Marc Miller, the Dean of the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law. "As the forces of technology and globalization transform the legal profession, lawyers will need to bring an increasingly wide range of perspectives to the law, perspectives reflected in the vast range of students who take the GRE every year. Moreover, students are often undecided about what they want to do at the end of their undergraduate degree, or may want to obtain dual degrees, and requiring them to invest the time and money to take two different tests seemed an unnecessary barrier. This is a win-win for students and law schools."

In addition to the University of Arizona, several other law schools have already publicly announced that they will be accepting GRE scores for admissions, including Harvard University, Columbia University, Georgetown University, Northwestern University, Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Hawaii.

With the completion of this study, Payne expects that number to grow, particularly in light of strong relationships between the scores on the GRE test and performance in law school.

To request a pre-publication copy of "The Validity of GRE  Scores for Predicting Academic Performance at U.S. Law Schools," please contact Jason Baran at [email protected].

For more information about the GRE General Test or to register to take a GRE test, please visit www.ets.org/gre.

About ETS

At ETS, we advance quality and equity in education for people worldwide by creating assessments based on rigorous research. ETS serves individuals, educational institutions and government agencies by providing customized solutions for teacher certification, English language learning, and elementary, secondary and postsecondary education, and by conducting education research, analysis and policy studies. Founded as a nonprofit in 1947, ETS develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually -- including the TOEFL and TOEIC  tests, the GRE  tests and The Praxis Series  assessments -- in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide. www.ets.org

SOURCE Educational Testing Service

Related Links

http://www.ets.org


ATLANTA, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The end of summer typically sees a drop in overall dealership website traffic, and this year was no exception. However, the decline was notably less significant compared to the past several years and suggests that car buyers' purchasing intent has not drastically shifted downward.

The October Dealer DataView index  which captures data through September 30, 2017  showed that total website visits in September dropped 6% compared to August. This represents a notably less significant shift when compared to prior year seasonal changes. In 2016, Dealer.com saw a 9% drop in total traffic in September compared to August, and in 2015, the monthly difference was 10%.

The DataView index also revealed that aside from the total traffic drop, engagement remained generally consistent with this year's overall trends. Engagement remained generally consistent with this year's overall trends of increased mobile traffic and SUV popularity. Mobile visits continue to climb and now accounts for 57% of total visits. New vehicle detail page (VDP) views account for 44% of total VDPs; used VDPs stand at 53%, and SUVs remained the most popular body style at 35% of all VDP views.

Search advertising cost-per-click (CPC), another leading indicator of demand, climbed by 4% again last month, and is now averaging $3.47 nationally. As the fall season begins, advertising budgets may need to be adjusted to account for this trend.

"A critical value of the DataView reporting is providing context and understanding around cyclical industry trends such as seasonal fluctuations," said James Grace, Senior Director of Analytics Products, Cox Automotive Media Solutions. "As dealers continue to carefully monitor the sales climate, the October reporting points to continuing demand and purchase intent from U.S. consumers."

Separately, in a bid to better understand the link between natural disasters and car shopping behavior, the Dealer.com team analyzed proprietary data from impacted regions. Their research revealed that car shopping is a bellwether for a local economy in reacting and responding to these tragedies:

In the days following the landfall of Hurricane Harvey on August 26 , the Houston area saw a significant drop in both traffic to Dealer.com websites as well as leads submitted to dealerships. However, that drop was immediately followed by a spike as people bought new cars to replace those that were damaged in the storm. About a month later, things returned to normal levels.

, the area saw a significant drop in both traffic to Dealer.com websites as well as leads submitted to dealerships. However, that drop was immediately followed by a spike as people bought new cars to replace those that were damaged in the storm. About a month later, things returned to normal levels. The situation in Florida following the landfall of Hurricane Irma on September 11th was similar, but slightly different in an important way. In Florida , there was a steady drop in web traffic and lead volume leading up to the hurricane's landfall and a subsequent return to normal levels about five days later. What didn't emerge was the same spike of demand, which suggests that the damage in Florida was a bit less severe.

The data referenced above is based on visits to Dealer.com hosted websites. For more insights and to view the full October DataView report featuring detailed regional breakdowns. please visit:

To register for future DataView reports, visit http://www.dealer.com/dataviewsignup_teaser/ .

About Dealer.com

Dealer.com provides an integrated platform of Advertising, Website and Managed Services products which allow OEMs, dealer groups, retailers and agencies to leverage advanced digital technology and data to better engage and connect with their customers. The company practices a deep commitment to its culture of innovation, with a focus on health and wellness, making it one of the most desirable places to work, and a valuable partner for automotive retailers. Based in Burlington, Vermont, Dealer.com is a Cox Automotive brand. For more information, visit www.dealer.com.

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive Inc. is transforming the way the world buys, sells and owns cars with industry-leading digital marketing, financial, retail and wholesale solutions for consumers, dealers, manufacturers and the overall automotive ecosystem worldwide. Committed to open choice and dedicated to strong partnerships, the Cox Automotive family includes Autotrader, Dealer.com, Dealertrack, Kelley Blue Book, Manheim, NextGear Capital, vAuto, Xtime and a host of other brands. The global company has 32,000-plus team members in more than 200 locations and is partner to more than 40,000 auto dealers, as well as most major automobile manufacturers, while engaging U.S. consumer car buyers with the most recognized media brands in the industry. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., an Atlanta-based company with revenues exceeding $20 billion and approximately 60,000 employees. Cox Enterprises' other major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications and Cox Media Group. For more information about Cox Automotive, visit www.coxautoinc.com.

SOURCE Dealer.com

Related Links

http://www.dealer.com


THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Newpark Resources, Inc. (NYSE: NR) today announced that it has entered into definitive agreements to acquire substantially all of the assets, operations, and employees of the Well Service Group Inc. ("WSG"), a containment and well site service company based near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and its affiliate Utility Access Solutions Inc. ("UAS") for approximately $75 million.

Since 2012, WSG has been a strategic logistics and installation service partner for Newpark's Mats & Integrated Service segment, providing a variety of complementary services to the composite matting systems, including access road construction, site planning and preparation, environmental protection, fluids and spill storage/containment, erosion control, and site restoration services. Building upon their position as a leading worksite service provider to operators drilling in the Marcellus and Utica basins, the combined WSG and UAS business has expanded geographically and entered new customer markets, including the utility transmission and distribution sector. The combined business now maintains a footprint that covers the Northeast, Midwest, Rockies and West Texas regions.

Under the terms of the agreement, total consideration at closing is expected to be approximately $75 million, subject to typical adjustments for actual working capital conveyed, which will include approximately $43 million of cash consideration and $32 million of common equity of Newpark Resources, Inc. The cash consideration will be funded through borrowings on Newpark's revolving credit facility and the transaction is expected to close in November 2017. The Company expects the acquisition to be accretive to Newpark earnings in 2018.

Matthew Lanigan, Newpark Vice President and President of Mats and Integrated Services, stated, "We are very pleased to announce this acquisition, which serves as another critical step in the execution of our long-term mats strategy. Serving as our key partner in the significant Northeast market over the last five years, Well Service Group has demonstrated their unique capabilities and focus on superior customer service and continual innovation, a culture that fully aligns with Newpark. Through this acquisition, we see a meaningful opportunity to drive additional operational efficiencies for our existing matting customers, deliver further advancements of our industry-leading composite matting systems, accelerate our penetration of targeted end-user market opportunities, and create additional value for our shareholders."

Rich Brennan, President of the Well Service Group added, "We are delighted to be part of the Newpark family and excited at the opportunities this union brings for our customers and employees."

Newpark management plans to provide additional details regarding this transaction during their third quarter 2017 earnings conference call, which will be broadcast live over the Internet, on Tuesday, October 31, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time / 9:00 a.m. Central Time.

Newpark Resources, Inc. is a worldwide provider of value-added drilling fluids systems and composite matting systems used in oilfield and other commercial markets. For more information, visit our website at www.newpark.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act that are based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections. All statements that address expectations or projections about the future, including Newpark's strategy for growth, product development, market position, expected expenditures and future financial results are forward-looking statements. Some of the forward-looking statements may be identified by words like "expects," "anticipates," "plans," "intends," "projects," "indicates," and similar expressions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, many of which are beyond the control of Newpark, including the ability of Newpark to successfully integrate the operations of WSG and UAS and the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition. Many factors, including those discussed more fully elsewhere in this release and in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Newpark, particularly its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, as well as others, could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these statements. These risk factors include, but are not limited to, risks related to the worldwide oil and natural gas industry, our customer concentration and reliance on the U.S. exploration and production market, risks related to our international operations, the cost and continued availability of borrowed funds including noncompliance with debt covenants, operating hazards present in the oil and natural gas industry, our ability to execute our business strategy and make successful business acquisitions and capital investments, the availability of raw materials and skilled personnel, our market competition, compliance with legal and regulatory matters, including environmental regulations, the availability of insurance and the risks and limitations of our insurance coverage, potential impairments of long-lived intangible assets, technological developments in our industry, risks related to severe weather, particularly in the U.S. Gulf Coast, cybersecurity breaches or business system disruptions and risks related to the fluctuations in the market value of our common stock. Newpark's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission can be obtained at no charge at www.sec.gov, as well as through our website at www.newpark.com.

Contacts: Gregg Piontek

Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

Newpark Resources, Inc.

[email protected]

281-362-6800

SOURCE Newpark Resources, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.newpark.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A Queens jury of four women and two men awarded the widow of Steve Frosh, a sanitation worker, $41.5 million for his death as a result of the negligence of the City of New York.

Ben Rubinowitz along with Peter Saghir, both partners at the New York Personal Injury Law Firm Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf tried the case on behalf of Mrs. Frosch before the Hon. Joseph Esposito.

New York Personal Injury Lawyers Ben Rubinowitz and Peter Saghir

On June 21, 2014, Steve Frosch was at work in a Department of Sanitation garage in Maspeth, Queens. He was making adjustments to his street sweeper when he was struck and killed by another sweeper truck. He suffered 2 to 3 minutes of agonizing pain before succumbing to his injuries.

His wife, Bina Frosch, sued the City of New York for the negligence and carelessness of the worker driving the street sweeper.

At the time of the accident, Steven Frosch was 43 years old. He had four children ages 11, 8, 3 and 7 weeks old. The victim who had been working for the city for 18 years, including 4 as a New York City Policeman, was set to retire from the City in 2 years. His goal was to become a Financial Planner.

The jury awarded $1.5 million for pain and suffering, $15 million for past losses of parental care and guidance and financial support and $25 million for future lost guidance and financial support. "This is one of the largest wrongful death awards in Queens, without question," said New York Personal Injury Lawyer Ben Rubinowitz who also stated: "Steven Frosch was one of the best New York City had to offer. He was a dedicated sanitation employee but even more a great husband and father who can never be replaced."

The family has released the following statement: "The loss has been unbearable to me and my four children and it always will be. I am grateful to the jury for recognizing how important Steve was to us."

CONTACT: Ben Rubinowitz, 212 943 1090, [email protected]

Related Link http://www.gairgair.com

SOURCE Gair, Gair, Conason, Rubinowitz, Bloom, Hershenhorn, Steigman & Mackauf

Related Links

http://www.gairgair.com


WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Students at Shaker Heights High School in Shaker Heights, Ohio, will speak with NASA astronauts living, working and doing research aboard the International Space Station at 10:10 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, Nov. 1. The 20-minute, Earth-to-space call will air live on NASA TV's Media Channel and the agency's website.

NASA astronauts Mark Vande Hei and Joe Acaba, who are currently aboard the International Space Station on Expedition 53, will be asked questions by select students. Discussion will include topics about living aboard the space station, NASA's deep space exploration plans and science in space.

Vande Hei and Acaba both arrived at the space station Sept. 12. This is Vande Hei's first space mission and Acaba's third. In their time aboard the space station, Vande Hei conducted two spacewalks and Acaba conducted one. Together they will return to Earth in February 2018.

Shaker Heights High School was selected through a competitive process to host a downlink with the station. Across the district, students have been preparing for the event by studying the space station, the biographies of Vande Hei and Acaba, and the current research and activities happening aboard. Students also are learning about the cosmos through the high school's planetarium and astronomy classes. Student art inspired by space exploration will be displayed before the downlink begins.

Media interested in attending the event should contact Kristen Miller via email at [email protected] or phone 216-295-6144. Shaker Heights High School is at 15600 Parkland Drive in Shaker Heights.

Linking students directly to astronauts aboard the space station provides unique, authentic experiences designed to enhance student learning, performance and interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). This in-flight education downlink is an integral component of NASA's Year of Education on Station which provides extensive space station-related resources and opportunities to students and educators.

Follow the astronauts on social media:

https://www.twitter.com/NASA_astronauts/

For more information, videos and lesson plans highlighting research on the International Space Station, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation/

SOURCE NASA

Related Links

http://www.nasa.gov


TULSA, Okla., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE: OKE) today announced higher third-quarter 2017 financial results primarily benefiting from natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGL) volume growth in the Williston Basin and STACK and SCOOP areas, higher average fee rates in the natural gas gathering and processing segment and higher fee-based transportation services in the natural gas pipelines segment.

SUMMARY

Third-quarter 2017 net income attributable to ONEOK and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (adjusted EBITDA) totaled $165.7 million and $517.2 million , respectively;

and , respectively; Third-quarter 2017 natural gas volumes processed increased 16 percent, NGLs transported on gathering lines increased 5 percent and natural gas transportation capacity contracted increased 5 percent, compared with the third quarter 2016;

The natural gas gathering and processing segment's average fee rate was 86 cents per Million British thermal units (MMBtu) in the third quarter 2017, compared with 76 cents per MMBtu in the third quarter 2016;

per Million British thermal units (MMBtu) in the third quarter 2017, compared with per MMBtu in the third quarter 2016; Results include third-quarter 2017 noncash impairment charges totaling $20.2 million , or 3 cents per diluted share, related to nonstrategic assets and equity investments in the natural gas gathering and processing segment;

, or per diluted share, related to nonstrategic assets and equity investments in the natural gas gathering and processing segment; ONEOK estimates an approximately $4.5 million , or 1 cent per diluted share, adverse impact to the natural gas liquids segment's third-quarter 2017 earnings due to Hurricane Harvey; and

, or per diluted share, adverse impact to the natural gas liquids segment's third-quarter 2017 earnings due to Hurricane Harvey; and Third-quarter 2017 dividend coverage ratio was 1.29.

THIRD-QUARTER AND YEAR-TO-DATE 2017 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS



Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

September 30,

2017

2016

2017

2016

(Millions of dollars, except per share and coverage ratio amounts) Net income attributable to ONEOK (a) $ 165.7



$ 92.1



$ 324.8



$ 261.5

Net income per diluted share (a) $ 0.43



$ 0.43



$ 1.20



$ 1.23

Adjusted EBITDA (b) $ 517.2



$ 469.7



$ 1,439.1



$ 1,375.9

DCF (b) $ 364.4



$ 331.5



$ 1,018.6



$ 1,004.0

Dividend coverage ratio (b) 1.29



1.52



1.42



1.54

(a) Three- and nine-month periods ending Sept. 30, 2017, include noncash impairment charges of approximately $20.2 million, or 3 cents per diluted share and 5 cents per diluted share, respectively. The nine-month period also includes approximately $50 million, or 11 cents per diluted share, in one-time and ONEOK and ONEOK Partners transaction-related costs. (b) Adjusted EBITDA; distributable cash flow (DCF); and dividend coverage ratio are non-GAAP measures. Nine-month 2017 amounts include transaction-related pretax cash costs of approximately $30 million, or 0.05 times dividend coverage, associated with the recently closed ONEOK and ONEOK Partners merger transaction. Reconciliations to relevant GAAP measures are included in this news release.

"Third-quarter financial results reflect increases in both adjusted EBITDA and distributable cash flow, compared with 2016, driven by natural gas and natural gas liquids volume growth," said Terry K. Spencer, ONEOK president and chief executive officer. "Solid volume performance through the first nine months of the year has ONEOK well-positioned to achieve 2017 financial guidance.

"ONEOK was impacted by the effects of Hurricane Harvey during the quarter, but I couldn't be more proud of the way our employees responded," said Spencer. "They worked tirelessly to keep our assets running safely and to provide needed services to our customers, all while having to deal personally with the effects of the hurricane.

"We've announced approximately $490 million in capital-growth projects since June 2017, including the recently announced expansion of our West Texas LPG Pipeline into the heart of the Delaware Basin. We are developing more potential opportunities that further expand our existing assets, which continue to create our highest returns on capital invested," added Spencer.

THIRD-QUARTER AND YEAR-TO-DATE 2017 FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE



Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

September 30,

2017

2016

2017

2016

(Millions of dollars) Operating income $ 351.9



$ 329.4



$ 983.1



$ 956.1

Operating costs $ 207.0



$ 184.1



$ 616.7



$ 553.0

Depreciation and amortization $ 102.3



$ 98.5



$ 302.6



$ 292.2

Equity in net earnings from investments $ 40.1



$ 35.2



$ 119.0



$ 100.4

Adjusted EBITDA $ 517.2



$ 469.7



$ 1,439.1



$ 1,375.9

Capital expenditures $ 135.2



$ 158.3



$ 330.4



$ 491.5



ONEOK's operating income increased for the three- and nine-month periods in 2017, compared with the same periods in 2016, but higher results were offset partially by noncash impairment charges in the third quarter 2017 and one-time charges associated with the ONEOK and ONEOK Partners merger transaction during the first and second quarters of 2017. Noncash charges in the third quarter 2017 totaled approximately $20.2 million, or 3 cents per diluted share.

Operating costs increased in the three- and nine-month periods in 2017, compared with the same periods in 2016, due primarily to higher labor and employee-related costs associated with benefit plans and the growth of ONEOK's operations, and routine maintenance projects.

In September and October 2017, ONEOK issued 3.3 million common shares through its "at-the-market" equity program, resulting in net proceeds of $184 million. Proceeds were used for general corporate purposes, including the repayment of outstanding debt and to fund capital-growth projects.

EARNINGS PRESENTATION AND KEY STATISTICS:

Additional financial and operating information that will be discussed on the third-quarter 2017 conference call is accessible on ONEOK's website, www.oneok.com , or from the links below.

> View earnings presentation

> View earnings tables

HIGHLIGHTS:

Maintaining 2017 net income guidance of $635 million to $795 million , adjusted EBITDA guidance of $1.89 billion to $2.06 billion and DCF guidance of $1.28 billion to $1.44 billion ;

, adjusted EBITDA guidance of and DCF guidance of ; Announcing in October 2017 plans to invest approximately $200 million to extend the West Texas LPG Pipeline system, of which ONEOK owns 80 percent, into the prolific Delaware Basin. The project is expected to be completed in the third quarter 2018;

plans to invest approximately to extend the West Texas LPG Pipeline system, of which ONEOK owns 80 percent, into the prolific Basin. The project is expected to be completed in the third quarter 2018; Repaying in September 2017 $400 million of 2.0 percent senior notes;

of 2.0 percent senior notes; Completing in July 2017 a $1.2 billion public offering of senior notes, consisting of $500 million of 10-year senior notes at a coupon of 4.0 percent and $700 million of 30-year senior notes at a coupon of 4.95 percent, generating net proceeds of approximately $1.18 billion ;

a public offering of senior notes, consisting of of 10-year senior notes at a coupon of 4.0 percent and of 30-year senior notes at a coupon of 4.95 percent, generating net proceeds of approximately ; Repaying in July 2017 $500 million of the $1.0 billion term loan agreement due 2019;

of the term loan agreement due 2019; Redeeming in July 2017 ONEOK's 6.5 percent senior notes due 2028 for approximately $87 million ;

ONEOK's 6.5 percent senior notes due 2028 for approximately ; Having approximately $1.6 billion of borrowing capacity available under its $2.5 billion credit agreement as of Sept. 30, 2017 ; and

of borrowing capacity available under its credit agreement as of ; and Declaring in October 2017 a third-quarter 2017 dividend of 74.5 cents per share, or $2.98 per share on an annualized basis. The dividend remains unchanged from the previous quarter when it was increased 13 cents per share, or 21 percent, following the close of the ONEOK and ONEOK Partners merger transaction.

BUSINESS-SEGMENT RESULTS:

Key financial and operating statistics are listed in the tables.

Natural Gas Liquids Segment

The natural gas liquids segment's adjusted EBITDA increased 5 percent in the third quarter 2017, compared with the same period in 2016, benefiting from increased NGL volumes gathered from the Williston Basin and STACK and SCOOP areas.

The segment connected one new third-party natural gas processing plant in the Permian Basin during the third quarter 2017, in addition to the five third-party plant connections added to its system in the first half of 2017.

Even with higher NGL volumes gathered during the third quarter 2017, compared with the second quarter 2017, ethane rejection levels on ONEOK's system remained relatively unchanged, continuing to average more than 150,000 barrels per day (bpd).

During August and September 2017, disruptions from Hurricane Harvey caused lower NGL volumes and higher operating costs at some of ONEOK's Gulf Coast and Mid-Continent area assets, adversely impacting adjusted EBITDA in the segment by an estimated $4.5 million.



Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

September 30, Natural Gas Liquids Segment 2017

2016

2017

2016

(Millions of dollars) Adjusted EBITDA $ 293.9



$ 279.3



$ 845.5



$ 826.0

Capital expenditures $ 27.0



$ 30.5



$ 59.8



$ 85.5



The increase in third-quarter 2017 adjusted EBITDA, compared with the third quarter 2016, primarily reflects:

A $17.4 million increase in exchange services due to increased volumes in the Williston Basin and the STACK and SCOOP areas from recently connected natural gas processing plants, offset partially by lower volumes in the Granite Wash and Barnett Shale and reduced volumes related to Hurricane Harvey; and

increase in exchange services due to increased volumes in the Basin and the STACK and SCOOP areas from recently connected natural gas processing plants, offset partially by lower volumes in the Granite Wash and Barnett Shale and reduced volumes related to Hurricane Harvey; and A $7.5 million increase in optimization and marketing due primarily to wider product price differentials; offset partially by

increase in optimization and marketing due primarily to wider product price differentials; offset partially by A $10.4 million increase in operating costs due primarily to higher property taxes, higher labor and employee-related costs associated with benefit plans, the timing of routine maintenance projects and additional operating costs related to Hurricane Harvey; and

increase in operating costs due primarily to higher property taxes, higher labor and employee-related costs associated with benefit plans, the timing of routine maintenance projects and additional operating costs related to Hurricane Harvey; and A $4.2 million decrease in transportation and storage services due primarily to lower storage volumes.

The increase in adjusted EBITDA for the nine-month 2017 period, compared with the same period last year, primarily reflects:

A $29.8 million increase in exchange services due to increased volumes in the Williston Basin and STACK and SCOOP areas from recently connected natural gas processing plants, offset partially by lower volumes in the Granite Wash and Barnett Shale, and reduced volumes related to Hurricane Harvey;

increase in exchange services due to increased volumes in the Basin and STACK and SCOOP areas from recently connected natural gas processing plants, offset partially by lower volumes in the Granite Wash and Barnett Shale, and reduced volumes related to Hurricane Harvey; A $2.9 million increase in equity in net earnings from investments due primarily to higher volumes delivered to the Overland Pass Pipeline from the Bakken NGL Pipeline; and

increase in equity in net earnings from investments due primarily to higher volumes delivered to the Overland Pass Pipeline from the Bakken NGL Pipeline; and A $1.8 million increase in optimization and marketing due primarily to higher optimization volumes and wider product price differentials; offset partially by

increase in optimization and marketing due primarily to higher optimization volumes and wider product price differentials; offset partially by A $19.6 million increase in operating costs due primarily to higher property taxes, higher labor and employee-related costs associated with benefit plans, the timing of routine maintenance projects and additional operating costs related to Hurricane Harvey.

Natural Gas Gathering and Processing Segment

The natural gas gathering and processing segment's adjusted EBITDA increased 29 percent in the third quarter 2017 and 17 percent through the first nine months of 2017, compared with the same periods in 2016. Producer activity remained steady on ONEOK's dedicated acreage in the Williston Basin and STACK and SCOOP areas, contributing to a 16 percent increase in natural gas volumes processed, compared with the third quarter 2016.

Higher fee-based earnings also continue to benefit the segment, with the third quarter 2017 fee rate averaging 86 cents per MMBtu, compared with 76 cents per MMBtu in the third quarter 2016, a 13 percent increase.

During the third quarter 2017, the gathering and processing segment recorded $20.2 million of noncash impairment charges related to nonstrategic assets and equity investments located in North Dakota and Oklahoma, respectively.



Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

September 30, Natural Gas Gathering and Processing Segment 2017

2016

2017

2016

(Millions of dollars) Adjusted EBITDA $ 142.0



$ 109.8



$ 374.2



$ 320.2

Capital expenditures $ 85.5



$ 99.6



$ 185.7



$ 325.8



Third-quarter 2017 adjusted EBITDA increased, compared with the third quarter 2016, which primarily reflects:

A $26.5 million increase due primarily to natural gas volume growth in the Williston Basin and the STACK and SCOOP areas, offset partially by natural production declines; and

increase due primarily to natural gas volume growth in the Basin and the STACK and SCOOP areas, offset partially by natural production declines; and A $16.9 million increase due primarily to restructured contracts resulting in higher average fee rates, offset partially by a lower percentage of proceeds (POP) retained from the sale of commodities purchased under POP with fee contracts; offset partially by

increase due primarily to restructured contracts resulting in higher average fee rates, offset partially by a lower percentage of proceeds (POP) retained from the sale of commodities purchased under POP with fee contracts; offset partially by A $10.8 million increase in operating costs due primarily to increased labor and employee-related costs associated with benefit plans and the growth of ONEOK's operations and the timing of property tax accruals; and

increase in operating costs due primarily to increased labor and employee-related costs associated with benefit plans and the growth of ONEOK's operations and the timing of property tax accruals; and A $3.1 million decrease due primarily to lower realized natural gas and condensate prices.

The increase in adjusted EBITDA for the nine-month 2017 period, compared with the same period last year, primarily reflects:

A $46.8 million increase due primarily to restructured contracts resulting in higher average fee rates, offset partially by a lower POP retained from the sale of commodities purchased under POP with fee contracts; and

increase due primarily to restructured contracts resulting in higher average fee rates, offset partially by a lower POP retained from the sale of commodities purchased under POP with fee contracts; and A $28.2 million increase due primarily to natural gas volume growth in the Williston Basin and the STACK and SCOOP areas, offset partially by natural production declines and the impact of severe winter weather in the first quarter 2017; offset partially by

increase due primarily to natural gas volume growth in the Basin and the STACK and SCOOP areas, offset partially by natural production declines and the impact of severe winter weather in the first quarter 2017; offset partially by A $16.7 million increase in operating costs due primarily to increased labor and employee-related costs associated with benefit plans and the growth of ONEOK's operations; and

increase in operating costs due primarily to increased labor and employee-related costs associated with benefit plans and the growth of ONEOK's operations; and A $7.5 million decrease due primarily to lower realized natural gas and condensate prices.

Natural Gas Pipelines Segment

The natural gas pipelines segment's adjusted EBITDA increased 9 percent in the third quarter 2017 and 13 percent through the first nine months of 2017, compared with the same periods in 2016. Higher fee-based earnings and increased transportation capacity contracted, primarily from the 2016 WesTex pipeline expansion, contributed to the segment's results.



Three Months Ended

Nine Months Ended

September 30,

September 30, Natural Gas Pipelines Segment 2017

2016

2017

2016

(Millions of dollars) Adjusted EBITDA $ 87.5



$ 80.3



$ 251.1



$ 223.2

Capital expenditures $ 18.8



$ 24.5



$ 70.7



$ 71.7



Third-quarter 2017 adjusted EBITDA increased, compared with the third quarter 2016, which primarily reflects:

A $6.7 million increase from higher transportation services due primarily to increased firm demand charge capacity contracted; and

increase from higher transportation services due primarily to increased firm demand charge capacity contracted; and A $2.7 million increase in equity in net earnings from investments due primarily to higher firm transportation revenues on Roadrunner Gas Transmission Pipeline (Roadrunner); offset partially by

increase in equity in net earnings from investments due primarily to higher firm transportation revenues on Roadrunner Gas Transmission Pipeline (Roadrunner); offset partially by A $3.6 million decrease due primarily to gains on sales of excess natural gas in storage in 2016; and

decrease due primarily to gains on sales of excess natural gas in storage in 2016; and A $1.4 million increase in operating costs due primarily to higher labor and employee-related costs associated with benefit plans.

The increase in adjusted EBITDA for the nine-month 2017 period, compared with the same period last year, primarily reflects:

A $22.7 million increase from higher transportation services due primarily to increased firm demand charge capacity contracted;

increase from higher transportation services due primarily to increased firm demand charge capacity contracted; A $13.9 million increase in equity in net earnings from investments due primarily to higher firm transportation revenues on Roadrunner; and

increase in equity in net earnings from investments due primarily to higher firm transportation revenues on Roadrunner; and A $3.2 million increase from higher net retained fuel due primarily to higher equity gas sales and higher natural gas prices, offset partially by lower natural gas volumes retained; offset partially by

increase from higher net retained fuel due primarily to higher equity gas sales and higher natural gas prices, offset partially by lower natural gas volumes retained; offset partially by An $8.3 million decrease due primarily to gains on sales of excess natural gas in storage in 2016; and

decrease due primarily to gains on sales of excess natural gas in storage in 2016; and A $7.4 million increase in operating costs due primarily to routine maintenance projects and higher labor and employee-related costs associated with benefit plans.

EARNINGS CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST:

ONEOK executive management will conduct a conference call at 11 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (10 a.m. Central Daylight Time) on Nov. 1, 2017. The call also will be carried live on ONEOK's website.

To participate in the telephone conference call, dial 888-312-9849, pass code 2687557, or log on to www.oneok.com .

If you are unable to participate in the conference call or the webcast, the replay will be available on ONEOK's website, www.oneok.com , for 30 days. A recording will be available by phone for seven days. The playback call may be accessed at 888-203-1112, pass code 2687557.

LINKS TO EARNINGS TABLES AND PRESENTATION:

Tables:

http://ir.oneok.com/~/media/Files/O/OneOK-IR/financial-reports/2017/q3-2017-earnings-results-financial-news.pdf

Presentation:

http://ir.oneok.com/~/media/Files/O/OneOK-IR/financial-reports/2017/q3-2017-earnings-results-presentation.pdf

NON-GAAP (GENERALLY ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES) FINANCIAL MEASURES:

ONEOK has disclosed in this news release adjusted EBITDA, distributable cash flow and dividend coverage ratio, which are non-GAAP financial metrics, used to measure the company's financial performance and are defined as follows:

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income from continuing operations adjusted for interest expense, depreciation and amortization, noncash impairment charges, income taxes, noncash compensation expense, allowance for equity funds used during construction (equity AFUDC), and other noncash items;

Distributable cash flow is defined as adjusted EBITDA, computed as described above, less interest expense, maintenance capital expenditures and equity earnings from investments, excluding noncash impairment charges, adjusted for cash distributions received from unconsolidated affiliates and certain other items; and

Dividend coverage ratio is defined as ONEOK's distributable cash flow to ONEOK shareholders divided by the dividends paid for the period.

These non-GAAP financial measures described above are useful to investors because they, and similar measures, are used by many companies in the industry as a measure of financial performance and are commonly employed by financial analysts and others to evaluate our financial performance and to compare our financial performance with the performance of other companies within our industry. Adjusted EBITDA, ONEOK distributable cash flow and coverage ratio should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net income or any other measure of financial performance presented in accordance with GAAP.

These non-GAAP financial measures exclude some, but not all, items that affect net income. Additionally, these calculations may not be comparable with similarly titled measures of other companies. Reconciliations of net income to adjusted EBITDA, distributable cash flow and coverage ratio are included in the tables.

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 @ONEOKNews .

This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of federal securities laws. Words such as "anticipates", "believes," "expects", "intends", "plans", "projects", "will", "would", "should", "may", and similar expressions may be used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact and reflect our current views about future events. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the benefits of the transaction involving us, including future financial and operating results, our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions, and other statements that are not historical facts, including future results of operations, projected cash flow and liquidity, business strategy, expected synergies or cost savings, and other plans and objectives for future operations. No assurances can be given that the forward-looking statements contained in this news release will occur as projected and actual results may differ materially from those projected.

Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and assumptions that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, and are not guarantees of future results. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in such statements and, therefore, you should not place undue reliance on any such statements and caution must be exercised in relying on forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the following:

the risk that cost savings, tax benefits and any other synergies from the Merger transaction may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected;

the impact and outcome of pending and future litigation, including litigation relating to the Merger transaction;

the effects of weather and other natural phenomena, including climate change, on our operations, demand for our services and energy prices;

competition from other United States and foreign energy suppliers and transporters, as well as alternative forms of energy, including, but not limited to, solar power, wind power, geothermal energy and biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel;

and foreign energy suppliers and transporters, as well as alternative forms of energy, including, but not limited to, solar power, wind power, geothermal energy and biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel; the capital intensive nature of our businesses;

the profitability of assets or businesses acquired or constructed by us;

our ability to make cost-saving changes in operations;

risks of marketing, trading and hedging activities, including the risks of changes in energy prices or the financial condition of our counterparties;

the uncertainty of estimates, including accruals and costs of environmental remediation;

the timing and extent of changes in energy commodity prices;

the effects of changes in governmental policies and regulatory actions, including changes with respect to income and other taxes, pipeline safety, environmental compliance, climate change initiatives and authorized rates of recovery of natural gas and natural gas transportation costs;

the impact on drilling and production by factors beyond our control, including the demand for natural gas and crude oil; producers' desire and ability to obtain necessary permits; reserve performance; and capacity constraints on the pipelines that transport crude oil, natural gas and NGLs from producing areas and our facilities;

difficulties or delays experienced by trucks, railroads or pipelines in delivering products to or from our terminals or pipelines;

changes in demand for the use of natural gas, NGLs and crude oil because of market conditions caused by concerns about climate change;

the impact of unforeseen changes in interest rates, debt and equity markets, inflation rates, economic recession and other external factors over which we have no control, including the effect on pension and postretirement expense and funding resulting from changes in equity and bond market returns;

our indebtedness and guarantee obligations could make us vulnerable to general adverse economic and industry conditions, limit our ability to borrow additional funds and/or place us at competitive disadvantages compared with our competitors that have less debt, or have other adverse consequences;

actions by rating agencies concerning our credit ratings;

the results of administrative proceedings and litigation, regulatory actions, rule changes and receipt of expected clearances involving any local, state or federal regulatory body, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the National Transportation Safety Board, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC);

our ability to access capital at competitive rates or on terms acceptable to us;

risks associated with adequate supply to our gathering, processing, fractionation and pipeline facilities, including production declines that outpace new drilling or extended periods of ethane rejection;

the risk that material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in our internal controls over financial reporting could emerge or that minor problems could become significant;

the impact and outcome of pending and future litigation

the ability to market pipeline capacity on favorable terms, including the effects of:

future demand for and prices of natural gas, NGLs and crude oil;



competitive conditions in the overall energy market;



availability of supplies of Canadian and United States natural gas and crude oil; and

natural gas and crude oil; and

availability of additional storage capacity;

performance of contractual obligations by our customers, service providers, contractors and shippers;

the timely receipt of approval by applicable governmental entities for construction and operation of our pipeline and other projects and required regulatory clearances;

our ability to acquire all necessary permits, consents or other approvals in a timely manner, to promptly obtain all necessary materials and supplies required for construction, and to construct gathering, processing, storage, fractionation and transportation facilities without labor or contractor problems;

the mechanical integrity of facilities operated;

demand for our services in the proximity of our facilities;

our ability to control operating costs;

acts of nature, sabotage, terrorism or other similar acts that cause damage to our facilities or our suppliers' or shippers' facilities;

economic climate and growth in the geographic areas in which we do business;

the risk of a prolonged slowdown in growth or decline in the United States or international economies, including liquidity risks in United States or foreign credit markets;

or international economies, including liquidity risks in or foreign credit markets; the impact of recently issued and future accounting updates and other changes in accounting policies;

the possibility of future terrorist attacks or the possibility or occurrence of an outbreak of, or changes in, hostilities or changes in the political conditions in the Middle East and elsewhere;

and elsewhere; the risk of increased costs for insurance premiums, security or other items as a consequence of terrorist attacks;

risks associated with pending or possible acquisitions and dispositions, including our ability to finance or integrate any such acquisitions and any regulatory delay or conditions imposed by regulatory bodies in connection with any such acquisitions and dispositions;

the impact of uncontracted capacity in our assets being greater or less than expected;

the ability to recover operating costs and amounts equivalent to income taxes, costs of property, plant and equipment and regulatory assets in our state and FERC-regulated rates;

the composition and quality of the natural gas and NGLs we gather and process in our plants and transport on our pipelines;

the efficiency of our plants in processing natural gas and extracting and fractionating NGLs;

the impact of potential impairment charges;

the risk inherent in the use of information systems in our respective businesses, implementation of new software and hardware, and the impact on the timeliness of information for financial reporting;

our ability to control construction costs and completion schedules of our pipelines and other projects; and

the risk factors listed in the reports ONEOK and ONEOK Partners have filed and may file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which are incorporated by reference.

These reports are also available from the sources described below. Forward-looking statements are based on the estimates and opinions of management at the time the statements are made. ONEOK undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or changes in circumstances, expectations or otherwise.

The foregoing review of important factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included herein and elsewhere, including the Risk Factors included in the most recent reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q and other documents of ONEOK and ONEOK Partners on file with the SEC. ONEOK's and ONEOK Partners' SEC filings are available publicly on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.



Analyst Contact: Megan Patterson 918-561-5325

Media Contact: Stephanie Higgins 918-591-5026

SOURCE ONEOK, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.oneok.com


Australia's TCorp and Sunsuper will acquire stakes from Ontario Teachers' in two of the UK's leading regional airports

LONDON, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan ("Ontario Teachers'"), and Australia's New South Wales Treasury Corporation ("TCorp") and Sunsuper Superannuation Fund ("Sunsuper"), are announcing they will become investment partners in Bristol Airport and Birmingham Airport, two of the UK's leading regional airports.

Ontario Teachers' has entered a definitive agreement by which it will sell 30% of its stakes in both Bristol and Birmingham to TCorp as trustee of TCorpIM Direct Investment Fund E and Sunsuper Pty Limited as trustee of Sunsuper. TCorp and Sunsuper will each acquire 15% of Ontario Teachers' stakes in Bristol Airport and Birmingham Airport. Following completion, Ontario Teachers', TCorp and Sunsuper will own 70.0%, 15.0% and 15.0% of Bristol Airport and 33.8%, 7.2% and 7.2% of Birmingham Airport respectively.

Ontario Teachers' is Canada's largest single-profession pension plan. TCorp is the financial markets arm of the public sector in New South Wales, Australia, and Sunsuper is one of Australia's largest and fastest-growing superannuation funds.

"Working with like-minded partners who bring new ideas, capital and expertise to the table is core to our broader investment strategy," said Andrew Claerhout, Senior Managing Director, Infrastructure and Natural Resources at Ontario Teachers'. "We look forward to TCorp and Sunsuper joining us as shareholders, alongside the strong teams at Bristol and Birmingham and Ontario Teachers' enduring partnership with the District authority shareholders in Birmingham. Under the new shareholder structure we will continue to focus on creating long-term value for all stakeholders including the 19 million passengers who fly through these two airports every year."

Ontario Teachers' is the largest private investor in airports in Europe, with holdings in five freehold airports: Copenhagen Airports, Brussels Airport, Bristol Airport, Birmingham Airport and London City Airport. Ontario Teachers' has been an investor in Bristol and Birmingham Airports since 2001, increasing its stakes to 100% (Bristol) and 48.25% (Birmingham) in 2014 with the intention of bringing in new partners.

"In addition to the attractive investment characteristics of the individual airports, TCorp was particularly interested in this investment because of the opportunity to partner with Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and Sunsuper, both experienced and like-minded global infrastructure investors," said Stewart Brentnall, TCorp Chief Investment Officer. "We are excited about working with our partners, not only on this investment but also on future opportunities. TCorp has a strategy of building long-term relationships with other sophisticated investors, which we believe will help to deliver value to our clients and members, both for managing existing investments and for identifying new investment opportunities."

"Sunsuper is an experienced investor in the Australian airport sector, and we are excited to expand our existing portfolio by adding stakes in two high-quality UK airports in Bristol and Birmingham," said Michael Weaver, Head of Private Markets at Sunsuper. "We believe that investments in the infrastructure sector provide greater scope for value creation through responsible stewardship, governance and proactive management of assets to create value for our members. We look forward to our ongoing involvement in the Bristol and Birmingham airports, with a key focus on delivering high-quality outcomes for all passengers and stakeholders."

Bristol Airport is the ninth largest airport in the UK with 7.5 million passengers in 2016, and Birmingham Airport is the seventh largest airport in the UK with 11.6 million passengers in 2016.

The sale is expected to complete in late November.

About Ontario Teachers'

The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (Ontario Teachers') is Canada's largest single-profession pension plan, with CAD$180.5 billion in net assets at June 30, 2017. It holds a diverse global portfolio of assets, approximately 80% of which is managed in-house, and has earned an annualized gross rate of return of 10.1% since the Plan's founding in 1990. Ontario Teachers' is an independent organization headquartered in Toronto. Its Asia-Pacific region office is located in Hong Kong and its Europe, Middle East & Africa region office is in London. The defined-benefit plan, which is fully funded, invests and administers the pensions of the province of Ontario's 318,000 active and retired teachers. For more information, visit otpp.com and follow us on Twitter @OtppInfo.

About TCorp

TCorp provides investment management and financial services for the government of New South Wales, which is the largest state in Australia by population and economic activity. TCorp is the third largest institutional investor in Australia. TCorp's investment management business currently manages approximately A$90 billion of funds. For more information, please visit www.tcorp.nsw.gov.au

About Sunsuper

Sunsuper, a profit-for-members superannuation fund, is one of the 10 largest pension funds in Australia. Sunsuper was established in 1987 and is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia. As at October 2017, Sunsuper had A$46 billion in funds under management and over one million members. Sunsuper invests across a diversified portfolio of global assets, including in the infrastructure sector. Sunsuper has been investing directly in infrastructure since the late-1990s, making it one of Australia's most experienced infrastructure investors with a long track record. For more information, visit www.sunsuper.com.au

SOURCE Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan

Related Links

http://www.otpp.com


TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 31, 2017 Optimove, the science-first relationship marketing hub, today released Optimove 6.0, introducing a new customer lifecycle stage to its product: the visitor. Users can now automate targeted marketing campaigns for new visitors as precisely as they can for customers who have already made a purchase.

Ninety-eight percent of people who visit a website never make a purchase. That means in today's ultra-competitive online retail market, marketers are spending valuable dollars following consumers around the internet and retargeting them with ads for items they will never buy.

Optimove 6.0 brings together web analytics from new visitors with look-alike data, machine learning and artificial intelligence from its retention ecosystem to accurately predict a customer's future spend before they make a purchase. Based on its predictions, Optimove segments site-viewers into micro categories and provides insights on which campaigns will be most likely to lead to conversion. Rather than go after everyone that visits their site, Marketers can use Optimove's findings and automation tool, Optibot, to precisely target only those in the 98 percent that are most likely to eventually convert.

"We've been highly focused on applying a scientific approach to relationship marketing, but realized that relationships start long before someone presses the buy button," said Pini Yakuel, co-founder and CEO of Optimove. "Most acquisition marketers are focused on bringing in as many leads as possible and then parsing from there. With Optimove 6.0 we are flipping the funnel -- taking post-purchase data and knowledge and utilizing it for smarter acquisition."

Optimove's new release closes the gap between the often siloed acquisition and retention teams, whose opposing goals of lowering cost per acquisition and achieving long term customers tend to clash. Unifying these functions reduces conflicts of interest between teams and eliminates the data loss that occurs when moving from one CRM to another.

With this release, Optimove is officially transitioning from a customer marketing platform to a relationship marketing platform -- with that relationship starting with the first website visit, or even before. The company predicts that after integrating the two lifecycle tools into a single CRM, marketers will see an average of 25 percent lift in conversion rates.

The new product was announced today at Optimove Connect. Named one of the Hottest Global Marketing Conferences Across the Globe, the company's annual relationship marketing conference brings together marketers from some of the world's most high profile companies, including GoDaddy, Deezer, Adore Me and Lucky Vitamin. This release also comes on the heels of Optimove being named to Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Digital Marketing Analytics.

Find more information on Optimove and how to get started with Optimove 6.0 here.

About Optimove

Optimove, the science-first relationship marketing hub, is used by over 250 customer-centric brands to drive their entire customer marketing operation. Optimove drives measurable growth by autonomously transforming customer data into actionable insights, which then power thoughtful customer communications, at scale. Smart marketers use Optimove to orchestrate highly effective personalized customer marketing which maximizes customer spend, engagement, retention and lifetime value. The company has offices in New York, London and Tel Aviv. Learn more at www.optimove.com.

Media Contact

Puneet Sandhu, Bateman Group

[email protected]

SOURCE Optimove
BELLEVUE, Wash., Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Paul Gauguin Cruises (www.pgcruises.com), operator of the highest-rated and longest continually sailing luxury cruise ship in the South Pacific, the m/s Paul Gauguin, announces a Two-Week Sale on select 2018 Tahiti, French Polynesia, and South Pacific voyages.

Paul Gauguin Cruises is offering savings of up to $2,900* per person off select luxury voyages aboard The Gauguin when booked between October 30 and November 11, 2017. Roundtrip airfare between Los Angeles and Papeete, Tahiti, is also included. On board, guests will enjoy the highest standards of luxury, quality, and all-inclusive value as they sail to South Pacific destinations that are the cruise line's specialty. Qualifying voyages are:

Tahiti & the Society Islands (7 nights):

February 3 , 10, 2018  now from only

, 10, 2018  now from only $4,845 $4,195 per person March 24, 2018  now from only

 now from only $5,595 $4,595 per person May 5 , 12, 2018  now from only

, 12, 2018  now from only $5,695 $4,695 per person June 23, 2018  now from only $5,845 $4,795 per person

Society Islands & Tahiti Iti (7 nights):

June 30, 2018  now from only $5,845 $4,795 per person

Society Islands & Tuamotus (10 nights):

March 7, 2018  now from only

 now from only $6,045 $5,195 per person June 6, 2018  now from only $6,045 $4,995 per person

On The Gauguin, nearly 70% of suites and staterooms offer balconies. Dining experiences include L'Etoile, which showcases an array of culinary creations expertly prepared each evening. The ship's other two dining venues, La Veranda and Le Grill, serve breakfast and lunch. At night, signature dishes from celebrity chef Jean-Pierre Vigato are offered in La Veranda, and Polynesian specialties are served poolside at Le Grill. Additionally, 24-hour room service is included in the fare.

Les Gauguines and Les Gauguinsa troupe of Tahitian entertainersprovide enriching experiences of the destinations throughout each voyage. The Gauguin features expert lecturers on each voyage, and special guests on select sailings conduct presentations on topics ranging from the history of the South Pacific to conservation, culture, marine life, and the wonders of coral reefs. A luxurious spa, fitness center, watersports marina, and expansive outdoor decks with chaise lounges and a pool are also available aboard The Gauguin.

One of the highlights of each sailing is exclusive access to Motu Mahana, the cruise line's private islet off the coast of Taha'a where guests can enjoy sunbathing, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, Polynesian activities, a full-service bar, a floating lagoon bar, and a delicious barbecue. In Bora Bora, guests can enjoy complimentary access to a private, white-sand beach with beach volleyball, sunbathing, snorkeling, paddleboarding, and refreshments.

For more information or reservations, contact a professional travel agent, call 1-800-848-6172, or visit www.pgcruises.com.

About Paul Gauguin Cruises

Owned by Pacific Beachcomber S.C., French Polynesia's leading luxury hotel and cruise operator, Paul Gauguin Cruises operates the 5+-star cruise ship, the 332-guest m/s Paul Gauguin, providing a deluxe cruise experience tailored to the unparalleled wonders of Tahiti, French Polynesia, and the South Pacific. Paul Gauguin Cruises has been recognized by notable publications in travel and lifestyle and was recently voted "#1 Midsize-Ship Ocean Cruise Line" by readers in the Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards 2017. The line was also recognized as one of the "Top Small Cruise Lines" in the Conde Nast Traveler 2017 Readers' Choice Awards and recognized on the publication's 2016 "Gold List." Paul Gauguin Cruises was also selected as "Best Small-Ship Cruise Line" in Global Traveler's Leisure Lifestyle Awards in 2016 and 2017, and recently received top honors as the "#1 Cruise Line for Honeymooners" in BRIDES Magazine's 2017 Honeymoon Awards.

Media Contact:

Paul Gauguin Cruises

Vanessa Bloy, Director of Public Relations

(425) 440-6255

[email protected]

*All fares are in US dollars, per person, based on double occupancy in lowest stateroom category, and reflect promotional savings, are for new bookings only, are subject to availability, and must be booked by November 11, 2017. Offer may be combined with applicable 3rd guest in stateroom offer and applicable past guest savings but may not be combinable with other offers. Port, security, and handling charges of $139-$195 per person are additional. Additional terms and conditions may apply. Call for details. For full terms and conditions, visit www.pgcruises.com.

From Travel + Leisure Magazine, August 2017  Time Inc. Affluent Media Group. Used under license. Travel + Leisure and Time Inc. Affluent Media Group are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of, Paul Gauguin Cruises.

SOURCE Paul Gauguin Cruises

Related Links

http://www.pgcruises.com


With a focus on cardiac and endovascular care, at TCT Philips will highlight its advanced interventional imaging systems, diagnostic and therapeutic devices, planning and navigation software, and services. Philips will be showcasing its latest cardiac care solutions in ultrasound and image guided therapy to provide enhanced patient care across the health continuum. Philips will also display its Dynamic Coronary Roadmap 2.0 with FFR/iFR Roadmap feature, which it recently received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market. Philips' unique portfolio enables clinicians to decide, guide, treat and confirm the appropriate procedure, with the aim to enhance patient care at lower costs.

Next-generation image-guided therapy platform

Every day, about 2,200 Americans die of cardiovascular disease, averaging one death every 40 seconds [1]. In the United States alone, 92 million adults are living with cardiovascular disease. Now more than ever, the need for integrated image-guided therapy solutions that connect interventional staff members, technology and data is critical.

Harnessing vital procedural information from various sources, such as imaging systems, interventional devices, navigation tools and patient health records, Philips' Azurion next generation image-guided therapy platform offers a solution to provide interventional staff members with the control and information they need to perform procedures efficiently. Complementing Philips' interventional X-ray systems, Philips also offers next generation 3D TEE technology, which provides for new levels of live 3D imaging. Its features include a new acoustic design with higher frequencies and bandwidth to provide increased resolution and tissue filling. Additionally, fast, easy and confident transthoracic and transesophageal echo allows clinicians to diagnose surgical pathology in real time.

Diagnostic devices

Philips will also debut its Refinity ST, the next-generation rotational intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) catheter. With exceptional deliverability, 5F guide compatibility, and 45 MHz high-resolution image, Refinity ST is designed to help clinicians meet the needs of their most complex percutaneous coronary interventional cases. The recently FDA-cleared iFR Roadmap technology, exclusive to Philips' interventional labs, enables physicians to navigate vessels and coronary arteries in real time, guiding decision-making in the treatment of coronary artery disease.

Philips' CoreVision iFR co-registration solution coupled with the Core IVUS and physiology technology, can be utilized in the stenting process when lesions are more complex. CoreVision can be used in any interventional lab to map pressure gradients onto the angiogram for precise lesion location, severity and length measurements.

Therapeutic devices

The recent acquisition of Spectranetics expands Philips' range of therapy devices for coronary and peripheral artery disease. At this year's congress, Philips will feature the Stellarex drug-coated balloon. Stellarex delivers top-tier clinical results for common to complex patients, targeting an underserved need in the fast growing peripheral vascular market. As the only commercially available drug-coated balloon with two reported randomized controlled trials, Stellarex has demonstrated durability with consistently high patency rates in a wide range of patients.

"TCT provides the opportunity for us to share our expanded portfolio that aims to help those affected by cardiovascular disease to get back to living their lives," said Bert van Meurs, Business Leader Image Guided Therapy for Philips. "At the congress this year, we'll demonstrate how we're furthering our goal to help clinicians decide, guide, treat and confirm the right therapies for their patients and provide safe and personalized treatments to enable faster recoveries while reducing costs."

In its TCT booth this year, Philips will also host a series of short, daily presentations and live case demonstrations on optimizing patient care for cardiovascular disease. Additionally, Philips and Spectranetics will hold a lunch symposium each day of TCT on various topics including, "State-of-the-art" PCI approach (learnings from SYNTAX II), imaging technologies for new valve therapies, and optimizing outcomes in coronary artery disease.

For the full calendar of daily presentations, as well as general information about Philips' presence at the show, visit www.philips.com/tct. Visit the Philips and Spectranetics booths (#1029 and #4133) to experience innovative cardiac solutions that deliver across the full health continuum. Follow the #TCT17 conversation on @PhilipsLiveFrom throughout the event.

[1] Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics 2017. At a Glance. American Heart Association, January 2017

For further information, please contact:

Alicia Cafardi

Philips Group Press Office

Tel: +1 412-523-9616

E-mail: [email protected]

Fabienne van der Feer

Philips Image Guided Therapy

Tel: +31 6-22698001

E-mail: [email protected]

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips' health technology portfolio generated 2016 sales of EUR 17.4 billion and employs approximately 73,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter.

SOURCE Royal Philips

Related Links

http://www.philips.com


ST. LOUIS, Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Phillips & Temro Industries Inc., a Harbour Group company, acquired the Wolverine Engine Heaters business and related assets of Nine Lives, Inc., Jeff Fox, Harbour Group's chairman and chief executive, announced today. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

For more than 20 years, Wolverine has offered premium, American-made, silicone heaters for cold- weather vehicle and equipment protection. The Company's core product line of oil pan engine heaters is known for reliability and durability. Additional products include battery, oil filter and other fluid heaters. Wolverine, which is based in Yakima, Wash., sells its products globally.

"Wolverine is a clear fit with Phillips & Temro," Mr. Fox said. "Together the combined businesses will become an even stronger force in the market. We look forward to supporting their growth."

"The acquisition of Wolverine strengthens our brand positioning and will provide an added online outlet and sales channel for our broad array of aftermarket cold-weather products," said Tom Moser, President of Phillips & Temro. "We look forward to working with the Wolverine team to expand their channel and product line."

Kevin Frank, President of Wolverine, added: "We believe joining Phillips & Temro will strengthen our brand and open opportunities for us that we may not have otherwise had. We also look forward to the operational support the Harbour Group team offers as we grow the business."

About Phillips & Temro Industries Inc.

Phillips & Temro Industries Inc. ("PTI") was founded in 1920 and has grown to become the market leader in thermal management systems and controls for the transportation and heavy equipment markets. The company's primary products include immersion, circulation, and air intake heaters; engine cooling equipment; and cab heating, cooling and electrification products. PTI's technology is widely recognized for excelling in applications such as heavy-duty trucks, construction, agriculture, automotive, oil & gas, electric and hybrid vehicles, industrial, marine and power generation. The company is based in Eden Prairie, Minn., and, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, has a total of five manufacturing facilities globally.

About Harbour Group

Harbour Group is a privately owned, operations focused company based in St. Louis, Missouri. Harbour Group's companies are engaged in manufacturing and distribution across diverse industries including LED lighting, flow control, scientific products and lab ware, thermal management solutions, flow and energy measurement, boiler systems, professional diagnostic and repair tools, niche distribution, and auxiliary plastic processing equipment. Since its founding in 1976, Harbour Group has acquired 197 companies in 41 different industries.

SOURCE Phillips & Temro Industries Inc.
Latest to the vandals goes Teddy Roosevelt, whose bronze likeness astride a horse in front of New Yorks American Museum of Natural History recently received a splash of red paint upon its base.

Now the statue is bleeding, proudly pronounced a group of protesters in claiming credit for the makeover. We did not make it bleed. It is bloody at its very foundation.

One wonders whether these poseurs know anything at all about the man theyve targeted. The 26th president gave us national parks, industrial regulation and environmental conservationism, among other things. He was also the author of more than 40 books, some of which chronicle his expeditions and safaris that provided some of the basis for the natural history housed in the museum where he and his trusty steed keep vigil.

Also, he died almost 100 years ago (1919). When are these self-important moderns going to get over themselves?

The New York vandalism, which isnt directly connected to the recent flurry of protests against Confederate statues, is merely the most recent episode in a protest that gained traction in 2016 by the same groups that also want to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day. What apparently triggered the freelance artists were two other figures  an indigenous American and an African  flanking Roosevelts horse.

The jury is still out about what to do about the statue. Nothing would be a rational option, if a panel created by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio can handle some heat. Roosevelt may not be a civil rights icon like Rev. Martin Luther King, but he was hardly the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, either. Indeed, in 1905, Roosevelt gave a speech at the New York Republican Party Club that paid tribute to Abraham Lincoln and addressed racial inequality, which Roosevelt said he aimed to change. That this radical social transformation didnt occur within his time or tenure doesnt affirm in itself that he was racist.

In the speech, he did abysmally refer to whites as a forward race. But the focus of his address was to echo Lincoln in calling strongly for the raising of minorities status, which Roosevelt correctly said would benefit the entire country.

And what about the two non-whites in the statue? Lets take a look.

First, both men are walking in a proud, dignified manner, suggesting a parade in which the Rough Rider is accompanied by individuals who were part of his life experience. Second, we have to ask, what was the context of the time? Without the historical backdrop, criticism  of politics, art or literature  is meaningless.

In 1901, when this Harvard-educated, wealthy, progressive, worldly Republican New Yorker became president, was he enslaving Indians and blacks? No. Was he hunting extensively in the American West and later in Africa? Yes. Quite a lot. Given this record, is it not possible that the other two figures represent his guides or scouts on his American West hunts and African safaris?

The statue, created as a historical representation of the man and erected to honor his contributions to our knowledge of natural history, may be offensive to a few, but by what imperative are their feelings to be considered superior to the broader citizenrys right to not see public property harmed, defaced or splattered with paint  or some facsimile thereof?

Vandalism, contrary to the groups claim that theyre performing public art, is the artless tantrum of a childish, self-absorbed mind. Defeating a block of stone or bronze hardly requires courage or, obviously, intellect.

Why not come up with something, I dont know, classier?

Make an argument. Present facts. Bring passion but keep a cool head. One could argue, for example, that the protests against Confederate statues are substantively different from the objections to Roosevelts monument. Given that most Civil War statues in the South were erected during the civil rights movement, inarguably, they memorialize not Southern courage but Jim Crow, a cowardly, despicable period of state-sponsored terrorism against blacks who had the audacity to insist upon equality under the law.

There. Put that on your plaque, if you care so much about history.

Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, who hated the idea of memorials to the war, would likely be happy for his statues to settle in a statuary hall. As for Roosevelt, one only wishes the swashbuckling warrior-president could dismount for a few minutes and teach his vandals some manners. Im guessing, but I suspect his two companions would lend him a hand.
Promoting the Development of Smart City in China

HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (hereafter "Ping An" or the "Group", HKEx: 2318; SSE: 601318) today announced the establishment of the Global Financial and Economic Development Research Center and Global Medical and Healthcare Research Center ("the two centers") in cooperation with Tsinghua University. The aim is to create a global top-grade think tank on the back of the world-leading scientific research capabilities and elite scientists of Tsinghua University, and the results of technology innovation in fintech, healthtech and smart city development by the Ping An Group. The think tank will be instrumental in the establishment of a national modern financial industry system, in enhancing the overall healthcare level across the country, and in providing powerful support to the building of a digital China and a smart society.

The two centers will form a committee consisting of eminent scientists from China and overseas. Mr. Li Jiange, Chairman of Sun Yefang Foundation of China and Vice Chairman of Central Huijin Investment Limited, will lead the Global Financial and Economic Development Research Center. The team will focus on the research of key issues in the areas of globalization, strategy development and forward-looking planning, and relate these areas to such issues as the reform of financial institutions in China, financial risk mitigation, as well as the establishment of a modern system for the financial industry in China. The team will keep track of world-leading fintech developments and delve deep into financial research related to the Belt and Road initiative. It will probe the global financial crisis and asset bubbles and study ways to guard against such risks. It will also examine the impact on the global financial industry of international leading technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, blockchain and big data and it will study trends in the global financial industry.

Under the guidance of Mr. Jin Xiaotao, Vice Minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People's Republic of China, the Global Medical and Healthcare Research Center was established. It will focus on the research of medical applications of artificial intelligence, personal health risks, medical services institutions' management, health economics and health big data. It will enhance the academic level of domestic medical theory research and strengthen the power of research results to bring about change. It will actively advance the state and enterprise to further participate in global health development, keeping track of the settlement of major livelihood issues to help realize a "Healthy China".

In addition, in response to the strategic deployment of policy of "The implementation of insurance for all citizens, so that everyone has protection" in the 19th National Congress for the protection and improvement of people's livelihood, Ping An will join hands with Tsinghua University to conduct an in-depth research for insurance products that are suitable for people with low incomes. The plan is to launch new insurance products in the future which will be covering the citizens with low incomes and will help the country in building a multi-level social security system.

Dr. Chen Xu, Tsinghua University Secretary of Party Committee, said: "The report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (the 'Party') pointed out that it is necessary to speed up the construction of an innovative country and establish a technologically innovative system based on the needs of enterprises that is market-oriented and represents a deep integration of technological research and innovation which promotes the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. Tsinghua University works closely with Ping An in building a global top-grade financial and healthcare think tank on the back of Tsinghua University's global strategy, to capitalize on the core competencies of enterprises and schools, to research cutting-edge technology in the financial and medical fields and to nurture technological talent. It will continue to strengthen theoretical research and the transformation of scientific and technological achievements to generate world-class research results, enhance national financial and medical services capabilities, services levels and services efficiency and to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."

Dr. Peter Ma, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ping An, said: "We are glad to collaborate with the top university in the country to establish a global top-grade financial and medical think tank, to advance the development of China's fintech and healthtech to become world-leaders, so as to contribute Chinese ingenuity to the development of global technologies and offer a Chinese solution. Ping An hopes to push its fintech and healthtech to the next level through the cooperation with Tsinghua University and share its accumulated pool of information in the areas of fintech and healthtech, giving free rein to the competencies of both sides and complementing each other. In the future, Ping An will increase its investments in research and provide quality references for the Party and related departments, to contribute to the country in the construction of smart cities. It will proactively facilitate the use of research to incubate quality healthcare and financial services across the nation. In addition, the two centers will gather the best finance and healthtech talent in the world and contribute to the exchange and cultivation of talent."

Dr. Yang Bin, Vice President and Dean of Tsinghua University and Executive Dean of Global Development Institute, offered his congratulations and said: "Ping An is not only a role model for the development of Chinese enterprises, but also has strong international competitiveness. Tsinghua University and Ping An collaboratively strengthen the construction of new think tanks with Chinese characteristics, providing assistance to the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics and implementing the spirit of the 19th Party Congress. They will focus on providing assistance to the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, host in-depth discussions of major technologies, strategies and development of the Party and state governance, constructing a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, build great policies and help China's building out its Belt and Road initiative and the global development strategy of Tsinghua University."

About Ping An

As China's first joint stock insurance company, Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. ("Ping An") is dedicated to becoming a world-leading personal financial services provider. Today, it is an integrated, compact, multi-functional financial services group with services that include insurance, banking, and investment. As at 30 June 2017, the Group had over 143 million individual customers. As at the end of June 2017, the Group's consolidated total assets reached RMB5.99 trillion while equity attributable to shareholders of the parent company stood at RMB425,780 million. Ping An Life and Ping An Property & Casualty are both ranked the second largest in China, Ping An Annuity ranked top in China in their respective areas by premium income. Its subsidiary Ping An Bank is China's first joint stock bank. The Company's key areas of business include investment, with subsidiaries such as Ping An Trust, Ping An Securities and Ping An Asset Management. Further, Ping An strives to develop internet finance, including Lufax, Ping An Good Doctor, Ping An Haofang, E-Wallet, Financial OneConnect. It has achieved significant growth in both the scale and user base of internet finance. As at 30 June 2017, the number of internet users of the Company reached 403 million.

Ping An ranked 16th in Forbes' 2017 Global 2000, it ranked 39th in Fortune Magazine's 2017 Global 500 Leading Companies. Apart from these accolades, Ping An ranked 61st in WPP Millward Brown's BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands ranking.

For more information, please visit http://t.sina.com.cn/pingan, http://t.qq.com/pingan or www.pingan.com.cn.

For enquiries, please contact:

Hill+Knowlton Strategies Asia: Beatrice Wong Bowen Chiu Tel: (852) 2894 6373 / (852) 9732 8223 Tel: (852) 2894 6233 / (852) 9783 0643 Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd.

Related Links

http://www.pingan.com.cn


BRENTWOOD, Tenn., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Premise Health, a leading employer-sponsored health center and wellness provider, is proud to announce its participation in two Department of Defense programs aimed at supporting the employment and wellbeing of American military members and their families.

At an induction ceremony held October 2 at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Building in Washington, D.C., Premise Health CEO Stu Clark represented the organization in signing an official statement of support for the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP). A statement of support for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) program was signed in December of last year.

"We are honored to partner with the DOD on these important programs," said Clark. "Membership in these programs is right for our company, our country, and for those who have served. At Premise Health, we honor veterans' service, but we also recognize that this is a well-trained, team-oriented, committed group of professionals. Our company and our clients are better off with them on our team."

By becoming partners of the MSEP, Premise Health joins a collective effort to support military spouse employment. The program connects military spouses with hundreds of partner employers who are committed to recruiting, promoting and retaining the spouses of military members.

Dr. Jill Biden helped launch the program in 2012 as part of the Department of Defense's broader Spouse Education and Career Opportunities initiative, which seeks to reduce the significant unemployment rate and wage gap currently experienced by military spouses. To date, MSEP has contributed to the hiring of over 108,000 spouses, helping to lower the 23 percent unemployment rate of military spouses.

The ESGR program serves to promote cooperation and understanding between members of the reserve components and their civilian employers. Founded in 1972, ESGR helps ensure that employers understand the role of their citizen-soldier employees in national defense and educate both employers and employees about their rights and responsibilities. By joining the ESGR program, Premise Health pledges to recognize and support our country's service members and their families in all situations.

"Participating in these programs is consistent with our belief that servicemen, servicewomen and their families have skills that are valuable to and needed by Premise Health," said Clark.

Premise Health offers a dedicated Military Veteran Team Member Resource Group designed to supply military veterans with a group of like-minded individuals ready to assist new team members with mentoring, leadership development, new member recruitment, and onboarding. The company also employs a Military and Diversity Program Manager who offers personal assistance on the transition to life at Premise Health and provides guidance to our Talent Acquisition team on attracting and recruiting veterans.

For more information on how Premise Health is working to support military spouses in fulfilling their career goals, please visit https://jobs.premisehealth.com/jobs-for-veterans.

ABOUT PREMISE HEALTH

Premise Health is a leading employer-sponsored health center and wellness provider dedicated to improving the cost and quality of employee and dependent health care. With more than 50 years of experience, Premise Health manages nearly 600 employer-sponsored health and wellness centers across the country. The company serves more than 250 of the nation's leading employers, including a significant number of the Fortune 1000. Premise Health is a company of Water Street HealthcarePartners, a strategic investor focused exclusively on the health care industry. For more information on Premise Health, visit www.premisehealth.com.

SOURCE Premise Health

Related Links

http://www.premisehealth.com


DETROIT, Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Quicken Loans Community Investment Fund (QLCIF) has partnered with the United Community Housing Coalition (UCHC) and eight community development organizations to launch an extensive education effort addressing the pervasive issue of tax foreclosure in Detroit. This door-to-door outreach will attempt to reach all 60,000 residential properties behind on property taxes and connect residents at risk of tax foreclosure to resources. Underutilized tools to prevent foreclosure include a property tax exemption for owner occupied homes and an option for disabled veterans. The "Neighbor to Neighbor" program, funded by the QLCIF, is now accepting applications for additional community groups and block clubs to join the peer-to-peer effort and help those at risk of tax foreclosure with the goal of reaching all residents facing this challenge.

"No one organization can do this work alone," said Laura Grannemann, vice president of investments for the QLCIF. "We need everyone working together to connect Detroit residents with the tools that will keep them in their homes and allow them to continue building equity as the city grows."

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Program Background

In May 2017, the QLCIF partnered with UCHC to knock on the doors of 3,300 occupants of Detroit homes facing the 2017 tax foreclosure auction. The outreach effort helped the residents of 2,100 homes ultimately avoid tax foreclosure and remain in their homes.

Due to the success of this work, the QLCIF has announced this $500,000 "Neighbor to Neighbor" fund to expand the work and engage additional local organizations in outreach efforts. Canvassers will be paid hourly out of the QLCIF grant.

The following community groups will participate in the first phase of the rollout:

Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance

Central Detroit Christian

Eastside Community Network

Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation

Live6

Osborn Neighborhood Alliance

Bridging Communities, Inc.

Black Caucus Foundation

Other organizations that would like to join the program and receive funding for tax foreclosure awareness outreach should visit foreclosureoutreach.org to fill out an application. Applications will be accepted through Friday, November 10, 2017. A QLCIF representative will respond with next steps.

The Quicken Loans Community Investment Fund is a for-more-than-profit enterprise that has a passion for investing in people and place to open doors to opportunity for Detroiters. This program is the latest addition to the Quicken Loans Family of Companies' long legacy of supporting solutions to systemic challenges facing Detroit's neighborhoods, like widespread blight, tax foreclosure, and access to affordable housing.

There are roughly 60,000 homes behind on their property taxes in Detroit. Many of these homeowner's may qualify for a full or partial property tax exemption. Families facing financial hardship, residents living in poverty and disabled veterans may be eligible to stay in their home.

This program is part of a wider initiative to maintain the integrity of Detroit neighborhoods and ensure Detroiters have the opportunity to build equity as the city continues to grow. Other work includes:

Rehabbed & Ready Quicken Loans made a $5 million commitment to rehabbing publicly owned homes in partnership with the Detroit Land Bank to boost home values, increase access to financing, and reactivate Detroit homes.

Quicken Loans made a commitment to rehabbing publicly owned homes in partnership with the Detroit Land Bank to boost home values, increase access to financing, and reactivate homes. Affordability Bedrock, a full-service commercial real estate firm within the Quicken Loans Family of Companies, signed an agreement with the City of Detroit committing to dedicate 20 percent of its residential portfolio to affordable housing. This agreement includes the development of new housing, as well as preservation of existing affordable units.

Bedrock, a full-service commercial real estate firm within the Quicken Loans Family of Companies, signed an agreement with the committing to dedicate 20 percent of its residential portfolio to affordable housing. This agreement includes the development of new housing, as well as preservation of existing affordable units. Blight Removal Taskforce Dan Gilbert, founder and chairman of Quicken Loans, co-chaired the Blight Removal Taskforce, which brought stakeholders together to provide resources and leadership toward increasing data access regarding blight, advocating for Hardest Hit Funds, and bringing partners together to address blight in our communities.

Dan Gilbert, founder and chairman of Quicken Loans, co-chaired the Blight Removal Taskforce, which brought stakeholders together to provide resources and leadership toward increasing data access regarding blight, advocating for Hardest Hit Funds, and bringing partners together to address blight in our communities. Renter to OwnerQuicken Loans Family of Companies made it possible for 80 renters to become homeowners this year. Using funds donated by QLCIF, families in these homes facing displacement because their landlords failed to pay property taxes were given an opportunity to purchase their home for $2,500 - $5,500 .

About Quicken Loans

Detroit-based Quicken Loans Inc. is the nation's second largest retail home mortgage lender. The company closed more than $300 billion of mortgage volume across all 50 states between 2013 and 2016. Quicken Loans moved its headquarters to downtown Detroit in 2010, and now more than 17,000 team members from Quicken Loans and its Family of Companies work in the city's urban core. The company generates loan production from web centers located in Detroit, Cleveland and Scottsdale, Arizona. The company also operates a centralized loan processing facility in Detroit, as well as its San Diego-based One Reverse Mortgage unit. Quicken Loans ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction for Primary Mortgage Origination" in the United States by J.D. Power for the past seven consecutive years, 2010  2017, and highest in customer satisfaction among all mortgage servicers the past four years, 2014  2017.

Quicken Loans was ranked No. 10 on FORTUNE magazine's annual "100 Best Companies to Work For" list in 2017, and has been among the top 30 companies for the past 14 consecutive years. The company has been recognized as one of Computerworld magazine's "100 Best Places to Work in IT" the past 13 years, ranking No. 1 for eight of the past 12 years, including 2017. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rock Holdings, Inc., the parent company of several FinTech and related businesses. Quicken Loans is also the flagship business of Dan Gilbert's Family of Companies comprising nearly 100 affiliated businesses spanning multiple industries. For more information and company news visit QuickenLoans.com/press-room.

SOURCE Quicken Loans
NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Quttera is happy to announce the upgrade of ThreatSign - Website Anti-Malware platform. This update includes enhanced server-side (FTP/ sFTP) malware monitoring, DNS/IP monitoring, server uptime monitoring as well as improvements to the existing website security features.

ThreatSign - Website Anti-Malware by Quttera is a comprehensive website security platform which is offered both as security as a service (SECaaS) and as an on-premise website anti-malware solution. ThreatSign anti-malware services are running in a distributed cloud environment allowing for scalable bulk scanning and the power to deliver enterprise-level website security to web hosting providers, managed service providers, IT solution providers, and the SMB market. The ThreatSign platform can be deployed on a private or hybrid enterprise cloud to provide a fully-managed environment.

Quttera's ThreatSign solution enables organizations to secure their website portfolios, quickly remove malware and blacklisting, and establish effective cyber risk management. Quttera's technology uses a combination of threat intelligence gathered from millions of websites and URLs scanned daily all over the world, using patented malware scanning algorithms and proprietary malware removal frameworks. Quttera's customers use the ThreatSign platform for website security and blacklist monitoring, malware removal and hacking remediation support. ThreatSign monitors and protects websites of any size and complexity. Quttera supports sites created on any Content Management System (CMS) and hosted on any web hosting platform.

ThreatSign capabilities include:

External Monitoring (HTTP/ HTTPS) - Client Side malware scanning

Internal Monitoring (FTP/ SFTP) - Server Side malware scanning

Automated scans with professional malware reports including email alerts and history reports

Uptime monitoring to alert upon down/uptime of website

DNS/ IP monitoring to track DNS attacks and changes to site IPs

Malware and blacklisting removal with a click

24x7 access to security experts and an incident response team

Security analytics and metrics from monitored assets

"ThreatSign - Website Anti-Malware is now running all-around website scanning for each asset that is being monitored for malware," said Michael Novofastovsky Quttera CTO and co-founder. "This enhancement is intended to provide comprehensive checkups on website safety, including server-side (FTP/ sFTP) malware scanning, external (HTTP/ HTTPs) malware scanning, DNS/ IP monitoring and server uptime monitoring. As a trusted leader in web security, Quttera's malware experts are analyzing up to date and unknown malware variants daily and remediate hacking attacks all around the world gathering the knowledge required to build state of the art tools to fight malware. We continue to commit to our objective of building all-in-one anti-malware tools that take malware detection and prevention to another level. The next planned release is dedicated to the next generation Web Application Firewall (WAF) that will have beta and production releases during 2018. The ThreatSign platform is constantly improving and being enhanced with new tools and functionality that we develop here at Quttera to offer an essential and cost-effective anti-malware solution for any website out there."

Additional information about Quttera and ThreatSign can be found at https://quttera.com

Media Contact:

Michael Novofastovsky

Phone: +1 (323) 540-5642

Email: [email protected]

Related Files

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Related Links

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Partner with Quttera

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SOURCE Quttera.ltd

Related Links

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ROCKVILLE, Md., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCQB: RGRX) ("the Company" or "RegeneRx"), a clinical-stage drug development company focused on tissue protection, repair and regeneration, today announced the results of its phase 3 dry eye trial sponsored by its U.S. joint venture, ReGenTree, LLC. The ARISE-2 trial investigated the safety and efficacy of RGN-259 compared to placebo for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of dry eye syndrome in 601 patients.

The following two paragraphs are excerpted from the ReGenTree press announcement:

"The ARISE-2 study, which was conducted together with Ora, Inc., demonstrated a number of statistically significant improvements in both signs and symptoms of dry eye syndrome with 0.1% RGN-259 versus placebo, while showing excellent safety, comfort, and tolerability profiles. The ocular discomfort symptom showed a statistically significant reduction in the RGN-259-treated group at day 15 as compared to placebo (p=0.0149) in the change from baseline. For sign, RGN-259 also improved the dry eye patient's ability to withstand an exacerbated condition in a patient subgroup with both compromised corneal fluorescein staining and Schirmer's test at baseline. In this population, RGN-259 showed superiority over placebo in reducing corneal fluorescein staining in the change from baseline at days 15 and 29 (p=0.0207 and 0.0254, respectively). RGN-259 confirmed its global effects on dry eye syndrome and fast onset in multiple sign and symptom efficacies with no safety issues in the ARISE-1 and ARISE-2 studies as well as in the pooled data, although ARISE-2 was not successful in duplicating the results of ARISE-1 where the study population was limited and less diversified."

"Won S. Yang, President & CEO of ReGenTree, stated, 'We are very excited with the ARISE-2 results, which show RGN-259's important additional efficacies lacking in approved treatments, such as very fast onset and multiple global effects in both signs and symptoms of dry eye syndrome. I believe these two studies, ARISE-1 and ARISE-2 with efficacy of T4 in both signs and symptoms, will continue building a strong foundation of its strengths when considered with the totality of the data set. ReGenTree plans to proceed with a development plan for the next step through a meeting with the FDA based on the results of ARISE-2 trial. We are optimistic that the results from ARISE-2 will accelerate discussions with potential investors interested in reaching a global deal for the development and marketing of RGN-259.'"

About RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (www.regenerx.com)

RegeneRx is focused on the development of novel therapeutic peptides, including Thymosin beta 4 (T4) and its constituent fragments, for tissue and organ protection, repair and regeneration. RegeneRx currently has three drug candidates in clinical development for ophthalmic, cardiac and dermal indications, three active strategic licensing agreements in the U.S., China, and Pan Asia (Korea, Japan, and Australia, among others), and has patents and patent applications covering its products in many countries throughout the world.

RGN-259, the Company's T4-based ophthalmic eye drops, is currently the subject of phase 3 clinical trials for patients suffering from dry eye syndrome as well and for patients having chronic neurotrophic keratopathy (NK), a non-healing corneal lesion designated an orphan indication in the U.S.

RGN-352, the Company's T4-based injectable formulation, is a phase 2-ready drug candidate designed to be administered systemically to prevent and repair cardiac damage resulting from heart attacks and central nervous system tissue damage associated disorders such as peripheral neuropathy, multiple sclerosis and traumatic brain injuries such as stroke.

RGN-137, also designated an orphan drug in the U.S., is the Company's T4-based dermal gel formulation that is being developed for epidermolysis bullosa, a rare skin condition by the Company's licensee, GtreeBNT.

For additional information about RegeneRx please visit www.regenerx.com.

F orward-Looking Statements

Any statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements made under the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that any current or future clinical trials will result in approved products or future value. Any forward-looking statements in this press release represent the Company's views only as of the date of this release and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update this information, as a result of future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.regenerx.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new study explains how a widely used drug is effective against inflammatory bowel disease and rejection of bone marrow transplants, while suggesting another way to address both health issues.

Video commentary from the researchers is available at: http://bcove.video/2pOg10w

Researchers at NYU School of Medicine found that the value of the drug infliximab, marketed as Remicade, in both applications proceeds from its ability to block the contribution of the protein tumor-necrosis factor alpha, or TNF alpha, to problem-causing inflammation.

TNF alpha expands the rush of immune cells to the site of an infection, where they seek to destroy foreign invaders like bacteria. However, these same inflammatory responses can become part of a disease if they mistakenly target the body's own cells, such as occurs in the case of autoimmune conditions like Crohn's disease.

Published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine online Oct. 31, the new study found that infliximab prevents TNF alpha from speeding the death of Paneth cells, which protect the gut from microbes. The research team also found that the action of a gene, ATG16L1, kept TNF alpha-driven inflammation from triggering the self-destruction of too many Paneth cells, by an explosive process called necroptosis.

In experiments with mice, the researchers found that Paneth cells engineered to lack a functional ATG16L1 gene were five times more likely to die in the face of rising TNF-alpha signals than normal cells.

Furthermore, the study authors found that the action of ATG16L1 protected tissue against the spikes in TNF-alpha levels seen in graft-versus-host disease, a frequently occurring complication of bone marrow transplants in blood cancer patients. As the immune cells in the recipient recognize transplanted cells as foreign, they mount an inflammatory response that can lead to the body rejecting the transplant. In mice undergoing a bone marrow transplant, ATG16L1-deficient mice were three times more likely to die or show signs of transplant rejection than mice with the protective action of ATG16L1 in place.

"Our study results are the first to argue that we may be able to treat inflammatory bowel disease and protect against transplant rejection not only by blocking TNF alpha as is done currently, but also by stimulating ATG16L1 to prevent early death of cells lining the gut," says study senior investigator Ken Cadwell, PhD, an associate professor at NYU School of Medicine and NYU Langone Health's Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine.

Cadwell cautions that such a strategy must await further evidence to confirm his theory that this trend in Paneth cell death occurs in people deficient in ATG16L1 who are, like his study mice, prone to higher risk of inflammatory disease and transplant rejection.

As part of the study, researchers found that mice engineered to develop symptoms of human inflammatory disease, and which also lacked the ATG16L1 gene, developed gut damage. The ATG16L1-deficient mice had shorter intestines, reduced number of Paneth cells, and rising TNF-alpha levels. But mice with a working version of the gene suffered little to no damage to their gut-lining cells. When TNF-alpha action was blocked in the mice lacking ATG16L1, their damaged guts underwent repair and the mice survived. All untreated mice died.

The study drug was first developed at NYU Langone Health in the 1990s.

Funding support for the study was provided by National Institutes of Health grants R01 HL123340, R01 DK093668, R01 DK103788, R01 HL069929, R01 AI100288, R01 AI080455, and R01 AI101406. No study funding was provided by the manufacturer of Remicade, Janssen Biotech of Titusville, NJ; although NYU Langone has benefited from royalties related to its sale.

Besides Cadwell, other NYU School of Medicine researchers involved in these experiments are lead study investigator Yu Matsuzawa Ishimoto, MD, PhD; and co-investigators Luis Gomez; Vanessa Hubbard-Lucey, PhD; Michael Cammer, MAT, MFA; Jessica Neill, PhD; and Zahidunnabi Dewan, MD. Additional research support was provided by Yusuke Shono, MD, PhD; Sophie Lieberman, BS; Hillary Jay, BA; Amina Lazrak, BS; and co-senior study investigator Marcel Van den Brink, MD, PhD, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York; Menno Van Lookeren Campagne, PhD, at Genentech in South San Francisco; Chen Lui, MD, at Rutgers University in New Jersey; and Yi Ding, PhD, at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Media Inquiries:

David March

212-404-3528

[email protected]

SOURCE NYU Langone Health
MIAMI, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) has scheduled a conference call for 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, Tuesday, November 7, 2017, to discuss the company's third quarter 2017 financial results. The call will be available on-line at the company's investor relations website, www.rclinvestor.com. To listen to the call by phone, please dial (877) 663-9606 in the US and Canada. International phone calls should be made to (706) 758-4628. There is no passcode or meeting number. A replay of the webcast will be available at the same site for a month following the call.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE: RCL) is a global cruise vacation company that owns and operates three global brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises. We are a 50% joint venture owner of the German brand TUI Cruises, a 49% shareholder in the Spanish brand Pullmantur and a minority shareholder in SkySea cruises. Together, these brands operate a combined total of 49 ships with an additional twelve on order. They operate diverse itineraries around the world that call on approximately 535 destinations on all seven continents. Additional information can be found on www.royalcaribbean.com, www.celebritycruises.com, www.azamaraclubcruises.com, www.tuicruises.com, www.pullmantur.es, or www.rclinvestor.com.

SOURCE Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Related Links

http://www.royalcaribbean.com


"Fredrik brings more than 20 years of experience advising global organizations on an array of organizational and strategic issues, and he has also held leadership roles at top international consultancies," said Constantine Alexandrakis, leader of Russell Reynolds Associates' U.S. Region. "We are excited to add his unique expertise to our team as we continue to advance our firm's ability to help our clients solve complex leadership problems."

De Mare joins the firm from Arthur D. Little, where he was a Partner and Head of their U.S. West Coast Healthcare Practice. In this role, he was instrumental in building ADL's San Francisco office and team, as well as their client portfolio, service offerings and go-to-market strategy. Previously, de Mare was a Principal at PricewaterhouseCoopers and a Partner at PRTM Management Consultants, where he worked primarily with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. He has also worked in business development at Ericsson and project management at Noventus in Sweden.

De Mare holds a B.S. in engineering management from the University of Vermont and an M.B.A. from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

About Russell Reynolds Associates

Russell Reynolds Associates is a global search and leadership advisory firm. Our 400+ consultants in 47 offices work with public, private and nonprofit organizations across all industries and regions. We help our clients build teams of transformational leaders who can meet today's challenges and anticipate the digital, economic and political trends that are reshaping the global business environment. From helping boards with their structure, culture and effectiveness to identifying, assessing and defining the best leadership for organizations  our teams bring their decades of expertise to help clients solve their most complex leadership issues. www.russellreynolds.com

Contact:

Vijaya Singh

Russell Reynolds Associates

212-351-1987

[email protected]

SOURCE Russell Reynolds Associates

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SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the global leader in CRM, today announced that its third quarter fiscal 2018 results will be released on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2017, after the close of the market. The company will host a conference call at 2:00 p.m. (PT) / 5:00 p.m. (ET) to discuss its financial results with the investment community. A live web broadcast of the event will be available on the Salesforce Investor Relations website at www.salesforce.com/investor. A live dial-in is available domestically at 866-901-SFDC or 866-901-7332 and internationally at 706-902-1764, passcode 9689558. A replay will be available at (800) 585-8367 or (855) 859-2056 until midnight (ET) Dec. 21, 2017.

About Salesforce

Salesforce, the global leader in CRM, empowers companies to connect with their customers in a whole new way. Salesforce has headquarters in San Francisco, with offices in Europe and Asia, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CRM." For more information about Salesforce, visit: www.salesforce.com.

SOURCE Salesforce

Related Links

http://www.salesforce.com


BOSTON, Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Santander US CEO Scott Powell today announced Santander's "Inclusive Communities" plan, Santander Bank's new $11 billion, five-year commitment to lending, community development and charitable giving. The plan outlines Santander's commitment to communities across its eight-state northeastern U.S. footprint for 2017 through 2021, during which time Santander plans to increase its CRA activity by 50 percent and triple its investment in charitable grants.

Over the next five years, Santander has set of goal of:

$9.1 billion in lending to underserved communities including,

in lending to underserved communities including, $4.2 billion in residential mortgage loans for low- to-moderate income families

in residential mortgage loans for low- to-moderate income families

$1.9 billion in small business lending

in small business lending

$3 billion in community development lending

in community development lending $1.9 billion in community development investments

in community development investments $55 million in charitable contributions

in charitable contributions 10 new retail branches in low- to moderate income and communities of color

60,000 community development volunteer hours in underserved communities

"This plan is the foundation of Santander's approach to supporting the communities where we live and work," said Powell, CEO of Santander US, the Bank's U.S. holding company. "We recognize that Santander's success is directly linked to the prosperity of our communities' families, businesses and neighborhoods. By increasing lending, investments and financial education opportunities, we hope to boost the long-term economic success of low- and moderate-income individuals and neighborhoods."

Powell announced "Inclusive Communities" at a meeting this morning in downtown Boston where he was joined by public officials and National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) President and CEO John Taylor.

Taylor commented, "This is a good day for people in New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and my home state of Massachusetts. I want to applaud Santander for committing 11 billion dollars in investments and lending for underserved neighborhoods over the next five years. Santander's leadership showed a special dedication to working with community leaders and better understanding the credit needs in the areas they serve. We are very pleased that this commitment, and especially the ten new bank branches, will help individuals build wealth and neighborhoods build their economies."

"Inclusive Communities" was developed with significant input from and collaboration with more than 100 community-based organizations throughout the Bank's footprint. Supported and facilitated by the NCRC, an extensive ten-month long process helped identify emerging community needs and strategies aimed at addressing the challenges faced by underserved communities in Santander's key markets.

In addition to the Bank's financial commitments, Santander is establishing a national Community Advisory Board (CAB) comprising representatives of not-for-profit community development organizations and financial inclusion advocates, as well as community development policy organizations, and representatives of local or state economic development or housing agencies. Members of the CAB are:

Dan Betancourt , Executive Director, Community First Fund, Lancaster, PA

, Executive Director, Community First Fund, Will Gonzalez , Executive Director, Ceiba, Philadelphia, PA

, Executive Director, Ceiba, Phyllis Salowe Kaye , Executive Director of New Jersey Citizen Action, Newark, NJ

, Executive Director of New Jersey Citizen Action, Rev. Terrence Keeling , President/CEO Central Baptist Community Development Corporation, Wilmington, DE

, President/CEO Central Baptist Community Development Corporation, Chris Kui , Executive Director of Asian Americans for Equality, New York, NY

, Executive Director of Asian Americans for Equality, Juan Leyton , Executive Director, Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, Boston, MA

, Executive Director, Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, Luis Mora , Executive Director, Finanta, Philadelphia, PA

, Executive Director, Finanta, Seila Mosquera , Executive Director, NeighborWorks New Horizons, New Haven, CT

, Executive Director, NeighborWorks New Horizons, Christie Peale , Executive Director of the Center for New York City Neighborhoods, New York, NY

, Executive Director of the Center for New York City Neighborhoods, Jesse Van Tol, Chief Operating Officer, National Community Reinvestment Coalition, Washington, DC

Jaime Weisberg , Senior Campaign Analyst, Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development, New York, NY

, Senior Campaign Analyst, Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development, Sharon Conard Wells , Executive Director, West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation, Providence, RI

, Executive Director, West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation, Clark Ziegler , Executive Director, Massachusetts Housing Partnership, Boston, MA

The Bank is also establishing statewide/regional advisory boards to ensure ongoing community input and will be enhancing its current Community Development and CRA teams with the addition of 17 new positions in the coming years.

Santander Bank, N.A. is one of the country's largest retail and commercial banks with more than $79 billion in assets. With its corporate offices in Boston, the Bank's 9,700 employees, more than 650 branches, 2,100 ATMs and 2.1 million customers are principally located in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. The Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Madrid-based Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE: SAN) - one of the most respected banking groups in the world with more than 125 million customers in the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. It is managed by Santander Holdings USA, Inc., Banco Santander's intermediate holding company in the U.S. For more information on Santander Bank, please visit www.santanderbank.com.

Santander Holdings USA, Inc . (SHUSA) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Madrid-based Banco Santander, S.A. (NYSE: SAN) (Santander), one of the most respected banking groups in the world with more than 125 million customers in the U.K., Europe, Latin America and the U.S. As the intermediate holding company for Santander's U.S. businesses, SHUSA includes six financial companies with more than 17,500 employees, 5.2 million customers and assets of over $135 billion. These include Santander Bank, N.A., one of the country's largest retail and commercial banks by deposits; Santander Consumer USA Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SC), an auto finance and consumer lending company; Banco Santander International of Miami; Banco Santander Puerto Rico; Santander Securities LLC of Boston; and Santander Investment Securities Inc. of New York.

Media Contacts:

Ann Davis

617-757-5891

[email protected]

Nancy Orlando

617-757-5765

[email protected]

SOURCE Santander Bank, N.A.

Related Links

http://www.santanderbank.com


At our political costume ball, it is definitely 90s nostalgia night. A president obsessed with attacking all things Clinton stands accused of serial sexual harassment, sends out underlings to dismiss the accusers as liars, condemns a federal investigation as a politically motivated fraud and is attempting to destroy the reputation of the leader of that investigation. Hillary Clinton may be Donald Trumps continuing target, but the Clinton years are clearly his inspiration.

It worked the first time around. In Bill Clintons case, the Democratic Party almost uniformly honored tribal loyalties above legal or moral principle. Even the feminist left generally fell into line for partisan reasons. American women, said columnist Nina Burleigh, should be lining up with their presidential kneepads on to show their gratitude for keeping the theocracy off our backs. What is a little sexual misconduct and obstruction of justice among friends when legal abortion is at stake?

Now Trump appeals to the same type of team solidarity, this time on the right. The Dems are using this terrible (and bad for our country) Witch Hunt for evil politics, tweeted Trump, but the Rs are now fighting back like never before. Note how a federal investigation of Russian influence on American democracy has become the Dems. Note also that it is not the president and his lawyers fighting this investigation but the Rs. Trump is conditioning Republicans and conservatives to view his upcoming legal defense entirely through the lens of partisanship. With the broad cooperation of conservative media, there is every reason to think he might succeed.

Trumps ultimate objective in all this matters greatly. If he wants to recruit Republicans into a defense of the shady political and business dealings of Paul Manafort and the rest of the presidents political circle  now exposed by federal indictment  it will be discrediting and humiliating. A party that rallies to the defense of corruption will eventually be seen as a swamp in need of clearing.

But if Trumps goal is to escape a tightening legal investigation by firing special counsel Robert Mueller and issuing a string of self-protective pardons, the participation of the Republican Party takes on a different meaning. In this case, Trump would be turning his authoritarian pose into authoritarian practice, removing an essential check on the abuse of power. Liberal democracy itself would be under attack from an American Putinism. And elected Republicans who enabled this would be complicit in a crime against the Constitution and violate the oath they took to defend it.

As the indictments begin to come down, Republicans need to ponder what legal and ethical lines, if any, they are willing to draw. Continuing the attacks on Hillary Clintons own dishonest dealings is all fun and games (except to Clinton, I suppose). Joining the defense of slimy political figures such as Manafort makes one, ceteris paribus, into a slimy political figure. Obscuring or excusing Russian influence on the American political process is a dangerous disservice to the country. Supporting Trump in a power play against the special counsel and his investigation would be an attack on the stability and legitimacy of the Republic  a source of infamy in American history.

To what circle of hell are Republican officials about to consign themselves? It would be useful for members of Congress to declare that they will never enter the fourth circle  the demolition of the integrity and independence of the FBI  if only to deter Trump from forcing a constitutional crisis. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has done so, arguing such an action would be the beginning of the end of the Trump presidency. But it is hard to imagine such courage written broadly in todays GOP  and even harder to imagine such courage exhibited pre-emptively.

It is worth making clear that every conservative media voice  including, recently, the editorial voice of The Wall Street Journal  that attacks the objectivity and legitimacy of Mueller is giving Trump cover and encouragement to move against him. They are dropping lit matches in the dry tinder of American politics. And they would be responsible, in part, for the resulting wildfire.

Do Republicans and conservatives really want to be remembered as a bodyguard of enablers for this man? For this cause? Few enter the fray of political ideas, or make the considerable sacrifices of entering public life, to defend corruption and the abuse of power. That is now the calling of the Republican partisan, and the downward path of dishonor.
At the beginning of the promotion a Sanya publicity film was showcased, giving the audience a nice introduction to Sanya. There was also a song called "Welcome to Sanya", which was played - the song and film impressed the audience, and they were also able to view the tropical coastal scenery via the film. An "Oriental Hawaii" feel was generated with the audience members feeling excited and wanting to travel there.

A student from the International Acadmic Programme said, "Sanya is a very beautiful city, it definitely will be my preferred destination for traveling abroad. There are also duty-free shops, for me which will be a shopping paradise."

After the introduction of Sanya, the Ambassador crew of Sanya, Law Feng, continued to share his own sailing story. "It is not an easy thing for twenty people to sail on a mighty sea with a 70-foot sailboat. The hull is often tilted more than 45 degrees, resistance to 10 meters high waves. "

A video of the yacht passing through the Atlantic was then displayed. This shocked the audience, seeing the video of the yacht travelling through the waves - the audience were astounded and awed. Wayne, a teacher working at the International Academic Programmes heard that there would be a Sanya yacht open day, and excitedly asked about how to participate, and also said, "My son is 8 years old, I would like to take him to see the beautiful yacht from Sanya, China."

Founded in 1829, the University of Cape Town is the oldest university in South Africa. The first case of a human heart transplant in the world was done by Prof Chrs Barnard of UCT. So far, two graduates have won the Nobel Prize.



The Sanya City Promotion Campaign will hope to bloom around the world, especially aimed at the younger generation and the young talents of the future.



SOURCE Sanya Serenity Coast
HONOLULU, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Science of Identity Foundation has released a live webinar series entitled A Journey of Self-Discovery, which is available for free viewing on its official live streaming channel. In this illuminating multi-part series, Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda teaches about the essential nature of the self and how to achieve our natural condition of happiness and bliss.

Science of Identity Foundation

Throughout the series, Jagad Guru addresses the prevalence of materialism in today's society. The belief that we are material in essence, and that material possessions, power, and fame will satisfy us, is rarely challenged. When people focus on material objects instead of their spiritual essence, it can cause feelings of confusion, depression, anxiety, and hopelessness. Understanding and embracing our true eternal nature can lead to a deeper purpose of existence which brings with it an increase in harmony and lasting happiness.

In Life and Matter: Which One Am I? Jagad Guru sets out to answer fundamental questions about the essence of the living entity. He puts forward a piritual world-view which differs greatly from the prevalent matter-only or materialistic view of reality. He explains that there is more to humanity than just a material body. People are more than matter; they are spiritual in essence. This life particle, or spirit soul, is only temporarily housed in the material body.

As the series continues in Life and Matter: Fundamental Differences, Jagad Guru goes on to elaborate upon the specific characteristics of life and matter. He details the eight primary distinctions between how matter behaves in the presence of life and how it behaves when it's not in the presence of life. This is offered as evidence that life is distinct from matter.

Jagad Guru wraps up the discussion by explaining that although the life element is not directly perceivable, you can perceive its presence by looking at the difference between the way matter behaves when that life particle is present and when that life particle, the person, is no longer present.

About Science of Identity Foundation

Science of Identity Foundation was established by Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda in 1977. It serves as an authentic source of information about yoga and spiritual teachings for those seeking enlightenment. Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda is a world-renowned yoga spiritual master who has been guiding students around the world on their quest for truth for over 45 years. He has made available a variety of videos, books and online resources that guide people on their journey to find enlightenment.

More Information about Science of Identity Foundation can be found here:

https://sif.yoga/about

https://twitter.com/sif_yoga

https://soundcloud.com/scienceofidentityfoundation

https://www.facebook.com/thescienceofidentityfoundation

Media Contact

Jeannie Bishop

808-367-2633

[email protected]

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Related Video

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SOURCE Science of Identity Foundation
Over his twenty five year career Mr. Chen has held executive positions in China, Europe and the United States. Most recently, Mr. Chen served as CEO of BNP Paribas (China) Ltd. where he led the bank's growth strategy in China. From 2011 to 2014, Mr. Chen was the General Manager for Trafigura's Chinese business operations, where he maintained full P&L responsibility for domestic and international commodities trading in the country. Between 2009 and 2011 Mr. Chen was responsible for building the greater China investment banking practice of Houlihan Lokey, Inc. as the Managing Director and Head of Asia Financial Advisory. Between 2001 and 2009 Mr. Chen held various leadership roles in Europe, including as CEO, CFO, and Managing Director of leasing and aircraft chartering businesses. Between 1999 and 2001 Mr. Chen worked as a Director, Business Strategy at Deutsche Bank in New York.

Mr. Chen received a B.S., Accountancy (Magna Cum Laude) (Honours) from Bernard Baruch College and an MBA (Honours) from Columbia Business School.

David Sokol, Chairman of Seaspan's Board of Directors, stated, "We are pleased to have reached a very successful conclusion to our CEO search, and to have a seasoned professional like Mr. Chen join our executive team. Mr. Chen has diverse operating and financial business experience as well as strong relationships in our key markets in Asia and Europe. We feel the talents he brings to the table make him an ideal complement to the talents of Peter Curtis, EVP and COO, Mark Chu, General Counsel, and David Spivak, CFO."

Mr. Sokol concluded, "On behalf of the board of directors, I would like to thank Gerry Wang for his nearly twenty years of leadership and for completing an orderly transition. We are also pleased that Peter Curtis has agreed to act as interim CEO while continuing to oversee all commercial and operating functions of Seaspan."

Mr. Chen added, "Leveraging Seaspan's resilient platform and incredible team, we will strive to constantly provide the best services and innovative solutions for our loyal customers around the world. I am humbled and honoured to be its next CEO as we continue to build and grow profitably. I am confident that Seaspan will continue to strengthen its position as the leader in the global containership leasing industry."

About Seaspan

Seaspan provides many of the world's major shipping lines with creative outsourcing alternatives to vessel ownership by offering long-term leases on large, modern containerships combined with industry leading ship management services. Excluding the remaining 4250 TEU class vessel which is being sold, Seaspan's managed fleet consists of 110 containerships representing a total capacity of approximately 900,000 TEU, including 6 newbuilding containerships on order scheduled for delivery to Seaspan and third parties by the end of 2018. Seaspan's current operating fleet of 88 vessels, excluding the remaining 4250 TEU class vessel which is being sold, has an average age of approximately six years and average remaining lease period of approximately five years, on a TEU weighted basis.

Seaspan has the following securities listed on The New York Stock Exchange:

Symbol: Description:



SSW Class A common shares SSW PR D Series D preferred shares SSW PR E Series E preferred shares SSW PR G Series G preferred shares SSW PR H Series H preferred shares SSWN 6.375% senior unsecured notes due 2019 SSWA 7.125% senior unsecured notes due 2027

For Investor Relations Inquiries:

Mr. David Spivak

Chief Financial Officer

Seaspan Corporation

Tel. 604-638-2580

Mr. Michael Sieffert

Director, Corporate Finance

Seaspan Corporation

Tel. 778-328-6490

For Media Inquiries:

Mr. Leon Berman

The IGB Group

Tel. 212-477-8438

SOURCE Seaspan Corporation

Related Links

http://www.seaspancorp.com/


SHANGHAI, Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With high precision, flexibility and energy efficiency, digital printing has gained the attention from various industry players. With a focus on short production cycle, low-volume and on-demand production, ShanghaiTex 2017 (November 27-30, 2017 at SNIEC, Pudong, Shanghai) will unleash the latest digital printing technology and application under the "customization" trend, bringing its great development potential towards industry 4.0.

The Popular Digital Printing Machinery Zone Returns

Following its popularity from the last edition, the Digital Printing Machinery Zone will expand to cover 3 halls at ShanghaiTex 2017, and has received substantial support from renowned exhibitors such as Zimmer, Mimaki, Konica Minolta, Durst, Epson, MS Specialty, EFI Reggiani, Toshin, Meijia, SPG Prints, Fujifilm, Atexco and Human Digital etc.



Shanghai Mimaki Trading Co., Ltd. will introduce its Belt-Type Direct-to-Textile Inkjet Printer "Tiger-1800B", which features 16 printheads, a maximum print speed at 385 m2/h, and a flexible droplet print mode selection. Extensive optional units are also available for accommodating various applications, while the large-sized ink tank (10 kg) ensures cost-effective print operation. It also comes with a high-performance software RIP "TxLink3 Standard", which offers powerful color replacement functions to represent desired colors.

Epson (China) Co., Ltd. will showcase its large format printer Epson SureColor F7280. With widths up to 64 inches, Surecolor F7280 comes with Epson's exclusive PrecisionCore TFP print head and an integrated roll-to-roll media support system with high accuracy winding, which ensure its high performance. The use of Epson's latest dye-sublimation ink technology - Epson UltraChrome DS with High Density Black also offers a low total cost of ownership.

With an exhibition area of more than 100,000 square meters, ShanghaiTex 2017 expects the participation of over 1,200 exhibitors and over 50,000 professional buyers for commercial exchange. The shows' display on the latest digital printing equipment and technologies will help industry players to transform their businesses and unlock their potential.

Concurrent Events Cover the Wide Applications of Digital Printing

With the technology development over the past few years, the applications of digital printing have extended and are no longer limited to fashion and garment. Digital prints are also found in shoe upper design, luggage, home textiles, car interiors and accessories, etc. During the show period, the organizer will host a seminar The Latest Digital Printing Trends, where experts will cover the wide applications of digital printing, and discuss hot topics regarding customization and sustainable solutions. The organizer will also collaborate with Intech Digital Technology for onsite display and activity, where visitors will be able to learn more about the use of digital printing on denim.

Pre-Register Now to Enjoy Buyer Privileges

Online pre-registration is now open at www.ShanghaiTex.cn. Interested parties are encouraged to complete the online pre-registration now to enjoy buyer privileges including one free copy of show catalogue, priority to participate in symposia and being free from on-site registration procedure.

ShanghaiTex is sponsored by Shangtex Holding Co., Ltd., China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Shanghai Sub-council and China Chamber of International Commerce Shanghai Chamber of Commerce; and is organized by Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd., Shanghai Textile Technology Service & Exhibition Co., Ltd. and Shanghai International Exhibition Co., Ltd.

For more details, please visit ShanghaiTex 2017 website: www.ShanghaiTex.cn.



Connect with us:

Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd. Exhibitor Enquiry: Ms. Amber Ip Tel: (+852) 2516 3519 Fax: (+852) 2516 5024 Email: [email protected] Visitor/ Media Enquiry Ms. Maple Zhang Tel: (+852) 2516 3510 Fax: (+852) 2516 5024 Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Shanghai International Exhibition Co., Ltd.

Related Links

http://www.ShanghaiTex.cn


MISSION, Texas, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK) today announced that the world's largest tools and storage company will open a new manufacturing facility in Mission, TX. The company has signed a lease on a nearly 300,000 square foot facility that will make DEWALT power tool products. The facility will eventually support approximately 450 new jobs in the region and is expected to begin operations in early 2018.

"The opening of our third manufacturing facility in Texas augments our strategy of making where we sell, reinforcing our long-standing commitment to making in America and making in Texas," said Jeff Ansell, President of Stanley Black & Decker's Global Tools & Storage business. "We have continuously manufactured in the U.S. since 1843, and we are the first tool company to proudly bring manufacturing back to the USA in recent times. We continue to strengthen and expand our U.S.-based manufacturing capabilities and we believe that this newest expansion in Texas will enable further acceleration of our Made in the USA with global materials portfolio."

"The Mission Economic Development Corporation (Mission EDC) team has been working with Stanley Black & Decker for the past several months and we are excited to see their hard work has paid off," said City of Mission Mayor Norberto Salinas. "It's a great day for Mission and a great day for the Rio Grande Valley when a company of this caliber decides to invest in our region. These are exactly the type of jobs that we want to attract to our city, and this investment shows that Mission is an attractive location for major employers to locate and grow."

Stanley Black & Decker operates approximately 30 manufacturing facilities in the United States, which produce a broad range of products under major brands such as STANLEY, PROTO, LISTA, VIDMAR, CRAFTSMAN and DEWALT. Over the past three years, the company has added 40% more manufacturing employees in the United States, and added manufacturing capacity in North Carolina, Tennessee, Indiana, Maryland and more.

About Stanley Black & Decker

Stanley Black & Decker, an S&P 500 and FORTUNE 500 company, is the world's leading provider of tools and storage, the world's second-largest commercial electronic security company, and a leading engineered fastening systems provider, with unique growth platforms in the Oil & Gas and Infrastructure industries. Well-known brands include: STANLEY, CRAFTSMAN, BLACK+DECKER, DEWALT, IRWIN, Lenox, Porter-Cable, Bostitch, Facom, Mac Tools, Proto, Vidmar, Lista, and more. Learn more at www.stanleyblackanddecker.com.

Contact:

Tim Perra

Vice President of Public Affairs

860-826-3260

[email protected]

SOURCE Stanley Black & Decker

Related Links

http://www.stanleyblackanddecker.com


In endorsing Colonel Applegate, Senator Atkins said, "Doug Applegate's 2016 race against Darrell Issa made San Diegans believe that the 49th district was winnable. I know that he can and will finish in 2018 the work he started in the last election. He has been unwavering in his support for the issues that I've made my life's work and will decide the 2018 elections, foremost among them universal healthcare and affordable housing. I look forward to working with Doug to develop federal legislation that is responsive to the needs of local communities."

Colonel Applegate expressed his gratitude and deep admiration for Senator Atkins stating, "I am humbled by Senator Atkins' endorsement. When it comes to having the vision, determination, and skill to get groundbreaking progressive legislation signed into law, Senator Atkins is in a class of her own. We have challenging years ahead of us, and we'll need powerful, fearless elected leaders to carry us through. I am honored to have her endorsement and eager to begin working together to build a more prosperous, sustainable future for Californians."

From the mining country of southwest Virginia, to the San Diego City Council, to the California State Assembly and now the State Senate, Senator Atkins has fought tirelessly for the rights and wellbeing of working families and underrepresented communities in San Diego and throughout California. Her ability to build consensus and advance legislation is legendary and her record of accomplishments in healthcare, conservation, racial and gender equity, housing affordability, criminal justice reform, and LGBTQ rights is unsurpassed.

Momentum continues to grow for the Democratic candidate to replace Darrell Issa. Colonel Applegate will again challenge controversial incumbent Rep. Darrell Issa to represent the 49th District in the June 2018 primary, promising to overcome the narrowest (1,621) vote gap of 2016 election cycle and defeat him in November. A full list of endorsements for Applegate for Congress can be found on our website at http://www.applegateforcongress.com/endorsements/

Douglas Applegate is a Colonel USMCR (retired). Use of his military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Marine Corps, the Department of the Navy, or the Department of Defense.

Amanda Mascia

Communications Director

Applegate for Congress

760-575-4902

SOURCE Doug Applegate for Congress

Related Links

applegateforcongress.com


SOUTHFIELD, Mich., Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week members from the Automobile Journalist Association of Canada (AJAC) and Sean Donnelly, president and CEO of ArcelorMittal Dofasco and chairman of the CEO group for the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), met to discuss the impact of the Canadian steel industry on the North American automotive market. The discussion took place during AJAC's annual TestFest, held on Oct. 25  26 at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in Bowmanville, Ontario.

In a discussion led by David Taylor, automotive journalist, member of AJAC and the Canadian Car and Truck of the Year Management Committee, Donnelly talked about the challenges facing the steel and automotive industry, how well-positioned steel is to overcome those challenges and what the future holds for both industries.

"The combination of weight reduction and safety improvements have led to a revolution of the steels available today," said Donnelly. "The latest grades are higher-strength and provide increased formability and durability. This leads to the best performance for the automaker and the highest value to the consumer."

When asked about the future for steel and the auto industries, Donnelly reinforced advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) is being used in a number of new applications and the results show improved vehicle performance in fuel efficiency, durability, quality and affordability.

AJAC's TestFest is an annual event bringing more than 80 journalists from throughout Canada to test drive vehicle contenders as part of the Canadian Car and Utility Vehicle of the Year awards, which are presented each year at the Canadian International Auto Show.

The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) is an association of professional journalists, writers and photographers whose focus is the automobile and the automotive industry. The majority of our journalists test-drive, and report on, new vehicles on an on-going basis in various media across the country.

AISI serves as the voice of the North American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace. AISI also plays a lead role in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology. AISI is comprised of 19 member companies, including integrated and electric furnace steelmakers, and approximately 120 associate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry.

SMDI increases and defends the use of steel by developing innovative materials, applications and value-added solutions for customers in the automotive, construction and packaging markets. SMDI automotive investors include: AK Steel Corporation, ArcelorMittal and Nucor Corporation. For more information on SMDI, visit www.autosteel.org or follow @SMDISteel on Twitter.

SOURCE Steel Market Development Institute

Related Links

http://www.autosteel.org


CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TCR2 Therapeutics Inc. announced today that new preclinical data from two of its TRuC programs will be highlighted at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 32nd Annual Meeting to be held November 8-12, 2017 in National Harbor, Maryland. This includes the lead solid tumor program TC-210 targeting mesothelin that will enter the clinic in 2018.

"We look forward to presenting new data from our TRuC programs as they continue to demonstrate robust efficacy, persistence and potential safety benefits in treating solid tumors. We will also share mechanistic data that further validate our approach is truly differentiated from existing CAR or TCR therapies as the first platform to engage the entire T cell receptor complex without HLA restriction," said Robert Hofmeister, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer. "It is an exciting time for TCR2 as we advance our TC-210 solid tumor program into the clinic in 2018 and expand our pipeline using TRuC technology against several other targets."

The schedule for TCR2's poster presentations is as follows:

Title: Preclinical Evaluation of Mesothelin-Specific T Cell Receptor Fusion Constructs (TRuC) Approach Utilizing the Signaling Power of the Complete TCR Complex: A New Opportunity for Solid Tumor Therapy

Poster Number: P171

Date & Time: Friday, November 10, 2017 12:30-2:00pm and 6:30-8:00pm EST

Presenter: Jian Ding, PhD, Senior Scientist, TCR2 Therapeutics

Title: TRuC-T Cells: A Novel Class of Engineered T Cells that Power T Cells Through the Entire T Cell Receptor Complex without MHC Restriction

Poster Number: P193

Date & Time: Friday, November 10, 2017 12:30-2:00pm and 6:30-8:00pm EST

Presenter: Ekta Patel, PhD, Senior Scientist, TCR2 Therapeutics

About TCR2 Therapeutics

TCR2 Therapeutics is an immuno-oncology company that has pioneered a novel class of T cell therapies for solid tumors that utilize the full signaling power of complete T cell receptors (TCR). TCR2 has developed a unique proprietary TRuC platform which can reprogram the natural TCR complex to elicit rapid killing of cancer cells with persistence and low cytokine release. The company has demonstrated superior activity against several tumor targets in preclinical models compared to CAR T cells and will advance its lead program TC-210 into the clinic in 2018. TCR2 was founded in 2015 by Dr. Patrick Baeuerle and backed with a $44.5M Series A financing led by MPM Capital and F2 Ventures. It has since assembled a world-class team of immunotherapy experts and entrepreneurs located in the heart of Kendall Square in Cambridge, MA. For more information, please visit www.tcr2.com.

SOURCE TCR2 Therapeutics

Related Links

http://www.tcr2.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Great Place to Work and FORTUNE today announced their annual ranking of the Best Workplaces in Southern California, plus research into how organizations can use culture to retain employees.

The high cost of living in Southern California puts pressure on employees and employers. According to Zillow, home prices in Los Angeles County are 2.8 times higher than the national average. High costs can make it hard for employees to stay and difficult for companies to attract talent to the region.

Creating a great place to work for all helps businesses retain co-workers and recruit new ones. At the Best Workplaces in Southern California, nine in 10 employees said they want to stay with their organizations for a long time.

View the full list of 50 workplaces at Greatplacetowork.com

"All things being equal, housing costs and a high cost of living overall can impact an employee's willingness and capacity to stay with an employer. Those employees that do stay are making a conscious choice, not because of higher pay or better benefits, but because the work is rewarding and their workplace experience is fulfilling," said Chinwe Onyeagoro, president of Great Place to Work.

Exceptional Workplaces Drive Employee Retention

Co-workers who said their company is fun and friendly were six times more likely to plan a long-term future there.

Employees who were proud to tell others where they work were 13 times more likely to stay.

About the Best Workplaces in Southern California

List rankings are based on our data-driven methodology applied to anonymous Trust Index survey responses from more than 103,000 employees working at Great Place to Work-Certified organizations with headquarters or major locations in Southern California. To learn how your organization can become Great Place to Work-Certified and recognized on Best Workplaces lists published with FORTUNE, visit Greatplacetowork.com.

About Great Place to Work

Great Place to Work is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through its certification programs, Great Place to Work recognizes outstanding workplace cultures and produces the annual FORTUNE "100 Best Companies to Work For" and Great Place to Work Best Workplaces lists for Millennials, women, diversity, industries and, internationally, countries and regions. Through its culture consulting services, Great Place to Work helps its clients create great workplaces that outpace peers on key business metrics like revenue growth, profitability, retention and stock performance.

Learn more at Greatplacetowork.com, and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

In March 2018, Great Place to Work will publish a new book, "A Great Place to Work for All: Better for Business, Better for People, Better for the World".

SOURCE Great Place to Work
COLUMBIA, S.C., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Gallus Stadium Park Inn in Columbia, S.C., a newly renovated upscale boutique hotel, has joined the Ascend Hotel Collection. Known for inspiring individuality, the Ascend Hotel Collection is the first and largest global soft brand, featuring best in class unique, boutique and historic hotels and resorts with more than 190 properties worldwide.

The charming 45-room property is ideally located at 621 South Assembly Street, Columbia, S.C., within minutes of the Williams-Brice Stadium, home of the University of South Carolina Gamecocks, the South Carolina State Fairgrounds and is a short distance from downtown Columbia.

The Gallus Stadium Park Inn offers a range of amenities including high-speed internet, in-room Keurig coffee makers with gourmet coffee and tea, microwave and mini-fridge as well as a complimentary continental breakfast. Each modern guest room features plush bath towels, triple-sheet bedding, generously sized desks with comfortable chairs. Guests can also enjoy an onsite marketplace which is open 24 hours a day, offering locally made baked goods and coffee with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the community.

The Gallus Stadium Park Inn participates in the award-winning Choice Privileges loyalty rewards program, rated no. 1 in USA Today's 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards list. Membership is free, offers fast rewards, instant perks, and exclusive member rates when booking directly at www.choicehotels.com. Members can redeem points towards free nights, airline miles and more while staying at any of Choice's global hotel properties.

Ascend Hotel Collection: let the destination reach you.

The Ascend Hotel Collection is a global portfolio of unique, boutique and historic independent hotels and resorts and is part of Choice Hotels International, one of the world's leading hotel companies. Recognized as the hotel industry's first "soft brand" concept, Ascend has more than 190 properties open and operating worldwide, including in France, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Turkey, Australia, Canada, and the Caribbean region. Membership with the Ascend Hotel Collection enables distinctive, independent properties to gain a global presence while maintaining their local charm. For more information, visit www.choicehotels.com/Ascend.

About Choice Hotels

Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) is one of the world's largest hotel companies. With approximately 6,500 hotels franchised in more than 40 countries and territories, Choice Hotels International represents more than 500,000 rooms around the globe. As of March 31, 2017, 795 hotels were in our development pipeline. Our company's Ascend Hotel Collection, Cambria, Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Sleep Inn, Quality, Clarion, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, Econo Lodge, Rodeway Inn, and Vacation Rentals by Choice HotelsTM brands provide a spectrum of lodging choices to meet guests' needs. With more than 30 million members and counting, our Choice Privileges rewards program enhances every trip a guest takes, with benefits ranging from instant, every day rewards to exceptional experiences, starting right when they join. All hotels and vacation rentals are independently owned and operated. Visit us at www.choicehotels.com for more information.

 2017 Choice Hotels International, Inc. All rights reserved.

SOURCE Choice Hotels International, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.choicehotels.com


The photographic artwork of Wisconsin artist Chuck Heiting will be on exhibit at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge starting Saturday, Nov. 4 and running through Nov. 30.

Friends of Necedah NWR will host an opening reception with the artist on Nov. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the visitors center, N11385 Headquarters Road. Light refreshments will be served. The event, which will feature Heitings work, is free and open to the public.

Raised in central Wisconsin, Heiting developed an early interest in wildlife and spent many hours exploring woodlots and pastures of the area. He describes himself as an avid hunter with or without a camera. The majority of his work captures animals and birds from Wisconsin, but he also has made multiple trips to Alaska and Africa.

In recent years his award-winning photos have been published on calendars and note cards and in magazines. For more details, call the refuge office at 608-565-2551.
At present, with the closing of the 19 th CPC National Congress, the main contradiction of Chinese society has been transformed into a contradiction between people's growing needs for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development of society. Based on this philosophy, the Chinese government is determined to work hard to benefit 500 million passengers with non-stop online surfing experience on their inflight journeys within the next five years.

Chinese society has undergone enormous changes since its Reform and Opening-up roughly 40 years ago. The change is particularly conspicuous in the internet industry, as is seen in its 751 million internet users  1/5 of the world's total. Chinese internet penetration rate has reached 54.3%, a 4.6 percentage points higher than the global average. China has 700 million mobile Internet users with an annual growth rate of 5.9%, and an overwhelming 95.1% of its internet users are on their mobile devices. Global finance and technology has entered the China-US double-wheel driven era called 'G2', which has seen a spate of outstanding internet firms such as Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent (commonly referred to as 'BAT'). Unlike the popularity of the internet, the development of China's inflight internet began relatively late, thus somewhat lagging behind the United States. The Chinese government recognises this situation and has started to actively put into practice this newly-formed Plan.

There are currently about 55 airlines around the world that provide inflight internet services. Of the 4000+ Wi-Fi-equipped aircrafts, more than 80% are now serving in North American airlines. As of 2016, more than 78% of flights provide cabin Wi-Fi service in the United States, followed by Europe and the Middle East, with Asian airlines still falling behind. The United Airlines fleet has a Wi-Fi penetration rate of 100%, followed by Delta Air Lines (95%), Emirates (87%), JAL (77%) and Lufthansa (70%). According to the research finding of OnAir, a Swiss research company, 75% of airlines plan to invest in inflight Wi-Fi services for their passengers, and 70% of the airlines are now investing in inflight internet service training for their employees. Since the first Air China aircraft with inflight Wi-Fi made her maiden journey, China now has only 140 Wi-Fi-enabled aircrafts in operation, representing only 6% of the total size of China's civil aviation fleet, which means each year nearly 500 million passengers are not connected to the most basic internet services during their flight. The Chinese government has taken note of this strong demand and realised that when the core technology is withheld by the Western countries, its information and data are exposed to substantial security risks.

The focus of the Chinese government's ambitious initiative lies in the satellite layout. From 2016, Guangdong Provincial Government has begun strategic planning in the upstream of the inflight internet industry chain. On 23rd July 2016, Shenzhen Municipal Government started the construction of China's first global high-throughput broadband satellite communications system, who plans to launch the first high-throughput broadband satellite by the end of 2018 and starts satellite communications operations services in 2019. In April 2017, China's first high-throughput communications satellite 'Zhongxing-16' was successfully launched, with a total communication capacity of more than 20G. This signifies that broadband applications of independent communications satellite has been realised through China's independent research and development technology and China has broken loose from foreign monopoly.

At the operational level, as the core area of China's scientific and technological innovation hub, Huangpu District (Guangzhou Development District) is endlessly seeking new development momentum in its efforts to play a leading role in the sector through the accumulation and radiation of innovative resources. Driven by the Belt and Road Initiative (B&R), Huangpu District (Guangzhou Development District) has established the 'The Belt and Road' Inflight Internet Fund, China's first Inflight Internet Centre for Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and an Inflight Internet Industrial Park in a bid to promote Chinese products and content with independent intellectual property rights to the airlines along the B&R countries, while supporting an array of outstanding enterprises with independent intellectual property rights.

With the deepening of China's all-round diplomacy, great power diplomacy with Chinese characteristics has borne the features of being comprehensive, multi-level and three-dimensional, creating a favourable external environment for China's development and the implementation of the B&R Initiative. Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has signed bilateral air transport agreements with more than 60 countries along the B&R, among which more than 40 countries agreed on direct flights, shuttling a total of around 4200 flights per week. China's domestic airlines such as Air China, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Hainan Airlines have all increased aviation capacity in nations along the B&R, with over 200 new air routes being newly launched. In 2017, international routes along the B&R remains the focus for many airlines. Since 29th October 2017, China's domestic airlines plan to launch 95 new international routes along the B&R, mainly in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia and the South Pacific countries. Meanwhile, foreign airlines are set to launch 18 new international routes along the B&R, principally in the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Kazakhstan and other countries.

According to the Plan, Huangpu District (Guangzhou Development District) will provide support in policy, land, capital and other areas. BlueFocus IFEC will bring together leading companies as stakeholders in the whole industry chain to maximize industrial value through commercial operation, as well as to foster a hundred-billion-yuan industrial cluster in five years. Despite the fact that there evidently are difficulties and challenges due to temporal and technical barriers, this ambitious plan can be seen as an important booster and driver for the current development of China's inflight internet.

SOURCE Bluefocus IFEC
Dr. Littlejohn began his career in education shortly after completing his doctorate. He was the founding headmaster of New Covenant School in Virginia, and has extensive collegiate and college preparatory administrative experience. He has a B.S. in Biology from Baylor University, an M.S. in Biology from Stephen F. Austin State University and a Ph.D. in Botany from Washington State University. He is a published author, including Wisdom and Eloquence, one of the leading books on classical liberal arts learning.

"Dr. Littlejohn's extensive professional and educational accomplishments make him the ideal candidate to lead Covenant into its next 25 years," said J.J. Barto, the chairman of Covenant's Board of Trustees. "He is truly one of the top contributors to classical Christian education movement throughout the nation."

Dr. Littlejohn's first full year will begin with the 2018-2019 academic year.

Contact

Melissa Weiss

214-358-5818

[email protected]

SOURCE The Covenant School of Dallas
Her Royal Highness Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall, wife of The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, is once again back at Dr. Issac Mathai's SOUKYA International Holistic Health Centre, Bangalore (India) with family and friends. Dr. Mathai has been a Holistic Health Consultant for the British Royal Family for more than 10 years. SOUKYA is the first of it's kind in the world, where different systems of medicine like Ayurveda, Naturopathy, Homeopathy, Yoga and Complementary therapies work under one roof, becoming a natural choice for people from over 90 nationalities.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/592772/SOUKYA.jpg )



Homeopathy is a choice of medicine for the British Royal Family for more than 100 years. Her Royal Highness Camilla's wellness journey included Homeopathy, Ayurveda, Naturopathy and a customised menu. She was served with sessions on yoga and meditation, amidst the 30 acres of lush greenery. She also visited SOUKYA's Holy Trinity Chapel on campus and planted a Plumeria.

Bangalore being the hub of Integrated Medicine, having the largest number of systems of medicine and world class institutions, is an obvious destination for health and wellness. Prince Charles and The Duchess are shortly due to meet our Honourable Prime Minister, Sri Narendra Modi in Delhi, who is a firm believer in the AYUSH systems of medicine and their benefits.



For further details, please contact:

Trigam Mukherjee

[email protected]

+91-9731651640



SOURCE SOUKYA
ORANGE, Calif., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With fall in full swing, the makers of the LA VICTORIA Brand, known for authentic, flavorful salsa, enchilada sauce and taco sauce, are offering five seasonal recipe ideas that put a unique spin on your favorite comfort foods. Whether preparing a Friendsgiving dinner or offering up a tasty side for game day, salsa provides an unexpected way to spice up your next seasonal gathering.

"In our 100-year history, the LA VICTORIA brand has seen plenty of food trends come and go, yet we know that salsa is the preferred condiment on the West Coast1," said Sebastian Friedman, LA VICTORIA Brand Manager. "While some may think of salsa as the epitome of a summer pantry staple, fall is all about bringing people together. Combined with your favorite dishes, this timeless condiment provides a modern Mexican twist on classic autumn recipes."

The makers of the LA VICTORIA Brand offer the following quick recipe ideas to help you incorporate this well-loved pantry essential into fall menus:

Turkey and Stout ChiliThe perfect weekend chili is simple to make and blends brown sugar, chipotle powder and salsa for just enough kick on game day. Try it with a thick and chunky salsa for a bolder texturenearly 70 percent of consumers prefer it to salsa with a smooth consistency.1

Blistered Brussels and CauliflowerTopped with a blend of olive oil, lemon juice, almonds and salsa verde, this is a healthy and flavorful addition to any fall menu.

Butternut Squash, Black Bean, and Green Chile EnchiladasNothing says fall quite like butternut squash. For a unique and vegetarian spin on a classic, try this savory, intensely flavored dish.

Salsa Baked Mac 'N CheeseThis is comfort food at its finest. With a Mexican twist and hint of heat, this is an easy weeknight side dish or delicious contribution to a holiday gathering.

Wood Grilled Adobo Squash TacoSquash is plentiful this time of year, so get creative on taco night with a vegetarian delight. Guajillo and ancho chiles blend together for a savory adobo sauce that completes these tacos.

If you're pressed for time but need to bring something to share at your family gathering, chips and salsa is a classic crowd pleaserin fact, 71 percent of consumers most often enjoy salsa with chips. When deciding how spicy to go, more than half of consumers appreciate an extra kick, opting for medium to hot salsa over mild or fruity varieties. Finally, grab the bag of traditional/triangle chips, which nearly 55 percent of consumers prefer over scoops, strips or rounds.1

This year, the makers of the LA VICTORIA Brand are celebrating a delicious culinary tradition: the 100th anniversary of salsa as we know it in America. As the pioneer of jarred salsa in the U.S., the makers of the LA VICTORIA Brand have kept the Mexican tradition alive and well in the hearts and bellies of today's consumers for a century while using field-to-jar tomatoes in its salsas.

For more recipes and information about LA VICTORIA foods, please visit www.lavictoria.com or contact the brand at [email protected].

ABOUT LA VICTORIA BRAND

Established in 1917 on the West Coast of California, the makers of the LA VICTORIA Brand were the first to make jarred salsa and an original maker of Mexican sauces. LA VICTORIA brand products include salsa, taco sauce, enchilada sauce, chiles, peppers and fruit-flavored salsas. The line is known for its bold, robust flavors and is easily identifiable in the grocery aisle by its iconic jars. The LA VICTORIA brand operates under MegaMex Foods LLC, a maker of a comprehensive portfolio of products that resonate with Mexican-American and mainstream consumers of Mexican foods. For more information about the LA VICTORIA brand visit www.lavictoria.com or follow LA VICTORIA brand on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @LaVictoriaBrand.

1 Based on a 1,000 person survey conducted by the makers of the LA VICTORIA Brand, Sept. 2017

SOURCE LA VICTORIA Brand

Related Links

http://www.lavictoria.com


NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Princeton Review, known for its college rankings in dozens of categories based on how students rate their schools, is now expanding its coverage of business school programs. Today, the company is releasing the 2018 annual ranking lists of business schools. Available on the company's website, The Princeton Review reports the top 10 ranking schools in 18 categories of interest to students applying to on-campus MBA programs. In addition, the company is announcing the result of its 3rd annual ranking of the top 25 online MBA programs for 2018. The lists are available at www.princetonreview.com/best-business-schools along with FAQs about the basis for each ranking and the company's detailed profiles of the schools.

"We want to offer students a truly robust resource to find information about business school programs," said Robert Franek, Editor-in-Chief, The Princeton Review. "Students who came to us for help selecting their college can now find equally comprehensive information on our website about choosing a business school program. We want students to be aware that on-campus and online MBA programs have different strengths and they can use that information to find the best business school for their interests."

"Top business schools now offer online MBAs, and employers do see them as credible and valuable," added Mr. Franek. "For working professionals unable to move to a 'brick and mortar' campus for an MBA, these schools offer an opportunity to learn from some of the world's best business school professors and earn their degree from anywhere in the world."

How Do On-Campus MBA Students and Online MBA Students Differ ?

Age of student population: On-campus students are younger; the average age is 28 while the average age of online MBA students is 34.

Work experience: On-campus MBA students average 5 years of work experience; online MBA students average 11 years.

Starting salary: The average starting salary for students at top on-campus MBA programs is $115,000 vs. $107,000 for students at top online MBA programs.

On The Princeton Review website (www.princetonreview.com/best-business-schools), students can find detailed profiles of the business schools, which include admission, academics, financial aid, campus life and career/employment information. In addition to the profiles and the rankings, the site includes helpful business school advice articles about taking the GMAT, crafting a stellar MBA application, and finding a program best tailored to your goals.

"Our purpose is not to rank schools hierarchically or crown any school as 'best' overall. Our goal is to provide school profiles combined with multiple rating scores and ranking lists to help applicants choose the best business school for them," added Mr. Franek. "Their program offerings vary considerably, and we salute and highlight those distinctions in our profiles."

Top On-Campus MBA Programs

The Princeton Review tallied its lists based on its surveys of 23,000 students attending 267 business schools. In these categories, the following schools were ranked #1:

Best Career Prospects  Harvard University

Toughest to Get Into  Stanford University

Best Professors  University of Virginia

Best Classroom Experience  Stanford University

Most Competitive Students  Acton School of Business

Best Campus Environment University of Virginia

Best Administered  Acton School of Business

Greatest Resources for Women  Stanford University

Greatest Resources for Minority Students  Howard University

Most Family Friendly  Brigham Young University

Best Green MBA  University of Vermont

In addition, this year's survey of 23,000 students evaluated their schools to find the best MBA programs in 7 new categories for (schools below were ranked #1):

Best MBA for Consulting  Northwestern University

Best MBA for Finance  Columbia University

Best MBA for Human Resources  University of Florida

Best MBA for Management  Stanford University

Best MBA for Marketing  Northwestern University

Best MBA for Nonprofit  Columbia University

Best MB for Operations  Carnegie Mellon University

Top 25 Online MBA Programs

The Princeton Review surveyed more than 4,700 online MBA students at more than 75 business schools offering online MBAs to come up with this year's list of Top 25 Online MBA programs. They are:

Indiana University Bloomington University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Temple University (PA) University of Southern California University of Florida Carnegie Mellon University (PA) IE University ( Spain ) Rochester Institute of Technology (NY) Arizona State University Babson College (MA) University of Texas at Dallas North Carolina State University Auburn University (AL) University of Utah Pepperdine University (CA) James Madison University (VA) Hofstra University (NY) University of Nebraska-Lincoln University of South Dakota Jack Welch Management Institute (Strayer University) (VA) University of Arizona University of North Texas Syracuse University (NY) Northeastern University (MA) University of Massachusetts Amherst

Among students surveyed at the top 25 online MBA programs:

56% were receiving financial assistance from their employers to pay for their degree: they reported their companies were covering 62% of the degree cost

34% reported receiving a promotion while earning their online MBA

$107,000 was the students' average base salary upon graduating from the program

was the students' average base salary upon graduating from the program 30% was the average salary increase graduates reported they received after completing the degree

METHODOLOGY

On-Campus MBA Rankings :

The Princeton Review's ranking list tallies factor in data from its surveys of business school students completed during the 2016-17, 2015-16, and 2014-15 school years. The survey (completed at http://survey.review.com) asks students about their school's academics, student body, and campus life, and their career plans. On average, 86 students at each business school were surveyed for the 2018 lists. All institutional data used to tally these ranking lists was collected in 2016-2017. The school profiles of the 267 business schools include school ratings (scores from 60-99) in five categories based primarily on institutional data. Among them are rating scores for "Admissions Selectivity" and Career statistics, which factor in data on graduates' starting salaries and employment. A description of the methodology is at www.princetonreview.com/business-school-rankings/ranking-methodology.

Top 25 Online MBA Ranking :

The Princeton Review chose the schools based on its surveys in 2016-2017 of more than 75 business schools offering online MBAs (at which a majority of their program was online), plus surveys of over 4,700 students enrolled in the programs. Survey methodology and criteria for this ranking was based on input from business school content editors at The Princeton Review as well as an advisory board of administrators at several of the nation's leading online MBA programs. The criteria focused on five core areas: academics, selectivity, faculty, technical platforms, and career outcomes. Data points were weighted in more than 60 unique fields to determine the final ranking. A description of the methodology is at www.princetonreview.com/business-school-rankings/ranking-methodology.

About The Princeton Review

The Princeton Review is a leading tutoring, test prep and college admission services company. Every year, it helps millions of college- and graduate school-bound students achieve their education and career goals through online and in person courses delivered by a network of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors, online resources, and its more than 150 print and digital books published by Penguin Random House. The Princeton Review is headquartered in New York, NY. The company is not affiliated with Princeton University. For more information, visit www.PrincetonReview.com. Follow the company on Twitter @ThePrincetonRev.

WEBSITE:

www.princetonreview.com/best-business-schools

SOURCE The Princeton Review

Related Links

http://www.PrincetonReview.com


The solutions-oriented discussions led to creating new opportunities for brands, retailers, communities and individuals alike to be a part of a better future. Topics explored included: Best By Dates & Their Impact on Food Waste & Food Access; The Power of Purpose-Driven Campaigns; Urban Agriculture & The New Food Pioneers; Impactful Partnerships for the Future of Food; Systems-Based Thinking for Food Secure Communities; Cultivating the Next Generation of Agrarian Leaders; Regenerative Solutions for the Future of Food; Leveraging Wisdom & Resources; and How to Increase Access & Maintain Your Mission. Video recordings of all sessions have been archived and can be seen here .

"This year Esca Bona delivered another three days of ideas, connections, collaboration, laughter and tears. Each and every participant demonstrated a deep commitment to being fully present and open as we discussed ways to increase access to healthy, real food in all communities," said Carlotta Mast, Senior Vice President of Content & Insights at New Hope Network. "More than 50 million Americans don't have enough to eat and the divide separating the food 'haves' and 'have nots' is widening. All of us in attendance, from entrepreneurs to marketers to conscious investors to farmers and educators, spent three days thinking about actionable ideas to solve this complex problem."

Throughout the three-day event, participants heard from natural food industry veterans including: John Foraker, Co-Founder & CEO of Once Upon a Farm; and Robert Craven, CEO of MegaFood. Entrepreneurial visionaries included: Shen Tong, Managing Partner of FoodFutureCo; Galit Laibow, Co-founder & CEO of Foodstirs; Katie Forrest and Taylor Collins, Co-Founders & Chiefs of Epic Provisions; Alejandro Velez, Co-Founder of Back to the Roots; Errol Schweizer, Co-Founder of Good Catch; Dan Kurzrock, Co-Founder & Chief Grain Officer at Regrained; Marc Oshima, Co-Founder & Chief Marketing Officer of AeroFarms; Michael Hanan, CEO of Agua Dulce Farm; Andrew Pittz, Farmer-in-Chief of Sawmill Hollow Family Farm; and Lorig Hawkins, Owner of Middle Ground Farm. Inspiring changemakers included: Judith Ackerman, Business Development & Marketing Officer at Metro Caring; Sherene Chou, MS, RD, Nutrition Consultant at LA Kitchen; Danielle Nierenberg, President of Food Tank; Elizabeth Candelario, Managing Director of Demeter; and Justin Perkins, Founder of Olomomo Nut Co. and VP Strategic Partnerships at Care2.com. Event speakers also included impact-minded investors, policymakers and influencers helping companies reach more consumers and bring their mission to greater heights.

"MegaFood has set our sights on the very large vision of curing nutritional poverty and to accomplish this will take real courage and action. Esca Bona delivered true inspiration and tactical ideas that will motivate us toward our goals. Even more important is the tribe of amazing people that will support us and hold us accountable to our now, very public objectives," said Robert Craven, CEO of MegaFood.

Attendees were also treated to several opportunities to network with the industry's best and brightest including a Service Project at El Buen Samaritano, a welcome reception with live local music, happy hours in the Entrepreneur's Garage interactive showcase, facilitated Food Story Lunch discussions, and an off-site dinner with live music capped off with the first annual Explore Austin Bar Crawl. In addition, The Fix session brought together six brands and six mentors to share challenges and leverage the collective talent and ideas of Esca Bona participants.

Esca Bona will return to Austin October 15-17, 2018. For more information visit escabona.com and follow the latest @EscaBona on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About New Hope Network

New Hope Network is at the forefront of the healthy lifestyle products industry. With solutions for the complete supply chain from manufacturers, retailers/distributors, service providers and ingredient suppliers, the network offers a robust portfolio of content, events, data, research and consultative services. Through its mission of growing healthy markets to bring more health to more people, New Hope Network helps businesses identify the people, products, partnerships and trends that create better opportunities and connections. For more information visit www.newhope.com.

About Informa Exhibitions

New Hope Network is part of Informa's Global Exhibitions Division. With over 200 trade and consumer exhibitions annually, Informa Exhibitions is a global market leader in such end markets as Boating, Beauty, Construction & Real Estate, Life Sciences, Maritime, Health & Nutrition, Agriculture and Pop Culture. Through face to face and digital channels, its transaction-oriented exhibitions enable communities to engage, experience and do business. In doing so, Informa brings together people who want to buy and sell, network, do business and gain inspiration. Industry insight, coupled with an innovative and entrepreneurial approach, provides Informa Exhibitions customers and partners with the opportunity to create business advantage and access markets.

Informa Exhibitions is a division of Informa PLC, a leading business intelligence, academic publishing, knowledge and events business, creating unique content and connectivity for customers all over the world. Informa PLC is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100.

Contact:

Carrie Kocik

New Hope Network

Public Relations

617-694-5971

[email protected]

SOURCE New Hope Network

Related Links

http://www.newhope.com


DETROIT, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- After an extensive search that included a roster of top-ranked shopper marketing agencies, the Tillamook County Creamery Association recently chose The Mars Agency as its new partner.

Situated on the Oregon coast, the 108-year-old farmer-owned cooperative, led by nearly 90 farmer families, makes premium Tillamook cheese, ice cream, yogurt, sour cream and butter, which are sold in both large and small retailers across the country.

"During the pitch process, the Mars team demonstrated a high level of strategic thinking and unique retailer insights and know-how. We are certain that they can help us achieve our significant and accelerated growth goals. In addition, we loved their independence and passion for what they do. Like us, they are a multi-generational, family-owned business that share similar values: commitment to the best quality, authenticity in relationships and a level of care in everything that they do," said John Russell, Tillamook's VP of Marketing.

The Mars Agency has already started to integrate with the Tillamook client team, helping them to transform from a more product-centric approach to true retailer- and shopper-centric planning and execution. The team's collective efforts will be in market in early 2018.

About Tillamook County Creamery Association

Founded in 1909 as a farmer-owned cooperative, the Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) prides itself on its commitment to bringing to market the most consistent, best tasting, highest quality dairy products made in the most natural way possible. Guided by the belief that everyone deserves real food that makes them feel good every day, they have earned top awards for their cheese, ice cream, sour cream, butter and yogurt products. For more information on Tillamook, please visit https://www.tillamook.com/

About The Mars Agency

The Mars Agency is a full-service, global marketing agency, specializing in shopper and consumer promotion. It operates independently in 10 offices in North America and Europe. For nearly 46 years, the agency has been consistently recognized for its ability to drive brand growth across channels and commerce platforms. It has both an impressive and growing client base which includes Campbell's, Pepperidge Farm, Lowe's, Hallmark, Henkel and Pfizer. To learn more about The Mars Agency, please visit http://www.themarsagency.com/

For more information, contact:

Elise Wilfinger

[email protected]

203.247.7420

SOURCE The Mars Agency

Related Links

http://www.themarsagency.com


SAN ANTONIO, October 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

TransAct Energy Corp (OTC: TEGY) announced today that they have signed a conditional purchase agreement for an 18.4-hectare, greenfield, industrial site located in the industrial zone of El Salto, Jalisco Mexico. The site has access to a major ring-road to the east and a circulation road to the west that feeds into the free-way system. This will allow easy access from where the MSW is picked up in Tlaquepaque to the Zero Emissions Waste Optimization Plant (Z.E.W.O.P.). Products leaving the plant will have the same easy road access going to market.

This site will now undergo technical reviews to assure its compatibility for the intended Z.E.W.O.P. including geotechnical, hydrogeological, seismic and environmental impact studies. The site was selected based on its perceived compliance with our intended uses.

Subject to the land being approved for use and ownership, TransAct will pay 202.7 Million Mexican Pesos (approximately $10.5 Million USD). The land is larger than required, the balance can be sub-divided off and resold.

"The Agreement marks a major milestone for TransAct. With the land now under contract, we can focus on moving forward with introducing the first ZEWOP to Mexico. Our next step will be to obtain the requisite permits and permissions," says TransAct CEO, Rod Bartlett. "We hope to complete the purchase of the land by February, and begin site preparation shortly thereafter."

About TransAct Energy Corp.

TransAct Energy Corp. is a Nevada organized company that owns proprietary technology called Zero Emissions Waste Optimization Plants (Z.E.W.O.P.) which takes Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) and produces multiple products without any residuals returning to the environment. These by-products include 18 different product streams including potable water, fuels, heavy metals, scrap metals, aluminum, glass, waxes, sugars and carbon which may be resold back into the marketplace at a profit. The Company intends to develop its Z.E.W.O.P. technology in conjunction with municipalities globally who are facing waste-management growth while trying to alleviate environmental impacts. Please visithttp://transactenergycorp.com for more information or follow us on twitter at @transactenergyc.

Safe harbor: This press release contains certain statements that may include "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are often identified using forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects," "anticipate," "optimistic," "intend," "will" or other similar expressions. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Company's periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website at http://www.sec.gov . All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume a duty to update these forward-looking statements.

Contact:

Roderick C Bartlett

TransAct Energy Corp.

Phone +1-210-888-0785

[email protected]

SOURCE TransAct Energy Corp
FOLSOM, Calif., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Trimark Associates, Inc., a leading provider of utility monitoring and control system systems, today announces it has been awarded a GSA contract under the Multiple Award Schedule for Facilities Maintenance and Management (03FAC). Contract #GS-21F-001HA gives federal government agencies expedited access to Trimark's products and services. This includes Trimark's advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and SCADA systems for control and monitoring. The GSA Schedule is a government-wide acquisition contract with a pre-negotiated list of products, prices and delivery terms that simplifies procurement for government agencies and the military.

"We are pleased our metering and utility monitoring and control services are now available through GSA Advantage!, the federal government's electronic ordering system," said Mark Morosky, president and chief executive officer of Trimark. "We look forward to leveraging our experience with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force to help additional government entities manage their energy consumption with our AMI solution that integrates smart meters, communications networks and data management systems. In addition, our complete SCADA systems for solar, battery storage and microgrid applications deliver precise control and real time monitoring to analyze and perfect site performance."

Trimark's SCADA systems optimize power generation, improve efficiency, maximize facility resource investments and operate a smarter infrastructure platform. The contract's SCADA system includes meteorological instrumentation, onsite assembly and meter installation, SCADA servers, data archiving, engineering services, and software licenses. The contract vehicle also provides the T1-S Axiom monitoring system for smaller, power production monitoring applications.

About Trimark

Trimark Associates, Inc. (Trimark), ranked the world's top monitoring software vendor by GTM Research and SOLICHAMBA for utility-scale PV plants, is a leading provider of measurement, SCADA, and communications solutions for the electric power industry. Trimark develops, installs, and maintains innovative solutions that utility-scale power producers require to maintain peak business performance. Trimark's revenue meters, meteorological stations, SCADA platforms, energy storage, and microgrid management systems optimize power generation and maximize revenue. To learn more about Trimark, visit www.trimarkassoc.com or call 916.357.5970.

MEDIA GOVERNMENT CONTACT:

Kathryn Streletzky

916.350.2974

[email protected]

SOURCE Trimark Associates, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.trimarkassoc.com


CHICAGO, Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines (UAL) today announced the hiring of Jill Kaplan to serve as President, New York/New Jersey. She joins the airline in mid-November, reporting to Scott Kirby, president of United.

This newly established role, the top market leadership position for United in the region, will lead the promotion of United's brand within the New York metropolitan area, home to the carrier's New York/New Jersey hub at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). Kaplan will work closely with all integral departments including government affairs, marketing, sales and more, as well as with the local airport authority, to ensure United continues on its path to becoming the best airline for its customers, employees and everyone it serves.

"As we gain momentum in building a more customer-centric airline, placing a key executive in New York will only increase our ability to deliver on this commitment," said Scott Kirby, president of United. "Jill will have a singular focus on making United the number one airline in New York and New Jersey, one of the most competitive regions in the world, and I am confident that her leadership will propel United to new heights."

Kaplan joins United from Crain's New York Business where she most recently served as Vice President and Publisher. In this role, she set strategy, defined the vision and branding mission, oversaw product development and managed all aspects of the business, including sales, marketing, online, events, audience development, custom solutions and editorial. During her time as Publisher, she built a thriving events business, launched a custom content division and hosted the Crain's New York Stories television series. Kaplan serves on the boards of the Partnership for New York City, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Lincoln Center Corporate Fund, the Business Council of New York State and the American Skin Association. She is also the founding Chair of the Lincoln Center Women's Leadership Council.

"Having called New York home for the past 25 years, I can't think of a more exciting position to hold at United as the airline continues to achieve new milestones with its operations, destinations and customer experiences in the metropolitan area," said Jill Kaplan. "I look forward to strengthening our commitment to the local communities we serve to help support continued economic vitality, employing tens of thousands in the region."

United in New York/Newark

United operates the largest hub in the New York City metropolitan area at Newark Liberty International Airport, serving more destinations from the area than any other carrier. Located just 14 miles from downtown Manhattan, the airport offers the fastest surface transfer journeys to many parts of the city, including the AirTrain service to New York Penn Station in midtown Manhattan, with a journey time of less than 30 minutes.

The airline operates approximately 400 daily flights out of its Newark hub to 94 airports across the U.S. and 68 international destinations.

United's Terminal C at EWR, described as a "culinary oasis" by The New York Times, continues its $120 million upgrade with a range of new dining creations. Key concepts include DAILY, the only airport restaurant in the world where the entire menu changes daily, emphasizing local ingredients at peak freshness, Thyme, an all-vegetarian restaurant featuring an inventive veggie-forward offering and Little Purse, a modern take on the traditional dumpling house.

About United

United Airlines and United Express operate approximately 4,500 flights a day to 337 airports across five continents. In 2016, United and United Express operated more than 1.6 million flights carrying more than 143 million customers. United is proud to have the world's most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark/New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates 751 mainline aircraft and the airline's United Express carriers operate 489 regional aircraft. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to more than 190 countries via 28 member airlines. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol "UAL".

SOURCE United Airlines

Related Links

http://www.united.com


VIVA Gallerys sixth annual Artisan Market will include 12 guest artistsartists. New work from VIVAs 19 member artists will also be on display. The market is a place to find one-of-kind, locally-created gifts for the holidays, and there are many art forms from which to choose.

Pottery is always popular, and VIVAs potters offer a range of items and styles. Charna Schwartz uses the colors and forms of the Driftless area in her beautiful blue-green glazes, while Maureen Karlstad may offer a hint of Asia in her tea sets and bowls. Mark Herrlings decorative tiles are noted for their bold mix of pattern and color. Guest artist Scott Keith has been making functional stoneware pottery for decades, including 17 years at Red Wing Pottery in Minnesota.

Fiber artists create wearables and objects for the home. Eco-printed scarves and hand-warmers by Sharlene Bohr echo the colors and shapes of fall leaves. The looms of Kathleen Aaker and Angela Feltes yield extraordinarily beautiful vests and scarves in fascinating patterns, colors and textures. They also weave wall hangings and table runners. Speaking of the table, one of Lori Hungerholts intricately woven baskets would be a perfect adornment. And if you would like your fiber art to speak to you, the clever sayings and bright colors of Crystal Curleys hot pads are guaranteed to make kitchen chores much more fun.

Also for perfect for preparing or serving are the carefully constructed and beautifully finished cutting/serving boards by Jerry Quebe, and the hand-carved figured wooden spoons by Terry Beck. Ken and Michelle Workowskis poplar bark baskets, birch bark mirrors and paper lampshades, all made from natural materials, are unusual and popular gift items. Looking for something really unusual? The mesmerizing patterns found in the stained glass kaleidoscopes of Steve and Peggy Kittelson are just the ticket.

A bare wall begs for decoration, and VIVA painters and photographers can provide beautiful solutions. Paul Bergquist, Deb Conlon and Lisbeth Quebe work in oil, while Bill Mapp, Diane Splinter and Anne Tedeschi work in watercolor. Each brings their special vision and style to landscapes, still lifes and portraiture. For something completely different, look to the bold contemporary acrylics of Pita Daniels. Photographers, too, have differently styles. Tom Rhorer captures the details of the land and sky in color and clarity, while Jamie Heiden softens the scene with layered textures and a little bit of fairy tale. Diane Dahls photography is augmented by her mixed media work in acrylics, clay and bits and pieces from nature.

Mark Herrlings woodcut prints, equally inspired by dreams and nature, are also perfect for your walls, and MLou Wilkies stained glass pieces will definitely brighten a window. And you just might want to frame one of Mike Linds prints or cards, intriguing images of Wisconsins river patterns or his clever You are What You Eat series.

And last, but certainly not least, you will find a stunning array of jewelry at the Artisan Market. MLou Wilkie is widely recognized for her intricate woven beadwork, and Angela Feltes makes use of her hand-made glass beads in her jewelry. Raelene Roberts, a metalsmith for 25 years, casts, fabricates, etches and enamels her one-of-a-kind pieces. Four guest artists add to the selection. Connie Minowas jewelry uses the imagery of her paintings as signature elements. Alena Mack melds copper and silver with semi-precious stones, while Christine Larson uses stones, beads and sterling silver in her creations. Nick Smolen brings his forge into the mix and creates mokume-gane metal work jewelry and key rings.

VIVA Gallery is also a place to find holiday cards and ornaments.

The diverse works of these 31 member and guest artists were featured at VIVAs First Thursday reception on Nov. 2 and will be on display through the months of November and December. The gallery is located at 217 S. Main St. in Viroqua. For more information about future First Thursday events, contact the gallery at 608-637-6918 or info@vivagallery.net.
WEST HAVEN, Conn., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A group of computer science and cyber security majors from the Tagliatela College of Engineering at the University of New Haven will be among 10 teams from major schools around the country competing in the national Collegiate Penetration Testing Competition at the Rochester Institute of Technology later this week.

The University of New Haven fended off teams from Drexel and Carnegie Mellon, one of the top universities worldwide in cyber security and technology education, among others to advance through the regional competition hosted recently on the campus of Penn State.

As part of the 48-hour competition, the students performed penetration testing for a fictional company -- Gotham Elections. They met with individuals playing the role of company staff and spent the next eight to nine hours attempting to compromise various devices on the company's network and documenting their findings. The team then had until eight the next morning to prepare a comprehensive report and a presentation.

"Experiences like this are a great opportunity for our students to practice their hacking skills, compete with other teams, and learn about professional penetration testing," said team advisor Frank Breitinger, assistant professor of computer science and codirector of the University of New Haven's Cyber Forensics Laboratory. "These events offer great opportunities to network with potential future employers. Making it to the nationals is a tremendous success for a small university like ours."

The University of New Haven team also this month placed second of 23 teams at CyberSEED, a national cyber security conference hosted by the University of Connecticut. The team won $7,500, finishing behind Central Florida, which came in first and won $10,000.

About the University of New Haven 

The University of New Haven, founded on the Yale campus in 1920, is a private, coeducational university situated on the coast of southern New England. It's a diverse and vibrant community of more than 7,000 students, with campuses around the country and around the world.

Within its five colleges, students immerse themselves in a transformative, career-focused education across the liberal arts and sciences, fine arts, business, engineering, and public safety and public service. More than 100 academic programs are offered, all grounded in a long-standing commitment to collaborative, interdisciplinary, project-based learning.

Information is available at www.newhaven.edu.

SOURCE University of New Haven

Related Links

http://www.newhaven.edu


SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Uniview held the first global partner summit during CPSE Security Show in Shenzhen on October 30, 2017. Uniview insists on putting customers to the first place and sharing the benefit together, which is exactly suit to the theme of the summit  Stronger Together.

More than 200 partners from all over the world attended the summit. Hermit Zhang, CEO of Uniview, gave the opening speech. "It's been 12 years since Uniview started video surveillance business in 2005. And the global video surveillance trend has changed a lot. But one thing that hasn't change is our commitment to our partner and our ability to do amazing things together." Said Hermit Zhang. Uniview keeps its pioneer position among global video surveillance manufacturers for reasons. Uniview always puts innovation and quality to the first place during the whole process of product research and development, keeps pushing the edge of innovation.

Uniview started international business for only 3 years but gained a remarkable growth. Uniview kept compound annual growth rate with more than 100% for three consecutive years. Business covered more than 120 countries. Nowadays, Uniview has grown to be an ascendant role which cannot be ignored.

Ximen Yan, President of Uniview International Business Department, also shared Uniview's plan to the future. "About 10 years before, IT technology was brought to CCTV industry, new solution brings new opportunities as well as new challenges. In the past 10 years, some players raised up and some went down. Uniview caught the chance and grown to be the No.3 in China, and No.7 worldwide. Now, a new 10-year is coming, the new age is the age of AI. To suit for the new technology, hardware and software will be changed, application and business model will be overturned, and the order in the whole industry will be converted." Said Ximen Yan, "I think Uniview will be ready for this new challenges. We started to invest in AI technology research three years ago. A professional algorithm team built by more than 100 engineers has been ready. Benefit from our rich experience in Chinese high-end market, Uniview is able to transfer ability and mature solution to international market."

In the name of close relationships with partners, four special guests from Australia, Iran and U.S. have been given a chance to speak. Each of these distributors shared their story and sense of belonging to the Uniview family.

Uniview launched the new slogan for international market on the summit - Unlimited New View. It is with the hope that Uniview wants to depend on the unlimited accelerated market, product and technology development. We will bring a new view to the whole industry ecosystem by enriching the local competitive market, balancing industry development, and maximizing the benefit of all stakeholders.

Uniview wants to be a quiet industry change-maker and focuses on the partnerships so that both Uniview and partners can achieve our goal as the theme of the Partner Summit - "Stronger Together".

About Uniview

Uniview is the leading supplier of video surveillance products and solutions. With more than 12 years' experience in IP video surveillance, Uniview now is the 7th largest manufacturer worldwide (IHS Markit).

For more information, please visit Uniview's website at http://www.uniview.com.

Facebook: @UniviewHQ

Twitter: @UniviewTech

Youtube: Uniview

[email protected]

+86-0571-86509000

SOURCE Uniview

Related Links

http://en.uniview.com


WINTER SPRINGS, Fla., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The United States (U.S.) Army has just awarded Advanced IT Concepts (AITC) a contract valued at nearly $4 million for services over the next four years to support the Test Network Modernization (TNM) effort. Under the TNM Expertise Support contract, AITC will assist the U.S. Army Product Manager for Instrumentation, Targets, Threat Simulators and SOF Training Systems (PM ITTS) at the Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO-STRI), in supporting the Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC) in modernizing and upgrading Test Centers Networks.

TNM is aimed at meeting current and future Test Network End-Of-Life, Bandwidth, Redundancy, Information Assurance (IA) / Risk Management Framework (RMF), and Network Management requirements while maintaining operational networks at White Sands Test Center (WSTC), Yuma Proving Grounds (YPG), Electronic Proving Grounds (EPG), Redstone Test Center (RTC), and Aberdeen Test Center (ATC).

"AITC is honored to support the TNM effort; this effort represents a significant milestone for AITC and for our sub-contractor, Simetri, and it solidifies AITC's position as a premier provider of Information Technologies services and solutions to the Army," says Gabriel Ruiz, AITC President & CEO.

AITC's efforts include the Research, Identification, Verification and Validation of Communication Infrastructure solution(s) capable of meeting test needs at the five Test Ranges. Under TNM, AITC provides PM ITTS with Program Management, Systems Engineering and Network Engineering expertise to review installation and integration plans and reports, conduct technical analyses, review range test networks and components, inform the Government of End-Of-Life (EoL) systems, and plan a migration strategy to replace EoL over the lifecycle period of TNM.

"For over six years, AITC has supported PEO STRI by deploying IT solutions to Medical Simulation Training Centers (MSTC's), Training Labs, and Combat Training Centers (CTC's) around the globe. We are excited about this opportunity to expand our PEO STRI and PM ITTS support," adds Ruiz.

About Advanced IT Concepts (AITC):

AITC is an SDVOSB and SBA 8(a) certified IT systems integrator, professional service provider and value-added reseller to federal, state and local governments. AITC draws upon significant Telecommunications and proven IT experience to ensure customers' goals are met by delivering superior client services through a full suite of IT specialized services. For details, visit www.aitcinc.com.

Contact: Christa Santos, 407-230-7018, [email protected]

SOURCE Advanced IT Concepts, Inc.

Related Links

http://http://www.aitcinc.com


LONDON, Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A dynamic segment of the beer business receives a close examination in this report from Beverage Marketing Corporation.





Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4610053





Situating craft beer in the context of the overall beer market, this market report analyzes the growth drivers and explains the trends. It offers data on regional markets, packaging and volume figures for the leading craft beer brands and microbreweries. The report also features advertising and demographic data and more.



The answers you need

 What trends are driving the fast growth of the U.S. craft beer market?

 How many gallons of craft beer per person were consumed in 2016, and how is this likely to change in the future?

 Which is the biggest regional craft beer market?

 How did the leading specialty beer companies such as Boston Beer, Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, Bell's Brewery and Craft Brew Alliance perform?

 Which distribution channel grew the fastest in 2016?

 How many specialty brewers are active in the United States, and how has this changed?



This report features

This report addresses industry developments, insights and issues of interest to beer marketers, advertising executives, industry suppliers, financial analysts and anyone else with a special interest in the beer market. It contains:

 An overview of the national and regional beer markets, including volume, per capita consumption and growth for all beer and craft beer.

 Discussion of the leading states in terms of volume and per capita consumption.

 Discussion and data breakdown of the packaged & draft craft beer markets.

 Current volume statistics for the leading craft companies including D.G. Yuengling & Son, Boston Beer, Sierra Nevada, New Belgium, Bell's Brewery, Craft Brew Alliance and more.

 Data for the top 60 microbreweries and the top 60 U.S. brewpubs  more than ever before!

 A look at packaged and draft beer trends nationally, regionally and by state.

 A look at beer pricing at the producer and consumer levels.

 A breakdown of the beer and craft beer markets by distribution channel.

 Analysis of advertising expenditures, detailed by company, brand and media.

 Comparisons of consumer demographics for all beer and craft beer.

 Projections for the future of the craft beer industry through 2021.



Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4610053



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


MILL VALLEY, Calif., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- According to job site Glassdoor, the annual median base pay in the United States grew 1.6 percent year over year (YOY) in October 2017 to $51,220. The Glassdoor Local Pay Reports show pay growth ticked up slightly from a revised 1.4 percent growth last month. Pay growth peaked in January 2017 at a revised 3.5 percent.

The Glassdoor Local Pay Reports provide a unique monthly view into the country's wage picture with salary estimates for nearly 85 job titles and year-over-year pay growth trends in the United States. The reports include details on 10 major metros: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.1

"U.S. wage growth is steady but slow. We've seen incremental increases over the past few months after a slight decline of U.S. median pay over the summer months. While we are still well below the 3.5 percent pay growth rate of January, I am encouraged by the slight salary increases recorded since August and anticipate growth to continue to accelerate through the end of the year," said Dr. Andrew Chamberlain, chief economist of Glassdoor.

Holiday Season and Online Retailer Growth Fuel Retail Salary Increase

Traditional retail roles like store managers (up 4.0 percent to $48,616) and cashiers (up 3.7 percent to $27,549) are on the rise in advance of the holiday season. Online retailers are also fueling above average wage growth for roles that handle back-end operations including warehouse associates (up 4.3 percent to $42,893) and truck drivers (up 4.1 percent to $52,629).

"We are seeing increased demand for roles that serve as the logistical foundation for back-end operations for online retail. We anticipate this will continue to grow over the coming months, fueled by the upcoming holiday season and as Amazon and Walmart expand their online retail presence," said Chamberlain.

Insurance Agent Salaries Up; Healthcare Industry Continues to Grow

As the healthcare sector continues to grow, several jobs within the field are seeing rapid wage growth including insurance agents (up 5.3 percent to $42,729) and licensed practical nurse (up 3.4 percent to $42,091). Insurance agents are in high demand given their understanding of both health and life insurance, especially tailored to the country's population of aging Baby Boomers. Similar to September's Local Pay Reports, nursing roles continue to see salary growth as their roles as the frontline of healthcare are increasing in demand. There are more than 908,000 open jobs in the healthcare industry on Glassdoor.

"Our nation's aging population has given rise to growing opportunities for highly-specialized insurance professionals that understand sophisticated long-term health, life and other insurance products. These individuals help make sense of what can be a confusing process for consumers, and rising demand for these health-related products is fueling a strong labor market and wage increase for these roles," continued Chamberlain.

Business Development Wages Rise as Other Tech Salaries Fall

Pay growth for business development managers is on the rise (up 3.8 percent to $69,756). As tech companies look for ways to expand and monetize their offering, business development managers are the front line for increasing a company's bottom line. However, some technology jobs are seeing weak gains in salary, including java developer (up 0.3 percent to $74,387) and programmer analyst (up 0.2 percent to $65,682).

Among jobs experiencing the biggest declines in YOY pay growth in October, maintenance worker (down 0.6 percent to $40,501) and attorneys (down 0.2 percent to $93,364) topped the list.

For a list of j obs with the biggest pay declines, visit the Glassdoor Economic Research blog.

Fastest Pay Growth in San Francisco and Seattle; Houston Falls Far Behind

Among the 10 metros tracked, wage growth was fastest in San Francisco (up 2.1 percent to $68,023), Seattle (up 2.1 percent to $60,033), and Los Angeles (up 2.0 percent to $59,478). Houston pay growth was flat this month (0.0 percent to $53,126) and lagged well behind the U.S. average.

For more on jobs with the highest and lowest pay, visit the Glassdoor Economic Research blog.

The full data sets for the Glassdoor Local Pay Reports can be found on the Glassdoor Economic Research site, along with report methodology and Frequently Asked Questions.

To read more trends and insights from Chamberlain on this month's report or his predictions regarding the October Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Employment Situation Report, visit the Glassdoor Economic Research blog.

Any individual can also keep tabs on their personal worth in their local job market through Know Your WorthTM by Glassdoor. Visit Glassdoor or download the Glassdoor Job Search apps for iPhone or Android.

To speak with Dr. Chamberlain regarding the Glassdoor Local Pay Reports or his predictions for this month's jobs report: [email protected].

About Glassdoor

Glassdoor is one of the largest and fastest growing job sites in the world today. Set apart by the tens of millions of reviews and insights provided by employees and candidates, Glassdoor combines all the jobs with this valuable data to make it easy for people to find a job that is uniquely right for them. As a result, Glassdoor helps employers hire truly informed candidates at scale through effective recruiting solutions like job advertising and employer branding products. Launched in 2008, Glassdoor now has reviews and insights for more than 700,000 companies in more than 190 countries. For labor market trends and analysis, visit Glassdoor Economic Research. For company news and career advice and tips, visit the Glassdoor Blog and for employer-related news and insights to help employers hire, visit the Glassdoor for Employers Blog. Visit Glassdoor.com or download our apps on iOS and Android platforms.

Glassdoor is a registered trademark of Glassdoor, Inc.

Know Your Worth, Salary Explorer and the Glassdoor logo are trademarks of Glassdoor, Inc.

1 For full methodology of the Glassdoor Local Pay Reports and how salary estimates are compiled, visit: https://www.glassdoor.com/research/studies/glassdoor-local-pay-reports-methodology/.

SOURCE Glassdoor

Related Links

http://www.glassdoor.com


Purple Cowboy wines were created by Vintage Wine Estates Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Terry Wheatley who also co-created the Tough Enough To Wear Pink campaign in 2004. The mission was to give back to a cause and a community with whom she had deep personal ties. In addition to being one of the industry's top wine executives, Ms. Wheatley comes from a ranching family and is wife and mother to former champion professional rodeo cowboys. She is also a breast cancer survivor. With the help of rodeos around the country, Purple Cowboy wines and other committed sponsors, Tough Enough To Wear Pink, now in its 13 th year, has raised $27 million.

"October at Vintage Wine Estates was all about giving to fight breast cancer. Until this October brought another crisisthe devastating Northern California wildfires," explained Wheatley.

Lives were lost, thousands of homes and properties were destroyed. None of Vintage Wine Estates' wineries in the Napa, Sonoma or Mendocino fire zones, including Clos Pegase, Swanson, Delectus, Cosentino, Girard, Viansa, B.R. Cohn or the Ray's Station Hopland production facility were damaged. Sadly, many Vintage Wine Estates employees, and those of its neighbor wineries and vendorseven first responders lost their homes.

Along with Jessica Kogan, co-founder of Cameron Hughes wines and Chief Digital Officer of Vintage Wine Estates, Wheatley quickly established a GoFundMe campaign, called Heart of the Vine, to put gift cards for basic necessities right into the hands of those in Napa, Sonoma and Mendocino who have lost their homes or experienced long-term displacement. The GoFundMe campaign, which was publicized on the wineries' social media channels and mailing lists, has raised over $130,000 to date, and is being distributed on an ongoing basis, first to winery employees, then to other winery friends, neighbors and first responders who have experienced fire loss. Thanks to the generous support of partners such as the HEB supermarket chain in Texas, the GoFundMe campaign will move to a 501(3)c status shortly to fund continuing needs during the long recovery. The combined funds raised for the Heart of the Vine 501(3)c is over $285,000. Those who are interested in donating to Heart of The Vine can visit the campaign at https://www.gofundme.com/vweheartofthevine through November, 2017.

About Vintage Wine Estates

Vintage Wine Estates is a privately held wine company headquartered in Santa Rosa, California and owned by a group of vintner families with deep roots in the wine business. The families own a collection of winery estates and brands including Clos Pegase Winery, Cosentino Winery, Girard Winery, B.R. Cohn Winery, Swanson Vineyards, Viansa Sonoma, Sonoma Coast Vineyards, Firesteed Vineyards, Cameron Hughes, Windsor Vineyards, Cartlidge & Browne, Middle Sister, Tall Dark Stranger, Pro-mis-Q-ous, Monogamy, Girl & Dragon, Purple Cowboy and a number of exclusive wine brands. Vintage Wine Estates is a majority partner in Splinter Group Spirits, producing craft Kentucky whiskey (Straight Edge) and American whiskey (Slaughter House) and markets Clayhouse, Buried Cane and Goughenheim wines of Argentina. An industry leader across all sales channels and dedicated to providing wine consumers with a range of wines from $10 to $100 dollars, Vintage Wine Estates produces outstanding wines from Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino and other premium California and Oregon winegrowing regions and respects the way people buy their wineat wineries, at retail, on the telephone, on television, on the web and by mail.

www.vintagewineestates.com

CONTACT: Mary Ann Vangrin, [email protected]

SOURCE Vintage Wine Estates

Related Links

http://www.vintagewineestates.com


WATERLOO, Ontario, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Virtek brings its latest advancement to the EMEA region for the composites and aerospace industry segments. The new Virtek Iris 3D with the Vision Positioning System (VPS) is an innovative combination of vision and projection, all in one integrated system. This new technology brings new levels of efficiencies only achievable with vision.

Virtek's VPS is the latest addition to the Iris product line. This vision system delivers improved ease-of-use, reduction in cost of ownership, and portability, taking laser projection to applications that were too small and impractical to access.

Additionally, Virtek has rolled out its new Laser Projection System, LPS-10, now available for purchase. Visit Virtek at Advanced Engineering, stand #037 where our local staff, from Virtek's new office in Manchester, will welcome you with a special demonstration of the new vision system.

"The new vision integration is well suited for aerospace manufacturing and is able to move between applications with its flexible set up and portability," said Sean Francoz, senior product manager at Virtek. "The laser projection technology has proven to dramatically improve process efficiency in the composite and aerospace markets."

VPS introduces a new feature called FlashAlign, which provides instant alignment to a part. It helps recognize a tool in any orientation, anywhere within the field of view. The speed, robustness and intelligence of the technology enables flawless assembly, decreasing overall set-up time.

"We could save more than one minute on every alignment with FlashAlign. We no longer need to re-align before inspecting every ply. There are hundreds of plies in every ship set and these savings are huge for us," said a valued Virtek customer.

The new smaller, faster scanning system, available for a variety of assembly applications, is now portable and much easier to maintain. This next-generation technology is breaking the laser barrier in the industry and extends Virtek's already leading-edge technology with a software platform that supports both targeted and targetless applications. Such support helps to accelerate the aerospace assembly process by eliminating templates, manual measurements and helps reduce human error while increasing quality throughout the manufacturing process.

"With constant change in our customers' markets and processes they need flexible solutions that can move between applications," stated Todd Rhodes, Virtek's vice president and general manager. "Our customers rely on accuracy and precision because it translates to quality and safety, which are paramount to their end products. Virtek offers them more than 30 years of innovation, service and support to help them deliver reliable solutions that solve their production challenges."

In addition to the VPS system, Virtek has launched a new Laser Projection System, LPS-10, as a flexible offering to those customers who only require laser projection to maximize their productivity. The LPS-10 is compatible with the current LaserEdge and Iris software and comes standard with autofocus, avoiding the need for highly-skilled labor while increasing productivity by up to 50 percent.

About Virtek

Virtek is the global leader in laser templating and quality inspection systems, providing exceptional expertise and engineering for manufacturers around the world. The Virtek name has become synonymous with precision, reliability, and innovation.

Founded in 1986, and today a part of Gerber Technology, Virtek is based in Waterloo, ON, Canada and has local sales and service coverage in the USA, across Europe and in Asia. From the aerospace to the construction industry, and from sheet metal fabrication to wind energy, our tailored technology solutions featuring Iris, LaserEdge, LaserQC, and TrussLine give customers the competitive edge needed to succeed in their fields. For more information, please visit www.virtek.ca

About Gerber Technology

Gerber Technology delivers industry-leading software and automation solutions that help apparel and industrial customers improve their manufacturing and design processes and more effectively manage and connect the supply chain, from product development and production to retail and the end customer. Gerber serves 78,000 customers in 130 countries, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies in apparel & accessories, home and leisure, transportation, packaging and sign & graphics. The company develops and manufactures its products from various locations in the United States and Canada and has additional manufacturing capabilities in China.

Based in Connecticut in the USA, Gerber Technology is owned by AIP, a New York based, global private equity firm specializing in the technology sector and has more than $3.0 billion assets under management. Visit www.gerbertechnology.com for more information.

Contact:

Andrea Andrade

Tel: +1 519.746.7190

[email protected]

SOURCE Virtek

Related Links

http://www.virtek.ca


VitalConnect combines the most sophisticated biosensor - the VitalPatch - with its comprehensive software platform that is already being implemented in select hospitals. The VitalPatch is the smallest and lightest Class 2 medical device approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that measures eight different vital signs continuously and in real time, enabling unprecedented insight into patient health and vitals. The band-aid-like biosensor patch is single use and fully disposable.

"We envision a hospital of the future where inpatient and outpatient care needs integrate more seamlessly to enable a patient-centric model of care that is truly preventative and real-time. Our close of $38 million in total financing this year will help drive our continued product development and rollout," said Nersi Nazari, CEO and founder, VitalConnect.

VitalConnect launched in 2011 and raised Series A funding of $12 million that year, and subsequently closed a $22 million Series B round in 2016.

About VitalConnect, Inc.

VitalConnect is a leader in wearable biosensor technology for wireless patient monitoring in both hospital and remote patient populations. VitalConnect leverages extensive expertise in biomedical engineering, data analytics, chip design, and mobile and cloud software to create technology that supports decision-making paradigms that achieve better health and economic outcomes. VitalConnect's products are designed for use in a broad range of inpatient and outpatient settings, such as hospital monitoring, post discharge care, cardiac monitoring and pharmaceutical solutions. For more information: www.vitalconnect.com.

Contact: Saramaya Penacho

BAM Communications

208-610-3375

[email protected]

SOURCE VitalConnect, Inc.
Bill Wein , senior vice president and chief production officer, stated, "We are thrilled to welcome Chris to the Walker & Dunlop team! Chris has an exceptional reputation nationally in the real estate and financing community for sourcing, structuring and closing real estate development and acquisition transactions, which makes him a great fit for our Capital Markets platform. Even as we have seen incredible growth in both the number of bankers and brokers on our team and our total transaction volume, we have remained focused on our clients' needs above all else, which has led to continued growth and success for our platform."

Prior to joining Walker & Dunlop, Mr. Harris was a principal and chief financial officer at Criterion Development Partners, LLC where he was responsible for finance, accounting, planning, investor relations, and risk management. Before Criterion, Mr. Harris was employed by FirstWorthing where he served as executive vice president, chief financial officer, and partner. Mr. Harris is a graduate of the Edwin L. Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University and currently serves on the advisory board of The Margaret and Robert Folsom Institute for Real Estate at SMU and is a member of National Multifamily Housing Council.

In the second quarter of 2017, Walker & Dunlop originated a record $1.9 billion of brokered loans, bringing its year to date brokered originations to $3.3 billion through June 30, 2017. To learn more about Walker & Dunlop's financing offerings, visit our website.

About Walker & Dunlop

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD), headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, is one of the largest commercial real estate services and finance companies in the United States providing financing and investment sales to owners of multifamily and commercial properties. Walker & Dunlop, which is included in the S&P SmallCap 600 Index, has over 600 professionals in 28 offices across the nation with an unyielding commitment to client satisfaction.

SOURCE Walker & Dunlop, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.walkerdunlop.com


NotPetya, WannaCry Take Top Spots

Two of the most destructive strains of ransomware ever seen exploded in 2017.

NotPetya is crowned No. 1 because it was engineered to do damage to a country's infrastructure.

NotPetya's code leveraged EternalBlue, the same exploit WannaCry used a month earlier. But NotPetya wasn't designed to extort money from its victims like most ransomware. It was created to destroy everything in its path.

WannaCry takes second place on the list because it took the world by storm when it infected hundreds of thousands of users across the globe.

NotPetya and WannaCry attacked in 2017, but other ransomware on the list made their first appearances in 2016. These attacks either carried into 2017 or returned aggressively.

Nastiest Ransomware  The Top 10

NotPetyaStarting as a fake Ukrainian tax software update, NotPetya infected hundreds of thousands of computers in more than 100 countries within just a few days. This ransomware is a variant of an older attack dubbed Petya, except this time the attack uses the same exploit behind WannaCry. WannaCryAs the first strain of ransomware to take the world by storm, WannaCry was also the first to use EternalBlue, which exploits a vulnerability in Microsoft's Server Message Block (SMB) protocol. Locky2016's most popular ransomware is alive and well in 2017. New variants of Locky, called Diablo and Lukitus, surfaced this year, using the same phishing email attack vector to initiate their exploits. CrySisThe king of Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) compromise started last year in Australia and New Zealand . RDP is one of the most common ways to deploy ransomware because cybercriminals can compromise administrators and machines that control entire organizations. NemucodArriving in the form of a phishing email that looks like a shipping invoice, Nemucod downloads malware and encryption components stored on compromised websites. Nemucod would have been the most malicious phishing email if Locky hadn't reignited in August. JaffSimilar to Locky, new variants of Jaff ransomware continue to leverage phishing emails and embody characteristics associated with other successful malware. SporaTo distribute this ransomware, cybercriminals hack legitimate websites to add JavaScript code. Then, a pop-up alert prompts users to update their Chrome internet browsers to continue viewing the webpage. Once users follow the "Chrome Font Pack" download instructions, they become infected. CerberOne of the multiple attack vectors Cerber utilizes is called RaaS (ransomware-as-a-service). Through this "service," cybercriminals package up ransomware and then give other criminals the tools to distribute how they see fit. CryptomixThis ransomware is one of the few that does not have a type of payment portal available on the dark web. Instead, users have to wait for the cybercriminals to email them instructions to pay a hefty amount in Bitcoin. JigsawAnother carryover from 2016, Jigsaw embeds an image of the clown from the "Saw" movies into a spam email. Once a user clicks, the ransomware not only encrypts files, but it also deletes files if a user takes too long to make the ransom payment of $150 .

What Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and small- to medium-sized businesses can do to protect devices from ransomware:

Purchase and deploy a top-rated security solution. Look for cybersecurity solutions that provide protection from multiple attack vectors, without affecting user experience by slowing devices during scans.

Look for cybersecurity solutions that provide protection from multiple attack vectors, without affecting user experience by slowing devices during scans. Keep your security software up to date. Firmware and patches are how vendors push out important security updates. Keep both devices and operating systems up-to-date and create a process for patch management.

Firmware and patches are how vendors push out important security updates. Keep both devices and operating systems up-to-date and create a process for patch management. Backup and store sensitive data. Generally, ransomware only has the means to encrypt files stored locally on a user's system. Backup data to a hard, offline location. In the case of equipment failure or ransomware, you can access your backup and get back to business as usual.

Generally, ransomware only has the means to encrypt files stored locally on a user's system. Backup data to a hard, offline location. In the case of equipment failure or ransomware, you can access your backup and get back to business as usual. Implement a strong password naming convention. A strong password policy limits the likelihood of Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) breaches.

What home users can do to protect computers from ransomware:

Use a reliable antivirus software. A good solution should protect your data while providing a seamless user experience.

A good solution should protect your data while providing a seamless user experience. Back up your data. Proactively backing up your files can not only save you thousands, it can save your favorite vacation photos, videos of your kids' piano recitals, and sensitive information.

Proactively backing up your files can not only save you thousands, it can save your favorite vacation photos, videos of your kids' piano recitals, and sensitive information. Use good judgement. Be extra vigilant about the websites you visit, the URLs you follow, and the applications and mobile apps you use.

Key Quotes:

Aaron Sherrill, Senior Analyst, 451 Research

"Our research shows that ransomware is a top pain point for businesses due to its infectious nature and ability to spread quickly throughout entire systems. Ransomware does not have a bias and often times small- to medium-sized businesses are the most vulnerable due to their lack of resources. SMBs need to be proactive by consulting an MSP or MSSP on how to deploy a solution that will protect their business from these malicious threats."

David Dufour, Vice President of Engineering and Cybersecurity, Webroot

"This past year was unlike anything we've ever seen. Attacks such as NotPetya and WannaCry were hijacking computers worldwide and spreading new infections through tried-and-true methods. This list is further evidence that cybercriminals will continue to exploit the same vulnerabilities in increasingly malicious ways. Although headlines have helped educate users on the devastating effects of ransomware, businesses and consumers need to follow basic cybersecurity standards to protect themselves."

Additional resources:

Research Methodology

The figures presented are based on 2017 data collected, tracked and analyzed by the Webroot BrightCloud Threat Intelligence Platform and threat research team.

About Webroot

Webroot delivers endpoint security, network security, threat intelligence services, and security awareness training to protect businesses and individuals around the globe. Our smarter approach harnesses the power of cloud-based collective threat intelligence derived from millions of real-world devices to stop threats in real time and help secure the connected world. Our award-winning SecureAnywhere endpoint solutions, BrightCloud Threat Intelligence Services, and FlowScape solution protect millions of devices across businesses, home users, and the Internet of Things. Webroot is trusted and integrated by market-leading companies, including Cisco, F5 Networks, Aruba Networks, Palo Alto Networks, A10 Networks, and more. Headquartered in Colorado, Webroot operates globally across North America, Europe, and Asia. Discover Smarter Cybersecurity solutions at www.webroot.com.

Social Media: Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube | Facebook

2017 Webroot Inc. All rights reserved. Webroot, SecureAnywhere, Webroot SecureAnywhere, Webroot BrightCloud, BrightCloud, and Smarter Cybersecurity are trademarks or registered trademarks of Webroot Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

SOURCE Webroot

Related Links

http://www.webroot.com


WES previously declared a quarterly distribution of $0.905 per unit for the third quarter of 2017. This distribution represented a 2% increase over the prior quarter's distribution and a 7% increase over the third-quarter 2016 distribution of $0.845 per unit. The third-quarter 2017 Coverage ratio(1) of 1.09 times was based on the quarterly distribution of $0.905 per unit.

"Our portfolio continues to display strong quarterly performance, driven by accelerated producer activity in the DJ and Delaware Basins, despite the over $3.0 million impact to Adjusted EBITDA associated with extreme weather events," said Chief Executive Officer, Benjamin Fink. "Our Ramsey processing facility is nearing capacity as we prepare to commission Ramsey VI later this quarter, and we remain confident that the growing production in the Delaware and DJ Basins will support the significant processing capacity we are adding at our new Mentone and Latham facilities, both of which are on schedule."

(1) Please see the tables at the end of this release for a reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures and calculation of the Coverage ratio.

Total throughput attributable to WES for natural gas assets for the third quarter of 2017 averaged 3.4 Bcf/d, which was 1% below the prior quarter (virtually flat when adjusted for the Helper and Clawson divestitures in June 2017) and 16% below the third quarter of 2016. Total throughput for crude, NGL and produced water assets for the third quarter of 2017 averaged 209 MBbls/d, which was 15% above the prior quarter and 13% above the third quarter of 2016.

Capital expenditures attributable to WES, including equity investments but excluding acquisitions, totaled $156.5 million on a cash basis and $222.3 million on an accrual basis during the third quarter of 2017, with maintenance capital expenditures on a cash basis of $10.6 million. WES is updating its 2017 outlook for capital expenditures to a range of $800 million to $850 million and maintenance capital expenditures to a range of $50 million to $55 million.

WESTERN GAS EQUITY PARTNERS, LP

WGP indirectly owns the entire general partner interest in WES, 100% of the incentive distribution rights in WES and 50,132,046 WES common units. Net income (loss) available to limited partners for the third quarter of 2017 totaled $96.2 million, or $0.44 per common unit (diluted).

WGP previously declared a quarterly distribution of $0.53750 per unit for the third quarter of 2017. This distribution represented a 2% increase over the prior quarter's distribution and a 20% increase over the third-quarter 2016 distribution of $0.44750 per unit. WGP will receive distributions from WES of $119.3 million attributable to the third quarter and will pay $117.7 million in distributions for the same period.

CONFERENCE CALL TOMORROW AT 11 A.M. CDT

WES and WGP will host a joint conference call on Wednesday, November 1, 2017, at 11:00 a.m. Central Daylight Time (12:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time) to discuss third-quarter 2017 results. Individuals who would like to participate should dial 877-883-0383 (Domestic) or 412-902-6506 (International) approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled conference call time, and enter participant access code 4666075. To access the live audio webcast of the conference call, please visit the investor relations section of the Partnership's website at www.westerngas.com. A replay of the conference call will also be available on the website for two weeks following the call.

Western Gas Partners, LP ("WES") is a growth-oriented Delaware master limited partnership formed by Anadarko Petroleum Corporation to acquire, own, develop and operate midstream energy assets. With midstream assets located in the Rocky Mountains, North-central Pennsylvania and Texas, WES is engaged in the business of gathering, compressing, treating, processing and transporting natural gas; gathering, stabilizing and transporting condensate, natural gas liquids and crude oil; and gathering and disposing of produced water for Anadarko, as well as for other producers and customers.

Western Gas Equity Partners, LP ("WGP") is a Delaware master limited partnership formed by Anadarko to own the following types of interests in WES: (i) the general partner interest and all of the incentive distribution rights in WES, both owned through WGP's 100% ownership of WES's general partner, and (ii) a significant limited partner interest in WES.

For more information about Western Gas Partners, LP and Western Gas Equity Partners, LP, please visit www.westerngas.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements. WES and WGP's management believes that their expectations are based on reasonable assumptions. No assurance, however, can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the projections, anticipated results or other expectations expressed in this news release. These factors include the ability to meet financial guidance or distribution growth expectations; the ability to safely and efficiently operate WES's assets; the supply of, demand for, and price of oil, natural gas, NGLs and related products or services; the ability to meet projected in-service dates for capital growth projects; construction costs or capital expenditures exceeding estimated or budgeted costs or expenditures; and the other factors described in the "Risk Factors" sections of WES's and WGP's most recent Forms 10-K and Forms 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in their other public filings and press releases. Western Gas Partners and Western Gas Equity Partners undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements.

WESTERN GAS CONTACT

Jonathon E. VandenBrand

Director, Investor Relations

[email protected]

832.636.6000

Western Gas Partners, LP Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures

Below are reconciliations of (i) net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP (GAAP) to WES's Distributable cash flow (non-GAAP), (ii) net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP (GAAP) and net cash provided by operating activities (GAAP) to Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP ("Adjusted EBITDA") (non-GAAP), and (iii) operating income (loss) (GAAP) to Adjusted gross margin attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP ("Adjusted gross margin") (non-GAAP), as required under Regulation G of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Management believes that WES's Distributable cash flow, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted gross margin, and Coverage ratio are widely accepted financial indicators of WES's financial performance compared to other publicly traded partnerships and are useful in assessing its ability to incur and service debt, fund capital expenditures and make distributions. Distributable cash flow, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted gross margin and Coverage ratio, as defined by WES, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies. Therefore, WES's Distributable cash flow, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted gross margin and Coverage ratio should be considered in conjunction with net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP and other applicable performance measures, such as operating income (loss) or cash flows from operating activities.

Western Gas Partners, LP Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures, continued

Distributable Cash Flow

WES defines Distributable cash flow as Adjusted EBITDA, plus interest income and the net settlement amounts from the sale and/or purchase of natural gas, condensate and NGLs under WES's commodity price swap agreements to the extent such amounts are not recognized as Adjusted EBITDA, less net cash paid (or to be paid) for interest expense (including amortization of deferred debt issuance costs originally paid in cash, offset by non-cash capitalized interest), maintenance capital expenditures, Series A Preferred unit distributions and income taxes.





Three Months Ended

September 30,

Nine Months Ended

September 30, thousands except Coverage ratio

2017

2016

2017

2016 Reconciliation of Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP to Distributable cash flow and calculation of the Coverage ratio















Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP

$ 143,506



$ 167,746



$ 418,846



$ 448,327

Add:















Distributions from equity investments

29,145



27,133



80,568



76,263

Non-cash equity-based compensation expense

1,258



1,469



3,479



4,018

Non-cash settled - interest expense, net (1)





(1,173)



71



(12,097)

Income tax (benefit) expense

510



472



4,905



7,431

Depreciation and amortization (2)

71,812



66,589



214,213



197,678

Impairments

2,159



2,392



170,079



11,313

Above-market component of swap agreements with Anadarko

18,049



18,417



46,719



34,782

Other expense (2)





40



140



96

Less:















Gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net

72



(6,230)



135,017



(8,769)

Equity income, net  affiliates

21,519



20,294



62,708



56,801

Cash paid for maintenance capital expenditures (2)

10,591



15,306



33,115



55,288

Capitalized interest

2,115



1,343



3,991



4,674

Cash paid for (reimbursement of) income taxes









189



67

Series A Preferred unit distributions





14,907



7,453



30,876

Other income (2)

283



150



960



272

Distributable cash flow

$ 231,859



$ 237,315



$ 695,587



$ 628,602

Distributions declared (3)















Limited partners  common units

$ 138,105







$ 397,850





General partner

73,933







210,432





Total

$ 212,038







$ 608,282





Coverage ratio

1.09

x



1.14 x







(1) Includes amounts related to the Deferred purchase price obligation - Anadarko. (2) Includes WES's 75% share of depreciation and amortization; other expense; cash paid for maintenance capital expenditures; and other income attributable to Chipeta. (3) Reflects cash distributions of $0.905 and $2.670 per unit declared for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, respectively.

Western Gas Partners, LP Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures, continued

Adjusted EBITDA Attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP

WES defines Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP, plus distributions from equity investments, non-cash equity-based compensation expense, interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization, impairments, and other expense (including lower of cost or market inventory adjustments recorded in cost of product), less gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net, income from equity investments, interest income, income tax benefit, and other income.





Three Months Ended

September 30,

Nine Months Ended

September 30, thousands

2017

2016

2017

2016 Reconciliation of Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP to Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP















Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP

$ 143,506



$ 167,746



$ 418,846



$ 448,327

Add:















Distributions from equity investments

29,145



27,133



80,568



76,263

Non-cash equity-based compensation expense

1,258



1,469



3,479



4,018

Interest expense

35,544



30,768



106,794



75,687

Income tax expense

510



472



4,905



7,431

Depreciation and amortization (1)

71,812



66,589



214,213



197,678

Impairments

2,159



2,392



170,079



11,313

Other expense (1)





40



140



96

Less:















Gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net

72



(6,230)



135,017



(8,769)

Equity income, net  affiliates

21,519



20,294



62,708



56,801

Interest income  affiliates

4,225



4,225



12,675



12,675

Other income (1)

283



150



960



272

Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP

$ 257,835



$ 278,170



$ 787,664



$ 759,834

Reconciliation of Net cash provided by operating activities to Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP















Net cash provided by operating activities

$ 211,947



$ 263,872



$ 645,099



$ 657,738

Interest (income) expense, net

31,319



26,543



94,119



63,012

Uncontributed cash-based compensation awards

78



290



(94)



448

Accretion and amortization of long-term obligations, net

(1,055)



121



(3,194)



9,176

Current income tax (benefit) expense

395



131



1,023



5,110

Other (income) expense, net

(286)



(153)



(969)



(224)

Distributions from equity investments in excess of cumulative earnings  affiliates

7,034



5,981



16,255



16,592

Changes in operating working capital:















Accounts receivable, net

56,335



7,866



46,972



41,108

Accounts and imbalance payables and accrued liabilities, net

(45,982)



(26,330)



(4,007)



(24,103)

Other

3,181



3,184



3,065



1,445

Adjusted EBITDA attributable to noncontrolling interest

(5,131)



(3,335)



(10,605)



(10,468)

Adjusted EBITDA attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP

$ 257,835



$ 278,170



$ 787,664



$ 759,834

Cash flow information of Western Gas Partners, LP















Net cash provided by operating activities









$ 645,099



$ 657,738

Net cash used in investing activities









(514,797)



(1,040,692)

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities









(335,792)



429,368







(1) Includes WES's 75% share of depreciation and amortization; other expense; and other income attributable to Chipeta.

Western Gas Partners, LP Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures, continued

Adjusted Gross Margin Attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP

WES defines Adjusted gross margin as total revenues and other, less cost of product and reimbursements for electricity-related expenses recorded as revenue, plus distributions from equity investments and excluding the noncontrolling interest owner's proportionate share of revenue and cost of product.





Three Months Ended

September 30,

Nine Months Ended

September 30, thousands

2017

2016

2017

2016 Reconciliation of Operating income (loss) to Adjusted gross margin attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP















Operating income (loss)

$ 179,456



$ 197,288



$ 525,456



$ 527,053

Add:















Distributions from equity investments

29,145



27,133



80,568



76,263

Operation and maintenance

79,536



74,755



229,444



226,141

General and administrative

12,158



11,382



35,402



33,542

Property and other taxes

11,215



10,670



35,433



33,098

Depreciation and amortization

72,539



67,246



216,272



199,646

Impairments

2,159



2,392



170,079



11,313

Less:















Gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net

72



(6,230)



135,017



(8,769)

Proceeds from business interruption insurance claims





13,667



29,882



16,270

Equity income, net  affiliates

21,519



20,294



62,708



56,801

Reimbursed electricity-related charges recorded as revenues

14,323



15,170



42,338



45,707

Adjusted gross margin attributable to noncontrolling interest

5,878



3,984



13,189



12,588

Adjusted gross margin attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP

$ 344,416



$ 343,981



$ 1,009,520



$ 984,459

Adjusted gross margin attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP for natural gas assets

$ 305,337



$ 306,393



$ 904,620



$ 877,583

Adjusted gross margin for crude, NGL and produced water assets

39,079



37,588



104,900



106,876



Western Gas Partners, LP CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited)













Three Months Ended

September 30,

Nine Months Ended

September 30, thousands except per-unit amounts

2017

2016

2017

2016 Revenues and other















Gathering, processing and transportation

$ 306,187



$ 315,192



$ 913,436



$ 910,332

Natural gas and natural gas liquids sales

259,141



164,036



690,490



379,585

Other

9,367



2,417



12,412



3,533

Total revenues and other

574,695



481,645



1,616,338



1,293,450

Equity income, net  affiliates

21,519



20,294



62,708



56,801

Operating expenses















Cost of product

239,223



145,643



631,859



326,959

Operation and maintenance

79,536



74,755



229,444



226,141

General and administrative

12,158



11,382



35,402



33,542

Property and other taxes

11,215



10,670



35,433



33,098

Depreciation and amortization

72,539



67,246



216,272



199,646

Impairments

2,159



2,392



170,079



11,313

Total operating expenses

416,830



312,088



1,318,489



830,699

Gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net

72



(6,230)



135,017



(8,769)

Proceeds from business interruption insurance claims





13,667



29,882



16,270

Operating income (loss)

179,456



197,288



525,456



527,053

Interest income  affiliates

4,225



4,225



12,675



12,675

Interest expense

(35,544)



(30,768)



(106,794)



(75,687)

Other income (expense), net

286



153



969



224

Income (loss) before income taxes

148,423



170,898



432,306



464,265

Income tax (benefit) expense

510



472



4,905



7,431

Net income (loss)

147,913



170,426



427,401



456,834

Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest

4,407



2,680



8,555



8,507

Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP

$ 143,506



$ 167,746



$ 418,846



$ 448,327

Limited partners' interest in net income (loss):















Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP

$ 143,506



$ 167,746



$ 418,846



$ 448,327

Pre-acquisition net (income) loss allocated to Anadarko













(11,326)

Series A Preferred units interest in net (income) loss





(25,539)



(42,373)



(50,989)

General partner interest in net (income) loss

(78,376)



(60,551)



(222,903)



(174,332)

Common and Class C limited partners' interest in net income (loss)

$ 65,130



$ 81,656



$ 153,570



$ 211,680

Net income (loss) per common unit  basic and diluted

$ 0.38



$ 0.54



$ 0.91



$ 1.39

Weighted-average common units outstanding  basic

152,602



130,672



145,371



130,112

Weighted-average common units outstanding  diluted

165,475



164,658



165,258



157,107



Western Gas Partners, LP CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited)

thousands except number of units

September 30,

2017

December 31,

2016 Current assets

$ 358,346



$ 594,014

Note receivable  Anadarko

260,000



260,000

Net property, plant and equipment

5,507,714



5,049,932

Other assets

1,788,251



1,829,082

Total assets

$ 7,914,311



$ 7,733,028

Current liabilities

$ 393,364



$ 315,305

Long-term debt

3,343,886



3,091,461

Asset retirement obligations and other

156,532



149,043

Deferred purchase price obligation  Anadarko





41,440

Total liabilities

$ 3,893,782



$ 3,597,249

Equity and partners' capital







Series A Preferred units (zero and 21,922,831 units issued and outstanding at September 30, 2017, and December 31, 2016, respectively)

$ 



$ 639,545

Common units (152,602,105 and 130,671,970 units issued and outstanding at September 30, 2017, and December 31, 2016, respectively)

3,012,424



2,536,872

Class C units (12,977,633 and 12,358,123 units issued and outstanding at September 30, 2017, and December 31, 2016, respectively)

771,856



750,831

General partner units (2,583,068 units issued and outstanding at September 30, 2017, and December 31, 2016)

172,180



143,968

Noncontrolling interest

64,069



64,563

Total liabilities, equity and partners' capital

$ 7,914,311



$ 7,733,028



Western Gas Partners, LP CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited)









Nine Months Ended

September 30, thousands

2017

2016 Cash flows from operating activities







Net income (loss)

$ 427,401



$ 456,834

Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities and changes in working capital:







Depreciation and amortization

216,272



199,646

Impairments

170,079



11,313

(Gain) loss on divestiture and other, net

(135,017)



8,769

Change in other items, net

(33,636)



(18,824)

Net cash provided by operating activities

$ 645,099



$ 657,738

Cash flows from investing activities







Capital expenditures

$ (419,193)



$ (372,725)

Contributions in aid of construction costs from affiliates

1,386



4,927

Acquisitions from affiliates

(3,910)



(716,465)

Acquisitions from third parties

(155,298)





Investments in equity affiliates

(384)



139

Distributions from equity investments in excess of cumulative earnings  affiliates

16,255



16,592

Proceeds from the sale of assets to affiliates





623

Proceeds from the sale of assets to third parties

23,370



7,819

Proceeds from property insurance claims

22,977



18,398

Net cash used in investing activities

$ (514,797)



$ (1,040,692)

Cash flows from financing activities







Borrowings, net of debt issuance costs

$ 249,989



$ 1,094,600

Repayments of debt





(880,000)

Settlement of the Deferred purchase price obligation  Anadarko

(37,346)





Increase (decrease) in outstanding checks

3,310



(1,070)

Proceeds from the issuance of common units, net of offering expenses

(183)



25,000

Proceeds from the issuance of Series A Preferred units, net of offering expenses





686,937

Distributions to unitholders

(589,262)



(490,289)

Distributions to noncontrolling interest owner

(9,049)



(11,257)

Net contributions from (distributions to) Anadarko

30



(29,335)

Above-market component of swap agreements with Anadarko

46,719



34,782

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

$ (335,792)



$ 429,368

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

$ (205,490)



$ 46,414

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

357,925



98,033

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$ 152,435



$ 144,447



Western Gas Partners, LP OPERATING STATISTICS (Unaudited)













Three Months Ended

September 30,

Nine Months Ended

September 30,



2017

2016

2017

2016 Throughput for natural gas assets (MMcf/d)















Gathering, treating and transportation

784



1,562



1,029



1,556

Processing

2,588



2,448



2,528



2,301

Equity investment (1)

159



179



160



178

Total throughput for natural gas assets

3,531



4,189



3,717



4,035

Throughput attributable to noncontrolling interest for natural gas assets

104



119



107



127

Total throughput attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP for natural gas assets

3,427



4,070



3,610



3,908

Throughput for crude, NGL and produced water assets (MBbls/d)















Gathering, treating and transportation

77



58



57



59

Equity investment (2)

132



127



130



126

Total throughput for crude, NGL and produced water assets

209



185



187



185

Adjusted gross margin per Mcf attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP for natural gas assets (3)

$ 0.97



$ 0.82



$ 0.92



$ 0.82

Adjusted gross margin per Bbl for crude, NGL and produced water assets (4)

2.03



2.20



2.05



2.10









































(1) Represents WES's 14.81% share of average Fort Union throughput and 22% share of average Rendezvous throughput. (2) Represents WES's 10% share of average White Cliffs throughput, WES's 25% share of average Mont Belvieu JV throughput, WES's 20% share of average TEG and TEP throughput, and WES's 33.33% share of average FRP throughput. (3) Average for period. Calculated as Adjusted gross margin attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP for natural gas assets (total revenues and other for natural gas assets, less reimbursements for electricity-related expenses recorded as revenue and cost of product for natural gas assets, plus distributions from WES's equity investments in Fort Union and Rendezvous, and excluding the noncontrolling interest owner's proportionate share of revenue and cost of product), divided by total throughput (MMcf/d) attributable to Western Gas Partners, LP for natural gas assets. (4) Average for period. Calculated as Adjusted gross margin for crude, NGL and produced water assets (total revenues and other for crude, NGL and produced water assets, less reimbursements for electricity-related expenses recorded as revenue and cost of product for crude, NGL and produced water assets, plus distributions from WES's equity investments in White Cliffs, the Mont Belvieu JV, TEG, TEP and FRP), divided by total throughput (MBbls/d) for crude, NGL and produced water assets.

Western Gas Equity Partners, LP CALCULATION OF CASH AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION (Unaudited)

thousands except per-unit amount and Coverage ratio

Three Months Ended

September 30, 2017 Distributions declared by Western Gas Partners, LP:



General partner interest

$ 3,529

Incentive distribution rights

70,404

Common units held by WGP

45,370

Less:



Public company general and administrative expense

764

Interest expense

573

Cash available for distribution

$ 117,966

Declared distribution per common unit

$ 0.53750

Distributions declared by Western Gas Equity Partners, LP

$ 117,677

Coverage ratio

1.00 x

Western Gas Equity Partners, LP CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited)













Three Months Ended

September 30,

Nine Months Ended

September 30, thousands except per-unit amounts

2017

2016

2017

2016 Revenues and other















Gathering, processing and transportation

$ 306,187



$ 315,192



$ 913,436



$ 910,332

Natural gas and natural gas liquids sales

259,141



164,036



690,490



379,585

Other

9,367



2,417



12,412



3,533

Total revenues and other

574,695



481,645



1,616,338



1,293,450

Equity income, net  affiliates

21,519



20,294



62,708



56,801

Operating expenses















Cost of product

239,223



145,643



631,859



326,959

Operation and maintenance

79,536



74,755



229,444



226,141

General and administrative

12,922



12,112



37,595



36,514

Property and other taxes

11,215



10,670



35,433



33,113

Depreciation and amortization

72,539



67,246



216,272



199,646

Impairments

2,159



2,392



170,079



11,313

Total operating expenses

417,594



312,818



1,320,682



833,686

Gain (loss) on divestiture and other, net

72



(6,230)



135,017



(8,769)

Proceeds from business interruption insurance claims





13,667



29,882



16,270

Operating income (loss)

178,692



196,558



523,263



524,066

Interest income  affiliates

4,225



4,225



12,675



12,675

Interest expense

(36,117)



(31,301)



(108,447)



(76,869)

Other income (expense), net

311



165



1,029



270

Income (loss) before income taxes

147,111



169,647



428,520



460,142

Income tax (benefit) expense

510



472



4,905



7,431

Net income (loss)

146,601



169,175



423,615



452,711

Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests

50,399



77,778



146,529



190,635

Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Equity Partners, LP

$ 96,202



$ 91,397



$ 277,086



$ 262,076

Limited partners' interest in net income (loss):















Net income (loss) attributable to Western Gas Equity Partners, LP

$ 96,202



$ 91,397



$ 277,086



$ 262,076

Pre-acquisition net (income) loss allocated to Anadarko













(11,326)

Limited partners' interest in net income (loss)

$ 96,202



$ 91,397



$ 277,086



$ 250,750

Net income (loss) per common unit  basic and diluted

$ 0.44



$ 0.42



$ 1.27



$ 1.15

Weighted-average common units outstanding  basic and diluted

218,933



218,922



218,931



218,921



Western Gas Equity Partners, LP CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited)

thousands except number of units

September 30,

2017

December 31,

2016 Current assets

$ 358,970



$ 595,591

Note receivable  Anadarko

260,000



260,000

Net property, plant and equipment

5,507,714



5,049,932

Other assets

1,789,235



1,830,574

Total assets

$ 7,915,919



$ 7,736,097

Current liabilities

$ 393,567



$ 315,387

Long-term debt

3,371,886



3,119,461

Asset retirement obligations and other

156,532



149,043

Deferred purchase price obligation  Anadarko





41,440

Total liabilities

$ 3,921,985



$ 3,625,331

Equity and partners' capital







Common units (218,933,141 and 218,928,570 units issued and outstanding at September 30, 2017, and December 31, 2016, respectively)

$ 1,067,269



$ 1,048,143

Noncontrolling interests

2,926,665



3,062,623

Total liabilities, equity and partners' capital

$ 7,915,919



$ 7,736,097



Western Gas Equity Partners, LP CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited)





Nine Months Ended

September 30, thousands

2017

2016 Cash flows from operating activities







Net income (loss)

$ 423,615



$ 452,711

Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities and changes in working capital:







Depreciation and amortization

216,272



199,646

Impairments

170,079



11,313

(Gain) loss on divestiture and other, net

(135,017)



8,769

Change in other items, net

(32,480)



(17,739)

Net cash provided by operating activities

$ 642,469



$ 654,700

Cash flows from investing activities







Capital expenditures

$ (419,193)



$ (372,725)

Contributions in aid of construction costs from affiliates

1,386



4,927

Acquisitions from affiliates

(3,910)



(716,465)

Acquisitions from third parties

(155,298)





Investments in equity affiliates

(384)



139

Distributions from equity investments in excess of cumulative earnings  affiliates

16,255



16,592

Proceeds from the sale of assets to affiliates





623

Proceeds from the sale of assets to third parties

23,370



7,819

Proceeds from property insurance claims

22,977



18,398

Net cash used in investing activities

$ (514,797)



$ (1,040,692)

Cash flows from financing activities







Borrowings, net of debt issuance costs

$ 249,989



$ 1,120,580

Repayments of debt





(880,000)

Settlement of the Deferred purchase price obligation  Anadarko

(37,346)





Increase (decrease) in outstanding checks

3,310



(1,070)

Proceeds from the issuance of WES common units, net of offering expenses

(183)





Proceeds from the issuance of WES Series A Preferred units, net of offering expenses





686,937

Distributions to WGP unitholders

(324,290)



(276,114)

Distributions to Chipeta noncontrolling interest owner

(9,049)



(11,257)

Distributions to noncontrolling interest owners of WES

(262,888)



(211,877)

Net contributions from (distributions to) Anadarko

30



(29,335)

Above-market component of swap agreements with Anadarko

46,719



34,782

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

$ (333,708)



$ 432,646

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents

$ (206,036)



$ 46,654

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

359,072



99,694

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

$ 153,036



$ 146,348



SOURCE Western Gas Partners, LP; Western Gas Equity Partners, LP

Related Links

http://www.westerngas.com


"Katie is one of the most accomplished advisors in the technology industry," said Sonsini. "She is a dear friend, and the ideal partner to become our Chair of the Board. We have worked closely together for nearly 20 years and I, and the rest of the partnership, greatly value her judgment, character, and leadership. As we continue to build our management team for the future, I have no doubt that Katie's board leadership will help the firm continue to advance in all respects. I am incredibly proud of this firm and all that it has accomplished and, more importantly, will accomplish for our people and our clients in the future."

"This is a tremendous honor," said Martin. "It is a true privilege to be part of this firm and work with incredibly talented lawyers and the world's most innovative companies and advisors. Under Larry's leadership, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has become one of most influential law firms in the world, and we will continue to benefit from his ongoing leadership, judgment, and mentorship. I am thrilled to work more closely with my partners on our strategy, culture and excellence in the law."

"As a trusted counselor to companies and boards of directors, Katie is highly valued among our clients for her success in helping guide organizations through growth and strategic initiatives," said Clark. "She is respected across the firm for not only her talents as a practitioner, but also for her vision and leadership, which she has demonstrated time and again as one of our key corporate and firm leaders. She's been a valued partner to all of us for years and we're grateful for her perspective and insights."

Martin has been practicing law for more than 30 years. Since joining WSGR in 1999, she has represented high-profile technology companies, including LinkedIn, Twitter, Epicor Software, Plantronics, Seagate, Sun Microsystems, and Coherent.

She also has represented leading technology clients in some of the largest M&A transactions in recent years. For example, Martin was a lead attorney on WSGR's team representing LinkedIn in its $26.2 billion sale to Microsoft. She was also was one of the lead partners representing Altera in its $16.7 billion sale to Intel. More recently, she led WSGR's team representing Brocade Communications in its $5.5 billion pending sale to Broadcom Limited and also led WSGR's team representing LifeLock in its $2.3 billion sale to Symantec.

Martin also has advised clients on a number of significant public offerings. In 2011, she was the lead attorney advising LinkedIn in its $352.8 million IPO, and was the lead attorney representing Twitter in its $2.1 billion IPO in 2013. In 2016, Martin advised BlackLine in its IPO and Juniper Networks in its $500 million senior note offering.

More recently, in a transaction announced on October 19, 2017, Martin was a lead attorney on the firm's team that represented Lyft in a $1 billion financing round led by CapitalG, Alphabet's growth investment fund.

Based on her accomplishments and leadership experience, Martin has been recognized by industry and business media throughout the last decade. In 2017, she was highlighted among the Daily Journal's "Top Women Lawyers" in California. The Recorder named her to its list of "Women Leaders in Tech Law" in 2015, 2016, and 2017. In 2015, The American Lawyer named Katie a "Woman Leader in the Law;" Law360 selected her as a "Capital Markets MVP;" she was named among the "Most Influential Women in the Bay Area" by the San Francisco Business Times; and she also was honored by the Silicon Valley Business Journal as a "Woman of Influence."

In addition to her practice and firm leadership roles, Martin is a current board member of The YMCA of Silicon Valley, Nuance Communications, and WildAid. She is a former director of The Ronald McDonald House at Stanford.

About Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

For more than 50 years, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has offered a broad range of services and legal disciplines focused on serving the principal challenges faced by the management and boards of directors of business enterprises. The firm is nationally recognized as a leader in the fields of corporate governance and finance, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, securities litigation, employment law, intellectual property, and antitrust, among many other areas of law. With deep roots in Silicon Valley, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has offices in Austin; Beijing; Boston; Brussels; Hong Kong; Los Angeles; New York; Palo Alto; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; Shanghai; Washington, D.C.; and Wilmington, DE. For more information, please visit www.wsgr.com.

SOURCE Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Related Links

http://www.wsgr.com


CHICAGO, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- FoodService Director magazine has collaborated with Technomic to produce the Winsight Noncommercial Trends Forecast. The second annual report, located on FoodServiceDirector.com, forecasts seven ways the noncommercial foodservice landscape will change in the next 12 months.

FSD and Technomic's findings, which include menu trends as well as operational predictions, reflect the noncommercial industry's continued resourcefulness for finding new approaches to ever-evolving circumstances and ensuring the overall wellness of the nation's schools, colleges and hospitals.

"While labor remains a top concern for directors throughout the noncommercial industry, I never cease to be amazed by their willingness to experiment with innovative solutions, not only in this area but throughout their operations," says Dana Moran, managing editor of FSD. "In noncommercial foodservice, necessity truly is the mother of invention."

Highlights from Winsight's 2018 Noncommercial Trends Forecast include:

Plant-based dining for everyone. With sustainability and budgets in mind, operators are now putting plant-based entrees front and center instead of relegating them to a separate vegan or vegetarian station. In college dining and corporate cafes, vegetables and grains are placed at the beginning of the line and animal proteins are available at the end.

Universal free food for a generation? While free meals have been a recruiting perk at select major companies for some time, universal free lunch is growing at K-12 schools throughout the country as more districts learn about and qualify for the Community Eligibility Provision through the National School Lunch Program.

Off-site is the new on-site. Noncommercial dining has never been the first arena to come to mind when delivery food is mentionedbut that sentiment is changing. Delivery and its off-site cousins takeout, grab-and-go, order-ahead and heat-and-eat meal kits are finding a foothold among diners eager to make the experience of eating more convenient.

To view the full trends report, visit: http://www.foodservicedirector.com/ideas-innovation/emerging-trends/articles/7-trends-will-shape-noncommercial-foodservice-in-2018

About Technomic

Technomic Inc., a Winsight company, delivers a 360-degree view of the food industry. It impacts growth and profitability for clients by providing consumer-grounded vision and channel-relevant strategic insights. Its services range from major research studies and management consulting solutions to online databases and simple fact-finding assignments. Its clients include food manufacturers and distributors, restaurants and retailers, other foodservice organizations, and various institutions aligned with the food industry. Visit Technomic at www.technomic.com.

About Winsight LLC

Winsight LLC is a recognized leader in business-to-business media and information services for the convenience-retailing, foodservice and grocery industries. Winsight has an extensive media portfolio, including five publications: CSP, Restaurant Business, FoodService Director, Convenience Store Products and Grocery Business. Winsight also offers a suite of digital products, including websites, e-newsletters, webinars, video products, mobile and tablet apps, and custom marketing solutions. In addition to more than 12 major EduNetworking conferences and advisory meetings, Winsight also produces seven exclusive, large-scale executive-level conferences: Restaurant Leadership Conference, Global Restaurant Leadership Conference, Outlook Leadership Conference, Convenience Retailing University, FSTEC, MenuDirections and Restaurant Directions. Winsight acquired Technomic Inc., a provider of primary and secondary market information and advisory services for the food industry. For more information on Winsight and its brands, go to www.winsightmedia.com.

CONTACT

Kirsten Boyle

Marketing Coordinator, Foodservice

Winsight LLC

[email protected]

SOURCE Winsight LLC

Related Links

http://www.winsightmedia.com


ASHBURN, Va., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Xgility, a small business provider of IT services to government agencies, announces that the Farm Credit Administration (FCA) has awarded the company a new task order under our GSA IT Schedule 70 contract. The Task Order is to provide systems development support.

Xgility has supported federal agencies and Department of Defense customers since 2011, with Microsoft Cloud including Azure and Office 365, Agile Development, Cloud Security, Training, and SharePoint services. In addition to the company's existing contracts, the GSA Schedule 70 gives agencies streamlined access to Xgility expert capabilities.

"Xgility LLC is proud to support the mission of America's Farmers," said Kurt Greening, Vice President, Digital Transformation. "FCA recognized our great past performances at agencies such as U.S Air Force, Naval Reactors Laboratory Field Office, DIA, NIH, DHS, DOI, DCMA, and NATO by making this award for Agile Development Services. Our customers recognize that Xgility knows how to recruit and retain the best Microsoft and Cloud consultants."

Xgility offerings are available on the GSA IT Schedule 70 under contract # GS35F296GA.

Agencies can obtain information about Xgility GSA Schedule 70 contract services by contacting the company directly at (888) 944-5489.

About Xgility

Based in Ashburn, VA, Xgility is a technology solutions provider dedicated to achieving transformational results for government and commercial clients through the use of collaboration technologies and on-premise, hybrid, and cloud-based IT solutions. Specializing in cloud-based architectures such as Microsoft Azure, Office 365, and SharePoint, Xgility was founded in 2011 and the company has built its brand on teamwork and the principles of agile development.

To learn more about how Xgility helps organizations achieve transformational results, please visit: https://www.xgility.com/.

Kurt Greening

Vice President, Digital Transformation

571-302-4577 | [email protected]

SOURCE Xgility

Related Links

https://www.xgility.com


LOS ANGELES, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ready to fill the need for a fun, safe place to play, train and socialize with dogs, Zoom Room, an indoor dog gym and training facility, is set to 'Zoom' into cities nationwide through its newly relaunched franchise opportunity following a significant investment in the company.

Launched in 2008, Zoom Room quickly added dozens of locations nationwide and filled a deep demand for a climate-controlled space for owners to play, train and socialize with their dogs. The company paused franchising to focus on rebuilding its franchise infrastructure and has since assembled an experienced board of directors and a new investment from multi-unit emerging brand investor Anthony Polazzi of AP Franchised Concepts, LLC to support the sustainable growth of the franchise. Polazzi and Zoom Room's CEO Mark Van Wye have made necessary changes to the brand to resume franchising and now plan to add 100 new stores over the next five years.

"Anthony brings a tremendous amount of expertise to Zoom Room and knows how to take emerging franchise concepts to the next level," said Van Wye. "Now that we've reinforced our franchise infrastructure with the systems and operations needed to support a large network of franchisees, we are ready to make Zoom Room the No. 1 indoor dog gym and training facility in the country."

Zoom Room's motto is "We don't train dogs. We train the people who love them." Its cutting-edge curriculum focuses on deepening the bond between dog and owner, which allows people to fully understand their dog's behavior and creates a distinctly social atmosphere. In addition to being experts in dog agility  which can be taught to any dog, no matter its size, age, breed or experience  Zoom Room offers an array of specialty classes including Shy Dog, Calm Down!, Pup-lates, Scent Tracking, Urban Herding, Flyball, Rally Obedience and more.

Because Zoom Room requires owners to be present with their dog at all times, the liability shifts from the store to the owner, which is unique in the pet franchise industry. Zoom Room also requires a small footprint and does not have to navigate complex zoning issues. Zoom Room locations range between 2,700 sq. feet and 3,000 sq. feet and due to the business being zoned as retail, franchisees can open a Zoom Room in any area of their desired city.

"Zoom Room is a highly unique concept in the $69B pet industry. It has created a fun, sporty atmosphere in its stores and is one of the few places in metro areas where an owner can relax, have fun learning with their dog and meet other like-minded pet owners," said Polazzi. "We are confident entrepreneurs will gravitate to this innovative brand and Zoom Room will become the epicenter of dog-loving communities nationwide."

The Zoom Room franchise opportunity is ideal for dog-loving entrepreneurs or investors looking to diversify their franchise portfolio. No prior dog training experience is necessary to become a Zoom Room franchisee, as its extensive training program allows for dog training novices to become experts in a matter of months. Zoom Room also offers an incredibly fun and convenient lifestyle with the store open only during set business hours and the concept requiring minimal payroll and staff.

Investment for Zoom Room ranges between $137,125 and $290,635, depending on size and location. For a limited time, Zoom Room's franchise fee is $39,500 for one unit and $79,000 for three units. On Jan. 1, the franchise fee will increase to $49,000 for one unit and $98,000 for three. All U.S. territories are currently available for purchase with the exception of Hawaii, North and South Dakota and Rhode Island.

For more information about Zoom Room and its franchise opportunity, visit zoomroom.com/franchise.

About Zoom Room

Zoom Room is a national indoor dog gym and training facility with the motto: "We don't train dogs. We train the people who love them." Dog owners learn and play alongside their pups through a cutting-edge array of training classes. The Zoom Room celebrates responsible pet owners who love to socialize with their dogs and deepen the bonds of communication. They embrace positive dog training methods and a fun, friendly environment for working out with your dog.

The Zoom Room also believes it's important to give back to the community, and they work closely with animal rescue and welfare organizations both locally and nationwide. Learn more at www.zoomroomonline.com.

SOURCE Zoom Room

Related Links

http://www.zoomroomonline.com


SHANGHAI, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE: ZTO) ("ZTO" or the "Company"), a leading express delivery company in China, today announced that it will hold its annual general meeting of shareholders ("AGM") on Friday, November 17, 2017, at 15:30 (local time), at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Galaxy Macau, Nossa Senhora da Esperanca, Macau. The record date is November 1, 2017.

A notice of the AGM describing the matters to be considered during the meeting is available via the AGM link in the Events & Presentations section at the Company's investor relations website at http://zto.investorroom.com.

About ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE:ZTO) ("ZTO" or the "Company") is a leading express delivery company in China and one of the largest express delivery companies globally, in terms of total parcel volume in 2016. ZTO provides express delivery service as well as other value-added logistics services through its extensive and reliable nationwide network coverage in China.

ZTO operates a highly scalable network partner model, which the Company believes is best suited to support the significant growth of e-commerce in China. The Company leverages its network partners to provide pickup and last-mile delivery services, while controlling the mission-critical line-haul transportation and sorting network within the express delivery service value chain.

For more information, please visit http://zto.investorroom.com.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

ZTO

Ms. Sophie Li

Investor Relations Department

E-mail: [email protected]

Christensen

In China

Mr. Christian Arnell

Phone: +86-10-5900-1548

E-mail: [email protected]

In US

Mr. Tip Fleming

Phone: +1-917-412-3333

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc.

Related Links

http://zto.investorroom.com


SHANGHAI, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE: ZTO) ("ZTO" or the "Company"), a leading express delivery company in China, today announced that that it will release its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2017, after the close of U.S. markets on November 20, 2017.

ZTO's management team will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 PM U.S. Eastern Time on Monday, November 20 (9:00 AM Beijing Time on November 21, 2017).

Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows:

United States: 1-888-317-6003 Hong Kong: 852-5808-1995 China: 4001-206115 International: 1-412-317-6061 Passcode: 4787417

Please dial in ten minutes before the call is scheduled to begin and provide the passcode to join the call.

A replay of the conference call may be accessed by phone at the following numbers until November 27, 2017:

United States: 1-877-344-7529 International: 1-412-317-0088 Passcode: 10114011

Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available at http://zto.investorroom.com.

About ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc.

ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE: ZTO) ("ZTO" or the "Company") is a leading express delivery company in China and one of the largest express delivery companies globally, in terms of total parcel volume in 2016. ZTO provides express delivery service as well as other value-added logistics services through its extensive and reliable nationwide network coverage in China.

ZTO operates a highly scalable network partner model, which the Company believes is best suited to support the significant growth of e-commerce in China. The Company leverages its network partners to provide pickup and last-mile delivery services, while controlling the mission-critical line-haul transportation and sorting network within the express delivery service value chain.

For more information, please visit http://zto.investorroom.com.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

ZTO

Ms. Sophie Li

Investor Relations Department

E-mail: [email protected]

Christensen

In China

Mr. Christian Arnell

Phone: +86-10- 5900-1548

E-mail: [email protected]



In US

Mr. Tip Fleming

Phone: +1-917-412-3333

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc.

Related Links

http://zto.investorroom.com


Karin Schmidt-Mitscher has been appointed as the new head of Erste Group Commercial Real Estate and Leasing division. She will further develop Erstes strong commercial real estate business across CEE, succeeding Richard Wilkinson, who has taken up the position of special advisor to the Erste Group board member with responsibility

Photos: Erste Group



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Spooky tales, playful costumes, and copious amounts of candy make Halloween a favorite holiday for children and childrens book creators alike. We spoke with three authors and illustrators who have new Halloween-themed books this season, about drawing ideas from their personal love of the celebration.

Costume Creations

Author-illustrator Tad Hills combines a lifelong love of Halloween with a passion for costumes. The creator of the Rocket and Duck & Goose series fondly recalled his childhood tradition of designing costumes with his mother. When I was a kid, I would make a Halloween costume every year with my mom. They were never super complicated. In second grade, I was a little old lady. Now the father of two children, Hills has established costume-making as a central part of his familys annual celebration. When I had my own kids, I was determined to make their costumes. Every year since they were born, Id do two costumes, working nonstop in the two days before Halloween. I always made sure my schedule was clear.

Hillss designs started quite simply and have taken on more complex elements over the years. The first costumes I made were mostly fabric or fake fur. Then I started making [their] costumes out of cardboard and a hot glue gun. Every year they seem to get more and more complicated, he said. The designs were often tailored to his childrens interests. Memorable costumes have included a violin and accordion for his daughter, and a series of buildingsincluding the Empire State Building, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Eiffel Towerfor his son.

But Hillss most ambitious costume to date was a giant monster, featuring two iPhones for eyes, which he created for his son in 2010. There were wooden teeth and a mouth that moved when my son pulled a string. The iPhone eyes were playing video loops of my eyes blinking and looking around. It was pretty weird and disconcerting, he said.

For the most part, Hills said, his elaborate costume designs remain separate from his picture book illustrations, though the processes for making both are similar. Hills said, I compare my writing process to making anything, really. When I was making the Leaning Tower of Pisa costume, I started with simple shapes, small shapes cut out of cardboard. I equate those with words, sticking [the shapes] together in the same way I stick words together to make sentences. Im building a costume the same way Im building a storylayer upon layer. He added that, regardless of the medium, he doesnt adhere to a strict blueprint. I dont really know what Im doing when I start. I dont have a set plan. So I have to figure it out and make sure that it fits.

Hills is currently on tour for his latest picture book, Honk! Quack! Boo! (Schwartz & Wade), in which fowl friends Duck and Goose get a Halloween scare from a supposed swamp monster. Discussing the books themes, Hills said, A lot of my books have sort of touched on fear. Some kids send me letters, asking, Were you brave when you were a kid? Thats definitely on kids minds. When developing the new story for his characters, Hills began to reflect on these concerns, and ways of overcoming fear. I thought it would be fun to explore that aspect of Halloween, being fearful, by putting Duck and Goose in interesting costumestaking them out of themselves and allowing them to pretend to be someone else.

Though both his kids are in college now and have outgrown wearing costumes, Hills has plans for bringing back one of their costumes this year, for a new addition to the family. We have a 12-year-old boy moving in. He grew up in South Africa, he said. Hills became acquainted with the boy through his involvement with ArtWorks for Youth, an organization that provides free academic support and art instruction to children in South Africa. Hills said, If I have time to make a costume, I will do that. Or well take one of the old ones out from storage. And Hills has a special one in mind. One year, my son dressed as our house in Brooklyn. So it would be sweet if this boy could be our house for Halloween. Hes never been to the States before; every day is new. This is his first Halloween and I want it to be fun.

Ghostly Muses

Margery Cuyler, author of Bonaparte Falls Apart (Crown) and several other eerie picture books, has plenty of material to pull from, having grown up in an allegedly haunted house in Princeton, N.J. That house had a huge effect on my life, Cuyler said. The house was built in 1685, predating both the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. Cuylers parents moved in shortly after WWII, and were initially skeptical of the rumors. They had heard a legend that there was a Hessian soldiers ghost that haunted the place. They didnt believe it. Then once they moved in, they noticed lots of things happeningall of them friendly, she explained.

The author, too, remembered a number of uncanny incidents around the house. If we went out, say to a ball game, and came back, wed find all the windows were opened. Wed also notice someone had been watering the plantsbut it wasnt any of us. There were happenings, but none of them malevolent. Still, the young Cuyler was frightened by the notion of living with a ghost. I was afraid every Christmas Eve. The legend was the ghost would appear then and go up the chimney. And my room was directly over the room where he was said to appear. I was certain that Santa would be trying to come down the chimney while the ghost was going up, and they would have a big collision! People came from all over Princeton for a glimpse of the specter, but Cuyler never had a direct sighting.

As the youngest child in a large family, with seven brothers and one sister, Cuyler said, In a way, I was raised by children. I feel like I was raised by my siblings and not my parents. We were always playing, and Halloween was always a big deal. As if a haunted house werent festive enough, she recalled decorating with pumpkins and fake skeletons for the holiday. Cuyler went on to buy the house from her parents, later raising her own children there.

The authors early exposure to supernatural lore continues to fuel her imagination. When I grew up, I borrowed from those memories, she said. Several of my books have featured ghosts, skeletons, and witches. All of those characters are very familiar to me. The legend of the Hessian mercenary directly inspired Cuylers 1999 chapter book, The Battlefield Ghost (Scholastic).

Since writing her picture books Skeleton Hiccups (McElderry, 2002) and A Skeleton Dinner (Albert Whitman, 2013), the author said she has received many letters from young readers expressing their interest in skeletons. Bonaparte Falls Apart, Cuylers latest picture book, also stars a bony hero. Bonaparte isnt portrayed as a source of fear, but as a child afraid to embark on his first day of school. As his bones keep falling apart, its up to his friendsincluding Franky Stein, a Blacky Widow, and Mummiculato devise a way to keep him intact.

As inspiring as Cuylers longtime home has been for generating Halloween-themed stories, the upkeep proved too difficult for the author. Three years ago, Cuyler and her husband moved to a new house, in nearby Lawrenceville, N.J. We moved in after the previous owner had died, she said. I wonder if hell ever come back and visitbut no signs of a ghost so far!

A Relatable Witch

Author Diana Murray sees a lot of herself in her character Grimelda, a disorganized witch who is prone to magical mishaps. Grimelda is, in many ways, an exaggeration of myself. My tendency to be messy is often an obstacle. I find myself frantically searching for things and sometimes even resort to buying replacements, just because its easier, she said. Murray mines the heroines messiness for what she sees as fairly universal comedy, in Grimelda: The Very Messy Witch and a, Grimelda and the Spooktacular Pet Show (both HarperCollins/Tegen). I think these kinds of Grimelda moments are pretty easy to relate to, for most kids and grownups alike.

Murray brings her experience as a former art director for the Theory fashion label to her character-building. As an art director, one of my main jobs was to make sure that the brand was consistent across all platforms. The brand had a certain look and feel and everything we created had to reflect that. In the same way, characters have defining traits. Grimelda is messy, stubborn, creative, and spunky; those traits are what drive her character and determine the situations she finds herself in, she said.

But when it came to the design and illustration of her Grimelda books, Murray was happy to hand over the reins to illustrator Heather Ross. My only comments were related to the general interaction of the text and art, she said. I had no involvement in Heathers overall creative vision. She added lots of wonderful elements that I never would have thought of. I was ecstatic about how she brought Grimeldas stories to life.

Murray also puts a lighthearted spin on traditionally scary creatures in her picture book, Groggles Monster Valentine (Sky Pony, 2017), about a monster whose appetite gets the best of him while making a Valentines Day card for his friend. Murray explained the origins of Groggle, who is more endearing than terrifying. My favorite holiday is Halloween. I dislike horror movies and gore, but I adore playful, spooky fun. And I enjoy playing with contrasting elements in my characters, so the idea of a nerdy, soft-hearted Groggle struggling with his inner monster was appealing to me.

Not surprisingly, Halloween is a beloved holiday for the author. Its my favorite time of year! My office is full of Halloween props year-round. And every fall, my family makes some of our own decorations for the yard, such as hand-painted tombstones with creepy, rhyming epitaphs. As for dressing up, Murray said, I almost always go as a witch because my daily outfits are kind of witchy to begin with. I wear a lot of black. But I also have a big, goofy monster hat that I might wearif my kids dont steal it from me first.
HarperCollinss Think Big tour, which took place last month, brought together three author-illustratorsMichael Hall, Marcie Colleen, and Tom Sullivanfor school visits in six cities across the country. Halls Little i follows a lowercase i in search of its missing dot. Colleens Love, Triangle tells the story of a two-sided friendship turned complicated by the entrance of a triangle. And Sullivans Blue vs. Yellow chronicles the battle between two primary hues. The tour focused on the themes in each of the authors latest books and encouraged students to think about core building blocks of storytelling: letters, shapes, and colors.

The school visits kicked off on October 10 in San Carlos, Calif., and capped off in Boston on October 18. Weve rounded up some highlights from the multi-author events, which featured interactive storytimes, signings, and more.

(From l.) Authors Hall, Colleen, and Sullivan launch their tour at Heather Elementary School in San Carlos with an event hosted by the Reading Bug.

Hall discusses Little i and answers questions at West Valley Elementary in San Jose. Photo: Hicklebees

Sullivan talks about Blue vs. Yellow during a multimedia presentation at South Hillsborough School in Hillsborough, Calif.

Colleen presents Love, Triangle to Arleta Elementary School students in Portland, Ore., during a visit arranged by Green Bean Bookshop.

Hall chats one-on-one with a student at Lent Elementary School in Portland.

Sullivan hosts a storytime at Green Bean Books in Portland.

The authors join Ashley Elementary librarian Kristen Whittaker in Dallas during an event organized by Barnes & Noble Frisco.

Colleen and Sullivan sign a story they collaborated on with Randolph Elementary students, in Universal City, Tex., during a visit arranged by Blue Willow Bookshop.

Sullivan meets Saphira the bearded dragon at Randolph Elementary.

Sullivan signs the wall of fame at Houstons Blue Willow Bookshop.

The authors get ready to deliver a final presentation at the Cambridge Public Library in Cambridge, Mass.
Appleton, Wisc.-based Book World Inc. has announced that it is closing all bookstores in its Book World chain that operates 45 outlets across the Midwest. In a letter to its business partners and vendors as well as in a release sent to media, Book World said that liquidation sales will begin on November 2 at all 45 locations. The sales will continue until all inventory -- books, magazines, greeting cards, gifts, and other sidelines  is gone. The company expects that all stores will be closed by January 15.

In the letter to Book Worlds business partners, senior v-p Mark Dupont said that while the chain had been able to weather the advent of e-books, in the past 12 months sales started plummeting and still continue to drop. Dupont attributed the downturn to the national consumer shift towards e-commerce and away from large department stores. This, Dupont wrote, has triggered the loss of vital mall anchor stores and a downward spiral in customer counts, reducing sales to a level that will no longer sustain our business.

We didnt anticipate being in this situation, Dupont told PW, disclosing that the decision to liquidate the company was made about 10 days ago. I thought Id be at Book World until the day I retired.

Book World stores are located throughout the Midwest, outside of the regions most populated metropolitan areas, most of them either in small town business districts or in shopping malls. There are 20 stores in Wisconsin, eight in Illinois, seven in Michigans Upper Peninsula, five in Minnesota, three in Iowa, and one each in Missouri and in North Dakota. Dupont said a dozen employees in Book Worlds corporate office will be laid off, as well as more than 300 booksellers across the 45 stores.

The first Book World store was founded in 1976 by William Streur in Rhinelander, Wisc.; Streur has always shied away from industry attention as he and his family built up the company over the years; the company declined to cooperate with a 2010 PW profile.

Du Pont, noting that Book World just opened a location in Jefferson City, Mo. said that some of the stores -- especially those in downtown areas -- are doing well, and expressed his hope that people interested in bookselling in communities about to lose their Book World outlet would open up their own bookstore, perhaps even in the same building. "Many of the stores are truly still healthy, he wrote.

We're saddened to hear the news of a longstanding family business in our region closing and wish all of the employees best wishes with this transition, wrote Carrie Obry, the executive director of the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association. While MIBA will be losing some members, Obry noted that "the real impact will be in the communities that have to do without a bookstore until someone opens a new one.
Gibbs Smith, the cofounder of the Utah-based independent publishing house that bears his name, died October 28. He was 77.

Smith and his wife, Catherine, founded the publisher, originally called Peregrine Smith, in Santa Barbara, Calif., in 1969. They moved the companys offices to a refurbished barn in Layton, Utah, in 1973 and changed the name of the publisher to Gibbs Smith. The house specializes in design, craft, cooking, regional interest, and childrens books and also has a textbook division that publishes supplementary materials.

Smith was an advocate for the importance of independent publishing, especially by houses located west of the Mississippi. In 2007, Pub West gave Smith its Jack D. Rittenhouse Award, which honors publishers for their contributions to western publishing. In presenting the award, Pub West president at the time, Doug Pfeiffer, noted that Smith had, over a three-decade period, "been a vital part of the western publishing scene. His reputation as a publisher of high quality books and a contributor to the community of the book is an inspiration to all publishing businesses across the country.

To help ensure that Gibbs Smith would remain independent, in 2015 Smith converted the published to an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) and the company will continue to operate under its current management team.

Of Smith's death and his legacy, company CEO Brad Farmer observed: "Gibbs and Cathy have been insistent that the way to continue their legacy was to transition ownership of the organization to employees; to create an employee-owned company. They are proud of the fact that generations to come will continue to enjoy independent book publishing as Gibbs has.
On the evening of October 30, Sharjah Publishing City officially opened for business. His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, did the honor.

The facility is designated as a free trade zone in the emirate of Sharjah, on the outskirts of Dubai, in the UAE. The first building on the 40 acre site is a 430,000 sq.-ft. facility with 500 offices, 15 shared meeting spaces, an 80 seat auditorium, coffee shops, a library, as well as UAE immigration and visa offices. The first occupants of the building will be the Emirates Writers Association and the Arab Writers Union; in all 77 companies have signed leases to occupy offices.

Ingram Content Group is among the companies looking at taking space and, it was announced in a press release, is considering opening a Lighting Source POD facility on site. Shawn Morin, president and CEO of Ingram was on hand for the opening ceremony, which coincided with the two days of the Professinal Program that precedes the Sharjah International Book Fair, which opens November 1.

David Taylor, senior v-p of international content acquisition for Ingram, was also on hand for the opening ceremony and addressed the Professional Program on Tuesday morning, alongside Steve Potash, president and CEO for OverDrive, and Sherif Baker, managing director of Al Arabi Publishing and Distribution, of Cairo, Egypt.

Taylor, speaking on the topic of distribution in the region, noted that POD might be a perfect distribution solution for the modern age and that UAE is in a favorable position from which to distribute books to the Gulf, as well as to locations such as Africa and India. For his part, Potash said that OverDrive had begun working with Sharjah libraries to bring e-books to readers in the Emirate. We see demand for Arabic e-books in many communities in the United States, from Detroit to Los Angeles, and all over the world," Potash said. I encourage publishers to convert their books to EPUB3 and work with a distributor to get them to readers who want them.

Morin and Potash are among two dozen or so Americans on hand for the Professional Program. Others included Timothy Bent, executive editor of Oxford University Press; Mari Bergeron, director of international content licensing for EBSCO Information Services; Seth Russo, v-p and director of international sales for Simon & Schuster; Ibrahim Ahmad, editorial director for Akashic Books; and Gabriella Page-Fort, senior editor of AmazonCrossing. In all, some 250 professionals attended the Professional Days, which offered panel discussions and extensive matchmaking sessions for rights buyers and sellers.

Coinciding with the opening of Sharjah Publishing City was the launch of an Arabic-language edition of Publishers Weekly. The first edition of the bi-annual magazine features Shaikha Bodour al-Quasimi, founder of Sharjah-based Kalimat Group, on the cover.

The edition is 30% translated and 70% original material, Ali Al Ameri, editor of the magazine, said. The magazine will be distributed at the Sharjah International Book Fair and will be sent to various regional publishing associations and cultural ministries. In this way we hope to disseminate the love of reading and publishing throughout the region, Salem Omar, director of sales and marketing for Sharjah Book Authority said, before expressing his desire to see the magazine published monthly or, eventually, weekly just like the parent edition.

Cevin Bryerman, executive v-p and publisher of Publishers Weekly, said the inaugural edition of the magazine marked a proud moment in his career. Six years ago, when I first attended the Sharjah International Book Fair, I never could have expected that I would be sitting here holding an edition of the magazine in Arabic. This is a proud day for us and we are delighted that all our hard work has paid off. This is a rewarding collaboration and one we look forward to even further in the future.
The Trump administration has announced a set of seemingly aggressive policies against Iran, including decertifying the nuclear agreement known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The thrust of the new U.S. policy on Iran appears to be the imposition of additional sanctions against organizations such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Critics of the JCPOA claim that new sanctions will not only fix the JCPOA, but also help roll back Iran's increasing influence in the Middle East. Both assumptions are wrong.

The JCPOA has been effective in constraining Iran's nuclear program, a fact confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the other parties to the JCPOA, namely the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, and China. The Trump administration's actions not only risk undermining an effective agreement, but are unlikely to change Iran's regional policies or weaken the Iranian regime at home. Iran's economy is likely to be damaged by any new U.S. sanctions, with foreign investment having already slowed in response to Trump's rhetoric. The biggest losers will not be the Iranian regime but the Iranian people, whose striving the U.S. has long hoped would bring about a less antagonistic Iran.

The IRGC is responsible for Iran's impressive expansion across the Middle East. Iran is a primary power-broker in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon; Tehran also wields substantial influence in Afghanistan and even in relatively far off countries such as Yemen. The IRGC is also a major economic player in Iran. So it may seem to make sense that sanctions against the IRGC would help curtail its power in the Middle East. Yet the opposite is true.

Money is not the IRGC's only motivation in shaping Iran's regional policies. Rather, a combination of revolutionary zeal, fear of external enemies, Iranian nationalism, and regional instability have also fueled the IRGC's successes in the region. Yes, it does take substantial funding for Iran to expand its power. Tehran not only funds Hezbollah and the Assad regime in Syria, but a myriad of pro-Iranian groups in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Palestine. But Iran was able to expand its regional power even under the severest of sanctions imposed prior to JCPOA. The rise of the Islamic State and state collapse in places such as Syria have allowed Iran to exploit fear and instability to expand its power. The region's Shi'a populations, while not always ideologically aligned with Iran, have little choice but to turn to Tehran for protection in the face of extremist Sunnis. Iran does not need billions of dollars to be powerful given the IRGC's ability to mobilize historically disaffected Shi'a to their cause.

New U.S. sanctions are also likely to undermine President Hassan Rouhani's attempts to liberalize the economy. Opponents of the JCPOA often claim that moderates such as Rouhani are indistinguishable in terms of goals and ideology from the IRGC. No one in Iran's political establishment can be considered pro-American; yet to ignore or deny political realities in Iran does a disservice to American interests. Rouhani's government was able to negotiate the JCPOA in spite of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's deep suspicions. The Iranian president hoped that the sanctions relief promised by the JCPOA would help liberalize Iran's economy and attract substantial foreign investment, decreasing Iran's dependence on energy exports and potentially weakening the IRGC's grip in key economic sectors.

U.S. sanctions against the IRGC will ultimately punish all Iranians, including those who want better ties with Washington.

To be sure, economic liberalization may enrich Rouhani's faction and regime insiders largely opposed to American influence in the region; but millions of middle class Iranians who envision better U.S.-Iran relations will also benefit from privatization, foreign investment, and the attendant new job opportunities. U.S. sanctions against the IRGC, which could slow the process of liberalization, will ultimately punish all Iranians, including those who want better ties with Washington. Khamenei's claims that America can never be trusted will appear increasingly as fact rather than mere political rhetoric. The Trump administration's efforts to decertify Iran and undermine the JCPOA without justification will reinforce the Iranian public's suspicions of U.S. intentions. This also would quiet any segment of the Iranian public that might object to Iran's nuclear pursuits at high cost to the economy.

The IRGC will not stop its expansionism in the Middle East because of sanctions. And sanctions will not weaken the Iranian regime at home. Sanctions may have worked in building American leverage before the JCPOA. But, political conditions in Iran and America's standing both in the Middle East and across the globe have changed considerably in the last few years. The U.S. is losing its credibility among the Iranian public and U.S. allies who helped negotiate the JCPOA. And Iran is more powerful in the Middle East than before, especially as international powers such as Russia, regional states such as Iraq, and even Turkey turn to Iran as the region's decisive actor. The biggest losers will be the Iranian people, caught between punitive U.S. policies and a illiberal regime.

Alireza Nader is a senior international policy analyst at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation.

This commentary originally appeared on Bourse and Bazaar on October 30, 2017. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
As defense debates heat up this season, Washington will confront yet again the basic dilemma of U.S. national security strategy: the strategic insolvency of America's position. Too few resources are chasing too many ongoing operations, forward presence commitments, and potential conflicts. U.S. military leaders have been unanimous in warning that they do not have enough troops, equipment, or funding to execute the national defense strategy. The dominant question remains: How can the United States close this meta-gap, from which all other defense policy gapssuch as the Army's badly-needed capabilities for major warthen flow?

Most of the noise in this debate will be around how to use defense investments to close that gapwhat weapons systems to buy, how many forces to add, and other questions of where to put U.S. defense dollars. But it's time to consider the radical notion that the best answer to strategic insolvency isn't budgetary. It's not even military. It is geopolitical and diplomatic. The fundamental response to imbalances between ends and means should be to shape trends in world politics to U.S. advantage rather than to try to out-muscle every potential opponent. The United States could do this in a number of waysincluding, but not limited to, a renewed effort to preserve and strengthen the post-war international order.

The remainder of this commentary is available at warontherocks.com.

Michael J. Mazarr is a senior political scientist at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation, and director of the RAND Project on Building a Sustainable International Order.

This commentary originally appeared on War on the Rocks on October 30, 2017. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
If you ask the wrong questions, you'll never get the answers you're looking for. In the wake of the deaths of four U.S. servicemen in Niger, the caustic political climate in Washington has sparked questions ranging from why President Trump failed to acknowledge the tragedy for more than a week to whether this is a Benghazi entanglement for the President's team.

But Americans need answers to a different set of questions. We need a public and civilized discourse about why U.S. troops are involved in counterterrorism operations around the world, including in Niger. We need to have a better understanding of the risks these operations entail and the security benefits that we might expect from them.

The sooner we get back to asking the right questions, the sooner we'll get the answers we deserve....

The remainder of this commentary is available on cnn.com.

Philip Mudd comments on counterterrorism and security policy for CNN. He was the deputy director of the CIA's Counterterrorist Center and the senior intelligence adviser at the FBI. Andrew Liepman is a senior analyst at the RAND Corporation and served for 30 years at the CIA, retiring as the deputy director of the National Counterterrorism Center.

This commentary originally appeared on CNN on October 25, 2017. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
Emilio Azcarraga Jean has stepped down as Televisa CEO, marking the end of an era for the business his grandfather started with a radio station in 1930.





CEO of the worlds largest Spanish-language media company since 1997, Azcarraga will continue working for Televisa as executive president of the administration board. From 1 January 2018, Bernardo Gomez and Alfonso de Angoitia will replace Azcarraga as co-CEOs.During an extensive business restructure, Gomez and De Angoitia have led key areas in recent years, and have had a particularly important role in defining the Televisa-Univision venture.Both were also responsible for Televisas focus on the cable business, which has just become, for the first time ever, the companys largest revenue generator , accounting for over $435 million in income during Q3 2017.Our industry is going through an unprecedent transformation, which brings great challenges, but even larger opportunities, said Azcarraga. According to him, the decision was made almost a year ago. Bernardo and Alfonsos leadership will allow me to focus on the companys long-term strategy.Azcarraga is the third generation of the family to lead Televisa . First his grandfather, Emilio Azcarraga Vidaurreta, and then his father, Emilio Azcarraga Milimo, contributed to building a company that is now Mexicos 35th largest firm.
The FCC's Media Bureau in the US has dismissed The Word Networks (TWN) complaint against Comcast regarding a term of the cable giants merger with NBCUniversal.





TWN, a religious network for African-American viewers, had alleged that Comcast treated digital rights to its content as attributable interests that create an affiliation relationship. In claiming exclusive digital rights to TWN online, Comcast violated the non-discrimination and financial interest conditions imposed on its NBCU merger, the network said. It also said that Comcast eliminated its carriage agreement in some markets for linear TV without a fair reason.The FCC said that there was no evidence for either allegation. After reviewing the complaint, we find that TWN has failed to put forth sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case that Comcast discriminated against it in violation of the non-discrimination condition by reducing distribution of TWN or by demanding exclusive digital rights to TWNs programming, the Bureau said in a statement. We reject TWNs assertion that, unlike a non-discrimination complaint brought under the programme carriage rules, a complaint brought by a video programming vendor under the non-discrimination condition in the Comcast-NBCU Order does not need to make a prima facie case to the Media Bureau.Last December, TWN called out what it called the unjust removal of The Word Network, as well as diversity and retrans-related issues, and said that when it asked the MSO about the carriage reduction, the answer it got was, "because we are Comcast, and we can. Comcast denies the allegation.We continuously evaluate the content we deliver to our customers," Comcast said in a statement at the time. "As part of this ongoing process, we determined that The Impact Network provides a broader array of programming than The Word Network, which led us to our decision to increase Impacts distribution. We are also continuing to carry The Word Network to millions of our customers in the Midwest and South based on its appeal in those regions.
Full coverage of the Delphi murders: Look back at 5 years of stories
Afghan officials say at least four people have been killed in a suicide attack in central Kabul.

The Interior Ministry said that 13 people were also wounded in the October 31 blast in the so-called "Green Zone," where many embassies and the head offices of major international organizations are located.

Ministry spokesman Najib Danish told RFE/RL that all those killed and wounded were civilians.

He said the attack was carried out by a teenager.

Basir Mujahid, a spokesman for the Kabul police, said the suicide bomber was 12 or 13 years old.

The extremist group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the explosion.

The attack was "a [suicide] mission using an explosive vest in the diplomatic Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood in the city of Kabul," the group's Amaq news agency said.

The Defense Ministry said the suicide bomber was on a motorcycle. "He made it through the first checkpoint but was stopped at the second checkpoint and detonated," ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said.

The attack occurred on Fourth Street in the Wazir Akbar Khan zone, Kabul police deputy chief Haq Nawaz Haqyar told RFE/RL.



The street is close to several foreign embassies, as well as an office and guesthouse of the Defense Ministry. The site of the explosion is some 500 meters from the U.S. Embassy.

The Taliban and Islamic State militants have stepped up their suicide attacks on Afghan security installations and mosques in recent weeks.

Several attacks occurred in or around Kabul this month, including one on a Shi'ite mosque in the city that killed more than 50 people. A separate attack on an army training facility killed at least 15 soldiers.

In a statement on October 31, Amnesty Internationals Afghanistan Researcher Horia Mosadiq said that the victims of "this horrific wave of violence" must get justice.

"Those responsible for these crimes must be prosecuted and punished in fair trials to end the culture of impunity for such atrocities," Mosadiq said.

He added that the Afghan authorities have "a responsibility to do whatever they can to protect civilians from attacks," and called on European states to stop forcibly returning Afghans to the country.

"The unrelenting violence in Afghanistan  shows that the country is not safe," Mosadiq said.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, dpa, and AP
MINSK -- Prominent Belarusian opposition leader and former presidential candidate Mikalay Statkevich has been detained in Minsk, his wife says.

Maryna Adamovich told RFE/RL that her husband was on his way home in Minsk late on October 30. She said the authorities had not told her why he was detained or where he was being held.

Statkevich's detainment came a day after he took part in a rally in front of Belarusian KGB headquarters to commemorate victims of the Soviet government.

It also came a day before he had been scheduled to travel to Kyiv, where he was expected to speak at the session of the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly -- a forum linking the European Parliament and the parliaments of Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia that was established to promote closer political and economic ties.

Statkevich has now been detained six times since January 2017, and has spent 34 days in jail in the last 10 months.

Statkevich ran against Belarus's authoritarian president, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, in the 2010 presidential election.

Lukashenka, in office since 1994, was reelected in a vote that his critics say was rigged.

Statkevich was arrested after attending a large demonstration protesting the election results, and spent five years in prison after being convicted of organizing riots at a trial criticized by human rights groups and Western governments.
MINSK -- Investigators in Belarus say 10 servicemen have been charged in connection with the death of a private who was found hanged after complaining that he had been hazed and pressured for money by superiors.

In an October 31 statement, the Investigative Committee said that eight sergeants, one ensign, and one lieutenant in the Belarusian military were charged over the death of Alyaksandr Korzhych.

The statement did not specify the charges. It said that another officer, a captain who has not been arrested or charged, is also a suspect in the case.

Korzhych, 21, was found hanging in the basement of the medical unit at the Pechy military training base northeast of Minsk on October 3, less than five months after he was drafted. His feet were bound with a shoestring, and a T-shirt cloaked his head.

The conscripts relatives say he complained of being the target of hazing by senior officers. In particular, he told family and friends that he was being pressured for money by his superiors.

Korzhych was the second conscript found hanged at an army base in Belarus in less than six months, sparking a debate about hazing in the army and calls for the defense minister's resignation.

The Investigative Committee initially said it was a suicide.

But after Korzhych's relatives and human rights activists started a campaign urging authorities to investigate the death, the committee launched an investigation into suspected violations of army regulations, abuse of authority, and fraud.

Hazing has been a serious problem in militaries throughout the former Soviet Union, with pressure for payments frequently reported by victims.

In Belarus, 37 suicides were registered in the armed forces between 2008 and 2017, according to Defense Ministry statistics.

In 2017 alone, there were four suicides in the Belarusian armed forces, according to media reports.

With reporting by tyt.by
The prosecutors office in Bosnia-Herzegovina says a man suspected of having links to terrorism has been extradited to the United States.

The prosecutor's office said in a statement on October 31 that it was part of a "complex operation" to track down the suspect and apprehend him before turning him over to U.S. authorities. The statement gave no further details.

The Bosnian newspaper Oslobodjenje reported the suspects name as Mirsad Kandic, a Kosovo-born supporter of the extremist group Islamic State.

The online news portal Zurnal also named Kandic as the suspect, and said he had been arrested in Sarajevo three months ago and held until his extradition.

Kandic is said to have spent time in Raqqa, long the main IS stronghold in Syria, and to have helped Australian teenage suicide bomber Jake Bilardi, also known as Jihadi Jake, reach IS-held territory in 2014.
Just as Russian President Vladimir Putin took his time in selecting a successor to Ramazan Abdulatipov following the latters resignation in late September as Republic of Daghestan head, so the man Putin finally nominated is seemingly in no hurry to name a new republican government.

But Vladimir Vasilyevs statements and actions during the three weeks since his appointment as acting republic head suggest a clear understanding of the problems confronting him, and a determination to resolve them.

What is more, his low-key, unostentatious leadership style is in stark contrast to Abdulatipovs.

Like National Guard first deputy commander Sergei Melikov, whom most analysts had identified as the most likely successor to Abdulatipov, Vasilyev is a silovik -- a veteran of the military or law enforcement. Now 68, he is a police colonel general who worked his way up through the ranks to serve as Russias deputy interior minister from 1997-99 and from 2001-03, and from 1999-2001 as a deputy secretary of the Security Council. In May 1998, he commanded the operation to quash an insurrection by the Khachilayev brothers, who had seized the government building in Makhachkala. Four years later, he was deputy head of the team deployed to secure the release of the audience taken hostage by Chechen fighters in Moscows Dubrovka theater.

Vasilyev was first elected to the State Duma from the ruling United Russia party in 2003 and selected to chair the Duma committee on security; he was subsequently reelected in 2007, 2011, and 2016.

Journalist and Kremlin insider Maksim Shevchenko, who takes a close interest in developments in Daghestan, has characterized Vasilyev as level-headed, not corrupt, someone who speaks his mind and with whom its possible to talk as one human being to another. He opined that the primary task Putin set Vasilyev is to crack down on economic crime.

Even though Central Election Commission Chairwoman Ella Pamfilova claims to have had a hand in Abdulatipovs dismissal, given the egregious procedural violations across Daghestan during the campaign for parliamentary elections and the Russian State Duma elections last year, many analysts presume that Abdulatipov was replaced primarily because of his total failure to reduce corruption, in particular the embezzlement of subsidies and budget funds by competing economic interest groups, most (but not all) of which comprise members of just one of Daghestans 14 titular ethnic groups. It is, therefore, logical that Putin should have entrusted temporary control of Daghestan to a man with no ties to the region and who therefore might not be vulnerable to pressure from those groups.

The son of a Kazakh father and a Russian mother, Vasilyev made clear when first presented on October 5 to the Daghestani government that he will not be constrained by the long-standing unwritten rules governing the division of leading positions among the various ethnic groups -- rules that have essentially barred members of the smaller nationalities from advancement and which they resent. Instead, Vasilyev said, he will be guided solely by the talent and capabilities of candidates for any given position.

I am prepared to report to you on a regular basison how every ruble is spent. This is public money and we shall answer for it."

It is important to me that personnel policy should be open. I shall try to proceed on the basis of what has been accomplished, to rely on those who work hard, and to seek out new competent people, the online daily Novoye Delo quoted him as saying.

Meeting on October 17 with Daghestani lawmakers, Vasilyev said that at Putins behest, he will proceed from the need to ensure that the organs of state power revert to living within the framework of the law. Doing so, he said, is extremely important, and what the population wants.

Meanwhile, Vasilyev has reviewed with senior Moscow functionaries the existing programs for Daghestans economic development and the controversial plans for construction of a new port at Kaspiisk, southeast of Makhachkala. That project is being energetically lobbied by First Deputy Minister for the North Caucasus Odes Baysultanov, a Chechen who is close to Chechen Republic head Ramzan Kadyrov.

Vasilyev has also formally asked the State Duma to consider increasing in 2018 the amount Daghestan receives in subsidies from the federal budget, pointing out that currently the republic receives less per capita in subsidies than any other federal subject. Vasilyev further pledged that if you consider it necessary, I am prepared to report to you on a regular basison how every ruble is spent. This is public money and we shall answer for it.

The independent daily Chernovik argued that none of Daghestans Duma deputies has ever made such a request for an increase in funding. Andrey Makarov, who heads the Dumas Budget Committee, assured Vasilyev that we shall consider all possible approaches to helping the republic.

The one key thing Vasilyev has not yet done is to select a new prime minister. While the Republic of Daghestan's constitution requires that, after being elected by parliament, a new republic head must dissolve the cabinet and name a new premier, that requirement does not extend to an acting republic head named by the Russian president. Initially, Vasilyev declared (on October 5) that he would not dissolve the cabinet. Then, the following day, he issued an edict declaring that henceforth all cabinet members are acting but not specifying that they have, in fact, been dismissed.

If the cabinet had indeed been dissolved, then in line with the constitution Vasilyev should have named a new prime minister within two weeks, by October 19, but he has still not done so.

The ambiguity of their status, and the uncertainty about their future prospects, has impelled the acting ministers to a flurry of activity and public statements intended to showcase their abilities and their readiness to tackle the problems the region faces. It has also led to much speculation about which members of the outgoing government are likely to lose their posts or whether, as an alternative, Vasliyev might simply provide them with aides and advisers from Moscow who would, in effect, control their actions.

Several journalists have singled out acting Prime Minister Abdusamid Gamidov, an ethnic Dargin, as one of those least likely to retain his post. Vasilyev and Gamidov have not once been seen together during any of Vasilyevs official engagements thus far. Instead, he has been accompanied by either acting First Deputy Prime Minister Ramazan Djafarov or acting Deputy Premier Shamil Isayev.

It has been suggested that Gamidov may be shunted into the post of Makhachkala mayor, which has traditionally been reserved for members of that ethnic group -- but that would go against Vasilyevs declared intention not to be constrained by such unwritten rules.

And Vasilyev so far has seemingly conformed to the image of him as immune to blandishments and bribes. Asking them not to take offense, he told ministers outright not to put him in an awkward position by offering him gifts on his birthday or other ceremonial occasions.

He has also demonstrated an apparent lack of pretentiousness rare among senior Russian officials. When introduced to the republican parliament on October 5 in Abdulatipovs presence, he insisted that Abdulatipov should speak first. And when a group of officials gathered in the VIP lounge at Makhachkala airport to wish him a pleasant flight to Moscow, they were astounded to find out that he was traveling economy class, and without a bodyguard, Chernovik reported on October 20.

It is as yet unclear whether Vasliyevs appointment is temporary and Putin plans to replace him at some point next year after the March presidential election. Gadjimurad Omarov, former head of the Daghestan chapter of the opposition A Just Russia party, has adduced Vasilyevs age as an indication he will not be confirmed as republic head for a five-year term (although Abdulatipov would have been 72 if he had served until the end of his term).

On the other hand, if Vasilyev proves capable of implementing the crackdown on corruption and embezzlement that Putin wants, why change horses midstream?

The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL.
Vladimir Putin made all the right noises yesterday when he spoke at the opening of the Wall of Sorrow, a new monument to victims of Stalinist repression.

He said Russia's "horrific past must not be stricken from the national memory, nor justified in any way."

He said we "must remember the tragedy" of Stalin-era repressions "and their causes."

And he said that this memory serves "as a powerful warning to prevent their repetition."

But while the words may have been good, the reality, of course, is something else entirely.

Because while Putin said Stalinist repressions should never be justified, he did justify Stalin back in June, when he warned against an "excessive demonization" of the Soviet autocrat.

And while Putin warned against a repetition of Stalin-era repressions, his prosecutors were busy using so-called antiextremism laws to create a whole new generation of political prisoners -- many of whom just liked or shared content on social media that the Kremlin found objectionable.

Putin's comments came amid a wave of assaults by pro-Kremlin vigilante groups against opposition figures.

They came as independent journalists are fleeing the country fearing for their safety.

And they came amid reports that homosexuals are being tortured and killed in Chechnya.

Political opponents are not being rounded up after a midnight knock on the door, and shot in the basement of Lubyanka.

But whistle-blowers like Sergei Magnitsky can die under mysterious circumstances in prison; defectors like Aleksandr Litvinenko can be assassinated with a radioactive isotope in downtown London.

And, as Boris Nemtsov's assassination taught us, opposition leaders can be shot dead on the street, in view of the Kremlin, and the true masterminds of the de facto execution can walk away scot-free.

So Putinism may be a far cry from the mass repression that was Stalinism, but is also far from repression-free.

I guess you can just call it hybrid repression.

Keep telling me what you think on The Power Vertical's Twitter feed and on our Facebook page.
Facebook has found 80,000 posts published by Russia-based operatives that were aimed at swaying U.S. voters, and about 126 million Americans may have viewed those posts over a two-year period.

Facebook's disclosure in written congressional testimony seen by media on October 30 came as Twitter reported in testimony that it also had found far more accounts linked to the same Russian operatives, the Internet Research Agency, known for promoting pro-Moscow messages.

Both companies are due to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee about their findings on October 31.

Facebook's latest disclosure shows that Russian efforts to influence political opinion in the United States far exceeded the company's previous estimate.

In its written testimony, Facebook said the 80,000 posts it found that were published between June 2015 and August 2017 may have reached half of the U.S. population of voting age.

Facebook said most of the posts, which could have been viewed by voters over Facebook's news feeds or through endorsements and "likes" by other Facebook users, focused on divisive social and political messages such as race relations.

The leading social network said that such "organic" posts that appear in users' news feeds are distinct from more than 3,000 advertisements linked to the Russian agency that Facebook previously disclosed and turned over to congressional committees.

The ads  many of which also focused on divisive social issues such as race and immigration  directed people to click the advertiser's pages, where they could then like or share its material.

"These actions run counter to Facebook's mission of building community and everything we stand for. And we are determined to do everything we can to address this new threat," Facebook General Counsel Colin Stretch said in his written testimony, according to media reports.

Twitter's latest disclosure in written testimony increased by more than 10-fold the number of accounts it found were linked to the same Russia Internet agency, which has been described as a "troll farm."

Twitter said it found 2,752 accounts connected with the agency and it had suspended all of them and given the account names to congressional investigators.

The Russia-linked accounts put out 1.4 million election-related tweets from September 2016 through November 15, 2016, nearly half of them automated, Twitter said.

The company also found nine Russian accounts that bought ads, most of which came from the state-backed news service Russia Today, or RT. Twitter said last week it would no longer accept ads from RT and Sputnik, another Russian state news outlet.

"State-sanctioned manipulation of elections by sophisticated foreign actors is a new challenge for us -- and one that we are determined to meet," Twitter says in the testimony, according to media reports.

Meanwhile, Google announced in a blog post that it found evidence of "limited" misuse of its services by the Russian group, as well as some YouTube channels that were likely backed by Russian agents.

It said that two accounts linked to the Russian group spent $4,700 on ads on its platforms during the 2016 election.

Google said it also found 18 YouTube channels that were likely backed by Russian agents. Those channels hosted 1,108 videos with 43 hours of material, although they racked up just 309,000 views in the United States between June 2015 and November 2016, it said.

"While we have found only limited activity on our services, we will continue to work to prevent all of it, because there is no amount of interference that is acceptable," Google said in the blog post.

With reporting by AP, CNN, and 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
A senior Iranian military commander has warned Persian Gulf countries that they need to choose between "their media" and their security if they interfere in Iran's affairs.

Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, special military adviser to Irans supreme leader, issued the warning on November 10 in a speech that appeared to be a thinly veiled threat to Saudi Arabia, in particular, over what Tehran sees as meddling by foreign "enemies" during weeks of unrest following the death of a young woman while in the custody of Iran's notorious morality police for an alleged dress code violation.

During the speech, Safavi referred to the "countries on the southern border of the Persian Gulf" as "wretched" and warned that they would pay "compensation" if they interfere in Iran's affairs.

The threats came a day after Iran said it had designated the London-based news channel Iran International as a "terrorist" organization and that employees and those "related" to the outlet will be prosecuted. Separately, the broadcaster has said London's Metropolitan Police had informed the broadcaster of an imminent threat against two of its journalists and their families.

Iranian authorities consider Iran International TV to be affiliated with Saudi Arabia. However, in a recent statement, the station called itself "an independent Persian-language network based in Britain."

British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on November 11 accused Iranian authorities of issuing death threats to U.K.-based journalists.

"I have summoned the Iranian charge d'affaires today after journalists working in the U.K. were subject to immediate threats to life from Iran," he wrote in a tweet. We do not tolerate threats and intimidation from foreign nations towards individuals living in the U.K.



The Iranian government has unleashed a brutal crackdown on weeks of unrest -- one of the deepest challenges to the Islamic regime since the revolution in 1979 -- that erupted following the September 16 death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly.

The alleged rape of a 15-year-old Baluch girl by a local police official in the southeastern Iranian city of Zahedan on September 30 further fueled the animosity as protesters demanded accountability.



Reports on November 11 indicate that protests took place in various cities in the southeast Iranian province of Sistan-Baluchistan, including Zahedan, Saravan, Rask, Khash, Iranshahr, and Chabahar after the end of Friday Prayers.





In videos released from Iranshahr, security forces could be seen lobbing tear gas at the protesters while what seem to be gunshots can be heard in the background.





Top Iranian Sunni cleric Molavi Abdulhamid on November 11 again emphasized in his Friday Prayer sermon in Zahedan that the majority of Iranians of all religions and ethnicities are protesting the current situation, and that the authorities must listen to their message.



Earlier this month, the cleric, regarded as a spiritual leader for Irans Sunni Muslim population, said senior officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were "responsible" for the killing of protesters in Zahedan and called for an immediate referendum with the presence of international observers to "change policies based on the wishes of the people."



Amnesty International has called the police reaction to the deadly clashes part of an "alarming escalation in the use of force and firearms" in dealing with protesters.



Since Amini's death, more than 300 people have been killed in the police crackdown, according to rights groups. Several thousand more have been arrested, including many protesters, as well as journalists, lawyers, activists, digital rights defenders, and others.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Iraqi government forces have taken control of the main border crossing with Turkey in Iraq's Kurdistan region, according to Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim.

The Ibrahim al-Khalil border crossing "has been handed over to the central government" of Iraq, Yildirim told his ruling party at a televised meeting in Ankara on October 31.

He said all border controls will now be carried out by Iraqi and Turkish officials.

Iraq's Kurdish region has found itself increasingly isolated after holding a nonbinding independence referendum last month that was opposed by Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and the Kurds' Western allies.

Iraqi forces have deployed at the crossing alongside Turkish forces with whom they have been carrying out joint exercises in recent weeks.

They were to raise the Iraqi national flag and take down the flag of the Kurdish regional government (KRG), which had until now controlled the crossing.

Long lines on both sides formed because the crossing was closed during the handover ceremony, it added. There were no reports of any clashes.

Meanwhile, an Iraqi military statement said that Baghdad was preparing to take control of the Kurdistan region's border with Syria.

Based on reporting by Reuters and dpa
Moldovas Constitutional Court has endorsed a draft amendment to the constitution to change the official name of the country's language from Moldovan to Romanian.

The proposal to amend Article 13 of the constitution was initiated by the pro-European Liberal Democratic Party (PLDM), and signed by 35 lawmakers. It is expected to be debated in parliament from April next year.

It is not clear whether the proposed amendment will get enough support in parliament. Constitutional changes need a two-thirds majority in the chamber -- 67 votes out of 101 -- to be adopted.

One of the initiators of the motion, the chairman of the PLDM parliamentary faction, Tudor Deliu, welcomed the court's October 31 decision.

"The first step has been made, historical justice has been restored. The citizens of the Republic of Moldova speak the Romanian language. Everyone knows that. And this should be inscribed in the constitution," Deliu said.

However, pro-Russian President Igor Dodon, who wants Moldovan to remain the official name of the countrys language, said that the matter should be handled through a referendum.

"The absolute majority of the native population of the Republic of Moldova thinks it speaks in Moldovan," Dodon wrote on his Facebook page.

In a statement, the Socialist Party also opposed the proposed change, and said that judges at the Constitutional Court who hold dual citizenship should not decide for the future of Moldovans  a reference to judges who hold both Moldovan and Romanian citizenship.

In December 2013, the Constitutional Court ruled that the official language in Moldova is Romanian, as stated in the country's 1991 declaration of independence from the Soviet Union.

However, the country's constitution, which was adopted in 1994, currently says that the official language is Moldovan.

With reporting by Interfax


U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled a major crackdown on immigration after police detained an Uzbek man suspected of mowing down dozens of people on a New York City bicycle path, killing eight and injuring several others.

Calling the attacker a "terrorist," Trump on November 1 said he would work with Congress to immediately terminate a Green Card visa program under which the suspect legally entered the United States in 2010.

He also ordered more "extreme vetting" of immigrants, requiring deeper information during the screening process with U.S. officials, such as details on the persons travels for the previous decade.

Trump said that "we will take all necessary steps to protect our people" from "these animals."

The moves come after police identified a 29-year-old Uzbek national named Sayfullo Saipov as the man who drove a rented pickup truck into people on a New York City bicycle path on October 31.

U.S. prosecutors formally charged Saipov with causing the deaths of eight people and of providing material support and resources to the extremist group Islamic State (IS). Other charges are likely to follow.

Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said it was seeking information on Mukhammadzoir Kadirov, a 32-year-old Uzbek native who also has immigrated to the United States. The FBI did not specify why the second man was being sought.

The deadly incident, described by Trump and other officials as a "terrorist attack," followed a series of attacks in major European cities in which suspected Islamist militants have mowed people down with cars or trucks.

It took place in Lower Manhattan, close to the spot where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center stood before Al-Qaeda terrorists brought them down with hijacked jets in the September 11, 2011, terror attacks.

Police sources in New York identified the suspect as a 29-year-old Uzbek national named Sayfullo Saipov, who came to the United States legally in 2010.

A source in Uzbekistan's security services told RFE/RL's Uzbek Service that Saipov's mother, father, and 17-year-old sister were being questioned in the Central Asian country on November 1. The source was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.

That investigation was launched after Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev said in a statement posted to the Foreign Ministry's website on November 1 that his government "is ready to use all forces and resources to help in the investigation of this act of terror."

New York police said the suspect, whom they shot and detained at the scene, used a rented pickup truck to drive into pedestrians and cyclists on a bike path close to the Hudson River in a busy part of Manhattan.

Eyewitnesses said the suspect shouted out "Allahu Akbar" or "God is greatest" after crashing the truck into pedestrians and a school bus.

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo said that Saipov is the only suspect in what appeared to be a "lone wolf" attack.

Cuomo told CNN that Saipov was "associated with ISIS, and he was radicalized domestically" in the United States. ISIS is a common acronym used for the extremist group Islamic State (IS).

"After he came to the United States is when he started to become informed about ISIS and radical Islamic tactics," Cuomo said. "We have no evidence yet of associations or a continuing plot or associated plots, and our only evidence to date is that this was an isolated incident that he himself performed."

The governor also confirmed earlier U.S. media reports that "a note" referring to IS militants was found at the scene. U.S. media reports said the note was written in Arabic and pledged allegiance to IS.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the incident was "an act of terror, and a particularly cowardly act of terror, aimed at innocent civilians, aimed at people going about their lives who had no idea what was about to hit them."

WATCH: A bystander caught the arrest on camera of the man suspected of using a vehicle to run down people on a bicycle path in New York City, killing at least eight.

An Uzbek immigrant in the United States who said he knows Saipov, Mirrakhmat Muminov, told RFE/RL that Saipov lived near the city of Stow, Ohio from 2011 to 2013 before moving to Florida in 2013.

Muminov said Saipov worked for many years as a truck driver.

He said Saipov has a wife and two children and is a native of Tashkent. He described the suspect as somewhat "aggressive" but said he was not very religious before he went to Florida.

Muminov said he thinks Saipov became more radical because he was getting information from Islamic extremists through the Internet.

Still, Muminov said no one thought Saipov was capable of committing a terrorist attack.

He said he is "shocked" by news reports about the attack and can't imagine what kind "of monsters were in his head."

Uber said in a statement that Saipov had worked as a driver for the ride service before the attack. The company said it was "horrified by this senseless act of violence" and has banned Saipov from the Uber app.

Saipov had been reportedly arrested in Missouri last year over a traffic fine.

Authorities said five Argentinians and one Belgian were among the eight people killed in the attack.

At least 11 people were hospitalized with injuries described as serious but not life-threatening, according to emergency services.

Police said the suspect used a truck rented from a New Jersey Home Depot hardware store in his rampage, and after crashing the vehicle, he emerged wielding what they said were fake guns.

Video posted by NBCNewYork.com showed Saipov after crashing the truck running through traffic with what appeared to be a BB gun and paintball gun.

Authorities said police took Saipov into custody and transported him to New York's Bellevue Hospital for treatment of an injury to the abdomen that was not deemed to be life-threatening.

Cuomo ordered increased security at New York's airports, bridges, tunnels, and mass transit systems, and directed that the lights on the spire of One World Trade Center be lit in red, white, and blue in honor of "freedom and democracy."

But Cuomo said there was no information about a credible threat of further attacks, saying the heightened security measures were precautionary.

De Blasio said the New York City Marathon would go ahead as scheduled on November 5 and that the thousands of runners who take part would be "well protected."

WATCH: Mobile phone footage shows the first moments after a New York school bus was hit by an Uzbek driver. Two staff and two children were injured on the bus. (AP)

Similar To Attacks In Europe

Similar attacks by Islamic extremists using vehicles to crash into pedestrians have killed dozens of people in Europe during the last 16 months.

A Somali-born student at Ohio State University -- described by authorities as an Islamic extremist inspired by IS -- also carried out a vehicle attack in Ohio in November 2016 but did not kill anyone.

In July 2016, a man drove a large truck into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in the French city of Nice, killing 86 people and injuring hundreds more. The IS group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Five months later, a Tunisian asylum seeker who had pledged allegiance to IS plowed a truck into a crowded Christmas market in central Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 48.

In April of this year, a failed asylum seeker from Uzbekistan careened down a busy street in a truck in central Stockholm, crashing into a department store and killing three people in what the prime minister called a terrorist attack.

And on August 17, a driver rammed his van into crowds in the heart of Barcelona, killing 13 people, in an attack authorities said was carried out by suspected Islamist militants.

Uzbek security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media, told RFE/RL that Saipov's parents live in Tashkent's Uchtepa district and are merchants at the city's Bektopi market.

The officials in Uzbekistan, where the state's concern about Islamic extremism have increased as citizens of the predominantly Muslim former Soviet republic have traveled to Afghanistan and the Middle East to fight alongside Islamic extremists, said the family was not known to be particularly religious.

Referring to the suspect as a "terrorist," Trump said he had come to the United States under a program widely known as the Green Card lottery, in which a limited number of visas are granted to people from countries with low rates of U.S. immigration.

In remarks on Twitter, Trump criticized the Diversity Visa Immigrant Program and said the allotment of visas should be "merit based."

With reporting by RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, RFE/RL correspondent Pete Baumgartner, AFP, AP, Reuters, dpa, NBCNewYork.com, and ABC News
A controversial law tightening restrictions on the Internet comes in force in Russia on November 1, months ahead of a March 2018 election that is widely expected to hand President Vladimir Putin a new six-year term.

The law signed by Putin on July 29 prohibits the use of Internet proxy services including virtual private networks (VPNs).

The law was promoted by lawmakers who said it was needed to prevent the spread of extremist material and ideas.

Critics say Putin's government often uses such arguments to justify the suppression of dissent.

Under the law, Internet providers will be ordered to block websites that offer VPNs and other proxy services. Russians frequently use such websites to access blocked content by routing connections through servers abroad.

Another Internet law that Putin signed the same day comes into force on January 1. It will require operators of instant messaging services, such as messenger apps, to establish the identity of those using the services by their phone numbers.

That law will also require operators to restrict access to users upon the request of the authorities if the users are disseminating content deemed illegal in Russia.

Russian authorities in recent years have escalated efforts to prosecute Internet users for online content deemed extremist or insulting to religious believers.
Russia's chief envoy for Syria says Moscow may host talks between Syrian groups next month with the goal of working on a new constitution for the war-battered country.

"This matter is still being discussed," Aleksandr Lavrentyev told reporters after the first day of Syrian peace negotiations that reconvened in Astana, Kazakhstan, on October 30.

Russia has been the main backer of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a six-year civil war that has killed and displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

Lavrentyev said Assad would be willing to participate in the proposed talks with other Syrians, which he said would include groups both for and against the government.

Assad "has confirmed his readiness for...the preparation of a new constitution and the holding of new parliamentary and presidential elections on this basis," Lavrentyev said, adding that Assad's acceptance of such a constitutional reform process is "a very important announcement."

Lavrentyev said the United Nations envoy for Syria, Steffan de Mistura, had also supported the idea of holding a Congress of National Dialogue "in principle."

"Although he had some reservations, he supported this initiative of Russia," Lavrentyev said. De Mistura's office declined to comment.

Lavrentyev said that as envisioned by Russia, the congress would focus on seeking "compromise solutions towards the political settlement" of the Syrian conflict.

Russian President Vladimir Putin first mentioned the possibility of such a congress earlier this month. On October 30, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported it might be held in Sochi in mid-November.

Lavrentyev said another possible location for the talks is Russia's Hmeimim military base in Syria.

The Astana talks, which resumed for a seventh round on October 30, are sponsored by Russia, Iran, and Turkey and have focused mainly on establishing cease-fires and other battlefield matters.

UN envoy de Mistura has announced his intention to reconvene broader Syrian peace negotiations in Geneva on November 28.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters
Aleksei Navalny's presidential campaign chief in Moscow, Nikolai Lyaskin, was held for several hours by police without explanation on October 31.

Lyaskin wrote on Twitter on October 31 that police stopped his car, ordered him to go with them, and took him to a police station.

Hours later, he tweeted that police had released him but ordered him to report to the authorities again on November 9.

According to Lyaskin, police gave no explanation of their actions.

"They will probably find out by November 9 what to charge me with," Lyaskin wrote on Twitter, suggesting that law enforcement officers receive politically motivated orders from higher authorities.

Lyaskin, a senior supporter of Navalny, was beaten with a metal pipe by unidentified attackers in September.

The suspect later claimed that Lyaskin had paid him to carry out the attack, which Lyaskin and Navalny's team vehemently deny.

It was not clear whether Lyaskin's October 31 detainment was linked to the beating.

Navalny is campaigning for a March 2018 election in which President Vladimir Putin is widely expected to seek and secure a fourth term in the Kremlin.

But election officials have said Navalny is not eligible to run because of a felony embezzlement conviction that he says was politically motivated.

Navalny, who has riled the Kremlin with reports alleging corruption in Putin's government, received 27 percent of the vote in a Moscow mayoral election in 2013.

Putin, who has ruled Russia either as president or prime minister since 2000, has not yet formally said whether he will participate in the poll.

His control over the levers of power would make his reelection a foregone conclusion.
A senior official in Russia says Protestant Christians are part of the countrys traditional religious communities, and praises the important role they have played in Russian society.

The first deputy chief of President Vladimir Putins administration, Sergei Kiriyenko, made the comments on October 31 at an event marking the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.

His comments sounded unusual as Russian authorities have been promoting Orthodox Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, as the countrys traditional religions, calling other confessions untraditional and banning some of them in recent years.

"The followers of the Reformation idea appeared in our country immediately after it started," Kiriyenko said at a Reformation Day celebration in central Moscow. "Those people contributed to our state's flourishing and to the development of Russia's science, education, and culture."

Kiriyenko also said that the Protestant community in Russia "plays a large role in social services, helping people who have fallen into a complicated situation in life, no matter what religion they follow."

Protestantism's values are "extremely in demand today in our country and important for achieving success in a rapidly developing world," he added.

Ahead of the October 31 celebrations, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier last week attended a ceremony for the return of ownership of Moscow's St. Peter and Paul cathedral to the local Lutheran community. The cathedral was seized by the Soviet state in 1938 as part of a state repression of religion.

On October 31, 1517, German theologian and priest Martin Luther questioned the pope's authority through his "95 Theses," creating a rift between Catholics and Protestants that led to major upheaval in Europe, including wars and persecutions.

The Orthodox churches, including the Russian Orthodox Church, had split from Rome in the 11th century.

The Western and Eastern branches of Christianity, including the Russian Orthodox Church, had split in the Great Schism of 1054.

In 1763, hundreds of thousands of Germans, mostly Protestants settled in the Russian Empire following the proclamation of open immigration by Tsarina Catherine II, who was of German descent herself.

There are now an estimated 1.5 million to 3 million Protestants in Russia, comprising about 1 to 2 percent of the country's population.

With reporting by TASS, Interfax, and dpa
The European Union has warned Serbia that the appointment of a general who was convicted of war crimes as a military academy lecturer is against the principles of the EU, which Belgrade wants to join.

Retired General Vladimir Lazarevic was sentenced to 14 years in prison by a UN war crimes tribunal for atrocities committed by Serbian troops in Kosovo during the 1998-99 war.

Lazarevic was released in 2015 after serving two-thirds of his sentence.

EU spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said in a statement on October 30 that "we expect political leaders to honor the victims of the past conflicts and sincerely promote reconciliation in the Western Balkans."

"Political leaders have to lead all efforts in overcoming the difficult legacy of the past and constructively foster mutual trust, dialogue and tolerance," she said.

"Serbia, as [an EU] candidate country, cannot deviate from these principles. The appointment of a convicted war criminal to the Serbian Military Academy goes exactly against these principles."

Although Serbia formally seeks EU membership, some of its top politicians and government ministers have been advocating the return to the nationalist policies of the 1990s while increasing their defiance against the West.

Lazarevic was the commander of Serbian troops in Kosovo during Belgrade's intervention against ethnic Albanian separatists. More than 10,000 people were killed.

The bloodshed stopped only after a 78-day NATO bombardment in 1999.

Serbia doesn't recognize Kosovo's independence, which was declared in 2008.

Lazarevic last week gave his first lecture at the academy, which was titled The Heroism And Humanity Of Serbian Soldiers In Their Defense Against The NATO Aggression.

With reporting by AP
Unknown attackers fired on the car of a Chechen couple near Kyiv late on October 30, killing the woman, Amina Okuyeva. Her husband, Adam Osmayev, was accused in 2012 of plotting to kill Vladimir Putin, and was targeted in an earlier assassination attempt in June 2017. (RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, with videos courtesy of lb.ua, Kyiv Police, and Espresso TV)
Reports from Ukraine say anticorruption investigators have detained the son of Interior Minister Arsen Avakov.

Sources in the National Anticorruption Bureau (NABU) were quoted as saying that Oleksandr Avakov was detained on October 31 after his home in the eastern city of Kharkiv was searched.

Avakov confirmed to the Ukrayinska Pravda news site that detectives "came to my son to conduct a search."

NABU said in a statement that it detained three individuals, including a former deputy interior minister and a businessman, in an embezzlement case.

It said the investigation relates to the alleged embezzlement of 14 million hryvnyas ($520,000) of state budget funds allocated to the Interior Ministry to buy backpacks in 2014-2015.

NABU did not give any names, saying that the detained persons will soon be officially informed that they are suspects in the case.

Earlier in the day, NABU confirmed Facebook media reports saying that searches were conducted at the residences of "individuals believed to be involved" in the case, but did not give any names.

Meanwhile Ukraine's Interior Ministry said it considers NABU's actions grounded in politics rather than the law."

"A hybrid war that is going on in Ukraine focuses on discrediting politicians and officials who firmly stand for reforming and improving state institutions, in particular the law enforcement system," a statement said.

"During his tenure as interior minister, false information about the minister, members of his family, and his closest colleagues has been disseminated to discredit Arsen Avakov," it added.

In February, NABU said that a probe into the alleged embezzlement of state budget funds allocated for purchasing 6,000 backpacks by the Interior Ministry for Ukraine's armed forces fighting Russia-backed separatists in the country's east was being concluded.

With reporting by AFP and Ukrayinska Pravda


U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl has apologized to the troops who got hurt searching for him after he deserted his post in Afghanistan in 2009 in testimony at a sentencing hearing.

"I made a horrible mistake," Bergdahl, 31, said on October 30 in his most extensive comments to date in the North Carolina military court proceedings where he pleaded guilty earlier this month to desertion charges. "Saying Im sorry is not enough."

Bergdahl suffered a blow earlier in the day when the presiding military judge said President Donald Trump had not damaged his chances of getting a fair sentence by repeatedly calling him a "traitor" who should be executed while campaigning last year.

Judge Jeffery Nance, an army colonel, said Trump's "condemning and damning" statements will not influence him in determining Bergdahl's sentence.

"I am completely unaffected by any comments President Trump has made," he said, noting that he plans to retire next year and is not seeking any promotion that potentially could be blocked by the White House.

The judge said he would consider the president's comments as a mitigating factor, however, raising the possibility of a lighter punishment for Bergdahl.

Bergdahl faces a maximum sentence of life in prison after pleading guilty on October 16 to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.

The Idaho native was captured by the Taliban after walking off his combat outpost in Paktika Province in June 2009 and spent the next five years in captivity before he was released in a controversial prisoner exchange with the militant group.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman has emphasized that the Kremlin sees no evidence of accusations of Russian meddling in the indictment handed down to U.S. President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman and an associate.

Speaking on October 31, Dmitry Peskov reiterated Russia's denial that it interfered in the U.S. election, and called the investigations into alleged Russian meddling and possible collusion by associates of Trump an "internal matter for our American partners."

"From what we have read in media reports and seen in statements by participants in the process, Russia so far does not figure in any way in the charges that have been issued," Peskov told journalists.

"Other countries and other people" are named, he said, apparently referring to Ukraine and Viktor Yanukovych, the Moscow-friendly president who was pushed from power by pro-European protests in Kyiv and fled to Russia in 2014.

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and associate Rick Gates pleaded not guilty on October 30 to conspiring to defraud the United States in over a decade of dealings with political forces in Ukraine.

Manafort and Gates lodged their pleas in a Washington, D.C., court shortly after being named in the first publicly announced indictment since former FBI chief Robert Mueller was appointed special counsel to head the U.S. Justice Department probe.

Manafort and Gates were indicted on 12 counts including conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, acting as an unregistered foreign agent, making false statements, and charges related to failing to report foreign bank and financial accounts. A judge ordered house arrest for both of them.

Trump, who has called the U.S. investigations a witch hunt, issued tweets on October 31 repeating his denial that he or any of his associates colluded with Russia. "The Fake News is working overtime, he tweeted, adding that Manafort's lawyer had said "there was no collusion."

The indictment against Manafort and Gates said that they "generated tens of millions of dollars in income" from work they did for Yanukovych, who was president of Ukraine from 2010-2014, the Ukrainian government, Yanukovych's Party of Regions, and the Opposition Bloc, a successor party formed after Yanukovych was driven from power by pro-European protests and fled to Russia.

The indictment alleged that "in order to hide Ukraine payments" from U.S. authorities, Manafort and Gates "laundered the money through scores of United States and foreign corporations, partnerships, and bank accounts" from about 2006 through 2016 at the earliest. It said that they also hid their work and revenue as agents of Ukrainian political parties.

Court documents unsealed on October 30 also showed that George Papadopoulos, a former foreign policy adviser for Trump's presidential campaign who was arrested in July, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russians.

The documents showed that through "false statements and omissions," Papadopoulos "impeded the FBI's ongoing investigation into the existence of any links or coordination between individuals associated with the campaign and the Russian government's efforts to interfere with the 2016 presidential election."

Trump poured derision on Papadopoulos in another tweet on October 31, saying: "Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar."

U.S. intelligence officials concluded in January that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an "influence campaign" targeting the 2016 election in the United States, aiming to undermine confidence in the U.S. democracy, tarnish the reputation of Trump's rival, Hillary Clinton, and help Trump.

Mueller was appointed as special counsel in May to lead the Justice Department's investigation, which is conducted in parallel with U.S. congressional probes.

In his remarks asserting a lack of references to Russia or evidence of Russian meddling, Peskov made no mention of Papadopoulos or the documents in his case, which include many specific references to Russia and Russian officials.

Peskov said that Russia hoped new developments in the U.S. probe will not increase what he asserted was already "mounting Russophobic hysteria" in the United States. He did not give examples to support that description.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also repeated Russia's denials, saying that allegations of Russian meddling in elections in the United States in Europe were "fantasies."

The comments from Peskov and Lavrov came hours before executives of Internet giants Facebook, Twitter, and Google were due to testify before a Senate panel investigating the alleged Russian interference in the U.S. election.

The Senate judiciary subcommittee on crime and terrorism on October 27 said the executives would be among witnesses at a hearing on "ways to combat and reduce the amount of Russian propaganda and extremist content online."

With reporting by CNN, The New York Times, Reuters, AP, and AFP
According to U.S. court documents unsealed this week, a foreign policy adviser to the campaign of President Donald Trump said he was in contact with Russian officials and had been told during the campaign that Moscow had dirt on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and thousands of her e-mails.

The documents related to the guilty plea of former adviser George Papadopoulos -- the first admission of guilt to emerge from U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe of alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election and potential collusion by Trump associates -- do not provide the names of Papadopouloss contacts.

But the identities of two of these individuals appear to have been confirmed -- a man described in court documents as the professor and another as a connection to the Russian Foreign Ministry. The name of another -- a woman Papadopoulos initially believed was Russian President Vladimir Putins niece -- remained unclear as of October 31.

Here's a look at key individuals with ties to Russia in the October 5 plea deal signed by Papadopoulos, whose arrest in July on charges of lying to FBI agents only came to light after court documents were unsealed on October 30, and what we know about them.

'The Professor'

According to the court documents, Papadopoulos met this man at least three times and remained in e-mail contact with him for several months. Their first meeting -- in Italy -- took place in March 2016 after Papadopoulos learned that he would be joining the Trump campaign as a foreign policy adviser, the documents say.

The professor claimed to have substantial connections with Russian government officials that Papadopoulos believed could increase his importance as a policy adviser to the campaign, the documents state.

Papadopoulos says in his plea agreement that the professor told him at a meeting in London in late April 2016 that he had recently returned from a trip to Moscow and learned that Russia had dirt on Clinton "in the form of 'thousands of e-mails.'"

The documents describe the man as a citizen of a country in the Mediterranean and a professor of diplomacy based in London. And they say the professor told Papadopoulos that he was flying to Moscow for a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, a prominent Kremlin-backed international policy forum.

A number of Western media outlets on October 30 deduced from this information that the man in question is professor Joseph Mifsud, a citizen of Malta and an "honorary director" of the London Academy of Diplomacy.

Mifsud has confirmed to The Daily Telegraph that he is the London-based professor described in the U.S. court documents but denied doing anything wrong. I have a clear conscience," the British newspaper quoted him as saying.

Mifsud indeed has documented contacts with well-connected people in Russias political class. In January 2016, Aleksei Klishin, a former Russian parliamentarian and professor at an elite Russian university run by the Foreign Ministry, spoke at the London Academy of Diplomacy at Mifsuds request.

Mifsud also met with Aleksandr Yakovenko, the Russian ambassador to Britain, in May 2014.

'Putin's Niece'

The identity of this woman remained unclear as of October 31. In the court documents, she is identified as the Female Russian National.

Papadopoulos was said to have been introduced to the woman at a March 24, 2016, meeting together with the professor. The American initially believed the woman was Putins niece, according to the court documents, though this turned out to be false. Following that meeting, Papadopoulos e-mailed senior Trump campaign officials and said that the subject of their discussion had been to arrange a meeting between us and the Russian leadership to discuss U.S.-Russian ties under President Trump.

Papadopoulos and the woman proceeded to communicate by e-mail and Skype. Two weeks after their first meeting, Papadopoulos wrote to her and received a reply in which the woman said she would be very pleased to support your initiatives between our two countries. Later that day, she wrote that she had already alerted my personal links to our conversation and your request and that we are all very excited by the possibility of a good relationship with Mr. Trump. The Russian Federation would love to welcome him once his candidature would be officially announced, according to the court documents.

The documents state that Papadopoulos believed that the Female Russian National had connections to high-level Russian government officials and could help him arrange a potential foreign policy trip to Russia.

They add that during the campaign, Papadopoulos e-mailed and spoke over Skype on numerous occasions with the Female Russian National about the potential foreign policy trip to Russia.

In his plea agreement, Papadopoulos admitted to lying when he told the FBI that the extent of his communication with the woman consisted of e-mails containing banalities like, Hi, how are you?

'Russian MFA Connection'

The court documents state that in April 2016, the professor introduced Papadopoulos via e-mail to an individual in Moscow identified as a Russian national connected to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, alternately, as the Russian MFA connection. While this individual's name is not provided, details of his interactions with Papadopoulos appear to indicate that the person is Ivan Timofeyev, director of programs at the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), a Russian government-backed think tank.

That Papadopoulos had communicated with Timofeyev has been widely known since August, when The Washington Post reported on the contents of e-mails between the two men in which the possibility of a visit by Trump to Moscow was discussed. The Washington Post report cited an e-mail to Papadopoulos from Timofeyev in which the Russian political scientist said officials at the Russian Foreign Ministry were amenable to a visit by Trump and that the campaign should submit a formal letter on the matter.

Days later, Timofeyev said in an interview with the Russian news portal Gazeta.ru that the correspondence came at the initiative of Papadopoulos and that the two men even talked several times over Skype but never got into any specifics.

The court documents unsealed this week note e-mail and Skype contacts between Papadopoulos and the Russian MFA connection, and the e-mails they describe resemble those reported by The Washington Post in August. The section of false statements Papadopoulos admitted making to the FBI includes his failure to inform investigators that the professor had introduced him to the Russian MFA connection despite being asked if he had met Russian nationals.

Timofeyev said in his August interview with Gazeta.ru that he and Papadopoulos had mutual academic acquaintances.

In April 2016, at the time of the events described in the court documents, Timofeyev hosted a Valdai-sponsored discussion about the world oil market in which Mifsud participated. A video of the two men speaking is available on YouTube:

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova took to Facebook on October 31 to criticize what she portrayed as a circus atmosphere surrounding the Papadopoulos guilty plea. She added that information about Timofeyev is available on his organizations website and not at her ministry.

The Russian Foreign Ministry is a founder of the RIAC and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov serves as chairman of the think tanks board of trustees.

Lavrov told reporters in Moscow on October 31 that he is not acquainted with either Papadopoulos or Timofeyev but that he saw nothing wrong in their discussions of a possible meeting between the two sides, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders in Washington on October 30 described Papadopoulos as a minor figure in the Trump campaign, adding that he "reached out" to arrange a meeting with Russian contacts "and nothing happened beyond that."

"Which, I think, shows, one, his level of importance in the campaign; and two, shows what little role he had within coordinating anything officially for the campaign," Sanders said.

Trump himself wrote on Twitter on October 31: "Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar."

Trump referred to Papadopoulos as "an oil and energy consultant, an excellent guy" at a meeting with The Washington Post editorial board in early 2016 at which he announced some members of his foreign policy advisory team.
The apartment is in a residential area along the railway tracks of the Odakyu Odawara Line, about 600 meters from Sobudai-mae Station. Police arrested the man, 27-year-old Takahiro Shiraishi. Investigators found the bodies while searching for a 23-year-old woman who had disappeared, the spokesman said. The woman had contacted the man via social media seeking someone for a suicide pact. Shiraishi told investigators he killed the nine and attempted to conceal their bodies. Its true that I tried to hide the bodies of the people I killed to destroy evidence, Shiraishi was quoted as saying by the police. Shiraishi had told police that he chopped up the bodies in a bathroom and a saw was found in his room. The police plan to carry out DNA tests in an effort to identify the deceased.



The building where the bodies were found

A man who lives on the same floor as the suspect said that noticed an odd smell when he walked past the apartment in August, but he hadnt heard any strange noise or voices coming from the apartment. Information about the occupation of the suspect or about his motivation to kill people was not disclosed.


U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Litigation Release No. 23974 / October 31, 2017 Securities and Exchange Commission v. Thomas J. Buck, Civil Action No. 1:17-cv-3984 (October 31, 2017) (S.D. Ind.) Broker Settles Charges of Increasing Personal Income With Excessive Commissions And Fees A former Merrill Lynch broker has agreed to pay more than $5 million to settle SEC charges that he fraudulently schemed to increase his personal income by obtaining excessive commissions and fees from investors. According to the SEC's complaint, Merrill Lynch paid financial advisors a portion of the commissions, fees, or other revenue they generated in customer and client accounts. The SEC alleges that Thomas J. Buck represented to certain customers with commission-based accounts that the total annual commissions they paid would not exceed certain limits, and then he traded in those accounts and generated commissions that exceeded the amounts he promised. The SEC alleges that Buck failed to inform the customers that their total annual commissions were exceeding the promised limits and falsely represented to several customers that their total annual commissions were within the promised limits. According to the SEC's complaint, Buck also intentionally failed to inform the customers that a fee-based option could be cheaper compared to the total annual commissions being paid based on trades executed in an account. The SEC also alleges that Buck impermissibly exercised discretion by placing trades in the accounts of certain customers without authorization. According to the SEC's complaint, Buck received more than $2.5 million in excessive commissions and fees from at least 50 retail customers and investment advisory clients in a scheme that lasted at least three years. The SEC's complaint, filed in federal district court in Indianapolis charges Buck with violating Section 17(a) of the Securities Act, Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5, and Sections 206(1) and 206(2) of the Investment Advisers Act. In a parallel action, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana unsealed criminal charges against Buck. In the SEC settlement, Buck agreed to pay disgorgement of $2,561,236.71 in ill-gotten gains plus interest of $296,806.31 a penalty of $2,233,594.12. Any restitution amount paid in the parallel criminal case would be subtracted from the disgorgement amount owed in the SEC settlement. Buck consented to the entry of a final judgment permanently enjoining him from violating the provisions charged in the SEC's complaint. The settlement is subject to court approval. The SEC's investigation was conducted by Aleah Borghard and supervised by Brian D. Fagel. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. SEC Complaint https://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases/2017/lr23974.htm

Modified: 10/31/2017
H.S. polls: Washington girls steady at No. 1 in 4A, Marian girls No. 2 in 3A
NASA's OSIRIS-REx is an ongoing mission that visited and collected a sample from asteroid 101955 Bennu, with the aim of returning the sample to Earth in 2023.

OSIRIS-Rex launched on Sept. 8, 2016, and arrived at asteroid Bennu on Dec. 3, 2018. It began orbiting the carbon-rich rock on Dec. 31, 2018. A dramatic, yet brief, touchdown on Oct. 20, 2020, saw Bennu pick up a sample from the surface before beginning the long journey home on May 10, 2021.

OSIRIS-REx's sample return capsule is scheduled to bring a sample of Bennu back to Earth on Sept. 24, 2023, but that will not be the end of the main spacecraft's mission. It will be retasked to swing by the near-Earth asteroid Apophis in 2029 with a new moniker: OSIRIS-Apophis Explorer, or OSIRIS-APEX.

Related: 8 ways to stop an asteroid: Nuclear weapons, paint and Bruce Willis

Two images taken by NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft show the sampling arm touching the surface of asteroid Bennu. (Image credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona)

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The long journey to Bennu

The $800-million OSIRIS-REx (Origins-Spectral Interpretation-Resource Identification-Security-Regolith Explorer) mission was named a finalist for NASA's New Frontiers mission class in 2009, along with missions to study Venus (Surface and Atmosphere Geochemical Explorer, or SAGE) and the moon (MoonRise). In 2011, OSIRIS-REx was chosen as the winning proposal.

The New Frontiers program consists of a series of medium-class spacecraft missions intended to help us better understand the solar system. OSIRIS-REx was the third mission chosen for that program; the previous selectees were New Horizons, which flew by the dwarf planet Pluto in 2015 and by an object called 2014 MU69 in 2019 and is continuing its mission out in the solar system, and the Juno mission, which arrived in orbit around Jupiter in 2016 and is still operational there.

OSIRIS-REx launched on Sept. 8, 2016. It briefly returned home in September 2017 to complete a speed-boosting flyby of Earth. The probe arrived at Bennu on Dec. 3, 2018. In the month after its arrival, OSIRIS-REx took detailed measurements of Bennu's shape and mass before precisely slipping into orbit.

The asteroid probe set two records: Bennu is the smallest body a spacecraft has ever orbited (the space rock has a diameter of 1,640 feet, or 500 meters), and OSIRIS-REx performed the closest orbit ever of a small body, at just 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) from the surface.

NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft captured this image of the asteroid Bennu using its MapCam imager on Dec. 12, 2018. (Image credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona)

OSIRIS-REx instruments

The five instruments onboard the spacecraft studied, mapped and analyzed the asteroid in unprecedented detail:

OSIRIS-REx Visible and Infrared Spectrometer (OVIRS)  By measuring visible and near-infrared light, OVIRS hunted for organics and other minerals. OSIRIS-REx Thermal Emission Spectrometer (OTES)  Using the thermal infrared, OTES took Bennu's temperature and mapped mineral and chemical abundances. Together, OVIRS and OTES mapped Bennu over a range of wavelengths to select the best site to sample the asteroid. OSIRIS-REx Camera Suite (OCAMS)  A three-camera suite to map Bennu. PolyCam, the largest, acquired the first images of Bennu, taking them from 1.2 million miles (2 million kilometers) out, and captured high-resolution images of the sample site. MapCam hunted for satellites and dust plumes around the asteroid, mapped it in color, and took photographs to create topographic maps. SamCam documented the collection of the sample and its capture. OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter (OLA)  By scanning the entire surface of Bennu, OLA will send back data to create highly accurate 3D models of the asteroid's surface. One of the two Canadian-built lasers failed during the primary mission, but it was working beyond its expected instrument lifetime and collected all the information required for OSIRIS-REx to land, investigators said at the time. Regolith X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (RExIS)  Studying X-ray emissions of Bennu was expected to help with the creation of a map showing the abundance of different elements on the surface. Unlike other imaging instruments, RExIS examined the composition of the asteroid at the level of individual atomic elements.

Diagram of the Nightingale sampling area on asteroid Bennu. (Image credit: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona)

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Mission timeline

The spacecraft made two deep-space maneuvers after launch. The first took place on Dec. 28, 2016, and set the spacecraft up for its gravity assist with Earth.

Almost a year later, OSIRIS-REx made a flyby of our home planet, on Sept. 22, 2017, to pick up speed for its journey to Bennu.At its closest approach to Earth, over Antarctica, the spacecraft was roughly 10,700 miles (17,200 km) from the surface. The flyby increased OSIRIS-REx's speed by about 8,500 mph (13,000 km/h) and was flawlessly executed. The spacecraft then continued on its journey to Bennu.

Along the way, the OSIRIS-REx snapped some stunning images of Earth and its moon from a distance of a little more than 3 million miles (5 million km).

On June 28, 2018, the spacecraft aced its second and final major deep-space maneuver before making a series of successful asteroid-approach operations to put it close to Bennu where it safely arrived on Dec. 3, 2018.

After the asteroid was studied in significant detail, scientists identified a region to sample, a rocky zone with the nickname of Nightingale. A flawless touchdown on Oct. 21, 2020, lasted just six seconds and brought the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) into play.

As OSIRIS-REx drew closer to the asteroid, TAGSAM blasted a sample of pure nitrogen gas at the rock's surface. Regolith (dust and broken rock) blasted from the surface was pushed into the chamber of the sampler. OSIRIS-REx was tasked with collecting at least 2 ounces (60 g) of asteroid material, with a preference for 5 ounces (150 g) to account for any measurement errors. The spacecraft easily surpassed the primary goal of 2 ounces or 60 grams, NASA said after the attempt.

While the spacecraft collected enough on its first goal, OSIRIS-REx did carry three bottles of nitrogen gas to allow for multiple collection attempts. TAGSAM also was rated to carry as much as 70 ounces (2,000 g). (To weigh the sample in the low-gravity environment, scientists measured the angular acceleration of the spacecraft before and after the sample is collected.)

OSIRIS-REx finished its last flyover of Bennu on April 7, 2021, and departed for Earth on May 10 that year. The plan is for the sample capsule to return to Earth on Sept. 24, 2023, while the main spacecraft journeys on to Apophis for a 2029 rendezvous.

A timeline of OSIRIS-REx operations at asteroid Bennu. (Image credit: University of Arizona)

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Why Bennu?

Originally known as 1999 RQ36, the rock OSIRIS-Rex visited was renamed Bennu by 9-year-old Mike Puzio in a 2013 contest. Bennu is an Egyptian god usually depicted as a gray heron. Puzio chose the name because he thought TAGSAM and the solar panels resembled the bird god's neck and wings.

Bennu is one of several thousand near-Earth objects orbiting within 120 million miles (190 million km) of Earth. Among those, Bennu was one of less than 200 objects whose orbit was well-known and sufficiently similar to Earth's orbit. This asteroid orbits the sun every 436 days and comes very close to Earth every six years.

Bennu's also relatively large, at about 1,650 feet (500 m) wide. Rocks smaller than 650 feet (200 m) spin too rapidly for a spacecraft to safely land on them. Only a handful of the asteroids in appropriate orbits were large enough to allow a visit.

Among those deemed appropriate, Bennu has a more-attractive composition. The asteroid is relatively rich in carbon-based material; the asteroids that may have brought water and organic material to Earth and helped kick off life would have looked like Bennu.

Bennu's close orbit also makes it a potentially hazardous object for Earth, and NASA now estimates the risk is quite low : the asteroid's total impact probability through 2300 is just 1 in 1,750. If the asteroid does collide with Earth, the impact won't destroy the planet, but it will wreak havoc wherever it touches down. Experts say that an asteroid of this size would likely devastate the local area around the impact, but it wouldn't cause mass extinctions.

Still, the advanced warning provided by OSIRIS-REx could help scientists take preventative measures long before an impact. One such method could be to redirect the asteroid entirely using the "kinetic impactor" technique as demonstrated by NASA's recent DART mission . On Sept. 26, 2022, DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) successfully slammed a spacecraft into a small asteroid called Dimorphos in a bid to alter its orbit. The mission was a roaring success and on Oct. 11, 2022, NASA officially announced that DART shortened Dimorphos' nearly 12-hour orbit by a whopping 32 minutes, smashing previous estimates.

The aftermath of the DART collision with the asteroid Dimorphos as seen by SOAR Telescope. (Image credit: NOIRLab)

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Visiting Apophis

Apophis is another potentially hazardous asteroid that was recently removed from the Sentry Impact Risk Table (opens in new tab) which keeps track of asteroids where an Earth impact cannot be ruled out.

According to NASA, Apophis has been deemed to not be a problem for at least the next 100 years (opens in new tab), based on improved simulations of its movements through space. On Friday, April 13, 2029, Earth will have a close encounter with the asteroid that will see the 1,120 feet (340-meter) wide object come just 19,000 miles (31,000 km) from the planet  closer than most geostationary satellites .

Previously, scientists calculated Apophis had a very small chance of hitting Earth during a flyby in 2068, but the reassessment of its risk in 2021 showed there is no threat whatsoever to worry about. But with the asteroid coming so close, having a healthy and untasked spacecraft available to swing by presented NASA with a unique moment.

NASA announced in April 2022 that it will redirect OSIRIS-REx to make the most of the encounter, and rename the spacecraft after it drops off Bennu samples at Earth. OSIRIS-APEX will be the new name of the mission in 2023 and it will reach Apophis in 2029.

The mission does take on some aging risk (as OSIRIS-Rex will be about 13 years old during the flyby) as well as the extra cost, as there will be another $200 million added bringing the total cost of $1 billion for a mission from Earth to Bennu to Apophis. That said, the cost is likely smaller than launching a separate, second spacecraft and dispenses with one of the riskiest phases of a new mission, which is blasting off the planet on a rocket.

Aside from one of the transmitters of OLA, the instruments on the spacecraft are healthy and that will allow the new OSIRIS-APEX mission to do its job. The spacecraft will examine Apophis for 18 months and aims to get close enough to examine the asteroid in great detail, including what lies beneath the surface. A special thruster maneuver will blast away the surface to reveal subsurface materials on Apophis

This will be especially helpful as Apophis and Bennu, despite being about the same size, are completely different asteroid types. Apophis shares the S-type family with ordinary chondrite meteorites , and Bennu is part of a family that potentially delivered water to Earth long ago (known as the B-type.)

The Goldstone radar's imagery of asteroid 99942 Apophis as it made its closest approach to Earth, in March 2021. (Image credit: NASA/JPLCaltech/NSF/AUI/GBO)

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Asteroid sampling missions

Asteroids are the bits and pieces left over from the formation of the planets, and as such, they serve as rudimentary blueprints of the early solar system. Studying them allows scientists to see what the early solar system was like and to get a handle on how planets formed.

OSIRIS-REx follows a long line of asteroid missions, and while it is the first to return samples to the United States, Japan already has returned two other similar missions. Hayabusa became the first spacecraft to bring a bit of an asteroid back to Earth in 2010. A successor Japanese sample-return mission, called Hayabusa2 , did the same with asteroid Ryugu in 2020.

NASA's Dawn mission, as another example, visited the asteroid Vesta before moving on to the dwarf planet Ceres. In contrast to the Dawn mission, however, OSIRIS-REx aims to bring home a piece of Bennu for in-depth laboratory studies that aren't possible from orbit. The OSIRIS-REx team aims to collect at least 2 ounces (60 grams) of material to achieve their scientific goals.

As a secondary objective, OSIRIS-REx's research is meant to provide further insight into potentially hazardous asteroid movements. (There's nothing to worry about yet, despite decades of searching the skies, but research remains ongoing.) Both Bennu and Apophis have designations as "potentially hazardous" asteroids, but it is more a statistical description than anything meant to cause alarm.

Related: Just how many threatening asteroids are there? It's complicated.

OSIRIS-REx will also help astronomers study the Yarkovsky effect on asteroids. This phenomenon occurs when heat from the sun provides a tiny push that alters the movement of an asteroid or other object. Although the push is minimal, it can build up over time , helping to change the path a space rock travels. But it can be challenging to study this effect, as it varies based on the shape of each asteroid.

An infographic showing other missions that have visited asteroids over the years. (Image credit: University of Arizona)

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Further reading

Read NASA's overview (opens in new tab) of the OSIRIS-REx mission. Learn more about the OSIRIS-REx mission from Lockheed Martin (opens in new tab). Check out this collection of OSIRIS-REx photo galleries from the University of Arizona (opens in new tab).

References

Arizona Board of Regents. (2022.) OSIRIS-Rex: Asteroid Sample Return Mission - Galleries. Accessed Nov. 10, 2022 from: https://www.asteroidmission.org/galleries/ (opens in new tab)

Lockheed Martin. (2022.) OSIRIS-REx: Discovering the Origins of the Solar System. Accessed Nov. 10, 2022 from https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/products/osiris-rex.html (opens in new tab)

NASA. (2020, Oct. 23.) NASAs OSIRIS-REx spacecraft collects significant amount of asteroid. Accessed Nov. 10, 2022 from: https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-osiris-rex-spacecraft-collects-significant-amount-of-asteroid (opens in new tab)
Researchers have spotted Jupiter's southern X-ray aurora for the first time, revealing that it moves and pulses out of sync with the gas giant's northern lights. Here, Jupiter's south pole can be seen from an altitude of 32,000 miles (52,000 km) as imaged by NASA's Juno spacecraft.

Astronomers have finally detected X-rays blazing from Jupiter's mysterious southern lights, a new study finds.

Unexpectedly, the giant planet's northern and southern lights do not pulse in time with each other, but beat out of sync, according to the new work. This finding raises questions about how these auroras are generated, the researchers said.

NASA's Voyager 1 probe first detected auroras on Jupiter in 1979, concentrated near the planet's north pole. Auroras occur when energetic winds of electrically charged particles  say, from the sun  get captured by a planet's magnetic field and collide with atoms in that world's atmosphere. This results in colorful streamers of light in the planet's sky, usually near the body's magnetic poles. ['It's Snowing on Jupiter': See the Stunning Photos]

Jupiter's giant magnetic field is the strongest of all the planets in the solar system, at nearly 20,000 times the strength of Earth's, and the gas giant's auroras are similarly powerful and especially bright in X-rays. "It is really an entirely different, vaster, more energetic world," said study lead author William Dunn, an astrophysicist at University College London.

While a stream of charged particles from the sun generates Earth's rippling auroras, Jupiter can produce its own auroras, without the solar wind. "Jupiter has this tiny moon called Io, which is the most volcanic body in the solar system and fills Jupiter's space environment with sulfur, oxygen and other material at 1 ton per second," Dunn told Space.com. This material from Io can interact with Jupiter to generate auroras.

As researchers examined Jupiter, much remained uncertain about how the X-rays seen in the planet's northern lights were produced, Dunn said. To generate the specific colors of X-rays seen in those auroras, the planet needs to accelerate oxygen ions to a speed of about 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometers) per second. This is fast enough for all the electrons to get torn off the oxygen ions when they crash into Jupiter's atmosphere, thus emitting the kinds of X-rays that scientists have detected, he said.

This image of auroras on Jupiter is a composite of ultraviolet observations by the Hubble Space Telescope taken in 2016 and a visible light image of the planet taken in 2014. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, and J. Nichols (University of Leicester))

To learn more about how Jupiter generates its northern X-ray auroras, scientists wanted to compare those lights with the planet's southern X-ray auroras. However, until now, researchers had seen X-ray auroras only in the planet's northern lights.

Using data collected by the XMM-Newton and Chandra X-ray space observatories in 2007 and 2016, the scientists produced maps of Jupiter's X-ray emissions and identified an X-ray hotspot at each pole. Each hotspot covered an area much wider across than Earth.

The researchers found that Jupiter's northern and the southern X-ray hotspots pulsate at different frequencies and intensities. In contrast, Earth's northern and southern lights broadly mirror each other in activity. "Maybe naively, I had assumed that Jupiter's northern and southern X-ray auroras would beat in time, but that's clearly not the case," Dunn said. [Jupiter's 7 Most Massive Mysteries]

The very high-energy X-ray emissions at Jupiter's south pole consistently pulsed every 11 minutes, while those at the north pole erratically increased and decreased in brightness, acting independently of the south pole. These results were extremely surprising, Dunn said, and not predicted by current models of how Jupiter's auroras are generated.

"I had to quadruple-check everything and ask some of my colleagues to do this, too, to ensure that I hadn't made any mistakes," Dunn said. "I think one of the coolest things about working in science is those moments where you realize you're the first human in all of human history to have seen a new aspect of nature. I think that buzz of discovery is one of many, many reasons that I am an astrophysicist."

There were two complementary ideas for how Jupiter generated its X-ray auroras, Dunn said. The first was that Jupiter produced huge electrical currents to keep the electrically charged particles around the planet rotating at the same speed that the gas giant spins.

"Just like electric circuits that you might study in school, the flow of current out from the planet has to return to the planet somewhere to complete the circuit," Dunn said. "This is expected to return to the planet from huge distances [of] 6 million km [3.7 million miles] away. Over these great distances, you would produce huge voltages  8 megavolts, tens of thousands of times more voltage than is in your house. These voltages accelerate the particles very fast, fast enough to tear all the electrons off of oxygen when it hits the atmosphere."

The second idea was that part of this returning electrical current was perturbed by interactions between the solar wind and Jupiter's magnetosphere, the area of space dominated by Jupiter's magnetic field and captured electrically charged particles. These interactions could lead to "bursts of particles accelerated very fast into Jupiter's atmosphere, to produce bursts of bright emission," Dunn said.

However, each of these ideas fails to explain why the auroras at Jupiter's poles act independently of one another. One possible explanation is that conditions in Jupiter's magnetosphere can shift quickly, such that whatever influences one pole may not have the same effect whenever it reaches the other pole, the researchers said. Another possibility is that the two poles differ somehow in their general activity, the scientists added.

The researchers said NASA's Juno spacecraft, currently orbiting Jupiter, should collect data that will help solve the mystery of the giant planet's auroras. "NASA's Juno mission started undertaking these daredevil flights of Jupiter about a year ago and is really rewriting so much of what we thought we knew about the planet, while uncovering so many things that we hadn't even conceived of," Dunn said. He noted that only two weeks ago, Juno's JEDI instrument "announced the discovery of huge electric fields that undoubtedly play an important role in the X-ray aurora.

"Inevitably, some of the ideas we have proposed will be wrong. This is the nature of doing science  you propose an idea and then test it," Dunn said. "I'll be just as happy if we're proven wrong on some of these ideas if it gets us a little closer to the right answer or provokes some discussion that gets rid of a few more of the wrong answers."

The scientists detailed their findings online Oct. 30 in the journal Nature Astronomy.

Follow Charles Q. Choi on Twitter @cqchoi. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebookand Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Madrid, October 30, 2017 (SPS) - The Coordination of Solidarity Associations with the Sahara (CEAS-Sahara) called on Sunday for a demonstration in support of the Saharawi people, in Spanish capital Madrid on November 11.

In a statement, the Organization called for a demonstration in solidarity of the Saharawi people, to demand that the UN imposes on Morocco respect for international resolutions and human rights in occupied zones of Western Sahara, and speed up the organization of the referendum in which the Saharawi people can freely decide their own future.

The demonstration which will start from Atocha to the Puerta del Sol, coincides with the anniversary of illegal Tripartite Agreements of Madrid. (SPS)

062/SPS/TRA




Kuneitra (Morocco), Oct 30, 2017 (SPS) - Sahrawi political prisoners of Gdeim Izik group at the central prison of Kuneitra, Morocco, announced that they will initiate a 48-hour hunger strike starting from Wednesday.

According to a statement issued by the prisoners, the hunger strike is in protest against the ill-treatment they are subjected to by the prison administration and the false promises to improve their conditions, in addition to not providing the minimum living conditions in their cells.

The statement called upon all the free people of the world and those who love peace to support the Sahrawi political prisoners, the Gdeim Izik group, against the injustice practiced on them by the Moroccan state, and to release them and all Sahrawi political prisoners in Moroccan prisons. (SPS)

062/SPS/TRA




D ouglas Flint, now freed from his role as chairman of HSBC, was quoted last week as saying that capitalism operates within taxation, data ownership and responsibility models totally out of date for todays borderless digital world.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond needs to pay heed, because Flints comments contain a blunt warning for governments everywhere.

Todays global companies shift profits to countries where they pay minimal tax. The gig economy means fewer people have clearly defined regular streams of income and places of employment, making the old ways collecting income and employment taxes less effective.

The favoured political solution as these problems mount is to blame HMRC for being asleep at the wheel, and to give it ever more draconian anti-avoidance powers. As ever politicians tackle the symptoms rather than the disease.

Governments are already finding it hard to raise revenue and this is particularly true of Britain. Yesterday the Institute of Fiscal Studies published its annual Green Budget, which takes a long and impartial look at the nations finances and points to the reality under the rosy rhetoric of Budget day.

It is not an encouraging picture: we have had seven years of austerity and 29 billion of cuts with another 12 billion in the pipeline, but still the country cannot pay its way. Tax is taking as big a share of national income as at any time in the past 30 years but the International Monetary Fund says that the UK has the seventh largest debt and the eighth largest deficit of any of the 28 leading countries it surveyed.

These gloomy figures will look markedly worse if the Office for Budgetary Responsibility tells the truth about productivity. Before 2008 the long run average for the growth from this source was 2% a year but for the nine years since the financial crash it has risen by only 0.4% a year. The nations growth and wealth has suffered accordingly. Nevertheless, as if to prove that even economists can believe in hope over experience, the OBR has refused to use the low productivity number in its forecasts, so the future always looks much better than logic suggests it should. This has allowed successive Chancellors to promise jam tomorrow, however thin the pickings today.

Now the OBR has signalled that it is going to put an end to this fiction. If it tells the whole truth, the Institute of Fiscal Studies says borrowing will soar way back up to levels reminiscent of the financial crisis; even going halfway towards reality will provide a stern test for the Chancellor.

This, of course, is before any allowance is made for a hard Brexit, which the OBR has avoided discussing in detail and thereby avoided itself being branded by Jacob Rees-Mogg as an enemy of the people. Instead its position is that even if we leave the EU as friends with a half-decent deal it will still create a long-term drag on growth. This will translate  Boris Johnson please note  into 300 million a week less for the NHS, or anything else. But even as he worries how to put a gloss on this grim stuff, the Chancellor still needs to do something to prepare for what is coming down the track  to address Flints point that todays tax system is not fit for a modern economy.

The following defines the need: Facebook had turnover of 842 million in the UK but paid only 5.1 million of tax. Ebays latest American annual report said it had sales of $1.3 billion (983 million) in the UK, but as far as the British tax authorities were concerned, revenues were 200 million which yielded profits of 7.6 million and tax of 1.6 million. Netflix says it has 6.5 million UK subscribers but has a turnover here of only 30 million  suggesting the average annual spend of its customers is under 5 a year. It says its makes negligible profit.

The monthly invoice you pay Apple for Cloud storage comes from the Republic of Ireland, where it enjoys legendary light tax status; iTunes is based in Luxembourg, another low-tax enclave. One of Apples neighbours there is Amazon, which is where it declares most of its European profits, even though as we all know it does colossal business in Britain. Even Uber has so far avoided paying VAT in the UK by claiming that it is not a service provider, but merely acts as an agent for self-employed drivers. Overall, according to figures prepared by HMRC and obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by law firm Pinsent Masons, multinationals avoided almost 6 billion of British tax last year by shifting profits abroad.

The most useful thing Hammond could do in next months Budget is to show he understands the problem and is prepared to act upon it, but we need more than sticking-plaster. We need to re-think the entire approach to corporation tax to move away from taxing profit and towards something based on the amount of business companies do here; we need to shift the emphasis from taxing income, which is increasingly hard to catch, to taxing spending and consumption, which is much harder to avoid.

We need to re-think the role of land and property taxes, on the basis that these cannot be moved offshore. Most of all we need people looking at the problem now, so that in 10 years time, when these problems become acute, we have a plan to deal with it.
A tipping point comes in some high-flying careers when the mishaps eclipse the positives.

Tom Enders, chief executive at Airbus, is surely approaching that place.

In the five years since hes been in charge, he has achieved much. The business he inherited  then called EADS  was riven by political struggles between the power bases of Germany, France and Spain.

Now, though politics will always be a major factor in hugely important employers such as Airbus, the Reichstag, Elysee Palace and Palacio de las Cortes have far less influence over day-to-day management. Thats quite a success, given that these states remain major shareholders.

Management, too, has become more unified under Enders leadership. EADS always operated more like a European Parliament-style morass than a business.

Ego-driven decision-making has been less in evidence, with Enders refusing the temptation to make further forays into military aerospace, learning from its litany of costly problems and delays with the A400 transport carrier.

And lets not forget, hes proved himself a canny dealmaker, too, recently snapping up the Bombardier C-Series aircraft for a song after the US trebled tariffs on the Canadian plane last month.

But these achievements have been swamped by a tide of corruption allegations sweeping around the company on which 110,000 UK jobs depend.

The Serious Fraud Office and French prosecutors are investigating alleged corrupt payments to officials and intermediaries to win A380 orders around the world. A 1 billion settlement has been speculated.

Austrian, Italian and German prosecutors have been probing alleged corruption in Airbus sale of Eurofighters to Vienna. One strand of these inquiries are into an alleged slush fund in London. Enders used to run the military arm of the company.

Today, we learn that Airbus is heading for trouble in the US over its use of intermediaries in the sale of military equipment. Details are thin but Airbus says it made inaccurate declarations to the US Department of State relating to commission disclosures. The absence of any briefing means we can only speculate what that refers to, but given what the SFO is investigating, it hardly looks good.

Enders, personally under investigation over the Austrian allegations (which he denies), could have had nothing to do with any of it. Indeed, he says hes been trying to clean up the companys past.

But with scandals growing like Hydras heads, these claims are beginning to ring hollow.

Enders term is supposed to end in 2019. Hell be lucky to last that long.
B P today cheered investors by posting a surge in profit and raising the prospect of a chunky dividend as oil hit $60 a barrel.

The oil giant posted a doubling of third-quarter earnings and launched a share buyback programme to sweeten the City. Shares rose 3.4% to 518.7.

BP has said it is able to cover its costs and the dividend payout at an oil price of $49 a barrel, after making deep cost cuts since the oil price collapsed in 2014. Brent crude hit $60 a barrel last night.

BP reported third-quarter profits of $1.87 billion, beating analysts forecasts of $1.58 billion. Thats a step on last year and the previous quarter when the company took huge write-downs on exploration costs.

BP said that oil production for the quarter was up 16.3% with three big new projects coming on stream, including a project Khazzan in Oman, which is set to produce a billion cubic feet of gas per day at its peak.

The oil company also delivered double-digit earnings growth from petrol and fuel sales in the first nine months.

It expects fourth-quarter production to be even higher than the third, as seven major projects brought on stream this year ramp up.

Bob Dudley, chief executive, said that there was still room for improvement and it would attempt to return more cash to investors. We will keep striving to increase sustainable free cashflow, he said.

Hargreaves Lansdowns Nicholas Hyett said: BP has spent the past seven years addressing big problems, with first the Gulf of Mexico disaster and then the oil price crash throwing the group into disarray.

Those headwinds are finally fading into the history books.
I nside the front cover of my passport, I am always reassured to read that the UK Government offers me such assistance and protection as may be necessary when I leave British shores. But I am reminded by one case in particular that protection is not always guaranteed. The Ethiopian government has been holding a British father from Islington, Andy Tsege, on death row for more than three years and our leaders have so far failed to get him home.

As International Development Secretary I regularly visited Ethiopia and was always warmly welcomed. We rightly see it as a key ally in a somewhat unstable region. But when an ally acts against the values we go to such lengths to protect back home, we have a duty to speak out. It is time for our Government to negotiate Andys return to his family.

Andy first came to the UK in 1979 and later became a British citizen after being granted political asylum. He met his partner, Yemi, in London and they brought up three children.

The way Andy ended up in an Ethiopian jail is particularly disturbing. He was convicted in his absence while he was in living in London in a trial that US diplomats described as a form of political retaliation. He was then kidnapped by security forces when he was transferring through an international airport in June 2014 and transported illegally to Ethiopia. He was paraded on Ethiopian state television and, apart from one snatched phone call just before Christmas 2014, his poor children and family have not heard his voice since.

As the Bar Council and Law Society concluded this month, these flagrant breaches of the rule of law make Andys continued detention unlawful.

Andrew Mitchell: 'I am confident a solution can be found to get Andy home' / PA

Boris Johnson has hosted the Ethiopian Prime Minister in London and he has been hosted in Ethiopia. He has raised Andys case without success so far. The Foreign Secretary has also been rebuffed in his efforts to secure Yemi a visa to visit Andy, as he promised at a press conference in Addis Ababa in March. But that does not mean we should back down.

I am confident a solution can be found to get Andy home to his partner and three children in London by Christmas. The minister with responsibility for Andys case, Rory Stewart, is a man whom I respect for his history of effective diplomacy in challenging circumstances. The Foreign Secretary himself has shown that he is prepared to speak out when he disagrees with one of our allies.

Together they, along with Andys many supporters, should be able to do a deal with the Ethiopian government to secure Andys return. It might not be an easy deal to strike, but it cant be as hard as the bitter reality that if nothing is done, once again his children will be forced to endure another Christmas without their father.
T he chef taking over the Royal Albert Halls restaurant says its the perfect job  because working in a kitchen is just like being a musician on stage.

Eric Chavot starts at the venues 90-seat restaurant, Coda, as consultant chef tomorrow. He told the Standard: The drama, the heat, the bright lights, the audience participation  its very similar. Chefs suffer the same anxieties: will the performance be seamless, will the audience enjoy it? You want great reviews. You want them standing on their seats and shouting for an encore!

The French cook is overseeing the seasonal menu, which is served before shows begin, with dessert at the interval.

He said: The team needs to time everything to perfection so that once the main show starts our guests are in the hall, not sitting in the restaurant waiting for their main course to arrive.

The 5,000-capacity South Kensington venue hosts opera and jazz and rock events, such as Roger Daltreys annual Teenage Cancer Trust Charity gigs.

Mr Chavot, 50, said: The introduction, exposition, material section, and conclusion of a piece of music are my appetisers, fish course, mains and desserts. The chorus is the kitchen team, they are the ensemble I conduct, and we definitely have the vocal element of the chorus during our weekly tastings when all the chefs try a dish together!

Mr Chavot, who will also take the head chefs job at Bob Bob Cite in the Leadenhall Building in January, worked for Marco Pierre White before opening his own restaurants and earning Michelin stars in London. He said: My food style has evolved somewhat over the course of my career. Currently I would say its more akin to the Teenage Cancer Trust Charity gigs: classic with a funky twist!
I f youre anything like me, you prefer to keep your sweaty hot mess to yourself when it comes to the practice of daily exercise.

However, according to a new study from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, we should take our headphones out and make exercise a key part of our social life. The researchers found that working out in a group reduces stress by 26 percent and significantly improves your quality of life.

But if the idea of running as a herd of sheep doesnt exactly appeal, here are 6 off-kilter group exercises that you can get on board with instead. Maybe theyll make you feel a little less self-conscious the next time you bust a lung.

Boomcycle

Some have called Boomcycle a cult, such is the devotion it inspires among its disciples. Set up by former model Hilary Gilbert, Boomcycle is a spin class on steroids. Taking place under dimmed lights, instructors will leap off their bike to help motivate the class. Most gyms now have similar high-octane classes but Boomcycle was the pioneer of this trend and while it might sound a little intense, theres no point doing this group exercise lark by halves.

boomcycle.co.uk

Mindful triathlon

Move aside, Brownlee brothers - this triathlon is less about winning and all about that oh-so-precious community spirit. It starts off with a 5k run (although most people just meander around chatting), before 90 minutes of yoga and a half hour meditation. American wellness event organisers Wanderlust brought their mindful triathlon concept to Londons Victoria Park in September attracting over 2,000 people in the ultimate group exercise, with plans to bring more events to the UK in the future.

wanderlust.com/108-events/london

The best yoga towels- in pictures 1 /8 The best yoga towels- in pictures Make your yoga class a more pleasant experience with a specially designed towel... lululemon Sweaty Betty This mat has non-slip dots to keep it in place, which means its pitched perfectly for heated or power yoga. 30, Sweaty Betty, Buy it now Yoga Design Lab A light, absorbent, non-slip towel that dries in minutes, and the zesty colour will keep you cheerful  even in a Bikram class. 15, Yoga Studio, Buy it now Yogitoes Yogitoes towels have superior grip and are made from eco-friendly materials. 45, Manduka, Buy it now Calmia Calmias towel has a hygienic layer on top that wicks away sweat. 29, Calmia, Buy it now lululemon A monochrome towel thats absorbent and lightweight. 38, lululemon,Buy it now

Lucha Libre wrestling school

Luche Libre is an exaggerated brand of professional wrestling made popular in Mexico. Most of the wrestlers are adored by their fans, and wear sparkly masks to get into character. If this sounds up your street then hop on over to the London School of Lucha Libre. Its the largest of its kind in Europe and promotes the sport as a form of exercise and just a healthy dose of fun. Sure you can wrestle Luche Libre style on your own, its just probably not so healthy.

luchabritannia.com/luchabritannia-s.html

Roller derby

Nope, roller derby is nothing to do with the Midlands city or horse racing. This is all about roller blading hard and fast round an indoor track while you try to push people over. Having started in the 1930s in the US, the sport has enjoyed an increasing profile over here, thanks to the 2009 film Whip It starring Ellen Page and the success of The London Rollergirls, one of the top ten roller derby teams in the world. The Rollergirls run a recreational league for beginners and those looking to not hobble into work the next day.

londonrollergirls.com/teams/rec-league

Disco yoga

Most yoga classes are in groups anyway but they arent exactly social  you cant go round interrupting the yummy mummies while theyre focusing on the whale sounds and their downward dog. That is until disco yoga came along. Held every Tuesday night at Trapeze nightclub, Shoreditch disco yoga ramps up the yoga moves a notch as you boogie on down to DJ Darlos prime 70s cuts. Expect Saturday Night Fever, mirrored balls and shiny leotards galore.

discoyoga.uk/
W ho says social media isn't the best thing on this planet? A serendipitous Facebook status at the start of this year sparked the beginnings of a life-long ambition for a house-swap (yep just like The Holiday) for my family of three.

Fairly new to this parenting business (our daughter is 3) - we are always thrown by half terms and holidays - and oh-boy is the summer a long one. When a friend of mine living in New York directed me to the status of one of her friends wanting to come to London during a sizeable portion of the summer holidays in exchange for her home in an up and coming part of Brooklyn, we decided to throw out the bucket and spade and head to the concrete jungle where dreams are made.

Located on the northernmost point in Brooklyn (bordering Williamsburg) and with a history rich in farmland and industry, Greenpoint offers old school charm with beer halls, vintage boutiques and quaint book shops nestled between impressive warehouses and magnificent waterfront views of Manhattan.

Weve spent a lot of time in Manhattan in the past, so it was a welcome change to hunker down in this low-key family friendly neighbourhood with fairly limited transport links  nice if you like the hipster experience without the hipster crowd. Plus ambling your way down to the pier to catch a sleepy ferry across the East River is quite lovely.

Where to stay

We obviously chose to go down the house swap route, which thanks to the relaxed nature of our swapper was fairly straightforward. We swapped with a lovely single professional with extremely nice digs in a new warehouse development by the water (thats our rooftop in the picture above).

We cleared out some room for her in our wardrobes, filled our fruit bowl, left a print-out of house-keeping instructions and swapped keys in our car park as we left for the airport - she arrived as we were leaving. On return we washed her sheets, she did ours and we booked a cleaner to come. Some people are apprehensive about house-swaps but it honestly never even felt like someone had stayed. A packing tip is to exchange notes beforehand listing items you both have at your own homes so you can save space in your suitcase - hairdryer, hair-straighteners, toiletries etc.

With kids, a home from home environment is probably the best for a long stay but if you want something a little fancy for a few nights the trendy Wythe Hotel dominates the skyline. Rumour has it you can use the rooftop pool with jaw-dropping views without being a guest at the hotel.

The Whythe

Where to eat and drink

Ovenly is a charming neighbourhood bakery with some incredible original treats this became our go-to spot on leaving the house. The bakerys point of difference is mixing the sweet and savoury  our favourites were the Everything Bagel Croissant , Blueberry Cornflake Muffins, Sticky Donut Cake and our daughter loved the Peanut Butter and Jam After School Special.

Can you tell we spent a lot of time there? It was the perfect location to grab a coffee and amble to Transmitter Park just at the end of the road - a spot where our toddler could play in the playground and splash-park whist we took in a killer view of the Manhattan skyline. It was also en route to the pier to catch the Ferry to other parts of the city.

Most lazy mornings we found ourselves at this popular spot on Bedford Avenue  Five Leaves  always full, and always bustling namely for its signature ricotta pancakes and chic weathered interiors (research for this feature led me to discover this spot was a burgeoning venture of the late Heath Ledgers).

Enids is another great brunch spot that we only discovered on our last day. Get an outside spot if you can and try their delicious beans and rice bowl (beans on red rice, warm corn tortilla, poached eggs, sauteed greens, avocado and pico de gallo). Both Enids and Five Leaves sit on the corners of McCarren Park - the central hub of the neighbourhood and with one of the largest outdoor pools in New York.

Spritzenhaus

Spritzenhaus is equal parts family friendly restaurant and equal parts potential to transform into a delightfully raucous beer hall, this sprawling German bar boasts over fifty craft beers and hearty Euro-American fare like bratwurst topped with chorizo chilli, served with Belgian fries and chipotle aioli. With factory windows that open up to views of the park and wall to wall communal benches theres plenty of space for families to spread out. Our toddler kept herself occupied with the stack of Jenga handily provided for customers and small people.

Le Gamin is a completely different vibe. This French Bistro spot known for its crepes is seemingly sprung from a Woody Allen or Nancy Meyers film. Charming and verdant in moss green walls and woven bistro seating  we feasted on garlic drenched mussels, frites and croque monsieurs.

Le Gamin

The darling of design bloggers is this Swedish bakery with a modern fairytale interior. Bakeri is resplendent with vintage details, rustic furniture and Eastern European charm. The nook with Nathalie Lethe designed botanical wallpaper has become one of the most Instagrammed spots. We got caught in the rain here for a few hours and it was no bad thing.

21 Greenpoint is a new venture from Bill Murrays son (need I say more), this charming Anthropologie-esque eatery by the waterfront specialises in delicious (and potent) cocktails and delicacies like ceviche and Octopus ink spaghetti tossed in chilli and garlic. We managed a very relaxed meal whilst our toddler snoozed in her pram, waking to try her own black spaghetti to her delight.

What to do and see

McCarren Park is a sprawling green spot that became our central point in the neighbourhood where we met up if we happened to separate. The 35 acre plot is a hive of activity  perfect for people watching, lazing and for us cooling off in the kids fountains and stunning public swimming pool.

My toddler and husband hung out at the pool some mornings whilst I explored the neighbourhood. Impressively the pool also provides a free government funded lunch for children every day during the summer  wholesome sandwiches, salad, fruit and milk.

McCarren Park pool

ADO If you want a museum style space this sleek multidisciplinary venue doubles as a cafe, design shop, gallery and co-working space.

Transmitter Park is a waterfront park and a great place to picnic, hang out and play with the kids. It has incredible views of the Manhattan skyline, a play area and sprinklers for when the weather gets really toasty.

Where to shop

Quickly becoming the new home-design capital of Brooklyn, Franklin Avenue in Greenpoint and the streets surrounding are the go-to cruising spots for homeware goodness and vintage threads, housing achingly stylish shops.

Ado in Greenpoint

Home of The Brave is Brooklyn personified. This exposed brick minimal space sells covetable crafted ceramics and accessories by local indie design brands. Think hand thrown pottery in organic glazes and Mexican inspired geometric textiles. Adaptations NY is a vintage furniture and decor store with a West Coast vibe. Hit up Aelfie for colour pop vintage and contemporary rugs.

Feng Sway is an incredible warehouse space housing a jungle of plants, retro homeware and vintage clothes with a side of hilarious conversation from the staff.

Re-Pop is a long established mid-century furniture store brimming with great pieces in a waterfront warehouse.

WORD is a tiny but well-stocked neighbourhood bookstore with a perfect edit of bestsellers, topical reads, local books and a great kids section. The knowledgeable staff of fun young women were also a pleasure to chat books with and frankly I wanted to be in their cool Brooklyn gang!

Flying Squirrel is a childrens swap shop in the neighbourhood which I had researched beforehand for our trip. We wanted to bag our toddler some toys and a scooter so she felt at home and would enjoy exploring the city in her own way. We found a scooter straight away and was worth the small investment as we used it every day and made life so much easier. We sold it back to the store at the end of our trip for shop credit and came home with some cute Brooklyn threads.

Beacon's Closet One of of New Yorks most famous thrift shops this enormous store is a perfectly curated space densely packed racks of covetable vintage dresses, shirts, jumpers, coats, ball-gowns and more.

Where to escape

Livingstone Manor

With the money we saved from our house swap, we rented a car and took a weeks trip out of city to Upstate New York where all the Brooklynites go to get some country air. Just two hours drive outside the city you will find showstopping landscape, rambling farmhouses and charming towns studded with hipster eateries.

The Arnold House, Livingstone Manor

Most people head to the best known parts of the Catskills - Phonecia and Woodstock (which we did - make sure to check out the retro Phonecia Diner on Route 28 which runs through the countryside) but wanting to seek out something different our research led us to Livingstone Manor, a charming Catskill town studded with a group of burgeoning boutique hotels run by locally born hotelier Sims Foster and his talented wife Harlow Foster.

We stayed at The Arnold House a former boarding house renovated into a stylish nine room hotel nestled in the mountains, with its own tavern, spa and fairy-lit barns that host bands on Fridays - not to mention good old fashioned hospitality - think Soho House in the Catskill Mountains. Check out their other properties for lunch or dinner and catch the sunset and go for a swim in their newest most luxurious venture The De Bruce with amazing views of the landscape - real vintage Americana stuff.

We spent our time relaxing on the property which was stocked full of board games and with abundant grounds and occasionally wandering into the small town for lunch at Main Street Deli and a browse around Nest a beautiful lifestyle store. A (free) farm tour of the bucolic Apple Pond Farm in nearby Callicoon is also a must - our daughter had an incredible experience milking goats, picking vegetables and feeding chickens there.

Rohini Wahi is a freelance design journalist and the editor of lifestyle blog The Beat That My Heart Skipped. Follow her on Instagram @rohiniwahi.
T he ex-boyfriend of TOWIE star Ferne McCann said texts about acid in his car referred to hair-thickening shampoo, a court heard.

Arthur Collins, 25, is accused of hurling corrosive liquid over a crowd of revellers at an east London night club.

The father of the reality TV stars unborn child told prosecutors he hid his special shampoo in his car so his lover did not find out about his two hair transplants.

Collins is standing trial alongside Andre Phoenix, 21, over the alleged attack at the Mangle E8 nightclub in Dalston, east London, on April 17.

More than a dozen people were injured in the incident after a row broke out between Collins and another group of men.

He admits throwing the substance but insists he snatched the bottle out of another man's hand and threw it, believing he planned to spike someone's drink with it.

But on April 10, a week before the attack, he sent a text to his sister reading: "Tell mum to mind that little hand wash in my car acid".

Accused: Arthur Collins / Metropolitan Police

Collins said the "hand wash" was actually a hair-thickening shampoo containing amino acid and coconut oil which he was concerned about his young nieces finding and "biting".

Giving evidence on Tuesday, he told Wood Green Crown Court that he kept his shampoo in his car so Ms McCann did not find out about his hair loss.

When asked what she would have said if she had seen the bottle, he replied: "She would have asked me why I was using a shampoo like that.

"She would have asked me why I was using that hair product."

George Carter-Stephenson QC, for Collins, asked: "How good are you at misleading her? Can she tell when you are lying to her?"

"Yes she can," Collins replied.

Jurors were also shown other products he had tried including Regain and Professional-C Serum.

Collins' sister Chinade Rowe said she was well aware of her brother's hair loss and had even massaged his special shampoo into his scalp.

She referred to it as "that acid s***", jurors heard.

Collins previously told the court he believed he was throwing away a date rape drug when he threw the acid on the crowd.

When asked by prosecutor Luke Ponte if she had come to court to lie for her brother, she replied: "Absolutely not".

Mr Ponte asked: "Why did you have to massage the shampoo into his head? Why was he unable to do that himself?"

Ms Rowe said: "Because I had better massage techniques and I could do it better for him.

"If you try and massage your head yourself it's not the same as someone doing it for you."

Her brother was arrested several days after the incident hiding out in an unfurnished flat in Northamptonshire.

Collins, of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, denies five counts of grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent and nine counts of actual bodily harm (ABH) against 14 people.

Phoenix, of Clyde Road, Tottenham, north London, denies four counts of GBH and two counts of ABH.

The trial continues.

Additional reporting by Press Association.
A n Muslim extremist jailed for life over the murder of solider Lee Rigby near his London barracks may have helped convert inmates to Islam, the High Court has heard.

Details of the influence Michael Adebolajo has wielded in jail emerged after he took legal action against the Ministry of Justice.

Charismatic Adebolajo was looked up to by fellow prisoners, Mr Justice Langstaff was told during a hearing into claims the killer was injured by officers while on remand in July 2013.

The officers, whose identities have been protected for legal reasons, gave the judge details of the influence Adebolajo had in prison.

"He forms relationships easily," said the judge.

Murdered: Lee Rigby

"He is charismatic.

"There is intelligence suggesting that he has had some influence on the conversion to Islam of some individuals."

The judge added: "There is a large group of people who look up to Adebolajo."

Mr Justice Langstaff said the incident at the centre of Adebolajo's claim had occurred while he was awaiting trial.

Five prison officers had been escorting Adebolajo. Physical force had been used to restrain him.

He had been held by the head and an arm and had lost two front teeth.

The judge said the use of physical force by prison officers had to be justified.

Ministry of Justice lawyers told the judge that prison officers were "deeply unhappy" about being involved in legal proceedings, during a preliminary hearing at Londons High Court on Tuesday.

The judge said any trial over the allegations would be a long way off.

Adebolajo had not been given legal aid to pay for lawyers to represent him, he added and said Adebolajo might have to represent himself at any trial.

Mr Justice Langstaff suggested it would be in the interests of justice if public funding could be given.

"If and when this case comes to trial it will be a great pity to justice, and in particular the presentation of the claimant's case, if some means were not found to ensure he had professional help," said the judge.

"If that could be done by public funds, all the better."

Fusilier Rigby, 25, died after being attacked near Woolwich Barracks in south-east London in May 2013.

Adebolajo, who is in his early 30s, and Michael Adebowale, who is in his mid-20s, were convicted of murder following a trial at the Old Bailey.

Adebolajo was given a whole-life jail term.

Adebowale was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 45 years.

Jurors heard that they mowed down Fusilier Rigby in a car before hacking him to death.

The hearing continues.
A total of seven women have now made allegations to Scotland Yard of sexual assault by the disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

The Met inquiry into claims that Weinstein assaulted women in Britain has been stepped up as more women have come forward, with the latest allegation relating to an assault in Westminster in 1994.

Detectives from the Mets Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command are investigating the allegations under the codename Operation Kaguyak, it emerged today.

The inquiry is now focusing on 11 separate allegations of sexual assault ranging from the 1980s to 2015. Two of the latest claims are alleged to have taken place outside the UK.

The Met first launched an investigation in early October into claims of a sexual assault made by an actress now living in the Liverpool area.

British actress Lysette Anthony made public her allegation that she was raped by Weinstein when the film producer turned up at her house in London in the 1980s.

The Hollyoaks actress, 54, claims Weinstein first tried to assault her at his rented home in Chelsea before arriving at her own home.

The actress said the alleged attack happened when Weinstein, who knew Ms Anthony socially, went to her London home one morning and she answered the door in her dressing gown.

She said she tried to resist the heavily built Weinstein but was unable to fight him off and she said: Finally I just gave up. At least I was able to stop him kissing me.

Weinstein, 65, has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex.

Lysette Anthony alleges she was raped by Weinstein in the 1980s / AFP/Getty Images

Scotland Yard has not named Weinstein but said a further four women came forward to make allegations of sexual assault in the last two weeks of October.

In a statement the force said that on October 20 it received an allegation that a man sexually assaulted a woman outside the jurisdiction of the UK in the early 1980s. The Met said it was passing the allegation to the local force.

Another claim was made by a woman on October 24 that she was assaulted in Westminster in the mid-1990s.

On October 26 the Met said it received allegations that the man sexually assaulted a woman outside the jurisdiction of the UK in 2012 and then in Westminster in 2013 and 2014.

Gwyneth Paltrow has accused Weinstein of sexual assault / Rex

On 28 October an allegation was received that the man sexually assaulted a woman in Westminster in 1994.

Police said no-one had been arrested.

The latest allegations emerged as an arrest warrant for drug possession was issued for actress Rose McGowan, one of dozens of women, including actresses Angelina Jolie and Gwyneth Paltrow, who have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct.

In her first public comments since accusing Weinstein of rape, McGowan last night said she has been silenced for 20 years but would not remain quiet about sexual assault and harassment.

Several other actresses have accused the Oscar winner of raping them.

In a further development the New York Times reported new sexual abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein, including incidents dating back to the 1970s and a financial settlement the paper says the producer reached with a dancer in the 2000s.

Weinstein was also banned for life from the Hollywood producers guild.
S cotland Yard today unveiled new tactics in the battle against moped thugs rampaging across London, including deploying officers on scrambler motorbikes to chase down suspects.

Police are using the four specialist BMW scrambler bikes to go after moped riders who use alleyways and rat runs to evade more conventional pursuits.

Scotland Yard said it was using DNA sprays and mobile stinger devices to deflate tyres in the fightback against the moped gangs behind an epidemic of violence and crime.

Met Commissioner Cressida Dick announced the new tactics today, saying they were already making a difference with police recording a fall in the number of moped offences since July.

Crackdown: Met police show off the all new BMW Lightweight GS-P BMW F700 / Alex Lentati

She also urged Londons communities to mobilise and channel their outrage against the moped thugs to make the streets safer.

She said: I have been clear that tackling violence is my priority. I was angered by the apparent perception amongst some criminals that they could operate with near impunity, committing strings of offences using scooters.

We have brought all our tactics and specialists together to use every ethical option to put a stop to the rise; arrest those responsible; disrupt offenders; dismantle the criminal markets that make these offences lucrative and change the publics behaviour to make them a part of our effort.

Police have already used the DNA spray at least four times in London with at least one arrest.

New wheels: Officers demonstrate the new anti-moped bikes / Alex Lentati

The substance is sprayed on suspects, who cannot be chased for safety reasons, and it can be picked up under UV light if they are later arrested. The spray can link suspects to moped crimes committed weeks earlier.

Police say the scrambler bikes will be ridden by highly trained motorcycle officers and will be involved more in setting up ambushes for moped thieves than chasing them through the streets.

One source said: They will be able to get ahead of moped gangs and set up traps using the mobile stingers or the DNA spray. It gives us much greater flexibility and movement.

Heroic group of Londoners thwart a moped gang

The action comes as the Met has been battling a surge in the number of moped or scooter linked offences with around 16,000 thefts involving mopeds each year.

Victims have included Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, while Daniel Radcliffe, the Harry Potter actor, helped a tourist whose face was slashed by muggers stealing his bag.

Last month charity worker Abdul Samad, 28, was stabbed to death after two moped muggers snatched his iPhone outside his front door in Paddington.

Economics graduate Abdul Samad, 28, was stabbed to death for his mobile phone last night

Today the Met said the latest statistics showed a 25 per cent reduction in the number of powered two wheel bikes stolen in the last six months to the end of September.

There was also a 24 per cent fall in the number of moped related crimes over the same period and rising arrest rates and convictions of prolific offenders.

The Met revealed it was using tactics successfully deployed by the Trident gangs team to respond to scooter offences, targeting moped thugs for other offences if possible.

Officers are also manning a 24/7 police control room to watch for scooter offences anywhere in London and co-ordinate an immediate response to tackle them.

Ms Dick said: We know that our criminal cohort committing crime on scooters also carry knives, have links to networks who handle stolen property and who deal drugs. So if you are a persistent phone thief  using a scooter to commit your crimes  and we can prove your involvement in other offences, such as drug dealing, you will be arrested.

This is where the public can help us. I want to mobilise communities, to channel their outrage as part of a joint effort to make our streets safer. Look after your belongings, follow our security advice and tell us about the people who are responsible for crime in your communities and help us tackle them.
T his is the shocking moment a moped gang smashed their way through a shop window in Chelsea before making off with dozens of designer handbags.

Dramatic CCTV footage of the smash-and-grab shows a nine-strong group of thugs arrive outside the Michael Kors shop in Duke of York Square before throwing a brick at its frontage.

The suspects kicked the window to break the rest of the glass before some burst in to swipe the handbags - which often cost hundreds of pounds - while the drivers waited outside on the five mopeds.

After the thieves grab armfuls of the expensive bags, they are seen riding off at speed on Kings Road following the break-in on Monday, February 20.

The thugs stole several designer handbags in the raid / Metropolitan Police

Six arrests have been made following the incident, and a 23-year-old man was charged with burglary.

The other five were released with no further action, Scotland Yard said.

Detectives are investigating whether the same group were involved in a burglary at House of Fraser in Oxford Street on Thursday, October 26 as suspects used a similar method.

Anyone who can assist the investigation is asked to contact Kensington & Chelsea CID via 101 or by Tweeting @MetCC.

To give information anonymously contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org
T he mother of a motorcyclist killed in a crash in south London today paid tribute to her angel.

Chris Lovelace, 29, a multi-skilled tradesman, died when his motorbike collided with two cars in Brixton on Saturday afternoon.

He was the second biker killed in just over 24 hours in London. Eamon Karim, 23, was involved in an accident in Croydon on Friday.

Mr Lovelace was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash in Effra Road, near Brixton station. Neighbours warned the road was dangerous and there had been accidents before.

Speaking at his home in Thornton Heath his mother Christine said: We are devastated, he was our only son. We are very proud of him, he was our angel.

The junction where he died has been decked with floral tributes.

His mother added: We visited the place and the flowers are beautiful.

Mr Lovelace, a keen skier, had attended Harris City Academy in Crystal Palace and worked for Pimlico Plumbers, where he had just won the employee of the month award.

Charlie Mullins, founder of Pimlico Plumbers, said: We all have our own fond memories of Chris. For me he was the vibrant young man, with the intelligent eyes, who was always selflessly offering help and advice to colleagues. He was never too busy to say hello, to offer an opinion, or to tell a joke.

Mr Karim, who lived in Gipsy Hill, was involved in a collision with a car in Rectory Park, South Croydon, at 1pm on Friday.

The air ambulance attended but he was pronounced dead at the scene. His mother Joan Plant wrote on social media: Our hearts are shredded. Rest in beautiful heaven my child. She posted a video of a black motorcycle helmet with tributes on it. His sister Ciara wrote: Heartbroken doesnt even come close. Until we ride again.

Friend Mario Sulvestro, 42, paid tribute to a lovely young man who stepped up to help his family in the wake of his fathers death last year.

Witnesses to either incident should ring police on 0208 285 1574.
Merle A. Glassmeyer, Sr., 92, of Lexington, died Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017, at Welcov Assisted Living in Lexington.

Graveside services will be held Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017, at 11:00 a.m. at Greenwood Cemetery in Wayne with Military Honors. Pastor Douglas Shelton will be officiating.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, from 5-7 p.m. at Reynolds-Love Funeral Chapel in Lexington. Masonic Funeral Rites will be conducted by Thistle Lodge No. 61 at 6:00 p.m.

Merle was born Oct. 16, 1925, in Wayne, to Edward H. and Minnie (Wittler) Glassmeyer. He attended school in Wayne, Nebraska. Merle joined the U.S. Army during WWII serving from April 14, 1945 until his honorable discharge on Nov. 27, 1948. He then served with the Nebraska National Guard from June 20, 1948, until Sept. 1, 1948.

On Nov. 30, 1945, he was united in marriage to Clara Ream in Wayne. Four children were blessed to this marriage, Michael, Edward, Merle, Jr., and Karen.

They owned and operated the Gambles store in Lexington from 1973 to 1979. They moved to New Prague, Minn., where Merle worked for the city of New Prague. Following his retirement they moved to Youngtown, Ariz. When Claras health started to decline and they moved back to Lexington in 2004. On Jan. 7, 2016, he was preceded in death by his wife, Clara.

Merle was a jack of all trades. He enjoyed woodworking, stained glass, working with metal and tinkering on motors. In his younger years he also enjoyed hunting and fishing. The most important thing to Merle was spending time with his family.

Merle is survived by his children, Edward (Pat) Glassmeyer of Denver, Colo., Merle, Jr. (Kamie) Glassmeyer of Lexington and Karen (David) Jurincie of Denver, N. C.; five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren; one brother, Floyd Glassmeyer of Norfolk.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Clara; son, Michael; and two brothers, Lowell and Donald.

Memorials are suggested to the family for later designation.

Reynolds-Love Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

Please share online condolences with the family by visiting: reynoldslovefunerahome.com
O fsted should judge schools on how effectively they root out knife crime, Sadiq Khan has said.

The Mayor of London said he wanted the watchdog to include in its school safeguarding standards whether pupils were being kept safe from blades and deterred from carrying them.

London has endured a spate of knife deaths in 2017, with more than 30 of the 65 victims this year under 25.

Mr Khan labelled it an "epidemic" and said action was required from inspectors because many schools were reluctant to confront the issue out of fear for their reputations.

His comments came as he gave an address to senior figures in the education sector, urging them to co-operate with the police and Ofsted to combat the problem.

Sadiq Khan: The Mayor of London says Ofsted should judge schools on how effectively they tackle knife crime / REUTERS

Mr Khan said: "One of the things we have seen is that there are some schools that are nervous about talking about knife issues and safety issues in their schools because they are worried about being stigmatised or labelled as an unsafe school.

"What is clear is that safeguarding should be a priority for all schools, keeping young people, students, safe should be a priority for all schools - we want to make sure all schools are teaching children about the dangers of carrying a knife.

"One of the ways to do that is to encourage Ofsted - as part of the inspection regime they have got to inspect safeguarding - to include in that, 'Is a school doing all they can to keep people safe in particular in relation to knife crime, carrying a knife?'."

Ofsted is planning to carry out a thematic review of tackling violence at schools, which will include best practice advice on prevention.

London regional director Mike Sheridan said Ofsted was "determined to support" the work to protect children from knife crime.

The mayor called for schools to have mandatory plans in place to prevent children carrying or being attacked by knives, while also providing support for pupils and parents in the event of an attack.

He added: "There is also a role, by the way, for social media companies and artists to make sure they don't inadvertently, because of the genre they are occupying because of some of the lyrics you hear in a song, for example, encourage people to carry knives or offensive weapons.

"It's a holistic approach we are looking for, with lots of different agencies involved."

His intervention came as the Metropolitan Police identified the latest victim of a fatal stabbing in the city as Aren Mali, 17.

The teenager was attacked on Sunday night in Croydon and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Mr Khan said: "I think the word used by senior police officers is epidemic and I think I agree with that.

"It is a scourge of most major cities - I think it is a scourge of London, the amount of knife crime there is."
T heresa May was under mounting pressure from Parliament today to publish a series of official studies into the economic dangers of Brexit.

Senior MPs from across the Commons challenged the secrecy imposed by the Government on 58 reports by experts into the likely effects of various exit terms on different sectors comprising 88 per cent of the economy.

The cross-party Treasury Select Committee, chaired by former Tory Cabinet minister Nicky Morgan, is expected to discuss tomorrow whether members should be allowed to see the findings.

Seema Malhotra, the Labour MP, said she planned to appeal against a refusal to provide the reports under the Freedom of Information Act.

The Standard has also launched an appeal against a refusal by the Department of the Environment to provide under freedom of information rules a study into food prices for families after Britain leaves the EU in March 2019.

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said: Theresa May should not be imposing a blanket ban on information about the economic consequences of Brexit. Businesses in London need clarity from the Government about the impact of Brexit.

Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable said: The Government is desperately trying to hide the true impact of an extreme Brexit from the public Ministers need to come clean and publish these reports immediately.

Government officials said the studies were drawn up to help negotiations on Brexit terms and could not be published without exposing its hand. Brexit Secretary David Davis was today briefing the Cabinet and was said to be painting an upbeat picture of a hard Brexit. However, there was concern at reports the Bank of England had warned that quitting could cost up to 75,000 financial services jobs. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: The Government must agree a transition deal with the EU as quickly as possible.

Senior politicians yesterday held talks in Brussels with Michel Barnier, the top EU negotiator, in a sign that Parliament is preparing to challenge the Governments exit strategy.

Tory MP Kenneth Clarke, Labour peer Lord Adonis and Liberal Democrat ex-MP Nick Clegg would not disclose the discussions, but backers of a pro-jobs, soft Brexit want to know if the EU would allow a longer period for talks  as revealed by the Standard last week.

Todays Times claimed that the Government had agreed that a Brexit deal would be enshrined in law, a key demand of rebels.
N igel Farage has written to the EUs top Brexit negotiator demanding a one-to-one meeting in a bid to speed up the UKs exit from the bloc.

Unhappy with the way current Government talks are progressing, former Ukip leader Mr Farage penned an open letter to Michel Barnier asking for a meeting with him in Brussels.

The brief but succinct letter, revealed by Mr Farage on his LBC radio show, read: Dear Monsieur Barnier, as you appear to be conducting a series of meetings with UK political figures on the issue of Brexit I wish to make a request.

As leader of the party UKIP, which won the European Elections of 2014 I would like to hold a meeting with you in Brussels.

It seems that you are listening to a group of people who want to stop or delay Brexit.

I will come to speak for the 17.4 million who did not vote for a transition deal or any further delays and whose resolve is getting stronger.

He finishes with: I look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, Nigel Farage, MEP.

The staunch Brexiteer, who stepped down from as Ukip's leader in November last year, wrote the letter after discovering Michel Barnier had met with a cross-party group of politicians on Monday.

Mr Barnier met with ex-deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, Tory MP Ken Clarke and Labours Lord Adonis in Brussels on Monday  a trio who backed Britain to stay in the EU.

A spokesman for the European Commission said the meeting signalled that Mr Barniers door was always open.

Theresa Mays former advisor Nick Timothy claimed on Twitter that the visit undermines Britains negotiating position.

It comes as the Prime Minister is aiming to secure a leaving deal with the EU by October or November next year.

But whether Parliament will get a vote on agreement or a right to amend has yet been decided.

MPs who are supporting a softer pro-business Brexit deal have pleaded for Parliament to be kept involved.
A politician wants to ban the Coca-Cola Christmas truck from Liverpool as the city is "in the grip of an obesity epidemic."

The famous bright red truck, adorned with Christmas lights, sometimes visits the city for festive promotional events, however the city's Liberal Democrat party now wants to have it banned.

Liverpool's Liberal Democrat leader Richard Kemp said he was "appalled" that the "grossly unhealthy" product could arrive there.

According to the Liverpool Echo, the truck's visit to the Liverpool One shopping centre was branded a "cynical event" by Mr Kemp.

"You are probably aware that Liverpool is in the grip of an obesity epidemic for children and adults. 30% of our 11-year-olds are obese," he wrote.

"The biggest single cause of this is the consumption of fizzy drinks.

"That is why I am appalled that there is a rumour going round that you will welcome the Coca-Cola van to Liverpool. This cynical event has taken place for the past five years and is not designed to welcome Christmas but to increase the consumption of a product that is grossly unhealthy."

A Coca-Cola spokesman said: "The Coca-Cola Christmas truck tour provides a moment of fun for everyone in the build-up to Christmas and weve had a positive response from many people in Liverpool when we visit each year."

Liverpool One has declined to comment.
A s many as 75,000 financial services jobs could be lost in the aftermath of Brexit, the Bank of England has estimated.

The UKs top bank is estimating substantial job losses with a large number of positions being transferred to the continent  especially if the Government fails to secure a financial services deal with the EU.

BBC economics editor Kamal Ahmed said he understands senior figures at the central bank have described 75,000 expected job losses as a reasonable scenario, in a new report.

The Standard understands in the short term, or "day one of Brexit", the bank believes around 10,000 jobs could be lost - but the figure could stretch far higher in the months following.

In the case of a "hard Brexit" with no EU deal, the bank believes a 2016 study by management consultancy Oliver Wyman is close to the mark with its prediction of between 65,000 and 75,000 UK finance sector jobs lost in the long term.

But a source said these figures are all based on uncertainty and depend on which financial services deal the Government strikes with the EU.

The Bank of England in the City of London. / AFP/Getty Images

It comes after the boss of Goldman Sachs said the investment banks new London headquarters could be left half empty due to uncertainty over Brexit.

In April, the Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney revealed the bank had asked the financial institutions it works with to come up with contingency plans in all possible Brexit scenarios  including in the event of a hard, no-deal Brexit with no special working relationship with the EU.

Different and varied figures have been suggested for the number of job losses the City of London could expect to see.

Bank governor Mark Carney. / Adrian Dennis/PA

The head of Londons stock exchange had hinted more than 200,000 jobs could go - although the Bank of England believes it will be much lower.

In the first phase of Brexit, Sam Woods, the deputy governor for prudential regulation at the bank, said around 10,000 jobs could be lost.

Today's report follows months of speculation by bank bosses over job losses in the UK's booming finance sector.

Goldman Sachs chief executive Lloyd Blankfein hinted this week that although the company wants to fill the building, Brexit has taken its success outside our control.

Earlier this month, the chairman of RBS, Sir Howard Davies, said there would definitely be a cost to British jobs following Brexit with damage to the City considerable over time.

In July, the Treasury launched a battle in Whitehall for a so-called City visa to protect international bankers coming to the UK financial sector after Brexit amid fears of a jobs exodus.

Two deputy governors at the Bank of England are set to speak to a committee in Parliament about Brexit on Wednesday.
A British former grammar school pupil captured in Syria trying to flee Islamic State has insisted he is not a terrorist - despite admitting wearing a uniform and a carrying a Kalashnikov.

Shabazz Suleman claimed he spent most of his time in Raqqa, the de facto capital of the groups so-called Caliphate, playing computer games and riding his bicycle.

The 22-year-old is now trying to return to the UK saying that although he received weapons training and was on the front line, he managed to avoid battles and never fired a single shot.

In an interview from a prison cell in Syria, he told Sky News: I take responsibility. I was with ISIS, I was with a terrorist organisation. But I didnt kill anyone, I hope I didnt oppress anyone.

I did have a Kalashnikov and a military uniform, but I didnt hit anyone, I didnt oppress anyone, if you understand. I was there with military police but like I said, I was in the office.

A spokeswoman for the Met said Suleman, from High Wycombe, could expect to be investigated by police if he returns.

She said: Everyone who returns from taking part in the conflict in Syria or Iraq must expect to be investigated by the police to determine if they have committed criminal offences and to ensure that they do not pose a threat to our national security.

Many terrorist offences have extra-territorial jurisdiction, which means that people can be prosecuted in the British courts for terrorist activity in Syria or elsewhere in the world.

Any decision on whether to prosecute will be taken by the police and Crown Prosecution Service on a case by case basis.

Suleman disappeared while on a family holiday to Turkey three years ago, ending up in IS territory.

But he said he became disillusioned with the terrorist group after around five months.

He said: The international community abandoned Syria - its well known. So when I saw ISIS fighting the Syrian regime and gaining results and the picture, the propaganda they were sending out to young Muslims like us at the beginning it was more romantic jihad, protecting civilians - it wasnt about beheading or killing.

I was there to defend the Syrians - honestly I came here for that first, but ISIS changed. Four or five months into ISIS I wanted to leave.

On returning from the front line, he said he asked to quit IS and was thrown into jail.

After a month of watching people being tortured, he said he gave in and agreed to stay, asking for a role away from fighting.

He said he was transferred to the Military Police, aimed at keeping the civilian population in order, but insisted he was mostly office-bound, playing games on his laptop or on guard duty at checkpoints.

A caliphate is like a magnet - it attracts all the foreign fighters. If I get prosecuted, I get prosecuted - I guess its my destiny.

Id regret it. I dont want to spend more of my life in prison. I want to get on with my life.

I want to get back to life. Im 22. I think every day Im wasting another day in ISIS territory, now Im in prison wasting more of my life.

Depending on my prison sentence, if I get a long sentence, I dont want to go back to Britain. If its short, Id do prison and go out, get a job, continue my studies in politics whatever.

His comments come days after Government minister Rory Stewart said the only way to deal with British IS fighters is to kill them in almost every case.
T he UK's gender pay gap has increased quicker than anywhere else in Europe, official figures show.

Britain recorded the steepest annual increase in the pay imbalance between men and women in 2015, according to new European Commission figures.

The figures showed men earned 20.8 per cent more than women in 2015 compared to 19.7 per cent in 2014.

The growing figure outpaced the EUs average pay gap of 16.3 per cent and is now the second worst for pay inequality for women among Europes largest economies.

The UK is now ranked fifth across all 28 member states.

Germany recorded the highest divide among the big economic players  with a pay gap of 22 per cent. The country ranks third worst across Europe.

Like the UK, Germany and France also registered deterioration in pay equality between the genders in the latest figures. But the overall EU average remained the same.

The gap is the equivalent of women working for no pay for the last two months of the year, Vera Jourova, EU commissioner for justice, consumers and gender equality told the Financial Times.

It is an unacceptable and shocking injustice that women in 21st century Europe work two months a year for free, she said. This gender pay gap has remained the same for many years  it is still very similar to in 1995.

Ms Jourova called for a quicker shift towards equal pay and added progress is coming along at a stubbornly snails pace.

The gender pay gap in the EU stood at about 25 per cent in 1995. Despite the overall decrease since then, it has been reduced slowly in many countries as male workers still dominate higher paid positions.

When considering elements such as hours worked and career breaks for women, the gap in earnings stands at 39.6 per cent across Europe. In Britain, the gap is shown as 45 per cent.

All UK companies, charities and government departments that employee more than 250 people must publish data on hourly wages and bonuses online as of April 2018.

Brussels is to put forward proposals to put pressure on employers to tackle the gender pay gap this month.

A target has been set for 40 per cent of women in senior and middle management positions across big employers by 2019. It currently stands at 36 per cent of females in middle management and 33 per cent at senior level.

According to the same figures from the commission, only six per cent of chief executives in the EU are female.
T he UK's most senior police officer has praised the extraordinary acts of courage and professionalism seen in the wake of this years tragedies.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said both the emergency services and members of the public deserved praise at the Pride of Britain awards.

She spoke as she arrived at the ceremony, where Pc Keith Palmer, who was killed in the Westminster terror attack, was among those honoured.

Ms Dick said: "Much of what is being acknowledged tonight comes out of tragedy and we would all wish that we could turn the clocks back and that none of those tragedies happened.

"Since then we have seen some extraordinary acts of courage, compassion and professionalism by members of the emergency services and of course also extraordinary acts from members of the public.

"I think it's very important to acknowledge all that courage and that kindness and the fact that communities have come together to support their emergency services and to support each other.

"The Pride of Britain is a great opportunity to showcase what people have done, it means a lot."

Stars arrive for the glitzy Pride of Britain awards 2017 1 /54 Stars arrive for the glitzy Pride of Britain awards 2017 Holly Willoughby Ian West/PA Nicole Scherzinger John Phillips/Getty Images Amanda Holden Brett D. Cove/Splash News Myleene Klass John Phillips/Getty Images Pixie Lott Ian West/PA Alexandra Burke Ian West/PA Brooke Vincent John Phillips/Getty Images Carol Vorderman John Phillips/Getty Images Holly Willoughby Ian West/PA Amanda Holden PA Nicole Scherzinger Ian West/PA Rochelle Humes Ian West/PA Katie Piper Ian West/PA Ola Jordan Ian West/PA Laura Whitmore Ian West/PA Susanna Reid Ian West/PA Denise van Outen John Phillips/Getty Images Ashleigh Butler and Sully Ian West/PA Stacey Solomon PA Lauren Pope Ian West/PA Candice Brown Ian West/PA Prince William, right, meets Suzie McCash Andy Stenning/Pool/AP Shirley Ballas (centre right) presents Dilys Price (centre) a special recognition award alongside competitors and dancers from Strictly Come Dancing during The Pride of Britain Awards 2017, at Grosvenor House, Park Street Ian West/PA Scarlett Moffatt John Phillips/Getty Images Myleene Klass Ian West/PA The Duke of Cambridge, Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror/PA Theresa May and husband Philip Ian West/PA Aston Merrygold John Phillips/Getty Images Joan Collins John Phillips/Getty Images Frank Lampard and Christine Lampard John Phillips/Getty Images Gareth Southgate (centre back) Jermaine Defoe (right) and Jamie Vardy present Moin Younis with the Child of Courage Award Ian West/PA Dame Kelly Holmes John Phillips/Getty Images Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster Ian West/PA Gaby Roslin John Phillips/Getty Images Debbie McGee and Giovanni Pernice Ian West/PA Sharon Osbourne and Ozzy Osbourne PA Liam Payne (right) and Jamie Oliver present Suzie McCash Ian West/PA Nadia Sawalha, Coleen Nolan, Saira Khan and Kaye Adams Ian West/PA Prince William, Duke of Cambridge receives Theresa May Andy Stenning/Pool/AP The Duke of Cambridge meets Louis Walsh, Nicole Scherzinger and Sharon Osbourne Andy Stenning/Daily Mirror/PA Jeremy Corbyn John Phillips/Getty Images

At the ceremony Pc Palmer was posthumously honoured for outstanding bravery alongside Pc Wayne Marques and Pc Charlie Guenigault, the officers who took on the London Bridge attackers.

The Duke of Cambridge and Ed Sheeran presented an award to the Manchester medics who dealt with the aftermath of the arena bombing and the firefighters who fought the blaze at Grenfell Tower and those affected by the tragedy will be recognised with awards for bravery and community spirit.

Ms Dick said: "I think it has been a hard year, I can't suggest otherwise.

"We have had several terrorist attacks in which people lost their lives, we had Grenfell Tower and all against the backdrop of international uncertainty of one sort of another, so it has been quite a hard year for people.

"But there has also been some stunningly good things that have happened and we shouldn't just focus on the horror, we should focus on the good things that have happened as well."

She continued: "I'm surrounded by brilliant people and I'm sure that for everyone who is being recognised tonight, most of them will say 'any of my colleagues would have done the same'.

"They have done some extraordinary things but what they are saying is the emergency services and the people who support them are fantastic people."

Asked how she carries on when things get tough she said: "I've been doing this for 35 years and you need to be resilient and one of the things I love about London and the UK is we are very, very resilient.

"You just wish these things wouldn't happen but if they do happen you want to be there to help and I say that on behalf of 40,000 people in the Met. I had to keep them away from work, not encourage them to come in."
A n arrest warrant has been issued for Rose McGowan over the possession of a controlled substance.

The actress is one of a string of stars to have made sex claims about disgraced move mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Washington Police say the warrant was obtained on February 1 following a probe into belongings left at Washing Dulles International Airport on January 20.

Officers told reporters that the items tested positive for narcotics.

They added that they have attempted to contact McGowan so she can appear in a Virginia court.

Actress Rose McGowan has called for the entire board of the Weinstein film company to resign / Getty

The Charmed actress has yet to release an official statement on the issue.

McGowan has been one of the leading voices against sexual harassment in Hollywood in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

She simply shared a tweet by self-proclaimed US media personality Ashlee Marie Preston which linked to an article about the warrant with the caption: If @rosemcgowan would have taken that million dollars in hush money I'm quite sure this wouldn't even be a headline...

McGowan added FACT.

The actress recently claimed that she had been raped by Weinstein. He unequivocally denies all allegations against him.

She wrote in a tweet earlier this month: HW raped me.

She said a year ago that she had been raped by a studio head, but at the time did not name anybody.

The New York Times later reported that Weinstein made a $100,000 settlement to her in 1997, said to include a clause against speaking publicly about it.

Weinstein is currently being investigated by both the Met and US police over a string of rape and sexual harassment claims by high-profile figures.
F ormer Catalan President Carles Puigdemont has called for peace, saying "dialogue and moderation always has to prevail," as he took refuge in Brussels while facing possible charges of rebellion and sedition by the Spanish government.

Spain's Supreme Court will investigate six ex-members of the governing body of the now-dissolved Catalan parliament for possible charges of rebellion, sedition and embezzlement following the parliament's declaration of independence last week.

The six include ex-speaker of the parliament Carme Forcadell, one of the leading activists of Catalonia's pro-independence movement for many years.

Yesterday Spain's chief prosecutor Jose Manuel Maza announced he was seeking charges.

Rebellion, sedition and embezzlement charges carry maximum sentences of 30, 15 and six years in prison.

Mr Maza is also seeking similar charges against ousted regional leader Carles Puigdemont, and his number two, Oriol Junqueras.

The court said the case would be handled by Judge Pablo Llarena Conde.

This story is being updated.
A n election campaign adviser to Donald Trump has pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents in the probe into possible Russian meddling.

George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to one count of lying to FBI agents about the nature of his interactions with "foreign nationals" who he thought had close connections to senior Russian government officials.

He pleaded guilty on October 5, and the plea was unsealed on Monday.

He is the first person to face criminal charges that cite interactions between Trump campaign associates and Russian intermediaries during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Papadopoulos was a member of the campaign's foreign policy team, but Trump aides have said he played a limited role in the campaign and had no access to the candidate.

In a separate case, Mr Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort pleaded not guilty to money laundering charges unrelated to the 2016 election.

Court papers revealed that Papadopoulos was told about the Russians possessing "dirt" on Democrat Hillary Clinton in the form of "thousands of emails" on April 26 2016, well before it became public that the Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta's emails had been hacked.

Papadopoulos has been co-operating with investigators, according to court papers, a potentially ominous sign for others in the Trump orbit who might be implicated by his statements.

The White House declined to comment on the details of the Papadopoulos plea, and Mr Trump's Twitter account was also silent on the plea.

The interactions at the centre of the case included speaking with Russian intermediaries who were attempting to line up a meeting between Mr Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and offering "dirt" on Mrs Clinton.

The court filings do not provide details on the emails or whom Papadopoulos may have told about the Russian government effort.

The FBI interviewed Papadopoulos about his Russian connections on January 27, a week after Mr Trump's inauguration. The interview predates Mr Mueller's appointment but was part of the FBI probe into Russian election interference that he has taken over.

Papadopoulos was arrested over the summer at Dulles International Airport and has since met government officials "on numerous occasions to provide information and answer questions".
F acebook chiefs are set to face a grilling in a front of the Senate over 80,000 posts uploaded to the site by Kremlin operatives around the time of the US election.

The social networking site said as many as 126 million people could have seen the content uploaded by Russian trolls.

The figures were released ahead of Senate hearing to discuss the impact of Russian posts on the sites.

Google chiefs will also attend the conference as it emerged trolls uploaded more than 1,000 videos on YouTube on 18 different channels, according to the Washington Post.

Investigation: Claims surround the 2016 presidential election / AFP/Getty Images

Russia has repeatedly denied allegations that it attempted to influence the last US presidential election, in which Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton.

On Monday, President Trumps former campaign manager Paul Manafort and deputy Rick Gates were charged with conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money and acting as unregistered agents of Ukraine's government.

Investigated: Paul Manafort / AP

As part of a 12-count indictment other counts include making false and misleading statements and failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts.

It also emerged that a third former aide had pleaded guilty in early October to lying to the FBI.

President Trump has dismissed allegations of collusion with Moscow, and has repeatedly called on Mrs Clinton to be investigated.
H arvey Weinstein has been banned for life by the Producers Guild of America as allegations of sexual assault and harassment mount against the disgraced movie mogul.

The trade association announced that its board of directors had voted unanimously to take the "unprecedented" step of expelling Weinstein and imposing a lifetime ban.

Weinstein has been hit with a series of allegations, including accusations of rape, and is the subject of police investigations in London, New York and Los Angeles.

The 65-year-old resigned from the guild rather than addressing its charges, according to a statement from the organisation.

"In light of Mr Weinstein's widely reported behaviour, with new reports continuing to surface even now, the Producers Guild's National Board has voted unanimously to enact a lifetime ban on Mr Weinstein, permanently barring him from PGA membership," it said.

"This unprecedented step is a reflection of the seriousness with which the Guild regards the numerous reports of Mr Weinstein's decades of reprehensible conduct. Sexual harassment can no longer be tolerated in our industry or within the ranks of Producers Guild membership."

It highlights how rapidly Weinstein has fallen from Hollywood king-maker, as in 2013 the guild handed him and his brother Bob one of its highest accolades, the Milestone Award, which has been awarded to the likes of Steven Spielberg, Walt Disney and Clint Eastwood.

The development came as more women came forward to The New York Times, the newspaper that first broke the scandal, and said they were preyed on by the producer in the 1970s, widening the time-frame of his alleged offending.

The paper also reported claims that he had paid 100,000 dollars (76,000) to a dancer who appeared in one of his films to gag her from alleging he sexually assaulted her.

Weinstein has "unequivocally denied" all allegations of non-consensual sex and is suing his former studio, The Weinstein Company, for access to his emails that he believes contain information "exonerating" him.

The firm, which he co-founded with his younger brother, sacked him in the wake of the allegations being made public.

Actresses including Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Lupita Nyong'o are among more than 60 women who have come forward to make allegations.

He has also been ousted from the The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hosts the Oscars, while The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) suspended his membership.
P resident Donald Trump has condemned the sick and deranged terror attack in New York City which has left eight dead and dozens injured.

Mr Trump tweeted about the attack as the New York Police Department confirmed that the incident, in which a truck rammed across a cycle path, was an act of terror.

He wrote: In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!

He later added: "We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere, Enough!"

The Home Depot truck hurtled 20 blocks through Lower Manhattan before ploughing across a pedestrian and cycle path near the World Trade Centre memorial site.

The driver then collided with a school bus, injuring two children and two adults on-board, before exiting his truck branding two fake guns and screaming "Allahu akbar" which means "God is great" in Arabic.

The 29-year-old suspect was apprehended by a police officer who shot him in the abdomen before he was arrested.

A Home Depot van barrelled into pedestrians on a cycle path in Lower Manhattan / AP

He has been taken into custody and a paintball gun and pellet gun were found at the scene.

Two hours after the incident, which left behind scenes of mangled bicycles and bodies strewn across the pavement, officials confirmed it was a terror attack.

"This was an act of terror, and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians," Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

Bicycles and debris lay on the bike path near West and Houston Streets / AP

Speaking at a press conference, he said: At this moment, based on the information we have, we know of eight innocent people who have lost their lives.

Speaking alongside the mayor, New York City Police Commissioner James O'Neill said the driver was a 29-year-old man but would not immediately release his identity.

He warned New Yorkers to be vigilant but the suspect was believed to be acting as a lone wolf and not part of a wider attack plan.

New York police respond to shots fired near World Trade Centre site

Witnesses described a scene of panic and blood, with people screaming in fear and running from the truck and sounds of gunshots.

One traumatised student thought the incident was a Halloween prank, according to the New York Post.

We thought the guns were fake and it was a Halloween prank, student Laith Bahlouli said. There was a car crash, and then he started to shoot.

Another man who witnessed the incident unfold said he was traumatised by what he saw.

"Everybody was running," the witness, named Eugene, said according to ABC New York station WABC. "Everything was happening so fast."

He described one of the victims bodies as mangled.

The truck was travelling on a bike path in Lower Manhattan before it crashed into a school bus at Chambers and West Streets, near to a school.

Some bodies were lying near the high school's entrance, Eugene said. He added: "Thank God the trick-or-treaters weren't out yet.

Another witness described the scene on the bike path immediately after the incident.

Attack: The truck crashed into a schoolbus / AP

He told NBC News: I see a truck going down toward Chamber Street. Hes clearly in the bike lane and when I go down I see two gentleman lying in the bike lane with two tyre marks right across their body and you can tell theyre not here no more.

After speeding 20 blocks, the driver of the truck crashed into another car, and then jumped out and waved imitation firearms.

The driver was reportedly seen exiting the vehicle after the crash looking frustrated.

The witness told CNN that the driver looked "frustrated" when he got out the vehicle.

"He did have a noticeable limp and he looked like he was dragging his foot a little bit and he was screaming in the street," he said.

He looked frustrated, panicked, confused.
T he Paris Agreement pledges only a third of the action needed to avoid the worst effects of climate change, a major UN report has found.

London experts have said the UNs Emissions Gap report is the wake-up call politicians across the world need.

The report warned that countries and industries need to do far more to meet targets if it is to slow greenhouse gas emissions that scientists say are contributing to global warming.

Speaking as the report was published, professor of climate science at UCL Chris Rapley said the UNs findings should refocus politicians attention on fighting climate change.

He told the Standard: This [the environment programme] we hope will encourage governments to crank up their efforts after the initial euphoria of the Paris Agreement faded and attentions turned elsewhere.

It did so perhaps because scientists projections had showed the agreement meant we were moving in the right direction, meaning politicians thought: okay, we will just let the clock work now.

This [report] shows  as expected  that the international contributions into the agreement were not high enough, and is exactly the sort of wake-up call thats needed.

Tuesdays report comes as UN officials make a renewed effort to maintain momentum generated by the Paris climate accord.

It aims to cap global temperature increases to 2C by 2100 compared to the average world temperature at the start of the industrial era.

Edgar Gutierrez-Espeleta, Costa Rica's environment minister who heads the 2017 UN Environment Assembly, said the report shows that we face a stark choice: up our ambition, or suffer the consequences.

He added: "The Paris Agreement boosted climate action, but momentum is clearly faltering.

London Pollution - In pictures 1 /20 London Pollution - In pictures PA Sunrise: Pollution lingered over London on Tuesday morning Jeremy Selwyn A cyclist wearing a face mask rides between taxis taking part in a protest to highlight congestion and air pollution Getty Images A smog filled traffic rush hour in the East End of London Jeremy Selwyn Pollution detector App 'Blue Air' near the Houses of Parliament Blue air Thick smog hangs over London's Docklands PA Traffic pollution in North London Jeremy Selwyn Air pollution surrounds The Shard in London Jeremy Selwyn Getty Images Sunrise over a misty polluted London from Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn St. Paul's Cathedral is seen among the skyline through the smog AFP via Getty Images A thick layer of smog was visible above London William Smith/@williamsmithorg A cold layer of air can be seen trapping pollution close to the ground and across the London skyline Pete Buckney This image taken near the Royal Observatory in Greenwich shows a thick layer of fog hanging over London Anna Rolls The City of London covered in smog seen from Hampstead Heath Getty Images

A new round of UN climate talks known as COP 23 starts in Bonn, Germany, on Monday, when countries will take stock of their achievements and prepare more ambitious national goals.

In a summary of the report, UNEP says current trends suggest even if current national commitments are met, a temperature increase of 3-degrees Celsius by the end of the century is "very likely - meaning that governments need to deliver much stronger pledges when they are revised in 2020."

"Should the United States follow through with its stated intention to leave the Paris Agreement in 2020, the picture could become even bleaker," the statement said, alluding to Donald Trump's administration plan to withdraw the US from the global climate pact.

On the upside, the agency highlighted "rapidly expanding mitigation action" and says carbon-dioxide emissions have remained stable since 2014, thanks partly to renewable-energy use in China and India.

However, it cautioned that other greenhouse gases like methane continue to rise.

Professor Rapley said he hoped the latest report will have a similar effect on politicians that a reassessment of efforts on the Montreal Protocol had.

They were told not enough was being done, and so they cranked it up. We can only hope that that is what happens here, he said.

The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty that was designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out production of substances responsible for its depletion.

It is hailed by many as the most successful climate agreement ever made.

The potential future effects of climate change include an increasing number of wildfires, longer periods of drought, continued loss of sea ice and an accelerated sea level rise.

Its effects have already had lasting effects on the environment globally, with glaciers shrinking, ice on rivers and lakes breaking up earlier in the year.

While the effects the warming of the planet may vary for different parts of the world, it is widely considered to be the biggest threat humanity faces.
P rince Charles today spoke of the need to unite to fight the horror of climate change and the evil of terrorism.

The Prince and the Duchess of Cornwall are in Singapore as part of a four-country, 11-day trip to South-East Asia and India.

Charles, 68, said: Our two countries understand that if we are to address the challenges facing our world  from the horror of man-made climate change to the pernicious evil of terrorism  we must work together in partnership.

Just as we must if we are to enrich our societies and fuel our economies to deliver better futures for our children and grandchildren.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall sign a visitor's book at the Presidential Palace in Singapore / PA

The prince, who had earlier laid a wreath at the Cenotaph and met veterans, and Camilla were the guests of Halimah Yacob, Singapores president, at a dinner at the Istana palace. Charles said he was delighted to have the chance to experience what makes Singapore special.

He said: It gives me tremendous pride that, as Singapore has flourished over the decades, so has her friendship with the United Kingdom. We have prospered together and, as my wife and I acknowledged at the Cenotaph this morning, we have suffered together too.

Singapore, which became a trading post for Britains East India Company in 1819, was occupied by Japan during the Second World War and gained independence from the UK in 1963.

Earlier Charles, wearing a double-breasted suit in the 30C heat, took a stroll in its Central Nature Reserve and came face to face with an Elegant Bronzeback snake. He asked one of the rangers whether it was venomous and was reassured that it wasnt  but did pack a powerful bite.
E ight people have been killed after a truck driver ploughed across a busy cycle path in New York and struck members of the public before being shot down by police.

The Mayor of New York Bill de Blasio confirmed the incident was a "cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians going about their daily lives".

New Yorkers have been urged to be vigilant and there will be an increased police presence but NYPD confirmed there is no evidence to suggest the attack was part of a wider plot.

Eight people are known to have been killed and dozens more injured when the Home Depot van drove into people on a pedestrian and cycle path a few blocks from the World Trade Center memorial.

Investigation: The NYPD Twitter page confirmed there had been several fatalities

After speeding 20 blocks, the driver crashed the truck into another car, before jumping out and waving imitation firearms.

The suspect was shot by NYPD and has been detained. They are being treated in a nearby hospital.

New York: A police officer stands next to a body covered under a white sheet near a mangled bike along a bike path / AP

Pictures of the scene shows mangled bikes strewn across the ground and several bodies covered in sheets.

A man who was riding in an Uber along the West Side Highway near Chambers street describing seeing beeding people lying on the pavement.

The NYPD Twitter account said it was not searching for additional suspects but warned the public to expect many emergency personnel in the area.

Bicycles and debris lies on a bike path / AP

Officers have instructed people to stay away from the scene of the incident.

The White House confirmed that President Trump had been briefed on what had happened.

Tom Gay, a school photographer, was on Warren Street and heard people saying there was an accident. He went down to West Street and a woman came around the corner shouting, "He has a gun! He has a gun!"

Gay said he stuck his head around the corner and saw a slender man in a blue track suit running southbound on West Street holding a gun. He said there was a heavyset man pursuing him.

Incident: In this still image taken from video, police and ambulances respond to report of gunfire a few blocks from the World Trade Center / AP

He said he heard five or six shots and the man in the tracksuit fell to the ground, gun still raised in the air. He said a man came over and kicked the gun out of his hand.

Uber driver Chen Yi said he saw a truck plow into people on a popular bike path adjacent to the West Side Highway. He said he then heard seven to eight shots and then police pointing a gun at a man kneeling on the pavement.

Incident: New York City Police Officers respond tp a truck driving into people / AP

"I saw a lot of blood over there. A lot of people on the ground," Yi said.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the president - a New York native - has been briefed by White House chief of staff John Kelly and "will be continually updated as more details are known."

Sanders says, "Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected."
T he dramatic story of two women lost at sea for five months has been put under the spotlight by maritime experts who say it doesn't quite add up.

The women from Hawaii stepped back on to dry land on Monday at a U.S Naval base in southern Japan, however according to reports part of their story does not add up.

The US Coast Guard said on Monday that there was an emergency beacon on board the womens sail boat that was never activated.

Speaking to the Associated Press, the US Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Scott Carr said that through interviewing the survivors and reviewing the information that he could confirm the women had access to a working Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon but never turned it on.

Command Master Chief Gary Wise greets Jennifer Appel, one of the sailors who got lost / AFP/Getty Images

An EPIRB is a device that enables sailors to communicate by satellite with local authorities. It can be activated manually or will self-activate when submerged in water.

Jennifer Appel and Tasha Fuiava had left Honolulu on May 3 on a sailboat called the Sea Nymph. The trip was supposed to last 18 days, however after storms flooded the engine and damaged the mast and sails they were unable to stay on course.

When asked by the Associated Press if they had a radio beacon on board the women mentioned a number of devices but not an EPIRB specifically.

However, during an interview with the Coast Guard after the incident, Appel said she did have the device but that it wasnt properly registered.

The women claim they made distress calls for 98 days in a row but that no one answered their call.

Zeus, one of the two dogs stranded with the sailors, is helped aboard / AFP/Getty Images

During an interview with the New York Post, Phillip R. Johnson, a retired Coast guard officer said that if the women had activated the device they would have been found.

He said that it was rare for EPIRB devices to fail but that a weak battery may cause it not to work.

When asked why they didnt activate the EPIRB, the women said they never truly felt in distress, like they were going to die.

In June, the Coast Guard made contact with the Sea Nymph when the vessel was near Tahiti after the women had reportedly lost their engines. The Coast Guard said that the captain had maintained that they were not in distress and expected to reach land next morning.

However, when the women were rescued on Wednesday by the USS Ashland they said that when they had been 1,345 kilometres away from Oahu in June, they knew they werent going to make it.

The USS Ashland said that the survivors looked remarkably well considering that they had been lost at sea for nearly six months.
A London student who refused to pay an absurd train fare to Edinburgh instead travelled via Poland, Berlin and Glasgow - for not much more.

William Stein, 20, left for a reading week adventure last Friday and visited four cities for the price of one.

The London School of Economics undergraduate claims he was put off a weekend trip to Edinburgh after finding, through rail comparison site Trainline, that a Virgin Trains East Coast fare - using two single tickets on specific trains, usually the cheapest option - would cost at least 80.

This was despite buying with a Young Persons Railcard and booking five weeks in advance.

A five-week advance super off-peak return ticket bought today would be 91.50, and single fares on specific trains range between 26 and 53.

Travel man: William Stein visits Sczcecin, in Poland

Finding direct flights still expensive, the student discovered he could travel from Stansted to Edinburgh for just 21.95 via the small Polish city of Szczecin.

Mr Stein, from Mill Hill, booked the tickets - and then Ryanair cancelled the flight.

But with a 40 compensation voucher to cover a 14 flight from Berlin to Glasgow - and friends to stay with in both places - the student added a stop in Germany.

Adventure: William Stein during his travels

Mr Stein spent only an additional 10 on accommodation during his eight-day trip, for one shared hotel room in Szczecin.

Including buses costing 7 from Szczecin to Berlin and 8.80 from Glasgow to Edinburgh, total travel costs - including a 45.40 train home from Edinburgh to London - for a week-long trip came to 97.76 including booking fees.

Speaking from Berlin, Mr Stein said: Who wouldve known you can visit four cities for the price of one? I didnt really believe it myself and it all kicked in when I touched down in Szczecin and saw this tiny airport.

It is so bizarre. I knew, of course, the UK is more expensive than other places but it made me think the rail companies are charging so much for these trains, and wonder how much profit they are making. Especially for students, just getting around the country is so expensive, it is absolutely absurd - and thats with a railcard. Im so scared for when it expires. People are slagging off Ryanair, and although services can be bad, it does allow everyone to travel. It cost 10 for a flight - its cheaper to go from Stansted to Poland than from Stansted into central London.

UK rail fares are expected to rise a further 3.6 per cent next year, but a new industry initiative, set to be launched next month, is rumoured to include a Millennial Railcard, which would offer a third off fares for 26 to 30-year-olds hit by a slump in earnings.

Mr Stein, who spent two days exploring Szczecin before visiting his student friend in Berlin, is not the first to find flying cheaper than British railways.

In June, student Joe Furness found it cheaper to fly from Newcastle to London via Menorca than to take a direct train between the two British cities.

The 21-year-old opted to pay for a 26.99 flight, with 12 hours on a beach, rather 78.50 for a train ticket.

Mr Stein added: I would recommend doing this to anyone. But it does take a lot of time.

A spokesperson for Virgin Trains on the east coast route said: Our average fares between London and Edinburgh are more than 30 cheaper than comparable airlines, with fares between London and Edinburgh starting at 25 one way when booked in advance.

"Thats why were seeing so many more customers deciding to take the train over the plane. If customers wish to travel via Poland on their way to Scotland, they might be able to find a cheap deal, but theyd miss out on a chance to relax while looking at the beautiful views afforded by the route, before arriving directly into Edinburghs wonderful city centre.
C olin Farrell says he was mentally affected by playing his broken character in new film The Killing Of A Sacred Deer.

The actor, 41, plays a heart surgeon, Steven, whose life implodes when a disturbed boy latches on to his family in Yorgos Lanthimoss thriller. Nicole Kidman co-stars as his wife Anna.

I was depressed by the end of it, Farrell told the Standard. I was totally down, I really was. But I would do it all over again.

Farrell found Lanthimoss decision to shoot the film in sequence distressing. He said: By the end of the film Stevens a completely broken man. We shot in continuity so the sense of dread that you may have experienced in watching was, in a different way, experienced in doing it.

In action: Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell in The Killing of a Sacred Deer

In the film, which is out on Friday, Steven has to make a harrowing decision about the fate of his children. But the Irish actor, who has two sons, said that being a father did not change the way he played the role.

He said: Some people have suggested that it must have been harder being a father but I was kind of going, Not really, if I wasnt a dad Id like to think that Id be just as disturbed.

Despite being affected by the part, Farrell did not feel like he related to Steven on a personal level. He said: The marriage they have is so far from anything I could ever conceive of having ever, if I could conceive of myself marrying in the first place.

The disturbed teenager is played by Barry Keoghan, 25, who rose to prominence as the local boy George Mills in Dunkirk. The rising star said: Colin and Nicole were so polite to people on set and people of their calibre and the careers that theyve had, they treat everyone the exact same way. I just think its nice for young actors to be around those two while they behave that way.

LFF: The Killing of a Sacred Deer - Headline Gala 1 /9 LFF: The Killing of a Sacred Deer - Headline Gala Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman PA Nicole Kidman dazzles on the red carpet PA Emma Stone poses on the red carpet PA Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman PA Raffey Cassidy PA Barry Keoghan and Shona Guerin PA Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell Rex Features

The Killing Of A Sacred Deer is slated for UK cinema release on November 3.
G reat British Bake Off judge Prue Leith has blamed a "time difference" for the Twitter blunder which saw her reveal the name of the winner of the 2017 series 12 hours early.

Leith, who took over from Mary Berry when the show moved to Channel 4 this year, is currently in Bhutan and expressed regret at the mishap, saying she was in too much of a state to talk about it.

"I'm in Bhutan. The time difference is massive," she told Press Association. "I thought that they got it six hours ago. I'm in too much of a state to talk about it. I f***** up."

The judge later followed her comments with a tweet saying she was 'mortified'.

"I am so sorry to the fans of the show for my mistake this morning, I am in a different time zone and mortified by my error #GBBO," she wrote.

Earlier today Leith mistakenly tweeted the name of the winner ahead of tonights finale.

Ruined: Prue Leith quickly deleted the tweet / Twitter/ Prue Leith

She wrote: No one told me judging a #gbbo final would be so emotional. I wanted them all to win. Bravo [redacted].

Fans of the baking competition expressed their anger over the mishap on social media, with many saying the judge had ruined the final for them.

Twitter reacts to the return of the Great British Bake Off

One wrote: Im actually furious that Bake Off has been ruined for me tonight.

Another tweeted: No exaggeration Bake Off is ruined for me now last season was annoying enough but this time just takes the biscuit.

Others were quick to suggest her predecessor Berry, would not have made a similar mistake, with one posting: Prue has totally ruined the bake off final by tweeting the winner ffs Mary wouldnt have done this (sic).

Leith was a new addition to the show this year alongside new presenters Sandi Toksvig and Noel Fielding who replaced Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins.

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Steven Carter-Bailey, Kate Lyon and Sophie Faldo are the three finalists competing for a chance to be crowned the 2017 champion.

The Great British Bake Off 2017 - The Contestants 1 /17 The Great British Bake Off 2017 - The Contestants Meet the line-up Prue Leigh and Paul Hollywood will judge this year's batch of hopefuls Mark Bourdillon/Channel 4 Television/PA Wire Kate, 29, from Merseyside A health and safety inspector from Merseyside, Kate also dabbles in blacksmithing, furniture restoration and yoga. She also loves the outdoors. When she's indoors though, indulging in her love of baking, she is a fan of "old-fashioned" baking techniques. She taught herself to bake when she began to grow her own vegetables two years ago PA Sophie, 33, from Surrey A former Officer in the Royal Artillery, Sophie did not discover her talent for baking until she volunteered to make a friend's birthday cake. The psychology graduate, who lives in Surrey with her boyfriend and a cat named Loki, has also developed a passion for patisserie. When she is not baking, Sophie enjoys track cycling, rowing, teaching military boot camps and is also training to be a stuntwoman. PA Flo, 71, from Merseyside Flo is retired and the oldest amateur contestant to appear on Bake Off to date. She was one of 11 children and was raised in Huyton, Liverpool. She met her late husband Richard when she was 21 years old and working at a sausage factory. Following Richard's death two years ago, her son Stephen encouraged her to take up baking. She bakes treats for his restaurant when she's not baking for the family - or 'having a boogie' with friends. PA Peter, 52, from Essex Born in Brixton originally, IT programme manager Peter had a well-travelled youth. He lived in Nigeria from the age of seven and moved back to the United Kingdom when he was 24. He has a wife, Tito and two children - Temi and Toni. He was bitten by the baking bug eight years ago when he started making his own bread. He reckons one of his specialities is making a melt-in-your-mouth Macaron, which is based on a recipe from French pastry maestro Pierre Hermes. When he's not kneading dough he loves running on the beach, spinning, playing chess and badminton PA Tom, 29, from Edinburgh Architect Tom lives in Edinburgh with his partner David, where he can often be found making fresh shortbread for family and friends. Baking has always been a huge part of family life for Tom and his siblings, who were taught to bake by their mother, a home economics teacher. The family cherishes recipe books passed down by grandparents from both sides of the family PA Steven, 34, from Hertfordshire Despite having a background in marketing, Steven's heart lies in the kitchen. His mum, Judi, has been his cooking mentor. He cooks and bakes all of his own food and has lost an impressive five stone thanks to his own home-cooking. He likes putting a twist on recipes from his mum's old cookbooks PA James, 46, from Essex James describes himself as a bald, baking banker - but his friends say he looks more like a bank robber than a banker. He was taught to bake by his father more than 40 years ago and grows his own fruit and vegetables to incorporate into his recipes. James lives in Essex with his wife Ann, sons Oliver and Ethan and their three chickens: Sparkles, Superman and Jeff PA Chris, 50, from Bristol A software developer who loves the science behind baking and developing quirky flavour combinations. He is a cancer survivor and passionate about helping other people whose lives have been affected by cancer. He is married (his wife's name is Catherine), and he loves sailing, travelling (especially visiting bakeries) and writing PA Stacey, 42, from Hertfordshire Former school teacher Stacey has fond memories of helping her grandmother make bread and butter pudding when she was a little girl, but it was during university that she really started to bake seriously. Stacey likes to incorporate her Jewish heritage into her baking, with a traditional homemade Challah with every Friday night dinner PA Julia, 32, from West Sussex Julia has spent three years honing her baking prowess so she could enter Bake Off. She is originally from Kemerovo, Siberia. She met her husband Matt while on holiday in Turkey as a 17-year-old. PA Liam, 19, from North London Hackney-born Liam has been baking for four years and is fondly known as the 'Cake Boy' amongst his university friends. He believes that baking is a universal language that can bring people together from all walks of life, and he wants to make it acceptable amongst his peers and the younger generation PA Yan, 46, from North London Hong Kong-born Yan moved to the UK with her family when she was two. She started to bake seriously 10 years ago when she found herself in between 24 hour shifts, working as a molecular biologist for the NHS. Currently working as a laboratory research scientist, Yan now lives in north London with her wife, Marian and cat Kacey. PA

The Great British Bake Off finale airs tonight at 8pm on Channel 4.
F ans of the Great British Bake Off have been left reeling after judge Prue Leith leaked the name of the winner hours before the series finale was aired because of a time zone mix-up.

Channel Four bosses desperately tried to limit the damage as fans were urged to stop spreading the programmes spoiler after Leith accidentally posted it on Twitter while she was in Asia.

But viewers were left helpless as the now deleted tweet revealing the winner was screenshotted and reposted across the social media platform.

Fans criticised the new baking judge, who joined the series when it moved to Channel Four this year, saying she had ruined the final for them and awarded her gaffe of the year.

Ruined: Prue Leith quickly deleted the tweet / Twitter/ Prue Leith

The Great British Balls Up, one blogger tweeted while another internet user tweeted: Thanks Prue Leith for ruining the GBBO Final. Why have I been watching it all these weeks?!

Sue Jarvis added: Thanks a bunch Prue Leith. Now ruined for so many fans.. keep off Twitter. We are all very angry.

Others blasted social media users who were continuing to spread the spoiler, with user Corrina writing: Prues now-deleted tweet has been screenshotted everywhere.

Manually RTing the now-deleted tweet revealing the #GBBOFinal winner is the ultimate Twitter trash move," said journalist James Ball.

Many saw the funny side and joked that former judge Mary Berry would be enjoying the furore.

One Twitter user, Daniel Gilbert, said: Prue should be renamed Prue Leaked" while another user said the tweet "needed longer in the oven".

Others suggested the leak could be a red herring, and speculated whether the judge shared the name of the wrong winner.

"Is this some sort of Halloween trickery?" one user asked, while Maggie McShane tweeted: Is it too much to hope that #PrueGate was a clever ruse and she didnt really tweet the winner of #GBBOFinal."

But reassuringly for the newbie judge, some fans remained defiant and supported Prue and sent her their sympathy.

Paul Alistair tweeted: Still excited for the GBBO Final tonight and despite her Twitter accident, I still bloody love Prue Leith!!

The judge, 77, expressed regret after the TV blunder, saying she was in Bhutan when she made the slip-up.

"I'm in Bhutan. The time difference is massive, she said. I thought that they got it six hours ago. I'm in too much of a state to talk about it. I f***** up."

Leith made the blunder on Monday morning when she tweeted: "No-one told me judging a GBBO final would be so emotional. I wanted them all to win. Bravo...."

The tweet, which was later removed, came seconds after Leith announced that she would be returning to the show next year, along with Paul Hollywood, Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig.
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PACIFIC OCEAN (Oct. 24, 2017) An SM-2 missile launches and destroys an airborne training target during a successful first test of the updated AEGIS Baseline 9 weapons system aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53). Mobile Bay is the first guided-missile cruiser in the fleet to upgrade from AEGIS Baseline 8 to the updated Baseline 9, and is underway testing new weapons capabilities in preparation for its upcoming deployment. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chad M. Butler

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Egypt recently replaced the head of the armed forces and several senior officers commanding counter-terrorist or internal security operations. President Sisi was not happy with the progress in eliminating the Islamic terrorist threat. A major problem has been a lack of cooperation between the military and police. This is an old custom, going back over half a century. Sisi took a while to find senior officers who appreciated this problem and had ideas on how to solve it. Thats what a lot of men recently promoted had in common.

While there have been no major attacks in cities or tourist centers lately there is still an Islamic terrorist presence in Sinai which the new peace deal with Hamas may, or may not, help reduce still further. Meanwhile a growing number of Sinai based Islamic terrorists are trying to move their personnel and operations to the Western Desert and the Libyan border. That may not be a problem if Egyptian allies in eastern Libya (the LNA, or Libyan National Army) continue to get more support from the UN and the West. The LNA and similar Libyan militias have done a lot in the past year to shut down Islamic terrorist groups in Libya but that country is still the source of most Islamic terrorists today and large parts of Libya are still, in effect, sanctuaries for Islamic terror groups.

Hamas-Fatah Merger

Hamas and Fatah officials have agreed to merge, ending a ten year old split that crippled the PA (Palestinian Authority) that was supposed to represent all Palestinians. The October 12th agreement signed in Egypt specified that the PA would take control of all the Gaza crossings on October 31st and that Egypt would allow free movement to and from Egypt. But that only happens if there is agreement on military matters. That is still not settled and even if it is such agreements have a tendency to aspirations not promises to be kept. Egypt, Israel and most of the Middle East is waiting to see how this actually works out. No one is particularly optimistic.

Since 2007 there have been two Palestinian governments; Hamas in Gaza and Fatah in the West Bank. The unification effort is, for Egypt (and Fatah) more about disarming Hamas and making Gaza less hospitable to Islamic terrorists who threaten Egypt. Hamas sees it differently and wants more freedom to operate in the West Bank and eventually replace Fatah there. Egypt insists on unification of the two Palestinian government and disarmament of Hamas before it will end its blockade of Gaza. It will take a few weeks for Egypt to determine if there is indeed a real merger.

Hamas is in a difficult position here and is trying to talk its way out of the mess it created. Hamas has selected a new leader and made changes that Egypt has long demanded but not the most important ones. Hamas declared its civil government in Gaza dissolved on September 17th, but that was mainly for show. Hamas has about 25,000 armed (and many are trained) men on the payroll and wants to keep them on the job. Egypt wants a through crackdown on Islamic terror groups in Gaza and Hamas seems unable to deliver on that one either although Hamas is making a real effort this time. Meanwhile Iran has once more established a presence in Gaza which Egypt, Israel and Fatah all agree is a bad thing.

Hamas continues to build combat tunnels inside Gaza and tells its armed followers, most of whom are on the payroll, that nothing will change. Yet Hamas also tolerates dissident Islamic terror groups to continue building tunnels in to Egypt and Israel, or at least trying to. According to Egypt and Fatah nothing will really change unless Hamas gives up its armed personnel and all those weapons. There will be no united Palestine government if Hamas retains the ability to launch major military operations on its own. The recent discovery and destruction (yesterday) of a tunnel into Israel did not help, especially since two of the men killed in the tunnel belonged to Hamas and were, as Hamas later explained it, there to assist in rescuing people injured in the explosion and not help with construction. Hamas know that the truth is many Hamas members dont want peace and are attracted to groups, inside or outside Gaza, that will continue to fight.

The adults know better and although Hamas dislikes admitting failure there must be a united Palestinian government (and disarmed Hamas) because just about everyone (especially Palestinians and Gulf Arabs) has stopped contributing cash and there is no one lest to steal from or extort. Hamas is increasingly unpopular in Gaza and one way it maintained the peace was via the 43,000 Gazans it had on its payroll. Most of these were unarmed and handling civil administrations and if unification happens most of these Hamas supporters will be out of work and replaced with more trustworthy Fatah supporters (some from outside Gaza). But unless Hamas makes a deal these Hamas employees will go unpaid and Hamas will be blamed.

Hamas has insisted that a few thousand of the best trained and equipped Hamas security personnel had to remain on the payroll, under the control of Hamas and that was not negotiable. But Egypt and Fatah expect, in particular, that these men to be demobilized. That would be messy because it is no secret that Egypt, Fatah and Israel would like to question many of them and arrest a number of them as well. Hamas hopes to deal with this by getting everyone to agree to a multi-year schedule to carry out the reunification. During most of that time Hamas would keep its core fighters and all those weapons, which could be used to take back control of Gaza when the time was right. Fatah and Egypt have already said they are aware of this possibility and want no part of it. No one knows exactly how this mess will turn out. If the past is any guide the result will please no one and accomplish little besides setting the stage for more violence in Gaza.

Finally there is the Moslem Brotherhood. Hamas has renounced its support for the Moslem Brotherhood, especially the Egyptian branch that Hamas originally belonged to before becoming a separate group in 1987. Israeli analysts pointed out that this is an old tactic for Islamic terrorists in general and Hamas in particular. In short, Hamas is lying because it is a useful tactical move.

When the Moslem Brotherhood won the national elections after the 2011 revolution and was able to lead an Egyptian government they made the mistake of giving into their radical faction and trying to impose Islamic law on all Egyptians. This was very unpopular and the Moslem Brotherhood was overthrown by another popular uprising in 2013. After that another (like recently deposed tyrant Mubarak) military man was elected president and it was back to business as usual. One side effect of that 2013 coup was a court eventually dismissed most of the charges against Mubarak who is apparently going to escape any real punishment, as are his sons. Court decisions like that bring out more protestors but not enough to overthrow the new government run by a former general elected to the job. Most Egyptians was to see if the new general-in-charge can get the economy going and restore order. The new government probably will, but at the cost of any real efforts to curb corruption or enact other needed reforms. Not a major issue as most Egyptians want peace and prosperity first. That means no Moslem Brotherhood.

In the early 1990s radical factions of the Egyptian Moslem Brotherhood, frustrated at their inability to achieve peaceful reforms, turned to terrorism and were defeated after a bloody terrorism campaign failed. Two decades later the Islamic terrorists are again attacking the Egyptian economy, especially tourism which accounts for 11 percent of the GDP and provides jobs (directly or indirectly) for 12 percent of the work force. This time there are still radical factions of the Moslem Brotherhood but most of the damage was done by ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) which continues to function in Egypt (especially Sinai) largely because there are so many potential recruits in Gaza.

This resurgence of Islamic terrorism in Egypt led to a 15 percent decline in tourist income for 2015. And as with the pre-2011 Mubarak dictatorship the current government has largely eliminated large-scale anti-government demonstrations and is concentrating on Islamic terrorist groups, which the Mubarak government fought and defeated in the 1990s. The current Egyptian government finds itself repeating that process and since Hamas is a branch of the Moslem Brotherhood it has to go, at least in its current form.

Israel recently repeated that it would not deal with any united Palestinian government that had adopted the Hamas Israel must be destroyed at any cost policy. That, however, is where the Palestinian unification talks are going because Hamas knows Egypt is less likely to consider that an obstacle to a peace deal. That may be true but Israel has told Egypt they have a peace deal with Israel and abandoning that will cost Egypt big time. So while Egyptian media and pundits may go on about Israel is not our friend, most Egyptian politicians and economists know better.

Lebanon

Realizing that there was likely to be a long-term threat from Iranian forces in Lebanon and Syria Israel announced it was stationing a battalion of its Iron Dome anti-rocket systems in northern Israel. There was already a battalion assigned to southern Israel to defend against the rockets Hezbollah had amassed in Gaza and had last used on a large scale in 2014. There had not been large scale rocket attacks in northern Israel since the Iran-backed Hezbollah launched a major rocket attack in 2006 and convinced Israel that Iron Dome was worth developing and deploying.

October 30, 2017: In the south (Gaza) Israel used explosives to destroy a tunnel that had entered Israeli territory after being detected and monitored by Israeli sensors. The explosion caused a tunnel collapse that killed eight and wounded a dozen. Gaza media identified six of the dead as belonging to Islamic Jihad and two were members of Hamas. Two of the Islamic Jihad dead were leaders and either inspecting the tunnel or supervising the work.

Since 2016 most tunnel deaths have been in deeper and more dangerous tunnels designed to pass under the security fence and into Israel. In response Israel has been installing new sensors. Many of these tunnels belong to Islamic Jihad (one of the smaller Islamic terror groups in Gaza) and Hamas has largely ignored this tunnel building as long as it did not attract the wrong kind of attention.

Tunnel collapses and accidents have been common in Gaza since 2007, when Hamas backed the construction of more smuggling and combat tunnels. Since 2007 over 400 Gazans have died in tunnel accidents. Hamas usually blames such collapses on natural causes (like heavy rains) but Israel believes Israeli and Egyptian efforts to limit lumber and cement shipments entering Gaza has played a role because many of these recent accidents seem to be the result of poor tunnel construction compared to earlier, sturdier and safer tunnels. As a result of all these accidents, which began to accelerate in late 2015, a growing number of Gazans are refusing to work in the tunnels because there is a widely believed (in Gaza) rumor that the real cause of all these tunnel collapses (including the unreported ones that didnt kill anyone) are the result of new Israeli anti-tunnel weapons. This sort of thing has been mentioned in the Israeli media, but mainly in terms of new detection sensors not devices that could remotely trigger a tunnel collapse. Hamas denies Israel has any such weapon and Israel wont discuss classified military matters like new tunnel detection sensors. In this case Israel did reveal that the tunnel destroyed today was detected and monitored with the new sensors.

In western Egypt F-16s attacked six smuggler trucks near the Libyan border. The trucks were carrying weapons as could be seen from the secondary explosions. The Egyptian F-16s returned with video of the attack and troops reached the site of the attack to seek survivors and collect evidence.

October 28, 2017: In the West Bank Israeli police arrested a Hamas man who was apparently studying an Israeli checkpoint by driving past it several times. This was noticed, he was stopped and his vehicle search. A pistol was found and an ID check revealed the Hamas connection.

October 27, 2017: In the south (Gaza) the Hamas head of security was wounded an explosive went off in his vehicle as it drove past a refugee camp. At first Hamas blamed Israel but soon realized it was the work of an ISIL faction in Gaza. Egypt apparently provided the information proving the ISIL connection. Hamas and Egypt have been cooperating to eliminate the ISIL presence in Gaza and Sinai.

October 25, 2017: In Gaza the UN allowed a school it supports to resume operations. The school had been closed for two weeks so that a Hamas tunnel found to have an entrance in the basement of one of the school buildings. The UN and other aid groups had long ignored Hamas using schools and hospitals for military purposes (tunnel entrances, storage for weapons and fighters and even rocket firing sites). The 2014 war allowed Israel to send in troops and capture these sites and document the presence of tunnels, which are a violation of international law. Since then the UN and other aid groups have been forced to investigate Israeli charges of military use of schools and hospitals. Major donors threatening to halt aid to Gaza also played a part in the UN enforcing the rules against military use of these protected (from attack in wartime) facilities.

October 24, 2017: Lebanese media confirmed that Hezbollah was withdrawing all its forces from Syria in early 2018. Hezbollah had earlier told the media about how soon its next war with Israel will happen but a lot of Lebanese were dubious. So were the Israelis who reported that Israeli military analysts agreed with that because the chatter (monitoring of attitudes in Lebanon among Hezbollah supporters and Lebanese in general) indicates that another Hezbollah war now would be unlikely. At the moment Hezbollah military power is crippled by losses (nearly 2,000 dead) in Syria and the continued deployment of about a third of their available forces there. In addition a significant number of veteran personnel are working in Iraq and Yemen supporting local pro-Iran Shia militias. More Hezbollah personnel will be heading back to Gaza now that Hamas has resumed its alliance with Iran. Same with Iranian efforts to form a Syrian Hezbollah along the Israeli border, especially the Golan Heights. This effort is led by the Quds Force and Hezbollah commanders who have long worked directly for Quds. In the long term (the 2020s) Iran is building something that is more than a another bit of destroy Israel propaganda. By establishing military bases in Syria and organizing a branch of Hezbollah in Syria Iran has legal justification for stationing Iranian troops in Syria. Unless Israel interferes Iran could rebuild the Syrian military, especially the Syrian ballistic missile stockpile. Iran would have time (and money) to deal with the financial problems that are crippling Hezbollah and Hamas. Thus by the mid-2020s Iran would be in a much stronger position for attacking Israel. That would include the new Israeli natural gas fields off the coast near the Lebanese border. Hezbollah getting out of Syria is a necessity for Hezbollah which grew even more unpopular in Lebanon over the last five years.

October 23, 2017: In the north an Israeli airstrike across the Syrian border in Daraa province hit an ISIL camp, killing at least ten of the Islamic terrorists. This is the second Israeli airstrike against this ISIL faction in the last few months. This ISIL group has been attempting to get into Israel no matter what ceasefire or security zone deals Russia, Iran or the Assad government makes. These airstrikes also aid Jordan, which borders Daraa. The Jordanians are mainly concerned with the many Syrian refugees that continue to head for refuge in Jordan and Islamic terrorists who might be trying to get into Jordan disguised as refugees. This area has seen a lot of fighting since 2011. In late 2016 it was estimated that about eight percent of the Syrian war casualties since 2011 occurred in Daraa Province and along the Israeli and Jordan borders.

Israel is involved because of discreet links with Jordan (going back to the 60s) and Russia and more open ties to the United States. Some Syrian factions accuse Israel of supplying cash and other items to some Syrian rebels. Israel denies this but does admit to a very public program of allowing over 3,000 (so far) badly wounded Syrians, especially women and children, into Israel for free medical care. The Syrians benefitting from this may feel obliged to return the favor in some way (like providing information on what Iranian and other Islamic radical groups are up to) and that could be described as a relationship. But that has a different meaning in the Middle East than in other parts of the world and is often misinterpreted in the West and misrepresented in places like Russia.

In the south (Gaza) Hamas reported that masked (and armed) men kidnapped three Gaza residents who were working in one of the few operational smuggling tunnels into Egypt. This announcement indicates that the local ISIL branch in Sinai is pressuring the tunnel operators to cooperate with ISIL. This is something Hamas forbids and the tunnel operators (who pay hefty taxes to Hamas for permission to operate) are apparently after Hamas to provide some security or see the last remaining smuggling tunnels go out of business.

In western Egypt F-16s attacked smuggler trucks near the Libyan border. The trucks were carrying weapons and the Egyptian F-16s returned with video proof. Egypt had help from the LNA (Libyan National Army) and its leader general Hiftar. Egypt and the LNA have worked together for several years and as a result the LNA controls the Libyan forces on the Egyptian border and is implementing long-term plans for improving border security, which is one reason Egypt has supported the LNA for the last few years. The cooperation between LNA and Egypt has made it possible to identify when and where arms smugglers would cross the border into Egypt. At that point Egyptian Air Force F-16s can use their targeting pods and smart bombs to locate and destroy these convoys coming into Egypt from Libya via desert trails north of the sand sea that is largely impassable to trucks. With the targeting pods you can also record video of the airstrikes showing some of the trucks exploding twice as their cargoes of ammunition ignited. Smuggling Libyan weapons (looted from government warehouses during the 2011 revolution) into Egypt is still big business especially since Hamas and other Islamic terrorist groups, plus criminal gangs, are ready to buy whatever gets into Egypt. Far fewer of these convoys are making out of the Western Desert since the LNA took control of the Libyan side of the border and established an intelligence network. But small groups of Islamic terrorists are another matter and thats what Egypt sees as a growing problem.

October 21, 2017: In the north (Golan Heights), five small rockets fired from Syria landed in Israel and in response Israeli artillery fired on three Syrian army artillery positions. Israel has adopted a policy of only firing on the Syrian Army if anyone fires into the Golan Heights. There are a number of different groups in southern Syria that have a presence on the Israeli border. Israel suspects this particular incident was carried out by Hezbollah. Rather than try to determine exactly who fired into Israel each time Israel retaliates against the Assad forces as an encouragement to actually take control of their southern border. Earlier in 2017 the Assads said they now controlled the border with Israel and they may or may not.

In the south (Gaza) Hamas prevented the family of a recently killed ISIL man from erecting a mourning tent. These tents are traditional but over the last few months Hamas has forbidden families of men who joined ISIL in Egypt and were killed there from openly mourning their loss. For one thing these events are often used to recruit more Gaza residents to join ISIL in Egypt. Many of the recruits are from elite Hamas units and these men are technically deserters. That was the case with two Gaza men killed two days ago in Egypt, where ISIL has been the cause of many attacks on Egyptian security forces. As part of the peace deal with Egypt Hamas has to crack down on ISIL activity in Gaza.

October 20, 2017: In Egypt an ambush in Giza province (135 kilometers southwest of Cairo) that left 16 policemen dead. The ISIL men responsible fled west towards the Libyan border. On October 27th an army raid in the same area left 13 Islamic terrorists dead. Giza province is on both sides of the Nile River but extends deep into the Western Desert because of several large oasis that have been population centers for thousands of years and were way stations for caravans. A railroad was built a century ago deep into the Western Desert because of the oasis and provided better access to the entire province. The oasis, paved roads and railroad have attracted smugglers who could more easily get stuff across the borders with Sudan and Libya.

A delegation of Hamas officials made a visit to Iran to discuss how Hamas and Iran will cooperate since formal relations were resumed in August.

October 19, 2017: In the north (Golan Heights), a mortar shell fired from Syria landed in Israel and within hours Israeli artillery tanks fired on an Syrian army mortar position visible from the Israeli side of the border.

October 16, 2017: Senior Russian military officials visited Israel and met with their Israeli counterparts. This was the first time a Russian Minister of Defense had visited Israel and, as expected, some major agreements were worked out and details of some were made public. Apparently Israel and Russia confirmed some modifications to their agreement on what Russia would do to keep Iranian forces (including Iranian backed Shia militias like Hezbollah) away from the Israeli border. Israel wanted the Russians to keep the Iranians at least 60 kilometers from the border but the Russians have agreed to smaller buffer zones (10-20 kilometers) and are willing and able to enforce those buffer zones. In part this is done by telling the Assad government that continued Russian assistance for the Assads is contingent on the Assads cooperating with the Russians in keeping the Iranians away from the border. At the same time the Russians do not interfere with Israeli air and missile strikes on Iranian weapons shipments moving from Syria to Lebanon (for Hezbollah). Syria protests via the media but does little beyond that. This cozy relationship with Israel is more valuable to Russia than any deals it has with Iran. Russia recognizes that Israel has the strongest economy in the region as well as the most capable military and nuclear weapons. After the Russian delegation left a senior Israeli official visiting Japan repeated that Israel would, if necessary, use military force to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons.

There was another reason for the Russian Defense Minister visiting Israel. Russian migrants comprise one of the largest national groups in Israel and this was highlighted when a Russian general, in uniform, publically honored over a dozen Israelis from Russia who had served in the Red Army during World War II. Such service is a big deal in Russia where the World War II victory over Germany, despite huge losses (about 18 percent of the Soviet population died during the war) are regarded as a historic achievement. Russia and Israel have often worked together, even during the communist period (that ended in 1991 when the Soviet Union did). Russia tries to maintain its alliance with Turkey and Iran while also remaining on good terms with Israel and the Arab oil states in the region. Russia and Israel have a longer and better relationship than the one Russia has with its new allies (and traditional enemies) Iran and Turkey. It is possible for Russia and Israel to continue working together, as they have done since Israel was created in the late 1940s. Even during the communist period (especially from 1948 to 1991) Russia often worked closely with Israel while also courting Arab states that wanted Israel to disappear. Russia continues this policy of maintaining multiple alliance with Turkey and Iran while also remaining on good terms with Israel and the Arab oil states in the region. Give the Russians credit, they are getting away with it. But it is becoming increasingly difficult.

In the north (Lebanon) an Israeli reconnaissance jet flying along the Syrian border was fired on by a Syrian air defense unit based across the border in Syria. The Syrian SA-5 anti-aircraft missile missed the Israeli jet, as these missiles have done several times already in 2017. Three hours later an Israeli airstrike hit the Syrian SA-5 unit. The SA-5 is a 1960s design that Russia has updated and Syria received the latest S-200 version of the missile in 2010.

October 15, 2017: In the south (Egypt) two rockets were fired from somewhere in Sinai near Gaza but the Israeli air defense system could not confirm if the rockets landed in Israel. Israeli security forces searched and found the rockets had landed in an empty field near the border. Coordinating with Egyptian security forces the location of the areas where the rockets were launched was found. The local ISIL branch took credit for the rockets and soon an Israeli UAV attacked an ISIL camp across the border in Egypt, killing at least one ISIL member. Egyptian ground forces will follow up.

Elsewhere in northern Sinai a clash between Egyptian troops and Islamic terrorists left six soldiers and 24 of the enemy dead.

October 11, 2017: In Egypt Hamas and Fatah signed a reconciliation agreement that was actually an agreement to keep negotiating, with the help of Egypt, to merge the rival Palestinian groups.
Researchers have found a way to use neural networks to create DSLR-quality photos from snapshots taken with low-end smartphones.

A team of scientists at the ETH ZurichComputer Vision Lab recently published a paper describing a deep learning approach that uses neural networks to translate photos taken by cameras with limited capabilities into DSLR-quality photos automatically.

We tackle this problem by introducing a weakly supervised photo enhancer  a novel image-to-image GAN-based architecture, wrote Andrey Ignatov, Nikolay Kobyshev, Kenneth Vanhoey, Radu Timofte and Luc Van Gool.

GAN, or generational adversarial networks, is a new type of algorithm that can produce artificial images and even video, explained Aditya Kaul, a research director at Tractica.

The technology is moving fast because the source code is open and people can experiment with the algorithm and improve it, he told TechNewsWorld.

Network Foolery

GAN technology uses a bit of trickery to get its results.

It uses two neural networks that try to fool each other, Kaul said. One network generates images and tries to fool the other network that theyre real. At the end, you get a set of images where you cant tell the difference between the real image and the artificially generated image.

In their experiments, the researchers used two data sets  one made up of images from a phone camera, the other composed of high-quality photos. Then they used several neural networks to bring the quality of the phone photos up to that of the high-quality images captured with a DSLR.

The researchers posted a number of examples at the CVL website. The side-by-side shot comparisons show how the scientists method improves the phone photos.

iPhone 6 Camera

Nexus 5X Camera

What the researchers are doing is in the same vein as what photographers have been doing for years, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group.

Its not taking a better picture, he told TechNewsWorld. Its rendering the picture so its better than it would otherwise be without using artificial intelligence. Thats what weve been doing in darkrooms and with Photoshop for some time.

Not for the Fussy

As impressive as the researchers results are, pro and semi-pro photographers wont be shelving their DSLRs any time soon.

This will please people who arent overly fussy but want to get better pictures, suggested David D. Busch, creative director of the David Busch photography guides.

It can simulate a lot of things so the pictures do look better, he told TechNewsWorld. 

However, many serious photographers would disapprove of the changes made to the photos on the researchers samples page, Busch noted, even though they did look better than the originals.

The changes added a lot of contrast and lost detail, he said. If someone is a poor photographer, this has some applications  but I dont see it threatening digital SLR cameras.

Improving the Baseline

This is a good example of how technology can be used to improve the baseline of whats acceptable, said Jeff Orr, a senior practice director for mobile devices at ABI Research.

The researchers tried to determine what makes an image good and apply those things to an unknown image to make it better, he told TechNewsWorld.It doesnt always work, but its a good example of how software can make suggestions to enhance a photo, and it can only get better.

This research is trying to bridge the gap between what a smartphone can capture and the aesthetics of a DSLR, said Ross Rubin, principal analyst at Reticle Research.

However, that doesnt mean that an algorithm can replace the quality of a DSLR.

The algorithm cant do anything with data that isnt there, Rubin told TechNewsWorld, so its helpful to have both the highest quality input with the algorithm.

Future Threat?

As the processing power in phones increases, they could pose a threat to DSLRs.

You can already compensate with software for some things that a lens can do, Rubin said.

DSLR camera makers should be concerned about developments like those from Zurich, in his view.

Theyve seen the point-and-shoot market evaporate as smartphone image quality improved, Rubin pointed out. Now, as the photo quality is augmented by the incredible processing power in these phones, which far exceed what we see in DSLRs, phones pose even more of a threat to camera makers.

The CVL researchers technology has applications beyond making smartphone pictures prettier, Tractias Kaul noted. It can be used to identify cancer cells in photos, enhance starlight and augment automated driving applications, for example.

Theres also a dark side to the technology, Kaul said. There is a fear that this technology can be misused for fake news and things like that.
Microsofts Sonar, released last week under an open source license, could help developers build more effective and secure websites.

Sonar, a linting tool and site scanner, is the next evolution of the static scan tool, according to Microsoft.

The team that developed Microsofts Edge browser created Sonar as a better way for website maintainers to check performance and security issues. It searches out potential interoperability, performance, security and progressive Web app-related problems.

Finding website problems is half of what Sonar does. The other half is suggesting possible solutions.

Ease of Use

Microsoft first created a static scan tool within its Web browser in 2013 to detect optimizations for old versions of Internet Explorer, missing prefixes and outdated libraries. The updated version can execute website code. It has a modernized set of rules, capable of parallel test execution and integration with other services.

Sonar will ease the adoption of Microsofts tooling and Azure for the community, said Akshay Aggarwal, CEO of PeachTech and COO of Deja Vu Security.

However, it is unlikely to move the needle on security significantly, he told LinuxInsider.

Sonar combines existing technologies to address pressing security issues for Web developers. The innovation is in ease of use, as well as its integration capabilities with Microsofts developer tools and platform, he said.

What It Does

Sonar follows the trend of security tools being integrated with development according to the tenets of the DevSecOps movement, Aggarwal noted. Businesses can leverage Sonar without significant security programs to perform baseline assessments for security and to identify components with known vulnerabilities.

Microsoft donated Sonar to the JS Foundation this past summer. The Sonar Project code is available on Github.

The scanner tool is available as an open source Web service hosted by Microsoft and as a command-line (CLI) tool. The CLI functionality lets users integrate the tool directly into a websites URL.

The service is deployed on top of Azure using Docker containers that can scan any publicly available website, said Antn Molleda, senior program manager for Microsoft Edge.

Sonars rules are backed by a collection of best practices for the Web. Links provide detailed documentation that keeps growing with each new rule built into the scanner, he explained.

How It Works

Sonar is a big improvement over previous scanners, according to Molleda. Among its advantages are the ability to execute website code instead of performing static analysis; a better set of rules; parallel test execution; and integration with other services.

Its completely open source code base is another benefit for continued development by the Sonar Project community.

Upcoming features under development:

A plug-in for Visual Studio Code;

Configuration customization options for the online service;

New rules for performance, accessibility, security, progressive Web apps and more.

The Sonar project is designed with a set of guiding principles that put the user at the center, build for the communitys best interests, and support collaboration with existing tools and services, according to Molleda.

Sonars Benefits

Sonar can be beneficial to just about every single website. But a developer or web designer must translate the analysis and take necessary actions, noted David Rosenthal, VP of digital business technology solutions at Razor Technology.

In other words, I do not see it as necessary for your non- customized GoDaddy WordPress site,' he told LinuxInsider, but it is absolutely valuable for larger and more complex websites with programming, third-party extensions, and other tech features to manage.
It looks as if the Qualcomm vs. Apple battle could affect next year's iPhone and iPad hardware. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the ongoing feud between the tech giants might see Apple turn to Intel and possibly MediaTek for the modem chips in its future products.

Back in January, Apple sued Qualcomm for $1 billion over claims it had been "charging royalties for technologies they have nothing to do with." The WSJ's source says that following this initial lawsuit, the chip maker withheld critical testing software for chips in iPads and iPhones.

Qualcomm countersued Apple in April, and in July confirmed it was seeking a US ban on some older iPhones that violate its patents. The company has also filed a lawsuit that aims to stop the manufacture and sale of iPhones in China.

The report adds that Apple's decision to abandon Qualcomm's components could still change.

"People familiar with Apple's manufacturing process said the company could change modem-chip suppliers as late as June, three months before the next iPhone is expected to ship." explains the WSJ. "Still, some of the people said Apple hasn't previously designed iPhones and iPads to exclude Qualcomm chips at a similar stage of the process."

Although Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips are used in a large number of today's smartphones and other devices, losing a customer as large as Apple would be a huge blow, and could see the firm's share price, which has already fallen this year, drop even further.

Qualcomm told Reuters it continues to provide its fully tested chips to Apple. "We are committed to supporting Apple's new devices consistent with our support of all others in the industry," the company said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met with envoys from the U.S. and China in the framework of the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference. | Read More
A mobile phone user uses the taxi-hailing and car-service app Didi Chuxing. [Photo/IC]

Chinese firm teams up with Daiichi Koutsu to tap opportunities in Tokyo

Chinese ride-sharing giant Didi Chuxing and Japanese taxi provider Daiichi Koutsu Sangyo Co Ltd are planning to launch application-based ride-hailing services in Tokyo, to better serve the growing number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan.

Nikkei Asian Review reported on Monday that the service is expected to be introduced in Tokyo as early as next spring. According to the report, the two companies are currently in talks on fares, operating procedures and other details, and Daiichi Koutsu aims to attract more Chinese visitors.

The Beijing-based ride-hailing firm plans to cover 500 of the roughly 8,700 taxies owned by Daiichi Koutsu across Japan, and the number is set to increase to a few thousands later. Didi will expand the services to target more areas in Japan through collaboration with other local taxi providers.

"As an open platform, we are exploring broad collaborative opportunities in Japan. But we do not have a timetable yet," Didi said on Monday.

According to official data, the revenue of Japanese traditional taxi industry reached more than 1.5 trillion Japanese yen ($13 billion) in the 2014 fiscal year. During the past two decades, the number of taxi users in Japan dropped 45 percent.

The declining fortunes of the traditional taxi industry has proved to be a challenge for new entrants like US-based Uber Technologies Inc, as it struggles to develop its model in Japan. Didi's move is expected to make it even more difficult for Uber to develop its local business.

A report released by China's online travel giant Ctrip.com said Chinese tourists made more than 6 million trips to Japan last year, with total spending exceeding 100 billion yuan ($15 billion). According to the report, Japan ranked third among the top 10 destinations for Chinese tourists, behind Thailand and South Korea.

To grasp opportunities brought by the tourist surge, Didi and Daiichi Koutsu will target regions favored by Chinese visitors, such as Tokyo, Osaka, Kyushu, Hokkaido and Okinawa, Bloomberg said.

The services introduced by Didi and Daiichi Koutsu will only allow customers to take rides via taxi cabs rather than private vehicles, as the local regulations prohibit unlicensed private vehicles from engaging in paid transportation.

Didi has expanded its overseas businesses to more than 1,000 cities across North America, South America, Southeast Asia and South Asia, with investments in ride-hailing platforms such as India's Ola, Estonia-based Taxify with operations in Europe and Africa, Careem based in Middle East, Southeast Asia's Grab, Uber and Uber's US rival Lyft.

"As Didi Chuxing has already taken the leading position in China's ride-hailing market, now it aims to go global and seek continuous growth in the oversea markets," said Zhang Xu, an ride-hailing expert.
SEMA 2017 - Show Update Monday October 30, 2017

The 2017 SEMA Show opens tomorrow, but a lot of media activities are taking place today.





DONT MISS TODAY!

Media Preview Exclusive

Monday, October 30, 12:00 PM  2:00 PM; Media Center, Room S220

Credentialed media are invited to an exclusive preview featuring members of the Light Truck Accessory Alliance (LTAA). The event gives reporters early access to products that will debut at the SEMA Show, along with key company executives who will be available for interviews.





ARB 4x4 Accessories, Media Lunch Press Conference

Monday, October 30, 2:00 PM-2:50 PM; Media Center, Room S220

Join ARB for a press conference and lunch. Hear about their latest products and get a sneak peek before the show begins.





SEMA Vehicle Reveal

Monday, October 30, 5:00 PM7:00 PM; Silver Lot, outside the Convention Center

Be among the first to see some of the most significant vehicles debuting at the 2017 SEMA Show. Watch as the vehicles roll onto a stage and builders share the stories behind the builds. Media will be able to photograph and get a jump on the stories before the Show opens tomorrow.





UPCOMING EVENTS

Join Us for Breakfast

Tuesday, October 31, 7:30 AM-8:45 AM; Westgate Las Vegas Casino & Hotel, Event Center South

Kick off the opening of the SEMA Show at our New Products Breakfast and SEMA Awards press conference. Media have reserved seating in the front of the ballroom. The winners of the Hottest Coupe, Hottest Sedan, Hottest Truck, Hottest 4x4/SUV, and Hottest Hatch will be announced during the breakfast.





DONT FORGET: Pick Up Your Badge

Pick up your media badge in the Textron Off Road Media Center, Room S220 (on the Skybridge between Central and South Halls). The Textron Off Road Media Center is available exclusively to credentialed media at the SEMA Show and offers expedited registration. Please be advised that photo ID is required.

If you are not yet approved, bring with you Qualifying Material from within the last 12 months. This can be published editorial with byline, published photo with photo credit, YouTube video credit, etc.





If you are approved, print out your confirmation for faster service onsite at the Textron Off Road Media Center.

When you arrive at the SEMA Show, please come directly to the Textron Off Road Media Center. Whether youre arriving at the Las Vegas Convention Center by taxi, Monorail or another method, the closest point to the Textron Off Road Media Center is the west side of the South Hall. Click here for directions to the Textron Off Road Media Center.





SHOW OPENING

The SEMA Show opens tomorrow, Tuesday, October 31, at 9:00 a.m.

Pick up your media credentials before the Show opens to ensure you can hit the floor running on Tuesday. Remember that credentialed media have access to the SEMA Show floor on Show days/hours and a half-hour early. (Exhibiting media will receive "Exhibiting Media" badges, providing them with access to the Show floor during Exhibitor Move-In and Move-Out days/hours as well.)





Personalized list of new products and photos!

Receive a personalized list of new products you are interested in by using our scanners in the New Product Showcase. Scan your favorite new products from over 3,000 in our New Products Showcase. You will receive product information and images for each product you scan. The New Products Showcase is located on the Skybridge between Central and South Halls, conveniently right outside the Media Center.





Download the SEMA Show Mobile App (www.SEMAShow.com/app)

The SEMA Show Mobile App is designed to be the ultimate tool to execute a Show plan by using the scheduling, organization and navigation features. The app provides the latest news prior to and during the Show through SEMA's social media feeds.





TEXTRON OFF ROAD MEDIA CENTER

The Textron Off Road Media Center is available exclusively to credentialed media at the SEMA Show. Visit the Media Center in Room S220, on the Skybridge between the Central and South Halls. In the Media Center, journalists will have:

Access to expedited registration

Dedicated Wi-Fi

Working computers and printers

Lounge areas

Lockers

Complimentary copy service

Water and snacks

Exhibitor press materials

Open before and after Show floor hours

2017 SEMA Show Textron Off Road Media Center Hours:

Monday, Oct. 30: 7:30 am  6:30 pm

Tuesday, Oct. 31 : 7:00 am  7:00 pm

Wednesday, Nov. 1 : 7:30 am  6:00 pm

Thursday, Nov. 2 : 8:00 am  5:30 pm

Friday, Nov. 3 : 8:00 am  3:00 pm

To reach the Media Center by phone, call 702/943-3542.





IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Media Tours

Theres still room to sign up for a media tour. The SEMA Show will be hosting media tours prior to and during the Show to help members of the media navigate the Show and identify key areas of interest. Sign up with the receptionist in the Textron Off Road Media Center when you arrive.





SEMA Exhibitor Press Conferences

The official press conference schedule is available at www.semashow.com/press- conferences.





CONNECT WITH US

Please use our hashtag #sema2017 and follow us on social media.

CONTACT US

See you at the Show!





Regards,
TELENAV AND WAYLENS MAPS

SANTA CLARA, Calif. and BOSTON, Oct. 30, 2017; Telenav, Inc. , a leading provider of connected car and location-based services, and automotive camera company Waylens, Inc. announced today that they entered into a partnership that will aid mappers and drivers alike. A specially modified Waylens windshield-mounted Horizon automotive camera will provide Telenav with high-quality recorded images and data which Telenav will use to detect key road elements and further enhance OSM data. This partnership expands Telenavs efforts to make community-based maps more precise and accurate. It also enables more people to get involved in the OSM community.

The joint effort is one of the first  if not the first  to use a dedicated aftermarket automotive camera for crowd-sourced map-making. To date, mobile phones and apps were used for such data collection. Using a dedicated aftermarket automotive camera has considerable advantages when crowdsourcing road data by enabling always-on data capture, data breadth, and quality.

Waylens Horizon camera collects high-resolution images and automatically uploads that data to the Telenav cloud when it detects Wi-Fi. This combination of software and hardware, plus the data obtained via Horizons connection to a vehicles on-board diagnostic system, results in high-quality sensor readings that will be used in Telenavs map-improvement platform to enhance OSM.

Telenavs deep-learning algorithms use the Horizon collected images and data to derive map attributes that are critical to creating a more accurate, navigation grade OSM. These derived map attributes include turn restrictions, speed limits, road curvature, stops signs, and highway signage, to name a few. To further support OSM, Telenav will give these modified Waylens Horizon devices to certain drivers for ongoing mapping activities.

The Waylens Horizon camera system creates yet another means for the OSM community to collect street imagery with precise location data, such as GPS points or traces, stated Philipp Kandal, Telenav senior vice president, engineering. With Horizons wider-angle lens, we will see a greater volume of street imagery collected by and for the community, while also providing another means for community members to collect valuable data.

The collaboration between Telenav and Waylens is a long-term strategic alliance, as we will collaborate and innovate on other product formats as time goes on, remarked Haowei Zhang, Waylens CEO. Telenav presents us with an excellent opportunity to broaden our reach beyond the consumer market, where we provide fun, security, and evidence for drivers. Telenavs technology and work within the OpenStreetMap community certainly adds to our overall user experience. We are proud that our Horizon camera will play a significant role in crowd-sourced map-making and autonomous driving.

The Telenav-Waylens partnership announcement was recently made at the State of the Map US 2017 conference in Boulder, Colorado.

About Telenav Telenav is a leading provider of connected car and location-based services, focused on transforming life on the go for people  before, during, and after every drive. Leveraging our location platform, global brands such as Ford, GM, Toyota, and AT&T deliver custom connected car and mobile experiences. Fortune 500 advertisers and local advertisers can now reach millions of users with our highly-targeted advertising platform. To learn more about how Telenavs location platform powers personalized navigation, mapping, big data intelligence, social driving, and location-based ads, visit www.telenav.com.

About Waylens Privately-held Waylens creates automotive camera technologies and products that make the experience of car ownership and driving more enjoyable and exciting. It is a team of world-class engineers, designers, and car enthusiasts, who have a shared passion of building the best automotive cameras in the world that enable drivers to easily capture, edit, and share interesting moments and automotive performance data from the road. Backed by IDG Capital Partners and E14 Fund, the company is headquartered in Boston, MA with offices in Cincinnati, OH, Austin, TX, and Shanghai, China. For more information, visit: www.waylens.com.
Toyota 60 Years In USA

Toyota Celebrates 60 Years in the U.S.

After humble beginnings, Toyota is poised to transform from just a car company into a mobility company

PLANO, Texas (Oct. 31, 2017)  When Toyota launched its North American headquarters in a Hollywood, Calif., dealership on October 31, 1957, it was, no doubt, a frightening affair.

Halloween notwithstanding, a Japanese car company making a foray into the U.S. market was a bold move 60 years ago. And its first vehicle, the Toyopet Crown, didnt turn out to be a screaming success either.

But since those humble beginnings in a 3,000-square-foot, one-time Rambler dealership, Toyota has woven itself into the cultural fabric of America. Sixty years in, it encompasses a presence in every state, including 10 manufacturing facilities (14 in North America), nearly 1,500 Toyota and Lexus dealerships and 136,000 direct, dealer and supplier U.S. employees. And, the company recently unified operations by bringing together its quality engineering, sales, marketing, financial services and corporate functions in one location at a new North America headquarters campus in Plano, Texas.

Celebrating our anniversary isnt just about the products weve sold the past 60 years, said Toyota Motor North America CEO Jim Lentz. Its also about celebrating Toyotas thousands of employees who will help the company embark on the next leg of its American journey and continuing to improve our products and services for our customers.

To commemorate its 60th anniversary, Toyota rededicated a 50th anniversary time capsule originally dedicated at its former Torrance, Calif., headquarters in 2007. The capsulewhich includes items like a 2000GT die cast matchbox edition model car, an original key for a 1977 Toyota Hilux truck and a Toyota Formula One racer scale modelwill be re-opened on the 100th anniversary in 2057. Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiliere, who attended the ceremony, said the capsule marks a new chapter for Toyota.

As Toyota moved their North American corporate offices to Plano over the last three years, the entire region has experienced the positive impact of their team members unique character and culture. The entire organization exhibits a sense of purpose, innovation, and family. We are proud they call Plano home, and we are honored to be part of todays anniversary celebration, LaRosiliere said. We look forward to the next 60 years with Toyota in the City of Plano.

The Metal Toyotas American journey has been fueled by the cars it makes. In the 1950s that meant the Toyopet Crown and the now-legendary Land Cruiser. Introduced in the ?60s, the Corolla would go on to become the bestselling nameplate in the world.

The 70s got sporty with the Celica and the beloved Supra, while the 80s introduced the American public to Camry and 4Runner, among others.

In 1989, Toyota launched its luxury vehicle division, Lexus, in the U.S. with two models, the LS 400 and ES 250.

In the ?90s, Toyota filled out its lineup with models like the Tacoma, RAV4, Avalon and Sienna, and from Lexus, the GS, LX and RX.

In 2003, Toyota launched Scion to bring in younger customers and to test out revolutionary processes and products. As a result, the xB became an icon for a new millennium.

And, Toyota changed the world by pushing hybrid technology into the American mainstream with the Prius, which surfaced in 1997 and launched in the U.S. in 2000. More than a decade later, the iconic Prius was followed by another alternative fuel vehicle, the hydrogen fuel cell powered Mirai.

Manufacturing, Engineering and Captive Finance The ?70s were critical to operations. Toyota marked its first U.S. production, signing Atlas Fabricators of Long Beach (later changed to TABC) to make truck beds. Toyota Technical Center, which just celebrated its 40th anniversary in May, opened its first U.S. R&D facility and Calty Design Research opened its doors in Southern California.

Growth continued into the ?80s with the launch of manufacturing facilities in California and Kentucky. In addition, Toyota Motor Credit Corporation (now known as Toyota Financial Services), began operations in the U.S. in October 1982.

In the ?90s and ?00s, Toyota added vehicle and parts plants in Indiana, West Virginia, Alabama, Tennessee, Texas, Missouri and Mississippi. To support the rapid growth, Toyota consolidated its R&D and manufacturing operations under a single company in 2006.

The Future Over the years, Toyota Motor North America has transformed from just a sales company into a mobility company.

In 2016, the Toyota Research Institute launched, leading the way to autonomous vehicles, robotics, vehicle safety and materials science. In the same year, Toyota Connected was created to use data to personalize the customer driving experience.

What started as a single store in Southern California has evolved into an American institution that continues to bring jobs, mobility and technology to its communities.
Several Dead After Vehicle Hits People in NYC Amid Reports of Shots Fired

At least five people are dead and several more have been injured in Manhattan, according to reports.

The incident took place Tuesday afternoon along the West Side Highway, Manhattan, ABC reported, confirming that five people had died.

Officials told CBS NY that it might have been a road rage incident.

Three additional people were reportedly hurt in the incident.

One person is in custody and theres no active threat, police told CBS.

Due to police activity, avoid the area of Chambers Street/West St.

One person is in custody. Expect many emergency personnel in the area. pic.twitter.com/rSECr0LRCN  NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) October 31, 2017

First, a vehicle hit several people on a bike path on the West Side Highway, a witness told ABC, before it hit a school bus near Stuyvesant High School.

What happened was there was a car crash he came out of one of the cars. He had two guns. He was running around Chambers and somebody started to chase him, said a 14-year-old Stuyvesant student to the NY Post. I heard four to six gunshots  everybody starts running.

A car just ran over 2 people and then crashed into a school bus. I see two dead bodies and citibikes on the floor destroyed, one Twitter user wrote.

Oh my god I just heard gun shots and ran with my dog. Downtown, Josh Groban tweeted.

Mayors been briefed on extremely preliminary info. NO active threat. https://t.co/stFPJ01eo4  Eric Phillips (@EricFPhillips) October 31, 2017

All media responding to the incident in Lower Manhattan are asked to meet DCPI reps at Chambers Street and Greenwich Street. pic.twitter.com/p96qq0CQ1a  Martin Speechley (@NYPDSpeechley) October 31, 2017

Two dead by my job pic.twitter.com/NcodvPS7Mq  Mike (@el_dorado91) October 31, 2017

Everybody started running, a witness told ABC. Everything was happening so fast. The driver, meanwhile, kept going all the way down full speed.

I noticed along the bike path a bunch of wrecked bicycles and as I drove it was just more and more completely and totally wrecked bicycles and people mulling around to the side. I mustve seen 30 or 40 bicycles like that, one witness told CBS. I saw a lot of debris, like car parts of something in one of the piles of bicycles but it was a lot, they said.

The NYPD and first responders are on the scene, the New York City mayors office said in a statement to media outlets.
A gate is padlocked in front of Stormont Castle, the seat of devolved government in Belfast, Northern Ireland June 28, 2017. (Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne)

British Government Extends Northern Ireland Talks Deadline

BELFASTThe British government on Monday extended by 24 hours a deadline for Northern Irelands political parties to re-establish a devolved regional executive and avoid London setting the regions annual budget for the first time in a decade.

The pro-British Democratic Unionist Party and the Irish nationalist Sinn Fein party made progress in talks on Monday and they will continue talking on Tuesday, the British governments minister for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire said.

In the light of this, I believe it is right to defer the assessment on whether to introduce legislation to Parliament this week to enable an executive to be formed, Brokenshire said in a statement.

The parties will recommence talks in the morning and I will reassess the position tomorrow night, he said, adding that the British government would consider certain additional requests made by the parties.

Brokenshire had earlier indicated that if there was no deal by the end of Monday it would move to pass an annual budget for the region to ensure essential services are funded.

A budget set by the British government would be a major step towards direct rule from London for the first time in a decade, which observers have warned could destabilize a delicate political balance in the region.

The DUP and Sinn Fein have shared power for the past decade in a system created following a 1998 peace deal which ended three decades of violence in the province.

But Sinn Fein in January pulled out complaining it was not being treated as an equal partner.

Talks between Sinn Fein and the DUP have stalled in recent weeks, in large part over proposals to improve the rights of Irish language speakers.

Ahead of the talks, Sinn Fein regional assembly member Conor Murphy said the government could only be reformed on the basis of equality, rights and respect, which would require concessions from the DUP.

While the DUP also said it wanted to see the executive re-established, ahead of the talks it called for London to bring forward the budget to bring a measure of good government to Northern Ireland.

Neither party spoke to assembled media on the state of the talks on Monday evening.

The outcome of talks was not expected to have an impact on the DUPs agreement to support British Prime Minister Theresa Mays government in the British parliament.

By Amanda Ferguson
Car Crashes Into Police Cruiser, Kills 2 in NY State

Police in New York have identified three victims of a fatal crash on Interstate 390 that involved a police officer.

A car that was being driven by Kristina Maye of Bergen lost control and entered the median and hit an unmarked New York State Police car driven by an on-duty lieutenant as she was driving to the office on Oct. 30, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported.

Maye, 25, and boyfriend Terry Gilbert, 25, of Rochester, were pronounced dead on the scene, State Police said.

The police vehicle overturned, and the driver, Lt. Amie Feroleto, was helped from the vehicle by good Samaritan driver who stopped.

NEWS: Troopers ID 2 killed, trooper injured in I-390 crash  Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | Details: https://t.co/m9V9BTBHWp  WORLD ALERTS /7 (@WorldALERTS247) October 31, 2017

Feroleto suffered serious injuries, the paper reported. She was listed in satisfactory condition on Tuesday, it was reported.

Maj. Rick Allen on Monday said troopers are not sure why Mayes car went into oncoming traffic.

We may not ever know, he said. It doesnt appear weather was a factor in the accident.

WIVB reported that a third car hit the police cruiser, but the two people inside were not harmed.

[Feroleto] was conscious at the scene, said Allen. Her vehicle, after contact, did flip over. It was upside down in the road. There was nowhere to go to avoid the vehicle in front of her.

Its a matter of trying to put it together through witness reconstruction, added Allen of the investigation.

Interstate 390 was shut down for about seven hours after the crash, the Chronicle reported.
Council House Bribes for Returning Jihadis

Terror suspects could be given taxpayer-funded housing, counselling, and offered help to find a job in a new government strategy, according to reports.

The secret government strategy, codenamed Operation Constrainwould have suspected terrorists, including ISIS fighters returning from the Middle Eastbe given priority on the council housing waiting list.

If the suspect is unemployed or lacks qualifications, they could be helped into education or training, then offered a job in charities or public bodies.

The proposals, revealed by the Mail on Sunday, found that about 20,000 extremists who were previously investigated are to be targeted in the operation.

A Whitehall source told the news outlet, We are planning a number of pilots to explore the best way to diverting such people from terrorism and extremist activity.

How to deal with British terror suspects returning from Syria is an ongoing debate.

Former government counter-terrorism adviser Col Richard Kemp told the Telegraph that he thought it was a very much mistaken policy.

When you look at the profile of many of the people who have been involved in terrorist attacks in the UK, or travelled overseas, they do not come from deprived backgrounds.

He added, If someone is inclined to be an extremist, you are not going to bribe them into not being a terrorist. Its not going to change them.

Around 850 people are thought to have travelled from Britain to join ISIS in Syria, and 350 are thought to have returned.

A Home Office spokesperson told The Sun, The government is committed to doing everything possible to protect our communities from the threat of terrorism. To respond to this threat, it is vital that we use all the means at our collective disposal to divert people away from terrorist-related activity and we are exploring the best ways of doing this with our partners.

We are also reviewing our counter terrorism strategy to make sure we respond to the evolving threat in the most effective way we can, both now and in the future.

Earlier this month, Max Hill QC independent reviewer of terrorism in the UK said that young people had naively joined ISIS to fight in Syria and should be allowed back into the UK. His view is that they should be allowed to reintegrate into society.

In contrast, Rory Stewart MP, a former diplomat said that the only way to deal with almost all British ISIS terrorists was to kill them.

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.
First Victim of Serious Car Crash at Hands of Ukrainian Heiress Is Buried

The victim of a car crash that was caused by a Ukrainian oligarchs daughter was buried in a white gown, and her family said it was because she was deprived of the chance to get married.

The family of 22-year-old Diana Berchenko laid the woman to rest at a funeral in Kharkiv. Five other people perished in the crash after heiress Alyona Zaitseva, 20, ran a red light and hit another vehicle before hitting a crowd of people, MailOnline reported.

Another five people were also injured, including Berchenkos sister, Oksana.

Family members said the woman was buried in her gown as she was planning to marry soon but [this] moment was stolen from her, according to the Mail.

Her father, Igor Berchenko, said that injured Oksana hasnt been told that she lost her sister or her husbandwho was also killed in the crashdue to her medical condition.

Alyona Zaitseva: Daughter of Ukrainian oligarch could escape jail after killing five people inhttps://t.co/owMzOLzbNE pic.twitter.com/4EFzg9juAE  UNIAN.info (@UnianInfo) October 25, 2017

Oligarch's daughter Alyona Zaitseva detained after 44 ploughs into pedestrians and kills six via /r/news https://t.co/NQ05Ka5oZU pic.twitter.com/Em3qo7FPsW  NewsReddit (@NewsReddit) October 20, 2017

He also rejected compensation from Zaitsevas father, Vasily Zaitseva, who is the CEO of energy company Ukrenergochormet.

What do I need this compensation for? What should I buy with their money  shoes or trainers, or.? he said. What kind of compensation are we talking about? I will have to tell Oksana one day soon that there is no Sasha and no Diana.

Alyona Zaitseva could face up to 10 years in jail, the Independent reported, and she has been detained for two months until her trial. Lawyers for Zaitseva are working with the victims of the families, a legal expert told Vesti Ukraine TV.

Tragic Diana Berchenko pictures,sixth victim of horror crash in Ukraine https://t.co/UH8lYRDNwf pic.twitter.com/ST13lLlpTr  infowe (@infowe) October 26, 2017

Unfortunately, money can shut many mouths here, Ivan Liberman, a legal expert, said. Both injured people and relatives of the deceased can go to a notary office and sign statements that they received compensation and dont have any claims against the driver, he added.

I am sorry that this situation happened and people suffered, Zaitseva said of the crash, according to the Mirror.

Oligarch's daughter Alyona Zaitseva held after pedestrians are mown down in horror car crash in Ukraine city https://t.co/FMaXHE1V6V pic.twitter.com/UMgtMIu74u  MSN South Africa (@MSNSouthAfrica) October 19, 2017

It is only this that truly concerns me now, she said. I am hoping that the families will allow my parents to help them.

Zaitsevas family also released a statement: We are on our knees asking forgiveness for our daughter from the relatives of those who died and were injured in this terrible accident, The Independent reported.

All that we can do for the families of the dead, we will do. We have raised funds and are ready to provide all possible financial assistance. This is a terrible grief and there are no words to express the feelings of losing loved ones.

The statement added: We hope that the court will deal with this terrible accident, since there were two participants and two cars. We will take any fair decision of the court. This is a terrible grief for those people affected and for us.
Yang Jiechi (R) during a meeting at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on March 18, 2017. Yang was promoted to the 25-member Politburo after the 19th National Congress. (Lintao Zhang/Pool/Getty Images)

Former Chinese Ambassador to the US Unexpectedly Makes Chinas Elite Politburo

Jiang Zemin loyalist, Yang Jiechi, was involved in spreading a Chinese Communist Party hate campaign on US soil

Since the 19th National Congress concluded, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has been placing his allies in the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) top posts in different departments and ministries.

However, one official who has been loyal to the faction headed by former Party boss Jiang Zemin unexpectedly joined the regimes most powerful figures when he was promoted to the 25-member Politburo. The appointment of diplomat Yang Jiechi may signal the continued strength of the Jiang faction in the foreign ministry, or may be due to Yang switching his loyalty to Xis camp.

Yang was Chinese ambassador to the United States between 2001 and 2005 and is the current director of the Foreign Affairs Leading Group Office in the State Councilan influential position that shapes Chinas foreign policy. Yang also served as a diplomat in the United States in the mid-1980s and again in the early 1990s, when he served as minister of the Chinese Embassy in Washington.

Chinese media have widely speculated that after the CCPs Two Sessions in March next year, Yang will be named one of the four vice premiers, given his extensive diplomatic pedigree.

The Two Sessions, known in Chinese as Lianghui, are the annual plenary meetings of the National Peoples Congress, the Partys rubber-stamp legislature, and the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, which is an advisory body to the Party.

Candidates for the position of premierwhich current premier and Xi ally Li Keqiang is expected to assumeand four vice premiers will be voted on by the National Peoples Congress. This election process is a show, since those who will fill these roles are selected beforehand by Party leaders through horse-trading behind the scenes.

According to Hong Kong media outlet Apple Daily, Chinas diplomatic circle has been under the control of former CCP leader Jiang for decades, with notable Jiang faction officials like former Foreign Minister and Vice Premier Qian Qichen (19831998; 19932003), former Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan (19982003), former Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing (20032007), and Yang.

Through his anti-corruption campaign, Xi has been able to clean out many of his political enemies in the Jiang faction, allowing him to consolidate his rule within the CCP in the five years since he took power. But his influence outside of Chinas mainland has been called into question.

For example, only now will Xi and his camp be able to exert their influence in Hong Kong and Macau, with the appointment of Xis confidant Li Zhanshu to the Politburo Standing Committee, the top decision-making body of the CCP. According to precedent, his position as the third-highest ranked member suggests he will oversee the two cities.

Yang, while working as Chinese ambassador to the United States, was at the forefront of extending the Chinese Communist Party agenda overseas, including Jiangs persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual practice. In July 1999, Jiang ordered that practitioners of Falun Gong be detained, brainwashed, and tortured. The regimes media outlets then spread propaganda to turn public opinion against the practice.

Yang supported this campaign. According to the World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (WOIPFG), Yang publicly defamed Falun Gong during a luncheon hosted by the National Press Club in July 2001.

A year later, after adherents of Falun Gong filed a lawsuit in federal court against Jiang for genocide and crimes against humanity, Yang began reaching out to U.S. politicians, pressuring them not to voice public support for the case.

In an article published in September 2008 in Qiushi, the CCPs political journal, Yang summed up his diplomatic achievements, mentioning his success in preventing and containing Falun Gong.

Yang doesnt have a clean record either. In January 2014, Apple Daily reported that Yang tried to resign from his position at the State Council, admitting that he had allowed subordinates to illegally amass money. Yangs reported resignation came on the heels of an article by the mainland liberal publication Southern Weekly, which revealed that more than 100 Chinese diplomats were involved in a pyramid scheme that illegally raised over 1.3 billion yuan (about $196 million).

Yangs poor human rights record, and questionable financial dealings, have fueled speculation as to why he was promoted to the new leadership lineup.

His presence may signify that Jiang allies are still holding strong in the CCPs foreign policy apparatus. Or the promotion may suggest his political allegiance has changed.

In July, just before the 19th National Congress, Yang praised Xi by calling on CCP members to learn and implement deeply and thoroughly Xi Jinpings diplomatic ideology, according to a report by Taiwanese news media United Daily News.

To what extent Yangs expression of loyalty to Xi led to his new promotion is unclear.
Great British Bake Off: Prue Leith Accidentally Revealed Winner (No Spoilers)

Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith rushed to delete a tweet on Tuesday, Oct. 31, after she accidentally revealed the winner early.

The baker and television presenter tweeted, No one told me judging a #gbbo final would be so emotional. I wanted them all to win. Followed by, Bravo then the winners name.

The tweet was swiftly deleted a few seconds later, but not before many fans had noticed and shared her blunder.

She said she was mortified by her error, and that the tweet was early because she was confused by the time zone.

I am so sorry to the fans of the show for my mistake this morning, I am in a different time zone and mortified by my error #GBBO.  Prue Leith (@PrueLeith) October 31, 2017

As the tweet whirled through twitterdom, Leith expressed her regret over the gaffe.

She told the the Press Association, Im in Bhutan. The time difference is massive. I thought that they got it six hours ago. Im in too much of a state to talk about it.

Bhutan is six hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Social media users expressed a mixture of fury, sympathy, and humour at the revelation. Several users commented that the tweet ruined it for them.

Ruined it now for me. Cheers ?  Jane Pittaway (@janepittaway777) October 31, 2017

Reality TV star Cara de la Hoyde tweeted, This is absolutely devastating lets hope Prue is confused and thinks its April fools day.

The Suns Dan Wootton was criticised for retweeting Leiths remark to his 342,000 followers with the words, OMG PRUE! No baby no!

But many were understanding of the mistaken tweet.

These comments are likely to be a relief for executives at Channel 4, who are reportedly paying 25m ($33 million) for the show.

The final climax will be shown at 8 p.m. local time on Channel 4 on Tuesday, and is the first series to air after it transferred from BBC one.

The three finalists are Sophie Faldo, Kate Lyon, and Steven Carter-Bailey.

Its not the first time a presenter has let slip on the winners name on the series. In 2015, judge Mary Berry accidentally announced the winner of the Great British Bake Off during a radio interview, per The Telegraph.

Speaking to BBC Radio Two show host Chris Evans, the 80-year-old cook named the contestants who had left the show, Marie, Dorret, and on the first week it was lovely chap with the little hat on.

Judge Paul Hollywood was the only original member from the BBC series.

Leith took over from veteran baker Mary Berry while Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig replaced presenters Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins.
Idaho Mom Shaves Daughters Heads for Eating Ice Cream, Arrested Months Later

A mom from Canyon Country, Idaho was sentenced for beating her four children and shaving the heads of two girlsall because they ate a whole tub of ice cream.

Priscilla Zapata, 26, told relatives that she lost it after finding out her children, two boys, and two girls had eaten all the ice cream back in the evening of July 18 this year, NBC affiliate WCNC reported.

According to WCNC, Zapata allegedly beat all four of her children with a belt, causing bruising. Authorities did not reveal the age of the children.

One of the daughters told investigators that her mother had pushed her face into the ice cream and hit her everywhere.

One victim said Zapata allegedly shoved her face into the ice cream before shaving the heads of her and another girl to make them look like boys.  People  20171030

In addition, the other daughter said she felt like [she] was going to die after Zapata choked her against the wall, WCNC reported.

The mother is also accused of shaving off both girls heads as a form of punishment. One of the children said she did not say anything when her head was being shaved, for fear her mother would retaliate. Both the boys suffered from similar injuries and bruising, PEOPLE reported.

According to East Idaho News, the woman was found guilty of child abuse charge and was sentenced to 30 days in jail. She also has four years of felony probation.

Its fairly obvious that Ms. Zapata has some severe anger issues that she needs to address, and to her credit, she has been working on it through counseling and parenting classes, Canyon County Prosecutor Bryan Taylor told East Idaho News. Im hopeful that she can take advantage of the resources available to her while on probation and make the appropriate changes in her life to become a better parent.

But it took nearly three months after the incident for an arrest warrant to be issued.

Denise Robinson says she is upset after her daughter's school shaved the 7-year-old girl's head without contacting her or asking for permission. https://trib.al/KDi2Hmm  NECN  20171020

All of the four children were placed into the custody of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, WCNC reported. Zapatas next appearance in court is on Nov. 8, for a preliminary hearing.

A judge in her case, George Southworth, explained why he didnt sentence her to years in prison.

You have engaged yourself in appropriate treatment, your CPA case, and are involved in counseling, so it appears you are engaging in a process on how to better handle your children, Southworth said, reported East Idaho News. Youve caused a lot of damage to your children and its going to take you a long time, if ever, before you can rebuild that trust.

Another recent case, also involving shaved hair caused widespread outrage on social media.

A mother from Massachusetts is looking to sue a Dracut town group home, after staff sent her daughter to a salon to shave her head, with one of them claiming that her curly hair would grow back straight.

I am very upset. And Im not going to stop being upset because I feel like my child was assaulted and violated, mother Denise Robinson told NECN.

Robinson said the group home never contacted or even asked permission to shave her 7-year-old daughters hair. Tru is now nearly fully bald.

When the mother dropped off her daughter at Little Heroes Group Home earlier this month, her hair reached well past her shoulders, according to Daily News. Robinson said staff only told her the decision to cut off the hair was for hygiene reasons.

According to Yahoo, Robinson first took to Facebook to open up about the incident.

Tru was assaulted yesterday at school and anyone who knows me know that I never claim racism  But why was my daughters head shaved? she wrote. There are three other girls in her class, two white girls, one black, none of these girls got scaled. Why Tru?? she wrote.

THIS SCHOOL SHAVED THIS CHILDS HEAD WITHOUT PERMISSION!!!!!!!!!  pic.twitter.com/6kvoMNiK6z  k boo. (@AsForLitaa) October 18, 2017
Northern lights (aurora borealis) illuminate the sky over Reinfjorden in Reine, on Lofoten Islands, Arctic Circle, on September 8, 2017./Photographers waiting for the Northern Lights in Siberia on the night of Oct. 26 saw an unexpected sight. (Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images)

Is That Glow a UFO? NoIts an ICBM

A group of photographers camping out in Siberia to shoot the Northern Lights saw a sight every bit as spectacular and even more mysterious.

Viewers were stunned to see a huge, glowing, bubble of light rise into the sky. It was weird, it was unidentifiableand it was flying. It was an Unidentified Flying Object.

According to Siberian Times, many people saw the inexplicable bubble and at least five took pictures on the night of Oct. 2627.

Reports of a giant glowing ball lighting the sky over Salekhard, the Yamal peninsula https://t.co/yhhb05mx7Y pic.twitter.com/5Fd2cagPpH  The Siberian Times (@siberian_times) October 27, 2017

Some people described the bizarre bubble as a gap in the space-time continuum according to the Siberian Times. Others said it must have been aliens.

The actual explanation is a bit more mundane.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported on its Facebook page that it had launched a Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile from a missile base in northern Siberia that night.

According to the Facebook page, the Topol-M missile was fired from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northwestern Russia toward the Kura testing range in Kamchatka, which is on Russias far eastern Pacific peninsula.

The strange atmospheric effects caused by the missile launch came as a kind of extra treat for the photographers, who were there to capture what was predicted to be an exceptionally bright display of the Aurora Borealis.

From NTD.tv
Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo responds to a question during a media briefing at the Las Vegas Metro Police headquarters in Las Vegas on Oct. 3, 2017. Aaron Rouse, FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Las Vegas Division, looks on at right. (Reuters/Las Vegas Sun/Steve Marcus)

Las Vegas Police Officer Fired Weapon in Gunmans Mandalay Bay Suite

A police officer accidentally fired his weapon after breaching the 32nd-floor suite of Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddocks room, the Clark County sheriff told Las Vegas Review-Journal on Monday, Oct 31.

The revelation breaks more than two weeks of silence from authorities as they grow increasingly tight-lipped about the investigation surrounding the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo says that one of the officers who breached Paddocks room fired his weapon after the squad broke through a second door into a separate suite.

It happened and were investigating it, just like we do with any officer-involved use of force, Lombardo said. Nobody was struck.

It is unclear what prompted the accident.

Lombardo also confirmed that the only security cameras on the 32nd floor of Mandalay Bay faced the elevators. There we no cameras facing the hallway toward Paddocks room or the stairwell door right next to it, which security guard Jesus Campos approached before Paddock allegedly fired at him through the double doors of the suite.

Independent journalist Laura Loomer reported the fact that there are no cameras in the hallways at all MGM properties on Oct. 11. It is unclear why it took the authorities nearly a month after the shooting to confirm the information.

Authorities have for weeks refused to answer basic questions about the shooting, frustrating media outlets and fueling speculation online about what really happened on Oct. 1.

The Clark County coroner is yet to release the cause of death for Paddock. No surveillance footage of Paddock entering the hotel has been released.

According to the official timeline, Paddock started firing from his window shortly after 10 p.m., killing 58 people and injuring more than 500 before turning the gun on himself. Police breached his room at 11:20 p.m., more than an hour after he started firing, for reasons that remain unclear.

Authorities are not the only ones that appear to be controlling the flow of information about the shooting. MGM, the holding company of Mandalay Bay, has been paying for the hotel stay of security guard Jesus Campos, a central witness to the shooting, Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. Campos gave one interview to daytime comedian Ellen DeGeneres after canceling five interviews with major news networks.

Campos has since been subjected to a court subpoena by a victim of the shooting demanding answers.

Meanwhile, independent journalists on the ground in Las Vegas have been filling the information void. Epoch Times reported last week about a bullet hole discovered by independent journalist Laura Loomer. A man assisting Loomer used a laser pointer to trace the round to an unfinished Ferris wheel tower overlooking the Route 91 Harvest music festival stage.

That same tower has been pinpointed as the potential location of a second shooter in both an audio analysis and a muzzle-reflection analysis in theories posted by volunteers online.

From NTD.tv
A view of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on Oct. 3, 2017. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Las Vegas Security Guard Will Be Subpoenaed for by Shooting Victims Attorney

Jesus Campos, the Mandalay Bay security guard who was shot in connection with the Las Vegas massacre, will be subpoenaed to explain the timeline of events on that grim October night.

Campos was working as a security guard in the Mandalay Bay resort on Oct. 1, when Stephen Paddock opened fire with a series of rapid-fire weapons at a crowd attending a country music concert.

After the shooting, Campos disappeared from sight. He has made only one public appearance since the shooting, on the Ellen DeGeneres show on Oct. 18.

Jesus Campos & Stephen Schuck, the 1st people to encounter the Las Vegas shooter, tell their story on my show today. https://t.co/RXfwNCWc7o  Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) October 18, 2017

The interview has been criticized for its failure to ask any of the tough questions surrounding the case, and led to some speculation on Ellens possible connection with MGM Grand.

Campos will be forced to testify by a lawyer representing Rachel Sheppard, a 26-year-old from California who was shot three times during the attack.

Sheppards suit is one of six filed related to the attack.

Sheppard was shot in the chest and abdomen as she attended the concert, across the street from the resort.

I flew like three feet, she told the New Yorker. I mean, I just flew like a fish, just straight back.

People kept picking me up and dropping me, and picking me up and dropping me, because we kept hearing the shots, Sheppard said.

Somehow during the attack, one of Sheppards lumbar vertebrae was crackedpossibly while being dropped during one of these abortive rescue attempts.

Sheppard is suing MGM Resorts International, the owners of Mandalay Bay, Live Nation, a bump stock maker, and gunman Stephen Paddocks estate.

Jesus Campos to receive subpoena to testify on #LasVegasShooting timeline, and other facts, from attorney for Rachel Sheppard, shot 3 times.  Craig Fiegener (@CraigNews3LV) October 30, 2017

A bump stock is a mechanical device attached to the back of a firearm which uses recoil energy to pull the weapons back against the shooters trigger finger, allowing the gun to fire faster than the shooter could pull the trigger.

Paddock used at least one such device to effectively turn one of his semi-automatic AR-15 rifles into fully automatic, rapid fire machine guns. Some reports say that all twelve rifles he used were outfitted with them.

Timeline Inconsistencies

Campos was working as a security guard at the Mandalay Bar resort on Oct. 1, the night of the shooting. He initially claimed he was investigating an alarm set off by an open room door where he found Paddock firing out the window.

Campos was shot in the leg, but despite his wound, supposedly directed police to the gunmans room, and later helped evacuate guests.

No one disputes that Campos was shot in the legbut when, how, and why is unclear.

The original story was that Campos had approached Paddocks room and distracted the shooter, possibly saving lives.

However, there have been inconsistent reports about when Campos reported hearing gunfire and when he was shot.

Initially the police said Campos was shot after Paddock opened fire on the concert while the concert was underway. On Oct. 9, Las Vegas Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said Campos was shot at 9:59 p.m., six minutes before the concert began. Then on Oct. 13, Sheriff Lombardo said Campos was shot by the gunman at 10:05 p.m.

Questions remain on why the police had to search for the shooters room for twelve minutes if there was a security guard already at the door. According to a former guard, security personnel at Mandalay Bay use electronic logs to record their whereabouts, LA Times reported.

There was no alarm system for opened doors when I was there, the former guard said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to discuss security issues. You know how often people would have to call hotel guests if that was the case?

Campos also had a radio. On the Ellen DeGeneres show he claimed he called in the attack on his radio after he had been shot.

Campos said on the show that he went to the 32nd floor because of a stairwell door that wasnt opening. He said he couldnt open the door so he took the elevator from the 31st to the 32nd floor, where he saw that the door had been secured shut with a metal brace.

Mysterious Disappearance

After the shooting, Campos seemed to drop out of sight. First it seemed he was holed up in his home, with hired security guards out front.

Since Monday home of @MandalayBay security guard, Jesus Campos, guarded by private security today armed. #LasVegasShooting pic.twitter.com/6GZgGHB1eM  Craig Fiegener (@CraigNews3LV) October 11, 2017

Campos was completely out of sight for several days. He then turned up at the San Ysidro border crossing in Californiareentering the United States from Mexico about a week after the shooting.

This raises questions about how an important witness with a bullet wound in his leg could disappear from a crime scene and leave the country without police knowing where he was and for how long.

From NTD.tv
Meth was found among a child's Halloween candy in Kashena, Wisconsin, on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017. ("halloween candy 1" by andrechinn/Flickr)

Meth Found in Wisconsin Childs Halloween Candy

Methamphetamine was found in a childs Halloween candy on Sunday, Oct. 29, sparking fears that more children could be in danger.

A mother found a little yellow bag with a crystalline substance among her childs Halloween candy and turned it into the Menominee Tribal Police on the morning of Monday, Oct. 30. The substance tested positive for methamphetamine, also known as meth, police said.

The child was trick-or-treating at an event in the downtown area of Keshena on the Menominee Indian Reservation.

The child did not ingest any of the drugs, Menominee Tribal Police said.

They are asking parents to check their childrens Halloween candy for similar baggies, and to throw the candy away once theyve finished. They believe, however, that this is an isolated incident.

It is not clear whether the packet in the childs Halloween candy was intentional or an accident; police are asking anyone in the community with information to come forward.

Joshua Lawe, a Menominee Tribal Police detective, said that if the meth had gotten out of the bag, it could have harmed the child, and could have even be a hazard to the parents.

To compensate for the lost candy, the community has organized another trick-or-treat event for children in the community for Tuesday, Oct. 31.

Authorities said they have been making progress combating synthetic marijuana in the community, but at the same time are seeing a rise in meth.

Due to the incident, the Keshena Primary School posted on their Facebook page that students will not be allowed to bring candy to any of the schools Halloween parties. The school said it will provide treats for the children.

Teachers and staff also checked all the childrens backpacks, it said, and confiscated any candy found in them.

From NTD.tv
Justin Rey, 35, was charged with two counts of child endangerment and two counts of contributing to a childs misconduct after he was found living in a storage unit with his two daughters, one 2 years old and the other 5 days old. (Johnson County Sheriff's Office)

Mothers Remains Found in Storage Unit, Family Say; Husband Imprisoned

Police were called to a storage facility in Lenexa, Missouri, Tuesday, Oct. 24 based on reports that people were sleeping inside a storage unit there.

What they found was Justin Rey, 35, with his 2-year-old toddler and 5-day-old baby, and the remains of a human, who could be Reys wife.

A witness told Fox 4 Problem Solvers that Rey showed up at a restaurant with his two daughters and said that he was waiting on money from the military so that he could go back to Arizona where he was from. He also told the witness and his wife that Jessica Monteiro Rey, Justin Reys wife, had recently died in childbirth.

The witness said he felt sorry for him and for the girls, who the witness said did not look well, and offered to take him to the train station. Before heading to the station, they went to pick up Reys stuff at a storage facility.

There, the witness saw Rey bring out a bottle of urine and a cooler that was oozing brown liquid.

I wasnt smelling anything foreign or foul, but I wondered, the witness told Fox 4. My mind was racing about whats in these containers.

Before they left, police showed up, and they took Rey into custody after finding no diapers or food for the children. He was later charged with two counts of child endangerment and two counts of contributing to a childs misconduct.

Rey first told police that his wife died in childbirth, then later that she committed suicide, KCTV reports.

The last time she was seen alive was at WoodSpring Suites in Kansas City on Oct, 20. Three days later, Justin Rey checked out of the room carrying a similar cooler, KCTV reports.

Later, police found human remains in the cooler.

I can say they were remains  such that they were not readily identifiable sex, age, race, Danny Chavez, a Lenexa police spokesman told KCTV.

Police are waiting to announce the identity of the remains till an autopsy is completed. However, local media reported that the family was told by police that the remains belonged to Monteiro Rey.

Speaking from California, Monterio Reys family said they are trying to wrap their heads around the news.

Jessica didnt see any negative in the world all her life, she just couldnt see it, her sister Sara Monteiro told Fox 4. She was always happy and friendly, no matter what. She was a great big sister; more like a mom and best friend.

She was always loving and caring, and she knew what family meant.

Rey is due back in court on Nov. 2.

From NTD.tv
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (3rd L) meets with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (3rd R) at Abe's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 31, 2017. (REUTERS/Kazuhiro Nogi/Pool)

NATO Chief Urges Full Implementation of North Korean Sanctions to Counter Global Threat

TOKYONATO chief Jens Stoltenberg urged all United Nation members on Tuesday, Oct. 31, to fully and transparently implement sanctions against North Korea, which he said has emerged as a global threat able to fire ballistic missiles as far as Europe and North America.

North Koreas ballistic and nuclear tests are an affront to the United Nations Security Council, North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a joint announcement in Tokyo, where he met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

They pose a global threat which requires a global response, Stoltenberg said.

Pyongyang has undertaken an unprecedented missile testing program in recent months, as well as its biggest nuclear test yet in early September.

Stoltenbergs trip to Tokyo comes ahead of U.S. President Donald Trumps first official visit to Asia, which starts in Japan on Sunday.

Talks about North Korea are expected to dominate a trip that will include a stop in Beijing, where Trump is expected to pressure Chinas leadership to act more decisively against Pyongyang. China is North Koreas major ally and trading partner.

Rather than dialogue it is necessary to cause North Korea to change policies by raising the pressure to the maximum, Abe said in a joint announcement with Stoltenberg.

Trump has warned North Korea it would be totally destroyed if it threatened the United States with ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons. North Korea stoked tensions last week when it reiterated a threat to conduct an atmospheric nuclear test over the Pacific Ocean in a demonstration of its nuclear capability.
New York police have made no arrests following the recent rash of knockout game-style attacks. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

New Yorkers Hit in Possible knock-out game Attacks

Two people in New York have been targeted in the past month by gangs of youths in attacks which resemble the so-called the knock-out game.

The most recent incident involved a 43-year-old man outside a Shake Shack at Old Fulton and Water streets in New Yorks DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) on Oct. 26.

The victim was walking his dogs at around 9:15 p.m. on a quiet Thursday night when a group of teens leaving the shake Shack decided to attack him. First they threw water and milkshakes at him; then they surrounded him and knocked him unconscious with a punch to the jaw.

As he went to tie up his dogs to confront these kids, the group distracted him from the front and then one came up behind him and hit him in the head, a witness said.

While the man lay on the pavement, dazed, one of his attackers took a selfie with him before the group ran off into the night.

One boy ran up and crouched down and posed for a photo next to the guy that was passed out and then the rest of the group just kind of ran off and scattered, the witness added.

There is no point to it, its crazy, said Charisma Jano-Baptiste, 28, as she stood outside the Shake Shack where a man was assaulted.

Its not cool, said a worried Shake Shack employee. Yeah, Im scared. What if Im next?

A similar attacks occurred on Manhattans Lower East Side on Sept. 25.

Susan Farina, 53, was walking her dog near Essex and Grand streets when three young men strolled by.

One guy was saying to the other two, Im gonna do it, yo. Im gonna do it, yo, Farina said. I still didnt think anything of it.

Then one of the youths attacked.

It felt like somebody hit me with a two-by-four, Farina said. I saw stars.

Farina has no idea how long she lay on the pavement, unconscious. When she got up, the three attackers were gone.

But no arrests have yet been made and the motives for the attacks are still unknown. Police are asking for help in identifying the suspects.

3 BLACKS ATTACK FEMALE WHITE NEW YORK WOMAN IN "KNOCKOUT" ATTACK. pic.twitter.com/BQ0z7o7iJ1  james olsson (@james_olsson) October 30, 2017

Some people worry that the police are helpless in the face of such random attacksand that potential victims have no protection.

How do they get a handle on something like that? Its worrisome. Im a petite woman, said Krystin Clark, 25, a Brooklyn student, who said if she sees a pack of teenagers, Im definitely crossing the street. It makes me very sad.

New Yorkers recall a spate of similar attacks about four years ago.

The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force arrested a 35-year-old Brooklyn man, Barry Baldwin, for committing at least seven knockout assaults, all on white women, most of whom were Jewish.

Other attackers were involved though. A 34-year-old woman, six months pregnant, was knocked unconscious while walking with her sister down a street in Bedford-Stuyvesant in the middle of the afternoon. Jannatul Ferdous was not seriously injured and her unborn baby was fine.

Her attacker, a 33-year-old man named Willie Stephens, was caught a few blocks away based on the description given by Ferdous sister.

Another victim was hurt much more seriously. Retired cab driver Donald Lathrom, 72, was knocked out and left lying, with his brain bleeding inside his skull by an unidentified man who fled with a friend. This attack, also in broad daylight, took place in the West Village.

From NTD.tv
This aerial photo shows the apartment, center, where police found dismembered bodies in coolers in Zama city, southwest of Tokyo, on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. A police spokesman said Tuesday the 27-year-old suspect confessed to cutting up the bodies and hiding them in cold-storage cases, covered with cat litter. (Kyodo News via AP)

Nine Headless Bodies Found in Apartment in Quiet Tokyo Suburb

Police officers following the lead for a missing woman stumbled upon the headless bodies of 9 people with their flesh stripped off in a quiet suburban neighborhood in Tokyo on Tuesday, Oct. 31, Yahoo News reported.

Investigators say eight of the bodies are female and one is male, NHK reported. Investigators found two severed heads in a cooler at the entrance of the second-floor apartment in Zama City before making the rest of the grim discoveries, Japan Times reported. Eventually, the heads of all nine bodies were found in coolers and other locations.

Police searched the home on Tuesday after arresting 27-year old Takahiro Shiraishi in connection to a missing 23-year-old woman from Hachioji, Tokyo.

The woman met Shiraishi online after she posted messages about wanting to commit suicide, but being scared to do so alone. The womans brother reported her missing on Oct. 24 after losing contact with her on Oct. 21. The brother logged into a suicide website the woman posted on using her credentials and found messages from Shiraishi.

Police say Shiraishi admitted to killing the 23-year-old woman the first time he met her. The man also said that he killed all nine people found in his apartment since he moved in late August.

A search of the apartment turned up a saw that was used to dismember the bodies. Shiraishi told police that he hacked the flesh and organs off the bodies in his bathroom and disposed of everything in the trash. The man also said he sprinkled the remains with cat litter to cover up the smell.

Its true that I tried to hide the bodies of the people I killed to destroy evidence, local media quoted Shiraishi telling the police.

Japanese police used blue tarps to cover views of the building as media swarmed the area. The windows of the 2nd-floor apartment were also covered as investigators worked the scene.

Police plan to use DNA testing to determine the identities of the bodies.

Surveillance footage shows Shiraishi walking with the 23-year-old woman last Monday, Oct. 23. He reportedly admitted to taking money from his victims and that the theft was part of his motive.

The mans neighbors were shocked to learn of the grim discovery.

Its really cruel. He used a saw to dismember the bodies or something. He must be abnormal to have done such things, said Hideaki Hosogaya, 83.

I thought it smelled like sewage, another neighbor told Japan Times. It was something I never smelled before.

Another neighbor described Shiraishi as a cheerful, kind and polite man.

A neighbor who recently moved next to the home of Shiraishis family said he often saw Shiraishi outside late at night.

He was sitting in front of the door and looking at his cellphone, he said. It felt creepy.

Twitter users drew the connection between the grisly scene and Halloween.

Nine dismembered bodies found on the day of Halloween, one user wrote. Humans are definitely scarier than ghosts.

What a psychotic event on Halloween, another user tweeted. I dont think I could bear 10 minutes with nine dead bodies around.

From NTD.tv
Parent Holds Teacher Hostage as California School Goes into Lockdown

A school in Riverside, California, was evacuated after a parent reportedly barricaded him or herself inside a classroom, officials said Tuesday, Oct. 31.

NBC Los Angeles reported that a parent is holding a teacher hostage at Castle View Elementary School, at 6201 Shaker Drive.

All 670 students were evacuated to a park off-campus, said the Riverside Unified School District in a statement.

Unfortunately, at this time we cannot release any students until the lockdown order has been lifted, the statement said. We will communicate with you again as soon as the situation is resolved and give you further instructions on student pickup.

I'm outside Castle View Elementary in Riverside. Police and fire have blocked off Shaker Drive. pic.twitter.com/jhDek0dXmb  Brian Rokos (@Brian_Rokos) October 31, 2017

RIVERSIDE UPDATE: Police say school has been evacuated, area where barricade is occurring is isolated https://t.co/fjBYX0YMO8 pic.twitter.com/QwSOwpjZH0  CBS Los Angeles (@CBSLA) October 31, 2017

Other details were not made clear.

According to ABC7, Officer Ryan Railsback said, One other adult, possibly a teacher or a staff member, was believed to be inside the classroom with the parent.
Parents of Children in Deadly Michigan Buggy Crash Are Identified

Michigan State Police identified the parents of children who were killed when a vehicle collided with a horse-drawn buggy.

Three children died in the accident near Sheridan, Michigan.

Paul Martin, 40, of Sheridan was in stable condition on Monday, Oct. 30, and his wife, 34-year-old Judith Martin, was listed in critical condition at a Grand Rapids hospital, The Associated Press reported.

Two sons, ages 12 and 7, and their 9-year-old daughter were killed in the accident, officials stated.

Police say that seven of the couples children were inside the buggy when the crash occurred in central Michigan, where many Amish communities are located.

Three sons of the couple are still hospitalized in Grand Rapids and are in stable condition. Their 18-month-old daughter was released after she was hospitalized.

3 children killed, 6 others injured in truck vs. buggy crash in Michigan: https://t.co/oT72piSUeM pic.twitter.com/cd0zuwZKPQ  WBIR Channel 10 (@wbir) October 31, 2017

Michigan police: Buggy crash kills 3 kids, injures 6 others https://t.co/IZHIp1WfSL pic.twitter.com/zgtsTFglCZ  Cleveland 19 News (@cleveland19news) October 30, 2017

Three children killed in Michigan buggy crash https://t.co/1VZ1bQUtdq  Detroit Free Press (@freep) October 30, 2017

Michigan police: Buggy crash kills 3 kids, injures 6 others https://t.co/HtugS6n3Gt  Lansing Local News (@lansingtvnews) October 30, 2017

The driver of a pickup truck, a 29-year-old man from Sheridan, is being questioned. He was not injured in the crash, and police said that neither drugs or alcohol were involved. An investigation continues.

Fox 17 was the first to report on the devastating crash:

A cousin of the family talked to FOX 17 Monday afternoon. She said that she and her husband were in another buggy just ahead of the Martins when the crash happened. She says that the family doesnt need monetary support, but needs hot meals, firewood and help with chores during this time. Friends and neighbors were at the Martins dairy farm Monday morning to help on the farm. They told FOX 17 that they want to help keep the farm well-kept for the Martins. Along with help on the farm, they also say the family is asking for prayers.

According to a pastor at a nearby church, the Martins are well-known, and locals are struggling to cope.
South Koreans watch a television news showing a video footage of a man who claims he is Kim Han-Sol, a nephew of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un, at a railway station in Seoul on March 8, 2017. (Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images)

Plot to Assassinate Half-Nephew of North Korean Leader Exposed: Source

A plot to assassinate the half-nephew of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has been exposed, according to a source inside North Korea.

According to JooonAng Iblo newspaper, seven North Korean agents were involved in a plot to assassinate the son of Kim Jong-Nam, who was himself killed by poisoning earlier this year.

Two agents were arrested in Beijing, reported the South Korean newspaper on Oct. 30, citing a source in North Korea.

Kim Han-Sol, 22, is the son of Kim Jong-Nam, the estranged half-brother of the secretive North Korean communist party leader.

Special operatives belonging to the Norths reconnaissance team penetrated [China] to remove Kim Han-sol, but some of them were arrested last week by the Chinese Ministry of National Security and are currently under investigation at facilities outside Beijing, a former North Korean official said, according to the paper.

The official said the team of seven had been trying to identify the location of the North Korean leaders half-nephew and establish an access route, JoongAng reports.

The assassination plot was picked up by the more intensive security apparatus put in place for the Chinese Communist party conference.

Two women are currently on trial for the murder of Kim Jong-Nam, who was killed at a Malaysia airport in February, with U.S. and South Korean intelligence agencies pointing the finger at North Korean agents.

The North Korean leaders family is surrounded with secrecy, with the flow of information in and out of the military dictatorship tightly controlled.

That cloud of mystery has even followed members of the family outside North Korean borders.

Han-sol is thought to be seeking legal refuge outside North Korea, according to analysts. However, he must do so secretly to avoid further provoking the leadership in Pyongyang.

His father was reportedly considering officially defecting before he was killed.

Kim Han-Sol currently lives in Macau at his mothers house under iron-like protection, according to the Korean Herald.

He has been telling the people around him that he is glad that his family is safe, but the protection program is suffocating. He has also been consuming alcohol often during the daytime, while saying that he had more freedom working in Macau, TV Chosun, a media outlet in South Korea, said on Oct. 9, according to the Herald.

Han-Sol was born in North Korea and moved to Macau in the 2000s, when his father was exiled. He has also lived in Europe.

Han-Sols precise relationship with the North Korean regime and his immigration status are unclear.

Despite a few unguarded remarks made in his youth about his uncle being a dictator, has not been explicitly outspoken about the regime.

At the age of 17, in a 2012 interview for Finnish television, he said, Ive always dreamed that one day I would go back and make things better, and make it easier for the people there. He also spoke on his dream of unification for North and South Korea.

Han-Sol prompted a stir when a video of him appeared on March 7, following the recent death of his father.

My name is Kim Han-sol from North Korea, part of the Kim family, he said in English, explaining that he was with his mother and sister.

The authenticity of the video was initially doubted as it had been posted on a website which had mysteriously appeared only a few days earlier, apparently belonging to a newly formed organisation which offers protection and assistance to those escaping North Korea.

Some believe the organisation, Cheollima Civil Defense, could be run by foreign intelligence agents or set up as a broker between high-ranking North Korean officials and foreign governments. Confusingly, Cheollima refers to a mythical flying horse but is commonly used as a propaganda symbol in North Korea.

South Korean intelligence officials later verified that the person in the video was Han-sol, according to Yonhap and Reuters.

Han-Sol theoretically has a more legitimate claim to inherit the leadership of the party than current leader Kim Jong-Un, because his mother is Korean. Jong-Uns mother is Japanese, potentially weakening his position, according to an article in the New Yorker.

Explaining how the legitimacy was still tied to Korean tradition, Suki Kim wrote: According to the North Korean caste system, called songbun, people born in Japan or South Korea, the nations archenemies, are categorized in a lower classKim Jong-uns heritage on his mothers side would be considered impure.'
Scotland Yard hopes that their new BMW motorbikes will help them chase down moped criminals. (Metropolitan Police)

Police Unveil New Tactics Used to Clampdown on Moped Crime

Scotland Yard have revealed their strategy for dealing with the rising number of moped criminals in London.

Their newly unveiled tactics to tackle the criminals include forensic tagging spray, lightweight police motorbikes, and remote controlled stingers.

Met Commissioner Cressida Dick announced the tactics to the media on Tuesday, Oct. 31.

Moped thefts have increased sharply, by as much as 60 percent in the past two years. Police said thieves stole 1,009 mopeds in London in October 2015; this April they stole 1,598, according to Sky News.

Criminals often mugged people for their mobile phones with iPhones being the most popular target, according to police.

Attacks usually involve two people on a moped, with the pillion rider stealing the phone.

Earlier this month, 28-year-old Abdul Samad was stabbed to death after two moped criminals stole his iPhone in Paddington.

In July, Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe helped a tourist who was slashed in the face by muggers on a moped. The victim, a man in his 50s, was targeted for his Louis Vuitton bag while in Londons Chelsea, per the Telegraph.

We have brought all our tactics and specialists together to use every ethical option to put a stop to the rise, the commissioner said.

She added, I have been clear that tackling violence is my priority. I was angered by the apparent perception amongst some criminals that they could operate with near impunity, committing strings of offences using scooters.

Police hope that their four new BMW motorbikes will help them chase down suspects on mopeds.

The forensic tagging spray can be sprayed onto moped thieves as they take off. The spray can be detected later via UV light if the suspect is arrested.

A source told the Evening Standard, They [the police force] will be able to get ahead of moped gangs and set up traps using the mobile stingers or the DNA spray. It gives us much greater flexibility and movement.

Since the police force has used the new tactics, it said that the number of mopeds stolen has steadily decreased, along with the number of moped-related crimes. There was a 25 percent decrease in the number of thefts on mopeds in the last three months, between July and September 2017.

The commissioner also urged communities to channel their outrage in an effort to make the city safer.

Look after your belongings, follow our security advice and tell us about the people who are responsible for crime in your communities and help us tackle them, she said.

We know that our criminal cohort committing crime on scooters also carry knives, have links to networks who handle stolen property, and who deal drugs. So if you are a persistent phone thiefusing a scooter to commit your crimesand we can prove your involvement in other offences, such as drug dealing, you will be arrested.
Actress Rose McGowan raises her fist during her opening remarks to the audience at the Women's March / Women's Convention in Detroit, Michigan, on October 27, 2017. (Rena Laverty/AFP/Getty Images)

Rose McGowan Arrest Warrant: Are they trying to silence me?

An arrest warrant has been filed against actress Rose McGowan, an outspoken critic of the culture of sexual harassment in Hollywood.

The warrant cites McGowan for felony possession of a controlled substance.

According to CBS News the charge stems from an investigation into personal possessions left behind on a United Airlines flight into Washington Dulles International Airport on Jan. 20.

Police say the unnamed items tested positive for narcotics.

CBS said the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department received the warrant on Feb. 1. The police didnt explain why they took no action on the warrant for ten months.

McGowan denies having or using illegal drugs. In a tweet she suggests that the months-old warrant is an attempt to stop her crusade to end sexual harassment and assault.

McGowan has accused Harvey Weinstein of raping her at the Sundance Film Festival in 1997. The actress subsequently took a $100,000 cash payoff to not publicize her claims. Weinstein said the payoff was not to be construed as an admission of guilt but was instead intended to avoid litigation and buy peace, according to a legal document reportedly reviewed by the New York Times.

McGowan said she chose not to press charges on the advice of a female criminal attorney.

a (female) criminal attorney said because I'd done a sex scene in a film I would never win against the studio head. #WhyWomenDontReport  rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) October 14, 2016

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 New York Times reports that Harvey Weinstein had bought off at least eight women, who later revealed that he had abused or molested them.

McGowan also claims that former Hollywood studio executive Harvey Weinstein, now facing at least three investigations for sexual assault, offered her one million dollars to keep her mouth shut.

McGowan, since coming forward, has decided to lead the charge against the culture of accepted sexual harassment and assault. McGowan was the keynote speaker at the Womens Convention at Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan on Oct. 27, where she encouraged women to report on all sexual harassment incidents.

Harvey Weinstein is 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.

Many people in Hollywood had heard stories about Weinsteins behavior, but took no action.

Musician and actress Courtney Love publicly warned aspiring Hollywood actresses about Harvey Weinstein at a comedy program back in 2005.

Love was attending a Comedy Central event in Hollywood when she was asked if she had any advice for aspiring actresses. She responded, Ummm, Ill get libeled if I say it. If Harvey Weinstein invites you to a private party in the Four Seasons, dont go.

From NTD.tv
Sheriff Explains Why He Works With ICE

Says immigration enforcement is a national security issue and law enforcement across the country should help

BETHESDA, Md.Sheriff Chuck Jenkins swears by the 287(g) program, calling it a force multiplier for immigration enforcement and an effective way to keep criminals off the streets.

The 287(g) program was added to the Immigration and Nationality Act in 1996 under President Bill Clinton, and is a cooperation agreement between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and a state or local law enforcement agency.

Under the agreement, designated officers are trained and supervised by ICE to perform some immigration law enforcement functions within jail settings.

When Jenkins was elected sheriff for Frederick County, Maryland, in 2006, one of his priorities was to join the program.

I believe its a real key piece of national security, he said at a public event on Oct. 17. I believe it achieves the goal of keeping the county safer; it keeps the criminals from being released back onto the street and not being released back to commit more serious crimesall the things that we find people are victims of all over the country.

Jenkins said the added workload for his department is negligible and ICE handles all the costs.

As a sheriff, I have an obligation to do everything within my power  with the legal means I have, to use every program, every resource, every tool to do what I can to protect the citizens of my county.  Chuck Jenkins, sheriff, Frederick County, Maryland

Really, what we do is facilitate a process. We help ICE in determining their [an inmates] immigration status, he said. If here illegally, they are usually placed in deportation proceedings by ICE.

The only inquiries that we make are once an individual is arrested and taken to our booking center at the jail. Everybody is asked two questions: Where were you born?, and, What country are you a citizen of?

If the detainee answers anything other than the United States, an immigration status check is conducted using the federal database. Jenkins said most people are honest, because they know that the consequences of lying are far greater.

Deputies never ask an individuals immigration status while responding to an incident, while on a traffic stop, or while conducting an investigation, Jenkins said.

I guarantee you  nobody is out there asking questions about immigration status on the street. It just simply doesnt happen, he said.

Sanctuaries

Nationwide, many jurisdictions have created so-called sanctuary cities, which ban or limit local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. These sanctuaries refuse to alert ICE when an inmate is being released, or refuse to hold an inmate for up to 48 hours longer in order for ICE to take custodyeven when ICE issues a federal detainer warrant.

Last month, ICE arrested a convicted felon in New York after the NYPD had refused to honor the detainer request lodged by ICE and released him.

Pablo Garcia-Taveras, 45, a Dominican national, was previously convicted of felony criminal possession of a controlled substance and felony attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance. He had also previously been deported twice.

Every day, our officers put their lives on the line to arrest criminal aliens who could have easily been transferred to ICE custody within the confines of a secure jail environment, said Thomas Decker, field office director for ICEs Enforcement and Removal Operations in New York.

Jenkins said he doesnt view ICE detainers any differently than those from other agencies, like the FBI, the U.S. Marshals, or the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Were going to honor their detainers, were going to honor their requests with holds on prisoners, he said.

In September, ICE arrested almost 500 individuals in sanctuary jurisdictions that deny ICE access to jails and prisons to interview suspected immigration violators, or that do not honor ICE detainers.

Of the 498 individuals taken into custody, 317 had criminal convictions, 68 were immigration fugitives, 104 were previously deported criminal aliens, and 18 are gang members or affiliates, according to ICE.

Jenkins said some politicians in his local city election have been talking about making Frederick a sanctuary city.

The bottom line is, it cant be, because of what were doing at the detention center, he said. Everybody thats arrested in Frederick City comes to my jail. Therefore, youre subject to removal if youre in the country illegally. So they can call it what they want, but Frederick City and Frederick County are not going to be sanctuaries.

Jenkins is elected directly by the people in Frederick County, rather than by the county executive, which is the case in other counties, such as neighboring Montgomery County.

That gives Jenkins the freedom to join programs such as the 287(g) without political interference.

However, he said, County Executive Jan Gardner has told him she doesnt like the program.

If she had her way, it would be gone. I told her as long as Im sheriff, were going to have it, Jenkins said. As a sheriff, I have an obligation to do everything within my power  with the legal means I have, to use every program, every resource, every tool to do what I can to protect the citizens of my county.

Slimmed Down 287(g) Program

The original 287(g) program included a task force component, under which local 287(g)-designated officers were authorized to carry out immigration enforcement actions on the street. Under the task force model, officers could question individuals about their immigration status, serve warrants for immigration violations, and issue immigration detainers.

The task force part was stripped out in 2009 by the Obama administration, and 287(g) now just includes agreements that involve cooperation within jails, prisons, and detention centers.

Since 2008, when Frederick County joined the program, the sheriffs department has cooperated with ICE with 1,525 individuals who were identified as being in the country illegally and committing crimes in the county, Jenkins said.

Almost 1,400 of those individuals with detainers were placed into removal proceedings, with eventually a final order of removal, Jenkins said. So those people who committed crimes in our county, for the most part, are now gone.

Jenkins said that of the roughly 1,400 people, 67 were validated gang members, and of them, 18 had some type of specialized training, such as sniper or commando training, or they were martial artists, knife fighters, or trained assassins.

Theyre the type of people that are coming across our borders and happened to infiltrate and get to this part of the country, he said.

Jenkins said it doesnt take a 287(g) agreement to cooperate with ICE.

All you have to do is pick up the phone as a detention center, as a Bureau of Corrections, and say, Listen, Ive got someone you want on a detainer. Theyre in my jail. Im going to release them in 48 hours.

I guarantee you, ICE will show up and pick him up.

Jenkins said the citizens of Frederick County are by and large overwhelmingly supportive of his department.

He said the serious crime rate in the county, as categorized by the FBI and Department of Justice, is less than half of the national average.

Im not tying that directly and solely to our participation with ICE in the program, but that certainly plays a part, Jenkins said.

Chilling Effect

Jenkins said the 287(g) program gets a bad rap from media and advocacy groups, mostly because they misconstrue what the program does, and doesnt, do.

Most politicians in sanctuary jurisdictions say that cooperating with ICE creates a chilling effect in immigrant communitiesmeaning victims and witnesses of crime stop coming forward because they are afraid of being deported.

However, protections such as the U-visa already exist for illegal aliens who are victims or witnesses of crime. And law enforcement officers dont ask the immigration status of witnesses and victims of crimes, unless they themselves have been arrested for a crime.

Thats why I dont buy this argument [of] the chilling effect, Jenkins said. The local immigrant communities want to make them safer. They dont want to be victims in their own communities. And we find that, by and large, the immigrant community cooperates with us because they know those protections are there.

Beyond only operating in jails, the 287(g)-designated officers are able to issue prosecutorial releases, which means an illegal alien could avoid being placed into deportation proceedings.

If youre arrested and we determine that youre in the country illegally, if there is a humanitarian reason, like youve got some type of illness, cancer, youre pregnant, youre a sole provider for a family or children, or its a very minor offense  were going to cut [you] loose.

Jenkins said his department has issued 204 prosecutorial releases since 2015.

Cost of Program

Aside from the cost of sending deputies and corrections officers to South Carolina for training, there is no ongoing cost to the sheriffs department.

Not one dollar of Frederick County taxpayer money goes into that program, Jenkins said. He said ICE pays for everything, including the training, the computers to do the database checks, the fingerprinting equipment, the language lines for interpretation, and the transportation of detainees.

ICE has absolute oversight and supervision of the program, he said. They look at every file, they look at every detainereverything is reviewed for sufficiency, for legal accuracy. ICE supervisors come into our jail every day.

Jenkins said his department could not have a better relationship with ICE.

There are not enough ICE agents out there to do the job, there simply isnt, Jenkins said. So they need the help of law enforcement, they need the help of corrections, and they need the help of the prisons and sheriffs across the country to make this work.

Two other counties (out of 23) in MarylandHarford and Anne Arundelhave 287(g) agreements with ICE.

In total, ICE now has agreements with 60 law enforcement agencies in 18 statesalmost double the number of active programs in 2016, according to data on ICEs website.
Spain Awaits Next Move by Ousted Catalan Leader From Belgium

MADRIDSpains foreign minister said on Tuesday he would be surprised if Belgium granted political asylum to Catalan secessionist leader Carles Puigdemont, who turned up there after Madrids dismissal and takeover of Catalonias regional government.

By Tuesday, the Madrid government had gained the upper hand in the protracted struggle over Catalonias independence drive.

Resistance to Madrids imposition of direct control on the autonomous region failed to materialize at the start of the week on Monday. The secessionist leadership is in disarray, and attention is now turning to a regional election called by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy for Dec. 21 as a way out of the crisis.

But Puigdemont, whose parliament declared an independent Catalan republic on Friday before being removed by Rajoy, remains a thorn in Madrids side. He was due to make a statement later on Tuesday in Brussels, where he was seen by journalists on Tuesday after having dropped out of sight for 24 hours.

Spains prosecutor called for charges of rebellion and other crimes to be laid against him, which carry combined sentences of more than 30 years in prison. Spains Supreme Court also began proceedings for rebellion against the Catalan parliament speaker and other senior lawmakers, a court spokesman said on Tuesday.

Any request for asylum in Belgium could lead to a diplomatic dispute between the two European Union nations. But Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis appeared to play down that prospect for now.

We have no certainty of what he is doing, he told Cadena Ser radio. We would be a bit surprised, given the situation regarding the right of asylum in Europe, but the actions of ex-president Puigdemont are not easy to foresee.

Any decision would be up to Belgian courts, not the government, Dastis said. If Belgium grants asylum to Puigdemont, it will not be a normal situation. Lets leave it there for now.

In Belgium, Puigdemonts lawyer Paul Bekaert, a veteran human rights advocate, told Reuters his client was considering seeking asylum but it was not certain.

We have not yet decided. We have a lot of time to decide, Bekaert said. We will see in the coming weeks what we are doing.

While Belgium has an unusual track record in refusing to extradite Europeans wanted by other EU states, the main reason Puigdemont had come was to address a wider audience for Catalonias grievances against Madrid, Bekaert said.

European nations including Britain, Germany and France have backed Rajoy and rejected an independent Catalan state, although some have called for dialogue between the opposing sides.

The Spanish government has also said Puigdemont was welcome to take his chances and stand in the Dec. 21 election.

Uncertainty to build

The political crisis, Spains gravest in the four decades since the return of democracy in the late 1970s, was triggered by an independence referendum in Catalonia on Oct. 1.

Though it was declared illegal by Spanish courts and less than half Catalonias eligible voters took part, the pro-secessionist regional government said the vote gave it a mandate for independence.

Some prominent ousted Catalan leaders, including Puigdemont and Vice President Oriol Junqueras, had said they would not accept their dismissal. But their respective parties, PdeCat and Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, said on Monday they would take part in the Dec. 21 election, a tacit acceptance of direct rule from Madrid.

Two opinion polls showed support for independence may have started to wane. A Sigma Dos survey published in El Mundo showed 33.5 percent of Catalans were in favor of independence, while a Metroscopia poll published by El Pais put that number at 29 percent. That compared with 41.1 percent in July, according to an official survey carried out by the Catalan government.

Opponents of secession say a majority of Catalans want to remain part of Spain and did not take part in the referendum.

But some analysts say the dispute is not going to disappear anytime soon despite the present state of play.

Spain is heading for a period of disruption, and like the UK and Brexit, having its policy agenda dominated by one political issue while other key challenges fade into the background, said Raj Badiani, an economist at IHS Markit in London.

A more tangible impact from the crisis could evolve from early 2018, with the uncertainty set to build as Catalans push harder for a legally binding referendum.

The governments move to impose direct rule received the backing of several influential Catalan business lobbies, which called on firms to stay in the region. The chaos has prompted an exodus of businesses from Catalonia, which contributes about a fifth of Spains economy.

Credit rating agency Fitch late on Monday said the escalation of tensions in Catalonia significantly worsened the outlook for Spains economic growth and could prompt negative action on the countrys rating.

In Barcelona, some people displayed exasperation.

Its a farcical and completely ridiculous situation, said Ernesto Hernandez Busto, a 42-year-old editor. This extreme nationalism, this separatism, has taken Catalonia to the most absurd situation and the worst inconvenience we have had in the last 40 years.
Tamim

[ta-meem]

noun: whole, pure, innocent

In Warsaw in the 1930s, just before the war silenced the sounds of Jewish learning, a yeshivah published a journal titled HaTamim. The title borrowed from the name of the Chabad-Lubavitch yeshivah, Tomchei Temimim. The yeshivah was founded in Lubavitch, Belarus back in 1897, but moved to Poland when the Rebbe relocated there in the 1930s, never to return. HaTamim was an extraordinary publication, combining high-brow expositions of Torah thought with rich descriptions of Chasidic life.

The journal had a short run, just the eight volumes, but its few issues are still cited and quoted today. But what never died was the title it took for itself: HaTamim (lit: the innocent one). Every Chabad yeshivah student today, no matter where on the globe he sets down his Talmud, exults in the title HaTamim, a proud member of the worldwide network of Tomchei Temimim yeshivahs.

But just how did this term become a byword for Chabad yeshivah student, the yeshivah equivalent of the lawyers esquire? What hope was there in the hearts of Chasidim of years gone by when they aspired to temimut, when they declared it better to be a tamim from the simple folk in the town of Nevel than an intellectual from the sophisticated city of Kremenchuk?

The word tamim is not a recent addition to the Jewish vocabulary. We are told in Deuteronomy that we are to Be tamim with Hashem your G-d. Tamim is variously translated as innocent, blameless, and wholehearted. Leaning towards that last translation, the foremost Torah commentator, Rashi, understands the verse to be a directive that mankind needs to hear more than ever: Do not be complicated, do not overthink, do not pretend to be what you are not. Be authentic and wholesome.

Since its Biblical appearance, the word tamim seems to have developed along two lineslines that appear to run separately but which cross eventually.

The first line sees a tamim as a wholesome person, a model of integrity and honesty. Ernstkeit, the Yiddish word for temimut, is earnestness, a sincere conviction, and is quite similar to the English equivalent. We see here a shift in temimuts meaning, from simplicity to sincerity. This sincerity is described as being the same person on the outside as you are on the inside. The very first sentence in the Baal Shem Tovs classic manual of Chasidic living is: be a tamim in the way you serve G-d. Be sincere, be earnest. A word that comes up a lot is artless, meaning without guile or deception.

Who wouldnt want to be a tamim? And how presumptuous of Chabad students to call themselves such!

But elsewhere in Chassidic literature, temimut has a pejorative hue. Here, tamim means simple in the simple-minded sense. Words like naivete, unsophisticated and gullible come to mind. Not that this is all bad. The Jew wishes he could believe in G-d with the unquestioning simplicity of the tamim; even the scholar aspires to the prost [Yiddish for simple] temimut of the simple Jew. Prost is Yiddish for common, vulgar. The tamim here is not a model of integrity, but a plebeian.

The two meanings of temimut are fused by the fifth Rebbe in his treatise, Bshaah Shehikdimu 5752. Across five pages of complex analysis, Rabbi Shalom DovBer paints a tamim as someone who is unflappable. He does not sway with the winds of change, nor bend to meet the expectations of others. He is a simple and straightforward person. What you see is what you get. He does not think too much, not because he is anti-intellectual, but because not for him is intellectual posturing with no purpose. What emerges is a picture of a person who is a tamim in both senses of the word. He is honest because he is transparent, with no veneer obscuring the truth. He is earnestly committed to his religion because he is not cynical or a second-guesser. He lives comfortably in the moment because he does not obsess about the past or worry for the future.

So the yeshivah student who unabashedly calls himself a tamim is saying two things, a backhanded compliment of sorts. I am uncomplicated and simple. Sorry, what you see is all that there is to me. Then there is the underlying aspirational statement: Because I am a tamim, I hope to be perfect, to be wholesome, to be a tamim today in the Western world like a tamim in 1897 Belarus or 1930s Warsaw.

Sources:

Bshaa Shehkdimu 5772 chapter 82.

Hayom Yom 5 Tevet; 3 adarII; 24 Iyar; 4 Tishrei; 14 kislev.
This April 15, 2017 picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on April 16, 2017 shows Korean People's ballistic missiles being displayed through Kim Il-Sung square during a military parade in Pyongyang. The missile is carried by a transporter-erector-launcher sold by a Chinese state-owned company under the guise that the vehicle was a logging truck sold for civilian purposes. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

State Department Sanctioned Chinese Company Selling Launch Vehicles to North Korea

The Treasury Department has sanctioned a Chinese company involved in North Koreas ballistic missile program in a little-noticed press release on sanctions against Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. (IRGC).

The 900-word press release from the departments Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. (IRGC) as a state-sponsor of terror, laying out sanctions against companies directly doing business with the corps.

Few outlets picked up on the final paragraph of the Oct. 13 release.

The state department targeted four entities for supporting the proliferating weapons of mass destruction in connection with IRGCs activities, describing the group as the worlds foremost state sponsor of terror.

Besides designating three Iran-based entities, State also took aim at China-based Wuhan Sanjiang Import and Export Co. for proliferation activities related to a key supporter of Irans military.

Wuhan Sanjiang has provided financial, material, technological, or other support for, or goods or services in support of, Irans Shiraz Electronics Industries, said the release.

Irans Shiraz Electronics Industries (SEI) was designated under the same code in 2008 for being owned or controlled by Irans Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics.

Since 2014, Wuhan Sanjiang has signed contracts to sell SEI navigation-related gyrocompasses and highly specialized sensors while trying to hide those transactions.

But it is in the final sentence of the release that the State department connects Chinese state-owned Wuhan Sanjiang with North Koreas ballistic missile program.

Additionally, in 2011, Wuhan Sanjiang transferred six off-road lumber transporter vehicles to North Korea, which North Korea subsequently converted into Transporter-Erector-Launchers for use in its ballistic missile program.

Those so-called lumber transport vehicles are generally considered too large and overbuilt for North Koreas logging roads.

The trucks are perfectly suited, however, to being converted to mobile ballistic missile launch vehicles and have featured prominently in North Korean military parades.

While Wuhan Sanjiang markets the Wanshan 51200 (WS51200) as an eight-axle heavy lumber truck in documents provided to international watchdogs like the United Nations, the vehicle is more commonly put to military use.

In China, the trucks are directly marketed as transporter-erector-launchers with a specially designed cab that dips in the center for overly long missiles.

The sale of the trucks took place in 2011 and was revealed by 2013, when former President Barack Obamas administration was widely criticized for overlooking Chinas transfer of military technology in open violation of existing sanctions.

In September, a panel of U.N. security experts published a report that reiterated Chinas direct involvement in North Koreas ballistic missile program, including efforts to use front companies.

In the case of Wuhan Sanjian, the company is a subsidiary of China Sanjiang Space Group (CSSG), a large state-owned enterprise that specializes in the research and development of solid-fueled ballistic missiles and stealth/counterstealth technology.

CSSG is itself subordinate to the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, a major state-owned entity that is directly under the General Armaments Department of the Peoples Liberation Army.

The UN report noted Chinas effort to hide transactions or use legal provisions in sales agreements to provide a legal cover by claiming sales contracts for dual-use technologies be used for civilian purposes only.

As President Donald Trump prepares for his Asia tour from Nov. 3 to Nov 14, the role of Chinas state-owned enterprises in North Koreas missile program will likely come under increased scrutiny.
Neurodevelopmental Disorders Overlap in the General Population

A new UK-based study in the Journal of Attention Disorders explores undiagnosed ADHD and ASD in a population of mostly female adult volunteers drawn from the general population. The researchers included only participants who had never received a diagnosis of ADHD, ASD, dyslexia or another mental disorder. Participants completed four online questionnaires that measured ADHD and ASD traits.

The researchers classified one-fifth (20 percent) of the participants as having ADHD despite their lack of a prior diagnosis.

A substantial proportion (4.3 percent) of undiagnosed participants also had a score indicative of at least mild autism.

The investigators noted considerable overlap between ADHD and ASD traits, particularly for pragmatic language (knowing what to say, how to say it, when to say it, and generally how to act around others during conversation) and for attention-related skills.

An intriguing correlation between seemingly contradictory measures of distractibility (ADHD) and hyperfocus (ASD) prompted the researchers to speculate that these two extreme manifestations of attention deficits could be controlled by the same mechanism.

Comorbidities Abound

A new Canadian study in the International Review of Neurobiology also found an overlap in neurodevelopmental disorders. The studys authors note that 85 to 90 percent of patients with Tourette syndrome and other tic disorders have comorbidities and manifest an overlapping spectrum of sensory-, behavioral-, cognitive- and sleep-related problems that have a major impact on their functioning and quality of life. These comorbidities commonly include ADHD, ASD, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and mood and anxiety disorders. These data support prior studies showing that the rate of Tourette syndrome in autistic children is almost seven times higher (6.5 percent) than the rate for children drawn from the general population (0.95 percent).

Multiple Metals

Multiple studies have pointed to heavy metals as the leading culprit in the cascade of neurodevelopmental disorders. Moreover, the effects of heavy metals on cognition and behavior are synergistic: Co-exposure to multiple metals can result in increased neurotoxicity compared to single-metal exposure, in particular during early life. Research indicates, for example, that ADHD and problems such as sleep disturbances are more prevalent in children who live near coal ash (which contains metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic); children with ASD have significantly higher blood levels of arsenic and mercury compared to healthy controls; and autistic children have higher levels of mercury, lead, and aluminum in their hair compared to matched controls.

Where Are We Headed?

Grandjean and Landrigan believe that environmental toxins are causing widespread brain injury and loss of function across a generation of children. The broad decline in neurological function is not captured by the increasing diagnoses of discrete neurodevelopmental disorders; the UK study of ADHD and ASD seems to bear this out, detecting overlapping ADHD and ASD symptoms in 20 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively, of its sample of undiagnosed adults.

This finding suggests that widespread brain damage may be affecting an entire generation without anyone taking official notice. Those indications are supported by the explosion in special education clinics in schools across western nations.

Referring to the epidemic in childhood brain disorders, Harvard researcher David Bellinger has noted the urgency of paying more attention to subclinical effects. For example, many environmental toxins decrease IQ. Bellinger states, Even a modest impact that does not push a childs neurodevelopment into the range of clinical concern cannot be dismissed as benign because, if the exposure is prevalent, the total number of IQ points lost in the population as a whole might be large, and the reduction in the intellectual resources available to a society substantial. Citing Bellingers work, a group of Oregon researchers reports that a 5-point decrease in mean IQ would increase the cognitively impaired population by 57 percent.

Far from being little adults, children are uniquely vulnerable to environmental toxins. Not only is the human brain exquisitely sensitive to the impacts of environmental toxicant exposures during development, but it can serve as the canary in the coal mine for such exposures. Yet even though U.S. childrens catastrophic state of health and neurodevelopment is emblazoned across virtually every set of child health statistics, public health and regulatory agencies continue to turn a blind eye.
The logo of the Hannaford supermarket seen from a parking lot in front of the store. (Google Maps)

Supermarket Shopper Takes Wrong Cart  and the Sleeping Baby Inside

A Portland man mistakenly took someone elses shopping cart at the Hannaford supermarket on Friday and did not notice that a sleeping baby was inside.

The father of the child called police at 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20, to report that someone had taken his cart from the produce aisle along with his 2-month-old child inside, Bangor Daily News reported.

Staff initiated a Code Adam alert and placed the supermarket on a lockdown while police rushed to the scene, WCSH6 reported. Upon arrival, officers looked for a man in his 30s wearing a yellow shirt and a white hat.

Police eventually found the baby still inside the shopping cart in the bread aisle. The child slept through the entire scare strapped into a car seat.

Footage from surveillance cameras shows the man leaving his own cart and accidentally taking the one with the child.

The man only realized that he had the wrong cart when he got to the bread aisle on the far side of the store.

He left the baby in aisle 19 amidst shelves piled with bread. He then rushed to the produce aisle to find his cart but did not tell store employees about the mix-up since he panicked, police say.

The district attorney did not find any criminality in the event and the man was not charged.

We are pleased that we have been able to determine exactly what happened in this instance, Portland Police Chief Michael Sauschuck told 10NEWS. It is a very frightening event for all parents and raised safety concerns in our community  as disturbing as this incident was, it was not an attempt to abduct a child.

Police also praised the actions of the Hannaford store employees, saying their actions led to the happy ending for the father and child.

Code Adam is a supermarket child safety alert originally created by Walmart in 1994.

The alert was named after 6-year-old Adam Walsh who was abducted in a Sears supermarket in Florida in 1981. Adams mother, grandmother, and store employees searched for him while a storewide announcement was made every 10-15 minutes.

After 90 minutes Adam was still not found. After 14 days his severed head was discovered. His body was never recovered.

From NTD.tv
Up to 200 Killed After Tunnel Collapses at North Korea Nuclear Site

A tunnel at the site of North Koreas sixth and most powerful nuclear test has collapsed, killing more than 200 people, according to Japanese media.

Japanese broadcaster TV Asahi, citing unnamed North Korean sources familiar with the situation, said on Tuesday, Oct. 31, that around 100 workers were at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site when the tunnel initially collapsed. A second collapse occurred during a rescue operation, killing dozens more, bringing the potential death toll to over 200.

After North Koreas Sept. 3 underground nuclear test, which registered 6.3 magnitude earthquake, tremors continued to shake the area for weeks, leading some geologists to conclude that the region had become unstable.

A 3.2 earthquake on Sept. 23, made headlines around the world, raising questions as to whether North Korea had conducted another nuclear test.

While sources with Chinas seismic agency said it was caused by an explosion, South Koreas earthquake authorities said the seismic waves were not consistent with that kind of a blast.

That quake was followed by a 2.7 magnitude tremor on Oct. 13.

As landslides began to plague the region, experts began to warn that the blast, and those that preceded it, could have damaged the tectonic plates under the mountain where the tests were conducted.

Satellite imagery taken by Planet Labs and provided by 38 North, has revealed landslides and seismic aftershocks have affected the mountain over the test site.

The region, which is not normally prone to quakes, could be too unstable for future tests, geologists have warned.

Earlier this month, the chief of South Koreas weather agency Korea Meteorological Administration, told a parliamentary meeting that another nuclear blast could trigger a collapse of the Norths mountainous test site and a leak of radioactive materials.

That concern has prompted fears that the top of the mountain could collapse, releasing nuclear debris from the bomb test that would create a nuclear dust cloud.

If hazardous radioactive material escapes from the underground test site and makes its way to China, Beijing would see it as an attack on its territory, Jenny Town, the assistant director of the US-Korea Institute, told Business Insider.

South Korean sources had earlier speculated that the quakes detected after the nuclear test could have been a tunnel collapsing.

The explosion from the Sept. 3 test had such power that the existing tunnels within the underground testing site might have caved in, Kim So-gu, head researcher at the Korea Seismological Institute told Reuters.

I think the Punggye-ri region is now pretty saturated. If it goes ahead with another test in this area, it could risk radioactive pollution.

North Korea has threatened to test its next nuclear device over the Pacific Ocean, prompting a stern rebuke from the United States, South Korea, and Japan.
Lifestyle: If You're Not Getting Closer to Achieving Your Goals, Try Using a Different Metric
US Should Deploy Tactical Nuclear Weapons to Asia, Says Expert

Trump's upcoming trip to Asia opens opportunity to update alliance

President Donald Trumps Asian tour will begin this weekend, giving the leader of the free world a week and a half to settle the nerves of allies, unnerve North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, and realign some of the complicated and competing priorities in the China-US relationship.

A senior fellow with the International Assessment and Strategy Center, Rick Fisher, is hopeful the trip could pave the way for a major shift in nuclear policy that would have the United States redeploy tactical nuclear weapons to Japan and South Korea. Such a move would bolster U.S. allies who have been unsettled by North Koreas nuclear tests and missile launches, as well as Chinas expansive claims to the South China Sea.

Fisher said that U.S. allies in the region are looking for reassurance and military commitments given the alarming increase in military threats, especially from North Korea, but also from China.

He warns that the Chinese regime continues to threaten Taiwan and could invade in the 2020s.

Trump should demonstrate that he is aware of these interconnected threats and that he is more than willing to continue the tradition of Americas strong leadership in deterring such threats to freedom in Asia, said Fisher.

While the United States can claim significant credit for the economic recovery of Japan after World War II and the continued existence of South Korea, the rise of China has changed the dynamic in the region.

Fisher said China hopes to isolate South Korea and Japan from their ally, the United States, which has fostered Asian democracies with some of the most successful economies in the world.

China has also supported North Koreas nuclear program, said Fisher, and has provided the specialized vehicles for North Koreas mobile missile launches.

While Trump has made some gestures to bolster allies in the region, including the current presence of three aircraft carriers and their associate strike groups of additional ships and aircraft, the status quo remains largely unchanged.

Unfortunately, China has no intention of cooperating with the United States or in doing anything to reduce North Koreas nuclear threat without some kind of sanction and pressure from the United States, Fisher said.

Fisher said he hopes Trump will make reassuring allies in the region one of his overriding objectives during his Nov 3-14 tour of Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

But he is expecting Trump to also have another message for allies.

Be Prepared to Do More Yourselves.

South Korea and Japan should be prepared to spend much more on their own security and defense, said Fisher, and Trump could push them to do so by outlining the threats they face from China and North Korea.

Tactical nuclear weapons deployed to Asia at air force bases and Tomahawk cruise missiles, as well as low yield nuclear artillery shells, would do much more to deter any attack on U.S. allies than U.S. nuclear missiles on the other side of the globe, he said.

The Chinese are developing these same systems, said Fisher.

If the U.S. nuclear deterrent falls behind that of its regional competitors, it could destabilize the region, he said.

That stance could unsettle those that see anything irritating the China relationship as a threat to trade. Trumps upcoming trip will seek to attract additional energy investments from China that could go far towards balancing the massive trade deficit the United States currently runs with China.

But Fisher said it is easy enough for Trump balance the seeming contradiction of taking tough security measures and keeping a cozy economic relationship.

He simply has to tell all the ears that are listening, that your continued prosperity, whether youre a country or a company, depends on the continued existence of a relative peace, he said.

If the United States fails in providing the leadership necessary to sustain a relative peace, then the idea that companies and countries can continue to pursue their own path to profits evaporates. There will be no profits without sustained peace, he said.
Woman Acting as Surrogate Mother Accidentally Gives Away Her Own Baby

A woman who acted as a surrogate mom for a couple from China accidently gave the couple her own flesh and blood child, and was almost forced to pay to adopt him back.

Jessica Allen, 31, was already a mother of two at the time she became a surrogate mom. She thought that the embryo that was implanted in her had split naturally into twins. She had no idea that a second embryo was developing in her womb, and that it was of her own flesh and blood, the New York Post reported.

Allen said that after she had a C-section to deliver the babies, she never actually got to see them. According to her contract she should have been allowed to spend an hour with the children after giving birth.

I didnt even get a look at the babies when they were pulled out because it was done behind an opaque screen. They were taken from the operating room before I had a chance to see them, said Allen via the New York Post.

The Lius came to the United States to find a surrogate since the practice is illegal in China, according to Allen.

Liu sent Allen a photo of the babies via a cellphone messaging app along with the text They are not the same, right? followed by, Have you thought about why they are different?

DNA tests were then conducted. One of the babies, Mike, was confirmed to have the Lius DNA, while the second baby, Max, had the DNA of Allen and her husband. Allen is white and her husband, Wardell Jasper, is African American. The baby resembled the couples other children, and Allen noticed he was darker than Mike.

The phenomenon is called superfetation. Its when a woman gets pregnant while already pregnant, and it is extremely rare. Allen said the medical staff never informed her that the children were in separate sacs in her womb. Once Allen and Wardell discovered the child was theirs, they began their quest to bring him into their home.

Finding out the baby was not theirs, the Lius gave the baby back to the surrogate matching company, Omega Family Global, but they would not let Allen have the baby unless she paid between $18,000 and $22,000. Omega Family Global did not make getting Max back any less complicated, according to Allen.

To my disgust, a caseworker from the agency lined up parents to adopt him and absorb the money we owed the Lius. Or, if that didnt work out, the Lius were thinking of putting Max up for adoption, as they were still his legal parents.

Allen reflected on the irony of the situation.

It was like Max was a commodity and we were paying to adopt our own flesh and blood, she said.

In the legal battle that followed, Allen and Wardell eventually whittled down the fee to get Max back to zero. Max was eventually returned to Allen by a worker from Omega in a Starbucks parking lot.

Lawyers representing Omega Family Global sent a letter to the New York Post saying that the company adheres to proper procedures, but would not go into any specific details about the case, citing legal reasons.
Taking to the skies "one last time" was on George Harvey's bucket list. (RAF Lossiemouth. Crown copyright reserved)

World War Two Pilot, 96, Takes His Final Flight

At the age of 96, a World War ll pilot who dreamed of having one last flight had his wish granted at an RAF base.

George Harvey was in the RAF from 1939 and flew the Beaufighter, Meteor, and Mosquitos during World War ll.

His caregiver Claire Nias, asked the 96-year-old to write a sentence during a routine assessment, after a brief spell in hospital.

The note he penned reads, I want to be airborne one last time before the wooden overcoat.



So, Nias decided to try and make the veterans wish come true, and contacted RAF Lossiemouth.

Flying officer Chloe McFarlane who works at the base, realised it was impossible for him to fly on one of the Typhoons, so she contacted the Moray Flying Club at Kinloss barracks in Scotland.

A Tear In His Eye

In a Facebook post, RAF Lossiemouth explained how Harvey had not lost any of his military humour when taking off into the sky, in his final flight.

When he saw the Cessna, he joked, If this is all we have then this will have to do.

Flight Lt. Ian Bright, who was Harveys pilot for the day, said it was a huge honour to take the former World War ll pilot flying again.

He truly is a fantastic character who had us all laughing  he still posesses brutal military banter, said Bright.

He added, Once airborne it became clear that lots of memories were rushing back to Mr. Harvey, I think he had a tear in his eye.

Harvey had the chance to take control of the aircraft briefly under supervision, then was taken for lunch and presented with a Station tankard.

Harvey said, Ive had the most fantastic day; it has been so wonderful to fly again.

He once had to land a bomber with its wheels up due to combat damage, during the war, per the BBC.
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What's next for SD Gov. Kristi Noem as she heads into her second term?
SEATTLEAmazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos may have surpassed Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates to be the richest person in the world, but theres one title he isnt likely to claim: worlds most generous.

Even with more than $90 billion (U.S.) to his name, Bezos has yet to make a major philanthropic mark, but with the new mantle of the worlds richest, the pressure on Bezos to give will only grow.

Nonprofits and other foundations are desperate to see what hell do, says giving consultant and researcher Amy Schiller. Bezos has probably had philanthropy in his mental cart for a while, she says, and kept clicking save for later. 

Read more:

More than 100 cities made bids for Amazons HQ2. Here are the weirdest

Why Toronto may not be the best place for Amazons new HQ: Wells

As Gates built Microsoft, he also faced increasing pressure from the public  and even his own parents  to give more. When his mother prodded him one night, Gates snapped back, Im just trying to run my company! the Wall Street Journal reported in 2009.

Gates didnt fully throw himself into philanthropy until he stepped down as chief executive officer of Microsoft in 2000, but since then hes helped build the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation into the largest foundation in the country. A representative said Gates was unavailable to comment.

Jeff is probably not quite ready to step down yet, but this is a guy who, like Bill, is fixated on changing the world in really important ways, says Ed Lazowska, Bill & Melinda Gates Chair in Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington, who has solicited donations from Bezos. Its a full-time job. You have to imagine he will be every bit as philanthropic as Gates. Nobody has any right to make demands, and they have to give the guy time.

Amazon declined to comment.

Some tech founders have made large charitable commitments while still running large businesses. Facebook Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan; Netflix Inc. CEO Reed Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin; and Salesforce.com Inc. CEO Marc Benioff and his wife, Lynne, have all signed on to the Giving Pledge, vowing to give away the majority of their wealth.

The group was started by Gates and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. CEO Warren Buffett. Making a major commitment takes humility and years of research to go down the right path, so for someone as work-obsessed as Bezos, youd really want to have a trusted partner or set of partners around you, says Jeff Raikes, a former Microsoft executive who ran the Gates Foundation for almost six years.

He says Melinda Gates and ex-Microsoft executive Patty Stonesifer ran the Gates Foundation while Bill was still devoted to Microsoft, and Raikes says his wife, Tricia, took the lead when he was still working full-time and they decided to put $100 million into their own foundation, which they now run together.

Much of the known personal giving associated with Bezos so far has been driven by his parents, Mike and Jackie Bezos. He sits on the board of the childhood-education focused Bezos Family Foundation, which his parents run.

As of 2015, his parents had donated more than $68 million of Amazon stock to the foundation, tax filings show. Bezos had given about $6 million in stock to the foundation.

Separately, the Bezos family has given $65 million over a decade to Seattles Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, which does cutting-edge work on cancer cures. My parents rock, Bezos tweeted when the latest gift was announced.

If Bezos makes a major personal philanthropic push, its unclear what causes would capture his interest. His giving so far is not meaningful in terms of a direction, says R. Joe Ottinger, CEO of iInnovate Leadership Network in Seattle, who has written about giving from tech executives.

Bezoss personal donations have included $1 million to Code.org, which aims to have all schools teach computer science; support of Worldreader, a non-profit founded by a former Amazon executive to use e-readers to promote literacy in the developing word; and $10 million to Seattles Museum of History & Industry.

Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie, donated $15 million to their alma mater, Princeton University, for neuroscience research, and they also gave $2.5 million to a political action committee in support of legalizing gay marriage in Washington in 2012.

As for Amazon, after years of being largely MIA as a corporate donor in Seattle, the company has stepped up its giving, mostly around the growing inequality in the city, which some activists and politicians have partly blamed on Amazon.

Last year the retailer let the non-profit Marys Place use an old Travelodge hotel the company owned as a temporary homeless shelter before Amazon would tear down the building for office space, and Bezos personally gave $1 million to the organization.

In May, Amazon announced plans to build a permanent homeless shelter for Marys Place in a new office building under construction. In June, Amazon also said it would give new food-prep and service space in future Amazon buildings and up to $1 million to FareStart, a non-profit that runs restaurants and catering to train disadvantaged workers for jobs in the food-service industry.

In late 2013, the company started AmazonSmile to donate a portion of sales to non-profit that customers choose. The AmazonSmile Foundation gave away about $13 million in 2015, the last year tax records are available. And its supported the computer science department at the University of Washington with two endowed million-dollar faculty chairs for professors and $10 million for the universitys new Computer Science & Engineering building.

If you look at what they have done for the University of Washington and the recent homelessness investment when Seattle has had a serious problem with homelessness, Jeff was involved all the way, says UWs Lazowska.

When Lazowskas department was recruiting machine-learning experts Carlos Guestrin and Emily Fox, he emailed Bezos for help to endow professorships to lure them. Lazowska says within 30 minutes of his email, Bezos responded and began the process to hook up Amazon funding, and Bezos also personally met with the two computer scientists to help win them over.

Aside from running Amazon, Bezos is devoting attention and money to BlueOrigin LLC, his for-profit space-exploration company. In April, Bezos said he sells about $1 billion of Amazon stock a year to fund the venture. I believe its incredibly important that we humans go out into space and the primary reason, if you think long-term about this, is we need to do that to preserve the earth, he told Charlie Rose last year.

The goal is long-term, to put it mildly. What I want to do with Blue Origin is build heavy-lifting infrastructure that lowers the cost of access to space so that the next generation of entrepreneurs can have a dynamic entrepreneurial explosion in space, he said. That is how we will move all heavy industry into space and then ultimately Earth can be effectively zoned residential and light industrial.

Bezos appears to be searching for direction to give more personally.

In June, he tweeted out what he called a request for ideas, asking for suggestions on how he should approach philanthropy. He said because he spends so much time thinking about the long term, hes interested in funding projects to help people in the here and now at the intersection of urgent need and lasting impact.

He cited Amazons giving to Marys Place as an inspiration for this approach.

In late August, he followed up with a tweet thanking those who responded, saying they had already changed his thinking about his approach. More to come, Bezos wrote.

Raikes, who says he considers Bezos a friend, wrote to Bezos offering to talk through how to think about philanthropy.

If youre too short-term-oriented, you can make the problem worse by not addressing systemic causes, Raikes says. If its near-term investments that help transform the system, then I think thats good.

Theres one other adjustment Bezos may need to make. Amazon has a reputation for an aggressive work environment, which can be at odds with the mission-driven motivation that lures people to philanthropy. Raikes says, Some of the ways in which you manage and lead people in this sector have to be different.

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KUELAP, PERUI have always wanted to climb Machu Picchu. However, my romantic ideal of making a pilgrimage to one of the worlds most famous archeological sites was dimmed when I heard of how crowded it can get.

Fortunately, during a trip to northern Peru, I was able to visit the much older site of Kuelap, which has just 15,000 visitors last year. Thats three times the amount of visitors Machu Picchu gets in a day. Not much considering Kuelap is considered to be the largest stone ruins in the New World.

Like Machu Picchu, Kuelap is a walled settlement built on top of a mountain ridge in the centre of a valley.

The big difference between Kuelap and Machu Picchu is you cant show Kuelap with just one picture, explained our Viajes Pacifico guide Carlo Magno Inga Galoc.

Kuelap may not have that iconic photo op but it is certainly impressive. It was settled by the Chachapoyas people, which translates as cloud people, around 500 A.D. and was inhabited until the Spanish starved its people from the city by laying siege to it in the 16th century.

The first thing youll notice upon reaching the summit are Kuelaps 20-metre high walls, whose hulking limestone blocks can weigh as much as three tonnes.

Once inside we explored a maze of streets and pathways that took us through the different levels of the city, only 5 per cent of which has been excavated. The construction of the round houses and the puzzling Templo Mayor temple, with its inverted canonical shape, was unlike anything I had seen before.

The lack of people made it much easier to imagine how peaceful it would have been to live among the clouds.

But that could soon change. Up until this year, the only way to access the summit was by hiking. However the recent opening of a cable car has cut the four hour trip down to about 20 minutes. Although I would have gladly hiked, there is no doubt the new express route will be a boon to the local economy and a draw for tourists. I just hope they dont end up blocking the view.

Cody Punter was hosted by the PromPeru, which did not review or approve this story.

When you go:

Get there: I flew Air Canada from Toronto to Lima and then few north to Jaen. From there, youll have to drive several hours to Kuelap. ATSA Airlines now has some flights from Lima to Chcachapoyas, which is only 70 kilometres from Kuelap.

Do your research: peru.travel

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OTTAWAPrime Minister Justin Trudeau is taking the high road on a letter from his Conservative predecessor Stephen Harper that says the current federal government has been caught napping on NAFTA.

Trudeau refused Monday to address the letter directly, citing his ongoing respect for the office of the prime minister and its previous occupants. Instead, he delivered a familiar sales pitch on the current governments efforts to secure a better, more modern trade agreement.

We have continually made the extremely strong case to the Americans about how important trade with Canada is, how many good jobs in the U.S. depend on trade with Canada, and how we are very much of the view that we can improve and modernize NAFTA in a way that can benefit all three of our countries, Trudeau told a news conference.

We will continue to work diligently to stand up for Canadian interests while remaining constructive and firm around the negotiating table.

Read more: Ex-PM Stephen Harper pens memo slamming Trudeau government over NAFTA talks

Top Trump official says U.S. isnt offering anything to Canada in exchange for NAFTA demands

Can Donald Trump actually kill NAFTA? Youre not the only one whos unsure: Analysis

Harpers letter excoriated the Liberal government for what he described as a cavalier approach to U.S. President Donald Trump, whom the former prime minister is convinced is not bluffing when he threatens to abandon the trade pact.

Whats more, Harper wrote, Canada has been too quick to reject American proposals, and has alienated the U.S. by insisting on negotiating alongside Mexico, and by promoting progressive priorities like labour, gender, Aboriginal and environmental issues.

I fear that the NAFTA renegotiation is going very badly, Harper wrote in the Oct. 25 letter.

Canadas government needs to get its head around this reality: it does not matter whether current American proposals are worse than what we have now. What matters in evaluating them is whether it is worth having a trade agreement with the Americans or not.

Trudeau refused to acknowledge the contents of the letter directly.

I hold the office of prime minister in high regard, and because of that I hold former prime ministers in high regard, and will not make any comments on what he had to say.

Canadian government officials have already dismissed the letter as a gift to U.S. negotiators, insisting that capitulating to U.S. demands at the NAFTA table would be a tactical error.

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OTTAWAFinance Minister Bill Morneau is in the process this week of selling all his and his familys shares in Morneau Shepell, the company his father founded and together, over 25 years, they expanded.

And his office says Morneau intends to donate not just any profits on the value of his shares since taking office, but also the dividends realized this week on those shares.

The shares are being sold in an orderly manner, and the process is being done appropriately and expeditiously. Should the family receive the cash dividend, the amount will be included in the funds donated to charity, said his spokesperson, Dan Lauzon.

Morneau Shepell declined to discuss the sale of Morneaus interest in the company, referring all calls to him.

Cathren Ronberg, a company spokesperson, had previously told the Star that Morneau has had no involvement with Morneau Shepell since October 26, 2015, when he resigned from the company. At that time, he owned 2,254,109 shares, according to public filings required of a company officer.

Lauzon confirmed that Morneau sold the first million shares after he was elected in October 2015.

The process began around the time he was elected, but it is one that takes time, Lauzon said Tuesday.

A sizeable donation was made to charity then, as it is now. Bringing the total charitable donations to north of $10 million.

In the early series of share sales in December 2015, Morneau donated the proceeds to the Toronto Foundation, a registered charity whose website says it pools philanthropic dollars and facilitates charitable donations for maximum community impact. It administers more than $400 million in assets.

Lauzon could not confirm whether the charitable donation Morneau plans will be to the same group. However, Morneau has twice spoken about his and his wifes efforts to bring women from a refugee camp in Kenya to study at university in Canada.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said Morneaus decision to fully divest himself of the holdings came only after relentless pressure and questions about his stake in the family firm.

And he still doesnt seem to think he did anything wrong, Scheer told reporters.

After days of being on the defensive, Morneau shifted tactics in the Commons on Tuesday and went on the offensive against opposition MPs who continue to challenge his integrity.

He tried to turn tables on the Conservatives, demanding they reveal what assets they hold in numbered companies, rhyming off different ones held by Conservative MPs.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau says he is meeting with the ethics commissioner Thursday to discuss how he can reassure Canadians about his personal wealth. Morneau is taking steps to end the controversy regarding his business assets. (The Canadian Pres

The question for me, though, is for the 21 members on the other side of the House who have private corporations, and whether they have in fact taken the same approach. For example, whether the member for Chatham-KentLeamington has disclosed what is in 782615 Ontario Inc., or what is in 2412420 Ontario Inc Morneau said, before he was cut off by the Speaker.

But a quick response by Conservative Pierre Poilievre, his partys finance critic, took some of the steam out of Morneaus offensive.

The minister wants to know what is in my company. I am one of the 21 he just listed. It is a rental property. How hard was that? Poilievre said.

He then taunted Morneau, saying hes asked all the Conservative MPs in the caucus to whom he referred. They have all confirmed that none of them owns stocks in a company that he or she regulates. Only the finance minister has that distinction. Can he just tell us, what is he holding in 2254165 Ontario Inc.?

The Star surveyed 29 other cabinet ministers this week to ask whether they too held any assets indirectly, the same arrangement that put the finance minister in the crosshairs of opposition criticism.

The offices of four ministers  Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, Transport Minister Marc Garneau, International Trade Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne and Veterans Affairs Seamus ORegan  replied to the questions to say that none of them held any publicly traded assets indirectly.

Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould clarified her status.

A further 14 cabinet ministers replied to the Star with a carbon copy statement  indicating a co-ordinated response across government  that said only that they were following the recommendations of the ethics commissioner about their financial holdings. Many refused to respond to follow-up questions.

Finally, 10 more ministers refused to reply at all to the Stars queries, even though several of them, such as Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen and Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott, have no declared assets or investments, according to filings with the ethics commissioner.

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An Ontario man who travelled to Syria to support an Islamic militant group will spend another two years behind bars after pleading guilty to a terror charge, his lawyer said Tuesday.

Kevin Omar Mohamed was sentenced in a Toronto court to 4  years in prison, with 2  years credit for time already served, his lawyer Paul Slansky said.

Mohamed, 25, has been in custody since his arrest in March 2016 on weapons-related charges, which were later changed to a terror charge.

He pleaded guilty in early June to one count of participating in or contributing to, directly or indirectly, any activity of a terrorist group for the purpose of enhancing the ability of any terrorist group to facilitate or carry out a terrorist activity.

Although there was no evidence presented to support this and, accordingly, no finding made to support this, my client did what he did to help the Syrian people to secure the overthrow of the (Bashar al-Assad) regime, Slansky said in an email.

Obviously, this was not the way to proceed. He now recognizes this and accordingly pleaded guilty.

Details of the case were made public for the first time Monday at Mohameds sentencing hearing.

An agreed statement of facts read in court laid out how the former University of Waterloo student flew to Turkey in the spring of 2014 and made his way into Syria, where he met with members of Jabhat-Al-Nusra, a listed terrorist group.

His purpose was to enhance the ability of that group to commit terrorist activity, the statement said.

Mohamed returned to Canada roughly a month later after his mother and brother convinced him to come home, it said.

Court heard Mohamed also encouraged others to join militants in Syria through social media, which he used under several pseudonyms. On one of his accounts, he described himself as a supporter of international terrorism, the statement said.

While overseas, he tweeted a public invitation for others to join him, stressing how easy it was to enter through Turkey, court heard. On another occasion, he suggested it was easy to avoid detection from security agencies when travelling to Syria.

Later tweets urged those who share his beliefs to move to lands of jihad or consider carrying out attacks in their own communities, the statement said.

Mohamed left his mothers home in Whitby, Ont., east of Toronto, in February of last year and was put under police surveillance, the document said. But Mohamed caught on, withdrew $3,500 and went offline, managing to evade police for several days, it said.

His mother reported him missing to both local police and RCMP later that month.

Police tracked Mohamed in March of last year to the University of Waterloo campus, where he was sleeping in empty rooms, the statement said. He was arrested on March 25.

Officers found a black computer bag that belonged to him and that contained a large hunting knife, heavy work gloves, a wallet and two sets of keys, court heard.

They obtained a warrant to search lockers that matched they keys and found a number of items, including pages of handwritten notes marked with the Arabic word for assassination, the document said.

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OTTAWAConservative foreign affairs critic Erin OToole was sitting in the departure lounge at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., last week when his eyes landed on a story he wasnt expecting.

Napping on NAFTA: Harper blasts Trudeau government handling of negotiations, read the headline on a Canadian Press story about a memo written by former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper.

What? OToole recalled thinking. Oh, dear.

Harper had shared gloomy thoughts on the deal a few weeks prior during an event in Washington, but the memo, which castigated the Liberals directly, was a rarity for an ex-political leader who has largely stayed away from any direct remarks on the current government since the 2015 federal election.

That the memo suddenly found its way into the public domain  hed been writing them for months and none have ever surfaced  left political observers scratching their heads. Who would leak it? And why?

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wouldnt directly address the letter or its potential implications when asked about it on Monday.

I hold the office of prime minister in high regard, and because of that I hold former prime ministers in high regard, and will not make any comments on what he had to say.

OToole was sitting at the airport having just wound up a trip to D.C. with the House of Commons foreign affairs committee to advocate for Canadas interests at the NAFTA talks, part of an ongoing collaborative approach the Conservatives are trying to take to the negotiations.

Read more:

Ex-PM Stephen Harper pens memo slamming Trudeau government over NAFTA talks

Trudeau wont discuss Harpers critical letter, says Canada still committed to NAFTA

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer will have to figure out how to deal with friendly fire: Hebert

Harpers letter took a swing at Canadas negotiating strategy, suggesting the Liberals were letting the Americans run all over them and putting the future of NAFTA in real danger.

Some Tories say quietly they suspect an attempt to harm the Conservative Opposition and undermine leader Andrew Scheers efforts to make a break from the Harper era. The Liberals say Harper has jeopardized the talks by playing politics with the united front Canada is trying to put forward.

I think hes got a grudge to hold and hes more interested in putting stuff out there that is going to do damage to our negotiating positions, Liberal MP Bob Nault, the chair of the committee, told CBCs As It Happens.

The letter was written for clients of Harpers consulting business. Some Conservatives allowed that he ought to have known there was a risk it would become public, but say Harpers team never gave Scheers office a heads up, suggesting it was never meant for broader dissemination.

The prime minister says his government has taken a firm approach to NAFTA renegotiations, but Justin Trudeau wouldnt directly reply to a letter by his predecessor, Stephen Harper, blasting the Liberals over the trade talks. (The Canadian Press)

Not to mention a well-known fact about the former PM: he loathes leaks  so much so, in fact, that he once panicked when a staffer, Geoff Norquay, was forced to leave a meeting to deal with one, former Harper aide Bruce Carson recounted in his own newsletter this week.

It took a while to settle Harper down and get him to understand these were leaks in Norquays roof at home caused by ice dams that are symptomatic of the late winter in Ottawa, Carson wrote.

Rachel Curran, Harpers former policy director, said his consulting firm will take more care with his memos going forward. This one, she said, was a warning to the business community and was never meant to have political implications.

His advice was framed as, Americans are going to insist on a better deal and are prepared to live with the political and economic risk of NAFTA collapse, get yourself ready, Curran said.

OToole said the positions Harper takes arent so different from those the Opposition Conservatives have been trying to advance in Parliament, though Harpers tone may have been different.

Certainly, when a former prime minister weighs in, someone that was well known for trade, it caused a bit more of a splash or ripples than when MP Erin OToole or someone like that weighs in, he said.

He said he doesnt feel the current strategy needs a reboot, adding that the Tories remain committed to working with the Liberal government to advance the talks.

Ive shared some of the concerns hes raised, but were here  the current group of parliamentarians are here  to work with the government where we can.

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An unnamed Toronto actress is suing disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein for two sexual assaults that allegedly occurred in Toronto in 2000, according to documents filed in Ontario Superior Court.

The woman, who has hired high-profile Toronto lawyer Marie Henein, is identified in court documents as Jane Doe. She accuses Weinstein of taking his penis out in a hotel room and suggesting it would help her career if she had sex with him, then holding her down and forcibly performing oral sex on her against her will. In a separate incident, he is alleged to have forced his weight on her and stuck his tongue down her throat.

According to the allegations, Weinstein had invited the woman to his hotel for a breakfast meeting to discuss her career. A female assistant of Weinsteins had told the woman there was a boardroom in his suite.

The woman is also suing the Miramax film company, the Walt Disney Co. and the female assistant, Barbara Schneeweiss  who is accused of facilitating the alleged assaults  for a combined total of $14 million.

At the time of the alleged assaults, Weinstein was co-chairman of Miramax, which was then owned by Disney.

The allegations have not been proven in court and none of the accused parties have filed statements of defence.

A spokesperson for Weinstein, Sallie Hofmeister, did not respond to a request for comment. Miramax and Schneeweiss also did not respond to requests for comment.

A spokesperson for the Walt Disney Co. said Weinstein had virtual autonomy to manage his business and Disney was unaware of any complaints, lawsuits or settlements.

There is absolutely no legal basis for this claim against the Walt Disney Co. and we will defend against it vigorously.

The woman, who was in her early 20s at the time of the alleged assaults, was working in her first movie when she met Weinstein in Toronto, according to the statement of claim. Her allegations are similar to those that have been mounting against Weinstein since The New York Times and The New Yorker published separate exposes about the Oscar-winning movie mogul on Oct. 5.

Thousands of women are identifying themselves as victims of sexual harassment or assault following a call to action propelled by Alyssa Milano in the wake of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein's downfall over of allegations of sexual misconduct. (The Associated Pre

The Toronto woman says she had a small part in a Miramax-produced movie filmed in Toronto in 2000. After she finished shooting on what was supposed to be her final day on set, she says Weinstein approached her and said she looked like a well-known actress.

(Since there is a publication ban on the womans identity, the Star is also not naming the actress Weinstein said she resembled.)

The next morning the woman says she received a call from Schneeweiss, who said Weinstein wished to meet her for a breakfast meeting at the Sutton Place Hotel to discuss her career and potential opportunities with Miramax.

Once alone with the woman, Weinstein allegedly said he liked massages and asked, What do you think about massages?

The woman said she thought they were great, but the subject was not an appropriate one for a business meeting.

Weinstein chuckled, then sat silently and did not move, the statement of claim reads. He stared intently at her for several seconds.

To break the uncomfortable silence, the woman says she complimented Weinsteins suite. He then insisted on giving her a tour.

As they got to the bedroom, the woman says Weinstein  who is 6 feet tall and weighs 300 pounds, according to media reports  overpowered her, pushed her onto the bed and took his penis out of his pants.

After exposing his penis, he told Doe that he had made various famous actresses careers and could make Does career as well, the statement of claim reads. He said words to the effect of I do think you are a very talented young girl, but the best thing you could do for your career 

Weinstein then gestured and looked at his penis, according to the allegations.

The woman says Weinstein then forced down her skirt, held her down by the wrists and forcibly performed oral sex on her without her consent.

The woman said she said no two or three times and tried to resist the alleged assault, but was unable.

At some point, Weinstein relaxed his grip on her wrists and she was able to free herself and leave the suite, according to the statement of claim.

After the alleged assault, the woman says Weinstein called her repeatedly and left voicemails insisting that she return to the hotel. With her agent present and Weinstein on speaker phone, the woman said she eventually picked up. Weinstein, she says, implored her to return to the hotel to resolve the misunderstanding.

The woman was fearful that her movie career, which had barely begun, could be destroyed if she did not return to the hotel and give Weinstein a chance to apologize, she says in her statement of claim.

When the woman went to Weinsteins hotel room, she initially stood in the hallway. Weinstein asked her to come into the room because he wanted to speak privately given how very embarrassing this was to him.

Weinstein refused to take no for an answer. He kept asking and eventually begging her to come in, the statement of claim reads. She stepped inside the doorway. As soon as she did, he threw his weight onto her and tried to stick his tongue down her throat.

The woman then pushed herself free and left the hotel room. She says Weinstein continued to harass her for about a year.

She says she was motivated to come forward about the 17-year-old incidents after reading the first accusations against Weinstein in the Times, which have since led to a cascade of allegations and investigations.

On Monday, four new accusers came forward to the Times with new sexual assault allegations against Weinstein, dating to the 1970s.

Weinstein issued an apologetic written statement when the accusations against him first surfaced, but he has strongly denied any allegations of non-consensual sex.

The Toronto woman says in her statement of claim that she reported the assaults to Toronto police last week, on Oct. 23.

A police spokesperson, Mark Pugash, would neither confirm nor deny whether Toronto cops are investigating Weinstein.

The case is scheduled to begin Nov. 6.

With files from Jacques Gallant

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OTTAWAIts a bird. Its a plane. No, its Justin Trudeau.

The prime minister was disguised as Clark Kent as his Halloween alter ego for 2017.

On his way to Question Period today, Trudeau descended the stairs sporting slicked-down hair and a blue suit with a bright red tie, surprising the assembled staff and journalists who were waiting for him.

As he got to the bottom of the stairs, he opened his shirt to expose the Superman costume hidden underneath, quipping in both official languages that it was a big shock to see the prime minister dressed as a journalist, but you know, gotta do it.

Trudeau has a history of having fun with Halloween, choosing Han Solo of Star Wars fame for his first year in office.

Last year he went as a pilot from the French childrens book Le Petit Prince, while his youngest son, Hadrien, went as the title character.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shows off his Clark Kent Halloween costume on Tuesday.





Trudeau wasnt the only MP in the House getting into the Halloween spirit.

Liberal backbencher Robert-Falcon Ouellette sported a blood-spattered white suit during question period, a costume he described as a Bloody Harry outfit.

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The province has approved a Toronto Fire Service request to order the closure of an unlicensed group home in the citys east end after firefighters raced to the two-storey residence Monday.

Previous inspection orders requiring the owner and operator of the group home to upgrade the fire safety measures had not occurred, and additional charges will now be laid, Deputy Fire Chief Jim Jessop said Tuesday.

Theres been no attempt, candidly, I would use the word willful neglect, to comply with the fire code, Jessop said.

Firefighters responding to the call at 108 Fawcett Trail on Monday morning ripped up drywall to douse flames and cleared smoke from the building. Six people living at the home, either elderly or suffering from mental health issues, fled uninjured.

Last year, the Ontario Provincial Police conducted an investigation into unlicensed group homes in Toronto, including the home at 108 Fawcett  part of a chain operated by Winston Manning and Phyllis Jackson.

The seven-month probe concluded the homes were overcrowded, unsanitary and in deplorable condition, but provincial health officials determined closing them would displace vulnerable people with nowhere else to go.

The health and safety issues continue and have fallen to the city.

Fire officials have tried various enforcement measures and are now taking the next step to close the entire building until we get some reassurance that theyll convert it back to a single family house or theyre going to comply with the requirements of the (Ontario) fire code, Jessop said.

Convictions under the code can result in fines of up to $100,000 or up to a year in prison.

Officials are monitoring Mannings other properties, Jessop added.

Manning told the Star on Tuesday he moved the Fawcett Trail tenants to his other buildings scattered around Scarborough. He rents the homes and collects disability, pension and other income sources, but says he often doesnt get paid and is doing the work as a calling.

Mondays fire had nothing to do with the fire code violations, he added, but was caused by one of the residents stuffing newspapers into a heating vent.

Ive been calling police constantly to have him removed or take him to the hospital and have him reassessed, get his medication adjusted.

Manning insisted the building had been brought up to meet the Ontario Fire Code standards and all that remained was to install fire-rated doors on the bedroom.

But he admitted the work managing several homes can be overwhelming and all I can do so much at once. Im working hard.

A man who identified himself as the husband of property owner Dhanna Kanhai said Tuesday he did not want to discuss this with a newspaper.

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A Toronto artist is fighting a legal battle in Nevada courts over what an alleged forgers legal team is calling an issue of freedom expression.

The artist, Marco Sassone, discovered what he says are forgeries of his artwork being sold online three years ago.

It was a big shock, he said. I didnt know what to do.

Now, a civil case Sassone, 74, brought against alleged fraudster Darrell T. Coker, is scheduled for a settlement conference at the Supreme Court of Nevada just days before the opening of his latest art show at Berenson Fine Art in Toronto on Nov. 9.

It was in October 2014 that Sassone received a Google alert notification that one of his lithographs, a type of print, was for sale.

But, Sassone said, hes never done lithographs. The only print medium hes worked in is silk screen  and, he added  hed never done a silk screen of that particular work.

His suspicion mounting, he zoomed in on the signature to examine it more closely.

I go, Jesus Christ, this is not me, he said.

While the case was initially investigated by the RCMP and then passed over the FBI, Sassone said the case stalled. So he found a lawyer in Las Vegas and took Coker and a few others involved to court.

Cokers lawyers sought to have the case dismissed under the Anti-SLAPP Act, which protects against meritless lawsuits against first amendment rights. Their motion was denied by the state court, but they have since appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Nevada.

No court has ruled on whether Coker reproduced and distributed any of Sassones work, but his defence lawyer Marc Randazza argues that even if he did, he had a right to do so.

Randazzas argument is based on the idea that Sassones works are in the public domain and Coker had the right to reproduce and distribute those works  regardless of whether he actually did  based on his rights to free expression.

If, as Randazza argues, the case involves freedom of expression then, he says, Anti-SLAPP legislation should apply.

We guard freedom of expression very jealously here, he said.

One of Sassones lawyers, Clyde DeWitt, meanwhile, said Coker made cheap copies of Sassones work and passed them off as originals.

Deceptive advertising is not protected by the first amendment, he said, adding that freedom of speech does not protect the right to lie about something to get money.

You dont have to be a lawyer to know that youre not supposed to do that, he said.

The case has since been referred to a mandatory settlement program. If a settlement isnt reached, the question of whether it can be dismissed under Anti-SLAPP laws will go before the Supreme Court of Nevada. If the lower courts decision is upheld, the case could go to trial.

In the meantime, collectors concerned about the authenticity of any Sassone works can contact his studio at marco@marcosassone.com.

Though Sassone said the case cost him a year of working on his paintings, hes come to view it as part of his journey, which is also the theme of his upcoming show Viaticus, a Latin word that means belonging to a journey.

The collection of paintings to be shown, some of which date back to the 2000s, represent some form of journey  whether through time as portrayed by his representation of ancient Rome or through space depicted as train tracks with a distant Toronto skyline in the background.

While Randazza is on the opposite side of Sassones case, he said he really admires the artists work.

Toronto is lucky to have such a treasure, he said.

Note: The article has been edited from a previously published version.

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Barack Obamas former speechwriters met up last week for lunch in D.C. and asked each other: had anyone filled their roles at the White House?

President Donald Trump certainly makes some formal remarks and ceremonial speeches, but many of his public comments seem off-the-cuff.

What weve decided is there are speechwriters, based on public records, former senior speechwriter Sarada Peri told the Star on Monday evening, sitting on a couch at Torontos Chelsea Hotel.

I would also encourage them to quit, but I dont know who they are.

Peri, 37, is in Canada as a visiting global fellow for the Ryerson Leadership Lab. Shes spent the week leading two workshops on breakthrough messaging  and when discussing political communication, the current administration under Donald Trump comes up.

Objectively, we understand that Trump does not say things that are truthful. And just today, the press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was up there just saying lie after lie. And I just feel like no job is worth that, she said.

In her years in the Obama-era, working on the team of speechwriters led by Cody Keenan, she said that their fact-checking process was rigorous to the point of sometimes being annoying.

But when they cleared out of the White House last winter, she said, there was no transition between their team and the incoming speechwriters.

I have certainly not had any contact with them, she said, adding that if Trumps team had a communication strategy, she certainly didnt know it.

It never feels real. Its clearly something thats packaged and contained by his staff, and hes just like the Incredible Hulk waiting to pull off the shackles that have been imposed on him, she said.

Taking a break from D.C. and working with students in Canada was refreshing for her, she said. One of the points she tried to impart on the students she was working with was that you shouldnt alter your key message or idea to appeal to a given audience.

Instead, she said, you should try to find the right words.

Where that comes from is trying to figure out what drives your audience, she said. What is their interest? Where are they coming from? And what values do they hold? she asked. And can you do that in a way that speaks to their values and their experiences as opposed to your own?

She looks to works from Lincolns second inaugural address to speeches by Winston Churchill for inspiration. One familiar work from her college days  Virginia Woolfs A Room of Ones Own  offered comfort and re-invigoration on difficult days.

And Peri has seen many of them. Her career started in New Orleans, as a high school English teacher with Teach for America. There, she says she became so angry at the state of the education system in the U.S. that she decided to go into education policy.

After years as a policy staffer on Capitol Hill, she fell into speechwriting. And 4  years later, Keenan called. Did she want to write speeches for the president?

And I said, are you . . . kidding me? she laughed.

Looking back, she said shed already lived the first line of her obituary.

Its really humbling and extraordinary.

While social media and media outlets are changing rapidly, she said it was useful to lean on strategies that have always proven effective.

The tried and true messaging tenets from Aristotles time still stand, she said. That you need to be authentic and be honest. That your message has to be the one thing that you believe, that you can credibly say.

Storytelling is really important  and maybe more important than ever.

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The wise political columnist gives his readers a break from politics now and then. Today's column is about something completely different:

How my life insurance company scared me to death.

No, its not a story of self-pleading (all is now solved and resolved.) Its a cautionary tale for you, dear reader (and dear insurer) about how call centres wield so much power over us.

Even on matters of life and death. And how corporate policies preclude the exercise of intelligent discretion, not merely out of compassion but common sense.

The trail begins with a payment going astray. We had already remitted our annual premium through our bank (CIBC). But the insurance company (RBC Insurance) wasnt buying it.

Exhausted by the call centre runaround, I finally came up with my own workaround for this episode of double trouble: I made a double payment  a quintessentially Canadian double double  as insurance to keep my life insurance policy on life support until a final accounting could be made.

The scary part came in a letter last month claiming the annual premium remains outstanding, including this blunt warning: If payment is not received by October 6, 2017, your policy will lapse and satisfactory evidence of insurability may be necessary to reinstate your insurance protection.

Hmmm. The whole point of signing up a decade ago, when I had young children to worry about (and my own middle-aging body to think about) was precisely to avoid having to pass another medical exam all these years later. Back then I was the picture of good health, but I chose a costlier 20-year term because who knows when youll run out of medical luck?

I phoned the dreaded call centre to provide proof of payment from my bank, including the reference number. But when I requested an extension on the deadline for terminating the policy  given that I could prove payment  the agent said it couldnt be done.

She promised to follow up within three days (I had to call again), but still no luck. A supervisor confirmed they would not extend the drop dead deadline for my life policy, and that there was still no trace of my money.

They demanded more proof. As instructed, I marched off to get the tellers receipt  containing the very same reference number  and emailed it in with declining confidence.

Thats when I dreamed up doubling up on my annual premium. Ultimately, both payments showed up  the original one sent a month earlier, and the second one that Id just sent  in time to keep my life insurance policy from dying.

But how could this happen? It turns out that RBC Insurance has four separate categories for tellers (or online banking customers) to select when making a payment, including: Home and Auto; Group; and Individual.

It appears that our own bank teller at CIBC sent our money to the first category, rather than the last one. CIBC spokesperson Caroline Van Hasselt told me they rarely hear about payments going astray despite high volumes, but they encourage customers to keep a record of all transactions and to contact the bank for help and we will do our best to help make it right.

But in this case, there was a transaction trail  proof of where the money had gone. RBC Insurance told me people sometimes mix up the different categories, especially group versus individual life, but also home insurance.

An innocent mistake, but surely it's all the same company, under the RBC umbrella? Not so, as I discovered when I put on my journalists hat to seek an explanation.

Randy Singh, senior manager of customer care at RBC Insurance, told me his company also works with another company, Aviva General, which processes home and auto payments separately. Thats why from time to time a customers money goes unseen for a time by RBC.

Because weve seen this in the past, we do have a process whereby our life insurance policy accounting department... try to make it easy for our clients. But in some cases, its not very timely, so in other words, its a reconciliation at the end of the month  were taking a look at any payments made that should have come to RBC Life but were directed to Aviva., he explained.

So in this case, with a matter of a few days, and the clock is ticking, unfortunately, it did take a little bit more time... we did actually find the payment.

But theres one thing that cant be fixed after the fact: If you die when youre temporarily uncovered, RBC wont pay out any benefit even if the policy is later restored and the client paid in good faith, Singh confirmed.

My situation was a classic case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand had in its pocket at RBC Insurance. And my family would have been doubly unlucky (losing me and my life insurance) if I hadnt doubled up on the premium just to be safe.

RBC later mailed a refund for the backup payment. But there was no apology in the envelope, only on the phone when I persisted. Thats the beauty of the life insurance business.

They only have to earn your business once when they sell you the policy. But they keep collecting, year after year, without ever worrying about losing you as a customer until you  or the policy  expires a decade or two later.

Martin Regg Cohns political column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. mcohn@thestar.ca, Twitter: @reggcohn

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WASHINGTONU.S. special operations forces captured a militant in Libya accused of playing an instrumental role in the Benghazi attacks, officials say, in a high-stakes operation designed to bring the perpetrators to justice five years after the deadly violence.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday identified the militant as Mustafa al-Imam and said his capture signified that the four Americans who died will never be forgotten. Justice Department officials were escorting al-Imam by military plane to the United States, where hes expected to be tried in federal court.

Our memory is deep and our reach is long, and we will not rest in our efforts to find and bring the perpetrators of the heinous attacks in Benghazi to justice, Trump said.

The Navy SEAL-led raid marked the first publicly known operation since Trump took office to target those accused of involvement in Benghazi, which mushroomed into a multiyear political fracas centred on Republican allegations of a bungled Obama administration response. Those critiques shadowed Hillary Clinton, who was secretary of state at the time of the attacks, through her presidential campaign.

U.S. forces captured al-Imam just before midnight local time Sunday in Misrata, on Libyas north coast, U.S. officials said. He was taken to a U.S. navy ship at the Misrata port for transport by military plane to Washington, where hes expected to arrive within the next two days, one of the officials said.

Once on American soil, al-Imam will face trial in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia as the FBI continues to investigate, the Justice Department said. He faces three criminal charges that were filed in May 2015 but only recently unsealed: killing or conspiring to kill someone during an attack on a federal facility, providing support for terrorists and using a firearm in connection with a violent crime.

Read more:

Trial begins for suspected mastermind of 2012 Benghazi attacks

Proven to be a liar: Trump slams former adviser Papadopoulos at centre of Russia probe

Donald Trump just had his worst day in office  and he has more trouble coming: Analysis

It wasnt immediately clear how al-Imam was involved in the Sept. 11, 2012, violence. The U.S. Attorneys Office said he is a Libyan national and about 46.

Trump said hed ordered the raid, and thanked the U.S. military, intelligence agencies and prosecutors for tracking al-Imam and enabling his capture. The U.S. officials said the operation was co-ordinated with Libyas internationally recognized government. They werent authorized to speak publicly on the matter and demanded anonymity.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said hed spoken with the relatives of some of the Americans who died in Benghazi: U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, State Department information management officer Sean Patrick Smith and contract security officers Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. Tillerson said the U.S. would spare no effort to ensure al-Imam is held accountable.

Al-Imam will face court proceedings in U.S. District Court, officials said, in an apparent departure from Trumps previously expressed desire to send militants to the U.S. detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

In an interview last March with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Attorney General Jeff Sessions called Guantanamo a very fine place for holding these kind of dangerous criminals.

The commando raid also came amid an ongoing debate about the use of U.S. forces to pursue insurgents in Africa and other locations outside of warzones such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Four U.S. soldiers were killed in an ambush in Niger earlier this month under circumstances that have remained hazy and prompted Democrats and Republicans in Congress to express concerns.

Earlier this month, another man accused in the Benghazi attack, Ahmed Abu Khattala, went on trial in federal court in Washington. Abu Khattala, captured during President Barack Obamas tenure, has pleaded not guilty to the 18 charges against him, including murder of an internationally protected person, providing material support to terrorists and destroying U.S. property while causing death.

The Benghazi assault started in the evening when armed attackers scaled the wall of the diplomatic post and moved through the front gate. Stevens was rushed to a fortified safe room along with Smith, but they were then siphoned off from security officers when attackers set the building and its furniture on fire. Libyan civilians found Stevens hours later in the wreckage, and he died of smoke inhalation in a hospital, becoming the first U.S. ambassador killed in the line of duty in more than three decades.

A nearby CIA annex was attacked by mortar fire hours after the diplomatic complex, killing Woods and Doherty, who were defending the rooftop.

The attack became fodder for multiple congressional investigations to determine what happened and whether the Obama administration misled the public on the details of the bloody assault.

Initial accounts provided by administration officials, notably Obamas UN ambassador, Susan Rice, said the attack grew out of a protest against an anti-Muslim internet film. Later, the administration said it was a planned attack by extremists.

A two-year investigation by a House Benghazi committee focused heavily on Clintons role and whether security at the compounds and the response to the attack was sufficient. It was the Benghazi probe that revealed Clinton used a private email server for government work, prompting an FBI investigation that proved to be an albatross for her presidential campaign.

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SYDNEY, AustraliaThe dual citizenship crisis that has rocked Australias parliament took another twist on Tuesday, with a senior member of the governing Liberal Party saying he may have to quit Parliament.

Stephen Parry, a senator who is president of Australias upper house, said he has contacted authorities in the United Kingdom to check if he holds dual citizenship because of his British-born father. He would be the latest lawmaker found to have breached of an obscure clause in the nations constitution that bans lawmakers from holding dual citizenship.

The High Court on Friday disqualified five lawmakers from sitting in Parliament on the grounds that they were citizens of both Australia and another country, a breach of the clause that only came to light in July.

The five included Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, the leader of the National Party, the junior partner in Liberals ruling coalition. Joyce has renounced the New Zealand citizenship he inherited from his father but still must win a byelection if he wants to return to his seat.

Although most lawmakers in multi-cultural Australia have been checking into their citizenship status since the crisis erupted, Parry said he had only examined his own case after the High Courts decision on Friday.

He said his late father had moved to Australia from Britain as a boy in 1951, and that he was born in Tasmania in 1960. Parry said he had always regarded his father as Australian, particularly as he served in the Australian Army Reserve, but that he had now sought clarification from the British Home Office.

While previous politicians caught up in the crisis had sought legal advice, Parry said last Fridays verdict made his options clear.

In the event that I am found to hold British citizenship by virtue of my fathers status, then I will clearly be in breach of Section 44(1) of the constitution and would therefore resign as President of the Senate and as a senator for the state of Tasmania, Parry said in a statement. I believe the High Court has made it abundantly clear what action is required.

Critics have condemned as outdated the 116-year-old constitutional ban on lawmakers having dual citizenship in a country where almost half the people are immigrants or have an overseas-born parent.

One opposition Labor senator, Sam Dastyari, made a joke of the situation on Twitter.

For Halloween, Im going to dress up as the constitution and just walk around parliament, he wrote.

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FORT BRAGG, N.C.Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was a gold mine of intelligence, helping the military better understand insurgents and how they imprison the enemy, two agents testified Tuesday as defence attorneys sought to show the soldiers contributions since he was returned in a prisoner swap.

The testimony at Bergdahls sentencing was meant to counter prosecution evidence favouring stiff punishment, including several service members who testified about wounds they suffered on search missions after Bergdahs 2009 disappearance. Bergdahl faces up to life in prison after pleading guilty to desertion and misbehaviour before the enemy for walking off his remote post in Afghanistan in 2009.

The Army judge has wide leeway to decide Bergdahls sentence because he didnt strike a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Read more:

U.S. deserter Bowe Bergdahl is more to be pitied  and scorned  than severely punished: DiManno

In court, Bowe Bergdahl gives emotional apology to soldiers who were hurt looking for him

Amber Dach, who spent 16 years in military intelligence, was the primary analyst assigned to Bergdahls case for the five years after he disappeared. She described how eager he was to help intelligence officials at a hospital in Germany days after he was returned to U.S. authorities. Though his voice was weak and raspy, he helped authorities and even drew diagrams in his downtime to bring to his next debriefing session.

Dach and another official who debriefed Bergdahl both testified that his time in Germany was extended partly so he could offer additional time-sensitive intelligence.

He was very motivated to just download all of the details that he recalled, she testified. It was a gold mine. It really reshaped the way we did Intel collection in the area.

An official from the military agency that helps reintegrate former captives and develops survival training for service members testified that information Bergdahl provided him was invaluable.

Terrence Russell, a division chief for the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency, developed a 1,200-page transcript from debriefing Bergdahl that was turned into a database. The information produced reports on tactics used by insurgents and hostage-takers in the region that are still used by the military.

Russell said hed like to learn even more from Bergdahl but the soldiers legal case has impeded that.

Can you give him to me tomorrow? I need him. I need him now, he said to a defence attorney. The fact that I cant get that information is wrong. I need that.

He said hed like to add Bergdahl to a roster of about 30 service members taken captive in recent conflicts dating to the Gulf War who can provide videos or lectures for military survival training.

We dont have very many examples coming out of Afghanistan, he said.

The judge deciding Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl's punishment said Monday he is concerned that U.S. President Donald Trump's comments about the case could impact the public's perception of the military justice system. (The Associated Press)

He also reaffirmed his previous statements that Bergdahls captivity was worse than any American prisoner of war has experienced since the Vietnam era.

On Monday, Bergdahl began the defence presentation by apologizing to those wounded searching for him. He also described the brutal conditions he faced, including beatings with copper wire and unending bouts of gastrointestinal problems brought on by squalid conditions. He said he was kept in a cage for four out of the five years in captivity after several escape attempts. He said his muscles became so weak he could barely stand or walk.

Russell, whos debriefed more than 100 former hostages and prisoners of war, said Bergdahls time in the cage was damaging psychologically because he was kept in isolation nearly the entire time.

They simply shut the door. Long-term isolation. Psychological abuse, he said. It was extreme neglect. They just let him nearly rot inside that cage for four years.

The defence showed the court images of a replica of the cage that Russells agency built, using Bergdahls sketches. Russell uses it for survival training.

The 31-year-old soldier from Hailey, Idaho, was brought home by former president Barack Obama in 2014 in a swap for five Taliban prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. Obama said at the time the U.S. does not leave its service members on the battlefield. Republicans roundly criticized Obama, and Donald 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.

Bergdahls sentencing hearing is expected to last several more days.

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Forgive American-born financier Bill Browder for looking over his shoulder as he steps happily into the spotlight in Ottawa Wednesday.

Paranoia  healthy paranoia, hell have you know  is standard operating procedure for the anti-corruption crusader as he arrives in the capital to celebrate this months passage of a Canadian version of the U.S. Magnitsky Act, targeting Russian human-rights abusers.

Barely a week ago, Browder was grounded in the U.K., unable to travel to the U.S. or Canada after an infuriated Kremlin yet again listed him as an Interpol fugitive, subject to immediate arrest. It was his fifth go-round with what he calls Russias pernicious abuse of the international criminal database  all designed to arrest me, jail me and ultimate carry out a plan of slow-motion assassination.

As before, Browder quickly won back clearance to travel. But hes always nervous crossing borders, especially now as the extent of Russian President Vladimir Putins anger becomes known.

Browder was thrilled with his easy entry through Canadian customs at Pearson Airport Sunday night. Minutes later, he was alarmed to discover a Russian-speaking driver behind the wheel of the car service he pre-booked to take him downtown. He dismissed the driver and found another way into the city.

And dont even ask where hes staying. Sitting down over lunch in Toronto, Browder insisted on neutral ground as a precaution. He doesnt regard himself as untouchable, even in Canada.

The Russian government is out to get me and wants me dead, he says, matter-of-fact. Dead like Browders former Russian tax lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, who was imprisoned and beaten to death after flagging a constellation of corruption in Russia seven years ago. Browder remains haunted by the whistleblowers death and has rededicated what remains of his life to the cause of justice for Magnitsky.

Browder, 53, has long been aware of the Kremlin fury over his crusade. But even he was shocked when repeal of the Magnitsky Act was raised as the pre-eminent goal in stories emerging from Russian encounters with the Trump campaign during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

My battle with Russia seems to be intensifying. I knew they hated the Maginsky sanctions, I didnt realize it was at the centre of everything involving the Russians and Trump. Scary.

Browders words were interlaced with a frenzy of phone-scrolling on Monday as details of the first indictments against Trump campaign officials emerged from the office of special counsel Robert Mueller. The Chicago-born campaigner seemed visibly relieved that the wheels of American justice, however wobbly, were gaining traction.

Yes, the United States has an infection, Browder said, summing up his sense of the developments. Yes, there is high fever  but the fever will break.

This mornings indictments show U.S. law enforcement has the tools to figure out what happened and the ability to fix it. Im confident the immune system of the United States of America is working perfectly right now.

The judiciary works, Congress works. The fourth estate works very nicely. Things may feel bad right now  but the very fact that things feel so bad  thats the immune system working.

His lightning visit to Ottawa Wednesday serves two purposes  a mission of thanks for parliamentarians who helped sponsor the legislation and push for follow-through, to ensure the sanctions come with investigatory rigour. Browder will appear alongside Magnitskys 16-year-old son Nikolai, an aspiring artist who hopes to present Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with a painting to commemorate his late father.

Browder hopes also to further enlist Canada in efforts at Interpol reform, to prevent unilateral targeting of people like him. He hopes Canadas efforts will internationalize the Magnitsky Act in a way the Americans never could.

He reckons this trip is his 15th or more to Ottawa since he began campaigned seven years ago. It may take that many again, he says, to get the law fully implemented. He intends to live out his natural life in pursuit of the campaign.

It changed my life forever when a man was slowly tortured to death at the age of 35 just because he was my proxy. How do you get over that? They killed Sergei Magnitsky in the most horrific way and then they covered it up. It was unforgivable and for my own personal psychological reasons I had to take up the fight.

And now it seems to be getting worse because Im at the centre of Putins anger. Thats even more a reason to keep talking. Telling this story  making noise, making sure more and more people are aware of it  is my best insurance.

At this point, if anything happens to me it certain to be news.

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Several casino stocks received a lift Tuesday after a report from Nomura suggested the Macau gaming market showed a noticeable pickup in demand in the last part of October.In early afternoon trading, Wynn Resorts stock was up just over 5.5 percent, Las Vegas Sands was up 2.8 percent, and MGM was ahead just over 2 percent.

Our latest consultant checks point to a noticeable pickup in demand following the 19th Party Congress in China, with VIP and mass revenue up about 30 percent and 9 percent year-over-year, respectively, Nomura analyst Harry Curtis said, as reported by agencies.

According to AFP, Macau appears to have been spared any harsh new regulations during the recent Communist Party Congress in Beijing. A previous downturn in Macau was blamed on the Beijing governments corruption crackdown on the junket business, the specialists that bring in the high-value Chinese gamblers to the Macau casinos.

Given strength in the last 10 days of October, Nomura said it lifted the firms Macau gross gaming revenue estimate to a range of 19 percent to 21 percent growth for October on a year-over-year basis. A Consensus Metrix survey showed the Street was forecasting Macaus October GGR would increase by 15.9 percent on a year-over-year basis.

Macau posted 16.1 percent year-over-year growth in casino GGR during September.

According to Nomura, Macaus October GGR has typically risen between 12 and 13 percent sequentially from September, which it said would indicate 13 to 14 percent growth on a year-over-year basis.

However, post-Golden Week demand this year has trended much  better than expected, Nomura said. Chinas National Day began on Oct. 1, but the week-long celebration that followed is known as Golden Week and is a popular time for Chinese to travel to Macau and other destinations.
Ousted Catalan President Carles Puigdemont was summoned to a Spanish court on suspicion of sedition, forcing the rebel leader to choose between a possible 30-year jail term and life as a leader in exile.

Puigdemont fled to Brussels after Spain seized control of his semi-autonomous government in response to Catalonias declaration of independence. Late on Tuesday there were conflicting reports as to the ousted leaders whereabouts: La Vanguardia said he was on his way to Barcelona, while El Pais and others said he was still in Brussels.

Earlier in the day Puigdemont  who has long said hed go to jail for his cause  said he wouldnt go back to Spain without guarantees of a fair trial. He said the politicized Spanish courts are bent on revenge rather than justice, as he painted himself as a leader in exile.

Puigdemont and his former team are summoned to appear on Thursday and Friday at the National Court, which is investigating them for sedition, rebellion and misuse of funds. The charges carry jail terms of up to 30 years, and the court demanded $7.2 million (U.S.) as a surety for the group. If they dont pay, their assets will be frozen.

Read more:

Spain looks to prosecute Catalan leaders for rebellion, sedition and embezzlement

Ive never felt Spanish in my life: Catalan separatists celebrate independence movement

Barcelona pro-unity rally draws hundreds of thousands

Exiled Leader

Puigdemont said Madrid was planning to unleash a wave of aggression against Catalans and he had decided against resisting Spains orders in order to keep citizens safe. But the sudden departure of the leader who came to power on a pledge to deliver independence caught supporters by surprise  and disappointed those who were preparing a resistance. Three days after Catalonia was declared an independent republic, Madrid took control of the entire Catalan administration, including the police, as all protest melted away.

The deposed leader said he decided to go to Brussels to pressurize the European Union to get involved in the conflict. But his efforts were rebuffed as the bloc reiterated his stance that the matter was an internal one for Spain.

As events surrounding Puigdemont took a surreal turn, back in Barcelona splits in the pro-independence camp were becoming clearer. A regional election called for Dec. 21 will decide on the makeup of the next Catalan parliament and also the road ahead for the region that is Spains economic powerhouse. While Prime Minister Mariano Rajoys success in taming the rebellion has bolstered his standing, Catalonia remains deeply divided.

A poll showed on Tuesday 40 per cent back independence, up from 35 per cent in June. Thats still far below the peak of 49 per cent seen in 2013, although another survey on Monday showed 76 per cent of Catalans want to be able to take part in an official referendum. The makeshift ballot on Oct. 1 was not only illegal, but lacked proper checks and controls and was boycotted by many.

Puigdemont had used the rhetoric of exiled leaders to appeal to grassroots supporters. He said the Spanish government was planning a highly aggressive and unprecedented offensive against the Catalan people and his government had acted to prevent a new wave of violence.

The republic cannot be built on violence, he told reporters on Tuesday in Brussels. If the price of this attitude is slowing down the creation of the republic, we have to consider that this is a reasonable price in 21st century Europe.

Catalan separatist lawmakers have passed a motion to establish a new republic independent of Spain. Thousands of people gathered outside the parliament building to celebrate. (The Associated Press)

Puigdemonts rhetoric on Tuesday has echoes of the history of Catalans long struggle for autonomy: Josep Tarradellas, a hero in Catalonia who set up the first regional government after the death of Francisco Franco, was in exile for decades during Francos rule. And the most famous government in exile in Spain was the leftist republican government that was deposed by Francos coup.

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BEIRUTAt least seven Syrian children were killed in government shelling of a rebel-held area outside Damascus on Tuesday, most as they left school, activists said.

The government has intensified its campaign against the last rebel holdouts on the outskirts of the capital as Russian-sponsored talks in Kazakhstan aim to consolidate de-escalation zones in different parts of the country.

The limited local truces are aimed at freezing the lines of the six-year-old civil war, which has claimed an estimated 400,000 lives, and allowing humanitarian aid to flow into besieged areas.

Read more:

Over 13 million people inside Syria still need aid, UN official says

Daesh came with a hit list, after 3 weeks left Syrian town in a trail of blood

Syrias largest oilfield captured from Daesh in push by allied forces

The Ghouta Media Center and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least five children were killed when a shell landed at the gate of a school in Jisreen, a town in the eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus, as children were leaving for the day. The Observatory said the death toll is likely to rise and that another child was killed in the village from another shell. One of the children had his legs blown off.

Shelling in the northeastern town of Musraba has meanwhile killed another three people, including a child, according to the Observatory. The Ghouta Media Center said four were killed, including two children. Another shell in Harasta, also in the eastern Ghouta suburbs, landed near a school but only caused injuries.

Eastern Ghouta, which is still home to an estimated 350,000 people, has endured years of siege and shelling, which has continued despite a de-escalation agreement backed by the government and its close allies, Russia and Iran.

On Monday, the United Nations said it reached thousands of residents for the first time in over a month. The area is one of the last remaining pockets of opposition to President Bashar Assad, and depends on aid and smuggling.

Rebels have responded to the shelling with a barrage of mortars lobbed at government-held districts in Damascus, wounding at least 10 civilians in three neighbourhoods.

The rebels and the government are meanwhile set to conclude the latest round of talks in the Kazakh capital, Astana. The negotiations are sponsored by Turkey, which backs the rebels, as well as Russia and Iran.

The de-escalation zones agreed to in Astana have significantly reduced the violence in many parts of Syria, but a lasting political solution remains elusive.

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WASHINGTONTexas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz warned Tuesday that the United States would face massive economic costs if President Donald Trump killed the North American Free Trade Agreement  but that Trump might go ahead and make that decision.

Cruz said NAFTA has created millions of jobs across the United States, and he said Texans believe in international trade. He expressed concern that Trump, whom he generally supports, would seek to use the ongoing NAFTA renegotiation to reduce trade and erect protectionist barriers rather than to expand trade.

Reducing access to the Canadian and Mexican markets, Cruz said, would do profound damage to the American economy and to Texas in particular.

In my view NAFTA renegotiations can be a good thing or can be a bad thing. And it depends what the objective is of the administration and what the end point is, Cruz said.

Trump, he said, is being pulled in two different directions by pro-trade and anti-trade voices in his administration.

Which direction will the administration go? I will tell you candidly: I dont know, Cruz said. He added: I think it depends which voices will be listened to.

Cruzs remarks at the pro-NAFTA U.S. Chamber of Commerce underscored the uncertainty that surrounds not only the future of the agreement but Trumps own intentions. Trumps words and actions over the last year have left Canada, Mexico and even the presidents supporters unsure whether he is truly seeking to modernize the two-decade-old agreement or actually trying to weaken or destroy it.

Read more:

Can Donald Trump actually kill NAFTA? Youre not the only one whos unsure: Analysis

Thousands of Canadians live in the U.S. on NAFTA permits. So what happens if Trump kills the treaty?

Top Trump official says U.S. isnt offering anything to Canada in exchange for NAFTA demands

Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, the pro-NAFTA chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, asked for the help of businesspeople in attempting to persuade the administration of their perspective.

We are fighting a pervasive view that our economy has not benefited from NAFTA. And that is simply not right, Roberts said in his own speech at the Chamber of Commerce.

It is unclear, experts say, if Trump could terminate NAFTA on his own or would need Congress to approve. Congressional approval would be difficult to decide given the positions of Senate Republicans, who Cruz said are nearly united in their pro-trade views.

Roberts would not say whether he thinks Congress has the right to decide on termination, telling reporters only: Lets hope we dont get to that.

Everything you need to know about NAFTA in 3 Minutes. Why Donald Trump says NAFTA is a bad deal for the U.S. and what the negotiations could mean to Canada.

Gordon Stoner, president of the National Association of Wheat Growers, said growers have already been hurt by the uncertainty caused by the administrations NAFTA rhetoric and posture to date. He said Trump was treating other countries as if they were the other side of a real estate deal, to be discarded after the transaction, rather than long-standing partners.

Stoner predicted that the administrations behaviour on NAFTA would make it harder to get other countries to agree to the bilateral agreements Trump has said he prefers.

As a negotiator, he said, part of what you have to do is understand the person on the other side of the table. I can only think people on the other side of the table are looking at the U.S. right now and saying, Why bother? Theyre going to tear it up in five years. Theyre going to say its a terrible deal. Theyre going to walk away from it. Why even invest in the negotiation?

The fourth round of negotiations ended in acrimony earlier this month as Canada and the U.S. traded blame for their bargaining impasse. Canada accused the U.S. of putting forward unreasonable protectionist proposals, while the U.S. accused Canada and Mexico of a resistance to change.

The fifth round is scheduled for Mexico beginning Nov. 17.

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The revelation Monday of charges against three former Trump campaign officials in special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs probe into possible Russian influence in American politics delivered a sharp jolt to the news cycle.

Anticipation over the arrests had been high for days after news that the first charges in Muellers investigation were imminent had seeped out over the weekend. And the documents outlining allegations against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, business partner Rick Gates and former Trump foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, laid out what investigators had found in unvarnished detail.

For most national media outlets, the news that three campaign officials had been charged headlined websites and front pages and were the focus of most of the days coverage, including in the traditionally conservative Wall Street Journal.

But in the highly politicized media environment, where news is increasingly targeted to partisan audiences, the indictment story played out very differently on conservative sites, such as Fox News, Breitbart and the Daily Caller.

Here is a look at the news as seen through a conservative media lens.

A nothing burger

The most notable conservative reaction came quickly, from the man who looms large over the investigation: President Trump.

Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign, the president wrote on Twitter soon after the indictments were made public Monday morning. But why arent Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????

He added: Also, there is NO COLLUSION!

Subsequent narratives echoed the president, downplaying the significance of the arrests.

These transactions predate Paul Manaforts involvement with the campaign, conservative talk radio host Laura Ingraham said on her show. The idea that this is a bad day for Trump because it in any way alludes to a collusion with Russia  youve got to be living on another planet if you think that.

She added: This is a nothing burger.

Some reports seemed to hew closely to White House talking points.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the presidents press secretary, said the arrests had nothing to do with the president  Most of them took place well before the campaign ever even existed.

Fox News chief Washington correspondent, James Rosen, noted during an evening report that Donald Trump is far removed from the allegations.

If there was collusion, any evidence or even an allegation has yet to be revealed by the special counsel, the networks chief White House correspondent John Roberts noted.

The New York Post  which, along with Fox News and the Wall Street Journal, is also owned by Rupert Murdoch  had nearly dropped the story of the indictments from its home page by the end of the day, focusing instead on sexual harassment scandals related to Kevin Spacey, Peyton Manning and Harvey Weinstein.

Many viewers noticed how the story was covered differently by various television networks.

CNN: Manafort indicted. MSNBC: Manafort indicted. Fox News: Is it mongooses or mongeese? We talk to experts, comedian Kumail Nanjiani joked about the disparity in coverage.

Earlier, viewers pointed out that Fox News ran a segment on a hamburger emoji while CNN and MSNBC covered the indictments. Of course, other mainstream outlets covered the hamburger emoji story, too.

Mueller's Russian meddling probe reveals first targets. A former campaign adviser to President Donald Trump has admitted he lied about Russian contacts. Separately, Paul Manafort and a business associate were indicted on felony charges. (The Associated Press)

The Trump dossier and a 2010 uranium deal

Some news outlets played up coverage casting doubt on the integrity of the investigation, a long-running narrative that heated up on conservative media last week before the arrests.

Rush Limbaugh opened his show on Monday talking about the Clinton campaigns connection to the dossier compiled by Fusion GPS on Donald Trump, a point the president has recently been tweeting about. The Washington Post reported last week that the campaign and the Democratic National Committee helped fund the research that lead to the dossier.

Ergo the leak on Friday that Mueller had an indictment, Limbaugh said. That totally changed the narrative, it changed the direction, and its purpose was to basically cover up and shift away to the side the Clinton involvement in the Trump dossier. It was a classic case of distraction.

He added: And none of it, I can tell you, with ontological certitude, none of the Manafort indictment as we sit here today has a single thing to do with Donald Trump, with the Trump campaign or with Russian collusion.

Alex Joness Infowars, a popular site and radio show that frequently promotes misinformation and conspiracy theories, led its website with three stories about Spacey, who had been accused of making sexual advances on a 14-year-old actor.

This is more sour grapes and its not going well, Jones said of Mueller probe, between advertisements for colloidal silver, anti-fascist Infowars T-shirts and a bizarre aside that Hitler was photographed in 1955 alive in Argentina, 10 years after his death.

Speaking on Joness show, informal Trump adviser Roger J. Stone Jr. called for the president to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate a 2010 uranium deal that has become the centre of a controversy gaining steam in conservative media  with allegations that the Clintons benefited despite little evidence indicating as much.

That investigation would have to focus on Mr. Mueller, Mr. Comey, Mr. McCabe, the associate director of the FBI and (Deputy Attorney General) Rod Rosenstein, Stone said. Those gentlemen would have to step down if they were the target of a federal investigation.

On Fox News, contributor Michael Goodwin argued that Mueller should resign. I think he has to be purer than Caesars wife here, Goodwin said. I think these conflicts will muddy the waters.

The Gateway Pundit, a site with a wide following known for trafficking in falsehoods, echoed previous statements the president has made in calling the investigation the Mueller Witch Hunt.

RT, a Russian state-sponsored media network, ran an opinion piece on its home page that asked, Is Russiagate dead? The headline continued: Paul Manafort & Kiev caught up in FBI dragnet, Kremlin not mentioned.

Talking about Podesta and Clinton

Other sites focused on the announcement that Tony Podesta  a prominent lobbyist, Democrat and brother of Hillary Clintons campaign chief  planned to resign after his firm was indirectly referenced in the charges against Manafort and Gates.

By evening, Breitbarts lead story was about Podesta  illustrated with a photo of him with a drink in his hand  though he had not been charged with a crime or named in the court filings.

The most prominent story Breitbart ran about the charges highlighted remarks from Sarah Huckabee Sanders: WH: Manafort arrest has nothing to do with the president. By the end of the day, the sites lead story was about Spacey.

The influential aggregator the Drudge Report appeared to lead with a story about the arrests. MUELLERS HALLOWEEN, the sites lead headline blared. WASHINGTON SPOOKED. But the headlines linked to The Washington Posts story about Tony Podesta. Other stories linked on the site seemed to cast doubt on the investigation: JUDGE AN OBAMA APPOINTEE, CLINTON DONOR; Manaforts Constitutional Rights Violated? FORMER PROSECUTOR: SHAKY, OVERCHARGED CASE.

The Daily Caller also chose to go big with the Podesta news, with two stories. The most prominent stories about the probe were about how Trump was never mentioned in the indictment, and about an error  blamed on Mueller (Mueller Makes Key Error, the headline read)  in the Manafort indictment that misidentified former Ukraine prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko as the countrys former president.

Fox News host Sean Hannity opened his show with a monologue about the Clinton connections to the uranium deal and the Trump dossier.

The very thing they are accusing President Trump of doing, they did it themselves, he said.

During his show, Hannity mistakenly referred to the former Democratic nominee as President Clinton.

Clinton, speaking in Chicago, was asked Monday night what she would be for Halloween.

I think I will maybe come as the president, she joked

According to Alex Seitz-Wald of NBC News, Clinton offered a brief bit of media criticism, focused on Fox.

All the networks except Fox are reporting whats really going on, Clinton said, adding, It appears they dont know Im not president.

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White House Chief of Staff John Kelly was the guest for the premiere of Laura Ingrahams new show on Fox News Monday night. During the interview, he outlined a view of the history of the Civil War that historians described as strange, highly provocative, dangerous and kind of depressing.

Kelly was asked about the decision of a church in Alexandria, Virginia, to remove plaques honouring George Washington and Robert E. Lee.

I would tell you that Robert E. Lee was an honourable man, Kelly said. He was a man that gave up his country to fight for his state, which 150 years ago was more important than country. It was always loyalty to state first back in those days. Now its different today. But the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War, and men and women of good faith on both sides made their stand where their conscience had them make their stand.

Read more: John Kelly calls Robert E. Lee honourable, says lack of compromise caused Civil War

That statement could have been given by [former Confederate general] Jubal Early in 1880, said Stephanie McCurry, professor of history at Columbia University and author of Confederate Reckoning: Politics and Power in the Civil War South.

Whats so strange about this statement is how closely it tracks or resembles the view of the Civil War that the South had finally got the nation to embrace by the early 20th century, she said. Its the Jim Crow version of the causes of the Civil War. I mean, it tracks all of the major talking points of this pro-Confederate view of the Civil War.

Kelly makes several points. That Lee was honourable. That fighting for state was more important than fighting for country. That a lack of compromise led to the war. That good people on both sides were fighting for conscientious reasons. Both McCurry and David Blight, professor of history at Yale University and author of Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory, broadly reject all of these arguments.

This is profound ignorance, thats what one has to say first, at least of pretty basic things about the American historical narrative, Blight said. I mean, its one thing to hear it from Trump who, lets be honest, just really doesnt know any history and has demonstrated it over and over and over. But General Kelly has a long history in the American military.

Blight described Kellys argument in similar terms as McCurry  an old reconciliationist narrative about the Civil War that, in the last half-century or so has just been exploded by historical research since.

The idea that compromise might have been possible was rejected out of hand by both McCurry and Blight.

It was not about slavery, it was about honourable men fighting for honourable causes? McCurry said. Well, what was the cause? . . . In 1861, they were very clear on what the causes of the war were. The reason there was no compromise possible was that people in the country could not agree over the wisdom of the continued and expanding enslavement of millions of African-Americans.

There were a number of compromises on slavery that led up to the Civil War, from the drafting of the Constitution to the addition of new states to the Union.

Any serious person who knows anything about this, Blight said, can look at the late 1850s and then the secession crisis and know that they tried all kind of compromise measures during the secession winter, and nothing worked. Nothing was viable.

All of these compromises were about creating a division where slavery already existed and where for a time they conceded that the constitution shackled them in their ability to attack it, McCurry said. Before the war, the strategy for dealing with slavery was to contain it. By 1860, she said, the Norths economic success and expanding population and the Souths loss of representation in national politics put slavery at risk. The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 allowed Southern slaveholders  who had $4 billion in wealth in the form of enslaved people, McCurry said  to argue that the threat to slavery was imminent.

In 1861, compromise wasnt possible because some southerners just wanted out. They wanted a separate nation where they could protect slavery into the indefinite future, McCurry said. Thats what they said when they seceded. Thats what they said in their constitution when they wrote one.

Kellys framework is also rooted, frankly, in a Lost Cause mentality that swept over American culture in the wake of the war, swept over northerners, Blight said, this idea that good and honourable men of the South were pushed aside and exploited by the fanatical  ironically  first Republican Party.

Blight noted that Lee wasnt simply defending his home state of Virginia against Northern aggression.

Of course we yearn for compromise, we yearn for civility, we yearn for some common ground, he added. But, look, Robert E. Lee was not a compromiser. He chose treason.

The best of the Lee biographies show that Lee was a Confederate nationalist, Blight said. He knew what he was fighting for.

Both historians, though, held particular disdain for the idea that putting state over nation was the essence of the fight.

My God, where does he get that from? Blight asked. That denies the very reason to be, the essential reason for the existence of the original Republican Party, which formed in the 1850s to stop the expansion of slavery and ended up developing a political ideology that threatened the South because they really were going to cordon off slavery.

This idea that state came first? No, it didnt! he said. The Northern people rallied around stopping secession! This comment is so patently wrong.

Its one thing to say Lee chose state over country, McCurry said. What [Kelly] says is that was his country. That would be news to 350,000 Union war dead.

Its just so absurd, Blight said. Its just so sad. Its just so disappointing that generations of history have been written to explode all of this and yet millions of people  serious people; experienced, serious people and now people with tremendous power  have grown up believing all this.

There was, however, a small silver lining.

This Trump era ignorance and misuse of history is forcing historians  and I think this is a good thing  to use words like truth and right or wrong, Blight said. In the academy we get very caught up in relativism and whether we can be objective and so on, and thats a real argument.

But there are some things that are just not true, he said. And weve got to point that out.

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Parents ask developers to help crowded schools, Oct. 30

I read Toronto Star reporter Andrea Gordons story this morning with great enthusiasm. Finally, someone is dealing with this issue.

The fundamental issue is that the funding model for all public schools is inadequate and long out of date. The arrogance of successive Liberal governments to deprive the TDSB of millions of dollars of education development charges (EDC) for political reasons is inexcusable. The restriction on EDC for land acquisition only is outdated and must be amended to allow for capital improvements to schools. Certainly for the TDSB, the renovation, expansion and redevelopment of existing schools is a more realistic response to growth than attempting to assemble land for new schools at costs that likely exceed the construction costs of the school.

The EDC restriction to land acquisition is also problematic in the greenfield development areas of the GTA. In Halton (Oakville), new growth has dramatically increased the need for new schools, but without EDC funding for new school construction, the municipalities must beg province for grants  a flawed process that does not keep up with demand.

This has to stop and should be a major political issue in the next provincial election, driven by the media.

Gordon Petch, Oakville

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Is oil becoming passe?

If so, what is going to replace it in Alberta? What kind of industries will provide the well-paying jobs that lured so many people to this province over the past 20 years and kept them here?

Thats the big question facing Albertans, and other petroleum producing regions of Canada, as the bad news regarding the future of fossil fuels keeps piling up.

Just last week the National Energy Board released a report in which it forecast that fossil fuel consumption in Canada could peak in two years and then drop by as much as 13 per cent by 2040.

This is a big shift.

Its the first time since the NEB began forecasting in 2007 that fossil fuel use peaks within the projection period. Previous reports indicated that demand would increase for the next two to three decades. Things are changing much faster than previously anticipated.

The NEB attributes the decline in demand to: carbon taxes, which will discourage consumption; energy efficiency; emerging energy technologies; and slower population growth. Global climate change policies and the development of renewable energy and electric vehicles are also likely to shrink demand for fossil fuels around the world, according to the NEB.

Of course, this doesnt mean Canada wont continue to produce and export oil. Just not as much as previously expected.

Shrinking demand is not the only problem. Some in the oilpatch are losing hope that Alberta oil will ever make it to Asian markets since the pipelines that would get it to coastal ports are either cancelled or delayed.

So its not surprising that in some quarters people are looking for something else that will give Albertans a better chance at long term prosperity.

Something like the big idea that Peter Lougheed had in the 1970s when he decided to kick-start oilsands development by investing millions of dollars of public funds into oilsands projects and ongoing technology research with the intention of turning the resource into a long-lasting source of income for the province.

Lougheeds vision didnt turn out exactly the way he had wanted and in the last 10 years environmental issues and carbon emissions put the oilsands in a negative light, especially outside Alberta. But theres no question oilsands development enriched both individual Albertans and the provincial treasury over decades.

So whats next?

Calgary has the highest cluster of engineers and information technology professionals in the country thanks to the oil and gas sector. Many of them are out of work but they have the kind of skills that could be transferred to the tech sector. And it is the tech sector that many entrepreneurs in Calgary are betting on.

Rocket Space, a Silicon Valley firm, is moving into Calgary next year. Theres plenty of empty office space.

And like Toronto, Calgary has put together a bold bid for the next Amazon headquarters. Even if it doesnt win, it hopes its pitch will attract lesser stars so the city can become a tech-hub.

And then there are the well-funded startups looking at how water technology could play a role in Albertas future.

At the University of Calgary researchers are trying to figure out how they can decarbonize oil extraction.

There are no such big ideas coming from our current crop of political parties.

The NDP government of Rachel Notley is pushing renewable energy projects as part of a plan to reduce carbon emissions. But while switching to renewables and natural gas will clean up the infrastructure that delivers electricity, we wont be selling or profiting from renewables or renewable technology the way we do from oil.

The new United Conservative Party, now led by Jason Kenney, doesnt even acknowledge climate change or the need to reduce carbon emissions. It simply wants to cut taxes, especially the carbon tax, and cut spending, and somehow quickly balance the governments books.

They seem to think that somehow, despite all evidence to the contrary, Alberta can simply return to the days of $100 a barrel oil and unfettered oilsands development.

Those days are over. Thats why we need to start working on the next big thing.

Gillian Steward is a Calgary writer and former managing editor of the Calgary Herald. Her column appears every other week. gsteward@telus.net

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Amid reports that SoftBank (SFTBY) could end talks on a merger of Sprint (S) - Get Free Report , which is majority-owned by Softbank, and T-Mobile (TMUS) - Get Free Report , shares of both telecoms dropped sharply Monday.

A merger with T-Mobile has been baked into Sprint's price for some time now, and the potential absence of a deal presents a quandary about just how much the telecom is worth on its own. Analysts' price targets suggest that Sprint's standalone value could be as much as 50% lower -- or higher -- than Monday's price.

Editor's note: This article was originally published by The Deal, a sister publication of TheStreet that offers sophisticated insight and analysis on all types of deals, from inception to integration. Click here for a free trial.

Sprint shares dropped 8.5% on Monday to $6.39, and were down as low as $6.05, after reports in Japan's Nikkei and CNBC suggested that SoftBank was about to end talks. The stock is down 23.5% for the year.

Meanwhile, T-Mobile fell 5.3% to $59.60 on Monday, but is still up 4.3% this year.

A merger of the telecoms would have been a non-starter under a Clinton White House, but President Trump's election seemed to open the door for a merger. On Nov. 9, the day after Trump's election, Sprint shares jumped more than 13% from $6.27 to $7.11. Sprint and T-Mobile did not immediately respond to requests for comment for this story.

A merger with T-Mobile would likely value Sprint at $7 to $8 per share, MoffettNathanson LLC analyst Craig Moffett suggested in a recent note. Absent a deal, however, he wrote that "Sprint would trade below $3 per share."

BTIG LLC analyst Walt Piecyk currently has a $4 target on Sprint, based on 7.5 times projected 2019 cash Ebitda.

Without a sale to T-Mobile, he suggested, investors could place a lower multiple to Sprint's stock. At seven times projected 2019 Ebitda, he noted, Sprint would fall to $3.25, while at a multiple of 6 it could be worth a mere $1.65 per share.

Towards the higher end of the spectrum, CFRA analyst Angelo Zino has a 12-month price target of $9 per share for Sprint, or 5.9 times fiscal year 2019 Ebitda.

"The $9 target price assumes our belief that this will remain a favorable M&A environment for the overall telecom industry," he said.

Zino's target price does not specifically factor in a deal with T-Mobile, but does consider that Sprint could have other options if a deal with T-Mobile falls apart. The carrier could strike a deal with Comcast (CMCSA) - Get Free Report or Charter Communications (CHTR) - Get Free Report , for example.

"We've seen a much more stable pricing environment and less promotional efforts than we've seen in recent years," Zino added. The round of promotions for Apple Inc's (AAPL) coveted iPhone X, which started pre-orders on Friday, have been underwhelming.

"A big reason for [fewer phone promotions] is likely because we've had T-Mobile and Sprint potentially working on a deal," he added. "Do these carriers get more aggressive, which is a possibility? That offers downside to some of the estimates."

Meanwhile, Cowen & Co. analyst Colby Synesael puts a $6 stand-alone valuation on Sprint, using a multiple of 7.5 times 2018 cash Ebitda and a 9.5% weighted average cost of capital, among other factors.

After riding the M&A roller coaster for nearly a year, it's worth noting that Sprint shares are at about the same level as before Trump's election, when a merger with T-Mobile seemed like a long shot.

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Brutal.

WPP Plc undefined lowered its full-year sales guidance Tuesday after reporting a fall in like-for-like sales and revenue for the second consecutive quarter as big brands cut back on ad spending.

The world's biggest advertising agency reported a 2% fall in third quarter like-for-like revenue to 3.649 billion ($4.8 billion) and a fall of 1.1% in like-for-like sales to 3.19 billion. This was the second consecutive quarter the company reported a fall in like-for-like revenue and sales.

WPP said that the full-year forecast will be formally reviewed in the first two weeks of November but indicates broadly flat like-for-like revenue and net sales growth, with the gap between revenue and net sales growth narrowing further. The company had previously given a growth range of 0% to 1%.

The company saw its biggest decline in North America, reporting a like-for-like revenue was down 5.1% and like-for-like sales down 4.9%. WPP said there was softness across all the group's businesses in the region and that it remains its biggest geographical area of concern and focus.

WPP shares were marked 0.46% higher in early London trading, despite the guidance cut, and changing hands at 1,302 pence each, trimming their three-month loss to around 16.3%.

WPP attributed the poor quarter to a number of things, including digital disruption from Alphabet's Google (GOOGL) - Get Free Report , Facebook (FB) - Get Free Report and Amazon (AMZN) - Get Free Report . The company also warned that there is further pressure on the digital space from "the intrusion of management consultancies", with the likes of Accenture and Deliotte buying smaller digital agencies.

However, the biggest impact, WPP said, has come companies cutting ad spend.

Clients "have now been forced to focus even more on cost reduction in response to activist investors (for example, Nelson Peltz at Procter & Gamble (PG) - Get Free Report or Dan Loeb at Nestle, who claim to be proponents of increased marketing spend), or the consolidation threat of zero-based budgeters such as 3G or Reckitt Benckiser or Coty, or previously Valeant or Endo in the pharmaceutical industry," WPP said.

This is forcing many of their clients, especially in the consumer goods sector, to cut cost and has encouraged a short-term focus, the company said. "As a result, the S&P 500 is now consistently paying back around 100% of its earnings to share owners in the form of dividends and buybacks, as opposed to about 60% in 2009, post-Lehman. Effectively management is abrogating responsibility for reinvesting retained earnings back to share owners," WPP said.

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China is Starbucks Corp.s biggest growth opportunity, and its expansion there could last decades without letting up.

Thats the view of Chief Executive Officer Kevin Johnson, who recently spoke with Bloomberg in the companys hometown of Seattle. Though the U.S. will remain a key market, Starbucks crusade to spread lattes and macchiatos across the Asian nation is key to its future.

China is our second-largest and fastest-growing market, he said. We can build new stores in China for decades and still have opportunity for growth there.

Starbucks doubled down on the market in July when it announced plans to buy out the partners in its East China joint venture. The company agreed to acquire the remaining 50 percent of the business in a USD1.3 billion transaction, giving it complete ownership of about 1,300 cafes in Shanghai and the Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.

The company is betting that Chinas growing middle class and urbanization will boost demand for coffee in a tea-loving country. Slowing sales in the U.S. have only added pressure to go big overseas. Starbucks has set a target of operating 5,000 cafes in mainland China by 2021.

Johnson, who joined Starbucks after a career in the tech industry, also sees innovation as key to fueling sales. That includes reformulating drinks, trying new store designs and enhancing its mobile app.

The tech industry and the coffee industry certainly have two different business models, but they have a lot in common, he said. We have to innovate to stay relevant. MDT/Bloomberg
Rent-A-Center Inc. (RCII) - Get Free Report is under pressure again.

The Texas-based rent-to-own furniture operator said late Monday, Oct. 30, that it will explore "strategic and financial alternatives" as it faces mounting pressure from activist investor Engaged Capital. The move is often considered a sign that a company is looking into selling itself.

Engaged Capital has over 20% stake in Rent-A-Center and had earlier this year called for the company to sell itself. Shortly after Rent-A-Center announced plans, Engaged Capital released a statement including the following: "While Rent-A-Center previously failed to pursue credible bids at meaningful premiums to the prevailing stock price earlier this year, we wholly expect the Board and senior management team to earnestly pursue strategic alternatives for the benefit of all stockholders following today's announcement."

Engaged Capital asked management to "expeditiously begin the due diligence process with the numerous publicly reported strategic and financial buyers that have already provided indications of interest in acquiring Rent-A-Center, beginning with the opening $15 per share bid from Buddy's/Vintage Capital."

Rent-A-Center had previously rejected a takeover from Buddy's/Vintage Capital earlier this summer, calling it "inadequate and opportunistic."

In the midst of the decision to hire advisers for a possible exploration of a sale, Rent-A-Center reported wider-than-expected per share loss of 15 cents for the third quarter. In the same announcement detailing its decision to explore options, Rent-A-Center said its board chairman Steven L. Pepper would resign, effective Tuesday, Oct. 31.

California-based Engaged Capital said it "is also pleased to see that the apparent impediment in the boardroom towards running a strategic alternatives process has been removed."

Rent-A-Center shares were higher 4.17% to $10.49 in premarket trading Tuesday.

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Facebook (FB) - Get Free Report , Alphabet (GOOGL) - Get Free Report and Twitter (TWTR) - Get Free Report are on the hot seat this week.

Top lawyers for the tech giants are set to be grilled by Congress on how Russian actors allegedly used their platforms to try to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The first hearing is set for Tuesday at 2:30 PM EDT in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Two additional hearings are scheduled for Wednesday -- the first in front of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence at 9:30 a.m. ET and another at 2:00 p.m. ET in front of the House Intelligence Committee's Russia Investigative Task Force. All the hearings will be live streamed to the public.

Top tech executives are expected to be absent from the hearings, but Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg will likely face some questions from analysts about Russian meddling when the pair host the company's third-quarter earnings call on Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET. Don't expect to hear testimony from Google CEO Sundar Pichai or Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, either.

Representing the tech giants are Facebook general counsel Colin Stretch, Twitter general counsel Sean Edgett and Google general counsel Kent Walker.

Ahead of the hearings, Facebook, Twitter and Google have all released some evidence of Russian meddling on their respective platforms, but the companies are expected to tell Congress that the interference was more widespread than originally estimated. Facebook is expected to inform Congress on Tuesday that 126 million Americans may have viewed content from the Internet Research Agency (IRA), the Russian troll farm that ran at least 470 Facebook accounts and purchased 3,000 political ads -- totaling $100,000 -- during the 2016 election. And Twitter will tell lawmakers that as many as 36,746 IRA-linked accounts generated 1.4 million tweets during the presidential election.

Earlier this month, Google disclosed that accounts linked to the Russian government had purchased $4,700 worth of ads. The company found an additional $53,000 worth of ads were bought from accounts with Russian internet addresses and Russian currency.

Facebook and Twitter have also taken preliminary steps to self-regulate ad disclosures, pledging to be more transparent about who is buying political ads on their platforms. Facebook is now requiring buyers of election-related ads to include a "paid for by" disclosure, while Twitter added new disclosure rules and is banning ads from Russian outlets Russia Today and Sputnik. Google has yet to introduce new disclosure rules.

Senators have also authored a bill, called the Honest Ads Act, that would require online political ads to disclose their funding sources and archive all political ads sold above certain thresholds. Republican Sen. John McCain has already signed onto the bill, alongside co-authors and Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Mark Warner.

In addition, on Tuesday, the Internet Association, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying group that counts Google, Twitter and Facebook as members, released a series of principles on how online ads should be regulated. Among the recommendations, the group said that the Federal Election Commission should put in place uniform regulations that require all ad platforms to report disclosures, not just a few. It also argued that regulators should improve the transparency of political ads without discouraging free speech.

So far, Facebook, Google and Twitter have adopted similar stances on Russian meddling on their platforms by promising to take the issue seriously. The response is likely to be different during this week's hearings, however, as tech firms go further than just telling lawmakers what they're currently doing to thwart Russian ad buying, said Ryan Hagemann, director of technology policy at the libertarian think tank the Niskanen Center.

"Eventually, they're going to have to start working more closely with lawmakers," Hagemann said. "We're going to see Washington pushing a lot harder on Silicon Valley, through legislation and political messaging."

Tech firms have pledged to work more closely with legislators, but so far have stopped short of endorsing proposed regulations such as the Honest Ads Act.

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State attorneys general led by Connecticut's George Jepsen said Tuesday, Oct. 31, they were planning to include Mylan NV (MYL) - Get Free Report president Rajiv Malik and Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd. executive Satish Mehta in an expanded complaint in the federal generic drug antitrust lawsuit.

"We have been investigating these allegations thoroughly and have found no evidence of price fixing on the part of Mylan or its employees," Mylan said in a statement in response to the states' announcement. "Our review of the Connecticut Attorney General's press release underpinning the complaint does not change our views."

The company added: "We have asked the various attorneys general leading this case to share with us what information they believe supports these new allegations and, to date, they have not done so."

Mylan said it has deep faith in Malik's integrity and stands behind him fully. "Mylan and Rajiv Malik both intend to defend this case vigorously, and we look forward to the opportunity to present a full defense," the company said.

Also on Tuesday, the attorneys general said they are seeking to expand the complaint to include Actavis Holdco U.S. Inc., Actavis Pharma Inc., Ascend Laboratories LLC, Apotex Corp., Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Inc. (RDY) - Get Free Report , Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., Lannett Co. Inc. (LCI) - Get Free Report , Par Pharmaceutical Cos. Inc., Novartis AG's (NVS) - Get Free Report Sandoz Inc., Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Inc. and Zydus Pharmacuticuals USA Inc.

A representative for Endo International plc (ENDP) - Get Free Report , which owns Par Pharmaceutical, said the company's policy is not to comment on pending litigation.

"That said, Endo is committed to providing top-quality products that improve patients' lives, and in doing so, we take our legal obligations-including those relating to product pricing-very seriously. As such, we plan to vigorously defend the Company against the claims asserted today by the state Attorneys General," the representative said.

Novartis Reportedly Taps Centerview to Evaluate Options for Dermatology Business

A spokesperson for Dr. Reddy's said in an email that the company "is aware of the on-going investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice into this matter and the recent development by the Attorneys General of Connecticut this regard," adding: "The company intends to continue cooperating fully with all authorities on this matter and as it is sub-judice, wish to refrain from further comment at this point in time."

A Novartis representative said in an email, "We acknowledge that Sandoz, along with 17 other companies, has been named in an amended State Attorney Generals complaint regarding U.S. generic medicine pricing practices concerning 15 products, including two Sandoz products, Fosinopril HCTZ and Carisoprodol ASA."

The representative said Novartis believes the claims are without merit and will vigorously contest them. "Sandoz takes its obligations under the antitrust laws seriously. We will continue to be committed to providing high-quality affordable medicines to US patients, and conducting business with customers and the government with integrity," the representative added.

Aetna Stays Mum on Possible Blockbuster CVS Marriage

Ascend, a subsidiary of Alkem Laboratories Ltd., said in a statement that it has "always acted as a fair and ethical company," adding that it "strongly asserts that it has done nothing improper, which will be demonstrated in due course."

Ascend said that contrary to allegations, the company "never launched the Nimodipine item in question but instead out-licensed it to a major private label distributor who packages the product into its own trade dress and performs its own sales, pricing and marketing efforts with no involvement from Ascend."

"These efforts have resulted in a 63% price decrease in the market on Nimodipine since Ascend began manufacturing. Ascend looks forward to working with the government and setting the record straight," the company said.

A representative for Glenmark said in an email that while the company does not comment on ongoing litigation, "Glenmark prides itself on conducting its business with the utmost integrity and complying with all applicable laws, rules and regulations."

Previously, the lawsuit was filed against Heritage Pharmaceuticals Inc., Aurobindo Pharma USA Inc., Citron Pharma LLC, Mayne Pharma (USA) Inc., Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. The lawsuit alleged that the companies entered into illegal conspiracies in order to unreasonably restrain trade, artificially inflate and manipulate prices and reduce competition in the U.S. for two drugs, antibiotic doxycycline hyclate delayed release and oral diabetes medication glyburide.

"Today, we are seeking leave of the court to file an expanded complaint that implicates significantly more companies, significantly more drugs and two individual executives in the illegal conduct," said Jepsen, Connecticut's attorney general, in a statement on Tuesday. "We allege in this complaint that the defendant companies' collusion was so pervasive that it essentially eliminated competition from the market for these 15 drugs in its entirety."

Jepsen said the states anticipate "bringing more claims involving additional companies and drugs at the appropriate time."

Shares of Mylan were up 2.9% to $36.73 on Wednesday after finishing Tuesday's trading session down 6.6%. In other Mylan news, the company and Theravance Biopharma Inc. (TBPH) - Get Free Report on Wednesday announced the presentation of additional positive efficacy data from Phase 3 studies of revefenacin (TD-4208), a potential treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, at the 2017 CHEST annual meeting in Toronto. Separately, Momenta Pharmaceuticals Inc. (MNTA) - Get Free Report and Mylan said that M834, a proposed biosimilar of Orencia (abatacept), did not achieve its primary pharmacokinetic (PK) endpoints in a Phase 1 study.

On Wednesday, Endo's shares rose nearly 1% to $6.44 after closing up 7% on Tuesday, and Lannett's shares were up 5% to $20.90 after ending Tuesday's trading session down 13.7%.

American depository receipts of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (TEVA) - Get Free Report were up nearly 1% to $13.92 after closing up 1.9% on Tuesday. Teva acquired Actavis Generics last year.

Dr. Reddy's ADRs were changing hands at $35.53, down 2.3%, on Wednesday, after closing up 0.6% on Tuesday, and Novartis' ADRs were trading at $83.25, up 0.8%, after closing up 1%.

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During a TDM talk show which took place on Sunday, five directly elected lawmakers, including Ng Kuok Cheong, Leong Sun Iok, Ho Ion Sang, Si Ka lon, and Mak Soi Kun, voiced their different stances regarding the mutual recognition of driving licenses between Macau and mainland China.

Last week, the Transport Advisory Committee reunited for a meeting to discuss several topics relating to transportation. One of the topics addressed a proposal which would recognize mainland drivers licenses in the MSAR, and vice-versa.

Ng said that the program is essentially deteriorating the local environment, not optimizing it. Leong worried that there will be more non-local drivers driving in an unfamiliar environment. Ho believes that there is no urgency at the current stage to implement the policy.

Si and Mak, however, agreed with the project.

In Sis opinion, the cooperation between Macau and Guangdong, especially concerning the Greater Bay area development, will be a key trend in this regions integrated development. Therefore, recognizing driving licenses on both sides will be more convenient for the residents.

Macau will be closing and limiting itself, if the city refuses to accept the project, Si concluded.

One of Maks suggestions was for Macau to accept the project and to improve its transportation network, for instance, by making road signs more recognizable and by making the penalties for transportation infractions more severe.

The director of the Transport Bureau (DSAT), Lam Hin Sam, based his preference for the mutual recognition of driving licenses between Macau and mainland China on the benefits it would offer to Macau residents.

According to the head of DSAT, the policy helps the local youth in adapting to the new living, working, and operating standards of businesses across the Greater Bay area. He also noted that the number of local residents who are taking the mainlands driving exams is continuously growing.

This year to date, around 6,000 MSAR residents have taken the mainlands driving exams, approximately 1,000 residents more than last year.

As Lam explained, the mutual recognition policy would only concern holders of driving licenses for light vehicles.

We should all be absolutely confident in the mainlands driving exams because they have become increasingly tighter, said Lam. Lam continued to explain that the penalties in the mainland for driving infractions are more strict than in the MSAR.

On whether Lam himself is concerned about Macaus road safety, he shared that he expects that Macau will be able to adapt easily to the increased number of drivers.

He gave the example of Hong Kong, where, according to Lam, mainland driving licenses have been recognized for 13 years and it has not caused any serious disruption.

In Lams opinion, the increase might arise in the non-local employment market, particularly in the private transportation sector.

He also noted that the tourists have never had a high inclination for driving their own vehicles in Macau. Overall, we do not think there is a problem, concluded Lam.

According to Lam, there is no need to amend the citys transportation law to implement the policy. He believes that if the mainland confirms the agreement, the project can be carried out because Macau already has a very similar set of driving regulations, when compared to the mainland.

Vong Vai Hong, head of the Transport Department of the Public Security Police Force (PSP), said on Sunday that his department will, as usual, support any government policy. He also believes that the project will not result in an increase in the number of accidents.

Vong also shared that he does not think that the mutual recognition policy would place any burden on the police in Macau.

Currently, no implementation schedules have been made for the project, as noted by Lam, and the transport authority will need to discuss the projects details with state representatives.

This project was suggested in 2013, however, in 2013 it only involved Guangdong and Macau and it was strongly opposed by society. JZ
Standard Motor Products, Inc. manufactures and distributes replacement parts that are used in the maintenance, repair, and service of vehicles in the automotive aftermarket industry with a complementary focus on specialized original equipment parts for manufacturers across agriculture, heavy duty, and construction equipment industries. The company's Engine Management segment provides electronic ignition control modules, camshaft and crankshaft position sensors, ignition wires and coils, switches and relays, exhaust gas recirculation valves, pressure and temperature sensors, variable valve timing components, mass airflow and fuel pressure sensors, electronic throttle bodies, and diesel injectors and pumps; and anti-lock brake, vehicle speed, tire pressure monitoring, and park assist sensors. This segment offers its products under the Standard, Blue Streak, BWD, Intermotor, OEM, SMP Blue Streak Canada, GP Sorensen, Locksmart, Standard Motorcycle, and Blue Streak Race Wires brands. Its Temperature Control segment provides components for the temperature control systems, engine cooling systems, power window accessories, and windshield washer systems of motor vehicles under the Four Seasons, ACI, Hayden, Factory Air, and Maxair brands. Its products include air conditioning compressors and repair kits, clutch assemblies, blower and radiator fan motors, filter dryers, evaporators, accumulators, actuators, hose assemblies, thermal expansion devices, heater valves, heater cores, A/C service tools and chemicals, fan assemblies, fan clutches, oil coolers, window lift motors, window regulators and assemblies, and windshield washer pumps. The company serves primarily automotive aftermarket retailers, warehouse distributors, original equipment manufacturers, and original equipment service part operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Mexico, and other Latin American countries. The company was founded in 1919 and is headquartered in Long Island City, New York.
Chinas largest banks posted double-digit increases in lending income in the third quarter, validating some of the earnings optimism that has fueled a rally in their shares this year.

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., Bank of China Ltd. and Agricultural Bank of China Ltd. yesterday reported average net interest income gains of 15 percent. The figures come after China Construction Bank Corp. reported a 10 percent rise last week.

For the most part, the four banks results reflected improvements in interest margins and asset quality, though Bank of Chinas figures were marred by a jump in impairment losses. The lenders shares have jumped this year on expectations that sustained economic growth will boost profitability. The quartets price-to- book ratios are near the highest level in about two years.

The big banks have benefited from some of the government efforts since April to curtail risks from Chinas almost USD30 trillion of debt. As authorities moved to increase policy coordination among the countrys regulators, they also sought to curb interbank borrowings  a step that has boosted margins at the big banks as net lenders into that market.

ICBC, the worlds largest lender by assets, said its net interest margin rose to 2.17 percent by the end of September, compared with 2.16 percent in the first half, while Bank of China and CCB also reported increases. Agricultural Bank didnt disclose its latest NIM, which is a measure of lending profitability.

Here are the headline third-quarter numbers reported by the Big Four:

ICBC: Net income rose 3.3 percent to 75 billion yuan ($11.3 billion) from year earlier CCB: Net income up 4.1 percent to 62.9 billion yuan Bank of China: Net income little changed at 41.8 billion yuan Agricultural Bank: Net income gained 4.9 percent to 51.4 billion yuan

This quarter represents the banks efforts to boost results to complete full- year targets, said Hao Hong, chief strategist and head of research at Bocom International Holdings Co. in Hong Kong. Banks are loosening credit, despite all the talk about deleveraging.

Bank of Chinas impairment losses in the third quarter jumped 63 percent to 22.8 billion yuan, eroding most of the gains the bank generated in lending income. And for the first nine months of the year, Bank of Chinas nonperforming loan ratio was 1.41 percent, edging up from 1.38 percent on June 30.

The other banks logged lower NPL ratios.

After three years of virtually flat profits, earnings momentum at the banks should pick up from the third quarter onwards, Credit Suisse analysts said in an Oct. 24 report. Industry net interest margins should increase in the second half of 2017, analysts at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Huatai Securities Co. have said. Bloomberg
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.
The following companies are subsidiares of Ingersoll Rand: 13125882 Canada Inc., 211 E. Russell Road LLC, 4458664 Canada Inc., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES ASIA PTE. LTD., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES BORROWER S.C.A., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES LLC, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES MIDDLE EAST FZE, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES SERVICES LIMITED, ASTRUM IT GmbH, Accudyne Industries Acquisition S.A r.l, Accudyne Industries Canada Inc., Accudyne Industries S.A r.l., Air Dimensions, Air Dimensions Inc., Albin Pump SAS, BOC Edwards Global Low pressure Air business, CISA S.p.A., Cameron-Centrifugal Compression, Comercial Ingersoll-Rand (Chile) Limitada, Comingersoll-Comercio E Industria De Equipamentos S.A., CompAir, CompAir (Hankook) Korea Co. Ltd., CompAir Acquisition (No. 2) Ltd., CompAir Acquisition Ltd., CompAir BroomWade Ltd., CompAir Finance Ltd., CompAir GmbH, CompAir Holdings Limited, CompAir International Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CompAir Korea Ltd, CompAir South Africa (SA) (Pty) Ltd., Consolidated Distribution Holdings Ltd., DV Systems Inc., Dosatron International SAS, Emco Wheaton Gmbh, Emco Wheaton USA Inc, Enza Air Proprietary Limited, FlexEnergy Holdings LLC, Frigoblock Grosskopf Gmbh, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Investments Limited, GD First (UK) Ltd, GD German Holdings GmbH, GD German Holdings I Gmbh, GD German Holdings II GmbH, GD German Investments GmbH, GD Global Holdings II Inc., GD Global Holdings Inc., GD Global Holdings UK II Ltd., GD Global Ventures I B.V., GD Global Ventures II B.V., GD Global Ventures III B.V., GD Industrial Products Malaysia SDN. BHD., GD Investment KY, GD UK Finance Ltd., GPS Industries, Gardner Denver (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Austria GmbH, Gardner Denver Bad Neustadt Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Belgium NV, Gardner Denver Brasil Industria E Comercio de Maquinas Ltda., Gardner Denver CZ + SK sro, Gardner Denver Canada Corp (Canada), Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Limited, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Engineered Products India Private Limited, Gardner Denver FZE, Gardner Denver Finance II LLC, Gardner Denver Finance Inc & Co KG, Gardner Denver France SAS, Gardner Denver Group Svcs Ltd, Gardner Denver Holdings Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Ltd, Gardner Denver Iberica SL, Gardner Denver Inc., Gardner Denver Industries Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd., Gardner Denver International Inc., Gardner Denver International Ltd., Gardner Denver Investments Inc., Gardner Denver Italy Holdings S.r.L., Gardner Denver Japan Ltd., Gardner Denver Kirchhain Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Korea Ltd., Gardner Denver Ltd., Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Nash Brasil Industria E Comercio De Bombas Ltda, Gardner Denver Nash LLC, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd., Gardner Denver Nederland BV, Gardner Denver Nederland Investments B.V., Gardner Denver Oy, Gardner Denver Polska Sp z.o.o., Gardner Denver Pte. Ltd., Gardner Denver S.r.l., Gardner Denver Schopfheim GmbH, Gardner Denver Schopfheim Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Schweiz AG, Gardner Denver Slovakia s.r.o., Gardner Denver Sweden AB, Gardner Denver Taiwan Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas GmbH (f/k/a ILMVAC GmbH), Gardner Denver Thomas Inc., Gardner Denver Thomas Pneumatic Systems (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Garo Dott. Ing. Roberto Gabbioneta S.r.l., Ghh-Rand Schraubenkompressoren Gmbh, HASKEL EUROPE LTD., HASKEL HOLDINGS UK LIMITED, HASKEL INTERNATIONAL LLC, Hamworthy Belliss & Morcom, Haskel France SAS, Haskel Sistemas de Fluidos Espana S.R.L., Hibon Inc., Highspeed Newco LLC, Hingerose Limited, ILMVAC (UK) Ltd., ILS Innovative Labor Systeme, ILS Inovative Laborsysteme GmbH, INGERSOLL RAND ITS JAPAN LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHANG ZHOU) TOOLS CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHINA) INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND CHINA LLC, INGERSOLL-RAND COMERCIO E SERVICOS DE MAQUINAS E EQUIPAMENTOS INDUSTRIAIS LTDA., INGERSOLL-RAND DE PUERTO RICO INC., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL COMPANY B.V., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL SP. Z O.O., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL U.S. INC., INGERSOLL-RAND PHILIPPINES INC., INGERSOLL-RAND SPAIN S.A., INGERSOLL-RAND U.S. HOLDCO INC., IR HPS Holdco. Inc., ITO Emniyet, Ingersoll Rand Cyprus Investments Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Finance LLC, Ingersoll Rand Global Investments LLC, Ingersoll Rand Global Ventures LLC, Ingersoll Rand Hong Kong Investments Limited, Ingersoll Rand Inc., Ingersoll Rand Investments (SG) Pte. Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Investments B.V., Ingersoll Rand Schweiz Investments Gmbh, Ingersoll Rand Technology R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand (Australia) Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand (China) Investment Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (Guilin) Tools Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (Hong Kong) Holding Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (India) Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Ab, Ingersoll-Rand Air Solutions Hibon Sarl, Ingersoll-Rand Beteiligungs Und Grundstucksverwaltungs Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Colombia S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Company Limited (Uk), Ingersoll-Rand Company South Africa (Pty) Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Cz S.R.O., Ingersoll-Rand De Mexico S.A. De C.V., Ingersoll-Rand Equipements De Production S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Industrial Ireland Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International (India) Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Italia S.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Italiana Manufacturing S.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Korea Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Korea Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Lux Investments II S.A R.I., Ingersoll-Rand Lux Investments S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Luxembourg Industrial Company S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Machinery (Shanghai) Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Malaysia Co. Sdn. Bhd., Ingersoll-Rand S.A. De C.V., Ingersoll-Rand Services And Trading Limited Liability Company, Ingersoll-Rand Services Company, Ingersoll-Rand Services Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Singapore Enterprises Pte. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand South East Asia (Pte.) Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand Superay Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Technical And Services S.A.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Technologies And Services Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Technology R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand Tool Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Trading Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Vietnam Company Limited, Instrum Rand JSC, Interflex Datensysteme, Ir Canada Holdings Ulc, Ir Canada Sales & Service Ulc, Ir France Sas, Kryptonite corp, Lawrence Factor Inc., LeROI, LeRoi International Inc, MILTON ROY (HONG KONG) LIMITED, MILTON ROY (UK) LIMITED, MILTON ROY EUROPA B.V., MILTON ROY EUROPE SAS, MILTON ROY INDUSTRIAL (SHANGHAI) CO. LTD., MILTON ROY LLC, MILTON ROY US PURCHASER INC., MP Pumps Inc., Maximum AG Technologies Inc., Maximus Solutions, Mb Air Systems Limited, Nash Elmo, Officina Meccaniche Industriali Srl, Oina VV, Oina VV Aktiebolag, Plurifilter D.O.O., Pt Ingersoll-Rand Indonesia, Robuschi, Runtech Systems, Runtech Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Runtech Systems Inc., Runtech Systems OY, SEEPEX, Seepex (M) SDN, Seepex Australia Pty Ltd, Seepex Beteiligungs-Gesellschaft mit Beschrankter Haftung, Seepex France S.a.r.l., Seepex GmbH, Seepex Inc., Seepex India Private Ltd., Seepex Italia SRL, Seepex Japan Co. Ltd., Seepex Nordic A/S, Seepex OOO, Seepex Pumps (Shanghia) Co. Ltd., Seepex UK Ltd., Shanghai CompAir Compressors Co Ltd, Shanghai Compressors & Blowers Ltd., Shanghai Ingersoll-Rand Compressor Limited, Shenzhen Bocom System Engineering Co., Superay, Syltone, TIWR Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, Tamrotor Marine Comp AS Norway, Tecno Matic Europe s.r.o., Thomas Industries Inc., Trane Technologies, Tri-Continent Scientific Inc., Vacuum and Blower Systems division, Welch Vacuum Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zaxe Technologies Inc., Zeks Compressed Air Solutions Llc, Zinsser Analytic, Zinsser Analytik GmbH, Zinsser NA Inc., and crayon interface.

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Energizer Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, markets, and distributes household batteries, specialty batteries, and lighting products worldwide. It offers lithium, alkaline, carbon zinc, nickel metal hydride, zinc air, and silver oxide batteries under the Energizer and Eveready brands, as well as primary, rechargeable, specialty, and hearing aid batteries. The company also provides headlights, lanterns, and children's and area lights, as well as flash lights under the Energizer, Eveready, Rayovac, Hard Case, Dolphin, Varta, and WeatherReady brands. In addition, it licenses the Energizer and Eveready brands to companies developing consumer solutions in gaming, automotive batteries, portable power for critical devices, LED light bulbs, generators, power tools, household light bulbs, and other lighting products. Further, the company designs and markets automotive fragrance and appearance products, including protectants, wipes, tire and wheel care products, glass cleaners, leather care products, air fresheners, and washes to clean, shine, refresh, and protect interior and exterior automobile surfaces under the brand names of Armor All, Nu Finish, Refresh Your Car!, LEXOL, Eagle One, California Scents, Driven, and Bahama & Co; STP branded fuel and oil additives, functional fluids, and other performance chemical products; and do-it-yourself automotive air conditioning recharge products under the A/C PRO brand name, as well as other refrigerant and recharge kits, sealants, and accessories. It sells its products through direct sales force, distributors, and wholesalers; and through various retail and business-to-business channels, including mass merchandisers, club, electronics, food, home improvement, dollar store, auto, drug, hardware, e-commerce, convenience, sporting goods, hobby/craft, office, industrial, medical, and catalog. Energizer Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 2015 and is headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri.
The Portuguese Museum of the Orient, located in Lisbon, holds in its permanent collection a previously unseen art piece and has chosen to loan the piece, for its first public display, to the city of Fukuoka, Japan.

The art piece, a Chinese origin folding screen, portrays scenes of the life of Jesus Christ and is on display in the Kyushu National Museum. The display is dedicated to the Portuguese presence in Asia.

The piece is part of the exhibition titled Japanese Art in the Age of Discoveries that, according to the information provided by the Museum of the Orient, explores art in the perspective of cultural interaction, namely during the period from 1543 to 1639, when the Portuguese were present in Japan. This was the period when the Portuguese introduced firearms to Japanese culture and when the regime of Xogunato Tokugawa forbade the monopolization of commerce by the Christians in Japan. At the time of their arrival in Japan, Macau was used as a base for the Portuguese travels to the Far East. Evangelization and commercial exchange were the two main purposes of those travels.

The exhibition gathers a collection of over 120 art pieces from several Japanese National Museums, Emperors Collections and temples. The collection also includes pieces from Museo Soumaya (Fundacion Carlos Slim), in Mexico.

As the spokesperson for the Portuguese Museum, Joana Belard da Fonseca, noted, the folding screen is a very rare piece that combines the Coromandel lacquer and eastern painting style done, most probably, in China with European religious paintings and images, and is likely, a piece done by special order that shows the work of the Jesuit missionaries in China. RM
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South Africa trade surplus well below expectations

South Africas trade surplus decreased to R4.00 billion in September of 2017 from an upwardly revised 5.98 billion surplus in August, and below market expectations of a R7.0 billion surplus.

Exports decreased 1.6 percent after an 11 percent jump in August while imports advanced at 0.4 percent. Considering the January to September period, exports increased 5.4 percent and imports decreased 1.2 percent, shifting the countrys trade balance into a R47.1 billion surplus from a R6.7 billion gap in the same period of 2016.

Compared with the previous month, exports decreased to R101.8 billion from R103.4 billion, led by a fall in shipments of base metals (-12 percent); vegetable products (-16 percent); chemical products (-15 percent) and precious metals and stones (-6 percent), while vehicles and transport equipment (14 percent) and mineral products (7 percent) rose. Major destinations for sales were China (9.9 percent); the US (8.2 percent); Germany (6.1 percent); India (6 percent) and Japan (4.9 percent).

Imports advanced to R97.8 billion from R97.4 billion, due to higher purchases of vegetable products (107 percent); mineral products (5 percent); chemical products (5 percent); prepared foodstuffs (11 percent) and animals and vegetable fats (47 percent). Imports came mostly from China (17.9 percent of total imports); Germany (11.8 percent); the US (6.7 percent); Saudi Arabia (4.7 percent) and India (4.2 percent).

Excluding trade with neighboring Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland, the country posted a trade deficit of R4.3 billion in September compared to a R1.9 billion gap in August.

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) today releases trade statistics for September 2017 recording a trade balance surplus of R4.00 billion. These statistics include trade data with Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland (BLNS).

The year-to-date (01 January to 30 September 2017) trade balance surplus of R47.12 billion is an improvement on the deficit for the comparable period in 2016 of R6.66 billion. Exports for the year-to-date grew by 5.4% whilst imports for the same period declined by 1.2%.

Including trade data with Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland (BLNS)

The R4.00 billion trade balance surplus for September 2017 is attributable to exports of R101.76 billion and imports of R97.76 billion. Exports decreased from August 2017 to September 2017 by R1.61 billion (1.6%) and imports increased from August 2017 to September 2017 by R0.36 billion (0.4%).

Exports for the year-to-date (01 January to 30 September 2017) grew by 5.4% from R818.59 billion in 2016 to R862.61 billion in 2017. Imports for the year-to-date of R815.49 billion are 1.2% less than the imports recorded in January to September 2016 of R825.25 billion, leaving a cumulative trade balance surplus of R47.12 billion for 2017.

On a year-on-year basis, the R4.00 billion trade balance surplus for September 2017 is a deterioration from the surplus recorded in September 2016 of R7.01 billion. Exports of R101.76 billion are 2.6% more than the exports recorded in September 2016 of R99.22 billion. Imports of R97.76 billion are 6.0% more than the imports recorded in September 2016 of R92.21 billion.

August 2017s trade balance surplus was revised upwards by R0.04 billion from the previous months preliminary surplus of R5.94 billion to a revised surplus of R5.98 billion as a result of ongoing Vouchers of Correction (VOCs).

Trade highlights by category

The main month-on-month export movements: R million Section: Including BLNS: Base Metals -R1 480 -12% Vegetable Products -R1 214 -16% Chemical Products -R1 030 -15% Precious Metals & Stones -R1 025 -6% Vehicles & Transport Equipment +R1 662 +14% Mineral Products +R1 700 +7% Total -R1 387 86% Total Movement -R1 612 100%

The main month-on-month import movements: R million Section: Including BLNS: Vegetable Products +R1 782 +107% Mineral Products +R 717 +5% Chemical Products +R 544 +5% Prepared Foodstuff +R 374 +11% Animals/Vegetable Fats +R 301 +41% Precious Metals & Stones -R 229 -18% Textiles -R 384 -9% Vehicles & Transport Equipment -R755 -8% Machinery & Electronics -R979 -4% Original Equipment Components -R1 105 -12% Total +R 266 74% Total Movement +R 362 100%

Trade highlights by world zone

The world zone results from August 2017 (revised) to September 2017 are given below.

Africa:

Exports: R26 794 million  this is a decrease of R 941 million from August 2017.

Imports: R10 511 million  this is a decrease of R 383 million from August 2017.

Trade Balance surplus: R16 283 million  this is a deterioration of R 559 million in comparison to the R16 841 million surplus recorded in August 2017.

America:

Exports: R10 038 million  this is an increase of R 66 million from August 2017.

Imports: R10 551 million  this is an increase of R 631 million from August 2017.

Trade Balance deficit: R 513 million  this is a deterioration of R 565 million in comparison to the R52 million surplus recorded in August 2017.

Asia:

Exports: R35 537 million  this is an increase of R4 077 million from August 2017.

Imports: R43 189 million  this is a decrease of R 471 million from August 2017.

Trade Balance deficit: R7 652 million  this is an improvement of R4 548 million in comparison to the R12 200 million deficit recorded in August 2017.

Europe:

Exports: R22 983 million  this is a decrease of R2 727 million from August 2017.

Imports: R31 864 million  this is an increase of R 535 million from August 2017.

Trade Balance deficit: R8 881 million  this is a deterioration of R3 262 million in comparison to the R5 619 million deficit recorded in August 2017.

Oceania:

Exports: R1 393 million  this is a decrease of R 3 million from August 2017.

Imports: R1 394 million  this is a decrease of R 66 million from August 2017.

Trade Balance deficit: R1 million  this is an improvement of R 62 million in comparison to the R 63 million deficit recorded in August 2017.

Excluding trade data with Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland (BLNS)

The trade data excluding BLNS for September 2017 recorded a trade balance deficit of R 4.31 billion. This is a result of exports of R90.11 billion and imports of R94.42 billion.

Exports decreased from August 2017 to September 2017 by R1.44 billion (1.6%) and imports increased from August 2017 to September 2017 by R1.01 billion (1.1%).

The cumulative deficit for 2017 is R21.69 billion compared to R85.99 billion deficit in 2016.

Trade highlights by category

The main month-on-month export movements: R million Section: Excluding BLNS: Vegetable Products -R1 169 -16% Precious Metals & Stones -R1 168 -7% Base Metals -R 1 478 -13% Chemical Products -R 989 -18% Vehicles & Transport Equipment +R1 703 +16% Mineral Products +R1 756 +8% Total - R1 392 94% Total Movement - R1 438 100%

The main month-on-month import movements: R million Section: Excluding BLNS: Vegetable Products +R1 791 +111% Mineral Products +R 726 +5% Chemical Products +R 577 +6% Prepared Foodstuff +R 421 +14% Animals/Vegetable Fats +R 309 +42% Plastic & Rubber +R 164 +4% Precious Metals & Stones +R 156 +34% Textiles -R 430 -12% Vehicles & Transport Equipment -R 763 -8% Machinery & Electronics -R 951 -4% Original Equipment Components -R1 105 -12% Total +R 895 88% Total Movement +R1 014 100%

Trade highlights by world zone

The world zone results for Africa excluding BLNS from August 2017 (Revised) to September 2017 are given below.

Africa:

Exports: R15 141 million  this is a decrease of R767 million from August 2017.

Imports: R7 170 million  this is an increase of R269 million from August 2017.

Trade Balance surplus: R7 971 million  this is a deterioration of R1 037 million in comparison to the R9 007 million surplus recorded in August 2017.

Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia and Swaziland (Only)

Trade statistics with the BLNS for September 2017 recorded a trade balance surplus of R8.31 billion. This is as a result of exports of R11.65 billion and imports of R3.34 billion.

Exports decreased from August 2017 to September 2017 by R0.17 billion (1.5%) and imports decreased from August 2017 to September 2017 by R0.65 billion (16.3%).

The cumulative surplus for 2017 is R68.81 billion compared to R79.32 billion in 2016.

Trade Highlights by Category

The main month-on-month export movements: R million Section: BLNS: Machinery & Electronics -R 82 -5% Mineral Products -R 57 -3% Vegetable Products -R 45 -9% Chemical Products -R 42 -4% Vehicles & Transport Equipment -R 41 -4% Optical Photographic Products -R 26 -17% Precious Metals & Stones +R 142 +18% Total -R 150 86% Total Movement -R 174 100%
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte won pledges from Japan of help with fighting terrorism and assistance in building the countrys crumbling infrastructure, as he met with Japans prime minister yesterday during a visit to Tokyo.

Japan promised its support in the reconstruction of the strife-torn southern Philippine city of Marawi. A military campaign recently ended a five-month siege of the city by Islamic State group- aligned militants that left more than 1,100 combatants and civilians dead.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe welcomed the liberation of Marawi and gave credit to Dutertes leadership.

I express my heartfelt respect for President Dutertes leadership on the recent declaration of liberation in Marawi, Abe said. We will provide full support for [the Philippines] counterterrorism effort and steps to ensure peace and stability in the region.

The two leaders also agreed to cooperate on various projects, including a subway system for metropolitan Manila, the traffic-jammed capital, energy development, maritime safety and the Philippines fight against drugs and drug trafficking. The two sides are now laying out project details under a 1 trillion yen (USD9 billion) assistance package spanning five years that Japan had pledged earlier this year.

Duterte said he chose Japan as the destination of his first official overseas trip after Marawis liberation. The true friend of us stood squarely behind the Philippines in my countrys onward advance at greater peace, progress and prosperity, Duterte said.

He praised Japan for its support and thanked Abe for his pledge of help in rebuilding Marawi and the surrounding region in a timely manner.

The siege in the southern Philippines displaced some 400,000 residents, including the entire population of Marawi, a bastion of the Islamic faith in the predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines. Military airstrikes, artillery and heavy machine-gun fire turned the lakeside citys central business district and outlying communities into a smoldering wasteland of disfigured buildings and bullet-pocked mosques and houses.

The assistance from Tokyo also includes 15.9 billion yen (USD140 million) in low-interest financing for a water management project in the Philippines flood-prone Cavite province, and another 100 billion yen ($880 million) for the Manila subway, Japans Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Japan is also providing patrol boats and speed boats for the Philippine coast guard and financing training programs to step up its security capacity in the region.

Before leaving the Philippines for Tokyo late Sunday, Duterte said he hoped to discuss concerns over North Korea with Abe and declared that someone should talk to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, reassure him that nobody is out to remove him or destroy his country, and ask him to stop threatening attacks.

You must remember that he is a leader of his people, Duterte said, adding that whatever he proclaims himself to be, somebody has got to talk to him.

So, if somebody could just reach out, talk to him and say, My friend, why dont you just join me in the table and well just talk about these things? Duterte told reporters in the southern Philippine city of Davao. Nobodys talking to him.

Duterte echoed U.S. President Donald Trump in saying he believes China has the greatest leverage with Pyongyang, a longtime Beijing ally. And he expressed concern over the potential for dangerous missteps in the standoff with North Korea over its nuclear program.

We are worried, all of us, that you know, Murphys Law, If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong.

Yesterday, Duterte condemned North Korea for threatening peace and stability in the region with its repeated missile launches, urging Pyongyang and other involved parties to return to negotiations to resolve the problem.

Apart from his talks with government officials in Tokyo, Duterte met with Japanese business leaders earlier yesterday and will have an audience with Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko before heading home today. Mari Yamaguchi, Tokyo, AP
The Institute for Global Dialogue, in partnership with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and the Wits Africa-China Reporting Project (ACRP) held a one-day symposium at the University of the Witwatersrand on 20th July 2017, on the theme China-Africa: high time for a common integrated African policy on China.

The symposium drew on South Africas hosting of the Johannesburg Summit and 6th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in December 2015.

The event marked the 15th year since the initiation of the FOCAC mechanism in 2000 and nearly a decade since the Beijing Summit of 2006. The 2nd FOCAC Summit adopted two outcome documents, namely the Johannesburg Declaration and the Johannesburg Action Plan (2016-2018), laying out comprehensive plans for China-Africa relations and practical cooperation for the next three years through a range of new ideas and policies.

As current co-chair of the Forum, South Africa is uniquely positioned to guide the consolidation of the African agenda in China-Africa engagements, including the realisation of greater synergy between the outcomes of Johannesburg and Africas Agenda 2063.

In line with increasing calls for a unified African policy and strategy, this symposium presented a platform to critically examine the prospects of a Pan-African policy and strategy to guide Africas engagement with China, in addition to taking stock of the implementation of the Johannesburg Action Plan.

This proceedings report presents a synthesis of the discussions at the seminar and summarizes key policy recommendations and implications.

Closing Remarks

Africa does not have a China policy; moreover, several African countries do not have their own declared foreign policies, which are available to the public, Mr. Barry van Wyk, Project Coordinator, ACRP, said.

The symposium was able to make progress in developing African positions towards China but not in terms of an overall African policy towards China. It may be noted that one of the biggest challenges to Africa is to act in a strategic manner, as a region and continent. Mr. van Wyk further asked if it is possible for Africa to be expected to speak with one voice and to integrate more closely. Furthermore, if Africa had a common position, would particular actors or individuals lead such an integration of African policy; and whether or not the private sectors of China and African countries could be mobilised.

It may be possible to address these questions by attempting to formulate common African positions on specific issues of common interest, and then to build from there. It is important to start with what African states agree on. What might emerge from this discussion is not necessarily a common African policy but a common African framework that utilises a multi-pronged approach. For this to be achieved, various African networks like this one here today can be integrated and operationalised to feed into a common African framework. This framework may include specific issues of common interest, such as environmental issues and industrialisation, which may highlight that African agency can take a unified position.

The onus is on Africa to get its house in order and to develop concrete plans towards engagement with China. In addition, it is essential to make use of empirical knowledge, which informs the Africa-China relationship and allows stakeholders to make constructive decisions. As part of this effort, Africans should enquire into what such an African policy would look like, and how to best embody African agency by means of a coherent road map, particularly because much of the current discourse, taxonomy and paradigms are based on colonialism. Africa must base its deliberations on a thorough understanding of China and Chinese culture so it can then approach China in a more prepared manner. Africa has various structures in place to engage with China, notably FOCAC.

However, it is becoming vital for Africa to question whether or not it must look beyond FOCAC and OBOR, and if these institutions that can facilitate African agency appropriately. In carrying the agenda forward, it was emphasized that the networks that are formed around the symposium would continue practically via working groups to develop a coherent document and involve more stakeholders, thus aiming to make a decisive impact on developing an African framework towards China by the next FOCAC meeting in 2018.

Download the Proceedings Report: China-Africa: High time for a common integrated African policy on China (PDF)
Sub-Saharan Africa economies adopted a record number of business reforms for a second consecutive year, says the 15th anniversary edition of the World Bank Groups annual Doing Business report, which monitors the ease of doing business for small and medium enterprises around the world.

A total of 83 business reforms were carried out in the past year, surpassing the previous years record of 80 reforms. This brings to a total of 798 the number of reforms carried out in the past 15 years in the 48 economies of the region monitored by Doing Business 2018: Reforming to Create Jobs, released today.

The region is well represented in this years global top 10 improvers, based on reforms undertaken, with Malawi; Nigeria; and Zambia. Malawi, which implemented four reforms, made significant improvements in the area of Getting Credit by adopting a new law that sets clear rules related to bankruptcy procedures and by establishing a new credit bureau. Nigeria also improved access to credit by guaranteeing borrowers the right to inspect their credit data from the credit bureau and also made starting a business faster by allowing electronic stamping of registration documents. Reforms in Zambia also included the strengthening of access to credit by adopting a new Movable Property Act and by setting up a new collateral registry.

Much of the reform activity in the past year focused on the areas of Trading Across Borders and Starting a Business, with 15 reforms each, followed by Dealing with Construction Permits, where 14 reforms accounted for 64 percent of the 22 reforms recorded in this area globally. Zambia implemented a global automated system for customs data (ASYCUDA), making it easier for businesses to trade across borders, while Angola and Mozambique made trading across borders easier by improving port infrastructure.

Several economies, including Benin, Cabo Verde, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria and the Seychelles increased the transparency of dealing with construction permits by publishing regulations related to construction online. Angola also made dealing with construction permits easier and less time-consuming by improving its system for building permit applications.

Kenya implemented the most reforms in the region in the past year, with six. Among other improvements, Kenya made starting a business easier by reducing the number of procedures required to register a business, and reduced the time for import documentary compliance by utilizing a single window system. Kenya also improved the reliability of electricity supply by investing in distribution lines and transformers and by setting up a specialized squad to restore power when outages occur and implemented an online platform (itax) for filing and paying corporate income tax.

Four other economies  Mauritania, Nigeria, Rwanda and Senegal  implemented five reforms each during the past year. Rwanda, which is second only to New Zealand in Registering Property, implemented online services to further facilitate property transfers. As a result, it now takes only seven days to legally transfer a property title in Rwanda.

Notable reforms in Senegal included the introduction of stricter pre-trial hearing rules that led to a reduction of the time necessary to resolve a commercial dispute. These new rules have reduced the time to enforce a contract from 925 days to 740 days. Senegal also made starting a business and registering property less costly by reducing the notary fees for company incorporation and lowering the costs of transferring property, respectively.

Mauritius, the regions top-ranked economy, carried out four reforms, which included outsourcing the design and construction of sewerage connection works, thus, speeding up the process of obtaining a construction permit and improving processes to facilitate cross border trade. Mauritius also made it easier to transfer property by reducing the transfer tax, implementing a complaint mechanism and publishing service standards.

In the ease of doing business global rankings, Mauritius is in 25th place, followed by Rwanda (41), and Kenya (80) as the regions top ranked economies.

The Sub-Saharan Africa region continues to struggle in the area of Getting Electricity. On average, obtaining an electricity connection takes 115 days in the region, compared to the global average of 92 days.

The reform effort in Sub-Saharan Africa is singularly worth celebrating, as the region is beset with myriad crises, including conflict and violence. We hope to continue recording the regions successes in enabling entrepreneurship to address the challenge of job-creation, particularly for the regions millions of young women and men, said Rita Ramalho, Acting Director of the World Banks Global Indicators Group, which produces the report.

Highlights of the regions economies successes over the past 15 years include:

Making it easier to register a business has been a major focus for the region in the 15 years since Doing Business was first published, with 163 reforms recorded in this area. In 2003, it took 61 days on average to start a business in the region. Today, it takes 24 days, which compare with the global average of 20 days. In Kenya, for example, the time needed to start a business has been more than halved from 60 days in 2003, to 25 days today.

In the area of Enforcing Contracts, Rwanda reduced the time to settle a commercial dispute from 395 days 15 years ago, to 230 days today. In Resolving Insolvency, Zambia increased the recovery rate from 17 cents on the dollar in 15 years ago, to 48 cents on the dollar today.

The biggest reformers in the region have been Rwanda, with 52 reforms in 15 years, followed by Kenya with 32 reforms and Mauritius with 31 reforms.

Trading across Borders

Doing Business records the time and cost associated with the logistical process of exporting and importing goods. Doing Business measures the time and cost (excluding tari s) associated with three sets of procedures  documentary compliance, border compliance and domestic transport  within the overall process of exporting or importing a shipment of goods. The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in June 2017.

Where do the regions economies stand today?

How easy it is for businesses in economies in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to export and import goods? The global rankings of these economies on the ease of trading across borders suggest an answer. The average ranking of the region and comparator regions provide a useful benchmark.*

How economies in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) rank on the ease of trading across borders

* The top 10 ranked countries in the SSA region, along with South Africa, Nigeria and the regional average, are shown here.

Doing Business records nearly 3,200 reforms in 15 years to improve business climate worldwide

Governments in 119 economies carried out 264 business reforms in the past year to create jobs, attract investment and become more competitive, says the World Bank Groups latest Doing Business 2018 report.

Marking its 15th anniversary, the report notes that 3,188 business reforms have been carried out since it began monitoring the ease of doing business for domestic small and medium enterprises around the world.

Job creation is one of the transformational gains that countries and communities can achieve when the private sector is allowed to flourish. Fair, efficient and transparent rules, which Doing Business promotes, improve governance and tackle corruption, said World Bank Chief Executive Officer Kristalina Georgieva.

Developing countries carried out 206 reforms, accounting for 78 percent of the total reforms, with Sub-Saharan Africa implementing 83 reforms, a record for a second consecutive year for the region, and South Asia implementing a record 20 reforms. A large number of reforms centered on improving access to credit and registering a new business, with 38 reforms each, as well as facilitating cross border trade, with 33 reforms.

In its annual ease of doing business rankings, New Zealand, Singapore and Denmark retained their first, second and third spots, respectively, followed by Republic of Korea; Hong Kong SAR, China; United States; United Kingdom; Norway; Georgia; and Sweden.

This years top 10 improvers, based on reforms undertaken, are Brunei Darussalam (for a second consecutive year); Thailand; Malawi; Kosovo; India; Uzbekistan; Zambia; Nigeria; Djibouti; and El Salvador. For the first time, the group of top 10 improvers includes economies of all income levels and sizes, with half being top improvers for the first time  El Salvador, India, Malawi, Nigeria, and Thailand.

Public policy plays a decisive role in enabling small and medium businesses to start, operate and expand. Governments around the world are increasingly turning to Doing Business for objective data to underpin their actions. More importantly, the fact that Doing Business is transparent and publicly available means that citizens can hold governments accountable for reforms that benefit firms, households, and society at large, said Shanta Devarajan, the World Banks Senior Director for Development Economics.

Since its inception, Doing Business has recorded business reforms in 186 of the 190 economies it now monitors. Rwanda has implemented the highest number of business reforms over the past 15 years, with a total of 52 reforms, followed by Georgia, which advanced this year into the top 10 ranked economies (47 reforms) and Kazakhstan and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (41 reforms each).

Easing the requirements for Starting a Business has seen the largest number of reforms, with 626 reforms recorded in the past 15 years. As a result, the time needed to start a new small or medium business has more than halved to an average of 20 days worldwide, compared with 52 days in 2003. In addition, in 65 economies, entrepreneurs can complete at least one business incorporation procedure online, compared with only nine in 2003. Similar progress is also seen in other Doing Business areas.

As we celebrate the 15th anniversary of Doing Business, it is particularly gratifying to see that many of the reforms are being carried out in economies and sectors where they are most needed. We look forward to continuing to shine a light on the real hurdles faced by entrepreneurs, both women and men, and celebrating policy change successes, said Rita Ramalho, Acting Director of the World Banks Global Indicators Group, which produces the report.

The report also monitors hurdles faced specifically by women in the areas of Starting a Business, Registering Property and Enforcing Contracts. This years report records a welcome reform by the Democratic Republic of Congo, which eliminated the requirement for women to obtain their husbands permission to register a business. However, 36 economies continue to place obstacles for women entrepreneurs, with 22 economies imposing additional steps for married women to start a business and 14 limiting womens ability to own, use and transfer property.

This years report includes two case studies on transparency, which analyze data from business registries and land administrations and find that economies with more transparent and accessible information have lower levels of corruption and bribery. A third case study on private sector participation in formulating construction regulation finds that such rules exhibited higher costs and a propensity for conflicts of interest. A fourth case study highlights three successful insolvency reforms in France, Slovenia and Thailand, and lessons that are transferable to other economies.

By region, economies in East Asia and the Pacific implemented 45 reforms in the past year. The region is home to two of the worlds top 10 ranked economies, Singapore and Hong Kong SAR, China, and two of this years top 10 improvers, Brunei Darussalam and Thailand. In the past 15 years, the region has implemented 371 reforms. As a result, the time needed to start a new business has been more than halved to 24 days now, from 50 days in 2003.

The Europe and Central Asia region implemented 44 reforms during the past year. The region is host to a top ranked economy, with Georgia in ninth place, and two of this years top improvers, Kosovo and Uzbekistan. In the past 15 years, the region has been an active reformer, with 673 reforms implemented. It now takes 10.5 days to register a new business in the region, compared with 43 days in 2003.

A total of 26 reforms were carried out in the Latin America and the Caribbean region, with El Salvador earning a spot among this years top improvers for the first time. The region has implemented 398 reforms in the past 15 years. Now, starting a business in the region takes on average 38 days, compared to 78 days 15 years ago.

The economies of the Middle East and North Africa implemented 29 reforms in the past year. The region has implemented 292 reforms in the past 15 years. As a result, it takes 17 days on average to start a business in the region, compared to 43 days in 2003. However, the region lags on gender-related issues, with 14 economies imposing additional barriers for women entrepreneurs.

In South Asia, 20 reforms were implemented by six of the regions eight economies. India carried out eight reforms, the highest number for the country in a single year. Over the past 15 years, the region has implemented 127 reforms. Fifteen years ago, it took over 50 days on average to start a business in the region, compared to 17 days now.

Reform activity continued to accelerate in Sub-Saharan Africa, with 36 economies implementing 83 business reforms in the past year. The region is home to three of this years top 10 improvers  Malawi, Nigeria, and Zambia. Over the past 15 years, the region has implemented 798 reforms. In 2003, it took 61 days on average to start a business in the region, compared to 22.5 days today.

The full report and its datasets are available at www.doingbusiness.org.
A reminder: The Doing Business 2018 report was released today. Read more here.

South Africas September trade statistics: another surplus (SARS)

The R4bn trade balance surplus for September 2017 is attributable to exports of R101.76bn and imports of R97.76bn. Exports decreased from August 2017 to September 2017 by R1.61bn (1.6%) and imports increased from August 2017 to September 2017 by R0.36bn (0.4%). Exports for the year-to-date (1 January to 30 September) grew by 5.4% from R818.59bn in 2016 to R862.61bn in 2017. Imports for the year-to-date of R815.49bn are 1.2% less than the imports recorded in January to September 2016 of R825.25bn, leaving a cumulative trade balance surplus of R47.12bn for 2017.

South Africa: Better trade terms will improve access to Asia for citrus exporters (Business Day)

Southern hemisphere countries such as Chile, Peru and Australia enjoy trade agreements with up to nine Asian countries  a grave illustration of SAs problematic position. These countries enjoy partial and even free trade agreements, which are invaluable when it comes to maximising opportunities in a given market. They enjoy significant savings and are spared a lot of the bureaucracy that SA has to endure. The absence of required trade agreements  compounded by restrictive import tariffs  makes seamless exports to countries like China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam much more difficult. But we need to up the ante on initiating and concluding trade negotiations that will make for ease of trade. The Citrus Growers Associations relationship-building and maintenance efforts with Asian countries cannot replace robust collaboration and effective communication between governments and industry to increase market share in Asia. [The author, Justin Chadwick is CEO of the Citrus Growers Association of Southern Africa]

Olu Fasan: Africa needs a single market but lacks the will to create it (BusinessDay)

The CFTA is, of course,a laudable initiative, but, truth be told, it cant, as currently envisaged, deliver the kind of regional integration that I have been discussing here. And, for me, there are three reasons for this. Extract: The aim of any serious regional trade agreement is tariff elimination and not tariff reduction. It is deep and comprehensive liberalisation. But the discussions in the CFTA negotiations are fixated on the modalities for designating sensitive products and exclusion lists. And, of course, the more exemptions, exclusions and sensitivities are reflected in the CFTA, the more it becomes a shallow FTA. It is not clear how far the agreement will go on services. What about intellectual property rights and competition rules?

3rd STC on Finance, Monetary Affairs, Economic Planning and Integration: update

For a Chinese company building Central Africas first auto plant its been a bumpy road (Quartz)

But the difficulties the manufacturer has had in setting up show the complications of doing business in Cameroon. Parts for the Star of Africa prototypes have already been made in China and are waiting the green light to be delivered to Kribi, Cameroon. Already manufactured parts of the car plant, made in China, are also awaiting delivery to Kribi. The company has yet to get access to 500 hectares of land offered by the government of Cameroon for building the plant. The company is also yet to reach a conclusion in negotiations with government over customs duties. Cameroons National Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating claims that government officials have delayed the plant over demands for shares in the company and kickbacks. Officials of the company say top ranking government officials have impeded the process. Yonguet said that Cameroons president Paul Biya, with whom Lu has personally met, has had to intervene.

The role of China in Africas industrialization: the challenge of building global value chains (Journal of Contemporary China)

The inherent asymmetries that flow from these dynamics highlight the extent to which resource extraction has developmental limits, and any dimension of external relations that is built on this shaky economic foundation is bound to subject the continent to external vicissitudes over which it has little political, policy and managerial control. Such a fraught scenario thus has the potential to undermine Africas long-term developmental prospects. One of the critical challenges for African countries  and this should be the basis for their engagement with external actors such as China  is managing structural change through industrial policies and value chain development in a manner that is salutary for beneficial and growth- and welfare-enhancing integration into the global economy.

The key argument of this article, therefore, is that there is a need to rethink the terms of Africas future growth and development not only in terms of industrialization  often conceived narrowly as manufacturing  since there are fewer possibilities for the continent to undertake industrial development along a trajectory similar to earlier industrializers. Rather, going forward a strategic trade and industrial policy perspective should be the thrust of China-Africa relations in order to take advantage of the calculus of opportunity that currently exists. Thinking in terms of value-addition and value chains broadens the sectoral focus to encompass aspects of manufacturing, services and innovation in agriculture. The authors do not suggest here that this should be brought to fruition through a big-bang approach. Instead the locus of Africas relationship with China should be a policy approach that aims to promote structural diversification. [The authors: Mzukisi Qobo, Garth le Pere]

China-Africa: High time for a common integrated African policy on China (IGD conference proceedings)

EAC places donor funds under tight control (Daily News)

EAC Secretary General Ambassador Liberat Mfumukeko told the first EAC Development Partners Consultative Forum that the secretariat has already recruited the manager for the Partnership Fund, with the view of enhancing fund management and efficiency. The Partnership Fund is key in coordination of EAC development partner support. It has continuously played critical role in supporting activities to accelerate EAC agenda since its inception a decade ago, Ambassador Mfumukeko said, hinting that the fund manager has already reported for work. Head of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department at the EAC Secretariat Owora Othieno said the new unit will deal with administration of the fund, communication with fund members, monitoring and evaluation of the achievements, budgeting, financial control, auditing and supervision of work-plan execution. [EAC pushing for secured medical drugs]

Hector R. Torres: An opportunity for the WTO (Project Syndicate)

One key problem that must be addressed relates to special and differential treatment (S&D). About two thirds of the WTOs 164 members have declared themselves developing countries  a label that entitles them to S&D provisions, including the authority to maintain trade tariffs for a longer period of time. With the WTO lacking any benchmarks or indicators to determine when a country should be weaned off S&D, it is no surprise that no developing country has ever developed. To be sure, since S&D was first introduced in 1979, many developing countries have grown richer. But they have shown no indication that they are ready to relinquish the benefits of S&D, even for industries that have become internationally competitive. It is hard to argue that all developing countries should enjoy the indefinite privilege of opting out of the WTOs general obligations for all sectors of their economies. And with so many of their WTO partners claiming preferential status, developed-country members often resist trade concessions within the organization, preferring to conduct negotiations in other forums. The dynamic in the WTO stands in stark contrast to that within the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Roberto Azevedo: Global trading system has constructive role to play to help drive inclusivity (WTO)

While the basis of this system was established 70 years ago, I think that its architecture - underpinned by principles such as transparency, predictability and non-discrimination - remain fundamental to the proper functioning of the global economy today. At a more fundamental level, we all saw the value of the trading system during the financial crisis. In the 1930s, protectionist measures wiped out two-thirds of trade flows  with devastating consequences. In the crisis of 2008 we did not see the same escalation  precisely because governments knew they were bound by common rules. They held each other to the agreed standards. And these agreed standards are quite clear. We know when red lines are crossed  which we did not see in the 1930s. Our monitoring shows that trade restrictions imposed by the G20 economies since the 2008 crisis cover just 4.25 percent of world trade. This shows that the system is doing what it was created to do. At the same time, I think that we can do more to ensure that the system is more inclusive, that it addresses the challenges of our times  while also upholding these essential principles. This is, ultimately, in the hands of members. And I think we have some good foundations to build on.

A court to fix all investor-state rows? (The Hindu)

Embroiled in 22 arbitration proceedings against it in disputes with prominent global investors, including Vodafone and Cairn Energy, India has cautiously welcomed a proposal to establish a World Investment Court. The World Court, a plan pushed mainly by the EU, is to be a permanent, independent, legitimate, accountable, consistent and effective global body framework with a mechanism for appeal as well, to resolve the current and future investor-State disputes including the ones that India is/could be involved in. The matter is coming up for discussion next month at the UN Commission on International Trade Law (Uncitral), of which India is a member along with 59 other nations representing various geographic regions and the principal economic and legal systems of the world. The Uncitral works on the modernisation and harmonisation of international business rules. Responding to a questionnaire sent by an Uncitral Working Group mandated to look into issues including the proposed WIC, India said it welcomes the move to have discussions and deliberations on the proposal, and further comments could be provided in due course. However, it said, The legal and practical challenges to establishing a WIC should not be underestimated. It added, one of the most critical areas in designing a permanent investment court relates to its composition, structure and certainty.

Trade Policy Forum update: US pushes India on trade deficit, price caps on medical devices

Ibrahim Assane Mayaki: Banking on African infrastructure (Project Syndicate)

Yet, if the recent past is any guide, the capital needed will be difficult to secure. Between 2004 and 2013, African states closed just 158 financing deals for infrastructure or industrial projects, valued at $59 billion  just 5% of the total needed. Given this track record, how will Africa fund even a fraction of the World Banks projected requirements?
Chinese police arrested several North Koreans dispatched to Beijing on suspicion of plotting to murder Kim Jong Uns 22-year-old nephew, South Koreas JoongAng Ilbo newspaper reported.

Two of seven North Korean agents were arrested over the alleged plot to kill Kim Han Sol, whose father Kim Jong Nam was assassinated in Malaysia earlier this year, the newspaper said, citing an unidentified person familiar with North Korean issues.

Some agents are being interrogated in special facilities on the outskirts of Beijing, the paper said, without elaborating on whether the other five were arrested. Chinas foreign ministry didnt immediately respond to a faxed request for comment.

Two women are currently on trial in Malaysia on charges of murdering Kim Jong Nam at a Kuala Lumpur airport in February. Kim Han Sol identified himself as Kim Jong Nams son in a YouTube clip in March.

South Korean government officials have speculated that Kim Jong Un was behind the murder of his half-brother, a critic of his leadership who had lived outside the country for years. Authorities in Malaysia said the two women charged with Kim Jong Nams murder used the chemical weapon VX in the attack, claiming they were trained to swipe the poison on the victims face and knew the substance was toxic. The pair have pleaded not guilty.

Kim Jong Nam isnt the first family member to be killed since Kim Jong Un took power in 2011: he executed his uncle Jang Song Thaek in 2013 on charges of graft and factionalism. Earlier this month, the leader promoted his 28-year-old sister to the ruling partys political wing, bringing her closer to the center of power. Kanga Kong, Bloomberg
Nearly two dozen swift-armed cephalopods were filmed taking a moonlit stroll on the shore in Ceredigion, Wales.

Some octopuses enjoy scrambling across the rocks to plunge-in and plunder nearby tide pools for food, but what happened last week on New Quay beach in Cardigan Bay, Wales, was an entirely different scenario.

Brett Stones, who owns SeaMor Dolphin Watching Boat Trips, described how after completing a tour he saw something moving on the sand. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was an octopus, and it was not alone.

It was a bit like an end-of-days scenario, he told BBC News.

"They were coming out of the water and crawling up the beach," he told Wales Online.

Knowing that they wouldn't survive too long out of the water and feeling like they needed to do something, he and a cadre of rescuers scooped up some 25 of the wayway cephalopods and released them back into the sea from the end of a pier.

"Perhaps it's because the sea has been quite rough recently, but I've never seen anything like it before." he said.

Of the strange affair, the Washington Post reports:

"Graham Pierce, a research scientist at Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas in Vigo, Spain, said the beached animals are most likely curled octopuses, or Eledone cirrhosa, which he said are characterized by a single row of suckers along the arms.

He said there could be several reasons that they moved on to the beach, including spawning, weather and water temperatures."



A rescue:

James Wright from the National Marine Aquarium in the United Kingdom, told the Daily Telegraph and Newsweek that the number of octopuses seen on the same beach at the same time is quite odd.

But them even being found in the intertidal is not common and suggests there is something wrong with them, I am afraid, he said.

As the areas where they are exhibiting this odd behavior coincides with the two areas hit by the two recent low-pressure depressions and associated storms of Ophelia and Brian, it could be supposed that these have affected them. It could simply be injuries sustained by the rough weather itself or there could be a sensitivity to a change in atmospheric pressure.

Whatever siren song it was that inspired these smart creatures to head for the shore, we can only hope it was a passing thing. As much as we love seeing octopuses, we would really prefer for them to stay in the sea where they are safe and sound.
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Starbucks Macau expects to open its first store with Starbucks Reserve Coffee Experience Bar at MGM Cotai on January 29 amid its growing popularity in the region.

The reserve bar will offer its customers various premium coffees with a variety of brewing methods, and rare beans on offer.

Given the significant growth of coffee lovers in the territory, Norbert Tan, executive director of Coffee Concepts, which operates the Starbucks outlets in Hong Kong and Macau, shared with the Times that the company, which is now celebrating its 15th anniversary in Macau, has a role to play in catering to the sophistication of local coffee drinkers.

Coffee Concepts operates a total of 13 Starbucks outlets in Macau, with one store currently under renovation at Galaxy Macau.

With the continued growth of the company in Macau, as well as the significant numbers of Chinese tourist arrivals, Tan said Starbucks Macau recorded a total of two million customers in 2016.

It continues to grow. Think about the millions of tourists that visit Macau, yet we are [receiving] such strong local support. We have built up to 23 percent of our total transactions on [] Starbucks Rewards, Tan said.

Technology had a vital part to play in this growth: customers can order and pay for their drinks prior to arriving in the store.

Starbucks also focuses on reformulating drinks and enhancing its mobile app.

As there are still a few months to go until the end of the year, Tan hopes to exceed last years customer numbers in 2017, adding that Starbucks is still looking at opportunities to grow its brand in the region.

With Macau and Greater Chinas strong tea drinking culture, Tan noted that Starbucks has brought a variety of global coffee origins to local consumers.

He is confident in the stores service offerings despite the rise of local cafes in Macau, claiming that the company differentiates itself by  among other measures  sourcing its quality Arabic beans from around the globe.

We stand by the quality and the way that we also ethically source our coffee. Thats a big differentiator, said Tan.

The director also added that Starbucks stores are designed based on the stores location, citing special store designs in Wynn Palace and City of Dreams.

Tan said Starbucks has operated in Macau for 15 years and continually strives to understand the local community, catering its food programs to local preferences with a twist of Starbucks.

We try and not only [meet] Greater Chinas [needs] but also [] local needs, said Tan.

more savvy customers



ADA CHAO, Starbucks partner and seven-year Store Manager at Starbucks Macau, told the Times that customer orders have gradually changed over the past few years. Beyond a daily caffeine fix, local consumers are now more aware of authentic coffee beans. They now ask more about the origin, the beans and the methods of brewing coffee. So theres a difference there in terms of how they consume coffee, said Chao. They pay more attention [to] the coffees that they drink. With coffees rising acceptance among the masses, the store manager shared that the team is observing its clienteles spending habits and patterns to create programs that make sense to customers.
Hello again,

You were fortunate that you had good weather in Mexico during

the hurricane season. I think that this year is different. The quantity and

severity of the hurricanes, as I'm sure you know was piqued.

All I'm saying is that it wasn't Jamaica's fault. The weather this

year is abnormal.
Well, if you go to Corcovado, it is as wild as it gets...

A guide in any jungle area will teach you pretty fast about not sitting down without checking first, not leaning or grabbing onto anything, etc. No matter if you are slipping on a muddy trail. He showed us a couple of yellow vipers behind a tree here and there, some other snakes... a few trees with the trunks covered in thorns everywhere, bullet ants - we learnt the lesson pretty fast. LOL

After about a week in CR, I was still forgetting to shake out my hiking shoes first, before putting them on in the morning - to check for tarantulas...never had one..We regularly had geckos, sometimes a bat inside the house, slept under mosquito nets, all fun. I got bit by some ants, it hurt for wks, I do not know which ants, but I saw them on my feet.

Cannot help you with who can pee on you, sorry... ;)

Search the forum for mosquito threads. Plenty of prior discussions on effective repellents, Zika and other illnesses present in CR, though there is no consensus...lol

We had bought Avon Skin So Soft spray specially for CR and found it effective, but required frequent reapplying in the heat, humidity and rain. We also had a smaller repellent with DEET in our pocket or day bag when going hiking. Apply sun block first, if needed, then repellent.

If you are going on guided tours, you should be fine, but there are no guarantees.

Do not swim off the beaches in Tortuguero. Sharks and rip tides. (Some lodges have own pool.)
The Caribbean coast has beaches, rainforest, hiking and lots of wildlife. A fun way to travel to Cahuita or Puerto Viejo from San Jose or from Cahuita or Puerto Viejo back to San Jose is the rafting trip on the Rio Pacuare. The tour company picks you up at one destination, takes you rafting and drops you off at the other destination. Cahuita has an amazing National Park with great beaches, a rainforest trail and lots of wildlife. The beaches south of Puerto Viejo are beautiful wild natural beaches bordered by rainforest and with lots of wildlife as well. We stayed in Manzanillo, a small village at the end of the road with a wildlife refuge.

CR is not known for great snorkeling but you can try in the Cahuita NP (with a guide) or at the south beach in Punta Uva (south of Puerto Viejo).

We took a public bus from San Jose to Cahuita. That took 4.5 hours. Cahuita to Puerto Viejo is only 30 minutes by bus and to Manzanillo it is one hour. South of Puerto Viejo you can also rent bikes.
Thank you, SubjectivelyObjectiv, I have noted your recommendations, however, I have been to both Switzerland and Russia, I must say these 2 highly expensive destinations have cheaper car rental options than Costa Rica, yes, total rip off as far as I am concerned, maybe you do know another destination which is more expensive than CR when it comes to renting a car? (Mars?...)

Now let me remind you, 1,5 $ per day for the license number, I don't know how much per day for the environmental fee, not to mention the mandatory insurance, the CDW cost and that "FULL" wanna-be extra insurance all combined with the high cost of the car in CR (I have read somewhere on travel advisor that you can spend 3-4 times its value when buying a car in CR), from this point of view the whole "car rental experience" is outrageous, another of my favorite terms that I have previously used.

And yes, rip off, because it seems there is no car rental agency in CR willing to accept a well known car hire excess insurance such as http://www.worldwideinsure.com as nowhere else in the world. They want YOU to pay for their expensive CDW and/or full insurance policies.

Of course there are some other transportation options, you could walk on foot if you want, but this thread refers to car insurance.

Maybe I am wrong, don't want to offend nobody, please correct me..
Hi MissDVM2b, I had recently just came back from japan last week. Here is a few tips i found it regarding traveling there using the trains.

I feel that if your going to 1 location a day, it is not worth getting the local regional pass that cost approximately around 900yen for one day. It may be more worth your penny to buy the local train card call "Suica" or "Pasmo" that you can just top up as you go.

In addition, if you are getting JR pass, you will be taking as much trains from the JR line as possible so as to cut down traveling cost. Therefore having the local regional pass would make it less cost efficient.

Last point i would like to share is for your JR pass, if you are not taking the Shinkansen throughout the entire 23 days, you can just go for the 14 days JR pass and have the dates cover your Kyoto to Tokyo Shinkansen journey. While your at it, you can even travel down to Osaka (Sea aquarium, Universal Studio and Namba station for shopping) from Kyoto since its just a few stations.

Hope it helps :D
A couple of weeks ago we stumbled on a great mini supermarket or more of a gourmet food store. It was near Nishiki market but in a street that ran at right angles to Nishiki Dori. It was around Takakura Dori. It was on the ground level and on the right hand side of the street heading north.It had great fruit, vegetables and prepared food but also packaged food - we were looking for a particular sauce we couldn't get anywhere but we found it there (apparently the sauce is a Kobe specialty). We went back the next night looking for it and we couldn't find it at all - it was as if it had disappeared and all we had to prove it had existed were two sauce bottles.

Anybody know of this place?

The sauce bottles have a red top and a red label with what looks like a Y, a sideways comma and a Z if any knows where else we could get it.

Thanks

Edited: 5 years ago
We hope our travel experts in the field can provide advice on train services and JR pass.

We are planning a holiday in Japan in May 2018. We have two queries relating JR Pass. Some of queries may have been covered in other TA forum threads.

We will be arriving at Narita airport and spending few days in Tokyo. While in Tokyo we are hoping to do a day trip to Kawaguchiko or Hakone (may stay overnight). Our interest here is the view of Mt Fuji. So here is our first question (a) to view Mt view which city is better, considering that our preference is for a day trip from Tokyo. However your alternative views are appreciated.

We are also hoping to travel between Osaka and Kyoto (may spend few days in Kyoto) and then a return trip to Hiroshima (may stay overnight) from Osaka/Kyoto.

Our limited research so far has revealed that JR pass cannot be used in Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen train and one other train.

Our next queries are (b) Are there train services available to make use of the JR pass effectively between the cities/destinations mentioned above (c) If there are train services available, how do they affect our travel schedules , considering that all or some may be limited express trains.

In spite of the cost we are considering at least one segment of our travel destinations to be on the new fast Shinkansen train. We appreciate some advice on this as well. So the next query (d) Is the return ticket advisable when returning from Hiroshima to Osaka.

Thank you for your advice.
Hi, I am from Malaysia. Below are my itinerary:

08/1/2018 KLIA -Osaka ( reach Osaka 9.40pm)

09/1/2018 Osaka -> Nara Park ( stay in Osaka)

10/1/2018 Osaka

11/1/2018 Osaka -> Kyoto -> Gion (stay in Kyoto)

12/1/2018 Kyoto

13/1/2018 Kyoto

14/1/2018 Kyoto -> Kanazawa ( stay in Kanazawa)

15/1/2018 Kanazawa -> Shirakawa-go (stay in Kanazawa)

16/1/2018 Kanazawa -> Nagano ( stay in Nagano)

17/1/2018 Nagano -> Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park (stay in Nagano)

18/1/2018 Nagano -> Tokyo (stay in Tokyo)

19/1/2018 Tokyo-> Yokohama ( stay in Tokyo)

20/1/2018 Tokyo -> Shizuoka ( stay in Tokyo)

21/1/2018 Tokyo -> K.L. ( flight depart at Haneda Airport at 2330pm

May I know what your opinions, suggestions and recommendation about the following questions:

1) I would like to purchase a 7-day of JR Rail Pass which costs around 29,110 Yen and start to use it from 14/1/2018 to 20/1/2018. Do you think it is economical or should i use other pass(es)?

2) I would like to purchase Suica card for intracity transport. May i know is it possible to use it in Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo ( last day of Tokyo) and it only for JR trains rightor should i use other travel pass instead?

3) I would like to buy Nohi Bus ticket for Kanazawa <-> Shirakawa-go round -trip. which costs around 3290 Yen. Should I book at advance on-line or should i buy at Kanazawa- Station like a day before?

Thank you for your kind advice :)

Edited: 5 years ago
Probably can check your luggage straight through, but would check with American Airlines. We always pick up our luggage at LAX and recheck. That way we know our luggage made the flight with us, and didn't get lost somewhere. Had friends who booked their luggage straight through to Nadi with a different airline. When they landed in Nadi, and went to pick up their luggage, it wasn't there. They had no idea, if it was left in Reno or LAX, and took a lot of time for the airline to track it down. Their luggage arrived in Fiji the day they were flying back home. They stayed 7 nights.

Even though you have booked with AA, you will be flying with Fiji Airways from LAX to Nadi. The airline recommends checking in 3 hours before departure, and closes the gate 1 hour before the flight departs.
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.
Catalonias civil servants returned to work yesterday for the first time since Spains central government rejected an independence declaration by firing the regions elected leaders and taking direct control.

Speculation raged about the whereabouts of ousted Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and his deposed Cabinet, whose reaction will be key to whether Madrids takeover will be smooth or face opposition, deepening a month-long political crisis.

As staff arrived at the headquarters of the Catalan government in Barcelona, Puigdemont posted a photo on Instagram of a courtyard at the seat of the regional presidency building.

Both the Catalan and Spanish national flags waved from the top of the building.

The ambiguous Instagram post, accompanied by the words Good morning in Catalan and a smiley emoticon, left many guessing whether Puigdemont was inside the building. There was no indication of when the photo was taken.

Puigdemont is likely to be accused of rebellion for pushing ahead with secession. Spains government has said the ousted Catalan leaders could be charged with usurping others functions if they refuse to comply with their firing.

Catalonias regional parliament proclaimed independence from Spain in a secret ballot Friday. The Spanish government dissolved the legislature, fired the government and regional police chief and called a new election for Dec. 21.

The vote to secede came after an Oct. 1 referendum in favor of independence that was deemed illegal by Spains constitutional court.

Puigdemont has vowed peaceful and democratic opposition to his Cabinets dismissal, but he hasnt clarified if that means accepting an early regional election as a way out of the deadlock.

Separatist parties and grassroots groups have spoken of waging a campaign of disobedience to hamper the efforts by central authorities to run the region.

A key factor will be how Catalonias estimated 200,000 public workers would react to their bosses dismissal, and whether any stay away from work in protest.

Secession moves by this wealthy northeastern region of 7.5 million have tipped Spain into its deepest crisis in decades.

On Sunday, hundreds of thousands took part in an anti-independence demonstration in Barcelona, calling for Catalonia to remain in Spain and backing Rajoys use of unprecedented constitutional powers to seize wrest control from the pro-independence regional administration.

We wont let Spain be torn apart into pieces, read one banner. The awakening of a silenced nation, read another.

We have organized ourselves late, but we are here to show that there is a majority of Catalans that are no longer silent and that no longer want to be silenced, said Alex Ramos, head of Catalan Civil Society, a pro-union grassroots group.

The organizers said more than 1 million people turned out but police put the figure at 300,000.

Many who oppose independence fear the political turmoil in Catalonia could have a severe economic impact, both in the region and on Spain itself.

Some 1,700 companies have already relocated their headquarters to other parts of Spain in recent weeks amid the uncertainty. Aritz Parra, Barcelona, AP
THAILAND The relics and ashes of Thailands King Bhumibol Adulyadej were enshrined in the royal palace and two temples yesterday, ending an elaborate five-day funeral for a widely revered monarch who reigned for seven decades.

IRAQs Prime Minister on Friday issued a 24-hour suspension of the movement of troops who are deployed in Iraqs north to bring territory held by Kurdish forces back under federal control. The order was given to prevent clashes and bloodshed between the sons of one nation.

QATARs central bank is easing its banking rules for expatriates, as it grapples with a regional economic boycott about to enter its sixth month. The regulator ordered lenders to allow foreign workers to conduct normal banking transactions for 90 days after the expiry date of their visa.

SYRIA Islamic State militants, routed from one urban stronghold after another in Syria, have recently been moving deeper into Syrias remote desert, where experts say they are regrouping and preparing their next incarnation.

ISRAEL Under pressure from the United States, Israel has delayed a bill that would connect a number of West Bank settlements to Jerusalem, officials said yesterday.

SOMALIA In the wake of a night-long assault on a Mogadishu hotel in which 23 people were killed, Somalias government has fired the police and intelligence chiefs yesterday. The Cabinet voted to sack the chiefs in response to a recommendation by Somalias security minister Mohamed Abukar Islow.

SWITZERLAND Swiss media have reported that six people have been injured in a roller coaster crash and a merry-go-round mishap at a fair in the city of Basel.

ICELANDs ruling Independence Party took the largest share of the vote in the island nations parliamentary election but faces difficult negotiations to form a new government after populist candidates showed unexpected strength.

CUBAs foreign minister has announced changes to the islands immigration policies, seeking to strengthen ties with the 800,000 Cubans living outside the country.
- Miguna Miguna has revealed he gladly voted for President Uhuru Kenyatta in the August 8 election

- The former Nairobi governor aspirant, however, says he regrets making the decision

- Miguna has described Uhuru as a tyrant who is hell bent on ruling by force even when Kenyans are against him

- He has since changed tune and became a strong critic of Uhuru and his administration

Former aide to Raila Odinga, Miguna Miguna, has revealed he cast his ballot for President Uhuru Kenyatta in the August 8 election which was later annulled by the Supreme Court.

Appearing on NTV on Tuesday, October 31, Miguna said he, however, regrets making the decision as Uhuru has come out as a tyrant eager to rule by force.

He said it is unfortunate that Uhuru is celebrating his controversial win in the divisive fresh election conducted on Thursday, October 26.

Miguna Miguna says he regrets voting for Uhuru Kenyatta on August 8 Photo: Nation

READ ALSO: Raila's tough reaction after Chebukati declared Uhuru winner of repeat election

"I made a big mistake of voting for Uhuru Kenyatta on August 8. I regret that. I did and I regret. Because Uhuru Kenyatta perpetrated a fraud on Kenyans, I will never ever support him. Uhuru does not respect Kenyans, he does not respect the principles of democracy," Miguna said.

He further said Uhuru is doing all this because he believes he was born a leader.

Miguna vied for the Nairobi governorship seat and lost to Jubilee party's Mike Sonko.

READ ALSO: Raila replaced as official opposition leader after Uhuru's win

He was a close ally of Raila Odinga before they had a major fallout that saw him write a book, "Peeling Back the Mask', where he exposed what he called Raila's rot.

Uhuru was declared winner in the repeat election Photo: Twitter/Uhuru Kenyatta

However, since the nullification of the August 8 election, Miguna has been gradually singing the same song with Raila and indeed NASA as he castigates Uhuru and his administration.

As reported by TUKO.co.ke, IEBC declared Uhuru the winner in the repeat election boycotted by his main challenger Raila Odinga.

READ ALSO: Kenyans attack DP Ruto after he thanked God for Uhuru's win

Uhuru got 98% of the votes cast but Raila has dismissed the win and called for civil disobedience and non-cooperation by his followers.

Uhuru Kenyatta's victory speech - Tano Tena on TUKO TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- The president of Burundi has sent a congratulatory message to Uhuru Kenyatta on his re-election as president

- Pierre Nkurunziza's message came a day after Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni sent in his kind words

- Uhuru was also declared winner without results from four NASA counties where violence prevented the electoral commission from conducting the poll

- His message did not sit well with a section of Kenyans who were quick to claim that Uhuru was not validly elected

Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza has congratulated his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta for his reelection victory just a day after Uganda's Yoweri Museveni did.

Uganda President Yoweri Museveni was the first to congratulate Kenyatta for his resounding win in the repeat poll in which he scooped almost all votes cast.

"I once again congaratulate you brother [Uhuru Kenyatta] for your election victory. best wishes from Burundi to you and the people of Kenya," said Nkurunziza in a twitter post seen by TUKO.co.ke.

Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza. Photo: VOA

READ ALSO: Uhuru to be sworn in on November 28 if petitions against his win are dismissed

Kenyatta's win is marred by controversy ranging from voter turnout, legitimacy of the poll to credibility of the exercise.

This was captured in Kenyatta's reelection victory in which he said he was expecting a barrage of legal battles arising from his win.

And Nkurunziza's message was received with divided reaction with majority of Kenyans who commented dismissing it.

READ ALSO: What next for Raila Odinga?

Many felt that the Burundi leader was quick to congratulate Kenyatta because they were both reelected in controversial ways.

READ ALSO: Raila's tough reaction after Chebukati declared Uhuru winner of repeat election

Nkurunziza forced another term in office leading to violent protests leading to deaths of hundreds on citizens, displacements and injuries.

In Kenya, a large section of Kenyans do not approve of Kenyatta's win following Opposition leader Raila Odinga's boycott.

READ ALSO: Supreme Court begins process of determining petition against Uhuru's win in repeat poll

The IEBC has already gazetted the election of Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto as having been validly elected.

Uhuru Kenyatta's victory speech - Tano Tena - on TUKO TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- NASA leader Raila Odinga has apologised to journalists attacked at Wiper Party headquarters

- Raila said the rowdy youth were not invited to the NASA event

- The NASA leader said he had spoken to Royal Media Services top brass and apologised

Opposition leader Raila Odinga has come out to offer an apology to Kenyan journalists after they were attacked by rowdy youths at the Wiper Party Headquarters on Tuesday,October 31 2017.

As reported by TUKO.co.ke earlier,Journalists had to angrily walk out of Wiper Party Movement offices in Lavington, Nairobi after NASA supporters attacked them.

The journalists had camped at the Wiper party offices to cover the much anticipated announcement by NASA leader Raila Odinga.

READ ALSO: Journalists walk out of NASA anticipated media briefing after attack by Raila's supporters

Raila Odinga says youths who attacked journalists were not invited to the even. Photo: Raila Odinga/Facebook

READ ALSO: What next for Raila Odinga?

Royal Media Services journalist Francis Gachuri and Nation Media Group's camera person Jane Gatwiri are some of the journalists who were harassed by mean looking goons camping outside the offices.

TUKO.co.ke has learnt that some of the journalists were harassed because their stations aired the October 26,repeat poll results.

Speaking in a presser minutes after the heinous attack,NASA leader Raila Odinga apologised to the aggrieved journalists and assured them that he had duly sent an apology to Royal Media Services administration.

Raila says the youths who attacked journalists were not invited to NASA event. Photo: Raila Odinga/Facebook

READ ALSO: Ababu Namwamba calls for the arrest of Raila

''I have spoken to Royal Media Services top brass and apologised and the matter should rest there'' Raila said.

Raila was however quick to distance his alliance from the 'goons' saying the rowdy youths who attacked journalists were actually not invited to the event.

''I am deeply saddened by information that Francis Gaicuri was harassed by some youths who were never invited to our event'' he added.

Raila's apology came barely minutes after the Media Council of Kenya called for the immediate arrest of the youths who attacked journos.

READ ALSO: Uhuru to be sworn in on November 28 if petitions against his win are dismissed

In a statement seen by TUKO.co.ke,the Media Council asked the Director of Public prosecution to ensure that the perpetrators of the heinous attack are arrested and prosecuted.

''The Media Council of Kenya takes great exception and strongly condemns the unwarranted attacks on journalists by supporters of the National Super Alliance during their press conference today, October 31, 2017 in Nairobi. We call on the inspector general of police and the Director of Public prosecution to ensure that the perpetrators of todays heinous attack are arrested and prosecuted.''read part of the statement.

Journalists across the country and Kenyans had earlier on taken to social media to condemn the attack.

Have something to add to this article? Send to news@tuko.co.ke

Uhuru Kenyatta's victory speech - Tano Tena- On TUKO TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- Raila Odinga's spokesman said Kenya will never return to normalcy and businesses should prepare for more losses

- He issued this warning to 3 Kenyan billionaire businessmen who cried foul over loss of business because of the political stalemate in Kenya

- Dennis Onyango's statement came after NASA formed a resistance wing that will be used to lead civil and economic disobedience to pile pressure on Uhuru to resign

Raila Odinga's spokesman, Dennis Onyango, took to social media with some dire warnings to influential businessmen in Kenya.

In a post seen by TUKO.co.ke, Onyango told off billionaire businessmen Chris Kirubi, Vimal Shah and Patrick Obath for crying foul over loss of business prior to and after the highly contested October 26 repeat presidential election.

In the post, Onyango told the three businessmen to prepare for more business loss because "the age of normalcy and innocence is over" in Kenya.

READ ALSO: Journalists walk out of NASA anticipated media briefing after attack by Raila's supporters

Raila's private secretary Dennis Onyango. Photo: Dennis Onyango/Facebook.

READ ALSO: Raila's tough reaction after Chebukati declared Uhuru winner of repeat election

"This country is going where Congo went when the West decided that Mobutu Seseseko was better than Patrice Lumumba. Like Congo after Lumumba, Kenya will never be the same again. Business losses will be the new normal," wrote Onyango.

READ ALSO: What next for Raila Odinga?

NASA announced the birth of NRM that will lead the resistance against the Jubilee regime. Photo: NASA Coalition/Facebook.

Install TUKO App To Read News For FREE

Onyango's sentiments came after NASA announced the formation of their National Resistance Movement wing that will lead supporters in civil disobedience to pile pressure on the Jubilee government to step aside.

The NRM also unveiled a list of companies including media houses, banks, telecom and insurance that it will instruct supporters to boycott on a weekly basis.

NRM was formed after NASA said they will neither recognise the 'sham' election carried out by the IEBC nor Uhuru's victory; claiming the election outcome was predetermined in favour of Uhuru and his Jubilee Party.

READ ALSO: Tension in Kericho as NASA supporters pelt Kisumu-bound shuttles with stones

Uhuru Kenyatta was declared president for a second term on Monday, October 30. Photo: PSCU

The NRM will also push for fresh election to be held in 90 days, claiming the October 26 poll was a mere opinion poll for the Jubilee Party.

Have something to add to this article? Send to news@tuko.co.ke

Source: TUKO.co.ke
The Ministry of Health is reminding the public of the dos and donts when it comes to dealin
Canada's leadership in deployment of the UN peacekeeping mission in Donbas, including on an uncontrolled area of the border with Russia, would be very important for Ukraine.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman said this during his stay in Toronto, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"A peacekeeping operation is a method of driving Russian mercenaries and killers out of our sovereign state. It is a top priority, and Canada's leadership would be very important in this issue," Groysman said.

In his opinion, deployment of the blue helmets in Donbas will facilitate more open situation in the temporarily uncontrolled territories in eastern Ukraine. "The presence of peacekeepers will make the situation more open, show what is happening inside, force all Russian mercenaries to leave Ukraine, go beyond the border where the peacekeeping mission will be deployed, and stabilize the situation," the Prime Minister of Ukraine explained.

As reported, Groysman currently pays a visit to Canada.

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One Ukrainian soldier was wounded in the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) zone in eastern Ukraine over the past day.

Ukrainian Defense Ministry's Spokesperson for ATO issues Andriy Lysenko said this at a press briefing on Tuesday, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

As a result of combat actions, one serviceperson of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was wounded near Starohnativka. He was immediately sent to a field hospital, he said.

Lysenko also added that Russian-backed militants violated the ceasefire ten times over the past day. The Ukrainian Armed Forces opened fire on the enemy seven times.

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Reforms in Ukraine require more international financial assistance, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has said.

He stated this during a conversation with representatives of the Ukrainian community in Toronto on October 30, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"The support that we have now from the world community does not give us sufficient resources to carry out systemic reforms," Groysman said.

According to him, Ukraine needs about $3 billion for the reform of the education system within the next five years.

"If the coalition of countries really wants to help us, they must understand that financial support for some reforms is very important. The sooner we finance the changes, the faster we get the result and new quality," Groysman said.

As Ukrinform reported, Groysman is on a multi-day visit to Canada, where he has a number of meetings with state leaders, community and business representatives.

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The Polish Oil and Gas Company (PGNiG) signed the agreement with Ukraine's gas transmission system operator PJSC Ukrtransgaz on access to Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities.

This is stated in the statement of the PGNiG available to Ukrinform.

"The Polish Oil and Gas Company has signed another agreement with Ukraine's gas transmission system operator PJSC Ukrtransgaz. The new contract will allow PGNiG using underground gas storage facilities on the territory of Ukraine," the Polish company says in its statement.

According to the company, this agreement will provide additional opportunities for the development of PGNiG's activities in the field of natural gas trading on the Ukrainian market.

As Vice Chairman of the PGNiG Management Board for Trade Maciej Wozniak noted, the company boosts its activity in European markets.

"The signing of the agreement with Ukrtransgaz is an important element of the company's activities aimed at strengthening our competitiveness in Ukraine," Wozniak said.

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Ukraine should delegate its trade representative to Canada to promote the development of economic relations between the two states, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has said.

The head of government stated this during his visit to Toronto, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"I am ready to support the idea of a trade representative of Ukraine, because our opportunities in Canada should be strengthened. This is a country with which we have recently created a free trade area. We should make the most of it, and such a mission should be set up," Groysman said.

He asked Ukrainian Ambassador to Canada Andriy Shevchenko to consider this initiative.

"We are ready to offer such opportunities," Groysman said.

As Ukrinform reported, Groysman is on a multi-day visit to Canada, where he is scheduled to have a number of meetings with state leaders, community and business representatives.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said during his visit to Canada last month that Ukraine planned to open a consulate general in the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta, Edmonton.

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Ukraine wants to enlist the support of Canada during its chairmanship in the G7.

Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman said this during his stay in Canada, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Tomorrow I will speak with Prime Minister Trudeau and I will ask him to pay attention to Ukraine during Canada's chairmanship in the G7," Groysman said on Monday.

He noted that he expressed great hopes for the next year, when Canada would become a G7 presiding country.

ish
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has advised Ukrainian citizens to refrain from traveling to Egypt during the state of emergency introduced in the country due to the security situation, the Consular Service Department of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has reported on Twitter.

"The security situation in Egypt remains complicated. Recommendations to Ukrainian citizens are topical," the statement reads.

The Foreign Ministry recalled that in October 2017, the Egyptian parliament extended the state of emergency in Egypt for three more months. In this regard, the Foreign Ministry called on Ukrainian citizens to review their plans for visiting Egypt during the state of emergency and, if possible, refrain from travelling to this country, including as tourists.

In the event of an emergency, a life and health threat, while staying in Egypt, citizens of Ukraine are recommended to immediately contact the Embassy of Ukraine in Egypt by phone: +201000039648, e-mail: emb_eg@mfa.gov.ua , the hotline of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry: +38 044 238 16 57, or e-mail cons_or@mfa.gov.ua .

op
AMMAN, 31 October 2017  UNICEF participated yesterday in a United Nations humanitarian assistance convoy to two towns in the besieged area of East Ghouta, rural Damascus. These towns are Kafr Batna and Saqba.

UNICEF sent six trucks of humanitarian supplies as part of this convoy. The UNICEF trucks included health supplies like oral rehydration solutions, medicines for children, vitamins, midwifery and pediatric kits. It also included hygiene kits, nutrition supplements and high energy biscuits.



Nearly 400,000 people remain trapped in East Ghouta which has been under siege since mid-2013. UNICEF estimates half are children. Humanitarian needs in this area continue to worsen. The UN and UNICEF were last able to access East Ghouta in September.



Extremely limited humanitarian access to the area in 2017 has caused the price of basic goods, including food, to soar. Livelihoods are seriously depleted, with continued displacement and insecurity exacerbating vulnerability. Inadequate access to safe water and basic hygiene items will likely result in prevalence of childhood diseases.



The deterioration of the humanitarian situation in East Ghouta is jeopardizing the health status of boys, girls and mothers. Fran Equiza, the UNICEF Representative in Syria, who participated in the convoy says: Children and mothers are hit hardest by the dire living conditions in the besieged towns of East Ghouta.



Since the beginning of 2017, UNICEF was only able to access East Ghouta six times. Last year, UNICEF was able to undertake 10 interagency convoys to the area.



While UNICEF welcomes this window of access, more humanitarian assistance should be allowed to reach children in need across Syria. UNICEF continues to call on all parties to the conflict for unconditional, safe and sustained access to all children, irrespective of their location in the country.



UNICEF is concerned over the increase in violence against civilians in East Ghouta. UNICEF reminds all parties to the conflict to protect children at all times during conflict. Civilian infrastructure including medical and education facilities must never come under attack.

###

For more information, please contact:

Juliette Touma, UNICEF Regional Office Amman, +962 79 867 4628, Call: +962 79 867 4628, jtouma@unicef.org
Page Content

The traditional Mexican holiday, Dia des los Muertos (Day of the Dead), will be celebrated at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with an exhibit and celebration at the Carlsten Art Gallery.

The exhibit will be on display through Sunday, Nov. 5, at the gallery on the second floor of the Noel Fine Arts Center. It will include traditional and contemporary Dia des los Muertos ofrendas (altars) with sugar skulls and displays created by members of the Latino Student Alliance, Spanish Club and Carlsten Gallery Student Advisory Committee at UW-Stevens Point.

A celebration will be held from 4-9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at the gallery and Noel Fine Arts Center balcony. The evening includes live Mariachi music, Mexican food and refreshments, face painting, crafts and more.

The exhibit and Saturday's event are open to the public, free of charge.

Dia des los Muertos is celebrated throughout Mexico and in parts of the United States. It is connected to ancient Meso-American beliefs surrounding death and rebirth. The Aztec ritual was moved to coincide with All Saints Day and All Souls Day. It includes visiting a cemetery where loved ones are buried to clean and decorate graves and celebrate the deceased with food and music.

Guests are invited to add objects to a community ofrenda. Items may include candles, candy, corn, flowers, fruit, bread, incense, instruments, nuts, squash, pumpkins, photos of lost loved ones, personal mementos, skeletons, sugar skulls, soda, religious decorations and toys.

The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Thursdays from 7-9 p.m. and on weekends from 1-4 p.m. For more information, call 715-346-4797.




Conflict in the South China Sea and regional economic development are the two biggest, and intertwined, issues facing leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) when they meet in two weeks in Manila as the regional bloc celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Five member nations ---Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam ---have territorial claims in the South China Sea, 90 percent of which is claimed by China. Cambodia, another member, backs China and has objected to any attempt to magnify the issue in line with ASEANs preference for consensus building over discord.

Those nations and the other members---Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Singapore---have used consensus to develop the bloc into what one of the success stories of modern economics, according to the World Economic Forum. In 2014, the region was the seventh-largest economic power in the world. It was also the third-largest economy in Asia, with a combined GDP of US$2.6 trillion and an annual growth between four and five percent.

The Manila meet-up takes place after the inaugural year of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), which envisions ASEAN as a single market and production base,  with equitable economic development, and fully integrated into the global economy, according to the official website. With harmonized trade and investment laws, ASEAN, as a rules-based organization will be strengthened and become more interesting as a single investment destination.

We see that the power struggle makes some ASEAN countries lose their balance, said Chheang Vannarith, a researcher at the Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute, a Singapore think-tank focused on Southeast Asia. If the U.S. and China continue to compete for power in the region, it can affect ASEAN unity.

And that unity has benefitted ASEANs member nations, he said. We see that the economic integration is in-depth, especially in the last 20 years after the end of the Cold War, said Chheang Vannarith. Since the early 1990s until now weve seen that the economic integration is deep and dynamic. In the future, the economic dependency will be very crucial to achieve ASEAN community.

Troubled waters

Tensions in the South China Sea have been mounting since 2010 when China boosted its presence in the 3.5 million-square-kilometers rich in fish and fuel reserves. The exclusive economic zones of ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines overlap with Chinas claims.

Territorial disputes over the South China Sea extend beyond each nation's exclusive economic zone, which is internationally accepted to be no more than 200 nautical miles from shore.

In 2016, four years after China occupied a shoal, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, when it concluded China has no legal basis for its claim of historic rights in much of the disputed waters. Chinese President Xi Jinping rejected the decision.

The issue has the potential to hang over the region for years, especially in negotiating an effective code of conduct for the waters, said Bonnie Glaser, a Washington-based China and Asia specialist with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Years of negotiations have produced non-binding framework code which members adopted in August, a code which the United States, Japan and Australia want to see become "legally binding, meaningful, effective, and consistent with international law."

So that clearly means that this will not move any faster than China wants it to move, Bonnie Glaser told a CSIS gathering in mid-October. And that everybody has, I think, agreed to that.

Cambodian Ambassador to the U.S. Chum Bunrong said that the involvement of non-ASEAN powers in the region wont lead to bickering among the member nations.

ASEAN members understand each other, Chum Bunrong told VOA Khmer by phone.

The Cambodian government said that ASEAN will remain united in the face of outside pressure because of its one destiny platform and impartial position toward its partners because ASEAN uses a peaceful principle that cannot be overlooked, said Phay Siphan, spokesman for the Council of Ministers. ASEAN works together to impartially solve the issue through dialogue forum and can reach our solution step by step. This is very important.

Economic cooperation

Other than China, the biggest non-ASEAN member player in the region is the United States. Washington is marking its 40th year of engagement with the bloc and has recently been focused on four areas, business, policy, energy, and innovation, according to Matt Matthews, the State Department's deputy assistant secretary and ambassador for APEC from the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

He predicts that U.S. involvement with the region will deepen.

Together with the presidents visit in November, we will be able to reassure folks that we are in the Asia Pacific as an Asia Pacific power and we are here to stay, Matthews said at a CSIS event in mid-October.

U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend the Nov. 11-12 APEC annual forum in Vietnam and then travel to the Philippines to take part in ASEAN 50th anniversary celebrations and the annual ASEAN-US Summit Nov 12-13. Media reports this week say Trump will not remain in the Philippines until Nov 14, when the larger annual East Asia Summit is scheduled.

I think that once the administration gets into the rhythm of what they see in the region, I think they will start to understand why economic and security pillars go hand in hand, said Ashok Mirpuri, Singapores ambassador to the U.S. acknowledging the regional apprehension over rising tensions between North Korea and the United States. You cannot just do the security pillar without focusing on economic pillar. I think thats what were hoping and able to see in the future.

According to the U.S. ASEAN Business Council, the total value of the US-ASEAN bilateral trade is at $273 billion. ASEAN's surplus in goods with the U.S. totaled $77 billion in 2015, while the U.S. surplus in services with ASEAN totaled $8 billion.

Weve now begun to see greater foreign investment into the United States from the ASEAN region, said Marc Mealy, vice president for policy of US-ASEAN Business Council.

We expect over the next 40 years that trend [will] continue  . This will be a real hallmark of the benefit to the United States of this 40th anniversary of diplomatic relation with ASEAN.

Early days yet

However, Mealy told VOA Khmer by phone that the AEC is still in the fundamental initiative and much needs to be done to improve and standardize customs procedures and regional transportation, and harmonize trade in agricultural commodities, food products, and manufactured goods.

Mealy suggested that the AEC has the opportunity to learn from missteps made by other regional bloc such as the European Community, which found when members pooled resources, the economically advanced members benefitted more. He said ASEAN should take care of its lesser developed countries like Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar so that they are able to fully participate and benefit from AEC.

The benefit of greater regional economic integration must be able to flow more directly to ASEANs less-developed countries, said Mealy, and not only to ASEANs more developed countries.
Cambodia's former opposition leader Sam Rainsy on Monday publicly accused Mao Monyvann, a lawmaker in the party he co-founded, of attempting to stage an internal "coup" and divide the opposition at the behest of Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The charge marked a serious escalation in rifts within the beleaguered Cambodia National Rescue Party, which is already under threat of dissolution from the government over accusations that its leaders engaged in a US-backed conspiracy to take down the government.

In a video clip posted to his Facebook page, Rainsy, claiming to be speaking in the name of opposition supporters, accused Monyvann of attempting to take over the CNRP while the party's current president, Kem Sokha, sits in jail on accusations of treason.

"He wants to be the leader instead of Kem Sokha, who is an honest person. This is an act of undignified betrayal which all Khmer children who have honor, who are outstanding, who are dignified, cannot accept," Rainsy declared in the video, filmed during a visit to Rome.

He did not explain what evidence led him to believe the lawmaker was trying to take over the party. However, the accusation followed a disagreement between Rainsy and CNRP leaders including Monyvann over the procedure to draw up a list of Senate candidates.

Rainsy fled Cambodia and went into exile in 2015 to avoid being jailed over an old defamation case. He has not returned to the country since, and in February he resigned from his role in the CNRP for fear the party might be dissolved if he, as a convicted criminal, continued to lead it.

In Mondays video, he also called on members of the opposition party to flee the country and join him rather than capitulate to political intimidation. More than half of the CNRPs lawmakers are already abroad, fearing arrest if the treason case is widened, while one CNRP lawmaker and at least 25 lower-level officials have reportedly defected to the CPP. Prime Minister Hun Sen has declared that he will rule the country for the next decade, and publicly appealed to CNRP officials at all levels to join the ruling party in order to keep their jobs when the CNRP is dissolved.

Let others lure you however they want, let them attempt it, but please, all of you, dont be soft, dont believe [them] and dont follow the traitors, Rainsy declared, adding that he was certain that the governments attempt to dissolve the CNRP would fail.

His video appeal comes as the Supreme Court is preparing to hear a case on the partys dissolution, which was put on the table after the Interior Ministry filed a lawsuit in early October claiming the CNRP was violating the Law on Political Parties due to its leaders involvement in the supposed treasonous plot.

Monyvann declined to comment when reached by VOA Khmer on Tuesday. However, he posted a message on his own Facebook page on Monday night that appeared to refer to Rainsys accusations.

I, Mao Monyvann, even if I have to die, I will not run away from the battlefields and I will not absolutely sell my wisdom! he wrote. The ones who smeared [others], insinuated, or echoed [the smears] will definitely be regretful if they are human beings with values.

The lawmaker has clashed with Rainsy in the past, and in 2011 quit the opposition leaders eponymous Sam Rainsy Party to join the Human Rights Party, which at the time was led by Kem Sokha. The two parties merged the following year to form the CNRP, bringing Monyvann back into Rainsys ambit.

In March, the government-aligned Fresh News website posted screenshots of WhatsApp messages Monyvann purportedly sent to Prime Minister Hun Sen, claiming Rainsy had spread a rumor that a Vietnamese general had cuckolded the premier and was the true father of his eldest son.

Sok Eysan, a spokesman for the ruling party, told VOA Khmer on Tuesday that there was no truth to the claim that Monyvann was a CPP plant or that the ruling party was seeking to stir up discord within the opposition.

The Cambodian Peoples Party doesnt lack human resources, so there is no need to buy them out, he said.

Asked about Rainsys contention that the opposition party would not be dissolved, Eysan said he would wait for the Supreme Court hearing on the matter, scheduled for November 16.

It will only take 16 more days to know whether Sam Rainsy is right or wrong, he said.
Spains chief prosecutor is seeking charges of rebellion and sedition against the political leaders of Catalonia, after they declared independence last week. The charges carry jail terms of up to 30 years. Media reports Monday said the regions former president Carles Puigdemont  who was fired by Madrid along with the rest of the Catalan government  has traveled to Belgium with other ministers, where they may seek asylum. Henry Ridgwell reports.
Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was a "gold mine" of intelligence, helping the military better understand insurgents and how they imprison the enemy, two agents testified Tuesday as defense attorneys sought to show the soldier's contributions since he was returned in a prisoner swap.

The testimony runs counterpoint to the case prosecutors presented at Bergdahl's sentencing hearing, calling on severely wounded soldiers to offer gripping testimony about the injuries that troops suffered while searching for Bergdahl after he walked off his post in Afghanistan in 2009.

Bergdahl, who pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, testified Monday and apologized to the wounded. He faces up to life in prison. The military judge hearing the case has wide leeway in deciding Bergdahl's punishment.

Amber Dach, who spent 16 years in military intelligence, was the primary analyst assigned to Bergdahl's case for the five years after he disappeared. She described how eager he was to help intelligence officials at a hospital in Germany days after he was returned to U.S. authorities. Though his voice was weak and raspy, he helped authorities and even drew diagrams in his downtime to bring to his next debriefing session.

"He was very motivated to just downloading all of the details that he recalled," she testified. "It was a gold mine. It really reshaped the way we did intel collection in the area."

An official from the military agency that helps reintegrate former captives and develops survival training for service members testified that information Bergdahl provided him was invaluable.

Terrence Russell, a division chief for the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency, developed a 1,200-page transcript from debriefing Bergdahl that was turned into a database. The information produced reports on tactics used by insurgents and hostage-takers in the region that are still used by the military.

Russell said he'd like to learn even more from Bergdahl but the soldier's legal case has impeded that.

"Can you give him to me tomorrow? I need him. I need him now," he said to a defense attorney. "The fact that I can't get that information is wrong. I need that."

He said he'd like to add Bergdahl to a roster of about 30 or so Gulf War-era military captives who can provide videos or lectures to service members on captivity in recent conflicts.

"We don't have very many examples coming out of Afghanistan," he said.

He also reaffirmed previous statements that Bergdahl's captivity was worse than any American prisoner of war has experienced since the Vietnam era.



Bergdahl has described the brutal conditions he faced, including beatings with copper wire and unending bouts of gastrointestinal problems brought on by squalid conditions. He said he was kept in a cage for four out of the five years in captivity after several escape attempts. He said his muscles became so weak he could barely stand or walk.

The 31-year-old soldier from Hailey, Idaho, was brought home by President Barack Obama in 2014 in a swap for five Taliban prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. Obama said at the time the U.S. does not leave its service members on the battlefield. Republicans roundly criticized Obama, and Donald 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.

Bergdahl's sentencing hearing is expected to last several more days.
Argentina's President Mauricio Macri vowed to press ahead with reforms to the country's tax, labor and retirement systems in a speech on Monday, a week after his "Let's Change" coalition swept to victory at the polls in midterm elections.

The government will present a tax reform proposal this Tuesday or Wednesday, and an amnesty plan for companies that hired workers informally in the coming days, Macri said. He added that the government would convene a commission to propose changes to the retirement system in coming weeks.

The speech marked a roadmap for the second half of Macri's four-year term, as he seeks to implement business-friendly reforms to attract investors who avoided the country during more than a decade of populist rule.

"We need lower taxes, more public works, and all this we need to achieve with fiscal balance," Macri told a gathering of lawmakers, governors, union leaders, judges and others.

Investors have been encouraged by the reforms Macri has implemented since taking office in December 2015, including lifting foreign exchange controls, settling with holdout creditors, and lowering export taxes.

But significant investment has not arrived. Companies have demanded lower costs, while credit agencies are concerned about a deep fiscal deficit.

Macri's coalition swept the five most populous areas in midterm elections, giving him a broader mandate to pass reforms, though it still lacks majorities in both chambers of Congress.

Macri said his government had reduced the country's tax burden, and wanted to make the system "simpler, clearer, and fairer."

He reiterated the government's aim of slashing Argentina's fiscal deficit by one percentage point of gross domestic product per year.

And he also vowed to reform the country's retirement system, a large driver of government spending.

"We need to start a mature and honest conversation about our retirement and pension system," Macri said. "Our retirement system hides serious inequities, and it is not sustainable."

While Macri has said he does not plan major changes to the country's labor code, he has said the government plans to provide incentives to companies to formalize undeclared workers and work with unions in specific sectors to lower costs.

Macri also pledged reforms to the country's justice system to combat corruption. Cabinet Chief Marcos Pena told journalists that the resignation on Monday of chief prosecutor Alejandra Gils Carbo, appointed during the former administration of President Cristina Fernandez, was a step towards making the judiciary more independent.
Extended-stay

hotel opens

TWIN FALLS  My Place Hotels of America has opened the countrys 35th My Place Hotel at 440 N. Haven Drive.

The three-story, 64-unit hotel is independently owned by MPI Investment Group LLC and operated by Venerts Hotel Management Inc.

My Place, a newly built and moderately priced hotel, was our answer to the areas growing mix of leisure and business travelers, MPI partner Spencer Smith said. As guests and owners, we love how My Place prioritizes comfort, quality, and efficiency to deliver great value. Whether guests stay for a night or longer, they receive the best in friendly service, comfortable accommodations, and the convenience of a kitchen, all at an affordable price.

Twin Falls resident Stacey Parker is the general manager.

Weve needed quality, flexible lodging for a long time, Parker said. Its really fun to see our guests and community reflect the same level of excitement that my staff and I have for our new hotel and our fresh take on economy.

Idaho got its first two My Place Hotels this year. A third Idaho location will soon be announced, the company said.

Information: Call 855-200-5685, or visit myplacehotels.com.

Charming Charlie has opened

TWIN FALLS  Charming Charlie, a womens fashion, jewelry and accessories retailer, is now open at Canyon Park West.

The boutique at 1925 Fillmore St. is the second store in Idaho for Charming Charlie. It carries products such as jewelry, handbags, small leather goods, scarves, watches, sunglasses, select footwear and apparel, with prices ranging from $5 to $150.

The new store will offer community members the opportunity to host fundraiser events.

For information, visit charmingcharlie.com.

Black Bear Diner opens Nov. 6

TWIN FALLS  Black Bear Diner is on schedule to open its doors next week.

The corporate restaurant at 1725 Harrison St. N. will open Monday, a spokeswoman for the company said. Hours of operation will be 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

The 5,400-square-foot restaurant includes a gift shop and a coffee counter. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner all day.

Its comfort food, spokeswoman Jolisa Johnson said. Its chicken-fried steak. Its meatloaf.

The restaurant was originally planned to open early next year, but that time-frame got moved up.

Weve just had a really good relationship with the city with permits and licensing and everything, Johnson said. Twin Falls is obviously a business-friendly municipality.

The restaurant is promoting a sneak-peek event through Facebook, where participants can enter to get into the event Saturday and win a free meal.

Editor's Note: This article was updated Nov. 16 with the correct address for Black Bear Diner.
Argentina will replace Agriculture Minister Ricardo Buryaile with Luis Miguel Etchevehere, currently the president of the Argentine Rural Society, a powerful industry group, Cabinet Chief Marcos Pena said on Tuesday.



Buryaile will next serve as Argentina's ambassador to the European Union, Pena said at a news conference. Argentina is the world's top exporter of soymeal and soyoil and a main exporter of corn, raw soybeans and wheat.



Argentina and other members of Mercosur, the South American trade bloc, are seeking to finalize a trade deal with the European Union. Farmers in France and other countries are concerned about a potential surge in agricultural imports, particularly beef, which Mercosur members Argentina and Brazil export.



"We have asked Ricardo to take this on because it is very important for us in this stage of the negotiations," Pena said.



"One of the most sensitive topics in that negotiation is agriculture."



Since taking office in late 2015, Argentina's market-friendly President Mauricio Macri has implemented policies favorable to the South American country's farm sector, a major driver of the economy and source of foreign currency.



Producers had a combative relationship with former populist President Cristina Fernandez, who hiked export taxes.



Macri eliminated export taxes on wheat and corn, leading to a surge in planting and record harvests. He cut the export tax on soybeans, the country's main cash crop, from 35 percent to 30 percent, but delayed more cuts to 2018, faced with a gaping fiscal deficit.



Export tax cuts on soy are expected to resume next year, with a gradual reduction of 0.5 percentage points per month for two years. That move is expected to stop a decline in soy planting area.



Etchevehere, a farmer from Argentina's nEtre Rios province in the vast Pampas grains belt, took the helm of the Argentine Rural Society in 2012.



Reporting by Caroline Stauffer, Luc Cohen, Maximiliano Rizzi and Maximilian Heath; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe.
More than 600 asylum seekers are refusing to leave an Australian-run refugee detention center Tuesday, fearing they may be subjected to violence by local residents.

The detainees are holding fast to remain in the Manus Island center, located on the Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea, despite plans by officials to shut off all water and electricity to the compound by late Tuesday afternoon. Lawyers for the 600-plus men have appealed to Papua New Guinea's Supreme Court for a temporary injunction to prevent the camp from being closed.

Asylum-seekers say a group of unidentified local men have entered the camp and removed furniture and other things from the facility.

The detainees say the private security forces hired by Canberra to guard the facility have left the Manus center. PNG officials say the center will be transferred to the control of its defense forces on Wednesday, and anyone still on the grounds will be considered to be trespassing on a military base.

Under a strict immigration policy, Australia blocks asylum-seekers from the Middle East, Africa and Asia from reaching its shores by boat, sending them to Manus Island and another center on the Pacific island nation of Nauru. The policy has come under fire from the United Nations and human rights groups over the indefinite detention of the refugees, who have reportedly suffered abuse and emotional stress.

Australia scheduled the Manus camp for closure after Papua New Guinea's Supreme Court ruled last year that the detention center was unconstitutional, as it violated the detainees constitutional right of personal liberty.

The remaining 600 men being held have been given the option of remaining on Papua New Guinea, returning to their homeland or being resettled in a third country. Many of them are barred from accepting citizenship in Australia, even if they are granted refugee status.
Bangladesh will extend an agreement to protect garment workers drawn up in the wake of the Rana Plaza disaster and embed it into national regulations, promising more stringent safety checks for its 4 million apparel workers, a labor union said.

Poor working conditions and low wages have long been a concern in Bangladesh's garment industry, which suffered one of the worst industrial accidents in 2013, when more than 1,100 people were killed in the collapse of the Rana Plaza complex.

The Bangladesh Accord is a legally-binding agreement between global brands and trade unions to establish a fire and safety program for the country's $28 billion a year textile industry.

The accord runs to May 2018, but the government has agreed for it to continue beyond that date until a national regulatory body is ready to take over monitoring, a trade union said Tuesday.

"A goal of the accord has always been to transition to a credible regulatory regime by the Bangladeshi government," said Christy Hoffman, Deputy General Secretary of Uni Global Union.

"The talks with the government show that it recognizes the importance of a safe ready-made garment industry, and we will continue to work with regulators to help enhance their capacity."

The new agreement was reached on Oct. 19 between brands, trade unions, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, the U.N.'s International Labour Organization and the Bangladeshi government, said a statement from the Accord.

Under the accord, more than 118,500 fire, electrical and structural hazards have been identified at 1,800 factories which supply at least 200 brands.

Boiler room inspections will be included in the program following concerns after a blast in July killed 10 workers.

"At present, we are working out how we can fund the inspections, remediation and technical expertise needed," Hoffman said.

The program will also establish safety committees on factory floors as mandated by law to ensure better monitoring of safety features, Hoffman said.

Earlier this month, trade unions welcomed a ruling allowing complaints to proceed against two global fashion brands for allegedly violating the Bangladesh Accord. The cases will be the first under the accord to be judged by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague.
Bosnian authorities say a man with suspected terrorism links has been extradited to the United States.



The prosecutor's office said in a statement on Tuesday that the agency has taken part in a complex operation to locate the suspect and hand him over to the U.S. No other details were immediately revealed.



Bosnian media have identified the suspect as Mirsad Kandic, a Kosovo-born Islamic State group supporter sought for years by the U.S.



The Zurnal online news portal says Kandic was arrested in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo in July, and kept in detention until the extradition Tuesday. Kandic has reportedly spent time in the former IS stronghold of Raqqa, and helped Australian teenage suicide bomber Jake Bilardi, also known as Jihadi Jake, reach the Islamic-held territory in 2014.
The best way to further reduce deforestation in the Amazon rainforest is paying owners to preserve their land, and Brazil plans to discuss how to fund such a program at a climate summit next month, the country's environmental minister said on Monday.

Brazil wants to switch from stick to carrot in its fight against deforestation, with Minister Jose Sarney Filho telling reporters that enforcement and penalties used to decrease the clearance of forest will not be enough.

The Amazon rainforest, the world's largest tropical one, soaks up vast amounts of carbon and its preservation is seen as vital in the fight against climate change.

Sarney Filho told reporters that payments for so-called "environmental services" to landowners who maintain a minimum percentage of their land in its natural state, is the next step.

"Command and control has already reached its limit. If we don't immediately start to demonstrate that forest services will be fairly paid, we will have serious problems," Sarney Filho said.

In the Amazon, landowners generally must maintain 80 percent of their land in their natural state while being allowed to develop the other 20 percent with the rate varying for different biomes.

"We need to start discussing the reward to those that preserve their land," Sarney Filho said.

The matter of how to value and fund this preservation will be featured at next month's U.N. climate change conference in Bonn, Germany, on guidelines related to the Paris climate accord.

It will be the first meeting of the group since U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to pull the United States out of the Paris Accord, which seeks to limit the rise in temperatures to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times.

While programs like the Amazon Fund, which is sponsored by Norway and Germany, pay for efforts to stop deforestation, they do not pay these types of rewards to landowners, Sarney Filho said.

He did not offer specifics on how to pay for them.

Brazil is drawing up a national plan for implementing the Paris Accord after seeking opinions from companies, environmentalists, indigenous groups and others.

Sarney Filho said he expects carbon emissions to fall in Brazil this year, corresponding to a 16 percent drop in deforestation between August 2016 and July 2017 from the year-earlier period.
Ousted Catalonia president Carles Puigdemont says he will not be seeking asylum in Belgium, a day after he traveled there, while Spanish prosecutors announced plans to seek sedition, rebellion and embezzlement charges against Catalan leaders.

Puigdemont said Tuesday in Brussels, "I am not here in order to demand asylum," saying he was there "for safety purposes and freedom." But he did not specify how long he would stay.

Chief prosecutor Jose Manuel Maza said Monday he would seek to charge the leaders of Catalonia who led a push to secede from Spain. It is up to a court to decide whether to move forward with the charges, which could bring lengthy jail terms, including up to 30 years for rebellion.

WATCH: Catalan leaders flee to Belgium

A disputed referendum in Catalonia on October 1 ended with a vote for the autonomous region to break away from Spain.

The government in Madrid rejected the secession push, and after Catalan lawmakers declared independence last week the central government asserted control over the region and dissolved the local parliament.

New elections are set for December, and Catalonia's separatist party announced it would field candidates.
Authorities are scouring a canyon in Utah by foot and by air for a man suspected of killing a Chinese international student at the University of Utah.

The university said 23-year-old ChenWei Guo was killed late Monday in what police believe was a fatal car jacking near the university.

Today our campus is in shock. Last night, university student, ChenWei Guo  an international student from China was killed in a senseless, random act of violence," said university president David W. Pershing. "Weve cancelled classes today in respect for Mr. ChenWei Guo and for the impact this has had on our campus community.

Police say a man named Austin Boutain is suspected in the killing. They say Boutain and his wife Kathleen are also wanted in connection with a homicide last week in Colorado.

At least eight law enforcement agencies were on scene in Utah, including the FBI. A helicopter assisted in the search.

We are now going through a strong-wall search, where we have officers about five meters apart, walking so they can see each other through the brush in the foothills, said Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown to the Utah Daily Chronicle.



Authorities said they believe Boutain is in the foothills above Red Butte Canyon, but were continuing to search the campus.

Several people and organizations took to social media to express their condolences to the student and his family.

This is incredibly shocking and sad news.The victim, ChenWei Guo, was a good friend of mine," wrote Franklin Yuan on Facebook. "He served an honorable mission in Utah Provo Mission. I first met him when he was a missionary on BYU campus.

"He was a bright, faithful, caring and charismatic Chinese young man with a promising future. Please pray for him and his family in China.

Many other students expressed similar condolences.

Our thoughts are with the family of fellow student ChenWei Guo and our entire University of Utah campus community today. #UteFamily, said the Mighty Utah Student Section on Twitter.

RIP to a fellow LDS member, RM, and student of the University of Utah. Prayers for his family as they receive the news & travel to the US, tweeted University of Utah student Leipua Brown.

Paul Ross of VOA's StudentU and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Please leave your condolences and comments below, and visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, thank you.
Syrians hoping to return home to Raqqa now that the city has been liberated from the clutches of the Islamic State terror group are being told to wait indefinitely.

Coalition officials say the problem comes from potentially thousands of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and booby traps littered across the city, some already taking a toll.

Civilians deaths have already been reported by some of those who have tried to return, Major General James Jarrard, commander of Special Operations Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve said Tuesday, briefing Pentagon reporters from Baghdad.

It's still not safe, he added. There are so many out there, nobody moves around very freely.

200,000 fled Raqqa

Aid groups estimate more than 200,000 people fled Raqqa since efforts to retake the city gained steam. And there may be a temptation for some of them to try to return as winter brings rain and colder temperatures.

But officials caution even the weather is wracking havoc on the city.

The other day we had the first significant rainstorm in that part of Syria, said Jarrard. There are so many explosive devices still left, and the rain was hard and actually causing some of those explosive devices to detonate.

Work to clear the city of IEDs is under way, with private contractors joining the Syrian Democratic forces to speed up the process though the coalition refuses to estimate when the work will be done.

More progress had been made in some of the outer edges of the city, as well as its suburbs, than in the city center, where some of the heaviest fighting took place.

Most Islamic State fighters gone

Despite the threat from IEDs, booby traps and unexploded munitions, officials say IS itself poses little danger.

Raqqa itself is void of Daesh fighters, said the coalitions Jarrard, using the Arabic acronym for the terror group.

And outside of the groups last remaining stronghold in the Middle Euphrates River Valley, its reach has been limited.

It is a very low threat of any Daesh attacks or any Daesh period in northeast Syria, said Jarrard. Once you get away from the front lines it is a relatively secure place.

U.S. officials estimate Islamic State may still have as many as 7,000 fighters at its disposal across Syria and Iraq. But they say the group is on the run, hiding in basements or holes in the ground or caves.
Climate change has caused severe harm to human health since the year 2000 by stoking more heat waves, the spread of some mosquito-borne diseases and under-nutrition as crops fail, scientists said on Tuesday.

Scant action to slow global warming over the past 25 years has jeopardized "human life and livelihoods," they wrote in a report published in The Lancet, a British medical journal.

"The human symptoms of climate change are unequivocal and potentially irreversible," said the report, entitled Lancet Countdown and drawn up by 24 groups, including universities, the World Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Many governments are now trying to cut their greenhouse gas emissions under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, though U.S. President Donald Trump has weakened the pact by saying the United States, the world's second biggest greenhouse gas polluter after China, will pull out.

"This (report) is a huge wake-up call," Christiana Figueres, chair of the Lancet Countdown's high-level advisory board and the United Nations' climate chief at the Paris summit, told Reuters. "The impacts of climate change are here and now."

Among its findings, the report said an additional 125 million vulnerable people had been exposed to heat waves each year from 2000 to 2016, with the elderly especially at risk.

Watch: Jordan water crisis

Labor productivity among farm workers fell by 5.3 percent since the year 2000, mainly because sweltering conditions sapped the strength of workers in nations from India to Brazil.

The report, based on 40 indicators of climate and health, said climate change seemed to be making it easier for mosquitoes to spread dengue fever, which infects up to 100 million people a year.

The number of undernourished people in 30 countries across Africa and Asia rose to 422 million in 2016 from 398 million in 1990, it said.

"Undernutrition is identified as the largest health impact of climate change in the 21st century," the report added.

"Glimmers of hope"

But despite the overall gloom, Anthony Costello, a director at WHO and co-chair of the Lancet Countdown study, said there were "significant glimmers of hope" in the situation.

The number of weather-related disasters such as hurricanes and floods rose 46 percent since 2000, but the number of deaths remained stable, suggesting that societies were improving protection measures against environmental catastrophes.

Almost 200 nations will meet in Bonn, Germany, from Nov. 6-17 to work on a "rule book" for the 2015 Paris climate agreement for shifting from fossil fuels.

The Lancet Countdown study did not estimate the total number of deaths from climate change. The WHO has previously estimated there could be 250,000 extra deaths a year between 2030 and 2050 because of climate change.

Nick Watts, executive director of the Lancet Countdown, said there could be a few benefits from warmer temperatures, such as fewer deaths from winter cold in nations from Russia to Canada.

"But those numbers are ... almost negligible," he said compared to the overall harm from global warming.

The Lancet study also said that the air in 87 percent of all cities, home to billions of people, exceeded pollution guidelines set by the WHO. Fossil fuels release both toxins and heat-trapping carbon dioxide when burnt.

Johan Rockstrom, director of the Stockholm Resilience Center and who was not involved in the Lancet study, said the report could bolster efforts to limit pollution in cities from Beijing to Mexico City.

"Air pollution is in a way an old issue," he said, referring to decades of efforts to limit smog. "But it's potentially coming to the forefront again as the most rapid vehicle to get action on climate change."
Refugee advocates are calling attention to the poor treatment of refugees and migrants trapped on Greeces islands, while in the mainlands most notorious camp, conditions are equally grim.



November is expected to bring about the closure of Derveni, the only camp on mainland Greece where refugees and migrants are still living in tents, within the confines of a stripped-out factory on an industrial site near the northern city of Thessaloniki.



The end of Derveni  if it does happen  would come amid efforts to shift from crisis mode to a long term approach as the Greek state consolidates efforts to manage a new population of more than 50,000 people, many of whom Greek officials fear are likely to stay for years rather than months.



Amid an upturn in refugee arrivals into Greece and criticism of the states handling of the situation, Dervenis beleaguered residents remain deeply uncertain about the future.



For some, the End of the World



Id thought things would get better but when I came here and experienced this, it felt like the end of the world, said Jemal, a camp resident who asked to be identified by a name other than his real one.



Having fled his home in east Africa after speaking out against corruption. He remains too afraid to make his country of origin public. He crossed the Aegean on a dinghy from Turkey to the Greek island of Lesvos and spent four months there sleeping in a tent.



Around 13,500 migrants and refugees are currently stuck on the group of Greek islands that also include Chios, Samos, Kos and Leros.

They face possible deportation as they await the result of asylum applications more than a year and a half since an EU-Turkey deal promised, among other things, to return those whose applications were rejected back to Turkey, which in turn and in exchange for EU financial assistance would send "approved" refugees staying within its border on to European Union nations.



The general situation and poor living conditions in camps have provoked widespread criticism among humanitarian organizations, including a group of 19 that sent an open letter to Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsiprias on October 23. The letter called on the Greek government to end its policy of keeping refugees and migrants contained on the islands and demanded that the government immediately transfer them to the mainland in order to meet their protection needs.



Jamals new reality on the mainland, however, was worse.



I want to have a normal life, but here life is not normal, he said.



Tough Conditions



Derveni was among the camps used by the government early last summer after the dispersal of thousands from an ad-hoc camp created at the crossing point into Macedonia when the country closed its borders.



More than 200 people are now in the camp, with some having arrived unregistered and on foot having taken the land route from Turkey into northern Greece, and others, like Jemal, transferred there from the Greek islands by the state.

In recent weeks, these transfers have stopped, though pressure to get refugees off the islands is once again growing with around 6,000 refugees arriving from Turkey last month  a sharp upturn on previous months.



In Derveni, with temperatures sweltering in the summer and freezing in the winter and with volunteers denied access to the camp, despondence has spread. Drug use, thefts, and fighting have become a part of camp life.



People come here and they have stress, they have problems, and they feel angry, said Mohammed, an Iranian who was transferred to the camp from the Greek Island of Samos. He requested his surname not be used, as is common among many refugees who often fear that revealing their true identity might jeopardize their chances for asylum or the security of their families back home.



Meanwhile a source who recently accessed the camp warned about the safety conditions, telling VOA If you had a fire in one tent, in 10 minutes the whole warehouse would burn.



Its not a place Id wish on my worst enemy, they added.



Yet to Close



Derveni is notorious among many humanitarian workers in Greece.



Liene Veide is a spokeswoman for the UNHCR, the U.N.s refugee body, which has spoken out against relocating people from the islands to Derveni.



The camp was not an appropriate place for any human being to live in, especially not long term, said Veide.



Still, some turn up of their own accord, desperate for a place to live.



Ifigenia Anastasiadi, who until recently worked for a major NGO on the site, said the camp had become a dump hole for those whose nationalities meant they are less likely to be granted asylum.

In her time working there, Anastasiadi said she encountered a number of highly vulnerable residents, including those tortured in the countries they had fled.



Set to shut?



Gianluca Rocco, Greeces chief of mission to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which along with the Greek army oversees Derveni, said improvements had not been made because the camp had been expected to close sooner.

We were told many times the camp would be closing, said Rocco, and sometimes when youre trying to close a camp it creates a situation where you dont want to get into investing in something that will close.



Greek migration policy minister Giannis Mouzalas pledged the camp would shut by the end of last year before pushing the date back again, to May of 2017.



The ministry for migration policy has not responded to requests for comment.



UNHCR officials told VOA Derveni is among five camps in northern Greece to be closed by the end of November. Eight others closed earlier this year.

Rocco asserted that plans to close the camp were far more definite this time, adding it was very late to begin efforts to equip Derveni for winter.



Around 100 Derveni residents are vulnerable enough to fit the criteria to be moved into apartments, and some have already been moved as part of a wider UNHCR scheme.



The rest, meanwhile, are expected to be shifted to new camps in the coming weeks. After that, the future remains uncertain, especially for those who arrived on foot.



Having left the islands to be confronted with equally bad conditions in Derveni, Jemal remains cynical about the prospects of the camp shutdown and any potential benefits for him.



Im not expecting anything, he said, Ive been disappointed by promises before, so why would I expect anything from anyone?
We hear of data breaches regularly, and its easy to think that its someone elses problem. What can I really do to stop a data breach?

Cybersecurity must be everyones job. Owner, manager and staff are a crucial part of protecting information. Train employees and keep on top of new risks. Large firm or small business, the cost of a data breach can be devastating both in information lost and the funds needed to recover. Small businesses are not immune from these threats, because criminals might hope these firms have less invested in security than large companies.

As we wrap up our look at National Cyber Security Awareness month, its a good time to look at safeguarding information at your place of work. The National Cyber Security Alliance and staysafeonline.org are great places to start the conversation and keep it going year around.

Your companys website should have a privacy policy that tells customers what information you collect and how you use it. It is important to educate staff to adhere to the policy. You should be aware of all the personal information you have about your customers, where youre storing it, how you are using it, who has access to it and how you protect it.

Cybersecurity can be a complex topic, but there are basic steps you can take to protect you and your customers data. BBB and the National Cyber Security Alliance recommends this five-step approach following guidance from the National Institute of Standards and Technology:

Identify. Take inventory of key technologies you use and know what information you need to rebuild your infrastructure from scratch. Inventory the key data you use and store and keep track of likely threats.

Protect. Assess what protective measures you need to have in place to be as prepared as possible for a cyber incident. Put protective policies in place for technologies, data and users, and ensure that your contracts with cloud and other technology service providers include the same protections.

Detect. Put measures in place to alert you of current or imminent threats to system integrity, or loss or compromise of data. Train your users to identify and speedily report incidents.

Respond. Make and practice an Incidence Response Plan to contain an attack or incident and maintain business operations in the short term.

Recover. Know what to do to return to normal business operations after an incident. Protect sensitive data and your business reputation over the long term.
Colombia's armed forces have been authorized to launch air raids against crime gangs and FARC members who have refused to adhere to a peace accord with the former guerilla group and instead chose to continue drug trafficking and other criminal activity, the Defense Ministry said Tuesday.

As many as 1,000 members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have not abided by the terms of last year's peace agreement with the government, preferring instead to remain armed, fight the government, and profit from illegal drugs and mining.

The conflict has killed more than 220,000 people and displaced millions since it began in 1964.

The executive order allows troops to conduct bomb attacks against FARC dissidents and crime gangs from airplanes and helicopters, and shields the military from criminal prosecution, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Raids can only be carried out if civilians are not close by.

Air raids were the most effective weapon in the government's fight against the FARC, pushing fighters deep into inhospitable jungle and killing high-level rebel commanders.

That strategy also has been used against the National Liberation Army (ELN), now the biggest active guerrilla group in Colombia, which is in peace talks with the government. The two sides began a bilateral cease-fire in October.

More than 11,300 members of the FARC, including fighters, urban militia and prisoners, are in the process of being incorporated into society after the group handed in its weapons to the United Nations and formed a political party.
Colombia's ELN rebels have admitted to killing an indigenous leader last week, drawing criticism from the government and complicating a ceasefire and negotiations to end more than 50 years of war.

The National Liberation Army (ELN) and the government began their first ever bilateral ceasefire at the start of this month, part of peace talks taking place in Ecuador. The ceasefire is set to run through Jan. 9 and may be extended.

The ELN said in a statement released late on Sunday that one of its units in restive Choco province shot Aulio Isarama after detaining him for questioning about his alleged relationship to military intelligence.

The indigenous leader refused to walk to the place where the unit planned to interrogate him, the statement said, and he rushed at one of the rebels with tragic results.

Reuters could not independently verify the events described in the statement.

At no time had an order or authorization been given to attack the physical integrity of the leader Aulio Isarama. The only purpose of the guerrilla unit which detained him was to investigate, the statement said.

The rebel group added it was committed to recognizing its error and telling the truth about the incident.

We reiterate to Colombia our commitment to and compliance with the temporary bilateral ceasefire and we will maintain it until it ends, the rebel group said.

The governments peace commission, which is leading talks with the rebels, issued a statement condemning the killing and said it hoped the group would allow the investigation into Isaramas death to proceed quickly, and for those responsible to be brought to justice.

The events will be reviewed in relation to the continuation of the ceasefire, the peace commission's statement added.

No single event by itself will cause the rupture of the ceasefire in a unilateral and automatic way. The negotiating teams will evaluate all the objective information that they receive to make decisions regarding the ceasefire.

The rebels will have to take action to ensure incidents like the death of Isarama do not occur again, the peace commission added.

The insurgent group, founded in 1964, had pledged to suspend hostage-taking, attacks on roads and oil installations, the use of landmines and the recruitment of minors during the ceasefire.

In turn, the government agreed to improve protection for community leaders and conditions for about 450 jailed rebels.
Somalia is the world's worst country for unsolved murders of journalists for the third straight year, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

In its 10th annual Global Impunity Index, released Tuesday, the committee said more than two dozen journalists were murdered over the past decade in Somalia, where a prolonged civil war continues.

After ranking third last year, Syria, in the throes of a more than six-year civil war, claimed the second worst spot on the index, "a ranking of countries where journalists are murdered and their killers go free."

Third on the list is Iraq, where journalists have been targets of aggression from Islamic State militants, state-supported militias and other groups.

Conflict among political factions in South Sudan, where five journalists were killed in a 2015 ambush, propelled the country to number four on the index.

The Philippines came in fifth, as government officials and criminal elements "go unpunished for murdering journalists in high numbers." The committee reported journalists also face similar conditions in Brazil, India, Mexico and Russia, which CPJ said also tout themselves as democracies.

Afghanistan was excluded for the first time since the committee began calculating the index in 2008. Murders of journalists in Afghanistan have declined, despite its 16-year war and the fact that there have been no convictions of murdered journalists.


Imagine the excitement and pride of opening a college acceptance letter from one of the most prestigious Ivy League schools in the United States.

Now imagine the defeat youd feel when Harvard University rescinded that offer after finding out you had served time in jail.

Such is the journey Michelle Jones, who is both talented and a convicted murderer. Jones finished a 20-year sentence this summer for the murder of her four-year-old son, Brandon. Although given a life sentence, her time was reduced for showing intelligence and skill at research and scholarship.

With no internet access and a meager prison library, she led a team of inmates that pored through reams of photocopied documents from the Indiana State Archives to produce the Indiana Historical Societys best research project last year, reported the New York Times.

Jones also wrote several dance compositions and authored historical plays, one of which is slated for production at an Indianapolis theater, while serving her sentence.

But when Harvard found out the details of Brandons death, Jones, admitted to beating him and burying his body in the woods, her offer was rescinded. Instead, she enrolled at New York University, where she is a Ph.D. student in American studies.

No data exists on exactly how many college students with criminal backgrounds are enrolled in college. But, a 2012 study from the American Academy of Pediatrics calculated that, by age 23, nearly one-in-three people will have been arrested.

Application attrition

A survey of post-secondary institutions found that 66 percent collect criminal justice background information from prospective students, and most consider that information during the initial admissions process.

On most applications, it starts with a simple "yes" or "no". Does the applicant have a criminal background? Check the yes box, and the application takes a detour.

Nearly two-thirds of individuals with a felony criminal-offense record did not proceed with their application after being asked, according to a study of those seeking higher education at the State University of New York.

When an applicant checks the box that they have a criminal background, they must answer subsequent questions detailing their arrest or conviction. The 2015 study from the SUNY system found 21 percent of applicants without a record didnt finish the admissions process.

Checking the criminal background box, yes also affects a students eligibility to receive financial aid. A 2014 study in the Journal of Urban Economics concluded that for this high-risk group of students, eligibility for federal financial aid strongly impacts college investment decisions negatively.

Transition into society

For the people coming straight out of prison, completing an online college application can feel daunting and overwhelming.

A lot of our guys who have done a lot of time maybe have never been online, said Jed Tucker, the director of Reentry at Bard Prison Initiative, which operates out of select New York State prisons to offer inmates the opportunity to earn a degree from Bard College while serving their sentence.

Our top student whos one class away from getting a bachelors degree, whos never been on the internet or dealt with the bureaucracy of a big public institution, absolutely is in need of people who have real experience navigating the bureaucracy of a public university, he said.

Tucker said the admissions office should address the needs of these students like any other.

Colleges and universities often struggle with admitting previously incarcerated students due to concerns for campus safety.

But analyses have concluded these screening questions have low predictive value and the research does not suggest campuses that admit previously incarcerated applicants have higher crime or violence rates.

Potentially, more than a moral issue, its a reputation and prestige issue, said Judith Scott-Clayton, an associate professor of economics and education at Columbia University.

Schools dont want to run the risk of bad press or the liability of being sued should a student with a criminal background get into trouble on campus.

Several rigorous quasi-experimental studies indicate that increasing education reduces crime, Scott-Clatyon wrote in an essay for the Brookings Institute. Thus, excluding applicants with prior convictions likely makes society less safe as a whole, even if it shifts some risk off-campus.

Education has long been proven to reduce recidivism, or repeated crime, rates. The countrys recidivism rate is approximately 60 percent, it falls to 22 percent when education is available to prison inmates.

Campaigns such as Ban the Box (BTB) aim at eliminating the criminal background questions from employment applications and housing paperwork. A parallel campaign called Beyond the Box wants to eliminate those questions from college applications. The goal is to make it easier for previously incarcerated people to get past the initial application process.

Some universities have begun to change the wording on their applications. The Common Application, used for admissions at 600 institutions, has narrowed that question, asking specifically about prior felony and misdemeanor convictions. Other schools, like New York University, look at a students criminal record only after initial admissions decisions have been made. The California University system doesnt ask about students criminal backgrounds.

According to NYUs website, they believe these narrower questions better strike a balance between giving people a second chance through higher education and providing the University with information that may have a bearing on our campus safety.

Do you think colleges should 'ban the box?' Please share your suggestion in the Comments here, and visit us on:



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Any move by Finland to join NATO would need public approval via a referendum, President Sauli Niinisto told a panel debate on Monday ahead of elections in January.

The Nordic country is a member of the European Union but has stayed outside the NATO military alliance in line with its tradition of avoiding confrontation with Russia, with which it shares an 833-mile (1,340 km) border and a difficult history.

It has forged closer ties with NATO in recent years, however, sharing information and taking part in military exercises, reflecting concerns in Finland about the Ukraine crisis and increased East-West tensions in the Baltic Sea.

Niinisto, who is expected to easily win a second six-year term in the Jan. 28 election, did not indicate whether he favored joining NATO but said a decision to apply for full membership would require a referendum.

I am convinced that (membership) decision would require legitimacy, a wide acceptability ... I would warn against making decisions where a significant part of citizens would get deep wounds, Niinisto said in a panel discussion in Helsinki.

Only 21 percent of Finns support joining NATO, while 51 percent are opposed, a poll by YLE showed in February.

Niinisto, 69, who will stand as an independent candidate after previously representing the conservative National Coalition Party, is known for cultivating good relations with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Finlands president is in charge of foreign and defense policy together with the government.

Nils Torvalds, the only one of seven presidential candidates who advocates joining NATO, said politicians needed to show leadership on the issue.

The thesis of a referendum blocks the discussion on membership. Everybodys waiting for a referendum and are not taking a stance on the real question ... We do have a parliament to decide on issues.

To apply for a membership when a crisis is knocking on the door, forget that. The membership must be applied for when the weather is still rather beautiful.

Torvalds, a politician for Swedish Peoples Party of Finland, had 1 percent support in a recent opinion poll while Niinisto had 76 percent.

Finlands center-right government has said it will monitor the security situation in the region and retain the option of joining NATO.

Russia, which has opposed NATOs eastward expansion has said any move by Helsinki to join would be of special concern.
The tiny historic town of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia draws hundreds of thousands of tourists each year, who come to see about 100 restored 19th century buildings, and enjoy the cozy shops, restaurants and inns.

Harpers Ferry is best known as the place where John Brown, a fiery abolitionist, tried to raid the towns arsenal in 1859, and planned to use the weapons to help free slaves. The town was pivotal during the U.S. Civil War from 1861-1865, when Harpers Ferry was taken over at different times by both Union and Confederate soldiers.

But behind the serene, rural town it is today, locals say restless spirits are present from the paranormal world.

'They have seen something'

The whole town is haunted, explained Alyssa LeVasseur, manager of the John Brown Wax Museum. People have seen things. You can probably ask anyone in town who has been living here, or works here, and they have seen something. They can't deny it.

In what used to be a family home many years ago, are wax figure displays illustrating the life of John Brown. To reach the displays on three levels, visitors have to navigate narrow, dim hallways that echo their voices and footsteps. The effect, which feels almost ghost-like, doesn't faze LeVasseur.

I hear ghosts all the time, she said. Ive heard kids voices and footsteps, so I know they are here. I say good morning to them.

Then one day when she forgot to greet them something unexplainable happened.

I was walking by one of the displays when the audio went on by itself. You have to push a button to turn it on. Then I realized I hadnt said good morning to the spirits, and as soon as I did, the sound stopped.

'Ghost lady'

At the nearby True Treats Historic Candy store, chocolate and other candies are brightly lit on tables and in baskets. The cute and welcoming shop is popular with visitors, hardly seeming like a place where a ghost would want to hang out. But store manager, Tara Dockman, known as the ghost lady in town for her sensitivity to paranormal activity, says there are two ghosts who frequent the store, and she even knows one of them by name.

The female has a white flowy gown, and she goes to the top floor of the store where there are no customers, she explained. And Colby, a man, likes to show himself, and usually shows a shoulder or a pants leg, which you will see walk across a room. They both like to throw candy around, and slam doors on customers.

Dockman said Colby is a trouble maker who may also push people. She assured me she had spoken to him about not bothering me while I was in the shop, and was hiding in a corner storage area.

Who believes in ghosts? historian Rick Garland asks about 30 people who have come for his weekend ghost tours. Most of them, from children to grandparents, raise their hands. Tall, with a gray beard, and wearing black clothing, Garland dresses the part of a typical man in the 1800s during the Civil War era.

Ghost tour

Nine years ago, Garland took over the oldest ghost tour in the United States, which he infuses with historical anecdotes about Harpers Ferry. He takes visitors to places where paranormal incidents have supposedly occurred. Leading the group along creepily dark streets, with an old fashioned oil lamp for light, he stops in front of a building with a white porch. He talks about a terrifying incident in the 1960s, described by Shirley Dougherty, who began the ghost tour 47 years ago.

The door knob keeps moving and the whole door violently shakes for a few moments, Garland said as he waves his arms. And then Shirley hears something or maybe someone (taps his foot) falling down the stairs. Shes right at the bottom of the stairs; all she has to do is turn and look. What does she see? Nothing.



Garland stops at other places where ghostly apparitions have been seen, like a woman with a child, an angry older man with a cane, and a freed slave who was brutally murdered.

Not so sure?



After taking the tour, William McGinty said hes not convinced ghosts are real.

Im opened minded, he said, but your mind can play funny tricks on you. I hear noises in my house sometimes.

But for the ghost lady of Harpers Ferry, the spirits are everywhere.



You really do have to debunk the creaking and stuff like that, Dockman said. But once you get past that and the stuff starts touching you and throwing stuff at you, don't tell me that it's not for real.
The Iraqi government plans to soon start paying the salaries of Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and civil servants working for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Tuesday.

The semi-autonomous KRG has been struggling to pay the Peshmerga and its employees since 2014, after Baghdad stopped payments to it because of a dispute about oil-sharing revenue.

"We will soon be able to pay all the salaries of the Peshmerga and the employees of the region," Abadi told reporters.

The cost of a three-year war on Islamic State added to the Kurdistan region's financial difficulties, and Iraqi troops captured the oil region of Kirkuk from the Peshmerga two weeks ago, halving the KRG's oil income.

Paying Kurdish salaries would help defuse tensions in the northern Iraqi region, where a referendum vote in favor of Kurdish independence in September triggered economic and military retaliation from the Iraqi government.

The Peshmerga had taken over the multi-ethnic region of Kirkuk in 2014, after the Iraqi army collapsed in the face of Islamic State, preventing the militants from controlling its oil fields.
An Italian journalist who was put on trial by the Vatican for divulging confidential documents is coming out with a new book promising to reveal fresh secrets about sex, crimes and money in the Holy See.



Gianluigi Nuzzi's "Original Sin: Secret Accounts, Hidden Truths, Blackmail and the Forces Blocking Pope Francis' Revolution" hits bookshelves in Italy and France on Nov. 9, The Associated Press has learned.



Some of the documents reproduced in the book come from the archives of the Vatican bank, the Institute for Religious Works, which was the subject of Nuzzi's first big expose on the Holy See's opaque finances, "Vatican SpA." Overall, the new book covers the period from Pope Paul VI in the 1960s to Pope Francis, according to people familiar with the book.



Nuzzi and fellow journalist Fittipaldi were put on trial in a Vatican court in 2015 after both published books based on leaked documents that exposed the greed, mismanagement and corruption in the highest levels of the Catholic Church. In July 2016, after an eight-month trial, the Vatican's criminal court declared it had no jurisdiction to prosecute them.



The court did, however, convict two other people for conspiring to leak the documents, and absolved a third.
A grand plan once spearheaded by Jared Kushner to rescue the biggest deal in his career by razing a Fifth Avenue skyscraper and building luxury apartments in its place is all but dead, the co-owner of the building said Tuesday.

The comments from Vornado Realty Trust CEO Steven Roth suggest that Kushner's most ambitious purchase will continue to bleed money - tens of millions a year - as a deadline for repayment of the giant mortgage on the office building nears. Kushner sold his personal interest in the tower, the family's flagship property and headquarters, before joining the White House as a senior adviser to his father-in-law, President Donald Trump.

Kushner bought the famed aluminum-clad skyscraper at 666 Fifth Avenue for a record $1.8 billion a decade ago when he was CEO of Kushner Cos., at the time mostly known for thousands of garden apartments in suburbia. Then he almost lost the building to lenders. Roth swept in with a rescue plan in 2011, offering cash in exchange for a big ownership stake.

The outlook for the office section of the building has not improved lately. Its 1.4 million square feet of office space is nearly a third empty and the Kushners and Roth must pay back a $1.2 billion mortgage in a little over a year.

While the clock is ticking for the Kushners, the opposite is true for Roth.

The Kushner Cos. is privately held and small compared with the company that Roth heads, the publicly traded Vornado Realty Trust, which has stockpiled hundreds of millions in cash. Roth can afford to wait until the last minute and, some analysts say, perhaps grab a bigger ownership stake in any crisis.

The worse this thing turns out, said Joe McBride, a project manager at research firm Trepp LLC, the higher the chance that Vornado can take ownership of the property at lower entry.

In a conference call with Vornado investors on Tuesday, Roth described the building as overleveraged, meaning it owes too much. Referring to the Kushner plans to tear down the building, he said it's likely that those are not feasible and that the building will probably remain offices.

Vornado had no other comment for this article. A spokesman for the Kushner Cos. did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The Kushner Cos. had hoped to construct a tower where the Mad Men-era offices now stand, a gleaming building about twice as high and featuring luxury condominiums on most of floors.

The plan looked impressive on paper, with drawings by the late architect Zaha Hadid. But Roth reportedly has never embraced the concept. Among other problems, it would require billions of dollars from outside investors and would allow corporate tenants to leave the building when their leases run out so it can be demolished, leaving less money to pay the bills.

The hunt for billions has turned up nothing so far and, given Roth's comment, it looks likely the Kushners may have to reverse course, leaving the offices at 666 Fifth Avenue as they are.

The family had been negotiating with Anbang Insurance, a Chinese company with close ties to the ruling Communist party there. But Democrats in Congress and good-government watchdogs complained that China could use the investment as leverage with the White House, and negotiations were called off in March.

Talks with a Qatari billionaire have also ended, a Kushner Cos. spokesman recently confirmed. And Bloomberg has reported the Kushners have also gotten nowhere with other potential partners, including a South Korean government fund, a French billionaire and a Saudi investor.

Meanwhile, the finances of the building have only gotten worse.

When Jared Kushner bought it, 6 percent of the offices were empty. Now 30 percent are empty as leases are allowed to run out and tenants leave. Kushner long ago sold the retail space at the bottom of the building, but the interest rate on the $1.2 billion mortgage for the offices has steadily climbed from 3 to 5.5 percent in just four years.

Adding to the troubles, the luxury condo market has shifted recently, undermining a key assumption behind the raze-and-rebuild plan. There is a glut of luxury apartments in Manhattan now, prices are falling and they are taking longer to sell.

Looming above all this is a deadline. Lenders are expecting their $1.2 billion back, plus another $200 million in other charges, in February 2019 - 15 months away. If they don't get the money, they can foreclose on the property.

One idea is to sell the offices, but that might not be a good solution. Jed Reagan, a commercial real estate analyst at Green Street Advisors, doesn't think the offices are worth as much as the debt. And fixing up the offices to make them more appealing could cost a lot, too.

This office building has a lot vacancies now, and there is quite a bit of deferred capital maintenance, Reagan said. Even if you stick with the offices as is, that's going to take money to attract tenants.

Just how much money the Kushners have to spend on the building is not clear because they don't release financial figures to the public. And their recent moves leave a cloudy picture.

They have been buying more properties lately, suggesting they have cash or at least access to lenders. The Kushner Cos. and two partners reportedly paid $340 million for the former Jehovah's Witnesses headquarters near the Brooklyn Bridge over a year ago. Four months later, the same group bought a nearby parking lot for $345 million. Then, in August, the company paid $190 million for garden apartments near Princeton, New Jersey.

The Kushners have borrowed heavily in some deals, though, and they nearly always bring partners to invest with them, so it's not certain how much has been pulled from the pockets of the family business.

No one is guessing about the resources available to Roth, though, and that he can use a crisis to his advantage, as he did in 2011 when he made his big move on the Fifth Avenue building.

Back then falling rents had sent the building's assessed value plunging, a reserve fund set up to pay interest on the mortgage was running dry and lenders had just hired a special servicer in anticipation of a default.

Roth pounced, getting a 49.5 percent stake in the office building above the retail stores for $80 million, along with other financial commitments. He also got a bit of a bonus. The $80 million would be treated as preferred equity, which meant it would earn interest like a loan, according to a Credit Suisse report.

The rate was 11 percent, remarkable at a time when borrowing rates had plunged to their lowest in decades.

On Monday, Vornado reported that it had it took in $1.5 billion in rent and fees from dozens of its properties in the first nine months of this year. Its cash holdings for an emergency or a big deal stand at $1.3 billion.

They are a very patient poker player, said Alex Goldfarb , a managing director of Sandler O'Neill & Partners. And when they get the right opportunity, they will act.
Lawmakers and forces controlling an eastern Libyan city have accused the Egyptian air force of conducting deadly airstrikes, leaving a dozen civilians dead including an entire family.



Lawmaker Hamad al-Bandaq said Tuesday the fighter jets bombed a house in al-Fatayah district in eastern Darna late Monday, killing at least 12 people. Most of them were women and children who were paying a visit to their sick relative, he said.



A second airstrike bombed a shepherd and his family while they were sitting next to a fire pit on a chilly night.



Al-Bandaq says: "Entire families were wiped out."



Residents haven't heard the usual noise of Libyan aircraft. The Shura Council of Darna Mujahedeen, which controls the city, accused Egypt of carrying out the "brutal airstrike."



The Egyptian army declined comment.
DETROIT  The stench of decomposing flesh pulsed from a funeral home into a Michigan neighborhood as maggots wriggled along the garage floor near cardboard-boxed corpses stacked along walls.

The dead cant complain, but on occasion  through rot  they scream for judgment against the living entrusted with prompt and solemn cremation or burial. Of 10 bodies found in the unrefrigerated garage at Swanson Funeral Home in Flint last year, one was not embalmed and had been there about six weeks. The Michigan attorney general filed complaints against the business, but it remained open until July  after inspectors again found bodies in the unrefrigerated garage.

The Flint business is one of several funeral homes in the U.S. in recent years that have been forced to close after similarly gruesome discoveries, usually only after someone has complained to local authorities. Funeral home regulations vary across the U.S., with some states requiring annual inspections and several requiring no inspections at all. Michigan is among those that review funeral homes when they apply for a license or when a complaint is filed.

I think better state oversight is certainly the solution, but its really going to be a budget thing, said Scott Gilligan, general counsel of the National Funeral Directors Association. Most states are struggling with budgets. It costs more money to hire inspectors and hire better enforcement.

The Flint funeral home had been fined several times and faced multiple complaints before Michigans Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs suspended licenses of the business and its manager, ONeil Swanson II. The move followed an unannounced inspection in May that was spurred by news reports that staff had mixed up two bodies.

Before that, Michigans attorney general had filed gross negligence, incompetence and other complaints in September 2016 after the 10 bodies were found in the garage. And in 2015, an outside funeral director complained to the state about problems that included the smell of decomposition and blood and fluids on the floor of a basement prep room, according to Licensing and Regulatory Affairs documents.

But Robert Duffer says inspectors would have found something amiss even before then if they had looked into a complaint from his family after the 2012 death of his wife. Duffers family believes they were given ashes belonging to someone else.

The place was filthy, Duffer, 77, told The Associated Press. It was like an ancient room thatd never been cleaned.

When the family tried to retrieve Myrna Duffers remains, an employee took 45 minutes before returning with a white paper bag filled with ashes, the couples daughter, Patricia Williams, said. There was nothing to indicate the ashes were Duffers.

Thats all we got, said Williams, 53. So, then we knew we did not have my mom.

Williams says her family complained to Licensing and Regulatory Affairs and other state officials, but that nothing was ever done. The state agency declined to comment beyond its complaint filed in July. Also, multiple messages were left for ONeil Swanson II seeking comment, and its not clear whether he has an attorney.

Swanson Funeral Home operates prominent facilities in Detroit. State officials say the funeral home in Flint is a separate legal entity and license from any facility in Detroit.

It was complaints about employee working conditions that initially led inspectors to the Flint funeral home, according to the states complaint.

Complaints also led to this summers closure of Premium Mortuary Services in Carlisle, Ohio, where one body had mold while the face of another that arrived in March was beginning to mummify, according to an inspectors report.

Ohios funeral board sends an inspector annually. Maine does random inspections. North Carolina and New Hampshire require them every three years. But no inspections are required in Alaska, Delaware, Iowa and Colorado, according to the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards.

Florida inspects at least annually, but was unaware of problems at Brocks Home Town Funeral Home in Panama City until contacted by the local sheriffs office, which found 16 bodies rotting there in August 2016.

One belonged to 88-year-old Ada Kimble, whose body had been there for about 10 days before her family learned it had not been cremated.

I think the state should check more regularly, just like in a restaurant when the health inspector checks, said Kimbles daughter, Mary Clay.

Brocks funeral director Gregory Dunphy and manager Felicia Boesch were charged with misdemeanor mishandling human remains.

Defense attorney Steven Meadows declined to allow Dunphy to comment, but an investigative report says it was Dunphy who initially called authorities, telling the sheriffs office the funeral home was out of money and the bodies ... were going bad.

Boesch entered into an agreement with prosecutors that included dismissal of charges if she completes probation, said attorney Anthony Graham.

Graham said Brocks was owned by Boeschs father and that she had turned in a resignation letter before the bodies were found.

It appears Mr. Dunphy literally got overwhelmed, Graham said. Theres no evidence that anyone was pirating away a bunch of money.

What took place at Brocks was a rare occurrence in Florida, said Jon Moore, spokesman for the states Financial Services Department, which oversees funeral homes. The agency did just under 2,000 inspections and investigations in 2016-17.

Among the bodies found rotting at Brocks was that of 71-year-old Linda Bailey, who had died six weeks earlier.

That image that I had of my mom just killed me. It breaks me down every time, Jerry Bailey said.
For nearly 40 years, Paul Manafort has been one of Washington's top lobbyists, paid millions of dollars to represent controversial figures from around the globe who needed to burnish their standing in the U.S. capital, including the Philippines' Ferdinand Marcos, Zaire's military dictator Mobutu Sese Seko and most recently Ukrainian strongman Viktor Yanukovych.

At the same time, he has been a Republican political operative, advising and serving an array of the party's presidents since the 1970s. Just last year, he briefly was campaign chairman for the upstart candidacy of real estate mogul Donald Trump on his eventually successful run to the White House.

Now the lobbying and political worlds of the 68-year-old Manafort have achieved a merger of sorts.

A federal grand jury in Washington indicted him in a money-laundering scheme linked to his lobbying for Moscow-supported Yanukovych before the Kyiv leader was ousted in 2014 and fled to Russia in exile. The charges came as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election aimed at undermining U.S. democracy and help Trump win.

By the end of Monday, Manafort was under house arrest, awaiting resolution of charges that could, if convicted, land him in prison for years.

The indictment against Manafort did not describe his tenure as Trump's campaign chief and was related solely to lucrative lobbying transactions that predated the Trump campaign.

Trump was quick to note, "Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign."

After Manafort pleaded not guilty to the charges, his lawyer, Kevin Downing, told reporters, "I think you all saw today that President Donald Trump was correct. There is no evidence that Mr. Manafort or the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government. Mr. Manafort represented pro-European Union campaigns for the Ukrainians and ... was seeking to further democracy and to help the Ukraine come closer to the United States and the EU."

Downing said, "Those activities ended in 2014 over two years before Mr. Manafort served in the Trump campaign."

But Manafort was at the top of the Trump campaign for three months in 2016 and Mueller's investigators are in the midst of a months-long investigation of trying to determine who had contacts with Russia in the long run-up to Trump's upset win in the November election over former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. One person they could look to for answers is Paul Manafort.
A new war authorization is not legally required'' to conduct combat operations against terrorist groups across the globe, top administration officials said Monday.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson testified before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations that the current authorization should not be repealed, even if Congress approves a new authorization of force to cover the fight against Islamic State.

The United States must retain the proper legal authorities to ensure that nothing restricts or delays our ability to respond effectively and rapidly to terrorist threats to the United States, Tillerson said.

Both leaders have said on multiple occasions that the current law, created after the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, covers the authorization needed to fight terror groups.

Mattis welcomed continued congressional support but expressed concern to lawmakers that should Congress decide to repeal the current law, coalition partners and Americas enemies might view that as backing away from the fight.

Tillerson added that Congress should not restrict the geography of any new war authorizations because the fight against terrorists can quickly move from continent to continent.

This is the nature of the enemy were confronted with today, Tillerson said.

The hearing comes as many in Congress have demanded a new authorization for the use of military force. Both Republicans and Democrats at the hearing Monday argued that the 16-year authorization is not tailored to the current counterterrorism fight.

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who is sponsoring legislation for a new war authorization, said Monday that a new authorization may not be needed legally, but its certainly needed politically.

Weve got to have a conversation where the Congress is more involved here, Flake said.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) warned that the post-9/11 authorization has become so convoluted that its hard to trace a path between its original purpose and its military use today.

Members of Congress argue that Islamic State is an enemy that did not exist 16 years ago, and the group has taken the counter-terror battle to countries that the original American war authorization did not anticipate fighting in.

Niger Pushes Limits

The demand for a new authorization was pushed to the political forefront after a deadly ambush in Niger killed four American soldiers and four members of Nigers security forces.

The United States has about 800 service members in Niger to provide support for the U.S. embassy and counter-terrorism training for government forces battling Islamist militant groups. Several hundred more American troops are in other African countries.

Some lawmakers pushed Mattis on why so many troops were in Niger at the time of the attack. Mattis said that Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump sent troops there because as the physical caliphate (of Islamic State) is collapsing, the enemy is trying to move somewhere.

He added that the French have played a big role in building up militaries in West Africa, and the United States also has been trying to prepare these militaries in case their countries come under attack when the Islamic State caliphate falls apart.

Officials said the mission of the soldiers ambushed in Niger had been considered low risk. One U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told VOA that soldiers involved in the incident had said their meeting with local leaders had run late, and some suspected that the villagers were intentionally delaying their departure," the official said.

Various Islamist militant groups operate in Niger. Nigeria-based Boko Haram has carried out attacks in eastern Niger, and Algeria-based al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) operates in the west, along with pockets of Islamic State fighters.
The three countries named in the indictment of former Trump Campaign Chairman Paul Manafort span three separate continents but all have something in common: They're island nations with a legacy of relatively lax oversight of offshore entities and a known history of being a conduit for suspicious money.

Special counsel Robert Mueller has accused Manafort and his business partner Rick Gates of using shell corporations located in the three countries  Cyprus, the Seychelles, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines  as a way to hide assets and keep from paying taxes.

"They don't ask questions about what their banks know about their customers, which is a basic requirement to stop money laundering," said Ted Truman, a fellow at the Peterson Institution for International Economics and an expert on money laundering.

The Mediterranean island country of Cyprus plays an outsized role in Manafort's indictment. The country is listed as the domicile for a dozen of Manafort's shell corporations and the alleged source of millions of dollars in wire transfers in and out of the country.

Cyprus has been a focus for anti-money laundering officials going back to the 1990s, but is probably best known for its alleged ties to money flowing in and out of Russia. The country had been accused in the past of providing lax oversight to potential money laundering, as well as providing ways for Russian and Ukrainian officials to hide assets abroad.

"Russia has become the primary source for investors in Cyprus, usually through banks or companies set up as trusts. Most of the money that goes into Cyprus is then invested back in Russia," said James S. Henry, an economist and former journalist with the Tax Justice Network, which studies offshore tax havens.

Cyprus and Russia have a favorable tax treaty, which has resulted in Cyprus having a cottage industry of bankers and lawyers on the island who primarily exist to set up shell corporations and trusts to help money move in and out of Russia, Henry and other experts said.

Its role has drawn scrutiny from other members of the European Union as well, particularly after Cyprus joined the bloc in 2004. When Cyprus suffered its own financial crisis in 2012 and 2013 and requested a bailout, German intelligence reportedly estimated that Russians had roughly $26 billion in deposits in Cypriot banks. EU authorities, worried that any bailout package would ultimately be going to help out Russian multimillionaires, insisted on tough anti-money laundering laws and regulations as part of any rescue deal. Cyprus banking officials have in recent years started taking tough action and asking uncomfortable questions to suspicious clients, desperate to rebuild confidence in the banking system."

"Since its entry into the European Union in 2004 and especially after the 2013 banking collapse, Cyprus has done much to clean up its act," said Sofronis Clerides, professor and chair of the economics department at the University of Cyprus. "Unfortunately, it takes a long time for the stigma to wash off."

Federal prosecutors became interested in Manafort's activities in Cyprus years ago as part of a broad investigation to recover stolen Ukrainian assets after the ouster of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych there in early 2014. No U.S. criminal charges were filed in that case.

It's worth noting that setting up foreign companies and bank accounts is not illegal, however using them to evade taxes or hide proceeds from ill-gotten gains is. Manafort and his business partner pleaded not guilty in district court Monday.

The Seychelles

The other two countries in the Manafort indictment play decidedly smaller roles in both Manafort's alleged operations and international money laundering overall.

Located at least a thousand miles from any major continent in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the Seychelles is primarily used by French and African investors as a place to discreetly park money. The country was repeatedly named as a domicile for offshore tax havens in last year's Panama Papers investigation.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

While not historically an offshore tax haven like the Bahamas or the British Virgin Islands, the Caribbean island nation Saint Vincent and the Grenadines recently has been considered an at-risk place for money laundering. In the indictment, Manafort allegedly had at least two offshore corporations based in the Grenadines.

The Financial Action Task Force, an international watchdog organization for money laundering, placed Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on its so-called "black list" back in 2000 for its lack of money laundering controls, but it was taken off that list a few years later. The Tax Justice League listed Saint Vincent as one of the more secretive places to park money.

Delaware

There's a fourth country worth noting that gets listed repeatedly in the Manafort indictment: the United States, particularly the state of Delaware. Investors and companies have long used Delaware as a place to set up shell corporations to take advantage of Delaware's loose corporate regulations. Manafort himself allegedly had at least nine corporate entities set up in Delaware.
Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga called the presidential election results a "sham" Tuesday, in his first public statement since incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the winner.

In a much-anticipated televised address, Odinga said that the opposition would pursue "economic boycotts, peaceful procession, picketing and other legitimate forms of protest," to reject the results of an election he called meaningless.

He made no mention of contesting the election in court.

With eight candidates listed on the ballot, Kenyatta attained almost 7.5 million votes, or roughly 98 percent of the overall tally.

Last Thursday's election was a re-run of the August 8 presidential vote. The Kenyan Supreme Court nullified Kenyatta's victory in that poll, ruling that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had not followed electoral law and the constitution.

Odinga urged supporters to boycott the new election, after his demands for a longer postponement and an overhaul of the electoral commission were turned down.

The IEBC said 39 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots in the October 26 election, compared to nearly 80 percent in the original election in August.
President Vladimir Putin inaugurated a monument to the victims of Stalinist purges on Monday, but Soviet-era dissidents accused him of cynicism at a time when they say authorities are riding roughshod over civil freedoms.

"The Wall of Grief" occupies a space on the edge of Moscow's busy 10-lane ring road and depicts a mass of faceless victims, many of whom were sent to prison camps or executed on Josef Stalin's watch after falsely being accused of being "enemies of the people."

Nearly 700,000 people were executed during the Great Terror of 1937-38, according to conservative official estimates.

"An unequivocal and clear assessment of the repression will help to prevent it being repeated," Putin said at the opening ceremony. "This terrible past must not be erased from our national memory and cannot be justified by anything."

His words and the ceremony amounted to one of his strongest condemnations of the Soviet Union's dark side in the 18 years he has dominated Russia's political landscape.

Putin has in the past called Stalin "a complex figure" and said attempts to demonize him were a ploy to attack Russia. But at Monday's ceremony, he said there were lessons for Russia.

"It doesn't mean demanding accounts be settled," said Putin, who stressed a need for stability. "We must never again push society to the dangerous precipice of division."

'Tragic Pages'

Putin's carefully balanced words reflect Kremlin unease over this year's centenary of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, which paved the way for Stalin's rise. Uncomfortable about promoting discussion of the idea of governments being overthrown by force, the Kremlin is not organizing any commemorative events.

Putin, who is expected to run for and win the presidency again in March, told human rights activists earlier on Monday that he hoped the centenary would allow society to draw a line under the tumultuous events of 1917 and to accept Russia's history - "with great victories and tragic pages."

Yet some historians fret that what they say is Putin's ambiguity about Stalin along with Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea have emboldened Stalin's admirers.

Monuments and memorial plaques honoring Stalin have sprung up in different Russian regions. State-approved textbooks have softened his image, and an opinion poll in June crowned him the country's most outstanding historical figure.

By contrast, those who have helped document Stalin's crimes, from the Memorial human rights group to individual historians and journalists, have sometimes felt themselves under pressure from the authorities.

A group of Soviet-era dissidents published a letter on Monday, accusing Putin of cynicism.

"We ... consider the opening in Moscow of a monument to victims of political repression untimely and cynical," they said in the letter, published on the Kasparov.ru news portal. "It's impossible to take part in memorial events organized by the authorities who say they are sorry about victims of the Soviet regime, but in practice continue political repression and crush civil freedoms."
An international team of lawyers said Tuesday that the 2016 killing of Honduran environmental activist Berta Caceres was the product of a coordinated plot that began four months earlier and suggested that leadership of a dam development company may have ordered her assassination.

A report by the International Advisory Group of Experts, or GAIPE for its initials in Spanish, said the group had identified "possible intellectual authors" of the murder beyond the eight individuals already charged and concluded the killing was "not an isolated incident." But it warned that the investigation has been clouded and the full truth may never be brought into the light.

Caceres, who was awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for leading her Lenca indigenous people in opposing a hydroelectric project, was slain March 2, 2016, by gunmen who forced their way into her home in the middle of the night. Gustavo Castro Soto, a Mexican activist, was wounded.

GAIPE, made up of five lawyers from the United States, Colombia and Guatemala, formed last year to conduct an outside review at the request of Caceres' family and her activist group, the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras, who feared authorities would not bring to justice those behind her killing. Its findings do not carry the weight of law.

The report was based on dozens of interviews, criminal case files, independent reports and what the group described as partial access to evidence provided by government investigators, including "a fraction of" the phone records that are at the core of the case.

"Despite the secrecy of the Public Prosecutor's investigation, GAIPE has been able to establish the participation of executives, managers and employees of (dam developer) DESA, of private security personnel hired by the company, of state agents and parallel structures to State security forces in crimes committed before, during and after ... the day of the assassination," the report said. "Those crimes remain unpunished.

Spokesman Yuri Mora-Carias of Honduras' Public Ministry, which is in charge of prosecutions, told The Associated Press that the eight under arrest are considered the material authors of Caceres' killing and the murder weapon has been recovered, but the investigation remains open.

"What has been difficult for the Public Ministry is getting to who paid for the assassination," Mora-Carias acknowledged.

He added that an anti-corruption mission sponsored by the Organization of American States is assisting and authorities hope to identify all who were involved.

Prosecutors have not publicly linked DESA, or Desarrollos Energeticos SA, to the killing or ascribed a motive to the suspects.

DESA has repeatedly denied involvement in Caceres' murder and says the anti-dam protests organized by Caceres and her organization, known as Copinh for its initials in Spanish, were violent and damaged property.

GAIPE did not accuse any specific DESA executive of involvement in the killing, and the names of people not already charged were redacted from transcripts of communications. No company executive has been arrested.

Honduras is the world's deadliest country per capita for land activists like Caceres, with 14 slain last year, according to a July report by Global Witness. Two other members of Copinh were among those killed in 2016.

Citing communications between DESA employees and government officials, GAIPE's report said the company allied from the beginning with state and private security entities on a strategy to "control and repress" those protesting the project.

That included surveilling Caceres, sometimes paying informants for tips about her activities, it said. DESA also allegedly paid journalists to publish "disinformation" about her and Copinh, which opposed the development on the grounds that it threatened ancestral lands.

"The strategy was to control, neutralize and eliminate any opposition," the report said.

GAIPE called Caceres' killing "the product of a plan structured by top executives of DESA, who involved employees of the company in actions of surveillance and vigilance ... (and) acted in alliance with State security forces and parallel structures."

The report alleged that in November 2015, a top DESA official contacted Douglas Geovanny Bustillo, a security worker with a military and government background, to put Caceres' murder in motion.

Bustillo is among the suspects who have been arrested and charged. He and others allegedly first tried to kill Caceres on Feb. 5-6, 2016, but aborted the plan because they lacked a vehicle and because there were other people with her.

According to the report, phone records show that on March 1, 2016, Bustillo and an unnamed top DESA official scheduled a meeting for the following morning. There was no more mention of the meeting, but on March 2, it said, suspects were in the Caribbean coastal city of La Ceiba before traveling to La Esperanza, which is about a six-hour drive.

There, at least two gunmen kicked in a door on the back patio of Caceres' house shortly before midnight. She was shot three times in the chest.

Records show multiple communications between the suspects before and after the killing, the report said. It said that around 6:30 a.m. the day after the slaying, one of the suspects contacted a phone number attributed to the unnamed DESA official. According to the report, Bustillo had contacted the same official Feb. 6, after the first planned attack was scuttled, with the message: "Mission aborted today. Yesterday it could not be done. I await your instructions because I have no logistics I am at zero."

GAIPE said there have been some positive developments in the investigation such as the arrests and the recovery of the murder weapon. But it said it has documented numerous instances of error and negligence.

The official investigation centered at first on members of Copinh and associates of Caceres and attributed the killing to a crime of passion. GAIPE also said police first inspected the home nearly three hours after the murder and "noted the presence of private individuals in the house and the modification of the crime scene."

"It has been insufficient and incomplete," the report said of the investigation, raising concerns about whether the full story will ever emerge. "The totality of people responsible has yet to be identified."

GAIPE called for all evidence, including cellphones, USB drives and computing equipment, to be handed over to the victims' lawyers. Some phones seized as part of the investigation were said to have yielded no information for reasons such as they "didn't have a battery" or "were in bad shape, the report said, suggesting a halfhearted effort to retrieve data. The group also said it is aware of other intercepts whose content has not been made public.

While the report did not accuse any executive by name, two of the people charged in the murder were current or former employees of the company: Bustillo and Sergio Rodriguez, DESA's environmental, social and communications manager. And GAIPE said DESA leadership was in close contact with those monitoring Caceres.

"From the information in the case file it can be concluded that both Sergio Ramon Rodriguez Orellana and Douglas Geovanny Bustillo participated, under the direction of top officials from the DESA company, in the attack" on Caceres and Castro, according to the report.

The report faulted Honduran security forces for failing to protect Caceres despite the known risk to her life after repeated harassment and threats.

GAIPE also faulted international lending institutions, saying that while they pulled financing for the Agua Zarca dam project in the months after Caceres' killing, they shouldn't have backed it in the first place because of numerous red flags.

In a statement Caceres' mother praised the report, which comprises nearly 90 pages of text, footnotes and annexed material.

"Now it is possible for the authorities, the Public Ministry and prosecutors to take notice and punish the true killers. ... May we not rest in seeking justice for Bertita," Austra Flores said.
Fleeing violence at home, Kamal Hossain left Myanmars northern Rakhine State two months ago. But he didnt arrive in Bangladesh until this week.

The journey to the border involved a trek and then a wait as boatmen charged too much money.

So we swam across the river, he said.

More than two months after the Rohingya crisis started, following insurgent attacks on security posts and a military crackdown, members of the stateless Muslim minority are still arriving in Bangladesh.

The United Nations has called the campaign ethnic cleansing. Myanmar's government has rejected the term, even as more than two-thirds of the one million or so Rohingya with homes in Rakhine have now left.

A crackdown on ferries slowed some of the arrivals in October, which is why some  like Hossain  swam across the Naf River separating the two countries using jerrycans as buoys.

Jakaria Alfaz, a Bangladeshi journalist based in Coxs Bazar, said he recorded at least 19 Rohingya youths crossing that way.

They swim across in a small group with their plastic jerrycans (fuel containers). They told me that they have been starving for many days and could hardly find any shops to buy available food, he said. Once they reached [Bangladesh], the border guards took them into custody and sent them to government-designated camps.

The number of people seeking haven in Bangladesh since the violence erupted on August 25 is now more than 600,000. Myanmars government has created a resettlement and repatriation program, but it is still new and untested.

Reasons for fleeing

Meanwhile, life in Rakhine State is anything but back to normal. The reasons for the continued outflow are varied, but stem from lack of transportation, hunger and the threat of violence.

Vivian Tan, a spokesperson for the UN refugee agency, was in southern Bangladesh this month and spoke to some of the new arrivals. She said in an email that most of them were from Buthidaung Township in northern Rakhine.

A few say their homes were razed in late August but they stayed in relatives' villages before finally deciding to leave now, she said. Many others report that they received daily warnings to leave or be killed, and finally fled when their homes or neighbors' homes were razed.

In short, on the refugees' reasons for fleeing, I would say that it remains a combination of direct violence, fear of impending violence, and deprivations like food shortages, she added.

Northern Rakhine has been largely closed off to journalists and aid workers since the fighting began, so independently verifying the accounts of those arriving in Bangladesh has been close to impossible.

State media reported on Sunday that the government had started to harvest abandoned fields.

More than half of the 28,000 hectares in Maungdaw Township saw no signs of being harvested by owners, theGlobal New Light of Myanmar reported.

Last week, the World Food Program said the government had allowed it to resume aid, but it has not started yet.

WFP has been given the green light to resume food assistance operations in the northern part of Rakhine State and is currently coordinating with the Government to work out the details, Silke Buhr, WFP spokesperson, said in an emailed statement on Monday.

Bangladesh has attempted to crack down on boatmen ferrying Rohingya across the river, citing extortion and trafficking risks.

Afruzul Haque Tutul, deputy police chief in Coxs Bazar, said authorities are not allowing boats to operate to and from Myanmar, and that additional police forces have been deployed on the southern tip of Bangladesh.

As a result of this, many desperate Rohingya now are looking for other options to flee their country and some tried to swim across the Naf River, he said. Some 20 Rohingyas have so far crossed the Naf River, but we do not appreciate their life-threatening swimming [attempts].

Even for boat passengers, however, the waters have proved fatal.

At least 190 people, most of them Rohingya, have been found dead since August 25 while trying to reach Bangladesh through the river or the Bay of Bengal farther south.

Bangladeshi authorities have arrested and convicted up to 469 middlemen who have brought Rohingya refugees over by boat, usually for a cost.
The special counsel investigation into possible collusion between President Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign and Russia took a dramatic turn Monday with criminal indictments of two former Trump campaign officials, Paul Manafort and Rick Gates. Special Counsel Robert Mueller also revealed that a former Trump campaign aide, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in connection with the Russia probe. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.
Republican Sen. John McCain on Monday gratefully thanked U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen for sacrificing for fellow Americans "who won't be asked to make sacrifices for you'' in an emotional address from the former Navy pilot now battling brain cancer.



With a mix of humor and pathos, the six-term Arizona senator returned to his alma mater to speak to the Brigade of Midshipmen and field a few questions about past presidential campaigns, the Russia probe and advice for those at the academy in Annapolis, Maryland.



McCain, 81, described himself as an "undistinguished member of the class of 1958'' and now stands as the "luckiest guy you'll ever know.'' 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.



"Many of you will risk everything for your country. You will make sacrifices for your fellow Americans, who won't be asked to make sacrifices for you. That's your calling. Thank you for accepting it,'' said McCain, who spent 5 years in a Vietnamese prison after being shot down. "I promise, there will be compensations for the hard times you endure. You will have lives of adventure. You will have the best company. And you will know a satisfaction far more sublime than pleasure.''



McCain described his regret from the 2000 presidential campaign, when he yielded to polling data and said the people of South Carolina should decide whether the Confederate flag should fly over their state.



"My friends, that was the wrong answer and I lost anyway. It was the easy thing to say at that time,'' McCain recalled. "I knew at the time it was the wrong thing to say.''



His message to the midshipmen: "Do the right thing, thanks or no thanks.''

Questioned about the Russia probe, McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he had not seen evidence that the meddling by Moscow affected the outcome of the presidential election. He added, however, that he has seen these scandals before and "every day, another shoe drops.''



McCain recently drew the wrath of President Donald Trump for questioning the "half-baked, spurious nationalism'' in America's foreign policy. The senator shrugged off the criticism, saying he had faced tougher adversaries. The GOP senator stunned the White House this past summer when he was the decisive vote against a Republican plan to dismantle Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act.



Given a chance Monday night to answer additional questions, McCain joked, "as many questions as you want, since we're not doing anything in the Senate.''
The U.N. refugee agency reports at least four Rohingya refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar died Tuesday morning when their boat capsized in the Bay of Bengal close to the southern shore of neighboring Bangladesh.



UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch said 42 members of six families, including men, women and children, were aboard the doomed vessel when it ran into rough seas while approaching the shore. U.N. refugee aid workers and partners on the ground reportedly rushed to the scene to provide medical aid, food, blankets and clothes to survivors.



The boat was hit by large waves and eventually capsized, trapping people underneath. Several were injured when they hit the engine. A 15-year-old boy died on the spot. In all, 22 injured were rushed to hospitals and NGO (non-governmental organization) clinics, but three reportedly died en route, he said.



Baloch said the remaining 19 were taken to UNHCR's transit center near Kutupalong camp.

In a separate incident, authorities in Bangladesh said three infants drowned after slipping from their mothers' laps when a boat bringing them from Myanmar reached shore.



The International Organization for Migration reports more than 607,000 Rohingya have arrived in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, since the mass exodus of refugees from Myanmar began August 25. IOM spokesman Joel Millman said new arrivals appear to be slowing, although people continue to arrive daily in the areas makeshift settlements.



The settlements are dangerously congested and overcrowded, and the pressure on sources of clean drinking water and basic sanitation are enormous. Having walked for days without water and food, the refugees arrive to the settlements exhausted and thirsty. Many are ill, he said.



Millman said all the spontaneous and makeshift sites where the refugees are camped out urgently need water, sanitation and hygiene to prevent diseases from breaking out.
Attorneys for Twitter, Facebook and Google on Tuesday told U.S. lawmakers that Russian entities used their platforms to sow discord and disinformation during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, but downplayed the magnitude of those efforts.

"Foreign actors used fake accounts to place ads in Facebook and Instagram that reached millions of Americans over a two-year period," Facebook General Counsel Colin Stretch said, testifying before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee. "Many of these ads and posts are inflammatory. Some are downright offensive."

Sean Edgett, Twitter's acting general counsel, said the company studied all tweets posted from Sept. 1 to Nov. 15, 2016, and found that election-related content posted by automated Russian troll accounts "was comparatively small." He said the Russian troll accounts made up "around 1/100th of a percent of total Twitter accounts" during the time studied.

"Twitter believes that any activity of that kind  regardless of magnitude  is unacceptable and we agree we must do better to prevent it," he said.

Twitter has taken action against the suspected Russian trolls, suspending 2,752 accounts and implementing new dedicated teams "to enhance the quality of the information our users see," Edgett said.

Facebook, meanwhile, said it would hire more people to vet and, when necessary, remove content, and verify and publish the identities of election advertisers.

Watch: Social media companies to fight disinformation

Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the Senate requiring some of the very steps technology giants say they are implementing on their own.

"These platforms are being used by people who wish us harm and wish to undercut our way of life," said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

"It shouldn't be news to anyone that Russia interfered in the election," said California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein. "What is really staggering and hard to fully comprehend is how easily and successfully they turned modern technologies to their advantage."

The social media attorneys said Russian trolling campaigns consistently sought to rile up Americans, first in a way damaging to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. After the election, they said, Russian efforts appeared aimed at sowing doubts about the legitimacy of Republican Donald Trump's victory at the polls  a point seized upon by Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa.

"Russia does not have loyalty to a political party in the United States; their goal is to divide us and discredit our democracy," Grassley said.

Representatives from the same social media companies testify Wednesday before the House and Senate Intelligence Committees.
Seoul and Beijing have agreed to work swiftly to get their relations back on track following a year-long standoff over the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system in South Korea which hurt trade and South Korean business interests in China.

The installation of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in South Korea had angered China, which believed its powerful radar could be used to look inside its territory. South Korea and the United States have repeatedly said THAAD only serves to defend against the growing missile threat from North Korea.

"Both sides shared the view that the strengthening of exchange and cooperation between Korea and China serves their common interests and agreed to expeditiously bring exchange and cooperation in all areas back on a normal development track," South Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

South Korea's President Moon Jae-in will hold a summit meeting with China's President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of an upcoming summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries in Vietnam on Nov. 10-11, a Blue House official said in a separate briefing on Tuesday.

In a coordinated statement, China's foreign ministry said the two countries have agreed to get their relations back onto a normal track "at an early date."

South Korea recognizes China's concerns on the THAAD issue and made it clear that the deployment was not aimed at any third country and did not harm China's strategic security interests, China's foreign ministry said.

China reiterated its opposition to the deployment of THAAD, but took note of South Korea's position and hopes South Korea can appropriately handle the issue, it added.

South Korean companies operating in China have suffered since the spat erupted last year, although Beijing has never specifically linked its actions to the THAAD deployment.

Lotte Group, which provided the land where THAAD was installed, has suffered most. It faces a costly overhaul and is expected to sell its Chinese hypermarket stores for a fraction of what it invested.

Hopes have been growing for a thaw in the frosty bilateral ties following China's all-important Congress Party conclave, during which President Xi Jinping cemented his status as China's most powerful leader after Mao Zedong.

Earlier this month, South Korea and China agreed to renew a $56 billion currency swap agreement while Chinese airlines are reportedly planning to restore flight routes to South Korea.

As part of efforts to restore the relations, the two countries recently held high-level talks, led by Nam Gwan-pyo, deputy director of national security of the Blue House, and Kong Xuanyou, assistant foreign minister of China, leading to Tuesday's agreement.

The sides agreed to enhance strategic communication and cooperation in the face of North Korea's accelerating nuclear and missile program, the statements said.

Pyongyang has undertaken an unprecedented missile testing program in recent months, as well as its biggest nuclear test yet in early September, angering its only major ally China and drawing further sanctions from the United Nations and the United States.
U.S. special Mideast envoy Jason Greenblatt was in Israel Sunday as part of the Trump administrations attempt to get Israel-Palestinian peace talks back on track.

Greenblatt tweeted that important progress was made.

Meaningful steps forward on key economic issues  revenues, customs, and investment  that help support the search for peace, he said.

Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner was also at the talks in Ramallah which included Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, Israeli Finance Minster Moshe Khaon, and top Israeli defense ministry official Yoav Mordechai.

A White House official said Monday President Trump believes peace can only be reached through direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians and that no settlement can be imposed on them.

The official also said Greenblatt and Kushner stopped in Saudi Arabia on their way to Israel, but gave no details.

The Mideast peace process has been stalled for several years, primarily over Israeli settlement activity and Palestinian militant violence against Israelis.
Separatists across Europe, from Scotland to Central Europe, have been watching the independence bid launched this month by Catalan secessionists with interest, so too have European leaders, who feared it might trigger a stampede of breakaways.

Turning his back on Barcelona and backing Madrid, EU President Jean-Claude Juncker said he doesnt want an EU with 95 different countries tomorrow, or the day after.

We need to avoid splits, because we already have enough splits and fractures and we do not need any more ... We would lose control. National unity and European unity are things that go together, Juncker added in remarks last week that infuriated Catalan separatists, who see their nationality as Catalan, not Spanish.

With the exception of political leaders in Scotland and Belgium, which is sharply divided between French-speakers and the Flemish, no European leader has spoken in support of the independence aspirations of Catalan separatists, although many expressed alarm at Madrid's handling of Spains worst constitutional crisis in nearly four decades.

Direct rule



Now that Madrids direct-rule control over its restive northeast region appears to be taking hold, there is relief in Brussels, where, ironically, Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont has taken refuge and may apply for political asylum. The independence bid appears, at this stage at least, to have failed.

Nonetheless, the root causes that led to the secessionist agitation have not disappeared and the specter of separatist movements springing up still haunts EU leaders. Faced by Brexit and a surge of anti-EU populist nationalism the last thing the blocs leaders want are breakaways and possible border disputes roiling the European Union and the continent's financial markets.

Breakaways present Brussels with complex problems over whether they should be allowed EU membership, the impact on the economy, and how to handle sovereign debts.

To try to deter break-ups, EU officials have often paid lip service to the so-called Barroso Doctrine, named after former EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, who in 2012 warned Scotland that if it seceded from Britain it could not count on being admitted to the European Union or the eurozone.

Is separatism spreading ?



The Catalonia crisis hit just as Brussels was breathing a sigh of relief over election victories earlier this year for political centrists in France and the Netherlands. Angela Merkels win in Germany added to the hope the nationalist wave had crested.

So will other separatist movements strengthen? The failed independence bid by Catalan separatists may act as a dampener, argue analysts.

At first glance there are 19 other regions on the continent where nationhood or autonomy are issues. Several wouldnt cause alarm in Brussels if serious independence bids were mounted. They include the small Danish island of Bornholm and the Faroe Islands, as well as the French island of Corsica.

The former two have tiny populations, 39,000 and 50,000 respectively. Corsica's nationalist movement has been seeking greater autonomy since the 1960s, and in the past two years the issue has been heating up.

In several other European regions: Bavaria, Brittany, Szekely Land in Romania, Upper Silesia, the Czech Republics Moravia, and Italys Sicily pro-independence and autonomy movements exist, but have little political traction.

More disturbing would be the breakup of Belgium. Flanders, the prosperous and mostly Dutch-speaking region in the north of the country has long sought secession. The New Flemish Alliance is the largest party in the federal parliament and its plan to push for greater devolution after scheduled elections next year risks conflict with French-speaking Wallonia.

Better representation



The other flashpoint is the wealthy regions of Lombardy and Veneto, which account for a quarter of Italys population. They complain, much as Catalans do, that they get little back in terms of state services from the central government and their taxes subsidize poorer regions.

In non-binding referendums earlier this month both regions, which account for 30 percent of Italys GDP, voted overwhelmingly to take more control of their economic and tax affairs, immigration and education. Neither region is asking for independence, but their attitudes towards Rome are hardening and a mishandling of the regions by politicians in the Italian capital could spark a greater challenge.

Some analysts fault the lack of skill shown by Spanish and European institutions in responding to the insurrection-style politics of the Catalan separatists.

This crisis represents a colossal failure of the Spanish democratic polity as a whole. Our leaders have proved unable to craft a way out of the current impasse, unlike at other critical periods of the countrys constitutional history where statesmanship was present, argues Francisco de Borja Lasheras, an analyst with the European Council on Foreign Relations.

That has wider relevance, he says, for other European governments when it comes to handling populist nationalists aiming to widen divisions and polarize politics.
A suicide bomber struck the diplomatic enclave in the Afghan capital Kabul, killing at least eight people and wounding many more, health ministry officials reported.

Islamic State claimed responsibility.

The bomb struck a heavily fortified area near the U.S. embassy at a time when security in the vicinity was heightened following a spate of attacks in recent weeks.

Earlier in October, a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden car near the Afghan military academy in the capital city, killing 15 cadets and wounding several others. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing.

A suicide bomber around the same time stormed a crowded Shi'ite Muslim mosque in Kabul, killing approximately 50 worshipers. IS said it plotted the attack.

Amnesty International demanded justice for the victims of Tuesday's attack, as well as all those affected by the recent increased violence in Afghanistan.

"Todays bombing is the latest tragedy to befall people in Afghanistan in what has been a blood-soaked month," said Horia Mosadiq, Amnesty Internationals Afghanistan Researcher. "The deliberate targeting of civilians is a war crime. The victims of this horrific wave of violence must not be reduced to objects of pity. They deserve justice."
The Trump administration will defend America's decades-old economic embargo on Cuba in a United Nations vote this week, the State Department said Tuesday, in a reversal from the Obama administration that reflects deteriorating U.S.-Cuban relations.

Every year the U.N. votes to condemn the embargo, and for years the U.S. predictably voted "no." But last year, under President Barack Obama, the U.S. abstained for the first time, as Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro moved forward with the historic warming of relations.

A "no" vote Wednesday from U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley will return the United States to a place of extreme isolation within the global community over its policy toward Cuba, potentially undermining the Trump administration's broader goals for engagement with Latin America. The U.S. embargo on Cuba is almost universally opposed throughout the world.

The vote comes as an ongoing crisis over U.S. government workers in Havana harmed by invisible "health attacks" has created a new rift between the U.S. and Cuba, putting the restoration of ties in jeopardy. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert did not mention the attacks in announcing the "no" vote, instead emphasizing the need to promote rights and democracy in Cuba.

"For far too long, Cuba has engaged in human rights abuses  human rights abuses that perhaps past administrations have turned and looked the other way," Nauert said. Still, she said the U.S. would continue pursuing engagement with the island that advances American interests.

Proponents of improved ties with Cuba had urged the Trump administration to abstain instead of voting "no." In a letter to President Donald Trump on Tuesday, 10 Democratic senators said U.S. international credibility would suffer if it continued pushing an "outdated" policy seen as harmful to the Cuban people.

"Reflexive and baseless, and a regrettable mistake," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., a prominent voice on U.S.-Cuba relations, after the planned "no" vote was announced.

General Assembly resolutions are nonbinding and unenforceable. But the annual exercise has given Cuba a global stage to demonstrate how little support America's commercial, economic and financial embargo enjoys.

Unpopular stance

The yearly vote condemning the U.S. embargo has reliably passed overwhelmingly. Voting "no" means the U.S. will once again be pitted against almost every other nation.

In 2015, the last year that the U.S. voted "no," close ally Israel was the only country to join in opposition, leading to a 191-2 vote to condemn the embargo  the highest number of votes ever for the measure. The United States lost its only other ally in the vote, Palau, in 2013, when the Pacific island nation abstained rather than joining the U.S. in voting "no."

Since taking office, Trump has taken steps to partially roll back the rapprochement with Cuba, but has preserved many other changes put in place by Obama. Yet Cuba has complained bitterly about the U.S. response to the health attacks, which has included pulling most American diplomats out of Havana and suspending visa processing for Cubans at the embassy there.

"To Cuba, it is unacceptable and immoral that the U.S. government has decided to take political decisions that harm the Cuban people," he said.

Havana attacks

At least 24 U.S. government workers and their spouses are "medically confirmed" to have been affected by the unexplained attacks in Havana, the State Department has said. The victims suffered a range of medical conditions including permanent hearing loss and mild traumatic brain injury, known as concussion.

Cuba vehemently denies any knowledge of involvement. The U.S. has not blamed Cuba for perpetrating the attacks and says it doesn't know who is responsible, but has nonetheless faulted Castro's government for failing to keep American diplomats safe in his country.

The Cuban Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the planned U.S. "no" vote.

In late 2014, Obama and Castro announced plans to restore relations, and the following year embassies were re-opened in Washington and Havana more than half a century after ties were cut in 1961.

Although the Obama administration eased travel and commerce restrictions on Cuba, allowing direct commercial flights between the countries to resume, Obama was unable to persuade Congress to repeal the formal embargo. The Republican-led Congress has continued to support the far-reaching sanctions.

The Obama administration's decision last year to abstain rather than vote "no" was cheered in the 193-member General Assembly. Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. at the time, said the United States remained opposed to some of the Cuban government's practices and policies but was pursuing a new approach to engagement with the island.
U.S. President Donald Trump disparaged one-time foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos on Tuesday, a day after it was disclosed that he pleaded guilty to charges of lying to federal agents but has been cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the U.S. election.

A year ago, Trump described Papadopoulos, a 30-year-old energy and oil consultant, as an "excellent guy." But in a new Twitter comment from the White House, Trump said, "Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar. Check the DEMS!"

Trump said, "The Fake News is working overtime," referring to mainstream U.S. news outlets' widespread coverage of Papadopoulos' guilty plea in early October and the indictment of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his protege Rick Gates on money laundering and conspiracy charges linked to their multimillion-dollar lobbying effort for one-time Ukrainian strongman Viktor Yanukovych. Trump's campaign was not implicated in the charges against Manafort and Gates.

"As Paul Manafort's lawyer said, there was 'no collusion' (between Trump aides and Russia) and events mentioned took place long before he came to the campaign," Trump tweeted.

He added, "I hope people will start to focus on our Massive Tax Cuts for Business (jobs) and the Middle Class (in addition to Democrat corruption)!"

In a statement of facts underlying Papadopoulos's guilty plea, special counsel Mueller detailed several emails Papadopoulos sent to high-level Trump aides during the height of the election campaign about his efforts to set up a meeting between Trump campaign and Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin. The meeting never occurred.

The statement did not name the Trump aides Papadopoulos emailed about his overseas contacts involving Russia, but The Washington Post said that it had identified Manafort, Gates, national campaign co-chairman Sam Clovis and one-time campaign chairman Corey Lewandowski as the recipients. Clovis called Papadopoulos's efforts "great work."

The documents also say one of the contacts told Papadopoulos in April 2016 that the Russians had "dirt" about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in the form of "thousands of emails." Starting in July 2016, WikiLeaks released thousands of Democratic National Committee emails, with many of them showing embarrassing behind-the-scenes efforts by Democratic operatives to help Clinton win the party's nomination. She has partly blamed her loss on the disclosure of the emails.

Monday's allegations and disclosure of the Papadopoulos guilty plea have left Washington speculating where Mueller's investigation is headed next, but legal experts expect more charges to be filed. As Papadopoulos pleaded guilty, one of Mueller's prosecutors said that his case was only a "small part" of a much larger investigation.

Nonetheless, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters, "We do think it will wrap up soon."

She said the White House turned over the Papadopoulos emails to Mueller's investigators.

"I think that Papadopoulos is an example of actually somebody doing the wrong thing while the president's campaign did the right thing" in handing over the emails, she said. "What Papadopoulos did was lie and that's on him, not on the campaign."

Mueller has been investigating former national security adviser Michael Flynn's contacts with Russia and Turkey in recent years, ahead of his brief White House tenure at the outset of Trump's presidency. Flynn was an outspoken campaigner for Trump last year, but Trump fired him as national security adviser as news surfaced that he lied to Vice President Mike Pence and others about his contacts with the Russian ambassador to Washington in the period before Trump took office in January.

Mueller is also probing whether Trump obstructed justice when he fired then-Federal Bureau of Investigation director James Comey last May while he was heading the agency's Russia investigation before Mueller, over Trump's objections, was named to take over the probe. Monday's allegations against Manafort and Gates and disclosure of the Papadopoulos guilty plea were the first charges Mueller has brought in his five months as special counsel.

The White House says Trump has no intention of firing Mueller or pardoning the campaign aides charged so far.

Trump's personal attorney, Jay Sekulow, told ABC News on Tuesday, "The president has not indicated to me or to anyone else that I work with that he has any intent on terminating Robert Mueller."

The U.S. intelligence community concluded in a report made public in January that Putin personally directed a campaign to undermine U.S. democracy and help Trump win. On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed the allegations, saying there is no evidence of election meddling in the United States or other countries.

Both Manafort and Gates turned themselves in to the FBI in Washington for processing and later pleaded "not guilty" in a federal court. A judge ordered both placed under house arrest.

The indictment against them alleged that Manafort, who was Trump's campaign manager from June to August last year and was a key figure in the campaign before then, enriched himself with his lobbying for the Ukrainian leader before he was forced from power by a popular uprising in 2014 and fled to Russia.

Mueller alleged that Manafort hid his assets in accounts in Cyprus, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines and the Seychelles and then "spent millions of dollars on luxury goods" to "enjoy a lavish lifestyle in the United States."

The 12-count indictment alleged that more than $75 million flowed through the offshore accounts, with Manafort laundering more than $18 million to buy property and goods in the United States and Gates sending more than $3 million to accounts he controlled.

Mueller charged that Manafort and Gates conspired to carry out the scheme between 2006 and this year, failed to register as foreign agents and then offered "false and misleading" statements to federal agents about their activities.

In addition to Mueller's investigation, there are three separate congressional probes into Russian meddling and possible links between Trump's campaign and Russia.
More than 13 million people inside Syria still need humanitarian assistance and nearly half are in "acute need'' as a result of having fled their homes, of hostilities, and of limited access to food, health care and other basic needs, the U.N. humanitarian chief said Monday.



Mark Lowcock told the Security Council the number of Syrians who have been displaced within the country for a long time has dropped from 6.3 million to 6.1 million. But he said "levels of new displacement remain high,'' with 1.8 million people reportedly forced to leave between January and September.



Since just the offensive began in November 2016 that ousted the Islamic State extremist group from the city of Raqqa, its self-proclaimed capital, airstrikes and clashes resulted in over 436,000 people being displaced to 60 different locations, Lowcock said, speaking via video conference from Amman, Jordan.



In the eastern province of Deir el-Zour, he said, heavy fighting and airstrikes continue to cause civilian deaths and injuries as well as large-scale displacement. The International Organization for Migration reported some 350,000 people forced to flee since August, including more than 250,000 in October, he said.



Lowcock said airstrikes on the city of Al Mayadin in Deir el-Zour in mid-October left hospitals and medical facilities "inoperable,'' depriving about 15,000 people of health care. He said the U.N. children's agency UNICEF and the World Health Organization reported that the attacks destroyed a cold room where at least 140,000 doses of U.N. provided measles and polio vaccines were destroyed.



"This is a particular setback for efforts to check one of the world's largest polio outbreaks in recent memory, an outbreak which continues to plague Deir el-Zour in particular, with new cases continuing to be reported,'' Lowcock said.



He said nearly 3 million people continue to live in besieged and hard-to-reach areas where the U.N. faces "considerable challenges'' in meeting humanitarian needs.



Lowcock said there was an expectation that progress in de-escalating fighting would result in increased humanitarian access but "this has yet to materialize.''



On average, he said, only 10 percent of people in besieged locations were reached with U.N. assistance every month this year.



In the eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus, "one of the four de-escalated areas where nearly 95 percent of Syria's besieged population lives,'' shelling has been reported in recent weeks and humanitarian access has been severely curtailed for months, Lowcock said.



"Since the start of the year, 110,000 people have received food assistance, out of an estimated population of nearly 400,000,'' he said. "Today, the U.N. and partners delivered food, nutrition and health assistance to 40,000 people.''



Lowcock said "an alarming number of child malnutrition cases'' have been reported in eastern Ghouta and more than 400 people with health problems need medical evacuation.



Britain's U.N. ambassador, Matthew Rycroft, called the situation in eastern Ghouta "atrocious,'' saying de-escalation should not mean bombardment.



"What we fear is that the de-escalation zone is becoming a starvation zone,'' Rycroft said. "So we call on the Syrian regime and their allies to lift the blockade to allow humanitarian aid to get through.''
The U.N. refugee agency says it is making contingency plans in Nigeria to care for a possible influx of tens of thousands of Anglophone Cameroonian refugees. Unrest is growing in English-speaking parts of Cameroon amid tensions with the French-speaking majority.

The refugee agency estimates 5,000 Cameroonians have fled to southeastern Nigeria following a crackdown against protesters in the Anglophone community. But UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch told VOA he fears that number will swell, so preparations are under way to assist growing numbers of refugees.

UNHCR is working with the Nigerian authorities readying assistance for at least up to 40,000 who may be forced to flee Cameroon," said Baloch. "... Colleagues think it may be a conservative estimate. There could be more people who could flee Cameroon into Nigeria."

Deadly protests erupted in Cameroon nearly one year ago when members of the English-speaking community began demonstrating against their marginalization by the dominant French-speaking authorities.

The situation in the country has continued to worsen. Early this month, at least eight people reportedly were shot dead by soldiers in two English-speaking regions.

Baloch said the UNHCR and Nigerian authorities have registered about 2,000 Cameroonians who have fled to different locations in southeastern Nigeria. He says another 3,000 are waiting to be registered, so they too can receive food and other assistance.

He said aid workers are bracing for more arrivals as many people might be trapped in forests on the Cameroonian side as they attempt to cross the border.
The U.S. refugee program is off to a sluggish start in the new fiscal year, following newly announced screening procedures and a significant reduction in expected arrivals in the coming 12 months.

About 1,200 refugees arrived in October, according to data made public through the U.S. State Department.

The program, already cut down to the lowest ceiling in its 38-year history for the current fiscal year, would need to welcome 3,750 refugees a month to meet the upper limit of 45,000. The current rate, if continued, would mean the country would fall short of even the halfway point to the ceiling set by President Donald Trump for fiscal 2018, which began October 1.

Refugee advocates called attention to the low monthly numbers in an online campaign Monday.

Historically, the first month of the fiscal year isn't indicative of how the rest of the year will go, however. There are years when the program started off strong in October, like fiscal 2011, when nearly 4,800 refugees arrived. By the end of the year, the total number fell short of the ceiling  only 71 percent of the 80,000 available spots were filled.

And in fiscal 2014, the year started slowly, barely breaking 1,800 arrivals that October, far short of the monthly average of about 5,800 needed to meet the ceiling of 70,000. Nevertheless, the program picked up speed throughout the year, with only three unused resettlement spots by the end.

No required number

However, the 45,000 set for FY2018 is an upper limit - not a requirement or even a target. Despite public protests, the government could allow in a total number of refugees well under that ceiling, as it did last year - when roughly 54,000 of the anticipated 110,000 arrived, following decisions by Trumps cabinet and messaging from the president about his perceived security risk of refugees.

In late October, the administration announced it would add procedures to the refugee admittance process: Refugees from 11 countries will face additional intensified screening during a 90-day review period, and will be admitted only on a case-by-case basis in those months.

Citing senior administration officials, Politico identified the countries subject to the additional "in-depth threat assessment" as Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Mali, North Korea, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

The last two years have shown that the program  which is based on the ceiling determined by the president at the start of a fiscal year  can change shape throughout the year.

Former President Barack Obama's second-term administration added resources to process more Syrian refugees awaiting resettlement in 2016. Trump slowed the program significantly during his first nine months in office.
A bipartisan pair of U.S. senators plans to introduce legislation on Tuesday seeking to boost the cyber defenses of state election systems, after warnings from senior U.S. officials that future elections may be vulnerable to foreign interference.

The Securing America's Voting Equipment, or SAVE, Act is the latest attempt by lawmakers to respond to what U.S. intelligence agencies say was a multi-pronged cyber operation, including hacking and online propaganda by Russia during the 2016 presidential election aimed at helping President Donald Trump.

Moscow has repeatedly denied the accusations.

The bill will be introduced by Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich and Republican Senator Susan Collins, a Heinrich spokeswoman said. It does not currently have other co-sponsors.

"Until we set up stronger protections of our election systems and take the necessary steps to prevent future foreign influence campaigns, our nation's democratic institutions will remain vulnerable," Heinrich said in a statement.

The SAVE Act would authorize the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to grant security clearance to the top election official in each state in addition to one other designee. It would also allow the DNI to share some classified information with the states about threats to their voting systems.

Several state election officials have complained that they were left in the dark about Russia's attempts to probe their voting systems during the 2016 campaign.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not notify 21 states it said had been targeted by Russian until last month, in part due to confidentiality and classification restrictions.

The DHS in January designated voting systems as a critical part of the nation's infrastructure, making state elections eligible for more federal protections.

The legislation would write that designation into law, and also create a grant program for states to upgrade their systems to better fend off physical and cyber threats.

It was not clear whether the bill would gain momentum in an otherwise gridlocked Congress.


Democratic U.S. senators introduced a bill on Tuesday they said would prevent President Donald Trump from launching a nuclear first strike on North Korea on his own, highlighting the issue days before the Republican's first presidential trip to Asia.

The measure would stop Trump, or any U.S. president, from launching an attack on North Korea, or spending any money on a military strike, without congressional approval, unless North Korea has first attacked the United States.

Tensions between Washington and Pyongyang have been building after a series of nuclear and missile tests by North Korea and bellicose verbal exchanges between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The CIA has said North Korea could be only months away from developing the ability to hit the United States with a nuclear weapon, a scenario Trump has vowed to prevent.

"I worry that the president's enthusiasm will not be checked by the advisers around him," Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, the legislation's lead sponsor, told reporters on a conference call.

Some Republicans have also expressed concern about Trump's rhetoric, but none co-sponsored the bill, which is backed by seven Democrats and Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent.

Republicans control majorities in both the Senate and House, and there has been no indication that congressional leaders would allow a vote. Similar measures introduced earlier this year have also failed to advance.

However, backers said they might try to pass it later this year by introducing it as an amendment to legislation such as a as a must-pass spending bill.

"I have confidence that if this came to a vote on the floor of the Senate, it would prevail," Murphy said.

Lawmakers have been trying to take back more control over foreign policy from the White House.

Congress passed a bill in July barring the president from lifting sanctions on Russia without lawmakers' approval, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Monday held a hearing on a new authorization for the use of military force, or AUMF, to exert some authority over the campaign against Islamic State and other militant groups.

At that hearing, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said Trump does not have the authority to use force against North Korea without an imminent threat, but they did not define what such a threat would be.
Qatar has agreed to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation with the United States to crack down on illicit financing of militant groups, a joint Qatari-U.S. statement said on Monday following a visit by U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

Mnuchin's visit to Doha marked the end of a week-long trip aimed at curbing terrorist financing. There were earlier stops in Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, where the U.S. in May announced the Terrorist Financing Targeting Center, a U.S.-Gulf initiative to stem finance to militant groups.

Following talks with Qatari officials in Doha, Mnuchen said the two countries had agreed to "substantially increasing the sharing of information on terrorist financiers," with "greater emphasis on charitable and money service business sectors in Qatar," according to the statement.

Qatar is keen to show it is cooperating on counter terrorism nearly five months after Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt began a diplomatic and trade boycott of the gas-rich state, accusing it of financing extremist groups and allying with their arch-foe Iran, allegations Doha denies.

Qatar in July signed a memorandum of understanding with the United States to increase cooperation on fighting terrorism finance and was one of six Gulf nations last week to announce sanctions on 13 individuals said to be al Qaeda and Islamic State militants.

Qatar hosts Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military facility in the Middle East, from which U.S.-led coalition aircraft stage sorties against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq.
The government of Afghanistan's territorial control has declined to its lowest level in two years while battling a resurgent Taliban insurgency, a U.S. government watchdog revealed Tuesday.



In its quarterly report submitted to Congress, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) noted 56.8 percent of the country's 407 districts are under government control or influence as of August, 2017.



The assessment shows a 15 percent decrease in territory held by Kabul in 2015 when SIGAR began analyzing district control data.



"As of August 2017, there were 54 districts [13.3 percent] under insurgent control [13] or influence [41], an increase of nine districts over the last six months," the agency said.



Citing U.S. military assessments, it added that 11.4 percent of the country's population, or 3.7 million Afghans, now live in districts under insurgent control or influence. That's a 700,000-person increase over the last six months.



SIGAR reported that 30 percent or 122 Afghan districts are contested, and the statistic remained mostly unchanged.



"It was not clear whether these districts are at risk or if neither the insurgency nor the Afghan government exercises any significant control over these areas," it said, citing U.S. military assessments.



The Taliban also claims it captured several Afghan districts in October and has been inflicting heavy casualties on Afghan forces since launching its so-called "Mansouri" spring offensive this year. While Afghan forces lost nearly 7,000 personnel in the first 10 months of 2016, the figures reportedly are much higher this year.



The U.S. agency noted more than 60 percent of the roughly $121 billion in U.S. funding for reconstruction in Afghanistan since 2002 has gone to build up the Afghan forces. Also, the increased classification of Afghan forces' data will "hinder SIGAR's ability to publicly report on progress or failure in a key reconstruction sector."



In its latest report, SIGAR said Washington has agreed to classify data on the number of Afghan forces killed and wounded in the conflict. It quoted the U.S. military as telling the agency "the casualty data belonged to the Afghan government, and the government had requested that it be classified."



American combat casualties also are rising with the increase in U.S. troop commitment to the Afghan mission, according to SIGAR. Within the first eight months of this year, it noted, 10 American soldiers were killed and 48 were wounded. That is double the personnel killed in action when compared to the same periods in 2015 and 2016.

The embattled Afghan National Army saw a roughly 4,000-person decrease in force strength, while the Afghan National Police decreased by about 5,000



The watchdog also has reported a spike in "insider attacks" since the beginning of 2017, targeting both U.S. and Afghan forces. They are incidents involving renegade or pro-Taliban Afghan soldiers who turn their guns on colleagues or American partners.



U.S. military commanders hope President Donald Trump's new Afghan strategy that was unveiled in August will help Afghans reverse insurgent battlefield gains.



Washington has since taken on a greater combat role in Afghanistan, dropping 751 bombs against the Taliban and Islamic State in September, the highest monthly munitions since 2012, and conducting a record 2,400 airstrikes in the first nine months of 2017, according to SIGAR.



The intensified conflict also has led to a record increase in Afghan civilian casualties this year, warned the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA.



The mission documented a 52 percent increase in civilian casualties from Afghan coalition air operations in the first nine months of 2017, compared to the same period last year. More than two-thirds of these victims reportedly were women and children.



UNAMA attributed 177 or 38 percent of all civilian casualties from airstrikes to International military forces, although U.S. military disagreed with the assessment and methodology, offering instead that it had confirmed 43 civilian casualties caused by international airstrikes during this period, noted SIGAR in its report.
The White House went on the defensive Monday, distancing President Donald Trump from charges filed against two former campaign aides by Special Counsel Robert Mueller in connection with the probe into Russia's attempt to influence last year's presidential election.

The pair, former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and longtime business associate Rick Gates, were named in a 12-count indictment Monday charging money laundering, tax evasion and other violations. They pleaded not guilty Monday in a federal court in Washington.

Another former campaign foreign policy advisor, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents in January about his contacts with people "he understood to have close connections to senior Russian government officials."

At Monday's White House briefing, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders emphasized that the Manafort and Gates indictments made no mention of Trump or of any collusion between his presidential campaign and Russia.

"Today's announcement has nothing to do with the president, has nothing to do with the president's campaign or campaign activity," Sanders said. "We've been saying from day one there's no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion, and nothing in the indictment today changes that at all."

However Papadapoulos' guilty plea directly relates to him misleading FBI agents who are investigating whether the campaign colluded with Russia.

The press secretary rejected that the plea could be seen as evidence of collusion.

Sanders on Monday called Papadopoulus a low-level unpaid campaign volunteer whose illegal activities were not campaign-related. "It has nothing to do with the activities of the campaign, it has to do with his failure to tell the truth. That doesn't have anything to do with the campaign or the campaign's activity," she said.

While Papadopoulos was a lower level advisor to the campaign, President Trump called him an "excellent guy" in a March, 2016 interview, in which he was one of five named foreign policy advisors to the candidate.

Manafort's attorney Kevin Downing, in a statement after his client's arraignment, noted that the indictment made no mention of Trump, Russia or collusion. "I think you all saw today that President Donald Trump was correct," Downing said. "There is no evidence that Mr. Manafort or the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government."

Downing argued that his client's activities were legal and aimed at helping a nation struggling to establish democracy after being freed from the Soviet Union.

"Mr. Manafort represented pro-European Union campaigns for the Ukrainian government. And in that, he was seeking to further democracy and to help the Ukraine come closer to the United States and the EU," Downing said. "Those activities ended in 2014, over two years before Mr. Manafort served in the Trump campaign."



'No collusion'

Trump tweeted "There is NO COLLUSION!" shortly after the indictment was unsealed Monday morning.

Senior Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah called Manafort's indictment "an overreach." He told reporters on Monday "frankly I'm having a rough time seeing why in the world they're indicting him.''

Hatch's comments came during a news conference held by Judiciary Committee Republicans and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to talk about judicial nominees but when reporters tried to raise questions about the indictments, McConnell left without addressing the issue.

Another Trump tweet noted that the allegations contained in the indictment against Manafort involve activities that took place before he was briefly head of Trump's campaign last year. The tweet also pointed an accusative finger at Trump's opponent in the election, asking "Why aren't Crooked Hillary and the Dems in the focus?????"
The World Economic Forums human rights council report issued on Monday, warns that tech companies might risk tougher regulations by governments to limit freedom of speech if they do not stem the publishing of violent content by Islamic State and the spread of misinformation.

The report urged tech companies to employ thorough monitoring on their services, and assume a more active self-governance rule, recommending that tech firms must apply more rigorous rules.

This report comes before the three tech giants Facebook, Twitter and Google, testify before a U.S. congressional committee in November about using their platforms for spreading political misinformation during the 2016 presidential elections.

The use of tech platforms and tools has helped the Islamic State spread its agenda and attract recruits. Digital propaganda motivated more than 30,000 people to journey thousands of miles to join IS, according to a report published by Wired, a magazine published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics.

ISISs supporters embraced new social media platforms and encrypted communications tools to compensate for law enforcement and platform owner actions against ISIS since June 2014, the Institute for the Study of War said in its report The Virtual Caliphate.

Silicon Valley tech companies convened last August with representatives from the tech industry, government and non-governmental organizations in the first Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism. The forum was formed by Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube.

The meeting focused on how participating parties can cooperate to block the spread of terrorism and violent extremism using tech platforms and services.

In the past year, social media companies edited and updated their user guidelines to address such sensitive topics as extremism and terrorism, death, war and sexual abuse.

In August 2016, Twitter announced that it suspended 360,000 accounts for violating the companys prohibition on violent threats and the promotion of terrorism. Twitter added that although there is no one magic algorithm for identifying terrorist content on the internet, they will continue to utilize other forms of technology and expanded its partnerships with organizations working to counter violent extremism (CVE) online.

Last August, Googles YouTube announced joining efforts with more than 15 additional expert NGOs and institutions to help the company better identify content that is being used to radicalize and recruit extremists.

We'll soon be applying tougher treatment to videos that arent illegal but have been flagged by users as potential violations of our policies on hate speech and violent extremism, YouTube said.

In a speech for the Global Coalition on March 22 in Washington D.C., Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said: We must break ISIS's ability to spread its message and recruit new followers online. A digital caliphate must not flourish in the place of a physical one.

We must fight ISIS online as aggressively as we would on the ground, Tillerson said.
Apple is offering a nifty way to unlock its new iPhone X  just stare at it.

Face ID, Apples name for its facial-recognition technology, replaces the fingerprint sensor found on other models.

How well does it work  not just technically, but in everyday use? After all, its much easier to align your finger with the sensor than to align your face with the phone.

The iPhone X costs about $1,000  $300 more than the iPhone 8. Advance orders began this past Friday, and Apple is now giving delivery times of five to six weeks. Apple says it will have limited supplies at stores for same-day pickup on Friday, but youll have to get there early.

Better face detection

Many rival Android phones already use facial-recognition technology. Samsung also has an unlock feature that scans your iris. But the systems can be tripped with something as simple as eyeglasses.

While Android largely bases its match on a two-dimensional camera shot of you, the iPhone X goes 3-D. During setup, the iPhone guides you to rotate your head so it gets a more complete picture of you  analyzing some 30,000 points on your face, to be specific. So if youre wearing glasses, the iPhone can still recognize you using other parts of your face. Same goes for wearing a hat.

And Apples system continually learns. Each time you use your face to unlock the phone, it automatically keeps tabs on small changes, such as growing a mustache or simply getting older. With Android, you have to go into the settings to teach the phones face recognition to get better.

There are limits. If you shave your beard, its too big of a change for the iPhone X to be sure its you. Youll need a passcode, but the phone should remember you the next time .

Recognizing you

I tested the iPhone X against Samsungs iris scanner on the Galaxy Note 8 and face systems on Googles Pixel 2 and LGs V30 phones. V30 improves upon the standard Android technology in asking you to turn your head slightly during the setup, though in practice the Pixel was far better at recognition.

Only the iPhone and the Pixel recognized me with standard eyeglasses  important, as I expect the same performance with or without spectacles. That said, Face ID unlocked with just one of the two sunglasses I tried; the other was too big.

Costumes and disguises also challenged Face ID. A Santa hat was OK, but a Santa beard wasnt. Nor did it like funny glasses and a fake nose. Winter clothing was fine, as long as the scarf wasnt covering too much of my face.

Face ID worked better than expected in bright sunlight  not every time, but enough to be satisfying. It also worked in the dark, thanks to the use of infrared sensors rather than just the standard camera. Thats important when you wake up in the middle of the night and must absolutely check Facebook or Tinder. For those keeping score, the Pixel worked in sunlight, but not in the dark; its the reverse for Samsung. Samsung also worked with the Santa beard, as its focused on your eyes.

The iPhone also unlocked after getting a haircut.

I didnt try to fool the iPhone into unlocking with someone elses face. Im sure hackers will spend the coming weeks trying. Apple says Face ID could be unreliable with twins and other siblings who look like you, as well as for children under 13  though young children dont really need a $1,000 phone. Give them a $200 iPod Touch  or better yet, a book to read.

No more fingerprint

The home button is gone to increase screen space. Others that have done this have moved the fingerprint scanner to the back. Apple ditches it completely, so Face ID is the only alternative to a passcode. The Olsen twins, among others, will face a hardship.

Its also tougher to check Facebook during a meeting without getting busted by the boss. You can casually unlock a phone with your fingerprint under the table. Its much more conspicuous to stare at a screen, especially because your face should ideally be 6 to 10 inches (15 to 25 centimeters) away.

Besides unlocking the phone, you can use Face ID to confirm app purchases and log into banking apps. You can also confirm Apple Pay transactions. You dont have to twist your head awkwardly for facial authorization while the phone is laying sideways on a payment terminal, either. With the iPhone X, you authorize Apple Pay before tapping. It was much faster than fingerprint when paying for lunch.

Bottom line is Face ID works fairly well  though keeping the fingerprint option would have been nice.
More than 50,000 people were killed in Brazil in 2015, which puts it on the list of the most murder-prone countries in the world. To protect themselves, Brazilians are crowd sourcing their safety, using cell phones to alert each other when violence breaks out. VOA's Kevin Enochs.
The indictment against Donald Trump's former campaign chief, Paul Manafort, and a longtime business associate alleged the two carried out an elaborate scheme that involved the use of a little-known outfit to mask years of lobbying on behalf of Ukraine's former president, his pro-Russia political party, and the Ukrainian government.

Manafort and his former business partner, Rick Gates, are charged in a 12-count indictment including conspiracy, money laundering, and making false statements. The two could faces decades in prison if convicted, and both have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The allegations do not include collusion with Russia during the presidential campaign.

The indictment was approved by a federal grand jury on Friday and unsealed after Manafort and his right-hand man and former Trump campaign adviser, Gates, turned themselves in to the FBI. It represents the first charges brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is looking into allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Manafort's consulting work for Ukraine started in 2006 when the Republican political strategist was retained by Ukraine's pro-Russian Party of Regions to "advance its interests" in Ukraine. In 2010, Viktor Yanukovych, the party's candidate, was elected president. Four years later, he fled to Russia following popular protests.

Eight-year lobbying campaign

The indictment alleges that during the eight-year period, Manafort and Gates "engaged in a multimillion-dollar lobbying campaign" in the U.S. on behalf of Yanukovych, the Party of Regions, and the Ukrainian government. The two hid their activities from U.S. authorities and used offshore accounts to launder millions of dollars in Ukrainian payments.

As part of their effort to mask their lobbying from U.S. authorities, the pair used a little-known outfit called the European Center for Modern Ukraine. The Brussels-based outfit called itself "an advocate for enhancing EU-Ukrainian relations" but in reality served as "a mouthpiece" for Yanukovych and his Party of Regions, according to the indictment. Manafort and Gates used the nonprofit to carry out lobbying and public relations campaigns, according to court records.

Manafort and Gates then hired two Washington, D.C., firms to lobby members of Congress about Ukrainian sanctions, the "validity" of Ukraine elections, and the "propriety" of Yanukovych's imprisonment of his political rival, former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

"Manafort and Gates did so without registering and providing the disclosures required by law," the indictment alleges.

The two lobbying firms are Podesta Group Inc. and Mercury LLC, the Associated Press reported last year. The Podesta Group is headed by Tony Podesta, the brother of John Podesta, who was campaign chairman for Hillary Clinton. Politico reported on Monday that Tony Podesta was stepping down from the firm.

To conceal the lobbying effort, Manafort and Gates allegedly arranged for the two lobbying firms to be ostensibly working for the European Center for Modern Ukraine, which in fact was "under the ultimate direction" of Yanukovych, the Ukrainian government and the Party of the Regions, according to the indictment.

Manafort and Gates are also accused of using their offshore accounts to secretly pay $4 million for a report about Tymoshenko's trial commissioned by the Ukrainian government.

Ties to Trump

Manafort and Gates joined the Trump campaign in March 2006. Gates was later promoted as deputy campaign manager and Manafort served as campaign chairman. He was fired in August after reports of his lobbying for pro-Russia interests in Ukraine.

The Department of Justice began looking into Manafort's and Gates' lobbying for Ukraine last year. The indictment says the two partners told investigators in 2016 that they merely "provided an introduction" between the Brussels center and the Washington lobbying firms, and that their efforts "did not include meetings and outreach within the United States."

In fact, according to the indictment, Manafort and Gates were deeply involved in the scheme. They had weekly phone calls and email communications with officials of the two companies, directed them on "specific lobbying steps," received regular reports from them, and updated Yanukovych about the lobbying activities. For their efforts between 2012 and 2014, the firms were paid $2 million.

Charges

The charges against Manafort and Gates include conspiracy to defraud the United States, money laundering, failure to report foreign bank holdings to the U.S. Treasury Department, lobbying for a foreign government without registering with the Justice Department, and making false statements about their lobbying efforts.

Manafort and Gates are accused of serving as unregistered foreign agents of Ukrainian interests in violation of Department of Justice registration requirements.

Between them, Manafort and Gates controlled 17 domestic entities, 12 Cyprus-based entities and 3 other foreign entities, according to the indictment. In all, $75 million passed through the offshore accounts. Manafort is alleged to have laundered more than $18 million. Gates is accused of laundering more than $3 million from offshore accounts.
A Zimbabwean lawyer representing three members of the Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai, who were injured when they were allegedly attacked by suspected Zanu PF activists, are expected to appear in court Tuesday to face charges of causing violence.

Douglas Mwonzowa, who is also the MDC-T secretary general, told VOA Studio 7 that Delma Amos Kaliati, Clara Panganai and Lucia Ruya are being charged under the dreaded Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

The case will be heard in Makoni, Chitungwiza, where the three were allegedly attacked.

Kaliati was released from hospital on Saturday after suffering severe injuries. Mwonzora claims that he suffered some of the injuries when police set dogs on him.

Police have not reacted to these allegations as Mwonzora wants some Zimbabwe Republic Police details to be charged for using dogs to arrest Kaliati.

The severely injured MDC-T activist, who is recovering from home, is said to have told MDC-T youth to resist attempts by suspected Zanu PF activists to have access to details of local peoples Biometric Voter Registration slips.

President Robert Mugabes party is allegedly demanding the slips in most parts of the country in an effort to scare people from voting for other parties in the crucial 2018 general elections.

Zanu PF has distanced itself from such activities saying they are being created by a cornered opposition party ahead of the polls.
What happened Monday?

Political consultant Paul Manafort and his business partner Rick Gates were indicted on charges including conspiracy against the United States, money laundering, tax fraud and failure to register as lobbyists for the former government of Ukraine.



The two men, who worked on Donald Trump's presidential campaign, held offshore bank accounts through which more than $75 million flowed, according to the indictment. They are the first charges Department of Justice Special Counsel Robert Mueller has made public in his five-month probe into Russian meddling in the U.S. election.

Separately, the Justice Department announced that Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos has pleaded guilty to making false statements to FBI agents about his contacts with Russia-linked individuals who claimed to possess damaging information on Trump's election opponent, Hillary Clinton. There is no indication that Papadopoulos, an international energy lawyer with very little foreign policy experience, ever received such information.

How does this relate to investigations into Russias alleged interference in the last U.S. presidential elections?

Manafort served as Trumps presidential campaign chair before resigning last August after media reports investigating his ties to pro-Russian Ukrainian political groups.

Gates held a series of positions inside the Trump campaign. None of the charges in Mondays indictment appear to directly involve their work as Trump aides, although some of the alleged crimes were said to have taken place during their time on the campaign.

Although Papadopoulos' position in the campaign was minor compared to Manafort's, his case could be more serious. That's because it involves possible collusion between Trump campaign officials and Moscow, which is the main focus of Mueller's investigation.

What are Manafort, Gates and Papadopoulos accused of doing?

The indictment lists a series of charges largely relating to Manafort's and Gates' work lobbying on behalf of pro-Russian Ukrainian political groups from 2006 to 2015. The men allegedly hid millions of dollars in payments using offshore bank accounts, failed to disclose their lobbying work on behalf of foreigners to U.S. officials, and later lied to federal investigators about their relationship with foreign groups. Both men have previously denied any wrongdoing.

Papadopoulos pleaded guilty in early October to lying to FBI agents about his contacts and communications with Russian intermediaries during his time working for the Trump campaign. His guilty plea was unsealed Monday, after the Manafort's and Gates' indictments had been announced.

According to a DOJ statement, Papadopoulos told FBI agents he had been in touch with an unnamed foreign professor who claimed to have "dirt" on Clinton in the form of "thousands of emails." Papadopoulos also initially downplayed the nature of the professor's contacts with Moscow, saying he "was a nothing." But according to the indictment, Papadopoulos understood that the professor had "substantial connections to Russian government officials," and the professor had met with some of those officials immediately prior to telling Papadopoulos about the "dirt" on Clinton.

How serious are these charges?

The indictment against Manafort and Gates may fall short of what many Democrats had predicted or hoped, since they don't prove, or even allege to show, collusion. But still, a president's former campaign chair being indicted on multiple felony counts, including allegedly conducting a secret campaign to influence U.S. politics in a pro-Russia direction, is no small matter.

It's unclear, however, what the indictments signal about the direction of Mueller's Russia probe. Some legal analysts have suggested that Mueller may try to use the charges against Manafort and others to compel them to testify about other alleged crimes. In this respect, the Papadopoulos case may be crucial, since a DOJ statement indicates he already may be cooperating as a witness.

How has the White House reacted?

In a Twitter post, Trump said: "Sorry but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????" In a follow-up tweet, he said: "...Also, there is NO COLLUSION!"

At a White House briefing, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders downplayed the importance of the special counsel developments. "Today's announcement has nothing to do with the president, has nothing to do with the campaign," she said.

What happens next?

Bail for Manafort was set at $10 million and at Gates for $5 million. Both men were forced to surrender their passports and will be under house arrest.

In a statement, Gates' spokesman vowed his client would "confront these charges in court," saying "the fight is just beginning."

Papadopoulos's lawyer released a statement saying it was "in the best interest of our client ... that we refrain from commenting on George's case."

WATCH: What is an indictment?
The White House went on the defensive Monday, distancing President Donald Trump from charges filed against two former campaign aides by Special Counsel Robert Mueller in connection with the probe into Russia's attempt to influence last year's presidential election.

The pair, former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and longtime business associate Rick Gates, were named in a 12-count indictment Monday charging money laundering, tax evasion and other violations. They pleaded not guilty Monday in a federal court in Washington.

At Monday's White House briefing, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders emphasized that the indictment made no mention of Trump or of any collusion between his presidential campaign and Russia.

"Today's announcement has nothing to do with the president, has nothing to do with the president's campaign or campaign activity," Sanders said. "We've been saying from day one there's no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion, and nothing in the indictment today changes that at all."

Sanders also said the White House has been given an indication that Mueller's Russia probe would end soon.

The press secretary rejected a reporter's suggestions that the activities of a volunteer Trump foreign policy adviser could be seen as evidence of collusion.

The adviser, George Papadopoulus, pleaded guilty in July to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials. He could face up to five years in jail.

Sanders on Monday called Papadopoulus a low-level unpaid campaign volunteer whose illegal activities were not campaign-related. "It has nothing to do with the activities of the campaign, it has to do with his failure to tell the truth. That doesn't have anything to do with the campaign or the campaign's activity," she said.

Manafort's attorney Kevin Downing, in a statement after his client's arraignment, noted that the indictment made no mention of Trump, Russia or collusion. "I think you all saw today that President Donald Trump was correct," Downing said. "There is no evidence that Mr. Manafort or the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government."

Downing argued that his client's activities were legal and aimed at helping a nation struggling to establish democracy after being freed from the Soviet Union.

"Mr. Manafort represented pro-European Union campaigns for the Ukrainian government. And in that, he was seeking to further democracy and to help the Ukraine come closer to the United States and the EU," Downing said. "Those activities ended in 2014, over two years before Mr. Manafort served in the Trump campaign."

'No collusion'

Trump tweeted "There is NO COLLUSION!" shortly after the indictment was unsealed Monday morning.

Another Trump tweet noted that the allegations contained in the indictment against Manafort involve activities that took place before he was briefly head of Trump's campaign last year. The tweet also pointed an accusative finger at Trump's opponent in the election, asking "Why aren't Crooked Hillary and the Dems in the focus?????"

Veteran observers say the indictment's lack of any links to Trump, his campaign or collusion could be seen as an encouraging sign for the president and his administration.

"There is nothing in the indictment that says anything about any kind of collusion, and the truth is this indictment doesn't have anything to do with Russia, it has everything to do with Ukraine," said Bill Mateja, who headed the Justice Department's white-collar crime division under James Comey during the George W. Bush administration.

In comments to VOA, Mateja said he finds it significant that Mueller's indictment targeted only Manafort and Gates.

"A number of people thought there might be additional charges against other people coming right out of the gate," he said. "I think they would have put everything they had evidence for out in the open right here and now. Obviously, they haven't done that."
Some Zimbabweans say they still dont understand modalities of registering to vote in the 2018 crucial general elections as the state-sponsored Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is not educating people about the Biometric Voter Registration exercise, which started last month and has so far netted about one million potential voters of the targeted seven million.

Ernest Nyathi of Gwanda in Matabeleland South province is among some people who have not yet registered in the countrys new voters roll, saying there is no voter education in most rural areas in the southern parts of the nation.

Several potential voters in Halusupi, Gwanda South, and others in Bulilima South, Lower Gweru, Chiredzi and Mutasa communal lands expressed the same views, noting that ZEC should come up with an outreach program for educating citizens about the voter registration program.

Critics say the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission wont reach its target due to lack of voter education information.

The biometric voter registration (BVR) exercise is presently in full swing in most parts of the country.

Meanwhile, the Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai says it is worried that the BVR program is not catering for people living with disabilities.

Statistics have shown that at least 10% of the population of Zimbabwe consists of persons with disabilities. These persons have got every right, just like their able-bodied counterparts, to participate in the governance of their country, including registering to vote as well as voting on polling day. As such, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), has a constitutional obligation to make sure that all eligible persons with disabilities are able to register to vote during the on  going BVR exercise.

The starting point is to make sure that all BVR centres are friendly to persons with disabilities in order to make it easy for these people to access these centres. We have some eligible Zimbabweans with physical disabilities such as those persons who use wheel-chairs as well as the visually impaired. BVR centres should be adequately equipped to ensure that these eligible Zimbabweans with disabilities are not unnecessarily inconvenienced when they turn up to register to vote.
House Republican leaders plan to propose preserving the top income-tax rate for very wealthy people, a last-minute adjustment to their plan to overhaul the tax code that they hope will assuage concerns that it will mainly benefit the rich, according to four people briefed on the planning Tuesday.

GOP leaders had planned to collapse the seven existing income tax brackets into three brackets, lowering the top rate from 39.6 percent to 35 percent, but now will retain the top bracket for people earning more than a certain threshold, perhaps $1,000,000, the people said.

The detail was one of several that emerged Tuesday as GOP leaders scrambled to put the final touches on their plan, widely seen as the last best chance for Trump and congressional Republicans to advance a major policy achievement this year. Drafters planned to work through the night on the bill and unveil it Wednesday, but later decided to delay it to Thursday, said House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Tex.), its lead author.

After a closed-door meeting of his panel Tuesday night, Brady issued a statement saying, In consultation with President Trump and our leadership team, we have decided to release the bill text on Thursday. He said they remain on schedule to take action and approve a bill next week.

The delay raises questions about whether Republicans have resolved all of their differences amid concerns that even a few defections could prevent the bill from passing.

The bill will aim to slash corporate tax rates, simplify taxes for individuals and families and lure the foreign operations of multinational firms back to the United States with incentives and penalties.

The decision to preserve a top rate signals that Republicans are eager to avoid the impression that their plan, which has already come under attack as doing little to boost the middle class, seeks only to reward wealthy Americans and corporations. And the move could attract the support of more moderate Republicans.

The House and Senate plan to work on separate tracks to pass legislation by Thanksgiving and send a bill to President Trump for his signature by years end, though many expect it will take longer than that, if the effort succeeds at all.

It will be the biggest tax event in the history of our country, Trump promised on Tuesday during a meeting with business trade groups at the White House, a claim he has made repeatedly. Later, in a tweet, he said the Republican House members are working hard (and late) toward the Massive Tax Cuts that they know you deserve.

In a sign that House Republicans are willing to go only so far to mollify concerns about inequality, they plan to move ahead with a proposal to eliminate the estate tax, though it would be phased out over a number of years. They also will propose changes to tax-protected retirement savings plans, such as 401(k)s, in an effort to raise revenue. But Brady said Tuesday those changes remained in flux and that 401(k)s might ultimately be left alone.

Overall, House Republicans say their plan will reduce federal tax revenue by $1.5 trillion over the next decade. Keeping the tax rate for people earning over $1 million could reduce the impact on the deficit by about $200 billion over a decade, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Tuesday that Bradys tax plan would lower the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, as demanded by Trump. A new wrinkle was emerging late Tuesday, however, with concern growing that the corporate tax reduction might not be able to be made permanent if it proves too costly.

Business leaders will fight hard to prevent Republicans from allowing the rate to go back up after several years, but the GOP could be hamstrung, because it cannot push into law a tax change that adds too much to the deficit.

Numerous details of the tax proposal came during a briefing that House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) had Tuesday afternoon with conservative activists. Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, is one of the people who confirmed the 39.6 percent rate would remain for the highest income.

Overall, Im very happy with the bill, said Adam Brandon, who is chief executive of FreedomWorks and attended the Ryan briefing. My read is that everyone is going to be seeing a tax cut.

Currently, families pay the 39.6 percent rate on income above $470,700, so the proposal would still lower taxes for people who earn above the lower amount.

The implications of the changes envisioned by GOP leaders could be far-reaching, but numerous aspects remain uncertain.

Thousands of companies that pay their taxes through the individual income-tax code would see their rates lowered on top income from 39.6 percent to 25 percent. Its unclear whether there would be new provisions to prevent more-wealthy individuals from creating companies to pay the 25 percent rate on their income rather than the higher rate.

The new proposal is expected to include a new minimum tax that U.S. companies will be required to pay on certain foreign earnings as a way to prevent them from moving U.S. operations to low-tax countries. Businesses are watching carefully how the House bill deals with U.S. companies that produce goods overseas and then sell them back into the United States.

The House GOP plan would also allow companies to immediately expense capital investments, such as new equipment, for five years but cut back the ability to deduct interest payments.

Many businesses and the wealthy are expected to be the biggest beneficiaries, according to initial versions of the plan, while the impact on many in the middle class is disputed and less clear.

The proposal would roughly double the standard deduction that many Americans can claim to exempt a portion of their income from taxation, but it would also eliminate the personal exemption, which tends to benefit families with multiple children. But the tax plan is expected to expand the child tax credit, something Ivanka Trump has said will help working families.

The House GOP plan would allow Americans to deduct the property taxes they pay from their income but prohibit, for the first time, Americans from deducting the state and local income taxes they pay from their federal taxable income, a simmering issue that threatens to rip apart the GOP coalition needed to approve the bill.

The plan would also abolish the alternative minimum tax, a system set up to ensure people do not claim so many deductions that they pay too little in taxes, McCarthy said.

The economic success of the package hinges on controversial economic theories that assume large tax cuts for businesses and the wealthy will lead to economic growth and wage gains for everyone else, a conclusion that economists and policymakers have debated for decades.

But Republicans have a rare lock of political power, controlling the White House, House and Senate, and are desperate to regain political footing lost after a number of missteps this year, particularly the failure to rewrite health-care policy.

The speed with which they are doing this is more about politics than it is about policy, said Rep. Richard E. Neal (Mass.), the ranking Democrat on Bradys committee. They dont want people to see whats in it, and I think they need a victory.

The tax package is expected to reduce revenue by more than $4 trillion over 10 years. Republicans hope to recoup some of that lost revenue by eliminating a number of tax breaks, but they have been careful not to identify all of these changes, in part because they expect a revolt from interest groups that would be affected.

Theyve got $4 trillion worth of tax promises, and they basically at this point have got virtually no revenue in order to pay for it, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said Tuesday. So what they have done is basically made it clear that their promises to the middle class are really not worth the paper they are written on. They are false promises to the middle class.

White House officials and GOP congressional leaders have met for months to try to establish the framework for rewriting the tax code, but they agreed only on broad parameters. Big tests now loom for Brady and his Senate counterpart, Finance Committee Chairman Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), to craft legislation that can pass both chambers.

The government collects roughly $4 trillion a year in taxes and other revenue, a threshold that still falls short of how much money it spends.

Trump says the changes could lead to an immediate jolt in economic growth, saying on Tuesday that it could lead companies to bring more than $4 trillion in past foreign earnings back to the United States. He also said it would lead to a flood of companies moving back to the country, lured by big tax cuts and the threat that their foreign earnings will be subject to stricter taxation for the first time.

It is details such as those, though, that will be the focus of several intense weeks of negotiations in the House and Senate. GOP tax writers are also expected to have a much different approach to the taxation of profits overseas.

Resolving these differences will be crucial because Republicans have signaled they will try to push the tax cuts into law without any support from Democrats, testing the slim margin they control in the Senate and their balky caucus in the House.

Given that they are trying to do this with a one-party approach, they dont have a lot of flexibility, said Alan Auerbach, director of the Burch Center for Tax Policy and Public Finance at the University of California at Berkeley.

Heather Long contributed to this report.
In fiction and film, horror can be cautionary (Dont go in the basement!) and even oddly comforting (Bad as things are, theyre even worse on Elm Street). But in times like these, when real-world terrors outstrip our night terrors, how can a novelist possibly compete?



****HANDOUT IMAGE Strange Weather, by Joe Hill, (credit: William Morrow) ***NOT FOR RESALE (William Morrow)

Joe Hill, the author of several terrifying bestsellers, rises to this challenge in Strange Weather, a striking if sometimes uneven collection of four short novels.

In "Snapshot," Michael Figlione is a smart 13-year-old Californian who spends his free time inventing items such as a party gun that shoots confetti. "I was fat, and I was lonely," he says. "If you were the former, the latter was a given." Michael's mother is MIA; his well-meaning father encourages his son's interests by taking him to a local club of older, like-minded geeks, which doesn't really help. "When I dropped in on this crew, I wasn't just learning about circuit boards. I believed I was looking at my future: depressing late-night arguments about Star Trek and a life of celibacy."

But then an elderly neighbor, Mrs. Beukes, shows up at Michaels door and warns him about someone she calls the Polaroid Man: Dont let him take a picture of you. Dont let him start taking things away. Michael dismisses her ravings as the early stages of dementia, but a run-in with the Polaroid Man at a convenience store convinces him that something far creepier is going on. Hills artful blend of 1980s nostalgia and supernatural unease is enhanced by his touching depiction of Michaels encounters with Mrs. Beukes and her husband, an aging bodybuilder distraught over his wifes abrupt, inexplicable decline.

[Stephen King and Owen King imagine a world where women arent woke]

Loaded, the most disturbing story here, recounts a decade-long history of gun violence, racism and domestic abuse in a Florida town. Hill deftly cuts back and forth between seemingly unrelated characters  a philandering lowlife and his teenage lover; an African American journalist and her young daughter; a former military cop now employed at a fetid shopping mall; a dark-skinned young woman in a headscarf  building to a gut-clenching resolution as horrific and familiar as this mornings news.



Author Joe Hill (Joe Hill)

After all this darkness, the whimsical Aloft provides a welcome break in the clouds. Aubrey Griffin is crammed into a single-engine Cessna with other first-time skydivers preparing to honor a friend who recently died. The appearance of a vast, UFO-shaped cloud and the subsequent failure of the planes engines cause everyone to make an emergency jump. The next thing he knows, Aubrey has fallen only 39 feet, not 12,000, and landed on the mysterious cloud. He patted the mist ahead of him, stroked it like a cat. It firmed up into a lumpy, pliant mass at the first touch. A dreamlike, affecting tale unfolds, as Aubreys memories and desires begin to come to life in ephemeral form. Anyone whos gazed out a plane window at cloud mountains, or dozed in a field on a summer afternoon and imagined castles (and perhaps aliens) in the sky, will be enchanted.

In the final story, Rain, whimsy and horror form a more uneasy alliance. A young woman named Honeysuckle observes an ominous thunderhead over Denver. I could smell rain in that wind  or something like rain anyway, she says. It was the fragrance of a quarry, the odor of pulverized rock. A short time later, the storm hits:

I took one step into the driveway, and something stung my arm. . . . I looked at my bare shoulder and saw a bright red drop of blood and something sticking out of the skin: a thorn of gold.

The ensuing downpour of crystalline needles kills Honeysuckles girlfriend and thousands of others and destroys the areas infrastructure. An increasingly apocalyptic scenario unfolds as the spikes fall across the world. Hills scenes of glass rain are surrealistically beautiful and frightening; those of looters, mounds of corpses and emergency responders evoke other post-apocalypse books and movies and, sadly, recent events. Like our own national reports, Strange Weather leaves readers with a scant chance of hope on the horizon.

Elizabeth Hand's most recent book is "Fire," a collection of essays and stories.

Read more: The shocking novels that scared the hell out of America
If you have a child who dreams of dancing, youve seen The Nutcracker enough times to know that you cant leave until Clara finally wakes up  and you do, too.



****HANDOUT IMAGE Hiddensee, by Gregory Maguire, (credit: William Morrow) ***NOT FOR RESALE (William Morrow)

During the years when my younger daughter studied at Boston Ballet, she was sometimes a mouse, sometimes a soldier, always adorable. But the tickets were about $80 apiece, and there were grandparents and other relatives who wanted in on this cherished holiday performance, which meant that the Stahlbaums opulence depended, at least in part, on my impoverishment.

Im not complaining. That gorgeous Russian score wound around E.T.A. Hoffmanns surreal story produced one of the worlds most eidetic tales. Every time I hear Tchaikovskys music  even the tortured pop versions at the mall  visions of sugar plums still dance in my head.

Which made me excited to read Hiddensee, Gregory Maguires new novel about a once and future Nutcracker. Maguire would seem the perfect author for this act of creative investigation. Hes already delved into the early lives of such fantastical figures as Snow White and Cinderella. And, of course, his novel about the Wicked Witch of the West is the basis for that spellbinding Broadway hit Wicked.

[The least shall be first: In Washington Ballets Nutcracker, kids are the stars]

But theres barely a nutshell of music or magic in Hiddensee. Maguire has a style glazed with a patina of Old World formality. Dont look for the passion and color of Tchaikovsky here; this is a novel with its own palette of darker, woodland tones.

In Bavaria around 1808, a foundling boy named Dirk lives with an old woman and an old woodcutter. When a falling tree knocks Dirk out, he experiences a vision of a talking bird, a gnome and a very aggrieved spirit of the forest. Returning to life and believing that his guardians will again try to kill him, Dirk runs away from home into the wide world he knows nothing about. How many times, he wonders, will I lie down in a darkness whose character I cannot imagine, to see what daybreak reveals of my new circumstances? Many times.

Dirk is a bit of a dolt, Maguire writes, but not usually the funny kind. Although hes literal and serious, hes no rube, nor is he a naive standard of moral innocence like Mark Twains Huck Finn. As Dirk wanders around Germany with a patch over one eye  the result of that accident in the forest  he views everyone from a distance. He can be an oversensitive prig. I have no talents, he says honestly, I only watch and listen. Something about his upbringing with those two loveless guardians has cauterized his affections. Even his rare flutterings of lust and romance are tightly constrained, largely unexpressed  one might say, almost wooden.

But despite some early allusions, Dirk is not the Nutcracker himself, which may be what sets this novel on its pedestrian trajectory. The moment a village pastor names our hero Drosselmeier, the pixie dust falls from the pages, and its clear that this is the story of a future toymaker, not the tale of a magical soldier who will battle the Mouse King around Claras Christmas tree.



Author Gregory Maguire (Andy Newman)

And yet  like Dirk  the novel feels suspended between realism and fantasy. Youre an oddity among young men, says one of the many people who struggle to get close to him. Does anyone know much about you? No, not even we do, though we follow Dirk from one village to another. That structure allows Maguire to sprinkle the plot with references to 19th-century characters, all of whom seem more vivacious than our one-eyed hero. (An extended encounter with the hypnotist Franz Mesmer provides the novels best set piece.)

But this remains very much a study of a man who left the forest of fairy tales and never fully joined the world of getting and spending. Dirk doesnt really belong anywhere, a condition that eventually causes him a certain amount of tightly repressed anguish. Maguire explores this theme most sensitively over Dirks long friendship with a gay musician. For different reasons, neither of these young men can freely express what hes feeling, but even the closeted gay man finds more happiness than Dirk, whose passions are channeled into carving wooden toys. We come to know the dimensions of his longing, but we never really know the content of his desire.

That mystery must be the point of this unhurried story, which eventually meshes with the details of Petipa and Ivanovs ballet. Maguire suggests that we all pine for some vaguely recalled but tantalizing moment from childhood. Surely you have such a walnut in your own life, he writes, something that holds the key to all your past ease and safety. Dirks winding journey finally brings him close to that lost paradise, but not in any way youd expect.

After all, the past is a tough nut to crack.

Ron Charles is the editor of Book World and host of TotallyHipVideoBookReview.com.
An aerial view of the Eisenhower Memorial rendering model ( Image courtesy of The Esienhower Memorial Commission, 2017. (The Eisenhower Memorial Commission)

After 17 years of soap opera-like drama  including villains, family squabbles and money problems  the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial has reached its happily-ever-after stage.

Officials will host a ceremonial groundbreaking Thursday for the $150 million memorial on its four-acre site on Independence Avenue between Fourth and Sixth streets SW. Construction on the controversial project is expected to take three years, with an opening date set for 2020.

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), who has led the commission since 2015, is ready to celebrate.

A lot of these monuments do take a long time, but this took a long time. I wish it had been sooner, Roberts said. Its going to be a very special moment for me, and for Bob Dole as well. He has been my solid partner.



A rendering view of the tapestry from the Eisenhower Memorial core. (The Eisenhower Memorial Commission)

[How Bob Dole is leading the fight for Ike]

Ushering any construction project through Washingtons bureaucracy is never quick or easy, but the Eisenhower Memorial journey suffered multiple setbacks, most focused on architect Frank Gehrys modern design, unveiled in 2010.

The original design featured three large-scale metal tapestries along the parks perimeters and a memorial core of sculpture and bas-relief celebrating Eisenhower as both military leader and the countrys 34th president. A sculpture of a young Eisenhower and images of Kansas farmland celebrated his humble beginnings.

The design was to portray Ike as a young man from Kansas who dreamed big, Roberts said. Heres an example of a kid from . . . small-town America, and look what happened. Thats a pretty big deal.

The backlash was immediate and relentless. Members of Congress expressed their dislike  and withheld construction funds. Preservationists argued over the designs closing of Maryland Avenue, and residents and civic leaders complained about its large scale. Then Eisenhowers grandchildren came out against it, calling it unworkable and asking for a do-over.

[Eisenhower Memorial to consider plan removing most of Gehrys design]

The memorial commission pressed on despite the furor. Gehry and his staff revised and reduced the original design. Dozens of meetings debated the tree canopy, sculpture size and text selections. There was a comical discussion about dingbats, the typographical device used to signal divisions in a text. The designers brought examples of the proposed metal tapestry to the site, and offered data on its durability and maintenance needs.

At every meeting there were complaints.

Our arguments generally went to the quality of the design and the intrusiveness of the design, said architect Don Hawkins, who testified repeatedly on behalf of the Committee of 100. There was so much that was wrong with it.

Dole, a former senator from Kansas, agreed to lead the private fundraising effort, and notable figures such as Tom Brokaw and Tom Hanks were recruited. Dole pushed for a resolution, saying the country owed it to World War II vets like himself to get the project back on track.

The memorial received the required federal approvals two years ago but the Eisenhower family held firm in its opposition. Finally, former secretary of state James Baker was called in to negotiate with the family. He brokered a deal that changed the tapestrys image of Kansas farmland to the beaches of Normandy.

[Eisenhower commission and family agree on new design]

The family wanted something more international, Roberts said. We knew we couldnt move forward without the support of the family. Theres been hiccups, stops and starts. I felt you have to work with people.

Armed with a new design and family consensus, the commission returned to federal agencies for the green light to proceed. The revised plan was approved last month.

Congress has appropriated $113 million, including $21 million for 17 years of administrative costs. The commission has requested $41.6 million in the upcoming budget, and has secured about half of the $25 million it plans to raise from private donors.

Judy Scott Feldman, chairwoman of the National Mall Coalition, is disappointed in the final design, but not in the messy process.

It should be an open and democratic one, said Feldman, who believes the lesson learned from the project is that future memorials should be smaller. Why do we need four acres of what Frank Gehry called an open-air room? she asked. We can make better and more monuments if we can keep that at a human scale.
Choosing paint colors is hard enough, but these days consumers have to decide among dozens of paint brands  plus different quality levels within those brands. And then theres price. Will paying $100 a gallon get you a better paint than if you pay $30 a gallon? Its almost as maddening as choosing between Paper White and Whisper White. Heres help.

You may think of Consumer Reports as a resource for buying cars and electronics, but the nonprofit magazine also tests paints, grading them on the traits consumers say are most important. Exterior paint is judged on its appearance after tests that simulate multiple years. Interior paint is evaluated for factors including its ability to cover old colors in a single coat, whether it can withstand scrubbing, and its mildew and fade resistance.

In the most recent rounds of testing, a remarkable four out of the top five interior and exterior paints were hardware store brands. So, right away, we know you don't have to buy a premium brand to get great paint. On the other hand, the very cheapest paints, those that cost between $17 and $27 a gallon, didn't make it into the top five. "Generally, spending more money does not always equate to a better paint," said Rico De Paz, paint-testing program leader at Consumer Reports. "But it's probably a good idea to stay away from the most inexpensive brands at most retailers without checking our ratings first."

Here are Consumer Reports top five interior paints out of 21 tested. (Prices were obtained online and may vary slightly. Sherwin-Williams bought Valspar in June, so names and formulas may change.)



(Anne Bentley for The Washington Post)

[Have a nanny or a maid? Heres how to keep one simple accident from bankrupting you.]

1. Behr Marquee ($39 per gallon at Home Depot)

2. Behr Premium Plus Enamel ($27 per gallon at Home Depot)

3. Valspar Reserve ($44 per gallon at Lowes)

4. Behr Premium Plus Ultra ($30-$37 per gallon at Home Depot)

5. Benjamin Moore Aura ($70 per gallon at independent dealers)

And here are Consumer Reports top five exterior paints out of 23 tested.

1. Behr Premium Plus Ultra Exterior ($38 per gallon at Home Depot)

2. Clark + Kensington Exterior ($37 per gallon at Ace Hardware stores)

3. Sherwin-Williams Emerald Exterior ($80-$84 per gallon at

Sherwin-Williams stores)

4. Behr Premium Plus Exterior ($30 per gallon at Home Depot)

5. Valspar Duramax Exterior ($40 per gallon at Lowes)

[16 ways to save money on kids activities]

To choose among the top-rated paints, you could go for the lowest price. After all, Behrs Premium Plus Enamel scores almost as high as its Marquee interior paint, but it costs $12 less per gallon. However, as home improvement projects go, painting is one of the cheapest. A gallon of paint will cover as much as 400 square feet. You can take price into account, but maybe it shouldnt be at the very top of your decision tree.

So what is the most important factor? Consumers should start with the best-performing paints, but then look among those to select the paint that has the best performance for the attributes of their particular project, De Paz said. For example, if youre painting over a dark wall, youll want a paint that covers well. If youre painting a dank basement bathroom, mildew resistance could be your top priority. And if you worry about chemicals, youll look for a paint with low or no volatile organic compounds. (Low-VOC paints used to lack durability, but Consumer Reports says many now perform well.)

Should you choose a paint brand based on the color? No. "It's possible to match pretty much any color these days to the point where the human eye can't detect the difference," De Paz said. Perhaps no paint company is more famous for its colors than upscale Farrow & Ball. However, the British company's paint costs about $100 a gallon, and Consumer Reports rated it "very good," not "excellent," like the top five above. So the magazine did an experiment, asking hardware store clerks to match a Farrow & Ball color by mixing their own paints. They nailed it within 1 percent.

Another option is to use an online color-matching tool to find an equivalent color by a different company rather than buying custom-mixed paint. I tried the tool at color-swatches.com. Under "Our Services," I chose the search feature and typed in Norway Spruce by Benjamin Moore. Once that color came up, there was an option to convert to another brand, and I asked for a Behr match. The website recommended Behr's Scotland Road as a close alternative, and the two swatches looked remarkably similar. Just be aware that the sheen of different companies' paint can vary, which could make the color look different. This is why a test patch on your own wall is key.

Once youve chosen a great paint, you need a great plan. Here are Consumer Reports suggestions for making your painting project as efficient as possible.

Covering: If you are painting over a very dark color, choose a paint rated excellent for "hiding," and it should cover it in one coat. Note: To see Consumer Reports' full ratings, you'll need a subscription. Don't have one? All top five interior paints listed above are rated "excellent" for covering.

Priming: Modern paints that claim to be self-priming really do work, so you can skip using a separate primer.

Calculating costs: Paint manufacturers and retailers offer online calculators to help you determine how much paint you need and avoid overbuying. (Be sure to check whether the calculation is based on one coat or two.)

Bulk buying: If a calculator shows you need more than five gallons, price your paint in five-gallon containers, which are often cheaper.


In Costa Rica, people observe Dia de las Mascaradas, or Masquerades Day, by wearing large papier-mache heads that depict mythical creatures or celebrities. (Sonia Gomez)

Not many U.S. holidays celebrate our ancestors or the spirit world. Halloween and Dia de los Muertos are two occasions to do so in the United States, but around the world there are many more festivals and holidays for commemorating the dead.

Costa Ricans began celebrating Dia de las Mascaradas  Masquerades Day  after colonization influenced the native culture. The Spanish colonists brought the customs of European medieval festivals and the gigantes y cabezudos, or giants and bigheads. The gigantes y cabezudos were elaborately and ornately made of papier-mache, and they are still fashioned this way in Costa Rica.

Towns stage parades with the costumed characters teetering about with their larger-than-life heads. Traditionally, costumes draw their inspiration from Costa Rican mythical creatures, but many share the Halloween spirit of making fun of politicians, athletes and other celebrities.

In 1997, the Costa Rican government declared October 31 as Dia de las Mascaradas, according to Tania Robles, an anthropologist and artist with the Costa Rican Ministry of Culture and Youth.

In Costa Rica, there is an important influence from [U.S.] culture, so Halloween was an extended celebration at the time, Robles said by email from Costa Rica. Defining the date of celebration, she added, was intended to be the beginning of the return to the local traditions.

Near the end of summer, the Chinese celebrate the Hungry Ghost Festival, when it is believed that the gates to the spirit world open and ghosts scour the earth for offerings. Families place the offerings  usually food and paper made to look like money or personal items  on an altar outside their home. The paper items are then burned to send them into the spirit world. Additional offerings are also burned to please the spirits of those who dont have living relatives.

In nearby Nepal, there are several holidays similar to Halloween in the United States. Tihar, the festival of lights, is held each year in late autumn. Children dress up, walk door-to-door and perform for their neighbors, who give them candy and money.

Families place lights around their homes and celebrate animals, such as crows and cows, that are culturally important. Dogs, for example, are given floral garlands and red tikas, or marks, on their brows as a sign of admiration.



During Gai Jatra, families bring cows into the streets to commemorate their deceased relatives. The animal is considered sacred in Nepal and other countries. (Kumar Shrestha)

During Gai Jatra, another Nepali holiday, families bring cows into the streets to commemorate the spirits of their deceased loved ones. Cows are sacred in Nepal, as well as in other countries such as India, and represent the deep respect families have for their ancestors and gods.

While the holiday is about remembering the dead, theres a lot of fun to be had during the festivities.

Recently, it has become a festival where you can make people laugh, you have satires, comedy shows [and] festivals, said Santosh Lamichhane, the president of the Nepali American Friendship Association.

These holidays, full of lights and memories of loved ones, make the spirit world a little less spooky. Whether you decide to celebrate Halloween, Dia de los Muertos or another otherworldly holiday, there are plenty of ways to keep the spirit alive this fall.

Read more from KidsPost:

How does Mexico celebrate Day of the Dead?

Halloween has become scary big, but its beginnings were humble

Some of our favorite kids homemade Halloween costumes
A man poses with a magnifier in front of a Facebook logo on display in this illustration taken in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in this file photo from December 16, 2015. Facebook Inc smashed investors' expectations with a 52-percent jump in quarterly revenue as it sold more ads targeted at a fast-growing number of mobile users, sending its shares sharply higher after hours. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Files (Dado Ruvic/Reuters)

Former columnist

Their story keeps changing.

First, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg scoffed at the notion that disinformation spread on his platform swayed the 2016 presidential election. He called that a crazy idea.

Later, faced with some uncomfortable revelations, Zuckerberg changed his tune and apologized.

More recently, Facebook fessed up to taking $100,000 for ads from murky but probably Russian-linked sources apparently trying to influence the election. That is, of course, a tiny amount of money, but a very dangerous precedent, especially because of the way those ads reportedly were targeted to undecided voters in swing states.

Now, the social-media giant is scheduled to tell Congress that at least 126 million Americans were exposed to free content from Russian-linked sites during the campaign.

Much of that content was expressly designed to widen the cultural divides in the United States, to drive wedges among its citizens  and in so doing, to help elect the Russian governments preferred candidate: Donald Trump.

It worked.

And while those more recent numbers are astonishing, the reality is probably far worse.

Research from Columbia University's Tow Center suggests that Russian-linked information  or disinformation  was shared hundreds of millions of times on Facebook.

The numbers boggle the mind.

We need to admit the obvious: If there had been no Facebook spreading Russian propaganda, there might well be no President Trump. And theres little reason to think this kind of influence will wane, that this kind of result wont keep happening.

"The informational underpinnings of democracy have eroded," was how Alexis Madrigal put it in a sweeping Atlantic magazine piece recently.

And Peter Eckersley of the civil liberties group the Electronic Frontier Foundation told The Washington Post on Monday: "We're going to have to figure out what it means for this private social network to be democratically accountable."

But what does that suggest?

Government oversight of social media sounds like a terrible idea, given free-speech considerations. Regulation could easily veer into politically driven censorship.

And Facebook itself, though it claims to be working hard on the problem, hasnt earned anyones trust. Its ever-shifting acceptance of what happened  coupled with its notorious opaqueness  doesnt inspire confidence.

So what is to be done? Some meaningful steps are necessary  but each solution that is contemplated brings its own set of dangers. And some very tough questions.

Where does sensible regulation turn into censorship?

Where do free-speech and privacy concerns  often at odds with each other  find a reasonable meeting place?

Do we really want the federal government dictating what social-media companies can and cant do?

Tim Wu, author of "The Attention Merchants," offered a radical solution: Facebook should become a nonprofit organization  a public benefit company  thus separating its ruling motivations (profit-making through advertising) from its outsize influence on our society.

Its hard to know just how that would come to pass  and its hard to imagine it happening in this lifetime  though it seems worth considering.

In the meantime, the government may need to act, at least by exerting oversight.

Thats the reluctant conclusion reached by Lincoln Caplan, an author and scholar at Yale Law School, who wrote in Wired magazine: As it stands, the countrys libertarian conception of free speech is allowing, and even ferociously feeding, an erosion of the democracy it is supposed to be essential in making work  and some government regulation of speech on social media may be required to save it.

But we seem to lack even the language or basic facts to discuss this rationally. And meanwhile, Facebook  whose active users already number more than 2 billion worldwide  only grows.

"The way we think and talk about different types of messages has been well and truly broken," Emily Bell, who directs the Tow Center, wrote this week.

The world-changing results of the 2016 election may seem like a one-off  a completely bizarre turn of events that could never be repeated. But the social-media influences that played such a huge role are still functioning today and will be in the near future.

I have little confidence that Facebook will fix itself. And I have even less confidence in the federal government to do the job.

There must be another solution out there. And finding it needs to be an urgent mission.

For more by Margaret Sullivan visit wapo.st/sullivan
Jamie Stevenson was passing her neighbors house on Saturday when she saw the dark-faced figure hanging between two trees.

She knew it was a Halloween decoration, but she also saw in it something more sinister: a lynching.

What occurred in the hours and days that followed has pitted neighbors on an affluent Northern Virginia block against one another, thrust a homeowners association into a conversation about race and sparked angry accusations online about how people should respond when their actions, regardless of intent, offend others. And the tensions have played out at a time when all kinds of symbols  Confederate statues, flags, even the national anthem  have become flash points across the country.

In Fairfax Countys Oakton community, Stevenson was certain she was looking at what she called a racist display but what her neighbors considered a Halloween ghoul.

She took a picture and began making calls and sending emails to her homeowners association and the Southern Poverty Law Center in an effort to get it taken down. She also emailed the homeowners. Stevenson, who is Asian and who moved into the neighborhood in March, had never met them when she pressed send.

What you appear to be displaying is an effigy of a black person being lynched, she wrote. As your neighbor and a person of color, I find this racist. I find this deeply offensive. Im sure this is not your intent.

Would it be possible for you to remove this racially loaded effigy from your display for the good of the neighborhood?

Stevenson received a response three hours later.

"Jamie, you are right," it began. "It is not my intent to offend anyone. . . . I never realized the Monster in the tree had darker skin. If you see it up close it is indeed a Monster with blood clawed head and face. . . . I have my entire garage full of items I am frantically preparing for Halloween and will spend most of the day Tuesday setting up for Halloween. I can't promise I will have it down by Halloween but I can promise you this  I will NEVER ever put it up again."

The man who wrote the email spoke on the condition of anonymity because he and his wife now fear for their familys safety. But he said he went outside in the rain on Sunday to take the figure down.

He said he never intended for the ghoul to be perceived as racist. He has included it before in the elaborate display the family has put up for about 20 years, one that draws hundreds of costumed children from the neighborhood and beyond, he said.

After he sent the email and removed the figure, he said, he hoped that would satisfy his neighbor. Instead, he said, she posted a flier online that labeled his family as racist and included their address.

The flier, which appeared on Stevensons Facebook page Monday, features a picture of a real lynching from 1889 next to a photo of the already removed Halloween display. Underneath are the words, RACISM and HATE have no place in our neighborhood. It asks people to boycott the familys home on Oct. 31. It also encourages people to reach out to the president of the homeowners association, Richard Cramond, and includes his email and phone number.

Stevenson said Cramond hadnt responded to her concerns when she posted the flier and later emailed her to say there was no reason to take action because the display had been removed.

Cramond, reached Tuesday by phone, said he hadnt talked to all the people involved.

Its a good neighborhood, Cramond said. Until I know more, I really cant say anything.

Leisa Branton, a longtime neighbor, said she comes to see the display with her family every Halloween and never thought the hanging figure had any racist overtones.

We never looked at it that way. I mean, maybe its our ignorance, but we thought it was ghouls and goblins, she said.

Branton, 58, was dressed as a ladybug Tuesday and didnt hesitate to return to the house. She was saddened by the furor and the way it was affecting the family. They put a lot of decorations up and a lot of time into it, she said.

When Stevenson and her partner were looking to buy a house, she said, the area appealed to them in part because of its diversity. Among their neighbors are interracial and same-sex couples. But if she had been househunting at this time of year and had seen the hanging figure, she said, she never would have settled in the neighborhood, where houses can cost $750,000 and above.

Stevenson said she was told there had been some complaints about the hanging figure in the past, but she acknowledged that in recent conversations with her neighbors, many rejected her interpretation of it. Their reaction disappointed her but did not surprise her.

I expected it because when you point out racism, people have a choice to make: They either acknowledge it and have to do something about it, or they deny it and are complicit in it, she said. Whenever minorities bring up issues of race, theyre told theyre hypersensitive or they are blowing things out of proportion.

She said she knows the repercussions could stretch long past Halloween. On Monday night, she had already seen some backlash. Someone ordered pizza to her address to be paid with cash on delivery, and she received alerts about attempts to hack into her Facebook account.

She also received a knock on the door from her neighbor, who wanted to talk face to face. The encounter ended with Stevenson filing a police report, saying she felt threatened.

The family gave a different version of that encounter but said they, too, are scared now that their information has been made public.

I fear for the safety of my kids and the safety of my house, said the woman who talked to Stevenson. It was never intended to be what she turned it into.

The Halloween display began as an activity they did with their own children and grew as they saw how much other young people in the neighborhood enjoyed it.

As darkness fell Tuesday, in hope that candy-seeking children would still come to the house, she drew freckles on her face as her husband put up the final decorations, including a clown in an electrocution chair and a chop shop of strobe-lit dismembered body parts. Later, he dressed as a mad scientist and presided over the body parts. May I offer you a hand? he said to kids walking by.

He left the figure that loomed the largest over their Halloween celebration where he had tossed it three days earlier, on the floor of the garage.
Earlier versions of this story misstated how much time Eddie Ellis spent in prison. It was 15 years. The story has been corrected.

CHICAGO, IL - MAY 27: Crime scene tape is stretched around the front of a home where a man was shot on May 28, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. Chicago police have added more than 1,000 officers to the streets over the Memorial Day weekend, hoping to put a dent in crime, during what is typically one of the more violent weekends of the year. In 2016, 6 people were killed and another 65 were wounded by gun violence over the Memorial Day weekend. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

A bill to overhaul the District's troubled Youth Rehabilitation Act would limit the number of young offenders eligible for more lenient sentences and require judges to justify  in writing  why they are giving convicts benefits under the law.

But the bill also would require the city to offer new treatment and services to young-adult offenders, a change that is being applauded by juvenile-justice advocates, many of whom had been openly critical of adding any restrictions to the 32-year-old law.

The law currently allows individuals under the age of 22 to receive shorter sentences and to have their crimes removed from the public record.

But although it is called the Youth Rehabilitation Act, a study by the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council found that there are no programs specifically tailored to rehabilitating youth who are sentenced under the law.

"For years, we've called it the Youth Act and left out the R," said D.C. Council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), who chairs the council's judiciary committee and authored the legislation to overhaul the act. "It's like the rehabilitation part was just forgotten."



D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen D) (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

Allen and Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) asked the criminal justice council to study the Youth Rehabilitation Act following The Washington Post's investigation that found hundreds of young-adult offenders who had been provided leniency under the law later went on to rob, rape or murder.

Bowser, D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine and the council pledged to work together to reform the law, the shortcomings of which they said they had not been aware of before The Post's reporting.

[How an accused rapist kept getting second chances from D.C.s justice system]

A key provision of Allens bill would eliminate a requirement that D.C. Superior Court judges decide at sentencing whether young offenders should be eligible to have their crimes removed from the public record. Offenders would instead serve their full sentences before the judge determined whether their records could be cleared.

The bill would also require the mayors office to submit a strategic plan to the Council by Jan. 1, 2019, to provide comprehensive treatment and services to youth offenders and youth and young adults at risk of becoming youth offenders.

Kevin Donahue, Bowsers deputy mayor for public safety, said at a public hearing Thursday that the mayors office supports Allens legislation and is committed to exploring additional programming opportunities for young offenders and those at risk of becoming offenders.

Racines office also supports Allens bill, which would amend the existing law. Seema Gajwani, special counsel to Racine, said the new legislation honors the compassion of the original law, while protecting public safety.

Eddie Ellis, who was convicted of manslaughter when he was 16 and sentenced under the Youth Rehabilitation Act, testified at the hearing Thursday that the new requirement for education and job-training programs would ease the transition of leaving prison.

When we come home, a lot of us dont have the strength to remain strong if we cant get a job, said Ellis, who spent 15 years being shipped to prisons around the country and emerged without basic life skills, including how to ride the Metro. There would have been fewer struggles if those programs were in place.

[Opinion: I am one of the success stories from D.C.s second-chance law]

At the same time, Ellis said he did benefit from having his records sealed as part of the terms of his sentencing under the Youth Rehabilitation Act. He said not having employers know about his youthful conviction allowed him to find steady work. He now runs a nonprofit organization dedicated to youth mentorship and helping those who have been incarcerated reenter society.

Ellis said his success story is one of the many that was not reflected in The Posts series, which focused on the failings of the law, including the 121 defendants previously sentenced under the Youth Rehabilitation Act who were charged with murder from 2010 to 2016.

There was a fear factor after the articles were written, Ellis said. There were people who wanted to take the Youth Act away completely. Im glad council member Allen stood fast and brought together this broad coalition.

Allen said he would take into consideration requests from Racines office and a number of criminal-justice reform advocates who want to raise the age of eligibility for leniency under the law from 22 to 24.

In her testimony, Gajwani said brain development research shows that up to age 24, young adults continue to make risky, immature decisions that might not reflect who they will be once fully mature.

Research also shows that young adults up to age 24 are "more amenable to rehabilitation than their adult peers," she said. Bowser's Summer Youth Employment Program already includes 18- to 24-year-olds.

Donahue said during questioning at the hearing that although he could not offer a formal position on whether Bowser might be open to increasing the age of eligibility, he recognizes that the unique needs of an individual do not magically end at 18 or 22.

[He became a violent criminal at age 13 then turned his life around]

Criminal-justice reform advocates also oppose a provision of the legislation that would exclude those convicted of certain sex crimes  first- or second-degree sexual crimes, or sexual assault against a minor  from being eligible for leniency. The current law excludes people convicted of murder. Advocates said judges should have discretion on whether to exclude people on a case-by-case bases.

"Ending mass incarceration cannot occur while excluding serious crimes from sentencing reforms," said Nazgol Ghandnoosh, a research analyst at the Sentencing Project, in her testimony. "Mandatory minimum sentences are ineffective and unfair. This is true for all crimes, including sex offenses and crimes of violence."

But Denise Krepp, the advisory neighborhood commissioner for the Hill East neighborhood, delivered a passionate defense for excluding those convicted of rape. Krepp's neighbor, a 40-year-old college professor, was brutally raped in 2015 by Antwon Pitt, who had been sentenced under the Youth Act and whose story was highlighted in the Post series.

I dont need studies to tell me that victims suffer, Krepp said. This is a story Ive heard over and over again.

Allen said although he respects the opinion of advocates who want all crimes to be eligible for leniency and for judges to have complete discretion, he believes that murder and rape are crimes so harmful that they must be excluded.

The victim of that rape will never be able to seal and turn off whathappened to them, Allen said. It will have a lasting impact and be something they carry for the rest of their life.
THE DISTRICT

Woman charged with assault of officer

A 23-year-old woman was arrested Sunday and charged with pointing a pellet gun at an on-duty uniformed D.C. police officer in Adams Morgan and pulling the trigger three times, according to authorities.

Celeste Alejandra Almaguer of Northwest Washington was charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, possession of a prohibited weapon and assault on a police officer.

No projectile came out of the weapon, police said, and neither the suspect nor the officer was injured.

Police said the incident occurred about 2:10 a.m. in the 2400 block of 18th Street NW, in one of the Districts popular nightlife areas.

 Peter Hermann

Man gets 60 years for

roommates deaths

A D.C. man was sentenced to prison Monday in connection with the killings of his two roommates in 2014.

Jeffrey Neal, 25, was sentenced to 60 years in the deaths of Leon Young, 22, and Delano Wingfield, 23, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District said.

Prosecutors said Neals body was found in a house in the 1800 block of Eighth Street NW on June 12 and Wingfields in a grave in a back yard four days later. Both men had been beaten with a hammer, according to prosecutors.

Neal was convicted in the deaths in July after a trial in D.C. Superior Court, the U.S. attorneys office said.

 Martin Weil

Police arrest suspect

in 2016 fatal shooting

D.C. police on Monday said they have arrested a suspect in the 2016 fatal shooting of a man in the District's NoMa neighborhood. in Northwest Washington.

Stephon Marquis Williams, 24, of Oxon Hill, Md., was charged with second-degree murder. He was arrested Friday at the D.C. Jail, where he was being held pending trial on a gun charge from September 2016.

Police said Williams was charged with killing Jamar Morris, 28, of Northwest, on Feb. 9, 2016.

 Peter Hermann

MARYLAND

Emilys List backs Hogan challenger

Policy consultant Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, one of two women vying to unseat Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in 2018, received an endorsement Monday from Emilys List, a political action committee that pushes to elect Democratic female candidates who support abortion rights.

The PAC plans to advise Rockeymoore Cummings, who has never run for political office, and steer campaign contributions from its national network to her campaign.

The other Democratics competing in the June 26 primary are Prince Georges County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, former NAACP president Ben Jealous, State Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr., tech entrepreneur Alec Ross, attorney Jim Shea and former Michelle Obama policy director Krishanti Vignarajah.
Rosa Maria Hernandez, 10, was detained by federal immigration agents in Texas after she passed through a Border Patrol checkpoint on her way to a hospital to undergo surgery. (Courtesy Agustina Arroyo)

Lawyers for an undocumented 10-year-old girl who was detained in Texas after undergoing surgery demanded her immediate release on Tuesday in a lawsuit filed against the Trump administration in federal court.

Rosa Maria Hernandez, who has cerebral palsy, has been held at a federally funded shelter in San Antonio since leaving a Corpus Christi hospital last week after gallbladder surgery.

She had planned to return to her parents and siblings in the U.S. border city of Laredo, 150 miles away.

Border officials have said they detained Rosa Maria, who has lived in the United States since she was three months old, because she was undocumented and traveling to the hospital in an ambulance without her parents.

But her lawyer called that position indefensible, saying the government is well aware that the girls parents, two sisters, and a grandfather, who is a legal resident, are anxiously awaiting her return.

Shes been ripped away from the only home she knows and the mother who cares for her best, said Andre Segura, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the girl and her mother, Felipa de la Cruz, in federal court in San Antonio.

It was the second time in a month that the ACLU has sued the federal government over the fate of a minor being held by the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the care of unaccompanied immigrant children through the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

The organization represented a pregnant 17-year-old who had been blocked from obtaining an abortion while in a government-funded shelter. The D.C. appeals court last week ordered the government to allow her to have the procedure.

The case involving Rosa Maria began Oct. 24, when she left her home in Laredo around 2 a.m. in an ambulance for the scheduled surgery. Her mother, who is also undocumented, was concerned about a border checkpoint located on the way to the hospital and did not accompany her daughter.

Instead, de la Cruz signed a notarized letter authorizing a cousin, 34-year-old Aurora Cantu, to accompany the girl, according to the ACLU.

U.S. Border Patrol agents stopped the vehicle at an interior checkpoint in Freer, Tex. They were told about her impending surgery and, after a 30-minute delay, followed the ambulance to Driscoll Childrens Hospital in Corpus Christi, the lawsuit says. The complaint alleges that agents told Cantu that Rosa Maria would be detained after the surgery unless she voluntarily left the country. Federal officials say she is a citizen of Mexico.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said federal law required them to take Rosa Maria into custody because she was not with a parent or legal guardian. They also notified the local Mexican consulate.

For the welfare of the child, she was escorted by Border Patrol agents to the hospital to undergo surgery and remained with the unaccompanied child until such time as she could be transferred to the Health and Human Services Office of Refugees and Resettlement to re-unite the child with her parents, the agency, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement.

But the ACLU said officials were not legally obligated to take Rosa Maria into custody because she has parents in Laredo. They said the forced separation of Rosa Maria from her family violates her legal and constitutional rights, and has inflicted serious psychological and emotional injury on her entire family.

She is being held at the BCFS Health and Human Services shelter in San Antonio. Her father recently visited her, Segura said, but her mother has not seen her and is distraught. They said the girl has never before been separated from the family.

It was not immediately clear why Rosa Maria was not released to her father when he visited the shelter.

A spokeswoman for Health and Human Services said the agency does not comment on individual cases, but aims to ensure the care and safety of minors, including their safe and timely release to qualified parents and guardians.

Some children are released to sponsors, who must apply for custody and provide supporting documentation. The government verifies their relationship and conducts background checks and in some cases, home studies. The process can take weeks or months.

Rosa Marias parents brought her to the United States when the girl was a baby to seek medical care. Doctors said shed remain in a vegetative state. But with home care and frequent therapy, the lawsuit says, she has grown into a joyful young girl with a constant smile on her face.

She attends school, plays with her sisters, speaks English and considers herself an American, according the complaint.

But the lawsuit also said Rosa Maria has the cognitive capacity of a six-year-old. She doesnt fully understand why she is away from her mother, Segura said.

The lawsuit said the government-funded shelter is an inappropriate place to care for Rosa Maria, noting that the hospital discharge papers said it was in the girls best interest to be discharged to a family member who is familiar with her medical and psychological needs.
If you have been the victim of price gouging for generic drugs, Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh (D) wants to hear from you.

Frosh is joining with Maryland Healthcare for All, a health-care advocacy group, to identify possible victims of price gouging, a move made possible by a new state law allowing the attorney general to sue drug companies that dramatically increase the price of off-patent or generic drugs.

The advocacy group is gathering information about consumers experiences.

Maryland is the first state in the country to give its attorney general the ability to take legal action against the drug companies.

Frosh is holding back-to-back news conferences to get the word out about the new fight against price gouging. On Tuesday, Prince Georges County Executive Rushern L. Baker III (D), who is running for governor, joined Frosh in Montgomery County. On Wednesday, Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, who is also seeking the Democratic nomination for governor, is scheduled to attend an event with Frosh in Baltimore.

Frosh and Maryland Healthcare for All, which has set up a website for victims to share their stories, are moving forward with the new law despite a continuing legal challenge against it.

The Association for Accessible Medicines, a generic-drug trade group, filed a federal lawsuit earlier this year arguing that the legislation is unconstitutional. The group unsuccessfully sought an injunction to keep the bill from taking effect Oct. 1.
A view last year of the protest camp near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in North Dakota. Mark Trahant, a University of North Dakota journalism professor, said the school rejected a lecture series he proposed about coverage of the Dakota Access pipeline protests. (Nima Taradji/For The Washington Post)

A Native American professor at the University of North Dakota announced last week that he will not renew his position at the end of this academic year because the school twice stopped him from creating a lecture series about the protests against the Dakota Access pipeline near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation.

Mark Trahant, a journalism professor who is a member of Idahos Shoshone-Bannock Tribe, wrote in a Facebook post last week that the university rejected a lecture series he proposed last academic year about media coverage of Standing Rock. This school year, he suggested a conference looking at the role of social media in the pipeline protests but was once again rebuffed. Trahant indicated in his post that senior administration officials were worried the state legislature would retaliate for the courses.

I am disappointed and disgusted that the university is not an institutional leader, Trahant wrote. It should be a beam of light, shining on the protected realm of rational discourse.

[Showdown over oil pipeline becomes a national movement for Native Americans]

The day after Trahants post, the university issued a statement saying the decisions not to approve the lecture series were not based on concerns about the state legislature. And the school also announced it would hold an event that looked at news coverage of the Dakota Access pipeline and the protests at Standing Rock.



Mark Trahant (Courtesy of Mark Trahant)

Reached by phone Monday, Trahant said that when he first proposed the lecture series, he was told to hold off. There was a lot of concern that it was too hot a topic, he said. He said that he is delighted that the university will hold a conference on the issue but that he will still leave at the end of the school year.

Beginning early last year, the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, which spans North and South Dakota, was the focus of national and international attention as protests by indigenous and environmental groups targeted the planned completion of the Dakota Access pipeline. The nearly 1,200-mile long pipeline was built to transfer up to 570,000 barrels of oil a day from northern North Dakota to a refinery in Illinois.

The groups protesting the $3.8 billion pipeline said it was built despite objections that it crossed sacred Native American burial grounds and presented a threat to tribal lands and drinking water because it went under the Missouri River at the edge of the Standing Rock Sioux reservation. Following a drawn-out legal battle, a federal judge turned down a final request to block construction in February, and the pipeline became fully operational in June.

[Standing Rock Sioux chairman: I was slighted. I was disrespected.]

Trahant, a veteran reporter and educator and former president of the Native American Journalists Association, has long covered Native American issues and often wrote about the Standing Rock standoff. In his Facebook post, he expressed his frustration and said the lack of support from the university led to his decision to resign.

I understand that its important to keep fighting, but when your institution is absent, well, for me, this chapter ends, he wrote. In an interview, he said the university has really not done a lot to reach out to tribal communities.

Two years ago, the University of North Dakota changed its mascot from the Fighting Sioux to the Fighting Hawks after years of protests by American Indians and others who said the name was offensive. Native Americans make up a little more than 5 percent of North Dakotas population but just over 1 percent of the universitys 14,406 students.

A spokesman for the university said the schools president, Mark Kennedy, was not aware of Trahants proposals and wasnt involved in the decision to reject them.

President Kennedy regrets that there is any perception that the university would have prevented a faculty-led activity from taking place based on perceived fears of legislative response, Peter Johnson, the University of North Dakotas interim vice president for university and public affairs, wrote in a statement.

Johnson rejected the idea that any decisions were made based on concerns about the state legislature.

[Their camp turning into a pit of mud, Dakota pipeline protesters packing up to leave]

The University of North Dakota senior administration has never, to my knowledge  and that includes conversations in the past two days, expressed any fear of retaliation by the North Dakota legislature or by North Dakota legislators related to academic content, Johnson wrote. The university has engaged in all sorts of topics in ways that explore the full spectrum of positions related to those topics.

Trahant said the conference on media coverage of Standing Rock will probably be in March and will include a keynote address by Jenni Monet, a Native American journalist who was arrested during her extensive coverage of the more than year-long protest.
Dennis Banks, a founder of the American Indian Movement who helped lead demonstrations  notably the 10-week siege at Wounded Knee, S.D., in 1973  that at times descended into violence as they brought long-festering tribal wounds to national attention, died Oct. 29 at a hospital in Rochester, Minn. He was 80.

The cause was complications from pneumonia after recent open-heart surgery, said a daughter, Arrow Banks.

Mr. Banks, a member of the Ojibwa, or Chippewa, tribe, helped form the American Indian Movement (AIM) in 1968 to challenge what he and other activists considered the U.S. governments centuries-long exploitation of Native Americans. He traced his personal anger to his boyhood, when he was placed in Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding schools, which he compared to concentration camps.

A self-described "nightmare to the whole judicial system," Mr. Banks spent periods as a fugitive or in prison for crimes associated with his demonstrations. To detractors, his apparent lawlessness did little to bolster his cause. But to supporters, Mr. Banks was a fearless defender of victimized peoples who, after years of oppression, had no recourse but dramatic resistance.

Along with AIM leader Russell Means, he became, in the description of the Los Angeles Times, one of the "most famous Indians since Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse," the tribal leaders who defeated George Armstrong Custer at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876.



Mr. Banks addresses a crowd at Wounded Knee in 2003. (Doug Dreyer/AP)

Mr. Bankss early protests included a takeover of Alcatraz, the island off San Francisco that was the site of an infamous penitentiary. Later, in 1972, he participated in an AIM occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs building in Washington.

But he was best recognized for his part in the 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee, where 83 years earlier U.S. forces had slaughtered 350 Lakota people at the end of the American-Indian Wars.

The 1973 uprising witnessed a confrontation between hundreds of Indians and hundreds of law-enforcement officers. Two Indians died, and a federal officer was paralyzed in the ensuing violence. By the time the incident ended after 71 dramatic days, international attention had been turned to the Indian movement as well as its tactics.

Mr. Banks and Means were charged with conspiracy, assault and theft in connection with the events, but a federal judge in 1974 dismissed the charges, citing government misconduct.

Mr. Banks faced more serious legal difficulty stemming from another demonstration, also in South Dakota, weeks before the Wounded Knee incident.

AIM activists including Mr. Banks had gathered at the Custer County courthouse to protest after the alleged white killer of an Indian man was charged with manslaughter rather than the higher offense of murder. The demonstration resulted in injuries to protesters and police officers, the destruction of two police cars, and fires at the courthouse and the Chamber of Commerce.

"We had reached a point in history where we could not tolerate the abuse any longer," Mr. Banks told Peter Matthiessen, author of the book "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse." "These mothers could not tolerate the mistreatment that goes on on the reservations any longer, they could not see another Indian youngster die."

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In 1975, Mr. Banks was convicted of rioting and assault. Saying that he feared for his life in prison, he went on the run. His cause was bolstered by Hollywood figures including Jane Fonda and Marlon Brando, as well as by the legal representation of attorney William Kunstler.

Mr. Banks found a haven in California, then led by Gov. Jerry Brown, and later on an Onondaga reservation in New York. He surrendered to authorities in 1984, was imprisoned and then was paroled the following year.

Dennis James Banks  his Ojibwa name was Nowacumig, meaning at the center of the universe  was born on the Leech Lake Reservation in Minnesota on April 12, 1937.

He described the experience of being taken to boarding school as a dark day in the lives of all Indian children.

They are forcibly taken away from those who love and care for them, from those who speak their language, he recalled in a memoir, Ojibwa Warrior (2004), written with Richard Erdoes. They are dragged, some screaming and weeping, others in silent terror, to a boarding school where they are to be remade into white kids.

He served in the Air Force in Japan, where he married a Japanese woman and fathered a child. The Los Angeles Times reported that he was married at least five times. Arrow Banks said her father had 20 children and more than 100 grandchildren, but a complete list of survivors was not immediately available.

Upon his return from military service, Mr. Banks told People magazine in 1984, "I was heading down a road that was filled with wine, whiskey and booze. . . . Then I landed in prison." He said he served "two years, seven months and 18 days" for burglarizing a grocery store while a white accomplice received probation. The experience galvanized Mr. Banks to help found AIM.

During his sojourn in California, he taught classes at Stanford University. After his imprisonment in South Dakota, he said that he decided he could best help by staying out of politics altogether. He provided addiction counseling and ran a rice and maple syrup company that aimed to bring jobs to reservations.

Like Means, who died in 2012, Mr. Banks acted in films including War Party (1988) and The Last of the Mohicans (1992).

Despite the efforts of AIM, reservation residents continue to live in what are universally recognized as disastrous conditions. Looking back on AIMs work, Mr. Banks nonetheless saw progress.

"An awareness reached across America that if Native American people had to resort to arms at Wounded Knee, there must really be something wrong," he said. "And Americans realized that native people are still here, that they have a moral standing, a legal standing. From that, our own people began to sense their pride."
During the first day of Baltimore police officer Caesar Goodson Jr.s administrative trial in the death of Freddie Gray, prosecutors said he was neglectful of his duty to keep Gray safe and dishonest with investigators trying to figure out what happened.

Neil Duke, the lawyer prosecuting Goodson on more than 20 charges of violating department policies, said the officers actions as the driver of the police van in which Gray suffered a fatal spine injury in 2015 showed both professional and personal failings.

After writing the words duty, responsibility and integrity on a whiteboard during his opening remarks, Duke told the three-member panel hearing the case that Goodson had failed in all three regards. He said Goodson failed to secure the shackled Gray in a seat belt, properly investigate dangers to his safety, inspect his surroundings to ensure Grays safety, speak with him to ensure his well-being or call for a medic when he requested one.

The administrative trial at the University of Baltimore is not a criminal proceeding  Goodson was acquitted of murder in Grays death last year  but is about consequences, Duke said, in an apparent nod to Grays death and to Goodsons possible termination.

Sean Malone, Goodsons defense attorney, in contrast, cast his client as a victim of failed city and police leadership. He said city leaders are seeking to make the officer the face of their failure to improve training and equipment for years, despite knowing that what was in place left officers unsafe when transporting detainees.

Malone said Goodson had simply focused on his role driving the van and trusted his colleagues and superiors in their assessments of Gray that day  including that he did not need to be secured in a seat belt as the van stopped multiple times and did not truly need a medic when he asked for one.

This is a team, Malone said. They back each other up.

Goodson faces more than 20 internal charges in the case, which is being heard by a trial board of police officers and is expected to continue through at least next Monday. The charges include providing a false statement about the circumstances surrounding Grays arrest and neglecting his duty to keep Gray safe by failing to secure him in a seat belt.

The panel can clear Goodson or sustain any or all of the charges against him. If the panel clears him, the decision is final. If it finds him guilty, it will recommend punishment to Police Commissioner Kevin Davis, who can accept its recommendation or choose his own punishment for Goodson, up to termination.

Dukes and Malones opening remarks took up about half the day. The second half was dominated by the playing of Goodsons recorded interview with two suburban internal affairs investigators in February, one of whom took the stand Monday to answer questions about the interview and provide context.

In the interview, Goodson, 48, said he didnt pay it no mind when Gray began banging around in the back of the van he was driving. He said he didnt secure Gray in a seat belt or check on him at several stops because other officers were doing so, or because he felt unsafe doing so himself.

He said he didnt call a medic after Gray asked another officer to get him one because that officer hadnt made it seem like an emergency, and because he had glanced at Gray once himself and hadnt noticed a problem.

You can look at somebody and tell if they need to go to the hospital or if theyre lying, Goodson said.

His recollections repeatedly drew stern questions from the two investigators, including Montgomery County Police Detective Sgt. Thomas Curtis, who took the witness stand Monday.

Im just having a problem understanding why youre not taking an active role that day as the wagon driver, Curtis said during the interview.

In his opening remarks, Duke said that recorded interview was confused, confusing and did not comport with the evidence.

Duke said Goodson had a duty and responsibility to monitor prisoners being transported and should have taken Gray to the hospital.

He said that the evidence will show the officer had no intention of taking Gray to the hospital that morning and that through all the vans stops, he never made an attempt to assess Grays well-being despite Grays banging in the van.

Malone argued that the department had failed to properly train officers and did not have a proper policy in place on how to restrain combative arrestees.

Police officers in Baltimore City are put in a perilous position, Malone said.

During the hearing, Goodson sat at a table between his attorneys with his arms folded. He has not spoken publicly about the case but has maintained his innocence.

Two other officers charged in Grays arrest and death have accepted department discipline in the case. Two others are fighting punishment like Goodson and face similar administrative trials in coming months.
The criminal charges against Mark Yantsos seven months ago stunned parents in Montgomery County, Md. Yantsos wasn't just a school employee. He was head of security at a high school  responsible for protecting students such as the 17-year-old whom he pursued and had sex with at a hotel.

In a courtroom Monday, as the case drew to a close, a judge emphasized those sentiments.

You did the direct opposite of that which you were hired to do  that is, you exploited this young student, Montgomery County Circuit Judge Michael Mason told the 58-year-old Yantsos.

Mason handed down an 18-month jail sentence, the maximum possible under the terms of a plea agreement between prosecutors and Yantsoss attorneys. He also imposed conditions that prosecutors had made part of the plea deal, which will make it difficult if not impossible for Yantsos to ever work in a school again. Yantsos must be listed on Marylands online sex offender registry for the rest of his life and cannot try to expunge his felony conviction.

After he gets out of jail, he will be placed on five years of supervised probation, during which he won't be allowed to be around minors other than his daughter.



Mark Yantsos (Montgomery County Police)

His case appears to be the latest of several in which a Montgomery school employee was admonished for repeated incidents of inappropriate behavior with students but stayed on the job and allegedly crossed the line again.

[He was warned about getting too close to students. But this Maryland teacher was allowed to stay in the classroom.]

Yantsos, a former New York City police officer, had worked for the school system for a decade and led the security team at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville since 2008.

In spring 2016, he became increasingly close to a female student. He bought her gifts  a North Face jacket, Ugg boots, a diamond pendant necklace for Christmas, a ring for Valentines Day  and bestowed at least some of the items while at school. Around December 2016, they met every couple of days to hang out.

Their outward interactions, at school, caught the attention of school officials. Yantsos received several write-ups for the inappropriate close contact that he had with the victim at the school leading up to these events, prosecutors would later say in court.

In March, Yantsos picked the teenager up from her home about 10 p.m. one Friday and took her to the hotel in Rockville. After they engaged in sex, he brought her home.

The teenagers mother discovered the relationship April 3 and went to the high school to report it, according to prosecutors and court documents.

[Security team leader at high school in Rockville charged with sex offense]

Police say when Yantsos saw the students mother arrive at the school to speak with school staff, he quickly met up with the teenager, retrieved an iPhone she used to communicate with him and left the school. Detectives later charged him with one count of sex abuse of a minor and one count of fourth-degree sex offense. The latter charge was dropped as part of the plea agreement.

Attention to the case widened after Yantsos was released from jail on bond in April and, according to court records, violated orders to stay away from the victim. He saw her four days in a row and engaged her in sex on the fifth day, prosecutors said in court filings.

As his trial approached, Yantsoss attorneys and prosecutors negotiated a plea agreement, one that would spare the 17-year-old from appearing at a trial.

Prosecutor Hannah Gleason said it was her understanding  based on conversations with attorneys for the victims family  that the victim feared having to testify at a trial. Gleason also worried that having the victim testify could do more harm than good for her. The teenager and her family did not make a statement at the sentencing.

Yantsos has been in jail for nearly six months, which will count toward the 18-month sentence. He could be moved to a halfway house within three weeks, said Donny Knepper, one of his attorneys.

Hes going to live a totally law-abiding life, Knepper said.

Yantsos declined to address the court Monday.

Mason, the judge, stressed to Yantsos that the case against him  had he been convicted after a trial  could have netted him a sentence of four or five years, or more, inside a state prison. Instead, Yantsos will serve his time in the county jail. Your attorneys from my point of view have done a remarkable job in negotiating for you, Mason said.

Mason referred to a psychological report that he said discussed Yantsoss inability to have insight into the exploitive nature of his actions.

You at some level, at least at the time, sort of almost saw this as a natural relationship, Mason said. You werent finding any satisfaction in the relationship you were in, and somehow you were just able to look past the fact that you were dealing with a 17-year-old girl, 40 years your junior, and how you were able to ignore that and look beyond it, frankly, even having read this report, I dont fully understand.

[Maryland school security chief was warned about inappropriate conduct but kept in post]

Mason pointed out that Yantsos had not heeded warnings.

The other thing that is somewhat amazing is that fact that you continued to pursue her even after receiving repeated warnings from the principal and other people at the school about the inappropriateness of this particular relationship, Mason said.

Montgomery school district officials said Monday that they will review the case but did not comment in detail, citing a notice of pending civil litigation. Yantsos was placed on administrative leave April 4 and fired June 20, officials said.

School officials said their thoughts were with the victim and her family. The behavior of Mr. Yantsos is completely unacceptable and goes against the core values of our school system, they said in a statement.
More than a third of cases investigated by a D.C. police oversight board after complaints were made about officers' conduct this past year involved officers who did not properly use their body-worn cameras during those incidents, according to a report made public Tuesday.

Some officers turned the cameras on too late, others too early, the report from the Office of Police Complaints found. In 13 percent of the cases, at least one officer at a crime scene or incident failed to turn on the camera, though colleagues did.

Michael G. Tobin, the director of the Office of Police Complaints, said that part of the noncompliance with the cameras is unintentional and can be attributed to the time it takes to adapt to any new technology.

But he said that his investigators have sometimes been hampered by the lack or poor quality of video linked to an officers failure to follow policy on operating the cameras. Sometimes the failure of an officer to activate the camera has a negligible effect if other cameras in the vicinity are activated, and sometimes the failure means the entire case may be compromised, Tobin said.

Tobin said his agencys findings, released in an annual report covering fiscal year 2017, should move police toward imposing sanctions on officers who fail to properly activate the recording devices. Having cameras on every officer will mean nothing if the department fails to enforce the policy mandating their use, Tobin said in an email.

Dustin Sternbeck, the police departments chief spokesman, called the reports conclusion of body camera misuse misleading. He noted the largest category of improper use was instances where officers failed to notify people they were being recorded.

Police rules require notification only when practical, which is not in many encounters that unfold in an instant, Sternbeck noted.

OPC does not indicate whether it was practicable in these cases or whether the notification may have been given prior to the recording beginning, Sternbeck said in a statement.

He also took issue with the report faulting some recordings for having obstructed views and said more context is needed. There is no additional information to determine if the obstructions were avoidable or were the result of the physically rigorous work that police officers often are required to do, the statement says.

Sternbeck said the department takes the failure to activate a camera very seriously, and we have worked with our officers who have readily accepted this technology to ensure that the cameras are activated when necessary.

[Police officers who have body cameras as likely to use force as those who dont]

The report says the complaint office investigated 773 cases in fiscal 2017, up 77 percent from 438 the previous year. That rise was, in part, driven by a new online filing process and an extended period of time that people now have to register a complaint.

The Office of Police Complaints is an alternative to the police departments in-house investigation squad, the Internal Affairs Bureau. The civilian board typically investigates allegations of improper use of force, bad language and rude behavior and makes recommendations on disciplining individual officers and on broader policy concerns.

Investigators also monitored the police handling of large demonstrations, including the unrest on Inauguration Day. And the board gained new authority this fiscal year to audit police files on use of force. Nearly half the cases investigated in fiscal 2017 involved allegations of police harassment, and more than a quarter involved complaints of inappropriate language or conduct. Complaints over use of force made up 10 percent of the cases, slightly down from last year.

The report says the office closed 440 investigations, which include those filed the previous year. About 40 percent were dismissed with no credible merit found, down from roughly half to two-thirds dismissed in the previous three years.

Complaints against officers were sustained in 3 percent, or 14 cases, about on par with previous years. One complaint involved use of excessive force, dating to 2014. Punishment on cases decided this year ranged from re-education to letters of reprimand. The cases do not include those handled by detectives in the departments Internal Affairs Division, which can involve more serious allegations.

[Issues over Ferguson led to police body cameras]

About 2,800 officers, mostly in patrol, wear body cameras. The department implemented the program slowly, with about half the eligible officers equipped with recording devices in the summer of 2016. All the officers had cameras by December 2016. The police complaints office said that camera footage was relevant in about 63 percent of the 773 cases it investigated.

The report notes a problem of delays in officers activating the cameras  though the devices constantly record and save one minute of already recorded footage once the officer hits the record button. This notably happened on Sept. 11, 2016, when an officer failed to turn on his camera until after he fired his gun in a confrontation with motorcyclist Terrence Sterling, who was killed. The officer did not face criminal charges and is undergoing an internal investigation.

Police Sgt. Matthew Mahl, the chairman of the police union, said he plans to ask the department for new equipment that would automatically turn on body cameras when a gun is removed from the holster.

In an interview last week, Tobin said the board's analysis largely falls in line with a study completed by a D.C. police in-house research team that showed officers wearing cameras reported using force about as often as officers who didn't have them.

He said that given police departments are under increased scrutiny, failure to properly use a police body camera could result in an assumption by the public that it was intentional, and the officers credibility will be questioned as to the entire incident.
D.C. police on Monday announced they have arrested a suspect in the 2016 fatal shooting of a man in the Districts NoMa neighborhood of Northwest Washington.

Stephon Marquis Williams, 24, of Oxon Hill, Md., was charged with second-degree murder. He was arrested Friday at the D.C. Jail, where he was being held pending trial on a gun charge from September 2016

Police said Williams was charged with killing Jamar Morris, 28, of Northwest, on Feb. 9, 2016. The shooting occurred about 8:40 p.m. at North Capitol and M streets NW.

[Man fatally shot in NoMa neighborhood]

NoMa is the designation given to a fast-developing neighborhood north of Massachusetts Avenue. The shooting one block south of New York Avenue and near Tyler House, a subsidized-apartment building.

Police did not comment on a possible motive; the suspect had not yet made an initial appearance in D.C. Superior Court as of Monday afternoon.


Christopher Cantwell, 36, was overcome by tear gas during skirmishes after hundreds of white nationalists and white supremacists carrying torches marched through the University of Virginia campus on the eve of the Aug. 12 Unite the Right rally. (Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post)

Christopher Cantwell, a self-professed white nationalist arrested in the days after the violent demonstrations in Charlottesville in August, has hosted an Internet radio show from the confines of a Virginia jail for more than two months.

Cantwell was prominently featured in a Vice News documentary about violence in Charlottesville, where another white nationalist allegedly drove into a crowd, killing a counterprotester during the Aug. 12 "Unite the Right" rally. Two state police officers who had been monitoring the protests also died when their helicopter crashed after leaving the scene.

[The rise and humiliating fall of Chris Cantwell, Charlottesvilles starring fascist]

After the rally, Cantwell was charged with one count of malicious bodily injury by means of a caustic substance and two felony counts of illegal use of tear gas. He has been at the Albemarle-Charlottesville jail since he turned himself in to police after posting an emotional video about his arrest warrant.

In response to the video, he was widely dubbed the crying Nazi on social media.

Since then, Cantwell, 36, has called into white nationalist Internet radio shows while also hosting his own from jail  all without violating jail rules. He discusses current events, solicits donations for his legal defense, refers to himself as a "talk-radio personality" and "political prisoner," and appears with other white nationalists such as David Duke, Mike Enoch and "Unite the Right" organizer Jason Kessler.

Cantwell's recordings are sometimes titled "Live from Seg" or "Letters from a Charlottesville Jail"  a take on Martin Luther King Jr.'s famed "Letter from Birmingham Jail," written in 1963 after he was incarcerated for participating in Alabama civil rights protests. In one episode, Cantwell says he was reading books sent by allies to "become a real expert anti-Semite" and describes seeing James A. Fields Jr. , who was housed on the same unit. Fields is accused ramming his car into the crowd of "Unite the Right" counterprotesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer.

In his most recent recording, dated Oct. 26, Cantwell criticizes members of the alt-right who have distanced themselves from white nationalism in the wake of Charlottesville.

[Christopher Cantwell held without bond in connection with Charlottesville protest]



Christopher Cantwell (University of Virginia Police)

This is a war, he said. You want to just play the center in a war between ideological extremes, all youre going to be doing is getting shot at by both sides.

Martin Kumer, the Albemarle-Charlottesville jail superintendent, said administrators know about Cantwells recordings but cant stop them because inmates have a right to freedom of speech. He said Cantwells calls, except for those to legal counsel, are monitored.

We certainly dont allow a podcast from a cellblock. He merely calls someone else whos recording his phone conversation, they digitize the phone conversation, they put it on the blog, Kumer said. Its not as though we provide him with equipment to assist in this matter or condone it, we just dont have any control.

Jonathan M. Smith, executive director of the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, said the First Amendment protects Cantwells speech behind bars, regardless of how offensive some might consider it.

Unless hes running a criminal enterprise using the telephone, or encouraging criminal conduct through broadcasts or phone conversations, theres very little that correctional officials can do to prevent it, he said.

Paul Wright, who was released from prison in 2003 after serving time for felony murder, is the editor of Prison Legal News, a magazine that reports on criminal justice issues. He said prisoners, from former Black Panther and convicted murderer Mumia Abu-Jamal to white nationalists, are allowed to broadcast messages from prison in different ways. From about 1998 to 2000, Wright broadcast a radio show himself from a prison in Washington state.

Just because we disagree with the guy, Im not going to be the one that says, Lets shut him down,  he said of Cantwell.

Cantwell and other white nationalists have been exiled from the Internet since the Charlottesville attack. Links from Cantwells website to his Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube accounts indicate that the accounts are no longer available or were suspended.

In the Oct. 26 broadcast, Cantwell said he hoped to be released after a preliminary hearing on Nov. 9.


Republican Ed Gillespie, Libertarian Cliff Hyra and Democrat Ralph Northam (Steve Helber/AP)

One week from Election Day, Democrat Ralph Northam's lead has narrowed to five percentage points in the Virginia governor's race, with Republican Ed Gillespie closing a motivation gap and consolidating support among conservatives and supporters of President Trump, a new Washington Post-Schar School poll finds.

Northam, the states lieutenant governor, leads among likely voters 49 percent to Gillespies 44 percent, a margin that is not statistically significant. The Democrat was up by 13 points in a Post poll earlier this month. Libertarian Cliff Hyra is at 4 percent, enough to play spoiler if the race remains tight through Tuesday.

Democrats have at least a slight edge in two down-ballot contests, with incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring (D) holding a 49 percent to 43 percent lead against Republican challenger John Adams. In the lieutenant governors race, Democrat Justin Fairfax has a narrow lead over Republican Jill Holtzman Vogel, 49 percent to 43 percent. Vogel would be the first woman to hold the seat, Fairfax the second African American.

[Read full poll results | How the poll was conducted]

The Trump administrations tumultuous first year has overshadowed the contest, and most of the likely voters say their opinion of the president is important to their decision for governor. Gillespie has faced criticism for sponsoring ads focused on Confederate monuments and the danger posed by the Latino MS-13 gang, themes that echo Trumps presidential campaign.

Darwin Byrd, who plans to vote for Northam, said he does not like the fact that Gillespie has made Confederate monuments a central issue.

Ive never seen that come up in any election Ive ever voted in, said Byrd, 55, who is African American. My parents may have, but Ive never seen it in any campaign until this year, which is really unfortunate. It seems like were drifting more toward the Old South.

Byrd, a Democrat who lives in the Tidewater region of the state, also recoiled at a Gillespie ad that blames Northam for violence connected to the MS-13 gang.

I mean, really? he said. Theyre just feeding into a base of fear.

[Ed Gillespie goes from big tent Republican to culture warrior]

But there are only modest signs of backlash in the Post-Schar School of Policy and Government poll, which was conducted Oct. 26-29 among 1,238 Virginians, including 921 likely voters. It carries a four-point margin of sampling error.

Gillespie, a former Republican National Committee chairman, Washington lobbyist and counselor to President George W. Bush, has consolidated support among the GOP base without repelling a significant share of independents and moderates. Voters split about evenly when asked whom they trust to handle illegal immigration, but Gillespie has an eight-percentage-point edge on trust to handle crime and public safety.

Those numbers suggest that Gillespie, who has struggled at times with Virginias purple-state politics in the Trump era, has successfully threaded the needle with his ads. Many of them suggest that the lieutenant governor, a pediatrician and Army doctor who treated soldiers in Operation Desert Storm, would empower illegal immigrants who commit violent crime. Another ad, tied to Northams support for McAuliffes efforts to restore voting rights to felons, suggests he is soft on pedophiles.

The ads have been highly controversial, with critics accusing Gillespie of stoking racist fears and abandoning his oft-stated goal of making the GOP more welcoming to minorities.

But they may be effective  appealing to Build That Wall Trump voters as well as suburbanites unnerved by brutal slayings attributed to the gang.

The MS-13 message has resonated for Paul King of Lynchburg, given the slaying of 17-year-old Raymond Wood in central Virginia in March. Police have charged three MS-13 gang members, all undocumented immigrants, with the crime.

They killed a boy in Forest here, said King, 48, referring to an area in Bedford. You cannot tell me these guys are here legally, he added.

He likes Gillespies promise to ban the establishment of sanctuary cities, a term generally used to refer to localities that do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

In a sign that Democrats fear that Gillespies message is breaking through, the Latino Victory Fund on Monday released a controversial ad of its own. It showed a white man in a truck, decorated with a Confederate flag and a Gillespie bumper sticker, chasing minority children. Gillespie campaign manager Chris Leavitt called it a desperate smear campaign.

The Democratic-aligned advocacy group pulled the ad after Tuesdays deadly truck attack in New York.

[Virginia ad features minority kids chased by truck with Gillespie sticker and Confederate flag]

A slight majority of voters  51 percent  say Gillespie has run a mainly negative campaign, compared with 37 percent who say the same of Northam.

Meanwhile, Gillespie also has shored up support in the swing-voting Northern Virginia exurbs encompassing Loudoun County. Gillespie runs even with Northam at 44 percent after trailing by more than 20 percentage points a month ago. Likely voters are about evenly split between Northam and Gillespie when asked which man they trust to handle taxes  a notable parity given that Gillespie made tax cuts the basis for his campaign. Richmond and its surrounding area and eastern Virginia are also split evenly between the Democrat and the Republican, while voters in the Tidewater region that Northam calls home favor him by double digits. Northam leads Gillespie by a more than 2-to-1 margin in the vote-rich D.C. suburbs, while Gillespie holds a double-digit advantage in the southwest part of the state, 55 percent to 38 percent.

We have a very competitive race, largely about mobilizing the base for each candidate, said Mark Rozell, dean of George Mason Universitys Schar School. If [Gillespie] can make the pitch as he has been to the Trump Republicans, while at the same time maintaining his credibility with establishment Republicans, that will be a real accomplishment.

As the nations only competitive governors race this year, Virginias contest is a measure of whether swing-state Republicans can survive Trumps unpopularity. Gillespie has tried to walk a fine line with the president, keeping him at arms length while also courting Trump voters with red-meat TV ads and campaign surrogates. Gillespie is outpacing Trump with his 44 percent support in the governors race, six points higher than Trumps 38 percent job approval among likely voters.

Gillespie receives 95 percent support from Trump approvers, while Northam garners a significantly smaller 81 percent among those who disapprove of Trumps performance, a group that makes up 59 percent of likely voters.

Sara Ortiz, a 45-year-old Springfield resident, left her presidential ballot blank last year and has been distressed by what she sees as Trumps erratic behavior and his high-profile feuds with members of his own party. But her distaste for Trump has not rubbed off on Gillespie, whom she supports because he seems less likely to raise taxes and shares her socially conservative views.

Gillespie has been in Virginia politics for a long time, and I havent heard the same stories about his personal behavior or his decision-making that you hear about Trump, said Ortiz, a stay-at-home mother who has an MBA in international marketing.

[Want the latest on the Virginia governors race? Join our FB page]

But some swing voters say Trump has turned them off all Republicans, Gillespie included. Gale Robinson, 63, has always prided herself on voting for the person, not the party. She last backed a Republican for governor in 2009, when Robert F. McDonnell won.

But this year, she cant bring herself to support any Republican, because she sees them as enabling Trump. She considers the president a liar and manipulator and was especially aghast when he responded to the summers deadly clashes between white nationalists and counterprotesters in Charlottesville by suggesting that there were very fine people on both sides.

This is the first year I can say in a very long time that, Okay, I dont even have to look at the news. I dont have to look at whats going on, because Im voting straight Democrat,  said the government employee in Richmond. Im really distrustful of the Republican Party because of the leader.

Gillespie has strengthened his advantage among two Republican base groups where his support lagged behind one month ago. Among self-identified conservatives, Gillespies lead over Northam grew from 56 points to 69 points. Gillespies lead among white voters without college degrees has increased from 25 points to 35 points, although he still has room to grow among a group that favored Trump by 47 points in the state in the 2016 election.

Gillespies supporters have also caught up to Northams in motivation to vote and in attention to the race. Among registered voters, an identical 71 percent of both Northam and Gillespie supporters say they are certain to vote or have already done so, a shift from four weeks ago, when Northam backers had a nearly 10-point edge on this measure. The Democrats supporters are more engaged on one measure in the poll, with 62 percent saying it is extremely important to vote in this years election, compared with 53 percent of Gillespie supporters.

Trump has become another motivating factor for voters, with 57 percent of likely voters who approve or disapprove of him saying their view is very or fairly important in deciding their vote for governor. Fully two-thirds of Northams backers, but less than half of Gillespies, say Trump factors into their choice.

I cant stand him, Marsha Moore, 63, said of the president. I would rather see a Democrat in the governors mansion over someone who is just going to sidle up to him. Thats what Gillespie would do.

A lifelong resident of the Shenandoah Valley, Moore argued that Gillespie lost credibility when the New Jersey native began playing up his support for preserving Confederate monuments. Both candidates say localities should decide their fate, but Gillespie prefers that they remain in place while Northam would like them moved to museums.

Joshua Needham, 21, was excited last year to vote for Trump and remains firmly in the presidents camp, saying that Trumps doing really good things to drain the swamp right now.

But Gillespie leaves Needham cold. The Woodbridge resident, who studies business management online through Columbia Southern University, plans to sit out this election. I dont think that his ideology is aligned correctly with Trumps, Needham said. So Im definitely not too interested in him.

Northam maintains several key advantages in the race. He holds double-digit leads over Gillespie on trust to handle race relations and health care, the latter of which voters rated among the two most important issues in their choice for governor earlier this month.

Dartania Emery, 30, believes Northams experience as a physician would lead him to support policies benefiting people like her, who have disabilities.

Emery, who has cerebral palsy and a neurological disorder known as hydrocephalus, worries that Trump will cut Medicaid and Medicare. I really hope he [Northam] blocks them from cutting both programs, said Emery, who lives in the Tidewater region.

Northam benefits from a 52 percent to 41 percent advantage among women, a group that has consistently made up a majority of state voters in recent elections, as well as 89 percent support among African Americans and 73 percent among all nonwhite voters.

Emily Guskin, Fenit Nirappil and Antonio Olivo contributed to this report.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), in background, rallies for Virginia GOP gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie, foreground at right, at the Inspiration Plumbing Co. on Monday in Sterling. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

Outside a rally for Ed Gillespie with Sen. Marco Rubio in Loudoun County on Monday night, immigrant rights activists labeled the Republican candidate for governor racist for a campaign that they say scapegoats immigrants.

Inside, surrounded by supporters, Gillespie talked about how much he has in common with Rubio (R-Fla.), a 2016 candidate for president popular in the Northern Virginia suburbs and a fellow child of immigrants.

The dueling messages came the same day the Latino Victory Fund released an ad featuring a pickup truck flying a Confederate flag and sporting a bumper sticker for Gillespie chasing a group of minority children.

The ad is a response to commercials from Gillespie tying his Democratic opponent, Ralph Northam, to MS-13 gang violence and other ones vowing to protect the states Confederate monuments.

In a plumbing-equipment warehouse in Sterling, Gillespie emphasized biographical details he has in common with Rubio, who often spoke of his Cuban American heritage on the 2016 campaign trail. Gillespies Irish grandfather came to America because he found work as a janitor, he said.



A protester takes the stage after Sen. Marco Rubio R-Fla.) introduces Virginia GOP gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie at the Inspiration Plumbing Co. in Sterling on Monday. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

My parents worked on their feet all day long in the grocery store, Gillespie said. [Rubios] parents worked on their feet all day long. His mother was a hotel maid. His father was a bartender. He, too, is the son of immigrants.

We appreciate and understand the importance of the American Dream, because our parents have seen it here firsthand, he said.

Then he introduced Rubio, but just before the senator took the stage, an activist jumped up on the stage, holding a sign protesting deportations. Sheriffs deputies quickly hustled her out of the building as the audience clapped.

Within minutes, Rubio alluded to the immigration controversy, telling the crowd that Gillespie would work for them no matter where your family came from or how your last name is pronounced.

Rubio said he, too, comes from a community affected by gang violence and said it would make no sense to ignore MS-13 in a state impacted by the gang.

That would be like talking about organized crime but refusing to talk about the Mafia, he said to chuckles from supporters.

Later, he joked about his common Irish heritage with Gillespie, which is why they call him Marc ORubio.

View Graphic The latest stories and details on the 2017 Virginia general election and race for governor.

In our veins runs the blood of people who are go-getters of someone from somewhere who refused to accept the restrictions placed upon them, he said.

Rubio, who won 40 percent of the vote to President Trumps 28 percent in Loudoun County during the Republican presidential primary, smiled when a few people shouted Rubio 2020!

Among his supporters was two-term Rep. Barbara Comstock (R), who spoke on behalf of Gillespie at the start of the hour-long rally.

Last month, the House passed a bill  introduced by Comstock  in response to MS-13 violence that would expand the federal government's powers to deport or detain noncitizen immigrants who are gang members or are suspected of gang activity.

The bill drew the ire of immigrant rights groups, including those who protested the Gillespie rally.

Before the rally, activists from left-leaning organizations CASA in Action, People for the American Way and Indivisible chanted Back up, back up. We want freedom, freedom. All these racist politicians  we dont need them, need them.

Many of them held signs saying Gillespie Racist beneath a black-and-white photo of Gillespie with a red line through it.

Luis Aguilar, a community organizer with CASA in Action who lives in Alexandria, said Gillespie cannot align himself with Rubio or New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, who stumped for him last week, and profess to understand the immigrant experience.

Those politicians absolutely do not exemplify the regular Latino, the regular immigrant, he said. Who are they? The elite. He is showing us that he is an establishment Republican seeking to be Trump Jr. as well.

Lizet Ocampo, the political director for People for the American Way who is based in the District, said Gillespie is trying to win the election based on racism and fear.

He is using racist imagery and language to send his message, she said. When he shows images of Latino-looking people and says Fear them, this is the same thing Trump did when he went down the escalator and said Mexicans are drug dealers and rapists and criminals. Exactly the same campaign strategy.

As protesters chanted Yes we can! Rick Canton of Sterling yelled back Detain! No, you cant and Not a chance.

Canton, a first-generation Cuban American who was among the local GOP activists endorsing Rubio during the primary, later said he believed that the protesters stoked division in politics.

This is not us, he said. This is not America at all. This is not Virginia at all. These are a bunch of liars corrupting what we are trying to do here.

As he spoke, a man nearby watched the protesters and commented, And that womans carrying an American flag  that really makes me sick.

The election is Nov. 7.
Ed Gillespie, left, is the Republican gubernatorial candidate in Virginia; Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam is the Democratic candidate. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie started to close a financial gap with Democratic rival Ralph Northam in October, new filings show.

Gillespie raised $9.7 million between Oct. 1 and Oct. 26, while Northam pulled in nearly $11 million, according to records compiled Tuesday by the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP).

The late flood of campaign money is unprecedented in modern Virginia history, according to VPAP. Together, Gillespie and Northam raised almost twice what the gubernatorial contenders collected in the same period four years ago.

Northam, the states lieutenant governor, also significantly outspent Gillespie in October, $15 million to $10.7 million. Doing so meant losing the 2-to-1 cash advantage he had over Gillespie since the summer.

With 12 days before Election Day, Northam had $1.7 million left in campaign accounts to Gillespies $1.4 million. Libertarian candidate Cliff Hyra raised $11,000 in the October period, ending with about $5,000 on hand.

The Republican Governors Association on Monday gave $2.8 million to Gillespies campaign  the largest single donation to a gubernatorial candidate in recent memory, according to VPAP.

The newly formed National Democratic Redistricting Committee, chaired by former U.S. attorney general Eric H. Holder Jr. to target state-level races, gave an additional $200,000 to the Democratic Party of Virginia on Tuesday.

[Interested in following Virginias governors race? Join our Facebook group]

The tightening of the money race comes as most polls show Northam with a slight lead or in a dead heat with Gillespie, a longtime GOP operative. Virginias governors race is widely viewed as a test of politics in the era of President Trump and a hint of whats to come in next years midterm elections.

Gillespie has been airing hard-edge ads seeking to tie Northam to MS-13 gang violence and a sex offender who briefly got his rights restored. Northam countered with a commercial blasting Gillespie's ads as "false attacks" and "despicable," while the Latino Victory Fund released a controversial commercial featuring a Gillespie supporter in a pickup truck chasing a group of minority children.

The ad was pulled late Tuesday after a terrorism attack in New York City in which a rental truck ran down people on a bike path.

Virginia does not limit campaign donations and allows outside groups to coordinate directly with campaigns  allowing for money to gush into competitive contests.

View Graphic The latest stories and details on the 2017 Virginia general election and race for governor.

Gillespie's earlier fundraising troubles raised questions about why a well-connected former head of the Republican National Committee  and a lobbyist and consultant for Fortune 500 companies  wasn't able to keep up.

In the October filing period, the Republican Governors Association poured $4.75 million into Gillespies bid, nearly half his haul. He also received $250,000 from Marlene Ricketts, a conservative donor who bankrolled an effort to stop Trump from securing the GOP nomination. Investment banker and GOP donor Thomas Saunders and Haulover Creek Development Co. each pitched in $100,000.

[What Va. voters can agree on: These guys are from different planets]

Progressive groups and unions kept the spigots flowing for Northam. In addition to $3.2 million from the Democratic Governors Association, Northam received $560,000 from the gun-control group Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and roughly $300,000 from the Virginia League of Conservation Voters.

Candidates financial reports dont capture the full money picture in Virginias governors race because of the involvement of outside groups.

On the Republican side, the Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity is spending at least $2.8 million on anti-Northam advertising.

Northam also has a constellation of progressive groups running field and digital operations to help him, but not all of it is reported as "in-kind" financial support.

Republicans were also catching up financially in other statewide contests  which also saw record-shattering late money.

In the race to succeed Northam as lieutenant governor, Republican Jill Holtzman Vogel, a state senator from Fauquier County, raised $1.4 million to Democrat Justin Fairfaxs $1.3 million.

Earlier fundraising leads allowed Fairfax to maintain his advantage in available cash, with $518,000 as of Oct. 26 to Vogels $124,000.

[Lieutenant governor candidates spar in last debate]

But Vogel may have closed that gap: Her father, businessman William Holtzman, lent her $400,000 the day after the filling period ended. He had previously given her $650,000.

Democratic Attorney General Mark R. Herring's bid for a second term has also attracted a flood of money from national groups.

Herring collected $2.7 million, about $1 million of which came from the Democratic Attorneys General Association.

His Republican challenger, John Adams, raised $3.4 million in October, the vast majority of which came from the Republican Attorneys General Association. The GOP group gave another $2.2 million after the filing period closed.

Herring ended the period with $1.5 million, while Adams had about $170,000, excluding the new infusion from the Republican Attorneys General Association.

Also on Tuesdays ballot are candidates for all 100 seats in the House of Delegates, where Republicans have a 66-to-34 majority.

Topping the fundraising charts was a heated contest in a southwest Virginia district carried by Hillary Clinton in November.

[Yost vs Hurst contest in a polarized district defies national party narratives]

Republican incumbent Joseph Yost raised $535,000 in October, much of it from fellow GOP lawmakers. His Democratic challenger, Chris Hurst, a former TV anchor whose girlfriend was fatally shot during a live broadcast, raised $483,000. Both ended the period with about $127,000.

In all, Democratic candidates raised $6.4 million in October to Republicans $4.7 million. But Republicans have accumulated a war chest over years of incumbency in the state legislature, leaving candidates with $5.5 million heading into the campaigns final stretch to Democrats $2.7 million.

The political action committees of Republican and Democratic House leaders were not required to file finance reports for October, leaving an incomplete picture of finances in those contests.
Climate change significantly imperils public health globally, according to a new report that chronicles the many hazards and symptoms already being seen. The authors describe its manifestations as unequivocal and potentially irreversible.

Heat waves are striking more people, disease-carrying mosquitoes are spreading and weather disasters are becoming more common, the authors note in the report published Monday by the British medical journal the Lancet. Climate change is a "threat multiplier," they write, and its blows hit hardest in the most vulnerable communities, where people are suffering from poverty, water scarcity, inadequate housing or other crises.

"We've been quite shocked and surprised by some of the results," said Nick Watts, a fellow at University College London's Institute for Global Health and executive director of the Lancet Countdown, a project aimed at examining the links between climate change and public health.

The effort involved 63 researchers from two dozen institutions worldwide, including climate scientists as well as ecologists, geographers, economists, engineers, mathematicians, political scientists and experts who study food, transportation and energy.

It is the latest in several Lancet reports to focus on climate change. In 2009, a Lancet commission described climate change as "the biggest global health threat of the 21st century." In 2015, a second commission recognized that the innovations required to match this threat represented "the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century."

The Countdown, as its ticking-clock title suggests, outlines the way humans are adapting  or not  to a rapidly evolving climate. It was announced last year during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Morocco. The project, a synthesis of scientific literature and media reports, tracks 40 indicators of human health, including migration, nutrition and air pollution.

Given the profound health dangers posed by a warming climate, the studys authors focused on a key question: How well is the world responding?

The answer is, most of our indicators are headed in the wrong direction, Watts said. Broadly, the world has not responded to climate change, and that lack of response has put lives at risk . . . The impacts were experiencing today are already pretty bad. The things were talking about in the future are potentially catastrophic.

Hotter global temperatures are exacting a human toll. Although the increase since 2000 may seem slight  about 0.75 degrees Fahrenheit  the planet is not a uniform oven. Local spikes can be dramatic and dangerous. Heat waves, defined as extreme temperatures that persist for at least three days, are on the rise.

Between 2000 and 2016, the number of people exposed to heat waves climbed by 125 million vulnerable adults, according to the report. During 2015, the worst year on record, 175 million people suffered through sweltering temperatures.

Watts also cited the rising number of deaths from floods, storms and other weather disasters. Each year between 2007 and 2016, the world saw an average of 300 weather disasters  a 46 percent increase from the decade between 1990 and 1999. In the 25 years since 1990, these disasters claimed more than 500,000 lives.

The number of potentially infectious bites from the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which spreads viruses such as dengue fever and Zika, is up 9 percent over 1950s levels.

And in recent years, the ranks of climate change migrants have grown. Just in the United States, more than 3,500 Alaskans have fled coastal erosion and permafrost melts. Twenty-five homes have been abandoned on Louisiana's Isle de Jean Charles, which is being overtaken by the Gulf of Mexico. In 2016, its former residents became the first to receive federal funds for a climate change retreat.

If governments and the global health community do not learn from the past experiences of HIV/AIDS and the recent outbreaks of Ebola and Zika viruses, the authors warn in the paper, another slow response will result in an irreversible and unacceptable cost to human health.

But Mondays report also finds glimmers of hope, Watts said. For example, many countries are moving away from coal-fired power plants, which are a source both of carbon emissions that fuel global warming and pollution that can cause immediate health problems in nearby communities.

After President Trump's announcement in June that the United States would pull out of the Paris climate accord, the global response to climate change has been heartening, the authors write, "affirming clear political will and ambition to reach the treaty's targets." Nicaragua, previously a holdout because it said the treaty was not stringent enough, is set to join the Paris agreement, leaving only Syria and the United States opposed.

Watts and his co-authors note the ways people are trying to cope with the effects of climate change  spending less time outdoors, for example  even as they warn that the world cannot rely on adaptation alone.

If anybody says we can adapt our way out of this, the answer is, of course you cant, he said. Some of the changes were talking about are so enormous, you cant adapt your way out.

Read more:

Food scarcity caused by climate change could cause 500,000 deaths by 2050, study suggests

As the climate changes, risks to human health will accelerate, White House warns
Federal health officials are proposing changes to rules for coverage sold through the Affordable Care Acts insurance marketplaces that, starting in 2019, would let states alter the benefits that health plans must provide and limit enrollment help for consumers.

The proposals reflect Republicans broad desire to weaken federal powers under the 2010 health-care law and remove various props that have led millions of Americans to get ACA insurance. Yet as rules, rather than changes in law, the revisions would not be as far-reaching as the GOP bills that Congress failed to pass this year.

In envisioning a larger role for states in setting benefits, the draft rule would still require ACA plans to cover 10 categories of medical services. But for the first time, any state could adopt benefits standards already in use by another state  or rewrite its own standards. This could lead to fewer visits being covered for certain types of care or to shorter hospital stays, health policy experts said.

The proposal also would undo a requirement that each ACA marketplaces geographic area have at least two enrollment-assistance organizations, known as navigators, and that one of them be a consumer-oriented nonprofit. One navigator would suffice, and it would no longer need to be physically in the area served. The reduction, the proposed rule says, would allow ACA exchanges to more easily operate these programs with limited resources.

In addition, the draft rules would shift responsibility entirely to states  or outside accreditors  to decide whether each marketplace health plan has enough doctors and other providers of care in its network to guarantee patients reasonable access. The move would reverse government moves in recent years to strengthen federal network standards under the ACA.

Yet another proposed rule would allow states, with federal permission, to release insurers selling individual health plans from a requirement that they devote at least 80 percent of the premiums they collect toward customers care. The shift would essentially allow insurers in volatile markets to take more of their revenue as profits.

Posted at the end of last week by the Office of Management and Budget, without any announcement as has been customary from the Health and Human Services Department, the 365-page draft is the latest version of an annual ritual in which federal health officials suggest updates to ACA marketplace rules for the year after next.

In this first "notice of benefit and payment parameters" since President Trump took office, the tone differs substantially from the three notices of the Obama era. About a year ago, the last such notice of the Obama administration began its executive summary by saying that the ACA was "making high quality health insurance coverage and care more affordable and accessible to millions of Americans." The new draft contains no such statement and instead reiterates Trump's frequent contention that the law has destabilized insurance marketplaces in many parts of the country.

Several health policy experts said it is difficult to predict the impact the draft rules would have because it would hinge on what states do. Michael Adelberg, a principal at Faegre Baker Daniels Consulting who helped to implement parts of the ACA during the previous administration, said Monday that allowing substitutions within the laws benefit categories could affect available health plans, assuming the states want to go there.

At Families USA, a liberal consumer health lobby, Claire McAndrew said that the prospect of fewer navigators, looser benefits rules and a decrease in the percentage of revenue that insurers must spend on health services will harm consumers ability to get and maintain high-quality, affordable, comprehensive health coverage and care.

Juliet Eilperin contributed to this report.

Read more:

Fifth years ACA enrollment season opens with daunting obstacles

Timing of White House actions unrolling parts of ACA couldnt be worse, states say
Scott Pruitt, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, no longer will allow scientists with EPA funding to serve on its scientific advisory boards. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency upended the agencys key advisory groups on Tuesday, announcing plans to jettison scientists who have received EPA grants.

The move sets in motion a fundamental shift, one that could change the scientific and technical advice that historically has guided the agency as it crafts environmental regulations. The decision to bar any researcher who receives EPA grant money from serving as an adviser appears to be unprecedented.

It is very, very important to ensure independence, to ensure that were getting advice and counsel independent of the EPA, Administrator Scott Pruitt told reporters Tuesday.

He estimated that the members of three different committees  the Scientific Advisory Board, the Clean Air Science Advisory Committee and the Board of Scientific Counselors  had collectively accepted $77 million in EPA grants over the last three years. He noted that researchers will have the option of ending their grant or continuing to advise EPA, but they cant do both.

EPA will not impose a similar litmus test on scientific advisers who receive grants from outside sources. But Pruitt said they will undergo the same sort of ethics review that is already in place to ensure that there arent issues of potential conflict with areas that theyre working upon.

The agency made an effort to enlist researchers from a wider range of states to broaden the panels outlook, he said. Members will include experts from 40 states and the District of Columbia, he said, reflecting the addition of researchers from Alaska and several states in the middle of the country.

We want to ensure geographical representation, he said. We want to ensure the independence and integrity of the process through the decisions were making.

Pruitt did not announce his selections for new appointees to the Science Advisory Board, but a list obtained by The Washington Post from multiple individuals familiar with the likely appointments includes several categories of experts  voices from regulated industries, academics and environmental regulators from conservative states, and researchers who have a history of critiquing the science and economics underpinning tighter environmental regulations. They would replace a number of scientists who currently have agency grants and whose terms are expiring.

Terry F. Yosie, who was the advisory boards director during the Reagan administration, said the changes represent a major purge of independent scientists and a decision to sideline the SAB from major EPA decision-making in the future.

Environmental and scientific groups were quick to condemn the changes and question Pruitts motives on Tuesday.

Pruitt is turning the idea of conflict of interest on its head  he claims federal research grants should exclude a scientist from an EPA advisory board but industry funding shouldnt, Andrew Rosenberg, director of the Center for Science and Democracy at the Union for Concerned Scientists, said in a statement. The consequences of these decisions arent just bad for a few scientists. This could mean that theres no independent voice ensuring that EPA follows the science on everything from drinking water pollution to atmospheric chemical exposure.

But industry groups and conservative lawmakers, including longtime EPA critic Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.), who attended the announcement, applauded the action.

The changes announced today will help ensure EPAs scientific review panels are well balanced with perspectives from qualified scientists of diverse backgrounds and board members are free of any disqualifying conflicts of interest, American Chemistry Council president Cal Dooley said in a statement.

Pruitt had foreshadowed the sweeping changes in a speech this month at the Heritage Foundation that he planned to rid the agency's scientific advisory boards of researchers with EPA funding. He argued that the current structure raises questions about their independence, though he did not voice similar objections to industry-funded scientists.

Whats most important at the agency is to have scientific advisers that are objective, independent-minded, providing transparent recommendations, Pruitt said at the time. If we have individuals who are on those boards, sometimes receiving money from the agency . . . that to me causes questions on the independence and the veracity and the transparency of those recommendations that are coming our way.

Among the expected appointees are sharp proponents of deregulation who have argued both in academic circles and while serving in government that federal regulators need to raise the bar before imposing new burdens on the private sector.

John D. Graham, who now serves as dean of Indiana Universitys School of Public and Environmental Affairs, launched a major deregulatory push while head of the Office of Management and Budgets Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs under George W. Bush. He repeatedly informed agencies that they had not sufficiently justified the rules they wanted to enact, establishing a process under the Data Quality Act that allowed petitioners to ask agencies to withdraw information that did not meet OMB standards for quality, objectivity, utility and integrity.

Anne Smith, who serves as managing director of NERA Economic Consulting and co-heads its environmental practice, belongs to a firm that has done extensive work for groups that fought the Obama administrations regulatory agenda. In June, President Trump cited a report NERA produced for the American Council for Capital Formation and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce when announcing his decision to exit the international Paris climate agreement. The report projected that meeting Americas commitment under the accord would mean as much as 2.7 million lost jobs by 2025.

That study was based on several assumptions, including the idea that the United States would meet its emissions targets not by maximizing energy efficiency or other low-cost approaches but by forcing the industrial sector to cut emissions by 40 percent between 2005 and 2025. The report did not take into account potential benefits from lowered greenhouse gas emissions or technological advances that could make cutting carbon emissions cheaper.

At least three potential appointees have backgrounds working for large corporations with activities now or potentially regulated by the EPA, including the French oil giant Total, Phillips 66 and Southern Co., one the largest U.S. utilities.

One of them, Larry Monroe, was previously chief environmental officer at Southern, which has millions of customers in the Southeast. Monroe has particular expertise in how the EPA regulated emissions from coal-fired power plants and criticized the Obama administrations Clean Power Plan, which Pruitt is trying to roll back. Monroe argued that the plan, intended to reduce carbon emissions, was unworkable and would increase electricity prices to customers while hurting reliability.

In addition, the group includes those who have, like Pruitt, battled the EPA in the past. One is Michael Honeycutt, head of the Texas Commission on Environmental Qualitys toxicology division, who Pruitt announced Tuesday as the new head of the Science Advisory Board. Honeycutt has suggested that the health risks associated with smog are overstated.

The move to prohibit anyone receiving EPA grant money from serving on the board has prompted questions and criticism from independent researchers and from some of the agencys current advisers, who noted that they follow strict ethics procedures to avoid conflicts of interest.

Robyn Wilson, an Ohio State University professor and an advisory board member who specializes in risk analysis, said in an interview that she received a grant this year to work on a project evaluating the extent to which federal funds spent on restoring the Great Lakes have made an impact. The agency approved a roughly $750,000 grant that will be divided among about 10 researchers at three different institutions; about $150,000 would go to Ohio State.

You want people there with expertise, who have experience with the issues EPA is dealing with, Wilson said, adding that with each assignment board members must go through a pretty elaborate conflict of interest process to make clear that they dont have a stake in the outcome.

Angela Nugent, who previously worked for the EPA as the designated federal officer for the board, said that the determination regarding EPA grants would differ from how the agency used to determine when a conflict of interest had occurred.

It would be a major departure from current policy to assume that board members have a conflict of interest merely based on their grants, she said.

In the past, Nugent said, the board has required financial disclosures from members in relation to each particular study or project on which they were advising. Determinations of conflict of interest were then made relating to the specifics of the subject matter conflicts, rather than a blanket bar because an individual had an EPA grant.

Current advisory members reached out to Pruitt on Sept. 13, formally asking him to meet with them so they could discuss his agenda and their role in advising the agency.

Such a meeting would afford you the opportunity to highlight EPA activities and priorities and would allow for a dialogue on how best the SAB can work to ensure the highest quality science supports Agencys policies and decisions, wrote board chair Peter Thorne, a professor of occupational and environmental health at the University of Iowa. The SAB stands ready to serve and encourages you to take full advantage of the vital resource we can provide.

Pruitt never met with the group.

Chris Mooney contributed to this report.

Read more:

Let us do our job: Anger erupts over EPAs apparent muzzling of scientists

EPA just gave notice to dozens of scientific advisory board members that their time is up
NATIONAL SECURITY

Capture of suspect in 2012 Benghazi attacks

U.S. Special Operations forces have captured a militant who was instrumental in the 2012 attacks on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, officials said Monday.

The attacks resulted in the death of the U.S. ambassador to the country and three other Americans. The Obama administrations handling of the deadly assaults became a lightning rod for Republican criticism of Hillary Clinton, who was secretary of state at the time, through her presidential campaign.

The commandos captured the man in Libya just before midnight local time on Sunday and are transporting him back to the United States, the officials said. The suspect is in the custody of the Justice Department and is expected to arrive on a military plane within the next two days, according to one of the officials. The officials said the mission was approved by President Trump and done in coordination with Libyas internationally recognized government.

The officials, who werent authorized to speak publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, did not identify the suspect and would not say where he was captured.

The Sept. 11, 2012, attacks killed U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, State Department information management officer Sean Patrick Smith and contract security officers Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.

Stevens and Smith died in a burning diplomatic outpost despite efforts to rescue them. Woods and Doherty died nearly eight hours later in a mortar attack on a nearby CIA complex.

This month, another man accused in the attacks, Ahmed Abu Khattala, went on trial in federal court in Washington. Abu Khattala has pleaded not guilty

to the 18 charges against him, including murder of an internationally protected person, providing material support to terrorists, and destroying U.S. property while causing death.

 Associated Press

WEATHER

East Coast storm cuts power to thousands

A severe storm packing hurricane-force wind gusts and soaking rain swept through the Northeast early Monday, knocking out power to nearly 1.5 million homes and businesses and forcing hundreds of schools to close in New England.

Falling trees knocked down power lines across the region, and some utility companies warned customers that power could be out for days. Trees also fell onto homes and vehicles, but no serious injuries were reported.

New England got the brunt of the storm, which brought sustained winds of up to 50 mph in spots. A gust of 130 mph was reported at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire, while winds hit 82 mph in Mashpee on Cape Cod in Massachusetts.

The storm left 450,000 New Hampshire residents without power at its peak and produced wind gusts of 78 mph, emergency officials said.

Maine also was hit hard, with 492,000 homes and businesses losing electricity. The Portland International Jetport recorded a wind gust of 69 mph, and the Amtrak Downeaster service canceled a morning run because of downed trees on the tracks.

Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) issued a state of emergency proclamation, allowing drivers of electrical line repair vehicles to work more hours than federal law allows to speed up power restoration.

The storm began making its way up the East Coast on Sunday, the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Sandy. That 2012 storm devastated the nations most populous areas and was blamed for at least 182 deaths in the United States and the Caribbean, as well as more than $71 billion in damage in the United States alone.

 Associated Press

NEW YORK

Detectives accused of raping teenager

Two detectives threatened an 18-year-old woman with arrest over a bottle of prescription pills, handcuffed her, drove her around in their police van and then raped her, authorities said Monday in announcing charges against the two.

The detectives, Eddie Martins and Richard Hall, were arraigned Monday on a 50-count indictment that included rape and kidnapping counts, said acting Brooklyn district attorney Eric Gonzalez. He said DNA recovered from the woman matched both defendants.

Martinss attorney, Mark Bederow, vowed to vigorously challenge the case.

The woman said the detectives assaulted her on Sept. 15 while they were on duty.

 Associated Press

CALIFORNIA

Teens death raises toll in wildfires to 43

A teenage girl died in a hospital three weeks after she was severely burned in a fire that tore through Mendocino County, raising the death toll in Californias wildfires this month to 43.

Kressa Shepherd, 17, died Sunday night at a Sacramento hospital, her aunt, Mindi Ramos, said Monday.

A neighbor found Kressa and her mother, Sara, lying on the ground outside their home in a rural neighborhood in Redwood Valley. Both had more than half their bodies burned.

Kressas brother, Kai Shepherd, 14, was found dead. He was among the youngest who died in the wildfires. First responders found their father, Jon Shepherd, separately, on the mountain. He was also badly burned but alive.

Sara, 40, and Jon Shepherd, 44, remain hospitalized and have gone through several grafting surgeries.

 Associated Press
TWIN FALLS  The Idaho Small Business Development Center is hosting a series of trainings for businesses during November on the College of Southern Idaho campus, 315 Falls Ave.

To register for these events, visit Idahosbdc.org or call 208-732-6455 for more information.

Identity Theft and Scams and Social Media Marketing will be offered from noon to 2 p.m. Nov. 8 in Evergreen C77. Co-sponsored by the Small Business Administration, the event is free.

The Square and the Triangle Leadership Training will be offered from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Nov. 14 in Taylor 276. A second session will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Nov. 15 in the same location. The cost is $79 per ticket, which includes a catered meal. Nationally-requested leadership speaker Mark Stevens will help bring out your inner leader and teach you how to identify and engage with peers and other leaders in daily activities.

Start-up Seminar will be offered from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Nov. 16 in Evergreen C93. The pre-registration cost is $30 or $40 at the door. This two-hour course provides start-ups with the knowledge and tools to build a successful foundation for business.

Doing Business With the Government will be offered from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Nov. 17 in Evergreen C93. The event is free. The course provides you with all the details needed to get started on government contracting. Co-sponsored by Idahos PTAC coordinator, this event is a must for anyone who is currently working with the government or would like to start.

Small Business Insurance Workshop will be offered from noon to 2 p.m. Nov. 20 in Taylor 276. The event is free. Co-sponsored by PFNF, this session is meant to engage small business owners in a conversation about the cost of healthcare for its employees and how to combat the high prices that make it almost impossible.
SOUTH KOREA

Relations back on track with China after dispute

South Korea and China have agreed to normalize all forms of cooperation and exchanges expeditiously following a year-long standoff over the deployment of a U.S. antimissile system in South Korea, the Souths Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

Both sides shared the view that the strengthening of exchange and cooperation between Korea and China serves their common interests and agreed to expeditiously bring exchange and cooperation in all areas back on a normal development track, the ministry said in a statement.

South Koreas President Moon Jae-in will hold a summit meeting with Chinas President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of an upcoming summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation countries in Vietnam on Nov. 10-11, a Moon spokesman said Tuesday.

In response to the missile defense systems deployment, China has issued angry rhetoric and South Korean businesses operating in China have suffered economic retaliation.

China believes the system poses a threat to its own security. Seoul and Washington say it is purely aimed at defending South Korea against North Korean threats.

 From news services

ISRAEL

Gaza militant tunnel discovered, detonated

The Israeli military said it discovered and detonated a militant tunnel on Monday that was dug from the Gaza Strip into Israel, in a rare flare-up along the tense border that has remained largely quiet since a 2014 war with Gazas Hamas rulers.

Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, said that this active tunnel, which was still being dug, was discovered because of groundbreaking technology and that forces blew it up inside Israeli territory.

He called the tunnel a grave and unacceptable violation of Israeli sovereignty and said Israel holds Hamas responsible.

A Gaza Health Ministry spokesman said seven people were killed in the blast. At least nine who were wounded were taken to a hospital. Witnesses identified five of the casualties as members of the Iranian-backed militant group Islamic Jihad. Hamas said one of its members died when he entered the tunnel to evacuate the wounded.

During the 2014 war, Hamas militants on several occasions made their way into Israel through a tunnel network that caught Israel off guard. Israel destroyed 32 tunnels during that conflict, and it has since made neutralizing the tunnel threat a top priority.

The militarys discovery followed word from the United Nations refugee agency that it had found what appeared to be a tunnel beneath one of the schools it operates in Gaza.

 Associated Press

DENMARK

Police: Inventor admits dismembering reporter

A Danish inventor has admitted dismembering a Swedish journalist who disappeared from his homemade submarine in August and has changed his story about how she died but still denies killing her, police said Monday.

According to Copenhagen police, Peter Madsen now says Kim Wall died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning inside the submarine while he was on deck. He had previously said she died after being accidentally hit by a hatch in the submarines tower.

Madsen acknowledged that he dismembered her body and threw it into Koge Bay, southwest of Copenhagen, police said.

Walls torso was found on the southern Copenhagen coast in late August, and her head, legs and clothes were found at sea this month.

Wall was working on a story about Madsen and was last seen aboard his submarine as it left Copenhagen in August. The next day, Madsen was rescued from the sinking submarine without Wall. Police believe he deliberately sank the vessel.

Madsen is charged with murder and mutilating Walls body. On Monday, police said the charges now include sexual assault without intercourse.

 Associated Press

Macron signs counterterrorism law: French President Emmanuel Macron has signed a sweeping counterterrorism law that replaces a two-year-old state of emergency. The law gives enforcement agencies greater authority to conduct searches, close religious facilities and restrict the movements of people suspected of extremist ties. The state of emergency expires Wednesday.

Kuwait's emir orders cabinet dissolved: Kuwait's ruler ordered his cabinet dissolved, heading off a potentially embarrassing no-confidence vote by parliament against one of his ministers. Sheikh Sabah Ahmed al-Sabah's order sets up the current cabinet as a caretaker government. The move comes after lawmakers grilled the acting information minister, a member of the ruling family, over budget issues.

 From news services
AFGHANISTAN

Attack kills 7 in Kabuls diplomatic enclave

A suicide bomber on foot penetrated Kabuls fortified diplomatic area Tuesday, leaving at least seven people dead and wounding more than 20 in the first blast to strike the Afghan capitals Green Zone since May 31, when a bomb killed 150 people.

Police said all the victims were Afghan civilians, mostly people who worked in embassies, Afghan government facilities and other offices inside the barricaded zone.

The Islamic State, through its Amaq News Agency, asserted responsibility for the blast. It followed a bloody streak of attacks across the country by Taliban and Islamic State insurgents in the past several weeks.

Officials said the target of the bombing was not clear, but the site was close to the Canadian and British embassies as well as half a dozen Afghan government offices.

 Pamela Constable and Sayed Salahuddin

IRAN

Khamenei said to have restricted missile range

Irans supreme leader has restricted the range of ballistic missiles manufactured in the country to 2,000 kilometers, or 1,240 miles, the head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Corps said Tuesday, which limits their reach to regional targets.

The comments on Ayatollah Ali Khameneis orders appear to be an effort by Iran to contrast its missile program, which it often describes as being for defensive purposes, against those of nations such as North Korea, which poses a threat to the United States.

The 1,240-mile range encompasses much of the Middle East, including Israel and U.S. military bases in the region. Irans ballistic missile program was not included in the 2015 nuclear deal that it struck with world powers.

Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari said the capability of Irans ballistic missiles is enough for now.

 Associated Press

Libyans accuse Egypt of bombing civilians: Lawmakers and forces controlling an eastern Libyan city accused Egypt of conducting airstrikes that killed a dozen civilians, including an entire family. Lawmaker Hamad al-Bandaq said jets bombed a house in Darna, killing at least 12 people. A separate airstrike reportedly killed a shepherd and his family. Egypt, which has been fighting militants, was carrying out strikes to deter what it called "any attempt of infiltrating or smuggling."

Oxfam dismisses 22 over sexual abuse allegations: British aid agency Oxfam said it had dismissed 22 staff members over allegations of sexual abuse in the past year. Media reports of inappropriate behavior by Oxfam staff emerged amid heightened attention on sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace after allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Oxfam said it dealt with 87 claims involving its workers in the year that ended in April.

 From news services
Columnist

The news that the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee paid for research used in the discredited Trump-Russia "dossier" is a bombshell. But even more shocking  and overlooked  is the revelation that the firm the Clinton campaign hired to compile that dossier, Fusion GPS, is the same firm that has been accused in recent congressional testimony of launching a smear campaign in Washington against Sergei Magnitsky, the Russian lawyer who was tortured and killed in a Russian prison in 2009 after uncovering a $230 million tax theft by 23 Kremlin-linked companies and individuals close to President Vladimir Putin.

Which raises the question no one seems to be asking: Why was Hillary Clinton using an opposition research company with Putin-linked clients to dig up dirt on Donald Trump?

The claimed link that was identified in congressional testimony has its roots in the Putin regime's lobbying for the repeal of the 2012 Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act, which froze assets and banned visas for Russians involved in or benefiting from Magnitsky's murder, as well as for others involved in torture, extrajudicial killings or abuses against those seeking to promote human rights or expose illegal activity by Russian officials. So far, some 35 Putin cronies have been sanctioned under the act, infuriating the Russian president.

After the act passed, prominent Magnitsky supporters in Russia began to be mysteriously poisoned, thrown off buildings or shot on bridges in front of the Kremlin. At the same time  according to testimony by Magnitsky's boss, Hermitage Capital Management chief executive William Browder, recently made to the Senate Judiciary Committee  Fusion GPS launched a lobbying campaign in Washington to repeal the Magnitsky Act by charging (a) that Magnitsky was not murdered and (b) that he and Browder were, in fact, the ones responsible for the tax fraud. Of course, Magnitsky was blameless, and Browder's only crime was that he virtually single-handedly led the charge for passage of the Magnitsky Act  originally opposed by the Obama administration, including Clinton's State Department.

One of the faces of the campaign to repeal the Magnitsky Act was the Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya (the same lawyer who famously met with Donald Trump Jr. in 2016). She visited the United States in 2016 ostensibly to lobby on adoption issues (Putin had barred Americans from adopting Russian children in response to the passage of the Magnitsky Act), but her real purpose was to push the repeal of the act and prevent the passage of a global law bearing Magnitsky's name. Concurrently, Veselnitskaya defended Prevezon, a company sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act for laundering money from the tax fraud Magnitsky uncovered. Prevezon is owned by Denis Katsyv, a Putin-linked oligarch and son of a former Russian government minister.

In July, Browder appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he testified that Prevezon "hired Glenn Simpson of the firm Fusion GPS to conduct a smear campaign against me and Sergei Magnitsky. . . . He contacted a number of major newspapers and other publications to spread false information that Sergei Magnitsky was not murdered, was not a whistleblower and was instead a criminal." As a former Wall Street Journal reporter, Simpson had extensive contacts with his former media colleagues he could use to spread anti-Magnitsky propaganda.

In an interview with me, Browder alleged that Glenn Simpson was trying, on behalf of the Putin regime, to cover up the murder of Sergei Magnitsky, knowingly lying to journalists in Washington to write false stories. . . . Natalia Veselnitskaya hired him to lie, and Natalia Veselnitskaya was working for Putin. So its pretty clear to me that this was a major Putin operation. (In a statement, Fusion GPS counsel Joshua Levy strongly denied Browders claims: William Browder has an ax to grind with Fusion GPS. His retaliatory attacks on the company are not supported by a shred of evidence. His latest claim that Fusion GPS was hired by the Kremlin to cover up the murder of Sergei Magnitsky  five years after it occurred  is untrue and defamatory. His death was a tragedy, and no one at Fusion GPS has ever said anything to the contrary.)

Earlier this year, Browder filed a complaint with the Justice Department accusing Fusion GPS and others involved in the anti-Magnitsky campaign of unlawfully lobbying on behalf of Russian interests in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. In a letter to the department, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) wrote, "The issue is of particular concern to the Committee given that when Fusion GPS reportedly was acting as an unregistered agent of Russian interests, it appears to have been simultaneously overseeing the creation of the unsubstantiated dossier of allegations of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Russians."

Here's the bottom line: We have congressional testimony, under oath, that Clinton hired the same firm to smear Trump that Putin reportedly used to smear Magnitsky. Moreover, we also know that the Fusion GPS dossier relied on senior Russian government officials for much of the dirt it compiled, including "a senior Russian Foreign Ministry figure" and a "former top level intelligence officer still active in the Kremlin." Together, those are bombshell revelations.

Yet today, there is barely a peep in the mainstream media about the Clinton-Fusion-Putin connection. Imagine the outrage that would have ensued if we had learned that Trump had hired an opposition research firm with Putin-linked clients to dig up dirt on Clinton and that senior Russian government officials had been the sources of the unsubstantiated allegations that were leaked to the media. The left would be screaming, Smoking gun!

None of this absolves the Trump campaign of collusion charges. But there is now more public evidence about Clintons collusion with Russia than there is about any such collusion by Trump.

Read more from Marc Thiessen's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
Columnist

It's always the anniversary of something or other. In November, we have the Russian Revolution and the Balfour Declaration, and this week marks the 500th year since Martin Luther challenged the Roman Catholic Church with his 95 theses. Given the loopy zeitgeist of our times, I should rush into the street and mark the occasion by defacing Protestant churches with the customary red paint of protest. Luther, after all, was more than the creator of Protestantism. He was also a rotten anti-Semite.

The red paint has in recent days been splashed on the statue of Theodore Roosevelt that stands before New York's American Museum of Natural History. The old Rough Rider is accused of championing colonialism (guilty) and embracing much of the racism of his times (guilty). For example, he was fond of saying "I don't go so far as to think that the only good Indians are dead Indians, but I believe nine out of ten are, and I shouldn't like to inquire too closely into the case of the 10th."

A bit farther downtown, the statue of Christopher Columbus has been similarly assailed, he for his brutal, genocidal treatment of the Arawak Indians, of whom there are few left. Chris long ago got his holiday, but he is finally also getting his due. The same applies to the many statues of Civil War figures, extolled in bronze or whatever for their gallant defense of slavery and racism. Some of these got the red-paint treatment and have come down. It's about time. Treason can sometimes be noble; racism never is.

But does Luther also deserve a splash of red? The evidence is pretty shocking, not to mention definitive. In 1543, he published "On the Jews and Their Lies," in which he called my ancestors "base and whoring people" full of the "devil's feces . . . they wallow in like swine." He had all sorts of ideas for what to do with the Jews, including the wholesale liquidation of their synagogues, even homes, and a ban on the teaching of their rabbis "on pain of loss of life and limb."

To be sure, Luthers Jew-hatred was typical for the time, but Luther himself was hardly typical. He was a powerful, colloquial writer, and his words surely had some effect. He was the founder of a church, or a movement, that now numbers nearly 1 billion. But more pertinently, he provided a religious imprimatur to German anti-Semitism, which culminated in the Holocaust. Luther was often cited by the Nazis, but it would be wrong to blame him alone for the murder of 6 million souls.

As far as Im concerned, Luther is a flawed figure. I can appreciate  even applaud  his reforms, but they mean little to me. Nevertheless, I spare him the red paint because I know his Jew-hatred is hugely negligible compared with the Reformation he initiated and, not insignificantly, the role he played in encouraging literacy. He wrote in German, not Latin, and like the Hebrews he so despised, he interposed no one between man and God. One had to read the Bible.

I apply the same rule to ol' TR and Columbus, as well as Woodrow Wilson (no doubt a racist) and the countless personages who lent their names and often ill-gotten fortunes to various institutions. Roosevelt too was a man of his times, but he was also the first president to have a black person as a guest in the White House. In 1901, Booker T. Washington came to dinner. As Roosevelt's biographer, Edmund Morris, points out, it was an astonishing act of racial tolerance for the era.

So, I listen to J.S. Bach, even though some of his sacred works soar on words of jarring anti-Semitism (it helps not to understand German), and I read Hemingway even though his depiction of Robert Cohn in "The Sun Also Rises" as a "kike" is just plain ugly. I make no allowance for Charles Lindbergh because his anti-Semitism endangered lives and because flying solo across the ocean was a stunt. (In a sense, so was Columbus's voyage; someone was going to do it.)

I pick and choose, my symbolic can of red paint always at the ready. But when it comes to those Confederate generals, they unambiguously stand for slavery, racism and the vile nostalgia for the so-called Lost Cause that prompted the erection of so many memorials. I cherish my Bach, feel bully about TR and acknowledge the immense importance of Martin Luther. He did more good than bad.

Happy anniversary, Martin!

Read more from Richard Cohen's archive.
The Oct. 29 Local Opinions essay "Taking note of Tubman's Maryland legacy" should have recognized Josiah Henson, who was enslaved even closer to home in Montgomery County. Henson has been overshadowed by his fellow Maryland-born abolitionists. After he escaped to freedom in 1830, Henson's literary impact rivaled that of Frederick Douglass. Harriet Beecher Stowe acknowledged that Henson's autobiography was the inspiration for her blockbuster novel, "Uncle Tom's Cabin," which helped spark the Civil War.

In addition, Hensons activism compares favorably with Tubmans. The essay pointed out that Tubman is credited with leading 70 people out of bondage, but it overlooked the fact that Henson led 118 enslaved people to freedom as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Moreover, Henson established the Dawn Settlement in Canada, where he taught these newly liberated people the trade skills necessary to earn a living, even gaining him an audience with Queen Victoria.

Similar to the current effort to put Tubman on the $20 bill, Henson was honored by being the first black person on a Canadian postage stamp. Yet there is no recognition for Henson in his native land. In one of his last on-air statements, NBC-TV anchor Jim Vance said it best: Henson was a man whose life deserves to be remembered. To do just that, the Montgomery Parks Foundation is raising funds to construct a museum and education center on the property where Henson was enslaved on Old Georgetown Road.

Michael A. Nardolilli, Arlington

The writer is executive director of the

Montgomery Parks Foundation.
Contributing columnist

After speculation that consumed Washington all weekend, special counsel Robert S. Mueller III unsealed an indictment on Monday of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and his longtime business partner Rick Gates, who also worked for the campaign. But the stealth bombshell of the day may end up being Mueller's other announcement, that George Papadopoulos, a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, has already pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about attempts to broker meetings between Russian officials and the campaign. It appears Papadopoulos is cooperating with investigators.

These are the first charges brought by Mueller, who was appointed in May to investigate any links between Russian individuals or the Russian government and the Trump campaign. They represent a major step forward for his probe  and a potentially ominous sign for others who may be in Muellers sights.

As the White House already is pointing out, the charges against Manafort and Gates don't directly relate to the Trump campaign. The indictment alleges that Manafort and Gates earned tens of millions of dollars working as agents of the Ukraine government and Ukrainian officials, concealed that work by lying and failing to file required reports about their foreign activities, and laundered millions of dollars through various corporate entities to pay for personal goods and services and evade income taxes. The bulk of the allegations concern activities that occurred before either man was working for the then-Republican candidate. The word "Trump" doesn't appear in the indictment.

But this is not particularly surprising. Its not unusual for prosecutors to build a case against a potential key cooperator involving charges not directly linked to the ultimate matter under investigation. Even unrelated charges give the prosecutor leverage to persuade the defendant to plead guilty, cooperate in the broader investigation, and provide evidence against the bigger fish to earn more lenient treatment in his or her own case. And pursuing Manafort makes perfect sense. With his extensive ties to Russia and his key role as chairman of the Trump campaign, Manafort potentially is a linchpin in Muellers investigation.

Theres little doubt that prosecutors ultimately hope to persuade Manafort to cooperate. The indictment suggests that so far he has been unwilling to do so. If Manafort were cooperating there typically would not be a grand jury indictment. There would simply be a statement of charges filed by the prosecutor, along with a plea and cooperation agreement.

This is what happened with Papadopoulos, who was not indicted but pleaded guilty under seal pursuant to an agreement with prosecutors. Unlike the charges against Manafort, the charges against Papadopoulos do relate directly to his contacts with Russian officials while working for the campaign. Papadopoulos may already be providing information that goes directly to the heart of Muellers investigation.

With the Manafort indictment, Mueller is sending a powerful signal to other potential witnesses. If those facing potential charges refuse to cooperate, Mueller is not going to dither around for months or simply move on. He will not hesitate to throw the heat where appropriate. By unveiling both of these cases on the same day, prosecutors are making it clear that its smarter to be like Papadopoulos: Cut a deal early and cooperate.

For Manafort himself, the indictment dramatically escalates the pressure to cooperate. Previously his own jeopardy may have seemed more theoretical. Now he has been booked on a federal indictment charging him with multiple felonies carrying a maximum potential penalty of 80 years in prison. Of course, he would never actually receive a sentence that severe  but numbers like that tend to focus the mind.

We dont know yet what other charges (if any) will be coming out of Muellers office. But Mondays news in no way suggests the investigation is drawing to a close. The same grand jury may issue multiple indictments against multiple individuals, and could even return additional charges against Manafort and Gates. Future indictments and pleas, if any, likely will come on a rolling basis, as the prosecutors build cases against lower-level players, possibly persuade them to cooperate, and move up the ladder to higher-level targets.

Muellers investigation continues to proceed aggressively, methodically and relatively rapidly. These charges likely are simply the first salvo. Their echoes will reverberate loudly through the corridors of Washington in the days ahead.
Jason Kint is the chief executive of Digital Content Next.

As the Senate prepares to conduct hearings into how Russian actors may have influenced our elections, it is important that our elected officials demand full transparency from the large digital-platform companies  Google and Facebook. Russias use of digital platforms to manipulate the 2016 election revealed the power these companies now have over our political life, as well as the ways they have dodged the responsibilities that such power brings.

To date, the bulk of public attention has focused on Facebook. But this is not just a Facebook story. This is as much, if not more, about Americas gatekeeper to news and information and by far the worlds dominant digital advertising platform: Google. As Congress convenes hearings aimed at shedding light on Russias attempts to interfere in our election, it is crucial that lawmakers demand from Google the full accounting that it has yet to provide voluntarily.

The notion that Russia attempted to influence the 2016 election, but generally neglected Google is, on its face, absurd. Moscow is many things, but ignorant of the digital ecosystem isnt one of them. And Google sits astride the digital world as a colossus.

Google accounts for more than 79 percent of all desktop search traffic and more than 96 percent of all mobile search traffic worldwide. Thanks to its dominance, as well as its influence of the technological infrastructure that delivers ads to other sites across the web, Google now accounts for more than 40 percent of all digital advertising in the United States. In 2016, Google generated $79.4 billion in digital ad revenue worldwide. Google is also the owner of YouTube, which delivers 1 billion hours of video per day and reaches more Americans ages 18 to 49 than any cable network.

So when Russia devised a plan to use digital platforms to interfere in our elections, Google could not have been peripheral. Yet we may never actually know how many political ads Russia or other foreign entities placed on Google during the 2016 election, because, while television stations and cable operators are subject to a wide array of federal oversight, no such rules apply to the king of search.

Why? Because some years back Google told the Federal Election Commission that ads on its platform are character-limited and, therefore, should be eligible for a regulatory exemption originally designed for things such as pencils and buttons that are physically too small to carry printed disclosures. Obviously, there is no physical limitation on a Google ad. Google simply prefers shorter ads. The FEC exemption was granted and the floodgate opened for any entity on the planet to place a political ad on Google with no disclosure requirements at all.

So when Google claimed that Russian agents spent less that $100,000 on ads, how does it actually know that the sum wasn't larger? After all, Google never had to ask whether an ad was political in nature, nor the identity of the purchaser of that ad. The company needs to explain how it determined that number.

In addition, Google shares advertising revenue with the content producers who run ads on their YouTube videos and on their websites through Googles AdSense platform. But the company hasnt disclosed how much money it paid through revenue-sharing to entities attempting to undermine our election.

Over the past few years, Google and Facebook have consolidated their stranglehold over the digital advertising marketplace. Today, nearly 100 percent of all new digital advertising dollars in the United States go to these two companies frequently called the "Duopoly." The companies have skyrocketed in size and influence, in part due to the fact that they deliver an incredible suite of useful and valuable products but also because they are in a position to collect data about consumers at an unrivaled scale across the Internet. But neither company, nor the government have adjusted to the power that the Duopoly has acquired over what information is available and how consumers access it. The nation's focus on the Russia investigation now offers a unique opportunity to restore some balance. Congress needs to demand real answers and real accountability from Facebook and Google.
Columnist

After Monday's legal shock and awe, one thing is certain: The Mueller investigation poses a serious and perhaps existential threat to the Trump administration.

Apologists for the president can yell "nothing burger" until they're blue in the face. Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his associate Rick Gates  now under home confinement and charged with offenses that carry long prison terms  would likely disagree. Campaign adviser George Papadopoulos, whom special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has "flipped" into cooperating with the probe, also might attest that Monday's acts and revelations are a very big deal.

President Trump had good reason to spend that morning upstairs in the White House residence, brooding and fuming. Regarding Manafort and Gates, Trump perhaps could argue that Mueller has made no allegation  thus far  of collusion with the Russians to boost Trump's prospects in the election. But the Papadopoulos case, according to court documents, is all about Russian mischief  and what the Trump campaign may have known about it.

Perhaps the nastiest surprise for Trump and those close to him is that Papadopoulos, who was on the campaign's foreign policy team, was arrested July 27 and became a "proactive cooperator" with the Mueller probe. Papadopoulos pleaded guilty Oct. 5 to making false statements, in an interview with the FBI earlier this year, regarding his contacts with foreigners about obtaining Russian help for the campaign.

That is ominous news on every level. First, while there had been speculation that Mueller might go after Manafort and Gates, no one outside of Muellers team appears to have known anything about Papadopoulos. How long has he been cooperating with the investigation? And what might that cooperation have entailed?

Anyone who had a conversation with Papadopoulos since his July arrest has to wonder whether he was wearing a wire. Thats what a proactive cooperator often does. Gulp.

Equally unsettling for the White House is the fact that Mueller and his all-star squad of prosecutors managed to keep their engagement with Papadopoulos secret for so long. That took real discipline and sense of purpose. It also signals to Trump and his attorneys that they dont have anything close to a full picture of what Mueller is up to.

Have others connected with the Trump campaign been squeezed for information in a similar way? Is more proactive cooperating presently taking place? Speak clearly into my tie pin, please.

So what, exactly, did Papadopoulos do? He had a series of meetings with a London-based professor who has connections with the Russian government, and in an April 2016 encounter this professor claimed the Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton that included "thousands of emails."

This was after Russian hackers had broken into the email system of the Democratic National Committee and also managed to steal the private emails of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. It is reasonable to assume that these are the emails that the professor was talking about to Papadopoulos, who made repeated attempts to set up meetings between the Trump campaign and Russian officials  even suggesting, at one point, a meeting between Trump and Vladimir Putin.

No such get-together took place. But in June 2016, there was that meeting at Trump Tower at which senior figures in the Trump campaign  Manafort, Donald Trump Jr., and Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law  met with a well-connected Russian lawyer in hopes of receiving "dirt" on Clinton.

Were the Russians exploring various avenues that might lead to a meaningful connection with the Trump campaign? Did they find one? As it happened, the DNC and Podesta emails were eventually released through WikiLeaks in a manner clearly designed to do maximum damage to the Clinton campaign.

We also know that the Russians flooded social media with pro-Trump fake news. In many instances, this propaganda campaign targeted voters at such a granular level that one has to wonder where the Russians got such sophisticated and detailed data. Mueller will be wondering the same thing.

Trump must have noticed that one important name was not prominently mentioned Monday: that of Michael Flynn, his short-lived national security adviser. Flynn faces potential legal jeopardy for his alleged representation of foreign interests without properly registering to do so. Trump has consistently gone out of his way to protect and defend Flynn, even to the point of asking then-FBI Director James B. Comey to go easy on him. Why such uncharacteristic compassion?

If I were Trump, Id have to wonder if Flynn could be cooperating with Mueller. Id worry about what he might say. And if I spoke with Flynn, Id choose my words very carefully.

Read more from Eugene Robinson's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. You can also join him Tuesdays at 1 p.m. for a live Q&A.
UZBEKISTAN HAS a reputation  dismally earned by its long-time leader, Islam Karimov, who died last year  for torturing and incarcerating opposition critics, journalists and others. Mr. Karimov's iron-fisted 27-year rule largely wiped out independent media and civil society. So it is encouraging to hear that President Shavkat Mirziyoyev may be changing direction. In Central Asia's most populous nation, human rights have been in the basement; the only way to go is up.

Mr. Mirziyoyev, who took office in 2016, quietly and gingerly began a modest liberalization. He has released at least 16 political prisoners; tolerated more free expression on broadcast talk shows; relaxed notorious forced labor for the cotton harvest; removed citizens from a "blacklist" kept by the security services; set up a chain of presidential offices to hear citizen complaints; moved to strengthen judicial independence; and promised to eliminate by 2019 the exit visa, an onerous relic of Soviet times. "This is a real moment of hope for the human rights of the Uzbek people," Human Rights Watch concluded in a recent report documenting these and other changes. Some have been calling it an Uzbek spring, or thaw.

At the very least, it is a dawn. Mr. Mirziyoyev clearly needs foreign investment and may well want to put behind him the awful legacy of his predecessor, under whom he served for 13 years as prime minister.

Uzbekistan is still governed as a police state. The authorities released five long-held prisoners over a short span in October, raising expectations, but then arrested an author and a journalist on new charges. Thousands are still held in Uzbekistan's prisons on dubious political charges. According to the report, "Grave abuses such as torture, politically motivated imprisonment, and forced labor in the cotton fields remain widespread." Uzbekistan continues to severely restrict the independence of lawyers and journalists and puts burdensome regulations on nongovernmental organizations. One human rights activist, who monitors religious freedom and civil and political rights, told Human Rights Watch he had tried for seven years without success to get legal registration, including during Mr. Mirziyoyev's presidency. A human rights activist, Elena Urlaeva, was forced in March to stay in a psychiatric hospital for nearly a month in retaliation for her work. The head of the domestic intelligence agency, who took harsh measures under Mr. Karimov, remains in office.

In a society long frozen by a tyrant at the top, reversing course can be agonizing, and a certain amount of patience is warranted. What matters is Mr. Mirziyoyevs intended destination for Uzbekistan. Does he want to enable a free society that might choose its own leader and, perhaps, speak out against him? Or is this just a cynical gambit, enough to polish the image of Uzbekistan among foreign investors, but without seriously challenging Mr. Mirziyoyevs grip on power? He might be eyeing China or Russia as a model  personal authoritarianism welded onto state capitalism  in which case the latest opening should be greeted with caution.
Sam Clovis was an early supporter of President Trump during the 2016 campaign. (Charlie Neibergall/AP)

Former Trump campaign co-chairman Sam Clovis is facing renewed opposition to his nomination to serve as the Agriculture Departments chief scientist amid revelations that he encouraged a campaign adviser to foster ties with Russian officials.

On Tuesday, several thousand scientists and researchers affiliated with two national organizations that have rallied against Cloviss nomination signed letters urging the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry not to confirm him, calling him unfit for the post.

The former conservative radio talk-show host from Iowa was already a controversial choice to be the department's chief scientist. Clovis, who is not a trained scientist, is a climate change skeptic who has said protecting gay rights could lead to the legalization of pedophilia.

"In every aspect, Clovis falls far short of the standards demanded by the position," the Union of Concerned Scientists wrote in a one-page letter to the committee's chairman, Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), and the panel's top Democrat, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (Mich.). The letter had 3,100 signers.

[Trump just nominated a climate change skeptic to USDAs top science post]

Mike Lavender, senior Washington representative for the Food and Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said in a statement that emerging evidence of Clovis potential involvement with the Trump campaigns Russian connections should be the final nail in the coffin for his confirmation.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest sent the committee a similar letter Tuesday.

A lawyer for Clovis, who is currently a senior White House adviser to the Agriculture Department, did not respond to a request for comment.

The new round of opposition came after Clovis was identified as one of the top officials on the Trump campaign who was aware of efforts by foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos to broker a relationship with Russian officials.

Court documents unsealed Monday revealed that Papadopoulos pleaded guilty in early October to making false statement to FBI investigators about his contacts with foreigners claiming to have high-level Russian connections.

In August 2016, Clovis encouraged Papadopoulos to organize an off the record meeting with Russian officials, according to court documents. I would encourage you and another foreign policy adviser to the campaign to make the trip, if it is feasible, Clovis wrote. The meeting did not ultimately take place.

Cloviss attorney, Victoria Toensing, told The Washington Post on Monday that her client always vigorously opposed any Russian trip for Donald Trump and/or the campaign. She said his responses to Papadopoulos were a courtesy by a polite gentleman from Iowa.

[Top campaign officials knew of Trump advisers outreach to Russia]

Clovis is likely to face questions about his interactions with Papadopoulos during his Senate hearing, which had been tentatively scheduled for Nov. 9.

The emerging information about his role in the Trump campaigns interactions with Russia raises serious concerns, Stabenow said in a statement. As we consider his nomination, I will be looking into these facts, along with his questionable qualifications and long history of divisive and outrageous statements.

Roberts spokeswoman Meghan Cline declined to comment on the opposition to Clovis, saying that we are working on scheduling details and will announce a date for a nominations hearing soon.

A former economics professor at Morningside College in Iowa, Clovis made an unsuccessful run for the U.S. Senate in 2014. He served as one of Trumps first campaign policy advisers. In a 2014 interview with Iowa Public Radio, he said he was extremely skeptical about climate change.

Clovis took a leave of absence from his position at Morningside College in 2015 to join the Trump campaign as a chief policy adviser. He helped develop Trump's campaign proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States, drawing opposition from some university administrators, a university spokesman told the outlet Iowa Starting Line.

Trump nominated him in July to be the Agriculture Departments undersecretary of research, education and economics, a top science position that oversees the agencys extensive scientific mission. The chief scientist also oversees the economic bureaus, including the Natural Agricultural Statistics Service and the Economic Research Service.

Clovis has a BS in political science, an MBA and a PhD in public administration, according to the White House. But the undersecretary for research job has traditionally been held by people with advanced degrees in science or medicine.

The 2008 farm bill specifies that appointees to the post should be chosen from among distinguished scientists with specialized training or significant experience in agricultural research, education, and economics. The measure noted that the job is responsible for the coordination of the research, education, and extension activities of the Department.

Tom Hamburger contributed to this report.
More than any recent resident of the White House, President Trump has used the military and my generals, as he often calls them, as a shield against criticism from political rivals.

And no general in recent weeks has been a more ardent or harder-edged defender of the president than John F. Kelly, a retired Marine four-star general and the White House chief of staff. But the White House got a lesson in the downsides of relying on generals in times of political crisis when Kelly in a Monday interview suggested that an inability to compromise had caused the Civil War.

His remarks drew an immediate backlash in Washington and among many historians, who noted that the North spent decades reaching compromises with the South over slavery. The comments also revived a chorus of criticism that began two weeks ago, when Kelly lamented that nothing in the United States was sacred anymore and denigrated a Florida congresswoman by misstating her remarks at a building dedication in honor of two slain FBI agents.

He violated the first basic rule of the chief of staff, which is not to make yourself the news of the day, said former defense secretary Leon E. Panetta, who worked with Kelly in the Pentagon and also served as White House chief of staff. I have no idea what he was trying to say because history is not on his side.

Kelly  Trump's first homeland security secretary  was brought to the White House over the summer in an attempt to impose order on a chaotic policy process and feuding staff and has received generally high marks. He bolted shut the open door to the Oval Office and banished ideologues such as former chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon. But Kelly has struggled with the more political aspects of his job and at times has seemed to be a detriment to a White House reeling from several self-inflicted wounds.



White House Chief of Staff John Kelly takes questions during the daily press briefing at the White House on Oct. 19. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

[Historians respond to John F. Kellys Civil War remarks: Strange, sad, wrong]

Kelly's public stumbles highlight the downsides of relying heavily on current and retired military brass to fill political jobs traditionally filled by civilians. In addition to Kelly, Trump has turned to an active-duty three-star general, H.R. McMaster, to act as his national security adviser and a retired Marine four-star general, Jim Mattis, to serve as his defense secretary. The White House's national security staff, meanwhile, is made up of an unusually large number of current and former military officers.

Kelly, though, has been pressed into a far more political role than the other top brass. Those who served with him in the Pentagon describe a general who was often maddened by politics and viewed members of Congress as self-serving. He was pretty cynical and thought that a lot of politicians were full of hot air, said Derek Chollet, a former top official at the Pentagon during the Obama administration who worked with Kelly. It was always a puzzle how this was going to work out. Trump is not a process guy. And this position is all about politics.

Said Panetta: John is a great Marine . . . but he is not a politician, and one thing he lacks is the ability to look at the big political picture and understand what you should and shouldnt say as chief of staff.

So far, the White House and Trump, who has a far different take on political discourse from his predecessors, are backing Kelly.

The media continue to want to make this and push that this is somehow a racially charged and divided White House, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said at Tuesdays media briefing, saying that Kellys Civil War comments had been taken out of context in a manner that was absurd and disgraceful.

One former White House adviser, who still works in government and spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly, said Kellys higher public profile and more overtly political stance have been welcomed by Trump and taken as marks of success. There is a bunker mentality around the president, this person said, and Kelly is seen as shooting out.

[John F. Kelly refuses to apologize for false attacks on Florida congresswoman]

The view that Kelly is being helpful to Trump is not universal, however. Kelly is seen by some in the West Wing as violating his own advice that those who serve the president should keep a low profile and avoid drama.

As president, Trump has often prioritized loyalty to him and his administration, and Kelly has repeatedly delivered.

After Rep. Frederica S. Wilson (D-Fla.) said Trump behaved insensitively during a condolence call with the widow of a U.S. soldier slain in Niger, Kelly  whose son was killed in combat in Afghanistan  leapt immediately to the presidents defense.

He movingly described the path that the bodies of dead soldiers and Marines take as they make their way home from overseas battlefields and described the sacrifices that military families make for the country. He then carried his defense a step further by slamming Wilson, a family friend, for listening in on the call and criticizing the president.

Kelly called her an empty barrel and relayed an unflattering story about her conduct at the building dedication, which a videotape later suggested was incorrect. In an interview aired Monday night with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Kelly declined to apologize for those remarks.

Asked to weigh in on a move by a Virginia church to remove plaques that honored Gen. Robert E. Lee and George Washington, he described the Confederate general as an honorable man.

He was a man that gave up his country to fight for his state, which 150 years ago was more important than country, Kelly told Fox.

To some former military officers, Kellys remarks were misguided. His comments excusing Robert E. Lees traitorous conduct were frankly appalling, said retired Lt. Col. John Nagl, a well-known military officer who co-authored the Armys counterinsurgency doctrine. Nagl said Kelly is on his way to becoming a creature of the president. . . . Its unfortunate.

[Military leaders consolidate power in Trump administration]

Other military officials described Kellys remarks as the product of a somewhat cloistered view of the conflict inculcated in military officers but not necessarily shared by the broader public. Lee, for example, is still among the most revered graduates at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., where his name graces roads, buildings, barracks and even the schools award for excellence in mathematics.

His place of honor reflects a view, still dominant among the military, that both sides of the war were populated with honorable men, said retired Lt. Gen. David Barno, who commanded U.S. forces in Afghanistan. They were all Americans, Barno said. When I heard Kelly talk, I heard a view that I think is relatively common in the U.S. military.

The other controversial aspect of Kellys recent remarks has been his frustration, bordering on contempt, for the country he is serving. Kelly picked up that theme again in his Tuesday interview in which he described an America that seems to be broken now and [turning] against itself.

Barno described the view as very common among those who have led a diverse cross-section of the country in combat and then return home to a country that seems more divided along partisan lines than ever. I dont fault him entirely, Barno said. I know where he comes from.

Other former colleagues, though, were more pained by the former Marine's public turn.

"Donald Trump has an unblemished record of making everyone around him look a little worse, and I don't think John Kelly is immune to that," said Chollet, the former Obama Pentagon official.

A retired officer, who served alongside Kelly in the Pentagon, offered a similar view.

"It breaks my heart that it got to this," said the officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity so that he could speak frankly. "I worry about him since he took the job."

Karen DeYoung contributed to this report.
Jared Kushners $7.5 billion plan to transform a Manhattan skyscraper into a mix of high-end residences and retail has been deemed not feasible by the projects partner, putting the future of the property  saddled with $1.2 billion in debt  in doubt.

Steven Roth, chief executive and chairman of office giant Vornado Realty Trust, owns 49.5 percent of the offices at 666 Fifth Ave. and said Tuesday that it did not appear that redevelopment plans, hatched by Kushner, President Trumps son-in-law, before he left the company in January to become a senior White House adviser, were likely to succeed.

There have been rumors in the marketplace, more than rumors, about tearing the building down and doing all manner of fairly grand development schemes, Roth said. Its likely that those are not feasible.

Roths statement is a potentially huge blow to Kushners dream of tearing down the existing building, doubling its height, and creating a high-end hotel, retail and condominium project. The existing building has been losing money  and tenants  for years.

Roths decision has been much anticipated. He is one of Trumps closest friends and has helped keep the project afloat while Kushner pursued investors. Those efforts have failed, in part because foreign investors appear reluctant to pour money into the project at a time when Kushners financial dealings are under review by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.

Among the matters that Mueller may review are Kushners effort to gain financing from investors in China and Qatar who have strong ties to those nations governments. In addition, Kushner met with a Russian banker weeks before Trumps inauguration; the bank has said that business was discussed, but Kushner has said it had nothing to do with his company. A White House spokesman referred questions to Kushner Cos., which did not respond to a request for comment.

Tom Barrack, another close friend of Trumps, whose real estate investment company once held part of the buildings debt, has said that Kushners ascension to the White House crushed efforts to woo foreign investment. Barrack, who said he had suggested the project to a Qatar-based fund, said prospective investors were skeptical after Kushner moved to the White House. No way  cant be associated with any appearances of conflict of interest, even though there was none, Barrack said.

Roth, speaking on an investor conference call, said it was likely that 666 Fifth Ave. would revert to an office building and that we are working on capital plans . . . its a work in progress.

Although Roth long has been sympathetic to Kushner, he runs a public company that must answer to investors. At a time when the stock market has soared, Vornado's shares have decreased this year by more than 11 percent.

A company analyst, Michael R. Lewis of SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, said recently that Vornado stockholders wanted clarity on 666 Fifth Ave., particularly because many investors would be skeptical about Vornado taking on additional costly construction projects.

I think that something that requires heavy development on the site would be poorly received by shareholders, he said.

If redevelopment plans have indeed fallen through, it could be the biggest blow yet to the Kushner family's project plans and raises pressing questions about how the company will pay off the debt due in February 2019.

With Kushner as chief executive, the Kushner Cos. purchased 666 Fifth Ave. for a record-breaking $1.8 billion in 2007. After the real estate bust, the building did not produce enough revenue to make debt payments, and Kushner brought in Vornado as a partner on the office and retail.

At least two years before Trump became president, Kushner had pitched his plan for tearing down most of the building and turning it into a mix of high-end residences, offices and shops.

The effort included entreaties to a Chinese insurance fund and a former Qatari foreign minister, raising concerns among ethics officials about whether Kushners company was profiting off his political position.

[Kushners White House role crushed efforts to woo investors for NYC tower]

When Kushner entered the White House as a senior adviser, he divested his interest in 666 Fifth Ave. and resigned from his company positions.

Without the redevelopment plan, its unclear how the Kushner Cos. will pay off the debt. About one-fourth of the offices are empty, and the lease revenue does not cover monthly interest payments, requiring regular cash infusions.

Kushner Cos. President Laurent Morali has vowed not to seek money from foreign governments to avoid ethical conflicts. He told The Washington Post in September that doing so would not preclude him from finding investors and that he had a number of options for moving forward despite the slow leasing market.

We happen to be at a point where weve explored a lot of different options and Im pleased with the progress weve made on them, he said, so I can anticipate that over the next couple of months, the partnership is going to make a decision.

If the building remains an office building, Vornado could take an interest in acquiring it, with or without Kushner as a partner.

Earlier this year, Roth said the project represented the rare case when we may be sellers.

But he changed his tune on the call Tuesday. When asked by a stock analyst whether the company might try to up its stake in the project, Roth demurred, saying the situation was evolving.

The grand scheme has gone away, and I dont want to speculate, he said.
A few years before he became Donald Trumps campaign chairman, longtime Republican political operative Paul Manafort went on a spending spree with money funneled through a network of offshore bank accounts, a federal indictment unsealed Monday alleges.

He bought a $1.5 million brownstone in a trendy New York neighborhood, and a $1.9 million home in Arlington, Va. He paid for three Range Rovers and a Mercedes-Benz, landscaping at his Hamptons getaway, and pricey improvements at his house in Palm Beach, Fla.

In all, out of more than $75 million that flowed through the offshore accounts, more than $18 million was laundered, with income concealed from the U.S. government, and was used in part to cover Manaforts lavish lifestyle, the indictment says.

The indictment of the refined and impeccably dressed former campaign chairman detailed an alleged scheme in which foreign clients paid millions in exchange for Manaforts consulting services. Manaforts lawyer, Kevin Downing, rebutted the charges Monday, saying Manafort was not seeking to launder funds.

Manafort, a confidant of presidents dating back to George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, was the biggest name charged thus far in a federal investigation by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is examining possible collusion by Trumps campaign with Russia. Manaforts indictment, along with charges against his former business partner Rick Gates, who also worked for the Trump campaign, brought Mueller close to the inner circle that guided Trumps 2016 victory. Manafort and Gates pleaded not guilty and did not speak to reporters.

This indictment is tragic for Paul and his family, said Manaforts former business partner Charles Black, who said he couldnt speak to the specifics because he hasnt worked with Manafort for two decades. For him and Rick Gates, I just pray that they are innocent.

Manafort was brought into Trumps presidential campaign in spring 2016, tasked with tracking delegates before becoming chairman. The arrival of a seasoned operative had been welcomed at the time by many Republican leaders as a sign that Trump was ready to professionalize a largely undisciplined campaign as he was preparing to secure the GOP nomination.

But the court papers unsealed Monday show how Trump, in tapping Manafort, also brought aboard a senior strategist with deep, ongoing and potentially problematic foreign entanglements.

For decades, Manafort has been known for his dealings with foreign leaders, including some with less-than-savory reputations.

In recent years, in addition to his work for Trump and for a Ukrainian presidential candidate, he has made deals with foreign business titans that have resulted in controversy, including one with a Russian oligarch who charged that Manafort and Gates disappeared without paying money they allegedly owed him. Manafort and Gates denied the allegation.

Manaforts journey from being one of Washingtons most sought-after political operatives to defendant in a high-profile federal investigation is a story of a chase for power and money.

Manafort, 68, was raised in Connecticut, the son of the mayor of New Britain. With a Georgetown University law degree, he worked for President Gerald Fords 1976 campaign, tracking delegates at the nominating convention. He ran Ronald Reagans 1980 presidential campaign in the South.



Russian metals magnate Oleg Deripaska invested in a firm owned by Manafort and Richard Davis. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP)

Manaforts ascendancy in Washington reached new heights when he became a founding partner in 1980 of the lobbying firm Black, Manafort & Stone, with Black and Roger Stone, the latter a longtime Trump confidant. During Manaforts 16 years at the firm, his clients included two dictators, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire (now Congo) and Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines, who allegedly stole billions of dollars from their countries.

In 1989, Manafort testified before Congress about a deal in which he lobbied to obtain $43 million in federal housing subsidies for a New Jersey project while his firm held an option to buy a stake in the property. The firm invested before the subsidies were awarded, but Manafort testified that he had a high degree of expectation that they would win approval.

The technical term for what we do and what law firms, associations and professional groups do is lobbying,  Manafort said. For purposes of today, I will admit that, in a narrow sense, some people might term it influence peddling. 

Manaforts globe-trotting lifestyle led friends to dub him the Count of Monte Cristo, a reference to the swashbuckling hero of a 19th-century French novel.

Manafort later became a partner in the firm of Davis Manafort, which Manafort owned with Richard Davis. As a partner, Manafort wooed a Russian aluminum magnate, Oleg Deripaska. Manafort and Davis had proposed setting up a $200 million private equity fund to invest mostly in Russia and Ukraine, according to a petition filed by Deripaska, one of a number of fund contributors. Derispaka invested in the partnership through a company called Surf Horizon, incorporated in Cyprus in 2007.

Deripaska sought repayment of some of his investment after the 2007 financial crisis, saying in a petition that he was owed $19 million from a failed investment in Ukraine. Deripaska said in a 2014 petition that he was still waiting to be paid, but it appears that Paul Manafort and Rick Gates have simply disappeared. Deripaskas representative said in 2016 they were still seeking the money, but a Manafort spokesman subsequently told the New York Times that no funds were owed.

During his time at the Trump campaign, Manafort sought to communicate with Deripaska through an intermediary, suggesting that his new position provided an opportunity to settle financial disputes, according to Manaforts email correspondence, which was turned over to investigators this year.

A turning point for Manafort came in the early 2000s when he became a consultant for Viktor Yanukovych, who would later become Ukraines president.

One of Yanukovych's supporters was a Ukrainian energy tycoon, Dmitry Firtash , and Manafort soon tried to do business with him, according to a filing in a now-dismissed lawsuit. In 2008, Manafort met with Firtash to discuss a proposal to build an $850 million, 65-story apartment building in New York City. A lawsuit filed by former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko alleged that Firtash worked with Manafort to invest illicit profits from energy deals in Ukraine. Firtash and Manafort denied the allegations and the suit was ultimately dismissed. Spokesmen for Deripaska and Firtash did not respond to requests for comment.

Gates, 45, met Manafort when he interned at his firm, Black, Manafort & Stone.

Manafort, accompanied by Gates, worked for Yanukovych and his Party of Regions, as Yanukovych won the presidency of Ukraine in 2010. While Manafort said he was working for a pro-Western politician who embraced democracy, Yanukovych was ultimately seen as aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Between 2012 and 2014, Manaforts firm was paid $17 million by the Party of Regions, according to Manaforts belated filing under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. As part of Mondays indictment, Manafort and Gates were accused of hiding their lobbying work for Ukraine in violation of the registration requirements.

The following year, in 2015, Manafort owned an apartment at Trump Tower in New York City and had invested in other properties.

By early 2016, Manafort wanted to join Trumps presidential campaign. He hadnt been in close touch with Trump for years, so he sought out one of Trumps oldest and closest friends, Thomas J. Barrack Jr., to serve as a conduit. Barrack and Manafort were also longtime friends.

Barrack, a billionaire who runs a real estate investment company, said in a recent interview that the only financial deal he had ever made with Manafort was around 2004, when he lent $1.5 million for a house owned by Manaforts wife. Barrack said the loan was paid back at market rate in 14 months.

Shortly after Trump lost the Iowa caucuses, Manafort met Barrack at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills. Paul came to me and said, I really need to get to [Trump], I think I can be really effective at the convention,  Barrack said.

Barrack said in the interview that he sent materials about Manafort to Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Kushners wife, Ivanka Trump. Barrack had known both of them for years. In the email, Barrack wrote that Manafort would be a killer at the job.

Trump agreed to hire Manafort, who said he would work without pay. Manafort subsequently became campaign chairman.

During his time in the position, Manafort attended a June 9, 2016, meeting with Kushner and Donald Trump Jr. at which a Russian lawyer was said to have damaging information about Hillary Clinton. The meeting is not mentioned in the indictment, but it has been a focus of Muellers investigation into whether Russia colluded with the Trump campaign.

Manafort resigned in August 2016 after reports of his ties to Yanukovych and the publication of a ledger in Ukraine that showed millions of dollars of supposedly off the books payments to Manafort from the Party of Regions, a claim Manafort has denied.

Barrack invited Manafort to join him on his yacht off the coast of Greece. He got fired, and I felt terrible, Barrack said. When Manafort called, he was depressed. I said, I have got five guys on a boat, and Join us. He came over, and he spent four or five days figuring out what he would do next.

Barrack subsequently hired Gates for two positions: first, to be deputy chairman of the Presidential Inaugural Committee, of which Barrack was chairman; and, second, as a Washington-based consultant of his company, Colony NorthStar. Gates remained in the latter position until the time of the indictment, when his contract with the company was terminated, according to an official familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasnt authorized to speak publicly.

During their work in Ukraine, starting in 2008, Manafort and Gates allegedly devised a scheme to defraud banks and other institutions by wiring money to accounts in a way that laundered the funds without paying taxes.

Details of Manaforts luxurious lifestyle and income were spread on social media in February, when hackers exposed a cache of more than 285,000 personal messages purportedly stolen from the iPhone of Manaforts daughter, Andrea.

Manaforts spokesman previously confirmed that the phone was hacked and that some of the texts placed on line were authentic, but he has declined to authenticate the entire cache.

In one of the posted text messages, Andrea Manafort wrote to her sister in 2015, Dont fool yourself. The money we have is blood money.

Rosalind Helderman and Alice Crites contributed to this report.
Last week, Tony Podesta, an eminence in the annals of Washington lobbying, threw one of his signature events, a big birthday bash at his stately stone manse in Kalorama. His guests thought he was on top of his world, one of the men who makes the city go.

On Monday, hours after the first indictments in the investigation into ties between President Trumps campaign and the Russian government, Podesta abruptly quit his post atop the Podesta Group, the capitals eighth-wealthiest lobbying firm.

Podesta's departure came as the indictments of former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort and his business partner, Rick Gates, raised questions about the work Podesta's firm did with Manafort to buff the image of the Ukrainian government. Podesta, 74, said he was quitting because of the barrage of criticism he's been getting as special counsel Robert S. Mueller III pursues the investigation.

It is impossible to run a public affairs firm while you are under attack by Fox News and the right wing media, Podesta told employees at the Podesta Group offices on Monday, according to a person familiar with his remarks.

For decades, Tony and John Podesta  brothers who share a Jesuit education, a devotion to liberal causes and a passion for politics  have been central players in Washington. And in the past year, both have been drawn into the orbit of scandals.



John Podesta, a longtime Democratic adviser who led Hillary Clintons presidential campaign. (Kristoffer Tripplaar for The Washington Post)

Tony's Podesta Group is one of two firms described in Monday's indictment as having been recruited by Manafort and Gates to lobby on behalf of Viktor Yanukovych, the former president of Ukraine who fled to Moscow in 2014, according to people familiar with the company's involvement. Federal prosecutors have accused Manafort of creating a scheme to mislead the government about his secret work for a Ukrainian political leader.

Both the Podesta Group and the other firm, Mercury Public Affairs, have said they were hired to lobby for a European nonprofit based in Brussels trying to polish Ukraines image in the West. But behind the scenes, prosecutors allege, the real client was a political party led by the former Ukraine president, who was friendly with Russia.

John Podesta, a longtime Democratic adviser who led the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton, has spent the past year coping with the publication by Wikileaks of tens of thousands of his emails, which were hacked by someone using a computer with an address in Ukraine. The release of those emails ensnared him in the ornate conspiracy theory known as Pizzagate, in which some anti-Clinton activists came to believe, without evidence, that sexually abused children were being hidden below a pizza place in Northwest Washington  and that John Podesta was involved with satanic rituals there, a notion that police said was bogus.

In an emailed statement Monday, John Podesta said, I view being attacked by Donald Trump and right wing media as a badge of honor.

To their opponents, the Podestas are quintessential swamp rats, exemplars of the permanent Washington establishment. Their defenders, however, view them as the oil that makes the gears of government turn.

Advocacy is an important part of our process and its an honorable profession, said former senator Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), now a lobbyist. Both Podestas have been enormously successful, but were in as toxic an environment as anyone living today has ever seen. The quality of governance has suffered immensely as a result.

The brothers, although close, are quite different.

View Graphic Whos who in the governments investigation into Russia ties

Tony is more gregarious and outgoing, and John is more introspective and quiet, but they are brothers and they are still close, said Ron Klain, who was chief of staff to vice presidents Joe Biden and Al Gore. John is the eminence grise of the Democratic Party, and all the efforts by Republicans and completely crazy people to discredit him have not changed that.

Tony Podesta has been a pivotal figure in the murky connections between policy and politics, becoming wealthy on fees from industries and foreign entities that want something from Congress and the White House. He also bundles big donations and dispenses them to politicians who might someday be helpful to those lobbying clients.

He and his former wife, Heather Podesta, held lavish fundraisers for Democratic candidates at their home, which boasted a world-class art collection and a wine cellar with thousands of bottles. The Podesta brothers mother made the pesto. Tony dressed the part of a man in full; he sported eye-catching neckties and red Prada loafers. The pope wears Prada, he once told a reporter, and so do I.

(Heather and Tony split up several years ago; according to court records and news reports, they spent 109 hours with a mediator before coming to a settlement on how to divide their art and other properties.)

Although the brothers created their lobbying firm together in 1988, John Podesta has spent most of his career inside government. He had several jobs in Congress and was President Bill Clintons chief of staff and counselor to President Barack Obama.

Theyre brothers, but they chose different roads to go down to craft good public policy, said Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), who knows both Podestas.

Tony Podesta worked on a string of losing Democratic presidential campaigns  from Eugene McCarthys 1968 bid on through Hubert Humphrey, Ed Muskie, George McGovern, Ted Kennedy, Walter Mondale and finally Michael Dukakis in 1988.

Thats when the brothers created Podesta Associates, which became the Podesta Group, representing some of the countrys biggest and most powerful businesses, including Walmart, Bank of America and BP. (The Washington Post employed the firm in the early 2000s, when it was part of a public company controlled by the Graham family, then-owners of The Post.)

The Podesta Group collected $252 million in fees over the past two decades, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. This year, the firm's top clients are Mylan, a pharmaceutical company; Wells Fargo; Crawford Group, the parent of Enterprise car rentals; and Lockheed Martin, the defense contractor, according to federal records.

Along the way, the firm also represented a number of foreign entities, including the government of Egypt under ex-dictator Hosni Mubarak.

More and more, foreign countries turn to lobbyists to do work that diplomats once did themselves, said James Thurber, a government professor at American University who studies lobbying. Things have gotten so much more complex in the last thirty years in the business that foreign companies and foreign countries do in Washington.

Mondays indictments described a multitiered arrangement in which Manafort and Gates are alleged to have pulled the strings as the other firms, cited only as Company A and Company B, were the publicly acknowledged lobbyists for the Brussels group. Sources familiar with the two companies work said the descriptions in the indictment indicate that Company A was Mercury, and Company B was the Podesta Group.

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, said Molly Levinson, a spokeswoman for the firm. She said the work the firm did was in support of Ukraines admission to the [European Union], and the Brussels group certified that it was neither funded by nor directed by a government or political party.

Michael McKeon, a partner at Mercury, said his firm disclosed that it worked for the Brussels group with the intention of aligning Ukraine with western democracies generally, and the European Union specifically.

In 2012, when Manafort and Gates first sought out the two firms to lobby for their business associate in Ukraine, Gates wrote to Mercury that the firm would be representing the Government of Ukraine in DC.
President Trump speaks, with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin by his side, during a meeting on tax policy with business leaders at the White House on Tuesday. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

The first criminal charges stemming from the Russia investigation landed this week at a perilous point in Donald Trumps presidency, threatening his standing with foreign leaders ahead of an important trip to Asia on Friday and his effectiveness in selling the Republican tax plan set to be released this week.

Aides insisted the twin challenges at home and abroad would not be undermined by the indictments, but the frustration of the president  whose job approval ratings hit a new low this week in Gallup polling  was evident Tuesday. He started the day with a spate of tweets in which he lashed out at the media and "Crooked Dems" and urged a focus instead on the "Massive Tax Cuts" he has promised to deliver by Christmas.

In a bid to show he remains focused on the tasks at hand, Trump later in the day allowed reporters to witness the start of a White House meeting with business leaders at which he boasted that the December signing of the yet-to-be-unveiled GOP tax bill would be "the biggest tax event in the history of our country."

But special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs probe loomed large. At the meeting, Trump ignored reporters shouted questions related to the charges unveiled Monday against three campaign officials, including former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and a foreign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos, whom Trump derided on Twitter as a young, low level volunteer and a liar.

[Three former Trump campaign officials charged by special counsel]

Foreign policy analysts said Trumps political crisis could distract from or complicate his message on a high-stakes 12-day trip to five Asian nations aimed at building regional support for his bid to pressure North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

Beyond Trumps tweeting, analysts said, the issue could dominate the U.S. press corps coverage of the trip, with reporters asking him about the Mueller investigation on foreign soil.

Michael Green, an Asia policy aide to President George W. Bush, recalled the 43rd president being asked about the Iraq War during trips to Asia even as he attempted to sketch a vision of U.S. engagement in the region.

My prediction is that it will be a story for the White House press corps and then the Asian press will pick up on it like an echo chamber, said Green, who was in Japan when news of Muellers indictments broke Monday. He added that having been on those trips, it can be very, very hard for the White House to get their strategic and foreign policy message through.

Trump plans to visit Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, engaging in bilateral meetings with a host of foreign leaders. Aides have been briefing him heavily.

The trip comes as Chinese President Xi Jinping has consolidated power on the heels of the Communist Partys National Congress, creating another problematic narrative for Trump.

Trump is by far the weakest leader in modern U.S. history, and Xi is by far the strongest leader, said Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group, a global risk assessment firm. Thats going to make the meeting uncomfortable.

Bremmer, who also was in Japan last week at a security conference, said Japanese officials are concerned that Trump could be motivated to take a more provocative stance on North Korea or on U.S. trade relations with South Korea and China to distract from his domestic problems.

Unlike past U.S. leaders who have tried to stay on message in Asia while dealing with distractions at home, Trump always wants to create a distraction, Bremmer said. To what extent will he play harder ball with the Chinese or North Koreans or on trade? And, most importantly, will he decide to really fulminate against the North Koreans? It is dangerous, the combination of all that.

Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, was in Beijing last week.

The Chinese are worried that his domestic problems will cause Trump to do something internationally that will bolster his domestic position and distract people from his problems at home, she said.

The biggest worry is an attack on North Korea, Glaser said. Those who think he is not bluffing  they think this is something they should be worried about.

In interviews, several prominent Republicans argued that the tax bill will rise or fall based on factors unrelated to Trumps level of distraction.

Heading into next years midterm elections, Republicans in Congress are under tremendous pressure to show they can get something done with control of both chambers and the White House.

This bill was never going to pass because Donald Trump went up to the Hill and negotiated it, said Barry Bennett, a GOP consultant who advised Trump during last years general election. Its going to pass because Republicans have to pass it. . . . Theyre not really counting on much leadership from the president.

A senior Republican congressional aide largely echoed that sentiment and said lawmakers do not expect Trump to have much of an impact in the days following the bills introduction this week and its subsequent markup by the House Ways and Means Committee, in a stretch when hell be out of the country.

Its kind of an inside-the-cone process, said the aide, who requested anonymity to speak more candidly. Im not sure how much Trump would make a difference.

But the aide said there will be points later in the process that could benefit from presidential leadership, including help selling the legislation to the public before the full House votes and navigating differences that emerge after the Senate passes a bill.

The aide also said lawmakers have become accustomed to having to navigate distractions created by the White House.

When this year have we not had some big story about Russia or something else supposedly looming over us? the aide said. This is kind of the new normal.

Other observers suggested the pervasiveness of the Russia probe  which continued to dominate cable television news much of Tuesday  will have a more significant impact on Capitol Hill, particularly if more indictments are handed down in coming weeks.

It brings more chaos into an already chaotic situation, where theyre operating on an almost impossible timeline to begin with, said Jim Manley, a lobbyist and longtime aide to then-Senate Minority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.).

Manley and others also argued that Trump tends to lash out on Twitter when hes agitated  and often not in a helpful way.

Last week, for instance, he tweeted that the tax-cut plan would not include any changes to tax-deferred retirement accounts such as 401(k)s, following reports last week that House Republicans were weighing a sharp reduction in the amount of income American workers could save through such programs.

While they say they would welcome Democratic support, leaders of both chambers are preparing to pass the bill with only Republican votes. In the Senate, where there are 52 Republicans, that means the party can lose only two GOP votes.

"They don't have margin for error, so it doesn't take much to get off track," said John Weaver, who was chief strategist for the 2016 presidential campaign of Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R).

Doug Heye, a GOP political consultant, said the Mueller indictments have largely overshadowed what could have been a string of positive stories about Trumps week  his push for tax cuts, the expected announcement of a new Federal Reserve chairman on Thursday and a major trip abroad.

This distraction makes it harder to see any successes they have, Heye said. It highlights a problem this administration had since the beginning  staying out of its own way.
Former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon called congressional Republicans church mice for what he sees as their timid response to the Mueller investigation. (Mary F. Calvert/Reuters)

Debate intensified in President Trumps political circle Tuesday over how aggressively to confront special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, dividing some of the presidents advisers and loyalists as the Russia investigation enters a new phase following charges against three former Trump campaign officials.

Despite his growing frustration with a federal probe he has roundly dismissed, Trump has been cooperating with Mueller and lately has resisted attacking him directly, at the urging of his attorneys inside and outside the White House.

But several prominent Trump allies, including former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon, have said they think the presidents posture is too timid. Seeing the investigation as a political threat, they are clamoring for a more combative approach to Mueller that would damage his credibility and effectively kneecap his operation by cutting its funding.

Still, Bannon and others are not advising Trump to fire Mueller, a rash move that the presidents lawyers and political advisers oppose and insist is not under consideration.

Bannon in recent days has spoken with Trump by phone to relay his concerns about the presidents position and to counsel a shift in strategy, according to three people with knowledge of the conversation. The president  so far  has not accepted Bannons advice, these people said.



President Trump has been cooperating with the Mueller probe, on the advice of lawyers inside and outside the White House. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Bannon's view has been amplified elsewhere on the right, with talk radio and cable news commentators speaking out more forcefully against Mueller and his expanding probe. The Wall Street Journal editorial board has called on Mueller to resign. The Journal is part of News Corp., which is led by Rupert Murdoch, a friend of Trump who speaks privately with the president.

But many people in Trumps orbit recommend that he stay the course with cooperation  encouraging him to harshly criticize media coverage of the investigation but avoid engaging Mueller.

I like Steve, but his advice is not always the most helpful, said Christopher Ruddy, a Trump friend and the chief executive of Newsmax, a conservative media outlet. In this case, whatever Steve says, the president should do the opposite.

[Three former Trump campaign officials charged by special counsel]

The tensions extend to Capitol Hill, where Republican lawmakers have mostly split into two camps: those who are wary of weighing in on Mueller's investigation and those who see it as a prime political target.

Bannon is demanding that GOP leaders move swiftly to end congressional probes into Russian interference, undermine Muellers investigation and increase scrutiny on Democratic controversies.

The Republicans are like church mice, Bannon said Tuesday. No support of the president. Totally gutless. The Hill needs to step up.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) said he believes that Republicans should proceed carefully, and he called Mueller a very ethical person.

I dont know how you could improve things by interfering, Grassley said. The process just ought to go.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), a trusted Trump ally, has launched an investigation into an Obama-era uranium deal and is preparing to invite witnesses this week to testify about the FBI's handling of Russia investigations. Nunes intends to issue subpoenas if people decline to appear, according to people briefed on his plans.

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich, an informal Trump adviser who praised Mueller earlier this year after his appointment as special counsel, said he has slowly soured on the former FBI director and agrees that Congress should put a harsher national spotlight on him.

Mueller ought to be held accountable, Gingrich said.

He ticked through a series of what he considers questionable moves by Mueller and his team, including their handling of former Trump foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, whom the government described in an indictment unsealed Monday as a "proactive cooperator."

"Congress should look seriously at whether Mueller put a wire on this guy and sent him around to entrap people," Gingrich said. "If that happened, Congress better see the full transcripts, not just the FBI's edited versions. Congress should also ask why they're raiding [former campaign chairman Paul] Manafort's home at 5 a.m. for a white-collar crime from a few years ago."

This sentiment is not heard at the White House, however, where officials have been careful not to antagonize the special counsel.

Our approach has been to be cooperative and responsive and to see this come to a quick conclusion, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. Have we been aggressive in our comments and our feelings towards the Clinton campaign and the DNC? Yes. But thats where our aggression is seen and nowhere else.

Ty Cobb, the White House lawyer overseeing Russia matters, said after Mondays indictments of Manafort and his longtime deputy, Rick Gates, Nothing about todays events alters anything related to our engagement with the special counsel, with whom we continue to cooperate.

Cobb added, There are no discussions and there is no consideration being given to terminating Mueller.

Republicans in Congress said Trump is wise to avoid messing with Mueller.

There would be an uprising at the Capitol like never seen before if any kind of interference looked like it was taking place, said Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.). Regardless of which side of the aisle. Thats just beyond the pale.

[Upstairs at home, with the TV on, Trump fumes over Russia indictments]

Among Republicans, there is broad agreement to bring attention to past controversies involving Hillary Clinton, Trumps Democratic opponent in the 2016 election, that have animated hourly discussions on Fox News Channel and conservative talk radio programs.

The White House and allies have waged a public relations battle over the Clinton campaign's and the Democratic National Committee's funding of research that resulted in the famous dossier that details Trump's alleged connections to Russia.

The dossier has become a lightning rod, with congressional Republican leaders trying to discredit Fusion GPS, the firm that commissioned the dossier, and the documents author, Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence officer with ties to the U.S. intelligence community.

Republicans also are trying to bring scrutiny to a 2010 uranium deal approved by the Obama administration, while Clinton was secretary of state. The deal  which Trump used as a political cudgel against Clinton during the campaign  allowed a Russian nuclear energy agency to acquire a controlling stake in a Canadian-based company that had mining licenses for about 20 percent of U.S. uranium extraction capacity, although the company cannot export uranium.

Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity, a Trump confidant, decried the lack of investigative attention on Clinton, a point the president and his top aides have made in recent days.

"This is not hyperbole," Hannity said Monday night in his on-air monologue, which the president is known to watch regularly. "I am not overstating the case. We are at a major crisis point in America tonight. Do we have equal justice under the law in this country today?"

Some Republican lawmakers have heeded these calls. House and Senate GOP leaders have announced two investigations into the uranium deal, while at least three congressional committees are continuing to look into how the FBI handled Clintons email scandal.

But there appears to be little appetite for legislation that would cut Muellers funding or otherwise limit the scope of his investigation, something various Trump allies have suggested is necessary.

My basic philosophy is, once you have an independent counsel, you ought to give him a chance to follow the facts, said Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the chairman of the subcommittee that handles the Justice Departments funding. If somebodys doing a job, you dont want to cut it off.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said: The idea that Bob Mueller is going to have the scope of his inquiry constrained, or be otherwise restricted, is really out there. I think thats extremely unlikely.

Karoun Demirjian and Sean Sullivan contributed to this report.
Newly released court documents show that Trump foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos communicated with several senior campaign officials about his outreach to the Russian government over a period of months. The recipients of Papadopoulos's emails are not named in the filings, but The Washington Post has identified several individuals based on interviews and other documents. Papadopoulos pleaded guilty this month to lying to federal agents about his outreach to Russia.

The Campaign Supervisor: Trump campaign national co-chairman Sam Clovis

Victoria Toensing, an attorney for Sam Clovis, confirmed that several references in court filings to the campaign supervisor refer to the onetime radio host from Iowa, who served as Trumps national campaign co-chairman.

At one point, Papadopoulos emailed Clovis and other campaign officials about a March 24, 2016, meeting he had in London with a professor, who had introduced him to the Russian ambassador and a Russian woman he described as Putins niece. The group had talked about arranging a meeting between us and the Russian leadership to discuss U.S.-Russia ties under President Trump, Papadopoulos wrote. (Papadopoulos later learned that the woman was not Putins niece, and while he expected to meet the ambassador, he never did, according to filings.)

Clovis responded that he would work it through the campaign, adding, great work, according to court documents.

In August 2016, Clovis responded to efforts by Papadopoulos to organize an off the record meeting with Russian officials. I would encourage you and another foreign policy adviser to the campaign to make the trip, if it is feasible, Clovis wrote.

Toensing said Clovis always vigorously opposed any Russian trip for Donald Trump and/or the campaign. She said his responses to Papadopoulos were courtesy by a polite gentleman from Iowa.

High-Ranking Campaign Official: Campaign manager Corey Lewandowski

Emails previously described to The Post indicate that the high-ranking campaign official described in court documents is onetime campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. The emails were among more than 20,000 pages that the Trump campaign turned over to congressional committees after review by White House and defense lawyers.

Lewandowski, who was pushed out of his post in June 2016, did not respond to requests for comment.

Papadopoulos wrote to Lewandowski several times to let him know that the Russians were interested in forging a relationship with the campaign, court filings show.

In one email on April 27, 2016, Papadopoulos wrote to discuss Russias interest in hosting Mr. Trump.

Have been receiving a lot of calls over the last month about Putin wanting to host him and the team when the time is right, he added.

In May, Papadopoulos forwarded to Lewandowski an offer of cooperation from a Russian with links to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Is this something we want to move forward with? he asked.

There is no indication if or how Lewandowski responded to those messages. But in June, when Papadopoulos emailed him again about Russia, Lewandowski referred him to Clovis because he is running point, according to court documents.

[Top campaign officials knew of Trump advisers outreach to Russia]

Another high-ranking campaign official: Campaign chairman Paul Manafort

The court filings indicate that Papadopoulos emailed another high-ranking campaign official on May 21, 2016, with the subject line Request from Russia to meet Mr. Trump.

The Post has previously identified this official as Paul Manafort, who was indicted Monday on unrelated criminal charges.

Manafort forwarded Papadopouloss email to another campaign official, stating: We need someone to communicate that DT is not doing these trips, referring to a trip to Russia. It should be someone low level in the campaign so as not to send any signal.

Manafort spokesman Jason Maloni in August told The Post that the campaign chairman's response indicated that "any invitation by Russia, directly or indirectly, would be rejected outright."

Another campaign official: Manafort deputy Rick Gates

The Post has previously identified the official who received the May 21, 2016, email from Manafort as his deputy, Rick Gates. Gates was indicted Monday on unrelated criminal charges.

Senior Policy Advisor: Unknown

The court filings indicate that on April 27, 2016, Papadopoulos emailed a senior policy advisor and wrote, Have some interesting messages coming in from Moscow about a trip when the time is right.

The Post has not identified this official.

Another Foreign Policy Advisor: Walid Phares

Court filings indicate that Clovis told Papadopoulos that he would encourage him and another foreign policy adviser to the campaign to make a trip to meet with Russian officials if is feasible. Emails previously reviewed by the Post show that the other person to whom Clovis was referring was Trump foreign policy adviser Walid Phares, who has worked as a Fox News commentator.

Rebecca Bynum, a spokeswoman for Phares, said Phares had met Papadopoulos only once, at a March 31, 2016 meeting of Trumps national security advisers, a group that included both men. She said Phares never traveled with Papadopoulos, did not have any conversations with him about making such trips and had been unaware until this week that Clovis had mentioned his name. I think Clovis was just trying to get [Papadopoulos] out of his hair, she said.

The Professor: Joseph Mifsud, director of the London Academy of Diplomacy

According to emails previously described to The Post, the London-based professor who was a key contact for Papadopoulos in his Russian outreach is Joseph Mifsud, who formerly served as a government official in Malta.

Mifsud did not respond to a request for comment Monday. In an email to The Post in August, he wrote that he had absolutely no contact with the Russian government and said his only ties to Russia were through academic links.

Papadopoulos met Mifsud in March 2016 while traveling in Italy, according to court records. The professor seemed uninterested in Papadopoulos until he learned that he was a campaign adviser, according to court filings.

Five days after Trump named Papadopoulos as one of his advisers during a meeting at The Post, Papadopoulos and Mifsud met in London. The professor brought with him a Russian woman who was introduced as a relative of President Vladimir Putin who had connections to senior Russian government officials.

The following month, Mifsud told Papadopoulos that he had just returned from Moscow, where he had learned from high-level Russian government officials that Russia had dirt on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, including thousands of emails.

The Female Russian National: Unknown

Court documents show that Papadopoulos corresponded with a female Russian national whom he initially believed was Putins niece.

At one point, she wrote to him, The Russian Federation would love to welcome [Trump] once his candidature would be officially announced.

The Post has not identified the woman.

A Russian National Connected to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Ivan Timofeev

In April 2016, Mifsud introduced Papadopoulos over email to a man in Moscow who told Papadopoulos that he had connections to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, court records show.

Emails previously described to The Post indicate that the man is Ivan Timofeev, a program director at a Russian government-funded think tank called the Russian International Affairs Council.

Papadopoulos communicated via Skype and email with Timofeev to discuss establishing ties between Russian officials and the Trump campaign.

On Monday, Timofeev declined to comment, referring a reporter to a statement the Russian International Affairs Council posted in August in response to a Post story. The statement said that Papadopoulos had contacted the council and put forth the idea of a possible visit to Russia by Mr. Trump or his team members.

Given the RIACs established practice of hosting public meetings with prominent politicians and public figures from the U.S. and other countries, the U.S. initiative was a matter of routine for the Council, the statement said, pointing out that among the councils guest speakers was former U.S. ambassador Michael McFaul.

Timofeev told The Post in August that the idea of a meeting with Trump officials was dropped after he received no official request from the Trump campaign for a meeting.

David Filipov in Moscow, Karla Adam in London, and Tom Hamburger and Robert Costa in Washington contributed to this report.
The intense focus in Washington on the investigation led by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III is not expected to become a dominant theme for Democrats on the campaign trail as the party continues grappling with how to talk about President Trump.

Trump, his sagging popularity, his conservative policy ideas and the investigation now embroiling his administration are a major preoccupation for Democratic leaders, who might relish watching the White House struggle but who vividly remember that the Stop Trump message fell flat last year.

The Russia investigation is important to talk about, but I dont think its something that you can focus entirely on, said Ken Martin, chair of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party.

In each race, its not enough just to say that Trump and his allies are bad people, Martin said. We have to be able to move beyond it and start giving people a reason to vote for Democrats.

In Minnesota, Martin and his party will be working next year to hold the governors mansion and a U.S. Senate seat and turn out voters in at least four competitive congressional districts.

In Ohio, Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper is hoping to retake the governors mansion, hold a Senate seat and claw back a congressional district or two.

We dont spend a lot of time around here talking about Vladimir Putin and James Comey, he said. Im as frustrated as anyone by what Comey did and that Putin interfered, and Congress should get to the bottom of that, but if thats what we talk about . . . we will lose again.

Pepper, who spoke the night before indictments were unsealed Monday, added that the way Ohio Democrats will win next year is by getting a core message that appeals across all 88 counties.

But Guy Cecil, president of the Democratic super PAC Priorities USA Action, said that despite the reservations of some, the Russia story will be part of the partys 2018 focus, especially after the indictments.

That took what had been a complicated story and it simplified it, he said.

The story, Cecil said, would have the greatest impact on white, college-educated voters who all along had conflicted feelings about Trump but voted against Hillary Clinton after Comey announced a last-minute decision to briefly reopen the investigation of the former secretary of state.

Also complicating the partys response to the investigations is that a prominent party stalwart may also end up entangled in the Mueller probe.



Tom Steyer speaks in San Francisco on Oct. 24 at a rally calling for the impeachment of President Trump. (Jeff Chiu/AP)

On Monday, Tony Podesta, a Democratic power lobbyist and the brother of John Podesta, a longtime Democratic adviser who led Clintons presidential campaign, announced that he is stepping away from his lobbying firm amid questions about the work he did with former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his business partner Rick Gates, who were indicted Monday.

[Amid swirl of controversy, Democratic power lobbyist Podesta steps down]

Across the country, Democratic political consultants and progressive groups agreed that mentions of the ongoing investigation will resonate best in areas where Trump is deeply unpopular. It may also help make broader anti-incumbent arguments about the need to clean up Washington or preserve American democracy.

It isnt directly relevant for every campaign, but if youre running for Congress, it sure is, said Rodd McLeod, an Arizona-based consultant working with congressional and state legislative candidates. Congresss job is to be a check on Donald Trump, and right now Congress is failing.

[Three former Trump campaign officials charged by special counsel]

Since the end of the effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, the grass-roots Indivisible project, a network of citizen groups, has focused more on building opposition to tax cuts than on the Russia probe.

We went through the exact same thing during the Trumpcare fight. Comey was fired, and Mueller was appointed, and we had to try to focus the field: Yes, this is bonkers, but keep your eye on the prize,  said Ezra Levin, the co-founder of Indivisible. Where we have leverage is through the legislative process  thats where constituent power actually works.

MoveOn.org is working with two dozen smaller groups for a "day of action" if Trump fires Mueller; a website, at trumpisnotabovethelaw.org, is already being used to organize it. But Ben Wikler, MoveOn's Washington director, said the group was using this week to protest the rollout of the Republicans' tax-cut bill, not double down on Russia news.

People will be in the streets if Mueller is fired, Wikler said. But public pressure isnt going to change how Mueller conducts his investigation. It can affect whether Congress cuts taxes for the rich.

Out on the campaign trail, the investigation could prove to be an especially tricky subject for the 10 Democratic senators facing reelection next year in states Trump won handily, and on the dozens of Democratic House candidates running in exurban or rural swing districts.

During a recent town hall meeting in Washington, Mo., Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) pulled questions out a fishbowl that attendees had written and submitted as they walked in the door. The first asked whether Congress can stop President Trump from lying to the American people every day.

McCaskill shook her head, didnt answer and moved on to the next question. Later, she pulled out a question asking whether Trump would be impeached.

I dont support impeaching the president. I dont believe theres anything thats occurred that requires an impeachment, and so Im not in favor of that, she said before moving on.

Other Democrats up for reelection next year are speaking about the investigation in measured tones.

I consider it a truth hunt and not a witch hunt, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said Monday on CBS This Morning when asked to react to Trumps characterization of the investigation. We owe it to our democracy.

What I want to know is how far this went, who was involved and who gave the orders, she added.

In the battle for the House, Democrats say they may have a unique opportunity by virtue of the people they have running. The partys unprecedented wave of recruits includes military veterans such as Jason Crow, running against Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.); former intelligence officers such as Abigail Spanberger, running against Rep. Dave Brat (R-Va.); and senior government officials such as former State Department official Ed Meier, running against Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Tex.).

But Monday, as the indictments of Trump campaign officials dominated the news, none of those candidates responded with statements. Neither did the Democratic candidates in next weeks closely watched races for governor in New Jersey and Virginia.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is running for reelection next week and has frequently plunged into national debates, but on Monday he campaigned for a millionaires tax that would fund transportation and rode the New York subway with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)  and didnt opine on the indictments.

Some Trump critics are going further with the story than Democrats might like. Ryan Clayton, an organizer with Americans Take Action who was arrested last week after tossing Russian flags at Trump during a visit to the Capitol, said that the indictments demonstrated why protests were needed to stop fascism in the United States.

Now whenever someone starts talking about Hillary and uranium, all we have to say is: Yeah, check the news about Manafort, Clayton said. I look forward to the day that Trump and his associates are getting marched to jail in orange jumpsuits. That will send the message that you cant collude with a foreign power to undermine democracy.

And shortly before the indictments were unsealed, billionaire donor Tom Steyer began a multimillion-dollar television ad campaign calling on Congress to begin impeachment proceedings for Trump. He is planning to travel the country to build awareness, with plans to stop this week outside the district office of Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), a longtime critic of President Barack Obama who Democrats say isnt being tough enough on Trump.

This isnt about doing whats the best move politically or tactically  this is about doing whats right, said Steyer spokeswoman Aleigha Cavalier.

In a recent interview, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Steyers push for impeachment is one that no one could disagree with in terms of the justification. But she said she and her caucus would stay focused on defeating the Republican tax plan.

I say to the members its no use talking about him, she said. Hes self-evident. So why dont we just talk about what we want to do.

James Hohmann and Michael Scherer contributed to this report.

Read more at PowerPost
Alabama Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Roy Moore speaks with reporters during a visit to the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Tuesday. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Roy Moore arrived in the Capitol to play an unfamiliar role: Republican conformist.

By the time he left, he was once again a lightning rod for controversy.

The hard-right former judge made his second trip to Washington on Tuesday as his party's Senate nominee in Alabama. Unlike the last time he was in town, Moore decided to mingle with the Republican establishment he has villainized on the campaign trail.

He joined Republican senators at their weekly policy luncheon. Most backed his opponent in the primary. He chatted with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), his bitter foe.

Afterward, he refrained from reiterating his criticism of the Kentuckian. Moore also dodged questions from reporters about incendiary statements he has made about a Muslim serving in Congress and gay people, declaring that he was not there to answer any questions about issues.

As he made the rounds, some of Moores potential future Republican colleagues strained to separate themselves from him. One even attacked him head-on in a speech on the Senate floor.

The visit offered a preview of the headaches Moores presence could cause for Senate Republican leaders should he prevail in a Dec. 12 special election to fill the seat once held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

I dont know where Im going right now, Moore told reporters as he exited Tuesdays lunch and walked down a hallway near the Senate chamber before doubling back toward a bank of elevators.

Asked by one reporter whether he still thinks Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) should not be a member of Congress because hes Muslim, as Moore wrote in a 2006 opinion piece, Moore replied, Ill address that later.

Did he still think "homosexual conduct should be illegal," as he said in a 2005 television interview?

Im not answering any questions on issues right now, Moore said.

He said he spoke at lunch to McConnell, whom he has vowed to oppose as leader. But as he departed the second floor of the Capitol, he said he was not going to give an opinion on that matter at that moment.

Less than two hours later, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), a frequent critic of the far-right and President Trump who is retiring at the end of this Congress, used a floor speech in favor of a conservative judicial nominee to condemn Moore.

When the presidential nominee of my party, the party of Lincoln, called for a Muslim ban, it was wrong, and I said so, said Flake. When a judge expressed his personal belief that a Muslim should not be a member of Congress because of his faith, it was wrong. That this same judge is now my partys nominee for the Senate should concern us all. Religious tests have no place in the United States Congress.

Moore's visit came amid an effort by Senate Republicans to criticize Democrats for what they have charged was anti-Catholic animus against judicial nominee Amy Coney Barrett, a Catholic law professor who has questioned the legal rationale behind the Supreme Court ruling on abortion in Roe v. Wade. The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Barrett to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit.

Republicans have focused on Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who accused Barrett at a hearing of letting dogma overwhelm legal reasoning, and then expanded to attacking any Democrat who opposed Barrett.

But some of the same lawmakers lodging that complaint have not forcefully criticized Moores past comment about Ellison, adding awkwardness to their line of attack on the basis of religious liberty.

For some Republican senators, Moores appearance on Tuesday also created some discomfort.

Asked whether he supported Moore, Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Thune (S.D.) responded, Im hoping to meet with him while hes up here. I havent had a chance to do that yet. I dont know him.

Like Trump and many other leading Republicans, Thune backed Sen. Luther Strange in the GOP primary that Moore won.

He stood up and was pleasant in his comments, said Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), recalling Moores appearance at lunch. But Corker wasnt won over  and he did not want to weigh in on Moores controversial positions.

I plan on staying out of the election, and the people of Alabama will determine that, he said. And I have nothing to do whatsoever with whats happening in the Senate race in Alabama.

Moore is scheduled to attend a fundraiser in Washington on Wednesday evening. An invitation distributed by his campaign this month lists the names of prominent conservative activists and senators backing his campaign, including Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).

But in a sign that Moore may not even be on the same page as some of his allies in Washington, a spokesman for Lee said Tuesday that it was not on the senators to-do list.

Tomorrows fundraiser is not on our schedule, said the spokesman, Conn Carroll.
The hardest part for official Washington is not knowing what happens next.

Amid the escalating criminal investigation into Russian involvement in the 2016 election, every corner of the city finds itself preparing for the unexpected.

Democrats fret that President Trump might try to shut down the inquiry. Republicans worry that their last best hope for a legislative win, a tax overhaul, could fall victim to the scandal. And the presidents denial that his campaign worked in any way with Russia continues to be tested by new disclosures.

The only person with any significant control over events, special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, offered no hints Monday on his next move beyond the days bombshells  legal filings that included the indictment of two former Trump campaign officials and the guilty plea of a third.

And the possibilities seemed only to grow as the day wore on. Hours after the first indictments landed, a leading Democratic lobbyist, Tony Podesta, announced that he would leave his firm after its apparent role in a Ukrainian lobbying campaign was described in court papers.



Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell R-Ky.), center, joined by, from left, Sens. Charles E. Grassley R-Iowa), Orrin G. Hatch R-Utah) and John Cornyn R-Tex.), at the Capitol on Monday. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

We are in a real testing time for democracy, said Thomas Mann, a scholar at the Brookings Institution. You really have to go back to Watergate to find anything of this scope and dimension.

Former Democratic strategist David Axelrod liked to say that presidential campaigns provide MRIs of candidates souls. The corollary is that criminal investigations can similarly expose the hidden malignancies of Washington.

The release of the charges followed the disclosure last week that a prominent Democratic lawyer and a news outlet backed by a major Republican donor had at different times paid a firm that compiled opposition research on Trump alleging ties to Russian interests that could threaten national security.

Both disclosures were the sort of tradecraft that rarely becomes public, but there was little sign that they would be the last. Mueller has signaled that he will seek to turn every stone in his search and use all available legal tools. Mondays court papers revealed that he had decided to file charges under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, a nearly 80-year-old law that regulates lobbying for foreign powers but rarely leads to criminal charges.

Legal experts say the Mueller investigation is likely to bring more charges, not to mention a protracted legal process that is likely to distract from other priorities.

The charges brought last week could easily result in prosecutions extending into 2019, just on the trial level, not even the appellate level, said Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University Law School. That is going to continue to have a dysfunctional impact on the Trump administration.

That raises the prospects for political distractions that could continue into the 2018 campaign season, possibly complicating Republican efforts to hold the House and Senate. It also undercuts the expectations of White House aides, who say they expect the Mueller investigation to conclude soon.

Already, there are signs that the growing scandal has begun to distract from a key week for Republicans looking to build momentum behind tax legislation.

On Capitol Hill, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) avoided questions from reporters on the indictments. At a separate event, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) said this when asked about the indictments: I really dont have anything to add, other than nothings going to derail what were doing in Congress.

But Simon Rosenberg, a Democratic strategist, said: It has added a degree of unpredictability and volatility into what was already an unpredictable environment. It ends up just being a thing that just started eating up bandwidth.

Even the president found himself caught off guard when he prematurely tweeted his own absolution hours after indictments were announced against his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and a top deputy, Rick Gates. At 10:25 a.m., Trump felt it safe to boast that the announcements did not directly reference his campaign.

Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the campaign, Trump wrote on Twitter. . . . Also, there is NO COLLUSION!

At about the same time, Muellers team announced a previously secret guilty plea of a third Trump campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos, who worked on foreign policy in a volunteer capacity. In court papers, Papadopoulos described in detail his 2016 efforts to arrange contacts with people he knew to be Russian agents, including one person who had told him about Russian dirt on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, including thousands of emails.

Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to giving false statements to federal agents in his initial interviews about the interactions. He now says that he discussed the Russian overtures he had received with several other people in the Trump campaign, including a "senior policy adviser," a "campaign supervisor" and a "high-ranking campaign official." Among the campaign officials he emailed were Manafort, campaign manager Corey Lewandowski and national campaign co-chairman Sam Clovis.

The campaign officials are not identified in court documents, but some of the emails cited by federal prosecutors match messages described in August to The Washington Post by people familiar with their contents.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders chose not to acknowledge that confession later in the day. Todays announcement has nothing to do with the president, has nothing to do with the presidents campaign or campaign activity, she said, arguing that the work by Papadopoulos to coordinate a Russian meeting with the campaign did not amount to a campaign effort.

Podestas decision to leave his firm amounted to the first collateral damage for Democrats from the Russian investigation. One of the partys most powerful lobbyists and effective fundraisers, he is also the brother of Clintons 2016 campaign chairman, John Podesta.

The Manafort and Gates indictments described the efforts of Company B  which appears to be Tony Podestas firm, the Podesta Group  to help the government of Ukraine. A principal from Podestas firm is described as privately warning Gates that his talking points on work on the lobbying contract could be contradicted by lots of email traffic.

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) put out a warning to Trump not to interfere with the ongoing probe. If he does, Congress must respond swiftly, unequivocally and in a bipartisan way to ensure that the investigation continues, he said in a statement.

Republicans, meanwhile, seemed more concerned that the scandal not distract from the effort to pass tax legislation before the end of the year. Lobbyist Charlie Black, a former business partner of Manafort, worried that the focus on the investigation could do so. The agenda of politics is dictated by the news media most of the time, Black said. And the news media will be consumed by these scandal issues. Black noted that all of his 65 clients are interested in the outcome of the tax fight.

Grover Norquist, a conservative activist working on tax legislation, said the situation recalled moments during the scandals of the 1990s. There was a period of months during Monica Lewinsky when I could have set my hair on fire and I would not have gotten on television, he said, arguing that more debate over taxes would help his side. Its a distraction.

Read more at PowerPost
In China, the foreign policy mantra had long been to hide your strength, and bide your time. Cards, in other words, would be played close to the vest, and bets would be modest.

No longer. At the 19th Communist Party Congress, President Xi Jinping declared that a "new era" had begun. It was time for China to show its hand, to put its cards on the table.

It will be an era that sees China moving closer to center stage, he said, describing a confident nation blazing a trail for other developing countries to follow, a nation that now stands tall and firm in the East.

Xi set out a vision of a political system directly opposed to Western values of democracy and free speech, values that Chinese Communist Party media mockingly declared had brought only chaos, confusion and decline to the West.

But is it a winning hand? Is China about to replace the United States as the dominant power in the Asia-Pacific region?

For an answer, Asia is looking to President Trump, who will arrive in Asia on Friday for his first visit, a 10-day trip that will take him from South Korea and Japan to China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

This must be a wake-up for the Trump administration and officials in Washington, said Paul Haenle, director of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center in Beijing and a former China director on the National Security Council for Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush. On his visit to Asia, Trump should push back forcefully against the narrative that U.S. leadership on the global stage and in Asia is receding.

It is a narrative fueled by one of Trumps first acts on taking office, his withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an ambitious 12-nation trade deal that excluded China and was the cornerstone of the Obama administrations economic strategy toward the region. Western diplomats in Beijing shake their heads ruefully when that decision comes up in conversation.

Trump may have backed away from campaign suggestions that the United States Asian allies should pay more for their own defense, or even that they should develop their own nuclear deterrents. But he continues to threaten South Korea, a key strategic ally, with the renegotiation of its free-trade deal with the United States.

Last week, as Chinese media covering the party congress celebrated the triumph of the socialist system over Western democracy, Trump didnt even appear to realize there was a contest.

He congratulated Xi for his extraordinary elevation, and told Fox Business Network that the Chinese president  who presides over one of the most repressive regimes on the planet  is a very good person.

People say we have the best relationship of any president-president, because hes called president also. Some people might call him the king of China, but hes called president, Trump said.

Fudan Universitys Wu Xinbo, a foreign policy expert, says he welcomes a president refreshingly free of  ideological bias, with a more transactional style.

The White House says Trump will be coming to Beijing to seek more help in exerting pressure on North Korea, and to rebalance the U.S.-China economic relationship.

But European diplomats said there is little or no policy coordination between Washington and Western Europe in setting trade and market-access policy toward China, and little confidence that Washington has a coherent strategy.

Trumps April meeting with Xi at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida is not seen as having made significant progress, and the risk is that the Chinese will flatter Trumps ego with the pomp and ceremony of a high-profile state visit  and so deflect his demands, diplomats here say.

The more fundamental question, though, is whether Trump can repair some of the damage he has wrought to American reputation in the region, diplomats and experts say, and counter talk of U.S. decline, set against Chinas rise.

Western diplomats in Beijing say their counterparts from Africa, Latin America and even poorer parts of Europe are increasingly fascinated with Chinas political and economic system.

"That's especially true in countries with authoritarian tendencies, who can say it's helpful, the economy will flourish," one diplomat said. "The further away they are geographically from China, the more fascinated they are."

Closer to home, in the Asia-Pacific region, however, many countries still look to the United States to keep the peace, and keep China in check.

Beijings growing influence has generated significant pushback in Australia, while its territorial ambitions have generated even more intense ill will in Vietnam and India.

Attempts to wield Chinese influence globally still generate more pushback than American attempts, said Andrew Nathan, a political science professor and China expert at Columbia University in New York.

Im not entirely sure why that is  I mean, the U.S. has done a lot of bad things, but the U.S. seems more trusted and accepted, he said. Chinese money may be accepted, and Chinese influence yielded to when necessary, but I dont find Chinese leadership being much welcomed either by its near neighbors or in Africa and Europe.

Trump's long Asia trip is likely to help reassure nervous allies, experts say, although his decision to skip the East Asia Summit in the Philippines has raised concerns.

A speech at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in Vietnam will be a key point of engagement, said Rana Mitter, a professor of the history and politics of modern China at Oxford University.

That speech, he said, will be closely scrutinized to see if Trump presents a clear and coherent statement of the United States commitment to the region, or a more confused and uncertain assessment.

In the end, Mitter said, it is up to Washington to decide how much influence it still wants to wield, or whether it lets that power slip away toward Beijing.

If you look objectively, the level of American power, influence and alliances in East Asia still massively outplays China, he said. The Americans still have a lot of the cards in their hands. Its up to them if they play these cards or keep them off the table.

Luna Lin contributed to this report.

Read more:

The rise of Chinas Xi Jinping told in six front pages

Move over, America. China presents itself as the model blazing a new trail for the world.

Trump to skip key Asia summit in Philippines to go home earlier

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
When the time comes to write the history of breakaway nations, Catalonia will have an unusual trajectory: On Friday, leaders triumphantly declared independence. On Tuesday, they emerged in at least temporary self-imposed exile.

Independence advocates ruefully acknowledged that Catalonia had failed to seize the political steering wheel from Spanish leaders in Madrid, and many looked back at a whirlwind October to ask whether different tactics could have achieved better results.

The month began with violence, as Spanish riot police wielding truncheons cracked down on an Oct. 1 Catalan independence referendum that Madrid declared illegitimate. It ended with former Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont addressing a packed room of jostling journalists in Brussels.

We are facing a state that only understands the reason of force, Puigdemont said, explaining his decision to flee his nascent nation even as he declared himself the legitimate president of Catalonia. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy stripped him and other Catalan officials of their posts after invoking extraordinary constitutional powers Friday. Puigdemont said new regional elections on Dec. 21 would deliver a decisive result against unionist backers of Madrid, even if it meant working, for now, within Spains system.

[Catalonia declares independence, but Spain vows to block it]

If he and his colleagues had remained in Catalonia, Puigdemont said, I am convinced, according to the information that I have, that there would have been a violent reaction. He spoke alongside several of his top former ministers, who he said agreed with him Friday night to leave Catalonia.

Some activists questioned Puigdemonts decision to flee to Belgium with about half his government in tow, setting up a government in exile as other allies faced rebellion and sedition charges back in Spain. But others praised him for a strategic retreat that allows him to keep fighting for Catalonia in the heart of the European Union.

"Puigdemont is doing exactly what he needs to do," said Liz Castro, a member of the Catalan National Assembly, a pro-

independence activist group. "War pretty much sounds like the other option. This is better."

For Puigdemont, a pensive former journalist who has devoted his life to Catalan independence, October was a challenging month even as he moved to realize his dream, allies said. He struggled to hold together his unruly coalition, whose members ranged from anti-capitalist anarchists to pro-business conservatives and agreed only on the notion that Catalonia should be free.

All were horrified by the police violence that accompanied the referendum, consisting mostly of beatings that left hundreds of people battered and bruised. Some of them wanted to push as fast as possible toward independence. But others were spooked as some of Catalonias biggest companies moved their headquarters outside the region, hammering the economy.

At one point, Puigdemont declared independence only to suspend it in the same speech, leading supporters and opponents scratching their heads about what had happened. Behind the scenes, he was pushing national authorities to let him rerun a referendum with national approval, allies said.

As late as Thursday, he was poised to call new regional elections to defuse the crisis. But amid splits in his coalition, he instead asked the Catalan Parliament to vote whether to declare independence. Its decision  following a bitter walkout by pro-union forces  set off the takeover by Madrid, as Spains Senate invoked a never-before-used clause of the constitution to allow Rajoy to suspend Catalonias autonomy.

[Separatist Catalans retreat as Spain quashes independence bid]

Instead of rallying Catalan supporters over the weekend, Puigdemont kept a low profile in his home town of Girona. By Monday, he was gone, escaping by car to Marseille and then flying to Brussels.

It was a big mistake on the part of the Spanish government to use violence to prevent the referendum, said Salvador Illa, secretary of the pro-union Catalan Socialist Party. But it was a big mistake to declare independence.

Rajoys allies in Madrid offered no apologies for their tough approach to the separatists.

In a modern democracy, theres room for all of us. What we were seeing is that we didnt all fit, said Jose Ramon Garcia Hernandez, executive secretary of international relations for Rajoys center-right Popular Party.

I have no problem that there are pro-independence lawmakers, he said. All I want is that they comply with the law the same way we all do.

Now, crestfallen pro-independence forces say they need to find a way to retake the initiative.

"The situation is bad; we know that," said Mireia Vehi, a member of the Catalan Parliament from the far-left, pro-independence Popular Unity Candidacy party. "We have declared a republic, but in reality, we don't have the power, because leaders didn't prepare it."

She said her party wants Puigdemont and other top leaders to exercise their authority more actively.

Were saying, Come on, make politics, act as the legitimate government you are,  she said.

Puigdemont said Tuesday that he plans to push Catalonias case inside the European Union and across the world in a bid to breathe life into the still-struggling independence movement. He said he was not applying for political asylum in Belgium, at least not now.

The Catalan leaders plans beyond that remained unclear. Belgiums Flemish nationalists, who belong to the ruling coalition, are among the few political groups in Europe that have shown sympathy to the Catalan cause. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, a member of a French-speaking pro-unity party, offered far cooler words Tuesday.

The Belgian government did not take any steps to encourage Mr. Puigdemont to travel to Belgium, Michel said in a statement. Mr. Puigdemont has the same rights and duties as any European citizen, no more and no less.

A challenge could come as soon as Thursday if Puigdemont and others fail to appear in Spanish court as scheduled and Spanish authorities issue international arrest warrants for them. In that case, they would face up to 30 years in prison if Belgium decided to hand them over. If Belgium did not, it would risk a rift with Madrid, a close ally.

For now, some pro-independence leaders believe that the Dec. 21 Catalan elections can offer another shot at freedom.

These elections are a good chance to turn them into a plebiscite that will be watched by the whole world, said Alfred Bosch, leader of the Barcelona branch of the Republican Left party, which was a coalition partner alongside Puigdemont. It might seem that youre accepting [the Spanish authorities] game, but lets face it, they control the game.

He said pro-independence forces can succeed only if they remain strategic about which battles they fight.

You have a new republic, he said. You have to nourish it. Its so fragile. Lets protect it.

Pamela Rolfe in Madrid and Braden Phillips in Barcelona contributed to this report.

Read more

Catalan leaders removed, Spain asserts control over breakaway region

Catalonias independence vote: What you need to know

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, left, with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Peskov said Russia is completely baffled by accusations of election meddling. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)

The Kremlin on Tuesday dismissed as "baseless" and "ludicrous" the notion that charges leveled by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III against three former Trump campaign officials constituted proof of Russian meddling in U.S. political affairs.

Moscow has always denied playing any role in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and has portrayed the investigation into Russian interference as an attempt by President Trumps opponents to rationalize the election defeat of Hillary Clinton. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the indictments released Monday provided no evidence of Russian meddling.

From the outset we have been completely baffled over these baseless, unproven accusations against our country, about alleged attempts to interfere with U.S. elections, Peskov told reporters on a conference call. We dont want to be any part of this process, and wed prefer that these proceedings not facilitate the intensification of already rampant Russophobic hysteria.

[Three former Trump campaign officials charged by special counsel]

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his longtime business partner, Rick Gates, were charged in a 12-count indictment with conspiracy to launder money, making false statements and other offenses in connection with their work advising a political party in Ukraine. The leader of that party, former president Viktor Yanukovych, fled to Russia after his regime was toppled by protesters in 2014.

The indictment makes no mention of Russias role, which Peskov said shows that Russia isnt part of it.

The second indictment concerned former Trump foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, who admitted making a false statement to FBI investigators who asked about his contacts with foreigners claiming to have high-level Russian connections.

Papadopouloss plea agreement, signed earlier this month and unsealed Monday, described his extensive efforts to broker connections with Russian officials and arrange a meeting between them and the Trump campaign. Emails show that higher-ranking officials at least entertained the idea of arranging these meetings.

[Here is who is under investigation, and why]

Peskov dismissed a question about whether the charges against Papadopoulos provided proof that Russian officials had tried to meddle in the U.S. election.

These are ludicrous accusations, ludicrous statements, once again groundless, baseless, and we treat them accordingly, he said.

Peskov said the Kremlin was watching the proceedings with interest.

The main thing is that it doesnt concern our citizens, because we are always going to defend the interests of our citizens, he said.

Rosalind S. Helderman in Washington contributed to this report.

Read more:

Top campaign officials knew of Trump advisers outreach to Russia

Ukrainians cheered by news of Manaforts indictment

Professor in Russia disclosures says he has clear conscience

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news


Hala, a 2-year-old girl, suffers from the lack of medical care and adequate nourishment at her home in the rebel-held town of Saqba in Eastern Ghouta, Syria, on Oct. 25. Aid agencies warn the situation is worsening, despite an international agreement to implement a de-escalation zone in the area, which has decreased violence but led to no new access for food, medicine and humanitarian aid. (Abdulmonam Eassa/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)

In the final days of Sahar Devdeh's life, her parents feared their hugs might break her. She barely moved. She was too weak to cry. At times, her doctor thought, she looked more like a skeleton than a month-old baby.

When she died last week at 34 days old, Sahar became a stark casualty of a growing food crisis in a pocket of the Syrian capital. Aid groups warn more deaths will follow.

The story of how a child dies of hunger is not a simple one. In the besieged suburb of Eastern Ghouta, food supplies did not dry up overnight. Even after years of violence, families still managed to cope, spending savings on food sold at inflated prices and finding creative solutions when the fuel ran out.

Slowly, after years of a government blockade, warlord profiteering and international paralysis over the appropriate humanitarian response, residents of this suburb once known as the breadbasket of Damascus have reached a breaking point.

What we saw with baby Sahar was just the start of a tragedy, said Hamza Hasan, a representative of the Syrian American Medical Society in Eastern Ghouta. If things continue as they are, there will be many, many more.

Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have long besieged rebel-held areas to push them to surrender. Six years into the war, government forces have recaptured most opposition areas, with only a handful still dominated by fighting.

[Tillerson says no role for Assad family in Syrian government]

Just east of Damascus, Eastern Ghouta is one of the most strategically significant of the disputed areas. About 385,000 residents still live in the suburb, once home to fertile farmlands that supplied the capital with food.

When the blockade of Eastern Ghouta began in mid-2013, business executives on both sides of the political divide smuggled food, fuel and clothing through a lucrative network of tunnels.

Late last year, the Syrian government recaptured nearby districts and sealed those routes for good. Then on Oct. 3, it closed the only entry point accessible to commercial and humanitarian convoys.



A mother holds her 6-month-old twins Safa and Marwa, who suffer from malnutrition, in the Hazzeh area, in the eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta, Syria, on Oct. 25. (Bassam Khabieh/Reuters)

Figures provided by UNICEF, the U.N. children's agency, suggest that about 1,100 children in Eastern Ghouta are suffering from some form of malnutrition. Chronic shortages of medicine have compounded the problem. Doctors who worked on Sahar's case said she died of intestinal complications that medics were unable to treat. At least two other young children died of hunger-related issues last month.

The Washington Post interviewed nine residents of Eastern Ghouta by phone, each of whom described the toll of the siege on their lives.

For Umm Sayyah, 28, the sieges strangling grip has meant worrying as her 2-year-old daughter, Hala, wastes into a bundle of bones.



Two-and-a-half year-old Hala al-Nufi is held by her uncle in the Saqba area in the eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta, Syria, on Oct. 25. Hala suffers from a metabolic disorder that is worsening because of the siege and food shortages in the eastern Ghouta. (Bassam Khabieh/Reuters)

When Hala fell ill at 7 months old, the family paid smugglers to take them through the tunnels and out to the childrens hospital in Damascus. She put on weight, she was eating. She recovered there, Umm Sayyah said. We could give her pieces of apple, pieces of banana, all of the things she couldnt get back in Ghouta.

When Hala became sick a second time, there was no way out.

A series of photos show her decline from a round-faced, smiling infant to one so thin shes unrecognizable. Ribs protrude through shrunken skin. Doctors said the toddler now weighs just over nine pounds.

We can only give her water, and it goes right through her, Umm Sayyah said. She sleeps for 15 minutes, and then she starts screaming again. Im so tired.

Under the terms of a cease-fire agreement brokered by Turkey, Russia and Iran, Eastern Ghouta was supposed to receive aid from the United Nations. On Monday, the first humanitarian convoy in more than a month arrived in the suburb, delivering supplies to tens of thousands of residents but leaving most empty-handed.

Government bombing has resumed, targeting militant groups, but also the marketplaces in which goods are sold. Dozens of civilians have been killed.

Speaking recently in New York, the U.N. special envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, described the trend as re-escalation rather than de-escalation.

De Mistura said violence could intensify in coming months as Syrian government forces shift their attention from the countrys remaining pockets of Islamic State-held territory and toward the final rebel holdouts.

The desired improvement on humanitarian access therefore continues to elude us, he said.

[Syrias war created millions of refugees. Some might be forced to return home.]

In Eastern Ghouta, women no longer come to the community center Layla Bikri runs.

Many are too frail to travel far.

Bikri, 26, who works with the Syrian nonprofit Women Now for Development, described watching children walk past the few shops that still sell sweets, which are far too expensive for their parents to afford.



A bowl of starch cooks on the stove in a house where a Syrian family is taking shelter on Oct. 25, in Haza, a town in the rebel-held eastern Ghouta area that has been under government siege since 2013. (Abdulmonam Eassa/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images)

When you see them, they look so sad. Back in the days that we had dessert, I used to promise my daughter a piece at the end if she was good. Now when she asks, I give her pieces of corn. A piece of corn each time, she said.

Tamara Kummer, a UNICEF spokeswoman, said the pictures from Eastern Ghouta served as a grim reminder of the toll on the youngest Syrians.

The psychological impact will be huge. They cant eat when they are hungry, they dont even have access to the most basic goods or infrastructure, she said. If youre in that situation, you dont have a childhood anymore.

According to UNICEF, about 80 percent of Syrias children have been affected by the war, either living amid violence at home or as refugees abroad.

With winter fast approaching, chronic shortages of fuel in Eastern Ghouta are expected to make the situation worse. Aid officials and local humanitarian workers said substitutes  wooden benches, plastic bags  have mostly been used up.

Bikri said her job is getting harder. Im trying to give women and children hope that I just do not have, she said. Im describing to you how we live here, but you just cant imagine it. It feels hopeless here.

Zakaria reported from Istanbul.

Read more

This makeshift hospital hung on for four years through Syrias war. Now its closing.

In a besieged Syrian town: Were still starving, and its getting colder.

A year after Alan Kurdis death, another Syrian child fights for survival

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III fired his opening salvo this week, unsealing charges against three former Trump campaign aides thought to have engaged in a medley of wrongdoing.

The cases he revealed, legal analysts said, indicate he is pursuing an extensive probe that will explore both personal wrongdoing of those connected with President Trump and possible efforts campaign officials took to work with Russia to influence the 2016 election.

Collusion  the word Trump often uses to describe Muellers case, even as he asserts such a thing never happened  is not itself a crime, and Muellers team will probably have to sort through unseemly political dealings to determine whether a law was broken, legal analysts said. In his first public charges, though, Mueller offered a hint of the direction he might take.

[Three former Trump campaign officials charged by special counsel]

Former campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, for example, pleaded guilty to making a false statement to FBI investigators who asked about his contacts with foreigners claiming to have high-level Russian connections.



who is under investigation (The Washington Post)

Of particular note, he falsely described his interactions with a London-based professor claiming to have connections to high-level Russian officials who purportedly had dirt on Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails.

Papadopoulos said his interactions with the professor  thought to be Joseph Mifsud, the director of the London Academy of Diplomacy  occurred before he joined the campaign and did not amount to much. In fact, the professor told him about the emails in April 2016  after his role on the campaign was made public  and the two were involved in extensive discussions about a possible meeting between the Trump campaign and Russian officials, according to Papadopoulos's plea agreement.

[Trump campaign emails show aides repeated efforts to set up Russia meetings]

The conversation about emails is possibly a critical piece of evidence, legal analysts said. That is because one charge that investigators might try to substantiate against those higher in the Trump campaign is a conspiracy to violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

If Mueller can find evidence that members of Trumps team conspired in Russias hacking effort  by directing it or aiding in another way  they might face criminal charges, legal analysts said. Papadopouloss plea says that he discussed some of his efforts to broker a meeting with the Russians with other, more senior Trump campaign officials  although some seemed to treat him warily.

[Top campaign officials knew of Trump advisers outreach to Russia]

Theres a significant difference between the Russians having dirt and offering that dirt, and someone asking the Russians to commit an illegal act to obtain that dirt, said Jacob Frenkel, a white-collar lawyer at Dickinson Wright who previously worked in the now-defunct Office of the Independent Counsel. The latter likely would be prosecutable, and probably as a conspiracy to commit a computer crime or as a computer crime.

Papadopoulos's conversation about "emails of Clinton" took place a month after Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta's email account was hacked and well before WikiLeaks released his messages. Also, it was not until June 2016 that The Washington Post reported that the Democratic National Committee's computer network had been breached.

But at that time, it was well known that Clinton had deleted tens of thousands of emails she deemed personal from her private server. Those messages were of great interest to Republicans who believed they might show something nefarious.

It was unclear to what emails the professor was referring or if he truly had access to any messages damaging to Clinton. Jonathan Biran, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice at Biran Kelly, said Muellers team is probably asking, What did people within the campaign know about how those emails had been obtained, and whether they had reason to believe they were illegally obtained.

Aaron Zelinsky, a lawyer in the special counsels office, said at Papadopouloss plea hearing, which was held in secret earlier this month, that the foreign policy advisers case was a small part of a large-scale ongoing investigation. Though Papadopoulos was first arrested in July, the court kept his case sealed for months after prosecutors asserted that making it public would significantly undermine his ability to serve as a proactive cooperator.

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, his longtime business partner, were charged in a separate, 12-count indictment in connection with their work advising a Russia-friendly political party in Ukraine. While their charges do not directly relate to their roles on the Trump campaign, legal analysts said the case could offer a preview of how Mueller plans to proceed.

Among many other counts, including conspiracy to launder money and failing to file reports of foreign bank accounts, Manafort and Gates were charged with carrying out a conspiracy against the United States. Specifically, the special counsel alleged that they worked to defraud the Justice and Treasury departments as they tried to hide their incomes and lobbying work for Ukrainian interests.

Mueller could be working to convince Manafort and Gates to cooperate, and he could also be trying to send a message to others in Trumps orbit that he will leave no stone unturned and that those who deceive investigators will be charged, legal analysts said.

But Mueller also could be signaling a charge he could pursue in connection with the coordination case  a conspiracy to defraud the United States by coordinating with Russia.

Collusion is not a crime, but basically the criminal equivalent is conspiracy, said former federal prosecutor Randall Eliason. You could have a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. by interfering with our election.

Mueller must also separate efforts that might seem seedy from those that are illegal.

An opposition research firm funded by Clintons campaign and the DNC tapped a former British spy to dig into Trumps personal and business dealings, and the former spy purportedly solicited information from Russian government officials. That work might similarly be viewed as an unsavory effort to engage with foreign interests to win an election, but it would not necessarily be illegal if there was no conspiracy to defraud anyone, legal analysts said.

There could be something out there that stinks to high heaven, Frenkel said, but it doesnt make it a violation of law.

Devlin Barrett contributed to this report.

Read more:

Whos who in the George Papadopoulos court documents

Muellers moves send message to other potential targets: Beware, Im coming

Mueller got Manaforts attorney to speak against him once. He may try the tactic again.
A little-noticed court filing unsealed this week as part of special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs ongoing probe could have big consequences for his other targets  showing hes willing to use suspects lawyers to provide evidence against them.

After unsealing a 12-count indictment against President Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, the U.S. District Court also unsealed an opinion from Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell saying one of Manafort's former lawyers could be compelled to testify to the grand jury.

Typically, such information is protected by attorney-client privilege  a bedrock principle of U.S. legal practice that says a lawyer must keep confidential what they are told by their clients.

There are some exceptions to that confidentiality, including in instances where a suspect may have lied to his or her lawyer, causing that lawyer to unwittingly lie to the government. Howell ruled that in Manaforts case, the exception applied and the attorney could be called to testify before the grand jury.

The opinion is troubling, because people make representations to the government all the time through their lawyers, and I think theres a general expectation of confidentiality behind the conversations that go into those representations, said Peter D. Hardy, a partner at the Ballard Spahr law firm. Its widening a door thats not often used. And the wider the door gets, maybe the more people will use it.

[Trump fumes over Russia indictments]

Hardy said the use of what lawyers call the crime-fraud exception indicates the special counsel team is highly intelligent, highly aggressive, and theyre going to pursue legal theories that your average prosecutor will not use. Will they use the specific theory again? Its certainly possible.

Manafort is hardly the only person under scrutiny who used lawyers to make government filings. One of Muellers other key targets, Michael Flynn, has also filed government papers regarding his work on behalf of another government.

No public charges have been filed against Flynn, former national security adviser in the Trump administration, but he remains under investigation, according to officials familiar with the matter who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

In the Manafort case, the judge began her ruling by declaring, This is a matter of national importance. The ruling does not identify Manaforts lawyer  it refers to the attorney simply as the Witness, but people familiar with the case said it was Melissa Laurenza who was willing to testify if her clients consented, which they did not. Neither Laurenza nor her lawyer responded to a request for comment Tuesday.

A Manafort spokesman also declined to comment.

After several hearings on the subject, the judge decided prosecutors could ask the lawyer seven out of eight proposed questions, ruling one went too far. The judge said investigators had gathered enough evidence from other sources to justify questioning the lawyer, though the details of that evidence were redacted from the court filing.

View Graphic Who has been charged in Russia probe and why

That legal fight took place under seal in September, but the opinion was unsealed Monday, the same day charges were announced against Manafort and his deputy Rick Gates.

Prosecutors also revealed Monday that a former Trump campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos, had pleaded guilty and been cooperating with investigators for months.

In Manaforts case, prosecutors used information from his former lawyer to charge him with lying to the government about his work for a foreign government  Ukraine. While most of the indictment focuses on issues of alleged money laundering, conspiracy and failure to file reports to tax authorities, the last two counts of the indictment say that Manafort and Gates knowingly and willfully caused to be made a false statement in a government filing required under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA.

[The 12-count Manafort and Gates indictment, annotated]

Court filings suggest those two charges stem in part from information provided by Manaforts former lawyer.

In the FARA filing, Manafort and Gates denied that their work on the part of Ukraines Party of Regions constituted lobbying on behalf of a foreign government.

Jacob Frenkel, a white-collar attorney at Dickinson Wright who previously worked in the Office of the Independent Counsel, said Howells ruling was likely a critical one for prosecutors  who otherwise would need to jump over and avoid altogether the communications with counsel.

It is invaluable to the FARA counts, and to the issue of Manaforts state of mind more broadly in the indictment, because an experienced, credible lawyer is going to have instant credibility with a jury, Frenkel said.

Frenkel said that the ruling was written in such a way that Howell seemed to believe it would be appealed.

The attorneys testimony will be central to an actual case, if this case ever gets there, Frenkel said.

Read more:

Muellers moves send message to other potential targets: Beware, Im coming

How conservative media reacted to the Mueller indictments

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Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson testify about authorizations for the use of military force before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Oct. 30. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Two senior members of President Trumps national security team told lawmakers Monday that they believe they have the legal authority to conduct operations against terrorist groups, including the Islamic State, and said there was no need for a new war authorization to replace the one passed immediately after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis also told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that any attempt to place time limits or geographical constraints in a new Authorization for the Use of Military Force could cripple efforts to fight terrorists.

Some lawmakers have said Congress needs to update laws that have provided authority to fight terrorist groups and detain militants including al-Qaeda and the Islamic State on multiple continents.

If Congress decides to go ahead and write an updated law, Tillerson and Mattis said, lawmakers should not constrain the militarys ability to go after terrorists anywhere in the world.

"The collapse of ISIS's so-called caliphate in Iraq and Syria means it will attempt to burrow into new countries and find safe havens," said Tillerson, using an acronym for the Islamic State. "Our legal authorities for heading off a transnational threat like ISIS cannot be constrained by geographic boundaries. Otherwise, ISIS may reestablish itself and gain strength in vulnerable spaces."

Mattis told the committee that time restrictions would also undermine combat operations.

"We cannot put a firm timeline on conflict against an adaptive enemy who could hope that we haven't the will to fight as long as necessary," said Mattis, who also stated that the Pentagon is shifting the military's counterterrorism strategy to focus more on Africa.

Lawmakers mentioned the possibility of using military force in crises involving North Korea, Iran and Venezuela, as well as the ongoing efforts against militant groups that change their name as often as a rock-and-roll band, Mattis said.

The hearing was propelled by the killing of four U.S. troops in Niger on Oct. 4 in an apparent ambush as they patrolled in an area with groups loyal to both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

Some members of Congress were taken aback by the size and scope of U.S. combat forces deployed throughout Africa. About 800 Americans are based in Niger to run counterterrorism operations and train and advise local troops, and hundreds more U.S. forces are in other African countries.

Laws enacted in 2001 and 2002 gave the military the legal authority to fight international terrorism. Even though the United States is fighting groups that didnt exist back then, including the Islamic State, the legal basis remains sound, Mattis said. He urged Congress not to repeal existing law, at least without a new authorization already in place.

The uncertainty accompanying that situation could only signal to our enemies and our friends that we are backing away from this fight, he said. It would stall our operations, immediately reduce allied commitments and support, and create significant opportunities for our enemies to seize the initiative.

A number of lawmakers said it is time to update the law to be more consistent with current conditions and threats. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) are co-sponsoring a proposal providing new legal authority to combat al-Qaeda, the Taliban and the Islamic State.

This is one of the most important topics the United States Senate, and this committee, could ever consider: Under what circumstances, and legal authorities, should the United States send our men and women into war? said Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (Md.), the top Democrat on the committee.

Flake noted that not a single member of the committee was in the Senate when the original war authorizations were signed by President George W. Bush more than a decade ago.

Congress needs to weigh in, he said. We have to make sure our adversaries, and our allies, and most importantly, our troops know that we speak with one voice.

Shortly before Tillerson and Mattis started testifying, a small group of protesters in the room chanted Stop endless war, before they were evicted.

This has been a 16-year struggle, said Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.). I dont think its going to be over any time soon.
The man poised to become the next head of the Justice Departments National Security Division pledged to cooperate with Congresss investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

John Demers, who served in the NSD during the George W. Bush administration, stopped short of promising to turn over all materials requested by the Senate Intelligence Committee but said he would do as much as possible.

The committee is one of three congressional panels probing Russias meddling in the election and potential coordination between associates of President Trump and Russian officials.

The hearing lasted less than an hour, and the senators who questioned him  even those who took issue with his position on a controversial surveillance authority  said they would vote to confirm him.

Demers, 46, served on the leadership team of the NSD from 2006 to 2009, when the division was new. He is currently vice president and assistant general counsel at the Boeing Co.

During the hearing, several senators asked him to explain his view on a contested provision of Section 702 of the FISA Amendments Act, a surveillance power that is due to expire at the end of the year.

The law, which Demers helped draft in 2008, enables the National Security Agency to gather the emails and other electronic communications of foreign targets overseas. The agency uses it for foreign intelligence, including to gather information on cyber, terrorism and nuclear proliferation threats.

Some of the data collected might include correspondence with an American. And as it stands, the law allows the FBI to query the NSAs collection of a U.S. persons data without a warrant. Thats a problem for some lawmakers, who say that such authority violates Americans privacy rights.

Demers acknowledged to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) that he understands the concern. But on balance, he said, I dont think you should need a warrant to look at those communications that are already in the governments possession. He repeated the intelligence communitys argument that courts have ruled that a warrant is not needed to query data collected under Section 702.

At least three federal district courts and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court have agreed with that position. But no appeals court has expressly ruled on the issue.

Demers promised Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) that he would think about the question and provide a written response. She said he could do so after he was confirmed.

The other issue weighing on senators minds was leaks of classified information. Asked if journalists should be jailed for protecting their sources, he said, I would hate to have to ever go down a path like that. But, he said, I dont want to say that something could never happen. . . . I would be loath to do it.

He concurred with Justice Department policy from 2013 that using subpoenas to gather evidence from journalists is an extraordinary measure. And, he said, theyd be a last resort or close to a last resort.

In early October, Demers testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is also conducting a Russia investigation  particularly into Russian disinformation. He said the NSD would also focus on that issue. He also said he had no reason to doubt the U.S. intelligence communitys January assessment that Russia sought to influence the election.
TWIN FALLS  A few years ago, we learned the city planned to tear down the old Rogerson building as part of its downtown revitalization project.

Some complained about the loss of the iconic building, a monument to Twin Falls early heyday; others saw the old building on Main Avenue as an eyesore and were glad to see it go.

But some  me included  wondered what would happen to the ghosts who lingered within its halls after the building was destroyed.

The Twin Falls landmark, built in 1908 by Robert Rogerson, once housed an elegant hotel and restaurant. The Twin Falls Times called it the most pretentious business structure in Twin Falls.

The buildings historic integrity had been destroyed decades ago but some of its original pieces remained, hidden under layers of upgrades and urban-renewal efforts from the 1970s. My friend Nancy Taylor, chairwoman of the citys Historic Preservation Commission, had organized a group to salvage some of its historic elements before the building was demolished.

At Nancys request, a group of paranormal investigators agreed to spend a chilly November 2015 evening in the old building to visit with whatever ghosts were hanging around. The group allowed Nancy and me to tag along, but only if we promised to keep the investigation a secret.

I didnt think (a paranormal investigation) was really needed, Nancy said, but because the hotel was so infamous I thought it would be interesting to see if anything popped up.Little did we know we would hit the mother lode.I was anxious to get into the basement to see the entrance to the tunnel that ran from the Rogerson Hotel to the Twin Falls Public Library and under City Park to the Twin Falls County Courthouse, which once housed a jail. One former Twin Falls police officer who had been in the tunnel told me an underground narrow-gauge railway once joined the Rogerson Hotel and the courthouse, perhaps to carry meals for prisoners.

All utilities had been disconnected so it was cold and dark; a man who knew the building well took us for a tour so we could orient ourselves before the investigation. I suggested we start in the basement.

We donned headlamps and dived into a stairwell. It was cold and creepy as we ducked under cobwebs and inhaled musty air. Shadows loomed large as we made our way through what seemed like a maze. In the far corner, we arrived at a large heavy door. Our guide explained that the tunnel had been filled in as he opened the door which went nowhere.

A psychic with the paranormal group crawled on a plank and ducked under pipes to reach the door. The woman, a Bosnian refugee who knew little to nothing about the towns past, began to get upset  even repulsed.

Theres a woman here, she said. And shes not right in the head.

I looked at Nancy and raised my eyebrows. Nancy nodded.

Oh, shes not very nice, the psychic said. Then she doubled over in pain. She looked like she was going to vomit.

Thats arsenic, I told her.

Lady Bluebeard

Lyda Southard, one of Americas first female serial killers, moved into the Rogerson Hotel in 1919. She waited tables at the old City Cafe  known then as the Grille Cafe  down Main Avenue from the hotel in what is now KBs. Southard met her fourth husband and sixth victim, Edward Meyer, at the cafe.

Southard, the most infamous woman in Idaho history, is said to have poisoned her daughter, four husbands and a brother-in-law, all by the time she was 27. After exhumation, arsenic was found in all of the mens bodies.

Southard, by then dubbed Lady Bluebeard by the press, was found guilty of murdering Meyer, a foreman at I.B. Perrines Blue Lakes Ranch, and was sentenced to the state penitentiary in Boise.

I have written extensively about Lyda, who is buried in Sunset Memorial Park in Twin Falls. Her parents, Laura and William Trueblood, and three of her victims are buried across the street in Twin Falls Cemetery. Twin Falls Sheriffs Deputy Virgil Ormsby, the man who brought Lyda to justice, is buried near the Trueblood family plot.

After the tour of the building, we split into two groups. I made sure I returned to the basement with the psychic.

Each group had various tools of the trade: digital recorders that captured EVPs (electronic voice phenomenon), dowsing rods, meters used to detect fluctuations in the electro-magnetic field, and a little box I like to call an electronic Ouija board only because I cant remember the name of it.

Ghosts can supposedly talk through the box, one word at a time.

The Pine Room

After entering a room, our leader would explain the box to the ghosts, inviting them to communicate through the box. He would ask, Where should we go? and the box would respond with one-word answers, such as stairs.

Oh, you want us to go to the stairs, our leader would respond, and we moved to the stairwell.

Just down the stairs we found the Pine Room, where men drank and gambled during Prohibition.

Then the box went silent.

Shes here, the psychic said solemnly. Shes threatening.

The woman began to argue with Lyda.

You do not have permission to hurt me or anyone else here, she said sternly.

The ghostbusters all looked at each other nervously.

Then Lyda turned her attention to me.

Writing

Some

History, the box said in rapid succession.

The astonished group looked at me.

I guess she knows Im here, I said with pride.
The Trump administration said Monday it would contribute an initial $60 million to help five nations in Africa's Sahel region build a cross-border counterterrorism force but balked at a plan to provide multilateral support through the United Nations.

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley told the U.N. Security Council that we have reservations about a proposal to expand an existing peacekeeping operation in the arid, sub-Saharan region of West Africa to provide logistical and other assistance to the force.

The peacekeeping group, called MINUSMA, expends most of its resources protecting and supplying itself amid increasing terrorist attacks, she said.

The Security Council meeting came amid growing international concern about the Sahel, where terrorism is on the rise, and local criminal and extremist groups have increasingly sought alliances with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

Earlier this month, four U.S. soldiers, part of a long-term mission to train and assist local forces in Niger, were killed in a militant ambush. Three MINUSMA members were killed last week. Neither the more than 800 American troops in Niger nor the more than 13,000-strong MINUSMA force in neighboring Mali are authorized to launch offensive operations against the militants.

[Amid Niger ambush chaos, the White House first thought several Americans were missing]

Security forces of the five Sahel countries  Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Mauritania  cannot cross each others borders to pursue attackers, and coordination among them has been limited. Earlier this year, with strong support from France, the former colonial power that has 4,000 troops in the region, the countries proposed forming their own 5,000-strong cross-border force. Since then, the force, known as the G5, has recruited troops, built a headquarters, and written an operational plan and budget. France has contributed money, along with other European governments and the European Union.

The United States has objected to U.N. funding plans. As the force prepares for its first operations at the end of the year, the effort is considerably short of its budget of about half a billion dollars, as well as lacking important capabilities.

During a tour of Africa last week, Haley said in an interview that she wants to know "what the strategy would be, how they see this playing out, what's involved in it before we ever commit to U.N.-assessed funding." President Trump has frequently questioned the efficacy of the United Nations, and Haley and Trump have said they are examining a U.N. system in which the United States pays about a quarter of the annual budget.

[Africa trip illustrates Haleys trusted, unusually direct relationship with Trump]

Mondays council meeting, chaired by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, included a report from U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and input from council members who visited the region last month. Following the session, proponents of the G5 force said they were relieved the United States did not dismiss U.N. support out of hand.

Guterres appealed for "greater coherence amongst various national, international and regional initiatives" that operate in the region. "Time is not on our side," he told the council. "We need to urgently coordinate our efforts in order to nip in the bud the underlying sources of instability."The Sahel countries have launched a "courageous initiative" he said deserves "strong political, as well as operational and material support."

In advance of a donor conference in December, Guterres has proposed four options with varying degrees of multilateral support, and proponents of the force hope to persuade the administration to agree.

[Administration sees no change in rules or mission of U.S. troops in Niger]

Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop, addressing the council on behalf of the force, offered a more advanced description of its formation than what Haley described. The Mali headquarters, he said, is fully functional, as are regional command posts in Chad, Niger and Mauritania. Troops have been mobilized and supplied on the basis of funds provided by the members.

But to achieve full operational capacity by a March deadline, he said, they will need bilateral and multilateral support. Multilateral support, principally through the U.N. . . . will ensure predictability and sustainability. Still required, he said, are additional infrastructure, information and communication technology, anti-IED technology, medical training and medical evacuation capability on land and in the air.

Nearly all 15 members of the council, with the exception of the United States and Britain, spoke in favor of multilateral support. Russia, as it often has in the past, blamed the United States and NATO countries that intervened in Libya in 2011 for creating a catalyst of insecurity in this region with their contributions to the overthrow of Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi.

Several speakers emphasized the G5 force must include strong human rights, development and governance components. Without education, health and employment programs, Le Drian said, we will not be able to prevent large numbers of young people from giving in to despair and providing fresh recruits for extremists.

Militant operations in the region, he said, make a mockery of borders and the new force is the only way to move quickly against upheaval and lawlessness in the region, including drug smuggling and human trafficking.

France, which initially deployed to the region in early 2013 to oust Islamist militants from northern Mali, subsequently expanded its operations to a permanent counterterrorism mission. But the French goal is ultimately to turn those operations over to an all-African force. The Europeans are also eager to stop migrant smuggling from the region.

The G5, Le Drian said, has the full support of France. While challenges remain, he said, it is worth noting that eight months after the initial announcement, the joint force is a reality.

France, he said, is convinced the international community should support the force. "The question today is how. Bilateral support ... is crucial," he said. "But we must also take steps to deliver multilateral aid," not only to ensure that the force is sustainable, "but as an "important signal of international support in their struggle against terrorism" that he said "runs amok over the entire Sahel region."

Anne Gearan contributed to this report.
He was, he insisted, just an academic who had "absolutely no contact" with the Russian government. Any suggestion that he had offered to play matchmaker between the future president of the United States and the power players of the Kremlin was, he maintained dismissively, "incredible."

Or so he told reporters.

But in private exchanges, Joseph Mifsud was proud of his alleged high-level Moscow contacts, reporting that they had extended all the way to the top: Hed had, he told a former assistant late last year, a private meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The assistant didn't think much of that claim. But the boastfulness matches the portrait of Mifsud sketched in court papers unsealed Monday that have made him one of the most critical  and enigmatic  figures in special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

[Who is in the George Papadopoulos court documents?]



This undated image posted on his Linkedin profile shows George Papadopoulos posing on a street of London. (AFP/Getty Images)

In those papers  a plea agreement for former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos  Mifsud is not named. But the Maltese national and London-based academic confirmed Tuesday that he is the professor mentioned in the probe.

According to the court files, the professor took an interest in Papadopoulos after the latter joined the Trump campaign. Mifsud promised him dirt on Hillary Clinton compiled by the Russians, including thousands of emails. He also offered to serve as a go-between in Papadopouloss efforts to connect the Trump campaign with the Kremlin, even going so far as introducing Papadopoulos to a woman he identified as Putins niece.

Whether Mifsud really had the sort of Kremlin contacts that Papadopoulos claims he advertised is unknown. But the question of how the Trump campaign regarded Mifsud's apparent approach, and whether it yielded anything substantive, could be a key focus of Mueller's investigation.

Mifsud, who is in his mid-50s, insisted Tuesday that the claims embedded in the court documents are exaggerated, echoing points he had made months earlier in response to inquiries from The Washington Post.

I have a clear conscience, Mifsud told Britains Daily Telegraph.

Mifsud told the Telegraph that he knew nothing about emails containing dirt on Clinton, calling the allegations upsetting. He also dismissed the disclosure that he introduced Papadopoulos to a female Russian national, calling the allegation a laughingstock.

In emails to The Post in response to questions in August, Mifsud had played down his connections to Moscow, insisting they were purely related to his work as a professor.

I am an academic, I do not even speak Russian, he wrote.

But the details that emerged Tuesday based on interviews with those who know him, his writings and his travels suggested a more complex picture, one that better matched the image of the professor in court files as a somewhat obscure European academic who longed for more.

Hailing from Malta, the European Unions smallest nation, he parlayed roles advising the government there into top positions with educational institutions that bear exalted-sounding names but are little-known even within academia. Those included president of the Slovenia-based Euro-Mediterranean University and honorary director at the London Academy of Diplomacy.

Natalia Kutepova-Jamom, his onetime assistant at the academy, said he had set out in 2014 to build his contacts with Russian academics and policymakers.

She said that she booked her former boss a speaking slot in 2014 at the Sochi meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, a Russian state-funded think tank that is seen as close to the Kremlin, to speak on economic and international cooperation.

Mifsud later suggested to her that he used those early contacts to open doors for higher-level meetings. But she was in disbelief when he told her last year that his contacts had reached all the way to Putin, with whom Mifsud claimed to have had a short private meeting.

She said she didnt believe the two met because Mifsud is a too small-time person to meet with the Russian leader.

But Mifsud himself had written about being in the room with Putin to hear him speak at a 2015 event hosted by the Valdai Discussion Club, and reported that he had asked a question of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

In that piece, for Valdais website, he wrote approvingly of Russias policy in Syria, saying Putin had walked the talk. The U.S. administration of then-President Barack Obama, by contrast, was on the defensive.

In a spring 2016 piece  about the same time he was allegedly meeting with Papadopoulos  he asserted that he knew Russia quite well.

Online biographies present Mifsud as an authority in the field of international relations and diplomacy across Europe, the United States, Russia, Africa and the Mediterranean region. But his academic work in these areas appears limited. He has published in peer-reviewed journals on Maltese education policies.

According to a biography on the London Centre of International Law Practices website, which was deleted Sunday, Mifsud served prominently in Maltas Ministry of Foreign Affairs and worked as an adviser for Maltas Ministry of Education.

Scotlands University of Stirling said in an emailed statement that Mifsud joined its politics department in May this year as a full-time professorial teaching fellow.

Former colleagues said they didnt think of Mifsud as someone with any particular Russian expertise.

Nabil Ayad, who hired Mifsud as an honorary director at the London Academy of Diplomacy  where Ayad was founder and director  said Mifsuds focus was broadly in the area of diplomacy.

As assistant to the Maltese foreign minister, he traveled to many countries and met many heads of state, Ayad said.

Ayad said the institutions work involved occasional trips to Moscow, including for collaboration with the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

We tend to deal with governments, so I dont think he has any special connections or relationships, Ayad said. If a meeting took place between a Russian official or he introduced someone, it must have been by chance, not by design.

But Mifsud had occasionally gone beyond the role of the typical academic. In 2015, he was an observer for elections in Kazakhstan that were sharply criticized by independent groups. Mifsuds take was far rosier, mirroring the Russian line.

The election, he told Kazakh media, was consistent with all international norms.

At many polling stations was an image that I associate with a family meeting, he reported.

[Trump tries to diminish Papadopoulos campaign role]

Mifsud told the Telegraph that he introduced Papadopoulos to a program director of the Russian International Affairs Council, a state-funded Russian think tank that is close to the Foreign Ministry, and that he tried to set up meetings with experts on the European Union.

We are academics, Mifsud told the paper. We work closely with everybody.

He said that he met Papadopoulos in Italy in March 2016 and then 10 days later in London.

Mifsud's contacts in Moscow go back to at least 2012, when a delegation from Moscow State University's Faculty of Global Processes established a partnership with the London Diplomatic Academy, according to publications by the university faculty and a newsletter founded by order of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Between 2013 and 2017, Mifsud visited Moscow State University about once each year, giving lectures and posing for photographs with the department head, Ilya Ilyin.

The nature of the partnership was not immediately clear, although Mifsud had discussed exchange programs and joint research projects. The department advertises itself as a stepping stone for graduates to work "in the Russian government, the presidential administration, federal ministries and agencies, the special services," and outside of government, Alexei Andreev, the deputy director of the faculty, said in a promotional video.

Reached on Tuesday by telephone, Alexeev played down the department's ties to Mifsud.

"I think he is one of those people who has a lot of connections," he said.

Krohn reported from Atlanta and Witte from Berlin. Brian Murphy in Washington, Andrew Roth and David Filipov in Moscow, and Isaac Stanley-Becker in Oxford, England, contributed to this report.

Read more:

Who did Manafort and Gates work for in Ukraine and Russia?

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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After a year of frosty diplomacy and economic pressure, South Korea and China announced Tuesday that they would put aside their differences out of a joint desire to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.

South Koreas Foreign Ministry said the two countries will resume normal relations. The two sides attach great importance to the Korea-China relationship, a statement from the ministry said.

In its own coordinated statement, Chinas Foreign Ministry said the two nations would work to put their relationship back on a normal track as soon as possible.

China and South Korea have historically deep ties and over the past few decades had enjoyed a close relationship. However, that relationship was deeply damaged last July when Seoul agreed to install the U.S.-owned Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense platform on its land.

Though both Seoul and Washington argued the THAAD system had only defensive capabilities, Beijing was concerned about U.S. encirclement as well as the systems sophisticated radar capabilities.

Chinese President Xi Jinping was also angered that former South Korean president Park Geun-hye had sided with American interests over China, said Yun Sun, a senior associate with the East Asia Program at the Stimson Center.

Xi had tried to sway South Koreas alignment choice, and when Park rejected Chinas demand not to deploy THAAD, it made Xis great diplomacy on South Korea a failure and an embarrassment, Sun said in an email this weekend.

When the missile system was deployed earlier this year, Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang, warned that Beijing would resolutely take necessary measures to defend our security interests.

South Koreas Foreign Ministry acknowledged that the THAAD dispute had not been fully resolved. The two sides agreed to engage in communication on THAAD-related issues about which the Chinese side is concerned through communication between their military authorities, it said in a statement.

For its part, China confirmed Tuesday that its position on THAAD had not changed.

And on Sunday, South Koreas military chief met with his American and Japanese counterparts, as part of a growing three-way dialogue.

China is South Koreas largest trading partner, and it used this economic clout to punish Korean businesses when the antimissile system was deployed. Trips by Chinese tour groups to South Korea were suspended, with the number of Chinese visitors dropping 60 percent in the first nine months of the year compared with 2016, according to figures released by the Bank of Korea.

Korean-owned businesses also suffered boycotts and bans in China. The situation was especially difficult for the Lotte conglomerate, which had allowed its land to be used for the installation of the THAAD system. Last month, it announced it would be selling off its supermarkets in China after most were shut down for fire code violations and other alleged infractions.

President Moon Jae-in's new South Korean government had recently made a number of moves to ease China's anxiety over THAAD, with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha announcing last week that South Korea would not seek any more deployments of the system. The moves had been received warmly in China's state-run press, with the nationalist Global Times newspaper saying that the "proactive" stance of Moon's government was "a new gesture that is welcomed."

Choi Kang, vice president of the Seoul think tank Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said that South Korea had not offered any real concessions on the issue. Since South Korea has maintained a very firm position on THAAD, the Chinese side decided to move instead, Kang said.

Instead, North Korea and other factors may have led to the agreement between the two nations, which came after the Chinese Party Congress that saw Xi consolidate his power over the country and exactly a week before President Trump arrives in South Korea as part of a 12-day Asia trip.

China is keen to restart relations with South Korea under Moon, said Sun, as he has signaled that he is seeking an independent policy and is open to talks with North Korea, a long-standing ally of Beijing. When the relationship with President Park was beyond repair for China, Moon gives China new hope, Sun wrote.

However, Kang said that the two sides still had different outlooks on the region that could lead to more disputes. China and South Korea felt the necessity to manage their bilateral relations for different reasons, not for common objectives and concerns, Kang said. The conflict is not over yet.

North Koreas provocations have prompted other shifts in the Pacific, as well. In one example, the senior military officials from the United States, South Korea and Japan are incrementally increasing collective ballistic missile defense, despite strained relations between South Korea and Japan that date back to Japans invasion of the Korean Peninsula during World War II.

On Sunday, Marine Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met with his South Korean counterpart, Gen. Jeong Kyeong-doo, and their Japanese equivalent, Adm. Katsutoshi Kawano, at the sun-drenched headquarters of U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii.

The Japanese and South Korean defense chiefs have narrowly increased military dialogue with each other as it relates to North Korea, meeting five times since July 2014 in three-party talks with Dunford and his predecessor, Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey. On Sunday, the agreed to hold quarterly missile defense exercises in 2018, Dunford said.

Dunford said that the discussions between South Korea and Japan are important for a couple of reasons.

"Number one, from a deterrence perspective, it's important that Kim Jong Un and [North Korea] see that they are facing a collective response from the international community, and in particular, those nations most affected," Dunford said. "And number two, if we do have to respond, Japan is a critical ally that the United States is going to need to meet its alliance commitments. We have over 50,000 forces in Japan. It is a platform from which we would project power in any South Korean response."

Correction: An earlier version of this story inaccurately cited the World Bank as the source of figures on Chinese visitors to South Korea. The figures came from the Bank of Korea, and the story has been corrected.

Simon Denyer in Beijing and Dan Lamothe in Washington contributed to this report.

Read more:

Why China is so mad about THAAD, a missile system aimed at North Korea

South Korea suspends deployment of missile defense system

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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High School ROTC Cadets Compete at WSU

October 30, 2017

OGDEN, Utah  Weber State Universitys ROTC program will bring junior ROTC cadets to campus for the JROTC Wildcat Challenge Nov. 2 at 10 a.m. at Weber States University Village, just south of the Dee Events Center (1321 E 4600 S, Ogden, Utah).

The challenge, which has occurred for the last five years, pits JROTC cadets against one another in various skills competition culminating in a 5K ruck march. A barbecue and awards ceremony will follow the two-hour competition.

The Wildcat Challenge is a physically and mentally challenging event for our youth, said Capt. Jeong Hinton, WSU ROTC. JROTC cadets from all over the state participate in this awesome event. During the event, the WSU ROTC cadre and cadets serve as the mentors and referees.

The list of events includes knot tying; an obstacle course; a Kims Game, which challenges participants observation and memorization skills; and a military style throwing event to test contestants accuracy.

Ten area high school JROTC squads are expected to attend, most including Ogden High, Taylorsville High, Northridge High and the Utah Military Academy.

Weber States ROTC program is the next step for students considering a career in the military. The ROTC program incorporates leadership training with the necessary skills to find success in the service, as well as a glimpse into the day-to-day life of an officer in the military.

All students in the ROTC program are expected to receive a bachelors degree of their choosing as well as complete the requirements to receive minor in military science. Upon completion of the program, each cadet is commissioned as a second lieutenant and assigned to train in their preferred career field.

Visit weber.edu/rotc for more information on the ROTC program.

Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
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.
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Manuel A. Acevedo passed away in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022, at the age of 76 years...
Q: Ive heard for years that there is a train in the bottom of Magic Reservoir. Any truth to that?

A: No train at the bottom of Magic Reservoir, said Stacy McLaughlin, manager at West Magic Resort. The lake has been low many years. If there was a train, we would have seen it. There is a caboose next to West Magic Resort, but (it) didnt come from the railroad that used to go through the area.

Teddie Daley, the director at the Blaine County Historical Museum, said shes never heard the story about the train, and shes lived here 62 years. She doubts theres any truth to it.

Magic Reservoir is about midway between Ketchum and Twin Falls. It was constructed in 1909 for irrigation storage. At full pool, the reservoir has an area of 3,700 acres, is 5 miles long and 1.5 miles wide with a maximum depth of 120 feet.

Nearby Hill City, an unincorporated Camas County community, became a major station on the Oregon Short Line Railroad, shipping more sheep than anywhere else in the world.

The nearest depot was Shoshone, 27 miles to the south. The nearest siding to the south was Marley, near Richfield, McLaughlin said. Back in the day, the Oregon Short Line ran through West Magic in route to Hill City at the west end of the Camas Prairie. The dam was constructed in 1910 with the use of a steam shovel that arrived at West Magic via rail from New York state.

And, no, the caboose on display wasnt part of a train that found its way into the reservoir. Its been there only 10 years and came from the Shoshone City Park after being donated to the city by Union Pacific.

The railroad used to come from the tracks that went to the Ketchum area and a spur went through the Magic area to Hill City, McLaughlin said. You can still see where they once were but the tracks are gone.
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This article was published 30/10/2017 (1842 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Delta 9 Bio-Tech, one of only two Manitoba firms licensed by the federal government to produce cannabis for medical users, could make its debut on the TSX Venture Exchange as soon as today. The listing has received conditional approval from the exchange, said Delta 9 co-founder John Arbuthnot, who is confident his firm will be listed by the end of the week.

Twenty-seven-year-old Arbuthnot, who co-founded Delta 9 Bio-Tech with his father Bill Arbuthnot, will become CEO of the publicly-traded company, which will be renamed Delta 9 Cannabis. Bill Arbuthnot will be president and chairman of the board.

Delta 9 will issue eight million new shares at $0.65 per share to raise as much as $5.2 million, and is seeking more capital to finance future expansion plans.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES John Arbuthnot, CEO at Delta 9 Bio-Tech, says eight million new shares will be issued at 65 cents per share to raise as much as $5.2 million.

Ultimately our goal is to raise between 25 and 30 million dollars in additional capital, through a mix of debt and equity, over the next number of months, John Arbuthnot said on Monday.

And all of that will be deployed over the next few years in our Winnipeg-based production, distribution, and hopefully ultimately retail operation.

Arbuthnot said he and his father will be the controlling shareholders of the publicly-traded firm, holding between 55 and 60 per cent of the shares. The deal is being underwritten by investment bank Canaccord Genuity.

Currently, 68 companies are licensed by Health Canada to produce cannabis for medical users. Delta 9 was among the first crop of companies to receive a production licence from Health Canada, in 2014.

The company employs about 55 people, primarily at its production facility in Winnipeg.

More than 2,000 clients are registered to purchase mail-order cannabis from Delta 9, Arbuthnot said.

As of June 30, there were 201,398 medical cannabis clients registered with Health Canada, including 3,598 in Manitoba. Some clients are registered to purchase from more than one licensed producer, and registered clients may sign up with any licensed producer in any province.

Registering with Health Canada and signing up to purchase cannabis from licensed producers requires a recipient to get a medical document from a physician.

In cities across Canada, a number of specialized medical clinics have sprouted up to connect potential medical cannabis users with physicians who may be willing to recommend cannabis. Delta 9 has launched its own such clinic in Winnipeg, the Delta 9 Lifestyle Cannabis Clinic at 478 River Ave.

Delta 9s production licence from Health Canada allows it to devote up to 80,000 square feet of space to growing cannabis, said Arbuthnot. Right now, the company is using roughly 14,000 square feet, leaving plenty of room to grow before additional licensing is required.

Delta 9 cultivates its pungent crop in 28 specially-modified shipping containers inside its Winnipeg facility. The expected influx of capital from the public offering will allow Delta 9 to add between 40 and 60 new shipping container grow rooms, Arbuthnot said.

What comes with that expansion is more jobs being created in the community here in Manitoba, increased production capacity allowing us to continue to bring on more and more registered patients both here in Manitoba and outside, and hopefully also the first steps in really positioning ourselves towards taking a hard look at the recreational market for next year.

Federal legalization of cannabis for recreational use is expected by July 1, 2018. Under the federal governments proposed Cannabis Act, which is not yet law, only licensed producers such as Delta 9 will be able to supply cannabis to the legal market.

By 2020, Arbuthnot said, Delta 9 plans to use its new capital to increase production drastically  from about 1,000 kilograms a year to 17,000 kilos a year.

Like other players in Canadas legal cannabis industry, Delta 9 is not yet profitable.

I think most investors who are looking in the space right now are looking past the short-term financial performance towards some other metrics that are very important for the space, Arbuthnot said, citing his companys as-yet-unused licensed production capacity as a potential selling point.

We would encourage investors to look forward at things like capacity, as well as to look at some of the other points of our operations, including that we are one of Health Canadas oldest licensed producers, he said. And with that comes several years, now, of actual cultivation, processing, distribution, and sale experience.

After being listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, Delta 9 Cannabis will trade under the stock symbol NINE.

solomon.israel@freepress.mb.ca @sol_israel
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This article was published 31/10/2017 (1841 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dozens of south Charleswood residents packed city halls council gallery Tuesday to watch a civic committee kill a proposed east-west corridor route that would have resulted in the expropriation and demolition of many of their homes.

The gallery erupted in applause as councillors on the public works committee unanimously voted to permanently eliminate the proposed Sterling Lyon Parkway extension as an option for consideration.

Earlier during the meeting, the citys chief administration officer said the project had been riddled with mistakes by both city staff and an engineering consulting firm, and promised a review of the actions taken by individuals who worked on the project.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Winnipeg City Coun. Marty Morantz

Coun. Marty Morantz, chairman of the committee and the Charleswood-area ward councillor, condemned the actions of the city engineering team and the engineering consulting firm, and demanded both be removed from the project.

I want the individuals from the City of Winnipeg who are on this file, the engineers on this file, to be removed, Morantz told reporters during a break in the meeting, explaining that he and the community had lost their trust in the citys engineering team.

Morantz said the actions of the consulting firm WSP Canada warranted the termination of their contract.

Circumventing the will of council is whats happened on this file, Morantz said.

City hall had engaged engineering consulting firm WSP Canada in December 2014 to help city staff develop options for the southward expansion of the William R. Clement Parkway and to study a possible east-west corridor linking the Clement Parkway to Kenaston Boulevard, part of the citys long-term plan to complete the inner-ring road network.

Three options had been presented to area residents at an open house in January 2016, and residents overwhelmingly favoured twinning Wilkes. However, WSP, apparently on its own initiative, developed a fourth option  the southwest extension of Sterling Lyon Parkway that cuts a wide swath through several rural-like residential areas  and made an application to the conservation department in July 2017 for an environmental review.

Documents on the citys website show the Wilkes option is considered more favourable by city staff, as it involved affecting a fewer number of private properties and was considered less expensive to construct than the other two options.

In early October, area residents were shocked to be told by WSP and engineers from the citys public works department that the Sterling Lyon Parkway extension had been chosen as the east-west route and would be presented to council early in the new year for approval. At a series of meetings, residents were told they could either sell their property to city hall or have it expropriated later. The city had identified 96 properties where the new route would cross.

The residents had prepared for Wednesdays meeting: they incorporated as a non-profit community group; lobbied CAO Doug McNeil, Morantz and other councillors; consulted former ward Coun. Paula Havixbeck; and hired a lawyer to advise them.

The meeting had been moved from a committee room to the larger council chambers to accommodate the number of area residents.

David Ames, president of community group the South Wilkes Community Association, told the committee that contrary to what the administration has told councillors, the Sterling Lyon route is more expensive as its longer, will cost more to construct and more properties will be have to be bought or expropriated.

Ames said the residents felt betrayed and had been misled by both city staff and its consultant, adding that the values of their homes had decreased because of the plan that would see many of their homes expropriated and demolished, while others would see a four-lane roadway built through their backyards and neighbourhoods.

Following the committee vote on the project, Ames said Wednesdays vote is only the first hurdle for the residents, adding they still have to convince council to kill the Sterling Lyon route.

Im just thankful that rational minds and a reasonable approach were shown today, Ames said.

WSP and city staff had circumvented the approval process and withheld key information from residents, the general public and councillors, Morantz said.

While Morantz said hes prepared to reject one route over another without knowing the relevant costs, he said its more important that due process be followed, adding that he could never support the Sterling Lyon route because of the destruction it would cause to the area neighbourhoods.

Im 100 per cent behind the residents on this project. Whoever thought it made sense to run a road through peoples properties in a residential neighbourhood is just a terrible idea, he said.

Richard Tebinka, the WSP manager for the Clement Parkway extension project, said he had been instructed by city hall not to talk to the media and declined to answer any questions.

CAO Doug McNeil told the committee that WSP erred in submitting the application to the conservation department without first presenting the proposal to the community for feedback or to council for approval. McNeil also faulted city staff for presenting the Sterling Lyon Parkway route as the chosen corridor and holding discussions about possible expropriations.

Im not happy with how this public process unfolded, McNeil said. Im not happy with the fact we had a serious misstep in this process The typical process is when you have some new information that the public has not seen before, is to take it back to the public.

McNeil turned from the committee and, in breach of council protocol, spoke directly to the residents in the gallery and apologized to them.

I do truly apologize on behalf of the public service, McNeil said.

Under questioning from Morantz, McNeil refused to say he would discipline city staff or fire WSP. McNeil said he has put the entire project on hold and is considering what action, if any, should be taken against WSP and the city engineers leading the project.

McNeils explanation of WSPs actions differed from what Morantz said he had been told by the acting director of public works. McNeil said WSP developed the Sterling Lyon Parkway route in conjunction with city staff and city staff were aware of the WSPs application for an environmental review. Morantz said he had been told public works staff were unaware that WSP had developed a new route or that it had gone to the province for an environmental review.

McNeil later explained WSPs decision to develop the fourth route and submit it to the province for an environmental review as a mistake.

They made a mistake. They admitted it. They shouldnt have made that application at that time, McNeil told the committee.

Morantz said WSPs actions simply couldnt be dismissed as a mistake, adding the firm pretended to gather public feedback on three known options while covertly preparing a case for the Sterling Lyon route.

It tells us they decided what the route was going to be they had made up their minds, they had gone out and spent who knows how much (on a 300-page report, a separate study and an environmental-review application), Morantz said. Im very, very disappointed with our consultants on this issue.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca
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This article was published 30/10/2017 (1842 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  Manitoba could be the first majority non-white province in recent history, according to a University of Winnipeg economist, who says Ottawa needs to step up in order for cities and provinces to maintain successful integration.

Philippe Cyrenne said census data released last week fall in line with trends observed over the past 15 years, with a high fertility rate among Indigenous people compared with Caucasians, and large amounts of immigration.

If you look at, over time, those numbers will be getting bigger, said Philippe Cyrenne. So you have to have long-term thinking.

The data tied Manitoba and British Columbia as provinces with the lowest percentage of Caucasians. In May 2016, 63 per cent of respondents self-identified as Caucasian, meaning they were neither a visible minority nor Indigenous.

From 2006 to 2016, the percentage of Caucasians declined by 4.2 per cent in Manitoba, slightly less than Nova Scotias 4.7 per cent change. Meanwhile, the number of those identifying as Indigenous increased by 28 per cent.

The number of visual-minority Manitobans almost doubled in that time period. The census also showed of all Canadian cities, Winnipeg had the second-highest proportion of new immigrants.

Cyrenne said thats partially influenced by the family-reunification program, which allows economic immigrants to bring their close relatives to Canada.

The economics professor is quick to note the vast majority of Manitobas immigrants are not asylum-seekers, and more than half are selected through the provinces nominee program.

Cyrenne said demographers and economists see a trend in people migrating from high-fertility, economically troubled countries to developed, Western ones where birthrates are lower. "There is a feeling that the migration, from what you would call the developing world to the developed world, is probably not going to slow anytime soon.

The economist said Manitoba has a largely successful experience with integration, getting people to learn English and take on jobs that let their families gain a foothold in the economy.

But he said the decline of entry-level jobs and high demand for English-language courses mean pressure on provincial housing subsidies and city-run education programs.

The federal government, in many ways can take the credit for immigration policy, he said. (But) theyre offloading these long-term costs.

JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Wilf Falk, Manitobas former chief statistician, said he wasnt surprised by the recently released data. These are trends that have been coming for a long time, he said.

Falk said Prairie provinces used to be known for their out-migration decades ago, when jobs were sparse, but Manitoba has seen increasing immigration since the turn of the century.

Theres a new Manitoba out there; its not what a lot of people even now still think Manitoba is, he said. You have this mixed growth, and what were seeing is a continuation.

He said a large part of that growth comes from high Indigenous birthrates, and possibly due to adults claiming First Nations and Metis roots.

The census data show Manitoba children aged zero to nine make up about one-fifth of the Indigenous population, while about one-10th of the non-Aboriginal population.

It also shows less intense growth in people of adult age self-identifying as being First Nations or Metis, something that could be caused by them discovering their roots, moving from another province or misunderstanding the census question.

Thomas Anderson, a Statistics Canada analyst specializing in Indigenous demographics, said its unclear how many Manitobans fit in each category. "Were unable at this point to put too fine a point on it, he said.

In any case, Indigenous communities are seeing a baby boom, one that surpasses Manitobas already high birthrate.

A 2015 report tallied Indigenous populations, age groupings and moving patterns. The study projected from 2011 to 2036, Indigenous people would make up between 17.6 per cent and 21.3 per cent of Manitobas population.

The 2016 data is already a bit higher than their low-end projection, said Anderson.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca

Federal census data, tabulated by Manitoba Bureau of Statistics
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This article was published 31/10/2017 (1841 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The federal government is once again allowing immigrants to bring their university-age dependants to Canada. It is a step in the right direction, Winnipeg advocates say, but one that doesnt go far enough.

Last week, the federal Liberals restored the former immigration guideline that allows people to bring to Canada dependant children under the age of 22. It reversed a 2014 decision by the previous government that lowered the allowable age for dependants to those under 19.

Thats good news, said Fred DeVilla, a leader in Winnipegs Filipino community. However, he said, the feds could have gone farther to help reunite families. If youre 21 or 22 or 23, youre still living with your parents, unless youre starting your own family.

Phil Hossack / Winnipeg Free Press Files Fred De Villa

DeVilla has helped organize Filipino Winnipeggers who are trying to raise their concerns with government on a range of issues. Raising the age of dependant children was one issue pointed out to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when he was campaigning in Winnipeg, DeVilla said.

Parents coming to Canada from the Philippines were concerned about having to leave behind older children who still lived at home, he said. Raising the allowable age to 21 is a welcome change, but it couldve been higher and retroactive, DeVilla said.

It only applies to applications after Oct. 24, said Winnipeg immigration lawyer David Matas, adding the government was asked to raise the age of dependants retroactively, but it refused.

The feds argued such a move would delay processing times, said Matas. Its not very persuasive.

Meanwhile, the age of dependant children immigrants are allowed to bring to Canada shouldnt have been lowered in the first place, says the head of one of Canadas largest private sponsors of refugees.

This rule about being able to bring children under age of 22 has been with us for years and years and years, said Tom Denton, executive director of Hospitality House Refugee Ministry in Winnipeg.

It was only this aberration by the Harper government that changes that. What the Liberals are doing is they are correcting the situation and returning it to what it has always been, said Denton, adding the big news hes been waiting for is the tabling of immigration levels for the year ahead.

By Nov. 1, the federal government has to table a breakdown of how many newcomers from every group Canada will welcome next year.

We always look forward to it every year, said Denton, even though the levels are pretty predictable and not what he is hoping for.

Its usually just a modest rearrangement of the numbers, said the former lawyer who has been talking up increased immigration to Canada at every opportunity. With its aging population and low birth rate, Canada needs newcomers to survive and thrive, Denton said.

Immigration is the lifeblood of the country, he said.

No country had immigration rules before the 20th century, Denton said. They were brought in after the First World War We lost by keeping Canada gated.

I dont expect anything to change. There appears to be no thinking beyond the approach of Canada being a gated nation.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 31/10/2017 (1841 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The immediate future for the Winnipeg man whose legs were amputated after being hit by a train is uncertain, leaving him unsure of where hell be living once discharged from hospital.

Elijah Gunner says hospital staff gave him conflicting information over the past week, saying hell soon be discharged early despite not having a place to stay.

As of Monday evening, he remains at the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre, but his family doesnt know if hell be forced to leave today.

Ryan Thorpe / Winnipeg Free Press files Elijah Gunner in hospital shortly after he was hit by a train last month.

The 20-year-old has been in hospital since Sept. 18, when he was hit by a train near the intersection of Molson Street and Norwich Avenue.

The last thing he remembers is having a few beers with some friends. Then, things go black.

He woke up in a hospital bed. Wanting to leave, he asked an employee where his shoes were. Thats when he was told both his legs had been amputated  one above the knee, one below it.

Following the accident, Gunners positive attitude surprised many readers when the Free Press reported his story. He said the loss of his legs would serve as a character-building experience and turning point in his troubled life.

But now Gunner says he needs to focus not on what will happen during his long recovery, but what will happen in the coming days if the hospital discharges him.

Right now I dont know whats next. Everything is up in the air. I have no idea whats going on. I dont know if Im being discharged or not, Gunner said.

Throughout my whole recovery Ive been keeping my head up, remaining calm and positive, but this morning is the first time thats becoming difficult.

Uncertainty over discharge, accommodations

That difficulty stems from the fact Gunner feels as if hospital staff have been giving him the runaround over the past week.

Last Tuesday, Gunner says hospital staff told him hed be given an early discharge that Friday.

By Friday, he was told the discharge had been delayed until Monday. Monday morning, however, staff said there were no plans to discharge him.

A few hours later, a social worker was able to line up a five-day temporary residence for him. Since hed have a temporary place to stay, he says hospital staff told him theyd be moving forward with the discharge.

Gunner says he tried to explain that after the five days were up, hed have nowhere to stay and would be in a pretty bad situation.

From Tuesday to Friday I was preparing myself to get ready to leave. On Friday I get told Im leaving Monday. Then Monday comes and Im told Im not being discharged at all, Gunner said.

Then an hour later Im told that I might be discharged but that Id only have the place for five days. Right now, I dont know what the hell is going on. Im tired of preparing for situations that arent happening.

By the evening he was told hed be allowed to stay the night, but it remains unclear what today will bring.

Not knowing if hell soon be discharged, or  if he is  whether or not hell have a place to stay, has left Gunner both anxious and frustrated. He also said he gets the impression hospital staff are upset hes been speaking to reporters about his situation.

A spokeswoman for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority was reached Monday afternoon, but did not provide a comment on Gunners situation by press time.

As a result, it is not clear whether the hospital can choose to discharge Gunner without him having a fixed address or residence lined up.

Intersection dangerous: engineer

Meanwhile, the engineer on the train that hit Gunner last month, David Leroux, reportedly claimed the intersection at Molson Street and Norwich Avenue is notoriously dangerous.

When contacted by the Free Press on Monday, Leroux said he was told by his superiors not to talk to the media further.

But, in an earlier CBC interview, Leroux said: Youre constantly just tense coming in there because its consistently being crossed or people are running there. Its just a matter of time before itll happen again.

He went on to say that 20 years ago a train he was on hit a woman in the same area.

When contacted for a response to the engineers statement, a spokesman for Canadian Pacific Railway declined to comment specifically on the incident or claims that the intersection was unsafe.

There are too many preventable tragedies each year caused by individuals coming into contact with a train. It is illegal and incredibly dangerous to walk on railway tracks or cross at any location other than a designated crossing, the spokesman said in a statement.

Between 2015 and 2016, there was a 38 per cent increase in trespassing incidents on railway tracks, resulting in 46 deaths, according to statistics from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada.

While Gunner stresses he takes personal responsibility for his accident, he did add that there are many ways people are able to get to those tracks.

Its not particularly safe, since there are a lot of holes in the fence, he said. There are plenty of ways people can go across the train tracks where it isnt an assigned crossing.

ryan.thorpe.media@mail.com
TWIN FALLS  Gerald Bowden is giving himself a well-deserved break.

Earlier this month, the longtime county assessor and self-proclaimed workaholic announced he will retire effective Dec. 1. Bowden has worked for Twin Falls County for more than 40 years and has served as the countys assessor for 23 years.

His retirement comes a year before his term is set to expire  and it wasnt something hed planned on while running in the last election. But he now wants to fulfill his dreams of traveling to Australia and Alaska, spending time with his grandchildren and visiting Yankee Stadium.

Im thinking, Im not getting any younger, Bowden said. Im starting to look at the grandkids growing and some of the bucket list things I need to accomplish.

Bowden will turn 69 the day he retires.

Dec. 1 is actually my birthday also, so Im kind of giving myself a birthday present, he said.

The Times-News recently looked back with Bowden on his career and life in Idaho.

Q: What brought you to Idaho?

A: Bowden came to Idaho in the early 70s because he had family in the Burley area. But now, he thinks there was another reason: to meet his wife of 42 years, Debbie.

Thats why the gods brought me to Idaho  to meet her, he said.

Originally from Indiana, Bowden was drafted into the military during the Vietnam War. He served in the U.S. Army from 1970 to 1973, stationed in Germany.

That was the only lottery I ever won, Bowden said.

He came to Idaho right after his military service and attended the College of Southern Idaho. He later went to Boise State University and graduated in 1977 with a bachelors degree in business administration.

Q: When did you start working for the county?

A: He was hired with Twin Falls County on July 1, 1977, as an appraiser. After doing that for 17 years, Bowden saw an opportunity to take the former assessors position when that person retired. Bowden has been the Twin Falls County assessor for almost six terms.

Q: What does the county assessor do?

A: The county assessors job is to place a market on every property in the county, Bowden said. There are about 40,000 parcels altogether. While the value changes every year, each property is physically inspected every five years. This includes a walk-through of buildings, noting room counts, plumbing and construction quality. Bowden will also measure the building and take note of driveways, patios, decks and garages.

We want to be as accurate as we can, he said. We take em pretty serious.

Accepting applications: How the TF County assessor vacancy gets filled TWIN FALLS  The Twin Falls County Republican Central Committee is now tasked with helping d

The market value also takes into account sales on the Multiple Listing Service. Then, each taxing district establishes how much it needs to operate. The assessor determines a tax rate based on those needs and the total valuation of properties in that taxing district.

Q: How has the assessors office changed?

A: When Bowden first started with the office, it had only about 15 or 20 staff members. It now has about 40.

Values have also increased significantly  in part driven by laws that changed how things were assessed. The state began requiring a full market value on properties in the mid-80s, Bowden said.

When I first started, we werent even at market value, he said.

Bowden was able to pull data for a 34-year span. In 1983, the assessed valuation for Twin Falls County properties was about $1.3 billion. For the 2017 tax year, it is about $7.4 billion.

In the past year alone, Bowden estimates an average increase of 15 percent in value for residential properties.

Q: What do you enjoy the most about the job?

A: Probably working with the public, Bowden said.

Hes also enjoyed seeing the growth, which makes him feel like a part of the community.

Q: What are you the most proud of?

A: Bowden said hes proud of getting together the crew he has and helping bring in digital mapping technology for the mapping department.

Q: Will you miss it?

A: Absolutely, Bowden said. Im really a workaholic, and I take my life serious.

But he hopes that the trips, time spent with grandchildren and working on projects for the boss at home will keep him busy.

It was a tough decision, he said.

Bowden considers his staff as family, and will miss seeing them everyday.

Q: Will you stay in Twin Falls?

A: Bowdens two children and four grandchildren live in the Boise area, and he plans on visiting them often. He and his wife are happy living in the Magic Valley, but Well find out what the future brings, he said.
Opinion

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This article was published 31/10/2017 (1841 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Growing up in the scenic small city of Feldkirch, Austria, in the 1970s and early 80s, I remember stoking our wood- and coal-burning oven during the snowy winter months, and having the job of disposing of the ash. To this day, I enjoy the smell of burning wood, poking at a flaming fire, and listening to the crackle.

To my surprise, during a recent tour of a new research facility here at the University of Manitoba, I discovered that the biomass pellet boiler and power generation system, recently commissioned by Dr. Qiang Zhang, originated from Austria, not far from where I grew up. The company (OkoFen Pellet Heating) is one of 160 within the Eco-Energy Cluster in the state of Upper Austria (or Oberosterreich), which employs 8,800 people and generates $3 billion in annual revenue.

The state of Upper Austria presents a compelling case study, shedding light on what might be possible here in Manitoba when it comes to renewable heating. With a population of 1.4 million and similar GDP to Manitoba, Upper Austria can boast of a 47 per cent share of renewable heating in the overall energy mix, largely owing to the use of biomass in the form of wood pellets, wood chips, fire logs and whole trees. With 41 per cent of its land area covered by forests, the region has aggressively moved to biomass heating with a diverse set of economic incentives, state regulations, emission and efficiency standards and public education campaigns.

Upper Austria has set a target of space heating with 100 per cent renewable sources by 2030. It is home to technology providers with global leadership in the areas of automatic pellet heating systems for single-family homes, automatic wood chip heating systems for commercial spaces and institutional buildings, low-emission firewood boilers for rural buildings, and larger-scale district heating systems using a variety of biomass sources. Because of progressively more stringent efficiency and emission standards set by the government, these new-age biomass boilers are exceeding 93 per cent efficiency and meet strict environmental and fire safety regulations.

The regional economic gains have been impressive, with over 50,000 modern biomass boilers manufactured annually (a 25 per cent market share in the European Union), sustaining 4,500 full-time biomass heating-related jobs and displacing $1.6 billion in fossil fuel imports. The avoided CO2 emissions add up to 1.7 million tonnes per year, which could be worth another $85 million in annual carbon credits (at $50/tonne of CO2).

Although Manitoba does not have a similar profile in terms of its forestry sector and availability of wood biomass, we do have a rather unique opportunity with respect to another form of natural plant material. The combination of wetland biomass (cattails, bulrushes, reeds and prairie grasses) and agricultural crop residue (wheat, canola and flax straw) that can be sustainably harvested, adds up to over 11 million tonnes per year. In terms of energy content, this represents more than twice the amount of natural gas consumed within the entire province.

In a recent study at the U of M, our group showed that fuel pellets made from cattails harvested at a local wetland proved to have similar energy content to standard wood pellets, required no additional binders, and demonstrated comparable durability during transport. The higher-than-standard ash content of these pellets (compared to commercial wood pellets) poses a challenge in terms of burning efficiency, emissions and boiler maintenance. Current research in this area aims to provide solutions through changes in boiler operation, testing a variety of pellet blends (wood, cattails, cardboard, straw) and optimizing biomass harvest times and methods.

An additional benefit of harvesting wetland biomass for bioenergy applications is the removal of excessive nutrients (particularly phosphorus) from the landscape. Phosphorus is the precursor to algal blooms in our lakes and rivers and its removal from the watershed is critical in reducing the frequency and severity of these blooms. Every tonne of biomass harvested for a bioenergy application would result in 1.5 to three kilograms of phosphorus taken off the Manitoba landscape. Phosphorus recovery from biomass ash is a well-studied topic and promises to allow future extraction from stored ash and the potential generation of a renewable fertilizer product.

As shown by the 53,000 automatic biomass boilers in operation in homes and buildings in just one region of Austria, a fast transition to renewable heat is possible. In the span of 20 years, biomass heating grew sixfold, while the use of heating oil and natural gas dropped drastically. Technological and regulatory changes and the grassroots demand for more sustainable means of heating drove this disruptive change.

Starting with institutional and commercial settings (public buildings, schools, community centres, warehouses, shop floors) and moving to single-home applications and ultimately district heating, Manitoba can follow a similar path.

The automatic pellet furnace in the basement might not have the sights, smells and sounds of the traditional fireplace, but it will warm our homes and should warm our hearts in knowing that this is truly a green and Manitoba-made solution.

Nazim Cicek is a professor and associate head of the department of biosystems engineering at the University of Manitoba
Opinion

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This article was published 31/10/2017 (1841 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Talks to refresh North Americas trade agreement seem to be heading nowhere, and that could spell serious trouble for our agri-food sector.

Wanting to push back on Mexicos influence over the U.S. economy, Washington now seems to favour a bilateral deal with Canada. But, for our agri-food sector, many wonder what life will look like without the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Should NAFTA end, there is no doubt tariffs will rise and will impede cross-border supply chain efficiency. In fact, the Peterson Institute for International Economics suggests tariffs on agricultural commodities and other food products could go up by 3.5 per cent on average for the U.S., 4.2 per cent for Canada, and 7.5 per cent for Mexico. This brings a lot of uncertainty to major agricultural sectors such as cattle, hogs and many grains.

Manuel Balce Ceneta / The Associated Press Files If Canadian, American and Mexican negotiators are unable to reach an agreement on NAFTA, the end of the trade deal could have a significant impact on agriculture.

In agri-food, Canada has a trade deficit with the U.S. market. We sell the U.S. about $22 billion worth of goods while the Americans sell us $24 billion worth of food products, ranging from produce to baked goods and processed food items. But these numbers hide an inconvenient truth about what our agri-food economy is about on a global stage: most of what we sell are raw commodities that have been processed at a very basic level, only to buy them back, packaged or in a bottle, at 20 times the price.

This is perhaps the wake-up call Canada needed. For years, Canada has been a trade-reliant agricultural economy and has never been compelled to become strategic about trade. Our global position on agri-food trades has been weak at best. With more than 120 marketing boards across the country, our economy has been obsessed with countervailing oligopolistic powers upstream to protect our farmers.

Farming needs support, but most of our agricultural policies have been at the expense of processing and distribution. Some companies have successfully hedged against Ottawas decades-long nonchalant focus on trade. Saputo in Montreal and AGT in Saskatchewan are two brilliant examples. It is only recently, with attempts to join TPP and with CETA, that Ottawa has shown signs it realizes it needs to up its game on trade.

We can blame Washington all we want for the NAFTA impasse, but Canada has not demonstrated it wants to liberalize its trading position either. Ottawa has perhaps signalled it wants to modernize the tri-country trade pact, but it seemed unwilling to make major concessions. We seem content to play defence against Goliath.

Some of the most vibrant agri-food economies in the world have been engaged on the global stage to give their agri-food sectors a sense of purpose. Meanwhile, as the rest of the world progresses, we allow cartel-esque agencies to support such commodity groups as dairy, eggs, poultry, maple syrup and many other sectors. In fact, we are still trying to figure out what our agri-food strategy will look like.

To offset U.S. President Donald Trumps wrath, Ottawa did everything to prepare itself for NAFTA talks, except for one thing: it failed to consider itself an agri-food powerhouse in the making. To get there, we need a shift in our mindset.

Washington is inviting Canada to address a dilemma which we have never wanted to face. CETA (the Canada/EU trade agreement) was a miracle that happened in spite of ourselves. Canada is not even close to having a trade deal with the second-largest economy in the world  China. It should be a priority for Ottawa.

Canada should start thinking about how it could reform its supply management system so it makes sense to the rest of the world, not just us. It should also think of ways we can capitalize on our new trading friends in the EU.

We also need to think about increasing our processing capacity, and sell semi-processed or finished food goods to the rest of the world, and not just wheat, barley or beef. Research suggests exporting companies are always more innovative. For any agri-food economy, it is always challenging to build a competitive advantage with raw commodities.

The cruel truth is that Canadas agri-food influence is irrelevant to the rest of the world. The Trans-Pacific Partnership was created, and killed, and Canadas opinion hardly mattered. U.S. media barely covered Trudeaus latest visit to Washington. So instead of trying to please an ambivalent neighbour, it is time for Canada to seek more new friends on the world stage.

Sylvain Charlebois is senior fellow with the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies, dean of the faculty of management and a professor in the faculty of agriculture at Dalhousie University, and author of Food Safety, Risk Intelligence and Benchmarking.

 Troy Media
Opinion

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This article was published 31/10/2017 (1841 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Everybody loves a birthday. Well, perhaps not everyone; I cant imagine conservative Roman Catholics will be celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation at the end of October, commemorating when German theologian and monk Martin Luther allegedly nailed those 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg.

Mind you, Pope Francis and many progressive Catholic bishops and clergy are holding ecumenical services and acknowledging what 1517 means to civilization, culture, freedom and democracy.

That, of course, is quite the claim, and in an increasingly secular and even atheistic Canada, there are many who probably think they shouldnt and couldnt give a damn about the whole thing. But thats not the case. The very right to not believe, to speak ones mind and even to say damn in public is a direct result of what happened five centuries ago.

Andrew Medichini / The Associated Press FILES Pope Francis, as well as several progressive Catholic bishops and clergy, has acknowledged what the Reformation means to civilization, culture, freedom and democracy.

Not that Martin Luther was a perfect man, or that everything done in the name of Protestantism over the years has been tolerant and embracing (it certainly hasnt), but without that scream of defiance in the early 16th century, matters would have been a lot worse.

Take a look, for example, at two relatively recent examples of nations that did not experience a successful Reformation: Spain under General Franco, and Ireland in the 1950s. Both were effectively Catholic states, bursting with censorship, state interference, a cruel denial of womens equality, rigid church control and limits on what could be said and done. We could argue a not-dissimilar case for Quebec until the Quiet Revolution.

This was partly about religion, but also authority and patriarchy. Anti-Catholicism is sordid and wrong, but it cant be denied that the Roman Catholic Church is built on a strong theme of male dominance and a powerful sense of structure and control. Some of this changed in the early 1960s, with the Second Vatican Council, but that was to a large extent a reaction to the world around Catholicism, a world much-influenced by Protestantism, especially in much of Europe and North America.

As late as 1864, Pope Pius IX issued a Syllabus of Errors in which many of the virtues that we take as self-evident, such as liberalism and rationalism, were roundly condemned.

What, in essence, occurred 500 years ago was that the individual was liberated, and a new interpretation of Christianity was proposed in which each man and woman had a relationship with God that did not require the intervention of a church. On a less theological level, this meant that the very nature of the rights of the individual, communal freedoms, and religious diversity began to change.

It would take centuries for all of these things to fully blossom, but within a century in the devoutly Protestant Netherlands there was religious tolerance, and science and inquiry were rebooted in pragmatically Protestant England.

The Enlightenment of the 18th century was a direct child of the Reformation, just as is the modern nation-state. The former demanded a certain relativism and openness, one not encouraged and sometimes positively forbidden by Rome. The latter has produced mixed results. At its worst, it gave rise to nationalism, but even nationalism is sometimes a good thing. Italian unification and the independence of various small states were productive and grand achievements. When taken to extremes, of course, it has led to racism and intolerance, but thats a rare and largely mid-20th-century phenomenon.

Womens rights took a long time to develop, and the journey is not complete. But within Christianity, many Protestant churches now ordain women, and in society women occupy places of influence and power that could only have developed out of a questioning, reforming culture.

Similarly, when it comes to education, multiculturalism and minority rights, the state has to be free of religious control for all of them to be fully implemented, partly because so many people today simply have no religious belief. While this separation of church and state is certainly not unique to non-Catholic Christianity, such independence has seldom been given over by the Catholic Church without a struggle.

Luther is long gone and so, thank goodness, are most of the sectarian disputes within Christianity. But what remains is something we might take for granted but ignore at our cost  even that right to say damn whenever we feel like it.

Author and broadcaster Michael Corens latest book is Epiphany: A Christians Change of Heart and Mind over Same-Sex Marriage.
Opinion

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This article was published 31/10/2017 (1841 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Jason Kenney, formerly a federal cabinet minister, won overwhelming support on the weekend from members of Albertas United Conservative Party to become its first leader. His 35,623 votes were almost double the support for his nearest rival, former Wildrose Party leader Brian Jean. A UCP member of the legislature immediately offered to resign his southwest Calgary seat to give Mr. Kenney a chance to run in a byelection.

Mr. Kenney has been a large presence on the Alberta political scene since his first election to Parliament from Calgary Southwest in 1997 for the Reform Party, his re-election for the Canadian Alliance and subsequent elections for Stephen Harpers Conservative Party. He is known for reaching out to Canadas ethnic communities and drawing their support to the Conservative Party.

In the excitement of his smashing win, Mr. Kenney on Sunday exuded confidence that he and his party will defeat the ruling New Democrats of Premier Rachel Notley in the general election that would ordinarily be held in the spring of 2019. As the excitement cools, he may recognize that a year and a half is a long time in politics.

Jeff McIntosh / The Canadian Press United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney

Mr. Kenney will face a continuing challenge of stifling UCP activists with unorthodox views. Alberta is home to a good many people whose deeply held religious views put them well outside the Canadian mainstream on such questions as marriage equality, treatment of refugees and sex education in schools. Albertas tradition of rugged individualism encourages the forceful expression of minority views, but this may not be helpful to a rural-based party seeking majority support in Calgary and Edmonton.

Premier Notley and her government have been scoring poorly in opinion polls for the last year. The Conservatives have been scoring well. Now that Mr. Jean has been rejected as UCP leader, some of that Conservative support may drop away. Once the new party writes a program for government, it may disappoint some members and lose a little more support.

In a recent test of Albertas political winds, the Calgary Tories failed to unseat incumbent Mayor Naheed Nenshi. Tory-backed mayoral candidate Bill Smith ran on a promise of making Calgary more friendly to the business community. Mayoral candidates found the voters were complaining about Premier Notleys carbon tax and Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus energy policy, which should have been good issues for Mr. Smith. Even so, Mr. Nenshi harvested 199,131 votes, giving him a margin of almost 30,000 votes over Mr. Smith. The Tories won two wards in the southwest corner of the city  Mr. Kenneys home turf  and lost in all the other wards.

The mayoral election doesnt necessarily predict the provincial result  but it is worth remembering that the election of Conservative Brian Bowman as mayor of Winnipeg in 2014 was swiftly followed by the implosion of the ruling Manitoba NDP and the election of Brian Pallisters Progressive Conservatives. The one election result does not cause the other, but it may show which way the wind is blowing. The Calgary mayoral election suggests that the jury is still out: Mr. Kenney and his party cannot take Calgary for granted.

Premier Notley enjoys good support in Edmonton. Mr. Kenney will have to show former Wildrose supporters that the UCP is still their party, even without Mr. Jean. Calgary, meanwhile, is still making up its mind.
The European Union is supporting Madrids imposition of Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution to impose a puppet government in Catalonia. Giving Madrid a blank check to turn back the clock to the authoritarian policies of the fascist regime led by Francisco Franco, which fell in 1978 amid mass struggles of the Spanish working class, the EU is shattering whatever pretenses remain that it is a force for democracy.

As Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy prepares to dissolve the Catalan parliament, seize control of the regional state apparatus, beginning with the security services and the ministries, and purge the public service, the EU is fully backing him. Rajoys Popular Party (PP) government, supported by Spains other bourgeois parties, has readied tens of thousands of Guardia Civil and soldiers to carry though its attack on Catalonia.

The workers of both Catalonia and the rest of Spain have been led into this perilous situation as a result of the treacherous right-wing policies of the supposed left of the bourgeois political establishment, the social democrats and Podemos, and the reactionary pro-capitalist and pro-European Union perspective of the Catalan nationalist parties. All of these parties have supported the brutal austerity policies imposed on workers across Spain since the 2008 financial crisis at the behest of the EU and the European and international banks.

Despite the sharp conflict between the Spanish bourgeoisie and its Catalan nationalist counterpart, they are united in their determination to make the working class pay for the crisis of Spanish and European capitalism.

Madrid has given the powers of the impeached premier of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, to Spanish Vice-Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, who is charged with running the province and overseeing snap elections unilaterally set by Madrid for December 21. This is a sign that Madrid is moving toward a return to dictatorship. Saenz de Santamaria comes from a family intimately connected to the repressive apparatus of the Francoite regime.

Her grandfather, General Jose Antonio Saenz de Santamaria, played a leading role in the Francoite security forces after the Civil War, up until 1996, two decades after Francos death.

The EU is now backing the return to a similarly undemocratically installed regime. I have one person I talk to in Spain, that is Prime Minister Rajoy He wants to respect [constitutional rules] and he has my full support, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday while on a voyage to Guyana. Macrons foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said he did not recognize Catalan independence and wanted a strong and united Spain.

Germany refuses to recognize the independence of Catalonia, declared German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who added that she fully supported Madrid. Her spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said that Berlin supports the clear position of Rajoy, who aims to restore order and calm.

Even as it temporarily grants asylum to the impeached Catalan Premier Carles Puigdemont, the Belgian government is also backing Madrid. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel indirectly exhorted the Catalan population to accept a military-backed regime, saying, The political crisis can be resolved only through dialog. We are calling for a pacific solution that respects the national and international order.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg wrote on Twitter: The Catalan issue must be resolved within the constitutional order. Spain is a faithful ally that strongly contributes to our security.

On Friday, EU Commissioner Carlos Moedas had said: What is happening now is very hard for everyone involved, but we as the European Union must defend Spains constitutional order.

The encouragement by European governments of the imposition of some form of police-military dictatorship in Cataloniathe prelude to the imposition of such a regime more broadly across Spain and Europeis a warning to the working class. EU governments are reacting to the Catalan crisis as an opportunity to impose dictatorial regimes in countries across Europe.

This is the outcome of a quarter-century of mounting austerity and militarism in Europe since the Stalinist bureaucracys dissolution of the Soviet Union. As class tensions rise as a result of explosive levels of social inequality, mass unemployment and social attacks that are the greatest since the Great Depression of the 1930s, the ruling class is repudiating even the outer forms of democratic rule. It is moving back toward the bloody and authoritarian capitalist regimes of the middle of the 20th century in Europe.

An article in the daily LAlsace titled The Catalan powder keg stated: The government of Mariano Rajoy faces the difficulty of taking the reins in Catalonia without providing a pretext for opposition. The slightest excess, from one side or the other, could be the spark that sets off a situation ready to explode.

Another regional French daily, Le Bien public, also called Catalonia a powder keg and concluded, In such a very tense climate, violent excesses can never be excluded.

It added, Catalan nationalist militants, used to pacific resistance, will not let police arrest their leaders facing sedition charges and, in theory, up to 30 years in prison. Madrid can maintain its juridical firmness without committing the error of sending in the troops. But what no one can predict are the reactions of non-Catalan populations who make up entire suburbs of Barcelona and can be aggressive. In meetings, in cafes, we avoid talking about it and thats for the best. Its a powder keg, said one social-democratic official from Barcelona.

As the EU countries throw off the democratic mask, they are leaving the population no other future than a series of authoritarian police states, monitored by increasingly powerful police and surveillance forces capable of spying on all aspects of citizens lives.

In France, Macron is making permanent the state of emergency via the new antiterror law that creates a de facto police state. Another measure taken in parallel with this law is the creation of a planning staff bringing together the heads of the intelligence agencies and various security forces, which could lead to a police-military regime against social opposition.

Macron, who was marketed during this years presidential election as the democratic alternative to neofascist candidate Marine Le Pen, clearly signaledby receiving Egyptian military dictator General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi a few days ago at the Elysee presidential palacethat he does not oppose dictatorship.

The only way forward is the independent political mobilization of the European working class in struggle against the reactionary measures of the Rajoy government and of the other EU states, demanding the withdrawal of Spanish troops from Catalonia and an end to the crackdown.

However, workers can carry out such a perspective only in opposition to the Catalan nationalists, whose perspective is to continue imposing austerity while building an independent Catalan capitalist state. This means as well a struggle against the pseudo-left parties, which either promote the Catalan bourgeois nationalists or defend the Spanish capitalist state, in both cases seeking to subordinate the working class to the European ruling classes. The way forward is the struggle to unite European workers under the banner of the United Socialist States of Europe.

The Catalan crisis has exposed the bankrupt and reactionary character of organizations such as Spains Podemos party and Unsubmissive France (LFI) of Jean-Luc Melenchon, which are hostile to all appeals to mobilize the workers in struggle against state repression. Podemos has consistently used appeals for dialog to pose as a party capable of resolving the crisis while strangling social opposition. It has finally aligned itself with the Rajoy government by backing its call for December 21 elections in Catalonia, and thus the broader repression organized by Madrid.

The French ally of Podemos, LFI leader Melenchon, after having appealed to Macron to intervene with Rajoy, has now declared his support for Rajoys fraudulent elections. I dont want anyone to simply declare independence like that nor to repress independence. People must vote, he said this weekend.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Monday declared incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta the winner over rival Raila Odinga in the re-run of a hotly disputed presidential election overshadowed by egregious instances of fraud, violence, and intimidation.

In announcing President Kenyattas victory, IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati stated that Kenyatta took over 98 percent of the vote in Thursdays poll, with an extremely low turnout of 38 percent. Chebukati claimed Kenyatta garnered 7.5 million of the votes cast, a smaller number than the 8.2 million he captured in the August 8 poll.

Odinga won a mere 73,000 votes, the low number being the result of his call to boycott the election. As a result of large numbers of voters not participating, balloting did not take place in 25 precincts.

The strikingly low turnout stands in stark contrast to the 80 percent turnout registered in the August 8 poll, and reflects the mass disillusionment of the Kenyan masses toward the political establishment, as well as widespread contempt for the corrupt electoral process.

Citing violent protests, the IEBC canceled balloting in Nyanza region and other parts of Western Kenya. Violent clashes occurred between police and protesters who attempted to disrupt polling in many cities and towns, including Kisumu, Migori, Siaya, and Homabay. The Nyanza region is a stronghold of support for Odinga and his National Super Alliance party (NASA).

Stating that he would contest the poll, Odinga said, Kenyans are tired of this illegitimate regime. We do not want to institutionalize election-rigging. The moment people lose faith in the electoral process then anarchy becomes the order of the day. Odinga said that he would address his supporters at a rally planned for today, for which he would outline his plan for the creation of a resistance movement.

Kenyatta declared that the poll validated his August win, and he sharply criticized Odinga for his boycott, You cannot choose the opportunity to exercise a right and thereafter abscond from the consequences of that choice.

The poll took place amid an atmosphere of police violence and acts of intimidation, which almost certainly originated with forces loyal to Kenyatta. Since the election on Thursday, nine people were killed and scores more injured by police responding to demonstrations held in several locations of Nairobi and Western Kenya. More than 70 people have been killed since the August 8 poll.

Several reports in Kisumu and Nairobi recounted police conducting door-to-door searches and rounding up NASA supporters, in the process ransacking homes and beating scores of residents. Police have repeatedly responded violently to ongoing demonstrations conducted almost daily since the original August 8 poll.

Highlighting the overall corrupt character of the election occurring in the days preceding the October 26 re-run poll, was the lawsuit filed by several civil organizations to the Supreme Court which sought to postpone the election. This followed the news that senior IEBC board member Roselyne Akombe fled to the United States after receiving death threats, prompting IEBC chair Chebukati to admit the IEBCs inability to carry out a free and fair election.

The day before the court was to convene a hearing of the case, the bodyguard of Supreme Court Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu was shot. Indicating that a concerted attempt to intimidate the judiciary was successful, only two of the seven judges on the court were in attendance, with the judges declining to adjudicate the case for lack of a quorum.

Maina Kai, a Kenyan lawyer and the former UN special rapporteur on the rights to freedom and peaceful assembly and association, responded to the courts refusal to convene: When judges have taken office and vowed to keep the constitution, and then they dont show up, that is a big statement. It worries us because the judiciary was the last bastion of independence. If they are going to be buckling under pressure and be intimidated, then we are going to be in for a very rough ride.

Odinga and NASA have accused the IEBC of rigging the election in Kenyattas favor. The allegations are not without foundation: Christopher Musando, an official in charge of IEBCs digital voting system, was found murdered and tortured just days before the August 8 poll. Additionally, two foreign election consultants employed by the Odinga campaign were kidnapped by police and forced to depart the country. In another suspicious instance, an IEBC poll worker committed suicide after the August 8 poll, leaving a note expressing his distress over illegalities perpetrated during the vote tally.

Despite this, Chebukati stated on Monday that the re-run poll was free and fair, a complete reversal of his statements last week eliciting his doubts of the commissions ability to carry out a credible election. Chebukati made no attempt to reconcile these two contradictory claims.

The fact that Kenyatta has been declared the winner of the re-run poll in the wake of blatant electoral malfeasance, testifies to the criminal role not only of the Kenyatta government, but of the governments of US and Europe, which said not a single word of protest.

Instead, US and European observers unanimously certified the August 8 poll free and fair, essentially emboldening the Kenyatta government in its assault on the democratic rights of the Kenyan population.

Adding fuel to the political crisis is the downturn of Kenyas economy, of which growth projections have been adjusted downwards in the wake of the election chaos. This in turn has spooked investors away from East Africas top economy.

Washington has been particularly unnerved by the widespread contempt for the political establishment expressed in the mass demonstrations, fearing the unrest could precipitate a full-scale insurrection against the government. Kenyatta plays a key role in Washingtons geopolitical strategy in the region, having committed Kenyan troops to the US-backed war in neighboring Somalia.

Last week, US Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec, leading a pack of several Western diplomats, sharply rebuked Kenyatta and Odinga, blaming them for the deteriorating political environment, saying, 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.

In the final analysis, it was clear from the outset that regardless of which of the two wealthy contestants assumed power, they would preside over a government that will come into explosive conflict with an increasingly restive population experiencing conditions of social misery for which the Kenyan ruling class has no solution but violent repression.
The indictment of two Trump election campaign aides, including former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and the indictment and guilty plea of a third aide mark a new stage in the political warfare in Washington. Such indictments are typically the first step in a prosecutorial strategy that starts with lower-ranking figures, using charges and plea deals to gain their cooperation as witnesses against the central target, in this case, Trump and his inner circle.

The investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US election and possible collusion by the Trump campaign, spearheaded by Special Counsel and former FBI Director Robert Mueller, is the mechanism through which powerful sections of the military-intelligence apparatus, in alliance with the Democratic Party, are seeking to destabilize the Trump administration, with the goal of either shifting its foreign policy in a more openly anti-Russian direction or creating the conditions for Trumps removal from office.

None of the charges against Manafort and his top aide Rick Gates made public Monday has anything directly to do with allegations of Russian manipulation of the US election campaign. Manafort and Gates were indicted on 12 counts of money-laundering, conspiracy, filing false reports and failing to register as representatives of a foreign power in connection with their work as lobbyists and political operatives for the former president of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, and his pro-Russian political party.

The indictment, which appears to have an extensive factual basis, claims that the two men concealed some $75 million in payments from Yanukovych, his government and his Party of Regions over the course of a 10-year period from 2006 to 2015. Much of this money was used to lobby the US Congress and the executive branch for legislation and administrative actions favorable to the Yanukovych regime. The rest went into the pockets of Manafort and Gates, allegedly without them reporting it as income. The two are accused of using offshore accounts to conceal their wealth from the Internal Revenue Service.

Manafort and Gates surrendered to the FBI Monday morning and were taken before a federal judge, where not-guilty pleas were entered and bail was set at $10 million for Manafort and $5 million for Gates. The two were then released into house arrest.

The same day, a guilty plea by former Trump foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos was made public. In the plea, the former campaign aide admitted lying to the FBI in interviews in January and February of this year about contacts with at least three Russians in the course of 2016.

Papadopoulos was arrested in July and has apparently been cooperating with the Mueller investigation since then. He is described in at least one court document as a proactive cooperator whose sentencing recommendation depends on the value of his collaboration. He pled guilty on October 5 but the charges against him and the plea were sealed until Monday.

The 30-year-old former oil and gas industry consultant pleaded guilty to several counts of lying about the timing and importance of his contacts with the three Russians, one of them alleged to be a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There was no claim that he lied to the FBI about the content of the discussions, including his claim that the Russians were offering dirt about Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. This suggests that Mueller may be seeking to preserve Papadopouloss credibility as a witness against higher-ranking campaign officials.

The court papers on Papadopoulos cite his discussions with high-level Trump campaign officials concerning his contacts with the three Russians. One of the Trump officials, unnamed in the court documents but identified by the press as Manafort, is described as encouraging Papadopoulos to seek anti-Clinton information from his Russian contacts.

In a press briefing later Monday, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders argued that the indictment of Manafort and Gates was for actions they had taken years before they joined the Trump campaign in March 2016. She dismissed the perjury guilty plea by George Papadopoulos, calling him an unpaid volunteer who met only once with top campaign officials and had no standing to speak for the campaign.

Both Sanders and Trump continued to push claims of Democratic Party collaboration with Russia before and during the election campaign. This effort received support from the indictment of Manafort and Gates, which repeatedly cites the role of Company A, the lobbying partner of the two longtime Republicans, which was revealed Monday to be Podesta Group, a major Washington lobbying firm aligned with the Democratic Party and headed by Anthony Podesta, brother of John Podesta, Hillary Clintons campaign chairman.

By the close of business Monday, Podesta Group announced that its founder and namesake had resigned from the company and the firm would be sold to a group of its executives, who would operate the business under a new name. Last week, NBC News reported that Podesta Group was a target of the special counsels investigation, which has morphed into a criminal inquiry into whether the firm violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

The Democratic Party-aligned lobbying firm was thus facing the same charge as Republicans Manafort and Gates: acting as agents of the government of Ukraine and the pro-Russian ruling party without registering as required by federal law.

This casts a spotlight on the cynicism of the anti-Russian campaign being waged by the Democrats, which combines the demonization of Russia with denunciations of Trump for being soft on Moscow. Individuals aligned with both capitalist parties are quite willing to pocket millions on offer from foreign regimes seeking to curry favor in Washington. At the same time, both parties are instruments of the US ruling elite, unalterably loyal to Wall Street, the Pentagon and the CIA.

The next steps in the ongoing political warfare remain highly uncertain. On one side, Trump is being pressed by far-right advisers like Stephen Bannon and the editors of the Wall Street Journal to break openly with the political norms of Washington, fire Mueller and shut down the investigation outright. This course would involve an open appeal to ultra-right, extra-parliamentary support against the expected backlash in Congress, even among sections of the Republican Party.

The factions of the ruling class represented by Mueller see the special counsel investigation as a means of ratcheting up their pressure on the Trump administration for specific policy changes, particularly in the area of foreign policy. They want a more hard-line opposition to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and, more generally, against Russian influence in the Middle East and Central Asia, something Trump has begun to deliver.

On both sides, there are demands to criminalize political dissent and censor the Internet in order to crack down on any independent expression of the sentiments of the vast majority of the American people, who are opposed to war and face an ever more desperate struggle to survive economically, even as Trump proclaims the glories of an ever-rising stock market.

Mueller is the representative of the deep state of military brass, intelligence officers and their political and media flunkeys. There is nothing progressive in either warring faction within the ruling class. Both sides represent sections of the financial oligarchy whose domination has become a nightmarish burden on American society.

A socially progressive outcome depends on the emergence of the working class as an independent political force, putting forward its own class demands in defense of jobs, living standards and democratic rights and against imperialist war.
Ahead of elections in the coming weeks in Nepal, the countrys two main Stalinist partiesthe Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) and the Communist Party of Nepal, or Maoist Centre (MC)have formed an electoral alliance and decided to merge after the elections.

The parliament was dissolved on October 14 and the elections are scheduled for November 26. Elections for the countrys provincial bodies will take place on December 7.

The CPN-UML is the main opposition party, while the MC has been the principal partner in the coalition government led by the Nepal Congress. The new alliance is a political trap for the working class and oppressed masses under conditions of growing opposition to the government and the political establishment as a whole.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba of Nepal Congress reacted immediately by inducting eight new ministers from the Hindu right-wing Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) into his government. The coalition also includes several other minor parties, such as the Federal Socialist Forum (FSF) and Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJP).

Initially the MC refused to leave the government. Its leader Puspha Kamal Dahal said his party would remain until the elections were over. When the Maoist leader refused to call for the resignation of his partys ministers, Deuba sacked them all, including 10 ministers and 10 state ministers.

The alliance between the CPN-UML and MC marks a sharp political turn. UML general secretary, Ishwor Pokarel, told the Kathmandu Post: Now the leftist forces realize the need for unification and a strong alliance to fuel stability... In other words, these two Stalinist parties are coming together to prop up capitalist rule.

Social tensions are rising in the country. Hundreds of part-time teachers from Tribhuvan University protested on October 5 demanding permanent contracts, better pay and working conditions. Rural farmers in the Rautahat district protested last month against damage to their paddy fields due to toxic chemicals released by the nearby industries.

The political establishment in Nepal as a whole, including the CPN-UML and MC, is corrupt, parasitic and widely discredited. Tribhuvan University political science professor Krishna Khanal recently told the media: Both the UML and the Maoists have huge stakes in private banking.

Far from being socialist or communist, the CPN-UML and MC both defend capitalism and have played crucial roles in propping up bourgeois rule. The CPN-UML, formed in 1991, has always been closely integrated into the political establishment, supported the monarchy and backed the war against the Maoist insurgency that claimed 16,000 lives and trampled on basic democratic rights.

The Maoist Centre, founded in 1994, waged a protracted guerrilla war, not to abolish capitalism, but to end the monarchy. In 2006, amid mass protests in the main cities, the Maoists came to the rescue of the ruling class by entering into the so-called comprehensive agreement backed by New Delhi. In exchange for the kings abdication, the MC disarmed its fighters, used its influence to suppress further protests and integrated itself into the political establishment.

In government, the MC has implemented pro-market, pro-business policies, leading to a rapid erosion of its support. The number of MC members in the parliament plunged from 240 in 2008 to 80 in 2013. In recent local polls, it came third with 106 seats, while the CPN-UML and NC won 296 and 264 respectively.

Nepal is in a deepening political crisis. Over the past decade, there has been a succession of 11 governments, including the present one. After the abolition of the monarchy in 2008, it took nearly a decade to pass a new constitution in September 2015. However, that constitution has faced severe criticism from the parties based on ethnic minorities, including the Madhesi and Janajati, for alleged discrimination against their communities.

To placate the minorities and end violent protests, the government drew up amendments to the constitution in August but failed to pass them in parliament due to the opposition of the CPN-UML and a section of the RJP.

All the parties claimed that the abolition of the monarchy would bring prosperity and democracy. However, the social crisis facing working people has only worsened.

According to the latest Asian Development Bank report, 25.2 percent of the population lives below the official poverty line. The proportion of the working population living on less than $US1.90 a day is 12.5 percent. For every 1,000 babies born, 29 die before their first birthday.

According to the 2017 global hunger index, Nepal ranks 72. The percentages for those under five suffering from undernourishment, wasting, stunting and death are 8.1, 11.3, 37.4 and 3.6 respectively. While the official unemployment rate was 3.2 percent in 2016, thousands of young people and women are migrating abroad to look for jobs.

Nepal is increasingly being dragged into geo-strategic rivalry as China and India, backed by the US, have both sought to expand their influence in Kathmandu.

China is the countrys main donor and investor. The previous CPN-UML government led by K.P. Oli signed 10 agreements with Beijing, including on trade diversification, cross-border connectivity and infrastructure development. In April, Nepal held its first-ever joint military exercise with China.

India sought to pressure the Oli government to distance itself from Beijing by backing the Madhesi protests demanding constitutional change. New Delhi also imposed a five-month economic blockade against Nepal last year in support of the Madhesi demands.

Behind the scenes, India helped to engineer the ousting of the Oli government and installation of the current NC-led administration of Deuba in July last year. The MC, by entering into the coalition government, effectively became a partner in this regime-change operation to secure the strategic interests of India and the US.

US has directly intervened in Nepal as part of its efforts to undermine and encircle China. In September, senior US State Department official Alice Wells told US Congress: Nepal has been selected for one of the USs most high profile projects to increase regional connectivity within the Indo-Pacific.

If the alliance between the CPN-UML and MC does win the election and form government, it will continue the attacks on social and democratic rights, and drag the country even further into the sharpening geo-political rivalries that are leading to war.
Reports over the past week have shed further light on the Burmese regimes brutal campaign against the Rohingya ethnic minority, while highlighting the dire circumstances confronting those who have fled to neighboring Bangladesh.

The Burmese military, with the support of the government headed by Aung San Suu Kyi, has been conducting a vicious assault in Rakhine state since August. Reports have documented the indiscriminate killing of Rohingya, the wholesale destruction of villages and a litany of human rights abuses. Some 600,000 Rohingya have fled abroad since August 25.

Suu Kyis government has prevented aid deliveries into Rakhine state, on the pretext that humanitarian organisations are assisting Muslim extremists. The United Nations, which is among the entities being blocked, this week warned that the death toll from the Burmese militarys clearance operation, may be very high.

UN officials said the actions of the Burmese military indicated a consistent, methodical pattern of action resulting in gross human rights violations affecting hundreds of thousands of people. They said fleeing refugees had reported troops carrying out killings, torture, rape and arson, and restated their warning that the actions amount to ethnic cleansing.

Refugees who have made the dangerous journey to Bangladesh, have faced water and food shortages, poor sanitation, disease outbreaks, and exposure to floods and elephant stampedes.

Doctors Without Borders said the situation in makeshift refugee camps in Bangladesh is a public-health time-bomb and warned about the inability of aid groups to meet the dire needs of the growing population.

UN agencies have made similar assessments, based on interviews with refugees in Coxs Bazaar, the largest of the refugee camps. At a conference last week, the UN raised only $344 million of the $430 million needed to expand the reach of food and sanitation supplies, with the US providing a paltry $32 million.

In an interview with the Guardian, Elhadj As Sy, the head of the International Federation of Red Cross Societies, described the refugee conditions as in a state of deprivation. Its hunger, fear, exhaustion You see almost the unbearable look of a total destitute person in need.

The contemptuous attitude of Bangladeshi authorities to the asylum seekers was underscored by an article in the Independent on Sunday, which reported that the government is preparing to implement a program of voluntary sterilization for refugees.

The major imperialist powers, led by the United States, have issued utterly hypocritical statements of concern, while continuing to back the Burmese regime.

The US State Department has suspended aid to military units directly linked to the pogroms, revoked previous invitations to US events, and halted the issuing of travel waivers.

These actions, however, are largely cosmetic, focusing only on military units directly carrying out the cleansing of Rohingya populations. They ignore the role of Suu Kyi, her National League for Democracy (NLD) and other key sections of the military in supporting the campaign.

Last Thursday evening, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson held a phone conversation with the head of the Burmese military Min Aung Hliang. Tillerson reportedly encouraged the armys cooperation with the Burmese government in ending the violence and allowing the safe return of ethnic Rohingya who have fled the area.

The Trump administration is reportedly considering limited trade sanctions in response to growing public outrage at home and internationally. However, the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Senator Bob Corker summed up the policy, stating: The United States should not abandon Burma. However, it may be time for a policy adjustment.

These adjustments will be handled with utmost caution, in order to prevent the regime turning toward China for economic and political support. The US views Burma as geo-strategically critical to its military encirclement of China, in preparation for war against the Beijing regime.

U Ko Ko Gyi, a former student democracy activist and supporter of the Burmese regime, pointedly noted: We are a small country that lies between India and China, and the DNA of our ancestors is to try to struggle for our survival. If you in the West criticize us too much, then you will push us into the arms of China and Russia.

Reports of the ongoing persecution of the Rohingya preceded a tour of Asia by US President Donald Trump, starting this week.

Trump will visit Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, and attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Vietnam and the Association of South East Asian Nations in the Philippines. The tour will be used to consolidate military ties and alliances forged by the US in its anti-China campaign, and to escalate the threats against Beijing and North Korea.

Sections of the US ruling elite have called on Trump to make a show of opposition to the persecution of the Rohingya during the tour.

The Washington Post, which has close ties to the US military and intelligence agencies, published an editorial on Sunday, declaring that Trump has an opportunity to show he will not ignore crimes against humanity. It called for the US government to impose sanctions targeting top Burmese military officials.

Such a move, from the commander-in-chief of the blood-soaked American military, would be aimed at covering up the US role in backing the persecution of the Rohingya, and placing pressure on the Burmese regime to align more directly with Washingtons plans for a catastrophic war against China.
Corey Feldman is defending the millions of dollars he's asking for in order to make a feature film about the claims he's made about being abused as a child actor.

The Goonies star appeared on Monday's Today show and explained his motives behind launching an online campaign to raise $10 million for his movie. So far, he's received a little over $160,000.

When asked why he needs that much money to fund his project when film students make movies for much less, Feldman responded, "Its not a documentary, it is a film. I want to make a feature film, which is why we need the budget that we need. Theres actors, theres scripts, theres special effects, visual effects."

MORE: Corey Feldman Returns With Another Surreal 'Today' Performance After Battling Bullies: 'This Is for America'

The 46-year-old actor also shared why wants to use the movie to reveal the names of alleged pedophiles in Hollywood. "It will be a very true story," he said. "We will have every name -- everybody that affected my life, Im going to give the perspective that I can give, what I viewed, what I experienced, from a firsthand account."

Feldman added, Were talking about a theatrical release. Im going to self-distribute, self-market, make the film and hire a team of attorneys who are going to protect me and the film when it comes out.

WATCH: Kevin Spacey Comes Out as Gay, Responds to Anthony Rapp's Allegations: 'I'm Beyond Horrified'

He further insisted that "there is a lot of darkness in Hollywood right now, and its been there for quite some time."

As for why he's waited to say the names of those he alleges sexually abused both himself and fellow child actor, Cory Haim, Feldman told Today's Matt Lauer that he was not permitted to do so in his 2013 memoir, Coreyography. "This is why Im doing this -- because when I wrote my book, my publishers prevented me from writing the names down. They made me change the names," he claimed. "Im taking the matter into my own hands."

Story continues

WATCH: Reese Witherspoon Emotionally Recalls Being Sexually Assaulted at 16

Feldman continued, "This is why I need Americas support, I need the worlds support."

The former child star went on to note that in 1993, he notified the Santa Barbara Police Department about his six alleged abusers, three of which he says still work in Hollywood. "Ive told the police. I sat there and I gave them the names, he told Lauer. Theyre on record. They have all of this information. But they were scanning Michael Jackson. Michael was innocent, and that was what the interview was about with the police."

When pressed as to why he doesn't go to the police again, Feldman brought up the statute of limitations in the state of California. If I were to go to the police, I would be the one whos getting sued, he said. Henceforth I need a team of lawyers and I need a team of security to be around me at all times to keep me safe, so I can get this message down.

WATCH: Jennifer Lawrence Says She Was Asked By a Producer to 'Lose 15 Pounds' After Doing a 'Nude Line-Up'

Feldman also doesn't feel that it should all be on him to expose these alleged child abusers. "There are thousands of people in Hollywood who have this same information, he continued. Why is it if I dont release the names in the next two months, six months, or a year, Im the bad guy? Im the victim here. Im the one whos been abused. Im the one whos trying to come forward and do something about it.

He added, "Im not playing around. Its serious stuff. I vow, I will release every single name that I have knowledge of. And nobodys going to stop me this time, as long as people support this.

Feldman also appeared on Megyn Kelly's hour of Today and claimed that he was "fearing for [his] life" after someone allegedly tried to kill him. "I had two trucks come speeding at me on the highway at the same time I was with six other people. I have many witnesses to this," he recalled. "Im not saying they were trying to kill Corey Feldman, but they were definitely trying to kill a group of people walking across the street."

Related Articles
A California father convicted for drugging, sexually assaulting and killing his 14-year-old daughter now wants to change his guilty plea to avoid a possible sentence of life in prison, PEOPLE confirms.

The plea by Mark Edward Mesiti, 49, of Modesto, announced on Oct. 17, cut short his murder trial at which prosecutors were pursuing the death penalty against him for that and other crimes against female minors to which he confessed, Stanislaus County District Attorney Birgit Fladager earlier announced in a statement.

He was scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 28 for conviction of murder and more than 40 counts of sexual abuse of daughter Alycia Mesiti and two other minor girls identified in court documents as Jane Does 1 and 2. Alycias remains were found in 2009 buried in the backyard of the familys former home.

Mr. Mesitis attorneys have informed our office that Mesiti wants to withdraw his plea, John Goold, a spokesman for the prosecutor, confirms in an email to PEOPLE. A hearing will be convened this week on that request, which Im sure we will oppose, Goold says. At this point he stands convicted until a judge says otherwise.

After learning about Mesitis reversal, Chief Deputy District Attorney Annette Rees, who has described him as a highly manipulative, evil man, said, While not surprised that the defendant would attempt to delay justice and his sentencing, my thoughts are with the victims and their families, who must continue to endure this defendants tactics, reports The Modesto Bee, which adds that Mesiti plans to request a new attorney.

Mesitis daughter was reported missing in August 2007. Her remains were located on March 25, 2009, buried behind Mesitis former rental home in Ceres, California, from which he was evicted a few months after she disappeared, according to the Bee.

An autopsy found Alycia died of acute drug intoxication with the presence in her body of opiates, morphine, amphetamine, methamphetamine and other drugs.

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Mesiti had been awarded custody of his daughter less than a year before her death, even after a judge was made aware that in the seven years prior, the father had been convicted of state and federal charges that included drunk driving and bank fraud, reports The Mercury News.

Mesiti also had been charged with domestic violence and ordered to attend anger-management classes, and jailed for failing to attend drug- and alcohol- treatment programs, the newspaper reports.

Authorities who arrested Mesiti in Los Angeles when his daughters remains were found alleged that he was operating a meth lab, and he was convicted in 2011 of manufacturing meth.

Upon his arrest they also recovered several computers, hard drives, DVDs, CDs and other digital media that showed he possessed hundreds of thousands of images involving child pornography, according to the prosecutors office.

Mesiti was charged with murder with special circumstances in the death of Alycia, along with 48 other felony sexual assault charges.

During the trial that began Oct. 3, Mesitis defense attorney Martin Baker argued that Alycias diary suggested she was a drug addict, with her writing in one passage that she wanted to feel nothing, reports the Turlock Journal.

He said the presumed manner of her death from an overdose will require a not-guilty verdict.

 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

But as the trial that was expected to last for months continued, Mesitis attorneys offered to have him plead guilty to all counts if the prosecutor would agree not to seek the death penalty, according to the prosecutors office.

Prosecutors agreed to the plea  with a sentence of life in prison without parole  if Mesiti would confess to his crimes in open court.

Mesiti told the court he [abused] his daughter, Alycia, many times over several different occasions, the prosecutors office says. He admitted having given Alycia drugs on each occasion to make her unable to resist his attacks. Mesiti also admitted that his administration of those drugs caused Alycias death.

Finally, Mesiti admitted taking many sexually explicit photographs of his daughter Alycia and two other minors under 18 years old, the statement said. He also said he molested the two other minors while he lived in Los Angeles.

Mesitis attorneys declined comment to the media after the guilty verdict.

Its over, Alycias maternal great-aunt, Roberta Fitzpatrick, said after Mesiti pleaded guilty, according to the Bee. I just want to put this all behind me, except for honoring Alycia.
Former House Speaker John Boehner unleashed on some of his former colleagues in Congress in a new, no holds barred interview with Politico Magazine.

Weve got some of the smartest people in America who serve in the Congress, and weve got some of the dumbest, the Republican told the magazine. We have some of the nicest people youd ever want to meet, and some that are Nazis. Congress is nothing more than a slice of America.

Asked about GOP Rep. Jason Chaffetzs resignation from Congress and GOP Rep. Jim Jordan potentially taking Chaffetzs place as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Boehner did not hold back  at all.

Fk Jordan. Fk Chaffetz. Theyre both aholes, said Boehner, who resigned from his own post as Speaker of the House in October 2015. He also later called Jordan a legislative terrorist and Chaffetz a total phony whos focused mainly on self-promotion.

With Chaffetz, Boehner said, its always about Chaffetz.

Boehner also recalled a bizarre incident in which his heckling once provoked GOP Rep. Don Young to pin Boehner against a wall inside the House chamber and hold a 10-inch knife to his throat.

Boehner says he stared Young in the eyes and said, F you,  Politico reported, adding that Young says this account is mostly true, but notes that the two became good friends, with Boehner later serving as his best man.

Boehners relationship with Fox News host Sean Hannity, on the other hand, may not have such a happy ending. The former speaker says he used to be friendly with Hannity and conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh  before Boehner says they got dragged  to the dark side by far-right influences and started beating the living st out of him in their coverage.

I had a conversation with Hannity, probably about the beginning of 2015, Boehner told Politico. I called him and said, Listen, youre nuts. We had this really blunt conversation. Things were better for a few months, and then it got back to being the same-old, same-old. Because I wasnt going to be a right-wing idiot.

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Hannity, for his part, has denied the existence of that conversation.

John were you sober when you said this? That conversation never happened. Im sorry you are bitter and u failed! https://t.co/SLquw7rXZv  Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) October 30, 2017

Boehner also had a turnabout on Ted Cruz  whom he once called Lucifer in the flesh  telling Politico he was proud of the Texas Republican for acting responsibly in 2017.

Do you feel badly about calling him Lucifer? Politico asked.

No! came Boehners reply. Hes the most miserable son of a bitch Ive ever had to work with.

One thing hasnt changed since Boehner resigned  his infamous smoking habit. Boehner still smokes two packs a day and spent much of his Politico interview enjoying cigarettes from the comfort of his favorite recliner.

If I was going to die from smoking cigarettes, Id already be dead, the former speaker said.
The indictment has been unsealed: Here's CNN's @ShimonPro explaining the charges in it. https://t.co/Mgy5HkoSw0  Meg Wagner (@megwagner) October 30, 2017

Paul Manafort, Donald Trumps former campaign chairman, surrendered to the FBI on Monday as Special Counsel Robert Mueller handed down the first indictments in the investigation into the 2016 election and its alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, according to the New York Times. Manaforts business associate, Rick Gates was also told to surrender to the authorities on Monday morning.

The pair was charged on 12 counts.

Paul J. Manafort, Jr., 68, of Alexandria, Va., and Richard W. Gates III, 45, of Richmond, Va., have been indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 27, 2017, in the District of Columbia, a statement from the Special Counsel to CNN reads. The indictment contains 12 counts: conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading FARA statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts.

Trump responded on Twitter: Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why arent Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus????? .Also, there is NO COLLUSION!

Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 30, 2017

....Also, there is NO COLLUSION!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 30, 2017

While many of the news networks began its coverage of the upcoming charges and showed footage of Manaforts vehicle heading to court, Fox & Friends speculated that the charges would surround allegations from years ago  not the 2016 election  and discussed several other unrelated topics, something social media was quick to point out.

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Fox & Friends emphasizing that they believe the Manafort allegations are from "years ago" and they don't expect others to be charged pic.twitter.com/FTR3NgBitU  John Whitehouse (@existentialfish) October 30, 2017

Paul Manafort just agreed to turn himself in to the FBI. What should we report on?

CNN: Manafort

MSNBC: Manafort

Fox News: Hamburger emoji pic.twitter.com/Wjsvkb2coW  Roberto Ferdman (@robferdman) October 30, 2017

Fox News right now pic.twitter.com/DK8KyDpoW5  Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) October 30, 2017

CNN: Paul Manafort indicted

MSNBC: Paul Manafort indicted

Fox News: Check out the cutest Halloween costumes for your cat  Sarah Cooper (@sarahcpr) October 30, 2017

See below for additional reactions to the Manafort news.

The former campaign manager of the current President of the United States has been arrested.



For a first round arrest, this one is big.  Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) October 30, 2017

There are 12 charges. It rather evokes a Xmas carol: On the first day of charges, Mueller gave to me: Manafort on treasnous conspiracy!  George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) October 30, 2017

That's a lie. This was all happening while he was working for you on your campaign. Your reality is way off. I can tell by your body. https://t.co/xvtO2w915A  Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) October 30, 2017

.@realdonaldtrump Im not good at math but indictment covers 2006-2017. Didnt your shit show campaign fall somewhere in there?#Collusion pic.twitter.com/2xwDjyfGNk  Danny Zuker (@DannyZuker) October 30, 2017

.@realdonaldtrump I can picture u screaming this as youre pushed into a police car. Hope theyre not too careful with your head. Hahahaha! pic.twitter.com/TARITLMNKg  Danny Zuker (@DannyZuker) October 30, 2017

PAUL MANAFORT INDICTED. As a primer, here are some of his many connections to Russia and Russian interests. https://t.co/msvgZ8PlEs pic.twitter.com/LGqSpFLutl  Marshall Cohen (@Marshall_Cohen) October 30, 2017

Circle closes with arrest of Manafort. Trump will be vastly more dangerous and unhinged. Watch for more blame of media & Hillary to deflect.  Tony Schwartz (@tonyschwartz) October 30, 2017

The first victim of #MuellerMonday is Paul Manafort & with that, the downfall of Donald Trump begins. pic.twitter.com/wYB5OqqzkC  E (@esheikh_) October 30, 2017

Paul Manafort and Rick Gates indicted by Mueller. Sit back sip your pumpkin spice latte and remember that Manafort worked with Podesta Group pic.twitter.com/TcXlZdBk3Y  KNN (@KekNewsNetwork) October 30, 2017

Good #MuellerMonday Paul Manafort and Rick Gates will be turning themselves in?? And so it begins  ????????Proud Liberal (@IzJustMyOpinion) October 30, 2017

Sarah Huckabee Sanders is currently drafting a statement suggesting that it is has never been proven that Paul Manafort exists.  Ben Reininga (@BenReininga) October 30, 2017
House of Cards creator Beau Willimon is weighing in on the sexual misconduct allegations made against Kevin Spacey.

In a statement posted to Twitter Monday, the Emmy-nominated writer asserted his support for Anthony Rapp, who told BuzzFeed News on Sunday that Spacey sexually assaulted him when he was 14 years old, and expressed deep concern around Spaceys alleged behavior.

My statement regarding Anthony Rapp and Kevin Spacey: pic.twitter.com/8z6zotHWE5  Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) October 30, 2017

Anthony Rapps story is deeply troubling, Willimon said. During the time I worked with Kevin Spacey on House of Cards, I neither witnessed nor was aware of any inappropriate behavior on set or off. That said, I take reports of such behavior seriously and this is no exception. I feel for Mr. Rapp and I support his courage.

Rapp, best known for his lead turn in Rent, told BuzzFeed News that Spacey was 26 at the time of the incident, and both were in New York performing on Broadway. Rapp says that he was invited to a party by Spacey at his apartment, and only after keeping to himself for some time did he realize that he was the only guest remaining. Spacey approached him, Rapp alleges, after drunkenly swaying in the doorway. He picked me up like a groom picks up the bride over the threshold, Rapp told BuzzFeed News. But I dont, like, squirm away initially, because Im like, Whats going on? And then he lays down on top of me.

Rapp added he was trying to get with me sexually, and clarified that he was able to escape the situation after Spacey asked, Are you sure you wanna go?

Spacey issued a statement in which he apologized to Rapp but noted that he did not remember the incident. I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate behavior, he said, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years. Spacey also came out as gay in the statement after previously keeping his sexuality private.

Willimons House of Cards has netted Spacey a Golden Globe Award and five Emmy nominations for Best Drama Actor. Willimon departed the show in 2016 after serving as executive producer and showrunner for four seasons. House of Cards has been renewed for a sixth season and is expected to premiere sometime in 2018.
Jeremy Piven is the latest famous man in Hollywood to be named in an allegation of sexual misconduct.

The 52-year-old actor has been accused of sexual assault by actress and former reality TV star Ariane Bellamar, who says she came in to contact with Piven on the set of the HBO series Entourage and at the Playboy Mansion.

In a string of tweets posted on Monday, Bellamar detailed her alleged encounters with Piven, writing that he cornered [her] & forcefully fondled my breasts & bum on two occasions.

Hey@jeremypiven! Member when you cornered me in your trailer on the#Entourageset? Member grabbing my boobies on the  without asking??  Ariane Bellamar (@ArianeBellamar)October 30, 2017

Member when I tried to leave; you grabbed me by the ass, looked at yourself in the mirror, & said what a beautiful couple we made?#MeToohttps://t.co/liD7irs0o0  Ariane Bellamar (@ArianeBellamar)October 30, 2017

Jeremy Piven, on two occasions, cornered me & forcefully fondled my breasts & bum. Once at the mansion & once on set.#MeToo@AriMelber@CNNhttps://t.co/liD7irs0o0  Ariane Bellamar (@ArianeBellamar)October 30, 2017

Bellamar also says that the actor sent her abusive and explicit texts, and notes that HBO has footage of the two together.

Story continues

And dont try to deny it, sir, she added.

And, dont try to deny it, sir.@HBOhas us on  together, & Im sure@sprinthas electronic back-ups of your abusive, explicit texts.#MeToohttps://t.co/liD7irs0o0  Ariane Bellamar (@ArianeBellamar)October 30, 2017

A representative of Piven provided a statement on behalf of the actor, in which he denied assaulting Bellamar, toHuffPosts Yashar Ali.

In a statement sent by his spokeswoman, Jeremy Piven denies assaulting@ArianeBellamarpic.twitter.com/CC8BZoAUh0  Yashar Ali  (@yashar)November 1, 2017

HBO also released a statement noting that the network has a zero tolerance policy for the kind of behavior Bellamar describes in her tweets.

Today, via the press reports, is the first we are hearing about Ariane Bellamars allegations concerning Jeremy Piven, the statement read. Everyone at HBO and our productions is aware that zero tolerance for sexual harassment is our policy. Anyone experiencing an unsafe working environment has several avenues for making complaints that we take very seriously.

The actor starred on the HBO series for eight seasons, picking up three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe for his performance as high-powered agent Ari Gold. He later reprised the role in a feature film continuation of the series released in 2015.

Bellamar apparentlyhad a small role on the show, according to IMDb, but went on to find greater success on reality TV in projects like ABC Familys Beverly Hills Nannies.

A post shared by Ariane Bellamar (@arianebellamar)on Oct 31, 2017 at 5:23am PDT

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
All the Money in the World will move forward with its December release despite a sexual assault accusation involving Kevin Spacey. The film is still set to premiere at the AFI Fest on Nov. 16, according to the festival.

Spacey plays oil tycoon J. Paul Getty in the Ridley Scott thriller. On Sunday, the Oscar-winning actor was accused by actor Anthony Rapp of making a sexual advance in 1986, when Rapp was 14 years old and Spacey was 26. In a statement, Spacey apologized to Rapp, but said he did not remember the incident, which he said would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior. He also came out as a gay man. Spaceys response has drawn fire from the gay community and has put his career in jeopardy.

Netflix announced that the sixth season of House of Cards, the political drama that Spacey headlines, will be its last. The streaming giant also said it was deeply troubled by the allegations.

All the Money in the World is being released by Sonys TriStar Pictures. A spokeswoman for the studio did not immediately have a comment.

No decision has been reached about whether or not Spacey will do press for the film, according to an insider. At one point Spacey had been seen as a possible Oscar nominee for his transformative work as Getty (he appears in trailers for the picture disguised under heavy makeup). Any awards attention may be torpedoed by the scandal.

Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Williams co-star in All the Money in the World. The film looks at the kidnapping of Gettys grandson by an organized crime group in Italy. It debuts in theaters on Dec. 8.

Related stories

'House of Cards' Canceled; Netflix 'Deeply Troubled' by Spacey Assault Claim

GLAAD Slams Kevin Spacey for Coming Out Amid Sexual Assault Allegations

'House of Cards' Showrunner Beau Willimon Calls Kevin Spacey Allegations 'Deeply Troubling'

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President Trumps former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, was indicted Monday on money laundering, tax and foreign lobbying charges, including one count of conspiracy against the United States.

It was almost too much for Twitter to handle.

Good. Lord.



From a YouTube artist IDd only as 1oneclone we bring you the Citizen Kane of #MuellerTime vids: https://t.co/DwuaGfVs3k  Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) October 28, 2017

That was just the beginning. Since Manafort became the first person to be charged in special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into alleged links between Russia and Trumps campaign, the Twitter jokes and criticisms havent slowed down. Heres what people are saying:

In DC, all the TV journalists clearly laid out their outfits ahead of time last night. It's that kinda day. #IndictmentMonday  shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) October 30, 2017

Paul Manafort just agreed to turn himself in to the FBI. What should we report on?

CNN: Manafort

MSNBC: Manafort

Fox News: Hamburger emoji pic.twitter.com/Wjsvkb2coW  Roberto Ferdman (@robferdman) October 30, 2017

In the beginning, Robert Mueller indicted Paul Manafort and Rick Gates; and I saw that it was good.  God (@TheTweetOfGod) October 30, 2017

Dear Paul Manafort & Richard Gates: Here's a fun fact for you. Federal prosecutors have a conviction rate of 93%. https://t.co/u0Ex15MtID  Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) October 30, 2017

Elsewhere on Twitter, the president insisted that Manaforts alleged crimes  which the indictment says spanned from 2006 to 2017, including the five months he worked for the Trump campaign and his three months as chairman  had nothing to do with Trump or his campaign. He also doubled down on his denials of collusion with Russia.

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Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 30, 2017

....Also, there is NO COLLUSION!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 30, 2017

A number of people on social media pointed out that Trumps claim that Manaforts alleged wrongdoing predated the 2016 campaign was false.

.@realdonaldtrump I can picture u screaming this as youre pushed into a police car. Hope theyre not too careful with your head. Hahahaha! pic.twitter.com/TARITLMNKg  Danny Zuker (@DannyZuker) October 30, 2017

This is a lie.



The indictment reads Paul Manaforts illegal activities went on thru 2016 into this year.#TrumpConspired #MuellerMonday https://t.co/UtGjLfouB6  Scott Dworkin (@funder) October 30, 2017

Manafort and Rick Gates, a business partner who was Manaforts deputy in the Trump campaign, were charged on Friday in an indictment unsealed Monday after the two men surrendered to the FBI, Reuters reported. Also on Monday, George Papadopoulos, Trumps former campaign foreign policy adviser, pleaded guilty to lying about his ties to Russia.
TWIN FALLS  The city is moving forward with a study to determine whats causing the foul odors along a sewer pipeline in northwest Twin Falls  and how the city can control it.

On Monday, the City Council awarded a contract with Murray, Smith & Associates in Boise to study the 5-mile sewer pipeline corridor along Grandview Drive and in Rock Creek Canyon.

Were trying to determine what the odors are caused from and where they are located, Assistant City Engineer Troy Vitek said.

Hydrogen sulfide produced from sewage is also a concern with corrosion.

Twin Falls resident Dennis Crawford said that in his discussions with city staff, Theyve been concerned that they would have manholes actually fall from truck traffic driving over them.

He believes a project thats underway to upgrade a collector line in Rock Creek Canyon will help tremendously. Crawford owns a business that assists dairies in the area with odor control. He asked to be involved in the citys odor control project.

Those who live on the northwest side of town used to call the corner of Grandview and Pole Line poop corner, he said.

While its gotten better in recent years, on days with more loads of potato and cheese processing waste, it gets worse.

Also, The hotter it is, the more odors there are, Vitek said.

The city will pay the engineering firm $39,908 to determine what odor-reducing measures can be taken. The study is funded through a bond previously passed by voters.

Also at the meeting, the Council:

Met two new narcotics-detecting dogs that will be working with Twin Falls Police and Twin Falls County Sheriffs Office. The golden retriever and chocolate Labrador were donated by Blue Lakes Rotary Club and Ken Pavlick.

Adopted an ordinance zoning 2016 Addison Ave. E. for professional offices.

Presented Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training Council certificates.
Photo credit: Hearst Communications, Inc. All rights reserved

From Redbook

At Hampton Station, a neighborhood pizza joint in Tampa, Florida, dogs are welcome to hang out with their owners on the patio. Kids, however, are no longer allowed anywhere on the premises.

"No children. All caps. The biggest font, at the top of the door. All after gladly accepting money from families for two years. Rude," one Yelper wrote of the establishment's new rule (after giving the place a one-star review, natch). "The owner is entitled to his opinion. 'No Children Please' would suffice. Have some class ... Seems that they're banking on alcohol sales. Won't be getting any from me."



"Now that children are banned, I don't see any reason to go there," said another, while a third addressed those who suggested Hampton Station, which also specializes in craft brews, wasn't family-friendly to begin with: "This isn't some dive it's a neighborhood pizza place. Yes they serve beer but so does [sic] many restaurants."

A heated debate over the ban is also playing out in a Facebook thread, where a moderator for Tampa Bay Moms posted a photo of the restaurant's "No Kids" signage.

"If your establishment was built on families, then you should support families," one angry commenter wrote. "Sounds like this establishment is turning away from the very people that made them successful. Which is why everyone's 'butthurt' as some people eloquently called it. Just go elsewhere and trust me, if families is what made them it will be families that destroys them."

A member sent us this. There is a local place called Hampton Station in Seminole Heights has a No Children sign on their... Posted by Tampa Bay Moms Group on Thursday, October 26, 2017

"It's been hard," Hampton Station owner Troy Taylor says. His restaurant has been open for almost 3 years and has a lot of great families as customers. He doesn't have a problem with them. The problem, he says, is "having adults come in and drinking and letting the kids just run around. The majority of the families and parents are great. [They] have some food, a beer or two - it's a few that ruined it. From a liability standpoint, we couldn't really handle it."

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Though he wouldn't divulge the exact instance that led to the establishment of the rule last week, he did say that "it was basically an issue of children endangering themselves. We're a small local space; we don't really have the room or staff to monitor that kind of stuff." And even if he did, he adds, that isn't his job: "It's not the kids, it's the parents. Kids are going to do what they think they can do, unless someone tells them they can't."

Fortunately for Taylor, not everyone on the internet is fuming. The mom who initially shared the news of Hampton Station's ban made it clear she understood - and appreciated - why the rule was in place.

"While it seems some may say this isn't fair or is some sort of discrimination or are simply upset about the change to the demographic they are looking to bring in," she wrote, "I'm thinking I'd like to have a date night or moms night out here. Am I the odd mom out?"

Several other women on the thread seemed to agree.

"I think it is great," one commenter wrote. "Everyone needs a night out where children are not crying or running under the tables. And we have 20 + grandchildren and many great grandchildren." Another dismissed it as "not a big deal": "I have a kid and if I wanted a free night, sans kid... I may not want to hear other peoples kids carrying on either."

Whatever their stance, all Hampton Station's owner asks is that people "agree to disagree," and stop bashing his choice online, because "the decision was really hard."

"Let's be real, let's be people!" Taylor says. "Let's respect each other!"

Follow Redbook on Facebook.

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While researching fake Facebook accounts for a recent story I wrote, I got a friend request from Ruth Margaut of Aquitaine, France. Since I didnt know Ruth, I deployed a new trick I had learned: I downloaded her profile picture to my desktop, then did a reverse image search to see if her photo popped up anywhere else on the Internet. Bingo  it appeared to be a photo of a Romanian actress named Dana Hauer. Since fake accounts often use photos of real people to look legitimate, I knew some kind of scammer was after me.

Theyre after a lot of other Facebook users, too. In late 2016, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said it was crazy to suggest that fake news propagated on Facebook helped influence the U.S. presidential election. He was wrong. The social-media giant now acknowledges that bogus or inflammatory messages planted by Russian interests reached 126 million Facebook users since the beginning of 2015. Meanwhile, Macedonian teenagers have run numerous Facebook pages  supposedly on behalf of Sen. Bernie Sanders and other American politicians  simply because they earn money driving users to sensationalist third-party sites. Shady marketers operate similar schemes on Facebook to sell lipstick, pet toys and just about everything else. In my own research, I found gobs of fake news on the platform that was falsely labeled as Breitbart or MSNBC, and discovered that just about anybody can purchase fake Facebook accounts online for as little as $1.50 apiece. Some sites offer them by the hundreds.

Im a sporadic Facebook user and a fairly careful citizen of the web. But my discoveries while reporting on the exploitation of Facebook, Twitter and other social-media sites has convinced me to be a lot more careful.

Here are 11 guidelines from online security experts for making sure you arent duped or manipulated by the scammers and schemers on Facebook and other social-media sites:

Purge your friends. Savvy social-media users know not to accept friend requests from people they dont know. Yet, at least 20% of Facebook users still do, and more than 60% accept such requests if theres a friend in common (which scammers know). Then there are friends from the past. I reviewed my own Facebook account and found a few hundred people I didnt know but had connected with way back when  probably back in the days when there was status in the number of friends you have. No more! I unfriended people I didnt recognize and sharply cut my friend count. Its a good idea to do this for LinkedIn as well, since scammers lurk there, too, and sometimes even try to conduct corporate espionage on the site.

Story continues

[Take our poll: What do you think of Facebook?]

Stop signing into other sites or apps using Facebook. Do you really want Facebook to know your dating habits, political interests or medical concerns? I dont really mind if some websites know Im shopping for a toaster or pair of shoes. But Facebooks data vacuum has become so powerful that the site can now target ads at people who are persuadable on a given issue  including whom to vote for, or even whether to vote. And all those sites that offer a convenient logon via Facebook add to the dossier Facebook has on each user. For me, that goes too far. I stopped using Facebook to log into other sites, and Im planning to de-link sites where Ive already done this in the past. (On Facebook, you can go to Settings >>> Apps to see which sites or apps are linked with your FB account, and delink.)

Keep your personal info personal. I never tell a site or app my real birthday, unless its required for security reasons at, say, a bank. I withhold as much other info as I can, to limit the data Facebook or any site can mash together to build a thorough profile of me. But its hard. People who know my real birthday want to offer good wishes on Facebook, when the day arrives  even if I ask them not to. And Ive given different birth dates to different apps that are now linked with Facebook. So while Facebook may not know my real birthday, it probably knows the date I did give is phony, because it doesnt match with the birth dates Ive listed elsewhere.

The profile picture for Ruth Margaut appears to belong to a Romanian actress. This account has no friends and provides no personal information  classic signs of a fake.

Avoid quizzes, surveys and games on Facebook. The site can use them to add to its knowledge of you, your personality, your private preferences and other things you may not realize.

Set up a dedicated email address for Facebook. Donald Trumps presidential campaign ran a sophisticated advertising operation on Facebook last year that targeted certain ads at Facebook accounts linked with email addresses the campaign had gathered when people signed up for information or sent in donations. In other words, once the campaign had your email address, it could target you on Facebook. And it could easily have purchased additional email addresses of people, say, who showed interest in Sanders. That was completely legal, with no known connection to Russian efforts on Facebook. But some users may not want to be targeted on Facebook based on what you do elsewhere in your life. Keep in mind, Facebook knows all the email addresses youve ever used on the site, and setting up a new one wont erase any old ones youve used. It might be better to relegate an old address to Facebook and set up a new one for use elsewhere.

Double or triple your skepticism. Facebook has established some new tools to identify lies and fakery, but it remains very permissive of suspect content, simply because so much is a matter of interpretation. Obviously, any post that carries Facebooks disputed mark is suspect. The more sensational a post sounds, the more skeptical you should be. And you should also consider the original source of any info posted on Facebook. The worst third-party news sites are ones youve never heard of that are clogged with ads. Study what MSNBC.com or FoxNews.com look like, and note how schlocky fake news sites look by comparison.

I purchased this fake Facebook account online for about $4. Facebook shut it down after I wrote it about it on October 23.

Be extra careful not to like or share anything that might be fake. Fake news thrives on confirmation bias, says Tim Chambers, who runs the digital arm of the consultancy Dewey Square Group and authored a recent paper on the malicious use of social media. Think twice and read the source before forwarding or liking or sharing  especially if friends share articles that you agree with. Scammers know that such endorsements greatly enhance the believability of fake news, and that a single endorsement by a careless user can generate many more. Thats how they exploit the supposed wisdom of the crowd.

Report fake news to Facebook. You can do so here.

Get better at spotting fake accounts. Anybody can do the sort of reverse image search I used to check out Ruth Margaut. On a PC or laptop, hover your mouse over the users profile photo  the smaller one at the top  and right click. Choose save image as and download it to your computer. Then do a web search for reverse image search, choosing a provider such as Google or Tineye. Then just follow the instructions for how to drag a photo into the search bar. If the photo turns up on other sites, check to see if its identified as a different person. If so, its highly likely youve identified a phony.

Fake news. This unverified MSNBC page claims Trump published a tweet he never did.

Look for other telltale signs of fakery. Maybe you want to like a business, but first you want to make sure its legit. You can get a good idea by quickly perusing the number of likes and the frequency of posts. Its very common to see a small business with over 1 million likes and very little actual content, says Ophir Gottleib, a technologist and CEO of Capital Market Laboratories, a financial research firm. Thats an obvious sign of chicanery. Thats because its possible to pay third-party operators to drive up an accounts likes on Facebook. Other fishy signs, which apply to both business and personal accounts: few friends or photos, very little interaction with connections, or a stream of posts that all seem to be linked to a single source.

Share insights with your [real] friends. Social-media algorithms change all the time, and so do efforts to exploit them. If you notice something new  and youre sure its real  spreading the word can alert others to tricks they should be aware of, or services that might improve their experience. And when in doubt, trust your gut, at least as much as you would in the real world, and probably more; if it seems bogus on social media, it probably is.

Confidential tip line: rickjnewman@yahoo.com. Encrypted communication available.

Read more:

Rick Newman is the author of four books, including Rebounders: How Winners Pivot from Setback to Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman
When we talk about Asian eyes, we talk about slantedness, roundness, smooth monolids and deep eyelid folds. But what were also talking about is Westernization, beauty standards and self-acceptance.

To talk about Asian eyes is to have a unique lexicon. There are clinical terms  like the epicanthal folds. There are secret tools and routines  like eyelid tape. And there are hushed ways to talk about permanent changes  like getting your eyelid surgery.

For Asians and Asian-Americans, eyes are the literal portal through which we perceive beauty standards  and theyre often the physical feature we use to measure ourselves against these benchmarks.

In America, theres a history of Asian eyes, racism and disenfranchisement. Propaganda signs at the time of Japanese-American imprisonment during World War II or when the Chinese Exclusion Act was in force during the 19th and 20th centuries depicted characters with hyperbolized slanted eyes to dehumanize Asians. And these stereotypes persist today.

Asian-Americans who spoke to HuffPost expressed everything from dissatisfaction to ultimate acceptance of their eyes and appearance. Their feelings about Asian eyes were fraught with centuries-old, cross-continental beliefs about attractiveness. They described a confluence of factors informing how they see their eyes  including a history of war, Westernization, an unforgiving media and unattainable beauty standards.

Below, hear from 13 Asian-American men and women about slants, folds, taunts and self-acceptance.

These interviews have been edited and condensed for clarity.

Cindy, 38, Korean-American, from Illinois

Basically, all I wanted to do when I was younger was get old enough to get eyelid surgery, marry a white guy and change my last name immediately.

Because were Korean, my mother said when I was young, Youll get your eyelid surgery and your eyes will look bigger. So I really got these comments from the person who would normally champion your beauty. It goes to show Westernized beauty is something Asians are very mindful of.

Story continues

I dont think this idea of Western beauty is necessarily in the forefront of peoples minds. Its very institutionalized. Lighter skin and big eyes are coveted because thats gone through generations of being the default  even if we dont know the roots of why we want to look like that.

Basically, all I wanted to do when I was younger was get old enough to get eyelid surgery, marry a white guy and change my last name immediately. I would sleep with eye tape on every night, hopeful it would make my eyes get bigger. Id wake up and be disappointed.

The way I look is now part of who I am. I wouldnt change it. But I know Im still affected by this, because when I look at my daughter, I do love that shes half white and has fair skin and has creases in her eyelids. And I think, Why do I feel this way? If she didnt have them, its not something I would have ever talked to her about. I want to be a mother who celebrates their child. Its more that my own insecurities are relieved in that she has fair skin and Western features.

Sita, 34, Korean-American, from Indiana

I just felt like peoples standard of beauty would be far from what I am ... But part of this is history. We had this outlook that we had to Westernize or wed face war.

I grew up in Korea but moved from Seoul to Indiana my sophomore year  and you can imagine, I was the only Asian. White friends would say things like Wow, you dont have any eyelashes. Wow, they curl down. Once, a guy said to me in college that my best feature was my face, and I had a hard time believing it. I just felt like peoples standard of beauty would be far from what I am.

Some of what we feel about our looks has to do with how we were invaded by Japan, which was attached to Western ideals and culture. Korea had to let go of culture and traditions because they were held to it by a gun. Part of this is history. We had this outlook that we had to Westernize or wed face war. So when we get made fun of, maybe its because we have been quiet  because we have had to be.

Were also self-deprecating and can seem like we lack confidence. Asian people have inner strength, but it doesnt always flourish as confidence. Our strength is very introverted. So basically, partially because of what had happened in the history of Korea, and partially because in Korea, confidence is a gained merit and not a given merit, it took me a long time to appreciate my own beauty. I was focusing on what I didnt have rather than knowing what I have.

Gloria, 23, Chinese-American, from California

I used to use Scotch tape to make my eyes bigger. Then I said, Hey, this is your face. This is how you look.

Chinese people and a lot of Asians dont love single eyelids. I have double eyelids. My eyes are really round and people would say, I wish I had eyes like you. But there are two sides to a coin, and my mom would say, Your eyes arent big enough. People just see things differently. I totally validate any kind of feeling around it.

Asians tend to internalize a lot of things and not talk about the real issue. Theres no denying among the Asian community that we uphold white features. I used to use Scotch tape to make my eyes bigger. Then I said, Hey, this is your face. This is how you look. I wouldnt deny it could be related to this idea of white worship, which ultimately has to do with white supremacy.

Joon, Korean-American, 21, from New Jersey

I never thought much about my eyes until I started exploring my gender identity. When I started experimenting with makeup and watching YouTube tutorials, I rarely found any makeup gurus with monolids like mine.

Im from Fort Lee, New Jersey, a town recognized for its robust Korean population. So growing up, I was never the only Asian person in my classroom. That being said, I was made aware of my Asian eyes every time I left the confines of my town. I specifically recall an incident where I was visiting family in Pittsburgh. A group of boys around my age pointed at my sister and me and stretched their eyes with their fingers to mimic ours. We shrugged it off though  we had cuter style!

I never thought much about my eyes until I started exploring my gender identity. When I started experimenting with makeup and watching YouTube tutorials, I rarely found any makeup gurus with monolids like mine. Too often, we see European beauty models who have the perfect canvases for eyeshadow. Yet, the Eurocentrism of beauty standards has both undermined and exoticized Asian beauty for far too long.

Thus, as someone who used to feel so ugly in their Asian body, creating bold smoky eyes on my Asian monolids has empowered me in a way Ive never thought imaginable. Plus, I think smoky eyes look dopest on Asian eyes.

Tien, 23, Vietnamese-American, from Texas

It all goes back to intersectional feminism and messaging to women that there are so many types of beauty and ways to be you.

I used to wish I would wake up and have circular blue eyes and long eyelashes. I was the one Asian kid in my class and I felt a sense of self-hatred because I was different than what guys thought girls should be like. In middle school, a guy said I think youre cute, but your eyes are small. I think he was trying to say, I think youre cute, but youre Asian and thats different. He was white.

In college, I became more open to other viewpoints, and it helped how I saw myself. Being able to read more Asian peoples stories about how they saw themselves woke me up to feeling like I was beautiful.

Its definitely been a growing process. People want large eyes, and thats a result of imperialism and colonialism  Western trends have touched us in many ways, but have also taken away from our own culture. When it comes to looks and acceptance, it all goes back to intersectional feminism and messaging to women that there are so many types of beauty and ways to be you.

Stephen, 49, Korean-American, from Pennsylvania

Its also amazing to me how one can tell Asians apart by their eyes.

I was pretty ambivalent about my eyes, except for as a teenager, when my mom or other relatives would call out that I was missing the eyelid fold that most Koreans have, or try to have. Those comments would always be when other adults and kids were also around, and thus a point of total awkwardness  on top of the usual teen angst.

As a kid, it was pretty common for people, including total strangers, to use their hands to pull their eyes into tiny slits and shout insults like Chink, Hey, Bruce Lee, or anything in an absurd stereotypical Chinese accent.

I dont think that much about my own eyes, though. I love staring into my wife and daughters eyes or even photos of their eyes. Its also amazing to me how one can tell Asians apart by their eyes.

Ji Sub, 24, Korean-Canadian, from Korea/Canada

Guys can skim by without looking great. Women get more criticism for not being as light or having smaller eyes.

Yeah, Ive been called a Chink or told that my people eat dogs. When I got to the U.S., someone called me a yellow monkey. Having gone to school in Vancouver, theyre a little more conscientious because everyones culture is a bit more equal. Everyone has an immigration history thats intertwined.

Growing up in an Asian household and being male, theres a big difference in how males are perceived. Guys can skim by without looking great. Women get more criticism for not being as light or having smaller eyes. They have the weird pressure of getting your eyelids done.

I dont think wanting to have bigger eyes is just a Western effect. Korean people like pretty-looking guys versus American macho guys. So its unfair to say Asians are copying Western culture. Maybe its about curiosity and fascination. Theres a sense of wanting to get away from what everyone is doing and what society thinks is normal. So maybe we want to try this different look, but it doesnt mean we want to be like white people.

Han, 33, Chinese-American, from New York

People called us 'Chinky eyes,' and it was then that I really realized there are visual differences that define us.

Growing up, I went to school with all Asian people, but in junior high school and middle school, thats when I felt like a minority. Thats when people pretty much identified me based on certain traits. People called us Chinky eyes, and it was then that I really realized there are visual differences that define us. It made me feel a bit more self conscious about my appearance.

I also have two different eyelids. My optometrist asked if I wanted to fix it. If she had asked me way back then, in high school, maybe I would have considered it. But now I think, Thats just me.

Julie, 47, Korean-American, from Pennsylvania

My eyes are large by Korean standards, although now they are much smaller as my eyelids droop with age.

I always liked my eyes, to be honest, because I grew up receiving lots of compliments from other Korean people about them. My eyes are large by Korean standards, although now they are much smaller as my eyelids droop with age.

When I started getting racist invective hurled at me in elementary school about being Chinese, Japanese or a Chink, I was hurt but also confused. The kids making fun of me didnt seem to be able to see that my eyes were not narrow and did not slant up at the corners  as their mean faces on which they pulled back the outer corners of their eyes suggested.

And oddly, I actually envied my friends who had the narrower eyes with the hidden upper lid because their eyes seemed more beautiful and classically Asian.

To be honest, a lot of Korean people are obsessed with large eyes. I dont think its necessarily a sign of internalized Western standards of beauty. They just really think big eyes are attractive, as people in many countries do, I suppose. When our second daughter was born, I was struck daily by the beauty of her eyes. They were hooded and narrow, but black and unbelievably bright and shiny. They were shaped like apple seeds or tiny fish. Shes a teenager now, and these days, the shape of her eyes reminds me of a drawing of a dove.

Leo, 25, Chinese-American, from California

It doesnt help that fashion and beauty advertising outside of Asia still primarily features white models.

I grew up in East Los Angeles and honestly didnt think much of my eyes, other than being my way to see. However, I do remember other Asian kids getting teased because of their narrow eyes. Other kids would pull their eyes back to the narrowest possible position and stick their tongues out at the Asian kids. I regrettably did not stand up for them, but in retrospect, I wish I did, because they were getting discriminated against for something they had absolutely no control over.

It doesnt help that fashion and beauty advertising outside of Asia still primarily features white models. For instance, rarely do you ever see an ad that highlights an Asian persons eyes, unless its for a product that will enhance how they look  like longer lashes.

Joyce, 36, Chinese-American, from Australia

One thing I like about my eyes is that the dark pigments intensify the depth of my gaze.

I knew my eyes were different from quite a young age  appearance, as well as where eyes will lead you. I remember being dragged to an optometrist at age 12. I had not complained about vision issues, but my parents just knew I would need glasses. Genetically, this is true.

One thing I like about my eyes is that the dark pigments intensify the depth of my gaze. Culturally, it is quite common to not look into the eyes of the person youre having conversations with, so when you are gazing into an Asian persons eyes, it really mean something.

Phil, 24, Chinese-American, from Illinois

Those who are considered more 'conventionally attractive,' meaning 'conventionally Western,' get further ahead.

Thankfully, I dont think I was bullied enough to really hate my eyes, or my Asian-ness in general, but I definitely felt a sense of [otherness]. That I was an outlier and my eyes were the first giveaway that I couldnt mask myself in whiteness.

I certainly embrace my eyes more so than I did when I was younger. I think some of that self-acceptance comes with age, and some of it comes from understanding that my appearance is tied to a larger sense of identity and a heritage Ive grown to understand much more.

But still, many Asians strive for assimilation, and those who are considered more conventionally attractive, meaning conventionally Western, get further ahead, so can you really blame Julie Chen for getting double eyelid surgery or Chloe Bennet for removing Wang from her last name?

Embracing your eyes is tough and doesnt happen overnight. Specifically as a Chinese-American male who also identifies as gay, being Asian has a lot of connotations when it comes to sex and dating that I continue to work through.

Paulina, 23, Taiwanese-American, from Oregon

I used to draw myself with blonde hair and blue eyes! I wished I looked that way. Its now easier to accept my differences, as people are becoming more celebratory of what makes us different.

When I was younger, I wanted to have blonde hair and blue eyes for a good deal of time. I used to draw myself with blonde hair and blue eyes! I wished I looked that way. Its now easier to accept my differences, as people are becoming more celebratory of what makes us different.

I accept my eyes for how they are now, rather than spending time wishing they looked like someone elses anymore  and that feeling, at least, makes me feel like they are beautiful.

Read more at HuffPost Asian Voices and follow us at Brazen Asians.
Two New York Police Department detectives have been arrested after being accused of raping an 18-year-old woman in their custody.

NYPD detectives Edward Martins and Richard Hall face charges of raping a Brooklyn woman they had detained in a police van after finding her in possession of marijuana and anti-anxiety pills. Both officers pleaded not guilty on Monday to a 50-count indictment that included rape, official misconduct and kidnapping charges, according to The New York Times.

Martins and Hall allegedly handcuffed the woman, put her in the back of a van and then asked her what she would do to avoid arrest, according to prosecutor Frank DeGaetanos statement in court Monday.

DeGaetano told the court Martins forced the woman to perform oral sex on him and then raped her while Hall drove the van. Afterward, the prosecutor said, the detectives switched places, and Hall also forced himself on the woman. The men allegedly dropped her off blocks from the station, made her take one of her anti-anxiety pills and told her to keep her mouth shut.

A rape kit tested after the incident showed evidence of both Martins and Halls sperm, DeGaetano said.

Martins and Hall have said that any sex between the detectives and the woman was consensual. The lawyers for the detectives, Mark Bederow and John Arlia, say there is little evidence of physical force, The New York Post reports.

Bederow and Arlia have been accused of trying to smear the victims credibility as a part of their defense.

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, Arlia and Bederow wrote to the Brooklyn District Atttorneys Office in a letter obtained by The Post.

The detectives have been released on bail and face up to 25 years in prison, according to NBC News. The NYPD has suspended both men without pay.

She feels helpless and depressed, and she stays in a room all day, the victims attorney, Michael David, told People. She was planning to go to college next semester, but she wont be doing that anymore.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
There are so many things to consider in determining where you go on your honeymoon. Where are the best beaches, the best hiking trails, the most unusual and intriguing culture that youve never explored before? But theres also the food. After all, a honeymoon is nothing without a glass of something delicious to toast your new life together over or a candlelit set up to gaze into each others eyes. So, that begs the question, where do you go for the worlds best foodie experiences on your honeymoon? We asked travel experts Black Tomato for their secrets:

Emily Millay Fine Art Wedding Photography

Gourmet winemaking in Argentina Nothing says romance like watching the sunset together over a chilled glass of wine, but to raise a toast with a difference, why not head to Argentina? Mendoza is home to some of the worlds best vines  but dont just take our word for it! After a private tasting with expert family vintners, youll develop a real sense for a top-notch Malbec. For the ultimate memento, theyll also teach you how to blend your very own variety before bottling it up with a personalized label and shipping it home to drink on anniversaries to come. From one Argentinian delicacy to another, venture further into the Uco Valley and cook up a storm at Bodega Andeluna, learning to make your own empanadas. Enjoy the fruits of your labors in true gaucho style with a relaxed lunch of empanadas paired with your own personal Malbec and some stunning views.

Melanie Gabrielle

Private candlelit dinner in a Balinese temple For a romantic dinner with some serious wow-factor, Bali steals the show. As if it wasnt beautiful enough during the day, with its tranquil beaches and enchanting culture, it gets all the more magical by night. A true spiritual spectacle, enjoy a private dinner at the holy Dalem Segara Temple. Closed-off to the public, you can guarantee a stunning meal with zero interruptions. Arriving to a traditional Balinese welcome, youll then sit down to the most gorgeous setting with only the candles around you and the stars overhead for light. Enjoy a sumptuous meal of local delicacies laid on by a renowned chef, before experiencing a time-honored purification ritual performed by the Holy Mangku and releasing a spirit lantern into the night sky. Its the perfect way to start your new life together.

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Eat local in an Icelandic cave In Iceland, swap flickering candlelight for a roaring fire as you tuck into an exclusive dinner in one of the countrys most secluded spots  a cave. Hosted by a local chef, you and your spouse can cozy up together beneath thick blankets as the stars twinkle outside. Just when you think it couldnt get any more romantic, local musicians will arrive to add to the already spellbinding atmosphere. Savor a spectacular feast of local gourmet cuisine so delicious, you wont even feel the cold. Sure, it may be a little wild but its a memory youll cherish forever.

Black TomatoStyle Me Pretty Contributor
Writing and creativity may be traditionally thought of as the domain of humans, but AIs are making strides in this area. We've previously covered how the UK Press Association is handing off writing duties in newsrooms to robots, thanks to Google, and even how a robot wrote for Engadget. Now, there's an AI named Shelley (after Mary Shelley, who wrote Frankenstein) who can write pretty incredible horror stories.

Once per hour, Shelley tweets out a new story at her account @shelley_ai. She relies on responses from other Twitter users to keep the story going. Users can reply with up to three threaded tweets and end their additions to the story with #yourturn. Other users or Shelley will then chime in to pick up where you left off. It's important to note that Shelley won't continue every story that's tweeted at her. She'll only respond to the top stories; these are measured by interactions (so likes and retweets).

 I then saw a shadow in the shadows. It was tall, but I could tell that it was a little older than my own age, so I could make out a 1/3  Shelley (@shelley_ai) October 31, 2017

The project is from the MIT Media Lab and is designed by Pinar Yanardag, Manuel Cebrian and Iyad Rahwan, according to Fast.co Design. The team used 140,000 horror stories from the subreddit r/nosleep to teach the AI how to tell a horror story that a human would find intelligible, compelling and scary. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Shelley, though, is her reliance on human interaction to facilitate her storytelling. It's an interesting example of AI and humans working together to create something entirely new.
Republican Sen. John McCain addressed the Brigade of Midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy on Oct. 30, thanking recruits for accepting the sacrifices of military service and recalling his own military and political career in a speech that was by turns lighthearted and stirring.

McCain, 81, who described himself as an undistinguished member of the Class of 1958 and served in the Navy until 1981, also cited some of the values celebrated at U.S. Naval Academy, including the importance of sacrificing for something more important than yourself and a commitment to do the right thing, thanks or no thanks.

McCain, who has been embroiled in several public spats with President Donald Trump, used his speech in Annapolis, Maryland to warn against parties that preach resentful nationalism rather than enlightened self-interest, nativism rather than equal justice.

Read McCains full remarks below:

Thank you, Senator Warner.

And thank you to the Brigade of Midshipmen. Yes, I was once one of you. Six decades ago  in the age of sail  I was an undistinguished member of the Class of 1958. My superiors didnt hold me in very high esteem in those days. Their disapproval was measured in the hundreds of miles of extra duty I marched in my time here. To be honest, I wasnt too thrilled to be here back then, and I was as relieved to graduate  fifth from the bottom of my class  as the Naval Academy was to see me go.

I wasnt the first or last midshipman to have had a complicated relationship with this place. But I realized a little later in life that I had underestimated the effectiveness of my education here. I hadnt fully appreciated all that the Academy was trying to teach me.

We were all electrical engineering majors in those days. I doubt I would have made a very good one. But the Academy taught other lessons, which I would find later, when I needed them most, had somehow managed to stick. Lessons about sacrificing for something more important than yourself. Lessons about courage and humility. About friendship. About the meaning and responsibilities of honor.

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My appreciation for those lessons and for the friendships I made here bring me back often. So does my gratitude for the life of adventure the Naval Academy prepared me for, and for the privilege of being a bit player in the story of America that the Navy made possible.

I grew up in eventful times and Ive served in eventful times. Ive seen America become a more just and prosperous country, coming ever closer to the ideals set down by our Founders. Ive seen America organize and lead an international order based on liberty, mutual security, free markets, and the rule of law that liberated millions upon millions from tyranny and poverty. But we need only look back upon my own lifetime to understand how hard-fought those victories were.

I was born in 1936. In February of that year, German troops reoccupied the Rhineland and Europes war-weary democracies failed to respond. In March, a radical militarist prime minister was appointed in Japan. In May, Fascist Italy annexed Ethiopia, and in June  adding insult to injury  Germanys Max Schmeling knocked out Joe Louis in the 12th round of their bout in Yankee Stadium.

In July, Francos forces from North Africa landed in Spain and the Spanish Civil War began. In August, the summer Olympics took place in Berlin, and although we Americans remember those games for the stirring achievements of Jesse Owens at the time they were understood as a symbol of Germanys resurgence and by some  as a vindication of Hitlers leadership. Fascism, we were told, might be the wave of the future.

That same month the Soviet government began its infamous show trials of former Bolshevik leaders and many observers saw Stalins sham justice as a necessary step in the consolidation of a socialist alternative to Depression-era democracy. Another wave of violent purges soon followed and again found its apologists while claiming the lives of hundreds of thousands.

The world was soon engulfed in another world war. The human, economic and spiritual toll of that conflict remains incalculable to this day. 682 Naval Academy graduates gave their lives in the struggle against Nazi Germany, Italy, and Japan. This is a tragic but comprehendible loss. But what are we to make of a number like 60 million war dead? Of the hundreds of thousands of villages and cities destroyed, and the untold resources spent that might have been put to humane and productive use had our enemies not embraced their ideologies of conquest and domination? How do we make sense of the human capacity for such evil? After Auschwitz, mankind looked different.

And yet the generation of leaders that brought the democratic powers through the storm of that war did not succumb to despair. Their sense of responsibility and history demanded they build new institutions dedicated to the prevention of another global calamity, which they did with remarkable vision and persistence.

The statesmen who built the successful liberal international order after World War Two grasped three basic truths.

First: that tyranny is always a threat to peace because it is an affront to all humanitys natural desire for freedom.

Second: that liberal institutions are nevertheless fragile, and must be affirmed with conviction at home and abroad.

Third: that the American example and American leadership are indispensable to securing a peaceful and prosperous future. Our failure to remain engaged in Europe and enforce the hard-won peace of 1918 had made that clear. There could be no more isolationism, no more tired resignation  no more America First.

Fascism was defeated in 1945. Communism eventually succumbed after a long and costly Cold War. Containment, often through military means, was vitally important, but ultimately communism collapsed because Soviet tyranny could not meet the basic spiritual and material needs of its terrorized subjects, while the American example brought unprecedented happiness and prosperity to millions of ordinary people.

As we wrestled to overcome injustices in our society, the Soviet system ossified and was sustained only by its propaganda and secret police. It couldnt prevail in the global struggle for hearts and minds. Ronald Reagan understood this and had the moral confidence to affirm Americas commitment to the spread of democracy.

President George H.W. Bush handled the collapse of communism in Europe with consummate skill. Under his stewardship, the basis for a lasting post-Cold War order was firmly established  a renewal of the liberal framework for international cooperation that we and our allies had erected in 1945.

Who could have imagined in the depths of the Cold War that a collapsing Soviet Union  still a nuclear super power  would peacefully accede to the reunification of Germany, or to the independence of all of its satellite states? And yet it happened.

But the contrast between the hopeful atmosphere of 1991 and the current circumstances of our world is a stark one. We have gone from an interval when the global success of democracy seemed assured to a time in which the seductions of authoritarian rule find favor with many; when self-interested leadership excuses naked aggression with weak rationalizations; when ethnic grievances haunt the old and religious fanaticism fires the minds of the misguided young.

How did we end up here? Why do many Americans ignore our moral and historical knowledge and seek escape from the world weve led so successfully?

There are many wise answers to those questions. My own is: we are asleep to the necessity of our leadership, and to the opportunities and real dangers of this world. We are asleep in our echo chambers, where our views are always affirmed and information that contradicts them is always fake. We are asleep in our polarized politics, which exaggerates our differences, looks for scapegoats instead of answers, and insists we get all our way all the time from a system of government based on compromise, principled cooperation and restraint.

All the while the associations, rules, values and aspirations that comprise the international order we have superintended for three-quarters of a century are under gathering attack from regimes that desire a world less just and less free and more corrupt. And they are under attack from forces within liberal democracies themselves, parties that preach resentful nationalism rather than enlightened self-interest, nativism rather than equal justice.

Its time to wake up.

I believe in Americans. Were capable of better. Ive seen it. Were hopeful, compassionate people. And we still have leaders who will uphold the values that made America great, and a beacon to the oppressed.

But I dont take that for granted. We have to fight. We have to fight against propaganda and crackpot conspiracy theories. We have to fight isolationism, protectionism, and nativism. We have to defeat those who would worsen our divisions. We have to remind our sons and daughters that we became the most powerful nation on earth by tearing down walls, not building them.

But that isnt your job. Not directly. It belongs to those of us who hold office and are responsible for making sure youre sent where youre needed and equipped and ready for your missions.

You will be asked to defend Americas interests overseas, and thereby to defend the ideals that encompass and transcend those interests. You will protect the international order that American politics, with all its inefficiencies and human frailties, has done so much to create.

Many of you will risk everything for your country. You will make sacrifices for your fellow Americans, who wont be asked to make sacrifices for you. Thats your calling. Thank you for accepting it. I promise, there will be compensations for the hard times you endure. You will have lives of adventure. You will have the best company. And you will know a satisfaction far more sublime than pleasure.

I know that because Im not the only McCain to have been prepared for that duty by the traditions and values imparted to me here and by the example of other better Americans who walked through these gates. My father was here, and his father before him. Like me, their standing was closer to the bottom than the top of their class.

My son, Jack, is the non-conformist in the family. He managed to reach the upper half of his class, even to be a midshipman officer. But his forbears, though less accomplished midshipmen, nevertheless left here to devote the rest of their lives to our country, in war and peace, good times and bad. And each of us considered himself to be the luckiest man on earth.

I know what you will risk and what you will receive in return. I know America is lucky to have you, and that you will think yourselves lucky to serve America. Even in the worst of times  and they come for most of us  youll know that to serve this country is to serve its ideals  the ideals that consider every child on earth as made in the image of God and endowed with dignity and the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is a noble cause. It is your cause, and its worth living and dying for.

I have, sometimes unwittingly and often imperfectly, served that cause all my adult life. Like your service, mine began here in this place of honor and honors demands. I arrived a rebel without a cause, and left much the same. But I would discover that a sense of honor had been imparted to me here that would speak to me in the darkest hours.

And so I come back, again and again, to the place where I learned to dread dishonor and from where I embarked on an eventful life, in good company, in the service of my country and its great cause.

May your lives be as lucky as mine. Godspeed. Semper Fidelis. Fair winds and following seas.
When Public Citizen asked for an investigation in January of possible insider trading by Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., and then-Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., it raised the question of whether the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act has had any impact on members stock-trading activity at all.

When the Stock Act was finally approved in 2012 by a reluctant Congress, it was a widely hailed legislative achievement. The legislation applied the law against insider trading for the first time to Congress itself and mandated an online disclosure system of members stock trades so that compliance to the law could be monitored.

I fully expected that the disclosure system would also reduce stock-trading activity by Congress, especially in industries that members directly oversee, because the conflict of interest would now fall under public scrutiny. I dont know how much active trading has gone on since the Stock Act. I suspect its dampened it, I told the Hill newspaper in 2014. Members are going to be more cautious now.

Have recent events proved me wrong?I looked at stock-trading activity of all U.S. senators before and after passage of the Stock Act to answer that question. The results provide good news and bad news, showing that the law has worked but can still be bolstered.

The Stock Act has indeed had a dramatic impact on stock-trading activity by senators, reducing both the overall volume of stock trades and the transaction value of those trades. Remarkably, the number of stock transactions three years before and after passage of the Stock Act has fallen by 68 percent. Furthermore, the monetary value of those stock trades has also fallen by 66 percentan extraordinary achievement.

It is reasonable to assume the same trend has occurred in the House of Representatives. But subsequent legislation by Congress eliminated the searchable, sortable and downloadable disclosure requirement of stock-trading activity, which makes it much harder to compile a comparable database for the House.

But there is bad news as well. Of the senators who remain active in the stock market, they have a high propensity for trading stocks in businesses they directly oversee from their committees. From these perches, members of Congress often are privy to information that could directly affect the value of stocks, posing a serious conflict of interest when trading in those markets. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., one of the Senates more prolific players in the stock market, sits on the Senate Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security as well as the Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law, all the while trading stocks in the health-care and technology industries. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., joins Whitehouse in trading stocks in infrastructure businesses he directly oversees from his position on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. The list goes on of senators playing in the stock markets of industries directly related to their official oversight roles in Congress.

Politico found a similarly disturbing trend in both chambers of Congress. Politico identified about 30 percent of members of the House and Senate who are currently active in the stock market. Several of these members play in the markets over which they have some direct legislative responsibility  in some cases, even sponsoring legislation that could have a direct bearing on their stock investments.

Just as problematic, many congressional senior staffers  who have been removed from public scrutiny of their stock-trading activities when Congress eliminated the comprehensive disclosure requirement of the Stock Act  are also trading stocks in industries their bosses directly oversee. Last year, three members of the Senate Judiciary Committee asked the Justice Department whether the drug company Mylan was violating federal drug laws. Nine days later, the Justice Department agreed and levied a massive settlement penalty against the company. After the letter and before the settlement, a senior staffer to the Judiciary Committee dumped between $4,004 and $60,000 of Mylan stock investments.

Such conflicts of interest in stock trading activity are squarely addressed in the executive branch. Senior executive branch officials are required to divest themselves of any stocks and other properties that pose a direct conflict of interest with their official duties. The same ethics standard should apply to Congress  both to members and senior staff. A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, for example, should not be actively buying or selling stocks in the defense industry.

In order to ensure compliance with the Stock Act, it is imperative that Congress reestablish its searchable, sortable and downloadable disclosure system for stock trades by members and senior staff. No doubt the limited disclosure system still in place has contributed to the decline in congressional stock-trading activity. But the ongoing conflicts of interest in the stock market by some members of Congress and their staff call for a much more robust online disclosure system.

Furthermore, the political intelligence industry  the secretive Wall Street operatives and lobbyists who roam the halls of Congress in search of valuable information to sell on the stock market  must be brought out of the shadows. The Political Intelligence Transparency Act, reintroduced by Reps. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., and John Duncan, R-Tenn., would mandate that these operatives register under the Lobby Disclosure Act and disclose their clients and activities on a regular basis.

While the Stock Act has clearly been a phenomenal achievement in reducing troubling stock-trading activity by members of Congress, more remains to be done. It is time to revisit and strengthen the law.
Former Speaker of the House John Boehner in Washington on October 27, 2015: REUTERS/Gary Cameron/File Photo

Former Republican Leader of the House John Boehner has claimed there are Nazis serving in Congress

Weve got some of the smartest people in America who serve in the Congress, and weve got some of the dumbest, Mr Boehner said. We have some of the nicest people youd ever want to meet, and some that are Nazis.

The Ohio Republican and former Speaker of the House talked candidly about his former congressional colleagues in a lengthy article.

After presiding over a caucus fractured by the rise of the Tea Party, which propelled multiple challenges to his leadership, Mr Boehner ultimately stepped down. He has since become a critic of Donald Trump, whom he described as a populist without an ideological bone in his body, but he said Mr Trump is not prejudiced.

I do not believe that he is a racist. I do not believe that he is a white supremacist, Mr Boehner told POLITICO Magazine. He has clearly done some things to lead people who never liked him to say those things about him.

But by labelling unnamed members of Congress Nazis, Mr Boehner invoked a spectre that has been haunting American politics this year.

White supremacists, some of them organized under the broad label of the alt-right, have been increasingly vocal and public in advancing their nationalist vision. Former White House adviser Stephen Bannon, who helped manage Mr Trumps campaign and for months served as a top aide before stepping down, has returned to his role managing Breitbart News, which he once proclaimed a platform for the alt-right.

In August, protesters including the KKK and Neo-Nazis marched on Charlottesville, Virginia to demonstrate against the removal of a statue of confederate general Robert E Lee. After a car plowed into a crowd of counterprotestors, killing a woman, Mr Trump faced widespread criticism for saying there was "blame on both sides". That led Rep Maxine Waters, a California Democrat and fierce antagonist of Mr Trump, to call the White House the White Supremacists' House.

Both Mr Trump, Mr Bannon and those who know them have consistently denied that they hold bigoted views.
TORONTO  When Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) arrived at the University of Torontos Simcoe Hall around 10:40 am on Sunday ahead of his sold-out speech on health care and progressive politics, the college students who had lined up outside in the 45-degree weather for standby tickets began to holler with joy. Sanders, grinning, stopped to shake hands and pose for selfies before going inside.

Bisma Ali, a 17-year-old University of Toronto student, had arrived at 5 a.m., ensuring that she and her classmates Tebat Kadhem, 20, and Catherine Stratton, 21, would have spots at the head of the line.

Bernie Sanders represents hope for the younger generation, said Kadhem, who ran unsuccessfully for a Toronto city council seat in February. Even if were Canadian, we see an American politician that is standing up for human rights and standing up for the people that dont have a voice, and we resonate with his message.

Asked if, in an alternative universe, they would ever support Sanders for Canadian prime minister, the three women nodded eagerly.

He should come join Canadian politics in the House of Commons! Wed love him there, Ali said.

Bisma, 17, in the middle showed up at 5 am to hold spots for her UToronto friends to get Bernie tickets on standby. pic.twitter.com/XtMMlWNmBm  Daniel Marans (@danielmarans) October 29, 2017

Sanders was treated to similar rock star receptions over and over again during a visit to Toronto this past weekend that was officially devoted to learning about the Canadian health care system  a publicly financed, universal program that Sanders has spent his entire career pushing the United States to emulate. Before Sundays Simcoe Hall event, where he received standing ovations from more than 1,000 cheering fans and soaring praise from left-of-center Ontario politicians, he toured world-class hospitals on Saturday, where one pharmacist fanned herself, claiming she had felt the Bern.

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Of course, the key audience for Sanders trip was back home. Over the course of his trip, he was keen to dispel Republican Party myths about the Canadian health care system and shatter the U.S. stigma against learning from other countries health policies.

The senator is hoping the facts found on his trip to Canada will help boost the campaign for single-payer health care insurance in the U.S.

On Sunday, Sanders warned that the situation in the United States  where Republicans, backed by billionaires like the Koch brothers, are trying to dismantle recent expansions of health coverage and gut social programs to pay for tax cuts  could reach Canada too, if the Canadian people are not sufficiently vigilant.

The contemporary GOP is what happens when billionaires are able to buy a political party. Dont let it happen in Canada, he declared to sustained applause from the crowd.

Cementing ties to left-leaning Canadian lawmakers, activists and young people was a beneficial byproduct of Sanders journey. Since the 2016 presidential run that earned him international fame, he has become a kind of roving ambassador for left-wing ideals.

Hes like the face of progressive politics in North America, said Graham Coulter, a 22-year-old history student at the University of Toronto, who came to see Sanders speak.

But for U.S. policy wonks hoping to learn more about the tradeoffs of Canadas health care system, much less for progressive strategists in search of ideas for overcoming the considerable obstacles to passing single payer in the U.S., Sanders foreign visit was less useful.

The tour on Saturday, which Sanders staff organized in conjunction with the office of Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and staff at Womens College Hospital in Toronto, was heavy on Canadian health care success stories and arguments against conservative criticism of the single-payer system.

Sanders Saturday itinerary was focused on specialty wings in three hospitals clustered in the citys downtown: Womens College, Mount Sinai and Toronto General, locations that undoubtedly offered a rosier window into the health care system than a rural clinic or urban emergency room would provide. He was accompanied by Wynne (a member of the center-left Liberal Party), three U.S. medical professionals Sanders had invited, and a rotating cast of Canadian doctors, hospital executives and patients  virtually all of them outspoken boosters of single payer.

Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at the University of Toronto about his vision for universal health care in the United States. (Photo: Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

What Sanders Trip Demonstrated

Sanders described the fact-finding trip to Canada as an important step toward normalizing the use of international comparisons when crafting U.S. domestic policy.

How is it that here in Canada, they provide quality health care to all people  and I dont think there is any debate that the quality of care is as good or better than the United States  and they do it for half the cost? he said to reporters in an impromptu press conference on Saturday.

Sanders revisited the issue in his speech at the University of Toronto on Sunday, even as he acknowledged that Canadas system was not perfect.

No country in the world has all of the answers and ever will as technology changes and needs change, he said. Crafting sensible policy requires that we look all over the world and we ask the hard questions: Is it working better there? What can we do to make our system better?

Asked on Saturday whether he had invited any Republican colleagues to join him on his Canadian tour, Sanders said it was a great idea.

I have not, but maybe the next trip well try to take some of them, he said.

Sara Collins, a vice president of the Commonwealth Fund, which publishes an annual comparison of wealthy countries health care systems, called Sanders appeals to examine the practices of other nations constructive.

Its important for policymakers in the United States to look abroad for ways to improve our health care system, both on the coverage side and on the delivery system side, Collins said.

At Mount Sinai Hospital, Dr. Shoo Lee, the pediatrician in chief, and Dr. Mathew Sermer, chief of obstetrics and gynecology, showed Sanders and his entourage around the state-of-the art neonatal intensive care unit, or NICU. The ward offers parents of premature and ill babies the opportunity to learn to monitor their infants health for as many hours a day as they want and to perform the basic tasks involved in caring for the baby.

The hospital even has apartments for a limited number of those parents  with no out-of-pocket costs, courtesy of Ontarios health insurance system.

Andrey and Kristina, whose baby Victor was born 26 weeks into her pregnancy and remains in the NICU, agreed to speak to the visiting delegation on condition that reporters use only their first names. An employee benefits manager for the Ontario government, Andrey was enthusiastic about the quality of care Victor was receiving.

You might have heard the people say about the lines up at the hospitals, but when it comes to serious stuff like his sons premature birth, Andrey said, the Canadian health insurance system is the best.

In a discussion at Womens College, Sanders conducted a kind of Socratic back-and-forth about Canadian health care with more than a dozen medical professionals and patients assembled around a table. He played devils advocate, asking people to respond to typical criticisms of the Canadian system and feigning surprise when they said the various allegations were baseless.

Almost every time, the Canadians said their system performed far better than its critics were willing to admit  while providing free care to all at about half the cost per person of the U.S. system, as Sanders frequently noted.

Only when it came to dental care  an area in which Canadians, like Americans, rely on private insurance  was Sanders told that the system suffered from problems similar to those of the United States.

I am on my own, said Naomi Duguid, a patient who spoke at the Womens College roundtable discussion and who lacks dental insurance. Going to the dentist is something I dont even think about. In fact, its the only time I get to experience what it must be like to be an uninsured American.

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Members of the audience at Sanders' University of Toronto speech hold up cards with positive messages about Canadian health care. (Photo: Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

Where Sanders Trip Fell Short

Canadas publicly financed health care system, sometimes known as Medicare, began to take shape in the years after World War II under the leadership of Tommy Douglas, premier of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1961. Saskatchewan became the first province with universal public health coverage in 1962. Every other province had followed suit by 1971.

Today, Canadas national government requires provinces to provide taxpayer-funded coverage of doctor visits, hospital care and diagnostic procedures free of charge at the point of service. The provinces pay about 75 percent of the cost, with the federal government chipping in the rest.

The provincial programs are not identical. They offer varying degrees of coverage of pharmaceutical drugs for low-income residents and seniors, for example. Under Premier Wynne, Ontario voted to enact universal drug coverage for children from birth through age 24, a policy that will take effect in January.

Broadly speaking, Canadas system is far more equitable than the U.S. system. While 28 million Americans remain uninsured even after passage of the Affordable Care Act, Canadas citizens never have to worry about going entirely without basic care due to cost.

Canada tops the U.S. on many health and longevity indicators. The average Canadian life expectancy is 81.7 years (based on 2013 data), compared with an average U.S. life expectancy of 78.8 years (based on 2015 data). Canada also has lower infant mortality with a rate of 4.8 babies dying for every 1,000 live births, compared to 5.8 deaths for every 1,000 live births in the U.S.

But none of this means Canada is the only model for the United States to follow if Americans want universal health care. On many health care quality metrics, Canada trails other wealthy countries with different coverage systems.

In the Commonwealth Funds 2017 comparison of 11 developed countries, which surveys residents on a broad array of health care indicators, Canada ranked third-to-last, just ahead of France and the United States. The highest-ranking countries were the United Kingdom, Australia and the Netherlands.

On some criteria in the Commonwealth Fund report, Canada even did worse than the United States. For example, half of Canadians surveyed reported waiting more than two hours for emergency room care, compared with 25 percent of Americans. Thirty percent of Canadians said they waited two months or more to see a specialist, compared with 6 percent of Americans.

When asked, the physicians on Sanders hospital tour tended to acknowledge the flaws in the Canadian health care system and then dismiss them as challenges more easily addressed within the confines of a single-payer system. The centralized nature of the Canadian system has made it easier to troubleshoot wait times, according to Dr. Joshua Tepper, president of Health Quality Ontario, a public entity that advises on improving health care delivery and produces an annual report assessing the shortcomings and advances of health care in the province.

The single-payer system gives us transparency, gives us information to actually manage the system with patients input, Tepper said during the roundtable discussion at Womens College.

Sanders told reporters on Saturday that the decision to look at the Canadian system, rather than that of another country with universal coverage, was due in part to the countrys cultural proximity to the U.S. He also noted that, unlike the United Kingdom but like the U.S., Canada does not have its doctors and other medical professionals directly employed by the government, making a transition to a Canadian-like system less radical.

Still, he did not address whether touring some top-flight hospitals in the nations largest city was truly representative of Canadian health care and its challenges.

Residents of Thunder Bay, a much smaller city in the rural northwestern part of Ontario, have nearly three times the limb amputation rate of Ontario residents overall, according to Dr. Barry Rubin, medical director of Toronto Generals cardiac center.

You go to the hospital and its shocking  there are people being wheeled around in wheelchairs with one leg, said Rubin, who has contributed to an effort to send more cardiovascular surgeons there.

In addition, Sanders trip offered few new insights into how the U.S. public can be convinced to think of health care as a right that must be protected by their government, as Canadians do.

A majority of Americans (53 percent) now support adopting a single-payer, or Medicare for all, insurance system, which represents a significant increase since 1998, according to polling conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

But those people are simply answering a survey. Its not clear how the majority of Americans would actually respond to the prospect of giving up their employer-sponsored insurance for a new system that they finance with their taxes. When passage of the Affordable Care Act resulted in the cancellation of only a small fraction of existing insurance plans, it created a major political uproar.

For Canada and Canadians, there is no question that they have the system that they want, Dr. Michael Domanski, division head of cardiology at Toronto Generals cardiac center, said during a panel discussion at the hospital.

But Domanski, who grew up in the U.S. and practiced medicine there before moving to Canada, was unsure that Americans would be willing to pay Canadian-level taxes. It will come down to the economics of it, he said.

At this point, Canadians have grown up in a system thats equitable, so the concept of providing health care as a right is not a matter of mainstream debate, said Premier Wynne.

In the years after World War II, Wynne noted, there were the same impulses in the United States as here, but somehow, weve diverged. That is an interesting question as to why thats happened.

Also on HuffPost

1912

Former President Theodore Roosevelt champions national health insurance as he unsuccessfully tries to ride his progressive Bull Moose Party back to the White House.

1935

President Franklin D. Roosevelt favors creating national health insurance amid the Great Depression but decides to push for Social Security first.

1942

Roosevelt establishes wage and price controls during World War II. Businesses can't attract workers with higher pay so they compete through added benefits, including health insurance, which grows into a workplace perk.

1945

President Harry Truman calls on Congress to create a national insurance program for those who pay voluntary fees. The American Medical Association denounces the idea as "socialized medicine" and it goes nowhere.

1960

John F. Kennedy makes health care a major campaign issue but as president can't get a plan for the elderly through Congress.

1965

President Lyndon B. Johnson's legendary arm-twisting and a Congress dominated by his fellow Democrats lead to creation of two landmark government health programs: Medicare for the elderly and Medicaid for the poor.

1974

President Richard Nixon wants to require employers to cover their workers and create federal subsidies to help everyone else buy private insurance. The Watergate scandal intervenes.

1976

President Jimmy Carter pushes a mandatory national health plan, but economic recession helps push it aside.

1986

President Ronald Reagan signs COBRA, a requirement that employers let former workers stay on the company health plan for 18 months after leaving a job, with workers bearing the cost.

1988

Congress expands Medicare by adding a prescription drug benefit and catastrophic care coverage. It doesn't last long. Barraged by protests from older Americans upset about paying a tax to finance the additional coverage, Congress repeals the law the next year.

1993

President Bill Clinton puts first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton in charge of developing what becomes a 1,300-page plan for universal coverage. It requires businesses to cover their workers and mandates that everyone have health insurance. The plan meets Republican opposition, divides Democrats and comes under a firestorm of lobbying from businesses and the health care industry. It dies in the Senate.

1997

Clinton signs bipartisan legislation creating a state-federal program to provide coverage for millions of children in families of modest means whose incomes are too high to qualify for Medicaid.

2003

President George W. Bush persuades Congress to add prescription drug coverage to Medicare in a major expansion of the program for older people.

2008

Hillary Clinton promotes a sweeping health care plan in her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. She loses to Barack Obama, who has a less comprehensive plan.

2009

President Barack Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress spend an intense year ironing out legislation to require most companies to cover their workers; mandate that everyone have coverage or pay a fine; require insurance companies to accept all comers, regardless of any pre-existing conditions; and assist people who can't afford insurance.

2010

With no Republican support, Congress passes the measure, designed to extend health care coverage to more than 30 million uninsured people. Republican opponents scorned the law as "Obamacare."

2012

On a campaign tour in the Midwest, Obama himself embraces the term "Obamacare" and says the law shows "I do care."

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Waymo has been very protective of its testing process in past, but recently it started opening up  likely as a bid to help get the public more comfortable with self-driving vehicle technology as it moves towards broad deployment of its autonomous cars. As part of that, the former Google self-driving car project asked a group of journalists to pay a visit to its Castle testing facility in Northern California.

The Castle isn't just a very cool name for a proving ground, it's the actual name of the former Air Force base (used during the 1940s for training bombers for WWII) that Google took over back in 2013 to house some of its 'X' projects, including Project Loon and what would eventually become Waymo in 2016.

At Castle, we got a rare look at one aspect of Waymo's testing process for its autonomous cars, complete with a briefing on the company's approach from CEO John Krafcik, VP of Engineering Dimitry Dolgov, UX and Early Rider Program Product Manager Juliet Rothenberg and Head of UX Design Ryan Powell.

Krafcik opened by giving a rundown of the various terms that have been applied to self-driving technology, ranging from "driver assistance" to "semi-driverless cars," noting that there's been "a lot of confusion about what the terminology means." Part of Waymo's aim is to clear up the confusion  and by implication, perhaps douse the cold water of reality on some of its competition's more grandiose claims.

It also helps Waymo clearly explain where they sit on the spectrum of driverless vehicle technologies, and how they concluded that they would focus only on technologies that would classify as Level 4 and Level 5 by the SAE's standards  fully driverless tech requiring no intervention by a human driver.

Waymo classifies anything from Levels 1 through 3 as technically "driver assist" features, according to Krafcik, and this is an "important divide" which Waymo has observed first hand, concluding early on that it's not an area they're interested in pursuing.

Story continues

Krafcik revealed that one of the first products Waymo considered bringing to market back in 2012 and 2013 was a highway driving assist feature, which would handle everything. between onramp and exit, but that also required drivers to be fully attentive to the road and their surroundings while it was in operation.

The results, per Krafcik, were downright frightening: Footage taken from the vehicles of Google employees testing the highway assist features, which the company showed us during the briefing, including people texting, doing makeup, fumbling around their seat for charge cables and even, in one particularly grievous instance, sleeping while driving 55 MPH on a freeway.

"We shut down this aspect of the project a couple of days after seeing that," Krafcik said. "The better you make the driver assist technologies... the more likely the human behind the wheel is to fall asleep. and then when the vehicle says hey I need you to take over, they lack contextual awareness."

This is why Waymo has been very vocal in the past and today about focusing on Level 4 (full autonomy within specific 'domains' or geographies and conditions) and Level 5 (full, unqualified autonomy).

How does Castle enter into its goal of achieving that by "building the world's most experienced driver?" In short: Practice.

Waymo likes to quantify its progress in terms of miles driven, since driving experience is the primary means of improvement for autonomous technology, according to it and many others in this space. Krafcik said at the event that Waymo has managed 3.5 million autonomous miles across testing in 20 different cities this year, and it managed 2.5 billion (with a 'b') miles in 2016 in simulation, or via testing in virtual software environments reflecting real-world conditions.

At Castle, you get aspects of the unpredictability of real-world driving, combined with the control of simulation. Stephanie Villegas, who leads 'Structured Testing' at Castle, explained that this type of testing allows them to model and stage challenging situations Waymo has encountered in real live, and also to validate things they know the cars have been able to do well when they issue updates to make sure there aren't any regressions.

Structured Testing sounds kind of complicated but it's actually explained in the name  Waymo sets up (structures) tests using its self-driving vehicles (the latest generation Chrysler Pacifica-based test car in the examples we saw), as well as things they call "fauxes" (pronounced "foxes" by Villegas. These are other cars, pedestrians, cyclists and other variables (contractors working for Waymo) who replicate the real world conditions that Waymo is trying to test for. The team runs these Tess over and over, "as many times as we can where we're still seeing improvement" per Villegas  and each time the conditions will vary slightly since it's real-world testing with actual human beings.

Waymo and Villegas took us through three structured tests, including one in which a passing car cuts off the self-driving van without much warning; one where the self-driving car has to deal with a vehicle backing out of a driveway on a corner; and one where it encounters movers in a roadway and has to navigate around them, while also heeding oncoming traffic.

The self-driving car handled every situation, all of which featured three test runs, with aplomb, and Villegas said that although Waymo always performs its tests with safety drivers on board, each of these was done fully autonomously with no intervention from the drivers at all.

In general, Waymo says it's essentially nailed down Level 4 self-driving, especially in the controlled confines of its autonomous proving ground at Castle. We even got a ride in the self-driving Pacifica  without anyone even at the wheel at all  and it went smoothly (more on that here). But it doesn't sound like Castle's useful life is anywhere near at an end: Villegas said that she's run countless Structured Tests in her time at Waymo since 2012, first at a semi-private and disused parking garage for the Shoreline Amphitheater near Google's Mountain View HQ, and later at Castle when the company outgrew that space.

Getting Waymo's tech ready for Level 4 autonomy in public deployment will require more testing still, as will making the eventual leap from Level 4 to Level 5, the company's true ultimate goal. It's not just a matter of having somewhere Waymo can test without worrying about state regulations  it's about a place where serendipity can be manufactured, to help ensure its cars are ready for anything, without having to wait for them to encounter those scenarios on real roads when the stakes are highest.
Ottawa (AFP) - Canada has failed boreal caribou herds that are at risk of disappearing, a government report concluded Tuesday.

Their habitat stretches across nine provinces and territories, on mostly government lands.

Governments in each of these regions were mandated in 2012 to come up with recovery strategies for the animals.

But the Environment Canada report found that none of them met an October 5, 2017 deadline for completing their range plans.

"Overall, the report shows that some progress was made by governments and industry, in the past five years. However, caribou populations continue to decline and habitat disturbance continues to increase," said a statement by Environment Minister Catherine McKenna's office.

"The report emphasizes the need for us all to do more," it said.

Going forward, the federal government said it would "accelerate efforts to protect boreal caribou."

Habitat conditions affect the caribou's survival and reproduction, which ultimately determines whether or not a population will survive.

According to the report, habitat disturbances from mostly human activities including forestry and mining, as well as wildfires have increased in two-thirds of the caribou ranges since 2012.

Trend data shows 10 of the 51 herds have a stable population while 20 have seen their numbers dwindle.

No data was submitted by the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Newfoundland on the other 21 herds.

Greenpeace blasted the regional governments' inaction, calling the report a "wake-up call for (them) to take action while there is still time."

"The iconic Canadian species has been listed as threatened for the last 15 years and it is clear that much more efforts are needed."
South Koreans watch a television news showing a video footage of a man who claims he is Kim Han-Sol, a nephew of North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un, at a railway station in Seoul on March 8, 2017 - AFP

Two members of a North Korean assassination team have reportedly been arrested in Beijing while plotting an attempt on the life of Kim Han-sol, the son of Kim Jong-nam, who was poisoned in a Malaysia airport in February.

Citing North Korean sources, South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo newspaper said that seven agents had been involved in the plot to kill Kim Han-sol, who is the nephew of current North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un and has in the past been critical of the regime in Pyongyang.

"Special operatives belonging to the North's reconnaissance team penetrated [China] to remove Kim Han-sol, but some of them were arrested last week by the Chinese Ministry of National Security and are currently under investigation at facilities outside Beijing", the source told the newspaper.

No information was provided on the whereabouts of the remaining members of the team, which was apparently made up of an action unit, a support group and a unit designed to identify the location of Kim Han-sol and hamper any pursuit.

The Chinese authorities reportedly detected the plot during heightened security measures introduced around the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party in Beijing, which ran for seven days from October 18.

Kim Jong Nam arrives at Beijing airport in Beijing, China Credit: Reuters

The attempt on Kim Han-sol's life comes while two women, an Indonesian and a Vietnamese, are on trial in Malaysia for the killing of his father. Kim Jong-nam died in Kuala Lumpur airport in February after the two women smeared VX nerve gas on his face. Since their arrest, they have told police that they had been approached by men who told them that they would be taking part in a prank for a television programme.

After his father's death, Kim Han-sol went into hiding with his mother and younger sister, apparently assisted by a shadowy organisation called the Cheollima Civil Defence.

In a video released on YouTube, Mr Kim expressed his thanks to those who had helped him escape to another - unnamed - country.

Story continues

In a statement, the Cheollima Civil Defence group said it responded in February to "an emergency request by survivors of the family of Kim Jong-nam for extraction and protection.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guides the launch of a Hwasong-12 missile in this undated photo released by North Korea's KCNA Credit: Reuters

"The three family members were met quickly and relocated to safety", it said, adding that no information would be provided on the present whereabouts of the family.

The statement also expressed gratitude to the governments of China, the Netherlands, the United States and "a fourth government to remain unnamed".

It is possible that Kim Han-sol and his family remained in China under the protection of Beijing, which also extended protection for his father when he was in the country. There have been suggestions that Beijing saw Kim Jong-nam as as a potential North Korean leader should his half-brother be overthrown.

Apparently wary of a challenge from Kim Jong-nam, analysts believe that Kim Jong-un ordered his assassination. Pyongyang has denied that allegation.

With Kim Jong-nam dead, Kim Han-sol is one of the few remaining blood lines to the world's only hereditary communist dynasty and the only one outside North Korea.

And while he may only be in his early 20s, Kim Han-sol appears to be a very different person to the present North Korean leader.

He is likely to have incurred the wrath of his uncle after describing Mr Kim as a "dictator" in an interview with a Finnish TV station in 2012. He added that his ambition is to help the people of North Korea.
Beijing (AFP) - China has criticised new United States anti-dumping duties on aluminium foil, saying it was "extremely dissatisfied" with the new measures, just days before President Trump visits Beijing.

The tariff was announced Friday by the US following concern that China was undercutting American manufacturers by flooding the country with underpriced aluminium products.

But the timing has raised fears of a trade dispute during Trump's first visit as president to the Chinese capital next week, when commerce between the nations is expected to be high on the agenda.

On Saturday evening, China's Ministry of Commerce said the US was ignoring World Trade Organization rules by introducing the duties, and not fulfilling its international obligations.

"The US is not only harming the interests of Chinese companies, it is also damaging the seriousness and authority of multilateral rules and regulations," said Wang Hejun, Director of the Trade Remedy and Investigation Bureau, in a statement.

The US Commerce Department plans to impose fresh duties of 96.81 percent to 162.24 on Chinese aluminium foil imports to the US.

The new tariff will affect the type of aluminium foil found in kitchens, packaging and automobiles.

Since assuming the presidency in January, Trump has largely refrained from taking the hard-nosed measures he boasted about on the campaign trail, where he threatened to label China a "currency manipulator". But his administration has started to take a tougher line on trade.

The Trump administration has initiated 77 antidumping and countervailing duty investigations since January, up 61 percent since last year, the Commerce Department said on Friday.

Trade is likely to be high on Trump's agenda during the visit. Last week, he tweeted he had discussed North Korea and trade in a phone call with President Xi, calling them "two very important subjects!"

In September, China's monthly trade surplus with the United States hit a high not seen in at least three years.

The Ministry of Commerce's statement said the US was using "discriminatory" surrogate country pricing practices to introduce the duties, which it said were no longer applicable to China as of December, 2016.
A marketing firm in Japan is giving its employees a new reason to quit smoking after reportedly offering nonsmokers six extra days of vacation per year.

The perk from Tokyo-based company Piala Inc. is meant to compensate nonsmokers for not taking smoking breaks, which is said to consume at least 15 minutes of each workday, The Telegraph reported.

One of our nonsmoking staff put a message in the company suggestion box earlier in the year saying that smoking breaks were causing problems, Hirotaka Matsushima, a spokesman for the company, told the paper. Our CEO saw the comment and agreed, so we are giving nonsmokers some extra time off to compensate.

The offer was made to the employees back in September and since then at least 30 of the companys 120 employees have taken advantage of the perk and taken extra time off, said Matsushima.

Men smoke cigarettes at a designated outdoor smoking area in the Naka-Meguro neighborhood of Tokyo. A local company is offering nonsmoking employees extra paid time off. (Photo: BEHROUZ MEHRI via Getty Images)

Four of the employees even decided to kick the habit for good, he added.

According to The Japan Times, Piala Inc. isnt alone in trying to decrease the number of smokers in its workforce. Other Japanese companies have been enforcing smoking bans during work hours, even when their work takes them outside the office.

According to the World Health Organization, roughly 18 percent of adults in Japan smoke tobacco daily.

Piala CEO Takao Asuka said his companys nonsmoking incentive is meant to be more positive than negative.

An estimated 18 percent of Japanese adults smoke, according to the World Health Organization. (Photo: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

I hope to encourage employees to quit smoking through incentives rather than penalties or coercion, he told the Times.

The vacation offer could be healthy for the employees for more reasons than one.

Overwork has been known to be a chronic problem among Japanese workers. Death, either by suicide or cardiovascular illness, linked to overwork is known as karoshi in Japan.

A survey by Expedia Japan last year found that 53 percent of Japanese workers dont know how much annual leave they are entitled to and 18 percent feel guilty taking paid time off. The U.S. ranked second, with 10 percent in the latter category.

Story continues

Work-related suicides in Japan last year were reported to be up by 45 percent over the previous four years among individuals 29 and younger. They were also up 39 percent among women, Reuters reported, citing Japans labor ministry.

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Following President Donald Trumps decision not to certify under domestic law that the Iran nuclear deal is in the nations security interests, Republican Sens. Bob Corker and Tom Cotton announced they would be proposing legislation that attempts to unilaterally renegotiate the Iran nuclear deal, in line with the White Houses approach. Their proposal seeks to use domestic legislation to impose new restrictions not in the nuclear deal, a multilateral arrangement formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). They would do this by modifying the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 (INARA), so that it would allow the president to reimpose nuclear sanctions if Iran doesnt meet their new, unilateral demands. Corker and Cotton assume that the United States will gain leverage by re-imposing sanctions even while Iran continues to comply with its own commitments, even though doing so would be in violation of American JCPOA commitments and despite clear warnings by our key partners that the deal is not up for renegotiation. If this sounds illogical and reckless, thats because it is. Proposals like this are a backdoor attempt to legislate the collapse of the deal.

It is no secret that Corker and Cotton are foes of the JCPOA, the multilateral arrangement reached in 2015 to verifiably and permanently prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Corker authored INARA in large part to allow Congress to vote on blocking the deal from being implemented  both he and Cotton voted to do so. The vote failed, but both senators have continued to oppose the JCPOA even though the International Atomic Energy Agency, charged with verifying Irans nuclear commitments, has confirmed eight times that Iran is complying. As for Cotton, who openly advocates for a policy of regime change in Iran, it is unsurprising that he would rather see Congress collapse the deal than rigorously enforce and continue to abide by it.

Despite their opposition to the existence of the JCPOA, Corker and Cotton have claimed their proposal would not violate our JCPOA commitments. Based on a fact sheet they released describing their proposal, it would create a domestic law requirement  not just an option  to automatically snap our nuclear sanctions back into place if Iran engages in certain activities. They would bypass even the fast-track procedures in INARA, which already allows a bare majority in Congress to vote to pull out of the deal if there is significant Iranian non-compliance. In their new proposal, Corker and Cotton would leave no discretion for Congress: Once the president determines that one of the conditions has been met, all sanctions would be re-imposed. Their proposal calls for this automatic snapback if Iran engages in certain activities that are permitted under the JCPOA, which their bill would presumably enumerate. They call their proposed triggers for automatic sanctions snap back enhanced restrictions  an acknowledgment that these would be unilaterally imposed terms that werent agreed upon at the negotiating table.

Story continues

Our most fundamental commitment in the JCPOA is that we will continue to suspend our nuclear-related sanctions, and not impose new ones, so long as Iran continues to abide by its nuclear commitments, as verified by international monitors. By Corker and Cottons own description, their bill would automatically re-impose our nuclear sanctions even if Iran is continuing to comply with its commitments  this violates the deal. That may be why Corker and Cotton make the narrower claim in their fact sheet that their legislation would not conflict with the JCPOA upon passage. That caveat is a telling admission that their proposal would, at minimum, transgress our commitments in the future. But even the claim that their approach would be consistent with the JCPOA at the time the legislation is passed should not be heeded for at least three reasons.

First, to put their argument in perspective, imagine if Irans parliament passed a measure that would halt implementation of Irans nuclear constraints and kick out inspectors if the U.S. didnt pull our military personnel out of Iraq and provide sanctions relief beyond what we agreed in the JCPOA. We would rightly call foul immediately, with the world united alongside us. We would not take seriously an argument that Iran wasnt violating its commitments because we could just comply with its new, unilateral demands. And we wouldnt trust Iran to negotiate a new agreement because its word would be worthless.

Second, without knowing the specific enhanced restrictions Corker and Cotton will put forward, we cant be sure that they would come into play only at some date in the future. Based on their proposal, some are related to JCPOA provisions that are set to expire, while others are not. Their fact sheets claim that all restrictions [on Irans nuclear program] expire by year 15 of the JCPOA is false  the core prohibition against Iran having a nuclear weapons program and important verification provisions to prevent cheating never expire, while many other key provisions last 20 or 25 years, or more. And it could well be the case that even current Iranian activity is on Corker and Cottons list of enhanced restrictions. This is a plausible scenario, given their claim that the legislation would address the full spectrum of Irans nefarious activities  that is, activities in which Iran is now engaged that we dont support, but that are separate and apart from the nuclear deal. Irans non-nuclear activity of concern merits addressing, and Corker and Cotton claim their bill would provide a window for firm diplomacy to work. But as Ive argued before, a surefire way to guarantee failure of a diplomatic initiative to achieve a new multilateral agreement is to violate our existing one with the same partners.

Finally, in the main text of the JCPOA itself, all parties committed to implement the deal in good faith and to refrain from actions inconsistent with the JCPOA that would undermine its successful implementation. All of the parties, including the United States, also specifically committed to make best efforts in good faith to sustain the JCPOA. Its hard to argue that the Corker-Cotton proposal, as it stands, doesnt transgress these commitments. In contrast, Trumps claims of bad faith on Irans part based on activity that is not part of the JCPOA ring false  we knew that Iran never committed to stop funding proxies in regional conflicts or testing ballistic missiles, and, for good reason, we didnt pursue those issues in the nuclear negotiations. Thats why the JCPOA didnt tie our hands on those issues and our sanctions on those activities remain in place.

The Corker-Cotton approach has the potential to unshackle Irans nuclear program and turn international scrutiny on us. Re-imposing sanctions because of activity that is permitted under the JCPOA frees Iran from the deals significant restraints on its nuclear program  its text specifies that failure to live up to our sanctions relief commitments will be treated as grounds by Iran to cease performing its commitments. In contrast, if we meet our commitments, we hold Irans feet to the fire, and keep the cameras on and the international inspectors in. The latter approach is the only one that maintains U.S. credibility and our ability to engage seriously on the international stage, including on pressing national security concerns like the North Korea nuclear crisis. And these are the consequences, whether the president violates our commitments by failing to waive nuclear sanctions, or whether Congress does so through legislation like this.

Perhaps Corker and Cotton believe  incorrectly  that their proposal allows the United States to keep its word for now. Or perhaps, along with former George W. Bush administration officials like John Bolton, they would like to see the collapse of the nuclear deal even though it risks putting the United States on a path toward military confrontation. If so, they should admit that ending the deal is their goal. Either way, the Corker-Cotton proposal is inconsistent with our commitments, and the United States will not get a better deal by breaking the one thats working.
Its supposed to be simple: If you work in the public interest  at a non-profit or for a government agency, say  and diligently pay off your student debt every month for ten years, the government will forgive your remaining loan balance. The federal program is called Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

But its not actually that easy.

The loan forgiveness program, like almost everything else in the federal student loan world, is confusing, bureaucratic and requires an almost super-human attention to the vagaries of the fine print.

Which is why two entrepreneurs, Tobin Van Ostern and Aaron Smith, have stepped up to help.

On October 30, the pair launched a new, online tool, the PSLF checker, designed to help borrowers figure out if they qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness  and, if so, approximately how many payments they have left.

The tool, which draws from LinkedIns employment data, requires that users input a bit of personal information, including the size of loans, when they were disbursed and a recent employment history. It then spits out data indicating the approximate number payments a borrower has already made and how many more he or she has to go before the loan balance is wiped away.

The tool isnt a panacea by any means, warned Van Ostern, who directed student engagement for Barack Obamas 2008 campaign and has since worked for the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank.

Its designed to give people a sense of how many credits they should have and help people who have no idea how to start, he said. At this point, we are still getting lots of questions from people about where they are, how they should apply, or whether the program even still exists.

Part of the problem is that there are seemingly infinite ways to screw up loan forgiveness enrollment in the first place. If you reconsolidate your loans, enroll in the wrong repayment program or work at an organization that isnt a federally recognized public service organization, your payments wont count toward loan forgiveness.

Story continues

Its a constant problempeople have missing payments, or need to recertify an employer, or a servicer has miscounted the number of payments, said Smith, who founded and served as the first executive director of the national advocacy organization, Young Invincibles. Its often an issue of consumers being confused by process.

And then there are national politics, which complicate things farther.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which was launched in October 2007 under President Bush and expanded under President Obama, may very well be unraveled under President Trump.

In August, the Trump Administrations Department of Education filed a legal motion asserting that there has been no final decision on whether those applying for Public Service Loan Forgiveness will have their student debt forgiven after ten years, as the program previously specified. Trumps 2018 fiscal budget also recommended eliminating Public Service Loan Forgiveness for new borrowers after July 2018.

Today, the program remains on uncertain legal grounds. Experts recommend that borrowers grandfather themselves into loan forgiveness by, first, submitting registration paperwork, which includes employment certification and, second, enrolling in a qualifying repayment program.

Van Ostern and Smith say they have plans to launch a more comprehensive tool in the future to help borrows navigate those two steps. A new tool might work a bit like TurboTaxs online interface, they say, guiding student debtors step by step through the process.

More than half a million borrowers have signed up for PSLF since 2007, according to Education Department data. Nearly 30% of those enrollees have more than $100,000 in federal student loans and many hold graduate or professional degrees, according to a 2016 Brookings report.

A 2017 Congressional Budget Office report estimated that the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program would cost nearly $24 billion over the next 10 years, although that number excludes future borrowers. If the program remains intact, education finance experts say the cost of the program will likely balloon in future years as more borrowers hear about the program, successfully enroll, and reach their 10-year payment mark.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness launched in October 2007, exactly ten years ago. Which means that this is the first month that any borrower could qualify for forgiveness. Its unclear if thats happened. If a first wave of borrowers did indeed receive their windfall, the Trump administrations Education Department did not  perhaps studiously  publicize the event.
The White House and Congress has been evaluating whether to reduce the pre-tax 401(k) contribution limit to potentially as low as $2,400 from $18,000. The move is a way to boost revenue as the government looks to cut taxes.

Economists and budget hawks call this a budget gimmick, since it would simply shift revenue that the federal government would collect to the future  essentially, a one-time cash boost.

While Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Tx), the GOPs chief tax writer in the House, may be looking for immediate income, he told Yahoo Finance at the All Markets Summit that he wants to encourage people to save more  and was looking for alternative means, besides 401(k)s.

However, many consider the 401(k) to be crucial in retirement savings over the past half century making one question very important: What happens to saving behavior if the 401(k) changes?

People who are not financially literate might be hurt

The average contribution last year was about $6,000. So limiting it to $2,400 would be a big whack, Olivia Mitchell, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and executive director of the Pension Research Council, told Yahoo Finance.

Mitchell said the biggest impact will be on those who are not financially savvy, which could be many people.

We know people are very financially illiterate so they tend to take what the employer puts in as the default, as advice, she said. Even if its not meant to be advice.

So, for example, people who might be saving $6,000  and probably should be saving even more  might take a new $2,400 cap as government-approved advice on what they should be doing. That could have a big impact decreasing retirement savings, said Mitchell.

Vanguard and Fidelity, titans of the retirement savings industry, share Mitchells analysis.

In an email, a Vanguard spokesperson noted that the company is concerned over any legislation that would negatively impact investors ability or incentive to save for retirement.

Story continues

Looking at the issue with the benefit of significant data, David Gray, senior vice president of workplace retirement plan solutions at Fidelity, echoed Mitchells idea that a lower cap would be seen as advice.

Important nudging tools will lose their effectiveness

The 401(k) has been one of the most effective tools to get Americans to save because of auto-enrollment, Gray told Yahoo Finance.

Plans that use auto-enrollment have 86% participation while plans that dont leverage auto-enrollment are only at 51% participation rates, said Gray. We are concerned that if we have low tax threshold pre-tax, such as $2,400, employers may only auto-enroll [employees] up to that level. There would be real impact on retirement participation.

Mitchell also noted that employer behavior also adds significant uncertainty into the mix. Would employers still match employee contributions? Would companies even participate? Would they even have 401(k)s if employee participation dropped? We just dont know because we havent seen any evidence, said Mitchell.

The automatic nature of modern 401(k) plans has been a boon for savings, Fidelity has found. Automatic enrollment at default amounts of money has effectively nudged tens of millions of Americans into saving for retirement. Compounding that, many companies have auto-increases in the amounts set aside, as well as target-date funds that make investing further automated.

Changing to a Roth IRA structure in which less money is automatically taken out of peoples paychecks could be a tricky business. It could also lead to a special re-enrollment period instead of simply defaulting people to contribute to a retirement savings plan.

If we have to go back and ask tens of millions of people to re-enroll, we are going to have people opt out or re-enroll at a lower savings rate, said Gray. We think thats a real risk.

Getting people to save for retirement is challenging, as Brady himself noted, and it could be dangerous to tweak the system  it could accidentally lead to even more underfunded retirements.

But the most important thing at play here, behaviorally, is inaction. Financial decisions are tough, complicated, and make a lot of people nervous enough to stick with the status quo. A change away from the automatic nature of 401(k)s could prove catastrophic if not handled well.

Itd be taking some inertia out of the system, said Gray. And every study shows inertia is working as a benefit for individual retirement savers.

Ethan Wolff-Mann is a writer at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @ewolffmann. Confidential tip line: emann[at]oath[.com].

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SPOILER ALERT: This recap of Week 7 of Dancing with the Stars contains spoilers.

Halloween came a day early on Dancing with the Stars, and producers for the ABC ballroom competition played the meanest trick ever. This years holiday spooktacular included a blue-haired Carrie Ann (or is it Scary Ann?) and a ton of Halloween puns, as well as the individual dances scored to spooky songs, and two theme-appropriate team dance themes. But even on Halloween  heck, especially on Halloween  somebody has to get the ax. Right?

Still, no one excepted the Grim Reapers envelope to contain the names of two eliminated couples. Thats right, the trick was on this weeks in jeopardy contestants, Vanessa Lachey and Nikki Bella, as both of them were sent packing. Parting words were not spoken. Tom Bergeron was out of time, and so were these two ladies. Cue the boos  and not due to ghosts!

Ahead of that nightmare, heres how the dances played out.

Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold: 30/30

Teen Wolf was in the house as Jordan Fisher danced a hairy Paso doble that Bruno Tonioli said had the visual impact of Michael Jacksons Thriller but with all the elements of the Latin dance style. It was insanely good, he said. Len Goodman told the star, You little devil, you dance like an angel. Jordan and Lindsay got a major treat: Three ghost-embellished 10s.

Frankie Muniz and Witney Carson: 30/30

Len Goodman isnt a fan of horror movies, but this creepy contemporary took his breath away. Bruno praised the storytelling and dramatic tension, calling the dance spine-tinglingly good. It was the first perfect score for Frankie.

Victoria Arlen and Val Chmerkovskiy: 27/30

There was nothing frightening about this Viennese Waltz to the song The Night We Met. Len said the dance was super and natural (see what he did there?), while Bruno noted that Victoria listened to the judges earlier comments about her arm movements.

Lindsey Stirling and Mark Ballas: 27/30

It was a painful Paso doble for Lindsey Stirling, who is suffering a rib injury. One day after an urgent care visit, the violinist got through her dance but had to sit down for the judges critiques. Carrie Ann Inaba said that while she could see the pain in Lindsays face, she didnt see it in her dance movements. The Paso doble is not a beast, you are the beast, Carrie Ann said.

Story continues

Drew Scott and Emma Slater: 27/30

Drew Scotts animated Charleston with reigning mirrorball champ Emma Slater included a slip-up that the judges thought was part of the choreography. Great save! Carrie Ann said the duo was so in sync, and Len admitted that while last week he thought the Property Brother was dead and buried, this week he was brought back to life.

Terrell Owens and Cheryl Burke: 25/30

T.O. got his freak on for a firestarter tango to Rick James Super Freak, and the judges gave his pro partner, Cheryl Burke, extra props for a job well done in the choreography department.

Nikki Bella and Artem Chigvintsev: 24/30

No hocus pocus here. The WWE superstars jive to the song I Put a Spell on You was set in a coffee shop, but Len thought the brew must have been decaf because the dance needed a bit more oomph. Bruno disagreed, saying you dont find coffee like that at Starbucks, but all the judges scored the dance an 8.

Vanessa Lachey and Maksim Chmerkovskiy: 24/30

Mrs. Lachey survived a spooky Paso doble with Maks, although Len thought the dance was lacking in Paso choreography. But as weve already learned, she didnt survive DWTS fright night.

Team Dances

Team Phantom of the Opera  Frankie Muniz, Drew Scott, Vanessa Lachey, Victoria Arlen and their respective partners  blew Team Monster Mash (Jordan Fisher, Lindsay Stirling, Nikki Bella and Terrell Owens) away, earning a perfect score for their perfectly synched routine as the other four pulled corn husks out of their costumes. Carrie Ann said it was the best team dance shes ever seen on the show.

Dancing With the Stars airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC. Watch clips and full episodes of DWTS for free on Yahoo View.

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People take part in the Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City: AFP/Getty Images

Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Mexico City to celebrate Dia de los Muertos  the Day of the Dead.

Mexicans dressed up and paraded decorated procession floats for the festivities, which take place every year between 31 October and 2 November.

Local media reported that around 300,000 people attended the celebrations  up from 200,000 last year.

Girls dressed as

Dia de los Muertos is a celebration of the lives of friends and family who have died. This year, those honoured included the people who lost their lives in the devastating earthquakes that hit Mexico in September. Two quakes two weeks apart left almost 500 people dead, including 228 in Mexico City alone.

One of the floats during the festival procession featured a raised fist made out of helmets, pick axes and rubble  a tribute to the people who rushed to search for survivors in the aftermath of the quakes.

The raised fist was used by rescue workers as a sign demanding silence as they listened for survivors in the rubble.

"We had an obligation to pay tribute to the fallen, while transmitting the message that the city is still standing," said parade coordinator Julio Blasina.

As part of the festivities, Mexicans dressed up as skeletons and the traditional Mexican La Catrina figure. Floats and more than 700 performers paraded along a four-mile route through the capital.

Volunteers who participated in the rescue operations following the September 19 quake in central Mexico take part in the Day of the Dead parade (AFP/Getty Images)

Dia de los Muertos is believed to originate in Aztec festivals that marked the time when, people thought, the dead returned temporarily to Earth. Similar festivals have been celebrated for up to 3,000 years.

The festival is most closely associated with Mexico but is also celebrated in several other South American and Caribbean countries, including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Haiti.
By Greg Lacour FORT BRAGG, N.C. (Reuters) - U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl was an efficient soldier who at times seemed conflicted about his unit's mission in Afghanistan before walking off his post in June 2009 in an act of desertion, his former squad leader testified on Tuesday. Bergdahl, 31, could be sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty on Oct. 16 to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. His defense lawyers are trying to avoid a prison sentence for the Idaho native, who spent years as a prisoner of Taliban insurgents. "He executed quickly, efficiently - no back talk, no questions," said former Sergeant Greg Leatherman, who was Bergdahl's squad leader the year he deserted. "He wanted to go out and get bad guys." Under cross-examination, Leatherman added that Bergdahl complained a lot about the military hierarchy and that the unit was not aggressive enough against the Taliban. "He wasn't sold on the mission we were fighting," Leatherman testified at the Fort Bragg military base in North Carolina. Bergdahl was released in a 2014 Taliban prisoner swap brokered by Democratic President Barack Obama's administration. He has no plea agreement with prosecutors, leaving his sentence up to Army Colonel Jeffery Nance. Bergdahl gave nearly two hours of unsworn statements on Monday, discussing his mental health and the torture and neglect he endured after being captured by the Taliban, factors the defense hopes will earn him leniency. During last year's presidential campaign, Republican candidate Donald Trump called Bergdahl "a no-good traitor who should have been executed." Nance has ruled that the comments by Trump, now president and commander in chief, had not affected the fairness of the court proceeding, but said he will consider them a mitigating factor. Another witness, who supervised Bergdahl's current work as a clerk at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, said he has been reliable. "There was less drama with Sergeant Bergdahl on a daily basis than most of the (non-commissioned officers) in our office," Audry Ellingson, Bergdahl's former supervisor, testified. Ellingson is a retired Army major who was serving in a civilian capacity at the time. Multiple service members called as witnesses by prosecutors spoke of the hazardous conditions they faced in the futile search for Bergdahl, who says he deserted to report "critical problems" in his chain of command. Several soldiers fell ill or were badly injured during hastily organized missions to find him. Master Sergeant Mark Allen, the most critically hurt, was shot in the head, leaving him unable to speak or walk. (Reporting by Greg Lacour; Writing by Colleen Jenkins and Scott Malone; Editing by Peter Cooney and Jonathan Oatis)
Reserve the Bronco for something that fits. Make it off-road capable. Make it look the part. Make it happen, Ford.

DETROIT  The 2020 Ford Bronco should be a lot like the 2017 Toyota 4Runner  that's what people who are excited about the Bronco want. They don't want a warmed-over Escape or another commodity crossover. It should be special.



That's what kept running through my head last weekend as I motored around in the 4Runner. It's blocky. It's old. The brakes are touchy and the suspension is bouncy. It's tuned for rocks and dirt. You can see really well out of it. A passenger took one glance at it and observed the 4Runner looks like "a 1990s SUV." Exactly.



I'm not saying drop a pushrod V8 in the new Bronco, but why even bother pulling the name out of mothballs if it's not going to live up to that rough-and-tough SUV heritage? Don't burn the Bronco name on anything less than a future icon.



Ford's luxury brand, Lincoln, played it right, using the Continental on a legitimate range-topping sedan that's elegant and sophisticated. The Continental looks like, well, a Continental, but it's contemporary. General Motors product boss Mark Reuss once told me that being "syrupy retro" is not the right call for his future products, and he's dead on. I love tailfins and big headlights as much as the next guy, but they're like glass Coke bottles. Not very practical in today's stuff-it-in-a-cupholder society.



There's still an appetite for these kinds of vehicles. The 4Runner actually outsold the Sienna minivan by about 7,500 units through September. You could argue the Sienna is an old vehicle, last redesigned for 2011, but the 4Runner hasn't had a major update since '10.



%Slideshow-201727%



So what should Ford do? It's playing the Bronco, and its platform-mate the Ranger, very close to the vest. Other than confirming last January that the vehicles would be built in Michigan, the Blue Oval has been pretty quiet on this front, as would be expected.



I'd suggest creating the feel you get from driving something like the 4Runner. Use some of the Bronco's styling cues from its 40-year run, make it off-road capable, and twist a few wrenches to make it fuel efficient. Grab whatever the F-150's medium-range engine is in 2020 and use that. Have seats for five with a good-size cargo hold. People will like all of that. The renderings from the Bronco6G forum are cool and internet gold. But the new one doesn't have to go that far. Just far enough so that buyers are psyched about buying a Bronco, yet still feel like they're driving a modern vehicle. The 4Runner feels dated in every respect. The idea of that vehicle in its best modern form is what Ford should aspire to create for the Bronco.



Mitsubishi is taking a different tack with the Evo, and I'd caution Ford to proceed cautiously if it were to pursue this option. The e-Evolution, a concept that debuted last week at the Tokyo Motor Show, is a sleek crossover that's nothing like the raw sport sedan we've come to love and embrace in spite of its flaws. Instead, the e-Evolution previews an electric ute with artificial intelligence capabilities. Mitsubishi put its most marketable name on a forward-looking prototype in an all-in bet that it can win in that niche.



It might be a good play for them. Ford doesn't need to do that. When it rolls out an electric, autonomous crossover that can make toast, a techy or futuristic name will suffice. Then reserve the Bronco name for something that fits. Make it off-road capable. Make it look the part. Make it happen, Ford.



Related Video:

Dont burn the Ford Bronco name on a warmed-over Ford Escape originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Oct 2017 11:20:00 EDT.
Donald Trumps job approval rating has sunk to even deeper depths in the latest Gallup poll.

Gallups tracking poll, based on a three-day rolling average ending Sunday, put Trumps average approval rating at 33 percent, the lowest of his presidency, with 62 percent disapproving of the job hes doing  a new high.

The survey comes on the heels of a NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll conducted Oct. 23-26 and released Sunday that found that 38 percent of Americans approved of Trumps job performance while 58 percent disapproved. The poll found a fall off among independents and Trumps core supporters. The approval rating was the lowest for any modern president at a similar point in their terms.

Both polls were conducted before Trumps former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Manaforts former business associate Rick Gates were hit with charges in the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller into Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election.

Still, news reports that the indictments against someone were coming leaked over the weekend, which may have had an impact on the Gallup numbers.

Gallup reported earlier this month that Trumps average approval ratings for the third quarter of the year stood at 36.9 percent, down from his second quarter ratings of 38.8 percent.

The Gallup poll is conducted among 1,500 adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Trump has consistently fared worse this year in Gallups polling than in many other surveys, but several recent surveys have showed him dipping back below 40 percent approval after a modest September uptick.

HuffPost Pollsters aggregate of public polling gives Trump an average 38 percent approval rating as of Monday evening, with about 58 percent disapproving.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
President Donald Trump already celebrated Halloween by bodyshaming children and insulting their parents. Now he's blanked a kid dressed up as a Tyrannosaurus rex. Happy Halloween!

Trump awkwardly avoided a child dressed up as a T. rex while handing out candy to costumed kids before the White House's Halloween event on the South Lawn on Monday.

SEE ALSO: NASA's Halloween playlist features the eerie sounds of space

Greeting a stream of tiny guests, the president and first lady Melania Trump were met with an inflatable prehistoric foe.

Just watch the 45th president of the United States, commander-in-chief, unable to deal with a simple Tyrannosaurus.

WATCH: President Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcome trick-or-treaters to the White House https://t.co/aTbkA9auMu  NBC News (@NBCNews) October 30, 2017

No handshake. No high five. No candy.

Just two pairs of tiny hands, and not a handshake in sight.

The first lady was slightly more... elated.

Meanwhile, can someone get these cobwebs cleaned up? What a dump.
Donald Trump has sought to distance himself from the charges filed against his former campaign manager, saying the indictments related to incidents before Paul Manafort joined his insurgent bid to win the White House.

Over the weekend, as reports swirled that one or more of Mr Trumps team was to be charged, Mr Trump published an series of angry tweets in which he denounced the Russia investigation and again sought to suggest it was his defeated rival, Hillary Clinton, who should be probed.

On Monday, as the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller said it had charged Mr Trumps former campaign manager, Mr Manfort and business associate Richard Gates, with 12 counts including money laundering and conspiracy against the US, the President sought to put space between himself and the unfolding events.

Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????, he wrote on Twitter.

Under the way the special investigation was established, Mr Mueller would have been obliged to inform Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosentein that he was set to announce charges.

Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 30, 2017

Despite intense speculation over the weekend that Mr Manafort might be one of the people to be charged on Monday - FBI agents had raided his Virginia home in July - no word leaked out ahead of the formal announcement from the Special Prosecutors office.

Mr Manafort joined Mr Trumps campaign in March 2016 and became the campaign manager in June of that year, his first task to ensure that although Mr Trump had won the Republican primary, senior figures in the party opposed to him did not seek to use the convention in Cleveland as a vehicle to sideline him and vote in another presidential campaign.

Story continues

He left the campaign in August.

The 31-page indictment that listed 12 charges against the two men, listed alleged offences said to have taken place between 2006 and 2015. As Mr Trump pointed out, this was before Mr Manafort was associated with his presidential run.

Even before the charges were announced, Kellyanne Conway, who with Steve Bannon took charge of Mr Trumps campaign after Mr Manafort stood down as controversy grew over his dealings with former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, suggested they were not linked to Mr Trump or the 2016 campaign.

Whatever happens today with the Mueller investigation, were not even sure it has anything to do with the campaign, she told Fox News.

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Donna Karan is still haunted by her controversial comments defending Harvey Weinstein.

In a new interview with Good Morning America's Robin Roberts, the 69-year-old designer apologizes for defending the now disgraced studio mogul during an interview at the CineFashion Film Awards earlier this month. In video published by The Daily Mail, Karan was asked about Weinstein, and suggested that women may be "asking for it" by the way they dress.

I think we have to look at ourselves," Karan said. "Obviously, the treatment of women all over the world is something that has always had to be identified. Certainly in the country of Haiti where I work, in Africa, in the developing world, its been a hard time for women. To see it here in our own country is very difficult, but I also think, how do we display ourselves? How do we present ourselves as women? What are we asking? Are we asking for it by presenting all the sensuality and all the sexuality?"

Karan's comments sparked backlash against the designer, with celebrities such as Rose McGowan, Patricia Arquette and Megyn Kelly speaking out against her.

Megyn Kelly Slams Donna Karan's Controversial Comments on Harvey Weinstein

"First of all, I want to say how sorry I am," Karan now tells Roberts, after initially saying her comments were "taken out of context" in a statement. "What I said is so wrong, and not who I am. I made a huge, huge mistake."

"I love women. I absolutely adore women," Karan adds. "I care about them. I'm a mother, I'm a grandmother. You know, and I've never done this before, and I will never, ever do it again."

Karan blames her comments on being exhausted from a long flight.

"I had just come from a 14-hour plane trip," she shares. "I walked into a situation that I wasn't prepared for in any circumstances whatsoever."

She also says she was not fully aware of the accusations against Weinstein when she was asked about the scandal. Multiple women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct, and in some cases, rape. Weinstein's spokesperson has previously said in a statement that "any allegations of non-consensual sex are unequivocally denied" by Weinstein.

Story continues

"I had been away for a month and a half," Karan explains. "I heard a whisper, but there were whispers all over. ... It wasn't till a day and a half after that I truly heard about it. That's my honest truth. I didn't know."

Rose McGowan Speaks Publicly for the First Time Since Harvey Weinstein Scandal

Last month, Kelly opened her NBC show, Megyn Kelly TODAY, with her thoughts on Karan's comments, and said she would never wear the designer's clothing again.

"Unfortunately, she [Karan] is not the only one who apparently thinks this way and it is wrong. It's seriously wrong," Kelly said. "Let's be perfectly clear right now. Women sometimes make bad fashion choices, including at the office. This does not invite their own harassment. Period. End of report. There are laws in this country. Laws. I don't give a damn if a woman shows up in a bikini to the office, that doesnt invite or make it OK for her superior to harass her. It makes it OK for her boss to say, Go home and change. That's it."

ET recently spoke with George Clooney, who passionately addressed the "infuriating" sexual harassment claims against Weinstein.

Watch below:

Related Articles
In the future, cars will drive us. And probably not surprisingly, they'll often know where to go without us even needing to tell them.

That's the theme of a short back-and-forth conversation on Twitter recently between Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk and a user who tagged him in a comment suggesting that "it would be cool" to be able to tell a car where to go. Responding to user James Harvey, Musk replied, "It won't even need to ask you most of the time." Later, after Harvey asked how the car would know where he wants to go, another user suggested that the car would know what time you go to work. "Yeah, don't exactly need to be Sherlock Holmes," Musk tweeted.

It won't even need to ask you most of the time  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 21, 2017

Yeah, don't exactly need to be Sherlock Holmes.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 21, 2017

That the ability to know where we're going will be part of our future driving experience shouldn't be surprising. After all, the smartphones we carry around already possess the ability to predict what we want  think Google's cleverness in tailoring search results or providing traffic information just before your commute, Facebook's highly customized News Feed content or even auto-fill technology, which can predict the words you're typing. And plenty of automakers have been touting their own work in developing in-car artificial intelligence systems. Like Audi's Elaine concept, which will be able to learn, think and even empathize with drivers. Or Mitsubishi's e-Evolution concept, which can not only assist your driving, but also assess your skills and teach you how to improve them.

Story continues

Tesla's vehicles, of course, are being outfitted with all the latest autonomous driver-assist technology, with the automaker eager to one day reach full Level 5 self-driving capability. According to Inc., Teslas will be able to listen and respond to directional commands, and they'll even have access to your calendar to comb for information about where you need to go. Tesla has also said it's developing an update to its Autopilot hardware and remains on track to achieve full Level 5 autonomous driving by the end of this year, which strikes a lot of people as wildly unrealistic.

At any rate, the promise of cars knowing what time we're sneaking out to get donuts or picking up the kids is interesting, coming from the man who has warned that AI presents "a fundamental risk to the existence of human civilization."



Related Video:

Elon Musk: Teslas will already know where were going originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Oct 2017 13:00:00 EDT.
The two women who were rescued last week by the U.S. Navy after being stranded at sea on a sailboat for more than five months are now dealing with a different kind of challenge: Answering what experts claim are huge questions surrounding their story.

Jennifer Appel and Tasha Fuiava, who both live in Hawaii, and two dogs were rescued last Wednesday by the crew of the USS Ashland, after being spotted the day before by a Taiwanese fishing vessel 900 miles southeast of Japan.

The two set sail for Tahiti from Oahu, Hawaii, on May 3, a trip that should take a few weeks. The stranded mariners claim their tale of woe began on that first day when they were battered by what Appel told the Associated Press on Friday, termed a force 11 storm that damaged the boats rigging and mast.

Honolulu meterologist Norman Hui, however, told CNN there were no organized storm systems near the Hawaiian Islands on the dates of May 3, 2017, or the few days afterward.

CNN says it contacted Appel and Fuiava about the discrepancy, but as of Tuesday afternoon they had not responded.

The women encountered another storm in late May that killed the boats engine, according to Appels comments to AP. Still, they continued by sail.

They told AP they had radios, satellite phones, GPS and other emergency gear, but that all those devices went on the fritz around the same time. Thats something Phillip R. Johnson, a retired Coast Guard officer responsible for search and rescue operation, found strange.

Theres something wrong there, Johnson told AP. Ive never heard of all that stuff going out at the same time.

One rescue device that did work may have been the most important of all: the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, or EPIRB. The alert signal sends a location to rescuers within minutes and can be activated either manually or automatically.

Tasha Fuiava (left) and Jennifer Appel said they were stranded at sea for more than five months, but experts are skeptical about key parts of their story. (Photo: Screenshot courtesy of Timecom)

Appel confirmed to AP on Tuesday that the boat had the beacon, but they decided not to use it because they didnt feel they were in imminent physical danger.

Story continues

Our hull was solid, we were floating, we had food, we had water, and we had limited maneuverable capacity, Appel said in Japan, where the U.S. Navy took them after they were rescued. All those things did not say we are going to die. All that said, its going to take us a whole lot longer to get where were going.

Boating expert Linus Wilson wonders if the women made up parts of their story.

Several of Ms. Appels statements about her voyage do not check out and dont ring true to many experienced sailors, Wilson told ABC News by e-mail. I think a reasonable person may start out thinking that Ms. Appel was just a foolish skipper, but it seems likely many events that she recounts may have been fabricated to sensationalize the story.

It would be a shame if someone used a very expensive U.S. Navy rescue as a publicity stunt, he said.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Russian attempts to skew the 2016 US election through Facebook reached much, much further than first thought. Numerous publications (including Axios, NBC News and the New York Times) have obtained Facebook's prepared testimony for the Senate, which reveals that Russia-linked pages reached 126 million American users between January 2015 and August 2017. That's over half of the social network's US base, for those keeping track. About 80,000 pieces of divisive material were shown to 29 million users whose likes, shares and follows spread the content to many more people.

There's more beyond that. Facebook also deleted over 170 Russia-linked Instagram accounts that had made about 120,000 posts, and it had discovered security threats against politicians that stemmed from APT28, the hacking team regularly connected to Russian military intelligence.

Facebook was quick to downplay the volume of Russian posts in its testimony. There were over 11 trillion total posts from Pages on Facebook between 2015 and 2017, the company said. And it's true that merely seeing a post doesn't mean you notice it, let alone that you believe what it says. However, that doesn't change that a significant portion of those 126 million people interacted with those posts. That's millions of people who unwittingly played a part in what appears to be a massive Russian disinformation campaign.

The company certainly isn't alone when Google and Twitter have also found evidence of meddling. This is a broader problem with how underprepared internet companies were to deal with such a broad attempt to influence the American public. However, Facebook doesn't look good in light of this testimony: it had initially claimed that its content didn't influence the election at all, and now it's admitting that Russian operators were wildly successful in sowing chaos (even if only some people fell for the ploy). The company's rush to fix its ad system before the 2018 mid-terms just took on an added sense of urgency.

Update: Ahead of the upcoming testimony, Google detailed many of its findings in a blog post with associated PDFs.
A little under a year ago, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg dismissed as pretty crazy the idea that a disinformation campaign could have used his site to influence the outcome of the election.

With regulators now breathing down his neck for exactly that reason, Zuck might wish he could take those words back.

On Tuesday, Facebook general counsel Colin Stretch, along with his counterparts at Twitter and Google, testified before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism, where he disclosed that Facebook facilitated the spread of Russian-backed content to an estimated 126 million Americans during the 2016 election.

That figure is based on Facebook data indicating that 120 Russian-backed Facebook pages published 80,000 posts between January 2015 through August 2017 (with an influence campaign potentially stretching back as early as 2014). Those posts were in turn seen directly by 29 million Americans, who, by interacting with them, distributed the falsities throughout their own personal networks.

That means more than half of all eligible voters in 2016 saw deliberately misleading political content pushed by a foreign adversary on Facebook.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg stands in front of a slide boasting about user engagement during his address at the company's 2011 developers conference. (Photo: Robert Galbraith / Reuters)

And yet, Facebook continues to downplay its own influence. In testimony, Stretch emphasized that Russian propaganda constituted just 1 out of every 23,000 posts on the site, and therefore couldnt have significantly affected the elections outcome.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) printed out several examples of the content in question, including one from the now-defunct Heart of Texas page, which had around 225,000 followers during the campaign last summer. The post in question  later identified as Russian  claims to represent American military veterans disapproval of Hillary Clinton:

(Photo: CSPAN)

Another of Coons examples was more than a mere ad, he said  it represented a national security issue. The post in question, claiming to represent a Miners for Trump group, called on its followers to rally for a Unity Day in Pennsylvania on Oct. 2.

Story continues

[The page] duped Americans into coming to an event that was nothing but a fake, said Coons.

(Photo: CSPAN)

Youve said these things are vile and you take responsibility for changing, [yet] were nearly a year after the election, Coons remarked, then pointedly asked Stretch: Why has it taken Facebook 11 months to understand the scope of the problem and begin to address it, when former President Obama cautioned your CEO literally nine days after the election that this was a big problem?

Coons was referring to reports that Obama pulled Zuckerberg aside last November and personally appealed for him to take the threat seriously.

Stretch deflected, noting that Facebook has taken action since then and that Obamas comments to his boss were more about fake news generally.

Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, says he has reason to believe Facebook (and Twitter and Google, which saw similar disinformation campaigns) still has yet to fully uncover the full extent of the meddling.

This cycle  wherein Facebook denies, then begrudgingly admits, there could have been a small problem, then drastically revises its numbers weeks later, all while still downplaying its own role  has been the norm since Zuckerberg famously dismissed the possibility that fake news couldve influenced the election in any way.

Heres a brief timeline of Facebooks year of denial:

 In July, a Facebook spokesman told CNN: We have seen no evidence that Russian actors bought ads on Facebook in connection with the election.

 Two months later, Facebook announced Kremlin-linked accounts had indeed actually spent around $100,000 promoting 3,000 political ads amplifying divisive social and political messages across the ideological spectrum.

 Amid the fallout of the ad buy news, Zuckerberg minimized the ads impact, noting the campaigns themselves spent hundreds of millions to advertise on Facebook. Thats 1000x more than any problematic ads weve found, he wrote.

 In early October, Facebook revealed those 3,000 ads may have had more of an impact than they first realized, as they were seen by around 10 million people in the U.S., a population roughly equivalent to the entire state of North Carolina.

 Which brings us to Wednesday, when the company will again amend its data and reveal it exposed 126 million Americans to a disinformation campaign, all while downplaying its own influence.

This story has been updated to include comments from the hearing.

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Mark Mesiti faces life imprisonment without parole: Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department

A father who pled guilty to the repeated drugging and sexual abuse of his daughter and to her murder, has requested to retract his admission of guilt, it has been reported.

Mark Mesiti, 49, of Modesto, California, was convicted of the murder of his daughter Alycia Allen-Mesiti and 48 other felony sexual assault crimes earlier this month, after his trial was cut short when he entered a guilty plea in exchange for escaping the death penalty.

His guilty plea means he is facing life imprisonment without parole, but on Friday the family of his daughter were told by the Stanislaus County District Attorneys Office that he intends to ask a judge to allow him to withdraw his plea, the Mercury News reported.

Alycia was officially reported missing at the age of 14 in 2007 but is understood to have been killed in 2006, less than a year after her father had been awarded custody of herself and her brother. Mesiti was granted custody despite holding convictions for drunk driving and bank fraud, the newspaper reported.

Mesitis daughters body was discovered buried in her fathers former backyard in 2009. An autopsy found she he died of acute drug intoxication, and her body showed traces of a number of drugs including opiates, morphine, methamphetamine, and anti-depressants.

The DAs office said detectives searching Mesitis LA home at the time of his arrest found he was operating a methamphetamine laboratory and that he possessed hundreds of thousands of images child pornography, hundreds of which showed his daughter being sexually assaulted while unconscious.

Mesiti was convicted of rape, sodomy, oral copulation and child molestation involving his drugged daughter on several occasions, and of taking sexually explicit photographs of his daughter. He also admitted to sexually assaulting and photographing two other minors.

The judge has yet to return a decision on Mesitis request to change his plea.
Ousted U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara ribbed President Trump on Twitter Tuesday, advising the president to keep tweeting as Trump was firing off angry missives about the charges against three of his former campaign officials: Paul Manafort, Rick Gates and George Papadopoulos.

Keep up the tweeting. Seriously, keep it up, Bharara wrote.

He was responding to two tweets in which the president quoted Paul Manaforts [sic] lawyer dismissing the notion that the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlin. Trump also suggested, once again, that the target of special counsel Robert Muellers investigation should be Democrats.

Keep up the tweeting. Seriously, keep it up. https://t.co/I0Yjdd8whR  Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) October 31, 2017

Bharara was the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, whose purview included Trumps hometown of New York City. Bharara was fired by the Justice Department in March after refusing to resign.

Though its common for presidents to replace U.S. attorneys appointed by a predecessor of the opposite party, Bharara said Trump had agreed to keep him on after he visited the then president-elect at Trump Tower. Their relationship apparently changed.

Bhararas position on Trumps tweeting also has apparently changed. When Yahoo News asked him in June whether he would advise Trump to curb his freewheeling use of Twitter, Bharara passed on the opportunity.

Im going to let Donald Trump keep his own wise counsel, Bharara said.

Trump appears to be doing so. Shortly after sending the Manafort tweets Tuesday morning, Trump took to Twitter again to complain about the lack of investigation of Democrats. What he [sic] know about Crooked Dems is..earth shattering, the commander in chief wrote.

On Monday, Trump similarly took to Twitter in an attempt to downplay the announcement that Manafort and Gates had been indicted, and that George Papadopoulos had already pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

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Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why arent Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus????? Trump wrote.

Manafort, Trumps former campaign chairman, and Gates, Manaforts deputy and business partner, were charged with 12 counts, including conspiracy, money laundering and tax evasion. Papadopoulos, a campaign foreign policy aide, admitted to making false statements about his outreach to Russians during the campaign.

According to the Washington Post, the president spent most of Monday fuming about the cable news coverage of the indictments.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Monday that there is no intention or plan to make any changes in regards to the special counsel. But if Trump fired Mueller, Bharara said, Congress should impeach the president.

If Donald Trump fires Robert Mueller, he should be impeached. Period.  Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) October 31, 2017

Reminder: Robert Mueller was appointed by Trump's OWN Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein whom Trump himself nominated and praised to high heaven.  Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) October 31, 2017

Read more from Yahoo News:
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office issued a serious warning for parents after deputies found jars filled with bath salts during an arrest, according to WESH.

Deputies in Franklin County, Florida, said that after trying to pull over a speeding vehicle on Wednesday morning, the car's driver led them on a high-speed chase.

After successfully stopping the vehicle, police discovered a glass mason jar under the driver's seat that was full of a multi-colored, crystal-like substance.

Officials said that it was so difficult to distinguish the synthetic drug from candy that the substance had to be taken to a lab for testing before it could be identified as bath salts.

See photos of the drugs:

Experts said that the drug could potentially prove fatal if consumed by a child.

"The youth are top priority at this time and we would like to encourage all parents to speak with their children about this drug," deputies said in a statement. "Please be extra precautionary by looking thoroughly through candy and making sure each is wrapped as well as sealed properly."

Authorities recommend parents do not allow their children to accept any Halloween treats that are not completely sealed or a well-known type of candy.
Donald Trumps former campaign chairman and an associate pleaded not guilty Monday to charges brought by special counsel Robert Mueller as part of his inquiry into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Dressed sharply in a dark suit and cerulean necktie, longtime political consultant Paul Manafort was led into a second-floor courtroom in a federal district court building two blocks from the Capitol on Monday afternoon.

He was barely audible to the rest of the courtroom when he affirmed to U.S. District Magistrate Deborah A. Robinson that he understood the charges brought against him.

His attorney, Kevin Downing, and a public defender representing Rick Gates both entered not guilty pleas to all charges in the indictments, which charged the two men with conspiracy against the U.S., acting as unregistered agents of foreign principals, and several other financial crimes, alleging that they laundered millions of dollars earned from their political work in Ukraine.

They are the only charges to emerge so far from the broad investigation into possible collusion between Trumps campaign and the Russia. Though the indictment did not mention Trump or his campaign, it was also announced on Monday that another Trump campaign aide, foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos, had pleaded guilty on Oct. 5 to lying to the FBI about his conversations with foreign nationals apparently linked to high levels of the Russian government.

A spokesperson for Rick Gates, Manaforts longtime deputy who was involved with the Trump campaign on an ad hoc basis, said in a statement on Monday that Gates welcomes the opportunity to confront these charges in court.

The spokesperson, Glenn Selig, also suggested that this unexpected and hasty proceeding was designed to accommodate perhaps political and press considerations.
New York (AFP) - French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Tuesday he will soon travel to Iran to prepare a visit by President Emmanuel Macron and raise concerns about Tehran's missile programs and regional role.

The visit comes as France is hoping to salvage the nuclear deal reached between Iran and world powers after President Donald Trump refused to certify the agreement, leaving its fate to Congress.

Speaking to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, Le Drian again defended the nuclear deal saying it "removes the possibility for Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon."

"But that does not prevent us from being firm and demanding on the other issues" such as Iran's missile program and it regional activities, he said.

Iran has been criticised for providing military backing for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and support to Shiite rebels in Yemen as well as Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

Le Drian said he would raise those concerns during his visit expected to take place during the second half of November.

Macron would be the first French president to visit Iran since 1976, but the foreign minister did not give dates for that trip.
Tariq Ramadan is a fellow at St Antony's College, Oxford - Corbis Entertainment

French prosecutors are investigating allegations by two women who say they were raped by an Oxford University professor. Tariq Ramadan, Professor of Islamic Studies, vehemently denies the allegations. 

One woman, Henda Ayari, confirmed last week to The Telegraph that she had filed complaints against Prof Ramadan of rape, sexual assault, violence, harassment and intimidation with the prosecutor's office in Rouen, northern France.

Now police say two complaints are being investigated.

Ms Ayari, 40, a former salafist and now a secularist feminist author, said that Mr Ramadan had assaulted her in a Paris hotel in 2012. She said she had decided to "name and shame" Prof Ramadan as a "pervert guru" following the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

A second woman, 45, who wishes to remain anonymous, has also filed a complaint for rape against the renowned Islamic scholar, which she said took place in 2009.

Given the "similarity of the (alleged) events", Paris prosecutors have added her complaint to Ms Ayari's as part of an investigation launched on October 23, a judicial source confirmed to AFP.

Speaking to French media on Monday about her alleged ordeal at the hands of Prof Ramadan, Ms Ayari said: "He literally pounced on me like a wild animal."

She told BFM TV she had gone to the scholar's hotel room to ask him questions about Islam and at the time "I admired him very much".

Referring to the alleged rape, she said "he kissed me really hard... then for a few seconds he choked me, I really thought I was going to die".

She said that in his eyes, "either you're veiled or you are raped", adding that he "uses Islam to satisfy his sexual urges".

The second woman - a convert to Islam - has alleged that she was raped by Prof Ramadan in the Hilton hotel in Lyon in 2009. The woman told Le Monde that he had suggested they go to his room because "everyone is looking at us".

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Once inside, she said he had kicked away crutches she was using due to an injured leg and "jumped on me".

"You kept me waiting now you will pay dear," she alleges he said.

The woman alleged she was violently assaulted, receiving slaps to the "face, arms and breasts" and punches to the stomach, before being raped, including with "an object". He then dragged her to the bathroom by her hair and urinated on her, she alleged. She went straight to a doctor and has medical evidence of her assault, she alleges.

The unnamed complainant said she later received a text message from Prof Ramadan asking to see her again "as if we had spent a wonderfully romantic and tender evening together". After she refused she alleged she was subjected to "months of harassment and threats from men who followed me in the street; one threatened to kill me".

Prof Ramadan denounced the allegations as "a campaign of slander clearly orchestrated by my long-time adversaries".

He had already filed a complaint for slander and defamation against Ms Ayari and said he would do the same against the second woman.

Prof Ramadan, the grandson of the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, was chosen by Tony Blair, the former prime minister, to work on a task force to help tackle extremism in the UK after the 7/7 attacks in London in 2005.

A spokesman for Oxford University last week said: "We are aware of these reports and are taking them extremely seriously. We are not in a position to comment further at this time."

Respected in the UK as a scholar who is not a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Mr Ramadan is a deeply controversial figure in France, where some have accused him of wishing to pursue rigorist political Islam in the West through stealth.
Razer, the U.S.-Singapore firm that produces PCs and peripherals for gamers, is set to raise as much as $550 million from its Hong Kong IPO after it revealed its price range.

The company first filed to go public in July, and today it confirmed that it plans to offer 1,063,600,000 shares at a range of HK$2.93-HK$4.00, that's around $0.38-$0.51. If the full allocation sells at that top price then the listing would raise $550 million, at mid-range that's HK$3.5 billion or $450 million.

12-year-old Razer plans to spend the proceeds on developing new product verticals -- it is expected to announce its first mobile device before the end of this year -- funding acquisitions and R&D, and also growing its brand via increased marketing initiatives.

It already has an impressive following -- its most devoted fans sport tattoos of the Razer logo -- thanks to a mantra of selling products that are "For Gamers, By Gamers."

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Three-quarters of revenue comes from the sales of PC accessories like gaming mice, souped up keyboards, specialist headphones and more, but the firm branched into PC devices with the Razer Blade, a high-performance laptop dedicated to portable gaming that costs more than $2,000, and it bought audio visual brand THX in 2016. Despite the price, margins on the Blade are low at under three percent.

Razer said in its prospectus that it isn't likely to be profitable for some time as it is focused on expanding its business. Beyond hardware it is betting that a digital services play can leverage its brand to pay dividends, with its payments platform -- funded by another acquisition -- representing a critical part of that strategy. It aims to grow its presence in key markets like China, where it claims to be the top gaming accessories brand, and North America, which already accounts for 50 percent of sales.

Story continues

That's yet to come and Razer can point to being profitable in 2014 -- to the tune of $20.3 million -- before losses in 2015 and 2016, $20 million and $59.6 million, respectively. The former, it said, was largely down to the cost of an aborted U.S. listing, while its most recent financial year saw an increase in stock options and more R&D. Excluding that compensation, Razer's loss for 2016 was a more modest $20.6 million.

Revenue-wise, Razer is in a tricky spot. Total sales growth hasn't been amazing, instead the company's real opportunity is that the global games industry itself will expand to give it more customers to sell to.

There's precious little analysis on the peripherals space but a report commissioned by Razer itself concluded that gaming peripherals were a $2 billion market in 2016. With the base of global gamers predicted to jump from two billion in 2016 to 2.7 billion in 2021, Razer is pitching investors on that opportunity coupled with its forays into mobile, AV, services and payments.

Existing backers who have already bought into the vision include Foxconn, Intel, IDC-Accel and Hong Kongs richest man, Li Ka-shing, who invested via his Redmount Ventures fund.

The SCMP reports that they'll be joined by committed IPO investors Singapore fund GIC, real estate firms Kingkey (China) and Singhaiyi (Singapore), cigarette group Djarum from Indonesia, and Macau-based casino owner Loi Keong Kuong. A tranche of shares for the public will be offered up this week.

Alongside Razer, Tencent's China Publishing Group -- an Amazon Kindle-like ebooks business -- is also going public in Hong Kong. The HKSE has increased its appetite for tech firms after selfie app make Meitu raised $629 million in a December listing.
Ottawa (AFP) - Cyberattacks on Canadian government computers by what a minister described Tuesday as gangsters, rogue states and "geeks in basements" are on the rise, but are also failing more, according to a report.

The nation's ultra-secretive eavesdropping agency or Communications Security Establishment (CSE) however concluded that Canada is not doing enough to fend off intruders.

"Some of it is just nuisance," Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale told reporters. "Some of it is criminal in intent."

"It comes from organized crime. It comes from rogue states. It comes from foreign militaries. It comes from geeks in the basement," he said.

In the report, the CSE found that the government blocks more than 600 million attempts each day to identify or exploit system vulnerabilities.

Between 2013 and 2015, this included more than 2,500 state-sponsored cyber attacks. The culprits were not identified, but Ottawa previously said that China was responsible for a major cyberattack on its National Research Council in 2014.

"Although more than six percent of these attempts breached the government of Canada's systems in 2013, this number had fallen to less than two percent in 2015," it noted.

Still, Ottawa's investment in security systems remains "inadequate," the CSE said.

The government's outreach to the private sector has also largely failed because, according to the agency, "private sector companies seem to lack trust in the public sector's ability to safeguard their information."

According to a senate committee studying cybersecurity and cyberfraud, eight million Canadians fell victim to a cybercrime last year.

Goodale said cyber crimes cost businesses around the world an estimated Can$400 billion each year, and that figure is predicted to rise to Can$2 trillion annually by 2020.

Given allegations of Russian meddling in last year's US presidential vote, Ottawa is also taking measures to safeguard its elections.

The CSE warned in a separate report earlier this year that "almost certainly multiple hacktivist groups will deploy cyber capabilities in an attempt to influence the democratic process in 2019," when the next federal elections are scheduled.
More and more schools are teaching personal finance to students.

Traditionally, students must complete math, English and science credits to graduate from high school. At Oconomowoc High School in Wisconsin, seniors must now also learn about 401(k)s before they earn their caps and gowns.

Starting with this years freshman class, personal finance will be a required course for students at Oconomowoc High School. The nine-week class meets for 90 minutes every weekday, and students earn a half credit for passing. Using data from financial trends, the curriculum has been designed to help students with issues they will face in the real world, including taking out and paying off student loans, using credit cards, reading and signing leases, plus investing and saving.

Whether it is evaluating a university based on the expected debt load necessary to attend or learning the basics of retirement investing and compounding interest, we want our students to be financially literate, said John Flannery, director of curriculum at Oconomowoc Area School District. We believe this requirement ensures all students will leave with acquired skills to prepare each for these scenarios in their future.

The school has offered personal finance as an elective class since 2003, with many students taking it after being encouraged by parents. That said, Kyla Stefan, Oconomowocs business education teacher, has seen students become empowered after taking her class. Many past students often commented that the class was so meaningful that it should be required for all students at the high school, she told Yahoo Finance.

States adopt financial literacy standards

Oconomowoc isnt the only school making personal finance a priority. Statewide, Wisconsin has made significant moves toward making such courses mandatory in its schools. Just last June, the Wisconsin Assembly passed a bill requiring school boards to adopt academic standards for financial literacy and implement them into classrooms.

Across the nation, there are only five states that require a standalone course in personal finance for high school graduation. The first state to implement the standard was Utah, where students have been required to complete a semester-long financial literacy course since 2008.

Story continues

Only 17 states require students to take a personal finance course.

In the past decade, Virginia, Missouri, Tennessee, and Alabama have also made personal finance courses a requirement for graduation. Topics covered in these courses range from saving and investing to selecting the right insurance.

While the graduation mandate hasnt been enforced everywhere, the Council for Economic Education (CEE) reports that 17 states do require students to take a course in personal finance during high school. In many cases, these courses are not standalone, and may simply be a topic covered in another class. Only 20 states require students to take a class in economics.

The encouraging news is that states are becoming more and more concerned with the lack of financial literacy. In Massachusetts, lawmakers have filed 10 different financial education bills. In Pennsylvania, House Bill 429, which proposes new laws to mandate financial literacy courses for high school graduation, is up for a vote.

The question now is not if schools will mandate financial literacy in schools, but when. For Oconomowoc High School, that time is now.

Whether its reading a mortgage statement or evaluating an auto loan  we know our students will face these financial decisions each day, said Flannery. We feel it is our responsibility to provide each student with the knowledge and skills to be a bit more prepared.

Brittany is a reporter at Yahoo Finance.

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WATCH: Hillary Clinton joked that she would go as the president for Halloween. pic.twitter.com/JOMKUmWV0Y  NBC News (@NBCNews) October 31, 2017

Hillary Clinton doesnt seem to have a Halloween costume in the works this year, but she sure knows what shed be in a pinch.

During an interview with the former secretary of state on Monday, author Cheryl Strayed asked what Clinton was going to be for Halloween. The 2016 Democratic contender laughed and said she had one costume in mind.

See the video above for Clintons response.

Needless to say, her answer was met with thunderous cheers.

Clinton spoke with author Cheryl Strayed in Chicago on Monday as part of her "What Happened" book tour. (Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski / Reuters)

In recent weeks, Clinton has been busy promoting her new book, What Happened, about the 2016 election. Shes also used the tours appearances to lambaste the Trump administration and speak out on news events, such as the Las Vegas shooting.

When asked at a signing in Chicago about the latest indictments leveled by special counsel Robert Mueller, Clinton said, I have a great chapter about Russia in here.

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Trying to get shit done while a man lurks disapprovingly behind you pretty much sums up womanhood pic.twitter.com/HYnkbcrqXq  Emma Gray (@emmaladyrose) October 10, 2016

Hillary Clinton is every competent, experienced woman who's had to fight to be heard over an underqualified, overconfident man.  Mary Beth Williams (@embeedub) October 10, 2016

this is how I felt before getting a root canal like I knew I would survive but it was going to be deeply unpleasant  Julia Carrie Wong (@juliacarriew) October 10, 2016

behind every strong woman is a man wondering why he can't grab her  pic.twitter.com/CqVHTM4K5Y  Aparna Nancherla (@aparnapkin) October 10, 2016

TFW you are a woman walking home alone at night #debate pic.twitter.com/1QdcMCMLS5  Alex Berg (@AlexfromPhilly) October 10, 2016

Interesting to see Donald Trump do live onstage what so many women have reported: getting in your space, trying to physically intimidate you  Sara Benincasa (@SaraJBenincasa) October 10, 2016

he's hovering like a dude who bought you a single drink at the club  Hannah Giorgis (@ethiopienne) October 10, 2016

Hillary Clinton had the look every woman ever has on her face when her male boss who's a 1000 times dumber than her is talking. #debate  non-pussy eating guy (@DesiJed) October 10, 2016

I wouldn't shake Donald Trump's hands either based on what I know what he's grabbing  #debate  Akilah Hughes (@AkilahObviously) October 10, 2016

this is why i refuse to "debate" MRA twitter eggs. because it's literally exactly like this. actually it's more coherent & respectful.  Lindy West (@thelindywest) October 10, 2016

Hillary's face right now is every woman when everyday sexism is dismissed as "lockerroom talk" #debate  Ashley Csanady (@AshleyCsanady) October 10, 2016

watching this as a woman is so emotionally difficult because we've all been belittled like this by a male moron and had to take it #debate  Claire Fallon (@ClaireEFallon) October 10, 2016

Crying. This is how it feels to be a woman. You follow all the rules and try to be professional and he talks over you about nothing. #debate  Megan Ganz (@meganganz) October 10, 2016

Hillary's self-control as a man talks down to her is something every woman has strived to have at one point. Get it, girl. #Debates2016  Courtney Kochuba (@CourtKochuba) October 10, 2016

Hillary is proof a woman can work hard, rise to the top of her field & still have to compete against a less qualified man for the same job.  Erin Ruberry (@erinruberry) October 10, 2016

Hillary Clinton is every woman who's ever been in a meeting with a man. pic.twitter.com/DxHKyNHHz0  HuffPostWomen (@HuffPostWomen) October 10, 2016

I like when he tells a lie then immediately calls her a liar-its like every bad relationship that ends w/the guy sayin "idk bitch was crazy"  Marcella Arguello (@marcellacomedy) October 10, 2016

Hillary is every woman who has conscientiously prepared only to be patronized by some entitled, ignorant jerk.  Amanda Kolson Hurley (@amandakhurley) October 10, 2016

Just like in the last debate, Hillarys face is frozen in a look of noncommittal, thinly veiled frustration that every woman has perfected.  Krista (@nonsoccermom) October 10, 2016

Note to my male friends who might not realize: Trump's standing behind her is a bullying tactic. Abusive men do this to us all the time.  Melissa Ryan (@MelissaRyan) October 10, 2016

Every woman watching has had a creepy dude pace behind her. #debates  Erin Judge (@erinjudge) October 10, 2016

When he interrupts you to tell you what a gentleman he is. pic.twitter.com/eK3goiTyH3  Amy Dillon (@amydillon) October 10, 2016

When this happens to me on a sidewalk, I basically start running. pic.twitter.com/dcg3KsOXdB  Meredith Shiner (@meredithshiner) October 10, 2016

why is trump standing right behind her like that, his body language reminds me of every abuser i've ever encountered. #debate  Elizabeth Plank (@feministabulous) October 10, 2016

hillary clinton: ....okay, donald. #debate hillary clinton is every woman who has ever had to talk to a belligerent man  Julia Berry (@juliaeberry) October 10, 2016

Hillary is every woman who has had enough. #Debate pic.twitter.com/3VqsuDscdn  Dracuella Dawson (@brosandprose) October 10, 2016

When you getting ready to light his ass up with facts pic.twitter.com/BLtSn9nudq   (@monielovex) October 10, 2016

Literally if I was Hillary I'd just be like "Suck it. Thank you."  Emily McCombs (@msemilymccombs) October 10, 2016

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Netflixs popular political drama House of Cards will end after its upcoming sixth season.

A Netflix representative confirmed the news to TIME Monday after an initial report from TVLine. According to Netflix, the decision to end House of Cards is not because of recent sexual assault allegations against one of the shows stars, Kevin Spacey.

Sunday night, Spacey was accused of making a sexual advance towards actor Anthony Rapp in 1986 when Rapp was just 14 years old. Hours after the story broke in a BuzzFeed report, Spacey posted a statement on his Twitter account apologizing for his deeply inappropriate drunken behavior, and officially came out as gay.

On Monday, Netflix and House of Cards production company Media Rights Capital issued a joint statement say they were deeply troubled regarding the allegations. In response to last nights revelations, executives from both of our companies arrived in Baltimore this afternoon to meet with our cast and crew to ensure that they continue to feel safe and supported, the statement said, adding that Spacey was not working on set at this time.

Netflix began production on House of Cards sixth season earlier this month even though the company never announced that another season was on its way.

The shows creator and former showrunner, Beau Willimon, released a statement Monday in response to the allegations against Spacey.

Anthony Rapps story is deeply troubling. During the time I worked with Kevin Spacey on House of Cards, I neither witnessed nor was aware of any inappropriate behavior on set or off, Willimon wrote. That said, I take reports of such behavior seriously and this is no exception. I feel for Mr. Rapp and I support his courage.

Spacey drew swift condemnation from some critics who felt that the two-time Academy Award winners decision to come out in the same statement apologizing to Rapp was used as a distraction from the sexual assault allegations.

Coming-out stories should not be used to deflect from allegations of sexual assault, GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement.
Nuclear test by Kim Jong-uns regime may have weakened the site

A tunnel at North Koreas nuclear test site has collapsed, killing as many as 200 workers, and sparking fears of a leak of nuclear materials.

About 100 people are said to have been trapped inside the unfinished tunnel at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site.

An additional 100 people may have been killed when a second collapse occurred, Japans TV Asahi reported.

It is not known why exactly the disaster occurred, or the exact numbers of fatalities.

Experts have warned that the site may have become unstable after a series of weapons tests.

Commercial satellite imagery of the Punggye-ri Nuclear Test Facility released on May 3, 2017 (Airbus Defense & Space and 38 North)

South Korea said that another nuclear blast could trigger a collapse of the mountainous site and a leak of radioactive materials.

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Earlier this month monitoring agency 38 North said that the launch site was suffering from Tired Mountain Syndrome  a geological condition that occurs when underground nuclear blasts cause the surrounding rock to become weak and permeable.

Five of the countrys six nuclear tests have been carried out at this location.

Earlier this week North Korea ramped up its rhetoric by stating that the promise of a nuclear bomb test should be taken literally.

The countrys foreign minister, Ri Yong Ho, said last month that Pyongyang was considering conducting the most powerful detonation of a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific ocean.

That threat, made after Donald Trump vowed to totally destroy North Korea if they continued their nuclear programme, has been given more weight by Ri Yong Pil, a senior diplomat in North Koreas Foreign Ministry.

He told CNN: The foreign minister is very well aware of the intentions of our supreme leader, so I think you should take his words literally.
Washington (AFP) - Two former Donald Trump associates were indicted Monday and it was revealed another has pleaded guilty to lying to FBI investigators, in the first substantial legal action stemming from the probe into Russia's US election interference.

There is nothing to date that directly ties the president to Russian efforts to sway the 2016 election. But actions by his aides, and his refusal to strongly condemn Moscow interference, have fueled lingering suspicions.

Here is an outline of what we know about the indictments and charges.

- Who's been charged? -

Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is the highest-profile figure in the president's orbit to face charges in the probe led by special counsel Robert Mueller.

The White House has said Manafort, who began working for the campaign in March 2016 and resigned under pressure five months later, "played a very limited role for a very limited amount of time."

Manafort, 68, pleaded not guilty Monday afternoon hours after he and business partner Rick Gates turned themselves in to the FBI.

Gates, 45, is a Manafort business partner who served as Manafort's deputy during the campaign. While Manafort was forced out, Gates reportedly stayed on, with a role in the presidential transition team.

George Papadopoulos -- who pleaded guilty on October 5 to making false statements, according to court documents unsealed Monday -- was a foreign policy advisor on Trump's campaign. In 2016 he met with Russia contacts and sought meetings between Trump campaign officials and members of Russian President Vladimir Putin's office.

The guilty plea by Papadopoulos, who was arrested July 27, is seen as the sharpest evidence yet of possible collusion between the campaign and Russia.

- What are the charges? -

A 31-page indictment details 12 charges against Manafort and Gates, including conspiracy against the United States and conspiracy to launder money.

The two stand accused of hiding millions of dollars earned working for former Ukrainian politician Viktor Yanukovych and his pro-Moscow political party, and avoiding paying taxes on the income.

Story continues

Manafort and Gates were also charged with not filing reports of foreign bank accounts, and not registering as agents of a foreign power as they lobbied the US government on behalf of Ukraine.

Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to making false statements, and hiding contacts with a Moscow-linked professor offering "dirt" on Trump's election rival Hillary Clinton.

- Trump's reaction -

The president has long dismissed the Russia investigation as "fake news." He reacted dismissively to Monday's announcements, even seeking to turn attention to Clinton.

"Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????" he posted on Twitter.

"Also, there is NO COLLUSION!"

Several Democratic lawmakers warned Trump Monday not to interfere with Mueller's probe. The White House said he had no plans to change the special counsel.

- Explosive highlights -

Papadopoulos confessed he had lied to FBI investigators about his extensive meetings with Russian contacts and his efforts to, in the words of the court document, "arrange a meeting between the Campaign and Russian government officials."

He emailed Trump campaign contacts saying he had met with a female Russian national whom he described as "Putin's niece," in an effort to coordinate a meeting between the campaign and "Russian leadership."

Papadopoulos admitted that in April 2016 he met with a professor claiming close contacts to Russian officials who had obtained "dirt" on Clinton, as well as "thousands" of her emails.

The Manafort indictment details brazen illegal activity. The pair moved more than $75 million through offshore accounts and shell companies between 2006 and 2016.

They laundered $18 million. The tax-free money helped Manafort fund a "lavish lifestyle" that included purchasing multi-million-dollar properties and luxury goods and services for himself and family.
Every year, thousands of individuals apply to medical schools across the U.S. While the majority are American citizens or permanent residents, international students also apply.

The Association of American Medical Colleges reports that in 2014 almost 2,000 international applicants sought admission to U.S. medical schools and 409 secured acceptances.

All things considered, these numbers are encouraging and should give international applicants hope that they can attend medical school in the U.S. However, the admissions process is difficult and requires careful planning.

Here are four steps to follow to help you succeed in gaining admission to a U.S. medical school.

[Get more tips for international students pursuing U.S. medical schools.]

1. Know where to apply: Not all U.S. medical schools accept international students. According to 2014 AAMC data, 62 medical schools stated they would accept international students' applications.

Before you apply, make sure you have reviewed the admissions requirements for each school. Identify the institutions that accept international applicants and find out their requirements.

2. Complete academic requirements: Almost all U.S. medical schools recommend that applicants have a bachelor's degree, and many require it. As an international applicant, you will be at a significant competitive disadvantage if you do not have a bachelor's degree.

Undergraduate coursework in the U.S. will give you a stronger advantage. Keep in mind that the American Medical College Application Service will not accept foreign education transcripts, verify them or calculate a grade point average.

Because of this, almost all U.S. medical schools require international applicants to complete coursework in America before applying. Some require a year of U.S.-based coursework, while others ask that all medical school prerequisites be completed in the U .S.

[Discover why flexibility is key for international prospective med students.]

Story continues

Virtually all schools treat coursework from Canada the same as the U.S. Stanford University states on its website that courses taken at an accredited institution in the United Kingdom are also acceptable.

Before applying to U.S. medical schools, try to complete one to two years of university-level education in the U.S. with a focus on prerequisites and upper-division biology courses. Make sure you take these courses at a four-year university and not a community college. A postbaccalaureate program or a graduate science program is also a good option and acceptable at many schools.

3. Gain clinical and service-based experience: American medical schools seek applicants who have developed an understanding of the medical profession by working in the clinical setting alongside physicians. They also look for applicants who have demonstrated a passion for service, especially to the underserved.

It is a good idea to get started on these experiences before moving to the U.S., but it is absolutely crucial to continue these activities in America before applying to medical school.

You want to show medical schools that you are familiar with the American health care system and the work culture in this country. You can achieve this by participating in clinical and community-service based activities. These experiences in America can also serve as a valuable way to improve your language skills, particularly in developing strong patient communication abilities, which are crucial to your success as a medical student.

[Learn how to develop strong clinical experiences for medical school.]

4. Hone English proficiency for the MCAT: While your English proficiency will affect your medical school studies, it will also play a key role in how you perform on the MCAT, which requires strong critical reading skills.

For the MCAT Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills and the Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behavior sections, you are expected to read, understand and analyze English text on a broad range of topics. Work hard to improve your language skills by taking courses in English writing and literature, reading books in English and expanding your communication skills.

Accomplishing these four tasks can seem daunting, but if you are set on training at a U.S. medical school, they are achievable.

Azadeh Salek, M.D., is a contributor at Admissions Helpers, which helps prospective health professional students apply to various graduate programs in the health fields.
In 2013, AMP Motors went from being a company converting traditionally powered vehicles to electrification, to being an OEM, essentially overnight. As Workhorse CEO Steve Burns told Autoblog during a phone interview, a company called Navistar got in trouble with the EPA, fired their CEO and "just had a fire sale and started selling off everything that was non-core to their core business. And one of them was this Workhorse facility," located in Union City, Indiana. "So we bought the brand and the intellectual property, and the plant, and everything. One shot."



Several years later, AMP is now called Workhorse Group, and that plant in Union City will build the first mass-produced electric pickup truck, the Workhorse W-15. That's assuming the company stays ahead of the likes of Tesla, which has plans for its own EV pickup. As a refresher, the W-15, unveiled in May of this year, is technically a plug-in hybrid. More specifically, it's an electric vehicle with a gasoline range extender. On a full charge, it can do 80 miles on electric power, and achieves 32 miles per gallon highway and 28 mpg city when using the gas motor. Its dual electric motors provide 460 horsepower, and push it from 0-60 miles per hour in 5.5 seconds. It can carry 2,200 pounds of cargo in the bed, and is rated to tow 5,000 pounds. Its battery also helps to serve as a mobile power supply, and a 7.2-kilowatt, 30-amp outlet on the side can be used to power tools or other equipment.



For Burns, building the first electric pickup (unless you count the tiny, unsuccessful runs from Ford and Chevy) is a task that carries a lot of "gravity." "Pickup truck is the No. 1 vehicle," he said, "No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 best-selling vehicles in America  and there isn't even a mild hybrid pickup truck. And so we figured it's not going to come from the incumbents."



In spite of Tesla's intentions, Workhorse isn't sacrificing security for haste. That's why the company has been taking preorders to gauge the demand for a PHEV pickup. "We couldn't build it and hope they came. We wanted to make sure there was an audience of customers."





Story continues









But they sure came. Workhorse has almost $300 million worth of preorders for the W-15 (and already had 4,650 letter-of-intent preorders when it was unveiled in May), which it plans to begin building in late 2018. "All fleets" so far, Burns said. "We're just doing fleets, to start. We do have an immense amount of individuals that have written us and want it, but we haven't gone that route yet."



So, of course, we asked, will Workhorse go that route?

"Pickup truck is the No. 1 vehicle  No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 best-selling vehicles in America  and there isn't even a mild hybrid pickup truck. And so we figured it's not going to come from the incumbents."



"Yeah," said Burns, "I think we will. The demand is so strong, and I think fleets will let us cut our teeth in kind of a controlled environment. Then we'll probably open it up to individuals to place preorders, kind of like a Tesla. Put money down on a credit card, something like that, just to hold their place in line and to make sure the demand is what we think. And then, maybe in '19  late '19  start filling those orders after we get through the fleet orders."



But why the range extender? Why not go pure electric? "The thing with pickup trucks," said Burns, "is they're kind of different than a passenger vehicle in that suddenly they can double their weight, right? They can tow something heavy. They can throw 3,000 pounds in the bed. So whatever range you thought you were going to get really can be diminished very quickly, and we think people would be disappointed." Workhorse's customers  fleets  sometimes need to do more than 80 miles a day, or carry a big payload, and the range extender is an " insurance policy" for them. Also, it allows for a smaller battery pack, which helps keep the price down.









Speaking of which, the W-15 will cost about $52,500. "When you say $50,000 for a pickup truck, a lot of people say, 'Well that's a normal pickup truck,'" Burns said, the kind an everyday consumer would purchase. "Fleets are usually buying really stripped-down ones that are less expensive. But the fact that these people have ordered these tells us, at that price point, they see where the curves cross. It's a little more than a Ford F-150 gasoline truck out of the gate, but it quickly pays for itself in gas and maintenance savings."



In preparing to launch the W-15, Burns has been spending a lot of time in Detroit. That's where a lot of its parts will be manufactured before being shipped to Union City for assembly. Burns spoke of the city and its "gung-ho folks" with reverence. "I've come to think of Detroit as just a magical place," Burns told us. "Anything you need, you can get built there."



As busy as Steve Burns may be with the W-15 (which he referred to as "the most complicated thing we've done"), Workhorse has a lot of other projects in the works. The company also continues to build electric delivery trucks, and is competing to provide the U.S. Postal Service with its next mail truck. Workhorse also recently demonstrated an automated delivery drone that launches from the roof of a UPS truck. The company is also taking on the challenge of building a personal hybrid flying machine. We talked about all those projects with Burns, and will follow up in separate post soon.



Related Video:

Interview: Workhorse CEO Steve Burns on the W-15 electric pickup originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Oct 2017 11:00:00 EDT.
Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel and Palestinian officials held a rare high-level meeting in Ramallah as the United States seeks to kickstart stalled peace efforts, officials said on Monday.

President Donald Trump's special envoy for international negotiations, Jason Greenblatt, wrote on Twitter that the meeting on Sunday night in the West Bank city of Ramallah was attended by Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah, Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and senior Israeli defence ministry official Yoav Mordechai.

"Important progress last night between Israeli & Palestinian sides," Greenblatt tweeted.

"Meaningful steps forward on key economic issues -- revenues, customs, and investment -- that help support the search for peace," he added.

Mordechai's office confirmed his participation in the talks but said no more.

Official Palestinian news agency WAFA said that Palestinian finance minister Shukri Bishara also took part as well as head of intelligence Majid Faraj.

WAFA said the meeting covered Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank, its blockade of the Gaza Strip and joint economic projects.

WAFA said the talks dealt with a number of issues, "foremost of which is the settlement campaign, lifting of the siege of the Gaza Strip and financial issues related to the financial entitlements of the Palestinian National Authority."

Israeli newspaper Haaretz said the gathering was the second by the same participants in the past six months.

It said that one project on the table was for an industrial zone adjacent to the southern West Bank village of Tarkumia which would employ local Palestinians and Israeli settlers.

Greenblatt and Trump's Middle East envoy and son-in-law Jared Kushner have been ferrying between Israeli and Palestinian leaders for months.

A White House official said on Sunday that both men had "recently returned from Saudi Arabia" -- a previously unannounced visit -- following Greenblatt's earlier talks in Cairo, Amman, Jerusalem and Ramallah.

Story continues

"As President Donald J. Trump has clearly stated, he is personally committed to achieving a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians that would help usher in an era of greater regional peace and prosperity," the official said.

"A few months ago, the president directed his advisers to continue discussions with regional partners about how best to support the peace effort," the official added.

"Those conversations are still ongoing."
By Brendan Pierson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New Jersey pastor was sentenced to five years in prison for scheming to help an illegal bitcoin exchange escape scrutiny from banks and regulators.

Trevon Gross, 47, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan in Manhattan, who also ordered him to pay a $12,000 fine, U.S. prosecutors said.

A lawyer for Gross could not immediately be reached for comment.

The bitcoin exchange involved in the case, Coin.mx, was linked to an investigation of a data breach at JPMorgan Chase & Co, revealed in 2014, that exposed more than 83 million accounts.

Gross was convicted by a jury in March along with Yuri Lebedev, a Florida software engineer.

Prosecutors charged that Gross took bribes from Lebedev and the operator of Coin.mx, Anthony Murgio, including $150,000 in donations to his church, HOPE Cathedral in Jackson, New Jersey. In exchange, they said, Gross helped Murgio take over a small credit union associated with the church.

Murgio used the credit union to evade scrutiny of banks wary of processing payments involving the virtual currency, prosecutors said.

Lebedev, who was accused of working for Coin.mx through a front called Collectables Club, was sentenced to 16 months earlier this month. Murgio pleaded guilty in January and in June was sentenced to 5-1/2 years in prison in June.

The trial followed an investigation rooted in the JPMorgan data breach, which lead to charges against nine people.

Gross, Lebedev and Murgio were not accused of hacking but prosecutors said Coin.mx was owned by an Israeli, Gary Shalon, who was behind the JPMorgan hack.

Prosecutors have said Shalon, together with Maryland-born Joshua Samuel Aaron, orchestrated cyber attacks that resulted in the theft of information from more than 100 million people.

Prosecutors said they carried out the hacks to further other schemes with another Israeli, Ziv Orenstein, including pumping up stock prices with promotional emails.

Shalon, Aaron and Orenstein pleaded not guilty to criminal charges.

(Reporting By Brendan Pierson; Editing by Bill Trott)
WASHINGTON  Adding to the resounding criticism of White House chief of staff John Kellys comments about the Civil War, the leader of the Congressional Black Caucus on Tuesday said the remarks fit a larger pattern of repeated attempts to whitewash history by President Donald Trumps administration.

Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) also took the administration to task for a continued inability to apologize when it is flat out wrong.

In a Fox News interview that aired Monday night, Kelly said that a lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War. He also defended Confederate leaders and said the war was fought by men and women of good faith on both sides.

John Kelly needs a history lesson, Richmond said in a statement. The Civil War was not a disagreement between men and women of good faith on both sides. It was a struggle for the soul of this country. Thankfully, the right side won the war and slavery is no longer the law of the land.

Numerous historians on Tuesday scorned Kellys remarks. This is profound ignorance, said David Blight of Yale University.

And in a series of tweets, The Atlantics Ta-Nehisi Coates broke down why Kellys comments were incorrect, noting that lawmakers had compromised numerous times on the issue of slavery before the war finally came in 1861.

Shocking that someone charged with defending their country, in some profound way, does not comprehend the country they claim to defend, Coates said of Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general.

In the interview, Kelly also praised Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee as an honorable man, and expressed concern over the removal of numerous Confederate statues  an effort that has accelerated following the deadly violence sparked by a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August.

Human history, our culture is an evolving thing, Kelly said. There will be, 100 or 200 years from now, people that criticize us for what we do, and I guess theyll tear down, you know, statues of people that we revere today.

Story continues

Trump has taken a similar stance on Confederate statues. The president also famously argued that both sides were to blame for what happened in Charlottesville and that some very fine people were among those participating in the white supremacist rally.

Richmonds statement reiterated his criticism of Kelly for refusing to apologize to Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), after earlier this month he misrepresented a speech that she made, while attacking her character.

He is starting to sound a lot like his boss, Richmond said of Kelly.

Also on HuffPost

Militia groups, KKK members, the Sons of Confederate Veterans and other far-right groups gathered at the Civil War battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on July 1, 2017, and spoke out against the removal of Confederate monuments across the U.S.

Billy Snuffer (right), the Imperial Wizard for the Rebel Brigade of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, stands on the Gettysburg battlefield with another Klan member.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said on Monday that a lack of ability to compromise led to the Civil War and called the removal of Confederate monuments a dangerous scrubbing of history.

Kelly, speaking to Fox News Laura Ingraham during the debut of her new show, The Ingraham Angle, made the comments when asked about his thoughts on the removal of two plaques honoring President George Washington and Gen. Robert E. Lee at a church in Alexandria, Virginia.

I think we make a mistake, though, and as a society and certainly as, as individuals, when we take what is today accepted as right and wrong and go back 100, 200, 300 years or more and say: What Christopher Columbus did was wrong, Kelly said. You know, 500 years later, its inconceivable to me that you would take what we think now and apply it back then.

Ingraham trying to get Kelly to support Confederate monuments, which she calls little markers of history.  Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) October 31, 2017

He went on to describe Lee, a Confederate general who fought for Southern states rights to own slaves, as honorable.

I would tell you that Robert E. Lee was an honorable man.

He was a man that gave up his country to fight for his state, which, 150 years ago, was more important than country. It was always loyalty to state first back in those days. Now its different today. But the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War. And men and women of good faith on both sides made their stand where their conscience had to make their stand.

The leaders of Christ Church in Alexandria said this month it would relocate two plaques honoring Washington and Lee after deciding they may create an obstacle to our identity as a welcoming church, The Guardian reported. The move follows an impassioned summer of activism that saw the removal of many Confederate statues around the United States, which led to protests including a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Story continues

There are certain things in history that were not so good and other things that were very, very good, Kelly told Ingraham when speaking about the removal of monuments. I mean, human history, our culture is an evolving thing. There will be 100 or 200 years from now people that criticize us for what we do, and I guess theyll tear down, you know, statues of people that we revere today.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Chief of staff John Kelly defended Confederate monuments and claimed a failure of both sides to compromise led to the American civil war

Sarah Sanders and John Kelly confer at the White House on Tuesday. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images

The White House on Tuesday stood by chief of staff John Kellys defense of Confederate monuments and his assertion that a failure to compromise led to the American civil war.

In an interview with Laura Ingraham on Monday night, Kelly suggested that both the Union and the Confederacy acted in good faith and made their stand where their conscience had them make their stand.

His remarks reignited the debate over Confederate monuments fueled by his boss, Donald Trump, who earlier this year blamed both sides in the wake of deadly violence during a white nationalist protest against the removal of a statue of Robert E Lee.

The comments drew immediate backlash, as many observers noted that the matter the north and south couldnt compromise on was slavery. Southern states began to secede after the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860. Although Lincoln did not favor the abolition of slavery, southerners found his support for limiting the institution to the states and territories where it already existed to be unconscionable.

Notion that civil war resulted from a lack of compromise is belied by all the compromises made on enslavement from Americas founding, said Ta-Nehisi Coates, a prominent intellectual and author who has written extensively about race in the United States.

I mean, like, its called the three-fifths compromise for a reason, he added, referring to provision in article 1, section 2 that provided that for purposes of representation in Congress, slaves would be counted as three-fifths of a person. But it doesnt stand alone. Missouri Compromise. Kansas-Nebraska Act.



On Tuesday, the press secretary, Sarah Sanders accused the media of falsely perpetuating a narrative that the White House is racially charged and divided.



Because you dont like history doesnt mean you can erase it and pretend it didnt happen, she said during the press briefing. And I think thats the point that General Kelly was trying to make. To try to create something and push a narrative that simply doesnt exist is just frankly outrageous and absurd.



Story continues

Instead she blamed Democratic-leaning groups such as the organization behind a controversial opposition advertisement in the Virginia gubernatorial race for stoking political racism. In the ad, minority children are intimidated by a white man driving in truck with a Confederate flag and a bumper sticker supporting the Republican in the race.



Sanders also claimed there is historical documentation to support Kellys claim that an inability to compromise was a cause of the bloodiest conflict in American history.

Theres a pretty strong consensus from people from the left, the right, the north, and the south that believe that if some of the individuals engaged had been willing to come to some compromises on different things, then it may not have occurred, she said.

Pressed on Kellys comments, she expressed exasperation with reporters: Im not going to get up here and relitigate the civil war.

Trumps predecessor in the White House, Ulysses S Grant, described the southern cause as one of the worst for which a people ever fought, and one for which there was the least excuse. Grant was a Union general during the war and rose to command the United States army.

Kellys comments echoed those made by Donald Trump in the aftermath of the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August, when a white supremacist drove his car into counter-protesters, leaving one woman dead and several others injured. The president sparked controversy in the days that followed by blaming violence on both sides, appearing to put neo-Nazis and white supremacists on equal footing with demonstrators from the left.

What happened in Charlottesville on 12 August?

White nationalists gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia, to protest against a plan to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee, the Confederacys top general in the American civil war.

Demonstrators chanted racist statements, carried antisemitic placards and held torches during the Unite the Right rally, which was organised by white nationalist Jason Kessler.

The march was met by anti-fascist demonstrators, and some skirmishes broke out before James Fields, 20, allegedly ploughed a car into a group of counter-demonstrators.

Civil rights activist Heather Heyer, 32, died and others were injured. Fields has been charged with murder.

White supremacist protesters have sought to use Lee as a symbol of their movement, while government officials across the country have called for dozens of Confederate-linked monuments to be removed from public grounds.

Kelly, a retired general who was named Trumps chief of staff in August, argued it was dangerous to take down historical markers simply because they were being viewed in a different light.

It shows you  a lack of appreciation of history and what history is, Kelly said.

By framing the civil war as an issue of states rights, Kelly perpetuated a popular claim on the right that downplays the role of slavery as central to the conflict. But while declaring their right to secede from the Federal Union, delegates from Confederate states cited the future of slavery as fundamental to their cause.

Delegates in South Carolina referred to an increasing hostility on the part of the non-slaveholding States to the institution of slavery in their secession declaration, while Mississippi proclaimed in its own secession declaration that slavery was the greatest material interest of the world.



And while there was little doubt that President Abraham Lincoln was morally opposed to slavery, he initially pursued a centrist approach toward slaveholders in the south and their opponents in the north. Lincoln did, however, campaign vigorously against the expansion of slavery into new states and territories.



Kelly did not say in his interview with Fox News what compromise would have been feasible to prevent the civil war.

During his appearance, Kelly also declined to walk back his attacks on Representative Frederica Wilson, a Democratic congresswoman who made public details of Trumps phone call with the widow of a US soldier killed in the ambush in Niger.

Kelly sharply criticized Wilson at a White House press briefing earlier this month as an empty barrel and falsely stated the congresswoman had bragged in a speech he attended about securing funding for a building dedicated to two fallen FBI agents. Video footage of Wilsons speech showed she did not make comments matching Kellys characterization.

Asked by Ingraham if he felt the need to apologize, Kelly said he would never do so.

Well, Ill apologize if I need to. But for something like that, absolutely not, he said. I stand by my comments.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) fired off another shot at President Donald Trump and his supporters, attacking everything from crackpot conspiracy theories to the proposed border wall with Mexico.

Its time to wake up, McCain told midshipmen at the Naval Academy on Monday night, per the Capital Gazette. I believe in America. Were capable of better. Ive seen it. Were hopeful, compassionate people.

McCain then lamented the loss of compromise and principled cooperation.

We are asleep to the necessity of our leadership, and to the opportunities and real dangers of this world, he said, according to The Hill. We are asleep in our echo chambers, where our views are always affirmed and information that contradicts them is always fake.

The six-term senator didnt mention the president by name, but he addressed both Trumps policies and rhetoric:

We have to fight against propaganda and crackpot conspiracy theories. We have to fight isolationism, protectionism and nativism. We have to defeat those who would worsen our divisions. We have to remind our sons and daughters that we became the most powerful nation on earth by tearing down walls, not building them.

He also posted that quote on Twitter.

McCain, who graduated from the academy in 1958, became emotional during the speech, thanking the midshipmen for the sacrifices they will be asked to make for those who wont be asked to make sacrifices for you, The Associated Press reported.

He also participated in an extended Q&A session since were not doing anything in the Senate.

Related...

John McCain Models The Courage Of Bipartisanship

John McCain May Have Saved The Republican Party

The Ineffable Character Of John McCain

Trump Threatens To Stop Being 'Nice' To John McCain

Also on HuffPost

Melania and I send our thoughts and prayers to Senator McCain, Cindy, and their entire family. pic.twitter.com/SO4XYgnyug  President Trump (@POTUS) July 20, 2017

John McCain is an American hero & one of the bravest fighters I've ever known. Cancer doesn't know what it's up against. Give it hell, John.  Barack Obama (@BarackObama) July 20, 2017

John and I have been friends for 40 years. He's gotten through so much difficulty with so much grace. He is strong - and he will beat this.  Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 20, 2017

John McCain is as tough as they come. Thinking of John, Cindy, their wonderful children, & their whole family tonight.  Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 20, 2017

.@SenJohnMcCain is a hero to our Conference and a hero to our country. pic.twitter.com/Ld2lQH1mMn  Leader McConnell (@SenateMajLdr) July 20, 2017

.@SenJohnMcCain has always been a warrior. It's who he is. All of us, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans, are behind him. pic.twitter.com/B6iDpPultM  Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) July 20, 2017

.@SenJohnMcCain is a hero, a patriot and a fighter. I am privileged to call him a friend. Paul & I pray for his recovery and his family.  Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) July 20, 2017

As hes shown his entire life, dont bet against John McCain. Best wishes to him for a swift recovery.  Bill Clinton (@billclinton) July 20, 2017

Hang in there @SenJohnMcCain. You're tough! You can beat this. Fight, fight, fight! I am proud to call you my friend.  Gabrielle Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) July 20, 2017

To say @SenJohnMcCain is a fighter is an understatement. Time and time again, he has shown all of us how to be courageous under fire.  Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (@SenatorHeitkamp) July 20, 2017

Counting on the legendary John McCain strength to give cancer its toughest fight ever. Rooting for you, dear friend.  Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) July 20, 2017

Hey John! We can't wait to welcome you to the club. You got this! @SenJohnMcCain #cancersurvivors  Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) July 20, 2017

I love @SenJohnMcCain. Unbeatable, unbreakable. He's Teddy Roosevelt's "man in the arena" even when we're on opposite sides. God bless. pic.twitter.com/0sBY4QynWp  John Kerry (@JohnKerry) July 20, 2017

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Senator John McCain has issued a veiled critique of President Donald Trump, warning future service members to be wary of propaganda and crackpot conspiracy theories and the "seductions of authoritarian rule".

The comments came during Mr McCain's speech to the United States Naval Academy, where he urged students to push back against current trends in American politics.

We have to fight against propaganda and crackpot conspiracy theories, Mr McCain said. We have to fight isolationism, protectionism, and nativism.

The line appeared to be a critique of Mr Trump, who ran on a nationalist, "America-first" platform. The President has also made several false claims, including that former President Barack Obama was not born in the US.

Mr McCain did not mention the President by name, but  in a comment that drew applause from the audience  repeated a common critique of Mr Trumps proposed border wall with Mexico.

We have to remind our sons and daughters that we became the most powerful nation on earth by tearing down walls, not building them, he said.

A Navy veteran and former prisoner of war, Mr McCain has been a vocal critic of Mr Trump throughout his time in office. The Naval Academy speech came just weeks after the Senator spoke out about half-baked, spurious nationalism in America, in what many considered to be a rebuke of the Trump administration.

On Monday, Mr McCain compared current leadership to that of former President George HW Bush.

We have gone from an interval when the global success of democracy seemed assured to a time in which the seductions of authoritarian rule find favour with many, he said, when self-interested leadership excuses naked aggression with weak rationalizations; when ethnic grievances haunt the old and religious fanaticism fires the minds of the misguided young.

The Senator also condemned those he claimed had attacked the associations, rules, values and aspirations that comprise the international order  a veiled critique of Mr Trumps America first manifesto. The President recently withdrew from UNESCO, and has refused to certify Irans compliance with a landmark nuclear deal.

Story continues

But the 81-year-old Senator  who was recently diagnosed with brain cancer  ended on a note of hope, telling the midshipmen that he still believes in America.

Were capable of better. Ive seen it, Mr McCain said. Were hopeful, compassionate people. And we still have leaders who will uphold the values that made America great, and a beacon to the oppressed.
A police officer carries a school girl on his back to get her out of the scene after she was caught up in running battles with police and protesters - EPA

Renewed protests erupted in parts of Kenya on Monday night after Uhuru Kenyatta was declared president of a bitterly divided nation for the second time in three months.

Claiming a resounding mandate to serve a second five-year term, Mr Kenyatta accepted victory after securing 98 per cent of the vote in an election boycotted by his rival Raila Odinga.

But with just 38.8 per cent of voters choosing to participate in the election, Mr Kenyatta faces a struggle to assert his authority and legitimacy over a fractured country increasingly polarised on ethnic lines.

Dozens of people have been killed in electoral violence over the past three months and, even as government supporters held muted celebrations, rioting broke out in Nairobis slums, while protesters also gathered in Mr Odingas strongholds in western Kenya.

The president also knows from experience that being declared winner of an election does not guarantee assuming office. His victory in August was overturned by the supreme court, which found illegalities and irregularities in the way the vote was counted.

A protester hurls a stone at the police during a standoff between Kenyan police and supporters of Kenyan opposition leader Credit: FREDRIK LERNERYD/ AFP

A new challenge seems highly likely, given that the constitution requires a presidential election to be held in all 290 of Kenyas constituencies. Voting was abandoned in 25 western counties without a ballot being cast after security forces clashed with opposition supporters trying to prevent polling stations opening.

Given Mr Odingas refusal to participate in the court-ordered rerun, claiming that a failure to enact reforms meant the second election would be no fairer than the first, the presidents victory looks more likely to worsen Kenyas political crisis than resolve it.

Mr Odinga, who has promised to lead a peaceful campaign of civil disobedience and national resistance, is expected to speak to his supporters on Tuesday.

Raila Odinga addressing thousands of his supporters as he drives through Kawangware slum after attending a church service in Nairobi, Kenya Credit: DANIEL IRUNGU/ EPA

Western diplomats, church leaders and human rights activists have warned that Kenya, which witnessed more than 1,300 deaths after a disputed election in 2007, risks sustained violence unless the president and his rival negotiate a way out of the impasse.

Story continues

Rory Stewart, the Africa minister, yesterday called for transparent national dialogue, saying he was deeply concerned by outbreaks of ethnic and political violence.

President Uhuru Kenyatta delivers his speech after being declared by Kenya's election commission Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Credit: DANIEL IRUNGU/EPA

President Kenyattas acceptance speech was, however, notably light on conciliatory language, saying he would only countenance talks with Mr Odinga once any legal challenges to his victory had been addressed.

Instead, the president excoriated his rival for refusing to participate in an election he had gone to court to secure.

You cannot choose for the opportunity to exercise a right and thereafter abscond from the consequences of that choice, Mr Kenyatta said.
By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Kremlin said on Tuesday that U.S. charges against President Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort and another aide showed Moscow had been unfairly maligned in accusations that it meddled in last year's U.S. presidential election. Federal investigators probing alleged Russian interference in the election, something Moscow denies, charged Manafort and Rick Gates with money laundering on Monday. But despite being brought as part of a five-month-old investigation into alleged Russian efforts to tilt the election in Trump's favor and into potential collusion by Trump aides, the charges, some going back over a decade, centered on Manafort's work for Ukraine's former government, not Russia's. That was welcomed in Russia, where officials are watching the investigation closely since public evidence of Russian meddling, something that has not so far been presented, would be sure to translate into tougher U.S. sanctions against Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov highlighted the absence of allegations against Russia in the indictment against Manafort and Gates, saying on Tuesday that Moscow had always said it had never interfered in the U.S. election. That assertion is challenged by U.S. intelligence agencies who say unequivocally that Moscow did interfere in the November 2016 vote. "...Russia does not feature in the charges that were leveled in any way. Other countries and other people feature (in the charges)," Peskov told a conference call with reporters. "Moscow never felt itself guilty so it doesn't feel exonerated now," he said, when asked whether the Kremlin interpreted the indictment as proof that its repeated denials about meddling election were true. Peskov also brushed aside any suggestion that someone with links to the Russian Foreign Ministry might have tried to set up a meeting with the Trump campaign through a third ex-aide, George Papadopoulos, who it was announced on Monday pleaded guilty in early October to lying to the FBI. "LAUGHABLE ALLEGATION" Russia's flagship TV news show took a similar line on Monday evening, saying it was "now clear that there was nothing" to allegations about Manafort being in touch with Russian officials to try to sway the election. The U.S. investigation was an internal matter for the United States, said Peskov, but Moscow was following it with interest. Peskov laughed off the purported role of Papadopoulos, who told investigators he had tried to set up a meeting between the Trump campaign and the Russian leadership. In his unsuccessful quest to broker such a meeting, Papadopoulos said he had met a London-based professor boasting of contacts with Russian officials and an unnamed Russian woman. He also mentioned being in touch with someone linked to the Russian Foreign Ministry. Peskov, when asked what the Kremlin made of someone linked to the Foreign Ministry allegedly trying to set up a Putin-Trump meeting, said: "It's an absolutely laughable allegation." Media reports have suggested the individual linked to the ministry is Ivan Timofeev, who works for a Moscow-based think-tank called the Russian International Relations Council (RIAC). Timofeev did not respond to a request for comment, but told the gazeta.ru online news portal in August that Papadopoulos had emailed him in the spring of 2016 and spoken about the possibility of organizing a Trump trip to Russia. Timofeev said Papadopoulos had never made a formal request to either RIAC or the Russian Foreign Ministry for such a visit, however, and that he had got the impression that he had been "acting on his own initiative" and was "an enthusiast with little experience." Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters on Tuesday that there was nothing "illegal" about Papadopoulos contacting someone at RIAC. (Additional reporting by Dmitry Solovyov, Katya Golubkova and Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber; Editing by Catherine Evans/Mark Heinrich)
By Ellen Francis BEIRUT (Reuters) - Russia has invited the Kurdish-led authorities in northern Syria to its proposed congress of Syria's rival parties in November, a senior Kurdish official said on Tuesday, as Moscow seeks to launch a new initiative to end the Syrian conflict. "We are studying the issue and our stance has been positive so far," Badran Jia Kurd, an adviser to the administration that governs Kurdish-led autonomous regions of Syria, told Reuters. It would mark the first time Syria's main Kurdish groups have been brought into peace talks. Although they now control at least a quarter of Syria, Kurdish authorities have so far been left out of international talks in line with Turkish wishes. After intervening decisively in favor of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Russia has sought to spearhead diplomatic efforts among the various combatants over the past year. Moscow has said the congress will focus on "compromise solutions" towards ending the conflict, which began more than six years ago with street protests against the Syrian leader. A spokesman for the Syrian opposition, which wants peace talks to take place under U.N. supervision, described the proposed congress as "really worrying". It was unclear what the aims were and who would join, said Yahya al-Aridi. Aridi also said he feared the congress would be used as "fabricated" evidence of reconciliation to mislead both the Syrians and foreign countries. Several rounds of U.N. talks in Geneva between the Damascus government and the anti-Assad opposition have gone nowhere. Russia invited 33 Syrian groups and political parties on Tuesday to a "Syrian Congress on National Dialogue" which it will host on Nov. 18 in the Black Sea resort of Sochi. They include Kurdish groups and anti-Assad rebel factions. The Kurdish-led administration received the invitation at meetings with Russian officials in northern Syria last month and favor the idea as it strives for a political solution, Jia Kurd said. Kurdish officials say they have been in talks with Russia to assess the prospects for dialogue with the Syrian government. Since 2011, the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia and its allies have carved out autonomous cantons in the north. Their territorial grip has expanded since they joined forces with the United States to fight Islamic State militants. But Turkey views Syrian Kurdish power as a national security threat along its border. Ankara considers the YPG as an extension of the outlawed Kurdish PKK movement that has waged a three-decade insurgency inside Turkey. Russian President Vladimir Putin, who sent warplanes to help Assad's military against mostly Sunni rebels in 2015, first mentioned the congress earlier this month. Putin has said it would include "all ethnic and religious groups, and the government, and the opposition". Syria's U.N. ambassador, Bashar al-Jaafari, said Damascus was ready to take part in the congress and that the time was now more appropriate to join such talks after its military victories. Since Russia's intervention in 2015, the government has taken back significant territory from rebels opposed to Assad and has this year recaptured swathes of central and eastern Syria from Islamic State. Alexander Lavrentyev, a senior Russian negotiator on Syria, urged Syrian rebel groups to join the congress, provided they support Syria's integrity and sovereignty and status as a secular, democratic state. "If someone is against these principles,.. they will of course not go there," he told reporters after a round of talks with Turkish and Iranian delegations in Kazakhstan. "But then we think they will risk being sidelined in the political process." The Kazakhstan talks did not produce an anticipated document on prisoner swaps. Lavrentyev said the sides had spent a lot of time discussing the situation in Idlib where Damascus accuses Ankara of acting in coordination with Islamist militants. (Additional reporting by Dmitry Solovyov in Moscow and Raushan Nurshayeva in Astana; Editing by Tom Perry/Mark Heinrich)
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders walks from the lectern after Monday's White House press briefing, in which she said new indictments had nothing to do with the president. (Photo: Kevin Lamarque / Reuters)

WASHINGTON  Mired by compromised credibility and reeling from newly revealed indictments, President Donald Trump and his White House reverted to form Monday, falsely claiming that the alleged criminal actions were completely unrelated to him.

Todays announcement has nothing to do with the president, has nothing to do with the presidents campaign or campaign activity, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said.

Republican media relations professionals were baffled by the approach.

The White Houses strategy is shameless, bald-faced, indefensible lies, said Tim Miller, who ran communications for Jeb Bushs Republican presidential campaign last year. Lie about everything, admit nothing.

Rick Tyler, who worked for Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas in that GOP primary race, said he suspected Sanders was simply reciting the answers as she had been instructed. Its really amazing the degree to which they think everybody else is an idiot.

Sanders remarks came during the daily White House press briefing just hours after former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and deputy campaign chairman Richard Gates were indicted on charges including money laundering.

Trump quickly responded to that revelation with a statement issued via Twitter: Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why arent Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus????? Also, there is NO COLLUSION!

Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 30, 2017

Yet both of his arguments were refuted within minutes when a guilty plea from a former campaign foreign policy adviser was revealed. In a 14-page document, George Papadopoulos admitted that he was in touch with Russians offering thousands of emails hacked from Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clintons campaign.

Story continues

In fact, those emails were stolen by Russian intelligence and distributed through the allied WikiLeaks group, according to a declassified report released in January by the U.S. intelligence community.

Nevertheless, Sanders continued a pattern she and other White House allies stepped up a few weeks ago of claiming Trump was not working with Russians at all, rather that it was Clinton and the Democratic Party doing the colluding.

Sanders proof: a dossier compiled by a former British spy on contract to an opposition research firm. Fusion GPS had initially been hired by a conservative website, but the work was continued after the GOP primaries ended, thanks to payments from Democrats.

Theres clear evidence of the Clinton campaign colluding with Russian intelligence to spread disinformation and smear the president to influence the election, Sanders said.

That Democrats paid for that research, though, does not prove that they were colluding with Russians. Further, while some of the more salacious material in the dossier, accusing Trump of unusual sexual behavior on a visit to Moscow, has not been verified, other parts of it have proved correct.

Sanders falsehoods are the latest in a pattern of untruths from Trump and his White House that started on the day after his inauguration, when then-press secretary Sean Spicer berated the press corps for reporting accurately that the crowd gathered for Trumps inauguration was significantly smaller than the one that witnessed President Barack Obamas ceremony eight years earlier.

Trump has also falsely claimed that Obama had been wiretapping him, that he had passed more legislation than just about any previous president and that the United States is the highest taxed nation in the world. Over the weekend, Trump claimed that the release of files on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963 had taken place long ahead of schedule. In fact, the deadline had been set by a law passed by Congress in 1992, and Trump actually wound up missing it by two days.

Trump was never considered particularly honest by the electorate, but the string of repeated and easily disproved falsehoods appears to have taken its toll. A new Fox News survey found only 33 percent of Americans believe Trump to be honest and trustworthy, while 63 percent said he is not. And Mondays Gallup daily tracking poll, released just as the news of the formal charges broke, showed Trump at 33 percent approval  his lowest rating since taking office.

Tyler said he cannot see how Trump and his team can now build trust, given how special counsel Robert Muellers investigation is likely to get only more damaging to Trump. I dont know how they get themselves out of this. These are real indictments.

Former Trump campaign aide Michael Caputo, though, defended Sanders and said that the Clinton campaigns role in pursuing the dossier was being suppressed by the media. Sarah Sanders is doing a great job keeping the wolves at bay. I see the press as wolves, Caputo said.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
WASHINGTON  A species of salamander that had been feared extinct has been rediscovered in the Cuchumatanes mountains of Guatemala, the Texas-based Global Wildlife Conservation announced Monday.

The Jacksons climbing salamander, also called the golden wonder for its vibrant yellow color, had last been sighted in 1975, when two Americans discovered the species in the Guatemalan jungle. A guard at the Finca San Isidro Amphibian Reserve, in northwestern Guatemala, spotted a juvenile Jacksons climbing salamander earlier this month during a routine patrol. It is just the third individual ever reported seen, according to GWC.

The group, which launched a global quest earlier this year to track down long-lost species, described the rediscovery as exciting and unexpected.

I love this story because it conveys how protecting habitat gives species a fighting chance to survive on this planet, Don Church, GWCs president and director of conservation, said in a statement. This rediscovery can only be a good omen for the future of the Search for Lost Species campaign. Its a sign that if we get out there and work at it, many of these species can be found and saved.

A photo of the four-legged, yellow-and-black amphibian was sent to Carlos Vasquez, curator of herpetology at Universidad de San Carlos in Guatemala, who has spent more than 3,000 hours searching for the species since 2005. Vasquez confirmed that it was a Jacksons climbing salamander, the conservation group said.

We had started to fear that the species was gone, and now its like it has come back from extinction, Vasquez said in a statement accompanying Mondays announcement. Its a beautiful story, and marks a promised future for the conservation of this special region.

The Jacksons climbing salamander was last seen in 1975 and was feared extinct until its rediscovery this month. (Photo: Carlos Vasquez Almazan)

The larger project, called The Search for Lost Species, is described as the largest-ever global quest to find and protect animals and plants missing for decades. GWCs list of 25 flagship species  none of which have been officially declared extinct  comes from a larger list of 1,200 species considered lost in more than 160 countries. The group compiled the list with the help of experts at the International Union for Conservation of Nature and has begun launching expeditions in an effort to track down species.

Story continues

Priority species include the Wondiwoi tree kangaroo, last spotted in 1928 in Indonesia; the pink-headed duck, missing since 1949; and the bullneck seahorse, a species native to Australia never before seen in the wild.

In an interview in April, Church told HuffPost that even if species arent found, the campaign offers a message of hope and opportunity on the importance of protecting hotspots of biodiversity.

Its about raising the profile both of the species that were looking for but more so the places where they occur, he said.

But as Mondays announcement made clear, theres plenty of reason to be excited about the global quest.

Also on HuffPost

Scientific Name: Diceros sumatrensis Common Name: Sumatran rhino Category: Rhino Population: < 250 individuals Threats To Survival: Hunting for horn -used in traditional medicine

Scientific Name: Eleutherodactylus thorectes Common Name: Macaya Breast-Spot Frog Category: Frog Population: Unknown Threats To Survival: Habitat destruction due to charcoal production and slash-and-burn agriculture Credit: Robin Moore

Scientific Name: Scaturiginichthys vermeilipinnis Common Name: Red-Finned Blue Eye Category: Freshwater Fish Population: 2,000 - 4,000 Individuals Threats To Survival: Predation by introduced species

Scientific Name: Rafetus Swinhoei Common Name: Red River Giant Softshell Turtle Category: Turtle Population: 4 known individuals Threats To Survival: Hunting for consumption and habitat destruction and degradation as a result of wetland destruction and pollution

Scientific Name: Neurergus kaiseri Common Name: Luristan newt Category: Newt Population: < 1000 mature individuals Threats To Survival: Illegal collection for pet trade

Scientific Name: Poecilotheria metallica Common Name: Peacock Parachute Spider Category: Spider Population: Unknown Threats To Survival: Habitat loss and degradation as a result of deforestation, firewood collection and civil unrest

Scientific Name: Atelopus balios Common Name: Rio Pescado Stubfoot Toad Category: Toad Population: Unknown (declining) Threats To Survival: Chytridiomycosis and habitat destruction due to logging and agricultural expansion

Scientific Name: Johora Singaporensis Common Name: Singapore Freshwater Crab Category: Crab Population: Unknown Threats To Survival: Habitat degradation - reduction in water quality and quantity

Scientific Name: Abies beshanzuensis Common Name: Baishan Fir Category: Conifer Population: 5 mature individuals Threats To Survival: Agricultural expansion and fire

Scientific Name: Actinote zikani Common Name: None Category: Butterfly Population: Unknown, one population remaining Threats To Survival: Habitat degradation due to pressure from human populations

Scientific Name: Aipysurus foliosquama Common Name: Leaf Scaled Sea-Snake Category: Sea snake Population: Unknown, two subpopulations remain Threats To Survival: Unknown - likely degradation of coral reef habitat

Scientific Name: Amanipodagrion gilliesi Common Name: Amani Flatwing Category: Damselfly Population: < 500 individuals est. Threats To Survival: Habitat degradation due to increasing population pressure and water pollution

Scientific Name: Antilophia bokermanni Common Name: Araripe Manakin Category: bird Population: 779 individuals (est 2010) Threats To Survival: Habitat destruction due to expansion of agriculture and recreational facilities and water diversion

Scientific Name: Antisolabis seychellensis Common Name: Seychelles Earwig Category: Earwig Population: Unknown (declining) Threats To Survival: Invasive species and climate change

Scientific Name: Aphanius transgrediens Common Name: None Category: Freshwater fish Population: Unknown (declining) Threats To Survival: Competition and predation by Gambusia and road construction

Scientific Name: Ardeotis nigriceps Common Name: Great Indian Bustard Category: Bird Population: 50 -249 mature individuals Threats To Survival: Habitat loss and modification due to agricultural development

Scientific Name: Ardea insignis Common Name: White Bellied Heron Category: Bird Population: 70-400 individuals Threats To Survival: Habitat destruction and degradation due to hydropower development

Scientific Name: Astrochelus yniphora Common Name: Ploughshare Tortoise / Angonoka Category: Tortoise Population: 440-770 Threats To Survival: Illegal collection for international pet trade

Scientific Name: Aythya innotata Common Name: Madagascar Pochard Category: Bird Population: Approximately 20 mature individuals Threats To Survival: Habitat degradation due to slash-and-burn agriculture, hunting, and fishing / introduced fish

Scientific Name: Azurina eupalama Common Name: Galapagos damsel fish Category: Pelagic fish Population: Unknown (declining) Threats To Survival: Climate Change - oceanographic changes associated with the 1982 / 1983 El Nino are presumed to be responsible for the apparent disappearance of this species from the Galapagos

Scientific Name: Bahaba taipingensis Common Name: Giant yellow croaker Category: Pelagic fish Population: Unknown (declining) Threats To Survival: Over-fishing, primarily due to value of swim-bladder for traditional medicine - cost per kilogram exceeded that of gold in 2001

Scientific Name: Batagur baska Common Name: Common Batagur/ Four-toed terrapin Category: Turtle Population: Unknown (declining) Threats To Survival: Illegal export and trade from Indonesia to China

Scientific Name: Bazzania bhutanica Common Name: None Category: Liverwort Population: Unknown (declining) Threats To Survival: Habitat degradation and destruction due to forest clearance, overgrazing and development

Scientific Name: Beatragus hunteri Common Name: Hirola Category: Antelope Population: < 1000 individuals Threats To Survival: Habitat loss and degradation, competition with livestock, poaching

Scientific Name: Bombus franklinii Common Name: Franklin's Bumble Bee Category: Bee Population: Unknown (declining) Threats To Survival: Disease from commercially bred bumblebees and habitat destruction and degradation

Scientific Name: Brachyteles hypoxanthus Common Name: Northern muriqui Category: Primate Population: < 1,000 individuals Threats To Survival: Habitat loss and fragmentation due to large-scale deforestation and selective logging

Scientific Name: Bradypus pygmaeus Common Name: Pygmy sloth Category: Sloth Population: < 500 individuals Threats To Survival: Habitat loss due to illegal logging of mangrove forests for firewood and construction and hunting of the sloths

Scientific Name: Callitriche pulchra Common Name: None Category: Freshwater plant Population: Unknown (declining) Threats To Survival: Exploitation of the species' habitat by stock, and modification of the pool by local people

Scientific Name: Calumma tarzan Common Name: Tarzan's Chameleon Category: Chameleon Population: Unknown Threats To Survival: Habitat destruction for agriculture

Scientific Name: Cavia intermedia Common Name: Santa Catarina's Guinea Pig Category: Guinea Pig Population: 40-60 individuals Threats To Survival: Habitat disturbance and possible hunting; small population effects

Scientific Name: Cercopithecus roloway Common Name: Roloway Guenon Category: Primate Population: Unknown Threats To Survival: Hunting for consumption as bushmeat, and habitat loss

Scientific Name: Coleura seychellensis Common Name: Seychelles Sheath-Tailed Bat Category: Bat Population: < 100 mature individuals (est 2008) Threats To Survival: Habitat degradation and predation by invasive species

Scientific Name: Cryptomyces maximus Common Name: None Category: Fungus Population: Unknown (declining) Threats To Survival: Limited availability of habitat

Scientific Name: Cryptotis nelsoni Common Name: Nelson's Small-Eared Shrew Category: Shrew Population: Unknown (declining) Threats To Survival: habitat loss due to logging cattle grazing, fire and agriculture

Scientific Name: Cyclura collei Common Name: Jamaican Iguana Category: Iguana Population: Unknown (declining) Threats To Survival: Predation by introduced species and habitat destruction

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Catalonia's leaders are reportedly seeking safety in Brussels as they face criminal charges for spearheading the region's independence movement, throwing up a potentially awkward situation between Belgium, the EU and Spain.Deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and several members of his pro-independence administration travelled to Brussels in Belgium on Monday and hired a lawyer, fueling speculation that they will try to seek asylum there in order to avoid possible prison sentences for trying to secede from Spain.Belgian lawyer Paul Bekaert confirmed he has taken on Puigdemont as a client, according to Reuters, but didn't comment on whether he is working on an asylum claim in Belgium. Puigdemont is expected to make a public appearance in Brussels on Tuesday. Paul Bekaert was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.Puigdemont's self-imposed exile came after Spain's chief prosecutor on Monday called for charges of rebellion, sedition and embezzlement to be leveled against the Catalan leader, his deputies and other Catalan officials. The charge of rebellion alone carries a maximum prison sentence of 30 years.Jose Ramon Garcia-Hernandez, secretary of international relations in Spain's ruling Partido Popular (PP), told CNBC Tuesday that he had no confirmation whether Puigdemont was in Brussels but said it would be very strange if Belgium granted the Catalan politician asylum."The law is the law and to concede asylum for any government inside the EU you have to fulfil criteria and there is a protocol that is linked to Lisbon Treaty and it will be very, very strange for him to get asylum there," he said."Spain is a modern democracy, you see the rest of the pro-independence politicians are back in Catalonia and we never prosecute anyone for their political ideas, it's because they are outside the law," he added, insisting that Madrid had no control over how and whether judges would proceed with charges against the Catalan secessionists."The government doesn't have a say regarding justice," he said.At the weekend, Belgium's migration minister suggested Puigdemont could seek asylum in the country and Puigdemont is believed to have travelled to Brussels on Monday when Spain took control of the region's governmental institutions.The constitutional crisis between Spain and Catalonia came to a head Friday after the pro-independence Catalan government declared independence. Spain promptly responded by imposing direct rule on the wealthy northeastern region, sacking the Catalan government and calling for snap elections on December 21.Desperate measuresPuigdemont's presence in Brussels could potentially jeopardize diplomatic relations between Spain and Belgium and put the country at odds with its EU counterparts who have all expressed support for the government in Madrid.Puigdemont was effectively offered asylum in Belgium by the country's migration minister, Theo Francken, who said at the weekend that his asylum application was "not unrealistic" and questioned whether Puigdemont would have a fair trial in Spain.Francken's comments provoked a furious response from Madrid.Esteban Gonzalez Pons, a spokesman for the Partido Popular, said the comments by Belgian's migration minister were "unacceptable.""Without having any reason or powers to do so, and ahead of any event, Francken is allowed to assess a possible trial Puigdemont making serious accusations to the Spanish judicial system, the work of Spanish judges, and the rule of law in Spain," Gonzalez Pons said on Sunday."This is an unacceptable attack by a member of the Belgian Government to another state of the EU such as Spain, which I hope will be corrected immediately," he added.Meanwhile, Belgium's Prime Minister Charles Michel appeared to counter Francken's comments, however, saying Sunday that an asylum request was "absolutely not on the agenda" and asking his colleague "not to fan the flames" with regards to the crisis between Spain and Catalonia.'Impeccable reaction from the EU institutions'Brussels is effectively the European Union's capital with many of its government institutions there and the EU has shown unequivocal support for Madrid and Spanish unity, thus making Puigdemont's potential asylum in Belgium problematic.Spain's ruling conservatives met in Madrid on Monday and one official from Prime Minister Marian Rajoy's Partido Popular (PP) said that Puigdemont's trip to Brussels was proof of the ousted leader's "desperation.""Him going to Brussels, the headquarters of the European institutions, where one of the great values of the EU is the defense of the rule of law, the defense of legality, of constitutional values, it's a contradiction in itself," Fernando Martinez Maillo told reporters."He'd rather have stayed home. Sincerely, it's a folly thing to do. And it's a sign of desperation, hopelessness. Apart from that, well, one can always find solace in whatever one wants, but the unanimous position of all countries in the EU  is the defense and the support of the Spanish constitution and the measures (taken) by the Spanish government," he said.Jorge Toledo Albinana, the EU affairs minister of Spain, told CNBC Monday that Spain was happy with the EU's reaction so far. "We have got an immaculate, impeccable reaction from the EU institutions. And we are very happy. But we expected that," he said. Additional reporting by CNBC's Willem Marx Catalonia's leaders are reportedly seeking safety in Brussels as they face criminal charges for spearheading the region's independence movement, throwing up a potentially awkward situation between Belgium, the EU and Spain. Deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and several members of his pro-independence administration travelled to Brussels in Belgium on Monday and hired a lawyer, fueling speculation that they will try to seek asylum there in order to avoid possible prison sentences for trying to secede from Spain. Belgian lawyer Paul Bekaert confirmed he has taken on Puigdemont as a client, according to Reuters, but didn't comment on whether he is working on an asylum claim in Belgium. Puigdemont is expected to make a public appearance in Brussels on Tuesday. Paul Bekaert was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC. Puigdemont's self-imposed exile came after Spain's chief prosecutor on Monday called for charges of rebellion, sedition and embezzlement to be leveled against the Catalan leader, his deputies and other Catalan officials. The charge of rebellion alone carries a maximum prison sentence of 30 years. Jose Ramon Garcia-Hernandez, secretary of international relations in Spain's ruling Partido Popular (PP), told CNBC Tuesday that he had no confirmation whether Puigdemont was in Brussels but said it would be very strange if Belgium granted the Catalan politician asylum. "The law is the law and to concede asylum for any government inside the EU you have to fulfil criteria and there is a protocol that is linked to Lisbon Treaty and it will be very, very strange for him to get asylum there," he said. "Spain is a modern democracy, you see the rest of the pro-independence politicians are back in Catalonia and we never prosecute anyone for their political ideas, it's because they are outside the law," he added, insisting that Madrid had no control over how and whether judges would proceed with charges against the Catalan secessionists. "The government doesn't have a say regarding justice," he said. At the weekend, Belgium's migration minister suggested Puigdemont could seek asylum in the country and Puigdemont is believed to have travelled to Brussels on Monday when Spain took control of the region's governmental institutions. The constitutional crisis between Spain and Catalonia came to a head Friday after the pro-independence Catalan government declared independence. Spain promptly responded by imposing direct rule on the wealthy northeastern region, sacking the Catalan government and calling for snap elections on December 21. Desperate measures Puigdemont's presence in Brussels could potentially jeopardize diplomatic relations between Spain and Belgium and put the country at odds with its EU counterparts who have all expressed support for the government in Madrid. Puigdemont was effectively offered asylum in Belgium by the country's migration minister, Theo Francken, who said at the weekend that his asylum application was "not unrealistic" and questioned whether Puigdemont would have a fair trial in Spain. Francken's comments provoked a furious response from Madrid. Esteban Gonzalez Pons, a spokesman for the Partido Popular, said the comments by Belgian's migration minister were "unacceptable." "Without having any reason or powers to do so, and ahead of any event, Francken is allowed to assess a possible trial Puigdemont making serious accusations to the Spanish judicial system, the work of Spanish judges, and the rule of law in Spain," Gonzalez Pons said on Sunday. "This is an unacceptable attack by a member of the Belgian Government to another state of the EU such as Spain, which I hope will be corrected immediately," he added. Meanwhile, Belgium's Prime Minister Charles Michel appeared to counter Francken's comments, however, saying Sunday that an asylum request was "absolutely not on the agenda" and asking his colleague "not to fan the flames" with regards to the crisis between Spain and Catalonia. 'Impeccable reaction from the EU institutions' Brussels is effectively the European Union's capital with many of its government institutions there and the EU has shown unequivocal support for Madrid and Spanish unity, thus making Puigdemont's potential asylum in Belgium problematic. Spain's ruling conservatives met in Madrid on Monday and one official from Prime Minister Marian Rajoy's Partido Popular (PP) said that Puigdemont's trip to Brussels was proof of the ousted leader's "desperation." "Him going to Brussels, the headquarters of the European institutions, where one of the great values of the EU is the defense of the rule of law, the defense of legality, of constitutional values, it's a contradiction in itself," Fernando Martinez Maillo told reporters. "He'd rather have stayed home. Sincerely, it's a folly thing to do. And it's a sign of desperation, hopelessness. Apart from that, well, one can always find solace in whatever one wants, but the unanimous position of all countries in the EU  is the defense and the support of the Spanish constitution and the measures (taken) by the Spanish government," he said. Jorge Toledo Albinana, the EU affairs minister of Spain, told CNBC Monday that Spain was happy with the EU's reaction so far. "We have got an immaculate, impeccable reaction from the EU institutions. And we are very happy. But we expected that," he said. Additional reporting by CNBC's Willem Marx



More From CNBC


The dunes of Glamis played host to this engagement shoot captured by onelove photography and the mix of romance and golden light is insane. Grab a front row seat to this desert magic (flowing dresses, sequins and all) with even more stunning imagery right here. Plus read about their super sweet engagement story below!

On their seven-year anniversary, after three years together in San Francisco, three years of long distance from San Francisco to New York and London, and one year back together in San Diego, John proposed to Holly on top of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Nestled next to Central Park, the museum was their favorite spot in the city to escape the heat of the summer and snow in the winter when John made his monthly trips out to visit Holly in the city. On this occasion, he took her up to the museums rooftop; she thought he was going to take a picture of her with the city skyline in the background when he got on one knee and asked her to marry him!

Photography: onelove photography | Jewelry: New York street vendors | Holly black dress: BCBGMAXAZRIA | Holly white dress: Forever 21 | John Suit: Banana Republic | John shirt: Bonobos | John shoes: Cole Haan | Picnic items: Ikea
Is this an ID photo or a magazine cover shot? (Photo: Instagram/lillyghalichi)

Everyone knows that drivers license photos are awkward and rushed and arent flattering. Still, celebrity makeup artist Lilly Ghalichi, creator of the glam Lilly Lashes, somehow managed to look like a magazine-cover model in hers.

Ghalichi recently tied the knot and changed her last name to her husbands, so she needed a new license to match. And while the headshot for the new one would be DMV goals for anyone, she was not quite satisfied with the glamorous pic, noting in an Instagram post, You cant even see my full glam! My hair was everything that day! Photo Robbery!!! Apparently, the DMV cropped out most of her locks and she wasnt happy. But many of her 2.7 million followers were  with her photo, posted Oct. 27, inspiring more than 39,500 likes.

I got ROBBED!!! I go through all the effort to change my last name and THIS ZOOMED IN PHOTO is what you give me State of CA?! Is the photo on your ID this zoomed in? You can't even see my full glam! My hair was everything that day! Photo Robbery!!! A post shared by Lilly Ghalichi Mir (@lillyghalichi) on Oct 27, 2017 at 10:52am PDT

Ghalichi is not the only driver with skills (or resources) enough to look flawless in ID photos, as celebrities will often go all-out when it comes to snapping the perfect glam shot for that photo that will stick with you for at least 10 years.

In a recent episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Khloe, 33, went to great lengths for the perfect ID shot that she needed after officially dropping Odom, her ex-husbands last name, and having to renew her license.

Khloe Kardashian makes sure that her new ID is flawless. (Photo: E!)

Dressed in a bodysuit with a plunging neckline and black jeans, the reality-TV star made the shows lighting director, Landon Hosto, hold a lighting ring around the DMVs camera lens to ensure that her photo was luminous.

Khloe Kardashian brought along a full lighting crew to take her drivers license photo and now I love her even more. #KUWTK pic.twitter.com/PzMQZZgvm1  Mike Sington (@MikeSington) October 30, 2017

Khloes best friend, Malika Haqq, was there to make sure that her hair and makeup were on point. Then, after going the extra mile for her ID, they enjoyed a drivers license cake to celebrate her going back to being just a Kardashian.

Story continues

Khloe Kardashian gets a celebration for getting her ID updated while I haven't gotten a bday party in years pic.twitter.com/BvNfdWcxer  Seana Morgan (@seana_morgan_) February 10, 2017

Perhaps Khloe took inspiration from her big sister Kim Kardashian, who also had had a full crew behind her famous passport photo.

After marrying rapper Kanye West, the mother of two chose to take his last name and thus needed new IDs. With sleekly pulled-back hair and a neutral makeup glow, Mrs. West looked totally gorgeous in her new passport pic.

New passport pic #Mrs.West #NameChange A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on Aug 5, 2014 at 1:10pm PDT

Another celebrity to spice up her DMV visit has been Victoria Beckham. The former Spice Girl documented her unusual time at the DMV in her reality show, Coming to America, way back in 2007.

Victoria Beckham at the DMV. (GIF: YouTube)

Beckham took a written driving test to get an American drivers license, and after a slight bit of help from her assistant, she passed.

A decade later, her visit to the California DMV remains an iconic Posh Spice moment.

Mood: Victoria Beckham at the DMV pic.twitter.com/g5UA4JXVzP  Zane (@ZaneOConnor) January 2, 2017

The designer is not the only Brit with flawless ID photos, though, as all the members of One Direction also managed to look great in their passport shots several years back.

And Beyonce  even before she achieved any fame  had what was likely the best passport photo of all time.

Beyonce's old passport pic.twitter.com/PV7w0DaCU6  Evolution of Beyonce (@Beyonceeas) October 20, 2015

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day.




A 77-year-old Virginia man has been accused of assaulting a younger woman who cops say he met on a dating site.

Alan Schmitt was arrested by Newport News cops and charged with allegedly choking the unnamed 23-year-old after she called police Tuesday.

Watch: Christian Mingle Horror: 2 Women Find Monster on Faith-Based Dating Site

Schmitt showed up to meet the woman on Tuesday, according to an arrest affidavit first obtained by WAVY. She later told police he was "much older than he made himself out to be" on the site Plenty of Fish.

The woman said she told Schmitt she was not interested in dating, but that they could be friends.

Schmitt then took the woman to a shopping mall, where he spent $400 dollars on her, according to police documents.

At some point after their shopping trip, authorities say Schmitt asked for the items he'd bought her to be returned to him, including a shirt the woman was wearing.

"[When] she told him he could not have the shirt back," the affidavit says Schmitt "grabbed her around the neck... then threw her to the ground."

The woman told police Schmitt then choked her and she had to "struggle to breathe."

When questioned by police outside the scene of the alleged assault, Schmitt said he hadn't choked her but only accidentally grabbed her by the neck after she pushed him and he struggled to keep his balance.

Watch: Young Father Lured to His Death in Dating Site Robbery Plot: Cops

Noting the scratches on the woman's neck and the accounts of witnesses corroborating her account, cops arrested Schmitt and later charged him with felony strangling of another causing wounds or injury.

He is due in court Nov. 14.

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Officials in New York reportedly said they were treating the fatal attack in south Manhattan was a terrorist attack and the FBI had taken charge of the investigation.

Police said that up to six people were killed after a pickup truck slammed into 15 people as it was driven down a bike path located alongside the Hudson River. The New York Police Department said the man believed to have driven the vehicle, then exited and starting displaying what subsequently emerged to be imitation firearms.

Police said the man was shot in the leg by police and taken into custody. There was no immediate update on the persons condition.

As speculation swirled as to who was responsible for the incident and what may have been the motive, Reuters quoted a law enforcement source as saying the attack was believed to be a terrorist incident. There was no official confirmation of this.

In May, one person was killed and 22 were injured after a car rammed into pedestrians in Times Square. There was initial speculation that the incident was terror related, but it later emerged the driver was allegedly drunk.

A police spokesman posted a photo showing a white pickup truck on the bike path with its front end smashed. The truck had the logo of the Home Depot hardware store chain on its door.

An witness told ABC Channel 7 that he saw a white pick-up truck drive south down the bike path alongside the West Side Highway at full speed and hit several people. The witness, who was identified only as Eugene, said bodies were lying outside Stuyvesant High School, one of the citys elite public schools.

He also reported hearing about nine or 10 shots, but was not sure where they came from. A video apparently filmed at the scene and circulated online showed scattered bikes on the bike path and two people lying on the ground.

President Donald Trump and City Hall said Mayor Bill de Blasio had been briefed about the incident. The office of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the governor was heading to the scene.

Story continues

Nobody has made a claim of responsibility for the incident in New York and Isiss evening news bulletin did not mention the attack.

In recent years, Isis has encouraged supporters to make use of whatever weapons they can to carry out attacks, and there have been a series of incidents - a number of them subsequently claimed by Isis - in which attackers have made use of vehicles.

The first terror attack using a lorry came in Nice, where an Isis supporter killed 86 people in July 2016.

Vehicles have since been used in attacks in Berlin, Stockholm, London, Paris, Spain and the Canadian city of Edmonton.

The scene of the incident in Manhattan (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

The groups propaganda has cited pedestrianised areas and crowded streets as prime targets after declaring murdering civilians halal, meaning permissible under Islam.

An issue of its Rumiyah propaganda magazine released in November 2016 cited the Nice attack as a superb demonstration and urged jihadis behind the wheel to carry a secondary weapon, such as a gun or a knife to continue massacres after crashing.

In June 2017, an attack on London Bridge killed eight people were killed and 48 were injured, including four unarmed police officers who attempted to stop the assailants. The three attackers, who wore fake explosive vests, were later shot dead by police.

In August, Spain was hit hit by its worst terror attack in more than a decade when a van driver plowed into dozens of people enjoying a sunny afternoon on one of Barcelonas most famous thoroughfares, killing 13 people and injuring 80.
(Reuters) - A 24-year-old man accused of killing a University of Utah student from China and who is also suspected in a homicide last week in Colorado, was arrested in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, police said.

Austin Boutain was taken into custody without incident at a public library, said Detective Keith Horrocks of the Salt Lake City Police Department.

Boutain and his wife, Kathleen Boutain, 23, are also wanted in an investigation of a homicide in Golden, Colorado, according to police there.

The victim of Monday night's murder in Utah was identified as ChenWei Guo, 23, who was parked near Red Butte Canyon when he was shot dead during what investigators believe was a failed carjacking attempt.

The Salt Lake Tribune newspaper, citing police, reported that the couple was camping in the mountains just outside the city and that Kathleen Boutain had gone to the university campus to report that her husband had assaulted her. Guo was killed shortly afterward, the newspaper reported.

Kathleen Boutain was being treated for minor injuries and held in jail on unrelated charges following her arrest on Monday night, University of Utah Police Chief Dale Brophy said.

Police in Golden said they found the body of a 63-year-old man last week after being asked by Utah police to conduct a welfare check at a trailer park.

That death is being investigated as a homicide and the Boutains are suspects, the Golden Police Department said in a statement.

Classes were cancelled on Tuesday at the University of Utah, where officials remembered Guo as "extraordinarily outgoing, creative, smart and extremely engaged."

A pre-computer science student and peer adviser in the school's International Student and Scholar Services Office, Guo also was an interpreter and technology supporter at the Salt Lake City-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to a social media profile.

(Reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; additional reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee and Angela Moon in New York; editing by Dan Grebler and Grant McCool)
Wisconsin authorities urged parents to inspect their childrens Halloween candy after a small bag of methamphetamine was distributed to a child near Green Bay.

The small baggie, about the size of a quarter, was given to a child trick-or-treating on Sunday in the Menominee Indian Reservation in Keshena, about 47 miles northwest of Green Bay, the Menominee Tribal Police Department said.

An parent reported it to police later that night. A test on the baggies white, crystalline substance tested positive for methamphetamine, police said.

Out of caution, local authorities asked parents to dispose of all candy collected in the area, as well as the bags that the candy was stored in. Another candy event was scheduled for Tuesday night at the College of Menominee Nation so that kids could replace their lost treats.

Unfortunately ziplock baggies can open up [and] we dont know if there are more out there, Police Det. Joshua Lawe said at a press conference on Monday.

Right now this is an isolated incident, but if there was more out there, if it does get out of the ziplock baggies and kids are touching this candy, that can be very dangerous to them. Even to the parents, he said.

As for whether authorities believe the drug was given intentionally or accidentally, Lawe said, were not 100 percent sure.

Parent Jarrit Okimosh, whose two young daughters had been out collecting candy in the area, attended the press conference and said the discovery left him deeply shaken and reevaluating his parental role.

She told me, dad, its your job to protect us, right? he recalled a conversation he later had with his 9-year-old. I said, yeah it is, because I actually let her eat candy before I checked it because this is such a tight-knit community. Everyone cares. The youth are our pride. We make great sacrifices for our youth.

Lawe said that the area has seen a rise in meth use.

Related...

Police Departments Issue Spoof PSAs Over 'Deadly Gluten' In Meth

Story continues

Texas Mom Accused Of Transporting $2 Million In Liquid Meth

Meth, Coke And Oil: A Drug Boom In The Texas Shale Patch

Also on HuffPost

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Microsoft today announced that in December it will launch a Surface Pro with built-in LTE Advanced support to its business customers. Panos Panay, Microsoft's corporate VP for Windows devices, made the announcement at the company's Future Decoded event in London.

In the announcement, Panay argues that as the global workforce evolves, being a mobile worker will become the new default for many. "The office is no longer restricted to a set of buildings  its at home, in a cafe, a city across the globe, or on a plane," he writes. "With so many changing locations your device becomes your office, and many of our customers tell us thats what their Surface is to them  a mobile office."

That's obviously where the Surface Pro with LTE Advanced fits in. Microsoft says the new Pro will feature a Cat 9 modem and support for 20 cellular bands, so you should be fine in virtually any country in the world (assuming your roaming plan doesn't bankrupt you when you use your Surface Pro with LTE Advanced to stream Netflix abroad). The promise of LTE Advanced is higher bandwidth and Microsoft promises download speeds of up to 450 Mbps, compared to about 300 Mbps for a standard Cat 6 modem you'd find in other current LTE-enabled devices.

All of that connectivity isn't very useful if your device runs out of battery after half an hour, of course. For the Surface Pro, Microsoft expects 17 hours of video playback time. That doesn't tell us much about how the device will fare with LTE enabled, but it should still be plenty of time for most use cases.

The most basic version of the Surface Pro with these new connectivity options (Intel i5, 4 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD) will set businesses back $1,149 and the one with an i5 processor and double the RAM and SSD storage will cost $1,449.
(Photo: Ji Sub Jeong/HuffPost)

In July 2015, a North Korean native named Song Il Kim walked into a Honolulu hotel room to hand over $16,000 cash for three pairs of night vision goggles that he was planning to mail overseas.

Kim, 42, lives in China and was traveling on a Cambodian passport. He planned to ship the goggles from Hawaii to China in a box labeled toys.

The sale turned out to be a sting operation, and Homeland Security agents arrested Kim a short time later. Federal prosecutors charged him with violating the Arms Export Control Act, which regulates the sale of military equipment, and a judge sentenced him to 40 months in prison after he pled guilty in 2016. A separate smuggling charge was dropped as part of a plea deal.

But Kims crime wasnt buying military-grade technology  it was his attempt to export the equipment without a license. Prosecutors argued that the high-tech military equipment could have ended up in the hands of the North Korean government.

The kind of gear Kim was trying to export was once prohibitively expensive, but low-end night vision gear is now marketed to hunters and can be purchased from sporting goods retailers for under $100. Advanced models can cost over $20,000, but are also perfectly legal and available to buy online. There are a variety of models on the market  goggles, handhelds, devices integrated in rifle scopes. Some models allow users to see in the dark by electronically enhancing the amount of light available, while others use thermal imaging to create a picture from the heat radiating from bodies or objects.

If Kim had an export license, very little would have prevented him from sending the equipment to North Korea, which is a major concern for experts who warn that military-grade night vision gear could fall into the hands of terrorists or rogue states.

Low-quality night vision equipment is easily available overseas and used by the militaries of most countries. But the high-end equipment available in the U.S. isnt  and if exported, that gear could give adversaries similar night vision capabilities to those of the American military, said Adam Routh, a research associate with the Defense Strategies and Assessments Program at the Center for a New American Security, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.

Story continues

While the Las Vegas massacre rekindled the debate over the millions of assault-style rifles owned by American civilians, theres been much less public scrutiny of all the gear designed for military operations that is now marketed directly to civilians.

(Photo: Scott Olson via Getty Images)

A growing hunting and defense market

Armasight, a San Francisco-based company specializing in night vision and thermal imaging equipment, sells the FLIR PVS-7 night vision goggles with an ad featuring a man dressed in a black military-style uniform. It offers many other kinds of goggles, binoculars and sights, including a set of $9,250 night vision goggles that, it says, have optics that are equal to or better than current military night vision.

Hunting retailer Cabelas sells dozens of night vision scopes, including Armasights Zeus Pro, a $7,000 thermal scope. Take versatile and sophisticated thermal visibility into your nighttime hunts, says a blurb on the stores website.

And a Texas company, HeliBacon, advertises expeditions where participants can hunt feral hogs under cover of darkness using night vision gear. Its website features pictures of customers swooping down on prey from helicopters, dressed in tactical gear and wielding machine guns  something more like a military raid than a hunting trip. The tag line that appears when you visit the site is Wait... so youre telling us youve never shot machine guns from a helicopter?!

Hunting with night vision equipment is illegal in many states. But in parts of Texas, shooting feral hogs is considered pest control, which means almost any type of equipment is allowed. For a rate of $695 per person, HeliBacons customers get the opportunity to use assault-style rifles and night vision gear similar to what U.S. special operations forces use  equipment thats worth about $25,000 per set, according to HeliBacon co-owner Chris Britt.

Its exciting and our clients get a kick out of playing with all the latest cool equipment, Britt said in an interview. People are amazed at the crystal-clear images you get using the latest night vision.

HeliBacons clients are given a safety course and shown how to use the night vision equipment before embarking on what are usually two-day outings. They are outfitted with semi-automatic rifles and sent into the field in cars without lights, so as not to scare their prey. They lure the feral hogs with corn. We can get as close as 25 yards before shooting them, Britt said.

Night vision equipment is a useful tool for civilians, advocates say. When employed properly, night-vision equipment will open your eyes to the times usually dominated by four-legged critters and two-legged neer-do-wells, giving you the advantage, claimed a May article in Shooting Illustrated, a publication of the National Rifle Association, on how to use the gear for hunting and defense.

Several manufacturers of night vision equipment did not respond to phone calls and emails seeking comment about their products. A spokesperson for FLIR Systems, Inc., declined to comment. But the company acquired Armasight for $41 million last year  as much a sign of optimism for where that market is heading as any hog-slaughtering ad or company press release.

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(Photo: PATRICK BAZ via Getty Images)

A largely unregulated type of equipment

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives does not regulate the sale or use of night vision equipment, a spokesperson said, and the legality of using night vision devices for hunting varies by state.

Ladd Everitt, the director of One Pulse for America, a gun violence prevention group, says that should change. Military-style gear like night vision equipment could be used in mass shootings like the one in Las Vegas, he said. (The Vegas shooter himself did not use night vision gear.)

Night vision equipment is not the tool of sportsmen, Everitt said. Its the tool of people who are seeking to kill as many people as possible in as short amount of time as possible.

Others worry that illegally exported night vision equipment could end up in the hands of rogue governments or terrorist groups, and erode the upper hand the U.S. military has in night fighting.

There is no practical use for the high-end night vision stuff for regular people, Routh said. If ISIS has these things, the concern is that our troops would be at a disadvantage because they are not as protected by the cover of darkness.

The gear is already spreading to Americas enemies. The militant group that calls itself the Islamic State is reportedly using night vision gear in Syria, and last year, fighters allegedly linked to that group were arrested in Turkey carrying night vision equipment. The men were linked to an attack on Istanbuls Ataturk airport that killed 45 people, according to Turkeys state-run Dogan news agency. Night vision binoculars and military-style clothes were also found in the suspects suitcases, though authorities did not provide information about how that equipment might have been obtained.

Human rights groups say there are major concerns about where exported night vision equipment ends up. We understand that nation states have the right to arm themselves, said Adotei Akwei, managing director for government relations at Amnesty International USA. But we are also concerned about shipments to countries where there are human rights abuses.

Getting advanced night vision equipment out of the U.S. isnt hard, experts say. Retailers generally include fine print stating that the equipment must not be exported without permission from the U.S. State Department or Department of Commerce. But no one checks to make sure those rules are actually followed.

In another recent case, a group of Ukrainians allegedly bought $190,000 worth of night vision gear online from retailers in the United States. The group had the equipment sent to post office boxes and arranged for an international delivery company to send it to Ukraine. They made false statements to the freight forwarder about the contents of the packages, ostensibly so that the packages would be exported to Ukraine without the required licenses, prosecutors charged in an arrest warrant for one of the men, Volodymyr Nedoviz, a Ukrainian citizen who lives in Queens, New York. Federal law enforcement agents arrested Nedoviz in March as part of an investigation into the sale of export-controlled night vision devices on the internet, one of seven major investigations into the illegal export of night vision equipment the Department of Justice undertook between 2014 and this year.

One of the devices Nedoviz bought, the Armasight Zeus-Pro 640, retails online for about $9,000 and is marketed as useful for hunters, SWAT teams and military personnel. A video on the Armasight website appears to show a soldier carrying a rifle as viewed through crosshairs.

Nedoviz tried to circumvent laws that protect our national security by preventing specialized technologies from falling into the wrong hands, U.S. Attorney Robert Capers said in a statement after the arrest. An attorney listed for Nedoviz did not return calls seeking comment. A spokesperson for the U.S. attorney said the case has not yet been scheduled for trial.

In Kims case, he didnt even bother to try to hide his intent. He was caught after he posted an ad on a website seeking to buy advanced night vision equipment. Prosecutors said in court documents that they believe the gear would have ended up in North Korea, though they did not specify how they knew that.

While Kims transaction ran afoul of the law, not all exports of night vision gear are illegal. The Obama administrations Department of Defense loosened restrictions on the export of military equipment, including some types of night vision equipment, in 2013, and put the Commerce Department in charge of regulating their export rather than State. The State Department oversees most military arms export sales.

The Obama administration defended the decision by saying that loosening restrictions on less sensitive items would free up resources to track more sensitive technologies that could fall into the wrong hands. The easing of export licensing requirements for many items... is balanced by the increased oversight from Department of Commerce Export Enforcement Special Agents and analysts dedicated exclusively to export enforcement, the White House said in a fact sheet.

Commerce tracks those exports much less carefully than State did, according to Colby Goodman, an expert on arms export regulations at the nonprofit Center for International Policy. Under Department of Commerce rules, companies can obtain licenses to export military equipment without oversight by federal authorities, he said. The Department of Commerce did not respond to requests for comment, but it said in 2013 that it would take steps to prevent equipment from falling into the wrong hands.

When you lose government oversight, you lose the opportunity to ensure that equipment isnt going to countries where U.S. intelligence thinks it should not be going, Goodman said.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
A Pennsylvania mother who made headlines after allegations arose that she brutally beat her young daughter who incorrectly recited Bible verses will serve time in prison.

Rhonda Shoffner was sentenced last week to between two and a half and five years in prison after pleading guilty to charges including aggravated assault of her daughter, who was younger than 13.

Watch: Cops Find Gun Stashed Inside Hollowed-Out Bible

She will reportedly also serve five years of probation after she's released from prison.

Cops say Shoffner, 41, was drunk when she ordered her daughter to get on her knees in the bathroom and recite verses.

Shoffner allegedly slammed her daughter's head into the wall each time she made a mistake.

Shoffner choked her daughter, cutting off her airway and biting her forearm before digging her teeth into the girls left shoulder, police told PennLive.com.

All the while, the girl fought back and begged her mother to stop, she said.

Finally, Shoffner said: Just leave and dont ever come back.

Watch: Hot Sauce Mom Found Guilty of Child Abuse

The little girl grabbed a phone, coat and sneakers and fled.

She called her father, who drove her to the police station.

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The recent arrest of two foreign journalists and two Myanmar citizens after an attempt to fly a drone over the nations parliament has caused alarm over what appears to be an ever-tightening grip on the media.

Singaporean Lau Hon Meng and Malaysian Mok Choy Lin were on assignment for Turkeys state broadcaster, Turkish Radio and Television, when they were detained on Oct. 27. Their translator, local freelance journalist Aung Naing Soe, and driver, Hla Tin, were also detained.

All four have been charged under an export and import law, though Myanmar nationals Aung Naing Soe and Hla Tin did not own or operate the drone, according to their lawyer, Khin Maung Zaw.

It may be ridiculous, but its what happens here, Zaw told TIME, adding that all four are being detained on a 15-day remand while they await a trial. Khin Maung Zaw said no family, friends or legal counselors have been allowed to meet with the detainees since their arrest on Friday.

Aung Naing Soe, the local interpreter, is well known in the country for his reporting and photojournalism, which often focuses on domestically controversial topics such as the persecution of Myanmars Muslim Rohingya minority. He has previously endured death threats as a result of his work and faced new harassment this weekend when a local media outlet dubiously claimed that he had ties with a Rohingya insurgent group.

This is very dangerous for Aung Naing Soe, said Ye Htoo, a family friend. He added that these obviously false allegations have spread on social media and could make more trouble for Soe and his family.

Read more: The Story Behind the Most Haunting Images of the Rohingya Crisis

The case also comes amid tensions between Myanmar and Turkey, which escalated in September after Turkish President Tayyip Erdo?an accused Myanmar of committing genocide against the persecuted Rohingya group. A brutal military crackdown has sent more than 604,000 Rohingya fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh since late August.

Story continues

Journalists in Myanmar have also found themselves increasingly mired in legal troubles amid a backsliding of press freedom that briefly flourished when direct military rule came to an end in 2011. Earlier this year, the Committee to Protect Journalists criticized Myanmars de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi for failing to reform Myanmars repressive media environment and continuing to arrest journalists.

Shawn Crispin, CPJs senior Southeast Asia representative, tells TIME the ongoing legal harassment underscores the fast deterioration in press freedom conditions in Myanmar under a nominally elected government and harks to the bad old days of military repression of the media, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the four arrested Friday.

If Myanmar is sincere about its democratic transition, then authorities must cease and stop this type of petty legal harassment and allow journalists to do their jobs without fear of reprisal, Crispin said.

While Myanmar is still in the midst of a dramatic transition from military rule to a hybrid democracy, its new civilian government has retained a cache of antiquated laws that critics say are susceptible to abuse. In late June, three Myanmar journalists were arrested in the countrys east, where the government remains at war with ethnic minority rebel groups. The trio, who were eventually acquitted after months in detention, was accused of violating a draconian unlawful association law by liaising with insurgents in the course of their reporting.
By Katharine Houreld and Ed Cropley NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenyan opposition leader Raila Odinga on Tuesday called for pickets and petitions against an election he boycotted last week won by President Uhuru Kenyatta but stopped short of appealing for mass protests or announcing a court challenge to the result. Odinga pulled out of the vote saying it would be unfair because the election board had failed to implement reforms after the Supreme Court cited procedural irregularities and annulled an Aug. 8 vote that had been won by Kenyatta. Odinga said the Oct. 26 result would not stand but did not announce measures likely to overturn it or force the government to negotiate. He said his opposition coalition would form a people's assembly to study issues of governance and issue recommendations to county assemblies. "The resistance movement shall be responsible for implementing a vigorous positive political action program that includes economic boycotts, peaceful processions, picketing and other legitimate protests," he said. "This election must not stand .... It will make a complete mockery of elections and might well be the end of the ballot as a means of instituting government in Kenya. It will completely destroy public confidence in the vote," he said. The ruling party controls a majority in both houses of parliament and most of the 47 county governorships, making it difficult for the opposition to implement its proposals. Odinga's proposals left many of his supporters confused. "I don't understand what he wants," said Felix Wanga, a 25-year-old waiter who listened to the speech in Kisumu, the western city that forms the bedrock of Odinga's support. "I will have to wait until tomorrow to hear from our local leaders." On Monday, Kenyatta was declared the winner of the repeat presidential election with 98 percent of the vote, handing him a second five-year term at the helm of the region's richest economy. In a sign of the tensions raised by the election, Odinga's speech was delayed when the media walked out en masse after his supporters assaulted two journalists, whom they accused of bias. Odinga apologized for the incident. The election crisis had blunted growth in Kenya, a trade and diplomatic hub for east Africa and a headquarters for multinational companies because of its relatively free market, pro-Western diplomacy and stability. The extended electoral season sparked clashes between Odinga's protesters and police, and in recent days fanned an undercurrent of ethnic tensions that frequently surfaces during Kenyan elections. Reuters journalists confirmed two people were killed in ethnic clashes. Around 50 people died in political violence after the Aug. 8 elections, and another 14 people since Thursday's vote, according to diplomatic sources. A provisional government tally said nine people had been killed since Thursday. Political violence has shaken the nation before, when around 1,200 people were killed after political protests sparked ethnic clashes a decade ago. Diplomats and civil society leaders have publicly urged the two leaders to meet and engage in post-election 'national dialogue'. In his acceptance speech, Kenyatta ruled out the possibility of dialogue with Odinga if the opposition lodged any legal cases contesting his victory. (Additional reporting by Maggie Fick and Baz Ratner in Kisumu; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)
North Korean soldiers look at the South Korean side while US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on 27 October 2017 in Panmunjom, South Korea: Jeon Heon-Kyun-Pool/Getty Images

US President Donald Trump will not be visiting the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea on his upcoming Asia tour.

A senior White House official said to NBC that visiting has "become a little bit of a cliche" after Vice President Mike Pence, Defence Secretary James Mattis, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also visited the site at the centre of growing tensions with Pyongyang.

Last week Mr Trump had hinted he would go: Well, I'd rather not say, but you'll be surprised."

Past Presidents have visited the 2.5 mile-wide zone separating the Korean peninsula as a sign of solidarity with Seoul.

However, Mr Trump has had unique interactions with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and some experts feared his presence in the DMZ could further inflame an already-contentious diplomatic relationship.

When the President addressed the United Nations General Assembly in September, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the world not to sleepwalk our way into nuclear war.

Mr Guterres said extreme language - such as the type Mr Trump has been using like saying he would rain down fire and fury on Pyongyang - could lead to fatal misunderstandings.

During the speech he referred to Mr Kim as "Rocket Man" and said the young legacy was "on a suicide mission" in trying to further develop his country's nuclear weapons programme.

Mr Trump also said he would totally destroy it should North Korea threaten and attack the US territory like Pacific island Guam or an ally.

The whole world should clearly remember it was the US who first declared war on our country, North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong-ho said from New York.

The North Korean state media agency also issued a statement in response, calling the President a "dotard."

A few weeks ago a North Korean official confirmed Pyongyang's strategy to CNN, adding that "before we can engage in diplomacy with the Trump administration, we want to send a clear message that the DPRK has a reliable defensive and offensive capability to counter any aggression."

Story continues

Mr Trump had recently tweeted that Mr Tillerson was "wasting his time" trying to negotiate with Mr Kim through State Department diplomatic backchannels.

He tweeted that "only one thing will work" to deter North Korea's development of its nuclear arsenal, in yet another indication the president thinks military action is the only option left.

Mr Tillerson for his part attempted to reassure the American public on Sunday that "diplomatic efforts will continue until the first bomb drops," seeming to indicate the US would only strike as a retaliatory measure.

He also said there is no better partner than Secretary of Defence who believes in diplomacy regarding Mr Mattis' belief that military action should be a last resort.

Mr Trump's Asia tour begins on 4 November and will include visits to South Korea, Japan, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
Brussels (AFP) - Catalonia's deposed separatist leader Carles Puigdemont, facing possible prosecution for rebellion in Spain, appeared in Brussels on Tuesday saying he planned to stay in Belgium but denying rumours he would try to seek asylum.

His presence creates a headache for the Belgian government, which was quick to say he had come without their knowledge or invitation under Europe's free movement rules.

- How long can he legally stay in Belgium? -

As an EU citizen Puigdemont can stay in Belgium for 90 days without informing the authorities, Dominique Ernould of the government's Foreigners' Office told AFP.

To stay longer, he must submit a residency application. This can be granted on the basis of employment, for family reunion or by showing he has the financial means to support himself.

But if he were to leave Belgium before the 90 days was up -- by crossing the border to France or the Netherlands, for example -- the clock would be reset "and an EU citizen could once again stay for three months," Ernould said.

- If charged in Spain, could he claim asylum? -

Spanish prosecutors want to charge Puigdemont with sedition and rebellion, punishable by up to 30 years in jail, leading many to suspect he fled to Belgium to seek sanctuary -- particularly after he consulted a lawyer who has dealt with asylum cases involving Spaniards from the once-restive Basque Country.

EU citizens can claim asylum in Belgium, according to the country's CGRA refugee agency.

But Puigdemont has denied planning to do so and moreover even if he did, the chances of success would seem to be very slight.

"It's quite exceptional to obtain asylum for a citizen of a European Union country," Dirk Van Den Bulck of the CGRA told RTBF television.

Belgium will consider asylum applications from other EU countries, but works on the principle that members of the bloc are safe and respect human rights. In the last five years Belgium has not granted asylum to any EU citizens.

Story continues

Puigdemont would have to prove a "threat of persecution" in his country of origin and an impossibility of being protected there, Van Den Bulck said.

If Spain issues a European arrest warrant for Puigdemont "there would be very little room for Belgium to refuse it", said Maxime Chome, a Belgian legal expert.

- What are the implications for Belgium? -

The Spanish standoff is already causing problems for the Belgian government led by Prime Minister Charles Michel, who rules in coalition with Flemish separatists sympathetic to the Catalan cause.

The French-speaking Belgian leader was quick to stress after Puigdemont's news conference that his government had "not undertaken any step to encourage Mr Puigdemont's arrival on Belgian soil" and warned him not to expect special treatment.

But on Saturday Michel's immigration minister Theo Francken, from the Flemish separatist N-VA party, said Belgium could offer asylum to Puigdemont, infuriating Spain.

The EU and its member states have been resolute in their support for Madrid during the Catalan independence crisis, but Michel has been more muted, calling for dialogue to resolve the standoff.
Televangelist Pat Robertson wants President Donald Trump to issue pardons to everyone involved in the Russia scandal and then shut down the investigation being led by former FBI Director Robert Mueller.

He has every right to shut Mueller down and say, Youve gone as far as you need to, and I have instructed my Justice Department to close you down, he said Monday on The 700 Club, which airs on ABCs Freeform cable network.

The right-wing TV preacher said:

He can grant a blanket pardon for everybody involved in everything and say, All right, I pardon them all, case closed, its all over. I think that is what he needs to do ... hes got to shut this thing down, hes just got to.

Robertsons comments, posted online by Right Wing Watch, came after the first indictments in the investigation were announced Monday.

Trumps former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and Manaforts onetime business associate Rick Gates pleaded not guilty to multiple charges in federal court. Separately, former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents in connection with the investigation.

See Robertsons full comments above.

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Paul Manafort, former campaign manager for President Donald Trump, speaks on the phone while touring the floor of the Republican National Convention 17 July 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio: Win McNamee/Getty Images

President Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort has surrendered to the FBI in Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged collusion between Trump campaign team members and Russian officials.

Mr Manafort and his longtime, former business partner Rick Gates were indicted on 12 counts of conspiracy against the US, conspiracy to launder money, various charges regarding being a foreign agent for Ukraine without properly reporting their work to the US government, and seven counts of failing to report foreign bank and financial accounts.

The documented stated that $75m (57m) went in and out of offshore accounts controlled by the pair. Both Mr Manafort and Mr Gates appeared in court in Washington DC to plead not guilty to the charges.

What is a grand jury?

A grand jury is a legal body, comprised of 16 to 23 people, that is authorised to investigate criminal conduct.

Federal, state and county prosecutors utilise grand juries to decide whether probable cause exists to support criminal charges.

Grand juries are separate from the courts and can ask for documents as well as compel witnesses to testify. No judge presides over its proceedings.

Normally they meet in a room in the same building as the prosecutors office.

A regular jury - usually 12 people - only decides on the facts of a case and is only used for trials, where a unanimous vote is required.

Only a quorum is required for a grand jury indictment.

Grand juries and regular juries are chosen from the same pool of people.

So in this case, a grand jury heard evidence and concluded with a quorum that Mr Manafort and Mr Gates may have committed the crimes outlined in the indictment.

Is it significant that both Mr Manafort and Mr Gates were charged together?

Both Mr Manafort and Mr Gates have pleaded not guilty to the charges. But, in theory the pair can avoid going to trial by making plea bargains - essentially coming forth with information on any alleged collusion in exchange for either a lighter sentence or dropping charges.

Story continues

Being charged together does not preclude either from a plea deal, however it may make it more complicated.

Mr Manafort has done business with Mr Gates for several years and the pair have been connected through documents of companies Mr Manafort had established in Cyprus, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Seychelles in order to receive payments from his Eastern European business and political clients,

As Mieke Eoyang, Vice President for the National Security Program at DC-based think tank Third Way, told The Independent, "it means that Manafort isn't the ultimate big fish that they intend to get.

However charging together suggests that Gates can't seek a better deal by flipping on Manafort, Ms Eoyang noted.

Manafort can try to negotiate better terms by implicating someone higher -- Trump or Pence. But we're still at the beginning of this thing. This is like the capture of the burglars in Watergate -- it's the start of the unwinding, she explained.

More than 90 per cent of federal cases are settled through plea bargains.

What does Ukraine have to do with all this?

Both Mr Manafort and Mr Gates also being charged for not reporting their work in "direct[ing] a campaign to lobby US officials on behalf of the Government of Ukraine, the President of Ukraine, and Ukrainian political parties."

The pair have been accused in the indictment of operating as unregistered foreign agents for the Ukrainian government and Party of Regions - a pro-Russian political party in the country - leader Victor Yanukovych.

Mr Yanukovych served as President from 2010 to 2014 while being closely linked with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

What kinds of penalties could they face?

Mr Manafort and Mr Gates will likely lose assets if found guilty. The charges regarding Mr Manaforts lavish lifestyle - he allegedly used $18m to buy property in the US and household goods - will perhaps involve property forfeiture if proven.

The pair could also face up to 80 years in prison for Mr Manafort and 70 years for Mr Gates.

Conspiracy against the US, charges failure to report foreign agent work, and the charge of false statements under the Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA) carry a maximum sentence of five years each.

Each count could carry fines of up to $10,000.

Money laundering carries the heaviest sentence. If convicted, it could result in up to 20 years in jail on that charge alone. This charge could also result in a "fine of either $500,000 or twice the monetary value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater," as the Washington Post reported.

Mr Manafort is 68 years old and Mr Gates is 45.

How does this affect Mr Trump?

The President tweeted this morning that the grand jury charges against Mr Manafort occurred before he became Mr Trumps campaign manager.

He had served three months in the position, from June to August 2016 and was brought in mostly to oversee the July 2016 Republican National Convention.

He asked why arent Crooked Hillary and Dems the focus??? attempting to shift focus to a topic he had been tweeting about over the weekend - the investigation into a deal selling uranium to a Russian company brokered and approved during the Obama administration while Ms Clinton was Secretary of State.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders denied any association between the Trump campaign and the accusations against Mr Manafort and Mr Gates.

George Papadapoulos, a former campaign aide who Ms Sanders referred to as only a volunteer on the foreign policy team, pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents working for special counsel Mr Mueller as well.

He said he lied to FBI agents about the nature of his interactions with "foreign nationals" who allegedly close connections to senior Russian government officials, specifically a niece of Russian President Vladimir Putin, a Russian professor, and an associate of Donald Trump Jrs who claimed to have dirt on Ms Clinton.

He is the first person to face criminal charges that cite interactions between Trump campaign associates and Russian intermediaries during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Mr Gates continued to serve as deputy campaign manager long after Mr Manafort department in August 2016. He has also reportedly continued to work with Trump administration officials, visiting the White House on numerous occasions.

What happens now?

Mr Manafort and Mr Gates have been arraigned in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. They are due back in court on Thursday 2 November.

Neither have responded to the indictment as yet but put in a plea of "not guilty" on all counts.

Mr Mueller has asked that bond for Mr Manafort be set at $10m (7.6m) and for Mr Gates at $5m (3.8m). The Special Prosecutor also asked for home detention for both, saying Mr Manafort posed a flight risk.

A trial will not take place immediately.
When the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday released a federal grand jurys indictment of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, as part of Special Counsel Robert S. Muellers probe into suspected Russian attempts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the charges spoke to a long-running worry among U.S. lawmakers.



Among the 12 charges, Manafort is accused of acting as a unregistered agent of a foreign principal and issuing false and misleading FARA statements, by not properly disclosing the nature of the consulting he did for a Kremlin-linked Ukrainian political party. Failure to do so would be a violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), a registration requirement that makes foreign agents tell the DOJ whom theyre working for, what theyre doing, and how much theyre getting paid for the gig.

Fear of foreign interference in U.S. affairs is about as old as the U.S., but this 1938 law is a response to a specific fear: Americans in the U.S. working for the Nazis.

One of those Americans was famously suspected to be Ivy Lee. Hes often now viewed as a father of public relations, but back in the early 1930s it was one of his clients in particular that interested observers. As the publicist for the U.S. affiliate of the chemical product giant Interessen Gemeinschaft Farbenindustrie (Farben), which TIME described as the great German dye trust, he had been hired to help the European company gain a larger foothold in the U.S. in the early days of global corporations. Quickly, however, the nature of the job began to change.

When Germany nationalizes the corporations, the distinction between state and corporation blurs, explains Jonathan Auerbach, author of Weapons of Democracy: Propaganda, Progressivism, and American Public Opinion. So when Farben is taken over by the German nationalist state, hes advising Germany.

In January 1934, Lee met briefly with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Propaganda Ministry director Joseph Goebbels. Though the exact details of what Goebbels and Hitler wanted out of Lee are not clear, Auerbach believes what they may have been seeking from Ivy Lee was some insight into how Americans think about Nazis and to talk about what they could do to make Americans think more positively about Nazis. That July, a forerunner to the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) made public testimony Lee had given about that meeting. The committee, which was originally founded to look into German influence over American public opinion, wanted to know if he was conspiring on something with the Nazis. After all, Lee got a raise so huge after Hitler came into power  from $3,000 to $25,000  that the committee got the impression that Mr. Lee might just as well have been retained by the Reichskanzler himself, TIME reported in its July 23, 1934, issue.

Story continues

Heres how the magazine quoted Lees side of the story:

I have told them repeatedly, testified Mr. Lee, that . . . the dissemination of, the organization of, German propaganda in the U. S. was just a mistake and futile. That it was bad business. That complete reliance should be placed on getting news to the American people through normal channels of publicity.  I told them that there were certain policies which Germany had [on Jews] which were bound to antagonize American public opinion and to attempt to secure favorable American opinion toward themsuch attempts would be futile and, in the second place, objectionable.  In the very beginning I stipulated that there should be no dissemination whatever by me of information in the U. S. . . . I never distribute anything for clients in my name. My position is that every client of mine must tell his own story and do his own job in a responsible open way. . . .

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According to TIMEs summary, Lee admitted Germany wasnt the first government he had advised (he had also done work for Poland and Romania). That was not unusual, according to Auerbach. Some of the regions newly independent after World War I hired Americans, whom they saw as the greatest publicity people, going back to P.T. Barnum, to help gain international support. When those governments hired them, there was generally no restriction on what those agents could do. (For example, two other PR pioneers, Edward Bernays and Carl Byoir, helped generate public support to pressure the U.S. Senate to recognize Lithuania.) Soon enough, however, the practice began to raise eyebrows in Washington.

The congressmen were really interested in this peculiar notion of a foreign agent  that you can be working on behalf of a foreign government without anyone knowing it  and I think that led to the 1938 act [FARA], argues Auerbach. What does it mean for a private citizen to be giving information or advice to a government about your own country?

Lee argued that, as long as there was complete transparency, the press agents who helped smooth international relations were doing positive work. And Congress would essentially drop its investigation into his doings a few months later, when Lee died of a brain tumor on Nov. 9, 1934. But after his death, suspicions of German Americans only grew. FARA was enacted in 1938  after the Institute of Propaganda Analysis was founded in 1937 to help intelligent citizens detect and analyze propaganda, and as the pro-Nazi German American Bund tried to gin up American support for neutrality in the European conflict that would become World War II.

As Stephen I. Vladeck, an expert in national security law and professor of law at the University of Texas School of Law, sums up the rationale for FARA at the time, The idea from Congress was, Listen, were not going to say you cant come and participate in our political process, but if youre going to lobby for policies  or pay Americans to do that on your behalf  the American people ought to know about it, and make their own decision about the wisdom or lack there of, of the policy.'

The hope was that public relations agencies and lobbyists wouldnt carry out something unethical if they had to publicly disclose the relationship. FARA didnt stop people from working as foreign agents, and in fact, the 1995 Lobbying Disclosure Act became a way to get around FARA because those who met the statutes easier to satisfy requirements were exempt from FARA, according to Vladeck. Nowadays, the DOJ usually gives offenders a chance to submit the paperwork belatedly in lieu of prosecuting them because it had been considered overly harsh to prosecute people for what was ultimately a paperwork transgression, he says.

I think the purpose of the statute has endured, says Vladeck. The concern about foreign involvement in U.S. politics never went away.
Paul Manafort, former campaign manager for US President Donald Trump, leaves the US District Court after being charged 30 October 2017 in Washington, DC: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

President Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort and another former aide Rick Gates has been placed under house arrest and had their passports confiscated after an appearance at a Washington DC court.

Both men pleaded not guilty to a series of charges in a 12-count, 31-page indictment, ranging from money laundering to acting as unregistered agents of Ukraine's former pro-Russian government.

If convicted Mr Manafort could face up to 80 years in prison and Mr Gates up to 70, with the charge of money laundering carrying a maximum 20-year sentence on its own.

The pair could also face fines of $10,000 for each of the foreign agent reporting counts and up to a $500,000 fine each and property forfeiture.

The document also stated that $75m (57m) went in and out of offshore accounts controlled by the pair.

Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller, who has been investigating possible collusion between campaign team members and Russian officials during the 2016 US election since May 2017, had also asked for bond to be set at $10m (7.6m) for Mr Manafort and $5m (3.8) for Mr Gates.

George Papadapoulos, a former campaign aide who White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders referred to as only a volunteer on the foreign policy team, pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents working for special counsel Mr Mueller as well

He said he lied to FBI agents about the nature of his interactions with "foreign nationals" who he thought had close connections to senior Russian government officials, specifically a niece of Russian

President Vladimir Putin, a Russian professor, and an associate of Donald Trump Jrs who claimed to have dirt on Ms Clinton.

He is the first person to face criminal charges that cite interactions between Trump campaign associates and Russian intermediaries during the 2016 presidential campaign.
The truck that plowed through a bike lane and killed multiple people in New York City. (Photo: NYPD)

At least eight people are dead after a truck plowed into cyclists on a popular bike trail in lower Manhattan on Tuesday. Photos from the scene show a wrecked Home Depot truck and crushed bicycles, as well as bodies covered by white sheets.

See the latest photos from the scene below.

Investigators inspect the truck.

Investigators inspect the truck.

Emergency crews at the the scene of a violent incident on West Street in Manhattan, New York City.

Multiple bikes crushed along a bike path in lower Manhattan.

First responders assist a woman injured on the bike path.

First responders tend to a victim.

A police officer at the scene.

A body covered on West Street in Manhattan.

Emergency personnel at the scene.

Police gather at the scene after reports of multiple people injured after a truck plowed through a bike path in New York City.

The truck drove down a popular biking path in lower Manhattan.

State Police stand near the scene of a pickup truck attack, on West Street in Manhattan, New York, U.S., October 31 2017. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

Security forces cordon off the area.

New York Fire Department (NYFD) and New York Police Department (NYPD) vehicles sit parked on a blocked off street.

New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers on Chambers Street surround the rented Home Depot Inc..

A pickup truck used in an attack sits on the intersection of West and Chambers Street.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
A flight was forced to return to its point of origin, Frankfurt, Germany, after a failed landing in Salzburg, Austria, during high winds brought by Storm Herwart on October 29.

The Enter Air plane was caught in a strong crosswind which caused the right wing to drop, and the plane to hit the tarmac hard before regaining altitude. According to a report in the Aviation Herald, the plane performed a go-around but was forced to return to Frankfurt.

Several cities reported states of emergency during the weekend storm, which killed at least five people. Credit: Stephan Reiner via Storyful
President Trump has a handful of go-to moves when facing political trouble, but theyre not going to help him much as his former campaign chairman and an associate face federal charges.

On Monday, former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort was indicted on charges of funneling more than $18 million through overseas shell companies, while his longtime associate, Rick Gates, was indicted on charges of transferring more than $3 million from offshore accounts.

Trump has already broken out some tactics hes used successfully in the past:

Changed the subject to Hillary Clinton

On Sunday, Trump tweeted that the investigation should focus on the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committees roles in funding opposition research on Trump that ended up in the FBIs hands and leaked after the election as an infamous dossier.

Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 30, 2017

This is a well-worn tactic known as whataboutism, which Trump has long used. When faced with allegations of sexual harassment and assault during the campaign, he brought forward women who had accused Bill Clinton in the past.

But courts dont care about someone else. They care about the person sitting at the defendants table. As the cases against Manafort and Gates churn on, Trump wont be able to change the subject.

Hoped conservative media would avoid the topic

On Monday, Trump tweeted out praise for Fox and Friends, a morning show on Fox News that hes praised in the past. As many people pointed out, the show had a big segment on an emoji cheeseburger. (To be fair, Fox and Friends covered the indictments, but not with the same kind of wall-to-wall coverage as other cable channels.)

Story continues

Paul Manafort just agreed to turn himself in to the FBI. What should we report on?

CNN: Manafort

MSNBC: Manafort

Fox News: Hamburger emoji pic.twitter.com/Wjsvkb2coW  Roberto Ferdman (@robferdman) October 30, 2017

Trump has long relied on conservative media. A Pew Research survey released in January found that 40% of Trump voters said they relied on Fox News for election coverage, while just 8% said they tuned into CNN, the second most-cited source.

But again, courts dont care. In fact, the U.S. legal system has a long history of trying to avoid media bias from affecting proceedings, from sequestering jury members away from broadcast news to barring participants from commenting to the media during a trial.

Complained that hes being unfairly targeted

On Monday, Trump also argued that Democrats were ginning up a controversy over possible campaign collusion with Russia as part of a terrible (and bad for our country) Witch Hunt for evil politics.

..."collusion," which doesn't exist. The Dems are using this terrible (and bad for our country) Witch Hunt for evil politics, but the R's...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 29, 2017

This is a move that Trump has relied on in the past, even down to using the term witch hunt. In May, he argued at a Coast Guard graduation that no politician in history  and I say this with great surety  has been treated worse or more unfairly. Hes also frequently argued that the press treats him unfairly.

Again, courts arent here for that. Judges and juries determine whether the facts they are presented prove the case that the prosecutor has made beyond a reasonable doubt. Defense attorneys sometimes use unfairness as a counterargument, but Trumps tweeting isnt going to change what takes place in the courtroom.

In short, facts matter now more than spin

As the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller moves into its next phase, Trump will have less ability to set the narrative. The 31-page indictments of Mueller and Gates have already laid out a number of facts about their finances, their contacts with Russia and their work on the campaign. The guilty plea of former Trump campaign adviser George Papadapoulos contains even more facts that will dog Trump and his team.

In the world of cable news appearances, Twitter and the White House press briefings, spin is the chief currency. But Trump is about to learn that politics plays out differently in the courtroom.

That doesnt mean he has no options. He can still use pardons or even try to fire Mueller to influence the investigation, but there are risks to any of those actions.
Now this is really scary: Private high schools in the Baltimore area are reportedly seeing a wave of racially insensitive Halloween costumes worn by students, past and present.

One photo posted on social media showed a graduate of Boys Latin School of Maryland dressed in an orange jumpsuit with the name Freddie Gray on the back, according to The Baltimore Sun. The picture was allegedly taken at a party held near the College of Charleston in South Carolina.

Gray, who was black, died tragically in April 2015 from a spinal cord injury suffered in a police transport van. Protests and riots broke out in the city after his death.

A photo posted online of one of the offensive costumes. (Photo: Facebook)

Other photos from different parties showed white teenagers, who were identified as students at Baltimores Gilman School and Roland Park Country School, in orange jumpsuits captioned with racial slurs. In one picture, two white students appear to be dressed as inmates. That image includes a racial slur and a caption stating they broke out, Baltimore TV station WJZ reports.

The photos of the younger students were purportedly posted on Facebook in an attempt to shame them, but have since been removed.

Gilman and Roland Park Country schools released a joint statement on Monday:

Know that we take any situation involving our students seriously, and this is no exception. Please understand that many involved in this situation are minors and we respectfully remind you of this as we work through the details.

St. Pauls School in the Baltimore suburbs released its own statement:

St. Pauls School does not tolerate any form of hate or discrimination. The School is investigating an incident that occurred off campus and outside of school hours, and will take the necessary and appropriate steps. Privacy policies do not permit us to provide any further information. We remain committed to fostering an inclusive community whose members respect themselves and one another.

The one female teen among those photographed, a junior at Roland Park, later released an apology to WJZ:

Story continues

I know what I wore was completely inappropriate and I understand everyones anger towards me but I just wanted to tell you something. I promise on my life that both [redacted name] and I did not write Freddie grey on the back of our shirts. I would never do that, that is horrible. When I was dressing in costume I was trying dress like the girl from oitnb [Orange Is The New Black] and I realize now that the way I dressed was completely unacceptable. Im extremely sorry for what I did and I dont think Ill ever forgive myself. I know this apology is not going to redeem myself at all, but I wanted to tell you that Im sorry for offending you. I truly did not mean for my costume to be disrespectful but looking back on it I should have realized how messed up my costume was. But I promise I would NEVER write Freddie grey on the back of my shirt. Im really sorry.

Because one of the pictures was taken near the College of Charleston, the schools African American Studies Program also released a statement, according to local station WCIV:

The African American Studies Program at the College of Charleston stands in solidarity with the Black Student Union and other student organizations to insist that the administration take immediate action against the students involved in any and all acts that aim to intimidate and make mockery of the students, faculty, and staff of color on this campus.

College President Glenn McConnell had some sage advice on Monday for students or anyone else attending a Halloween party.

I encourage you to think about your party themes and costume choices and the impression they may have on others, McConnell told WCIV. If you have the slightest doubt if your costume/party theme is insensitive, be smart and dont do it.

Also on HuffPost

Happy Poop

Sure this costume is the epitome of crap, but there isn't a person at the Halloween party who won't want to take a selfie with the person who wears it. Of course, some may not want to stand too close.

Subtle And Not Gross-At-All Pickle Apron

Here's a thought experiment: Imagine the Pickle Apron Guy meeting someone at a Halloween party and actually taking them home. I can't, either.

Giant Tampon

So you hate crowds, but are forced to go to a Halloween party. What will you do? The answer is this giant tampon costume. You might even get an entire room to yourself. Well, you and the Pickle Apron guy.

Kangaroo

Yes, this kangaroo costume is ridiculous and accentuates the badonkadonk in a manner some might find unflattering. But before you start hating, please note one thing: That there pouch is pretty decent for holding small amounts of contraband. We'll wait while you go online to order.

Halloweenie

It takes a lot of balls to be a Halloweenie, but the person who does will certainly be acclaimed at certain types of Halloween parties. I bet the Pickle Apron guy will be angry: "Why are people hanging around that guy? His costume lacks the subtlety and taste of mine."

Piggyback Stripper

Forget that old saw about the eyes being the window to the soul. It's Halloween costumes that really prove a person's true personality. And the person who shows up with the Piggyback Stripper is telling the world, "I am a sensitive, loving human who only wants to make the world a better place for future generations." OK, fools, let's make it rain!

Crying Baby Mask

Every Halloween party is going to be filled with creepy clowns. If you really want to creep people out, this all-too realistic crying baby mask will do the job. Trust us: We road-tested it at a Starbucks on Labor Day. No, we're not allowed back.

Eggplant

Want to know how things have changed in the last five years? Look at this eggplant costume. Half a decade ago, this costume would have been worn by a foodie or a vegan. Now, it's likely to be worn by bros who want to advertise their sexual potency. To anyone who dares to wear this, we hope you find that peach of your dreams.

Giant Douche

You're going to see a lot of douches at Halloween parties, but there's something to be said for being upfront and open about it.

Sexy Remote Control

We don't like to judge but, frankly, dressing up as a TV remote control is problematic. Remember, the remote control often becomes stuck between couch cushions.

Sexy Pink Panther

It's an annual dilemma: You want to dress up as a sexualized version of a cartoon character, but don't want to permanently scar children by dressing up as someone they might recognize. The solution may be this hot-and-bothered version of the Pink Panther. Or not.

Skimpy Clown Costume

Scary clowns are all the rage this Halloween, but few costumes are as scary as these bikini briefs. And while clowns are known to be cheeky, few are as cheeky as the back view of this get-up, if you get our drift.

Down For The Count

Yes, this is a polarizing costume. But make no mistake: the guy who is "Down For The Count" is going to be asked to pose for a helluva lot of selfies. And even those who are disgusted will take sneak photos so they can gripe about the guy on social media. Just saying.

Skeleboner

Previously when I looked at skeleton costumes, I always felt like they were missing something, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Now, thanks to Skeleboner, I can (but I'm not sure I want to).

Sleeping Dude-y

One glance at this "Sleeping Dude-y" costume and you might think, Ugh. Some bro thinks hes funny dressing up as a princess while still trying to maintain his hetero image. Actually, thats what we think on the second or third glance as well.

Trump Piggyback

Piggyback costumes are big this year, but the Trump version is the only one that makes Halloween great again.

Sexy Elmo

This Elmo costume is the perfect kiddie-character-made-sexy costume for a shyer woman. It won't freak out the kids, but it's still playful. However, I still wonder if Elmo's pet goldfish, Dorothy, is hiding somewhere.

Sexy Edward Scissorhands

This Sexy Edward Scissorhands get-up sends mixed messages. It definitely has a certain goth girl appeal, but those scissors on the costume look sharp and might scare people away. Of course, that might be a good thing.

Sexy Bambi

Oh deer. Yet another childhood-ruining sexy outfit for Halloween. This one is actually more discreet than others we've seen -- except for the way Bambi is sticking out his tongue in desire. We're feeling kind of awkward now.

Sexy Playboy Dog

Hugh Hefner's recent death may inspire a whole rash of Halloween Playboy bunnies, but none of them hold a carrot to having a canine be your playmate. It's the most cuddly form of patriarchal sexism we've seen this year.

Eleven From 'Stranger Things'

My daughter loves "Stranger Things" so I showed her this costume of Eleven. "Cool," she says. So I asked her if she wanted to be that for Halloween. "No," she says. "Everyone's going as her." There you go.

Pot Brownie Baker

Cute outfit, but here's some cold hard truth: Anyone who dresses as a pot brownie baker and doesn't actually bring brownies to the party is a buzzkill. If you can live with that on your conscience, fine with me.

Sexy Chucky

"Gee boss, we've run out of charming children's characters we can sexualize and Halloween's coming. What will we do?"

"We have no choice. Go to Plan B."

"Plan B? Are you sure?"

"We have no choice. It's the only way."

"I don't know ... it seems too much."

"Do it! Make Chucky sexy!"

Cut to crowd: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

Praying Mantis

Dressing up as a praying mantis is weird enough, but if you really want to bug people, tell them you're making a statement about how insects can be religious as well. If anyone gripes, just say, "Hey, at least I'm not the Pickle Apron guy."

Inflatable King Kong

Sure, everyone loves a gorilla costume, but they can get so hot. This King Kong costume stays inflated with a mini-fan and can provide a cushion should you fall off a couch, or the Empire State Building.

Beer Wench Piggyback

This "piggyback beer wench" is actually a multi-use costume. Not only can you wear it to Halloween parties, you can wear it to anything vaguely Oktoberfest-related. Some people may find it offensive, but take heart: You're still going to be more popular than the Pickle Apron guy.

Frank The Fish

You could spend months trying to create an elaborate costume that wouldn't be nearly as creepy as this fish mask. My eyes! My eyes!

Rubber Duckie Mask

Whether you're Huey, Dewey or Louie (does it really matter?), people will definitely say "Woo hoo!" to this rubber duck mask that has no connection at all to "Duck Tales" (so back off, Disney!). You can't see very well out of the damn thing, but that's a small price to pay for fashion.

Mask For Barbie Doll

Hey, your Barbie probably gets bored of looking gorgeous in a plastic way. Allow that doll to express her inner monster with this plastic mask that will surely give Ken a scare.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
The first warnings about Hamilton Fish were whispered by those who had previously worked for him. (Photo: Astrid Stawiarz via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  The warnings came soon after Hamilton Fish was appointed publisher of The New Republic last year. Over email, over the phone, over coffee and drinks, people who had worked with Fish in the past, mostly women, slipped word to the female staffers of the liberal magazine that their incoming boss was trouble.

They told the women that he had grabbed the neck of a high-ranking female employee at The Nation Institute nearly 10 years ago, back when he was president of the nonprofit media organization. They told the women he could be demeaning, even creepy. It was the least they could do. The Nation Institute had parted ways with Fish  about two years after the neck-grabbing incident  but he left under cover of a sprawling non-disparagement provision. Nation Institute vets could warn his future charges only in secret.

The first public suggestion of Fishs alleged mistreatment of women came on Sunday, when the owner of The New Republic told staffers that it was launching an immediate, independent investigation into allegations surrounding Fish and his behavior toward female employees. Fish was taking a leave of absence from the magazine pending the investigations outcome, New Republic owner Win McCormack wrote in a memo to the staff.

For many people who have worked under Fish, the reckoning was long overdue. At The Nation Institute, he was a well-connected fundraiser with impressive credentials. He had produced critically acclaimed documentaries and, as an owner in the late 1970s, helped revitalize The Nation magazine. His fate was thought to be bound up with that of the donor-dependent nonprofit he was leading. Speaking out against him, employees felt, might mean destabilizing The Nation Institute.

A lot of people heard rumors about Hams behavior but felt powerless to do anything about it, said Ari Berman, a senior reporter at Mother Jones and a fellow at The Nation Institute. He was a powerful person who was being protected.

Story continues

The most alarming of the whispers about Fish centered on the neck-grabbing incident one weekend nearly 10 years ago, when Fish was president of The Nation Institute.

Two sources with knowledge of that weekends events described it to HuffPost:

Fish came in to work, and Taya Kitman, a high-ranking staffer at the time, and two other employees were in the conference room waiting for him. They needed to prepare the 400-person seating chart for the organizations annual gala. Kitman wanted to get it done and pressed Fish to help her. Fish seemed annoyed by her request.

Fish, who is well over 6 feet tall, approached Kitman from behind, put his hands around her neck and applied pressure, according to four people with knowledge of the incident.

One person said Fish meant it as a joke, but took it too far. He left red marks on Kitmans neck, the four sources said. Shaken by the encounter, Kitman tried to downplay it.

Board member Victor Navasky and The Nation Institutes lawyer at the time were briefed the following day about the incident. They told Fish to apologize, and Kitman didnt want to take things further.

In an email to HuffPost, Fish said: The incident with Taya Kitman did not happen as described. Taya has been a friend and colleague of nearly 20 years, I have the utmost regard for her and the work she had done at the institute. We were partners in building the organization and we continue to collaborate on projects that we created together. I know it sounds self-serving, but anyone who knows me knows I would never harm a woman or another person.

Kitman declined to comment.

Reached by phone last week, Navasky praised Fish and insisted he didnt know anything about the alleged physical altercation between Fish and Kitman. I dont know what youre talking about, so theres nothing to deny or not deny, he told HuffPost on Friday. The Nation Institute is a private thing and the trustees arent supposed to talk about anything that happened there, and Im obeying their rules. But Im just telling you that Hamilton was a great partner for me. Period.

When asked whether he was informed of the incident in a meeting with a lawyer, Navasky said, OK, heres the thing: I am not permitted as a member of the board of the institute to discuss any personnel matters.

Fishs eventual departure from The Nation Institute was spurred by a staff revolt against its longtime president. Staffers felt he was failing to do his job  which largely consisted of raising money for the nonprofit organization, which sponsors progressive journalism. But staffers were also disgusted with the way he treated female employees, said several people who worked with him at the time.

Fish often made bizarre or suggestive remarks at work  a problem that was compounded by the power he wielded over staffers salaries, vacation days and parental leave. With no formal parental leave policy in place, it was up to Fish to decide how much time to give new parents, which could lead to awkward negotiations, said one source who was on staff during his time at the institute. Fish would joke that the babies were his, multiple women recalled; after all, he was paying for the health insurance. Another source recalled Fish waiting until the last minute to grant parental leave.

Fish acknowledged The Nation Institute did not have an employee handbook while he was there. But we did provide maternity and paternity leave substantially in excess of state requirements, he said.

Multiple people who worked with Fish recalled another time when he told a woman that her lipstick tube looked like a dildo. Asked about the remark, Fish said the allegation could only be coming from someone who has malice toward me or ill will toward The Nation Institute for unrelated reasons.

Fish also had a way of undermining his female staffers, according to several people who worked with him. He would sometimes assign top female employees menial tasks, like typing up his letters. He made comments to some of the mothers on staff that they felt implied they were too busy raising children to do their jobs well.

Fish treated The Nation Institute as his personal domain, said a source who was on staff during Fishs tenure at the organization. The patterns of inappropriate behavior  whether it was the unwelcome shoulder massages, the commentary about womens bodies, their clothing, the way a woman walked, the overly sexual comments about dildos and lesbians  it all took place against a backdrop where there was no personnel handbook and no one in an HR role. He was the lone decider on all personnel matters large and small.

Over time, Nation Institute staffers compiled their complaints about Fish, which they eventually took to the board of directors. Fish stepped down as president in 2009, about two years after the neck-grabbing incident.

Kitman is now executive director of the institute.

I know that Taya recognized that Ham was a problem and did everything she could to get him out of there, Berman said. Things have been much better since Taya took over. Shes respected by the staff. Shes respected by the fellows. Shes respected by the donors. Shes very hardworking. Taya is literally the exact opposite of Ham, and I mean that in the best way possible about her.

Berman added: When Taya took over, the office became a lot more functional and pleasant to be in.

The reports of the neck-grabbing incident were apparently never taken to the board, and some members at the time were left in the dark. When asked about the incident, former board member Catharine Stimpson gasped. You astonish me, she said. Fish was not dismissed, she maintained. His departure was reached reasonably [between] parties who had known each other for a long time and respected each other.

While Fish may have departed from the institute, he still worked on a documentary commemorating The Nation magazines 150th anniversary. In retrospect, that assignment was an error, The Nation magazine wrote in a statement after the publication of this story. He has no role at The Nation now and will not in the future.

Fish disputes the notion that he was dismissed: In the fall of 2009 I had reached a point where I felt after nearly 15 years it was time for me to leave, we had lost most of our funding after the crash and I was feuding with the board. I resigned effective December 2009 and I signed a consulting agreement. The chair thanked me publicly for my part in helping to build the organization and I continued to work for the institute through July 1, 2010.

With Fish gone, Nation Institute employees strove to make the organization a better place to work  especially for women.

The Nation Institute is committed to fostering a workplace that is free of all forms of harassment and discrimination of any kind, including, in particular, sexual harassment, David R. Jones, the chair of the organizations board, said in a statement.

The staff is now unionized; there are policies against sexual harassment, discrimination and whistleblower retaliation; there is a mandatory annual in-person sexual harassment training program and a competitive parental leave policy. The Nation Institutes top three positions are held by women.

But Fishs treatment of women remained a secret, to be discussed only sotto voce between friends and colleagues. Employees were reminded as recently as last week to abide by the non-disparagement provision, which the institutes lawyers claim applies to all staff, including those who hadnt seen or signed the document.

With his reputation still mostly intact, Fish went on to hold top-level positions and consulting jobs at The Washington Spectator, Laphams Quarterly, The Baffler and, eventually, The New Republic. People who had worked with Fish at The Nation Institute say they were surprised and alarmed when McCormack appointed him publisher of The New Republic in February 2016.

One person who had worked with Fish met with several female New Republic staffers over a drink in New York to offer advice on how to deal with the new publisher. The staffers had warned one another internally to keep their distance from him. One current staffer emailed Katrina vanden Heuvel, the editor and publisher of The Nation magazine, and asked her to tell McCormack about the circumstances under which Fish had left the institute. (Vanden Heuvel did not respond to requests for comment.)

New Republic staffers were wary of Fish from the start, in part because of these whispered warnings about his past. Several people who worked with Fish at The New Republic described him as keeping a lower profile at the magazine  but they say some questionable behavior surfaced at TNR.

Fish would approach women from behind, put his hands on their shoulders, sometimes massaging them, two people who worked with him at TNR said. He would generally make dismissive jokes and physically leave the room when I brought up problems, a former New Republic staffer said. I often felt disrespected and looked down upon.

HuffPost learned that J.J. Gould, who became editor of The New Republic on Sept. 25, found out about the issues with Fish last week. Female staffers at the magazine drafted a complaint detailing their grievances with Fish. It was signed by editorial staffers and delivered to top management. On Sunday evening, McCormack announced the internal investigation into Fish and his leave of absence. Fish declined to comment on his conduct at TNR while the investigation is ongoing.

One woman who worked with Fish said she hoped the disclosures would at least mean female members of the media would have better choices than to quietly acquiesce to the culture around them.

As a woman who came up in journalism and as an editor at that time, she said, I never had the possibility of not playing their game. And what I do hope for these pieces that are coming out is that the younger women that are coming up now dont have to make the funny little jokes and be the get-along girl like I was. And that they can just be taken seriously on their own merits, on their own work, whatever their personality happens to be.

After this story was first published, Taya Kitman released the following statement:

Some of you may have seen news reports of allegations against Hamilton Fish, the current Publisher of The New Republic and former President of The Nation Institute. I want you to know that Mr. Fish departed The Nation Institute eight years ago and, for a variety of reasons, I wont address past events. But I want to be clear that The Nation Institute is absolutely committed to creating a safe, inclusive workplace free from harassment or discrimination of any kind. We have reiterated this in a statement to press, but I want you to know that under my leadership we have worked to make The Nation Institute a supportive workplace and an organization where abuse and harassment are not tolerated. Our staff is now unionized; we have strong policies in place against sexual harassment, discrimination and whistleblower retaliation; we have a strong anti-harassment training program and a parental leave policy which grants four months paid leave to all employees. Four of our five top positions are held by women. These were intentional choices made by The Nation Institute leadership and, as an organization, we are deeply committed to gender justice and workers rights. We are pained to see these stories, but we stand with women and employees at any institution, including The New Republic, who make the choice to speak out against harassment and abuse.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Republicans on Capitol Hill dodged questions on Monday about special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, even after the sweeping probe resulted in charges against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his business associate earlier in the day.

The indictment disclosed on Monday charged Manafort and his business partner Rick Gates with conspiracy against the U.S., money laundering, failing to register as a foreign agent and other crimes related to their political work in Ukraine and the millions of dollars they received for it. Manafort and Gates pleaded not guilty.

Separately, it was revealed on Monday that former Trump foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos had pleaded guilty to lying about his contacts with foreign officials linked to the Russian government.

The silence from the Republican conference has led some congressional Democrats to worry that GOP officials wont hold Trump accountable if the President steps in to interfere in the Mueller investigation. (The White House said on Monday that Trump has no intention or plan of firing Mueller.)

Ive been worried about [Mueller losing his job] since Rod Rosenstein [the Deputy Attorney General who appointed Mueller] appeared before my committee, Sen. Kamala Harris, a California Democrat, said on Monday. And I feel very strongly, as I said many months ago, that its critical that the Department of Justice give Bob Mueller full authority over that investigation. If theres a bipartisan bill to protect him, absolutely I support that.

Harris was alluding to two bipartisan bills in Congress that would protect Mueller from termination. One, sponsored by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democratic Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, would require a judge to sign off on any attempt to fire him. Another bipartisan proposal, by Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Delaware Democrat Chris Coons, would give any special counsel an avenue to challenge his or her dismissal in court.

Story continues

But on Monday, Graham told reporters that passing his own bill wasnt a present priority.

I dont feel an urgent need to pass that law until you show me a reason that Mr. Muellers in jeopardy, Graham told reporters. I dont think anyone in their right mind at the White House would think about replacing Mr. Mueller.

Tillis agreed that passing the legislation was not imminent.

Were talking with the other sponsors and seeing if its the sort of thing that can get support, he told TIME, before dismissing the notion that Trump could interfere in the Mueller investigation. I want to make it clear that it isnt just about this special counsel. Its about all future special counsels.

Other Republicans were more evasive. A press conference held by nine Senate Republicans on the judicial nomination of the conservative Catholic law professor Amy Coney Barrett collapsed when reporters began calling out questions about the Manafort indictment despite Senate Majority Whip John Cornyns insistence that he only wanted questions on the topic at hand. Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, had slipped out a side door before questions began. When they did, GOP Senator Chuck Grassleywho chairs the Judiciary Committee, which is probing Russian interferenceturned and walked out the door behind him, nearly knocking over the American flags nearby in the process.

Sen. James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican who was among the nine senators at the press conference, spoke to reporters afterward, and dismissed concerns that Mondays indictments could prompt retaliation from the White House.

Theres no been real risk to the Mueller probe, Lankford said. People have said that the president could at any moment step in because early on he made some innuendos and tweets, but theres been no evidence that hes even leaning in that direction.

Meanwhile, Democrats were calling for action. This is a pretty sobering moment in American history. It is the end of the beginning but not the beginning of the end, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee. In my view, Congress should assure that Bob Mueller has no worries about his job. Its our responsibility to ensure his independence.

A number of Republicans were simply annoyed that the drama of the day was distracting the public from tax reform, a longtime G.O.P. pet project. The House Ways and Means Committee is set to release a tax overhaul bill on Wednesday. In an interview with a Wisconsin radio station on Monday, Ryan said he hadnt read the indictments.

I really dont have anything to add other than nothings going to derail what were doing in Congress, Ryan said.
Mr Gates faces several federal charges stemming from the federal investigation into Russia's 2016 election meddling: AP

Richard "Rick" Gates, a business partner of Paul Manafort and former Donald Trump campaign official, has been indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller on federal charges stemming from alleged financial ties to Russian-connected sources.

Up until now, Mr Gates has been a little-known player in the Trump orbit, having joined the campaign after Mr Manafort was elevated to being his campaign manager, serving as his deputy. Mr Gates would end up continuing to serve Mr Trump even after his business partner was fired from the campaign, serving as a liaison for the campaign with the Republican National Committee, and later helping to plan the incoming presidents inauguration.

Mr Gates has been charged, alongside Mr Manafort, on 12 federal charges, including 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. Mr Mueller's team has investigating Russia's meddling in the 2016 election, and whether Trump campaign officials colluded in the effort.

Both Mr Gates and Mr Manafort pleaded not guilty in federal court to their alleged crimes.

Mr Gates met Mr Manafort nearly two decades ago, when he first interned at the consulting firm Black, Manafort, Stone, Kelly. He apparently stayed in touch, and officially joined Mr Manaforts lobbying firm, Davis Manafort, in 2006.

The two reportedly had several clients with connections to the Kremlin, including the Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaksa, who was a client. That relationship soured when Mr Deripaska claimed that Mr Gates and Mr Manafort made off with about $19 million of his money.

Their relationship with individuals in Vladimir Putins orbit did not end there, however. The two would later work for former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, in 2014. That involvement came in spite of opposition to Mr Yanukovych from the US government.

Story continues

After helping with the Trump campaigns inauguration planning, Mr Gates ultimately left to work for America First Priorities, a pro-Trump group. He left that job after a few months.

Mr Gates and Mr Manafort surrendered Monday morning, and were scheduled to appear in federal court later that day.
(WASHINGTON)  President Donald Trump expressed renewed frustration Sunday over the investigations into alleged ties between his campaign associates and Russian government officials, saying on Twitter that the facts are pouring out about links to Russia by his former presidential opponent, Hillary Clinton.

DO SOMETHING! Trump urged in one of five morning tweets.

Trumps tweets followed a CNN report late Friday that a federal grand jury in Washington has approved the first charges in a criminal investigation into Russia ties led by special counsel Robert Mueller.

The Associated Press has not confirmed the CNN report.

Ty Cobb, a member of Trumps legal team, said the president was not referring to CNNs reporting.

Contrary to what many have suggested, the presidents comments today are unrelated to the activities of the special counsel, with whom he continues to cooperate, Cobb said in a statement.

Trump and the White House insist there was no collusion between his presidential campaign and Russia. Both have pointed a finger at Clinton and have suggested that the real story of collusion with Russia is the sale of uranium to Moscow when Clinton was secretary of state.

U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Russia interfered with the election to benefit Trump, a finding that Trump has not fully accepted. Mueller and Congress are looking into allegations of ties between Trump associates and Russia.

In the tweets, Trump referenced the fact that Clintons presidential campaign helped fund political research into Trump that ultimately produced a dossier of allegations about his ties to Russia. He also pointed to the uranium sale, the tens of thousands of emails from Clintons time at the State Department that she later deleted from a private email server, and the decision by then-FBI Director Jim Comey to not bring criminal charges against Clinton for possible mishandling of classified information.

Instead they look at phony Trump/Russia collusion, which doesnt exist. The Dems are using this terrible (and bad for our country) Witch Hunt for evil politics, but the Rs are now fighting back like never before, Trump says across several tweets. There is so much GUILT by Democrats/Clinton, and now the facts are pouring out. DO SOMETHING!

Story continues

In a final tweet on the subject, Trump suggests that Russias re-emergence into the conversation is no accident.

All of this Russia talk right when the Republicans are making their big push for historic Tax Cuts & Reform. Is this coincidental? NOT!

On Wednesday, Republican lawmakers are scheduled to release a tax cut bill being pushed by the GOP lawmakers and Trump.
President Trumps former presidential campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his lobbying associate were indicted on multiple counts as a part of the FBIs special investigation into Russias interference in the 2016 election.

On Monday, Manafort and Richard Gates turned themselves over to federal authorities. The two are facing charges of conspiracy, money laundering, failure to register as foreign agents and failing to report foreign bank accounts to the federal government.

The 31-page indictment is the first to come as a result of the FBI investigation, which is being led by special counsel Robert Mueller. Though the investigation is examining Russias influence in the 2016 election, his reach extends beyond that.

Here are answers to some questions you may have.

Who is Paul Manafort?

Paul Manafort is a veteran lobbyist and Republican strategist with links to GOP candidates as far back as Gerald Ford in the late 1970s. He also planned and managed Republican National conventions for President Ronald Reagan, President George H.W. Bush and the campaign of GOP presidential candidate Robert Dole.

Manafort also advised candidates in foreign government elections, including Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos, and promoted foreign interests in Washington. According to the Associated Press, Manafort signed a $10 million agreement with a Russian billionaire in 2006 to promote Russian interests in the U.S. and across Europe. For years, he reportedly earned millions working as a consultant for the pro-Russia Party of Regions and Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

What was Manaforts role on Trumps campaign?

In 2016, he was hired by the Trump campaign chairman to help steer then-candidate Trump through the Republican National Convention. He was booted from that position after his name was discovered on a secret ledger in Ukraine that detailed millions of dollars worth of off-the-books payments. He worked on the campaign from April until August 2016, he was promoted to the position of chairman in May of that year.

Story continues

Who is Rick Gates?

Rick Gates is a long-time partner of Manaforts and deemed his right hand man. The two worked together at Manaforts consulting firm Davis Manafort and the firm DMP International, linking him to the business dealings with foreign governments. Gates also joined the Trump campaign alongside Manafort in April 2016, though Gates stayed in Trump world after Manafort was let go. Gates reportedly served as the second-in-command on Trumps inaugural committee working alongside the presidents longtime associate Tom Barrack. He later joined the pro-Trump group America First Strategies, but according to the Daily Beast, Gates left in March shortly after his ties to Russia and Manafort were reported in the Washington Post.

What are they accused of doing?

Under Mondays indictment, the two are accused of acting as unregistered foreign agents for the Ukrainian government, the Party of Regions, President Yanukovych, and another group for nearly a decade, between 2006 and 2015. The federal government alleges that they hid the payments they received in foreign accounts and laundered money through businesses, accounts, and partnerships in the U.S. and abroad. Because the two lobbied on behalf of Ukrainian interests in the U.S., the government says they were required to register that work and disclose how much they charge, something they are accused of failing to do in the indictment.

The indictment says Manafort and Gates laundered millions to fund their lifestyles in the U.S.  $18million for Manafort and $3 million for Gates. The government also accuses the two of making false statements to the government.

What happens next?

Mondays indictment appears to only be the first shoe to drop in the Mueller investigation.

It was also revealed that a foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about a conversation with professor with ties to the Russian government claimed to have dirt on Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails, according to unsealed court documents published by the New York Times. The adviser, George Papadopoulos, had the conversation about emails in April 2016, a month after he was listed as a foreign policy adviser by the Trump campaign, according to the court documents. He also met with a female Russian national in late March and sought to use her Russian connections over a period of months in an effort to arrange a meeting between the Campaign and Russian government officials.

How will Trump respond?

President Trump has already taken to his favorite platform to blast the Monday morning indictment. In a tweet, Trump said the charges Manafort is facing stem from actions he took prior to joining the campaign. He also said there is NO COLLUSION! and wondered why Crooked Hillary & the Dems are not the focus.

Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 30, 2017

....Also, there is NO COLLUSION!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 30, 2017

Trump has sought to distance himself from Manafort as the investigation has dragged on. In March, then White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said he played a very limited role for a very limited period of time on the Trump campaign. Trump made a similar statement in August 2017 when he was asked about Manafort, who at the time had had his home raided by the FBI.

I know Mr. Manafort  I havent spoken to him in a long time, but I know him, he said. He was with the campaign, as you know, for a very short period of time, relatively short period of time.
Rose McGowan, one of Harvey Weinsteins accusers in a massive Hollywood sexual misconduct scandal, is in legal hot water.

The 44-year-old actress faces an arrest warrant charging her with felony possession of a controlled substance, a Washington Dulles International Airport spokesman said in a statement emailed to HuffPost on Tuesday.

Police secured the warrant in February after personal belongings McGowan left on a Jan. 20 United flight to Dulles tested positive for narcotics, Andrew Trull, spokesman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, said in the statement. Authorities didnt identify the drug.

Media reports of the warrant circulated on Monday.

The warrant obtained February 1, 2017, was and has been a matter of public record since issuance and our police have made attempts to contact Ms. McGowan regarding the matter, Trull said.

Airport police want to arrange for McGowan to appear in court in Loudoun County, Virginia, to answer the charge, according to Trull.

In a tweet on Monday, McGowan, star of TVs Charmed and the movie Grindhouse, dismissed the warrant as horseshit, asking, Are they trying to silence me?

Are they trying to silence me? There is a warrant out for my arrest in Virginia. What a load of HORSESHIT.  rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) October 30, 2017

McGowan was presumably referring to the Weinstein controversy. She had spoken out against sexual harassment and assault in show business before a growing number of women exposed the movie moguls predatory ways. McGowan later confirmed that the studio head she said had raped her was Weinstein.

McGowan, pictured Oct. 27, called the arrest warrant "horseshit." (Photo: Aaron Thornton via Getty Images)

Reps for McGowan didnt immediately respond to HuffPosts request for comment.

Also on HuffPost

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Producer Harvey Weinstein presents onstage at the amfAR New York Gala to kick off Fall 2011 Fashion Week at Cipriani Wall Street on February 9, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/WireImage)

Kenneth Cole and Harvey Weinstein during amfAR 'Cinema Against AIDS' Gala Presented By Miramax Films, Palisades Pictures and Quintessentially - Dinner at Le Moulin De Mougins in Mougins, France. (Photo by J. Vespa/WireImage)

ANTIBES, FRANCE - MAY 20: amfAR Chairman Kenneth Cole and Harvey Weinstein arrive at amfAR's Cinema Against AIDS 2010 benefit gala at the Hotel du Cap on May 20, 2010 in Antibes, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for amfAR)

CAP D'ANTIBES, FRANCE - MAY 23: (L-R) Kenneth Cole and Harvey Weinstein onstage during the show for amfAR's 20th Annual Cinema Against AIDS at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 23, 2013 in Cap d'Antibes, France. (Photo by Kevin Tachman/WireImage)

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 10: Film producer Harvey Weinstein and fashion designer Kenneth Cole attend the 2016 amfAR New York Gala at Cipriani Wall Street on February 10, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic)

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 06: Activist, journalist, lawyer, Ronan Farrow attends the Forbes Under 30 Summit at Pennsylvania Convention Center on October 6, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 15: (L-R) Composer Gary Barlow, actor Matthew Morrison, producer Harvey Weinstein, actress Laura Michelle Kelly and actor Kelsey Grammer take a bow at curtain call for the opening night performance of 'Finding Neverland' at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on April 15, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

WOODLAND HILLS, CA - NOVEMBER 02: Attorney Lisa Bloom announces the cancellation of the press conference for Trump accuser 'Jane Doe' on November 2, 2016 in Woodland Hills, California. Bloom stated that the woman, who has gone by 'Jane Doe' and who accuses Donald Trump of sexual assault when she was 13, backed out of the press conference due to fear after 'numerous threats.' (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

PARK CITY, UT - JANUARY 26: Thomas Ajamie and guest attend the Patron Circle Reception at Grappa during 2010 Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2010 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Todd Oren/Getty Images)

Attorney at Law L. Londell McMillan and Orin Snyder attend an intimate reception in honor of Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo at a private residence on June 9, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)

PARK CITY, UT - JANUARY 25: Harvey Weinstein and Jay Z attend the premiere for 'TIME: The Kalief Browder Story' at the MARC during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2017 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by C Flanigan/FilmMagic)

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
WASHINGTON  Alabama Senate GOP candidate Roy Moore said Tuesday that religion shouldnt be used as a litmus test for public office, contradicting his decade-old statement that Muslims shouldnt serve in Congress.

There should be no religious test, no. Thats against the Consitution, Moore told HuffPost as he entered the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday.

Moore is the favorite in the special election to replace Jeff Sessions, who was appointed attorney general. The controversial former Alabama Supreme Court justice is meeting with the entire Senate GOP conference at their weekly policy lunch, the latest sign of him consolidating support from the party establishment.

A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that GOP Senate candidates traditionally attend a policy lunch after they become the nominee.

Moore has a history of making anti-Muslim comments. In 2006, he wrote an op-ed on the conservative website World Net Daily that said Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), who had then just been elected, shouldnt be allowed take office because of his Muslim faith. He also said Muslims shouldnt serve in the military.

Islamic law is simply incompatible with our law, Moore wrote.

Moore has received the endorsements of Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas), Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas.)

Cornyn said he disagreed with Moores comments about Muslims, but he added that it shouldnt take away from the candidate as a whole, whom he described as a tireless advocate led by principle rather than politics.

Other GOP senators criticized Moore over his Muslim comments.

You cant have people running for office  and again, I dont know the particulars of what Moore has said  but as its been reported, you cant have people running for office saying that being a Muslim would be a disqualification for being in Congress, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) said last week. The Constitutions pretty dang clear about not having religious litmus tests.

Story continues

Retiring Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who previously rose to the defense of a Muslim opponent of his in Arizona, said outright he will not support or endorse Moore over his statements about Muslims.

A guy who says that a Muslim member of Congress shouldnt be able to serve, thats not right, Flake told reporters last week.

Shortly before entering the Senate GOP lunch on Tuesday, Moore refused to answer questions from a Washington Post reporter because the papers editorial board had endorsed his Democratic opponent, Doug Jones.

Moore also took issue with press coverage of his candidacy, insisting he doesnt hate people.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
ABC News

As Donald Trump announced Tuesday he is running again for the White House, two groups are already working behind the scenes to mount a national push to get elections officials to stop him from being on the ballot because of Jan. 6 -- even as similar such efforts have failed against other Republicans. Free Speech For People and Mi Familia Vota are launching a campaign via TrumpIsDisqualified.org to urge secretaries of state and other chief elections officials to bar the former president from running for office under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, known as the disqualification clause. Enacted after the Civil War, the clause blocks any person from holding federal office who has taken an oath to protect the Constitution -- including a member of Congress -- but who has "engaged in insurrection" against the U.S. or "given aid or comfort" to its "enemies."
Washington (AFP) - A wave of indictments has undercut Donald Trump's attempts to paint allegations of collusion with Russia in his election as a media invention, with the White House admitting the probe is rattling the president.

Trump counterpunched in typical fashion Tuesday, a day after it was revealed that one of his campaign aides had admitted meeting Russians to get dirt on Hillary Clinton, and then lying about it to the FBI.

"The Fake News is working overtime," tweeted Trump, who has long pursued a strategy of deflect and deny -- both as president and during his career as a bareknuckle business tycoon.

"I hope people will start to focus on our Massive Tax Cuts for Business (jobs) and the Middle Class (in addition to Democrat corruption)!"

Forget the Kremlin conspiracies, Trump argues, countering with allegations that Democrats are trying to relitigate their shock defeat, the media is biased and the Washington establishment is trying to hobble his agenda.

But beyond Trump's stonewalling, the White House's defense has subtly shifted from outright denial to containment.

- 'Marginal figure' -

Rather, they state George Papadopoulos -- the aide who admitted meeting Russian interlocutors -- was a "marginal" figure, a "volunteer" or "young."

Any contacts Papadopoulos had with the Kremlin or their cut outs were unofficial, White House press secretary Sanders Huckabee Sanders insisted.

That theory will likely be tested when the investigation, as seems likely, turns to Trump's son Donald Jr., who has already released emails showing he welcomed any "dirt" the Russians gleaned on Clinton.

"Trump, in short, had on his campaign at least one person, and allegedly two people, who actively worked with adversarial foreign governments in a fashion they sought to criminally conceal from investigators," said Susan Hennessey and Benjamin Wittes of the influential Lawfare blog.

Story continues

"The release of these documents should, though it probably won't, put to rest the suggestion that there are no serious questions of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government."

Despite Monday's indictment of his former campaign chief Paul Manafort and Papadopoulos' admission, Trump's administration is still trying to keep the focus on his upcoming tax reforms.

But Sanders' efforts to set the agenda in the regular White House media briefing soon came unstuck when it came to taking reporters' questions which were dominated by the Russia probe.

And inside his White House, Robert Mueller's special investigation is as all-consuming as it was the day in May when junior aides looked up at their TV screens in horror to learn of his appointment to lead the Russia probe.

Senior officials have been forced to "lawyer-up." They worry their colleagues or former colleagues may be informants and they spend an inordinate amount of time managing the crisis.

"We're in great hopes that it wraps up," his chief of staff John Kelly said in an interview on Fox News.

- Weight on shoulders -

Even Trump himself appears all-consumed.

"It is very distracting to the president, as it would be to any citizen," admitted Kelly.

"To be investigated for something, while at the same time trying to carry the weight of what being president of the United States means on his shoulders."

Kelly acknowledged that the latest developments in the Russia inquiry were the first thing they talked about most mornings.

"Generally in the morning when we first talk, it will be about these kind of things... before we get down to business."

Trump's approval ratings remain dire -- 33 percent according to a recent Gallup poll.

And while Republican lawmakers have not publicly criticized Trump over the indictments, neither have they appeared on television to support him.

If Mueller's investigation is allowed to continue, Trump's rhetoric may be further tested by political and legal realities.
Do you have the courage to hear these horrifyingly true tales of the White House?

For Halloween, Full Frontal With Samantha Bee has four terrifying stories that are sure to make your skin crawl! Especially if that skin isnt white!

Theres the tale of the Supreme Court nominee struck down by a turtle-like beast from the Senate!

And the story of a little creature named Obamacare that tried to do good, but was repeatedly tortured by men hellbent on destroying it.

Theres the tale of the house itself, known to make grown men vanish from its premises, never to be seen in public life again!

And finally, theres this ghastly tale of a spooky enchanted podium that appears to make liars of all who stand behind it!

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Sometimes reality is the most chilling!

Also on HuffPost

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Ottawa (AFP) - Visiting Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on Monday condemned the killing of an indigenous leader last week by the ELN guerrillas in violation of its ceasefire with Bogota.

"Of course, we condemn the assassination as we would any assassination because to us life is the most precious thing," Santos told a joint press conference with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau.

Santos said the killing would be investigated by a verification commission comprising the United Nations.

As well, he added, "we will ask the regular authorities -- the prosecutor and the justice system -- to act as necessary."

The National Liberation Army, or ELN, Colombia's last active guerrilla group, acknowledged killing the indigenous governor Aulio Isarama Forastero in the northwestern department of Choco last week.

In a statement released Sunday, the group said it had been holding Isarama under suspicion of links with "military intelligence" and apologized to his family and loved ones for killing him.

It said he was killed after he attacked a guard "with the resulting tragic outcome."

Isarama's death was the first violation of the temporary ceasefire that went into effect on October 1 and is meant to last until January 9, as the Colombian government and ELN leaders hold peace talks in Ecuador's capital, Quito.

Canada, meanwhile, committed to have Canadian police officers train Colombian authorities in an effort to bolster the ceasefire.

"We've agreed to work together to establish a bilateral police initiative," Trudeau said.

"This effort will support post-conflict policing efforts in Colombia and will see Canadian police providing training, capacity building and strategic advice to our Colombian friends."

Some Can$78 million in aid will also be invested in youth, agriculture, human rights, mine clearing, and to support for the peace process.

"Canada's support has been determining," Santos said, noting 77 projects funded by Canada that are already under way.
The White House press secretary was quick to deny that the President has been shaken by the indictment of his former campaign manager: AP

Like many around the world who watched her, you may have marvelled at Sarah Huckabee Sanders attempt at contemptuous breeziness in the West Wing press room in the wake of the not unarresting news that Robert Mueller had successfully obtained indictments for Donald Trumps former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, and a close associate, Rick Gates.

It might have gone a little better for her if Mueller HQ had stopped at that. But no. Swift on the heels of the first bulletin had come the revelation that a former foreign policy advisor to the Trump campaign named George Papadopoulos had already pleaded guilty to lying about contacts with Russia directly to do with providing dirt on Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.

Sanders was clearly nervous. Actually she looked at times like she wanted to be sick. Trump had been huddled in the presidential apartments upstairs in the White House, not showing up in the Oval Office, for most of the morning fretting and fulminating as both pieces of news dropped and cable TV went into overdrive digging through it all. Obviously, he would be watching again as she set about telling reporters that what had happened was of no concern to him at all. None!

She agreed a photograph existed of Trump and Papadopoulos in a meeting together last year, but dismissed it as ephemera. Hes been in thousands of pictures with millions of people, she said. If she means being snapped at his rallies, I could almost make the same claim. Oh, and yes, she stood by her assessment that Mueller would be ending his work soon. No, he wont.

Of course the White House will continue to distance itself from the Mueller problem and do everything it can to obfuscate and throw up distractions. Thus Sanders repeated insistence that charges against Manafort and Gates, including money laundering, related to work done for a pro-Putin political party in Ukraine that pre-dated the campaign. And watch as they continue to push the narrative that its Hillary Clinton who should be investigated, not them.

Story continues

Pity Sanders; this will be a mission largely impossible. There are questions to be answered by the Clinton campaign as to money paid secretly to a firm called Fusion GPS to research past Trump activities in Russia. But there is no equivalency between that affair and the Trump collusion probe. Nor would any wrong done by Clinton right any wrongs done by Trump. As for Trumps assertions that Clinton personally profited from a 2010 deal involving the purchase by Russia of a North American uranium mining company, they are demonstrably false.

There really is no minimising, meanwhile, the events of Monday. The first charge against Manafort and Gates, regarding conspiracy against the United States turned on allegations of their impeding, impairing, obstructing and defeating the lawful governmental functions of a government agency, namely the Department of Justice and the Department of the Treasury  relates to actions from in or about and between 2006 and 2017. 2016 is in there somewhere.

Nor is it is easy to pretend that neither man was anything but central to Trump and his campaign. His nomination convention in Cleveland was entirely engineered by Manafort, who was campaign chairman at the time. Although he was to depart the campaign soon after following press reports of his Ukraine links, Gates stuck around, including through the Trump transition.

Then theres young Papadopoulos who plead guilty to lying to investigators about a meeting with a professor in Italy in April 2016 who told him the Russians had emails to share that might be damaging to Clinton. True, he was only a volunteer on the Trump campaign and seemingly that meeting that Trump also attended was seemingly a one-off. But over the succeeding months, he repeatedly attempted to persuade the campaign it should follow the Russia trail. He even attempted to flog the notion of a historic meeting between Trump and Vladimir Putin.

His surfacing will have obliterated any sense of relief the White House may have felt when the story was at first only about Manafort and Gates. (They had been deeply afraid that the promised indictments might have targeted former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.) It is a signal from Mueller he has no intention of skirting clear of the campaign itself. It also shows what many had long expected: that Mueller means to flip participants, however small-fry, so they will help bring bigger fish to justice. Assuming there are any, of course.

However minor his role, the Papadopoulos factor is important because it tells us that the Trump campaign was aware of Russias interest in subverting the election as early as April 2016. And it was aware well before Manafort, Donald Trump Jr and Jared Kushner attended a meeting in Trump Tower in June 2016 with a lawyer with Kremlin connections.

What is missing still is any clarity about whether anyone in the Trump campaign actually conspired to take delivery and make use of whatever Russia was offering and, more importantly, whether they gave any encouragement to Moscow. Papadopoulos may have attempted collusion with Russia, but does that mean the campaign did? And if so, who on the campaign did?

So we still have far to go. And so does Mueller. If you believe this affair might be wound up by Christmas, you have spent too much time listening to Sanders. Out on $10m (7.5m) bail, Manafort now faces a trial that is unlikely to get under way for at least a year  maybe just in time for next Novembers mid-term elections. Unless he switches his plea and decides to cooperate with the government. That might speed things up. The White House should be careful what it wishes for.

And so Trump must forge on, trying to look like a successful president with Mueller settling round his neck like a poisoned ermine shawl. He must wear it on his trip to Asia that starts on Friday. And it will be there as he tries to chivvy Congress to passing his promised tax overhaul. Sanders can be as breezy as she likes, but the bouts of nausea wont let up soon.
Days after Hillary Clinton joked that Fox News seems to think shes the one living in the White House, host Sean Hannity stumbled over his words Monday night and referred to the former Democratic candidate as President Clinton.

During the hosts opening monologue, Hannity dismissed the multiple charges against President Donald Trumps former campaign manager Paul Manafort and turned his focus to unfounded claims that Clinton helped to sell uranium to Russia.

This is what the media will ignore. This is what matters. These are the facts. This is where the evidence comes in, Hannity said. What did Hil. What did President Clinton. Or President Clinton wannabe. President Obama and key members of the administration  what did they know about the Uranium One scandal?

Heres Hannity saying President Clinton pic.twitter.com/XIiEcIiflU  Dusty (@DustinGiebel) October 31, 2017

Naturally, folks on Twitter had a field day with the slip. As for the Fox News hosts question, MSNBCs Joy Reid gave quite the answer on her Sunday morning show.

I think if Sean Hannity says "President Clinton" three times while clicking his heels together it just might happen.  dvora koelling (@dvorakoelling) October 31, 2017

They are quite literally disassociating from reality right in front of our eyes https://t.co/0dlnORLQud  Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) October 31, 2017

Sean Hannity just called Hillary President Clinton...



Its okay Sean...



She is the popular choice.  Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) October 31, 2017

Sean Hannity just called Hillary President Clinton  if hes privy to some info were not, Im open to it.  Sarah Wood (@sarahwoodwriter) October 31, 2017

When Sean Hannity calls @HillaryClinton "President Clinton" on his show... pic.twitter.com/zpQUCFqLoa  Candy Kirby (@candykirby) October 31, 2017

Also on HuffPost

I haven't been this happy on a Monday since November 7, 2016. #ManafortMonday  Susie Meister (@susie_meister) October 30, 2017

Fox News right now pic.twitter.com/DK8KyDpoW5  Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) October 30, 2017

Paul Manafort and George Papadopoulos are the only the beginning. Hell is about to comb over.  Randi Mayem Singer (@rmayemsinger) October 30, 2017

Meanwhile, news of Paul Manafort and Rick Gates arrest reaches the Land of Make-Believe. They look thrilled.#ManafortMonday pic.twitter.com/PcU1tMCoBA  All Hallows Monkey (@VitruvianMonkey) October 30, 2017

Mueller can't arrest me! I turned myself into a pickle! pic.twitter.com/FdWPnyYwkp  Corey Miller (@StopEatingBees) October 30, 2017

Its days like today that make working in social media truly truly glorious #ManafortMonday pic.twitter.com/bjACaSmCau  Danielle Beaumont (@DMBeaumont) October 30, 2017

Tbh I feel like Arya Stark right now, marking names off of my list.



Manafort, down. #ManafortMonday pic.twitter.com/ulba6shAxs  laila (@lailarazmyar) October 30, 2017

Somebody has a little skip in his step this morning... #ManafortMonday pic.twitter.com/rxakSxwmZk  CK (@charley_ck14) October 30, 2017

Looks like it's 'Fuck This Shit O'Clock' at Fox News on #ManafortMonday pic.twitter.com/DbHcrPSXGY  Kaos Agent Kyle (@MrStinkFingers) October 30, 2017

Paul Manafort just agreed to turn himself in to the FBI. What should we report on?

CNN: Manafort

MSNBC: Manafort

Fox News: Hamburger emoji pic.twitter.com/Wjsvkb2coW  Roberto Ferdman (@robferdman) October 30, 2017

If collusion is fake news, I guess Manafort, Papadopoulos, and Gates fake surrendered to fake FBI and were taken to fake jail #IndictmentDay  Richard Jeter (@MilesToGo13) October 30, 2017

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WASHINGTON  Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) seemingly chided White House chief of staff John Kelly on Tuesday after the former Marine Corps general claimed that the Civil War was caused by the inability to compromise.

We need to stop relitigating and referencing the Civil War as if there was some moral conundrum, Scott, the sole black Senate Republican, said in a statement. There was no compromise to make  only a choice between continuing slavery and ending it. We need to move forward together, instead of letting the divisions of the past continue to force us apart.

Kelly on Monday said a lack of ability to compromise led to the Civil War and called the removal of Confederate monuments a dangerous scrubbing of history. The senior Donald Trump aide made the comments during an interview with Fox News Laura Ingraham, who asked his thoughts about the removal of two plaques honoring President George Washington and Gen. Robert E. Lee at a church in Alexandria, Virginia.

I would tell you that Robert E. Lee was an honorable man, Kelly said during the interview.

He was a man that gave up his country to fight for his state, which, 150 years ago, was more important than country, he added. It was always loyalty to state first back in those days. Now its different today. But the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War. And men and women of good faith on both sides made their stand where their conscience had to make their stand.

A number of U.S. historians have criticized Kellys comments about the Civil War, calling them strange, sad, and wrong. Stephanie McCurry, a history professor at Columbia University, told The Washington Post that Kellys comments echoed talking points of a pro-Confederate view of the Civil War.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, however, defended her boss on Tuesday, accusing reporters of creating a false narrative.

Because you dont like history doesnt mean that you can erase it and pretend that it didnt happen, Sanders said during a daily press briefing. I think thats the point that Gen. Kelly was trying to make.

Story continues

All of our leaders have flaws, Sanders added, citing George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Franklin Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy. That doesnt diminish their contributions to our country.

Scott has been particularly vocal about the issue of racism in America. After white supremacists rallies in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the summer, Scott met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office to discuss the presidents controversial response in which he said there was blame on both sides.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
It's a good week for conservatives eager to push federal courts to the right. (Photo: Drew Angerer via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is finally giving conservative groups what they want: a huge push on judicial confirmations.

McConnell has teed up votes this week on four of President Donald Trumps judicial nominees. Thats an incredible amount of activity on judges in one week. For some comparison, former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) typically scheduled a vote on one nominee per week, at most.

I never remember the Democrats ever doing anything comparable, Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor and an expert on judicial nominations, told HuffPost on Monday.

With little fanfare, this week is shaping up to be one of Republicans biggest boosts to Trumps agenda since Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch was confirmed in April.

All four nominees are young (in their late 40s and early 50s), conservative and up for a lifetime post on a U.S. circuit court  one level below the Supreme Court. None got a single Democratic vote when they were reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Two were recommended to Trump directly by the Federalist Society and the Heritage Foundation, both right-wing think tanks.

The Senate cleared a procedural step on Monday night for the first nominee in the batch, Amy Coney Barrett. She is on track to be confirmed Tuesday to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit.

Democrats have raised red flags with Barretts past writings on abortion, which include her questioning the precedent of Roe v. Wade and condemning the birth control benefit under the Affordable Care Act as a grave infringement on religious liberty. One Democrat, Al Franken (Minn.), called her out for taking a speaking fee from the Alliance Defending Freedom, a nonprofit that has defended forced sterilization for transgender people and has been dubbed a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Trumps other court picks getting votes include Joan Larsen, a nominee to the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals who is opposed by 27 LGBTQ advocacy groups and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; Allison Eid, a nominee to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals who is opposed by the AFL-CIO and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights; and Stephanos Bibas, a nominee to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals.

Story continues

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is about to score some points with President Donald Trump for expediting judicial confirmations. (Photo: Yuri Gripas / Reuters)

The president has already been filling court seats with anti-LGBTQ and anti-abortion judges. But it wasnt until this week that McConnell put the process into overdrive. There are a couple of reasons why.

Despite controlling Congress and the White House, Republicans dont have any major legislative accomplishments this year. Thats embarrassing, and it doesnt give them much to boast about when they go back home. The Senate can at least move forward on judges and call that a win.

The bigger reason, though, is that McConnell is trying to appease conservative groups who are fuming at what they think is a sluggish pace on Trumps judges.

In the past month, the right-leaning Judicial Crisis Network had planned to launch a $250,000 ad buy aimed at pressuring McConnell to pick up the pace on judges (that crisis was averted); the Conservative Action Project issued a memo signed by more than 100 conservative activists demanding that McConnell IMMEDIATELY schedule committee and floor action every Thursday and Friday to confirm judges; and Rick Manning, president of Americans for Limited Government, called it a judicial crisis and unconscionable that the Senate had only confirmed seven judges as of early October.

There are currently 21 circuit court vacancies and 120 district court vacancies, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. The Senate has confirmed four district judges and four circuit judges so far this year.

Remaking the federal courts is a top priority for conservatives, and Trump himself told Senate Republicans last week at their weekly lunch that he wants them to get moving with judicial confirmations.

He really emphasized that, Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) told HuffPost. The one thing you can do that is a permanent change, for quite some time in the country, is to change the judiciary.

Democrats cant do much to stop McConnell from pushing judges through. They can impose delays here and there, and in some cases, they can block judicial nominees from their home states by refusing to turn in blue slips to the Judiciary Committee. But short of winning control of the Senate, theyll largely have to settle for kicking and screaming.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) did a little of that on Monday, when he accused McConnell of breaking the norms and traditions of the Senate by pushing through so many nominees at once.

Senator McConnell, once again, despite his desire to make the Senate work  is bending to the hard right of his party by jamming through these judges, he said. I intend to oppose these extremist nominees.

Also on HuffPost

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy (bottom 2nd L) reacts while chatting with Chief Justice John Roberts (C) during a new U.S. Supreme Court family photo including Justice Neil Gorsuch (top R), their most recent addition, at the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 1, 2017. Also pictured are Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (front row, L-R), Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Stephen Breyer, Justice Elena Kagan (back row, L-R), Justice Samuel Alito and Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts (seated C) leads Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (front row, L-R), Justice Anthony Kennedy, Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Stephen Breyer, Justice Elena Kagan (back row, L-R), Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and Justice Neil Gorsuch in taking a new family photo including Gorsuch, their most recent addition, at the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 1, 2017.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy (bottom L) chats with Chief Justice John Roberts (bottom R) during a new U.S. Supreme Court family photo including Justice Neil Gorsuch (not pictured), their most recent addition, at the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 1, 2017. Also pictured are Justice Elena Kagan (back row, L-R), Justice Samuel Alito and Justice Sonia Sotomayor. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts (seated L-R), Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Stephen Breyer, Justice Sonia Sotomayor (top L) and Justice Neil Gorsuch (top R) chat during a new U.S. Supreme Court family photo including Gorsuch, their most recent addition, at the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 1, 2017.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy (L) chats with Chief Justice John Roberts (R) during a new U.S. Supreme Court family photo including Justice Neil Gorsuch (not pictured), their most recent addition, at the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 1, 2017.

U.S. Justice Neil Gorsuch (top R) leans in to speak to Justice Stephen Breyer (bottom R) as the members of the U.S. Supreme Court including Chief Justice John Roberts (seated L), Justice Clarence Thomas (seated C) and Justice Sonia Sotomayor (top L) gather for a new family photo with Gorsuch, their most recent addition, at the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 1, 2017.

U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts (seated C) leads Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (front row, L-R), Justice Anthony Kennedy, Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Stephen Breyer, Justice Elena Kagan (back row, L-R), Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and Justice Neil Gorsuch in taking a new family photo including Gorsuch, their most recent addition, at the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 1, 2017.

U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts (seated C) leads Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (front row, L-R), Justice Anthony Kennedy, Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Stephen Breyer, Justice Elena Kagan (back row, L-R), Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and Justice Neil Gorsuch in taking a new family photo including Gorsuch, their most recent addition, at the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 1, 2017.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Sydney (AFP) - Hundreds of asylum-seekers were refusing to leave an Australian detention camp in Papua New Guinea that authorities closed Tuesday, citing fears for their safety, despite food, water and electricity being cut off.

Staff have abandoned the camp on Manus Island, and one resident said detainees had locked themselves in because they were terrified of what could happen to them outside its gates.

The standoff is the latest development in a long-running and bitter dispute over Australia's controversial off-shore detention policy.

Asylum seekers who try to reach the country by boat are sent to two remote Pacific processing centres -- PNG's Manus Island and Nauru.

They are barred from settling in Australia, even if they are ultimately found to have a legitimate case for asylum.

Canberra says the policy is designed to discourage people from attempting the risky journey by sea.

Human rights groups have been campaigning for years to have Manus shut down, amid reports of widespread abuse, self-harm and mental health problems.

The Australian government agreed to close the Manus facility by the end of October after the PNG Supreme Court ruled last year that holding people there was unconstitutional.

More than 600 men housed in the camp have been told to move to three transition centres on Manus. The present site is to be handed over the PNG military.

But many men have locked themselves in the centre.

"Refugees adamant they won't leave detention. They are afraid but refuse to leave," one Manus detainee, an Iranian called Behrouz Boochani, tweeted Tuesday.

"The power will be cut after 5pm. The refugees know that it will be very hard to stay, but are saying we will stay in a peaceful way."

He added that detainees had locked the camp's main gate to protect themselves.

Detainees told Fairfax Media earlier Tuesday that locals had started to loot equipment from the camp as PNG authorities looked on.

Australia's Immigration Minister Peter Dutton insisted the detainees were not welcome in Australia.

Story continues

They have been told "there is safe and secure alternate accommodation where health and other services will be maintained," he said.

"These people sought to subvert Australia's laws by paying people smugglers to bring them illegally to Australia by boat -- none will ever resettle here," he said in a statement Tuesday.

Refugee advocates say the transition centres are not secure, leaving the detainees defenceless against a hostile host community.

"They are vulnerable to attacks from locals. We've seen so many victims and casualties already because of those kinds of attacks," refugee advocate Ian Rintoul told AFP.

- Fears of forcible removal -

Manus detainees have been given the option of making a life in PNG, moving to the Nauru camp, returning to their homeland, or going to a third country like Cambodia or the US.

So far, just 54 people have notified of their acceptance by the US, with 24 flown out to America in September.

Rintoul said supporters had filed an injunction in the PNG Supreme Court to stop the camp's closure, demanding that food, water and other services are restored.

"There are real fears that the government will authorise force to be used against the asylum-seekers and refugees in the centre," Rintoul added.

An Australian Broadcasting Corporation correspondent on Manus said he saw several busloads of Australian officials and workers heading to the island's airport with a police convoy on Tuesday morning.

A "final message" put up at the centre, posted online, stated that arrangements were being made to return the site to the PNG Defence Force.

"Move to alternative accommodation now," the message said.

"Anyone choosing to remain here will be liable for removal from an active PNG military base."

Last week, Human Rights Watch released a report saying the Manus refugees faced "unchecked violence" and that they "have been getting stabbed, beaten, and robbed" ahead of the October 31 dateline.

"The tragic irony is that moving these men from their squalid, guarded centre and settling them elsewhere in PNG will actually put them at greater danger," Human Rights Watch's Australia director Elaine Pearson said.
Singapore has barred two foreign Islamic preachers from entering the country to preach during religious-themed sea cruises, the interior ministry said Monday.

The pair had earlier applied to preach in the city-state but their applications were rejected. However authorities later learned they planned to preach aboard cruise ships in late November.

"They will not be allowed to get around the ban by preaching instead on cruise ships which operate to and from Singapore," the Ministry of Home Affairs said.

One of the preachers, Ismail Menk, "has been known to preach segregationist and divisive teachings" while the other, Haslin bin Baharim, "has expressed views that promote disharmony between Muslims and non-Muslims", it said without giving their nationalities.

Singapore also on Monday banned four foreign Islamic books containing what it called "undesirable and harmful teachings".

The information ministry said the books' teachings "can cause social distancing, distrust, hatred and even violence among people of different faiths and religious views" in the ethnically diverse nation.

Possession, distribution and failure to surrender copies of the books to the police will be an offence effective Tuesday, it said.

"The threat of extremism is real and should not be taken lightly," said Information Minister Yaacob Ibrahim.

"The government strongly condemns the use of such publications to espouse destructive ideologies and promote enmity between communities."

The books were published in Indonesia between 2011 and 2016.

Singapore's move comes amid attempts by the Islamic State (IS) group to establish a base in Southeast Asia.

IS-backed militants, including several foreign fighters, seized the southern Philippine city of Marawi in May as part of plans to establish a caliphate, sparking a bloody five-month campaign by Filipino troops to dislodge them.

The top US commander in the Pacific, Admiral Harry Harris, earlier this month warned against the threat posed by Southeastern Asian militants returning to the region as IS loses ground in Iraq, Syria and Libya.

Story continues

"Foreign fighters are passing their ideology, resources and methods to local, homegrown, next-generation radicals," Harris had said in a speech in Singapore.

"So we must stop ISIS at the front end and not at the back end when the threat can become even more dangerous," he said, using another name for IS.

Singapore in 2001 arrested several suspected militants and foiled a plot to bomb several foreign targets in the country, including the US embassy.
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore has banned two Muslim foreign preachers from entering the city-state because their views bred intolerance and were a risk to its social harmony, the government said on Monday. The decision to block Ismail Menk, identified by local media as a Zimbabwean and Haslin bin Baharim as a Malaysian, is the latest move by the Singaporean authorities to put a curb on individuals from spreading divisive views. Menk has preached Muslims are not allowed to greet people of other faiths on their religious festivals, Singapore's home affairs ministry said in a statement. It accused Baharim of holding views that promote discord between Muslims and non-Muslims, whom he described as 'deviant.' "(Their views) are unacceptable in the context of Singapore's multi-racial and multi-religious society," the ministry said. Reuters was not in a position to reach out to the pair. Singapore is predominantly Chinese, many of whom follow Buddhism and Taoism but 14 percent of the population is Muslim and nearly 19 percent Christian. Authorities in the city-state, an outpost of stability in a region where religious tension is not uncommon, are sensitive to public remarks they deem might adversely affect religious and social harmony. Over the past few years, Singapore increased its level of surveillance for Islamist radicalism as concern grew about the spread of Islamic State in the region. Menk and Baharim planned to conduct religious sessions on a ship departing from Singapore next month after their applications for short-term work passes to preach in Singapore were turned down, the government said. "They will not be allowed to get around the ban by preaching instead on cruise ships which operate to and from Singapore," the home ministry said. Last month, authorities said they rejected applications for two foreign Christian preachers to speak in Singapore as they had made "denigrating and inflammatory comments of other religions." (Reporting by Aradhana Aravindan; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
While the gaming world's eyes are all set upon the start of Paris Games Week, Sony demo'd a number of upcoming titles for the Playstation VR, many of which will be released in time for the holidays. Among the titles on display were marquee titles Doom VR, which can now be played with the system's rifle-like Aim Controller and Skyrim VR, which has added a short-hop teleportation feature for quickly moving through Tamriel. We also took a look at League of War, a dual-screen tabletop war simulator that's sure to be the life of your next LAN party; Farpoint's newest expansion pack, a 1-on-1 (but with AI minions) battle arena; and Bravo Team, a Time Crisis-esque co-op combat shooter. Check out the video above for highlights and reactions to everything on display.

Follow all the latest news from Sony's PlayStation event here!
By Christine Kim and Ben Blanchard

SEOUL/BEIJING (Reuters) - Seoul and Beijing on Tuesday agreed to move beyond a year-long stand-off over the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system in South Korea, a dispute that has been devastating to South Korean businesses that rely on Chinese consumers.

The unexpected detente comes just days before U.S. President Donald Trump begins a trip to Asia, where the North Korean nuclear crisis will take centre stage, and helped propel South Korean stocks to a record high.

The installation of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system had angered China, with South Korea's tourism, cosmetics and entertainment industries bearing the brunt of a Chinese backlash, although Beijing has never specifically linked that to the THAAD deployment.

Beijing worries the THAAD system's powerful radar can penetrate into Chinese territory.

"Both sides shared the view that the strengthening of exchange and cooperation between Korea and China serves their common interests and agreed to expeditiously bring exchange and cooperation in all areas back on a normal development track," South Korea's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Before the THAAD dispute, bilateral relations flourished, despite Beijing's historic alliance with North Korea and Seoul's close ties with Washington, which includes hosting 28,500 U.S. troops. China is South Korea's biggest trading partner.

"At this critical moment all stakeholders should be working together to address the North Korea nuclear challenge instead of creating problems for others," said Wang Dong, associate professor of international studies at China's Peking University.

"This sends a very positive signal that Beijing and Seoul are determined to improve their relations."

As part of the agreement, South Korean President Moon Jae-in will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries in Vietnam on Nov. 10-11.

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South Korea recognised China's concerns over THAAD and made it clear the deployment was not aimed at any third country and did not harm China's strategic security interests, China's foreign ministry said.

China reiterated its opposition to the deployment of THAAD, but noted South Korea's position and hoped South Korea could appropriately handle the issue, it added.

"China's position on the THAAD issue is clear, consistent and has not changed," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily briefing in Beijing.

RETAIL RELIEF

The thaw is a big relief for South Korean tourism and retail firms as well as K-pop stars and makers of films and soap operas, which had found themselves unofficially unwelcome in China over the past year.

In South Korea, a halving of inbound Chinese tourists in the first nine months of the year cost the economy $6.5 billion in lost revenue based on the average spending of Chinese visitors in 2016, data from the Korea Tourism Organization shows.

The spat knocked about 0.4 percentage points off this year's expected economic growth, according to the Bank of Korea, which now forecasts an expansion of 3 percent.

The sprawling Lotte Group, which provided the land where the THAAD battery was installed and is a major operator of hotels and duty free stores, has been hardest hit. It faces a costly overhaul and is expected to sell its Chinese hypermarket stores for a fraction of what it invested.

A spokesman for holding company Lotte Corp expressed hope that South Korean firms' activity in China would improve following the announcement.

An official at Seoul's presidential Blue House, who declined to be named given the sensitivity of the matter, said improvements for South Korean companies would come slowly.

Shares in South Korean tourism and retail companies rallied nonetheless, with Asiana Airlines gaining 3.6 percent and Lotte Shopping up 7.14 percent. The benchmark Kospi index hit a record for a third straight day, gaining 0.9 percent.

China has grown increasingly angry with North Korea's ongoing pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in defiance of United Nations sanctions, even as it chafes at U.S. pressure to rein in its isolated ally.

NORTH KOREA TENSIONS

The recent deterioration in ties between China and North Korea may have contributed to Tuesday's agreement, the Blue House official said.

Pyongyang has undertaken an unprecedented missile testing programme in recent months, as well as its biggest nuclear test yet in early September, as it seeks to develop a powerful nuclear weapon capable of reaching the United States.

The head of NATO on Tuesday urged all United Nations members to fully and transparently implement sanctions against North Korea.

"North Korea's ballistic and nuclear tests are an affront to the United Nations Security Council," NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in Tokyo, where he met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Separately, a South Korean lawmaker said North Korea probably stole South Korean warship blueprints after hacking into a local shipbuilder's database last April.

Expectations had been growing for a warming in the frosty bilateral ties following this month's conclave of China's Communist Party, during which Xi cemented his status as China's most powerful leader after Mao Zedong.

Earlier this month, South Korea and China agreed to renew a $56 billion currency swap agreement, while Chinese airlines are reportedly planning to restore flight routes to South Korea that had been cut during the spat.

Tuesday's agreement came after high-level talks led by Nam Gwan-pyo, deputy director of national security of the Blue House, and Kong Xuanyou, assistant foreign minister of China and the country's special envoy for North Korea-related matters.

(Reporting by Christine Kim and Hyonhee Shin in SEOUL and Ben Blanchard in BEIJING, with additional reporting by Dahee Kim and Joyce Lee; Writing by Tony Munroe; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Ian Geoghegan)
Madrid (AFP) - Spain's Civil Guard police force on Tuesday searched the headquarters of Catalonia's regional police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, in a probe centred on the outlawed independence referendum on October 1, a spokesman said.

"We're carrying out an inspection related to the Mossos d'Esquadra's communications on the day of the illegal referendum on October 1," the Civil Guard spokesman told AFP.

He said officers were searching the headquarters in Sabadell, a city in Catalonia, and other offices.

The Mossos were tasked with stopping the ballot, which had been deemed illegal by Spain's Constitutional Court.

But senior Mossos officers issued orders not to use force, and agents steered clear of clashes with activists gathered in large numbers to protect voting stations.

Members of the national police intervened instead, seizing ballot boxes in a clampdown marred by violence against civilians.

The Mossos have since been criticised for not closing down polling stations as they had been asked to. They retorted that they shut as many as they could.
By Andrea Shalal and Jason Hovet

BERLIN/PRAGUE (Reuters) - Strong winds battered northern and central Europe on Sunday, killing at least six people in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, with authorities watching for oil leaks from a huge freighter that ran aground in the North Sea.

Four victims in Poland and the Czech Republic were killed by falling trees. The storm also knocked out power to thousands of Czechs and Poles, and rail traffic in large parts of northern Germany remained suspended after heavy damage from fallen trees.

Winds reached more than 100 kph (60 miles per hour) in several parts of the Czech Republic and topped out at 180 kph on Snezka, at 1,602 metres the country's highest mountain, Czech Television reported.

The two victims in Germany included a 63-year-old German man who drowned at a campsite in Lower Saxony as a result of a storm surge, and a woman whose motorboat overturned in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, German media reported.

The "Glory Amsterdam," a 225-metre long freighter ran aground on the German island of Langeoog, and authorities were keeping a close watch for any signs of oil leaks. The ship's crew of 22 were safe, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported.

The freighter was not carrying any cargo, but had 1,800 tonnes of heavy oil and 140 tonnes of marine diesel on board as fuel, it quoted local authorities as saying.

In Germany, railway operator Deutsche Bahn cited what it called "significant damage" on key routes, and said rail traffic on many routes in northern and central Germany would remain suspended until Monday.

The decision left thousands of travellers stranded and cut rail access to cities such as Bremen, Hamburg, Berlin, Hanover and Kiel. Deutsche Bahn restored some service late on Sunday and provided sleeping cars at stations for stranded passengers.

Hamburg saw widespread flooding in the inner city area, including the area around the new Elbphilharmonie symphony hall.

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The winds felled trees in the Czech Republic, with one man dying after being hit on a sidewalk in a town in the north of the country and one woman killed by a tree in a wooded area, media reported.

The weather delayed or halted traffic on several railway lines and slowed road traffic, with a fallen tree blocking one highway just outside of the capital, Prague, the website of newspaper Mlada Fronta Dnes reported.

Prague Zoo closed because of the winds, but Prague Airport was running without problems, newspaper Lidove Noviny's website reported.

The winds also hit Poland, damaging a pipeline at Poland's liquefied natural gas terminal in the port of Swinoujscie. They caused a small leak but no greater damage, according to a spokesman for the state gas pipeline operator, Gaz-System.

(Reporting by Jason Hovet in Prague, Andrea Shalal in Berlin and Lidia Kelly; Editing by Alison Williams and Adrian Croft)
Beirut (AFP) - Heavy clashes between Syria's army and the Islamic State group in Deir Ezzor city have killed at least 73 fighters in the last 24 hours, a monitor said Sunday.

Syria's army controls most of Deir Ezzor city, capital of Deir Ezzor province in the country's east, and made further advances after responding to an IS attack that began Saturday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said.

The monitor said the fierce fighting Saturday killed at least 50 IS fighters, as well as 23 Syrian soldiers and pro-regime militiamen.

Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said government forces had captured two new neighbourhoods and the municipal stadium.

"IS is now encircled in an area between the city and the (Euphrates) river," Abdel Rahman said.

IS once held large sections of Deir Ezzor city, and for nearly three years laid siege to other parts of it that remained under government control.

In early September, advancing government forces broke the siege, and they have been working since to expel the jihadists from the rest of the city.

Abdel Rahman said the fighting that began Saturday was the fiercest in the city since government troops broke the siege, adding that clashes were continuing Sunday, with regime ally Russia carrying out heavy air strikes in support of the army and allied fighters.

Deir Ezzor, an oil-rich province that borders Iraq, was once a stronghold of IS, but the jihadist group faces twin assaults there, from the regime and the US-backed Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces.

The jihadists have already been expelled from neighbouring Raqa province, and are now confined to just a few pockets of territory in Deir Ezzor.

More than 330,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests.
Damascus (AFP) - Damascus said Sunday it still considers Raqa an occupied city, less than two weeks after a US-backed alliance drove the Islamic State group out of its onetime Syrian capital.

Troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad kept out of the offensive led by the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) that pushed IS out of the city on October 17.

"Raqa is still an occupied city and cannot be considered liberated until the entry of the Syrian army, which is fighting IS along with its allies," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"The allegations of the United States and its so-called alliance concerning the liberation of the city of Raqa from the terrorist group IS are pure lies," said the statement carried by the official SANA news agency.

It said the goal of the United States was to "divert the eyes of the international community from the crimes committed by this alliance in the province of Raqa".

That was a reference to the US-led coalition's deadly bombing campaign in the region.

IS has faced rival offensives in Syria, from the regime backed by its ally Russia, and the SDF supported by the United States and other countries.

Raqa is the latest in a string of victories for the Kurd and Arab alliance against IS on the back of the US-led bombing campaign.

The Assad regime has been able to recapture more than half of Syria's territory with the support of Russian air strikes.

It is now focusing on the oil-rich eastern province of Deir Ezzor, where the SDF alliance is also involved.

The Syrian conflict broke out in March 2011 with protests against Assad, before turning into a complex war that has killed more than 330,000 people and forced millions to flee their homes.
Telescopes on Earth have spotted something which researchers say sends a shiver down the spine  an object from an alien star system near our sun.

The Queens University Belfast scientists say that the asteroid or comet is the first ever detected which is thought to come from another star.

Professor Alan Fitzsimmons, from the School of Mathematics and Physics at Queens, together with colleagues in the UK, USA and Chile, has been tracking it using powerful telescopes across the world.

The fast-moving object, now named A/2017 U1, was initially spotted on October 18 by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope in Hawaii.

Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS)

The university said initial data implies it is a small rocky or icy object that may have been drifting through our galaxy for millions or even billions of years, before entering our solar system by chance.

MORE: Defence Secretary apologises for putting his hand on female journalists knee  but she insists it wasnt sexual harassment

MORE: Vet charged with animal cruelty for keeping sick dog alive after owner told it was put down

Prof Fitzsimmons said: By Wednesday this week it became almost certain this object was alien to our solar system.

We immediately started studying it that night with the William Herschel Telescope in the Canary Islands, then on Thursday night with the Very Large Telescope in Chile.

It sends a shiver down the spine to look at this object and think it has come from another star.
If you don't know who Teresa Giudice is, you better fake it.

Vergara, the top-paid woman on television thanks to her leading role on "Modern Family," didn't recognize "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Giudice at a recent event -- and Giudice is still livid.

Giudice described the encounter during a "Getting Real with the Housewives" panel, TMZ reported. According to her, a Bravo publicist asked Vergara to pose for a photo with Giudice. Vergara obliged, but then supposedly said to her publicist, "Why you make me take a picture with that woman?" (Giudice imitated Vergara's accent as she recounted the moment.)

I never asked for a picture because Im so not like that, I dont care, Giudice said. She didnt want to take a picture with me."

Vergara's demeanor seemingly irritated Giudice for a particularly unexpected reason: "Ugh, I cant stand her, sorry. I hate to say that because Im Italian, shes Colombian, she has an accent  she has more of an accent than me! You would think she would be nice, like shes an immigrant  no, Im just saying, she should be nice!

Guidice and Vergara were both guests on "Extra" on October 23, although they didn't appear on-air together.
Brother of Hillary Clintons campaign chairman faces investigation over work for Ukrainian not-for-profit group tied to Paul Manafort

Tony Podesta has stepped down from the lobbying firm he founded, in an embarrassment to Democrats. Photograph: The Washington Post/Getty Images

The most prominent Democratic lobbyist in Washington, whose brother served as campaign chairman to Hillary Clinton, has stepped down from the firm he created after being ensnared by the Russia-Trump investigation led by Robert Mueller.

Tony Podesta, who has donated millions of dollars to the Democratic party and lawmakers on Capitol Hill and worked as a link between corporate America and the Democratic establishment, has reportedly stepped down from his lobbying firm after it emerged that the US special counsel was investigating his work for a Ukrainian not-for-profit group linked to Paul Manafort.

Podestas brother, John Podesta, served as Hillary Clintons campaign chairman and was a victim in the hacking attack against the Democratic candidates campaign.

Among hundreds of emails that were hacked from the Clinton campaign and later released by WikiLeaks  a crime that lies at the heart of the Russia investigation  were emails sent by John Podesta. One email from the known foodie included a detailed description of his secret to a good, creamy risotto.

News of Tony Podestas resignation, which was first reported by Politico, was revealed on the same day that Manafort, Trumps former campaign chairman, and his associate Rick Gates, were charged in a multi-count indictment alleging conspiracy against the US and money laundering. A third official, a campaign adviser named George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI and is cooperating with investigators.

Podesta has not been charged with a crime. He declined to comment to the Guardian after being reached on his mobile phone.

The Democratic lobbyists departure may come as a blow to some Democrats on Capitol Hill, but it also demonstrates the far reach of Muellers investigation.

Any potential charges against Podesta, who reportedly told staff that he did not intend to go quietly, could make it harder for Republicans to accuse Mueller of politicising the Trump investigation by only targeting Republicans.

Story continues

But Podestas decision to step down, and any potential legal issues in his future, will be embarrassing to Democrats. Podesta is known for his art collection: he and his former wife, Heather, owned Shepard Faireys famous Hope portrait of Barack Obama, which they donated to the National Portrait Gallery.

NBC News reported last week that Podesta, who served as an aide to the late Senator Ted Kennedy before opening a lobbying firm in 1988, was being investigated for possibly violating US rules that force lobbyists to disclose work for foreign governments.

Mueller was investigating one of Manaforts campaigns, the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine, and Podestas firm, the Podesta Group, was one of the companies that worked for Manafort, allegedly to improve Ukraines image.

Muellers investigation is broadly examining claims that the Trump campaign may have colluded with Russia in the 2016 election, but the investigation into Podesta reportedly focuses on whether or not Podesta properly alerted authorities to his work for the Ukraine group.
WASHINGTON  For anyone following the Trump administrations months-long review of Americas national monuments, Friday likely felt like the punchline to a joke theyd already heard.

Six months after signing a pair of executive orders threatening the future of 27 national monuments, President Donald Trump reportedly phoned Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) to inform him that he would follow through on Interior Secretary Ryan Zinkes recommendation to shrink Bears Ears National Monument, a 1.35 million-acre area in southern Utah that President Barack Obama declared a national monument in 2016.

Im approving the Bears Ears recommendation for you, Orrin, Trump reportedly told the senator, according to The Washington Post. Hatch, who has called the monument a travesty, said the call left him feeling incredibly grateful.

The site is named after a pair of buttes and is home to thousands of Native American archaeological and cultural sites. It has been at the center of the monuments controversy, and Trump requested an expedited, 45-day review. It remains unclear how many acres the administration plans to strip from the monument, although the state is reportedly pushing for a 90 percent reduction.

Fridays news drew national headlines and sparked fresh outrage from the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, a group of five Native American tribes that petitioned to grant the area monument status.

We have not been contacted with regard to changes to # BearsEars, the group tweeted Tuesday.

But the news was not a surprise.

Seemingly every comment and action the administration made leading up to Friday had suggested Bears Ears was headed for the chopping block, and that the review  at least for this particular monument  was mostly for show.

Consider the day Trump signed his executive order. Standing below a portrait of Theodore Roosevelt  Zinkes hero and the president who more than a century ago signed into law the Antiquities Act, which 16 presidents have used to designate 157 monuments  Trump spoke as if stripping protections from Bears Ears was already a done deal. He boasted that he was ending another egregious abuse of federal power, putting states back in charge and opening up now-protected areas to tremendously positive things. He said the designation of Bears Ears was made over the profound objections of the citizens of Utah and should never have happened. And he praised Hatch for his never-ending prodding on the issue.

Story continues

[Hatch] would call me and call me and say, You got to do this, Trump said. Is that right, Orrin? You didnt stop. He doesnt give up. Hes shocked that Im doing it, but Im doing it because its the right thing to do.

Were now getting something done that many people thought would never, ever get done, Trump added.

Zinke insisted early on that there is no predetermined outcome on any monument. But like Trump, he has consistently criticized recent monument designations, suggesting Bears Ears and other monuments wouldnt survive intact. The Antiquities Act has become a tool of political advocacy rather than public interest, he said in April.

In the week after Trump signed the monument order, Zinke met with Utahs delegation and the San Juan County Commission  vocal monument opponents  to discuss next steps. Feeling ignored, members of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition traveled to Washington to demand the administrations ear, claiming neither Trump nor anyone on his team had consulted, or even spoken with, them.

A week later, Zinke traveled to Utah as part of a monuments listening tour, where he spent four days visiting Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante  another monument slated to be trimmed. Monument opponents, including Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R) and members of the San Juan County Commission, joined him on the Bears Ears tour. Representatives of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, which backed it, were given a one-hour meeting with the Interior Department chief.

Zinke said during the tour that he believed Bears Ears should be preserved, but the issue is whether the monument is the right vehicle.

It is public land, he said. It was public land before the monument. It will be public land after the monument. What vehicle of public land is appropriate to preserve the cultural identity, to make sure the tribes have a voice and to make sure you protect the traditions of hunting and fishing and public access?

Ancient granaries, part of the House on Fire ruins, are shown here in the South Fork of Mule Canyon in the Bears Ears National Monument, outside Blanding, Utah, earlier this year. (Photo: George Frey via Getty Images)

That same month, the Interior Department denied reports that Zinke had already made up his mind and would recommend abolishing Bears Ears. E&E News reported that San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman said Zinke disclosed his plans during a meeting with the commission earlier that month. Lyman later told HuffPost that E&E News had misquoted him and that he didnt say Zinke would definitely recommend abolishing the monument. However, Lyman said, theres no question the Trump administration is moving in a certain direction and that my impression is hed like to rescind it.

Along with giving more time to Bears Ears opponents, the administration appears to have based the entire review on cherry-picked data. The Interior Department has claimed that since the Antiquities Act became law, the average size of national monuments exploded from an average of 422 acres per monument and that now its not uncommon for a monument to be more than a million acres.

In 1908, two years after the Antiquities Act became law, Roosevelt  of whom Zinke is an unapologetic admirer and disciple  designated more than 800,000 acres of the Grand Canyon as a national monument. Only a few Obama-era land monuments are larger. Roosevelt also designated the 20,629-acre Chaco Canyon National Monument and the 610,000-acre Mount Olympus National Monument. Republican presidents Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover both designated monuments of over a million acres. Coolidge set aside Alaskas Glacier Bay in 1925, and Hoover set aside Californias Death Valley in 1933.

The Interior Department has yet to explain its 422-acre figure, despite HuffPosts numerous requests.

The review process has also seemingly ignored overwhelming public support for keeping Bears Ears and other monuments intact. An analysis from the Center for Western Priorities found that 99 percent of the more than 685,000 public comments submitted during a 15-day comment period voiced support for Bears Ears. In a report summary made public in August, Zinke said the overwhelming support for maintaining current monuments was the result of a well-orchestrated national campaign organized by multiple organizations.

There is no legal precedent that establishes the presidents authority to abolish, shrink or otherwise weaken national monuments. Congress, not the president, has sole legal power to rescind or weaken protections for monuments designated under the Antiquities Act, four legal scholars concluded in June. Area tribes and other groups have vowed to sue if and when Trump makes an official announcement.

Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), the ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee, did not mince words about Trumps looming decision on Bears Ears: It should be clear this review was a sham designed to let rich companies get richer off our public lands and settle grudges against Presidents Obama and Clinton, he said in a statement Friday.

In a video advertisement the National Wildlife Federation released on Thursday, a day ahead of Trumps phone calls to Hatch and Herbert, Navajo Nation delegate Davis Filfred pleads with Trump not to alter Bears Ears and other national monuments.

Not all monuments divide us. Some bring us together, Filfred says. If you destroy these monuments, our public land could be auctioned off. Our sacred tribal sites would be in danger.

Zinke has recommended shrinking or otherwise weakening at least 10 existing national monuments, according to a leaked copy of the report Zinke submitted to the White House in late August.

Also on HuffPost

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Basin and Range National Monument, Nevada

Bears Ears National Monument, Utah

Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, California

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, Colorado

Carrizo Plain National Monument, California

Cascade Siskiyou National Monument, Oregon

Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho

Giant Sequoia National Monument, California

Gold Butte National Monument, Nevada

Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, Arizona

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah

Hanford Reach National Monument, Washington

Ironwood Forest National Monument, Arizona

Mojave Trails National Monument, California

Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, New Mexico

Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, New Mexico

Sand to Snow National Monument, California

San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, California

Sonoran Desert National Monument, Arizona

Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, Montana

Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Arizona

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument, Maine

Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands/Pacific Ocean

Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, Atlantic Ocean

Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, Pacific Ocean

Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, Hawaii/Pacific Ocean

Rose Atoll Marine National Monument, American Samoa/Pacific Ocean

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
President Trump on Tuesday downplayed the announcement that three campaign officials  Paul Manafort, Rick Gates and George Papadopoulos  had been charged with federal crimes.

Notably, Papadopoulos, a campaign foreign policy aide, admitted lying to the FBI about his outreach to Russia during the campaign. Trump has repeatedly lashed out against special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into how the Kremlin sought to influence the 2016 election.

According to Trump, however, Papadopoulos is already proven to be a liar.

The Fake News is working overtime, Trump tweeted Tuesday morning. As Paul Manaforts [sic] lawyer said, there was no collusion and events mentioned took place long before he came to the campaign. Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar. Check the DEMS!

The president added: I hope people will start to focus on our Massive Tax Cuts for Business (jobs) and the Middle Class (in addition to Democrat corruption)!

The Fake News is working overtime. As Paul Manaforts lawyer said, there was "no collusion" and events mentioned took place long before he  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2017

.came to the campaign. Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar. Check the DEMS!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2017

I hope people will start to focus on our Massive Tax Cuts for Business (jobs) and the Middle Class (in addition to Democrat corruption)!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2017

On Monday, Muellers office announced that Manafort, Trumps former campaign chairman, and Gates, Manaforts former business partner, were charged with 12 counts  including conspiracy, money laundering and tax evasion  from 2005 through 2017. Manafort joined the Trump campaign in March 2016 and was installed as chairman in June of that year after Trump fired campaign manager Corey Lewandowski.

Story continues

Manafort and Gates both pleaded not guilty to all the charges on Monday afternoon. Speaking to reporters outside the federal courthouse, Manaforts attorney, Kevin Downing, called the charges against his client ridiculous.

President Donald Trump was correct, Downing said. There is no evidence the Trump campaign colluded with the Russia government.

The Justice Department also announced on Monday that Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign adviser, pleaded guilty to making false statements to FBI agents about his contacts with Russians during the campaign. According to documents released Monday by Muellers office, Papadopoulos was arrested in July and cooperated with federal officials in their investigation.

Related: Read all the charges against Manafort, Gates and Papadopoulos

The charges are the first brought by Mueller since he was appointed in May to lead the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

But the biggest story yesterday, Trump argued, was the resignation of Democratic lobbyist Tony Podesta from the Podesta Group after the indictment of Manafort revealed that the firm had done work on a public relations effort organized by Manafort for a Ukrainian nonprofit. Podestas brother, John, was chairman of Hillary Clintons campaign.

The biggest story yesterday, the one that has the Dems in a dither, is Podesta running from his firm. What he know about Crooked Dems is.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2017

.earth shattering. He and his brother could Drain The Swamp, which would be yet another campaign promise fulfilled. Fake News weak!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2017

Not bad enough that I was the victim of a massive cyber crime directed by the Russian President, John Podesta tweeted in response. Now Im the victim of a big lie campaign by the American President.

In March 2016, Papadopoulos attended a national security meeting in Washington, D.C., where federal officials say he introduced himself to Trump and the group, and said he could help arrange a meeting between then-candidate Trump and President Putin. In an interview that month, Trump praised Papadopoulos as an excellent guy.

In this photo from Donald Trumps Twitter account, George Papadopoulos, third from left, sits at a table with then candidate Trump and others at what is labeled as a national security meeting in Washington. The photo was posted on March 31, 2016. (Photo: Donald Trumps Twitter account via AP)

According to the Washington Post, the president spent most of Monday fuming about the cable news coverage of the indictments.

Trumps anger Monday was visible to those who interacted with him, and the mood in the corridors of the White House was one of weariness and fear of the unknown, the Post said. As the president groused upstairs, many staffers  some of whom have hired lawyers to help them navigate Muellers investigation  privately speculated about where the special counsel might turn next.

White House lawyer Ty Cobb pushed back against the report, telling the paper that the announcement of the first charges in the Russia probe were not a cause of great agita or angst or activity at the White House.

Trump, Cobb added, is spending all of his time on presidential work.

Read more from Yahoo News:
'It shows a lack of appreciation of history': AP

Donald Trumps chief of staff has said the Civil War was due to a lack of compromise and praised a famous slave owner as an honourable man.

When asked by Fox News host Laura Ingraham about the recent move to scrap symbols of the confederacy across the US, John Kelly praised Robert E Lee.

I would tell you that Robert E Lee was an honorable man, Mr Kelly said.

He was a man that gave up his country to fight for his state which in 150 years ago was more important than country.

It was always loyalty to state first back in those days. Now it's different today. But the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War. And men and women of good faith on both sides made their stand where their conscience had to make their stand.

His comments came shortly after a church in Virginia decided to relocate the markers which honour Lee and former President George Washington, who also owned slaves on his plantation. The church official told the Associated Press that they made their decision after a woman called Heather Meyer was killed during a counter-protest against a white nationalist rally which wanted to use a statue of Lee.

Mr Kelly warned against the slippery slope to judge American icons and figures of history.

I think it's just very, very dangerous. It shows you what  how much of a lack of appreciation of history and what history is, he said.

Despite Congress passing several compromises which would have allowed slavery to expand in certain regions of the US, conflict spilled into war in the 19th century.

Chief of Staff John Kelly praises Robert E Lee as "honorable man," says "lack of an ability to compromise led to the civil war," not slavery pic.twitter.com/GSuVRrGKlQ  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 31, 2017

Notion that Civil War resulted from a lack of compromise is belied by all the compromises made on enslavement from America's founding, tweeted writer Ta-Nehisi Coates.

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George W Bushs former ethics lawyer Richard Painter added: Trying to impress his boss to keep his job.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders supported Mr Kelly's remarks during her daily press briefing Tuesday, saying that, just because an historical figure is flawed, it "doesn't diminish their contributions to our country." She cited former Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John F Kennedy as examples of men who were flawed but still made meaningful contributions ot society.

Ms Huckabee Sanders later left the White House press briefing room to shouted questions asking if the White House supports slavery, which she did not answer.

Mr Kellys views were echoed by Mr Trump, who said in August: I wonder: Is it George Washington next week, and is it Thomas Jefferson the week after? Trump said. You know, you really do have to ask yourself  where does it stop?

Mr Trump came under fire for responding to the Charlottesville protests by saying there were some very fine people on both sides.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump refused to answer a question Tuesday about whether he would be willing to pardon his disgraced campaign manager, clamming up and indicating he was done talking to the press.

Are you going to pardon [Paul] Manafort? asked HuffPost reporter Shirish Date after Trump had a meeting at the White House with business leaders.

Thank you, Trump replied, indicating he was no longer going to take any questions from reporters.

Prior to Dates question, Trump had answered a question about phasing in corporate tax rate reductions.

On Monday, Manafort and his business associate, along with a former Trump campaign adviser, were indicted in special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russias role in the 2016 election. Manafort faces 12 counts, including charges of money laundering and conspiracy.

Manafort served as Trumps campaign manager for three months, including during the Republican convention.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders also declined to rule out pardons for Manafort and his business partner, Rick Gates, during Mondays briefing.

I havent had any conversations with him about that. I think we should let the process play through before we start looking at those steps, she said.

The White House has tried to downplay the indictments, arguing that much (but not all) of the charges against Manafort and Gates dealt with their lobbying work before the campaign.

A potentially more problematic indictment is the third one, against George Papadopoulos, who served as a foreign policy adviser.

The Papadopoulos charges, dated Oct. 5 but only unsealed on Monday, deal directly with his work during the election and his attempt to link up the Russian government with the Trump campaign. His statements also make clear that he was acting with the involvement of higher-ranking officials in Trumps orbit. He has also been cooperating with investigators for months.

Speculation about whether Trump will pardon his associates  and possibly fire Mueller in order to get the investigation to stop  has picked up in recent days. In The Wall Street Journal, for example, two conservative lawyer urged Trump to issue a blanket pardon, saying the Russia matter should not be taken up by a special counsel:

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Mr. Muellers investigation has been widely interpreted as partisan from the start. Mr. Trumps opponents instantaneously started talking of impeachmentnever mind that a special counsel, unlike an independent counsel, has no authority to release a report to Congress or the public. Mr. Trumps supporters count the number of Democratic donors on the special-counsel staff. The Mueller investigation is fostering tremendous bitterness among Trump voters, who see it as an effort by Washington mandarins to nullify their votes. Mr. Trump can end this madness by immediately issuing a blanket presidential pardon to anyone involved in supposed collusion with Russia or Russians during the 2016 presidential campaign, to anyone involved with Russian acquisition of an American uranium company during the Obama administration, and to anyone for any offense that has been investigated by Mr. Muellers office. Political weaponization of criminal law should give way to a politically accountable democratic process. Nefarious Russian activities, including possible interference in U.S. elections, can and should be investigated by Congress.

Want more updates from Amanda Terkel? Sign up for her newsletter, Piping Hot Truth, here.

Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
President Donald Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort has reportedly arrived at the FBI's offices in Washington to face charges as part of an investigation into the Trump campaign's links to Russia.

Mr Manafort walked into the FBI Headquarters in Washington DC at approximately 8:15 am local time with his lawyer, but had no comment for reporters.

The charges being brought against Mr Manafort by Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller, who has been investigating alleged collusion between campaign team members and Russian officials during the 2016 US election, have just been made public.

They include 12 counts which include conspiracy against the US, conspiracy to launder money, being an unregistered agent of a foreign principal - in this case Ukraine, and seven counts of failure to report foreign bank accounts and transactions.

Charges against Rick Gates, a former longtime business partner of Mr Manafort's, have also been included in the same indictment. Both have also been charged with submitting false Foreign Agent Registration Act forms as well.

The indictment alleges both men "generated tens of millions of dollars of income as a result of their Ukraine work" from 2006 to 2016 and that in order to hide the profits from US authorities, they laundered the money.

They are also being charged for not reporting their work in "direct[ing] a campaign to lobby US officials on behalf of the Government of Ukraine, the President of Ukraine, and Ukrainian political parties."

While Mr Manafort exited the campaign in August 2016 and seemingly any public affiliation with Mr Trump's team going forward from campaign to White House, Mr Gates has been working with White House staff on an intermittent basis.

Mr Manafort has groomed Mr Gates for several years and the pair have been connected through documents of companies Mr Manafort had established in Cyprus, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and the Seychelles in order to receive payments from his Eastern European business and political clients, according to the New York Times.

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This past July, the FBI conducted an early morning raid of Mr Manafort's home in Virginia. At the time, prosecutors warned that he may be charged.

It is unclear at this time how significant the records taken from Mr Manafort's home in the pre-dawn 26 July raid are to the investigation, according to the Washington Post.

The FBI came to his home after Mr Manafort had voluntarily met with the Senate Intelligence Committee behind closed doors the day prior to discuss a meeting he attended in June 2016 with the President's son Donald Trump Jr, Mr Trump's son--in-law Jared Kushner, and Kremlin-linked lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya at Trump Tower.

Mr Manafort has been turning over records, some of which are reportedly notes from the meeting.

Special prosecutor Robert Mueller worked with the FBI on the wide-ranging search warrant obtained prior to the search.

As former FBI special agent Asha Rangappa pointed out on Twitter at the time, to get the search warrant the FBI had to present evidence to a federal judge showing they had probable cause that Mr Manafort committed a crime and that evidence of it could be in his home.

In theory, Mr Manafort may be able to make some sort of bargain - offering information linking Mr Trump to Russian officials and collusion in exchange for avoiding prosecution.

Though both have been charged in the same indictment, this does not preclude either from being able to cut a deal.

Washington insiders have commented that Mr Mueller is approaching the case like he would a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) investigation, focusing on the 'organisation' rather than individuals; the emphasis is on taking out the next layer 'up' in these types of cases.

Given that Mr Manafort and Mr Gates are the first indictments in a wide-ranging investigation, there is likely more space for deal at this 'level'.

He will have his arraignment hearing this morning at the District Court during which he will be informed of the list of charges as well as maximum penalties for each charge.

Normally those charged with white collar crimes are released at the time under their own recognisance, albeit with restrictions on travel.

Mr Manafort nor Mr Gates have responded to the indictment as yet.

More follows
In any normal situation, an admission by a presidential campaign adviser that he had talked to a mysterious professor with links to the Russian authorities about obtaining dirt on the rival candidate, ought to be jaw-dropping news.

More than that, some might consider it evidence of the sort of collusion with Moscow that has been alleged of the individual who won that contest and now lives in the White House.

But this is 2017, Donald Trump is the US President and as we have been forced to hurriedly to learn, precedent and normality count for little. Every day, something else becomes the new normal.

Papadopolous was arrested July 27. His plea was filed October 5. Mueller dont leak. Period.  Armando (@armandodkos) October 30, 2017

Heres what we know: five months after he was appointed to head an investigation into Russias alleged interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller has announced indictments against three former Trump associates.

Former campaign manager Paul Manafort and business associate Rick Gates, have been charged with 12 counts, including money laundering, conspiracy and failing to register as foreign agents. The allegations mostly, but not all, relate to 2006-2015, which as Trump was quick to point out was before Manafort joined the campaign. They could face decades in jail if convicted.

But Trump may very well be more worried about the news regarding former foreign police adviser, George Papadopoulos, who has pleaded guilty of lying to FBI agents. Buried within the 13-page indictment, are the details of Papadopoulos meeting with an unidentified professor and a Russian national, who were keen to improve US-Russia relations under a Trump presidency. He was told the Russian government had dirt on Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails.

Story continues

It sounds significant and it may well turn out to be so. But bear in mind, that Trumps eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Manfort, have all already admitting attending a meeting with a Kremlin-linked lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, in June. They did so after Trump Jr said he was offered incriminating material on Clinton.

When Trump Jr was told about the prospect of dirt on his fathers rival, he responded by saying: I love it.

After this bombshell dropped, the White House sought to brush it off. It claimed the officials had no idea Veselnitskaya was linked to the Kremlin and her real aim, was to get rid of a set of anti-Russian sanctions, known as the Magnitsky Act.

Trump himself said he saw nothing wrong with what happened.

I think from a practical standpoint, most people would have taken that meeting, Trump told reporters during a joint news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris in July. I think its a meeting that most people in politics probably would have taken.

Another thing is worth stressing. Trump has become use to getting his way, of being able to seemingly brush off the most damaging revelations and news. Even now, his support among those who voted for him remains rock solid and he retains the approval of a third of all voters.

That may be about to change. It was very noteworthy that although Papadopolous was arrested on 27 July and his admission to FBI agents was taken on 5 October, not a word of this emerged until Mueller unsealed the two indictments on Monday morning. Also, the indictment stated that since his arrest, Papadopolous met with the government on numerous occasions to provide information and answer question. There must be fears in the White House, he will seek a plea deal with prosecutors.

If there was further proof needed that Mueller is a serious, tight operator, then we received it this morning. Clearly this investigation has a long way to go. Clearly Mueller has no intention of being anything other than utterly persistent.

For all of Trumps claims he is the victim of a witch hunt and that Clinton is the real offender, he will surely be sleeping a little less easily after todays developments.
Donald Trump, Red Square, George Papadopoulos (Yahoo News photo illustration; photos: Mark Kauzlarich/Reuters, Spencer Platt/Getty Images, George Papadopoulos via Twitter)

WASHINGTON  Shortly after he had conversations with people close to the Kremlin that got him in hot water with the FBI, George Papadopoulos was using his position as a campaign adviser to President Trump to argue that the United States should cooperate with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Papadopouloss exact role in the campaign is disputed, in part by Trump himself, but during his tenure as an adviser, he advocated in interviews for positions in line with Moscows interests.

Russia does not believe in American promises, and the atmosphere of mutual confidence has been lost. Trump, if elected president, will restore the trust, Papadopoulos said in a September 2016 interview with the Russian news agency Interfax.

Court documents unsealed by special counsel Robert Mueller on Monday revealed Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI about contacts he had with people tied to the Russian government during his time on Trumps campaign.

Papadopouloss conversations with the Kremlin associates began shortly after he joined Trumps team as a foreign policy adviser in March 2016. They included discussions about arranging a potential meeting between Putin and Trump, and a conversation Papadopoulos had with a professor who claimed to be close to Russian officials. According to the court filings, the professor told Papadopoulos Russia had dirt on Trumps election opponent, Hillary Clinton, in the form of thousands of her emails. The hack, which U.S. intelligence agencies have linked to the Kremlin, is a major focus of Muellers probe into Russias efforts to interfere in last years U.S. presidential race.

On Tuesday morning, Trump referenced Papadopouloss guilty plea in a series of tweets. Trump dismissed Papadopoulos as a young, low level volunteer who few people knew and who was proven to be a liar.

The exact role Papadopoulos played on Trumps campaign remains unclear. On March 21, Trump told the Washington Post that Papadopoulos was one of five members of his foreign policy team. Trump described Papadopoulos as an excellent guy. That raised eyebrows because of the relative inexperience of Papadopoulos, a 2009 college graduate who listed participation in model U.N. on his resume.

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Nevertheless, Papadopoulos was apparently empowered to speak publicly on behalf of the campaign. On April 7, 2016, the Jerusalem Post newspaper published what it described as a summary of comments Papadopoulos made during a visit to Israel that week when he had lunch with with research associates of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies. According to the Jerusalem Post, Papadopoulos expounded on what he says is Trumps prism on global affairs. The paper quoted Papadopoulos as vowing Trump would overtly seek serious engagement with Russia on a range of common concerns, in contrast to President Barack Obama, who focused on isolating and sanctioning Russia.

Trump, says Papadopoulos, sees Russian President Vladimir Putin as a responsible actor and potential partner, the newspaper reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a press conference during his meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Kremlin in Moscow on Oct. 25, 2017. (Photo: Yuri Kochetkov/Pool Photo via AP)

The Jerusalem Post also quoted Papadopoulos as claiming Russia had been careful not to cross NATO lines. That comment belies increasing tensions between Moscow and the NATO alliance, which was established to counter Soviet expansion during the Cold War, and more recently has been confronting a more assertive Russia. Papadopoulos was described by the newspaper as proposing areas of potential cooperation between Russia and the U.S., including combating the export of radical and violent Islam from the Middle East. That comment from Papadopoulos echoes Putins positions. Papadopoulos also told the paper the two countries could work together to counter Chinese expansionism in Asia and the Middle East.

Papadopoulos gave a more in-depth interview to Interfax on Sept. 30, 2016. By that time, Papadopoulos had been told about the dirt on Clinton and had told his superiors on the Trump campaign that he was willing to make an off the record trip to Moscow to capitalize on his connections with the Russian government. Though a more senior member of the team  identified by Yahoo News as former campaign co-chairman Sam Clovis  told Papadopoulos to make the trip if it was feasible, he did not, in the end, go to Moscow.

In his interview with Interfax, Papadopoulos said Trump wanted to usher in a new chapter in U.S.-Russia ties. Papadopoulos argued that it is in the interest of the U.S., NATO and Russia to deescalate hostilities immediately and work together towards combating common threats, including terrorism. He also criticized sanctions that Obama imposed on Moscow following its annexation of Ukrainian territory in 2014, which was a major source of tension between Russia and NATO.

Sanctions have done little more than to turn Russia towards China as a primary market for Russian goods, services and energy. It is not in the interest of the West to align China and Russia in a geopolitical alliance, Papadopoulos said.

Removing those sanctions is a priority for Putins government.

Speaking to Interfax, Papadopoulos also argued against removing Syrian President Bashar Assad from power. Assad is a Putin ally, and American opposition to him has been another sore spot for the U.S. and Russia.

We do not support aggressive changes of regimes anywhere, including Syria, said Papadopoulos.

Interfax pressed Papadopoulos about whether he supported a potential expansion of NATO. Russia has repeatedly described potential NATO expansion as a threat. Papadopoulos dodged the question without expressing support for or opposition to NATOs growth. Instead, he argued the current tensions are extremely dangerous, and called for greater cooperation between the U.S. and Russia.

If mutual confidence between our countries exists, then we will better understand the expectations of each other, and we can more accurately define the red lines which cannot be crossed, Papadopoulos said. However, what is happening today between Russia and NATO, and between Russia and the West in general, creates an extremely dangerous and unstable situation in which every incident could become fatal.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Istanbul (AFP) - A Turkish court on Tuesday ruled to keep in jail four staff from Turkey's main opposition daily on terror-related charges, in a hugely controversial case seen as a test for media freedom under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Prosecutors accuse a total of 17 current and former writers, cartoonists and executives from Cumhuriyet ("Republic") of supporting terror groups, charges lambasted by the defence as absurd.

Four of the suspects remained behind bars ahead of Tuesday's latest hearing, with the others now free but still on trial and risking heavy jail sentences if convicted.

The Istanbul criminal court ruled that the four should stay in jail, dashing the hopes of supporters that all the accused could be released ahead of the verdict. The next hearing was set for December 25.

Dozens of supporters had earlier gathered outside the court in Istanbul, unfurling banners saying: "Stop hunting the opposition and arresting journalists" and "justice for Cumhuriyet".

The 17 are charged with supporting through their coverage three groups Turkey views as terror groups -- the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the ultra-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C), and the movement of preacher Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara for last year's failed coup.

The defendants risk up to 43 years in prison if convicted.

- 'Never bow to pressure' -

The court in July freed seven of the daily's staff after 271 days behind bars, including respected cartoonist Musa Kart and Turhan Gunay, editor of the books supplement.

Another defendant, one of Turkey's most respected journalists Kadri Gursel, was released last month after spending nearly a year in jail.

But the four who must remain behind bars for at least another two months include some of the biggest names in the Turkish media world.

The paper's chairman Akin Atalay and editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu have now been held for 366 days while investigative reporter Ahmet Sik has been held for 305 days.

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The fourth man, accountant Emre Iper, has been detained for 208 days, and must also remain under arrest.

Sik wrote a book exposing the past ties of members of the Turkish elite to the Gulen movement and has angrily denounced Erdogan and his allies at every opportunity in the court.

Addressing the court, Sabuncu vowed Cumhuriyet had not "bowed to pressure and will never do so". Atalay said their "arrest is not based on any legal grounds but a political plan".

"There is no crime, there is no proof and there is no release," the paper wrote bitterly after the ruling was announced.

- Releases in separate case -

The trial also resumed Tuesday of celebrated Turkish novelist Asli Erdogan in which she is accused of "terror propaganda" for the PKK on account of her work to the now shut down pro-Kurdish newspaper Ozgur Gundem.

The court ordered its news editor Inan Kizilkaya and the newspaper's licence holder Kemal Sancili to be released on judicial supervision after they were imprisoned for over a year, lawyer Erdal Dogan told AFP.

Erdogan -- no relation of the president -- faces life in prison if convicted but was released from pre-trial detention in December last year. She did not attend the hearing.

According to the P24 press freedom group, there are 170 journalists behind bars in Turkey, most of whom were arrested after the coup bid. Turkey ranks 155 out of 180 on the latest Reporters Without Borders (RSF) world press freedom index.

Since last July's coup bid, over 50,000 people have been arrested during the state of emergency over alleged Gulen links but opposition media and pro-Kurdish activists have also been caught up in the crackdown. Gulen denies any links to the coup bid.

An Istanbul court last week had ordered the conditional release of eight human rights activists, including Amnesty International's Turkey director Idil Eser, as their trial on contested terror charges continues.
The US Coast Guard has confirmed that two women who said they were lost at sea for five months never activated their emergency beacon, adding to a growing list of inconsistencies that cast doubt on their harrowing tale of survival.

Jennifer Appel and Tasha Fuiava, both from Hawaii, were rescued by the US Navy 900 miles southeast of Japan and recounted how they had survived with a pair of pet dogs on board.

They described a litany of disasters including monster storms, circling sharks, and failing communications equipment, telling how they thought they were going to die.

But, while the seafarers maintain they gave a truthful account of their odyssey, experts have highlighted a series of questions about their account.

The women's dogs also survived the journey Credit: U.S. Navy via AP

It transpired their sailboat had an emergency beacon on board, but they did not activate it.

At one point they also sailed right past an inhabited island, and weather experts could find no record of a huge storm they said had damaged their boat.

The two women they met for the first time in Hawaii last year and decided to set sail from Honolulu on the Sea Nymph, a 50ft vessel, less than a week later.

They planned an 18-day voyage to Tahiti, 2,600 miles away in the South Pacific, returning to Hawaii in October.

Fuiava had never sailed before and "didn't know what a jib was," while Appel was an experienced sailor.

Pacific Rescue - women sailors and their dogs

The women told rescuers that on May 3, 2016, their first day at sea, they ran into a fearsome storm that battered them with 60mph winds and 30ft waves for three days. Ms Appel said she lost her mobile phone overboard.

But the National Weather Service in Honolulu said there was no such storm in the area at the time, and Nasa satellite images confirmed that.

The sailors described how parts of their mast and rigging failed but they still had a working motor.

Heading south they sailed up to an island but decided not to land, believing it was mostly uninhabited, they said.

Story continues

But Christmas Island, part of the island nation of Kiribati, is home to more than 2,000 people, and has a port that routinely welcomes huge commercial ships.

The sailors had flairs on board, which would have alerted rescuers, but did not use them.

Sailors from USS Ashland approach the stricken Sea Nymph

According to their account they then set out in an attempt to reach the Cook Islands 1,000 miles away, but another storm killed off their engine at the end of May.

But the US Coast Guard said they made radio contact with a vessel identifying itself as the Sea Nymph in June near Tahiti, and the captain said they were not in distress and expected to reach land the next morning.

That was after the women reportedly lost their engines and sustained damage to their rigging and mast.

Five months after they set out, and thousands of miles off course, the women and their dogs, Valentine and Zeus, were picked up, all in good health.

Tasha Fuiava had never sailed before Credit: U.S. Navy via AP

Lieutenant Scott Carr, a US Coast Guard spokesman, said there was a satellite Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) on the Sea Nymph, but it was never used.

Responding to queries about that and other inconsistencies Ms Appel said she did not activate the beacon because the boat was still seaworthy, they had water purifiers and a year's worth of dry food, and felt they could get somewhere to make repairs.

She said: "I climbed the mast in open ocean to make hack patches so we could continue as any good sailor would. EPIRB calls are for people who are in an immediate life threatening scenario."

She said they were initially picked up off Japan by a Taiwanese fishing boat. As that was towing them the Sea Nymph sustained damage leading to a life-threatening situation.

The Taiwanese boat then contacted the US Coast Guard in Guam, leading to their rescue by the US Navy, she said. She said: "We did a mayday call for assistance only when it was absolutely necessary."
TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Air strikes killed at least 15 people in the besieged eastern Libyan city of Derna late on Monday, a medical source and a resident said, in an operation condemned by the United Nations due to the high civilian death toll. The U.N. Support Mission in Libya said at least 12 children and women were among the dead in Derna, a city about 265 km (165 miles) west of the Egyptian border controlled by a coalition of Islamist militants and rebel veterans known as the Derna Mujahideen Shura Council (DMSC). The medical source said all the victims appeared to be civilians. The coastal city has long been under siege by the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA), which has occasionally carried out air strikes against it, as has Egypt, which backs the LNA. Both denied carrying out Monday's strikes. The air strikes, lasting around an hour, hit the Dahr al-Hamar district in the south of Derna and Al Fatayeh, a hilly area about 20 km (12 miles) from the city, a resident said. An Egyptian military source said Egypt was not responsible for the air strike, while one Egyptian TV station said Libyan planes had conducted it. The LNA denied this and said there had been a "terrorist attack" in the area. Egypt's foreign ministry issued a statement condemning the air strikes, which it said had killed innocent civilians. The Tripoli-based U.N.-backed government, which opposes the LNA-backed by a rival administration in the east, denounced the air strikes and announced three days of mourning. Islamic State established a foothold in Derna in late 2014, but was driven out by the DMSC the following year. (Writing by Aidan Lewis and Ulf Laessing; additional reporting by Ahmed Aboulenein in Cairo; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and Gareth Jones)
Nairobi (AFP) - Uhuru Kenyatta, who won a second and final term in Kenya's controversial election re-run, is the son of the country's founding president and a man who epitomises the country's elite.

The 56-year-old US-educated multi-millionaire, whose family owns an array of businesses, properties and land, followed in his father's footsteps when he defeated his rival Raila Odinga to become president in 2013.

Their rematch in August was again won by Kenyatta, with 54 percent of the vote, but the Supreme Court annulled the results due to "irregularities" and ordered a re-run.

Kenyatta accepted the judges' ruling but with anger, calling the judges "crooks" and threatening to "fix" the courts if he won Thursday's vote, which fell on his birthday.

Two weeks before the vote, Odinga announced he would not participate, claiming it would not be free and fair, urging his followers to observe a boycott, which they did en masse with mass protests blocking polling in four of Kenya's 47 counties.

His withdrawal handed Kenyatta a landslide victory, in which he took 98 percent of the vote.

But it was something of a Pyrrhic victory, with only 38.8 percent of registered voters casting their ballots. Observers warn the result is likely to face a host of new legal challenges -- a fact acknowledged by Kenyatta himself.

In his victory speech, Kenyatta made a telling admission, saying that accepting the court's ruling overturning was "a very difficult and painful decision". And he said he would be prepared to do the same again.

"My victory today is just part of a process that is likely to once again be subjected to a constitutional test through our courts, and as I have demonstrated repeatedly, I will submit to this constitutional path, no matter its outcomes."

- Privilege and wealth -

Kenyatta's first term has been defined by big spending on eye-catching infrastructure and impressive economic growth in a tough climate.

Story continues

But this has gone hand-in-hand with spiralling debt and widening inequality.

Terrorism has also been a consistent threat, with Kenyatta forced to address the nation in doleful terms after bloody attacks in 2013 and 2015.

The former finance minister and deputy prime minister was born in 1961, shortly after his father Jomo Kenyatta was released from nearly a decade in British jails and before becoming Kenya's first president in 1964.

His first name means "freedom" in Kiswahili.

Educated at a private school in Nairobi and at Amherst College in the United States, Kenyatta is regarded as a leader of the Kikuyu people, the country's single largest ethnic group.

He is married with three children and regularly attends Catholic church.

In 2011 Forbes magazine estimated Kenyatta's wealth at $500 million (423 million euros).

Despite his elite background Kenyatta has a common touch. He easily mixes it up with ordinary Kenyans, eagerly gets down on the dance floor and joshes in the local youth slang and, in his younger years, earned a persistent reputation for partying hard.

- Dynastic politics -

Kenyatta's political career is a case study in pragmatism.

In the 1990s, he joined with the sons of other independence heroes to call for democratic reforms but then became a close ally of autocratic former president Daniel arap Moi who had him nominated as the ruling party's candidate for the presidency in 2002.

Kenyatta lost to fellow Kikuyu politician Mwai Kibaki but then backed Kibaki's successful re-election bid in 2007, against Odinga who at the time was allied with William Ruto, now Kenyatta's deputy and running mate.

The violent fallout from the disputed result led to the deaths of over 1,100 people and, eventually, to a power-sharing government in which Kibaki was president, Odinga prime minister and Kenyatta one of his deputies.

Kenyatta and Ruto were indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for their alleged roles in orchestrating the violence.

But in 2014 the court dropped charges against Kenyatta -- and later Ruto -- citing the disappearance of witnesses and lack of evidence.

Despite, or perhaps because of the ICC indictment, Kenyatta and Ruto won the 2013 election, campaigning on a platform of nationalism, sovereignty and confronting imperialism in the form of the foreign court.

Kenyatta beat Odinga in the first round with a wafer-thin margin of 50.03 percent -- a result Odinga disputed, unsuccessfully, in court.

With Odinga withdrawing from the October re-run, August's vote was likely to remembered as the final act in a multi-generational political rivalry stretching back half a century to when Jomo Kenyatta and Odinga's father, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, vied for control of the nation.

Kenyatta must stand down after one more term and, at 72, Odinga is regarded as too old to make another bid for the presidency in five years time. Both men's children are, for now, inexperienced in politics.
(Reuters) - One person was killed in a shooting at the University of Utah where students were told to shelter in place after a report of shots fired near the campus on Monday, police said.

The university said on Twitter at about 9 p.m. local time that shots were fired at Red Butte Canyon, a research area on the east side of the school in Salt Lake City, Utah.

One person was killed, Salt Lake City Police Department said on Twitter.

Authorities were searching for a male suspect identified as Austin Boutain, 24, who was "considered armed and dangerous," the department said.

Commuter train services were suspended near the school, local media reported.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore and Michael Perry)
A vet technician has been charged with animal cruelty for allegedly taking a sick dog home even after its owner was told it had been put down.

Andrea Oliveira, from Freehold, New Jersey, is accused of taking an elderly dog from vet Dr George Menez and keeping it alive for five months.

Dr Menez, who hasnt been charged with a criminal offence, is alleged to have told owner Keri Levy that he euthanised her miniature pinscher Caesar at Briarwood Veterinary Hospital in May.

It was reported that the vets believed the dog could be nursed back to health.

Ms Levy said her 15-year-old dog was suffering from Cushings disease, a condition which affects elderly dogs.

She claims Dr Menez telephoned her to say Caesar was at peace, hours after she said goodbye to her pet.

However, she received an anonymous message earlier this month from someone who said her dog was still alive and being looked after by an employee at the vet practice.

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Police said Oliveira did not believe the dog needed to be put down and thought she could nurse it back to health.

Caesar has since been put down under the supervision of a different vet.

The health of the animal before its death is now a matter of dispute.

Police said the dog was given back to its owner in good spirits and showed no signs of ill-health, but Ms Levy said his condition had deteriorated.

It is alleged that Caesar was kept alive an extra five months (Picture: Keri Levy)

Police said Dr Menez allowed Oliveira to take the dog home with her but didnt inform the owner.

This employee wanted to do so out of compassion for the dog and a desire to rehabilitate his health, albeit without the owners consent, Howell Police Detective Sergeant Christian Antunez told the Mail Online.

Story continues

After receiving the anonymous message that Caesar was still alive, Ms Levy contacted the practice but both Dr Menez and Oliveira had stopped working there.

Ms Levy claims she then contacted Dr Menez and he gave her the name of the former colleague who had taken her dog.

His owner said the dogs health had deteriorated dramatically in the five months and she took him to be put down at a different hospital.
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The White House portrayed a campaign adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI Monday as a volunteer with an extremely limited role, but the plea entered in court detailed contacts with a high-level campaign official.

Speaking during the daily press briefing, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders sought to downplay the role that former foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos played in the campaign.

It was a volunteer position, and  no activity was ever done in an official capacity on behalf of the campaign, she said, noting that the foreign policy advisory committee he belonged to only met one time.

According to court documents, Papadopoulos emailed with a high-ranking campaign official during the summer of 2016 about an off the record trip to Russia. I would encourage you  to make the trip, if it is feasible, the high-ranking Trump campaign official wrote back in August.

The meeting never took place, which Sanders cited as evidence that Papadopoulos was not a key player.

He reached out and nothing happened beyond that, which I think shows one, his level of importance in the campaign, and two, shows what little role he had with coordinating anything officially for the campaign, she said.

Sanders also sought to minimize a remark by Trump about Papadopoulous from the campaign.

In March 2016, the then-candidate praised Papadopoulous by name when asked to reveal new members of his foreign policy team in a meeting with the Washington Post editorial board. George Papadopoulos, hes an energy and oil consultant, excellent guy, Trump said, within a list of other names.

He was referring to the council, he was going through the list of names with the Washington Post, and nothing more than that, Sanders said Monday. [He was] complimentary of the people that were volunteering on behalf of the campaign.
Mayor says attack being treated as a particularly cowardly act of terror

NYPD says 29-year-old suspect was shot by police and is now in custody



New York attack: eight killed in act of terror  live updates

Eight people were killed and more than a dozen injured after a man drove a truck nearly a mile down a bike path in Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon, striking pedestrians, cyclists and a school bus.

New York City mayor Bill de Blasio said the incident was being treated as an act of terror, a particularly cowardly act of terror. De Blasio said a police officer assigned to the area stopped the attacker by shooting him in the stomach.

After smashing into the school bus, injuring two adults and two children, the 29-year-old suspect exited the truck displaying imitation firearms and was shot by police, according to the New York police department (NYPD). The suspect was in custody, and a paintball gun and a pellet gun were recovered at the scene.

Police said the truck drove south after entering a pedestrian and bicycle path, where it struck multiple people. Six men were pronounced dead at the scene on the cycle lane and two other people were dead on arrival at the hospital.

It is a very painful day in our city, De Blasio said.

The victims included a Belgian citizen and five Argentinians. The five men from Argentina  Hernan Diego Mendoza, Diego Enrique Angelini, Alejandro Damian Pagnucco, Ariel Erlij and Hernan Ferruchi  were part of a group of school friends who travelled to New York to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their graduation. Another member of the group, Martin Ludovico Marro, remains in hospital.

The justice department said in a statement that a joint terrorism task force that included the FBI, the NYPD and others was investigating the attack.

There have been multiple  and conflicting  reports that a note and/or flag showing support for Isis has been found in the truck used in the attack. The Guardian is working to verify these reports, which have not been officially confirmed.

Story continues

The New York Times reports that handwritten notes in Arabic near the truck  indicated allegiance to the Islamic State, while CNN says a note was written in English, also indicating support for Isis, and was found inside the truck. Others including the Daily Mail claim an Isis flag was found in the truck. This has not been confirmed.

The suspect was said to be Sayfullo Saipov, an Uzbek national, according to the Associated Press (AP)  which cited two law enforcement officials speaking anonymously  and other reports. The suspect has not yet been officially named.

Saipov was said to have entered the US in 2010. He has a Florida license but may have been living in New Jersey, reports said.

A woman from Cincinnati, Ohio, contacted by the Guardian, who identified herself as Dilfuza Iskhakova, said that Saipov had stayed at her home there for several months about six years ago, after arriving in the US from Uzbekistan. He seemed like a nice guy, but he didnt talk much, said Iskhakova. He only went to work and came back. He used to work at a warehouse.

Iskhakova said Saipov had been applying for a green card when she knew him. Ohio state records show he registered a business involving vehicles to her home in May 2011. Iskhakova said her family lost contact with Saipov in recent years. She said she thought he had moved from Ohio to Florida, and then to the New York region, and that he now had a wife and two young daughters.

She said she did not know if Saipov was religious.

Hes from my country, Iskhakova said. His father knows my husband, and sent Sayfullo here because he didnt know anyone.

Security heightened in New York

Officials in New York said additional resources were being deployed around the city, where children would be on the streets late into the evening to celebrate Halloween. They also confirmed the citys landmark Halloween parade in Greenwich Village, about six blocks from where the rampage began, would continue as usual. On Tuesday night, the spire of 1 World Trade Center was lit up in red, white and blue.

At a news conference, New York governor Andrew Cuomo said these resources were being deployed out of an abundance of caution and that there was no indication of additional threats.

Donald Trump tweeted about the incident: In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!

He added later: We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere. Enough!

NYPD commissioner James ONeill responded to a press question about whether the terror suspect shouted Allahu Akbar from the van by saying: Yes, he did make a statement. He would not confirm the words used, but added: The MO [modus operandi] of the attack is consistent with what has been going on. He also said he considered the incident over.

The suspect began driving around 3pm, leaving behind a trail of crumpled bicycles on the pedestrian and bike path, which runs along the Hudson river on the west side of Manhattan.

A NYPD officer stands near a mangled bike along a bike path Tuesday in New York. Photograph: Bebeto Matthews/AP

Tom Gay, a school photographer, told the Associated Press he stuck his head around the corner and saw a slender man in a blue track suit running southbound on West Street holding a gun. He said there was a heavyset man pursuing him. Gay said he heard five or six shots and the man in the tracksuit fell to the ground, gun still raised in the air. He said a man came over and kicked the gun out of his hand.

Ezequiel Gonzalez, 18, works at the prestigious Stuyvesant high school, which is next to the bicycle path and was locked down after the incident. He told the Guardian he crossed a footbridge that overlooks the bike path and saw all this debris everywhere near what looked like a body covered by a sheet.

John Williams, 22, said he was at a skate park near the bike path when he heard five to 10 gunshots. At the time I was really just concerned that there was a man running around with a gun. I wasnt too concerned for myself but just the safety for everyone in the city, Williams said.

Investigators inspect a truck following a the incident. Photograph: Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images

Flashing ambulances and police cars overwhelmed the scene after the suspect was stopped, a few blocks north of the World Trade Center memorial.

Police completely blocked off the bike path, but dozens of young people from the nearby high school and college crowded outside police lines.

As the sun went down and temperatures dropped, onlookers, who included trick-or-treaters dressed for Halloween, dispersed from the scene. And despite the attack that had been carried out a couple hours earlier, many nearby New Yorkers carried on with their day as usual.

Peter Franchetti, who worked near the scene, said it was just another day in New York.

Franchetti was in New York City for both attacks on the World Trade Center in 1993 and 2001, and watched airplanes crash into the Twin Towers from his office. We just keep on surviving, he said.

Chava Shalom, a school teacher, was also in the city on September 11 but said this incident sparked feelings of post-traumatic stress.

They say we have to live our lives and not let them change what were doing but, were all out standing here, she said. Its kind of put a damper on Halloween.


- AFP or licensors

Eight people died and 11 were injured in the worst terror attack on New York since September 11, 2001 as a lone wolf extremist screaming "Allahu Akbar" used a pick-up truck to mow down cyclists along a bike path on Halloween.

The attacker struck just a few blocks from the site of the World Trade Center memorial, running over afternoon riders on the path before reaching a road and ploughing into a school bus.

He then jumped out of the truck wielding what turned out to be a pellet gun, and a paintball gun. He was chased and shot in the stomach by a police officer but survived and was arrested.

The suspect has been identified as Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, 29, an immigrant from Uzbekistan, who arrived in the US in 2010. He has a Florida driver's licence but was reportedly living with family in Paterson, New Jersey.

US media, citing police sources, said that Saipov left a note in the truck claiming he committed the attack on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Sayfullo Saipov Credit: @NYScanner/Twitter

A group of five friends from Argentina were among those killed, the country's foreign ministry said. The compatriots were celebrating the 30th anniversary of their graduation from Polytechnic College in the city of Rosario in central Argentina.

A Belgian national also died in the attack. Didier Reynders, Belgium's foreign minister, told the Belga news agency that "it was a woman from Roulers in western Flanders who was on a city trip with with her sister and her mother".

US president Donald Trump described Saipov as a "very sick and deranged person" on Twitter.

I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program. Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2017

Mr Trump blamed the attack on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant which has encouraged its followers to use vehicles to mow people down. The UK, France and Germany have all seen deadly vehicle attacks in the recent past.

Story continues

The president added: "We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere. Enough!"

A White House official said Mr Trump had been fully briefed by his chief of staff, John Kelly, and was being "continually updated".

Prime Minister Theresa May said she was "appalled by this cowardly attack" and added: "My thoughts are with all affected. Together we will defeat the evil of terrorism."

The president of Uzbekistan on Wednesday offered to help US authorities in their investigations.

"Uzbekistan is ready to use all forces and resources to help in the investigation of this act of terror," President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said, offering condolences to Mr Trump in a statement on the foreign ministry's website.

New York terror attack, in pictures

The attack begun shortly after 3pm when the truck mounted a bike path that runs down along the western edge of Manhattan, along the Hudson River, at Houston Street.

It headed south, smashing into pedestrians and cyclists as it picked up speed and leaving bodies crumpled in its wake.

Those who spotted the vehicle had little doubt the intention was terror, unable to think of another explanation for what they were seeing.

"I was just going to watch a baseball game " said Eugene Duffy, a 43-year-old eye witness to the incident.

"I saw a truck and he was clearly in the bike lane at three in the afternoon.

"Then I saw two gentlemen lying on the path with tyre marks on their bodies. They were not moving. He was going really fast and they didn't know what hit them."

A picture allegedly showing the attacker Credit: @GGGLee089

Jamal Lewis, a 17-year-old student who witnessed the attack told The Daily Telegraph: I was walking down West Street and heard a loud noise behind me. I saw the white pickup truck run over two cyclists and carried on. People were around their bodies, but they were dead. There was no screaming, people were in shock.

The attacker continued all the way until Chambers Street - a distance of round 20 blocks - before heading back to the road.

The truck smashed into a yellow school bus, injuring children and adults and leaving sizable dents in both vehicles.

The attacker was left injured but not incapacitated. Stumbling from the car, he pulled out what appeared to be two guns - but were later confirmed to be a paintball gun and pellet gun.

How the Manhattan attack unfolded

"Allahu Akbar," he begun to shout - "God is Great" in Arabic - as passers-by screamed and ran in all directions.

James O'Neill, the city's police chief, confirmed that the suspect made a statement that suggested terrorism as a motive when he exited the vehicle.

"If you just look at the M.O. of the attack, that's consistent with what's been going on. So that along with the statement has enabled us to label this a terrorist event," he said.

One witness said the driver looked confused and appeared to be injured in a pretty bad way. Others said he was limping.

"A whole load of people came running past my way saying hes got a gun, hes got a gun," a witness added.

By coincidence, a New York police officer stationed close by heard the commotion and was able to intervene rapidly.

A woman is aided by first responders after sustaining injury on a bike path in lower Manhattan in New York Credit: REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Witnesses recall hearing between five and ten shots. The NYPD later confirmed the attacker had been shot in the abdomen and taken to hospital.

The officer was praised by Bill de Blasio, the New York mayor, while other officers said it was that quick thinking that had prevented more "carnage".

Soon half a dozen ambulances and a dozen fire truck had rushed to the area and police cordoned off the road. Two police helicopters buzzed overhead.

While details were preliminary and the investigation still underway, the mayor said the suspect appeared to have been a lone wolf and not part of a wider plot.

The yellow school bus which was rammed in the attack Credit: AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews

In the aftermath of the attack, shocked office workers stood at police cordons with children and parents on their way to Halloween parties.

One children's' party at a small park near the scene of the attack had to be cancelled as the area was secured by police. Dozens of children in fancy dress, many crying, were led away.

One of the mothers, Michelle Williams, said: "My kids are in complete shock. They don't understand what's happening. They have been looking forward to tonight for weeks - it's supposed to be the most fun night of the year. I don't know what I'm going to tell them. How do you explain this?"

The city's main Village Halloween Parade went ahead as planned last night - but with an extremely heavy police presence. New Yorkers refused to be cowed by the attack.

"You can't let the terrorists win," said Sam Rosenthal, who was on his way to a Halloween party. "I think New York is like London - after something like this, you have to get on and live your life without fear. Otherwise they win."

6:27AM

How the media has reacted

The ISIS-inspired attack was the deadliest terror attack in NYC since 9/11



An early look at Wednesday's front: https://t.co/kWMObQ4KFmpic.twitter.com/hSR3Mdtzng  New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) November 1, 2017

A look at Wednesday's paper: Tax cut targets the middle class, but is that you?; What to watch for as @pyeongchang2018 Olympics approach pic.twitter.com/j4X50JO2qv  USA TODAY (@USATODAY) November 1, 2017

Take an early look at the front page of The Wall Street Journal https://t.co/5xQPDPcm8qpic.twitter.com/KqI8wPFWVS  Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) November 1, 2017

4:34AM

Uber says suspect passed background check

Uber has confirmed that the man suspected of carrying out the attack was one of its drivers.

The ride-hailing service released a statement on Tuesday night saying 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov passed a background check to become an Uber driver. Saipov has now been banned from the Uber app.

Sayfullo Saipov was an Uber driver Credit: @NYScanner/Twitter

The company says it has reached out to law enforcement to provide its full assistance and is "aggressively and quickly reviewing" the suspect's history with Uber.

Uber says it is "horrified by this senseless act of violence."

3:22AM

Suspect was a commercial truck driver

Records show Saipov was a commercial truck driver who formed a pair of businesses in Ohio after moving to the U.S, AP reports.

The first business, Sayf Motors Inc., used the address of a family friend near Cincinnati with whom Saipov had stayed for a couple of weeks after his arrival in the country. The second, Bright Auto LLC, used an address near Cleveland.

A trucking industry website listed Saipov at a Paterson, New Jersey, address that authorities were searching Tuesday night. Court records related to trucking-related infractions list Saipov with addresses in Paterson and the Cleveland suburbs.

Police investigate the scene of a pickup truck attack on the West Side Highway in Manhattan Credit: Reuters

The family friend with whom Saipov stayed in Ohio, Dilnoza Abdusamatova, told The Cincinnati Enquirer Saipov was "really calm" and worked hard.

"He always used to work. He wouldn't go to parties or anything. He only used to come home and rest and leave and go back to work."

2:57AM

Halloween parade goes on as normal

New York Citys always-surreal Halloween parade marched on Tuesday evening, hours after the truck attack.

Security was heavy as the Greenwich Village parade stepped off Tuesday about a mile (1.6 kilometers) away and four hours after the truck mowed down pedestrians and cyclists along the bike path near the World Trade Center memorial. But the raucous spectacle rolled along with its floats, bands, anything-goes sensibility and thousands of spectators.

"Im not going to let it scare me," Cathryn Strobl, a 23-year-old New Yorker, said as she waited for the parade to start in her Buffy the Vampire Slayer costume. "You cant let it stop you from living your life."

NYPD officers stand guard during the 44rd Annual Halloween Parade in New York Credit: AFP

2:08AM

Five Argentinians killed

Argentina's foreign ministry has confirmed and named the Argentinians killed in the New York terror attack. There were: Hernan Diego Mendoza, Diego Enrique Angelini, Alejandro Damian Pagnucco, Ariel Erlij, and Hernan Ferruchi.

Nuestras mas sinceras condolencias por el fallecimiento de Hernan Mendoza, Diego Angelini, Alejandro Pagnucco, Ariel Erlij y Hernan Ferruchi pic.twitter.com/CdDAAEUDep  CancilleriaArgentina (@CancilleriaARG) November 1, 2017

1:36AM

Minivan surrounded by police in New Jersey

Police investigating a rented Home Depot truck's deadly rampage in New York have surrounded a white Toyota minivan with Florida plates parked in a New Jersey Home Depot lot.

AP reports that the van is parked near the company's rental trucks. Officials say the man suspected of killing eight people and injuring 11 more on the bike path rented a truck from a Home Depot in New Jersey about an hour before Tuesday's attack.

The man was shot by a police officer and is in custody in critical condition.

The Passaic (puh-SAY'-ihk) Home Depot remains open. The minivan is cordoned off.

Home Depot spokesman Matthew Harrigan says the company is "fully cooperating" with law enforcement. He says the company requires a driver's license, insurance information and a credit card deposit to rent a truck.

1:30AM

US to 'step up vetting'

Donald Trump has announced that he ordered Homeland Security to increase vetting of those entering the country. He did not elaborate.

I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program. Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2017

1:16AM

'Four Argentinians killed'

Infobae, an Argentinian news website, has reported that there were four Argentinians killed in the attack. It said they were a group of friends and a fifth member of the group was injured.

ACTUALIZAMOS | Son cuatro los argentinos que murieron en el atentado en Nueva Yorkhttps://t.co/Lk9b7aNVPipic.twitter.com/Fn9ATYOcdd  infobae (@infobae) November 1, 2017

12:58AM

Obama: New Yorkers are as tough as they come

Michelle and I are thinking of the victims of today's attack in NYC and everyone who keeps us safe. New Yorkers are as tough as they come.  Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 1, 2017

12:15AM

Three Belgians injured in the attack

Didier Reynders, Belgium's deputy prime minister, says three Belgians were also injured in the attack and are in the operating room.

Trois belges ont egalement ete blesses a #Manhattan et sont en salle doperation. Notre consulat general va leur apporter son aide.   didier reynders (@dreynders) November 1, 2017

11:58PM

Photo of the suspect

The suspect in the terror attack has been identified by US media as Sayfullo Saipov, a 29-year-old Uzbek national who lives in Florida.

Sayfullo Saipov Credit: @NYScanner/Twitter

11:48PM

'Argentinians' among the victims

Argentina's Foreign Ministry confirms 'Argentine citizens died' in the New York bike path attack. It doesn't say how many.

11:42PM

A timeline of ramming attacks

The attack was the latest involving a vehicle being used to mow down a crowd of people.

Terror timeline - Ramming attacks involving vehicles

11:33PM

Trump issues statement

Having responded first on Twitter, Mr Trump has issued a statement on the attack.

11:15PM

One of the victims was Belgian

Didier Reynders, the deputy prime minister of Belgium, has announced that one of the victims in tonight's terror attack was from Belgium.

I am deeply saddened to announce a belgian victim in #Manhattan - I express my condolences to the family and friends   didier reynders (@dreynders) October 31, 2017

11:13PM

Donald Trump: Attack carried out by sick and 'deranged person'

The US president has given his first reaction to the attack on Twitter.

In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2017

We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere. Enough!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2017

My thoughts, condolences and prayers to the victims and families of the New York City terrorist attack. God and your country are with you!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2017

9:43PM

Attacker was carrying paintball gun

More details have emerged about the attacker from the NYPD press conference.

The attacker is a 29-year-old man. He has not been named by police.

He drove onto a bike path at Houston Street and drove south until Chambers Street - around 20 blocks - hitting pedestrians and cyclists.

The driver then smashed into a school bus, injuring adults and children.

He then emerged holding a a paintball gun and pellet gun.

He was shot in the abodemen by a police offer and is now in hospital.

9:36PM

New York Mayor condemns 'cowardly act'

Bill de Blasio, the New York Mayor, has condemned the attack at the NYPD press conference.

He called it a "very painful day in our city" and a "horrible tragedy".

"This was a cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians, aimed at people going about their lives," Mr Blasio said.

He praised the spirit of the city, saying: New Yorkers do not give in in the face of these kind of actions."

9:29PM

New York Police Department press conference taking place

Eight confirmed dead, more than a dozen are injured.

The incident has been described as a "tragedy of the greatest magnitude".

A single officer who was near the incident when it happened is being praised for stopping the "carnage".

9:16PM

Eyewitness: 'There was no screaming, people were in shock'

Jamal Lewis, a 17-year-old student who witnessed the attack told the Telegraph: I was walking down West street and heard a loud noise behind me. I saw the white pickup truck run over two cyclists and carried on. People were around their bodies, but they were dead. There was no screaming, people were in shock.

9:11PM

Here is a map showing where the incident took place

The point marked is roughly where the white Home Depot truck crashed. It is close to the World Trade Center memorial.

There are reports that the truck had driven up to 20 blocks along a bike path before reaching this point, heading south.

Where the incident occurred

9:05PM

Driver shouted 'Allahu Akbar', according to claims

The phrase, which means 'God is Great' in Arabic, was said by the suspected attacker during the incident, it has been claimed.

The reports are said to be the reason that the FBI and NYPD are now treating the incident as a terror attack.

8:49PM

Incident being treated as a terror attack

Reuters has this:

The striking of pedestrians by a vehicle in lower Manhattan on Tuesday was being treated as a terrorist attack, two U.S. government sources said.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has joined the New York City police department in investigating the incident, the sources said.

8:45PM

Witness accounts are beginning to come in

A man who was riding in an Uber along the West Side Highway near Chambers Street said he saw several bleeding people on the ground after a truck struck several people. Another witness said the truck had also collided with a small bus and one other vehicle.

Tom Gay, a school photographer, was on Warren Street and heard people saying there was an accident. He went down to West Street and a woman came around the corner shouting, "He has a gun! He has a gun!"

Gay told Associated Press that he stuck his head around the corner and saw a slender man in a blue track suit running southbound on West Street holding a gun. He said there was a heavyset man pursuing him.

He said he heard five or six shots and the man in the tracksuit fell to the ground, gun still raised in the air. He said a man came over and kicked the gun out of his hand.

Uber driver Chen Yi said he saw a truck plow into people on a popular bike path adjacent to the West Side Highway. He said he then heard seven to eight shots and then police pointing a gun at a man kneeling on the pavement.

"I saw a lot of blood over there. A lot of people on the ground," Yi said.

His passenger, Dmitry Metlitsky, said he also saw police standing near a man who was on his knees with his hands up, and another man bleeding on the ground nearby. He said the truck had also collided with a small school bus and one other vehicle.

8:42PM

New York Police Department statement

The New York Police Departments official Twitter account gave a preliminary account of what happened on Tuesday afternoon.

Earlier a vehicle entered the West St. pedestrian/bike path a few blocks north of Chambers St, it read.

The vehicle struck multiple people on the path. There are several fatalities and numerous people injured.

The vehicle continued south striking another vehicle. The suspect exited the vehicle displaying imitation firearms & was shot by NYPD.

The suspect is in custody. This is preliminary, more information to follow.
YAKIMA, Wash. -- Two men are in jail after troopers say they shot at a Washington State Patrol trooper earlier this week near Grandview.
Since Operation Protective Edge, the defense establishment heads have been promising that the Gaza tunnels would turn into cemeteries for anyone who enters them. It took time, but over the past year Israel has developed tunnel-destruction techniques. Destroying every tunnel being dug into Israel is a legitimate goal, and it is the political echelons duty to instruct the army to destroy it.

Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter



On Monday, Israel not only demonstrated its ability to turn the tunnels into cemeteries, but also its ability to bury the Palestinian reconciliation agreement if the basic conditions it is demanding arent met. The main condition is demilitarizing the Gaza Strip and handing security responsibility over to the Palestinian Authority, so that Gaza doesnt turn into Lebanon, and Hamas and the Islamic Jihad dont turn into Hezbollah.

Monday's tunnel explosion, as seen from Gaza. How will PA gain responsibility for crossings and borders if it has no control over tunnels and military forces?

The preparations to destroy the tunnel took many days. IDF Southern Command, Intelligence Directorate and Air Force units were placed in a state of high alert over the weekend. The IDF prepared both for an offensive and for defensive fighting, in light of the possibility that the tunnel demolition would lead to a counterreaction.

Israel took, and is still taking, into account the possibility that the Islamic Jihad would seek revenge and deterrence, as the organization isnt committed in any way to the reconciliation agreement signed between Fatah and Hamas. Its weapons cant be revoked and it cant be required to stop digging tunnels.

The Islamic Jihad organization is operated and funded by Iran. While Hamas is running out of cash reserves and is forced to reduce its digging pace, the Islamic Jihad has no such problem. Its a big military organization, and its rocket arsenal is half of Hamas arsenal. Its an organization which can forcibly torpedo any dialogue with the PA or Israel, in accordance with an Iranian decision.

If the Islamic Jihad decides to fire rockets at Israel in response to the tunnel bombing, Hamas wont be able to stop it from doing so. Hamas, which seeks to reconcile with Iran, wont clash with the Islamic Jihad, and definitely not over an Israeli attack.

If the Islamic Jihad fires, Israel would respond, and the exchanges of fire that would develop would drag Hamas into the fray. If that happens, the Egyptians may remove their people from the strip and inform the Americans that the dream of a regional reconciliation plan, which the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation is only part, can be shelved.

The Palestinian reconciliation agreement will be put to its first practical test on Wednesday, when Hamas is expected to hand control over the crossings from the strip to the PA, including the Rafah Crossing. As soon as members of the Presidential Guard from Ramallah show up at the Rafah Crossing, they will receive the keys to the dream of every Palestinian in Gazaopening the road to Egypt for free movement and goods.

Fatah and Hamas sign reconciliation agreement in Cairo, earlier this month (Photo: EPA)

A flare-up on the Gaza border could affect the entire reconciliation process. Israel is against the agreement in its current wording, and rightfully so, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who knows he wont have real security control over the strip, would gladly bid farewell to this reconciliation move, which was forced on him by the Egyptians and the Jordanians, as long as he isnt held accountable for its failure.

Hamas wont have the tunnel map over to the PA, and the Islamic Jihad definitely wont do that. Dozens of other organizations in the Gaza Strip arent committed to this agreement, from the Democratic Front to the Doghmush familys armed forces.

Mondays tunnel demolition made it clear to the PA that the current reconciliation agreement would put it to a daily test vis-a-vis Israel. How will the PA gain responsibility for crossings and borders if it has no control over the tunnels and military forces of the different organizations operating in the area? Every firing incident from the strip is going to immediately lead to a face-off between Abbas people and Israel, which will demand that they take responsibility. From this point, the road to a complete severance of ties and a conflict between Israel and the PA isnt long.
Even though they've made no official statement to that end, it appears Hamas is trying to calm down the tensions in Gaza after the IDF blew up a tunnel infiltrating Israeli territory on Monday.

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In recent years, the IDF has uncovered and blown up several terrorist tunnels, but all of those have been built by Hamas. The destruction of these tunnels at the time did not provoke any significant retaliation from Hamas because the organization, as the sovereign in the strip, is responsible for any military escalation and is expected to pay the steepest price.

There is, however, a strong likelihood of escalation in the wake of the destruction of the tunnel on Monday, both because Islamic Jihadwhich built the tunneldoes not bear the responsibility of the sovereign, and because it is a more radical organization whose reaction is harder to predict.

Islamic Jihad fighters (Photo: AFP)

strategic assert and two of its top commanders in one fell swoop, would make it harder for Islamic Jihad to demonstrate restraint.

Hamas leader Ismail Hanieyh, who spoke at the funeral of the killed Islamic Jihad fighters, issued a threat of his own: "Our response for this massacre will be to continue efforts to restore national unity," he said, without offering any details as to whether this response would include fire.

Funeral of Islamic Jihad fighters killed in tunnel explosion (Photo: AFP)

Haniyeh did make one declaration more militant in nature, in a message to Islamic Jihad: "Blood will be answered with blood, and destruction will be answered with destruction. The enemy is dreaming if it thinks it can force new rules of confrontation. The resistance and the weapons of the resistance are our top priority. Our weapons are our honor."

Egyptian intelligence officials have been talking to relevant officials both in Israel and in the Gaza Strip is an effort to lower the flames and prevent further escalation. The Egyptians know that at this time, a violent conflict in the Gaza Strip could spell an end for the reconciliation agreement signed between Fatah and Hamas, which Cairo has put a lot of time and work in.

The tunnel explosion (Photo: Barel Efraim)

To that end, Egypt's ambassador to Ramallah will visit the Gaza Strip on Tuesday with the sole objective of calming down the situation. At the same time, Egyptian intelligence officials are also expected to visit the strip, though their visit was planned before the tunnel explosion and has to do with the Palestinian reconciliation effort.

It appears Israel has carefully chosen the timing for the tunnel's demolitionjust two days before the Palestinian Authority is scheduled to get control over the Erez and Kerem Shalom border crossings from Hamas. This is an important step in the reconciliation process between the two sides, and would give Abbas significant control in the strip.

It's safe to assume Israel is counting on Hamas to put all of its weight behind stopping Islamic Jihad from dragging Gaza into another round of violence before that important step in the reconciliation process is completed. Supporting that is the very moderate statement released by Hamas on Monday, claiming the Israeli escalation was meant to sabotage reconciliation efforts and making no concrete threats.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh: a moderate response

The bottom line, however, is the fact it's hard to predict the moves of a radical organization such as Islamic Jihad, while its patron sits in Tehran, those working to lower the flames sit in Cairo, and the sovereign in Gaza is following orders from the Egyptians. When this is the situation, and the different players each pull in a different direction, the solution could be somewhere in the middle. Meaning, Islamic Jihad might choose to respond, but in a way that does not cross Israel's red lines and won't lead to escalation. This way, all sides can say they've done their part and then move on with their lives.

Islamic Jihad's window of opportunity to respond is seemingly small, while the organization's fuse is short. But an organization taking its marching orders from Iran could, at the end of the day, catch everyoneEgypt, Hamas and Israelby surprise.
JAPAN has agreed to finance the initial loan provisions aimed at mitigating flooding in areas in Cavite province that host manufacturing facilities.

On Monday, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono and Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano signed the exchange of notes on the provision of a 15.928 billion yen (about P7.25 billion) loan for the Cavite Industrial Area Flood Risk Management Project, aiming to reduce flood damage in Cavite province, which is mainly an industrial area.

The document was signed in the presence of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Rodrigo Duterte, who is in Tokyo for a two-day official visit.

BILATERAL BONDS. This handout photo taken Tuesday and released by the Imperial Household Agency of Japan shows Japans Emperor Akihito (left) talking with visiting President Rodrigo Duterte (3rd left) as Dutertes partner Cielito Avancena (2nd right) talks with Empress Michiko (right) at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. AFP

The loan terms, given at a rate of interest of 0.3 percent per annum, is payable within 30 years after the grace period of 10 years, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.

The Department of Public Works and Highways is planning to begin construction of the project by October next year and is expected to be finish it by April 2024.

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The project seeks to ease flooding caused by the overflow and convergence of Ylang Ylang and Rio Grande rivers in the San Juan River as well as poor drainage at Maalimango Creek in Cavite province.

Up to 7,964 households are expected to benefit from the project.

The project will benefit the cities of General Trias and Imus as well as the municipalities of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario, where economic zones that produced $5.5 billion worth of exports last year are located.

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At least nine Palestinians died Monday after the Israeli army destroyed a tunnel from within the Israeli territory.

Seven were reported killed in the operation while two others died during the evacuation operation, Israeli reports say.

Four of the dead according the Hamas-run health ministry were members of Islamic Jihad and the rest from Hamas. Several other fighters of both groups were also injured in the operation, which was carried out from Israel, near the fence with Gaza.

The Israeli defense military said the tunnel was built from the Gazan city of Khan Younis and crossed into Israel to stop nearly 2 km from Israeli settlement community of Kibbutz Kissufim.

Israel blames the Islamic Jihad for building the tunnel which the military said had been under surveillance for a long period of time.

The tunnels issue was one of the bones of contention between Israel and Hamas during the 2014 conflict, although the tunnels stretching into Israel were rare.

Hamas and the Islamic Jihad pledged revenge accusing Israel of threatening unity between Palestinian factions.

This latest Zionist crime is a dangerous escalation against our people and its resistance. It is aimed at undermining its steadfastness and unity, and it is a desperate attempt to sabotage efforts to restore Palestinian unity and maintain the state of division, Hamas said in a statement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the operation and paid tribute to his countrys tunnel discovery breakthrough technology.
Nineteen men, all Shias, were handed jail sentences ranging from life in prison, to 15 and 10 years after a court found them guilty of spying for Iran and Hezbollah and for plotting to overthrow the ruling family.

Eight of the defendants received life imprisonment, nine were handed 15 years while the remaining two got 10-year terms.

Fifteen of the convicted have been stripped off their Bahraini citizenship according to a judicial source who asked not be named.

The men, alleged members of a group called Al-Wafaa Islamic movement, are said to be close to Irans powerful Revolutionary Guards and Iran-linked but Lebanon-based group Hezbollah.

The court in one case found them guilty of leaking information to the elite of Revolutionary Guards and the Hezbollah. The court also said they received material support from the Shia group and Tehran.

They are also accused of inciting public discontent against the government and calling for regime change by force, reports say.

The small monarchy has been accused of violation of human rights. Authorities have likened public demonstration to terrorism.

Several activists and Bahrainis have been jailed and stripped off of their citizenship since 2011, the beginning of public demonstrations calling for greater rights and for an elected government.

Authorities have repeatedly accused Iran of fomenting rebellion to overthrow the Sunnite regime.
Saudi Arabia announced Monday it will start extraction of its own uranium to supply its nuclear program with construction of two nuclear plants to be awarded end of next year.

The move is in line with the kingdoms plans to diversify its energy resources and to reach self-sufficiency in producing nuclear fuel, said Hashim bin Abdullah Yamani, head of the countrys atomic agency, the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE).

We utilize the uranium ore that has been proven to be economically efficient, he said.

The kingdom currently possesses around 60,000 tons of uranium ore.

Authorities have announced they will award by the end of next year contracts for the construction of two reactors for peaceful purpose.

The reactors will require uranium enrichment to around 5 purity but experts say same technology in this process can also be used to enrich the heavy metal to higher, weapons-grade levels.

France, South Korea, China, Russia, Japan and the US have been already contacted as potential vendors, according to Reuters.

Saudi Arabia is the second country in the region to launch a nuclear program after the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which expects its first nuclear reactor to be operational as of next year.
Government representatives and social partners of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), gathered in Guineas capital Conakry last week, agreed on the harmonization of labor laws at the regional level.

According to Albert Damantang Camara, Guinean Minister of Technical Education, Vocational Training, Employment and Labor, the lack of harmonization of national labor policies with ECOWAS protocols, did not give ECOWAS nationals equal opportunities for employment in all sectors.

At the opening of the meeting, on October, 25, Camara recalled that only 28% of the 400 million Africans of working age have a stable job and that the overwhelming majority of these people are still working in the informal sector.

Between 10 to 12 million young people enter the labor market every year in Africa and by 2020, some 122 million new jobseekers will arrive in the market, he said.

The representative of ECOWAS Commission President in Guinea, Liliane Alapini, welcomed the Conakry resolution, which she said is part of the process of strengthening social dialogue and peace in the member states.

With the harmonization of labor laws, ECOWAS migrants are expected to have equal opportunities as nationals. Many countries have provisions in their labor laws and regulations that preserve certain public sector jobs for their nationals.

Emmanuel Vitus
The Nigerien government last weekend reacted to the massive deportation of its nationals by Algeria, in violation of the agreements between the two countries and of international conventions.

Algerian authorities have deported about 950 sub-Saharan Africa migrants to Niger last week, according to officials and human rights groups. The North African nation has expelled 2,800 Nigeriens and 5,000 West Africans in the last two months.

The Nigerien government, which expressed its concern over Algiers mass expulsions, expressed hope that the two countries, which share a common border of about 1,000 km, will define a more precise framework for managing migration.

Algeria has often sent migrants back to Niger since 2014 as the number of people taking the dangerous route to Europe from West Africa swelled. The latest groups of migrants included people from across the region.

Beyond the deportation, the authorities have expressed their concern about the conditions of the deportation as many of the deportees are stripped of their goods and trucked thousands of miles across the desert.

Algerian authorities have launched a black man-hunt in the country amidst a wave of anti-migrant populism espoused by senior political figures in the country, including the Prime Minister and the foreign Minister.

Several human rights watchdogs, including Amnesty International, denounced the racial and discriminatory crackdown on sub-Saharan migrants, who are forcibly expelled. Over the past three weeks, more than 2,000 Sub-Saharans were expelled to Niger and Mali.

Last week, Amnesty International deplored that Algerian authorities proceeded to arbitrary arrests on a basis of racial profiling, as they did not seek to ascertain whether the migrants had the right to stay in the country, either by checking their passports or other documents. Some of those arrested and deported are undocumented migrants, while others have valid visas, AI said.

In their crackdown on migrants, Algerian authorities even banned them from using public transport means.

Strikingly, Algerian officials, including Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahya, Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel and presidential advisor and Head of Algerias human rights commission Farouk Ksentini, joined the xenophobe movement, making outrageous statements targeting sub-Saharans. These officials accused the migrants of spreading HIV and diseases in Algeria, and of being a source of anarchy, crime, drugs trafficking and other calamities.

A large segment of Algerian society followed suit, spreading hate on social media. Recently, a Twitter hashtag #cleaning Africans off Algerian cities was launched by local anti-migrant activists.

According to unofficial figures, there are an estimated 100,000 African migrants in Algeria.
via @learyreports

Florida lawmakers react to the indictments of Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, which was joined by a guilty plea from Donald Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos for making false statements about contacts with Russian nationals.

Most Republicans did not return an email seeking reaction, though Reps. Carlos Curbelo and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Miami said they had confidence in Robert Mueller to be fair.

Democrats said it shows the seriousness of the issues in play and said President Trump should not try to hinder Robert Mueller's investigation.

"If Mr. Trump fires Mueller, Congress should move quickly to ensure that the investigation continues unimpeded and consider impeachment charges," said Rep. Lois Frankel, D-West Palm Beach.

We'll add to this as reaction arrives.

Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton

"The Mueller investigation must be allowed to continue independently, without obstruction from the Administration and entirely free from any political influence. The fact that people are even asking about the firing of Mueller reminds us why we need to renew the independent counsel law, so we can have someone the President cannot fire. Progress in the Mueller investigation reminds us that the House Judiciary Committee has so far failed to do its job and conduct its own investigation into obstruction of justice."

Rep. Lois Frankel, D-West Palm Beach

"The interference with our 2016 elections by Russia is a serious attack on our democracy and national security. We must give Special Prosecutor Bob Mueller full range and freedom to investigate all possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia and other related matters including perjury and obstruction of justice.  Firing Mueller would be a blatant attempt at obstructing justice. If Mr. Trump fires Mueller, Congress should move quickly to ensure that the investigation continues unimpeded and consider impeachment charges.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston

"The federal investigation led by Robert Mueller is incredibly important for our democracy and our nation. As the special counsel's criminal probe escalates, Congress must send a clear signal that we will not tolerate any interference by the President or his Administration."

Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa

"After reading the guilty plea and indictments of Trump Campaign officials, it is more apparent than ever that Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his team must be given latitude to get to the bottom of the Trump Campaign coordination with Russia and Russian meddling in our elections. It is illegal for a foreign country and its agents to make political contributions to U.S. candidates and it is dangerous for a U.S. political campaign to conspire with a malign foreign power. Former Trump Campaign Chairman Paul Manafort's 'pattern of illegal activity' and apparent money laundering are outrageous. The guilty plea by a separate Trump Campaign foreign policy adviser for false statements relating to his 'Russia updates' raises many additional questions that the Special Counsel must pursue."

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami

"Mr. Mueller has been entrusted with conducting an important investigation. I believe he will execute his job in a fair and impartial manner that will restore trust in our democratic institutions. The American people deserve no less."

Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Miami (via spokeswoman)

"Since the announcement of Director Mueller's appointment, Congressman Curbelo has been supportive of the investigation. That has not changed and Congressman Curbelo believes Director Mueller should continue and finish his work."

Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor

"I support investigative efforts as we work to ensure that our democratic process is protected from external interference, but it's important that we are not distracted from the important work at hand like tax reform. Rest assured though, that anyone who has violated the law should swiftly be brought to justice. To date, I have not seen proof that there was any wrongdoing by the President or collusion between his campaign and Russia."

--ALEX LEARY, Tampa Bay Times
@alextdaugherty

A bipartisan group of South Florida lawmakers introduced a bill on Tuesday that provides a path to permanent residency for thousands of foreign citizens who participate in a temporary program that allows them to work and live in the United States.

Miami Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo introduced the Extending Status Protection for Eligible Refugees with Established Residency Act, which provides a pathway to permanent legal status for certain Haitians, Nicaraguans, El Salvadoreans and Hondurans who arrived in the United States before Jan. 13, 2011.

South Florida Democratic Reps. Frederica Wilson and Alcee Hastings also signed on to the legislation, which applies to participants in the Temporary Protected Status program, along with Miami Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

While hoping and waiting they would be able to return to their native countries for years, Nicaraguan, Salvadoran, Honduran and Haitian migrants have become essential parts of the South Florida community by contributing to our local economy and our culture, Curbelo said in a statement. While I will continue to support extensions for Temporary Protected Status, this bipartisan legislation would give these migrants the peace of mind to continue giving back to their communities, contributing to our economy and supporting their families.

Haiti, El Salvador and Honduras are the three countries with the most participants in the program, which is administered by the Department of Homeland Security. About 300,000 people from those three countries participate in TPS, and the bulk of Haitis 50,000 TPS recipients live in South Florida.

I am proud to be part of this bipartisan effort to provide a permanent solution for families living in the United States with temporary protected status, Wilson said in a statement. It is in the meantime imperative that we not forget the economic, cultural and other contributions that people living and working in the United States thanks to this measure are making to both to our nation and their native countries.

The Trump administration faces multiple looming deadlines for extending the Temporary Protected Status program in Haiti, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras. Haitis status is set to expire in January 2018 after then-Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly extended TPS for six months instead of the usual 18 in May.

Kelly also said Haitians need to start thinking about returning.

Extending TPS for Haitians is a source of bipartisan agreement among Florida lawmakers, including Sens. Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson. But the Trump administration terminated Sudans TPS status in September, an indication that they could decide to end other countries TPS status.

Currently, citizens from nine countries are eligible for TPS. The bill to provide a path to permanent residency does not apply to TPS recipients from Nepal, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria or Yemen.

Read more here.
The Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank, commonly known as PTA Bank, has changed its official brand name to TDB (Trade and Development Bank).



Since its establishment over three decades ago, the Bank has operated under its legal name Eastern and Southern African Trade & Development Bank as well as two trading names in English and in French: PTA Bank / Banque de la ZEP. Through the revitalization of its corporate branding, the Bank will be trading under one trade name (Trade and Development Bank  TDB) and a new logo while its legal name Eastern and Southern African Trade & Development Bank will remain unchanged.



The leading regional multilateral Development Finance Institution (DFI) has also announced that it will continue to increase financing for priority sectors such as infrastructure, manufacturing, industry and agribusiness across the 21 member states it operates in, over the next five years.



Our rebranding represents our rejuvenation and recommitment to innovate and play a more active role in promoting trade, economic development and regional integration, at a crucial time when the region is looking to more vigorously advance economic transformation and ratchet up the tapering growth , said Admassu Tadesse, President and Chief Executive of the Trade and Development Bank.



Mr. Tadesse further stated, In recent years, we have been giving a big boost to our financing of trade, enterprise and infrastructure, which is evidenced in the tripling of our loan assets in the past five years. We have made substantial contributions to the rising economic growth and infrastructure development in the region, in line with regional and international development strategies, notably those aimed at achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and Africas Vision 2063. We have funded several landmark projects such as Kilwa Power in Tanzania, the Fibre Optic Backbone Project in Burundi and renewable energy projects such as Turkana Wind Power in Kenya, Hydromax Minihydro in Uganda, and industrial projects such as cement and steel plants in DR Congo, Djibouti, Zambia, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe. We will continue scaling up, with continued attention to sustainability and good corporate governance.



The rebranding follows several years of improved asset quality, healthy profitability and innovation, on the back of a series of institutional reforms aimed at strengthening and modernizing the Bank. We have dramatically increased our capacity to meet the rising demand for the Banks products and services, thanks to the strong funding partnerships we have built up with long term funders and investors. Our shareholder base has increased by more than 50% in recent years, with several new institutional investors and Member States. Indeed our equity capital has tripled since we embarked on the current corporate plan in 2012 added Mary Kamari, Director of Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations.



The Trade and Development Bank will continue to support independent power and transport projects, as well as agribusiness, and industry, alongside trade financing of essential commodities such as fertilizer, equipment, agricultural commodities and petroleum. Trade finance is typically provided on a structured basis, with emphasis on self-liquidation mechanisms, term lending is done mostly on a balance sheet, and at times on a project basis, with tenors ranging up to three years for trade related financing, and up to 15 years for infrastructure projects. The Bank has also financed numerous agribusiness projects throughout eastern and southern Africa, notably Malawi and Sudan, and provided important asset finance facilities to the air-transport sector in the region, with Rwanda Air, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines benefitting.
Some Seeley-Swan High School faucets and water fountains showed higher- than-recommended levels of lead during tests last week, triggering a complete review to determine the extent of the problem.

Principal Kat Pecora and other district officials are meeting Tuesday with Northern Industrial Hygiene, which analyzed the original samples, to plan for testing of all faucets and drinking fountains at the school.

Water samples were taken at the school last Wednesday as part of the second phase of a district-wide check on lead levels. Missoula County Public Schools Superintendent Mark Thane requested the tests last year after numerous reports around the country about schools exposing children to unsafe levels of lead because of old water system pipes or lead fixtures.

The first round of tests at some schools in the spring reported no levels above 15 parts per billion in a one-liter sample, which the Environmental Protection Agency considers high. Similarly, the second round of tests at the remaining schools this fall only found high concentrations at Seeley-Swan High School. The district did not immediately release a complete copy of the results, but district officials said it would.

Two water fountains in the cafeteria and the faucet in the kitchen were below the EPA threshold, but sinks in the mens and womens bathrooms as well as the sink in the teachers lounge showed concentrations of 21 to 28 parts per billion. Federal officials recommend schools stop using faucets or fountains that test higher than 20 parts per billion.

After receiving the results late Wednesday, Pecora sent an email or text message to all parents. The school is using bottles and jugs of water for cooking and drinking until remediation is completed. The water is safe for washing and other non-consumption uses.

We are, as always, handling this with the students safety in mind and we will proceed accordingly, she said.

According to the EPA and Centers for Disease Control: Lead can affect almost every organ and system in your body. Children 6 years old and younger are most susceptible to the effects of lead because youth absorb more of it. Even low levels of lead in the blood of children can result in behavior and learning problems, lower IQ and hyperactivity, slowed growth, hearing problems and anemia. Higher levels, in rare cases, can cause cause seizures, coma and death.

The district will develop a remediation plan after further results and consultation with an environmental specialist, according to a press statement. The local water system in Seeley has not reported elevated concentrations of lead, so health and school officials currently believe the high tests at the school are the result of corroding old pipes or fixtures that will need to be replaced.

Michelle Hutchins with the Missoula City-County Health Department spoke with school officials on Friday to provide support and guidance as needed. She cautioned that the levels found are not a situation that should induce panic.

The thing to keep in mind is that these levels are definitely higher than wed like to see, but theyre not the sky-high levels that many of the samples in Flint, Michigan, had. Those were many hundreds of parts per billion, she said. The levels (at Seeley Swan High) were just above the action level recommended for schools.

Anyone who is concerned may visit the county health department in Missoula for blood testing. School officials have talked with the department about the possibility of making testing available in Seeley, but it remains unclear if that is possible, when it might happen and what the cost to parents would be.

Seeley Lake Elementary School Superintendent Chris Stout did not respond to a telephone message seeking comment Monday about whether he or other school officials had plans to test that schools water. Because it is part of a different district, its water was not tested by Missoula County Public Schools.

The area of Seeley Swan High School with the high concentrations is part of the original building constructed in 1964, decades before federal policies were implemented to reduce lead exposure.

A 1986 amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act banned the use of pipes with more than 8 percent lead. Recognizing that even that low concentrations could create unhealthy exposure levels, Congress tightened the limit to 0.2 percent in 2014. The EPA instituted the Lead and Copper Rule in 1991, which requires public water systems to monitor for lead in drinking water. But unless a school runs its own water system, it is not required to conduct tests.

The Center for Public Integrity, the journalism-education initiative News21, The Oregonian and others have reported that because most schools are not required to monitor the quality of drinking water, they often do not know if aging pipes or faucet fixtures have corroded and are exposing children to unhealthy levels of lead. Only Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and Virginia require schools to test for lead.

Unless your school was built in the last three years, or unless all the plumbing was replaced in the last three years, theres some risk that lead is getting into your childrens water, John Rumpler, a Boston-based attorney for the advocacy group Environment America, told the Center for Public Integrity earlier this year.

Hutchins applauded Missoula County Public Schools for being proactive with their tests, but did not know if any other districts in the county had done similar tests since they are not required to report them to anyone.
A Missoula man convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting girls as young as 12 years old was sentenced Monday to 100 years in the Montana State Prison.

Missoula District Court Judge Karen Townsend told 47-year-old Erik Nugent none of the sentence would be suspended.

You gave them drugs so you could enjoy them sexually. I just find that behavior unbelievable and unforgivable, she said.

At a jury trial in April, Nugent was convicted of 14 felonies for drug distribution, sexual abuse of children, sexual assault and sexual intercourse without consent  Montanas statute for rape.

Nine girls, who ranged from 12 to 17 years old at the time, told a detective Nugent gave them drugs including methamphetamine, LSD, marijuana and hallucinogenic mushrooms. The charges Nugent was convicted of included raping two of the girls, who were 14 at the time, while they were drunk or high on drugs he gave them.

On Monday, prosecutor Ryan Mickelson told Townsend that Nugents insidious crimes had a devastating effect on the girls and their families.

Nugent apologized during the hearing for what he did.

Im really, really sorry. Theres nothing I can say that can take it back or make it better, he said.

One of Nugents victims was Marilyn Pickett, a 15-year-old girl whose dismembered body was found in the basement of a Missoula home in August. Two other people have been charged with Picketts death.

The judge reminded Nugent that Pickett testified against him at his trial and that the judge had asked Nugent at the time what he thought would happen to the girls he abused. Nugent said Monday he had lost a lot of sleep over Picketts death, which took place four months after he was convicted of raping her.

Nugents defense attorney Myshell Lyday said most of her clients behavior stemmed from drug use, and requested that 70 years of the sentence be suspended.

Townsend chose not to suspend any of the prison sentence, and labeled Nugent a Tier III sexual offender, the highest risk category.

You clearly took significant advantage of these young girls, the judge said.
Montanas prison population has grown faster than the national average, and last year 15,000 people in the state were either behind bars or under criminal justice supervision.

The state spent $182 million on corrections in fiscal year 2014, and jails and prisons suffer from overcrowding while taxpayers foot the bill.

Its a growing problem, and one way to alleviate it is to reduce the number of people sent back to prison because of a technical violation while theyre out on probation.

"Eighty-five percent of all prison intakes are revocations, technical violations, explained Amy Chesebro, the program manager for the Missoula County Detention Facilitys jail diversion efforts. Its the No. 1 cause of people returning to prison.

According to the Pew Charitable Trust, only 4.2 percent of prison returns are the result of new crimes. The number of low-risk offenders in Montanas prisons has spiked by 180 percent since 1998, while the percentage of those at high-risk of re-offending has dropped 37 percent. Of course, it costs far less for the state to keep people on probation than behind bars.

Chesebro spoke last Friday during a monthly meeting of Partners for Reintegration, a group comprising a coalition of state officials, agencies and volunteers working to reduce Montanas rate of imprisonment. Nationally, Montana ranks 30th for the number of people it locks up per capita, 355 out of every 100,000 residents.

Tina Thomas can attest to the difficulties of avoiding technical probation violations. In 2006, she was incarcerated on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct, but she says she also was convicted of assaulting jail guards. She says she suffers from severe mental health issues such as bipolar manic depressive episodes.

When she got out of jail she was sent to the Missoula Prerelease Center, and she failed that program because she had multiple violations.

Like, I had a two-hour shopping pass to Walmart and I returned more than an hour early, she explained, adding that was against the rules. I had multiple counts of forgetting to have them sign off on cleaning my room.

Then, she met Landee Holloway, who was then the director of the Montana Department of Corrections re-entry programming at the Missoula Probation and Parole Office. Holloway, now a Missoula County Justice of the Peace, helped Thomas get past the point where she had to tell potential employers about her history and find a steady job.

I couldnt have done it without Partners for Reintegration, Thomas said. Shes now a manager at a restaurant, and her life is stable for the first time in years.

Montana's recidivism rate  the number of people who return to jail or prison after they are let out  is about 34 percent.

If the states could reduce recidivism by just 10 percent, the U.S. could save $635 million combined in average prison costs, according to Pew Charitable Trusts, Chesebro said.

Adrianne Cotton, the government relations director for the Montana Department of Corrections, said many of the problems that people returning to society from prison have to do with not being able to find affordable, adequate housing.

We do have a number of individuals who are backlogged, unable to find housing, she said. We also have abnormally long sentences for community supervision in Montana. We do know that once you get past one year, your chances of recidivism drop and once you are past three years its very low. I dont know about you guys, but I could not follow those rules for 20 years.

She said that since 2012, there has been a big increase in methamphetamine trafficking in Montana.

We stopped creating (meth) here in Montana, but it is now imported in higher concentrations, so its more deadly and its in larger amounts, she said.

The DOC is working with lawmakers in the state to try to reform the system, but Chesebro said reducing recidivism needs to be a community effort.

There is no single cause, she said. Jails are the No. 1 mental health provider in the nation. Its a community issue. We need to work on reducing the stigma, the ability to access housing, employers willing to give a chance. Its about welcoming versus isolation and having supportive services.

On Thursday, Nov. 9, the Missoula Probation and Parole Office and Partners for Reintegration will hold a re-entry simulation in which participants will assume the identity of an ex-offender and perform tasks in four 15-minute sessions, which each session representing a week to simulate the life of someone who has been released from prison.

The event will run from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Missoula County Fairgrounds Art Building, and is free and open to the public.

It will illustrate the journey to self-sufficiency for citizens re-entering our community from incarceration and the numerous barriers encountered along the way, said Marc Kittleson of Missoula Probation and Parole.
Police reports

DUI WITH KIDS IN CAR

Police on Saturday arrested Steven Dayhuff, 51, of Butte on three felony charges of criminal endangerment and one misdemeanor charge of DUI refusal.

Police stopped Dayhuff at about 10:20 p.m. Saturday on Interstate 15-90 between Harrison and Montana because they said he was driving erratically and turning his headlights on and off. Police suspected alcohol was involved. Dayhuff had three girls, ages 2, 9, and 12, as passengers, according to police. Dayhuff allegedly refused to take a Breathalyzer test. The juveniles were handed over to a relative at the scene.

HIT WITH BEER BOTTLE

Joseph Feltz, 39, of Anaconda was arrested at about 10:30 p.m. Friday on a misdemeanor charge of partner-family member assault with a weapon. Police responding to a call on the 600 block of West Granite Street found a female with a nosebleed. She told police her boyfriend had hit her with a beer bottle during an argument, police said. The female was transported to St. James Healthcare. Feltz, who had left the scene before officers arrived, was stopped on Interstate 15-90 en route to Anaconda.

DANCING ASSAULT

Police arrested Aireanna Bowen, 19, of Butte on a misdemeanor charge of simple assault at about 1 a.m. Sunday outside the Irish Times Bar, 2 E. Galena St. Police reported that Bowen assaulted a woman in the dance area inside the bar and then fled. Police found her at Galena and Montana Streets.

JUVENILE ARRESTED

Police arrested a 13-year-old female at about 12:40 p.m. Saturday at the Acadia Montana Treatment Center, 55 Basin Creek Rd., on a charge of misdemeanor simple assault. Details were not available.

STREET SCREAMING

Police said they found Herbert Shannon, 56, of Butte screaming on the first block of West Granite Street at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday. A warrant for a charge of misdemeanor simple assault prompted police to arrest him. The prior incident took place on October 20, when Shannon assaulted a man.

HE WON'T GO

Police said they saw Dion Curtis, 34, of Butte knocking empty beer bottles off tables outside the Party Palace, 1 W. Park St., at about 4:15 a.m. Sunday. When police asked him to leave, he refused, according to police. He was booked on a misdemeanor charge of failure to disperse and for a warrant out of Helena City Court.

RESTROOM TRASHED

Antonio Huerta, 19, of Butte was arrested at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday outside the Irish Times Bar, 2 E. Galena St., after he destroyed several items inside the mens restroom, police said. He was booked on a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief and a misdemeanor criminal contempt warrant for failure to appear in Butte City Court.

TWO FOR ONE

Police recently went to the residence of Tiela Lochrie, 24, of Butte on the 3300 block of Carter Street to serve civil papers. Because she had a criminal contempt warrant out of Butte Justice Court, the officers also arrested her.

NO PLATES

Police stopped Kolby Paddock, 19, of Butte Friday afternoon on Harrison Avenue because he was driving with an expired registration sticker. Police booked him for no license plates and no liability insurance in effect because he had three prior offenses of failing to register a vehicle.

STREET ARGUMENT

Police arrested Michael Nickerson, 24, of Butte at about 4 p.m. Saturday on Harrison Avenue on a misdemeanor criminal contempt charge. Police noticed Nickerson because he and a female were arguing as they walked down the street.
A new underground gold mine called the Apex at the Golden Sunlight site near Whitehall could be up and running within about a year, Dan Banghart, general manager, said recently.

While the new mine will increase overall ore production, it won't add new jobs.

Canadian-based Barrick Gold Corp., owner of Golden Sunlight, laid off about 140 workers in fall 2015 when it closed the Mineral Hill Pit, the open pit operation. At the time, Banghart blamed low gold prices and the instability of one side of the pit for the shutdown.

But by early 2016, Golden Sunlight brought in a Canadian-based contractor, Redpath, to take ore from an underground mine called 2Bug, which snakes around behind the walls of Mineral Hill Pit and is separate from the Apex. (See related story.)

Barrick maintains a skeletal crew at Golden Sunlight to support Redpath's work. But with the contract workers, the number of jobs at Golden Sunlight has grown since the layoff, and there are about 140 miners working at 2Bug.

Banghart said he doesn't foresee needing more than that after the new mine opens

The Apex mine, located less than a mile north of the defunct Mineral Hill Pit, is undergoing the permitting process. Dave Williams, geologist with the Bureau of Land Management, said the process is going smoothly. BLM is working jointly with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality on the environmental assessment because the Apex will be partially on BLM land.

The site will have about 2 acres of land disturbance and be entirely above the water table. In addition, the tailings from the Apex will go into Golden Sunlight's current tailings impoundment, so the Apex is not expected to create a larger waste footprint.

Banghart said overall ore production at Golden Sunlight will likely rise slightly to about 45,000 to 50,000 ounces of gold extraction a year  with the advent of the new underground mine. Production from 2Bug is about 40,000 to 45,000 ounces of gold per year.

While the new mine won't likely add jobs, it will add to the tax rolls with an enlarged production of gold extraction. According to Barrick Gold Corp., the company paid $2.6 million in Jefferson County and Montana state taxes in 2016.

"Taxes are directly proportional to production," Banghart said.
Start-up business focus of lecture

The Montana Tech Business and Information Technology Department will host speaker Paul Gladen, director of Blackstone LaunchPad at the University of Montana, at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3, in the Student Union Building's Copper Lounge.

Gladen's presentation is titled "How to Build a Startup in Montana." He will explore what it takes to start a business in Montana and outline some of the key methodologies and resources available to entrepreneurs embarking on their startup journey. He will also discuss the annual John Ruffatto Business Startup Challenge that is open to all Montana Tech students and takes place at UM in April 2018.

He is co-founder of the Hellgate Venture Network, a networking group for Montana entrepreneurs, and co-founder of the Montana Code School.

Artists reception Wednesday at library

The Carle will hold a closing artists reception for Towns and Urban Sites of Montana at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1, at the Butte Public Library, 226 W. Broadway.

This juried art show brought together local artists Michael Jorgenson, Sandra McNair, Jennifer Ogden, Jeanette Barnes, and Cathy Friel. The public is welcome.

Ladies AOH to meet Nov. 14

The Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14, in the community room at The Springs, 300 Mount Highland Dr.

There will be an election of officers. Other topics will be the Christmas dinner date and donations.

Vets business meeting Wednesday

American Legion Post #1 will hold its monthly business meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1, at the American Legion Hall, 1750 Motor View Dr.

The executive board will meet at 7 p.m., and the post meeting will begin at 8. All members are invited to attend as the post works to support our veterans and their families.

Fall book fair at Emerson

Emerson Elementary at 1924 Phillips Ave. will be having their fall book fair from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2, and 8 to 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 3, in the school gym. Please use the front door entrance.

Proceeds will go to the Emerson library for new books and equipment.

TB senior center serves lunch

TWIN BRIDGES  Lunch is served every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at the Twin Bridges Senior and Community Center.

Wednesday, Nov. 1  Baked chicken with stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, cookies, and fruit

Friday, Nov. 3  Taco soup, corn meal muffins, apples, and cake

Monday, Nov. 6  Beef roast, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, and spice cake

Wednesday, Nov. 8  Pork chops with applesauce, salad, and cranberry muffin

Friday, Nov. 10  Chili with fixings, cornbread pudding, vegetable salad, and cookies

Bundle of Butte begins Wednesday

Uptown Butte's Bundle of Butte runs Nov. 1 through 12. Uptown businesses contribute to the bundle to offer prizes from their stores for a lucky winner. Look for entry forms in participating Uptown businesses and sign up to win. Grand prize drawing for the Bundle of Butte will be held Tuesday, Nov. 14.

If you are a business that would like to get in on the action by accepting signup forms in your business or contributing a premium to the bundle, send email to geverett@montana.com or call 406-565-2249.
DEER LODGE  Blocking frivolous lawsuits and boosting emergency spending on wildfires would help restore Montanas forests to better health, Rep. Greg Gianforte said while touring clearcuts in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest on Monday.

Healthier forests give more habitat for wildlife, increased sporting opportunities, theyre good for our economy, they create jobs, and they reduce the intensity and catastrophic nature of fires, Gianforte said. Everybody wins.

To do that, the first-term Montana Republican congressman has co-sponsored a bill by Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Arkansas, to accomplish those goals and speed up the approval process for some forest management projects. H.R. 2936, the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017, may reach a vote of the full House of Representatives on Wednesday or Thursday.

"Im confident well work it through the House, Gianforte said. We need a little help from the Senate so it becomes law so we dont have to breathe our forests again next summer.

The two representatives toured parts of the East Deer Lodge Landscape Restoration Project and Sun Mountain Lumber Co.'s Deer Lodge sawmill on Monday. The 40,000-acre project includes about 2,500 acres of harvestable timber, as well as other sites where crews cleared out large stands of beetle-killed lodgepole pine.

Westerman said federal forests in Arkansas had shown the capability of removing unmarketable small trees, improving habitat for endangered species and still producing enough valuable sawlogs to pay for the work. He added that new markets for wood products such as liquid biofuel, fuel pellets and cross-laminated timber could also grow with more active forest management.

However, he acknowledged that pellet fuel markets werent big enough to absorb all the thinning material coming out of forests. And a blue-ribbon commission report commissioned by the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities found the wood products sector invests barely a fifth of the U.S. manufacturing industry average in research and development.

At a roundtable discussion of the legislation at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundations Missoula Headquarters, Montana Wood Products Association Director Julia Altemus told the congressmen that litigation was the main threat to timber supply.

In (Forest Service) Region 1, its really what hampers our ability to get into the forests, Altemus said. That has forced the agency to spend nearly 60 percent of its time designing forest projects on bullet-proofing its defense on National Environmental Policy Act challenges, compared to just 20 percent in past years.

Gianforte responded that Westermans bill would restrain the opportunity for challengers of federal actions to get their legal expenses paid through the Equal Access to Judgement Act. He added that Congress needed to restrain a different legal challenge brought by a Montana case known as the Cottonwood decision, which requires programmatic review of forest plans when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service changes the status of an endangered species that uses Forest Service habitat.

Thats a really bad precedent for all of us, Gianforte said. About 140,000 acres of timber harvest are being held up by the Cottonwood decision.

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana has drafted a bill that would congressionally overturn the Cottonwood decision, but it hasnt been introduced yet. The programmatic review of a Canada lynx critical habitat update required by the original Cottonwood decision was completed on Oct. 18.

Ravalli County Commissioner Greg Chilcott supported more activity in the federal forests as a way of ensuring services to his county residents.

In the 20th century, Ravalli County had 300,000 acres burned in wildfire, Chilcott said. Since 2000, weve lost 900,000 acres in 15 years. The data suggests thats due to lack of management.
It's a cliche in the legal world: A prosecutor could persuade a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich. That is, of course, because the standards for bringing charges are relatively low -- "probable cause" that a crime has been committed, as opposed to the "beyond a reasonable doubt" hurdle that comes before a defendant is convicted in a trial.

In addition, usually only the district attorney or the state attorney (or whatever they call the prosecutor) can offer evidence to the citizen grand jurors. Defense lawyers are almost never allowed to refute the allegations or to provide any explanation. Grand juries date back to British Common Law, which means they have existed for about 800 years. You now have more information about grand juries than you ever had any interest in knowing.

The point is, prosecutors have a ton of power, and special counsels are super-duper prosecutors (is my terminology too legalistic?). Robert Mueller is one of those, and now he's made his first ham sandwiches. They are big ones: Paul Manafort, a former Donald Trump campaign manager, along with Manafort aide Rick Gates. Their 12-count indictment includes serious felony charges: money laundering, tax evasion, failure to register as a foreign agent and conspiracy against the United States while working on behalf of Ukrainians with close ties to Moscow. It's heavy stuff (more legal terminology). By the way, former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos also pleaded guilty to one count of lying to the FBI about his Russian contacts. Yes, it's a crime to lie to FBI agents, which only enhances the government's power in criminal matters. At some point we can have a discussion about whether our belief that Americans are "innocent until proven guilty" is all that valid, but let's not stray from the point of all this.

Ultimately, the guy who was not indicted today is a certain president of the United States. Mueller was appointed to determine whether there was criminal collusion with Vladimir Putin's agents by Donald Trump or his campaign underlings to swing the election Trump's way. Mueller's mandate, as is the case with all independent counsels, extends to any crimes that are uncovered during the investigation. Hence these formal accusations against Paul Manafort and Rick Gates. I'm sorry to lapse into more lawyerly language, but they could be in a heap of trouble.

As big a deal as the charges are and as serious as the allegations they face are, Manafort, Gates and Papadopoulos are not just ham sandwiches but potatoes, relatively small potatoes. Mueller must ultimately determine whether to charge Donald Trump. So he'll be putting the squeeze on those lower in this food chain to see whether any of the three will spill their guts about higher-ups -- that is to say, provide information about collusion that could bring down the president. Lapsing into another cliche, these are just the first shoes to fall.

As for the really big shoe, he's doing what he always does when he's agitated: He turns to Twitter. Pointing out that these indictments weren't about collusion, he cleverly tweeted, "NO COLLUSION." That was after he pecked: "Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????"

First of all, Hillary Clinton is off the point. As Trump reminds us every chance he gets, he beat her. He's the president; she's not. Her misdeeds, if any, would not result in her impeachment. But that's getting way ahead of what has happened so far. Even if Mueller ultimately charges Trump with any crimes, as president of the United States, Donald Trump first would have to be removed from office before facing legal consequences. That could be iffy even in extreme circumstances given how the Republicans in Congress are so terrified of his, uh, ham-handed politics.

(c) 2017 Bob Franken

Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
MUSCATINE  If you think the programs at the Muscatine YMCA are aces, youll want to roll the dice on a new Casino Night on Nov. 10 at Rendezvous in Muscatine.

Organizers are hoping to hit the jackpot on attendance because proceeds from will benefit Muscatine Y. For your admission fee, youll get start-up gaming bucks, live music, heavy hors douvres and more. Patrons may purchase more gaming bucks throughout the evening.

This is the first time the YMCA has tried to host something of this nature to raise money, although similarly themed nights have done well for other organizations nationwide, said Amy Hessel, character development director of the YMCA, who helped organize the event.

We were trying to come up with new events that would become signature events, Hessel said. We wanted something different and unique, something fun and classy. We saw other programs like this having success and so we reached out to other places doing them to get help putting them together.

Hessel, an 18-year veteran with the YMCA, said she is passionate about doing what she can to support the Y's community outreach programs.

We have a great team and were always doing whatever we can to help out, she said. The event proceeds will go toward various programs, including reduced memberships for families in need, outreach programs, kids clubs, wellness outreach programs and more. When you see a kid in kids club having fun, kids on teams working together, it makes it all worthwhile.

The event still seeks sponsors and volunteers.

We want everyone to come out and have a good time, there are great prizes from Muscatine Travel, Jumer's and more, Hessel said. Its going to be a lot of fun and it really helps out the community and all we do.
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BEIJING -- China's Ministry of Public Security has issued a guideline to make firefighting more methodical.

According to the guideline on "smart firefighting," new surveillance systems will connect more buildings and improve functions like automatic fire alarms, inspections and supervision.

The new remote surveillance systems will be able to recognize images like fire and smoke, and make alarms as well as monitor the conditions of firefighting facilities, the guideline stated.

The systems will also monitor electricity leakage and cable temperatures, said the guideline. Prefecture-level cities and those above should complete building the new systems by the end of 2018.

Information resources including live images of fire sites, the locations of firefighting teams, and major sources of danger near fire sites should be collected and maintained on a command platform for public security departments by the end of 2018, according to the guideline.

High-rise buildings that are under construction should be installed with the new surveillance systems and old buildings should be fitted with separate fire alarm and firefighting facilities, it added.
MUSCATINE  The Governor's STEM Advisory Council awarded a grant to Muscatine Community Schools.

The Council, launched by former Gov. Terry Branstad in 2011, aimed to grow Iowa students' proficiency in STEM subject matter.

Executive Director Jeff Weld said that this was an important next step for growing the state's opportunity.

"It was launched because the talent pipeline from K-12 and post-secondary to our industries and businesses in the state is weaker than it needs to be," Weld said. "Employers of Iowa  especially those in high demand fields like engineering and manufacturing and IT and finance  are really scrambling to find talent here in the state. And it's hard to import to here in Iowa so we have to grow our own."

Though the Council runs several STEM granting programs, Muscatine is receiving funding for its "STEAM into MCC" program, a continuation on the work they began last year with money from a 2016 STEM BEST grant.

This past spring, all six elementary schools and teachers from MCSD and Muscatine Community College partnered to offer an after-school program for fourth and fifth graders. Twenty-eight students participated in the inaugural program -- 15 girls and 13 boys, 16 are minorities.

For the 2018 grant, Muscatine hopes to double the number of students served and expand the program into West Liberty Elementary School, which has a 54 percent Latino student population.

The grant money will go toward funding a portion of a project director, stipends for six teachers and MCC faculty, as well as transportation to business partners.

The STEM BEST program offers $25,000 grants to schools to help connect classrooms to Iowa's business and industry sector.

"Schools take these relatively small $25,000 grants," Weld said. "Funding that may be a lot to you and me, but for a district, its not a whole lot of money. But what I love about that is the effect it is having for comparative pocket-change, this is transforming schools across our state.

Grant recipients have three options for using the money, Weld said. The funds can be spent on paying for time with business professionals to help build lesson plans that foreground real world business problems in math and science classes. They can also be spent on reconfiguring learning spaces at the schools. Weld said he would like to see schools begin to look more like the office environments students can expect outside of school. The final stipulated usage is for traveling to school districts to learn about their innovations in education.

"People are beginning to come to Muscatine and I think that we are going to really get to watch that program blossom," Weld said. "Hopefully, there is going to be series of schools coming over to Muscatine to see how the pros are doing it."

Weld, who wants to see schools become more business and industry focused, hopes that the work that districts like MCSD lead the way for the rest of the state.

"The school environment has developed to be separate from the world of industry. The world of industry and employment has changed and there is a disconnect between what is happening in schools and what is happening in the workplace," Weld said. "I think what Muscatine has got there is a glimpse at the future of education."
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP)  Visiting the country's most popular national parks would get more costly under a federal proposal released last week. The National Park Service says its goal is to cut down on the nearly $12 billion in maintenance projects that have been put off under budget constraints.

Under the plan, visitors driving into 17 of the most popular national parks, mostly in the U.S. West, would pay $70 per vehicle during the peak summer season, up from $25 or $30 per vehicle now.

Annual $80 passes for federal lands would not change, though fees would go up for pedestrians and motorcyclists. The higher fees would apply only during the five busiest contiguous months for parks. For most that's May through September when many families are on vacation.

The proposal would not affect several free weekends and holidays.

Affected parks include the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone and Zion. Outside the western region, three parks in Maine and Virginia would be affected. People have a month to comment on the plan.

Here are some details about the money the proposal would raise:

HOW MUCH WILL THE PARK SERVICE RAISE?

The agency collected nearly $200 million in entrance fees in the last fiscal year. It expects to raise an additional $70 million annually by charging visitors more to get into the 17 parks during the five busiest months of the year. Those parks generate 70 percent of the revenue from entrance fees.

The outcome is uncertain. The Park Service has been breaking visitation records for three years, with nearly 331 million visits in 2016. That could mean a bump in revenue and improved services for visitors.

Others worry the fee increase could turn people off to national parks, especially those who are lower-income, and say Congress should ensure they are well-funded.

WHERE WILL THE MONEY GO?

The Park Service has a maintenance backlog totaling $11.3 billion. That's work the agency has put off for more than a year. It includes fixing water systems, roads, buildings, campgrounds, housing and trails.

The Park Service allocates more than $1 billion a year for maintenance, according to a recent U.S. Government Accountability Office report, but cannot catch up because the problem is huge.

The backlog decreased last year by $600 million as the agency wrapped up some large projects and saw cost savings in construction.

Amanda Greene of Hoquiam, Washington, said she would like to see more parking at Olympic National Park or a busing system to avoid overcrowding. Plus, better restrooms.

WILL IT HELP?

Philip Francis, a former superintendent at Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway, said the money is a small percentage of what's needed.

"It's better than not having it," he said. "We certainly need a much more substantial investment."

The Park Service budget is less than 1 percent of the overall federal budget, and the proposal from the Trump administration for fiscal year 2018 calls for less money overall for the agency.

Former Grand Canyon Superintendent Steve Martin is skeptical the fee increase would raise the nearly $70 million that the agency projects.

"It could generate a lot of ill will as well," he said.

Martin suggested switching from a vehicle fee to a per-person fee. Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska already uses that structure.

WHAT ELSE COULD HELP?

National parks have been creative in raising funds when they don't get enough money from Congress. Most have a fundraising organization that helps cover visitor services or maintenance needs.

Some of those groups, such as the Trust for the National Mall, the Yosemite Conservancy and the Gettysburg Foundation, raise millions of dollars a year. Smaller groups run bookstores or gift shops and give the parks a share of the profits.

Parks also rely on volunteers and donations for work that includes operating visitor centers, mowing lawns and cleaning restrooms.

"We get people of all stripes who come to our parks," Francis said. "They come to the parks whether they're rich or poor, Republican or not. I think they're disappointed when things aren't up to snuff."

WHAT'S NEXT?

A 30-day public comment period runs through Nov. 23. Those who want to weigh in can do so online or via mail. The National Park Service says it will review the comments before deciding whether to implement its proposal.

The agency has a fact sheet on its website outlining the plan, but it doesn't say exactly which projects would be funded by the fee increase.

Not all of the 417 parks charge entrance fees. Those that do retain 80 percent of the revenue, while the other 20 percent goes into a fund to help the 299 free parks.

WHAT PARKS WOULD BE AFFECTED?

The following is the complete list of parks that would see an increase in entry fees:

Acadia National Park (ACAD)

Arches National Park (ARCH)

Bryce Canyon National Park (BRCA)

Canyonlands National Park (CANY)

Denali National Park (DENA)

Glacier National Park (GLAC)

Grand Canyon National Park (GRCA)

Grand Teton National Park (GRTE)

Joshua Tree National Park (JOTR)

Mount Rainier National Park (MORA)

Rocky Mountain National Park (ROMO)

Olympic National Park (OLYM)

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park (SEKI)

Shenandoah National Park (SHEN)

Yellowstone National Park (YELL)

Yosemite National Park (YOSE

Zion National Park (ZION)
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 []
Steve Tamburelli, president/CEO of Clos Du Val Wine Company, said he considers wine the most artistic of all beverages.

Wine is dynamic, he said.

I can take grapes from the Stags Leap district and make wines and someone else can make a completely different product. Its based on the vision of the creator.

Tamburelli has been in the wine industry for 18 years. Before that, his family had an Anheuser-Busch distributorship.

1. Did Clos Du Val have any damage from the recent fires?

We were fortunate in that the vineyards proved to be a great firebreak. The fire burned right down to the vineyards but stopped there and did not get to the winery.

2. Which three people would you most like to have dinner with?

Ronald Reagan, for his ability to communicate a vision.

Jeff Bezos, for his story and vision on how he built Amazon.com and changed American shopping habits.

Bill Walsh, for his ability to unite a team of disparate individuals around a common goal.

3. What job would you like to try/not try?

Try: Educator - Id love the ability to inspire others to pursue their dreams

Not try: Mortician - eeeck!

4. What was your first job?

Dusting off bottles and stocking the shelves of my moms liquor store.

5. Whats the worst job you ever had?

Being a lumper on a beer delivery truck  slinging cases of beer in 100-degree heat taught me to pursue an education!

6. How did you get into this industry?

After having sold my business, an Anheuser-Busch distributorship called El Ray Distributing Co. I got a random call from a recruiter to interview for the COO job at Stags Leap Wine Cellars  somehow I got the job!

7. Whats a common question or misconception you get about your job?

Whether we sit around and taste wine all day. Thats what everyone asks. I wish I could say we did. That is a very small part of the job actually.

8. What is the biggest challenge the wine industry has faced?

Remaining relevant in an industry that has more choices for the consumer than any other. There are over 120,000 wines available for the U.S. consumer  we sell five of those.

9. Whats on your to-do list?

Professionally  To complete the renaissance underway at Clos Du Val and to get our new visitor center built.

Personally  to order a tropical drink on the beach in Maui.

10. If you could change one thing about the wine industry, what would it be?

Less regulation (most of it dates to Prohibition).
Central Valley Builders Supply announced that all profits from sales at the company's St. Helena and Napa stores this past Friday and Saturday will be donated to the Napa Valley Community Foundation.

Our communities were hard hit by the North Bay fires, said Stephen Patterson, President and CEO of Central Valley.

Central Valley employees were also directly impacted by the fires. At least 11 employees were evacuated; thankfully, vast majority have been able to return to their homes.
Elena Ruiz and her partner, Shawna Kerns, place such a high priority on their desire to rescue animals, they switched neighborhoods to find a place with a yard.

The couple had two cats and a dog when they began house hunting from their apartment in Washington. Now that they have settled into their new home, theyve added a rescue puppy to their menagerie.

Our animals determined which neighborhoods we looked at, Kerns says. We were able to find a place with a fenced front yard and a fenced back yard by looking at Marshall Heights, a neighborhood in southeast Washington.

Ruiz says that they had wanted to stay near their old neighborhood but that their budget limited them to a condo in that area.

We sacrificed location and walkability, but we love that we are getting to know all our neighbors and have space for our animals, she says.

Millennials, in particular, are often motivated by their dogs when house hunting, according to a recent survey of that generation of home buyers conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf SunTrust Mortgage.

The survey found that the desire for a better space or a yard for a dog influenced their decision to buy their first home. Dogs were among the top three motivatorscited by 33 percent of buyers, compared with 25 percent who mentioned marriage and 19 percent who mentioned the birth of a child.

Robin Waugh, a real estate agent with TTR Sothebys International Realty in Washington, says dogs are almost like children to their owners and need space to play, room for their toys, and a place to interact with other dogs and people.

Elizabeth and Patrick Carberry recently bought a rowhouse in Washington, primarily to accommodate their two dogs, Scruffy and Cody.

Ive lived with these dogs for the past eight years in the city in apartments and then in a condo, but one of my dogs is 15 now, and its harder for her to climb stairs, she says. Its much easier to be in a house where I can open the door and let her out. I think its important that people with pets think about their long-term needs. Just like people, dogs grow and get older, and their needs change.

About 68 percent of American households have pets, 60 percent of which are dogs, according to the American Pet Products Associations 2017-2018 National Pet Owners survey. There are nearly 90 million pet dogs in the United States.

Home buyers and sellers with dogs, whether they are looking for an urban condo or a suburban house with a yard, often place a high priority on their pets happiness. Some communities have become more pet-friendly than they had been by developing dog parks where canines can run free. Condominiums and apartments are also catering to the needs of pet owners.

I grew up in condos in D.C. and Maryland, and they were never pet-friendly, but now its almost inconceivable for a condo to not be pet-friendly, says Valerie Grange, a sales manager with McWilliams Ballard condo resale division in Washington. People consider their pets family members, which means theyre willing to do more for them.

Even though a condo says its pet-friendly, says Lindsay Dreyer, broker-owner of City Chic Real Estate in Washington, its best to check the fine print, because there could be restrictions on the size of your pet, the breed and the number of pets allowed.

Lisa Groover, a real estate agent with McEnearney Associates in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, specializes in working with dog owners.

A lot of people dont realize that various jurisdictions have regulations about the number of dogs you can own or how much space you need to have, Groover says. On top of that, homeowner associations and condo associations often have rules, too.

Although every jurisdiction requires dogs to be licensed and vaccinated, some areas have noise ordinances, and others restrict the number of dogs you can have depending on the size of your property.

In the city of Alexandria and some other cities, you are limited to a maximum of three dogs, Groover says. In Fairfax County, theres a rule that if you have three or four dogs, you need to have a property with at least 12,500 square feet. That number goes up if you have more dogs.

Groover worked with a buyer who had seven beagles and was living in a townhouse. He needed a property with at least 25,000 square feet.

--

If youre looking for a single-family house, your focus is most likely to be on finding a place with a fenced yard.

Dont assume you can add a fence, Groover says. You may need to get the approval of an architectural review board and get permits. Its important to get that information before you sign a contract.

Even an electric fence might require approval by a homeowners association, Dreyer says.

Most homeowner associations and condo associations, even if they are pet-friendly, have pet regulations.

Its essential to get that information or to ask your agent to get that information for you ahead of time, Groover says. You do have three days to review the condo or HOA documents and can get out of the contract if you find a rule that wont work for you, but its better to know about it before you get that far into the contract.

Sometimes youll need to pay a special fee for having a pet or need to make a special request for your pet to be approved. That, too, is something its best to know about before you make an offer on a home.

Some condos have rules about how much of your floor must be covered with carpeting, but a lot of people prefer hardwood, Dreyer says. You can end up in a dispute with your neighbors if your dogs nails make noise on the hardwood, and you could be forced to cover your floors.

Dreyer says some condos have quiet hours, so you could have to pay a fine if your dog barks.

If your dog is afraid of elevators or kids or other dogs, you might be better off looking for a first-floor unit with a patio or for a house, Groover says. But if your dog barks every time someone walks by, you might be better off with an area that can be fenced off and separated from nearby foot traffic.

Dreyer says that lower-level units in condos, although not always the most desirable for buyers, are often popular with dog owners who like having a private patio and not having their dogs climb stairs.

Some condos are starting to follow the trend of rentals and market amenities, such as dog washing stations and dog-friendly courtyards, to entice buyers, Grange says.

Moving with a dog requires some extra attention to your pets needs.

Living in an Airstream travel trailer seemed like a fun solution when Julie Ackerman Montross, her husband, Jeff Montross, and their English bulldog Winston needed temporary housing while waiting for renovations to be completed on their newly purchased house in Old Town Alexandria.

Now that were in week five, its not so much fun, Julie Montross says. But it will be worth it when we move in, because were excited to be in a pet-friendly neighborhood where we can bring Winston to restaurant patios. Our new place has a nice fenced yard, too.

--

When the Montrosses were selling their home, Groover discussed their options for taking care of the dog while making their home attractive to buyers.

Our dog is a big shedder, and we have dark floors, so it was hard to stay on top of that to keep the house in perfect shape, Julie Montross says. We decided that in order to maintain our sanity, wed board our dog with friends. It was a difficult four weeks and hard to adjust to living without the dog, but it was definitely the best choice for us.

Julie Montross says their dog spooks easily and is young, which also convinced them that keeping him out of the house when strangers visited was best.

Sometimes it works fine to keep a dog in a crate, but remember to think about whether your dog will bark or be stressed by visitors to the house, Groover says.

Grange recommends putting explicit information in your listing about whether you have a pet in residence and what visitors to the home should expect.

In addition to concern for your pet, its important to remember that some people are allergic to dogs or simply afraid of them.

Dogs make people uncomfortable, especially if their owner isnt there, Dreyer says. You never know how a dog will react or how people will react, so its best to de-dog your home.

Dreyer says that if you cant send your dog to day care or to a friends, you should at least take the dog out during showings. However, she warns, restricting showings too much to remove the dog first can hinder a quick sale.

Dog odors can be disturbing even if someone isnt allergic. Groover recommends having a friend who doesnt own a pet come by for a sniff test to see whether youve cleaned adequately.

You have to clean everything deeply, including your bedding and your curtains, Groover says. Remove your dog beds and toys, and repair anything the dog has damaged. The goal is to make it as if a dog doesnt live there, so you dont distract from the house.

At the same time, Groover says, the fact that a community is dog-friendly can be a positive marketing tool for a property.

Its very common now to see agents market a condo building or a neighborhood as pet-friendly, Waugh says. As long as you keep your home and your dog as clean as possible, you can actually entice buyers if you alert them to the location of nearby dog parks and good places to walk dogs.

Dog-and-owner yappy hours, dog parks, doggy day-care centers and pet-friendly shops and restaurants that stock dog treats all cater to the canine culture, , which makes it easier for dog owners to buy and sell property with their furry family members at the center of the transaction.
On Nov. 1, all Romanos Macaroni Grills California restaurants will donate 10 percent of their proceeds to the Napa Valley Community Foundation to help their Napa Valley fire relief and recovery efforts. The company has restaurants in cities including El Cerrito, Elk Grove and Stockton.
Sixty downtown Napa businesses are coming together to host the Do Napa Downtown Crawl on Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m.

All will be donating a portion of their sales during that period to the Napa Valley Community Foundation Disaster Relief fund.

The owners of Trademark Property Company, on behalf of First Street Napa, will donate a dollar-for-dollar match for not only this event but others, guaranteeing up to $50,000 to the fund.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those who have suffered tremendous loss as a result of the recent wildfires, and we are thankful to all the first responders, said Terry Montesi, CEO of Trademark Property Co.

Zapolski Real Estate is partnering with Trademark Property Co. to redevelop First Street Napa, formerly known as Napa Town Center.

Do Napa Downtown Crawl is the brainchild of Aubrey Bailey and Colleen Flemming, co-owners of Cadet Wine and Beer Bar, 930 Franklin St.

"Colleen and I wanted to create an event that would unite the downtown Napa businesses in helping out our community while simultaneously getting the word out that Napa is open for business. We couldnt be more excited about what a great party its going to be, said Bailey.

Participating businesses, which include restaurants, wine tasting rooms, and retailers, choose whatever donation they wish to make. Hog Island Oysters, for example, is donating 50 percent of their sales during that period to the Fund.

Visit DoNapa.com for a complete list of businesses.
Pity the poor California Republican Party. While its national brethren control both houses of Congress and the White House and might as well control the U.S. Supreme Court, chances are no California Republican will even make next Novembers ballot in either of the top-of-ticket races whose outcome will be known about one year from today.

Its quite the opposite for California Democrats, who exert even more control here than Republicans do in Washington, D.C. While it looks like the next year will be dreary for the state GOP, trying desperately to hold onto the meager 14 California congressional seats it now holds, multiple Democrats lead all polls and fundraising in the race to become Californias next governor  perhaps the second most powerful job in America. So far, only Democrats are among major prospects to oppose longtime California Democratic grandee Dianne Feinstein for the Senate seat shes long held in what promises to become a classic intraparty spat.

Even in down-the-ticket races, its similar. Example: It now looks like the November runoff for attorney general will match the appointed incumbent Xavier Becerra and current state Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, who did not flinch or drop out when Gov. Jerry Brown last year named veteran Congressman Becerra to replace new Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris.

No significant Republican candidate has yet risen for any statewide office except governor, where Orange County Assemblyman Travis Allen and Republican businessman John Cox both hope ballot initiative fights can propel them to the ballot.

Allen seeks to ride a tide he believes will lead to repeal of the states new environmentally-motivated gasoline tax increase, while Cox is again pushing a measure that would expand the Legislature a thousandfold.

No one knows yet if either putative proposition will draw the fervent support these men hope for, but others have ridden initiatives into office, an example being ex-Gov. Pete Wilson, who attached himself to the 1994 Proposition 187, which aimed to take almost all privileges away from undocumented immigrants, including emergency room service and public schooling. Most of its provisions were later tossed out by federal courts, but the vast majority of the 65 percent of Californians who backed 187 also voted for Wilson as he beat former state Treasurer Kathleen Brown, sister of the current governor.

Because both Allen and Cox have polled in the vicinity of 8 percent in every major survey, if Republicans want a spot on the gubernatorial runoff ballot, they will likely need to convince one or the other to bow out. Things could get even tougher for them if Chad Mayes, the former leader of GOP members of the state Assembly, makes good on a hint he will also run.

In the land of political egos, though, it can be difficult to get determined candidates to quit a race merely out of party loyalty. Meanwhile, both leading Democrats in the race, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and ex-Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, poll at least as much as Cox and Allen together. In the land of Top Two primaries, that almost guarantees an all-Democrat race even if one Republican drops out.

Over on the Senate side, only Democrats so far have mounted anything like credible early campaigns against Feinstein. There is as yet no public polling on this race, but no Republican figure with name recognition akin to what Kevin de Leon acquired during three years leading the state Senate has entered the race. Meanwhile, Democratic billionaire Tom Steyer, mulling a Senate run, can write himself a check for however much he wants or needs.

Its true that largely self-funded candidates, aside from muscleman movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger, have not had much luck seeking California office. The defeated include former Northwest Airlines chief Al (Checkbook) Checchi, financier William Simon, Hewlett Packard CEO Meg Whitman and shipping heir William Matson Roth.

Unlike them, Steyer, with the large mailing list of his NextGen environmental organization readily at hand, would have no trouble raising significant money from others.

Put it all together, and it looks like many California Republicans will be mostly occupied in the next year staving off congressional challenges fueled by massive California hostility toward President Trump and anyone backing his agenda.

This should keep the races for top offices largely in the hands of Democrats, who could have major intra-party warfare.

Thomas D. Elias writes the syndicated California Focus column. He is author of the book, The Burzynski Breakthrough: The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Governments Campaign to Squelch It.
The most stinging critiques of Donald Trump's presidency in the last few weeks have come not from Democrats, but from Republican members of the U.S. Senate.

"I will not be complicit," said Jeff Flake of Arizona. Trump's "reckless, outrageous and undignified behavior ... is dangerous to a democracy."

"The debasing of our nation, the constant non-truth-telling ... will be what he is remembered for," said Bob Corker of Tennessee. "He is obviously not going to rise to the occasion as president."

"Half-baked, spurious nationalism cooked up by people who would rather find scapegoats than solve problems," said John McCain of Arizona, slamming Trump's foreign policy.

And yet, Trump is not facing a serious intraparty revolt. Of 52 Republicans in the Senate, only seven have publicly criticized Trump's performance in office. Even fewer have voted against major legislation he wanted. And two of the seven, Corker and Flake, are retiring at the end of 2018. If there were a coherent "Never Trump" caucus in the Senate -- there isn't -- it would be shrinking, not growing.

The main reason is obvious: Trump commands the support of most Republican voters, and he's threatened to use his popularity to scotch the re-election of anyone who crosses him.

An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll last month found that 58 percent of GOP voters consider themselves primarily "supporters of Donald Trump," not "supporters of the Republican Party."

Flake's fate serves as a warning. The Goldwater conservative decided early that he couldn't stomach Trump's populist, not-really-conservative policies. Unlike most of his colleagues, including McCain, he steadfastly refused to endorse Trump as the GOP nominee.

That enraged the president, who announced that he would look for a loyalist to run against Flake, and offered to spend $10 million of his own money to bankroll the challenge. When Flake didn't stop his criticism, Trump's former advisor, Stephen K. Bannon, helped marshal support for Kelli Ward, a fiery former state senator who entered the race as the pro-Trump alternative.

Privately, GOP strategists didn't consider Ward a strong candidate -- but with the apparent imprimatur of the White House, her fundraising and support shot up. One poll last month showed her beating the incumbent easily, 58 percent to 31 percent.

Last week, Flake caved and said he had decided to retire.

"He went down without a fight," Bannon crowed. "Flake shows you one important thing: The money is getting turned off."

GOP strategists told me that Bannon was right: The senator's fundraising was drying up, based mostly on his dismal poll numbers. He could have run, but he would have faced a grueling yearlong ordeal that he was almost certain to lose.

And if anti-Trump Republicans can't win their primaries, they have no place to go, thanks to the institutional barriers that protect the two-party system. In most states, including Arizona, "sore loser" laws prevent a candidate who loses a primary from trying to get on the ballot in the general election as an independent. Theoretically, Flake could have skipped the primary and tried to qualify as an independent, but that isn't easy, either; nobody's succeeded in doing that in Arizona since 1993.

Meanwhile, the senators who aren't retiring are trying to pass legislation -- and that means many of them are hoping for help from Trump, even if they dislike his style of governing.

In practice, Trump's core legislative agenda -- tax cuts, an end to Obamacare, deregulation -- overlaps with traditional Republican priorities. That's why there have been episodic revolts on individual issues (healthcare, sanctions on Russia, state tax deductions) but no broad "Never Trump" movement. McCain, for example, still wants Trump's support on defense spending. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, another occasional critic, wants support on tax reform and healthcare.

"Trump is only going to get stopped if Republicans are the ones who do it," said Mickey Edwards, a former Republican House member from Oklahoma, who has been a caustic Trump critic. "But they've gotten caught up in their crusades: repeal Obamacare, pass tax reform. It isn't worth it just to pass legislation. ... They've taken themselves hostage. If they feel intimidated by the fear of getting defeated, they should shed that. All they risk is losing their jobs."

That is, indeed, the GOP dissenters' choice. They can accommodate to Trumpism; they can retire; or they can stand and fight, knowing that they may lose their seats and be consigned to the political wilderness.

If they're serious about changing the direction of their party, the third way is the only way. It's not a good sign that so few have chosen it.
Appellation St. Helena (ASH) announced their inaugural Holiday Wine Experience to be held on Wednesday, Nov. 8, at the Golden Gate Club located within the Presidio in San Francisco.

Media and the wine trade are invited to attend the pre-opening from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., and the public invitation is from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Consumers will meet winemaking teams and proprietors from over 24 member wineries producing some of the best $50-plus ultra-luxury wines made in the heart of Napa Valley.

Few wine growing regions have the iconic portfolio that St. Helena has. As the epicenter of Napa Wine Excellence, our winery members produce some of the worlds most sought-after wines. Bringing our valley to the city is an excellent opportunity for our Bay Area wine connoisseurs to learn more about us, taste our portfolios, and take home wine for the upcoming holidays, said Lesley Keffer Russell, ASH President.

Wines from pioneering vineyards dating back to the 1860s from wineries including Charles Krug, Pellet Estate, and Varozza, will be poured alongside contemporary producers such as Spottswoode, Corison and Alpha Omega. Attendees will enjoy tasting selections from each winerys portfolio, meeting members of their team, and enjoying on-site purchase opportunities of these limited production wines.

A full list of wineries and tickets are available at http://bit.ly/2yyuIWy. Learn more at http://bit.ly/2yMmZFq.
Tuesday, Oct. 24

0845  Report of a loud leaf blower on Stockton Street.

1309  Report of a woman walking in traffic and acting incoherent on Main Street.

1344  A peanut can with a label reading JJ change and containing coins and a cologne bottle was found on Highway 29.

1415  Medical aid on Hunt Avenue for a woman with gout.

1515  Report of a possible drunk driver unable to maintain his lane near Calistoga.

1728  A yellow lab was walking down Oak Avenue toward Spring Street.

1917  A caller heard screaming and the sound of glass breaking on Hunt Avenue. Police arrested a 30-year-old St. Helena man on suspicion of domestic battery, false imprisonment and resisting arrest.

1937  Report of a woman impersonating a police officer on Main Street.

1941  Medical aid on Redondo Court for a man having trouble breathing.

2047  Report of a married couple having an argument at Deer Park/Silverado.

Wednesday, Oct. 25

1944  Report of a very drunk man stumbling down Main Street. He entered a tasting room and got very aggressive and irate when they wouldnt serve him anything except water. He was a white man, about 55, with dark hair, about 6 feet 5 inches tall, wearing a purple shirt.

Thursday, Oct. 26

1940  Report of a Jeep parked on Crinella Drive for about four months.

2145  Report of a reckless driver wearing in and out of traffic and moving at 90+ mph on northbound Highway 29 from Yountville.

2259  Report of a car swerving and drifting into the oncoming lane on northbound Highway 29 in Rutherford. The driver was talking on a cell phone. Police stopped the car at El Bonita Avenue and arrested the 50-year-old Chula Vista man on suspicion of DUI.

Friday, Oct. 27

0049  Report of a speeding car with squealing tires somewhere near Pope/Signorelli.

0114  Police were asked to check on a possibly drunk woman who was walking along Pope Street.
Soroptimist International of St. Helena will host Elle Snow, founder of Game Over, a nonprofit created to raise awareness of human sex trafficking in local communities from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, at the St. Helena High School Performing Arts Center, 1401 Grayson Ave.

Snow, a human sex trafficking survivor recognized by members of the United States Congress for her advocacy work on behalf of women and girls everywhere, will discuss the many ways human sex trafficking takes hold in a community and what can be done to fight it.

Following her presentation, Snow will participate in a panel discussion with other knowledgeable experts who will address the issue from a local perspective. Audience questions will be taken from the floor.

This event, which is being hosted by Soroptimist International of St. Helena, is open to the public and free of charge. Due to sensitive subject matter, parents are advised to use discretion when bringing children and teens. No RSVP necessary, though space is limited.

For more information about Elle Snow and Game Over please visit itsgameover.org/game-over.
The Stags Leap District Winegrowers Association has released this years Appellation Collection and will donate $100 from each collection to fund Napa Valley Community Foundations Disaster Relief Fund for fire victims.

The 2014 Appellation Collection includes one bottle each of these 17 Stags Leap District wines.

 Baldacci Family Vineyards, 2014 Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon

 Chimney Rock Winery, 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, Ganymede Vineyard

 Cliff Lede Vineyards, 2014 Scarlet Love, Cabernet Sauvignon

 Clos Du Val, 2014 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Hirondelle Vineyard

 Ilsley Vineyards, 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon

 Lindstrom Wines, 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon

 Malk Family Vineyards, 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon

 Odette Estate Winery, 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon

 Pine Ridge Vineyards, 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon

 Quixote Winery, 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon

 Regusci Winery, 2014 The Elders Cabernet Sauvignon

 Shafer Vineyards, 2014 One Point Five Cabernet Sauvignon

 Silverado Vineyards, 2014 SOLO, Cabernet Sauvignon

 Stags Leap Wine Cellars, 2014 Fay Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

 Stags Leap Winery, 2014 The Leap Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

 Steltzner Vineyards, 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon

 Taylor Family Vineyards, 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

The Stags Leap District was impacted by the Atlas Peak Fire as flames came over the ridge and down the Palisades along the eastern side of the district. Damage to the wineries and vineyards of the district was minimal.

The Appellation Collection can be ordered from now through Dec. 15, and only 150 sets are available for purchase.

The 2014 Appellation Collection is priced at $1,999 and includes ground shipping for 17 bottles shipped in two boxes with detailed winemaker tasting notes. Additional sales tax of 8 percent applies to purchases made in California and in various other states, to the extent required by law.

It can be ordered at www.stagsleapdistrict.com/appellationcollection.
SANFORD, Florida  A six-member jury found former Clerk of Court Mitch Needeleman guilty of all counts related to bribery, conspiracy to commit bribery, bid tampering, and official misconduct in the BlueWare scandal. He now faces up to 45 years in prison but will likely receive a lesser sentence due to a clean prior criminal history. Because Needelman is 65-years-old, even a 20-year sentence would likely mean a life sentence for him. Sentencing is scheduled to take place in December. Thank goodness he did not walk, current Clerk of Court Scott Ellis said of the verdict.

Brevard Times investigative coverage of the alleged scandal over the last two years leading up to the arrests. The case was transferred from Brevard County to Seminole County due to, in most part  investigative coverage of the alleged scandal over the last two years leading up to the arrests.

BlueWare Scandal Timeline



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In March 2012, Needelman and Dupree met with Geaney at Needelmans residence and allegedly told him Brevard County would enter into the scanning contract with BlueWare if a portion of the money paid to BlueWare would be diverted back to Dupree for Needelmans 2012 reelection campaign. According to Florida State Attorney Phil Archer, the investigation shows that a portion of the BlueWare payments was allegedly funneled back to Dupree for Needelmans 2012 reelection campaign.

In April 2012, BlueWare allegedly assisted in drafting the invitation to negotiate (ITN) for Brevard County Clerk of Court for the scanning contract and subsequently responded to the ITN.

The ITN was posted on May 4, 2012, and records indicate questions from other bidders were sent to a county employees personal email account and then forwarded to Harr and Geaney to write responses. The responses were then emailed back to the bidders using the county email system.

On May 23, 2012, a payment of $500,000 was wired to BlueWare even though the contract had not been signed. The actual contract was signed June 29, 2012, and on that day, the first monthly payment of $90,000 was sent to BlueWare.

Brevard Times On July 10, 2012, raised questions regarding the propriety of the bidding, payment and contract procedures.

Also in July 2012, the FDLE began a criminal investigation after it received information alleging Needelman approved Brevard County Clerk of Court contracts with BlueWare in exchange for personal financial gain for himself and Dupree.

On August 12, 2012, Needelman submitted a letter to the editor contending that the alleged improprieties were made up by a disgruntled former BlueWare employee, Nick Geaney, who was merely trying to shake down BlueWare for money.

In August 2012, Needelman lost his bid for re-election for Brevard County Clerk of Court to Scott Ellis in the Republican primary. Before leaving office, in October 2012, Needelman entered into a loan with Hewlett-Packard Financial Services for $5.6 million dollars where BlueWare received the loan proceeds although Brevard County was obligated to repay the loan.

In August 2013, Needelman, Harr, and Dupree are arrested
While the initial shock of a tremendously personal data breach of Equifax has subsided, two Goizueta Business School professors have said the fallout could go on for years, or even a decade.

In late September, embattled Equifax CEO Richard Smith stepped down, less than a month after the credit reporting agency announced that a hack to its computer system exposed the sensitive personal information of 143 million Americans. In recent weeks, it was reported that nearly 11 million drivers licenses were among the data in the breach.

The fallout has been significant, from top leadership stepping down, to the stock price dropping some 40 percent before a small rebound.

Overall, three top executives stepped down, and interim CEO Paulino do Rego Barros, Jr., most recently president of the Asia Pacific region, replaced Smith. Equifax is also facing several state and federal inquiries, class-action lawsuits and congressional investigations.

Earlier this month, the IRS temporarily suspended the $7.2 million, no-bid contract it awarded to Equifax to verify the identities of taxpayers when they create accounts on its website.

Peter Topping, associate professor in the Practice of Organization & Management at Goizueta, said previous hacks of companies like Target, Home Depot and Yahoo may suggest the recovery period would be relatively short, the scope of this breach, and the fact that the company is supposedly in the business of secure information, may extend this to a two-year time frame.
Teaching about the connections among the ancient cultures around the Mediterranean Sea can be an ambitious goal, but Emory College history professor Cynthia Patterson has a secret weapon.

Steps away from the classroom where Patterson teaches her first-year seminar sits the Michael C. Carlos Museum. As the title of the course  Exploring the Ancient Mediterranean Through the Carlos Museum"  makes clear, Patterson makes use of the artifacts there to help convey that world through art, literature and history in a way that lecture alone simply cannot.

Talking about the objects shows how interconnected the cultures were, Patterson says. Going to the museum and seeing these items, and then learning how they were collected and noticing how they are exhibited, helps us understand that ancient world.

The Ancient Mediterranean Studies program, which Patterson directs, already relies on an interdisciplinary framework to help students understand the legacies of the ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Near Eastern cultures.

Patterson is especially passionate about the study, challenging the notion that the Western culture we know today began with the laws and society of ancient Greece.

Her students, she says, learn about Near Eastern influences on Greece, as well as about conflict and both the Persian and Roman empires in the Mediterranean world.

That opens the door to later conversations about how museums such as the Carlos have acquired their collections and ethical questions about properly displaying pieces for public education or enjoyment.

Sophomore Andrew Hoover, a neuroscience and behavioral biology major, took Pattersons class last year because he was into museums.

He became so intrigued by the cultures and questions the seminar raised that he spent his summer delving into the Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives and Rare Book Library for the travel diary and other papers of William Arthur Shelton.

A professor in Emory's Candler School of Theology, Shelton traveled to the Near East between 1919 and 1920 to buy ancient artifacts for Emory. His acquisitions now form the core of a central Carlos Museum collection, including the oldest Egyptian mummy in the Americas.

Hoover expected to find academic writings about Sheltons travels. What he found was a professor who was captured and interrogated on his way to Aleppo  released only when the natives battling the British realized he was an American  and who traveled in a warlords armored car.

I was thinking this would be a mild-mannered Emory professor but he turned out to be a revolver-carrying Indiana Jones, says Hoover, who turned his independent research into a website and interactive map that traces Sheltons travels.

The knowledge I have about his artifacts came directly from conducting object history in Dr. Pattersons class, just like I learned you can understand more than a blurb in a museum if you do the research, Hoover adds.

Learning to examine cultural antiquities can be intensely personal as well. Alex Kiritsy is in Pattersons seminar now, not because it ties into her pre-med plans but because of her own heritage.

Her paternal great-grandfather immigrated to Massachusetts from Delvine, Albania, a town in the historically Greek region of Epirus.

In wanting to know her family history, she wanted to study Greek history beyond her passing knowledge of mythology and the origins of democracy.

For her class project, she plans to research a marble statue in the Carlos Museum collection, conjectured to be a muse and suggested to have originated in the Epirus region.

Kiritsy already has learned that the head of the statue is constructed of a finer marble than the body. That indicates that the piece was created at different times by different craftsmen. But her true aim is to assist in determining the object's specific place of origin, something researchers have struggled to do, because differing regions lay claim to it.

I personally believe in preserving objects as best we can, whether that means they stay in a museum or are returned to their home country if they can be preserved there, Kiritsy says. I can really see how having an object available, to see it in person, can evoke emotions in a much deeper way.
Story Highlights 56% of Pakistanis are confident in the government, up from 26% in 2013

55% say they approve of their country's leadership, up from 18% in 2013

Dismissal, indictment of Nawaz Sharif may risk gains

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's ouster and subsequent indictment on corruption charges may damage Pakistanis' recently restored faith in their leadership during his tenure. Before Sharif's removal in July, the majority of Pakistanis approved of their country's leadership (55%) and expressed confidence in the national government (56%). This is a turnaround from the low levels recorded before Sharif took office in 2013.

Pakistanis' confidence in their government and approval of their leadership hovered at or near record lows prior to Sharif's election in June 2013. Confidence in the national government had bottomed out at 23% in 2012, in the wake of the "Memogate" scandal that indicated Pakistani civilian leaders had requested U.S. assistance to deal with the fallout after the death of Osama bin Laden. Fewer than one in five Pakistanis (18%) said they approved of their country's leadership in May 2013, just before Sharif's election.

After he took office, both measures improved markedly and kept improving. Pakistanis' approval of their country's leadership rose 32 percentage points between 2013 and 2014, while confidence in the national government increased 17 points. The 2017 figures for Pakistanis' confidence in the national government and approval of their country's leadership effectively tie the record highs at points in the past decade.

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Sharif Has Remained Popular Despite Corruption Allegations

Sharif maintained relatively high approval ratings throughout his most recent tenure as prime minister, with about half of Pakistanis saying they approved of his handling of the job. In April 2016, Sharif and his family were implicated in corruption with the release of the "Panama Papers." According to these documents, Sharif's family owned a series of high-end properties in London, through shell companies -- and these properties were reportedly not included on Sharif's family's wealth statement.

In April 2017, the Pakistani Supreme Court ordered an investigation into these claims, which eventually resulted in Sharif's removal. Despite these allegations and the investigation into them, 51% of Pakistanis said earlier in 2017 that they approve of his handling of the position.

Bottom Line

No Pakistani prime minister has ever served a full term; most have been deposed by judicial decision or military coups. Sharif's dismissal continues this unenviable tradition and could weaken Pakistanis' confidence in their civilian government and their approval of the country's leadership.

Sharif was popular before his indictment, and apparently was planning a return to politics by resuming his position as the head of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Party. An ally of Sharif was named interim prime minister, and his brother was set to be his successor -- likely indicating his ouster would have little practical impact on the country. However, Sharif's indictment and the warrant issued for his arrest, following a failure to appear in court on Oct. 26, throws this apparent continuity into question. Another hearing in the case against Sharif is scheduled for Nov. 3. It is unclear whether the former prime minister will appear.
- Trump will not visit heavily fortified DMZ on his Asia trip.





- Officials say there isn't enough time on his schedule.





- He will however visit Camp Humphreys, a military installation in South Korea.

U.S. President Donald Trump commences his tour of Asia later this week and according to sources from within his administration, he will not be visiting the demilitarized zone (DMZ) which lies along the border between North Korea and South Korea.





"The president is not going to visit the DMZ. There is not enough time in the schedule," the official told reporters in a background briefing.





Instead, Trump will be the first American president to visit Camp Humphreys, a military installation south of the South Korean capital of Seoul.





"We thought that would make more sense in terms of its messaging, in terms of the chance to address families and troops there," the official said.
- Palestine vows to attack Israel in response to air strikes.





- Armed groups vow to respond to Israeli air strikes on Gaza.





- Israel attacked a tunnel in Gaza on Monday.

After watching the Israeli Army carry out attacks in a tunnel in Gaza on Monday, some armed Palestinian groups have vowed to carry out reprisal attacks as response.





"We will exercise our right to respond - this is our duty," Daoud Shehab, a leader in the Islamic Jihad movement, told Al Jazeera, adding that it is the legitimate right of the resistance groups to respond.





Palestinian media said that the tunnel in Khan Younis had been hit by the Israeli air force.





"Reports said Israel fired five missiles at the tunnel that was being dug east of Khan Younis and which Israel claims was leading to its territory," Palestinian news agency Wafa said.





Since 2008, Israel has launched three offensives on the Gaza Strip.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 00:14:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BEIJING, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Top Chinese military officials Monday said the People's Liberation Army (PLA) must follow the command of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, the Central Military Commission, and its chairman Xi Jinping "at any time and in any circumstance."

According to a statement issued after a group study session of the CPC Central Military Commission, top military officials including Xu Qiliang and Zhang Youxia have said studying the spirit of the just concluded 19th CPC National Congress is a primary political task.

Both Xu and Zhang are members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and vice chairmen of the CPC Central Military Commission.

The statement said the PLA must arm itself with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and ensure its "absolute loyalty, purity and reliability."

It must focus on combat capability as the sole and fundamental benchmark, deepen military reform and keep high pressure on corruption within the military, it said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 01:19:47|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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GENEVA, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Switzerland has sent reinforcements to Italy to help extinguish the fires that have been raging throughout several regions of Piedmont and Lombardy for the last week, the Swiss government said Monday.

Three of the Swiss Armed Forces' Super Puma helicopters joined the firefighting efforts Monday afternoon, and at the same time, a humanitarian team travelled to Bergamo, where it became part of the operations centre run by Italy's civil protection authorities, the Swiss Federal Government said in a statement.

A series of wildfires has spread throughout northern Italy over the past week, destroying many hectares of forests. Hundreds of inhabitants in the Lombardy and Piedmont regions have had to be evacuated from their homes.

According to the statement, the combination of dryness and intense winds is making the firefighters task all the more difficult.

"Switzerland has responded positively to Italy's request for aerial reinforcements. This morning, the Federal Council gave the go-ahead for the deployment of three Super Puma helicopters," the statement said.

The Swiss government said that a detachment from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit has landed at Bergamo airport, where the Italian civil protection authorities have set up their crisis management centre.

The team, made up of two members of the Swiss Armed Forces with forest-firefighting expertise, will ensure coordination with the local authorities and facilitate the deployment of the Swiss helicopters.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 01:39:50|Editor: Yamei

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People wave Spanish national flags in a march with the slogan "Enough and let's recover the sensibility", to defend the Spanish constitution and the unity of Spain in Barcelona, Spain, Oct. 8, 2017. (Xinhua file photo/Juan Carlos Rojas)

BRUSSELS, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Ousted Catalonian president Carles Puigdemont, as well as five of his advisers, is in Belgium, amidst speculation he could apply for political asylum, local media reported on Monday.

After first confirming Puigdemont's presence in Brussels for a private meeting with the N-VA, the Flemish nationalist and conservative party, the Belgian media relayed the information from Belgian Vice-prime minister Jan Jambon that Puigdemont had not been invited by the N-VA and that nothing had been organized in any way for this.

According to Spanish newspapers, however, Puigdemont is in Belgium to apply for political asylum.

Spain's Attorney-General Jose Manuel Maza announced on Monday morning that Puigdemont was being sued because of his unilateral declaration of independence last Friday. The sacked president is being prosecuted for rebellion as well as sedition and misuse of public funds. He could face up to 30 years in prison.

The application for political asylum has not yet been confirmed by local media and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has not given any comment.

For the Spanish government, the application for political asylum is "a pure sign of despair", local Belgian newspaper La Libre reported.

The Spanish government took charge of Catalonia's administration on Friday shortly after the declaration of independence. Madrid appointed Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, Spain's deputy prime minister, to replace Puigdemont as the head of the region, whose former parliament has been dissolved.

Last week-end, Belgian asylum and migration Secretary of State Theo Francken said Belgium would be ready to grant Puigdemont political asylum. However, this was quickly denied by the prime minister who said it was not "on the agenda of the day" and asked Francken not to "add fuel to the fire".

Interviewed by radio and tv news station RTBF, a professor specializing in European law for migration and asylum policies at the Free University of Brussels (ULB) warned about the consequences of granting such a request: "If Belgium decides to examine this application, it would have to refer immediately to the European Council and that would obviously be a decision with significant consequences," he said.

According to RTBF, Puigdemont is in a safe and discreet place, and might make a speech Tuesday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 01:54:55|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's newly appointed Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Hamisi Kigwangalla said on Monday the east African nation's anti-poaching drive will now focus on the arrest of ringleaders and dismantling of poaching syndicates instead of seizure of ivory.

"The government will use intelligence to arrest poaching ringleaders," he said in the country's political capital, Dodoma.

He said the government is investigating a huge poaching syndicate.

Kigwangalla said a hardcore poacher was arrested in Meatu district in Shinyanga region on Sunday as he was planning to kill a rhino in the Setrengeti National Park.

"The poacher was arrested in possession of 356 rounds of ammunition, two magazines and two saws," the minister said.

In May, former Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Jumanne Maghembe said poaching was still haunting Tanzania, with more than 7,000 related arrests in 2016-2017.

Tanzania was once home to 110,000 elephants but poaching resulted in the loss of almost 90 percent of the population in the last 40 years.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 02:20:00|Editor: Mengjie

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A man kisses a Palestinian killed after Israeli army bombarded a tunnel, at a morgue at al-Aqsa hospital in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, on Oct. 30, 2017. Seven militants were killed and ten injured after the Israeli army bombarded on Monday a tunnel underneath the borders between southeast Gaza Strip and Israel, medics and security sources said. (Xinhua/Wissam Nassar)

GAZA, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Seven militants were killed and ten injured after the Israeli army bombarded on Monday a tunnel underneath the borders between southeast Gaza Strip and Israel, medics and security sources said.

Ashraf al-Qedra, spokesman of Gaza health ministry, told reporters that seven Palestinians were killed and ten injured, after the Israeli army bombed an area southeast of the Gaza Strip, close to the borders with Israel.

Security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Israeli army bombarded with several bombs a tunnel that was dug underneath the borderline area between southeast Gaza Strip and Israel.

They said ten people were stuck for a while into the destroyed tunnel, and contact with them was disconnected, adding that the ten are members of the Islamic Jihad's armed wing, better known as Saraya al-Quds, or al-Quds Brigades.

Islamic Jihad spokesman in Gaza Dawood Shihab told reporters "our response to this crime will be taken in the right moment. This is an attempt to mix up the situation after the attempt of assassinating General Tawfiq Abu Ne'em on Friday."

He added that his group is studying to respond to the attack on the tunnel, adding that a final decision will be made within the coming few hours after consultation with all Palestinian factions.

Mohamed al-Hindi, the top Islamic Jihad leader in the Gaza Strip said that the Egyptian-brokered truce reached between Israel and Gaza militant groups is not valid anymore and called for a response to the Israeli attack on the tunnel.

The Islamic Jihad said in an emailed press statement that five of the dead are members in the group's armed wing and two are members in Islamic Hamas movement's armed wing, al-Qassam Brigades.

Earlier on Monday, the Israeli army announced that an underground tunnel that goes from southern Gaza into Israel was blown up and destroyed, adding that the tunnel is 2 km long and it is under construction.

Israel held Islamic Hamas movement responsible for constructing tunnels that are used by militants in the Gaza Strip to carry out attacks from the coastal enclave into Israel.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 02:50:09|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Burak Akinci

ANKARA, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- A newly built railway line, which connects Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia in Azerbaijan's capital city of Baku, has been inaugurated Monday, linking central Asia and Europe through the Caucasus region.

The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) Railway, linking London to Beijing, will have the capacity to annually transport 1 million passengers and 6.5 million tons of freight at the initial stage.

The first train departed from Baku following an inauguration attended by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili.

"The BTK railway will not only connect Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, but also Europe and Asia. By this railway cargo and passengers will be transported nonstop from London to China," noted Erdogan during the official opening ceremony in Baku.

He also pointed out that the new railway will create great social and economic benefits for the entire region while his Azeri counterpart underlined the "historic" significance of the line.

"It is expected to transport 17 million tons of cargos at the next stage. And then larger volumes will be transported," President Aliyev said, adding that "the BTK railway is becoming an important part of Eurasia's transport map."

The BTK promises to provide an economic boost to the region, increase connectivity between Europe and Asia and encourage more freight to go by rail, as China is Europe's second biggest trading partner behind the United States, while Europe is China's biggest trading partner.

The date of the first official run of the 825 km line coincides with the liberation day of Kars, a city in northeastern Turkey and the last stop on the BTK line. The initial plan was to open the railway in 2010 but it was delayed several times, mainly for financial reasons.

Turkish Transportation, Maritime Affairs and Communication Minister Ahmet Arslan mentioned two obstacles in uninterrupted goods transport between Beijing and London via railways, which have been solved through multilateral efforts.

"The first was the Bosporus Strait, in Istanbul, Turkey's economic hub. We have solved this problem, as you know. The other one was the missing line between Kars and Akhalkalaki in Georgia. That link is now established through the BTK line," he said.

Arslan said that the railway would add significant value to countries hosting the line and revive the regional economy. It will also facilitate the delivery of goods to target markets. The new railway corridor, he said, will enable easier transportation between Turkey and Asia as well as the Caucasus and European countries.

"Transportation of goods manufactured and produced in China as well as raw materials will be facilitated via an uninterrupted line of railways," Arslan said.

"Investors who want to set up logistics centers in Eastern Anatolia and carry goods from the region to other areas are looking forward to the project," he added.

Turkey inaugurated in 2013 the world's deepest underwater railway tunnel under the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul, Marmaray, connecting the European and Asian continents for the first time.

Experts underlined the strategic importance of the BTK amid China's Belt and Road Initiative, which aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes.

Turkey is also working extensively on the Middle Corridor plan, linking by railway Kars to its western city of Edirne, at Europe's gate on the Greek border.

"When this railway is operational, Turkey will play a major role in connecting London to Beijing, through new highways and railways. We always say that Turkey is a bridge between Europe and Asia, but this will then be physically true," said Altay Atli, researcher at the Istanbul-based Sabanci University's Istanbul Policy center.

"The BTK is very appropriate to the logic of the Belt and Road Initiative, and has a global importance in regards to the interconnectivity between the European and Asian continents," said Atli.

The BTK railway will reduce the transport time of goods from China to Europe and vice versa to 15 days, which is less than half of the time that it takes today through sea transportation.

"The BTK will offer easier, less expensive transportation options, will strengthen people-to-people contacts, contribute to developments to increase the welfare of the region with tourism, promote mobility of goods and people and integrate the region with the international community and markets," said Ozge Nur Ogutcu, an analyst at the Ankara-based Center for Eurasian Studies in a recent report.

"For centuries the Silk Road was the main focus. Even today, as it was in the past, any project that contains corridors passing through this region will benefit all actors. This route provided and still provides a good base for win-win trade and for Silk Road-built connections," added Ogutcu.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 03:40:26|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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LISBON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker was here on Monday to take part in a Portuguese Council of State meeting.

"It is an honor for I know it is rare for a Portuguese to be invited to these meetings," Junker said. The EC president was invited to take part in the meeting by Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

Junker spoke briefly to the press outside the presidential palace where he spoke about Portugal's wild fires. Over 100 people have died in wild fires in Portugal in the last four months.

"I would like to express my condolences to all the families, the men, women and children who were victims of this natural disaster," Junker said.

Junker met Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, earlier in the day and promised to revamp the European Union's civil protection procedures.

"We will do everything we can to show Europe's solidarity with Portugal," he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 03:50:29|Editor: Yamei

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Kevin Downing (L), attorney for Paul Manafort, former campaign manager of U.S. President Donald Trump, speaks to the press after a hearing related to alleged Russian meddling in the U.S. 2016 presidential elections outside the Federal District Court in Washington D.C., the United States, on Oct. 30, 2017. Three of U.S. President Donald Trump's former campaign aides were indicted on Monday, and two of them pleaded not guilty to all charges. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Three of U.S. President Donald Trump's former campaign aides were indicted on Monday, and two of them pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Paul Manafort, former campaign manager of Trump, pleaded on Monday not guilty to all charges filed in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe over the alleged Russia meddling in the U.S. 2016 presidential elections.

Manafort, together with his former business associate Rick Gates, appeared in the Federal District Court in Washington on Monday afternoon. Gates also pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.

The indictment of Manafort and Gates neither mentioned Trump nor election meddling. However, the 31-page indictment against the two men contains 12 counts, including conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy against the U.S., unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading statements surrounding the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), false statements and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts.

In another development, an early foreign policy advisers to Trump's presidential campaign, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty to lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about a contact with a professor with ties to Moscow, prosecutors said on Monday.

Papadopoulos admitted that he lied in a January interview with the FBI about his contacts with a Russian professor who has "substantial connections to Russian government officials," according to the New York Times report, quoting court documents.

Papadopoulos told the FBI at the time that the conversation took place before he joined Trump's presidential campaign. In fact, it happened days after he became Trump's adviser and the Russian professor took interest in him "because of his status with the (Trump) campaign," the court documents said.

After it became public that three of his former campaign aides were indicted, Trump claimed on Twitter Monday morning that there was "no collusion."

"Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????" Trump tweeted.

"Also, there is NO COLLUSION!" the president announced.

Manafort was indicted on charges that he funneled millions of dollars through overseas shell companies and used the money to buy luxury cars, real estate, antiques and expensive suits, according to the NYT report.

"Manafort used his hidden overseas wealth to enjoy a lavish lifestyle in the United States without paying taxes on that income," the indictment reads.

The authorities said Manafort laundered more than 18 million U.S. dollars, while Gates is accused of transferring more than three million dollars from offshore accounts. The two are also charged with making false statements.

"As part of the scheme, Manafort and Gates repeatedly provided false information to financial bookkeepers, tax accountants and legal counsel, among others," the indictment read.

A federal grand jury on Friday filed first charges in Mueller's investigation, which Trump has repeatedly called "a witch hunt."

Trump has vigorously denied allegations of collusion between his campaign and Moscow during the elections. The Russian government has also repeatedly dismissed seeking to influence the U.S. elections.

Mueller, the retired FBI director, was appointed in May as Special Counsel in charge of the Russia probe. His prosecutors have been presenting evidence before a federal grand jury in Washington.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 04:15:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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JERUSALEM, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli Ministry of Tourism presented certificates on Monday to more than 40 Chinese tour leaders after a training course, the first of such kind launched by the ministry.

The move is a part of the Israeli ongoing activities to develop tourism products for Chinese tourists and encourage incoming tourism from China.

Amir Halevi, director general of the ministry, said at the certificate presentation ceremony that the course aims to solve the shortage of Chinese-speaking Israeli tour guides.

The Chinese tour leaders taking course are from China's travel agencies in cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu, which are focusing on cooperating with Israeli partners to attract more Chinese tourists to Israel.

The tour-leaders course, which includes 13 days of intense touring around the country and a 90-minute written test, introduced the Israeli tourism products, the ministry said.

The shortage of Chinese-speaking tour guide has threatened the quality of the tourism experience for Chinese tourists, it added.

China and Israel already have had a lot of cooperation in the sectors of economy, agriculture, high technology, science and tourism as well, said Halevi.

Direct flights from China to Israel will provide more convenience for the two countries for further cooperation, he added.

"We want to further collaborate with China and hopefully we can keep the wonderful relationship with China," he said.

Halevi believed that big achievements made in the last five years by the two countries would continue in the coming years.

In the first eight months of 2017, the number of Chinese tourists to Israel totaled 71,300, up 60 percent from a year ago, according to the statistics from the ministry.

Estimates put that the number of Chinese tourists to Israel would exceed 100,000 in 2017 and reach 200,000 within two to three years.
File Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event highlighting efforts to battle the opioid crisis at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on Oct. 26, 2017. (Xinhua/Ting Shen)

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Three of U.S. President Donald Trump's former campaign aides were indicted on Monday, and two of them pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Paul Manafort, former campaign manager of Trump, pleaded on Monday not guilty to all charges filed in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe over the alleged Russia meddling in the U.S. 2016 presidential elections.

Manafort, together with his former business associate Rick Gates, appeared in the Federal District Court in Washington on Monday afternoon. Gates also pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.

The indictment of Manafort and Gates neither mentioned Trump nor election meddling. However, the 31-page indictment against the two men contains 12 counts, including conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy against the U.S., unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading statements surrounding the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), false statements and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts.

In another development, an early foreign policy advisers to Trump's presidential campaign, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty to lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about a contact with a professor with ties to Moscow, prosecutors said on Monday.

Papadopoulos admitted that he lied in a January interview with the FBI about his contacts with a Russian professor who has "substantial connections to Russian government officials," according to the New York Times report, quoting court documents.

Papadopoulos told the FBI at the time that the conversation took place before he joined Trump's presidential campaign. In fact, it happened days after he became Trump's adviser and the Russian professor took interest in him "because of his status with the (Trump) campaign," the court documents said.

After it became public that three of his former campaign aides were indicted, Trump claimed on Twitter Monday morning that there was "no collusion."

"Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????" Trump tweeted.

"Also, there is NO COLLUSION!" the president announced.

Manafort was indicted on charges that he funneled millions of dollars through overseas shell companies and used the money to buy luxury cars, real estate, antiques and expensive suits, according to the NYT report.

"Manafort used his hidden overseas wealth to enjoy a lavish lifestyle in the United States without paying taxes on that income," the indictment reads.

The authorities said Manafort laundered more than 18 million U.S. dollars, while Gates is accused of transferring more than three million dollars from offshore accounts. The two are also charged with making false statements.

"As part of the scheme, Manafort and Gates repeatedly provided false information to financial bookkeepers, tax accountants and legal counsel, among others," the indictment read.

A federal grand jury on Friday filed first charges in Mueller's investigation, which Trump has repeatedly called "a witch hunt."

Trump has vigorously denied allegations of collusion between his campaign and Moscow during the elections. The Russian government has also repeatedly dismissed seeking to influence the U.S. elections.

Mueller, the retired FBI director, was appointed in May as Special Counsel in charge of the Russia probe. His prosecutors have been presenting evidence before a federal grand jury in Washington.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 05:00:51|Editor: Mengjie

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Rwandan Minister of Agriculture Gerardine Mukeshimana speaks at the opening of the 7th Session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) in Kigali, capital of Rwanda, on Oct. 30, 2017. Developing drought- and disease-resistant crops is vital amid concerns of growing effects of climate change on food security on the African continent, agriculture experts said in Kigali on Monday. (Xinhua/Gabriel Dusabe)

KIGALI, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Developing drought- and disease-resistant crops is vital amid concerns of growing effects of climate change on food security on the African continent, agriculture experts said in Kigali on Monday.

The experts are in the Rwandan capital attending the 7th Session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA).

The five-day meeting, which opened on Monday, draws participants from over 140 countries, signatories to the treaty, which binds members to conserve and sustain use of all plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, while ensuring fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of their use.

"Science and research plays an essential role on agricultural systems including crop varieties. It's better countries invest in research for improved food plant genetics," said Kent Nnadozie, secretary for ITPGRFA.

He called on African countries to allocate more funds to do research on crops able to resist climate change, droughts and other shocks to bridge crop production gap and ensure food security.

Rwandan minister of agriculture Gerardine Mukeshimana described crop diseases as a major global issue which calls for development of resistant varieties.

The minister said in Rwanda this year, armyworm attack caused a loss of about 5 percent of crop yield.

Countries need to have as many varieties as possible in circulation among farmers so that when one crop is attacked, others will grow, she said.

Broadening research in climate resilient food crops will play a central role in helping farmers in drought-affected regions, said Selim Guvener, general counsel of International Potato Center based in Peru.

"Biodiversity can help us face the impacts of climate change. So we need to introduce various kinds of crop varieties capable of surviving dry conditions," he said.

The meeting's theme is "2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Role of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture."

Hunger is on the rise in the world as, overall, hungry people increased to 815 million in 2016 from 777 million in 2015, according to a report issued by the Food Agriculture and Organization of the United Nations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 06:06:02|Editor: Jiaxin

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Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson is pictured during an exclusive interview with Xinhua in Little Rock, Arkansas, the United States, on Oct. 23, 2017. Asa Hutchinson has vowed to safeguard Chinese investments in Arkansas and seek more business partnership during his China visit. The governor made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Xinhua recently. (Xinhua/Liu Liwei)

By Xinhua Writer Gao Lu

LITTLE ROCK, the United States, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has vowed to safeguard Chinese investments in Arkansas and seek more business partnership during his forthcoming China visit.

The governor made the remarks in an exclusive interview with Xinhua recently.

Hutchinson, who has served as the governor of Arkansas since Jan. 13, 2015, is going to visit China for the third time on Nov.1. During the five-day tour, his delegation will visit Beijing, Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu and Shanghai, meeting government officials and local businessmen.

In an in-depth interview with Xinhua, Hutchinson said there are three main purposes of his trip: to visit the companies that are already committed in Arkansas, to continue marketing Arkansas rice and agricultural products, and to promote Arkansas as a tourist destination for Chinese customers.

According to him, the primary purpose of the trip is to visit Chinese companies that have already invested in Arkansas "to make sure the state government is doing everything it can to facilitate the investment."

There has been big progress of Chinese investment in Arkansas in the past years. Over the last two years, four Chinese companies have announced plans to locate new facilities in Arkansas. These companies will create more than 1,500 new jobs while investing 1.4 billion U.S dollars in the state.

"The primary purpose is to visit the companies that have already indicated they would be interested in investing in Arkansas, just to make sure that those projects go smoothly," Hutchinson said.

In July, China and the U.S. have reached an agreement on inspection and quarantine protocols for U.S. rice exports to China. This was a good news for Arkansas that leads the nation in rice production. Arkansas cultivates more rice than all other U.S. states combined. The untapped Chinese market has the potential to enhance the role that the over 6 billion dollars rice industry plays in Arkansas's economy.

"We are delighted that China has opened up the market with Arkansas rice," said the governor. "This will be an opportunity to convey our thanks and excitement about Arkansas rice being marketed in China."

In terms of tourism, Hutchinson said he hopes more Chinese tourists will consider the state as a destination when traveling in the United States.

"Tourism is our number two industry in Arkansas, and I think that Chinese citizens who have visited the east and west coasts (of the U.S.) would like to visit Arkansas. We want to be able to emphasize that."

Although Arkansas values Chinese market, Hutchinson said the economic collaboration is not one-way only.

"China is an important market for Arkansas, both in terms of our consumer products, going there from rice to electronics. But it's also an important investment country for us," said the governor.

He gave an example of Arkansas-based company Walmart which has been operating in China for over 20 years where it has more than 400 retail locations. Another example is Arkansas Tyson Foods company which produces poultry in China with Arkansas brand.

"Those investments and partnerships are very important to this state," said Hutchinson.

Since 2015 when taking in office as governor, Hutchinson has made every effort in creating jobs. By emphasizing computer science education, he aimed to create the software engineers and the coding talent as needed to sustain and grow the existing industry, and to create new technology type jobs.

Chinese garment companies invested in Arkansas created opportunities for local well-trained talents.

"These are not the old-fashioned garment companies that rely upon massive amounts of human labor. They utilize robotics, they utilize technology so that if students have a good education in computer science, they will be the workforce that is needed for those types of industries," Hutchinson said.

Talking about his impression of China, the governor said the economic growth of China in the past years was remarkable.

"They continue to grow their economy and the standard of living of the Chinese people is increasing day by day. So, all of that is very positive," he said, adding, "It's much more open. And not just the leadership is globally focused, but the citizens are more globally focused as well."

U.S. President Donald Trump is to visit China between Nov. 8 and Nov. 10. That will be his first state visit to China since he took office.

Commenting on the visit, Hutchinson said Trump's visit "is a sign that the U.S.-China global relationship on trade is very important, and we're going to keep it on track."

"I'm very optimistic about the future of our relationship. China has demonstrated its very maturing economy, growing wage base that's matured to the point where you're looking for, and investment opportunities," the governor said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 06:16:07|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BEIRUT, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's President Michel Aoun said Monday that his country was at a breaking point in dealing with Syrian refugees, describing the crisis as "an existential threat."

"Lebanon is no longer able to wait anymore and bear with the suffering of the Syrian refugees because this issue has turned into an existential threat," a statement from the presidency said.

He added "there is a need to achieve a political solution in Syria, but it seems the solution is still not within reach."

The statement came out after Aoun welcomed the European Parliament's delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries, including Egypt, Jordan, Syrian and Lebanon.

Marisa Matias, who headed the delegation, thanked Aoun for welcoming the delegation and handed him a written message from the European Parliament President Antonio Tajani, which included an invitation to address the parliament in Strasbourg.

According to the statement, the EU has expressed support for Aoun's proposal for Lebanon to become a hub for religious and cultural dialogue.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 06:31:12|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DAMASCUS, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday pledged to continue its relief aid to Syria to alleviate the suffering of Syrian people in the war-torn country.

The pledge was made by Chinese Ambassador to Syria Qi Qianjin during an inspection tour of several establishments in the town of Manin in north of Damascus, including a bakery, a medical clinic and a charity kitchen, which received Chinese aid through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC).

Qi said that Chinese government in May donated 1 million U.S. dollars in emergency financial aid to the ICRC to support its humanitarian relief operations in Syria, including providing clean water, food, temporary sheltering and medical treatment for the internally displaced Syrians and refugees from neighboring countries.

The Chinese aid was part of the joint efforts that China has conducted with the ICRC to alleviate the suffering of Syrian people affected by the protracted civil war and violence through providing humanitarian aid, the ambassador said.

"The Chinese government has cooperated with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Food Program (WFP) in many projects in Syria and we would like for these projects to be conducive in alleviating the suffering of the Syrian people and boost the tracks of the political solution in the country," he said.

At the SARC headquarters in the town, people were lining up, waiting to get relief aid that included mattresses, blankets, and food parcels.

"I take aid every six months, which includes a food parcel containing some foodstuff, rice and sometimes wheat. I say thanks to everyone who contributes in relief aid whoever they are," Imad Adleh, a resident of Manin, told Xinhua while waiting in the line.

In a statement, the Chinese Embassy said the visit on Monday was to check on the humanitarian assistance program in Manin, which includes the joint efforts of the Chinese government and the ICRC to provide humanitarian assistance to Syria.

"We hope that this program, including water treatment, collective kitchen, bakeries, and relief distribution point could mitigate the suffering of affected people in Syria," the statement said.

Throughout the over six-year war, the Chinese government has progressively engaged in alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Syria through cooperation with multilateral organizations and direct donation as well as direct interaction with the Syrian government.

In the first half of 2017, the Chinese government signed three assistance gratis agreements, which were worth over 40 million dollars, with the Syrian government to support the sectors of electrical devices, transportation, and other humanitarian aid operations.

In addition to the above assistance, the Chinese government has also donated 5,400 tons of rice to Syria, among which the first convoy of 1,000 tons will arrive in the seaport of Latakia this week, the Chinese embassy said in the statement.

Other batches of rice provided by China will be delivered to Syria by the end of 2017.

China has donated 1 million U.S. dollars to WHO, WFP and the ICRC, respectively, in 2017, the statement said.

"Through the humanitarian assistance program rolled out by the mentioned international organizations, food and sanitary conditions in Syria are greatly enhanced," it said.

In the future, the Chinese government will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Syria and call for accelerating the diplomatic process and the process of reconciliation to end the prolonged crisis in Syria at an early date, it added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 06:46:16|Editor: Mengjie

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QUITO, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The number of deaths in Ecuador from a spate of methanol (industrial alcohol) consumption has risen to 15, with 21 other people under observation, the Ministry of Public Health announced Monday.

The first nine deaths occurred on last Thursday in Quito, when health authorities received an alert about suspected intoxications. Since then, the number has continued to rise.

The police have been carrying out raids and operations to find establishments selling alcohol without a license, leading to five arrests so far, according to an Interior Ministry statement.

On Friday, the prosecutor-general charged two people, who had supplied the methanol, with homicide and contaminating substances destined for human consumption.

The police have seized over 4,000 liters of illegal alcohol over 937 raids on shops and businesses, with 19 having been shut down and 123 charged with illicit alcohol found on the premises.

On Monday, the Ministry of Health renewed its call for people to stop buying and consuming alcohol of uncertain origin.

In 2011, at least 50 people died and over 200 more were hospitalized after drinking methanol.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 06:46:18|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MEXICO CITY, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- A project supervisor of a six-story residential building that collapsed in an earthquake just a year after completion will face prosecution, authorities said on Monday.

It is the first such case following a powerful Sept. 19 earthquake that toppled some 40 buildings in Mexico City and damaged hundreds more.

Two residents were killed when the brand-new building, which housed 24 apartments, fell down.

The judge overseeing the case ruled there was enough evidence to prosecute the engineer in charge of the construction project for homicide and ordered his arrest, the city's prosecutor's office said in a statement on Monday.

Investigators found that the condominium, which residents moved into only about a year ago, had permit irregularities and faulty construction, including a lack of steel supports.

Two women, aged 30 and 63, died when the structure tumbled to the ground.

The 58-year-old project supervisor, whose name was not made public, was arrested last week and pleaded not guilty in the initial hearing, claiming he was only in charge of inspecting the installation of pipes for sewage, water and gas.

Both the prosecution and the defense have been given four months to conclude their investigations and gather evidence.

A total of 228 people died in the capital, most crushed to death by construction rubble.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 07:11:22|Editor: Mengjie

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U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Nikki Haley (C, front) addresses a Security Council open debate on peace and security in West Africa at the UN headquarters in New York, on Oct. 30, 2017. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday called on the Security Council to be ambitious in its decision over a joint military force of the Sahel region in West Africa. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The United States on Monday pledged 60 million U.S. dollars as bilateral aid to shore up a joint military force of five Sahel countries, but remained cautious over UN involvement.

The announcement was made separately U.S Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley as the Security Council was holding a debate over the newly established joint military force of five Sahel countries, known as "G5 Sahel."

Tillerson said the money will bolster the capacity of those African countries in their fight against terrorism. "This is a fight we must win, and these funds will play a key role in achieving that mission," he said in a statement.

Haley told the Security Council debate: "We are proud to announce today that we plan to provide up to 60 million dollars in bilateral assistance, which we will work with our Congress to identify, to help stand up the joint force."

She indicated her country's wariness toward UN involvement. "We understand the force will need ongoing support and are eager for opportunities to work closely with our partners to make this effort a successful one. But we believe that the G5 force must be, first and foremost, owned by the countries of the region themselves. We expect that the G5 countries will take on full regional ownership of the force within a period of three to six years, with continued U.S. engagement. This is the approach that will be most effective, in the end, in freeing the region from terror."

It seemed that Haley was cool on the idea of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the G5 joint force and the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, one of the five Sahel countries, could be "mutually reinforcing."

"We are inspired by the region's effort and intent, but we have reservations about encumbering a large peacekeeping mission with tasks it would not traditionally perform. The mission in Mali has struggled to reach its full troop authorization. It continues to suffer from a lack of enabling equipment, and it expends most of its resources protecting and re-supplying itself. What is more, the mission is coming under increasing attack from violent extremists and shifting operations and locations. For these reasons, the mission struggles to execute its strategic objective -- to support the peace process in Mali. Its ability to focus on its core objective could be further compromised by a mandate to support a force with a broad concept of operations and recurring needs. We owe it to the troops as well as those who have lost their lives to protect the mission's vital resources from further overstretch and ensure they are devoted to supporting a political solution in Mali."

She added that her country has serious reservations about using UN resources to support non-UN activities. "We will each bring different strengths, insights, and resources to bear on addressing insecurity in the Sahel."

The UN Security Council is expected to adopt a resolution on the 5,000-strong force of the five Sahel countries of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.

Guterres called on the Security Council to be ambitious in its decision. "Firm political support for the G5 Sahel is vital, together with material and operational support commensurate with the challenges faced," he told the Security Council debate on Monday. Given the rapid evolution of the situation and the risks of widespread contagion, failure to act could have serious consequences for the region and beyond, Guterres warned.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 07:36:25|Editor: Mengjie

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. forces have captured a militant in Libya who is believed to have played a role in the September 11, 2012 attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya, the White House said on Monday.

The militant, who was identified as Mustafa al-Imam, was captured on Sunday in Libya and will face charges in the United States, said U.S. President Donald Trump in the statement.

Al-Imam has been charged with "killing a person in the course of an attack on a federal facility" and providing "material support to terrorists resulting in death," reported U.S. media citing a statement from the U.S. Justice Department.

The United States will continue to support its partners in Libya to ensure that the Islamic State and other terrorist groups do not use Libya "as a safe haven for attacks against" U.S. citizens and others, said the White House statement.

A militant group called Ansar Al-Sharia linked to Al-Qaeda attacked the U.S. consulate in Benghazi on September 11, 2012, killing ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other U.S. officials.
The remains of Americans killed in Benghazi this week are taken off a transport aircraft during a return of remains ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, September 14, 2012. (Xinhua/REUTERS)

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. forces have captured a militant in Libya who is believed to have played a role in the September 11, 2012 attack on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya, the White House said on Monday.

The militant, who was identified as Mustafa al-Imam, was captured on Sunday in Libya and will face charges in the United States, said U.S. President Donald Trump in the statement.

Al-Imam has been charged with "killing a person in the course of an attack on a federal facility" and providing "material support to terrorists resulting in death," reported U.S. media citing a statement from the U.S. Justice Department.

Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testifies before the House Select Committee on Benghazi on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., the United States, Oct. 22, 2015. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

The United States will continue to support its partners in Libya to ensure that the Islamic State and other terrorist groups do not use Libya "as a safe haven for attacks against" U.S. citizens and others, said the White House statement.

A militant group called Ansar Al-Sharia linked to Al-Qaeda attacked the U.S. consulate in Benghazi on September 11, 2012, killing ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other U.S. officials.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 08:21:34|Editor: Mengjie

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ISLAMABAD, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan and Indian military officials on Monday spoke after Indian cross-border shelling in recent days caused civilian casualties, Pakistan's military said.

The Pakistani military said on last Tuesday that at least two women were killed and six other civilians were injured in Indian forces' firing along the Line of Control(LoC), the de facto border in the disputed Kashmir region.

Pakistan and India had declared ceasefire in 2003 along the LoC, however, both accuse each other of violating the ceasefire.

"A special Hot Line contact was established between Director Generals Military Operations(DGMO) of Pakistan and Indian Armies today. Pakistan DGMO protested on recent deliberate targeting of innocent civilians along LoC resulting into civilian casualties," the Pakistani military said.

"The DGMO Pakistan army said that Indian troops are deliberately targeting innocent civilians including children and said that such deliberate actions are serious concern and violation of 2003 agreement," a statement from the army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations said.

"On allegation of targeting of civilians by Pakistan Army, the DGMO Pakistan army clarified that Pakistan considers people living across LoC as our brethren and Pakistan Army as a professional force has never done this," the army said.

The army said on last Friday that Indian forces have "increased ceasefire violations", committing 1,140 violations so far this year, which is the highest ceasefire violation since 2003.

According to the statement 45 civilians have been killed while 192 injured as the result of the Indian firing. Last year Indian forces committed 382 violations, killing 46 people while injuring 150.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 08:46:41|Editor: Mengjie

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. State Department announced Monday that it has warned U.S. citizens of the risks of traveling to Niger due to "terrorist activity, kidnappings and high crime."

U.S. citizens should avoid travel to Niger's border regions with Libya, Mali, Nigeria and Chad because of "activity by various extremist groups," said the State Department in a statement released in the day.

The State Department said the threats were coming from al-Qaida, the self-proclaimed Islamic State, Boko Haram and others.

As the result of security concerns, some organizations, including foreign companies, non-governmental organizations and private aid organizations, have suspended operations in Niger, according to the statement.

The travel warning came after four U.S. soldiers were killed in an ambush in Niger earlier this month.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 09:46:56|Editor: Yang Yi

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By Sportswriters Xue Yanwen and Pan Ying

URUMQI, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Irtysh River flows from Hou Zhili's hometown, and leads to the destination of this kayaker's dream trip. Huo plans to travel to the Arctic Ocean in a most incredible way -- alone on a kayak.

Setting sail from his home in Fuyun County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the 41-year-old has completed what many see as epic feats -- kayaking unpowered for a total of 2,020 kilometers on the China section and Kazakhstan section of Irtysh in 2014 and in 2016.

The paddler is preparing for the final and most challenging stage on the 2,200-kilometer long Russia section, plus a 1,000-kilometer long lower reach section of the Ob River to reach the Arctic Ocean.

From its source in the Altay Mountain in Fuyun, the 4,248-kilometer long Irtysh River flows northwest through Kazakhstan, and in Russia merges with the Ob River, which flows into the Arctic Ocean. Irtysh is the only river in China that leads to the Arctic Ocean.

His Arctic aspirations began when Huo was a teenager. In the 1980s, several whitewater kayakers' adventured on China's two largest rivers, the Yangtze and the Yellow River, arousing a craze among bold Chinese who took to rafting on streams across the country. Some people succeeded, but many attempts failed, with deadly results.

In Hou's hometown, some youngsters even drifted for hundreds of kilometers along the Irtysh on rafts made of waste tires.

The middle-aged Hou decided to close his graphic design company in 2012 and turned his kayaking hobby into a full-time occupation.

After arduous training, Hou set out alone on August 28, 2014, on his yellow and orange boat from Koktokay, a town near the Irtysh's source. He paddled for 50 kilometers a day, and took 23 days to arrive at Kaba County, where the 520-kilometer long China section ends.

But the river begins to freeze in November and doesn't thaw until April of the next year. In 2015, when it was high time for the journey on the Kazakhstan section, his plan was postponed due to a visa problem.

His chance finally came as tourism cooperation between China and Kazakhstan was enhanced under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. Kazakhstan has facilitated visa procedures for Chinese tourists since in 2016.

With the help of travel agencies from both sides of the border, Hou set sail from Jeminay, a Chinese county bordering Kazakhstan, in August 2016. It took him 33 days to finish rowing the 1,500-kilometer long section.

The journey was longer and tougher than he expected. The river width and the water velocity varied constantly. He fought hard to keep a pace of 50 kilometers per day and was resupplied every three days.

He camped along the riverbank when dusk fell, sleeping with a knife under his pillow in case of any danger.

"I was very lucky to return from the dangerous trek unharmed," he says.

On his way, the Chinese traveler was deeply moved by the friendly Kazakhstani people who gave him fresh vegetables and fruits and invited him to stay at their homes.

But it was not a cheap feat; the challenge has cost him most of his savings. To finish the rest of the task, he has to kayak for a longer distance than the total of his two previous trips. He also has to cross the vast and frigid Siberian landscape. The adventure in Russia will be much more demanding physically and financially than the earlier legs.

Hou has just been to Russia in September to assess his travel route and to coordinate with local tourism authorities. He reports that the preparation is going well.

It's getting colder and the Irtysh River is about to freeze, but that is not putting any damper on the paddler's ambition.

Hou plans to start from the Russian city of Omsk in the summer of next year and to paddle all the way to Labytnangi, the last town on Irtysh. There, he will try to approach the finish line.

"I want to be a true hero in the eyes of my daughter," said Huo, who is the father of a 12-year-old girl. Hou's wife, who at first did not understand his drive to complete such a dangerous feat out of safety concerns, is supportive of him now.

"That support inspires me to hold on to my dream, no matter how many challenges I will encounter," Hou adds.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 09:46:57|Editor: Mengjie

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SYDNEY, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- An Australian-led international study has pinpointed more than 100 genetic risk factors that explain why some people suffer from asthma, hay fever and eczema.

The study is touted as the first of its kind "designed specifically to find genetic risk factors that are shared among the three most common allergic conditions", according to a media release on science news portal Scimex on Tuesday.

"Asthma, hay fever and eczema are allergic diseases that affect different parts of the body: the lungs, the nose and the skin," the Brisbane-based QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute's Dr Manuel Ferreira, who led the study, was quoted as saying.

"This is important to know because it tells us which specific genes, when not working properly, cause allergic conditions. This knowledge helps us understand why allergies develop in the first place and, potentially, gives us new clues on how they could be prevented or treated."

The researchers analyzed the genomes of 360,838 people and pinpointed 136 separate genome positions considered to be risk factors for developing the conditions.

"If you are unlucky and inherit these genetic risk factors from your parents, it will predispose you to all three allergic conditions," said Ferreira.

"Importantly, we have identified several drugs that we believe could be targeted at some of these genes to treat allergies. The first step would be to test those drugs in the laboratory."

The study, which was published in scientific journal Nature Genetics and included researchers from Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States, also examined if other factors might affect how the genes were "switched on or off".

"For example, we found one gene - called PITPNM2 - that is more likely to be switched off in people who smoke. If this gene is switched off, then the risk of developing allergies increases," said Ferreira.

About 11 percent of Australians, or 2.5 million people, reported having asthma between 2014 and 2015, figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed. Nearly one in five Australians, or almost 4.5 million people, suffered from hay fever during that period, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 10:02:02|Editor: Yang Yi

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BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- In the first eight months of 2017, more than half of China's newborn babies were the second child in the family, according to a health official.

From January to August this year, about 52 percent of the 11.6 million babies born have an older sibling, said Wang Peian, deputy head of the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), in a demography forum Monday in Beijing.

Figures provided by the NHFPC showed that 18.5 million babies were born in hospital in 2016, the highest since 2000 and 1.3 million more than 2015, and about 45 percent of them had an older sibling.

In response to an aging population, since 2016 couples have been allowed to have two children, bringing to an end the one-child policy after almost 40 years.

Wang also said that even with an increased average age of expectant mothers, newborn and maternal mortality have fallen.

There will be changes to policies in tax, social security, housing, employment and others, and more support for the second child policy, said Wang.

In 2016, China allocated a total of 2.9 billion yuan (about 440 million U.S. dollars) for construction of maternity and pediatric hospitals at city and prefecture level.

By 2020, there will be around 89,000 new maternity beds in hospitals and 140,000 more obstetricians and midwives. More emergency centers for mother and child treatment will be set up across the country by the end of the year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 10:02:03|Editor: Mengjie

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SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Sentiment among South Korean businesses declined this month on less business days, caused by the 10-day Chuseok holiday, central bank data showed Tuesday.

The business sentiment index (BSI) in all industries stood at 78 in October, down 3 points from the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). The reading below 100 indicates pessimist outnumbered optimists.

The traditional Chuseok holiday lasted long from Sept. 30 to Oct. 9, shrinking the number of working days. It led to the worsening of business confidence.

The BSI among manufacturers shed 2 points from a month earlier to 81 in October on the back of weak domestic demand.

The figure for non-manufacturers declined 3 points to 76 in the cited period.

Outlook for economic conditions improved. The November BSI for manufacturers stood at 84, with the reading for non-manufacturers coming to 79 in November.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 10:12:07|Editor: Mengjie

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TRIPOLI, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Unidentified aircraft on Monday carried out air strikes on militant sites in the eastern city of Derna, killing and injuring dozens of people, according to a local source.

"Reconnaissance planes carried out a massive flight at 8:00 p.m. local time (1800 GMT) for about half an hour, followed by a few minutes' calm, before four air raids were heard on the mountain areas Al-Fata'eh and Al-Thuhr Al-Ahmar. Military headquarters of the Shura Council of Derna were targeted, dozens killed and wounded," a source in the local council of Derna told Xinhua.

"The strikes also killed and injured a number of civilians, as these military headquarters are located close to residential neighborhoods. However, the biggest losses were suffered by the forces of the Council," the source added.

"The planes cannot be identified, especially as they operated at night," the source said, noting that the strikes were mostly concentrated on military sites.

The Libyan Air Force has not claimed responsibility for the strikes so far.

Since mid-2015, Libyan eastern-based army forces led by General Khalifa Haftar have been imposing a land and sea blockade on the city of Derna. Residents are not allowed to enter or leave, except in humanitarian and medical cases.

The coastal city of Derna, located some 250 km northwest of Benghazi, is the only city in eastern Libya outside the control of the Libyan armed forces.

The army is demanding the Shura Council of Derna, which the army considers loyal to al-Qaeda, hand over its weapons and leave the city. But the Council refuses to recognize the army.

The Shura Council of Derna was formed at the end of 2014, consisting of a number of extremist armed groups.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 10:12:08|Editor: Yang Yi

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CANBERRA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government said Tuesday it was "pleased" by a decision from China to lift a suspension of red meat imports from Australia, after six Australian meat-processing companies were disallowed from exporting beef to China in July.

Earlier this year, Beef City, JBS Prime, Kilcoy Pastoral Co, Northern Cooperative Meat Co, Australian Country Choice and Thomas Foods International were all banned from exporting beef to China due to labelling concerns, but on Tuesday, Australia's Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Steven Ciobo confirmed the beef exports would resume.

He said when combined, the six facilities make up 30 percent of all Australian beef exports to China.

"The Turnbull Coalition Government is pleased China has lifted the suspension of red meat imports from six Australian meat-processing facilities," Ciobo said in a media release.

"This positive outcome reflects the high level of cooperation between Australian and Chinese authorities, and our red meat industry."

Ciobo said the Australian government has fostered an "excellent" economic relationship with China, and that it respects the Chinese government's "strong commitment" to importing red meat which adheres to the strictest standards.

"Australia has an excellent relationship with China, our largest trading partner. The goodwill generated by the success of the ChAFTA (China-Australia Free Trade Agreement) assisted in resolving this matter quickly," Ciobo said.

"We respect the Chinese government's strong commitment to food safety for their consumers and understand the importance of meeting their import requirements."

He also said the government works hard to preserve Australia's clean, green and safe food credentials and "this remains key to maintaining our agricultural trade with countries such as China".

According to the Australian government, beef exports to China were worth 670 million Australian dollars (516 million U.S. dollars) in 2016.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 10:12:08|Editor: Yang Yi

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BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Public Security has issued a guideline to make firefighting more methodical.

According to the guideline on "smart firefighting," new surveillance systems will connect more buildings and improve functions like automatic fire alarms, inspections and supervision.

The new remote surveillance systems will be able to recognize images like fire and smoke, and make alarms as well as monitor the conditions of firefighting facilities, the guideline stated.

The systems will also monitor electricity leakage and cable temperatures, said the guideline. Prefecture-level cities and those above should complete building the new systems by the end of 2018.

Information resources including live images of fire sites, the locations of firefighting teams, and major sources of danger near fire sites should be collected and maintained on a command platform for public security departments by the end of 2018, according to the guideline.

High-rise buildings that are under construction should be installed with the new surveillance systems and old buildings should be fitted with separate fire alarm and firefighting facilities, it added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 10:17:11|Editor: Mengjie

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YANGON, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has called for all inclusiveness in the country's national reconciliation and peace process, reiterating that the door is always open to non-ceasefire signatory armed groups to join the signing of the Nationwide Cease fire Accord (NCA), Myanmar News Agency reported Tuesday.

Speaking at the 12th meeting of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) in Nay Pyi Taw Monday, Aung San Suu Kyi said that the government places great emphasis on the participation of the non-signatories to the NCA in the process, urging for completing work for laying down the basic principles for a federal union in 2018.

She stressed the need for drawing up Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to be able to implement the agreements effectively and to establish an office for the UNPDC.

She expected that reviewing and amending the framework for political dialogue will be completed in the current UPDJC meeting which will also decide topics to be discussed at the upcoming third meeting of the 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference expected by later this year before moving to the political dialogue.

Meanwhile, some non-ceasefire signatory armed groups are expected to sign the government's NCA in November following a breakthrough made at the 7th meeting between the Delegation for Political Negotiation (DPN) of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) and the government's Peace Commission last week.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 10:17:12|Editor: Mengjie

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BISHKEK, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Former Prime Minister Sooronbai Sharipovich Jeenbekov has been elected as the new president of Kyrgyzstan, the country's Central Election Commission (CEC) announced Monday.

Jeenbekov served as prime minister from April 2016 to August 2017 before he resigned to run as the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan's presidential candidate.

He held the post of Director of the State Personnel Service from 2015-2016. In March 2016, he was appointed first deputy head of the presidential staff, before his appointment as prime minister.

He also served as the governor of the Osh region in southern Kyrgyzstan from 2010-2015 and the country's minister of agriculture in 2007.

Between the years 2008 and 2010, Jeenbekov left the government for business.

Jeenbekov was born on Nov. 16, 1958 in the village of Telman in the Kara-Kuldzhinsky district of the Osh region.

He graduated from the Kyrgyz Agricultural Institute, majoring in zoological engineering. He also obtained an accounting degree from the Kyrgyz Agrarian University.

Jeenbekov worked as a teacher and a livestock specialist before he went into politics.

Jeenbekov has said, on many occasions, that cooperation with China is a priority in Kyrgyzstan's foreign policy and that the country is ready to deepen bilateral relations.

During the pre-election debate, Jeenbekov said he would promote the country's comprehensive and beneficial cooperation with its neighbors, other parts of the world as well as international and regional organizations.

Jeenbekov is known as one of the closest associates of incumbent President Almazbek Atambayev. When Jeenbekov was nominated as a presidential candidate, Atambayev described him as a decent and honest person.

According to the Constitution of Kyrgyzstan, the country's president is elected for a six-year term, and one person can hold the highest office only once.

Atambayev's term will end on Dec. 1.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 10:27:14|Editor: Mengjie

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- A federal judge on Monday blocked the transgender military ban proposed by the U.S. government, saying the policy was not backed by facts.

U.S. district judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington D.C. said in the ruling that "there is absolutely no support for the claim that the ongoing service of transgender people would have any negative effect on the military at all."

The ruling targeted a recent policy by the U.S. government that transgender people would not be eligible to enter the military starting March next year, on the grounds that transgender soldiers are "costly" and would cause "disruption."

The ban was cheered by conservatives but enraged liberals as well as the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, who said the discriminative policy was unconstitutional.

"This is a complete victory for our plaintiffs and all transgender service members, who are now once again able to serve on equal terms and without the threat of being charged," said Shannon Minter, who represented transgender service members.

Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond, said the Trump administration is likely to take the case up to the Supreme Court, where it hopes the conservative majority bench will reverse the ruling, as in the case of the travel ban.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told a press briefing Monday that the Justice Department is reviewing the ruling.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 11:57:31|Editor: Yamei

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BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) have been maintaining communications on the Korean Peninsula issue through diplomatic channels, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry Tuesday.

"Enhancing communication and cooperation is in accordance with the common interests of China and the ROK. Both sides agree to bring communication and cooperation in various fields back on the normal track as soon as possible," a ministry press release said.

"Both sides attach great importance to China-ROK ties and stand ready to promote their strategic cooperative partnership," it added.

"China and the ROK reaffirmed the principles of realizing denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula and reaching a peaceful settlement of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue," it said.

According to the release, both sides agreed to enhance strategic communication and cooperation with an aim of facilitating a solution to the nuclear issue through all necessary diplomatic efforts.

The release said that the ROK acknowledged China's stance and concerns on the deployment of the THAAD missile system.

"The ROK made it clear that the deployment of THAAD in the ROK will not target any third country, and will not harm China's strategic security and interests," the release said.

It said that China reiterated its opposition to THAAD, as a matter of national security.

"The Chinese side takes note of the ROK's stance and hopes the ROK side will properly handle the relevant issues," the release said. "Both sides agreed to keep communication through military-to-military channels."

The release also made clear China's concerns about the ROK's participation in U.S.-led missile defense networks, any additional THAAD deployment, and on trilateral military cooperation between the ROK, Japan and the United States.

"The ROK side also expressed its stance, which the ROK government has clarified in public before," the release said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 12:42:44|Editor: Yamei

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's President Michel Temer was discharged Monday from the Sirio Libanes Hospital in Sao Paulo after a three-day stay due to prostate problems.

Last week, as the Congress voted to either admit or dismiss two criminal charges against him, Temer was hospitalized in Brasilia due to a urologic blockage. He was discharged some hours later.

On Friday, Temer was admitted to the hospital to follow up on the treatment he had received in Brasilia. He was diagnosed with urinary obstruction due to an enlargement of the prostate.

He was initially expected to stay only overnight, but doctors said he needed an operation.

Temer will stay in Sao Paulo for a few days, as his doctors recommended him to rest. The president is expected to return to Brasilia on Wednesday.

In early October, Temer was diagnosed with a partial coronary obstruction. He is expected to be submitted to a catheterization procedure in the near future.

At the age of 77, Temer is Brazil's oldest president in office.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 13:22:51|Editor: Mengjie

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Parents in the U.S. state of Wisconsin have found a small bag of crystal meth in their child's Halloween trick-or-treat candy, local reports said Monday.

The parents, living in Keshena, Wisconsin, found the suspicious package and immediately turned it over to local police, who confirmed that the white crystals were meth.

Luckily the child didn't consume the drug.

"The Police Department is asking the community to check their children's Halloween candy thoroughly," local police said on Facebook Monday. "If anything suspicious is located, please contact the Menominee Tribal Police Department."

Josh Lawe, a police detective, said it appears to be an isolated incident, and that no similar reports have been received.

Local police have encouraged parents to throw away candy their children obtained during trick-or-treating as a precautionary measure.

Trick-or-treating is a Halloween holiday tradition, with children dressed up in costumes going from door to door and asking their neighbors for "treats."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 13:27:52|Editor: Mengjie

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HANOI, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam has set up the Private Economic Development Research Board to make proposals on mechanism, policy and administrative procedure reforms relating to private economic development, the board's representatives said Tuesday.

In the medium-term, the research board, established on Monday with six members, who are well-known businesspeople, will work to help Vietnam advance to Top 3 in the ASEAN in national competitiveness by 2022, private enterprises contribute 60 percent to the country's gross domestic product (GDP) by 2020, and boost innovation startups and the fourth industrial revolution.

The board will also help develop the e-government, gather national data and economy-digitalizing strategies, mobilize capital for hi-tech agriculture, and slash logistics costs by re-planning logistics networks basing on the North-South express railway.

According to statistics from the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam's private economic sector currently contributes some 43 percent to the country's GDP, accounts for 39 percent of the total social investment and generates 11.9 percent of all jobs.

Up to 105,125 Vietnamese enterprises with total registered capital of nearly 1,022 billion Vietnamese dong (45.2 billion U.S. dollars) were set up in the first 10 months of this year, witnessing respective year-on-year rises of 14.6 percent and 43.8 percent, said the ministry.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 13:43:01|Editor: Mengjie

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LOS ANGELES, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- At least one person was killed in a shooting incident Monday night at the U.S. University of Utah, local media reported.

Sgt. Brandon Shearer, an officer of the Salt Lake City Police Department, was quoted by Salt Lake Tribune newspaper as saying that police received reports of a man with a gunshot wound to the head and at least "one person is confirmed deceased."

The university, located in Salt Lake City, issued an alert to students about 8:30 p.m. (0230 GMT Tuesday), saying "Shots fired. Red Butte Canyon. Shelter in Place."

About half an hour later, the university tweeted: "CAMPUS ALERT: Suspect male, white adult. Black clothing, beanie with cross, tear-drop tatoo on face."

Authorities are still searching for the suspect, with heavy police presence at the university.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 14:08:07|Editor: Yang Yi

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PHNOM PENH, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- China's Belt and Road Initiative will greatly benefit the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), especially in infrastructure development, officials and academics said at a symposium.

The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road initiative, known as the Belt and Road Initiative, was proposed by China in 2013 with the aim of building a trade, investment, and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes.

Since ASEAN needs huge capital to realize its Master Plan on Connectivity, the Belt and Road Initiative, supported by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Silk Road Fund, will provide great benefits to ASEAN, Lawmaker Suos Yara, vice-chairman of the Cambodian National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Commission, said at a Belt and Road symposium in Phnom Penh Monday.

A recent report by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development showed that ASEAN would need infrastructure investment of 60 billion to 146 billion U.S. dollars per annum up until 2025.

"China has been playing a very active role in building and upgrading physical infrastructure in the region through many initiatives, especially the Belt and Road Initiative," he said.

Mey Kalyan, senior advisor to the Supreme National Economic Council of Cambodia, said the initiative linked very well with the ASEAN Master Plan on Connectivity that would create vast opportunities for ASEAN and China to cooperate and serve as engines for future development and prosperity.

"Among the ASEAN member states, particularly Cambodia, construction and upgrading of infrastructure such as roads, ports and airports are a must," he said at the symposium that was attended by some 200 people, including Cambodian government officials, policy makers, academics and researchers.

"Improved infrastructure is essential for sustaining economic growth as it enhances logistical efficiency, reduces transaction costs and supports greater flow of trade and investment," he added.

Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Xiong Bo said China regarded ASEAN as a key region in advancing the Belt and Road cooperation.

"The connectivity cooperation between China and ASEAN countries including Cambodia is highly compatible with ASEAN Connectivity," he said. "China-ASEAN Belt and Road cooperation is enjoying broad prospects and huge potential."

For Cambodia in particular, Xiong said China and Cambodia shared similar development strategies and have huge potential in cooperation fields such as infrastructure, connectivity, trade and investment.

Song Guoyou, director of Economic Diplomacy Studies Center of Fudan University, said the Belt and Road Initiative would promote regional economic integration and deeper globalization.

"It will also contribute to upholding regional peace and stability," he said.

Neak Chandarith, director of the Cambodia 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Research Center at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, said the Belt and Road Initiative would provide new sources of capital for all participating countries, especially ASEAN nations, for infrastructure development.

"For Cambodia, it stands to benefit enormously from the Belt and Road Initiative, mainly in economic development, transports infrastructure, tourism and people-to-people connectivity," he said.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 14:08:08|Editor: Yang Yi

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BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislature is considering amending the country's criminal law to include criminal penalties for disrespecting the national anthem.

A draft amendment was submitted for deliberation at the bi-monthly session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, which started Monday.

Violators may face punishments of up to three years imprisonment, according to the draft.

The National Anthem Law, passed at a NPC Standing Committee session in September, came into force this month to ensure appropriate use of the song.

Those who maliciously modify the lyrics, or play or sing the national anthem in a distorted or disrespectful way in public, can be detained for up to 15 days, and even be held criminally liable, according to the law.

"As the criminal law stipulates penalties for offences to national flag and national emblem, violations regarding national anthem should also be incorporated with the passing of the new law," Wang Chaoying, deputy head of the NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission, said in a report to the session Tuesday.

According to the draft amendment, punishments for national flag and national emblem offences in public will also apply to acts of public disrespect to the national anthem. Punishment ranges from removal of political rights and public surveillance to criminal detention and imprisonment of up to three years.

China's national anthem "March of the Volunteers" has lyrics by poet Tian Han and music by Nie Er.

The song encouraged Chinese soldiers and civilians during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

It was chosen as the national anthem in 1949.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 14:33:15|Editor: Liu

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ISLAMABAD, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- At least three security personnel were severely injured in a remote-controlled bomb blast in Pakistan's northwest tribal area of Bajour agency, local Urdu media reported on Tuesday.

According to the reports, the incident happened at about 9:45 a.m. local time when a roadside planted bomb hit a security forces vehicle in Khaar area of Bajour agency, one of the seven tribal areas of the country stretching along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

The security forces personnel were on a routine petrol in the area when their vehicle was attacked by a remote-controlled blast, said a political administration official of the agency, adding that the target of the miscreants was the security forces.

All the injured have been shifted to a nearby hospital in the area by rescue teams, said government sources.

Police and security forces as well as rescue teams rushed to the blast site immediately after the bomb attack.

Security forces have cordoned off the area and kicked off a search operation in the surrounding areas for culprits.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 14:43:19|Editor: Liu

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PUL-E-KHUMRI, Afghanistan, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Up to 14 militants including a Taliban key commander Mullah Abdul Wahab have been killed as a cleanup operation has been continuing in Burka district of Afghanistan's northern Baghlan province, provincial police chief Ikramudin Sari said Tuesday.

"The cleanup operation which launched Monday afternoon has been continuing and so far 14 rebels including their key commander Mullah Abdul Wahab have been killed and 17 others injured," Sari told reporters here.

However, he avoided to make comment on possible casualties of security personnel.

Meanwhile, an official on condition of anonymity said that three security personnel had been killed and four others injured in the fight for control of Burka district over the past two days.

Hundreds of Taliban militants launched multi-pronged attack early Monday to overrun Burka district. However, the security forces launched counter-offensive and have evicted the attacking Taliban from around the district headquarters and normalcy has returned to the area, according to the police official.

Taliban outfit has yet to make comment. However, locals said that showdown is possible at anytime.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 14:48:22|Editor: Yang Yi

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's famed "Terracotta Warriors" will go on display in a rare exhibition to be hosted by two U.S. museums.

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) will be the first host, the museum announced Monday.

"This exhibition is an exhibit of beauty and history. It is a way to celebrate those thousands of years of cultural history from China," Alex Nyerges, VMFA's director, said at a press conference at the Chinese embassy here.

Titled "Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China", the exhibition will feature more than 130 artifacts, including 10 life-size Terracotta Warriors.

These full-size statues were part of the baked earth army sculpted by artisans for decades so that they could be buried with Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of China (260-210 B.C.), and serve him in his afterlife. The site in Xi'an City in northwestern China, where the statues were excavated, along with clay chariots and horses, has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and is now part of a museum.

Other artifacts spanning from China's Western Zhou Dynasty, which ruled from 11th century to 771 B.C., and the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.) will also be on display.

The exhibition "will bring us together as people and the two most important countries in the world that have ever been and ever will be," Nyerges said.

Wu Xi, deputy chief of mission at the Chinese embassy, said the 130 cultural relics will serve as a window for people in the United States to learn about Chinese history and culture.

The exhibition will be at VMFA from Nov. 18 to March 11, 2018, after which it will move to the Cincinnati Art Museum in Ohio.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 14:53:24|Editor: Liu

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By Xinhua writer Wang Jiangang

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Security Council held a ministerial-level meeting Monday to discuss ways for the international community to support the Group of Five Sahel States (G5 Sahel) Joint Force intended to fight terrorism in the Sahel region of Africa.

The meeting was held a week after the Security Council concluded its visit to the Sahel region.

The five Sahel states are Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad -- all former French colonies sitting in a semiarid region stretching along the southern end of the Sahara.

"Strong political support for the G5 Sahel and material and operational support commensurate with the challenges are critical," said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who expressed grave concern over the situation in the Sahel region, where U.N. peacekeepers and civilian targets have been attacked by Islamist militants.

"Poverty, underdevelopment and climate change have contributed to humanitarian and security crises. Weak institutions, the exclusion and marginalization of some groups are exploited by extremists and terrorists. Porous borders facilitate the trafficking of human beings, drugs and arms, and other criminal activities," said Guterres.

The humanitarian crisis there is getting worse. Nearly 5 million people are displaced and 24 million people need humanitarian aid, he added.

France believes the G5 Sahel Joint Force will help maintain the fight against terrorism at a level at which the countries in the region can manage themselves.

The joint force was launched during a regional summit held in July in Mali's capital city of Bamako. It is expected to operate in coordination with French troops and MINUSMA, the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali, with a focus on control over border zones.

Mali believes it will need an estimated 423 million euros (492 million U.S. dollars ) to support the joint force, which is planned to be fully deployed by March 2018.

"It required a collective response," Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop said, regarding the instability in the Sahel region, which was meanwhile "a challenge that must be shared with the world due to its causes, its manifestations and its impact on international security."

Among the funds so far pledged, the European Union has said it will contribute 50 million euros (58 million U.S. dollars). France has pledged troops and military equipment in support on top of 8 million euros (9.3 million U.S. dollars) in funds, as well as 200 million euros (233 million U.S. dollars) in development assistance to the Sahel region over the next five years.

Prior to the council meeting, the United States announced it will provide up to 60 million U.S. dollars in bilateral assistance to support the counterterrorism efforts in the Sahel region.

Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the U.N., told the Security Council that the G5 Sahel Joint Force was an important contribution to peace and security in Africa and an important component of African ownership of initiatives in the region.

"Support to the joint force should be provided with adequate consideration of regional leadership and the sovereignty of the countries involved," he noted, saying China is supporting Sahel states to face their own challenges in their own way, and that China has already established a fund for the region.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 15:08:27|Editor: liuxin

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NEW DELHI, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Heavy rains Tuesday lashed most parts of India's coastal areas of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, officials said.

The rains started Monday evening and were going on incessantly.

"Heavy rains hit several districts here because of which water has accumulated in low lying areas," said a meteorological department official in Chennai, adding "the continuous downpour has hampered vehicular movement on many roads in the capital city."

According to the official, "heavy to very heavy rain" is expected in 10 coastal and adjoining districts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, besides some areas in the interior.

Authorities have ordered closure of schools and colleges in the city and several other districts in wake of the warnings of heavy rain.

The meteorological office has forecast heavy rain in Chennai and "very heavy rainfall" in coastal Tamil Nadu.

Officials at Chennai Municipal Corporation have set up a helpline number and kept 450 suction pumps to drain water from inundated areas.

Authorities have also cautioned fishermen in Chennai, Ennore and many other places not to venture in the sea.

Meanwhile, rain has brought smiles on the faces of farmers in Thanjavur, who have begun cultivation on thousands of acres with the hope that the rains will help irrigate their fields.

"We are hopeful that monsoons would help grow us at least one crop this year," R Balamurthy, a farmer said.

Farmers in Tamil Nadu are facing two successive years of drought.

In January this year the local government in Tamil Nadu declared all districts of the state drought-hit following a deficit in the northeast monsoon in 2016.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 15:28:32|Editor: liuxin

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DHAKA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- At least four people including three children died after a boat packed with Rohingya refugees capsized on Tuesday morning in the Bay of Bengal close to Bangladesh's southeastern border with Myanmar, said a local police official.

The boat carrying some 33 Rohingyas sank at about 7:35 a.m. local time Tuesday, Md Abul Khair, officer-in-charge of Ukhia police station under Cox's Bazar district, some 292 km southeast of capital Dhaka, told Xinhua on phone.

He said three Rohingya people died in a hospital where they were rushed after being pulled from sea while one more body was recovered at sea shore.

Khair said the boat was very close to shore when it capsized.

Many of them were rescued while several others managed to swim ashore, he added.

Nearly 200 Rohingyas have drowned since Aug. 29 in more than two dozen boat accidents while they were making perilous crossings into Bangladesh.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 16:18:46|Editor: ZD

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Cui Tiankai (C), Chinese ambassador to the United States , gives a press briefing at the Chinese embassy in Washington D.C., the United States, Oct. 30, 2017. U.S. President Donald Trump's upcoming visit to Beijing will be a great opportunity for China-U.S. relations, said Cui on Monday. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's upcoming visit to Beijing will be a great opportunity for China-U.S. relations, said Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the United States on Monday.

Cui made the remarks at a press briefing held at the Chinese embassy in Washington.

HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY

Trump is expected to visit China next month as part of his five-stop tour in Asia that will also take him to Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines.

His tour to Beijing will make him the first visiting foreign head of state after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Cui said.

The visit will be a great opportunity for China-U.S. relations, especially after the 19th CPC National Congress which reaffirmed that China will continue to follow the path of peaceful development, noticed the ambassador.

China will continue to seek the expansion and convergence of common interests with the rest of the world, and will continue to stand for better, closer, and more effective coordinations with other countries, especially the United States, said Cui.

President Trump will come to China at the very historic moment, and his visit will continue his strategic communications with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the basis of their earlier "very good dialogue", phone calls and a number of letters, Cui said.

"Our teams are working very closely for President Trump's state visit, and we hope it will be a successful and very productive visit," Cui said.

"STATE VISIT PLUS"

During the interview, Cui mentioned that China will be glad to provide an "state-visit-plus" experience for President Trump and his family.

"We have everything that is required for a state visit, for instance, the official talks, the guards of honor, the state banquet," said the veteran diplomat.

"But we want more than that," he added.

The ambassador said that there will be "some special arrangements" for the U.S. president and the first family to reciprocate the hospitality that Xi and his wife received during an April meeting in Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in the U.S. state of Florida.

Cui also mentioned that during Trump's stay in China, the two presidents will be given sufficient time for the "top-level, strategic conversation," which is "extremely important for the development of bilateral relations."

Considered Trump's visit will cover five countries in Asia, Trump will have a very full schedule in Beijing.

"Hopefully he will come back for a second visit," seeing more China's cities, said Cui.

TRADE, KOREAN PENINSULA NUCLEAR ISSUE

Trade cooperation and the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula are among the key topics for Trump's discussions in Beijing.

Economic relations between China and the United States, the two largest economies in the world, have been and should continue to be mutually beneficial, said Cui.

As there is increasing economic interdependence between the two countries, "I think it is appropriate to say that there can only be win-win or lose-lose outcomes," Cui said.

The Chinese ambassador also expressed his confidence that there will be "significant outcomes" on the economic and trade front at the conclusion of Trump's China visit.

Speaking of nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, Cui said China has been doing everything it can on the issue, including enforcing all the sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) by the UN Security Council through a string of resolutions.

"Honestly, many of these sanctions will be implemented with a high cost on China itself, because we are DPRK's neighbor," Cui said.

But China is willing to take up the efforts as it believes in "the larger global interest" in the denuclearization of the Korea Peninsula, he added.

Meanwhile, Cui pointed out that the nuclear issue cannot be solved by China itself. "It requires joint efforts of all the parties concerned, including the United States and the DPRK," he said.

Noticing that the situation of the Korean Peninsula will be one of the priorities of dialogue between Xi and Trump, Cui hoped the the two sides could reach more agreements on it.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 16:28:54|Editor: liuxin

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By Xinhua writer Wang Bowen

JERUSALEM, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- As the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) blew up a tunnel stretching from the Gaza Strip into Israel's territory, reportedly causing 11 deaths, Hamas decried it as a "dangerous escalation" against Palestinians and an attempt to sabotage efforts to restore Palestinian unity."

The IDF said in a statement that the tunnel, discovered inside Israeli territory, was believed to have been dug after 2014.

The tunnel ran from the Gaza city of Khan Younis to Kibbutz Kissufim in Israel, crossing under the border for dozens of meters, it said.

IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee said the explosion took place inside Israeli territory, adding, "The majority of the dead were activists (who)entered the tunnel after it was exploded and died in the Gaza Strip, and not as a result of the explosion."

The blowing up of the tunnel killed 11 Palestinians and wounded 12 others, Israel's Channel 2 television station reported.

Speaking with journalists, Colonel Atai Shelach, former commander of the IDF Yahalom unit responsible for destroying tunnels that infiltrate the country, said it was not "a wild guess to assume that there are many other tunnels."

"There are many at different operational levels. Some are just being started, some are in the middle and some of them nearly cross our border," he said. "But once you detect it, the easiest part is to destroy it."

Hamas officials said it was the deadliest incident in the coastal enclave since the 2014 Gaza war. The Gaza Health Ministry identified four of the dead as Islamic Jihad members and two more as Hamas members.

"This is a massacre," Islamic Jihad leader Khaled al-Batash said. "All our options are open. We will take all considerations into account, but we will not allow the enemy to set the rules of engagement."

The Islamic Jihad reportedly wanted an immediate coordinated military response. However, Hamas was urging caution and coordination with Egypt in order not to significantly raise the tension in the region.

Hamas called the Israeli strike a "dangerous escalation against our people" and "a desperate attempt to sabotage efforts to restore Palestinian unity."

The incident occurred ahead of a Palestinian unity deal that is supposed to be implemented over the coming weeks.

Earlier this month, Palestinian rivals Fatah and Hamas agreed to end their long-time rift following talks mediated by Egypt in Cairo.

Under the deal, a consensus government under Fatah will have full control of Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip by Dec 1.

The agreement is considered a resumption of a reconciliation deal reached in Cairo in 2011 but frozen subsequently.

Ties between Hamas and Fatah, which is led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, soured after Hamas won the last parliamentary elections in 2006 and routed Abbas' forces in 2007 to seize control of the Gaza Strip.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 16:59:06|Editor: liuxin

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SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- A man from Oakland, a major coast city in the western U.S. state of California, was sentenced to almost 20 years in prison for a conspiracy to smuggle drugs at Oakland International Airport, a court announced Monday.

Jeremy Luckett, 38, received the verdict after pleading guilty in May of shipping 50 or more grams of methamphetamine, a strong nervous system stimulant, through a security checkpoint at the Oakland airport.

Luckett got the drugs past security by collaborating with a Southwest Airlines employee. He was also accused of his role in recruiting and paying his drug couriers in the smuggling conspiracy.

Local media said U.S. District Judge Hayward Gilliam Jr. handed down the sentence, which was announced by the U.S. Attorney for the northern district of California on Monday.

Luckett was found to be part of a smuggling ring at the Oakland airport, in which couriers could pick drugs up and carry them aboard flights for Hawaii, a popular destination for tourists, from 2011 to 2014.

Luckett was arrested after the smuggling ring was busted in 2014 when one of his couriers was detained. The female courier was founded to be carrying 3.7 pounds (1.7 kilograms) of pure methamphetamine and 2.2 pounds (1 kilogram) of cocaine on a flight to Hawaii.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 17:14:13|Editor: ying

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KUNMING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- At Guanlei Port, Captain Li Jianbing was unloading durians and dried longans off a ship, while also stacking up the potatoes, garlic and air conditioners waiting to be loaded.

The fruit came from a port in Thailand, while the air conditioners, manufactured in China, were bound for the Mekong River.

The Mekong, known as the Lancang in China, rises on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and flows through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam before emptying into the South China Sea.

As the six countries boost trade exchange, the 4,800-km-long waterway is important for people like Li, 52, who has spent most of his life on the river over the past 24 years.

Li was born in southwest China's Yunnan Province. In 1993, he landed a job as a sailor on the river with an annual salary of 30,000 yuan (around 4,500 U.S. dollars).

Compared with other waterways, the Mekong can be very dangerous. Its waterways are very complex.

"Its watercourse is narrow, sometimes with big turns. It is very shallow at some points, and there are many submerged rocks," Li said.

The unfavorable navigation conditions impeded the development of shipping business on the Lancang.

"Our boats were very small and could only transport 50 to 60 tonnes of cargo each time," Li said.

In 2001, China worked with the five ASEAN countries and opened an international shipping lane on the river.

"The navigation conditions have improved since the channel opened, which allows 420-tonne ships to travel on the river," Li said. "Now it only takes nine hours to travel from Guanlei to Chiang Saen Port in Thailand."

In 2016, about 97,000 tonnes of cargo were transported through Guanlei Port, an year-on-year increase of 45.9 percent. In the first nine months of this year, 89,000 tonnes of cargo were handled at the port, up 48.6percent year on year.` Li's annual salary has surged to 80,000 yuan due to the rising cargo volume delivered.

Li said that due to the improved watercourse conditions, there were more than 90 domestic ships traveling along the river, compared with just eight previously.

"More foreign ships are also traveling on the watercourse and we are facing fierce competition," Li said.

Security is another issue for Li as pirates are not unknown.

However, incidents are rare after cross-country joint patrols were launched in December 2011 to tackle safety concerns after a gang hijacked two cargo ships and killed 13 Chinese sailors in Thai waters on Oct. 5, 2011.

The 63rd joint patrol on the Mekong River was completed on Oct. 29, with law enforcement from China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. Seven vessels and 163 law enforcement personnel from the four countries participated.

"Thanks to the protection of the patrol teams, we feel much safer," Li said.

Li has been used to life on the river for many years. In 2011, Li's son followed his father's footstep and joined him onboard as a sailor.

"The river is my second home," Li said. "I expect more cargo to keep us busy, and the people along the river will definitely live a better life."
Hou Zhili arrives at the end of the Irtysh's Kazakhstan section on Sept. 13, 2016.

By Sportswriters Xue Yanwen and Pan Ying

URUMQI, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Irtysh River flows from Hou Zhili's hometown, and leads to the destination of this kayaker's dream trip. Hou plans to travel to the Arctic Ocean in a most incredible way -- alone on a kayak.

Setting sail from his home in Fuyun County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the 41-year-old has completed what many see as epic feats -- kayaking unpowered for a total of 2,020 kilometers on the China section and Kazakhstan section of the Irtysh in 2014 and in 2016.

The paddler is preparing for the final and most challenging stage on the 2,200-kilometer long Russia section, plus a 1,000-kilometer long lower reach section of the Ob River to reach the Arctic Ocean.

On Sept. 20, 2016, Hou arrives at Lake Markakol on his way back after finishing his mission on the Kazakhstan section of the Irtysh.

From its source in the Altay Mountain in Fuyun, the 4,248-kilometer long Irtysh River flows northwest through Kazakhstan, and in Russia merges with the Ob River, which flows into the Arctic Ocean. The Irtysh is the only river in China that leads to the Arctic Ocean.

His Arctic aspirations began when Hou was a teenager. In the 1980s, several whitewater kayakers' adventured on China's two largest rivers, the Yangtze and the Yellow River, arousing a craze among bold Chinese who took to rafting on streams across the country. Some people succeeded, but many attempts failed, with deadly results.

In Hou's hometown, some youngsters even drifted for hundreds of kilometers along the Irtysh on rafts made of waste tires.

The middle-aged Hou decided to close his graphic design company in 2012 and turned his kayaking hobby into a full-time occupation.

Hou paddles on his kayak on Lake Markakol.

After arduous training, Hou set out alone on August 28, 2014, on his yellow and orange boat from Koktokay, a town near the Irtysh's source. He paddled for 50 kilometers a day, and took 23 days to arrive at Kaba County, where the 520-kilometer long China section ends.

But the river begins to freeze in November and doesn't thaw until April of the next year. In 2015, when it was high time for the journey on the Kazakhstan section, his plan was postponed due to a visa problem.

His chance finally came as tourism cooperation between China and Kazakhstan was enhanced under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. Kazakhstan has facilitated visa procedures for Chinese tourists since in 2016.

With the help of travel agencies from both sides of the border, Hou set sail from Jeminay, a Chinese county bordering Kazakhstan, in August 2016. It took him 33 days to finish rowing the 1,500-kilometer long section.

On August 12, 2016, Hou kayaks on Lake Zaysan, of which the only outlet is the Irtysh River.

Hou takes a photo with local children in a fishing village by Lake Zaysan.

The journey was longer and tougher than he expected. The river width and the water velocity varied constantly. He fought hard to keep a pace of 50 kilometers per day and was resupplied every three days.

Hou arrives at Semey City, east Kazakhstan, on August 28, 2016. Behind him is the Semipalatinsk Bridge, a suspension bridge across the Irtysh River.

He camped along the riverbank when dusk fell, sleeping with a knife under his pillow in case of any danger.

"I was very lucky to return from the dangerous trek unharmed," he says.

On his way, the Chinese traveler was deeply moved by the friendly Kazakhstani people who gave him fresh vegetables and fruits and invited him to stay at their homes.

Hou meets with Mark, a local merchant who goes fishing in the wild, in Pavlodar City in northeastern Kazakhstan on Sept. 9, 2016. Mark invites Hou to stay in his camp. To thank him, Hou gives him a pin of his own design, which marks his adventure to the Arctic Ocean.

Hou meets with Andrew, a young Kazakhstani man fishing nearby, on Sept. 10, 2016. He gives Hou a crucian he catches.

A selfie of Hou at his campsite by the river on Sept. 12, 2016.

But it was not a cheap feat; the challenge has cost him most of his savings. To finish the rest of the task, he has to kayak for a longer distance than the total of his two previous trips. He also has to cross the vast and frigid Siberian landscape. The adventure in Russia will be much more demanding physically and financially than the earlier legs.

Hou has just been to Russia in September to assess his travel route and to coordinate with local tourism authorities. He reports that the preparation is going well.

It's getting colder and the Irtysh River is about to freeze, but that is not putting any damper on the paddler's ambition.

Hou plans to start from the Russian city of Omsk in the summer of next year and to paddle all the way to Labytnangi, the last town on the Irtysh. There, he will try to approach the finish line.

Hou returns to Jeminay, a Chinese county bordering Kazakhstan, after completing his journey in Kazakhstan on Sept. 22, 2016.

"I want to be a true hero in the eyes of my daughter," said Hou, who is the father of a 12-year-old girl. Hou's wife, who at first did not understand his drive to complete such a dangerous feat out of safety concerns, is supportive of him now.

"That support inspires me to hold on to my dream, no matter how many challenges I will encounter," Hou adds.

(All photos are provided by Hou Zhili)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 17:49:26|Editor: ying

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SEOUL, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Samsung Electronics, South Korea's tech behemoth, announced new executives Tuesday of its each business after posting the biggest quarterly earnings in the company's history.

Samsung said in a statement that President Kim Ki-nam replaced Vice Chairman Kwon Oh-hyun as the head of the device solutions (DS) division, which makes components such as memory chips.

Kim joined the company in 1981, having served as the head of Samsung advanced institute of technology, CEO of Samsung Display, head of the memory, system LSI businesses, according to the statement.

President Kim Hyun-suk succeeded President Yoon Boo-keun as the head of the consumer electronics (CE) division.

Samsung said the CE division head, an expert in display products, have played a major role in the company achieving the top position in global TV sales for 11 straight years.

President Koh Dong-jin will lead the IT and Mobile (IM) unit, which produces smartphones, as the replacement for former head Shin Jong-kyun.

Koh has overseen the development of its flagship Galaxy smartphones based on his vast experience as the previous head of mobile research and development (R&D), according to the statement.

Samsung said it will maintain the current three co-CEO management structure, adding that all new appointments will be effective immediately.

Separately, President Lee Sang-hoon was recommended by outside board members to be chairman of the board and succeed Kwon next March. Lee will leave his position as chief finance officer (CFO) immediately, Samsung said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 17:54:29|Editor: ying

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LUANDA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- World Bank Vice-President for Africa Makhtar Diop is paying a three-day working visit to Angola from Tuesday to Thursday for a strategic review of regional integration, the Angolan Finance Ministry said.

Diop's visit will enable closer Angolan ties with the World Bank and help the country's agenda aimed at relaunching economic growth, poverty reduction, structural change, economic diversification, and economic and social inclusion, the ministry said in a statement released to the press on Tuesday.

As a result of the negotiations between Angola and the World Bank, according to the statement, the parties believe that an increase in the financial package is necessary to support important social sector projects, with emphasis on the electricity and sanitation sectors, taking into account the needs in the coming years.

The World Bank's current presence in Angola is focused on technical assistance, studies and project financing.

During his stay in Angola, Diop will meet with Angolan President Joao Lourenco, the finance minister, and other government officials.

Diop has been WB vice president for Africa since May 2012.

The World Bank invested 9.4 billion U.S. dollars in sub-Saharan African country programs during the 2016 economic year to meet development challenges, increase food safety and agricultural productivity, improve access to sustainable energy and provide economic opportunities.

The World Bank Group is an independent specialized agency of the United Nations System that represents the largest global source of development assistance, providing about 60 billion dollars annually in loans and donations to 187 member countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 18:04:33|Editor: ying

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CAPE TOWN, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- South African health authorities on Tuesday issued a malaria alert after high numbers of malaria cases were reported.

Everyone is at risk of contracting malaria in malarious areas but children under five years of age, pregnant women, people with compromised immune systems, travellers from non-endemic areas and immigrant workers are at higher risk, the Department of Health said.

High numbers of malaria cases are being reported in the malaria transmission areas in northern South Africa, according to the department.

Vhembe and Mopani districts in Limpopo Province and Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga Province are the most affected, the department said without disclosing the number of reported malaria cases.

Compared to previous years, a modest increase in cases in the Kruger National Park and private game reserves in the area has been confirmed, department spokesperson Popo Maja said.

This follows a very busy 2017 malaria season in the entire Southern African region, which peaked in April and May and extended into June.

High rainfall, humidity and ambient temperatures provided ideal conditions for malaria mosquito breeding and contributed to an increase in malaria cases, Maja said.

According to the South African National Institute for Communicable Diseases, unusual malaria cases, affecting persons with no recent history of travel to malaria transmission areas, have been reported in Pretoria and some other nearby places. One patient has died.

The key prevention strategy of the malaria control programs in endemic areas is spraying of households with long acting residual insecticides, or indoor residual spraying (IRS), which target indoor feeding mosquitos.

This IRS program is in progress in both Limpopo and Mpumalanga and is planned to target a larger area than in 2016, Maja said.

Travellers from or residents of malaria transmission areas in Limpopo and Mpumalanga, and the far northern KwaZulu-Natal and neighboring countries such as Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Namibia who present with fever and "flu-like" illness must have an urgent blood test and malaria treated as a medical emergency, Maja said.

Misdiagnosis of malaria as influenza is not uncommon with disastrous consequences in a number of persons, he cautioned.

The Department of Health in South Africa is ensuring universal coverage of key interventions, which include indoor residual spraying, effective case management and distribution of prevention messages to communities at high risk, Maja said.

"All travellers to malaria risk areas must take precautions to prevent mosquito bites and medication to prevent malaria should be highly considered," Maja said.

Malaria symptoms include fever, headache, chills and vomiting, which appear within 10-15 days after the infective mosquito bite.

The life-threatening disease, transmitted to people through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes, is preventable, treatable and curable.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 18:09:35|Editor: ying

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BAGHDAD, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi forces will redeploy in two main crossing points with Turkey, the Iraqi military said Tuesday.

A team headed by the Iraqi Army's Chief of Staff, Othman al-Ghanmi, conducted a visit to the crossings of Faysh Khabur and Ibrahim al-Khalil to determine the security requirements," the media office of the Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement.

The Iraqi forces are pushing to redeploy in all the areas that the semi-autonomous Kurdish region had extended after 2003, the statement said.

During the past few days, a joint team from commanders of Iraqi federal forces and Kurdish Peshmerga held a series of meetings in Mosul aiming at ceasefire between the two sides, as the Iraqi troops pushed to seize the disputed areas claimed by Baghdad and the region, in addition to the border crossing points.

The team has made some progress and managed to agree on many disputed points.

On October 28, Ghanmi told reporters after the joint team meeting "we have reached an agreement on some points, but there are sticking points that still need to be resolved."

Ghanmi also said "positive atmosphere" prevail in the meeting between the commanders of the federal and Peshmerga forces, adding "there is a need for withdrawal of the Peshmerga to the regional border before 2003."

The joint team was formed to avoid military confrontations between the two sides after Thursday clashes that occurred as the government troops advanced to seize more disputed areas, in addition to Faysh-Khabur area near the Iraqi-Syrian-Turkish border and to seize the main border crossing point of Ibrahim al-Khalil between Iraq and Turkey.

On Oct. 16, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is also Commander-in-Chief of Iraqi forces, ordered government forces to enter the oil-rich Kirkuk province in northern Iraq to regain control of the ethnically-mixed disputed areas.

The Kurds consider the northern Kirkuk province and parts of Nineveh, Diyala and Salahudin provinces as disputed areas and want them to be incorporated into their region, a move fiercely opposed by the Arabs and Turkmens in the region as well as the Iraqi central government.

Tensions have been running high between Baghdad and the region of Kurdistan after the Kurds held a controversial referendum on the independence of the Kurdistan region and the disputed areas.
Tanzanian youths perform during the second Star times Dubbing Contest of Chinese Drama in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Oct. 28, 2017. Ten young Tanzanians have been offered a one-year training program in China after they were pronounced winners of this year's Star Times voice talent competition. (Xinhua)

DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Ten young Tanzanians have been offered a one-year training program in China after they were pronounced winners of this year's Star Times voice talent competition.

The competition, which saw 25 contesters reach finals, came to an end at a final gala held in Dar es Salaam Friday night.

A Tanzanian youth perform during the second Star times Dubbing Contest of Chinese Drama in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Oct. 28, 2017. (Xinhua)

It followed months of stiff struggle by contesters from Zanzibar and Tanzania mainland's regions of Mwanza and Dar es Salaam where talent searching was conducted.

This was the second time in a row for the company to run the competition through its brand name Star Times and Star Swahili Channel. Last year a cohort of 10 Tanzanians also won the same and some now are employees of the company at its headquarters in Beijing, China.

A Tanzanian youth perform during the second Star times Dubbing Contest of Chinese Drama in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Oct. 28, 2017. (Xinhua)

Last year, the Star Times Group held the first Star TV Drama Dubbing Contest in Tanzania and chose potential contestants to work in China.

In her opening speech during the gala, Star Media Tanzania Vice President Zuhura Hanif said last year's finalists have had the chance to attend various international exhibitions and forums where they showcased Swahili culture.

A Tanzanian youth perform during the second Star times Dubbing Contest of Chinese Drama in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Oct. 28, 2017. (Xinhua)

"This is a way to promote Swahili but also a kind of support that our company offers to help curb unemployment which is a big problem worldwide because the winners are employed directly at our company headquarters," she said.

She said the company is working on how to reach various regions during talent search to ensure a huge number of Tanzanians participate contrary to currently where they only choose in three places.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 18:14:38|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Congratulations are pouring in from around the world since Chinese President Xi Jinping was re-elected general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Wednesday.

In their messages, leaders of foreign countries, political parties and organizations also expressed their confidence that the CPC, under Xi's leadership, will guide China toward greater prosperity and a larger international role.

The following is an edited version of some of the messages.

South African President Jacob Zuma, president of the African National Congress:

I extend my warmest congratulations on your re-election as the CPC general secretary.

Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni:

Your re-election shows the faith, confidence and respect the party, the government, and the military of China as well as the great Chinese people have regarding your leadership and longtime contributions to China.

French President Emmanuel Macron:

France-China relations enjoy a profound friendship, a fruitful cooperation, and a basis of mutual trust, respect and collaboration. I firmly believe that France and China will move forward to lift the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership and cooperation in all fields to a new level.

British Prime Minister Theresa May, leader of the Conservative Party:

We pay close attention to the blueprint you have presented for China's development by 2050 and the establishment of the new CPC Central Committee leadership, and we look forward to bringing forward the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, which is geared toward the 21st-century world, to a new, higher level.

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, chairman of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party:

Under your leadership, China has made huge economic achievements and conducted one of the greatest reforms in modern history. We look forward to working with China to enhance the win-win cooperation for mutual benefit and common prosperity, boosting bilateral relations.

Zambian President Edgar Lungu, president of the Patriotic Front:

Your re-election shows the implicit faith of your party in your strong leadership. The Zambian government will continue to stand together with China led by you, pushing the development of bilateral friendship and cooperation so as to benefit the two countries and peoples.

Senegalese President Macky Sall, president of the Alliance for the Republic-Yakaar:

Your re-election shows again the recognition your party has, the achievements the Chinese people have made under your leadership, and your foresight about China's future economic and social development.

Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, leader of the New Patriotic Party:

I firmly believe that under your leadership, the Chinese people will accomplish greater economic and social development, progress and prosperity in the next five years.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, chairman of the National Resistance Movement:

Uganda will continue to work with China to take bilateral cooperation further forward.

Chadian President Idriss Deby, chairman of the Patriotic Salvation Movement:

Your re-election fully demonstrates the support and respect for you from your whole party. Wish you new successes in your new term.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 18:19:40|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Congratulations are pouring in from around the world since Chinese President Xi Jinping was re-elected general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Wednesday.

In their messages, leaders of foreign countries, political parties and organizations also expressed their confidence that the CPC, under Xi's leadership, will guide China toward greater prosperity and a larger international role.

The following is an edited version of some of the messages.

Malawian President Peter Mutharika, president of the Democratic Progressive Party:

I believe that you will lead the CPC and the Chinese people toward the established goal and create a brighter future.

President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Joseph Kabila:

You have exerted great efforts to improve Chinese people's well-being, as well as made great contribution to world progress, especially Africa's development.

Gambian President Adama Barrow:

Your re-election as party general secretary indicates that the Chinese people wholeheartedly support the economic, political and social policies established and carried out under your leadership.

Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa:

Your re-election shows that the Chinese people have full confidence in your wise leadership and recognize the great achievements that China has made under your leadership.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, leader of the United National Party:

The friendly Sri Lanka-China cooperative relations will be cemented and enhanced during your new tenure, better benefiting the two peoples.

Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern, chairman of the Social Democratic Party:

I'm looking forward to deepening the friendly relations between the two countries. I wish you success and that everything goes well.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, leader of the Liberal Party of Australia:

In the future years, I hope to work with you to fight against trade protectionism, boost economic liberalization, and enhance multiple systems through cooperation within the framework of APEC, the East Asia Summit, the G20 and the UN.

Timor-Leste Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, secretary-general of the Fretilin (Revolutionary Front for an Independent Timor-Leste):

Under your wise leadership, socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era will yield greater achievement.

Cabo Verde Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva, president of the Movement for Democracy:

Your re-election as party general secretary demonstrates that all the CPC members and the Chinese people have full confidence in your ability to lead China to a rapid development and realize a rich life for the people.

Belgian Senate President Christine Defraigne:

The vigor that you have injected into China's development over recent years will be further stimulated and strengthened, and China will stride toward a more beautiful future under your leadership.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 18:19:41|Editor: liuxin

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TEHRAN, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Iran Air Force started massive air drills on Tuesday in the central province of Isfahan, official IRNA news agency reported.

General Massoud Roozkhosh, the spokesman for the war game, said that the two-day military exercises are aimed at simulating real battle scenes.

The drills are also aimed at upgrading military commanders' skill in planning and controlling air operations, as well as electronic warfare during military engagements, Roozkhosh was quoted as saying.

The drill, code-named Aerial Power of Fadaeeyan-e Harim-e Velayat 7 (Devotees of Velayat Airspace 7), is also seeking to display the Iranian Air Force combat power, he said.

Roozkhosh told reporters that dozens of bomber airplanes, heavy-duty aircraft, military transport aircraft, communication and reconnaissance planes, tanker aircraft and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are slated to take part in the war game.

He also said various defense systems and weapons developed or upgraded by the country's academic and industrial centers as well as the Ministry of Defense are planned to be showcased during the two-day drills.

Various kinds of domestically made missiles and bombs, including smart heavy and semi-heavy bombs as well as laser and radar-guided missiles will be also used in the war game, he added.

Iran's Air Force holds annual war games in a bid to boost capabilities to defend the country's airspace, said the commander.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 18:39:50|Editor: liuxin

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HANOI, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam spent over 4.2 billion U.S. dollars importing completely-built automobiles and components for assembly in the first 10 months of this year, dropping 12.8 percent year-on-year.

Specifically, Vietnam imported 77,000 completely-built automobiles worth nearly 1.7 billion U.S. dollars, posting respective year-on-year declines of 11.2 percent and 13.7 percent, according to the country's Ministry of Industry and Trade on Tuesday.

Local traders said smaller volumes of imported vehicles and slower sales in Vietnam were partly attributed to the fact that many Vietnamese buyers are waiting for vehicle prices to drop further.

According to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Free Trade Area, import taxes on automobiles imported to Vietnam from other members of the ASEAN have been slashed from 50 percent in 2015 to 40 percent in 2016, to 30 percent in 2017, and to zero percent in 2018.

Vietnam imported 113,567 completely-built automobiles, mainly cars and trucks, totaling approximately 2.3 billion U.S. dollars, last year, posting respective declines of 9.5 percent and 21.7 percent.

Last year, Thailand was Vietnam's biggest automobile supplier with 34,336 vehicles, followed by India, South Korea and China.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 18:39:50|Editor: liuxin

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HANOI, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's total goods retail sales and consumer service revenues were 3,258 trillion Vietnamese dong (nearly 144.2 billion U.S. dollars) between January to October, rising 10.7 percent on-year, the country's General Statistics Office said on Tuesday.

Specifically, Vietnam's goods retail sales stood at nearly 2,439 trillion Vietnamese dong (107.9 billion U.S. dollars) with sales of woodwork and construction materials growing 13.5 percent, food and foodstuffs growing 10.5 percent, garments and textiles growing 9.8 percent, home appliances growing 8.8 percent, and vehicles growing 8.4 percent.

Restaurant and accommodation revenues were 406.7 trillion Vietnamese dong (roughly 18 billion U.S. dollars), up 12.5 percent, and tourism revenues were 30.1 trillion Vietnamese dong (over 1.3 billion U.S. dollars), up 15.2 percent.

Vietnam hosted a total of nearly 10.5 million international arrivals in the first 10 months of this year, up 28.1 percent on-year, said the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 18:44:55|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Congratulations are pouring in from around the world since Chinese President Xi Jinping was re-elected general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Wednesday.

In their messages, leaders of foreign countries, political parties and organizations also expressed their confidence that the CPC, under Xi's leadership, will guide China toward greater prosperity and a larger international role.

The following is an edited version of some of the messages.

Krishna Bahadur Mahara, a senior leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center) and deputy prime minister:

We are delighted to see your being re-elected as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era enshrined into the CPC Constitution as the CPC's guide for action.

Sebastian Kurz, leader of the Austrian People's Party and foreign minister:

We are looking forward to continuing to deepen cooperation and friendship between our two countries. Wish China and the Chinese people greater achievements in development.

Zinaida Greceanii, president of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova:

The CPC has once again chosen a wise and accountable man to be its leader. We firmly believe Your Excellency will continue leading the Chinese people to realize national development and consolidate China's status on regional and international arenas.

Miroj Abdulloyev, leader of the Communist Party of Tajikistan:

The CPC and the Chinese people are set to continue pushing forward undertakings of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and well fulfill tasks set at the 19th CPC National Congress.

Gagik Tsarukyan, leader of the Prosperous Armenia Party:

China is firmly striding on the path towards the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the nation, and is ushering a new situation of development.

Javier Miranda, president of the Broad Front of Uruguay:

The 19th CPC National Congress stressed that China will continue taking the path of peaceful development, and commits itself to building a new type of international relations with mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation.

Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist):

The 19th CPC National Congress has passed important historic resolutions and further rendered the Chinese people's confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Antonio Paulo Kassoma, secretary-general of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola:

The 19th CPC National Congress has made important resolutions which will lead China towards the goal of building a prosperous and harmonious socialist country with Chinese characteristics.

John-Ragnar Aarset, secretary-general of Norway's Conservative Party:

The relevant policies and resolutions adopted at the 19th CPC National Congress will provide new driving force for China's future development, and also will provide new opportunities for exchange and cooperation between Norway and China, and between Norway's Conservative Party and the CPC.

John L. Thornton, chair of the board of trustees of the Brookings Institution:

The future of China is also that of the world. Building a community with a shared future for mankind is also our common ideal.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 19:10:00|Editor: Xiang Bo

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MACAO, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Visitors entering China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) must declare cash amounts of 120,000 patacas (about 15,000 U.S. dollars) or above, the authorities said in a statement on Tuesday.

Starting from Wednesday, visitors arriving in Macao SAR with 120,000 patacas or above in cash (or the equivalent in other currencies), or with bearer negotiable instruments, such as traveller's cheques, cheques, draft, payment orders and promissory notes, must fill in a declaration form and use the "red channel" at the customs.

The purpose is to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, so as to ensure the security and stability of Macao SAR's economic system, the authorities said.

Visitors departing from the SAR with 120,000 patacas or above (or the equivalent in other currencies) are also required to make a declaration, or they will be fined, the statement added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 19:20:03|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, who is also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, and other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng pay a visit to a boat on Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing, east China's Zhejiang Province, where the first CPC National Congress was held in 1921, on Oct. 31, 2017. Xi and other CPC leaders on Tuesday afternoon visited the site in Jiaxing where the first CPC National Congress was held in 1921. The first CPC National Congress was originally held in the French concession area in Shanghai in July 1921, but moved to a boat on Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing due to an interruption by local police. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

HANGZHOU, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and other CPC leaders on Tuesday afternoon visited the site in Jiaxing, east China's Zhejiang Province, where the first CPC National Congress was held in 1921.

The first CPC National Congress was originally held in the French concession area in Shanghai in July 1921, but moved to a boat on Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing due to an interruption by local police.

Xi and other leaders also visited the Nanhu Lake Revolution Museum.

Twelve delegates attended the first CPC National Congress in July 1921, representing more than 50 CPC members nationwide.

On Oct. 18, more than 2,300 delegates attended the 19th CPC National Congress, representing over 89 million CPC members of the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 19:25:06|Editor: liuxin

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BARCELONA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish Civil Guard on Tuesday raided at least six offices of the Catalan regional police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra, the Spanish media reported.

They were apparently looking for recordings made on Oct. 1, the day the Catalan independence referendum was held despite being declared illegal by the Spanish Constitutional Court.

One of the offices they searched was in Girona city, the control room for all police patrols and also where all police radio conversations are stored.

Josep Lluis Trapero, former chief of the Catalan police force, is being investigated for possible sedition after allegations that the Mossos didn't take any action during the referendum.

Trapero is also under investigation for an incident on Sept. 20, when the Civil Guard forces were unable to leave the offices of the Catalan Economy Ministry for hours after they detained Catalan Economy Secretary Josep Maria Jove due to thousands of people gathering at the site. The crowd also caused minor damage to Civil Guard vehicles parked outside.

The Catalan police force had argued that dispersing the crowd, that was mostly peaceful, would have caused more problems.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 19:25:07|Editor: liuxin

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ABUJA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria has redeployed troops to the Lake Chad region to flush out remnants of the Boko Haram terror group, army chief Tukur Buratai said Tuesday.

The troops would operate particularly within the Lake Chad islands and its surrounding areas, Buratai said.

"Boko Haram remnants which are virtually within the border areas of our neighboring countries would have to be properly identified and flushed out in a joint effort," the army chief told reporters. "This is a task that we must ensure is accomplished."

Despite the heavy presence of multinational security forces from Lake Chad Basin countries, including Chad and Cameroon, Boko Haram continues its senseless killings in the region.

Nigeria has made considerable gains against the terror group, dislodging Boko Haram fighters from the Sambisa Forest, the group's largest training camp in the country, early this year.

Boko Haram has been blamed for the death of more than 20,000 people and displacing of 2.3 million others in Nigeria since 2009.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 19:35:13|Editor: liuxin

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TEHRAN, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Fighter jets of Iran Air Force tested smart bombs in the ongoing war games, which kicked off in the central province of Isfahan on Tuesday, Tasnim news agency reported.

F-7 warplanes fired long-range bombs with pinpoint accuracy as well as homegrown rockets during the aerial exercises on Tuesday, General Massoud Roozkhosh, the spokesman for the war game was quoted as saying.

Besides, F-5 fighter jets and homegrown Saeqeh (Lightning) jets dropped 500-pound bombs on various targets in the operation zone, Roozkhosh said.

Roozkhosh said that the two-day military exercises are aimed at simulating real battle scenes.

Iran Air Force started massive air drills on Tuesday in the central province of Isfahan, official IRNA news agency reported.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 19:40:15|Editor: liuxin

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BERLIN, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- German police on Tuesday morning arrested a Syrian nationality in Schwerin on charge of preparing explosives to kill as many people as possible, the Federal Prosecutor's Office announced.

The Office said in a statement that the Special forces of the Federal Police and the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) have detained the 19-year-old Syrian named Yamen A, who is accused of preparing a "serious state-damaging crime".

The suspect, who lived in Schwerin's district of Neu Zippendorf, is said to have planned an Islamist-motivated attack with "highly explosive" in Germany.

In July this year, the suspect made the decision to detonate an explosive device in Germany "in order to kill and injure as many people as possible. Then Yamen A. began to procure components to make an explosive device, including chemicals, according to prosecutors.

It was not initially clear whether the suspect had selected a location to carry out the attack, prosecutors said. There is no evidence that he is a member of a terrorist group.

Germany is facing increasing terrorist attack risks after over a million refugees, mostly from Middle East countries, entered the country since 2015.

Last July, a 27-year-old Syrian refugee detonated an explosive device outside a music festival in the southern German town of Ansbach, killing himself and wounding 15 people.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 19:40:17|Editor: Xiang Bo

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HONG KONG, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJTU) in the Chinese mainland jointly set up the Joint Innovation Center for Rail Transit Safety Monitoring Technology, according to a press release published by PolyU on Tuesday.

A collaboration agreement was recently signed on PolyU campus between PolyU Base (Shenzhen) Limited, a registered legal entity of PolyU in the Chinese mainland, and China SWJTU Railway Development Co., Ltd (CSRD) of Southwest Jiaotong University.

The signing ceremony was officiated by David Chung Wai-keung, under secretary for innovation and technology of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government. Chung believed this joint innovation center would usher in a new phase of cooperation.

The research of the joint innovation center covers many areas such as research and development of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems tailored for rail tracks and subgrades; SHM systems tailored for high-speed trains and their components; Fault diagnosis and prognosis methods for comprehensive evaluation of vehicle-rail health condition; and establishment of comprehensive monitoring and control laboratory for real-time feedback.

Alex Wai, PolyU vice president, said that the signing of the agreement means closer collaboration in developing new railway transit safety monitoring technology, and PolyU will further participate in the nation's high-speed rail projects through its PolyU Shenzhen Base.

"I believe this strategic partnership will take the development of China's high-speed rail to higher levels of excellence," he said.
(File Pic) Fighter jets of Iran Air Force tested long-range smart bombs in the ongoing war games on Tuesday. (AFP Photo)

TEHRAN, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Fighter jets of Iran Air Force tested smart bombs in the ongoing war games, which kicked off in the central province of Isfahan on Tuesday, Tasnim news agency reported.

F-7 warplanes fired long-range bombs with pinpoint accuracy as well as homegrown rockets during the aerial exercises on Tuesday, General Massoud Roozkhosh, the spokesman for the war game was quoted as saying.

Besides, F-5 fighter jets and homegrown Saeqeh (Lightning) jets dropped 500-pound bombs on various targets in the operation zone, Roozkhosh said.

Roozkhosh said that the two-day military exercises are aimed at simulating real battle scenes.

Iran Air Force started massive air drills on Tuesday in the central province of Isfahan, official IRNA news agency reported.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 19:50:20|Editor: liuxin

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DHAKA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's anti-crime elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have arrested four people including a pilot on charges of plotting sabotage with aircraft.

RAB spokesman Mufti Mahmud Khan confirmed the arrest of the militants of the banned Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) on Tuesday at a press briefing.

He said those arrested included Sabbir Amam, a co-pilot (first officer) of National flag-carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

Khan said they were detained in a raid in the city on Monday night.

The JMB militants were hatching conspiracy to sabotage a plane.

JMB carried out a series of bombings in 63 out of the country's 64 districts, including capital Dhaka on Aug. 17, 2005, leaving two people dead and 150 others injured.

Hundreds of JMB leaders and activists were rounded up while six top leaders of the group, including Shaikh Abdur Rahman, were hanged in 2007.

Against the backdrop of a new wave of militancy rising, Bangladesh has stepped up anti-JMB drive aimed at dismantling all terrorist outfits and their networks in the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 20:00:23|Editor: Xiang Bo

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XI'AN, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- At Zhang Weipang's orchard, apples are ready for harvest.

The 0.67 hectares of apple trees, planted on just one quarter of the area formerly used for growing crops, earns his family at least 200,000 yuan (30,000 U.S. dollars) every year.

"It is more than ten times the income we received from growing crops, as the crop yield was only 750 kg per hectare," Zhang said.

Zhang lives in a rural area of Yan'an, a revolutionary base in northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

Located on China's Loess Plateau, Yan'an was one of regions that suffered most from drought and soil erosion. But the situation has gradually changed as the afforestation project to plant trees on cultivated land has brought the red city both a green landscape and fortune.

Hou Xiuzhen, a village cadre in Baota District, remembers the vicious circle of poverty and environmental destruction in the past.

Poor farmers turned to growing crops and herding livestock to feed themselves, but these activities only worsened the soil erosion, she said.

"Livestock ate the grass, and rainwater washed soil into river, making growing rice almost impossible," she recalled.

Last century, the plateau was notorious for its chronic soil erosion and ensuing ecological imbalance, especially in the impoverished Yan'an area. Every year, nearly 260 million tonnes of mud and sand washed into Yellow River, making up one sixth of the silt that gave the river its name.

Wu Zongkai, head of forestry bureau in Wuqi County, recalled the ecological conditions 20 years ago.

"Trees were rarely seen, and herders had difficulty finding a tree to lean against for a rest," said Wu. "We often had to turn on the lights at 3 p.m. when sandstorms turned the skies dark."

Wu, who has worked at the forestry department for over 30 years, has witnessed the "green revolution."

After China launched the project to plant trees on former farmland in 1999, the local government organized tree planting efforts every year, but the drought meant the survival rate was very low.

"After a tree died, we planted again, and again, up to six times, to cover the land with trees," Wu said.

After two decades, Wuqi County has seen an increase in tree and grass coverage from 12 percent in 1998 to nearly 73 percent this year.

Fu Tianping, head of the Yan'an Forestry Bureau, said over the past 18 years, the city has planted trees on 720,000 hectares of former farmland, or one fifth of the city's total area.

Improving the landscape has also increased incomes, through tourist revenue and profit generated by fruit trees.

Xue Zhanhai, mayor of Yan'an, said the city now has 450,000 hectares of fruit trees, generating an annual output of 10 billion yuan. The city's direct revenue from the forest tourism sector has hit 120 million yuan.

China has raised ecological construction to an unprecedented level over the past five years, with afforestation one of its major projects. Figures show the total area of new tree-covered areas in China stood at 7.2 million hectares in 2016, up 28.7 percent from 2012.

A report delivered at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China earlier this month said China would expand the project to plant trees on formerly cultivated land.

According to the State Forestry Administration, China aims to turn 667,000 hectares of farmland into tree-covered areas every year by 2020.

Hou, who has led tree-planting efforts near her village, said less farmland to cultivate has allowed more workers to take jobs, which also helps improve livelihoods in rural areas.

"With more trees, our living environment has become more beautiful and our lives in the village are better," she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 20:15:27|Editor: liuxin

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JAKARTA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia on Tuesday reaffirmed its rejection of Catalonia's declaration of independence, saying it would not support separatism in Spain.

"The Indonesian government will definitely not recognize that. It is their domestic issue," Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla commented on Catalonia's unilateral proclamation of independence following a referendum on Oct. 1, which had been declared illegal by the Spanish Constitutional Court.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stressed that Indonesia still regards Catalonia as an integral territory of Spain.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 20:20:30|Editor: liuxin

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KATHMANDU, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Risks from natural hazards are gradually outpacing resilience in South and Southwest Asia and have the potential to reverse hard-won development gains in the sub-region, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) said here in a report on Tuesday.

Launching the sub-regional report in Kathmandu, head of the UN ESCAP Sub-regional Office for South and South-West Asia, Michael Williamson, underscored that "the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development recognizes the devastating and pervasive impacts that natural disasters can have and incorporates the principles of disaster risk resilience as a central tenet of the promise to leave no one behind."

"In South and Southwest Asia, protecting livelihoods from the impact of disasters must move to the top of the policy agenda, with the recognition that even the most efficient early warning systems may not be sufficient," Williamson told the media.

In 2016 and 2017 alone, avalanches, snowfall and rain-related disasters have caused considerable damage in Afghanistan, while torrential monsoon rains in Bangladesh, India and Nepal have killed over 900 persons and affected almost 41 million people, said the report entitled The Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2017.

The poorest and most vulnerable sections of the society are disproportionately affected by these disasters in this sub-region which can very quickly strip poor people of their livelihoods, pushing them back into absolute poverty or trapping them in an inter-generational transmission of poverty, the report said.

Though the sub-region is continuing to develop quickly, it is still home to a large portion of the world's absolute poor, the ESCAP said.

Disasters also widen socioeconomic disparities and exacerbate existing inequalities, according to the report.

Beyond the human costs, research undertaken by ESCAP has indicated that in the sub-region, floods have cost 94 billion U.S. dollars in estimated damages within the past 15 years, the report said.

Forty percent of global economic losses from disasters will be in the Asia-Pacific region by 2030 with the least developed countries suffering from annual losses of around 2.5 percent of GDP, the report said.

The launch of the Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2017 in Nepal was part of a two-day workshop on addressing disaster risks specific to South and Southwest Asia in Kathmandu which brought together government officials and disaster management specialists from 10 countries in the sub-region.

Delivering a key note address at the workshop, Arbind Kumar Mishra, a member of the National Planning Commission of Nepal, said that disasters affect everyone but impact the poor and vulnerable people the most.

"Low-income countries account for only about 9 percent of the world's disaster. Yet, they experience 48 percent of fatalities," Mishra said.

He underscored the timeliness of the meeting after the approval by the parliament of Nepal of a long-awaited disaster mitigation regulation act and underscored the importance of the workshop to identify ways to convert risks into resilience.

Nepal ranks as the fourth most climate vulnerable country in the world, according to the ESCAP.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 20:20:31|Editor: liuxin

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TIRANA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Helidon Bendo, the current vice director of Albania's State Intelligence Service (SHISH) will be the new chief of this service, replacing Visho Ajazi Lika, Albanian prime minister's press office confirmed Tuesday.

Visho Ajazi Lika submitted Monday his unequivocal resignation to the Prime Minister Edi Rama, without giving details about the reasons that made him resign from the post he has held since 2012.

Later on, as local media reported, Rama sent the name of Helidon Bendo to the President of Republic, Ilir Meta in order to approve the appointment of Bendo as new chief of Albanian intelligence services.

Under the Albanian constitution, the Prime Minister proposes both the appointment and the dismissal of the chief of SHISH to the President.

Meanwhile, the mandate of the chief of the secret services is not limited to a set number of years and this is why political experts here considered Ajazi Lika's resignation as unexpected.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 20:30:35|Editor: liuxin

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TRIPOLI, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord on Tuesday condemned the airstrikes by unidentified warplanes in eastern city Derna, calling it "war crime."

"The Presidential Council of the Government of National Accord condemns in the strongest terms the airstrikes on the city of Derna, which killed and injured a number of innocent civilians, including women and children," the government said in a statement.

The government said that UN Security Council has called for an investigation into the incident."

"In this regard, we demand urgent lift of the unjust siege on the city, allow humanitarian assistance into the city, and allow injured people to leave for medical treatment," the statement said.

UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Tuesday condemned the airstrike, calling for "immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access and lifting restrictions on movement, especially for those needing medical treatment."

"UNSMIL reiterates that direct or indiscriminate attacks against civilians are prohibited under international humanitarian law, and reminds all parties of their obligations to protect civilians," the mission said in a statement

A local source told Xinhua that unidentified aircraft on Monday carried out airstrikes on militant sites in the eastern city of Derna, killing and injuring dozens of people, including civilians.

The Libyan Air Force has not claimed responsibility for the strikes so far.

Since mid-2015, Libyan eastern-based army forces led by General Khalifa Haftar have been imposing a land and sea blockade on the city of Derna. Residents are not allowed to enter or leave, except in humanitarian and medical cases.

The coastal city of Derna, located some 250 km northwest of Benghazi, is the only city in eastern Libya outside the control of the Libyan armed forces.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 20:55:43|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- China plans to launch its reusable spacecraft in 2020, according to a statement from China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Tuesday.

Unlike traditional one-off spacecraft, the new spacecraft will fly into the sky like an aircraft, said Chen Hongbo, a researcher from the corporation.

The spacecraft can transport people or payload into the orbit and return to Earth.

Chen said that the spacecraft will be easier to maintain and can improve the frequency of launches at lower cost, bringing new opportunities for more people to travel into space.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 21:25:54|Editor: liuxin

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OSLO, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia has signed a contract worth 77 million U.S. dollars to buy a medium-range air defence system from Norway's Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, the company said on Tuesday.

The contract, signed by the partially state-owned company and the Indonesian ministry of defence, includes delivery of a complete Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS), the company said in a statement.

It comprises the system's command posts, radars, launchers, radios and integration as well as training and logistics support, while AMRAAMs, or Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles, will be provided in a separate government-to-government agreement between Indonesia and the United States.

"We are very pleased that Indonesia, as the first nation in its region, chooses NASAMS for its homeland defence," Eirik Lie, president of the Norwegian company's Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace unit, was quoted as saying in the statement.

"The continuous technical evolution and addition of users confirms that NASAMS is the most modern and advanced air defense system in the world," he said.

Several countries have chosen NASAMS, including Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, the United States, Spain, Oman, Lithuania and now also Indonesia, according to the company's statement.

The NASAMS, launched in the late 1990s by Kongsberg in partnership with major U.S. defense contractor Raytheon, is "a world leading solution with unique capabilities to combat modern airborne threats, as well as having the ability to integrate with a variety of different sensors and weapons," the Norwegian company said.

According to Norway's online business newspaper E24, NASAMS is one of the major export successes of the Norwegian defense industry and is used, among other things, to protect critical infrastructure in Washington DC.

The process of landing sales to Indonesia has been going on for several years, Lie told E24.

Deliveries will start in two to three years, but Lie did not specify when the installation will be complete, E24 reported.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 21:25:56|Editor: liuxin

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BANGKOK, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra was reportedly staying in Britain as a visitor not an asylum-seeking immigrant, Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said on Tuesday.

He quoted an unnamed intelligence unit as saying that Yingluck, who failed to show up in court and fled the country two months ago, was reported to be staying somewhere in England.

He also quoted British authorities as saying that the former lady leader, if being at the country, can only stay in England as a temporary visitor and not as asylum-seeking immigrant.

She might be legally allowed to stay in England for a certain period of time under the British law, according to Don, who confirmed that all her diplomatic and general passports had already been revoked by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Yingluck was believed to have fled the country to Dubai before a court verdict in August. She was said to have traveled from Dubai to Britain where she might possibly seek political asylum.

Thailand's Supreme Court delivered a final verdict in absentia of Yingluck on Sept. 27, which ruled her guilty of duty-negligence and misconduct charges involving a rice subsidy program and sentenced her to five years in jail.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 21:35:57|Editor: liuxin

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MADRID, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Belgium could not give political asylum to a former Catalan leader unless the country starts a judicial procedure denouncing Spain violates the European Union (EU) treaty, a Spanish member of the European Parliament (MEP) told media Tuesday.

Enrique Calvet, the MEP for the Spanish Union Progress and Democracy Party (UPyD), which forms part of the Group of the Alliance for Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), said asylum is not contemplated between EU member states unless Belgium starts a procedure against Spain.

The procedure is allowed by Article 7 of the EU Treaty, which guarantees the rights and freedoms of all citizens of the European Community.

Ousted Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, along with five former ministers of his regional government, is in Belgium, amidst speculation that he could apply for political asylum, local media reported Monday.

The MEP said Belgium would need the support of a third of the current member states in the European Parliament and the European Commission and that it currently fails to get this support.

Calvet added that as the judicial proceedings in Spain advance against Puigdemont and his five former ministers, Spain could also ask for a "European detention order" which would force the Belgian authorities to stop any asylum proceedings against the former Catalan leader.

He added that he has explained all of these issues in a letter to the Belgian Secretary of State for Immigration Theo Francken, who had offered Puigdemont the possibility of asylum this weekend.

Spain's Attorney-General Jose Manuel Maza announced Monday that Puigdemont was being sued because of his unilateral declaration of independence last Friday.

The sacked regional president is being prosecuted for rebellion as well as sedition and misuse of public funds. He could face up to 30 years in prison.

The application for political asylum has not yet been confirmed by local media and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has not given any comment.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 21:35:58|Editor: Xiang Bo

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GUANGZHOU, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) jointly held a maritime rescue drill off the coast of south China's Guangdong Province on Tuesday.

The drill, the largest of its kind for China and ASEAN members, involved about 1,000 rescuers aboard 20 ships and three helicopters from China, Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Brunei.

The drill simulated a scene involving a collision between a Chinese passenger ship and a Cambodian bulk cargo ship in the waters off Zhanjiang, with passengers falling into the sea and the cargo ship catching fire.

China has strengthened maritime rescue cooperation with ASEAN members in recent years.

Zhuang Zeping, deputy director of the Guangdong provincial maritime search and rescue center, said in the event of transnational shipwrecks, cooperation between countries could help reduce life and property loss.

He Xiangqi, an official with the department of boundary and ocean affairs of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said the maritime rescue cooperation between China and ASEAN countries could help improve rescue capability in the South China Sea.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 21:46:04|Editor: Xiang Bo

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MOSCOW, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Russian mining giant Norilsk Nickel said on Tuesday that it has begun commissioning its joint-venture processing plant with a Chinese partner in Bystrinsky, a district near Russia's fareastern border with China.

Highland Fund, a consortium of Chinese investment funds and corporations, has a 13.3-percent stake in the project.` The plant will process ore from the Bystrinsky gold-iron-copper deposit, one of the 10 largest copper deposits in the world, to produce copper, gold and magnetite concentrates.

Full-scale operation is expected to start by mid-2018, a Norilsk statement said. Design capacity will be reached by the end of 2019.

The total ore reserves of some 343 million tons will ensure the plant's utilization for more than 30 years, the statement said.

The construction of the Bystrinsky plant has become the largest greenfield project in the Russian metals and mining sector. It is expected to become a major employer in the Trans-Baikal Territory and generate over 3,000 jobs.

With its annual design capacity of 10 million tons of ore, Bystrinsky is expected to become Norilsk's third major production asset.

Norilsk said it expects to supply the products to Chinese markets.

Norilsk Nickel, a leading producer of refined nickel and platinum group metal palladium, also produces copper, platinum and other non-ferrous metals.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 21:51:06|Editor: Yamei

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MOSCOW, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The allegations that Russia has interfered in elections in the United States or the European Union are groundless and their authors are unable to present any proof, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.

"It has even been mentioned somewhere that we are not only going to interfere in all the elections, but also will manipulate the environment to create floods," Lavrov said at a meeting with the Association of European Businesses.

"But no one has presented a single proof," he stressed.

Lavrov said the United States and its allies have accused Russia of everything from protests, bankruptcies of some companies, and "maybe even man-made disasters."

The minister also pointed out that the investigation of the Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election has last for nine months already but no proof has been made public.

Lavrov said with so many people involved in the investigation in the U.S. Congress and in the Office of Special Counsel, there should have been a leak to the media by now.

"Therefore, these excuses about secrecy, frankly, are simply ridiculous for people who make such serious accusations against us," said the minister.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 21:56:09|Editor: liuxin

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CAIRO, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Egypt stressed on Tuesday solidarity and understanding for the Bahraini decision of boycotting all the Gulf summits that Qatar will take part in, Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement.

"Egypt totally understands the stand of Hamad Bin Essa al-Khalifa, king of Bahrain not to take part in the meetings or summits of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in which Qatar will participate," spokesperson of the foreign ministry, Ahmad Abu Zeid said.

Bahrain's foreign minister on Monday suggested suspending Qatar's GCC membership until it accepts the demands of the Arab countries boycotting Doha.

"Bahrain decision is a matter of sovereignty to face the damages that harmed it due to the negative Qatari policies in the past years," the statement added.

Egypt also underscored solidarity with Bahrain in all the decisions it has taken to preserve security and stability of its people, it added.

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt on June 5 severed ties with Qatar over accusations of supporting extremism and being too close to Shiite rival Iran, charges Doha has denied.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 22:11:14|Editor: liuxin

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by Eric J. Lyman

ROME, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The month of October will go down into the record books as the driest single month since the 1950s, according to data from weather monitoring service Epson Meteo, keeping 2017 on pace to be the driest year in Italy since record keeping began in 1960.

The unusually dry weather is causing record low levels in rivers and lakes, as well as water rationing in some parts of the country and agriculture problems in others. It has been put down to a combination of multiple factors all hitting around the same time, analysts told Xinhua.

"There are some impacts of climate change, plus there is a natural atmospheric circulation that returns on 22-year cycles," Adriano Mazzarella, head of the Meteorological observatory at Federico II University in Naples, said in an interview.

Added Giampiero Maracchi, a climatologist at the University of Florence: "A major culprit is localized currents from North Africa," he said, "It's something that usually happens only every two or three years."

Whatever the cause, the problems stemming from the lack of water are significant. In October alone, rainfall in Italy accounted for 14 billion cubic meters of water less than in a normal October, a decrease of around 88 percent compared to normal levels, Epson Meteo data showed.

Dry weather is thought to be one of the main causes behind a rash of forest fires across parts of Italy. Minister of the Interior Marco Minniti called an emergency meeting of experts Monday to discuss ways to curb the problem. Switzerland and Croatia have sent aircraft to Italy to help combat the fires near their borders.

In addition, Italian wine production for this year is expected to be well below normal levels, as early signs are that olive oil production will suffer a similar fate. Even as weather cools from an unusually hot summer fountains remain closed in several major Italian cities.

Experts called for long-term planning to confront the problems: more reservoirs to collect water when rains are plentiful, more efficient distribution, less water-intensive kinds of agriculture, and using recycled water for uses beyond human consumption, such as in fountains or for irrigation.

"For the most part, the same quality of drinkable water for all uses, which is a waste when recycled water could be used," Mazzarella said.

The worst may be over, however. Mazzarella predicted rains could come over the last two months of the year, and if that happens, it could save this year from the fate of being the driest since record keeping began.

But Maracchi said that even if the dry weather abates, it should not reduce the pressure on the government to take appropriate action.

"Steps have to be taken to make sure that the next time rainfall is low it doesn't have the same impact it is having in 2017," Maracchi said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 22:16:18|Editor: liuxin

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RAMALLAH, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said Tuesday that the Palestinian leadership is still waiting for the United States to present its ideas about the peace process.

Malki said in statements to the official Voice of Palestine that the Palestinian side is waiting to discuss such ideas and respond to them, but has not mentioned when the U.S. would make its proposal.

He said the Palestinian side cannot say no to any U.S. attempt to push forward the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, but it wants Washington to "realize that the party failing its work is the Israeli government and not us."

"We are aware that the Israeli government will hinder and foil any attempts by the Americans or others to reach an agreement to end the occupation and allow the establishment of the independent Palestinian state," he said.

He vowed that the Palestinian side will do its best to cooperate with the Americans on any proposal for pushing forward the peace process stalled since 2014.

Earlier this week, the White House declared that U.S. Vice President Mike Pence will visit Palestine and Israel in December and meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu separately.

"We are waiting and we welcome any visit by American delegations to the Palestinian territories to discuss with us any ideas regarding the peace process," Malki commented on planned Pence's visit.

The Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have been stalled since April 2014, after the U.S.-sponsored talks failed to achieve tangible results after nine months.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 22:16:19|Editor: ying

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NEW DELHI, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- India's Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui recalled his controversial memoir following sharp criticism from two of his former women friends for detailing his relationships with them.

Siddiqui's decision to recall the book -- An Ordinary Life -- came days after its release on Oct. 16.

In the book he described intimate details of his personal life and of his affairs with Niharika Singh and Sunita Rajwar, which landed him in trouble.

Both Singh and Rajwar have described Siddiqui's revelations as false.

Following the controversy, Siddiqui apologized on social media and announced his decision to recall the book.

"I am apologising to everyone whose sentiments are hurt because of the chaos around my memoir, An Ordinary Life. I hereby regret and decide to withdraw my book," Siddiqui wrote on his Facebook and Twitter late on Monday.

Siddiqui has acted in over 50 films since he joined Bollywood in 1999. He is considered as one of Bollywood's most talented actors, starring in acclaimed films like Gangs of Wasseypur, Lunchbox, Manjhi, Black Friday and Badlapur among others.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 22:21:23|Editor: liuxin

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PHNOM PENH, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected a request for the release on bail of opposition leader Kem Sokha, who was arrested earlier last month on the charges of "treason."

"The Supreme Court denies bail for Kem Sokha and decides to uphold the Appeal Court's decision to detain him," Supreme Court's judge Khim Pon read a verdict after a three-hour bail hearing.

Kem Sokha,, president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) who was kept at the Trapaing Thlong Prison in eastern Tboung Khmum province, did not appear at the court due to security concerns.

During the court proceedings, security had been tightened as several opposition lawmakers and dozens of their activists gathered outside the courthouse.

Kem Sokha, 64, was arrested on Sept. 3 for allegedly plotting the overthrow of the government with the U.S. support. He was accused of treason, the charge that could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

The government lodged a complaint to the Supreme Court on Oct. 6, requesting the CNRP dissolution after Kem Sokha was charged with treason.

The court will hear the CNRP dissolution case on Nov. 16.

The CNRP is the main rival to Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party (CPP), as the Southeast Asian country is gearing up for the national elections in July 2018.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 22:26:26|Editor: Xiang Bo

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PHNOM PENH, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia aims to double the number of Chinese tourists coming to the Southeast Asian country to 2 million by 2020, Tourism Minister Thong Khon said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the second National Forum on "China Ready for Cambodia Tourism," the minister said Cambodia welcomed 3.5 million foreign tourists in the first eight months of 2017, up 11.8 percent year-on-year, among whom were 742,586 Chinese tourists, up 44 percent.

"Following the forecast, in 2017, Cambodia will receive approximately 1 million Chinese tourists and increase to at least 2 million in 2020," he told the forum, which was attended by some 600 officials and representatives of tourism-related companies in the two countries.

The minister said China is the largest source of tourists to Cambodia and he attributed the steady growth of Chinese tourists to Cambodia to the comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation that the two countries forged in 2010.

"Following this good and comprehensive strategic cooperation between the two countries, it has led to an increase of the number of Chinese investors as well as Chinese tourists to Cambodia every year," Thong Khon said.

Cambodia launched last year a "China Ready" strategy with the aim of attracting more Chinese tourists to the country.

The strategy listed steps to be taken by tourism authorities to facilitate visits by Chinese tourists, such as providing Chinese signs and documents for visa processing, encouraging local use of the Chinese currency and the Chinese language, and ensuring that food and accommodation facilities are suited to Chinese tastes.

Yang Xiuping, secretary-general of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)-China Center, said tourism cooperation between China and Cambodia has maintained a good momentum of rapid development in recent years and lauded Cambodia for its richness in tourism resources.

"Angkor Wat, the World Heritage Site, has become a popular destination for Chinese tourists," she said during the forum's opening ceremony. "This year, more than 1 million Chinese tourists are expected to visit Cambodia."

She said currently, 12 Chinese airlines are operating 155 direct flights each week to Cambodia.

Zhang Hailin, a professor of Guilin Tourism University in southwestern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, said to attract more Chinese tourists, Cambodia needed to train more Chinese-speaking staff and promote its tourist destinations in Chinese language on websites and social media.

"Chinese people always adhere to their culture and traditions, so the show of respect for their culture is very important," he told the forum, adding that Chinese tourists also like doing shopping and buying souvenirs.

Chhay Sivlin, president of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, said she believed that Cambodia would be able to achieve the target of 2 million Chinese tourists in 2020 thanks to Cambodia-China niceties, Cambodia's richness of cultural heritage sites, and better air route connectivity between the two countries.

"Chinese tourism market is a potential market for Cambodian tourism because Chinese people are rich and they are keen to spend their holidays abroad," she said.

Tourism is one of the four sectors supporting the Cambodian economy. Last year, the country received 5 million foreign tourists, up 5 percent year-on-year, and generated total revenue of about 3.4 billion U.S. dollars, or 13 percent of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product), according to government figures.

Cambodia has three world heritage sites - Angkor archeological park in northwestern Siem Reap province, Preah Vihear Temple in northwestern Preah Vihear province, and Sambor Prei Kuk archeological site in central Kampong Thom province.

Besides, it has a pristine coastline stretching in the length of 450 km in four southwestern provinces of Koh Kong, Preah Sihanouk, Kampot and Kep.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 22:26:28|Editor: liuxin

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KIEV, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine's agricultural exports grew at a robust pace in the first nine months of this year, which was driven by high demands in Asia, the Ukrainian Agriculture Ministry said Tuesday.

During this period, Ukraine exported farm products worth 13.07 billion U.S. dollars, up 24.3 percent from the same period last year, the ministry said in a statement.

Markets in Asia were the largest destinations for Ukrainian exports, accounting for about 43 percent of the total sales. They were followed by European and African countries, with 32 percent and 15 percent respectively.

Traditional exports items, such as sunflower oil, corn, wheat, rye and other grains have led Ukraine's overseas supplies so far this year.

Furthermore, the eastern European country saw strong growth in beans, berries, meat and dairy exports.

Ukraine's sales of agricultural products amounted to 15.5 billion dollars in 2016, taking up 42.5 percent of the country's total exports.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 22:26:28|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BEIJING, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. conclusion on anti-dumping of aluminum foil from China was "a serious distortion" of real situation, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Tuesday.

The MOC made the statement in response to the U.S. decision on China's status as a non-market economy country and launching anti-dumping investigation against aluminum foil imports from China under the "analogue country methodology."

The U.S. ignored China's achievements in building a market economy and the conclusion was a serious distortion of the real situation, the MOC said in an online statement.

Since reform and opening up, China has established and been improving the socialist market economy, which has been widely recognized by the international community, said the MOC.

China urged the U.S. to fulfill international obligations and take action to correct the wrong practice, while China will take measures to protect legal rights of Chinese companies, according to the MOC.

According to WTO requirements, anti-dumping investigations against imports from China under the "analogue country methodology" ceased on Dec. 11, 2016. The method calculates the value of products from so-called "non-market economies" using costs of production in a third country. The concept of "non-market economy country" does not exist in WTO rules.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 22:36:31|Editor: Liangyu

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Afghan security force members walk near the site of a suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, Oct. 31, 2017. Four people were killed and 13 others wounded as a suicide bomber blew himself up in a fortified diplomatic enclave in Kabul on Tuesday, spokesman for the Interior Ministry Najib Danesh said. (Xinhua/Rahmat Alizadah)

KABUL, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed and 13 others wounded as a suicide bomber blew himself up in a fortified diplomatic enclave in Kabul on Tuesday, spokesman for the Interior Ministry Najib Danesh said.

"The reports we have collected indicate that four people including a woman were martyred and 13 others including some women sustained injuries," Danesh told reporters at the site of the blast in Wazir Akbar Khan area.

The spokesman said an investigation was underway and more details would be made public after completion of the probe.

However, a police officer at the site of the blast said the attacker detonated an explosive device strapped to his motorbike.

Local TV channel Tolo reported that the blast claimed the lives of seven people and injured 21 others, mostly civilians.

In a statement released hours after the blast the Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility for the deadly attack.

The IS outfit had claimed responsibility for an attack on Imam-e-Zaman mosque in the western edge of Kabul on Oct. 20 that left more than 50 dead and 40 others injured.
Cui Tiankai (C), Chinese ambassador to the United States, gives a press briefing at the Chinese embassy in Washington D.C., the United States, Oct. 30, 2017. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's upcoming visit to Beijing will be a great opportunity for China-U.S. relations, said Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the United States on Monday.

Cui made the remarks at a press briefing held at the Chinese embassy in Washington.

HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY

Trump is expected to visit China next month as part of his five-stop tour in Asia that will also take him to Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines.

His tour to Beijing will make him the first visiting foreign head of state after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Cui said.

The visit will be a great opportunity for China-U.S. relations, especially after the 19th CPC National Congress which reaffirmed that China will continue to follow the path of peaceful development, noticed the ambassador.

China will continue to seek the expansion and convergence of common interests with the rest of the world, and will continue to stand for better, closer, and more effective coordinations with other countries, especially the United States, said Cui.

President Trump will come to China at the very historic moment, and his visit will continue his strategic communications with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the basis of their earlier "very good dialogue", phone calls and a number of letters, Cui said.

"Our teams are working very closely for President Trump's state visit, and we hope it will be a successful and very productive visit," Cui said.

"STATE VISIT PLUS"

During the interview, Cui mentioned that China will be glad to provide a "state-visit-plus" experience for President Trump and his family.

"We have everything that is required for a state visit, for instance, the official talks, the guards of honor, the state banquet," said the veteran diplomat.

"But we want more than that," he added.

The ambassador said that there will be "some special arrangements" for the U.S. president and the first family to reciprocate the hospitality that Xi and his wife received during an April meeting in Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in the U.S. state of Florida.

Cui also mentioned that during Trump's stay in China, the two presidents will be given sufficient time for the "top-level, strategic conversation," which is "extremely important for the development of bilateral relations."

Considered Trump's visit will cover five countries in Asia, Trump will have a very full schedule in Beijing.

"Hopefully he will come back for a second visit," seeing more China's cities, said Cui.

TRADE, KOREAN PENINSULA NUCLEAR ISSUE

Trade cooperation and the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula are among the key topics for Trump's discussions in Beijing.

Economic relations between China and the United States, the two largest economies in the world, have been and should continue to be mutually beneficial, said Cui.

As there is increasing economic interdependence between the two countries, "I think it is appropriate to say that there can only be win-win or lose-lose outcomes," Cui said.

The Chinese ambassador also expressed his confidence that there will be "significant outcomes" on the economic and trade front at the conclusion of Trump's China visit.

Speaking of nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula, Cui said China has been doing everything it can on the issue, including enforcing all the sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) by the UN Security Council through a string of resolutions.

"Honestly, many of these sanctions will be implemented with a high cost on China itself, because we are DPRK's neighbor," Cui said.

But China is willing to take up the efforts as it believes in "the larger global interest" in the denuclearization of the Korea Peninsula, he added.

Meanwhile, Cui pointed out that the nuclear issue cannot be solved by China itself. "It requires joint efforts of all the parties concerned, including the United States and the DPRK," he said.

Noticing that the situation of the Korean Peninsula will be one of the priorities of dialogue between Xi and Trump, Cui hoped the the two sides could reach more agreements on it.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 22:56:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BAGHDAD, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces on Tuesday liberated a town and nine villages as they are pushing into the last stronghold of Islamic State (IS) militants near the border with Syria in Iraq's western province of Anbar, the Iraqi military said.

The Iraqi army and paramilitary Hashd Shaabi brigades took control of the town of Ubiedi and nearby residential complex in the east of the border city of al-Qaim, some 330 km west of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, after they defeated the extremist militants in the town, Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Yarallah, Commander of Liberation of West Anbar Operations, said in a statement.

The troops also seized a total of nine villages scattered outside the town of Ubiedi, in addition to large areas of Akkaz gas field southeast of al-Qaim, the statement said.

On Oct. 26, the security forces initiated their advance towards the last IS stronghold in Iraq near the Iraqi-Syrian border.

Meanwhile, the troops managed to make a significant progress toward the IS-held city of Rawa, about 80 km east of al-Qaim, and took positions outside the southern edges of the city.

The security forces still have to take control of areas around the IS-held cities of Rawa and al-Qaim before they push into the last IS urban strongholds in Iraq. Later, the troops will have to continue clearing the vast rural areas and desert in north of the Euphrates River.

The IS militants seized large swaths of territory in Iraq in 2014. After three years of battles, the Iraqi forces have retaken most of the occupied areas from the terrorist group, including the country's second largest city Mosul.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 23:11:38|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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PARIS, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- A couple and their three children were found dead in Nouvion-et-Catillon, northern France on Tuesday morning in an apparent "voluntary killing," a local daily reported.

Earlier in the day, a farm worker discovered five bodies of a man and a woman both aged 47 years and their three kids aged between 20 and 12 years, according to Le Parisien.

All the victims were shot dead, it added.

An investigation over "voluntary homicide" was opened while police are seeking "to establish precisely the chronology of the facts."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 23:16:40|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TOKYO, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Police in Tokyo arrested a man in his 20s after discovering body parts of nine dismembered people while searching for a 23-year-old missing woman, local media reported on Tuesday.

Takahiro Shiraishi, 27, has admitted to killing the nine people, including eight women and one man, since he moved into his apartment on Aug. 22.

He admitted that he killed the victims for stealing money and that he had also attempted to rape some of the women.

He told the police that he couldn't throw away the bodies because he was afraid of being caught.

Shiraishi was arrested on suspicion of body disposal and the police were expected to file murder charges later.

According to Japan's public broadcaster NHK, investigators from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department were investigating the disappearance of the young woman from Hachioji City in the suburbs of Tokyo.

The woman was reported missing last Tuesday.

The investigations led them to an apartment in Zama City near Tokyo, where Shiraishi was arrested on suspicion of body disposal.

Police suspect the dismembered body parts include those of the missing woman.

They believe the woman may have come into contact with Shiraishi on an Internet website for people with suicidal thoughts.

A message was posted on the woman's Twitter account on Sept. 20, according to Kyodo News, saying she was "looking for someone who will die with me." The message said she "wants to die, but is scared of dying alone."

Subsequent investigations revealed that she had been exchanging messages online with Shiraishi.

Surveillance camera footage also showed the pair walking together on Monday last week at Hachioji station in Tokyo, and at another station near the man's apartment, NHK said.

During the police's initial search of Shiraishi's apartment they found a cooler box with the dismembered body parts of two people, local media reported.

The remains of seven other people in his apartment were subsequently found, local media quoted police investigators as saying.

Police said Shiraishi confessed to killing of the woman soon after he met her, saying he used the bath to cut up the bodies and dumped some of the body parts in the garbage.

They retrieved a saw from his apartment believed to have been used to dismember the bodies.

While some residents in the same apartment building had noticed a foul smell coming from his room since August, others described Shiraishi as being "a cheerful, kind and polite man."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 23:21:41|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ANKARA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday filed a criminal complaint against a deputy chair of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) for "insulting the president."

The move came after CHP Deputy Chair Bulent Tezcan called President Erdogan "a fascist dictator" during an address in the northwestern Tekirdag province on Monday, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Ankara prosecutors have launched a probe into Tezcan for "insulting the president."

Tezcan's comments prompted a swift backlash from Erdogan's office and his ruling Justice and Development Party.

The Deputy Prime Minister and government spokesman Bekir Bozdag criticized Tezcan's remarks on Monday, describing it "unacceptable."

Turkish Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin also slammed Tezcan on Twitter, saying "Bulent Tezcan's discourse of hatred is a certificate of shame for the main opposition. This is not politics, rather it is hostility towards the nation's will."

According to Article 299 of the Turkish Criminal Code, anyone who "casts aspersions on the president" faces one to four years in prison, with greater penalties for doing so publicly or via the media.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 23:36:48|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Unrest in Nekemte city in Ethiopia's Oromia regional state has left three people dead, regional officials said on Tuesday.

Addisu Arega, spokesperson for Oromia regional state, said 16 people have been apprehended over suspected involvement in the unrest that occurred on Sunday and Monday.

Nekemte city police chief Getachew Yitana told local media Radio Fana that 10 people have been injured in the unrest, which he said was caused by social media rumors of illegal firearms in civilians' home.

Yitana said that the city has returned to normalcy on Tuesday.

He admitted that two of the dead are ethnic Amharas and one ethnic Oromo.

Ethnic tensions are increasing in Oromia, where the region's main ethnic group Oromos have been protesting since 2015 over alleged economic and political disenfranchisement by successive governments.

Although martial law declared in October 2016, and later lifted in August this year, had calmed Oromia, renewed deadly anti-government protests earlier this month has led to massive displacement.

The protests have until recently largely spared ethnic minorities that some Oromos accuse of unfair enrichment from the regional state's resources.

Ethnic tensions and clashes in Ethiopia tend to focus over the exploitation of the resources of the area and the ownership of land.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 23:46:51|Editor: huaxia

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MOSCOW -- The allegations that Russia has interfered in elections in the United States or the European Union are groundless and their authors are unable to present any proof, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.

"It has even been mentioned somewhere that we are not only going to interfere in all the elections, but also will manipulate the environment to create floods," Lavrov said at a meeting with the Association of European Businesses. (Russia-US-Election)

- - - -

SKOPJE -- Macedonia conducted the second round of local elections professionally, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said Monday in a preliminary statement.

The elections were competitive and respected for fundamental freedom necessary for democratic elections, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights said. (Macedonia-Local Elections)

- - - -

BARCELONA -- The Spanish Civil Guard on Tuesday raided at least six offices of the Catalan regional police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra, the Spanish media reported.

They were apparently looking for recordings made on Oct. 1, the day the Catalan independence referendum was held despite being declared illegal by the Spanish Constitutional Court. (Spain-Catalonia)

- - - -

KABUL -- Four people were killed and 13 others wounded as a suicide bomber blew himself up in a fortified diplomatic enclave in Kabul on Tuesday, spokesman for the Interior Ministry Najib Danesh said.

"The reports we have collected indicate that four people including a woman were martyred and 13 others including some women sustained injuries," Danesh told reporters at the site of the blast in Wazir Akbar Khan area.(Afghanistan-Suicide Bombing) Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-10-31 23:56:56|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump will not visit the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and South Korea during his upcoming Asian tour due to a tight schedule, the White House said on Tuesday.

Instead, Trump will visit Camp Humphreys, a military base about 60 km south of Seoul, capital of South Korea, during his visit to South Korea, a senior White House official told reporters in a briefing.

The president had to choose between the DMZ and the Camp Humphreys because of the limited time, said the official on condition of anonymity, who also pointed out that no U.S. president has ever visited the Camp Humphreys yet.

The official noted that U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, State Secretary Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis have all visited the heavily fortified border.

Trump's travel to Asia is slated for Nov. 3 to Nov. 14, and it will take him to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

During his trip, Trump will attend the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Vietnam on Nov. 10-11 and the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Philippines on Nov. 12.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 00:20:19|Editor: Liangyu

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by Xinhua writer Wang Lili

SINGAPORE, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) can adapt to complex trading environments since the organization is a purely voluntary and flexible pact, said executive director Alan Bollard in a recent interview with Xinhua.

APEC, with less than half of the world's population, accounts for more than half of the world's GDP, the economist noted ahead of the organization's next summit to be held shortly in Da Nang, Vietnam.

Grouping 21 different economies together and joining them up around the Pacific rim, APEC has advantages over some legally binding institutional arrangements. If they disagree on something, then a pathfinder group of economies can try to work things out, noted the executive director.

By bringing together the world's top two economies, namely the United States and China, and some other much smaller ones, APEC can take advantage of what different economies can do best, he said, pointing out the fact that the bloc has helped drive economic growth and improve living standards in the region.

According to Bollard, while all 21 members have demonstrated leadership in one way or another, China has shown strong leadership in APEC on a whole range of initiatives.

China outlined a connectivity blueprint for APEC when hosting a summit in 2014. Moreover, Beijing has made good progress on avoiding the middle-income trap, expanding domestic demand as a growth driver as well as on developing a green economy and supply-chain development.

Bollard said that APEC is highly interested in the China-proposed Belt & Road Initiative, which in his words is about investment in projects and development of infrastructure and would play a role in enhancing connectivity in the region.

Connectivity is one of the four priorities Vietnam has outlined for the upcoming APEC summit on food security and climate change.

"We need to be very careful about any effects of big climatic events, given the fact the majority of APEC population live very close to the coastal and river deltas and very subject to climatic changes," said Bollard.

Moreover, there's a lot of food waste due to inadequate transport or storage facilities, and poor connectivity.

Concerning priority topics involving modernizing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through the digital economy, the executive director noted that China and the United States have set examples in that direction, with China now leading in mobile-based e-commerce and the United States on laptop-based e-commerce.

"Most of our businesses are small businesses. Most of them cannot get into the international or regional economic growth drivers at all, but e-commerce opens this up," he said, stressing that revitalizing SMEs through e-commerce has got the potential to "help develop a revolution in APEC."

In addition, many supply chains are now making it possible to guarantee quality, finance, payments and market access for small businesses, he said.

Acknowledging that too many different initiatives are underway for the time being, the so-called Spaghetti Bowl effect -- in which free trade agreements take precedence over global, multilateral rules of trade -- would be there for some time, but APEC would like to see "some improved recipes for cooking the noodles."

He expects to see work continue in the forthcoming summit on identifying the bottlenecks around potential realization of a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific.

As for the Bogor Goals, set in Indonesia in 1994 to achieve free and open trade amongst developed economies by 2010 and developing economies by 2020, he admitted that advancements have been good in some areas and slower in others.

While 2020 is fast approaching, Bollard said APEC would decide whether or not to work toward achieving the Bogor Goals after 2020 or look for a new direction.
| 2017-11-01 00:18:52|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NCHELENGE, Zambia, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Tuesday toured a transit center for asylum seekers in Luapula province and appealed to the international community to do more to support the government's efforts.

Lungu said while the government and its partners were doing everything possible to take care of the people, there was the need for more support.

"The needs of the refugees and the host community are many. This is a big challenge," Lungu said when addressing the asylum seekers.

The Zambian leader said the country expects to receive more asylum seekers from the DRC as indications so far show that the situation in DRC was likely to worsen.

He further said the country will face challenges to take care of the asylum seekers when they are moved to a permanent settlement.

The number of asylum seekers has now reached 6,009, according to latest figures released on Tuesday by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 00:12:00|Editor: huaxia

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TOKYO -- Police in Tokyo arrested a man in his 20s after discovering body parts of nine dismembered people while searching for a 23-year-old missing woman, local media reported on Tuesday.

Takahiro Shiraishi, 27, has admitted to killing the nine people, including eight women and one man, since he moved into his apartment on Aug. 22. (Japan-Serial Killer-Arrest)

- - - -

KABUL -- Four people were killed and 13 others wounded as a suicide bomber blew himself up in a fortified diplomatic enclave in Kabul on Tuesday, spokesman for the Interior Ministry Najib Danesh said.

"The reports we have collected indicate that four people including a woman were martyred and 13 others including some women sustained injuries," Danesh told reporters at the site of the blast in Wazir Akbar Khan area. (Afghanistan-Blast)

- - - -

PHNOM PENH -- Cambodia aims to double the number of Chinese tourists coming to the Southeast Asian country to 2 million by 2020, Tourism Minister Thong Khon said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the second National Forum on "China Ready for Cambodia Tourism," the minister said Cambodia welcomed 3.5 million foreign tourists in the first eight months of 2017, up 11.8 percent year-on-year, among whom were 742,586 Chinese tourists, up 44 percent. (Cambodia-China-Tourists)

- - - -

KATHMANDU -- Government officials from Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs have started to learn Chinese language from Tuesday to enhance their understanding about China.

Some 26 officials have started the 80-hour-long basic Chinese language course organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with Chinese Embassy in Nepal. (Nepal-China-Chinese Language) Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 00:17:02|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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GENEVA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of people who recently arrived in southeastern Nigeria seeking refuge and safety from fighting in Cameroon are being assisted by local authorities and the UN refugee agency, the UNHCR said Tuesday.

"Together with the Nigerian authorities, we have registered some 2,000 people so far, with the help of our local partners in various locations in southeastern Nigeria," said UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch at a UN media briefing.

Those fleeing to Nigeria do so following renewed violence in Anglophone parts of Cameroon earlier in October, Baloch said.

An additional 3,000 Cameroonians are awaiting registration, while more people might be trapped in forests on the Cameroon side as they attempt to cross the border, said UNHCR.

The refugee agency said it was working with the Nigerian government and other UN agencies on a contingency plan, readying humanitarian assistance for up to 40,000 people crossing into Nigeria.

"Our fear, however, is that 40,000 might actually be a conservative figure in a situation where the conflict might continue," said Baloch.

Nigeria and Cameroon are already grappling with one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with 2.5 million people displaced by insurgency from the extremist Islamist group Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region, said UNHCR.

The current influx of Cameroonians seeking refuge in Nigeria poses additional challenges for the international community and puts a burden on an already stretched assistance.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 00:27:06|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CAIRO, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian security forces have freed a policeman who was kidnapped by terrorists during recent deadly confrontations in southern Cairo, official MENA news agency quoted a security source as saying.

"The security apparatuses managed to free officer Mohamed al-Hayes of Giza Security Department who was kidnapped by the terrorist elements involved in Al-Wahat terrorist attack," MENA quoted the senior security source as saying, referring to the confrontations that took place on October 20.

Hayes was abducted during police confrontations with terrorists in a desert area on the outskirts of Giza, south of the capital Cairo, that left 16 policemen killed and 13 wounded. The clashes also left 15 militants either dead or injured.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 00:32:07|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NAIROBI, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's opposition on Tuesday dismissed the repeat presidential election that handed victory to President Uhuru Kenyatta.

National Super Alliance (NASA) leader Raila Odinga told a media briefing in Nairobi that if the Oct. 26 election is allowed to stand, then it will make a complete mockery of elections.

"We reject the election results as they will completely destroy public confidence in future elections. Reasonable people will not turn out to vote in elections with pre-determined outcomes," Odinga said.

Kenyans went to the polls on Oct. 26 after the Supreme Court nullified the Aug. 8 presidential polls, citing irregularities.

Odinga had withdrawn from the race, saying the election body, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), failed to initiate reforms or fire its staffers who he accused of bungling the Aug. 8 polls.

Odinga dismissed the 38.82-percent voter turnout reported by the IEBC, alleging that no more than 3.5 million Kenyans came out to vote in the repeat exercise.

"NASA is for dialogue. All political differences are resolved through dialogue," he said, while maintaining that the dialogue ought to be about having a free and fair election and not a "private arrangement" between him and the president."

The opposition leader also announced the establishment of the People's Assembly, which he said is the vehicle through which the coalition will exercise the duty of restoring democracy, constitutionalism and the rule of law.

"The People's Assembly will be a broad-based forum consisting of elected leaders and the leadership of other sectors of society in particular workers, civil society, religious leaders, women, youth and economic interest groups," Odinga said.

He said the coalition will soon announce the date and program of the assembly's inaugural convention, stressing that the People's Assembly will continue to exist until a legitimate presidency is restored.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 00:42:10|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NICOSIA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Cypriot sources quoted by local media on Tuesday confirmed that Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, two former associates of U.S. President Donald Trump, had laundered a huge amount of money through shell companies and foreign accounts in Cyprus.

However, they said their operations did not seem to be connected with Trump's presidential campaign as they were stopped a year before his candidacy was announced.

Manafort had been Trump's presidential campaign manager and Gates was a close associate.

They are both accused in the United States of colluding with Russians to tip the presidential election in favor of Trump.

A Bank of Cyprus source had said Manafort did not maintain accounts with the bank itself, but had opened accounts with the Cyprus Popular Bank, commonly known as Laiki, which was wound down as part of the 2013 Cyprus bail-out by the Eurogroup and the International Monetary Fund.

The source said the bank found out about the Laiki accounts after it was folded into the Bank of Cyprus in March, 2013.

He said most of the accounts had been closed by 2012, but the Bank of Cyprus inherited three accounts which were finally wound down in 2014, a year before Trump had announced his intention to run for president.

"The accounts were flagged and reported to the police anti-money laundering squad, MOKAS, before they were ultimately terminated because of suspicious activity," the source said.

Other sources said Manafort and Gates had sent millions of dollars to so-called shell offshore companies in Cyprus between 2005 and 2016 in support of Ukraine's former President Viktor Yanukovych which were not declared to American authorities.

Manafort's indictment lists 12 Cypriot companies which were used for transferring dirty money. Though some were closed, some of them are still active and managed by a law firm which had been named in the Panama Papers scandal.

The indictment said that 75 million U.S. dollars flowed through these accounts, and they funded Manafort and Gates's lifestyles in the United States.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 00:42:12|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BRUSSELS, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Ousted Catalonian leader Carles Puigdemont will be considered just as any other European citizen in Belgium, said Belgium's Prime Minister Charles Michel in a press communique published Tuesday.

Puigdemont told a press conference here that he will not seek political asylum in Belgium and that he was in Brussels only because it is Europe's capital city. This declaration has put an end to rumors he may apply for political asylum in Belgium.

"I am here in Brussels as the capital city of Europe. I am here in order to act with freedom and safety," said Puigdemont.

Shortly after this press conference, Belgian PM Michel released a statement to insist on the fact that Puigdemont would have the same duties and rights as other European citizens.

"The Belgian government has not taken a single step to encourage Puigdemont to come to Belgium," the statement added, "The Belgian government has repeatedly called for a political dialogue to solve the crisis in Spain, in the framework of national and international order."

Michel said he was willing to maintain strong diplomatic ties with Spain in regards of the current circumstances.

In Spain, a prosecutor is currently determining whether prosecution charges against Puigdemont of rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds can be proved. So far, the ousted Catalonian leader remains completely free.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 00:47:13|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MADRID, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Spanish Constitutional Court decided Tuesday to temporarily suspend the declaration of independence voted for by the Catalan Parliament on Friday.

The decision was in response to an appeal against the vote made by the Spanish government of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

The court's decision means the independence declaration is without any legal effect in the Catalan region.

The Catalan Parliament was dissolved by Rajoy on Friday after the Spanish Senate agreed earlier on Friday to apply Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution to temporarily suspend the region's autonomy.

New elections have been called for the region and will take place on Dec. 21.

Meanwhile, the former speaker of the Catalan Parliament, Carme Forcadell, and five other former members of the Bureau of Parliament must appear in the Spanish High Court on Nov. 2 and 3 for questioning over charges of rebellion, sedition, and the misuse of funds placed against them by the Spanish State Prosecutor's office on Monday.

Speaking from Brussels on Tuesday, former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, who also faces the same charges, said he would not seek political asylum in Belgium. However, he said he would not return to Spain for "security" reasons, but added that "if a fair trial and the separation of powers could be guaranteed, I would return immediately," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 01:12:22|Editor: Song Lifang

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Xi Jinping (C), general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, who is also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, leads other members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Li Keqiang (3rd R), Li Zhanshu (3rd L), Wang Yang (2nd R), Wang Huning (2nd L), Zhao Leji (1st R) and Han Zheng to review the oath of the CPC when visiting the site where the first CPC National Congress was held in 1921, in Shanghai, east China, Oct. 31, 2017. On Tuesday morning, Xi led the other six members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 19th CPC Central Committee to the sites where the first CPC National Congress was held. In 1921, the delegates representing about 50 CPC members nationwide convened the first CPC National Congress in late July in Shanghai, but moved to a boat on Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing of east China's Zhejiang Province due to the harassment of local police. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

SHANGHAI/JIAXING, Zhejiang, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- In July 1921, 13 individuals met and founded the Communist Party of China (CPC) in a brick-and-wood building in the French concession area of Shanghai.

Ninety-six years later, the new CPC leadership looked back on the Party's revolutionary past to seek impetus for future endeavors.

On Tuesday morning, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, led the other six members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 19th CPC Central Committee to the sites where the first CPC National Congress was held.

Xi said the aim of the tour was to revisit the Party's past -- especially the history of its founding -- to learn from the predecessors of revolutionary times and their noble spirit.

The tour should also serve to throw light on the responsibility the current leadership now bears, and strengthen their sense of duty to fulfill targets and missions laid down at the 19th CPC National Congress, he said.

"Only by remaining true to our original aspiration, keeping our mission firmly in mind, and keeping on striving, could the Party stay young and live," said Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

"As long as the Party and all Chinese people unite and work hard, the great ship of national rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will reach its glorious destination," he said.

The first stop of the Tuesday visit was Shanghai.

In 1921, the delegates representing about 50 CPC members nationwide convened the first CPC National Congress in late July in Shanghai, but moved to a boat on Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing of east China's Zhejiang Province due to the harassment of local police.

The meeting site on Xingye Road has been open to public as a museum since 1952.

Xi visited the place three times when he worked in Shanghai.

After visiting a meeting room of the first CPC National Congress, Xi asked for efforts to protect and make good use of the site.

Once called by late Chinese leader Mao Zedong the "maternity ward of the CPC," the site is also the "spiritual home" of Chinese communists, Xi said.

They also visited exhibitions displaying the founding and development of the CPC.

"We can not forget the road that we have taken no matter how far we march," Xi said.

"We should often recall and deeply comprehend the cultural relics and scenes on the founding of the CPC so as to decode the CPC's original aspiration," he said.

Xi also led Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng to review the oath of the CPC in front of a huge CPC flag, then asked all CPC members to keep firmly in mind the oath and keep in alignment.

On Tuesday afternoon, the CPC leadership visited Jiaxing, following the footsteps of their forerunners.

The leaders visited a replica of the boat on which CPC founders convened their meeting in 1921 -- now referred to as the "Red Boat" -- and the Nanhu Lake Revolution Museum after a train trip from Shanghai.

The construction of the museum started on June 28, 2006, when Xi laid its cornerstone as then Zhejiang Party chief. However, Tuesday's visit was Xi's first visit to the museum since it opened in 2011.

Xi called on CPC members to implement the Red Boat spirit in the new era, which highlights pioneering work, persistence and dedication.

In an address at the end of Tuesday's tour, Xi called the Shanghai and Jiaxing sites "the places where the CPC's dream set sail" and "the root of the Party."

"Our Party was born here, our journey began here, and our rule of the country all dates back to here," Xi said.

Over the past 96 years, the CPC had united and led the Chinese people to make great achievements, but that undertaking has no end, Xi said.

"The original aspiration of the CPC members must never change," he said, adding that only in this way could the Party keep on striving and win the hearts of the people.

Noting that the 19th CPC National Congress had outlined targets and missions for the development of the Party and the country, Xi said all CPC members must observe the Party's fundamental purpose of wholeheartedly serving the people and working to improve the lives of the people.

They must keep in mind the noble ideal of Communism and the shared ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics, remain humble and prudent, and brave hardships and sacrifices, in order to realize the two Centenary Goals and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Xi said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 01:17:24|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CAIRO, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian security forces have freed a policeman who was kidnapped by terrorists during recent deadly confrontations in southern Cairo, official MENA news agency quoted a security source as saying.

"The security apparatuses managed to free officer Mohamed al-Hayes of Giza Security Department who was kidnapped by the terrorist elements involved in Al-Wahat terrorist attack," MENA quoted the senior security source as saying, referring to the confrontations that took place on October 20.

Hayes was abducted during police confrontations with terrorists in a desert area on the outskirts of Giza, south of the capital Cairo, that left 16 policemen killed and 13 wounded. The clashes also left 15 militants either dead or injured.

Also on Tuesday, the Egyptian air forces killed "a large number of terrorists" and destroyed three vehicles loaded with weapons, explosives and ammunition at a mountainous area western Fayoum province south of the capital Cairo, according to a military statement.

Last Friday, the security forces announced the killing of 12 "very dangerous terrorist elements" in the western desert region of Al-Wahat where the 16 policemen were killed.

Egypt has been fighting a bloody insurgency that has killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers since the military toppled the Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests against his one-year rule.

Terror attacks have been centered in North Sinai before spreading nationwide and targeting the Coptic minority as well, with most of them claimed by a Sinai-based group affiliated with the regional Islamic State (IS) militant group.

The Egyptian military and police have killed hundreds of militants and arrested a similar number of suspects as part of the country's anti-terror war declared by President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, the army chief then, following Morsi's removal.
File photo shows refugees from the Democaric Republic of Congo are seen at Kitale police station in Trans-Nzoia County in the Rift Valley region, Kenya, Nov. 5, 2013. According to government officials of DRC, some refugees are seeking asylum in Kenya to avoid being killed by the rebels in their country. (Xinhua/Robert Manyara)

NCHELENGE, Zambia, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Zambia and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) have appealed for international support to help settle asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Tuesday toured a transit center for asylum seekers in Luapula province and appealed to the international community to do more to support the government's efforts.

Lungu said while the government and its partners were doing everything possible to take care of the people, there was the need for more support.

"The needs of the refugees and the host community are many. This is a big challenge," Lungu said when addressing the asylum seekers.

The Zambian leader said the country expects to receive more asylum seekers from the DRC as indications so far show that the situation in DRC was likely to worsen.

He further said the country will face challenges to take care of the asylum seekers when they are moved to a permanent settlement.

Meanwhile,UNHCR Country Representative in Zambia Pierrine Aylara called for more assistance to Zambia and other countries hosting DRC asylum seekers.

Countries like Zambia require urgent assistance due to the increasing numbers of people being received on a daily basis, Aylara told reporters in Nchelenge, a district in Luapula province, during a visit to Kenani Transit Center for asylum seekers.

She thanked the Zambian government for accommodating the asylum seekers and some cooperating partners for providing assistance.

Abdon Mawere, commissioner for refugees in Zambia's Ministry of Home Affairs, said the transit center is receiving between 50 and 100 asylum seekers a day and that 5,890 people are now accommodated, 60 percent of them aged from 18 years and below.

"It is now urgent that we quickly move these people so that we provide them with all the basic needs required," he said.

The number of asylum seekers has now reached 6,009, according to latest figures released on Tuesday by UNHCR.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 01:42:34|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MANAMA, Oct. 31(Xinhua) -- Bahrain will tighten its entry for Qatari nationals by imposing visas in light of current security situations, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.

Interior Minister Lt-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa held a meeting in which he ordered to impose entry visa on citizens and residents of Qatar.

"The procedures aim to protect the security and stability of the Kingdom of Bahrain, especially with the latest implications of the crisis with Qatar, including Qatar's decision to strengthen its ties with Iran, which has negative effects on the national and regional security," the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Qatar also shelters security fugitives and has facilitated the entry of individuals of different nationalities who represent threats to the national security of Bahrain by granting them exception from the issuing of entry visa."

The rules will come into effect from November 19 and Qataris and residents living in Doha who are in Bahrain should correct their legal status, added the ministry.

Bahrain's King Hamad announced on Monday that the kingdom will not participate in the upcoming Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Kuwait in which Qatar will participate.

King Hamad said that the "meetings and summits of the good cannot be held in the presence of those seeking no good for this bloc and trying to impede its blessed march."

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt on June 5 severed ties with Qatar over accusations of supporting extremism and being too close to Shiite rival Iran, charges Doha has denied.

Bahrain closed its land, air and sea borders with Qatar and has also revoked Qatar Airways' licence to operate here.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 01:47:35|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ANKARA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim will visit the United States on Nov. 7-11 to discuss the extradition of Fetullah Gulen and other issues amid visa row between the two countries, local media reported.

Yildirim is expected to meet U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in Washington, and will attend a meeting on economic issue in New York.

His visit will focus on talks regarding the extradition of U.S.-based Turkish cleric Gulen, who is wanted by Ankara for masterminding a coup bid last year, Daily Sabah said.

Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul said last week the government had submitted all the documents to the United States for the extradition of Gulen, adding the prime minister could visit the United States in the upcoming days for this and other issues.

The U.S. administration is reluctant to extradite the self-exiled cleric despite repeated calls by the Turkish government.

The two NATO allies are also at odds after the arrest of U.S. Consulate staff member led to a mutual suspension of visa services.
Qataris pray as they take to the streets of Doha to welcome back the Emir upon his returned from his first trip abroad during the ongoing Gulf diplomatic crisis on September 24, 2017. (AFP PHOTO)

MANAMA, Oct. 31(Xinhua) -- Bahrain will tighten its entry for Qatari nationals by imposing visas in light of current security situations, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.

Interior Minister Lt-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa held a meeting in which he ordered to impose entry visa on citizens and residents of Qatar.

"The procedures aim to protect the security and stability of the Kingdom of Bahrain, especially with the latest implications of the crisis with Qatar, including Qatar's decision to strengthen its ties with Iran, which has negative effects on the national and regional security," the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Qatar also shelters security fugitives and has facilitated the entry of individuals of different nationalities who represent threats to the national security of Bahrain by granting them exception from the issuing of entry visa."

The rules will come into effect from November 19 and Qataris and residents living in Doha who are in Bahrain should correct their legal status, added the ministry.

Bahrain's King Hamad announced on Monday that the kingdom will not participate in the upcoming Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Kuwait in which Qatar will participate.

King Hamad said that the "meetings and summits of the good cannot be held in the presence of those seeking no good for this bloc and trying to impede its blessed march."

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt on June 5 severed ties with Qatar over accusations of supporting extremism and being too close to Shiite rival Iran, charges Doha has denied.

Bahrain closed its land, air and sea borders with Qatar and has also revoked Qatar Airways' licence to operate here.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 02:22:46|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NICOSIA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- In a major departure from Turkey's official policy on Cyprus, Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci has said it would be a mistake to abandon the United Nations (UN) parameters defining a Cyprus solution.

In July, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said after the breakdown of an international conference on Cyprus in Crans Montana, Switzerland, that Turkey would seek a Cyprus solution outside UN parameters.

Though there were signs of a re-appraisal of this approach, Turkey has so far not changed the policy defined by Cavusoglu.

Akinci told an audience at an Istanbul university on Monday night that Turkish Cypriots would seek a federal solution as defined by UN Security Council resolutions and agreements between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

The text of his speech was made available in Nicosia on Tuesday.

"It would be wrong to throw into the dustbin the United Nations parameters for a solution...But we will not continue negotiations for another 50 years," Akinci said.

His statement brought relief to Greek and Turkish Cypriots who support the resumption of negotiations to end the 43-year-long partition of Cyprus.

Turkey maintains troops on Cyprus since 1974, when Turkey occupied its northern part in a military operation prompted by a Greek-inspired coup.

The UN has said it stands ready to preside over further negotiations once the parties involved made a request.

However, it is expected that negotiations will restart only after presidential elections in Cyprus are over in early February.

The current President Nicos Anastasiades, who is seeking a second term, said on Tuesday: "From statements by Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, I gather that he also expects, like we do, that after the elections, a new initiative will take place on Cyprus."

Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides also said he was informed by his Greek counterpart Nicos Kotzias that Cavusoglu agreed with him to have consultations on the security issue ahead of any new negotiations.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 02:47:54|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TALLINN, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas said Tuesday that the aim of the European Union (EU) long-term budget should be a stronger and more connected Europe.

"A better-functioning internal market would increase both the welfare of the people of Europe and the profits of companies. To achieve this goal, contributions to infrastructure projects connecting different areas of Europe, such as Rail Baltic and the synchronisation of the Baltic electricity system, are necessary," Ratas was quoted as saying in a press release after his meeting with visiting European budget commissioner Gunther Oettinger.

Expecting the size of the next EU budget to remain as large as the current one, the Estonian prime minister also emphasized cohesion policy, harmonizing the direct payment levels in the common agricultural policy, and the consistent consideration of digitalization, which are important in the new long-term EU budget.

The European Commission will submit a proposal for a multiannual EU budget framework in May next year.

The digital summit in the capital city on Sept. 29 highlighted the need to strategically invest in digital innovation in industries and services, in modern infrastructure, Ratas noted.

According to the European Commission, 100 million Europeans have never used the Internet and 45 percent of the population and 37 percent of the EU workforce have insufficient digital skills.

Meanwhile, 42 percent of the people with insufficient digital skills in the EU are unemployed, while 40 percent of EU employers have announced that they cannot find employees with required skills.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 03:28:04|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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PRAGUE, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Czech President Milos Zeman on Tuesday entrusted Andrej Babis to negotiate on forming a new government, an informal step not embedded in the Czech Constitution but supposed to lead to Babis' designation as the prime minister.

Babis is the leader of the ANO party, which won the most seats at the October 2017 legislative election.

He said earlier that he would like to form a minority government, which was supported by Zeman.

Zeman said he did not give the condition of gaining majority in the Chamber of Deputies to Babis because ANO had won the election with a large margin and he considered Babis as a successful businessman and minister.

Babis said he would try to form a new government as soon as possible, and he wants to come up with a government manifesto by Christmas.

He said it is important to constitute the Chamber of Deputies quickly so that the state budget law could be passed, and then the country would avoid a stopgap budget. Babis also expected to have experts who are not ANO members in his one-color government.

Zeman said he would call on other parties to support Babis' minority government, and he expects Babis' government would be stable and successful. He said if the Chamber of Deputies did not express confidence in Babis' first government, he would name Babis the prime minister for the second time. Zeman said he would do his utmost to prevent early election in the Czech Republic.

The current Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka's government must submit its resignation after the newly elected Chamber of Deputies meets. Zeman has called its constituent session for November 20.
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Cabinet members at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on October 31, 2017. (KREMLIN PHOTO)

MOSCOW, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the implementation of restructuring measures to lower commercial debts of regions to less than half of their revenues on Tuesday.

"I think we need to take all the necessary measures to reduce the volume of commercial debts from all the constituent entities of the Russian Federation to the level not more than half of their revenues," Putin said at a meeting with Cabinet members.

Regions with market debts that exceeded half of their revenues as of October 1 should be granted a targeted loan from the federal budget to recover some of the debts, but long-term budget loans will not be provided, Putin said.

Currently, the so-called market debt, namely government securities and expensive loans in commercial banks, totals more than one trillion rubles (17.15 billion U.S. dollars), which is almost half of the state debt of Russia's constituent entities, according to the president.

"It (commercial debt) substantially exceeds the total annual income in some regions, and is higher than half of the revenue in another 11 (regions)," he said.

Earlier this month, Putin instructed the Russian government to submit a report on the program for restructuring regional debt to the federal budget before November 1, the Kremlin official website reported.

According to Russia's Analytical Credit Rating Agency, 700 billion rubles (12 billion U.S. dollars) of the aggregate debt of the Russian regions are subject to restructuring under the new rules.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 04:03:18|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KUWAIT CITY, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait and Turkey signed Tuesday minutes of the 10th meeting of Joint Committee for Economic, Industrial, and Technical Cooperation to boost their bilateral cooperation in economic, commercial and industrial fields, the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported.

The meeting has reached some positive outcomes, said Khaled Al-Roudhan, Kuwaiti Minister of Commerce and Industry, after the signing ceremony held in the presence of Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek.

Kuwait and Turkey are linked by their mutual investments, he said, describing Turkey one of the important economic spots to Kuwait.

Noting that the two countries' relations have recently seen notable and significant development, particularly in economic fields, Al-Roudhan expressed Kuwait's aspiration to elevate its relationship with Turkey to wider levels of trade exchange.

The two countries are also linked by several economic agreements, he said, expressing Kuwait's keenness to enhance its cooperation with Ankara in commercial, economic, political, cultural, and artistic fields.

The Turkish deputy premier described his country's current bilateral ties with Kuwait as "excellent," adding that their economic and commercial relations are solid as well.

Saying that Kuwait is a country of law and provides low-cost power and investment lands, Simsek called on Kuwaitis to invest in Turkey as his country enjoys an attractive economy for foreign investors.

Simsek arrived in Kuwait on Monday to lead his country's delegation to the Turkish-Kuwaiti Committee for Economic, Industrial and Technical Cooperation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 04:13:20|Editor: huaxia

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MAPUTO, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Mozambican authorities said Tuesday it is crucial to strengthen security against terrorist attacks at police stations and other national institutions, especially in Cabo Delgado, the northernmost province of Mozambique.

Police spokesman Inacio Dina told press that investigations were ongoing into the armed attacks that killed police and civilians in the district of Mocimboa da Praia, Cabo Delgado.

The police spokesman said security has been reinforced in many strategic spots of the country, where there is a suspected fundamentalist movement.

"We applaud the collaboration of the Islamic Council of Mozambique to ensure peace and stability in the country and denounce any kind of radicalism that could undermine the peaceful coexistence of Muslims with other religions or jeopardize the development of the country," Dina said.

The Islamic Council of Mozambique met with the provincial government last week to avoid fundamentalist tendency in the future.

The police have detained about 100 people who are allegedly involved in the attacks on October 5, in which two policemen, a community leader and 13 Islamists died. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 04:33:24|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DOHA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Qatar reiterated its commitment to defeating terrorism by strengthening law to cut off terrorism financing from within the state, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported on Tuesday.

A joint statement has been issued between the United States and Qatar during the visit of U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, stating that both countries reaffirmed the joint efforts to defeat terrorism and its financing.

"We agreed to enhance our cooperation to counter the financing of terrorism in key areas of mutual concerns ... by substantially increasing the sharing of information on terrorist financiers in the region," Mnuchin said.

The U.S. official held a number of meetings during his visit to Doha, included with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani.

In July, the United States and Qatar have signed an agreement aimed at combating the financing of terrorism.

The move came after the gulf crisis began on June 5 when the Arab quartet, namely Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, decided to severe diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting and financing terrorism, which Doha denies.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 04:33:26|Editor: Liangyu

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Crew members view an A-29 Super Tucano airplane at a ceremony at the Lebanese Air Force (LAF) Hamat base, north of Beirut, capital of Lebanon, on Oct. 31, 2017. A ceremony was held Tuesday at the Lebanese Air Force (LAF) Hamat base where the Lebanese Air Force received from the United States two A-29 Super Tucano airplanes. (Xinhua)

BEIRUT, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- A ceremony was held Tuesday at the Lebanese Air Force (LAF) Hamat base where the Lebanese Air Force received from the United States two A-29 Super Tucano aircraft.

The ceremony was attended by Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon Elizabeth Richard and the U.S. Air force Central Commander General Jeffrey Harrigian.

Richard expressed in a speech her country's commitment to continue supporting Lebanon's armed forces to enable it protecting the sovereignty and integrity of its territories.

"The two A-29 Super Tucanos are the first of six that will be delivered over the next several months. The A-29's advanced technology provides the LAF with precision guided munitions and advanced precision strike capability," she said.

The ambassador stressed the LAF will be able to conduct joint combined arms maneuvers with A-29 aircraft in all conditions, day and night, in a way that greatly reduces the risk of collateral damage and the danger to non-combatants.

She also highlighted the partnership between the two armies, noting over the last decade, the U.S. government has invested over 1.5 billion U.S. dollars in training and equipment, and has trained over 32,000 Lebanese troops.

Meanwhile, General Aoun described the relation between Lebanon and the United States as being in a new era of cooperation.

"It is a new era that holds a lot of significance and meanings: firstly, the will of the United States to continue providing qualitative support to the Lebanese Armed Forces; secondly, the trust of the armed forces in protecting Lebanon; thirdly, the commitment of the United States to preserve Lebanon's stability during crisis and events in an unstable region," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 04:38:29|Editor: Yamei

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People wave Spanish national flags in a march with the slogan "Enough and let's recover the sensibility", to defend the Spanish constitution and the unity of Spain in Barcelona, Spain, Oct. 8, 2017. (Xinhua file photo/Juan Carlos Rojas)

MADRID, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- A Spanish judge on Tuesday asked the deposed president of the regional government of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, and the 13 other members of his government to appear in court on Thursday and Friday to testify.

Judge Carmen Lamela gave a deadline of three days to pay a combined deposit against potential penalties of 6.2 million euros (7.2 million U.S. dollars).

The announcement came one day after Spain's Attorney-General Jose Manuel Maza announced on Monday morning that Puigdemont was being sued because of his unilateral declaration of independence last Friday.

The sacked president is being prosecuted for rebellion as well as sedition and misuse of public funds. He could face up to 30 years in prison if found guilty.

Meanwhile, the former speaker of the Catalan Parliament, Carme Forcadell, and five other former members of the Bureau of Parliament must appear in the Spanish High Court on Nov. 2 and 3 for questioning over the same charges.

Puigdemont gave a press conference on Tuesday from Brussels, where he arrived on Monday, and said he was not seeking political asylum there, but came to express himself from the capital of Europe.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 04:38:30|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KIGALI, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Mauritius, Rwanda and Kenya are leading sub-Saharan Africa in the 2018 World Bank Doing Business report, which examines regulations and conditions necessary to enhance business climate, according to the report released Tuesday in Rwandan capital Kigali.

Mauritius ranks 25th globally, followed by Rwanda at 41st and Kenya at 80th, said the report, which said 83 reforms were implemented last year in sub-Saharan Africa to make it easier to do business.

Kenya implemented the most reforms in the region in the past year, with six, according to the report. Four other economies including Mauritania, Nigeria, Rwanda and Senegal implemented five reforms each during the past year, it showed.

No region has ever reported as many changes in a single year with sub-Saharan Africa accounting for nearly a third of all reforms globally, according to the World Bank.

The annual report focuses on 11 main areas that affect business such as ease of starting a business, obtaining construction permits, access to electricity, property registration, access to credit, tax payments among others.

While it took 61 days on average to start a business in Africa in 2003, it now takes 24 days, against a global average of 20 days, economic experts said in the report.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 04:48:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KIEV, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- An Airbus A320 passenger plane en route from Russia's Moscow to Turkey made an emergency landing at Ukraine's southern city of Odessa on Tuesday evening after crew suspected there was a bomb on board, a senior Ukrainian police official said.

Ruslan Forostyak, an advisor to Odessa regional police chief, wrote on Facebook that one of the passengers had left a suspicious bag in the plane's toilet cabin, prompting the fears that an explosive device could be hidden inside it.

According to Forostyak, Ukrainian explosive experts have inspected the luggage item, but found no explosives.

The owner of the bag, who is a Lithuanian national, is being questioned by Ukraine's State Security Service, the official said.

The plane was operated by Turkish air carrier, Forostyak said, without giving details on the name of the carrier or the plane's destination.

Meanwhile, local media said that the plane was an aircraft of Pegasus Airlines flying to Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 04:48:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MANAMA, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Bahrain's High Criminal Court on Tuesday sentenced 10 defendants to life in jail and revoked their Bahraini citizenship on terror charges.

One of the defendant was additionally sentenced to one month in jail for illegally possessing a sword.

"All ten terrorists were convicted on charges of organizing and managing a terrorist group contrary to the provisions of the law, possessing explosives and tools used in making firearms for terror purposes and training in the use of weapons and explosives for the purpose of committing terrorist crimes in Bahrain," said Terror Crime Prosecution Chief Advocate General Ahmed Al Hammadi.

"They were trained on how to use weapons and explosives in committing terrorist crimes in the kingdom," he added.

Investigations revealed that an individual recruited Bahrainis and sent them to Iraq and Iran to receive military training on how to use weapons and explosives.

"The individual formed a terrorist group inside Bahrain to carry out terrorist attacks inside the kingdom," Hammadi said. "He tasked them to receive shipments of weapons and materials to use in manufacturing explosives."

The official said when the suspects were arrested, various materials and devices used in manufacturing explosives were found and seized from their homes.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-11-01 05:08:44|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The United States said on Tuesday that it will vote against a UN General Assembly resolution set for Wednesday calling for an end to the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba.

U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley will vote against the resolution this year to underscore the new Cuba policy launched by the Trump administration, Heather Nauert, the spokeswoman of the State Department, said in a daily briefing.

The new policy put greater emphasis on advancing human rights and democracy in Cuba, said Nauert, who also accused Cuba of engaging in human rights abuses which past administrations perhaps "have turned and looked the other way."

Meanwhile, Nauert made it clear that the veto was "a separate matter" from the alleged "acoustic attacks" against U.S. diplomats in Cuba, which led to an escalating tension between the two Cold War foes in recent months.

Last year, the United States broke a 24-year voting streak at the United Nations by abstaining from instead of voting against a resolution calling for an end to the trade embargo against Cuba.

The vote was seen as another turning point in the U.S.-Cuba relations since the two countries announced in December 2014 that they would work to normalize ties. The two countries restored diplomatic ties in July 2015.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration announced new restrictions that effectively rolled back Obama administration's Cuban rapprochement.
Prime Minister of Italy calls on the President Ram Nath Kovind

New Delhi, Tue, 31 Oct 2017 NI Wire

His Excellency Mr Paolo Gentiloni, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Italy, called on the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, at Rashtrapati Bhavan (October 30, 2017).

Welcoming the Prime Minister of Italy to India, the President said that his visit is taking place 10 years after the visit of Prime Minister Prodi. And this visit holds very special significance for India-Italy engagement, as the two countries will be celebrating the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2018.

The President added that India and Italy are ancient civilisations and have interacted with each other for ages. He stated that the economic partnership between India and Italy is strong. However, there is potential to do more. Indias reform initiatives, including efforts at ease of doing business and GST, offer business opportunities to Italian companies. Infrastructure development in India itself is a US $ 1 trillion opportunity. India is keen to leverage Italian technology and investment for its growth and development. He was happy to note that Italian companies want to participate in the railways, auto, renewable energy and food processing sectors in India. He stated that Indian companies are also looking for opportunities in Italy.

The President said many commonalities bind India and Italy. Our relations are anchored in the shared values of democracy and rule of law. We have a large Indian diaspora in Italy. India deeply appreciates Italys recognition of their contribution to socio-economic progress. Our people-to-people connect is ever growing. There are over 2000 Indian students in Italy today. With so much that we share and jointly aspire for, our ties must continue to strengthen.

The President said we are very happy that Italy would be participating at the World Food India 2017 as a Focus Country. He stated that Italy is known to be the design capital of the world. He commended the personal initiative of Mr Gentiloni to celebrate the Day of Italian Design in the World. He added that this year the event, held in over 100 cities across the globe, was a big success. And we look forward to jointly celebrating the event in India next year.

Source: PIB
Bahudha approach can lead us our quest for peace and harmony: Vice President of India

New Delhi, Tue, 31 Oct 2017 NI Wire

Releases Book 'The 21st Century Geopolitics, Democracy and Peace'

The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that the Bahudha approach is yet another shining star that can lead us our quest for peace and harmony. He was addressing the gathering after releasing the Book The 21st Century Geopolitics, Democracy and Peace authored by former Governor of Sikki, B.P. Singh, here today. The Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, N.N. Vohra and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

The Vice President complimented Singh for penning this book, which is highly relevant in the context of increasing globalization, growing terrorism and unprecedented technological advances. He further said that it indeed deals with a wide range of issues that are increasingly affecting an inter-dependent globalised world and strongly advocates that it would be ideal if we can adopt a Bahudha approach which emphasizes the need for a dialogue to promote a harmonious and peaceful living.

The Vice President said that issues touched upon in the book include the role of educational institutions, progressive religious and social groups, forums for inter-faith dialogue and international institutions like the United Nations. It makes a strong case for promoting moral values, empathy and compassion and channelizing energies towards peace and development, he added.

The Vice President said that other interesting chapters are Democracy and its Consequences and Good Governance: A Narrative from Democratic India. He further said that in the chapter, The Emerging World: Challenges and Possibilities, Mr. Singh quite correctly says that the future of peace and harmony in the 21st century would be directly linked to (i) ecology, global warming and climate change; (ii) nuclear weapons, emerging technology of warfare and continuing arms race among nation-states; (iii) geopolitics and nationalism; (iv) religious extremism and (v) poverty and inequality.

Following is the text of Vice Presidents address:

I am extremely delighted to release the book, The 21st Century: Geopolitics, Democracy and Peace written by former Sikkim Governor, Mr. B.P. Singh. Writing books is not new to Mr. Singh, a former IAS officer, who served with distinction in several positions in Assam and the Government of India.

I compliment him for penning this book, which is highly relevant in the context of increasing globalization, growing terrorism and unprecedented technological advances that are rapidly changing the way we live.

Frankly speaking, this book generates a lot of optimism and dispels cynicism about the future of the world and focuses on the innate goodness in all human beings. It has great relevance to our times.

We live today in turbulent world, a world that is being fragmented by narrow walls of prejudice on every conceivable issue. This book presents a viewpoint that is radically and refreshingly different.

It indeed deals with a wide range of issues that are increasingly affecting an inter-dependent globalised world and strongly advocates that it would be ideal if we can adopt aBahudha approach which emphasizes the need for a dialogue to promote a harmonious and peaceful living.

It needs no reiteration that peace is an essential pre-requisite for progress of mankind, especially when the world is witnessing an increasing number of conflicts. In the context of the rise of terrorism and religious fundamentalism, which are threatening world peace like never before, the Bahudha approach advocated by the author is a good way to resolve even the most intractable problems.

The issues touched upon in the book include the role of educational institutions, progressive religious and social groups, forums for inter-faith dialogue and international institutions like the United Nations. It makes a strong case for promoting moral values, empathy and compassion and channelizing energies towards peace and development.

The author while outlining the rationale behind the book refers to the complexity of the evolving world in the 21st century.

He has touched upon key trends likeunprecedented scientific and technological development, previously unheard of prosperity and mind-boggling advances in the means of communication.

He recognizes major challenges confronting us like conflicts, natural calamities, hunger, malnourishment, pandemics, denial of education, violation of human rights and much else.

However, he is not pessimistic. He believes that despair would be a kind of self-indulgence. One can see that there are very many positive signs on the geo-political map of the world, he concludes and observes that the respect for another persons point of viewthe cornerstone of the Bahudha approach is on the rise.

While discussing how terrorism and fundamentalism are threatening world peace, the author says the new challenge calls for bold and imaginative statecraft from world leaders. He proposes the concept of Bahudha while calling for transcending age-old peace mechanisms and reconstructing our language of discourse.

Nobody can be in disagreement with his viewpoint that Bahudha approach is necessary at individual, group, national and global levels. It provides a moral choice between the clash of civilizations and harmony among civilizations, as he puts it.

In the Chapter on Interplay of Ideas: The Indian Story, Mr. Singh rightly points out that India is much more than a large market place. Its history is not only a story of kings and queens and mere chronicle of invasions and conquests. Both in times of decline and distinction, India is a land alive with vital ideas and thoughts.

In the chapter dealing with ecological issues in the Himalayan region, the author points out that climate change has to be viewed in the context of enormous disturbance to eco-systems. He says the threat to South Asia is especially more tangible both in the Himalayan region and in the Western Ghats. One cannot continue living as in the past. If the Himalayan glaciers melt and the forests will be lost at an alarming rate with many birds, mammals and other species on way to extinction, we would be making our planet more uninhabitable and unsustainable.

As I have been long advocating, Mr. Singh too emphasizes the need for imparting ethical values to students and sensitizing them to the needs of a harmonious society in the chapter on Science, Spirituality and Ways of Living: A plea for Integrated Education.

Other interesting chapters are Democracy and its Consequences and Good Governance: A Narrative from Democratic India. In the chapter, The Emerging World: Challenges and Possibilities, Mr. Singh quite correctly says that the future of peace and harmony in the 21st century would be directly linked to (i) ecology, global warming and climate change; (ii) nuclear weapons, emerging technology of warfare and continuing arms race among nation-states; (iii) geopolitics and nationalism; (iv) religious extremism and (v) poverty and inequality.

Emphasizing that the role of national and global multilateral organizations would be vital, Mr., Singh observes that the 21st century would be dominated by a pluralist ethos; multiple nation-states, multiple centres of power; multiple faiths; multiple cultures; multiple economies and multiple languages.

He says, We cannot envisage a world without conflicts or natural disasters. All I am advocating is to bring down mind walls that divide people and create hatred.

Indeed, that has to be effort at every levelat individual, community, nation-state and global-- for peace and prosperity to co-exist and to make this planet a truly marvelous place for humans and all other living creatures.

Bringing down walls that divide us, engaging in dialogue, appreciating each others viewpoints and promoting peaceful co-existence has been the essence of Indian ethos from time immemorial.

It is this world view that we need to draw upon. The Bahudha approach is yet another shining star that can lead us our quest for peace and harmony.

As mentioned earlier, it is a timely book. It is a book that offers hope. It is a book that should trigger a thought process towards a better world.

I once again compliment the author, Mr. Singh and hope that his writings will inspire more Indians to look back at the rich heritage, draw inspiration and move forward.

Jai Hind!

Source: PIB
Terrorism is a global concern that demands global attention and requires global cooperation: Vice President

New Delhi, Tue, 31 Oct 2017 NI Wire

Interacts with Italian Prime Minister, Mr. Paolo Gentiloni

The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that Terrorism is a global concern that demands global attention and requires global cooperation. He was interacting with the Prime Minister of Italy, Mr. Paolo Gentiloni, who called on him, here yesterday.

The Vice President said that India believes in an early conclusion of negotiations and the adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the United Nations. He further said that we also need to coordinate our action at the forthcoming meeting of the Financial Action Task Force and ensure that designated individuals and entities have no access to property and financial services. We must ensure that Pakistan continues to remain under the Asia Pacific Group and Financial Action Task Force monitoring, he added.

The Vice President thanked for Italys support which led to Indias eventual membership in the MTCR. Membership of the NSG remains a priority for Indian Government and we look forward to Italys continued support for Indias membership of the NSG, he added.

The Vice President said that the bilateral trade between India and Italy is at US$8.7 billion (Rs. 57,878 crores), which is below potential. He further said that Indias unprecedented reform initiatives including ease of doing business, flagship programs and roll out of the Goods and Services Tax offers unlimited business opportunities to Italian companies.

The Vice President said that Climate Change is a very important issue for the two countries and India ratified the Paris Agreement on 3rd October 2016. We have a renewable energy target of 175 Giga Watts by 2022, launched the International Solar Alliance initiative and are working on a road map for introducing all electric vehicles beginning 2030.

The Vice President said that many Italians take active interest in Indian culture, cuisine, music, dance, Yoga and Ayurveda. We will be happy to collaborate with Italy in enhancing the understanding of traditional systems of Indian medicines, he added.

Source: PIB
We must ensure that benefits of democratic governance reach every citizen in our country: Vice President

New Delhi, Tue, 31 Oct 2017 NI Wire

Inaugurates Vigilance Awareness Week

The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that we must ensure that the benefits of democratic governance reach every citizen in our country. He was addressing the gathering after inaugurating the Vigilance Awareness Week with the theme My Vision-Corruption-free India, organised by the Central Vigilance Commission, here today. The Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Ministers Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, the Cabinet Secretary, P.K. Sinha, the Central Vigilance Commissioner, K.V. Chowdary and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

The Vice President said that we should go to the roots of corruption and strike at it. He further said that constant vigilance is required to see that the vast beautiful tree of our country is not eaten up by weeds and pests. The tree must be protected, preserved and nourished continuously by rejuvenating the entire eco-system, he added.

The Vice President said that Sardar Patel represents the best values in the Indian tradition so far as governance is concerned and he integrated the country and also was a shining example of integrity and probity in public life. He further said that we must draw inspiration from Sardar Vallabhai Patels messages and his life. His sense of realism and pragmatic approach to issues allowed him to face challenges and demonstrate his successful leadership qualities, he added.

The Vice President said that honesty and integrity are essential components of social capital. They add value to the economic capital and intellectual capital of any society and country, he added.

The Vice President said that procedures and implementation of laws should become more citizen-centric. Each citizen should be able to access quality services without harassment, undue delays and corrupt practices, he added.

The Vice President said that all out efforts should be made to improve the educational system to inculcate strong values, ethical conduct and commitment towards the welfare of the society at large. He further said that the Central Vigilance Commission is trying to promote Integrity Club in schools and colleges and this initiative will no doubt pay rich dividends in future. He commended the Commission for its concerted efforts in battling the blight of corruption.

Following is the text of Vice Presidents address:

I am happy to inaugurate the Vigilance Awareness Week, 2017.

I am happy to note that the Central Vigilance Commission is organizing a number of programmes during this week to create greater awareness about corruption and the need to be aware of and combat it at all levels by everyone.

The theme My Vision-Corruption-free India has been aptly chosen. If we want India to become a stronger economic power and if we want to create an India in which every citizen will be able to enjoy his/her rights and lead a better quality of life, we need Su-rajya or clean polity and good governance. We need to have good governance to take the development to the people. We must translate into reality the grand vision of great leaders like Sardar Vallabhai Patel, whose birth anniversary is being celebrated across the country today.

Addressing the senior civil servants almost seventy years ago, Sardar Patel had said: Unhappily India today cannot boast of an incorruptible service, but I hope that you who are now starting, as it were, a new generation of Civil Servants, will not be misled by black sheep in the fold, but would render your service without fear or favour and without, any expectation of extraneous rewards. If you serve in the true spirit of service I am sure you will have your best reward.

The black sheep in all walks of life are the visible face of corruption. They thrive in a system that has low accountability, low transparency, cumbersome, poorly understood procedures and high discretionary powers. It is this system that we should reform and transform. The Prime Minister has given a three-line mantra  Reform, Perform and Transform. We should go to the roots of corruption and strike at it. Constant vigilance is required to see that the vast beautiful tree of our country is not eaten up by weeds and pests. The tree must be protected, preserved and nourished continuously by rejuvenating the entire eco-system.

One of the instruments for building a healthy polity is the Central Vigilance Commission established in 1964. It was created on the basis of the recommendations of Santhanam Committee for exercising general superintendence over the vigilance administration in Government. The Commission was conferred statutory status through an Act of Parliament in 2003 and it also became a multimember body. In 2004 it became a designated authority to receive Whistle Blower complaints and to give protection to Whistleblowers.

In June 2000, the Commission decided to observe Vigilance Awareness Week every year starting from 31st October, the birthday of Bharat Ratna Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The purpose is to make every citizen realise need to collectively combat the menace of corruption.

Sardar Patel represents the best values in the Indian tradition so far as governance is concerned. He integrated the country and also was a shining example of integrity and probity in public life.

I would like to quote Bharat Ratna Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who said:

The negligence of a few could easily send a ship to the bottom, but with the whole hearted cooperation of all on board, she could be safely brought to port.

We cannot afford to allow our ship to sink. We have a collective responsibility to steer this ship through troubled waters.

We must draw inspiration from Sardar Vallabhai Patels messages and his life. There are innumerable incidents relating to his iron will and courage, in public and private life. He commanded respect and popularity owing to his integrity, truthfulness and firmness. His sense of realism and pragmatic approach to issues allowed him to face challenges and demonstrate his successful leadership qualities.

Sardar Patel exemplified an ethical approach in his life, behaviour and dealings; personal rectitude and austerity were part of his being. It is these qualities that we must seek to imbibe and strive to emulate in our work and in our lives.

Let me outline a few ways in which we can achieve a new India that is clean, not only by physically removing the garbage from our streets but also by creating a corruption-free governance structure.



We, in leadership positions, must lead by example.

Honesty and integrity are essential components of social capital. They add value to the economic capital and intellectual capital of any society and country. They are reflective of our societal norms and attitudes. If we have to live up to the high standards of integrity set by the leaders who have given us freedom, it is imperative that we revive the values of hard work, honesty, empathy and integrity.

We have to live these values not merely talk about them.

We must ensure that the benefits of democratic governance reach every citizen in our country.

Governance should have citizens as the central focus and try to address the needs of the different segments of population effectively. Procedures and implementation of laws should become more citizen-centric. Each citizen should be able to access quality services without harassment, undue delays and corrupt practices. Information should be freely shared. Standard operating procedures should be in place reducing the amount of discretion.

Active involvement and participation by all stakeholders and actors is critical.

The vision of Sardar Patel to see India as a great nation can only be achieved through active involvement of all sections of the population and key pillars of our governance structure. The presence of a strong civil society including a free press and independent judiciary are important pre-conditions for good governance.

The role of the media and of civil society in fighting the menace of corruption is also very important. A media that is objective, balanced and neutral in its reporting and ethical in functioning can have a great impact.

Through their outreach efforts, civil society organisations can play a significant role in educating and creating awareness among the people.

Sharing of accurate information and universal literacy are key arsenal

I have always believed that information that has been sanctified with confirmation is the most powerful ammunition to fight corruption. Providing timely and accurate information empowers citizens. The Right to Information Act must be used to inform, enlighten and empower. We need to step up our national efforts to achieve universal literacy. It is virtually impossible to achieve a corruption-free society with more than 25 percent of our citizens being unable to read and write. Once we achieve universal basic literacy, we would have created a literate society that can understand the citizens entitlements and access public services and benefit from all socio-economic development programmes. We would have then created a critical mass of enlightened citizenry that can more confidently participate in the democratic processes. We would have deepened our democratic roots.

I strongly feel that the most effective antidote to corruption is an active, involved and empowered citizenry. In other words, the most potent weapon against corruption is people like you and me. Each one of us must set new benchmarks by adopting zero tolerance for corrupt practices. Ultimately, it must be understood that all the malpractices, double-dealing, nepotism and other such practices, be it governmental or organizational, hurt us. Therefore we must all join hands and pledge to root it out of the system.

The first step towards empowering the citizens is creating awareness among them. It is extremely important for the common citizen to be aware of what to expect from the Government.

In this context, the efforts and commitment of the Central Vigilance Commission towards awareness generation and ensuring public participation in fighting the scourge of corruption are laudable whether through the display of hoardings and banners or grievance redressal camps for citizens, the awareness gram sabhas or through walkathons, nukkad nataks or other means. I am happy to note that the Commission has circulated an Integrity Pledge to be taken by Government officials and the citizens. Such pledges have been found to be quite effective around the world in binding people to follow the path of honesty. Such public commitment by civil servants, students, journalists, educators, NGOs, and citizens, is not only a tool for creating awareness but can act as a force multiplier for the society at large to take the fight against corruption seriously.

Simplify, streamline, standardize and digitalize

Corruption undermines economic development by causing considerable distortion and inefficiency. It increases the cost of business through the price of illicit payments, the management cost of negotiating with officials and the risk of breached agreements.

If India has to welcome investors, the ease of doing business must be considerably enhanced. The Prime Minister came out with a statement, saying that, it is not red-tape, it is red-carpet to the investors. Investments will come if the procedures are simple, if there is no harassment, if there is no corruption, investors will be happy to come here and invest money. The regulatory controls must be minimized and the procedures should be clear, simple, streamlined and digitalized so that there is very little ambiguity or discretion. The regulation should not become strangulation. We must standardize procedures and inform all citizens what these procedures are. Uncertainty and lack of information gives undesirable power to the implementing machinery. Citizen Charters have been a good step forward in this direction.

Apart from this, the cutting edge administration with which the common man comes into contact with the Government or its agencies needs a radical transformation.

The use of Information and Communication Technology has helped create efficient, transparent and accountable systems with no scope for arbitrariness and discretion while enabling better quality and efficient delivery of services.

The Digital India initiative has ensured that Government services are made available to citizens electronically by improving online infrastructure and by increasing Internet connectivity i.e. by making the country digitally empowered.

I am confident that the Central Vigilance Commission will continue this challenging mission to not only point out some omissions and commissions by individuals but also to ensure that the society is free of this malaise of corruption. It can do so, probably in conjunction, with other bodies like the Central Information Commission, the Election Commission of India and the Comptroller and Auditor General of India which have mandates that could potentially contribute to a clean and corruption-free India that we wish to see by 2022.

All out efforts should be made to improve the educational system to inculcate strong values, ethical conduct and commitment towards the welfare of the society at large. The Commission, I am told, is trying to promote Integrity Club in schools and colleges. This initiative will no doubt pay rich dividends in future.

Mahatma Gandhi had said that: As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world - that is the myth of the atomic age - as in being able to remake ourselves. Remaking the world starts with remaking ourselves, our communities and our country.

We surely have a long way to go. We are slowly improving on the global corruption perception index- from 38 in 2015 to 40 in 2016. But we can make quicker and lasting progress if we identify the key levers that can make a difference and take systematic action on each of them. I am sure that the government is not only aware of the challenge but is also committed to make a difference by 2022. The recent policy interventions including tax reforms could contribute to this societal transformation.

Why the people have welcomed the demonetisation, though it is painful for them. Because, they could understand the temporary pain is for long term gain. And the idea of opening Bank Accounts to all people under Jan Dhan, understood by the public after demonetisation.

I take this opportunity to felicitate the Commission for its concerted efforts in battling the blight of corruption.

Let us resolve to work relentlessly and assiduously to ensure a corruption free India.

Source: PIB
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At a time neighboring countries are opening borders, tearing down walls and joining forces to form strong regional blocs, Algerian rulers decide to build a separation wall and deploy high-tech sensor radars along the borders with Morocco.

According to press report, the Algerian decision to build a high-tech border wall comes after the announcement that a Moroccan spy satellite will be launched Nov.8 from the European space port of Kourou in French Guiana.

A high-level Algerian commission gathering high-ranking military officers and senior officials from the ministries of the Interior, Public Works and IT has been set up to oversee the construction of this electronic wall with the help of a German partner, said Algerian daily el Bilad.

For Algiers, the construction of such a barrier is essential and just a preventive measure. To justify it, the authorities mention security threats, including espionage, but also smuggling and drug trafficking.

Many analysts linked Algerian move to Moroccos military satellite, which will enhance the security capabilities of the North African Kingdom in combating crime, including smuggling, and in monitoring jihadists operating in the region.

Designed as a dual civil/military system, the satellite, to be operated by Morocco, delivers very-high-resolution optical data products in record time. It can provide imagery anywhere in the world in less than 24 hrs. It also offers a wide coverage, fine detail, intensive monitoring, extensive archives and 50 cm resolution imagery.

According to some intelligence reports, Algerian generals and rulers, who spent billions of petrodollars in armaments just to flex their military muscles, got extremely worried when they learnt about the Moroccan satellite, built by Airbus defense & Space Company.

Relations between the two neighboring countries, already strained over the Sahara issue, got sourer following the last offensive remarks made by Algerian foreign minister who accused Moroccan banks of laundering money from hashish in Africa.

Following these remarks, Moroccan foreign ministry 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 newly-established G5-joint force, set up by Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger to combat terrorism and transnational organized crime and to promote stability and development in the region is gaining increasing support, given the challenges facing the restive region.

While the European Union has already committed $56 million to the Sahel force, on Monday the United States promised to support the Forces counter-terrorism efforts with up to $60 million.

The same day, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the Security Council to be ambitious in deciding how the UN supports the Sahel countries address cross-border terrorism and organized crime.

The situation in the Sahel challenges us all, Guterres told the 15-member body, describing the difficult operational circumstances facing the G5 joint force, and stressing the need to unite efforts to address the root causes of instability in the region. He warned that not acting could have severe consequences for the region and beyond, stressing the need to prevent the region from sinking into chaos, which could have dangerous consequences for the continent and the entire world.

Guterres who described how poverty, underdevelopment and climate change have contributed to the humanitarian and security crises in the Sahel, warned that the humanitarian crisis is getting worse, with nearly five million people displaced, and 24 million people in need of humanitarian aid.

Given the urgency of the situation, we must think of innovative actions in support of the G5 Sahel efforts in the security field, but also in the areas of development and governance, he said, urging the Council to be ambitious in the choice it has to make.

Strong political support for the G5 Sahel and material and operational support commensurate with the challenges are essential, he insisted.

In a report to the Security Council on October 16, the Secretary-General said he firmly believes that only predictable and sustainable funding and support will enable the Joint Force to contribute to the lasting stabilization of the Sahel.

Earlier this month, Security Council members visited Mali, Mauritania and Burkina Faso to assess the level and the nature of the threat posed by terrorism and transnational organized crime in the Sahel, as well as the status of the operationalization of the joint force.

France has recently announced that the G5 Sahel joint force could start its operation with 260 million, below the 450 million required. The Niamey command post will pilot the first operation whose date has not been disclosed yet.
Hungarian low-cost airline, Wizzair, has launched, on October 31, a second direct flight between Hungary and Morocco linking the Atlantic tourist hub of Agadir to Budapest.

This air route adds to the Marrakech-Budapest link that has been inaugurated by the same airline.

The national tourism promotion office (ONMT) explained in a statement that the launch of these air links aims at increasing the number of Hungarian tourists visiting Morocco to 30,000 with the aim of doubling that number by 2020.

The ONMT also said that it will stage a campaign to promote the Morocco destination through participation at the Utazas tourism fair in Budapest in 2018 where Morocco will be the guest of honor.

The two flights will also attract tourists from other central European countries where Budapest is a key hub.

The launch of the flight coincided with the visit of Moroccos tourism Minister, Mohamed Sajid, to Budapest at the invitation of Hungarian minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Peter Szijjarto.
By holding a Regional Retreat on Migration, Morocco is spearheading initiatives aiming at reaching a paradigm change in how migration is tackled on the continent. The guiding line is to depart from the security approach in addressing migration issues in favor of a humanistic approach focusing on opportunities and common management.

The event, held in Skhirate, in Rabats outskirts, aims at garnering support for the adoption of a common African stance on the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, to be adopted in 2018.

The meeting is part of the follow up of a paper submitted by King Mohammed VI, in his quality as the African leader who was put in charge of the question of migration, to the AUs presidency, laying out a common African Vision on migration and the related stakes and challenges.

Speaking at the opening of the regional retreat Monday, Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said that Africa should speak with one voice in order to lay out its agenda on migration issues.

The establishment of a common governance of migration is not an option, the minister said, noting that this African retreat on migration is an important step in a sequence that began last March and will continue until the next African Union (AU) Summit in January 2018.

Bourita recalled that, at the request of Guineas President and acting Chairman of the AU Alpha Conde, King Mohammed VI had agreed to coordinate the action of the AU on the structuring, transversal and very important theme of migration. He added that this choice is first and foremost a recognition of the Sovereigns personal commitment and profound conviction in favor of the emergence of the African continent as an actor of peace, stability and development.

This choice also reflects the relevance of the national immigration and asylum policy launched in 2013, which is both humanistic, global, respectful of human rights, and concerned with the implementation of shared responsibility and renewed multilateral cooperation, Bourita said. This choice finally gives concrete expression to the desire to promote a calm and peaceful debate, which does not present migration as a threat to tame, or a challenge to take up, but as an opportunity to seize.

The preliminary note submitted by King Mohammed to the AUs presidency outlines the steps that should be taken to tackle migration notably through adopting national policies, improving

sub-regional coordination, and harnessing continental and international efforts to ensure an adequate management of migration.

The document urges African countries to combat trafficking and to create conditions propitious for the integration of migrants.

With regard to international partnership, the paper stresses the need for African countries and the African Union to assess and respond to the challenges and opportunities of migration. As a global issue, migration must be the subject of partnerships in which Africa will have to play its role fully.

At the domestic level, Morocco was one of the first countries of the South to adopt a genuine solidarity-based policy regarding sub-Saharan migrants.

The policy, rooted in humanitarian values, was launched in 2014 and benefited notably Sub-Saharans who make the bulk of migrants within Morocco.

And so far, nearly 20,000 migrants submitted to Moroccan authorities their requests to gain residency cards as part of the second phase of a regularization campaign that was launched last December upon directives from King Mohammed VI after the success of the first phase that saw 25,000 migrants gain residency status.
UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour said Morocco made significant progress in eradicating torture and all forms of ill-treatment.

The UN official also commended Morocco for its support for UN Office for Human Rights (OHCHR) in promoting human rights and combating all forms of violence.

Gilmour made the remarks during a meeting with minister of Justice, Mohamed Aujjar, and minister of State for Human Rights, Mustapha Ramid, on the sidelines of the regional symposium of the Convention against Torture Initiative (CTI), held under the theme Administration of justice and law enforcement: international cooperation and exchange of experiences, held in Fez.

During their talks, the two parties examined ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation and the exchange of practices and mechanisms to eliminate all forms of torture.

On this occasion, Glimour stressed the importance of such meetings that contribute to the rapprochement of views, in order to adopt effective mechanisms and programs to combat torture, which remains widespread in many countries. He expressed OHCHR willingness to work within a participatory framework in order to put an end to such practices.

Speaking at the symposium, Moroccos justice minister affirmed that Morocco has made a clean break with enforced disappearance and systematic torture, as evidenced by international commissions, special procedures as well as national and international organizations.

The minister explained that Morocco is building on its constitutional and institutional choice relating to the independence of the judiciary and the organic laws pertaining to the Supreme Council of the Judiciary and the statute of magistrates.

In March 2014, the Governments of Chile, Denmark, Ghana, Indonesia and Morocco launched the Convention against Torture Initiative (CTI), to mark the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention against Torture. The aim of this global initiative is to have universal ratification of the Convention by 2024  and that the risk of torture will be reduced in the world.

Morocco is preparing to launch the National Prevention Mechanism (NPM) against torture as part of the implementation of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT).

To that end, a UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT) paid a visit to Morocco October 22 to 28 to advise the Government on the establishment of the NPM and to assess the treatment of persons deprived of their liberty and the measures taken for their protection against torture and ill-treatment.
Martin Luther nails his 95 Theses on a church door 500 years ago. Photo: Prisma/UIG via Getty Images

The 500th anniversary of the publication of Martin Luthers 95 Theses, generally considered the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, is naturally spurring rumination on the current status of Catholic-Protestant efforts to heal the breech in Western Christianity. By most measurements, an enormous amount of ecumenical progress has been made, much of it in the last 75 years. In truth, the Second Vatican Council eliminated or at least ameliorated a good deal of what troubled Luthers conscience about the early modern Catholic Church: the insistence on Romes monopoly on salvation; the elevation of works over faith; the denial of direct access to the Bible for laypeople; the deterioration of worship from a communal experience to a clerical ritual aimed at praying people through Purgatory who could afford to pay for that privilege; and assorted other abuses that Catholic reformers over the centuries often criticized as well.

After Vatican II, in the United States at least, the average Catholic and Lutheran worship services became very similar, and theological differences shrank even more noticeably, culminating in the remarkable 1999 Joint Declaration on Justification released by the Vatican and the World Lutheran Federation that reconciled the two faith traditions on a central preoccupation of both Luther and his Catholic enemies: the relationship of faith to grace and to salvation. The Declaration was later ratified by many, many churches of the Methodist and Reformed traditions.

And while Catholics embraced what might have previously been considered distinctly Protestant practices, like the use of vernacular languages in worship and acceptance of church-state separation, Protestants (partly as a result of the ecumenical Liturgical Movement that so influenced Vatican II) relaxed their Reformation-era fears of ritualism, and even in the more conservative denominations, began to more frequently celebrate communion and respect church traditions. Moreover, virtually all Christians have abandoned some of the more unsavory habits of thought and deed they once shared, from aggressive anti-Semitism to active state-sanctioned persecution of heretics.

There remain, of course, serious institutional obstacles to Catholic-Protestant unity, ranging from the papacy and ordination of women to the difficulties involved in getting the diverse Protestant polities to move toward Rome at the same pace. But as Emma Green acknowledges at the end of a long evaluation of ecumenism, difference among Christians these days tend to break along a left-right rather than a Catholic-Protestant spectrum:

The United Methodist Church, which claims 12 million members around the world, and the Anglican Communion, which claims 85 million, have both experienced bitter conflicts in recent years over LGBT issues. These divisions have been driven in part by the different orientations of relatively progressive American churches and their relatively conservative counterparts in Africa and other parts of the global South.

While these disagreements have led to painful splits  both denominations face the possibility of schism in the coming years  they also suggest that a growing number of Christians are organizing themselves based on ideological convictions, rather than a shared confessional tradition.

Thats an understatement, particularly when it comes to Christians in the United States. Virtually every Protestant denominational tradition has now divided into liberal mainline and conservative fundamentalist groupings, even as Catholics have more subtly divided into modern and traditionalist camps. And while LGBT issues are often at the forefront, there are theological differences underneath that are nearly as irreconcilable-seeming as those that caused the Reformation. Advocates of biblical literalism, a tenet of Protestant dogma that emerged in the 20th century in reaction to liberal theology, are making common cause with conservative Catholics (and Orthodox) on a wide range of issues involving politics and culture, most obviously reproductive rights and more generally the role of women in family, church, and society. The Francis papacy with its startling reevaluation of many Catholic traditions seems to have radicalized many conservative Catholics, who not only stress reactionary cultural themes but also join conservative Protestants in regarding capitalism with a sort of holy awe.

Among Protestants, it is sometimes difficult to think of the presidents favorite cleric, Jerry Falwell Jr., and Moral Mondays William Barber II, as fellow Christians  much less fellow Protestants  from adjoining states.

In any event, the combatants of the Reformation era would barely recognize the Church today. Christians no longer fight and kill each other over the metaphysical nature of the bread and wine on communion tables, or burn each others churches. But they wage wars of words with each other nonetheless, even as religious belief steadily declines and the idea of Christendom fades.
Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl is escorted into the Fort Bragg military courthouse on October 30, 2017. Photo: Sara D. Davis/Getty Images

Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who spent five years as a captive of the Taliban in Afghanistan, offered emotional testimony at his sentencing hearing on Monday, apologizing to service members who were wounded while searching for him.

It was never my intention for anyone to be hurt, and I never expected that to happen, he said during the hearing in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. I grieve for those who suffered and their families  I was trying to help, and knowing that I did not breaks my heart.

Bergdahl has said he left his post on June 29, 2009, with the intention of walking to a larger base 18 miles away to report what he saw as a problem with the leadership of his unit. He was quickly captured and brutally tortured for years until President Obama traded five Guantanamo Bay detainees for his release in 2014. Earlier this month, he pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.

After apologizing, Bergdahl described the torture he endured while clenching his hands at his sides and rocking back and forth. He said he was beaten with copper wire, and kept in a cage with a metal bar at the bottom that made it impossible to get comfortable. He went months without cleaning himself, and developed sores from his shackles.

Bergdahl said the worst part was the psychological torture. His captors showed him videos of executions, and regularly threatened to kill him.

The worst was the constant deterioration of everything, pain from my body falling apart, internal screams from my mind, the darkness and light, he said. I was wondering if every time the door opened it would be the person coming to execute you.

Mondays hearing also featured testimony from Shannon Allen, the wife of Master Sergeant Mark Allen, who was shot in the head while searching for Bergdahl. He is paralyzed, in constant pain, and requires constant care.

He is present, makes eye contact, she said. He can laugh, smile, cry. That is the extent of the communication.

Bergdahl faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for desertion, and life in prison for misbehavior before the enemy. The judge, Colonel Jeffery Nance of the Army, denied a request to dismiss the case or cap Bergdahls sentence on the grounds that President Trumps repeated attacks  such as saying Bergdahl is a traitor who should be shot  prevented him from receiving a fair hearing. However, Nance said on Monday, I will consider the presidents comments as mitigation evidence as I arrive at an appropriate sentence. Hes expected to sentence Bergdahl in the next few weeks.
Paul Manafort leaves U.S. District Court after pleading not guilty following his indictment on federal charges on October 30, 2017, in Washington, D.C. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

As Paul Manafort was sketched by a courtroom artist following his surrender to the FBI on Monday, his friends, associates, and colleagues throughout the Acela corridor processed the reality of his criminal indictment and its implications for Donald Trumps White House  and for themselves.

Any spin coming from the White House should be discounted, a former adviser to Trump told me. This is very, very bad.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller announced indictments against former Trump campaign chairman Manafort and Rick Gates, a protege who worked on Trumps campaign and served on his inaugural committee. Both men pleaded not guilty to crimes related to illegally funneling millions through shell companies. Additionally, and potentially worse for the White House, Mueller indicted George Papadopoulos, a foreign-policy adviser to the campaign. Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contact with a Kremlin-connected professor.

Reactions among several of Manaforts allies interviewed by New York ranged from selfish relief and Schadenfreude, to frustration with Mueller and an investigation many in the presidents orbit consider a witch hunt, to concern about what it means for the already-hobbling Republican legislative agenda and for the survival of the Trump presidency itself. All spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Trumps at 33 today in Gallup, the former adviser said, referring to the presidents approval rating. Hes gonna be in the 20s soon. From there, the former adviser began to list a spiraling series of events: If they dont pass tax reform, if the indictments keep coming, they get killed in the midterms, or even if they dont get killed in the midterms? I dont know. I dont know. They paused. I think we could be looking at a Nixon situation.

Papadopoulos has become a particular challenge for the White House, they acknowledged, because his indictment and guilty plea make it impossible to insist with any credibility that Mueller isnt building a case for collusion  as the president did, earlier Monday in a tweet. They expected the Manafort stuff but what they didnt expect was something directly tied to the campaign, the adviser said. This is not going anywhere anytime soon. [The presidents attorney] Ty Cobb saying this investigations gonna be over by the end of the year? Thats not happening now.

Part of the problem for the president now, as this former adviser sees it, is whos in his inner circle. Look, hes surrounded by people who hate him, they said. Hes knocked out all the loyalists and all the people who care about him. And the real loyalists [who remain in the White House]? Theyre a bunch of quislings. What the hell can those people do?

This is, this adviser added, not good.

Another former adviser claims to have spoken with Manafort about three weeks ago, by which point he already knew he was about to be indicted. He was kind of palms-up about it. He thought that he was unfairly targeted, but you know its not Pauls style to complain about it  hes typically close-mouthed about everything. He thought that he would be, in the end, in the clear. The former adviser added that Manafort knew the road ahead would be difficult and its going to cost a lot of money but he gave the impression that he was up for it.

This is in line with what Roger Stone, yet another former Trump adviser and longtime Manafort associate, told me in late September. Mueller, he said then, would indict Manafort for something he guessed would be phony, and then use it as leverage to force Manafort to turn on the president. Hes not gonna do that, Stone said then. He added that hed recently spoken to Manafort, who sounded surprisingly good.

The second former adviser said the problem for Manafort is the presidents innocence. Theres nothing to flip on. Thats the deep and abiding issue and disconnect  that there is nothing to say. Theres no Russian collusion. What Mueller has is the allegations of financial crimes of Paul Manafort. He wants to leverage that information to get something, but hes not going to because it doesnt exist, and that puts Paul and Rick in a pretty bad spot, because theyve got nothing to give.

More indictments, everyone with a clue knows, are forthcoming. Nobodys under any illusion that these are the last ones, the former adviser said.

A Republican operative who has known Manafort for decades told me that things are much worse than the White House wants to admit.

They should be extremely worried, the operative said. The people who are out spinning are doing their job, saying that this is somehow good news or a good day for the White House  The operative began to crack up. Thats just not the way it is. Moreover, removed from the whole aspect of a criminal investigation, I tend to look at this from the legislative-agenda standpoint: Its just not whats needed when tax reform has to pass. Its just one more problem. To me, thats the big issue. The tax reform issue is getting derailed or sidetracked.

Heading into the midterms with no tax reform and more indictments looming, the operative said, puts the Republican majority in Congress further at risk.
Winning. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

Donald Trump promised American voters that his keen eye for talent  honed over decades as a mogul in the cut-throat real-estate industry, demonstrated weekly on NBCs serial documentary The Apprentice  would give him the insight necessary to hire the best people once he became president.

On Monday morning, the president argued that Paul Manafort had been a crooked, covert agent of Ukrainian oligarchs long before he hired him to manage his presidential campaign.

Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 30, 2017

An anonymous White House source amplified this narrative, telling CNN that Manafort and his deputy Rick Gates were bad guys when they started  and therefore the president had no responsibility to apologize for their misdeeds.

Imagine if Hillary Clinton had campaigned for the presidency on a promise to make superlative hiring decisions  and then the FBI indicted two of the highest-ranking members of her campaign for being undisclosed agents of a hostile foreign regime. Now, imagine that this happened on the same day that a former Clinton campaign adviser confessed that he had tried to score a meeting with the Russian government last year, in hopes of securing stolen copies of Trumps tax returns. Finally, imagine that, on Earth 2, John Podesta and Robby Mooks secret work for the Yanukovych regime  and Philippe Reiness correspondence with Putins niece  both came to light months after the Hillary Clinton administrations first national security adviser, Susan Rice, admitted that she had been on the payroll of Turkeys Islamist government throughout the 2016 campaign.

How would congressional Republicans respond to such a development? Would they reiterate their desire for an independent investigation to explore whether president Clinton had personally colluded with Russian actors? Or would they scream at the top of their lungs that someone whod hired undisclosed foreign agents to top positions in her campaign and administration was too incompetent and/or un-American to serve as president of the United States?

What if President Hillary Clinton had also fired James Comey after hed refused to honor her request to drop the FBIs investigation in Susan Rice?

Without question, the GOP would take door No. 2. If they had possession of undisputed facts this damning, theres no way congressional Republicans would encourage the public to focus on an elusive, hypothetical smoking gun connecting Putin and Clinton. That would be doing the Democrats a favor by helping them move the goalposts of what constitutes a ruinous scandal for the Clinton White House all the way back to Siberia.

And yet, at various points on Monday, the Democratic leadership did the Trump administration that kindness.

The indictments of Paul Manafort & Rick Gates underscore need for an outside indpt commission to #FollowTheFacts. https://t.co/FNsocZ0JFB  Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) October 30, 2017

The special counsels probe is ongoing in a serious way. The rule of law is paramount in America & the investigation must proceed unimpeded.  Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) October 30, 2017

Now look: These are fine sentiments. There is a real risk that Trump will fire Mueller, and its important for Democrats to preempt such a move, however they can. The investigation shouldnt be over until special counsel Bob Mueller says it is.

But its a question of emphasis. Right now, the White House is saying that it has no intention of firing Mueller. The risk to the special counsels job, for the moment, appears low. Meanwhile, the administration is very much trying to focus public discussion on what hasnt been proven, rather than on the mountain of damning, undisputed facts already lying in plain sight. When Democrats emphasize the need for further answers, in this context, they make life easier for the White House spin machine.

We already know that Trump hired undisclosed foreign agents as his campaign manager and national security adviser; that he pressured the FBI director to drop an investigation into the latter man; that he then fired said FBI director because he disapproved of the bureaus handling of the Russia investigation; that members of his campaign knew that Russia possessed stolen Clinton emails and tried to secure them; and that Trump incessantly cast doubt about Russias role in the hacking of email accounts aligned with the Clinton campaign, even after multiple members of his team  including his own son  took meetings in 2016 that were premised on the idea of Russian involvement.

Most crucially, we know that Trump has taken no significant action to dissuade Vladimir Putins government from intervening in the 2018 or 2020 U.S. elections. In fact, we know that the Trump administration explored the idea of lifting Obamas sanctions on Russia upon taking office  and that, after Congress passed legislation (with a veto-proof majority) forbidding the president from lifting those sanctions, Trump expressed his displeasure with the law in a bitter signing statement.

Further, we know that Trump came out of his face-to-face meeting with Putin last July entertaining the idea that the U.S. and Russia could collaborate on an impenetrable Cyber Security unit so that election hacking, [and] many other negative things, will be guarded and safe.

Does the severity of this scandal really hinge on whether Trump knowingly coordinated with Wikileaks over when to release John Podestas emails  or whatever one would consider to be smoking gun proof of collusion?

Even if we discovered proof that Trump personally coordinated with Wikileaks, its not at all clear that such activity would even be a crime (collusion is not an actual, criminal offense). Further, it seems vanishingly unlikely that the congressional GOP would impeach Trump over such a revelation, even if it were illegal. There is never going to be a moment when Mueller puts the final puzzle piece in place, Trumps election is declared illegitimate, and America is made already great again.

Ultimately, its unlikely that any piece of evidence will ever render the Trump presidency unacceptable to two-thirds of this Congress. Therefore, Democrats should focus their energy on rendering the president unacceptable to two-thirds (or more) of the public.

And, on that front, Trump and Mueller have already given them more than enough material to work with. What we already know about the Trump-Russia scandal should be enough to destroy a presidency  and do grave collateral damage to the political party complicit in it.

So, while they push for further investigation, Democrats should take pains to ensure that the American public understands every damning, undisputed fact of the Trump-Russia matter just as well as we do.
John Kelly kept Trump from stirring up new issues by doing it himself. Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

With his staffers flailing in the wake of his decision to fire FBI Director James Comey in May, President Trump decided to do his own crisis management  and wound up making the situation even worse. In a prime-time TV interview, the president contradicted the official White House story, saying he was going to fire Comey regardless of what Justice Department officials recommended. He cited issues with the directors handling of the Russia probe, which some argued was an admission of obstruction of justice. The next day, Trump threatened Comey on Twitter, alluding to (nonexistent) recordings of their conversations. A week later, Deputy Attorney Rod Rosenstein appointed a special counsel to handle the Russia investigation.

As Robert Mueller got to work, there were constant reports of White House infighting and Trumps refusal to follow his advisers advice. Finally, in late July, White House chief of staff Reince Priebus was replaced by retired four-star Marine Corps general John Kelly in an attempt to impose some discipline.

Just a few weeks in, Kellys mission appeared to flop, with Trump making increasingly offensive remarks on race in the wake of the deadly violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. But Trumps response to Muellers first indictments on Monday shows Kelly might be making progress. Trumps response was limited to a few tweets bolstering the right-wing medias effort to shift the focus to Hillary Clintons alleged connection to the Trump dossier and the Obama-era Uranium One deal.

Yet minutes after Trump proclaimed There is NO COLLUSION! it was reported that his former campaign aide George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his exchanges with Kremlin-linked Russians. Trump suddenly went silent. According to the Washington Post, the president was fuming as he watched the coverage on TV, but Kelly, along with his legal team, advised him to be cautious with his public responses.

Still, someone from the administration needed to add fuel to the Republicans Russia counter-narrative, and perhaps steer the conversation back to less damaging controversies. Apparently, the task fell to Kelly.

The chief of staff, who tends to avoid media appearances, sat down with Laura Ingraham on Monday night for the first edition of her prime-time show on Fox News. Kelly stuck to the official White House line when asked about developments in the Russia probe, emphasizing that all of the activities they were indicted for were long before they met Donald Trump or had any association with the campaign (though Papadopouloss admission related to actions he took as part of the Trump campaign).

Then they quickly pivoted to Democrats, with Ingraham asking whether there should be another special counsel appointed to probe all of these narratives coming out with the DNC and the Clinton campaign actually funding research that was, in part, compiled by the Kremlin!

After a long digression about how average Americans are generally disgusted by Congress and the media, Kelly said he thinks an investigation would be for the best.

I think probably as a layman looking at this kind of thing we need to find someone whos very, very objective who can get to the bottom of these accusations, I think its important, he said. Again, the American people have an absolute right to know these things.

Kelly: "All of the activities, as I understand it, were long before they ever met Donald Trump or had any association with the campaign." pic.twitter.com/EnXKZl7eer  Fox News (@FoxNews) October 31, 2017

Later in the interview, Kelly was asked about his feud with Representative Frederica Wilson, who accused President Trump of making insensitive remarks to the wife of Sergeant La David Johnson, who was killed with three other soldiers in Niger. Kelly falsely accused Wilson of bragging at the 2015 dedication of an FBI building in South Florida about how she was instrumental in getting funding for the project. Wilson wasnt in Congress at the time, and video shows thats not what she said in her remarks.

Even in light of these facts, the White House refused to back down, and in Mondays interview, Kelly doubled down on them. He reiterated that he found it stunning that someone would politicize the presidents remarks to the family members of fallen soldiers, and lamented that American values are falling by the wayside. Then he suggested he can corroborate that Wilson bragged about funding at another point during the event  but hes too honorable to keep slinging mud.

I made reference to an appearance that the congresswoman made and you know, a number of people that were there after she said what she said about me volunteered to come forward because they saw her both before and after her official comments. I said no, lets not do this. These are FBI agents, former FBI agents that were there. That part of it we should let go.

Ingraham alluded to Kellys claim being called out as false, but she also remarked that Wilson certainly used the word I a lot in her speech. Then she played a brief, deceptively edited video to prove it.

Do you feel like you have something to apologize for? Ingraham asked.

No. Never, Kelly answered. Ill apologize if I need to. But for something like that, absolutely not. I stand by my comments.

John Kelly on Dispute With Rep. Wilson: 'I Stand by My Comments' | Read more: https://t.co/YSdj63y7g9 #IngrahamAngle pic.twitter.com/JLF28r9WFy  Fox News (@FoxNews) October 31, 2017

Incredibly, that wasnt the most controversial part of the interview. When asked about a church in Virginia that recently removed plaques honoring parishioners George Washington and Robert E. Lee, Kelly gave a predicable answer about not holding historical figures to the standards of today. Then he offered this assessment of the Confederate general, and the history of the Civil War:

 It shows you how much of a lack of appreciation of history and what history is. I would tell you that Robert E. Lee was an honorable man. He was a man that gave up his country to fight for his state, which 150 years ago was more important than country. It was always loyalty to state first, back in those days, and now its different today. But the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil war. And men of women of good faith on both sides made their stand.

John Kelly: The inability to compromise led to the Civil War pic.twitter.com/1meIbXczTi  Thomas Bishop (@bishopk0s) October 31, 2017

Was Kelly trying to make sure that Tuesdays headlines would focus on the White House chief of staff suggesting the North and South just needed to compromise on whether its okay to enslave people, rather than the Russia probe? Maybe not. But for all the talk about Kelly being of a different breed than the political operatives he ousted from the Trump administration, he isnt above going on his bosss favorite network and echoing some of his most incendiary remarks.
The scene after the attack. Photo: Craig Ruttle/AP

The Latest

 A note (or notes) found near the vehicle says the attack was carried out in the name of ISIS, according to several outlets.

 Suspect Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, who was shot by a police officer, underwent surgery and is expected to survive.

 Five of the people killed have been identified as Argentine tourists celebrating their 30-year high-school reunion.

The Attack

Eight people were killed and 11 were injured in downtown Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon when a driver in a pickup truck deliberately steered his vehicle into a mile-long stretch of bike path. He then jumped from the vehicle and ran up and down the highway, brandishing a pellet gun and a paintball gun. He was shot in the abdomen by a police officer and taken into custody.

The suspect has been identified as 29-year-old Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov. He is an Uzbek national who came to the U.S. in 2010. After living in Florida and working as a truck driver for several years, he recently moved to New Jersey with his wife and children and began driving for Uber. He underwent surgery and is expected to survive.

BREAKING: Exclusive photo of NYC terrorist identified as Sayfullo Saipov of Tampa, Florida https://t.co/cIYPy3QrXk pic.twitter.com/U9cb3dwWl4  The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) October 31, 2017

Saipov was heard yelling, Allahu Akbar! before he was shot. Several outlets reported that a note found at the scene said the attack was carried out in the name of ISIS. According to CNN, law enforcement sources found one note written in English inside the vehicle. The New York Times reported that investigators found several notes handwritten in Arabic near the truck. Officials said they have yet to find evidence of direct ties between Saipov and ISIS, so theyre treating it as an attack only inspired by the terror group.

This was an act of terror, and a particularly cowardly act of terror, aimed at innocent civilians, aimed at people going about their lives who had no idea what was about to hit them, New York mayor Bill de Blasio said at a press conference.

Governor Andrew Cuomo said that the suspect acted alone, and there is no evidence to suggest a wider plot or a wider scheme. A joint investigation by the FBI and New York Police Department is under way.

Witnesses Describe the Manhattan Attack

Around 3:05 p.m., Saipov entered a stretch of bike path near Houston Street, adjacent to the West Side Highway, and drove for about 20 blocks. He was driving a flatbed pickup truck rented from Home Depot. The New York Daily News reported that a witness watched in disbelief as the driver of the speeding truck ran down a pair of Citi Bike riders about 50 feet apart, catching both from behind on the busy bike path alongside the Hudson River.

Saipov crashed into a school bus at Chambers Street, injuring two adults and two children on the bus. He then exited the truck, brandishing a paintball gun and a pellet gun. Saipov was confronted by NYPD Officer Ryan Nash, who was responding to a call at nearby Stuyvesant High School. When Saipov refused an order to drop his weapons, Nash shot him in the stomach. Nash was treated for tinnitus after the incident.

Heres the hero cop the world should be talking about. Police Officer Ryan Nash risked his life to save others. Thank u Ryan, thank u #NYPD pic.twitter.com/TqT0inXq7K  Joe Borelli (@JoeBorelliNYC) November 1, 2017

The Aftermath

A video apparently taken from the scene showed several bikers on the ground after being hit by the truck.

This video appears to show the immediate aftermath of attack in NYC todaymangled bikes along the West Side Highway pic.twitter.com/3gYBz1Z2lT  Jack Smith IV (@JackSmithIV) October 31, 2017

What happened was there was a car crash  he came out of one of the cars. He had two guns. We thought it was a Halloween thing. He started running around the highway. There was another guy in a green shirt that was chasing him around, a student at Stuyvesant High School told the New York Post.

Another high-schooler caught the aftermath of the attack on video:

Olivia Raykhman, 14, described efforts to rescue children from the wrecked school bus to the New York Times. They were sawing through a school bus window. They broke all of the windows and were trying to pull kids out. There was a man covering a child with a blanket. There was one kid who was stuck, she said.

New Yorks Madison Mills was at the scene, and interviewed an eyewitness who described the incident:

The Victims

Officials said six people were declared dead at the scene, and two died later at the hospital. Eleven other people were taken to the hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.

Five of the people killed were Argentine tourists celebrating their 30-year high-school reunion. Argentine authorities identified them as Hernan Mendoza, Diego Angelini, Alejandro Pagnucco, Ariel Erlij, and Hernan Ferruchi. A sixth member of the group, Martin Ludovico Marro, was wounded.

According to the Argentine newspaper La Nacion, the friends graduated from a polytechnic school in 1987, and arrived in New York several days ago with five other people.

The were out cycling in downtown Manhattan, Mateo Estreme, consul general of Argentina to the United Nations, told the New York Post. We are trying to figure out how to go on  especially the families  [They] are completely lost about, well, being very far from their relatives. They dont know what to do.

Este es el grupo de rosarinos afectados en el atentando en NY. Promocion 87 del Politecnico. Al menos 1 muerto (Ariel Erlij) y 4 heridos. pic.twitter.com/LIhaVqFKJy  Hernan Funes (@HernanFunes) November 1, 2017

Belgian officials said one person who was killed and three who were injured were from Belgium.

I am deeply saddened to announce a belgian victim in #Manhattan - I express my condolences to the family and friends   didier reynders (@dreynders) October 31, 2017

Reactions to the Attack

President Trump was briefed on the matter, and tweeted multiple times in response:

In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2017

We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere. Enough!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2017

My thoughts, condolences and prayers to the victims and families of the New York City terrorist attack. God and your country are with you!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2017

I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program. Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2017

As Politico notes, its unclear what Trump was referring to. In August, the Trump administration expanded requirements for some green-card applicants, but federal judges have blocked three iterations of his travel ban from fully taking effect. People from Uzbekistan were not banned under any version of the order.

The incident was similar to vehicle attacks that have taken place in France, Britain, Germany, Sweden, and Spain in recent years.

This certainly bears all the hallmarks of an ISIS-inspired or al-Qaeda-inspired attack, said Representative Adam Schiff, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, who was briefed on the attack by the FBI. We have to expect that as the capital of the caliphate has now fallen, there are going to be increasing efforts to show that they remain dangerous and lethal, and to expand the virtual caliphate.

While officials said they do not believe there is any further threat to the city, there will be an increased police presence in the coming days.

Additional officers were deployed to police Greenwich Villages annual Halloween parade on Tuesday night. Im not going to let it scare me, Cathryn Strobl, a 23-year-old New Yorker, told the AP as she waited for the parade to start. You cant let it stop you from living your life.

This post will be updated as more information becomes available.
Trump atop Trump Tower in 1987. Photo: Harry Benson

We didnt vote for him. We can show you the numbers if you want. We keep explaining to foreigners  meaning anyone who doesnt live in our city  that we loathe him, that we reject him, that we never liked him, that we were the first to know him and the first to understand who he was.

We know, though, when were alone with our thoughts, how unconvincing that sounds. We know that, on some level, he is ours.

We cant shake it. This is the quiet mortification of being a New Yorker one year after the election  the confession we dont make, the guilty dread that shrouds us. The thing that all of America now has to endure came out of our clay. This gold-speckled golem who was slammed and slapped and shoved together out of the mud and sweat and smell of other peoples underpaid labor, this human vanity plate, this miasma of bombast and rudeness and noise and threat? He grew right out of the arrogant, peacocking slogans we deploy to sell this city to the worldthe city that never sleeps; if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere; we tell it like it is, and if you dont like it, get lost. He is our smug exceptionalism without our redemptive irony. We look at him and cringe, because he is New York, but the wrong New York. A caricature of our city at its worst.

We pretend hes not a real New Yorker. Hed never eat a street hot dog because, my God, the dirty water and the rat parts and the germs. Hed never take in a Mets game because, my God, the crowds and the beer smell and have you seen the bathrooms? Hed never go to Coney Island or Orchard Beach because, my God, thats for people who cant afford to do anything else, and do you know how long the trip back to the city is?

We insist that all of this makes him inauthentic. We also pretend that we ourselves have never had any of those thoughts, that the Manhattan provincialism immortalized in Saul Steinbergs famous cartoon isnt a point of actual pride for us. We always knew that was a joke, though. Right?

We know there are many New Yorks. We erase and raze and rebuild and overwrite our own identity daily in everything from language to food to fashion to architecture. We cannot believe that he picked one of the all-time worst versions of this city  the pre-crash 80s New York of midtown and too much money in too few hands, of the arrogance of gilded, amped entitlement and the racism and presumption that go with it, and decided to embody that forever, lodging in that moment like a bone in our throats.

We dont like to talk about tribalism, but we always know its here. Our very geography warns us of its persistence. Its baked right into the names that linger from the generation of our grandparents and great-grandparents  Chinatown, Little Italy, Spanish Harlem. The Irish got Hells Kitchen, the Germans got Yorkville, the blacks  yes, some people still say the blacks, including New Yorkers who would never think of voting for him yet allow themselves to sound in private the way he always has in public. We tell ourselves racism is just a vestigial pollutant in ever-shrinking sections of the city. But we know its a scent that our city has never been able to mask. We hate him for that reminder.

We know that the sparring, bordered factionalism that defines his world runs deep within us, even among nice people who give to the food bank and Planned Parenthood but will take to the streets if you screw with their school district. Were not many generations  maybe not any generations  past electing a sneering, race-baiting lawman as mayor because we were tired of stepping over crack vials, tired of the crime, the filth, and  to use the word he loves  the animals. We wanted a bully to stand astride the ruins and testify to our toughness, our indomitability. We got one.

We thought that guy was bad enough. But he turned out to be just the preamble to this one. We remember now that this one was always there, even in the very worst of all weeks, lurking in the background, fantasizing about thousands of cheering Muslims on New Jersey rooftops and yammering to a journalist, with the rapt, oblivious self-absorption that has always been his trademark, that actually, now, downtowns largest building was his.

We groaned. Of course he thought that. Naturally he would hate anything thats bigger than what he built, that obstructed his vision of himself as first among titans. How petty. How pathetic. How small.

We forgot, in that moment, that we built the buildings, that we announced, as we do so often, how much size matters, that biggest and the bragging rights that go with it are a core New York value.

We sometimes forget how we used to say, Actually, they arent very nice buildings.

We try not to think about how a lot of things we used to say sound so much worse when they come out of his mouth.

We knew that viciousness had always fueled him, the son and heir of a landlord who thought they were all animals and wanted to keep them out of his buildings and his neighborhoods, who longed for a real rain to wash the scum off the streets, a Travis Bickle in a corner office instead of a taxi. His public coming of age was announced with the full-page ad in 1989 in which he called for the deaths of five teenage boys  four black, one Latino  who were accused of raping a white woman. Their convictions were vacated in 2002. He never apologized. Never apologize, never explain: It makes you look weak, it gives the losers an edge. But we mostly ignored the new expression of his hatred  his anti-Muslim seething, his certainty that more killers were among us. Why worry about a real-estate salesman, an Atlantic City casino hustler, who drew his energy from any camera that would turn toward him? We thought he was just another mosquito in the room. He wasnt. He was the mole on our back that we couldnt quite see and never got checked, the part of the infection that the antibiotic never reaches, the danger that isnt dead, only dormant.

When he says that when youre a star, they let you do anything, isnt he just crudely parroting what he learned here?

We cant stop explaining that hes vulgar. We insist that this loud, tell-it-like-it-is boor is an anomaly, as if this city didnt generate Howard Sterns and Curtis Sliwas and Bill OReillys by the bucket and hand every barroom loudmouth who darkly amuses us a lifetime supply of megaphones. We fancy ourselves a city of sophisticates, of people who dont resort to overkill. We flinch at the way he slaps his name on everything, at all the crass marble and more-is-more ostentation, because hes from Queens, for Gods sake; who does he think hes fooling?

We recoil from his snobbery because all snobbery is wrong but also because were snobs who believe his snobbery is especially wrong. We think he should hide his neediness more skillfully. Didnt he ever learn that the way to do it is to speak softly and show up for fund-raisers for the opera and the New York Public Library and occasionally endow something? Not just a road-beautification sign that makes everybody on the West Side Highway hate him the minute they hit 79th Street and see his name?

We think he should know how to be rich better.

We cant say the city doesnt love money, after all. That isnt a value we dismiss  its heart hammers deep in the concrete of Wall Street and its arteries run up Fifth and Park Avenues into banks and trading firms and media empires and tech start-ups. We like ambition, but we revere achievement, and we overinvest people who make it, especially the ultrarich, with a host of qualities they may not possess  ingenuity, intelligence, savvy, street smarts  even when theyre being used to con us. We adhere too readily to the faith that somebody who is good at making money will be good at everything. Once, not long ago, a Wall Street billionaire with no political experience came along and said, I should be mayor. We noted his philanthropy and restraint. We told ourselves that wealth means nobody can own you. And we said okay. Then, four years later, we said it again. Then, four years after that, we said it a third time. We took the idea that America is a business that just needs a billionaire CEO and voluntarily beta-tested it for the rest of the country. Then we acted surprised when they believed us.

We reward success and size  you come to this big, hypercaffeinated, competitive city to make it big, and if you do, we will make you a star. And when he says that when youre a star, they let you do anything, isnt he just crudely parroting what he learned here? He is the dream, even if he is not what we want the dream to look like.

We are a city of media, and the symbiotic relationship between our ink and his lifeblood has been in place for decades. We are a tabloid town; he is a tabloid creature. He should have been easy to cut down to size, enthralled with the question of size as he has always been, and isnt one job of a tabloid to level the field, to twit the mighty? Others might have been shamed by Best Sex Ive Ever Had. He saw his picture next to the word Sex and called it a win. We are a city that knows how to humiliate pretenders, second-bests, wannabes, posers. But we are not a city that knows how to shame the shameless. That brought us to our knees.

We know that he is obsessed with indexes, rankings, metrics, numbers. We, the city of hundred-most-powerful lists and wealthiest-Americans rosters and stock tickers and eagerly perused cable-news overnights, taught him that. We schooled him on how much it matters to be No. 1, to have the most, to come out on top. There are winners and losers. And yes, losers is our word, too, not just his. We imagine that when we use that word, were hitting him where he lives. But its also where we live. We are a city of obsessive scorekeepers. What is pathological in him is present in us.

We think were actually very nice and award ourselves tiny Nobels every time we stop midstride to give a stranger directions. We wonder why we didnt realize in time, though, that on a national stage, its the other New York that turns out to be the big selling point. We cant get over the fact that much of the rest of America decided, in an embrace of ugliness, that it takes an ugly man from an ugly city to do an ugly job. We fear, sometimes, that we sold them on this.

We wonder how his supporters can hate our city so much but love a man whose soul seems to be an amalgam of the very things we hate about it. We couldnt stand him, so we let him know it at every opportunity  in the headlines, in the streets, in editorial cartoons and late-night monologues and protest signs and graffiti scrawls. We see him as the hasty, trashy, laminate version of New York you can pick up at a Hudson News just before you board a flight to somewhere else  a mug and a Statue of Liberty bobblehead and an empty-headed secret-to-success hardcover and a plastic Big Apple with a leering worm chewing through it. He is the gaudy brochure of our city we toss at outsiders. But we wrote the brochure.

We are unmatched at expressing contempt. We have never wearied of telling him, You will never be one of us. In retrospect, that was, perhaps, not the wisest thing to say to the single most vengeance-driven figure in 21st-century public life. Besides, we were incorrect. He was always one of usthe public face of our most reactionary ideas, our emptiest values, and our basest instincts. Because were a city of imagemaking and reputation and standing, we assumed it would matter, to him or to anyone else, what we thought of him. We were wrong.

We thought we were better than this, and we dont believe we were mistaken. We have a long way to go to fulfill the dream of a New York in which nobody would own this presumptive we more than anybody else. We know how far we are from it, and we find optimism a challenge right now, but we can hope.

We find ways, meanwhile, not to have to walk past Fifth and 56th, and we seethe in front of MSNBC at night and trade theories and fantasies about what will bring him down, and we count the days until the midterms, because he is standing in the way of everything we want this city, and by extension this country, to be. But also because at heart, for all our goodness, we too can be vengeance-driven. Where do you think he learned it? Why do you think he ran?

We know him. And this native familiarity with what drove him all the way to where he is now is what haunts us one year into the horror: the possibility that he did it because we taught him. He did it because we built him. He did it because we made him.

*This article appears in the October 30, 2017, issue of New York Magazine.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin has meh approval ratings, but shes a lot more popular in Wisconsin than Donald Trump. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

In July, last time Morning Consult published a state-by-state compilation of approval/disapproval rating data for U.S. senators, three members of the upper chamber, all Republicans, were underwater: the two senators from Arizona, Jeff Flake and John McCain, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. In its latest surveys, McCain has improved his ratings (presumably thanks to Democratic-independent appreciation for his rebellion against his party on health care), the now-retiring Flake is in even worse shape, and McConnell, who has been taking a pounding from both Donald Trump and Steve Bannon, is way underwater at 33/55. Bernie Sanders remains the most popular senator in the country with his constituents, with a 71/22 approval rating.

But generally speaking, senatorial popularity has been trending downward slowly all year, more or less in synch with the presidents gradually deteriorating numbers. Still, with a few exceptions, the senators facing voters in 2018 are in reasonably good shape. With 26 Democratic seats up next year as opposed to just 8 Republican seats, it remains unlikely Democrats will retake control of the Senate next year  or that Republicans will make major gains.

Right now the senator up in 2018 (putting Flake aside) with the worst approval ratio is Republican Dean Heller of Nevada (39/39), a state Trump lost last year; Trumps own approval ratio there earlier this month (according to Morning Consult as well) was 44/51.

Of the Trump Ten Democrats running in states the president carried last year, none are underwater. Looking at Trumps approval ratios and their own, the one Democrat from a state where Trump is really popular, at 60/36, is Joe Manchin, whose own ratio is a healthy 53/36.

Four Democrats are from states where Trumps approval rating is right at 50 percent; among them Claire McCaskill of Missouri is the most vulnerable at 42/39; followed by Joe Donnelly of Indiana at 47/26; and then the quite-popular Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota at 55/32 and Jon Tester of Montana at 53/33.

Bill Nelson of Florida is a relatively strong 50/26, while Trumps a bit meh in the Sunshine State at 48/47. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin is looking vulnerable at 41/38, but then Trumps quite unpopular in her state at present, at 41/53.

Trumps underwater ratings in Ohio (46/49) and Pennsylvania (45/50) provide some comfort for relatively popular Democratic senators Sherrod Brown (47/28) and Bob Casey (43/32), respectively. And Debbie Stabenows a lot more popular in Michigan (45/36) than is the president (40/55).

How all the 2018 Senate races evolve will depend a lot, of course, on who runs against the incumbents  or indeed, whether some of them join Flake and Bob Corker in retirement. For example, the relatively popular Bill Nelson will probably have to face the financial Death Star Rick Scott, while there are potentially nasty GOP primaries in Arizona, Indiana, and Nevada. And Breitbart News Steve Bannon is threatening to back primary challenges to several Republican senators who have not been on anyones radar screen, including Deb Fischer of Nebraska (45/35), John Barrasso of Wyoming (53/26), and Roger Wicker of Mississippi (49/26). Theres even a competitive Democratic primary on tap in California, where state senate majority leader Kevin DeLeon is challenging Diane Feinstein (47/33), though the states top-two primary system might mean these candidates stage a rematch in the general election.

If 2017s slow slide of senatorial approval ratings continues into 2018, the landscape could well become more competitive, though again, Republican odds of knocking off Democratic incumbents might be undermined by the presidents low ratings. It will be an expensive scramble still more likely than not to produce a partisan standoff.
The 2012 attack. Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images

U.S. officials announced on Monday that American commandos had captured a suspected mastermind of the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans.

ABC reported that the suspect is Mustafa al-Imam. He was captured in a raid by elite special forces in Libya over the weekend, and is being brought to the U.S. to face a civilian trial, even though President Trump had promised to send more terrorism suspects to Guantanamo Bay during the campaign.

In a statement, President Trump said that our memory is deep and our reach is long, and we will not rest in our efforts to find and bring the perpetrators of the heinous attacks in Benghazi to justice.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said that the Department of State family continues to mourn the loss of Ambassador Chris Stevens, Glen Doherty, Sean Smith, and Tyrone Woods, and we will spare no effort to ensure that justice is served for these dedicated Americans and public servants.

In 2013, the U.S. arrested another suspected plotter, Ahmed Abu Khattala, whose trial in federal district court in Washington begins next month.

The coordinated assaults were carried out by a group of Islamic militants, who attacked an American diplomatic compound and a CIA annex over a period of several hours. The four American dead included Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya at the time.

Almost immediately after the attacks, Republicans launched a long-lasting, politically charged effort to pin the blame on the Obama administration and thensecretary of State Hillary Clinton. Years of Congressional investigations turned up little to confirm their narrative.
Mike Cernovich. Photo: Susan Walsh/AP

Last night, someone handed some Columbia Universities protesters a banner and asked them to unfurl it. The protesters, there to express their displeasure that Mike Cernovich, the far-right news figure, had been invited to give a talk by the Columbia University College Republicans, did as they were asked, and before they knew what had happened, they were touting a banner that read:

NO WHITE SUPREMACY

NO PEDO BASHING

NO MIKE CERNOVICH

As Jake Offenhartz recounts in a compelling write-up in the Gothamist, he snapped a photo of the sign and, in the hopes of preventing this stunt from gaining legs, tweeted out that it had been the work of counterdemonstrator tomfoolery:

Alt right strikes first at Columbia Cernovich event, plants NAMBLA-branded sign in front of protest march pic.twitter.com/IAw6yIeINC  Jake Offenhartz (@jangelooff) October 30, 2017

If you think that that was the end of the story, you havent been following the far-right gonzosphere lately. Offenhartz writes:

In quick succession, Cernovich, [Jack] Posobiec and other Alt Right luminaries swiped my photo, sending their own tweets without any mention that the banner was planted. The image was removed from Cernovichs Twitter once I reported the copyright infringement, though that only fueled the firestorm: Paul Joseph Watson, a writer at InfoWars, then claimed that Twitter was censoring the #NAMBLAANTIFA image. As of this writing, his censorship-alleging tweet has been shared over 12,000 times, and liked by 10,000 people  including Donald Trump Jr.

Naturally, of course, those numbers are now significantly higher:

They are trying to censor this image. It's coffin nails to the left. Retweet the crap out of it. Streisand effect!  pic.twitter.com/8adRZueldO  Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) October 31, 2017

This is a prime example of effective  sorry  memetic warfare. The alt-right understands the current far-right gonzo ecosystem, which doesnt fact-check at all, and how potent a weapon it can be. Cernovich himself built a big following by understanding these dynamics. As a revealing New Yorker profile of him by Andrew Marantz showed a year ago, he deliberately tries out different sorts of messages  Hillary Clinton is very sick! These refugees I saw in Europe werent really downtrodden!  with no regard for their truth value, only for how well they will spread, flash floodlike, through the channels and gullies that have been carved out by @PrisonPlanet, Infowars, and Patriot U.S. News Today Now Real Web Site for Truth Definitely America Based. Cernovich and the other most effective purveyors of this garbage know exactly which sorts of outrageous content is most likely to echo  its not an accident that Cernovich went after Vic Berger, one of his more persistent internet enemies, by falsely calling him a pedophile late last year.

Its always been the case that people believe and spread false rumors. Its a baked-in aspect of human nature. But weve reached a point where it would be difficult to accurately grasp and describe the full scope of what has been uncorked by social media. The threshold for fake news to catch on is now so, so low that even a cheap, five-second stunt like the one pro-Cernovich counterdemonstrators pulled off last night can almost instantly launch an international conspiracy theory.

Think about the broader stakes here. This isnt just about the spread of dumb, bizarre, eminently unbelievable conspiracy theories about liberal college students marching to defend pedophiles. We may be approaching an epistemic breach unlike anything the United States has seen before. What is going to happen when Robert Muellers investigation is done? Or when a new Trump scandal, bigger than anything that has previously come out, drops? It may well be the case that an untenably high percentage of the country will not believe any news, no matter how well-supported, that casts their side in an ill light, and will believe any news, no matter how impossible-seeming, that denigrates their ideological enemies. How do you run a country in which 30 or 35 percent of the population believes that Democrats ran a secret child sex ring out of a pizza parlor, that ISIS controls certain towns in the Midwest, and that Columbia students are openly marching in defense of pedophilia? Where does all this madness drag us?
Representatives from Facebook, Twitter, and Google meet with the Senate Judiciary Committee. Photo: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

This week, representatives from Facebook, Google, and Twitter will visit Capitol Hill and try to explain what they think happened in American politics in 2016  and what role their large and influential platforms played in it.

If you read the news  or really, if you use any of these services on a regular basis  you likely know why these tech companies have been assembled in D.C. Its now public knowledge that the Internet Research Agency, a group linked to the Russian government, used social-media accounts that appeared to belong to Americans to push hyperpartisan (and often factually incorrect) stories, memes, and positions about issues like police brutality, gun control, and immigration, in a semi-coordinated effort to influence the presidential election. In some cases they organized political rallies. Most significantly, in a minority of instances, the Russian accounts paid to boost certain messages into the view of other users. On Facebook alone, posts from these accounts may have been seen by 126 million people.

Virginia Democrat Mark Warner, Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has set out a list of questions he plans to ask during his commitees hearing tomorrow:

1. How did Russia use social media and search platforms to influence the 2016 election? The American people deserve a full explanation.  Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) October 31, 2017

2. How susceptible are these platforms to future disinformation campaigns waged by a small group of foreign hackers, trolls & bots?  Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) October 31, 2017

3. How do they plan to work with Congress to make sure this doesnt happen again? Specifically on legislation like the #HonestAds Act.  Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) October 31, 2017

These are good questions, worth asking and important to answer. But theyre a bit limited. For the most part, we know how Russia used internet platforms to influence the election: They used them the way Americans do. What the Internet Research Agency did to rile people up is no different than what Americans do to rile people up. And the answer to the question of how susceptible these platforms are to misinformation campaigns is, well, very. For all the deserved focus on political ads paid for by Russian operatives, what most worries experts about the role of internet platforms in 2016 is the organic stuff  the mis- and disinformation created and shared for free, not just by Russians but by cynical or misguided Americans, that can shape and direct political debate.

Put another way, the problem of foreign interference is a subcategory of a larger and more existential question about the effects of mass digital media on politics and democracy  a question that both the government and the tech companies theyll be interrogating seem unprepared to handle. Its one thing to identify and protect against a single, outside bad actor like Russia. Its quite another to figure out what to do when your own citizens are enthusiastic participants, from start to finish, in an attention economy that rewards misinformation and hyperpartisanship. If these congressional hearings are to be effective in really forcing the tech industry and the public to grapple with the wide-ranging effects of internet platforms on civic society, they need to ask bigger questions than the ones proposed by Senator Warner. What structural and technical factors made these platforms such a ripe target for exploitation? How can the government better regulate platforms to ensure that they act in the broad public interest? Maybe, most importantly, they need to ask: Are Facebook and Google too big?

The good news is that senators seem to recognize, at least in part, the nature and the scale of the problem that currently confronts us. In todays hearing, a separate meeting with the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Dick Durbin asked a pointed question of Facebook general counsel Colin Stretch: How are you gonna sort this out consistent with the basic values of this country when it comes to freedom of expression?

Even if vile content couldnt be an ad, Louisiana senator John Kennedy expressed a large and correct amount of skepticism that even for paid ads, Facebook was at a scale at which moderation could be sidestepped. You have 5 million [monthly] advertisers and youre gonna tell me that youre able to trace the origin of all of those advertisements? Stretch began talking about Facebook making an effort to do its best, but that wasnt the point of Kennedys question. His point was to highlight that Facebooks stated commitment to solving the problem of deceptive advertisers doesnt match its current ability to do so.

Kennedys right: Facebook is so big that its not clear if self-regulation is enough to solve the problems it poses. Or, really, any kind of regulation at all. Facebooks user base is nearly a third of the worlds population, and ideas can go viral within its ecosystem cheaply, easily, and quickly: Trolls imitating American affectations, using the same tools everyone else uses, were seen by 126 million people on the network. Google is the single most important institution for obtaining information about the world  and, for hours after the shooting in Las Vegas, promoted as a top result an obvious hoax. Its worth considering the idea that these sites are simply too large to operate as independent, for-profit companies  a heavy existential question, but one worth pressing these companies on.

Constant human moderation is one solution to Facebooks problems, but if moderation is off the table  too expensive, too slow, too bad for business  then the only alternative is to move back toward a decentralized web. If we make it more difficult to spread information, put up more barriers against nefarious infiltration, make it the law that consumers have a right to export their data, and enable them to escape Facebook and spread out and form new homes and discussion hubs online, we might do a good job of ensuring a less misinformed electorate. But unless Congress is willing to ask these hard questions, were going to go in circles around Russia and the election for a long time.
Photo: Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images

In a networked world, stage one of disaster recovery is, well, recovering the network. In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Maria, a familiar narrative arc unfolded across my Twitter timeline: outrage at the absence of media coverage and the scarcity of information about the state of Puerto Rico, reports of repeated failed efforts to reach loved ones via phone, verification or debunking of stills from disaster movies claiming to be from the island, and a slow drip of actual news from the few people on the ground with a decent signal. That now-familiar moment when no one knows exactly how bad things are, only that theyre bad enough that even communicating how bad they are is a challenge. Its often easy to imagine the internet as a frivolous amenity. But when the most important thing is to communicate your plight to authorities, relief workers, and the outside world, reconnecting to the internet can become as important as food or clean drinking water  especially because you might not be able to get the latter without the former.

Just ask people who lived through Hurricane Sandy in places like the Lower East Side, the Rockaways, and Midland Beach. Five years ago, in the days and sometimes weeks following the storm, residents of New Yorks low-lying neighborhoods huddled around ad hoc phone-charging stations, and volunteers climbed dozens of stairs to check on elderly, sometimes bedridden public-housing residents unable to contact loved ones or call 911. In some neighborhoods, repairs to crucial telecommunications infrastructure took far longer than it did in the case of, say, Goldman Sachs.

That experience has led New York City, and some dedicated activists and neighborhood residents, to establish communication alternatives to Verizon and Time Warner for use both during and independent of any emergencies. Under the auspices of RISE: NYC, a competition run by the New York City Economic Development Corporation, with funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, neighborhoods at risk of flooding in the next superstorm are setting up their own infrastructure. Rather than wait for their primary  usually corporate-owned  connections to come back online, neighborhoods can own alternative communication channels. Despite the challenges of working with top-down federal funding to build bottom-up community networks, five years after Sandy these initiatives are building a model of emergency preparedness grounded as much in weaving stronger social fabric as they are in technical innovations.

The first challenge to communications in a major storm is, of course, power outages. Cell towers dont do much when you cant turn them on. The other challenge is damage to the network infrastructure itself  things like dead cable switches in flooded buildings, towers knocked out or literally over, or underground cable vaults flooded. In these situations, the advantage of localized community networks is that they can still provide basic neighbor-to-neighbor communication without an internet connection  useful for tasks like assessing and coordinating local relief efforts  and, if the local network can reconnect to the internet, provide Wi-Fi coverage to a neighborhood while individual buildings get back online.

But building local communications networks can have benefits beyond recovery after a disaster. In 2011, well before Sandy hit New York, a local youth-development nonprofit called Red Hook Initiative set up a local mesh network (a system of interconnected wireless routers) called Red Hook WiFi in collaboration with the New America Foundations Open Technology Institute. After Sandy, it quickly became a crucial communications resource, and, after the installation of a satellite uplink in Coffey Park by a group called Information Technology Disaster Resource Center, a tool for distributing free internet access in the neighborhood.

Today, as part of RHIs RISE grant, RHIs Digital Stewards program continues to employ Red Hook youth, training them to build out and maintain the Wi-Fi network both as a form of professional development (former Digital Stewards have gone on to work for local ISPs and wireless-services companies) and as a way to increase neighborhood resiliency. As Dabriah Alston, the program director for Red Hook Wifi noted, When all is said and done, we want people from the community to be called when the network goes down.

After working with RHI, New America launched a new program called Resilient Communities and received a RISE grant to partner with five community organizations in Harlem, Hunts Point, Gowanus, the Lower East Side, and the Rockaways. Theyre using much of the same tech initially prototyped in Red Hook, largely for the same reasons it was chosen there: Its relatively cheap off-the-shelf equipment (Ubiquiti and TP-Link routers) running open-source software, which means its free and can be modified to suit the local networks needs.

Resilient Communities explicitly political, community-focused approach  the curriculum is documented in brightly colored zines, and training materials are as likely to reference Grace Lee Boggs as the fundamentals of TCP/IP  has been important in building partnerships with organizations like their South Bronx partner the Point, who view the Wi-Fi network as furthering its mission areas of arts and culture, environmental justice, and youth and community development. The only way to be free is to be self-empowered, explained Yamil Lora, a longtime the Point employee and one of the lead coordinators of the Hunts Point Community Wifi project. Being in a situation where you have to ask some company to come fix a problem for you  thats a state of poverty.

There is, of course, room for less politically radical and more profit-minded projects. goTenna, the third RISE: NYC telecom grantee, hopes to achieve the vision of bottom-up, person-to-person network infrastructure while raising VC funding. The company emerged out of CEO Daniela Perdomos experiences as a volunteer during Sandy recovery, watching city and federal agencies flail due to bad comms systems. Different emergency service units could not communicate with each other  NYPD on one frequency, FEMA on another, it was just chaos. What I noticed was that a lot of civilians were first on the scene. Perdomo saw a business opportunity in making communications infrastructure serving those first-responder civilians. (So did a handful of VCs  according to Crunchbase, the company has received $16.8 million in funding since its founding in 2012.)

goTenna is a platform for a mobile ad hoc network (MANET), a model of mesh wireless communications often used in bulky, expensive tactical military radios. But goTennas device is about the size of a extra-thick Sharpie, and costs a little less than $200 for two antennae. The devices pair with a smartphone, mesh with other local antennae, and transmit communications to an app. It challenges the entire model of mobile communications running across cell towers, moving communication more directly to phone-to-phone (or phone-to-pocket, mesh-to-pocket, mesh-to-phone).

The slick, relatively cheap out-of-the-box proprietary radio platform is arguably a quicker sell than long-term, complex, open-source infrastructure building by RHI and Resilient Communities, but the three grantee organizations generally dont see themselves as competing so much as doing different things that can work well together. goTenna Mesh is great for SMS-style real-time communication; a localized mesh network might be better for a bulletin board or longer-term logistics resource. Ultimately, all three grantees want the same thing: Communities sustaining their own network infrastructure, not just for emergency management, but as a catalyst for changing the ways people think about network infrastructure and as a tool for strengthening social fabric itself.

Its an idealistic goal, complicated by a familiar problem in community activism: The red tape and bureaucracy of federal funding. All grantee projects are supposed to be deployed to small-business owners  who are required by the federal government to provide onerous proof, including tax records. Some businesses lost relevant records in the storm, while others were simply wary of jumping through more tiresome hoops just to put a Wi-Fi router on a rooftop. In Red Hook, Alston called it Sandy fatigue: Everyone is coming into the neighborhood [post-Sandy] with something different, but sometimes its more hassle than help. As a result of this red tape and skepticism, many of the neighborhood networks dont have quite the reach that the grantees might have hoped for. I know a guy who owns ten buildings in Hunts Point and he said no. Thats like ten nodes [for the Wi-Fi network] and why not? Tax records? Thats bullshit, lamented Kevin Nunez, whose familys automotive business N&M Transmissions has been in Hunts Point for decades and who worked closely with the Point to recruit businesses.

Theres also the question of how to maintain these networks once the grant runs out. Despite these challenges, the RISE grantees have been able to sign up businesses to participate largely through pounding the pavement (goTenna currently has a full-time organizer on staff focused on RISE recruitment), relationship-building brokered by people like Nunez, who already had strong ties to local businesses, and the best efforts of EDC to streamline the process. Among the RISE grantees, these telecom projects always were a greater challenge: The resiliency of a telecom network requires, well, a network of people willing to participate and maintain it in a way that, say, adding a solar panel on a building just doesnt. By design, resilient network infrastructure prioritizes interdependence and cooperation over self-sufficiency  without strong underlying social ties, there is no localized network infrastructure. The technical complexities of building a network are a lot easier to overcome than the political complexities of building community, political agency, and governance.

Those complexities can contribute to the dominance of more top-down solutions to network infrastructure rebuilding in a disaster  which also tends to create opportunities for mercenary exploitation of disaster, as seen in the recent editorial by Puerto Ricos Verizon-backed Chamber of Commerce insisting that killing net neutrality would help the islands recovery. Alphabets implementation of its Project Loon balloon Wi-Fi network over Puerto Rico might not be as explicitly insidious as, say, Facebooks Free Basics, but the ease with which the FCC was able to grant the company an experimental license is a telling reminder of how benevolent disaster support can also serve as a convenient R&D playground for corporations using crisis to eschew regulations.

Perhaps an equally salient measure of the success of these community-network initiatives is not merely the strength of a Wi-Fi signal or the number of nodes in the network, but the depth of the connections built through actually building that network and the connections among the people empowered to claim ownership of it. Its a metric that speaks to resiliency far beyond natural disasters  as Nunez pointed out to me, the south Bronx has long been a neglected borough, and projects like Hunts Point Community Wifi are building not just useful communications resources for a future emergency, but also building a community of local business owners and residents organized in the face of equally daunting emergencies of community displacement and government neglect. If we put the power in the hands of the people, we have a better chance of surviving, Nunez said. I think its a pretty revolutionary thing.
Uhuru Kenyatta has won Kenya's re-run presidential election, according to the country's electoral commission.

"I hereby declare Mr. Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta and Mr. William Samoei Ruto as president-elect and deputy president-elect, respectively," said Wafula Chebukati, chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, or IEBC.

With eight candidates listed on the ballot, Kenyatta, the incumbent, attained almost 7.5 million votes, or roughly 98 percent of the overall tally.

This figure is attributed to the fact that main challenger Raila Odinga instructed his supporters to boycott Thursday's election, resulting in non-existent, sparse or significantly shorter voter lines than those in the original August election.

The Supreme court nullified Kenyatta's victory in that poll, ruling that the IEBC had not followed electoral law and the constitution. Specifically, the court held it responsible for "irregularities and illegalities" in the transmission of election results.

Uhuru Kenyatta campaigning for the rerun election earlier

"My victory today is just part of a process, that is likely to once again be subjected to a constitutional test through our courts. And as I have demonstrated, repeatedly, I will submit to this constitutional path, no matter its outcomes," Kenyatta said.

Chebukati noted that voter turnout was roughly 39 percent this time, compared to about 80 percent in August.

The commission said it was unable to open polls in four of Kenya's 47 counties on election day, or two days later, due to security concerns. An IEBC official stated that these votes would not have influenced the overall outcome, so the final result could be announced without them.

Accusations of excessive force

Meanwhile, as the voting and tallying continue, police have been accused of using excessive force against demonstrators, primarily in some Nairobi slums and the western city of Kisumu.

Amnesty International says security forces in Kisumu have engaged in "punitive policing." The rights group says it has evidence of police shootings, aggressive assaults and home break-ins of suspected protesters, as well as those in the vicinity of protests. Amnesty condemned the excessive use of force by police in Nairobi.

U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec released a statement Monday saying the United States is "profoundly concerned by the outbreaks of violence in Kenya" and "deeply concerned by reports of excessive use of force by police" following the election. He urged security services to use force only when there is no other choice to protect life and property.

Kenya's police spokesperson, George Kinoti, disputes the allegations.

"To the contrary, the police have overstretched their restraint, resulting to officers' injuries in the line of duty protecting life and wanton destruction of property by marauding youths who are armed with all manner of weapons including burning tires, rocks, machetes, slings, welding tools to destroy and barricade roads, etc.," he said.

Uhuru Kenyatta declared winner of #Kenyas re-run elections by a landslide. His opponents & some analysts question legitimacy of the results pic.twitter.com/LbFRrgObdG  The Observer (@observerug) October 31, 2017

At least nine people have died as a result of election-related violence since Thursday. Some were shot by police, while others were killed in clashes involving ethnic groups.

"Your neighbor will remain your neighbor, despite the political outcomes. Your neighbor will be your brother, your neighbor will be your sister. Let each and every one of us be our brother's keeper, our sister's keeper; let us maintain peace," Kenyatta said.

Election opposition

Odinga has continued to demand that several members of the commission step down and for the polls to be postponed beyond the 60-day deadline announced by the court.

After arguing that these, and other so-called "irreducible minimums" had not been met, he called for the boycott of Thursday's election.

Three registered voters petitioned Kenya's Supreme Court to have the election stopped, but it was not heard last Wednesday  the day before the election  as scheduled, after Chief Justice David Maraga said the court lacked a quorum to do so.

Chebukati announced that day that polling would go forth. Odinga is expected to give his response to the election announcement Tuesday.
H.H. Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ajman, today received Rebecca Akufo-Addo, wife of President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, who is currently visiting the country along with her accompanying delegation, which includes Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Ghana's Vice President.



H.H. Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Crown Prince of Ajman, was also present at the meeting.



Sheikh Humaid welcomed Mrs Akufo-Addo and her accompanying delegation and they exchanged views on a number of common issues of concern and reviewed the existing relations between the UAE and Ghana and means of strengthening them in all fields.



The two sides reviewed several issues, including investment incentives offered to investors in both countries, in addition to encouraging investment by increasing the volume of trade exchange between the two countries.



Mrs Akufo-Addo and Mr Bawumia commended the cultural renaissance witnessed by the UAE in various fields and the prestigious stature it enjoys at a global level.



The meeting was attended by a number of dignitaries, Sheikhs and senior officials.

Source: Daily Graphic









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LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares?



























Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano...



Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos:



Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias.



Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera.



No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje.



En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio.



Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida.



Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella.



Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal.



Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista.



Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen.



Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che?



Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio.



Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora.



Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo.



Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo.



Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania.



No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar.



Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga.





Alguna duda?



Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino



Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia.



OZ1



OZ2



OZ3



OZ4



Homenaje a Jason Galarraga



La Victoria de Samotracia



Odalisca



Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008



























La Sierra Nevada de Merida



Nuestro precioso Churum Meru



Homenaje a Picasso



Autoretrato



Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola?

La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.

Mi profesion?

Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.

Sal en la Coca Cola?

A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.

De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:

Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto

Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)

azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)

Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas

Mucha Cafeina

Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio

Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe

Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion

El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.

Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.

Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.

En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).

Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.

La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.

Bebidas Light?

Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el

Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.



Publicado por loretahur



En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur

MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina:

1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias.

2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina.

3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard.

4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos.

5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla.

6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos.

Ahora... sobre la margarina:

1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) .

2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias.

3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno).

4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer.

5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna.

6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo.

7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina.

Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas:

* No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo).

* No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!!



No a la guerra, Si a la Paz



Misterios de la ciencia...



Los costos de la guerra



medicos y capitalismo...



Capitalismo...



medicos (2)



Quien educa a nuestros hijos?



Los Medios...



Sin Palabras...



Chistes feministas

- Cual es el problema, Eva?

- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz...

- Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.

- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...

- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.

- Que es un hombre?

- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.

- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.

- Cual es el truco?.

- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.

- Cual?

- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.





Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Ellas...



Ellas (2)...



Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1

Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije:

-Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro.

Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria.

Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre?

-Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa!



VENGANZA NUMERO 2

Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris.

A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita:

- Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!!

Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta.

La mujer paso quince dias en Francia.

El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla.

Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es:

- Y amor me trajiste mi francesita??

- Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina.



VENGANZA NUMERO 3

El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion.

- No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo.

- Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz.

Te quiero confesar algo.

- Esta bien, esta bien. Habla!

- He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga.

- Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!!



machismo y cibernetica



Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston.

-Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide.

-Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!.



.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti.

Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos.

Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco.

Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas



Gol !!!!



Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso!



Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy!


Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a letter to President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan on Tuesday condemning the federal tax plan.

New York leaders have come out against the plan which calls to eliminate or roll back state and local tax deductibility.

Cuomo also called on the president to not use New York as a piggybank for other states.

Read the letter below:

Dear President Trump,

I write to you on an issue that impacts every single American: pending federal tax legislation. I am not writing as a Democratic Governor to a Republican President, but rather as one New Yorker who cares about New York and the country to another. I often say to the New York State legislature, "we are Democrats and we are Republicans, but we are New Yorkers first."

As you well know, the House is expected to release additional details of a "tax cut" plan this week that in reality amounts to a "tax increase" plan for states like New York. The current proposal primarily uses New York and California as the piggybank to make it possible to cut taxes for other states. By eliminating or rolling back state and local tax deductibility, Washington is sending a death blow to New York's middle class families and our economy.

I understand the politics at play here. California and New York are "blue states." I also understand that the political map dictates that most Republican members of Congress come from outside the Northeast and West Coast and their primary motivation is to help their states at any cost, even when it comes at the cost of middle class New Yorkers. But when the economies of New York and California suffer, and they will, the nation follows.

It's clear this is a hostile political act aimed at the economic heart of New York with no basis on the merits. First, it is an illegal and unconstitutional double taxation that forces our middle class families to subsidize a tax cut for the rest of the nation, and it is contrary to every principle the Republican Party has always espoused. Second, it reverses all the bipartisan progress New York State has made in lowering taxes over these past few years. While we have lowered state income taxes, capped property taxes and are forcing local governments to consider shared services, this federal act would erase all those gains and in fact increase taxes. Eliminating state and local deductibility will result in a tax increase of $5,660 on average for one in three taxpayers in New York, or 3.3 million New Yorkers.

This backward tax plan has encountered much deserved resistance, including from Republicans in the Senate. Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch said "I don't think that's going to go anywhere," adding that state and local tax deductibility is "a system that's worked very well." In the face of this pushback, Republican leadership is now trying to salvage their tax plan with a so-called "compromise." Their scheme is to allow a property tax deduction, but do away with the deduction for state income taxes. For middle class New York families, the average tax increase attributable to losing that deduction would be $1,715. And considering the original federal proposal would cost New York State taxpayers $18.6 billion, this "compromise" does little to help our state since it would still cost New York State taxpayers nearly $15 billion.

Another "compromise" that is being suggested, where only higher income individuals would lose the state and local deductibility, is a 3-card Monte game that could be played on 42nd Street in Manhattan. New Yorkers are not stupid. We know that if deductibility is eliminated on higher incomes it will have a ripple effect, forcing these New Yorkers to move out of the state, taking their tax revenue with them, thus increasing taxes on everyone else. New York will not be in a position to cut state taxes because both the original proposal, as well as the proposed compromise, will force the highest taxpayers from the state and deplete our revenue stream. As you know, five percent of New York State taxpayers account for nearly two thirds of our annual income tax revenue.

I understand why Paul Ryan would seek to hurt New York, but to ask New York Republican members of Congress to vote to raise taxes on their constituents is a betrayal against their state and their constituents. In fact, seven of nine Republicans from New York are against it. The two representatives who support itCongressmen Collins and Reedare the Benedict Arnolds of their time because they are putting their own political benefit above the best interests of their constituents.

Speaker Ryan's only justification is that other states subsidize New York. He is just wrong. They don't. The opposite is true. New York subsidizes every other state in the nation. We are the highest donor state which means we send $48 billion more in tax dollars to the federal government than we receive back in federal spending.

To be fair, this is not a new idea to pillage New York and California and send their wealth to other states. Congress tried it under President Reagan, but the gross injustice of it caused all but the most partisan and callous officials to drop support. Today's proposals are no different. Our Congressional representatives should be saying it's time New Yorkers get their money back. Instead, the current proposal would be taking even more revenue from the number one donor state. How unfair.

There is no middle ground here. Any of the proposed "compromises" will still destroy New York's economy and harm the middle class. There can be no elimination, no "compromise," and no cap on state and local tax deductibility.

New York needs your help. You can stop this. And you should not just as an American, but as a New Yorker.

Sincerely,

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
Bill Toscano reporter Follow Bill Toscano Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

It's been a busy couple of weeks in local public schools.

Here are some of the activities schools have been up to or are planning:

Free eye exams

In recognition of School Vision Month in October, Fort Edward Union Free School District partnered with the New York State Optometric Association, VSP Global and the New York State Society of Opticians to provide free eye exams and glasses to students.

The eye exams took place at Fort Edward School and were conducted by volunteers of the New York State Optometric Association.

The New York State Education Department coordinated the no-cost eye exams. With their help, Fort Edward UFSD worked with local optometrists including VSP network doctors who used portable eye exam equipment donated by VSP Vision Care. They also donated eyeglasses to each student who needed glasses. Local ophthalmic dispensers will volunteer their time at Fort Edward UFSD and deliver selected frames and provide necessary fittings for their students.

Bridges for Billy Goats

The Three Billy Goats Gruff will be able to cross the river safely without interference from the troll due to a special collaboration between Lake George kindergartners and Lake George High School seniors.

This year, high school seniors volunteered to help kindergartners with hands-on STEM experiments one time per month. During their first meeting, they sketched designs for a bridge to help the billy goats cross the river so the troll wouldnt harm them. The experiment coincided with the famous Norwegian folk-tale the kindergartners recently read called The Three Billy Goats Gruff.

The kindergartners were very familiar with the story because they sang songs and acted out the story with puppets, said kindergarten teacher Susan Hendry.

The seniors helped the kindergartners build bridges out of Legos, Lincoln Logs, and paper towel inserts. Each group chose a person to explain their bridge concept and demonstrate how the goats would climb, slide, hop, or drive in a car across the bridge in order to avoid the troll beneath.

The KinderSenior program is coordinated by Kindergarten teacher Kim OConnell and guidance and counseling department chair Rosemarie Earl. In all, 14 seniors volunteered to be part of the program

Next month will be a hibernation project in which the seniors will help the kindergartners build dens for animals for the winter.

FAFSA night at Granville

Granville High School will host an FAFSA Completion Night Nov. 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the high school computer lab, room 140. This is an opportunity for students and their families needing assistance completing their FAFSA forms in order to qualify for financial aid for college and technical schools.

Families need to call the high school guidance office by Friday to schedule a 30-minute appointment with a financial aid/admissions representative from SUNY Adirondack or Castleton University. The phone number is 518-642-1051 ext. 2308.

An FSA ID is required for the student and one parent and is recommended it be obtained prior to the appointment. The website is fsaid.ed.gov. A checklist of additional items to bring can be found on the schools website www.granvillecsd.org under Parents.

Winning at marbles

Eighth grade students in Cathy Kilbys Technology 8 class at Granville Junior-Senior High were recently challenged to design and build marble mazes. The goal was to build a structure that would produce the slowest time for a marble to roll from start to finish. The students teamed up in pairs and all were given the same instructions and materials to use, consisting of six pieces of card stock, scissors, a ruler, tape and glue. They also had to incorporate three simple machine elements they had just learned about in a previous unit. Before any construction could begin each team had to submit their blueprint.

The students learned that what a project looks like on paper doesnt not always turn out as expected and sometimes revisions to a plan are necessary for success. A video featuring the students and their amazing mazes can be seen by visiting www.granvillecsd.org. On the home page look to the right under Spotlights.

Mining the moon

Two retired teachers from Salem Central School District have collaborated with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) to offer a seven-week MakerSpace program for students in grades five and six. The program teaches students about space exploration and moon-based mining operations.

Throughout the seven-week program, 10 to 12 year old students investigate, design, and document specific equipment and facilities needed to carry out a mock mining operation on the moon. They also learn about electrons, simple parallel and series circuits, electromagnets, motors, generators, gear ratios, and facts about the moon.

Leading week one activities were Phil Mitchell, Kay Russell, Judy Bardin, and my brother, Peter Duveen, said retired Salem CSD Physics Teacher Charlie Duveen, who leads the program with retired Salem CSD English teacher Judy Bardin.

The program is being held at the Salem Courthouse Community Center.
CAMBRIDGE  A school health teacher was suspended with pay and a second day of presentations by a staff member from the Pride Center of the Capital Region was canceled after parents of seventh-grade students raised concerns over a handout about transgender topics.

The parents have concerns, and they are mine as well, Superintendent Vince Canini said Tuesday.

The school district is investigating whether the teacher reviewed a handout the presenter used with the seventh and 10th grade health classes, he said.

We have never had this issue before. We may have to make some policy changes because of it, he said.

Putting the teacher on paid administrative leave was standard procedure, Canini said. He could not identify the teacher, he said, but he confirmed the school has only one health teacher, who is listed as Jacqueline Hall. An attempt to reach her was not successful.

Canini said parents were concerned with handouts from the class. One, meant for seventh-graders, listed LGBTQ Terminology, with words on one side and definitions on the other that were meant to be matched with the correct terms.

The terms included homophobia, intersex, polyamory/polyamorous, pansexual, bisexual, cisgender and gender non-conforming. Another handout, meant for the tenth-graders, was 42 pages long and went into detail on transgender issues.

Parent Sirell Fiel, who read from the handout on Facebook Live, said his seventh-grade son brought both packets home. The students in both grades got all the information, he said, and much of it he considered inappropriate, especially for the younger students.

I have no problem with the school talking about diversity. Gay kids are out there, and the kids need to know about it. But the problem I have is that it went so in-depth. Thats too much for 11- and 12-year-olds, Fiel said, noting he had called the school and heard back from the principal, who told him the issue was being investigated.

Martha Harvey, president and CEO of the Pride Center of the Capital Region, said she doesnt know of any previous time schools or parents have objected to the presentation in the 12 years it has been used in schools.

Harvey would not identify the presenter who went to Cambridge school.

Transgender kids are coming out younger and younger. Middle school is not too early to start, said Harvey, who noted that her group was invited to present at Cambridge. If you love your kids, you want them to have the most information possible. If a parent has a problem with this presentation, thats the parents problem.

This program saves lives, she added.

Canini said the school principal, Caroline Goss, was aware of the presentation, but had not seen the handout or the specifics of the presentation in advance. Canini said he had received multiple calls from parents of seventh-grade students, but had not been contacted by parents of tenth-graders.

The school district sent a letter to parents from Canini and posted it on the district website. The letter states that the speaker was uninvited after the packet was reviewed and the teacher had been placed on administrative leave.

On her school website, Hall lists the topics to be taught in the class, which include sexuality education. Under that heading, she lists anatomy and physiology, puberty and adolescent development, identity, pregnancy and reproduction, STD and HIV, healthy relationships and personal safety.

On its website, the Pride Center lists four available presentations, including one on the basics of LGBTQA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and ally) Youth, one on Trans* Youth, and two others  Dignity for All Students Act and Delivering LGBTQA-Affirming Sexual Health Education for health teachers.
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.
GREENWICH  The Albany County man accused of ripping off numerous churches across the Northeast by telling false stories about personal tribulations has been sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor.

Joseph J. Viscusi pleaded guilty to scheme to defraud in Greenwich Village Court and was sentenced to 2 years on probation.

Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan said he also paid $225 restitution to St. Josephs Church in Greenwich as compensation for the money he received under false pretenses.

Viscusi called Father Martin Fisher at St. Josephs in November 2013, saying he was unemployed, had a sick wife and needed help buying a bed for his child, police said. The church gave him $225 from a charity fund at that point, Mosher said.

Last December, Viscusi called the church again with the same tale, and Fisher pointed out he had called years earlier and been given a check.

It was our opinion he was using tactics that were not on the up and up to get assistance, Jordan said. He got assistance he didnt need and deprived others of aid.

Jordan said the church did not seek a jail term, and wanted Viscusi to get help. He said Viscusi sought counseling for behavorial issues before his guilty plea.

State Police have heard from church leaders around upstate New York and the Northeast who also claimed they were victimized by Viscusi, and he could face charges in other counties and states in connection with thousands of dollars he received, telling stories that police believe were false. His plea deal in Washington County does not preclude prosecution elsewhere.

Jordan praised the work of State Police Investigator David Mosher in investigating the scheme.

Viscusi, 61, of Coeymans, had also been arrested in a similar scam in 2014, but those charges were ultimately dropped.

Viscusi was represented by the Washington County Public Defenders Office. Washington County Public Defender Michael Mercure said Viscusi maintained he didnt do anything wrong and asked that a notice of appeal be filed on his behalf.

His probation will be transferred to Albany County.
MALTA  A Corinth man faces four charges for alleged theft of credit cards in Malta in October, police records show.

Nicholas T. Dixon, 22, was charged with two felony counts of grand larceny and two misdemeanor counts of petit larceny, the State Police public information website showed.

He was charged Saturday in connection with an Oct. 11 theft complaint, records show. Dixon was released, pending prosecution in Malta Town Court.
QUEENSBURY  Those debating the future of emergency medical services in rural upstate New York need only hear what transpired Saturday night near Lake Placid to understand its importance.

Wilmington Town Supervisor Randy Preston told Tuesday of a rescue squad that tried in vain to get a crew to respond to assist a man having chest pains.

It was an hour and fifteen minutes before that ambulance got there, and that is unacceptable, Preston said Tuesday, during a symposium on how to address EMS problems in rural upstate New York.

Horror stories like the one told by Preston prompted State Sen. Elizabeth Little, R-Queensbury, to bring together legislators and EMS experts from around the region Tuesday to discuss how to improve the service in rural counties. The meeting came as Warren County debates launching a county-run operation to help some squads. Community rescue squads have been increasingly struggling with staffing.

Representatives of four North Country counties were on hand to hear how Albany County dealt with EMS response issues in its rural areas south and west of the city. Little, state Assemblyman Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, and other state legislators in attendance left with requests for state assistance to help address the problem.

Theres not an easy answer to it, and the solutions are not cheap, Stec said after the meeting.

Sixty or so people attended Tuesdays meeting at the Warren County Municipal Center, including elected officials and representatives of EMS oversight agencies from Warren, Essex, Clinton and Franklin counties. The goal was to exchange information about programs that have worked.

They heard a presentation from Brian Wood, an Albany County Sheriffs Office captain who runs that agencys EMS agency for rural towns in the county. Warren County is considering mimicking that program, to at least some degree.

Wood outlined how Albany County leaders came to realize help was needed in towns like Rensselaerville, Coeymans, New Scotland and Westerlo and created an ambulance service that handles all calls in some towns and supplements volunteer-run squads in others. The program is funded by the towns and through the billing of patients and uses a blend of part-time and full-time staff. Two ambulances and five fly cars get medical personnel to emergency scenes quickly.

Lee Burns, director of education and certification for the state Department of Health EMS Bureau, said the days of being able to rely on volunteers have passed, as there arent enough people with the ability to volunteer anymore.

Theres just nobody to volunteer. People dont have time to volunteer, he said.

One of the biggest issues statewide is that EMS isnt considered an essential service in New York, which hurts its ability to get funding, Wood said. Trash pickup is, however, considered an essential service, he pointed out.

Other ways were discussed to attract young people to EMS as a career, such as providing free college tuition or college loan forgiveness to assist them.

We have minimal applicants for career positions, Wood said.

Preston, whose county operates an EMS fly car program to assist rescue squads, said another funding issue is that counties cannot create taxing districts to support services, while other municipalities can. That is why counties have their supplemental EMS programs go through other county agencies that are funded through the county budget.

This isnt about politics. This is about dialing 911 and getting an ambulance, Preston said. We cant keep ignoring this, because its very real.

Little said state legislators understand their help is needed to change state law so that EMS is considered an essential service and more state funding is made available.

Warren County supervisors plan to discuss plans for a county-run supplemental EMS service in the coming weeks.
More railroad tank cars made their way through Warren County for storage in Essex County on Monday.

An estimated 25 tankers headed north from North Creek early Monday evening, as Saratoga & North Creek Railway continues to bring in cars to be stored in Essex County. Numerous videos of the cars passing the North Creek station were posted online; observers in one were heard cursing as they passed.

Since it announced the storage plan, the company has said it will be bringing in more than 100 tank cars to be stored on idle rail sidings it owns in Essex County, and 28 were brought in on Oct. 18. Ed Ellis, president of Iowa Pacific Holdings LLC, the railroads parent company, said Tuesday up to 2,000 may be brought in to the region eventually, as there are 250,000 in storage nationwide.

The company has said the cars have been cleaned and do not have hazardous materials placards, and that storing cars on its rail line is legal and protected by federal railway laws.

Environmental groups and supervisors in both counties have opposed the plan, questioning the environmental impact of storing the cars in the state forest preserve near the Hudson and Boreas rivers, and at least two state agencies said they are looking into the legality of it.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo also criticized the action last week when visiting Glens Falls. But so far, other than the cars being inspected, no steps have been taken to alter the companys efforts.

It appears that Iowa Pacific will continue to bring in more used oil tanker rail cars until the state steps in and halts this activity, Peter Bauer, executive director of Protect the Adirondacks, said in a press release Monday night. There are now more than 50 oil tanker rail cars stored in the Adirondacks. The company says they are here indefinitely. How many will it take for the state to act? 100? 200? 500? Its high time for the Department of Environmental Conservation and Adirondack Park Agency to assert their authority and stop this ill-advised plan that undermines everything that the Adirondack Park is all about.

The rail company has not said what the tank cars carried before they were taken out of service, but they appear to be the type that carried crude oil, ethanol or other fuels.

Saratoga & North Creek, whose tourist train and freight train operation has not brought in the revenue that was hoped, said the money for car storage is needed to maintain the tracks.
HORICON  State Police have concluded the man believed responsible for starting the fire last week that destroyed the lodge at Ridin Hy Ranch should not face criminal charges.

Investigators said Monday the inquiry was ongoing, but as of Tuesday a decision had been made that no criminal prosecution was warranted.

A guest at the ranch was believed to have started the Friday afternoon blaze by improperly disposing of a cigar in a paper cup on a balcony next to his second-story room.

He was not believed to have intentionally started the fire but had been told to extinguish the cigar by ranch staff earlier in the day, authorities said.

He was questioned by police and fire investigators, and Horicon Fire Chief Scott Hayes said the man believed the cigar was out.

State Police Senior Investigator Steve Meacham said the Bureau of Criminal Investigations review of the facts led to a conclusion that the guest should not be criminally charged.

Meacham said intent to start a fire was needed for any arson count, and it was determined that the mans actions did not rise to the level of recklessness for a charge such as reckless endangerment.

Glens Falls Fire Chief James Schrammel said his departments investigators, who handle fire investigations in Warren County, were working Tuesday to eliminate all possible causes in the area of the fires origin before officially concluding what caused the blaze. They were aware of the apparent cigar issue, but wanted to make sure all potential issues were explored.

Right now they havent found anything to indicate it was anything other than accidental, Schrammel said.

Fire departments from around Warren County responded to the ranch Friday and Saturday as the blaze gutted the main lodge which housed rooms, a restaurant and bar. But they were able to salvage adjacent buildings.

The ranch will be closed indefinitely as the lodge is rebuilt.
Robert Mueller is ready to tighten the net again.

In a pair of highly significant court maneuvers, the special counsel is expected to unveil new details of his investigation Friday that will make life even more uncomfortable for President Donald Trump and his inner circle.

Mueller is facing a deadline to explain to a judge in Washington why he has accused Trump's already convicted and jailed former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, of lying and breaking a cooperation deal.

And he must also deliver documents to a court in New York recommending whether Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen should go to jail and for how long, after Cohen turned against his former top client and agreed to cooperate with the special counsel.

Ahead of what could turn out to be a pivotal day in the investigation, Trump lashed out at Mueller's team.

"Is this really America? Witch Hunt!" Trump tweeted, after quoting a Fox News host who criticized the probe.

The twin filings represent yet another dramatic moment for the Mueller investigation and are being eagerly awaited in Washington for signs of how the Russia drama will unfold in the weeks ahead and how much it may eventually hurt Trump.

Yet as with this week's feverishly anticipated sentencing memo about Trump's ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn, the filings could bring a measure of disappointment to special counsel watchers if large quantities of evidence are redacted to protect ongoing investigations.

Even if important context remains under seal, Mueller often delivers hints and opens loops in court documents that sketch a colorful narrative of the Russia affair, and may offer pointers of where a probe branded "presidential harassment" by Trump on Thursday is going.

Neither of Friday's deadlines involves action implicating the President directly in any wrongdoing, more than 18 months after Mueller was chosen to find out whether Trump's campaign colluded with Russian election interference in 2016.

But in recent weeks it has become clear that the special counsel is using proceedings and filings concerning key witnesses and former Trump associates to suggest a pattern of questionable behavior on the part of the President.

It's clear that Trump's behavior has worried officials at the Justice Department since nearly the start of his presidency. CNN reported Thursday on the frantic days that followed the President's firing of then-FBI Director James Comey, which led Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and top FBI officials to view Trump as a leader who needed to be reined in, according to two sources describing the sentiment at the time. Ultimately, then-acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe took the extraordinary step of opening an obstruction of justice investigation even before Mueller was appointed, the sources said.

Since then, Mueller has constructed a tapestry of disclosures that started with an accounting of a hacking operation by Moscow's intelligence agencies and has unveiled multiple links between Russians and people around Trump -- and repeated lies about those contacts.

Friday's activity will end an ominous week for Trump in which it has become clear that the investigation is far broader beneath the surface than is publicly evident. Mueller can now be said to be digging into possible collusion with the Russians, obstruction of justice, contacts with Russian officials during Trump's transition, possible campaign finance violations and the President's business secrets.

A frantic Friday revolving around the Russia drama will also feature a return to center stage by Comey, who will testify in private to two House committees as Republicans throw their final blocks for Trump before handing over control to Democrats next month.

And a former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos, who was jailed for 14 days for lying to the FBI, will be released on Friday.

If that were not enough, Trump's longtime informal political adviser Roger Stone -- who is being investigated for alleged cooperation with WikiLeaks, which posted emails hacked from the Hillary Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee by Russian agents -- said he would not turn against the President.

"This is not about Russian collusion, it's about the parsing of words," Stone said. "It's about process crimes and perjury traps, and I decline to participate."

'Crimes and lies'

Mueller has pledged to tell the court about Manafort's "crimes and lies" that he said were committed after the uber-lobbyist signed a plea agreement and have sparked speculation the former campaign chairman is angling for a presidential pardon.

The disclosures from Mueller's team will be closely watched to see whether Manafort, who is at risk of spending the rest of his life in jail, lied about activity that could implicate Trump or senior campaign officials, or solely about the business interests in Ukraine that led to his downfall on fraud charges or other questions.

Manafort is an important witness for Mueller since he was at a notorious Trump Tower meeting in 2016 in which the candidate's son Don Jr. believed Russian intermediaries would deliver "dirt" on Clinton.

He could also be useful in establishing whether changes to the platform at the Republican National Convention that watered down criticism of Russia had followed requests from Moscow.

Lawyers for Manafort denied their client lied and will have a chance to challenge the special counsel's assertions before his sentencing date of March 5.

It is possible that some of Mueller's explanations will be blacked out, as they were in the Flynn filing. But a spokesman for the special counsel's office has said that at least some of the filing will be public.

Ross Garber, a lawyer who specializes in impeachment, told CNN's "New Day" on Thursday that it was not normal for a cooperation agreement to collapse in such a manner, given the intensive negotiations that typically happen beforehand.

"It will be interesting to see whether anything new came up that nobody expected, but it is very unusual," Garber said.

Mueller's decision to come down hard on Manafort but to offer leniency to Flynn was widely interpreted as a sign that he will reward people implicated in the investigation who are willing to tell the truth about what happened -- but will tolerate no obstruction.

Cohen resets his life's 'compass'

Cohen has asked the court for a non-custodial sentence after he admitted tax fraud and lying to Congress about Trump's business aspirations in Moscow to preserve the President's political narrative that he had no ties to Russia.

Cohen's lawyers said in a memo that their client -- by turning on Trump, for whom he once said he would take a bullet -- had decided to "re-point his internal compass true north toward a productive, ethical and thoroughly law-abiding life."

Sentencing documents filed by both sides in the case have connected significant dots in the investigation.

Last week, Cohen pleaded guilty to misleading lawmakers about a project to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, which he had originally said had been shelved by January 2016.

In fact, the project was alive until June 2016, according to a statement lodged with the court by Mueller, who said Cohen had discussed the plan with Trump several times and had briefed Trump family members.

The revelations were important because Trump had insisted throughout the campaign that he had no business links with Russia.

They also raised the question of whether the President was beholden to Russia for a long period of the campaign and was shaping his complimentary statements about President Vladimir Putin to further his own financial interests.

Cohen has also pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations connected to hush money paid to women who alleged affairs with Trump, which the President has denied.

"Michael kept his client contemporaneously informed and acted on his client's instructions," Cohen's lawyers wrote in their sentencing memo.

"Michael felt obligated to assist Client-1, (Trump) on Client-1's instruction, to attempt to prevent Woman-1 and Woman-2 from disseminating narratives that would adversely affect the Campaign and cause personal embarrassment to Client-1 and his family."

Cohen, who faced 46 to 63 months in jail under his original plea deal with New York prosecutors, is hoping that Mueller will grant him the same kind of favorable treatment as Flynn. The special counsel told a court this week that owing to Flynn's cooperation with the investigation, the former national security adviser should get no jail time. Redactions in documents accompanying the request made it impossible, however, to assess what that cooperation entailed and whether it put the President in any jeopardy.

Trump has reacted angrily to the idea that Cohen could get a break from Mueller in return for his cooperation.

"He lied for this outcome and should, in my opinion, serve a full and complete sentence," the President tweeted earlier this week.

Depending on the details Mueller chooses to unveil on Friday, it is almost certain that Trump's allies will reach for their familiar argument that the special counsel still has not proved any cooperation between Russia and the campaign -- the original mandate of the probe.

But with every move he makes, Mueller appears to be getting closer to the people who are closest to the President himself, so in the broadest sense there's every chance that Friday could effectively be another rough day in court for Trump.

CNN's Sara Murray and Katelyn Polantz contributed to this story.
There is a certain comfort in knowing right from wrong.

I think it makes life simple.

There is also sadness for those who do not know the difference, who dont have the clarity to distinguish what is obvious to others. Or maybe they just dont have the backbone to stand up to the bullies.

Political party leaders in Warren County are making decisions for elected officials in Queensbury, and that is wrong.

They are dishing out retribution to Town Board members who will not bend to party bosses wishes, and that is a travesty.

Why does the Republican Party leadership have to be bullies?

That is the question I return to time and time again.

Why?

They dont have to do it.

Why did they feel the need to punish a Town Board member over a vote in which the party got what it wanted?

That is an abuse of power.

Why did they feel the need to keep the public in the dark when one of their candidates did not want to run?

That was fraud.

With a 2 to 1 advantage in registered voters over Democrats, all Republicans leaders need to do to win is get reasonably intelligent candidates with a pulse. Victory is almost a mathematical certainty. They can be the New York Yankees of town elections.

Instead, they took the low road.

The election in Queensbury has evolved into a debate over what is right and wrong in local elections.

It has become the issue as far as Im concerned and it is a debate that is probably long overdue.

People have approached me in public and said they dont like what they are hearing.

They have told me this is not the way it should be.

Not in this community.

Some have been Republicans.

Some have been prominent Republicans, but they have not spoken publicly.

They need to take their party back. Their silence condones this behavior.

Over three days last week, I got a chance to ask the Town Board candidates if they thought it was right the town attorney was involved in partisan politics.

Every one said that should not be allowed, except one  Brian Clements.

It goes to the heart of the candidates values, or maybe it is his loyalties we should question. I think I know where Clements stands.

I tried to ask both supervisor candidates the same question, but one would not answer the question  Rachel Seeber.

She wouldnt say it was wrong the town attorney was involved in partisan politics, just that it was not illegal. She would not indict the party leadership that had supported her.

I was hoping for a higher standard, because the question was important.

Was it right or was it wrong?

She wouldnt answer.

And that is not transparency.

Maybe I am just being old-fashioned.

Maybe I am demanding too much with the new political reality where lying is not only overlooked, but condoned.

I still believe those values carry weight and give us insight into character and how our leaders will conduct themselves.

Whether they will do the right thing.

That starts with answering the question.

And that was not done here.

Ken Tingley is the editor of The Post-Star and may be reached via email at tingley@poststar.com. His blog The Front Page discusses issues about newspapers and journalism. You can also follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kentingley.</&box_em>
Editor:

Three separate political parties have selected Todd Kusnierz to be their candidate for Moreau Supervisor. And heres why.

Todd makes decisions based on the best interests of his constituents, regardless of party. He carefully researches issues facing the town, making the effort to be as informed and prepared as possible when votes arise.

Todd will make the role of Supervisor a full time commitment, pledging to resign his current position after being elected. For nearly 30 years, Todd has built connections with legislators, commissioners and governmental staff. He has established cordial relations with people of all walks of government, now available to help him facilitate progress in Moreau. Its time for Moreau to get some of the recognition and respect that has been in short supply lately.

We have a great town. A leader like Todd Kusnierz, who brings energy, experience and integrity, can only make it better for all of us.

Sarah Linehan, Moreau
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Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg
IPL 2023: It is going to be a big task replacing him, says Vihari on Pollard's retirement
With all the turmoil over the Affordable Care Act, insurance regulators and experts in Iowa and Illinois are urging that people carefully consider their options, as Wednesday opens the six week enrollment period under the law.

This year's enrollment period, which runs from Nov. 1 through Dec. 15, is half as long as last year. In addition, attempts to repeal the law, known by many as Obamacare, has caused uncertainty over what would happen. In Iowa, it was only a week ago that the state abandoned a plan that would have significantly altered the law for 2018.

All that has regulators urging even greater care in signing up this year.

There has been a lot of news recently about Iowas individual insurance market. As the open enrollment season begins, Iowans should thoroughly research all coverage options. I would encourage consumers to meet with a licensed insurance agent to determine the best plan for themselves and their families, Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen said last week.

He noted that, for 2018, Medica will be the only option for people buying coverage through healthcare.gov. Iowa is one of eight states that will have a single issuer, according to a report issued this week by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Iowans will have, on average, five plans available to them for 2018, the report said.

Average prices are up significantly over 2017. The average premium in Iowa's marketplace will be about 57 percent higher than in 2017. However, because of changes stemming from the ending of cost-sharing subsidies and the way that premium tax credits are figured, some lower-income Iowans could find coverage for less money than they paid last year.

Thus, the need to shop around.

Premium tax credits are available to people with incomes less than 400 percent of the federal poverty level. An individual with a 2018 annual income of about $48,000 or less will be eligible for credits.

Experts say that in addition to costs, other factors, like a plan's provider network, should be considered when making a decision.

Most people get health insurance through their employer or via government programs, like Medicare and Medicaid. The enrollment period is for people who purchase their own health coverage.

Iowa's insurance division also said this week that people who find they can't afford prices in the marketplace should visit with an insurance agent about alternatives, such as small group health insurance coverage or Iowa's high-risk pool, called HIPIowa, for those with certain medical conditions.

In Illinois, meanwhile, the state's insurance department is expanding the amount of help it is giving to consumers.

Beginning Wednesday, licensed agents will be available from 7 a.m. through 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, except Thanksgiving, by calling 1-866-311-1119. On weekends, help is available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Illinois has four companies offering plans for 2018, with an average of 21 options per county, according to the federal government.

Consumers also can shop for a plan at GetCoveredIllinois.gov. The site will provide consumers with all plan options available in the state, according to the department.

The state insurance department also is launching an outreach initiative to help people. "Our goal is to visit every county of the state so consumers get the help they need," said Jennifer Hammer, director of the department.

Genesis Health System, UnityPoint Health Trinity and Community Health Care, Inc., also offer assistance.

As in Iowa, insurance agents or other assistance is available in the state. A list of those individuals and organizations offering help can be found at connector.getcoveredamerica.org.

The Iowa insurance division referred people to localhelp.healthcare.gov to find assistance. The telephone number for assistance via healthcare.gov is 1-800-318-2596.
The Amy Helpenstell Foundation Fund at the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend has awarded $500,000 in grants to 49 local program. Nearly $100,000 in additional funds will be awarded through renewable grants in 2018.

Among the organizations receiving the grants is Vera French, which operates a school-based mental health services program with 14 therapists serving in 17 schools. A two-year, $30,000 grant through the foundation will provide funding in North Scott, Bettendorf and Pleasant Valley schools for families who cannot afford services.

This will help us respond to children who are under-insured or not insured, said Jessica Malcheff, executive director for the Vera French Foundation. The school counselors and teachers refer students who need the service to the therapists.

The Amy Helpenstell Foundation Fund carries out the legacy of Helpenstell and her passion for youth development, health, community development, cultural activities and education. Since 2005, the fund has directed more than $6 million to nonprofit organizations in the Quad-City area, where Helpenstell lived, worked and volunteered.

Helpenstell died at the age of 33 from complications from an eating disorder that began when she was in high school, said Kelly Thompson, vice president of grant-making and community initiatives of Great River Bend.

An ongoing trend, she said is the need for flexible, reliable funding for nonprofit groups. "Sometimes organizations need to write grants or seek funding that focuses on new activities, but have trouble funding ongoing successful activities," she said.

Malcheff said the health center has received support from the Helpenstell foundation since 2006. Our community has really been looking at collaboration and partnership lately and we think its really important, she said. No nonprofit can provide everything. To have the Amy Helpenstell Foundation Fund recognize that this work is happening is really good.
Two rows at a time, slow and dirty is how Chad Coleman describes his corn harvest. Hes surrounded by crunching, brittle corn plants, dust, parts of shredded stalks and leaves, and a deafening noise. It's the sound of the many moving parts of a two-row New Idea corn picker.

Coleman uses a 1960 Allis-Chalmers D17 tractor, and the corn picker mounted on the front thats even older, to fill a 170-bushel wooden wagon with ear corn. He uses the vintage equipment to farm land he rents near Charlotte, Iowa.

These are the same models his grandfather, Allen Reistroffer, used before retiring from his farm near Goose Lake, Iowa, in 1989.

"Its been in my blood since I was a child, Coleman said. I rode in the wagon dodging ears of corn.

Coleman rents about 100 acres along a gravel road in Clinton County where he grows corn and soy beans. Most of the crop is harvested with a modern (1977) self-propelled combine that shells the corn automatically.

The two-row picker leaves the corn on the cob. After ripping the corn off the stalk, the corn travels up an elevator and shoots into the wagon in groups of two or three. He planned to fill three or four wagons that will be stored in a shed, waiting for customers who want to feed cattle, pigs, or need just a few to feed squirrels.

Farm equipment built when Dwight D. Eisenhower was president is made without many comforts, no cab or heat, although on the fall day he harvested it was almost 80 degrees.

Coleman spends a lot of the time standing up, guiding the tractor through 8-foot-tall corn stalks, staying lined up to rows planted 38-inches apart to accommodate the vintage equipment.

There are chains and sprockets moving all around you, gotta be careful where you put your hands and feet, he said.
A Walmart employee was arrested after police say she stole about $6,500 from the store over more than a year.

Stacey Lynn Gleason, last known address in the 1600 block of Greenbay Court, Davenport, faces one count of second-degree theft, a Class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

She was booked into the Scott County Jail at 7:20 p.m. Thursday and was released more than two hours later after posting $5,000 through a bail bonds company.

According to an arrest affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint:

Davenport police responded around 4:30 p.m. Thursday to Walmart, 3101 W. Kimberly Road, for a report of an internal theft.

Gleason admitted to police that she took money from the can room starting from March 2016 through October 2017. She would enter the room designated for returning cans and create a transaction for someone returning cans where there was no customer.

On multiple occasions, Gleason opened the register drawer and took money. She took different dollar amounts each time and would repeat this action at different times of the day, up to several times a day, according to the affidavit.

A Walmart spokesman Tuesday would not say what position Gleason held or when she was hired, but said she no longer works for the company.
 Here's the afternoon Halloween forecast from the National Weather Service. The high for the day will be near 40 degrees with a low around 29 degrees.

Trick-or-treaters can expect temps in the upper 30s and wind chills in the 20s, so dress accordingly.

It will be one of the colder Halloweens on record. Normal Halloween is a high temperature of 58 degrees and a low temperature around 38 degrees.

The warmest Halloween on record was 85 degrees in 1950; coldest was 21 degrees in 1913.

The wettest was back in 1960 when the area received 1.57 inches of rain.

Fortunately no rain is in the forecast for tonight.

Looking ahead, Wednesday there is a 20 percent chance of rain after 1 p.m. Skies will be mostly cloudy with a high near 48 degrees. South winds will be 5-15 mph with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Wednesday night there is a 30 percent chance of rain before 1 a.m. Skies will be cloudy with a low around 44 degrees. South winds will be 5-10 mph.

Tricking and treating has a history

Over the past few decades, Halloween celebrations have gained in popularity, not only with children and families, but with all those fascinated with the spooky and scary.

As a scholar of myth and religion in popular culture, Regina Hansen of Boston University took a look at Halloween with particular interest  especially the ways in which todays Halloween tradition came to evolve.

A pre-Christian tradition  Many practices associated with Halloween have origins in the pre-Christian, or pagan, religion of the Celts, the original inhabitants of the British Isles, as well as parts of France and Spain.

 The Celts held a feast called Samhain  a celebration of the harvest, the end of summer and the turn of the year. Samhain was separated by six months from Beltane, an observance of the beginning of summer, which took place on May 1 and is now known as May Day. Because Samhain led into the cold, fruitless and dark days of winter, the feast was also an opportunity to contemplate death and to remember those who had gone before.

 The Celts believed that the veil between the living and the dead was thinner during this time, and that spirits of the dead could walk on Earth. Bonfires were lit to ward off the coming winter darkness, but also to sacrifice livestock and crops as offerings to the gods and spirits.

 Some scholars because of the long historical association of the Celts with the Romans  have also linked the modern observance of Halloween to the Roman festival honoring Pomona, the goddess of fruit trees. During that festival people practiced divination, which uses occult for gaining knowledge of the future.

 One of the practices was similar to the modern-day Halloween tradition of bobbing for apples  a party game in which people attempt to use only their teeth to pick up apples floating in a tub or a bowl of water. Originally, it was believed that whoever could bite the apple first would get married the soonest.

Later influences  Halloween coincides with Christian celebrations honoring the dead. In the autumn, Christians celebrate All Saints Day  a day to honor martyrs who died for their faith and saints. They also celebrate All Souls Day  a day to remember the dead and to pray for souls more generally.

 The history of how these dates came to coincide is worth noting: It suggests ways in which the pagan holiday may have been absorbed into Christian observance. Starting around the seventh century A.D., Christians celebrated All Saints Day on May 13. In the mid-eighth century, however, Pope Gregory III moved All Saints Day from May 13 to Nov. 1, so that it coincided with the date of Samhain.

 Although there is disagreement about whether the move was made purposely so as to absorb the pagan practice, the fact is that from then on Christian and pagan traditions did begin to merge. In England, for example, All Saints Day came to be known as All Hallows Day. The night before became All Hallows Eve, Halloween, or Halloween, as it is now known.

 Around A.D. 1000, Nov. 2 was established as All Souls Day. Throughout the Middle Ages, this three-day period was celebrated with Masses. But the Pagan tradition of appeasing the spirits of the dead remained, including the Christian  now Catholic  practice of lighting candles for the souls in Purgatory.

 People still light bonfires on Oct. 31, especially those in regions where the Celts originally settled. In Ireland, bonfires are lit on Halloween. In England, the bonfire tradition has been transferred to Nov. 5. This is known as Guy Fawkes Day and commemorates the Gunpowder Plot, a thwarted attempt by Catholics, led by Guy Fawkes, to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605.

 There are other practices that continue today. In England, for example, one of the practices on All Hallows Eve was to go door to door begging for small currant biscuits called soul cakes, which were offered in exchange for prayers. While not all scholars agree, it is part of popular belief that this practice is echoed in the modern tradition of trick-or-treating.

 In Ireland, people would walk the streets carrying candles in a hollowed-out turnip, the precursor of todays jack olantern, or the carved pumpkin.

When the tradition came to the U.S.  Halloween, however, did not make its way to the United States until the 1840s, when waves of immigrants from the Celtic countries of Ireland and Scotland arrived. These immigrants brought with them their tradition of Halloween, including dancing, masquerading, fortune-telling games and  in some places  the practice of parading the neighborhood asking for treats, such as nuts and fruits and coins.

 By the late 19th century, some stores began offering commercially made candy for Halloween.

 The North American observance of Halloween also included everything from minor pranks to some major vandalism, as well as a lot of drinking. By the early 20th century, however, many municipalities and churches attempted to curb this behavior by turning Halloween into a family celebration with childrens parties and, eventually, trick-or-treating as we know it today.

Halloween today  Today, Halloween has become a multi-million-dollar industry.

 Candy sales, costumes, decorations, seasonal theme parks, annual television specials and October horror movie premieres are some of the many ways North Americans spend their money on the holiday.

 But Halloween has come to mean many things to many people. Roman Catholics and many mainline Protestants, for example, continue to observe All Saints Day for its spiritual significance. In the Catholic Church it is considered a holy day of obligation, when people are required to go to Mass. All Souls Day is celebrated soon after. In fact, the entire month of November is set aside as a time to pray for the dead.

 On the other hand, some people reject Halloween because of its pagan origins and its perceived association with witchcraft and the devil. Others see it as too commercial or primarily for children.

 Nonetheless, whether people see it as a childrens holiday, a sacred ritual, a harvest festival, a night of mischief, a sophisticated adult celebration or a way to make money, Halloween has become an integral part of North American culture.

 CrimeStoppers of the Quad-Cities reports an uptick in property crimes  such as car thefts, home and car burglaries, church and business burglaries and construction site burglaries  in the Quad-City area.

Police are asking the public to be vigilant in securing cars and homes. Don't leave your car running and unattended. Most thieves are looking for the easy hit.

Also, be watchful and report to police any suspicious people or cars that doesn't belong in your neighborhood.

Any one with information about unsolved felony crimes, drug activity, or felony fugitives, should submit your tip at this link.
The City of Bettendorfs amended Urban Renewal Plan to include Ascentra Credit Union in the downtown tax increment financing district drew mixed reviews from the Scott County Board of Supervisors during Tuesdays Committee of the Whole meeting.

Planning and Development Director Tim Huey said the proposal would triple the size of the offices currently occupied by the credit union. Under the plan, the city will purchase Ascentras property and sell the land and building for future development. Ascentra intends to buy and build on land in downtown Bettendorf that is currently owned by the city, Huey said.

Supervisors Brinson Kinzer and Ken Beck supported the request.

Bettendorf needs a springboard for the downtown area, Beck said.

Board Chair Carol Earnhardt said the project would anchor downtown and could attract more development.

Supervisor Tony Knobbe cited the possible unfair advantage given to Ascentra over local competitors. Diane Holst questioned the number of jobs to be created, as well as Ascentras commitment to remain in the downtown area. Holst cited the "but for" language in the companys annual report referring to construction conditions. Theyre committed to staying in Bettendorf, but not necessarily downtown, Holst said. Only (adding) 20 jobs is a sticking point for me.

County Administrator Mahesh Sharma told supervisors that the proposal calls for construction of the credit unions corporate headquarters, employing higher than average wage earners. Supervisors will vote whether to approve a letter of support for the expanded TIF on Thursday during the regular 5 p.m. meeting.

Flood mitigation plan

The City of Bettendorfs need for federal funds to buy flood-prone property prompted discussion and a scheduled Nov. 2 public hearing on the 2017 Hazard Mitigation Plan. Brandon Melton, senior planner for the Bi-State Regional Planning Commission, updated supervisors on progress made toward adopting the county-wide plan the Federal Emergency Management Agency must receive and approve.

Melton said the five-year plan approved in 2012 expired on Sept. 1. The new plan primarily focuses on flash floods, river floods, and other natural hazards. All municipalities and communities in Scott County agreed to participate in the planning process, with the exceptions of Princeton, McCausland and New Liberty.

Those communities are still in the plan and will still be eligible for assistance, Melton said. But they would not be eligible for pre-disaster mitigation. The cities of Davenport and Bettendorf are expected to adopt the plan during council meetings held by mid-November, Melton said.

The state of Iowa is proposing to submit the plan and ask for a waiver based on extenuating circumstances, Melton explained. FEMA review could take up to three months, he said.

In other business, the county administrator updated supervisors on the fireworks ordinance worked on in collaboration with city officials in Davenport, Bettendorf, Eldridge and LeClaire. The ordinance allowing for legal use of fireworks by the public on July 3 and 4 from 2-11 p.m. and New Years Eve from 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. New Years Day requires three readings for supervisors approval. The ordinance does not affect special use permits, Sharma said.

Supervisor Kinzer reported receiving comments supporting increasing the $100 fine for violating the ordinance to $500.
The state of Iowa investigated the issue of voter fraud in the 2016 election. From what I have read, there were less than 30 instances of voter fraud, some of which were innocent mistakes. If voter fraud is not a large problem, where is the need for the new identification law?

Most county auditors said it wasn't needed. If the state really wants fair and open voting, they should begin mobile voter registration drives. Go to places where it is difficult for citizens to get official identifications - rural areas, inner city and senior centers. Voting is an important right; protect it the same way as gun rights.
I have retired to a small acreage and I worry that my property could become unlivable or lose much of its value if an unregulated CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) is built too close to my home.

Livestock farming is vital to Iowas economy. Livestock operations of reasonable size have thrived in the past. But Iowas CAFOs are not of reasonable size. Existing loopholes allow for the concentration of enormous numbers of animals with minimal oversight or inspections. Some have unchecked problems with manure management, and there is no effective local control of their location.

Factory farm manure spills and runoff have seriously contributed to our 750 impaired waterways, and as these facilities proliferate so does the degradation of our water. In addition to the many thousands of existing CAFOs, the Department of Natural Resources has recently discovered 5,000 unaccounted for facilities, an example of the lack of control in this rapidly expanding industry.

Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI) and other concerned citizens are calling for a moratorium on new or expanding factory farms until meaningful and mandatory regulations are passed.

We would not tolerate minimally regulated industry moving in and despoiling the air and water in our urban neighborhoods. Why should rural residents tolerate such polluting industry next door?

Virginia Meyer

Lone Tree, Iowa
A 23-year-old man whom police described as "armed and especially dangerous" has been declared Rapid City's most wanted fugitive.

Authorities are offering a $2,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of Saul Crowe, of Rapid City. Crowe, who may also be using the alias Saul McCloskey, is wanted by both local and federal authorities in connection with several firearm-related incidents, according to a release from the Rapid City Police Department.

There are currently two warrants for his arrest: a Pennington County warrant for a burglary that occurred in September and a federal warrant for a supervised release violation related to unlawful possession of a firearm.

Crowe is also wanted for questioning about his potential involvement in a shooting that took place Oct. 25. That evening, police responded to 1720 N. Seventh St. for a report of gunshots outside the building. Officers found several bullet holes on the outside of an apartment.

A short time later, police were called to 100 Stumer Road for a report of a male with a gunshot wound. The male was taken to a hospital and treated for serious injuries.

Crowes criminal history shows a pattern of dangerous behaviors, Capt. James Johns, of the police department's Patrol Division, said in a release. The most concerning element of those behaviors is that he commits crimes with firearms. He should be considered armed and especially dangerous. Thats what makes him Rapid Citys most wanted fugitive, and its in the communitys best interest to get him off the streets.

Anyone with information about Crowe's whereabouts is asked to call Detective Ryan Gebhard at 394-4134 during normal business hours or 394-4131 after hours. An anonymous tip can also be sent by texting RCPD and the information to 847411.
SPEARFISH In 2017, BHSU faculty and students undertook a unique project to honor and develop South Dakotas national cemeteries as sites of public history through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Legacy Program. Now, the group from BHSU is ready to share the results of this historic undertaking.

Kelly Kirk, instructor of history at BHSU and primary investigator for the Veterans Legacy Program at BHSU, will present Veterans Legacies in the Black Hills Nov. 2 at 4 p.m. in Jonas Hall 110. Kirks presentation is part of the Geek Speak lecture series at BHSU. All Geek Speaks are free and open to the public.

A diverse group of students, from American Indian studies and education students to graphic designers and marketing majors, worked as research assistants to write biographies, develop educational lesson plans, create walking tours of the cemeteries, and design the project website.

At the Geek Speak, Kirk will give the public a look inside this unique project, sharing the experience of undertaking such inter-personal research. Many students were able to deeply connect with their research by meeting with the surviving family members of the veteran they were writing about. Black Hills community members were actively engaged in the process, sharing oral histories, as well as collections of letters, pictures, and military records with student researchers.

In February 2017, Kirk, along with over 20 faculty and student workers, began the project of curating the biographies of veterans interred at the five national cemeteries in South Dakota: Black Hills National Cemetery, Ft. Meade National Cemetery, Hot Springs National Cemetery, Lakota Freedom Veterans Cemetery, and Rosebud Sioux Tribe Veterans Cemetery.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs supplies support and resources for universities nationwide to undertake their own local research. The program at BHSU focuses on preserving the histories of national cemeteries in the Black Hills Region for future generations while honoring the legacy of our heroic veterans.

The goal was to come up with ways to not only research these cemeteries, but also make that research readily accessible to the public, Kirk says.

It was an honor to be trusted with stories that were at once joyful and heart-wrenching, said Erin Broberg, BHSU English major from Rapid City. I took great care in retelling these stories, grateful for the opportunity to preserve this familys personal history.

The project allowed students to write creatively, delving into history and retelling the stories with as much accuracy and detail as possible.

Each one of these veterans is very much a part of our history. They were not one-dimensional soldiers. The stories go beyond their time oversees, said Kirk. We ask, how did their experiences in the service change their life? What did they do after coming home? We want to connect that local, personal story to much larger world events.

Kirk hopes the Geek Speak will encourage the public to engage with these new resources, both at the cemeteries and online. Walking tours with veteran biographies are now available at each cemetery. The project website contains a project summary, lesson plans for educators, and complete veteran biographies: http://bhveterans.omeka.net/items/browse

The Geek Speak lecture series, sponsored by the BHSU University Honors program, features academic discussion and topics not normally discussed in the traditional classroom. The goal of the weekly lectures is to expose students to diversity within the disciplines. All Geek Speak lectures are free and open to the public. The following on-campus Geek Speak presentations, which are held Thursdays at 4 p.m. in Jonas Hall, room 110, are scheduled for this semester:

Nov. 16: Searching for Riemann: A brief history and some recent insights into one of the most intriguing unsolved million-dollar problem in mathematics by Dr. Parthasarathi Nag, professor of mathematics

Nov. 30: University Honors Capstone Defenses

Dec. 7: University Honors Capstone Defenses

To read short descriptions of each lecture topic, visit www.BHSU.edu/Honors

For more information, contact Dr. Courtney Huse-Wika, director of the University Honors Program and assistant professor of English, at 605-642-6918 or email Courtney.HuseWika@BHSU.edu.
BELLE FOURCHE  The atmosphere was perfect, the weather was fantastic, and there was a giant pumpkin to greet youngsters and adults at the first annual PumpkinFest sponsored by the Belle Fourche Chamber, Tri-State Museum and Visitor Center, and the Black Hills Roundup Ag Committee, and Oct. 28. Over 500 people from the area showed up to join all the fun.

Chamber representatives greeted festival partakers with a cup of hot chocolate as they began to explore what was being offered at the PumpkinFest. At least 120 cups of hot chocolate were passed out free courtesy of the Chamber, said Chamber Director Gary Wood.

It was a unique venue since it was an affair families could enjoy without having to spend a lot of money, Wood pointed out. There were games of all sorts, including Mummy Bowling and Scarecrow Ring Toss. A Mad Scientist table provided children an opportunity to learn a little chemistry while making green slime, which is a must during Halloween.

There was pumpkin roping with 35 kids taking part in trying their skills at handling a rope. Jennifer Gabriel of First Western Insurance sponsored the roping and encouraged the youngsters to keep trying.

Whats Halloween without a decorated pumpkin? The Black Hills Roundup members brought a pallet of pumpkins to decorate-complete with stickers of all sorts and a helping hand. It sounds like it was a great endeavor and there were more kids than real pumpkins, but there were foam pumpkins as well. Those who participated were excited to see their creations.

The 8th Avenue Bakery had cupcakes to decorate. It was a great time to use your imagination and see what you could do with a bit of frosting and some sprinkles.

There were vendors selling canned goods, baked goods, clothing, and lunch for adults and children. Wood said that the traffic was good for the vendors and everyone kept busy.

People noticed the large inflatables brought in by Nathan Stern from Faith and were curious to see what was happening at the Tri-State Museum and Visitor Center. With crowds of people and a giant pumpkin, how could anyone drive past? Chad Carr from Carr Coatings supplied the humungous pumpkin that was big enough to crawl into (but that was forbidden, much to the disappointment of many youngsters).

The Chambers pumpkin train was kept busy all day long, thanks to engineer Roger.

Johnny Spauldings cabin was a spooky draw for almost everyone. The eyes of Johnny Spaulding followed each visitor as they entered. The phone kept ringing and if you answered you heard, Im going to get you! Going upstairs, if you dared, to the creepy rooms up there took some fortitude, but was well worth the trip up the narrow steps. The cabin will be open through Friday, Nov. 3, but you will need to ask someone inside the museum to open it.

The story was told of a clock that chimed 13 times on Halloween night in the play The Ghosts of Minnesela written by Kristi Thielen. The Tri-State Performers did a remarkable job telling about a ghost in the Minnesela Hotel. All the information about the town of Minnesela, once a rival town of Belle Fourche, was historically correct, except for the ghost that is.

We are more than pleased with the turnout and look forward to doing it again, said Gary Wood. And well make it even better!

He added that the Tri-State Museum and Visitor Center and the Chamber would like to thank those who came, the vendors, and all the volunteers. We couldnt do it without all of you, said Wood.
Under God the People Rule Motto of South Dakota. ARE WOMEN PEOPLE??

This was the question asked in a column under the heading Womans Realm that appeared in the Dec. 6, 1889, Wessington Springs Herald.

The question of woman suffrage  the legal right of women to vote  was beginning to be discussed throughout the state, according to that Womans Realm column. The column featured articles from other newspapers and information about the suffrage movement, usually compiled by LoElla Blank, the Heralds associate editor.

The suffrage movement in the United States is said to have started when more than 300 people met in Seneca Falls, N.Y., in July 1848, to discuss the social, civil and religious rights of women. Among the resolutions passed was one in favor of woman suffrage.

Dakotans began debating the vote for women in territorial days.

The Dakota Territorial Legislature came within one vote of enfranchising women in 1872. In 1885, Rep. John Pickler of Faulkton promoted a bill for woman suffrage which passed both houses of the Dakota Territorial Legislature. It was vetoed by Gov. Gilbert Pierce.

When South Dakota became a state in 1889, its constitution required that the first legislature submit a constitutional woman suffrage amendment to the voters. The amendment stated that the word male would be stricken from the article of the state constitution that gave the right to vote to every qualified male person in the state. This election was to take place on Nov. 4, 1890.

In the fall of 1889, Susan B. Anthony announced that she and other leaders in the woman suffrage campaign would be focusing on South Dakota until the election.

All the best speakers, all the best workers in the womans suffrage ranks in the United States are to be turned into the field of South Dakota. We have every assurance that we are going to carry the day, Anthony was quoted in the Kimball Graphic as telling a Minneapolis reporter.

Anthony arrived in the state on Nov. 11, 1889, to make a lecture tour.

She set up headquarters in Huron the following April.

The Womans Realm column of May 23, 1890, quoted the Pierre Free Press as stating, The woman suffrage campaign seems to be progressing smoothly. It is generally conceded, even by those who stay on the off side of the fence, that the cause of the ladies will win.

Despite this optimism, there were indications that all was not going well.

The July 25, 1890, Womans Realm reported that at the state Democratic convention, E.W. Miller declared on the floor that no decent woman in South Dakota was asking the suffrage. This statement was reportedly received with deafening applause.

The Farmers Alliance and the Knights of Labor had promised to support woman suffrage. They merged to form the Independent Party, which did not include woman suffrage in its platform. Liquor interests and immigrants were opposed to suffrage. Disagreements among leaders in the suffrage movement gave newspapers the opportunity to make fun of the women and, by association, the suffrage cause, according to Cecelia M. Wittmayer in the article The 1889-1890 Woman Suffrage Campaign: A Need to Organize, published in Vol. 11, No. 3 of South Dakota History.

The two strongest opponents to woman suffrage in South Dakota are the Sioux Falls Press and the Sioux Falls Argus-Leader, stated the Womans Realm of July 4, 1890.

An editorial in the Argus-Leader, endorsed by some other newspapers, argued that if 50,000 women of legal voting age signed a petition in favor of suffrage, it would be granted to them.

The 1895 Census indicates that South Dakota had 72,251 women over the age of 20. Collecting 50,000 signatures was impossible because of the lack of roads, the distance between homes and towns, and harsh weather, according to Wittmayer.

By the time the election rolled around, there had been 1,600 addresses by national and state speakers and under the auspices of the Womans Christian Temperance Union; 400 local and county clubs of womens organizations formed; and literature sent to every voter in the state, according to Dorinda Riessen Reed in The Woman Suffrage Movement in South Dakota.

During the Nov. 4, 1890 election, 68,654 men voted on the amendment for woman suffrage. Of these, 45,632 voted against woman suffrage and 22,972 for it.

Suffragists had not been able to convince voters that women wanted the right to vote or that there would be any gain by adopting an equal suffrage amendment, wrote Reed.

It would not be until 1918 when South Dakota voters approved a constitutional amendment granting women voting privileges in state elections. In 1919, Congress sent a woman suffrage amendment to all the states and South Dakota ratified it in a special session that year. The 19th Amendment was ratified and took effect in 1920, giving women throughout the country the right to vote.

This moment in South Dakota history is provided by the South Dakota Historical Society Foundation, the nonprofit fundraising partner of the South Dakota State Historical Society at the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. Find us on the web at www.sdhsf.org. Contact us at info@sdhsf.org
Chadron State Colleges senior Social Work majors enrolled in Methods III: Org and Communities (SW 435) are hosting a conference, Not for Sale: Sex Trafficking in Nebraska, today, Nov. 1, in the Student Center Ballroom from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The conference is free and open to the public.

Registration opens at 7:30 a.m., and the conference begins at 8 a.m.

After a short table discussion, members of the CSC Theatre Department will perform She Has a Name by Andrew Kooman.

Hollie Strand will be the first of four speakers to present at 8:30 a.m. Strand works as a Computer Forensic Examiner at the Pennington County Sherriffs Office and her presentation is titled Online Dangers.

Federico Vicente will then present SAFE-T Training and Whats Being Done in Nebraska? at 9:30 a.m. Vicente is the Salvation Armys Fight to End Trafficking Program (SAFE-T) Community Outreach Coordinator in Nebraska.

After a short break, a survivor of sex trafficking will present Experiences of Being Trafficked; Hope for Others at 10:50 a.m.

Attendees will then be provided lunch at 11:30 a.m., accompanied by a speech from President Randy Rhine.

At 12:30 p.m., members of CSCs Theatre Department will return to perform the second part of She Has a Name.

The fourth speaker, Joseph Smith, will address attendees at 12:45 p.m. Smith, Madison County Attorney, will present Prosecution and Sex Trafficking.

Strand will return to the stage at 1:40 p.m. to present a second topic, Child Sexual Abuse: Bootcamp for Sex Trafficking.

Following Strand, a panel of experts will take part in a question and answer session with audience members. Panel members include Cassie Wegelin, a Scottsbluff State Patrol Investigator, Russel Harford, Dawes County Judge, Nicole Keller, DOVES Program Coordinator for Dawes and Sheridan County and Vicente.

For more information, visit the conferences Facebook page.
Hot Springs Middle School students last week raised over $50 by donating a $1 from each student for being able to wear a hat in class on Wednesday with all of the money going to cancer care. The student council also plans to match that amount. On Thursday, the entire middle school posed for a photo in the shape of a ribbon, with some of them wearing pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
HOT SPRINGS  For the 75th consecutive year, millions of youth, parents, volunteers and alumni across the country celebrated National 4-H Week earlier this month, during the first week of October. Fall River County 4-H leveraged National 4-H Week by showcasing the incredible experiences that 4-H offers young people, highlighting the remarkable 4-H youth in our community and the adult volunteers who make a positive impact.

To help promote 4-H and to celebrate the programs various ways in which it impacts youth, this week the Hot Springs Star features Brad Keizer, the SDSU Extension 4-H Youth Program Advisor for Custer & Fall River Counties.

1) Tell us a little about your background and how you came to live in Hot Springs.

Ive lived all over the place, but call Illinois home. Although, I believe Ive lived in Hot Springs longer than anywhere in my life now I think its been a little over 8 yrs? I moved here to help establish the Boys & Girls Club, which I did successfully. It was a challenge, but the community supported the effort and theyre continuously doing well. Ive been in youth development professionally for 15 years, beginning in Kentucky, where I developed programs and lead a ropes / challenge course at my alma mater; Murray State University. Since then, Ive done quite a bit with a youth focus, including serving as a Parks & Rec Program Specialist, YMCA Camp Director, Boy Scout Exec, and eventually to Hot Springs where I plan to remain.

2) How did you get on the path of making a career out of working with youth?

My path of youth work is somewhat personal, as I experienced a bit of challenging shuffling as a child. As a result, I wasnt one big into sports. This resonated within me, as I felt kids lacking confidence are likely to avoid sports, yet still need something fulfilling to be proud of. Between that mind-set and simply lifes developments, I found my nitch early through an internship with my Minor: Youth, Human Service & Non-Profit Mgmt. I suppose I was hooked from then on I thought Id lean more towards outdoor adventure leadership, but as my favorite quote goes: A good way to make God laugh, is to announce your plans. Ive taken a different path of making an impact and wouldnt do it differently given the chance. Its intrinsically rewarding and truly makes a difference.

3) Describe the duties of your current position.

Every day is different and there are many challenges. Overall, I am responsible for 4-H Youth Development in Custer & Fall River Counties, with offices in both Custer & Hot Springs. In addition to overseeing 4-H programming, I am here to serve as an advisor to youth organizations, groups, etc. Anything to do with youth development, I try to have some connection to, although 4-H is so busy, it consumes a great deal of time with crazy hours; camps, weekend events, evening activities, teen leadership trips, and so much more. I provide support to numerous adult volunteers, providing opportunities for kiddos through clubs, after school programs & special events theres quite a bit! SDSU Extension re-structured a few years back and thats when I was approached about this position by the Extension Educators. Around that same time, I presented at a Character Educators Conference and was afterwards approached by my current supervisor. I know, looking back, that was sort of an interview and it all just fell into place. I believe this chapter began January of 2011.

4) What is 4-H and why should parents consider having their children check it out?

4-H is one of the most diverse youth development opportunities available. As I mentioned above, Ive worked with a wide variety of youth organizations and can honestly state that 4-H is for ALL youth (K  College). The overall principle of the nations largest youth development program is based on experiential learning; learning by doing. Kids choose from various project areas; focus on that, learn, grow, develop skills, and experience successes as a result. 4-H was founded on traditional skills emphasizing agriculture or home-ec type learning experiences. As that continues to be our strength, 4-H offers a bit of everything for everyone. Project areas range from Aeronautics, Robotics, Geology, or Arts to Livestock, Sewing, Cooking, etc. In addition, kids learn to speak publicly, set goals, develop leadership traits, and simply learn true life skills that remain with them through adult-hood. Anyone can join 4-H by contacting someone they know whos involved, stopping by our office (across from the Court House, but moving soon), email; Bradley.keizer@sdstate.edu, call 745-5133, or check us out on Facebook; www.facebook.com/CusterFallRiverCounty4H

5) What values or other benefits do youth learn by participating in 4-H?

Like many things in life, you get out what you put in. 4-H is no different, but truly does have something for everybody. Social skills, leadership opportunities, career-introduction, life-skills, character education & development, goal-setting, and just plain fun too. The sky is the limit, as some choose to do little and others excel; receive our many scholarships, achieve great things and eventually contribute greatly to society as a result. Quite often, I have folks tell me they can tell when kids were in 4-H after job interviews, presentations, or how well they conduct themselves in various situations. Thats a priceless benefit in itself.
LEAD | The leader of the Sanford Underground Research Facility and a scientist with the Fermilab near Chicago say a billion-dollar groundbreaking research experiment poses no health risks from radiation associated with the project.

During an informational session last week in Lead, some local residents expressed concerns over potential health impacts tied to the planned Long-Based Neutrino Facility, a subterranean laboratory that will support the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment.

In late July, an international consortium broke ground on the DUNE, a global mega-science experiment that will witness scientists at the Fermilab fire a beam of tiny neutrinos at near-light speed, sending the subatomic particles through solid rock 808 miles away to the Black Hills, where scientists deep underground at the Sanford Lab hope to catch the particles using four of the most sophisticated detectors ever built.

But that plan has some Northern Hills residents wondering what potential radiation hazards could be created by the experiment.

Are we collaborators or guinea pigs? one man asked during the session.

This week, Sanford Lab Director Michael Headley and his staff posted responses to those concerns on the labs website indicating that no health hazards will be created by the experiment and that the neutrino beam is entirely safe. Those assertions were echoed by a Fermilab physicist in an interview with the Journal on Monday afternoon.

Yes, the beam of neutrinos will be completely safe, according to the labs statement available online at sanfordlab.org. Neutrinos do not emit radiation, they dont create heat and they dont change the properties of the materials through which they travel.

Fermilab has safely operated neutrino-producing facilities for more than 30 years, the statement continued. In fact, since 2005, the laboratory has been sending neutrinos harmlessly from Fermilab through the ground to research facilities in Minnesota.

In the production of neutrinos, some radiation will be produced, but only inside an underground facility on the Fermilab site in Illinois, the statement reads. For the LBNF/DUNE project, scientists will use one of Fermilabs existing particle accelerators to make muon neutrinos. In the accelerator, protons will be directed at a piece of graphite, producing secondary particles that generate neutrinos.

Headley said Monday that the facility to be constructed nearly a mile underground, and the DUNE it will house, is a complex scientific experiment, and its understandable that people in the community have questions about safety. And we welcome that.

We hope to continue to provide timely and accurate information so they can better understand the project and feel comfortable about our plans, he said. We want to be good neighbors.

Contacted at the Fermilab outside Chicago, physicist Kurt Riesselmann said minimizing health hazards and providing a safe working environment for scientists and other staff members had always been a priority.

We all have family, we have children, and we want to go home unharmed, Riesselmann said.

The physicist confirmed that some radiation is produced when Fermilab scientists fire up the facilitys particle accelerator, but that radiation is confined to an underground cavern. Riesselmann equated the radiation and precautions taken to avoid exposure to what medical patients experience when they undergo X-rays.

The nurse steps out of the room behind a wall, and you get a lead vest," he said. "Its the same way in our cavern. We have concrete walls that surround the area where the neutrinos are created. This concrete absorbs the X-rays and any radiation that is created.

Radiation detectors also are employed to ensure levels remain safe, Riesselmann said. But at the Sanford Lab, on the receiving end of the intense neutrino beam, the physicist said radiation would not be an issue.

There will be no need to monitor at Sanford Labs end, Riesselmann said. You could put a detector right in the middle of the neutrino beam at Sanford and you would detect nothing in terms of radiation. In the caverns in South Dakotas underground, the people will be able to work even when the neutrino beam goes through.

Neutrinos are harmless  they go right though you, trillions per second, simply from sunlight, he noted. So people will be perfectly safe working in the underground caverns at Sanford at all times.
YANKTON - Mount Marty College (MMC) in Yankton recently recognized the Keffeler family of Sturgis as the Mount Marty College Family of the Year.

Michael and Tammy Keffeler and their children, Abby and Justin, were honored at a special brunch during MMCs Family Weekend on Oct. 22.

Each year MMC recognizes a family that excels in three categories: generosity in their home community or the MMC community, commitment to Christian values, and the ability to touch the lives of many people. The Keffeler family was chosen for their commitment to their local parishes and community, but also for their support to the Mount Marty community.

Michael is the Facility Maintenance Manager at St. Francis of Assisi Parish and St. Martins Church in Sturgis. He is also the president of the Cemetery Board for St. Aloysius Cemetery in Sturgis where he has been a board member for over 10 years.

Tammy, a former nurse and CCD teacher, has been medically retired since 1999. She volunteers her time within the Sturgis community, cooks for CCD meals and serves as a Sacristan. Tammy is currently involved in starting a chapter of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, a Catholic organization with the goal to combat poverty, at St. Francis of Assisi Parish.

Aside from the work they do for their parishes and community, Tammy and Michael own and operate six rental properties and a part-time business called Western Powerwash. They are also heavily involved in the Meade County 4-H.

Michael and Tammy have supported Abby in her activities, never missing a band concert or gallery show, but theyve also adopted students whose families werent able to make it to events at the college, going out of their way to make sure they are taken care of.

Abby, a senior graphic design student, has been extremely active in the Mount Marty community. During her time at MMC Abby served on the Mission Committee, Pastoral Council, Campus Activities Board, and worked as an Ambassador. Shes an active member of the Catholic Leadership program, went on two service trips, and made time to be in the concert and jazz bands. Abby worked as a Resident Assistant for two years, and has been involved in the New Student Orientation program and Magnify at the Mount. She also designed and was published in the colleges online literary journal, Paddlefish.

Justin travels all over the country working as a taxidermist for Prairie Mountain Wildlife Studio.

MMCs Family Weekend is an annual event that celebrates MMC families and students, both past and present. The Family of the Year award has been given since 1984.
In her first admission of guilt, Elizabeth LeBeau said her boyfriend strangled Emily Bluebird while she held down the womans hands. In her new statement, LeBeau doesn't go into much detail, merely saying she and Fred Quiver strangled the woman together.

LeBeau, 25, signed a new plea agreement with federal prosecutors on Friday, three months after a judge invalidated her and Quivers guilty pleas in Bluebirds murder on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation last year.

At a plea-change hearing that has yet to be scheduled, LeBeau would plead guilty to second-degree murder and accessory to second-degree murder, according to the agreement.

In an accompanying statement of facts, LeBeau said she killed 24-year-old Bluebird by acting together with Fred Quiver  to bring about Emily Bluebirds death by strangulation.

LeBeau said also that she struck Bluebird in the head with a hammer multiple times.

Afterward, LeBeau said, she assisted Quiver by destroying and disposing of evidence. The document was just over a page long; her initial statement ran four pages.

They signed statements pointing to each other for strangling Bluebird with an electronics cord after the other person allegedly got into an argument with Bluebird. LeBeau and Quiver, who were then living together at Quivers home on Pine Ridge, said they had been drinking with Bluebird when the killing occurred.

Bluebirds body was found near a creek on the reservation a few weeks later.

In July, their guilty pleas were nullified by Chief Judge Jeffrey Viken, of the U.S. District Court of South Dakota. The fact that the conflicting statements were affirmed by the U.S. Attorneys Office called into question the facts that served as the bases for the pleas, the court said.

Its not clear if Quiver will also enter into a new plea agreement, or if he will go to trial. His lawyer didnt return messages seeking comment on Monday.

Under LeBeaus plea deal, prosecutors said they would recommend that she serve the sentences for her two offenses at the same time. She faces up to life in prison for murder and up to 15 years for accessory to murder. She and Quiver are both detained at the Pennington County Jail.
Dennis Banks, who helped found the American Indian Movement and engaged in sometimes-violent uprisings against the U.S. government, including the armed occupation of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in 1973, died at age 80, his family announced Monday.

Banks, whose Ojibwe name was Nowacumig, was one of several activists who founded AIM in Minneapolis in 1968, and he was a leader of the group's takeover of Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Reservation, in a protest against both the U.S. and tribal governments. The village had been the site of a massacre by U.S. soldiers in 1890 that left an estimated 300 Native Americans dead. The occupiers held federal agents at bay for 71 days; two Native Americans died and several agents were injured amid the frequent gunfire.

Banks died Sunday night at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, surrounded by about 30 people, including siblings, children and grandchildren, said daughter Tashina Banks Rama. He had heart surgery earlier this month and was in high spirits until pneumonia he had contracted after the surgery took a turn for the worse on Friday, she said.

"Dennis Banks is somebody who had an indelible impact on history, not just in our native community but throughout our country," said Anton Treuer, a professor of the Ojibwe language at Bemidji State University, citing how he demanded that the powerful take notice of Native American concerns. "He was someone who was both loved and hated  depending on what circle you're looking at."

Banks and fellow AIM leader Russell Means faced charges stemming from the Wounded Knee occupation, but a judge threw out the case. However, Banks spent 18 months in prison in the 1980s after being convicted for rioting and assault for a protest in Custer, South Dakota, earlier in 1973. He avoided prosecution on those charges for several years because California Gov. Jerry Brown refused to extradite him, and the Onondaga Nation in New York gave him sanctuary.

Banks also helped lead a takeover of the Bureau of Indian Affairs offices in Washington, D.C., in 1972 as part of a protest dubbed "The Trail of Broken Treaties." And he was a participant in the 1969-71 occupation by Native Americans of Alcatraz Island, the site of the former prison in San Francisco Bay.

Banks' family wrote on his Facebook page that as he took his last breaths, son Minoh Banks sang him four songs for his journey.

"All the family who were present prayed over him and said our individual goodbyes," the family said. "Then we proudly sang him the AIM song as his final send off."

Banks lived near the town of Federal Dam on the Leech Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota and was a member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, one of the many bands of Ojibwe, also known as the Chippewa or Anishinaabe, living in North America. In the late 1990s, Banks founded a company that sold wild rice and maple syrup, trading on his famous name.

He was part of a group of AIM supporters who returned to Wounded Knee in 2003 to mark the 30th anniversary of the standoff. Banks paid tribute to the dead as "warriors" and declared it "a national holiday." He was also there in 1998 for the 25th anniversary.

In 2010, Banks joined several other Ojibwe from the Leech Lake and White Earth bands who tested their rights under an 1855 treaty by setting out nets illegally on Lake Bemidji a day before Minnesota's fishing season opener. He also went to the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota to join last year's protests of the Dakota Access oil pipeline.

Treuer said Banks is remembered in the Native American community not just for his work in the rise of AIM but also for his efforts on the local level, such as focusing attention on racial disparities in the justice system, housing for Native Americans, treaty rights and teaching traditional ways to young people.

Rama said the family plans to hold wakes Wednesday evening at the Minneapolis American Indian Center, and Thursday and Friday on Leech Lake Reservation. Banks will be buried in a traditional ceremony Saturday on the reservation.

Banks is survived by 20 children and more than 100 grandchildren, she said.
Kudos to the newly remodeled supermarket at Baken Park for flying the U.S. flag in front of their building! I hope it is permanent year-round, as it is a very nice addition to their attractive business.

Are Rounds and Thune going to insure their families under this new plan? How many other senators are going to?

NASCAR drivers wear jackets with the names of the companies that fund them, and I think our South Dakota Senators should do the same thing. Perhaps then we would understand why they vote to help the pharmaceutical and insurance industries and not for affordable health care for the good folks of South Dakota.

Well I see justice has finally been served in the amount of $200 for commissioner defense, and it only took two years and wasted who knows how much money. He should be held responsible for all the legal fees that were wasted at taxpayers' expense.

If Republicans and Democrats are parties, then I guess I didn't get invited.

If people live where there are mountain lions, isn't it common sense to protect your pets and not leave them out where they can be killed. So many female lions are killed and their cubs survive anyway they can, as their parents aren't able to teach them how to hunt and stay away from humans.
GOOD: Last week Leonard Borlaug got an encore that was 50 years in the making. The former Douglas High School music teacher was passing through Rapid City on Thursday when school officials and family members arranged for a memorable day at the school. Borlaug, 95, penned the school's fight song, "Douglas Rouser," 55 years ago, and the Douglas band played it for him during his visit. Tears rolled down Borlaug's face as the band played. His daughter, Solvejg Seamon, said she hadnt seen her father cry since 2005, when her mother, Verlyce, died. Borlaug even got to conduct the song as the band played it for a second time. It was a fitting tribute for a man who devoted his life to music and teaching.

BAD: A thermonuclear accident occurred 53 years ago in a small corner of western South Dakota near the community of Vale. The public had little to no knowledge of what happened until a government report was released years later. We will chalk this one up as something that could have been very bad, but thanks to the heroics of a few men it turned out OK. The accident was explained in detail in Sunday's edition of the Journal thanks to a bit of luck and tireless research. While two airmen were conducting maintenance on a Minuteman Missile, an electrical short caused the warhead to blow off the top of the missile and fall 80 feet down into the silo. Bob Hicks was tasked with "safeing" the missile and bringing the nuclear warhead out. His calm and collected approach likely saved lives. People like him will always be needed in this country.

UGLY: After originally being sentenced to a year's worth of weekends, Kenneth Orrock's sentence for tax evasion was reduced last week to five years probation. Judge Jeffrey Viken had designed the unorthodox sentence in a way that made it possible for Orrock to maintain his business and pay back the IRS. But, The Bureau of Prisons said the unusual sentence could not be implemented, and Viken earlier this month declared that it was an "illegal sentence."

Orrock is a former Butte County State's Attorney and owner of the private security firm Black Hills Patrol. This case does nothing but reinforce the narrative that those employed within the legal justice system get preferential treatment. Granting Orrock probation sends a terrible message about how lawyers and law enforcement are treated, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson said last week. Though we commend Judge Viken for thinking outside the box and trying to recoup the $17,000 that Orrock owes the government, we wished he would have first checked to make sure a sentence of this nature could be carried out.
RATNANAGAR, CHITWAN: Ambassador of China to Nepal Yu Hong today said that the Government of the Peoples Republic of China was willing to provide support for the development of agriculture and tourism, among other sectors, in Chitwan district.

Speaking in a meeting held at the Chitwan District Coordination Committee here on Monday, Ambassador Yu expressed Chinas willingness to provide necessary cooperation for the development of the tourism sector in Chitwan, which she described as a tourism city as well as technical assistance for the promotion of agriculture sector.

She stated there is the need of modern agriculture in Chitwan and gave assurances of Chinese assistance for the same.

The Chinese ambassador also said support would be provided for upgrading and modernization of the BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital in Chitwan which was constructed with the Chinese assistance.

She urged the DCC Chitwan chief to participate in the China Fair taking place in China.

On the occasion, Chitwan DCC chief, Krishna Kumar Dallakoti provided information to the Chinese envoy about the geographical, social and economic situation while Local Development Officer Krishna Prasad Subedi information on the infrastructure development and sectors needing assistance in Chitwan district.RSS
KATHMANDU: An eight-point bilateral agreement between the representatives of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (AFEC) was signed amid a programme here today to strengthening the economic ties between the two countries.

The agreement signing ceremony was held in the presence of Minister for Industry Sunil Bahadur Thapa where FNCCI President Bhawani Rana and Vice-President of Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, Richard Schenz, signed the agreement papers.

The agreement stresses the expansion of collaboration between the two countries in the sectors as bilateral trade, commerce and technology.

Both sides have agreed to review the agreement inked between the FNCCI and Austrian Federal Economic Chamber in 1993.

Furthermore, the agreement stresses on moving ahead by facilitating the extension of mutual interests and cooperation, and the exchange visits of business delegations to both countries among others.

On the occasion, Minister Thapa spoke of the need for exchanging knowledge, skills and technology between the two countries, citing the cutting-edge cable car system in Austria.

Stating that the investment climate was favourable in Nepal, he urged the Austrian side to invest in Nepal confidently.

The Minister also underscored the high-level visits between Nepal and Austria to buttressing the ties between the two countries.

Similarly, National Planning Commission (NPC) member Dr CK Poudel and Secretary at the Ministry of Industry Yam Kumari Khatiwada urged the Austrian side to consider investment in agriculture, energy and service sector, stating that a favourable environment for investment was created in Nepal politically and at policy level.

Austrian Ambassador to Nepal Brigitte Oppinger-Walchshofer shared that the Austrian entrepreneurs were encouraged to invest in Nepal. She expressed her confidence that the trade ties between the two countries would further bolster in the upcoming days.

Echoing with Minister Thapa, FNCCI President Bhawani Rana said, A favorable environment was created in Nepal owing to the political stability and the reforms at policy level by the second generation.

Austrian Federal Economic Chamber president Richard Schenz shared that the Austrian entrepreneurs were willing to invest in Nepal and pledged to attract more Austrian investment in Nepal.

The representatives of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and Austrian entrepreneurs are currently on a visit to Nepal in course of exploring investment opportunities.RSS
Guwahati : With amid fearing about whether Assam will loose a huge parts of its land to proposed Nagalim, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday clarified that, not an inch of Assam's land will be parted with it and the integrity of the state will be protected at any cost.

Recently, BJP's Assam unit president Ranjit Kumar Das said that, the dispute areas of Assam-Nagaland border will be included in the proposed Nagalim.

Refuting the comment of the state BJP unit president, Sonowal said that, not an inch of state's land will be parted with it.

"The state government will protect the integrity of the state," Sonowal said.

NSCN-IM's Nagalim claim has triggered massive protests across the state and several organisations have demanded the both Centre and state government to public the framework agreement signed between the Centre and NSCN-IM in New Delhi two years back in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, NSCN-IM's General Secretary Thuingaleng Muivah.

Opposition Congress has demanded a special assembly session to discuss the issue.

According to the reports of Assam government that, Nagaland had allegedly encroached over 66,000 hectares Assam's land.

In 1988, the Assam government had filed a case before the Supreme Court over the Assam-Nagaland border dispute and the case is yet to be solved.

Recently, the Centre appointed interlocutor RN Ravi had visited at Dimapur and discussed with six Naga political parties group ahead of the final settlement with NSCN-IM.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Kathmandu, Nepal: The Kathmandu District Court (KDC) has ordered 12 years and six months jail term to the CPN Maoist Centre leader Bal Krishna Dhungel.

Following the KDC order, Dhungel has been sent to Dillibazar-based prison. Nepal police had presented murder convict Dhungel at the KDC after his arrest.

Earlier on Tuesday, Police had nabbed the absconding murder convict Dhungel from his rented room in Satdobato of Lalitpur district.

The Supreme Court (SC) the apex court of the country had already convicted him in the murder case of Ujjan Kumar Shrestha, a resident of his home district, Okhaldhunga on January 3, 2010 upholding the Okhaldhunga District Court verdict against him.

The SC had ordered Dhungel for life imprisonment with property seizure. But he was not arrested in the pretext of failing to map out him even though he had spent years in and around the Singdurbar, as member of the parliament.

As he had already served eight years jail term during the trial of the case, he has to spend 12 years five months and 22 days in the jail.

Dhungel was found main culprit on the murder case of Shrestha. He was murdered on June 24, 1998, at Tarkerabari of Okhaldhunga.

The CPN Maoist had been attempting to save Dhungel from the charge. Baburam Bhattarai-led government had decided to pardon Dhungel on November 8, 2011. But the SC denied the governments decision following the writ of certiorari at the apex court on November 10, 2011 by the victims sister Sabitri Shrestha.
zhan qi lai ), and Deng made it prosperous ( fu qi lai ), Xi will make it strong again ( qiang qi lai ). Thrilled by this prospect, a top education official One dominant theme of President Xi Jinpings political report at the 19th Party Congress is Chinas national rejuvenation. China was described as a great power or a strong power 26 times in his speech. According to Xi, by the middle of this century China will become a leading nation in comprehensive national power and international status. This will usher in a New Era: if Mao made China independent (), and Deng made it prosperous (), Xi will make it strong again (). Thrilled by this prospect, a top education official predicted that in 2049, Chinese standards of education will become the standards of the world.

What is not emphasized in the report is that Chinas path toward becoming a world leader is not likely to be smooth sailing. In order to fulfill these ambitious targets, China has to overcome four traps: the Middle-Income Trap, the Tacitus Trap, the Thucydides Trap, and the Kindleberger Trap.

The Middle-Income Trap occurs when a country attains a certain income and gets stuck at that level, which falls short of that of advanced economies. Keenly aware of this challenge, Xi promised in 2015 that Chinas annual growth would not fall below 6.5 percent for the subsequent five years. While he did not specify the growth rate at the 19th Party Congress, it is occurs when a country attains a certain income and gets stuck at that level, which falls short of that of advanced economies. Keenly aware of this challenge, Xi promised in 2015 that Chinas annual growth would not fall below 6.5 percent for the subsequent five years. While he did not specify the growth rate at the 19th Party Congress, it is estimated that Chinas GDP per capita has to reach more than $20,000 (in present value) and sustain an annual growth rate of at least 5 percent during 2020-2035 in order to basically realize socialist modernization. For this reason, GDP growth may continue to be used as the yardstick to measure local government officials performance. Meanwhile, in recognition of the social cost associated with the single-minded pursuit of economic growth, Beijing is taking a more proactive approach in promoting other developmental goals, including environmental protection and poverty alleviation. Sensing incoherence and contradiction in central policy, local officials may turn to strategic disobedience, timidity, or inaction in policy implementation, which can be exacerbated by the ongoing anti-corruption campaign. As a result, China may well find its economy end up like that of Mexico, Brazil, or Argentina, which show clear signs of the Middle-Income Trap

The Tacitus Trap is a is a term coined by the Chinese , although it is likely derived from Tacitus, a historian of the Roman Empire. It describes a situation where no matter what the government says or does, people will consider it a lie or a bad deed. President Xi himself used the term to highlight the need to maintain government credibility, without which the Partys legitimacy foundations and power status will be threatened. In order to overcome the Tacitus Trap, the Chinese state is supposed to introduce more transparency, restructure state-society relations, and renew its legitimacy base. Yet rather than push for political reform in this direction, political leaders have been calling for Party members, government officials, and the Chinese people to be confident in our chosen path, confident in our political system, confident in our guiding theories, and confident in our culture. On the eve of the 19th Party Congress, the official news agency published a commentary presenting the Chinese political system as a more credible alternative to crisis-ridden Western democracies: Under the leadership of a sober-minded, forward-looking CPC, Chinese-style democracy has never been healthier and China has absolutely no need to import the failing party political systems of other countries.

The Thucydides Trap is the theory that a rising power will inevitably challenge the dominance of an existing hegemon, and the latters fear of that prospect can trigger competitive dynamics that ultimately lead to confrontation, even war. In response, China claims that it does not pose a threat to any other country, and that it will never seek hegemony or expansion  Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydidess Trap? , he  Unless China is willing to scale back its ambitions or Washington can accept becoming number two in the Pacific, a trade conflict, cyberattack, or accident at sea could soon escalate into all-out war. Bonnie Glaser and Matthew Funaiole of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) echo this by is the theory that a rising power will inevitably challenge the dominance of an existing hegemon, and the latters fear of that prospect can trigger competitive dynamics that ultimately lead to confrontation, even war. In response, China claims that it does not pose a threat to any other country, and that it will never seek hegemony or expansion  no matter what stage of development it reaches . Harvards Graham Allison begs to disagree. In his latest book, he contends thatUnless China is willing to scale back its ambitions or Washington can accept becoming number two in the Pacific, a trade conflict, cyberattack, or accident at sea could soon escalate into all-out war. Bonnie Glaser and Matthew Funaiole of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) echo this by suggesting that Chinas ambitious project to build a first-tier force and to increase its international influence could reinforce the widely held assessment that China harbors a deep-seated desire to displace the U.S. as the dominant power in Asia.

The Kindleberger Trap was coined by Harvard professor Joseph Nye but derived from the late economic historian Charles Kindleberger. Both the Thucydides Trap and the Kindleberger Trap highlight the danger inherent in the shifting balance of power. What makes them different is that rather than focus on the threats from a strong aspirant power (as implied by the Thucydides Trap), the Kindleberger Trap attributes the failure of the international system to the under-provision of global public goods. Kindleberger argued that the chaotic and disastrous nature of the 1930s was caused by the failure of the United States to assume the international responsibilities that came with the mantle of the largest global power that it took from Great Britain. The term can also be used to explain the challenges faced by the current global governance regime. As the United States seems to be retreating from its international commitment, the international community is turning to China, which has indicated its interest in filling the void left by the United States. Yet as I was coined by Harvard professor Joseph Nye but derived from the late economic historian Charles Kindleberger. Both the Thucydides Trap and the Kindleberger Trap highlight the danger inherent in the shifting balance of power. What makes them different is that rather than focus on the threats from a strong aspirant power (as implied by the Thucydides Trap), the Kindleberger Trap attributes the failure of the international system to the under-provision of global public goods. Kindleberger argued that the chaotic and disastrous nature of the 1930s was caused by the failure of the United States to assume the international responsibilities that came with the mantle of the largest global power that it took from Great Britain. The term can also be used to explain the challenges faced by the current global governance regime. As the United States seems to be retreating from its international commitment, the international community is turning to China, which has indicated its interest in filling the void left by the United States. Yet as I noted in a recent piece, China has to overcome significant capacity gapssmall amounts of foreign aid, a lack of soft power, and mounting domestic political economy challengesbefore it can play the role of a true global leader.

Of the four traps, the first two will determine Chinas internal transition, while the other two will have direct implications for U.S.-China relations and global governance. The four traps are nevertheless not mutually exclusive. For example, both the middle-income and Tacitus traps undermine Chinas ability to project its international power and influence, while the Thucydides Trap and the Kindleberger Trap both shape the international security and governance landscape that provides incentives or disincentives for China to address its domestic political and economic challenges. President Trump and his China team may have to keep the four traps in mind in their dealings with an increasingly confident and assertive China.
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Why Japans New Military Aircraft Gift to the Philippines Matters

Golez: FOR STRONGER DEFENSE TIES, TRANSFER OF MORE DEFENSE ARTICLES FROM JAPAN TO THE PHILIPPINES.

I quote from article:

1. JAPAN'S DONATION, NOT LEASE, OF FIVE AIRCRAFT FOR THE PHILIPPINES: "Last week, Japan disclosed that, following a change in Japanese law, it will now be donating five aircraft to the Philippines rather than leasing them as previously agreed. Though the move represents just one change in a broader relationship that has already been deepening in the defense realm, its significance for both sides and the wider region ought not to be underestimated."

2. PHILIPPINES-JAPAN LANDMARK AGREEMENT ON DEFENSE EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER: "In March 2016, the two countries signed a landmark agreement on defense equipment and technology transfer, making the Philippines just the fourth country Japan has ever inked such a pact with and paving the way for more defense-related developments following Tokyos lifting of a self-imposed ban on weapons exports. In September 2016, Japan and the Philippines agreed to a deal where JMSDF would lease two aircraft to the Philippines for a year starting in March."

3. TRAINING OF FILIPINO PILOTS IN JAPAN: "Parts of that bilateral deal are already ongoing. The Philippines received the first two TC-90 aircraft on March 27. And the training of Philippine naval pilots has been underway as well, with the first of three batches of training occurring from November 2016 to March 2017 and the second completed on October 20 at JMSDF Tokushima Air Base. But the Philippines was hoping for a switch from a leasing agreement to free of charge use of the aircraft. That became possible following a change in Japanese law during the last session of parliament, which significantly paved the way for the donating of secondhand defense equipment to developing countries."

4. PLANES DISASTER RESPONSE MISSIONS TO MARITIME SECURITY OPERATIONS, REGULAR PATROLS IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA: "More specifically, the TC-90s, as I have noted before, can be deployed for a variety of purposes ranging from disaster response missions to maritime security operations. Manila does not have enough aircraft to conduct regular patrols in the South China Sea, and these planes could be fitted with basic surface and air radar for surveillance as Manila responds to Chinas threat to Philippine claims there. With a range of about 1,900 kilometers, the TC-90s will roughly double the area that Philippine aircraft can now patrol."

5. A BREAKTHROUGH, EXPECT MORE TRANSFER OF DEFENSE EQUIPMENT: One of the more challenging areas for this is the transfer of defense equipment, since Japan is a newcomer to this, having just lifted decades-old restrictions.

"The TC-90 deal is thus a breakthrough for Japan on this front. The agreement effectively marks the first instance in which excess defense equipment was transferred to another country completely free of charge, proving that Tokyo can in fact make some inroads in the region despite the difficulties of being a newcomer in the defense market, as has been evident in some other cases (See: Australia-Japan Defense Ties are Deeper than a Sunken Submarine Bid). It also further cements the Philippines role as one of the key countries that Japan can advance defense ties with within the broader Southeast Asian context despite the lingering uncertainties in the Duterte era."









Why Japans New Military Aircraft Gift to the Philippines Matters

The Diplomat

The subtle change is not without significance for both sides and the wider region.
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Seguin, TX (78155)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low near 40F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low near 40F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.
 Interesting and encouraging new Gallup numbers on reports of crime victimization | Main | "What Constitutes 'Consideration' of Mitigating Evidence?" 

October 31, 2017

You be the state judge: what sentence for autistic man whose first convictions resulted from years of fondling young girl?

Perhaps because we recently have been discussing mandatory minimum sentences for aggravated sexual offenses in my Criminal Law class, I was intrigued by this sentencing story out of the state courts in Kansas. The piece is headlined "Judge to weigh input before sentencing child molester, including numerous letters supporting him," and here are the basics that set up the question in the title of this post:

In August a jury convicted James M. Fletcher, 35, of Lawrence, of five counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, for repeatedly fondling a girl over the course of more than two years, starting when she was 11. Under sentencing guidelines, even though he has no other criminal history, Fletcher faces up to life in prison with no possibility of parole for at least 25 years, plus lifetime registration and supervision if he were to be paroled. Fletchers sentencing hearing was Monday, but a ruling was delayed until Nov. 9. Judge Peggy Kittel took under advisement a request from Fletchers attorneys to give him a lighter sentence than what the guidelines require. Kittel said she wanted time to weigh her decision due to the length of sentence Mr. Fletcher is facing. His situation is unusual, Kittel said. What makes this case so hard is that Mr. Fletcher has no criminal history, yet is facing a lifetime sentence, Kittel said. The numerous letters of support from family, friends, neighbors and co-workers are impressive, Kittel said. Fletchers co-workers lauded him as a capable electrical engineer, intelligent and even brilliant, she said. And yet a jury found him guilty of betraying the trust of (the victim), the judge said. He stands convicted of something, really, ethically and morally wrong. More than three dozen people attended Mondays hearing. That included the victim, who also testified at the trial, but most were supporters of Fletcher. None spoke, and neither did Fletcher other than yes and no answers to the judge, with his head otherwise bowed. Fletcher, who has been jailed since his conviction, appeared in shackles and inmate clothing. The judge did, through prosecutors, receive and read a letter from the victim with a picture that she drew, but the letter was not read aloud nor the picture displayed in court. The judge also referenced the many letters in Fletchers support that she received earlier. Fletchers attorneys, Sarah Swain and Cooper Overstreet, emphasized his lack of criminal history, his strong support system  pointing to Fletchers wife, parents, relatives and friends in the audience  his model behavior while out on bond prior to his conviction and his proactivity in seeking counseling for what was described in trial as a sexual attraction to the teenage body type. Thats a very rare thing, Swain said. These can only be positive steps, steps in the right direction. Swain also added that, prior to legislation known as Jessicas Law, the crimes of which Fletcher was convicted would have carried a substantially lighter sentence. That law, in part, increased penalties for certain sex crimes against children. Defense attorneys requested a total sentence for Fletcher of two and a half years, or 29 and a half months on each count, running concurrently. Prosecutor Mark Simpson said the defense's arguments were not compelling enough to depart from sentencing guidelines. In fact, Simpson said some of those same points made Fletchers crimes even worse. She trusted him, Simpson said of the victim. He was able to have access to her in a way that she could not have been more vulnerable. A psychological evaluation of Fletcher concluded that he would not be able to groom a child because he had autism, Simpson said, but that diagnoses only came when Fletcher was 34 and seemed to contradict descriptions of him in the numerous letters of support. The same analysis concluded that Fletcher intellectualized and rationalized behavior, limiting the ability of any treatment to be effective, Simpson said. Simpson said the crimes occurred in a house under the same roof as several of Fletchers relatives, who at one point even suggested that his cuddling was inappropriate. Simpson said Fletcher orchestrated the abuse in part by trying to convince the girl she was only dreaming it. This was not one bad decision, Simpson said. This was ongoing  years of carefully planned abuse by the defendant. Prosecutors are requesting a sentence of life in prison for Fletcher. Simpson said that if Fletcher were paroled after 25 years, he would have served the equivalent of five years of prison for each count. "That does not seem like an inappropriately long sentence to me," he said. Fletcher was charged in Douglas County District Court in September 2015 with one count of aggravated indecent liberties with a child under 14, with four more counts added in May 2016. Charges indicate Fletcher molested the girl from December 2012 through January 2015, when the victim was 13. The victim told the jury that numerous times when she stayed at Fletchers house in Lawrence, he fondled her bare breasts under her T-shirt at night. She said sometimes she was awakened by the action but that she pretended to be asleep, and that afterward she felt scared, confused and initially passed off the encounters as dreams to give myself a reason to not have to tell anybody. The girl said no one else saw the alleged molestation and that she never told anyone until February 2015, after a confrontation between Fletcher and her mother, where Fletcher told her mother he was sexually attracted to teens and worried he would develop an attraction to the girl.

This kind of case is the sort that, in my view, showcases why sentencing decision-making can be so challenging for judges and why modern mass incarceration in a consequences of so many choices by so many players in the criminal justice system. As the article reveals, the severity of the sentence here appears to be the product of, inter alia, the legislature increasing punishments under Jessica's law, prosecutors bringing multiple charges, the defendant contesting those charges at trial, and the operation of state sentencing guidelines. And still, it appears, the sentencing judge has authority to impose a sentence as low as only 2.5 years in prison or as long as a mandatory 25 years in prison. If/when judges regularly max out sentences in these kinds of tough cases, prison populations will always be large.

This case also serves as a notable example of how many different ways one can characterize offense conduct and offender characteristics. Is this case properly and usefully labelled a violent offense? Is it properly and usefully labelled a first or a repeat offense? Is this the worst kind of sex offense because of the age of the victim and the duration of the activity or would the label repeat child rape not fairly characterize the the criminal activity. And is the defendant here clearly autistic? Does that matter? Is he at high risk to reoffend if he only serves 2.5 years in prison? Might be be at higher risk to reoffend if he were sentenced to a longer prison term?

October 31, 2017 at 10:56 AM | Permalink

Comments

Maximum allowable under law.

Posted by: whatever | Oct 31, 2017 11:27:49 AM

Life=too harsh

What was the emotional/social age of the girl at the beginning of conduct?

Posted by: Docile the Kind Soul | Oct 31, 2017 11:40:14 AM

normally, i hate mandatory minimums, but this guy is such a scumbag. there are plenty of autistic people who aren't molesters. he did this over many years and is clearly a repeat offender, even if he was slick enough to avoid jail time for many years.

1) he is married and has a wonderful support system, which means he should have know better

2) his "wonderful" support system probably turned a blind eye to the warning signs, and they are clearly enablers

3) he molest a 11-13 year old over several years

4) he is clever and manipulative enough to convince the victim that she was sleeping through her abuse



Posted by: Annie | Oct 31, 2017 2:25:45 PM

I could possibly see an argument if the discussion were about a traditional autistic (although such a person would be unlikely to be able to perpetrate the offense as described) but don't see it being at all relevant to someone capable of navigating the real world.

Posted by: Soronel Haetir | Oct 31, 2017 2:43:40 PM

@Doug B.

FWIW I will answer you questions one by one as I see the issues.

"Is this case properly and usefully labelled a violent offense?" NO.

"Is it properly and usefully labelled a first or a repeat offense?" FIRST.

"Is this the worst kind of sex offense because of the age of the victim and the duration of the activity or would the label repeat child rape not fairly characterize the the criminal activity." Not the worst offense but not the least offense either. Somewhere in the middle.

"And is the defendant here clearly autistic?" NO

"Does that matter?" NO

"Is he at high risk to reoffend if he only serves 2.5 years in prison?" Who the hell knows? It is guess work.



"Might be be at higher risk to reoffend if he were sentenced to a longer prison term?" Again, who the hell knows. I consider the whole issues speculative and besides the point.

If I can give him any sentence I'd like, without having read the PSR or all the salacious details, just based on what you said in the post, I would go for five years. Anything longer serves no useful penal purpose except being vindictive.



Posted by: Daniel | Oct 31, 2017 6:01:38 PM

What was the harm again?

Why is she sleeping in the same house as the offender after the first offense?

Should welfare investigate and remove her from this mother?

What is the value or damage of having a breast grabbed? A dollar, ten? Certainly not 100.

While in bed, I felt being grabbed. I heard very loud, clanging church bells. I felt paralyzed. These are called hypnopompic hallucinations, and are normal sleep phenomena. They were not real.

Is forbearance of an offense for two years an implied consent to a crime by mother and by daughter?

Is this the feminist witch hunt of the productive male?

A person is an engineer, a husband, held in high esteem. Can he be autistic? Heck no. He can only be a nerd.

Posted by: David Behar | Oct 31, 2017 9:03:15 PM

From the story, "Judge Peggy Kittel," appointed by a female governor, with female accusers, asleep at the time, and a vindictive mother. This is a feminist lynch mob.

Hey, Bruce, where is the adequate defense here? Attack the feminist lynch mob. Do not allow you client to be lynched by feminists. Attack the false accuser and the lack of corroboratory evidence, the vicious mother, the feminist police interrogators that implanted false memories into the false accuser, the video tapes of this process of implanting false feminist memories into the mind of a feminist child, the feminist judge, the feminist governor who sicked her on the productive male. Where is the motion for a mistrial, Bruce?

Posted by: David Behar | Oct 31, 2017 11:10:18 PM

Is the defendant autistic?

He does not appear to fit the DSM criteria for autism, or high functioning autism.

Should a proper diagnosis, (by a psychologist or psychiatrist) of autism be considered for a downward departure at sentencing? Yes

Posted by: tommyc | Nov 1, 2017 10:42:29 AM

If he has autism he must be very high functioning, he's married, an electrical engineer and is described as "brilliant and intelligent." Seems like he should know right from wrong.

In this instance I would leave "autism" out of the equation.

The fact that he has no criminal past and a very good support group should weigh heavily, just as it should for anyone else, when the sentence is doled out, but 25 years in prison, way too long and a lifetime on the registry, absurd.





Posted by: kat | Nov 2, 2017 10:37:39 AM

I am a witness (though I played no part in this trial and only found about this situation by chance): I know him. I know his family. I know the girl. Jimmy Fletcher married the girl's mother; they were only married a few months before divorcing. Then he told her he felt like he was her father, that they'd established that sort of relationship, and convinced the mother to allow him to have parental-type visitation with the children (she has a younger brother). He'd take them for weekends - he was living at his parents' house at this point - and on trips. His taking the younger brother at the same time was apparently "camouflage" for his purposes with the girl. Given how short the marriage was, I wonder if he only married the mom so that he could gain access to this little girl.

And don't fall for that "so much familial/church support" nonsense - there's something deeply twisted in his family. His older brother was slapped with a sexual harassment lawsuit in high school (no further details available); he was arrested and convicted of running a "magic mushroom"-growing operation (got off with probation); he's been arrested multiple times - possession of stolen property and assault, among others. Their younger sister is likewise a mess - DUI, possession of stolen property, shoplifting. That's out of FOUR children. Obviously, what "support" he has is NOT "good".

It appears he groomed her - planting a suggestion that she was only dreaming of the molestation because he chose to molest her when she was sleeping. Shouldn't a child be *safe* when she's sleeping?? But that's when he chose to molest her - nobody would be around to witness, naturally. He planned all this very carefully. He deserves to be put away for life. Truly. The whole scenario is just sick and predatory. And he's an asshole, besides.

Posted by: Frieda George | Dec 5, 2017 11:48:56 AM

Sorry - I had a typo in the email address, so here's the post again - feel free to delete the original:

am a witness (though I played no part in this trial and only found about this situation by chance): I know him. I know his family. I know the girl. Jimmy Fletcher married the girl's mother; they were only married a few months before divorcing. Then he told her he felt like he was her father, that they'd established that sort of relationship, and convinced the mother to allow him to have parental-type visitation with the children (she has a younger brother). He'd take them for weekends - he was living at his parents' house at this point - and on trips. His taking the younger brother at the same time was apparently "camouflage" for his purposes with the girl. Given how short the marriage was, I wonder if he only married the mom so that he could gain access to this little girl.

And don't fall for that "so much familial/church support" nonsense - there's something deeply twisted in his family. His older brother was slapped with a sexual harassment lawsuit in high school (no further details available); he was arrested and convicted of running a "magic mushroom"-growing operation (got off with probation); he's been arrested multiple times - possession of stolen property and assault, among others. Their younger sister is likewise a mess - DUI, possession of stolen property, shoplifting. That's out of FOUR children. Obviously, what "support" he has is NOT "good".

It appears he groomed her - planting a suggestion that she was only dreaming of the molestation because he chose to molest her when she was sleeping. Shouldn't a child be *safe* when she's sleeping?? But that's when he chose to molest her - nobody would be around to witness, naturally. He planned all this very carefully. He deserves to be put away for life. Truly. The whole scenario is just sick and predatory. She'll probably have nightmares for the rest of her life. And he's an asshole, besides.

Posted by: Frieda George | Dec 5, 2017 12:04:06 PM

One more detail - he has never appeared autistic and no one ever identified him as such.

Posted by: Frieda George | Dec 5, 2017 1:59:51 PM

From a law firm's website: https://www.crammlawfirm.com/aggressive-defense-of-jessicas-law-offenses/

First-Time Offenders

Even people with no prior history of sexual offenses face significantly greater sentences if convicted of a sex offense under Jessicas Law. Specifically, someone over the age of 18 who is convicted of one of the listed sexual offenses with a child under age 14 will be sentenced to life in prison, and must serve a minimum sentence of not fewer than 25 years before being eligible for parole.

Comparative Sentencing Risk

In order to fully understand the severe sentencing implications of Jessicas Law, one must first understand the basic application of the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines. Only by calculating what a persons potential guideline sentence would have been prior to the enactment of Jessicas Law does it become clear just how serious these changes are.

Consider an 18-year-old client who is convicted of aggravated indecent liberties with a minor in violation of K.S.A. 21-3504. The minor was 13 years old at the time of the incident and the operative conduct at issue involved touching and fondling as described in subsection (a)(3)(A). Note that it is not necessary to complete the act of intercourse or sodomy to violate this law  mere touching or fondling is sufficient.

If this had happened before July, 2006  the effective date of Jessicas Law in Kansas  this client would have committed a Severity Level 3 Offense under the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines. If he had never been in trouble with the law before, he would have occupied Criminal History Category I for purposes of sentencing, and he would have faced a potential sentence of 55-61 months in prison, roughly five years.

Under Jessicas Law, he faces a sentence of life in prison with no opportunity for parole for a period of 25 years. This is reflected in the single sentence at the end of K.S.A. 21-3504 that is noted in bold italic print: When the offender is 18 years of age or older, aggravated indecent liberties with a child as described in subsection (a)(3) is an off-grid person felony.

Notice that the 18-yr-old adult who fondled a 13-yr-old would have been eligible for a 5-year prison sentence BEFORE Jessica's Law went into effect in 2006. For purposes of comparison, setting aside the stricter Jessica's Law guidelines/requirements, this would have been a grown man in his 30s fondling an 11-yr-old pre-pubescent child. It's FAR more severe than the other case, both in terms of the youth of the victim, the greater difference between their ages, and - don't forget - she regarded him as her father and called him "Dad." Under Jessica's Law, which went into effect well before James Fletcher decided to start routinely molesting this little girl who trusted him. He apparently thought he could get away with it.

It is telling that the people on here saying "2.5 or 5 years is perfectly adequate" are all men. You seem to be thinking in terms of protecting the man in this equation, or finding reasons to let him off, and not thinking about his responsibility to that CHILD who thought of herself as his daughter and the fact that he attacked her when she was asleep, which is so egregious. WHY should we soft-pedal this? Why should we think that such conduct deserves nothing more than a slap on the wrist? "What is the value or damage of having a breast grabbed? A dollar, ten? Certainly not 100." Are you KIDDING me?????

Posted by: Frieda George | Dec 5, 2017 2:57:22 PM

I lived with this man. He was a terrible human. Ask anyone in my family, this was so unusual for him. And he definitely didnt have autism!!

Posted by: Oofer | Apr 14, 2019 9:22:57 AM

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Berkeley's Revolution Books once again found itself targeted by right-wing protesters Sunday evening during their "100th Anniversary of Russian Revolution" talk and slide show event.

According to the Daily Cal's report of the incident, seven protesters who identified themselves as part of the "Make America Great Again" movement showed up to try to gain entry to the talk. They allegedly tried to enter the bookstore, but were blocked by attendees, who, at first, outnumbered the protesters. Guy Taiho Decker, one of the protesters, reportedly asked, "Why are you discriminating against me?" as attendees blocked them from entering.

Revolution Books was the target of recent protests connected to "Free Speech Week" at UC Berkeley in September. One protest attracted many MAGA/alt-right protesters, all of whom tried to enter the store, but were blocked by employees of the bookstore's neighboring businesses and counter-demonstrators from RefuseFascism.org.

On Sunday, the protesting group was smaller, but their intentions were still questionable, according to witnesses who spoke with the Daily Cal. Despite that, the protesters maintained that they would have listened "with an open eye and ear" if they were allowed into the bookstore and event. One of the protesters called the Berkeley PD to file a harassment complaint, but when they showed up, they made no arrests, saying that no crime had occurred.

One protestor called the Berkeley Police Department to file a harassment complaint. Two police officers just arrived. #revolutionbooks pic.twitter.com/ipfKUivWlC  Danielle Kaye (@danielledkaye) October 30, 2017

Reiko Redmonde, manager of Revolution Books, told the Daily Cal, "They think (Berkeley) is the center of revolutionary and left thinking. They think that UC Berkeley is a place where people think, read, criticize  and all of these things are the antithesis of what theyre about. So thats why theyre attacking us."

Related: Chelsea Manning Addresses Crowd In Berkeley At The 'March Against White Supremacy'
Spooky seasons in full swing on the blogs and local newspapers, with The Atlantics video rundown of the cryptic Columbarium, the SF Weeklys devilish dive into Anton LaVeys supposed curse on the Fox Plaza, and now SF Gate's hair-raising history of the woman whose ghost is purported to haunt the Queen Anne Hotel at Sutter Street and and Octavia Street. The sprawling, pink Victorian Queen Anne Hotel is legitimately eerie both inside and out, its interior fully stocked with antiques and its layout replete with vintage parlors, salons, and ten-foot ceilings. But unlike many supposedly haunted hospitality venues, the Queen Anne makes no secret of the ghosts that allegedly walk its halls, regularly allows television and media crews to do segments, and proudly has more than two dozen Yelp reviews mentioning the hauntings.





The paranormal activity at the Queen Anne is alleged to be concentrated at Room 410  which you can totally still stay in, and even has a functioning bidet! Guests describe the regular appearance of a friendly ghost who will sing in the night, mysteriously unpack suitcases, tuck guests in, or pull covers over them while theyre half-asleep. This ghost is alleged to be the spirit of Miss Mary Lake (1849-1904), headmistresss of the Miss Mary Lake's School for Girls that occupied what is now the Queen Anne during the 1890s, and Room 410 was her office.

There are many, many Youtube videos of amateur ghost hunters spending their nights at the infamous Room 410 and capturing recordings of electronic voice phenomenon (EVPs). Few of these videos are in any way convincing. But the one above does have some supremely creepy auditory little girl singing sounds that may well elicit goosebumps, or could just as easily been another hotel patron walking by in the hallway.

Miss Mary Lake's School for Girls was among the most exclusive boarding schools for girls in San Francisco of the Gold Rush era, bankrolled by megabucks silver and railroad industry magnate Slippery Jim Fair (for whom the Fairmont Hotel is named).

As recalled in the Gate retrospective, Fair, fresh off two terms in the U.S. Senate and the then-most expensive divorce settlement in the countrys history ($4.25 million), bought the building for Lake to run her boarding school. They were alleged to be lovers, and in 1891 the Chronicle published an article called Cupid and Mr. Fair that claimed the two had been secretly married.

Miss Mary denied this. The very idea! she told the Chronicle. I havent seen the senator but 10 times in my life.



Image: Lauren S via Yelp

While Fair made the gesture of having the school built, the Gate notes that there is no historical proof the two were romantically involved. Fair was considered a philanderer, so its possible, but it is also documented that Miss Mary Lake did pay $400 rent monthly on the boarding school. There is also the completely plausible excuse that Fair wanted a boarding school of his particular liking that would leave him to his self-indulgent lifestyle when his two daughters were in town.



Image: Amy H via Yelp

Miss Mary Lake's School for Girls didnt last long. The place was shut down in June 1896, about two years after Slippery Jims death. He left the building to his daughters in his will, who did not allow the boarding school to stay, be it for reasons financial or otherwise. The building was sold in 1899 and become a gentlemens club called The Cosmos (more like a country club, not like the Gold Club), spent 12 years as an Episcopal Diocese Girls Friendly Society lodge, eventually fell into disrepair, and was restored into the Queen Anne in the 1980s.

Mary Lake moved to Montclair, New Jersey in 1902, died two years later, and is buried in Essex County, New Jersey.

There is no explicit connection between Mary Lake (who is buried nearly 3,000 miles away) and the alleged hauntings of the Queen Anne Hotel, other than the fact that her office was once Room 410 and thats where the hauntings seem to mostly occur. But we earthly mortals do not understand the full breadth of the spirit world and how hauntings work, so maybe it is her. Maybe its one of the girls who attended the boarding school, or a whole ghastly pack of them. But whats creepy cool is how the Queen Anne has played right into the rumors of the supernatural, decking the place out in Haunted Mansion style chic and doing nothing to downplay the possibility that youll be visited by ghosts while you rest in peace

Related: The Seven Most Haunted Places In The Bay Area


Police are describing a massive brawl on Market Street as a robbery, after as many as 20 people attacked a pair of young women and stole their stuff.

According to the San Francisco Police Department, the skirmish began at around 11:30 Sunday night, on the 1200 block of Market Street, which is between Eighth and Ninth Streets.

Police say that the two victims, women aged 19 and 20, "got into a verbal altercation" with a female member of a larger group of men and women.

The verbal disagreement turned physical, police say, when as many as 15-20 members of the larger group joined the scuffle. According to the San Francisco Police Department, they "punched and kicked victims multiple times before stealing their property."

By the end of the confrontation, the group of suspects had stolen both women's purses and cell phones. The suspects then "fled on foot in different directions."

The victims were transported to an area hospital for treatment of injuries police say are not life-threatening. All 15-20 suspects remain at large, and no arrests have been made in the case.

Related: Gang Of Over 100 Teens Terrorize Guests At Great America Halloween Event


An early-morning incident at a San Francisco Safeway grocery store left a security guard seriously injured  stabbed by a robbery suspect, as well as bitten by the alleged shoplifter's dog.

San Francisco Police Department spokesperson Sergeant Michael Andraychak says that the incident went down at around 12:30 this morning, at the Safeway located at 735 7th Avenue, which is between Fulton and Cabrillo Streets.

According to Andraychak, a man in his 30s was attempting to steal merchandise from the store when a security guard, also a man in his 30s, attempted to intervene.

In the confrontation that followed, not only did the alleged thief stab the guard in the back, but "the suspect's dog bit the victim numerous times on the legs and buttock," Andraychak says.

The attack only ended when other store staffers joined the fray, Andraychak, "and the suspect attempted to stab them before he fled."

The guard was left with life-threatening injuries in the incident, Andraychak says, and was rushed to an area hospital for treatment.

Police managed to track down the suspect, Andraychak says. He was detained and arrested, and Tuesday morning was identified by police as 34-year-old SF resident Michael Pardo.

According to Andraychak, Pardo's booking charges include those for "Attempted Homicide, Robbery, Assault, Assault with Caustic Chemicals, [and] Inflicting Great Bodily Injury while committing a felony." As of Tuesday morning, police had not provided any details on if the dog was also apprehended at the time of the suspect's arrest.

This is the second such violent shoplifting incident to occur at a San Francisco Safeway in recent days. As previously reported, a pair of alleged shoplifters was arrested at the Ocean Beach Safeway just last Sunday, after police say they beat a security guard with a chain when he tried to prevent them from stealing items from the store.

Related: Two Arrested After Brawl At Ocean Beach Safeway
The Ministry of National Defence hosted a ceremony in Hanoi on October 30 to assign the task to Major Do Thi Hang Nga, who began working as a staff officer in charge of overseeing military operations for 12 months from October 29.Before embarking on the task, Nga partook in various training courses in Sri Lanka, China, the Netherlands and the Republic of Korea.Deputy Minister of National Defence Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh said that the dispatch of a female officer to the UN peacekeeping mission shows gender equality and affirms the role of women in global activities.Vinh asked Nga to try her best and well coordinate with colleagues in order to promptly be in tune with the job, improve her knowledge and competence, strictly abide by the UN and missions regulations and ensure safety while being on duty.Colonel Hoang Kim Phung, Director of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Centre, said that after three years of joining UN peacekeeping operations, Vietnam has sent 20 officers to missions to Central Africa and South Sudan.

VNS
Theres nothing quite like watching a scary movie. When the time is right, it can be pretty fun.

Whats scary is very subjective based on each person. Some of these movies may technically fall into the thriller genre, but if you ask the right person they will gladly tell you how much those films spooked them.

Without further ado, here are 10 horror movies to watch on Halloween.

10. The Thing (1982)

IMDB: 8.2

Rotten Tomatoes: 82%

Scariest/most nerve-racking scene: R.J. MacReady burning samples of blood in an attempt to see who is lying about their identity.

Best line: Somebody in this camp ain't what he appears to be. Right now that may be one or two of us. By spring, it could be all of us.  MacReady

A group of scientists in Antarctica make a horrifying discovery. A shape-shifting alien that can perfectly mimic and replicate humans is spreading among them. How do you know someone is actually who they say they are? The Thing attempts to answer that as paranoia spreads among the scientists as quickly as the alien. They slowly realize that if it replaces all of them, it could quickly lead to the extinction of humanity.

9. The Sixth Sense (1999)

IMDB: 8.1

Rotten Tomatoes: 85%

Scariest/most nerve-racking scene: When Cole Sear has an incident at another childs birthday party.

Best line: I see dead people.  Cole Sear

Nine-year-old Cole Sear has a problem. He sees dead people, but they dont know that theyre dead. He tries to work through his problem by talking to child psychologist, Malcolm Crowe. Crowe doesnt believe Sear, at first. Slowly though, Crowe realizes that Sear is telling the truth.

Plus, this movie has a great twist in it. You probably already know what it is, but just in case you havent, I wont spoil it here.

8. Halloween (1978)

IMDB: 7.8

Rotten Tomatoes: 93%

Scariest/most nerve-racking scene: Michael chasing Laurie towards the end of the movie.

Best line: I met him, fifteen years ago. I was told there was nothing left; no reason, no conscience, no understanding; and even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, of good or evil, right or wrong. I met this six-year-old child with this blank, pale, emotionless face, and the blackest eyes... the devil's eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up because I realized that what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply ... evil.  Dr. Loomis describing Michael Meyers

What if the Boogeyman was real? Halloween essentially answers that question. Michael Myers is a violent 21-year-old psychopath thats been locked up in a mental institution since he murdered his older sister when he was six. Myers escapes and returns to his home town to kill more people.

Halloween has been copied numerous times over the years, most famously by Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Childs Play. Halloween was one of the first slasher films though, and since this is a list for movies to watch on the holiday, Halloween gets the nod here.

7. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

IMDB: 7.9

Rotten Tomatoes: 96%

Scariest/most nerve-racking scene: The zombies trying to break into farmhouse as the animosity amongst the group intensifies.

Best line: They know we're in here now.  Ben

Zombies are used constantly in movies and television now, but it was a novel idea in 1968. A massive amount of people mindlessly wander around looking for other humans or animals to feed on.

A group of people are trapped in a farmhouse as a horde of zombies lurks outside. While the zombies are terrible and terrifying, humans can be just as bad when pushed to extremes.

6. The Ring (2002)

IMDB: 7.1

Rotten Tomatoes: 71%

Scariest/most nerve-racking scene: The girl coming out of the television.

Best line: You start to play it ... and it's like somebody's nightmare. Then suddenly, this woman comes on. Smiling at you, right? Seeing you ... through the screen. Then when it's over, your phone rings. Someone knows you watched it. And what they say is, You will die in seven days. And exactly seven days later...  Becca

Sure some movies are scary. They cant really hurt you though. Its just images on a screen. The Ring takes that and flips it on its head. What if just watching a video tape (this was 2002 so streaming things wasnt a possibility) could lead to your death?

Rachel, a reporter, is investigating some bizarre deaths. She discovers that people are dying seven days after watching a video tape. Rachel watches it herself, then gets a phone call saying she will die in seven days. Its a race against the clock to discover the insidious nature behind the tape and trying to stop the outcome.

5. The Omen (1976)

IMDB: 7.6

Rotten Tomatoes: 86%

Scariest/most nerve-racking scene: The nanny jumping off a roof and hanging herself.

Best line: Look at me, Damien! It's all for you.  The nanny

Some people have bad or unpleasant children. But what if your child was actually the Antichrist?

After a child dies moments after being born, Robert Thorn, a U.S. ambassador, has his child replaced without his wifes knowledge. Strange things start happening around the child after he turns five. His nanny publicly hangs herself at his birthday party. Zoo animals freak out whenever he is near and he vehemently thrashes around to resist entering a church. Thorn is repeatedly warned by a priest about his child. Thorn slowly starts to realize that something is wrong with his son.

4. Psycho (1960)

IMDB: 8.5

Rotten Tomatoes: 97%

Scariest/most nerve-racking scene: The shower scene.

Best line: A boy's best friend is his mother.  Norman Bates after being asked if he goes out with friends

Even if youve never seen Alfred Hitchcocks 1960 film, you will almost certainly recognize it. From the music, to the shower scene, to the lines and the twist, it has permeated pop culture.

After stealing money from her employer to pay off her boyfriends debts, Marion Crane is on her way from Phoenix, Ariz. to Fairvale, Calif. to meet her significant other. When the weather gets bad, she stops for the night at the secluded Bates Motel. Things dont go well.

3. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

IMDB: 8.6

Rotten Tomatoes: 95%

Scariest/most nerve-racking scene: Agent Starling trying to find Buffalo Bill in the dark.

Best line: A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.  Hannibal Lecter

With a serial killer on the loose, FBI agent Clarice Starling looks for advice in an odd place. She talks with Hannibal Lecter, a former psychiatrist and now-imprisoned serial killer with a penchant for eating his victims. Lecter is willing to help Starling, for a price. Lecter wants to know intimate and personal details about Starling.

This is one of a few movies on the list that may fit more into the thriller genre than horror. It is super creepy though. It also shows how good of an actor Anthony Hopkins is. Hopkins won an Oscar for best supporting actor despite only having 15 minutes of screen time. Also, my mom wont watch movies that Hopkins is in anymore because he creeped her out so much in this film.

2. The Exorcist (1973)

IMDB: 8.0

Rotten Tomatoes: 86%

Scariest/most nerve-racking scene: Pretty much anytime the priests talk to the possessed Regan.

Best line: Have you ever heard of exorcism?  Dr. Barringer

While Silence of the Lambs is about metaphorically making a deal with the devil, The Exorcist deals with a girl being possessed by the actual devil.

Regan, a 12-year-old girl, plays with a Oujia board one night. She starts acting strangely. She starts making odd noises, begins cursing and even urinates on the floor. Things get worse and Regans mother, Chris, is running out of options. Eventually, an exorcism is recommended and a pair of priests must overcome their fears and insecurities to try and save a little girl.

1. The Shining (1980)

IMDB: 8.4

Rotten Tomatoes: 87%

Scariest/most nerve-racking scene: Wendy finding her husbands manuscript and discovering he hasnt been writing a book, hes been typing a repetitive phrase.

Best line: Here's Johnny!  Jack Torrance while trying to break down a door

Imagine being trapped in the middle of nowhere during a Colorado winter for months. Would that be enough to drive you crazy? Toss in a few ghosts trying to tell you to commit heinous acts and it would be difficult to keep your sanity.

Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson, his wife, Wendy and their child, Danny, head to Colorado where Jack has accepted a position as the caretaker of a hotel in its offseason. Jack, an aspiring writer, intends to use the time to write a book. The previous caretaker murdered his wife and two daughters before killing himself. Strange things start happening to Jack and his family when they start getting settled in at the hotel.

A handful of movies have scared me. Most scare me after the movie is over and Im left with that uneasy feeling. The Shining is the only movie that scared me as I watched it. It starts getting creepy fairly early. Then it expands on that and the creepy factor builds and builds to a climactic finish.

Disclaimer: It may be a bad idea to watch this movie while youre snowed in.
LE MARS, Iowa | Legal action is forthcoming, as the wide differences between Woodbury County and two other counties in a regional mental health services entity continue to fester.

The chasm between Woodbury County on one hand and Sioux and Plymouth counties on the other side was in full display Monday during a meeting of the Sioux Rivers Regional Mental Health and Disability Services Board.

The push by Woodbury County elected officials to not only leave the Sioux Rivers regional group but also to disband the entire agency failed by identical 2-1 votes at the meeting in Le Mars. Two representatives from each county serve on the board, with each county holding a single vote.

After the meeting, Woodbury County Supervisor Jeremy Taylor said a lawsuit will be filed against Sioux Rivers to allow the county to voluntarily exit the group. Taylor, one of the the two Woodbury supervisors on the Sioux Rivers board, said he has been consulting with the Heidman Law Firm of Sioux City.

"Unfortunately, there will be a legal process. We have every right to withdraw," Taylor said.

In early October, the Woodbury County supervisors voted, 3-2, to leave Sioux Rivers at the end of the current fiscal year in June 2018, citing its longstanding displeasure with the regional group. Two weeks later, the board also voted to pursue getting the three-county agency dissolved.

At Monday's meeting, Sioux Rivers CEO Shane Walter, of Sioux County, spoke briefly against the dissolution.

The four supervisors voting against both motions were Don Kass and Mark Loutsch of Plymouth County and Mark Sybesma and Denny Wright of Sioux County.

In an interview after the meeting, Loutsch said he is resigned to the fact that Woodbury County likely will sue to get out.

"They've been threatening it for two months now, so I expect so...I would love to still see it be a region," Loutsch said.

About 60 people crowded into a meeting room in the Plymouth County Courthouse. The audience included some former Woodbury County Board members, county sheriffs and mental health care providers. The dissolution topic was discussed by Kass, Taylor and others using the word "divorce" in analogies.

Taylor said legal action will be pursued as the next course of action, and Kass said the representatives from the other counties will likewise follow legal advice taken from their lawyers.

At the last Woodbury County Board meeting in which the topic was discussed on Oct. 17, nine people from the public spoke against exiting Sioux Rivers. Some people said they feared services to people with mental health needs could be negatively impacted. Others that day said it appears Taylor hasn't been able to compromise with Sioux Rivers officials.

On Monday, Taylor again asserted Sioux and Plymouth counties could not stand alone as a region if Woodbury leaves. Taylor authored the Oct. 3 Woodbury County resolution that said the region has "demonstrated an unwillingness to operate in a transparent and equitable manner to ensure that appropriate mental health and disability services are provided to the residents of Woodbury County.

Keith Radig, the other Woodbury County supervisor who also serves on the Sioux Rivers board, said, "I prefer to be in a more organized region."

One victim of the disagreement Monday was a proposal for the Friendship House project of Siouxland Mental Health Center in Sioux City to move ahead with a $675,000 plan to buy a new building that reportedly would better serve people.

Friendship House official Kathy Roberts noted the $675,000 expenditure was agreed to in April, but Sioux Rivers board members postponed action on the plan Monday.

"Whether you guys are divorcing, we are the kids and you need to take care of us," Roberts said.

Wright said of that Friendship House funding, "Stay together (as a region), we'll move forward in a minute."

Other region options ahead

The state changed from a county-based to a regional method of delivering mental health services for low-income people in 2014, and counties joined together into regions.

Woodbury, Sioux and Plymouth counties formed the Sioux Rivers group in July 2014. Over the subsequent months a rocky relationship developed, with other Woodbury County supervisors threatening to leave the group in August 2016.

There is a sharing agreement specifying duties and other items of Sioux Rivers region functioning.

The Iowa Department of Human Services oversees the division of counties into regions.

The Woodbury supervisors in October began looking east when trying to find a new group of counties to join. In that action, the supervisors embarked on negotiations with Rolling Hills Community Services Region, with members from Buena Vista, Sac, Calhoun, Carroll, Cherokee, Crawford and Ida counties.

Another regional option may exist with Southwest Iowa MHDS, which includes adjacent Monona County and seven others down to the Missouri state line.
SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City man was arrested on charges of drunken-driving, eluding and other felonies late Monday after leading police on a car chase on Sioux City's west side.

Timothy Mercer, 22, faces charges of eluding, third-offense operating while intoxicated, assault on a police officer, driving while license barred and numerous traffic violations. He is being held in the Woodbury County Jail on a $54,500 bond.

According to court documents, an officer observed a Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck driven by Mercer striking the curb at West Fourth Street and Hamilton Boulevard at about 9:24 p.m. When the officer attempted to stop the car, Mercer ran a red light and turned east onto West Third Street before crossing through a parking lot onto West Fourth Street.

Mercer shut off his headlights while crossing the intersection of Fourth Street and Hamilton Boulevard, court documents said, and speeds exceeded 90 mph as Mercer led police to Riverside Boulevard, where he turned north into oncoming traffic before turning west onto Hornick Avenue, then driving through an alley and the yard of a residence before getting back onto Riverside Boulevard.

According to court documents, Mercer then turned west onto Wright Avenue, south through a yard onto Bryant Street, then east onto Florence Street, where he swerved in an attempt to collide head-on with a police car.

Police were able to force Mercer to stop on Florence Street. Officers found a full 42-ounce container of Old English and three empty 12-ounce Keystone Light cans in the bed of the truck, court documents said.

Mercer told police he drank one beer earlier in the evening and had taken anxiety medication and pain/sleeping medication. According to court documents, tests showed he had a blood-alcohol content of 0.114 percent, above Iowa's legal limit of 0.08 percent.

During further investigation, officers discovered that Mercer was barred from driving because of previous convictions and his driver's license had been revoked because of previous vehicle pursuits with Sioux City police officers.
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SIOUX CITY | At 28, Jake Jungers is the youngest candidate seeking office in this year's Sioux City Council election.

It's something he says gives him a unique perspective in an election where attracting and keeping young professionals in Sioux City is a frequent point of discussion.

"I think our generation needs to get more involved and Id like to be that voice," Jungers told the Journal's editorial board last week.

An East High graduate, Jungers attended Western Iowa Tech Community College and the University of South Dakota, where he studied political science. As the grandson of longtime Dakota County treasurer Robert H. Giese and nephew of former South Sioux City councilman, Nebraska state senator and current Dakota County treasurer Robert J. Giese, he said local politics is something he grew up around and, early on, became interested in himself.

"I have a family background," he said. "But sometimes, you just turn on the news, and I always paid attention to that, so I was naturally drawn to it."

For the past four years, Jungers has worked at Billion Nissan in Sioux City, where he currently holds a position as a service adviser. Since his college days, Jungers has volunteered in a variety of public organizations, including the Effective Fiscal and Public Policy Committee, Sioux City Growth Organization and Sioux City Neighborhood Network board.

Jungers said he attributes part of his drive for public service to his upbringing around public servants and his early years spent in a Catholic school environment.

"You were always doing something, and they always wanted you involved. That drives me," he said.

Jungers was among 14 people who applied earlier this year to serve the final year of the four-year term vacated by Keith Radig, who resigned to serve on the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors. The council ultimately appointed another younger candidate, the now 31-year-old Alex Watters, who is now among Jungers' election opponents.

Following that February appointment, Jungers was the first candidate to publicly announce his intentions to run in November's election.

Throughout his campaign, Jungers has said he will not be a "business as usual" candidate and would like to further challenge the decisions being made at that level during discussions.

"I just think we can do things a little bit better. I think we can discuss issues a little bit more," he said. "There's the average and middle-class people. They don't really have a voice right now."

Along with asking the extra question when needed, he said he wants to be the kind of person who listens.

"I have several people who have messaged me about kind of being dismissed (by) the current people that are on there -- and I'm not trying to throw jabs at people -- but just listening to people better, differently, whether it's before the meeting or after the meeting," he said.

Jungers was the final candidate to make it into the general election, coming in sixth of nine candidates in the Oct. 10 primary with 531 votes.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- As national co-chairman of Donald Trump's presidential campaign, Northwest Iowa's Sam Clovis encouraged a low-level foreign policy adviser to meet with Russian officials to build relations with the Kremlin, according to media reports Monday.

"Make the trip, if it is feasible," Clovis wrote in an August 2016 email to George Papadopoulos.

Papadopoulos, 30, a former researcher at the conservative Hudson Institute, was thrust Monday into the center of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible Russian meddling in the 2016 campaign. Papadopoulos, who was secretly arrested in July for lying to federal authorities, has pleaded guilty and is cooperating with Mueller's investigation, according to court papers unsealed Monday.

The campaign supervisor who sent the email to Papadopoulos was not identified in court documents, but the Washington Post and Yahoo News identified the supervisor as Clovis, who now serves as senior White House adviser to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In his plea filing, Papadopolous admitted that he told Trump and other top campaign national security officials during a March 31, 2016, meeting that he had contact with intermediaries for Russia who said they could set up a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The statement does not describe Trump's reaction at the time but Papadopoulos continued to email campaign officials about a possible meeting with individuals claiming to work for the Russian government who were offering "dirt" in the form of emails from Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Papadopoulos, who had no formal responsibilities, communicated most with Clovis and campaign chairman Paul Manafort, an official involved with the group told the Associated Press.

A separate raft of charges Mueller announced Monday against Manafort and his longtime aide Rick Gates do not appear to be directly related to their work for Trump.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders termed Papadopoulos' role with the campaign as "extremely limited."

Clovis "always vigorously opposed any Russian trip for Donald Trump and/or the campaign," Clovis' attorney, Victoria Toensing, said in a statement Monday to the Washington Post.

Toensing said Clovis was "being polite" when he encouraged Papadopoulos to meet with Russian officials in August, adding that the campaign had a "strict rule that no person could travel abroad as a representative of the campaign," the Washington Post reported. Clovis could not stop an American citizen from traveling abroad in his personal capacity, she added.

Clovis, a conservative Republican who joined Trump's campaign months before Iowa's first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses in February 2016, has been nominated by the president to be the top scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The nomination, which has sparked strong objections from environmental groups and some ag organizations, is scheduled for a confirmation hearing before the Senate Agriculture Committee on Nov. 9.

Clovis ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in the Republican primary in June 2014 and lost to Democratic incumbent state Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald that fall. A former Morningside College economics professor, he took an extended leave of absence from the Sioux City school when he joined the Trump campaign as national co-chairman and chief policy adviser in August 2015. He also formerly hosted a Sioux City radio talk show.
KINGSLEY, Iowa | If it weren't for the Army, Molli Griffin might be treating sick animals rather than spending her days in a high school classroom.

Griffin was halfway toward an animal science degree and, likely, veterinarian school when she enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves. While in training to be a petroleum supply specialist with the Sioux City-based 444th Quartermaster Company (now the 960th Quartermaster Company), she helped other people to study and prepare to pass their training tests.

When her help would lead to someone understanding a problem and passing a test, Griffin took a measure of satisfaction.

"I decided I really like it when someone has that a-ha moment," Griffin said.

Those moments now come more often for Griffin, who teaches biology and agriculture at Kingsley-Pierson High School, the same school from which she graduated in 2000. It's where she also pondered a military career.

It wasn't too surprising, given that both her grandfathers, her father and a number of uncles and cousins had been or were in the military.

"It seemed like something I should do. I felt obligated," Griffin said. "I had talked to some National Guard people while I was in high school. I would have missed my first semester of college for training, and I didn't want to do that."

After her sophomore year at Iowa State University, Griffin worked at a summer job at Briar Cliff University in Sioux City and often ran into an Army recruiter. Their frequent conversations led to her enlistment in the Reserves.

Her father, Curt Moodie, a Vietnam vet, wasn't exactly thrilled.

"My dad was not really a fan of the idea. He still thought of the Army as it was in Vietnam. He didn't think it was a place for a woman," Griffin said with a laugh.

Griffin figured that at that point in her college career, she could miss a semester of college to complete basic training. During basic training, the United States invaded Iraq, and Griffin was prepared to be sent overseas.

It wasn't to be. Instead, she returned to Iowa State to work on her education degree. Just as her senior year was beginning in 2004, Griffin was notified that she was being mobilized for duty. She and a handful of reservists with the Sioux City unit were added to a unit from Kansas City and sent to Iraq, where they were stationed at Forward Operating Base Speicher near Tikrit.

For the first couple of months, Griffin delivered fuel. After that task was taken over by private contractors, she was reassigned to duty as a gun truck driver. Several days a week, she would help escort convoys transporting supplies, mostly between Baghdad and Mosul, but sometimes as far away as Kuwait.

Convoys were frequent targets for the enemy, which often placed improvised explosive devices, commonly known as IEDs, along convoy routes. Griffin believed that because her group was well-trained and careful, they were not targeted as often as other convoy groups. No one from one of her crews was ever hurt in an IED blast. Her closest brush with an IED was when the vehicle behind her was hit, and shrapnel punctured a tire on her truck.

Griffin said she and other female drivers in the unit got along well with their male counterparts. Being a woman in the military wasn't that big a deal to Griffin.

"I showed up every day and did my job," she said. "They realized right away I was pretty smart and could do my job just as well if not better (than men)."

After her yearlong deployment, Griffin returned home, but found it hard to adjust back to civilian life.

"When I got back, I thought I should still be deployed. I felt kind of lost when I got back," she said.

At that time, she began talking frequently with Geno Griffin, a fellow reservist from Sioux City who also had been deployed and was having similar feelings after his return home. Molli returned to school at Iowa State and Geno attended college in Sioux Falls, but they remained in contact and eventually were married.

After 15 years in the Reserves, Griffin was discharged this summer. Long before her discharge, Griffin took an interest in being involved in the American Legion and other organizations that help veterans. This summer, she became involved with Partners for Patriots, which provides service dogs for disabled veterans. Griffin is currently raising a German shepherd/boxer mix puppy. When the dog is 12 months old, she'll turn him over to a trainer for eventual placement with a veteran.

A dog lover herself, Griffin said her involvement with the program has been rewarding.
A judge sided with the Iowa Board of Regents in a ruling issued Monday, saying members did not violate open meetings laws when recruiting businessman Bruce Harreld to become the University of Iowa president.

The ruling granting summary judgment to the board comes a week before the case was set to go to trial. A former UI employee who brought the suit plans to appeal.

In his ruling, Polk County District Court Judge William Kelly found that there are no disputed facts that are material to the specific legal issue before the court  whether former regents President Bruce Rastetter and four colleagues violated the law.

It may have looked problematic in the way Rastetter organized the recruitment of Bruce Harreld, but ultimately, the board lacked the numbers needed for a meeting throughout the recruitment process, and no evidence exists that they deliberated or acted under the statute, the judge found.

The challenge, filed by former UI employee Gerhild Krapf, is not over, according to her attorney, Gary Dickey. He said his client has filed a notice of appeal and theyre confident that the District Courts ruling will be reversed.

Regents unanimously voted to reject three other finalists and hire Harreld, a former IBM executive, in September 2015 to replace former UI President Sally Mason, who had retired.

Krapfs lawsuit accuses five the nine regents on the board in July 2015 of violating the law intended to ensure government transparency.

The suit named Rastetter, former board President Pro Tem Katie Mulholland, former Regent Mary Andringa and current board members Milt Dakovich and Larry McKibben. The suit asserted that the five held serial submajority gatherings that constituted a quorum because of their temporal proximity to each other.

In a deposition, Rastetter told how small groups of regents met in short order privately with Harreld.

When I asked him why these were staged in meetings with two regents at a time, he specifically acknowledges a worry about the requirements of Chapter 21, Dickey said.

But defense attorney Richard Sapp said the regents never met the quorum threshold; Rastetter didnt meet with any of the other regents; and none of the board members deliberated on any matters that day.

He called the allegations legal fantasy.

Saying part of the reason we set it up this way was to comply with the law is hardly a reason for criticism of a public official in this day and age, Sapp said.

In his ruling, Kelly addressed different theories the plaintiff had offered for how the regents violated open meetings laws. He concluded that based on current Iowa law, as it is written now, all of these arguments legally fail.

A second lawsuit over Harrelds hiring  accusing the universitys presidential search committee of violating meetings laws  remains set for trial in November 2018. That suit accuses the committee of, among other things, holding off-site interviews with semifinalists at a location outside Iowa and at a time not reasonably accessible to the public, and of inappropriately holding closed meetings.
DES MOINES  A Polk County judge has upheld the constitutionality of Iowas revamped collective bargaining law, rejecting in a ruling Monday a unions contention its members do not receive equal treatment under changes adopted by the GOP-controlled Legislature and signed into law last February by former Gov. Terry Branstad.

In his 23-page ruling, District Judge Arthur Gamble dismissed a challenge brought by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 61, ruling that the Legislature had a credible basis for crafting House File 291 in a way that treated some classes of public safety employees differently.

There is a rational basis for this legislative classification, Gamble ruled. The presumption of constitutionality prevails.

The union, which represents about 40,000 public workers, sued the state over the new law, which significantly reduced the benefits for which many public employees can collectively bargain. The union asserted the law creates separate classes of public employees by removing collective bargaining elements for some, like university police and correctional officers, but not for others, like state troopers and first responders.

Notably, the new law provides that bargaining units with at least 30 percent of their members classified as public safety employees are able to negotiate wages and benefits, such as health insurance, while other public sector bargaining units are limited only to negotiate base wages.

AFSCME argued the provision is a violation of equal protection, but Gamble said the court does not find this classification to be palpably arbitrary or irrational.

The relationship of the legislative classification to its public purpose is a matter of legislative line-drawing, the judge wrote. While the 30 percent threshold for public safety employees creates some degree of over-inclusion and under-inclusion, Gamble noted, the Legislature is entitled to act within a reasonable range of rational alternatives. The court cannot find extreme degrees of over-inclusion and under-inclusion in relation to the goal of this legislation.

Attorneys representing the state argued the Iowa law, modeled after Wisconsins 2011 collective bargaining changes that withstood similar legal challenges, preserved Iowas existing strike prohibitions while providing a rational concern about the availability of public safety officers to deal with a natural disaster, terrorist attack or other large scale emergency.

The union has 30 days to appeal the district judges decision to the Iowa Supreme Court.

While we are disappointed that this initial ruling in our fight for collective bargaining justice was not in our favor, we knew from the day we filed this lawsuit, right after HF 291 was signed, that this case would likely end up in the Iowa Supreme Court, AFSCME Council 61 President Danny Homan said in a statement. We are exploring the next step in the legal process, including an appeal.

Earlier this month, a different Polk County District judge ruled against the Iowa State Education Association in its challenge to the law.

The ISEA and the Davenport Education Association had argued the law treated public employees differently and established unfair obstacles, including a requirement that public employees vote at each contract whether they still want to be represented by a union.

This month, in the largest vote of public employees held so far, 28,448 of the 33,252 employees affected voted to keep their union affiliations.

As proven by last weeks recertification victories, were not going anywhere, Homan said. Were in this for the long haul and look forward to the day that this unconstitutional law is overturned for Iowas public employees.
During the past four years, he has been conscientious and hardworking. He listens to anyone who calls or approaches him with their concerns. He spends hours reading and preparing for the weekly City Council meetings, and he also spends many hours attending multiple meetings during the week about city issues. Pete is concerned about what is best for the city and the taxpayer.
Samoa is a home to an abundance of plants, not forgetting indigenous species and invasive species.

These plants can be found across the islands of Upolu, Savaii, Manono and Apolima.

This week, Samoa is celebrating National Environment Week.

It goes hand in hand with the opening of the inception workshop held at the Tanoa Tusitala Hotel.

As part of adapting to Climate Change and Sustainable Energy programme, a component Bill and Sustainable Bio energy, Samoas project focuses on biomass resources assessments at the Samoa Trust Estates Corporation (S.T.E.C.) plantation at Mulifanua.

Vanda Faasoa Chan Ting, Assistant Chief Executive Officer said such project would improve sustainability of the power system for renewable and non-renewable energy within five years.

This biomass classification plant is between the Estates Corporation and Electric Power Corporation.

The project serves many purposes; one is getting renewable energy out of invasive species, eradicating these invasive species and at the same time getting clean electricity.

There were already a feed stock facility study on S.T.E.C. Land at Mulifanua and through that study there is enough invasive species for the biomass classification plant.

These invasive plants includes Pafiti, Funtumia Elastica (PULUVAO), Castilla Elastica (Pulumamoe), Ficus Obliqua (Aoa), MCananga Odorata (Mosooi), Cocos Nucifera (Niu), Albizia Falcataria (Tamaligi) and Rhus Taitensis ( Tavai).

The United Nations Development Programme is funding the project.

U.N.D.P. Deputy President Representative, Notonegoro said: The project we are launching today (yesterday) is designed to contribute to the achievement of G.H.G. emission reduction, particularly in Samoas energy sector."

As will be presented later, the project will, among others, help improve sustainable and cost-effective and energy efficient utilization of indigenous renewable energy resources for energy production (power and non-power applications) in Samoa.

Vanda reiterated: I can confidently say on behalf of everyone who is working really hard behind the scene, trying to achieve 100 percent renewable energy target, in eight years times we will be able to achieve the 100 percent renewable electricity target.
International Relations, Theory  October 31, 2017  David Mandel

A hundred years later, the question of the historical legacy of the October Revolution is not an easy one for socialists, given that Stalinism took root within less than a decade after that revolution and the restoration of capitalism seventy years later met little popular resistance. One can, of course, point to the central role of the Red Army in the victory over fascism, or to the rivalry between the Soviet Union and the capitalist world that broadened the space for anti-imperialist struggles, or to the moderating effect on capitalist appetites of the existence of a major nationalized, planned economy. Yet, even in these areas, the legacy is far from unambiguous.

But the main legacy of the October Revolution for the left today is, in fact, the least ambiguous. It can be summed up in two words: They dared. By that, I mean that the Bolsheviks, in organizing the revolutionary seizure of political and economic power and its defence from the propertied classes, were true to their mission as a workers party: they provided the workers  and peasants too  with the leadership that they needed and wanted.

It is more than ironic, therefore, that many historians, and following them, popular opinion, have viewed October as a terrible crime, motivated by the ideologically-inspired project to build a socialist utopia. According to this view, October was an arbitrary act that diverted Russia from its normal path of development toward a capitalist democracy. October was, moreover, the cause of the civil war that devastated Russia for almost three years.

A modified version of that view is espoused even by some on the left, who reject Leninism (or what they believe to have been Lenins strategy), because of the authoritarian dynamic that a revolutionary seizure of power and a civil war unleash.

Concrete Solutions

What strikes one most, however, when one studies the revolution from below, is how little, in fact, the Bolsheviks, and the workers who supported them, were motivated by ideology, in the sense of theirs being some sort of chiliastic movement with socialism as its goal. In reality, and above all, October was a practical response to very serious and concrete, social and political problems confronting the popular classes. That, of course, was also Marx and Engels approach to socialism  not as a utopia to be constructed according to some preconceived design, but a set of concrete solutions to the real conditions of workers under capitalism. That is why Marx obstinately refused to offer recipes for the cook-shops of the future.

The immediate and the main goal of the October insurrection was to forestall a counterrevolution, supported by the bourgeoisies policy of economic sabotage, which would have wiped out the democratic gains and promises of the February Revolution and kept Russia involved in the imperialist slaughter of the world war. A victorious counterrevolution  and that was the only real alternative to October  would likely have given the world its first experience of a fascist state, anticipating by several years the somewhat belated responses of the Italian and German bourgeoisies to similarly failed revolutionary upsurges.

The Bolsheviks, and most urbanized industrial workers in Russia, were, of course, socialists. But all currents of Russian Marxism considered that Russia lacked the political and economic conditions for socialism. There was, to be sure, hope that the revolutionary seizure of power in Russia would encourage workers in more developed countries to the west to rise up too against the war and against capitalism and open broader perspectives for Russias revolution. That was indeed a hope, but it was far from a certainty. And October would have happened without it.

Facing the Threat of Civil War

In my historical work, I present documented, and to my view, convincing, support for that view of October and I will not attempt to summarize the evidence here. I want rather to explain how painfully aware the Bolsheviks, and the workers that supported them  the party was overwhelmingly working-class in composition  were of the threat of civil war; how much they tried to avoid it, and, failing that, to minimize its severity. In doing so, I want to put into sharper focus the meaning of they dared, as Octobers legacy.

The desire to avert civil war was why most Bolsheviks, along with most workers, supported dual power in the early period of the revolution. Under that arrangement, executive authority was wielded by a provisional government, initially composed exclusively of liberal politicians, representatives of the propertied classes. At the same time the soviets, political organizations elected by the workers and soldiers, were to monitor the government, ensuring its loyalty to the revolutions programme. That programme consisted of four main elements: a democratic republic, land reform, the eight-hour workday, and an energetic diplomacy aimed at securing a rapid, democratic end to the war. There was nothing of itself that was socialist in that programme.

Support for dual power marked a radical break with the partys longstanding rejection of the bourgeoisie as a potential ally in the fight against the autocracy. That rejection had been the very foundation of Bolshevism as a workers party. It was the reason the party acquired hegemonic status in the workers movement during the pre-war years of labour upsurge. That rejection of the bourgeoisie (which was, at the same time, a rejection of Menshevism) had its roots in the workers long and painful experience of the bourgeoisies intimate collaboration with the autocratic state against their democratic and social aspirations.

The initial support for dual power reflected a willingness to give the liberals a chance, since the propertied classes (the liberal Constitutional-Democratic (Kadet) Party became their principal political representative in 1917) had, albeit rather belatedly, rallied to the revolution, or so it appeared. Their adherence to the revolution greatly facilitated its bloodless victory across the vast territory of Russia and at the front. The assumption of power by the soviets in February would have alienated the propertied classes from the revolution, raising the specter of civil war. Besides, workers were not prepared to assume direct responsibility for running the state and the economy.

Their later rejection of dual power and their demand to transfer of power to the soviets were by no means an automatic response to Lenins return to Russia and publication of his April theses. Fundamentally, the theses were a recall to the partys traditional position, but in conditions of world war and a victorious democratic revolution. If Lenins position came to prevail, it was because it had become increasingly clear that the propertied classes and their liberal representatives in the government were hostile to the revolutions goals and wanted, in fact, to reverse the revolution.

As early as the middle of April, the liberal government made clear its support for the war and its imperialist aims. And even before that, the bourgeois press put an end to the brief honeymoon of national unity with its campaign against the workers alleged egoism in pursuing their narrow economic interests at the expense of war production. The clear intention was to undermine the worker-soldier alliance that had made the revolution possible.

Not unrelated was the growing suspicion among workers of a creeping lockout, masked as supply difficulties, a suspicion that was amplified by the industrialists adamant rejection of government regulation of the faltering economy. Lockouts had long been a favourite weapon of the factory owners. In only the six months preceding the outbreak of war, the capitals industrialists, in concert with the administration of the state-owned factories, organized no less than three generalized lockouts, in the course of which a total of 300,000 workers were fired. And ten years earlier, in November and December 1905, two general lockouts in the capital had dealt a mortal blow to Russias first revolution.

By the late spring and early summer of 1917, prominent personalities of census society (the propertied classes) were calling for suppression of the soviets and receiving standing ovations from assemblies of their class. Then in mid-June, under strong pressure from the allies, the provisional government launched a military offensive, putting an end to the de facto cease-fire that had reigned on the eastern front since February.

And so by June, a majority of the capitals workers had already embraced the Bolsheviks demand to free government policy from the influence of the propertied classes. That, in essence, was the meaning of all power to the soviets: a government responsible uniquely to the workers and peasants. To that extent, the Bolsheviks, along with most of the capitals workers, had come to accept the inevitability of civil war.

Defeat of the July Days: Way Forward Blocked

But that in itself was not so frightening, since the workers and peasants (the soldiers were overwhelmingly young peasants) were the great majority of the population. Much more worrying was the prospect of civil war within the ranks of the popular classes, within revolutionary democracy. For the moderate socialists, the Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs), dominated most of the soviets outside the capital, as well as the Central Executive Committee (TsIK) of soviets and the peasant Executive Committee. And they supported the liberals, to the extent of delegating their leaders to a coalition government, in an effort to shore up the latters weak popular authority.

The threat of a civil war within revolutionary democracy was forcefully driven home at the beginning of July, when, together with units of the garrison, the capitals workers demonstrated massively in order to press the TsIK to take power on its own. They not only failed in that aim, but their demonstrations were marked by the first serious bloodshed of the revolution, followed by a wave of government repressive measures against the left that were condoned by the moderate socialists.

The July Days thus left the Bolsheviks and their worker supporters without a clear way forward. Formally, the party adopted a new slogan that Lenin proposed: power to a government of workers and the poorest peasants  with no mention of the soviets, as they were dominated outside the capital by the moderate socialists. Lenin meant that as a call to prepare an insurrection, one that would bypass the soviets, and, if it came to that, even be directed against them. But the slogan was not accepted in practice either by the party or by the capitals workers, since it meant going against the popular masses who still supported the moderates  and so, civil war within revolutionary democracy.

A particular concern was the attitude of the socialist, that is, left-leaning, intelligentsia, itself a minority of the educated. For the left intelligentsia almost universally supported the moderate socialists. The Bolsheviks were an overwhelmingly plebeian party, and the same was true of the Left Social Revolutionaries, who split off from the SRs (Russias peasant party) in September 1917 and formed a coalition soviet government with the Bolsheviks in November. The prospect of having to run the state, and probably also the economy, without the support of educated people was deeply worrying, and in particular to the activists of the factory-committees, overwhelmingly Bolsheviks.

The Party Base Pushes the Leadership to Insurrection

General Kornilovs abortive uprising at the end of August, which had the enthusiastic support of the propertied classes, appeared initially to open a way out of the impasse. In face of the obvious, the moderate socialists seemed to accept the necessity of a break with the liberals. (The liberal ministers had resigned on the eve of the uprising). The workers reacted to news of Kornilovs march on Petrograd with a curious mixture of relief and alarm. They were relieved that they could at last take action against the advancing counterrevolution  and they did so with great energy  in unison with, and not against, the rest of revolutionary democracy. Lenin, following Kornilovs defeat, offered the TsIK his partys support, to the extent of acting as a loyal opposition, if it would take power.

But after some brief wavering, the moderate socialists refused to break with the propertied classes. They allowed Kerensky to form a new coalition government, which included some particularly odious bourgeois personalities, such as industrialist S.A. Smirnov, who had only recently locked out the workers of his textile mills.

But by the end of September, the Bolsheviks already had majorities in most of the soviets throughout Russia and so could count on a majority at the Congress of Soviets, grudgingly set by the TsIK for October 25. Still in hiding from an arrest order, Lenin demanded that his partys central committee prepare an insurrection. But the central committees majority hesitated, preferring to await a constituent assembly. And one can understand their hesitation. After all, an insurrection would unleash the still largely latent civil war. It was a terrifying leap into the unknown that would place on the party the responsibility for governing in conditions of deep economic and political crisis. On the other hand, the hope that a constituent assembly could overcome the profound polarization that characterized Russian society or that the propertied classes would accept its verdict, if it went against them, was certainly an illusion. And in the meanwhile, industrial collapse and mass hunger were fast approaching.

If the Bolshevik leadership decided to organize an insurrection, it was not because of Lenins personal authority, but rather under pressure from the middle and lower ranks of the party, to whom Lenin had been appealing. The party organization in Petrograd numbered 43,000 members in October 1917, of whom 28,000 were workers (in a total industrial work force of some 420,000), and 6000 were soldiers. And these workers were ready to act.

The mood among the mass of workers outside the party, was, however, more complex. They strongly supported the demand to transfer power to the soviets. But they were not about to take the initiative themselves. This was a marked reversal from the first five months of the revolution, when the worker rank and file had held the initiative and compelled the party to follow. It had been so in the February Revolution, in the April protests against the governments war policy, in the movement for workers control, aimed at forestalling a creeping lockout, and in the July demonstrations aimed at pressuring the TsIK to take power.

But the bloodshed in the July Days and the repression that followed had changed things. True, the political situation had since evolved, to the point that the Bolsheviks almost everywhere stood at the head of the soviets. But in the days preceding the insurrection, the entire non-Bolshevik press was confidently predicting an even bloodier defeat of an insurrection than the workers had suffered in the July Days.

Another source of the workers hesitation was the looming specter of mass unemployment. The advancing industrial collapse was the most potent argument in favour of immediate action. But it was also a source of insecurity that made workers hesitate.

The initiative, therefore, fell to the party. And it was not as if Bolshevik workers were themselves free of doubt. But they had certain qualities, forged over the years of intense struggle against the autocracy and the industrialists, that allowed them to overcome it. One of these qualities was their aspiration to class independence from the bourgeoisie, which was also the defining trait of Bolshevism as a workers movement. In the pre-revolutionary years that aspiration had expressed itself in these workers insistence that their organizations, be they political, economic or cultural, remain free of the influence of the propertied classes.

Closely related to that was these workers strong sense of dignity, both as individuals and as members of the working class. The concept of a conscious worker in Russia embraced an entire world view and moral code that were separate from, and largely opposed to, those of

census society. The sense of dignity manifested itself, among other ways, in the demand for polite address, that invariably figured in lists of workers strike demands. It was a demand to be addressed by management in the polite second person plural, rather than the informal singular, reserved for close friends, children and underlings. In its compilation of strike statistics, the Tsarist Ministry of Internal Affairs put polite address in the column of political demands, presumably because it implied a rejection of the workers subordinate position in society. In 1917, resolutions of factory meetings in 1917 often referred to the provisional governments policies as a mockery of the working class. And in October, when the workers red guards refused to bend over while running or to fight lying down, since they considered that a display of cowardice and a disgrace for revolutionary workers, the soldiers had to explain to them that there is no honour in offering ones forehead to the enemy. But if the sense of class honour was a military liability, it is unlikely there would have been an October Revolution without it.

October  a Popular Revolution

Although the initiative fell largely to the party members in October, the insurrection was welcomed by virtually all the workers, even by most of the printers, traditionally supporters of the Mensheviks. But the question of the composition of the new government arose at once. All the workers organization, by then headed by Bolsheviks, and the Bolshevik party organization itself, called for a coalition government of all the socialist parties.

Once again, this expressed the concern for unity of revolutionary democracy and the desire to avoid civil war within its ranks. In the Bolshevik central committee, Lenin and Trotsky were opposed to including the moderate socialists (but not the Left SRs and Menshevik-Internationalists), considering that they would paralyze the governments action. But they stood aside, while the negotiations proceeded.

That coalition, however, was not to be. Talks soon broke down over the issue of soviet power: the Bolsheviks, and the vast majority of workers, wanted the government to be responsible to the soviets  that is, a popular government free of the influence of the propertied classes. The moderate socialists, however, considered the soviets too narrow a basis for a viable government. They continued to insist, albeit in somewhat masked form, on the inclusion of representatives of the propertied classes, or, at least, of the intermediate strata not represented in the soviets. But Russian society was deeply divided, and the latter, including most of the intelligentsia, were aligned with the propertied classes. More to the point, the moderates refused any government with a Bolshevik majority, even though the Bolsheviks had been the majority at the Congress of Soviets that voted to take power. In essence, the moderates were demanding to annul the October insurrection.

Once that became clear, the workers support for a broad coalition evaporated. Soon afterwards, the Left SRs, who reached the same conclusion as the workers, formed a coalition government with the Bolsheviks. Toward the end of November, a national peasant congress, in which the Left SRs dominated, decided to merge its executive committee with the TsIK of workers and solders deputies, a decision that was met with relief and jubilation in the Bolshevik party and by workers generally: unity had been achieved, at least from below, although without the left intelligentsia, aligned in its majority with the moderate socialists. (It should be noted, however, that the Mensheviks, unlike the SRs, did not take up arms against the soviet government.)

This, then, is the meaning of they dared, as the legacy of October. The Bolsheviks, as a genuine workers party, acted according to the maxim Fais ce que dois, advienne que pourra (Do what one must; happen what will), which, in Trotskys view, should guide revolutionaries in all great struggles of principle. But I have tried to show that the challenge was not accepted lightly. The Bolsheviks were not adventurists. They feared civil war, tried to avoid it, and, if that was not possible, at least to limit its severity and improve the odds.

The Responsibility of Those Who Refuse to Dare

In an essay written in 1923, the Menshevik leader, Fedor Dan, explained his partys refusal to break with the propertied classes even after Kornilovs uprising. It was because the middle strata, that part of democracy not represented in the soviets (Dan mentions a teacher, a co-operator, the mayor of Moscow) would not countenance a break with the propertied classes  they were convinced that the country could not be governed without them. And they would not even consider participating in a government with Bolsheviks. Dan continued:

Then  theoretically!  there remained only one path for an immediate break with the coalition [with representatives of the propertied classes]: the formation of a government with Bolsheviks  one not together with non-soviet democracy [the middle strata], but against it. We considered that path unacceptable, given the position that the Bolsheviks were adopting by the time. We understood clearly that to enter onto that path meant to enter onto the path of terror and civil war, to do everything that the Bolsheviks were, in fact, later forced to do. None of us felt it possible to assume responsibility for such a policy of a non-coalition government.

Dans position can be contrasted with that of another moderate socialist, the SR V.B. Stankevich, a rare figure in his party (who had been a commissar at the front under the provisional government). In a letter from February 1918 to his party comrades, he wrote:

We have to see that by this time the forces of the popular movement are on the side of the new regime 

There are two paths open to them [the moderate socialists]: pursue their irreconcilable struggle against the government, or peaceful, creative work as a loyal opposition 

Can the former ruling parties say that they have by now become so experienced that they can manage the task of running the country, a task that has become not easier, but harder? For, in essence, they have no programme to oppose to that of the Bolsheviks. And a struggle without a programme is nothing better than the adventures of Mexican generals. And even if the possibility of creating a programme existed, you have to understand that you dont have the forces to carry it out. For to overthrow Bolshevism you need, if not formally, then at least in fact, the united efforts of everyone, from the SRs to the extreme right. But even in those conditions, the Bolsheviks are stronger

There is but one path: the path of a united popular front, united national work, common creativity

And so what tomorrow? To continue the pointless, meaningless and in essence adventurist attempts to seize power? Or to work together with the people in realistic efforts to help it to deal with the problems that face Russia, problems that are linked to the peaceful struggle for eternal political principles, for genuinely democratic bases for governing the country!

I will let the reader decide which position, Dans or Stankevichs, had more merit. But one can make a convincing argument that the moderate socialists refusal to dare contributed to the outcome that they claimed so to fear.

History since October 1917 is replete with examples of left parties that did not dare, when they should have. One can mention, among others, the German Social Democrats in 1918, the Italian Socialists in 1920, the Spanish left in 1936, the French and Italian Communists in 1945 and

1968-69, the Chilean Unidad Popular in 1970-73, most recently Syriza in Greece. The point, of course, is not that they failed to organize an insurrection at some particular moment, but rather that they refused from the very outset to adopt a strategy whose goal was to wrest economic and political power from the bourgeoisie, a strategy that necessarily requires, at some point, a revolutionary break with the capitalist state.

Today, when the alternatives facing humanity are so deeply polarized, when, more than ever, the only real options are socialism or barbarism, when the future of civilized society itself is at stake, the left should take inspiration from October. That means, despite the historic defeat suffered by the working class and allied social forces over the past decades, to reject as illusory the goal of restoring the Keynesian welfare-state, a return to genuine social democracy. For such a programme in contemporary capitalism is bound to fail and further demobilize. To dare today means to develop a strategy whose end-goal is socialism and to accept that that goal will necessarily involve, at one point or another, a revolutionary break with the economic and political power of the bourgeoisie, and so with the capitalist state. 
SOCIEDAD ASIATICA

THE ASIAN SOCIETY

COMISION DIRECTIVA



THE DIRECTIVE BOARD



PRESIDENTE:

Liliana Garcia Daris



Universidad del Salvador.

Argentina

VICEPRESIDENTE:

Won-ho Kim

Universidad de Hankuk de Estudios Extranjeros.

Corea

SECRETARIO:

Luis Diaz Brougton



Universidad de Santiago, Chile



PROSECRETARIO:



Martha Barriga Tello

Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Peru



VOCALES:



Mauricio Martinez



Universidad de los Andes, Colombia



Juan Uriburu Quintana



Universidad de Chenchi, Taiwan

CONSEJEROS ACADEMICOS

ACADEMIC ADVISERS



ASH NARAIN, Roy,

Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi.

India



GARCIA BAZAN, Francisco,



CONICET, Universidad Argentina John F. Kennedy



MATSUSHITA, Hiroshi,



Universidad de Kobe, Japon



MIEMBROS FUNDADORES



FOUNDING MEMBERS



ALBERT, Liliana



Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina



ANTON PACHECO, Jose Antonio



Universidad de Sevilla, Espana



ANTONIJEVIC, Ingrid



Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Chile



BARRIGA TELLO, Martha



Universidad Nacional de San Marcos, Peru



BERGMAN, Sergio

Melton Institute de Jerusalem, Israel



BERTOLINI, Luis



Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina



CABEZON, Jose



Universidad de Santa Barbara, Estados Unidos



CAGNI, Horacio



Universidad Catolica de La Plata, Argentina



CARRANZA, Francisco



Universidad de Dankook, Corea



CASTLETON, Barbara



Ohio State University of Athens



CASTRO, Jorge

Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina



CHAOUL-REICH, Alejandro



Universidad de Texas, Estados Unidos



CHELMICKI, Hanna I.



Universidad del Salvador, Argentina



DIAZ BROUGHTON, Luis



Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Chile



FRANCO, Raul



Universidad del Salvador, Argentina



GADRE, Vasant



Universidad Jawaharlal Nehru, India



GARCIA DARIS, Liliana

Universidad del Salvador, Argentina

GLUCK, Carol



Universidad de Columbia. Estados Unidos

HOPKINS RODRIGUEZ, Eduardo



Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru



KIM, Wonho



Universidad Hankuk de Estudios Extranjeros, Corea



KO, Heysun



Univesidad de Dankook, Corea



LOPEZ DEL CARRIL, Luis Maria



Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina



LUCO, Enrique



Universidad del Salvador



MARTINEZ, Mauricio



Universidad de Los Andes, Colombia



MASATERU, Ito



Universidad Nacional de Osaka, Japon



MATSUSHITA, Hiroshi



Universidad de Kobe, Japon



MINKOWICZ, Gabriel

Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires

MONETA, Carlos Juan



Universidad del Salvador, Argentina



MORROW, John Andrew



Minot State University, Dakota del Norte, USA



NGUYEN, Thiet Son



Academia de Ciencias Sociales de Vietnam, Vietnam

OVIEDO, Eduardo

CONICET. Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina

PEREIRA, Ronan Alves

Universidad de Brasilia. Brasil

PEREYRA, Violeta



Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina

REMETE, Andrea

Universidad del Salvador, Argentina



RIMOLDI DE LADMAN, Eve



Universidad Nacional de Buenos Aires, Argentina



ROMERO CASTILLA, Alfredo



Universidad Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico

TEDIN URIBURU, Virgilio



Universidad de Harvard, Estados Unidos

UEHARA, Alexander



Universidad de Sao Paulo. Brasil

URIBURU QUINTANA, Juan



Universidad de Chenchi, Taiwan



VITTOR, Luis Alberto



Universidad Argentina John F. Kennedy



XU, Shicheng



Academia China de Ciencias Sociales, Republica Popular China
WASHINGTON

(Oct. 31, 2017)The U.S. Department of Defense recently announced the following contract awards that pertain to local Navy activities.No applicable awards., is being awardedfor firm-fixed-price delivery order N0001918F0452 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-15-G-0014) for the procurement of spare and sustainment parts for the RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned air vehicle in support of the Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Bingen, Washington, and is expected to be completed in April 2018. Fiscal 2017 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $9,200,000 are being obligated at the time of the award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is being awardedfor modification P00002 to a previously awarded firm-fixed price contract (N00019-17-C-0064) to exercise an option for the procurement one CFM56-7B27AE engine for the P-8 Poseidon aircraft. Work will be performed in Villaroche, France (55 percent); and Durham, North Carolina (45 percent) and is expected to be completed in September 2018. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $12,466,506 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity, is being awardedfor modification P00021 to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00421-15-C-0008) to exercise an option for engineering and technical services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's Special Communications Mission Solutions (AD-4.11.3). Services to be provided include integrating communications and information systems radio communications into Navy ships. Work will be performed at St. Inigoes, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in October 2018. Fiscal 2018 working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $3,333,779 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity., is being awardedfor modification P00007 to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-15-C-0124) to exercise an option for the procurement of 255 automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast production kits for the T-6 aircraft for the Navy (251) and Army (4). Work will be performed in Wichita, Kansas, and is expected to be completed in September 2018. Based on availability of funds, fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount $7,762,940 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The, is the contracting activity.
ANNAPOLIS

(Oct. 31, 2017)Exonerated of murder and other charges in 2014, Walter Lomax is still making his way through the Maryland bureaucracy to receive compensation for 39 years of wrongful imprisonment.Now, he sits on a state task force to study the issue.A state law that went into effect Oct. 1 created the 10-member task force, which is planning to establish a compensation standard for those wrongfully imprisoned in Maryland. A governor's pardon is no longer required for damages to be awarded, under the law.The task force to study erroneous conviction and imprisonment met for the first time Tuesday and must report their findings to Gov. Larry Hogan and the General Assembly by Dec. 15."The reason this is such a short-term task force is because we're here to compensate," said Maryland Sen. Delores Kelley, a Democrat who represents Baltimore County and sponsored the legislation.Unlike other states, Maryland does not have a set standard for paying damages to those who have been pardoned. In North Carolina, for example, they receive $50,000 for each year of wrongful imprisonment. In California, it's $140 for each day.Under current Maryland law, the Board of Public Works determines compensation packages based on "actual damages," on a case-by-case basis.The board, which includes the governor, comptroller and state treasurer, has used its contingency fund for five pardon claims since 1984: Michael Austin, who was convicted of murder in 1974 and exonerated in 2002, was paid $1.4 million for close to 27 years of incarceration. Bernard Webster served almost 20 years for rape and was pardoned by Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening in 2003 and granted $900,000 in 20 semiannual installments. In 1985, Kirk Bloodsworth was convicted of murder, sexual assault and rape. Bloodsworth, who received $300,000 for nine years of imprisonment, was the first individual to be sentenced to death and then exonerated eight years later by DNA evidence, according to the Innocence Project. Leslie Vass was convicted of armed robbery in 1975 and served 10 years. In 1986, he was exonerated and received $250,000. In 1979, Cornell Avery Estes was sentenced to 20 years for murder, but was exonerated 11 months later after another confessed to the crime. The state paid Estes $16,500 in 1984.When asked for his views on compensation, Lomax said that he'd looked at the assessments made in the past and felt at a loss."Unless someone has actually had that experience, they can't really fathom the type of damage that's been done," Lomax told fellow task force members Tuesday."Think about someone who's been incarcerated two-thirds of their life. Almost 40 years. And you compare that to how much this person could have made. What is their net worth," Lomax added. "It's not a fair assessment."Lomax has not yet submitted a request for compensation to the Board of Public Works because until the new law went into effect, an individual could only appear before the board if they had received a pardon.Lomax was not alone in being denied compensation. Of the 25 people who have been exonerated in Maryland since 1991, only three (Austin, Bloodsworth and Webster) have also been pardoned, according to the National Registry of Exonerations, a law school project that has tracked every known exoneration from the past 28 years.Lomax told University of Maryland's Capital News Service that he'd sent an application for pardon in the latter part of 2015, but the governor hadn't signed it. Hogan's office did not respond to requests for comment on the case.This new Maryland law is important, said Klara Stephens, a research scholar for the National Registry of Exonerations ( www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/about.aspx )."When exonerees are freed, they very often have little to no resources, and their opportunities to build financial stability have been taken from them," Stephens said. "To require a pardon in order to be compensated adds another very time-consuming step to the process of getting them back on their feet.""And, of course, pardons are often political," Stephens added. "So politicians can be reluctant to grant them, even in the face of overwhelming evidence of innocence."According to the National Registry, "an exoneration occurs when a person who has been convicted of a crime is officially cleared based on new evidence of innocence." Under Maryland law, a pardon is defined separately from an exoneration as an "act of clemency" from the governor.But now, with the new law in effect, Lomax doesn't need a pardon. A requestor can either present a pardon or a certification from the state's attorney that "the conviction was in error," according to the Board of Public Works.Lomax told Capital News Service that he plans to submit a request for compensation very soon.Though money was the focus of Tuesday's meeting, the task force will also take on the systems that can lead to wrongful conviction and imprisonment.Lomax asked the task force, which remains active until next fall, to consider the systemic injustices that come up in the enforcement and administration of the law.In 1968, Lomax was sentenced to life prison for the death of Robert Brewer, a night manager at a Baltimore food market. But Lomax, whose right hand had been injured and put in a cast just hours before the murder, contended that it wasn't physically possible for him to commit the crime.He was convicted anyway, based on witness identification, even though there was no physical or forensic evidence linking Lomax to the crime, according to the National Registry.Repeatedly, Lomax filed requests for a new trial and repeatedly, he was denied.Then, in 2006, a Baltimore judge found that Lomax's trial attorney "had provided a constitutionally ineffective defense," according to the National Registry. The attorney failed to present evidence on the cause of Lomax's injurya knife attack outside a dance he was chaperoningand also failed to call police officers who'd taken down descriptions of a gunman that looked nothing like Lomax."The lawyer failed to call a police officer who could have testified that he chased the suspect and that the suspect outran hima feat that Lomax would have been unable to accomplish due to his injuries from the attack outside the dance," according to the National Registry.In 2006, Lomax was released for "time served," but his record of first-degree murder, armed robbery, and attempted armed robbery stood intact until his exoneration in 2014.Lomax was 20 years old when he was arrested.Next week, on Halloween, he will celebrate his 70th birthday.
Two-thirds of Australian citizens, most politicians and the leaders of all major parties support marriage equality in Australia according to the Australian Equality Campaign. And now they are making moves to legalize marriage equality throughout the country.

The Equality Campaign is urging Australian voters to return marriage survey forms with a yes vote on marriage equality to ensure Parliament puts the issue to a vote. So far, 74.5 percent of Australians have returned their forms, which amounts to nearly 1.19 million voters.

Australians clearly want this issue to be dealt with as quickly as possible, Equality Campaign Director Tiernan Brady said. We hope that a strong YES result will encourage Parliament to ensure marriage equality to ensure marriage equality is a reality in Australia by Christmas.

A number of Australian celebrities have joined in the fight for marriage equality, including Olympic swimmers Emily Seebohm and Mitch Larkin, as well as openly gay winner of The Voice Australia, Alfie Arcuri.

Arcuri took to Facebook in support of the Equality Campaign with a new anthem to support what he calls one of the biggest social and political progressions in Australian history, as LGBT groups and allies await the final ballot result.

Many lyrics of the song and accompanying video were inspired by Acuris year-old nephew.

I wanted everyone to see the world the way he does where we are all equal and the dame, Arcuri said. It is my mission to ensure that my nephew never has to feel as though he is lesser than someone else for something that is out of his control, much the way I felt as a teenager growing up gay.

You can watch his video Love is Love below:
African start-ups are the least funded in the world; 80% of funding goes to Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa with most directed to FinTech (financial technology) start-ups. Ensibuuko, a Ugandan company providing mobile finance services, received financial and incubation support as winner of CTAs AgriHack programme in 2013.

We are now involved in CTAs Market-led User-owned ICT4AG-enabled Information Service project. Along the way to becoming Ugandas most funded start-up, we have learnt some key lessons in applying for finance and looking for investment.

Perseverance

Firstly, time and effort are key. We have attended so many events, workshops and even a couple of accelerator programmes. You have to look hard to find and attract investors and we did our best to always shine as well as we could. Over these last few years, we have talked to so many people at so many events for so many potential investments.

People invest in people

Building relationships is also crucial. You have to invest time in keeping in touch. Encounters with investors at events may be a one off, but you have to invest in following up. And many start-ups fail to do this. Investors take interest in people they like. So if you invest in relationships, you start as friends, they want to learn about your business and then they might recommend you to other people who are willing to invest.

You will fail many times before you win

However, dont let failure hold you back. It takes time to put business plans together for investors and you are lucky if you get a response at all. It can get really frustrating being repeatedly turned down, but if you let it hold you back, you will fail. It is important that when you dont succeed, you learn, and you ask for feedback on ways to improve. One key thing is to always ask people for advice and they can say, Sure, lets have a call, lets talk, and then they get to understand your business better.

Too often start-ups get defensive, they want to justify the challenges they face and to prove themselves as a business. But it is important to accept these people are the experts and their advice can help you improve. So follow up is essential, get to know the investors, ask them if you are dealing with a challenge whether there is someone on their team that can advise you. And sometimes, they will come back to you and ask Did my advice work? Any other help I can give?

Ask for funding and you may only get advice

Many times when we approach people for funding, we have only received advice in return, but this always helps us to improve and to seek the next opportunity. And then sometimes, when we ask for advice, we get funding.

We have had one particular experience with a current investor who we first met in 2014, he was one of our mentors and he was often travelling to Uganda. So he would make time to visit us and we would sit together to really work out the issues. He became really involved in the business, investing emotionally as he got to know us better. Then when we came to him and said we had worked on achieving a good business model but we needed finance, money to progress, he said, ok  I will speak to investors in Canada. But, in the meantime, he told us that he could see we needed cash so he gave us an advance to help us become investor ready. After all this time, post-investment, he is still emotionally interested and we are constantly in touch, keeping him up-to-date. And we know that at any time, we can go to him for advice and to even get further help with funding.
There are many opportunities and ways for youth to get into agriculture or offer agri-related products and services to solve problems along the agricultural value chain. However, in starting an agribusiness or agro-related enterprise, young people are often missing the necessary business skills and business support.

In addition, one of the biggest challenges for young agripreneurs in the ACP is the difficulty in accessing finance. Lending to start-ups entails significant costs due to their high risk rating, especially in the agricultural sector, causing financial institutions to shy away from investing in this area, which leaves a significant gap. Regardless of the business idea, entrepreneurs need to be able to validate their business model and de-risk their enterprise in order to increase their chances of obtaining finance.

Across the ACP, we have lots of agribusiness start-ups, and a growing number of Agtech (agricultural technology) start-ups, which have been supported to develop their ideas through incubation or accelerator programmes. However, the reason they are called start-ups is because they have yet to learn how to monetise, validate and test their business model. One of the top reasons that start-ups fail is due to weak, unproven business models, so we need to teach young entrepreneurs how to innovate and tweak their existing business models to become more sustainable.

Training start-ups to become investor ready

Financial literacy and education are key to developing sustainable business models. Start-ups are often too busy trying to develop and grow their business to put financial systems in place and keep good records. This is really critical because, at some point, they will need to access finance from investors or traditional financial institutions and these potential financiers need to have historical records of the companys financial transactions. Programmes therefore need to help start-ups become investor ready, by supporting them to develop business models, and ensure they have market traction through testing and validation.

In addition, these programmes can support entreprenuers by encouraging them to document their journey and providing them with the necessary tools to produce records, which can be supplied to potential investors. There are a lot more programmes that are now being created specifically focused on investment readiness or finance readiness to help start-ups understand how investors think, how financiers operate and how to better articulate their value proposition.

Filling the gap in financial education

Nevertheless, we are just beginning to see an increase in foreign direct investors coming to look for new investment deals to diversify their portfolios and increase return potential in the ecosystem. While this is a good opportunity for start-ups, we  in the financial support sector  have a responsibility to ensure that our entrepreneurs are market ready and in a position to pitch a fundable venture to investors, as well as negotiate terms to close an investment. Additionally, start-ups need to be viewed as a new asset class that generate returns worth investing in to unlock more wealth building opportunities.

Fostering an enabling environment

Policymakers also have a role to play in creating a facilitative environment for start-ups to thrive. Start-ups can generate significant socio-economic impact through job creation and technological advancement, not to mention having a direct impact on the GDP of countries. It is therefore in the interest of governments to engage and invest in youth entrepreneurship. Some enabling policies that can be encouraged include: simplifying the business registration process; subsiding tariff rates for start-ups wishing to acquire equipment and goods; and the specific allocation of government budgets for building the business capacity of youth. Creating an enabling environment for innovation will also support the emergence of alternative funding opportunities that facilitate start-ups access to finance.

For international donors, capacity building is a very resource intensive process and, while I am all for projects, sometimes a 3-year project just ticks a box and doesnt allow for true capacity building and knowledge transfer across the whole ecosystem. So I think that international donor organisations have potential to do more in terms of better coordinating with other stakeholders and actors within these ecosystems to unlock financing and financial support mechanisms which can contribute to longer term start-up programmes.
The third leg of the Massachusetts Sire Stakes for three-year-olds was contested at Plainridge Park on Monday for purses totaling $133,500 and three of the four events displayed very strong performances. All four races were non-betting events.

In the $34,000 colt and gelding trot, Big Man Ev (Chapter Seven-Possessed By Lindy) went immediately to the front and led every step of the mile before pulling away to a five-length win in 1:55.3. Muscles Jared (Muscle Massive-Tetiana) drafted along second the entire way but was unable to muster a finishing kick to match the winners :28.1.

Big Man Ev was driven by Steve Smith for trainer Julie Miller and owners the Andy Miller Stable Inc., the Lindy Racing Stable and Harvey Eisman. Big Man Ev was bred by the Lindy Racing Stable.

The $33,550 colt and gelding pace was won by Lindy The Kid (Artistic Fella-Lindys Bandita) for his third straight MASS series win. After leaving and taking control, Lindy The Kid won in gate to wire fashion in 1:57.4 while keeping Zeke (Mcardle-Beam Of Joy) at bay in second the entire mile.

Lindy The Kid was driven by Greg Merton for trainer Frank Antonacci. Lindy Farms of Connecticut both bred and own the winner.

On the distaff side, Onangelwings (Archangel-Anotherpennyplease) won the $32,700 filly trot in 2:01.1 after going coast to coast by open lengths, eventually crossing the wire five-lengths in front. The victory was also the third straight MASS win for the filly.

Onangelwings was driven by Chris Lems for trainer George Ducharme who owns her with Al Ross and Paul Fontaine. Ducharme, Ross and Fontaine also bred the winner.

And in the $33,250 filly pace, Tanzanite Love (Im Gorgeous-Love Rocks) got away fourth and stayed there until past three-quarters when she found pace down the lane and closed on the outside to capture the win by a head in 1:59.2.

She beat Spoxys Girl (Neutralize-Royal Ribbons) who tripped-out behind Delaware Heat (Western Ideal-Shady Sabrina) who finished third another head behind in a bang-bang finish.

Tanzanite Love was driven by Mike Stevenson for trainer Robert Marston and owner the Denmar Stable of Florida. KDK Standardbreds bred the winner.

The Massachusetts Sire Stake finals for all divisions will be held at Plainridge Park on Monday, November 6 and will offer an estimated $700,000 in purses.

(Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts)
Ontario-sired champion pacing mare Lady Shadow p,1:48.1s ($2,156,057), who finished a hard-fought third in last week's Breeders Crown at Hoosier Park, has been sold for a healthy sum.

Lady Shadow was sold to Richard Banca of New Jersey for $310,000 (USD) in an ongait.com-hosted auction on Tuesday afternoon.

The six-year-old daughter of Shadow Play fell just short of defending her Crown title, as she got beat right near the wire by Pure Country and Bedroomconfessions.

Lady Shadow should be leaving Canada soon and land in the NY Metropolitan area, before continuing her brilliant race career.

(With files from ongait.com)
All Charged Up, who was catch-driven by Wally Hennessey, took top honors in Pompano Park's pacing feature for mares on Monday night (October 30) in 1:54.3.

The six-year-old daughter of Ponder, trained by John MacDonald for his JP Stables, took command at the :27.3 opening marker and then produced a well-rated second panel of :29.4 before two straight :28.3 subsequent quarters. The margin of victory was a half-length.

The late-charging Goldstar Rockette (driven by Bryce Fenn) finished second. Red Hot Hill (Andy Santeramo) finished third, while A Wish For Wings closed fastest of all to finish fourth. Dees Golden Joy finished fifth.



All Charged Up, catch-driven by Wally Hennessey, pictured capturing the pacing feature for mares on Monday night (Oct. 30, 2017) at Pompano Park (Skip Smith Photo)

"This is the first time I drove this mare, Hennessey said afterward, but I know how tough she is because she beat my great mare (Godiva Seelster) the last time we were together in a race a couple of weeks ago.

"This mare (All Charged Up) is tough as nails and she dug in late, as she always does. She's a quality mare, all right."

All Charged Up now is 6-for-14 this year, good for earnings of $35,660. The win was the fourth straight for All Charged Up, who has now recorded 29 career victories in 114 starts. Overall, she has banked $259,082 in earnings to go along with her Vernon Downs mark of 1:51.2.

Off at 1-5 on the Pompano tote-board, All Charged Up paid $2.40 to win.

Racing at Pompano will continue on Tuesday night with the finals of the Sunshine State Stakes for three year-olds. Each of the four final for sophomore Florida-breds carries a purse of $12,000. The finals are sponsored by the Florida Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association.

Post time for the pari-mutuel card will be 7:20 p.m.

(With files from Pompano Park)
'Team Hensley' took home top honours in Mondays main event at Woodbine Racetrack with a pacer that celebrated his first victory in North America since making the move from New Zealand earlier this season.

Toot Toot N, who made his qualifying debut for the Hensley outfit in July, only hit the board once in his first six tries for the new connections. But he came up big in his Monday evening assignment, and as a result he got to strike a pose in the winners circle.

Ed Hensley sent the Ashleigh Hensley trainee to the position of command from Post 7, and together they were parked past the quarter in :27.3 before crossing down to the rail. They took a backseat to Preppy Art in the backstretch, and that foe went on to whack out middle fractions of :55.4 and 1:23.2. Toot Toot N tipped out as the field swung into the stretch, and he only needed a :30-second closing frame to win by a length over Preppy Art in 1:53.3. Third prize went to D J Power.

Sent off at odds of 12-1 in the eight-horse affair, Toot Toot N improved this years record to 3-2-2 from 15 starts for the Hensleys. The six-time winner has stashed away more than $36,000 to date.

To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results  Woodbine Racetrack.
In a Victory for Life, Judge Rules CA Law Violates State Constitution

The Compelled Speech of the Reproductive FACT Act Infringes on Free Speech



Contact: Desare Ferraro, 951-600-2733, dferraro@tylerbursch.com



RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif., Oct. 31, 2017 /Standard Newswire/ -- The judge issued her ruling yesterday in a lawsuit filed in Riverside County Superior Court by The Scharpen Foundation challenging the California statute that requires prolife pregnancy centers to provide their patients the location and contact information for local abortion clinics. In its decision, the Court found that "the FACT Act violates Article I, Section 2 of the California Constitution."



Judge Gloria Trask explained, "Here, the State commands clinics to post specific directions for whom to contact to obtain an abortion. It forces the clinic to point the way to the abortion clinic and can leave patients with the belief they were referred to an abortion provider by that clinic.... In Scharpen's case that would be inaccurate, profoundly inaccurate."



Moreover, we argued and Judge Trask agreed, ruling that, "The State can deliver its message without infringing upon anyone's liberty. It may purchase television advertisements as it does to encourage Californians to sign up for Covered California or to conserve water. It may purchase billboard space and post its message directly in front of Scharpen Foundation's clinic...."



"Compelled speech must be subject to reasonable limitation," continued Judge Trask. "The statute compels the clinic to speak words with which it profoundly disagrees when the state has numerous alternative methods of publishing its message.... In this case, however virtuous the State's ends, they do not justify its means."



"We are thrilled with Judge Trask's ruling, which is a huge victory for free speech," said Scott Scharpen, founder and president of The Scharpen Foundation, which operates the Go Mobile For Life pregnancy clinic. He added, "The whole notion of being compelled to share information with our patients about abortion availability, which is contrary to our mission and purpose, is fundamentally wrong. Lives will be saved because of this ruling."



With funding raised by Advocates for Faith & Freedom, a non-profit legal defense organization, Tyler & Bursch's lawyers strategically filed the lawsuit in state court because the California State Constitution provides greater free speech protection than the First Amendment.



Attorney Robert Tyler of Tyler & Burch, LLP, counsel for the Scharpen Foundation, lauded, "It is a great day in California because we know that freedom of speech is still a protected constitutional right. Judge Trask is absolutely correct that the State can't force a pro-life clinic to advertise abortions on behalf of the State and its abortion mills." He continued, "If the State Attorney General appeals, we will continue to defend our client's pro-life speech all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court."



Yesterday's ruling established that "[C]ompelled speech of a political or cultural nature is not the tool of a free government." Essentially, "The legislature may not use the wall of the physician's office as a billboard to advertise the availability of low cost abortions...."



Nada Higuera, the attorney who argued the case, said: "As a young female and defender of speech, I am thrilled to know that our work is not in vain. I've regrettably had an abortion. And I've just recently experienced the incomparable joy of having a baby. I wish I would have had the opportunity to visit a pro-life clinic when I was just 16 years old and contemplating an abortion."



The ruling provides injunctive relief statewide and prevents the law from being enforced effective immediately.



Tyler & Bursch, LLP also represents Livingwell Medical Clinic in a concurrent case in federal court. We are awaiting a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court in November as to whether the High Court will take the case. Our two-front strategy gives us the ability to win in either federal or state court.



About Tyler & Bursch, LLP and Advocates for Faith & Freedom: Tyler & Bursch's attorneys have been serving businesses and individuals throughout Southern California for almost 20 years in federal and state trial courts, courts of appeal and arbitration. Tyler & Bursch provides legal and financial support to their non-profit law firm, Advocates for Faith & Freedom in defense of constitutional and religious liberty.


Open Enrollment Begins Wednesday -- Solidarity HealthShare is Helping Single Mothers, Veterans, Families and the Middle Class Get Back on Their Feet with Affordable Coverage

Contact: Eden Gordon Media, 202-714-6014, hello@edengordonmedia.com WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2017 / Standard Newswire / -- As the Open Enrollment season begins this November 1, 2017, many families with single mothers, single fathers, and middle class families are facing their greatest fear. What will our premiums be for 2018? Is the better choice to pay the IRS the penalty? Or to save and budget for the Affordable Care Act? Please note that most families in our country make $75,000 or less. Do the math. The Affordable Care Act is not affordable to this income base.Under the Affordable Care Act are these restrictions: patients cannot chose the provider of choice, religious freedom is hindered and patient and doctor relationships are chosen by the government. The unaffordable care act is forcing Americans to sit on the sidelines and watch the government take care of them, speak for them and choose for them.Solidarity HealthShare is challenging the elected officials to stop and think about the conscience issues and to make health insurance affordable for the middle and poor class. Solidarity is changing lives and saving lives for the American family. They are providing a service that is community based, not government supported, affordable and provides the opportunity to chose the medical care desired.A Mother's Endorsement of Solidarity HealthShare: "Solidarity HealthShare opened up the doors for my family to meet with the health care provider of our choice. The patient and doctor doors were finally opened to us after many years of being restricted into a network that ended up causing our family to physically and financially suffer through multiple hardships. I have recommended Solidarity HealthShare to many friends who are mothers, Solidarity makes it affordable for the American Family." -- K SoperIn today's health care crisis on Capitol Hill both the left and right side are inflicting deep wounds on the American people and the check is given to hard working Americans.Solidarity has said enough to this crisis and is opening the door to all Americans. The protection of our religious freedom, our conscience, and our lives independent of the government is necessary for America to be the land of prosperity once again.
Gettys Mark 500th Anniversary of the Reformation with a Call to Rediscover the Impact of Congregational Singing

NASHVILLE, Oct. 31, 2017 / Standard Newswire / -- Keith Getty OBE and Kristyn Getty (photo) have today, on the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, set a call to the church around the world to rediscover the power of congregational singing. The couple, who have written hymns sung by an estimated 40-50 million people in church services each year, echo Martin Luther's challenge to view congregational singing not simply as an innovation, but rather a return to the Bible and the biblical practices followed well by the prophets and the ancient Church fathers.

At the time of the Reformation, congregational singing was considered a heretical act, but Luther knew it was a biblically vital component to sustaining the gospel in the hearts of God's people. He believed that God's people have to sing because the act of singing is a central part of our basic spiritual health.

Keith Getty OBE says, "What many people do not know is that while Luther's 95 Theses of theology may have opened the floodgates for the Reformation, his insistence upon a return to, and celebration of the sacred act of congregational singing in the people's known language built the community apparatus that kept those floodgates open for years to come."

Getty started writing hymns in the year 2000 in significant part inspired by Luther's congregational singing, rich theology and high artistic view of church music creating a unique brand of modern hymns that he and Kristyn have become associated with. The first hymn he wrote was with Stuart Townsend entitled In Christ Alone which echoed Luther's rallying cry.

How the congregation sang was a key question for Luther; he believed that a truly biblical church would be one where every believer was actively participating in every part of the service, including the singing, celebrating the gospel message together.

Keith continues, "Luther had come to realize what his ancient predecessors had always known: God's people are catechized by what they sing. A preacher can teach what the Bible means, but people "carry out" the Bible by the songs they sing. Singing affects people's minds, emotions, hearts, memories, prayer lives--and ultimately, their thoughts and spoken words."

Two years ago, the Getty team decided to focus on the 500th anniversary as a chance to launch their Sing! initiative beginning with the global conference in Nashville, TN, and the launch of their book Sing! In the final quarter of this year, they are leading a series of US city-wide summits on congregational singing, relaunching their Christmas tour Sing! An Irish Christmas in venues including Carnegie Hall [the only Christian show of its kind play at the venue] and the Kennedy Center, [being screened on PBS during the Christmas season]
Foundation for Moral Law Denounces Federal Court Transgender Injunction

Contact: John Eidsmoe, Foundation for Moral Law, 334-262-1245, info@morallaw.org



MONTGOMERY, Ala., Oct. 31, 2017 /Standard Newswire/ -- The Foundation for Moral Law, a Montgomery-based nonprofit corporation dedicated to the acknowledgement of God and the strict interpretation of the Constitution as understood by its Framers, strongly criticized today's decision by Federal District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly that invalidated President Trump's ban on transgender persons serving in the United States armed forces.



On July 26, 2017, President Trump stated in a tweet: "After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the United States Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous military costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you." The President set forth this policy in greater detail in an August 25, 2017 memorandum.



Responding to a lawsuit brought by so-called transgender military personnel and persons in training programs to enter the military, Judge Kollar-Kotelly granted a preliminary injunction on the ground that the plaintiffs had shown a substantial likelihood that the ban violated their right to equal protection of the laws. The effect of the preliminary injunction is that the military may not discharge or deny entrance to transgender persons. The order stopped short of requiring the military to provide transgender surgery. The Trump administration is studying Judge Kollar-Kotelly's order to determine its next move.



Foundation President Kayla Moore noted that the Foundation had previously praised the President for rescinding the Obama administration's plans to allow transgender persons in the military. She denounced the federal court order: "As the wife of a West Point graduate and Vietnam Veteran, I am appalled that Judge Kollar-Kotelly would use her office to force transgenderism upon the United States armed forces. The military is not a place for social experimentation; it is to be a fit fighting force that wins our nation's wars. This is one more Obama policy that the voters repudiated last November, but now a federal judge won't let President Trump change it."



Foundation Senior Counsel John Eidsmoe, a retired Air Force Judge Advocate, added: "It is the height of judicial arrogance and activism for an unelected federal judge with no military experience to substitute her judgment for that of the President and his military advisors on a novel and controversial issue that is not even mentioned in the United States Constitution. The Foundation hopes the Trump Administration will appeal this decision and will support the appeal in any way we can."


The essential component of totalitarian propaganda is artifice (het toepassen van kunstgrepen. svh) . The ruling elites, like celebritie...
On October 4, four American soldiers

were killed

by militants linked to the Islamic State in Niger. The incident thrust the issue of US military presence in Africa into the spotlight and drew the

attention of senators

tasked with military oversight. It has been revealed that even the Congress has been kept in the dark about the US involvement in that country. It puts into question the accountability of the military. Since it was established as an independent command in 2006, the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) has never been transparent with its activities largely shrouded in secrecy.

The details about US military presence in Africa happened to be a surprise even for members of the Congress.

In the aftermath of the incident, the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford, revealed at a press-conference that about 800 US troops are now based in Niger  more than in any other African country. The press conference came after several US senators expressed surprise that the US had such a large military presence on the continent, and Niger in particular.

"I didnt know there was 1,000 troops in Niger, Senator Lindsey 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.

Indeed, the size of the presence was a big surprise for lawmakers as well as public in general. The vast majority of Americans probably had no idea that the US even had military troops participating in combat missions in Africa before the incident in Niger. The US has previously acknowledged it has troops there. But its never gone into much detail. Niger has also allowed the United States to build a large drone base at an estimated cost of $100 million near the central trading city of Agadez. Dunford acknowledged the lack of communication between military leaders and the Congress, and said he and Secretary of Defense James Mattis would "double their efforts to communicate better with senators.

American forces entered the region en masse in the early 2000s, when the United States began training and equipping militaries in dozens of African countries. According to Dunford, a total of 6,000 US troops are deployed in 53 African countries today. They are conducting 3,500 exercises, programs, and engagements each year  almost 10 missions each day. The number of the Special Operations Forces (SOF) across the continent rose from 450 in 2012 to 1,300 in 2017 (of 8,000 SOF deployed globally this year). The United Nations recognizes 54 countries in Africa. It means that only one of them is free of US military presence!

Officially, the United States only has one military base in Africa  Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. But SOF 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. Other operating sites are called "forward operating sites, "cooperative security locations (CSL) or "contingency locations in host countries.

According to the AFRICOM 2017 Posture statement, the command runs a network of 46 sites, including two forward operating sites (Djiboutis Camp Lemonnier and a base on the United Kingdoms Ascension Island off the west coast of Africa), 13 cooperative security locations, and 31 "non-enduring contingency locations. This is an increase by 10 locationsa 28 percent jumpin just over two years.

African bases have long been essential, for instance, to Washingtons ongoing shadow war in Yemen, which has seen a significant increase in drone strikes under the Trump administration. Djibouti is essential for operations in the Arabian Peninsula. CSL Entebbe in Uganda is a hub for surveillance aircraft, carrying out mission across the continent. The US sprawling, ever-expanding network of bases provides the crucial infrastructure for cross-continental combat by US and allied forces, especially France, which boasts a large military presence (5,000 troops) of its own.

Many activities the Pentagon has described as "advise and assist in nature seem to be indistinguishable from combat by any basic definition. Claiming troops are only "assisting or "training local forces is the way that the US military establishes a foothold in African countries.

Private military contractors have become another element of US presence on the continent.

The Trump administration is preparing to dismantle key Obama-era limits on drone strikes and commando raids outside conventional battlefields. This will lead to drastic escalation in the use of forces in Africa. Somalia has already been declared an "area of active hostilities, temporarily bringing it under less restrictive war-zone rule.

The military operations in Africa have never been specifically authorized by Congress, let alone discussed and debated by the American public. The Authorization for Use of Force, adopted right after the Sept. 11, 2001, says the president is authorized to use force against the planners of the attacks and those who harbor them. It does not cover mere supporters of such groups and associated forces. Nevertheless, the legislation has been used for 16 years now to justify conflicts in many countries, including Afghanistan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Georgia, Iraq, Kenya, the Philippines, Somalia and Yemen.

The 1973 War Powers Resolution is a federal law in force intended to check the presidents power to commit the United States to an armed conflict without the consent of the US Congress. It provides that under certain circumstances a President can deploy troops into combat situations, but there are periodic reporting requirements for a President as well as time limits on how long troops can remain engaged in conflicts without a formal declaration of war or specific congressional authorization. The law was breached when the US bombed Yugoslavia in 1999. It is also not observed in Africa because formally the US is not at war there, despite the fact that it is waging combat operations where servicemen lose their lives. The October 4 tragedy in Niger is just another example. In May, a Marine was killed in Somalia.

The military presence in Africa will probably grow in the future. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, indicated that the United States may increase its military presence.

"The war is morphing. Were going to see more actions in Africa, not less, he said.

The policy marks a stark about-face from Trumps campaign declarations that the US can no longer afford to be the worlds policeman. The military operations in Africa suggest otherwise. The fighting in Africa seldom hits media headlines but it does not change the fact that the US is waging a war. Niger is the perfect illustration of Americas permanent war posture around the world, where combat operations are conducted with little or no public scrutiny and no congressional authorization. The administration appears to view the international problems mostly through a military prism.

Source-www.globalresearch.ca
HAWTHORN WOODS, Ill.  Susan Vrenios held the baby boy, less than 6 months old, in her arms as the infant cooed and flashed his big heart-melting smile.

Over the span of nearly 30 years as a foster parent, Vrenios has become a pro tending to infants and children in the care of the state. Vrenios and her husband, Tom, so far have touched the lives of 132 kids, including two children the couple adopted into their own family.

We couldnt keep them all, the 53-year-old Vrenios said with a laugh. They dont make cars for 132 kids.

For the past 10 years, Vrenios and her husband have worked with UCAN, which is one of 70 social service agencies that work with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services helping at-risk children.

Foster parents like Vrenios provide stable and nurturing care for youth whose world has been upended by loss, abuse or neglect, and whose families have been unable to safely care for them, according to Derrick Baker, vice president, marketing communications for UCAN.

According to DCFS statistics, as of July there were 13,953 children either in foster or relative care, institutional homes or group homes after being removed for abuse or neglect. DCFS licenses foster homes, and private agencies such as UCAN license their own foster homes.

UCAN is headquartered in Chicagos North Lawndale community, and has other offices around Chicago, along with the one in Vernon Hills, Baker said. UCAN currently has about 170 foster homes, Baker said. About 65 of them are in Lake and McHenry counties, and the agency is always looking for more foster parents, he said.

Foster parents receive a stipend from the state to support the youths in their homes, with the amount varying from $500 to $2,200 depending on the needs of each child, Baker said.

Its important that you want to take care of children, Nancy Hencier, who is based out of UCANs Vernon Hills office, said.

Hencier said it takes four to six months to become a licensed foster parent, and candidates must undergo a background check and fingerprinting.

Im always looking for foster parents. Once we place one child we need another foster parent, she said.

According to information posted at UCANs website, the organization began in the 1860s at the start of the Civil War when St. Pauls United Church of Christ decided it would take care of the children of fallen soldiers and in 1869, after a piece of property was donated for a permanent home, the state legislature incorporated the Uhlich Evangelical Lutheran Orphan Asylum.

Today UCAN serves approximately 10,000 at-risk children, youth and families in Illinois. They offer more than 30 programs to either prevent violence, help children aging out of the system deal with independent living, workforce development, support for pregnant teens, youth leadership classes and foster care placement.

The agency trys to help affected youth through their therapeutic youth home and they run a K-12 therapeutic day school. Clinical and counseling services are provided as well as help with regular medical issues.

Whether its our adolescent program, specialized foster care or traditional foster care, UCAN has a strong track record. It is not easy work, UCAN President and CEO Zack Schrantz said in a statement about the professional fostering program in Cook, Lake and McHenry counties.

We know that sometimes family dynamics can change with the addition of a new person in the household. Some young people may come with physical, mental health or developmental challenges that a family may not be prepared to handle, added Schrantz, who himself has been a foster parent for nearly seven years.

UCAN staff members provide Vrenios and other foster parents with services and support to direct them in support foster youths while their family works to overcome the circumstances that led to them being placed outside of their homes, Baker said.

On this day, Vrenios is in Vernon Hills because one of the babies she is fostering has an appointment to spend time with a parent. In the meantime, Vrenios, takes the other baby to the doctor for a check up.

Foster parenting seemed to come to Vrenios naturally, she said.

We had no children of our own, and we felt very blessed by life. We wanted to give back, so we decided to become foster parents, and one child led to 132, Vrenios said.

My husband and I have also had 12- and 13-years-olds, up to age 18, she added, saying the reaction to foster care varies widely from child to child.

They can be scared or happy and excited. (They) want this new norm, because the old norm was neglect and abuse, she said. Its very different for every child.

Even newborns babies are traumatized when separated from their biological family, she said.

Its still considered trauma, she said. Any baby requires a lot of patience and calm parenting. You feel like you had a part in helping this infant.

With babies, My focus is largely, 98 percent, just nurturing, Vrenios added.

Vrenios said UCAN is very strong about advocating for the parents, and it is always working in the best interest of the child.

No parent wants their child in foster care, she said. Thats a safe assumption. As part of the team, you assure the parent that foster family is a temporary home until they can get back on their feet. You work together for the health of their child.

And then you say goodbye. Thats a real hard one. But now there is a healthy, happy child and a family reunited.

Contact with biological parents varies by each case. The agency sets up the visit and foster parents provide a note to the parent telling them how the week went and what is new with their child.

This agency encourages the contact, but they are realistic, she said.

For one of her babies, the parent, a father, will visit twice a week with his son at the Vernon Hills office.

That relationship has continued to grow, she said.

My husband and I see the need and value in there being good foster parents, she added. When it has been appropriate and with guidance from our UCAN case manager, we have enjoyed our involvement with the birth parents. Often times, it has led to a healthier relationship between child, foster parent and birth parent.

I feel there is nothing better than helping children for a brighter tomorrow, Vrenios said. You understand the goal is a mature healthy adult.
A Centralia man could end up with an unfortunate nickname if hes convicted of burglarizing the Woodland Walmart Saturday: Hot pants.

At 9:04 p.m., Woodland police were called to the store and arrested Brandon Wayne Hackney, 30, of Centralia on suspicion of second-degree burglary.

Hackney was allegedly caught by Walmart security cutting merchandise from packages and hiding it in his clothes, according to Police Chief Jim Kelly. The items were valued at slightly under $270. The alleged stolen merchandise included two torch-like items, Kelly said.

Although shoplifting isnt normally a felony in the state of Washington, Kelly said Hackney had been permanently restricted from entering all Walmart stores starting in 2010, meaning he allegedly trespassed as well as stole.

Hackney was booked into the Cowlitz County Jail at around 11 p.m. Saturday. His bail is listed at $2,500.
The Northwest has no shortage of prominent coffee brands  Dutch Bros., Stumptown, Tullys, Caffe Vita and, of course, Starbucks, just to name a few. After opening its fourth local location in less than 10 years, Red Leaf Organic Coffee might be on track to join the big boys.

The Woodland-based coffee chains latest location is on the corner of Florida Street and 15th Avenue in Longview, in the parking lot of Estys Auto Center.

According to General Manager Ann Lucas, the Oct. 10 opening was a success, as cars started lining up at 4:15 a.m., nearly two hours before opening time. Lucas said 748 cars total traveled through the drive-thru on the first day.

There were a couple employees that went over and took orders at cars, passing out free t-shirts and bumper stickers, just to engage with those customers and make them not feel like it was such a long wait, Lucas said of the grand opening. It was definitely amazing to see the community come out and support the grand opening.

Lucas and Ray Vandervalk, who owns the chain along with his wife, Melissa, said theyve routinely served 200 to 300 orders a day since the new location opened.

In three weeks time, weve been blown away with the level of support from the community in coming to that location, Lucas said.

Vandervalk said they chose 15th Avenue due to it being a busy street with lots of exposure, and the drive-thru building already existed, saving costs. Vandervalk and Lucas declined to disclose how much Red Leaf spent remodeling and opening the new location.

Vandervalk said he believes Red Leafs rapid growth and success is partly due to its quality product and service.

Our tagline is We never settle, and were always looking to improve our customer service and improve our quality of what we offer, Vandervalk said. Our customers are loyal because we are very careful about what we put into everything that we serve. For example, we dont have any nitrates in the meats we have in our breakfast sandwiches, and we dont have too many dyes or corn syrup or things health-conscious people are concerned about.

Lucas agreed with Vandervalk, adding that Red Leaf puts a premium on building relationships with their customers.

Were selling an experience, and because our baristas and everybody that works here are trained in customer service, it keeps those people coming back, she said.

Although Red Leafs new location is just a block north of a Dutch Bros. outlet, Lucas and Vandervalk said they werent worried about the Oregon-based chain cutting into business.

We serve a different clientele, Lucas said. I wouldnt think (of Dutch Bros.) as a competitor, theyre a colleague.

Although Red Leaf has no immediate plans to add a fifth location, Vandervalk said theyre always looking at expanding into another Cowlitz County city, such as Castle Rock or Kalama. He said opening stores in the Vancouver and Centralia areas might even be a possibility down the road.

The 15th Avenue drive-thru building has been used and discarded by other multiple coffee stands in the past, but Vandervalk said he felt confident Red Leaf is there to stay.

We have proved over the past 10 years that we have a product that people like, and our customer service is great. Weve been growing for 10 years, and I dont see that stopping.
Editors note: Todays editorials originally appeared in The Columbian and The Seattle Times. Editorial content from other publications is provided to give readers a sampling of regional and national opinion and does not necessarily reflect positions endorsed by the Editorial Board of The Daily News.

The need for Congress to seize the reins of the health care debate has never been clearer. Lawmakers should support a bipartisan effort led by Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., a fact reinforced by several recent developments:

The Congressional Budget Office last week estimated that the bill would reduce the federal deficit by $3.8 billion over a decade while stabilizing health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act  colloquially known as Obamacare.

State officials announced that premiums for insurance plans on Washingtons Obamacare marketplace will increase an average of 36 percent next year  an unsustainable rate.

And President Trump has chosen to halt federal subsidies to insurers, a provision of the Affordable Care Act that helps attract insurance companies to the marketplace and provides incentives for coverage of low-income Americans. A district judge in California has rejected an attempt by 18 states to force the federal government to reinstate the subsidies.

Given all of this, Trumps frequent claims that Obamacare is destined to collapse might become a self-fulfilling prophecy, with a teetering health care system receiving a firm shove from Republicans. Following several failed attempts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, Congress and the administration have eschewed common-sense moves to stabilize the market and secure health insurance for millions of Americans.

The CBOs score on the Murray-Alexander proposal is particularly notable. This nonpartisan analysis shows that our bill provides savings and ensures that funding two years of cost-sharing payments will benefit taxpayers and low-income Americans, not insurance companies, the senators said in a joint statement.

Many conservatives in Congress have frequently criticized the CBO, claiming that previous projections have been inaccurate. These complaints should fall on deaf ears. If the latest projections are off the mark and the plan trims the deficit by, say, only $2 billion, that still is a victory for taxpayers. And it certainly is preferable to previous attempts to overthrow Obamacare that would have expanded the deficit and resulted in some 20 million fewer Americans having health insurance. A CBO report in August estimated that halting subsidies will increase the deficit by $194 billion through 2026.

The centerpiece of the Murray-Alexander proposal would allow states to offer so-called copper plans  lower-cost policies that appeal to healthy enrollees in the Obamacare markets. By attracting young, healthy clients, insurance companies can lower premiums in the long run and reduce federal subsidy expenditures.

Large increases in premium costs have rightly become a focal point of opposition to the Affordable Care Act. But leaders in Congress must recognize that those increases have been fueled in part by instability. Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler estimates that 10 percent of next years increase can be attributed to Trumps decision to halt subsidy payments to insurers.

The administration has argued that the payments are illegal and require Congressional approval, which reinforces the need for Congress to seek solutions. The Murray-Alexander plan has broad support in the Senate, but less robust support in the House of Representatives.

Still, as Murray and Alexander note, the sooner Congress and the president act, the better.

Pass a capital budget to help rural communities

Each day, a leaking sewer system reminds Carbonado residents how the Legislature cant get its job done.

The Pierce County town of 665 people is in line for about $12 million in state money to replace its network of cracked, aging clay pipes. Work should have begun this fall.

Instead, the project is on hold while the states $4 billion construction budget sits in limbo amid a debate about how the Legislature should protect water rights in rural areas.

This delay is untenable. Politics is interfering with projects that affect public safety, much-needed school construction and thousands of jobs. Lawmakers and the governor should find a solution now.

Lawmakers must come to grips with how their inaction on a capital budget is hurting some of the same rural areas they say theyre trying to help. GOP leaders in the state Senate have refused to pass the capital budget without a plan to address the water-rights decision known as Hirst, a court ruling they say has effectively stalled rural development in Washington state.

But rural communities are the ones that suffer most without a state capital budget. Unlike wealthy cities like Seattle or powerful institutions like the University of Washington, those cities and towns cant dig deeper in their pockets to find money to move ahead on infrastructure projects. They need the Legislature to act now.

So do several hundred state employees whose salaries are paid using state capital dollars. A few dozen of them lost their jobs this month  the first of several waves of layoffs expected between now and March if the budget isnt approved. State officials say the capital budget would also provide thousands of private-sector jobs throughout the state.

Gov. Jay Inslee must call lawmakers back to Olympia for a special session as soon as possible to resolve this impasse. In turn, Senate Republicans need to let go of their demand that the Legislature approve a permanent Hirst fix before passing the capital budget. Democrats already put forth a reasonable proposal to delay the Hirst ruling for two years, an offer GOP leaders should have accepted.

The Legislature can  and should  work toward a long-term fix for the Hirst decision when it returns to Olympia for its regular session in January.
Accord, Alliance's vigilance to pressurize RMG export: Tofail

Economic Reporter :

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed has said the buyers are pressurizing RMG factories by the Accord and Alliance even after meeting their all conditions.

"Our RMG factories have now been turned into safe and working friendly following huge investment by the owners, but price of RMG was not increased, rather it has been decreased due to depreciation of Euro," he added.

The commerce minister stated this while addressing a roundtable discussion as chief guest at Dhaka University.

Faculty of Business Studies organized the discussion titled "Towards making Bangladesh an important trade and investment destination in South Asia: challenges and policy options" at AF Conference Room on Monday, said a press release.

Tofail highlighted the different initiatives taken by the government towards making Bangladesh a destination for trade and investment in South Asia.

He requested all stakeholders to analyze the trade and investment opportunities as well as consider Bangladesh as their favorite destination in South Asia.

Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque was present as special guest while Distinguish Fellow of Center for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Dr. Mustafizur Rahman moderated the event.

Shahidul Haque emphasized the importance of connectivity for improving the trade and investment situation. International business environment is rapidly transforming that is why everyone has to work together, he said.

"With the booming globalization around the world, we should behave like global player which has two roles - one political actor and another is economic actor," added Shahidul.

Mustafizur Rahman said Bangladesh has shown tremendous progress since 1971 in areas such as agriculture and export industries. It has gained global recognition for its progress in firm products.

DU Faculty of Business Studies Dean Professor Shibli Rubayat Ul Islam highlighted the trade policies of Bangladesh and explained the fact of challenges of investment focusing not only on Ready Made Garments Industry but also to derive investment from other promising industries.
Siege fears as Australia asylum-seeker camp in PNG closes

The Australian government agreed to close the Manus facility by the end of October after the PNG Supreme Court ruled last year that holding people there was unconstitutional

AFP, Sydney :

Hundreds of asylum-seekers were refusing to leave an Australian detention camp in Papua New Guinea that authorities closed Tuesday, citing fears for their safety, despite food, water and electricity being cut off.

Staff have abandoned the camp on Manus Island, and one resident said detainees had locked themselves in because they were terrified of what could happen to them outside its gates.

The standoff is the latest development in a long-running and bitter dispute over Australia's controversial off-shore detention policy.

Asylum seekers who try to reach the country by boat are sent to two remote Pacific processing centres-PNG's Manus Island and Nauru. They are barred from settling in Australia, even if they are ultimately found to have a legitimate case for asylum.

Canberra says the policy is designed to discourage people from attempting the risky journey by sea.

Human rights groups have been campaigning for years to have Manus shut down, amid reports of widespread abuse, self-harm and mental health problems.

The Australian government agreed to close the Manus facility by the end of October after the PNG Supreme Court ruled last year that holding people there was unconstitutional.

More than 600 men housed in the camp have been told to move to three transition centres on Manus. The present site is to be handed over the PNG military.

But many men have locked themselves in the centre.

"Refugees adamant they won't leave detention. They are afraid but refuse to leave," one Manus detainee, an Iranian called Behrouz Boochani, tweeted Tuesday.

"The power will be cut after 5pm. The refugees know that it will be very hard to stay, but are saying we will stay in a peaceful way." He added that detainees had locked the camp's main gate to protect themselves.

Detainees told Fairfax Media earlier Tuesday that locals had started to loot equipment from the camp as PNG authorities looked on.

Australia's Immigration Minister Peter Dutton insisted the detainees were not welcome in Australia.

They have been told "there is safe and secure alternate accommodation where health and other services will be maintained," he said.

"These people sought to subvert Australia's laws by paying people smugglers to bring them illegally to Australia by boat-none will ever resettle here," he said in a statement Tuesday.

Refugee advocates say the transition centres are not secure, leaving the detainees defenceless against a hostile host community.

"They are vulnerable to attacks from locals. We've seen so many victims and casualties already because of those kinds of attacks," refugee advocate Ian Rintoul told AFP.




Preparations afoot to hold Rash Utsab at Dubla

Prof ABM Mosharraf Husain, Bagerhat :

Brisk preparations are afoot to hold century old Rash Utsab at Alorkol of Dublar Char (fisherman village) in the Bay of Bengal, adjacent to Sundarban forest on November 2 to November 4 in a befitting manner under the auspices of Dubla Rash Utsab Observance Committee. According to the committee, the 3-day Rash Utsab will be ceremonially inaugurated by Sree Harsa Bardhan Sringla, High Commissioner of India in Bangladesh while it will be presided over by Narayan Chandra Cahnda, Deputy Minster of the Ministry of the Fishery affairs. Amir Hossain Amu, Minister for Industries will be present in the Rash Utsab as the chief guest.

Thousand of devotees and visitors will attend the Rash Utsab from far and near of the country by launches, trawlers and boats. A good number of foreign visitors will also attend it like the past. On the occasion a Mela (fair) will be held at Dubla where various commodities and handicrafts will be presented. Cultural function will also be held there on the occasion. This 3-day Rash Utsab will be ended on November 4 through holy bathe in the sea water.

Centering this historical Rash Utsab extra security measures were already taken by the authorities concerned in Sundarban forest and in the costal areas. This year step was also taken by the forest department like the past so that the poachers can not hunt spotted deer of Sundarban forest in the guise of pilgrims and visitors.

It is also learnt from the concerned authority that the Forest Department specified as many as 8 water routes in the forest so that the pilgrims and visitors can attend the Rash Utsab at Dubla safely.

They will get permission from the forest department to stay at Dubla for three days (from November 2 to 4) and for this each pilgrim and each visitor will have to pay the forest department Tk.70.00 and Tk.50.00 respectively as entry fee at the entry points at the time of their entrance to the forest. At the time of their stay in the forest they will not be allowed to destroy or damage the forest resources any way. Not only that but also they will not be allowed to do any work that can pollute the environment of the forest. So, they will not be allowed to carry fire arms and any explosive matter during their stay in the forest.

Mahmudul Hasan, DFO (Divisional Forest Officer), the Eastern Division of Sundarban forest disclosed to the newsmen, like the past the pilgrims and the visitors will not be permitted to collect fire wood from the forest for their cooking purposes. They will be also not allowed to carry any kind of meat. He added, 4 patrolling teams were formed consisting of police and forest department. They will patrol 4 rivers rivers-Pashur, Shyala, Bhola and Shibsha from November 1 for the safety of the pilgrims and the visitors during the Rash Utsab.




Nahid re-elected UNESCO Gen Confce's Vice-President



Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid has been re-elected as Vice-President (VP) of the ongoing 39th session of the UNESCO General Conference at its headquarters in Paris.

He is leading the Bangladesh delegation to the UNESCO General Conference which is taking place from October 30 to November 14, said an official press release issued here on Tuesday.

Ministers and senior officials of the 195 member states, 10 associate members and representatives of different UN agencies, media and NGOs are taking part in the conference.

Zohour Alaoui from Morocco has been elected as the President of the conference, the release added.

Bangladesh Education Minister Nahid will serve as the Vice-President of the UNESCO General Conference for the 2017-2019 terms. Earlier he also served as Vice-President of the 38th session of the UNESCO General Conference for 2015-2017 terms, the release added.

Nahid will deliver national statement on the general policy debate of the conference on November 4.


Bangladesh Youth Forum formed a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club on Tuesday in protest against attack on BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia\'s motorcade.
Their new serial Sobjanta Shamsher

Sheikh Arif Bulbon :

Ekushey Award winner noted actress Dilara Zaman, popular play director and actor Salauddin Lavlu, director and actor Shamim Zaman, actor Saju Khadem, Nadia Ahmed and Titaan Chowdhury are working together in a serial for the first time. Title of the serial is Sobjanta Shamsher.

Scripted by Seja Nur the serial is being directed by Shamim Zaman. Shooting of the serial began at Pubail in Gazipur recently where Salauddin Lavlu is acting in a lead role. After a long time, Lavlu is working in a serial.

While talking about to act in this serial Lavlu told this correspondent, Shamim Zaman is very close to me. I like him most. Under his direction I am acting in this serial. During break time of shooting I enjoyed with all in the spot.

Dilara Zaman shared her feelings by this way, I am playing in role of Lavlus mother in the serial. It is an organised story based serial. I am enjoying a lot acting in this serial. I hope viewers are also enjoy.

Director Shamim Zaman said, Basically Lavlu Bhai is heart of the serial. Story of the serial revolves with him. It is really a pleasure for me that Lavlu Bhai is working under my direction in the serial, which will go on air on Banglavision in the beginning of January 2018.

Now Shamim Zaman directed a serial titled Jhamela Unlimited is being aired on Rtv. Within very short days he is going to make a new serial which story is written by Masum Reza.

His directed first movie was Molla Barir Bou. Later he did not make any movie but he is planning now.

On the other hand, Saju Khadem recently finished shooting of two plays in USA under Hridy Haques direction.


Political connections spilling up defaulted loans

DEFAULTED loans in the banking sector are spreading growing concerns about the stability of the country's banks and financial institutions. It recorded a rise of over 191 percent in the past eight years and a big shoot in recent years, although it started much earlier. The situation is only worsening under political shelter instead of any attempt by the government to improve governance in the banking sector. Bank loan is an easier way now of amassing illegal wealth but it can't go this way.







That said - it is clear that the deviant rise is directly linked with politically linked loan sanctioning and illegal capital flight as both have marked substantial rise in recent years. What is frustrating is that the Finance Minister at one point blames bad loans destroying the banking sector while on another occasions he takes it lightly saying grabbing of Tk 4000 crore as such from a bank is a small money. He even said capital flight from the country is not too big which rose by 19 percent last year to Swiss Bank alone when India was substantially able to reduce it.







Vested interest groups have already grabbed almost all state owned banks and grabbing deposits from private banks now; which they control as family banks. It is clear that ruling party politics and loan sanctioning have direct links. What is at stake is depositors' money while the country is losing huge resources that could be used for development.







We have requisite laws and law courts as we see to recover bad loans but they are not functioning because they are not allowed to function. Powerful people around the government are not allowing it to function. So defaulted loans are growing and capital flights are soaring. The government is keeping its eye almost shut.







The non-recovered loans now stands at Tk 1, 11,347 crore and the point is why the government is failing to stop faulty loan sanctioning and money laundering from banks. Why it is failing to show success in the recovery of defaulted loans. The public has the right to know about it.







Finance Minister has told the Parliament that more than two lakh individuals or companies are defaulters in the country but he had no courage even to name the top 100 although he mentioned about them. We must say mere voicing concern will not serve any purpose unless the government takes strong resolve to recover the bad loans. Its political weakness is deterring it from bringing pressure on powerful people and business houses to repay the loans.







We must say defaulters are by no means loyal friends or supporters of the regime except the fact that they are using political cover to grab money from banks. The government must prove its credibility to the people without sheltering people grabbing banks and financial institutions.






Threat from record level carbon emission

THE World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported that concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere surged at a record-breaking speed in 2016 to the highest level in eight hundred thousand years. The abrupt changes in the atmosphere witnessed in the past 70 years are without precedent. The organization's Greenhouse Gas Bulletin said globally averaged concentrations of CO2 reached 403.3 parts per million in 2016, up from 400ppm in 2015 because of a combination of human activities and a strong El Nino event that sends ocean water at certain regions at boiling point. Without rapid cuts in CO2 and other Greenhouse Gas emissions, the world is heading to face dangerous temperature increases by the end of this century.







As a low lying country, Bangladesh is on critical radar of climate change affect where the impact of climate change in the form of disrupting seasonal weather and untimely raindrop or drought are already visible. If all parties to Paris Climate Agreement don't slash carbon emission to their commitment level, the world is going to face serious disaster and Bangladesh will be in the forefront of the countries to suffer the worst.







The Bulletin said rapidly increasing atmospheric levels of CO2 and other Greenhouse Gases have the potential to initiate unprecedented changes in climate systems, leading to severe ecological and economic disruptions. The factors mainly responsible for unprecedented rise in carbon emission have been identified as faster population growth, intensive agricultural practices, increases in land use and deforestation, industrialization and more energy use from fossil fuel sources. They are at work beginning in 1750. Concentrations of CO2 are now 145 percent of the pre-industrial era. Since 1990, there has been a 40 percent increase in total radioactive activities in the atmosphere warming the climate. The laws of physics tell us we will face a much hotter and more extreme climate in the future.





The developed countries - USA, China and developing like India and Brazil -- are the highest carbon emitters in the world. While Bangladesh emitted only 70 tons of carbon in 2015 the impact of the Greenhouse Effect would hard hit the coastal people of Bangladesh without much contributing to Carbon Emission. The problem is that the USA is the biggest emitter of carbon in the air as an industrial nation but President Donald Trump's withdrawal from Paris Climate Agreement to allow US to use unrestraint fossil fuel in industrial activities is the biggest threat to rein in the situation.







We must say the USA was the biggest victim of unprecedented flood and sea storm this year like in the previous years and we believe President Trump will agree now that climate change is the biggest threat not only to the USA but to all humanity. The world must work together before too late.
Dhaka warns Islamabad

Protest note handed over to the envoy for sharing distorted video link in facebook

Dhaka on Tuesday registered its protest to Islamabad by summoning its High Commissioner Rafiuzzaman Siddiqui for uploading a controversial video link in the facebook page, in which it was claimed that Major Ziaur Rahman had proclaimed independence of Bangladesh in 1971.

The video, however, was removed few hours after uploading it on the High Commission's facebook page 'Pakistan Affairs'. Pakistan in the 13:45-minute video claimed that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman wanted 'autonomy'; he did not want to wage war against Pakistan.

Envoy Rafiuzzaman Siddiqui went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at 3:00pm yesterday and met Acting Foreign Secretary [Bilateral and Consular] Quamrul Ahsan apparently to clarify his country's stance over the issue.

The meeting between Quamrul Ahsan and Rafiuzzaman Siddiqui continued for about 55 minutes. At that time, Quamrul Ahsan handed over a formal protest note regarding the issue on behalf of Bangladesh. Pakistan envoy did not respond to the queries of the journalists about the outcome of the meeting. Officials of the Foreign Ministry told The New Nation last night Dhaka categorically cautioned Islamabad that this sort of distortion in history would create negative impact in the bilateral relationship of two countries.

"Dhaka has cautioned Pakistan summoning its envoy. We told the Pakistani envoy that this type of distorted link sharing will harm the relationship between the two countries..History is not changeable. Everyone must accept the matter-of-fact. It's not possible twisting the history by waging propaganda," Quamrul Ahsan said.

The Acting FS further said, "We've cleared it to Pak envoy that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman proclaimed the independence of Bangladesh and the nine-month Liberation War was conducted in his name [Bangabandhu]."

"Pakistan has expressed regret for such an incident and said that it was not done intentionally. Pakistan High Commissioner also informed us that they have deleted the video link from the facebook page," he told the journalists.

Replying to a query, Quamrul Ahsan said, "We did not accept their statement --- where the envoy said it was not done intentionally.They [Pakistan] have done such types of deeds earlier several times. So, we handed over a protest note regarding the issue. Dhaka also believes that it was done intentionally." "The Pak envoy said that they would express regret in the website also. We're observing the situation now," he said.

A senior official of Foreign Ministry said Pakistan cannot deny its responsibility for uploading the video link regarding the Bangladesh's history. Pakistan earlier had carried out negative propaganda against several nations in its same facebook page.




JSC, JDC exams begin today

Staff Reporter :

The Junior School Certificate (JSC) and Junior Dhakhil Certificate (JDC) Examinations-2017 will begin from today (Wednesday) across the country.

The examinations, which will start at 10am every day, will end on November 18.

Students from 28,628 educational institutions will sit for the examinations at 2,834 centres all over the country.

A total of 24,68,820 students will sit for the JSC and JDC examinations this year. Of them, 11,44,778 are boys and 13,24,042 are girls, but 24,12,775 examinees appeared in JSC and JDC examinations last year.

A total of 20,90,277 students (971,336 aboys and 11,18,941 girls) are taking part in JSC examinations, while 3,78,543 examinees (1,73,442 boys and 205,101 girls) are taking part in JDC examinations.

Some 96,212 irregular students are taking part in the JSC examination while 14,367 in JDC and the number of special students in JSC is 87,697 while in JDC it is 11,770. Besides, 959 students will sit for the JSC and JDC examinations in the overseas centres of nine countries.

The number of centres has been increased by 100, whereas the number of educational institutions has gone down by 133.

Meanwhile, the education ministry instructed the examinees to enter their examination centres before 30 minutes of the scheduled time.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said that the instruction had been given to check possible leak of question papers.

From this year, no examinations of physical education and health, vocational education, and arts and crafts subjects would take place under the central system.
HC concludes hearing on rule on SC`s letter

Staff Reporter :

The High Court on Tuesday concluded the hearing on the rule issued on a Supreme Court letter that was sent from the office of the Registrar General of the Supreme Court to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) not to probe former apex court's judge Justice Md Zainul Abedin's wealth statement.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim passed this order after concluding the hearing.

The court may deliver the verdict any day. But the court will try to deliver it in the fastest time.

On Tuesday, Advocate Zainul Abedin, also President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), placed his statement in the court as Amicus Curiae.

Barrister Mainul Hosein took part in the hearing on behalf of Justice Md Zainul Abedin and Advocate Kurshed Alam Khan stood for the ACC.

Advocate Zainul Abedin said, "The letter was not as an order of the SC or the Chief Justice. It was not correct to cite 'Supreme Court think' in the letter because it was not an order of any division (Appellate Division or High Court Division) of the SC. It was also not said in the letter that the letter was sent with the direction of the Chief Justice."

"After issuing the letter the ACC continues their investigation. Later, the SC had given all information wanted by the ACC. So the letter have no effectively," Avocate Zainul also said.

Barrister Mainul Hosein said, "The ACC lawyer is demanding that the alleged judge has transferred money abroad through illegal process. He (ACC lawyer) reiterated this statement in different media and talk shows. If he has the documents, then where are those? We want those documents." At this, the ACC lawyer said that they have got allegations, but no documents in their hands.

After hearing the parties the HC concluded the hearing and keep the case awaiting for the verdict.

Recently, a letter was issued from the office of the Registrar General of the Supreme Court to the Anti-Corruption Commission saying that ACC should not take any action regarding Justice Md Zainul Abedin's wealth statement.

Advocate Bodiuzzaman Tarafder, a Supreme Court lawyer, drew court's attention to the letter issued by former Additional Registrar of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court Arunava Chakraborty on March 28 in 2017.

Considering the letter, the HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim on October 9 in 2017, issued a Suo Moto rule upon the respondents to show cause as to why the letter issued by the Registrar office of the Supreme Court to the ACC regarding former apex court judge Justice Md Zainul Abedin's wealth statement should not be declared illegal.

Registrar General of the Supreme Court, ACC Chairman, Additional Registrar of the Appellate Division Arunava Chakraborty and Justice Md Zainul Abedin were made respondents in the rule.

On that day, the HC announced three senior lawyers' name as Amicus Curiae to place expert opinions on the issue before the court.

On October 24 in 2017, Amicus Curiae Advocate Probir Niyogi and Advocate A M Amin Uddin placed expert opinions on the issue before the court. The two Amicus Curiae said that the writ was maintainable.

Former SC Additional Registrar Arunava sent the letter to the ACC saying that former judge Zainul had delivered many judgements while he was a judge of the Appellate Division of the SC. If any action is taken against him, his judgements will be questionable, the letter said. Therefore, it will not be right to take action against him.

He sent the letter as per the instruction of the SC authorities after the ACC had sought for documents from the SC on ex-judge Zainul's wealth statement.
Khaleda`s convoy attacked again

Two buses torched in Feni: Petrol bombs hurled: Police pick up six persons

Unidentified miscreants torched two buses on Dhaka-Chittagong highway while the convoy of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia passing through Mahipal area in Feni on Tuesday.

Miscreants hurled petrol bombs on two empty parked buses while the motorcade of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia coming from Chittagong was crossing Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Mohipal in Feni district on Tuesday.

Just within seconds, the buses were caught in fire. Later, the Fire Service and Civil Defence personnel rushed to the spot and doused the flame. However, no causality was reported.

The law enforcers picked up six persons, including drivers of the buses, on suspicion of involvement with the incident. Police were taking preparations to file a case with the Feni Sadar police station in this regard till the time of filing this report at 8:00pm yesterday.

When contacted, Superintendent of Police in Feni Jahangir Alam Sarkar told The New Nation last night mover phone, "Of the six arrestees, police highly suspected one person who was caught near the spot just after the incident. All of them are now going under interrogation."

The Feni SP said, "The incident took place at 4:45 pm.It is not clear whether it was petrol bomb or not. But we're sure that some inflammable objects were thrown on the buses."

The buses-one Chouddagram Transport and another one Jamuna Service-were parked on the wrong side near the road divider opposite to Mohipal Filling Station. Usually, the bus of Jamuna Service parks at Feni Circuit House crossing regularly, the SP said.

"The owner of the Jamuna Service named Md Milon alias Hatu Milon is a leader of BNP-backed Sramik Dal. We're investigating why the bus of Jamuna Service was parked at an unusual place," the SP added.

On the other hand, BNP Press Wing official Shamsuddin Didar, who was in the motorcade, said, "Petrol bombs were hurled targeting our cars."

BNP leaders said Khaleda Zia along with her motorcade was heading towards Dhaka after completion of her four-day visit at Rohingya camps where she distributed relief materials among the Rohingyas.

Earlier on Saturday, the miscreants attacked the fleet of cars carrying Khaleda Zia, her party leaders and activists in Feni while it was heading towards Chittagong as a part of her next day's planned visit to Cox's Bazar to see the condition of displaced Rohingyas.

The motorcade came under attack at Mohammad Ali Bazar near Feni district town where several vehicles of media houses, including Channel I, DBC tv, Ekattor tv and Baishakhi tv channels were also vandalized. The unruly persons beat several journalists and BNP activists.

No one was arrested till the date in connection with Saturday's attack.


Barbed wire fence around designated refugee camps

Kazi Zahidul Hasan :

The authorities have decided to build barbed wire fence around the designated Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar amid growing security concern.

The barbed wire fence would be built at the cost of Tk 3.19 crore, officials said.

"We're going to build the barbed wire fence around the 11 Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar to restrict movement of the Rohingya refugees," Md Habibul Kabir, Refugee Cell Chief of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, told The New Nation yesterday.

He said the authorities earlier issued order prohibiting Rohingya refugees from leaving the border district and stay in the designated camps. But they're violating the order and getting involved in violence and criminal activities with host communities causing security concern.

"This has forced the local administration to build the barbed-wire fences around the camps," he added.

Habibul Kabir further said the Cox's Bazar district administration has already expressed concern over the safety and security of the local communities as a result of growing criminal activities by the Rohingyas.

"We want to restrict movement of the refugees at any cost to maintain peace in the border district," he said.

On October 28, Rohingyas attacked a Bangladeshi identified as 28-year-old Abdul Jabbar, who later died while undergoing treatment.

Referring to a government order, Habibul Kabir said refugees should stay in the designated camps until they return to their country.

An estimated 6,37,000 Rohingya refugees have crossed the border into Cox's Bazar since August 25 amid a bloody army crackdown against the Muslim minority community in Rakhine State of Myanmar.




Pak envoy apologises

The government has conveyed its strongest protest against the misleading video-footage over Bangladesh's independence posted on the webpage maintained by the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka.

High Commissioner of Pakistan to Bangladesh Rafiuzzaman Siddiqui was summoned on Tuesday and handed over the protest note by Secretary Bilateral (Europe, Africa & Americas) & Consular Kamrul Ahsan.

In the diplomatic note, it was stated that the message conveyed in the video that it is not Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who declared Bangladesh's independence which is a blatant lie and sheer fabrication of historical facts. The video also mentions that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman did not want Bangladesh's independence, but autonomy. "The government of Bangladesh strongly rebuts such baseless and unfounded narratives," said the Foreign Ministry here.

Secretary Kamrul Ahsan stated that this is an instance of purposeful abuse of social media by the High Commission of Pakistan in Dhaka. "Such breach of diplomatic norms and practices and deliberate propaganda to spread shameless lies shall not only jeopardise bilateral relations, but would render a great disservice to succeeding generations of historians, intelligentsia as well as common people who champion the cause of truth and justice," he said. "Nothing can be farthest from the truth than claiming that the architect of independent Bangladesh and Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman did not want Bangladesh's independence or that Bangladesh's independence was declared by anybody other than the Great Leader himself." Any such misadventure from Pakistan or for that matter any quarters in Pakistan would threaten normal ties, the Foreign Ministry added.

The High Commissioner was reminded that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's historic speech delivered on 7 March 1971 when the stated "the struggle this time is the struggle for our freedom, the struggle this time is the struggle for our independence" bears testimony to his intention for Bangladesh's independence.

He was reminded that Bangladesh's long freedom movement culminated in the declaration of independence by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 26 March 1971 and Pakistan's subsequent surrender in Dhaka on 16 December 1971.

Bangabandhu's declaration of independence and his clarion call to take up arms against a brutal military were the milestone events in Bangladesh's liberation struggle that motivated hundreds of thousands of Bangladesh's freedom fighters to fight to liberate Bangladesh. Even some historians in Pakistan in their works have highlighted Bangabandhu's singular and monumental role in Bangladesh's war of liberation.

The government of Bangladesh informed the High Commissioner that such utterly undiplomatic practices hurt the sentiments of the people of Bangladesh particularly the families of the three million martyrs and around half million violated women. The government of Bangladesh seeks a formal note of apology for this ill-motivated and misleading video post and calls for an immediate withdrawal of the footage from the Facebook page reportedly maintained by the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka.

The government of Bangladesh deeply regrets that notwithstanding Bangladesh's repeated overtures the malicious campaign by Pakistan and its various agencies against Bangladesh has not come to a halt.

Secretary Ahsan strongly cautioned the Pakistan High Commissioner that repeated breach of diplomatic norms by Pakistan only stand to harm bilateral relations between the two countries.

The High Commissioner was told that for the sake of adherence to established diplomatic norms; in future, the High Commission of Pakistan in Dhaka as well as the Pakistan authorities would act responsibly and refrain from any such uncalled for and provocative activities against the interest of Bangladesh.

The Pakistan envoy was also told to bring the matter to the notice of the authorities concerned in Pakistan.




Myanmar must be divided to free Rakhine state

Myanmar has thrown out Rohingyas like animals, butchered them, raped their women forgetting the history that Rohingyas were owning Rakhine as a free state. So the truth is Rohingyas have been driven out from their own State. Rakhine was a free Muslim country until it was occupied illegally by Burma. Myanmar has no claim over Rakhine and the international community must divide Myanmar to return Rakhine state to Rohingyas.





Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque's disclosure on Sunday that Myanmar is not coming up with expected response for a repatriation process of Rohingya refugees clearly shows that our foreign ministry was wrong to make the silly conclusion that the problem will be solved because Bangladesh so wants.





From the beginning we have been trying to draw the attention of our government that it was foolish to expect the task would be easy for us alone. What the Foreign Secretary is doing is nothing clever but frankly admitting his failure. We are not blaming Mr Haque so much for not understanding the determination of the Myanmar government. The main drive should have come from the political leadership and that was not coming for our diplomats to be active along a clear policy line.





The government was happy to think that China and India would help Bangladesh for the return of Rohingyas to their Rakhine State. We have shown ourselves helpless in the face of aggression by Myanmar. To appease them we did not speak about the cruelty of ethnic cleansing of Muslims by Myanmar military. This was not humane or dignified for our foreign ministry.





It should have been clear that Myanmar is taking full advantage of our weak leadership. As per media reports the Foreign Secretary aired his disappointment while talking to reporters after a programme held in a local hotel in the city. In his view there is no short cut to resolve the crisis although mass exodus of refugees continues.





Yet another setback surfaced when he said Myanmar is apparently drifting away from its commitment on implementation of the Kofi Annan Commission report; which called for stopping repression, removing restriction on citizenship of the Rohingyas and allow their freedom of movement in the Rakhine State.







The activities of our government are limited to meeting local diplomats and writing letters of appeal to world governments, but nothing shown about the urgency for a solution. The foreign ministry itself says there is no short-cut for makings a safe return of the refugees.







Myanmar has created an impossible human crisis for us and our government is saying there is no immediate answer to the problem. Whether easy or not, we have to have some hard policy for quick solution.







The Rohingyas in their desperate plight are already engaging in criminal acts destroying forest and environment and aggravating the local law and order situation. Their presence is creating tension socially and we are deeply concerned about the consequences. But there is nobody to impress upon the United Nations and leading countries that the crime committed by Myanmar cannot go unpunished.





Myanmar had no hesitation to ignore international law to force their people to come to Bangladesh and create problem for us. We must be strong in organising international pressure with tough but logical ideas.





We should also find some way to create problem for Myanmar's brutal government with the help of the international community. We are inactive in the front of international diplomacy.






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Last Monday we went to visit Auschwitz and Birkenau. No amount of previous knowledge can quite prepare you for what you see there. And no matter how strong you think you are, it will floor you.



When you stand face to face with the horrors, the evidence of systematic evil, systematic dehumanization of 'undesirables', of horrendous torture and experiments performed on people, the mass murder on oh so many thousands of innocents. It changes who you are and how you relate to the world.



We are currently trying to recoup, to change the devastation we feel inside to strength, because what is about to take place in Finland and most of all Gothenburg will need every one of us in good shape.



Shortly after the antifascist victory over NMR in Gothenburg a few weeks back, we heard the NMR was planning a major march again. Our contacts didn't know where or when, but now we know:



The Finnish branch of NMR will be marching through the town of Tammersfors in Finland on the 21st of October.



They are promising a large march. The Finnish police have been largely removed from marches there. They don't seem to mind the Nazis sadly. And so do little to stop it escalating. It could get nasty, as the NMR now are wounded and eager for revenge.



The fantastic Finish network TIL (nazi free Tammersfors) are rallying to get all their supporters to come show the Nazis just what we think of them. We wish them all the luck, strength and protection they need in their very important work! And on the 21st.



We see a normalization of Nazism nearly every day in our society around us all. Extreme right (nazis and fascists) are rapidly gaining support. Joining a Nazi / fascist group or political party is no longer something done in secrecy. They hold seats in our governments, in the EU parliament. They get funded through governments, the EU and large corporations. They use mass media to spread their hateful propaganda, with no one trying to hinder their access to it.



Youth today see it as examples of healthy free speech and applaud it. They are easy prey for the extreme right.



Several governments around the world has lead their respective countries into financial crisis like we have not seen the likes of for a very long time. But instead of doing anything to rectify the situation, they blame the weakest of our fellow beings. The refugees, the foreigners in general, the old, the sick, the homeless, the LGBT population, other faiths or political views. And thereby supporting and spreading Nazi /fascist propaganda. People are fed up, they start believing the propaganda and follow like sheep the hateful words and actions. They find release of their anger through groups of likeminded people, and more join in every day. None of us are really safe anymore. This is supported by many governments, governments control law. Simply by helping innocent fellow beings, we are seen as trouble-makers with dangerous minds.



And now to the very, very disturbing news from Gothenburg...



They are in for a wave of extreme Nazi and fascists, this time under the disguise of a conference.



On October 28th the fascist APF has called for a major conference in Gothenburg. Uniting all Nazi / fascist groups, organizations and political parties in Europe to join forces and to strengthen their cause. The heads of ultra-national socialistic movements will gather for what is in effect a brainstorming event to further their vile ideology!



APF has strong links to the militant fascist organization Europa Terra Nostra. Their leader, Roberto Fiore, has strong links to the group NAR. A militant fascist group who, among other things, blew up a railway station in Bologna, Italy in 1980, killing 100, injuring 200.



Europa Terra Nostra is again linked to the organization AFP (alliance for peace and freedom) ...and once again we see them hiding behind a relatively innocent name. Because this group is anything but innocent. They are an organization gathering All fascist and Nazi groups, as well as Holocaust deniers, in the whole of Europe and Russia. And of course follow the ideology of a pure white Europe and Russia, without people of colour, unwanted faiths or cultures, unwanted political views, LGBT or other unwanted behaviour.



At the conference in Gothenburg some very dangerous and well known figures will gather. Among them:



- Herve van Leathem. Arrested several times on racism charges.



- Udo Voigt. EU Parliament member for the German Nazi party NPD.



-Dan Eriksson. Prominent member of Europa Terra Nostra and leader of the Swedish Nazi group Motgift (antidote).



All lead by Daniel Hoglund. Openly Nazi.



The eminent Swedish EXPO uncovered that the AFP had received 3.68 million in financial aid from EU, Europa Terra Nostra got 1.8 million.



So once again we have to ask ourselves:



Why are our governments so keen to support the normalization of Nazism?



Why is nothing done to stop them?



Why do our leaders fund them?



It is up to us now! We can't remain numbed and silenced.



The Nazis / fascists (nor our governments) can no longer get away with this.



We must rise and fight Now, harder than ever before. We cannot let dehumanization and mass murder of our fellow beings become reality again.



This is what our grandparents fought, and it is our turn to fight now, for our future and our kids future. We can't let this sick ideology spread and take control this time.







Picture is called Gate to Hell found online.



It is the main gate of Birkenau.



I do recommend a visit to Auschwitz and Birkenau. Auschwitz will floor most people stories, evidence, horrors and tangible remains of where thousands suffered and met their gruesome end.



Birkenau shatters you from before you enter by the sheer size of the camp, the horrors of what happened there and by the chilling, lingering feeling of you are not leaving here alive.



The visit left us changed. Many of us feel altered completely. No more 'favours' will be given. This has to be fought back, and we have to start now before it's too late.



Source facts from EXPOs Daniel Wiklander





Eva Sennesvik has been an antifascist & human rights activist since the early 80s, spent 10 years lobbying for a fairer society in Scandinavian countries and is currently involved in helping paperless refugees here in Bergen Norway. She writes speeches and pieces for public use on our escalating social problems and the extreme right's dangerous popularity. APF has strong links to the militant fascist organization Europa Terra Nostra. Their leader, Roberto Fiore, has strong links to the group NAR. A militant fascist group who, among other things, blew up a railway station in Bologna, Italy in 1980, killing 100, injuring 200.Europa Terra Nostra is again linked to the organization AFP (alliance for peace and freedom) ...and once again we see them hiding behind a relatively innocent name. Because this group is anything but innocent. They are an organization gatheringfascist and Nazi groups, as well as Holocaust deniers, in the whole of Europe and Russia. And of course follow the ideology of a pure white Europe and Russia, without people of colour, unwanted faiths or cultures, unwanted political views, LGBT or other unwanted behaviour.At the conference in Gothenburg some very dangerous and well known figures will gather. Among them:- Herve van Leathem. Arrested several times on racism charges.- Udo Voigt. EU Parliament member for the German Nazi party NPD.-Dan Eriksson. Prominent member of Europa Terra Nostra and leader of the Swedish Nazi group Motgift (antidote).All lead by Daniel Hoglund. Openly Nazi.The eminent Swedish EXPO uncovered that the AFP had received 3.68 million in financial aid from EU, Europa Terra Nostra got 1.8 million.So once again we have to ask ourselves:Why are our governments so keen to support the normalization of Nazism?Why is nothing done to stop them?Why do our leaders fund them?It is up to us now! We can't remain numbed and silenced.The Nazis / fascists (nor our governments) can no longer get away with this.We must rise and fight Now, harder than ever before. We cannot let dehumanization and mass murder of our fellow beings become reality again.This is what our grandparents fought, and it is our turn to fight now, for our future and our kids future. We can't let this sick ideology spread and take control this time.Picture is called Gate to Hell found online.It is the main gate of Birkenau.I do recommend a visit to Auschwitz and Birkenau. Auschwitz will floor most people stories, evidence, horrors and tangible remains of where thousands suffered and met their gruesome end.Birkenau shatters you from before you enter by the sheer size of the camp, the horrors of what happened there and by the chilling, lingering feeling of you are not leaving here alive.The visit left us changed. Many of us feel altered completely. No more 'favours' will be given. This has to be fought back, and we have to start now before it's too late.Source facts from EXPOs Daniel Wiklanderhas been an antifascist & human rights activist since the early 80s, spent 10 years lobbying for a fairer society in Scandinavian countries and is currently involved in helping paperless refugees here in Bergen Norway. She writes speeches and pieces for public use on our escalating social problems and the extreme right's dangerous popularity.

Being a political activist is very rewarding, but it can also be harrowing. Many burn themselves out over and over, some crash and become numbed for a time. For us, this last week has been one of the latter.
MURPHYSBORO  One of the first times Rick Sutton approached a car that had been stopped by a Murphysboro Police officer, he said he realized he had no idea who was inside the car. He had no idea who they might be, or what their intentions might be.

He said the experience as he rode alongside an officer on Thursday afternoon developed a newfound appreciation, in him, for the work that law-enforcement officers do.

Sutton is in a unique new role with the Murphysboro Police Department as one of its new chaplains who gets up-close and personal not only with the officers, but with the community, too, through the force's many service calls. He is one of seven faith leaders invited earlier this year to join the newly created Murphysboro Police Department's chaplaincy program, developed to meet the concerns of people in the community that are more social-services or counseling oriented.

The chaplains' work frees up about 40 percent of the calls Murphysboro police officers might normally respond to, Police Chief Chad Roberts told the City Council this past week.

"They do a tremendous amount as both a program to benefit our citizens and put officers back on the street, more by not being tied up with things that typically aren't police function," Roberts said. It's also kind of an employee assistance program for my employees, which we don't really have."

Roberts said he had an idea for the program and after being invited to a meeting of the Murphysboro Ministerial Alliance, began to fine-tune his ideas more. He wanted more than one chaplain and a group who represented and reflected the community: The chaplains, all men, are from mainly Protestant backgrounds, with one from the Catholic background.

The chaplaincy program

Associations like the International Conference of Police Chaplains provide direction and fellowship for those who are police chaplains.

"A law enforcement chaplain is a clergy with special interest and training for providing pastoral care in the high powered and dangerous world of law enforcement," according to the group's website. "This pastoral care is offered to all people, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, creed, or religion. It is offered without cost or the taint of proselytizing."

In Murphysboro, the chaplains, men who are pastors and faith leaders from churches throughout the city, volunteer their time with the chaplaincy program. They each commit to working a week at a time, being on call should the police department need them and sometimes coming into the station to do a ride-along with the officers. They are also part of the department's auxiliary police force.

Sutton estimates that since the program started, he has done a ride-along with all of the patrol officers.

The other chaplains are Rick McNeely of Christ Community Church, Shaker Samuel of First Baptist Church, Lawrence Nolan of Servants for Christ Church, Joe Hoem of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Charlie Allen of Elm Street Baptist Church and Father Gary Gummersheimer of St. Andrew Catholic Church. Sutton is from First Christian Church.

As Sutton spoke about the program at the city's Oct. 24 City Council meeting, he did so with a 9mm Glock 19 holstered to his side. Although not all of the chaplains desire or are licensed to carry firearms, he is one who has been trained and is licensed to carry a weapon.

He told Council members that the chaplains might inform family members of a relative or loved one who has died, can help to prevent suicide, and might also be on-hand to help colleagues deal with officer-involved shootings, and can even help with stress management and other types of crisis intervention.

"We're dong ongoing training to do that," he said.

Murphysboro is not the first or only police department in Southern Illinois to use a chaplain.

For 20 years, the Carbondale Police Department has been served by Robert Gray, the pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, as chaplain.

"Carbondale Police Department does have a long standing chaplaincy program," Sgt. Amber Ronketto wrote in an email. "We recognize the need for someone in whom Department personnel can confide and who will listen to their problems with empathy, as well as the need for clergy to assist with providing liaison with various civic, business and religious organizations. Our chaplain assists not only the department but our community as well."

The police chaplain heads Carbondale's program, which can be staffed by as many assistant police chaplains as necessary to accomplish their objectives, Ronketto said.

The chaplain and assistants are appointed by the chief of police with advice from the staff.

One of the newer recruits to this field is Keith Fletcher, pastor of Johnston City Free Will Baptist Church; in mid-October, the Johnston City Police Department swore him in as its new chaplain.

Other departments, like Marion and Du Quoin police, do not have chaplains.

Back in Murphysboro, it's fully supported by the city's mayor.

"Chaplains and their association with police and fire departments, as well as the U.S. military, goes back hundreds of years," Mayor Will Stephens said. "Members of the police and fire department need a counseling presence from time to time; these chaplains can provide that if desired. Also, those who are in custody of the police department, or perhaps victims of a fire, can often use a resource to calm their spirit. For these reasons I think this program will have a positive impact on the community as a whole."
Orangeburg

County

Sheriffs Office

A burglar unsuccessfully used everything from a sledgehammer to an aluminum parking sign to try to remove a safe from the office inside of Wendys restaurant on Citadel Road early Friday morning.

According to an incident report, an employee called deputies at 7:06 a.m. to report she had discovered the side entrance glass had been shattered when she arrived there just moments earlier.

When deputies arrived, they went inside the restaurant and discovered the office had been destroyed, the report states.

Deputies learned the manager that worked the previous night did not set the alarm before leaving.

Upon reviewing video surveillance, deputies determined the suspect attempted to remove the safe at least four times between 2:15 a.m. and 3:54 a.m.

The suspect gained entry into the restaurant at 2:15 a.m. and a minute minute later used a rock to shatter the office window.

At 2:32 a.m., he is seen bringing an aluminum sign from a handicap parking space inside the office in another failed attempt to remove the safe.

Then at 3:04 a.m., he returns to the restaurant with a sledgehammer but still fails to get into the safe.

At around 3:14 a.m., the suspect enters the restaurant twice and demolishes the desk and surrounding office area in yet another futile attempt to remove the safe.

Surveillance video also shows him removing electronic devices from the building.

The incident report describes the suspect as a non-Hispanic man wearing a gray coat and black pants.

The OCSO Burglary Taskforce is investigating the incident.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.

In other reports:

A gunman held a Bowman gas station clerk at gunpoint before running off with the money drawer from the cash register.

Deputies responded to the Exxon gas station at 5323 Vance Road at 3:25 p.m. on Saturday. The clerk said she had arrived at the store moments before the gunman pulled up. She said he waited in his vehicle for a few minutes before entering the store wearing a mask and brandishing a pistol, the report states.

He pointed the pistol at the clerk and demanded she give him the money from the till, she said.

When the gunman exited the business, two witnesses sitting in their vehicles outside saw him run from the store with the money drawer, the report states.

The gunman, described as a black male with shoulder-length dreadlocks and a slim build, was seen driving away in a dark-colored Honda sedan. Witnesses told deputies they thought the Honda was a 2004-2008 model with a New York license plate.

No one was injured during the incident.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.

A Cypress Shores resident called deputies at 10:22 a.m. Saturday to report someone stole an enclosed cargo trailer.

When deputies arrived at the Eutawville property, the owner of the trailer described it as a 2017 white South Georgia Cargo model valued at $4,500.

Deputies responded to a call from a Mill Creek Road man at 1:17 p.m. Wednesday. He told them someone entered his home while he was out of town and stole $350 in cash, a chrome Ruger revolver and a blue steel Colt revolver with red grips.

The complainant said whoever took the items from his Vance property didnt remove other firearms that were kept in an unsecured location in his home.

The value of the items is $1,350.
WASHINGTON -- We are overwhelmed every day by stories about religions on the margins of the American experience.

But there is one religion we almost never see in the news these days. And this is not only strange but also demands some thoughtful appraisal. That religion is Protestantism.

It was unquestionably Protestants who founded the United States. It was Protestant virtues that laid the basis for democracy, for capitalism and for modern science.

Indeed, the Protestant idea has so influenced the modern world that some of the greatest world leaders -- think Nelson Mandela, a Methodist, and Angela Merkel, a Lutheran -- are and have been profoundly Protestant. Or, little known, that the great Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., originally known as "Little Mike," was renamed in 1934 after his Baptist pastor father traveled to Germany and was inspired by the Reformation and the works of Martin Luther.

But the deafening silence in America about Protestantism's founding principles becomes even more paradoxical when we realize that this month marks the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, when the German Augustinian monk Martin Luther tacked his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenberg. It was on Oct. 31, 1517, that Luther challenged a corrupt and unfeeling papacy, opening that door and infinite others to the light and the complexities of the modern age.

Yet I have seen exactly two print articles about the anniversary and no coverage on television. The only exhibits I have heard about are in Minnesota -- nothing here in Washington where, as we know, nothing is ignored accidentally.

So how can it be that the actions of the German monk, who intended only to start a disputation about the Vatican's excesses, the most tiresomely cited one being the selling of "indulgences" to oil your way through Purgatory, are being so ignored? And why?

True, the mainline Protestant churches are losing members, but why should that stop genuine observations of history by those who remain? At the same time, evangelicals, Mormons and Pentecostals (who now can boast a 10th of humanity and a quarter of all Christians) are increasing worldwide.

One problem is there is no overall institutional voice for Protestants and no dominant Protestant thinker, such as the great Reinhold Niehbuhr. But the problem is more complex than mere institutions.

To my mind, mainline Protestants, perhaps silenced by the political correctness that disdains any praise of the American past, seem to be embarrassed, even ashamed, of their success. In contrast to the old missionaries who wanted to bring values to a benighted world, today's Protestants are guiltily overwhelmed with memories of a slavery long gone in America, while evangelical Protestants have been obsessed with single issues such as abortion and gay rights.

Around the world it is the original principles that Protestants are adopting. In still "communist" China, Protestants now number between 50 and 100 million and are respected for their moral uprightness. South Korean Protestants constitute almost a national church. In Africa, Protestantism is booming, and in expert discussions one increasingly hears that Muslim countries are doing poorly because Islam "needs a Reformation."

What did Martin Luther -- a brilliant man, stubborn in his principles, a man who most enjoyed good discussion and a pint of beer -- really teach? At a time when the Latin Bible was permitted to be read only by Catholic priests, Luther translated it into German, which everybody could read, to bring ordinary people "closer to God." The Scriptures bound him, he said, because "my conscience is captive to the Word of God."

Destiny stepped in at the same time with Gutenberg's invention of the printing press, and by 1524, there were 990 different books in print in Germany, 90 percent of them by Luther and his followers. More than 100,000 copies of his German translation of the Bible were in circulation by the time of his death.

One thing is certain: From Luther's time on, human beings from all ends of the Earth were freer, more daring, more innovative, more bold and more joyful in their faith. The great German sociologist Max Weber, at the turn of the 20th century, wrote famously and persuasively of a "Protestant ethic" whose work ethic, efficiency and readiness to risk for a better future underlay free enterprise, representative government and the pursuit of science.

In a remarkable book published for the 500th anniversary of Luther's Theses in Wittenberg, "Protestants: The Faith That Made the Modern World," historian and pastor Alec Ryrie wrote of this faith: "It is that old love affair: a direct encounter with God's power, whether as a lived experience, a memory or a hope. ... It is through that promise to change lives that Protestantism has changed the world."

So why the silence in America? One need not demean other faiths to proclaim your own. Indeed, why -- when a weary world full of the poor and suffering is waiting with ever greater impatience for exactly the virtues and values of these people and their "love affair" with God?
It appears the South Carolina Republican Party is taking an intermediate step toward a larger objective of ending the state's system of independence in the voting process for primaries.

At its most recent meeting, the S.C. Republican Party State Executive Committee unanimously passed a resolution calling for a partisan voter registration option on registration forms.

The resolution calls on the General Assembly to pass legislation that would add appropriate check boxes to voter registration forms enabling people to choose to affiliate with a political party if they wish when they register to vote or update their registration.

"Simply put, it's a freedom-of-association issue," S.C. GOP Chairman Drew McKissick said. "South Carolinians should have the freedom to associate themselves with the political party of their choice when they register to vote."

"In a day when there is so much apathy about politics and antipathy towards government, political parties need to be able to do a better job connecting with and engaging like-minded individuals in the political process."

"The proposal of simply adding appropriate check boxes to the existing voter registration process would greatly increase the ability of like-minded voters and political parties to connect with one another. Our current voter registration system makes that unduly difficult," McKissick said.

McKissick has appointed a Partisan Registration Committee of local GOP officials and activists to promote the party's efforts on behalf of the legislation.

In reality, the effort is about more than identifying Republicans. The party has gone so far as to sue over the present primary voting system, seeking to overturn state laws that prevent political parties in the state from holding primaries in which only people registered with a party can vote in its primary.

The GOP argues that South Carolina law allowing a registered voter to cast ballots in any political partys primaries denies parties the aforementioned 1st Amendment right of free association, a legal concept meaning individuals right to express themselves and promote common interests as a group.

A federal judge in 2011 rejected the lawsuit by the GOP, saying that if Republicans dont want outsiders to help choose their nominees, they have other options, like picking candidates at a party convention or filling out petitions to get them on the ballot.

The decision was a victory for voters, a majority of whom treasure their independent status and want the option of choosing a primary in which to cast their vote without having to officially commit to a party.

When the state moved away from party-funded and operated primaries, the late Sen. Marshall B. Williams of Orangeburg wanted to go even further with voter independence.

Williams, a Democrat, sought to approve voting in more than one primary on the same day, thereby allowing a person to select races in which to make choices, whether the races be Republican or Democrat.

The idea was rejected as fundamentally putting an end to the party nominating process. If voters can pick and choose among candidates across same-day primaries, the vote may as well be a general election.

Thus South Carolina ended up with a system that retains the independence of voters to select a primary in which they will vote but does not allow people to participate in both primaries on the same day. Beyond forbidding a person who voted in one primary from participating in any runoffs by the other party two weeks later, the decision to pick a primary in no way obligates a person to a particular party. A person who voted in the Democratic primary on one day can vote in the Republican primary on another and vice versa.

While South Carolina Democrats have not challenged the present system in the same way as the majority GOP, party regulars on both sides of the political fence always fear that voters loyal to the opposition will seek to manipulate results by voting in the opponents primary. There are examples of that happening, but it is not a problem that justifies scratching the present system.

We have faith in most voters casting ballots in the affirmative. And while there remains a need to protect the integrity of primaries by not turning them into an everyone-votes-in-every-race elimination round for the general election, there is good reason to maintain a system that stands to bring more people out to vote on primary day.

As long as identifying yourself as a Republican or Democrat on a voter registration card is a voluntary, there is really no issue with allowing such. But we see the proposed legislation as having the much broader purpose of being a step toward changing the primary voting system.

With turnout as poor as it is for primaries anyway (20 percent in non-presidential years), nothing should be done to diminish interest and limit the ability of people to vote.
By Trend





The opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway is a historic event not only for the region but also for the world, member of the Azerbaijani parliament Aydin Mirzazade told Trend on October 30.

He said that the railways opening radically changes the situation in the region.

There will be closer ties between the countries; hundreds of thousands of jobs will be opened. Cargoes from China to Europe will be delivered faster, and at the same time, this project will strengthen peace and security, noted the MP.

This railway could pass through Armenia, but the ongoing occupation of Azerbaijani lands by this country deprived Armenia of participation in this promising project, he said.

Mirzazade added that the authority of Azerbaijan in the region has increased even more with the opening of this railway.

Being the initiator of such big projects, Azerbaijan turns into a desired ally, added the MP.

The official opening ceremony of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was held in Baku Oct.30. The BTK railway was constructed on the basis a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. The railways peak capacity will be 17 million tons of cargo per year. At an initial stage, this figure will be one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of cargo.
By Trend





Baku hosts the sixth meeting of the Azerbaijan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council on October 31.

In this regard, an official welcoming ceremony has been held for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

A ceremonial guard of honor was lined up for President Erdogan in the square decorated with the national flags of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev greeted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The chief of the guard of honor reported to the president of Turkey.

President Ilham Aliyev and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reviewed the guard of honor.

The Turkish president greeted the Azerbaijani soldiers.

State anthems of Azerbaijan and Turkey were played.

State and government officials of Azerbaijan and Turkey met with the two presidents.

The guard of honor marched in front of the heads of state.

The presidents posed for official photos.
































By Azernews





By Rashid Shirinov

Today, it is very important for people of Azerbaijan and Armenia, apart from the leaderships of the two countries, to join their efforts to accelerate the early settlement of the long standing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In this connection, the First General Assembly of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform was held in Tbilisi on October 30.

During the Assembly, its participants appealed to the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.

The issue on the agenda was the establishment of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform on the basis of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Platform and adoption of its Charter.

Based on the Charter, the decisions were made regarding the number of the members of the Steering Committee and the Central Control-Inspection Commission of the Civil Peace Platform, as well as their representation principles and members.

The Congress decided to create the Steering Committee of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform from the representatives of the OSCE Minsk Group states mediating in the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between the two countries.

Thus, the proportion of members of the Steering Committee consisting of 19 members is determined as follows: five from Azerbaijan and Armenia each and nine from each of the other Minsk Group participating countries.

At the end, the Final Decision and Statement of the General Assembly were adopted. The Assembly decided to open offices of the Platform in Tbilisi, Yerevan and Baku and hold public meetings in Azerbaijan and Armenia.

After the General Assembly was closed, the new Steering Committee held its first meeting.

At the meeting, in accordance with the Charter of the Platform, the co-chairing institute was established and Rovshan Rzayev from Azerbaijan and Rafael Isakhanyan from Armenia were elected as the co-chairs of the Steering Committee for one year.

Then the Steering Committee presented for discussions a list of the Experts Council of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform. Following the voting, the Expert Council consisting of 29 people was approved.

The decisive process of bringing together the people of Azerbaijan and Armenia on boosting the settlement of the conflict started in December 2016, when the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Platform was founded in Baku by a group of Azerbaijani and Armenian public figures and peacekeepers. It was created to bring together representatives of civil society of the two countries for creating dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the sides to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

However, this initiative was negatively perceived by the Armenian government, which started persecution of those Armenians who joined the Platform.

Despite this, many people from both Azerbaijan and Armenia and other countries continue to join the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Platform, created to accelerate the process of peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through the people's diplomacy, and this initiative, of course, should be continued, in order to bring the desired peace to the region.




















By Trend





The people and state of Azerbaijan will never allow creation of a second Armenian state on Azerbaijan's historical lands, said President Ilham Aliyev.

He made the remarks at a joint press conference together with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Baku on October 31.

Both at the one-on-one meeting and at the meeting with participation of delegations, we have seen once again that the Turkey-Azerbaijan relations are at the highest level, said President Aliyev.

The Turkey-Azerbaijan friendship, brotherhood, unity is at the highest peak today, he noted adding that there is consensus on the discussed issues, all issues are solved, and the discussed issues are implemented.

Naturally, we have discussed today the future development of our political relations, said the president.

The head of state noted that political relations of Azerbaijan and Turkey are developing successfully.

Speaking about the high-level mutual visits, President Aliyev reminded that he has visited Turkey twice this year, and today the Turkish President is on a visit to Azerbaijan.

Ministers, other officials meet frequently, added the head of state.

Meanwhile, the two countries support each other in all international organizations, said President Aliyev.

The president said that the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, one of the most painful problems for the region today, has also been discussed.

Unfortunately, this conflict has not been solved yet. Azerbaijans historical land, Nagorno-Karabakh, and seven surrounding districts are under occupation, and as a result of the occupation, more than one million Azerbaijanis have become displaced persons, said President Aliyev. International organizations, especially the UN Security Council passed four resolutions on the conflict. These resolutions indicate that the Armenian armed forces must be withdrawn immediately and unconditionally from the occupied lands.

Unfortunately, these resolutions remain on paper, Armenia still ignores them, and the conflict remains unresolved. This is the policy of double standards against us. In some cases, UN Security Council resolutions are implemented within a few days. However, in our case, these resolutions and decisions remain unfulfilled for more than 20 years, added the president.

The head of state noted that the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be resolved on the basis of international law and within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

There is no other way. The people and state of Azerbaijan will never allow creation of a second Armenian state on our historical land. I once again thanked President Erdogan for the support of Turkey in this issue. Turkey has always supported the just case of Azerbaijan in all international organizations as a friend, as a brother, added Ilham Aliyev.

Today, we have discussed the military cooperation extensively, he noted adding that this issue is also on the agenda.

Noting that three joint military exercises have been held in Azerbaijan, two military exercises  in Baku and one military exercise  in Nakhchivan this year, President Aliyev said that this is a factor strengthening the two countries cooperation in the military sphere.

Meanwhile, the joint military-technical cooperation continues, added the president.

Turkeys growing military industrial complex is of great interest to Azerbaijan, said Ilham Aliyev.

He added that Azerbaijan buys and will continue buying military products from Turkey.
















By Trend





The Samarkand-Istanbul-Samarkand regular air communication of Uzbekistan Airways was launched on October 30.

The flights will be carried out every Monday and, starting from November 16, also on Thursdays, said the company.

The flights will be carried out by comfortable Boeing and Airbus aircraft according to the following schedule (local time): Wednesdays  HY275 Samarkand (20:00)  Istanbul (23:00); HY276 Istanbul (00:30/+1/)  Samarkand (06:45); Thursdays  HY275 Samarkand (18:55)  Istanbul (20:55); HY276 Istanbul (22:25)  Samarkand (05:40/+1/).

The agreement on direct air services between the cities of Samarkand and Istanbul was reached during the state visit of Uzbekistans president to Turkey.

In total, more than 20 documents on various spheres of cooperation were signed between Uzbekistan and Turkey in Ankara following the high-level negotiations.

Moreover, agreements on the implementation of more than 30 joint projects worth $3.5 billion were signed during the Turkey-Uzbekistan business forum, held in Istanbul on October 26.

All this indicates the timeliness of the opening of a new flight between the two countries.
More than 100 chairmen, board directors and senior executives from around the world will gather at the upcoming fifth Annual Chairman Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.



Organized by the GCC Board Directors Institute (GCC BDI) in collaboration with Morgan Stanley, the event takes place on November 1 at Al Faisaliah Hotel.



The meetings are being held against the backdrop of increased activity and change in the Kingdom, as the Saudi road to vision 2030 is increasingly more defined, and as the plans to its realization begin to take shape on the ground.



The summit offers an excellent platform for networking and peer sharing. Discussions amongst the panellists and attendees will focus around three main topics including the regional integration into the world economy, tapping capital markets and driving diversification in the regional macroeconomic environment.



Mohammed Al-Shroogi, GCC BDI chairman and co-CEO Investcorp, said: "The world is increasingly becoming more connected and more companies have global operations. For regional companies and their boards to remain competitive and to succeed amid globalization, they and their boards will need to keep one eye on global macro developments, and another on good governance requirements."



"We are proud of our collaboration with Morgan Stanley to bring this event to Saudi," he added.



Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan, Minister of Finance in Saudi Arabia will be the guest of honour and keynote speaker at the summit. Speakers and panellists also include Dr Ahmed Abdulkarim Alkholifey, Chairman of SAMA, HE Mohammed Elkuwaiz, chairman of CMA, Dr Abdullah Al Abdulgader, chairman of STC, and Khalid Al Hussan, CEO of Tadawul, KSA.



Sammy Kayello, chairman and CEO of Morgan Stanley Mena, said: "We are delighted to partner with the GCC Board Directors Institute as its annual Chairman Summit comes to Riyadh. The implementation of the Saudi Vision 2030 is an exciting moment for the country and a more modernised economy will require a higher standard of board and corporate governance. As a firm with forty years of experience in Saudi Arabia, including the presence of a Riyadh office since 2007, we look forward to playing our part in realising the Kingdom's potential."



The 5th Annual Chairman Summit this year coincides with GCC BDI's 10th anniversary, and is also concurrent with Morgan Stanley's 10th year anniversary since opening an office in KSA. The collaboration with Morgan Stanley is intended to bring a global perspective to the local and regional economic landscape.  TradeArabia News Service


The UAE government plans to develop a number of residential neighbourhoods across the country under its Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme at an investment of Dh7 billion ($1.9 billion), reported the state news agency Wam citing a senior minister.



"The programme helped build 30,000 homes, while some 27,000 are in the under-construction phase across the country," stated Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi, the Minister of Infrastructure Development.



He was speaking at the Arab Future Cities Summit 2017 in Dubai on Monday.



The number of residential neighbourhoods completed by the programme reached 788 housing units, while the number of those in the implementation phase was 3,467 housing units, revealed Al Nuaimi, who is also the chairman of the programme.



All the residential neighbourhoods comply with the criteria and requirements of the Two Pearl sustainability programme, he added.
Omans government is planning to develop a new airport in the Musandam region as part of its efforts to boost the transport infrastructure in the sultanate, said a report.



This will be the country's sixth airport, in addition to Muscat, Salalah, Sohar, Duqm and Khasab, according to Times Of Oman.



The government will soon hire a consultant to examine the estimated cost and also conduct a study on the environmental impact of the new proposed airport, it stated.



Minister of Transport and Communications Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Futaisi said the government is pushing ahead with several key development projects covering various sectors including transport, ports, airport and communications.



Work at many of the service projects have reached an advanced stage to meet the economic, construction and population growth in the governorate, he added.
Impact Estate, a leading real estate advisory and consultancy in Bahrain, said the construction of its boutique residence Raheel-3, based in Amwaj Islands, has been completed and is ready for handover to its owners and potential tenants.



The residence boasts 28 well-appointed units with panoramic sea and island views and modern facilities including an outdoor swimming pool, fitness centre with a steam room, sun deck and barbeque area, said a statement from the company.



The tenants will get to enjoy an island-style living combined with comfort of an exclusive residence.



There are one-bedroom units with the total area of 85 sq m, two-bedroom apartments ranging from 106 sq m up to 119 sq m. and spacious three-bedroom units with balconies and total size of 147 sq.m. The two-bedroom Penthouses feature the terraces and offer ample space of 177 sq m.



"Understanding the clients needs is a core of our strategy. We follow the market demands and are ready to provide A to Z services to the clients of Raheel Residence 3," remarked Oksana AK, the general manager of Impact Estate, which is incharge of the sales and marketing of the building.



The company provides full services including sales, marketing and assistance with units handover, she added.-TradeArabia News Service
UAE-based Alpha Destination Management is all set for a strong presence at the World Travel Market (WTM) being held in London this November.



Samir Hamadeh, general manager for Alpha Destination Management, said: Its our 20th time to exhibit at WTM. It is one of the most important events for us due to the fact that the UK market is still a leading market into our destination and Alpha Destination Management is a well-known brand among the UK tour operators. At Alpha we cooperate with some of the top brands of UK tourism being their agents in the emirates and WTM offers us the perfect platform to connect and conduct business with them.



Speaking about the significance of UK as a top feeder market for Dubai in terms of tourism, Hamadeh stressed: There has been a major focus from the destination and its stakeholders on UK and we believe it will remain one of the top source markets in 2018 for Dubai. The message that we are conveying at WTM this year is that we are committed to offering greater added value as well as investing further into technology to enhance customer experience in the destination. Dubai is moving away from being a city you must visit, to a city you must experience.



Dubai is among the top four most visited cities in the world and the best performer in the Mena region. The city recently added 17 new attractions such as the Dubai Opera, City Walk, IMG Worlds of Adventure, the worlds biggest indoor theme park, Dubai Water Canal, and Dubai Parks and Resorts, the regions largest integrated theme park resort that have all further added to Dubais appeal as well as contributed to a steep rise in leisure tourism.



Hamadeh said: The more the destination creates attractions and tailors its product to cater to UK tourists, the better conversion it can expect. People seek experiences. Dubai is becoming a major attractions hub and it is very important that we focus on offering experiences and added value to our customer. Our approach to UK has to be different than other markets and key to that is coming up with new ideas to grow stop over business. In order to support Dubais goal to attract 20 million visitors annually by 2020 and maintain a stable momentum of growth, there is need for new packages and offers with added-value to entice transit passengers to stay for least one night rather than simply pass by. We are also focusing on Dubais strong calendar of events to excite more travellers to come over.



Visitors will be able to find Alpha Destination Management at the Dubai Tourism stand on booth M300. - TradeArabia News Service


Travel websites in the Middle East and Africa (Mena) region are investing heavily into becoming mobile friendly with recent studies showing that 60 per cent of searches for destination information come from mobile devices.



A regional study conducted by Red Blue Blur Ideas (RBBi)- a specialised integrated digital agency- analysed the passengers experience offered by different airline carriers and found out that online customer experience has been dramatically enhanced over the last five years through the development of new services and features.



These updates have a significant effect on airlines, with features such as Google Flights, Knowledge Graph, and Google City Guides, making it easy for travellers to quickly access all the travel information they need.



Understanding the decision-making path of travellers is essential for the Middle East aviation industry to target their efforts and position themselves ahead of the competition, said Naguib Toihiri, SEO Department lead at RBBi.With more than 70 per cent of the GCC population listed as mobile subscribers, it is imperative that travel websites are made mobile friendly and adopt best regional and global practices.

Findings show that more than 55 per cent of travellers use a search engine as their first step when making travel arrangements.



The comprehensive content analysis discovered:

 Around 60 per cent of leisure travellers use search engines to initiate their search for travel information and 55 cer cent of business travellers following the same journey as their first port of call for travel information, it is becoming more and more important for Middle East airlines to improve their online brand visibility.



 Google dominates search engine platforms with 94 per cent of the market share in Saudi Arabia and UAE being in Arabic, suggesting airlines should focus on Arabic content. A comprehensive content analysis showed that only a few airline brands have optimised their URLs using Arabic characters. This represents a significant missed opportunity for Arabic keyword searches online, especially from those searching from the GCC region.



 Googles findings indicate that leisure passengers make 32.5 visits to 10.3 websites in 4.2 categories prior to booking. Travel brands that are not present at this crucial stage of the user journey risk losing out on bookings.



With online brand visibility taking precedence across marketing, RBBi provides four recommendations for increasing online brand visibility:



1. Focusing on delivering local Arabic content

2. A need for mobile-first approach

3. Improving local search optimisation

4. Utilising rich content. - TradeArabia News Service


Industry groups are asking a federal judge in Wyoming to delay some aspects of federal regulations meant to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas operations.

In a filing with the U.S. District Court in Wyoming on Friday, the Independent Petroleum Association of America and the Western Energy Alliance argued that key provisions of the Bureau of Land Managements methane waste rules, including the use of leak detection and repair equipment to find fugitive leaks, would be too costly for industry to implement by an upcoming January deadline.

The Obama-era regulations are currently under review by the Interior Department.

It does not make sense for companies to incur substantial costs, which are conservatively estimated to be over $115 million just between now and January 17, 2018, to comply with a rule that is being substantially changed, said Kathleen Sgamma, president of Denver-based Western Energy Alliance, in a filing to the court.

The regulations are disliked by a number of companies in Wyoming that argue such federal limits affect a wide range of current and potential oil and gas operations in the state.

Wyoming regulators wrote the playbook on the venting and flaring rules now being implemented by the BLM, but thus far the state has only applied its strongest provisions in the Upper Green River Basin, an area with a history of ground level ozone spikes.

Attempts at a quick solution in industrys favor have failed so far.

Industry unsuccessfully bid for an injunction last January, days before the first compliance date for the Obama-era regs.

The Senate could not secure a simple majority vote to axe the rules months later, and a California court invalidated the Interior Departments initial attempt to stay the rules, because the agency didnt follow the Administrative Procedures Act.

The Interior Department is still early in what could be a lengthy public comment process as it tries to revise the rules.

Environmental groups are defending the BLMs right to regulate air quality as part of its charge to manage federal minerals, arguing that natural gas lost to leaks and flaring add up to lost revenue for tax payers.

Wyoming advocates say the average citizen agrees with the rules in some form, pointing to a Colorado College poll that found 87 percent of Wyomingites polled supported such regulations.

Advocates have also pressured state regulators in Wyoming to make rules for the Upper Green River Basin, which mandates leak detection equipment and on-the-ground checks for pipeline leaks, statewide standards.

So far Wyoming has not announced plans to do so.
The sky filled with cannon explosions and artillery rounds pounded the ground, churning the battlefield earth and killing soldiers. Nearby, George Ostrom sketched the scene before him  the opening rounds of the Meuse-Argonne offensive, which would bring the Germans to surrender on Nov. 11, 1918.

Far from his ranch home in Sheridan, Ostrom became a semi-official combat artist depicting scenes of battle and downtime through his service as a sergeant in the Wyoming National Guard in World War I.

Several of the drawings show Ostroms own bucking bronc logo his regiment adopted as its insignia and emblazoned on helmets, weapons and vehicles in his drawings. His design was the first version of a bucking horse officially used for the state of Wyoming, said John Goss, director of the Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum.

Cannons and Cowboys: WWI Drawings from George Ostrom, is the first gallery exhibition of Ostroms Word War I drawings, on display through Jan. 14 at the Nicolaysen Art Museum. A reception with Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum staff and George Ostrom Jr. is slated for Nov. 11.

The detail is unparalleled in these, and when you see them up close, theyre incredible, Goss said. They depict instances on battlefields that are absolutely accurate in time and space and in their detail. These are images that were never captured in photographs; these were images that were never captured in other drawings.

Depicting history

First Sgt. Ostrom of the 148th Field Artillery sketched during in his spare time in the war, documenting the details of his experiences. He inked the drawings when he came home, Nicolaysen Art Museum curator Eric Wimmer said. You can still see the original pencil marks he sketched under the ink.

The drawings feature accurate details of battles, uniforms and weapons amid war-ravaged scenery, Goss said.

Its interesting that you can drill down to the fine points of American history, he added.

For example, the artillery barrages of World War I were never seen before or since, and the Meuse-Argonne scene Ostrom sketched was one of the most prolonged battles of the war, Goss said. The skulls, bones and rats below the gunfire and explosions Ostrom depicted werent an exaggeration.

Artilley barrages would be nonstop for years, so its just a grind house, a charnel house, just a meat grinder, a mixing bowl of artillery and earth and poison gas and human remains and horse remains and war equipment  just being churned every day by artillery barrages, Goss said. Its incredibly inhuman; its terrible.

A second drawing Ostrom sketched on another day of the battle shows the same details from a different angle, proving he sketched it on site, Goss said. The soldiers expected it would be the last battle of winter before the spring offensive, and Ostrom diligently captured the opening cannon rounds of the battle, Goss said.

Ostrom also rendered airplanes swooping over troops firing anti-aircraft machine guns into the sky. One shows them blasting an aircraft  a successful takedown before the pilot could report the position of American artillery, Goss said. Another depicts soldiers fleeing aircraft fire and leaving their Chauchat, a French machine gun known for its power but also for jamming, Goss said.

Gas masks can be seen in many of the drawings. The soldiers didnt go anywhere without them. When a gas alarm went off, it only took a couple of seconds to unsnap the masks and put them on, but that was all the time the poison needed to kill them, Goss said.

One post-battle scene shows soldiers walking around collecting souvenirs after a battle where they captured a German commanders wagon. One man walks with an iron cross pinned to his gear with a dog toting a German spiked helmet, Goss noted.

Some scenes depict every day camp life, like a trio smoking as they peel potatoes in a playful, cartoonlike style seen in many of his works.

He could catch personality, Goss said. You see it in the World War I drawings  funny soldiers with funny postures and interesting looks on their faces and interesting situations. Its not classic combat art. He captured a lot of really interesting moments that defined his experience in that war.

A Wyoming dough boy and his horse

The bucking horse design was merely an idea when Ostrom reported to headquarters to submit his emblem design for the 148th field artillery. The order had come for every unit to create an insignia, setting off a flurry of design drawing and contests, Goss said. Ostrom had no paper, but he looked around the dugout until he spotted the regimental drum. He asked permission and freehanded his idea.

The emblem was Ostroms beloved horse Redwing, which Ostram insisted on taking overseas with other U.S. Army remounts. Ostrom moved from Spencer, Iowa, to Wyoming with his family in 1913 and homesteaded east of Sheridan, according the Nicolaysens gallery guide.

His horse was deemed a little too small, but it was a spirited and it was a good horse, Goss said. So he got an officer to take his horse over there.

Many of his fellow Wyoming National Guard soldiers served in the unit, and his design was a hit with them as well as with other soldiers from western states.

They loved it instantly, and it instantly became the insignia for the 148th Field Artillery, Goss said.

Some say Ostroms insignia design was the inspiration for Wyomings state logo. Ostrom and his family have said that Secretary of State Lester Hunt first had Ostroms bucking horse design in mind for Wyomings license plates, but the two men couldnt agree on terms, Goss said. Denver artist Allen True created the official bucking horse state logo used on license plates since 1936.

Certainly this was the first time the bucking horse was used in official capacity for the state of Wyoming, Goss said.

A Wyoming legacy

After the war, he spent his life in Wyoming as a rancher, hunter, banker, agricultural adviser and family man. The artist mainly sketched in ink, but he also created oil paintings and murals. He made jewelry, bolo ties and belt buckles from silver and elk ivory. Much of his art appears to be influenced by western artists Frederic Remington and C.M. Russell, while his caricature-like depictions of wolves, antelope and other wildlife show his unique style, Goss said.

He was a renaissance man, Goss said.

Wimmer was working as the curator for the Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum when he and Goss came across Ostroms World War I drawings a few years ago in the Sheridan Army National Guard Armory. The two offered to professionally preserve and care for the artworks, and Ostroms family donated them to Wyoming Veterans Memorial Museum in honor of all Wyoming National Guard veterans, Goss said.

He anticipates Ostroms World War I drawings may receive national attention for their rarity and historical importance.

When I saw them for the first time, I thought that they would make a great show at a museum, Wimmer said. These are very special for the state. These are unlike anything else Ive ever seen.
Wednesdays Highlights</&h1>

Wednesday support meetings

Alcoholics Anonymous: 6:30 a.m., 917 N. Beech; 8:30 a.m., 500 S. Wolcott; 10 a.m., 328 E. A; noon, 500 S. Wolcott; 2 p.m., 917 N. Beech; 5:30 p.m., 1124 Elma, Imitate the Image Church; 5:30 p.m., 328 E. A; 7 p.m., 500 S. Wolcott, closed; 7 p.m., 520 CY; 8 p.m., 328-1/2 E. A; 8 p.m., 328 E. A; 8 p.m., 917 N. Beech. Douglas: 7:30 p.m., 628 E. Richards (upstairs in back). Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are open. Casper info: 266-9578; Douglas info: (307) 351-1688.

Narcotics Anonymous: Noon, 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club; 7 p.m., 15th and Melrose, at the church. Web site: http://www.urmrna.org.

TOPS #162, weight loss support, 8:30 a.m., 1868 S. Poplar.

Reveille hears of Make-A-Wish

Reveille Rotary will host Morgan Legerski, CEO of Make-A-Wish Wyoming, at 7 a.m. at the Casper Senior Center.

She has been with the organization for seven years and has served as the chapters CEO for the last 4-1/2 years. Previously, Legerski worked in the oil and gas industry at a family trucking business and as a financial representative. A Casper native, Legerski is a graduate of Montana State University with degrees in business marketing and finance.

She will be sharing about the mission of Make-A-Wish, the impact it has had on the children who have been served, what it takes to grant a wish and the upcoming Stories of Light Gala on Nov. 11.

Wednesday writers

Would you like to leave a legacy by sharing your memories with the world? Practice writing, share your work and receive constructive feedback from fellow writers at 10 a.m. on the main floor of the Natrona County Library. Call 577.READ x2 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information.

Toastmaster Clubs seeking members

Toastmasters is a step-by-step program designed to learn how to prepare and deliver presentations (both planned and impromptu) and improve communication and learn leadership skills. Students are welcome. Toastmasters is a national/international organization aimed at self-improvement. Review their website at toastmasters.org. Pioneer Toastmasters meets the first and third Wednesdays, noon to 1 p.m. at Eggingtons Restaurant (upstairs meeting room). Contact Kevin at 307 371-5364 or Mary Ann at 234-0158.

Guest at Bachs Lunch recital

Bachs Lunch, 12:15 Wednesday recitals, have resumed at First United Methodist Church downtown. Guest organist Jan Kraybill will play Bachs Lunch on November 1, followed by a talk on the mission of the Hymn Society of America, of which she is the executive director. Her evening concert will be at 7:30 p.m., on November 2, also at First United Methodist Church.

After school

at the library

The Natrona County Library will host a math carnival for elementary-age students from 1 to 4 p.m. Casper College students will lead a series of fun, hands-on, interactive math games designed to engage and teach students while helping them get excited about math. Snacks will be provided at no cost. Call 577.READ x5 for more information.

Quilts of Valor

every Wednesday

The Central Wyoming Chapter of Quilts of Valor meets from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays to sew at the Central Wyoming Senior Services Center, 1831 E. Fourth St. Quilts of Valor are made by volunteers. Donated fabrics, supplies or monetary donations are appreciated. The chapter awards quilts to veterans who reside in the Central Wyoming region. Dues are $5 per year, and new members are always welcome. If you have any questions, please contact Yung Hui Torske at 258-5578, Sandy Elliott at 307-554-0331 or any chapter member.

Volunteer appreciation party at Food for Thought

Wyoming Food for Thought Project will be hosting a Volunteer Appreciation Party in celebration of its amazing volunteers and the five-year anniversary as an organization. Volunteers, donors and supporters are all welcome. The weekly food bag packing takes place at 4 p.m. at the Program Center, 900 Saint John St., and following the packing the celebration will begin. Dinner, drinks and snacks will be provided until 7 p.m.

Sub sandwiches

at the Elks

Wednesday Night Special at the Casper Elks Lodge is sub sandwiches. All you can eat for $7, children 5 to 12 are $3, serving from 6 to 7 p.m. or until gone. Members, significant other and guest accompanied by a member. For more information, call 234-4839.

Cotherman

book signing

Author Audrey Cotherman will discuss her novel, A Pinch of Salt: Savoring Life in Wyoming, at 6:30 p.m., at the Natrona County Library. The talk is free and open to the public. Copies of Cothermans book will be available for purchase, which she will sign following her talk. Call 577.READ x2 or email reference@natronacountylibrary.org for more information.

Police do shift change briefing

at library

The Casper Police Department will conduct its second mobile patrol team shift turnover brief (a Community Team Brief) at 6:50 p.m., at the Natrona County Library. Come see how a shift turnover brief is conducted, and come meet local police officers. The event is free and open to all our community members. Officers, sergeants, and members of the command staff will be available following the Community Team Brief to interact and have discussions with community members. If you are interested in hosting a Community Team Brief at your residence or business, please contact Detective John Hatcher at 235.7598 or jhatcher@casperwy.gov.

UW Symphony

plays Casper

UW Symphony conductor Michael Griffith is on a mission. Hes dedicated this year to A Season of Joy. The UWSO will bring that joy to Casper with a 7 p.m., concert at Casper Colleges Wheeler Concert Hall. Admission is free.

The major work is Beethovens Symphony No. 6, the Pastoral Symphony.

Three shorter works fill the first half. Arturo Marquez Danzon No. 2 is an exciting new work with a decidedly Mexican-Cuban flavor. Aaron Coplands jazz-inflected Clarinet Concerto was written for the great big-band clarinetist Benny Goodman. It a perfect fusion of Americana and classical lyricism. Johann Strauss Fledermaus Overture opens the evening, a fun romp from a waltz-filled Viennese operetta.

Soloist for the Copland is UW faculty clarinetist Blake McGee.

Soup for food bags this month

Wyoming Food for Thought Project has announced its food of the month suggestions for the nearly 1,000 weekend food bags its volunteers prepare for food-insecure school students in Natrona County each week. Often, schools, churches and other groups designate certain collection days for a specific type of food as a donation.

The suggested food items may be taken to program headquarters at 900 St. John, but its best to call ahead.

November, soup; December, chili.

For more information, call Cassandra at 337-1703.Follow community news editor Sally Ann Shurmur on Twitter @WYOSAS
CODY  A hunting guide and hunter are recovering in Wyoming hospitals after being attacked by a bear in the Washakie Wilderness.

John Sheets said he was field dressing an elk Thursday night on a late-season cow hunt with a female hunter when she was attacked by a grizzly bear.

Sheets said he rushed in, grabbed the bear by the neck and stabbed it with his hunting knife, which caused the bear to retaliate.

Sheets said the rest of the encounter is fuzzy, but he remembers the bear dragging the hunter down a hill. He said the bear came back up and chewed on his ear and broke his leg.

He says they were able to escape on their horses.

Sheets said the last he heard the hunter was in stable condition.
A judge ruled Tuesday that prosecutors have enough probable cause to charge a Casper man with abusing two adolescent girls.

Hugo Mendoza-Cora, who police believe is 36, is facing six charges of sexual abuse of a minor, three in the second degree and three in the third degree. If convicted on all charges, he would face more than 100 years in prison.

Mendoza-Cora was charged with two sex abuse counts on Oct. 23. In the interceding eight days, prosecutors brought four additional charges against him.

After Mendoza-Coras initial charging, another alleged victim was interviewed by Childrens Advocacy Project staff. The girl, who is 11, told an interviewer that Mendoza-Cora had ripped her pajamas in the course of molesting her, according to court documents.

The girl told an investigator that Mendoza-Cora had threatened to hit her if she told her mother, according to the documents.

Casper police Detective Mitch Baker said in court Tuesday that Mendoza-Cora had told police he did not have anything to say about that, when asked about the sexual abuse allegations.

When being cross-examined by a defense lawyer, Baker said he was not certain how old Mendoza-Cora was. He said Mendoza-Cora had given the same date of birth during two unrelated police interactions that took place in 2001 and 2012. Mendoza-Cora is an undocumented immigrant and Baker said police found a number of falsified legal documents during the course of the investigation.

Mendoza-Cora appeared in court and listened to the charges against him through an interpreter. He was not given the opportunity to speak. When his attorney asked if he had any questions for the detective, Mendoza-Cora shook his head.

The investigation began when a third party told police that one of the girls, who is 12, had said she was being abused by Mendoza-Cora. Both girls told investigators that he had touched their genitals with his hand, sometimes forcibly.

Mendoza-Cora is related to the two alleged victims.

The defendant is being held on $50,000 bond. He will appear next in Natrona County District Court where he will be asked to enter a plea to the charges.
Four finalists remain in the running to become Caspers next police chief.

City Manager Carter Napier said Friday that five candidates were being considered as finalists for the position. Napier said Monday afternoon that a candidate had dropped out in the interim, leaving four candidates.

The candidates and their current positions are:

Boise, Idaho police lieutenant Brett Quilter;

former West Jordan, Utah police chief Drew Sanders;

former Farmington, New Mexico deputy police chief Keith McPheeters;

interim Casper police chief Steve Schulz.

The finalists will come to Casper this week for interviews. Napier said last week that he expects to finalize a hire by Nov. 10.

The position has been staffed in an interim capacity since May by Schulz, who was tapped after former Chief Jim Wetzel was dismissed from his at-will position after problems in the police department became public.

A survey released in early April by the local branch of the Fraternal Order of Police described a toxic environment in the department. Shortly thereafter, a majority of officers gave a vote of no confidence to Wetzels leadership.

The City of Casper has not given any reason for Wetzels dismissal.

The new chief will be paid between $105,000 and $126,000 annually, according to a job posting issued by the city. Wetzel was paid about $112,000 in 2016.

Napier said last week that he expects to post a job opening for a new fire chief this week. That position is slated to open up in the new year, when Chief Kenneth Kings retirement becomes effective.

King announced his retirement in October 2016, just hours after apologizing for an email regarding 2015s Cole Creek Fire.

In an email to a subordinate who was collecting video evidence of the fire that destroyed 14 homes, King wrote: Could you cut out the bad parts, and make sure that no copies are made and only DCI views?

The email was sent while the fire still blazed, but did not become public until the Star-Tribune published it a year later.

King characterized the email as a bad joke, in an interview with the Star-Tribune.
State lawmakers recommended diverting money to pay for the maintenance of Wyoming school facilities Monday, the first major move toward bridging one of the large funding gaps facing education here.

The members of the Select Committee on School Facilities voted to back a proposal that would use a percentage of state mineral royalties to pay for school maintenance and construction, while also diverting the 1 percent severance tax to that end. The money will go toward preserving the states more than 24 million square feet of education facilities, part of officials shift from building amid dwindling funds and after years of construction.

The recommendation  which would fill the sizable hole left by the disappearance of coal lease bonus money  will be sent to the Joint Appropriations Committee for further consideration.

Speaker Steve Harshman, who together with chairman Tom Walters brought the recommendation to the committee, said that diverting the two revenue streams can bring about $260 million per two-year budget cycle, which would be enough to pay for school maintenances annual cost of roughly $100 million.

The annual costs for all state facility maintenance is about $260 million, Harshman said. The two revenue streams, if diverted together, would be enough to pay for all of it.

Anybody going to vote for tax increases for $260 million? Harshman asked his colleagues. Tax increases have been one proposed  though unpopular  route for filling education deficits. I dont think so.

Palatable approach

Since at least December, Harshman has supported a broad approach to tackling the states funding issues. Diverting revenue is part of that effort, a move that may prove more palatable to both cut-leery educators and tax-averse lawmakers.

Still, diverting the severance tax in particular is an easy prospect only compared to raising taxes. Sen. Bill Landen, a Casper Republican and the vice-chairman of the committee, said after the meeting that he didnt know if the recommendation would receive support from the appropriations committee. But, he said, it was an important, needed step.

It was our feeling  the chairman and I in particular  that we should not suggest a budget going forward without some remedy as to where the revenues would come from, Landen said after the meeting.

The proposals approval came less than a week after new state revenue projections suggested the states two-headed educational funding crisis may not be as severe as previously thought. The revenue report, released by the Consensus Revenue Estimate Group, projected more than $64 million in additional funding to education accounts. Its an especially significant projection given the dire outlook that Wyomings schools have been facing.

A little less than a year ago, a state report estimated the day-to-day operations of schools faced a deficit of at least $700 million a year starting next summer. State construction and maintenance funding  paid for heavily by bonus money, which has dwindled to nothing  was also in trouble.

But as the economy has slowly improved and the Legislature has made changes and implemented cuts, the deficit has shrunk. Matt Willmarth, an education funding expert with the states Legislative Service Office, said last week that the last, pre-CREG numbers suggested the deficit was around $430 million a year for operations and less than $100 million for maintenance.

Now, in light of the CREG report, the operations deficit may be down to roughly $340 million for the coming two-year budget cycle, Willmarth and Landen said after the meeting. Construction and maintenance is about $90 million a year.

Addressing shortfalls?

Still, there still remains the struggle of filling those (albeit smaller) shortfalls. Mondays recommendation is the first substantial step taken to change how either the maintenance or operations is paid for. But whether that proposal is picked up and advanced by the appropriations committee when it meets again in December is unclear. Landen is a member of that committee and said he wasnt yet sure if he would support the diversions.

For operations, the future of funding is even less certain. Lawmakers are currently in the process of examining the states education system, a review that could cut the deficit further. But, officials have noted, it also could increase how much the state must pay for education.

In any case, many lawmakers have said they will to wait until that review is completed before they consider how to foot the bill  likely a prudent choice, given how the price tag could change. Still, tax increases and further cuts are both common topics of debate.

The new state revenue numbers didnt seem to change the landscape of that argument: Landen said Monday that in light of the CREG projections, he was even less inclined to support a tax increase to fund education. Last week, Boyd Brown  the superintendent of Campbell County School District  said the figures showed that lawmakers didnt need to cut anymore.
RIVERTON  When roadway signs are stolen, signs are shot with high-powered handguns, rifles and shotguns, or painted by vandals, it's a costly proposition for the state.

Of the 554 signs slated for replacement this year, 42 are located in Teton County, 101 are in Park County, 232 are in Fremont County, and 179 are in Big Horn County.

"Of the 554 signs, 148 signs, or 25 percent of the total sign upgrade, are being replaced due to external variables, including being damaged, shot, stolen or vandalized," said WYDOT area traffic supervisor Steven Otto of Basin. "The 148 signs being replaced due to external variables caused by members of the public includes 1,418 square feet of signing material, with a material cost of $15,980. Ninety-seven of the 148 damaged signs were shot by some sort of firearm. This should be unacceptable to citizens."

WYDOT annually inspects about one-third of the roadway signs in Northwest Wyoming.

The vandalism statistics are alarming and are leading to increased law enforcement, according to Capt. Steven Sanders of the Wyoming Highway Patrol. "We're using every bit of today's technology to catch vandals in the act of destroying this public resource," he said.

Sanders encourages citizens witnessing vandalism of signs or other crimes to call the Wyoming Highway Patrol at1-800-442-9090.
RIVERTON Four Wyoming Air National Guard members were recognized as the Wyoming Military Department's "Heroes Among Us" for 2017.

Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Jones and Tech. Sergeants Jonathan Birt, Drew Ballenger and Brandon Rodriguez received the awards Oct. 20 during the agency's annual Governor's Reception.

Ballenger and Rodriquez attended to the victim of a one-car rollover between Rawlins and Riverton.

Jones, a member of the 153rd Security Forces Squadron, was recognized for extinguishing flames on the clothing of a man involved in a vehicle fire. He was nominated by Chief Master Sgt. Doug Rhodes.

Birt, a member of the 243rd Air Traffic Control Squadron, dislodged an airway obstruction of an unconscious man at a barbecue.

The Hero Among Us Award recognizes heroic efforts of Wyoming Military Department personnel who assist fellow citizens outside the scope of their military duties.
Ive never seen anything quite like it, said a political-insider friend of mine as we sipped coffee.

What is it? I said.

Several members of the Republican-controlled House and Senate are suffering from a rare form of memory loss. Until recently, I fear, they completely forgot why they were elected.

Explain, please.

When Republicans took over the House in 2011, they did so because the majority of Americans were fed up with ObamaCare, wasteful spending and a federal government that was running amok. They wanted the Republican House to thwart President Obamas policies.

I remember the 2010 election well, I said.

During the 2014 election, the Republicans took back the Senate because the majority of American people were fed up with ObamaCare, wasteful spending and a federal government that was running amok. They wanted the Republican Senate to work with the Republican House to overturn Obamas polices.

There was a sense of great hope at that time, I said.

Then in 2016, despite several expert predictions that Hillary Clinton would become Americas first female president, Donald Trump was elected. Thats because the people in most U.S. states wanted to repeal and replace ObamaCare, get federal spending under control and overturn Obamas policiesincluding many executive orders that many considered presidential overreach at best and unconstitutional at worst.

Well, Trump has been successful overturning Obamas executive orders, but he hasnt enjoyed much success passing big bills through the Republican House and Senate.

That is correct, and I fear it is due to mass memory loss. You see, too many Republicans seem to have forgotten that they had promised to repeal ObamaCare, but repeal efforts failed repeatedly.

Thats frustrating to the voters who put Republicans in power.

Trump has been struggling to get any big bills through Congress, including his infrastructure bill, despite the fact that Republicans own the White House, House and Senate. I figure they have one chance to wake up and remember why they are there or we are all cooked.

What is their one chance?

They must come together to give the country its first comprehensive tax reform since President Reagan reformed the tax code, and theyd better do it this year!

Hear, hear! How are they doing?

A cynic like me is afraid to get too hopeful, but it would appear they are finally making real headway on real tax reform.

Im afraid to be hopeful, too. What does their plan include?

Investors Business Daily reports that the Republican reform plan includes reducing Americas outdated corporate tax rates, which are among the highest in the world. They plan a top corporate tax-rate reduction to 20 percent, which would unleash significant economic growth, create new jobs and increase wages for millions of Americans.

Bring it on.

The reform plan would introduce other commonsense measures to reduce rates for small businesses, while allowing them to write off business costs faster. As it is now, they have to depreciate many investments over many yearsthus, it takes them many years to recoup their costs through tax savings. Such a simple move would spur significant investment and growth, benefiting everyone.

Bring that on, too.

Tax filing would be simplified for everyone, with fewer brackets and increased standard deductions and child credits. Democrats are rolling out tired old lines about the rich getting huge tax breaks while the middle class gets the shaft, but it is just not so. The fact is, the real commonsense reform that Republicans are working on will hopefully return our country to a massive 5- or 6-percent growth rate, which will benefit us all. But it will only happen IF Republicans overcome mass memory loss and remember why they were elected in the first place!
Tucson-based Raytheon Missile Systems has been awarded a $60 million contract modification to transition the latest version of its Standard Missile-3 ballistic missile interceptor into production.

The contract award by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency will fund engineering, analysis and material needed to enable Raytheon to produce two SM-3 Block IIA interceptors per month, according to a Pentagon contract notice.

The work will be performed in Tucson, with expected completion in March 2020 as part of a long-term program now worth $694 million.

The SM-3 Block IIA, co-developed with Japan, is a larger and faster version of the SM-3 missiles that have been deployed aboard ships to protect Europe since 2012.
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some Oct. 31 papers in history. With a subscription to newspapers.com you can search the Arizona Daily Star and many other newspapers using keywords or dates, and download articles or pages.
A project that would build an aerial tram to take visitors to a riverside boardwalk in the Grand Canyon with stores, hotels and restaurants is up for a key vote Tuesday by tribal lawmakers who have been reticent to develop sacred land at one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

The special session is the first time the Navajo Nation's full Tribal Council takes up the measure introduced last year. It needs 16 votes to pass and has so far gotten a cold reception from lawmakers from the nation's largest American Indian reservation.

The development on 420 acres of the reservation that borders Grand Canyon National Park requires a $65 million investment from the tribe for roads, water and power lines, and communications. The legislation prevents other development within a 15-mile radius and along access roads.

Developers say the tram and accompanying retail and hotel sites at the East Rim could be running by May 2021 if everything goes as planned.

Critics showed up to urge lawmakers to oppose the project as discussion got underway late Tuesday afternoon. Those included families who hold grazing permits and leases to build homes in the area.

They have said the area is sacred and the proposed development would mar the landscape where the Colorado River meets the blue-green waters of the Little Colorado River. They also vow to keep fighting if the project is approved.

"Once it gets to a vote, that's the only thing council delegates are ready to (do), vote it down," said Renae Yellowhorse, who opposes the project. "We're a force."

Environmentalists and outdoor enthusiasts also decry the measure. Actor Robert Redford released a video last December voicing opposition, and an online petition against the proposal has collected thousands of signatures.

The vote comes ahead of a tribal election year and at a time the tribe is preparing for the loss of hundreds of jobs with the expected shutdown of a coal-fired power plant and its supply mine in 2019.

Lamar Whitmer, part of the Scottsdale-based Confluence Partners development group, said the East Rim project could employ up to 3,500 people on a reservation where half the workforce is unemployed.

The management team includes former Navajo President Albert Hale and others who have helped develop resorts and theme parks.

The Navajo Nation's share of revenue would depend on the number of visitors, but the tribe is guaranteed a minimum 8 percent of gross revenue, developers say.
Vandals broke windows, set a fire in a library, destroyed computers and other equipment at four schools in the Amphitheater district over the weekend, officials said.

The schools that sustained most damage were Amphitheater Middle School, 315 E. Prince Road, and Prince Elementary School, 125 E. Prince Road, said Amy Sharpe, a district spokeswoman. Both these schools were broken into some time late Saturday, Oct. 28, into Sunday, Oct. 29, Sharpe said.

Vandalism also occurred at Amphitheater High School, 125 W. Yavapai Road, and the Rillito Center, 266 E. Pastime Road, Sharpe said. She said the vandalism occurred at these two schools Oct. 29 into Oct. 30.

Officials do not yet have a damage amount.

The vandals caused significant damage to the shared middle- and elementary-schools' library by setting a fire, destroying computers, equipment and smashing nearly 40 windows at the campuses, said Sharpe.

The library sustained smoke damage and computer monitors and other materials were destroyed in the computer laboratory, she said.

Staff and students will not have access to the library for at least eight weeks while crews work to restore and replace damaged equipment and materials.

The schools will have other accommodations in place for activities that were held in the library. All classes are being held as scheduled, said Sharpe.

Vandalism at the Rillito Center, which serves special needs students, were contained to an exterior water fountain and shattered windows at the main entrance. A security guard booth at Amphitheater High School sustained damage, said Sharpe, adding she had no further details about vandalism at the high school.

Tucson police are investigating the vandalism, and district officials ask that anyone with information call 911 or 88-CRIME, an anonymous tipster hotline.
PHOENIX  In the wake of a complaint by a female lawmaker, a legislative leader released a detailed policy Monday designed to curb sexual harassment in the Arizona House of Representatives.

House Speaker J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler, has now spelled out on paper behaviors that are off-limits, as well as the procedures that should be followed when a complaint is made.

Mesnard said he believes it has always been a violation of House policy, if not state law, for lawmakers and their staffers to make unwelcome sexual advances or offensive remarks. That fact is conveyed to new legislators and employees when they first take office or are hired, he said. But he said people tend to be at the Capitol for a decade or more. A periodic reminder might become the norm for the future, he said.

His more formal policy follows a Facebook post more than a week ago by Rep. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale, saying that from the moment she took office in 2011 she experienced unwanted sexual advances and lewd and suggestive comments regarding my body and appearance from male colleagues.

As the behavior became more aggressive and brazen, Ugenti-Rita said she complained to House leadership.

While they were understanding and responsive to me, the lack of a traditional employer/employee relationship made it very difficult for them to deal with it in a meaningful way, she wrote.

Ugenti-Rita did not identify any assailants.

Kirk Adams, who was House speaker at the time, said he does not question that she complained, but he did not recall it.

Mesnards policy specifies that unequal and unlawful treatment of an individual is forbidden, including unwelcome verbal, written, physical or electronic communication that either degrades or shows hostility or aversion towards a person arising because of that persons inclusion in one of the categories protected by state or federal civil rights laws. Those categories include race, religion, ethnicity and gender.

Sexual harassment in particular already is defined in federal and state laws, Mesnard said, to include unwelcome sexual advances, harassment that is inherently sexual in nature, offensive remarks about a persons gender, and any sort of promise of advancement or benefit in exchange for sexual favors.

Also forbidden, he said, is the other side of the equation, meaning creating a hostile work environment and retaliation.

Most of it isnt new, Mesnard said of the policy. But it hasnt always been written or public  and not always clear. We wanted to put it all out there, the speaker said.

Ugenti-Rita called the written policy a good first step, after giving it a preliminary review Monday.

She said it should provide some guidance and protections to future lawmakers who wont have to go through the same hassles, and lack of formal action, she says she faced.

We have (had) this it depends policy on whos in leadership, Ugenti-Rita said. The past atmosphere has been it depends on who wants to take it seriously, she added.

Mesnards policy gets into details of how an inquiry should be conducted, and includes forms with notes and checklists of what should be asked of both the person making the accusations and the person accused of harassment.

Ugenti-Rita said none of that stuff existed when she went to House leadership.

When I reached out about what our internal policies were, I was sent a link to a federal website, she recalled.

So I am happy to see that it looks like theres going to be more structure to the process.

In posting her comments on Facebook, Ugenti-Rita said she hoped they encourage others to come forward to address sexual and workplace harassment.

Mesnard said he has had a handful of people come to him with such issues since he became speaker earlier this year. It doesnt come up a lot, he said.

Im almost always asked to not intervene but just to be aware, Mesnard said. If Im told, Im told for my knowledge and Im not supposed to do anything about it.

And in such circumstances, when victims do not want to pursue the matter, that leaves him with few options, he said.

I dont know what other recourse in those situations weve got other than to make sure we revisit members, make sure we have training to remind all members what ethical requirements we are operating under here, and continue to remind people of those things, Mesnard said.

Theres also the question of whether the complaints should be public.

On one hand, Mesnard said that, as a public body  and with elected members  there is a presumption that most everything is open in the House.

We could be in this pickle where the very fact that what we do is public could discourage folks from coming forward because they want to handle it privately, he said.

But it all comes out in the open, he said, if it deals with a lawmaker and gets to the point of going to the Ethics Committee.

One issue Mesnard is sidestepping for the time being deals with harassment based on someones sexual orientation, as that is not a protected class under current state or federal law.
Gov. Doug Ducey may tap the states rainy day fund to keep health-care coverage for 23,000 Arizona children until Congress finally acts.

The governor said Tuesday that both the House and Senate are weighing legislation to restore funding for the Childrens Health Insurance Program. It provides nearly free care for children in families earning up to twice the federal poverty level, or about $40,840 a year for a family of three.

Cash for CHIP ran out when the federal fiscal year ended Sept. 30.

In the interim, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has used unspent dollars from the just-ended budget year to keep the program alive. But Christina Corieri, the governors health adviser, said those funds are expected to dry up by the middle of December.

After that?

The Arizona law that accepts federal dollars for what is known in the state as KidsCare, spells out that if the federal government ultimately stops funding the program, the state has to stop enrolling children. Thats exactly what happened in 2010 when Arizona lawmakers decided they did not want to pay the states 25 percent share.

Lawmakers voted last year to reinstate KidsCare, but only after Congress agreed to pick up the full cost, as least through the end of the federal budget year. The most recent figures show 23,199 children enrolled.

It is the failure so far to approve the $15 billion annual appropriation to care for 9 million children nationwide going forward that again places health care at risk.

We want to see KidsCare continued, the governor said Tuesday after visiting children on Halloween at Phoenix Childrens Hospital. And Ducey said he has every confidence that Congress will act before the funds run out.

But the governor said the state has the ability to deal with circumstances as they happen.

Its part of the reason weve been fiscally responsible, he said. Thats why weve grown the rainy-day fund.

Ducey would not provide specifics.

What I dont want to do is negotiate what were going to do in the budget in these press gaggles, he told reporters. But when you look at what weve done in the past and where weve put our priorities, youll see this is important for us.

Whats formally known as the budget stabilization fund currently has about $460 million.

That would more than cover any interim costs. In September, the state received $6 million in federal funds for KidsCare.

But with increasing enrollment since the freeze was lifted, the governors office pegs the cost for October through December at $20 million.

Ducey, however, would need legislative approval to shift around those dollars.

An aide to House Speaker J.D. Mesnard said his boss does not want to comment until he sees more details. There was no immediate response from Senate President Steve Yarbrough.

Duceys staff is exploring another option, one he may be able to do on its own. It is based on doing a bit of shifting of dollars  and children  among programs.

The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the states Medicaid program, covers individuals and families earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level.

But heres the thing.

The federal government pays about two-thirds of the cost of those up to the federal poverty level. But under the Affordable Care Act, the feds pick up the entire tab for those in the 100 to 138 percent range.

Corieri said while waiting for Congress to act, the state could pay to cover all the children in that 100 to 138 percent band from KidsCare to AHCCCS. She said each month the state makes that shift frees up enough money to cover everyone else for another three months.

And she said that when Congress finally does refinance the CHIP program it is likely to approve backfill dollars to reimburse the state for any funds it spent providing care in the interim.

Duceys current desire to keep KidsCare alive is the latest in what has been a politically mixed relationship between Arizona and the federal government on the issue.

Congress approved CHIP in 1997 to help children in families who dont qualify for Medicaid but cannot afford private health insurance.

Arizona did not join until four years later when Republican Gov. Jane Hull convinced lawmakers the program was a good deal. She noted the federal government was offering $3 for every dollar the state provided, better than the regular Medicaid program.

In 2010, however, with the state facing a deficit, the Republican-controlled Legislature decided Arizona could not afford even its 25 percent match. They approved a freeze on new sign-ups, though those already in the program could stay.

The result was that enrollment, which had reached 45,000, dropped to fewer than 1,000.

Congress last year agreed to pick up the full cost. But even then, Ducey was not interested in restoring KidsCare.

But he was outflanked when Rep. Regina Cobb, R-Kingman, attached restoration of the program to something Ducey and other GOP lawmakers wanted: changes to the program to allow more parents to use public dollars to send their children to private and parochial schools.

Enrollment has been climbing steadily since then, though it is not yet back to pre-freeze levels.

The legislation, however, has the provision requiring a new enrollment freeze if Congress ultimately fails to restore full funding.
The unseasonably warm autumn weather will provide an ideal setting for local fundraising walks over the next few weekends in Tucson.

Whether you choose to champion cancer causes or support those with special needs, you will find ample opportunity to combine philanthropy with physical activity  and get your fall fix at the same time.

The fun starts Saturday with the 8th annual Melanoma Walk at the University of Arizona mall.

The event kicks off with free skin cancer screenings on a first-come, first-served basis from 2 to 4 p.m., followed by a family friendly walk and other festivities.

We walk three laps around the mall: One to honor those who have lost their lives to melanoma, one to honor those fighting and living with melanoma, and the third lap for hope toward the future through prevention, said Denise Spartonos, community outreach coordinator for the UA Skin Cancer Institute.

At the Skin Cancer Institute we help treat patients and provide education to the community because we want to prevent and cure skin cancer. The best way to prevent it is to teach kids to use sunscreen at an early age and raise awareness about sun safety, she added.

Spartonos said skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the country, with more than 3.5 million new cases diagnosed annually. Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer: 87,000 new cases will be diagnosed nationwide this year and someone dies every 52 minutes from the disease.

The Skin Cancer Institute is trying to change that through education programs such as Project SASS (Students Are Sun Safe), which trains UA students in sun safety and skin cancer prevention. The UA students then provide outreach to schools.

In another effort, the Protect Your Skin program supplies kits comprised of dispensers with quality sunscreen, signage and information to local schools, recreation areas and businesses.

As a take-away, Spartonos emphasized that sun safety and early detection save lives.

She reminded people to perform monthly skin self-exams, to visit their health-care providers for annual skin checks, and to remember to apply (and re-apply) quality sunscreen.

Ovarian cancer walk

Tucsonans can put sunscreen to good use Sunday morning as well at the Second Annual Run/Walk to Break the Silence on Ovarian Cancer.

The event seeks to raise $30,000 for the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, but if organizer Tom Dixons wife Meredith Mitstifer has her way, it will raise a billion dollars.

Mitstifer, a 15-year survivor of ovarian cancer, was diagnosed at age 30 when she was four months pregnant. She started chemotherapy after delivering her son.

It was a double whammy  having an infant while going through chemo for a year, but now I am 15 years out and there is no evidence of the disease. We really dont have remission and there is no cure and no test for the disease, so awareness and advocacy of your own body and any symptoms are the best tools we have, said Mitstifer, a national board member for the coalition.

Unfortunately, the major symptoms  bloating, frequent urination, feeling full quickly and extreme fatigue  are often vague and can be attributed to other conditions. Symptoms can also include bowel issues, abdominal pain and digestive problems.

These may be symptoms that many women experience every month, but if they persist for three or more weeks, you need to seek consultation with a medical professional and ask for a thorough evaluation to rule out ovarian cancer, Mitstifer said.

Mitstifer, Dixon and other volunteers hope the walk will provide support for those living with ovarian cancer while promoting awareness and funding research. Ultimately, they also want to shatter the silence surrounding the disease.

Ovarian cancer is known as the disease that whispers because the symptoms are so vague. That is why we need to raise awareness and try to break the silence, Mitstifer said.

Down syndrome buddy walk

Facilitation of networks and support is a primary goal of the 15th Annual Tucson BuddyWalk to benefit the Southern Arizona Network for Down Syndrome, according to Allyson Schug. Schug is co-chairing the walk with her husband, Kasy, and Chelsea Hansen.

Down syndrome is the most common genetic chromosomal disorder, impacting one in nearly 700 children according to the National Institutes of Health. The condition varies among individuals, resulting in lifelong intellectual disability and development delays. Heart and gastrointestinal disorders and other medical problems are also common.

Schug said the Buddy Walk and Southern Arizona group provided a vital network when she and Kasy moved to Tucson in 2011 with their son, Jacob, who has Down syndrome.

Because Jacob wasnt born here, we were not automatically integrated into early intervention services and by going to the Buddy Walk, we realized where we needed to start. I could ask questions and they could point me where to go and provide me with other resources if they didnt have the answers ... it is kind of a one-stop shop, which is a really big benefit, said Schug, who emphasized the importance of early interventions to optimize quality of life for children with special needs.

The organization also provides assistance with respite care for families of those with Down syndrome, as well as advocacy, education and support services. The Give It Back! Program offers sponsorship and reimbursement for a variety of activities, goods, programs and services that enhance quality of life for individuals with Down syndrome and their families.

Schug and her co-chairs seek to raise at least $100,000 at the upcoming walk to facilitate services through the all-volunteer network.
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP)  Visiting the country's most popular national parks would get more costly under a federal proposal released last week. The National Park Service says its goal is to cut down on the nearly $12 billion in maintenance projects that have been put off under budget constraints.

Under the plan, visitors driving into 17 of the most popular national parks, mostly in the U.S. West, would pay $70 per vehicle during the peak summer season, up from $25 or $30 per vehicle now.

Annual $80 passes for federal lands would not change, though fees would go up for pedestrians and motorcyclists. The higher fees would apply only during the five busiest contiguous months for parks. For most that's May through September when many families are on vacation.

The proposal would not affect several free weekends and holidays.

Affected parks include the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone and Zion. Outside the western region, three parks in Maine and Virginia would be affected. People have a month to comment on the plan.

Here are some details about the money the proposal would raise:

HOW MUCH WILL THE PARK SERVICE RAISE?

The agency collected nearly $200 million in entrance fees in the last fiscal year. It expects to raise an additional $70 million annually by charging visitors more to get into the 17 parks during the five busiest months of the year. Those parks generate 70 percent of the revenue from entrance fees.

The outcome is uncertain. The Park Service has been breaking visitation records for three years, with nearly 331 million visits in 2016. That could mean a bump in revenue and improved services for visitors.

Others worry the fee increase could turn people off to national parks, especially those who are lower-income, and say Congress should ensure they are well-funded.

WHERE WILL THE MONEY GO?

The Park Service has a maintenance backlog totaling $11.3 billion. That's work the agency has put off for more than a year. It includes fixing water systems, roads, buildings, campgrounds, housing and trails.

The Park Service allocates more than $1 billion a year for maintenance, according to a recent U.S. Government Accountability Office report, but cannot catch up because the problem is huge.

The backlog decreased last year by $600 million as the agency wrapped up some large projects and saw cost savings in construction.

Amanda Greene of Hoquiam, Washington, said she would like to see more parking at Olympic National Park or a busing system to avoid overcrowding. Plus, better restrooms.

WILL IT HELP?

Philip Francis, a former superintendent at Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway, said the money is a small percentage of what's needed.

"It's better than not having it," he said. "We certainly need a much more substantial investment."

The Park Service budget is less than 1 percent of the overall federal budget, and the proposal from the Trump administration for fiscal year 2018 calls for less money overall for the agency.

Former Grand Canyon Superintendent Steve Martin is skeptical the fee increase would raise the nearly $70 million that the agency projects.

"It could generate a lot of ill will as well," he said.

Martin suggested switching from a vehicle fee to a per-person fee. Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska already uses that structure.

WHAT ELSE COULD HELP?

National parks have been creative in raising funds when they don't get enough money from Congress. Most have a fundraising organization that helps cover visitor services or maintenance needs.

Some of those groups, such as the Trust for the National Mall, the Yosemite Conservancy and the Gettysburg Foundation, raise millions of dollars a year. Smaller groups run bookstores or gift shops and give the parks a share of the profits.

Parks also rely on volunteers and donations for work that includes operating visitor centers, mowing lawns and cleaning restrooms.

"We get people of all stripes who come to our parks," Francis said. "They come to the parks whether they're rich or poor, Republican or not. I think they're disappointed when things aren't up to snuff."

WHAT'S NEXT?

A 30-day public comment period runs through Nov. 23. Those who want to weigh in can do so online or via mail. The National Park Service says it will review the comments before deciding whether to implement its proposal.

The agency has a fact sheet on its website outlining the plan, but it doesn't say exactly which projects would be funded by the fee increase.

Not all of the 417 parks charge entrance fees. Those that do retain 80 percent of the revenue, while the other 20 percent goes into a fund to help the 299 free parks.

WHAT PARKS WOULD BE AFFECTED?

The following is the complete list of parks that would see an increase in entry fees:
When a leader calls upon his troops to uphold the high ground, to fight with dignity and honor, and then shirks his own responsibilities, this might have to be called disgraceful, irresponsible and shameful. Sen. Flake just used such highfalutin words in an op-ed piece in the Washington Post, directly targeting the Trump government and also the entire Republican party, his own colleagues: How many more times will we see moral ambiguity in the face of shocking bigotry and shrug it off?

Well put, senator, but then to announce that you will not seek re-election, that stepping down is the right move, and thereby to say enough, is equal moral ambiguity and self-defacement. Would you applaud a police chief stepping down because the crime rate is skyrocketing? We all need to fight our fights, and flaking out in these tough times, senator, is, in my humble opinion, not enough!

Albrecht Classen

Midtown
Help India!

By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net

The issue of Ram Janmabhoomi and Babri Masjid took a dramatic turn on Tuesday when Prince Yaqoob Habeebuddin Tucy, a descendant of Bahadur Shah Zafar, carried out a press conference in Lucknow and declared himself as the owner of Babri mosque.

Support TwoCircles



The reason behind Tucys remark lies on his claim that he belonged to Babars dynasty and is directly related to Bahadur Shah Zafar. In 2005, he had claimed that the Taj Mahal belonged to him too. While speaking to the reporter for the story on the claim for Taj Mahal, he introduced himself as the second son of Yaqub Arifuddin Tucy, who in turn is the son of Laila Ummani, a great-granddaughter of Bahadur Shah Zafar, who had 49 sons and daughters. Thereby, Im the great-great grandson of Bahadur Shah Zafar.

Yaqoob asked the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board  which is one of the parties in the case  to include his name as the one. Earlier, he met Chaudhary Lakshmi Narayan, the waqf minister of UP, for the same where he was asked to contact the Sunni Waqf Board.

However, Sunni Waqf Board has apparently denied his request to include him as one of the parties. Due to this, Prince Yaqoob, as he claimed, will move to the court.

Yaqoob, who dressed dramatically as a member of the royal family of Mughals, also showed a DNA report in support of his claim of the royal dynasty. However, it is too early to rely on the authenticity of DNA report.

Moreover, Yaqoob also condemned Shia Waqf Boards intervention in Babri Masjid matter saying that the body can make no claim on the mosque.

The Ram Janmbhoomi  Babri Masjid matter hit headlines once again after the Supreme Court said it will listen to the matter. Alongside this legal development, several bodies tried to step up to make their claim on the Babri Masjid, including the Shia Waqf Board.

Spiritual leader Sri Ravishankar proposed to mediate in the matter on Saturday after which Waseem Rizvi, the chairman of Shia Waqf Board, landed in Bengaluru on Tuesday to meet Ravishankar, apparently without any prior notice or invitation.

Interestingly, Ravishankars proposal to mediate in the matter has also been welcomed by Tucy, saying that he has already met Ravishankar on the matter.

What both the Shia Waqf Board and Tucy cannot answer convincingly is why they chose to stay silent on the matter until now.
A scandal on board the Royal Navys Nuclear Submarine HMS Vigilant has brought into focus the state of discipline and professional efficacy of the crew. The navy has discharged nine sailors on board the nuclear submarine after they tested positive for use of drugs - which has now been revealed to be cocaine. The sailors were discharged after they failed a mandatory drug test. HMS Vigilant is one of Royal Navys four nuclear-powered submarines and is equipped with American manufactured Trident nuclear missiles. The seamen were dismissed from service under the Navy Act for an act prejudicial to good order and discipline.

As per reports in the Independent newspaper, the navy personnel arranged drug parties, when the submarine had docked in America to load nuclear missiles.

The Royal Navy

The Royal Navy was at one time the envy of the world as it dominated the seven seas. After World War II and the loss of the colonies, particularly India, the Royal Navy has become a shadow of its former glory. At that time the RN was part of the gunboat diplomacy that made Britain a great power. The navy still maintains high standards of discipline on board their warships, but their fleet of submarines is ageing and needs to be upgraded. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has estimated this would cost at least 205 billion.

Senior officers misconduct

The woes of the navy have not ended just with the sacking of the submarine crew, two senior officers have also been removed from command. Stars and Stripes have reported these officers have been charged with sexual misconduct. The officers have been identified by the Navy as Commander Stuart Armstrong and his junior Lieutenant Commander Michael Seal.

Both these officers were in a liaison with junior female crew members under their command. They violated the no touching rule that the navy enforces on its warships. This rule effectively bans any intimate relationship between sexes on board any warship. The two officers could face further disciplinary action. Their career in the navy is effectively over.

Drug abuse

The discovery of the drug scandal and the violation of the no touching rule has shocked the UK Defense minister Michael Fallon. It is a sad commentary on the state of affairs on board a strike warship and seriously undermines the security of the nation. Apart from the nine sailors being dismissed for testing positive for drugs, there could be more that escaped the testing but took part in the rave parties. This could be just the tip of the iceberg. Considering that HMS Vigilant carries a crew of 121 and 11 officers, it appears inconceivable that only nine sailors took part in the drug parties. This has prompted the authorities to carry out a detailed investigation of the crew and operational efficacy of all warships of the Royal Navy.
As the first charges in the Muller probe into the Trump administration for their ties to Russia on the election trail have been filed, President Donald Trump is getting mad. The charges include conspiracy against the United States, money laundering, and failure to report bank accounts in foreign nations. The President has locked himself away in the Oval Office to watch cable news coverage of the investigation and stew.

A Republican with a senior position within the white house who has close contact with everyone in Trumps Cabinet has opened up with the promise that hell remain anonymous.

He said, The walls are closing in in the White House, and everyone is freaking out. Its anarchy up on Capitol Hill. Madness as usual.

Pat Robertson is going to doom everybody

Pat Robertson, the media mogul, CEO, ex-Southern Baptist minister, and son of a b*tch, has urged Trump to put an end to the whole Russia thing by canning the Mueller probe with an executive order and issuing a blanket pardon that would abuse his power as President while he still has it, before hes impeached, and let everyone off who is involved in the Russia scandal who have confessed and been charged. Robertson is going to doom everybody!
According to the Independent newspaper, a lower courts decision last year was overturned by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco allowing a legal challenge to move forward. There is now a strong chance for prostitution to be legalised in California. Even the conservative judge Carlos Bea, a United States Circuit Judge of the United States Court of Appeals, said Why should it be illegal to sell something that is legal to give away?, opening the debate around the 145-year old law that bans prostitution.

Sex workers fight for their rights

Back in 2015, a group of three unidentified former sex workers, one potential client and the San Francisco-based Erotic Service Provider Legal, Educational and Research Project (ESPLERP), filed the Case arguing that the current law unfairly deprives consenting adults of the right to private activity, criminalises the discussion of such activity, and unconstitutionally places prohibitions on individuals right to freely associate". The president of ESPLERP, Maxine Doogan said it is their hope is to see this bad law struck down, so that consenting adults who choose to be involved in prostitution are simply treated as private citizens again, and are afforded all the privacy and constitutional rights thereof.

There are legal basis and precedents that open good prospects

The lawyers for the plaintiffs basing their argument on a 2003 Supreme Courts decision regarding gay rights, opposing Lawrence vs.Texas, which found that consensual sexual conduct was part of the personal and private life of the individual, and protected by the due process liberty right.

They also argue that this current law doesnt protect the sex workers, who end up being too vulnerable to abuses.

Amanda Goad, from the American Civil Liberties Union of California, said they "see this is an important issue both as a matter of liberty and as a matter of equality", and that ultimately, the LGBTQ community is often disproportionately affected by the law and targeted for prosecution, and also that women working in prostitution are arrested more than the men who buy sex from them.

She also pointed out the huge difference "between consensual sex work and exploitive sex trafficking" so often seen as the same problem.

It would be a huge step in the United States

California introduced the law banning prostitution in 1872, and currently, the law defines prostitution as a misdemeanour. It is also not the first time the issue is brought to the public sphere. In 2008, a ballot measure to decriminalise prostitution in San Francisco was introduced to vote, but it failed with 60 percent of the votes against it.

Aside from a few counties in Nevada, in every state in the US, prostitution is illegal, although, in Hawaii, some legislators introduced a bill to decriminalise it back in February. California, if the case turns favourable, would be the first state to fully legalise prostitution.
As legal Marijuana use continues to gain social acceptance, one big beverage company is showing its support of cannabis by investing some money in it  a lot of money. Constellation Brands, the conglomerate behind beer products Corona and Modelo, just bought a huge stake in a cannabis company.

First ever deal between beer and weed

Based in Canada, Canopy Growth Corp. received $191 million from Constellation in exchange for 10 percent of the company. This large investment marks the first time a major alcohol producer has decided to take a risk on legal marijuana.

The company is likely banking on a huge return on investment once recreational weed becomes legal in Canada next year. In addition, this investment potentially puts Constellation in a first-mover advantage position over competitors in the U.S. with marijuana already legal in over half the states and a growing push that will eventually sanction the drug at the federal level.

Alcohol industry kingpin Constellation Brands is investing $191 million in weed-infused beverages: https://t.co/LhX3cclbk4  pic.twitter.com/BEynB5KgMs  MERRY JANE (@MERRYJANE) October 31, 2017

Budding legal issues in the US

While Constellation executives clearly see a business opportunity in legalized marijuana, they are not ready to sell any cannabis products in the U.S.

The company will wait until weed is permitted at the federal level to avoid any potential legal problems. While the timeline for Constellation Brand products to hit the U.S. market will remain uncertain for quite a while, residents in Canada wont have to wait nearly as long.

Drinkable weed in Canadas future

The Canadian government is on track to legalize recreational marijuana as early as July 2018, with cannabis-infused edibles permitted shortly thereafter.

Constellation, partnered with Canopy Growth, will likely introduce a non-alcoholic, drinkable weed beverage to the marketplace sometime early 2019. Market watchers project the Canadian marijuana industry will ultimately be worth nearly $10 billion, and Constellation expects to get a fair share.

A deal with high hopes for growth in marijuana industry

As part of the partnership deal, Constellation, a Fortune 500 company, has the option to buy more shares of Canopy in the future. With annual beer sales continuing a downward slide, Constellation now has the opportunity to enter the marijuana industry, with a market poised for significant growth as legalization continues to gain momentum. Started in 2014, Canopy has since become one of the largest medical cannabis producers on the planet. In addition to Corona and Modelo, Constellation controls multiple alcohol brands, including Svedka vodka and Black Box wine.
In the United States, one in every four students is reportedly bullied in school. Even though Bullying can be considered a worldwide phenomenon that affects every students life, a new study suggested that it does not only cause serious issues to a childs mental health and well-being but as well to the school environment.

Based on the study published in the Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, a team of researchers found that harassment, bullying and cyberbullying decrease the equity, safety, and sense of connection in schools. According to the University of Vermonts College of Education and Social Services, associate professor and lead study author Bernice Garnett, S.c.D., bullying can actually damage the entire school climate.

The study

The recent findings pointed out the need for comprehensive policies that will address all forms of bullying.

PsychCentral noted that these policies will raise awareness and help promote safe and equitable school environments that are associated with academic outcomes.

The research also highlighted the findings that there are students who get to experience more than a single type of bullying, which is called polyvictimization. The most common victims of this type of victimization are females, transgender, and those students identified as multiracial.

Moreover, those students who experience polyvictimization show worse educational outcomes. According to Garnett, the study suggested the need to determine the structural forces that make victimization prevalent among certain groups of Children.

Childrens mental health

In a separate study published in JAMA Psychiatry, researchers in the United Kingdom found that being bullied could have a major impact on the victims mental health, especially when the victims are children. According to University College Londons Dr. Jean-Baptiste Pingault, their findings suggested that bullied children between ages 11 and 16 are prone to mental health problems such as having paranoid thoughts, depression, hyperactivity, behavioral issues, anxiety and cognitive disorganization, Romper noted.

Furthermore, they also found that bullying affects children later in life. In fact, Medical News Today reported that its mental impacts could last up to two years but dissipated after five years. Due to its long-lasting and severe consequences, experts suggested the need to address this problem by boosting the childrens resilience when it comes to potential intimidation or harassment from peers.

Aside from primary interventions such as controlling bullying behavior in schools, experts also suggested to plan or create secondary intervention programs that concentrate on resilience tactics for kids at risk or vulnerable to bullying. Miami Herald also highlighted the importance of identifying the risk factors and warning signs of such behavior, as well as the possible treatments.

Our students show us the powerful effects of boosting each other up instead of putting each other down #bullying https://t.co/B9qxWAlGFs pic.twitter.com/eUmgXgQ2hE  NSW DoE (@NSWEducation) October 4, 2017

The definition

Meanwhile, as the world celebrates the National Bullying Prevention Awareness month, lets define the word bullying.

As per the StopBullying.gov website, bullying is an aggressive and unwanted behavior among school-aged kids.

This behavior, which could start as early as 3-years-old, reportedly involves a real or perceived power imbalance and has the potential to be repeated. It includes actions like physical or verbal attacks, spreading rumors, intentionally excluding someone from a group and making threats.

Types of bullying

Bullying also comes in three types  verbal, social and physical victimizations.

Verbal victimization refers to the type of intimidation involving spoken or written mean or hurtful words such as harmful threats, teasing, name-calling, inappropriate sexual comments or taunting.

Social or relational bullying, on the other hand, is an act of intimidation that aims to hurt someones reputation or relationships such as spreading rumors about someone, embarrassing someone in public, leaving someone out on purpose, or intimidating others to not befriend someone. Physical victimization involves hurting someones possessions or body such as hitting, pushing, punching, making mean or rude hand gestures or breaking their things.
The biggest news in recent days has stemmed from the ongoing Russian investigation and the first round of charges that were filed over the weekend. On Monday, the name of the individuals charged were release, prompting a quick response from Donald Trump and the White House.

Fox News on Mueller

The scandal of Russian election interference first became public during the early days of the 2016 presidential election. Once Donald Trump kicked off his campaign for president in June 2015, it didn't take long before questions were raised. The usually blunt and critical Trump seemed to hold back any negative remarks about Russian President Vladimir Putin, which triggered speculation about the relationship between both men.

Questions only continued to surround Trump's possible ties to Russia when he became the first major presidential candidate in the last four decades to refuse to make his tax returns public. Following Trump's election win over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, multiple reports from various news outlets and government agencies confirmed that Russia hacked into the election and did so with the goal of helping to elect the former host of "The Apprentice." On Monday, it was revealed that former campaign manager Paul Manafort, as well as his associate Rick Gates, were both indicted, while ex-campaign aid George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. As the story picked up steam, the issues were highlighted during a October 30 broadcast on Fox News.

During a Monday segment on Fox News, network contributor and part-time host Judge Andrew Napolitano was on to give his thoughts about the matter at hand. Though Napolitano has praised Trump in the past, he was quick to set the record straight by defending Mueller's actions, while sending a warning to viewers about what could come next.

Breaking News: The charges against Paul Manafort include money laundering, tax fraud and foreign lobbying violations https://t.co/4CxYjWUkFi  The New York Times (@nytimes) October 30, 2017

"That this is the first of many dominoes to fall," Andrew Napolitano warned. "Bob Mueller is following the standard M.O. of federal prosecutors," Napolitano went on to say in defense of the special counsel.

Youve got a totem pole," he explained, noting that "youve got somebody at the top of the totem pole, thats your big prize: no surprise," in reference to Donald Trump.

Judge Napolitano on Manafort Indictment: This is the First of Many Dominoes to Fall https://t.co/ACNaQP8BWi pic.twitter.com/Sah88Tszcf  Mediaite (@Mediaite) October 30, 2017

The judge continued to explain that Robert Mueller and his team will indict as many people as possible and "squeeze them" in an attempt to extract information about Donald Trump and his alleged ties back to Russia. "This is the first in many steps in Bob Mueller's putting together an enormous puzzle," Napolitano concluded.

Next up

While even some on Fox News are warning against what could unravel in the Russian investigation, Donald Trump and his administration have denied any wrongdoing, while doing their best to deflect back to Hillary Clinton and the Obama presidency. With the pressure mounting, the president is expected to face a tough battle ahead as speculation only grows by the day.
It happened on the Menominee Indian Reservation in Keshena, Wisconsin on Sunday. The kids were out in full costume during the designated time-window for trick-or-treating and were going door to door. However, one child came home with something no one bargained for. As reported by Fox 11, when the parents checked out the childs haul of Halloween candy, they found a small baggie containing a crystalline substance. Fearing the worst, they handed the baggie over to police, who confirmed it tested positive for crystal meth.

Police warn public to check their children's Halloween candy

As reported by WBAY, it was lucky the child in question hadnt dipped into his treats before he got home, as things could have been much worse. However, the Menominee Tribal Police Department headed to their Facebook page on Monday to warn the community to carefully check their kids Halloween candy. They were told to instantly contact police if they found anything that looked suspicious in their childrens haul of treats.

Following the incident, the Keshena Primary School barred students from bringing any candy to events held at the school to celebrate Halloween. The school posted on Facebook on Monday afternoon to advise parents that students would not be allowed to either bring the candy or other treats to the school or to distribute them among themselves.

Parents encouraged to ditch Halloween candy

Police went on to encourage parents to rather throw away the Halloween candy, just to be on the safe side, even if no meth is found in the bag. Sites have been set up for parents to dispose of the candy. However, police did tell Fox 11 that it is unlikely to be a widespread problem.

Tribal police detective Josh Lawe says they arent sure, but it does look like this was an isolated incident as they have received no further reports. Fox 11 quotes tribal police as saying meth use has been increasing recently on the reservation.

However, so as not to totally ruin the kids Halloween, NBC 26 reports in the video below that a second trick-or-treat event was held for the children.

Warnings over drugs in Halloween candy

Fear of drugs being found in Halloween candy isn't new, however, with the attorney general in New Jersey warning parents to check their children's candy to ensure it hasnt been laced with marijuana.

At the time, advocates for marijuana accused the attorney generals office of employing a scare tactic, making something from nothing. Evan Nison of NORML, a group involved in promoting the legalization of marijuana, told Associated Press that consumers of the drug are not seeking to dose children, adding he has never heard of anyone interested in doing such a thing.
The latest bombshell in regards to the investigation into Russian election interference revealed that three former members of the Donald Trump campaign have been linked back to the Kremlin. After the news broke, Sarah Huckabee Sanders was forced into clean up duty.

Sanders on Mueller probe

When Donald Trump pulled off the shocking upset over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton last November, it caught millions of people by surprise and raised questions as to how it all came to fruition. Not long after Trump's victory, various reports from multiple news outlets revealed that Russia hacked into the Democratic National Committee with the goal of exposing information that would lead to a GOP victory.

Trump, as expected, denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the allegations as nothing more than "fake news" by the mainstream media and his critics. Despite the denial from the White House, an investigation was opened up in congress, which has been led by special counsel Robert Mueller. Over the weekend, it was announced that the first charges had been filed, and on Monday morning the names were released. Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and his associate Rick Gates were indicted, and have since plead not guilty. In addition, former campaign aid George Papadopoulos has plead guilty on charges of lying to the FBI. The president kicked off his morning by pushing back against the story on Twitter, which led to Sarah Huckabee Sanders doubling down during a October 30 press briefing at the White House.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders: Todays announcement has nothing to do with the president" https://t.co/oJDsquNQdO  NBC News (@NBCNews) October 30, 2017

While taking questions from the media on Monday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders did her best to defend Donald Trump and deflect from the news coming out of the Russian probe and the charges filed by Robert Mueller.

"Today's announcement has nothing to do with the President, has nothing to do with the Presidents campaign, or campaign activity," she said.

Q: Do you still believe Mueller is wrapping up his investigation?



Sanders: "We still expect this to conclude soon." https://t.co/QucvHCv6QA  NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) October 30, 2017

"The real collusion scandal has everything to do with the Clinton campaign, Fusion GPS, and Russia," Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated.

"There is clear evidence of the Clinton campaign colluding with Russian intelligence to spread disinformation and smear the president," she went on to say.

Twitter reacts

As Sarah Huckabee Sanders delivered her remarks to the press over the Russian investigation and the latest charges, critics on social media didn't hold back. "(SS)lied not one - not two - not three - not four - but every time - she opened her mouth in todays press briefing," one tweet read.

Think about this: we taxpayers are actually paying Sarah Sanders' salary to lie to us.  Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) October 30, 2017

If 10 reporters go to a bar, and...and two of them want whiskey, but the other six...Hillary colluded with Russia



-Sarah Sanders, basically  Richard Jeter (@MilesToGo13) October 30, 2017

Sarah Sanders feminine Quasimodo costume is on point.  Marie Connor (@thistallawkgirl) October 30, 2017

"If 10 reporters go to a bar, and...and two of them want whiskey, but the other six...Hillary colluded with Russia -Sarah Sanders, basically," Richard Jeter added.

"Think about this: we taxpayers are actually paying Sarah Sanders' salary to lie to us," Charles M. Blow went on to tweet.

Manafort, Gates, & Papadopoulos indicted and Sarah Sanders opens presser with a drinking tax reform analogy?



Alternate reality level 1,000  Ahmed Baba (@AhmedBaba_) October 30, 2017

sarah sanders shows u how dumb fox news arguments sound outside of fox news  Oliver Willis (@owillis) October 30, 2017

How long before Sarah Sanders is distancing trump from trump campaign? "He barely even had anything to do with campaign"  Tina-TheResistance (@trcfwtt) October 30, 2017

"Manafort, Gates, & Papadopoulos indicted and Sarah Sanders opens presser with a drinking tax reform analogy? Alternate reality level 1,000," an additional tweet noted. "(SS) shows u how dumb fox news arguments sound outside of Fox News," Oliver Willis wrote. The negative reaction continued as many Americans pushed back at the president's defense.
Ever since the news broke that the first charges in the Russian investigation were filed, the White House has gone on the defensive. For President Donald Trump, he didn't hold back during his latest rounds of tweets.

Trump on Manafort

The idea that Donald Trump and Russia have been working together has been going on for over two years, dating back to the start of the 2016 presidential election. While the former host of "The Apprentice" has continued to deny any wrongdoing, the seeds of speculation linking himself back to the Kremlin date back from when he refused to release his tax returns, while praising Russian President Vladimir Putin on the campaign trail.

Another red flag popped up when Paul Manafort, then campaign manager, was forced to resign prior to the Republican National Convention due to his financial ties to Russia being made public. Following Trump's election win over Hillary Clinton, those questions increased, especially after various news outlets and government reports found that Russia hacked the election with the ultimate goal of electing the billionaire real estate mogul. In the 10 months that he's been in office, Trump has faced a domino effect in losing members of his administration, with some having to go because of their own history with Russia, including former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. After the names of those charged were made public, the president was not pleased and continued his venting on social media during a series of tweets on October 31.

The Fake News is working overtime. As Paul Manaforts lawyer said, there was "no collusion" and events mentioned took place long before he...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2017

Stating off his Halloween morning on social media, Donald Trump wasted no time distancing himself from Paul Manafort, who along with his associate Rick Gates, were charged by special counsel Robert Mueller in the Russian investigation.

"The Fake News is working overtime," Trump tweeted out. "As Paul Manafort's lawyer said, there was 'no collusion' and events mentioned took place long before he came to the campaign," he continued.

....came to the campaign. Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar. Check the DEMS!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2017

"Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar," Donald Trump posted, in reference to former campaign aid George Papadopoulos, who was also charged and pleaded guilty to lying to the authorities.

"Check the DEMS!" the president concluded.

I hope people will start to focus on our Massive Tax Cuts for Business (jobs) and the Middle Class (in addition to Democrat corruption)!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2017

Double down

Not stopping there, Donald Trump returned to Twitter to take another shot at the Democratic Party. "I hope people will start to focus on our Massive Tax Cuts for Business (jobs) and the Middle Class (in addition to Democrat corruption)!" he wrote. As the pressure mounts, it appears the White House is in panic mode as the investigation into Russian election interference picks up steam.
On Halloween in New York City, a man in a rented Home Depot truck plowed through the streets in lower Manhattan claiming the lives of at least eight innocent people. After authorities confirmed the incident was a Terrorist Attack, Donald Trump made sure to offer his thoughts.

Trump on NYC terror

In what was suppose to be an innocent and fun day in lower Manhattan quickly turned into horror when a truck made its way onto a bicycle path, injuring dozens, while killing eight as of press time. According to eyewitnesses, the driver quickly exited the vehicle with two guns on him, while reportedly shouting "Allahu Akbar," which translates to "God is great" in Arabic and is a common phrase used by Islamic terrorists.

The weapons turned out to reportedly be a paintball gun and a pellet gun, as law enforcement shot the suspected before taking him into custody. NBC News reports that their law enforcement sources decried the suspect as being in his mid-30s and having a "Middle Eastern appearance." In a news conference on Tuesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio described the incident as a "cowardly act of terror," with Gov. Andrew Cuomo vowing not to let the attack break the spirit of New York. Not long after being briefed, Donald Trump gave his thoughts during a tweet on October 31.

In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 31, 2017

Taking to Twitter on Tuesday, Donald Trump wasted no time voicing his opinion on the apparent Islamic terrorist attack in New York City.

"In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person," Trump tweeted before, adding, "Law enforcement is following this closely." In conclusion, Trump wrote, "NOT IN THE U.S.A.!"

New York mayor: 8 dead on bike path near World Trade Center in 'an act of terror' aimed at civilians. https://t.co/aQ15XgPUoH  The Associated Press (@AP) October 31, 2017

Donald Trump's remarks are similar to what he tweeted just last month when the worst mass shooting in American history took place in Las Vegas.

Stephen Paddock shot down from the 32nd floor of his hotel and killed 58 people, while injuring over 500 during a music festival. As expected, Trump's tweet didn't sit well with many of his critics.

LATEST: The man who drove into NYC bike path killing at least 6 people shouted "Allahu Akbar," police sources said https://t.co/rUDLDw89b9  New York Post (@nypost) October 31, 2017

Twitter reacts

Within seconds of posting his message to Twitter, Donald Trump faced immediate backlash in return, with some questioning why the president noted that the attack didn't happen in the United States when it clearly did.

"DJT, you'll be impeached if you don't resign...so, uh,...resign or don't resign. Either way, it's all gonna be good for the rest of us," one tweet read.

DJT, you'll be impeached if you don't resign...so, uh,...resign or don't resign. Either way, it's all gonna be good for the rest of us...  John IngrateO'Connor (@JohnO0Connor) October 31, 2017

Will you tweet as the court security men are taking you down to the prison transport bus?  Jack Jazz (@JackkJazz) October 31, 2017

How about being a president for five seconds? Thanking first responders sending prayer to the people that lost their love ones today. Moron  Soul Artist Mgmt. (@soulartistmgmt) October 31, 2017

"Well it just happened in the USA so there's that," another tweet added.

"Thought you had to wait for all the facts before you make a statement??? And by the way, hundreds have been killed since Las Vegas, too USA," an additional tweet stated.

Its called domestic terrorism and it occurs with alarming frequency in the U.S.A.  Robbie Howell (@robbiehowell) October 31, 2017

WTF are you talking about?!?!



This was in the USA!!!!  Bryan Ambriz (@BryanAmbreez) October 31, 2017

It happened in the USA a month ago or dont you remember 600 people shot by an white man with an automatic weapon?  Delilia O'Malley (@DeliliaOMalley) October 31, 2017

"WTF are you talking about?!?! This was in the USA!!!!" yet another social media user posted. "Its called domestic terrorism and it occurs with alarming frequency in the U.S.A." a tweet pointed out. The negative reaction continued as the world waits on the latest update surrounding the New York City terrorist attack.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson requested that Saudi Arabia and Iraq to come together to counter Iran. He also said that Iranian-supported militias in Iraq should be expelled from the country. Tillerson appealed to countries, including European nations, to stop doing business with Irans Revolutionary Guard.

According to a story first published in the Washington Post, Tillerson believed that a prosperous Iraq was the best antidote to Irans belligerence. The US Secretary of State urged the Saudi King and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider-al-Abadi to support each other as he expressed his satisfaction.

Two of the most significant developments include reopening one of the major crossings along its border, and direct flights resuming from Riyadh to Baghdad.

President Trump's Iran policy

Tillerson hopes that the relationship will progress further since it is crucial to enhance the prosperity and security of the region. The significance of the meeting was part of the U.S. new strategy to encourage the formation of a new alliance against Irans domination.

President Trump's election to the White House sent a clear message to Iran that things were going to change in the region. Iran and its nuclear ambitions were one of the critical points of Trump's election campaign. The Republican president has always been vocal about how poorly the Barack Obama administration failed in handling Iran's threats.

The Saudi-Iraqi coalition against Iran

This new initiative comes against the backdrop of Iraq having rebuilt some of the regions freed from the Islamic State militants. They also have to contend with Turkish demands for independence. Iraq and Saudi Arabia have a long and checkered history behind them, but their leaders were optimistic.

Notably, a Shia Iraq and a Sunni Saudi Arabia have long had a fractured relationship, which dates back to Saddam Husseins invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

The two nations have since endeavored to improve relations. Saudi Arabia reopened its embassy in Bagdad in 2015 after a gap of twenty-five years, but suspicions remain, and Irans forays in the semi-autonomous northern Kurdish area have complicated matters.

Also, Saudi Arabia has growing influence on Iran, and to counter this, they call Iraq a fellow Arab country to distinguish it from Iran. The focus now is to increase trade with Iraq through Saudi Arabia investments that could help rebuild Mosul and other cities destroyed by the George W. Bush administration.
As this is being written, the media is convulsed with two scandals. One involves a political operative and businessman named Paul Manafort who is accused of a variety of white collar crimes that include money laundering and conspiracy. The other concerns a famous Hollywood actor named Kevin Spacey who was charged with attempting to sexually assault a 14-year-old boy back in the 1980s. Which scandal is the most outrageous?

What Manafort allegedly did

Paul Manafort, along with a former business partner Richard W. Gates III, has just been indicted on 12 counts including money laundering, tax fraud, and conspiracy.

The alleged crimes are somewhat dull when lumped together out of context. However, two unrelated facts make the indictments interesting.

First, Manafort was Donald Trump's campaign manager for a while. Second, the indictments took place as a result of a federal investigation into the conspiracy theory that the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government to steal the 2016 election. None of the indictments have any direct relation to the 2016 presidential campaign, though some speculate that Manafort is about to be squeezed for whatever knowledge he might have about those matters.

What Kevin Spacey is accused of

Kevin Spacey, an actor, best known for his role as the slimy Frank Underwood in the Netflix series house of cards, was accused by Anthony Rapp, currently appearing in Star Trek: Discovery, of attempting to sexually assault him in the 1980s when he was 14 years old.

Spacey did not deny the incident took place but merely said that he had no recollection of the matter. He offered a mild apology and then added the tidbit that while Spacey has had flings with both men and women, he now chooses to live as a gay man.

The juxtaposition of the attempted sexual assault of a child and coming out as gay has got a lot of people outraged.

Spacey has not only become the latest Hollywood celebrity to be caught up in Harveygate but has compounded the problem out of his own mouth, alienating the LGBT community. That he has damaged his career and likely ended the run of House of Cards earlier than otherwise would be the case goes almost without saying.

The bottom line

Manaforts legal troubles likely will not bring a lot of aid and comfort to the NeverTrump crowd since everything he is accused of happened before the 2016 campaign. Trump, at most, can be dinged for hiring him in the first place even though he had no way of knowing what his alleged nefarious activities were.

Spacey, on the other hand, confirms the growing suspicion among many that Hollywood is filled with slimeballs and criminals who act worse than medieval barons having at the peasants with wild abandon. That Spacey is also a liberal who has been prone to lecture lesser mortals is but the icing on the cake.
Coming off the long-anticipated release of "Stranger Things" Season two this October, Netflix will roll out even more original content in November. "The Punisher," starring "The Walking Dead" alum Jon Bernthal, stands out, and the fifth Marvel television series will become available on November 17 after a delayed release. Other original series adding episodes include the final season of "Longmire" on the November 17 and the second season of "Frontier" starring Jason Momoa on the November 24. New series debuting soon include the western drama "Godless," featuring Jeff Daniels and Michelle Dockery, on the November 22 and "Alias Grace," based on the Margaret Atwood novel, on the November 3.

In addition to that information, a report from Forbes states that Netflix will also debut several of its original feature-length films starting in November. They will include the western "The Killer," the documentary "Cuba and the Cameraman," focusing on the effects of Fidel Castro's power, and the drama "Mudbound" starring Jason Clarke, Carey Mulligan, and Mary J. Blige.

Several critically acclaimed films will also be added.

On the movie side of streaming options, subscribers should expect to see a lot of star power while scrolling through the latest additions. The biopic "42," starring Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson, the post-World War II romantic drama "The Reader," starring Kate Winslet, and the biological drama "The Pursuit of Happyness," which earned star Will Smith an Oscar nomination, all arrive on November 1.

Family-friendly films are also a major part of Netflix's latest offerings. The 1995 movie "Casper" will keep the Halloween spirit going on November 1. That same day, viewers can see the 2006 live-action version of "Charlotte's Web." Later in the month, viewers should look for "Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed" (Nov. 13), "Santa Claws" (Nov.

17), and "The Boss Baby" (Nov. 22).

Catch these titles before they leave Netflix

A new crop of titles means that Netflix will be discontinuing a collection of other films and television shows by the end of the month. So if any of these titles have been holding a spot in the queue, it's time to watch them before it's too late.

Movies like 50 Cent's "Get Rich or Die Tryin'," the Matrix trilogy, and "V for Vendetta," starring Natalie Portman, will be the first to go on November 1. November 13 will mark the end of "How I Met Your Mother" streaming its nine seasons on Netflix, while the four seasons of "Jessie" will also disappear from the streaming service.
The trailer for the next ten-episode season of The X-Files has been released and can be seen below. Once again Mulder and Scully are the only two people standing in the way of the secret government conspiracy, as personified by the Cigarette Smoking Man, and its nefarious plot to destroy the world, killing all seven billion of us. That is a pretty substantial burden for a couple of aging federal agents. One wonders if they are up to it?

The X-Files was the perfect series for the 1990s

In many ways, The X-Files was the perfect series for the 1990s.

Its initial run started in 1993, the year after the fall of the Soviet Union, and ended in 2002, the year after 9/11. The show was therefore neatly scheduled between the Cold War and the War on Terror when we didnt really have an all-powerful enemy to deal with so the series made one up. The big bad that Mulder And Scully had to deal with was an alien invasion, aided and abetted by a cabal of rich white men, who had been behind some of the iconic events of the 20th Century, notably the JFK assassination.

Of course, the premise behind the series did not stand up to close examination. If a group of aliens has the technology to cross interstellar distances, why do they need scuzzy people like the Cigarette Smoking Man to conquer our planet?

They would just show up, in the style of the aliens from Independence Day, and start blowing things up. Indeed, advanced nanobots would dismantle our civilization and ourselves without a fuss and hope of resistance.

On the other hand, why would aliens want to conquer our planet?

The one thing that most alien invasion stories fail to explain is why ET wants to come to our planet packing heat and acting big and bad, as Will Smith might say.

Do they want our resources? Resources exist in abundance among the asteroids and comets of any solar system. Do they want us as slaves? One would think that robots would make more pliable workers? Does their religion require them to enslave and/or kill us? That is possible, but something that is never brought up in any of these stories.

One would like to think that the aliens are outraged that our civilization allows the progressive tax system and Harvey Weinstein and Bill Clinton to remain at liberty, so they are really trying to liberate us from these and other foibles.

In any case, The X-Files is due to air its latest series of episodes starting in 2018. Whether or not its alien invasion scenario makes any sense or not, it will likely be vastly entertaining.
UN peacekeeping, the Belt and Road Initiative and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will continue to be priorities for the China-UN Peace and Development Trust Fund in 2017 and 2018, according to the Chinese Permanent Mission to the UN.

The Guidance Committee of the China-UN Peace and Development Trust Fund met for the second time on Oct 27 at UN headquarters in New York, presided over by Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, chef de cabinet to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. The meeting reviewed the implementation of programs in 2016, the fund's financial situation and related project applications.

Wu Haitao, charge d'affairs of the mission, said at the meeting that General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in his speech at the 19th National Party Congress in Beijing that China will stick to the road of peace and development, and push for the building of a community for shared destiny for mankind.

China maintains the global governance view of extensive consultation, making joint contributions and sharing benefits and supports the UN to play an active role in international affairs. The setup of the China-UN Peace and Development Fund has strongly demonstrated the commitments China has made, Wu said.

Wu said he hoped the fund's management team will continue work on its branding.

President Xi Jinping announced during the UN's 70th anniversary summit in 2015 that China will establish a $1 billion China-UN peace and development fund to support the UN's work in peace, development and security.

Li Junhua, director general of the international division of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the 19th NPC reaffirmed China's support for the UN and highlighted the UN's important role in China's national development and international relations, which reflect China's support for UN's work and multilateralism.

Chen Zhibin, a deputy director general from China's Ministry of Finance, said the ministry will provide funds as scheduled to support its operation and he hoped the secretariat will ensure a solid financial status for the fund.

Progress has been made on the first batch of 13 projects, according to Viotti, who expressed hope that the fund will play a greater role in advancing international peace and development.

The UN Economic and Social Affairs Department will continue to work with China to fully implement related projects of the fund and contribute to the 2030 Agenda, said Under-Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin.
Protesters attend an anti-THAAD proest in Seongju, South Korea, June 14, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

Beijing attaches great importance to Seoul's latest positions regarding anti-missile issues, and it expects Seoul to translate its fresh pledges into action, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.

Hua made the comment after Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Kang Kyungwha said during a parliamentary audit on Monday in Seoul that the ROK is "not considering any" additional deployment of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system, Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency reported.

Ties between China and the ROK plunged to a record low after a THAAD battery, which includes six missile launchers, was installed in the southeastern ROK town of Seongju.

Kang also stressed that the country won't participate in the US-led missile defense network, adding that trilateral US-Japan-ROK security cooperation would not extend to a trilateral military alliance, Xinhua News Agency reported.

In response, Hua, the spokeswoman, said at a regular news conference in Beijing on Monday that China attaches great importance to the three points made by the ROK minister, and it has consistently opposed the deployment of the US THAAD system in the ROK.

It is hoped the ROK fulfills the commitments it made, properly tackles relevant issues and pushes China-ROK ties back on the track of stable and healthy development at an early date, Hua said.

The deployment of THAAD has angered Beijing as it could technically cover part of China.

When exchanging congratulatory messages with his ROK counterpart Moon Jae-in in August about the 25th anniversary of the countries forging diplomatic ties, President Xi Jinping urged the ROK to "take constructive actions to properly tackle the relevant sensitive issue".

When Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Kang in New York in September, he called on the ROK to handle this issue in a swift and proper manner so as to remove a stumbling block in bilateral relations.

Editorial: Signs ROK and China can turn the page on THAAD
By May Zhou and Zhang Yuan in Lexington, Kentucky | China Daily | Updated: 2017-10-31 07:47

China studies are taking root in the Bluegrass State.

At the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, China became the sole focal point of a fall conference held on Thursday and Friday.

Scholars, researchers and business executives from around the country gathered to discuss issues concerning China.

Kathleen Montgomery, interim director at the Patterson School, said that it was the first time the school had focused on China.

"Patterson School has four areas of concentration: Diplomacy, security and intelligence, international commerce, and development and international organizations," she said.

"We examine the issues in each of the four areas in a selected region. China is sufficiently large enough that we exclusively focus on China this year."

Montgomery said that China's rising economic influence, influence on world development and its role in negotiating with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea made the choice obvious.

For the security and intelligence panel, the focus is on the South China Sea. "That's an area our students have studied across a wide variety of disciplines," she said.

"The students study not only from a security perspective but also from the angle of international commerce. They have turned their interest to China's Belt and Road Initiative and securing sea lanes."

Africa role

The development panel focused on China's role in Africa.

"I think our students have a narrow view on China's role in the development of sub-Saharan Africa. Mostly they would see it from a perspective of resource extraction, but China's role is much broader than that," Montgomery said.

Montgomery said she worked as a Peace Corp volunteer in Benin in West Africa from 1989 to 1992.

"China was a partner even then in Benin, building the main road from north to south. They even had a couple of experimental rice farms," she said.

"I hope the students will go away with more fully developed view on China's influence in sub-Saharan Africa, something deeper than just headlines that might hit The New York Times."

Zackary Shinoll, a student at Patterson School, said he found the conference engaging. "I feel like I picked up a lot of insight. I fell prey to some of the myths that have been touted, for example, as pertaining to China's role in Africa," he said.

The University of Kentucky has a strong relationship with China, said Ying Juan Roger, a professor at the Patterson School.

"We have a very active Confucius Institute here. About 500 Chinese students come to US every year to study a variety of subjects. There are many doctors, post Ph.D. and researchers in our medical school," Roger said.

Contact the writer at mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com.

(China Daily 10/31/2017 page11)
From left: Li Jian, curator of Chinese art at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art; Wu Xi, minister of the Chinese embassy in Washington; Alex Nyerges, director of VMFA; Mark Keam, Virginia House of Delegates, and Pascal Fernandez of Altria gather at the reception of VMFAs latest exhibition Terracotta Army Legacy of the First Emperor of China on Monday at the embassy. YUAN YUAN / FOR CHINA DAILY

More than 130 pieces of Chinese art from the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) will travel across the Pacific Ocean and visit the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) in Richmond from Nov 18 to March 11, 2018.

The exhibition, Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China, will showcase works of art drawn from the collections of 14 museums and archaeological institutes across Shaanxi province. It will tell stories of how the Qin state developed into an empire under Ying Zheng (259-210 BC), who unified China and declared himself Qin Shihuang.

"These exquisite pieces from the Qin dynasty will bring us back to more than 2,000 years ago - an extraordinary chapter in Chinese history, when the first dynasty of imperial China was established, and China began to develop into a unified and multiethnic nation," said Wu Xi, minister of the Chinese embassy in Washington.

"The Qin Dynasty ended hostilities and wars that lasted for more than 500 years in China and laid the groundwork for the prosperity and peace of the Han dynasty. This chapter in history always reminds Chinese people of the price we paid for unification and how blessed we are to enjoy peace, stability and prosperity," Wu said.

The exhibition includes more than 40 objects never shown before in the US.

"It's going to be fantastic. It's the greatest archeological treasure ever," said VMFA director Alex Nyerges, who has been to Xi'an 30 times.

"The Terracotta Army is one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. In our 80-year history, the Terracotta Army will be the first exhibition organized by VMFA that is devoted to the art and archaeology of ancient China," Nyerges said.

"From the featured objects, our audience will learn about the First Emperor's political and cultural innovation and legacy, as well as gain a better understanding about ancient Chinese cultural history as part of world civilization," Nyerges said.

"Chinese artists and Chinese culture have been making great art for more than 5,000 years. Americans know so little about the continuum of Chinese art history. How unbroken it is and how magnificent it is. So this is a way for us to show Virginia and America how magnificent the Chinese creative world has been, for millennia," Nyerges said.

From October 2014 to January 2015, the VMFA staged an exhibition titled Forbidden City: Imperial Treasures from the Palace Museum, which drew from the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing, with objects from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

Both exhibitions were curated by Li Jian, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter, curator of East Asian art at VMFA.

leshuodong@chinadailyusa.com
NEW YORK, Oct 31 - New York City police were investigating reports of gunfire in lower Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon, and one person has been taken into custody, police officials said.

It was not immediately known if there were any injuries. The incident took place near the West Side Highway and Chambers Street, which is near Battery Park City, police said.

Several people may have been hit by a vehicle near Chambers Street at around the time of the reported shooting, and at least five people were hurt, news channel PIX 11 reported.

Multiple people in the area reported on social media that they heard several gunshots.
NEW YORK, Oct 31 - Eight people were killed and 15 others injured in New York City on Tuesday afternoon after a vehicle drove down a bike path that runs alongside the Hudson River in Manhattan, police said.

Emergency crews attend the scene of an alleged shooting incident on West Street in Manhattan, New York, U.S., October 31 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

The Latest on a vehicle driving onto a bike path and gunfire near the World Trade Center site and memorial (all times local):4:35 p.m.

A law enforcement official says at least eight people were killed and at least 15 people were struck by a rented van near the World Trade Center in New York City.

The official was familiar with the investigation but wasn't authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The rented Home Depot van drove onto a busy bicycle path and struck several people, then the driver emerged from the vehicle screaming. The official says the man had two imitation firearms.

Police say the man was shot by officers and is in custody.

The official says it is being investigated as a possible case of terrorism.

4:25 p.m.

New York City police say there are "several fatalities and numerous people injured" after a motorist drove onto a busy bicycle path and struck several people, then emerged from the vehicle screaming and firing something that appeared to be a gun.

The department writes on Twitter that the suspect got out of the vehicle displaying imitation firearms and was shot by police officers. Police say the person is in custody.

A man who was riding in an Uber along the West Side Highway near the World Trade Center says he saw several bleeding people on the ground after a truck struck several people.

A witness says the truck had also collided with a small bus and one other vehicle.

4 p.m.

Police and witnesses say a motorist drove onto a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center memorial and struck several people, then emerged from the vehicle screaming and firing something that appeared to be a gun.

An Associated Press photographer on the scene Tuesday witnessed at least two bodies lying motionless on the path beneath tarps.

The New York Police Department posted on its Twitter feed that one person was in custody. The department says it's unclear whether anyone was shot.

A man who was riding in an Uber along the West Side Highway near Chambers street says he saw several bleeding people on the ground after a truck struck several people.

A witness said the truck had also collided with a small bus and one other vehicle.

3:50 p.m.

Police are responding to a report of gunfire a few blocks from the World Trade Center site and memorial, and witnesses say a vehicle drove down a popular bike path and struck pedestrians and cyclists.

The New York Police Department posted on its Twitter feed that one person was in custody Tuesday.

An Associated Press photographer on the scene saw at least one person lying motionless on the Manhattan bike path.

A large number of police vehicles could be seen near a community college and a high school and a few blocks north of the National Sept. 11 Memorial.

It's unclear how many people have been injured or whether anyone was killed.

3:35 p.m.

Police are responding to a report of gunfire a few blocks from the World Trade Center site and memorial.

The New York Police Department posted on its Twitter feed that one person was in custody Tuesday.

A large number of police vehicles could be seen in Manhattan near West Street and Chambers Street, which is near a community college and a high school and a few blocks north of the National Sept. 11 Memorial.

It's unclear if anyone was injured.
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Colorado is a hikers' paradise. Whether you are trying to bag the highest peaks in North America, enjoy solitude in the lush lodgepole pine and aspen forests, or take in open vistas of wildflower-covered meadows and waterfalls tumbling down steep cliffs, Colorado has a hike for you. There are day hikes you can do over the weekend, hikes you can take kids on, and hikes that will challenge even the fittest hikers. Wherever you go, the views will leave you breathless and in awe of the majesty of nature.

We recommend that you call the attractions and restaurants ahead of your visit to confirm current opening times.

1. Panorama Point  Courtesy of winterbilder - Fotolia.com

Located just outside downtown Denver, Corwina Park is the closest spot for Denver residents to enjoy the Rocky Mountain wilderness without having to travel far. Hiking up the Panorama Point Trail will take you to Panorama Point and the spectacular views of the Continental Divide and Mount Evans. The scenic 3.3-mile round trip trail runs along cool Bear Creek through the shade of old trees and, depending on season, is surrounded by wildflowers. It is moderately steep with a short steeper climb, with an elevation gain of 763 feet. The trail is pleasant for the whole family, dog included.



2. Chief Mountain  Courtesy of Flat Nine Photo - Fotolia.com

Chief Mountain is located not far from the town of Evergreen, Colorado, off Squaw Pass Road. As you drive farther up the road, you will come to Echo Lake Mountain Park, known as the gateway to the Mount Evans Scenic Byway, Americas highest paved road. Chief Mountain is 11,710 feet tall, with a summit just below the tree line. The 3.5-mile round trip hike up the mountain is fairly easy, with an elevation gain of 1,000 feet. You will start to climb as soon as you reach the trail, going up steadily with a few small switchbacks along the way. The higher you go, the more rocky the path gets, with a few boulders you will have to scramble over. You will be surrounded by tall, old trees that make the hike pleasant, and the views of the surrounding much higher mountains will make you feel like you are really on top of the world.

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3. Hiking Near Me: Green Mountain  Courtesy of lobodaphoto - Fotolia.com

Green Mountain is a 2,000-feet high mesa on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains Front Range. You can find the trailhead near the town of Morrison just off Trail Ridge Road. The 4-mile round trip trail starts climbing right away through a beautiful forest of lodgepole pines, which obstruct the view but provide pleasant shade. The elevation gain is only 635 feet, but you will gain most of it during the first mile of hiking, so take breaks and enjoy the wildflowers along the path. As you come out of the lush, dense forest, the view of the large meadow surrounded by high snow-topped mountain peaks all around will open in front of you, taking your breath away.



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4. Hiking Trails Near Me: Marker Hill  Courtesy of Tadeusz Ibrom - Fotolia.com



Marker Hill is a 2,755-meter-high mountain about 77 miles from Denver in the Arapaho National Forest and Indian Peaks Wilderness. The trailhead is located in the Devils Thumb Ranch Resort and Spa. The trail is well maintained, although it is used by horseback riders, making it more eroded in parts and crowded in some spots. The views of Devils Thumb are fantastic as you get off the Creekside Trail and head north. Once you reach the Marker Hill Trail, you will go west through lovely meadows full of flowers. The trail starts a slow, steady climb at around 1.3 miles until you reach the Marker Hill Vista Point. The views in every direction are spectacular.

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5. Hiking Spots Near Me: Lost Lake Trail  Courtesy of Dan Collier - Fotolia.com



Lost Lake is not far from the town of Nederland, just outside the Indian Peak Wilderness Area. The trailhead is located at about 9,000 feet and from there you will gain 903 feet in elevation, so expect to climb. The trail heads west through the beautiful aspen forest, making it pleasant and cool in spite of the steady climb. Once you come out of the trees, you will catch a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains and the valley below. As you keep climbing, you will hear Middle Boulder Creek as it rushes to the left of the trail. The trail heads back into the forest, and will stay shady all the way to the lake. There are eight campsites around the lake, which is full of fish.

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6. Hiking Trails Near Me: Mayhem Gulch Trail  Matt/stock.adobe.com



Located just an hours drive from Denver, in Centennial Cone Park, the Mayhem Gulch Trail is a popular day hike in the Front Range. It is a 4.7-mile loop trail that offers fantastic views of Clear Creek Canyon. The elevation gain is 900 feet, but it offers solitude, and the view of the waterfall on the northeast side of the park makes the effort worthwhile. As you leave the canyon, the trail heads to a large meadow, where you can spot herds of mule deer and elk.

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7. Hiking Trails Near Me: Horsetooth Rock  gevans/stock.adobe.com

At 7,256 feet, Horsetooth Rock is the highest peak on Horsetooth Mountain and the Horsetooth Mountain Open Space Park near Fort Collins, Colorado. The 5-mile return hike will gain you 1,440 feet in elevation, so it is considered strenuous. It has a series of switchbacks and stairs but it is well maintained. The views from the top are well worth the effort.



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8. Hiking Spots Near Me: Herman Gulch Trail  Turk/stock.adobe.com

The Herman Gulch trailhead can be found just off I-70 near Bakerville, Colorado, in the Arapaho National Forest. The 6.5-mile trail will take you through beautiful rolling tundra to Herman Lake at the entrance to a broad, open valley. The Herman Gulch Trail is part of the Continental Divide Trail and follows Herman Gulch all the way to the tree line before it turns to the lake. You might be lucky enough to spot mountain goats or bighorn sheep along the way.



9. Hiking Trails Near Me: Arapaho Pass  Jim Glab/stock.adobe.com

Starting at the Fourth of July Trailhead, the Arapaho Pass Trail is a beautiful 9.3-mile round trip hike that will take you up through a dense conifer forest before opening up to a green meadow full of wildflowers. It is a steep trail that will gain you 1,781 feet in elevation and you will have to pass a few creeks, but the view of Caribou Lake below and Mount Neva above will take your breath away.

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10. Hiking Near Me: Manitou Incline  arinahabich/stock.adobe.com

The Manitou Incline in the Colorado Springs area is considered the most challenging and extreme trail in the country. It will gain you almost 2,000 feet in elevation during a less than 1 mile hike. The trail consists of former railroad ties that now form a unique staircase that provides an excellent workout and a challenging hike. It is not for those not in an excellent condition.



11. Hiking Near Me: Mills Lake  NatalieJean/stock.adobe.com

Starting at the Glacier Gorge trailhead on Bear Lake Road, the 5.3-mile hike to Mills Lake is a very popular destination and can get crowded on weekends and holidays. The hike is considered easy, although it gains 780 feet in elevation. The trail first passes by the scenic 30-foot Alberta Falls before continuing to Mills Junction and the North Longs Peak Trail Junction. From there, you can go towards The Loch and Sky Pond to Lake Haiyaha, or, after crossing Vale Brook and hiking through spectacular Glacier Gorge, towards Mills Lake.

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13. Hiking Trails Near Me: Eccles Pass  Jacob Lund/stock.adobe.com

Eccles Pass is a 10.2-mile trail in the Eagles Nest Wilderness. Although the elevation gain is 2,760 feet, the trail is considered moderately strenuous due to its length. The trail passes through dense forest and open, large meadows and affords fantastic views of the Gore Range. During the summer, the trail is surrounded by flowers. Once you reach Eccles Pass, the views of Red Peak open up and you can clearly see the trail that continues over Eccles towards Red Buffalo. It is a very popular backpacking area, so do not expect any solitude.



14. Hiking Spots Near Me: McNeil Trail  Andriy Blokhin/stock.adobe.com

The McNeil Trail is a 6.3-mile very popular and moderately difficult hiking trail near Colorado Springs, Colorado. The elevation gain is 1,653 feet, so the trail goes up steadily and, if you wish, will take you all the way to the summit of Cheyenne Mountain. Expect the part close to the summit to be much more strenuous, with some large boulders and fallen trees, but the views from the top are fantastic.



15. Hiking Spots Near Me: East Marvine Trail  Jacob Lund/stock.adobe.com



The Marvine Loop Trail is a 21.4-mile loop trail about 35 miles from Meeker, Colorado, with an elevation gain of 3,946 feet. It is considered difficult and recommended only for experienced hikers and climbers. The trail passes by many streams, lakes, and ponds and is not well marked, so bring a map and compass. Once you reach the flat tops, you will lose the trail completely. There are lot of fallen trees to cross and the going gets a bit rough, but the trail runs a few hundred feet above a river and the views are magnificent.

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16. Hiking Near Me: Bonito Pass Trail  eshana_blue/stock.adobe.com



The Bonito Pass Trail is a gap in Rio Grande County, Colorado, at an elevation of 11,257 feet . The Bonito Pass Trail is only 0.59 miles long and starts near South Fork, Colorado, in the Rio Grande National Forest. It stretches between the end of Forest Road 388 and Continental Divide Trail 813, through valleys filled with wildflowers and patches of densely forested areas. This high-altitude trail is short and not difficult and offers magnificent views in all directions. Once it reaches the Continental Divide Trail, it connects to a number of more demanding hikes.



17. Hiking Near Me: Mohawk Lakes  Melanie/stock.adobe.com



Lower Mohawk Lake and Mohawk Lake are located just above the tree line on the south slope of Mount Helen in a magnificent glacial valley in the Ten Mile Range mountain. The trail starts near Breckenridge in Colorado and heads west, crossing Spruce Creek and climbing through a dense forest of aspen, spruce, and fir. Look for moose and elk, this area is rich in wildlife.

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18. Hiking Near Me: The Ribbon Trail  P&G/stock.adobe.com



The Ribbon Trail is a fairly difficult 7-mile return trail in the BLM Bangs Canyon Management Area. It starts at the Lower Ribbon Trailhead and climbs steadily, mostly on sandstone slickrock, with an elevation gain of 2,173 feet. After the trail comes out of the wash, there is a steep rocky section that takes a good scramble to cross. Enjoy the views when you get above Echo Canyon.



19. Hiking Near Me: Hell Roaring Trail  Voyagerix/stock.adobe.com



The Hell Roaring Trail is a difficult 7-mile one-way trail in the Maroon Bell-Snowmass Wilderness, about 14 miles from Aspen. The elevation gain is 3,000 feet. The trail starts at the Hell Roaring trailhead and passes by Hardscrabble Lake before continuing straight on to Williams Lake. After that it starts to climb steeply. It ends at the Avalanche Campground, or you can make a loop trail by continuing on the Avalanche Creek Trail.

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20. Hiking Near Me: Kroenke Lake  kellyvandellen/stock.adobe.com



The Kroenke Lake Trail is a fairly difficult 8.2-mile out and back trail that starts close to Buena Vista, Colorado. While the elevation gain is 1,797 feet, the hike is pleasant and shaded, and the trail often crosses creeks, climbing steadily until reaching the lovely lake with plenty of camping places. The way down is gradual and much easier.



21. Hiking Near Me: Piedra River Trail  toroverde/stock.adobe.com



The Piedra River Trail is a well-marked and well-maintained 7.9-mile out and back trail with the trailhead near Pagosa Springs, Colorado. This lovely trail starts at a green lush meadow before heading through the Amazon River Gorge. You can see the river from the trail and there are several places you can use to go down to the water for a swim. The elevation gain is 948 feet.



22. Colorado: Mounts Democrat Cameron Lincoln and Bross Trail  Tom/stock.adobe.com



Mounts Democrat, Cameron, Lincoln, and Bross Trail is a difficult 7.6-mile loop trail accessible through the Kite Lake Trailhead near the town of Alma, Colorado. With an elevation gain of 3,490 feet, this trail will take you high up above 13,000 feet, so be prepared for wind and cold and difficult slippery talus, especially on the way down. The views are breathtaking.

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23. Colorado Hiking Trail: Judd Falls Trail  Melissa Woolf/stock.adobe.com The Judd Falls Trail is a popular 2.2-mile fairly easy, kid-friendly out and back trail near Crested Butte, Colorado. The elevation gain is only 551 feet and once you reach the falls you will be able to see them in all their glory from the trail. Keep an eye on the birds while hiking, there are plenty of them in the area. There are also interesting informative signs along the trail.



24. Hiking in Colorado: Birthday Peak  MelissaMN/stock.adobe.com Birthday Peak is a moderately difficult 9.2-trail near the town of Buena Vista. While the trail crosses a number of streams, it is well maintained and pleasant. It gets crowded on weekends. Some hikers are even camping along the trail. Once you get to the base of Birthday Peak, it opens up into a lovely flowery meadow surrounded by snow-covered majestic mountain peaks.



25. Hiking Trails in Colorado: Major Creek Trail  rai/stock.adobe.com The Major Creek Trail is a moderately difficult 7.0-mile trail between Forest Road 964 and the Forest Boundary in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It is a nice hike that passes massive old aspens and several beaver ponds until it reaches a high valley that connects you with trails to Lakes Peak, Electric Peak, and Mount Niedhardt. Major Creek is known for excellent trout fishing in its lower section.



25 Best Hiking Trails in Colorado

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Whether you like art museums, sports, historic attractions, a lively music scene, unique hotels, family attractions, breakfast, romantic restaurants, free activities, or green parks, you will find it all in Denver. The city has a beautiful downtown area perfect for a romantic stroll, shopping, and sampling great burgers, Italian and other eats. Here are the best things to do in Denver, Colorado.

We recommend that you call the attractions and restaurants ahead of your visit to confirm current opening times.

1. Denver Mountain Parks and Red Rocks Amphitheater  Courtesy of Brad - Fotolia.com

The Denver Mountain Parks system is a unique complex of more than 14,000 acres in the nearby foothills of the Rocky Mountains, owned and maintained by the city of Denver. Established in 1914 by the U.S. Congress to protect and preserve scenic land around the city for future generations, these parks spread out for up to 60 miles from the city and include famous attractions like Buffalo Bills grave on the top of Lookout Mountain, Red Rocks Amphitheater, Winter Park Ski Resort and Summit Lake. The park system offers visitors a fantastic array of things to see and do, outdoor adventures and fun activities, from camping, climbing, hiking and mountain biking, to seeing huge herds of buffalo and elk in Genesee Park.

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2. Denver Art Museum (DAM), Denver, Colorado  Steve Crecelius / Visit Denver

Opened in 1922, the Denver Art Museum (DAM) is one of the largest art museums in the West and is renowned for its magnificent collection of American Indian Art, as well as permanent and evolving collections of over 68,000 unique works from around the globe. Located in the Civic Center in Denver in an award-winning building designed by Frederic C. Hamilton, the museums collections are spread over nine curatorial sections, ranging from architecture, design and graphics to Asian, New World, European and Modern art. The museum holds a number of programs and workshops throughout the year, including Meet the Artist where visitors get to meet the artists of various exhibitions, as well many interactive events for the whole family. The Denver Art Museum is one of the top Denver, Colorado attractions. General admission to the museum is free for children every day. 100 W 14th Avenue Pkwy, Denver, Colorado 80204, Phone: 720-865-5000

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3. Larimer Square  Jacob/stock.adobe.com

No visit to Denver would be complete without spending some time at Larimer Square, where some of the citys best dining, entertainment and shopping destinations come together. Larimer Square is located in the historic downtown quarter where it occupies several historic buildings which once housed Denvers first commercial district. Visitors can spend some time browsing a variety of unusual boutique shops and enjoy a coffee at Starbucks or a specialty tea at Bao Brewhouse. After a fun day exploring Denver, settle in for dinner at one of several popular eateries. You can round off your evening with great entertainment at Comedy Works or with drinks and dancing at Disco Pig. 1430 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80202, Phone: 720-805-1973



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4. Denver Botanic Gardens  Scott Dressel-Martin / Visit Denver



Nestled in the Cheesman Park neighborhood, the Denver Botanic Gardens boasts a variety of themed gardens, a glass-enclosed conservatory and a sunken amphitheater that hosts open-air concerts during the summer. The gardens are made up of three locations, namely the formal garden on York Street in East Denver, the natural meadows and riparian areas of the Chatfield gardens, and the alpine wildflower gardens of Mt. Goliath. The York Street gardens feature seven themed gardens that include plants endemic to Colorado and the neighboring states, as well as the largest collection of plants from cold temperate climates around the world. In 1986, the gardens introduced the world's first Xeriscape Demonstration Garden (later named the Dryland Mesa), which is home to drought-tolerant plants from the arid West and Mediterranean regions. The gardens also feature a Japanese Garden called Shofu-en and the fun Mordecai Childrens Garden, which offers a wonderful oasis for families and children to play. 1007 York Street, Denver, Colorado 80206, Phone: 720-865-3501

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5. Best Things to Do in Denver, Colorado: Denver Zoo  Visit Denver



Located in the City Park, Denver Zoo is home to over 4,000 animals from 600 species which live in a variety of natural habitats across 80 acres of zoo land. Founded in 1896, the zoo was started with an orphaned black bear cub called Billy Ryan and has since grown into one of Denvers most popular attractions. Boasting species from all over the world, ranging from primates, pachyderms and carnivores to reptiles, birds and fish, the zoo is designed in a circlular loop, which covers a variety of habitats and animal enclosures, including Bear Mountain, Primate Panorama, Predator Ridge, Giraffe House, Toyota Elephant Passage, and Bird World. If you are wondering what to do in Denver with kids on a beautiful sunny day, the zoo is a great choice. Other facilities at the zoo include the Endangered Species Carousel, showcasing some of the many endangered species, the Pioneer Train, which offers an exciting trip around the zoos carousel meadow and flamingo lake, and the Wild Encounters outdoor amphitheater, which is designed for wildlife presentations and educational programs. 2300 Steele Street, Denver, Colorado 80205, Phone: 720-337-1400

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6. Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, Denver, Colorado  Visit Denver



The Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art houses one of the largest collections of international decorative art in the United States, as well as the works of over 80 internationally renowned architects, including Frank Lloyd Wright. Works at the museum cover a range of genres, from Art Nouveau, Arts & Crafts and Aesthetic, to Bauhaus, Art Deco, Pop Art and Post-Modern Art, and feature 700 works by more than 230 Colorado and regional artists. The museum also contains the original studio and school of artist Vance Kirkland (1904  1981) and features the Decorative Art Collection showcasing an additional 3,500 pieces. The museum is well known for its unusual and quirky exhibition styles, where works are arranged in a salon style, akin to a home, where artworks are accompanied by pieces of furniture and decor, as well as sculptures, handicrafts, and artifacts. Due to the fragile nature of the collection, children under age 13 are not admitted. 1201 Bannock Street, Denver, CO 80204, Phone: 303-832-8576

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7. Things to Do in Denver, Colorado: Colorado Symphony  Courtesy of Lukas Gojda - Fotolia.com

The Colorado Symphony is the citys professional symphony orchestra, performing at the Boettcher Concert Hall, located in the Denver Performing Arts Center. Led by music director Andrew Litton, the orchestra presents a variety of concert series, symphonies, solo performances, and events throughout the year, as well as educational and community-based outreach programs. Performances are held at the magnificent Boettcher Concert Hall. Built in 1978, the hall is the countrys first 360-degree concert hall and boasts more than 2,700 seats arranged in five seating areas, which allow for no audience member to be more than 85 feet from the stage. If you are looking for best romantic things to do in Denver at night, watch a performance by the Colorado Symphony. 1000 14th Street #15, Denver, Colorado 80202, Phone: 303-292-5566



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8. Forney Museum of Transportation, Denver, Colorado  Courtesy of ninefera - Fotolia.com

Cars, bikes, trains, and planes  the Forney Museum of Transportation is home to them all. Boasting an unrivaled collection of over 600 artifacts relating to transportation throughout history, the unique museum offers an unforgettable journey for the whole family. The museums slogan Anything on wheels rings true with a broad range of vehicles and modes of transport through the ages, including an amphicar, A Stutz fire engine, a Big Boy locomotive and Amelia Earharts 1923 Kissel called Gold Bug. The museum features a number of exhibitions throughout the year, and has interesting and informative displays about everything and anything transport-related, such as cars, bikes, buggies and motorcycles, as well as steam locomotives, sleighs, fire carriages, toy models and more. 4303 Brighton Blvd, Denver, Colorado 80216, Phone: 303-297-1113



9. Things to Do in Denver, Colorado: ChoLon  ChoLon

ChoLon is an award-winning Asian restaurant in Denvers Lodo District. Owned by acclaimed Chef Lon Symensma, ChoLon, meaning big market, is named after the largest Chinese-influenced market in Saigon, Vietnam, and serves a mouthwatering menu of traditional Asian cuisine from this region. ChoLon serves an inventive menu of Asian-influenced classics with a twist in a range of dishes, from dim sum and small plates to large family-style platters. The bistros elegant lounge boasts an impressive list of fine wines, craft beers, and artisanal cocktails to complement the outstanding cuisine. The bistro serves lunch and dinner throughout the week and offers a traditional happy hour with a small bites menu. 1555 Blake Street Suite 101, Denver, Colorado 80202, Phone: 303-353-5223

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10. Things to Do in Denver: Washington Park  Visit Denver

Washington Park is a green urban park in the heart of Denver that serves as an outdoor space for recreational and outdoor activities, as well as showcasing the citys heritage through beautifully preserved examples of historic architecture. One of the most beautiful places to visit in Denver, the park features 155 acres of pristine grounds, which boast two magnificent flower gardens, one of which is a replica of George Washington's Mount Vernon gardens, two lakes, and an array of facilities, such as tennis courts, lawns, picnic spots and a recreation center. Popular amongst locals of Denver, who use the park for walking, jogging, biking and other activities, the park also serves as a center for a variety of community programs and social events. The park is close to Old South Gaylord Street, which is lined with boutiques, stores, restaurants and cafes for shopping and dining. S. Downing St. & E. Louisiana Ave., Denver, Colorado 80210, Phone: 800-233-6837



11. Coors Baseball Field Tour, Denver, Colorado  Visit Denver

Home of the Colorado Rockies baseball team, the 76-acre Coors Field is situated in Denver's Ballpark neighborhood with magnificent views of the Rocky Mountains and is famous for hosting the highest home runs in history. Combining the nostalgic feel of a 1920s urban ballpark with 21st-century technology, Coors Field is renowned for its old fashioned brick facade and famous signature clock, where fans meet before a game. Tours of Coors Field can be taken to explore the history of this famed stadium and the role it has played in the game of baseball. Group and private tours can be arranged and take a unique behind-the-scenes look at one of the main ballparks in Major League Baseball. Lasting for about an hour and covering a mile in distance, tours include visiting the dugouts, the field, the Coors Fields' microbrewery; the Rockies merchandise store, and the Mountain Ranch Club. 2001 Blake Street, Denver, Colorado 80205, Phone: 303-762-5437

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12. Denver Attractions: Denver Museum of Nature and Science  Visit Denver

The Denver Museum of Nature & Science focuses on educating visitors and children about the natural history of the Colorado and Rocky Mountain region, as well as the Earth and Universe through scientific study. The museum hosts a variety of displays, exhibitions, interactive activities and educational programs for all ages that encourage curious minds to ask, explore, discover and learn, and has more than one million objects in its collections. Educational programs cover the fields of anthropology, paleontology, geology, zoology, health and space science. Permanent exhibits include Discovery Zone  a hands-on educational center for children; Egyptian Mummies  a journey back to the days of the Pharaohs; North American Indian Culture  a look at the heritage of the North American Indian; and Space Odyssey  a step into the future. 2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver, Colorado 80205, Phone: 303-370-6000



13. Things to Do in Denver: Molly Brown House Museum  Visit Denver

Once home to "The Unsinkable Molly Brown", aka American philanthropist, activist, socialite and Titanic survivor, Margaret Brown, the Molly Brown House Museum rests at 1340 Pennsylvania Street in Denver and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in the 1880s by William Lang, the house and museum, also known as The House of Lions, represents a beautifully preserved example of Victorian Denver with English Baroque (Queen Anne) architecture resonating in the stone quoins, sash windows, and triangular pediment detailing over the porch. The museum offers guided tours daily, as well as a variety of workshops and events throughout the year aimed at preserving the history and heritage, not only of one of Americas most famous philanthropists, but of other pieces of history as well. 1340 Pennsylvania Street, Denver, Colorado 80203, Phone: 303-832-4092



14. Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, Denver, Colorado  Courtesy of arinahabich - Fotolia.com

Located on the grounds of the former Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, the Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum (WOR) was opened in 1994 with the aim of preserving the history of Lowry AFB's operations from 1938 to 1994. The museum is housed in a historical 40,000 square foot hangar built in 1939 and features a number of collections, including the USAFs B-1A Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress Bombers, a room of archives documenting the history of military and general aviation aircraft, and an excellent research library. The museum runs a number of educational and hands-on learning programs, such as the Wings Aerospace Science Program (W.A.S.P), Kid Space, and the Air and Space Camp for children of all ages. The Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum is the official state air and space museum, and the site of Colorados Aviation Hall of Fame. 7711 East Academy Boulevard, Denver, Colorado 80230, Phone: 303-360-5360



15. Wynkoop Brewing Company Tours, Denver, Colorado  Visit Denver



Located on the corner of 18th and Wynkoop in the Lodo district, Wynkoop Brewing Company aims to bring together the community through excellent food and beer. Founded in 1988, Wynkoop serves a menu of delicious authentic public house fare and small-batch beers on tap in a relaxed, casual alehouse-style atmosphere. Cuisine at Wynkoop Brewing Co. is a thoughtfully prepared fusion of updated pub classics and internationally inspired dishes, such as sweetcorn fritters, watermelon and asparagus salad, and fish and chips. The restaurant also caters to private events and parties and custom-made menus can be arranged. Wynkoop offers complimentary brewery tours and a behind-the-scenes look at how Wynkoop Brewing Company became a pioneer on the American beer landscape. Tours lead visitors through the historic J.S. Brown Mercantile building and the process of brewing, with fantastic samplings of favorites along the way. Reservations are not required, however, tour group sizes are limited to 20 guests per tour, so its a good idea to get there early. 1634 18th Street, Denver, Colorado 80202, Phone: 303-297-2700

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16. Things to Do in Denver, Colorado: Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium Tour  Courtesy of Steve Crecelius / Visit Denver



Built in honor of the original Mile High Stadium, one of the most famous stadiums in National Football League history, Sports Authority Field at Mile High is a state-of-the-art glass , aluminum and steel structure that seats over 76,000 fans and is one of the most internationally recognized sports venues in the world. Explore this incredible feat of engineering that was built at a cost of over $400 million dollars on a private guided walking tour of the stadium, which includes visiting the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Museum, the Executive Suites, the NFL Visiting Team Locker Room Facilities, Thunder's Stall and Team Field Entrance Tunnel. See the field from the End Zone Area and visit the Network Television Production Compound and broadcasting facilities. The fun, informative and insightful tours take approximately 75-90 minutes, cover a distance of around  mile and begin at the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame & Museum at Gate #1 on the stadium's west side. 1701 Bryant Street Suite 500, Denver, Colorado 80204, Phone: 720-258-3888



17. Things to Do in Denver, Colorado: Bikealope Tours  Courtesy of arinahabich - Fotolia.com



Explore and experience Denver on two wheels with a fun-filled guided bicycle tour with Bikealope Tours. Formerly known as I Bike Denver, Bikalope Tours offer fun-filled guided tours that explore the architecture and heritage of The Mile High City via avenues, boulevards, bike lanes, and riverside pathways, discovering unusual gems often missed on regular tours. Bikalope Tours flagship tour is the Denver City Loop Tour, which takes riders past some of Denvers best attractions and some lesser known treasures, including the home of the Denver Broncos, the Colorado State Capitol, the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, the Denver Art Museum and the U.S. Mint. The 9.3-mile route journeys through some of Denvers most contemporary and historic neighborhoods, as well as along the banks of Cherry Creek. High-quality Fuji "hybrid" bicycles are supplied, as well as helmets, water, and a nifty city guide. Winding through neighborhood streets, along riverside bike paths, and city bike lanes, the tours take about 2 - 2.5 hours and cover a distance of approximately ten miles (303-433-3676 ).

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18. Tacos Tequila Whiskey  Tacos Tequila Whiskey



Tacos Tequila Whiskey has been named as one of the United States' top 50 new restaurants by Bon Appetit, offering up clever modern twists on Mexican-style comida de la calle street food. The full-service restaurant, which offers four locations in Denver's City Park, Governors Park, and Highlands districts, specializes in high-quality creative street tacos, stuffed with ingredients such as pan-roasted shrimp and scallops, sweet and sour-braised pork belly, triple-cooked Colorado beef tongue, and beer-braised short ribs. Vegetarian options are also offered, including grilled shiitake, crimini, and oyster mushrooms tacos and vegan tacos stuffed with sauteed spinach, roasted poblano chiles, and salsa abuela. True to its name, the restaurant offers an extensive liquor menu, including whiskey-infused craft cocktails and clever margaritas. Pickup taco service is also offered at the restaurant's to-go counter. 1514 York St, Denver, CO 80206, Phone: 720-475-1337



19. Things to Do in Denver, Colorado: Peteybird Ice Cream Bike  Peteybird Ice Cream Bike



Peteybird Ice Cream Bikes are pink and white bikes that ride around the Denver area selling delicious handcrafted ice cream sandwiches. Made from real cookies and ice cream, peteybird ice cream sandwiches are hand scooped in small perfect bite sizes and are ideal for special occasions or just an afternoon treat. Peteybird offers two types of ice cream sandwiches - Original Sandwiches of two cookies and a scoop of ice cream, and Premium Sandwiches, which are artistic creations of cookies, ice cream, and other sweet treats. Find one of the pink peteybird Ice Cream Bikes around town for a range of ice cream sandwiches or order online (720-432-2430).

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20. Modern Nomad - A Design Collective in Denver  Modern Nomad



Were living in an age where seemingly everything is being mass produced by big brand names, and the spirit of individuality and originality seems to be fading away. Fortunately, there are still plenty of hard-working and talented creators like artists and designers making amazing and unique products, but finding audiences and platforms from which to sell and share their creations is proving increasingly difficult for many of these creators. These days, more and more people are choosing to shop online, eschewing classic brick and mortar stores in favor of the convenience and comfort that internet shopping can provide. This means that small businesses and independent creators often cant afford the risk and financial commitment of running their own stores in city locations like Denver. Fortunately, places like Modern Nomad are giving them a new way to share their goods with the world. Modern Nomad is located in the RiNo district of Denver at 2936 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80205. The store is part of a 5,500 square foot warehouse and functions in a similar fashion to an open air market, with products all around and a vibrant, lively atmosphere for shoppers to enjoy. Phone: 303-862-5091, modernnomaddenver.com



21. Things to Do Near Me: Tamayo  Tamayo



Tamayo is a modern Mexican eatery and tequileria that serves traditional Mexican cuisine with a contemporary twist. Owned by renowned chef Richard Sandoval, Tamayos menu offers both classic Mexican dishes and introduces new concepts, such as the Test Kitchen: Guadalajara, which features dishes inspired by the culinary heritage and celebrated foods of Guadalajara. Located in Larimer Square in Denver, Tamayos chic, stylish interior design complements the modern menu and impressive bar, which houses a collection of over 100 tequilas and agave-based spirits, as well as an array of handcrafted cocktails. Head there for Happy Hour, known as La Biblioteca, which offers a menu of delicious tacos and tapas accompanied by half-price margaritas, sangria, wines and, of course, plenty of tequila. 1400 Larimer Street, Denver, Colorado 80202, Phone: 720-946-1433



22. Things to Do in Denver, Colorado: The Children's Museum of Denver  The Children's Museum of Denver



The Childrens Museum of Denver provides an interactive, educational and exciting way for children to explore, discover and learn through play. The museums expertly designed exhibits, specialized programs for all ages and hands-on approach to learning all aim to create a community of kid-powered learning. Founded in 1973, the museum features innovative and interactive Playscapes (hands-on exhibits), including The Big Backyard, an oversized introduction to life in the backyard, The Assembly Plant, where children can build and construct to their hearts content, and Fire Station 1, where they can learn about the job of a firefighter on a real fire engine. The museum also hosts engaging daily workshops and programs for children, as well as exciting year-round special events. 2121 Children's Museum Drive, Denver, Colorado 80211, Phone: 303-433-7444

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23. Nocturne, Denver, Colorado  Nocturne Nocturne is an elegant, two-story jazz club and restaurant in Denvers RiNo neighborhood. The rustic, unadorned space with exposed pipes and brick walls contrasts beautifully with the sophistication of elegant cream banquettes and the baby grand piano. The food is eclectic and international. You can choose between shareable small plates, such as Cubano sliders, fresh oysters, and duck croquettes, or go for the constantly changing five-course Renditions Tasting Menu, influenced by timeless recordings of such jazz greats as the Ah Um album by Charles Mingus. The bar shares center stage with the musicians and the shakers fly while blending your cocktail of choice. The wine list is dreamy and the bar is stocked with just about any drink you can think of. 1330 27th Street, Denver, CO 80205, Phone: 303-295-3333



24. Leopold Bros  Leopold Bros An independently owned distillery established in 1999, Leopold Bros was created by a pair of brothers: Todd and Scott Leopold. Todd earned his qualifications in malting and brewing from Chicago and Munich, as well as working as an apprentice at multiple breweries and distilleries all over Europe, while Scott earned a Masters in Environmental Engineering before pursuing a career in manufacturing. Now, Leopold Bros spirits are sold all over the country. A tour of the Leopold Bros distillery can be an educational experience for adults of drinking age. You'll need to buy a ticket to enter and it's always wise to reserve in advance. The Leopold Bros tasting room is situated at 5285 Joliet St (between 51st Ave and East 53rd Ave), Denver, CO 80239, Phone: 303)-307-1515, leopoldbros.com



25. Things to Do in Denver, Colorado: Let Em Have It Salon  Coka/stock.adobe.com Dedicated to five key values - Leadership, Education, Humble, Innovative and Sustainable - the Let Em Have It Salon is one of Denvers best hair cut and hair styling locations. It's a Certified B Corporation and was only the second salon in the entire country to achieve this status by focusing on better quality of life for workers, stronger eco-friendly and sustainable practices, a dedication to the local community, and higher standards of service. In short, the Let Em Have It Salon aims to do everything better than other hair salons and has actually received official recognition for these efforts. The Let Em Have It Salon is situated at 490 E 20th Avenue, Denver, CO 80205.



25 Best Things to Do in Denver, Colorado

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Mount Evans Scenic Byway Corridor

Stretching 28 miles (45 km) in length and reaching over 14,130 feet (4,310 m) in elevation, the Mount Evans Scenic Byway is spectacular scenic corridor through the Mount Evans Wilderness. The Corridor, the highest paved road in America, begins near Idaho Springs and ends near the peak of the magnificent Mount Evans. Enjoy breathtaking views of the Front Range and Rocky Mountains beautiful alpine landscapes scattered with wildflowers and a variety of wildlife. Watch out for Colorados stately bighorn sheep, rock-jumping mountain goats and little furry marmots. A new extension between Echo Lake and Bergen Park takes visitors on a journey from open meadows and juniper hills into the deep verdant forests of the alpine mountain slopes.

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Things to Do: Denver Public Library

Located in downtown Denver, the Denver Public Library is the citys central library, which consists of 23 branches, and a mobile book-lending program that offers communities all over the joy of reading. Opened in 2003, the library houses a full-service lending department, which serves as an excellent educational and cultural resource for art, music, history, and politics.

The library has an impressive Western history collection, which includes thousands of photographs, catalogued books, atlases, and manuscript archives, as well as a beautiful array of Western fine art and prints and the Otto Perry Collection of old railroad images. The library hosts a number of events, workshops, and programs for children and adults throughout the year, as well as the Blair-Caldwell African Research Library, the Western Legacies Museum and African American Leadership Gallery.

10 West Fourteenth Ave Pkwy, Denver, Colorado 80204, Phone: 720-865-1111

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New Hampshire is covered in large expanses of untouched wilderness. The White Mountains in the north cover more than a quarter of the state and most of New Hampshires 48 peaks over 4,000 feet high are in the White Mountains. Mount Washington is the highest peak in the region and is a popular and challenging hiking destination.

We recommend that you call the attractions and restaurants ahead of your visit to confirm current opening times.

1. Lion Head  Courtesy of Eurico - Fotolia.com

Lion Head is the 5,091-foot-high peak on the eastern slope of Mount Washington between the two glacial cirques: Tuckerman Ravine and Huntington Ravine. The best spot to see the Lion Head is from the Tuckerman Ravine. It stands proud against the sky above the entire Hermit Lake area. The Tuckerman Ravine Trail, which runs below Lion Head, is the most popular and the most busy. The Lion Head Trail crosses the steep slopes of the mountain before arriving at the Tuckerman Ravine bowl. From there it climbs sharply up Lion Head itself. This trail is also the most popular, and the safest, trail to the summit of Mount Washington in the winter. The summit lies just above the tree line and is exposed and wide, covered in wild flowers in the summer and offering fantastic views of the surrounding peaks on a clear day.



2. Mount Success  Courtesy of iava777 - Fotolia.com

Mount Success is a massive mountain in the rugged Mahoosuc Range with two open, broad glacier-scoured granite summits with dwarf evergreens and blueberries growing from cracks in the rock. The northern summit is higher at 3,565 feet and the southern at 3,364 feet is shorter, but offers better views. The lower slopes are covered in a typical Mahoosuc boreal forest of dense fir and spruce mixed with deciduous trees. Mount Success is the first summit in New Hampshire that people hiking the Appalachian Trail reach as well as the first real Mahoosuc summit. It is difficult to hike Mount Success in a day hike and you need a few days to cross the whole range. Take the Appalachian Trail if coming from the north and the trail to Gentian Pond if coming from the south. The main summit is about 2.8 miles from Gentian Pond.

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3. Mount Chocorua  Courtesy of straystone - Fotolia.com

Mount Chocorua, about 12 km from Conway, is one of the most popular mountains in New Hampshires massive White Mountains, both with hikers and climbers. During the summer, it is a fairly short hike to the scenic, treeless mountain summit, and in the winter it offers a mild taste of climbing above the tree line in the White Mountains. The 3,475-foot-high peak is a cone of bare, steep, exposed rock slab and it has footholds blasted by dynamite to facilitate climbing. Nevertheless, it is very popular and so visitors should not expect a solitary hike, even in winter. The trailhead to Piper Trail, the most popular trail, is behind the Chocorua Store just off Route 16.



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4. Mount Kearsarge North  Courtesy of deemwave - Fotolia.com



Mount Kearsarge North in the Mount Washington Valley is a popular and fairly easy hike, even for families. It is located close to North Conway and its summit offers fantastic views of the Presidentials, Mount Washington Valley, and the Maine interior. One of the interesting features on the mountain is the historical wooden fire tower, which hikers love to climb. A moderately fit hiker can do Mount Kearsarge in little more than 3 hours. Like many trails in the White Mountains, the trail starts to climb gradually, getting steeper and rockier as it goes up. It continues moderately steep with no scrambling sections. While the trail is open enough on the way up to offer some views, nothing can be compared with the breathtaking vista from the summit.

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5. South Baldface  Courtesy of Tom - Fotolia.com



The two Baldface Mountain peaks  North Baldface at 3,566 feet and South Baldface at 3,556 feet  are often overlooked by hikers chasing more popular peaks that are over 4,000 feet. But what makes them so attractive is the fact that a big part of Baldface is above the tree line, which means that the ridge loop provides hikers with almost continuous views in all directions, in particular a spectacular view of Mount Washington as it looms above the Carter Range. The barren eastern spur of South Baldface has an interesting, often slippery, section with ledges, but after you pass the spur, you will climb the summit and all of a sudden there is Mount Washington in front of you in all its glory. North Baldface is a bit higher, but the views of Mount Washington are obstructed by the Carter Range. Also, the trails are less challenging. The main trail to both peaks is the Baldface Circle Trail.

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6. Mount Crawford  Courtesy of elrepho - Fotolia.com



?Mount Crawford is a 3,119-foot-high mountain in the Bemis Ridge, sharing it with the lesser known Mount Hope and Hart Ledge. It is the first peak you reach when hiking up the historic Davis Path. The trail to the summit was built as a bridle path to make the grades easy to moderate all the way to Mount Washington, which is about 15 miles from the trailhead. The trail to Mount Crawford is an easy 5-mile hike with a 2,100-foot elevation gain, and the views of Crawford Notch and the Presidential Range that open up at the summit are fantastic.??

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7. North Peak Kinsman Mountain  Courtesy of schankz - Fotolia.com

North Kinsman is one of the two mountain peaks on Kinsman Mountain near the Franconia Ridge, a bit lower than the south peak but with much better eastern view of the ridge. The summit of North Kinsman looms high over Kinsman Pond and, from the ledge of the summit, the views of the pond down below are great. If you are coming up from the east, you will pass popular Lonesome Lake, another spot with beautiful views of the area and both Kinsman peaks. Hikers normally combine the two peaks in a day hike. Many of the trails to the summit are rocky and even have to be scrambled in some parts. Some are pure rock and have almost no soil, so expect to have to use your hands to pull yourself up.



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8. Moat Mountain  Courtesy of littleny - Fotolia.com

North Moat Mountain is located in Carroll County, New Hampshire, and is one of the less popular White Mountains peaks. Its rocky summit is 3,196 feet high and has a number of wide ledges and clear views all around. The Moat Mountain Loop Trail that starts at the Dianas Baths parking area in North Conway is about 10 miles long and gains about 2,800 feet in elevation. The bare rocky summit will surprise you in the summer with a huge number of wild blueberry bushes. You will have to climb some rock walls, but nothing that fit beginner hikers cannot do, so the hike is considered moderately challenging.



9. Bondcliff  Courtesy of elrepho - Fotolia.com

Bondcliff is a 4,265-foot mountain in the Pemigewasset Wilderness of New Hampshires White Mountains. It is located north of the Kancamagus Highway, south of Route 302 and east of I-93. Hiking Bondcliff is great for those who are looking for solitude. It is moderately strenuous with a few rugged sections. There is a short, difficult section before you come to the wide open summit area, where you can finally enjoy beautiful unobstructed 360-degree views of the whole area. It is a fairly long track from the highway, so the hike is not popular with day hikers, providing that wonderful sense of solitude.

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10. Bald Mountain (Antrim/Hancock)  Courtesy of FotoIdee - Fotolia.com

Bald Mountain is a 2,037-foot-high mountain in the Monadnock Region in the dePierrefeu-Willard Pond Wildlife Sanctuary, with the beautiful Willard Pond on its east side. The mountain offers great hiking, with some trails passing along the pond. From the summit, the view of Mount Monadnock, the Wapack Range, and other surrounding mountains is spectacular. One of the most popular is the combined 2.2-mile-long Tamposi/Bald Mountain/Tudor loop trail with 900 feet elevation gain with a mix of gradual and steeper sections, but nothing major that would require any scrambling. Since this mountain is not very popular, you might be able to enjoy it in pleasant solitude.



11. Northeast Cannonball  EKKAPON/stock.adobe.com

The Northeast Cannonball is a 3,769-foot-high mountain on the narrow ridge between Cannon Mountain and the North Kinsman, and is the highest point in the area. You can get a view of Cannon Mountain from a unique perspective from the wide-open space close to the Cannonballs summit. The best view of the Cannonballs is from Lonesome Lake. The Lonesome Lake Trail starts at the Lafayette Campground in Franconia Notch and offers a direct route to the mountain summit. It takes 1.2 miles to reach Lonesome Lake and it is 1.1 miles more to the Kinsman Ridge Trail. The trail climbs steeply to the summit, making an 8-mile loop.

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13. Mount Caesar  James/stock.adobe.com

Starting in a historical cemetery in the village of Swanzey in southwest New Hampshire, Mount Caesar is a perfect mountain to hike with kids on Halloween. It is only a mile long and heads up the mountain in a double track path, not technically marked but easy and pleasant, winding through dense, shady forests. Once you come to the summit, the view opens up to the Monadnocks, Franklin, and Gunn Mountains. The trail is not used much, so you might be able to enjoy it on your own, or with the kids. There are plenty of spaces in the forest to spook them if the cemetery trailhead did not do the job. It also might help to tell them that the summit was used by the local Native Americans as a lookout.



14. East Osceola  Jerrry G/stock.adobe.com

East Osceola, the 4,156-foot-high eastern peak of Mount Osceola in the White Mountains, is one of the New Hampshires 4,000-footers but it is less famous and less popular than Osceolas main summit. It is also harder to reach and offers less interesting views, but if you are trying to bag all peaks, it is worth the effort. In the summer, you should hike first to Osceola and then follow the trail eastward along the ridge. The trail is steep and has a short scrambling part known as the Chimney. Another trail that reaches the East Osceola summit goes up the mountain from Mad River Notch just north of Greeley Ponds, along its northeastern ridge.



15. Mount Shaw  karima elaaraj EyeEm/stock.adobe.com



Mount Shaw is a 2,900-foot-high mountain in the Ossipee Mountains in Moultonborough, New Hampshire. It is part of the Lakes Region Conservation Trust property, better known as the Castle in the Clouds estate. The most popular trail to the summit of Mount Shaw is the Shaw Trail, a 6.6-mile-long out and back trail near Melvin Village. This trail starts just off Route 171, heading up to the mountain carriage roads that link to the summit. Both Shaw and Black Snout peaks of Mount Shaw offer fantastic unobstructed views in all directions. In the winter, you can get to Mount Shaw on a snowmobile.

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16. Faraway Mountain  MaksimM/stock.adobe.com



Faraway Mountain is a 2,782-foot-high mountain near Lake Winnipesauke in New Hampshire. It is the second highest summit of the Ossipee Range, a volcanic ring-dike that offers great views from the top. Mount Shaw is the highest. The easiest access to Faraway is by using the Roberts Trail, with great views from the ledges along the way. Its trailhead is on the grounds of the Lake Region Conservation Trust's Castle in the Clouds in Moultonborough. Start with the High Ridge Trail going east. There is a utility trail to the Faraway summit.



17. Mount Percival  miyako kondo EyeEm/stock.adobe.com



Mount Percival is a 2,212-foot mountain overlooking Squam Lake in southern New Hampshire, on the border with the White Mountain National Forest. This small mountain is popular for hiking, even with kids, with some good scrambles and great views of the lakes in the Lakes Region as well as the Belknap Mountains and the White Mountains. The most popular trail is the Mount Percival Trail, a 1.9-mile hike with 1,419 feet in elevation gain, steep and rocky. It is exposed in places and considered difficult. It starts to climb very gradually until 1.6 miles, when it becomes steep and rocky. There is an interesting side path through a boulder cave that is even steeper and rockier.

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18. South Uncanoonuc  fesenko/stock.adobe.com



South Uncanoonuc is a small 1,312-foot mountain located on the outskirts of New Hampshires largest city, known for a road that goes up to the top of the mountain and for the huge number of antennas and cell phone towers. Of course, you can hike up the mountain if you wish and South Uncanoonuc has two nice trails going up. The Uncanoonuc Nature Trail is a mile-long trail that starts by Uncanoonuc Lake. It runs through a lovely evergreen forest that is peaceful and left undeveloped, not preparing you for the destruction at the top. The trail continues along the summit road until the summit, with its antennas. There is a more challenging and steeper trail that follows the route of an old cable car.



19. Big Bickford  kichigin19/stock.adobe.com



Big Bickford Mountain is a 3,255-foot-high mountain in Grafton County, New Hampshire. The closest peaks are Scarface Mountain, Priest Hill, and Flat Top Mountain. Hiking up to the summit means bushwhacking through open woods until you get to the few hundred feet of ledges covered in pines, spruce, and oak and open vistas to the east and north. There are no really defined trails, but because the mountain is fairly small, as long as you keep going up you will reach the summit. The trailhead is about a half a mile north from the parking lot for the Skookumchuck Trail. From there, continue on a snow mobile road.

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20 of the Most Beautiful Mountains in New Hampshire

Green Mountain, Effingham

Green Mountain is a 1,907-foot-high mountain located near Effingham, New Hampshire. It is part of the Green Mountain State Forest and has a semi-active fire watchtower at the summit, your best chance for a nice view since there are no clear views from the ground. The most popular trail to the summit is the High Watch, a 3-mile round-trip hike with 1,200 feet of elevation gain. While fairly pleasant and not too steep, it is eroded in places and, besides wildflowers along the trail, there are no views except from the tower. The Dearborn Trail from the southeast is a little longer but goes through wonderful hardwood forests and has some ledges at higher elevation.

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Dancing with death

Gyrating and jumping with gay abandon to blaring music can be an annoyance, but thats not out of step with the times  its what young people generally do, and theres no point getting flustered about it, one would say.

But when a crowd of motorbike backpackers do it in the middle of the Ma Pi Leng Pass in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang, forcing traffic to nervously avoid them, tensions can run high, as the revelry is happening at 1,500 metres above sea level on a dangerously winding road with a lot of blind spots.

But there are some facts that we cannot be blind to: 1) Road accidents kill approximately 14,000 people in the country each year (WHO figures); 2) Road accidents are the leading cause of death among those aged between 15 and 29 years. Senior officials have called traffic accidents a long-standing pandemic, given its high death toll.

A video of the dancing youth that is making its rounds of the social media has drawn its due share of brickbats, and one can only hope that they do not run into heads that are thick as a brick.

A twisted head turner

Helmets are mandatory for those driving or riding pillion on motorbikes in Viet Nam, but some high school students in downtown Ha Noi are continuing to wear them in their classrooms.

Have they taken a safety lesson so much to heart that theyve lost their heads over it?

Neither. Some students of the Tran Nhan Tong High School are wearing the helmets to protect themselves against cement chunks that tend to fall off their classroom ceiling.

The municipal Education Department has rated the conditions in a majority of the schools classrooms as unsafe, citing big cracks.

About two weeks ago, several kilogrammes of cement together with a lamp fell down on a teachers seat in a classroom. Luckily, this happened during a weekend so no one was hurt.

A plan to construct new classrooms has been approved, but remains on paper due to funding shortages.

It is difficult to get ones head around how this has been allowed to happen. May wiser heads prevail and remove a problem that students and teachers need like a hole in their head.

In stitches over stitches

Last weekend, a 34-year-old resident of Quoc Oai District of Ha Noi suffering from a deep cut on his right palm was prescribed stitches by doctors at the Thach That General Hospital.

It might have been an unkind cut, but the patient posted a photograph of the prescription online, asking for help in finding the organ that the doctors wanted stitched  female genitalia.

While it had readers in stitches, a red-faced hospital director admitted the mistake, blaming it on a nurse mixing up patient information during inputs. So it was not quite what the doctor had ordered, the official said.

The official also expressed surprise that the photo went online despite the prescription being withdrawn as soon as the error was spotted. In this digital age, there are times that a stitch in time may not save nine. VNS
HA NOI  The 6th Vietnam International Bicycle Exhibition (Vietnam Cycle 2017) will be held in Ha Noi, with the participation of renowned brands such as Bianchi, Peugeot, Merida and Takuda.

Several modern and youthful products will also be on display.

The event will take place at the Hanoi International Exhibition Centre on Tran Hung ao Street from November 16 to 19.

The 150-booth exhibition is expected to attract 50 major manufacturers from France, Italy, Japan and the Republic of Korea, as well as China and Viet Nam.

Organisers noted that the event will boost the trend of riding bicycles and promote green energy in Viet Nam, especially in major cities.

It is also an opportunity for Vietnamese manufacturers to develop trade links and seek domestic and international partners and distributors while enhancing brand identification and connecting enterprises and Vietnamese customers.

In addition, there will be significant activities on the sidelines of the event, including a seminar on bicycles and electric bicycles hosted by the National Traffic Safety Committee, in which the committee will answer inquiries of enterprises about urban planning for transportation and procedures for import and registration for vehicles; bicycle fashion show; creative photo corner with bikes; and a playground to experience new cars.

Vietnam Cycle 2017 is considered a highlight of the bicycle industry and is expected to attract some 15,000 visitors.

The event is organised by Vinexad and the Vietnam Auto Motorcycle and Bicycle Association under the patronage of the Ministry of Industry and Trade in collaboration with the National Traffic Safety Committee.

Last year, the event drew 10,000 foreign and domestic visitors. Over 400 bicycles were sold and 47 contracts were signed during the exhibition.  VNS
HCM CITY  The cashew industry has achieved impressive growth in the past years with increasing exports, but unfavourable weather due to the impact of climate change and an increase of diseases and pests threaten its continued development, delegates told a seminar in HCM City last Saturday.

Le Van uc, deputy director of the Crop Production Department, said Viet Nams average cashew output last year was 10.8 quintals per hectare, a reduction of 16.67 per cent from 2015 due to lower rainfall than the previous year, which caused severe drought at the blossom period of cashew trees.

This year, average output reduced further to only 7.55 quintals per ha, mainly due to unseasonal rains occurring at the blossom period of the trees, he said.

Unseasonal rains had seriously affected the pollination of the trees and at the same time created ideal conditions for diseases, such as colletotrichum gloeosporioides and pests such as helopeltis theivora, to develop on young buds and fruits, affecting the trees productivity and quality, he said.

In Binh Phuoc Province, the countrys largest cashew cultivation area, its productivity in 82,893 ha out of a total of 173,920 ha under cashew cultivation fell this year mainly due to insects.

Le Thi Anh Tuyet, director of the Agriculture Extension Centre of Binh Phuoc Province, said since last month the province has established technical teams to help farmers, especially the poor and ethnic minority, in the six main cashew cultivation districts to control pests, as well as instruct them to identify diseases and pests on cashew.

The move aims to limit a further productivity drop in the next crop, but if it continues raining, it will be hard to combat the insects, she said.

Similarly, Nguyen Thi Tuyet from the Lam ong Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said the province has 29,688 ha under cashew cultivation, with average productivity at only 2.8 quintals per ha this year compared to 8.8 quintals per ha last year.

Tuyet said 90 per cent of the provinces cashew cultivation area was affected by insects, while 27,834 ha was infected by colletotrichum gloeosporioides disease, causing the provinces total productivity to fall by 62.8 per cent from last year.

The diseases have gotten under control now and the trees are in the process of recovery, she said.

At the seminar, representatives from other provinces, including ong Nai and Binh Thuan, also reported the current situation of cashew farming in their localities as well as suggested measures to recover disease-infected cashew farms.

uc said aged cashew trees and a lack of investment in nurturing new trees were among other reasons that led to low productivity, and the local cashew industry planned to replant 45,000 ha and transplant 15,000 ha of cashew farms in Binh Phuoc, ong Nai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Gia Lai and Binh inh by 2020.

The sector also plans to enhance intensive farming in the coming years since reality proved that applying intensive farming techniques will push up cashew productivity by 24-63 per cent, and at the same time, help cashew farms adapt to climate change as well as limit the impact of unseasonal rains.

Tuyet of Lam ong Province said the province has set a target to replant or transplant 8,880 ha of cashew trees by 2020 in an effort to raise the provinces average cashew productivity to 12 quintals per ha by then.

She, as well as other delegates, suggested that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development direct research institutes and centres to develop new seedlings that have high productivity and quality and are resistant to diseases and adaptive to climate changes.

The agricultural sector needed to re-evaluate the efficiency of cashew transplanting models to make a suitable recommendation for localities (expanding the model or temporarily stopping it to shift the focus to replanting new trees), she said.

Localities also suggested the Crop Production Department come up with a cashew farming technique package that is suitable to the current situation of climate change.

Many cashew farmers also shared their farming experiences that helped them secure productivity amid unfavourable weather and diseases.

At the seminar, 89 cashew farmers in Binh Phuoc, ong Nai, Lam ong, Binh Thuan and Ba Ria-Vung Tau were awarded certificates of merits for their outstanding achievement in cashew production by the Viet Nam Cashew Association.

Viet Nam has 301,738 ha under cashew cultivation this year, yielding 241,363 tonnes, a reduction of 94,906 tonnes over last year.  VNS
HA NOI  The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) has proposed the Government to shift one conditional business line, eliminate 36 business investment conditions and amend 15 conditions required for individuals in enterprises, accounting for 44.78 per cent of business conditions under the management of this ministry.

Following the Governments guidance on simplifying administrative procedures and business investment conditions, MoNRE has submitted a proposal to the Government Office and the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) on reviewing and reducing business conditions.

Currently, MoNRE has 18 conditional business lines within the Ministrys State management scope with 163 business investment conditions.

The Ministry has proposed to shift the conditional business lines to transport of dangerous goods, including hazardous substances and contaminated substances under management of MoNRE with 22 business conditions.

According to MoNRE, currently, the transport of dangerous goods involves the State management of many ministries and departments, for example, chemical management, fire and explosion prevention and environment. To avoid overlapping management functions and to reduce administrative expenses for organisations and individuals when they are carrying out administrative procedures for dealing with dangerous goods, they shall only have to carry them out at a specialised management ministry in charge of granting permits for the transport of dangerous goods.

The specialised regulators only regulate the standards and will participate in the licensing process of the ministry which is responsible for the licensing of transporting dangerous goods.

In addition, MoNRE proposed to cut 36 business investment conditions, including seven conditions of land, six environmental conditions, six conditions of geological and mineral issues, 15 conditions on water resources, one mapping condition and one condition in the field of hydro-meteorology.

The Ministry also asked for the modification of 15 conditions required for individuals and enterprises must ensure the conditions of experiences and working time in the direction of creating favorable conditions for enterprises to select different ways to prove their eligibility for experience and professionalism.

Specifically, the land field with two conditions, the geological and mineral field has one condition, the water resources sector has 11 conditions and one condition of hydro-meteorology.

These modifications focuses on abolishing the business conditions such as conditions requiring individuals working for organisations or enterprises to have insurance, labour contracts, labour protection, possession of specialised equipment, machinery and equipment; or the organisation must have headquarters within a specific area, owning the minimum number of qualified people to undertake the work, especially eliminating conditions related to permits, such as hazardous waste treatment certificates.

According to the MoNRE, with these changes, individuals and enterprises will be facilitated to carry out procedures related to the natural resources and environment sector.  VNS
HA NOI  Khaisilk, once regarded as Viet Nams hi-end silk brand, is facing a series of investigations following a "Made-in-China" scandal.

Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh said relevant documents had been transferred to the police.

Anh, on Monday, chaired a meeting with relevant agencies on checks and ways to resolve violations by selling "Made-in-China" products under the Vietnamese trademark.

Polices will launch a criminal probe into Khaisilk after an inspection last week uncovered products that were made in China at one of the brands Ha Noi outlets on 113 Hang Gai Street, Hoan Kiem District.

In addition, a joint task force will be set up with the participation of police, customs, tax offices, the Viet Nam Textile and Apparel Association, and the Viet Nam Standards and Consumers Association, which will launch an independent probe into allegations against the brand.

It will also ask the Peoples Committee of Ha Noi and HCM City to instruct relevant agencies to co-operate with the task force to clarify violations of Khaisilk Group, Khai uc Joint Stock Company and its branch on 113 Hang Gai Street.

The Department of Market Watch will collect information related to the scandal.

The scandal came to light on October 23 when a business in Ha Noi posted on Facebook a complaint about products it had bought from the brand saying they were actually made in China.

According to the post, the company bought 60 Khaisilk-branded scarves in the Hang Gai shop for VN644,000 (US$28) each. However, one scarf had two tags - Khaisilk Made in Viet Nam and Made in China.

The company said it checked the rest of the scarves and found signs that Made in China tags had been removed.

Group chairman Hoang Khai, the brands owner, later admitted in an interview with online newspaper zing.vn that half of the silk used by Khaisilk came from China, while the rest came from Vietnamese craft villages. However, he was adamant that his company always used high-quality material.

Khai shared that in the 1990s, Viet Nams silk artisan villages couldnt produce enough raw material for his brand, so he had to begin sourcing it from China and selling items with a Made in Viet Nam tag.

The scandal may bring down the brand as local consumers are urging a complete boycott.

Khaisilk is a well-known high-end brand with a history of over 30 years, famous for its supposedly high-quality "Made in Viet Nam" products.

Earlier on the same day, chairman of HCM City Nguyen Thanh Phong also asked relevant agencies to clarify the violation which could affect tourism as Khaisilk has three shops in the city.

All Khaisilk shops in Ha Noi and HCM City have been shut down following the scandal.  VNS
HA NOI  The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has announced that it is launching an investigation into certain copper pipe fittings originating in or exported from Viet Nam.

The agency will investigate whether these are being sold at unfair prices in Canada and whether subsidies are being applied to certain copper pipe fittings originating in or exported from Viet Nam, the agency announced on its website.

The CBSA said that the investigations are the result of a complaint filed by Cello Products Inc (Cello) of Cambridge, Ontario. The complainant alleges that as a result of price undercutting from Viet Nam, Cello faces loss in sales and market share, resulting in negative financial results, reduced production and employment.

According to the Viet Nam Competition Authority under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Viet Nams copper pipe fittings under the investigation are coded 7412.10.00.11, 7412.10.00.19, 7412.10.00.90 and 7412.20.00.11, as well as 7412.20.00.12, 7412.20.00.19 and 7412.20.00.90. The investigation period is from January 1, 2016 to August 31, 2017.

The CBSA and the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) will both play a role in the investigations.

The CBSA announced that Viet Nams copper pipe fittings exporters and the Vietnamese government can send responses to CBSAs request for information on December 4, 2017.

The CITT will begin a preliminary inquiry to determine whether the imports are harming Canadian producers and will issue a decision by December 27, 2017.

Concurrently, the CBSA will investigate whether the imports are being sold in Canada at unfair and/or subsidised prices, and will make a preliminary decision by January 25, 2018.

By noon of March 19, 2018, the CBSA will receive case arguments due from all parties.

A copy of the Statement of Reasons, which provides more details about these investigations, will be available on the CBSAs website, www.cbsa.gc.ca/sima-lmsi, within 15 days.

Currently, there are 98 special import measures in force in Canada, covering a wide variety of industrial and consumer products, from steel products to refined sugar. Of note, there are currently special import measures in place since June 2006 on copper pipe fittings from the United States, the Republic of Korea and China.

Copper pipe fittings are used to connect copper pipes, tubes or other copper pipe fittings to one another. The fittings can also be used to connect copper tubing to other metal systems by use of threaded fittings. Copper pipe fittings can be used in heating, plumbing, air conditioning and refrigeration applications.  VNS
Dr Bui Sy Loi Vice-chairman of the National Assembly Committee on Social Affairs.  Photo vietnamnet

Dr Bui Sy Loi, Vice-chairman of the National Assembly Committee on Social Affairs, spoke to the newspaper The gioi & Viet Nam (World & Viet Nam Affairs) on what Viet Nam should do to make the best use of its ageing population.

How do you respond to a study by the IMF saying that Asian countries, particularly those with average incomes, will face a lot of difficulties in coping with their fast growing aged population?

I cant agree more and Viet Nam is no exception. In my opinion, if Viet Nam has failed to utilise the advantages of its golden population.

Quite a few Asian nations, including South Korea, China and Japan, have adopted special policies to cope with the issue. For example, China has switched its family planning model to a population and development programme. In Japan, instead of sending their elderly people to age home centres, now many families now give them care in their own homes.

The Singapore Government has adopted a policy to financially assist the elderly buy apartments close to their children. In addition, it has also extended financial support to young couples to find apartments close to their parents. Generally speaking, many countries have tried to make the best use of the golden age population in the course of sustainable development.

What are the challenges and opportunities presented to Viet Nam by the fast growing of the golden age population?

In 2016, Viet Nams population was about 93 million. The average longevity of Vietnamese people is 73.4 (for men, it is 70.8 and women,s 76.1 years).

Viet Nam is one of the most rapidly ageing nations in the world. In 2011, about 10.2 per cent of its population were above 60 years old. It is projected that by 2038, people aged from 60 upwards will account for about 20.1 per cent of the population. The figure is expected to rise to 26 per cent by 2050.

For the Vietnamese elderly, communicable diseases and chronic diseases are the concern. A recent study shows that the average annual medical cost for old people is between seven and eight times higher than that for a child.

It is undeniable that health risks of the elderly multiply with age. The challenge is for the country to adopt various approaches concerning healthcare policy and the retirement age. All in all, we need a good social environment and understanding between people from different generations.

What should Viet Nam do to respond to its fast growing age population?

In my opinion, a key issue in the population activities is to do two things at the same time  improve population quality while maintaining the balance in the Total Fertility Rate (TFR).

To achieve that goal, in my opinion, Viet Nam should do five things;

First, preventive medicines and gender balance should be given special attention;

Second, healthcare should be prioritised through mass communication and education programmes;

Third, social security network should be spread nationwide and its financial investment should tally with national economic development and growth;

Fourth, tapping the best use of the expertie old people , this is a foundation to calculate their pension when they retire.

Fifth, having a good plan to give the best care, materially and spiritually, to the elderly

And finally all policies relating to the elderly should be reflected in the law.

What lessons has Viet Nam learned from other countries?

Population quality and development are the two faces of a coin. The population is both the target and the motivation for the national development.

For our country, in my opinion, now we should pay more attention to the quality of the population than its quantity. In other words, instead of focusing on the work of family planning, we should focus on adopting a comprehensive plan which covers the scope, structure, distribution and quality of the population.

It is time for Viet Nam to adopt a multi-dimensional approach. Any adjustments in its policies on population and development should be analysed carefully.  VNS
BEIJING  General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping received in Beijing on Monday Hoang Binh Quan, head of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV) Central Committees Commission for External Relations and special envoy of the Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Quan conveyed the Vietnamese Party chiefs congratulations to Xi on the success of the CPCs 19th Congress and his re-election as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee (19th tenure), and expressed the wish that both sides would strive to further develop traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries.

The Party, State and people of Viet Nam are delighted at the success of the CPCs 19th Congress, he said.

The Vietnamese official expressed his belief that under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi as a nucleus, the Party, State and people of China would successfully achieve goals set by the 19th Congress and reap greater achievements in the cause of building and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, he said.

Quan affirmed that the Party and State of Viet Nam always treasured the development of neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation with the CPC and State of China, wishing that both sides would partner to realise common perceptions reached by the two Parties and countries leaders.

Viet Nam would appreciate and welcome the upcoming State visit to Viet Nam by General Secretary Xi and his attendance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Meeting 2017, contributing to further deepening Viet Nam-China relations, he said.

Xi, for his part, said the CPC and himself always highly valued ties with Viet Nam and wished to propel relations between the two Parties and countries forward.

He expressed his support to Viet Nams hosting of the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting 2017 and conveyed his regards to the Vietnamese Party chief and other Party and State leaders.

Earlier, Quan held talks with head of the CPC Central Committees International Liaison Department Song Tao, during which Song affirmed that China consistently pursues the policy of developing peace and the goal of basically modernising socialism by 2035 and building a modern socialist nation that is prosperous, strong, democratic, civilised, harmonious and beautiful by the mid-21st century.  VNS
Today many ethnic minority women from the Van Kieu and Pa Ko communities living in the mountainous commune of Hai Phuc in akrong District are growing cay xa (lemongrass) under Le Hues guidance.  Photo danviet.vn

QUANG BINH  Le Hue was born in poverty-stricken An Xa Village in Quang Tri Province.

He studied well at school, and was able to get admitted to the a Nang University. After he graduated with a bachelors degree in construction engineering, he found work with the Institute of Research and Handicraft Development.

He had done well for himself. However, about three years of working, he quit his job and returned to his native place to engage in farming.

His mother, relatives and friends opposed the decision, arguing that giving up a stable job would not be good for his career, but Hue was determined.

It was not a naive decision.

While working at the research institute (2013- 2015) he had joined foreign-invested hi-tech agriculture projects carried out in ethnic minority areas of aKrong (Quang Tri Province) and Tay Giang (Quang Nam Province) districts.

The projects, funded by the Netherlands, Germany, and China, helped about 1,000 ethnic minority women earn more money and improve their lives.

On a working visit to the northern provinces of Ninh Binh, Lao Cai and Nghe An, he found local farmers reaping handsome gains by growing herbs.

It made him wonder if this success could be replicated back home in Quang Tri, where there was a lot of land but harsh climatic conditions.

"I only thought that what other people can do, my villagers can do, too. So I learnt the techniques of growing lemongrass and making essential oils.

To make sure he learned the right things, he spoke directly to agricultural experts. He was motivated and encouraged by them to cultivate herbs, especially lemongrass.

Lemongrass is a valuable herb with many uses. It is used in cooking, and its essential oil is used by the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. It was also a product with high export potential.

However, when Hue spoke about cultivating this herb, he met opposition from his family, especially his mother, who felt it was best that he persisted with good job and stable salary of several million ong. No one in the province had done anything like that, she pointed out.

However, Hues mind was made up. Towards the end of 2015, he resigned from the research institute and borrowed VN200 million from family, relatives and friends to rent a 5ha plot in Cam Lo Town to grow lemongrass.

He signed a product consumption agreement with a co-operative in Ninh Binh Province, collected and purchased stalks from local households.

"When I began planting the stalks, many local people shook their heads and worried about my job. Sometimes, someone would call and ask: Are the shrubs still alive?

Alongside growing the herb, he had to raise more money to buy two distilleries costing VN150 milion each.

But the care he took of the shrubs ensured that they had high oil content, and would earn a stable income. In 2016 alone, he harvested four crops and distilled 1,500 liters of oil, earning VN400 million.

On average, I can earn a profit of VN80 million from a hectare of lemongrass, he said. He also began intercropping, planting hundreds of guava, mango and lemon trees, and the fruit trees yielded an extra income of VN40 million per year. There was another added benefit.

"Lemongrass keeps harmful insects away, so the fruit grower doesnt need to spray insecticides," Hue said.

Export orders

Hue visited many areas in the country growing herbs as he looked for consumption markets, and he was able to get several export orders for a thousand litres of essential oils per month.

He invited villagers to his farm so that they could see the whole process, from growing lemongrass to making the oil.

He also assisted many households with fertilizers and stalks, guided them on cultivation and processing, and signed contracts to purchase products.

Hue said the best time to grow lemongrass was September. At an average of 40,000 shrubs per hectare. Each hectare yields up to 100 tonnes of raw material per year, which can be turned into 300 liters of essential oil worth VN180 million.

In akrong District, farmers have planted more than 25ha of lemongrass while Gio Linh District has dedicated 30ha to the herb.

Today many ethnic minority women from the Van Kieu and Pa Ko communities living in the mountainous commune of Hai Phuc in akrong District, about 50km from ong Ha City, are growing cay xa (lemongrass) under Le Hues guidance.

One woman said that in the past, the Van Kieu and Pa Ko suffered great poverty, but cultivating herbs like lemongrass has improved their living standards now.

Hue has expanded his business, producing 2,500 litres of tea tree (cay tram) oil last year, earning VN1.5 billion. .

His farm has created permanent jobs for 50 people and provides seasonal work to 100 others. Hue plans to process aromatherapy oils from other herbs and set up a website to introduce his products.  VNS
HCM CITY  The University of Economics HCM City (UEH) has announced financial rewards to promote academic research and international publications.

The new policy has been issued as only 15 per cent of the universitys lecturers take part in research and international publishing activities.

The value of rewards range from VN30 million (US$1,320) to VN200 million ($8,800), with the highest level applied to Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) publications with an impact factor (IF) of more than two points.

ISI is a prestige bibliographic database of thousands of academic journals. This database allows researchers to identify frequently cited articles and who has cited them. The IF of an academic journal is a measure indicating the average number of citations of articles published in the journal in a year. The higher the IF, the more important a journal is considered to be.

The rewards will be granted till the end of 2020.

Moreover, the university will support each piece of research with VN10 million ($440) in bidding for State-level and the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development (NAFOSTED) projects, or with VN35 million ($1,540) if it is not approved and transferred to the university-level project.

UEH also plans to establish specialised or interdisciplinary research groups, to invest in facilities and connect research groups with national and international scientific organisations. Research groups with outstanding operation activities can receive rewards of VN35 million ($1540) a year.

Following these efforts, UEH will accelerate conferences on international publications based in several fields, including Finance  Banking, Business Administration  Trade, Law, Information Technology  Mathematics, etc., with experienced lecturers and ISI/Scopus magazines editors-in-chief as guest speakers.

A low rate of international scientific publications is not uncommon among Viet Nams educational and scientific institutions. According to Web of Science, an online subscription-based scientific citation index service managed by ISI, from 2011 to 2015, Viet Nam had more than 15,000 publications in the ISI category with the growth rate of 17 per cent a year. However, this number is still small in comparison with other regional countries, such as Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.  VNS
A NANG  The central city of a Nang rushed to complete a traffic-easing tunnel project at one of the citys busiest roundabouts before the APEC Summit begins on November 5.

Work on the tunnel at the junction of ien Bien Phu, Nguyen Tri Phuong and Le o streets began 11 months ago, according to the citys managing board of Priority Infrastructure Projects. The VN220 billion (US$9.77 million) road tunnel project, part of the citys World Bank-funded sustainable development project, will replace the current ground-level intersection with a system of 160m-long open air tunnels and 80m underground tunnels. It is now technically complete, though not yet open to traffic. There will be two lanes for Bus Rapid Transit along with another two lanes for other vehicles.

Its the citys second such road project after a tunnel at the West Han River bank traffic intersection commenced construction last October, and one of the key projects in the citys strategy to promote public transport and a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network.

Nguyen Huu Tuan, deputy general director of Thuan An construction and trading joint-stock company, a contractor of the project, said the tunnels opening was timed to coincide with the APEC Summit, which the city is hosting for the first time.

We have completed the technical inspection before opening for traffic. We revved up the construction schedule to complete the project in time before the APEC Summit, Tuan said.

We had some items delays, but labourers worked through the nights to finish the tunnel early, Tuan said.

The city also plans to build a metro, tramway, and underground and sky train between 2020 and 2030.

With a population of one million, a Nangs current public transit system is not meeting the needs of local residents. Only 1 per cent of the 2.5 million daily journeys in the city are made by public transport.

a Nang, the third largest city in Viet Nam, has invested in urban development to become the largest city in the central region and a green city by 2025, with funds from the World Bank.

In 2013, the World Bank agreed to provide $202 million for a $272 million sustainable development project to help build the citys Bus Rapid Transit Network, lay new roads and revamp the drainage system.

The bank also funded a five-year priority infrastructure project for the city, by covering 70 per cent of the total cost of $218.4 million.  VNS
MEKONG DELTA  Cross-border smugglers are transporting goods from Cambodia to the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces by using boats during floods.

The wet season in southern Viet Nam has made the task of patrolling the border with Cambodia more difficult, especially during floods.

The most common smuggled goods are Thai sugar and foreign cigarettes like Hero and Jet brands.

Cigarettes are among the consumer goods that have attracted high taxes, including alcohol and beer.

Demand for sweet products was especially high during the end of year, and the price difference between Vietnamese sugar and Thai sugar contributed to an increase in smuggling activity.

The three hotspots for smuggling in the region are the provinces of An Giang, ong Thap and Kien Giang, all of which border Cambodia.

Smugglers often use high-speed boats to transport smuggled goods from Cambodia to provinces during night when it is too dark to identify the border line clearly.

When the goods cross the border line, smugglers hire locals as porters to transport the goods to residential areas.

Tobacco smugglers usually carry about 300 cigarette packages and travel in groups of two to five.

To receive tip-offs about police activity, the smugglers hire people to keep watch along smuggling routes.

Sugar smugglers have established fake companies, falsifying documents to make the product appear legal, and have repackaged the sugar with bags used for legal sugar.

In the third quarter of the year, the authorities uncovered 501 cases of smuggling, about 10 per cent more than the third quarter of last year.

The value of total smuggled goods was VN12 billion ($US 530,000), including more than 330,000 foreign cigarette packages and 210 tonnes of smuggled sugar, according to the An Giang Province Steering Committee 389.  VNS
HCM CITY  Many things can change in 27 years, but time hasnt changed teacher ang Thu Thaos charity class Phuoc Thien.

Thaos hair is white now, but her love for teaching is as vibrant as ever.

The teacher said it was fate that led her to found the charity class 27 years ago.

My house used to be in centre of Sai Gon and everything around was stable. Then when I moved to Nha Be District, many things changed, said Thao.

Many children living around Thaos house do not go to school, loitering in the area all day.

I asked for permission from the local authority to open a charity class for local children, as long as I could teach them knowledge for primary school only, and would send them to real school for junior secondary knowledge. And I received agreement, said Thao.

Everybody call Thaos class the illiteracy elimination one. Several old people asked to enter the class, but she had to turn them down to keep room for children.

Thao said that when she was young, she planned to get married. But her fiance had an accident and died after the engagement. Since then, she decided to live alone.

His death made me very sad. Several other men asked to marry me later, but I refused because Im afraid that a similar thing would happen, said Thao.

Students in the class.  VNS Photo Tran Nguyen Anh

Since then, Thao has devoted herself to the charity class.

She legally has adopted two children from the class, and sees others as her family members.

The childrens parents are very poor, and work informally. They bring their children to Thaos as they struggle to afford school fees.

Tan Quy Primary School has been built in Nha Be District, but many poor people still send their children to Thaos class.

The children often write about their love for the class when they graduate.

One wrote, Teacher Trang taught me grade four. She is severe, but thanks to her, we study well.

Thao uses her two-storey house for the Phuoc Thien class, and also set up a small restaurant and several rooms for rent.

The students do not have to pay any fees. Their uniforms and meals are also free while teachers salary is supported by funds from donors, said Thao.

Each teacher of the school is paid VN1.5 million (US$70) per month. Several poor teachers are supported with 10kg rice per month.

The schools expenses are extracted from funds that she could earned from the renting rooms and a small restaurant, according to teacher Thao.

Hoa, a former student of the Phuoc Thien School, is now a teacher here.  VNS Photo Tran Nguyen Anh

Second generation teachers

Overcoming many difficulties, the charity class has existed for nearly 30 years.

The charity class used to receive some help from local donors, but the main efforts are put by Thao and other teachers, who dig deep for essential supplies.

Statistics showed that in the 2016-17 school year, expenses for students uniforms were more than VN9 million (US$400), textbooks were VN11 million ($490), students meals were VN120 million ($5,300) and electricity and clean water were VN20 million ($890).

I spend all the money I have from the small restaurant and rooms for rents for the children. I do not dare to relax a day, she said.

Thao is happy when the students grow up and study in local junior secondary schools and perform well.

If any student has bad results, we are ready to teach them one more year. This will cost us some more, but I want that my students to have enough knowledge, said Thao.

One of her former students Thao is most proud of is Hoa, who has become a teacher at the school.

Hoa said, I find that students in the Phuoc Thien School are much harder working than the ones in other schools. It is the motivation for us to continue our work.  VNS
AK NONG  Clam shells and glass pieces were found in 34 tonnes of compost sold to farmers in ak RLap District, ak Nong Province.

The information was revealed by the Inspectorate of ak Nong Provinces Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The 34 tonnes of compost, reported to contain clam shells and glass pieces, were tested by the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development twice.

The department initially concluded the composts ingredients do not meet quality standards as registered on the products packaging.

However, the second test revealed that the products met the standard. The department then concluded that the compost, coded BM001 manufactured by Vietstar, is qualified in terms of ingredients stated on the packaging.

The compost was produced from unclassified domestic garbage of HCM City. The impurities cannot be totally eliminated in spite of several processes such as classifying, crushing and selecting, the department said.

In June 2017, farmer Nguyen The Vinh bought 20 packages of compost branded BM001, with each package containing 50kg, manufactured by Vietstar Joint Stock Company, based in HCM City, and distributed by Nam Long Company, based in Vinh Long City.

After using the compost to fertilise 800 pepper trees, Vinh found clam shells, broken glass pieces and other abnormally large impurities in the compost content.

The compost was also sold to two other local farmers.

Vietstar blamed the clam shells and glass pieces on technical failures due to holes in the impurity filter nets.

The three farmers who bought the compost have been compensated 50 per cent of the product value.

The department asked Vietstar to carefully inspect its manufacturing process and technology to eliminate most impurities in the compost before selling in the market to avoid a similar incident.

A leading official of the department said there is no regulation on how to fine companies manufacturing compost containing impurities, therefore no penalty was imposed on Vietstar.

According to the investigation, plants fertilised with this compost grow normally. There is no evidence to conclude the impact of compost on the trees.  VNS
HA NOI  By 2025 about 95 per cent of the Vietnamese population will be covered by the national health insurance, according to a target set by a resolution of the 6th Plenum of Communist Party of Viet Nam, which concluded on October 11.

The resolution states that by 2025 the life expectancy of the Vietnamese people will be about 74.5 years old, of which they will enjoy at least 67 years of healthy life. It also aims that by 2025, the direct health cost on each household will be 35 percent lower than the current cost.

By 2030, Viet Nam hopes to raise average longevity to 75 years old, with at least 68 years of healthy life.

Meanwhile by 2020 at least 95 per cent of children are expected to be vaccinated under the expanded national immunisation programme. The mortality rate among children under five years old will drop to 18.5 per 1,000 and for under one-year-olds to 12.5 per 1,000. The proportion of underweight children among those under five years old will be kept below 20 per cent, while the obesity rate among adolescents will be capped at 12 per cent.

The resolution aims that by 2020, 95 per cent of communal health centres, wards or towns will undertake the task of preventive medicine, health management and treatment of certain non-communicable diseases.

Viet Nam also sets the target that by 2025 there will be 30 hospital beds, 10 doctors and 25 nurses per 10,000 people and raise the percentage of peoples satisfaction with the public health service to over 80 percent. According to 2016 data, the country currently has 25 beds, 8.7 doctors and 14.1 nurses for each 10,000 people.

By 2030 the country aims to have 32 hospital beds; 11 health physicians; 3 pharmacists; and 33 nurses per 10,000 people.

By 2030 up to 95 per cent of the population will be covered by the National Expanded Immunisation Programme, with 14 types of vaccines. The mortality rate among children under 5 years old will be dropped to 15 per thousand and 10 per thousand for children under one year old. Last year, the figures were 21.6 and 14.6, respectively.

Viet Nam also aims that by 2030 the average height of Vietnamese youth will be 168.5 cm for males and 157.5 cm for females.

The country aims to eliminate the HIV and AIDS pandemic, TB and malaria by 2030.

By 2030, the percentage of people happy with the public health service will be over 90 percent.  VNS
HCM CITY  Doctors at HCM City Paediatrics Hospital 1 have performed surgery to remove a large tumour extending from the neck to the abdomen of a 20-day-old female infant.

Dr ao Trung Hieu, deputy head of the HCM City Paediatrics Hospital 1, said on Tuesday that the infant was brought to the hospital on October 6 from Tu Du Hospital in HCM City. She had a high fever and a tumour measuring 10cm x 10cm x 5cm in size.

After being admitted to the HCM City Paediatrics Hospital 1, the tumour began to swell and the babys fever had not abated.

A CAT scan showed that a vascular anomaly of veins and lymph vessels, a rare condition in infants, had caused the tumour. The tumour eventually grew to 15cm x 25cm x 10cm.

Initially, the hospitals doctors thought the surgery would be life-threatening as prolonged anesthesia can cause the body temperature to fall to a dangerous level.

The risk of uncontrolled bleeding during surgery could also be fatal, said Dr Hieu, adding that the motor nerves in the left arm could have been injured, possibly causing paralysis in the arm.

However, because of the seriousness of the case, on October 26, the doctors decided to perform the surgery, which lasted eight hours. They were able to successfully remove the tumour, which weighed one kilo.

The infant is now recovering in the hospitals intensive care unit. However, the tumour could return as several cysts were left after surgery, according to Dr Hieu. VNS
HCM CITY  A fire engulfed a store containing a large quantity of agricultural products owned by an individual company in central Binh inh Provinces An Nhon Township, an official said on Tuesday.

The site of the fire, which began at 2.30am, was 500m from the petrol station of the ai Tin Ltd Co, which also owned the burning store that mainly contained wheat flour.

Pham inh Trung, deputy director of the provincial Firefighting and Prevention Police, said nine fire trucks and 100 firefighters were mobilised to extinguish the fire.

By 10.30am, excavators were mobilised to the scene to remove some equipment and goods from the workshop. Meanwhile, firefighters also continued to spray water to put out the fire.

Le Van Be, director of the ai Tin Ltd Co, said the fire was first noticed by some night-shift workers. Subsequently, all the labourers were called to put out the fire, but it spread too quickly.

The company detected the fire in the warehouse centre. The company mobilised workers to put out the fire, meanwhile calls were made to the provincial firefighting police for timely support, he said.

Apart from the provincial police, local firefighting forces from Tay Son District, An Nhon Town and the Phu Tai industrial zone also lent a helping hand.

Be said 200 tonnes of goods and equipment were destroyed, including wheat flour, agricultural machines and timber doors, with damage estimated at some VN2 billion.

There were no reports of injuries in the blaze.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.  VNS
WATERLOO - The Supervisors Club on Dewitt Road, a club for John Deere employees operated independently from Deere, is closing at the end of this year due to declining membership.

"The Supervisors Club has evaluated its business and has determined closing the business is the proper direction," club president Paul Holst said in a prepared statement. "Well work with employees, members and suppliers to ensure a smooth transition. As to the future of the facility, the club will be working with John Deere on next steps." Holst noted the club is on Deere property.

"Everyone's sad to see it go," Holst said, particularly retirees, but membership has declined over the years, as has been the case with other private clubs locally. "There's an understanding that the times are changing."

Bookings will be honored through year's end, Holst said. The facility has been a popular location to rent out over the years for weddings, class reunions and other special events, but the declining membership was the main factor in the closing.

The club's website noted it has been in existence for 75 years, according to its website. In 1950, the club opened a location on what is now University Avenue, then U.S. Highway 218, on land between Waterloo and Cedar Falls. It was used by the local Red Cross as a headquarters for flood relief operations on the city during the flood in the spring of 1951, headed by then-Red Cross disaster chairman Glenn Stech, later Waterloo mayor.

The Highway 218 location was eventually acquired by the state of Iowa when the road was widened to six lanes for the creation of University Avenue in 1969-70. After that, the club moved to its present location on Dewitt Road, off Ridgeway Avenue near the Deere Engine Works.

Courier files show that, in addition to numerous special events the club hosted a chorus of Deere employees called the "Mellodeeres," pool and bridge tournaments over the years in addition to community events, and Deere guest speakers, in addition to dinner and holiday parties.
WATERLOO  Two Waterloo residents have been arrested in connection with a trailer full of equipment that was stolen from a Hudson business.

Black Hawk County sheriffs deputies arrested John Henry Wessels, 52, of 1646 Forest Ave., on Monday for one count of second-degree theft. Kurt Charles Dilts, 52, of 373 Nevada St., was arrested on Saturday for two counts of second-degree theft.

They were both released from the Black Hawk County Jail.

According to court records, deputies were investigating the theft of a trailer from Gearhead Industries, 650 Fifth St., Hudson, when they searched Dilts auto repair shop on Nevada Street in Waterloo on Oct. 19. Authorities didnt locate the trailer, but they found about $2,000 worth of automobile parts, horns and other items from Gearhead.

Also found at the Nevada Street shop was a repainted tow dolly with the serial numbers ground off, court records state. The dolly was valued at $1,200 and is believed to have been taken from Budget Truck Rental in Waterloo on Oct. 14, records state.

The trailer was found on Oct. 19 in an alley behind Wessels Forest Avenue home. According to court records, Wessels was spray painting the trailer another color, and the trailers license plate was found in Wessels' garage.
DES MOINES--- AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa  the Medicaid insurer with the largest concentration of the states special-needs population  will withdraw from the Medicaid program that covers one in four Iowans at the end of November, officials announced Tuesday.

The Department of Human Services is searching for a replacement, DHS Director Jerry Foxhoven said during a news conference in Des Moines. A new insurer should be available July 1.

It isnt a shock that we would lose one. ... This has happened elsewhere. Were not the first state to have MCOs decide they didnt want to move forward with it and we wont be the last, Im sure," Foxhoven said.

I dont think well have any problem finding another company to replace.

Foxhoven said the state is working with the insurers to achieve high-quality, cost-effective health care while ensuring sustainability to the program and state budget. To do that, the state has produced strong oversight expectations, he said.

I think its indicative of were doing really continuous improvement, Foxhoven said. Were trying to make this program as strong and robust as we can possibly make it. From time to time, that will mean a company may leave or enter. I dont think thats a challenge to the program.

If anything, I think its a good thing because I think if you didnt see any changes it would mean that were not holding anybody accountable or were not expecting any improvements.

The more than 213,000 Iowans enrolled with AmeriHealth will be reassigned to the remaining two Medicaid insurers  Amerigroup Iowa and UnitedHealthcare of the River Valley  both of which re-signed contracts with the state of Iowa.

The state has agreed to raise the managed-care organizations capitation rates  the per-member per-month fees  by 3.3 percent. Foxhoven said the state agency will not need to ask the Legislature for additional appropriations, noting the current budget will cover the increase.

This is a very small increase when compared to other national trends and insurance carriers who are seeking a 57 percent increase, he said, referring to Minnesota-based Medica.

Medica is the only insurer selling individual plans statewide on the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

DHS has developed a comprehensive transition plan and will closely monitor patients as they transition from one insurer to another. AmeriHealth enrollees will start coverage with their new insurer on Dec. 1, however, families have until March 1 to change insurers.

DHS officials said this is to ensure there is no gap in coverage or access to care.

Members can see a doctor as they normally would, and they should watch their mail and our website for more details as it becomes available, said DHS Deputy Director and Acting Medicaid Director Mikki Stier in a news release.

My heart is sinking

But it may not be as simple as that for all AmeriHealth enrollees.

We are at 99.5 percent of clients and business being with AmeriHealth, said Marilyn Althoff, executive director of Hills and Dales, a Dubuque-based intermediate care facility. We are really in a lurch on transitioning.

Hills and Dales provides 24-hour care to nearly 50 medically fragile children and young adults who live there. The children have intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities or autism.

Its not as simple as changing a family doctor, she said. Its very complex  they have complex pharmaceutical needs, therapy needs, durable medical equipment needs.

And because the doctors group in Dubuque chose to sign only with AmeriHealth Caritas, Hills and Dales had to work with each of the 50 families to get the children switched over to that insurer.

My heart is sinking right now thinking what were going to have to go through again, she said.

AmeriHealth said it chose to withdraw from the state Medicaid program after months of negotiations yielded no agreement on contract rates and terms, adding it will now focus on working collaboratively with Iowa to provide a seamless transition.

We wish the state of Iowa well as it continues this important program, said Regional President of AmeriHealth Caritas Russell Gianforcaro in a statement.

Financial challenges

All three private insurers saw large financial losses  more than $500 million collectively  during their first year of operation in Iowa, but AmeriHealth by far saw the largest. The company lost nearly $300 million, while Amerigroup reported a loss of $133 million and UnitedHealthcare said it lost more than $100 million.

AmeriHealth lost another $65 million as of June 2017, according to Iowa Insurance Division financial disclosures.

To help deal with the losses, AmeriHealth announced a series of changes in early 2017 to better control costs, including moving case management services in-house and cutting reimbursement rates to home and community based services providers.

AmeriHealth has the highest number of Medicaid enrollees, with more than 213,000 beneficiaries compared with Amerigroup Iowas 187,000 and UnitedHealthcares 167,000, according to the most recent DHS quarterly report.

The insurer also has the biggest share of the states special-needs population  with more than 23,300 beneficiaries receiving long-term services and supports, compared with Amerigroups 7,700 and UnitedHealthcares 6,500.

Long-term enrollees include elderly Medicaid beneficiaries as well as those with disabilities receiving waiver services.

Iowa Democrats said Tuesdays announcement proves the decision to move to Medicaid managed care in 2016 was a mistake. A chorus of state senators, representatives and candidates for governor said the move has been a bad one for patients and providers, adding its time to reevaluate the system.

For too long, Gov. (Kim) Reynolds and Republican legislators have been telling Iowans that the privatized Medicaid experiment was a huge success. Thats nonsense, said Sen. Janet Petersen, D-Des Moines, and the Senate Democratic Leader. The best advice for Gov. Reynolds and legislative Republicans is this: Youve dug yourself into a hole. You need to stop digging.
DES MOINES  A Polk County judge has upheld the constitutionality of Iowas revamped collective bargaining law, rejecting in a ruling Monday a unions contention its members do not receive equal treatment under changes adopted by the GOP-controlled Legislature and signed into law last February by former Gov. Terry Branstad.

In his 23-page ruling, District Judge Arthur Gamble dismissed a challenge brought by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 61, ruling that the Legislature had a credible basis for crafting House File 291 in a way that treated some classes of public safety employees differently.

There is a rational basis for this legislative classification, Gamble ruled. The presumption of constitutionality prevails.

The union, which represents about 40,000 public workers, sued the state over the new law, which significantly reduced the benefits for which many public employees can collectively bargain. The union asserted the law creates separate classes of public employees by removing collective bargaining elements for some, like university police and correctional officers, but not for others, like state troopers and first responders.

Notably, the new law provides that bargaining units with at least 30 percent of their members classified as public safety employees are able to negotiate wages and benefits, such as health insurance, while other public sector bargaining units are limited only to negotiate base wages.

AFSCME argued the provision is a violation of equal protection, but Gamble said the court does not find this classification to be palpably arbitrary or irrational.

The relationship of the legislative classification to its public purpose is a matter of legislative line-drawing, the judge wrote. While the 30 percent threshold for public safety employees creates some degree of over-inclusion and under-inclusion, Gamble noted, the Legislature is entitled to act within a reasonable range of rational alternatives. The court cannot find extreme degrees of over-inclusion and under-inclusion in relation to the goal of this legislation.

Attorneys representing the state argued the Iowa law, modeled after Wisconsins 2011 collective bargaining changes that withstood similar legal challenges, preserved Iowas existing strike prohibitions while providing a rational concern about the availability of public safety officers to deal with a natural disaster, terrorist attack or other large scale emergency.
WATERLOO  Ward 5 voters next Tuesday will be replacing the longest-serving Waterloo City Councilman with its youngest member.

Chris Shimp and Cody Leistikow, both 32, are both making their first bid for elected office, running to replace four-term incumbent Ron Welper, who is not seeking re-election.

Shimp, of 2205 Randolph St., is a lifelong Waterloo resident who works as a manager at Isle Casino Hotel, founded the Liberty Park Neighborhood Association, chairs the citys Board of Adjustment and has volunteered for My Waterloo Days and other community events.

Chris Shimp announces bid for Waterloo Council seat WATERLOO  A neighborhood association leader and community volunteer is hoping to serve on t

Leistikow, of 810 Baltimore St., has worked at John Deere since 2007 and has been active in United Auto Workers Local 838, serving on the community services committee and as vice chairman of the locals Community Action Program.

Shimp said he believes his background is the difference in the race.

My experience with a city board, solving neighborhood association problems and speaking at City Council meetings outweighs my opponent, Shimp said. I also provide the perspective of a young millennial family, something the council is lacking.

Leistikow sees a difference between his goal to resolve city budget issues by expanding the population compared to Shimps focus on scrutinizing every budget line item.

Waterloos city government is very efficient as it is, said Leistikow, noting Waterloo has 500 to 600 employees to serve 63 miles while Iowa City, with roughly the same population, has 900 to 1,000 employees covering 25 square miles.

Cody Leistikow running for Ward 5 Council seat WATERLOO  A John Deere worker and union member is seeking to join the Waterloo City Council.

Leistikow said his top goal is growing the city, not only with new homes and businesses but finding new life for existing buildings. He also vowed to maintain the citys high-quality public safety services.

He said he supports the citys use of tax-increment financing and the City Limits Urban Revitalization Area to attact new jobs, while fully staffing Main Street Waterloo and Travel Waterloo with attract growth opportunities.

For public safety its all about not cutting corners, he added. Keeping wages and benefits fair for our police and firefighters is important because we will get what we pay for.

Leistikow said he opposes cross-trained public safety officers and outsourcing city jobs, but he does support continuing to train police and fire employees and supporting all city workers.

Shimp said his top goals would be lowering the citys property tax rate by being more frugal with tax incentives, providing land and tax breaks based not only on assessed value  the current metric  but also on the wages and number of jobs businesses bring to the city.

The recent Tyson incentives, I would have been in full support (based on) 245 jobs between $17 and $35 an hour, as they are good livable wages, Shimp said. I do not support tax breaks ranging 15 to 20 years.

Shimp said he also wants to improve the citys image by promoting the positive things happening in Waterloo and wants to create new community police programs, like developing a police outpost in a troubled neighborhood similar to a program in Racine, Wis.

The two men have different takes on several hot-button topics debated in the past year.

While the state allowed two month-long windows for legal fireworks use, Shimp said he would prefer Waterloo limit use to the Friday and Saturday of the weekend before the Fourth of July with later afternoon start times and increased fines for misuse.

Leistikow did not suggest a specific time but said he was fine with reducing the length of time for legal use without eliminating fireworks entirely. He supported adding fireworks abuse to the citys chronic nuisance ordinance.

Shimp supported the City Councils narrow $1.5 million decision to refurbish the iconic canopy over the Fourth Street bridge pedestrian walkway but said hes dedicated to maintaining the citys infrastructure to avoid similar issues in the future.

Leistikow said he would have preferred a different design with more durable materials for the canopy but also vowed to keep it from falling into disrepair again.

Leistikow said he personally did not like automated traffic enforcement and speed cameras as approved by the current council. But he said he would support them because the majority of residents he spoke with were OK with the cameras and want better speed enforcement on residential streets.

Shimp said he did not support the automated enforcement cameras, which he believes deter residents from coming to the city and look more like a money grab. He said he would support public safety cameras around downtown parking ramps.

Leistikow said he supported a recent ordinance adopted that makes it easier for residents to keep and raise chickens and other small farm animals in residential backyards provided they have enough room and neighbor support.

Shimp said farm animals were OK in certain areas on the outskirts of the city but did not believe they were acceptable in Ward 5, which is in the middle of the community.
WATERLOO  Mounting losses at the Country View nursing home are taking a toll on Black Hawk Countys elected officials.

Members of the county Board of Supervisors vented their frustration during an hour-long work session Tuesday to discuss finances at the county-run facility now on pace to lose more than $2.2 million this fiscal year.

This is painful, said Supervisor Linda Laylin. Its not something I want to do every year.

Country View budget losses compound WATERLOO  Black Hawk County officials have bailed out the financially strapped Country View

Board members are struggling to balance the moral issue of maintaining a home for nearly 140 frail elderly and intellectually disabled residents against the property tax dollars being spent to subsidize a service the county is not legally obligated to provide.

We certainly have a responsibility to the residents and the employees, but we also have to keep in mind our responsibility to the taxpayers, Laylin said. Had we been a private business, wed be out of business.

Weve just been very fortunate to have taxpayer dollars; thats why weve been able to sustain as long as we have, she added. Im not comfortable with the argument that we just tax for it. We have to be very aggressive in how we reduce those losses.

Supervisor Craig White bristled at the idea any Country View residents would be displaced and sent to other facilities where he believes they would struggle.

I think we have a responsibility as human beings to try to take care of these people, White said. We spend millions and millions of dollars at our (jail) across the street, and I dont hear taxpayers yelling holy hell about what we spend over at the jail.

Country View staff say the facilitys financial woes are largely due to having residents with higher rates of psychiatric issues than other nursing homes, staffing issues and having nearly all of the residents covered under the federal Medicaid program.

Medicaid reimburses Country View for about 80 percent of its actual costs. Meanwhile, theres been a push at the federal and state level to reduce Medicaid costs even further.

Is it the obligation of Black Hawk County taxpayers to pick up those costs? asked board chairman Frank Magsamen, who said the supervisors have been getting very little public input on the Country View issue.

Only two of Iowas 99 counties  Black Hawk and Dubuque  still own nursing homes and subsidize them with property tax dollars.

Dubuque County Supervisor Jay Wickham, who attended the Black Hawk County supervisors work session, said his board is using a $1 million hospital tax levy and another $500,000 in general fund tax revenue this year to support its Sunnycrest Manor nursing home.

Wickham said he believes Dubuque County taxpayers support that decision.

Black Hawk County Supervisor Tom Little said its time for the board to make a decision on whether it will continue to subsidize Country View or go another direction.

I dont want to approve any more (cash) transfers unless we have a plan in place, Little said. That plan could be pay for it, everything. Thats fine, but were spinning our wheels when we do that.

Theres so many multiple problems, and I dont think we can fix them all, he added. I dont know if we can sustain that cash flow out there.

Country View staff has said publicity the facilitys uncertain future has been upsetting to residents and makes it harder to fill vacant staff positions.

Being in the papers frequently makes it difficult to attract good staff, said Country View Administrator Dennis Coleman.

Board members took no votes Tuesday but are asking a consulting firm to develop a plan for the optimal number of residents Country View should have to maintain its best cash flow.
Town hall set

for Wednesday

WATERLOO -- Democratic gubernatorial candidate, with the Iowa CCI PAC that endorsed her, will hold a town hall in Waterloo.

The event will be held from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at SingleSpeed Brewery, 325 Commercial St., in Waterloo. The event is free and open to the public.

Meetings also will be held in Guthrie Center, Des Moines, Grinnell and Mason City.

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement's political action committee, a progressive grassroots organization, endorsed Glasson after interviewing candidates on a variety of issues.

County Dems'

dinner slated

WATERLOO -- The Black Hawk County Democrats will hold an inaugural Hall of Fame Dinner.

The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center, 200 W. Fourth St. in downtown Waterloo. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Tickets for the event will be $40 each or two for $75. Students may purchase tickets for $30 and tables may be purchased for $300. Reservations can be made at www.blackhawkdemocrats.com/hall-of-fame, by email at info@blackhawkdemocrats.com or by calling 236-2992.

The first five inductees into the county party's hall of fame will be past chair Pat Sass, past treasurer Roger White, past chair E.J. Gallagher, longtime activist Bill Teaford and longtime activist Anna Mae Weems.

The keynote speaker will be Iowa Democratic Party chairman Troy Price.

The event will include a meal catered by Hotel 4th. Gary Kroeger will be the emcee for the evening's program, which will include a screening of a short film called "Believers" that was filmed in Waterloo during the 2016 caucus season. The filmmaker Ray Whitehouse also will discuss his film after the showing.
The controversy surrounding President Donald Trumps call to the widow of a fallen Green Beret in a botched Niger operation has obscured an important question Congress is now asking.

We dont know exactly where were at in the world, militarily, and what were doing, said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

The U.S. has 6,000 members of the military in 53 African countries, including 800 in Niger  part of a French-led task force aiding the government. According to USA Today, the French are headquartered in Chad with 4,000 troops also fighting Islamic extremists in Cameroon and Nigeria. Germany has 1,000 troops supporting U.N. counter-terrorism efforts in Mali.

The New York Times reported 400 American Special Forces personnel are in Somalia to train troops fighting the Shabab Islamist terrorists, providing intelligence and occasionally going into battle. Others are in Libya.

The ISIS caliphate was upended with military defeats in Mosul, Iraq and Raqqa, Syria. The U.S. military is now focusing on Islamic terror throughout Africa and other parts of Asia.

It is occurring without much debate, unlike U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

To justify those military operations, Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama cited the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force Act, sanctioning necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons involved with 9/11 terrorism.

Yet Iraq and Syria played no role in that, and ISIS didnt exist until 2013. While we understand the national security interests in defeating Islamic terrorism, African nations arent linked to 9/11 and the terror groups were founded much later.

The Guardian reported in March about a secret Pentagon proposal to designate certain areas with active hostilities as temporary battlefields where commanders could launch strikes, raids and campaigns for a six-month period without congressional approval. The Obama administration had used that designation.

Congress may now chime in. Were going to have to have an updated authorization for military force, said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who supports a new war powers resolution debate.

Trump claims not to have authorized the Niger action, keeping with his desire to cede control to the military.

No, I didnt, not specifically, he said. I have generals that are great generals. These are great fighters; these are warriors. I gave them authority to do whats right so that we win.

Both Trump and Defense Secretary James Mattis, a former general, have been critical of Obama for overriding military decisions. Mattis supported congressional review in a 2015 Hoover Institution column.

Following more than a decade of fighting for poorly articulated political goals, he wrote, the Congress needs to restore clarity to our policy if we are to gain the American peoples confidence and enlist the assistance of potential allies, while sending a chilling note that we mean business to our enemies.

The issue extends to Trumps ability to unilaterally declare war against North Korea. He told the U.N. General Assembly in September, If (the U.S.) is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.

The U.S. Constitution specifically delegates the power to declare war to Congress. Founding Father James Madison wrote the executive was not safely to be trusted with it. In a 1952 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Justice Robert Jackson stated, Nothing in our Constitution is plainer than that declaration of a war is entrusted only to Congress.

Yet Congress has ignored its responsibility, save for the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Spanish-American War and the two world wars. U.S. involvement in Korea was predicated on a U.N. action to halt Communist aggression.

During the Vietnam War in 1973, Congress passed the War Powers Act requiring the president to notify it within 48 hours if the imminent possibility of hostilities existed and to withdraw U.S. troops from battle within 90 days if it declined to declare war or failed to pass an Authorization for Use of Military Force.

The president isnt required to consult Congress if there is an attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions or its armed forces. So Trump could respond without congressional approval if North Koreas Kim Jong-un attacked Guam, a U.S. territory.

However, he is precluded from engaging in pre-emptive strikes without notification  the administration did advise Congress before launching missiles against Syria in April  and unilaterally retaliating to an attack against allies.

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has stated Trumps reckless threats could put the U.S. on the path to World War III.

That concern shouldnt be disregarded. We recognize fighting Islamic extremism as a potential threat to our national security, but in our constitutional system of checks and balances it is imperative for Congress to weigh in on our military initiatives.
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You know your arthritis is bad when you sit down and want to cross your legs and to get one leg over the other, you have to pull it over with your hands, because it hurts so much. Ouch

It has rained all night, it warmed up yesterday and will be warm today. +5 is warm and cozy in the Tiny Russian Village. Boza and I got up at 3:30 a.m. and all is wonderful in the village. We walked and Boza did his doggy stuff. Now he is sleeping after his medicine and he ate real good also. We wish our girl was here with us, but we make do

Today I will drive to the Big Village. We found some cheap and good long sleeve shirts for me and I need to go back and get some more. I hope they still have them. Very nice shirts. Svetochka will call today and finalize having the car worked on. I really feel bad for tearing up the rear end and am upset at doing that

I am watching the world and wonder do the Americans realize that they are isolating themselves from that world. I do not understand why? I see no true purpose in such a maneuver and we really need to get with the world. It is a basically peaceful place and we are missing out on a bunch of wonderful experiences

What is making Americans fear the world? This fear is only benefiting a few wealthy individuals and thus, it serves no purpose. I do not like how the Russians have gone from adoring the Americans to almost despising them and us. This is not Russias propaganda doing this, this is American propaganda turning friends into foes

I have been thinking about the vast multitudes of Chinese tourists that I saw in my last trip out of Russia. Money to burn, dressed smartly and excited about life. I mean in a day, I saw thousands and thousands of Chinese traveling. By train, bus, car and plane. The streets in Tallinn, Estonia were full of them and in Moscow they were swarming the train station going to other parts of Europe. Makes you think! Well at least it makes me think

What about you? This is a new trend!

Second cup of coffee and second walk with Boza

[contentcards url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/companies-scramble-deal-growing-harassment-complaints-n814946]

We use to know where the scum was at. Anyone entering the scummy world of Hollywood and whatnots knew before they entered that they would pay a price. It was no secrete and what is happening has a several fold effect

First effect is that scattering of the scum means nothing. It just means that the scum of life, as the scum of politics in DC are now scattered around the world more. Just like pond scum, it always comes back when the weather warms up

Just that we still have the DC scum located basically in one area

Second effect? there is no effect! It will go on as always, just relocated and ultimately will come back home to roost. Women and men will still sell their souls to be a star and that is that. Why gripe about your paparazzo longings, when you got what you wanted

Talk about biting the hand that feeds you? 99% of them pulled their clothes off and willingly did the nasty and they became famous. Think about that for a second. I would say a minute and or and hour and or a long time, but we have attention disorders and that limits our ability to concentrate. maybe you need medication 

Just like Spacey/pedo games (And a gay spacey? Very old news!)

[contentcards url=http://deadline.com/2017/10/house-of-cards-canceled-kevin-spacey-scandal-netflix-season-six-1202197604/]

Oh how American this whole thing is and you just do not and or want to see it. What a claim for us to be number one in

Scatter the scum and let the world have them to hide. Just like Europe hides the rich Russian scum and promotes it as a good thing (i.e.  Mikhail Khodorkovsky)

Hmm

I write everyday and I believe in this quote below. For when we start writing to please the masses, we write not from our heart, but from the point of view of money and fame

As a writer, its important to stay true to your story without giving a hoot about publishers, critics and readers. You should do your karma as an author the way you want to, and rest is up to God.  Amish Tripathi

Thus, I write

WtR
Russian floating plant cargo arrives at Pevek

30 October 2017

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Ships carrying cargo to support "the world's first" floating nuclear power plant have arrived at the port of Pevek, in the Chukotka district of Russia, Rosenergoatom announced today. Rosenergoatom, the nuclear power plant operator subsidiary of Rosatom, also said the floating plant Akademik Lomonosov will be towed to Murmansk in May, be loaded with fuel in October and commissioned in November next year.

Akademik Lomonosov (Image: Rosenergoatom)

Currently moored at the Baltiysky Zavod shipyard in Saint Petersburg, Akademik Lomonosov houses two 35 MW KLT-40S nuclear reactors, similar to those used in Russia's nuclear-powered ice breakers.

By the end of this week, almost 10,000 tonnes of building materials, including sand, gravel and cement, will have arrived at Pevek from Arkhangelsk on the steam ships Kuznetsov and Sabetta. They are also carrying metal structures to support the construction of hydraulic systems and coastal infrastructure. Once the cargo has been unloaded, the materials will enable the schedule for Akademik Lomonosov to be met and provide a reserve for the entire inter-navigational period until 2018, Rosenergoatom said. A third vessel, the motor ship Mahmastal, was due to leave the port of Arkhangelsk for Pevek today with an additional batch of building materials.

The washing of the reactor circuit was completed at Akademik Lomonosov at the beginning of this month, which Rosenergoatom described as the final procedure that completes the assembly of the reactor and its subsystems. Testing of its systems and equipment according to its design parameters will continue until the end of this year, it added.

"The Akademik Lomonosov floating thermal nuclear power plant project is based on proven nuclear icebreaker technologies and is designed with a large safety margin, which makes nuclear reactors invulnerable to tsunamis and other natural disasters," the company said. "In addition, the nuclear processes on the ships meet all the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency and pose no threat to the environment," it added.

The plant is intended to replace the outgoing capacity of the Bilibino nuclear power plant in the Chukotka district. The first Bilibino unit is scheduled to be shut down in 2019 and the whole plant will be shut down in 2021.

Rosenergoatom also said that the floating nuclear power plant project received unanimous public support during discussions on the application for an operating licence held on 24 October.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

Related topics
Staying out of debt is easier said than done, I know. However, its something you can do, and its something you should be practicing everyday. As Christians, we are in this world, but we are
Sala's lawyers questioned the judge for denying her request to be taken to a medical center just hours before.

The Indigenous leader and lawmaker Milagro Sala has been taken to a hospital, after denouncing deplorable conditions in prison.

Sala, a leader of the Tupac Amaru group, was taken to the Los Lapachos clinic in San Salvador, Jujuy where she will undergo several exams.

This comes after Judge Isidoro Cruz, who is in charge of Sala's case expanded her charges to include leadership of an alleged illicit association.

Cruz met on Monday with the jailed leader for an hour and a half in the Alto Comedero women's prison in Jujuy, where she was recently taken by police from her house arrest.

Reports from the judicial medical authorities say Sala was depressed, can't make eye contact and has crying fits. Cruz said he didn't have access to medical reports, saying he thought she was fine, but he did admit that Sala "needed psychological treatment."

During the meeting, Sala questioned the judge for denying her request to be taken to a medical center and said she was a political prisoner, according to La Nacion.

"My head hurts, I have an irritable bowel problem," Sala said in a recent interview. "I have an injured arm, five stitches inside and four outside the wound."

She hurt herself on Oct. 21 when she was told judge Cruz denied her house arrest.

Last year, the United Nations demanded that the government release Sala, while the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention described her incarceration as "annihilation by the state.

As head of Argentina's Tupac Amaru neighborhood association, part of the Association of State Workers of Jujuy, Sala won a seat in 2015 in the regional parliament of the Mercosur trade group of South American nations, Parlasur.

She was arrested on Jan. 16, 2016, after being accused of "inciting criminal acts" linked to a protest she led against authorities.

The Jujuy provincial government in northern Argentina then broadened the charges, alleging her movement had "embezzled public funds" meant for the construction of housing for low-income people.

Sala has denied any wrongdoing and instead accuses the state of targeting her and others for their role in fighting for Indigenous land rights.
Social organizations in Panama are demanding that the justice system in the country create a special judge to investigate the large bribery scandal involving the Brazilian company Odebrecht.

Protests are set for Panama City, where Panamanians will demand that the state reveal the name of the 63 people that are currently being investigated for receiving bribes to allocate contracts to the Brazilian construction company.

Temistocles de Obaldia, one of the organizers of the protests told La Prensa that they will also demand that the content of the declarations and other court records on the case be made public.

"We are looking at the largest corruption case in the history of the country, that's why society has the right to know its results," De Obaldia said.

Organizers also called for another protest on Nov. 9 outside the Supreme Court.

#YoVoyAlaCalle50 contra la corrupcion, la impunidad y todos los actores que callan siendo complices. Por un Panama libre e igualitario.  Luis Brandao (@luisbran_dao) October 31, 2017

"#ImGoingToStreet50 against corruption, impunity and all the silent actors who are complicit. For a free and equal Panama."
What Was The Vietnam War Really Like? Russian Soldiers In Ukraine Cannot Be Compared To Vietnam Vets - Defending The Vietnam Veteran's Reputation By Jack Billups, Veteran And Author

2022-11-12 | Billups' book is a stunning piece of writing that will likely take its place as one of the best Vietnam memoirs ever written. Here, he draws a comparison between Vietnam war depictions by the media and his on-the-ground experiences.
Oct 31, 2017 | By Benedict

Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), joined on their work by scientists from Ames National Laboratory, Georgia Tech University, and Oregon State University, have achieved a breakthrough in the 3D printing of 316L, a common form of marine grade stainless steel with a low-carbon composition. Marine grade steels, used in places like oil pipelines, engine parts, and kitchen equipment, typically have a low corrosiveness and high ductility. Excitingly, tests showed that under certain conditions the final 3D printed stainless steels were up to three times stronger than steels made by conventional techniques.

These expert scientists believe their 3D printed 316L stainless steel could offer higher levels of strength and ductility than other forms of the steel, making it useful for chemical equipment, medical implants, engine parts, and various other applications that require superior physical properties from their equipment.

The researchers were well aware that simply 3D printing some stainless steel would be worthless if its quality were lesser than existing metallurgical options. So when the parts came out rugged and ductile, LLNL materials scientist and lead author Morris Wang had good reason to celebrate.

In order to make all the components you're trying to print useful, you need to have this material property at least the same as those made by traditional metallurgy, Wang said. We were able to 3D print real components in the lab with 316L stainless steel, and the material's performance was actually better than those made with the traditional approach.

The LLNL breakthrough could have big consequences not just for the CVs of Wang and his associates, but for a wide range of companies involved in the production of marine grade stainless steel parts.

The researchers think that those in the aerospace, automotive, and oil and gas industries are in a particularly strong position to adopt the additive manufacturing of 316L in order to improve the physical properties of their metal parts. Because these industries often need parts that are resistant to extreme weather conditions, the added strength and ductility of the 3D printed stainless steel could prove invaluable.

[The breakthrough is] really a big jump, Wang added. It makes additive manufacturing very attractive and fills a major gap.

Of course, being able to 3D print the stainless steel at the required quality was no easy task, and required some steely determination on the part of the joint research group. Perhaps the biggest hurdle of all was the porosity of the 3D printed metal caused by the laser melting process.

Porosity is great for some materialsactivewear, for example, would be hard to use without a bit of breathabilitybut for building engines, pipelines, and such, its obviously a bit of a hindrance. Porous parts are liable to degrade and fracture, making them potentially unsafe for critical-use applications.

To overcome the problem of laser-induced porosity, the LLNL researchers used a density optimization process, manipulating the underlying microstructure of the steel using computer modeling.

This microstructure we developed breaks the traditional strength-ductility tradeoff barrier, Wang said. For steel, you want to make it stronger, but you lose ductility essentially; you can't have both. But with 3D printing, we're able to move this boundary beyond the current tradeoff.

Wang and the team used two different laser 3D printers to fabricate thin plates of 316L for mechanical testing. The laser melting process produced hierarchical cell-like structures, which could be tuned by the researchers to manipulate the physical properties of the 3D printed plates.

The key was doing all the characterization and looking at the properties we were getting, said LLNL scientist Alex Hamza. When you additively manufacture 316L it creates an interesting grain structure, sort of like a stained-glass window. The grains are not very small, but the cellular structures and other defects inside the grains that are commonly seen in welding seem to be controlling the properties.

(Images: Kate Hunts/LLNL)

Amazingly, discovering this grain structure ultimately allowed the researchers to create 3D printed stainless steel parts that were superior to existing alternatives.

We didn't set out to make something better than traditional manufacturing, Hamza admitted. It just worked out that way.

The research will have consequences not just for big companies making steel parts, but for other researchers looking to build upon the discoveries made by the LLNL group. It could, for example, enable scientists to better understand the relationship between the structure of 3D printed metal parts and their physical properties.

Deformation of metals is mainly controlled by how nanoscale defects move and interact in the microstructure," said LLNL postdoc researcher Thomas Voisin. Interestingly, we found that this cellular structure actsas a filter, allowing some defects to move freely and thus provide the necessary ductility while blocking some others to provide the strength.

Voisin added that being able to observe this phenomenon ultimately helped the research group to better understand the properties of 3D printed materials (and how to control them).

The methodologies used could even be replicated on other 3D printable metals besides stainless steels, but the big aim is to someday devise a system in which high-performance computing can be used to both validate and predict the performance of 3D printed stainless steel by tuning the underlying microstructure. This would enable the researchers to create tailored high-performance steels that have, for example, a high level of corrosion resistance.

The research paper, Additively manufactured hierarchical stainless steels with high strength and ductility, has been published in Nature Materials.

Other contributors to the paper include Joe McKeown, Jianchao Ye, Nicholas Calta, Zan Li, Wen Chen, Tien Tran Roehling, Phil Depond, and Ibo Matthews.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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Oct 31, 2017 | By David

Formnext is one of the popular manufacturing conferences, and recent years have seen the latest cutting-edge 3D printing developments become one of the trade shows major draws. This year will be no exception, with a host of businesses both large and small showing off their most recent breakthroughs, in the fields of 3D printing hardware, software and materials. Heres a quick round-up of four exciting 3D printing companies that will be exhibiting their work in Frankfurt from November 14-17: SondaSys, Sharebot, SABIC and atum 3D.

1.Poland's SondaSys new SLS 3D printer

Polish manufacturer SondaSys is hoping to generate some serious buzz around its newest product, the SondaSys 01. Making use of Selective Laser Sintering technology, it represents a significant milestone, as Polands first ever 3D printing system designed for industrial applications.

Over three years research and development went into the SondaSys 01 3D printer, with the companys team of specialists and engineers who can boast over 10 years experience in the industry. These experts knew what the manufacturing world needed from an industrial-grade SLS machine, and they tailored the SondaSys to meet these requirements in the best possible way.

The 3D printer can boast the most advanced optics system available on the global market, enabling a high level of precision in printing. The SondaSys 01 is also compatible with a huge range of polyamide powders from different manufacturers. Customers will be able to edit the print paramaters as they see fit, allowing them to choose their materials freely according to what their project requires.

The SondaSys 01 makes use of an innovative heating system to ensure a safe operation environment, and it has two exchangeable working chambers to optimize costs and reduce waste. The proprietary software will allow users to preview the print process in real time.

The company will be revealing all the rest of the details about the SondaSys 01 at Formnext.

2. Sharebot Antares SLA professional 3D printer

Sharebot has two new products to demonstrate at Formnext, one of which has never been seen before. The Sharebot Antares is a professional-grade 3D printer that makes use of SLA technology, and is intended to be used with the dedicated PR-S resin. The leading Italian manufacturers new stereolithography machine can create models on a large scale, up to 250 x 250 x 250 mm. The 3D printer is fully compatible with all the

main slicing softwares (Kissslicer, Slic3r, Simplify3D and Cura) and can be managed remotely.

The companys other new 3D printer, the Sharebot QXXL, was already unveiled to some fanfare at the TCT show in Birmingham and recently hit the market. A more advanced version of the Sharebot Q, its an FFF machine that can print on a huge scale, with a build volume of 700 x 400 x 300 mm. This should completely revolutionize the way many manufacturing projects operate, with the printing bed auto-calibration system and the proprietary Sharebox 3D interface enabling an optimized and streamlined workflow.

Also at the show, Sharebot will be showing off its other professional 3D printing systems, including the Snow White, an SLS machine intended for research and materials development, and the 3Delux, a specialized machine for dentistry applications that makes use of DLP technology.

3.SABIC to launch new high-impact strength filament for additive manufacturing

SABIC is set to launch its new 3D printing material at Formnext. The latest product from the Saudi chemicals company will be a high-impact strength filament for a range of FDM additive manufacturing applications. The material will be suitable for the aerospace, consumer and automotive sectors, and is the first in a series of differentiated materials SABIC plans to launch in the coming year.

SABICs portfolio of 3D printing materials is already extensive and impressive, and this new filament will expand its reach, with an extra level of impact resistance that few other filaments on the market can rival. It is currently offering six other filaments, which are designed for use with Stratasys Fortus range of 3D printers. These filaments are based on the companys high-performance polycarbonate (PC), polyetherimide (PEI), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and polyphenylene ether (PPE) engineering resins.

As well as demonstrating ways that its new filament can be used at Formnext, SABIC will also be showing off parts that were printed using its other materials, at its Additive Manufacturing Centers of Excellence in Pittsfield in Massachusetts and Bergen op Zoom in the Netherlands. These include fully amorphous PC parts printed by SLS, and a cross-section of a prototype yacht hull. This latter object was designed by Livrea Yacht and Autodesk, and it was printed on SABICs Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) printer.

4. atum3D announces DLP Station 5, Operator Station software and Industry Excellence Packs

Dutch manufacturer atum3D will be demonstrating a variety of new products and services at this years show. In terms of hardware, the DLP Station 5 machine will be the companys latest addition. Its the follow-up to last years successful DLP Station 4 3D printer, offering a new higher-powered light source that will provide better accuracy and speed in printing results. The DLP Station 5 is available in a standard 405nm wavelength version, as well as a 365nm wavelength version, depending on the applications. It also has an open resin platform, meaning that a wider range of materials can be used.

atum3D is also releasing new Operator Station Software to complement its latest 3D printing system. The proprietary software uses the companys MAGS AI technology, which is designed to optimize and speed up build preparation and post-processing.

Another exciting breakthrough to be unveiled will be atum3Ds new Industry Excellence Packs. These industry-specific packs are intended to introduce 3D printing technology into a companys workflow, explaining how atum 3D software, hardware, materials and services can be combined to update their operations. Packs have been made for product design, dentistry, jewellery, and general industrial manufacturing, with more likely to follow in the near future.

According to Guy Nyssen, Channel Manager at atum3D, We cant wait to showcase the results of our teams hard work in Frankfurt...Its fitting that all three pillars on which atum3D is built, being our in-house expertise in the fields of hardware engineering, software development, and resin chemicals, all contributed to the innovations show at formnext. We strive to offer exceptional accuracy, speed and cost effectiveness and make our customers life easy through training, services and support. The new DLP Station, Operator Station software and Industry Excellence Packs do just that.

Posted in 3D Printer

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Philip Ball in Prospect:

Neutrinos were always trouble. These elusive little fundamental particles were first proposed in 1930 by the physicist Wolfgang Pauli to explain where some of the energy and momentum went during the process of radioactive beta decay of atomic nuclei. The Italian Enrico Fermi took up the idea, and helped to coin the name, in a 1934 paper that got rejected by Nature as too speculative and was published in an Italian journal to such scant interest that Fermi became an experimentalist instead. (Eight years later he created the first ever nuclear reactor in Chicago.)

At this stage neutrinos were just a hypothetical convenience to make the nuclear sums come out right. They seemed so bland as to verge on the pointless: as they have no electrical charge and seemed at first perhaps to have no mass, ordinary matter barely feels them at all. They werent detected until 1956 (in work that belatedly won the 1995 Nobel prize), because they are so damned hard to see.

Then in the 1960s, experiments using neutrino detectorsburied deep underground to shield them from false signals made by cosmic raysshowed that these particles werent being produced by the nuclear reactions in the Sun at anything like the predicted rate. More head-scratching ensued, until scientists figured that neutrinos must be able to switch in flight between three different varieties (flavours). Another Nobel prize (2015) followed for that discovery, not least because it resolved another long-standing issue: neutrinos must after all have some mass, because only then are these oscillations between flavours possible.

More here.
Akim Reinhardt at The Public Professor:

We are perhaps on the verge of witnessing, for the third time in 100 years, a U.S. presidency so corrupt that multiple high ranking members will be imprisoned.

In early 1919, former president Teddy Roosevelt was the early favorite to re-assume the Republican Partys mantle for the 1920 election. However, he died unexpectedly shortly before the campaign season began, and a crowded field of contenders soon emerged.

Warren G. Harding initially had little hope of winning, and entered the race mostly to bolster his control of Ohio politics; he was one of the states two U.S. senators and held sway over much of its corrupt machine. But when party leaders could not agree on any of the front runners, the convention deadlocked. They soon settled on Harding, in part because he was from a crucial swing state, and in part because he was relatively unknown and hadnt offended many delegates.

The compromise candidate from Ohio went on to win a resounding victory, setting what was then a record by taking 61% of the popular vote.

Harding was generally well liked during his time in office as society settled down from the tumultuous effects of World War I and its immediate aftermath. It didnt hurt that the economy also began to hum. But he would serve just 2 years, dying of a heart attack while visiting San Francisco in 1923.

At first, Hardings premature death increased his already widespread popularity. It was only after his passing that the litany corruption attached to his administration would become a salacious public debacle.

It turned out that family man Harding had kept at least two mistresses, including one who claimed he fathered her child. But it was the criminal antics of his administration that would eventually lead Historians to rank Harding as one of the worst presidents ever.

More here.
Bygoo Tin Project



Quarterly Activities Report

Sydney, Oct 31, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Thomson Resources Ltd ( ASX:TMZ ) provides the Company's Quarterly Activities Report.



- Exceptional tin intercepts continue in drilling at Bygoo North (up to 19m at 1.0% Sn)



- New shallow tin greisen zone at Bygoo North with 8m at 1.2% Sn



- Follow up drilling planned to commence shortly



- Further funding received



Further drilling at Bygoo during the quarter (8 holes for 1,098m) continued to intersect high grade tin of similar tenor to those previously recorded at both North and South prospects (see ASX release of 31 August, 2017). The standout intersections were -



Bygoo North



- 19m at 1.0% Sn from 49m depth (BNRC40)



- 8m at 1.2% Sn from 16m depth (BNRC38)



- 6m at 0.8% Sn from 80m and 7m at 0.7% Sn from 95m (BNRC39)



Bygoo South



- 7m at 1.3% Sn from 22m depth (BNRC35)



The program both confirmed existing interpretations (BNRC35, 39 and 40) and discovered a potential new shallow position (BNRC38). Drilling is planned in the next quarter to extend the known greisens and follow up the new potential.



A further significant payment of A$420,000 under the Bygoo Farm In agreement signed with Canadian investors (see ASX announcements of 7 June 2017, 17 March 2017 and 21 November 2016) was received after the quarter end. This brings the total received to date to A$790,000, with the remainder of the $3 million initial investment to be received by June 30, 2018 (see ASX release of 16 October, 2017).



Tenement Holdings and Joint Ventures



There were no changes to tenement holdings during the quarter.



Corporate



Exploration expenditure incurred during the quarter totalled $84,000. Cash at the end of the quarter was $89,000. A further cash contribution of $420,000 as part of the Bygoo Tin Farm-In agreement was received after quarter end.



Thomson has 103,024,841 shares on issue currently.



To view the full report, please visit:

http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/E08XKW3T





About Thomson Resources Ltd





Thomson Resources Ltd (ASX:TMZ) is an NSW active mineral explorer. Thomson has several tin projects (including an advanced project near Ardlethan), as well as gold, copper and zinc targets in a range of settings. Thomson has a good record of discovery, with multiple new Intrusion-Related Gold (gold with copper, lead, zinc, molybdenum, tungsten) systems discovered in the Thomson Fold Belt in the NW of the state.


and Yahua Extend Placement and Offtake Agreement

Adelaide, Oct 31, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Core Exploration Limited ( ASX:CXO ) ("Core" or "Company") announced on 29 August 2017 that it had entered into a binding Subscription Agreement and Framework Agreement with Ya Hua International Investment and Development Co. Ltd ("Yahua") which is wholly owned by Sichuan Yahua Industrial Group Co. Ltd, one of China's leading lithium producers, for a two tranche placement of $2 million to Yahua ("Placement"). The Framework Agreement forms a strategic alliance between Yahua and Core and provides for the negotiation of an offtake and cooperation agreement.



Tranche 1 of the placement (A$1 million at 6 cents per share) was completed immediately, while the second A$1 million tranche (also at 6 cents per share) remains subject to Chinese regulatory approval. Both tranche 2 of the placement and the Framework Agreement were subject to a sunset date of 31 October 2017.



In order to give Core and Yahua additional time to finalise documentation and secure relevant approvals, the parties have agreed to a short time extension of the sunset date to 30 November 2017.



Yahua and Core have agreed to negotiate in good faith to establish binding co-operation and offtake agreements, which will provide for Yahua to acquire DSO lithium production from Core's exploration licence EL 29698 which is part of the Finniss Lithium Project.



The Company remains focused on progressing the high grade Grants lithium deposit (one deposit within contained within the broader Finniss Lithium Project) into production as soon as possible, through the establishment of a DSO operation. In this regard, the Company has recently applied for a Mineral Lease over the Grants deposit (refer ASX announcement dated 19 October 2017).



About Sichuan Yahua Industrial Group Co. Ltd



Sichuan Yahua Industrial Group Co. Ltd. One of China's leading lithium producers and is an Ashare listed company on the Shenzhen-stock exchange in China, with a market capitalisation of over RMB 13 billion (A$2.2 billion).



To view figures, please visit:

http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/0IW36MG0





About Core Lithium Ltd





Core Lithium Ltd (ASX:CXO) is an emerging lithium producer focused on development of its Finniss Project near Darwin in the Northern Territory. Core owns 100% of Finniss, a major developing project that lies close to existing infrastructure such as the Darwin Port, grid power, gas and rail infrastructure.

The Finniss Project covers a 500km2 tenement holding and 25 historic pegmatite mines. The project area is about 80km from Darwin Port. Exploration work has generated a near term development timeline, with feasibility studies to be completed over the course of 2018 ahead of receipt of approvals in early 2019 and planned first production during 2019.

An aggressive exploration program is under way, which has confirmed the high quality prospectivity across much of the Finniss Project area. Core's stated ambition is to upgrade Finniss' resource base to fast-track commercialisation options.


Independent Research Report

Sydney, Oct 31, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Lithium Power International Limited ( ASX:LPI ) ( LTHHF:OTCMKTS ) ("LPI" or "the Company") is pleased to advise that Hallgarten & Company, out of London, has recently completed a research report on LPI.



Hallgarten & Company has written this research report following a site visit to the LPI's Maricunga lithium brine project in Chile earlier this month.



The Company hosted Hallgarten & Company on this site visit but did not commissioned them to write this research report. For further background refer to - http://www.hallgartenco.com



To view the report, please visit:

http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/64G6W010





About Lithium Power International Ltd





Lithium Power International Limited (ASX:LPI) is a pure-play lithium explorer and developer, focusing on developing and fast-tracking to production the high-grade Maricunga lithium brine project in Chile.

LPI has a well-known performing technical team with the experience to take the Maricunga project all the way through the development stages to production.

The regions that LPI is currently focused on are:

1. Maricunga JV (Chile) - Located within the "Lithium Triangle", Maricunga is Chile's highest grade and most advanced lithium project outside the Salar de Atacama. The project lies 170 km northeast of Copiapo and 250 km from the port of Caldera.

2. Pilbara (Western Australia) - LPI has three granted exploration tenements covering 203 km2 in the Pilbara region of northern Western Australia. The largest granted exploration tenement is the Pilgangoora tenement which is 2-3 km west of the Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) and Altura Mining (ASX:AJM) lithium deposits.

3. Greenbushes (Western Australia) - LPI has two granted exploration tenements covering 400 km2 in the Greenbushes area of southern Western Australia. The tenements are adjacent to the world's largest hard rock lithium mine owned and operated by Tianqi/Talison.

4. Centenario (Argentina) - Through its Argentinian subsidiary, Lithium Power holds a total of seven granted tenements in the Centenario lithium brine salar within the Salta province of the Puna Plateau. In total, the seven granted tenements cover an area of 68.46 km2.

With the exception of the Maricunga JV, all tenements are 100% owned by LPI or LPSA (including rights to the Centenario tenements).
EasyJet has launched its first ever flight from Bristol to Stockholm, marking the start of two flights a week, all year round.





The airline now flies to 65 destinations with 13 aircraft from Bristol, its biggest UK base outside of London. The airline will operate two flights per week, year-round from Bristol to Stockholm.



Swedens capital is built on 14 islands in Lake Malaren surrounding its medieval centre, and offers lots for tourists to see and do. The new route also provides for Bristols business travellers, with Stockholm being one of Europes fastest growing and best connected cities.



EasyJet has flown more than 49.8 million passengers to and from Bristol since opening the base over 15 years ago. The airline continues to grow and expand in Bristol, while offering low-fares and friendly customer service.



Ali Gayward, UK Country Manager, said: We are pleased to be expanding our network at Bristol airport with the launch of this new route to Stockholm.



Swedens beautiful and historic capital is also world leading in business, making it the perfect destination for both leisure and business travellers.



EasyJet is excited to continue to grow and expand in Bristol, continuing to make travel easy and affordable.



Shaun Browne, Head of Airline Relations, Bristol Airport said: We are delighted with easyJets new service to Stockholm which provides year round connectivity to Swedens capital city.



The new service provides additional connectivity to Scandinavia and we are very confident that it will replicate the success of easyJet s service to Copenhagen which has improved both business and leisure traffic between the South West and Wales with Scandinavia.


Chinas largely rubber-stamp parliament is considering jail terms of up to three years for people who disrespect the national anthem or flag in public, while an existing anthem law will be applied in Hong Kong, state media said on Tuesday.

Xi Jinping has ushered in new legislation aimed at securing China from threats both within and outside its borders since taking over as president in 2013, as well as presiding over a sweeping crackdown on dissent and free speech.

China passed a new law in September mandating up to 15 days in police detention for those who mock the March of the Volunteers national anthem, a law that also covers the Chinese territories of Hong Kong and Macau.

Parliament is now looking at whether to amend Chinas Criminal Law to include criminal penalties for disrespect of the national anthem, including intentionally distorting the lyrics or tune, Xinhua said.

The tougher penalties also apply to desecration of the national flag, or emblem, including burning, defacing or trampling on it in public, the report said. That, too, had previously been punishable by up to 15 days detention.

A draft amendment has been submitted for deliberation at a bi-monthly session of parliaments standing committee, which started on Monday.

Violators in this regard may face punishments of up to three years of imprisonment, according to the draft, it said.

It was not clear when the amendment might be passed but it could be at the end of the week, when parliaments standing committee closes its current session.

The National Anthem Law, which went into effect on October 1, will also be included in an annex of Hong Kongs Basic Law, or mini constitution, Xinhua added, though its not clear if that will include three-year jail terms.

The national anthem law has fuelled concern in Hong Kong, whose residents have grown nervous over Chinas perceived encroachment of the citys autonomy following such events as the disappearance of booksellers who later emerged in mainland Chinese custody.
Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government has completed three years in power. Looking back at the three years, the association between the ruling BJP and its major associate in the state, Shiv Sena, has gone from bad to worse and both are plotting their individual roadmaps for the 2019 Parliament and Assembly elections. In the last three years, the Sena has issued many warnings to pull out from the coalition. Lack of trust and supremacy over each other has increased BJP-Sena conflict, but power has kept them together. The BJP, however, has had a relatively comfortable relationship with its smaller allies, barring Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) that chose to break away from the government. Moreover, NCP, which is tagged by Modi as National Corrupt Party, is now very close to BJP. Devendra Fadnavis voice was one of the loudest against the irrigation scam when he was in the opposition in the previous government. Once coming to power he turned deaf and dumb on investigations  which is expected to hit NCP, particularly its former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and Water Resources minister Sunil Tatkare, but he went soft on the issue.

At the same time, the Chief Minister has not shown keenness in bringing into light the misdeeds of the previous government. After, Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar proposed a white paper on the states dismal financial performance in the past 15 years of UPA rule, the CM insisted that it be softened to a mere status report.

On the positive side, the government has taken steps to curb corruption in other areas involving NCP. The most prominent move in this regard is the dismissal of 170-odd Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs), including the Mumbai APMC, by minister for cooperatives Chandrakant Patil on November 10. Most of these APMCs had been granted extensions despite allegations of irregularities against them, and they were NCP dominated. This move is being seen as a serious blow to NCP because this party was known to have the strongest stranglehold over APMCs.

So what is the likely fate of the one of the biggest scams in the history of the state? It is impossible to tell as of now. Fadnavis has his job cut out for him, walking a tightrope between retaining NCP support and keeping the feisty Pawar family from calling too many shots. The people of Maharashtra can just hope Fadnavis manages the task effectively.

The past three years have been a miscellaneous 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 upsetting ally Shiv Sena. Huge credit goes to Fadnavis, who exhibited his political management abilities. He did not let the opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party corner his government over any issues. He did not allow any such situation, where his government had to face critics from his counterparts.

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.

From Maharashtra, Mantralaya to Mumbai and media, he is at his best. He is proven to be the most interactive young Chief Minister, a fresh breeze in the power corridors of Maharashtra. At the same time, he ensured that encounters with Sena did not affect his government and routine. Shiv Sena makes continuous 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 failed.

Meanwhile, there are many allegations on Fadnavis government that the 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 always kept on defending his ministers, denying taking action against them. Even the opposition had failed to corner him over these issues. The weak opposition helped Devendra to sail through controversies without any encounter. Still, he has certain problems at hand, which are not as easy as tackling the opposition.

Post demonetisation, there has been a stoppage in many 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 Rs 4 lakh crore in debt and not much increase in revenue, Fadnavis and his Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar will have to do a lot of juggling. They will need resources and capital to take up new projects or new mainstream schemes in the run-up to the elections. 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.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@afternoonvoice.com)
The worlds 250 biggest listed companies account for a third of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions yet few have strong goals to limit rising temperatures, a study showed on Tuesday.

Coal India, Gazprom and Exxon Mobil topped the list when measuring carbon dioxide emitted by companies and by consumers using their products, it said.

Without continual reduction in emissions from this group of companies, effectively mitigating the long-term risks of climate change is not possible, according to the study, a Thomson Reuters Financial & Risk white paper.

In the past three years, emissions from the group of 250 had been flat when they should have been going down by roughly three percent per year to limit temperatures in line with goals set by the 2015 Paris climate agreement, it said.

The report, written in collaboration with Constellation Research & Technology, emissions tracking group CDP and BSD Consulting, found the group emitted a third of world carbon emissions and that only about 30 per cent of the 250 firms had set strong goals to curb them.

Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, almost 200 nations promised to curb emissions to limit more heat waves, downpours and rising sea levels and said they would work to involve the private sector.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who doubts human activities are the main driver of climate change, plans to pull out.

David Lubin, a co-author of the report at Constellation Research & Technology, told Reuters: 250 CEOs  thats a relatively small auditorium if you can bring together the leaders who really have a significant impact on the fate of the planet.

Tim Nixon, a co-author at Thomson Reuters, said the study found no evidence that companies adopting stronger policies to reduce their carbon emissions paid a penalty in terms of shareholder returns, profits or employment.

And case studies of companies including Xcel Energy, Ingersoll Rand and Total, which have acted strongly to curb emissions, showed there may even be a significant benefit to action, he said.
Even though the Fadnavis government has completed three years but it has failed to fulfil the expectations of the people. Citizens are unhappy with the governments functioning as most of the promises made by it continue to remain on paper. The government has received flak over its inept handling of the agricultural economy. Promises were made to waive farm loans but many farmers are yet to receive financial assistance from the government. Farmers were asked to link their Aadhaar numbers with bank accounts for loan waiver scheme. However, more than 100 farmers have been found linked to single Aadhaar number. The administration has also failed to control farmer suicides in the state. Opposition parties attacked the government for its failure to provide good governance and are holding Jan Aakrosh Morcha in the state to protest against the government. Thus, time is running out for the government as it will have to pull up its socks and deliver as the 2019 assembly polls is just two years away.

Below are the issues that the government has failed to address:

Safety of women commuters

Recently a school girl had to jump from a local train between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Station (CSMT) and Masjid to avert molestation incident. Despite this, the government has failed to take steps to enhance womens safety in suburban trains. The government had promised to install CCTV cameras in local trains but they have failed to implement it.

Shielding corrupt ministers

BJP had said that it would adopt a zero tolerance policy against corruption. Despite this the party has failed to act against Minister of Rural Development, Women and Child Welfare Pankaja Munde, State Education Minister Vinod Tawde, and Industries Minister Subhash Desai. Pankaja Munde had awarded contracts worth Rs 206 crore for procuring chikkis, medicines, growth monitoring machines, water filters, carpets and educational material for anganwadis on a single day without inviting tenders. Vinod Tawde is accused of having fake BE (Electronics) degree. Subhash Desai is accused of flouting norms while allegedly denotifying around 12,000 hectares of MIDC Nashik lands to favour private builders.

Tussle with Shiv Sena

Even though the Shiv Sena is the alliance partner of the BJP government in the state but relations between both the parties have strained. Sena often expresses its displeasure over the functioning of the government through its mouthpiece Saamana. It also openly criticises the policies of the government and often both the parties dont arrive at a consensus on various issues affecting the states development. Opposition parties have often asked Sena to quit the government if it is unhappy with its performance. Recently Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis too had said that Sena cant play the role of opposition by remaining with the government.

Maratha reservation

The government has promised to grant reservation to Marathas and Dhangar communities but failed to implement it. Marathas had held silent protests in Mumbai and other regions of Maharashtra in support of reservation but their demands continue to remain unfulfilled. Often political parties use reservation as a ploy to garner votes.

Neglect of railway infrastructure

Many incidents of rail derailments have been reported in the state but the government has turned a blind eye towards it. The Elphinstone railway station stampede incident also highlighted the governments apathy towards overhauling railway infrastructure. The tragedy has highlighted the prolonged neglect of public transport system.

Electricity shortage

The government has failed to generate adequate electricity which has resulted in huge shortfall of power in various parts of the state. Even though Mumbai is spared of power cuts but rural areas of the state are facing severe power crisis. The government is talking about making India digital but how will it achieve this objective if there is shortage of power?
The Modi government which is over enthusiastic to spend more than Rs 1 lakh crores for running Bullet Train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, seems to have not done its homework properly. In the past three months (July 1-September 30, 2017) there have been 40 per cent empty seats on the Mumbai to Ahmedabad route and 44 per cent empty seats on the Ahmedabad to Mumbai route, revealed a response by the Chief Commercial Manager of the Western Railway, Manjeet Singh, to a RTI query filed by RTI Activist Anil Galgali regarding the seat occupancy on all the trains running between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to and fro for the past three months. The response also states that the accumulated loss for the past three months is Rs 29.91 crore.

As per the information, on the 32 Mail/Express trains running from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, out of the 7,35,630 seats on all the trains, only 4,41,795 seats got booked, generating a revenue of Rs 30,16,24,623 out of the total expected revenue of Rs 44,29,08,220, incurring a loss to the tune of Rs 14,12,83,597 in just three months.

On the Ahmedabad to Mumbai route a total of 31 Mail/Express trains are running on which 3,98,002 passengers travelled on the route on which the total capacity was 7,06,446 seats. This route accumulated a loss of Rs 15,78,54,489 as it could generate a revenue of only Rs 26,74,56,982 as against the expected capacity of Rs 42,53,11,471.

The trains running on the same route such as Duranto, Shatabdi, Gujarat Mail, Bhavnagar, Saurashtra, Vivek, Bhuj, Lokshakti are included in the data provided. There is no fresh proposal for any new train on this route with them. The 12009 Shatabdi is the most famous and favourite train for Chair Car service. This train enroute to Ahmedabad had the capacity for 72,696 seats out of which it managed to sell only 36,117 seats. Of the total expected revenue of Rs 7,20,82,948 it could garner only Rs 4,11,23,086. The Executive Chair Car consisted of 8216 seats, whereas only 3468 could be sold garnering a revenue of just Rs 64,14,345 out of the total expected capacity of Rs 1,63,57,898, informed Ahmedabad Division Engineer.

The Shatabdis Ahmedabad-Mumbai route story is no different. Out of the total 67,392 seats, only 22,982 seats got sold and revenue received was Rs 2,51,41,322 in place of total expectations of 6,39,08,988. In the case of Executive Chair Car only 1469 seats were booked out of 7505 available seats. The revenue generation was Rs 26,41,083 instead of 1,45,49,714. The positions in all the other trains are more or less the same. The maximum demand for seats on this route is for sleeper class seats, for which the Railways is not paying any attention to augment the capacity.

The maximum load of passengers on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route is for sleeper class seats and it can be seen that the Upper Class seats are going vacant and the occupancy ratio is very poor, said Galgali. The Railway Ministry and the state government should study the scenario, the Bullet Train project selected by the Central Govt is not a viable option financially as well as from the point of view of common men, he added.








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Sri Lanka is a soverign island nation in South Asia and claims its prerogative to kill its minority populations mainly Tamils in a sustained manner in order to appease the rich majority Singhalese people - most of them are now have the remote control over the parliament and government

Since it is the prerogative of the Lankan regime to kill its minority community for whatever reasons like Israel that keep killing the defenseless Palestinians, it claims its carnal operations against the sections of population are not illegal at all. Lankans also say they cannot be punished by any international court. It said it would investigate the war crimes on its own and UN need to unnecessarily worry about the issue, but it has not yet begun the work even after years of peace in the Island nation.

Time is now fast running out for Srilankan regime to prove to the world that its military-police apparatus had not committed war crimes against the minority Tamil community as a part of its military campaign to weaken Tamil movement for equality.

When the UN had announced the possibility of appointing a war crime tribunal to try the war criminals of Sri Lanka, the new government of Sirisena approached the UN  directly and through USA- pleading to give up the war criminal infestation and that Lankan government itself would investigate the war crimes and submit a report to UN.

But till now Sirisena has failed to keep his word given to UN and USA.

A United Nations expert Pablo de Greiff warned 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.

De Greiff criticised a public assurance given to troops that committed serious crimes by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, who along with the former dictator Rajapakse is making strenuous efforts to save the Singhalese military criminals and not to get them punished by International Courts for their excessive war crimes, that he would not allow war heroes to be prosecuted for alleged atrocities.

Greiff 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 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.

Defeat of LTTE and not of Tamils

Lankan military defeated the LTTE but Sri Lankas Singhalese majority and regime itself think they have defeated the Tamil community in the country and can now ill treat them the way they want. They attack, arrest along with their boats, and even kill Indian fishermen who come to fish at Katchatheevu- their traditional fishing zone. .

Sri Lankan forces that still claim to be totally innocent and committed no crimes, had 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 Rajapaksha regime, responsible for the crimes committed against humanity in the name of war on terror refused even 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 government has been accused of dithering ever since. Sirisena, unlike his predecessor Mahinda Rajapakse, in order possibly to fool the world, agreed to investigate war crimes but has yet to take the necessary steps to do so.he said so as a part of his reconciliation move with the Tamil minority community serving the Singhalese for centuries. The British Empire had taken these Tamils from the then Madras state to work in tea estates in Lanka to increase productivity and profits. Once independent, the Sinhalese majority community began targeting the Tamils denying them even basis rights. Perpetual persecution of Tamils by the Singhalese government gave birth to LTTE to defend the Tamils.

Britain refused to step in to save the Tamils when the Singhalese majority and their government began attacking Tamils and threw them out of work, thereby making them to starve. LTTE began demanding more human rights for Tamils. This led to conflict.

Sri Lanka must know there is no escape from punishment for the crimes it committed against the minority community. Colombo must wake up from sound sleep dreaming about the crimes it committed to win a war against the hapless minority community and institute impartial investigation. Meanwhile UN itself must investigate the war crimes on its own and punish the guilty without any sympathy.

Sri Lankan state crimes

The civil war that began in 1983 between Sri Lankas largely Buddhist Sinhalese majority and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (more commonly known as the Tamil Tigers), a separatist insurgent force from the predominantly Hindu Tamil minority, saw atrocities carried out by both sides, and forced over 100,000 Tamils to seek refuge in India.

The exodus was meant to come to an end in 2009, when government forces conclusively defeated the Tigers which ended the civil war. But ongoing human rights abuses against Tamils means theres still a flow of desperate people prepared to take the huge risks necessary to find sanctuary in India.

After the end of a three-decade-long civil war, some Tamils are still suffering human rights abuses at the hands of the government  desperate to find an escape route. The fishermen of Rameswaram provide a lifeline for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees by smuggling them to safety in India. Some of the boats were involved in transporting Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka, and many of those working the boats were Tamils themselves who had come to India through similar means.

A fishermans life anywhere in the world is a tough one. But the fishermen of Rameswaram live a particularly precarious existence. The boats are forced to play a sometimes deadly game of cat and mouse with the Sri Lankan navy, who often seize fishing boats they accuse of transporting refugees. The navy sometimes fires on fishing boats it deems encroaching on Sri Lankan waters and over 730 fishermen have been killed in the last 30 years.

Thousands of Tamils are believed to have gone missing during the conflicts bloody final phase. After the wars end, journalists, activists and government critics have been abducted by men in white vans in Colombo, the capital, and there are allegations that former Tamil rebels have been tortured in secret detention centres.

Of the 100,000 Tamils in India, 64,000 still live in refugee camps in Tamil Nadu, where they receive an allowance, food and education but have no right to work. The Tamil are an ethnic group native to southern India, but Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka are still often looked down upon. Due to lack of proper documentation they are barred from all but the most menial jobs in the shadow economy.

While the Indian government has been dragging its feet for years over granting full rights to Tamil refugees (even to those who have lived there for over 30 years), Mark and Elliott hope that, at the very least, their project represents the fishermen they discovered eking out a living in the shadows of Rameswaram with dignity.

Systematic genocides

Although the civil war between the government and the LTTE officially began in 1983 and ended in 2009, the ethnic conflict has a longer history. The Tamil Centre for Human Rights (TCHR) found that from 1956 to 2004, about 79,319 Tamil civilians were subjected to killings (54053) and enforced disappearances (25266) by Sri Lankan security forces, state backed Sinhalese mobs and the IPKF.

As it can be seen, Tamil civilians who were killed (35323) and disappeared (2483) by Sri Lankan forces, Sinhalese mobs and the IPKF from 1977 to 2004 totals 37,806. This leaves out pogroms before 1977 and massacres and disappearances after 2004. In the Inginiyakala massacre of 1956, 150 Tamils were killed. In the 1958 pogrom, more than 300 Tamils were killed. In the Tamil Research Conference massacre of 1974, 9 Tamils were killed. So in total, about 459 Tamils were killed from 1956 to 1974. All in all, 38,265 Tamil civilians were killed from 1956 to 2004. If that figure is added to post-2004 figures (514 + 1102 + 70,000), about 10, 9881 Tamils were mass murdered and forced to disappear by Sri Lankan state and the IPKF from 1956 to 2009.

According to figures published by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka in the middle of 2006, 419 persons had disappeared in the Jaffna peninsula since December 2005.  According to a list published on 31 October 2007 by three NGOs, which specified it was not exhaustive, there were 540 cases of enforced disappearance from January to August 2007  Again, in its 2008 annual report, WGEID stated it was alarmed by the large number of cases of enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka, noting it had transmitted 43 cases concerning people who had disappeared between February and October 2008 under its urgent procedure. In its report issued in 2012, WGEID cited renewed allegations that more than 500 persons had disappeared between January and August 2007, in Jaffna District, and around 100 persons were alleged to have disappeared between 2008 and 2009 in Mannar District.

Hence from December 2005 to 2009, around 1102 (419 + 540 + 43 + 100) Tamils were subjected to enforced disappearance, all probably dead. The last phase of the war in 2009 saw an unprecedented scale of mass murder of Tamil civilians within a matter of several months.

The Amnesty International reported in 1998: In 1995, 55 cases of disappearances were reported, particularly from the east of the country and from the capital, Colombo. In 1996, after the army regained control over the northern Jaffna peninsula from the LTTE, an estimated 600 disappearances were reported from that area of the country. During 1997, approximately 100 cases of disappearances were reported, mainly from Jaffna, Batticaloa, Mannar and Kilinochchi.

Hence from 1995 to 1997 about 755 (55 + 600 + 100) Tamils were subjected to enforced disappearances. Based on these reports, the Permanent Peoples Tribunal reviewed that from June 1956 to June 2008, at least 10,617 Tamils died from 149 cases of state sponsored pogroms, massacres and bombings. These lists do not include IPKF atrocities.

Regarding enforced disappearances, the Amnesty International reported in 1994: In the northeast the number who have "disappeared" or been extra judicially executed to date runs to thousands. From 1984 to mid-1987, Amnesty International documented over 680 "disappearances" in the custody of Sri Lankan security forces in the northeast. From mid-1987 to March 1990 the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was responsible for the security of the northeast under the terms of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord. During this period, Amnesty International documented 43 "disappearances" there for which the IPKF were believed responsible. After the IPKF had withdrawn, armed conflict resumed in June 1990 between Sri Lankan government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the main armed Tamil group fighting to establish a separate Tamil state in the northeast of Sri Lanka. Within months, the reported number of extrajudicial executions and "disappearances" reached thousands. In Amparai District in the east, it was estimated that between June and October 1990 alone, some 3,000 Tamil people were killed or "disappeared".

In another report covering the year 1990, the Amnesty International wrote that, In Batticaloa town alone over 1,200 people reportedly "disappeared" between June and October. From these figures we can infer that from 1984 to 1990, around 4880 (680 + 3,000 + 1,200) Tamils were disappeared by the Sri Lankan government forces, if IPKF atrocities are excluded (although they were working for the Sri Lankan governments interests, whether they had intended it or not. In total, about 87,354 (= 10,617 + 4880 + 755 + 1102 + 70,000) Tamil civilians were mass murdered and forced to disappear by Sri Lankan government forces and state backed Sinhalese mobs from 1956 to 2009.

If I count from the TCHRs report which puts the 19562004 figure at 79,319 (including IPKF atrocities), and add post-2004 figures provided by other sources (79,319 + 514 + 1102 + 70,000) about 150,935 Tamil civilians died and disappeared at the hands of Sri Lankan and Indian government forces.

However these figures are incomplete, as some are based on rough estimates and many other atrocities went unreported or not included here. For example, economic embargo (19902002) imposed by the government on LTTE controlled areas which resulted in restriction of food and medical supplies had negative impacts on the local economy and health condition of the people and violated the international norms. This can be considered violence against civilians, although its not included in these figures.

According to an UNs internal review report published in 2012, the estimates of the civilian casualties in 2009 run in the tens of thousands: The Panel of Experts stated that [a] number of credible sources have estimated that there could have been as many as 40,000 civilian deaths. Some Government sources state the number was well below 10,000. Other sources have referred to credible information indicating that over 70,000 people are unaccounted for.

Vaiko attacked in USA by Sri Lankan squad

Sri Lankan regime, like any other nation having committed serious crimes against humanity is scare of punishment and watches through its agents abroad used by its foreign missions to deny any talk of its crimes against Tamils. Tamils are attacked abroad, too.

Lankan state atrocities against minorities are meant to end. A senior Dravidian politician and orator who always protested Singhalese crimes against Tamils, the MDMK chief Vaiko addressed the UNHRC meeting in September and accused the Sri Lankan Government of presiding over sustained genocides of Tamils. He also lamented about the lack of any progress in investigations into the atrocities committed allegedly by the Sri Lankan army. A group of Sri Lankans, allegedly former defence personnel, heckled MDMK general secretary Vaiko soon after he completed his address during a debate at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

After concluding his address for the second time, a group of Sri Lankans allegedly encircled him. A woman in the group yelled at Vaiko, saying that he was not a Sri Lankan Tamil to raise the Sri Lankan issue. Then who should raise such carnal attacks on minorities in Sri Lanka?

Colombo in denial mode

Sri Lanka still claims no harm done to Tamils and Indians and they committed no war crimes. . India never questions them, emboldening them to assert their lies. .

Sri Lankan Navy denies killing Indian fisherman K. Britjo. 'No Navy personnel has the permission to shoot at poaching fishermen,' Sri Lankan navy spokesperson said. Sri Lanka has assured India of cooperation in the investigation into the shooting of a Rameswaram-based fisherman K. Britjo.

A group of fishermen returned to the Rameswaram jetty with the body of 21-year-old fisherman K. Bristo, and pointed to an apparent bullet injury on his neck. Fishermen leaders based in Tamil Nadu said he was among the six fishermen on board a mechanized trawler that the "Sri Lankan Navy targeted".

In 2011, a similar shooting incident claimed two Tamil fishermens lives at the Palk Bay. Tamil Nadu fishermen accused the Sri Lankan Navy of opening fire, which the navy denied.The death of Britso of Thangachimadam made the state as well as central government wake up face the Lankan challenge Saron is getting treatment at Ramanathapuram government hospital. I have ordered the district administration to offer high class treatment to him," Palaniswami said in a statement

DMK president MK Stalin also condemned the killing of the fisherman and urged Centre to take strong action. "It's high time the Central Government reacts strongly to this problem. The Central Government cannot be a mute spectator. It should take up this issue with Indian ambassador in Sri Lanka or the High Commission of Sri Lanka in India," Stalin said.

Indias weak reaction

On June 27, 2017, the Tamil Nadu government expressed concern over the "alarming increase" in number of "attacks" on Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy and sought the centre's intervention for release of 42 of them. Referring to a spate of "distressing" arrests of Indian fishermen from his state in the last few days, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said such apprehensions have a "demoralising impact" on fishermen as well as the people of the state.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he raised the issue of arrest of 14 fishermen in two separate instances by the Lankan navy. "In spite of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) between India and Sri Lanka being sub-judice due to the ceding of Katchatheevu islet, the Sri Lankan Navy is continuing its marauding attacks on and abductions of our fishermen," he said.

He recalled the state urging the Centre to use diplomatic measures to "prevail" upon Colombo "and reverse this trend". "These instances, occurring on an everyday basis, in which our boats with innocent fishermen are being apprehended with impunity by the Sri Lankan Navy has a demoralising impact not just on the fishermen, but also on people of Tamil Nadu," he said in the letter.

The people of the state "strongly believe" that the fishermen have a genuine claim to the Palk Bay fishing grounds from where they "are being apprehended," he added.

The Chief Minister also pointed out that Sri Lanka has not released any of the fishing boats apprehended since January 2015, adding, that this "inhumane strategy" was causing great loss of livelihood to the fishermen. "There was wide expectation among the people of Tamil Nadu that the boats apprehended since 2015 would be released as an outcome of your meeting with the Sri Lankan prime minister in April," Palaniswami said, referring to Modi's meeting with Ranil Wickremesinghe in Delhi. "The alarming increase in the frequency of abductions by the Sri Lankan Navy is a matter of utmost concern for the (state) government and the people of Tamil Nadu. An immediate intervention at the highest level is sought to resolve this long standing livelihood issue of our fishermen," he said.

The Tamil Nadu government was taking "multifarious" steps to convert trawling boats to long liners and gill netters in the shortest possible period, Mr Palaniswami said, adding all transitions take time. "The Sri Lankan policy of abduction of boats in this transition period without respite only indicates its increasing intolerant attitude and the scant respect for the Indian diplomatic efforts," he said. The Chief Minister urged PM Modi to take the matter up with the highest authorities in the Sri Lankan government and ensure the immediate release of a total of 42 fishermen and 141 boats.

Recently, Indian government on Mar 7, 2017 expressed its concern to the Sri Lankan government over the killing of an Indian fisherman by the Sri Lankan Navy. "Government of India is deeply concerned at the killing of an Indian fisherman. Our High Commissioner to Sri Lanka has taken up the matter with the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka," highly placed sources in the government told TOI. The source added that Sri Lankan Navy has promised a full and thorough investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile, protests erupted in Tamil Nadu's Rameswaram after 22-year-old Britso, a fisherman from Thangachimadam, was shot dead o, allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy personnel while he was fishing in a mechanized boat at a short distance off Katchatheevu islet. Two more fishermen reportedly suffered injuries in the firing.

Hundreds of fishermen staged a demonstration at Thangachimadam, demanding the arrest of the Lankan navy men involved in the incident. The protesting fishermen also refused to accept Britso's body unless foreign minister Sushma Swaraj visits the island and gives them assurance that such incidents will not happen in the future.

Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced Rs 5 lakh ex gratia for the victim's family and Rs 1 lakh for the fishermen injured in the shooting. In a statement, the chief minister said the fishermen set out for fishing on Monday in a mechanized boat from Rameswaram fishing base. The Lankan Navy opened fire on the innocent fishermen, without any warning or provocation.

Observation: Will India act or will not?

The issue of Tamil Nadu fishermen allegedly poaching in Sri Lankas territorial waters has been an ongoing conflict, with Sri Lankas northern fishermen repeatedly raising concerns over their falling catch and the serious environmental damage caused by trawlers originating from India.

As of now, as many as 85 Indian fishermen charged of poaching are in Sri Lankan custody. A total of 146 trawlers seized by the navy have also been held, officials said.

Sri Lanka continued to be arrogant and deals on criminal intent with Indian Tamil fishermen fishing at Katchatheevu because India still refuses to step in to set things right for the Indian fishermen making livelihood at Katchatheevu- their traditional zone for ages. Occasionally, Indian High Commissioner in Colombo meets the Lankan President and other top officals requesting them, on behalf of Indian PM, to be good to Indian fishermen. But that is considered by Lankan regime as Indian weakness.

Meanwhile, in September PM Modi has picked a Tamilian Nirmala Sitaraman to hold the top slotted and heavily leaded Defence ministry of government of India, obviously, signaling a new shift in Indian policy towards Sri Lanka. However, Colombo doesnt give any importance to the move ans considers it another gimmick of Modi.

Apparently, PM Modis choice of a Tamilian for the defence ministry talks a lot for Sri Lankan regime. Sri Lankan military knows if India decides to teach a lesson to Sri Lanka, it wont take more than a couple of hours to deform that island nation. One is not very sure what exactly the Indian government is planning in Sri Lanka to settle the fisherman issue. But if a brief attack is preferred by New Delhi and executed, then, it is quite likely that India would control not only Katchatheevu but also Sri Lanka. Then Lankans would cry loud pleading to India not to take Lanka but take away only Katchatheevu. Once India enters Srilanka, an Indian rule would be ensuing as the plight of Singhalese would be the same Tamils have faced all these years. .

Ms. Niramal Sitharaman, who oversaw the commerce and trade portfolio as a junior minister, has joined five other women in India's cabinet. The prestigious foreign affairs portfolio is also held by a woman, Sushma Swaraj.. . Prime Minister Indira Gandhi also acted as defence minister on two occasions between the mid-1970s and early 1980s. She was assassinated in 1984. Sitharaman's appointment comes just days after India and China agreed to end a months-long military stand-off at a strategically important disputed area in the Himalayas. New Delhi said both sides agreed to withdraw troops from an area near the Indian border that is claimed by both China and India's ally Bhutan.

The reshuffle has been cast as Modi laying the groundwork before national elections in 2019, where he is widely tipped to defeat a diminished opposition. His nationally ruling party also governs 18 of India's 29 states, either directly or in alliance with regional parties.

In the appointment of a Tamilian as defence minister, Tamils expect a massive operation by Indian government in Sri Lanka at least at Katchatheevu to restore the Indians their traditional rights to profess their profession of fish there. If Indian regime refuses any action against Sri Lanka on behalf of Indian fishermen community, that wont be in the interests of India in the long term.

________References: 1. Genocides of Tamils and Indo-Sri Lanka relations (Modern Diplomacy) http://moderndiplomacy.eu/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=2418:genocides-of-tamils-and-indo-sri-lanka-relations. 2. Katchatheevu should be brought back to Indian control in order to ensure safe fishing by Indians! March 16, 2017 Abdul Ruff , south Asia Journal--http://southasiajournal.net/katchatheevu-should-be-brought-back-to-indian-control-in-order-to-ensure-safe-fishing-by-indians/








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Even as it is losing intentional prestige and credibility as a real mediator for peace anywhere in the world, USA is committed to shield terrorist Israel by misusing its veto from any punishment international community at UN.

As the Turkish diplomatic profile taking a final shape in recent times, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Iran on October 04 to hold crucial talks with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on the outcome of the Iraqi Kurdish referendum and other regional security issues.

Part -1: Common challenges

Important visit

As USA is still considering further sanctions on Iran, Turkish and Iranian analysts agree that while Erdogan's visit is important for both countries but Ankara has much more at stake on its outcome than Tehran. Accordingly, Turkey could leverage its warming relations with Iran to put more pressure on the KRG to backtrack from its plan to declare an independent state.

Erdogan's visit to Tehran has been expected since August. But his original agenda focusing on military cooperation to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS), and the establishment of a de-escalation zones in Syria, has since been overshadowed by a new regional crisis following the Kurdish referendum.

Erdogan's visit to Tehran comes as Ankara continues to seek regional consensus on how to block efforts by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to split from Iraq - a move Turkey fears would have a domino effect on its own 15 million ethnic Kurdish populations.

Iran also has got similar apprehensions.

Political relations between Iran and Turkey have continued steadily since the 1979 Islamic Revolution despite the existence of structural differences between them. It is worth mentioning though that their bilateral interests in maintaining regional stability and their commitment to containing and controlling Kurdish separatist movements in the Middle East, i.e. their security cooperation, are two other important factors contributing in the consolidation of their political relations. However, the contribution that economy has made to the two countries relations has been very huge.

From a military and security perspective, Erdogan's visit to Iran is very important, as Turkey considers more sanctions on the KRG and its regional capital Erbil, including the shutting of its borders.

In the last week following the Kurdish referendum, Turkey has held joint military exercises with Iraq. Separately, Iraq also announced joint military exercises with Iran. But so far, there have been no agreement reached on military exercises between Turkey and Iran.

The Turkish president stressed the need for joint and simultaneous actions by Iran, Turkey and Iraq on the issue of Iraqi Kurdistan.

Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Imam Sayyed Ali Khameni told visiting Turkish President Erdogan that the USA is seeking to create new Israel in the Middle East through the Kurdish secession bid. The Leader warned that holding referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan is a betrayal of region and a threat to its future that will entail long-term repercussions for the neighboring states.

Recently, President Erdogan had told parliament members in Ankara that he expects to draw up an agreement with Iran, on how to respond to the KRG referendum. Erdogan dispatched Gen. Hulusi Akar, the military Chief of General Staff, to Tehran, the first ever visit for a top Turkish military official since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. At their meeting, Akar and Iran's military chief, Mohammed Hussein Bagheri, condemned the Kurdish referendum as unconstitutional. (In August, Bagheri became the first ever top military official of Iran to visit Ankara since 1979) Akar also held separate talks with President Rouhani, who at the meeting warned that the deterioration of geographical boundaries, in the event of a KRG split from Iraq, would harm regional security and stability. Akar said that Turkey and Iran, "will play an important role in the region's stability and peace with improving cooperation", following the Kurdish referendum.

Uneasy alliance

The terror war in Kabul launched by the USA following the Sept-11 hoax under NATO terror banner is still on and it has spread its poisonous tentacles into other Muslim nations; The foes of Islam are interested in killing more and more Muslims and loot the resources in Arab world, secure energy routes and other trade routes for the superpower USA.

Unfortunately, Islamic world is being controlled by economically, technologically and militarily advanced West where the rulers of Islamic nations keep their wealth for safety. .

Like in bilateral relations between any two Muslim nations, Iran and Turkey have conducted uneasy relations as each looked up to Uncle Sam for help and support. Experience taught a few lessons to both Istanbul and Tehran to see through the hidden agenda of anti-Islamic world, led by USA, Israel and Germany and accordingly reset their policy towards the enemies of Islam.

After bad experience with its former military ally Israel, Turkeys raising mode of diplomatic resources is tremendously good news for the people of the Middle East. The two remaining strong, independent, sovereign nations have united to stop the nefarious plans of Israel and their US supporters to further destabilize and Balkanize the region.

The strategy of disintegrating the regional countries is the US-Israeli plan to sustain Sunni-Shiite divide intact. Like Israel, there are many in Syria and Iraq, who simply do not fully trust Iran, and they do not trust Turkey at all; they fuel Saudi Arabia to fight Iran and think Erdogan is a slippery customer who changed sides as it suited him and he rules Turkey with an iron fist.

The enemies of Islam pretend to be great democrats but worried about deficit of freedoms in Muslim nations and are annoyed that Erdogan did not allow the enemies of Islam in and outside Turkey to destabilize the Islamist nation in Europe and kill the leaders there, including President Erdogan and view the unsuccessful coup a lost opportunity to make Turkey anti-Islamic. They also made loud noise as the Erdogan government began acting swiftly against the coup plotters.

The ISIS project, like Taliban and Al Qaeda, belongs to Washington and the idea behind its introduction is to divide the West Asia. One of prime objectives of Sept-11 hoax had much to do with that.

Irans response to coup in Turkey

Turkey is a neighboring state where the coup plot happened. The whole establishment was too concerned. President Erdogan and his government are strong partners of Iran. Its not a secret anymore that Zarif, Shamkhani and Soleimani were executing higher orders. Our nations enjoy strong brotherly ties, so its the least we can do to show solidarity and try to offer any help they might need in such critical times.

In July Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was on the phone with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, whose government was under the threat of being overthrown by a military coup. Meanwhile, Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Irans Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), was on another line with security officials in Ankara. All the while, Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, Irans regional military arm, was busy pursuing and reviewing various scenarios that might emerge.

Within hours after the coup attempt began late July 15, the SNSC convened to discuss developments in Turkey. Following the meeting, which was chaired by President Hassan Rouhani, Shamkhani publicly condemned the coup attempt, telling local media outlets, We support Turkeys legal government and oppose any type of coup  either initiated domestically or supported by foreign sides. Shamkhani said, What determined the fate of developments in Turkey were the will and presence of the Turkish nation and the vigilance of political parties, whose contribution thwarted this coup. Shamkhani concluded, Our stance is not exclusive to Turkey either. We have pursued the same stance in Syria too. Our position toward all regional countries is that we always prefer peoples votes to decide governments rather than tribal, sectarian and hereditary governments, and this means democracy.

A coup in Turkey with regional implications isnt something Iran can tolerate. Its true that there are differences over Syria, and sometimes in Iraq. Yet the fact is that there is no direct problem between Iran and Turkey; on the contrary, bilateral relations are always advancing for the better. Besides, Iran is opposed to any kind of change by force, and especially when the government in question is democratically elected The most important thing is that this experience of coup attempt might be an opportunity for Erdogan to understand the situation in neighboring Syria.

Indeed, multiple Iranian officials, including Ali Akbar Velayati  foreign policy adviser to Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei  brought up Syria in their condemnation of the coup attempt in Turkey. While condemning the coup, Velayati  a former foreign minister  said he hopes the Turkish government will respect the views and votes of the Syrian people and allow them to decide their own government. It was a clear message from Iran to Turkey regarding Syria and the future of the struggle in the region. For five years now, Iranian officials have on repeated occasions stated that they have been trying to engage the Turks on a path to address the situation in Syria, and while unsuccessful, have never given up on this approach.

The coup in Turkey brings Iran closer

Turkey is a major regional player. With an Islamic-oriented government in power in Ankara, bilateral relations have improved in the past decade, paving the way for common ground despite differences over regional developments. The latter has been possible thanks to Iranian-Turkish proximity in terms of grander objectives and also similarities in their ways of thinking.

The stability of the region would have been seriously threatened if the coup attempt had succeeded. Besides, there is the fear that such a move might trigger internal strife, weakening the state. Given the past five bloody years in the region, any such development in Turkey would shake the whole region in addition to Europe, Iran and the Caucasus. Besides, the already shaken Arab countries following the Arab Spring, sponsored by Israel-USA-Germany trio, would face more troubles. What the various ethnic groups within Turkey might do when the enemies of Islam and Islamist Turkey were eager to create problems within?

The Iranian government reacted to the Coup in Turkey before any other government in the whole world and backed strongly the legitimate Turkish government.

Some conservative figures in Tehran have shown a different reaction toward development in Turkey, influenced mainly by the crisis in Syria. There was not a gap between the public and the government with respect to what was going on in Turkey. Many who oppose Islam and without any understanding of the region is influenced by the war in Syria think the fall of Erdogan would have been a positive development  not only in Iran but also in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. But such an argument has no validity.

It is important to bear in mind the other important reasons why Iran sees the security and stability of Turkey as pivotal to its own national security. Indeed, at the height of the nuclear-related sanctions on Iran, Turkey played a vital role in easing the pressure on its eastern neighbor. Erdogan certainly paid the price for ignoring the direction from USA on US sanctions imposed on Iran though his gold-for-oil scheme  even while economic ties between the two countries greatly expanded in the sanctions era.

Reports suggest, Iran also played a role in directly thwarting the coup, for instance, by sharing intelligence that helped Erdogan preserve his reign. This vital intelligence tip helped President Erdogan to undertake quick measures to thwart the chances for repeats of the failed coup. He launched quick punitive measures ignoring the calls from USA and Germany, EU to be democratic and not to punish their plotters of coup.

An Iranian official saw parallels between the successful coup against Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1953 and the failed coup attempt in Turkey. What we know is that this coup move was triggered by foreign hands. We went through the same in the past, and because Erdogan is today looking forward to playing a better role in the region, they want him down. There was a message that was conveyed to Turkish security officials: This coup might be made up of several waves; it happened in Iran in 1953. When the first coup failed, they had another one ready  and they succeeded in Iran.

However, a number of politicians and experts in Iran who work against Saudi-Iran ties and have argued that Tehran should not react "too harshly" like Erdogan did in recent days as reaction to coup attempt.

Cooperation, sympathy, unified and serious political and economic decisions by Iran and Turkey regarding the move is very important. Iranian spiritual leader Imam Khamenei said that Iran and Turkey should do everything possible to counter the coup issue and the Iraqi government should take decisions seriously and take measures to that effect.

The Leader Imam Khamenei stressed the need to enhance economic cooperation between these two countries, he stressed importance of cooperation between Tehran and Ankara regarding serious problems faced by the Islamic world from East Asia and Myanmar to North Africa. He described such cooperation as very significant and effective, saying it will benefit both nations as well as the Islamic world. Unfortunately, despite numerous capacities, level of economic collaboration has not increased at all and more needs to be done in the field, Imam Khamenei said.

The Leader expressed pleasure over Iran-Turkey cooperation in Astana talks and improving trend of Syrian issues as a result of the collaboration. But the issue of ISIL will not end this way; rather it requires a long-term actual plan.

So while, today on the face of it, this Turkey-Iran alliance against the Israeli-US agenda is a good thing, few in the Middle East will view it without strong suspicions, especially about Turkeys role.

It is indeed a positive development that Iran and Turkey have identified their common foes and forged a solid foundation in regional unity that would be a model for all Arab nations as well.

Saudi-UAE-Egyptian axis

It looks as if the core Sunni alliance Saudi-UAE-Egyptian axis is trying to establish a new regional order targeting Iran and supported by the Trump government and Israel, and condoned by countries like Jordan. The logical part of this alliance is political Islam and they are also eager to rope in Islamist Turkey as well but Turkey has a larger goal in the WA region. Since they publicly announced their main enemy is Iran, Turkey stays away from any anti-Iran or anti-Islamic alliance. .

Turkey considers Tehran its trust worthy partner in containing Israeli criminal operations in Palestine, Arab world. Therefore, this new Saudi led regional order, if imposed, would be detrimental to Islam, to the legitimate interests of both regional powers and eventually work against the trio as well. But Riyadh is eager to gt SA attack Iran  a goal of Israel too and hence Saudi moves towards Israel. .

Saudi Arabia wants to oblige Washington by targeting Qatar. The most obvious manifestation of the trio struggle for regional order to be dominated by Riyadh was on full display during the latest Gulf crisis targeting Qatar.

Neither Iran nor Turkey regarded this crisis as an isolated confrontation between Qatar and the Gulf-Arab coalition. Both consider the Saudi move a dangerous twist against genuine interests of Islam and regional powers.

Turkey and Iran both opposed the Saudi-led block's moves against Qatar. In fact, during the initial phase of the crisis, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif paid a rare visit to Turkey to discuss, among other issues, what was happening in the Gulf.

Further, Iran and Turkey have decided to adopt joint mechanism to contain Zionist criminal designs. Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami said that Iran and Turkey, as two influential countries in the Mideast region, will stop new scenario of the Zionist regime of Israel and that protecting the regional countries territorial integrity is Irans principled policy.

The emergence of the Syrian Kurdish bloc led by the Democratic Union Party (PYD) as a major player in Syria has pushed Turkey to re-evaluate its Syrian policy. It has prioritized pushing back against the gains of the Syrian Kurds over regime change in Syria and this new strategy has become the thorniest issue in Turkish-American relations. Erdogan stressed the need for establishment of a powerful unity between Iran and Turkey in the region. We managed to reach a conclusion during negotiations with the Iranian president on Syria and Iraq.

Cooperation among Iran, Turkey and Iraq can be effective and helpful in establishing stability and security in the region and countering division seeking actions. Iran attaches great importance to Turkey in its foreign policy.

Kurdish threat

Two issues cause particular concern in Turkey and Iran: the perceived opacity of US policy and the political ambitions of the Kurds for a soverign nation. Iran is anxiously awaiting whether the USA, coerced by Israel, economically powerful US Jewish community, will switch its regional policy from ISIL-first to Iran-first policy in the near future. Turkey is disturbed by the fact that it can't figure out the durability of USA for the Kurds in Syria and the end goal of this partnership in Syria.

Both countries are also concerned about the overall aims of the US Syria policy especially with regard to Kurds. The prospect of Kurdish statehood in Iraq and of autonomy in Syria and the potential spillover effect these could have on the Kurdish population in Turkey and Iran generate much anxiety in both capitals.

US strategy is to divide the emerging Turkey-Iran equations and splitting the Arab world by using Israel that is ever ready to play its devastating role in west Asian crises. Both USA and Israel, killing the besieged Palestinians, including children and women, like wild owls, watch every move Arab leaders and Iran and take precautionary steps to keep them divided on a permanent basis.

Ahead of Erdogan's visit, the Turkish foreign ministry announced that it wants Baghdad to take over from the KRG the control of the border between Turkey and the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. On September 25, voters in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq voted overwhelmingly to back a split from Baghdad, setting off a regional crisis. Neighbouring Turkey and Iran, as well as Iraq's central government in Baghdad have opposed the referendum, and have threatened to impose sanctions on the KRG should it decide to go ahead with its decision to declare an independent state. The UN and the USA, have also opposed the Kurdish referendum, saying it would distract operations against ISIL, as well as the civil war in Syria.

Turkey has been in alignment with the Kurdish conservative nationalist current, whereas the Marxist-nationalist current led by the PKK has had working ties with Iran and its allies such as the Iraqi central government until recently.

KRG is Turkey's largest trading partner next to Europe. Turkey stands to lose a lot more if its relations with Iraqi Kurdistan deteriorate. Last year trade between the two countries was estimated to be at least $7bn, and it is expected to increase to $14bn this year. That is why until now Turkey has not shut down the borders.

Within Iran, there are an estimated six to eight million ethnic Kurds, but there have been no significant separatist movement among the ethnic population within its own border. The KRG President Masoud Barzani was born in the Kurdish region of Iran. Iran has maintained longstanding relations with Iraqi Kurds, supporting Kurdish armed groups during the rule of the Shah before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. During the Iran-Iraq war, the Kurds sided with Iran against Saddam Hussein, and Iran opened its doors to the families of Kurdish leaders during that conflict. Saddam also targeted both the Iranian and the Kurds supposedly with chemical weapons.

However, Iran, too, is concerned with Kurdish political ambitions, particularly those of the Iraqi Kurds. The independence of Iraqi Kurdistan would diminish the status of Iraq - a Shia-majority country over which Iran has a significant level of influence - in terms of population, geography, hydrocarbon wealth, and water resources. An independent Iraqi Kurdistan is also likely to be closer to the West, Turkey, Israel, and arguably Gulf states than to Iran. Despite Iran's anxiety about PYD's expanding partnership with the USA and territorial control, it still keeps its cold peace with the group. The reflection of this policy is that Iran and the PKK's Iranian offshoot PJAK have kept the ceasefire they concluded in 2011.

Kurdish statehood could also create plenty of domestic trouble for Iran. The ties of the Iranian Kurdish population and parties with their Iraqi Kurdish brethren are more solid than those with Turkish Kurds. Most Iranian Kurdish parties have deep historical ties with the Iraqi Kurdish parties. In fact, the leadership of the Iranian Kurdish parties, Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDP-I) and the left-wing Komala are active in Iraqi Kurdistan. These shared concerns don't translate into shared interests in Turkish-Iranian relations.

Although Turkey and Iran are worried about Kurdish statehood, Turkey's interests lie in minimizing the PKK-PYD threat, while the political projections of Iraq's Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) are rather tolerable (even if Ankara opposes its latest push for independence, it is still much less of a threat than an autonomous pro-PKK body in northern Syria).

For Iran, it is the opposite: The break-off of Iraqi Kurdistan bodes ill for its policies in Iraq and it would do anything to prevent it; the PKK and PYD's presence in Syria and Iraq, however, is no more than a nuisance.

Apart from the Kurdish issue in Iraq, Iran and Turkey have other diverging interests. Ankara has been disturbed by the twin processes of the centralization and sectarianization of the Iraqi state. In principle, Ankara supports the strengthening of the central government in order to curb the irredentist aspirations of Iraqi Kurdistan, but this could mean the domination of sectarian politics as the Shia groups retain more state power - a trend already in place in the country's security architecture.

This process was in full force under the pro-Iranian premiership of Nouri al-Maliki between 2006 and 2014 and his policies were arguably largely supported by Iran. Tehran now also supports the Iraqi central government's sectarian policies and use of Shia militias in the areas that have been cleared from ISIL. This runs the risk of further aggravating Turkey's allies in Iraq - the Iraqi Sunnis and the KDP. Ankara and Tehran have divergent interest in Syria as well. Although Turkey has stopped calling for regime change in Damascus, it is still not in a position to condone the total elimination of the opposition. Like the regime, Iran seems to favour inflicting as much destruction on the opposition as possible. At the same time, it is striving to convince Turkey to open channels with the regime, using the Syrian Kurdish territorial expansion as a pretext.

Developments in the West Asian region during the past years have served the interests of the Zionist regime and harmed the world of Islam and have marginalized the issue of Palestine.

Arab world depends too much on the support USA that is visibly n a permanent war on Islam with Islamic world, Muslims for their lives and resources. Now Trump, who gets tips from his Jewish son in law on foreign policy, seems to have forces Saudi Arabia to listen to Israel as well. Saudi Arabia is under illusion about US support for Sunni led Islamic world.

Some common concerns have recently emerged between Turkey and Iran, which has facilitated the recent thaw in relations. Two factors have been particularly important. First, the struggle to establish a post-Arab Spring regional order has generated anxiety in both Ankara and Tehran. Second, the struggle for the post-Arab Spring regional order as per the wishes of Saudi kingdom has coincided with the post-ISIL futures of Iraq and Syria.








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The Spanish political crisis unfolds along the expected lines. Reaction followed action. Power struggle in Spain is taking a new twist.

As Catalan leaders held an independence referendum, defying a ruling by the Constitutional Court which had declared it illegal, Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy has abruptly dissolved the Catalan parliament and calling snap local elections after MPs there voted to declare independence.

Rajoy has also fired Catalan leader President Carles Puigdemont and his cabinet. Rajoy also announced the sacking of the Catalan police chief. He said the unprecedented imposition of direct rule on Catalonia was essential to "recover normality".

The head of the local police force has also been removed, Rajoy said, although whether the 17,000-strong Mossos d'Esquadra will take orders from Madrid remains to be seen. Catalan police chief Josep Lluis Trapero and two independence leaders were questioned by a judge in Madrid. They were not charged but the independence leaders were detained.

People of Catalonia have voted 1 October for independence. The final results from the 1 October referendum in the wealthy north-eastern region suggested 90% of the 2.3 million people who voted had backed independence. Turnout was 43%. 90% were in favour of independence. Others boycotted the vote after the court ruling. A motion declaring independence was approved on Friday with 70 in favour, 10 against, and two abstentions in the 135-seat chamber. Several opposition MPs supporting the Madrid rule boycotted the vote.

Thousands celebrated the declaration of independence on the streets of Barcelona, Catalonia's regional capital. As the outcome of the vote became clear, people popped open cava, the local sparkling wine. The same crowds that cheered each Yes vote from Catalan MPs were reportedly booing Rajoy as he made his announcement. There have been pro-unity demonstrations too, with protesters in Barcelona waving Spanish flags and denouncing Catalan independence.

In Madrid many people have begun flying the Spanish national flag from their windows and balconies, to show their support for keeping the country united. There is some sympathy for the Catalan cause, mostly because of the police crackdown during the referendum. But far louder are calls to prosecute those pushing for independence. It's a move which many Spaniards, like their government, are convinced was illegal.

On Friday the Spanish Senate granted President Mariano Rajoy's government the power to impose direct rule on Catalonia, and after an emergency cabinet meeting Rajoy spelled out what that would entail. "The president Carles Puigdemont had the opportunity to return to legality and to call elections," he said. "It is what the majority of the Catalonian people asked for - but he didn't want to do it. So the government of Spain is taking the necessary measures to return to legality." Regional elections, including in Catalonia, arescheduled for 21 December.

After the 1 October referendum, Puigdemont signed a declaration of independence but delayed implementation to allow talks with the Spanish government. He ignored warnings by the Madrid government to cancel the move, prompting Rajoy to first announce his plans to remove Catalan leaders and impose direct rule.

Having been sacked by the federal government in Madrid, Puigdemont has urged supporters to "maintain the momentum" in a peaceful manner. Freedom seeking separatists say the move means they no longer fall under Spanish jurisdiction. But the Spanish Constitutional Court is likely to declare it illegal, while the EU, the USA, the UK, Germany and France all expressed support for Spanish unity.

Spain's prime minister may have hoped warning Catalonia against declaring independence would be enough. Now that Catalonia has declared independence President Mariano Rajoy has to follow through on his pledge to impose direct rule, knowing this is highly risky. Mariano Rajoy argues that Catalan separatists left him no choice. He had to act, to return the region to "legality", as Madrid puts it. But actually doing that will be complex and highly fraught. It's why Rajoy called for calm in Spain, after the Catalan vote for independence. He is acting with broad, cross-party support though, and public backing.

Meanwhile Spanish prosecutors say they will file charges of "rebellion" against Puigdemont next week

Can Catalonia be a soverign nation?

Catalonia looks like it has already got many of the trappings of a state. A parliament, fags, an able leader Carles Puigdemont. The region has its own police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra. It has its own broadcast regulator, and even boasts a series of foreign "missions" - mini embassies that promote trade and investment in Catalonia around the world. Catalonia delivers some public services already - schools and healthcare, for example. There'd be much more to set up in the event of independence, though. Border control, customs, international relations, defence, central bank, Inland revenue, air traffic control, etc.. All of these are currently run by Madrid. There wont be any problems for Catalonia to launch all these infrastructures.

Catalonia is certainly rich compared with other parts of Spain. It is home to just 16% of the Spanish population, but 19% of its GDP and more than a quarter of Spain's foreign exports. It punches above its weight in terms of tourism too - 18 million of Spain's 75 million tourists chose Catalonia as their primary destination last year, easily the most visited region.

In Spanish "Madrid nos roba" is a popular secessionist slogan - "Madrid is robbing us." The received wisdom is that comparatively wealthy Catalonia pays in more than it gets out of the Spanish state.

Catalonia is one of Spain's richest, most distinctive regions with a high degree of autonomy. But many Catalans feel they pay more to Madrid than they get back, and there are historical grievances, too, in particular Catalonia's treatment under the dictatorship of General Franco. Catalans are divided on the question of independence - an opinion poll earlier this year said 41% were in favour and 49% were opposed to independence.

Carles Puigdemont assumed the office of President of Catalonia in January 2016.He leads the Catalan government. There are 12 ministers, with portfolios including education, health, culture, home affairs and welfare. The Catalan government employs 28,677 people, comprising civil servants and other staff.

Six parties are represented in Catalonia's 135-seat regional parliament. Three of them are pro-independence. Elections were held on 27 September 2015 and "Together for Yes" (JxSi), a coalition of two parties and civic organisations, focused on achieving independence from Spain, won the largest number of seats - 62. It was short of an absolute majority and required support from the pro-independence, anti-capitalist Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP), with 10 seats, to form the government.

The second largest party in the parliament, with 25 seats, is the liberal anti-nationalist Citizens-Party of the Citizenry (Cs). The Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC-PSOE), with 16 seats, and the People's Party of Catalonia (PPC), the Catalan affiliate of Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's People's Party, with 11 seats, also oppose independence. Catalonia Yes We Can (CSQP), a left wing-green coalition, which won 11 seats, is in favour of self-determination for the Catalan people.

The Catalan parliament, where separatist MPs make up the majority, officially declared independence while the Spanish Senate was meeting to discuss the issue in Madrid on 27 October. Catalan MPs opposed to independence boycotted the vote. The motion called for the transfer of legal power from Spain - a democratic monarchy - to an independent "republic of Catalonia". That means they no longer recognize the Spanish constitution. Within hours, Madrid had responded.

Tarragona has one of Europe's largest chemical hubs. Barcelona is one of the EU's top 20 ports by weight of goods handled. About a third of the working population has some form of tertiary education. It's also true that Catalans pay more in taxes than is spent on their region. In 2014, the last year the Spanish government has figures for, Catalans paid nearly 10bn (8.9bn) more in taxes than reached their region in public spending. Would an independent Catalonia get the difference back?

Some have argued that even if Catalonia gained a tax boost from independence that might get swallowed up by having to create new public institutions and run them without the same economies of scale.

Perhaps of greater concern is Catalonia's public debt. The Catalan government owes 77bn (68bn) at the last count, or 35.4% of Catalonia's GDP. Of that, 52bn is owed to the Spanish government. In 2012, the Spanish government set up a special fund to provide cash to the regions, who were unable to borrow money on the international markets after the financial crisis. Catalonia has been by far the biggest beneficiary of this scheme, taking 67bn since it began.

Not only would Catalonia lose access to that scheme, but it would raise the question of how much debt Catalonia would be willing to repay after independence. That question would surely cast a shadow over any negotiations. And on top of the sum owed by the regional government - would Madrid expect Barcelona to shoulder a share of the Spanish national debt?

Economic pressure could slow the process of cessation from Spain Catalonia is a major economic factor now. It accounts for about a fifth of Spain's economic output, but Catalonia also has a huge pile of debt and owes 52bn (47bn; $61bn) to the Spanish government.

Even though Madrid has powerful economic levers, Catalonia is one of Spain's wealthiest regions. On 5 October a business exodus from Catalonia began. The banks Caixa and Sabadell, along with several utility companies, decided to move their legal headquarters out of Catalonia. Spain has made it easier for businesses to leave and more than 1,600 companies have now copied the banks' move.

Foreign affairs, the armed forces and fiscal policy are the sole responsibility of the Spanish government. The division of powers between the central government in Madrid and the regional government in Barcelona is not as clear-cut as it is in some other countries with devolved authorities such as Germany or the UK.

In the UK, for example, the government in Westminster cannot interfere in Scottish education policy because education is fully devolved. But in Spain, the Spanish constitution takes precedence if there is a clash with any region - something that the Catalan government resents.

Is there still room for compromise?

Not exactly, and neither side appears in the mood for it now. Puigdemont urged international mediation - but there is no sign of that, as Madrid does not want it. The EU - traditionally wary of secessionist movements - sees the crisis as an internal matter for Spain.

In practice, for any region it is very hard to achieve independence under international law. Kosovo discovered that - even though it had a strong case on human rights grounds.

Amid speculation that the Catalan parliament might unilaterally declare independence, some of the region's banks decided to move their legal headquarters to other parts of Spain. Meanwhile, the government in Madrid says any such declaration would have no effect.

The independence movement was galvanized by a 2010 Spanish Constitutional Court ruling which many Catalans saw as a humiliation. The Spanish government could still make a gesture to appease Catalan separatists and calm the situation. That ruling struck down some key parts of Catalonia's 2006 autonomy statute. The court refused to recognize Catalonia as a nation within Spain; ruled that the Catalan language should not take precedence over Spanish in the region; and overruled measures giving Catalonia more financial autonomy.

The court acted after Rajoys Popular Party asked it to. Now, to defuse this crisis, Madrid could reinstate the elements of autonomy that were taken from Catalonia.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy held a press conference, declaring the rule of law would be restored in Catalonia and announcing Madrid was assuming direct control of the region. He also said the Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and his cabinet had been dismissed, while a snap election has been called for the region on 21 December.

Spain's Senate had already voted to trigger Article 155 of the 1978 constitution - for the first time in Spanish history. It enables Madrid to suspend Catalonia's autonomy.

Spain's Constitutional Court is expected to rule the Catalan independence declaration illegal. The court had already outlawed the vote itself, which took place on 1 October. It is not clear how quickly or effectively Spain can reassert central control over Catalonia. But Article 155 gives the Madrid government authority to act immediately.

As Catalans are deeply divided over independence, Madrid can expect some significant support for its actions in the region. The conservative Rajoy government has the backing of the opposition Socialists (PSOE) in this crisis.

There was widespread anger over the tough methods of Spanish police on polling day. There was video of them dragging some voters away from ballot boxes and hitting them with batons. The volatile atmosphere in Barcelona could explode if Spain adopts such strong-arm tactics to impose its will now.

Catalexit?

The economic uncertainty created by the prospect of independence has already led to two banks deciding to move their head offices out of the region. At least part of that uncertainty is over Catalonia's relationship with Europe. Two-thirds of Catalonia's foreign exports go to the EU. It would need to reapply to become a member if it seceded from Spain - it wouldn't get in automatically or immediately. And it would require all EU members to agree - including Spain.

Some in the pro-independence camp feel that Catalonia could settle for single-market membership without joining the EU. Catalans may well be happy to pay for access, and continue to accept free movement of EU citizens across the region's borders. But if Spain chose to, it could make life difficult for an independent Catalonia.

There is also the question of currency. In 2015, the governor of the Bank of Spain warned Catalans independence would cause the region to drop out of the euro automatically, losing access to the European Central Bank.

Normally, new EU member states must apply to join the euro.

They have to meet certain criteria, such as their debt not being too large a percentage of their gross domestic product (GDP). Even if they meet those criteria, a qualified majority of eurozone countries has to approve their entry. In theory, that means even if Catalonia became a new EU member state, it may well take time to rejoin the eurozone - and Spain and its allies could block that. In practice, we just don't know what would happen.

Nobody has ever declared independence from a member of the eurozone then asked to rejoin as a new country. Could Catalonia use the euro without joining the eurozone? It does happen.

Some countries such as San Marino and Vatican City do so with the euro zones blessing, since they're too small to ever become EU member states. Others, such as Kosovo and Montenegro, use the euro without the EU's blessing, and so don't have access to the European Central Bank. Again, whether either solution would be practical in Catalonia remains to be seen.

Observation

It is the biggest political crisis in Spain for 40 years. Nothing has been seen like it since the end of General Franco's dictatorship. The disputed Catalan independence referendum on 1 October was the trigger, but mutual hostility had been brewing for years. So how could events unfold in Catalonia now?

Parliament in Catalonia has declared independence while the Spanish senate has approved a government proposal to reassert control over the region after its disputed independence referendum. After dismissing the Catalan government and president, The Spanish government put its national media company and police force under the control of Madrid, .

Spain is divided into 17 regions, each with directly elected authorities. Catalonia, in the north-east of the country, has one of the greatest levels of self-government in Spain. It has its own parliament, government and president, police force and public broadcaster.

Catalans have a range of powers in many policy areas from culture and environment to communications, transportation, commerce and public safety.

Spain could opt for incremental steps to suspend Catalonia's autonomous powers, to avoid a huge backlash. The constitution does not specify a time frame for "temporary" direct rule.

With tensions so high it is likely that the separatists will organize strikes, boycotts and more mass rallies in response to Madrid's actions. Their aim will be to put pressure on Madrid to negotiate.

Now that the region would eventually secede, the world focus is concentrated on whether Catalonia would be able to stand on its own two feet. None has rejected the scenario that Catalonia would be able to be strong nation.

Hopefully Spain would adopt a neutral position to let Catalonia cede from it without nay bloodshed and further complications and become an independent nation to be eligible for entry into EU.
After ISIS, the Cradle of Christianity is Still Fraught With Chaos and Danger

Christians have found a new hope for a future in Iraq as the remaining pockets of Islamic State fighters continue to be defeated by Iraqi security and Peshmerga forces. However, considering the current state of the Nineveh Plains as they have been left by the fanatics known locally as Daesh, the region may not be ready for Iraqi Christians to return. The Nineveh Plains, considered by many as the cradle of Christianity, is home to one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. Rebuilding the Nineveh Plains will require an estimated $200 million. Moreover, instability and the lack of a consistent security force have prevented many Iraqi Christians from returning to their homes.

Even though some NGO representatives and government officials want to establish a "safe zone: in the Nineveh Plains, many of the presented proposals refer to quasi or fully autonomous governorate rather than a traditional safe zone. Traditionally, safe zones are set up as secured and contained areas to protect a vulnerable population from violence and forced displacement and have nothing to do with self-governance. The notion of an autonomous or quasi-autonomous region is recognized in Article 119 of the Iraqi Constitution. But the establishment of such a governorate could be dangerous for Iraq's future. Considering that Kurds, Christians, and Yazidis would each like to establish their own state, this would effectively break up Iraq and significantly weaken the central government. The nature of Iraq's fragmentation is religious, not regional, and an artificially imposed regional fragmentation would only make matters more complicated. Still, as Iraqi Christians have been subjected to years of discrimination and persecution, including by their Muslim neighbors, many of them have no trust in any solution other than a separated and fully protected area. While the wishes of this vulnerable population should be respected, the U.S. should instead focus its mission on stabilizing Iraq as a whole. The Nineveh Plains remain an unstable conflict zone. Remaining pockets of radical Islamic fighters and an unreliable security force pose the greatest challenges to long-term stability for Christians in Iraq. The U.S. must play a more proactive role in promoting stability to defend the indigenous Christian population in the region. Iraq has remained an unstable and unsafe country ever since the removal of Saddam Hussein. The subsequent dysfunctional governments failed to adequately protect the indigenous Christian population and address day-to-day persecution. Theft, stabbings, murder, and violence became a frequent occurrence of life for Iraqi Christians. This reign of terror continued until the end of the Iraqi insurgency in 2011. And just as Iraqi Christians thought their long nightmare was over, ISIS swept over the Iraqi border from Syria and quickly gained control of large swathes of territory, forcing over 120,000 Christians to flee from Mosul in July 2014 and many more to flee again from the Nineveh Plains in August 2014. ISIS gave Christians a brutal ultimatum: convert to Islam, pay a religious tax, flee, or be killed. They marked Christian homes with the Arabic letter "n" for Nazarene, to distinguish them homes from homes of their Muslim neighbors and expose them to later targeting. In two years of rule, ISIS destroyed Christian villages and towns and removed all signs of Christianity ever being present in the area. Although ISIS is now on it back foot, life in the Nineveh Plains remains bleak for the Christian population. Security efforts are currently split between Iraqi security forces on the southern end and the Kurdish Peshmerga to the north. This is not the solution to promote long-term stability in a region where the title of "enforcer" has changed hands so many times. Many Iraqi Christians are wary of returning to the area to rebuild their homes because of fear that chaos will break out again. And indeed, in October 2017, with clashes between Iraqi and Kurdish armies forcing Christians in towns like Teleskof to flee their homes yet again, their skepticism seems warranted.

Ewelina U. Ochab is a human rights advocate and author of the book "Never Again: Legal Responses to a Broken Promise in the Middle East." Alexander W. Titus is a Fellow with The Public Interest Fellowship in Washington, DC.
Antioch Church Patriarch Says There Would Be No Middle East Without Christians

Assyrians from Turkey and Syria attend a mass at the Mount Shmuni Syriac Orthodox Church in Midyat. February 2, 2014. ( Reuters/Umit Bektas) There would be no Middle East if there were no Christians in it, and the religious minority is essential in maintaining sustainable peace in the region, according to the leader of the Antioch Christian church on Oct. 24. Addressing the press during the annual summit of In Defense of Christians in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, His Beatitude John X highlighted the importance of the Christian presence in the Middle East. He said the Islamic State's efforts to stamp out the believers prove how essential they are to the place, Breitbart relayed. "We cannot ignore the fact that, without the Christians in the Middle East, there is no Middle East," Patriarch John X said.

"The church is the beacon of truth in this educated world," he added. "We will continue to witness to that truth even if we are hanged on the cross." In addition, Patriarch John X confidently said Christians will remain in the Middle East despite the grave problems they are going through. IDC vice president and senior policy adviser Andrew Doran said the current plight of the Christians in the Middle East stemmed from U.S. foreign policy and the response of the international community to their crisis in the last 15 years. He then called on the American government to exert more effort in protecting the dwindling population of Christians in the region. Earlier this month, Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius Joseph III Younan said Christians in the Middle East felt that the West had abandoned and turned its back on them amid their deplorable situation. He said the believers are hoping that the international community would step up for them and work to give them an "equal chance" to remain in their homeland, the Catholic News Agency reported. The IDC summit came up with five resolutions for 2017 that included stabilizing Lebanon and Syria and bringing much needed aid to displaced religious minorities in Iraq and Syria. The delegates also resolved to recognize the Armenian genocide, bring Christian persecutors to justice, and identify those who have supported ISIS' acts of genocide against Christians.
CargoLogicAir (CLA) has congratulated the Bloodhound SSC team following the first public run of its 1,000mph car, for which the carrier is the official cargo airline partner.

Representatives of the British all-cargo carrier joined 3,500 spectators at Cornwall Airport Newquay to witness Bloodhound successfully complete its first test run. It completed two runs along Newquays 9,000 foot runway, reaching a mere 210mph from a standing start in just eight seconds.

The team plans further, faster runs in 2018 speeds before making a world record attempt at Hakskeen Pan in South Africa. Bloodhound will be transported to and from South Africa on one of CLAs Boeing 747 freighters.

Chief executive, Dmitry Grishin, said: We wish to congratulate the Bloodhound SSC team on another successful step towards a new world land speed record. We are proud to be partnering with such an outstanding team of engineering professionals and will be following their progress with keen interest before they fly with CLA to South Africa for their world record attempt.

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Netherlands passenger and cargo airline KLM is to share its slots at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport with Air Bridge Cargo (ABC), according to a Russian-language report by the TASS news agency, quoting the Russian Federations Ministry of Transport.

Moscow-based TASS said that the aviation authorities of the two countries are negotiating on this issue, quoting the Ministry of Transport.

The move follows earlier press reports that Russia was threatening to close its airspace to all Netherlands-registered aircraft in retaliation to Schiphols axing of ABC slots at the airport, due to capacity constraints which has seen other cargo carriers move to Brussels and Liege airports.

Russian owned ABC has announced that it will increase its freighter services from Liege in the winter schedule.

According to the reports, Russia has given the Netherlands until next Saturday to settle the landing rights issue, insisting that ABC should be able to continue its activities at the Dutch airport.

TASS said that closing Russian airspace would increase flight times for Netherlands-based airlines to Japan, China and South Korea by between 3-5 hours, increasing the cost to carriers by 300-500 per passenger.

In addition, Dutch airlines would not be able to operate flights to Moscow or St Petersburg. In a statement, ABC said that it was performing its flights to Amsterdam Schiphol according to the published winter schedule 2017-18. Usage of any countrys airspace is under the jurisdiction of the CAA of the country.

A KLM Cargo spokesperson was unable to confirm the report by TASS.

As a member of the Coordination Committee Netherlands, Schiphol management was requested to look into a solution for the current situation by the Dutch minister of transport and environment, Sharon A.M. Dijksma.

Schiphol is investigating the request and will communicate when it has more information.

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The Montgomery Airport Authority Monday announced Monday that American Airlines is adding nonstop service from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Montgomery Regional Airport.

Montgomery Airport Authority members were joined at the airport for the American Airlines announcement of nonstop flights to Washington, D.C., Monday, Oct. 30, 2017.

According to a posting on the airport's Facebook page, daily service will begin June 7, 2018.

Tickets are available through American Airlines website.

American Airlines currently operates nonstop service from Montgomery to Dallas, Texas and Charlotte, N.C.

A morning flight will arrive in Montgomery, while an afternoon flight will depart for Washington. Round trip tickets average around $570, according to the website.
It's another one of those developments in the business world that seems so simple, you wonder why you didn't think of it yourself.

But Glenn Clayton did think of it and his ambition is for the idea to go nationwide.

Clayton is the chief executive officer of Spur, a Huntsville startup company that earlier this month launched a smart phone app designed to connect hospitality workers and hospitality businesses to fill positions or shifts that might ordinarily go unfilled.

He previously founded Appleton, an on-demand staffing company for schools.

Clayton compared the app to the service provided by Uber. If you need a ride, you contact Uber on your app and get a ride. At Spur, if a business needs, say, an extra waiter to help on a busy Saturday night, the business can go to the app and find an experienced worker to fill that shift.

And it works in reverse, too. If someone with, say, experience as a waiter needs some extra cash and is looking to work a shift, they can go to the app and see if there's a shift available.

"Every day, about 8  percent of all the jobs in the hospitality sector go unfilled every day," Clayton said. "That equates to about $53 billion a year in wages that are not being paid for jobs that people have open. Yet the unemployment rate in that particular vertical is higher than the national average.

"What you see is there is this disconnect. There are workers who want jobs. There are businesses, restaurants, bars and hotels that need workers but they have a hard time connecting with each other."

The app launched in Huntsville and Nashville and seen a stirring response so far. In Huntsville alone, Clayton said Spur's app has more than 300 users and more than 1,000 hours of work had been booked in the app's first three weeks.

"Our hope is that we will empower both the business and the worker to meet their labor needs more efficiently," he said. "We'll help workers work on their own schedule, where they want to, earn more money. We will help businesses save time and fill the jobs that they need filled."

It fills a need in the hospitality industry, according Gavin Goodman, marketing director for Rocket Republic Brewing Company.

"It's certainly a problem that we've seen here," Goodman said. "I've worked in this industry for six years now and it's something we're always saying  gosh I wish we had some extra hands. I think this certainly helps us get those extra hands when we need them."

Those extra hands could range from bartenders to restaurant waiters to valet attendants to someone to check IDs at the door. It's tailored to the sprawling hospitality industry.

Here's how it works: Hospitality-related businesses can create an account on the app to review workers who might be available. And workers can create an account to see what jobs might be available and, if they see one they like, they can submit bids for the job.

It's free for businesses and workers to sign up and Spur takes a percentage of each job as its fee.

"You can think of it in the same vein of an Uber or Airbnb or other on-demand apps that have become popular the last several years but specifically for jobs in the hospitality industry, which is one of the fastest-growing industries nationally right now," Clayton said.

And Clayton's plan is for Spur's app to be available beyond Huntsville and Nashville. And that could lead to more startup companies forming in Huntsville  a technology-based city but primarily in the defense and aerospace industries.

"A business like this is something that's not normal for Huntsville," Clayton said. "There's not a lot of people launching businesses like this. You usually think about Silicon Valley or New York. There's a lot of technical talent in this city that's not just defense or aerospace. We're hoping what we do here will draw more attention to the startup community and consumer technology in Huntsville.

"I want people to know this is a city you can launch a company in. You don't have to go to San Francisco to launch a tech company. You can do that here."
Cook Out is planning two restaurants for the Auburn area.

According to the Opelika-Auburn News, one location is projected for the intersection of East University Drive and Opelika Road, while the other will be developed on South College Street, north of Veterans Boulevard.

Cook Out currently has two locations in Alabama - in Tuscaloosa and Jacksonville.

Tyler Caldwell, the city's principal planner, told the News that the South College Street location comes as property across the street is actively redeveloping following the demolition of the War Eagle Supper Club.

"There's a lot of changes coming to that stretch of on South College," Caldwell said.

Menu items include burgers, grilled chicken and chicken nuggets, barbecued pork sandwiches, hot dogs and more than 40 varieties of milkshakes.
Hero Doughnuts, the brioche-style doughnut business that began at a pop-up event about a year and a half ago, will open a brick-and-mortar shop Tuesday morning in Homewood.

The shop is located in the former Homewood Musical Instrument Co. space at 3207 Central Ave., around the corner from Nabeel's Cafe & Market and across the street from Homewood Park.

Hours are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

"We are so excited to be a part of the Homewood community," Hero Doughnuts chef and co-owner Wil Drake said in an email to AL.com Monday afternoon. "We have had such a positive response as we are getting ready to open, (with) people coming by and saying hello. We can't wait to serve everyone tomorrow."

Drake and his business partner Jason Wallis started Hero Doughnuts in March 2016, launching the business at a pop-up at Seasick Records in Crestwood.

The doughnuts have since been available online and at such locations as Revelator Coffee, Big Bad Breakfast, and the Market at Pepper Place.

Drake and Wallis announced plans to open a permanent location for Hero Doughnuts this past May.

"Because of Homewood Musical Instrument Co. and Nabeel's (Cafe & Market), this corner of Homewood has been well-loved for several decades, so we consider it an honor to bring our doughnuts to this corner," Wallis said in an interview with AL.com at that time.

The space became available after Homewood Musical Instrument Co. moved last fall.

Since May, the building has since underdone an extensive interior and exterior renovation, including adding a glassed-in kitchen so that guests may watch the doughnuts as they are being prepared. Passers-by may also watch from a window along the sidewalk.

Hero Doughnuts prepares its doughnuts using a brioche dough, which has a high egg and butter content to give them a rich but light texture. Hero uses organic, seasonal and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.

"From the beginning, we tested tons of recipes," Drake said in a previous interview with AL.com. "The one we landed on is essentially a brioche dough. It's a basic dough, but it's heavily enriched with fat, which makes it a tender dough. We have a lot of eggs and a lot of butter."

The shop will offer about a dozen different doughnuts daily, as well as apple fritters, cinnamon buns and breakfast sandwiches, plus coffee and espresso.

Flavors available on opening day include vanilla glazed, chocolate, pistachio, lemon cardamom, vanilla cream and Boston cream.

Also, a new specialty item will be the Fro-Nut, a doughnut filled with vanilla soft-serve ice cream.

For more information, go to www.herodoughnuts.com, or follow Hero Doughnuts on Facebook, Twitter and Instragram.
The Days of the Dead are here.

Everyone knows the secular holiday of Halloween, which happens tonight, Oct. 31. Americans dress up in costumes, decorate their homes and welcome trick-or-treaters to their doors by handing out candy.

Not everybody knows Halloween derives from a holy day, All Saints' Day on Nov. 1, which is followed by All Souls' day on Nov. 2.

The root word of Halloween is ''hallow,'' which means ''holy.''

The suffix "een" is an abbreviation of "evening." Halloween refers to the Eve of All Hallows, the night before All Saints' Day, the Christian holy day that honors saintly people of the past.

All Saints' Day

In the Catholic Church, Nov. 1 is normally a holy day of obligation, when all Catholics are expected to attend Mass.

All Souls' Day

All Souls' Day is a day to pray for all souls. Among Catholics, prayers are offered for those in purgatory, waiting to get into heaven. On All Souls' Day, Catholic churches have a Book of the Dead, in which parishioners have an opportunity to write the names of relatives to be remembered.

Roots of Halloween

More than a thousand years ago in Ireland and Britain, a common custom of Christians was to come together on the eve of the feast of All Hallows Day to ask for God's blessing and protection from evil in the world. Often, they would dress in costumes of saints or evil spirits and act out the battle between good and evil around bonfires. That's the source of the modern observance of Halloween.

All Saints' Day emanates from early Christian celebrations of martyrs in the Eastern Church, dating to the fourth century. The church observance was in turn built upon pagan customs of honoring the dead.

The Christian concept of the importance of the individual soul underlies All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, which are observed worldwide primarily in the Catholic and Anglican traditions.

In Europe, Samhain was a Gaelic festival of the dead marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of the darkest time of year, a time when the spirit world was more closely aligned to the physical world.

In the Americas, church ritual mixed with native celebration of ancestors. Mayans, Incans and other Native Americans had great reverence for the dead and ancestor worship was culturally important. That tradition blended into the Catholic holy days of the dead.

Dia de los Muertos

The ''Dia de los Muertos,'' or ''day of the dead,'' in Latin countries keeps alive some of the tradition of honoring souls of the dead.

In many countries, Nov. 2 is a national holiday - the Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, the climax of the Days of the Dead. It's the climax of three days of celebration: All Hallow's Eve, All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. People often dress as skeletons as a way of remembering the dead and celebrating their ancestors.

In Catholic churches on Nov. 2, for All Souls' Day, one of the readings during the Mass is from the Book of Wisdom, which is biblical for Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, but not for Protestants, who don't include it in their Bible:

"The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them," the Book of Wisdom says. "They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace."
It was a short life, only 20 years, but a life rich in adventure, lush with learning. And now that it's over, it's only fitting that we celebrate the short, eventful life of spacecraft Cassini.

It blasted off in 1997, reaching its intended target -the planet Saturn - seven years later. Most of what we currently know about the rings and moons of Saturn comes from the torrent of data that Cassini sent back to earth for the next 13 years until just last month when it was sent plunging through that planet's atmosphere to a fiery death, beaming back information to the very end.

Saturn is the most distant planet that can be seen with the naked eye. It is visible now, an unblinking yellow-brown spot of light in the southwestern sky during the first few hours after dark. You need a telescope, almost any small telescope will do, to spot the famous rings.

Saturn's magnificent rings were first described by the Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens in 1655, the same year he discovered its largest moon, Titan. Twenty years after Huygens discoveries, Italian astronomer Giovanni Cassini observed that Saturn had numerous rings separated by gaps. He also discovered four more Saturnian moons.

The Cassini-Huygens mission (its full name) provided us with unparalleled close-ups of the rings, which are 99.9% composed of chunks of ice, some as small as sand grains, others the size of busses, mixed in with a little planetary dirt. Cassini discovered that far from being as stable and homogeneous as they appear from a distance, the rings were pocked with lumps and clumps, gullies and gaps. Sometimes the chunks collide and coalesce into objects large enough to be called moons or at least moonlets. At other times, these moonlets break apart again. There are even propeller-like waves in the rings caused by these moonlets embedded in them.

Saturn has 62 known moons. Cassini-Huygens discovered 7 of these. The largest moon is Titan, long suspected of being one of the most likely places in the solar system other than earth to harbor life. The original main goal of Cassini (the actual space craft) was to deploy a lunar lander (Huygens) on to the surface of Titan. Titan's surface is concealed from space by its thick orange nitrogen and hydrocarbon atmosphere.

In January 2005, Huygens indeed eased through the atmosphere, its instruments tasting the atmosphere's chemistry, feeling its temperature, snapping photos of the surface as fast as possible, and skidded to a stop on a starkly beautiful landscape of mountains and plains, boulders, icy cobblestones and giant methane lakes. Despite a chilly surface temperature of minus 300 degrees Fahrenheit, researchers still hold out hope for discovering microbial life there one day.

With the success of the Huygens landing, the mission was complete and justly celebrated for its success. It was a star now in the "movie star" sense. Like any star, it deserved an encore. Its encore lasted over twelve more years, during which it focused its attention on another astonishing discovery, the geysers of Enceladus.

Titan is enormous - about 50 percent larger than our moon. Enceladus is much smaller, too small to have its own atmosphere. It would fit snugly within the borders of the state of Wyoming. Pre-Cassini it was assumed to be nothing more than a dead, ice-covered rock orbiting within one of the fainter of Saturn's rings. However, Cassini found that Enceladus' South Pole was much warmer than expected. More than 100 geysers were seen to be jetting salty water far into space from a underground liquid ocean. Some of this water settled back to the surface as salty snow, explaining why Enceladus is ice covered. The rest is incorporated into the ring within which it orbits. These blasts of liquid water and other molecules critical to life mean that there is warmth beneath its surface and the possibility of life there as well.

As its nuclear fuel ran low, Cassini's directors decided that its final act would be a spectacular one. Rather than take a chance on it crashing into Titan or Enceladus, possibly contaminating them with earthly microbes that had hitchhiked on this 20 year celestial journey, they decided Cassini should make a final, suicidal dive into Saturn's atmosphere, teaching us even more about that atmosphere as it plunged its way through. And that it did, on September 17th, 2017.

RIP, Cassini.

Steven Austad is Chair of the Biology Department at UAB. Before becoming a research scientist, he had various lives as an English major, a newspaper reporter, a New York City taxi driver, and a Hollywood wild animal trainer. Living now in Birmingham with his veterinarian wife, 6 dogs, 2 parrots, and a cat, his column posts every other Saturday morning on AL.com.
Greg Garrison | ggarrison@al.com

Nailed It

Martin Luther, a Catholic monk, did something 500 years ago that changed the world.

The Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church had split in 1054 A.D. over the authority of the pope, but the Christian church in western Europe was essentially unified under the leadership of the pope.

That began to change when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the north door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg, Germany, on Oct. 31, 1517. The church door was a common place for posting public notices.

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Greg Garrison | ggarrison@al.com

Why Halloween?

Since Luther was talking about indulgences for the souls of the dead, the Eve of All Saints' Day - now commonly called Halloween - was an extremely appropriate time for his posting.

Luther's main complaint was the abuse of the sale of indulgences. Some now say Luther hammering a notice to the door was a legend. But it is certain that Luther wrote a letter to his superiors, dated Oct. 31, 1517, in which he denounced the sale of indulgences.

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Greg Garrison | ggarrison@al.com

Fixing theology

Pope Leo X had announced a new round of indulgences in 1517 to finance the building of St. Peter's Basilica.

That was a tipping point for Luther, who argued that a person did not have to pay for remission of sins because Christ offers forgiveness freely to anyone who repents.

"Why does not the pope, whose wealth today is greater than the wealth of the richest Crassus, build the basilica of St. Peter with his own money rather than with the money of poor believers?" Luther wrote.

Marcus Licinius Crassus was one of the richest men in the Roman empire and a financier of Julius Caesar.

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Greg Garrison | ggarrison@al.com

Pope condemns Luther

Pope Leo X condemned Luther's writings in 1518.

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Greg Garrison | ggarrison@al.com

95 Theses

"Christians are to be taught that he who gives to the poor or lends to the needy does a better deed than he who buys indulgences," Luther wrote in his 95 theses.

Although in his 95 theses Luther addressed primarily the abuse of the sale of indulgences, he and later reformers would come to emphasize the principles of Sola Scriptura, "by Scripture alone," and "Sola fide," by faith alone.

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Greg Garrison | ggarrison@al.com

Reforming the Church

Although Luther never set out to leave the Catholic Church, his bold stance is widely credited as the symbolic start of the Protestant Reformation.

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Greg Garrison | ggarrison@al.com

500 Years

At the time Luther wrote his theses, there were no Southern Baptists, no United Methodists, no Presbyterians and no Lutherans.

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Greg Garrison | ggarrison@al.com

Five Solas

Luther emphasized Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone); Sola Gratia (Faith alone); Sola Fide (Grace alone); Solus Christus (Christ alone) and Soli Deo Gloria (to the glory of God alone)

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Greg Garrison | ggarrison@al.com

Scripture alone

Luther wanted to get the church back to a primary emphasis on Scripture and faith in Christ.

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Greg Garrison | ggarrison@al.com

Faith alone

Samford University's Beeson Divinity School will celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation Oct. 31- Nov. 2 with founding Dean Timothy George speaking at 11 a.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in Hodges Chapel.

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Greg Garrison | ggarrison@al.com

Grace alone

"It's important that we celebrate and appreciate history," said the Rev. Van Moody, pastor of Worship Center Christian Church in Birmingham. Moody is in Wittenberg, Germany this week for a conference on celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

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Greg Garrison | ggarrison@al.com

Christ alone

I want to call our attention back to what was happening at that time," Moody said. "History shows that some of the same challenges Martin Luther was trying to address are still with us: We need to emphasize the importance of holy scripture, getting back to biblical teaching and sharing the word of God to make disciples.

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Greg Garrison | ggarrison@al.com

Glory of God alone

Everyone knows the secular holiday of Halloween falls on Oct. 31. Americans dress up in costumes, decorate their homes and welcome trick-or-treaters to their doors by handing out candy.

Not everybody knows Halloween derives from a holy day, All Saints' Day on Nov. 1, which is followed by All Souls' day on Nov. 2. The root word of Halloween is ''hallow,'' which means ''holy.'' The suffix "een" is an abbreviation of "evening." Halloween refers to the Eve of All Hallows, the night before All Saints' Day, the Christian holy day that honors saintly people of the past. That's why Luther dated his 95 Theses - protesting the sale of indulgences for souls - on Oct. 31.

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Greg Garrison | ggarrison@al.com

Refusing to recant

In 1520, the pope said Luther's propositions were heretical and gave him 120 days to recant. He refused.

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Here I Stand

On Jan. 3, 1521, Pope Leo excommunicated Luther. On April 17, 1521, Luther appeared at an imperial council, the Diet of Worms, Germany. He again refused to recant. In his testimony, he declared, "Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me. "

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Marrying a nun

In 1525, Luther married a former nun, Katharina von Bora. He died in 1546. His theological revolution opened up an era of spiritual freedom and innovation.

There are now about 43,000 Christian denominations in the world, according to estimates by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

-- Text By Greg Garrison, AL.com

(The Reformation-theme T-shirts above are available through zazzle.com; teepublic.com; spreadshirt.com; and Amazon,com.)
A 29-year-old Birmingham man drove to Georgia, fatally shot another man and then drove back to Alabama where he was captured by Birmingham police within hours after the slaying, authorities said.

The Birmingham Police Department's Crime Reduction Team took James Edward America into custody early Saturday at his home in the 1200 block of 12th Court North. After his capture, police said, Birmingham homicide investigators helped detectives with the Duluth Police Department draft and carry out a search warrant at America's apartment during which they recovered a handgun believed to have been used in the Georgia crime.

America is charged with murder in the Friday night death of 52-year-old Khaled Warawra. It appears, authorities said, that America went to the residence to talk to his ex-girlfriend. Instead, he was met by Warawra, who closed the door on him, said Duluth police spokesman Officer Ted Sadowski. Warawra was then shot through the door.

According to a Duluth police report provided to AL.com, police responded about 10:10 p.m. Friday to a shooting call on Scepter Drive. Dispatchers told officers the suspected shooter left the scene in a white Lincoln Town Car.

When officers arrived on the scene, they found Warawra lying on his right side facing the couch. He was conscious and breathing, and his roommates - sisters Angel Mujahid and Shakirah Mujahid - had applied a cloth to Warawra's wound and were applying pressure. Officers told Warawra that help was on the way, to which Warawra told them, "I'm going to die."

Police asked the victim who shot him, but he did not respond. It appeared, police wrote in their report, that Warawra was hit twice - once in the chest and once in the lower left side of his back. Gwinnett County firefighters and medics rushed Warawra to the hospital, but he was pronounced dead a short time later.

Angel Mujahid told police she had Warawra had previously dated for about six years, and were still friends. She also told them that another ex-boyfriend - America - had been texting her for the past few weeks. She said he had texted her and left her a voicemail that night saying he was in town at a nearby convenience store, but she said she was asleep and didn't hear her phone.

Her sister, Shakirah Mujahid, woke her up to tell her about the shooting. When she learned what happened and was given the description of the suspect and the vehicle, she named America as the likely shooter. "That's James,'' she said.

Shakirah Mujahid told police she was upstairs in her room listening to music. She heard what may have been a scuffle, then two gunshots. She heard Warawra cry out, ''I've been shot."

Police noted in their report that there were two bullet holes in the door. They also found shell casings nearby.

America was taken into custody less than eight hours later in Birmingham. He remains in the Jefferson County Jail awaiting extradition to Georgia.
The developer of a 17-story apartment complex under construction on Highland Avenue in Birmingham's Five Points South said they won't stop work on the project despite an Alabama Supreme Court decison.

The Supreme Court, on Friday, reversed two lower courts' rulings and said the rezoning of the property of that subject property from 2014 was invalid.

A stop work order wasn't issued by the court or city of Birmingham.

The developer, Courtland Partners, said the Supreme Court's decision is moot.

"(Friday's) decision addresses only an older ordinance that has been repealed, and does not affect our project moving forward under a new ordinance," the company said in a statement to AL.com. "While this case was pending, the Birmingham City Council passed a new ordinance (in July), which addressed and resolved the technical concerns addressed by the Supreme Court .... The Supreme Court (on Friday) did not deal with the new ordinance. We are and plan to continue building this significant project for Southside Birmingham under the existing lawful zoning ordinance."

Adjacent property owners Frank and Martha Buck filed a lawsuit against the developer and the city of Birmingham in 2015 challenging the 2014 rezoning.

Frank Buck operates a law firm in a former residential building next door to the subject property.

The Bucks claimed "the actions of the city council were arbitrary and capricious, that the city and the city council should be restrained from taking any action in reliance on the rezoning decision, that the Buck's right to due process and equal protection had been violated, and that certain actions had violated applicable laws and ordinances."

Later that year, the Buck's case was dismissed in Jefferson County Circuit Court. The court concluded that the Bucks were given "actual notice of the rezoning and were given an opportunity to be heard before the ordinance was enacted."

The Alabama Civil Court of Appeals upheld the circuit court's ruling.

On July 25, 2017, the Birmingham City Council approved rezoning the subject property - located at 2163, 2169 and 2173 Highland Avenue and 2150 14th Avenue South - from B-2, General Business District to QB-3, Qualified Community Business District.

During that meeting, city planning staff said when the council approved the rezoning in 2014 the final advertisement didn't include qualified conditions on the property. The new rezoning replaced the previous action by the council, staff said.

The case heard by the Supreme Court didn't include the July rezoning.

The Bucks' attorney Donald Brockway said the Bucks "have rights that deserve to be protected." The Bucks filed a second lawsuit against the developer and city in August claiming that the property wasn't rezoned properly again. That lawsuit is still pending.

The new lawsuit claims the city didn't publish the adopted ordinance within the 14 days required by law. The suit also claims the developer started construction on the project before the City Council approved the rezoning.

"There are procedural defects in the passage of the second (zoning) ordinance," Brockway said. "The Supreme Court has said that when there are procedural defects the ordinance is invalidated."

Because it's under litigation, the city of Birmingham's law department declined to comment on the issue.
A man convicted of fatally shooting a fast-food restaurant manager in 1994 appeared in court today for a resentencing hearing.

Anthony Miles, 40, was convicted and sentenced in 1996 to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Jill Louise Johnson.

Johnson was found shot to death on Nov. 30, 1994, in her office at the Hueytown KFC restaurant where she worked as the assistant manager. She was shot once in the head, and collapsed on her desk. A partially burned cigarette was still between her fingers when police arrived on the scene.

Information presented at trial and through court records showed Johnson was finishing up paperwork in the office to end her shift that night, while Miles-- a kitchen employee-- was cleaning the store.

The office was in "complete disarray," Jefferson County Bessemer Division Assistant District Attorney Adrienne Ward Belcher said Tuesday. The kitchen burners were still on, she said, while grease and flour had been poured throughout the kitchen and office. Miles had wanted a fire to erupt and destroy the scene, Belcher said.

Records show police discovered that $1,030 was stolen from the restaurant. Miles' timecard showed he clocked out at 10:24 p.m., and was the last person known to be inside the restaurant. Another KFC employee told investigators that Miles owned a small caliber handgun, and had carried it to work one day before the shooting.

Miles was interviewed four times before his arrest, and denied any involvement in Johnson's death.

In 1995, Miles' cousin told police Miles had admitted shooting Johnson, and he agreed to wear a wire and record their conversations. Police said in those conversations, Miles admitted to Johnson's shooting and told his cousin how to get away with murder.

In 2005 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that juveniles - those who were under the age of 18 when the crime occurred - cannot face the death penalty. In many states that left only one possible sentence - life without parole - in capital cases. In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional those laws in Alabama and other states that leave life without parole as the only sentence judges can consider. Judges can still sentence juveniles to life without parole, but must have more sentencing options.

In January 2016, the court held that the earlier decision should be applied retroactively to those who were convicted prior to 2012. The rulings opened up the possibility of parole for more than 2,000 juvenile killers nationwide, and about 80 in Alabama.

Miles was 17, just six months shy of his 18th birthday, when the shooting occurred.

During opening statements Tuesday, Belcher said prosecutors want Miles to stay in prison under his original sentence. Miles' actions were those of a "cold and calculated" killer, and were not a result of his youth, she said.

One of Miles' attorneys, Horace Kynard, said during his statement that Miles has a very high chance of being rehabilitated, and should be given the possibility of parole. "He has done a lot over 20 years to regain himself," Kynard said.

Scott Johnson, the victim's husband, testified at the hearing. He said he was in school in 1994, and his wife was "working hard" at KFC to support him and their three children.

"Man, we were so much in love," Scott Johnson said.

He was asleep the night his wife was killed, but woke up to a phone call of another KFC employee, asking where Johnson was. Scott Johnson realized his wife wasn't home, and drove to the Hueytown KFC. There, police told him his wife had been killed.

Scott Johnson and his three children moved to Indiana after he graduated several years later.

"My kids were so young. That devastation never leaves. All we can do every day is just repress it, to cope... I only hope I raised my three children to honor her legacy," Scott Johnson said. He called his wife the "cornerstone of the family" and said he thinks about her each day.

Several other of Johnson's family members were present at the hearing, as well as the lead detective who investigated the killing.

Miles' daughter, Breona Watson, also testified Tuesday. Watson, 22, said her father is her best friend. "I can talk to him about anything," she said. "He was young. It was a stupid mistake... I think he's learned his lesson. He's had plenty of time to think about it. It's time."

She said if her father was released from prison on parole, she would encourage him to participate in The Dannon Project-- a nonprofit organization that helps people released from prison learn job skills and find employment. Breona Watson said she would help Miles "take it day by day." She is currently involved with The Dannon Project, but said she has not mentioned the idea to Miles.

"A girl needs her father," she said. Breona Watson was born after the shooting occurred.

Breona Watson's mother, Angela Watson, also took the stand. Angela Watson said she and Miles remain friends, and she would do anything she could to help Miles if he was released from prison on parole.

She said, "I would do anything to support him... Whatever he needs, I'll be there."

Two expert psychologists, one called by the prosecution and one called by the defense, testified Tuesday about Miles' current mental health and his mental conditino at the time of the shooting.

Dr. Glen King, who testified for the prosecution, and Dr. Ron Meredith, who testified for the defense, both agreed Miles does not have any mental disorders and has no history of substance abuse. King said Miles was a normal teen, who was mature for his age. Meredith disagreed, and said the human brain is not fully developed until age 25, meaning Miles was not mature.

The two disagreed about Miles' intelligence level, but both said Miles has a potential for rehabilitation if released from prison.

Edward Reynolds Jr. is also representing Miles. The hearing will continue Tuesday afternoon.
An elderly woman was killed, and another seriously injured, in a Monday afternoon traffic accident that was witnessed by a Jefferson County sheriff's deputy.

The accident happened just after 2:15 p.m. in the 1400 block of Forestdale Boulevard. Chief Deputy Randy Christian said the deputy pulled up to the accident and determined that two people had suffered serious injuries.

Information at the scene indicates that one vehicle backed out of a driveway onto Forestdale Boulevard into the path of another vehicle. The vehicles collided.

The elderly female driver of the vehicle that backed out of the driveway was taken to the hospital with critical injuries, and later pronounced dead. The elderly female passenger in the same vehicle was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries. There were no other injuries reported.

The Sheriff's Traffic Accident Reconstruction Team is on scene Investigating this accident.
ABC/Andrea McCallinThe multi-talented Dave Grohl will add another line to his resume this week: talk-show host.

The Foo Fighters frontman will guest-host Jimmy Kimmel Live! this Tuesday, October 31. The episode will also feature A Bad Moms Christmas actress Kristen Bell and musical guest Alice Cooper.

As for why Jimmy Kimmel won't be hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he's preparing for his 6-month-old son Billy's second heart surgery while he and his family also battle a bout of the "common cold."

"As a precautionary measure, the scheduled second heart surgery for Jimmy Kimmels son Billy had to be postponed this week due to the common cold," reads a press release. Along with Grohl, this week's guest hosts include Shaquille O'Neal, Channing Tatum and Jennifer Lawrence.

Grohl and the rest of Foos headlined the Voodoo Music and Arts Experience festival over the weekend. They'll pick up their North American tour November 7 in Madison, Wisconsin.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
It is crystal clear that Moscow is in the drivers seat at the 7th round of talks in Kazakhstan on ending the Syrian conflict.

Astana, Kazakhstan  Astana is created from nothing, they say here. There is certainly some truth to that as it is a city created from scratch on a Central Asian steppe.

I am here for the 7th round of talks on ending six years of devastating war in Syria, which are led by three main players: Russia, Iran and Turkey. The Russians and Iranians are backing the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad, and Turkey is backing some of the rebels.

Then you have the Syrian government itself, the Syrian opposition, and delegations from the United States and United Nations.

However, it has become extremely clear its the Russians who are in charge of this particular show. While that may come as no surprise to Syrian observers, the depth of their influence certainly surprised me.

Speaking to some people at these talks, you get a real sense that the Russians have consolidated politics and military tactics in Syria into something all other parties failed to do. The Russians have either forced or coerced the Syrian regime into remaining quiet and doing, as they say, some analysts say. Its a strategy that certainly seems to be working.

Deepening Russias involvement, its foreign ministry announced on Tuesday that 33 Syrian opposition groups and political parties had been invited to the Russian resort of Sochi for a Syrian Congress on National Dialogue on November 18.

For its part, the US has stated it wants the Assad regime to have no political role in the future of Syria, but in Astana that was met with scepticism.

The Russian special envoy for Syria, Alexander Lavrentyev, told reporters: The Syrian president made an important statement on the 26th [October] in which he said he would welcome, or to be more accurate, he made it clearer about his thoughts on constitutional amendments, which includes drafting a new constitution and holding parliamentary and presidential elections.

Reading between the lines, Russia sees a role for Assad in the future.

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When it comes to Syrian opposition figures, the Russians appear to be saying they will get what theyre given. The main demand of the opposition is prisoner-hostage exchanges. The Russian envoy Lavrentyev says such moves are a complicated issue, which suggests no agreement will be reached.

The Syrian opposition understands it is in a position of weakness because it is so divided. Opposition consultant Yahya al-Aridi was diplomatic when talking to Al Jazeera.

In a sense we are united because we want a peaceful Syria, but we dont a have format. But the substance is more important than the format, Aridi said.

Format is important, however, because it allows Russia to take advantage of Syrian opposition disunity to Moscows advantage, which has long been a complaint of the disparate groups opposing Assad.

Then there is the UN, which is pushing for political change. The Russians are making the right noises about Assad but not any concrete promises about his future. Assad himself is biding his time.

Meanwhile on the ground, even in de-escalation zones set up after the Astana talks in September, violence against civilians continues unabated.

The International Rescue Committee says Russia, Iran, and Turkey have failed to protect civilians. The three countries are guarantors of the so-called safe zones, and they say any attacks they launch are against legitimate targets, including the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) and Hayet Tahrir al-Sham.

The US role is also somewhat confusing, particularly for the Syrian opposition that eyes Russias influence with much suspicion. The only thing the Americans seem to be consistent about in their statements is not having Assad in power, which the Russians and Iran are managing quite well.

At breakfast I overheard one member of a western delegation ask the location of the Syrian government representatives. We need to ask the Russians, they are meeting them soon, came the reply.

It is a fitting aside. At the talks in Astana, the Russians seem to be at the centre of it all.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia  Cambodias Supreme Court upheld a ruling to keep opposition leader Kem Sokha imprisoned in the run-up to his trial on treason charges.

Kem Sokha  the president of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP)  was arrested on September 3 and accused of conspiring with the United States to launch a coup against the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen.

The CNRP has denied the allegations, calling the arrest politically motivated with an election upcoming in 2018.





Putting Mr Kem Sokha on trial is a mockery of justice as the judiciary as well as police and military forces are in the hands of Prime Minister Hun Sen, opposition official Mu Sochua  who fled Cambodia this month after receiving arrest threats  told Al Jazeera.

What is at stake is the life of democracy in Cambodia, which is hanging on a tightrope as Mr Hun Sen sees no way out of his 32 years in power but to destroy all democratic forces, said Mu Sochua.

Kem Sokha wasnt allowed to attend Tuesdays appeal hearing at the Supreme Court in the capital because of security concerns. Police in Phnom Penh was on high alert with authorities saying they would not allow any anarchic protests.

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Since Kem Sokhas arrest, at least half of the opposition members in parliament have fled Cambodia.

Dozens of independent media were forced to close down by the government, local NGOs have been censured, and the US-funded National Democratic Institute was ordered to cease operations.

Hun Sen has called those caught up in the crackdown, rebels who are trying to overthrow his government.

The charges against Kem Sokha stem from a video recorded in 2013 of a speech he made in Australia to supporters. In it, he discussed how the US had advised him on political strategy.

Rights groups and many in the international community say the video is not enough to demonstrate his guilt of the crime of treason. If convicted, he faces 30 years in prison.

The Supreme Court will also rule whether to dissolve the CNRP on November 16.

Charles Santiago, chair of the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, denounced the governments recent moves as heavy-handed.

This crackdown has reached unprecedented heights and shows no signs of reversing course Cambodias democratic aspirations are being smothered by a government that knows it has lost the support of the people yet remains bent on clinging to power, Santiago told Al Jazeera.
Since the Catalan governments decision to stage a referendum on independence on October 1, there has been much comment on the rise of separatist movements across Europe. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned that the EU could not accommodate 95 member states. Alarm has been expressed about the contagion effect of Catalonia on other stateless nations striving to establish their own state.

There is, in fact, no wave of separatism across Europe. In Belgium, the Flemish nationalist party is part of the national government but has not even insisted on a constitutional reform. It talks about confederalism; independence is, at most, a long-term and rather vague aspiration.

The Italian Lega Nord abandoned separatism years ago and now appeals as an Italian nationalist and Eurosceptic party, seeking votes in the south as well as the north. The recent referendums in Lombardy and Veneto were for more regional devolution, not separation.

There is not majority support in Northern Ireland for leaving the United Kingdom, even among Catholics.The Basque Nationalist Party has moved away from its previous sovereigntist position and instead is looking for constitutional reform within Spain. The only separatist forces in France are in Corsica and, while the nationalists have advanced electorally, independence is not a serious proposition.

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Within the European Union, there are precisely two independence-seeking movements of any significance, in Catalonia and in Scotland. In both cases, support for independence is around 40-45 percent. Both are governed by nationalist parties, which have sought to test support in independence referendums.

In both cases, the independence movement has used membership of the European Union as something that would facilitate independence, although European institutions have given them no encouragement.

At present, however, it is the difference between the two cases that most strikes the observer. Scotlands referendum in 2014 was facilitated by the British government, which decided that this was the best way to defuse a politically explosive situation. It helped that the United Kingdom has a very flexible constitution so that there was no legal obstacle.

The key factor, however, was political. The UK has long been recognised as a voluntary union of nations and successive governments in recent years have recognised that they cannot be kept in the union against their will. This contrasts sharply with their attitude to Ireland and hundred years ago.

The Scottish referendum was won by the anti-independence forces, who gained 55 percent of the vote. While the nationalists were defeated, however, they had demonstrated that they are a considerable force in Scottish society. Neither side had scored a knock-out victory. So, after the referendum, the two sides engaged in a negotiation to produce a compromise of further autonomy for Scotland.

Since referendum of 2014, we have had the referendum on Brexit. While the UK as a whole voted to leave the European Union, Scotland voted, by a larger margin, to remain. The Scottish government has argued that this justifies another independence referendum but it has recognised that permission for this will have to be obtained from the UK Parliament. There will be no legally dubious referendum and no unilateral declaration of independence.

Catalonia has gone into a confrontation that could have been avoided some years ago with a bit of statesmanship. by

The contrast with Spain is striking. The Spanish constitution insists on the indivisibility of the Spanish people, a provision that has been interpreted very narrowly by Spanish political parties and the constitutional court. A reformed statute of autonomy was adopted in 2006 with the agreement of both Spanish and Catalan parliaments and a referendum in Catalonia. It was taken to the constitutional court by intransigent Spanish nationalists and key provisions were stuck down. From that point, support for independence grew.

Catalonia has gone into a confrontation that could have been avoided some years ago with a bit of statesmanship. With some recognition of Catalonias national status, stronger guarantees for its competences and language and a deal on taxation and spending, the great majority of Catalans would have been content to remain in Spain and Spain itself would have been strengthened. Instead, there has been a series of miscalculations on both sides and a failure to think through the consequences of their actions.

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The search for compromise has been hindered by the fact that both the Spanish and the Catalan governments are weak. Neither has a parliamentary majority and both are beholden to their own hard-line nationalists. The Spanish Popular Party and the Catalan PDeCAT (formerly Convergencia) have been deeply tainted by corruption scandals.

Since the contested referendum on October 1, both sides have raised the stakes. The Spanish government has invoked Article 155 of the constitution, allowing it to assume direct control of the Catalan administration. The Catalan Parliament has declared independence. The last opportunity for compromise, in which both acts could have been suspended and new elections called, was refused by Madrid, which opted for invoking Article 155 and calling Catalan elections as well.

Yet even now there are deep similarities between the cases of Catalonia and Scotland, and indeed other processes across Europe. During the Scottish referendum campaign, there was a steady move of voters from the No and undecideds to the Yes camp, which did better than anyone had expected at the outset. Yet underlying attitudes had changed much less.

When surveys offered a choice between the status quo, independence or more autonomy, support for more autonomy regularly came out on top. Many of the people who voted for independence, in fact, saw it as the best way of getting to that middle ground.

Similarly, in Catalonia, there is an underlying support for due process and for moderation. A poll in September showed over 80 percent of Catalans in favour of having a legally-sanctioned referendum on independence.

The same proportion thought that the actions of the Spanish government had encouraged pro-independence forces. A clear majority favoured proceeding gradually towards more autonomy, as the current Basque government is doing. A poll taken after the referendum showed 44 percent in favour of independence (where it has been for the last few years) but, when Catalans are offered the alternative of more autonomy, support for independence falls to 29 percent.

What is happening in Europe is less an outbreak of separatism than a questioning of the model of the unitary nation-state. The government, the economy, societies and identities are rescaling at multiple levels. Sovereignty is, whatever the Spanish constitution proclaims, shared at multiple levels.

Self-determination is about negotiating ones place in the new multilevel order. It is this, rather than the search for an illusory sovereignty, that the processes across Europe have in common. Catalonia and Scotland are test beds for this new understanding of politics and policy.

There is no clear end to these processes, whether by reconstituting the old nation-state or breaking it up into new and smaller nation-states. In recognising this, people are often in advance of their politicians who, the more they lose the substance of sovereignty, the more they argue over its trappings.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
A case of alleged rape by police officers has once again put the culture of impunity in the NYPD under spotlight.

Kim Kelly is an editor at Noisey, VICE's music and culture channel, and is based in New York City.

On Monday, New York police officers Eddie Martins and Richard Hall pleaded not guilty to charges of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old woman in September.

The victim, Anna Chambers, accused the two plain-clothes NYPD narcotic detectives of kidnapping, sexual assault, and rape. She says that on September 15, after she was arrested for possession of cannabis and an anti-anxiety drug, the officers took her alone to a nearby car park. There, she alleges that she was violently raped by Martins and sexually assaulted by both officers.

DNA from the officers was found after Chambers went to a hospital and had a rape kit done. Hall and Martins both admitted having sexual contact with Chambers but publicly insisted that the sex was consensual, which is an impossible statement given the power dynamic at play. Simply put, theres no such thing as consent when a police officer has a person in handcuffs, as journalist Natasha Lennard explained in a recent piece for The Intercept.

As public attention is focused on the multiplying accusations of sexual assault against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, Chambers case shines a light on yet another public sphere in which men pervasively abuse power and authority to commit sex-related crimes: law enforcement. The rates of police officers committing a sex-related crime are significantly higher than the general population.

The true scope of the problem remains unknown. Many victims would not come forward because they have to report the abuse to another police officer; thus, such violent incidents are often called hidden crimes. And, as Chambers case illustrates, sex-related police crimes are often committed against younger or even underage individuals, who are more vulnerable and less likely to speak out.

Among many risks that victims face, apart from violent reprisals, are public smear campaigns as happened with Chambers. Prior to the indictment, the NYPD took an actively antagonistic tone towards her, seeking to discredit the young womans testimony and smear her character.

The internal culture of the NYPD is clearly toxic, and has proven time and time again to be a safe harbour for those who'd rather abuse the people they're supposed to 'protect'. by

In a letter to the Brooklyn District Attorneys Office obtained by the New York Post, the police officers lawyers pointed to Chambers rambunctious social media presence and provocative selfies as evidence that she was lying about the rape. This behavior is unprecedented for a depressed victim of a vicious rape, the letter reads, as if written by someone who has never interacted with a teenager before, let alone one processing brutal trauma under public scrutiny.

The insinuation that there is only one appropriate reaction to this kind of violence is a slap in the face to all sexual assault survivors and highlights the cruelty and ambivalence with which the NYPD tends to treat its own sexual assault cases.

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has a long-standing tradition of violence, particularly against marginalised populations. A quick Google search of NYPD sexual assault dredges up case after case  even against their own, as in the case of Deputy Inspector Keith Walton, who in 2016 was charged with felony sexual abuse after allegedly assaulting a female police officer, or in at least three lawsuits last year that involved sexual harassment of female NYPD officers by male co-workers.

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Outside the office, things only get worse. In 2011, Officer Harold Avalos responded to a woman on a domestic abuse call, contacted her at a later date, formed a relationship, and allegedly raped her in a motel. In 2012, Officer Arthur Roldan was charged with raping his former girlfriend at gunpoint in a car park; that same year, independently of Roldans case, Officer Michael Pena was convicted of the very same crime.

In 2013, NYPD highway officer Carlos Becker filmed a Bronx woman while she was in custody, then sent her flirtatious texts. It is alleged that he eventually drugged her at a bar and raped her. Becker was indicted for filming the woman, but the NYPD declined to pursue rape charges.

In April 2015, NYPD officer Delfin Lantigua pleaded guilty to soliciting sex and cash from a woman who sought a job in his department. In May this year, three NYPD officers at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn were arrested on charges of sexually abusing at least half a dozen female inmates. The list goes on, and on, and on, and never gets any less horrifying.

Unless they are actually indicted, in the eyes of the NYPD, these men technically have not done anything wrong. True, it is against NYPD policy for officers to have sex on duty; those who do so can be charged with the broad offence of official misconduct, which bars the misuse of official authority for personal benefit.

However, nothing in city law makes the behaviour explicitly illegal. This leaves a loophole for predator police officers to exploit, and the reasoning behind this is unclear.

Last week, following the news of Martins and Halls indictment, New York City Councilman Mark Treyger announced that he would draft legislation that would make it illegal for a police officer to engage in sexual activity with someone in police custody, whether in a police car or in the course of an arrest or law enforcement action.

As its own history makes clear, the NYPD has not been trying all that hard to foster friendly relationships with New Yorkers who do not happen to be white and male. Whether Martins and Halls end up behind bars or not, they have joined a long line of others who have been caught committing shameful, depraved sexual abuse against the people of New York City  and the people owe it to themselves to speak out against these crimes and the broken policing system that shields those who commit them.

We need to serve and protect our own by strengthening community support networks and pushing back against police violence with every ounce of strength we have. The internal culture of the NYPD is clearly toxic, and has proven time and time again to be a safe harbour for those who would rather abuse the people they are supposed to protect. Demanding justice for Anna Chambers is only the beginning.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Government of National Accord calls on the UN Security Council to probe the attack that killed at least 17 civilians.

The UN-backed government of Libya has strongly condemned the air strike on the eastern city of Derna and called on the UN Security Council to investigate the attack that killed at least 17 civilians.

A statement issued on Tuesday by the Presidential Council on behalf of Fayez al-Sarraj, the head of the Government of National Accord (GNA), said that the air strike should be treated as a war crime.

While the statement did not say who was responsible for the deadly bombing, it called for the immediate lifting of more than a year of siege imposed on Derna city to allow humanitarian aid and for those injured to be evacuated for treatment.

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The siege has left many suffering, said the statement, adding that it will not tolerate the killing and intimidation of Libyan citizens.

Derna has been besieged by armed groups loyal to General Khalifa Haftar, the self-styled chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA).

The Mujahideen Shura Council, which is currently in de facto control of Derna, took the city from ISIL in 2015. It is the only city in eastern Libya not controlled by forces of General Haftar.

Family celebration hit

Local residents told Al Jazeera that the bombing, which was carried out on Monday night, hit a family celebration.

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Abdel Rahman al-Sewehli from the High Council of State, an advisory body, tweeted that he strongly condemned the self-styled LNA Gen Command and its local and international allies, a reference to Egypt which supports Haftar.

Haftar, backed by the government based in the eastern city of Tobruk, is an important and divisive player in Libyan politics.

LNA opposes the UN-backed government based in the capital, Tripoli, which controls much of the western part of the country, including Misrata.

A 2015 UN-backed peace deal has failed to unite warring factions.
Police confirm the blast near many foreign embassies and government departments in the Wazir Akbar Khan area.

A suicide bomber has detonated explosives in the diplomatic area of Afghanistans capital, Kabul, killing at least three people and wounding 14 others, health officials said.

The attack on Tuesday took place at the 14th street of Wazir Akbar Khan area, close to the defence ministry, police said.

Ismail Kawoosi, spokesman for Afghanistans public health ministry, said the wounded were taken to hospital for treatment.

Witnesses told Al Jazeera that the blast had caused more than 10 casualties.

A defence ministry spokesman told Al Jazeera that the blast happened outside their building. It was not immediately clear what the target of the attack was.

Earlier local media reports had suggested the attack targeted the Australian embassy, which is also in the same area.

A series of attacks in Kabul this month, including one at a Shia mosque, killed more than 70 people.

In May, a massive truck bomb blast ripped through the diplomatic district, killing at least 80 people and wounding hundreds in a powerful explosion described by officials as one of the biggest to have hit the capital of Afghanistan.
A Canadian university lecturer and radio broadcaster has filed a suit in federal court challenging the inaccurate labelling of wines made in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and exported to Canada as a Product of Israel.

David Kattenburg, a 62-year-old Winnipeg resident and son of Holocaust survivors, had previously submitted a complaint in late March to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) about its labelling procedures, indicating that the grapes used were grown in the occupied West Bank and processed in wineries outside of Israels formal borders.

These falsely-labelled products trouble me as a consumer, Kattenburg said in July after he filed the original complaint. Canadians have a right to know that [a product] is made in Israel, if its made in some other place. This is a matter of concern. They have the right to truthful labelling.

Canadian food inspectors initially agreed with Kattenburgs reasoning and issued a directive to liquor stores on July 11 to stop selling wines made in the occupied West Bank.

But within hours, the agency backtracked, saying it regrets the directive it had issued, noting that the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA) overrode domestic consumer protection laws.

Further clarification of the CIFTA indicates that these wines adhere to the agreement and therefore we can confirm that the products in question can be sold as currently labelled, the food inspection agency said in a statement at the time.

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The bilateral trade agreements provision that the agency references identifies Israel as the territory where its customs laws are applied, and not its internationally-recognised border. Trade between Israel and Canada has tripled to $1.6bn since the agreement was expanded in 2014.

But Kattenburgs lawyer, Ontario-based Dimitri Lascaris, maintains that the Canadian government is dressing a political decision up as a legal decision by invoking the trade agreement, which allowed it to bypass the issue of where the grapes were grown.

The [Canada-Israel Trade-Agreement] deals with trade barriers, as do all free trade agreements, Lascaris told Al Jazeera. You look at the rest of the agreement, theres nothing there about product labelling. A requirement that all products be accurately labelled is not a trade barrier. Thats a consumer protection law.

When Kattenburg appealed the revoked decision to the agencys Complaints and Appeals Office (CAO) in August, he was informed that the CFIA would stand by its verdict.

Now that the CAO has completed its review and the [food inspection agency] has advised that it is standing by its decision, [Kattenburg] was free to seek a judicial review by the Federal Court of Canada. The Federal Court litigation has now formally begun, Lascaris explained.

In a statement to Al Jazeera, CFIA said: it has no comment as this matter is before the courts.

Kattenburgs suit, which was filed last Tuesday, is asking the government to issue an order striking down the legality of the food agencys decision, which he believes is in violation of Canadas regulations on food and drugs, and its laws that set requirements for labels to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions.

The Canadian government is saying that Israel has a right to sell falsely labelled products because they extend its customs law to the occupied territories, Kattenburg said. This is what the CFIA cited and [that] definition is at odds with international law.
The Spanish semi-autonomous region of Catalonia has a distinct identity with its own customs, culture and language.

Catalonia has dominated international headlines in recent weeks in the wake of a banned referendum on splitting away from Spain.

Yet, the region in the northeast of Spain, which has its own language and distinct customs, has a long history of striving for independence.

One of Spains wealthiest region, Catalonia today accounts for 15 percent of Spains population and 20 percent of its economic output. Historical disputes and financial grievances have strengthened the cause of independence, yet its 7.5 million people appear to be deeply divided over the issue.

A defined region of Catalonia was first referenced in the 12th century. The region has been part of Spain since its unification in the 15th century, following the marriage of Ferdinand I of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile.

Despite always simmering under the surface, Catalonias independent spirit did not show up in a prominent way until the 17th century, when the Catalans revolted against the taxation imposed by Philip IV of Spain.

In the decades that followed, Catalonia backed the eventual loser in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714), Archduke Archduke Charles of Austria. When Philip V won the war, the Catalans were zeroed out and their semi-independence and separate parliament were suppressed by the new king.

In the early 19th century, the Catalan feeling of independence emerged again, leading to a revived effort for political autonomy.

In 1931, Spains form of government changed from a monarchy to a republic. Catalonia became semi-autonomous and the national Catalan government, the Generalitat, was reinstated.

However, during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) the Catalans fought for the losing Republican side. After the war ended, General Francisco Franco and his Nationalist movement suppressed any form of Catalan identity  the Catalan language, customs and autonomy were all repressed until Francos death in 1975.

The new Spanish government granted Catalonia partial autonomy in 1977. Two years later, in 1979, the region was given full autonomy.

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In 2006, a reformed version of 1979s statute of autonomy came into force. The new version gave the Catalan regional government more power, specifically on tax and finance matters.

However, in 2010, Spains constitutional court struck down the statutes reformed version, leading to a resurgence in Catalan nationalism.

The courts ruling took place during the height of a major eurozone economic crisis, which had hit Spain particularly hard.

As an economic heavyweight for Spain, Catalonias calls for independence grew louder compared with the previous decades.

With Barcelona, a major tourist destination, as its capital and popular beach resorts on its coastlines, Catalonia accounts for about a fifth of Spains total GDP.

In the following years, just as the Spanish economy recovered slowly, the Catalan nationalist movement kept gaining momentum. This paved the way in 2013 to a declaration of sovereignty, which was a precursor for a non-binding, highly contested referendum on independence in 2014.

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Although Spanish authorities fought the referendum in court, pro-independence campaigners staged a symbolic ballot, organised by volunteers rather than government officials to get around court restrictions.

Some two million people voted in favour of secession in that non-binding ballot, though turnaround was relatively low.

In the end, more than 80 percent of those who cast their ballots backed a split from Madrid, leading to snap elections in Catalonia.

In late 2015, the new Catalan government, encouraged by the election result, approved a measure for peaceful disconnection from the Spanish state, a decision that was again contested by Madrid. The Constitutional Court in Madrid ruled that Catalonias move was illegal.

In March 2017, former Catalan leader Artur Mas was barred from public office for two years by a court in Madrid for his prominent role in the 2014 referendum.

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But it was that vote that eventually led to the new referendum on splitting from Spain on October 1, 2017.

Spanish police interfered, using force to try to stop Catalans from voting. The Catalan regional government said 90 percent voted for independence, but turnout was less than 50 percent.

After weeks of increasing political uncertainty, the Catalan regional parliament on October 27 unilaterally declared independence from Spain after a secret vote.

This move angered Madrid, leading Spanish authorities to trigger Article 155 of the 1978 Constitution and assume direct control of the northeastern region.

Catalonias leaders were sacked and a snap regional poll was announced for December 21.
At least 17 people killed and more than 30 wounded in an aerial bombing on besieged eastern Libyan city.

At least 17 people have been killed and more than 30 wounded in an air strike in Libyas eastern city of Derna, a medical official has told Anadolu news agency.

An official at Al-Huraish State Hospital in Derna, who declined to be named, said on Monday that a state of emergency was declared at the medical facility and a call for blood donations was made as the dead and wounded were rushed to the hospital.

It is not clear which country or group was behind the deadly attack.

The US has carried out at least four known air strikes in Libya since 2015. The UK and France have also Special Forces operating under a cloud of secrecy in the country.

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In July last year, three French soldiers were killed when their military helicopter was shot down by an armed group called Benghazi Defence Brigades (BDB).

Since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 following an armed uprising assisted by the Western military intervention, Libya remains bitterly divided, with two rival governments struggling to wield influence in the large country.

Besieged for over a year

Dozens of armed groups are engaged in a war that has killed hundreds and displaced thousands of civilian population.

Derna has been besieged for over a year by armed groups loyal to General Khalifa Haftar, the self-styled chief of Libyan National Army (LNA).

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The Mujahideen Shura Council, which is currently in de facto control of Derna, took the city from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) in 2015. It is the only city in eastern Libya not controlled by forces of General Haftar.

Haftar, backed by Egypt, France and the government based in the eastern city of Tobruk, is an important and divisive player in Libyan politics.

LNA opposes the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) based in the capital Tripoli, which controls much of the western part of the country, including Misrata.

A 2015 UN-backed peace deal has failed to unite warring factions.
Sacked Catalan leader says he is not seeking asylum in Belgium, says his party will stand in December 21 elections.

Deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has said his party will stand in a December 21 snap poll called by the central government in Madrid for Catalonia.

Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Puigdemont said he will respect the outcome of the election, but urged Spanish authorities to do the same.

The sacked regional president arrived at Brussels Press Club for a news conference on Tuesday, amid speculation he and his ministers would seek political asylum in Belgium, which he said was not their intent.

On Friday, after the declaration of independence, we assumed dialogue was impossible, Puigdemont said in Catalan, adding that his government tried to engage in talks since the dispute began.

The Spanish government dismissed the Catalan regional leadership on Saturday after lawmakers approved the application of Article 155 of the Constitution, which allowed Madrid to assume control of Catalonia.

Puigdemont said he and his government were the legitimate representatives of the Catalan people.

The former Catalan government and select members of the parliament were charged by the Spanish prosecutor with sedition and rebellion, among other charges, on Monday.

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The charges stem from the political process during which Puigdemont declared Catalonia an independent nation after a disputed October 1 referendum on secession.

The Catalan government said 90 percent of voters opted for independence, though turnout was less than 50 percent, in part due to a crackdown by Spanish police.

The charges could result in up to 30 years in prison and confirm the extreme aggressiveness of the Spanish government against the Catalan government and parliament, Puigdemont said.

Puigdemont and five former ministers of the regional Catalan government appeared yesterday in the Belgian capital, to the surprise of many.

The dismissed politicians were expected to apply for political asylum, though Puigdemont said that was not his intent.

Puigdemont detailed goals his dismissed government would pursue from Belgium: A part of the [the Catalan government] has moved to Brussels to make evident the Catalan problem in the heart of Europe, he continued.

Puigdemont went on to say the government would support efforts to avoid the destruction of Catalan institutions that could result from the application of Article 155, and that his party, the Catalan Democratic Party, would participate in the December 21 regional elections called by the Spanish government.

Puigdemont called for Europe to respond to the Catalan crisis, saying the case of Catalonia is the case of the values on which Europe is based.

Before the news conference began, Mina Andreeva, the spokesperson for the European Commission, said in a statement the European Unions executive body has not remained in contact with Puigdemont.

Andreeva stated that the commissions stance that the question of Catalonias independence is an internal Spanish matter has not changed.
Palestinian armed groups say they will exercise the right to respond to Gaza attack that killed at least seven people.

Palestinian armed groups have vowed to respond to Israels attack on a tunnel in a southern town of the Gaza Strip late on Monday that left at least seven people dead and nine others wounded.

We will exercise our right to respond  this is our duty, Daoud Shehab, a leader in the Islamic Jihad movement, told Al Jazeera, adding that it is a legitimate right of resistance groups to respond.

Palestinian media said that the tunnel in Khan Younis had been hit by the Israeli air force.

Reports said Israel fired five missiles at the tunnel that was being dug east of Khan Younis and which Israel claims was leading to its territory, Palestinian news agency Wafa said.

Israeli officials said that the tunnel near the border wall, which was in the process of being built, was destroyed after being monitored for some time.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza officially identified five of those killed as members of the al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement and two others as members of Hamas Izz Eddine al-Qassam Brigades.

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Hamas decried the attack as the latest Zionist crime.

Resisting the occupation in all its forms is a natural right guaranteed for our people, the movement said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Fatah, the West Bank-based political party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, called for dialogue between Palestinians to discuss the best response to the Israeli bombardment.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed what he called breakthrough technology in dealing with tunnel threats.

He also held Hamas responsible for any attempt to harm the sovereignty of his country.

Since 2008, Israel has launched three offensives on the Gaza Strip.

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The latest one took place in the summer of 2014 and resulted in the deaths of more than 2,200 Palestinians, including 500 children.

Sixty-six Israeli occupation soldiers and seven Israeli non-combatants were killed in the same period.

The Israeli blockade of the occupied Gaza Strip, in its current form, has been in place since June 2007.

Israel controls Gazas airspace and territorial waters, as well as two of the three border crossing points; the third is controlled by Egypt.
Tensions are running high on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea, where there are widespread reports that locals are looting an Australian-run detention camp that was officially closed on Tuesday.

Tensions are running high on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea, where there are widespread reports that locals are looting an Australian-run detention camp that was officially closed on Tuesday.

About 600 refugees are refusing to leave the facility over safety concerns.

The camp, which was widely condemned by human rights groups for its poor treatment of refugees, was recently deemed illegal and Australia agreed to close it and pay compensation to refugees.

But as the facility was decommissioned and security forces left, refugees reported armed looters.

Al Jazeeras Charlotte Bellis reports.
Revolutionary Guard commander Mohammad Ali Jafari says missiles can already hit enemy targets in case of any aggression.

Iran has no need to extend the current 2,000km range of its ballistic missiles as they can already strike enemy targets in case of aggression, the head of the Revolutionary Guard has said.

Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari told reporters in the capital, Tehran, on Tuesday that the missile range can cover most of American interest and forces within the region, even as he underlined the programmes defensive purpose.

Jafari said the ballistic missile range is based on the limits set by the countrys Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.





But he warned Irans enemies of the high costs of provoking his country.

There is the capability to increase this range, but it is sufficient for now as the Americans are present within a 2,000km radius around the country, and would get a response in the case of any invasion, the state-owned Press TV quoted him as saying.

The Revolutionary Guard is a separate force from Irans army. It answers only to the countrys supreme leader.

We will continue to build missiles

Meanwhile, Irans military chief of staff Mohammad Hussein Bagheri was quoted as saying on Tuesday that the military is trying to improve the accuracy of its ballistic missiles, but added that they are not intended to carry nuclear warheads.

A 2,000km range ballistic missile from Iran is not capable of hitting the United States, but can cover much of the Middle East, including several American bases and naval facilities in the region.





Irans missile programme is not covered by the 2015 nuclear deal Tehran reached with world powers, including the US.

But in a recent speech announcing the de-certification of the Iran agreement, US President Donald Trump said he would ask Congress to impose sanctions against Irans missile programme.

In February and July, the US slapped sanctions on Iranian individuals and companies for its missile programme and tests.

Despite its rhetoric, the US fears the consequences of a war with Iran, Jafari said on Tuesday, adding that Americans are well aware that they would be the losers if such war breaks out.

On Sunday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani told parliament members that Tehran will continue to produce missiles for defence purposes.

We have built, are building, and will continue to build missiles, he said.

Khamenei had also said in recent weeks that Irans defence, including its missile programme, are non-negotiable.
In three years, Iraqs Tehran-backed PMF has grown to become the countrys strongest security apparatus, analysts say.

A previous version of this article said that the three main factions of the PMF are backed by Iran.

For almost two years, US-backed Iraqi government forces, along with Kurdish Peshmerga forces and other allies, fought to push ISIL fighters out of the country.

One of the key actors, who played a major role in the campaign declared by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, were Shia-dominated paramilitaries.

Roughly 63 factions make up Iraqs Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF, also known as PMU)  an umbrella of groups rallied by ethnic and tribal leaders, whose fighters are either loyal to religious scholars, Iraqi political leaders, or Irans Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The diverse makeup of the PMFs 40 divisions  comprising more than 60,000 fighters  sheds light on many of Iraqs sectarian tensions and its ambiguous political future.

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Although formed via a religious decree to fight ISIL in 2014 by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraqs top Shia religious scholar, many of the fighters are empowered by Iran and other non-state actors. Some have existed for decades prior, and others have political representation in parliament.

The PMF is largely outside government control, yet the Iraqi parliament formally recognised it as a state-affiliated institution when its own forces became depleted in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group (ISIL, also known as ISIS).

There are three main distinct factions in the PMF with various ideological underpinnings: those loyal to Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei; those loyal to Iraqi popular Shia religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr, who heads the Peace Brigades; and those loyal to Sistani.

All of these groups have become the most powerful military force in Iraq, according to analysts, and some are aligned with Iran to various degrees since ISIL leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi stood at the pulpit of Mosuls Grand al-Nuri mosque and announced the creation of a Sunni caliphate.

Since the PMF is not a single unified body, its various factions operate under the policy recommendations of different heads.

Political recognition

The PMF has not publicly demanded political recognition in Baghdad due to the absence of government control and the involvement of non-state actors.

However, two main groups already have political recognition and are members of the Iraqi parliament.

The Badr organisation, which is part of a coalition  the National Iraqi Alliance (NIA)  is headed by former Iraqi Transport Minister Hadi al-Ameri.

Out of the Iraqi parliaments 328 seats, the NIA holds 183 seats, 22 of which belong to the Badr organisation.

The Badr organisation was well established in Iraqs political system prior to 2014, and before entering the realm of politics was previously known as the Badr Brigades, Irans oldest proxy in Iraq.

The other, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, is a Shia armed group founded by Qais al-Khazali. One member of the group is currently sitting in parliament, Chatham House fellow Renad Mansour told Al Jazeera.

These [groups] will continue to be involved in politics, he said.

Basically, the PMF became an umbrella for anyone who wanted to fight ISIL  There is no standard process to say ok, you are now part of the PMF - it's a loose term. by Renad Mansour, Chatham House

Considered to be the senior, de-facto leaders of the PMF, Ameri and Khazali have established close ties to the PMFs administrator, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who works in alignment with the two and is among the PMFs leadership.

Muhandis is an Iraqi military commander who leads organisations close to Irans Quds Force, an IRGC offshoot that oversees operations overseas. Like Ameri, he is considered to be among the top military leaders who have maintained close ties with Tehran.

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There is no question that someone like Hadi al-Ameri definitely has political ambition. He was upset when he wasnt made interior minister by Abadi a few years ago, but continues to influence the Ministry of Interior because the Badr organisation has a lot of influence in that industry, Mansour said.

And they have good relations with Nouri al-Maliki, the former Iraqi prime minister, and he created the PMF.

According to Mansour, who frequently travels to Iraq, it has become clear that Ameris popularity in the Badr organisation increased significantly through the fight against ISIL.

When we used to go to Baghdad, wed see big posters with pictures of martyrs and the logo of the organisation  so basically, using the fight against ISIL, and using slogans like we defended Iraq, we defended Baghdad, from Daesh [ISIL], either way to gain political favour, he said.

But at the same time, Abadis influence has also grown, so its a struggle between these two spheres of influence.

Facade of control

Similarly, Middle East Forum analyst Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi told Al Jazeera that various PMF factions have been fighting to expand their political influence.

The idea is to gain ground for the 2018 parliamentary elections, using the victory over the Islamic State, preserving Iraqs unity and restoring security as playing cards, he said.

Despite this, many other smaller PMF factions who emerged in 2014 remain weak, although political ambitions among them cannot be ruled out, Tamimi said.

Prior to becoming a state-recognised institution, the PMF received much of its budget from Iran. Currently, the PMF reportedly receives about $1.5bn a year from Abadis government  but Muhandis, the PMFs administrator, decides where to allocate the funds.

The government doesnt have much control over it, Mansour said.

The lack of transparency with budget management has resulted in smaller factions claiming they have not received salaries. Some, said Mansour, have accused Muhandis of favouritism.

Since taking office in September 2014, Abadi has worked on developing Iraqs security sector and has succeeded in revamping three or four divisions, including the police, Mansour said, but he needs the PMF as well  thats why there is still a role for the PMF.

According to Tamimi, Abadi allowed for the recognition of the PMF in hopes of being able to control them.

The idea of the numbering for brigades, for example, is probably based on the idea that the PMF should not be political, but function as a reserve force of the state, he said.

Tamimi noted that some PMF factions clearly have a good relationship with state institutions, but others are tied to pro-Iranian factions, which have an agenda differing from Abadis.

Where were they before ISIL?

According to Mansour, seven groups existed before the 2014 decree and Malikis creation of the PMF.

Some have existed for decades and used to be a part of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, which was Ayatollah al-Hakims party, said Mansour, referencing the late Iraqi top Shia leader.

Some of the pre-existing groups fought against the United States and the Iraqi state itself, but have since shifted closer towards Iran and Maliki, such as Sadrs Peace Brigades.

Iran realises that Abadi isn't someone they can trust completely, so they need to work with people like Nouri al-Maliki and other PMF leaders to ensure that they have influence on the ground. by Renad Mansour

When Maliki was in office back in 2010, he grew closer to the Badr organisation and to Khazalis forces  essentially relying on them, Mansour said.

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These seven groups continued to exist in one way or another until 2014, when they created a commission, and then, 50 or so more groups emerged  some of them just local groups, some just gangs and criminal networks, and others tribal forces including Sunnis, Christians, Turkmen, he said.

Basically, the PMF became an umbrella for anyone who wanted to fight ISIL  There is no standard process to say ok, you are now part of the PMF  its a loose term.

Iranian proxy

After taking control of the Kurdish-held province of Kirkuk, Iraqi forces, backed by PMF fighters, defeated Peshmerga forces on the outskirts of the oil-rich city.

Over the past week, Abadi has sought to maintain relationships with neighbouring countries as he visited Turkey, Iran and Jordan, while preserving an alliance with the US  a move Mansour said was aimed at limiting Iranian influence in Iraq.

Iran realises that Abadi isnt someone they can trust completely, so they need to work with people like Nouri al-Maliki and other PMF leaders to ensure that they have influence on the ground, he said.

According to him, Irans main objectives are to ensure that Iraq remains stable, and to ensure that whoever is leading Iraq is loyal, but then again not too powerful at the same time.

While it is unlikely for rival PMF factions to seek political recognition in Baghdad, it is in Irans best interests for various PMF groups to expand or gain a political foothold as a means of ensuring Iraq remains an ally of Tehran, Tamimi said.

From Irans perspective, it is best to have multiple pro-Iranian Shia factions and have them compete for influence, with Iran acting as kingmaker among the various groups.

Given the countrys large Shia population, it is difficult to unite Iraqs Shia behind one ideology or a single ideological group.

In 2014, when Sistani issued the religious decree calling on Iraqis to fight against ISIL, he referred to potential fighters as volunteers. In his statement, Sistani urged fighters to steer away from violence so as not to threaten Iraqs long-term stability.

And, earlier this year, local media reported that his office expressed concern over the actions committed by various PMF subgroups.

Sistani is against what happened with the PMF, and is against what is largely a misinterpretation of the decree  the misuse and politicisation of it, Mansour said.

As such, both Mansour and Tamimi agreed that the differing loyalties of PMF factions create the possibility of future infighting, as well as infighting for less ideological reasons, such as control of extortion opportunities in various areas.
New report says officials have evidence implicating business executives and state agents in environmentalists slaying.

Honduran authorities have evidence implicating high-level business executives and state agents in the murder of prominent human rights activist Berta Caceres, but have yet to arrest them, a damning new report by a team of international lawyers says.

The report, released on Tuesday morning, also says there have been serious flaws in the governments investigation into the March 2016 murder of Caceres and, despite orders from a judge, officials have not turned over the remaining evidence to the independent team.

Caceres, one of the most well-known activists in Latin America and a winner of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize, was gunned down in her home just before midnight on March 2, 2016, after years of threats related to her work protecting indigenous communities and campaigning against a hydroelectric dam project.

The independent team behind Tuesdays report is comprised of five lawyers from Colombia, Guatemala and the United States and was organised at the request of Caceres family last year due to concerns over the official investigation.

The family, along with human rights activists and UN officials, repeatedly called on the government of Honduras last year to allow for an independent inquiry, but the government refused.

To date, eight men have been arrested in connection with the murder, including an active-duty member of the Honduran military and two employees of the company behind the dam project, Desarrollos Energeticos (DESA).

DESA had not responded to emails seeking comment from Al Jazeera at the time of publication, but has, in the past, denied any involvement in the murder of Caceres.

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When the Al Jazeeras Fault Lines interviewed a spokesman for the Attorney Generals office last year during an investigation into the murder of Caceres, he acknowledged that the men arrested were not the ones who planned the assassination or gave the ultimate order to carry it out.

Despite this, the Honduran government has yet to arrest anyone else in the 20 months since Caceres was killed.

Long-calculated plan

The independent groups report says that evidence points to not only a large network that extends to executives in DESA, as well as state officials, but to a long-calculated plan shrouded in corruption.

The report says that the group has been able to establish the participation of executives, managers and employees of DESA, of private security personnel hired by the company, of state agents and parallel structures to state security forces in crimes committed before, during and after March 2, 2016, the day of the assassination.

Roxanna Altholz, a US lawyer who was part of the independent group, told Al Jazeera that one of the most troubling revelations from the groups investigation is that the government has the same data the lawyers based their conclusions on, in addition to even more evidence.

Altholz said that the public ministry had information about the about the identity and actions and conduct of the intellectual authors for a year and a half and has failed to act.





A spokesman for Honduras attorney generals office had not responded to requests for comment from Al Jazeera at the time of publication.

The lawyers made several visits to Honduras to conduct dozens of interviews and had access to nearly 40,000 pages of evidence from the governments investigation, including text messages, WhatsApp messages and group chats and other telephone and cellular data.

WhatsApp messages

The report includes a number of WhatsApp messages from Sergio Rodriguez, one of the eight men arrested, and who was a social and environmental manager for DESA.

Among the messages from Rodriguez were those from the day after the murder, including one where he forwards a copy of the police report of the crime scene that he received just hours after the killing to an undisclosed DESA executive.

At this time, the report says, Caceress family had not yet received that information from police.

The executive later replies, telling him to relax and that everything will turn out fine, youll see. Dont panic and pass it on to others.

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WhatsApp messages documented in the report also show frequent surveillance of Caceres and colleagues from the indigenous rights groups she led, COPINH, something they repeatedly made known to Caceres, according to her daughter.

They would send her pictures of a place she had been to saying I saw you here,' Laura Zuniga Caceres told Fault Lines last year.

That was their control mechanism, their way of saying we are watching you,' Victor Fernandez, Berta Caceress lawyer, told Fault Lines at the time.

No one is safe

Honduras continues to have one of the worlds highest rates of murders against land rights and environmental activists, particularly since a military coup in 2009.

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Many of the projects tied to the murder of land rights activists in Honduras, including the Agua Zarca dam project, involve some of the countrys wealthiest and most powerful families.

Despite millions of dollars in aid from the United States and support for investigative agencies, including the unit responsible for investigating the murder of Caceres, entrenched impunity has long stifled any meaningful investigations in Honduras.

Caceres received numerous death threats in the years leading up to her murder.

But in the initial days after the killing, officials first focused their investigation on members of COPINH, as well as a former boyfriend.

In one of the WhatsApp messages listed in the report, a public relations executive with DESA tells Sergio Rodriguez to raise the question of why COPINH wants to maintain its role as a victim.

The PR official, according to the report, goes on to suggest that Rodriguez should, in passing continue to press the possible motive of passion in the murder of Ms. Berta Caceres.

Gustavo Castro, the only witness to the murder, told Al Jazeeras Fault Lines last year that when he met with authorities after the murder, they didnt seem to be interested in what he had to tell them.

When they requested that I do a police sketch, the sketch artist was drawing a member of COPINH, Castro recounted. I said, Thats not what he looks like! He looks different! He erased it, and then he drew it again.

The independent groups report is based only a fraction of the evidence available, and even then, the team of lawyers says they were able to point to larger levels of responsibility for Caceres murder and new lines of investigation  something the Honduran government has yet to do.

While the lawyers were able to say others were involved, they did not specifically name anyone besides the eight that have been arrested because authorities have not charged anyone else.

But the group is still awaiting the larger remaining portion of evidence in the possession of the Honduran government.

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The public ministry has seized in raids dozens and dozens of computers, telephone chips, SIM cards, iPads, all kinds of electronic apparatus, Altholz said.

We are very concerned about whats going to happen with that evidence, she added. What we found is an investigation that falls well short of international standards and seems to be driving towards impunity.

Given Berta Caceres international profile, the fact that the intellectual authors of her murder have not been arrested so long after the crime seems to be proof of the deep roots and staying power of Honduras impunity.

When Al Jazeera visited Honduras last year, Caceres daughter, Laura, surrounded by photos of her mother, stated the most glaring truth that has emerged since her mother was killed: After my moms assassination, they showed that nobody is safe here.
Deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has said his party will stand in a December 21 snap poll called by the central government in Madrid for Catalonia.

Deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has said his party will stand in a December 21 snap poll called by the central government in Madrid for Catalonia.

Speaking to reporters in Brussels, Puigdemont said he will respect the outcome of the election, but urged Spanish authorities to do the same.

The sacked regional president arrived at Brussels Press Club for a news conference on Tuesday, amid speculation he and his ministers would seek political asylum in Belgium, which he said was not their intent.

Al Jazeeras Andrew Simmons reports from Barcelona.
Critics of declaration that paved way for creation of Israel say Britain is culpable for ensuing Palestinian suffering.

In the summer of 2014, an Israeli drone strike in Gaza ended Huda Mohammads life, along with her two children, husband, and mother-in-law.

News of her death during the 50-day-long bombardment of the besieged territory reached Adie Mormech a week later when a mutual friend told him on Facebook.

Just two years earlier Mormech, a resident of the northern English city of Manchester, had counted Mohammad among his students while teaching English in the Gaza Strip.

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By the end of the bombing campaign, Israel had killed more than 2,200 people in the territory, of which at least 1,500 were civilians.

That total included Mohammad and another of his students.

For Mormech, the roots of the 2014 war and the ongoing and historic suffering the Palestinian people have been subjected to go back to the Balfour Declaration and Britains role in establishing the state of Israel.

In a letter dated November 2, 1917, to leading English Zionist Lord Walter Rothschild, British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour promised his countrys help in creating a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine.

The letter would be the first step in the eventual establishment of Israel and the associated displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian people, many of whom now live in Gaza with their descendants.

The British government refuses to apologise for its role and says it is proud of its part in creating Israel.

I understood, and believe this government should apologise and take responsibility for the green light for the ethnic cleansing of Palestine that took place right under the eyes of the 100,000 British soldiers stationed there by Adie Mormech

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In Gaza so many people knew about Britains role in Palestine and as Im British they emphasised this role to me, Mormech said, relating his experiences during the two years he spent in the area between 2010 and 2012.

He added its a role the UK has still not taken responsibility for and that is why he will spend the days running up to the anniversary planning and taking part in protests against the declaration.

I understood, and believe this government should apologise and take responsibility for the green light for the ethnic cleansing of Palestine that took place right under the eyes of the 100,000 British soldiers stationed there, he said.

It is why we have a duty to stand up and end this UK complicity in Israels war crimes.

Brutal policies

Mormechs anger at Britains role in displacing the Palestinians developed over time by seeking out alternative sources of reporting than mainstream outlets and was hardened by what he saw in the occupied Palestinian territories.

For many Palestinians, the experience of the dispossession brought upon by Balfour is one they are born into.

Dr Issam Hijjawis father came from a small village near Nablus in what is now the occupied West Bank.

From there he would travel to Jaffa, which has since been absorbed into the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, to trade organic fertiliser for the towns famous oranges.

Instead of helping the Palestinians obtain their state, Britain helped ensure their homeland was destroyed, and that they were brutally made refugees. by Issam Hijjawi

Even today, as a Palestinian, I do not have freedom to go and follow the track my late father took on his journeys to Jaffa from our small village, he lamented, before railing against the British role in creating that reality.

From the very beginning, the actual policy of the British mandate in real terms was aimed at help the Zionist movement in creating Israel as a spearhead to control not only Palestine but the whole Middle East.

Instead of helping the Palestinians obtain their state, Britain helped ensure their homeland was destroyed, and that they were brutally made refugees.

Manchester protests

Mormech can usually be found selling books on a large stand between Manchesters two big universities, in an area that forms a hub for Palestinian activism in the city.

Despite its reputation for pro-Palestinian activism, not far from his stall, at the University of Manchesters Whitworth Hall, pro-Israel groups had planned to host an event celebrating the Balfour Declaration.

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Its there that the activists from the Manchester Palestinian Solidarity Campaign scored what they consider their first great victory in the anti-Balfour Declaration campaign.

Details of the venue were leaked and organisers were forced to relocate the event to another undisclosed venue fearing protests.

It was the targeted campaign and pressure from students and concerned individuals that managed to drive the Balfour celebrations off campus, the activists wrote in a statement.

The celebratory tone stems from the symbolism of disrupting a celebration of the Balfour Declaration in the city the people behind it called home.

Chaim Weizmann, the first president of Israel and the leading figure of Zionism before Israel, lived in Manchester when he co-wrote the first draft of the Declaration, and was arguably the most important figure in making sure Balfour went ahead with sending the letter.

Despite the change of venue, activists in Manchester told Al Jazeera they would continue with their planned protest.

New narratives

While the protests are intended to serve as a source of pressure on the British government to change its policies towards Israel, for the activists taking part, there is also an educative element.

Those Al Jazeera spoke to said they felt the commonly held notions surrounding the establishment of Israel were obscured to mask the suffering of Palestinian people.

Hijjawi called on fellow Palestinian activists to keep up the pressure on the UK government after the centenary of the declaration passes.

Mormech said the UKs role in worsening the suffering of Palestinians did not end with the Balfour Declaration, but continues to this day through arms sales to the Israeli government.

This is a battle to end activity that continues Balfours legacy of British complicity in Israels manufacture and development of killing machines that ruin so many families and destroy so many houses, school, hospitals and communities.

It has to stop.
Political prisoner and his son have spent less than three years in total together due to Israeli policies.

A Palestinian political prisoner was given 10 minutes to visit his terminally ill teenage son, according to his family.

The visit between Rajab Tahhan, who is serving a life sentence, and his son, Majd, who suffers from leukaemia, took place on Monday morning at the Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem.

The family said that the Israeli court handling the case placed difficult conditions on them for the visit to happen.

They said that no one is allowed in the same room as Majd when his dad walks in, Bassem Tahhan, the boys uncle, told Al Jazeera.

This was very difficult because Majd cannot be left alone for a second. He must have an attendant with him 24 hours a day due to his condition.

Rajabs story caught media attention when his sons health began to severely deteriorate earlier this month.

In his 19 years, Majd has spent only two years and eight months in total with his father, who has been repeatedly imprisoned by Israel.

According to the family, the father did not recognise his son, whose physical features had changed drastically due to the cancer.

It was a shock for him to see his son like that. He kept asking Majd who his grandfather, uncle, and other family members were to make sure that it was him, said Bassem.

When the visit was over, Majd started shouting in joy, I saw my dad! I saw my dad.'

Article 186

Rajab was imprisoned in 1998, when Majd was only four months old, on charges of killing an Israeli settler.

He was subsequently released in 2011 under a prisoner exchange deal for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been captured by Hamas, the Gaza-based Islamic Resistance Movement.

Less than three years later, Israeli forces embarked on a campaign of mass arrests in the Palestinian territories after three Israeli settlers disappeared in the occupied West Bank.

Hundreds of Palestinians were rounded up, and many of those who were released in the 2011 deal were rearrested and their sentences reinstated, including Rajab.

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Despite determining who was responsible for the three settlers kidnapping and killing shortly after the incident, Israeli authorities nonetheless kept those who were rearrested in prison.

Rajabs life sentence was reinstated in 2014 on secret evidence, including claims that he violated the conditions placed on him when he was released, according to the family.

Article 186 of Israeli military order 1651 allows Israel to rearrest Palestinian prisoners who had been released in an exchange to serve the remainder of their original sentences based on secret evidence not accessible to the prisoners or their lawyers.

In a 2015 report, the Jerusalem-based Addameer prisoners rights group said that it found 62 cases since the 2011 exchange deal in which former prisoners were rearrested under Article 186.

The use of the article in times of political tension can be classified as collective punishment, a violation of international law, the group noted.

Article 186 is markedly incompatible with international standards and fair trial guarantees  The use of secret evidence to constantly arrest and detain individuals in occupied Palestine is also critically neglectful in the scope of international human rights law, Addameer said in the report.
The US is pledging $60 million to support a new force to patrol the southwestern Sahara desert. The G5 Sahel nations  Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad  are combining forces to fight armed groups in the area.

The US is pledging $60 million to support a new force to patrol the southwestern Sahara desert.

The G5 Sahel nations  Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad  are combining forces to fight armed groups in the area. The deaths of US soldiers in an attack in Niger last month may have drawn greater US interest.

Theyre being backed by France in a bid to secure more support from the United Nations.

Al Jazeeras James Bays reports from the UN.
Raila Odinga argues result will undermine publics faith in democracy, a day after Uhuru Kenyatta is declared winner.

Kenyas opposition leader has said his coalition will not accept the result of last weeks controversial presidential election rerun, vowing to embark on a political campaign to restore democracy in the country.

Raila Odinga made the comments on Tuesday, one day after President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the winner of the October 26 poll.

Kenyatta took 98.2 percent of the votes, according to official results, but turnout stood at less than 40 percent following a boycott call by Odinga.

This election must not stand, Odinga told reporters, saying that the result was not credible and alleging that the electoral body was not in charge of the poll.

If allowed to stand, it will make a complete mockery of elections and might well be the end of the ballot as a means of instituting government in Kenya, added Odinga, leader of the National Super Alliance (NASA) opposition coalition.

It will completely destroy public confidence in the vote. Reasonable people will not turn out to vote in elections with pre-determined outcomes.





The poll rerun was called after the countrys Supreme Court annulled an August 8 presidential election  following a challenge by Odinga  because of illegalities and irregularities in the voting process.

Odinga withdrew from the repeat poll claiming reforms demanded by the opposition had not been made to the electoral commission.

Ahead of the vote, he had urged his supporters to not participate in what he called a sham election and vowed to transform NASA into a resistance movement against the government.

In his remarks on Tuesday, Odinga he referred to a programme of vigorous positive political action that will include economic boycotts, peaceful processions. picketing and other legitimate protests.

He added: If there is no justice for the people, let there be no peace for the government.

A tirade of conjuncture statistics

Kenyas Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) announced on Monday that 38.84 percent of the registered voters had turned up to cast their ballot in the poll rerun  that is 7.6 million of the 19.6 million registered voters.





In contrast, nearly 79 percent of the registered voters had taken part in Augusts annulled election.

But in a victory speech on Monday, Kenyatta denied that many people had not turned up to vote.

Many Kenyans exercised their democratic rights, he said after the announcement of the official results by IEBC.

The narrative locally and internationally, therefore, the voter turnout was low is inaccurate. It is nothing but a history of political convenience and a tirade of conjuncture statistics, he added.

Call for talks

The African Union on Tuesday said the poll was credible and urged dialogue between Kenyatta and Odinga.

Overall, the stipulated procedures for opening, voting, closing and counting were largely complied with, the AU said in a statement.

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The AU observer mission noted improvements in the technical conduct of the elections.

In the run-up to the election, Kenya was gripped by almost daily protests and running battles between opposition supporters and security forces.

At least 50 people have been killed in political violence witnessed since Augusts annulled polls.
More than 600 refugees will be moved out of the detention camp after PNG Supreme Court ordered the centre to be shut.

A Manus Island detention centre where more than 600 refugees have spent several years after trying to reach Australia will be closed on Tuesday by Papua New Guinea (PNG) authorities.

The 600 men that are held in the centre will be forcibly moved to new facilities in Lorengau, a city about five kilometres from the detention centre, officials said.

Australia has used Manus as an offshore detention centre since 2013, when the country struck a deal with PNG and Nauru to hold refugees fleeing to Australia in camps on the islands.

However, in 2015, the PNG Supreme Court ordered that the Manus detention centre should be closed because it is unconstitutional.

Parts of the camp have already shut. On Sunday, the mess hall was closed and food packages were handed out to the refugees.

A message posted inside the detention centre earlier on Tuesday stated that access to water and electricity would be cut off, and that the refugees were advised to move to alternative accommodation now.

From tomorrow, arrangements will be under way for the return to this site to the PNGDF [PNG Defense Force]. Anyone choosing to remain here will be liable for removal from an active PNG military base, the statement said, referencing the fact the detention centre is originally a naval base.

Nick McKim, MP for the Green Party in Australia, said the closure of the camp does not solve anything.

In the absence of resettlement in a safe country, the closure of the centre is not a solution at all. The best and easiest solution to this humanitarian disaster is to resettle the men in Australia, a spokesman for McKim told Al Jazeera.

These men sought refuge in Australia and they remain Australias responsibility, legally and morally.

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Elaine Pearson, Australia Director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), told Al Jazeera that the camp should be closed in line with the PNG Supreme Court ruling.

But the people held there should be brought to safety in Australia or other third countries, not abandoned to stay in less-secure facilities run by the PNG government on Manus Island, she added.

Uncertain future ahead

More than 600 refugees have lived in the detention centre since 2013.

Their treatment by Australia and PNG has been the centre of criticism by both people living in the camp and human rights organisations.

But despite the impending closure of the camp, the refugees do not want to move to Lorengau because they are afraid of what might happen to them there.

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Refugees dont want to move because they dont feel safe. They are terrified given an escalation in brutal attacks against refugees and asylum seekers in Lorengau town. Some have even occurred in daytime, Pearson said.

Police have failed to investigate these attacks.

McKims spokesman echoed this sentiment.

Many of them fear leaving the centre, having seen their friends being attacked by the local community. They are also deeply fearful of being forcibly removed and placed into danger somewhere else.

The refugees confirmed these fears in a series of interviews with Al Jazeera.

Right now, the only thing we can do is to resist the move, as we know death is waiting for us outside this centre, Amir, an Iranian refugee, told Al Jazeera.

Despite the lack of water, food and electricity in the camp, Amir said that staying at the facility was their only option. We know that without food and water, we are dead too, but at least we dont walk to our death with our own feet, he said.

The refugees are also uncertain what would happen to them if they indeed move to Lorengau. Those whose asylum applications are approved, are expected to blend into the local community.

Those who are denied asylum will be either sent back to their home country if it is deemed safe for them to go back, or they will be held in detention indefinitely until a third country offers to take them in.

In addition to feared hostilities by Manus locals, and the uncertainty about what will happen to them once they move to Lorengau, the current state of the centres there also worries the refugees.

The new camps are not all finished, which means there simply are not enough beds ready for the men. This is untenable and unfair, the spokesman for McKim said.

One of the solutions that Australia has offered is to move the refugees to third countries. Australia has a refugee deal with the United States, but the US has only taken in about 50 refugees as of yet, and has not stated how many it is willing to take in total.

Another option is New Zealand, which has offered to take in 150 refugees.

However, there are about 1,600 refugees in all of Australias offshore detention centres. Besides Manus, there is the Nauru camp as well.

Like Manus Island, Nauru is not a suitable place for refugees. The Greens urge the government to close the Nauru detention centre and bring the men, women and children to Australia, HWRs Pearson said, adding that Australia is still responsible for those who do not get to move to thirds countries.





The US deal is not an excuse for Australia to do nothing, which is what has happened. Australia still has a responsibility to these refugees to provide them a safe country to settle  and PNG is clearly not safe.
Multi-religious gatherings have been held in Myanmar calling for peace and harmony as the Rohingya crackdown continues.

Yangon, Myanmar  As the sun set and shops and offices closed for the day, Maha Bandoola park started to fill with people.

Some were here on Tuesday to enjoy the green grounds, a small refuge from the noise and chaos of downtown Yangon.

But many more arrived for an inter-faith prayer event organised by the ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), held outside the City Hall building across the road.

The event was called Peace in Myanmar  Ceremony for Inter-Faith Prayers.

Critics say its not difficult to view the inter-faith prayer events as nothing more than public relations exercises.

It was the last in a series of events in the country amid a crisis in the western Rakhine state from where more than 600,000 Rohingya have been forced to flee into neighbouring Bangladesh.

The crisis erupted after a group of armed Rohingya fighters attacked border posts and an army base on August 25, killing 12 security officers and provoking a fierce crackdown by Myanmars military.

Since then, hundreds of Rohingya civilians have been killed by security forces, women and girls raped, and villages torched.

The United Nations human rights chief has described the situation as textbook ethnic cleansing.

Myanmars government has blamed misinformation for distorting the crisis.

Call to prayer

In the words of Nyan Win, the NLDs spokesperson, Tuesdays event was held so people can pray for peace in the country, and to show that Myanmar is a multi-religious and diverse society.

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Monks, imams, and priests sat together. Politicians, civil servants, and community leaders came too.

Religious leaders from different faiths took to the stage, in turn, to lead the group in prayer and some delivered speeches, preaching harmony and doing right by others.

Khin Marlar Htwe, a Yangon resident, told Al Jazeera what motivated her to attend.

Its what good citizens should do. This event can help us achieve unity. Its important to have open communication with people of other religions so we can have a good relationship with them, Khin Marlar Htwe said.

Sann Aung, a lawyer, said he welcomed inter-faith gatherings as opposed to events organised by hardline nationalists in Myanmar, which he said only attacked people.

Pro-military rallies have been held across the country recently; they have criticised Myanmars de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and painted the majority-Muslim Rohingya in Rakhine as a group of extremists intent on creating an Islamic state.

For an event held partially in response to the violence in Rakhine state, there was no mention of the Rohingya at Tuesdays gathering.





The minority rendered stateless, persecuted and unwanted in Myanmar, dont have many champions here.

Local reporters who write about the military crackdown in northern Rakhine say theyve been on the receiving end of hate speech and threats from nationalists.

Rohingya refugees whove fled to Bangladesh have testified that a consistent, methodical pattern of killings, torture, rape and arson is taking place, said United Nations human rights investigators.

The Myanmar government and military have denied the accusations. The counter-offensive targets terrorists identified as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, they say.

But the bare denials and the governments assertion that the crackdown is a legitimate response to terrorism hasnt stopped the influx of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh.
Singapore has banned Mufti Ismail Menk, a renowned Islamic preacher, from entering the city-state, with the government contending that his views promote religious discord.

Menk, a Zimbabwean preacher with more than two million followers on Twitter, and Haslin bin Baharim, a Malaysian scholar, were barred from entering Singapore to give lectures on a religious-themed cruise scheduled for late November.

Singapores Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement that its decision to reject Menks application for a short-term work pass stemmed from his segregationist and divisive teachings, while Baharim promoted disharmony between Muslims and non-Muslims.

The ministry claimed that Menk said Muslims were not allowed to greet people of other faiths on their religious festivals.

It also accused Baharim of holding views that promote friction between Muslims and non-Muslims, whom he allegedly described as deviant.

[Their views] are unacceptable in the context of Singapores multi-racial and multi-religious society, the ministry said. They will not be allowed to get around the ban by preaching instead on cruise ships which operate to and from Singapore.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Menk said he had faced no issues coming into Singapore as a tourist  but will not be joining the cruise now for reasons not within my control.

To imply that I was using the cruise to get around the ban by preaching instead on cruise ships which operate to and from Singapore is erroneous, he said. I have never been on a cruise before, let alone give lectures on board. This was purely for a humanitarian mission to Banda Aceh.

According to Islamic Cruise, which organised the voyage, Menk was scheduled to give a series of talks on the five-day cruise, including one titled Navigating Towards Paradise, with proceeds from the event to be distributed to underprivileged people in Banda Aceh.

Over the past few years, Singapore has faced increasing criticism for tightening restrictions on political liberties such as free speech.

A 17-year-old blogger was sentenced to six weeks in jail last year after he wounded the religious feelings of Muslims and Christians.
A final session of the seventh round of talks aimed at ending Syrias six-year war has taken place in Kazakhstans capital, Astana.

A final session of the seventh round of talks aimed at ending Syrias six-year war has taken place in Kazakhstans capital, Astana.

The meeting is expected to call for a ceasefire between government forces and rebel groups for at least six months.

But Syrias opposition groups have expressed serious doubts over the possibility of real change, saying the Damascus government, backed by Russia and Iran, have breached previous agreements reached at Astana.

Al Jazeeras Imran Khan Reports from the Kazakh capital.
Representatives of some of Syrias armed opposition say they are hopeful of achieving a lasting ceasefire in Astana.

Representatives of some of Syrias armed opposition groups attending talks in Kazakhstan say they are hopeful of achieving a lasting ceasefire agreement in eight of the countrys 14 war-ravaged provinces.

Ayman al-Asemi, a member of the Free Syrian Armys military council attending the talks in Astana, said while the meetings would not produce a final settlement to the war, they could see a final agreement to the set-up of four so-called de-escalation zones.

The Astana talks are aimed at finalising a plan for the four zones, which will include certain areas of Idlib, Latakia, Aleppo, Hama, Homs, Eastern Ghouta, Deraa and al-Quneitra.





The closed-door meetings are also seeing discussions on the release of detainees held by the government of President Bashar al-Assad, as well as about the delivery of food and aid to besieged areas.

This war is far from over, al-Asemi told Al Jazeera.

He said while the situation on the ground did not bode well for Syrians, regional and international powers were to blame having exposed themselves as spectators to the violence being perpetrated.

We will not compromise our freedom and our ultimate goal of removing Assad and his regime from power, al-Asemi said.

He added that the opposition had submitted several secret files to the UN delegation in Astana, with solid evidence of crimes committed by the regime.

According to al-Asemi, the crimes include the use of chemical weapons, the torture of detainees inside Homs central prison, forced expulsion of residents based on their ethnic and religious affiliations and war crimes committed by Iranian revolution guards against civilians.

Astana eclipses Geneva

The seventh round of negotiations on the war in Syria was brokered by Russia and Iran, who support Syrian President Bashar al-Assads regime, and Turkey, which backs the opposition.

Joshua Landis, a professor at Oklahoma University and editor of the Syria Comment blog, told Al Jazeera that although there have been several international initiatives aimed at bringing the war to an end, Astana has turned into the real venue for Syria negotiations.

He added the talks in Afghanistan had eclipsed Geneva in importance, referring to the separate UN-sponsored negotiations held in the Swiss city.

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Landis said Astana has practically replaced years of fruitless grandstanding in Geneva achieving tangible results on the ground in the form of de-escalation zones, which brought about some reprieve to the affected population.

Talks in Geneva had failed to put an end to more than six years of war that left much of Syria in ruins, killed nearly half a million people, and displaced half of the population.

Landis said that backers of the Syrian opposition  mostly Gulf Arab states, the US and Turkey  had come to terms with the end of the revolution.

On Monday, former Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Al Thani said that Qatar, along with Saudi Arabia and the US, had jointly coordinated the arming and funding Syrian opposition groups.

Landis said Saudi Arabia and the UAE were now preoccupied with the conflicts in Yemen and Libya and their diplomatic dispute with Qatar.

Colonel Fateh Hassoun, who heads the opposition military delegation to the Astana talks, said that he still had faith in the Syrian revolution.

The aim of the Syrian opposition is still to reach a political solution to the war and lead to a transition period without the regime of Assad.

Follow Ali Younes on Twitter @ali_reports
Mnuchins visit, aimed at curbing financing of terrorism, comes amid political deadlock in the Gulf region.

The United States and Qatar have agreed to enhance cooperation on counterterrorism, according to a joint statement issued after a visit by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to the Qatari capital Doha.

The visit comes amid political deadlock in the Gulf region that has threatened the areas stability.

Mnuchin said on Monday that the two countries would further their high level of joint cooperation to counterterror financing in key areas of our mutual concern after he met the emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and other high-level Qatari officials.

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Mnuchins visit to Qatar came during a week-long tour of the region that included the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The tour was reportedly aimed at finding ways to curb terrorism financing.

On June 5, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and imposed a land, sea and air blockade, accusing the latter of supporting terrorism.

The four countries have not provided any evidence for their claim, while Qatar has repeatedly rejected the allegation.

We affirm that the United States and Qatar will significantly increase our cooperation on these issues to ensure that Qatar is a hostile environment for terrorist financing, Mnuchin said.

Commenting on the visit, Qatari Finance Minister Ali Shareef Al Emadi said the talks were highly productive and confirmed the shared determination to eradicate terrorism wherever it takes root.

Despite conflicting statements among US officials towards the crisis, the countrys secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, recently visited Qatar in a push to end the crisis.

Its very important for the GCC to continue to pursue unity, he told reporters, referring to the Gulf Cooperation Council, an economic and political alliance that includes Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman.

The fate of the GCC has been thrown into question as a result of the rift between the Gulf countries.





On Monday, Bahrain said it would not attend the next GCC summit if Qatar attends, and called on the Gulf countries to freeze Qatars membership until it comes to its senses.

Kuwait, which has been attempting to mediate between the Gulf countries, warned last week against the potential of a dangerous military and political intervention that may ensue as a result of the political deadlock.

US President Donald Trump previously said he supported the mediation efforts of Kuwait, but if that did not manage to resolve the Gulf crisis, he would be willing to be a mediator.

On Saturday, the Qatari emir confirmed that Trump offered to hold a meeting at his retreat in Camp David to put an end to the diplomatic crisis.
Michael Keating

Michael Keating is Professor of Politics at the universities of Aberdeen and Edinburgh and Director of the Centre on Constitutional Change (CCC), a co... more nsortium of universities across the UK and Ireland examining constitutional issues. He graduated from the University of Oxford and in 1975 was the first PhD graduate from what is now Glasgow Caledonian University. Michael is a fellow of the British Academy, Royal Society of Edinburgh, Academy of Social Sciences and European Academy and has taught in universities in Scotland, England, Canada, the USA, France and Spain and at the European University Institute in Italy. Among his publications are Plurinational Democracy (Oxford University Press, 2001); The Independence of Scotland (Oxford University Press, 2009) and Rescaling the European State (Oxford University Press, 2013). He has recently edited two books based on the research of the CCC: Debating Scotland. Issues of Independence and Union in the 2014 Referendum (Oxford University Press, 2017) and A Wealthier Fairer Scotland. The Political Economy of Constitutional Change (Edinburgh University Press, 2017). The Centre on Constitutional Change has recently won a large grant from the Economic and Social Research Council for a project on Between Two Unions. The constitutional challenge in the UK and Ireland after Brexit. Michael Keating is a co-founder of the Islands and Unions Network, a group of academics and practitioners examining the emerging constitutional relationships across the UK, Ireland and crown dependencies..
Filmmaker: Mohammed Salameh

The Balfour Declaration was a public promise by the British government during World War One, announcing support for the establishment of a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine. Palestine was still a part of the Ottoman Empire at the time, with a minority Jewish population.

The 67-word document, in the form of a letter from British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour to the prominent British Jewish figure, Lord Rothschild, dated November 2, 1917, read:

His Majestys government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.

Whatever its real intentions, the declaration has had a profound impact on the Middle East and its people; and its effects still resonate across the region today.

Without Britain, the state of Israel wouldn't have been established. No question. Without the Zionists, it wouldn't have been established. by Motti Golani, historian, Haifa University

The British War Cabinet began to consider the future of Palestine during World War One in which it fought the central powers of Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire.

According to historian and author Jonathan Schneer, the British somehow felt that the Jews held the key to winning the war and so they had to figure out how to bribe the Jews to support them.

James Renton of Edge Hill University elaborates on British motives: We can boil it down to two elements of British self-interest at that time. Not an emotional interest in Zionism or a love of Jews and the Jewish plight and the desire for return of the Jews to the holy land, no they wanted to mobilise the allies behind Britain and this idea of Jewish power in the world. They were all of the different policy elites in the war  believers in the notion that Jews who have tremendous influence in the corridors of power around the globe. If the British government appeared to support Zionism, they would win over World Jewry to their side, and all that entailed. The British were convinced that Zionism was really at the centre of the Jewish heart.

Whatever its basis, the relationship between the British Zionists and the government was established in late 1916 and continued to develop throughout 1917, leading to the Declaration in November. It was the first expression of public support for Zionism by a major political power.

As a term, a national home didnt exist, says Palestinian historian Basheer Nafi. At that time, international law was well developed. They could have used self-governance or independent state. There was no such a term in international law as a national homeland. What did a national home for the Jews in Palestine mean?

The term national home was intentionally vague as to whether a Jewish state was contemplated. The intended boundaries of Palestine were not specified, and the British government later confirmed that the words in Palestine meant that the Jewish national home was not intended to cover all of Palestine.

The second half of the declaration was added to satisfy opponents of the policy, who had claimed that it would otherwise prejudice the position of the local population of Palestine and encourage antisemitism against Jews worldwide.

While the declaration called for political rights in Palestine for Jews, rights for the Palestinian Arabs, who comprised the vast majority of the local population, were limited to civil and religious rights.

The Jews were described as a people with the right to self-determination while the Arabs were considered non-Jewish communities, explains French historian Philippe Prevost. They didnt even mention the name of the Arabs. They were called non-Jewish. They only could enjoy civil and religious rights. They had no political rights.

READ MORE: The Balfour Declaration Explained

But the Balfour Declaration set in motion a series of events that, over two decades, began to signal its deep flaws.

The British proposed partitioning Palestine into separate Arab and Jewish states, but Arab dissent built up to the three-year Revolt between 1936 and 1939. It was a nationalist uprising against the British administration, demanding Arab independence and the end of Jewish immigration.

In May 1939, the British government had begun to reconsider its position and published a policy document, known in the UK as a White Paper. It proposed abandoning the partition of Palestine into two states  and called instead for an independent Palestine in which Arabs and Jews would share government.

It limited Jewish immigration to 75,000 for five years and said that the Arab majority should determine future immigration levels. It also said that Balfour had not meant to create a Jewish state at the expense of the Arabs  any more than the McMahon-Hussein correspondence 24 years before had promised an Arab state to Sharif Hussein of Mecca.

But the White Paper faced opposition on several fronts and was dropped by a British government suddenly preoccupied with the Second World War.

A hundred years on, the declarations effects still resonate across the Middle East. It still represents to Palestinians the moment an imperial power promised their land away to another people. They hold Balfour responsible for their expulsion, displacement and occupation.
Three of Trumps former advisers were charged with crimes, including lying about contacts with alleged Russia middlemen.

Critics of Donald Trump have been calling for his impeachment since he became the US president 10 months ago. Now, some say, a step has been taken in that direction.

Three of his former advisers were charged with federal crimes on Monday, including tax evasion, conspiracy against the US, and lying to the FBI about contacts with alleged middlemen for Russia.

Trumps opponents say the indictments show Trumps campaign worked with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election.

The White House denies this and Trump is describing the investigation as a witch-hunt.

But how far will it go? And could it sink the US presidents administration?

Presenter: Jane Dutton

Guests:

Melanie Sloan, lawyer who served as founding executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington

Ross Darrell Feingold, lawyer and Republican political consultant

Thomas Pickering, former US ambassador to Russia
The members of the Security Council were briefed on 11 October by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of Congo and head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO). The members of the Security Council reiterated their concern at the current political, security and humanitarian situation, in []http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appa-sourceTheAfric...
Defeating terrorism depends on making sure terrorist organizations cannot have safe havens on any continent. To that end, pending consultation with Congress, the United States is today pledging up to $60 million dollars to support the G5 Sahel Joint Forces counterterrorism efforts. This money will bolster our regional partners in their fight to ensure security []http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appa-sourceTheAfric...
If Paul Manafort is guilty of failing to register as an agent of a foreign government, something that occurred when Manafort was not running the Trump campaign, then so is Tony Podesta, the brother of Hillary Clinton campaign manager, who is also up to his eyeballs in collusion between the Democrats and Hillary Clinton and Russia and Ukraine:

One of Washington's most powerful lobbying firms did not disclose the wide extent of its lucrative political work for a Ukrainian group tied to both onetime Trump adviser Paul Manafort and to pro-Russian politicians, new records show. The firm, the Podesta Group, said nothing in a 2012 lobbying report to Congress about at least 32 meetings, emails and other communications it had with the State Department, at a time when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was scrutinizing Ukraine's upcoming election, records show. The new disclosures shed light on the web of contacts between Russian-leaning Ukrainians, Washington lobbyists and U.S. policymakers during the Obama administration. The Podesta Group filed new, detailed lobbying disclosures in April to augment lobbying reports from 2012 to 2014 that had given little detail. The firm is run by Tony Podesta, whose brother, John, is a longtime adviser to Clinton and was chairman of her 2016 presidential campaign. John Podesta was a senior counselor to President Barack Obama in 2014 and had previously been lobbying partners with his brother. He is not currently affiliated with his brother's firm. The Podesta Group was representing a Ukrainian nonprofit, the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine, as it sought to counter the Obama administration's critical stance toward Ukraine's pro-Russia government and Congress' growing annoyance with Ukraine's leaders.

It is easy to forget in the hyperventilation by the legacy media that it was Paul Manaforts efforts on behalf of the Podsta Group, not Trump, that caused Special Counsel Robert Mueller to expand his investigation to include the Podestas and their group and that Manaforts alleged crimes do not involve work for the Trump campaign:

A thus-far-reliable source who used to be involved with Clinton allies John and Tony Podesta told Tucker Carlson that press reports appearing to implicate President Trump in Russian collusion are exaggerated. The source, who Carlson said he would not yet name, said he worked for the brothers' Podesta Group and was privy to some information from Robert Mueller's special investigation. While media reports describe former "Black, Manafort & Stone" principal Paul Manafort as Trump's main tie to the investigation, the source said it is Manafort's role as a liaison between Russia and the Podesta Group that is drawing the scrutiny... The source said the Podesta Group was in regular contact with Manafort while Hillary Clinton was America's chief diplomat During this time, the Uranium One deal was being facilitated by the White House. According to Carlson, "Manafort was clear that Russia wanted to cultivate ties to Hillary" because she appeared to be the presumptive 45th president.

Well, isnt that special? We must not overlook Hillary Clintons and the DNCs collusion with Ukraine that led to the interest in Manafort and John Podestas shady dealings regarding Russia and the Ukraine.

The announcement that Special Counsel Robert Mueller was investigating Tony Podesta, the brother of former Hillary Clinton campaign manager John Podesta, and the Podesta Group and its connections with Ukraine shows that even Robert Mueller and his team of Democratic donors and operatives sometimes going where the evidence really leads:

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. The sources said the investigation into Podesta and his company began as more of a fact-finding mission about the ECMU and Manafort's role in the campaign, but has now morphed into a criminal inquiry into whether the firm violated the Foreign Agents Registration Act, known as FARA.

There is more to this story than the legacy media has been willing to report to this point, including John Podestas dealings with Russia and Hillary and the Democratic Partys collusion with Ukraine to slime Team Trump. John Podesta is the doofus whose password was found to be password in the Russian hacking investigation and may have violated federal disclosure laws for not disclosing he was paid to sit on the board of various Russian entities:

Hillary Clintons campaign chairman, John Podesta, may have violated federal law when he failed to fully disclose details surrounding his membership on the executive board of Joule Unlimited and the 75,000 common shares he received. The energy company accepted millions from a Vladimir Putin-connected Russian government fund. Podesta joined the executive board of Joule Unlimited Technologies -- a firm partly financed by Putins Russia -- in June 2011 and received 100,000 shares of stock options, according to an email uncovered by WikiLeaks. Podestas membership on the board of directors of Joule Unlimited was first revealed in research from Breitbart News Senior Editor-at-Large and Government Accountability Institute (GAI) President Peter Schweizer. Podesta never disclosed his position on Joule Unlimiteds board of directors and failed to include the stock payout in his federal financial disclosures, as required by law, before he became President Obamas senior adviser in January 2014 -- a possible violation for federal law, according to the Daily Caller News Foundations Investigative Group (The DCNF).

John Podestas dealings with Russia warrant serious and immediate Congressional inquiry as well as the Podesta Groups dealings with Ukraine. It is Podesta, not Paul Manafort, that colluded with foreign governments to enrich themselves while colluding to derail Team Trump:

During a heated Fox Business interview with Maria Bartiromo, Hillary Clintons former campaign chief John Podesta made a series of misleading statements when questioned about his involvement in a company that received $35 million from the Russian government while Clinton served as secretary of state. On Jan. 18, 2011, a small green-energy company named Joule Unlimited announced Podestas appointment to its board. Months later, Rusnano, a Kremlin-backed investment fund founded by Vladimir Putin, pumped $35 million into Joule. Serving alongside Podesta on Joules board were senior Russian official Anatoly Chubais and oligarch Ruben Vardanyan, who has been appointed by Putin to a Russian economic modernization council WikiLeaks documents reveal that when he joined the Obama White House, Podesta transferred his Joule shares to an LLC controlled by his adult children. He also resumed communicating with Joule and Joule investors after leaving the White House and joining Clintons campaign Theres also this inconvenient fact: In 2016, Russias largest bank, Sberbank, where Joule board member Reuben Vardanyan formerly served as head of its investment banking division, had a $170,000 lobbying contract with the Podesta Group -- which is owned by John Podestas brother, Tony Podesta.

Oh, what tangled webs Team Clinton have woven: If you want real collusion with a real trail of evidence of people trying to do real things interfering with the 2016 campaign, try Hillary Clintons real collusion with the Ukraine to derail and besmirch Team Trump. As Politico reported in a story that went nowhere at the time:

Ukrainian government officials tried to help Hillary Clinton and undermine Trump by publicly questioning his fitness for office. They also disseminated documents implicating a top Trump aide in corruption and suggested they were investigating the matter, only to back away after the election. And they helped Clintons allies research damaging information on Trump and his advisers, a Politico investigation found. A Ukrainian-American operative who was consulting for the Democratic National Committee met with top officials in the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington in an effort to expose ties between Trump, top campaign aide Paul Manafort and Russia, according to people with direct knowledge of the situation. The Ukrainian efforts had an impact in the race, helping to force Manaforts resignation and advancing the narrative that Trumps campaign was deeply connected to Ukraines foe to the east, Russia. But they were far less concerted or centrally directed than Russias alleged hacking and dissemination of Democratic emails.

Here you have a meeting between a DNC operative in a foreign embassy receiving materials used to defame and derail the Trump campaign. This meeting had real consequences other than in the case of the Trump meeting of boring its participants to death.

An indictment of Manafort while the Podestas and Team Clinton roam free after their real and treasonous collusion with Ukraine and Russia in the Uranium One scandal would be a scandal unto itself. It would be like giving a parking ticket to the bank guard while letting the bank robbers escape with the loot.

Daniel John Sobieski is a freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in Investors Business Daily, Human Events, Reason Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications.
The British Secretary of State for the Environment, Michael Gove, has just been summoned before (or hauled off to) the Politically-Correct Inquisition for his sinful faux pas (i.e., joke) on BBC Radio 4. Indeed the very wording of some of newspaper reports show this to be the case. One newspaper, for example, wrote:

Michael Gove has been forced to apologise after making a crass Harvey Weinstein joke.

Note the word forced. Yes, Michael Gove MP has been forced to repent for his sin.

So what was Michael Gove's joke? This:

Sometimes I think that coming into the studio with you John [Humphrys] is like going into Harvey Weinsteins bedroom.

What hasn't been much commented upon is that the British Labour Party's very own Lord Kinnock also got in on the act by adding: John [Humphrys] goes way past groping. Not only that: the audience laughed at -- and applauded -- the joke! It's also strange that Lord Kinnock hasn't also been summoned to the Politically-Correct Inquisition.

For those who have no sense of humour, or who don't know anything about John Humphrys and Radio 4: Michael Gove's joke was a reference to John Humphrys (a BBC journalist) and his confrontational (or in-depth) style of interviewing.

Gove's joke is moderately funny. It's not a stroke of comedic genius, sure. Then again, he's not a comedian and he wasn't at a comedy club. In fact, if he had been a comedian he'd have got away with this joke. That's because moral grandstanders and political activists wouldn't have been able to make any political capital out the joke had it been made by a comedian.

Thus it's very hard to believe that anyone was truly furious or offended. It's hard to believe that the comment -- joke -- was crass. And it's hard to believe that the joke was clumsy.

So what I believe is that people who are politically against Michael Gove anyway used the joke as an excuse to have a go at him.

In any case, Gove has predictably apologised. Indeed, he got on his knees and apologised unreservedly. More concretely, he tweeted:

Apologies for my clumsy attempt at humour on R4 Today this morning -- it wasnt appropriate. Im sorry and apologise unreservedly.

We should have very little respect for those people who later apologize for what they, at the time, didn't see as a sin or a political faux pas. Gove and others should have the courage of their convictions. Having said that, I can see that such ritual self-flagellation is required in order to save one's career. So perhaps we'd all do the same thing if we were put in the same position. The problem is that if people keep on apologizing for pretty harmless jokes, words, or actions, then our Puritan Left-wing Age will become even more puritan and pious. So should we feed the crocodile which will eventually eat us?

Of course, the joke wasn't clumsy at all. It was a joke which was said off-the-cuff. However, there is one way in which the joke can be seen a clumsy. Namely, it was clumsy because Gove should have known that political activists and moral grandstanders would have jumped on this joke to further a political cause, have a go at a politician they don't like, or to morally exhibit themselves. Thus the fact that Gove didn't foresee all of this did make his comment clumsy in that he clumsily threatened his own career (if only in a very small way) when he made this otherwise harmless joke.

In any case, the confession won't be enough for those who've only cried crocodile tears.

One politician who used Gove's joke for her own ends was the Labour MP Jess Phillips. (Phillips once said that the equivalent to the mass sexual assaults by Muslims in Cologne occurred every week - by white men -- in a single Birmingham city-center street.) She's well-known for being purer than pure when it comes to these issues. That is, she virulently anti-Tory and also a massively self-conscious feminist and self-selling politician. She wrote:

Michael Gove just left the studio without his dignity.

In other words, Gove's joke has been used for political ends and/or for moral grandstanding.

The main problem here is that we live in a Puritan Age. Our Politically-Correct Puritan Age is the way it is primarily because of left-wing morality and theology (i.e. theory). True, political correctness can sometimes run free of its left-wing grounding (or source); though left-wing morality and theology essentially brought about political correctness.

The Puritan Age's ultimate sin is to offend any identity group or designated victim class. However, some groups can be offended without even an eyebrow being raised -- and such groups aren't always majorities. Namely, whites, men, right-wingers, conservatives, Christians, patriots, nationalists, American rednecks, white-van man, Brexiteers, provincials, those north of Watford Gap, etc. The list is long. Thus, politically correct and incorrect groups are selected according to left-wing theology. That theology decides who or what we can offend.
Monday was quite the news day. Mueller indicted Paul Manafort, Richard Gates, a Manafort business partner, and George Papadopoulos. The latter two men are completely unknown to most Americans, very minor characters in this bit of political theater, akin to the fairy servants of A Midsummer NIght's Dream. After nearly a year, this is Mueller's big play? The results of a multi-millions dollar "investigation" (witch hunt)? Sixteen hardcore Democrat lawyers on his staff and this is it? A big nothing that is essentially, as Andrew McCarthy wrote yesterday, "...not much there, a boon to Trump."

This is most likely just an overture. Mueller and his gang of lefty thug lawyers play hardball and will use every trick in their bag to get these men to betray others. But what if there is nothing to betray? What if the only crooks are among the Democrat left?

It seems like Mueller perhaps rushed his big splash onto the stage. As of last Saturday, Manafort had no inkling he was about to be indicted. Papadopoulos had no heads up. His lawyer was not even available to him yesterday morning. This is unusual in federal non-violent crimes indictments. Was Mueller perhaps feeling the heat from all that has been revealed about his part in the Uranium One scandal and pal Comey's knowledge of the Clinton-commissioned "dossier"?

The editorial board of the Wall Street Journal has called for him to resign. There have in fact been numerous calls for him to resign given his and Comey's role in overseeing the Uranium One pay-to-play scheme. Seems like he is feeling some heat. As legal analysts (real ones, not CNN's Jeffrey Toobin) have weighed in all day, these indictments are a big load of nothing, certainly nothing related to any alleged Trump/Russia collusion. Clearly Mueller has found little or nothing on that score.

This flurry of legal activity then is meant to be a big distraction from the enormously serious scandal that is the Clinton participation in selling -- for $145m + to Clinton charities -- 20% of US uranium to Russia. It was also revealed this past week that it was the Hillary campaign and the DNC that paid nearly $10m for that ridiculous bunch of nonsense about Trump meant to ruin his political chances of becoming President and then, after he was elected, to ensure his impeachment. They commissioned and paid a fortune for a manufactured bit of licentious fiction so obviously false on its face that no one wanted to use it except Comey, David Corn of Mother Jones and Buzzfeed, NBC's sleazy attack outlet.

Mueller likely knew all about this as well. Certainly Comey did; he offered to contribute while head of the FBI, with taxpayer dollars, to Fusion GPS's costs of its production, as did Obama, it would seem. There is no way in hell that each of these high-level government operators did not know it was fake and who had generated it. They knew and they reveled in it because they knew the media would run with it and thought the rest of us would fall for it.

The establishment left has always accused conservatives of doing that of which they are in fact deeply and regularly guilty. If Republicans had a fraction of the left's willingness to discard any sense of ethics they may have learned as children, the scale might not seem so unequal, so tilted to the advantage of a radical and corrupt left because the mainstream media are so far left themselves. The tactics and strategies of the Democrats, in DC and the media, are completely antithetical to the values of most Americans, just as the current fad of disrespect shown the American flag and our anthem is offensive to most Americans.

But somehow this fact is a mystery to the DC establishment, left and right, and to the media bigs. They believe, to the bottom of their dark hearts, that their job is to educate the rest of us, to convince us that they know best, that what they believe is right and that what we think we know is just wrong. They actually believe that the rest of us must learn to embrace what they believe -- because they are right and we are stupid. This is why they so love to mock us, in their columns, their speeches, their films, and their late-night television programs. But it's never going to happen. We will never cave to their anti-American, anti-Constitutional, subversion of our culture. They still cannot grasp that this is why Trump won.

The real hero of this poorly-directed theatrical production of Mueller's is CA Congressman Devin Nunes, our Mr. Smith who went to Washington, a man who is the antithesis to Adam Schiff, a dog with a meatless bone. Nunes alone has kept searching for all the dots that need to be connected while Schiff continues to bleat about Trump's collusion with Russia and to ignore the many, many crimes of the Clintons.

Nunes has a few allies in the House and seemingly only Sen. Grassley in the Senate. The rest of the Republicans need to step up to the plate and back Nunes all the way to indictments of all those who participated in the dossier fraud and even more importantly, the Uranium One scandal. We conservatives are keeping track. Those who sit quietly with zipped lips in the face of this level of corruption, the selling out of our national security, need to go. If they cannot stand up to the unscrupulous left, they should leave Congress and let those who know the difference between right and wrong take their places.

More indictments are likely on the horizon. Will they be more sensational or even more toothless? Either way, this entire fiasco of a "probe" has been shown to be what it is, a volcanic eruption of fake news that has blown back into the faces of the left.

Mueller is a spectacular example of everything that is wrong with our government. He, like Comey, the Clintons and their entourage, Schumer, Pelosi, Schiff & company truly believe they are above the law, that our Constitution does not apply to them. But it does and that is why Mueller is running scared. Perhaps it is beginning to dawn on him that the American people are not as dumb as he thought.
Gary Michael Rose received a well-deserved Medal of Honor last week. The videos and reports I have seen and heard indicate that everything was extraordinarily well done. I would, however, like to offer one minor quibble.

The citation which Mike received stated that his actions took place deep within enemy-controlled territory. While this is factually correct, it is also misleading. Fred Zabitosky received a Medal of Honor with the same notation (DA GO 69-27). After some time and, I believe, court intervention, the awards was reissued with a change reading "within enemy-controlled territory in Laos (DA GO 91-23). Why is this important?

In 1962, Averell Harriman negotiated an agreement meant to establish the neutralization of Laos. The United States withdrew its 666 military personnel from Laos in accordance with this agreement. The North Vietnamese ceremonially withdrew 25 personnel, leaving well over 10,000 North Vietnamese troops in Laos. The United States failed to respond strongly to this total negation of the agreement and, for many years, pretended to accept the myth of North Vietnamese withdrawal. When it was required to act out of due diligence against those forces, it established elaborate ruses to do so; Project 404 (sheep-dipped military personnel acting as Assistant Military Attaches) and CIA-led Hmong and other elements in Laos, and cross-border operations by MACV-SOG from Vietnam. The consequences of this facade was well-documented in Norman B. Hannah's The Key to Failure: Laos & the Vietnam War (Madison Books, 1987). GI's in Vietnam usually attributed it to an effort by the State Department to preserve Harriman's historical legacy, dubbing the Ho Chi Minh Trail as The Averell Harriman Memorial Highway. The U.S. denied it had any military forces in Laos, when, in fact, the small numbers of military personnel engaged in Laos were there solely because of a much larger, and also denied, North Vietnamese presence. Thus, in 1969, Fred Zabitosky's Medal Of Honor and other awards to SOG personnel engaged in cross-border operations where written up with the phrase deep within enemy-controlled territory.

In 1970, when the Government of Cambodia permitted U.S. and South Vietnamese forces to enter its country and engage the North Vietnamese forces that were occupying vast tracts of Cambodia, they also closed the port of Sihanoukville to the transshipment of supplies to those North Vietnamese forces. It became evident that the bulk of Communist material was coming through Cambodia. The North Vietnamese recognized this and determined to expand and secure their supply route through Laos  the Ho Chi Minh Trail. One of the actions they took, in September 1970, was to attack Laotian and CIA forces on the Bolevens Plateau in order to expand their control westward. MACSOG personnel conducted Operation Tailwind at the request of the ambassador in Laos, to distract the North Vietnamese and relieve the pressure on units on the Bolevens. Mike Rose received his award for actions in Tailwind, that received attention because of the totally bogus story aired by CNN in 1998.

By denying an American presence in Laos, the historical record has been misconstrued, beyond the operational aspects that affected the outcome of the war. In the recent Ken Burns documentary, episode 2 (1961-1963) states that Kennedy sent the Green Berets to the Central Highlands of Vietnam to organize mountain tribes to fight the Viet Cong to undertake covert [emphasis added] missions to sabotage their supply bases in Laos and Cambodia, as though this was an illegitimate action undertaken by the U.S. Burns accepts the presence of Communist sanctuaries in those countries without questioning the self-imposed restraints by the U.S. Later, in discussing the failed ARVN Operation Lam Son 719 in Episode 9 (May 1970-March 1973), he points out that by the end of 1970, both houses of Congress had barred all U.S. ground personnel, even advisors and special forces, from crossing the border, but he fails to chastise Congress for its one-sided proscription.

In the time frame of the Vietnam War it may have been useful to designate operations as being deep within enemy-held territory, under a flawed diplomatic policy. But in the context of history written post war, that terminology is not only inappropriate, but it perpetuates misperceptions that color the public understanding of that history. It might be useful to find out who and why this terminology was used in Mike Rose's award citation, but it would be even more useful to correct the record. No one was shy about talking about Laos in the award ceremony, only in the award itself.

Stephen Sherman served with 5th Special Forces Group (Abn) in Vietnam. He is presently the editor of a series of books on the Second Indochina War and a principal contributor to a website devoted to correcting the Burns/PBS documentary of the Vietnam War, which can be found at http://wiki.vvfh.org/
Convicted deserter Bowe Bergdahl offered a tearful apology to those service members who were wounded when they fruitlessly searched for him after he left his post.

CNN:

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl teared up at his sentencing on Monday as he apologized to service members who searched for him after he deserted his outpost in Afghanistan in 2009. "My words can't take away what people have been through," Bergdahl, 31, told an audience at his court martial that spilled into an overflow room. "I am admitting I made a horrible mistake." Bergdahl pleaded guilty October 16 to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. His lengthy testimony began after the presiding judge rejected his attorneys' request to dismiss the case over President Trump's criticism of him during his campaign for the White House. He was captured by the Taliban hours after he walked off his post. At the sentencing hearing, soldiers who looked for Bergdahl have described the grueling, dangerous conditions they endured. Last week, one former Navy SEAL sobbed on the stand as he described the firefight in which his K-9 partner was killed. Bergdahl said when he initially left his post, "I was trying to help and knowing it didn't breaks my heart," he said. "It was never my intention for anyone to be hurt." Bergdahl said he made several attempts to escape his captors, each leading to conditions worse than those he tried to escape. During one escape attempt, he fell off a cliff and injured his hip and shoulder so badly it still hurts him, he said. He ate grass until he got sick and spent days looking for water. When they found him, Taliban soldiers ripped out his beard and hair and kicked and spat on him. When he returned to captivity, they put him in a cage with his legs and arms shackled. He spent four years in there.

There is no doubt that Bergdahl suffered when he was held prisoner. This fact is not in dispute. The question facing the board is how much they should take that into account when weighing his sentence.

If you were to put Bergdahl's crimes on one side of the scale and what he suffered on the other side, I daresay that the negligence and cowardice he displayed before the enemy would weigh heavily against him. In fact, to my mind, it's a no-brainer. The board will probably reduce his sentence from life in prison, which is the maximum, but not by much. Twenty or twenty-five years seems about right. Given all we know, that would be a gift.

Not being mentioned in all these stories about the Bergdahl court-martial is the way he was embraced by the Obama administration when the administration effected his release, even going so far to say he served "honorably." The administration thought it had a political win, but as the entire story came out, it's clear that it made a horrible deal just to get back a deserter.

That kind of stupidity and naivete was the hallmark of the Obama administration foreign policy.
Guess who is hanging around with Raul Castro these days! The answer is China, as we see in this report from Pan Am Post:

Chen Xi, China's Ambassador to Havana, signed agreements with Cuban Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment Minister Rodrigo Malmiera to expand economic relations between the two countries. China pledged to make a US $1 million donation to help with Hurricane Irma recovery efforts. Additionally, China will provide more than US $12 million in supplies, including generators, water pumps, purifiers, folding beds and other resources. The agreement granted China a credit line for a project to remodel and modernize the island's electric grid and solar power infrastructure, according to the state-run publication Cuban News Agency. Though China surpassed Venezuela in terms of trade with Cuba last year  with total of US $361 million  the agreement means that China has officially become the island's largest trading partner. Chinese-made buses, trucks and cars already frequent Cuban roads.

So what is China looking for?

Selling trucks and cars to Cuba? Where are the consumers?

Buses? It may be that Cuba could use some new buses, but that's not a big sale, either.

As Mexico, Canada, European countries, Brazil, and so many others have learned, doing business with Cuba is rather difficult, because there is no market to speak of. This is why so much of the foreign investment is about building hotels.

China has to know that doing business with Castro's Cuba is an automatic trip to a loan-rescheduling meeting.

Who hasn't been forced to restructure his loans to Cuba? A few months ago, the Paris Club agreed to waive $8.5 billion of Cuba's outstanding $11.1-billion debt!

It works like this: Cuba buys on credit and then can't pay off the loan.

So China must have a different motive. How about national security or military? How about Chinese warships or submarines visiting Cuba in the future? Military outpost for intelligence or Chinese jets?

Maybe President Trump should talk about Cuba when he meets with China soon.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
The forces of law and order no longer control the streets of Chicago. Heck, they can't even control inmates in the jail. Civil order is collapsing. We learn that once incarcerated, the inmates are controlling the Cook County Jail and engaging in mass behavior so vile that public defenders are refusing to enter and meet their clients.

What follows is so disgusting that readers are cautioned to proceed only if psychologically able to face repulsive information.

Andy Grimm reports in the Chicago Sun-Times:

Masturbating inmates have become a common sight on the walk to and from holding cells where defense attorneys meet clients, and at the jail and in courthouse lockups. Last week, in a letter to Chief Judge Timothy Evans, Public Defender Amy Campanelli said her staff has reached a breaking point. Amy Campanelli (Rich Hein, Sun-Times). Campanelli declined to share a copy of the letter, but confirmed that she warned the judge that her staff won't visit the jail starting Nov. 6 unless he or Sheriff Tom Dart can offer up a solution. A spokesman for Evans said Campanelli will have a chance to speak at a regularly scheduled judges' meeting that day. "There have always been these incidents since I became a public defender," said Campanelli, who has been in the office for more than a decade. "But it's never been like it is today, where it's like the behavior we're seeing now, every day, or every other day. It's just become pervasive. We've tried everything." Campanelli  who lauded Dart's efforts to combat the phenomenon  said nothing has worked. Her office provided a timeline dating back to October 2015, detailing attempts to deal with an increasing number of incidents. In letter obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, Campanelli wrote to Dart in March, describing it as a "crisis" and calling for guards to be assigned to every lockup in the criminal courthouse. "Of late, it has become a daily occurrence," she wrote. "Male detainees constantly expose themselves and masturbate while in the lockup behind the courtrooms."

The sheriff's policy director, Cara Smith, naturally minimizes the situation: "This is something that happens in custodial environments, period[.]"

But Grimm notes:

No other jail seems to have the same problem with public indecency on a similar scale to Cook County, according to the state Public Defenders Association and the Illinois Sheriffs' Association. Smith said there seems to be no reason for the number of incidents, other than a bizarre sense of nihilism among a relative handful of the 7,000-plus detainees at the jail. Attempts to stop it have met mixed results  in part because of resistance from individual public defenders and Campanelli herself, according to Smith.

The public defenders are caught on the horns of a dilemma, because the sheriff has supported legislation that would heighten the penalties for indecent exposure in jails to a felony, a move the P.D.s oppose:

Campanelli said that, on principle, public defenders couldn't support legislation that upgraded a misdemeanor to a felony. Female staffers say they face a similar dilemma when deciding whether to press charges after one of their clients pulls out his penis. The additional charges add potential jail time for their clients, and forces defenders to hand off the case to another attorney.

According a Facebook post cited by the Second City Cop blog, an attempt was made to offer a pizza party in return for halting the offensive behavior, but:

Dart tried to negotiate a pizza deal with the inmates and the next day they did a circle jerk around one of his female Directors. The Illinois Sheriff and Public Defenders say no other prison in the country has this sexual assault/masturbation problem. Way to go Sheriff.



It went as far as negotiating with pizza in a div 9 tier asking [them] to promise not to masturbate after a pizza party, next day they all masturbated in front of a director, they formed a circle around her and did a jerk circle around her. jailguards warned her and asked to escort her, she felt confident that the pizza from the night before was going to stop the jerking off. she trusted the inmates[.]

If public defenders refuse to enter the jail starting next Monday, no doubt there will be "civil liberties" lawyers charging that the inmates' right to counsel is being denied. But if inmate behavior rises to the level of criminality that repels counsel, then who is violating whose rights?

For the moment, the sheriff is spending $40,000 a week in overtime to have extra monitors of inmates.

But this is a problem that money can't solve. Inmates have lost all respect for civil society and all fear of punishment, and that is part of the larger problem of the breakdown in civil order in Chicago, on its way to becoming America's first third-world City.

Hat tip: Peter von Buol
A federal judge has ventured far beyond mere judicial activism in declaring that the president cannot alter the policy of his predecessor regarding men who consider themselves women, and vice versa, serving in the military.

In effect, this judge has deemed President Trump to no longer be commander-in-chief.

President Trump nullified the order that granted transgendered personnel full access to military service while pretending to be members of the opposite sex. Today, a federal judge has ruled that the president has no such authority. Let that sink in. The president has no authority to set policy for military service.

This is a gross usurpation of power that, if permitted, establishes a precedent for any federal judge to stay the hand of the president in the conduct of war. This egregious overreach must be resisted and punished.

The hubris of the federal judiciary has only grown since getting away with ignoring the stated presidential prerogative codified in law granting him the power to determine the status of immigrants and refugees seeking to enter the U.S.

I have written previously about Congress stripping these court's jurisdiction over these decisions, and now there can no longer be any hesitation in doing so. This latest ruling constitutes a quiet but altogether pernicious judicial coup and must be addressed forcefully and without delay.

It is time for Congress to act.

Do as President Clinton once did, and strip jurisdiction from these out-of-control courts before they launch our nation into a full-blown constitutional crisis.
Got a spare $10 million? Then you too can reverse the votes of 62 million Americans, all by using your money.

That's the spectacle we are seeing with these unprecedented Tom Steyer television ads, calling on Americans to sign his petition to impeach President Trump. Who knows how many times the sound has been turned down across the 50 states that can't otherwise get out of hearing this when he comes on? Steyer's also planning to spend millions on digital media, and already his ads are turning up on Skype. Every night we hear these ads, a sound-bite fest of phony claims about Trump hating the Constitution, threatening free speech, obstructing justice, and the like, none of which is true, accompanied with the exhortation to go join Tom and sign his petition. Now he's got more than a million signatures  1,119,720, to be exact  according to what must be his buddies at Axios, given that they got the number.

The campaign lasted ten days. Ten days to disenfranchise 62 million voters through legal maneuvers, despite not having anything like their numbers. Fortune has the story here.

Trump, of course, has responded with disgust and mockery, pointing out that Steyer throws away a lot of money on losing causes.

Wacky & totally unhinged Tom Steyer, who has been fighting me and my Make America Great Again agenda from beginning, never wins elections!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 27, 2017

Maybe it is a losing cause, but who knows, given that he's seeking to take the election away from the people and place it in the hands of left-wing lawyers?

So who is Tom Steyer?

Steyer is a classic billionaire in the mold of George Soros, who represents everything ordinary people despise about the limousine left. He's a lot less rich than Soros, with only a billion dollars and change in his pile. His Wikipedia page points out he has a hedge fund background, like his richer coeval George Soros, and he hangs around the Bay Area, home of the other banking family the Soros empire is associated with, the Sandlers, famous for making a killing in the subprime meltdown of 2008 as thousands lost their homes.

Steyer is famous for his insanely absolutist environmentalism and the cash he shoves into that cause. He famously put the squeeze with his money on President Obama, who shut down the Keystone XL pipeline, all at his whim. Obama paid no attention to the economics of that decision; he just paid attention to his campaign donor. That deprived tens of thousands of Americans of jobs. But it probably put the idea into his head that the views of one billionaire always outweighs the sentiment and interests of the Little People, and that is the pattern he is showing right now with these ads.

Steyer also put a lot of money into green energy schemes, many of which are ultimately subsidized by the government. It's a good deal for him, but given the lack of viability of green energy, it does nothing but finance rich men's playthings like electric cars and wind farm turbines.

He's emblematic of the Bay Area mentality in that he loves choking environmental regulations. Those regulations drive up the prices of homes, keeping affordable housing from ever being built in America's bluest cities, with the ultimate aim of keeping the riffraff (common people) out. He also has a problem with common people having cars and independent transport, given his loathing for affordable conventional energy. He would have any of us not as rich as he is taking the bus (run by angry, zero-customer-service $100,000-a-year union employees) instead of driving.

He'd further impoverish ordinary Americans by allowing unchecked illegal immigration into the country, driving wages down. His contributions to the open borders lobby are substantial, according to Wikipedia. There's no doubt about it: the commissar mentality in this rich liberal is strong.

Now he hates Trump and wants to disenfranchise tens of millions of ordinary people who think otherwise. He's got $10 million to blow on this and probably much more after that. He also isn't ruling out running for president himself. Who knows if he will succeed in either endeavor? The fact that he would try sets a creepy precedent for democracy itself and where it's headed.
In "Hogan signs order prohibiting state business with firms that boycott Israel" (10/24/17), The Washington Post simplifies, and in effect distorts, what the goal of the "boycott, divest, and sanction" (BDS) movement is all about. To the Washington Post, and Israel-haters, BDS is a Palestinian "response to Israel's occupation of the West Bank territory."

Taking a snapshot of history without including relevant context and data points is akin to describing America's bombing of Tokyo without bringing up Pearl Harbor. BDS is a recent iteration of a continuous campaign against Israel and the Jews of the region, beginning even before Israel became a state. A brief history to gain a basic understanding of this campaign starts with the 1929 Hebron Massacre of 67 Jews during Arab riots. It continued with the attack of five neighboring Arab countries against Israel in Israel's War of Independence in 1948, followed by further attacks against Israel for the next twenty years, culminating with a pre-emptive strike by Israel, defeating Egypt, Syria, and Jordan in the lightning-quick Six-Day War of 1967. Israel won the West Bank after being attacked from it by Jordan during that war. Presenting it as The Washington Post did makes it appear that Israel took the West Bank for no apparent reason other than aggression.

Since the Six-Day War and the subsequent 1973 Arab war against Israel (the Yom Kippur war), the local Arabs (now known as Palestinians) have continued their war against Israel via other violent means (suicide bombings, knifings), political means (U.N. and International World Court solicitation of condemnation of Israel), and also economic means (BDS and other boycotts). All of this has occurred with the goal of destroying Israel. The Arab nations and Palestinians were unable to succeed militarily, and now they are pursuing political and economic tactics.

Congratulations to the Jewish community and Governor Hogan for standing up to this long-term battle and voting against BDS. Shame on The Washington Post for its bias and lack of effort to understand the basic underpinnings of this conflict.
Special counsels, with their unlimited budgets and access to grand juries, can be fearsomely arbitrary. But in the case of Robert Mueller and his staff of Democrat donors, there is competition that threatens to show up any bias toward hunting only Republicans. Given the fact that this is primarily a political, not a legal tussle, Mueller should be worried about his reputation.

William McGurn of the Wall Street Journal explains:

Like the special prosecutor, Mr. Nunes and his committee have been investigating the 2016 presidential campaign. Unlike the special prosecutor, Mr. Nunes has unearthed hard evidence about both Russian influence on the election and domestic spying on Trump campaign officials. And if the committee gets the documents it has been demanding for months about the Federal Bureau of Investigation's handling of the salacious Christopher Steele dossier, this week may end even more explosively than it's begun.

Despite the MSM hype, Mueller's first indictments have nothing to do with Russia or the election, which does seem to indicate desperation to find a crime  any crime  among the Trump staffers. This is the definition of a witch hunt. An indictment of Tony Podesta might help alleviate the partisan nature of the witch hunt, but it still strays from the mandate Mueller received.

So what has Mr. Nunes's committee found? Turns out that in the Obama years, especially in 2016, officials made many requests to unmask the identities of Americans, including Trump campaign officials, who were caught up in foreign surveillance. When asked about it by PBS's Judy Woodruff back in March, Obama national security adviser Susan Rice claimed she was "surprised" and told Ms. Woodruff "I know nothing about this." Under oath before Mr. Nunes's committee, Ms. Rice's memory returned, and she admitted of unmasking senior figures in the Trump campaign. Meanwhile the committee learned that Ms. Rice's colleague at the United Nations, Ambassador Samantha Power, had made hundreds of unmasking requests. During Ms. Power's appearance before the committee, she oddly claimed others were doing much of the asking  even though her name was on these requests. Did anyone outside the House committee think to ask why a Democratic White House was so free with such sensitive info in an election year?

The unmasking of Trump aides could amount to use of the NSA's universal telecom surveillance capability to spy on the rival party's campaign, a scandal unprecedented in the history of the Republic. Former Trump campaign official Michael Caputo avers that he has been told by intelligence sources that hundreds of Trump campaign figures were unmasked in this espionage effort. The Steele dossier seems to be at the heart of the FISA Court reversing itself and permitting the unmasking, a request it had earlier denied, prior to the production of the Steele dossier.

So, too, the very special counsel appointment offering employment to Mueller and his Democrat activist employees may have been a result of the phony Steele dossier:
This crude fabric doll of a small child emerging out of a fabric womb was one of the first life-sized obstetrical manikin used by Angelique Marguerite Le Boursier du Coudray, a pioneering French midwife of the 18th century, to teach the practice of childbirth and midwifery to rural women.

Angelique du Coudray was born in 1715 into an eminent French medical family in Clermont-Ferrand. Not much is known about her early years, except from the fact that at the age of twenty-five, she completed her three-year apprenticeship and graduated from the College of Surgery in Paris. Around this time, a conflict between male practitioners, who called themselves surgeons, and midwives arose. The medical men began to assert their roles in all fields related to medicine and health, including childbirth which was traditionally taken care of by female midwives. The surgeons argued that their modern scientific techniques were better for mothers and infants than the folk medicine practiced by midwives.

Soon after Coudrays graduation, schools began to bar women from gaining instruction in midwifery. Upset by the decision, women began to protest and demand that they be allowed to receive proper instruction to become midwives. Coudray was among those who supported female midwives. She argued that if proper training was not given to female midwives, midwives would continue to practice untrained and might cause harm to their patients. Moreover, she declared that without training, there would be shortage of midwives.

The medical community listened and female midwives once again began receiving instructions in birthing techniques. Because of Coudrays role in helping women become midwives, she was appointed as the head accoucheuse at the famous Parisian Hotel Dieu Hospital.

In 1759, Coudray met King Louis XV who asked her to teach midwifery to peasant women in the rural areas in an attempt to reduce infant mortality. Between 1760 and 1783, she traveled all over rural France, sharing her extensive knowledge with poor women. During this time, she is estimated to have taught in over forty French cities and rural towns and to have directly trained 4,000 students, and more than 500 male surgeons and physicians.

To aid in her teaching of rural midwives, Coudray created a life-sized obstetrical manikin she called the machine. The manikin was a model of the lower body of a female made of fabric, leather, and stuffing, and on occasion, real human bones to form the torso. Various strings and straps serve to simulate the stretching of the birth canal and perineum, to demonstrate the process of childbirth. The head of the infant mannequin has a shaped nose, stitched ears, hair drawn with ink, and an open mouth and tongue. The machine was so detailed and accurate that the Academy of Surgery approved it as a suitable model for childbirth practice.

Angelique du Coudray also wrote a book titled Abrege de lArt des Accouchemens containing all her lectures that she gave to midwives when she travelled across France. This 38-chapter book covered such topics as the female reproductive organs, proper prenatal care, obstetrics, various problems during birth, and various rare cases, such as a woman who was supposedly pregnant for 22 months.

Du Coudray died in Bordeaux on April 17, 1794. There is mystery around du Coudray's death because she died during a period known as the Reign of Terrora period during the French Revolution when France was purging itself of its enemies and protecting the country from foreign invaders. Many scholars believe that du Coudray was secretly executed because she was previously commissioned and endorsed by King Louis XV. Others believe that du Coudray simply died because of old age. She was 82 years old at the time of her death.

A couple of Angelique du Coudrays manikin are housed at the Flaubert Museum and History of Medicine, in Rouen.

Madame du Coudray's machine exhibited at the Flaubert Museum and History of Medicine in Rouen. Photo credit: Frederic BISSON/Flickr

Photo credit: Ji-Elle/Wikimedia

Photo credit: DITTRICK Museum Blog

Photo credit: DITTRICK Museum Blog

Photo credit: www.culture.gouv.fr

Photo credit: www.culture.gouv.fr

Sources: Wikipedia / Geri Walton / DITTRICK Museum Blog
(ANSA) - Rome, October 31 - The number of migrants to land in Italy from January 1 up to today is 30.13% down with respect to the same period last year, the interior ministry said on Tuesday. It said a 78% drop was registered in October alone. It said arrivals from Libya were down 93% in 2017. The ministry said 111,397 migrants arrived in the first 10 months of 2017, compared to 159,427 in the same period in 2016. It said 5,984 arrived in October compared to 27,384 in the same month a year ago.

The figure for Libya was 1,917, compared to 27,384 in October 2016.


ROME - Saudi Arabia under its new leadership is "possibly the most dangerous and destabilising influence in the Middle East today", according to Gary Sick, a professor at Columbia University and analyst of Middle East affairs, who is currently visiting Italy. Sick said US President Donald Trump, whose first foreign visit as president was to Riyadh, "has not really followed any particular strategy in his Middle East policies" but rather his policy-making is a "mixture of personal gut instinct, an attempt to fulfill promises made on the campaign trail, and conscious efforts to undo any and all of Obama's legacy".



As an example of Trump's expanded alliance with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Sick cited the situation with the Houthi rebels in Yemen, a cause which he said Trump has "embraced with much more enthusiasm and lack of criticism" compared to Obama. He cited a UN team of experts who said the Saudi coalition in Yemen is experiencing a "stalemate" and said the Saudi bombing campaign there has hit a significant percentage of civilians targets, left 10,000 dead, and led to "the worst cholera outbreak in the world, affecting over 500,000 people, over half of whom are children".



Riyadh's offensive against Qatar - based on what Sick called "a long-standing dynastic dispute between Qatar and Saudi Arabia" - also risks damaging US interests.



"The unprecedented attempt to punish and isolate Qatar has resulted in a possibly permanent split in the Gulf Cooperation Council - with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain on one side, and Qatar, Oman on the other - and Kuwait stranded in the middle," Sick said.



He said US security policy has "always tried to encourage the Gulf Cooperation Council to act as a single entity" but "that may now be an impossible dream".



Regarding the conflict in Syria, Sick said the US and Arab Gulf states who supported government opposition forces were the "losers" in the affair, after conventional wisdom foresaw a quick end to the conflict at its start.



He said those who foresaw a longer conflict were correct, "even though no one foresaw the significant military input from Iran, Hezbollah and ultimately Russia".



"Today we can say with some assurance that Assad has won, even if the civil war itself may go on for years to come," Sick said.



In the conflict, the Kurds showed their ability to fight and hold territory, but only Israel backed the recent independence referendum for Iraqi Kurdistan. Sick called ISIS "the biggest loser of all, whose caliphate is shrinking daily" but said it isn't clear "how the United States and Russia will work out their relationship" following this almost total military defeat of ISIS.



Sick said Iran represents "the area of greatest change in US policy since the election of Donald Trump", especially as regards Trump's political stance against the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal.



The decision on the deal now lies with the US Congress, which Sick said could bring various options, including reimposing sanctions that were lifted by the agreement, taking no action (possibly leading to a unilateral decision by Trump to withdraw from the agreement), or passing a bill with new guidelines on issues outside the scope of the nuclear agreement, for which Sick said cooperation within Congress would be "highly uncertain".



"Unilateral withdrawal would trigger a set of dynamics that could affect the security of the Middle East and the rest of the world for decades to come," Sick said.



He said if the US is non-compliant with the terms of the JPCOA, "the onus will be squarely on us for walking away from an agreement that is almost universally recognized as the most successful and far-reaching arms control agreement ever negotiated".



Sick said he believes Trump will most likely "use the Congress as leverage to get the Europeans and others to consider new pressure on Iran on non-nuclear issues".



Sick expressed concern regarding the presence of military generals at the head of government "who learned their politics on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan" and concluded by stating there is "reason to be concerned".



"As citizens and scholars we are entitled to expect of our governments a degree of seriousness, competence and responsibility that respond to the trust we place in them by our votes," he said.


TEL AVIV - The 800th anniversary of the arrival of the Franciscans in the Holy Land is approaching, marking the time in 1217 when the Custody of the Holy Land divided Francis's mission into different "provinces", leading to the creation of what are modern-day Israel, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Cyprus and Rhodes.



The Franciscans are one of the oldest religious communities in the Holy Land, and their 800th anniversary will be celebrated with a series of important religious and cultural events, including an exhibition at the start of November where 28 manuscripts and ancient books regarding St. Francis of Assisi will go on display.



The manuscripts and books are all housed in the General Library of the Custody of the Holy Land in Jerusalem.



The exhibition's organisers said the show is part of the "Books, Bridges of Peace" project, which aims to promote the General Library's book collection and create an opportunity for understanding and dialogue among the different groups living in Jerusalem.



The anniversary celebration was preceded on June 11 by a mass in the Church of St. John in Acre, Israel, the port city where the first Franciscan friars arrived in 1217, charged with exploring the then-known world as witnesses of brotherhood and peace.



Led by Brother Elias of Cortona, they founded the first Franciscan province, initially called Ultramarina and Syria.



However, the city of Acre at the time was not welcoming to them, with little food and lack of horses.



Crusade preacher Jacques de Vitry was the city's bishop, and said its Christian and non-Christian residents had "depraved customs" such as adultery and public prostitution, and said "every night there are murders here".



From that time forward, despite the difficulties in a region characterised by frequent and bloody conflicts, the "brothers of the cord" have continued their mission of evangelisation.



Their work was acknowledged by Pope Francis in a letter to them for the 800th anniversary.



"Assiduous in contemplation and prayer, simple and poor, obedient to the Bishop of Rome, you are also working in the present to live in the Holy Land alongside brothers of different cultures, ethnicities and religions, sowing peace, brotherhood and respect," the letter said.



In this spirit, two weeks ago in Jerusalem there were multi-day conferences focusing on, among other things, the role of the Franciscans in the Middle East.



On the sidelines of the Custody of the Holy Land's upcoming book exhibition, there will be a conference on the relationship between the book world and the digital environment, focusing on enhancing book heritage through the use of digital technologies.



The event's organisers said it will be "a time for mutual dialogue and update among some of the many cultural identities in the Holy City".



The Custody of the Holy Land will follow on these activities for the coming two years, culminating in commemoration of the meeting St. Francis had in 1219 with the Sultan of Egypt, Malik al-Kamel, in Damietta.
(ANSAmed) - GAZA, OCTOBER 31 - Tension remains high in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday following the Monday deaths of seven members of the Islamic Jihad and Hamas, who were killed when Israeli Army forces destroyed an underground military tunnel that originated in the Gaza Strip and terminated two kilometres from the Israeli village of Kissufim.



On Tuesday morning the bodies of the militants were delivered to their families for burial.



Hamas and the Jihad have organised processions from the militants' homes to the cemeteries.



Their leaders vowed Israel will pay for the strike "at the right time".



Local sources said Israeli military planes flew over the Gaza Strip repeatedly overnight Monday.



Also adding to the tensions are investigations to determine those responsible for the assassination attempt last Friday on Hamas security commander Tawfiq Abu Naim, who was slightly wounded when an explosive detonated in his car.



Several checkpoints have been set up in the Gaza Strip to try to identify those responsible for the car bombing.(ANSAmed).


Impact of Syria crisis profound - UN humanitarian chief 13 million people still need humanitarian assistance

(ANSAmed) - NEW YORK, OCTOBER 31 - The impact of the Syria crisis continues to be "profound" and humanitarian needs will be large for some time, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock told the UN Security Council on Monday. Overall, more than 13 million people inside Syria still need humanitarian assistance. 6.3 million of them are exceptionally vulnerable and in acute need because of displacement, hostilities, and limited access to basic goods and services, Lowcock said.



"Today the UN and partners delivered food, nutrition and health assistance to 40,000 people (in eastern Ghouta)," he told the Council, warning however that an alarming number of child malnutrition cases have been recorded there. "Against this background, the UN and our partners continue to implement in Syria one of the largest humanitarian operations in the world," said Lowcock, recalling that in September, the World Food Programme (WFP) provided food assistance to more than 3.3 million people, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) reached over 1.5 million people, and the World health Organization (WHO) reached over 800,000 people.



The United Nations are also calling for immediate intervention "to save the lives of approximately 50,000 people" who have been displaced by fighting and are trapped with little food or water in a desert area between Syria and Jordan. "A long-term solution is needed to bring aid to the camp in Rukban" between southeast Syria and northern Jordan. "The best solution is to deliver the aid from Syria" and not from Jordan, which closed its stretch of border in 2016, Lowcock told pan-Arab TV networks. (ANSAmed).




Migrant arrivals down 30% in 10 months - interior ministry Arrivals from Libya down 93%

(ANSAmed) - ROME, OCTOBER 31 - The number of migrants to land in Italy from January 1 up to today is 30.13% down with respect to the same period last year, the interior ministry said on Tuesday. It said a 78% drop was registered in October alone. It said arrivals from Libya were down 93% in 2017. The ministry said 111,397 migrants arrived in the first 10 months of 2017, compared to 159,427 in the same period in 2016. It said 5,984 arrived in October compared to 27,384 in the same month a year ago.



The figure for Libya was 1,917, compared to 27,384 in October 2016.(ANSAmed).




Italy allocates 500,000 euros for sexual health in Palestine Initiative to ensure women better access to quality services

(ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, OCTOBER 31 - The Italian government has allocated 500,000 euros towards "the sexual health and reproductive rights of the young women in Palestine", Italy's Agency for development cooperation has said. The initiative 'Promotion of sexual health and reproductive rights in Palestine' aims to "ensure young women better access to quality health services".



The funding will enable the United Nations Population Fund "to work with government and civil society organisations and universities in order that the institutions dealing with national policy and service provision might adopt a holistic and decentralised approach to sexual health and reproductive rights in Palestine".



"The Italian government has long supported the Palestinian people in the areas of health and gender equality," consul general Fabio Sokolowicz said. (ANSAmed).




ROME - "We have not abandoned the [Catalan] government. We will continue to work," Catalonia's deposed President Carles Puigdemont said on Brussels on Tuesday.



"We will not evade justice but we will face justice politically," he added. The Catalan pro-independence leader and part of his administration has "transferred to Brussels to highlight the Catalan problem in the heart of Europe", Puigdemont said.



"If I was guaranteed a fair trial I would return to Catalonia immediately to continue working," he continued. Spain's attorney general on Monday filed complaints against 14 Catalan politicians, including Puigdemont, alleging they are guilty of rebellion, sedition, and embezzlement - charges that carry up to 30 years in prison.



"We are ready to go to prison for 30 years if this is the result of a fair trial," said Puigdemont, calling on the international community and Europe to "react".



"This case and the Catalan cause call into question the values underpinning Europe," he added. "We have never used violence but we are equated with terrorists," said deposed Catalan interior minister Joaquim Forn.



In Spain "the crime of rebellion is equated with terrorism," he added. This is why "the president is calling on Europe to react".
The inaugural flight arrived at 7:25 am on Monday 30th October and was welcomed with the traditional water cannon salute at the capitals airport. On board the first flight arrived H.E. Hanan Al Aleeli, UAE Ambassador to Latvia accompanied by members of the embassy and representatives of the airline. The honored guests were hosted at AUHs VIP Terminal and greeted by H.E. Astra Kurme Latvia Ambassador to the UAE, and members of the embassy in the UAE, in addition to representatives from Abu Dhabi Airports, Etihad Airways, and Air Baltic.

The new route will be operated by a CS300 with a seating capacity of 145 in both business and economy configuration. Flights will arrive from RIX at 7:25am and depart from AUH at 9:45am on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Hanan Al Aleeli, UAE Ambassador to Latvia, said: Our two governments witnessed this year the maturity of our bilateral relations into full capacity, with the operation of two fully fledged embassies in both countries, which was translated to many achievements and milestones. These included H.E. President of Latvias visit to the UAE in February, and now todays launch of airBaltic operations from Abu Dhabi International Airport. This is a reflection of the hard and close work between both embassies to further cooperation between our two nations in all sectors.

Astra Kurme, Latvia Ambassador to the UAE, said: With the economic prosperity that Abu Dhabi is witnessing, many airlines look forward to having this destination as part of their network, and today our national carrier, airBaltic, did it. The leadership and progress and technological advancement this nation has developed are remarkable lessons to learn from. The new cooperation today between our airline and Abu Dhabi International Airport will bring people closer, and I am confident that it will have positive impact and mutual benefit to both nations.

Dan Cappell, acting chief commercial officer at Abu Dhabi Airports, said: We are very pleased to welcome airBaltic on board as Abu Dhabi continues to grow as a key global aviation hub, and we are honored to have such high dignitaries from both countries celebrating with us this collaboration. Todays inauguration adds a new destination to the worldwide network of Abu Dhabi International Airport. We wish airBaltic great success from our hub and look forward to further supporting them in their operation.

Commenting on the launch of its latest destination, Wolfgang Reuss, SVP Network Management of airBaltic, said: Riga is a dynamic city and the very business center of the Baltic states. We are thrilled to connect Riga and Abu Dhabi as it opens up connections not only to Latvia but also to our wider home region, the Baltic states with Tallinn and Vilnius as well as Northern Scandinavia with fast connections to Stockholm, Helsinki, Oslo and many more regional points in Northern Europe.
Helicopter accidents caused by reduced visibility due to sand and dust are a big problem. So-called brownouts can occur during helicopter landing and take-off operations in arid desert terrains.

Ground obstacle collisions or rollover due to landing on uneven slopes can be caused by the intense, disorienting dust clouds stirred up by the helicopter rotor downwash.

A NASA report blamed brownout for being behind more military helicopter accidents than any other cause, calling it a $100 million per year problem for the US military in Afghanistan and Iraq.

So it is no surprise that avionics companies have been trying to solve the problem.

While simple radar is one potential solution, synthetic vision systems (SVS) are proving to be another tool. SVS is able to provide a computer-generated depiction of the area around a helicopter, helping to improve a pilots situational awareness.

For example, Garmins helicopter synthetic vision technology (HSVT) is available as an optional upgrade to the G500H. Using sophisticated computer modelling to recreate a virtual topographic landscape from the systems terrain alerting database, HSVT gives pilots a clear depiction of ground and water features, airports, obstacles, traffic and more.

When flying in areas where rising terrain may pose a hazard, Garmin's HSVT uses its database to paint the landscape with amber or red overlays, showing where potential controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) risks exist. Towers or obstacles are also colour-highlighted with hazard-appropriate symbology.

Honeywell Aerospace completed successful testing of a newly designed synthetic vision avionics backbone (SVAB) for helicopter operators in 2013. It integrated multiple types of sensors with its SVS to provide a 3-D view of the outside world in degraded visual environments (DVE).

Testing was conducted on a Blackhawk helicopter as part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) multifunction radio frequency (MFRF) programme.

In 2015, Rockwell Collins led test activities at the Armys Yuma Proving Grounds (YPG) to show how its products could help reduce brownout problems.

The company successfully demonstrated its sensor-agnostic synthetic vision avionics backbone (SVAB) solution, which fuses, in real time, multiple DVE sensor types with its high-resolution tactical synthetic vision system (TSVS).

Ryan Olson, senior systems engineer from Rockwell Collins Airborne Solutions Engineering, said: Our testing at the YPG validated a number of advancements in our sensor fusion algorithms that, when combined with our earlier work in radar data fusion, allows us to deliver higher performance solutions to our military customers, while balancing affordability.

This testing showed that we could efficiently fuse 2D imaging sensors and laser imaging detection and ranging (LIDAR), two prevalent sensing technologies being considered today, into our TSVS.

This was important because both systems offer advantages and disadvantages in terms of obscurant penetration and enhanced situational awareness information for the pilot.

Rockwell Collins now offers a flight situational awareness solution called the HeliSure helicopter synthetic vision system (HSVS).

Guillaume Zini, principal business development manager for Rockwell Collins, EuMEA, said: HeliSure combines integrated visualisation, advanced displays, and industry-leading high resolution database components to provide pilots with a real-world view of terrain and obstacles along their flight path. It is designed to easily integrate active or passive terrain and hazard sensors to provide a comprehensive situational awareness solution for flight in degraded visual environments.

This minimises the risk of controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) accidents.

Currently HeliSure is offered on the AW169, AW189, and AW101 from Leonardos helicopters division, and will also be available on the AW609 when delivered, said Zini.

Initial acceptance by customers was slow, but has accelerated rapidly as they understand the full value of HSVS capabilities. It can be integrated into any of our cockpit display systems, such as the S-92s Flight2 avionics management system, and may be offered as an add-on to other manufactures display systems, should market demand show a need.

Looking ahead, Rockwell Collins is now developing advanced cockpit avionics systems for retrofit applications that will incorporate our HSVS product, as well as our HeliSure helicopter terrain awareness and warning system (HTAWS).

Together, these products, coupled with our multi-function display systems, will provide legacy helicopter operators with increased situational awareness and safety, while delivering higher performance and reliability in harsh conditions.


Emirates will operate six additional flights between London Heathrow and Dubai starting on 15th December; EK 2641 will depart from Dubai at 15:15 and arrive at London Heathrow at 19:15, EK 2642 will depart from London Heathrow at 21:10 and arrive in Dubai at 8:00 the following day. The new flights will be available on the following dates:



 Friday 15 December 2017

 Saturday 16 December 2017

 Sunday 17 December 2017

 Friday 05 January 2018

 Saturday 06 January 2018

 Sunday 07 January 2018



The additional flights will be operated by a Boeing 777-300 ER, bringing 4320 additional seats to the route.



Alongside the additional flights between Heathrow and Dubai, Emirates has also announced that some of its flights between Gatwick and Dubai will be operated by a two-class A380 (Business and Economy) due to high demand during the peak travel season. Emirates will also continue to offer its iconic First Class product from Gatwick throughout the festive period.



The two-class flights on the Gatwick route include:



 EK0010: Tuesday 19 December 2017

 EK 0010/EK 0012: Wednesday 20 December 2017

 EK0012: Thursday 21 December 2017

 EK0012: Saturday 23 December 2017

 EK0010: Thursday 28 December 2017

 EK0010: Friday 30 December 2017

 EK0010: Saturday 31 December 2017
In the 2017 list, India ranked at 130 out of the 190 countries on the index, just one rank up from 2016's 131.

India ranked 130 out of 190 countries on the World Bank's 'ease of doing business' list. (Photo: Pixabay/Representational)

Mumbai: With the World Banks ease of doing business rankings ready to be revealed on Tuesday, India may expect quite a leap in its position this year, having undertaken a series of reforms.

Last year, India ranked at 130 out of the 190 countries on the index, just one rank up from the previous year's 131.

According to a report by Economic Times, the government is expecting an improvement in the ranking on three parametersstarting a business, dealing with construction permits and resolving insolvency.

Obtaining a construction permit

India ranked a lowly 185 among 190 nations on this parameter last year. Until 2016, it reportedly took 164 days in Mumbai and 213 in Delhi to get a construction permit. The whole procedure was also not digital.

Government officials in July said that the process for granting permits had been eased and now it takes only 60 days to get a construction permit in Delhi and Mumbai.

Starting a business

India had ranked 155 among 190 countries last year on this parameter. In June, the government informed the World Bank that processes involved in starting a business had been reduced from 14 to five. Obtaining DIN, PAN and TAN have been merged, employee provident fund has been moved online, bank accounts are not required mandatorily for any forms  this way many processes have been eased.

Insolvency resolution process

The introduction of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 had not been taken into consideration last year as it was implemented post the last date for compilation of the report. India was ranked 136th on this parameter last year. This law is expected to transform the insolvency resolution process.

However, the Goods and Services Tax, that was introduced this year will not be taken into account for the rankings this year as it was introduced after the compilation of reports. The new tax reform, which subsumes a string of levies is expected to increase the ease of business in the country.
From 130th position last year, India jumped 30 slots to break into the top 100 in World Banks Ease of Doing Business rankings.

New Delhi: India on Tuesday made the highest jump ever by any nation in the World Banks Ease of Doing Business and broke into the top 100 slot. The leap of 30 places up to the 100th rank in a year follows various reforms which have made it easier to pay taxes online, get credit and moves to protect minority investors interest.

The happy jump in Indias business-friendly rating has come as a shot in the arm of the BJP-led government which has been battling criticism from the Opposition over alleged mismanagement of the Indian economy by a hasty GST roll-out at a time when the country was still reeling under the impact of demonetisation.

During the 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign, ease of doing business in the country was one of Narendra Modis key promises and, since taking charge, his government has been keen to improve its rating in this regard. The improvement in ranking will also give a boost to the BJPs image and, perhaps, improve its prospects in the coming state elections, especially Gujarat.

Commenting on Indias performance, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said that it is possible for India to achieve the target set by Prime Minister Modi to rank in the top 50 countries on the World Banks Ease of Doing Business list.

I believe this is doable, he said and added that various reforms which the government initiated  in areas of starting a new business and enforcement of contracts  have not been factored in by the World Bank, and there are some areas in which work is in progress. This, he said, raised the possibility of India further improving its ranking in the next few years.

In 3 years, from 142 we have come to 100. And I think in those areas where we are still lagging behind, there is sufficient amount of work in progress. There is, thus, reason to believe that we have the capacity to further significantly improve our position, the finance minister said.

Raining on the BJPs parade, the Congress communication chief Randeep Singh Surjewala said Make in India is floundering, exports are plunging, credit growth is at a 63-year-old low and inequality is highest in 100 years. Crores of job losses in the informal sector have resulted in a Cease of Doing Small Businesses.

The World Banks report doesnt take into consideration the impact of GST, which was rolled out on July 1 as its cut-off date is June 1. The report is based on survey done by the World Bank in Delhi and Mumbai.

India was the only major economy to be named by the World Bank to have taken significant structural reforms.

India, which was ranked 130th among 190 nations last year, is one of the top 10 improves in this years assessment, having implemented reforms in 8 out of 10 doing business indicators, said the report.

The biggest jump is in the Paying Taxes indicator, where the country has jumped 53 places to rank at 119th position from 172 last year. This follows the governments decision to move payment and assessment of taxes on-line and making electronic payment of EPF mandatory.

India now ranks at the 4th position as far as protecting minority interest is concerned, up nine rungs from 13th position last year. This is the first time India has figured in the top five nations in any of the parameters for determining Ease of Doing Business.

World Bank said that India strengthened minority investor protection by increasing the remedies available in cases of prejudicial transactions between interested parties. On the parameter of getting credit, India is up at the 29th position from 44th last year.

The countrys ranking on ease of getting electricity, however, deteriorated from 26 last year to 29 this year.

Mr Jaitley said that as far as enforcing contracts is considered  India ranks at 164th position  the World Bank has not taken into consideration steps taken, including start of commercial courts and amendment in arbitration act, and there is a possibility of upward revision in future. Also, on starting new business parameter, where India is at the 156th position, Mr Jaitley said that the World Bank did not take into account the fact that now it takes only one day for businesses to select a name and get it registered.

As far as construction permit is concerned, India ranked poorly at 181 among 190 nations. On trading across border, India ranked at 146 position, and at the 154th position on registering property.

New Zealand (1st position), Singapore (2nd position) and Denmark (3rd position) are the top three countries on the World Banks Ease of Doing Business list.

The Congress termed the jubilation of the BJP-led NDA government over the World Bank ranking as an attempt to seek manufactured relevance.

In a statement, Mr Surjewala said, It is important to note that these Ease of Doing Business rankings do not take into account the utterly flawed implementation of the GST. The cut-off date for implementing any reforms for the said study was June 1 while the GST was imposed on July 1. Numerous slabs and complex filing requirements meant that GST remained far from the advertised good and simple tax and has turned into a Gabbar Singh Tax.

In the last couple of months the Congress has accused the government of not being in touch with the reality on ground. Cutting through the governments rhetoric, the party has repeatedly asked who is responsible for 680 Start Ups shutting down in past two years.
Gandhi chairs Opposition meeting, attacks PM Modi on GST, demonetisation.

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi holding a meeting with the party's general secretaries at AICC headquarters in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Ahead of the Gujarat Assembly polls, the Gandhi family loyalists have begun an exercise to push for Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhis elevation as party chief.

With the end of state organisational elections, party president Sonia Gandhi is expected to call for a CWC meet to formally propose her successors name.

However, with the Congress president having powers to announce a successor without calling a CWC, an effort is on to persuade Ms Gandhi to declare her son as party president in the next 20 days.

This is because, the loyalists feel that if the Congress gets trounced in the Gujarat polls, it would become more difficult to do the same.

Mr Gandhi, who has been actively campaigning in Gujarat, on Monday, chaired twin meetings on demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) following which he attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked finance ministers of Congress-ruled states to raise issues in the GST council.

The issues include problems of compliance with small and medium enterprises, single unit people and job workers. He targeted Mr Modi, saying he had destroyed the countrys economy with the both note ban and GST. He alleged that the Prime Minister had failed to understand the troubles of the commoners. 

While the economy was able to withstand the torpedo of note ban, it could not deal with the GST, alleged Mr Gandhi. The economy is in tatters now, he said.

Punjab finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal at the meeting, said, I must confess that there was an amount of arrogance with the government when we had made these demands at Hyderabad. But, ever since Mr Sinhas letter has become public and there is a groundswell of opinion against the present form of GST, they are slightly more receptive.

Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh was also part of the meeting and noted with concern, the faulty design, architecture, and complication of compliances, saying, it has killed jobs and businesses.

He wondered as to why the government was celebrating the first anniversary of note ban on November 8.

The Congress and other Opposition parties have already announced plans to hold protests across the country on the note ban anniversary.

While the Congress would hold protests under the slogan of India is suffering, other parties would hold protests in various states in separate platform.
Opposition party feels Hardik Patel could eat into BJP vote.

New Delhi: Even as Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi is expected to meet Patidar leader Hardik Patel during his visit to Gujarat in November, party strategists are in no mood to give in to the Patidar demand for reservation under the existing OBC quota in the state. Congress leaders would, if fact, prefer if Mr Patels Patidar Anaamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) contests elections on its own in the Patidar-dominated seats as they feel this would cut into the BJPs Patel vote bank and benefit them.

Sources in the Congress said that during negotiations with Mr Patel, party leaders felt that he was anyway in no mood to join the Congress, but was determined to ensure that the BJP loses.

He is not interested in anybody winning. He just wants the BJP to lose, a senior Congress leader told this newspaper.

The leader said that since Patels have traditionally been BJP supporters, the PAAS contesting alone would mean that it substantially eats into the Patidar vote.

According to the Congress spin doctors, giving in to the Patidars demand for reservation under the OBC quota will backfire and lead to the party losing OBC votes, especially since OBC leader Alpesh Thakore recently joined the Congress.

Under the existing reservation plan, OBCs, who are about 40 per cent of Gujarats population, have 27 per cent reservation. In addition to this, Scheduled Castes have seven per cent reservation and Scheduled Tribes 15 per cent. This means that Gujarat already has 49 per cent reservation, one per cent less than the maximum reservation the Supreme Court allows. There is no way that the Patidars would be satisfied with just one per cent.



Gujarat Pradesh Congress chief Bharat Singh Solanki has said that in its manifesto the party is likely to announce a 20 per cent reservation for Economically Backward Classes (EBC), but this will mean amending the Constitution and approaching the courts.

With the Congress remaining non-committal over the quota demand, Mr Patel has extended his November 3 deadline to the Congress to announce its stand on the Patel reservation issue to November 7.

Mr Patel, who rode to fame over his agitation demanding quota for Patidars, is in no position to back off and would rather contest independently than have any kind of seat sharing with Congress.

He cant go with the BJP and at the same time, he has to keep the pitch of reservation up, the Congress leader said.



Congress sources said this is the ideal situation for the party as it will benefit from the division in the votes of Gujarats 12 per cent Patel population which has traditionally been BJP voters.

Mr Patel has been holding hectic negotiations with the Congress and was recently filmed leaving a hotel where the BJP claimed that he met Mr Gandhi. However, both Congress and Mr Patel have denied the meeting.
The Consulate General of India in Milan on Monday issued an advisory to Indian students and asked them not to panic.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said she had received a detailed report about the incidents. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi/Milan: External Affair Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday said she was personally monitoring the situation in the incident of attack on Indian students in Milan, northern Italy.

The Consulate General of India (CGI) in Milan on Monday issued an advisory to Indian students and asked them not to panic.

The Consulate has received reports of unfortunate incidents of attacks on Indian students in Milan. All Indian students are urged not to panic. The Consulate is taking up this matter with the highest level of law and order authorities in Milan, according to the advisory posted on Twitter.

The advisory did not mention if the attacks on Indian students appeared to be racially motivated. The CGI advised Indian students to be in touch with each other, especially when they go out.

It also advised students to spread information among other students from India about the areas where they have experienced such incidents so that such areas can be avoided.

In New Delhi, Swaraj said she had received a detailed report about the incidents. She said she has asked the students not to worry.

"Attack on Indian students in Milan: I have got the detailed report. Pls do not worry. I am monitoring the situation personally. @cgmilan1," Swaraj said in a Tweet.
Sharma said the EC should withdraw the Congress poll symbol since it violated the election guidelines.

Bhopal: The letter written by former PM Indira Gandhi in 1981 to the Election Commission of India (EC) asking for open palm as an election symbol for the Congress could not be found, a reply to an RTI query by the EC has revealed.

In a reply to a query by Gwalior-based advocate Girish Sharma, the EC said the file related to allotment of poll symbol of open palm to the Congress following an appeal by late Gandhi could not be located.

Information regarding allotment of this symbol to any political party before 1981 elections is readily not available, the EC said, according to Mr Sharma.

I have been approaching the EC for the past 15 years to get access to the letter written by Indira Gandhi asking for allotment of the symbol for the Congress. I want the symbol to be frozen since it was given to Congress (I) which no more exists. But, the letter is not made available to me by the EC, Mr Sharma told this newspaper on Monday.

He said the EC should withdraw the Congress poll symbol since it violated the election guidelines. He planned to take out a padayatra from Orcha in Madhya Pradesh to Delhi demanding the EC to freeze the poll symbol.
Kerala high court had in May annulled the marriage and ordered the custody of the woman to her father.

The apex court directed the father of 24-year-old Hadiya alias Akhila to present her on November 27 for an interaction to ascertain whether she converted to Islam and married Shafin Jahan, 27, out of free will and consent. (Photo: PTI/File)

New Delhi: Being an adult, Hadiyas version of how and why she married a Muslim man in Kerala last year is needed to assess her mental state, the Supreme Court said on Monday as it examined the love jihad case that has become the subject of an investigation by counter-terror agency NIA.

The apex court directed the father of 24-year-old Hadiya alias Akhila to present her on November 27 for an interaction to ascertain whether she converted to Islam and married Shafin Jahan, 27, out of free will and consent.

Kerala high court had in May annulled the marriage and ordered the custody of the woman to her father. Mr Jahan later moved the top court, calling the annulment of their marriage an insult to the independence of women.

On Monday, a three-judge Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra, refused to accept the submission of additional solicitor-general Maninder Singh, appearing for the National Investigation Agency, to look at its confidential probe report before summoning Hadiya.

Mr Singh said when a person is indoctrinated to hate her own religion and parents, there is little to determine whether free will was exercised.

The bench, which also included Justices A.M. Kanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud, said, We will interact with the girl in open court to make a preliminary assessment of her mental state. If we suspect any indoctrination, this court has the powers to direct her detailed examination by appropriate authorities.

On the ASGs submission that Hadiyas husband was linked to the Popular Front of India, an outfit found by the NIA to be involved in nine cases of indoctrination in Kerala, the court said, There is nothing in law that stops someone to fall in love and marry a criminal. We will not send the girl with her husband after speaking with her. We want to know whether she acted on her own volition and desire.

Senior counsel Shyam Divan, appearing for Hadiyas father, said she was a pawn in a huge organisational apparatus to radicalise young persons in Kerala. He also requested that the interaction with Hadiay take place in-camera and not in open court.

The CJI told the counsel, The issue pertains to marital relationship. The issue is whether the Kerala high court should have annulled the marriage and ordered the custody of the girl to the father. We will examine only the legal principles. Let the NIA continue its probe.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Mr Jahan, opposed the NIAs submission. It was alleged that Hadiya, a Hindu, converted to Islam and later married Mr Jahan and that she was recruited by Islamic States mission in Syria and Mr Jahan was only a stooge.

Hadiyas husband had on September 20 approached the apex court seeking recall of its August 16 order directing the NIA to investigate the controversial case of conversion and marriage of the Hindu woman with him.

The Kerala government had on October 7 told the Supreme Court that the state police did not find material warranting the transfer of probe to the NIA.
According to the new rules, manufacturing licence shall now be valid for lifetime instead of requiring renewal every five years.

The licence fee too has been significantly reduced from `500 per weapon, which added up to a very substantial amount and was a deterrent in seeking manufacturing licenses.

New Delhi: In a bid to boost domestic manufacture of arms and ammunition as part of the governments Make in India initiative, home ministry on Monday announced that it has decided to ease the norms for manufacturing and selling of small arms and ammunition.

According to the new rules, manufacturing licence shall now be valid for lifetime instead of requiring renewal every five years, and there will be no need for prior approval if a manufacturer wants to increase production by up to 15 per cent. The manufacturer would be required only to give prior intimation to the licensing authority in this regard. Also, a single manufacturing licence will be allowed for a multi-unit facility within the same state or in different states rather than taking a licence for each manufacturing facility.

The licence fee too has been significantly reduced from Rs 500 per weapon, which added up to a very substantial amount and was a deterrent in seeking manufacturing licenses. Under the revised norms, the fee would range from Rs 5,000 to a maximum of Rs 50,000 payable at the time of grant of license rather than at the time of application.

The condition that small arms and light weapons produced by manufacturer shall be sold to the Central government or state governments only with the prior approval of the home ministry has also been done away with.

The new rules will also be applicable to licences granted by the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) for tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, defence aircrafts, space crafts, warships of all kinds, arms and ammunition and allied items of defence equipment other than small arms.

The move is likely to encourage employment generation in the field of manufacturing of arms and ammunition and increase investment, which would further push production in this sector.

Home ministry officials said the new liberalised norms will also help in the availability of state-of-the-art technology and weapons to Indian armed and police forces and the move was in line with the governments plan for defence indigenisation programme.

The home ministry has issued a notification under the Arms (Amendment) Rules, 2017, to implement the new norms with immediate effect.
The Bench is hearing a PIL filed by Mumbai-based Pankaj Phadnis, a research scholar pleading for a fresh probe.

New Delhi: Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, on Monday moved the Supreme Court opposing the petition seeking fresh probe into the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

Senior counsel Indira Jaising told a Bench of bench of Justices S.A. Bobde and M.M. Shantanagoudar that she would be filing an intervention application on behalf of Tushar Gandhi.

The Bench is hearing a PIL filed by Mumbai-based Pankaj Phadnis, a research scholar pleading for a fresh probe.

When the bench questioned the locus of Tushar Gandhi in the case, Ms Jaising, said she would explain the locus standi if the court proceeded with the case.

The bench said there were several ifs and buts in the case and that it would like to wait for the amicus curiae Amarendra Sarans report.

Mr Saran sought four weeks time to file the report, saying he was yet to receive relevant documents from the National Archives.

The petitioner said the investigation into the murder of the Mahatma represents the biggest cover up in the history of India.

The blame on Marathi people in general and Veer Savarkar in particular for being the cause of the death of Mahatma has no basis in law and facts.

On the other hand there is a compelling need to uncover the larger conspiracy behind the murder of Mahatma Gandhi by constituting a new commission of inquiry.

The petitioner, who argued himself, also sought to ascertain the veracity of the finding of the trial court and the high court of Punjab that three bullets were fired by Godse from the gun at the Mahatma when the material facts on record show that four bullets were fired.
According to reports, five policemen went to the village after receiving a tip-off that spurious liquor was being sold there.

The deceased, Ruchi Rawat, was repeatedly kicked in her stomach by the cops, alleged the villagers. (Representational image)

Lucknow: Suspecting her to be hiding illegal liquor around her belly, a few policemen killed a 22-year-old pregnant woman, in Barabanki on Sunday night.

The deceased, Ruchi Rawat, was repeatedly kicked in her stomach by the cops, alleged the villagers. On the contrary, the local police claimed that she died of a heart attack.

According to reports, five policemen went to the village after receiving a tip-off that spurious liquor was being sold there. On spotting the cops, Ruchis family members reportedly ran away but she was left behind because of her condition. When she tried to run, the cops allegedly beat her with sticks and also kicked her.

Following this, she fell down screaming with pain and died a short while later. Senior police officer Sushil Singh denied the role of policemen in the death.

The police neither went to her house nor did they have any confrontation with her. All these accusations are completely false, he said. Meanwhile, a video clip of the incident has gone viral on the social media, confirming the incident.
Still at a nascent stage in India, the dance form is not widely taken up by many.

Come November, the city will witness its own ballet festival. A dance form with its origin in France, ballet is slowly climbing the ladder of popularity in India, thanks  in part  to dance reality shows on television.

Still at a nascent stage in India, the dance form is not widely taken up by many. It was ballerina Ashifa Sarkar Vasi and Karene Lawyers mutual love for the dance form that led to the upcoming Ballet Festival of India. The two professional ballerinas founded the festival to broaden the horizons of ballet in India, and the event is set to take place this month.

Karene and I want it to grow. Keeping that in mind we have brought faculty and teachers with years of experiences and of very high calibre  local as well international  under one roof. This festival will also provide an opportunity for learning and networking, says Ashifa, who has been teaching ballet for 18 years now.

Karene Lawyer

Open for people with at least one or two years of experience in the discipline, the festival consists of a seminar, ballet learning session and studio performances at the end of each day. Apart from the professionals invited to perform during the festival, participants also stand a chance to share the stage.

The ballerina goes on to explain, The festival is an in-depth holistic platform, where people can learn, network, collaborate and perform with an emphasis on learning the artistic and technical aspects of ballet.

The faculty comprises three city-based ballerinas, while others are from US, UK, and Philippines, among other countries.

We can learn a lot when together, that is the aim of the festival  to bring the ballet community together, says Ashifa, emphasising on building an audience appreciating the dance.

Ballet Festival of India 2017 will be held from November 24, 8 am onwards, at Future School of Performing Arts, Bandra Kurla Complex.
Expected to construct structure by Jan. 31 next year.

Mumbai: In an unprecedented move, the Army will construct a new foot overbridge (FOB) at Elphinstone Road railway station  which witnessed a major stampede on September 29  within the next three months. This comes as a huge respite to commuters, as the Railways would have taken at least one year to construct the bridge due to procedural formalities.

The Armys deadline for building the bridge is January 31, 2018, while the Railways is concurrently building another FOB at the station, which will be ready in a year.

Throwing light on why the Army was roped in, sources said that the time taken for Railways to build the same FOB by itself would have been far too long, and it lacked the proficiency of the Army, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF), which have strong operational expertise in road and bridge construction.

Railways, in a statement, said the help provided by the Army during the Mumbai-Goa highway bridge collapse in August 2016 was commendable, and that the Army had jumped into action to restore and repair roads damaged in over 1,000 places when the 2014 Jammu & Kashmir flash floods took place. The statement also mentioned the time when the Army stepped in and rebuilt in record time a bridge that had suddenly crashed near Nehru stadium ahead of the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

Stating that the Army is bringing in engineers who are used to working on short notice and that too in extreme weather, an Army official told The Asian Age, The engineers are told to build bridges that are strong

enough to carry artillery and bear the load of tanks when we are engaged with the enemy. He added, The railways in Mumbai deals with intense pressure of commuters and, as explained to us by Railway officials, they have only four hours every day to work with. In fact, we can do it before the January 31 deadline but the railways has told us that they want to keep some cushion time just in case.

The Army has been conducting its own inspections in secret for the past three to four weeks, in order to gauge the nature of its work. We were told to keep the armys involvement under the wraps, which is why all inspections were done in the night-time, said a railway official.

Until now, the Army has only worked upon railway stations in the North, South and the Northeast, due to the difficult terrain of certain areas.

It usually takes Railways two years on a average to build an FOB under normal circumstances, but an exception was made for the new Parel-Elphinstone bridge after the stampede, and it was announced that it would be constructed in a year. However, this too was deemed unacceptable and Union railway minister Piyush Goyal personally made a call to defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman to have the Army come onboard.
The vehicle has been offered by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC).

The battery being inaugrated by the minister.

Mumbai: Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao on Tuesday inaugurated the battery-operated vehicle that will now provide a tour of Raj Bhavan to

visitors.

The vehicle has been offered by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC).

The Governors residence has always been a magnet for tourists and citizens alike.

A statement issued by the MTDC said that the initiative has been taken for comfort and security of tourists. It said, The government is now looking to further develop the tourist attraction owing to an increase in the number of tourists at Raj Bhavan.

State tourism minister Jaykumar Rawal said that the battery-operated vehicle had been offered to enhance the tourism experience and create greater visibility for the heritage site in Mumbai. Bhavan, the Governor's home at Malabar Hill (south Mumbai) has become the citys novel tourist hotspot and our aim is to transform Maharashtra into an environment-friendly tourist destination.

This is a small effort by MTDC to diversify tourism products to cater to the passion of growing travellers, said Rawal at

the inauguration of the vehicle.

Apart from Rao and Rawal, Nitin Gadre, principal secretary of the tourism department; Vijay Waghmare, joint managing director, MTDC; Aashutosh Rathod, joint managing director, MTDC; and Swati Kale, general manager, MTDC, were also present.
The local police has registered a case of dacoity against the woman who was arrested in Panvel.

The woman is seen waiting outside the victims residence after helping the co-accused enter the house.

Mumbai: The Vashi police has arrested a female member of a gang of six which robbed a Navi Mumbai trader and his family of cash and valuables worth at least Rs 2.09 crore at gunpoint last Thursday. The local police has registered a case of dacoity against the woman who was arrested in Panvel.

Deputy commissioner of police (crime branch) Navi Mumbai, Tushar Doshi, said, The Vashi police has arrested a woman who was involved in the heist. We have already sent two teams to different locations to nab other accused who have played the main role in this.

The Navi Mumbai crime branch has circulated photographs of the six accused.

The incident occurred Friday noon when a young girl and a man reached the residence of Arun Menkudale, a businessman at the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), Navi Mumbai.

The duo told Menkudales wife that they were there to deliver a Diwali gift. As soon as the woman opened the door, the duo and four others forced themselves into the house. Armed with revolvers and knives, they allegedly held Menkudales wife and daughter at gunpoint.

The accused then tied up the mother-daughter duo and began ransacking the house. They fled with cash worth over Rs 1 crore, ornaments and other valuables.

Vashi police officials said, We had circulated a picture of the woman and acting on a tip-off on Sunday night, our team laid a trap to arrest her. She was hiding at a place we cant disclose by changing her name. We are working on links to the other accused and will soon arrest them. The amount looted has not been recovered from the arrested woman.

An officer from Vashi police said they had clear CCTV footage and could easily identify the rest of the accused.

He said that pictures had already been circulated to every police station and toll plaza.
As for Sir Syed and Claude Martin, they represented colonialisms positive moments but only in the interest of colonialism.

We can take the boy out of the country. The challenge is to take the country out of the boy. Through all the decades since school and college, I have lived with a silent difference of opinion with classmates who thought much of the institutions where we studied. La Martiniere College in Lucknow was built by Claude Martin and Aligarh Muslim University was set up by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. I trusted neither, but I was lucky to have great teachers on both occasions.

The reason for my aloofness was my early unease with the fact that that I was in Hodson House in La Martiniere College, Lucknow. The house was named after an unspeakably callous British captain who had gouged out the eyes of the grandchildren of Indias last Mughal emperor and murdered them at Delhis Khooni Darwaza (bloody gate) now located near the Indian Express office. There was a Cornwallis House named after the man who was thrashed in the battle of Yorktown by the Americans. His British godfathers, however, elevated him as governor general of India.

My schools founder Claude Martin had built the cannon that Lord Cornwallis used to slay Tipu Sultan with, not without the help of Maratha troops and soldiers of the nizam. This aspect of Maratha valour is seldom discussed in school books, how they helped the British and the nizam take down Tipu.

Martin was himself a French mercenary who defected to the British side after Clive overwhelmed Dupleix in southern India, not militarily, but by a diplomatic subterfuge in Europe whereby the British and the French joined hands in a treaty to redistribute the spoils of colonialism.

It was the 200th birth anniversary of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan on Oct 17 and there were the familiar eulogies at seminars and symposiums. Some Indians or Pakistanis like him, a few adulate him, and most ignore him. Partly, Allama Iqbals towering presence as a liberating Muslim icon crowds out the older Sir Syed.

There are good reasons to have a higher regard for Raja Ram Mohan Roy who Sir Syed emulated in some ways. Roy initiated social reforms within his Hindu community, working to ban sati and inspiring the next generations to work against regressive practices.

I am grateful to Sir Syed for setting up the Aligarh University where I got to study history with Irfan Habib and Shakespeare with Zahida Zaidi. Habib had the hard task of fighting Hindu and Muslim communalists who stalked the campus or preyed on it from outside. Habib, a Marxist and Zahida Zaidi, a left-leaning liberal, would perhaps have more in common with Majaaz, Sardar Jafri or Jazbi who were students at Aligarh before them. I cant see either of the two respected teachers being influenced by any significant aspect of Sir Syeds pursuits, be they religious or societal.

Masood Alam Falahi has worked closely on the Urdu sources of the period to throw light on Sir Syeds worldview. In an address to the second convention of the Muhammadan Educational Conference in Lucknow in 1887, Syed Ahmad claimed that lowly [adna] families were not useful [mufid] for the country or for the government. In contrast, the nobles (rais) of high-status [ala] families were loyal to the British and so are useful to the country and the government.

He referred to Pathans, Syeds, Hashmis and Quraishis as his own brothers [hamarey bhai], from whose blood ... the smell of the blood of Abraham emanates. He shared their hope that they would be employed in top posts in the British Army. He assured them that this would happen soon, but for this, he added, they would have to win the favour of the British.

Sir Syed was not unique in his avowed casteism but merely following a tradition of elitist Hindu-Muslim bonhomie to the exclusion of Hindu-Muslim hoi polloi. In this sense, Begum Hazrat Mahal, the valiant warrior of 1857, may have set the example for Sir Syeds prejudices though he disagreed with her role in fighting the British.

Everyone follows his own religion [in my domain], Hazrat Mahal wrote in a pamphlet she circulated from exile. Everyone enjoys respect according to their worth and status. Men of high extraction, be they Syed, Sheikh, Mughal or Pathan among the Mohammedans, or Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaish or Kayasth among the Hindus, all these retain the respectability according to their respective ranks. And all persons of a lower order such as a sweeper, chamar, dhanook, or pasi cant claim equality.

I am not surprised that Begum Hazrat Mahal lost the battle against British colonialism. As for Sir Syed and Claude Martin, they represented colonialisms positive moments but only in the interest of colonialism. There is much for the boy to learn still.

By arrangement with the Dawn
Political analysts in the west have described the sale of arms to India as a US move to contain China.

Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai (left) was responding to questions on the recent India-centric policy speech by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. (Photo: AP)

Washington: The Chinese envoy to the US on Monday said that no one could contain China now, expressing his displeasure over the formation of an exclusive club in the Indo-Pacific region.

Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai was responding to questions on the recent India-centric policy speech by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the decision of the Trump administration to sell to India high-tech military equipment, including state-of-the-art armed drones, and the Japanese proposal of a strategic quadrilateral dialogue involving India and Australia.

I dont think that the sales of advanced arms would really serve that purpose, Cui said. Political analysts in the west have described the sale of arms to India as a US move to contain China.

By the way I dont think anybody would be able to contain China, the Chinese Ambassador asserted in his rare press conference at the Embassy of China here. The top diplomat was addressing media ahead of US President Donald Trumps visit to China early next month.

Trump is scheduled to embark on a 10-day visit to China. He would also visit Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines. Cui said China is open to cooperation among the regional countries for stability and prosperity. The relationship between China and India have been developing quite steadily over the years.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, he said, has always said that Pacific Ocean is large enough to accommodate that development both of China and the US, and the Asia-Pacific region is big enough to accommodate the development of China, India and Japan.

In this regard I hope all parties will do things conducive to better relations, better mutual trust, he said.

Without mentioning the recent stand-off between India and China, Cui said he does not think that confrontation is in the interest of either of the two countries.

Im quite confident that both countries have a clear recognition of what will serve their respective interests best, he said, responding to a question on India and the move to have a strategic dialogue involving four countries  India, Japan, US and Australia.

Any relationship between any two countries in the region, between any regional country and another country outside of the region should not be a zero sum game, he said when asked about the strengthening of India US relationship, which many say is aimed at China.

Good relations between China and the US is not at the expense of any other country. The same should be true for relations between US and India and Japan and India, he said.

It is not in the interest of these countries if their aim is to sort of contain China, the top Chinese diplomat said. Cui said all the regional countries in the Indo-Pacific have shared interests in greater stability, peace and better prospects for prosperity. In order to achieve that regional countries have to work together and have to promote closer cooperation among them and maybe establish appropriate regional mechanisms, he said.

As such, China is open to cooperation with all its neighbours so that Asia-Pacific will continue to be a peaceful, stable and prosperous region.

We are following developments in the region very closely and hopefully other countries will have the same approach as we have, he said, responding to a question on quadrilateral dialogue between India, Japan, US and Australia. Cui said he does not think that any attempt to form exclusive clubs in the region following a so-called zero sum approach will help anybody.
Police confirmed they had arrested 27-year-old Takahiro Shiraishi, who lives in the apartment in Zama, south of Tokyo.

According to public broadcaster NHK, Shiraishi told police: 'I killed them and did some work on the bodies in order to hide the evidence.' (Photo: File/Representational)

Tokyo: Japanese police have found nine bodies, including two with their heads severed and dumped in a cool box, in a flat in the Tokyo suburbs, media reported on Tuesday.

Police confirmed they had arrested 27-year-old Takahiro Shiraishi, who lives in the apartment in Zama, south of Tokyo.

According to public broadcaster NHK, Shiraishi told police: "I killed them and did some work on the bodies in order to hide the evidence."

Jiji Press said Shiraishi had told police that he chopped up the bodies in a bathroom and a saw was found in his room.

The bodies were of eight women and one man, several media reported.

A police spokesman could not immediately confirm these reports.

According to Jiji Press, police found the two heads inside a cool box at the entrance of the apartment before making the grisly discovery of the other bodies.

Police found the other bodies in a number of large boxes in the apartment, reports said.

Authorities had been investigating the disappearance of a 23-year-old woman and discovered a connection between her and Shiraishi.

This woman had earlier tweeted "I'm looking for someone to die with me," according to the Sankei Shimbun daily.

Other media said Shiraishi and the woman had connected via a website featuring information about suicides.

Television pictures showed a heavy police presence blocking off a nondescript white-tiled terraced apartment.

CCTV captured Shiraishi and the 23-year-old woman walking together on last Monday.

She had been missing since September 21 and her older brother called in her disappearance to police on Tuesday, the Asahi Shimbun reported.
China will continue to attach great importance to cross-border river cooperation, China said.

Beijing: China, on Tuesday, rejected as "false and untrue" a media report that it was planning to build a 1,000-km long tunnel to divert water from the Brahmaputra river in Tibet close to Arunachal Pradesh to the parched Xinjiang region.

Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post on Monday, said that Chinese engineers were testing techniques that could be used to build the tunnel, the world's longest.

"This is untrue. This is a false report," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing when asked about the report.

China will continue to attach great importance to cross-border river cooperation, she said.

Read: China plans 1000-km tunnel to divert Brahmaputra water to Xinjiang

According to the report, the proposed tunnel, which would drop down from the world's highest plateau in multiple sections connected by waterfalls, would provide water in China's largest administrative division, comprising vast swathes of deserts and dry grasslands.

The water would be diverted from the Yarlung Tsangpo River in southern Tibet, which turns into the river Brahmaputra once it enters India, to the Taklamakan desert in Xinjiang, the report had said.

India as riparian state has already flagged its concerns to China about various dams being built by it on the Brahmaputra river, which is known in China as Yarlung Tsangpo.

Beijing has been assuring India and Bangladesh that its dams were not designed to storing water.
A joint statement highlights the steps taken this year, full of remarkable ecumenical events, noting We recognize that while the past cannot be changed, its influence upon us today can be transformed to become a stimulus for growing communion, and a sign of hope for the world.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Lutheran World Federation issued a joint statement today, 31 October 2017, the final day of the joint commemoration of the Reformation.

The statement acknowledges the step taken along the ecumenical path, highlighting the decision by the Anglican Communion to welcome and receive the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification signed by the Lutheran World Federation and the Roman Catholic Church in 1999, which the World Communion of Reformed Churches signed in the past year.

The communique says we are very thankful for the spiritual and theological gifts received through the Reformation, a commemoration that we have shared together and with our ecumenical partners globally. Likewise, we begged forgiveness for our failures and for the ways in which Christians have wounded the Body of the Lord and offended each other during the five hundred years since the beginning of the Reformation until today.

On this day we look back on a year of remarkable ecumenical events, beginning on 31st October 2016 with the joint Lutheran - Catholic common prayer in Lund, Sweden, in the presence of our ecumenical partners. While leading that service, Pope Francis and Bishop Munib A. Younan, then President of the Lutheran World Federation, signed a joint statement with the commitment to continue the ecumenical journey together towards the unity that Christ prayed for (cf. John 17:21). On the same day, our joint service to those in need of our help and solidarity has also been strengthened by a letter of intent between Caritas Internationalis and the Lutheran World Federation World Service.

Among the blessings of this year of Commemoration is the fact that for the first time Lutherans and Catholics have seen the Reformation from an ecumenical perspective. This has allowed new insight into the events of the sixteenth century which led to our separation. We recognize that while the past cannot be changed, its influence upon us today can be transformed to become a stimulus for growing communion, and a sign of hope for the world to overcome division and fragmentation. Again, it has become clear that what we have in common is far more than that which still divides us.
The murderer, 27, confessed. Investigations started following the disappearance of a young woman. He had expressed the desire to commit suicide. It is not the first case of a death wish leading to murder.

Tokyo (AsiaNews / Agencies)  The remains of nine people have been found in 27-year-old Takahiro Shiraishi's flat in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture. Arrested today, the suspect hacked the corpses to pieces before placing them in boxes and refrigerators, covered by what appears to be cat-sand.

Of the nine casualties, eight are women. Shiraishi confessed to the police that he had dismembered the bodies in his own bathroom. The murders and mutilation of the corpses were carried out between August 22 and October 30.

The police began investigations on October 24, when a man denounced the disappearance of his younger sister. He had no contact from her since October 21st. The young woman, 23, resident in Hachioji (Western Tokyo), had written on twitter: "I want to die, but doing it alone is terrible. I'm looking for someone to die with me. " The girl had exchanged messages with Shiraishi on a suicide site. The cameras at JR Hachioji and Sobudaimae stations (on the Odakyu line) filmed the young woman with her assassin. Shiraishi stated that it was their first and only meeting when he killed her. Her body is thought to be among the nine found.

The building where the macabre discovery was made is two storey, has 12 units and is located near the Sobudaime station. One of the residents stated that the murderer had moved in only two months earlier, and that since then an unpleasant odour had been present in the apartment.

It is not the first time that homicides occur as a result of exchanges of suicide messages. In 2005, in Osaka Prefecture police arrested a man for killing a 25-year-old woman, a 14-year-old boy and a 21-year-old college student. He had offered to kill them all with anthracite.

Although falling, the high rate of suicide in Japan is a deeply felt problem and remains the highest among G7 countries.
by Nirmala Carvalho

The members of the Gospel Echoing Missionary Society were accused of forced conversions in Uttar Pradesh. The children were locked up for a week in a Madhya Pradesh juvenile facility without access to their parents.

New Delhi (AsiaNews)  Intolerance and discrimination against Indias Christian minority continue. The latest episodes were recorded in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

In the first case, some Pentecostal Christians were first arrested on charges of forced conversions and then released on bail; in the second, seven children were reunited with their parents after spending a week in a juvenile facility over attending a Christian religion course.

On 28 October, a group of Hindu extremists allegedly from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu ultranationalist paramilitary group, stormed a church in Dudhi, Uttar Pradesh, along with local police.

About 1,500 people had gathered for a prayer and fasting meeting organised by the Gospel Echoing Missionary Society (GEMS), a Pentecostal group.

Local authorities had been informed of the event, which had been authorised. But Hindu radicals put pressure on the police to stop organisers," said Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC).

The cops said they had received numerous phone calls complaining about forced conversions. When they arrived at the gathering, they stopped the event and forced participants to leave.

About 230 people, unable to take the train to go home, found accommodations at the GEMS English school.

Police charged seven Pentecostal leaders in connection with the meeting, but then released them the following day.

For their part, some Hindu extremists visited the school to make sure that no prayer gathering was taking place.

According to the GCIC president, "Christians were not doing anything illegal, they were not breaking the law, or creating problems for public order. By contrast, the [Hindu] extremists caused confusion with their fabricated allegations.

Nighttime arrests and detention are a serious violation of religious freedom, George explained. We Christians are not second-class citizens; we too have constitutional guarantees."

Meanwhile, the Indore section of the Madhya Pradesh High Court returned seven children to their families.

They had been held in a juvenile facility, segregated, without the possibility of their parents after they were taken into custody on 23 October at the Indore Railway Station as they were about to board a train for Mumbai. In Maharashtras largest city, they were supposed to attend a religion course.

Although their parents were aware of the reason for the trip and had given their consent, the children were locked up and the two Christian companions, Anita Joseph, 50, and Amrit Kumar, 51, were arrested and charged with forced conversions. The latter must still appear before a judge.

"India has always been famous for its pluralism and multicultural society, said Sajan K George. Unfortunately today, these incidents against Christians leave room in society for a single ideology, a single belief system that excludes, marginalises and oppresses people of other faiths."
The two days of closed doors meetings began yesterday. With Raqqa taken from Isis, now the priority is reserved for the path of reconciliation and the peace process. The Syrian crisis can only be resolved "through a political process". On Nov. 28 new round of UN negotiations in Geneva.

Astana (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Military issues, technical issues and humanitarian crises still underway are the focus of the two-day peace talks on Syria that opened yesterday in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan. Promoted by Russia, Iran and Turkey, the meeting is held behind closed doors and will end with a final press release.

To date, one of the priorities of appointments in Kazakhstan has been the fight against Islamic State militias (IS). With Raqqa's conquest and the jihadist defeat in Syria, priority is now reserved for the path of reconciliation and the peace process.

In the past, the Astana meeting, which gathered Damascus and the rebels together for the first time, proved to be more decisive in the diplomatic efforts promoted by the United Nations in Geneva (Switzerland). In one of these meetings, last May, there was the creation of "de-escalation zones" of the conflict involving the ceasefire, no fly zones, the immediate supply of humanitarian aid and the return of refugees.

The seventh round of talks is sponsored by Russia and Iran who are close to the government of Damascus and Turkey, the main supporter of the Syrian opposition. The leaders of the three countries seek to re-launch the peace process because "there is no military solution to the Syrian conflict", because the crisis can only be solved through a "political process".

On the eve of the last meeting, in mid-September, Russia and Turkey had announced an agreement for the allocation of joint forces, aimed at maintaining stability in the Idlib province. These joint military operations forced the Jihadist militia in the area to retreat quickly. Russian representative to Astana Alexandre Lavrentiev said Moscow is ready to act as a "mediator" between Turkish forces and Syrian Army soldiers, who qualify as "illegal" with the presence of Ankara troops on the territory.

China, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Iraq were also expected to participate in Astana. However, Turkey vetoed the Egyptian presence because the two countries are on opposite sides in the context of another crisis crossing the Middle East and that opposes Riyadh and Doha.

The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, also addressed the peace talks in Kazakhstan, which renewed the call for a "more stable political solution" for the country. The next round of talks promoted by the United Nations in Geneva is scheduled for 28 November. The attempted agreement between the government and the rebels for a durable ceasefire depends on the political future of President Bashar al-Assad, whose expulsion is an essential precondition to peace in the country for the opposition. (DS)
Photo courtesy of Geotab.

Geotab has added three solutions geared to heavy-duty fleets to the Marketplace app platform, including Descartes MacroPoint, Welltrax by Vertrax, and HighJump Prophesy Dispatch TMS.

Descartes MacroPoints Global Visibility Platform allows shippers, third-party logistic companies (3PLs) and brokers to view, analyze, predict and report freight activity in real-time.

Connecting to the carrier's Geotab GO device, Descartes MacroPoint enables location monitoring and tracking, delivery monitoring, event notification and exception management and predictive analysis capabilities. Descartes MacroPoints cloud-based solution remotely connects to the GO device to predict disruptions, increase pickup and delivery reliability, reduce detention fees and optimize resources.

Welltrax by Vertrax is a transportation management solution (TMS) for the bulk transportation of commodities such as crude oil, gravel, sand, grains, wastewater and other wet and dry bulk goods.

Welltrax helps fleets drive increased efficiencies through customized pick-up and drop-off forms and real-time load management and asset tracking. With Welltrax by Vertrax, bulk transportation fleets can optimize the entire load management process from building and dispatching loads to monitoring a drivers progress and through to the completion of their assigned loads, according to Geotab.

Prophesy Dispatch TMS is a dispatch and accounting system available to truckload carriers, brokers and private fleets. Integrated with QuickBooks, Prophesy aligns dispatch and accounting departments while handling freight brokering needs in real-time.

This includes simultaneously quoting rates, booking loads, paying invoices and creating detailed financial reports. Standard functionality consists of commercial mileage and routing, IFTA fuel tax reporting, driver management and vehicle maintenance. Prophesy provides Hours of Service (HOS) integration, check calls and rolling ETAs for drivers, along with alerting dispatch to potential customer service issues.

Geotab now offers more than 150 solutions on its Marketplace.
Andres Irlando, Verizon Telematics CEO, speaks at the 2017 Latitude conference. Photo courtesy of Verizon.

Verizon Telematics has become the largest provider of built-in telematics and mobile applications for commercial vehicles and has moved closer to rebranding its product offerings for its customers, CEO Andres Irlando told an audience gathered at the annual Latitude conference.

With its 2016 acquisitions of Telogis and Fleetmatics, the company now serves more than 100,000 customers in 44 countries. Irlando and other company executives provided an update on Oct. 24 and 25 during Latitude, a Telogis user conference that began in 2011.

Verizon Telematics is working to redefine traditional telematics, Irlando said. The company is now offering a wide range of products and services. Verizon Telematics has 15 partnerships with vehicle and equipment OEMs who install its hardware and software, including Ford, General Motors, and John Deere.

"We know the future is embedded," Irlando said.

The company has deepened its relationship with Ford Motor Co., announcing that customers who purchase a 2018 F-150 with Sync Connect can easily connect the vehicles to their existing accounts with Ford Telematics or Telogis. Ford will offer factory-installed telematics across its entire U.S. lineup by the 2019 model year.

Verizon Telematics is looking for ways to improve the flow of workers as well as vehicles. It introduced Telogis Workforce, a software product that helps users plan and dispatch work, navigate between jobs, monitor progress, and communicate with customers.

Irlando also told customers the newly combined company would improve and simplify the buying experience, including offering more bundled solutions, during his Oct. 24 remarks in Dana Point, Calif. Customers will see simplified contracts that provide greater flexibility.

Customers with heavy-duty vehicle fleets will especially see lower costs to equip their fleets with electronic logging devices (ELDs) to meet the Dec. 18 federal mandate, he said.

Verizon Telematics is also pursuing greater cooperation with fleet management companies and will seek to partner with those companies, he added.

Verizon has acquired four companies since 2012, when it entered the telematics market with its purchase of Hughes Telematics. In 2017, the company acquired Skyward, a drone operation services company.
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A 45-year-old St. Petersburg man has been arrested and charged with DUI manslaughter in Tuesday morning's fatal I-275 crash.

The Florida Highway Patrol arrested Malo Derone Blackshear after the crash that killed a 27-year-old woman in a second vehicle.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the multi-vehicle crash happened just after 3:30 a.m. on southbound I-275 near 38th Avenue North.

According to Troopers, a 2007 Mercedes sedan being driven at a high rate of speed by Blackshear crashed into the back of a 2001 Hyundai sedan. The impact caused both vehicles to spin off the roadway and end up on opposite shoulders of the highway.

The female passenger in the Hyundai, whose identity has not been released, died at the scene. The 23-year-old driver of the Hyundai suffered minor injuries and was treated and released at Bayfront Health St. Petersburg.

Blackshear suffered minor injuries but was not hospitalized.

The crash thwarted morning rush hour traffic in St. Petersburg, shutting down the southbound I-275 lanes for several hours. Traffic was directed off the interstate and onto US 19 for a period of time.

The roadway was reopened just after 9 a.m.
The Hardin County Office of Emergency Management announced today that residents who still need assistance with Tropical Storm Harvey-related debris removal will be able to receive help.

Hardin County Judge Wayne McDaniel reportedly requested assistance recently from Team Rubicon, a volunteer organization comprised of mostly military personnel, to help Hardin County citizens with the remaining post-storm debris.
The Secretary of State has set a new deadline of tonight for a deal between the DUP and Sinn Fein to restore power-sharing

The Secretary of State has set a new deadline of tonight for a deal between the DUP and Sinn Fein to restore power-sharing.

James Brokenshire had previously warmed that if an agreement wasn't reached by Monday, October 30, he would move to introduce a budget for Northern Ireland at Westminster this week.

But late last night, he intervened to extend the deadline by 24 hours in light of progress that had been made by the two parties at the Stormont talks yesterday.

The DUP and Sinn Fein both remained tight-lipped about any developments towards a compromise.

DUP sources told the Belfast Telegraph that the parties had agreed "not to provide a running commentary" in order to increase the chances of a deal. But they acknowledged that "gaps" still existed between their party and Sinn Fein.

The Secretary of State and Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney were locked in talks all day as they attempted to nudge the parties towards a compromise.

In his statement last night, Mr Brokenshire said the government needs to consider "additional requests" which have been made.

"The parties have made further progress during the course of today," he said.

"They are making certain additional requests of the UK Government which we need to consider.

"In the light of this, I believe it is right to defer the assessment on whether to introduce legislation to Parliament this week to enable an executive to be formed.

"The parties will recommence talks in the morning and I will reassess the position tomorrow night."

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams, vice-president Mary Lou McDonald and TD Pearse Doherty joined the party's Northern Ireland leader Michelle O'Neill and MLA Conor Murphy for the Stormont negotiations.

Mr Murphy said that while his party wanted an agreement with the DUP to restore devolution it "needs to be a deal for all in our society and not just for the political leaderships of unionism".

He added: "If the political institutions are to be sustainable then they must be restored on the basis of equality, rights and respect.

"That requires an end to the DUP's denial of rights citizens enjoy everywhere else on these islands, language rights, marriage rights and the right to a coroner's court."

Alliance leader Naomi Long called on the British government to reduce MLAs salaries by 30% if Sinn Fein and the DUP failed to reach a deal.

Speaking as the smaller parties at Stormont met to discuss the lack of openness and transparency in the negotiations, she expressed dismay at the continuing political stalemate.

"It seems inevitable that direct rule in terms of setting a budget will occur. It is now time for the two governments to take control of the process," she said.

"Sinn Fein and the DUP have had the opportunity to resolve their differences and have failed to do so.

"We now need an intensive phase of discussions involving all the parties to reach a decisions conclusion either way."

UUP MLA Doug Beattie said the lack of political progress left him feeling ashamed. "People are understandably angry that MLAs continue to be paid despite the lack of agreement," he said.

"Some of us want to do the job but are unable to because the DUP and Sinn Fein leaderships can't reach a deal. People deserve government and if devolution can't be restored then that will have to be through direct rule."

Prime Minister Theresa May's official spokesman said the government was still working with the parties on reaching an agreement.

"We have had progress but there are still significant gaps which remain and we continue to work with them to overcome these," he said.

"You can expect James Brokenshire to update Parliament later this week on how that is progressing."
Just one year ago, the Utility Regulator decided to remove price controls on the supply of electricity to small businesses.

The decision was justified, in part, by the expectation that the supply of electricity to these businesses, large and small, was now subject to a proven competitive market.

Previously, small businesses were protected by the same system of price controls as continues to apply to domestic households.

Now the Regulator has re-opened the debate about whether, and how, small businesses do merit some forms of regulatory control, other than price controls.

Interestingly, the Regulator continues to focus on smaller businesses but leaves the largest businesses to contract for electricity relying on competition between suppliers.

That assumption has created another question for policymakers (which they are reluctant to accept) about the merits of assistance for the 20 largest electricity users who pay higher prices than in GB.

The Regulator is consulting on proposals to intervene in the marketplace to benefit smaller businesses. As the Regulator says: "These measures are not to remedy any particular harm per se, but rather are positive and proactive measures to improve the operation of the small business market  they already exist in the domestic market and are not novel."

There are six main proposals out for consultation.

1: A requirement on electricity suppliers to publish tariff rates, including their acquisition and retention rates. The suppliers have disagreed saying that businesses could shop around to get competitive rates and that specific publication details could be difficult and costly. The Regulator disagrees and quotes the GB comparable decision in support of the benefit of increased transparency.

2: Suppliers might seek up front deposits from business customers and should specify how the cost of deposits should be calculated? The Regulator supports the publication of deposit requirements as an aid to transparency and the setting of deposits calculated on the basis of an estimated three months' consumption. The Regulator goes on to commend that deposits should not be held indefinitely but handed back after a set period, possibly up to 12 months.

3: Should rollover contracts be banned? The Regulator notes that (in contrast to recent history in GB) rollover contracts are not an issue in NI. However, the Regulator, taking the opinions of electricity suppliers, believes that it may be appropriate to prohibit such continuing, or sequential, contracts.

4: Exit fees for the termination of a supply contract are a possible check on customers who, by an early exit, cause additional cost or inconvenience to a supplier. The Regulator proposes that exit fees should be set at a reasonable level and the level should be approved by the Regulator. Interestingly, the Regulator does not quote any current examples of the practice of charging exit fees.

5: The Regulator explores, inconclusively, the possible introduction of prepayment meters for small business customers. The possible theoretical merits are outlined but there remain questions about whether a viable methodological solution can be found. No recommendation is made but further stakeholder advice and opinions are sought.

6: Other possible regulatory measures considered were:

 A duty to offer terms: difficult to implement, not taken forward

 A 'cooling off period': would cause difficulty for suppliers, not suggested

 Transparency of T&Cs: possible requirement that customers should have 21 days' notice if there is a contract change: opinions sought.

 Mandatory statement on bills of available alternative tariffs: opinions sought.

There will be some surprise that the merits of these proposed new minor regulatory requirements for small businesses are so high on the Regulator's current agenda!

Perhaps the Regulator might consider clearer public statements on how price changes are justified (when they occur) showing the quantitative underpinning of (previously) unexplained changes. Is this an opportunity to suggest a reconsideration of priorities for a public communications strategy?

Company report: Montupet UK

Montupet (UK), based in Dunmurry, is a subsidiary of a French company of the same name. The factory manufactures aluminium vehicle engine components.

Montupet SA, since January 2016, is now itself a subsidiary of a Canadian company, the Linamar Corporation in Ontario.

Montupet UK relies on contracts with vehicle manufacturers in the UK and the wider European market.

There is a continuing interest in how the UK Brexit negotiations may influence future order books.

During 2016, Montupet UK acquired 19% of the share capital of Uribesalgo SA, a Spanish machine tool manufacturer.

The results for 2016 show a fall in annual turnover from 88m in 2014 to 85m in 2015 and, more recently in 2016 to 79m.

Operating profits have also fallen in recent years to 10.7m in 2016  down 24%. Pre-tax profits have mirrored the change in operating profits except in 2016 when the pre-tax profit was enhanced by a gain from other investments held by the company.

A 4.1m dividend to the parent company shareholders was paid in 2014. There were no dividend payments in 2015. In 2016 a dividend of 11m was paid.

Capital investment at 6.8m in 2016 continues at a significant level and  in recent years  has exceeded the levels of depreciation claimed on the existing assets.

Employment has remained at over 580 since 2014.

The directors report suggests that in 2017 demand for the products of the company is expected to increase slightly with existing demand augmented by new product introductions as a result of substantial investment in production capacity.

The balance sheet value of shareholders funds at the end of 2016 was just under 60m, slightly lower than a year earlier, but a balance between the outflow of the dividend payment offset largely by retained post-tax profits.
The Maldron Hotel is one of McAleer & Rushes projects

Construction firm McAleer & Rushe has announced it is on course for a turnover of 350m, up 44% on last year's 242m.

The business, which is one of the UK's largest design and build construction and property companies, also reported Profit Before Tax of 10m in 2016, a 100% increase from the previous year.

Jointly owned by Seamus McAleer, founder and chairman, and Eamonn Laverty, chief executive, the company started out delivering large scale social housing projects before moving into commercial construction and development.

It's also recognised as the leading hotel design and build company within the construction sector, having built over 20,000 hotel rooms, two million square feet of office space, over 10,000 houses and 7,500 student housing units across the UK and Ireland.

Its current projects include the new Maldron Hotel being built in Brunswick Street, Belfast, and both the 740-bed student development at College Avenue and a 476-bedroom scheme at McClintock Street.

Celebrating the firm's 50th year in business, Eamonn Laverty said: "We are looking to the future with increased confidence.

"We have an extensive portfolio of work, a growing client base with a number of important projects in the pipeline, and we are looking forward to the long-term growth of our business throughout 2018 and beyond."
Coca-Cola HBC, which employs around 500 people in Lisburn, has sent a paper to the UK Government giving its position on preferred post-Brexit border arrangements, the Belfast Telegraph can reveal.

DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson (right), whose Lagan Valley constituency includes the Lisburn factory, revealed he and DUP leader Arlene Foster had met Coca-Cola management at its Knockmore Hill site as recently as August. They had discussed Coca-Cola's position on Brexit, and its need to avoid expensive border tariffs in the event of a hard border after the UK leaves the EU.

Sir Jeffrey told the Belfast Telegraph: "A paper containing some of our discussions is now with the Westminster government."

It comes as the Irish edition of the Sunday Times revealed the contents of a letter sent by Coca-Cola to the Republics finance minister, Paschal Donohoe, in which the soft drinks giant said it will be forced to review its operations on the island if border tariffs are introduced after Brexit.

The claim was contained in a letter in July, sent by country manager Petre Sandru. Coca-Cola employs 1,750 people at six sites in Ireland, including Lisburn.

The company warngs Mr Donohoe the introduction of border tariffs or custom arrangements based on the World Trade Organisation tariffs would be extremely detrimental to our business and could require us to review our operating model in Ireland.

WTO tariffs will apply unless the UK and EU agree a trade deal. In the letter, the company also raises the issue of a proposed sugar tax in the Republic.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he and Arlene Foster hadmet management of the factory on a number of occasions  most recently in August.

We held detailsdiscussions about the future arrangements on the border post-Brexit. Certainly, its a large employer, so we want to ensure they are one of the companies whose interests are taken care of when it comes to how the border will operate.

The discussions during the August meeting had formed the content for a paper sent by Coca-Cola to Westminster, he said.

Further meetings are planned with Coca-Cola and with other major companies, especially in the agri-food sector, Sir Jeffrey said, to ensure that we get a seamless border because we recognise thats crucial for them in terms of how they operate.

But he said he believed the company was committed to Lisburn. They chose to be in Lisburn and its their priority to remain there as they have continued to put so much investment into it.

Coca-Cola HBC said it had no comment on the Westminster paper, but a spokeswoman said it was significant employers and investors on the island. We have a long track record of growth here and remain fully committed to our extensive operations.

Like all organisations with an all-island business, we are closely following the Brexit negotiations.

We continue to talk to elected officials and their representatives on both sides of the border to ensure the potential impacts on industry are known and understood and receive due consideration during the negotiation process.

Until negotiations conclude, we wont know what, if any, impact Brexit will have on our business, but we continue to put in place mitigation strategies to protect our business, investments and employees as much as possible.
A union meeting of Schlumberger workers has taken place to oppose the proposed closure of its Newtownabbey branch.

Schlumberger, one of the world's largest oil firms, last week said it would be closing the operation due to a downturn in the global oil and gas industry.

Over 220 workers are employed at the plant, the majority of whom are represented by union Unite.

Jackie Pollock, Unite regional secretary designate, said yesterday's meeting had been "productive" and workers were in agreement about building a business case for keeping the plant open. "It is a profitable plant. In the weeks and months ahead, they will be putting a case together to put to the company," he explained.

"[Schlumberger] put a proposal to the workforce on Thursday - that proposal isn't acceptable. It isn't acceptable that the work from the plant goes to Mexico, China or the United States."

It is understood workers at the plant were informed last Thursday that plans were in place to shut the facility next summer.

According to Unite, the company has said it intends to relocate the jobs from the Newtownabbey plant to Mexico, China and the US. Mr Pollock said workers here should not have to pay the price for the sector's global downturn.
EasyJet has clinched a deal to buy up part of Air Berlins operations for 40m (35m).

EasyJet shares rose after the discount airline clinched a deal to buy up part of Air Berlin's operations for 40m (35m).

Its shares increased 2.4% or 30p in morning trading to 1,303p, as markets had their first chance to react to an agreement that the airline said will help it become the leading airline in the German capital.

The deal will see Easyjet lease up to 25 A320 aircraft and take over other assets from the failed German airline, including landing slots at Berlin Tegel Airport.

The move extends its footprint in Berlin where it has a base at the smaller Schonefeld airport.

Easyjet said the 40m figure did not account for potential start-up and transitional operating costs, but investors did not seem deterred

The share price rise made it one of the best-performing stocks on the FTSE 100.

Neil Wilson, a senior market analyst at ETX Capital, said: "Opportunistic growth is not without risks but this looks a smart move for the company as it builds out its presence in Berlin and Germany.

"With Monarch also being carved up, there will be more scraps to fight over for the stronger carriers to cement their position."

Air Berlin, which was Germany's second-biggest airline and has some 8,000 employees, operated its last flight after 38 years on Friday, leaving its staff facing an uncertain future.

But Easyjet has said it would be looking to employ 1,000 of Air Berlin's pilots and cabin crew as part of the deal.

The airline also said it would announce its routes to and from Tegel in due course.
Fans out to see Liam Gallagher live at SSE Arena. Date: Monday 30th October 2017 Picture by Liam McBurney 

Fans out to see Liam Gallagher live at SSE Arena. Date: Monday 30th October 2017 Picture by Liam McBurney 

Fans out to see Liam Gallagher live at SSE Arena. Date: Monday 30th October 2017 Picture by Liam McBurney 

Fans out to see Liam Gallagher live at SSE Arena. Date: Monday 30th October 2017 Picture by Liam McBurney 

Fans out to see Liam Gallagher live at SSE Arena. Date: Monday 30th October 2017 Picture by Liam McBurney 

Fans out to see Liam Gallagher live at SSE Arena. Date: Monday 30th October 2017 Picture by Liam McBurney 

Fans out to see Liam Gallagher live at SSE Arena. Date: Monday 30th October 2017 Picture by Liam McBurney 

Fans out to see Liam Gallagher live at SSE Arena. Date: Monday 30th October 2017 Picture by Liam McBurney 

Fans out to see Liam Gallagher live at SSE Arena. Date: Monday 30th October 2017 Picture by Liam McBurney 

Fans out to see Liam Gallagher live at SSE Arena. Date: Monday 30th October 2017 Picture by Liam McBurney 

Fans out to see Liam Gallagher live at SSE Arena. Date: Monday 30th October 2017 Picture by Liam McBurney 

Fans out to see Liam Gallagher live at SSE Arena. Date: Monday 30th October 2017 Picture by Liam McBurney 

Fans out to see Liam Gallagher live at SSE Arena. Date: Monday 30th October 2017 Picture by Liam McBurney 

Oasis promised a younger, more naive version of myself, we would live forever.

And it would seem one half of the Gallaghers is determined to do just that.

Liam Gallagher rolled into town on Monday for his solo 'As You Were' tour his first in the UK and second show after performing in Dublin on Sunday and what an entrance he made.

As a teenager who grew up with Oasis, wanting to sing like Liam, write songs like Noel and generally behave like the rock stars they were my first thoughts - as too were the many heading toward the SSE - were of when, as promised, the Oasis back catalogue would kick in.

"Rock 'n' Roll Star," Liam's first words to the baying Belfast crowd and his first song.

The "parka monkeys," the high polyester content tack tops, buttoned up shirts and that Oasis hair cut were all out in force. Many old enough to have seen the Manchester band the first time around others so young they won't know what they have til it's gone.

That familiar stance, that laconic swagger around the stage, it was classic Oasis in all but name. The opening was dominated by the Britpop band's classics before turning to the new album 'As You Were'.

All I need .... pic.twitter.com/uxFC3ZPNZR  Jonny Bell (@Jonny_BelTel) October 30, 2017

Having initially dismissed the album as too "Oasis-y" I have come to love it. Everything has a faint hint of Gallagher of old with that touch of the Beatles, but glossed with a touch that any production needs to be relevant in 2017 and beyond. A classic already, in my house anyway.

And given Liam's no nonsense approach to life, music and social media, he is sure to capture a new audience that should be pulling out the classic Oasis albums to embark on a journey we all should jump on.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Fans out to see Liam Gallagher live at SSE Arena. Date: Monday 30th October 2017 Picture by Liam McBurney  Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX Fans out to see Liam Gallagher live at SSE Arena. Date: Monday 30th October 2017 Picture by Liam McBurney  Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX Fans out to see Liam Gallagher live at SSE Arena. Date: Monday 30th October 2017 Picture by Liam McBurney  Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX Fans out to see Liam Gallagher live at SSE Arena. Date: Monday 30th October 2017 Picture by Liam McBurney  Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX Fans out to see Liam Gallagher live at SSE Arena. Date: Monday 30th October 2017 Picture by Liam McBurney  Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX Fans out to see Liam Gallagher live at SSE Arena. Date: Monday 30th October 2017 Picture by Liam McBurney  Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX / Facebook

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Wall of Glass, Paper Crown, and I Get By are stunning tracks and give light to Liam's more measured less shouty style and transported to the stage they didn't disappoint.

The night was woven around a mix of the old and the new but the crowd were intent on one thing for most of the night - their beloved Oasis tracks.

And Liam was intent on giving them what they wanted.

What's The Story Morning Glory, Cigarettes and Alcohol, Supersonic, Live Forever - you wanted them he delivered and the crowd lapped it up.

"Who the f*** is Noel Gallagher," was the cry in the Belfast crowd and having seen them both I was in agreement.

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A man clearly at ease, loving life and his music and back in front of the mic doing what he does best - belting out the tunes in the way only Liam Gallagher can do.

At just under an hour 30 playing time there was room for more but I was impressed with the overall production. There was a few rough edges but if you noticed you were paying too much attention and that's just not rock and roll. Plus they'll be ironed out as the tour goes on.

But like all good artists with so many great hits there is always that one song you want but don't get and walking out there were a string of Oasis hits that could have been part of the set, but as too were there As You Were tracks absent from the list. Although I have a habit of falling in love with album tracks that never see the strobe light of a concert arena.

But Liam, being Liam, leaves them always wanting more and can do what he likes. And no doubt he will perform some of those other classics on his return to the city in June for Belsonic for the penultimate date in his tour.

Worth the aggravation - definitely.
Every year, we wear scary outfits, bob for apples and carve pumpkins on Halloween - but how have these traditions comes about?

We've got the answers right here, with five facts about Halloween that you probably didn't know.

What is Halloween?

Well, Halloween or Halloween (a contraction of All Hallows Evening), also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows Eve, or All Saints Eve, is a spooky celebration observed every year in a number of countries on October 31  the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows Day, also known as All Saints Day.

The Americanised Halloween that we experience today actually originated in the Celtic fringes of Ireland and Britain, and was adapted over the decades by Christian traditions, immigrants conventions and an insatiable desire for sweets.

What is the history behind Halloween?

The origin of the festival is disputed, and there are both pagan and Christian practices that have evolved into what Halloween is like today.

Some believe it originates from the Celtic pagan festival of Samhain, meaning Summers End, which celebrated the end of harvest season.

Gaels believed that it was a time when the walls between our world and the next became thin and porous, allowing spirits to pass through, come back to life on the day and damage their crops. Places were set at the dinner table to appease and welcome the spirits. Gaels would also offer food and drink, and light bonfires to ward off the evil spirits.

The origins of trick or treating and dressing up were in the 16th century in Ireland, Scotland and Wales where people went door-to-door in costume asking for food in exchange for a poem or song. Many dressed up as souls of the dead and were understood to be protecting themselves from the spirits by impersonating them. More about that below.

The Christian origin of the holiday is that it falls on the days before the feast of All Hallows, which was set in the eighth century to attempt to stamp out pagan celebrations. Christians would honour saints and pray for souls who have not yet reached heaven.

What has Halloween got to do with dressing up?

Celts dressed up in white with blackened faces during the festival of Samhain to trick the evil spirits that they believed would be roaming the earth before All Saints Day on November 1.

By the 11th century, this had been adapted by the Church into a tradition called souling, which is seen as being the origin of trick-or-treating. Children go door-to-door, asking for soul cakes in exchange for praying for the souls of friends and relatives. They went dressed up as angels, demons or saints.

The soul cakes were sweet, with a cross marked on top, and when eaten, they represented a soul being freed from purgatory. Nicholas Rogers, a historian at York University, says that when people prayed for the dead at Hallow Mass, they dressed up.

When praying for fertile marriages, the boy choristers in the churches dressed up as virgins. So there was a certain degree of cross dressing in the actual ceremony of All Hallows Eve.

In the 19th century, souling gave way to guising or mumming, when children would offer songs, poetry and jokes  instead of prayer  in exchange for fruit or money.

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Why do we go trick-or-treating on Halloween?

The phrase trick-or-treat was first used in America in 1927, with the traditions brought over to America by immigrants. Guising gave way to threatening pranks in exchange for sweets.

After a brief lull during the sugar rations in World War Two, Halloween became a widespread holiday that revolved around children, with newly built suburbs providing a safe place for children to roam free.

Costumes became more adventurous - in Victorian ages, they were influenced by Gothic themes in literature, and children dressed as bats and ghosts or what seemed exotic, such as an Egyptian pharoah. Later, costumes became influenced by pop culture, and became more sexualised in the 1970s.

Many of us have fallen victim to a scary Halloween prank, or even played the nasty trickster ourselves. From jumping out of bushes dressed as zombies or spooking people in their sleep as ghost, the terrifying list of possibilities is endless.

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Why do we carve pumpkins?

The carving of pumpkins originates from the Samhain festival, when Gaels would carve turnips to ward off spirits and stop fairies from settling in houses.

A theory that explains the Americanised name Jack OLantern came from the folkloric story of Stingy Jack, who fooled the devil into buying him a drink. He was not let into heaven or hell  and when he died, the devil threw him a burning ember which he kept in a turnip.

The influx of Irish immigrants in the 1840s to North America could not find any turnips to carve, as was tradition, so they used the more readily available pumpkin into which they carved scary faces.

By the 1920s, pumpkin carving was widespread across America, and Halloween was a big holiday with dressing up and trick-or-treating.
November 17 is World Prematurity Day, and as TinyLife gets ready to launch Premvember to raise funds to support the work they do, to one woman born 12 weeks early, and a new mum whose premature daughter has just celebrated her first birthday.

She was five weeks old before we were able to hold her

Jessica O'Neill (22), a care assistant, gave birth to her daughter, Phoebe Hope, at 28 weeks in October 2016, weighing a tiny one pound six ounces. She lives in Dunmurry with her partner, Paul (24). She says:

I went for my 20-week scan and everything was fine. They did say there was a growth restriction with Phoebe, but they weren't overly concerned about it, so they were going to bring me back as normal at 30 weeks.

At 23 weeks, I woke up and had the urge to push. I phoned my mum and she came over, and when I went to the toilet, I had a show.

We went straight down to the Royal Maternity Hospital in Belfast and they checked me over and listened to the heartbeat. When I was examined, we learned that Phoebe had stopped growing at 20 weeks, so although I was coming in at almost 24 weeks, I was three weeks behind.

They kept me in hospital for five weeks for steroid injections to try and stop labour. It was just too soon.

I was so scared, I didn't know what was going on, there were so many medical terms that had to be explained to me.

From about 23 weeks until I had Phoebe, I was monitored and scanned every day, where they checked her to make sure that the nutrition coming from me into her body was staying there.

On October 20, I went to see a senior consultant, Dr Harper, who examined the heart, weight, blood flow and the fluid around Phoebe.

She was always so chatty and happy, but that day, she was really concentrating. She told us that if there was a nursery bed in ICU, they would be delivering me that day.

My daughter was delivered by emergency section, which was awful. When I used to watch Holby City, I thought it was dramatised for TV, but that's what it was like.

Expand Close Motherly love: Baby Phoebe Mitchell with her mum, Jessica ONeill, and dad, Paul Mitchell Freddie Parkinson / Facebook

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I thought I was going to faint when I went into the room, and they told me I wouldn't really get to spend any time with her once she was born, as they had to rush her up to neonatal ICU.

Everyone else gets to hold their baby, so it was tough, and I didn't see her for two days after she was born.

Paul went up and took some photos. I struggled to take it all in that I was a mum and had a baby who was born nearly 12 weeks early.

When I did eventually see her, I fell in love. She was so small and fragile, and I had so many questions that I was asking the nurses.

She needed help breathing, and some resuscitation, and she was only one pound six ounces when she was born, so a lot smaller than we expected.

When she was inside me, she was getting the nutrition she needed, but after she was born, it was a different story, and I had to hand express my milk for six weeks.

When she was about five weeks, we were able to hold her for the first time. Up until then, I'd been able to hold her wee hand, read books and sing to her.

Although her weight was so little, she doesn't have any heart or lung conditions, so we were lucky. While in ICU, though, she battled the bowel inflammation Necrotising Enterocolitis three times.

Phoebe was originally due on the January 7, and we eventually brought home on February 24.

It was lovely to have her home, but it was also very anxious and scary, as she had been on a heart monitor with her stats carefully recorded for almost five months. Taking all that away from her and managing it ourselves was frightening.

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We were on our own, but by that stage, we were more than prepared because we had been in hospital for so long.

Life is brilliant, I love her so much and she is spoilt rotten!

She does have a bad immune system and picks up everything going, and just last week, we were in hospital for three days as she contracted foot and mouth.

The hospital is really happy with her, even though she's small.

They said that even if she did go the full term, she would still have been very petite.

Tiny Life were amazing, and helped me with a breast pump, which was fantastic, letting us hold on to it until we didn't need it anymore.

They visited once a week and left tiny blankets and cardigans, which was lovely and it also helped with my loneliness, as Paul was still working.

I was there alone all day and when they came to chat, even if it was only for five minutes, it changed my whole mood.

They were so positive about Phoebe's progress and boosted our confidence and took away all the negativity that we felt."

'My daddy became a blood donor because I was given so many transfusions'

Aoife Burns (24) a freelance digital marketing consultant, from Warrenpoint in Co Down, was born in Craigavon Area Hospital at 28 weeks to parents Mark and Eilish, weighing just 2lb 10oz. She says:

I was born on October 16, 1993 at Craigavon Area Hospital, but wasn't due until January 6, 1994, so I was born in the wrong year, never mind the wrong month.

My mum says it was a really worrying time because one minute I was in Craigavon, then taken to the Royal Maternity Hospital and then Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry after that.

I was initially cared for in the neo-natal unit in Craigavon Area Hospital as I needed specialist medical care and one-to-one nursing care. As a premature baby, I had a lot of medical problems; my lungs were not mature and I had breathing difficulties.

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I was provided with the best quality medical care in these early days and my parents were extremely grateful that this standard of care was available in Northern Ireland

Several times I was given blood transfusions and they didn't know what was going to happen.

My daddy became a blood donor because I had been given so many blood transfusions throughout my stay in hospital, and I recognise now just how much that was needed at the time.

Initially I was cared for in a heated incubator in a quiet, calm environment where soft music was played to me. Gradually I was well enough to move to a cot when I was 47 days old.

I began my life being tube-fed very small amounts of milk and gradually progressed to being bottle-fed at 35 days old, when I weighed 3lb 4oz. In time, I progressed to being fed every three hours.

The photos of me in hospital show that I wore little hats and cardigans over my babygro which helped me to be warm and snug in the incubator due to my small size.

I realise these were handmade and donated and I really appreciate how thoughtful others are in taking the time to crochet and knit hats and cardigans for premature babies.

I was 5lb 14oz when I came home and mummy and daddy thought I was really big, even though everyone else thought I was really small, as no-one had been allowed to see me until I left hospital, so I had no visitors until I came home.

I was in hospital for 101 days before I eventually got home. My parents had to monitor my breathing, what temperature our house was at - everything had to be controlled to make sure I was going to be okay.

My development was closely monitored throughout my pre-school years and when going to Puzzles playgroup and the reception class in Star of the Sea primary school in Warrenpoint. I was as big as everyone else starting primary school. I believe I was fortunate that I got the care I needed at the time

I was visiting my consultant right up until the age of 14, so he had been monitoring my progress for that entire time.

Whenever I was in hospital I was always kept in a quiet environment with music playing. Even now I like to be in quiet spaces, and if there's too much noise, I struggle with it.

Expand Close Loving life: Aoife Burns Stephen Hamilton / Facebook

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As a premature baby, I was eating small amounts every three hours, and I still find myself doing that - it has stayed with me.

In terms of TinyLife, the charity wasn't around when I was a baby, but I know that the support works if it's given at the right time.

I try and do a lot of fundraising for the charity, because I know it helps people who were in the same situation as my family was.

I completed a 'Hell and Back' mud run 12K in June, and raised almost 500.

I try to take part in the events they organise, like colour runs, and I'll be in Strictly Come Dancing in the new year.

There's no lasting impact on my health, although up until 10 years ago I had a heart murmur, which is why I was being monitored right up until then.

Apart from that I'm in good health and enjoying life."

Expand Close Aoife Burns with her mother Eilish Stephen Hamilton / Facebook

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Charity's link-up to boost vital funding

TinyLife has agreed an innovative partnership with specialist skincare brand Elave Baby in a bid to boost much-needed funding.

The charity, which provides support for up to 1,800 premature babies born every year, will receive 1 from every special limited edition Elave Baby Gift.

The limited edition Elave Baby Essentials Pack, with a special offer price of 17.95 (usual rrp 25), will be sold through TinyLife facebook, the Elave online shop and Amazon UK, with 1 from each pack sold going directly to TinyLife's coffers.

For more information, go to tinylife.org.uk or phone 028 9081 5050.
Time is a malleable thing. Forty-five seconds doesn't feel like a lot of time when you're mindlessly scrolling through Instagram or binging on your fifth hour of Netflix. But when you're swinging an 8kg kettlebell in the air, less than a minute can feel like a lifetime.

This is just one of the adrenaline-pumping circuit exercises you'll undergo at F45, the fastest-growing fitness craze in the world that's starting to make gains in the UK.

The franchise, which originated in fitness mecca Bondi Beach at the hands of Hollywood trainer Luke Istomin, has amassed a cult following over in Australia. It quietly arrived in London earlier this year, but has countrywide domination in its immediate sights - the capital now boasts five F45 studios, with a further 25 slated to open across the UK in 2018.

The concept has become popular with fitness Instagramers and mere mortals alike, thanks to its brutally effective triumvirate of HIIT, circuit training and functional training, all squeezed into one gruelling 45-minute workout.

The lowdown

Sessions are timed, with 45 seconds 'on', and short 15-second 'rest' periods in-between.

The 'on' periods are spent at up to 27 different workout stations dotted around the room, which could involve everything from battle ropes and weighted squats to ladder drills and spinning.

The rest periods are spent moving to your next station while trying to gulp down as much water and oxygen as you can.

The science behind the method claims that a combination of interval, cardiovascular and strength training is the most effective way of burning fat and building lean muscle. The classes also push you into the red zone, where your heart is working at between 85-95% of its full capacity for an extended period.

Keeping your heart in this zone is said to improve your cardiovascular health, as well as the added benefit of continuing to burn calories for hours after your workout.

So what is it actually like?

The impressively ripped Hugh Jackman and impossibly lithe Nicole Kidman are said to swear by it, which is something I hopefully bear in mind as I arrive for my first class at the new London Paddington studio, taking in the terrifying array of equipment dotted around the room.

Its disciples are mostly hulking gym bunnies, which can be daunting at first, but the trainers are very motivational and soon put first-timers at ease.

As someone who needs peer pressure and the judgment of other (far fitter) beings to push me to my fitness limits, the group element of F45 is one of the best parts of this workout; left to my own devices, I will idly walk to the kitchen halfway through a YouTube workout, sneakily lower my pace on the treadmill at a solo gym session and slow down my jog to a gentle walk.

The variety of exercises are designed to push you to your fitness limits (so expect to sweat a lot), but it also means that you don't get bored either. The lightening-fast pace of the circuit means there's no time to watch the clock, and a mix of Top 40 hits keeps the tempo high.

"One of the main benefits of F45 and why studios are popping up all over the world is due to the fact that every day is different, so you never know what to expect," founder Rob Deutsch tells me.

"It also creates a community environment, as people are there to experience a high intensity workout and are all striving for some form of results.

"In regards to your fitness, the classes are so intense that participants can see themselves burning between 750-1,000 calories in the 45-minute sessions."

Classes are to be 'survived' not 'taken', but there is something to be said about starting your morning with at a higher intensity. You arrive in work fresh and bouncy; refreshed and revived, rather than sleepy, yawning and gasping for that first caffeine hit.

All those endorphins will do wonders for your mood, too, keeping you energised for the day. If nothing else, there's also the deeply satisfying sense of achievement at being able to tell your friends and colleagues that you managed to take on a session without keeling over half way through.

If you haven't heard of F45 yet - you soon will. Get ready for the takeover.

For more information, visit f45training.com
An arrest warrant has been issued for a Belfast man who is currently the subject of a PSNI missing persons appeal.

Martyn Price - who has been described by police as "extremely vulnerable" - absconded from the Knockbracken Healthcare Park on Belfast's Saintfield Road last Saturday evening.

In the PSNI appeal, police said they believed the 35-year old may have been heading in the Newry direction. Police also warned members of the public not to approach Mr Price, but to contact them instead.

A breach hearing was listed at Belfast Crown Court on Tuesday which Mr Price did not attend. After hearing details regarding the situation surrounding Mr Price, Judge Patricia Smyth issued an arrest warrant "for his own safety and the safety of the public".

Mr Price was made the subject of a Probation Order in January of this year at Downpatrick Crown Court for the offence of making threats to kill.

A breach hearing was listed for Tuesday on the grounds Price breached his probation by failing to notify his probation officer of a chance of address.

During today's hearing, a probation officer asked Judge Smyth to revoke the Probation Order. However, this request was adjourned until Mr Price can be located.

Solictor Fergal McElhatton, representing Mr Price, confirmed his client absconded from Knockbracken and told the court "his whereabouts are unknown to me."

The solicitor also spoke of an urgent need to address Mr Price's mental health difficulties, and said that once located, the best option would be returning him to Knockbracken.

Judge Smyth told the court it was her view, given the current circumstances, that the probation order was no longer appropriate. She also described the threats in this case as being of the "utmost seriousness".

Citing Mr Price's case as "complex", Judge Smyth issued a warrant for his arrest.
An Australian MP has been slammed for her "ignorant, anti-Irish" statement while attempting to warn people about travelling conmen.

Consumer Affairs Minister Marlene Kairouz spoke as a nationwide campaign was launched in Australia to make people aware about scam artists who offer to carry out work or repairs to their homes.

The minister's comments sparked massive backlash, with many calling on her to apologise.

Her comments were aired on news channel 9News, where journalists reported that an Irish accent is a "common theme" in the scam.

They described the minister's statement as a "very, very broad warning."

"They know where to go, who to target, as soon as they get cash in their hands, they're gone," Minister Kairouz said at a press conference.

"If anybody knocks on your door that has an Irish accent, automatically ask them to leave."

However, people from both Ireland and elsewhere living in Australia have voiced their disgust at the statement.

"Absolutely no need to slam all Irish people and make racist comments like that," one person wrote.

"The Minister needs to apologise to the hard working Irish people in this country. I am Irish but people say oh are you Scottish all the time. How can they prove that they are Irish??"

Another wrote; "Well Minister, I am an Irish Community Nurse who knocks on many doors every day to provide care for people of all nationalities in this beautiful country. Shame on you for your ignorance and sweeping statement."

Another added; "This network should apologise to the Irish community and anyone with irish friends and family for entertaining this type of blare faced racism. How is this different then saying don't open your door to any person of colour or ethnicity ? Imagine in this day and age people can be so blind."

Another described the statement as "anti-Irish".

"Feel sorry for the woman who had been conned but cannot believe the Ministers blatant anti Irish statement! Shame on you!"

While another wrote that Irish people have respected work ethics in the country.

"Aussies have told us themselves that irish are often hired because of their work ethics. What a shameful, disgustingly racist comment."

The minister later apologised for her comments.

"Yesterday I made a comment at a scam awareness campaign launch that caused offence to people with Irish heritage.

"Recent scammers have been backpackers from the UK and Ireland and I was giving this info to the public. I admit I delivered this message poorly.

"I sincerely apologise for causing offence and my poor choice of words."
A treasure trove of artwork and historic artefacts belonging to the Northern Ireland Assembly and worth more than 600,000 is stashed away in storage or in private offices unseen by the public, it has emerged.

The cache includes a ceremonial sword, a table of the six counties of Northern Ireland valued at 10,000 and two silver maces worth around 20,000.

In many cases they are either locked away in storage, or placed in the offices of the First Minister or Stormont Speaker.

A list of 68 artefacts and items of artwork owned by the Assembly has been released following a question from TUV MLA Jim Allister.

The value of the collection is worth more than 600,000, according to the Assembly Commission. Mr Allister said it was "shameful" that so many valuable and historic treasures were out of public view.

"I believe it is a disgrace that valuable artefacts are hidden away in this fashion," he said.

According to the response issued to Mr Allister, in almost half of cases (32) the location is listed as "off-site storage".

These items include the 10,000 table, an 8,000 model of Parliament Buildings and a ceremonial sword.

Also stored away is a carved and gilded throne chair valued at 7,000, and a 3,000 bust of Frederick Temple, a former Archbishop of Canterbury. Among the items unavailable to the public because they are in the private office of the Speaker or the vacant office of the First Minister are books containing the names of the civilian war dead, a William IV vase and the two silver maces. They also include a famous oil painting by Pieter van der Meulen worth 50,000. The canvas, bought in the 1930s, is said to depict William of Orange atop a horse heading to the Battle of the Boyne being blessed by the Pope.

The artwork includes a painting, 'The House Will Divide', as Members gather to enter or leave the voting lobbies, and a portrait of former SDLP Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon.

The most valuable item of all, worth 300,000, is an artwork entitled The Obelisk On The Boyne by John Tudor.

It is on loan to Hillsborough Castle.

Mr Allister added: "I have long pressed the Assembly Commission to permit a public exhibition of the works it holds - and which the public therefore owns."

An Assembly spokesman said: "Most of the artwork and artefacts held by the Assembly Commission are either on permanent public display, displayed in other parts of Parliament Buildings or on long-term loan to other locations.

"Once the Assembly appoints a new Commission, it will be open to it to consider the merits of an exhibition of artwork in Parliament Buildings.

"However, at present the current Commission is prioritising matters arising from the delay in the Assembly returning to full business."
Police advised the public not to touch any object which looked suspicious

Residents in West Belfast remain evacuated from their homes after reports that a device had been left in the Poleglass area.

The alarm was raised at 1pm on Monday on Bell Steel Road and Pantridge Road.

PSNI Inspector Paul Noble said police were trying to establish the location of the device and advised the public not to touch any object which looked suspicious.

Police said on Tuesday a number of residents were still evacuated while the security operation continued.
The life and ministry of a cleric from Northern Ireland who died suddenly will be remembered this weekend.

The Rev Trevor Patterson (57) passed away on October 10 after he suffered a heart attack while out running.

Originally from Lisburn, he was vicar of Holy Trinity Church in Richmond, south-west London. He was cremated on Saturday and a thanksgiving service was held at St Stephen's Church at East Twickenham yesterday.

A service of thanksgiving will be held in his native Lisburn at Railway Street Presbyterian Church on Saturday at 3pm.

Trevor was the second of three children born to Harold and Meta Patterson in 1960. The family attended Railway Street Church. Educated at Friends' School in Lisburn, the young Trevor was often found working during school holidays at Smyth Patterson Ltd, founded by his grandfather in 1936.

He graduated with a degree in music from Queen's University in 1982, then attended Stranmillis College where he qualified as a teacher, going on to take up posts at Killicomaine Junior High School and Knockbreda High School.

He met his wife Kate Peppiatt during a two-year spell with the Church Mission Society in Nairobi, Kenya. They married in 1991 and had three sons - Johnny, Connor and Ben.

Trevor and Kate studied theology together at Trinity Bristol and Trevor then served as a Curate in Ashtead in Surrey.

In the spring of 1997 he was instituted as Vicar of Holy Trinity in Richmond where he was also appointed Area Dean.

A much-loved pastor, he was delighted when, in 2009, Holy Trinity subsumed a church in Barnes that was about to close.

He helped found two charities that work with vulnerable families and refugees, and also supported the work of Karis Kids charity for orphans and made several mission trips to Kampala.
Northern Ireland's Jewish community were among thousands of their faith to take part in the annual ShabbatUK.

The initiative, which is aimed at encouraging the observance of Shabbat - the Jewish day of rest and celebration that begins on Friday at sunset and ends on the following evening after nightfall - was embraced in Northern Ireland where the Belfast Jewish Community Synagogue hosted a full weekend of activities which featured a scholar in residence.

Other communal events included Havdalah (the blessing at the completion of Shabbat), concerts and Friday night dinners.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said: "ShabbatUK is no ordinary fixture in the Jewish calendar. It is a phenomenon which inspires so many Jews across the country regardless of affiliation or level of religious observance.

"I have been so inspired to see how this year parts of our community who have never previously taken part have celebrated at events around the country."

Prime Minister Theresa May sent a message of support: "Wishing #ShabbatUK Shalom to all taking part in @chiefrabbi's Great Shabbat Switch Off who are enjoying family & community time this weekend."
Police officers at the scene of a security alert on the Pantridge road in the Poleglass area of west Belfast on October 20th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police officers at the scene of a security alert on the Pantridge road in the Poleglass area of west Belfast on October 20th 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police and ATO continue to deal with a suspect object in the Poleglass area of west Belfast following a search operation spanning over 24 hours on October 31st 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police and ATO continue to deal with a suspect object in the Poleglass area of west Belfast following a search operation spanning over 24 hours on October 31st 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Police and ATO continue to deal with a suspect object in the Poleglass area of west Belfast following a search operation spanning over 24 hours on October 31st 2017 (Photo by Kevin Scott / Belfast Telegraph)

Residents in west Belfast remain out of their homes as a security alert continues into Tuesday evening.

Shortly before 6pm on Monday police reported they were dealing with a security alert in the area of the Bell Steel Road and Pantridge Road.

The PSNI said a number of houses - thought to be at least a dozen - were evacuated.

On Tuesday evening police said the alert was still ongoing.

Officers said progress towards bringing the incident to a close was continuing.

Some cordon control points have been moved as a result of the operation.

Pantridge Road is now open as far as Bell Steele Road.

Pembrooke Loop is accessible from the Brianswell Road.

A section of the Pantridge Road continues to remain closed.

Chief Inspector Kellie McMillan said:- I would like to thank the local community for their patience and understanding during the course of this security operation.

Police have urged anyone who noticed any suspicious activity or saw anything unusual to call police on 999.

A statement added: "If you come across a suspicious object please do not touch it  phone the police immediately."
A teenager who became unconscious after downing a bottle of Sambuca along with 12 tablets came round in an ambulance taking him to hospital and punched on the head a paramedic who was treating him.

Jordan McLester (18), whose address was given as the Simon Community, Mount Street Mews, Coleraine, then wrestled with the man on the floor and spat at him.

At Coleraine Magistrates Court yesterday McLester was given a three-month jail term, but bail of 300 was fixed for an appeal.

The paramedic was left with injuries to his head and ribs, along with bruising, and had to take time off work.

The court heard that McLester continued to be disorderly when he arrived at the Causeway Hospital.

He had previously pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting an ambulance worker, disorderly behaviour at the hospital, resisting police, assaulting two officers and causing criminal damage to a police cell.

A prosecutor told the court that on August 24 police were called to the hospital to assist staff after an ambulance picked up the intoxicated McLester at Mount Street.

He was unconscious but came round in the ambulance and struck out, punching the paramedic on the head. He then tried to remove a strap securing him in a stretcher, and when the paramedic tried to restrain him there was a struggle in the back of the moving vehicle.

The paramedic was injured, subjected to verbal abuse and then spat at.

The prosecutor said police met the ambulance at the emergency department, where the defendant locked himself in a disabled toilet, shouted and swore, and headbutted a wall. He was asked to calm down but, when he came out, he continued to punch and headbutt walls while shouting.

When McLester saw police officers he ran off into the hospital grounds and, in the middle of a road, he lashed out, kicking and punching, and was verbally abusive to police.

One officer was struck on the leg and another on the arm, but they were uninjured.

Hospital staff refused to treat McLester because of his behaviour and when he was taken to a police cell he spat blood and saliva, which cost 120 to clean.

Defence solicitor John Murphy said his client wrote a letter of apology to ambulance staff.

He added that his client was ashamed, his actions had been "totally out of character", and he "appreciates how difficult it is for ambulance personnel".
Press Eye Belfast - Northern Ireland 30th October 2017 General view of Stormont in east Belfast where talks have been ongoing between local parties to try and get the Northern Ireland Assembly up-and-running. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye.com

Talks between the DUP and Sinn Fein have broken up for the evening after failing again to reach agreement.

Secretary of State James Brokenshire is expected to update Parliament on Wednesday about the ongoing crisis.

The parties are planning to resume negotiations in the morning in a bid to break the political deadlock.

Earlier on Tuesday Sinn Fein said they were not prepared to accept a deal to save Stormont at "any price".

Sinn Fein negotiation Conor Murphy MLA insisted the party stands firm over the issue of rights for all citizens including language, legacy and gay marriage.

Referring to the SDLP he challenged Sinn Fein critics to say if they want a deal "at any price".

Mr Murphy added this is a "very key time" in the talks process with the DUP, saying: "The people who are criticising us for standing firm in these negotiations need to explain what they mean by get a deal at any price.

"For our part in Sinn Fein we are here engaged, not on party political interests but actually on issues that are rights for people who support us and for many, many people who don't support us.

"We are here to protect people's rights and ensure that any legislation which is put back in place is done so on the basis of the Good Friday Agreement."

Mr Murphy also said that if Mr Brokenshire decides to legislate for a budget for the region at Westminster, "this phase of the talks process is over".

He also admitted there is a "credibility issue" the longer the talks drag on.

Ireland's Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney and Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire arrived back at Stormont on Tuesday in a bid to help break the political deadlock.

They said progress was made on Monday between the DUP and Sinn Fein during talks aimed at restoring powersharing.

Both men and the parties arrived back at Stormont on Tuesday morning to resume discussions after a late night of negotiations.

Mr Coveney tweeted that "everyone (is) working hard to get a deal across the line".

Mr Brokenshire has extended the deadline for the parties to reach agreement and will review the situation on Tuesday night.

They were warned by the Secretary of State they had until Monday to produce a written agreement or he would be forced to legislate for a budget for the region at Westminster.

However he decided on Monday night that the parties had made progress and he was going to defer his decision.

In a statement he said: "The parties have made further progress during the course of (Monday). They are making certain additional requests of the UK Government which we need to consider.

"In the light of this, I believe it is right to defer the assessment on whether to introduce legislation to Parliament this week to enable an Executive to be formed.

"The parties will recommence talks in the morning (Tuesday) and I will reassess the position (on Tuesday) night."

The Northern Ireland Executive collapsed in January and the region has been without a powersharing government since then.

Despite endless rounds of discussions, a deal to restore devolution has proved elusive, with the introduction of an Irish language act seen as the main issue.
All options regarding Brexit are on the table at the Cabinet meeting (Leon Neal/PA)

Britains EU withdrawal deal is likely to favour the 27 remaining members financially, Brexit Secretary David Davis has said.

Mr Daviss comment came as it was revealed that as many as 5,000 customs staff are to be recruited next year as part of preparations for Brexit costing more than 500 million.

The sixth round of formal negotiations on the Brexit deal will take place in Brussels on November 9 and 10, as Britain seeks to step up the pace in the hope of securing a green-light for trade negotiations to begin at Decembers European Council summit.

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The dates were jointly announced by Mr Davis and EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, who said an agenda for the talks will be published in due course.

Mr Davis told the House of Lords EU Committee he was hopeful of securing political agreement by the end of March 2018 on an implementation period lasting around two years after the March 2019 date of Brexit, during which the UK would operate under existing EU rules to allow businesses time to transition to new arrangements.

And he played down his previous suggestion that negotiations on a free trade deal might continue right up to the deadline, telling peers he believed a political agreement on the future relationship could be reached by October 2018, even if it could not be signed until one second past midnight on March 30 2019.

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He told peers: The withdrawal agreement, on balance, will probably favour the Union in terms of things like money and so on, whereas the future relationship will favour both sides and will be important to both of us.

Acknowledging the pressure placed on him by Article 50s two-year deadline for talks, Mr Davis quoted the comment of Napoleonic war hero the Duke of Wellington: Ask me for anything but time.

But he said it was very, very, very improbable that talks would break up without a deal of any kind.

Even a bare bones agreement which did not cover trade or the transition was likely to ensure basic essentials like continued co-operation on aviation and nuclear safety are in place, he predicted.

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I dont think we will end up with a circumstance where there is no agreement on a number of fundamental issues, Mr Davis told peers.

Whatever happens, we will have some sort of basic deal What is commonly thought of as no deal is not impossible but it is very, very, very improbable.

At the regular Tuesday meeting of Cabinet at 10 Downing Street, Mr Davis updated senior ministers on preparations for all possible outcomes from Brexit, ranging from no deal to what he said was the most likely result of a full free trade agreement. He told peers the briefing was neither upbeat or downbeat (but) absolutely factual.

He told Cabinet that nearly 3,000 posts have already been created across government to support Brexit efforts, including 300 lawyers recruited to the Government legal department in the past year.

Ministers were told that some 662 million has already been committed for Brexit preparations over the course of this Parliament, with more than 250 million additional funding in 2017/18 and a further 412 million for the period up to 2022.

Britains former ambassador to Paris, Lord Ricketts, predicted more diplomats would have to be recruited.
Health officials are looking at a mandatory way of sharing best safety practice across the NHS, Jeremy Hunt has said.

The news comes after NHS England medical director Professor Sir Bruce Keogh said the absence of any central NHS system ordering changes in medical practice on safety grounds was leaving patients in danger.

Sir Bruce told the Sunday Telegraph that one simple system was needed to issue safety directives.

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Drawing attention to the interview, Health Secretary Mr Hunt told the Commons Health Select Committee: At the moment the only mechanism we have for spreading best practice is a voluntary mechanism, which is essentially sharing of this information.

The question Sir Bruce was asking is couldnt we have a system of mandation? and we are looking into that because I agree with you it seems crazy if we know the best way of doing something that we dont just have a better way of guaranteeing that best practice is being adopted across the NHS.

Meanwhile Mr Hunt said he recognised that junior doctors had a point when raising concerns about staffing levels during the industrial dispute which led to the first walk-out of doctors in the NHS.

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The protracted row between training medics and the Government over a new contact came to an end last November when junior doctors called off the threat of future industrial action.

The dispute had already led to thousands of operations and appointments being cancelled across the NHS as medics in England staged a series of strikes during 2016.

Mr Hunt said: The most significant point, I thought, in the junior doctors strike  without getting into the discussion of the contract  there was one point where I thought the junior doctors had a point, which is where they said You say you care about patient safety, but we go to work and there are gaps in our rotas, and there arent enough people  colleagues  alongside us to allow us to deliver the kind of care that we want.
A police force which reminded people to ditch their Halloween masks when going into stores had to reiterate that they should keep the rest of the costume on.

Lawrence Police, in Kansas, issued a public service message to those whose Halloween fancy dress outfit obscured their face.

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Remember if ur costume has a mask tomorrow, take it off before you go into the bank, gas station, etc. Just the mask, not the whole costume, the department tweeted.

Because the first half of the message could be read to mean ditch the entire costume it quickly posted a cheeky addendum with a dancing stick figure.

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When a few of the departments followers challenged if it really was against the law to be naked, the canny social media team quickly shut them down.

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And when one person asked what would happen if scores of people were naked, the police suggested arrests would follow.

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Lawrence Police are known for their fun attitude on social media as seen in their involvement in the first of all meme.

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People praised the police for their latest take.
It pays Peers to just turn up to the House of Lords, even if they dont take part in debates

A number of lazy, greedy and covetous members of the House of Lords are indulging in what is no less than highway robbery of taxpayers' hard-earned cash.

A new report shows that 16 of them - who are supposed to be helping run the country - are instead running off with the 300-a-day attendance allowance without making a single contribution to the vital work of the Upper Chamber.

Between them, the 16 lords claimed almost 400,000 of taxpayers' cash in the last year.

Labour peer Lord Kirkhill trousered the most, with 43,896, followed by Baroness Adams on 41,287.

The news comes just weeks after the revelation that 115 lords claimed 1.3m in the past year - despite not speaking once in the Upper Chamber.

Amazingly, their shameful conduct is well within the rules.

They are not required to speak to claim their 300 allowance and, in the eyes of those who manage the House of Lords, they have done nothing wrong.

It's a scandal that should be addressed immediately.

My suspicion, however, is that it will linger on, enabling these people to continue to trouser large sums of money for doing absolutely nothing.

The report shows that the 16 have claimed, over a given period, 399,137 - and without tabling any questions, or sitting on one of the committees, either.

All they need to do is to show their face in the building and, once satisfied that their presence has been "clocked" by the relevant clerk, they can simply depart and wait for the cash to fall into their grasping hands.

Admittedly, it is a ludicrously lax arrangement, but, even so, you would not expect our legislators to behave in this shameful manner.

Have they learned nothing from the 2009 MPs' expenses scandal in the Commons?

It is, surely, a simple enough matter for rules to be tightened to put a stop to this purloining of public money?

Hanky-panky in the House of Commons? Or "rumpy-pumpy", as the late great Lord (Denis) Healey would have preferred to put it?

The latest "disclosures" have sent shockwaves through Westminster, causing much wringing of hands and anguished cries of disapproval.

I cannot think why - because it has been going on for donkeys' years.

Listen to what former Tory MP Edwina Currie (and she should know) had to say some time ago: "There is an inexhaustible supply. No one needs to pay for sex. It is stalking the corridors of power, hitching up its skirt, delighted to be asked. And wives who try to forget it are nuts."

Here are just a few of the examples: Right-wing Tory MP Sir Ronald Bell reportedly actually expired while pleasuring his secretary in his Commons office one Saturday morning.

The late Labour MP Ron Brown took a shower in the Commons with someone who caught his eye. The identity of his companion, as they frolicked amid the soap suds, was never properly confirmed. And there was Edwina Currie and John Major, a masterclass in keeping an affair secret for so long, and Lord (Paddy) Ashdown's fling with his secretary, to mention but a few examples.

Westminster's equivalent to the "mile high club" is to have had "it" on the Woolsack in the House of Lords. It is not as comfortable as it may sound, because it is stuffed with horsehair.

I know of no one who has achieved this, but then you would never boast about it for fear of being expelled from the premises.

The UK Brexit team and its Brussels equivalent are tying themselves into ever more complex Gordian knots, as they continue to do battle over the UK's decision to quit the EU.

The Brussels negotiators are hell-bent on fining the UK a vast sum of money over the decision to quit.

This is almost certainly meant as a deterrent to any other member-state considering leaving.

But why should we pay even a penny for doing something which is entirely within our rights to do?

I trust the British team will not surrender to these grasping Brussels grandees.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister still has to contend with rebellious Tory Remainers, who still refuse to accept the referendum result - even though the arch-Europhile Kenneth Clarke admits it now seems inevitable that the UK will leave.
The construction industry in Northern Ireland has hit out at a harmful lack of governance after a deadline lapsed for re-establishing an Executive.

Construction Employers Federation chief John Armstrong said the industry believed that the political impasse has gone on for far too long.

With decisions having been put off, some projects stalled, confusion around the expenditure of elements of the capital budget, and policy formulation having been drastically curtailed, there is a significant and increasingly harmful lack of governance within Northern Ireland, he said.

Calling on Secretary of State James Brokenshire to bring clarity, he added: Decisions need to be prioritised and taken, and a clear and accountable way of government taking these decisions needs to be established.

Our preference is, of course, the establishment of a NI Executive. However, failing that, we need to move to a position where the functions of government can be exercised in a way that any other part of these islands would expect as a matter of course.

Mr Armstrong added that the Executives flagship schemes, alongside the bread and butter work of construction firms such as roads maintenance, need attention from a devolved government.

Additionally, we also face a huge choice over the coming three years, he said.

The Executives flagship schemes stand on their very clear economic merits. However, a balance must be struck in budgetary planning between how much resource is spent on these and other areas, such as roads maintenance, so as to avoid a massive cliff edge for the vast majority of firms not engaged on the flagship projects.

That balance requires difficult choices to be considered and taken at devolved government level and, clearly, we are currently not in a position to debate these challenges never mind take decisions.

Among the flagship schemes are the A6 Randalstown to Castledawson (currently on site), A6 Londonderry to Dungiven (at tender stage), the A5 phase 1, north of Strabane (due to begin early in 2018) and the Belfast Transport Hub, which should be on site in 2019 following a tender process.

Mr Armstrong said a lack of government has added stress to already burdened civil servants, who, beyond the flagship schemes, require political direction for future infrastructure planning.

He added: On budgetary issues, not only do we still not have a budget for 2017/18 but we also face into a situation where, for the next three financial years to 2021, we know exactly how much we can spend on infrastructure works but have absolutely no clarity on how, beyond the flagship projects, it will be spent.

Politicians across the spectrum would do well to remember that the lifeblood of many of our construction companies, their staff and, ultimately, politicians constituents are the very infrastructure schemes in education, health, roads and housing which currently have, beyond March, not a single penny of money earmarked.
Linda, you go to church. Why are we seeing all these pictures of historical men and signs about the reformation? Is this some big deal?

Actually, yes, It is a big deal in the Protestant church. Tuesday marks the 500th anniversary of when a young monk named Martin Luther helped spawn a 16th century political, cultural, intellectual and religious upheaval. He, along with other reformers of his day like John Calvin, challenged papal authority and questioned the Catholic Churchs defining of Christian practice. Luther posted his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. These were expressions of Luthers deep concern with Church doctrine. He hoped for a debate as he thought what the Catholic Church was teaching (e.g., buying your way into heaven) was different than the teachings of Christ.

Now, I am not a theologian and I dont play one on TV, so I simply want to give you my take on why we should care about what happened 500 years ago. How is it relevant today?

The heart of our personal relationship with God is the doctrine of being justified by faith alone. Man is not reconciled to God by any of mans efforts. Salvation comes though faith, not works. Psalm 130: 3 & 4 say, If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.

In other words, we are sinners and without Christ, we would not be able to stand before God. Christ paid the price for our sins to make us the righteousness of God. Because of Christ, the verdict on us as sinners is not guilty. Someone (Christ) justified us. And this happens by faith alone. A holy God gives guilty or sinful man a verdict of innocent. When we receive Christ (salvation), it is His work on the cross that justifies us, not our own. This is grace. We cannot live a life acceptable to Godnothing we do makes us worthy enough to earn our salvation.

The application? Stop trying to work your way in to being a good Christian! Turn from your self-trust to trust in God. What a difference that would make in our lives. No more striving No more working for His acceptance.

While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us and predestined us through adoption (Ephesians 1:5). He first loved us. We are not the starting point of love. We are to turn from trusting in our own effort. Rather, trust Him, through Christ alone. When we understand that we are justified by faith through Christ alone, it takes away all self-effort. It causes us to rest in Him and be thankful for His grace. No matter how good you are, you cant work your way into heaven or stay away from sin. We are justified by faith alone through Christ.
Police officials from Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei and Interpol pose for photographers during the media launch of Operation Maharlika, in Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia, Oct. 31, 2017.

Police forces from Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Brunei will work with Interpol to catch foreign militants trying to infiltrate their common borders, when they launch a two-week joint operation Wednesday, officials said.

The nations will use a database of 75 million people, including suspected terrorists, provided by the France-based International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).

Asia, like every region in the world, has been and continues to be a target of terrorists, Harald Arm, Interpols director of operational support and analysis, told reporters Tuesday during a media event in Sandakan, Malaysia, kicking off Operation Maharlika.

Maharlika means free man in ancient Filipino.

All four nations share territory on Borneo island, which lies close to the southern Philippines where fighters linked to the Islamic State (IS) were locked in a five-month battle with government forces in the city of Marawi until last week. More than 1,200 people were killed since fighting broke out on May 23.

Operations such as Maharlika are one of the ways in which Interpol works for member countries to help them secure their borders and prevent the movement of terrorists and materials that could be used in attacks, he said.

The operation would be crucial in streamlining efforts among member countries, Arm added.

Interpol database contains 75 million records and, in 2016, some 3 billion checks were made, Arm said. Today, Interpol database is being checked 200 times per second.

He said access to the Interpol database would allow the participating nations to obtain information on terrorism activities in the region.

More than 1,200 people were killed in the fighting in Marawi. The battle broke out when Philippine forces moved to arrest Isnilon Hapilon, a Filipino leader of the Abu Sayyaf militant group who was also the declared chief of the IS branch in Southeast Asia.

He and his fighters were backed by foreign militants, including citizens of Malaysia and Indonesia, the Philippine military said. Hapilon was killed during the last days of fighting, as was Mahmud Ahmad, a top Malaysian militant leader and former university professor.

The fighting, which included daily bombing runs by the military, devastated the scenic lakeside city of 200,000 people.

Gadgetry and databases

During Maharlika, the four national police forces will carry out operations within their respective territories with training and equipment support from Interpol, said Zulkifli Abdullah, who directs the Malaysian polices Internal Security and Public Order division.

The effort aims to prevent foreign militants from moving within the region, he said.

Interpol will provide equipment that contains data on individuals, allowing law-enforcement officials to check a persons criminal record on the spot, he said.

We will know whether the person is wanted in the country or elsewhere, Zulkifli said.

The operation, Zulkifli said, is to cover airports, sea and land borders. Results are to be discussed during a meeting of government representatives at the end of the year.

We cant talk in specifics about how the operation is going to work. We cant disclose our operation, Zulkifli told reporters.

Zulkifli said the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZONE) would be the main focus of the operation in Malaysia.

If the operation is successful, we will review it and may continue it in the future. If theres a cross-border entry of foreign terrorists, we will share the information in real time, he added.

Earlier this month, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines launched the Trilateral Air Patrol (TAP), to bolster a similar maritime effort that aims to rid their shared borders of threats from IS-linked extremists.

No country is safe from the clutches of Islamic State. But today we have sent a signal that if you touch any one of us, we will face you head-on together, Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein told reporters during the TAPs launch in Subang, Malaysia.
Indian protesters in New Delhi hold signs as they denounce Islamic scholar Zakir Naik, July 18, 2016.

Malaysia will not arrest a controversial Muslim televangelist from India who has been granted permanent residency unless he is involved in terrorist activities or breaks any local laws, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi assured parliamentarians on Tuesday.

Preacher Zakir Naik legally obtained a permanent resident I.D. card from the National Registration Department based on an entry pass issued by the immigration department, Zahid said in a written response to questions from opposition MP Teresa Kok Suh Sim.

She asked whether Naik, who is the subject of criminal charges in India, received special treatment or was offered citizenship.

Throughout his stay in the country, Zakir Naik has never flouted any law. Therefore, there is no reason in terms of legal provisions to detain or arrest him, Zahid said, adding that the preacher had not received any special treatment in Malaysia.

The home minister also responded that officials were waiting to hear from their Indian counterparts.

The Malaysian government has yet to receive any official request from the India government on alleged terrorism offenses involving Zakir Naik, Hamidi said. Nevertheless, the government has always monitored Zakirs activities in the country and will take action against him if he is found to be involved in terror activities.

Despite Hamidis assurance that the preacher was being monitored, Naik is not in the country, an immigration officer who asked to remain anonymous told BenarNews.

Singapore bans two Muslims clerics

Also on Tuesday, the Malaysian deputy minister said that the government would not bar two other controversial Muslim preachers, Malaysian Haslin bin Baharim and Zimbabwean Ismail Menk from delivering sermons in Malaysia.

Zahid made the comment a day after the Singaporean home ministry banned the two preachers from entering the city-state that borders Malaysia, saying their preaching could foment social discord in Singapore, which is also a multi-racial and multi-religious nation.

So far, these two religious speakers have not suggested anything that goes against our understanding of cultural and religious diversity to the point of causing social, racial and religious tensions in Malaysia, Malaysias state-run Bernama news agency quoted Zahid as saying.

Thus far, Malaysia is satisfied with what they are doing and does not intend to take similar action as they are not wrong in our eyes, he said.

Singapores assessment of the two hardline preachers contrasted sharply with Zahids comments.

Menk preaches segregationist and divisive teachings, such as claiming that it is a sin for Muslims to wish Christians a Merry Christmas or to wish Hindus a Happy Deepavali (Divali), and Baharim has promoted disharmony by describing non-Muslims as deviant, Singaporean home ministry officials said in a statement.

Such divisive views breed intolerance and exclusivist practices that will damage social harmony, and cause communities to drift apart. They are unacceptable in the context of Singapore's multi-racial and multi-religious society, the ministry said on Monday.

Charge-sheet against Naik

An Indian official had previously said that Naik was believed to be traveling between the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia. The preacher left India a month before terrorists attacked a cafe in Dhaka, Bangladesh in July 2016, officials said.

In July, Naik cancelled a scheduled appearance at a gathering of Muslim scholars in Malaysias Kelantan state after India revoked his passport.

Naiks inflammatory speeches allegedly inspired some of the militants who carried out the siege at the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in Dhaka. Twenty-nine people, including 20 hostages and five gunmen, were killed during the overnight attack claimed by the extremist group Islamic State.

Last week, the Indian government filed a 61-page charge sheet against Naik alleging he was involved in a criminal conspiracy by lauding terrorist organizations. Officials announced plans to ask Interpol to help find him.

Indias National Investigation Agency also accused Naik of giving sermons through his Peace TV channel that praised the late al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, supported suicide attacks by militants and denounced Hindu gods.

Naiks now-forbidden Mumbai-based NGO Islamic Research Foundation partly funded the channel that is banned in India, Bangladesh and several other countries.

Hata Wahari in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report.
While the event happens deep in rural parts of Berkeley County, it is no less important. It started over two decades ago by a woman once paralyzed from a tumor on her spine. She later beat back the disability enough to walk and get back to work and life. Read moreAnnual Kids Day is back on in Berkeley County
For Immediate Release, October 31, 2017 Contacts: Catherine Kilduff, Center for Biological Diversity, (530) 304-7258, ckilduff@biologicaldiversity.org

Cassie Burdyshaw, Turtle Island Restoration Network, (513) 292-3101, cburdyshaw@tirn.net Whales, Sea Turtles Threatened by Trump Administration Proposal to Federalize West Coast Drift Gillnet Fishery WASHINGTON The Trump administration proposed a rule today to federalize regulation of drift gillnets used to catch swordfish on the West Coast. The rule would end Californias right to prevent the deadly entanglements of sea turtles, whales and dolphins in these underwater, mile-long nets. The Obama administration last year proposed a rule that would shut down the fishery for two years if two large whales or sea turtles were harmed by the nets, but the Trump administration withdrew that proposed rule in June. Legislation to phase out drift gillnets was introduced in California in 2014 and 2016, and the new federal rule would preempt such efforts in the future. The Trump administration is seizing control of this fishery to stymie efforts to protect sea turtles, whales and dolphins from these deadly nets, said Catherine Kilduff, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. This cynical move perpetuates the status quo. Leatherback sea turtles, humpback whales and sperm whales have to dodge this dirty fishery when they need to feed in the rich waters off California. The new proposal to federalize oversight was recommended in March by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, which manages fisheries in California, Oregon and Washington. The recommendation was opposed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) and a coalition of more than 15 environmental groups, including Turtle Island Restoration Network and the Center. Trumps move to federalize the drift gillnet fishery is irresponsible and puts reasonable resource management and the well-being of our ocean ecosystem at serious risk, said Cassie Burdyshaw, advocacy and policy director at Turtle Island Restoration Network. Drift gillnets are walls of death that need to be phased out, not shielded from reasonable state regulations.
LAGOS, Nigeria - Speaking on the role of the media in the New Urban Agenda, the national information officer of UNIC, Oluseyi Soremekun, called on the media to drive the new narratives about urban development in Nigeria by getting acquainted with the New Urban Agenda (NUA) as well as relevant policies and plans of the government on housing and urban development.

 Igor Groshev via 123RF

Following Habitat III, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, which took place in Quito Ecuador 2016, and the emerging need to further build the capacity of the media in reporting Housing and sustainable urban development, the UN Information Centre (UNIC) Lagos and the UN-Habitat Nigeria have organised a Media Workshop on Post-Habitat III Conference/ New Urban Agenda.

If you are not conversant with the necessary NUA frameworks; the National Housing Policy as well as other National Plans, you cannot hold the government accountable to its commitment to a new urban agenda that will redress the way cities and human settlements are planned, financed, developed, governed and managed, he noted.

Media should give prominence to the issues of sustainable housing, urban development and slum upgrading, Soremekun said.

Media should rise above sensationalising and politicising issues of urban development. Rather, they should interrogate the existing housing and urban development policy and plan and juxtapose these with government actions.

Media should give prominence to the issues of sustainable housing, urban development and slum upgrading

Urban Agenda sets global standards of achievement in sustainable urban development, rethinking the way we build, manage, and live in cities through cooperation.



The workshop held on Thursday 26 October 2017 in Abuja, and attended by 25 participants from the media, Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing (FMPWH) and the UN system, was aimed at strengthening awareness among journalists and media professionals of the challenges of urbanisation and the global efforts to address them, notably the outcomes of the Habitat III conference in Quito; developing the capacity of journalists to engage constructively with policy makers, professionals and government functionaries to actively follow-up on implementation of the New Urban Agenda; and facilitating citizens participation in the New Urban Agenda.

In his presentation, the program manager of UN-Habitat Nigeria, Kabir Yari explained that the New Urban Agenda is an action-oriented document which sets global standards of achievement in sustainable urban development, rethinking the way we build, manage, and live in cities through cooperation with all levels of government, relevant stakeholders, and other urban actors such as the private sector.

He noted that the agenda also provides the underpinning for actions to address climate change and reaffirms our global commitment to sustainable urban development as a critical step for realising sustainable development in an integrated and coordinated manner."

Yari added that the shared vision and commitments include: Cities and human settlements must be for every one; referred as the right to the city. It entails equal rights including the right to adequate housing; gender equality, basic urban services etc.; urban equity and inclusiveness leaving no one behind and addressing issues of poverty, deprivation in cities, socio-economic and cultural diversity.

Discussing the Challenges and Response to Urbanisation in Nigeria, the director of urban and regional development (URD) Department, Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing (FMPWH), LC Anikamadu, explained that Nigeria boasts of more than 10 regional centres which have established status of millionaire cities. In addition, she has several other fast growing population centres which have assumed very strong urban identity due to administrative, commercial, ethnic, transport connectivity and other intrinsic peculiarities.

Anikamadu noted that as urbanisation creates hordes of cities and townships, several intimidating challenges of different shades follow in its wake. Perhaps most significantly, urbanisation has created a huge class of urban poor who live in unimaginable conditions, abject misery and lack of basic necessities of life.
South African chicken franchise Zebro's has refreshed its corporate identity with a new logo and store look.

Zebros started in the 90s and grew from a small store in Caledon to over 54 stores across South Africa. The brands popularity rests on its coal-braaied chicken and unique basting sauce.

The company chose to return to its Cape roots with the unveiling of its first new-look store in Stellenbosch last week.

Every brand goes through a period of reflection that requires business owners to assess their standing in the market, says Jan de Beer, managing executive for Zebros. The revamp follows a shift in strategic direction for the brand.

Chicken is the largest and most competitive category in quick-service restaurants (QSR). Consumers are bombarded with a lot of different messaging and in tough economic times, they think carefully before parting with their hard-earned rands.

There has been a big change in how consumers view brands and perceive value. We asked ourselves the questions: Are we relevant? Are we connecting with consumers? Do we add real value to a consumer, not only in price but in product quality and a differentiated customer experience?

The logo and slogan make explicit reference to the fact that the chicken is braaied and not fried or flame-grilled, while the store design aims for a contemporary and relaxed feel, according to the company.

The refreshed look is aligned to our brands mission and showcases the wide variety of value meals, including a range of salads and family meal options, says de Beer.
Many South African English speakers definitely lose out by not communicating, or even taking in, other languages. The rest of the people in this country often speak three or more languages, whereas we English-speakers expect everyone to speak to us in our language... and then to do so properly.

In the case of Afrikaans, English-speakers miss out on a lot of very interesting content in newspapers, on TV and on radio. And, I admit, I am lazy that way: I have to remind myself every so often to go on to SABC2 or KykNet and take in an Afrikaans programme or two.

Afrikaans advertising has, for the same reason, often been ignored by the greater marketing industry, which is largely dominated by white, English speakers.

Quite a few years ago now, the Pendoring Awards were created to recognise Afrikaans-language advertising, which was not being reflected in the Loeries ad awards at the time. Pendorings have become sought-after awards and, over the years, have highlighted some really great advertising  not just great Afrikaans advertising, but great advertising full stop.

The awards themselves have produced their own memorable ads, including one about 10 years or so ago, when black ink poured out of a moutha snort of film noir-type point about creativitys different outlets.

Being different  and taking a bit of a chance when it comes to using sensitive material  is what won Y&R Cape Town and 7Films a special Pendoring last week for their TV ad for the Western Cape governments road safety campaign.

There have been a number of different spots for the campaign and they have used a range of methods  from shock to humour  to get across various points about safe driving.

The Pendoring-winning ad, titled 'Everybody knows', takes place in what is clearly the gang-riddled Cape Flats. A group of gangsters is sitting around, gambling and drinking heavily, their guns readily available. Someone rushes in with what is clearly bad news and the gangsters all grab their guns and rush to go and exact revenge.

They all pile into the car and realise no one is in the drivers seat. The conversation bounces around the car in the best township Afrikaans as they all realise theyre drunk and that the cope are all over the place breathalysing people..

The gang leader decides it: Gentelmen! Lets take a taxi!

The punchline is that 'everybody knows' it is illegal to drive when youre drunk and that youll get caught.

Its funny and the humour helps elevate the apparently grim content and make a great public service point.

I know its not quite Pendoring Award, but Y&R and 7 Films, you get an Orchid from me.

The interesting thing is that, after the Pendorings had been handed out, police minister Fikile Mbalula went on a rave, threatening the makers of fake videos of gangland violence. The one 'Mbaks' had a go at was so obviously faked that no serious cop would take it seriously yet the minister did, claiming those guilty of producing the videos would be brought to book for defeating the ends of justice.

No, you cannot make up this stuff. I suppose its fortunate Mbaks never saw the Pendoring winner, because he could well have swooped on Y&R and 7 Films

And now, even more from the You cant make this up marketing department. Colleague Linden Birns popped into his local Romans pizza outlet in Cape Town recently, looking to get himself a medium pizza for lunch.

You cant have one, he was told. The special is for two. He asked a few times, emphasising he only wanted one. No can do, was the responseso Linden walked into the Woolies next door and bought himself a sandwich.

Of course, the world being what it is, Lindens experience, when posted on Facebook, generated many comments, most of them disparaging, about customer service at Romans Pizza. The common theme was that this cavalier approach to customer service  and marketing inflexibility  is commonplace in modern-day South Africa where our national marketing motto seems to be: The answers No! Now, whats the question?

The Facebook had a sequel a few days later, when Linden was contacted by someone from the social media team handling Romans activities online. Then he was contacted by some from the customer service department, or some such, of Romans Pizza.

After a bit, she asked him what size pizza he had ordered, and Linden replied that it was the medium one.

Oh well, then, that explains it, she said (or words to that effect).

You cant order only one of those

True story.

Lindens comment was that he could see why Romans was so empty.

Todays Onion special means Romans gets two: one for alienating a customer and the second for making it worse with their inflexibility.

And sorry, you cant have just one
Global healthcare leaders have learned that the three pivotal pillars of healthcare - accessibility, effectiveness and affordability - all have information technology at their core.

Vukani Mngxati, managing director for healthcare and public sector practice, Accenture South Africa

We know this: many South Africans arent receiving an acceptable level or quality of healthcare. Any workable, effective solution to the situation the country faces must, first of all, be responsive to those citizens wants and needs. It must be people-centric. Reform is only successful if people receive (and perceive) value.

From experiences in other countries, we know that, in general, citizens want healthcare that is, fundamentally, of a good quality. They want access to information, too  in order to better plan their lives. Most of all, people want a system that feels compassionate.

The three pillars of healthcare

Although the pillars are universal, what changes from country to country is the importance placed on each factor based on the countrys specific set of circumstances.

In the United States, for example, affordability is key. In Europe, effectiveness (quality of care) is often considered uppermost. Here in South Africa  as in many other emerging markets  access to healthcare services is our most critical issue.

The debate around what policies, funding and governance models are best suited to the South African healthcare context is ongoing. The NHI (National Health Insurance system) is the solutions put forward by government.

While deliberations may continue for some time over what policy is best, there is no disagreement in this regard: both access to and quality of care in the country are lacking.

Right now, healthcare leaders need to focus on the role digitisation will play in the journey towards improving healthcare access and effectiveness, no matter what solution is eventually put in place.

Digitisation & information

As a first step, digital technology means that critical healthcare information can be collected, analysed and shared. All intelligent decision making requires information  without it, paralysis results. From a healthcare planning perspective, it is impossible to accurately budget for healthcare at either the provincial or national levels without the right information. More basically, it is impossible to assess what the countrys real healthcare needs are  or to know whether the budget is suitable for those needs.

Providing effective healthcare also means understanding every individual patient and his or her medical history. An effective, digitised means of collecting, analysing, storing and confidentially sharing that information among healthcare providers is necessary for improving the care patients receive.

Digitisation & access

While the South African situation is acute, all countries  even developed nations  struggle with issues of healthcare access.

Having instituted their own reforms, leaders in other countries have learned that digital technology is a critical enabler of healthcare access. No country can solve all its access issues by simply training more people. A global truth is that physicians tend to gravitate to cities, leaving rural areas without required skills. Technology means, however, that a physician can provide care without physically being at that location. India, for example, uses telemedicine widely to project expert care out to rural areas.

In South Africa, the demand for healthcare services is simply growing faster than the supply. However, digital technology can be used to enable the healthcare system to care for more people  and to care for them better.

There are three primary ways that digital information technology can improve access to healthcare.

By moving healthcare work to local workforces  community healthcare workers can, for example, be empowered with tools that allow them to conduct simple tests such as taking blood sugar readings, meaning citizens in rural areas dont need to travel to clinics for these tests.

By moving work to citizens themselves  in other words, by increasing the amount of self-service and self-care citizens engage in.

By moving work so that citizens can care for, assist and educate one another.

Towards access, efficiency and affordability

What ultimate form healthcare reform in South Africa will take is, at this stage, unknown. What is known is that digital information technology must form the basis of that change.

A large part of the task South Africa faces currently is simply the need to digitise healthcare information, so that this data can be collected, analysed and shared.

The result: better decision making  budgets, strategic purchasing decisions and governance can all benefit from the guiding hand of tech. Access to medical histories also improves the care patients receive.

The second element is allowing the healthcare system to serve more people  something digital tools can facilitate.

South Africas healthcare leaders neednt decide on the shape reform takes before they implement a digital strategy. In fact  that digital launchpad must be in place before to fast track healthcare transformation.
Ten illegal liquor outlets that were found to be operating without licences were shut down during a blitz inspection operation that took place in Kuruman and surrounding areas this weekend. The shutdown was part of a joint-operation comprising the National Liquor Authority (NLA) of the Department of Trade and Industry (the DTI) in partnership with the Northern Cape Liquor Board and the South African Police Services (SAPS).

The operation inspected 70 liquor outlets, and 40 were issued with compliance notices for contravening the countrys liquor laws. Fines to the value of R5,000 were issued and more than 860 litres of liquor were confiscated by the SAPS officers. Liquor outlets ranging from taverns, restaurants and distributors were raided in Kuruman, Mothibistad, Batlharos and Kathu.

According to liquor inspector of the Northern Cape Liquor Board, Mpho Bhunu, the inspection blitz was meant to address the increasing number of underage drinking, non-adherence to the licence conditions, violation of trading hours and to enforce compliance among liquor traders and distributors.

Liquor outlets showing a blatant disregard of the Liquor Act and irresponsible trading will be prosecuted. Non-compliance relates to the selling of liquor to minors, selling after official trading hours, selling to already intoxicated patrons and pregnant women, and selling of liquor for consumption other than on the licensed premises, said Bhunu.

He added that they were made aware of the mushrooming of illegal taverns in these areas and the increasing levels of alcohol abuse. Our office uses targeted interventions such as blitz operations as an opportunity to urge people to take responsibility for their lives by refraining from drinking irresponsibly. To those people who trade illegally, they are encouraged to come to the Liquor Board offices and enquire about processes of attaining a liquor license or face the wrath of the law, said Bhunu.

Colonel Sello Motau of the National SAPS Liquor Control Office said that there were continuous reports of many accounts in the areas visited, where young people were increasingly falling prey to alcohol and substance abuse. It goes without saying that alcohol abuse is a contributing factor to social ills experienced. We must ensure that traders and consumers of alcohol adhere to compliance with the laws designed to bring about responsible liquor trading and consumption, added Motau.
In the public relations (PR) industry, there is a constant debate about the value of hiring a PR employee or outsourcing a PR consultancy. It is clear why most PR employees would vouch for the former and PR consultants for the latter; job security is paramount.

As a public relations professional (PRP), I have experienced all the scenarios; being the in-house PR representative, having worked with outsourced PR consultancies, and now operating independently as a PR consultant.

It would be in my best interest to vouch for PR consultancies, and why they should be a companys sole PR representation. However, that would not be an objective statement to make and would be an injustice to the PR industry where the sole role of a PRP is to act with integrity and honesty towards clients who depend on their professional direction to help them maintain the reputation of their organisations.

Digital media continues to grow extensively where the publication of news and opinions are no longer just limited to media professionals, but extends to the public. Anyone can publish whatever they want on almost any online platform without taking the journalistic guidelines into consideration.

Importance of reputation management

Reputation management has never been more important and more difficult than it is now, and the support of a qualified and professional PRP, whether in-house or from a consultancy, has become indispensable.

PRPs are trained in understanding various audiences and using communication effectively to manage difficult conversations with stakeholders. Many small to medium size businesses and even large enterprises still view the services of Public Relations Practitioners (PRPs) as a nice-to-have and not a must-have. A lack of understanding of the PR function results in many companies only hiring PRPs when faced with a disaster, instead of hiring them to manage and control possible hazards, thus preventing future disasters and crisis situations.

Both in-house PR teams and PR consultancies have a vital role to play. Consultancies can fill a gap by providing the additional skills or resources lacking within the in-house PR team and can support and complement the existing PR activities of the company. However, only an in-house PR team can provide companies with the PR foundation that is needed in all organisations in the 21st century.

Below are five reasons why all companies should have an in-house PRP or PR Team:

1. They serve as company and product experts

The in-house PRPs are privy to private and sometimes sensitive company information, information that is not and cannot always be shared with a PR consultancy. Having all the information at hand, allows for the employee to make informed decisions with all the information at hand. And in cases where the employee works with a consultancy, they can guide the consultancy in the right direction without disclosing private company information.

2. They serve as experts on the unique PR needs of the company

The in-house PRP is not only an industry expert, they also have in-depth knowledge and understanding of the companys product, services and brand identity. A PR consultancy wont have the same abundant knowledge of a companys DNA, because consultancies work with varied brands and depend on the limited information provided to them by their clients and the external (and often edited) information available to them. The in-depth knowledge of the in-house PRP coupled with the additional resources and skills provided by the consultancy can assist the company in covering more ground with their PR activities. The in-house PRP also serves as source of knowledge to whom the PR consultancy can refer for guidance.

3. They represent one brand

In-house PRPs are the in-house representatives for one brand only  the company where they are employed. This should be a crucial factor for companies to consider. When your company is in hot water, you want to be able to turn to someone immediately, someone whose sole responsibility and interest is your companys reputation. PR consultancies can provide the PR employee with their objective viewpoint (their outside perspective) to assist in balancing the response during a crisis.

4. They use their Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) as the benchmark

The KPIs of the PR employee is, or rather should be, directly linked to the companys strategic goals, and all their PR activities should be in alignment with these KPIs. Hiring a PR consultancy without having an in-house PRP means that the PR consultancy will be managed by someone who most probably does not understand public relations. The marketing, sales or events managers are often placed in charge of managing the PR consultancy, and although they might be subject experts of their own line of work, PR is a specialised skill which is often misunderstood by other function managers in the organisation. The PR consultancies are therefore not optimally utilised, and are tasked with duties that do not necessarily support the PR-specific strategic goals of the company.

5. They bring it all together

In-house PRPs constantly remind company role players about the importance of relationships, and managing all company stakeholder relationships with sensitivity, including internal and external. They provide daily reminders of how various company activities and omissions impact the company reputation, regardless of the department in which those activities and omissions occur. In-house PRPs bring it all together and they keep it all together by advocating for the PR function in the organisation, something a PR consultancy is unable to do simply because they are not at the company every working hour. The in-house PRP can serve as a valuable source of direction and information to PR consultancies when the consultancy is tasked with handling special PR projects. The PR employee will be able to articulate the unique PR challenges faced by the company which no one else will be able to do.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both in-house PRPs and PR consultants have a role to play in organisations. However, it is not practical to build a solid PR function for your company using only an external PR consultancy, but it is possible if you only had an in-house PRP.

There are increased benefits to having both an in-house PRP and a PR consultant as this will help your company cover more ground to get your message out.

If youre a big corporate and you have the budget, hiring both a PR employee or team, and consultancy would be the ideal way to go. Youll then build and retain internal PR knowledge and skill while having access to the expertise and resources of a consultancy that can fill the missing skills gap.

If your company is in the start-up phase, then a PR consultancy is the best route to follow, as your company may not have the capacity yet to employ an in-house PRP, and you probably only require smaller projects on an infrequent basis.

You need to decide what your company needs and can afford, the completion of once-off projects/gimmicks, or a PR foundation with long term benefits that protects your brand.
The South African Society for Animal Science (SASAS) has awarded Prof Kennedy Dzama of Stellenbosch University a silver medal for his work in evaluating the genetics of indigenous South African livestock species during the 50th SASAS congress.

Prof Kennedy Dzama

The SASAS Silver Medal is presented to animal scientists who contribute meaningfully to their discipline. The society strives to promote the discipline of animal science as a career and an industry on a national and international level.

Dzama is a distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Animal Sciences at Stellenbosch University. His ground-breaking research focuses especially on the genetic evaluation of indigenous South African livestock species. Some of his most recent work researched the Nguni breed, and specifically this cattle breeds ability to offer resistance against tick infestations.

Aligning animal science with the more complex and overarching issues

His research findings are instrumental in developing protocols, standards and policies for national and international organisations such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Center of Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development in Southern Africa (CCARDESA), the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), and the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). In the process, Dzama has trained several PhD and Masters students and published more than 150 peer-reviewed papers and conference proceedings.

Dzama said that he was honoured to be recognised by his peers and the animal science family at large. We have done many things but a lot still remains to be done. Of interest to me going forward is to align the field of animal science with the more complex and overarching issues like food security and climate change, he said.

Postgraduates excel

Postgraduate students of the Department of Animal Sciences also excelled at the 50th SASAS Congress. For the second time in a row, Daniel van der Merwe received the first prize for the best animal nutrition poster displayed at the congress. Alretha van Heerden, who is part of the South African Research Chair (SARChI) in Meat Science received the award for the best student presentation. Retha Engels, a Masters student who is also part of the SARChI Meat Science initiative, received a postgraduate bursary from the society as the best final year animal science student during 2016.
On Chinese Valentine's Day in Malaysia, women write their contact number on a mandarin and throw it into a river for men to retrieve as homage to ancient times when single women were not allowed to venture out of their homes, except on this day. The Vietnamese spend trillions of dong on buying imported oranges, and an awakening of the benefits of healthy living in China has caused a spike in orange juice consumption.

Hans via pixabay

The reasons for demand are many and varied compared with supply, which should be quick and simple. But it's not simple at all. Import tariffs, in place to protect domestic fruit producers, mean that Asia is experiencing a shortage of supply from citrus-producing countries in the southern hemisphere.

The way around that problem is a trade agreement, but SA has the lowest number of trade agreements among competing southern hemisphere suppliers to Asia.

SA's problematic position

Exacerbating this are setbacks such as SA's exclusion from the Vietnamese market due to a minor administrative error. When applying for continued market access during Vietnam's revision of its plant health regulations, SA stipulated the generic "citrus" instead of specifying the types of citrus for export. This resulted in all citrus fruit being excluded from the permit list. It is exasperating. The only potential meaningful trade agreement SA's citrus industry has is the Southern African Customs Union Plurilateral Agreement with India, which has been discussed for many years now without much progress.

SA is required to negotiate trade agreements with third parties as a bloc because the country is in the Southern African Customs Union with a common external tariff.

Southern hemisphere countries such as Chile, Peru and Australia enjoy trade agreements with up to nine Asian countries - a grave illustration of SA's problematic position. These countries enjoy partial and even free trade agreements, which are invaluable when it comes to maximising opportunities in a given market. They enjoy significant savings and are spared a lot of the bureaucracy that SA has to endure.

The absence of required trade agreements - compounded by restrictive import tariffs - makes seamless exports to countries like China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam much more difficult.

The continued quest for new markets

Like any progressive organisation, the Citrus Growers' Association of Southern Africa has a keen focus on the retention of markets and the continued quest for new ones.

Last October, Fruit SA (of which the association is a founder member) signed a memorandum of understanding with Wang Junbing, the secretary-general of the China EntryExit Inspection Authority and Quarantine Association.

The citrus industry hopes that this will make for more stress-free export to China, especially when it comes to the required paperwork. China's mainland and Hong Kong are the biggest importers of SA's citrus fruit in Asia, with Hong Kong and mainland China importing 120,000 tonnes of citrus fruit annually.

The Asia Fruit Logistica trade fair is an annual reminder of the vastness of the Asian fresh fruit market and the multitude of opportunities ripe for the picking. But these can only be fully maximised after trade barriers have been mitigated through appropriate trade agreements and entry negotiations. The government has been a great support to the local citrus industry and it was heartening to see a Department of Trade and Industry delegation at the 2017 Asia Fruit Logistica.

But we need to up the ante on initiating and concluding trade negotiations that will make for ease of trade. The Citrus Growers' Association's relationship-building and maintenance efforts with Asian countries cannot replace robust collaboration and effective communication between governments and industry to increase market share in Asia.

We've hardly scratched the surface

In 2017, SA has exported 1.8 million tonnes of citrus, with 300,000 tonnes destined for the Asian market. This makes the country the biggest southern hemisphere exporter of citrus to the Asian market by far, and one of the leading exporters of fresh fruit to this market.

Ordinarily, this would be ample reason for the South African fresh fruit industry to celebrate and even rest on its laurels. However, given our net export to Asia relative to our capacity, we've hardly scratched the surface.

Agriculture was recently hailed the fiscal hero that - as a major contributor - helped pull SA out of its technical recession, resulting in the country's 2.5% GDP growth in the second quarter. The sector grew 33% during the same period. As a supplier of 875,000 jobs, according to the Agricultural Business Chamber, the agricultural sector is integral to national economic growth.

Citrus industry's economic performance hinges heavily on export revenue

As a significant player in the sector, the citrus industry's economic performance hinges heavily on export revenue. This is exactly why we cannot afford to have tardiness around establishing beneficial trade agreements get in the way of growing our exports to the lucrative Asian market.

The Citrus Growers' Association, which clocks 20 years of experience, represents approximately 1,400 producers of export citrus throughout Southern Africa (including Zimbabwe and Swaziland). It is also home to the R17bn citrus industry, with 92% of revenue from exports. This revenue has enabled the industry to put bread on the tables of 71,500 South Africans, through on-farm jobs and many more in downstream activities. Imagine how much more we could do with key trade agreements in place.

On its own, the citrus industry is a small entity jostling for a piece of the fiercely competitive Asian market. But with more interventions and support from the government, this is an opportunity that can boost the industry and deliver sustainable jobs and opportunities.

Until then, our efforts are about as strategic as a mandarin tossed in the river.

Source: Business Day
Explore Data Science Academy launches in Cape Town

The burgeoning demand for data analytics in the digital economy far exceeds current supply. The Explore Data Science Academy, which recently launched in Cape Town, aims to meet this demand.

Through the academy, BCX will sponsor 300 interns over the next three years, as well as future-proofing executives in this scarce skill, through the provision of additional courses. The academy is believed to be the first institution in the country focused on data science. Founders of the newly launched Explore Data Science Academy (LTR): Shaun Dippnall, Aidan Helmbold, and Dave Strugnell. We chat to one of the founders, Aidan Helmbold, to find out more... What is the Explore Data Science Academy and why is there a need for something like this in South Africa? What is the Explore Data Science Academy and why is there a need for something like this in South Africa?

The Explore Data Science Academy aims to be South Africas leading educational institution focussed on training world-class data scientists. Our interns will graduate from us prepared to launch themselves into the growing, and in-demand, field of data science. Our promise is to produce high-quality interns who will be able to create meaningful change within corporate South Africa.

Data science, at its core, is about solving real-world problems. We will teach our interns how to solve these by applying the latest techniques - from prediction models and artificial intelligence - to the growing amount of data available in businesses.

Our design principle is to build an agile, digital, peer-to-peer, modern education programme that is Seta-accredited and teaches students new economy skills that current platforms do not offer. We are also extremely gratified to have the support of BCX as a founding sponsor of 100 interns annually over the next three years.

The acceleration of the digital economy means that every industry will need data science skills. There is currently an estimated global shortfall of around 2.9-million data scientists with many 1,000's required across corporate South Africa. We believe that this demand for data scientists will only continue to grow. This is why there is such a need for an academy such as ours to produce job-ready, appropriately skilled candidates for the corporate sector.

We see the academy playing a vital role in youth development and are privileged to be involved in this initiative that allows us to apply an entrepreneurial mindset to the challenges faced by todays youth.

Tell us a bit more about the founders Tell us a bit more about the founders

The Explore Data Science Academy was founded by me, Shaun Dippnall, and Dave Strugnell. We are all highly qualified data scientists with actuarial qualifications and experience in lecturing, research and consulting.

Strugnell was the former head of UCTs Division of Actuarial Science. Dippnall was previously an actuarial lecturer at UKZN, but more recently served as both a chief actuary and chief data scientist at some of the largest corporates in South Africa. Both myself and Strugnell have also held executive positions in our roles as actuaries and data scientists.

Can you explain to the average person on the street what data analytics is and why we need to train up more people with this skillset  especially in South Africa? Can you explain to the average person on the street what data analytics is and why we need to train up more people with this skillset  especially in South Africa?

Data science is the application of three core technical skills: statistics, programming, and problem-solving. The perfect technical solution, however, may not be enough to inspire sustainable change in the real world. We have therefore designed our academy to be a unique blend of the theory and practice  with course content based on the most cutting-edge research and techniques and presented in team-based projects to solve problems.

Ours is a unique, one-of-a-kind course in that it is free, practical, has real-world relevance and provides work experience. We also like the fact that it is open to anyone with aptitude.

By comparison, equivalent university programmes, such as a masters in data science, come at a significant cost to a student, which prevent many people from applying. They also tend to focus on theory rather than practical application.

The support from BCX allows our interns crucial access to real-world challenges. Whats more, the spectrum of programmes we offer, simulate the teamwork required when working with data in a corporate environment.

What courses or programmes will the training academy offer and what make it unique? What courses or programmes will the training academy offer and what make it unique?

Successful candidates will spend the year between the classroom, on-the-job training and team-based project work.

We designed a course that closely mirrors the demands of the workplace. Included in the curriculum are tools such as Python, Tableau, SQL and Scikit-learn, which are routinely required when building data science applications. We have also added job immersion and self-paced project work, which both involve team dynamics and interaction.

Our design principle is to build an agile, digital, peer-to-peer, modern education programme that is Seta-accredited and teaches students new economy skills that current platforms do not offer.

How will the internship programme work and how can someone apply? How will the internship programme work and how can someone apply?

Anyone from any background with an aptitude for mathematics, statistics, problem-solving and analytics may qualify for our course by taking an online aptitude test. This is available on our website.

While prior education and exposure to mathematics and computing will be an advantage, applicants will be selected primarily on their ability to complete an online aptitude test. The course will start in January 2018. Delegates can apply now at www.explore-datascience.net.
The arrival of international cruise liner, MSC Sinfonia, at the Port of Durban has marked the official start of the South African 2017/18 cruise season. The cruise liner, carrying 2,300 European and South African passengers, was welcomed with a tug spray, marimba band and traditional dancers.

MSC Sinfonia arrived at the Port of Durban on 30 October. (Image Supplied)

Growing cruise sector

The Port of Durban is scheduled to receive 13 cruise liners this season  up from eight which called at the port during the 2016/17 season. Transnet National Ports Authoritys Port Manager for the Port of Durban, Moshe Motlohi, said: It gives us great pleasure to welcome MSC Cruises and MSC Sinfonia back to her South African home port each year. We are also delighted to welcome some new operators and vessels to the port this season. These 13 vessels represent 11 cruise line companies that have shown confidence in Durban as a route this season  up from seven in 2016/17.

The 13 passenger liners scheduled to call at the Port of Durban this season are: Albatros (Phoenix Reisen), Boudicca (Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines), Crystal Symphony (Crystal Cruises), Europa 2 (Hapag-Lloyd Cruises), Insignia (Oceania Cruises), Le Lyrial (Compagnie du Ponant), Nautica (Oceania Cruises), Seabourn Sojourn (Seabourn Cruise Line), Serenissima (Noble Caledonia), Seven Seas Navigator (Regent Seven Seas Cruises), Silver Spirit (Silversea Cruises), MSC Sinfonia (MSC Cruises) and Seven Seas Voyager (Regent Seven Seas Cruises).

The global luxury cruise sector is one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry and has the potential to grow the economy and create jobs. Internationally the cruise market has grown from five million passengers to over 20 million passengers over the last 17 years.

Image Supplied

Passenger numbers at the Port of Durban have grown from 171,510 in 2015 to 209,712 in 2016. The port witnessed an increase of 22% in 2016 compared to 2015.

Durban a popular destination

Durban is a popular destination owing to its pleasant climate and beaches, close proximity to the two World Heritage Sites (Isimangaliso Wetland Park and Drakensberg), shore excursions, land programmes and promotion of wildlife experiences at nearby luxury game lodges.

Last year MSC Cruises Marketing Director, Alan Foggitt, said the cruise company would be replacing MSC Sinfonia in the 2018/19 season with the larger MSC Musica. MSC had also secured a new destination in northern Mozambique to include in its regional cruise schedule.

The South African cruise season typically runs from late October/early November to early May.
The fifth annual Lilizela Tourism Awards lit up the Sandton Convention Centre on 29 October, and featured a cross-section of South African tourism accommodation establishments, visitor experiences, tour operators, tour guides, emerging entrepreneurs and small businesses, which were toasted alongside several industry luminaries during an impressive awards ceremony that saw performances by the likes of Yvonne Chaka and Mafikizolo.

Media personalities Masechaba Ndlovu and Thapelo Mokoena were programme directors for the evening. The national Lilizela Tourism Awards were the culmination of the nine provincial ceremonies held across the country, which rewarded establishments in each of those areas.

Empowering business communities

Tourism minister, Tokozile Xasa paid special tribute to South Africas small tourism businesses. Some of the SMMEs that were finalists or scooped awards on the night had been beneficiaries of the National Department of Tourisms market access and enterprise development programmes.

You add diversity and new flavours to our tourism offering and you contribute to social cohesion and empower communities. You are entrepreneurs who are contributing to our economy, by creating jobs that feed families and nourish communities. You are the living embodiment of the inclusive, transformed economic growth that our country aspires to, said Xasa.

In addition to the awards handed out in a number of categories, Xasa also announced an unprecedented multiple recipients of this years Ministers Award to mark the five-year anniversary of the Lilizela Tourism Awards  the award recognises proudly South African organisations or individuals who, through sheer dedication and passion, have excelled in positioning the country as a tourism destination of choice, contributing to the vibrancy and growth of the sector.

This years recipients of the Ministers Award are:

Pioneers of township tourism

 Sheila Sekhitla owner of The View Guest House.

 Lily Mokoena owner of the Gaabo Motho Cultural Village.

 Lolo Monica Mabitsela owner of Mama Lolos Breakfast.

 Siza Mzimela an aviation expert with over twenty years of industry experience.

 Francina Zana owner of Exclusive Hospitality Concepts

 Vijayluxmi (VIJI) Pillay a professional tourist guide and tour operator

 The late Sindiswa Nhlumayo was honoured posthumously for her immense contribution to the tourism industry.

Xasa also unveiled a new public participation category for the Lilizela Tourism Award 2018, the We Do Tourism Award, where, in the spirit of asking South Africans to rally around tourism as a catalyst for inclusive economic growth, South Africans from all walks of life. Xasa also inducted Esther Mahlangu, South Africas world-renowned Ndebele artist and industrial design trailblazer, into the Lilizela Hall of Fame for being an exemplary global ambassador for South Africas indigenous arts and cultural heritage.

Tourism sector forges ahead

South African Tourisms chief executive officer, Sisa Ntshona, noted that it had not been an easy year for tourism, with natural disasters, a sluggish economy and other factors making the operating environment a difficult one to navigate. Despite these setbacks, our tourism industry has forged ahead with remarkable resilience and has insisted that it will be business as usual. You are true examples of what it means to do tourism  our movement that encourages South Africans to place tourism and the broader tourism economy at the heart of all they do. You are helping us to stand tall and proud as a tourism destination, said Ntshona

With one of South Africa largest tourist entry port, OR International Airport named after the late OR Tambo, a leader, unifier and advocate for social justice who would have turned 100 on Friday, Xasa acknowledged his contribution to South Africa and appealed to the tourism sector to band together.

Xasa called on larger players to mentor and motivate start-ups, and for more young people to be brought into the sector while empowering women leaders. We are all in this together. If South Africa can present a unified yet diverse and vibrant tourism offering to the world, then the sky is the limit for our industry.

Visit Lilizela Tourism Awards for the full list of winners.

The awards are adjudicated through public votes and by a panel of industry judges and are audited by Grant Thornton.
Airports Company SA (Acsa) hopes to fast-track security measures at Cape Town International Airport following a shootout about two weeks ago.

Licence-plate recognition, additional CCTV cameras and a specialised canine unit are among the initiatives Acsa wants to implement at the airport soon, with the help of the police.

Peter Titmuss via 123RF

The two entities - Acsa and SAPS - are working together to study measures and initiatives recently implemented at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, where a number of robberies and other contact crimes have taken place in the past year. "While the circumstances aren't identical, some of these [initiatives] could be implemented at Cape Town International," said Acsa spokesman Deidre Davids.

"We are considering accelerating the implementation of some of our planned projects. These include landside infrastructure improvements [to booms and fencing] and additional staff deployment."

She said that although SAPS was responsible for security at national key points, according to the Airports Company Act, the police and Acsa would collaborate to develop a security plan. "Management engages frequently with airport stakeholders on a range of operational and other matters," Davids said. "These included other security agencies, local, provincial and national government, airlines, tourism bodies, contractors and suppliers."

The airport's security came under the spotlight on October 18 when alleged Cape Town gang boss Jerome Booysen was the target of an assassination attempt at the entrance. He and another person were injured.

Source: The Times
Transport Month reminds us just how vital the transportation sector is to our economy and our growing nation. While there are certainly challenges that need to be addressed, such as the high road death toll during holidays, there is a great deal to be grateful for as we move towards integrating transport systems to provide mobility and accessibility to all South Africans.

 Diriye Amey via 123RF

Sustainable job creation and skills development

Before the dawn of democracy in 1994, South Africa lacked a reliable public transport system. The only modes of public transport were crowded commuter trains and a handful of minibus taxis.

Now, however, we have a public transport system that caters for millions of commuters, including a world-class, high-speed Gautrain, properly maintained roads, international airports to be proud of, and we also have vehicle manufacturing plants that have grown significantly over the years.

There are eight automotive brands manufacturing cars in the country and together, they have invested billions of rands in skills development and plant upgrades which enable the production of high-quality vehicles.

Mike Whitfield

Thousands of jobs have been created over the years and hundreds of people have received training all over the world in an effort to foster ongoing educational opportunities.

The South African government has been incredibly supportive of the automotive industry with programmes such as the Automotive Production and Development Programme and, in turn, the industry has provided opportunities for people from previously disadvantaged communities while also investing in original equipment manufacturers and other entrepreneurs in this sector.

In recent years, the local motoring industry suffered from a critical shortage of good engineers and this hampered carmakers ability to achieve their manufacturing goals while continuing to be competitive in a global context.

Nissan South Africas solution was the Nissan Graduate Development Programme, which initially started off with research at Nissans plants in Mexico and North America to establish a best-practice model. Since the programme started in 2012, it has produced 53 engineering graduates per year, of which 50% are women. It copied the programmes from its best plants and the results have been very promising because highly qualified engineers, who have valuable hands-on experience, are being produced.

Stimulating the economy

Major transport infrastructure developments cost billions of rands and are often the result of investments being made by both the public and private sectors.

The important aspect of these largescale projects is that they show confidence in South Africa and they stimulate the economy directly through jobs and indirectly through ongoing international investments that ensure new projects are given the green light.

In an effort to support black economic empowerment, Nissan recently introduced onsite suppliers to its Rosslyn plant to reduce logistics time and costs, and in the next few months, it plans to introduce an incubation centre to assist small, black-owned businesses to get into the automotive supply chain.

Upliftment of previously disadvantaged communities

Strategic investments in the transport sector over the years have transformed the quality of life of millions of people who were previously excluded from the economy. Now, there are reliable and safe transportation services that are enabling much-needed socio-economic development.

The government envisions that by 2020, more than 85% of the population of South African cities will be within a kilometre of an integrated rapid public transport network. The bus rapid transport (BRT) System, the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project and the Tshwane Rapid Transit System are already carrying hundreds of thousands of passengers per week, according to the City of Tshwane.

The long-term plan for the BRT system is for it to cover 330km and to stimulate urban regeneration by bringing underprivileged communities closer to economic opportunities.

Everything from economic growth to social services and personal ease of movement is dependent on transportation, so during this month, take the time to appreciate that we are lucky to live in a country that has grown immensely and that continues to provide opportunities for all South Africans.

As a major stakeholder, job creator and innovator in the transport sector, we are proud of the countrys achievements and is optimistic about South Africa and Africas ability to prosper well into the future.
Tuning the Vine's #InnerCityWineRoute will return to the Cape Town CBD from 5.30pm until 8.30pm on 8 November 2017.

More than 20 producers will be participating in this edition of the #InnerCityWineRoute. Participating venues include HQ, Burger & Lobster, Roast & Co, 91 Loop, Orphanage Cocktail Emporium, The Sneaky Sausage, Craft Burger Bar, Mink & Trout, Cabron Taco Bar, The Crazy Horse, Arcade, The Odyssey and The Station on Bree.

These venues will be offering wines by Flagstone, Warwick, MVH Signature Wines, Raats, Graham Beck, Rascallion, Arendsig, Lourensford, Steenberg, Glen Carlou, Zevenwacht, Signal Gun, Kleinood, Survivor Wines, Montpellier, Tierhoek, Little Big Wines, and Durbanville Hills, as well as tastings from Woodstock Gin and Uber Beverages.

Tickets cost R200 and are available via Quicket. Head to 91 Loop or The Station on Bree on the night to collect your wine glass, wristband and map before setting out on your tasting journey.

Visit www.tuningthevine.co.za for more details. Follow @TuningtheVine on Twitter and visit Facebook.com/TuningtheVine to join the conversation using #InnerCityWineRoute.
Jarrad Ricketts has been named as the winner of the third espYoungLegends 2018 online talent competition. As part of his prize, he will perform at the 19th annual Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) in March 2018.

Cape Town-based entertainer Jarrad Ricketts and the six-piece Afro-Fusion Sylvester Aklamavo & Miton Fusion Band (MFB) from Johannesburg battled it out in a close contest.

This years espYoungLegends racked up over 12,000 votes. CTIJF festival director and espAfrika COO Billy Domingo and his fellow judge Bev Scott-Brown are delighted by the response from music fans across the country.

Ricketts was thrilled to be declared the winner of the coveted slot to perform at CTIJF. I really thank everyone for voting for me  my fans who have been following on social media and to everyone I spoke to during the campaign and who jumped in and supported me and the band. Were all looking forward to entertaining festinos at the 19th annual CTIJF.

Watch Ricketts and his band live at the 19th annual CTIJF, which will take place on 23-24 March 2018. Tickets are to go on sale on 6 November 2017 at www.computicket.com.
The Protection of Personal Information Act (PoPI) will fundamentally change how companies store, process and use personal customer data. And even though it has not yet officially been implemented, organisations have been steadily working on ensuring their compliance to avoid future penalties. But with the one year grace period soon to begin, are businesses taking it seriously enough and starting to act?

Part of the problem is the fact that while PoPI has been signed into law in 2013, delays in passing draft regulations and getting feedback have resulted in some organisations putting a low priority on their adherence to the act. However, the requirements to comply with PoPI are comprehensive.

For businesses yet to act, fortune had been on their side. In August, the Information Regulator published draft regulations and issued a call to all interested parties to provide comments. The deadline for feedback is 7 November 2017, signifying one of the final steps before PoPI comes into effect and the grace period can start.

Despite this, the hype cycle around PoPI seems to ebb and flow as the media attention grows and dissipates. In certain respects, the growth of data and the pressure to have it always-on and available, combined with a startling number of global cybersecurity breaches have helped refocus efforts around compliance over the past twelve months.

Companies understand the value of data in addition to being able to access it irrespective of location or device used. The digital world means data has become fundamental to build competitive advantage and gain insights on everything from buying behaviour, customer preferences, conversion rates, and customised offerings.

Securing data

The traditional way of looking at data, its availability, and security would simply be to have backups in place. But backups mean very little if they are not easily accessible, the frequency with which they are done is low, and the quality of backup is poor. Ultimately if the company is unable to restore data from them, whats the point doing them?

With PoPI placing a lot of attention on availability, frequent testing becomes vital to ensure backups are encrypted and kept in secure locations whether in the cloud, on premise, or a combination of the two.

Mobile bugbear

In many respects, the 3-2-1 backup rule will come under renewed attention because of this. It states that you need to have three copies of your data, stored on two different media types, with one being offsite. Following this approach enables the business to take a vital step towards compliance to PoPI and other regulatory requirements being delivered globally, including the European Unions General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which has requirements on any business with European customers.

Thanks to the growth of mobile and the increased adoption of smart devices to do business while away from the office, enterprises are seeing the value of using analytics and related business intelligence offerings to gain value from their data. And while mobile has contributed to the growing importance of data, it has also unwittingly become one of the biggest loopholes around adhering to regulations.

Not many companies consider the value of data stored on mobile devices as critical if they are lost or stolen. Yet, these smartphones, tablets, or other devices still contain intellectual property that could significantly impact the business if it is compromised.

And this is where acts like PoPI in South Africa and GDPR in the European Union fulfil vital roles in aligning what needs to happen around data management and best practice of implementation. With the GDPR grace period ceasing in May next year, Gartner says the threat of fines of up to 20 million or four percent of annual global turnover, for breaching articles in GDPR means companies in Europe are seriously re-evaluating measures to safely process personal data.

The steps these organisations are taking to ensure compliance mirror those of South African companies who are pushing to get themselves ready for PoPI. Aspects like understanding how personal data is currently being processed and how it needs to change under new legislation, considering appointing a data protection officer focused on all aspects of compliance, and understanding cross-border data flows must become part of the standard operating procedure.

Structuring data management

Irrespective of the pressures to adhere to legal requirements, data management in the connected world is all about putting the structures and processes in place to ensure data is kept safe and managed properly. For this to work, organisations need to be more open towards continuous benchmarking and testing their data management strategies. This will contribute to a more structured approach and ensure compliance with all aspects of acts like PoPI are adhered to. In real terms, this data management should already be happening.

If the PoPI regulation was currently operational, an organisation suffering a data breach due to theft or cyberattack would have a case to answer should it be found that it did not take adequate steps to protect the data, or if its security defences were inadequate in protecting such highly confidential information.

So often regulations are a nice way of ensuring companies across industry sectors behave in a proper and respectful way. PoPI ensures organisations understand the need to protect data whether on-site or on the mobile devices of employees. And, while some decision-makers might be excused for rolling their eyes and thinking that PoPI is something that might never materialise, the business benefits of managing data effectively mean there are significant returns to be had by embracing compliant measures.

Make no mistake though, the sooner institutions start with the process in order to properly comply with this legislation, the better their situation will be.
A total of 50 JSE Securities-listed companies, including the JSE itself, have been found to be non-compliant with the Employment Equity (EE) Act.

 Leung Cho Pan  123RF.com

The Department of Labour Inspection and Enforcement Services (IES) branch is conducting Director-General Reviews to designated employers, where 72 JSE-listed companies operating in different sectors were identified as subjects of review. The reviews started in July 2017.

A total of 41 employers were issued with the Director-General Recommendations and given 60 days to comply with the recommendations. A total of nine employers are undergoing prosecution for failure to prepare Employment Equity Plans.

Areas of non-compliance include:

lack of properly constituted consultative forums;

employers preparing EE plans that are not informed by a proper audit and analysis;

assigned senior EE managers are junior staff, who do not have the necessary authority or resources to execute their mandate, and

employment equity plans prepared do not comply with the requirements of legislation.

The Director-General Reviews is part of a legislative requirement in terms of Section 43-45 of the EEA. It empowers the Labour Director-General to conduct reviews to determine the extent to which an employer is complying with the Act.

The reviewed companies are in the finance and business, electricity, gas (chemical) and water, construction, manufacturing, retail and motor trade, catering, and accommodation sectors.

Labour Deputy Minister iNkosi Phathekile Holomisa said a transformed labour market was one that was committed to the promotion of accessibility of top management positions to women, and one devoid of favouritism of one racial group over another. Holomisa said of the 50 companies interrogated, it was sad that none were in compliance.

"This is totally unacceptable, offensive, smirks of arrogance and constitutes a declaration of war on the department in particular and on government in general. Such impunity cannot and will not go unchallenged," Holomisa cautioned.

The EE Act is currently a subject of discussion at Nedlac ahead of amendments to link doing business with government to compliance with EE legislation. The amendments also seek to strengthen powers of the inspectorate among others.

Department of Labour Chief Director Statutory and Advocacy Services Advocate Fikiswa Mncanca said that EE implementation was not an event, but a process.

Mncanca said employers continue reporting without EE plans, are not implementing EE plans, and appointing EE managers without providing necessary support and authority.

Commission for Employment Equity (CEE) chairperson Tabea Kabinde said EE stats tell the real story of apartheid. Kabinde said despite the commissions efforts last year through sector engagements to engage chief executives, they were not interested, instead choosing to delegate junior employees to interact with the commission.

Kabinde said the sector engagements turned into a lamenting exercise, and demonstrated a lack of will from company boards. She lamented the practise of gate-keeping, which she said was preventing transformation.

She said the commission welcomes the promulgation of EE legislation to link it to state contracts. Kabinde said the commission also wants amendments to legislation to allow for the setting of sector targets.

She said the CEE has commissioned a research on the impact of migrant labour in the labour market and was intent on its advocacy work.

The Commission for Employment Equity is a statutory body established in terms of section 28 of the Employment Equity Act. Its role is to advise the labour minister on any matter concerning the Act, including policy and matters pertaining to the implementation of the EE Act.
What does the future African city look like? How do we identify the impact and trends resulting from urbanisation? What new regulation and governance models are needed? What about engagement models that embrace social inclusion and civic participation?

 Chin Leong Teoh  123RF.com

These are all questions we need to answer and as 31 October marks World Cities Day - a day to promote successes and challenges resulting from urbanisation  the spotlight is on the future of cities.

The theme this year is Innovative Governance, Open Cities which highlights the important role of urbanisation as a source of global development and social inclusion. Urbanisation provides the potential for new forms of social inclusion, including greater equality, access to services and new opportunities. In fact, it is evident that innovative technologies and connectivity is critical during the planning, design, delivery and operation of smart infrastructure and services.

The internet of things (IoT) is gaining traction, impacting every area of our lives and quickly turning 'smart cities' from intangible visions of the future into a reality. Around the world, cities are becoming more connected, collecting data everywhere to help planners make smarter decisions and deliver new services.

Before Africa is able to start meeting those demands, we need to plan for capacity and speed to ensure a high-quality experience. Whats more, we need to take our unique challenges as a continent into account. A robust wireless network is a key part of this preparation  it is the 'glue' that holds smart cities together, enabling effortless sharing of workloads with data centres and bridging connectivity across wired and wireless.

So, what does the future African city look like?

Bridging the digital divide

As technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, the vision of the future is still emerging and we have yet to see what a true smart city will look like. Smart city IoT is an evolving concept, with lots of ideas but only a few complete deployments. Wi-Fi is the platform that will provide the foundation for smart city success, as it has immediate applications and can effectively connect a vast range of wireless technologies that will be involved in creating smart cities.

Smart cities will help address the economic and social inequality that this divide creates, by providing internet access to all citizens. With robust networks in place, bridging this divide will help bring communities closer together and encourage citizens to play a more active role to local councils. Flawless connectivity will improve city infrastructure and make it possible for citizens to engage with their community, such as removing the roadblocks that complicate access to local services.

Business

Revenue-generating applications will transform the way African businesses in smart cities communicate with their customers. In addition to an increased use of digital signage, to communicate offers and promotions, we can expect to see an increased use of beacons, which send notifications to customers smartphones as they enter a store. It will also transform the way people work and tech-savvy commuters will benefit from smart city technology to work on-the-go.

Smart utilities

In a smart city, lighting will automatically be switched off when it isnt needed. It will be able to detect when people are on the street and turn on and off accordingly, reducing energy waste which is critical in countries where power is scare or expensive. In the near future, we can expect to see more city planners equipping their streets with smart lighting that uses sensors to track when there is high or low public footfall which will go a long way to reducing usage. Future smart traffic management is also likely to be a core feature of smart cities. This includes centrally controlled traffic sensors and signals automatically regulating the flow of traffic in response to real-time demand, with the aim of smoothing flows of traffic to reduce congestion. This can go a long way to reduce traffic in high-dense areas over peak times like Sandton for example. And just think about the possibilities it could offer cities such as Lagos or Nairobi.

New technologies will also play an important role to help cities of the future promote sustainable energy use. For example, 'smart bins', that alert collectors when they need to be emptied are being used today and we can expect to see more of them crop up in cities across the world as they embrace smart technology.

However, before becoming truly 'smart', cities need to implement the networks that will enable them to deploy new technology and the opportunities that Wi-Fi presents are simply too significant to ignore. The likes of Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia, and even Zimbabwe to name a few have embarked on wireless initiatives designed to bring better connectivity to more citizens. And other African countries are following suit. One key challenge lies in selecting the correct partner to work closely with them to identify and meet all their Wi-Fi needs. The right network will enable a city to save money through increased efficiency (for example, smart traffic and energy systems, as well as optimal budget allocation) and generate additional revenue, by encouraging visitors to return, businesses to invest and people to take up residency.

Africa has started using ICT investment to power its economy to gain more benefits. Government and the private sector are working together to fast track this process. Ultimately, when connectivity is improved, all stakeholders start drawing advantage from it. We are already seeing significant foreign direct investment into key ICT initiatives across the continent. So, even though mobility has sparked the flame around access, it will be wireless that fuels it into the digital future. Heres to the cities of the future!
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The 8th of August 1988 is remembered for the nationwide protests and crackdown which followed. Troops opened fire on civilians, estimates put the number of people killed at more than three thousand, some as high as ten thousand. Thousands more were arrested.

In summaries of the history of Burma, the 88 uprising is always mentioned, but the focus is on what happened in Rangoon. Rarely do uprisings or crackdowns in ethnic areas receive much attention in summaries of Burmas history.

Thousands of Rohingya were killed in operation Dragon King by the Burmese military in 1978, and quarter of a million Rohingya fled the country.

In 1984 a renewed military offensive in Karen State by the Burmese military killed hundreds of civilians and drove thousands out of the country, beginning the refugee crises on the Thailand Burma border that continues to this day.

The Rohingya were again targeted in 1991 and 1992, and again hundreds, if not thousands, were killed and hundreds of thousands fled Burma.

Another largely forgotten crackdown happened in the Irrawaddy Delta in 1991.

What became known as the Bogalay Crisis began in October 1991 when a Tatmadaw military patrol came across Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) soldiers who were infiltrating the area hoping to start an uprising against the military dictatorship. The Burmese Army flooded the area with troops, and horrific human rights violations were committed against civilians in the process of crushing the uprising before it even began.

Even today, there are few accounts of what happened during this time. Eye witnesses I have interviewed describe how whole villages were rounded up and placed in camps under arrest. Some estimates are that 800-1,000 were killed, but others claim it was more than that. Some local villagers say there were mass graves with hundreds of bodies in each.

In interviews I have collected and reports from the Karen Human Rights Group, eye witnesses describe torture, executions, rape and mass looting by the Burmese military.

In one case a son was forced to rape his mother before they were both shot. Men and women were hung from trees by their arms and fires lit underneath them. Young men were tied up and soldiers used knives to cut the skin off their arms and legs.

Mass stabbings and throat cutting of villagers took place, with people being forced to dig their own graves before being killed. Villagers were beaten to death, bayonetted, stabbed, shot, burned and drowned. Women were gang-raped in front of their parents, family and other villagers.

One villager described how Burmese Army soldiers skewered his father from the anus to the mouth with a sharpened bamboo pole. Villagers were bombed by ships at sea, by planes and by helicopters. Whole villages were destroyed. Soldiers looted anything of value, including food, leading to hunger and sickness in the months that followed.

These human rights violations are very familiar from more recent United Nations reports of Burmese Army actions against the Rohingya in the past year, and from what has been happening in Shan and Kachin states. Impunity for past human rights violations enables these abuses to continue.

The increased military presence following the suppression of the Bogalay uprising led to further human rights violations, including regular beatings, rape, use of forced (slave) labour, confiscation of land and demands for produce.

Accorded to reports at the time, the military claimed 275 enemy combatants had been killed, 13 arrested and 3 surrendered. No-one believes these figures.

It is possible that some of the information given by those describing what happened around Bogalay in 1991 is exaggerated, although it is consistent with the behaviour of the Burmese military in other areas. Questions about what really happened are all the more reason for a proper investigation.

The wounds of the Bogalay massacres may be buried but they are not healed. Aung San Suu Kyi appears to be willing to forgive and forget, or at least ignore the past, for what she sees as a greater good of building better relations with the military. For many of those who went through such horrific experiences, they dont see how there can be genuine change in the future without even acknowledging the horrific events of the past. They want truth, they want official acknowledgement of what happened. Many would like to go further and see those responsible face justice.

The Bogalay massacres are as much a part of Burmas history as the 88 uprising. It may not have had the same nationwide political repercussions, but as with the 88 uprising, it is too significant an event to pass by year after year with no investigation having happened, no justice, and no official acknowledgement or commemoration for those who were killed.





by Mark Farmaner, Director of Burma Campaign UK, and this article was published on Karen Information Center (or Karen News)




NEW DELHI (PTI): The Government is considering appointing a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as head of the tri-services with a sense of urgency, according to Defence Ministry sources.



They said the Government was revisiting the long-pending issue, indicating that a clear picture may emerge soon.



The Defence Ministry is attending to it with a sense of urgency, the sources said.



A high-level committee set up to examine the gaps in the country's security system in the wake of the Kargil war in 1999 had called for appointment of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as a single-point military adviser to the Defence Minister.



A group of ministers analysing required reforms in the national security system had also favoured appointing a Chief of Defence Staff.



However, successive governments were unable to take a call on the sensitive issue.



"Several steps have to be taken before the appointment (of the CDS)," a source said.



In 2012, the Naresh Chandra Task force had recommended creating the post of a permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.



The CoSC comprises chiefs of the Army, Navy and the Air Force and the senior-most among them acts as its chairman as per existing norm.






DUBAI (PTI): India and the UAE have discussed measures to deepen cooperation in a range of areas including defence, security, terrorism and trade as the two countries held the second round of their strategic dialogue in Abu Dhabi.



The Indian delegation at the talks held on Sunday was led by Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar while the UAE side was headed by its Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash.



During the talks, the two delegations expressed satisfaction at the "great progress" achieved in the bilateral relationship, a statement said.



The two sides discussed defence, investment, security, terrorism, consular matters, energy and technology cooperation, along with regional and other global issues of mutual interest.



The UAE has raised its investment profile in India, and cooperation has increased on security issues, the statement said.



Akbar who arrived in the UAE on Saturday on a two-day visit, also met Mohammed Bin Ahmad Al Bawardi, Cabinet Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs and called on Sheikh Hamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, chief of the crown prince court and CEO and managing director of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.



Speaking about the visit, Akbar said, "The strategic dialogue is a very important element in the architecture of our growing relationship with United Arab Emirates".



"Our discussions today enabled us to review and re-energise the elements of our comprehensive dialogue. This process helps in converting a wish list into outcomes," he said.



Gargash in his opening statement said, "We are very satisfied at the growing momentum in the bilateral ties. We appreciate the contribution of Indian community towards the progress and prosperity of the UAE."



The UAE also welcomed India's participation as Guest of Honour at the World Government Summit to be held in February, 2018 in Dubai.



Both sides agreed to hold the third round of the strategic dialogue in New Delhi on mutually convenient dates.



The first round of the India-UAE strategic dialogue was held in New Delhi in January. The ties between the two countries are on an upswing in the last few years.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited the UAE in August 2015, while Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had come to New Delhi in February last year and in January this year.



The volume of two-way annual trade between the two countries is around US$ 53 billion. The UAE is India's third largest trading partner. For the UAE, India has been the largest trading partner.



The UAE is among the top investors in India in terms of foreign direct investments. It contributes significantly to India's energy security and was the fifth-largest supplier of crude oil to India in 2016-17.



About 2.6 million-strong and vibrant Indian community forms the largest expatriate group in the UAE.




The Kamov helicopter of Russia.

NEW DELHI (PTI): An Indo-Russia joint venture is likely to sign a contract with the Indian Government early next year for the supply of 200 Kamov light-weight multi-role military helicopters to the armed forces under a US$ 1 billion deal.



Various aspects of the project to supply the Kamov-226T helicopters were discussed on Monday during a meeting between Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and CEO of Russian Helicopters Andrei Boginsky.



"We discussed all aspects of the Ka-226T project. (It was) agreed that the contract should be signed in the beginning of 2018," Boginsky said.



In October last year, India and Russia had finalised a broad agreement to set up a joint venture between Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and two Russian defence majors -- Russian Helicopters and Rosoboronexport.



The joint venture will produce the Kamov helicopters.



India is procuring Kamov choppers to replace its ageing Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. The JV was registered in India earlier this year.



As part of the inter-governmental agreement, 'Russian Helicopters' along with Rosoboronexport will supply and localise production of the Ka-226T helicopters in India.



Boginsky said the possibility of supplying 111 multipurpose helicopters to the Indian Navy by the JV was also discussed in his meeting with the defence minister.



As per official sources, 60 Kamov-226T helicopters will be supplied to India in fly-away condition, while 140 will be manufactured in India.



The inter-government agreement for the deal was signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia in December 2015.


Panel to discuss how race, ethnicity, and religion intersect with sexual violence

Myra and Robert Kraft and Jacob Hiatt Professor of Christian Studies,

On Friday, Nov. 3, at noon in Rappaporte Treasure Hall, ChaeRan Freeze of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies and Womens Gender, and Sexual Studies, will moderate a panel discussion on how race, ethnicity, and religion intersect with sexual violence. Panelists will include Angela Frederick Amar of Emory University, Sarah Deer from the University of Kansas, and Brandeis Bernadette Brooten , thewho organized the event. It is sponsored by the MacArthur Foundation and the Brandeis Provosts Diversity Fund.Bernadette Brooten discussed the upcoming event in an interview with BrandeisNOW.: You've explained that sexual violence occurs in all communitiesbe they religious, racial or ethnicbut differently in each. Can you expand on that?: First, the rates of sexual violence differ greatly from one community to another. So, too, do the rates of those who trust the police sufficiently to report the crime. How law enforcement, prosecutors, and juries respond also varies, especially with respect to race and ethnicity. A communitys economic circumstances and ability to have a political voice can determine whether a survivor has access to legal protection and other resources. In some communities that have experienced high levels of sexual violence, such as African Americans and Native Americans, individuals may feel that rape is inevitable and may lose hope. These high rates of assault have very concrete histories. During slavery, white rape and coercion of enslaved women were not illegal, and during legal segregation, the Ku Klux Klan and others committed acts of sexual terror against black Americans. Native Americans have experienced sexual assault by non-Natives since colonization, and tribal authorities still do not have jurisdiction over non-Natives who rape an Indigenous person on their reservation.: Given the critical role that environment plays in how sexual violence is (or is not) addressed, does reducing it require that we take a different approach for each communal context?: We all, especially white people, need to work to overcome our implicit racial and other biases and to understand how each culture deals with sexual violence. Harmful racial and religious stereotypes can shape how potential jurors and others view sexual assault: of black, Mexican, or Muslim men as predators; or of women of East or South Asian origin as submissive and bound to tradition. In addition, white and other survivors of sexual assault by whites suffer when the authorities and society more generally fail to hold these perpetrators accountable. Stereotypes of others as offenders can distract from perpetration by whites. Fortunately, some of that is changing.Most importantly, we need to listen to survivors, and support each communitys efforts to address this universal issue.: As you mentioned earlier, community is where we as individuals will often turn for support, and yet when it comes to sexual violence, community can also serve as a barrier. Does that make justice especially difficult to achieve in some circumstances?: Religious communities can sometimes provide great comfort to survivors. Latina and African American women may be more likely to turn to their pastors rather than to the police following a sexual assault or rape. Religious leaders, however, may also blame survivors for being guilty of religiously prohibited pre-marital or extra-marital sex. In some ethnic and racial groups, survivors who report to the police and see their rapist convicted may face the charge that they are betraying their people or that they are responsible for putting another member of their over-incarcerated community in prison. Many of the hindrances to justice, however, often lie outside of the group, such as harmful racial-sexual stereotypes and beliefs or racial profiling.: How will the panelists you've invited examine the wide scope of this issue?: Sarah Deer of the University of Kansas will focus on sexual violence against Native American women, analyzing potential legal measures to reduce the very high rates, and taking account of the history of settler colonialism, with its many rapes of Indigenous women. Angela Frederick Amar from Emory University will speak about culturally competent bystander intervention trainings and about cultural competency as the prerequisite for proper responses to survivors more generally.
An Irish fast-food chain is to expand into the German market.

Global contract caterer Elior Group has signed a franchise deal to bring Rockets to Germany.

Rocket Restaurants has been trading in the Republic and the North since 1989.

Areas has signed a license agreement with the Irish restaurant company Rocket Restaurants Limited.

The deal represents a significant step for Rocket Restaurants' expansion plans.

"We are thrilled to have secured a reliable partner to launch the very successful Rockets concept into the German market," said Niall Fortune, Managing Director of Rocket Restaurants.

"We are convinced that Areas is the ideal partner to establish Rockets on a long-term and sustainable basis in Germany."

As part of the exclusive agreement Areas and Rocket Restaurants have begun identifying suitable flagship locations at transport hubs as well as premises at shopping centres across Germany to launch the brand.

The successful Irish concept has proven hugely successful in Ireland for many years.

"We are delighted that Rocket Restaurants has chosen Areas as their managing partner for Germany," said Andre Laroche, CEO Elior Deutschland.

"Rockets is an urban, premium-burger brand and suitable for locations at shopping centres, train stations and airports. We are certain that the Rockets brand will take the highly-competitive German market by storm."
An Australian Minister has come under fire for telling homeowners to 'automatically' tell Irish people to get away from their door.

Consumer Affairs Minister, Marlene Kairouz apologised on Twitter for making the comments branded 'racist' by Irish people.
An eight-year-old boy who suffered a brain injury after his mother was thrown from a car in a road accident while on the way to have a final pregnancy scan has settled his High Court action for 7.5m, writes Ann O'Loughlin.

Cian Hammel had to be delivered by emergency caesarean section in hospital after his 17-year old mother was thrown from the car when the seven-seater vehicle in which she was a passenger overtook another car, went out of control and ended up overturned in a field.

Mr Justice Kevin Cross was told the driver of the car was not insured. The young mother had been on her way for a final scan a few days before her due date.

Cian Hammel, Ford Court, Kilmuckridge, Co Wexford had through his grandmother Ann Hammel sued the driver of the seven-seater vehicle Simon Jordan, Monaseed, High Fort, Gorey, Co Wexford and the Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) as a result of the accident on February 3, 2009 near Manhanagh Screen, Co Wexford.

It was claimed the vehicle which was driven by Mr Jordan went out of control, turned over causing Cian's mother Roisin Hammel who was a rear seat passenger to be thrown from the vehicle. It was further claimed Mr Jordan had overtaken another vehicle when it was not safe to do so and and was allegedly driving at a speed which was in all the circumstances including the weather conditions excessive.

The claims were denied.

Senior Counsel Rosario Boyle told the court Cian's mother Roisin who was studying for her Leaving Cert accepted a lift to attend her final scan. Counsel said Ms Hammel was not wearing a seatbelt but the MIBI later accepted and acknowledged had Ms Hanmel been wearing a seatbelt the outcome for Cian would not have been better.

Counsel said it was minus 1 degrees celsius and the driver overtook another car, went in to a field and and turned over.

She said Ms Hammel's waters broke and she had to have an emergency caesarean section in hospital due to foetal distress.

The young mother, Counsel said was told to expect the worst and when Cian was born he had to be resusciatated and there was multi-organ failure.

The boy now has difficulty walking and is unsteady on his feet and also has difficulties with language.

Approving the settlement Mr Justice Cross said it was a fair and reasonable settlement and he hoped it will provide for Cian's needs for the future. He wished the family well.
There are calls for a crackdown on people who attack rescue crews responding to emergencies this Halloween.

It follows reports of unprovoked attacks on Dublin Fire Brigade across the weekend.
The judge in the trial of a retired surgeon accused of groping young male patients has told the jury that it would be dangerous to convict on the uncorroborated evidence of any of the complainants.

Michael Shine (85) of Wellington Rd. in Dublin has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to eight charges of indecently assaulting five patients at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and at his private clinic, both in Drogheda, Co Louth, on dates between 1964 and 1991.

The jury of four men and eight women began deliberating this afternoon before Judge Cormac Quinn sent the jurors home for the night. Deliberations will resume tomorrow morning.

The five complainants were all teenage boys at the time they allege Dr Shine touched them in the genital areas while treating them for injuries such as cuts to a knee, an injury to a finger and an injured toe.

In his charge to the jury, Judge Quinn said the prosecution must prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the accused attended to the complainants. Mr Shine denies seeing three of them but accepts he treated two of them.

Judge Quinn said the prosecution must also prove that the alleged actions did take place, were not a bonafide or appropriate medical examination and could be considered indecent. He said that the prosecution must finally prove the accused intended to commit the acts.

Judge Quinn told the jury that corroboration evidence  credible independent evidence of the alleged acts which implicate the accused in those acts  does not exist in relation to any of the complainants.

He warned the jurors: It is dangerous to convict on the uncorroborated evidence of any of the complainants but added that they are nevertheless entitled to find the accused guilty beyond reasonable doubt once they have taken this warning into account.

You have to exercise special care on whether you believe each complainant. You have to exercise caution before acting on unsupported evidence, he said.

He told the jury that it could decide there were similarities in the accounts and evidence of the five complainants. He said the defence position is that the complainants are not independent, may be colluding and are motivated by civil actions.

He said there is an inherent improbability of several persons making up exactly similar stories.

He said the jury must take each count separately but that if it finds Mr Shine guilty beyond reasonable doubt on one count, it can consider it more likely that the account of another complainant of a similar incident is true.

In his closing speech Bernard Condon SC, prosecuting, said there is no evidence to support the suggestion that the complainants came together in some way to make up the allegations.

Hugh Hartnett SC, defending, told the jurors that the prosecution was asking them to accept that medical records had either gone missing or, where they existed and conflicted with a complainant's allegations, were wrong.

Referring to the campaign allegedly directed against the accused by Bernadette Sullivan, he said that hindsight over 42 years in circumstances of a publicity campaign being run...can be a very dangerous thing

You can insert yourself into situations that never occurred, counsel said.

Judge Quinn told the jury that this was quite an old case and that the detail that would exist for a more recent complaint is unavailable in cases of historic complaints.

He said if the complaints had been made earlier the accused could possibly have called on witnesses such as other medical staff and could have checked records or his diary.

He said these prospects have diminished or disappeared and the prosecution are not entitled to take advantage of the delay in the case.

If you have a reasonable doubt in relation to records missing due to the delay, you must give the benefit of the doubt to accused, he told the jury.

He said in cases with such a delay there is a special need to exercise caution if youre minded to convict because it is much more difficult for a person to defend themselves against an old complaint.

If, notwithstanding this warning, you are convinced of the guilt of the accused, you are entitled to convict. The law does not say that old cases cannot be tried, but it says the accused cannot be disadvantaged because of delay.
Senator Joan Freeman, the Founder of Pieta House in Ireland, announced today that she is leaving Pieta House on December 31.

Senator Freeman will focus her efforts on growing the suicide and self-harm service, Solace House, serving the Irish Diaspora and others in New York.

Senator Freemans new venture with Solace House will provide a free of charge crisis intervention counselling service to those who experience suicidal thoughts and who may otherwise engage in self-harm.

Her focus will be on the Irish Diaspora based in New York, with the expectation of growing the service in other cities across America.

Solace House is to be officially launched tomorrow at the New York Irish Center in Queens.

Speaking on her move, she said, I am so grateful for the generosity, courage and vision of the Pieta Board who allowed me to work in America to identify and meet the need for Helping The Irish Wherever They Are.

I also want to acknowledge everyone who gave their time in making Pieta House the incredible organisation it has become today.

Pieta House would not exist except for the courage of the people who came through our service and not only survived, but thrived.

She founded Pieta House in Ireland in 2006, when it opened its first centre in Lucan, Co Dublin.

During her nine years as CEO, Pieta House helped over 20,000 people in its then-nine centres throughout the country.

Senator Freeman was the creator of and instrumental in, the phenomenal growth of Darkness Into Light, the charitys annual flagship fundraising and awareness event.f
One of Ireland's senior Government members says he believes in Catalan independence, but it has to be peaceful.

Junior Enterprise Minister John Halligan is contradicting the Taoiseach who claimed Ireland would not recognise the result of the Catalonian referendum which voted in favour of separating from Spain.

The region's sacked president, Carles Puigdemont, is due to make a public appearance in Belgium today after being charged with rebellion.

But John Halligan says he agrees with him.

"I personally believe in Catalonian independence. I always have and I always will," said Mr Halligan.

"I believe they have their own identity, they have their own culture, they have their own heritage. And it goes way back hundreds and hundreds of years.

"What I would say is this: I think that whatever happens, everything has to be done peacefully."

The Minister's words come after two parties heavily criticised the Governments decision not to recognise the Catalonian independence vote, saying the move is a travesty that ignores our own history.

Solidarity-People Before Profit and Sinn Fein made the claim after the Department of Foreign Affairs said it continues to respect the integrity of a united Spain.
Update 10.12pm:Talks between the DUP and Sinn Fein at Stormont have ended for the night.

The North's Secretary of State set a new deadline of tomorrow night for the parties to reach a powersharing deal.

James Brokenshire said he was considering requests leaders had made to the UK Government before bringing in Westminster lesiglation for a Northern Ireland Budget.

It's understood the talks will resume tomorrow.

Update 3.11pm: Sinn Fein has said it is not prepared to accept a deal to save Stormont at "any price".

The party has resumed talks with the DUP in a bid to restore the powersharing government.

Sinn Fein negotiator Conor Murphy MLA has insisted that they stand firm over the issue of rights for all citizens, including language, legacy and gay marriage.

Referring to the SDLP he challenged critics of the party to say if they want a deal "at any price".

Mr Murphy added that this is a "very key time" in the talks process with the DUP.

"The people who are criticising us for standing firm in these negotiations need to explain what they mean by 'get a deal at any price'," said Mr Murphy.

"For our part in Sinn Fein we are here engaged, not on party political interests but actually on issues that are rights for people who support us and for many, many people who don't support us.

"We are here to protect people's rights and ensure that any legislation which is put back in place is done so on the basis of the Good Friday Agreement."

Mr Murphy also said that if Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire decides to legislate for a budget for the region at Westminster, "this phase of the talks process is over".

He also admitted there is a "credibility issue" the longer the talks drag on.

Ireland's Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney and Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire arrived back at Stormont on Tuesday in a bid to help break the political deadlock.

They said progress was made on Monday between the DUP and Sinn Fein during talks aimed at restoring powersharing.

Both men and the parties arrived back at Stormont on Tuesday morning to resume discussions after a late night of negotiations.

Mr Coveney tweeted that "everyone (is) working hard to get a deal across the line".

Mr Brokenshire has extended the deadline for the parties to reach agreement and will review the situation on Tuesday night.

They were warned by the Secretary of State they had until Monday to produce a written agreement or he would be forced to legislate for a budget for the region at Westminster.

However he decided on Monday night that the parties had made progress and he was going to defer his decision.

In a statement he said: "The parties have made further progress during the course of (Monday).

"They are making certain additional requests of the UK Government which we need to consider.

"In the light of this, I believe it is right to defer the assessment on whether to introduce legislation to Parliament this week to enable an Executive to be formed.

"The parties will recommence talks in the morning (Tuesday) and I will reassess the position (on Tuesday) night."

The Northern Ireland Executive collapsed in January and the region has been without a powersharing government since then.

Despite endless rounds of discussions, a deal to restore devolution has proved elusive, with the introduction of an Irish language act seen as the main issue.

Earlier: Sinn Fein and the DUP are due to resume crisis talks at Stormont today after they were granted extra time by Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire to try to restore the powersharing government.

The parties failed to reach a deal on Monday night to break the political deadlock, missing another deadline set by Mr Brokenshire.

They had been warned by the Northern Ireland Secretary that they had until Monday to produce a written agreement or he would be forced to legislate for a budget for the region at Westminster.

James Brokenshire

Although no agreement was reached on Monday night Mr Brokenshire said that the parties had made progress and he was therefore going to defer his decision to legislate for a budget.

In a statement he said: "The parties have made further progress during the course of today. They are making certain additional requests of the UK Government which we need to consider.

"In the light of this, I believe it is right to defer the assessment on whether to introduce legislation to Parliament this week to enable an Executive to be formed.

"The parties will recommence talks in the morning (Tuesday) and I will reassess the position (on Tuesday) night."

Sinn Fein negotiator Gerry Kelly seen in the party's offices at Stormont as the North's two main parties remain locked in talks with the latest deadline to restore powersharing due to expire within a matter of hours. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire

The Northern Ireland Executive collapsed in January and the region has been without a powersharing government since then.

Despite endless rounds of discussions, a deal to restore devolution has proved elusive, with the introduction of an Irish language act seen as the main issue.

Mr Brokenshire and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney were in Belfast on Monday to try and help find a breakthrough to the political deadlock.

Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald also joined their party's negotiating team at Stormont.

The parties remained at Stormont until 9pm attempting to find a way forward.

Throughout the day the DUP, Sinn Fein and the Irish and UK Governments stayed tight-lipped about any progress in the negotiations.

The region's smaller parties held a meeting earlier in the day to discuss the lack of openness and transparency in the talks.
Irish companies should offer six extra days in holidays for non-smokers according to a leading psychologist.

Jason O'Callaghan from The D4 Clinic in Dublin claims non-smokers should be entitled to the benefit, to make up for time they work when people take smoke breaks.

Japanese companies are now offering a similar incentive to their employees.

The D4 Clinic Blackrock specialises in stop smoking therapy. Mr O'Callaghan has said Ireland should follow the Japanese companies' example.

"As the country that introduced the smoking ban, we should encourage Irish-based companies to do the same," said Mr O'Callaghan.

"A Japanese company (called) Piala Inc is giving non-smoking workers up to six extra days of paid holidays to make up for the extra work they do while smoking employees take cigarette breaks.

"With corporate wellness now at the forefront for so many companies, this would not just lead to a healthier workforce but also a more productive company, as each smoker who quits would win back a month of working hours."

Mr O'Callaghan says smokers work one month less than non-smokers each year.

"With most companies banning smoking on site it can take an average of 15 minutes for a staff member to go for a cigarette," said Mr O'Callaghan.

"Just four a day is an hour from the workday wasted. That's five hours a week or 20 hours a month, which works out at 2.5 days and if you multiply that by 12 months. That's a full 30 days a year that [a] company is paying a staff member to smoke."
A security alert is continuing in Belfast this morning after a suspected bomb threat.

A number of homes have been evacuated in the Bell Steel Road and Pantridge Road area.

Shortly before 6pm yesterday it was reported police were dealing with the issue.

The PSNI have asked that if anyone noticed any suspicious activity to contact police. They also warned last night that if a member of the public comes across a suspicious device they should not touch it and call the police immediately.

The situation is ongoing.
Politicians and forces controlling an eastern Libyan city have accused the Egyptian air force of conducting deadly air strikes, leaving a dozen civilians dead including an entire family.

Politician Hamad al-Bandaq said on Tuesday the fighter jets bombed a house in al-Fatayah district in eastern Darna late on Monday, killing at least 12 people.
Update 3pm: The Belgian government has said it will keep in contact with the Spanish authorities about the stay of ousted Catalan president Carles Puigdemont on its territory.

Belgian prime minister Charles Michel said on Tuesday that Mr Puigdemont, who arrived in Brussels the previous day, will not be granted any special favours.

Mr Michel said in a statement that "the government will have regular diplomatic contacts with Spain regarding the current circumstances".

The government insisted it had not made any effort to encourage Mr Puigdemont to come to Belgium.

Mr Puigdemont insisted during a news conference on Tuesday he had no plans to ask for asylum in Belgium and would return once conditions allowed him.

He said he was drawn to Brussels not as the capital of Belgium but as the seat of the main European Union institutions.

AP

Update 12.40pm: Ousted Catalan president Carles Puigdemont has called for violence to be avoided and has said dialogue is a priority.

Mr Puigdemont, speaking in Belgium, said his team would continue to work despite Spain's dissolution of his regional administration following the disputed independence vote and that separatists would "accept the challenge" of elections in December.

Mr Puigdemont on Tuesday recapped the issues which led him to leave for Belgium the previous day, but did not immediately say in his statement what he would do in Brussels or whether he would seek asylum.

Mr Puigdemont told journalists Spain wanted "'us to abandon our political project, and they won't achieve it".

He had arrived at Brussels Press Club for a news conference amid speculation that he would claim asylum.

Mr Puigdemont walked into the building past a few protesters with Spanish national flags and one sign that said Rule Of Law.

He then said he had come to Brussels to act "in freedom and safety".

Carles Puigdemont

Update 11.30am: Spain's Supreme Court will investigate six ex-members of the governing body of the now-dissolved Catalan parliament for possible charges of rebellion, sedition and embezzlement following the parliament's declaration of independence last week.

The six include ex-speaker of the parliament Carme Forcadell, one of the leading activists of Catalonia's pro-independence movement for many years.

The ruling on Tuesday came a day after Spain's chief prosecutor Jose Manuel Maza announced he was seeking charges.

Rebellion, sedition and embezzlement charges carry maximum sentences of 30, 15 and six years in prison.

Mr Maza is also seeking similar charges against ousted regional leader Carles Puigdemont, and his number two, Oriol Junqueras.

The court said the case would be handled by Judge Pablo Llarena Conde.

AP

Earlier: Catalonia's ousted regional president will give a news conference in Brussels as speculation mounts as to whether he will request political asylum in Belgium.

Carles Puigdemont arrived in Brussels on Monday, the same day that Spanish prosecutors announced they were seeking rebellion, sedition and embezzlement charges against deposed Catalan officials, including the ex-regional leader.

European officials said Mr Puigdemont would speak publicly on Tuesday in Brussels.

Over the weekend, a Belgian government official said that it would not be "unrealistic" for Mr Puigdemont to request asylum.

Belgium allows asylum requests by citizens of other European Union nations, and in the past, some Basque separatists were not extradited to Spain while they sought asylum, causing years of friction.

Meanwhile, one of Catalonia's main separatist civil society groups said that while it considered that Spain "illegitimately" called an early regional election, it was an opportunity to get a mandate to "ratify the republic".

The Assemblea Nacional Catalana, or ANC, which only recognises an independent Catalan republic, made a statement Tuesday, after its leaders held a meeting late Monday.

The ANC said that elections to be held on December 21 cannot be considered to have full democratic guarantees because they were "illegitimately called by the government in Madrid" and because two activists are in jail pending sedition charges, including ANC leader Jordi Sanchez.

But the statement said that grassroots organisations need to prepare a "joint strategy" before the regional election with the goal of "obtaining an uncontested victory that will ratify the Republic".
The next round of Brexit negotiations between the UK and the EU is to take place in Brussels next week, David Davis has told a parliamentary committee.

The Brexit Secretary said he was seeking an "intensification" of negotiations, but told the House of Lords EU Committee that Britain was "on timetable" to achieve its desired outcome by the scheduled date of withdrawal from the EU in March 2019.

Announcement of the timing of the sixth round of formal negotiations came as it was revealed that as many as 5,000 extra staff are to be recruited by HM Revenue and Customs next year to deal with EU withdrawal.

Mr Davis told the Cabinet the move was part of an ongoing process which had already seen nearly 3,000 posts created across government to support Brexit efforts.

And he revealed that 300 lawyers have been recruited to the Government legal department in the past year.

Speaking to the Lords committee, Mr Davis said he had invited EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier to London for talks on Wednesday this week, but this was not possible because the Brussels official had a prior engagement.

The EU team was also unable to accept a UK proposal for talks early next week, he said. Negotiators will therefore meet on Wednesday and Thursday of next week before Mr Davis travels to Brussels on the Friday.

Mr Davis told the committee that he was not surprised that leaders of the 27 remaining EU states had determined earlier this month that insufficient progress had been made in talks on the divorce deal for the second phase of negotiations, dealing with trade, to begin.

But he played down the significance of the decision, saying it provided time for the EU27 to prepare its position on the issues of trade and the transition to a new relationship in time for a European Council summit in December, when it is hoped they will give the green light to the second phase.

"We think that the outcome we got was one which keeps us on the timetable for an outcome in time for what we want," Mr Davis told peers.

Some 662 million has already been committed for Brexit preparations over the course of this Parliament, with more than 250 million additional funding in 2017/18 and a further 412 million for the period up to 2022.

Cabinet heard the extra money would be spent on implementing changes at the border, preparing for future new trade agreements and converting existing EU law into domestic law on withdrawal.

Mr Davis told colleagues: "Alongside the negotiations in Brussels, it is crucial that we are putting our own domestic preparations in place so that we are ready at the point that we leave the EU."

British Prime Minister Theresa May told Cabinet colleagues that a new EU Exit and Trade sub-Committee was being created "to support the intensification of our domestic preparations".

Chaired by First Secretary of State Damian Green, the committee will "focus on domestic preparedness, legislation, and devolution".

The Cabinet Brexit discussions came amid reports the Bank of England has warned quitting could cost up to 75,000 financial services jobs.

Senior figures at the Bank said estimates over job losses were a "reasonable scenario", particularly if the UK leaves without special arrangements for the sector, according to the BBC.

Following on from the announcement of extra HMRC staff, former top Foreign Office official Lord Ricketts said Britain will also need to hire more diplomats to influence EU decision-making after Brexit.

The peer, who also served as Britain's ambassador to France, said there are "substantial" numbers of staff in Paris but that there is "overstretch" elsewhere.

He told the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee: "If you go to some of the smaller capitals, I mean there might be two UK diplomats and the capacity to engage across the whole spectrum is very much less, so I think it's an absolute consequence of Brexit that we will need to reinforce, particularly in the smaller EU capitals, to make sure that we can influence governments upstream of discussions."

Meanwhile, Mrs May's de facto deputy Damian Green announced that the Cabinet sub-committee overseeing negotiations has had its remit widened to also include Brexit "strategy" and its membership extended.

Brexiteers Liam Fox and Michael Gove were added to the committee, which is chaired by the PM, as were Greg Clark and Sir Michael Fallon, who voted Remain.

Existing members - Mr Green, Philip Hammond, Amber Rudd, Boris Johnson and Mr Davis - continue to sit on the committee.

A 19-strong new sub-committee, including chief whip Gavin Williamson and Lords chief whip Lord Taylor of Holbeach, was also created to oversee domestic preparedness for Brexit.

Mr Davis said he expected the divorce deal, which covers citizens' rights, the Irish border and Britain's financial settlement, was likely to "favour" the EU, while the trade deal would be beneficial to both sides.

"The withdrawal agreement, on balance, will probably favour the Union in terms of things like money and so on, whereas the future relationship will favour both sides and will be important to both of us," he told peers.

He insisted the UK regarded the deals on divorce and the future relationship as "inseparable", even if EU rules meant the trade deal cannot be signed until "one second after midnight on March 30", when Britain has left.

Mr Davis rejected the EU's characterisation of Britain's "divorce bill" as a legal obligation to settle debts, estimated in Brussels at around 60 billion euro. Instead, Britain saw any payment as a political decision.

A large payment would be more "acceptable" to British voters if it came along with a trade deal and agreement of a deep and special future partnership, rather than being announced before these issues had been dealt with, he suggested.

Mr Davis refused to put a date on when Britain would spell out what financial settlement it is willing to pay. And he played down suggestions that this was the "make or break" issue of negotiations.

Other issues like the future regulatory relationship and the treatment of financial services also had the potential to "make or break" the process, he suggested.

Mr Davis - who previously said negotiations might go right up to the wire in March 2019 - told peers that he hoped an agreement would be reached by October 2018, to allow time for ratification at Westminster and the European Parliament.

"If we hit October 2018, nobody would be more pleased than me," he said.

Acknowledging the pressure placed on him by Article 50's two-year deadline for talks, he quoted the comment of Napoleonic war hero the Duke of Wellington: "Ask me for anything but time."

Mr Davis warned the UK would face problems in maintaining an invisible border between Northern Ireland and the Republic if it was unable to secure tariff-free trade with the EU after Brexit, as well as an agreement on future agricultural regulations.

"If we achieve an outcome, as we hope to, which maintains tariff-free trade, then maintaining an invisible border will be relatively easy - I nearly said 'very easy', that would be wrong," he said.

"If we end up with a tariff arrangement, then we have got a real problem and dealing with that is difficult."
Latest News On-time property sale settlements hit new heights Almost 90% finalised on first scheduled date, says PEXA

Regional hotspots record sharp falls in value, new data shows Value declines have become more geographically broad-based over the three months to October

The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group ( ANZ ) has commenced a nationwide strategy of collaboration between brokers and branches to swap information, bring both channels together, and create a better experience for customers.The idea for greater coordination between the two channels emerged when Simone Tilley , ANZs general manager of retail broker distribution, noticed disparity in financial performance between third party and direct.By educating branch staff about the reasons why consumers choose brokers, there was an opportunity to focus on the customer and create a rich on-boarding experience, she told Australian Broker.The message Im sending  is that I dont want to be winning at the expense of others.To accomplish this, ANZ branch managers are encouraged to attend broker professional development days, she said. This achieves a twofold goal: introducing the branch managers to the brokers and educating branch managers about building trust and rapport within the broker network.If branch managers keep brokers informed of the loan application progress at all times and assist with matters such as documentation sign ups and needs analysis, this can create symbiotic benefits for both parties, she said.For the past six months, ANZ has been quietly rolling out this scheme across hundreds of branches and 4,000 branch staff nationwide, working closely with state heads of the business and branch networks.We are aligning our BDMs, our business development managers, with districts across the country so that theres strong unity from within.The bank is also using branch huddle days to explain the importance of the broker network, how to build respectful relationships with brokers, and how not to go down a path of conflict, she said.[Were] really trying to educate from a grassroots foundational level so that were able to drive the message across the business.Another initiative involves supplying branch managers with reports around funds under management (FUM) for brokers within the nearby area to enhance clarity around which brokers are settling business. ANZ then facilitates introductions between the branch managers and these brokers, Tilley said.Where we have got those linkages taking place, there are treasured partnerships being formed because the branch managers get to know the brokers.This all goes towards ANZs channel agnostic strategy, she said.What we are doing is centring our minds around the customer and not focusing on what door a customer walks in first, second or third.ANZ currently works with around 16,000 accredited brokers across the country.
Latest News On-time property sale settlements hit new heights Almost 90% finalised on first scheduled date, says PEXA

Regional hotspots record sharp falls in value, new data shows Value declines have become more geographically broad-based over the three months to October

A mortgage industry magnate has been charged with fraud offences worth more than $30m following a complex eight-year investigation.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) allege that John Kinghorn, 76, the founder of RAMS Home Loans (acquired by Westpac in 2008) and part-owner and director of LJ Hooker Home Loans, fraudulently concealed his beneficial ownership and control of corporate entities, avoiding associated tax obligations in excess of $30m.

Kinghorn has been charged with one count of dishonestly influencing a Commonwealth public official and one count of defrauding the Commonwealth. The maximum penalty for these offences is up to 10 years imprisonment.

Kinghorn appeared in court in Sydney on Tuesday (31 October) and did not enter a plea, according to ABC. The matter will return to court in February.

Serious financial crime poses a threat to Australias economy, financial markets, regulatory frameworks, superannuation and tax system, said AFP assistant commissioner Neil Gaughan in a news release.

Commonwealth fraud offences have a significant impact on the Australian public  every dollar represents funds that could have been put to use for the benefit of the whole community.

This result should serve as a warning that we will use every capability at our disposal to bring allegations of fraud before court.

Gaughan said the investigation required extensive cooperation within the Serious Financial Crime Taskforce and with international agencies.

Id like to commend the officers involved in this complex and lengthy investigation for their persistence and dedication to ensuring the integrity of Australias financial frameworks, he said.

The Serious Financial Crime Taskforce is a multi-agency effort targeting serious financial crime in Australia, including serious fraud, money laundering and defrauding the Commonwealth.

Since the Serious Financial Crime Taskforce was established in July 2015, more than 614 audits have been completed and $408m tax liabilities have been raised. Four people have received custodial sentences following prosecution. There are currently 26 criminal, civil and intelligence matters in progress.
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...
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
Employees of Zinka Logistics Pvt Ltd, the company behind online marketplace for logistics BlackBuck, made nearly 11X returns within a year by liquidating certain part of their employee stock options (ESOPs).
Japanese giant SoftBank is planning to invest over $10 billion in Uber's global operations, a move that could spur consolidation in India's ride-hailing space. Amit Jain, president of Uber India, tells Alnoor Peermohamed that, regardless of recent management change and impending investment, the company remains focused on becoming profitable here, just as it has been over 12 months. Excerpts:
There is a bit of action and some good news for Dr Reddys Laboratories, even as its US sales continued to be under pressure. The drug majors non-US business fared well in the September quarter (Q2). Its profitability, too, improved and helped the company meet expectations on the profit front.
The surveillance of shell will go a notch higher with their real estate coming under the scanner of the authorities, and the firms will be debarred from selling and transferring such properties.
Government-owned trading company Ltd has initiated the process to offload its entire 26 per cent equity in Sical Iron Ore Terminals Ltd (SIOTL), a subsidiary of Sical Logistics. The iron ore terminal has been set up at Kamarajar Port Ltd (formerly Ennore Port Ltd).
IT services firm is looking to reach the $1 billion revenue target as it taps more business from banking clients, its former owner HP and Blackstone portfolio with digital offerings that are growing faster than traditional outsourcing business.
Reliance Communications on Tuesday said it has completed the merger of Sistema Shyam Teleservices, which operates under MTS brand, with the company.

The Russian conglomerate Sistema controlled SSTL gets 10 per cent stake in RCom as part of the deal.

"The Board of Directors of Reliance Communications Limited, at its meeting held today in Mumbai, took on record the demerger of Sistema Shyam Teleservices Ltds telecom business in India, run under the brand name MTS, with the company," RCom said in a statement.

The completion of SSTL business merger gives a breather to RCom which is planning to shut down its loss-making wireless telephony business by November 30 and concentrate only on 4G internet services.

As part of the deal, RCom will acquire the entire telecom business of SSTL including its licences which bring along 30 MHz of spectrum in 800 and 850 MHz band, considered premium frequencies for providing 4G services.

SSTL merger will result extension of RCom's spectrum validity in the 800 and 850 MHz band in eight telecom service area -- Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Kolkata, UP-West and West Bengal -- by 12 years, from 2021 to 2033.

"As a result of the demerger, SSTL will receive a 10 per cent equity stake in the fully diluted equity share capital of RCom. In addition, RCom

will assume the liability to pay the DoT, instalments for SSTL's spectrum, amounting to Rs 390 crore per annum for the next 8 years," the statement said.

RCom is in the midst of a strategic debt restructuring, under which it has entered into a standstill agreement with banks requiring it not to pay any interest or principal till December 2018.

With Rs 44,000 crore loan on its books, the company is also shutting down its direct to home television business from next month after it failed to find any buyer for the business.

RCom Executive Director Gurdeep Singh is believed to have told employees that the company has reached a "situation where we need to call it a day on our wireless business" and this would lead to closure of "wireless business 30 days from now".

RCom has said that the company has decided to adopt a 4G-focused strategy for profitable growth of its wireless business.
Only two out of 11 suitors have put in final bids for the beleaguered Jaiprakash Power Ventures. On the block, as part of a strategic debt restructuring (SDR), the company has drawn non-binding bids from Resurgent Power Ventures Pte and Brookfield Asset Management, a person close to the development said.
has become the first global managing director and chief executive officer (MD and CEO) of Tata Steel Limited, the company said on Tuesday.
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Anything from flight tickets to delivery updates by e-commerce would soon land in your inbox, as the American chat major is broadening its focus. What had started as an instant messaging and online chat service on smartphones, mostly for the young, some eight years ago is now turning towards businesses in a big way to monetise the platform. For that, Mountain View (California)-headquartered is clearly tapping the India market with over 200 million active users.
In times of crises, India always relies on its armed forces, the Railways said on Tuesday, amid criticism over the governments decision to take the help of the Army to build a new foot-over bridge at Mumbai's Elphinstone Road station where 23 people were killed in a stampede last month.

Earlier today in Mumbai, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Army would help build the FOB which will be completed by January 31 next year.

"We have always relied on the Army during a crisis," a Railway official said.

The Army had strong operational expertise in the construction of roads and bridges and in developing infrastructure and had been used during many civilian crises in the past, ministry officials pointed out.

"Why should we wait for another disaster to happen before seeking help? If the Army can help rebuild the structure then why not get them to build it," said an official.

Pointing out that the Army had been called in to join operations when the Mumbai-Goa highway bridge collapsed in August 2016, in rescue and rehabilitation work in Jammu and Kashmir during an earthquake in 2005 and floods in 2014 and the construction of a bridge during the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010, the officials said building the FOB in time was a matter of public interest.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has criticised the decision to rope in the Indian Army for the FOB, terming it "deplorable" and "an admission of failure" of the government and the Indian Railways.

Conference leader Omar Abdullah tweeted, "The Army was to be a measure of the last resort to be called upon in an extreme emergency. Now it seems like its the 1st number on the speed dial."



The army was to be a measure of last resort to be called upon in extreme emergency. Now it seems like its the 1st number on the speed dial. https://t.co/9e9hJOgDTY  Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 31, 2017

A railway official also listed instances where the Army had been called in not just to repair and rebuild, but to manage fires as in 2008 when it helped control a blaze in a 13-storeyed building in Kolkata.

The ministry officials also said that not just in India, but globally too armed forces played key roles in the betterment of citizen services.

They said the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) maintains deepwater ports, operates 75 hydroelectric facilities and also operates 2,500 recreation areas at 463 projects.

"Our officials, engineers who will see the Army at work will also learn from the best. They will learn how to complete such tasks on a war footing. This will eventually lead to swifter completion of projects in the Railways as well," an official said.
Schools and colleges are shut in Chennai, Tiruvallur district and coastal parts of the State as the meteorological office forecasted heavy rains in Chennai and 'very heavy rainfall' in the coastal areas Tamil Nadu.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) will participate in a two-week-long multilateral air exercise in Israel beginning Thursday.

It is for the first time the IAF will operate with Israeli air force in a multilateral exercise setting.

A 45-member contingent of IAF left for Israel today to take part in 'Blue Flag-17', the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Blue Flag is a bi-annual multilateral exercise which aims to strengthen military cooperation among participating nations.

Indian Air Force is participating with the C-130J special operations aircraft along with Garud commandos.

"The exercise would provide a platform for sharing of knowledge, combat experience and in improving operational capability of the participating nations," the ministry said.

The exercise is being conducted at Uvda Air Force Base in Israel from Nov 2-16.
India and China on Monday held a Border Personnel Meeting at Bumla near Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang and a "thaw" in relations was evident at the meet, an official statement said.

The meet, that comes months after a stand-off along the Sikkim sector which ended on August 28.

Located at an altitude of 15,134 feet and situated 42 km north of Tawang town, Bumla is one of the five designated BPM venues, between Indian and Chinese troops.

The Indian delegation was led by Brig M. P. Singh, and the Chinese by Senior Col Liu Jiang Xun.

The Scheduled Military BPM commenced with the hoisting of flags and rendition of anthems of both the nations.

This was followed by ceremonial welcome address by both delegation leaders, who extended greetings & good wishes to each other.

"The thaw in the relations was evident during the meeting as both the delegations interacted in a free, congenial and cordial environment. The delegations parted amid the feeling of friendship and renewed commitment towards enhancing cordial relations and maintaining peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)," the statement said.

It said that in last 25 years, the BPM mechanism has evolved into a vital platform for resolving local issues and fostering confidence with a view to enhance peace & tranquility in the sector.

The stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops close to India-China Bhutan tri-junction started on June 16, when a PLA construction party entered the Doklam area and attempted to construct a road. Both sides announced disengagement on August 28.
Prince Yakub Habeebuddin Tucy, the man claiming to be the descendant of last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, said on Tuesday that he favoured an out-of-court settlement on the vexed Ayodhya dispute.
Students from Other Backward Classes (OBCs) will get 27 per cent reservation in the prestigious national talent search examination (NTSE), which gives 1,000 students monthly scholarships from Class XI.
IDFC-Shriram merger called off on differences over swap ratio

IDFC Group and Shriram Group have called off their talks for a merger after failing to agree on a swap ratio. The two parties had, on July 8, entered into a 90-day agreement to evaluate a strategic combination of their relevant financial services. With no finality in sight, the parties had extended talks by a month till early November. Read more



After e-car push, Tata Motors set to roll out e-buses, small vehicles

After a head start in electric cars, home-grown automobile major Tata Motors is drawing up aggressive plans to mark its presence in the electric bus and small commercial vehicle segments. The countrys second-largest bus player is conducting trial runs of its two electric bus variants in cities like Shimla, Chandigarh, and Guwahati, and is expected to close sales transactions with a few prospective buyers soon. Read more



Bharti Infratel plans to acquire Indus Towers

Bharti Infratel, a subsidiary of Sunil Mittal-led Bharti Airtel, will explore acquiring an additional stake in Indus Towers, the company said on Monday. The deal, when completed, is expected to create India's largest mobile tower company. Read more



WhatsApp opens chat with e-tailers

Anything from flight tickets to delivery updates by e-commerce companies would soon land in your WhatsApp inbox, as the American chat major is broadening its focus. What had started as an instant messaging and online chat service on smartphones, mostly for the young, some eight years ago is now turning towards businesses in a big way to monetise the platform. Read more



Aadhaar-demat account linking: Sebi's diktat spooks overseas investors

It is not just domestic investors but also foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) who are grappling with the Securities and Exchange Board of Indias (Sebis) diktat mandating linking Aadhaar with all demat accounts. Read more




Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday flaggedoff the Run for Unity from the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, near India Gate.

Similar runs have been organised across the country to mark the 142nd birth anniversary of Indias first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.





"Some people tried to ensure the contribution of Sardar Patel is forgotten," PM Modi said.
Tamil Nadu Government is all set to increase the price of sugar sold through Public Distribution System (PDS). The decision comes after the Centre withdrew subsidy given to the state and the recent rise in sugar prices.
The procurement of 111 naval utility helicopters (NUH) is the first acquisition to have been cleared by the defence ministry under its new strategic partner (SP) model, which seeks to bring the private sector into defence manufacturing.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah on Monday said that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel should have been the first recipient of Bharat Ratna-country's highest civilians award.

"There was a question to give Bharat Ratna to . I think that if there was anyone who should have been awarded Bharat Ratna first, it would be Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel," said Shah, while addressing a public rally here.

Talking about the contribution of towards India, Shah said it was because of him that India was progressing today.

"After independence, Britishers wanted to divide the country in more than 300 principalities. We got independence, the whole world believed; even people had questioned what would happen to the country now. Will this country be divided? But Sardar with his patience unified all principalities and worked to make one united India. It is because of this, our country is developing today."

The birth anniversary of is being celebrated across the country as 'Rashtriya Ekta Diwas' ( Unity Day).

The BJP president is currently on a five-day tour of the hill state ahead of the Assembly elections, which will be held on November 9.

(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 dish that tickled the taste buds of Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta and emperor Akbar and continues to be a staple food in large parts of the country is to be crowned and marketed as India's international food.

The humble khichri will on November 4 be announced as a brand India cuisine, during the second day of the World Food Day mega event to be organised in Delhi. The event will showcase Indias food processing industry and a wide array of cuisine.

Khichri has been selected as it is one of most commonly consumed food item in India, by the rich and poor alike, across the length and breadth of this country, said an official close to the development. The main ingredients of this food item are rice, lentils and spices.

To spice up the mega event, Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal mooted the idea of branding khichri as a super food. On the occasion, 800 kg of khichri would be made using various grains such as jowar and bajra, in an attempt to make an entry in the Guinness World Records. Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu is to launch the mega khichri in a big kadhai (vessel). The khichri would be distributed to poor children through the Akshaya Patra Foundation.

According to Badals plan, the ministry will market khichri as India's international food. It will be put in specially designed packets and sent to all embassies and consulates so that the dish can be popularised as an authentic Indian delicacy consumed by a vast majority. The ministry also wants to rope in restaurant chains across the world to popularise Indian khichri.

Khichri is a popular dish across the country. Apart from India, the vegetarian dish is widely consumed in Pakistan and the Fiji Islands, among others.

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor of Khana Khazana fame will showcase various khichri cuisines. Celebrities such as Aamir Khan are likely to attend the event, though their participation is yet to be confirmed.
In a big boost to government's reform push, India has jumped 30 places on World Banks ease of doing business index, breaking into the top 100. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that the jump of 30 places is the highest jump that any country has made in the ranking.
India worked in close partnership with the World Bank to improve our position, says NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant. He tells Dilasha Seth that instead of criticising the ranking method, the government decided to carry out critical structural reforms and ranked states. He says India must try to get into the top 50 rankings by focusing on weak areas. Edited excerpts



You played a key role in the governments drive in making India an easier place to do business. With India climbing into the top 100 of World Banks ease of doing business rankings, how do you look back at the efforts that went in over the past three years?



Prime Minister Narendra Modi was very clear right from the first meeting we had with him that doing business in India must become very simple and easy. He pointed out that India was a very complex place to carry out business and that needed to change. As we see today, India has improved its ranking in 6 out of 10 indicators. But in distance to the frontier, it has improved in 9 out of 10 indicators. This shows that Indias reforms are contributing to closing the gap with the best in the world in almost all indicators. In fact, India ranks in the top 30 in protecting minority investors, getting credit and getting electricity. We made an all-round progress.
The revenues are expected to grow at 15% annually over the next three financial years (FY2018-FY2020) led by rapid expansion in health insurance coverage through government-sponsored schemes, says Crisil Ratings.

"The Rs 4.8 lakh crore healthcare delivery sector in India has been showing strong demand growth and stable cash flows, and should maintain its momentum despite regulatory hiccups," the agency said in a statement today.

While strong demand will necessitate capital expenditure, stable cash flows from existing operations will continue to support credit profiles, it said.

"Profitability of hospitals, however, could see some pressure because of regulatory interventions, and they are expected to cope by adjusting cost and pricing structures," Crisil said.

It said the sector revenues are expected to grow by 15% annually over the next three years on the back o an increase in health insurance coverage through government-sponsored schemes.

The number of people covered by health insurance has nearly doubled to 42 crore in the past three fiscals, it said.

"Changing lifestyles, ageing population and increasing health awareness are the other drivers of demand," it added.

A study of 144 hospital firms rated by Crisil shows significant bed additions being undertaken to capitalise on demand prospects.

Large corporate chains with over Rs 400 crore revenue are expected to witness increasing capacity by 25% between fiscals 2018 and 2019, entailing an investment of Rs 5,000 crore.

"That would be 50% more than the annual average capex in the past three fiscals ended 2017. Small and medium hospitals will also follow suit, based on their ability to fund expansions," Crisil said.

"Hospital firms are likely to sustain their credit profiles despite large capex, backed by strong demand growth, stable cash flows from existing beds, and strengthening of business profiles through geographical diversification," Crisil's Senior Director Anuj Sethi said.

He also said prudent funding mix and longer loan-repayment tenure will further support credit profiles amid large capex.

Stable cash flows from mature beds, of over 5 years, enable better absorption of gestation losses from newer beds. At present, for large hospital chains, mature beds account for a healthy 60% of capacity.

Another factor that supports credit profiles is the measured approach that corporate chains take when undertaking capex to enter new markets, it said.

"In tier I and II cities, they prefer buyouts or tie-ups with regional hospitals to reduce the time-to-market and to improve return on investments. This approach synergises the best practices and infrastructure of large chains with the local market knowledge and experience of regional players," it 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.)
After failing to woo investors in the Electronics System Design & Manufacturing (ESDM) sector, the Odisha government is set to amend its special incentive package scheme meant for investors in the electronics sector to the woo the investors
Encouraged by a 30-notch improvement in Indias Ease of Doing Business rankings by the World Bank, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday said the target of improving the countrys position to the top 50 was achievable.
The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered a probe into the works undertaken in 16 districts of the state under the Prime Minister's rural housing scheme and MNREGA, an official said on Tuesday.

The investigation would be conducted by Rural Development Commissioner Parthasarthi Sen Sharma based on complaints received by the state government.

Local officials have been asked to certify the work done so far. Orders have also been issued to ensure that the probe is completed by November 13 and a report is sent to the state government.

Minister of State (Rural Development) Mahendra Singh informed that the department is flooded with complaints of gross irregularities in central government aided schemes during the previous governments.

"We want to know complete details of job cards, employment day, physical verification of quality of work done."

The state has also received serious complaints of fake allotments of houses to rural and urban poor and hence verification of the beneficiaries was being done.

The districts where the investigation will take place include Sultanpur, Gonda, Sitapur, Hardoi, Ambedkarnagar, Rae Bareli, Unnao, Basti, Fatehpur, Ghazipur, Kushinagar, Kheri, Allahabad, Kanpur rural, Mirzapur and Azamgarh.

The Rural Development Commissioner has asked all officials to extend cooperation in the probe and ensure that the report is submitted to the state government within the set deadline.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah on Tuesday said Prem Kumar Dhumal would be the partys chief ministerial candidate for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls. The state is scheduled to vote on November 9.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President on Tuesday questioned Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi about the work Congress has done in all these years.

"Rahul asks Modi that what they have done in three years. But I would like to ask him that what they have done in all these years," Shah said, while addressing a public rally here.

He also hit out at the Virbhadra Singh-led government, saying there has been no development in the state.

"For five years the way how the government has worked in Himachal, I don't think that Himachal has developed the way it should have been," he added.

Shah also lashed out at the chief minister over the rape and death case of a minor girl in Kotkhai.

"I would like to ask Chief Minister that who will take the responsibility of what happened to a minor in Shimla."

A class 10, a student at a government school in Kotkhai, was raped and murdered while she was returning from school on July 4. The incident sparked widespread protest and outrage in the state.

Shah is currently on a five-day tour of the hill state ahead of the Assembly elections, which will be held on November 9.
Mr. Noureddine Boutayeb, Minister of Interior of the Kingdom of Morocco is leading a composite delegation from various Ministries dealing with ICT and Socio-Economic Programmes and Moroccos National Bank to India from 28th October to 6th November, 2017. The delegation met with Shri Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home Affairs today. .

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Mr. Boutayeb added that Morocco is emerging as a key counter-terror and de-radicalization partner in North Africa and they will like to share with India their experiences in this field. MoS for Home responded positively to the offer and added that India has also been a long sufferer of terrorism and Government of India was taking steps to counter this problem effectively. MoS Shri Rijiju welcomed the Moroccan offer..

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The delegation is presently in India to study the Indian experience of Aadhar, Crime, Criminal Tracking Network & System (CCTNS) and benefits like DBT, Gas Subsidy, Digitised Banking Systems. .

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Mr. Boutayeb during interactions expressed his happiness at the fact that a big democratic country like India with a population of over 1.3 billion, with its diverse cultures, languages could implement Aadhar in India in the shortest possible time. He went on to add that Morocco is also in the process of implementing programmes based on the socio-economic model of India and that his delegations primary focus was to learn from the experiences of Indias model of development and socio-economic reforms initiated by the Indian Government..

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MoS for Home also briefed in detail the Moroccan Minister of various initiatives like the very recently introduced Crime, Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) a mission mode project under the National e-Governance Plan which will help modernize the Police Force and envisages national wide networking enabling share of information between Police Stations, State Officers and Security Agencies. He also briefed how this provides citizen interface to register complaints and to avail citizen services and covers all 35 States and UTs in India. Moroccan side expressed interest in details of this Project. MoS also requested the Moroccan side for liberal visa regime for Indian citizens for more people to people contacts between the two countries and also facilitate visas to business community on both sides. He also requested for expeditious conclusion of Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty. The Moroccan side requested for e-visa facility to Moroccan citizens..

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Mr. Boutayeb expressed his happiness on his visit to a great country like India and thanked MoS Shri Kiren Rijiju for the positive exchanges both sides had today. .

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The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) has sanctioned Rs 200 crore for flood affected reconstruction works in the four North Eastern States of Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram. .

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This was disclosed here today by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh. .

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Pertinent to mention that during his visit to Northeast in August this year to review the flood situation in the four States, the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had announced a flood relief package of Rs 2,000 crore. .

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Dr Jitendra Singh said, this year had witnessed unprecedented floods and the rainfall was more than 100% higher than that in the preceding months during the same period of time. As a result, he said, the damage was colossal and the relief and rehabilitation operations also got disrupted. .

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Dr Jitendra Singh said, a high-level committee has also been constituted to monitor the flood related operations and plan for future roadmap to avoid such situations. .

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Referring to the keen interest and priority shown by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that not only the Prime Minister began monitoring the flood situation right from day one, but he was also personally calling up the Chief Ministers of the concerned States for the latest feedback and also offered important tips and advice. .

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Earlier today, Senior Sikkim leader and Member of Parliament, Shri P.D. Rai called on Dr Jitendra Singh and updated him about preparations for the upcoming "Start up Conference" to be held in Gangtok on the 24th of November. He also thanked Dr Jitendra Singh for the financial and other logistic support offered by the Ministry of DoNER for successful conduct of this conference. .

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The first-ever airport at Sikkim coming up at Pakyong is ready to become functional soon, informed Dr Jitendra Singh. .

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A 45 member contingent of the Indian Air Force left for Israel today to participate in exercise Blue Flag-17. Blue Flag is a bi-annual multilateral exercise which aims to strengthen military cooperation amongst participating nations. Indian Air Force is participating with the C-130J special operations aircraft along with Garud commandos. The exercise would provide a platform for sharing of knowledge, combat experience and in improving operational capability of the participating nations. The exercise is being conducted at Uvda Air Force Base in Israel from 02-16 Nov 17. The team consists of personnel from various combat elements of the IAF and is led by Gp Capt Maluk Singh VSM..

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This is the first time the Indian Air Force is operating with Israeli AF in a multilateral exercise setting. Exercise Blue Flag gives opportunity to the IAF to share and learn best practices with some of the best professionals from other Air Forces. .

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President, Vice President, PM offers floral tributes to Sardar Patel on his birth anniversary; PM flags off "Run For Unity"

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The President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, the Vice President, Shri Venkaiah Naidu, and the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today offered floral tributes at the statue of Sardar Patel, at Patel Chowk in New Delhi, on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. .

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The Prime Minister later flagged off the "Run For Unity" from Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. .

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Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister recalled the contributions of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, especially in uniting the nation. .

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The Prime Minister asserted that the youth of India respects Sardar Patel, and his contribution towards the building of our nation. .

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The Prime Minister said India is proud of its diversity, and occasions such as "Run For Unity" offer us an opportunity to reinforce that sense of pride and oneness. .

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Shri Narendra Modi also recalled former Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi, whose death anniversary is being observed today. .

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The Prime Minister administered a pledge to the participants. .

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Europe's Airbus said on Tuesday third-quarter earnings fell by a sightly narrower-than-expected four per cent on lower aircraft deliveries and reaffirmed its forecasts as the fallout from an internal compliance review widened to the United States.

The world's second largest planemaker after Boeing posted quarterly core operating earnings of 697 million euros ($811 million), while revenues rose 2 per cent to 14.244 billion euros.

Markets had expected a weak quarter due to delays in commercial aircraft and a build-up of inventory.

Analysts on average expected third-quarter adjusted operating profit down 5.6 per cent at 690 million euros on revenues up 1.8 per cent at 14.2 billion, according to a Reuters survey.

Airbus said it was too early to predict the size of any fines resulting from ongoing corruption problems in the UK and France concerning the use of commissions in airplane sales, which have also triggered a sweeping internal investigation.

But it said it had now discovered inaccuracies in past declarations to the US State Department under part 130 of the US Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). The legislation concerns political contributions, fees and commissions.

($1 = 0.8595 euros)
People rise hands as they gather in front of the Palau Generalitat in Barcelona, Spain, after Catalonia's regional parliament passed a motion with which they say they are establishing an independent Catalan Republic.
China today rejected as "false and untrue" a media report that it was planning to build a 1,000- km long tunnel to divert water from the Brahmaputra river in Tibet close to Arunachal Pradesh to the parched Xinjiang region.

Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post yesterday said that Chinese engineers were testing techniques that could be used to build the tunnel, the world's longest.

"This is untrue. This is a false report," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing when asked about the report.

China will continue to attach great importance to cross- border river cooperation, she said.

According to the report, the proposed tunnel, which would drop down from the world's highest plateau in multiple sections connected by waterfalls, would provide water in China's largest administrative division, comprising vast swathes of deserts and dry grasslands.

The water would be diverted from the Yarlung Tsangpo River in southern Tibet, which turns into the river Brahmaputra once it enters India, to the Taklamakan desert in Xinjiang, the report had said.

India as riparian state has already flagged its concerns to China about various dams being built by it on the Brahmaputra river, which is known in China as Yarlung Tsangpo.

Beijing has been assuring India and Bangladesh that its dams were not designed to storing water.

(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.)
India was among food-major Mondelez Internationals key performers within emerging markets for the third quarter of 2017, the firms global chief executive officer (CEO), Irene Rosenfeld, said on Tuesday.
The Chinese envoy to the US today said that no one could "contain" China now, expressing his displeasure over the formation of an "exclusive club" in the Indo-Pacific region.

Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai was responding to questions on the recent India-centric policy speech by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the decision of the Trump administration to sell to India high-tech military equipment, including state-of-the-art armed drones, and the Japanese proposal of a strategic quadrilateral dialogue involving India and Australia.

"I don't think that the sales of advanced arms would really serve that purpose," Cui said.

Political analysts in the west have described the sale of arms to India as a US move to contain China.

"By the way I don't think anybody would be able to contain China," the Chinese Ambassador asserted in his rare press conference at the Embassy of China here.

The top diplomat was addressing media ahead of US President Donald Trump's visit to China early next month.

Trump is scheduled to embark on a 10-day visit to China. He would also visit Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Cui said China is "open to cooperation among the regional countries" for stability and prosperity.

The relationship between China and India "have been developing quite steadily over the years".

Chinese President Xi Jinping, he said, has always said that Pacific Ocean is large enough to accommodate that development both of China and the US, and the Asia-Pacific region is big enough to accommodate the development of China, India and Japan.

"In this regard I hope all parties will do things conducive to better relations, better mutual trust," he said.

Without mentioning the recent stand-off between India and China, Cui said he does not think that "confrontation" is in the interest of either of the two countries.

"I'm quite confident that both countries have a clear recognition of what will serve their respective interests best," he said, responding to a question on India and the move to have a strategic dialogue involving four countries India, Japan, US and Australia.

Any relationship between any two countries in the region, between any regional country and another country outside of the region should not be a zero sum game, he said when asked about the strengthening of India US relationship, which many say is aimed at China.

"Good relations between China and the US is not at the expense of any other country. The same should be true for relations between US and India and Japan and India," he said.

It is not in the interest of these countries if their aim is to sort of "contain" China, the top Chinese diplomat said.

Cui said all the regional countries in the Indo-Pacific have shared interests in greater stability, peace and better prospects for prosperity.

In order to achieve that regional countries have to work together and have to promote closer cooperation among them and maybe establish appropriate regional mechanisms, he said.

As such, China is open to cooperation with all its neighbours so that Asia-Pacific will continue to be a peaceful, stable and prosperous region.

"We are following developments in the region very closely and hopefully other countries will have the same approach as we have," he said, responding to a question on quadrilateral dialogue between India, Japan, US and Australia.

Cui said he does not think that "any attempt to form exclusive clubs in the region following a so-called zero sum approach will help anybody".
The federal investigation into whether President Donald Trumps campaign colluded with Russia took a major turn Monday as authorities charged three people  a former campaign chief, his business associate and an ex-policy adviser  with crimes including money laundering, lying to the FBI and conspiracy.
President Donald Trump plans to announce his choice for the next Fed chairman on Thursday, the day before he departs for a trip to Asia, a White House official said.
fell 2.5% at Rs 921 on the BSE intra-day trade after the stock turned ex-date for the proposed buyback and for interim dividend of Rs 13 per share.
Shares of Network18 Media & Investments, Reliance Communications (RCom) and GVK Power & Infrastructure rallied by up to 16% on the BSE in intra-day trade on back of heavy volumes. The trading volumes on these counter more than doubled as compared to an average trading volumes in past two weeks, the BSE data shows.
The Darjeeling Police on Tuesday recovered 102 pieces of gelatin sticks from a tea estate in Tindharia, Darjeeling.

These gelatin sticks were stolen from Neji power plant on July 20.

Speaking to media, Darjeeling Superintendent of Police Akhilesh Chaturvedi, said, "The stolen gelatin sticks from Neji power plant were delivered to GJM president Bimal Gurung, who divided them in parts. The gelatins were recovered from from Tindharia village and were hidden in the tea bushes. But we have not made any arrests yet."

"We have managed to recover 50 kgs of gelatin sticks, so far. However, no arrests has been made so far", said SP

"We will contact the NTPC to verify if the recovered gelatin sticks match with the stolen ones," added SP Chaturvedi

Earlier on October 13, 20 sticks were recovered from the shoot-out spot near Singla near the Bengal-Sikkim border which resulted in the death of a police officer.

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Hollywood actor Adam Driver, who rose to fame with 'Star Wars

The 33-year-old actor, who plays the role of Kylo Ren in the blockbuster sci-fi franchise, admitted that he feared he was going to "puke" when he watched his character kill off his father Han Solo (Harrison Ford) in the 2015 movie.

In an interview with GQ Magazine, Driver said, "When I watched the premiere, I felt sick to my stomach. Immediately, I thought I was going to puke. I was holding my wife [Joanne Tucker]'s hand, and she's like, 'You're really cold. Are you OK?"

The actor also shared that he did not know how fans would react to the murder.

"I just knew what was coming - I kill Harrison Ford - and I didn't know how this audience of 2,000 people was going to respond to it, you know?" noted Driver.

The film marks the last outing for Fisher, who tragically died in December last year, and Driver has admitted the movie legend advised him to be "down to earth" before the release of 'The Force Awakens' to gain more supporters.

The 'Silence' star shared, "The whole cast was downstairs in a conference room, talking through what's supposed to happen at this big event. She was like, 'Just pretend you're down to earth. People love that s**t. So now I pretend I'm down to earth and you know what? People really do love that s**t. They eat it up."

Driver is set to reprise his role as Kylo Ren in 'The Last Jedi' this year alongside Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Oscar Isaac (Poe), Lupita Nyong'o (Maz Kanata), Gwendoline Christie (Captain Phasma), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Andy Serkis (Snoke), Domhnall Gleeson (General Lux) and the late Carrie Fisher as General Leia.

Helmed by Rian Johnson, 'The Last Jedi' is slated for release this December.

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After a suicide attack in Kabul on Tuesday killed three persons, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj assured that all the Indians in the city were safe.

The Union Minister took to her Twitter account to update information received from Indian Ambassador in Afghan Manpreet Vohra.

According to a BBC report, the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack in which a suicide bomber, who was thought to be as young as 12 or 13, blasted him in central Kabul.

Kabul has been targeted by the Taliban and other militants on many occasions in recent months.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday decided to make India's first conservation reserve for black buck in Allahabad's Meja.

Among the five major decisions taken in the cabinet meeting, the black buck conservation reserve in Meja Forest Division of Allahabad is seen as the most important one.

It is believed that the decision taken for protection of black deer will also help in wooing tourists here.

In addition to this, the other decisions taken by the UP cabinet includes developing eco-tourism in nearly two dozen places in the state. Apart from this, the decision to open 13 commercial courts in the state was also taken.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said the army will build the new foot-over-bridge at Elphinstone Station, where 23 people were killed in the stampede last month.

"Probably first time we have asked army to come in to build what could otherwise be called civil work, but Elphinstone tragedy was so big. A call was taken to cooperate, seeing urgency of the matter as army has its role at the borders," Sitharaman said.

"Army has come and they have inspected and assessed where the bridge is going to be built, they will be there at every stage of the work," she added.

Fadnavis said the army will help construct three bridges, including the Elphinstone bridge, which will be completed by January 31.

"After Elphinstone stampede incident, we had asked for help from armed forces and Defence Minister. She agreed to help us and three bridges will be constructed by 31 Jan," said Fadnavis, while addressing the media persons.

23 people were killed and over 39 were injured in a rush-hour stampede at Elphinstone railway station's foot over bridge on September 29.

Last week, Railway Minister Piyush Goel has announced a number of sops for the western suburban in the wake of the tragedy.

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Superintendent of Police (SP) Umesh Kumar Singh has confirmed that a case will soon be filed against the driver of Uttar Pradesh Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar for causing the accidental death of a minor boy in Gonda.

He said, "Under 304A (of the IPC), the Innova car was first seized and the driver, Ramjit Rajbhar, was arrested. Soon, a charge sheet will be filed against the driver and then the court proceedings will begin".

Umesh Kumar Singh also added that family members of the victim would receive due compensation from third party insurance.

Confirming the presence of the minister in the car during the incident, Singh said, "Even though there was a jeep behind the Innova and a Bolero in front, the eyewitnesses have said that it was the Innova that hit the boy. And, the minister was present in that car."

The boy's father, Vishwanath, demanded a strict investigation is conducted against the minister.

He said, "We have received 2.5 lakhs as compensation and I am thankful for that. But, I demand a strict action against the minister so that such an incident does not occur again in the future. We have lost our son and we do not wish this fate upon anyone else."

The five-year old boy was playing on the footpath late on Saturday evening when the Minister's car allegedly drove over him.

The convoy reportedly did not stop for the victim's aid after the incident. The boy died on the spot.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China on Monday once again made it clear that it will continue to block India's move to put a ban on Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed leader Masood Azhar, citing "disagreements" in the United Nations Committee related to terrorism issues in this particular case.

"We have elaborated on China's position many times at request. The relevant Security Council resolutions have clear stipulations on the mandate of the 1267 Committee and explicit requirements for the listing criteria of terrorist organizations or individuals," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying told the reporters, during a press conference in Beijing.

"China always maintains that on the listing matter, the 1267 Committee shall uphold the principle of objectivity, impartiality and professionalism and make its decisions by consensus among its members on the basis of solid evidence," Hua added.

In August, China extended by three months a block it had put on the proposal to list Azhar as a global terrorist after obstructing the move in February. The block is due to expire on Thursday.

The Chinese spokesperson made it clear that they had proposed the technical hold so that more time was given to the Committee for deliberations and to all relevant parties for further consultations.

"Regrettably however, the Committee has yet to reach a consensus. The action we took at the 1267 Committee, which was meant to uphold the authority and validity of the Committee, accorded with the resolutions of the Security Council and the rules of procedure of the Committee and showcased a responsible attitude," Hua said.

"China would remain in communication and coordination with all relevant parties in line with the resolutions of the Security Council and the rules of procedure of the 1267 Committee," Hua added.

When asked if China is resorting to block the move repeatedly at the behest of Pakistan, Hua said, "In light of an absence of consensus on this matter within the 1267 Committee, China acted to protect the authority and validity of the Committee, which met the rules of procedure of the Committee and just best showcased our sense of responsibility. We would remain in communication and coordination with all relevant parties in line with the resolutions of the Security Council and the rules of procedure of the 1267 Committee."

Defending Pakistan on terrorism, Hua said, "Pakistan is a victim of terrorism. We support Pakistan in carrying out counter-terrorism actions based on its own national conditions."

Earlier in June, China insisted that India provide "solid evidence" against the Jaish-e-Mohammed chief.

However, India's permanent representative to the United Nation, last month said that India will not sit idle till Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief is brought to justice.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day after China hinted at blocking resolution declaring Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar, defence experts on Tuesday said that Beijing is trying to please Pakistan.

Speaking to ANI, defence expert Praful Bakshi said: "China cannot displease Pakistan. China refuses to declare Masood as terrorist, which even both America and France have supported."

He further said that India should not depend on China's stance on Azhar and take its own action.

"India must know where China stands. We must take our own action and not depend on work of other countries. We should be totally independent and work in our own interest," he added.

Another defence expert, Kamal Mitra Chinoy said that China is using Masood Azhar to help Pakistan put pressure on India.

"This is an old game that China has been playing and they always try to plea Pakistan because they want Pakistani Army to accept China as its big brother..India is strong enough to defend its border," he told ANI.

China on Monday once again made it clear that it will continue to block India on Pakistan-based terror group chief citing disagreements in the United Nations Committee related to terrorism issues in this particular case.

"We have elaborated on China's position many times at request. The relevant Security Council resolutions have clear stipulations on the mandate of the 1267 Committee and explicit requirements for the listing criteria of terrorist organizations or individuals," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying told the reporters during a press conference in Beijing.

"China always maintains that on the listing matter, the 1267 Committee shall uphold the principle of objectivity, impartiality and professionalism and make its decisions by borad consensus among its members on the basis of solid evidence," Hua added.

In August, China extended by three months a block it had put on the proposal to list Azhar as a global terrorist after obstructing the move in February. The block is due to expire on Thursday.

"We have made our position clear many times from this podium. The relevant resolutions of Security Council have clear stipulations as to the mandate of 1267 Committee and also clear stipulations when it comes to the listing of relevant organisations and individuals," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing in Beijing.

The Chinese spokesperson made it clear that they had proposed the technical hold so that more time was given to the committee for deliberations and to all relevant parties for further consultations.

Earlier in June, China insisted that India provide "solid evidence" against the Jaish-e-Mohammed chief.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China is considering a law mandating prison sentence of up to three years for disrespecting the national anthem, reported China's news agency Xinhua.

A draft amendment to the country's Criminal Law was submitted for deliberation at a session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee on Tuesday.

Xinhua quoted Wang Chaoying, deputy head of the NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission, as saying, "As the criminal law stipulates penalties for offences to national flag and national emblem, violations regarding national anthem should also be incorporated with the passing of the new law."

This comes at a time when in India, the Supreme Court has hinted at modifying its last year order that made it mandatory for cinema halls to play National Anthem before screening of films.

The move has since attracted controversy, with arguments both for and against the move.

China's national anthem "March of the Volunteers" encouraged the country's people during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

It was chosen as the national anthem in 1949.
Assam Health Minister and prominent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday mocked Congress for objecting to stand up for Anthem.

Speaking to ANI, the Assam Minister said, "Congress people can stand up for Pidi, but cannot stand up for Anthem. This is not acceptable"

"Most of congress spokespersons are saying that people should not stand up for the anthem in the movie theatres. Rahul Gandhi should come out and openly say it," said Sarma.

"It is really astonishing to see these people who clap for Pidi but they are reluctant to stand up for national anthem. I think Rahul should openly say whether he wants to respect the national anthem or not," added Sarma.

The Jaipur Municipal Corporation in Rajasthan recently issued a directive to its staffers to sing the national anthem every morning and national song every evening. The biometric system of attendance will not accept any entries after the morning anthem.

On Tuesday, the directive was implemented with Staff of the Jaipur Municipal Corporation singing the national anthem on the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Downplaying Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark that the Congress ignored Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's legacy, former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday said those who know or read the history, won't be astrayed by the Prime Minister's statements.

"Nothing like that, this is wrong. We have never ignored Sardar Patel's contribution. Sardar Patel and Nehruji both achieved freedom together for the nation. Those who know or read the history, they won't be astrayed by such statements," she said.

The Prime Minister, while speaking at the 'Run for Unity' event to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, had accused the Congress of making an attempt to erase the contribution of the first deputy prime minister of India.

"Patel's legacy was ignored by governments. The role of Sardar Patel was not introduced to the new generation of the country. Either an attempt was made to erase their contribution from history or an attempt was made to minimize it. Whether a political party accepts him grandfather or not, the country's youth will not allow him to be forgotten. The country's first President, Rajendra Prasad, also expressed his pain at an attempt to forget Sardar," Modi had said.

The birth anniversary of Sardar Patel is being celebrated across the country as 'Rashtriya Ekta Diwas' ( Unity Day).

Earlier, President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Modi, and Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu paid floral tributes to Sardar Patel.
The Congress Party on Tuesday hailed the Uttar Pradesh Government's decision to introduce NCERT books in Madrasas across the state.

Speaking to ANI, Congress leader Salman Khurshid said, "I think nothing is wrong in that. I think madrasas have been teaching modern education other than their own religious teachings. These books should be made available. I am sure Madrasas will be happy to comply with it. It will make the people, who come out from madrasas employable. They can't just become priest and go to the mosque. So, I think this is good decision."

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also welcomed the Uttar Pradesh government's initiative and lauded Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for implementing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision.

"It is a splendid move by Uttar Pradesh government. All credit goes to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister is implementing the vision of the Prime Minister. It is a very good initiative. This will surely ensure that boys and girls from Muslim community will get the modern education," BJP leader Zafar Islam told ANI.

The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday said that it will introduce NCERT books in Madrasas across the state that fall under the UP Madrasa Board. The government has also decided to make mathematics and science compulsory at the intermediate level from the next academic year.

The Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma on Monday said NCERT books are being introduced in Madrasas across Uttar Pradesh in accordance to suggestions made by the state Madrasa Board.

He further said that the aim of the move is to make students in Madrasas more competitive.

Dinesh Sharma took to his Twitter handle and said, "The students (at Madrasa) will be taught about modern issues and they will compete with other schools in the same arena.(sic)"

Meanwhile, talking to ANI Sharma said, "There is no change in the new curriculum and syllabus in this regard. The Uttar Pradesh Madrasa board brought out a suggestion that along with their Urdu books they will also cover NCERT English books which are for different subjects. This suggestion came in Madarsa Board, the Board decided that NCERT books of Mathematics, Science in Urdu will be added. In this way, students will get a wider scope to learn mainstream subjects."

Madarsas are minority educational institutions offering study in Islamic theology and religious law.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan will be visiting Thaliland on Wednesday to participate in the 7th Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable (AMER) conference.

India is the current chair of International Energy Forum (IEF) which is promoting the AMER - a biennial event bringing together energy ministers and experts from Asian countries.

Pradhan, whose visit will be of two days, will speak on 'Natural Gas: Overcoming Market and Policy Hurdles to the Golden Age of Gas' along with energy ministers from Qatar, Brunei and Senior Representatives from Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan and Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).

Energy ministers from Saudi Arabia, Russia, UAE, Thailand, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Brunei are also participating in the AMER.

The 7th AMER at Bangkok will be an important IEF event before India hosts the 16th IEF Ministerial Conference scheduled in April 2018.

During his participation in the 7th AMER, Minister Pradhan will invite his counterparts from Asian countries to participate in the prestigious 16th IEF Ministerial Conference in India.

In the recent years, India has played a leadership role in Oil and Gas sector.

On October 18, 2017, Minister Pradhan participated in the 6th Annual LNG Producers Consumer Conference held in Tokyo, Japan and called for establishing a Liquid, Flexible and Global LNG Market between the countries providing a framework to cooperate in facilitating flexibility in LNG contracts, abolition of Destination Restriction Clause and also explore possibilities of cooperation in establishing reliable LNG spot price indices reflecting true LNG demand and supply.

Pradhan, during his meetings and interactions with OPEC Secretary General, has called for replacing the 'Asian Premium' with 'Asian Discount'.

He has emphasized the implementation of 'Responsible and Reasonable Pricing' by producing countries.

In this background, the IEF, whose membership accounts for 90% of global supply and demand for oil and gas, is an important forum to share India's views on global oil and gas scenario and the changes that are required to balance it better and benefit not only producers, but also consumers.

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After World Bank announced India as one of the five fastest reformers on Tuesday, India Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg said the government is now hopeful of an increase in private investment.

"Now I am in a situation that I can say that private investment is reviving in India now," Garg said.

Garg said they are working on the factors which decreased private investments.

"There were reasons like some wrong investments which caused a decrease. It is resolving through IBC and the new data is telling that there had been 5% growth. We are making sure with our efforts that we achieve this as well," Garg added.

India climbed 30 positions to rank 100th amongst 190 countries, in the 'Ease of Doing Business' report by the World Bank. The World Bank Vice President, South Asia, Annette Dixon, said that the bank expects India to continue to make good progress in the coming years.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Indian government's recent decision to appoint an interlocutor for Kashmir ought to be welcomed by the international community as another step to connect with Kashmiris, with the objective of bringing peace to the region, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) has said.

In an article written for EP Today, Petras Austrevicius, Member of the European Parliament, further goes on to say that "sadly, but as expected, Pakistan and its political proxies in Jammu and Kashmir have rejected all interaction with the newly appointed interlocutor, leaving no doubt about their motives and intentions."

He maintains that Pakistan is continuing to fuel violence and unrest in the Kashmir Valley, and under the circumstances says that the EU has watched with admiration the manner in which New Delhi has responded deftly to this complex challenge, "with tough action against militants targeting innocents, while continuing to engage with the Kashmiri people, who have also shown great tenacity in the face of this long war of attrition, sponsored from across the borders."

Austrevicius says the EU must focus on enhancing its cooperation with India in areas like foreign and security affairs, and supports its efforts to bring peace to Kashmir, while also boosting its exchanges in trade, education, culture and scientific research.

Referring to the recent visit to India of European Council President Donald Tusk and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Austrevicius says that he is pleased to see both the EU and India not only reiterating the strategic importance of their multi-faceted relations, but also agreeing to further expand areas of cooperation, so as to develop the political dimension of this relationship.

"As the world's two largest democracies, the EU and India have a common responsibility to promote the cause of peace, the rule of law and human rights around the . Further, in the current fraught international environment where terrorism has emerged as one of the key security challenges, the EU sees India as a nation committed to responding to this threat," he says.

He further writes, "India has been battling the menace of terrorism long before it reached the European shores. Though terrorism in India came in through the back door from Pakistan, and continues to be sponsored from across the border, India has, for decades, been attempting to solve the problem diplomatically with its western neighbour."

Criticizing Pakistan for making promises repeatedly to curb terror from its soil, Austrevicius says, "Pakistan has not given up its flawed state policy of waging non-conventional war on its neighbours, through terror groups. While the US and NATO are only now waking up to the grave threats of such acts, India and Afghanistan have been the earliest victims."

The EU, he says, places utmost importance on the protection of human rights, and has always supported such efforts, worldwide.

"However, the EU is also aware of the considerable evidence that exists, of assistance by the Pakistani State to militants operating in Kashmir by way of recruitment, funding, training, provision of weaponry and sanctuary," he adds.

He praises the Indian government for providing development related funds liberally to its side of Kashmir (annual assistance of US dollar 17 billion), whereas in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, this is sadly lacking in all aspects.

He concludes his article by saying, "The compliance with human rights rules makes India a perfect partner for the European Union in the region, including the efforts to maintain the remarkable balance between fighting terrorism and keeping human rights compliance which is a challenge for democracies.

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Former Telugu Desam Party's (TDP) working president and legislator Revanth Reddy on Tuesday joined the Congress party.

Revanth who was in Delhi on Tuesday joined Congress in presence of party vice president Rahul Gandhi.

On Saturday, October 28, the former TDP leader tendered his resignation from all party posts and membership and his MLA seat.

Reddy submitted his resignation letter in the office of TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Earlier, Reddy had reportedly said he didn't want to continue in the party but would carry on his fight against Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

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Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi on Tuesday said that solution to Kashmir issue would have been achieved, if Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel would have been alive.

"If Sardar Patel would have been alive, solution to Kashmir issue would have been achieved long back. If Patel was the first prime minister instead of Nehru, the present scenario of India would be something else. Sardar Patel was the architect of India," Sushil Modi told the media, while attending the 'Run for Unity' event here.

Modi also said Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru always ignored Sardar Patel's warnings on China.

"Sardar Patel had warned Nehru many times to be wary of China but he never paid heed to it," he said.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off 'Run for Unity' at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Delhi to mark 142nd birth anniversary of Sardar Patel.

The birth anniversary of Sardar Patel is being celebrated across the country as 'Rashtriya Ekta Diwas' ( Unity Day).

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Avantura Choppers has announced launch of its only production chopper motorcycle brand from India, Avantura Choppers.

Originating in the United States of America in the 1950s, Choppers, a special class of motorcycles rapidly became a sensation among enthusiasts across the world with innovations, competitions, and a thriving global community. However, the Indian motor-head was yet to enjoy the authentic chopper experience despite the rapidly evolving rider community.

To fill this gap, Avantura Choppers is all set to release their first models, designed with unparalleled, global best-in-class quality, engineered to suit the Indian riding conditions.

With bespoke design engineering and OEM partnerships with world-leading component manufacturers, the company prides itself on bringing Indian enthusiasts this global product which is curated for connoisseurs.

"The brand, Avantura Choppers symbolizes the premium quality and supreme power that is a chopper motorcycle. With that in mind, we have produced these masterpieces for riding connoisseurs by curating the entire experience. And the fact that we're the first Indian company in the space, adds challenge to the pride," said co-founder Avantura Choppers, Gaurav Aggarwal.

"The evolving Indian rider has been in search for the authentic American chopper experience and with the launch of Avantura Choppers, we hope to fill that void with our state-of-the-art motorcycles. Targeted at the discerning enthusiasts who consider themselves connoisseurs, we're all set to amaze the market with a first-time-ever experience," added co-founder Avantura Choppers, Vijay Singh.

The company is targeting a 7-8 percent share of the 1600cc and above motorcycle market in India, which is estimated to touch 15,000 units by 2022, based on reports by the Emerging Markets Automotive Advisors.

The company is at the concluding stages for the ARAI certification.

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The World Bank VP, South Asia, Annette Dixon, on Tuesday said that the World Bank expects India to continue to make good progress in the coming years.

Talking exclusively to ANI, Dixon said, "If we see continued leadership and coordination, we would expect India to continue to make good progress in coming years."

She also added that India's improvement is the highest amount of improvement across any region and the world.

"It's highest amount of improvement across region and world. India has jumped 30 places in its ranking compared to other countries," concluded Dixon.

India climbed 30 positions to rank 100th amongst 190 countries, in the 'Ease of Doing Business' report by the World Bank.

"With the eight reforms enforced in the system, India made paying taxes easier by requiring that payments be made electronically to the Employees Provident Fund and introducing a set of administrative measures easing compliance with corporate income tax," said a World Bank statement.

The report also mentioned the substantive changes implemented by the Indian Government in 2016-17 that included the merging of applications for the Permanent Account Number (PAN) and Tax Account Number (TAN) for starting a new .

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External Affair Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday said she was personally monitoring the situation in the incident of attack on Indian students in Milan.

"Attack on Indian students in Milan: I have got the detailed report. Pls do not worry. I am monitoring the situation personally. @cgmilan1," Swaraj said in a Tweet.

Indian consulate in Milan said in a Tweet on Monday night that it had received reports of unfortunate incident of attacks on the Indian students in Italy's metropolis.

"All Indian students are urged not to panic. The consulate is taking up this matter with the highest level of law and order authorities in Milan," it said.

The consulate has also asked students to approach the consulate and spread information among others to avoid recurrence of such incidents.

"Students are advised to be in touch with each other (particularly when they go out) as well as with the Consulate and spread the information among other students about the areas where they face such incidents so that such areas can be avoided," it further said.

The incident has come at a time when Italy and India reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen bilateral ties during Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni's visit that concluded on Monday.

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Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan is all set to star in Indian political satire series 'The Ministry', which is set to stream worldwide on Amazon Prime next year.

The show is a political satire, set in contemporary India's corridors of power. He will play a washed up, narcissistic Bollywood actor who is unwittingly appointed as a placeholder culture minister, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Despite a crippling bureaucracy, political gaffes, and a team of misfits, he yearns to be loved by the masses once again.

The series is created by Gursimran Khamba, one of the founding members of well-known Indian comedy collective AIB.

Talking about the project, Irrfan said, "It will be a great experience to be working on this show, which will be very topical and funny and will release globally on Amazon Prime Video."

He will next be seen in Tanuja Chandra's 'Qarib Qarib Single'.

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Staff of the Jaipur Municipal Corporation has been directed by the administration to begin their day with the anthem and end it off by singing the song (Vande Mataram).

The order was implemented on Tuesday, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

"Nothing is better than Anthem and National Song to start and end the day with positive energy, on a positive note. Nationalism inspires a sense of service among people. I feel it should be a practice at all government offices, there should be no hesitation in being nationalist," Jaipur Mayor Ashok Lahoty told the media.

Lahoty said the move will instill a feeling of nationalism amongst the employees.

The order has also raised concerns amongst employees as it also comes with time adherence.

The national anthem commenced playing sharply at 9:50 a.m., after which the bio-metric attendance system has not accepted the entry for the day.

Attending the 5:55 p.m. recital of Vande Mataram will also be compulsory for the employees before logging out for the day.

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Panellists at a seminar organized by Jammu and Kashmir Unity Foundation recently expressed serious concern over the Pakistan's attempts to radicalize youth in Jammu and Kashmir.

It was stressed that unless the infrastructure of indoctrination of young impressionable minds is destroyed, the young generation, particularly in Kashmir and in parts of Jammu, will become infected by the virus of Wahabi/Salafi ideology.

The seminar titled "22nd October 1947-Pakistan Invasion Not A Tribal Raid" was organized by the Jammu and Kashmir Unity Foundation to remember the first invasion of Indian territories in Jammu and Kashmir by the Pakistani Army on 22nd October 1947.

The day is observed as Black Day by the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

The deliberations of the programme started with offering of tributes to the victims of Pakistani invasion in 1947. The participants observed a two minutes silence in the memory of the civilians who lost their lives during the invasion of Jammu and Kashmir.

Ajaat Jamwal, President, Jammu and Kashmir Unity Foundation, in his address said that Pakistan uses non-state actors as part of its state policy and this started with Major General Akbar Khan, the in-charge of the Jammu and Kashmir Operation in 1947.

This has been amply admitted by Pakistan writers, he said, adding "Major (Retired) Agha Humayun Khan in his book -The 1947-48 Kashmir War- The War of Lost Opportunities -- said Major General Akbar Khan, the real hero of the 1947-48 War, A DSO of Burma and the architect of philosophy of armed insurrection by aiding non-state actors as state proxies.

His ideas of use of non-state actors as advanced in his writings were picked up much later and practised in Afghanistan, NEFA and Kashmir.

Jamwal said that Pakistan is actively engaged in radicalisation of youth of Kashmir and parts of Jammu region. During past some years Pakistan has been investing heavily in radicalization of youth, construction of Wahabi/Salafi mosques and by use of cyber space.

He said that people of Jammu and Kashmir have to thwart this conspiracy and government should also act against such mischief by Pakistan.

Yuvraj Gupta described his personal experiences in Kotli (Now in PoJK) during the fateful days of siege of Kotli by the Pakistani forces and the glorious resistance offered by the people living in POJK to prevent the areas from falling into the hands of Pakistan.

Dr. Ajay Chrungoo described the 22nd Oct 1947 attack as the operation for second partition of India and beginning of a protracted Jihad against India immediately after the Independence. He stressed that this Jihad is still on and has taken numerous lives and rendered lakhs of people refugees in their own country.

Engineer Ghulam Ali, State Secretary BJP described the 22nd Oct as a day when the State was divided and thousands of people pushed out of their native places. He said families were broken and made to live in separation and blamed Pakistan for the tragedy unleashed on the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He said Pakistan's nefarious role continues still and is now posing challenge to the entire civilized world.

Mohammad Tariq, president Jiyo Aur Jeene Do said that radicalization of youth is the primary challenge for the Nation because it is disrupting the communal amity and peace and pushing the youth towards terrorism. He blamed Pakistan for poisoning the minds on this side and urged to evolve a campaign so that Pakistan's propaganda is defeated and youth are weaned away from violence.

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A judge on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia has blocked President Donald Trump's memorandum banning transgender people serving in the military.

According to The Hill, the judge ruled on Monday that Trump's directive of changing the transgender policy back to what it was before June 2016 and banning new transgender recruits from enlisting cannot be enforced while the case is being reviewed in the court.

However, the judge denied the plaintiff's motion to block the ban on funds for gender reassignment surgery.

In a 76-page memo accompanying the ruling, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly wrote that it violates their Fifth Amendment right to due process.

"The court finds that a number of factors-including the sheer breadth of the exclusion ordered by the directives, the unusual circumstances surrounding the President's announcement of them, the fact that the reasons given for them do not appear to be supported by any facts, and the recent rejection of those reasons by the military itself - strongly suggest that Plaintiffs' Fifth Amendment claim is meritorious," she wrote.

The plaintiffs in the case, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), celebrated the injunction Monday as a "complete victory."

"This is a complete victory for our plaintiffs and all transgender service members, who are now once again able to serve on equal terms and without the threat of being discharged," Shannon Minter, NCLR's legal director, said in a statement.

"This court saw straight through the smokescreen the government tried to create to hide the bias and prejudice behind Trump's change in military policy," added Jennifer Levi, director of GLAD's transgender rights project. "This clear, powerful ruling confirms that there is no legitimate reason to exclude transgender people from military service."

Earlier in July, Trump had tweeted that transgender individuals would no longer be allowed to enlist or serve in the military.

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The Jammu and Kashmir Youth Development Forum (JKYDF) recently organised a day-long seminar on "Disturbance by Tribal Invasion in Kashmir" at Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre in Srinagar.

The event was organised on 71st anniversary of tribal invasion on Jammu and Kashmir by tribals backed and supported by Pakistan.

People from all walks of life attended the seminar and the speakers reminded the people of the state that it was tribal invasion which created all problems for Kashmir and the people of both sides of J&K are paying for it till date.

Tribal invasion not only divided the state but laid foundation of sufferings and miseries for the people of both sides. Though separatists using to force people of Kashmir to observe Oct. 27 as 'Black Day', a huge funding is being provided to pro-Pak elements by Pakistan agencies to cover up the misdeeds of Pakistan through such propagandas.

The speakers highlighted the encouragement of fundamentalism and open support by Pakistan on terrorism in Kashmir from last 28 years and how tribal militia unleashed reign of terror and unprovoked aggression against people of Jammu and Kashmir violated state's sovereignty.

Bilal Ahmad Parray, Chairman Bulbul Shah Society for Technical Education, said the "tribal invasion of Jammu and Kashmir on 22nd October 1947, actively supported by the Pakistan Army, brought in its wake horrifying stories of mass plunder, vandalism and rape. Thousands of men, women and children were mercilessly butchered in the name of jihad."

He added, "Their sufferings of those dark days of 1947 have no parallel in the world history."

Engineer Ghulam Hassan, Chairman HKMCC voted for taking an initiative which is the need of the hour in these tiring circumstances in the state. He said that by observing Black Day on October 22, we will pay homage to lakhs of people killed, maimed and looted in 1947 by the invaders. Innocent women who were robed, raped, kidnapped, and killed by the raiders in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

He said, "During the past, Pakistan agencies used force and money for Kashmiris through separatists to observe Black Day on October 27th which coincides with the arrival of Indian army in Srinagar."

Peer Mohammad Yousf, Chairman of JK Peace Forum, said, "Jammu and Kashmir state is the crown of India and a mosaic of plural identities, living in a spirit of peace and brotherhood. October 22 is a call to all peace loving citizens to rise and defeat the communal fundamentalism of Pakistan.

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A statement issued by the office of the Chief Executive of Afghanistan, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, has said that Kazakhstan will sign military assistance and cyber security help agreements with Afghanistan in the near future.

According to a Tolo News report, Kazakhstan's Ministry of Defense and Aerospace Industry (KMDAI) has announced it will help Afghanistan in different sectors.

The Afghan government statement said that KMDAI Minister Beibut Atamkulov met Dr.Abdullah and told him that his country is ready to cooperate with Afghanistan in business, on energy development, on building of a railway line, and in the military and security (sector).

He also said that agreements regarding military assistance, satellite image capturing and cybersecurity will be signed soon with Afghanistan.

Dr.Abdullah said common security threats in the region need to be met head on through defence and security cooperation between countries.

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Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday briefed in details to the Moroccan Minister Noureddine Boutayeb on the various initiatives like the Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), a mission mode project under the e-Governance Plan which will help modernize the Police Force and envisages wide networking enabling share of information between Police Stations, State Officers and Security Agencies.

Rijiju also briefed on how this provides citizen interface to register complaints and to avail citizen services and covers all 35 States and Union Terrorties in India. Moroccan side expressed interest in details of this Project.

MoS further requested the Moroccan side for liberal visa regime for Indian citizens for more people to people contacts between the two countries and also facilitate visas to business community on both sides. He also requested for expeditious conclusion of Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty. The Moroccan side requested for e-visa facility to Moroccan citizens.

Boutayeb, Minister of Interior of the Kingdom of Morocco is leading a composite delegation from various Ministries dealing with Information and communications technology (ICT) and Socio-Economic Programmes and Morocco's Bank to India from October 28 to November 6.

Meanwhile, Boutayeb added that Morocco is emerging as a key counter-terror and de-radicalisation partner in North Africa and they will like to share with India their experiences in this field.

MoS for Home responded positively to the offer and added that India has also been a long sufferer of terrorism and Government of India was taking steps to counter this problem effectively. Following that, Rijiju welcomed the Moroccan offer.

The delegation is presently in India to study the Indian experience of Aadhar, Crime, Criminal Tracking Network & System (CCTNS) and benefits like Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), Gas Subsidy, Digitised Banking Systems.

Boutayeb during interactions expressed his happiness at the fact that a big democratic country like India with a population of over 1.3 billion, with its diverse cultures, languages could implement Aadhar in India in the shortest possible time.

He went on to add that Morocco is also in the process of implementing programmes based on the socio-economic model of India and that his delegation's primary focus was to learn from the experiences of India's model of development and socio-economic reforms initiated by the Indian Government.

Boutayeb also expressed his happiness on his visit to a great country like India and thanked Rijiju for the positive exchanges both sides had today.

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Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has termed the leftist alliance, as threat to nation, while unveiling the manifesto of the Nepali Congress.

"The country now is in dangerous stage. The forces against the democracy have united as one," Prime Minister Deuba said targeting the recent coalition agreement between the Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) and the Maoist Center (MC).

He claimed that only the Nepali Congress will be able to save the nation from grave threat and appealed the voters to vote for it claiming it to be the biggest democratic force in the nation referring various political movements over the time.

Deuba, who is also the President of the Nepali Congress, made the claims while addressing the manifesto unveiling program organized in Nepal's Sanepa area in Lalitpur district on Tuesday.

The Nepali Congress (NC), which has lashed out the Maoist Centre's (MC) alliance with the CPN-UML, has also termed MC as the "opportunist" in its manifesto. It has thrown flak at the party for its lust for power.

"CPN-UML previously termed the Madhes movement as a protest for disintegration and issued inappropriate comments against Madhesi people." The manifesto reads.

Apart from it, NC has come forward with ambiguous plans of economic development and generating more employment opportunities.

It also highlighted the progress achieved till now since its formation.

Nepal held its local election after a gap of nearly two decades and now it is heading for provincial and parliamentary election in November and December in two phases.

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Former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday paid floral tributes to former and first female prime minister of India, Indira Gandhi, on her 33rd death anniversary at her memorial, Shakti Sthal, in New Delhi.

Indira Gandhi was assassinated on October 31, 1984.

1984 was the same year when she had launched 'Operation Blue Star' to defeat secessionist movement in Punjab and had sent troops into the Golden Temple of Amritsar.

Indira Gandhi was the daughter of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India. She is remembered for her leadership and also takes recognition for commencing the Green Revolution in the country.

The former prime minister was broadly criticised for announcing the Emergency in India in 1975. This period of 21 months was often referred as the 'dark age of independent India.

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Pakistan has returned the five remaining helicopters to the United States that were given to them to monitor its border with Afghanistan.

According to the Geo News, the U.S. gave a total of nine helicopters to Pakistan in 2002, out of which four were returned on October 15.

The Ministry of Interior's air wing had been using the choppers for anti-narcotics operations and combating terrorism, according to sources.

Now, it would be difficult to monitor the Pakistan-Afghanistan border as the Ministry of Interior is left with only three Cessna aircraft in the air wing, the insiders added.

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The Pakistani security forces have allegedly abducted the wife and daughter of Baloch leader Dr Allah Nazar from Quetta city.

Dr Nazar heads a pro-independence armed organisation, Baloch Liberation Front.

According to the reports, his wife, Fazeela, and their adopted daughter Popal Jan were abducted by the Pakistani state forces on Monday from Sariab road Quetta.

The other women and children taken away by the Pakistani forces include Bibi Salma and Salma's 18-month-old son Irfan, Ayal and Ayal's two year old daughter Zaheerag and Guar Jan.

According to a statement released by the Baloch National Movement (BNM), Fazeela Baloch was in Quetta for treatment after a botched backbone operation. Fazeela had received injuries in past after Pakistani security forces bombarded their village in Mashkay.

Fazeela Baloch was also diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after the incident in Mashkay.

The BNM in their statement said that the Pakistani forces are violating all international conventions by attacking and abducting Baloch women and children.

The BNM appealed Amnesty International, the United Nations and other human rights organisations to immediately address the issue.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday paid tribute to former prime minister Indira Gandhi on her 33rd death anniversary.

Taking to twitter, Prime Minister Modi said, "Tributes to former Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary (sic)."

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi also paid respects to the former prime minister at Shakti Sthal in Delhi.

Indira Gandhi was the first female Prime Minister of India.

The former prime minister was assassinated by her bodyguards on October 31, 1984.

This is the same year when she had launched 'Operation Blue Star'.

Indira Gandhi was the daughter of the first Prime Minister of India, Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru.

Ms Gandhi was widely criticised for declaring a state of Emergency in India in 1975 for a period of 21 months, where the period has also been referred to as the 'dark age of independent India'.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Tuesday flag off 'Run For Unity' at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Delhi on 142nd birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

The birth anniversary of Sardar Patel is being celebrated across the country as 'Rashtriya Ekta Diwas' ( Unity Day).

The Prime Minister remembered Sardar Patel's monumental contribution to India and tweeted, "We salute Sardar Patel on his Jayanti. His momentous service and monumental contribution to India can never be forgotten."

Prime Minister Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice-President also paid floral tributes to Sardar Patel.

Prime Minister Modi, in his recent monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio broadcast, had paid his tribute to Sardar Patel, saying that he laid the foundation of a "modern, united India".

"Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel ensured that millions of Indians were brought under the ambit of one nation, one constitution and his message of unity and patriotism was an inspiration for New India," the Prime Minister had said in the 37th episode of his radio programme.

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Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday paid tributes to first deputy prime minister of India Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary and termed him as one of the architects of the 'idea' of the nation.

"An embodiment of integrity and strength, Sardar Patel was one of the architects of Idea of India. My tributes to him on his birth anniversary," Gandhi tweeted.

An embodiment of integrity & strength, Sardar Patel was one of the architects of Idea of India. My tributes to him on his birth anniversary. pic.twitter.com/RgoGklx9kA  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) October 31, 2017

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off 'Run for Unity' at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Delhi, to mark the142nd birth anniversary of Sardar Patel.

The birth anniversary of Sardar Patel is being celebrated across the country as 'Rashtriya Ekta Diwas' ( Unity Day).

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French feminists disrupted the opening ceremony of a planned retrospective of Roman Polanski's work by the Cinematheque Francaise.

The activists entered the theater bare-chested with slogans reading "VIP - Very Important Pedocriminal" painted across their backs and chanted "No honour for the rapists" as Polanski signed autographs, reports The Guardian.

The demonstrators were quickly surrounded and removed from the building by security.

Additional protests against the Polish-French filmmaker continued outside, organized by groups Femen and Osez le Feminisme.

Several dozen protesters stationed outside the theater chanted, "Enough of those who want to protect the aggressors!"

Many signs read, "If rape is an art, Polanski deserves all the Cesars," a reference to the French film award.

The 'Pianist' helmer pleaded guilty to having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977. Polanski fled the U.S. before his sentencing in 1978 and has not returned.

Femen and Osez le Feminisme asked the Cinematheque Francaise to cancel the Polanski retrospective as new allegations came to light and launched an online petition that gathered more than 27,000 signatures.

In the petition, activist Laure Salmona, wrote, "It's an insult to all the women who mobilized around the #MeToo and #BalanceTonPorc hashtags, and an affront to all rape victims, particularly Polanski's victims."

In response to the call for protests, Cinematheque Francaise president Costa-Gavras noted that they would not change its plans to hold the retrospective.

In a statement issued by Gavras, he explained, "We have nothing to discuss with the people demanding that La Cinematheque Francaise abandons its fundamental mission: to tirelessly show the works of great filmmakers."

The new claims, which Polanski has denied through his lawyer, bring to at least four the number of women who have publicly accused him of sexual assault.

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Russia has delivered humanitarian aid to one of Syria's de-escalation zones.

Russian military officers have ensured the delivery of humanitarian aid provided by the United Nations and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to the Eastern Ghouta suburb of Damascus, where a de-escalation zone has been established, reports TASS.

The Syrian government does not control Eastern Ghouta, where several armed opposition groups are deployed, while a ceasefire has been declared in the area.

Recently, a convoy consisting of 53 trucks delivered a total of 365 tonnes of food products and medicine for 40,000 residents of the Kafr Batna and Saqba settlements, TASS report adds.

Russia, the Syrian government and the United Nations have been regularly delivering humanitarian aid to Eastern Ghouta.

On May 4, 2017, Russia, Iran, and Turkey signed an agreement in Astana to create four "de-escalation zones" in Syria.

The four zones include the Idlib Governorate, the northern rebel-controlled parts of the Homs Governorate, the rebel-controlled eastern Ghouta, and the Jordan-Syria border.

The agreement was rejected by some rebel groups, and the Democratic Union Party also denounced the deal, saying that the ceasefire zones are "dividing Syria up on a sectarian basis".

The ceasefire came into effect on May 6, and military activities in the de-escalation zones are banned.
Himachal Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Chief Ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal on Tuesday said that BJP will win with majority in the Assembly elections.

Speaking to ANI, Dhumal said, "We expect that we will win the majority with 60+ seats".

"I thank my high command, workers and people of Himachal Pradesh," added the Chief Ministerial candidate.

On Wednesday afternoon, BJP President Amit Shah while addressing a rally announced Dhumal's candidature.

Dhumal has been the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh twice - from March 1998 to March 2003 and 1 January 2008 to 25 December 2012.

The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly election is schedule to be held on 9 November 9, 2017 and the results will be declared on December 18.

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Raipur court on Tuesday sent Senior Journalist to judicial remand till November 13.

On October 27, was arrested by the Chhattisgarh Police in connection with extortion and blackmailing case, from his residence in Indirapuram in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad.

Verma was arrested after an FIR was filed against him by a man over a certain 'vulgar' video that features his boss.

A day after his arrest, Chhattisgarh police lodged an FIR against him and state Congress president Bhupesh Baghel.

Verma has maintained that he possesses 'a sex CD 'of a state minister.

"I have a sex CD of Chhattisgarh Minister Rajesh Munat and that is why the state government is not happy with me," he said.

On Saturday, Chhattisgarh government handed the probe over the scandal to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
Panelists attending the second Sindh Literature Festival here over the weekend have said that the ethos of Sufism is under siege from militant outfits and called for adopting a counter-narrative to defy growing militancy in the region.

Condemning the recent attacks on Sufi shrines and people associated with that school of thought in Sindh, speakers participating in the session titled 'Sufism and Society', said the provincial socio-cultural landscape has undergone a sea change in the past few years.

Lamenting that diversity, tolerance, Sufi practices and progressive politics were missing in Sindh, thenews.com.pk web site quoted prominent journalist Riaz Sohail, as saying "In countries such as the United States, Pakistan, Nigeria and India, a debate over Sufism being a solution to today's militancy has started taking place. We (in Pakistan) should also find a narrative within it."

Social researcher Nazish Brohi was quoted, as saying, "Sufism had its opponents in the past too; a number of religious leaders, such as Maududi and Abdullah Yusaf Azzam were against it. But today, political Islam's opposition has become violent."

Nazish added that attacks on shrines are a new phenomenon.

She claimed that militant outfits are making inroads in Sindh with the local population's support and this can clearly be seen through the growth of madrassas across Sindh.

Nazish was quoted, as saying, "Mainstream parties mainly focus on large urban centres and encourage elites and the influential, while militant outfits focus on rural and underprivileged towns."

Poet Shah Muhammad Pirzada said some elements exploit the term Sufism for their own political and personal interests.

"Because of blind faith on shrines, it is very easy for the spiritual leaders associated with the school of thought to use shrines and devotees for their political interests," he stated.

Vocalist of the Sufi band 'The Sketches' Saif Samejo said, "It is their fundamental right to do anything that gives them happiness. Sufism is an individual's inner voice.

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Bengaluru Mayor Sampath Raj on Tuesday said it is an honour for him to sing the Anthem in Bengaluru municipal board meetings.

"After the Supreme Court gave an order that all the movie theatres have to play the anthem, we also started singing it regularly in BBMP(Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) meetings. It's an honour for us," Raj said.

A fresh row on the singing of anthem erupted after the Jaipur Mayor Ashok Lahoty made it compulsory for staffers to sing it every morning and national song every evening. The biometric system of attendance will not accept any entries after the morning anthem.

The Bengaluru Mayor stressed if the national anthem can be sung in the movie theatre, then why not in our council meetings.

"After I became the mayor, I thought about starting this tradition and other corporators including the opposition supported me. I was happy about it and I think it will continue further also. We are doing this for the past eight months and today also the national anthem was sung, " the Congress leader said.

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One of the fastest growing and award-winning Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC), TAB Capital has successfully raised Rs. 80 crores in debt from Vijaya Bank, Bank of India, South Indian Bank, and MAS Financial.

Registered with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as a non-deposit taking NBFC, TAB Capital is set to utilize the debt funding to propel on its targeted growth to reach loan books of Rs. 200 crores by March 2018 and subsequently, of Rs. 500 crores by March 2019.

"At TAB Capital, the entire process is digital and automated with extensive use of big data and analytics that has helped the company maintain its unique digital banking model with nil pre-payment penalty, minimum documentation, and flexible repayment options. We are further targeting a loan book of Rs. 200 crores by March 2018 and Rs. 500 crore by March 2019," said chairperson and MD TAB Capital, Abhay Bhutada.

TAB Capital has already reached the AUM of Rs. 125 crores, as of October 31.

The digital lending NBFC has disrupted the status quo with its focus on technology, completing the entire disbursement process within two working days. Providing loans between Rs. two lakhs and Rs. one crore, the company further plans to launch innovative products in two-wheeler loans, later this year.

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At least eight people died and 15 others got injured after an attacker drove a rented truck onto a bike path near the site of the Trade Center memorial in Manhattan on Tuesday.

However, officials were still working to assess the extent of the casualties.

According to the New York Times, the authorities said that after crashing the vehicle, the attacker got out of the truck with two fake guns before being shot by police officers.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference, "Based on information we have at this moment, this was an act of terror, and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians."

A senior law enforcement official said that the Federal authorities were treating the incident as a terrorist attack.

"He jumped out of the truck with a pellet gun, yelled, 'Allahu Akbar,' and the First Precinct lit him up," a law enforcement official said.

Several nearby buildings, including Stuyvesant, were placed on lock-down.

Earlier, reports came out that police are responding to reports of gunfire. According to a tweet posted by New York Police Department, one person was taken in custody. NYPD further advised public to avoid West Side Highway Area.

"Currently there is one person in custody. No others outstanding. All information is preliminary as the investigation is ongoing," the NYPD tweeted.

Large number of police vehicles were seen in Manhattan near West Street and Chambers Street.

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A woman in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur was allegedly gang-raped by four men on Monday.

The brother of the victim has also suffered injuries.

Reportedly, the incident took place in Bhot area of Rampur in the presence of the victim's brother.

As per reports, the brother-sister duo was on a bike when they were attacked by four persons.

The brother was shot and the woman was raped.

A case has been lodged in the regard, said police.

V Tada, Superintendent of Police of Rampur said, "We got information about the gang-rape around 8 pm. Out of 4 people, and victims have named their two relatives. Probe on.

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The United States forces have captured a suspect in the 2012 attacks in Benghazi city of Libya that left four Americans dead.

"Yesterday, on my orders, United States forces captured Mustafa al-Imam in Libya. Because of this successful operation, al-Imam will face justice in the United States for his alleged role in the September 11, 2012 attacks in Benghazi," the U.S. President Donald Trump said in a written statement.

The attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi led to the deaths of four Americans, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and State Department official Sean Smith. Two CIA contractors - Tyrone S. Woods and Glen Doherty - were both killed in a neighboring CIA annex.

"I want to thank our law enforcement, prosecutors, intelligence community and military personnel for their extraordinary efforts in capturing and delivering them (attackers) to the U.S. for prosecution," Trump said.

Sending his condolences to the families of the victims, Trump said that the U.S. will continue to support Libya to ensure that the terrorist groups do not use the country as a safe haven for attacks against U.S. citizens, interests and Libyans.

"Libya's long-term stability and security are linked to its ability to form a unified government and military, and we encourage all Libyans to support the ongoing reconciliation process facilitated by the United Nations and to work together to build a peaceful and stable country," Trump added.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson praised the operation, saying, "I am deeply grateful to the U.S. military: law enforcement, and intelligence community for their efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators of the September 11, 2012 terrorist attacks on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Benghazi, Libya."

Tillerson further said that the Department of State family continues to mourn the loss of Ambassador Chris Stevens, Glen Doherty, Sean Smith, and Tyrone Woods.

"We will spare no effort to ensure that justice is served for these dedicated Americans and public servants, he said, adding, "I spoke with some of their family members to underscore the U.S. government's unwavering support," the State Secretary added.

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A Washington-based organisation has urged international bodies to help set free an abducted Baloch leader's wife and daughter from the captivity of Pakistani security forces.

Washington-based American Friends of Balochistan (AFB) has appealed to the United Nations, US State Department, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, UNICEF, International Service for Human Rights and other international bodies to step in to free four women and three babies from the illegal captivity of the Pakistan security forces.

Fazila Baloch, wife of Balochistan freedom leader Dr. Allah Nazar Baloch and his adopted daughter Popal Jan, four; Fazila's friend Bibi Salma and her one-and-half years old son named Irfan; Ayaal and her two-years-old daughter Zairak and a fourth woman Gohar Jan, were abducted on Monday afternoon from Quetta.

According to details, Dr Nazar's wife, who was badly injured in the December 2012 bombing was in Quetta for medical treatment. The bombing had killed 44 close relatives of Dr. Nazar.

The AFB said that the enforced disappearance of women and babies was clear violation of the Geneva conventions and shows Islamabad is violating laws of war with impunity in Balochistan.

"Enforced disappearances of women and babies show unconscionable acts of state terror are being perpetrated on the Baloch civilians. The United Nations and human rights organizations should immediately hold Pakistan accountable for its actions in Balochistan. We regret that enforced disappearances in Balochistan have not received the attention of the community, further emboldening the Deep State of Pakistan to throw the Geneva conventions to the winds in Balochistan."

The enforced disappearance of women and babies is a sequel to disappearances of the Baloch leaders, activists, lawyers, doctors, teachers, journalists and people from all walks of life who demand justice for Balochistan.

"In the backdrop of a genocidal situation, mass graves have been found, villages have been bombed, burned and destroyed and the means of livelihood of citizens have been snatched in the length and breadth of France-sized Balochistan. All these actions of Pakistan security and intelligence services constitute crimes against humanity and war crimes, while ethnic cleansing is continuing on a daily basis to pave way for the multi-billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor."

"In the United States when a child is abducted by any criminal we have what is called an "Amber " alert. Within minutes across the entire United States is broadcast on television, radio, even on flashing signs on highways across the interstate. Unfortunately in Balochistan the security forces are the criminals who are doing these abductions," the AFB said.

The AFB said two days earlier, Pakistan security forces raided Baloch homes in the Gulistan-i-Johar area of Karachi and forcibly disappeared nine youngsters, including an eight-year-old.

"No words are enough to condemn these despicable acts of the security and intelligence services against the hapless Baloch populace. We urge immediate action by the State Department and ending all dealings with the Southern Command of Pakistan army that calls the shots in Balochistan, the Inter Services Intelligence, Military Intelligence and Frontier Corps in deference for the Leahy Amendment," the AFB statement concluded.

At least 8,000 Baloch are still victims of enforced disappearances in Balochistan while 1500 such victims were killed and dumped, according to human rights organizations.

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The women right activists on Tuesday backed the Supreme Court for considering consent of Hadiya as prime in Kerala's alleged love jihad matter.

Hadiya, a Hindu woman from Kerala, was converted to Islam after she got married with a Muslim man, Shafin Jahan.

While hearing the case, the apex court on Monday observed that the consent of Hadiya in the matter is prime.

Speaking to ANI, women rights activists Shashwati Ghosh said, "It is expected. Since she is an adult, her right to marriage is her own decision. It's good if she comes in public and says that in the court room. But I always think why there is need of conversion in case of marriage. I think the approach of the progressive people should be that there needs to be no conversion."

Another activist Brinda Adige said that the top court should look into the matter thoroughly to ascertain whether it is a love jihad case or not.

"The Supreme Court must have all the facts and evidence in this case because there are several cases that might be love jihad but there are also some cases where there is only love. Justice has to be served in such cases," she added.

During the hearing, the apex court also asked the father of Hadiya, to present her in court on November 27 to ascertain her views on her marriage.

The bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said that it would ascertain her views in the open court.

The apex court was hearing Hadiya's plea against the Kerala High Court order, annulling her marriage.

Recently, while hearing a matter, the Kerala High Court observed- "all inter-religious marriages cannot be termed love jihad".

Four months ago, the Kerala High Court had sent Hadiya with her parents K.M. Asokan and Ponnamma after annulling her marriage with Shafin Jahan.

Last month, a group of people had submitted a petition to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and demanded a probe into the alleged unlawful incarceration of Hadiya, the 24-year-old Vaikom native, who had converted to Islam after marriage.

The case is under consideration of the apex court, which had ordered the Investigation Agency (NIA) investigation into it.

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Axis Bank surged 7.89% to Rs 522.50 at 14:30 IST on BSE after reports suggested that private equity firm, Bain Capital is in advanced talks with the bank to invest between $750 million and $1 billion.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was down 27.87 points or 0.1% at 33,233.05.

High volumes were witnessed on the counter. On the BSE, 19.49 lakh shares were traded on the counter so far as against the average daily volumes of 6.37 lakh shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 529 and a low of Rs 492.60 so far during the day. The stock had hit a 52-week high of Rs 547 on 25 July 2017 and a 52-week low of Rs 424.60 on 10 January 2017.

The large-cap bank has equity capital of Rs 479.56 crore. Face value per share is Rs 2.

As per reports, Bain Capital is in advanced talks with the bank to invest between $750 million and $1 billion (Rs 4800-6400 crore), in what could be one of the largest private equity investments in the Indian banking sector.

The bank is in talks to raise money amidst worsening asset quality and regulatory glare.

Bain's proposed investment will come as a primary issuance of shares through a preferential allotment that will allow the PE fund to own up to 5% of the bank.

The transaction will help Axis meet capital requirements for the medium term as competition intensifies in Indian banking, report added.

The bank's gross non-performing assets (NPAs) rose to Rs 27402.32 crore as on 30 September 2017 from Rs 22030.87 crore as on 30 June 2017 and Rs 16378.65 crore as on 30 September 2016. The ratio of gross NPAs to gross advances rose to 5.9% as on 30 September 2017 from 5.03% as on 30 June 2017 and 4.17% as on 30 September 2016. The ratio of net NPAs to net advances rose to 3.12% as on 30 September 2017 from 2.3% as on 30 June 2017 and 2.02% as on 30 September 2016.

Axis Bank's net profit rose 35.5% to Rs 432.38 crore on 0.9% increase in total income to Rs 13820.62 crore in Q2 September 2017 over Q2 September 2016.

Axis Bank is one of the biggest private sector banks in India.

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1.

Joint Declaration of Intent of Cooperation for Safety in the Railway sector between India and Italy

Mr. Renato Mazzoncini, CEO & General Manager, Italian Railways

Mr. Ved Pal Additional Member (Planning), Railway Board

2.

MoU on 70 years of diplomatic relations between Indian Council of Cultural Relations and Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation, Government of the Republic of Italy

Mr. Lorenzo Angeloni, Ambassador of Italy to India

Ms. Riva Ganguly Das, DG ICCR

3.

MoU on cooperation In the field of Energy between India and Italy

Mr. Lorenzo Angeloni, Ambassador of Italy to India

Mr. Anand Kumar, Secretary, MNRE

4.

Executive Protocol on Cultural Cooperation between India and Italy

Mr.

Lorenzo Angeloni, Ambassador of Italy to India

Ms. Reenat Sandhu, Ambassador of India to Italy

5.

MoU between the Training Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Government of the Republic of Italy and the Foreign Service Institute of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of the Republic of India

Mr. Lorenzo Angeloni, Ambassador of Italy to India

Mr. J. S. Mukul, Dean, FSI

6.

MoU for promoting mutual investments between Italian Trade Agency and Invest India

Mr. Michele Scannavini President, Italian Trade Agency

Deepak Bagla. CEO, Invest India

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Sales rise 15.94% to Rs 42.12 crore

Net profit of Surat Textile Mills declined 49.02% to Rs 2.08 crore in the quarter ended September 2017 as against Rs 4.08 crore during the previous quarter ended September 2016. Sales rose 15.94% to Rs 42.12 crore in the quarter ended September 2017 as against Rs 36.33 crore during the previous quarter ended September 2016.42.1236.333.9210.132.214.352.084.082.084.08

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Minister of State for Human Resource Development Upendra Kushwaha on Tuesday said the true unity of the nation will be sensed only when an injury to a person in Kashmir is felt by someone in Kanyakumari.

He was addressing the Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) school children gathered here from across the country for a three-day competition on the theme 'Ek Bharat, Shreshth Bharat'.

"The main motive behind this exercise is not just that you (school children) become acquainted with each others' culture, learn their languages... it feels good when someone speaks Oriya in Kashmir.

"It feels good when Bihar's 'litti-chokha' is found in Punjab... but the feeling of true happiness will come when in case someone gets hurt in Kashmir, the pain is felt in Kanyakumari," Kushwaha said.

"The kind of 'shreshth' (accomplished) India that we aspire for will only be possible when people living in different states will feel each others' pain. We are waiting for that very day."

A total of 1,250 KV students from 25 regions are here for the National Integration Camp being held at the India Gandhi National Centre of Arts.

On the first day of the function, the students sang songs and gave dance performances.

"The students are required to portray a state's culture through posters, solo song, group songs and other activities. But student teams are only allotted the states to which they do not originally belong," said KV Sangathan Chairman Santosh Kumar Mall.

He also said the students will soon be taken on a tour to the states they are representing to give them a chance to better understand their culture.

Exhibition, group dance, group song, English elocution, Hindi poetry reading, Sanskrit shloka recitation are among the activities which will be performed by the students during competition.

Before being selected to represent their school at the national level, the students had to compete in similar contests at the cluster and regional level.

--IANS

vn/him/vd

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An Afghan national, said to be a member of an international drugs cartel, has been arrested here and over one kg of fine quality heroin seized from him, police said on Tuesday.

Police said Qari Mohammad Hanif, 40, used two Afghanistan passports to smuggle heroin into India. He had visited India five times since May 2017.

"Hanif was held on Friday when he came to hand over heroin to peddlers in Mehrauli area. He told police that he supplied heroin to dealers in Delhi and the National Capital Region and adjoining states. These dealers supply heroin at rave parties and other events," Deputy Commissioner of Police P.S. Kushwah said.

More than 575 gm of drugs were seized from his rented flat in Lajpat Nagar, the official said.

A postgraduate in law, Hanif had a government job in Afghanistan but left his job to join the drugs cartel when he met Jabatur, the kingpin of an international drug cartel, in March 2017 in Jalalabad.

This man offered Hanif $800 per visit for smuggling heroin pellets into India.

Hanif supplied over three kg heroin pellets, valued at over Rs 6 crore in the international market, during his earlier visits to India, police said.

--IANS

sp/tsb/mr

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Objecting to the Army's involvement in civilian projects, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Tuesday that the Army was not meant to build bridges or clean roads and warned of consequences of the "misuse" of armed forces.

"The Army's job is to train for war and protect the country's borders, not to build bridges and clean roads," Amarinder Singh said in a statement here.

He warned against "serious implications of such misuse of the Indian armed forces by utilising their services for non-emergency civilian jobs".

Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fernandes said the Army engineers will design and build three overbridges in Mumbai, including the one on the Elphinstone Road, where 23 persons were killed during a stampede on September 29.

The Punjab Chief Minister said the move was "deplorable and an admission of the failure of the government and the Indian Railways".

Amarinder Singh, a former Army Captain, said: "Whatever the urgency of the situation, it does not merit such a decision, which will have an long-term adverse implications as it could encourage civilian authorities to seek Army help for major civilian works every time they find themselves ill-equipped to handle infrastructural or other challenge."

He urged Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman "to refrain from diverting critical defence resources to civilian works", adding it would otherwise set a bad precedent.

"The Army is regularly used to help out in emergency situations such as floods and earthquakes. It is even engaged in infrastructural development in sensitive areas, such as the north-east. If it is now burdened with the additional task of helping out in other civilian tasks, merely because civilian authorities are unable to handle the same, it will further impact its resources," Amarinder Singh said.

"It will also lower the morale of the Army men, who join the force with a vision to secure the country's borders and protect its people from the enemy," he added.

"The Defence Minister -- instead of being a party to this decision and announcing it with such pride -- should have categorically rejected any such suggestion in the interest of the armed forces," the Punjab Chief Minister said.

--IANS

js/tsb/vm

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For the first time, Indian Army engineers shall design and construct a commuter bridge on a "war footing" at a Mumbai railway station, a Western Railway official said on Tuesday.

"The bridge will be a new one, independent of the one being planned and constructed by the railways. It will be located towards the Parel side at the northern end of Elphinstone Road station," Western Railway Divisional Railway Manager Mukul Jain told IANS.

He said an Army team will identify the spot, submit its foot overbridge design and plans to the railways before proceeding with the work.

According to Jain, this is the first time such a civilian contract would be handled by the Indian Army, which is known to have vast engineering expertise.

The developments came a little over a month after 23 commuters were killed in a stampede on a narrow foot overbridge connecting Elphinstone Road with Parel on Central Railway on September 29.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other officials on Tuesday surveyed the Elphinstone Road station to take stock of the improvement works in progress post-stampede.

Earlier, Mumbai BJP President Ashish Shelar had met Sitharaman and Goyal seeking the expertise of Army engineers who are known to make durable bridges in critical locations at high speed.

--IANS

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An arrest warrant for felony possession of a controlled substance has been issued for actress Rose McGowan, who is one of the dozens of women who accused Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct.

The charges stem from a police investigation of personal belongings left behind on a United Airlines flight arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport on January 20, reports dailymail.co.uk.

According to the police officials, the items tested positive for narcotics but they didn't reveal what type of drugs they were.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department obtained the warrant on February 1.

--IANS

sas/rb/mr

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Australia's Senate President Stephen Parry on Tuesday revealed that he could be a dual citizen, meaning he may join five other politicians including former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce, in becoming ineligible for office.

Parry, who is part of the government, may have inherited UK citizenship through his father, reports the BBC.

Politicians with dual citizenship cannot be elected in Australia.

Parry said in a statement that he will resign from his position if his citizenship is confirmed by the British Home Office.

On October 27, the High Court of Australia ruled that the five politicians were wrongly elected because of the constitutional rule.

A replacement for Parry would be chosen through a recount of votes from last year's election.

If forced to resign, he would be the first member of either the major Liberal and Labor parties to be claimed by a saga that has captivated Australian since July.

--IANS

ksk

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Dubai-based Bin Zayed Group will invest $2 billion in various infrastructure projects in Telangana with an MoU being signed between the state government and Bin Zayed International LLC in Dubai on Tuesday, an official statement said.

Telangana's Principal Secretary, Investment Promotion, Arvind Kumar and Bin Zayed Group's Managing Director Midhat Kidwai signed the MoU.

The Animation and Gaming Tower, Road Development Corporation, Musi River front development project, Watergrid and Fibergrid, and development of new industrial parks are some of the infrastructure projects in which the company has expressed interest to invest, said a statement from the office of Telangana Industries Minister.

Arvind Kumar has invited the Bin Zayed Group management team to send a high-level team to Telangana to take this agreement forward.

The Bin Zayed Group of Companies is a leading business conglomerate with diverse business interests in the local and international markets. The company was established in 1988 by Sheikh Khaled Bin Zayed Al Nehayan as its Chairman, added the statement.

--IANS

ms/vd

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Sardar Patel's 142nd birth anniversary on Tuesday saw the Congress and BJP again sparring over his legacy with Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing the Congress of sidelining Patel while the party quoted Patel's remarks against the RSS following Mahatma Gandhi's assassination.

Flagging off the 'Run for Unity' in New Delhi to commemorate Sardar Patel's birth anniversary, Modi said: "People earlier tried their best to ensure that the contribution of Sardar Patel was forgotten and diminished."

"But when the nation gave us a chance to serve it, we made it a point to celebrate Sardar Patel's legacy in a special way so that his works and contributions are remembered by generations after generations," Modi added.

The Congress, while remembering Patel, quoted his remarks against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the parent organisation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in the wake of Mahatma Gandhi's assassination by Nathuram Godse, who was a former active RSS member and known to be close to RSS ideologue V.D. Savarkar.

The Congress tweeted a picture of Patel and his remarks against RSS: "The speeches of the Sangh (RSS) leaders are poisonous. It is as a result of this venom that Mahatma Gandhi has been assassinated."

Patel, as the then Home Minister, had banned the RSS after Gandhi's assassination.

"Remembering Iron Leader Sardar Patel, whose uncompromising efforts were instrumental in keeping India united after Independence," the Congress tweeted on its official handle.

In another tweet, the Congress quoted Patel's another remark he made after Gandhi's death: "The activities of RSS constituted a clear threat to the existence of the government and state."

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, in his tribute to Patel said: "An embodiment of integrity and strength, Sardar Patel was one of the architects of the Idea of India. My tributes to him on his birth anniversary."

Patel's birthday, October 31, also happens to be the day when former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her bodyguards.

The Congress observed the day with large advertisements in newspapers and the top party brass paid floral tributes to Indira Gandhi at her memorial and her samadhi known as Shakti Sthal.

On Tuesday, in his address before flagging off the run, Modi did mention that October 31 is also the death anniversary of Indira Gandhi, but did not elaborate.

Patel, the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of Independent India, is also called 'The Iron Man of India' for his grit and resolve. He played a key role in merging hundreds of small princely states into the Union of India after the British left.

--IANS

mak/rn

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They are joined by family ties, but separated on political lines. As the November 9 polling day for the Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections draws near, they spar with each other on several raging issues -- and sometimes get personal too.

For the first time, Congress candidate Rajinder Rana, who has learnt political lessons for years from his once-mentor and two-time BJP Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, is now trying to 'teach' him a lesson through .

Likewise, candidate Rajesh Kashyap, a doctor-turned-politician who joined the BJP just a few days before the polls were announced, has been pitted against his father-in-law and Congress candidate Dhani Ram Shandil, a cabinet Minister in the present government.

Similarly placed is Congress legislator Anirudh Singh from Kasumpti, who has been pitted against his aunt and BJP candidate Vijay Jyoti Sen.

Vijay Jyoti Sen is the sister-in-law of Congress veteran and six-time Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. Both are related to CPI-M candidate Kuldeep Tanwar.

Political observers say the contest is interesting between Dhumal and Rana, who had defected from the BJP, in the Sujanpur constituency in Hamirpur district, the BJP bastion, as they can read Dhumal like a book.

Dhumal is contesting for this seat for the first time, while realtor-turned-politician Rana won it in the 2012 assembly polls as an Independent candidate by a margin of 14,116 votes.

Later, he vacated the seat and unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Hamirpur as a Congress nominee. The vacated Sujanpur assembly seat was won by the BJP's Narender Thakur, a Congress rebel.

Popularly known as 'Raja Saab', Virbhadra Singh, who has been projected as the party's chief ministerial candidate, is leaving no stone unturned to wrest Sujanpur from the BJP.

Likewise, his arch rival Dhumal is devoting his maximum time and energy in the constituency to make it twice-in-a-row for the BJP.

"I am seeking re-election on the basis of my performance in my 15-month tenure as an MLA vis-a-vis BJP's long innings of 36 months," Rana, once Dhumal's campaign manager, told IANS.

He has been repeatedly cornering Dhumal and his MP son Anurag Thakur over alleged misdeeds during the BJP's terms in office.

But septuagenarian Dhumal is focusing on the BJP's central government schemes initiated in this Congress-ruled state.

can divide close relatives and even blood relations.

For the Solan reserved seat, BJP's novice Kashyap is in fray against his father-in-law and Congress candidate Shandil, who is more a statesman than a politician.

Both Kashyap and incumbent legislator Shandil rarely trade personal barbs but harp on the development agenda, a political observer said.

The BJP candidate took premature retirement from a government job and opted to plunge into .

Three of the six candidates for the Kasumpti seat owe their roots to the erstwhile royal families. They are the Congress' Anirudh Singh, BJP's Sen and the CPI-M's Tanwar, who is also the state president of the Kisan Sabha.

"They (Anirudh and Sen) are still harping on their glorious past and are the least bothered about the downtrodden and the Dalits, who have the maximum number in this constituency," Tanwar told IANS.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's son Vikramaditya Singh, making his political debut, is in the fray for Shimla (Rural), the seat his father won in the last assembly elections.

He's facing BJP's Pramod Sharma, a professor in Himachal Pradesh University in Shimla, who was once known for close proximity to Virbhadra Singh.

In Palampur, Congress candidate Ashish Butail came into the BJP's firing line after his assertion that he would ensure development of those areas that were neglected in the past five years.

His father, B.B.L. Butail, is the legislator from Palampur, where BJP has fielded novice Indu Goswami, who is known for proximity to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The votes cast in the Himachal polls will be counted on December 18 along with those in Gujarat.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China on Tuesday condemned the killing of its two nationals who were abducted in Pakistan and asked Islamabad to bring the perpetrators to book.

A day after Pakistan officially confirmed the death of Li Xinheng and Meng Lisi who were abducted in Balochistan in May, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said: "Pakistan has confirmed that the two kidnapped Chines citizens were killed."

"We express our deep condolences to the victims and our sincere sympathy to the relatives of the victims," Hua said. "We hope Pakistan will continue its all-out efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.

"China condemns all forms terrorism and the violent acts on innocent civilians."

Pakistan has said the two Chinese were working for a South Korean missionary while claiming to learn Urdu and killed by the Islamic State.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China can be India's good economic accelerator and job creator, and a greater mutual engagement between the two can give New Delhi easier access to Southeast Asian markets, the "most dynamic" at present, said an expert on India-China ties.

Emphasising that better economic engagement was in the national interest of the two countries, Ravi Bhoothalingam, a fellow at the Institute of Chinese Studies here, said that just four per cent of China's foreign reserves could increase India's growth rate by half a per cent.

"India will gain from China and Asean through their markets which are most dynamic today. This will significantly reduce the gap, and in one sweep India will get deeply integrated into two large growing markets," Bhoothalingam said while delivering a talk on Monday evening as part of the Changing Asia Series lecture by Delhi-based Society for Policy Studies (SPS) in association with India Habitat Centre.

Bhoothalingam said strong India-China cooperation could also fulfill the colossal unemployment gap in India.

"India-China economic engagement is not only well below potential, but rather ironically it is China that could be a strong accelerator that can help India achieve rapid growth and full employment."

Urging India to move fast in terms to grab the opportunity, he said: "India has a serious unemployment problem. Where can a large number of jobs be created, including unskilled? There are industries that are going out of China to places such as Bangladesh but not to India. But, there is a window for India before automation of robots makes this sector unviable for human employment. We have to move fast."

According to Bhoothalingam, old disputes, incursions at the Line of Actual Control -- a de facto border between the two countries - and other irritants have clouded political relations between India and China.

Currently, the situation is such that India-China trade relations stands at $76 billion, which is just one-third of trade between China-South Korea at $236 billion and not even that of China and Vietnam which is $100 billion.

Mentioning tourism as one of the key areas where the two neighbours have extremely low engagement, Bhoothalingam said 700,000 Indians visit China annually while only 200,000 Chinese come here.

However, it is just a drop in the ocean in comparison to 84 million Chinese travelling overseas while 80 million Indians travel overseas yearly, he said.

"There is a huge gap in tourism potential which can be bridged with the government and industry in India aggressively bidding for the Chinese market. Sadly we are missing this process," said Bhoothalingam.

Emphasising on economic ties, globalisation and innovation as key areas where India and China need to strengthen ties, he said while India was not able to leverage its resources despite having the potential, it should seek opportunities with China as in the coming years it would emerge as the global pole of innovations.

"In this environment, how well is India positioned in undertaking research and development will prove its growth. The latest trend indicates that if we look at patent filing, research and development, sourcing high-quality talent, investment in science and technology, then it is China we should look at.

"It shows China will emerge in the next 10 years as the global pole of innovations. India too has the sources of manpower, IT, but we have not been able to leverage it to its full potential," he said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
China is set to build a massive DNA database platform in Nanjing aimed at storing genetic information of millions of its ethnic Chinese population, a senior health official said on Tuesday.

The project is part of the National Health and Medicine Big Data (Nanjing) Centre, a six-billion yuan project under construction in the city, Xinhua news agency quoted the official as saying.

During the first phase, health and medical information on about 80 million people, the equivalent of the population in Jiangsu province, will be stored at the centre, he said.

"When the facilities are ready, the designed capacity for DNA sequencing will be up to 400,000 to 500,000 samples per year."

The DNA sequencing project will be jointly undertaken by the state-owned Yangzi Group, Southeast University and Nanjing Medical University.

Researchers will then use big data created in the database to study genetic mutations related to major diseases, look for the impact of interaction between genes and environmental concerns on human heath, and provide statistical support for diagnosis and treatment of major diseases, the official said.

Cai Long, board director of Yangzi Group, said the programme will focus on population genetics, newborns, childhood brain and cognitive development, cancer, and rare and chronic diseases.

The database is expected to be completed in about four years.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Targeting the Congress, Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday said the problem is its legacy and the party still believes in shielding separatism in the Valley.

"It was the Congress that gave birth and nurtured separatism in . The party now thinks that it is its duty to protect this problem.

"That is why their leaders often speak in the same voice as that of Kashmiri separatists," Naqvi said while taking part in the 'Run for Unity' which started from Miston Ganj Chauraha and culminated at Gandhi Samadhi in this Uttar Pradesh town

Naqvi said that while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government wants to free from terrorists and separatists, the Congress "and some of their political friends are trying to protect separatist forces".

He said the encouragement to separatism is disturbing the atmosphere of peace that has been created by PDP-BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir.

He asserted that the for the BJP, national security is not an issue of 'rajniti' (politics) but that of 'rashtraniti' (national policy).

"We have a clear policy on the issue of national security. We can't compromise on the issue of national security and national interests.

"Our government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is committed to national unity and integrity. It will not allow any conspiracy against national interests to succeed," Naqvi said.

The BJP and Congress have been engaged in a war of words since senior Congress leader and former Home Minister P. Chidambaram last week said that Kashmiris' demand for greater autonomy should be considered.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi government on Tuesday reduced OPD registration timing at all its hospitals by 30 minutes, prompting the resident doctors to call off their proposed strike from November 1.

"As the demands have been accepted, we are calling off the strike keeping in mind the concerns of patients," said Vivek Chouksey, President of Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) -- an umbrella body of the resident doctors of the city's government hospitals.

The decision was taken following a meeting between a delegation of the Association and senior officials of the Delhi Health Department.

The resident doctors had threatened to go on strike from Wednesday onwards after in its October 9 order the Delhi government extended OPD timing, saying facilities would remain functional from 8 a.m to 2 p.m.

The order had also said that registration counters would open at 7.30 a.m and close at 1 p.m.

The city administration's move was aimed to avoid crowding and to give more time to patients. The timing earlier was 9 a.m to 1 p.m.

According to the new order issued by the Delhi government on Tuesday, while the OPDs will still remain functional from 8 a.m to 2 p.m, registration counters will be open only from 7.30 a.m to 12.30 noon -- a reduction of 30 minutes from the previous order.

"OPD clinic will function from 8 a.m to 2 p.m, with a 45-minute lunch-break for attending doctors any time after 12.30 p.m," said the order.

The precise timing of the lunch-break will be decided by medical superintendents in consultations with respective heads of departments as per the mutual convenience of the attending doctors.

"Registration for special clinics will be done between 1 p.m and 2 p.m." said the order, adding that the timing would apply to both teaching and non-teaching hospitals.

Following the meeting, the resident doctors' association said the government had also agreed that those coming at 8 a.m could leave the hospital at 3 p.m.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi government has banned hookah bars in the city and has asked the Delhi Police and the Municipal Corporations to immediately cancel licenses of restaurants with hookah bars.

Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Tuesday said that hookah smoking is not allowed in non-smoking zones as per Section 4 of COTPA (Cigarette and other Tobacco Products Act), as well as in the smoking zones.

He said that the Centre had issued notification in May with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare completely prohibiting the use of hookahs.

"Therefore, hookah bars in any form are illegal and Delhi Police and the Municipal Corporations should cancel the licenses of such restaurants, eateries and hotels where such illegal Hookah bars are operating," Jain said.

Jain said that the State Tobacco Control Cell has conducted several raids in various parts of Delhi, and the chemical analysis picked "has shown presence of nicotine in significant amount in almost all the samples".

This is despite the claim that they were using herbal products.

"In this regard, a series of letters have been written to the Delhi Police and municipal bodies in the last four years to initiate action against these illegally running hookah bars and save the younger generation from the harmful effects of tobacco.

"However, the action is still awaited and the violations are still going on in many parts of Delhi," he said.

Hookah is a popular choice of smoking, especially with the elderly, in the rural areas. But over the last few years it has gained popularity among the urban youth.

"People consider hookah a safe alternative to smoking without realising that it is even more harmful and has an adverse impact on their health.

"According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a one hour long hookah session comprises 200 puffs compared to 30 puffs of a cigarette," Jain said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Style, it would appear, never goes out of fashion. But the passion to spend on designer clothes and accessories took a beating in the past year, ever since the Narendra Modi government implemented the demonetisation policy. The introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in July added to the woes, say designers.

"Demonetisation was a wonderful move by the government, but it was badly executed. They did not see the entire scenario. It has disrupted the business (of fashion). There were a lot of times that my employees -- like tailors and embroiderers -- could not go to the bank. Demonetisation impacted them badly," Rahul Mishra, a regular participating designer at the Paris runways, told IANS.

The stress, he says, was felt more by weavers, embroiderers, tailors and craftspersons. The introduction of GST on July 1 impacted the same set of people more than others.

"I am not against GST. We work with handmade clothes and labour is intensive. So if I supply merchandise worth Rs 1 crore, then 12 per cent needs to be paid upfront as GST. Next month, again if I am supplying, then I have to pay 12 per cent, so I have to pay so much to GST and then wait for the sale to happen."

He says the government should encourage the handmade industry by bringing in separate laws for it. "I want to pay taxes on what I am selling because if I am not selling, then business is less, opportunity is less and so is potential for employment," said Mishra.

A report by Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency of India (ICRA) stated that the Indian textiles and apparel industry, which accounts for almost 24 per cent of the world's spindle capacity and eight per cent of global rotor capacity, has been struggling due to the impact of demonetisation and GST.

The report stated that the disruptions caused by demonetisation and transition to the GST regime has "narcotised the Indian apparel and fabric industry".

Other designers say they are witnessing reduced business, but they are hopeful that the forthcoming wedding season may bring a touch of relief. Many feel that banning of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes was a good move to weed out corruption in the country, even though it took its toll on the design world. GST only added to their troubles.

Designer Samant Chauhan is disappointed that the festive season failed to raise the shoppers' spirit.

"I always knew that the market is slow and we will get good sales in Diwali. But things were not that great during the festive time either, with sales at less than half. There was no (big) party happening on Diwali, so why will people buy designer clothes. I think the note ban did have an impact on that (party culture).

He said that after demonetisation, prices of yarns and fabric went up. "Only those people survived who had systems (workstations and mills). There was a huge crunch of fabric as most of the weavers were in the bank getting their cash. When things normalised, the prices went up," he added.

Sunil Sethi, President, Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI), the country's apex fashion body, admitted that sales had slumped due to demonetisation and GST.

"I'm hoping that the business is going to be regularised in the near future. Certain amount of discipline has set in for both the customer and designer. However, there is no doubt that the volume of business has gone down, which is not a good sign. Hoping for the market to pick up soon," Sethi told IANS.

Menswear designer Pawan Sachdeva echoed the sentiment. "The effect of demonetisation has lingered even after a year. The luxury market has faced a major slowdown. Even as the effects of demonetisation hadn't lessened, GST was introduced as a new policy, slowing the market even more," he said.

The major problem, according to him, was that cash flow declined sharply, resulting in slashing of up to almost 80 per cent of luxury sales. "This Diwali, the sales were extremely low as compared to previous years. It will take a lot of time for the market to recover at this rate," Sachdeva 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.)
Salman Khan-starrer "Tiger Zinda Hai" has been shot across five different countries, but each location lent itself to a turning point in the film's story, says director Ali Abbas Zafar.

Shot across various destinations in Austria, Greece, Morocco, Abu Dhabi and India, the sequel of Kabir Khan's "Ek Tha Tiger" will bring back "Ek Tha Tiger" Salman and actress Katrina Kaif as intelligence agents Tiger and Zoya, who travel to five different countries, fighting against the odds to fulfill their life-threatening mission.

"To meet the scale of the film, we had to travel to four different countries for different reasons. Certain landscapes needed to become a part of the film, so we had to go to Austria to get the snow-covered mountains. We also had to go to Morocco to feature crucial fight sequences of horseback riding. The country's landscape and topography brings a certain texture to these sequences," Zafar said in a statement.

"It also has horses trained for some fight sequences, as many Hollywood films like 'Troy', and 'Mummy Returns'. Greece was absolutely picturesque and was the perfect location to shoot the celebratory anthem 'Swag se karenge sabka swagat'.

"Abu Dhabi gave us desert terrain. We got great support from the Abu Dhabi government be it locations, production, army and air-force requirement. They helped us create larger than life action drama sequences. We also shot a couple of scenes in North and South block, Delhi. Overall, each location has huge significance and is part of turning points in the film's script," he added.

The Yash Raj Films project is slated to release on December 22.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ending days of speculations, the BJP on Tuesday announced Prem Kumar Dhumal would be its Chief Ministerial candidate in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh.

Addressing a public meeting in Rajgarh in Sirmaur district, BJP President Amit Shah said Virbhadra Singh, instead of talking about his work and responding to allegations of corruption against him, was only persistently asking them at all public platforms under whose leadership was the BJP contesting the polls.

"Throughout the country we are contesting under the leadership of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi... in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP is contesting under the leadership of Dhumal," he said, drawing loud applause from the gathering.

"I want to tell Virbhadra Singh that the 2017 election would be contested under the name and leadership of our senior leader Dhumal," Shah said.

The ruling Congress has already announced incumbent Virbhadra Singh as the next Chief Minister, if it retains power.

Shah, who started his five-day visit to the state on Monday, said: "I want to say this thing also that at present Dhumal is the former Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition and after December 18, Dhumal would be the Chief Minister."

However, the 73-year-old Dhumal, who is a two-time Chief Minister, was not present at the rally when his name was announced. In a tweet in Hindi later, he extended gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah on behalf of the the state's people.

Elections to the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly will be held on November 9 and the votes counted on December 18 along with Gujarat.

Taking the lead after months of speculation and turmoil within the party, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on October 7 announced at a public meeting in Mandi town that Virbhadra Singh will "become the Chief Minister for the seventh time".

Clearly indicating the party stands behind Singh, who is facing cases related to disproportionate assets, he said: "Virbhadra Singh ji has done tremendous development as six-time Chief Minister. He will be the Chief Minister for the seventh time. This will have full backing of the party."

Since then the opposition BJP has facing posers from the Congress over their party leader.

"Till this announcement of Dhumal, there was too much confusion over who is to lead the party," a senior state BJP leader, who did not wish to be identified, told IANS.

"At least it's clear now," he added.

Earlier, the party was divided in two camps -- one led by Dhumal and the other by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda.

In the 2012 elections to the 68-member assembly, which saw a voter turnout of 73.92 per cent, the Congress won 36 seats, the BJP 26 and Independents six.

But in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had won all the state's four seats with a vote percentage of 53.85 per cent, while the Congress got 41.07 per cent votes.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Key Indian equity indices on Tuesday fell from their record high levels to close on a flat-to-negative note as investors booked profits in metals, automobile and IT stocks.

According to market observers, mixed global cues, coupled with heavy selling pressure in index heavyweights like Infosys, Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M), Tata Steel, State Bank of India (SBI) and Tata Motors, among others, added to the losses.

The broader Nifty50 of the National Stock Exchange (NSE) closed lower by 28.35 points, or 0.27 per cent, at 10,335.30 points.

The barometer 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE closed at 33,213.13 points -- down 53.03 points or 0.16 per cent.

The Sensex touched a high of 33,294.30 points and a low of 33,164.28 points during the intra-day trade.

However, the BSE market breadth was slightly bullish -- 1,398 advances and 1,320 declines.

The broader market indices outperformed the BSE Sensex. The S&P BSE mid-cap index closed higher by 0.14 per cent and the small-cap index by 0.46 per cent.

"Markets corrected on Tuesday after the Nifty touched life highs in the previous session (on Moday). The indices had opened lower in the morning on the back of mixed Asian markets and a negative closing for the US markets overnight," Deepak Jasani, Head - Retail Research, HDFC Securities, told IANS.

On Monday, the key indices scaled fresh highs, both on closing as well as intra-day basis.

The Sensex closed at a fresh high of 33,266.16 points, after touching a record high of 33,340.17 points intra-day, while the broader Nifty50, which touched an intra-day record high of 10,384.50 points, closed at a new high of 10,363.65 points.

"Major Asian markets ended on a mixed note, while European indices like FTSE 100 and CAC 40 traded higher," Jasani added.

Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services, said: "Markets ended on a negative note after a volatile trade due to strong resistance around recent high and profit booking in PSU banks and metal stocks after the recent solid performance.

"The domestic macros remain positive supported by ample reforms and good Q2 results so far, while rising oil price in the global market and tomorrow's (Wednesday) FED policy influenced domestic market to take a wait and watch approach."

On the currency front, the rupee strengthened by 10-11 paise to close at 64.75 against the US dollar from its previous close at 64.85-86.

"Indian shares fell on Tuesday, retreating from record highs hit in the previous session, as recent outperformers such as SBI fell, while Infosys dropped after going ex-dividend," Dhruv Desai, Director and Chief Operating Officer of Tradebulls, told IANS.

"Government's measures on bank recapitalisation, infrastructure, and crop prices, coupled with domestic flows, would support India stocks even as downgrades in earnings continue," he added.

Sector-wise, the S&P BSE metals index declined by 264.53 points, followed by automobile index by 104.34 points and IT index by 66.72 points.

On the other hand, the S&P BSE consumer durables index rose by 139.98 points, banking index by 69.52 points and realty index by 67.73 points.

Major Sensex gainers on Tuesday were: Axis Bank, up 8 per cent at Rs 523.05; ONGC, up 2.38 per cent at Rs 191.10; Bharti Airtel, up 0.98 per cent at Rs 497.65; Hero MotoCorp, up 0.63 per cent at Rs 3,854.75; and Wipro, up 0.39 per cent at Rs 294.35.

Major Sensex losers were: Infosys, down 2.43 per cent at Rs 921.65; M&M, down 2.14 per cent at Rs 1,345; Tata Steel, down 2.11 per cent at Rs 703.65; SBI, down 2.02 per cent at Rs 305.80; and Tata Motors, down 1.66 per cent at Rs 428.55.

--IANS

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Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) on Tuesday expelled a party leader Rakesh Singh, main accused in Ara hooch tragedy of 2012, after he posted his selfie with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in social media.

Embarassed over alleged liquor mafia Rakesh Singh's selfie with Nitish Kumar, which went viral in the social media, JD-U state President Bashistha Narain Singh showed him the door.

Rakesh Singh, who has been chargesheeted in the hooch tragedy in which 29 people had died, was JD-U President of Ara block in Bhojpur district and was locally known as a "dabang" (heavyweight) and considered as one enjoying political clout in the power corridors of Patna -- the state capital.

Incidentally, total prohibition is in force in Bihar since April 5, 2016, when Nitish Kumar imposed it.

Vashisht Narain Singh said two days ago, Rakesh Singh accompanied one Harinder Kumar Singh, father of a groom of Bhojpur, who returned Rs 4 lakh dowry to bride's family, to meet Nitish Kumar and took a selfie with him and later uploaded it in social media.

But the posting of selfie did not go down well with the party leaders and workers, who raised objections to it as he is an accused in hooch tragedy. It was then that the party decided to act against him.

Impressed by the decision of Harinder Kumar Singh, a retired school teacher, to return the dowry to bride's family, Nitish Kumar lauded his move and termed it as an example for others to follow.

Harinder Kumar Singh said he decided to return the dowry following an appeal by Nitish Kumar, who had as part of a campaign urged people not to accept dowry for their children's marriage.

Nitish Kumar had on Oct 2 launched a massive statewide campaign against child marriage and dowry.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A group of experts on Tuesday urged government and police to increase the use of DNA testing in solving crimes and to set up a board which will lay down procedures and standards.

The experts from law enforcement, judiciary, forensics and academia also recommended amendments in Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and Indian Evidence Act, 1872, to include scientific investigation in crimes.

They said that though DNA testing is done in criminal cases in India, the instances were very low compared to other countries.

"Approximately, DNA testing is done only in 7,500 cases in India annually," said Tim Schellberg, President of GTH-GA, a consultant agency, which have helped over 50 countries and states on legislation and policies to establish and expand DNA databases of criminal offenders.

He said this is "a shockingly low number" as "over 60,000 DNA tests are completed for crime scenes annually" in Britain, which has a population thirteen times smaller than India.

The experts said that a 'statutory body', in pursuance of 271st Law Commission Report on DNA profiling, should be set up to lay down procedures and standards to establish DNA laboratories, grant accreditation to laboratories, and also advise ministries and departments of the central and state governments concerned on matters related to DNA laboratories.

It will also frame guidelines for training of the police and other investigating agencies in dealing with DNA related matters and it will also be responsible to supervise, monitor, inspect the laboratories.

Retired judge G.P. Thareja said that there is a need to educate the courts in India about DNA testing.

The experts also said that the law machinery world over is increasingly relying on DNA forensics to solve crime, whereas India is lagging behind in adoption.

INSA Senior Scientist Durgadas Kasbekar, President of Indian Police Foundation N. Ramachandaran, Supreme Court advocate Ravi Kant and others spoke on the occasion.

--IANS

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Strategic partners India and Singapore on Tuesday reviewed bilateral ties at the fifth Joint Ministerial Committee meeting here between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Singapore counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan.

The two leaders discussed a wide range of bilateral issues of shared interests and mutual concerns, the External Affairs Ministry (EAM) said in a statement.

There are five areas of cooperation to enhance bilateral relations: scale up trade and investment; speed up connectivity; smart cities and urban rejuvenation; skill development; and state focus.

"In particular, they reviewed the upcoming high level exchanges, commemoration of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of ASEAN and 25 years of India-ASEAN dialogue partnership, cooperation in political, defence and security fields, trade and investment, cooperation in tourism and culture, connectivity, and other aspects of partnership," the statement said.

They also exchanged views on issues of mutual interest at regional and multilateral levels, including cooperation at UN and International organisations.

The India-Singapore bilateral relationship was elevated to a strategic partnership during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the city state in November 2015.

Balakrishnan, who is on a two-day visit to India starting Tuesday, will visit Guwahati on Wednesday to meet Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and witness signing of an MoU to launch a skill development centre being set up in Assam with Singapore's assistance.

Earlier, referring to the meeting, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had tweeted: "Expanding our strategic partnership."

Singapore was India's 10th largest bilateral trade partner in 2016-17 and the second largest among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) countries, with a share of 2.5 per cent and 2.6 per cent respectively of overall trade with India.

Bilateral trade expanded after the conclusion of Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) from $6.7 billion in 2004-05 to reach $16.7 billion in 2016- 17.

In 2016-17, India's imports from Singapore totalled $7.1 billion and exports totalled $9.6 billion, a growth of 24 per cent compared to the previous year

Singapore has agreed to set up a skill development centre in the northeastern state.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In tune with New Delhi's Act East Policy, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Singapore Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan held the fifth India-Singapore Joint Ministerial Committee Meeting here on Tuesday.

"Expanding our strategic partnership," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted, referring to the meeting between the two leaders.

Balakrishnan, who arrived here earlier on Tuesday, will also visit Guwahati on Wednesday where he will meet Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

The India-Singapore bilateral relationship was elevated to a strategic partnership during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the city state in November 2015.

There are five areas of cooperation to enhance bilateral relations: scale up trade and investment; speed up connectivity; smart cities and urban rejuvenation; skill development; and state focus.

Singapore was India's 10th largest bilateral trade partner in 2016-17 and the second largest among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) countries, with a share of 2.5 per cent and 2.6 per cent respectively of overall trade with India.

Bilateral trade expanded after the conclusion of Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) from $6.7 billion in 2004-05 to reach $16.7 billion in 2016- 17.

In 2016-17, India's imports from Singapore totalled $7.1 billion and exports totalled $9.6 billion, a growth of 24 per cent compared to the previous year

Singapore has agreed to set up a skill development centre in the northeastern state.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Amid reports of attacks on Indian students in Milan, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday said she was personally monitoring the situation and asked the students not to worry. The Indian consulate in the Italian city issued an advisory asking the students not to panic and to contact the mission in case of such incidents.

The report of the attacks came as Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni was in India on a two-day visit, and held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on boosting ties that have seen a marked downswing over recent years.

"Attack on Indian students in Milan: I have got the detailed report. Please do not worry. I am monitoring the situation personally," the External Affairs Minister said in a tweet.

Sushma Swaraj's remarks came a day after the Indian Consulate in Milan said that it has received reports of attacks and cautioned students to stay away from any area perceived to be of risk.

"The Consulate has received reports of unfortunate incident of attacks on the Indian students in Milan. All Indian students are urged not to panic," the statement said.

"Students are also requested to report such matters to the Consulate on Consul General's Cell 3290884057 immediately," the Consulate said sharing the helpline number.

"This will help the Consulate take up the issue with the higher authorities in Milan so that all efforts can be made to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future.

"In the meanwhile, students are advised to be in touch with each other (particularly when they go out) as well as with the Consulate and spread the information among other students about the areas where they face such incidents so that such areas can be avoided or approached with greater caution," the statement added.

According to reports, the attacks took place on October 17 and October 30. Three Indians students were allegedly attacked with beer bottles, in apparent racist attacks.

There is a 180,000-strong Indian community in Italy, the third largest in the European Union after Britain and the Netherlands.

Italian Prime Minister Gentiloni was in India on October 29-30 in what was the first Italian prime ministerial visit in over a decade, and helped thaw the bilateral ties.

Diplomatic ties between India and Italy came to a near freeze following the February 2012 killing of two Indian fishermen by Italian marines, Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, off the Kerala coast.

The case is now with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Seas (Itlos) at The Hague and India has allowed both the marines to return to Italy.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) has told its employees to sing the national anthem every day before start of duty and the national song, Vande Mataram, just before the end of duty hours.

A directive, issued on Monday, came into effect from Tuesday when all staffers of the JMC sang the national anthem in the morning.

As per the directive, the national anthem will be sung daily at 9.50 a.m. and the national song at 5.55 p.m.

"I feel that this will help in developing a positive culture, positive energy and instil nationalism among staffers," Jaipur Mayor Ashok Lahoti told reporters here.

He said the anthem and song will be played on speakers and there was no need for the staff to assemble at one point.

Lahoti said anyone not willing to sing or opposing the singing of the national anthem or song "can go to Pakistan".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress on Tuesday accused the government of trying to hide behind World Bank reports to mask the "grim reality" regarding the economy and said Arun Jaitley has proved to be "the worst Finance Minister in Indias history".

Reacting to Jaitley's press conference over India jumping 30 places in World Bank's Ease of Doing Business rankings, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala said the BJP government was clutching at straws to stay afloat "as it sinks the economy and hurts trade and businesses".

He said the Narendra Modi government has failed India's economy by "sheer adhocism and inexperience".

"The hurriedly convened press conference by the Finance Minister to seek manufactured relevance from the World Bank report was evidence of the actual distance from ground realities and suffering of people of India," Surjewala said in a statement.

He said the government lives in "a make believe cuckoo world" as it is blinded by the blinkers of "Achhe Din" and was unable to "see, feel, judge or address India's pain".

He said private Investment is "in dire straits", 'Make in India' is floundering, exports were plunging, credit growth is at a 63-year old law and inequality is the highest in 100 years. "Crores of job losses in the informal sector have resulted in a 'Cease of Doing Small Businesses'.

All this is due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "personal adventurism in policy making. The double whammy of demonetisation and GST has wreaked havoc for the economy".

Surjewala said that 'Ease of Doing Business' rankings have not taken into account the "utterly flawed implementation of the GST."

"The cut-off date for implementing any reforms for the said study was June 1 while the GST was imposed on July 1," he said, adding that numerous slabs and complex filing requirements has turned GST into a "Gabbar Singh Tax".

He said inherent flaws in the GST has crippled micro, small and businesses, stunted the economy and has led to insurmountable job losses.

Surjewala said India's GDP growth rate has fallen for six straight quarters and asked if falling GDP indicate robust 'Ease of Doing Business?

He said over 3.72 crore jobs have been lost on account of demonetisation in the MSME sector.

"The Prime Minister's policy adventurism coupled with the adhocism of his Finance Minister to deliver has caused widespread economic misery and distress.

"With great responsibility, we would like to say that Arun Jaitley has proved to be the worst FM in India's history. Hiding behind World Bank reports will not at alter this grim reality."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Japan's main opposition Democratic Party on Tuesday picked lawmaker Kohei Otsuka to serve as its new leader, taking over from Seiji Maehara, who stepped down after the general election.

Party lawmakers from both chambers of Parliament met to choose Otsuka, 58, who ran unopposed, as no other candidates entered the leadership race, reports Xinhua news agency.

Otsuka, a former Bank of Japan official prior to winning his seat for the first time in 2001, has served three terms in the upper chamber and previously held the senior vice welfare minister portfolio.

The Democratic Party was effectively disbanded so that its lower house members could run in the election on Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike's Party of Hope ticket.

After the Party of Hope secured only 50 seats in the 465-seat lower house, despite fielding 235 candidates nationwide, Maehara penned his letter of resignation.

On Monday, the Democratic Party convened a meeting of its lawmakers serving in the upper house and independents who won in the election.

Otsuka now faces the task of re-establishing the Democratic Party as an opposition voice ahead of Wednesday's special Parliament session where Shinzo Abe will be officially re-elected the Prime Minister.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Various journalist organisations on Tuesday condemned the reported molestation of women scribes by the Chattisgarh Police.

In a statement, the Indian Women's Press Corps, the Press Club of India and others expressed their "deep outrage on reports of women journalists being groped and manhandled by members of the Chattisgarh Police on October 29".

At least three women journalists reported being "groped" by policemen when they were trying to talk to senior journalist Vinod Verma who was arrested by police from Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad and taken to Raipur, the statement said.

The women journalists complained that they were touched "inappropriately" not once but several times and one of them was also kicked, it added, saying that "only recently", the Union Home Ministry had sent an advisory to state governments regarding ensuring the safety of journalists during official assignments.

"It is unfortunate and condemnable that such an advisory was ignored and journalists pushed around and women journalists made to suffer humiliation in the course of their duty," it said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Senior journalist Vinod Verma, arrested on extortion charges in connection with a Chhattisgarh Minister's alleged sex CD, was on Tuesday sent in 14-day judicial custody by a court here.

When Verma was presented before Fourth Sessions Judge Bhavesh Kumar Vatti, he pleaded against being lodged with hardened criminals.

The court accepted his plea and directed he be kept in a special cell in jail, remanding him in judicial custody till November 13.

Verma was arrested by the Chhattisgarh Police in coordination with Uttar Pradesh Police from his house in Ghaziabad on Friday morning on charges of extortion over an alleged "sex CD" of the Bharatiya Janata Party leader in Chhattisgarh.

A court granted three-day transit remand to police to facilitate his transfer to Chhattisgarh.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A US federal judge has partially blocked enforcement of key provisions of President Donald Trump's memorandum banning transgender people from serving in the military, the media reported.

On Monday, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia found the administration's justification for the ban, which was set to take effect in March 2018, to be suspect and likely unconstitutional, reports The New York Times.

She ruled that the military's current policy should remain in place.

"There is absolutely no support for the claim that the ongoing service of transgender people would have any negative effective on the military at all," the judge wrote in a strongly worded, 76-page ruling.

"In fact, there is considerable evidence that it is the discharge and banning of such individuals that would have such effects."

Judge Kollar-Kotelly noted that the White House's proposed policies likely violated the equal protection clause of the Constitution, writing that "a number of factors - including the sheer breadth of the exclusion ordered by the directives, the unusual circumstances surrounding the President's announcement of them, the fact that the reasons given for them do not appear to be supported by any facts, and the recent rejection of those reasons by the military itself - strongly suggest that Plaintiffs' Fifth Amendment claim is meritorious".

Monday's ruling was seen as an encouraging step for supporters.

It stopped a plan to discharge all transgender troops. It allows current transgender troops to re-enlist and permits transgender recruits to join the military starting in January.

In response to the ruling, the Justice Department said, "We disagree with the court's ruling and are currently evaluating the next steps," The New York Times reported.

Trump announced in a series of Twitter messages on July 26 that American forces could not afford the "tremendous medical costs and disruption" of transgender troops, and said "the United States government will not accept or allow them to serve in any capacity in the US Military".

A presidential memorandum released on August 25 required all transgender service members to be discharged starting in March 23, 2018.

Civil rights groups immediately sued the administration on behalf of transgender service members, arguing that the ban was discriminatory and violated their constitutional right to due process and equal protection under the law.

A number of lawsuits are still pending.

"Big, huge news today," said Lt. Cmdr. Blake Dremann, a Navy supply corps officer who is transgender and is the director of Sparta, an LGBT military group with more than 650 active-duty members.

"A lot of people's lives were put on hold. They thought their careers were ending. This means we can continue to serve with honour, as we have been doing."

Petty Officer Eva Kerry, 24, who is transgender and is training to operate nuclear reactors, said the ruling lifted an obsessive dread over the impending end of a Navy career she loves.

"I remain optimistic that the Constitution I swore an oath to will continue to protect the rights of all Americans," she told The New York Times.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A US federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's attempt to bar transgender people from the military.

District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly overruled a presidential memo issued by Trump, which sought to reverse an Obama administration policy change, BBC reported on Monday.

Kollar-Kotelly's injunction returns the US military to the status quo - allowing transgender personnel to serve openly and new recruits to join up.

The case was filed against in August by a group of unnamed plaintiffs.

The judge agreed with the plaintiffs' assertion that the president's directives were "not genuinely based on legitimate concerns regarding military effectiveness or budget constraints, but are instead driven by a desire to express disapproval of transgender people generally".

She went on to say that the president's reasons for seeking to ban transgender personnel in July "do not appear to be supported by any facts" and had been rejected by the military.

Judge Kollar-Kotelly ruled against a second injunction sought by the plaintiffs, over a Trump directive prohibiting the use of military resources to fund sex reassignment surgical procedures.

She said the court did not have jurisdiction to grant the injunction because no plaintiff demonstrated that they would be substantially affected by the prohibition.

A June 2016 policy change by the Obama administration allowed transgender military personnel to serve openly and set a one-year deadline for the military to begin allowing new recruits.

In July 2017 the military delayed the accession part of the policy by six months, saying it needed more time to prepare.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
National Award-winning actress Kangana Ranaut says she worked towards her "mental health" to overcome the hurdles that she faced while working in Bollywood.

"Not belonging to a lineage makes the path to success in my industry automatically harder. I belong to a humble family that has no connection to Bollywood. My passion and dreams brought me to a junction, but the tracks ahead had to be laid by me and each step was unfathomably difficult," Kangana, a Reebok India brand ambassador, said in a statement.

The actress, who has joined hands with Reebok India for #FitToFight campaign to address inequality in pay, added: "I worked towards my mental fitness and while the determination and zeal to reach the end had made every other obstacle look miniscule, I set out to face them. Slowly but steadily, I worked towards becoming a better version of myself and did not let anything or anyone deter my path to success."

Talking about pay disparity, the "Queen" star said: "I have personally experienced inequality on the professional front, on several occasions, and have fought my way up the ladder to stand shoulder to shoulder with my male counterparts. I identify very strongly with the campaign."

Kangana is known for openly talking about her struggle in the film industry, as an outsider and during that phase of her life, how she had an abusive relationship with actor Aditya Pancholi. She has been in news for her murky legal battle with actor Hrithik Roshan over their alleged affair.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi government on Tuesday said the licences of all hotels and restaurants with hookah bars would be cancelled as many of them have been found illegally providing tobacco to customers in the garb of herbal materials.

Health Minister Satyendar Jain said hookah smoking was banned in non-smoking zones after the amendment to COTPA (Cigarette and other Tobacco Products Act) that prohibits smoking in public in May 2017.

The amendment, which prohibits serving food or beverages in designated smoking areas in hotels and restaurants, was approved after it was found that the law was being used by several restaurant owners to serve hookahs with non tobacco flavours along with lunch and dinner.

"Recent notification of the government of India from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare completely prohibits use of hookah in the smoking zones also.

"Therefore, hookah bars in any form are illegal and Delhi Police and MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) should cancel the licenses of such restaurants, eateries and hotels where such illegal hookah bars are operating."

The Minister said the State Tobacco Control Cell had conducted several raids in various parts of Delhi and taken samples of hookah flavours.

He said chemical analysis of the samples showed "presence of nicotine in significant amount in almost all the samples though originally they were claimed to be herbal in nature".

He said the city government had written a series of letters to Delhi Police and the civic body in the last four years to initiate action against these illegally running hookah bars and "save the younger generation from the harmful effects of tobacco".

Hookah smoking has become rampant in restaurants, eateries, hotels in metropolitan cities including Delhi and has become a status symbols even in family functions.

"Unlike in earlier times where hookah was mostly used by the village elders, it has now gained popularity among the youth in today's lifestyle. People consider hookah as a safe alternative to smoking without realizing that it is even more harmful and has an adverse impact on health," the Health Minister said.

"A number of hookah bars have been flourishing in Delhi flouting all anti-tobacco rules and laws."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Lingerie holds a special place in the bridal trousseau. Include strapless and multiway bras, but invest time to find the right bra fit, say experts.

Shweta Verma, Head of Marketing, Triumph India and Sri Lanka, and Soozie Jenkinson, Head of Design Lingerie, Swim and Active at British fashion brand Marks & Spencer, jot down some essentials.

* Everyday T-shirt bras: These bras are a must-have in your wardrobe as they give the ultimate wearing comfort all day and a seamless appearance. The super smooth cups are invisible under your shirts and tight fitting tops, while the light and soft padding provides modest support for a perfectly shaped look. These are a good choice for both Indian and western outfits as they come in a variety of colours and styles, prints and even lace.

* Party bras: From sexy strapless and demi cups, to push-up bras, party bras are an essential part of your trousseau as they go with plunging necklines to backless dresses.

If you want to enhance your cleavage for a low-neck top or dress, a push-up bra is a must. For tube dresses wear a strapless bra (in a push-up variety if need be). A multi-strap bra is another great option as it goes with a variety of dress styles, such as halter necks. Deep-back or backless outfits are best matched with a backless bra or one with transparent back straps for the ultimate glam factor.

* A variety of briefs: Most women tend to ignore the importance of different briefs necessary for certain style of outfits. Usually, a single kind of brief is not suitable for all types of dresses. A seamless 'invisible' brief is a must in your wedding trousseau. A perfect choice for fitted dresses that can be worn for your engagement, cocktail party, or for any post-wedding outings. For something seductive, yet classy, opt for a tanga brief.

These offer a little more coverage and are super comfortable to wear as compared to a G-string, yet have slim sides. Don't forget to pack some comfortable cotton briefs for everyday wear.

* Shapewear: If you want to have smooth curves under form fitting dresses and skirts, then it is a good idea to invest in some shapewear. There are different types of shapewear available depending on the problem areas you are trying to address, giving you a shaping effect that will make you look as sexy as you feel. High-waist briefs are a great option for every-day use as they give you a sleek look on the waist and hips as well as a flattering effect to your tummy.

Long-leg briefs give a shaping effect to the thigh as well as hips. For an overall flattering effect, you can opt for a body-dress or body-suit.

* You should take the dress or outfit in to the fitting with you, this way you can ensure the perfect fit and make sure the bra can't be seen under clothing.

* This season, you have the option to embrace a seasonal colour palette of indigo, navy, black and berry in on trend fabrics of lace, velvet and silk, or for a more discreet look, look to sumptuously soft, plush and supportive lingerie in discreet white and nude colours that create a great foundation.

--IANS

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(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 Tuesday met Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and requested him to invest in her state.

The Chief Minister had a one and half hour meeting with Ambani soon after reaching the country's financial capital where she is scheduled to attend a business conclave on Wednesday.

Banerjee later told reporters that Ambani would attend the Bengal Global Business Summit organised by her government in January 16-17 in Kolkata.

"They are already investing in the state. I told him to invest more. The good news is that he has agreed to take part in the BGBS," she said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Smartphones with bezel-less screens have become one of the biggest trends this year with handset majors like Samsung, Apple, LG and Micromax turning to displays with 18:9 aspect ratio for an immersive viewing experience.

But it was Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi that started the buzz last year with Mi Mix -- the first Android smartphone to ditch thick bezels and the traditional aspect ratio of 16:9.

Mi Mix was introduced as a concept phone, and this year the company has taken a step further with the introduction of Mi Mix 2 that has a premium design language and refined ergonomics.

The Rs 35,999 smartphone falls in the "affordable flagship" category and is being seen as the company's attempt to break away from its usual "value-for-money" image.

How does it fare when it comes to real-world performance? Let's see.

At the first glance, Mi Mix 2 impresses with its ceramic body and premium looks. The frame is made of 7-series aluminium alloy that renders a sturdy feel, appears to be strong enough to withstand a few falls.

The ceramic back has a glossy finish and catches light that makes it look incredible. In fact, it is the only mainstream ceramic smartphone that competes with Android co-creator Andy Rubin's "Essential" phone which is not yet available in India.

The 5.99-inch IPS display has good brightness levels that helps lessen the reflective nature of the glass.

Moreover, the Corning Gorilla Glass 4 on the front, an 18K gold-plated camera ring and gold-coloured "Mix designed by Xiaomi" branding at the rear makes the device stand out in the crowd.

Mi Mix 2's primary 12MP camera equipped with Sony IMX386 sensor is the same that comes with the company's flagship Mi 6 smartphone.

The rear shooter with an f/2.0 aperture, phase detection auto-focus (PDAF) and dual LED flash captured good photos, with enough details in proper light only.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset with 6GB RAM that results in smooth performance.

Xiaomi's custom user interface (UI) MIUI 8 based on Android Nougat 7.1.2 is decent enough. However, fans of stock Android operating system (OS) may dislike the interface because it has slightly larger square icons for apps and customisation is limited.

In addition to impressive looks, we found the smartphone's battery life to be among the best.

The phone runs a 3,400mAh battery but there is almost zero battery drain when the device is idle, unlike many flagship phones out there.

Having said that, we also did not notice the smartphone getting heated up during browsing or while running multiple applications in the background.

The battery lasted a little over a day on moderate usage which should appeal to most users.

What does not work?

Unlike what we had expected, there was noticeable distortion in the images in low-light conditions and inconsistent ambient lighting.

The location of 5MP front camera is rather awkward as it has been moved down to the chin of the device. It is capable of taking selfies that are not up to the mark.

Conclusion: Mi Mix 2 is a good attempt by Xiaomi to break away from its usual "budget smartphone brand" image. The smartphone has an appealing ceramic body phone and offers good battery life. However, smartphones such as OnePlus 5 and Honor 8 Pro easily outperform it in terms of camera performance.

(Krishna SinhaChaudhury can be contacted at krishna.s@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on Tuesday saw the BJP and Congress spar over his legacy, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching a veiled attack on the Congress, saying some political parties and governments had tried to obliterate his name from history books or ignore his contribution in unifying the country.

Modi's attack came before flagging off the 'Run for Unity' at the National Stadium here on the birth anniversary of the first Deputy Prime Minister celebrated as "National Unity Day." The Congress, while remembering Patel, quoted his remarks against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological mentor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The sparring took place in the backdrop of Gujarat Assembly elections where a fight over the legacy of Patel has intensified between the BJP and its rivals as they seek to woo the Patel community.

Modi, in his speech, also referred to terrorism across the world and said people belonging to the same faith were killing each other.

"Today in the world, people who have grown up in the same faith are not willing to see each other alive. They are bent upon killing each other. Pushing the world into a whirl of violence, they are trying to increase the spread of their thinking. At this time, India can say with pride that we are that country that has taken in all the traditions of the world and has tied them in string of unity," Modi said.

"This is our legacy, this is our strength and the way to our bright future," he added.

Modi said the British tried their best to divide the country and ruin India as a nation and it was Patel's farsightedness that he used every tactic and strategy "saam, daam, dand, bhed" to bring about a united India after Independence.

Modi said attempts were made either to erase Patel's name from history or to diminish his stature.

"But history is witness to the fact that whether any government accepted him or not or whether any political party gave importance to him or not, the youth of the country will never forget him and will not allow him to be banished from history," Modi said.

He also invoked India's first President, Rajendra Prasad, to say his (Prasad's) soul would be happy that Sardar Patel has not been forgotten.

Modi said that Sardar Patel was still alive in the hearts of people. He said Sardar Patel saved India from the problems that emerged soon after Partition and ensured the integration of the princely states.

The Congress, in its tribute to Sardar Patel, tweeted his picture and his remarks against the RSS: "The speeches of the Sangh (RSS) leaders are poisonous. It is as a result of this venom that Mahatma Gandhi has been assassinated.

"The activities of RSS constituted a clear threat to the existence of the government and state."

The party said: "Remembering Iron Leader Sardar Patel, whose uncompromising efforts were instrumental in keeping India united after Independence."

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi said in a tweet that Sardar Patel was an embodiment of integrity and strength. "Sardar Patel was one of the architects of the Idea of India. My tributes to him on his birth anniversary."

Patel's birth anniversary is also the day Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984. Top Congress leaders paid floral tributes to the former Prime Minister at her memorial.

Modi, in his speech, made a mention of October 31 being the death anniversary of Indira Gandhi.

He also administered a pledge to keep the nation united to large number of people who took part in the Run For Unity.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 142nd birth anniversary saying his momentous service to country can never be forgotten.

"We salute Sardar Patel on his birthday. His momentous service and monumental contribution to India can never be forgotten," Modi said in a tweet.

Patel, the first Deputy Prime Minister of India, was born on October 31, 1875 in Nadiad, a small village in Gujarat.

Popularly known as the 'Iron Man' of India, he was conferred with the highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna, in 1991 for his services to the nation.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday urged Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to find a peaceful solution to the North Korean crisis.

Stoltenberg in a meeting with Abe reiterated NATO's strong condemnation of the weapons tests by the North Korean regime and said that strong international pressure is required for Pyongyang to take a responsible path towards peaceful resolution, reports Efe news.

He also urged the Kim Jong-un regime to fulfil the commitments adopted in 2005 after the six-party talks for its denuclearisation, and to take concrete steps to put an immediate end to its nuclear and missile development programme.

Pyongyang agreed in the talks - currently stalled - involving China, Japan, US, South Korea, and Russia to abandon its nuclear programme in exchange for political and economic concessions.

Stoltenberg also expressed concern about the situation in the East and South China Seas.

Japan has been in a territorial dispute with China over the sovereignty of Senkaku Islands (known as Diaoyu in China), the uninhabited islets in the East China Sea, which some argue could harbour important marine and energy resources.

The incursion of Chinese vessels, both fishing and coast guard, in the waters of the islands and its vicinity intensified since Japan in 2012 nationalised three of the islets, making it a source of diplomatic conflicts.

NATO, which supports Japan's claim to the islets, said its position was maintaining a maritime order based on rules which respects freedom of navigation, overflight and other lawful uses of the sea, in full compliance with the applicable international legislation.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Australian Prime Malcolm Turnbull on Tuesday announced that his newly-elected New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern will visit the country on November 5, saying he was looking forward to meet her.

Confirming the visit at a press conference here, Turnbull said that Australia and New Zealand have shared a close bond for decades, likening the relationship between the two nations to that of a "family", reports Xinhua news agency.

"Australia and New Zealand are not just mates, we are family... Our relationship is built on a solid foundation of economic, security, community and historical ties."

The Prime Minister said "economic integration" would be one of the key focus points when they meet in Sydney.

"Our economic integration over the past 30 years is a remarkable success story.

"In 2016, our two-way trade reached 24.8 billion Australian dollars and two-way investment totalled 153 billion Australian dollars.

"Prime Minister Ardern and I will discuss how we can further our trade and economic opportunities and promote jobs and skills development in both countries," he said.

Turnbull added that there would also be discussions relating to the Australia-New Zealand defence partnership, as well as other regional issues in the Asia-Pacific region.

"Our discussions will cover a wide range of topics including the forthcoming APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) Leaders' Meeting in Vietnam, the East Asia Summit in the Philippines and how we can work most effectively together with our South Pacific neighbours."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Japanese police have found nine bodies, including two with severed heads, in cold storage containers at a flat here while investigating the disappearance of a woman, the media reported on Tuesday.

A 27-year-old man, Takahiro Shiraishi, who lives in the apartment in Zama, south of Tokyo, was arrested on suspicion of disposing of the bodies, broadcaster NHK reported.

The police found the two bodies minus the heads inside a cool box at the entrance of the apartment. The bodies of eight females and one male, in varying stages of decomposition, were found in large cool boxes in the apartment, Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun reported.

Shiraishi told police he had killed the nine and hidden their bodies. "I killed them and did some work on the bodies in order to hide the evidence."

A next door neighbour of the suspect said he had started smelling strange odours from the flat after Shiraishi moved in in August, NHK reported.

Police made the grisly discovery while looking for a 23-year-old woman who had been missing since October 21. Investigators found that Shiraishi had been in contact with her after she wrote online that she wanted to commit suicide.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday announced that the state government will take up the renovation and conservation of Assamese litterateur late Lakshminath Bezbarua's heritage residence in Sambalpur.

The government will preserve the heritage property at its own expense.

"I and the people of Odisha have immense respect for Lakshminath Bezbaroa. The state government will renovate his residence in Sambalpur at its cost and take care of it," Patnaik said.

"With this, I hope the cultural ties between the two states will be reinforced."

Patnaik made the assurance while meeting Assam's Cultural Affairs Minister Naba Kumar Doley and Chief Minister's Media Adviser Hrishikesh Goswami here.

The Minister and the official are in Odisha as per Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal's direction to take up the matter with the state government here.

The government assured that it would desist from any action leading to demolition of the heritage building.

The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, a non-profit, will be assigned to prepare the renovation plan. Initially, Rs 50 Lakh will be spent on renovation, said Odisha Tourism Minister Ashok Chandra Panda.

Hrishikesh Goswami thanked the Odisha government for the proactive measure to preserve the residence.

Before meeting the Odisha Chief Minister, they had visited Bezbaruaha's residence on Monday and interacted with district administration in Sambalpur.

Notably, Sonowal on October 27 talked to his Odisha counterpart Patnaik over phone and requested him for the preservation of the residence, which is intrinsically associated with the emotions of the people of Assam.

Born in 1868, Bezbarua enriched Assamese literature with his essays, plays, fiction and poetry. He is popularly known as Rasharaaj or the king of humour for his satirical writings.

--IANS

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The 2017 report of the Fragile States Index places Pakistan among the first 20 failed countries, which should be worrisome for Islamabad. Instead of continuing with the low intensity war against its neighbours, Pakistan should make efforts to implement reforms in diverse fields.

Pakistan was carved out of India on the basis of the two-nation theory broadly intended to foster separation and hatred. This philosophy persists today, with greater vengeance.

With its vicious policies, Pakistan has antagonised another neighbour, Afghanistan, on its Western front while Shia Iran can never trust Sunni Pakistan, helping terrorist outfits on behalf of Wahabi Saudi Arabia. Iran recently threatened Pakistan with stringent action if it did not control non-state actors who were fomenting terror.

Pakistan earlier had cordial relations with Afghanistan and Iran. In the India-Pakistan war of 1965 & 1971, Pakistan did not need to deploy troops on the Afghan or Iranian borders as there was no danger from them. The situation has drastically changed now.

Pakistan's fourth neighbour is China. Diplomatically, both countries are "all-weather friends". China has rescued Pakistan on many occasions, but Beijing has placed severe restrictions along the China-Pakistan border, as some Islamic terrorist groups are helping Uighur Muslims fighting for a separate homeland in China's Xinjiang autonomous region.

The recently concluded BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit in China included the names of several Pakistan-based terrorist organisations in its joint declaration, indicating that Beijing is hardening its attitude towards Islamabad and terrorism.

Pakistan appears surrounded by hostile or threatening neighbours. However, the major danger to the country is from internal forces, contradictory mindsets, military domination, corrupt and inept politicians, different nationalities, rising population, depleting water resources and a worsening economic situation. Such forces may be responsible for Pakistan imploding.

The Punjabi-dominated Pakistani Army has not allowed civil institutions to strengthen and has exploited all other nationalities. In 1971, Pakistan was split and Bangladesh emerged. Now, Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Kashmir all want to be separate nations.

The people of Gilgit and Baltistan are fighting for an independent Balawaristan. The Muhajiris, Saraikis and Chitralis want more autonomy as the Punjabis are exploiting them too. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif actually stated that the country was facing the danger of disintegration.

Former President General Zia-ul-Haq decided to join the United States to evict the Soviet Union from Afghanistan. He needed jihadis to do this and proceeded to inject religion into the polity and Islamised the army and the country. Saudi Arabia and other West Asian countries pumped petro-dollars into Pakistan and helped inculcate the 'madrassa culture' in the country, which radicalised many Pakistanis. The country is still paying a heavy price for this extremism.

Pakistan has waged a low-intensity war against India and Afghanistan and created terrorist outfits like Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM), Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

A few of these terrorist organisations have broken free and refused to obey the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and are conducting terrorist activities within the country. Sunni outfits like SSP & ASWJ are killing Shias, thus increasing the animosity between the two prominent Muslim sects. Shias make up more than 20 per cent of Pakistan's population.

The US, earlier the country's largest economic aid donor, recently warned Pakistan to change its policies, of "harbouring" terrorists who are attacking US troops in Afghanistan. US President Donald Trump also said Pakistan provides "safe haven" to terrorists.

Pakistan is now aligning with China and expects it to invest $50 billion or more for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). It is likely that Communist China will annexe several parts of Pakistan, since Islamabad will never be able to repay the huge debt.

The GDP growth rate is a poor three percent. The country must repay loans worth $73 billion and more. Exports are dwindling while imports are increasing. The education system is in disarray. Terrorists from across the world reach Pakistan to get training in exploding bombs and spreading mayhem. Pakistan's ailing education system needs a total revamp to save the country from falling apart.

The defence budget should be curtailed and more money spent on education, family planning and health. Civilian institutions must be strengthened and army must return to the barracks. The domineering Pakistan Army must allow civil institutions to grow and a civilian leadership to formulate policies.

The ISI's powers should be curtailed and Pakistan must destroy all terrorist training centres and terrorists -- without distinction. The legitimate grievances of all the nationalities should be redressed and the rights of minorities, including Shias, ensured.

Pakistan has launched several operations against terrorists but these operations have not yielded desired results as security forces differentiated between "good" and "bad" terrorists.

In August 2017, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) formed a political party, Milli Muslim League (MML) and declared its intent to contest elections. With extremism and fundamentalism at its zenith, these political parties could acquire power and control the nuclear warheads.

Pakistan is heading towards disaster. If terrorists capture the country, it will be detrimental not only for Pakistan but for the world. Pakistani rulers must chalk out a comprehensive policy to save the country from catastrophe.

(The writer is a Delhi-based strategic analyst and retired senior intelligence officer. The views expressed are personal. The article is in special arrangement with South Asia Monitor)

--IANS

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Pakistan is trying to reacquire an unspecified number of helicopters from the US for anti-narcotics operations after returning nine Huey II helicopters it had acquired in 2002, the media reported.

Pakistan returned on Monday the remaining five of the nine helicopters it had received from the US almost 15 years ago. The Interior Ministry had earlier given back four of these rotary-wing helicopters on October 15, Dawn online reported.

Islamabad had received a total of 12 aircraft, including three fixed-wing Cessna airplanes, from Washington for anti-narcotics operations in Federally Administered tribal Areas (Fata) and Balochistan.

The aircraft were acquired under a renewable agreement and after the expiry of that agreement, Pakistan had the option to either return the aircraft or buy them.

Although Washington urged Islamabad to "nationalise" the helicopters after the agreement expired, the Interior Ministry decided to return them, instead of buying them for continued use.

The Ministry, however, purchased the three Cessna airplanes that came with the choppers.

The Americans, who received the remaining five aircraft on Monday, had already made "redirection" arrangements -- selling it to a third party -- so Pakistan cannot re-buy those helicopters. Instead, Islamabad will have to renegotiate a fresh deal, the report said.

Dawn quoted diplomatic sources as saying that it should not be difficult for Pakistan to renegotiate a deal as officials of both countries acknowledge a direct link between narcotics and terrorism financing.

"Washington believes that stopping drug-trade in this region will also help reduce terrorism," the daily quoted sources as saying.

Pakistan renewed its interest in acquiring the choppers after the recent change of leadership in the Interior Ministry. The decision to return the helicopters was taken by former Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, while new minister Ahsan Iqbal concluded that the ministry needs them to monitor the drug route, which is also used by the militants.

--IANS

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A girl was injured on Tuesday when the Pakistan Army violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

"The Pakistan Army violated ceasefire by resorting to firing with small weapons at Cheeta Post of Khari Karmara Sector," a police statement said. A 13-year-old girl was injured in the firing.

The winding LoC divides Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

--IANS

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Close on the heels of the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in the Doklam region of Bhutan, Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, accompanied by Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuk and Prince Jigme Namgyal Wangchuk, arrived here on Tuesday on a four-day visit to India.

The royal couple was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at the airport here.

"Special gesture for a valued friend. EAM @SushmaSwaraj receives Their Majesties, The King, The Queen and The Gyalsey (Prince) of Bhutan," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

On Wednesday, the King will meet President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will host a dinner in honour of the royal family, a statement from the ministry said.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and other ministers will call on the King.

"India and Bhutan enjoy unique ties of friendship, which are characterised by deep understanding and mutual trust," the statement said.

It said the visit would provide an opportunity to review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation, including plans for celebrating in 2018 the golden jubilee of the establishment of diplomatic ties, and to advance bilateral relations of friendship and cooperation.

Indian and Chinese troops were locked in an over two-month standoff at Doklam plateau in Bhutan. The crisis, which erupted in June over Chinese moves to build a road in an area claimed by Bhutan, ended in August, with both sides deciding to "disengage" from the face-off point.

While India and Bhutan said that Beijing's move violated the status quo in the India-Bhutan-China international trijunction, China claimed that it was their terriroty.

There are a number of institutional mechanisms between India and Bhutan in areas such as security, border management, trade, transit, economic, hydro-power, development cooperation and water resources.

India has set up three hydroelectric projects (HEPs) in Bhutan totalling 1,416 MW, which are operational and exporting surplus power to India. About three-fourth of the power generated is exported and the rest is used for domestic consumption.

India is Bhutan's largest trading partner. In 2016, bilateral trade stood at Rs 8,723 crore with total imports being Rs 5,528.5 crore (82 per cent of Bhutan's total imports) and exports recorded as Rs 3,205.2 crore including electricity (90 per cent of Bhutan's total exports).

--IANS

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President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday paid tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 142nd birth anniversary.

Kovind remembered Patel as "India's Man of Iron, of Integrity and of Integration" in the tweet he posted after paying floral tribute at Patel Chowk here.

Naidu too, paid floral tribute to Patel, who is credited for the ensuring integration of the nation post Independence.

Born on October 31, 1875 in Nadiad, a small village in Gujarat, Patel became the first Deputy Prime Minister of India. He died on December 15, 1950.

Popularly known as the 'Iron Man' of India, Patel was conferred with the highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna, in 1991 for his services to the nation.

--IANS

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A Russian submarine launched three Kalibr cruise missiles from the Mediterranean Sea at facilities of the Islamic State terrorist group in the eastern Syrian province of Deir el-Zour, the Russian Defence Ministry said Tuesday.

The missiles destroyed command posts, a fortified area with a number of militants and armoured vehicles, as well as a large arsenal of weapons and ammunition of the IS near the settlement of Abu Kamal, a ministry statement said, Xinhua reported.

The destruction of all the targets was confirmed by objective control data, it said.

In the last two months, the Veliky Novgorod submarine has conducted four launches with high-precision Kalibr cruise missiles against the terrorists from 350 to 700 km range, the ministry said.

--IANS

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With the Islamic State pushed out of its last stronghold of Raqqa, the Syrian government is focussing on rebuilding its destroyed cities - with some Russian help.

Several construction companies are preparing to storm the Syrian business market, the official website of Drekul reported on Tuesday.

The Syrian government has provided facilitation to Russian businessmen to enter the construction sector after a meeting between the two sides in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi earlier this month.

A Russian businessman called Artour Derbaska said his company (Gigan) has been assigned several pieces of land for constructing apartments in Lattakia, Tartous and Homs. Derbaska said that construction plans are ready in which 70 per cent land will be constructed within the cities in the form of 40-storey towers for the first time in Syria, with more than 200 apartments within each tower. The cost would be lower than the market price by 50 per cent so that citizens can pay half the price of the finished apartment and get loans from Russian banks, which will open in Syria next year, according to a press release from the Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic in New Delhi.

"In this way we can help those citizen who lost their homes or who are unable to buy one. Our investments are approximately 60,000 housing units," said Derbaska.

Syrian President Bashar Al Assad last month told the country's embassy in Russia that preferential treatment should be given to Russian entrepreneurs wanting to do business in Syria.

Syria's Ambassador to Russia Riyad Haddad explained the new policy at a meeting of the Syrian-Russian business council in Moscow.

According to the ambassador, Russia and other countries which helped Syria to fight terrorism "have the right to be at the forefront" of those restoring the country's economy, RT.com reported.

He said Syria has started moving from military operations to reconstruction. The Ambassador acknowledged that all areas of the country's economy and public life have been severely damaged.

The World Bank estimates that apart from the human capital lost in the war, the country will need billions of dollars to support reconstruction. Funding might prove a challenge considering the economic sanctions placed on the Syrian government by the West.

Last year, Moscow and Damascus signed an agreement to create 'green customs corridor' for agricultural products. The deal followed a move by Syria to be part of a free trade zone with Russia three years ago.

--IANS

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Thirty-seven students narrowly escaped a tragedy when a bus in which they were travelling caught fire here on Tuesday, officials said.

The private bus caught fire while heading from Delhi Cantonment to south Delhi. It was carrying the students of Kendriya Vidyalaya's Naraina branch when the incident occurred near Dhaula Kuan, a fire official said.

None of the students suffered any injuries as bystanders came to their rescue.

"People alerted the driver and called the police... The bus was stopped and the children were evacuated safely before the fire brigade reached," he added.

Three fire tenders doused the flames but by then the vehicle was gutted. The reason for the fire is yet to be ascertained.

--IANS

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At least seven Rohingya migrants, including an old woman and six children, died after two boats capsized near the Bangladesh coast in the last 24 hours, the police said on Tuesday.

In one incident, a boat carrying around 40 Rohingyas sank on Tuesday morning in the Bay of Bengal near the Jalai Palang area in the southeastern part of the country, Efe news reported.

Three children and one old woman died in the accident. Local residents managed to rescue 36 others and five of them were hospitalized.

The other accident in which three children were killed took place in the Bay of Bengal on Monday night.

"The children died after they fell from their mother's lap while they were approaching the shore from the boat," a police official said.

More than 600,000 Rohingyas have arrived in Bangladesh since August 25 when the Myanmar Army launched an offensive in Rakhine state following a series of attacks on government posts by Rohingya rebels.

Since the crisis erupted, there have been multiple incidents of boats capsizing, including one in October when at least 34 Rohingyas died, including 18 children.

Nearly 200 Rohingya have drowned since August 29 in over two dozen boat capsizes while trying to flee from conflict-hit Myanmar.

--IANS

soni/mr

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Shia Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi met spiritual guru and Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at Bengaluru on Tuesday and discussed the possible ways to sort out the Ayodhya imbroglio.

After the meeting, Rizvi said the entire nation respected the AOL founder and that the Shia community was of the view that the long pending dispute should be solved amicably and not by confrontation.

"I am confident that sooner than later a solution will evolve towards peaceful resolution of the Ayodhya problem," he said, adding that if Sri Sri would come forward to sort things out, the Shia community will more than welcome it.

He also said that the Shia community had all rights in the matter as the Babri mosque in Ayodhya was Shia place of worship and that up to 1944, it was run by Shia administrators.

After this, the Sunni community got it registered but this was invalidated later, he added.

Recent media reports suggest that Sri Sri, acting in his personal capacity, was trying to mediate between the Hindu and Muslim sides to try and sort out the long-pending issue.

--IANS

md/vd

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Six persons were killed while at least 15 others were injured when a transformer exploded during a marriage function in a village in Jaipur district on Tuesday afternoon, a Rajasthan minister said.

"Six have died so far in the incident that happened while a marriage function was going on the Khatolai village. All were due to burn injuries and out of 15 injured, 10-11 are in critical condition. They have been admitted in the SMS Hospital here," state Health Minister Kalicharan Saraf told reporters here on Tuesday.

The village is near Shahpura town, 65 km from here.

Saraf said 18 people were brought here, out of which one child was declared dead by doctors here, and two after being given first aid were discharged.

Minister of State for Power Pushpendra Singh said: "We have set up a high powered committee to look into cause of the blast...," adding: "Usually this kind of thing (blast in transformers) never happens."

Rajasthan Chief minister Vasundhara Raje, in a tweet, said she was "saddened by the unfortunate incident" and has directed officials to take necessary measures and action."

Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also tweeted that he was "deeply aggrieved to know about the tragic accident" and extended his heartfelt condolences to the victims' families and prayers for the injured.

--IANS

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Spanish police on Tuesday raided the central headquarters of the Catalan regional security force to seize communication records of the October 1 independence referendum that went ahead in Catalonia despite being ruled unconstitutional by Spain.

The searches coincide with ongoing investigations into allegations that the regional police force Mossos d'Esquadra demonstrated passivity when ordered to collaborate with semi-militarized Civil Guard and the Spanish National Police to block the voting process in the illegal ballot, Efe news reported.

The Civil Guard colonel coordinating the raids, Diego Perez de los Cobos, earlier lodged a complaint with the High Court in Catalonia claiming the Mossos had shown "absolute passivity" during the referendum and even hindered the operations of the two national police forces.

The Civil Guard raids on Tuesday were ordered by a National Court judge and targeted not only the Mossos HQ located in Terrassa, a town in the north of Barcelona's metropolitan area but also key police stations across the prosperous region of Catalonia.

Officers sought to recover internal radio recordings and e-mails pertaining to the referendum.

Scrutiny of the Mossos' actions came to a head in the wake of the secessionist ballot when former regional police chief Josep Lluis Trapero was called to give testimony at Spain's national court in a sedition probe.

Trapero was sacked after the Spanish government assumed direct control of Catalonia's devolved administrations over the weekend in response to the unilateral declaration of independence voted through the Catalan assembly on Friday.

On the lead up to the vote, Spain's Civil Guard were ordered to seize all referendum-related materials.

A raid on the Catalan finance ministry on September 20 was hindered when a huge group of separatist protesters blocked the exit and vandalized the Civil Guard vehicles parked outside despite the presence of Mossos officers.

The event prompted the sedition inquiry, which saw Tapero stripped of his passport while two high-profile separatist leaders charged with fuelling the demonstration remained in preventative prison awaiting a judicial investigation.

Spanish police attracted international attention on the day of the referendum when images of officer forcibly removing Catalan voters from polling stations were shared widely on social media.

Hundreds of voters were injured in the security clampdown although only a small number spent more than one night in hospitals.

--IANS

soni/mr

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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Tuesday that she had spoken to an Indian student assaulted in Italy's Milan and was told that it was not a racial attack but robbery.

Sushma Swaraj, who earlier said she was personally monitoring the situation amid reports of attacks on Indian students in Milan, tweeted about her conversation with the student concerned.

"Attack on Indian students in Italy -- I have spoken to the Indian student concerned in Milan. He has told me that it was a case of robbery and not a racial attack.

She also appreciated the help rendered by the Consulate General of India in Milan.

The Minister had earlier asked the students not to worry and said she had got a detailed report.

"Attack on Indian students in Milan: I have got the detailed report. Please do not worry. I am monitoring the situation personally," the External Affairs Minister had said in a tweet.

The Indian Consulate in the Italian city issued an advisory, asking Indian students not to panic and to contact the mission in case of such incidents.

The report of the attacks came as Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni was in India on a two-day visit, and held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on boosting ties that have seen a marked downswing over recent years.

The Indian Consulate in Milan had on Monday said that it has received reports of attacks and cautioned students to stay away from any area perceived to be of risk.

"The Consulate has received reports of unfortunate incident of attacks on the Indian students in Milan. All Indian students are urged not to panic.

"Students are also requested to report such matters to the Consulate on Consul General's cell phone number 3290884057 immediately," it said, adding it will help students concerned to take up the issue with the higher authorities in Milan so that all efforts can be made to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

"In the meanwhile, students are advised to be in touch with each other (particularly when they go out) as well as with the consulate and spread the information among other students about the areas where they face such incidents so that such areas can be avoided or approached with greater caution," the statement added.

According to reports, the attacks took place on October 17 and October 30. Three Indians students were allegedly attacked with beer bottles.

There is a 180,000-strong Indian community in Italy, the third largest in the European Union after Britain and the Netherlands.

Gentiloni was in India for the October 29-30 visit, the first by an Italian Prime Minister in over a decade that helped thaw the bilateral ties.

--IANS

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The US state of Texas sought additional federal funding to repair infrastructure damaged by hurricane Harvey, the media reported.

Governor Greg Abbott will make a proposal for $60 billion when he visits Washington on Tuesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

According to state authorities, the funding was for recovery projects ranging from a coastal flood barrier to transportation and drainage improvements, as well as new flood-prevention projects to help Houston and other storm-ravaged areas along the Texas coast.

Total damage by hurricane Harvey in Texas, the second-largest state, are expected to hit $150 billion, making it the most costly storm ever to hit the US mainland.

Two months ago, Harvey flattened cities and towns in coastal areas with strong winds and dumped about 1.5 metres of rain in some areas in a week-long disaster.

The US Congress in September approved $7.4 billion in aid for Texas, and additional funding for the state was included in a $36 billion appropriation for disaster relief approved about two weeks ago that also included hurricane-recovery funds for Puerto Rico and Florida and relief for wildfire victims in California.

--IANS

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US President Donald Trump will not visit the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) separating North Korea and South Korea during his upcoming Asian tour due to a tight schedule, the White House said on Tuesday.

Instead, Trump will visit Camp Humphreys, a military base about 60 km south of Seoul, during his visit to South Korea, a senior White House official told reporters in a briefing.

The President had to choose between the DMZ and the Camp Humphreys because of the limited time, said the official on condition of anonymity, who also pointed out that no US President has ever visited Camp Humphreys yet, while Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defence Secretary Jim Mattis have all visited the heavily fortified border.

Trump's travel to Asia is slated for November 3 to November 14, and it will take him to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

During his trip, Trump will attend the summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in Vietnam on November 10-11 and the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Philippines on November 12.

--IANS

ahm/vd

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Paul Manafort, who served as US President Donald Trump's campaign chairman, will be confined to home pending trial on charges brought by the special counsel investigating alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.

Judge Deborah A. Robinson also ordered Manafort and his former business associate Rick Gates to surrender their passports, after they appeared at a court here on Monday, Efe news reported.

Both men are barred from leaving their homes for any reason other than court appearances, meetings with attorneys, medical appointments or religious activities.

The judge set a bond of $10 million for Manafort and $5 million for Gates, but neither man will have to pay or post collateral unless he violates the conditions of the house arrest.

Facing a dozen charges that include money laundering and conspiracy, both entered pleas of not guilty.

Manafort and Gates are due back in court on Thursday.

Trump weighed in Monday morning on the case against his former campaign chairman, noting that the alleged crimes occurred long before Manafort worked for him.

"Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????" Trump said in a Twitter post. "...Also, there is NO COLLUSION!"

Last Friday, media reports said that a grand jury in Washington had issued indictments in the probe being conducted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign.

There was speculation over the weekend over who might be charged by Mueller, who was appointed to his post in May.

Investigators had been targeting Manafort, who worked as a lobbyist, for months and the FBI searched his house in July.

Manafort once worked for Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska - who says the American owes him $18 million - and was involved in questionable business deals with pro-Russian elements in Ukraine.

Mueller's office also revealed in documents unsealed Monday that George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign adviser, had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with a Russian professor linked to the Kremlin.

Over the weekend, Trump once again called Mueller's investigation a "witch hunt" and demanded that "something" be done about alleged irregularities that his former Democratic presidential rival, Hillary Clinton, committed during the 2016 election.

"Never seen such Republican ANGER & UNITY as I have concerning the lack of investigation on Clinton made Fake Dossier (now $12,000,000?)" Trump tweeted.

On Monday, the President renewed the attack.

"Report out that Obama Campaign paid $972,000 to Fusion GPS. The firm also got $12,400,000 (really?) from DNC (Democratic National Committee). Nobody knows who OK'd!" Trump tweeted.

The so-called "Trump dossier," prepared by a former British spy who runs a firm called Fusion GPS, details alleged contacts between Trump's team and the Kremlin, Russian spying on Trump and the possibility that that information could be used to blackmail him during his presidency.

The dossier cites unnamed sources who say that members of Trump's team met with representatives of the Russian government.

Those sources also say that they have proof that Trump met with prostitutes in a Moscow hotel where Russian intelligence operatives had allegedly installed cameras and microphones.

Trump has categorically denied the dossier's content.

Media reports said last week that an unidentified Republican who opposed Trump's bid for the party's nomination initially provided the funding for the dossier, but that the Clinton campaign and the DNC later paid Fusion GPS for damaging information on the now-president.

Congressional investigators are trying to determine the role that Fusion GPS played in the campaign and who paid the firm.

--IANS

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Two persons were killed in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas when their motor van was hit by a truck, police said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred in Dholahat when the speeding truck knocked the motor van from behind on Monday night. Both victims died on spot.

--IANS

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Rabat, Oct 31 (IANS/MAP) Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour has lauded Morocco's support for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in combating all forms of violence.

Morocco's Justice Minister Mohamed Aujjar and Minister of State for Human Rights Mustapha Ramid attended the meeting with Gilmour on Monday in Fez city on the sidelines of the regional symposium of the Convention against Torture Initiative (CTI).

During talks, Glimor stressed on the importance of such meetings which help form a framework in order to put an end to violent practices.

For their part, the Moroccan ministers insisted on their country's "strong will" to continue its cooperation and openness to a human rights mechanisms.

They referred to the accession of the world to fundamental international human rights conventions, including the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the Optional Protocols to the main conventions.

--IANS/MAP

soni/mr

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A couple in the US state of Wisconsin found a small bag of crystal meth in their child's Halloween trick-or-treat candy.

The couple from Keshena found the suspicious package and immediately turned it over to the police, who confirmed that the white crystals were methamphetamine, a hallucinogenic drug, reports Xinhua news agency.

Luckily the child did not consume the drug.

"The police is asking the community to check their children's Halloween candy thoroughly," authorities said on Monday.

"If anything suspicious is located, please contact the Menominee Tribal Police Department."

Trick-or-treating is a Halloween tradition, when children dress up in costumes and go from door to door and asking their neighbours for "treats".

--IANS

ksk/vm

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US forces have captured a second suspect for his his alleged role in the 2012 Benghazi attacks that killed four Americans, including Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens, the White House announced.

"On my orders, United States forces captured Mustafa al-Imam in Libya," President Donald Trump said in a statement on Monday.

"To the families of these fallen heroes: I want you to know that your loved ones are not forgotten, and they will never be forgotten."

The US government has a video of al-Imam present at one of the two sites of the attacks that killed four Americans, an administration official told CNN.

He said the US had been monitoring the terrorist operative's location for some time.

Once al-Imam was captured, he was flown to a US Navy ship. He will be transferred to Washington for federal prosecution, the official added.

"The United States will continue to support our Libyan partners to ensure that IS and other terrorist groups do not use Libya as a safe haven for attacks against United States citizens or interests, Libyans, and others," Trump said in his statement.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Monday vowed that al-Imam "will face justice in federal court for his role in the attack", CNN reported.

"We will never forget those we lost -- Tyrone Woods, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty, and Ambassador Christopher Stevens -- four brave Americans who gave their lives in service to our nation. We owe it to them and their families to bring their murderers to justice," Sessions said.

al-Imam's capture comes as the attack's suspected mastermind, Ahmed Abu Khatallah, is currently on trial in Washington.

Khatallah faces 18 charges related to the deadly violence that began on September 11, 2012.

During the attack, assailants armed with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades first blasted through the main diplomatic mission before setting it ablaze.

Stevens and State Department information officer Smith died there. A coordinated mortar assault on a nearby annex killed Woods and Doherty, both CIA contractors and former US Navy SEALs.

Ambassador Stevens choked to death by thick black smoke.

--IANS

ksk/vm

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Khartoum, Oct 31 (IANS/WAM) Arab Parliament President Mishal Al-Selmi has again asked the US to lift Sudan's name from the list of countries that sponsor terrorism.

At a seminar organised by the Parliament about the future of Sudan, Al-Selmi said on Monday that he sent an official letter to the US Congress demanding the lifting of economic sanctions on Sudan as well as the removal of the country's name from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism.

Al-Selmi said Sudan did a great job in fighting terrorism as well as in preserving Arab and African peace and security.

The seminar was held on the sidelines of a series of meetings organised by the Parliament which began on Tuesday. Arab parliamentarians will discuss various political issues.

The issues will include Arab national security, the Palestinian cause, economic integration and confronting Israeli attempts to reach out to the African continent.

--IANS/WAM

soni/mr

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US Defence Secretary James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson laid out conditions that they want Congress to follow should it pass a new war authorization, the media reported.

On Monday, Tillerson and Mattis said a new war authorization should not have time or geographic constraints. They also said the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) Act should not be repealed until a replacement was in place, reports The Hill magazine.

The AUMF "remains a cornerstone for ongoing US military operations and continues to provide legal authority relied upon to defeat this threat", Tillerson said.

"However, should Congress decide to write a new AUMF legislation, I submit to you today several recommendations that the administration would consider necessary to a new AUMF."

Under the US Constitution, only Congress has the power to declare war.

Mattis added that 2001 AUMF, as well as the 2002 AUMF, "remain a sound basis for ongoing US military operations" but that "any new congressional expression of unity, whether or not an AUMF, would present a strong statement to the world of America's determination", The Hill reported.

President Donald Trump's administration relies on the 2001 AUMF for legal authority in the war against the Islamic State, as did the previous Barack Obama's administration.

The 2001 AUMF authorized military actions against Al Qaeda, Taliban and other perpetrators of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Mattis and Tillerson were testifying amid scrutiny of the extent of US military operations following the deaths earlier this month of four American soldiers in an ambush in Niger.

--IANS

ksk

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The US State Department has announced that it has warned its citizens of the risks of travelling to Niger due to "terrorist activity, kidnappings and high rate of crime" there.

US citizens should avoid travel to Niger's border regions with Libya, Mali, Nigeria and Chad because of "activity by various extremist groups", said a State Department statement.

It said the threats were coming from the terror groups Al Qaeda, Islamic State, Boko Haram and others, Xinhua news agency reported.

Due to these security concerns, some organisations, including foreign companies, non-governmental and private aid organisations, have suspended operations in Niger, the statement added.

The travel warning came after four US soldiers were killed in an ambush in Niger in October earlier.

--IANS

in/

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The wife of a Chechen man accused by Russian authorities of plotting to kill President Vladimir Putin was shot dead in an ambush here that also wounded her husband, officials said.

Amina Okuyeva and Adam Osmayev were in a car when an assailant opened fire from bushes on a railway crossing near the Ukrainian capital on Monday, Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko said.

Okuyeva, 34, died in the shooting and Osmayev was injured "but will live", Herashchenko was quoted as saying by the BBC.

The incident is the second attempt on Osmayev's life this year. He was attacked by a gunman in June, who was in turn shot and wounded by Okuyeva.

Interior Ministry spokesman Yaroslav Trakalo said police would open an investigation into a "premeditated murder".

In 2012, Osmayev was arrested and charged over an alleged plot to assassinate Putin. His extradition to Russia was halted by the European Court of Human Rights, but he was jailed in Ukraine for two years for illegal possession of explosives.

A second suspect in the case was handed over to Russian authorities in 2013 and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Osmayev and Okuyeva are well-known figures in Ukraine, after fighting as volunteers for Ukraine's military against pro-Russian rebels in the east of the country.

No-one has so far claimed responsibility for Monday's attack. It comes less than a week after Ukrainian lawmaker Ihor Mosiychuk was injured in a vehicle bombing in Ukraine's capital.

--IANS

soni/vm

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India signed a $200 million loan agreement with World Bank on Monday to facilitate investment in the agricultural sector and increase productivity in Assam, an official statement said.

"The Government and the World Bank today (Monday) signed a $200 million loan agreement for the Assam Agri-business and Rural Transformation Project," said the Union Finance Ministry statement.

"The project will support the Government of Assam to facilitate agri-business investments, increase agriculture productivity and market access, and enable small farm holders produce crops that are resilient to recurrent floods or droughts in the state," it said.

The loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a 7-year grace period and maturity time of 16.5 years. It will be implemented in over 16 districts of Assam and over 5 lakh farming households will directly benefit from the project.

"At least 30 per cent women are expected to participate in project activities. Specific focus will be given to women- led enterprises and their participation in the decision-making process of farmer producer organisations," the statement said.

Assam aims to double farm income and transform its agricultural sector into a stable source of growth and economic development, according to World Bank Operations Manager Hisham Abdo.

A key component of the project is promoting market-led production that can deal with the vagaries of climate change.

"Assam's agriculture sector is highly vulnerable to climate variability and the state experiences recurrent floods and droughts," the release said.

Currently, more than 50 per cent of the state's paddy growing areas are prone to flooding, submergence and drought.

"A market-led production system will take advantage of the rapidly changing market, introduce crops that are resilient to climate change, increase production and manage risks for farmers," the statement added.

--IANS

bc/vd

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In an expected and welcome turn of events, the Indian economy received a Rs 9-trillion resolution to its bad loan and slow growth problem. The government unveiled its plan to pump Rs 2.11 trillion into over-leveraged state-owned banks over the next two years and another Rs 7 trillion into an ambitious roads project over the next five years.

I've repeatedly argued for these in this column and a timely roll-out of the plan should suffice in reviving the dampened animal spirits within the economy. However, now that issues on the domestic front have been tackled headfirst to the best of the government's fiscal capabilities, the external sector should be explored for lucrative economic possibilities.

Fortunately for India, the global economies are showing signs of recovery for the first time after the financial crisis of 2008, rendering the world markets ripe for the taking. The IMF resonated this in its latest World Economic Outlook by raising the global growth forecast for 2017 to 3.6 per cent. This came due to growth improvements in countries like China, Russia and emerging Europe while India was awarded a downward revision in its growth.

Most importantly, India's major trading partners like the US (2.2 per cent), China (6.8 per cent), Hong Kong (3.8 per cent) and Singapore (2.5 per cent) are showing better than expected growth rates. Under these circumstances, India could easily leverage the external upswing to boost its growth momentum.

Moreover, the external sector has already been showing some positive signs of late, with exports shooting up to $28.61 billion in the second quarter of this year as compared to $22.8 billion in the same period a year ago. As a result, the trade deficit has reduced from $9.07 billion in FY16 to $8.98 billion in FY17.

In fact, India's exports have been falling since 2014 and have only seen a recent recovery. It may come as a surprise to many that India's export performance had been deteriorating earlier because of dampened oil prices. Petroleum products constitute 25 per cent of the country's export basket, making them a leading determinant of the export sector's performance each year.

This raises a number of issues. A popularly accepted theory of trade dictates that a nation will specialise in goods that require resources that are plentiful in the economy. India is not an oil-rich nation by any means. It is a labour-rich country and even oil refining is a capital-intensive process. So, the dominance of refined petroleum products in its export list is inexplicable. This is clearly indicative of the fact that India is missing out on potentially lucrative export markets where it can be globally competitive.

Moreover, oil is also India's leading import item. Even though the value of oil imports are almost three times that of the country's oil exports, any change in global oil prices has to have an adverse impact on the external sector. Thus, even when oil prices dip, and India's import bill does fall giving the government a fiscal bonanza, it negatively impacts exports and dampens the gains.

Another reason for India's poor show in exports over the last few years was a sharp fall in discretionary spending among consumers as a result of subdued demand since the financial crisis. Consequently, India's other leading items of export like diamonds and jewellery witnessed a sharp downturn. Now, as the global economy recovers both demand for petroleum products and discretionary products will see an uptick. But the fact of the matter remains that these should not be the products defining India's export performance.

As mentioned, India is a labour-rich nation and is currently in desperate search for avenues to find employment for its workforce, which is expanding at an annual rate of over 11 million. Nudging the export sector to compete in manufactured goods should be a beneficial strategy in this case.

As China gradually vacates its position of being the world leader in low-cost manufacturing and graduates into higher value-added products, India should not miss out on the opportunity to become the next manufacturing destination. It has already lost considerable ground to Bangladesh in textiles and Vietnam in electronics.

Unfortunately, the government's Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20 misses out on this issue. It calls for building adequate export infrastructure like better multi-modal transportation for improved road connectivity to ports, railheads, airports and inland waterways; faster throughput at ports; faster movement of rakes by railways; and quicker air cargo movement.

It also recommends the creation of a supportive infrastructure for exports, including more laboratories for testing and more tool rooms and plant quarantine facilities, among others.

However, these are merely supply-side issues which are important in themselves but do not have much impact in altering India's export composition. To strengthen manufacturing competitiveness in India, there is a dire need of bold structural changes in the economy like labour reforms, for which I have argued at length in this column quite recently.

Another bold reform can be inspired from the early years of Chinese growth with the encouragement of entrepreneurship at the village-level.

There remain multiple avenues for India to adopt a trade-focused, pragmatic approach which can ensure long-term gains for the country's trade competitiveness. If the government falters at this juncture, India could very well miss an inflexion point in the country's export history.

(Amit Kapoor is chair, Institute for Competitiveness, India. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at amit.kapoor@competitiveness.in and tweets @kautiliya. Nirvan Gupta, intern, Institute for Competitiveness, India has contributed to the article)

--IANS

amitk/vm

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Depending on what you read and who you listen to, you may conclude that the Indian economy is in a crisis, or is turning around.
The release of the World Bank's 2018 global rankings on the has delivered some much-needed good economic news. India is now ranked 100 worldwide  a jump of 30 places  putting it in the set of 10 most improved economies. This is a shot in the arm for Prime Minister Narendra Modis government, which had set out to breach the top 50 economies worldwide in terms of this index. After a somewhat slow start  for instance, last year, India improved just one rank  it appears that the governments efforts are now beginning to register. It is important to note that, whatever the limitations of such indices in general and this index in particular, these have an impact on sentiment and on the decisions taken by global investors. Thus, the governments decision to focus on improving Indias standing in the index, which appears to now be bearing fruit, is eminently justified.
Members of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti met Gujarat Congress leaders today but no agreement could be reached on the assurance about quotas for the Patels, a precondition set by PAAS leader Hardik Patel for extending support to the party in the Assembly polls.
Sixteen Naxals today surrendered before the Sashastra Seema Bal and the Bihar Police in the Sheohar district of the state, a senior official said.

The Maoist cadres had a number of criminal cases registered against them and surrendered before the security forces at an event conducted to commemorate the National Unity Day and the 142nd birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

"A total of 16 Naxals surrendered in the Sheohar district. They will be rehabilitated as per the policy of the state government," SSB Inspector General (Patna Frontier) Chanchal Shekhar said.

The Maoists are in the age group of 35-50 years and had cases under the Arms Act, the Explosives Act and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) registered against them, a senior SSB officer said.

The cadres surrendered before the joint forces without any weapons, he said.

The SSB, a border guarding force, has deployed its 27th battalion in the Sheohar district of Bihar to undertake anti- Naxal operations.

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The United Nations Joint Office for Human Rights says four people have been killed and 15 others injured amid clashes between security forces and protesters in eastern Congo.

The office said today that the UN mission in Congo has deployed a team to Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, to monitor the situation and investigate. It also said security forces arrested at least 37 people.

Protesters in Goma yesterday demanded that President Joseph Kabila step down at the end of the year if new elections are not held.

The UN mission says it condemns "all forms of violence and calls for the respect of fundamental rights and freedoms, including the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and demonstration.

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Four activists of the proscribed People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), including suspected Area Commander Maina Gope, were killed in an encounter with security personnel in the Naxalism-affected Khunti district today, a senior police officer said.

Superintendent of Police Ashwini Kumar Sinha told PTI that based on a tip-off that a group of PLFI ultras would arrive at Palsi village under Karra police station, a team of security personnel were sent to apprehend them.

On seeing the security forces, the PLFI activists started firing at them, prompting them to retaliate, he said.

Four PLFI ultras were killed in the encounter and all the bodies have been recovered, he added.

Four firearms including an INSAS rifle, a .315 bore rifle and a country-made pistol were recovered from their possession, he said, adding that a search operation has been launched in the area following the incident.

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The Aam Aadmi Party today criticised Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for allegedly turning a blind eye to "depleted" law and order in the state and said he should quit the home department.

The opposition party condemned the killing of Hindu Sangarsh Sena leader Vipin Sharma in Amritsar yesterday and accused Singh of "politicising" the police administration for the "benefit" of Congress leaders.

In a joint press statement, Leader of Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira, AAP leader Aman Arora and deputy Leader of Opposition Sarabjit Kaur Manuke alleged the state police had "failed" to stop "political killings".

Singh should give up the home affairs as he has "failed" to perform his duty as the chief of police department, the party said.

"Amarinder has turned a blind eye to depleted law and order in Punjab and politicising the police administration for the benefit of Congress workers," they said in the statement.

An AAP delegation will meet Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki to request him to remove Amarinder from the home ministry, it said.

The AAP also ridiculed former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal for his criticism of the law and order.

Badal is just "shedding crocodile tears" as the process of politicisation of police was initiated by his Shiromani Akali Dal only, they alleged.

"Akalis leaders patronised drug traders and criminals to use them for their personal benefits.

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French activists disrupted the opening ceremony of a retrospective based on filmmaker Roman Polanski life's work in Paris.

The event organised by Cinematheque Francaise, a Paris- based major film archive, was attended by Polanski himself.

The two women activists entered the theatre topless with slogans painted on them reading "VIP Very Important Pedocriminal".

They also chanted "No honor for the rapists" at 84-year- old director, who presented his latest film "Based on a True Story", reported The Guardian.

The duo was swiftly removed from the audience by the security.

Outside the theatre, French feminist organisation Osez le feminisme protested against Polanski with activists chanting, "Enough of those who want to protect the aggressors".

Several banners read: "If rape is an art form, give Polanski all the Cesars". Cesars are the French equivalent of an Academy Award.

Polanski has been living in Europe since fleeing the United States in the 1970s to avoid prosecution in the Samantha Geimer rape case.

In January, he was asked to step down as host of the Cesar awards, after 61,000 people signed a petition.

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Actor Adam Driver says he felt nauseous when he watched the film "Star Wars: The Force Awakens".

The 33-year-old actor, who plays antagonist Ben Solo/Kylo Ren in the film from the popular sci-fi franchise, admitted he felt he would "puke" when he saw his on-screen avatar kill off his father Hans Solo, played by veteran actor Harrison Ford.

"When I watched the premiere, I felt sick to my stomach... Immediately, I thought I was going to puke. I was holding my wife (Joanne Tucker)'s hand, and she's like, 'You're really cold. Are you OK?'



"Because I just knew what was coming - I kill Harrison Ford - and I didn't know how this audience of 2,000 people was going to respond to it, you know?" Driver told GQ magazine.

The actor will reprise his role in the eighth chapter of the franchise "The Last Jedi", which releases December 15.

The movie also stars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Gwendoline Christie, Anthony Daniels, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson and the last performance by Carrie Fisher.

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A 40-year-old Afghan national has been arrested with over 500 gm heroin, a substance he used to smuggle to India from Afghanistan in the form of ingested pellets, the police said today.

In the last few months, the Delhi Police's Special Cell has been working on different modules of international drug cartels in Delhi and other parts of India.

It came to light that an Afghan national, Qari Mohd Hanif alias Samadi, has been involved in supplying premium quality heroin to prospective buyers in the NCR region from Afghanistan, the police said.

On October 27, police said it got to know about Hanif reaching Delhi from Afghanistan with a consignment of heroin for delivering in south Delhi's Mehrauli, the police said.

A trap was laid near Madhi Masjid, Sri Devpurji Ashram Marg, Mehrauli, and Hanif was arrested with 525 grammes of heroin, said P S Kushwah, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell).

During interrogation, Hanif said that he brings the ingested heroin pellets from his handlers in Afghanistan to sell it to dealers in NCR and other states, he added.

Hanif also told police that he had taken a room on rent in Lajpat Nagar here to keep drugs. Police recovered more than 575 grammes of heroin from his rented room.

He had two Afghanistan passports and had visited India five times since May with close to three kilogrammes of ingested heroin pellets worth over Rs six crore in international market, said the officer.

Hanif is a post-graduate in law from Khwaja Musafir College, Kabul (Afghanistan). He has two wives and six children, police said.

His father was in the Afghanistan Army and was killed about 10 years ago while fighting Taliban militants, said the officer.

He was having a government job in Afghanistan. In the year 2012-13, he visited Delhi for his wife's treatment and stayed here for over two months.

In March, Hanif visited Jalalabad in Afghanistan on an official tour and stayed there for a couple of days.

During this stay, he met one Jabatur who offered him USD 800 for each trip to India to carry 'heroin pellets'. Jabatur arranged his meeting with the main drug dealer Mahpir who gave him contacts of drug receivers in India, the police said.

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Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav suggested to the Centre today to print a new series of Indian currency notes with images of "great freedom fighters" on them.

"A new series of Indian currency notes should be printed and pictures of great freedom fighters should be printed on them," he said.

Yadav was addressing party workers on the occasion of the 142nd birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the party headquarters here.

Recalling the contributions of Patel, India's first home minister, the SP chief said, "While remembering him, the map of India automatically comes to our mind."



"He played a crucial role in unifying the country. He was termed Sardar and people had trust in him," Yadav added.

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All Indians in Kabul are safe, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today after a powerful explosion rocked the Afghan capital's heavily- fortified diplomatic area.

Swaraj, in a tweet, said she had spoken with India's Ambassador to Afghanistan Manpreet Vohra and he informed her that all Indians there were safe.

According to reports, at least five people were killed and 20 others injured when an attacker riding a motorcycle blew himself up inside the city's diplomatic zone.

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Global human rights body Amnesty International today said it was "shameful" that thousands of victims and survivors of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots were still awaiting justice and that there would be "no closure" for them until those responsible were punished.

To mark the 33rd anniversary of the carnage, Amnesty International India organised a discussion on 'Chauraasi Ki Nainsaafi: The Continuing Injustice for the 1984 Sikh Massacre' here.

The discussion gave a glimpse into the lives of the families of 15 victims and survivors, and their struggle for justice for over three decades.

"It is shameful that thousands of victims and survivors are still waiting for justice. If the government wants to revive the faith of these people in the justice system, it must end the impunity around the massacre and bring closure to those who have suffered," said Asmita Basu, Programme Director of Amnesty International India.

Referring to various probe panels set up by the government to look into the riots cases, the Programme Manager of Amnesty International India, Sanam Sutirath Wazir, said that the "failure" of the committees raised questions about whether the authorities "are genuinely committed to deliver justice".

"Until those responsible are punished, there will be no closure for the victims of 1984," Wazir said.

Addressing the gathering, Lt. Gen (retd.) H S Panag said that innocent people were attacked during the riots when "the state looked the other way".

The Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, said it was not just "a massacre of Sikhs but of humanity".

Amnesty International India appealed to the authorities to conduct effective investigation into the matter.

It urged the central government to ensure comprehensive reparations for the victims and the survivors, enact a law to respond to communal violence, establish adequate victim and witness protection programmes and undertake police reforms.

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The practice of starting the day's work with the national anthem and ending it with the national song started in the Jaipur Municipal Corporation today, with city mayor Ashok Lahoti asking all staffers to be present for the rendition, and urging those who opposed it to move to Pakistan.

The anthem will be played at the start of the day and the national song every evening at the headquarters, Lahoti said.

After the first stanza of the national song is played on loudspeakers, employees would be free to go home, he said.

There was no opposition to the move, the mayor told reporters here, but added that anyone who opposed it should go to Pakistan, triggering a sharp reaction from the opposition Congress.

But the move, he added, had the support of everybody in the corporation, including the leader of the Opposition.

This is to develop a positive work culture in the office. Wherever we are in the office premises, we will stand and pay respect when the national anthem and national song are played, he said.

The national anthem -- Jan Gana Mana -- will be played at 9.50 am and Vande Mataram at 5.55 pm.

By the end of November, the two songs would be played at all zonal offices and fire stations, Lahoti said.

"The staff will all be present and pay their respect," he added.

The songs would be played on speakers in the corporation complex, which meant the staff would not have to assemble at any one place, the mayor said.

We had been working on this for the last 15 days and there was no opposition (to the move), he said.

We are not asking the staff to raise slogans for a religion, But if anyone wants to oppose it, he can do so, but then he should go to Pakistan," Lahoti said.

PCC vice president Archana Sharma condemned the mayors comment, describing it as "unwarranted".

There was no opposition to the move, but even then the mayor gave an unwarranted statement which shows that he wants to be in the race of BJP leaders who project themselves as nationalist leaders, Sharma said.

Lahoti stressed that the renditions would help employees develop the habit of reaching office on time and staying on till it shut.

"If we cannot spare time for the national anthem and national song, then we cannot do anything for the nation, he said.

The Supreme Court recently asked the Centre to consider amending the rules for regulating the playing of the national anthem in cinema halls.

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The Army will help build a new foot overbridge at the Elphinstone Road station, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said as Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Piyush Goyal visited the station, where a deadly stampede took place last month.

Fadnavis, who accompanied Defence minister Sitharaman and Railway Minister Goyal, said the Army will also help in building foot overbridges at two other stations here.

23 people were killed in a stampede on the Elphinstone Road station foot overbridge (FOB) last month.

"We are taking the Army's help in building a new FOB at the Elphinstone Road station and at two other suburban train stations in Mumbai," Fadnavis told reporters at the venue.

"I have been informed that the work on these bridges will be completed by January 31," he said.

After the stampede on September 29, railway officials posted police personnel to manage the crowd on busy platforms, evicted hawkers from suburban train stations and started speeding up infrastructure projects on suburban network.
Bangladesh today arrested four persons, including a pilot of the national carrier and his mother, for their alleged links with a banned militant outfit and plotting a dramatic plane attack.

The arrestees were identified as 31-year-old Sabbir Emam, a first officer of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, his mother Sultana Parvin, 55, and two other members of the banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), said Mufti Mahmud Khan, director of Rapid Action Battalion's (RAB) legal and media wing.

He said the pilot revealed during primary interrogation about a possible plot to crash a plane into the homes of top politicians or hijacking it to Middle East with passengers held hostage.

Based on the information obtained from JMB activist who was arrested in an anti-militancy drive in Narayanganj on October 26, the police came to know about a plot to carry out militant activities involving sabotage of aircraft operation, he said.

"The elite force members then conducted drives at different areas in Mirpur from last night till this morning and detained the four JMB operatives," Khan was quoted as saying by the Daiy Star.

Sabbir has been working for the airline since 2014 and used to fly Boeing 737 aircraft as the first officer. Earlier, he had worked with Regent Airways from 2010 to 2014.

An official from the national carrier's public relations department told the newspaper that Sabbir had refused to fly after the anti-militancy raid at a building in Mirpur's Mazar Road in September this year.

Earlier, Bangladesh police had blamed homegrown terror group JMB for the two terror attacks, including the Dhaka cafe siege, in which 22 people, including 17 foreigners, were killed in the brutal late-night attack in Gulshan area of the capital on July 1.

During a joint operation police killed six of the attackers.

Bangladesh has witnessed a number of Islamist attacks since 2013 on foreigners, liberals and religious minority with the Islamic State and the al-Qaeda making competing claims.

The government has consistently dismissed their claims, saying foreign terrorist groups have no presence in Bangladesh and the attacks were carried out by homegrown outfits.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government blames the JMB for a number of deadly attacks in Bangladesh. Several foreigners, bloggers and rights activists have been targeted by the group in recent years.

The Islamic State claimed the brutal Dhaka cafe attack but the government has insisted that the group has no base in the country and the attacks were carried out by homegrown militant groups like the JMB.

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Belgium has charged two men over the 2015 attack on a high-speed train bound for Paris in which an Islamic State group extremist shot and seriously wounded a passenger before being overpowered.

The pair, suspected of helping Moroccan gunman Ayoub El Khazzani, were charged with "participation in the activities of a terrorist group", Belgian prosecutors said in a statement yesterday.

They were among four men held on Monday as part of the probe into the August 2015 attack, which could have been a bloodbath but for the actions of quick-thinking passengers -- including two off-duty US servicemen -- who overpowered the heavily-armed Khazzani as he opened fire.

The prosecutor's office identified the pair who were charged as "Mohamed B., born on 10/04/1987" and "Youssef S., born on 29/08/1988". They are both Belgian.

A source close to the case told AFP the first man was Mohamed Bakkali, who is already in custody charged with helping to organise the November 2015 Paris attacks.

Thalys attacker Khazzani, a Moroccan who fought for IS in Syria, has told investigators he was acting on the orders of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, one of the organisers of the Paris attacks, whom he met in the war-torn Middle Eastern country.

Prosecutors said "no explosives nor weapons were found" during Monday's raids, one of which was in the gritty Brussels district of Molenbeek. The district gained notoriety as a hotbed of international jihadists after the attacks in the French and Belgian capitals.

The other two men arrested on Monday were released after "thorough questioning", Belgian prosecutors said.

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Bihar Governor Satya Pal Malik and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today paid floral tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary.

At a state function organised by the Bihar government, the Governor and CM garlanded the statue of Sardar Patel at Patel chowk here on his 142nd birth anniversary.

The central government observes October 31 as 'RashtriyaEkta Diwas' (National Unity Day) on the birth anniversary of Patel.

Sardar Patel's birth anniversary function was organised in other parts of the state where people remembered his contributions to the country besides taking resolve to make the country of Patel's dream.

The Governor and the CM also offered floral tribute to Indira Gandhi on her 33rd death anniversary here at a state function organised at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Science (IGIMS).

The state Road Construction Minister Nand Kishore Yadav, senior JD(U) leader and legislator Shyam Rajak, senior Bihar Congress leader Prem Chandra Mishra were among other prominent leaders who garlanded the statue of Gandhi.

An all faith prayer was held and artistes presented bhajan and nationalistic songs on the occasion.

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The BJP's fight with Congress over Sardar Patel's legacy escalated today, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacking the opposition party for having tried to "run down and erase" his contributions to the unification of the country after Independence.

The Congress hit right back, accusing the BJP and RSS of trying to "appropriate" Patel as the saffron party had no role in the freedom struggle. The party also recalled it was Patel who banned the RSS after Mahatma Gandhi's assassination.

"There have been attempts to run down Patel, to ensure that the contribution of Patel is forgotten. But Sardar is Sardar, whether any government or any partyrecogniseshis contribution or not but the nation and the youth will not forget him," Modi, who invokes Patel frequently in his speeches, said without naming the Congress.

After flagging off the 'Run for Unity' to mark Patel's 142nd birth anniversary, Modi said it was due to the statesmanship and political acumen of the country's first home minister that India was united today despite the colonial rulers' wish to get it splintered into smaller states after Independence.

The Congress, which has been facing BJP criticism over ignoring Patel's contributions, launched a counteroffensive against the BJP over Modi's remarks, deprecating efforts to "appropriate" the legacy of the leader.

"To honour the memory of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, BJP and RSS should stop appropriating him," the Congress said on its Twitter handle.

The Congress also posted Patel's quote after the Mahatma's killing which said: "The speeches of the Sangh (RSS) leaders are poisonous. It is as a result of this venom that Mahatma Gandhi has been assassinated".

Congress spokesman Tom Vadakkan alleged that attempts at "adopting" Congress leaders was a clear admission by the BJP that their participation in the freedom struggle was missing. "They are trying to rewrite history," he said.

About BJP chief Amit Shah's criticism over the delay in bestowing on Patel 'Bharat Ratna', India's highest civilian award, Vadakkan said,"What did Sardar Patel do and who did he ban, these are issues that are in public domain. Sardar Patel is a Congressman...will remain in the hearts of people."



Paying rich tributes to Patel, the prime minister said he not only saved the country from the difficulties being faced immediately after Independence, but succeeded in uniting the whole nation.

"The British government wished that India got disintegrated into smaller states. But Patel used all means and succeeded in uniting all princely states into a single nation within a very small span of time," he said.

The prime minister said India's strength lay in its diverse culture, different religions, languages, customs, lifestyles and food habits.

Citing Rajendra Prasad, India's first prime minister, Modi said India got unified only due to the administrative acumen and strong leadership of Patel but the country had not given him the respect he deserved.

"Rajendra Babu must be happy now, wherever is his soul, that we are remembering the contribution of Patel even though some people tried to run down and erase his contribution. The nation will continue to remember Patel," he said.

Sardar Patel's legacy is being frequently talked about ahead of the Assembly elections in Gujarat, the home state of the both Patel and Modi.

At his election rallies, Modi has often talked abou how Patel was slighted by the Congress, a move seen by many as an attempt at both igniting a sense of Gujarati pride and blunting efforts by Patidar quota stir leader Hardik Patel to wean away the influential community from the BJP.

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The trade between India and China through the Lipulekh pass here came to a close today and the remaining traders would return from Taklakot mart on the Chinese side of the border by 12 pm.

The volume of imports from China through the pass has been higher than exports as has been the case for the last several years, Dharchula SDM RK Pandey who is also the officer in-charge of the trade said.

However, it will take a week's time to compile the exact figure, he said.

The Indian traders imported raw Tibetan wool, woollen outfits, shoes, jackets, and other woollen goods in lieu of sugar candy, gur and steel utensils, he said.

The Indo-China border trade through Lipulekh pass which resumed in 1992, takes place between tribal traders from the border region of Uttarakhand and Tibetan traders in Taklakot region of western Tibetan district of China.

The trade term which earlier lasted from June to September was extended by the administration up to October 31, to give more time to Indian traders to sell their goods.

A total of 165 traders, including 87 assistants, were given trade passes through Lipulekh this year.

Out of these 88 traders and their assistants have already returned from Taklakot, the Chinese mart in Tibet for the trade Pandey said.

The rest of them will have to return by 12 pm tonight, he said.

According to the SDM, the returning traders would have to face slippery snow from Lipulekh to Nabhidhang as recent snowfall in Lipulekh had made the trek slippery.

Apprehending such a situation, the traders already carried heavier goods imported from Tibet, to Gunji, the Indian mart of the trade, the SDM said.

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A six year-old boy suffered serious burn injuries after he fell in a pot of hot vegetable curry while standing in a queue for midday meal in a primary school here, the police said today.

Shivam, a student of class 1, was standing in the queue for midday meal in a primary school in Hemriya Kutti gram panchayat area yesterday when he stumbled and fell in the pot, they said.

The boy's father, in his complaint to the police, alleged that the school staff neither rushed Shivam to a hospital nor informed his family about the incident.

Shivam's father claimed that upon returning home, the boy fell unconscious and was rushed to a hospital where he is undergoing treatment, the police said.

On the basis of the complaint, a case has been registered against the cook and teachers of the school, and a probe is on, they said.

Basic Shiksha Adhikari Amarkant Singh said three teachers, including a lady teacher, have been suspended after preliminary inquiry and action was been initiated against the cook.

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British and EU negotiators will meet in Brussels on November 8 for the latest round of Brexit negotiations, Brexit Minister David Davis told lawmakers today, pointing the finger at Brussels for delays.

Davis said the officials would meet on Wednesday and Thursday of next week and he would then hold talks with the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on Friday in a sixth round of negotiations that began in June.

"We are not holding up the process," Davis told the House of Lords European Union committee.

"I had invited Mr Barnier to come to London tomorrow but he couldn't do it. He had a prior engagement.

"We offered them the beginning of next week, they couldn't do that. So it's the latter part of next week when the negotiators engage."



Davis said the meetings would the "first stock-take" since a summit in Brussels earlier this month, adding that Britain wanted an "intensification" of talks.

European leaders have yet to approve the formal start of talks on post-Brexit trade with Britain, saying there has not yet been enough progress on the divorce issues of money, Ireland and EU citizens' rights.

But they agreed at the summit to start internal preparatory work on a possible transition deal for Britain after Brexit, which May has proposed could last around two years, and a future partnership deal.

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Global hospitality group Carlson Rezidor today announced the entry of its upscale hotel brand Radisson in the city here with the signing of a 112-key property.

The signing of Radisson Mumbai Andheri MIDC,in the key, is set to accelerate Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group's overall growth and expansion plans in the country, the company said in a release issued here.

The hotel is being developed in partnership with GHV Hospitality India and will be managed by Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.

"We are delighted to sign the management agreement for Radisson Mumbai Andheri MIDC, which is significant to us in many ways. Radisson is a firmly established global brand with over 200 hotels in operation and development throughout the world," Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Chief Executive Officer, South Asia, Raj Rana said.

******** Thomas Cook Ind completes acquisition of Tata Capitals 2 cos *



Integrated travel and travel related financial services provider Thomas Cook India Group today said it has completed acquisition of the wholly-owned subsidiaries of Tata Capital - Tata Capital Forex (foreign exchange) and TC Travel and Services (travel services).

The network of the two acquired entities includes 24 locations and 263 employees pan India, a release issued here said.

The acquired companies will now be referred to as TC Forex Services and TC Travel and Services.

"Our acquisition of Tata Capital's Forex and travel companies serves to further reiterate our leadership position as also our clear focus on the Travel and Foreign Exchange sector in the country," Thomas Cook (India) Chairman and Managing Director Madhavan Menon said.

******* Tata Power commissions 30 MW solar project in Maharashtra *



Tata Power today said it has commissioned a 30 MW solar power plant in Palaswade, developed by its wholly owned subsidiary, Tata Power Renewable Energy in Maharashtra.

The plant will produce over 62 million units annually of solar power, covering the annual energy needs of over 14,000 households.

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Under fire from Congress over induction of former Union telecommunication minister Sukh Ram's son Anil Sharma in the party, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi has said cases against Sukh Ram was too old.

"Jo beet Gayi wo baat gayi (let bygones be bygones). The law would take its own course," he said yesterday.

Anil Sharma who was a Cabinet minister in the Virbhadra Government till recently joined the BJP on October 15 and is now official candidate of the party from Mandi Sadar Assembly constituency.

The Mandi seat was represented by Sukh Ram from 1962 till November 1984, when he was elected to Lok Sabha and his protege D D Thakur won the seat in 1985 while the BJP wrested the seat in 1990.

In the 1993 Assembly poll, his son Anil Sharma won from Mandi but after Sukh Ram's name surfaced in the Telecom scam, he was expelled from the Congress and formed Himachal Vikas Congress which entered into a post poll alliance with BJP and joined the government.

Trivedi yesterday claimed that the people of Himachal Pradesh would vote for change in attitude, system and ideologies and elect a fearless and corruption-free government in the state.

"Corruption is the character of the Congress and each time that party is voted to power there is a rat race among the Congressmen to indulge in corruption," he said.

About the the BJP's Chief Ministerial face for the Assembly polls, Trivedi said not declaring the CM candidate is a part of the BJP's strategy, but experienced and competent leader would be the selected for the post if the party wins the polls.

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Fair trade regulator CCI today directed two film employee groupings, their affiliates and three film producers' associations to "cease and desist" from anti-competitive business practices.

The directive has been passed against All India Film Employees Confederation (AIFEC), Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) and its affiliates, according to an official release.

Besides, the regulator has passed the order against Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA), Film and Television Producers Guild of India (FTPGI) and Indian Film and Television Producers Council (IFTPC).

The watchdog found that all these entities violated competition norms by entering into anti-competitive agreements.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) order has come on a complaint filed by one Vipul Shah who had alleged that specific provision of an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between FWICE and the three producers' associations was anti- competitive.

It was also alleged that provisions such as those pertaining to "member-to-member working, fixation of wages, charging for extra-shift" were anti-competitive, the release said.

After detailed investigation, CCI found that the clause 6 of the pact that mandated that the producer can only engage with the members of FWICE and its affiliates violated competition norms.

Further, clause 18 that provided for the constitution of vigilance committee to enforce clause 6 of the MoU was found to be in violation of the Competition Act, as per the release.

Among others, the directive to "engage dancers/fighters in the ratio of 70:30 was also found to be in contravention of the competition law.

In its order, the CCI noted that trade unions enjoy no immunity or exemption for their conduct which contravenes the provisions of the Competition Act. Thereby, it dismissed the plea of trade unions that they are governed only by the provisions of Trade Union Act, 1926, according to the release.

Without imposing any monetary penalty, the regulator has directed the entities to "cease and desist" from such anti- competitive practices.

However, the watchdog did not find clauses such as those pertaining to fixation of wages and payment for extra shift to be anti-competitive.

The complaint was against a total of 28 groupings.

While considering the issue of monetary penalty, the CCI said it has taken into account the peculiarity of facts and totality of circumstances involved.

Noting that the practice adopted in the MoU was in existence since 1966, the regulator said it was a mechanism to resolve disputes between the producers on one side and the craftsmen employed by them on the other.

"Of the various provisions of the MoU, only clauses 6 and 18 are found to be in violation of the (Competition) Act. Further, the commission also notes that some of the opposite parties are associations of daily wage earners.

"Therefore, the Commission is of the view that only an order of cease and desist is sufficient to meet the ends of justice in this case," CCI said in its 90-page order.

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The ruling Congress in Karnataka today accused the Centre of adopting a step-motherly attitude towardsnon-BJP ruled states after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge were given invitation for a railway line inauguration at the last moment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the 107-km Bidar-Kalaburagi railway line, built at a cost of Rs 1,542 crore, on October 29.

Siddaramaiah had skipped the inauguration of the new line expressing displeasure over being invited at the last moment for the function at Bidar.

Kharge too had stayed away from it on similar grounds.

"This type of attitude is against the federal structure of the Constitution," KPCC President G Parameshwara said while addressing a meeting toreview the door-to-door campaign by the Gundlupet Block Congress Committee here.

"The BJP should bear in mind that the chief minister represents six-and-a-half crore Kannadigas," he said.

Pointing out that the Karnataka government had shared 50 per cent of the cost for the Bidar-Kalaburagi railway project, Parameshwara feltthat both Siddaramaiah and Kharge should have been informed and requestedto participate in the programme well in time.

"Ignoring the chief minister and informing him at the last minute, as also ignoring the Congress party's floor leader in the Lok Sabha, was improper and in bad taste," he said.

Parameshwara also expressed confidence that Congress would return to power with a comfortable majority in the assembly elections in the state next year.

He said the ongoing door-to-door campaign had helped enable nearly 6.5 lakh party workers enlighten people on the programmes and achievements of the government.

He also claimed that booth-level committees had been formed in all 224 assembly constituencies in the state.

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China today asked Pakistan to bring the killers of two Chinese nationals to justice, a day after DNA tests confirmed the identities of the couple murdered allegedly by Islamic State militants in the restive Balochistan province.

"We hope that Pakistan could continue its all-out efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing here.

Pakistan yesterday said that the DNA reports have confirmed that the two persons killed in Balochistan were the same two Chinese nationals, who were kidnapped from Quetta.

Lee Zing Yang, 24, and Meng Li Si, 26, were killed in June - a month after they were kidnapped from the Jinnah Town area of Quetta on May 24 allegedly by IS militants.

Pakistan later said the two were were involved in preaching instead of business activities their declared purpose for visiting Pakistan.

The confirmation from the Foreign Office comes months after the Islamic State (IS) militant group claimed responsibility for killing the couple, who had reportedly been "preaching" in Balochistan under the garb of learning Urdu.

Hua said China was in close coordination with Pakistan after learning about the murders. She said China condemns all forms terrorism and the violent acts on innocent civilians.

"China will cooperate with Pakistan and the international community to enhance counter-terrorism cooperation," she said.

China will always attach high importance to the security and legitimate rights of Chinese citizens overseas, she said, adding that Chinese citizens overseas should take good note of all the alerts being put out the Foreign Ministry.

Chinese interest in Balochistan has spiked in recent years after the announcement of the USD 50 billion China- Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which plans to connect the Pakistani port of Gwadar to Xinjiang in China.

In the past, China has asked Islamabad to improve security, especially in Balochistan, where it is building the Gwadar Port and funding roads as part of the CPEC.

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China's top legislature is considering tougher penalties for those who disrespect the national anthem with up to three-year jail term instead of the current 15-day detention, official media said today.

In September,



China's rubber stamp parliament passed a national anthem law stipulating 15 day detention for anyone disrespecting the country's national anthem - "March of the Volunteers".

A draft amendment was submitted for the lawmakers' deliberation at the bi-monthly session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, which started yesterday.

Violators in this regard may face punishments of up to three years of imprisonment, according to the draft, Xinhua agency reported.

The anthem will only be allowed at formal political gatherings, including the opening and closing of NPC sessions, constitutional oath ceremonies, flag raising ceremonies, major celebrations, award ceremonies, commemorations, national Memorial Day events, important diplomatic occasions, major sport events and other suitable occasions.

It will be illegal to use the national anthem during funerals, "inappropriate" private occasions, commercials or as background music in public places, the draft said.

The previous law says that violators, including those who maliciously modify the lyrics or play/sing the national anthem in a distorted or disrespectful way, can be detained for up to 15 days or held criminally liable.

The song must be included in textbooks for primary and secondary school students and people are encouraged to sing the national anthem on appropriate occasions to express patriotism.

China has already adopted laws covering its national flag in 1990 and national emblem in 1991.

"The national anthem is different from other songs, it is the symbol of our country," said well-known music composer Jin Fuzai. "The law ensures people will be more serious when playing or singing the song."



Earlier reports said the national anthem should not be used in brand logos or advertisements, performed at funerals and other improper events or played as background music at public places, it said. Students in primary and middle school might have to learn the national anthem as the draft proposes to include the anthem into their texts books.

China's national anthem is "March of the Volunteers," with lyrics by poet Tian Han and music composed by Nie Er.

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China plans to build a USD 1 billion super-sized DNA sequencing platform in the Jiangsu Province aimed at storing genetic information of millions of its ethnic Chinese population, official media reported today.

The DNA project is part of the National Health & Medicine Big Data (Nanjing) Center, a six-billion yuan (about USD one billion) project, Lan Qing, Deputy Director of the provincial Health and Family Planning Commission said.

During the first phase, health and medical information on about 80 million people, the equivalent of the population in Jiangsu, will be stored at the center, Lan said.

"When the facilities are ready, the designed capacity for DNA sequencing will be up to 400,000 to 500,000 samples per year," state-run Xinhua agency reported.

The DNA sequencing project will be jointly undertaken by the state-owned Yangzi Group, Southeast University and Nanjing Medical University.

Researchers will then use big data created in the database to study genetic mutations related to major diseases, look for the impact of interaction between genes and environmental concerns on human heath, and provide statistical support for diagnosis and treatment of major diseases, Lan said.

Cai Long, board director of Yangzi Group, said the programme will focus on population genetics, newborns, childhood brain and cognitive development, cancer, and rare and chronic diseases.

The database is expected to be complete in around four years, he said.

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The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh is neither competent nor capable of ensuring development and the party should be wiped out from the state, BJP president Amit Shah said addressing a series of election rallies.

He said Himachal Pradesh has become a land of mafias and criminals under the Congress rule.

The BJP president claimed that Himachal Pradesh was in the heart of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who sanctioned financial assistant liberally and enhanced the grant-in-aid to Rs 71,000 crore under the 14th Finance Commission, which was the highest in the country.

Addressing an election meeting at Pachhad in Sirmaur district, he accused the Congress of raking up non-issues ahead of the November 9 polls.

Criticising Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi on development, Shah said, "Forget what the BJP did in the last three years, we will give every account of our development programmes in 2019, but Rahul baba should tell that what his three generations and his party did for the country in the past 70 years."



Earlier flagging off a 'run for unity' to mark the 142nd birth anniversary of India's first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Shahaccused the Nehru family of "undermining" his legacy and contribution.

Patel united over 400 states with the Union of India without any bloodshed and but the Kashmir issue remained unresolved as it was with then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Shah said, adding that "but for Patel, there would have been many Pakistan".

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CSK Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University at Palampur will complete thirty-nine years in the service of farming community in the state.

CSK Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University will turn 39 on 1 November 2017.

The university was inaugurated by the then President of India Neelam Sanjiva Reddy in 1978. It is ICAR accredited and ISO 9001:2008 certified institution.

"The university has accepted new emerging challenges in agriculture as opportunities. Recently, twenty farm based models have been formulated and shared with the agriculture and animal husbandry departments of the state government and efforts have been made to educate and motivate the farmers to adopt the models as per the agro-climatic conditions of their area and their requirements," CSK Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University Vice-Chancellor Prof Ashok Kumar Sarial said.

The university has developed need-based technologies for the different regions of the state and has released 155 improved varieties of different crops.

"Over the years, this university has contributed greatly in transforming the farm scenario of Himachal Pradesh. Today, the state has earned its name for hill agricultural diversification and the farming community has imposed its faith in the institution," Deputy Director Public relation of the university Hirday Paul Singh said.

It is considered one of the serene most institutions in the region with extremely conducive atmosphere to pursue academic and research activities.

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The daily drug regimen for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB) under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) was rolled out across all states today.

The Health Ministry yesterday held a meeting with all the state health secretaries, and mission directors to know about their preparedness to implement the new treatment policy.

All drug procurement logistics and trainings have been completed by the states, a senior Health Ministry official said, adding some states have already implemented it.

Health Ministry officials also gave a presentation on the new treatment policy to the prime minister recently.

With the implementation of the daily drug regimen, there will be major shift in the treatment if tuberculosis.

The patients will be given fixed drug combinations (FDCs), three or four drugs in a single pill, on a daily basis instead of thrice a week (the intermittent drug regimen), the official said.

"Patients will be given fixed drug combinations (FDCs), three or four drugs in a single pill, as against seven tablets, which will reduce the pill burden. Besides, dosage will be determined according to the patient's body weight. Previously it was same for all adults," the official said.

"Also, children suffering from tuberculosis won't have to take the bitter tablets anymore as they will be replaced with easily-dissolvable and flavoured drugs," said the official.

Since 1997, under the RNTCP, patients were being administered drugs thrice a week (the intermittent drug regimen).

"Daily treatment regimen is likely to be more effective with lesser relapses. This is expected to reduce drug resistance with greater compliance," the official said.

The World Health Organisation revised its TB management guidelines in 2010, recommending that the daily drug regimen be adopted under the RNTCP.

India topped the list of seven countries, accounting for 64 per cent of the 10.4 million new tuberculosis (TB) cases worldwide in 2016, according to a new global report which was released by the World Health Organisation yesterday.

Also, India along with China and the Russia accounted for almost of half of the 490,000, multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) cases registered in 2016.

According to the report, under-reporting and under- diagnosis of TB cases continues to be a challenge, especially in countries with large unregulated private sectors and weak health systems.

Of the estimated 10.4 million new cases globally, only 6.3 million were detected and officially notified in 2016, leaving a gap of 4.1 million.

India, Indonesia and Nigeria accounted for almost half of this global gap, the report stated.

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The Delhi Commission For Women (DCW) has issued notice to the Tihar Jail authorities and the DCP, South District, asking why the convicts in the December 16 gangrape and murder case have not been hanged even six months after the Supreme Court upheld their death sentence.

The notice by the DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal was issued despite the four convicts having the option to seek review of the apex court's judgement, file curative petition and seek mercy from the President after exhausting judicial remedies.

The execution of a condemned prisoner is carried out only after the trial court issues a death warrant in the case concerned.

According to a statement issued by the Commission, the parents of the deceased have complained to the women's panel that even after six months of the Supreme Court upholding the death sentence for the four convicts, who had brutally raped and killed their daughter Jyoti Pandey, they have not yet been hanged.

The apex court on May 5 this year had upheld the death sentence for four men convicted of the savage rape and murder of the young woman, terming the attack on her as the "most brutal, barbaric and diabolical".

However, the convicts have the option to seek review of the apex court's judgement, file curative petition and seek mercy from the President after exhausting judicial remedies.

Maliwal, in her notice to the Tihar Jail administration and DCP South District, has inquired as to why the accused have not been hanged despite the SC order.

The Commission has asked the officials to respond by November 6.

The four convicted men who are lodged at Tihar jail are Mukesh (29), Pawan (22), Vinay Sharma (23) and Akshay Kumar Singh (31).

A fifth accused, Ram Singh, allegedly committed suicide in Tihar Jail in March in 2013 and the sixth, a convicted juvenile, was sentenced three years of punishment in a reform home and released in 2015.

The six men had assaulted Jyoti Pandey, the 23-year-old paramedic student, and a male friend in a moving bus as it drove through the streets of New Delhi. She was thrown out of the bus -- so grievously injured that her insides were spilling out -- along with her male friend near the airport.

A fortnight later, on December 29, 2012, she succumbed in a Singapore hospital.

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A US-based air taxi service provider is planning to come up with unmanned aerial vehicles for business executives who face the problem of massive traffic jams in Indian metro cities.

Vimana Global Inc, a blockchain-based air taxi service provider, said that it was working on a plan to provide an aerial commuting solution for busy executives in major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai.

Founder and CEO of the Delaware-based company, Evgeni Borisov said he sees the potential of deploying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as he prepares to market its prototype in cities.

Noting that India was working on options to manage city traffic in major metros by introducing transportation modes such as seaplanes, boat-taxis and speed-boats, he said that vertical take-off and landing autonomous aerial vehicles (VTOL-AAVs) could also be an option.

"We have worked out a daily aerial commuting solution for busy executives in major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai," he said.

Borisov has established an office here recently.

He said VIMANA would be holding demonstration flights in Dubai, Singapore, Tokyo, Dallas and Toronto.

Borisov also said that a number of parts for the first prototype have been produced in India.

"We aim to manufacture some parts for the vehicle under the 'Make in India' initiative as it will help us keep the cost of vehicle low and compete with vehicular traffic," he said.

"Business executives are looking for ways to reduce their time in traffic jams in major cities, and we have a solution in place," he said.

VIMANA aims to use blockchain to enable management of its UAVs, while turning UAVs into blockchain nodes and thus creating a ubiquitous blockchain-based air traffic control system across Class Bravo (ground to 2,000 meters) urban airspace around the world.

In a blockchain system, transactions made between two parties are recorded chronologically and publicly in an open digital leader.

A team of aerospace engineers, led by Borisov, is currently developing a two- and four-seater unmanned aerial vehicle.
Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal today reviewed the progress on traffic decongestion measures on pilot corridors and directed officials to ensure that these streches are free of unauthorised parking.

The meeting was attended by PWD minister Satyendar Jain, Chief Secretary of Delhi, Principal Secretary (UD/DLB) and Chairman, New Delhi Municipal Council, among others.

Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic) informed the Lt Governor about the present progress and status of the pilot corridors.

Baijal said that immediate implementation of the ongoing projects and works should be undertaken in a time-bound manner to ensure their timely completion.

He emphasised that these stretches should be freed from unauthorised parking for better circulation of traffic and directed the PWD and the traffic police to ensure proper display boards showing 'No Parking Zone'.

Baijal also stressed that commercial establishments should provide proper parking for their visitors else face action as per law, as roads are meant for commuting and not for unauthorised parking.

The officials informed Baijal that to improve the traffic flow at Aurobindo Marg, certain measures like re-aligning of existing car parking facility and creating bus lane at INA have been approved and the construction work will start soon.

He was also apprised that for increasing awareness of pedestrians, display boards at conspicuous places have been installed for using the subway near the AIIMS.

Aurbindo Marg corridor is one of the most important corridors which connect New Delhi and south Delhi to Gurugram.

He was informed that the Mathura Road corridor witnesses heavy pedestrian as well as vehicular movement at all times as many industrial areas and cluster colonies are situated on both sides of Mathura road.

He was also informed about the progress and redevelopment plan of Amir Khusro Park and the refurbishment of subway at Dargah.

Further, the concerned subway has been cleaned and whitewashed. Electricity too has been restored and the general public has started using the subway.

Baijal was informed that major redevelopments by the NHAI has been planned to broaden the NH8, and grade separator will be out put up for signal-free cross-over to station road in order to decongest the route -- Dhaula Kuan Flyover to GGR Flyover, Sanjay T-Point).

This is one of the most important corridors which connects south Delhi, south west Delhi, west Delhi, New Delhi, Terminal-1 and Terminal-3 Airport and Delhi-Gurgaon (NH-8).

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Egypt's military said today its air force had carried out a desert raid that killed "a large number of terrorist elements" responsible for the deaths of 16 policemen this month.

The operation also freed a police officer who had been taken hostage in the October 20 shootout with militants in the Western Desert, a army official told AFP.

Authorities are fighting the Egyptian branch of the Islamic State group, which has killed hundreds of security personnel in northern Sinai, more than 500 kilometres (300 miles) from the site of this month's clash.

State television said Tuesday the military had acted on "confirmed information" on the whereabouts of the militants involved.

The air force attacked a hideout in "a mountainous area west of Fayoum" south of Cairo, it said.

The raid destroyed three four-wheel-drive vehicles carrying large quantities of weapons, ammunition, and "extremely explosive material", it said.

The military official told AFP that the operation, conducted in cooperation with the police and which used air strikes and ground forces, succeeded in freeing police captain Mohamed al-Hayes.

He had been kidnapped when armed extremists attacked a police convoy less than 200 kilometres southwest of Cairo, killing at least 16 policemen.

No group has yet claimed responsibility.

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The Delhi High Court today came down heavily on the authorities here over encroachments on public land, saying it was a "sordid state of affairs" and asking whether only law-breakers were being protected.

It also warned that the government officials who were dealing with these cases should be sent to jail.

"Is there nobody who will come and say that he follows the law? Are we only protecting the law breakers? Where are the law abiding citizens," the court said expressing anguish over encroachments in North Delhi's Timarpur area.

"Is this how you (government) treat public land? It is a very serious matter. Can we allow public land to go like this. Its taxpayers money which goes into these lands.

"The facts of this case show a sordid state of affairs regarding the manner in which public land and property is permitted to be trespassed and encroached upon," a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar said.

During the hearing, the court said the government officials dealing with these cases should be sent to jail as it was a criminal offence.

It "pains the judicial conscience ... There is no concern for public property worth crores of rupees," it said.

The court was hearing a petition seeking direction to the Centre and Delhi Government to remove encroachment on a land of 30,000 square yards, now popularly known as Sanjay Basti in Timarpur.

The plea also sought direction to secure the land on which the Urban Development Ministry could construct flats for government servants.

The bench directed that the matter be placed before the secretary of Ministry of Urban Development who shall look into it and file a report and listed the matter for December 6.

The plea said that initially, some quarters were built by the central government for class IV employees which were declared unsafe in 1978-80 and directed to be demolished by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD).

It alleged that the demolition work was given to a private builder which demolished parts of the flats and left the remaining flats, allowing them to be occupied by encroachers.

The encroachers allegedly rebuilt the government quarters and the land mafia was selling the flats or giving them on rent to poor people.

The court also said the authorities have failed to disclose what action has been taken against the builder who was assigned the work of demolition and against the government officials.

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An engineering student from Manipur allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at his rented accommodation at Kasna here, police said today



The body of Vijendra Mog Jam (22) was found hanging from the window grill at his Sector Beta 2 residence by the police last evening, Superintendent of Police (Rural) Suniti Singh said.

He was a B.Tech student at IILM college and was living with two friends, who had both gone to Delhi when he took the extreme step, she said, adding the neighbours informed the police about the incident.

The body was sent for a post-mortem.

A suicide note was also recovered from the room, police said.

"He stated that nobody is to be blamed for his death. He addressed his parents saying he could not become the good boy they wished him to be," an official said.

His room mates told the police he was looking depressed since the last few days.

Though they asked him if he was facing any problem, he did not disclose anything to them, they said.

"Prima facie it appears to be a case of suicide, but we are looking at all possible angles including murder," the official said.

The student's parents have been informed.

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Environmental clearance has been given to the 930-MW Kirthai-II Hydroelectricity project that is coming up in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, a senior officer said today.

District Development Commissioner, Kishtwar, Angrez Singh Rana, said that with this clearance, the decks have been cleared for all the six major projects coming up on river Chenab, which flows into Pakistan.

"On our side, we have now completed all the formalities with regard to the upcoming six hydro-electricity projects. Kirthai-II was the sixth and the last project, for which the environment clearance was given yesterday," Rana told PTI.

It is expected that the tenders for the project would be floated within a month, he said.

According to the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation, the estimated hydro power potential of the state is 20,000 Megawatts (MW), of which about possible sources for 16,475 MW have been identified.

These comprise 11,283 MW from the Chenab basin, 3,084 MW from the Jhelum basin, 500 MW from the Ravi basin and 1,608 MW from the Indus basin.

Out of the identified potential, only 3263.46 MW has been exploited so far, consisting of 1211.96 MW in state sector from 21 power projects, 2009 MW in central sector from seven projects and 42.5 MW in private sector from four projects, officials said.

On Sunday, an environment committee gave its nod to 390- MW Kirthai-I.

In the run-of-the-river projects, water is not held back in a reservoir, but flows back into the river after generating electricity.

The other projects coming up in Kishtwar for which the formalities were completed included Kiru (624 MW), Pakal Dul (1,000 MW), Kwar (540 MW) and Bursar (800 MW).

The official said the Kirthai-II project envisages the construction of a 165 meter high concrete gravity dam and requires a total of 225.25 hectares of state, private and reserved land of which the apportionment of private land is only 43 hectares.

More than 2,100 people would get jobs during the execution of the project, Rana said.

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The president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will arrive in India today on a three-day visit during which he is expected to clinch a pact with the International Solar Alliance (ISA) for cooperation on renewable energy projects around the world.

Suma Chakrabarti, who is visiting the Indian capital to attend the Prabodhan Leaders' Conclave, will witness the signing of a joint declaration between the EBRD and ISA, setting out cooperation between the two institutions.

The ISA was launched in November, 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then French President Francois Hollande during theCOP21UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, and has created a platform for the promotion of solar energy across its 121 member countries.

"This visit is an important opportunity for the EBRD to strengthen further its ties with Indian companies and scale up further joint investments with high-quality Indian firms in emerging economies in the EBRD regions," Chakrabarti said in a pre-visit statement.

"I am also looking forward to sharing our experiences and learning from others in the discussions about Smart Cities," he said.

UK-headquartered EBRD is a multilateral development bank set up in 1991 after the fall of the Berlin Wall to foster the transition towards open market-oriented economies and to promote private and entrepreneurial initiative in emerging Europe.

The EBRD invests in 38 emerging economies across three continents, according to a set of criteria that aim to make its countries more competitive, better governed, greener, more inclusive, more resilient and more integrated.

The value of joint India-EBRD investment in its region of operation is estimated at around 1 billion euros, mostly in the private sector.

The bank says it has worked closely with several Indian partners in its countries of operations, including the Tata Group, EximBank, SREI and Jindal.

"The visit of the EBRD president will provide the opportunity to sign several agreements on future projects and areas of cooperation, underlining the bank's commitment to sustainable development, renewable energy and strengthening of the private sector," EBRD said in a statement.

During a panel discussionat the Leaders' Conclave entitled 'Smart Cities: What can India learn and unlearn from Europe', Chakrabarti will outline the EBRD's work in municipal and environmental services.

The improvement of water, wastewater and solid waste systems, urban transport and district heating is a key part of the EBRD's mandate.

During the visit, he will also participate in high-level meetings between the EBRD and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) aimed at enhancing cooperation between the two organisations and paving the way for more joint investments between the EBRD and Indian corporations in the EBRD's countries of operations.

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today hit out at the Centre over the removal of ex- servicemen protesting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and described the incident as "shameful".

"#OROP (one rank one pension) crackdown by evicting Armed Forces veterans by Delhi Police from Jantar Mantar is shameful," Banerjee wrote on her Twitter handle tonight.

Several ex-servicemen, demanding the implementation of 'One Rank, One Pension' or OROP, were forcibly evicted from Jantar Mantar yesterday following a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order banning protests and dharnas around the historic monument.

The army veterans have been protesting at Jantar Mantar for more than two years.

Drawing reference to the West Bengal BJP hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Gurez Valley earlier this month and stating that the soldiers at the borders "is an extended part of his (Modi's) family", Banerjee further described the incident as "unfortunate".

"Calling Army extended family in Kashmir and then using brutal force on the 'extended family' in Delhi is very unfortunate," the chief minister, who is on a two-day trip to Mumbai, added.

Banerjee reached Mumbai this evening to participate in a business summit.

She is also likely to meet several industrialists there to woo them to invest in West Bengal as well as to invite them to the Bengal Global Business Summit scheduled in Kolkata in January.

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An investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election moved into a new and more perilous stage for the White House today after three aides to Donald Trump's presidential campaign, including a former chairman, were charged.

Ex-campaign chairman Paul Manafort and another former Trump aide appeared in court, pleading not guilty to conspiracy against the United States, money laundering and several other charges after the indictments in the Russia probe were unsealed.

The pair was released on bail of $10 million and $5 million respectively and placed under house arrest.

Separately, another former Trump campaign aide, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his Kremlin-related contacts, according to a plea deal revealed yesterday.

The unsealed indictments were an explosive opening salvo from independent counsel Robert Mueller, who is leading the Russia probe, after months of speculation, spin and obfuscation about possible Trump campaign collusion with Moscow.

While falling short of providing a smoking gun for top- level conspiracy, the charges point to a potential pattern of senior Trump associates looking to Russia and its proxies for political and economic gain.

Manafort, 68, and Rick Gates, 45, were charged with allegedly hiding millions of dollars gleaned from work with Ukrainian politician Viktor Yanukovych and his pro-Moscow political party.

Papadopoulos, a former Trump foreign policy advisor, admitted he tried to hide contacts with a Moscow-linked professor who was offering "dirt" on Trump's election rival Hillary Clinton.

The revelations prompted a furious and defiant reaction from Trump, who dismissed allegations of collusion and called on Clinton to be investigated.

"Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????" Trump tweeted. "....Also, there is NO COLLUSION!"



But the charges signal a dramatic new phase in Mueller's investigation, one that holds grave peril for the Trump presidency.

Papadopoulos revealed that he informed Trump and others personally that he could organise a meeting between the then candidate and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The ex-advisor told the FBI that he had been instructed by an unnamed "campaign supervisor" to meet Russian officials "off the record" if "feasible."



His contacts with Russian sources came to include Putin's niece and the Russian ambassador in London.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders suggested Trump did not recall "specific details of the meeting" and that Papadopoulos had only a limited role.

"It was extremely limited; it was a volunteer position. And again, no activity was ever done in an official capacity on behalf of the campaign in that regard.

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President Donald Trump today lashed out at the US media, saying "fake news" was working "overtime" to link him with the indictment of his former campaign manager who has been accused of concealing millions of dollars in payments from Russia-backed political parties.

Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort was yesterday charged with conspiracy against the US and money laundering, triggering a political storm and marking the first indictment in the investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections.

Manafort, 68, and his business associate Rick Gates, 45, have been charged on 12 counts, including conspiracy against the US, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) statements, and false statements.

The indictment is part of the investigations being done by former FBI chief Robert Mueller, who has been appointed by the Department of Justice as a special counsel to probe into the allegations of Russian interference into the presidential elections and the connection with the Trump Campaign if any.

The indictment has come as a major challenge to Trump in his short political carries, which is less than a few years ago, during which he reached the White House.

According to The Wall Street Journal, with the unsealing of a 12-count indictment and a guilty plea, Mueller has signaled that his probe has taken him far beyond the campaign.

The guilty plea by George Papadopoulos, who served as a foreign-policy adviser to Trump during the campaign, may prove to be more significant than the indictment against Manafort and Gates, the daily said.

Trump has lashed out at media for linking him to Manafort.

"The Fake is working overtime. As Paul Manafort's lawyer said, there was 'no collusion' and events mentioned took place long before he... came to the campaign," Trump said in a tweet.

"Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar. Check the DEMS (Democrats)!" he said.

In another tweet, Trump urged his supporters and countrymen to focus on bigger issues of massive tax cuts that he is proposing.

"I hope people will start to focus on our Massive Tax Cuts for Business (jobs) and the Middle Class (in addition to Democrat corruption)!" Trump said.

One of Trump's lawyers Jay Sekulow said that there is no intention of the president to fire Mueller.

"Let me say this and I have said this, there is no conversation regarding firing Robert Mueller. And there's no basis to fire Robert Mueller," he was quoted as saying by ABC .

Meanwhile, White House Chief of Staff Gen (rtd) John Kelly called for appointment of a Special Counsel to investigate an Obama-era uranium sale and Democrats' roles in funding a controversial opposition research dossier.

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A transformer exploded in the Khatulai village near the Shahpura town in this district today killing five persons and injuring several others, police said.

The massive explosion occurred at a time when the members of a family were passing by the transformer on their way to perform some marriage rituals, they said.

Five bodies were recovered while the injured were sent to the nearby hospitals for treatment, the police said.

A team is on the spot to take stock of the situation, SP, Jaipur (Rural), Dr Rameshwar Singh, said.

Nearly 10-12 persons were rushed to hospital, he added.

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TDP Telangana unit Working President A Revanth Reddy, who has quit the party, today joined the Congress in presence of the party vice-president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.

According to Telangana Congress, besides Revanth Reddy, 14 other TDP leaders, including ex-ministers, ex-MLAs and ex-MLCs, also joined the Congress.

AICC in-charge of party affairs in Telangana R C Khuntia, Telangana Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy and other party leaders were present on the occasion.

Welcoming Revanth Reddy and others into the Congress fold, Uttam Kumar Reddy hoped that their entry would strengthen the cause of realising the welfare of all sections in the youngest state.

"During the last three-and-half-years, not only the expectations of the people, especially weaker sections, have been shattered, but unprecedented level of corruption has occurred in Telangana wherein, thousands of crores have been looted from the public exchequer," the release quoted Uttam Kumar Reddy as saying.

Khuntia said Rahul Gandhi welcomed Revanth Reddy and all other leaders into the Congress fold.

Speaking on the occasion, Revanth Reddy said his decision to join Congress was not a regular switch-over from one party to the other.

"Congress party gave Telangana and only this party can develop it. I joined the Congress to fulfil the real aspirations of Telangana's martyrs. Rahul Gandhi is bound to become the next Prime Minister of India and together we will turn the real dream of Telangana into a reality," he is quoted as saying in the release.

Asserting that he is not against the TDP, Revanth Reddy has said he quit the party to put up a spirited fight against the ruling TRS.

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Four persons, including a van driver, who escaped with Rs 28 lakh meant to be filled in a public sector bank's ATM at the airport here last week, were arrested today, police said.

The driver Udayakumar, Devaraj, Karthikeyan and Pandian, were arrested and an amount of Rs 16.04 lakh and gold jewellery worth Rs 5.01 lakh purchased using the booty were recovered from them, police said in a release here.

Udayakumar was driving the vehicle carrying the cash to be deposited in the ATM and arrived at the Chennai airport on October 26.

After dropping the personnel involved in filling the cash at the ATM kiosk of the bank, he later stopped the vehicle at a near by spot along with the security, the release said.

Then he gave a letter to the security and asked him to hand over it to the others, whom he dropped off near the ATM kiosk. When the latter left the place, Udayakumar escaped with the vehicle containing Rs 28 lakh, the release said.

A police complaint was immediately filed.

A special police team was formed to probe the case and the accused were arrested today, the release said, adding they were remanded to judicial custody.

The four-wheeler used by them to flee with the cash was also recovered from their possession, it said.

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The Swiss couple who were attacked at Fatehpur Sikri earlier this month have been offered a free two-night stay at a five-star hotel in the national capital as a "token of concern" by Tourism Minister K J Alphons.

In a letter to the couple, Alphons offered to put them up at the government-run ITDC hotel, The Ashok, after they recovered from their injuries.

He said Marie Droze and Quentin Jeremy Clerc, can choose to stay at the hotel on the dates of their choice.

"Trust you are recovering fast and would be on your way home soon. As a token of our concern, we would like to offer you a room at our luxury hotel, The Ashok, at Chankyapuri, New Delhi for two nights on the dates of your choice. All expenses at the hotel, including food and beverages, would be covered," he said in the letter.

The minister had earlier written to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the issue and also visited the couple, who are currently recovering at Apollo Hospital, Delhi, assuring them of help.

On October 22, the couple from Lausanne in Switzerland, were chased and attacked with stones and sticks by a group of four youths in the tourist town of Fatehpur Sikri, about 40 km from Agra, according to media accounts of the incident.

They later told the media that as they lay on the ground bloodied and bruised, bystanders began making videos of them on their mobile phones.

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Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today promised to provide affordable mobility to people in Himachal Pradesh and said electric buses, taxies and two- wheelers will be launched to reduce cost.

The minister was in the state to campaign for the BJP ahead of the November 9 assembly election.

The BJP will not only promote tourism by upgrading infrastructure, but also generate employment, the minister said in poll rallies in Nirmand and Bilaspur.

He said that before he took office in 2014, the length of national highways in Himachal Pradesh was 1,706 km. Now, it is 7,031 km, Gadkari said.

"In the last three years, several roads with a total length of 5,324 km have been announced," he said, adding that every year India spends more than Rs 7 lakh crore on petrol, diesel imports.

"Himachal Pradesh generates electricity which would be used to run public transport. This government will launch electric buses, taxies and two-wheelers in the state which will not only reduce the cost of mobility, but will also benefit the environment," Gadkari said.

"Electric scooters and bikes will also bring down the cost of traveling. You won't have to spend Rs 70 on petrol, but Rs 10 on electricity," the minister said.

He said that the BJP also plans to launch a fleet of aircraft which can land on water.

"Such planes which can be landed on water and land, will boost tourism in the state and generate employment," Gadkari said.

The BJP wants to create employment opportunities in Himachal Pradesh through tourism which has an immense potential, he said.

"We will invest heavily to upgrade the infrastructure to promote tourism. Had there been better roads, connectivity and infrastructure in the state, the state would seen large flow of tourists from all over the world," the minister said.

Gadkari said that 49 per cent of the total investment in the tourism sector directly generates employment.

The Union Minister for Road Transport, Shipping and Water Resources, also accused Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh of being involved in corruption under the leadership of the Congress party.

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Top Indian squash player Saurav Ghosal lost to former junior world champion Diego Elias of Peru 8-11, 6-11, 9-11 in the second round of the Qatar Classic, a major PSA world tour event here today.

Twice earlier, the last more than a year ago, Ghosal had the upper hand over the Peruvian and won on both the occasions.

But the young Peruvian, not even 21 years but currently ranked at a career high 15, showed a steady approach to beat the Indian, who had come into the main round as a qualifier.

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Barred from putting up banners and hoardings with pictures of living persons, AIADMK workers here have hit on a unique idea to welcome Chief Minister K Palaniswami -- hoist a giant balloon carrying his image.

A giant-sized balloon pasted with pictures of Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam among others has been hoisted near a new flyover, to be inaugurated by the chief minister tomorrow.

The flyover, connecting arterial roads, has been built at a cost of Rs 195 crore.

The balloon also has photographs of Local Administration Minister S P Velumani and city MLAs Amman K Arjunan and P R G Arun Kumar.

The move comes in the backdrop of a recent Madras High Court order banning hoardings and banners with images of living persons.

On October 24, Justice S Vaidyanathan of the high court had prohibited use of photographs or pictures of living persons on banners, flex boards, sign-boards across the state to avoid unnecessary drawings on walls of buildings, including houses.

The order was passed on a plea by a Chennai woman seeking a direction to the city corporation commissioner to remove a political party banner and flag put up in front of her house.

The Chennai Corporation has filed an appeal challenging the order by a single judge.

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The Pakistani Army today fired from small arms along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, leaving a girl injured.

The girl was identified a 13-year-old Gulnaz.

"There was ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops today along the LoC in Karmara belt of Poonch", a police officer told PTI.

The girl has been admitted to a district hospital.

It may be recalled that on October 26, Pakistani troops fired using small and heavy weapons at Sher Shakti and Mandhar areas of Kerni sector.

On October 18, eight civilians, including a two-year-old child, were injured in heavy shelling by Pakistani troops in the district.

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Gold worth over Rs 1.1 crore was seized from a man, who had concealed it under the cushion of one of the seats of an Air India aircraft, at the international airport here, customs officials said today.

The 30-year-old man has been arrested for smuggling the gold in this case, the customs department said in a release.

The recovery was done on Sunday, they said.

Acting on an intelligence, the custom officials rummaged the Air India plane coming from Muscat and seized four kilograms of gold in the form of bars concealed under the cushion of one of the aircraft seats, it said.

"One male passenger, who had arrived by the same flight, and concealed the gold under the cushion of the aircraft seat has been arrested," the release said.

The market value of the seized gold is Rs 1.17 crore, it said.

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Kerala Governor P Sathasivam today greeted people of the state on the eve of the 61st anniversary of the state formation day.

Kerala celebrates November 1 as the state formation day.

In a message, the Governor said "on the occasion of the Kerala Piravi which marks the 61st year of the birth of our beloved state, I convey my heartfelt love and best wishes to the people of the state and to Keralites all over the world."



He also urged people to join hands to help the southern state script a new model of development and preserve the amity and harmony during the occasion.

"Let us join hands to help Kerala script a new model of development and to preserve the aroma of amity and harmony that has always enriched our society," the Governor added.

The state of Kerala was formed on November 1, 1956 by integrating the erstwhile Malabar, under the British rule during the colonial era, with the princely states of Travancore and Cochin.

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In a bid to boost science and technology learning among students, the government will hold a nationwide science talent search examination through mobile application, Union minister Alphons Kannanthanam said today.

"91,000 students have registered (for national science talent examination) and we will be having examinations in 2078 centres across the country. For the first time in the world, we are going to have app based examination with such a large number of people," minister of state for electronics and IT Alphons Joseph Kannanthanam said while launching the mobile app Vidhyarthi Vigyan Manthan (VVM).

The app will be used for National Science Talent Search examination to be held on November 26.

Alphons, who also holds portfolio of MoS (independent charge) for Tourism, said the children at present study by heart every word and reproduce the same in examination to get full marks which will not result in making India a country of "young bright and talented children".

"We want to change all that. We want students to use digital technology, to learn science, about India and famous people who have made science popular. Understand, analyse, use your brains to come to conclusion. That is why we are having this sciene talent examination across country," Alphons said.

The VVM app will be available on Android and Apple's iOS platform.

Students appearing for the examination will have to register on the mobile app and will need to visit authorised centre to take the test.

The app will disconnect and free other applications of mobile or laptop once the examination starts.

"The examination will be conducted in two sections - junior classes which is class 6-8 and senior classes comprising students from class 9-12. The syllabus for the test is available online. Every student will be assessed based on class based performance," Vigyan Prasar, Scientist Arvind C Ranade said.

He said that the app will assess students knowledge as well as their intelligence.

"If a class 6 students answers question meant for class 8 students than that will be used for assessing his intelligence. Winners will get recognition, cash prize and government sponsored trip to science labs in the country and even abroad," Ranade said.

Winners at state level from each class will get cash prize of Rs 10,000, runner up Rs 7,000 and second runner up Rs 5,000 and at national the amount will be Rs 25,000 for the winner, Rs 15,000 for runner up and Rs 10,000 for second runner up.

"There will be certificate given to winners at all levels starting from the district level and mementos will be given at state and national level," Ranade said.

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Nepal's export to India has been adversely affected after the enforcement of Goods and Services Tax as Nepali goods have become less competitive in the Indian market due to high duty in post-GST period, a media report said today.

Trade of major export items to India, which were enjoying zero duty or nominal tariff earlier, has dropped significantly, the Himalayan Times reported citing the Nepal Rastra Banks recent report.

Export of juice, jute products, vegetables, fruits, processed food like biscuits and noodles, cardamom, among others, have plunged heavily, the daily said.

Export of juice, which was a major export item to India in the previous years, has plunged by 57 per cent in the first two months of current fiscal as compared to corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.

The country exported juice products worth Rs 344 million in first two months of the ongoing fiscal as compared to Rs 800 million in same period of previous fiscal.

Export of juice products to India was on the rise since last several years as the Indian multinational Dabur Nepal was the largest exporter of juice to India.

According to the central bank's data, export of juice had surged by 50 per cent in the first two months of fiscal 2016- 17 compared to the corresponding period of fiscal 2015-16.

The major reason behind the significant decline in export of juice is increased tariff to export to the Indian market, the daily said.

The exporters said they have to pay 12 per cent integrated goods and services tax (IGST) to export juice to India, compared to 6.18 per cent during pre-GST regime.

This means the Indian market has become 5.82 per cent costlier for juice exporters after implementation of the GST, it said.

Likewise, export of large cardamom plunged by 45.3 per cent, fruits (85.9 per cent), vegetables (39 per cent), noodles (34 per cent), jute goods (2.3 per cent) in first two months of this fiscal as compared to corresponding period of last fiscal.

There are high tariff differences in post- and pre-GST period in vegetables, processed food and other agriculture products. As per the study carried out by an independent think-tank South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) on 30 major export items to India, export tariff for 28 top items have increased, like five per cent on big cardamom, 12 per cent on processed food items and 18 per cent on vegetable products.

As Nepal's top export items have been hit hard since enforcement of the GST, countrys export to india is likely to drop.

Shekhar Golchha, senior vice president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said that Nepali goods have become less competitive in Indian market as they have to pay high duty in post-GST period.

"Nepali exporters should diversify their market in short-term and be competitive in longer-term to tap the huge market opportunity in India," he was quoted as saying.

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Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was today granted exemption from personal appearance for the day by a Delhi court in connection with a Rs 10 crore disproportionate assets case against him.

Special Judge Virender Kumar Goyal also granted the relief to Singh's wife Pratibha Singh, a co-accused in the case.

The CBI, meanwhile, opposed Singhs' application seeking permanent exemption from personal appearance, saying there was no such provision in law.

The court has now posted the matter for argument on accused's plea for November 30.

During the proceedings, the CBI informed the court that it has handed over certain documents, filed along with the charge sheet, to Singhs and other accused persons as per its earlier direction.

The couple, who have not been arrested so far, and other accused persons -- Universal Apple Associate owner Chunni Lal Chauhan, stamp paper vendor Joginder Singh Ghalta, Managing Director of Tarani Infrastructure Vakamulla Chandrasekhar, and co-accused Lawan Kumar Roach, Prem Raj and Ram Prakash Bhatia -- are facing trial in the case.

The charge sheet also names as accused LIC agent Anand Chauhan, who was arrested in a separate money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in relation to the present matter and is currently in judicial custody.

The court had granted them bail on May 29 after they appeared before it in pursuance to summons issued against them by the court.

The court had on May 8 summoned them after taking cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the CBI.

The CBI charge sheet, running into over 500 pages having statements of around 225 witnesses and containing 442 documents, has claimed that Singh had amassed assets worth around Rs 10 crore which were disproportionate to his total income during his tenure as a Union minister.

Chauhan was arrested by the ED on July 9 last year in a separate money laundering case related to the disproportionate assets case.

The matter was transferred by the Supreme Court to the Delhi High Court, which on April 6, 2016, had asked the CBI not to arrest Singh and directed him to join the probe.

On November 5 last year, the apex court had transferred Singh's plea from the Himachal Pradesh High Court to the Delhi High Court, saying it was not expressing any opinion on the merits of the case, but "simply" transferring the petition "in the interest of justice and to save the institution (judiciary) from any embarrassment".

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India today jumped 30 places to rank 100th in the World Bank's 'ease of doing business' ranking, sending the jubilant government to vow to continue reforms that will help the country break into top 50 in coming years.

India, which was ranked 142nd when the Narendra Modi government took office in 2014 and 130th last year, is the only large country this year to have achieved such a significant shift on the back of reforms in taxation, construction permits, investor protection and bankruptcy resolution.

The World Bank said it is "one of the top 10 improvers in this year's assessment, having implemented reforms in 8 out of 10 'doing business' indicators." This is the first time India has broken into top 100 nations.

Reacting to the development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government is determined to further improve the rankings and scale greater economic growth with the mantra of 'reform, perform and transform'.

He hailed as "historic" the jump in India's ranking in 'ease of doing business' and said it was a result of "all-round & multi-sectoral reform push".

Addressing the media in New Delhi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said, "This is the highest jump that we have made in doing business ranking and it is significant for India because for the last 3-4 years we are trying to improve upon all the 10 parameters (of ranking) so that it becomes easy to do business in India."



In its annual report 'Doing Business 2018: Reforming to Create Jobs', the World Bank said that India's ranking reflects nearly half of the 37 reforms, adopted since 2003, implemented in the last four years.

With June as cut-off for assessing business environment, the ranking does not take into account the landmark reform of Goods and Services Tax (GST), which from July 1 weaved the country of 1.3 billion into one market with one tax and removed inter-state barriers for trade. Also, demonetisation has not been covered in the report.

The ranking comes as a shot in the arm for the government that has been battling dissenting voices against the way GST was implemented and growth being hit, although temporarily, due to demonetisation of higher denomination currency.

"In 3 years, from 142 we have come to 100. And I think in those areas where we are still lagging behind, there is a sufficient amount of work in progress. There is a reason to believe that we have a capacity to further significantly improve our position," Jaitley said.

Modi's target of breaking into top 50, he said, is achievable.

"I believe this is doable and therefore these remaining 3 -4 areas where work has to be done we will be pushing it with all the greater force," he added.

The parameters that witnessed improvement in 2016-17 were India making it faster for start business, reduction in procedures and time required to obtain building permit, easier access to credit, protecting minority investors, ease of paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and making resolving insolvency easier, the World Bank said.

But it still lags in areas such as starting a business, enforcing contracts and dealing with construction permits.

It takes 30 days now to register a new business, down from 127 days 15 years ago, but "the number of procedures is still cumbersome for local entrepreneurs who still need to go through 12 procedures", it said.

While India is now ranked 4th in the world on protecting investors (up from 13th last year), its ranking on ease of getting electricity has deteriorated from 26 last year to 29 this year.

Credit availability ranking has improved to 29 from 44 and ease of paying taxes has seen a jump to 119th position from 172nd previously.

"This is a major major jump," Rita Ramalho, Acting Director for World Bank's Global Indicators Group, told PTI in Washington, attributing the climb of 30 places to the series of reforms undertake by the Modi government since 2014.

The GST, which was implemented from July 1, will get reflected only in next year's 'ease of doing business' report.

"GST reforms have not been counted this year. It would come into play for the report next year," Ramalho said, adding that demonetisation was not covered.

India was ranked 130th for last two years.

According to the World Bank, New Zealand is the easiest place on the planet to do business, followed by Singapore, Denmark, South Korea and Hong Kong. The US and the UK are ranked 6th and 7th on the list.

Among BRICS countries, Russia tops the list with 35th position, followed by China which has retained its ranking at the 78th place for the second consecutive year. Brazil's ranking is 125th.

The biggest surprise of this year, the authors of the report said, is India, which jumped 30 spots in one year by improving its score by 4.71 to 60.76 points. Brazil is the only BRICS nation that is behind India.

"India has improved a lot (this year), but there's still room for improvement, So, I wouldn't necessarily classify it as a nice place to do business yet, but definitely is in the right direction to become a nice place. It is much easier than it was two years ago," Ramalho said.

Santiago Croci Downes, Acting Manager, Doing Business Unit at World Bank, said that in the 15 years' history of this annual report, there have been only five countries like Georgia and Rwanda which made a massive jump in one year. But none of them were as big an economy as India.

Jaitley said the government was seriously taking up the 3-4 issues where India was still lagging behind to gain a "20 -30 point improvement in the next 1-2 years."



"Reforms are a continuous process... The 3-4 areas where we haven't been treated very high are all areas where significant amount of work is in progress and once its impact is shown on the ground, I'm sure it will be taken into consideration in next year's ranking," he said.

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Troops of Indian and Kazakhstan armies will engage in a 14-day joint exercisefrom November 2 in Himachal Pradesh to strengthen bilateral relations and exchange skills and experiences.

This is second joint military exercise between the two countries. The first edition of 'Prabal Dostyk' was held in Kazakhstan in 2016, defence spokesperson Col. N N Joshi said.

"Indo-Kazakhstan joint army exercise 'Prabal Dostyk 2017' will be conducted between November 2 to 15 this year in Bakloh belt of Himachal Pradesh," Col. Joshi said.

The participating Indian troops have been drawn from the 3rd Battalion of the 11th Gorkha Rifles, he said, adding approximately 20 troops from both the countries will participate in the exercise.

"The aim of the exercise is to build and promote bilateral army-to-army relations and exchange skills and experiences between Kazakhstan Army and the Indian Army," Col. Joshi said.

He said the exercise is also aimed at strengthening the ties between the two nations and will serve as a platform for exchanging drills for seamless interoperability.

The Indian troops participating in the joint exercise have undergone extensive training in counter terrorism and Low Intensity Conflict Operations at Counter Insurgency & Jungle Warfare School, Vairengte, he added.

"The vast experience and expertise of Indian troops in counter insurgency operations holds special importance to the Kazakhstan Army," he said.

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India Ratings and Research (Ind- Ra) today said it has revised Vedanta Ltd's outlook to positive from stable, while affirming its rating at 'IND AA'.

"Ind-Ra has revised Vedanta Ltds outlook to positive from stable while affirming the long-term issuer rating at 'IND AA'," the rating agency said in a statement.

The positive outlook shows the start of volume ramp-up of the metals and mining conglomerate in the ongoing fiscal specially in aluminium and zinc, which might continue, Ind-Ra said.

"The volume ramp-up in aluminium will be supported by the restart of pots at plant 1 and commissioning of new pots at plant 2 in Jharsuguda by 3QFY17, while zinc volumes will be supported by increased mining along with debottlenecking of smelting capacity," the rating agency stressed.

The iron ore business volume, it said, could also see an increase, given the likely rise in the Goa's mining limits.

"Cumulatively, Vedanta would incur capex of USD 1.1 billion-1.2 billion in FY18 with USD 250 million in the oil and gas business in FY19 to achieve the required volume growth," the statement said.

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Indian students have been assaulted in a string of incidents in northern Italy, the Indian Consulate in Milan has said.

The Consulate General of India (CGI) in Milan yesterday issued an advisory to Indian students and asked them not to panic.

"The Consulate has received reports of unfortunate incidents of attacks on Indian students in Milan. All Indian students are urged not to panic. The Consulate is taking up this matter with the highest level of law and order authorities in Milan," according to the advisory posted on Twitter.

The advisory did not mention if the attacks on Indian students appeared to be racially motivated.

The CGI advised Indian students to be in touch with each other, especially when they go out.

It also advised students to spread information among other students from India about the areas where they have experienced "such incidents" so that such areas can be avoided.

In New Delhi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said she had received a detailed report about the incidents.

Swaraj said she was personally monitoring the situation and asked the students not to worry.

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The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has announced that Kevin Spacey will not receive the Emmy award, which was scheduled to be conferred on the actor this year in wake of the sexual allegations against him by Anthony Rapp.

The institution announced on its Twitter account that it has revoked the 2017 International Emmy Founders Award that the veteran actor was up for.

"The International Academy has announced that in light of recent events it will not honour Kevin Spacey with the 2017 International Emmy Founders Award," the tweet read.

In June, it was announced that the actor would be recognised for his contribution to cinema and arts surpassing barriers as "one of the great multi-dimensional talents" at the 45th International Emmy Awards Gala on November 20 to be held in New York City.

It was also announced that Neflix has cancelled popular political drama "House of Cards", with Spacey in the lead as Frank Underwood, amid sexual misconduct claims by Rapp, 46.

The "Star Trek: Discovery" actor had revealed in an interview that was abused by Spacey when he was 14 at a party thrown by the latter years ago.

Rapp claims after the party was over the Oscar winner picked him up and climbed on top of him in a sexual advance.

Spacey issued an apology in a statement saying that he "does not remember" any such encounter but he is "sorry" if he behaved in such a manner under the influence of alcohol.

The veteran actor also came out as gay, which earned him brickbats for trying to divert the attention from the allegations of sexual abuse.

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The Indian Olympic Association may have two Executive Council meetings in the space of two days in early November.

IOA President N Ramachandran has summoned an Executive Council meeting on November 9 in Chennai while the Secretary General Rajeev Mehta has called for an Emergency Executive Council meeting on November 7 in the Capital.

"It is likely that both the meetings are held. One is Emergency Executive Council meeting while the other is regular Executive Council meeting, and so both can be held," a member of the Executive Council told PTI.

In a sign of internal power struggle, the Emergency Meeting on November 7 was called after 19 out of 27 Council members had asked for it in a written communication to Mehta. One of the demands of the 19 members was to shift the venue of the (regular) Council meeting from Chennai to New Delhi.

They also wanted to shift the venue of the Annual General Body Meeting of the IOA on December 14 from Chennai to New Delhi. The IOA will have to hold elections during this GBM.

The Council member refused to elaborate on the venue of the second meeting.

According to reports, Ramachandran has questioned the authority of Mehta to call the Emergency meeting, but the Secretary General said he can do that under the IOA Constitution.

"I have the authority to do that. 19 out of 27 Executive Council members wanted an Emergency Meeting, then how can I not take note of that. How can you say that I have no authority. I have authority under the Constitution," Mehta said.

Mehta also said that Ramachandran has been invited to attend the Emergency Meeting.

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A senior IPS officer, who was found in an "drunken stupor" in his official car, was today suspended for misconduct and violation of services rules, a Kerala government order said.

The order, suspending the officer, said the government had examined the matter in detail based on the special report of the state police chief Loknath Behara on the incident that occurred last Wednesday.

Behara had earlier forwarded a special report to the government detailing the "misconduct" of Jayaraj, IGP Crimes, North Zone CBCID (HQ).

It said Jayaraj was found in an "inebriated condition" in his official car, thus "tarnishing" the image of the department.

Behara had urged the government to "initiate appropriate disciplinary action" against Jayarajan for his "misconduct in misbehaving in a drunken stupor in public".

The government has found that "thse acts of Jayarajan, IPS, prima facie amount to official misconduct and violation of All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968, and therefore consider it necessary to place E J Jayaraj, IPS, IGP under suspension, pending disciplinary action against him," the order said.

Jayaraj was placed under suspension under Rule 3 of the All IndiaServices (Discipline & Appeal Rules), 1969 with immediate effect, against contemplated disciplinary action, according to the order of Chief Secretary, Dr K M Abraham.

Jayaraj along with his driver Santosh had visited one Sunil at Kottarakara in a department vehicle and returned in an inebriated condition, the order said.

Santosh was unable to drive the vehicle and local people had reportedly intervened.

Jayaraj was also "quite inebriated and not in control of himself," the order said.

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Israel's Chief of Ground Forces Command Major General Yaakov (Kobi) Barak today visited the Indian Army's Northern Command in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district and held discussions with senior officers.

The Israeli commander was accompanied by his wife Orit Barak and officers of the Embassy of Israel.

The visiting dignitary called on Lieutenant General D Anbu and matters of mutual interest were discussed, a senior Army officer said today.

"The delegation expressed full satisfaction in further pursuing enhanced cooperation between the two countries", he said.

Orit Barak visited the Asha School at Udhampur along with the Army Wives Welfare Association's regionalpresident, Gowri Anbu.

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Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh today termed Jammu and Kashmir as the crown of India and said Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had played the biggest role in ensuring the accession of the state to the country.

He flagged off the 'Run for Unity' on the 142nd birth anniversary of the first deputy prime minister.

"Jammu and Kashmir is the crown of India and this is the message we are giving by participating in the Run for Unity in the state," Singh told reporters here.

Flanked by state Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta and the ministers, he said the run was for re-discovering Patel's legacy to unite the country.

"Sardar Patel has biggest role in ensuring accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India as well as forcing out raiders from territory and ensuring peace here," Singh said.

He said it was a run for the unity of the country.

Singh said people were running for this cause across the country which showed that India would become a superpower in the world.

He said anyone trying to divide the country would not be spared.

He said Patel's commitment to unite India should be remembered today as it was a rebuff for people who had earlier tried to diminish and make others forget his contribution.

"But the people of India respect his contribution towards building oour nation. We want the youth to carry forward the ideas and commitment of Patel and make it a strong country," he said.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police also organised a separate Run for Unity led by its chief S P Vaid.

Vaid said the youth of the country should learn from Sardar's Patel contribution and make the country strong and united.

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly speaker said the state was an integral part of India and no one could snatch it.

"The day shows our commitment to it," he said.

The 3-km run witnessed the participation of 15,000 to 20,000 people including school children, elders, sports- persons, artists and politicians.

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SAD president Sukhbir Badal has accused Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar of covering up his government's failure to keep power tariff under check and said all power purchase agreements were signed as per guidelines issued by the then Congress-led UPA government.

Jakhar had recently blamed the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government for the power hike in the state.

In a statement here, the former deputy chief minister accused Jakhar of deliberately misleading the people by not telling them that the PPA's were signed with private parties based on competitive bidding process as per bidding guidelines issued by the then Union Ministry of Power.

"The draft guidelines which were circulated by the Union Power Ministry to states were adopted as such by the SAD-BJP government. The PPA was signed after an international bid which led to top companies like Larsen & Toubro and Vedanta bagging prestigious projects. The PPAs of both these companies were the lowest in the country as of then", he said.

On tripartite MoU between the Union Power Ministry and power utility PSPCL, he said even on this issue Jakhar had "hidden" the truth from people.

"The fact of the matter is that PSPCL was saddled with loans with high rate of interest as per prevailing rates. The Union government proposed swapping these loans with loans at substantially low rate of interest under the UDAY (Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana).

"This scheme involved implementing some reforms which were also successfully implemented by PSPCL. All this has resulted in savings of hundreds of crores for PSPCL", he claimed.

Asking the Congress government why it had failed to control the price of power as had been successfully done by the SAD-BJP government, he said, "Today the government is taking advantage of surplus power by offering the same to the industrial sector at the rate of Rs five per unit. Who is misleading the people, me or Sunil Jakhar?



"Why doesn't the Congress government reduce the draconian power tariff increase imposed on urbanites through similar means", he asked.

On October 28, the ruling Congress had blamed the previous 10-year old SAD-BJP regime for putting the power sector into "mess" and said the state government has ordered third party audit into the power purchase agreements (PPAs) signed during previous regime to "unmask" the "scam" in it.

It had claimed that PPAs signed by the power utility PSPCL with private companies during SAD-BJP regime for the purchase of energy at a "higher" rate was one of the prime reasons for the current power tariff hike.

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The original toe tag used to identify the body of Lee Harvey Oswald - John F Kennedy's assassinator - is expected to fetch more than USD 50,000 at an auction in the US.

The tag, measures 3 x 4.75 inches and is filled out in type with the date, "11/24/63," the address "1026 N Beckley," and the name "Oswald, Lee Harvey," according to RR auctions in the US.

The remainder of the tag has been filled in by Tom Shires, Chief of Surgery at Parkland Memorial Hospital along with a lock of Oswald's hair which has been tied with a white thread.

The tag was removed by Jay Phillips, a 22-year-old Emergency Ambulance driver.

It is accompanied by a letter from Phillips to his parents detailing his trip to the hospital and how he acquired the tag, the auction house said.

"We rolled our cot down to the morgue and we were followed by dozens of cameramen. We went into the morgue and got Oswald out of the cooler and on to the cot," Phillips wrote.

Also included is Phillips's 1963 ambulance driver permit and a clipped newspaper article mentioning Phillips retrieving Oswald's body from Dallas.

The tag, which is in very good to fine condition, with some creasing and staining, is expected to fetch over USD 50,000.

The bidding for the auction ends on November 8.

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Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today took part in the 'Run for Unity' organized to commemorate the 142nd birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabbhai Patel here.

Patel's will-power and vision had resulted in approximately 550 self-governing princely states merging with the country, Das said while addressing a gathering at the 'Run for Unity' programme.

Das said Sardar Patel's unfulfilled dream of developing India into a new India was being fulfilled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi post-Independence, according to an official release here.

India is emerging robust under the leadership of Narendra Modi, he said referring to the outcome of Indo-China stand off on Doklam issue in Sikkim.

China had to withdraw its army from Doklam, he said adding that national unity, integrity and love for the nation were the need of the hour.

Earlier, Das took part in the Run for Unity. State Urban Develop Minister C P Singh and former chief minister Arjun Munda were also present.

The unity run was also took place across the state including Jamshedpur, Khunti and Lohardagga.

A large number of people participated in the Unity Run organized by East Singhbhum district administration.

Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar flagged off the unity run at Jamshedpur.

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Gujarat Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani has termed as "wrong" reports that he is going to meet Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi today.

He also said that even if he meets Gandhi, it will be to know the Congress' stand on issues of the Dalit community and not for his own "personal gains".

In a Facebook post shared today amid speculation about his possible meeting with the Congress leader, Mevani said, "I request media friends that please do not share this wrong that I am going to meet Rahul Gandhi today."



"Even if I meet Rahul Gandhi or any other leader, it will not be for my personal gain but to know Congress' stand on the issues of Dalit communities on which the BJP government in the state is not ready to talk. Why shall I meet anyone secretly?" he said in the post.

The Congress also said there was no plan yet of a meeting between Mevani and Gandhi during the latter's three-day campaign tour of the state from tomorrow.

"As far as the Congress is concerned, there is no such plan of Mevani meeting Gandhi," party spokesperson Manish Doshi said.

Notably, Kshatriya-Rajput community leader Alpesh Thakor has lent his support to the Congress ahead of the Gujarat Assembly elections in December.

Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel, who has put forward a set of demands before the Congress as a pre-condition for extending support to the party in the upcoming state polls, has asked it to make its stand clear on how it would ensure reservation for the community.

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A section of historians in Kerala today disputed the Centre's move to announce Odisha's 1817 Paika rebellion as the "First War of Independence," saying various uprisings against foreign powers had occurred in the southern state much before it, but never got due recognition.

They said the coastal state had witnessed a number of minor and major struggles against foreign powers even before the 1857 'Sepoy Mutiny,' which has so far been regarded as the first war of Indian Independence.

A few among the historians wanted the tag of first war of independence for'Attingal Revolt,' an agitation by locals in the then princely state of Venadagainst the English East India Companyin 1721over the latter's arrogant approach and unjust measures that they tried to implement in the land.

As many as 133 English East India Company soldiers were killed during the revolt which according to state historians, was the first organised uprising against the foreign powers in the country.

The struggles led by legendary king of Malabar, Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja who locked horns with the British during the period 1795-1805, the strike by Nair Brigade in Travancore in 1804 and the agitation led by Travancore diwan (prime minister) Veluthambi Dalawa in 1809 were some of the uprisings against foreign powers witnessed by the state, they said.

The fight of 16th century naval captain Kunjali Marakkar against the Portuguese forces was also prominent among them, they added.

'History Protection Council,' a state-based outfit, is planning to submit a memorandum to the state government to press the Centre to declare the'Attingal Revolt' as the first freedom struggle of the country instead of 'Paika Bidroha.'



Eminent historian and former chairman of Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), M G S Narayanan said facts should be examined before including Odisha's "Paika Bidroha as the first war of independence" in school textbooks.

"The matter should be examined thoroughly before taking a decision to include so in school textbooks," he told PTI.

Noted historian K N Ganesh questioned the government's right to decide the prominence and value of historical movements and struggles.

"I am not questioning the significance of Paika rebellion.. But how can a government decide the merit and significance of revolts, struggles and agitations in history?" he asked.

"It should be decided by the academicians and the bodies like history research council and so on.. No minister can simply say that Paika rebellion is the first war of independence in the country without due consultation with historians and academicians concerned," he said.

Historian and academician P M Rajan Gurukkal, said many local struggles happened in this part of the country including the historic Colachel War did not get deserved recognition.

"It is true that many local uprising had gone unnoticed in the history.. One of the most significant among them is the Colachel War between Travancore king Marthanda Varma and Dutch East India Company in the year 1741."



"It was the first ever victory of a princely state against a European power in Asia.. But, it did not get deserved recognition," he told PTI.

A debate on the first war of independence was triggered after union HRD minister Prakash Javadekar's recent announcement that 'Paika Bidroha' of 1817 would find a place in the history books as 'the First War of Independence' from the next academic session.

The announcement was made at a function marking the bicentenary of the historic rebellion.

According to historians, Paikas, the peasant militia under the Gajapati rulers of Odisha who rendered military service to the king during the times of war, had rebelled against the British rule under the leadership of Baxi Jagandhu Bidyadhara as early as 1817.

Earlier, 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 1857 Sepoy Mutiny, which has so far been regarded as the first war of Indian Independence.

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Billed as the largest gathering of tourism stakeholders in India, the 2018 edition of Kerala Travel Mart will kick-start in Kochi on September 27 next year, Tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran said today.

The three-day conclave, being organised by KTM Society in partnership with Kerala Tourism, will be held from September 28-30.

Malabar Tourism promotion will be the main theme of this edition.

"The 10th edition of KTM will be inaugurated coinciding with World Tourism Day (September 27) in Kochi. The inauguration will be followed by three-day business to business meetings," the minister told reporters here.

He said there is huge scope for tourism growth in Malabar with the inauguration of Kannurairport next year.

"The government planned to implement many projects in the Malabar region, the main one being the 'Nadhithada' tourism project that focuses on nine rivers in Northern Kerala," he said.

The government has already allotted Rs 38.5 crore for this project and the first phase has already started,he added.

KTM has contributed significantly to the development of tourism industry in the state.

"As the Responsible Tourism campaign is progressing, KTM's CSR initiative 'Agenda 9' is giving it a fresh impetus," he said.

The minister said the Responsible Tourism Mission has already started activities to spread its objectives to more places and make it a state-wide project, instead of concentrating it in a few places.

Kerala Tourism Principal Secretary Dr Venu V said KTM has emerged as the most prestigious commercial intervention of Kerala Tourism.

"There is more to KTM than trade exchanges. The mart will feature 400 stalls showcasing a range of products, packages and services offered by businesses and entrepreneurs."



He said that Public Private Partnership being the main highlight of KTM, it offers a platform for stakeholders, including tour operators, hotels,resorts,homestays,houseboats, Ayurveda resorts and cultural art centres to have fruitful meetings and interactions with buyers from around the world.

KTM Society President Baby Mathew said the Society had adopted the comprehensive 9-point charter 'Agenda 9' during KTM 2016, which calls for measures to tackle waste management, promote organic farming, efficient use of energy and extensive use of local produce and products.

Other key areas in the checklist are rain-water harvesting, reducing use of plastics and improving greenery.

"The latest edition will focus on the Charters implementation aiming to make Kerala a sustainable destination", he said.

Tourism Director Bala Kiran said KTM was India's pride and can be placed in the same league with other international tourism fairs like ITB Berlin and FITUR.

"KTM is not only a venue for interaction between the national and international buyers, but also a platform to spread Keralas geographical space, expand the tourism product bouquet and promote the state as a 365-day tourism destination," he added.

Pre-registration of buyers will commence in January 2018.

A total of 638 domestic buyers from various parts of India and 238 international buyers from more than 57 countries attended the ninth edition of the mart, which also witnessed a large number of business meetings.

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The Maharashtra government is planning to retrospectively implement the mandatory rural service bond for MBBS students who took admission to the course in 2010, state medical education minister Girish Mahajan has said.

For doctors, working in rural areas for a year is a mandatory provision made by the state government.

Mahajan said a list would be compiled online of the students completing their medical education, for their requirements in rural, semi-rural and tribal areas.

"The state government is also working on shifting online the entire allocation of rural areas to students. The plan is to implement the mandatory service for the students who took the admission in 2010. Those who have not yet completed their mandatory service, they will be given a period of next two years to complete it," he said in a statement.

"The bond is necessary so that the newly graduated students get an experience of working in rural areas. It will also benefit the rural areas where medical services are required and this whole exercise will also help in developing a sense of social responsibility among the newly graduated doctors," the minister said.

A senior official of the medical education department had earlier said that the objective of the bond is to give doctors an exposure to complicated cases.

It is a highly educative and learning experience for newly-graduated doctors. Hence, the department wants them to go to rural areas and work for at least a year, he said.

The government also provides reasonable allowances for doctors serving in tribal areas and the wages are also high, he had said.

Notably, the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) had earlier this month cancelled the registration of over 4,500 doctors in the state for failing to serve in rural areas for a year.

According to DMER, these doctors even failed to pay the penalty incurred for not serving in rural areas.

In all, 4,548 doctors faced action. They graduated from government-run medical colleges in the state between 2005 and 2012 and neither served in rural areas nor paid the fine, an official of the DMER earlier said.

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Former President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa today met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at his official residence 'Varsha' here and held talks over a host of issues.

A statement issued by the Chief Minister's office (CMO) said Rajapaksa is on a tour of Maharashtra and as part of it, he visited Ajanta and Ellora caves (in Aurangabad) and gave his inputs to Fadnavis.

"A lot of Sri Lankan tourists visit the Ajanta-Ellora caves every year. The state government will make arrangements at Ajanta as suggested by the former president," the statement said.

The chief minister also appreciated the neighbouring country's development over the last few years, it added.

"The CM also recollected his visit to Sri Lanka in the past. Both the leaders discussed issues related to tourism and investments," the statement said.

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The police last evening arrested a 23-year-old man from the parking area of CBD railway station on charges of abducting a teenaged girl from Navi Mumbai some eight months back.

Navi Mumbai Joint Commissioner of Police Prashant Burde said in February 2017, a 17-year-old girl was kidnapped from Kamothe by the accused identified as Yogendra Narayan Bej, also a resident of the same node.

The police got a tip off that the girl was held captive in a house in Barbaria village of Bajitpur taluka of Baleshwar district of Odisha, police said.

The police team rushed to the village and after a search for about a week it could trace the girl to the village, but the man was not there, police said, adding, they returned to Navi Mumbai with the girl.

In Navi Mumbai immediately after their arrival they got a tip off that the alleged accused was loitering around the railway parking area near the CBD Belapur railway station.

The police team then arrested the accused and further probe is on.

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A fast-track court here has sentenced a man to life imprisonment and fined him Rs 22,000 for abducting and killing a 16-year-old boy.

The judge, Poonam Rajput, yesterday held the man guilty for kidnapping and murdering the boy and also for tampering with evidence or giving false information.

According to government lawyer Ritu Choudhry, Raja was abducted from his school and killed at Khatoli town here in 2013.

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A 33-year-old man was arrested from Panjagutta area today for allegedly trying to exchange demonetised currency having a face value of Rs 90 lakh, the police said.

Ch Satya Haribabu, who is into real estate business, was held when he was trying to exchange the scrapped currency notes of Rs 500 and 1,000 denominations, a Hyderabad Police release said.

According to police, Haribabu had last month received Rs 90 lakh demonetised currency from one Koteshwar Rao, who too is into real estate business, and brought the money to Hyderabad from Vijayawada for exchanging the same for a commission.

Rao is absconding, police said.

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One person has been arrested from North Port area in the city after an illegal firearm was recovered from his possession, police said today.

Mohammed Jaffaruddin (21) was arrested last evening from near Armenian Ghat and one single-shot firearm along with one cartridge were seized from him, a senior officer of Kolkata Police said.

Jaffaruddin, a resident of Tiljala area, had brought the firearm to sell it to someone who managed to flee from the spot, he said.

When produced before a local court today, Jaffaruddin was remanded to police custody till November 13.

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A man, who lost his wife due to alleged medical negligence at a Delhi government hospital, has filed a protest plea in a city court seeking fresh probe into the FIR in which the police filed a closure report.

The man has blamed the police for improper investigation in the complaint which had alleged that his wife died in 2011 due to the negligence of doctors and lack of basic facilities at Acharya Bhikshu Government Hospital (ABGH) in Moti Nagar area of West Delhi after delivering a baby girl.

The woman suffered a cardiac arrest minutes after she was shifted to another hospital after the accused hospital could not provide her proper treatment. An FIR was lodged against the ABGH and its staff in 2014.

The protest petition, filed through advocate Sanjay Kumar Singh, sought quashing of the closure report filed by the Delhi Police and a fresh probe and charge sheet against the accused for the offences of causing death by negligence and forgery under the IPC.

The court fixed the matter for arguments on the closure report and the protest petition on February 13.

As per the complaint, Inderjeet Singh lost his wife on November 19, 2011 after she delivered their second baby girl at the ABGH hospital.

Advocate Singh said that due to lack of availability of blood and ICU facility, the hospital decided to shift her to Deendayal Upadhyay (DDU) hospital.

When they reached, the DDU hospital turned them down but before they could leave from there, the woman suffered a cardiac arrest and died, Singh said.

It was alleged in the complaint that the hospital authorities forged the signatures of the complainant and there was over-writing and duplicacy on the documents and medical record at multiple places in the record-keeping register.

It was also alleged that the hospital wrongly recorded the time of death and had taken their signatures on several blank papers.

A complaint was also lodged before the Delhi Medical Council, which in its August 26, 2013 order, found the hospital guilty of medical negigence.

The DMC, in its report, observed that the ABGH was in a poor state as its ventilator was out of order for six months and there was non-availability of blood units and ambulance.

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Maoist leader Bal Krishna Dhungel was today arrested in a murder case dating back to the Maoist insurgency in Nepal, triggering protest by his party which alleged that it is against the 2006 peace agreement.

A team of Nepal Police Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) arrested CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Dhungel from his rented room in Lalitpur and presented him before Kathmandu District Court in Babarmahal.

The court sent him to Dillibazaar prison. He has to spend over 12 years behind bars.

The Supreme Court had convicted Dhungel for the 1998 murder of Ujjan Kumar Shrestha and ordered life term with confiscation of property.

The Okhaldhunga District Court in 2004 had convicted Dhungel for the murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment, but in 2006, the Rajbiraj Appellate Court gave him a clean chit.

The apex court in 2010 overturned Rajbiraj Appellate Courts decision and upheld the district courts verdict.

The Baburam Bhattarai government in November 2011 had recommended presidential clemency for Dhungel, but it was rejected by the court.

Despite the Supreme Court order, Dhungel had been walking free, largely due to the protection from his party.

The arrest comes after a contempt of court writ was filed at the SC against Inspector General Of Police (IGP) Prakash Aryal.

CPN (Maoist Centre) demanded release of its leader, stating that his arrest was against the peace agreement signed in 2006 to end the 10-year armed insurgency and bring the rebels to mainstream politics.

"As per the spirit of peace agreement, the cases dating back to the war in the country are to be settled through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission," party spokesperson Pampha Bhusal said and demanded his immediate release.

Then rebel Maoist cadres under the command of Dhungel had murdered Shrestha on June 24, 1998. Later, Shresthas brother Ganesh Kumar filed a complaint at the District Police Office, Okhaldhunga.

The Maoist cadres on September 24, 2012 also killed Ganesh Kumar accusing him of filing complaint at the District Police Office.

Based on the complaint, the Okhaldhunga District Court in 2004 had convicted Dhungel of the murder. Following the verdict, Dhungel spent some time in jail. He was on the run since then.

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Medica Group of Hospitals, a city-based hospital chain, has launched a health awareness programme for private school students, a top official said.

"We have launched Medica School Connect Programme, a health services awareness programme, targeting private schools in the city in the first phase before we extend the same to state assisted schools also," Medica Group of Hospitals chairman Dr Alok Roy said.

He said that many schools have shown interest already and plans are afoot to enrol around one lakh students under the programme in the city by the end of 2018-19.

Explaining the benefits, Dr Roy said the cost for a student for this programme is Rs 350 a year. It comes with a host of benfits too like insurance worth Rs 50,000 in case of accidental and general medical emergency.

"Medica will only charge for consumables and medicines and the rest will be free like hospital bed and doctor's fee," he said.

Health education and free general health checkup worth Rs 4,000 will also be part of the benefit under the programme.

Future First Insurance Broking has facilitated the school connect programme through tying up with leading insurance players to take up the financial obligation related to accidental hospitalization insurance cover and continuity of education in the event of untimely demise of earning parent due to some accident or natural causes.

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Campaign for the high-stakes Gujarat Assembly polls is set to get shriller as political heavyweights including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi are scheduled to visit the state over the next four days.

Modi, who had launched a slew of projects in his home state before the poll dates were announced last week, will attend the silver jubilee function of the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar on November 2.

Modi's visit has been announced by the Bochasanwasi Shri Aksharpurushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS).

In April this year, the prime minister had paid an emotional tribute to spiritual guru and head of BAPS of Swaminarayan sect Pramukh Swami who died at the sect's temple in Sarangpur in Botad district.

While Gandhi would kick off his party's three-day campaign for south Gujarat beginning tomorrow, Shah, known as the master strategist of the saffron party, will hold deliberations with BJP leaders of different districts between November 4 and 9.

Gujarat will go to polls for 182 seats in two phases on December 9 and 14. The counting of votes will be taken up December 18.

Gandhi, who has been attacking the Modi government and the BJP over the "Gujarat development model", had visited a number of temples in the state last month, a move seen as a portrayal of 'soft Hindutva' in the BJP-ruled state, known as the laboratory of Hindutva.

The state Congress unit today issued a release announcing Gandhi's itinerary.

As per the release, Gandhi would visit several villages and towns in tribal-dominated south Gujarat from November 1 to 3 as part of the Congress's 'Navsararjan Gujarat Yatra'.

The yatra would commence from Jambusar in Bharuch district tomorrow and culminate in Surat on Friday.

During his tour, Gandhi would address farmers, women, youths, traders and the party workers at several places in Bharuch, Tapi, Dangs, Valsad, Navsari, Valsad and Surat district, the release said.

Gandhi had last month covered different parts of Saurashtra, and central Gujarat earlier this month.

While he will be wooing voters of the southern region, Amit Shah would be camping in the state between November 4 and November 9.

The BJP chief would join election-related deliberations with party leaders in different districts during his stay, the BJP said in a release.

Addressing the "Gujarat Gaurav Mahasammelan" near Gandhinagar earlier this month, Shah had said the upcoming election was a "battle of pride" for his party, which has been ruling Gujarat for over two decades.

He had exhorted BJP workers to ensure an improved tally of 150 seats over the 129 it had won in 2002 under the then chief minister Narendra Modi.

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Union minister Upendra Kushwaha today termed the decision of the Uttar Pradesh government to introduce NCERT books in madrassas a "good initiative" and said the books were good and affordable.

The minister of state for human resource development said the Centre had provided an option to all schools, whether private or government, to adopt the National Council Of Educational Research And Training (NCERT) books which were good and affordable.

"If the UP government has taken a decision keeping this in view, then it is definitely a good initiative," he told reporters on the sidelines of an event here which marked the opening ceremony of cultural festival 'Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat 2017' by Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS).

Asked about the criticism from some quarters that the government's intention was to "saffronise" the madrassas, he said it was "not proper (for him) to give any political" comment at the event.

The Uttar Pradesh government had yesterday announced its decision to introduce NCERT books in madrassas in the state, apart from making mathematics and science compulsory at the intermediate level in Islamic schools.

The steps were intended to make madrassa students more competitive by providing them contemporary and quality education, according to Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma.

Replying to a query about the Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) beginning the practice of playing the national anthem at the start of day and the national song in the evening at its headquarters, he said, "The states have their own rights and they can take their own decisions."



Addressing the event, the minister said a day in India would come when a person in Kanyakumari would feel pain if any person in Kashmir was hurt. "Only then can we achieve Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat," he added.

He said Kendriya Vidalaya students, who had enthralled the audience with their performance at the event, were full of talent and capable of taking India to new heights.

He said it was wonderful to see students of one state speaking languages of different states. "But we await a time when people of one state will also feel the pain of other state. The new generation will bring this change in our society," he said.

KVS Commissioner Santosh Kumar Mall said 1,250 students from 25 KVS regions spread across the country were participating in the event along with their 125 escort teachers.

The unique feature of the fest was that students from one state represented the cultural diversity of another state, he said.

The three-day programme is open for the public.

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Online pharmacy Netmeds has raised USD 14 million (over Rs 90 crore) in the latest round of funding from Cambodian investment holding company Tanncam and venture firm Sistema Asia Fund.

Tanncam and Sistema will join early investors investment bank MAPE and OrbiMed Asia, along with Pradeep Dadha and his family, as stakeholders in the company, Netmeds said in a statement.

Netmeds CEO Pradeep Dadha said: "We believe that this round of funding reflects a renewed confidence in the industry and its future, brought about by both GST and the government's release of the draft of rules governing online pharmacies."



The investment will be used to continue to build upon Netmeds' consumer base and expand its reach to more locations in the country, he added.

"Netmeds is changing the paradigm in the pharma market in India and we strongly believe in the merits of the investment," Tanncam CEO Anthony Galliano said on the development.

"We work with many start-ups and young entrepreneurs, but Netmeds is unique among them because it is led by such a strong and seasoned leadership," Sistema Asia Fund MD Kirill Kozhevnikov said.

Netmeds offers customers ease of shopping for medicines and other healthcare products through its online portal, mobile application and customer care call centre.

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A newlywed woman in Pakistan's Punjab province has been arrested on suspicion of killing at least 15 of her husband's close relatives with poisoned lassi, according to a media report today.

Police in Muzaffargarh city claim Asiya Bibi had intended the deadly substance for her husband, and mixed it with his milk last week - but he did not drink it.

Instead it was turned into a batch of lassi, a yogurt drink, and served to his extended family.

Police said 15 people died and 14 others have been hospitalised, Geo TV reported.

The death toll has been rising since last Thursday, when the tainted drinks were first served and eight people initially died, the report said.

Police said the woman was upset as she had been forced into an arranged marriage in September.

The local media say the bride had tried unsuccessfully to flee her marital home and return to her parents.

Senior police official Owais Ahmad confirmed that Asiya Bibi has been charged with murder. A man alleged to be her lover, and his aunt, have also been arrested.

The suspect denied all of the allegations leveled against her when the accused was presented before the media.

The three suspects were later presented before the Anti- Terrorism Court in Dera Ghazi Khan and sent into police custody on a 14-day physical remand, the report said.

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The police today registered an FIR against nine people, including a BJP legislator, in connection with the killing of a man over panchayat poll rivalry, following which three persons were arrested.

BJP's Badaut MLA Krishnapal Malik has been charged with conspiracy to murder even as he termed it an "effort" to malign his political image.

The police said that on Sunday, Amit (30) was killed when he was attacked by his relative and former gram pradhan Ramvir in Hilwadi village here.

The two were rivals in the last gram pradhan elections. Five others were also injured in the incident that took place under the Badaut Kotwali police station area, they said.

Rubbishing the allegations, Malik said that he has been falsely framed to malign his image and that he was ready for any probe.

"An impartial inquiry would be conducted and action will be taken against those found involved in the crime," Superintendent of Police Jaiprakash said.

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Kevin Spacey's won't be getting an Emmy as announced earlier and his hugely successful political drama "House of Cards" is also set to end with the sixth season.

The developments come after claims by actor Anthony Rapp that Spacey had made unwanted sexual advance towards him when he was a minor.

"The International Academy has announced that in light of recent events it will not honour Kevin Spacey with the 2017 International Emmy Founders Award," the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences said in a tweet.

Though Netflix representatives told the New York Times their decision to end "House of Cards" -- one of the network's most successful shows that stars Spacey as a scheming politician who makes it to the White House -- is unrelated to the scandal, they said they were "deeply troubled" by the allegations against the actor.

Spacey has been criticised for trying to divert attention from the accusations made by the "Star Trek: Discovery" actor by using his apology to Rapp to come out as gay. In a statement, the Oscar-winner said he did not remember the incident but it "would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior".

The streaming giant and company Media Rights Capital that produces the show issued a joint statement yesterday after Rapp went public with his claims that Spacey, 58, tried to sexually assault him when he was 14 in 1986.

"In response to last night's revelations, executives from both of our companies arrived in Baltimore this afternoon to meet with our cast and crew to ensure that they continue to feel safe and supported," the statement read.

They added that Spacey was "not working on set at this time."



"House of Cards" creator Beau Willimon also released a statement in support of Rapp.

"Anthony Rapp's story is deeply troubling. During the time I worked with Kevin Spacey on House of Cards I neither witnessed nor was aware of any inappropriate behaviour on set or off. That said, I take reports of such behaviour seriously, and this is no exception. I feel for Mr Rapp and I support his courage," Willimon posted on Twitter.

Rapp, 46, had told Buzzfeed that he attended Spacey's party on his own after befriending the veteran actor and was the only non-adult there. After getting bored, Rapp went into a bedroom and watched TV until the early hours, when he realised no one else was left in the apartment.

The actor claims Spacey, who was 26 at the time, soon entered the bedroom, picked him up, and climbed on top of him in a sexual advance.

Sapcey's statement has also drawn the ire of the LGBTQ community, including the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), with activists saying his sexual orientation had nothing to do with the allegations against him and he should not have mixed the two.

"This isn't a coming out story about Spacey, but a story of survivorship by Anthony Rapp and those who speak out about unwanted sexual advances," GLAAD president Sarah Kate Ellis tweeted.

Celebrities were equally unsparing.

"It Gets Better" creator Dan Savage condemned Spacey, saying, "There's no amount of drunk or closeted that excuses or explains away assaulting a 14-year-old child."



"Billy on the Street" host Billy Eichner tweeted, "That Kevin Spacey statement. Nope. Absolutely not. Nope"



Rose McGowan, who was one of the people to accuse Harvey Weinstein of rape, said the focus should be on the victim, not the accused.

"Keep focus on #AnthonyRapp BE THE VICTIM'S VOICE. Help us level the playing field," she tweeted.

Author Mark Harris said, "Coming out is a beautiful part of being gay. Attaching it to this vileness is so wrong."



Actor Aimee Carrero Rock said, "Kevin Spacey sexually assaulting a minor has nothing to do with homosexuality. Also, someone should explain this to Kevin Spacey."



Comedian Jordan Gavaris said sexual assault has nothing to do with sexuality.

"Sexual assault is not about sexuality. Sexual assault is about power. Say it with me, please," he posted.

Actor Zachary Quinto called Spacey's apology a "calculated manipulation to deflect attention" from Rapp's accusation and hoped the victim's voice gets support and is not alienated.

"It is deeply sad and troubling that this is how Kevin Spacey has chosen to come out. Not by standing up as a point of pride, in the light of all his many awards and accomplishments, thus inspiring tens of thousands of struggling LGBTQ kids around the world. But as a calculated manipulation to deflect attention from the very serious accusation that he attempted to molest one...

"And I am sorry that Kevin only saw fit to acknowledge his truth when he thought it would serve him, just as his denial served him for so many years," he posted on Twitter.

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Japan's largest mobile firm NTT DoCoMo today said it has received over USD 1.2 billion (144.9 billion yen) from Tata Sons, bringing the curtains down on a prolonged bitter dispute over their telecom joint venture.

The development comes close on the heels of Tata Group announcing the sale of its consumer mobile business to Bharti Airtel.

In a statement on its website, NTT DoCoMo said that concurrent with the receipt of the amount, all shares in Tata Teleservices held by it have been transferred to Tata Sons and companies designated by Tata Sons.

The payment by Tata Sons comes in less than a year after N Chandrasekaran took over as chairman of the salt-to-software conglomerate.

The Tata-Docomo fight was one of the major issues between Ratan Tata and ousted Tata Sons Chairman Cyrus Mistry, and the latter's handling of the dispute was said to one of the triggers for his ouster from the promoter holding company of major Tata firms.

Chandrasekaran, is widely perceived to have speeded up the resolution of the dispute between the Tatas and DoCoMo, after he took charge in February.

The statement by NTT DoCoMo today said it "has received from Tata Sons payment of the award amount in accordance with the High Court of Delhi's decision regarding DOCOMO's stake in Tata Teleservices Limited".

The amount of 144.9 billion yen received by DoCoMo pertains to the arbitration award and includes interest earned and other costs awarded, it added.

In February this year, Tata Sons had said it had reached an agreement with the NTT DoCoMo "on a joint approach to enable enforcement" of a compensation award granted by the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) in 2016, in favour of the Japanese company.

However, Reserve Bank of India had objected to the transfer which was later rejected by the Delhi High Court in April, thus clearing the decks for the Tatas to pay the amount to the Japanese company.

DoCoMo had, in November 2009, acquired 26.5 per cent stake in Tata Teleservices for about Rs 12,740 crore (at Rs 117 per share). This was as per a prior understanding that in case it exits the venture within five years, it will be paid a minimum 50 per cent of the acquisition price.

DoCoMo in April 2014 decided to exit the joint venture that struggled to grow subscribers quickly, and sought Rs 58 per share or Rs 7,200 crore from Tatas.

But the Indian Group offered Rs 23.34 a share in line with the RBI guidelines which stated that an international firm can only exit its investment at a valuation "not exceeding that arrived at on the basis of return on equity".

Tatas, who had been struggling to find a solution to the troubled telecom business, announced last month that Tata Teleservices will merge with Bharti Airtel as part of its plans to exit the mobile telephony business.

The Tata-Airtel telcom deal is on a no-debt, no-cash basis, implying that Airtel is not taking over any of the about Rs 40,000 crore debt with Tata Teleservices and is neither paying any cash.

According to industry observers, the payment to DoCoMo is likely to facilitate closure of the consumer mobile business deal.

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Reservation for OBC students in National Talent Search Examination (NTSE)-stage II conducted by the NCERT has been approved, Union Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar said today.

The 27 per cent quota for Other Backward Class students will be effective from 2019 as the process for the 2018 examination has already commenced, the minister said.

The reservation for OBC students will be in addition to already existing 15 per cent quota for scheduled caste students, 7.5 per cent for students from Scheduled Tribes and four per cent for physically challenged students.

"Approved reservation for #OBC students in #NTSE National Talent Search Examination Stage-II conducted by @NCERT," Javadekar said in a tweet.

He also said that increasing the number of scholarships from 1,000 to 2,000 for the second stage of NTSE is also under "active consideration".

Class 11 and 12 students get Rs 1,250 per month under the scholarship, while undergraduate and postgraduate students get Rs 2,000. For PhD students, the amount is decided according to UGC norms, he added.

The stage-1 of the examination is conducted by state governments, while the stage-II is conducted the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to identify and nurture talented students.

Sources said the state governments may also be asked to provide reservation to the OBC category. Some states are already providing the OBC reservation.

Earlier, the Aurangabad bench of Bombay high court had asked to study the feasibility and necessity of providing quota to OBC students, the sources said.

Following it, an NCERT committee had favoured quota for OBC students to be implemented as per central government norms, they added.

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Days ahead of the upcoming World Food India event, the Odisha government today sought investments in the state's food processing sector, citing a slew of incentives for businesses.

The World Food India (WFI) is being organised by the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries from November 3-5 in the national capital to facilitate partnerships between Indian and international businesses and investors.

About 26 states are participating in the mega event and Odisha is a partner and Italy and Japan are partner nations, L N Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, MSME Department of Odisha, said at a conference two days ahead of the mega event.

"I am proud to tell you there will be more than 2,000 participants and as per latest information over 300 have registered from Odisha itself, 50 plus global CEOs will be participating from around 20 countries," he said.

Around 300 participants from the food and processing sector is not a small number, it clearly shows how Odisha is growing rapidly, Gupta said.

The state's food processing sector provides a lot of opportunities to all three small, medium and large industries.

The investors must understand that all the produce be it vegetables, fruits, herbs, sea food serve as raw materials for the food processing industry, he said.

Highlighting that the food processing sector is among the the six focus sectors of the state government, he assured that there will be no shortage of raw materials and asked them to invest in the state.

However, he did not elaborate on the amount of investment that the state will manage to attract but was confident of huge investments proposals.

The state's food processing sector has attracted investments worth Rs 3,196 crore in last years, he informed.

"With 10 diverse agro-climatic zones and a 480 km long coastline, Odisha, with rice production of 98.7 lakh tonnes, is the 6th largest producer of rice, with 100 lakh tonnes, it is fourth largest producer of vegetables," the senior official said.

He further said investors keen on investing in sea food must know that Odisha is the fourth largest producer of shrimp at 6 lakh tonnes and it is the ninth largest producer of fish.

Besides, the state is the third largest producer of cashew and major producer of coconut, oilseeds, potato, corn, chilly, ginger, turmeric, etc.

After talking about the resources available, the official spoke about the fiscal benefits and ready-made infrastructure being provided to the investors.

"Odisha is one of the few states which has a dedicated Food Processing Policy 2016. The state is giving various fiscal benefits like a Capital Investment Subsidy (CIS) of up to Rs 5 crore and up to 1 crore for Human Resource Development (HRD)," he said.

A mega food park is coming up at Rayagada in an area of 65 acres at a cost of Rs 80.17 crore. Also, a sea food Park at Deras near Bhubaneswar in an area of 152.78 acres where the investors will get basic facilities like cold storages, primary processing centres, reefer vehicles, food testing labs, etc.

Some of the major brands are already present at the Khurda Food Park and enjoying the environment of ease of doing business in the state. Some of them are Britannia Industries Ltd, Parle Agro, Anmol Biscuits, he added.

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Global lighting solutions provider Osram today launched a range of automotive lights for the Indian market as part of its plans to grow in double digits in the country.

The Munich-headquartered firm today introduced Rallye range of 12 halogen lamps for two-wheelers, four-wheelers and commercial vehicles in India.

"Last year, we grew upwards of 20 per cent in India. Going ahead also, we aim to grow in double digits," Osram Lighting Managing Director and CEO Avinder Singh told reporters here.

The company's India operations generated revenues of around 75 million euro last year, with automotive segment accounting for around 35 per cent of revenues, he added.

Globally, the company reported revenues of around 3.8 billion euros and employs nearly 25,000 people worldwide.

"In fact, each year, more than half of all passenger vehicles manufactured worldwide are equipped with Osram lights and this figure goes to more than 70 per cent when it comes to the Indian market," Singh said.

He added that the new range of products will definitely bring wider options to choose from and cost competitiveness in the automotive after-market lighting industry.

The products, priced at Rs 110-399, would be mostly imported from Germany and China even though Osram has a manufacturing facility in Chennai.

Besides the company's 100 direct distributors in the country, the Rallye range will be available online on Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal.

Osram offers lighting solutions to over 70 per cent of passenger vehicles in India.

On global operations, Singh said the company aims to become a 5 billion euro entity by 2020. It is also targeting 1 billion euro in profit by that period.

"Besides, we plan to give 5 euros per share back to the market," Singh said.

Currently, India and China are the company's two key markets in the Asia-Pacific.

"These are the largest automotive vehicle markets and as such also our key focus markets for automotive lighting, with passenger vehicles leading the demand for automotive lighting," Osram GmbH Global Business Head-Traditional Products Matt Hillenbrand said.

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A Pakistani accountability court today ordered the country's financial regulatory agency to freeze the company shares of ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's two sons in the Panama Papers case.

The shares held by Hassan and Hussain will become part of case record and will remain in the court's custody. In case, the court rules against the accused in the corruption references filed against them by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the shares will be auctioned off.

The court had declared Hassan and Hussain proclaimed offenders earlier this month for repeatedly failing to appear before the court in connection with the cases.

NAB prosecutor Afzal Qureshi has submitted to the court a report detailing assets held by Hassan and Hussain in Pakistan. The bureau has already frozen the assets of the two brothers.

According to the report, the duo holds shares in six companies in Pakistan, as per Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan records.

The court directed SECP to attach shares held by both accused after seizing them. The proceedings concerning assets of Hassan and Hussain were subsequently adjourned until November 14.

While declaring the former premier's sons proclaimed offenders, the accountability court had also issued perpetual warrants for their arrest and separated their trial from other members of the family.

Asked at the time when her brothers, Hassan and Hussain, would appear before the court, their sister and Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz had said that they would take their decisions themselves.

"My brothers live abroad... the laws of here [Pakistan] don't apply to them," she had said.

The cases were registered weeks after the Supreme Court disqualified 67-year Sharif as prime minister on July 28 in the Panama Papers scandal.

A five-member bench of the Supreme Court on July 28 had directed NAB to file cases against Nawaz and his children in six weeks in the accountability court and directed the trial court to decide the cases within six months.

The Supreme Court also assigned Justice Ijazul Ahsan a supervisory role to monitor the progress of the accountability court proceedings.

The former premier and his sons have been named in all three NAB cases, while daughter Maryam and her husband retired Captain Muhammad Safdar have been named only in the Avenfield case.

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Police in Pakistan have arrested seven men for parading a young woman through a village naked in connection with a dispute over family honour.

Police officer Mohammad Basharat Khan said today that the woman's brother had an affair with a young woman from the suspects' family.

He says they forced the young woman from the rival family to strip down before parading her through the village in northwestern Pakistan last week. He says the two main suspects are still at large.

Family honour is a sensitive issue in Muslim-majority Pakistan, where nearly 1,000 women are killed by their relatives each year for violating conservative norms on love and marriage.

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Pakistan International Airlines forgot to carry two coffins meant to be flown from New York to Karachi, leaving the cash-strapped national carrier red-faced, according to a media report today.

PIA spokesperson Mashood Tajwar said the mistake was committed by an agency providing luggage handling service to the carrier, the Express Tribune reported.

The PIA has expressed regret over the incident and sympathised with the mourning families.

Tajwar said the Chief Executive Officer of PIA, Dr Musharraf Rasool has taken note of the incident, adding that legal action will be taken against those responsible.

Rasool has also ordered the airline to take responsibility for all funeral arrangements in consultation with the families.

On the instructions of the family, one body will now be flown in by the Etihad Airline and arrive tomorrow in Pakistan while the second will be laid to rest in a graveyard in Maryland in the United States itself, the report said.

The goof-up occurred amid reports that the PIA will review its flight operations to the United States from October 31 due to financial issues.

The carrier had temporarily stopped booking US-bound flights for November after the management started mulling over ending operations to the US, an earlier report in the Express Tribune had said.

"We are in the process of devising a strategy for our flights to the US, and will have something more concrete by Monday," Tajwar had said earlier.

The PIA had already merged some US flights due to weak passenger load to avoid losses, he added.

He further stated that PIA has been operating flights to the US since 1961, with five weekly flights to the US cities, but they will now be brought down to two flights in a week.

According to the PIA's financial statement for up to September 2016, the total liabilities of the airline mounted to Rs 349 billion as against Rs 113.8 billion assets, the report said.

The losses of the national flag carrier are rising with each passing day, the report had said.

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Cyber terrorism and the impact of social media on the society will be discussed in detail by top police officers at a three-day conference that will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in early December.

Police officers of the rank of DGP and IGP from all states and central police organisations will deliberate on cyber terrorism, the impact of social media on the society, cross border terrorism, radicalisation of youths besides a host of other issues during the meet to be held at the BSF academy in Tekanpur, Madhya Pradesh, from December 1-3.

While the prime minister is expected to speak on new-age crime like cyber terrorism and radicalisation of youths, Home Minister Rajnath Singh will give an assessment on the internal security situation and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will talk about cross border terrorism, a home ministry official said.

About 250 senior police officers are expected to attend the conclave which will discuss issues such as the security situation in the major combat theatres of Jammu and Kashmir, Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and the Northeast.

Issues of curbing black money and narcotics in the wake of demonetisation were also expected to be on the agenda, the official said.

The implementation and activation of decisions taken during the last few conferences will also be reviewed during the meeting.

The subject of issuance and cancellation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration of the non- governmental organisations and others could also be put on the agenda.

The DGsP/IGsP of police conference is an annual affair where the senior police officials of the states and the Centre meet and discuss issues.

The Modi government has been holding it outside the national capital since it came to power.

The last three conferences have been held in Guwahati, Rann of Kutch in Gujarat and Hyderabad.

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Police say one person is dead after a shooting near the University of Utah campus at Red Butte Canyon.

The Deseret reports that the university sent an alert at 9 p.m. to students and staff to shelter in place. People on campus remained on lockdown hours later.

Salt Lake City police posted on Twitter officers are searching for 24-year-old Austin Boutain, who is suspected in the shooting.

At least eight law enforcement agencies are on scene, including the FBI. A helicopter was assisting the search.

Salt Lake City Police Sgt. Brandon Shearer said officers weren't immediately releasing the victim's gender or other details.

Utah Transit Authority says there will be limited light rail service and that buses won't service the campus for the reminder of the night.

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N Poonguzhali has become the first woman to be appointed as senior Deputy Director General, Tamil Nadu, Telecom Enforcement Resource Monitoring, Department of Telecommunications.

An Indian telecom service officer of the 1979 batch, she is an alumnus of IIT Madras, from where she graduated in Electronics and also completed her Masters in Business Administration, an official release said.

Her new role is in Telecom Enforcement Resource Monitoring under the Department of Telecommunications. The wing ensures that the telecom service providers function within the rules and regulations stipulated by the Centre.

She has 36 years of experience in the Department of Telecommunication and at Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd in various responsibilities. She also bagged the distinguished woman engineers' award by the Institute of Engineers, it said.

Prior to taking up the new role, she served BSNL as Chief General Manager, Tamil Nadu Circle, the release added.

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Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will again make a case for rational pricing of energy when he speaks at the 7th Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable in Bangkok.

India is the current chair of International Energy Forum, which is promoting the roundtable that brings together energy ministers and experts from Asian countries on November 1-2.

Pradhan will participate in the ministerial roundtable and speak on 'Natural Gas: Overcoming Market and Policy Hurdles to the Golden Age of Gas', an official statement said.

Energy Ministers from Saudi Arabia, Russia, UAE, Thailand, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Brunei are also participating in the roundtable.

At the 6th Annual LNG Producers Consumer Conference in Tokyo earlier this month, he had "called for establishing a liquid, flexible and global LNG market, abolition of Destination Restriction Clause and also explore possibilities of cooperation in establishing reliable LNG spot price indices reflecting true LNG demand and supply", the statement said.

Pradhan, during his meetings and interactions with OPEC Secretary General has called for replacing the 'Asian Premium' on oil with 'Asian Discount', it said.

"He has emphasised the implementation of responsible and reasonable pricing' by producing countries.

"In this background, the IEF, whose membership accounts for 90 per cent of global supply and demand for oil and gas, is an important forum to share India's views on global oil and gas scenario and the changes that are required to balance it better and benefit not only producers, but also consumers," it said.

The 7th AMER at Bangkok will be an important IEF event before India hosts the 16th IEF Ministerial meeting.

India is the current Chair of IEF and will host the 16th Ministerial Conference in April next year.

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Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla today kicked off in Singapore their 11-day Asia tour which will also take the royal couple to Malaysia and India.

Singapore's first female president Halimah Yacob welcomed 68-year-old Prince Charles and the 70-year-old Duchess of Cornwall at Istana, the Presidential Palace. The prince received a ceremonial welcome at the Istana grounds and also inspected a guard of honour.

The royal couple met local athletes participating in the Queen's Baton Relay, which is travelling around the world ahead of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

At the Istana, they sat down for talks with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife Ho Ching.

The Istana visit was followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the Cenotaph, which honours soldiers who died during the World War I and World War II.

At the war memorial in Esplanade Park, the couple also interacted with war veterans and students. The couple will be honoured with a state banquet this evening.

The four-day visit is Prince Charles' second and Camilla's first trip to Singapore.

It is part of their 11-day Asia trip with visits to Malaysia and finally to India. Their visit is being linked to building momentum for the Commonwealth summit to be hosted by the UK in April 2018.

The royal couple will arrive in India on November 8 for a two-day visit to be dominated by UK-India Year of Culture celebrations.

The visit, being undertaken by the heir to the British throne on behalf of the UK government, will include a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) had said.

The visit marks the first major UK royal visit to India since Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton undertook a tour of the country in April last year on the request of the British government.

According to media reports, Myanmar was considered for the trip but was excluded from the itinerary.

While officials have refused to elaborate on the reasons for the royals skipping Myanmar, it is widely believed that a spate of violence and allegations of ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims by Myanmar authorities led to the cancellation.

The displacement of over 500,000 minority Muslim Rohingyas amid violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state has become a major humanitarian crisis, with Myanmar de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi facing heavy international criticism.

Charles and Camilla had met Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi at their official London residence, Clarence House, in May for talks.

The meeting took place before violence erupted in the country, which has led to the displacement of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh.

The UK government has repeatedly called on Suu Kyi to take a firm stand against the violence.

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Punjab BJP chief Vijay Sampla today wrote to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, requesting him to convene an all-party meeting on the law and order situation in the wake of killings of right-wing leaders in the state.

"Ever since the Congress has come o power in Punjab, the law and order situation in the state has worsened day-by-day.

"The manner in which people associated with a particular ideology, a specific religion and class are being killed, suggests that some powers are hell bent on spoiling the communal harmony and peace in the state," Sampla said in a statement here.

Referring to the killings of Hindu Shiv Sena district chief Vikram Sharma in Amritsar, RSS leader Ravindra Gosain and a church priest in Ludhiana, he said these incidents pointed to something "which is a matter of serious concern for us".

"All these killings indicate that some powers are trying to derail peace in Punjab," he said, adding that "these incidents are a somber reminder of the ghastly past".

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Pakistan's Punjab province may have nine lawmakers less in the new National Assembly when elections takes place next May, according to a proposal by parliamentary leaders today.

During the meeting, also attended by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, they proposed reducing the number of seats held by Punjab in the lower house of Parliament by nine, Dawn newspaper reported.

The meeting was called after the federal Cabinet referred the delimitation bill to Parliament on October 25.

During the meeting, the issue of an increase in the number of legislatures' seats was discussed. The bill was then referred to Parliament for debate and discussion.

During the meeting, chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, the leaders proposed a redistribution of seats among provinces without increasing or decreasing the total number of seats in the assembly.

The National Assembly currently has 342 seats in total, out of which 272 are direct seats. Apart from Punjab's 148 seats, the lower house has 61 seats for Sindh, 35 for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 14 for Balochistan, 12 for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and two for Islamabad Capital Territory.

There are also 60 indirectly elected seats reserved for women and 10 for non-Muslims.

While the number of seats held by Punjab was reduced by nine - seven general and two reserved seats - in the proposal, the number of seats held by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan were increased by five and three, respectively.

It was proposed that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa be awarded four more general seats and one more reserved seat. Balochistan, on the other hand, would hold two more general seats and one more reserved seat.

It was also proposed that the number of seats held by the federal capital Islamabad be increased by one. The number of seats held by Sindh would not change under the proposals.

Today's meeting was attended by Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah, Jamaat-i-Islami parliamentary leader in National Assembly Sahibzada Tariqullah and others.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM-P) said that if their reservations regarding the provisional census results were not addressed, they would approach the courts for legal recourse.

The two parties have voiced reservations regarding the preliminary results of the census, which are serving as the basis of the current delimitation exercise.

The final results of the census are expected to be announced in April next year, which will not allow the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) enough time to carry out the delimitation process ahead of the next elections - due to be held in May.

The ECP has already warned the government that time is running out for fresh delimitation of constituencies ahead of the 2018 elections.

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A rare 37.30 carats diamond will go under the hammer at Sotheby's upcoming 'Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels' sale on November 15 here.

'The Raj Pink' which is the world's largest known 'Fancy Intense Pink diamond', is estimated at USD 20 - 30 million (Rs 129.48 - 194.22 cr approx).

"The discovery of any pink diamond is exceptional, but the Raj Pink's remarkable size and intensity of colour places it in the rarefied company of the most important pink diamonds known," David Bennett, Worldwide Chairman of Sotheby's International Jewellery Division, said.

The 'Raj Pink', which gets its name from the Sanskrit word for 'king', has been characterised as an "astonishing stone" by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), which also certified the diamond.

"Its hue is a very bright and ravishing fancy intense pink color," GIA said.

"For a diamond to display strong, unmodified pink color like that observed in 'The Raj Pink' is rare, particularly at so considerable a weight," it added.

It also noted that less than 0.02 per cent of all the diamonds submitted to the GIA each year are predominantly pink.

The rough diamond which yielded 'The Raj Pink' was studied for over a year after its discovery in 2015.

It was then entrusted to a master cutter, who brought the diamond's innermost beauty to full display by crafting it into a sparkling cushion-modified brilliant cut.

The diamond, which has already being exhibited in London, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan, will now travel to New York (November 3-4), followed by a show here between November 11 and 14, before the auction at Mandarin Oriental here.

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Trade ministers of 16 RCEP countries, including India and China, are expected to meet in Manila in mid-November to take stock of negotiations for the proposed mega agreement, an official said.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a trade pact among 16 countries that aims to cover goods, services, investments, economic and technical cooperation, competition and intellectual property rights.

"The meeting is likely to take place on the sidelines of the Asean Summit, to be held from November 9," the government official added.

The ministerial-level meeting assumes significance as several issues related to the goods and services sector are yet to be resolved.

In the recently-concluded 20th round of talks in South Korea, member countries deliberated on the stalled issues.

The members have yet to finalise the maximum number of tariff lines or products on which countries would eliminate duties.

The bloc comprises 10 Asean members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos and Vietnam) and their six FTA partners



India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Indian industry and exporters are apprehensive about the presence of China in the grouping. They have stated that lowering or eliminating duties for China may flood domestic markets with Chinese goods.

India's trade deficit with China stood at USD 51 billion in 2016-17. Which is why, India wants certain deviations for such countries. Under such deviations, India may propose a longer duration for either reduction or elimination of import duties for such countries.

India is also pressing for greater market access in the services sector, particularly easy movement of professionals.

Talks for the pact had started in Phnom Penh in November 2012. India already has implemented a free trade agreement with the Asean, Japan and South Korea.

It is negotiating free trade pacts with others, including Australia and New Zealand.

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Succumbing to pressure by resident doctors who were to go on strike from tomorrow over their demands, the Delhi government today included a lunch break of 45 minutes during the OPD hours and reduced the registration timing by one hour.

Following the order, the resident doctors also called off their proposed strike from November 1.

The decision was taken after a meeting between a delegation from the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) and senior officials of the Delhi Health Department.

In its October 9 order, the Delhi government had extended OPD timings, saying the facilities would remain functional from 8 am to 2 pm, and registration timing was fixed for 7.30 am to 1 pm so that there was enough time to attend to patients and avoid crowding.

The OPD timing earlier was 9 am to 1 pm.

According to the minutes of the meeting, the OPD registration will take place between 7.30 am and 12 pm, and a lunch break of 45 mins, anytime, after 12.30 has been included.

Another break of 10 to 15 mins may be taken, it said.

"OPD clinic will be from 8 am to 2 pm, with a 45 minute lunch break for attending doctors, any time after 12:30 pm," said the order.

The precise timing of the lunch break will be decided by medical superintendents in consultations with respective head of departments as per the mutual convenience of the attending doctors.

Registration for special clinics will be 1 pm to 2 pm. The timing will apply to teaching as well as non-teaching hospitals, the order stated.

As most of our demands have been agreed upon we are calling off the strike keeping in mind the benefits of the patients," said Vivek Chouksey, president of FORDA.

The resident doctors had threatened to go on strike from November 1 onwards, after the Delhi government had extended OPD timings saying that facilities would remain functional from 8 am to 2 pm.

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Social media giant Facebook estimates that Russian-backed "inflammatory" content reached as many as 126 million American users, roughly one-third of the nation's population, during and after the 2016 presidential election.

Twitter and Google, which own other popular social media tools, also had similar experience of being encroached upon by Russia-backed groups that tried to influence the elections.

The US accused Russia of meddling in 2016 presidential election in which Donald Trump emerged victorious.

Top officials of the three companies are scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee later today during which they are likely to inform the lawmakers that the figures of Russian penetration in the American social media is much more than previously seen, said multiple media outlets having access to their testimonies.

Facebook will tell Congress that some 126 million US users, a potentially large portion of the voting public here, may have seen stories, posts or other content from Russian sources, according to the Wall Street Journal and other US media.

"Russian agents intending to sow discord among American citizens disseminated inflammatory posts that reached 126 million users on Facebook, published more than 131,000 messages on Twitter and uploaded over 1,000 videos to Google's YouTube service," according to copies of prepared remarks from the companies that were obtained by The New York Times.

The new information goes far beyond what the companies have revealed in the past and underline the breadth of the Kremlin's efforts to lever open divisions in the US using American technology platforms, especially Facebook, the daily said.

In a blog post, Google said that it found that two accounts linked to the Internet Research Agency spent a total of USD 4,700 on its platforms during the 2016 election cycle.

This figure covers both search and display advertisements.

Google said it found 18 channels likely associated with this campaign that made videos publicly available, in English and with content that appeared to be political.

There were 1,108 such videos uploaded, representing 43 hours of content and totalling 309,000 US views from June 2015 to November 2016.

These videos generally had very low view counts; only around 3 per cent had more than 5,000 views. These channels have been suspended by Google.

In its investigation, Facebook found that the Russia- backed Internet Research Agency' purchased 3,000 advertisements in USD 100,000.

It also found that 120 pages were created by the group to disseminate its advertisements and posts. The company had previously said that it found 470 total accounts linked to the Internet Research Agency.

Similarly, Twitter found as many as 2,752 accounts associated with Internet Research Agency.

"The new disclosures come as the tech industry is facing the threat of regulation. Tech companies are expected to face tough questions about their advertisements disclosure policy and their opposition to greater regulation," the journal said.

"The foreign interference we saw is reprehensible and outrageous and opened a new battleground for our company, our industry and our society," Colin Stretch, General Counsel of Facebook said in his prepared testimony.

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A 51-year-old scientist serving at the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management was killed in a road accident today while crossing the road at nearby Kunnamangalam today, police said.

Dr C Unnikrishna warrier, Head of nuclear hydrology division of the Centre was crossing the road when a KSRTC bus knocked him down, police said.

Warrier who sustained serious head injuries was rushed to the Kozhikode Medical college Hospital where he died.

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regulator Sebi has sought clarifications from merchant bankers of 10 firms, including Lemon Tree Hotels and CMS Info Systems, regarding their proposed initial public offers (IPOs).

Together, these companies are estimated to raise more than Rs 6,000 crore, according to merchant banking sources.

The other companies are ACME Solar Holding, H G Infra Engineering, Apollo Micro Systems, Prince Pipes and Fittings, Newgen Software Technologies, Seven Island Shipping, Karda Constructions and Amber Enterprises, according to the latest update by Sebi.

Without disclosing details of clarifications sought, Sebi has said "clarifications (are) awaited from lead manager(s)" for the proposed public issues.

As per the latest weekly update of processing status of draft offer documents filed with it, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has said that clarifications were are on the proposed IPOs of these 10 companies.

The next update would be available on November 6.

Sebi said that it might issue 'observations' on these companies document within 30 days from the date of receipt of satisfactory reply from the lead merchant bankers to the clarification or additional information sought.

The 'observations' from the regulator is necessary for any company to launch public offers.

All the 10 companies had filed their respective draft papers with Sebi last month.

The regulator had last received any communication from H G Infra Engineering on October 17, Lemon Tree Hotels (October 18) and Apollo Micro Systems (October 19). For the remaining seven firms, it last received such communications during October 25-27.

Going by current trends, the segment is expected to see better performance in 2017 compared to last year, when 26 companies collectively mopped up more than Rs 26,000 crore -- making 2016 the best in six year.

So far this year, a total of 29 companies including BSE, General Insurance Corporation of India; Indian Energy Exchange; SBI Life Insurance Company; Matrimony.com and Reliance Nippon Life AMC have tapped the route to raise funds.

In addition, a host of companies have lined up their plans.
The Sensexs four days of record gave way to its first drop in seven sessions on Tuesday, with investors in metal and IT stocks burning their fingers. The Nifty also came down from record, but managed to close above 10,300.

Participants are not lowering their guard yet as they keep their focus clearly on quarterly earnings and the outcome of the US Federal Reserves two-day policy meeting.

US President Donald Trump is expected to announce his decision on the next Fed chair soon, which explains the state of cautiousness among investors.

The Sensex, after opening lower, slipped further. But, buying in selective counters made it settle at 33,213.13, down 53.03 points, or 0.16 per cent. The index had risen 876.19 points in the past six sessions. The Nifty, too, closed lower 28.35 points, or 0.27 per cent, at 10,335.30. FPIs sold shares worth a net Rs 186.04 crore, while domestic institutional investors picked up equities worth a net Rs 139.68 crore on Monday, provisional data showed.
Pune based Serum Institute of India, a part of Cyrus Poonawalla Group today said it is looking at achieving revenues of Rs 10,000 crore in the next five years period through new launches and expanding footprints in Europe and US.

"We are growing at 30 per cent CAGR and achieved revenue of Rs 4,000 crore last year. We are hoping to be Rs 10,000 crore company in the next five years period.

"We have launched Rotasiil vaccine and Rabishield, Rabies monoclonal antibody which will help us in achieving 30 per cent growth this year. We will launch more vaccines in coming years," Serum Institute Chief Executive Officer Adar Poonawalla told reporters here.

The company is also developing vaccine and drug for dengue fever. It has commenced first phase of trials in Singapore and hopes to launch vaccine in 2020, Poonawalla said.

The world's largest manufacturer of vaccines said, it sells about 1.3 billion doses a year globally across 147 countries. The company is now looking at expanding its footprints in Europe and US market, he said.

In a major breakthrough, Serum Institute today announced unveiling of its much-awaited Rotasiil vaccine and Rabishield, Rabies monoclonal antibody.

Rabishield has been developed in research partnership with Massachusetts Medical School, US.

The availability of Rotasiil and Rabishield worldwide will help reduce deaths caused due to Rotavirus and Rabies which cause fatal diseases, Poonawalla said.

The newly developed Rabishield is the world's first recombinant rabies monoclonal antibody, which will help prevent Rabies, a 100 per cent fatal disease which does not have cure till date, but is almost 100 per cent preventable.

Rabies is reported to cause two deaths every hour in India. It is transmitted to humans after an exposure through bites or scratches from both domestic and wild animals.

"Our new drug - Rabishield - is a first-of-its-kind product for passive immunisation against Rabies. Since the new drug will be 25 per cent cheaper than the existing rabies immunoglobulins, it would meet the needs of the poor countries," Poonawalla added.

Rotasiil is the world's first thermostable pentavalent Rotavirus vaccine containing the G9 strain to help prevent the spread of Rotavirus which causes Diarrhoea mostly in babies and is often accompanied by vomitting and fever, leading to severe dehydration. It is reported that around 100,000 rotavirus related deaths occur in the country.

According to Poonawalla, "Scientists have been working on this Rotavirus vaccine for the last eight years. We had decided to develop a heat-stable vaccine to overcome the absence of cold-chain in many poor countries.

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Several people were killed and numerous others injured in Lower Manhattan today after a truck plowed along a bike path before cops took the driver into custody.

The driver of the truck, hired from Home Depot, opened fires on the police in his unsuccessful attempt to flee.

While no other details were immediately available, The New York Daily reported the gunman emerged from a crashed Home Depot truck and opened fired after apparently plowing down four riders on a Lower Manhattan bike path.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said he had been briefed about the incident and that "there is no active threat now".

The New York Police Department (NYPD) said that there were "numerous deaths and injuries" but could not provide any confirmation on the number of causalities.

"There are several fatalities and numerous people injured," the NYPD said.

The local media reports, however, said at least six people were killed and 15 others injured in the incident.

"Currently there is one person in custody. No others outstanding. All information is preliminary as the investigation is ongoing," said the New York Police Department on its twitter account. It was scheduled to hold a conference soon.

"I thought it was Halloween (prank) or something," the Daily quoted an eyewitness Tawhid Kabir, 20, of Queens as saying.

"I saw the gun running in a circle and I realised it was serious," he said.

Another eyewitness, 44-year-old Eugene Duff, told New York Daily News that he saw white Home Depot truck run down a pair of CitiBike riders as the driver sped along the busy path off the Hudson River.

A police officer was apparently shot and suffered a minor injury.

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South Korea and China will push to normalize their ties badly strained over the deployment of a contentious US missile defence system in the South, both countries announced today, with Seoul saying their leaders are set to hold summit talks next week.

South Korea allowed the United States to install the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence system on its soil this year, triggering angry rhetoric and economic retaliation from China which views THAAD's powerful radar as a threat to its own security. South Korea and the United States have repeatedly said the system is only aimed at defending against North Korea's advancing nuclear threats, rather than peering into Chinese territory.

Today, Seoul's Foreign Ministry said there was recently diplomatic communication between the two countries, during which they agreed to put bilateral exchange and cooperation back on a normal track soon and boost cooperation for a peaceful, diplomatic resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue.

The ministry statement said Beijing reaffirmed its opposition to THAAD and asked South Korea to handle "relevant issues appropriately" while South Korea reiterated the system doesn't target China. It said military officials of the two countries will discuss Chinese worries about the THAAD system.

Seoul's presidential office announced separately that President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold summit talks next week on the sidelines of an annual regional forum in Vietnam. It would be their second one-on-one meeting since Moon's inauguration in May.

China's Foreign Ministry in its own statement did not mention a summit. In that statement, Beijing repeated its objection to the anti-missile system but it indicated an interest in improving ties. It said both sides attached great importance to their relationship and were willing to push forward on developing a cooperative partnership.

Lu Chao, a Korea expert at Liaoning Social Sciences Academy, said the Xi-Moon summit could set the stage for more hi-level talks, including by military officials.

Today's announcements by the two countries came after Xi consolidated his already considerable power at a twice-a- decade Communist Party congress that concluded last week.

Efforts have been recently made to improve ties, with neither country expected to gain much from a protracted standoff over the THAAD issue.

Many analysts say China appeared to use its THAAD opposition to bolster its regional clout but that such a stance could push South Korea closer to the US and Japan for a potential anti-Beijing trilateral alliance.

In South Korea, there have been growing worries about frosty ties with China, which is its largest trading partner and some South Koreans say might one day replace the United States as the world's sole superpower.

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A Chhattisgarh court today remanded journalist Vinod Verma, arrested in connection with a case of blackmailing and extortion, in judicial custody for 14 days.

The Raipur police produced Verma before Judicial Magistrate First Class Bhavesh Kumar Watti at around 11 am here after his police remand expired today, the journalist's lawyer Faizal Rizvi told reporters.

According to the defence counsel, he pleaded in the court that the police does not have any evidence to prove the charges in the case, in which offences have been registered under IPC sections 384 (extortion) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

The lawyer said he urged the court to release Verma citing lack of evidence.

After the hearing, the court sent Verma in judicial remand and asked the police to produce him before it on November 13, he added.

Verma was arrested by the Chhattisgarh Police on October 27 from his residence in Ghaziabad.

He claimed that the Chhattisgarh government suspected that he had a "sex CD of Chhattisgarh PWD Minister Rajesh Munat" and that is why he was being framed.

However, Munat called the CD "fake" and an attempt at character assassination.

The minister had on Saturday filed a complaint against state Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel and Verma for allegedly tarnishing his image through the "fake" sex CD.

According to the Raipur police, a case of blackmailing and extortion was registered at the Pandri police station based on a complaint of Prakash Bajaj, who alleged that he "was being harassed on phone by an unidentified caller who told him that he had a CD of his master".

After the investigation, the search team was sent to Delhi and Verma was held from Ghaziabad, police had said.

The police also claimed to have recovered 500 "porn" CDs, a pen drive and a laptop from Verma.

The issue has sparked a political row in the state with the Congress and the BJP trading charges.

The state government has recommended a CBI probe in the case.

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Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today directed Welfare of Plain Tribes and Backward Caste Department to rejuvenate the Assam Tribal Development Authority (ATDA), an official release said.

The chief minister said this can be done by identifying tribal communities and their population which fall outside the jurisdiction of the BTAD and Autonomous Councils of the state.

The chief minister's direction will benefit many small tribal communities living outside the administrative jurisdiction of the BTAD and the councils, the release said.

As per an earlier amendment of the Assam Tribal Development Authority Act, 1983, the ATDA was mandated to work for the tribal people living outside the BTAD and Autonomous Councils of the state.

As ATDA remained dormant for past several years, it severely hit many small tribal communities.

"The tribal people are the sons of the soil. They are the precious jewels in the socio-cultural mosaic of the state. The government of Assam is committed to ensure social security and development of each of the tribal community," the release quoted Sonowal as saying.

The Chief Minister also directed the department to make separate budget provision to suit the requirements of the tribal population not covered by the autonomous councils so that the ATDA can take up development and welfare activities for them.

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A compound found in soy food products may help suppress the development of breast cancer, paving the way for new therapies to prevent the disease, a study claims.

Researchers at University of Arizona in the US suggest genistein - a component of soy foods - can protect BRCA1, a gene that plays a pivotal role in thwarting tumour development in breast tissue.

BRCA1 is a tumour-suppressor gene. When working normally, it helps keep DNA stable, protecting against genetic diseases like cancer; when BRCA1 is performing abnormally, the body's defences against breast cancer are impaired, researchers said.

A small percentage of breast cancers are caused by mutations in BRCA1, many other breast cancer patients have normal copies, but the genes have been "methylated" - wrapped in strands of carbon-based molecules that render them unreadable. The BRCA1 gene "silenced" in this manner is unable to do its job as a tumour suppressor, they said.

One receptor, the aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), silences BRCA1, triggering a cascade of undesirable effects.

When BRCA1 is unable to carry out its duties as a tumour suppressor, cancerous cells can proliferate, researchers said.

The study, published in the journal Current Developments in Nutrition, found that AhR can be targeted by genistein.

The team hopes this discovery will lead to a genistein- based therapy that can block the harmful actions of AhR.

One weapon that may be used to target AhR is found in soy, a protein-packed legume that is a major source of compounds called isoflavones, they said.

"Lifetime intake of soy in Asian women has been linked to reduced risk of breast cancer. Genistein is the predominant isoflavone found in soy and it may actually block DNA methylation" - the silencing of the BRCA1 gene," said Donato F Romagnolo, professor at University of Arizona.

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Spain's foreign and justice ministers today poured cold water on the viability of a potential asylum bid by Catalonia's deposed separatist leader, who is in Belgium seeking legal advice.

"It would be surprising if he were granted asylum in the current circumstances," Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis told the Cadena Ser radio station.

It is as yet unclear what Carles Puigdemont, axed as Catalan president on Friday after the region's parliament declared independence, is doing in Belgium but he has consulted at least one lawyer who has worked on asylum cases.

According to various Spanish media, he is considering applying for asylum, or at the very least staying in Belgium to wait for Spain to file an extradition request.

He is due to speak at 1130 GMT in Brussels.

of his trip to Belgium comes as Spain's chief prosecutor demanded he and other former Catalan leaders be charged with rebellion, punishable by up to 30 years in jail, and sedition.

A court now has to decide whether to bring charges.

Dastis underscored that Puigdemont had not been charged yet and was therefore still "free to move around."



But he was dubious on a potential asylum bid.

"We believe that among EU member states, there is a level of reciprocal trust over the fact that we are states governed by the rule of law," he said.

Justice Minister Rafael Catala, meanwhile, said that all EU states had "democratic systems."



"He has no arguments."



The lawyer Puigdemont contacted in Belgium, Paul Bekaert, has in the past worked on asylum cases involving Spaniards in the Basque Country, once hit by decades of violence waged by armed separatist group ETA.

Bekaert told Flemish television VRT yesterday that Puigdemont had appointed him as his lawyer, adding however that on the issue of asylum, "nothing has yet been decided."



Jaume Alonso-Cuevillas, Puigdemont's lawyer in Catalonia, did not confirm to AFP what his intentions were.

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The nearly two-week long stalemate at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) came to an end today as the agitating students withdrew their strike after the management issued a formal notice revoking the expulsion of 14 girl students.

The students have been on a relay hunger strike since Saturday night demanding unconditional revocation of the expulsion order of the girl students from the institute over their refusal to shift to the newly built girls' hostel from a common accommodation which also had boys.

The expelled girls also submitted a written note to the SRFTI authorities individually stating the reasons behind their initial opposition to the hostel segregation order.

"We have withdrawn the relay hunger strike after authorities accepted our demand for formal revocation of expulsion of 14 girls and we have already shifted to the new girls' hostel building," Rupkatha Purakayastha, one of the 14 expelled girls, told PTI.

"Classes resumed today and all of us decided that the institution will also be functioning normally from tomorrow," she said.

The agitation was withdrawn after another round of talks between the faculty, including the SRFTI director, and the students' body earlier in the day, another students' body spokesperson said.

When contacted, SRFTI Director Debamitra Mitra said, "Yes, the talks have been fruitful and the impasse has been resolved. The 14 girls have given formal letters stating the reason behind their opposition initially and we have accepted that. The notification confirming revocation of their expulsion has also been issued."



Purakayastha said the students body would hold another meeting with the faculty tomorrow to discuss other demands, including hike in budgetary allocation for film projects by students and better academic facilities.

The autonomous SRFTI, the premier institute for film training that stands in line with the Film and Television Institute of India, had been in the limelight since October 17, after protests against the girl students' expulsion rocked the campus.

The students had initially objected to building a separate accommodation facility for girls and had described it as an act of moral policing.

Mitra had said the authorities had decided to build a separate ladies hostel and upgrade the curriculum and infrastructure of the institute after receiving an approval from the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry in 2013 in this regard.

She had said the objective behind shifting the girls to the new hostel was to ensure students' safety.

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Initiatives based on feedback from stakeholders have helped in significantly improving investment climate in the country which is reflected in the World Bank's latest report on ease of doing business, a top official today said.

As per the World Bank's doing business report 2018, India's rank improved to 100th from 130th last year out of 190 countries.

Secretary in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) Ramesh Abhishek said that this year, since November the ministry started meeting stakeholders and taking feedback from them on the reform measures taken by the government to improve business climate.

"This exercise has helped us a lot. This time we focused mainly on taking feedback from stakeholders. All nodal ministries were taking feedback," Abhishek told PTI.

He further said the World Bank report has acknowledged that GST (Goods and Services Tax) is a substantial reform and "hopefully it will have a positive impact on the country's ranking next year," he added.

The secretary said the department was continuously communicating with industry and informing them about the reform measures.

On achieving the target of bringing the country's rank in top 50, Abhishek said that more steps are in the pipeline, which would further help in improving India's ranking.

He said that as many as 120 steps taken by the government are yet to be recognised by the World Bank.

Besides, he added, the department has suggested 90 more reform measures such as with regard to commercial courts.

"Once these reforms are operationalise, definitely we will have significant improvement in the ranking," he added.

"We will work on recognition of the 122 reforms which were not recognised this year by the World Bank... For this purpose, we will work with the ministries, the two states (Delhi and Maharashtra) as well as stakeholders and with the World Bank team," he added.

In its report, the bank has recognised this year as one of the world's top 10 improvers.

The Doing Business Report of the World Bank ranks a country on 10 parameters that assess areas such as starting a business, construction permits, getting electricity, registering property, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, enforcing contracts, resolving insolvency and trade across borders.

In paying taxes and resolving insolvency, India's rank has improved from 172 to 119 and 136 to 103, respectively. Similarly, in getting credit, it has improved from 44 to 29.

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A large number of students of Sikkim Government College at Tadong near here today boycotted classes and staged a dharna protesting against the rejection of nomination of three candidates for the post of President of Students Representative Council.

As soon as some students came to know about rejection of nomination papers filed by Sher Hang Subba, Aniras Luitel and Nishant Subedi -- all final year students -- many of them boycotted classes and reached near the college gate where they staged a dharna demanding restoration of nomination of these candidates.

The Students Representative Council election is scheduled for November 9.

Speaking to reporters, Subba alleged that the election authorities have rejected the nomination papers without explaining why.

The college's dean Ajay Chhetri, however, defended the election panel's decision saying that there were disciplinary charges against these students.

He, however, said the three students will be given an opportunity tomorrow to defend themselves before the election authorities.

During the disquiet in college premises, its principal Lily Alley was absent as she was hospitalised due to some health problems, according to Chhetri.

Sikkim Government College has 3,500 students.

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Two suspected robbers, referred to as 'Jai' and 'Veeru', popular characters of the iconic Bollywood film 'Sholay', were arrested from south Delhi for their alleged involvement in motor vehicle thefts, police said today.

Jamshed Alam (18), a resident of Sangam Vihar, and Irshad (21), who lives in Shiv Park, they said.

The police have recovered 13 stolen autorickshaws and a scooty thereby solving six cases of motor vehicle theft.

On October 29, the police received a tip-off about the accused coming to a specific location following which they laid a trap and arrested the accused.

During an interrogation, both the accused confessed to have committed several vehicle thefts in Delhi and the National Capital Region, the polcie said.

"Both the accused are good friends and were inspired by the iconic Bollywood movie 'Sholay' and are known as 'Jai' and 'Veeru' in the locality," the police said.

Initially, both used to drive an autorickshaw on rent to earn livelihood.

Later, to make quick money, they started stealing auto rickshaws from Gurgaon or Faridabad, they said.

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The Mizoram government today decided to constitute district-level task forces in Lunglei and Lawngtlai in the south, and Mamit in the north west to tacjle illegal influx along the Mizoram-Bangladesh border areas, a senior home department official said.

Additional secretary for home, Lalbiakzama said the meeting of home department officials, top police officials, representatives of civil societies including Young Chakma Association (YCA) and Young Mizo Association (YMA), chaired by state home secretary Lalrinliana Fanai discussed the issue.

The meeting decided that task forces should also be constituted at the village level.

The meeting came close on the heels of the Ministry of Home Affairs issuing instruction to the state governments to detect and deport illegal immigrants.

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The Telangana government today constituted a panel to make recommendations for implementing its decision to teach Telugu as a 'compulsory subject' from class I to XII in all educational institutions in the state.

"...The Adviser to Government, Tourism & Culture Department has informed that the CM has directed to take necessary action to teach Telugu as 'compulsory subject' from class I to class XII in all the educational institutions in the state, from the next academic year of 2018-19," a Government Order (GO) issued today said.

A meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Education on October 27 decided to constitute a sub-committee to examine and analyse the entire issue and furnish their recommendations to the government, the GO said.

The panel comprises Potti Sree Ramulu Telugu University Vice-Chancellor SV Satyanarayana and others.

The committee should examine the existing acts, rules, guidelines in the state pertaining to the state syllabus schools and CBSE/ICSE/IB schools and the Board of Intermediate Education regarding the existing 'Three Language Formula' and its implementation in schools and junior colleges, it said.

"They may study the pattern of the other states i.e. their acts/ rules and implementation / practices such as in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Punjab and West Bengal, since these states are understood to have implemented their regional language as 'compulsory' in these educational institutions," the GO said.

The panel should furnish its report, along with recommendations to the government by November 15, it added.

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Tata Global Beverages today announced the pilot launch of its first tea caf - 'Tata Cha'- with an aim to rekindle tea love among the millennials.

The company plans to test launch a total of four pilot stores in Bengaluru to evaluate the consumer proposition and business model, Tata Global Beverages Ltd (TGBL) said in a regulatory filing.

The first 'Tata Cha' tea cafe has been opened in Bengaluru and the company will decide on future course of action for the out of home beverage space based on the outcome of the pilot stores, it added.

"With increasing disposable income, the trend of eating outdoors is on an upward trajectory. We want to be a part of this trend and through this pilot launch of Tata Cha we want to test consumer proposition; our model and feasibility," Tata Global Beverages Regional PresidentIndia, Sushant Dash said.

He further said the venture is aimed at enhancing the appeal of tea and make it more vibrant for the newer consumer groups like the millennials.

TGBL will offer menu crafted to revive "lost Indian recipes that blend warmth with a dash of youthfulness" such as signature tea-based hot and cold beverages, traditional snacks, dunkers and meals with a twist, Dash added.

Banking on the company's expertise in understanding the nuances of tea drinking in India and Indian's love for boiled tea, TGBL will specialise in serving freshly boiled tea, just like the corner tea shop, served one perfect cup at a time, the statement said.

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As the Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra completes its three years today, former minister Eknath Khadse said that those who had worked to bring the BJP to power have been kept away from it.

Khadse was speaking at a book release event in Dhule yesterday, in the presence of BJP vice president Shyam Jaju. Jaju released the Marathi book on the Emergency.

"The situation in the BJP is that those who spent their life working for the party and brought it to power are out of power and people like Narayan Rane are inside it," he said.

Rane was the chief minister in 1999 when he was in the Shiv Sena.

He would be soon inducted in the Maharashtra cabinet, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said yesterday.

Khadse, who hails from north Maharashtra, had quit the Fadnavis cabinet in June last year after allegations of impropriety in a Pune land deal.

Soon after his resignation, the state government initiated a judicial inquiry against him.

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Senior US national security officials told Congress a new war authorisation is "not legally required" to conduct combat operations against terrorist groups and warned lawmakers that prematurely repealing current law could signal the US is "backing away from this fight."



Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee three months after they informed the panel a post- September 11, 2001 law gave the military ample authority to fight terrorist groups and a new one was unnecessary. A separate authorisation for the war in Iraq approved by Congress in 2002 also remains in force.

In testimony, they said if Congress does pursue a new authorisation for foes such as the Islamic State, it's imperative that the existing law not be rescinded until the new one is fully in place. Tillerson and Mattis also said that any new war authorisation, like the existing one, should not have any geographic or time restrictions placed on the use of force.

"Though a statement of continued congressional support would be welcome, a new (war authorisation) is not legally required to address the continuing threat posed by al-Qaida, the Taliban and ISIS," Mattis said. But doing away from the existing laws prematurely "could only signal to our enemies and our friends that we are backing away from this fight," according to Mattis.

Their appearance before the committee comes as the deadly ambush in Niger is igniting a push among many lawmakers to update the legal parameters for combat operations overseas.

A growing number of congressional Republicans and Democrats, many of whom were startled by the depth of the U.S. commitment in Niger and other parts of Africa, have been demanding a new authorisation for the use of military force.

They've argued that the dynamics of the battlefield have shifted over the past 16 years and it's past time to replace the post-Sept. 11 authorisation to fight al-Qaida with a law that reflects current threats.

Senator Tim Kaine, D-Va, said last week he believed most Americans would be surprised by the extent of the operations in Africa that U.S. forces are involved. Kaine and Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., are sponsoring legislation to install a new war authority for operations against the Islamic State group, al-Qaida and the Taliban.

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Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit today paid tributes to freedom fighter, the late Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, on the latter's 142nd birth anniversary.

Purohit offered floral tributes to a statue of Patel opposite the Raj Bhavan here.

He also offered floral tributes to a portrait of Patel there, a release from Raj Bhavan said.

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A micro retailers' association on Tuesday staged a protest against the Centre's advisory to state governments, proposing a ban on tobacco and paan shops from selling food items.

The association said the suggestion, if implemented, would affect the livelihood of around five lakh shopkeepers.

A protest meeting was held today in central Kolkata, where shop owners sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention into the matter.

"The arbitrary suggestion to disallow food items in our shops could be life-threatening for many. We request the Prime Minister to look into the matter," secretary of Paschimbango Pan Abong Tamak Bikreta Samity (West Bengal paan and tobacco sellers' association) Moloy Biswas said.

The health ministry had last month sent letters to the state governments to suggest a ban on non-tobacco products such as chips, bread, eggs and biscuits in retail shops that sell tobacco. The move, as the ministry said, would prevent children from exposure to tobacco products.

Biswas claimed they do not sell tobacco products to minors.

"To avoid a harmful product, you can't adopt a blanket ban on all the other products. It would inconvenience local people," he said.

Naba Kumar Dhar, another member of the association, said food items account for at least 50 per cent or more of their every day sale and the proposal could be fatal to their business.

The members of the retailers' body said they will send a memorandum to the Centre and the state government, seeking an immediate withdrawal of the proposal.

The retailers might have to take a legal recourse, if the governments do not consider their plight, Biswas added.
Israel's Chief of Ground Forces Command, Major General Yaakov (Kobi) Barak, today visited the Indian Army's Northern Command headquarters in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district.

Barak, who held discussions with senior Indian Army officials, is the first top Army commander of Israel to visit the Northern Command headquarters, an officer said.

The Israeli commander was accompanied by his wife Orit Barak and officers of the Embassy of Israel.

The visiting dignitary called on Lieutenant General D Anbu and matters of mutual interest were discussed, a senior Army officer said today.

"The delegation expressed full satisfaction in further pursuing enhanced cooperation between the two countries", he said.

Orit Barak visited the Asha School at Udhampur along with the Army Wives Welfare Association's regional president, Gowri Anbu.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his predecessor Manmohan Singh and former president Pranab Mukherjee paid tributes to Indira Gandhi on her 33rd death anniversary.

"Tributes to former PM Mrs Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary," Modi said in a tweet.

Mukherjee, Singh and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi were the first ones to pay floral tributes to the late prime minister at 'Shakti Sthal' where she was cremated.

Later, Singh and Rahul Gandhi also attended a prayer meeting at the Indira Gandhi Memorial at 1 Akbar Road here.

Many former union ministers, senior Congress leaders and MPs were also present at both the places.

Mukherjee also tweeted, "Remembering PM Smt Indira Gandhi today. A strong leader and a visionary who served the nation till her last breath."



Rahul Gandhi put out a tweet remembering the words of his grandmother along with her picture saying, "Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave: Indira Gandhi."



Congress President Sonia Gandhi could not attend the programmes as she is indisposed. She has just returned home after being admitted to a hospital.

Indira Gandhi, the then prime minister, was assassinated this day in 1984 by two of her security guards.

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President Donald Trump during his visit to China next month will tell the Chinese to cease "predatory" trade and investment practices as these are affecting the US market and markets around the world, the White House today said.

"On China, a big focus of the discussion, with the Chinese government and also with APEC economies is a need to have a balance in the trading relationship for bilateral economic relations to be sustainable," a senior administration official said.

Over the long term, China must provide fair and reciprocal treatment not just to US firms but to firms across the region.

"That means ceasing predatory trade and investment practices," the official said, ahead of Trump's 12-day visit to east Asia that would take him to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

Noting that progress on a range of bilateral economic issues has become increasingly difficult, the official said the US believes this reflects a slowdown and even a retreat in China's move toward a market-oriented economy.

"China is now so large that its distortionary practices not only have effects within the US market, but in markets around the world," the official said.

"For countries to thrive in the region, we need to have a removal of these state-driven subsidies and a more market- oriented economic approach. The current trajectory is not sustainable not just for the United States but also for countries in the region," the official said.

Therefore, it will be no surprise that the president will continue to push China to follow through on commitments that it made recently and also when it joined the WTO to take steps towards a more market-oriented economy, he said.

There was a period where China took on a lot of underlying economic reforms and it did lead to some significant growth, both in their exports, but also opportunities for others for others to engage in that economy, the official said.

"I think what we're seeing is a trajectory of retrenchment, a trajectory of moving away from market-based principles. And as member of the WTO, that is not a sustainable direction. It is not a way to promote economic growth in the region. It's not a way for American and other companies to ensure fair access to that market," he said.

The US would like to see China move towards the market- oriented, systemic changes that would be necessary to help enhance growth in the region, and help all the economies thrive, the official added.

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Two unidentified motorcycle-borne miscreants looted Rs 2.10 lakh from a medicine trader at gun point in Bihar's Banka district today.

The incident took place when the driver of the car, carrying the trader, had stopped the vehicle near Basauni Mor under Panjwara police station area.

The trader was walking after alighting from the vehicle when the miscreants snatched the bag at gun point and escaped from the scene, Panjwara police station officer-in-charge Vimal Kumar Das said.

The medicine trader Rupak Yadav, who runs a medicine shop in Godda district of Jharkhand, was on way to Bhagalpur to buy medicines, Das said.

Raids were on to nab the culprits, he said.

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A special CBI court here today sentenced two railway officials to three years of rigorous imprisonment in a 2014 corruption case.

Principal Special Judge for CBI cases convicted K Nageswar Rao, Head Master, Railways Boys High School and K Narasimhalu, Chief Office Superintendent at South Central Railway and awarded the sentence.

They were convicted for criminal conspiracy, cheating under relevant IPC sections. The also slapped a fine of Rs 10,000 each.

The court also convicted them under different sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. It sentenced them to three years imprisonment and also imposed fines.

"The court ordered that all the sentences shall run concurrently and the total fine amount imposed is Rs 1 lakh each," the CBI said in a release.

The case was registered on July 31, 2014 on the charge of demanding illegal gratification of Rs 3 lakh from a complainant, who is a senior drawing teacher, at the Railways Boys High School, for managing alleged vigilance inquiry against the complainant with regard to her caste certificate, the CBI said.

They (the two railway officials) were apprehended at the residence of complainant while demanding and accepting Rs 1 lakh bribe in cash and two cheques for Rs 1 lakh each, the central agency said.

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The head of the UN environment program said today the United States is likely to live up to the Paris climate deal despite President Donald Trump's planned pullout, because "all the big American companies" are working toward greener operations.

The comments from UNEP executive director Erik Solheim came as the UN agency presented its latest "Emissions Gap" report, which gives a scientific assessment about how national efforts are affecting the greenhouse gas emission trend.

The report's release ahead of a crucial climate meeting next week in Bonn, Germany, aims to inject new momentum to the Paris accord and even strengthen it in 2020.

Trump, however, has vowed to pull out the US because he insists it's unfair to the United States.

UN officials are increasingly citing the role of companies in the fight against climate change.

"There is one question that I get more often than any other question wherever I go on the planet and it is a very simple one. It is: 'What about Donald Trump?'" Solheim told a panel in Geneva by videoconference from Nairobi.

"In all likelihood, the United States of America will live up to its Paris commitment, not because of the White House, but because of the private sector," he said. "All the big American companies are dedicated to go in the green direction."



But UNEP said countries and industries still need to do more to meet targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions that experts say contribute to global warming. The report criticizes coal-fired electricity plants being built in emerging economies, and insists that investment in renewable energies will pay for itself and even make money over the long term.

"The Paris agreement boosted climate action, but momentum is clearly faltering," said Edgar Gutierrez-Espeleta, Costa Rica's environment minister who heads the 2017 UN Environment Assembly. "We face a stark choice: Up our ambition, or suffer the consequences."



The Paris accord aims to cap global temperature increases to 2 degrees Celsius (Fahrenheit) by the year 2100 compared to average world temperatures at the start of the industrial era



and even hopes to limit the increase to 1.5 degrees C. UNEP says trends suggest that even if current national commitments are met, a temperature increase of 3 degrees Celsius by the end of the century is "very likely meaning that governments need to deliver much stronger pledges when they are revised in 2020."



"Should the United States follow through with its stated intention to leave the Paris agreement in 2020, the picture could become even bleaker," UNEP said.

Lead author John Christensen of UN Environment noted some US states like California were "acting independently of what the White House decides." He said Trump's bid to peel back constraints on the coal industry won't mark a major shift because "it simply doesn't pay off."



He also said the US targets in the Paris accord, as agreed by the Obama administration, were "not that ambitious in the first place."



But Christensen told the Geneva panel that the Trump administration's impact on efforts could affect "negotiation dynamics" with other countries and embolden "what I call 'noise-makers:' they are the ones that are opposed to the basic idea" of fighting climate change.

Bob Ward, an expert on climate change policy at the London School of Economics, agreed that the coal industry is "unlikely to be revived in the United States because it is being displaced by cleaner and cheaper sources of energy."



"Many countries now recognize that the transition to a low-carbon economy will generate sustainable growth and development, with lower poverty and higher living standards," he said. "High-carbon economies look increasingly uncompetitive."



A new round of UN climate talks known as COP 23 starts in Bonn, Germany, yesterday, when countries will take stock of their achievements and prepare more ambitious national goals.

On the positive, UNEP highlighted "rapidly expanding mitigation action" and says carbon-dioxide emissions have remained stable since 2014, thanks partly to renewable energy use in China and India. It cautioned that other greenhouse gases like methane continue to rise, however.

UNEP has trumpeted solar and wind energy, efficient appliances and cars, and efforts to preserve forests. Solheim cited tests this week on the world's first solar-powered railroad in Australia and the launch of a hydrogen-run subway system in northern China.

"We are at the watershed moment: We have stopped the rise in CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions there is every reason to believe we can bring them down," he said. "The train is on the right track, but our duty is to speed it up.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jail officials must be made part of the undertrial review committees (UTRCs) in the states and a standard operating procedure in this regard should be put in place, the Supreme Court said today.

Observing that some fine-tuning was needed to be carried out in the functioning of the UTRCs, the apex court, which was hearing a matter relating to inhuman conditions prevailing in 1,382 prisons across the country, directed that jail superintendents should be made a part of the UTRC meetings, saying prison authorities must be involved in the process.

A UTRC, set up in every district, deliberates and recommends the release of undertrial prisoners and convicts who have undergone their sentence or are entitled to be released from jail due to bail or remission granted to them.

"It appears that there is some fine-tuning that is required to be made in respect of functioning of UTRC," a bench comprising Justices M B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said.

The apex court's observations came weeks after it had expressed shock at the large number of people languishing in jails in "complete violation" of their rights despite recommendations for their release by the legal services authority and terming the situation as unacceptable.

The bench today accepted the suggestions of advocate Gaurav Agrawal, assisting the court as an amicus curiae, and the counsel for some of the states that superintendent of jails should take part in the meetings of UTRC.

The amicus told the bench that he would discuss with the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) and the states in framing a standard operating procedure to make the functioning of UTRCs more efficient.

He told the court that a draft questionnaire, prepared by him for responses to be given by the states on various aspects of jail and prison management, was likely to be put on a portal by Ministry of Home Affiars (MHA) within four weeks.

Attorney General K K Venugopal told the bench that the MHA has called for a meeting of inspectors general (IGs) of prisons of all states on November 16 to discuss the issues related to jail management.

The bench said it expected that state governments and the authorities would deal with the issue, keeping in mind that it pertains to human rights which must be given priority.

The bench has fixed the matter for further hearing on December 12.

During the hearing, the bench also perused the affidavits filed by Uttar



Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

The court also made it clear that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) would continue to deal with cases, including those of natural or unnatural deaths in jails which were required to be considered by them.

It had earlier asked the states to explain how there were instances of more persons being released from jails than what was recommended by legal services authority or by the UTRC.

On September 15, the court had also passed an order on the issue of custodial deaths and said this was a crime and such incidents indicated the "apparent disdain" of the State to the life and liberty of prisoners.

It had also passed a slew of directions over unnatural deaths and on prison reforms across India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is heading to Mauritius tomorrow to invite NRIs, days after rolling out the red carpet to American companies interested in investing in the state.

The chief minister, who flies to Port Louis from Mumbai tomorrow morning, will be on a three-day visit to Mauritius, during which he will participate in the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas -- a mega event to woo investors -- Principal Secretary (information) Awanish Awasthi told PTI today.

Adityanath is also likely to invite people of Indian origin to participate in the NRI Diwas to he held in Lucknow in March next year.

During his stay in Mauritius, the chief minister will meet NRIs and explore possibilities for investment in Uttar Pradesh, Awasthi, who is part of the chief minister's entourage, said.

Adityanath will also apprise them of the steps taken by his government to facilitate investment in the state.

India is Mauritius' largest trading partner and has been the largest exporter of goods and services to the island nation since 2007.

The chief minister's visit comes closely on the heels of his recent meeting with representatives of more than two dozen US companies exploring investment opportunities in the state.

The state's economy will act as a backbone to strengthen the India-US ties, Adityanath said, assuring the US firms his government's commitment to providing an investor-friendly environment.

The 50-member delegation, representing 26 major US firms, had met the chief minister here under the aegis of US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF).

Led by Boeing, the delegation, which included major US firms such as Facebook, Adobe, Coca Cola, Mastercard, Monsanto, Uber, Honeywell, P&G, Oracle and GE Health and Cargill, has shown keen interest in investing in the state.

They had a threadbare interaction with state cabinet minister Siddharth Nath Singh, who welcomed them to UP "to fulfil BJP's 'Sankalp Patra' by creating employment opportunities through your investment".

The 'US in UP' engagement followed the 'Vibrant Gujarat' model and showcased the state's investment avenues in chemicals, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, cement, gems, textiles and engineering sectors.

Singh told the visiting team that "Yogi Adityanath government's narrative is different from the previous governments". "We will give you a red carpet welcome in the true spirit of Atithi Devo Bhava (Guest is equivalent to God)," he stressed.

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 are granted to investors.

Uttar Pradesh has recently come up with an Industrial Investment and Employment Promotion Policy to stabilise and make existing industries more competitive and attract international and national investments in the industrial sector.

Official sources said the state government has decided to organise a Global Investors Summit here on the lines of BJP- ruled Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

The state government plans to combine the conclave with an event for NRIs in which prominent NRIs from Uttar Pradesh will be invited to interact with business and industry leaders.

The state has been organising a UP Pravasi Diwas for the past two years in an effort to strengthen the NRIs' bond with the state and seek their help in its development.

The idea now is to organise this event like a fair where NRIs hailing from UP will be invited to Lucknow and encouraged to invest in various industrial and business opportunities offered by the state as part of a new industrial promotion policy announced by the UP government.

The fair will be combined with the Global Investors Summit where the NRIs will get a chance to directly interact with the invited national and international business leaders.

The government expects the joint event to attract investment from both the NRIs as well as the business leaders. A date for the events will be announced soon, the sources added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US special forces have captured a second key militant linked to the deadly attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi in 2012 which killed the US ambassador to Libya and three other American personnel.

President Donald Trump, who made the announcement, said US special forces captured Mustafa Al-Imam in Libya and said the action signified that the four Americans who died "will never be forgotten."



"Yesterday, on my orders, US forces captured Mustafa al- Imam in Libya," Trump said in a statement yesterday.

Al-Imam, 46, is in US custody in Libya, and upon his arrival to the US, he will be presented before a federal judge in Washington, said a Justice Department statement.

Al-Imam is the second Benghazi suspect to be taken into US custody.

His capture comes as the attack's suspected mastermind -- Ahmed Abu Khatallah -- is currently on trial in Washington.

"Because of this successful operation, Al-Imam will face justice in the United States for his alleged role in the September 11, 2012 attacks in Benghazi, which resulted in the deaths of Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Glen Doherty, Sean Smith, and Tyrone Woodsfour brave Americans who were serving our country," Trump said.

"To the families of these fallen heroes: I want you to know that your loved ones are not forgotten, and they will never be forgotten," he said.

Trump said the US will continue to support Libyan partners to ensure that Islamic State and other terrorist groups do not use Libya as a safe haven for attacks against US citizens or interests, Libyans, and others.

"Libya's long-term stability and security are linked to its ability to form a unified government and military, and we encourage all Libyans to support the ongoing reconciliation process facilitated by the UN and to work together to build a peaceful and stable country," he said.

In a statement, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson welcomed Trump's decision.

"I am deeply grateful to the US military, law enforcement, and intelligence community for their efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators of the September 11, 2012 terrorist attacks," he said.

The Department of State family continues to mourn the loss of Ambassador Stevens, Doherty, Smith and Woods, and will spare no effort to ensure that justice is served for these dedicated Americans and public servants, he said.

Al-Imam has been charged for his alleged participation in the September 11, 2012, attack on the US Special Mission and Annex in Benghazi that resulted in the deaths of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said, "The murder of four Americans in Benghazi on September 11, 2012 was a barbaric crime that shocked the American people. We will never forget those we lost."



According to the complaint, which was filed under seal on May 19, 2015, Al-Imam is charged with killing a person in the course of an attack on a federal facility involving the use of a firearm and dangerous weapon and attempting and conspiring to do the same.

He is also charged with providing, attempting and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists resulting in death, and discharging, brandishing, using, carrying and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President Donald Trump has said that the US forces have captured a key militant believed to have involved in the deadly attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya in 2012, which killed four Americans, including a diplomat.

The US forces captured Mustafa Al-Imam in Libya after President Donald Trump approved the mission.

"Yesterday, on my orders, United States forces captured Mustafa al-Imam in Libya," President Trump said in a statement.

Al-Imam, 46, is in US custody in Libya, and upon his arrival to the US, he will be presented before a federal judge in Washington, said a Justice Department statement.

"Because of this successful operation, Al-Imam will face justice in the United States for his alleged role in the September 11, 2012 attacks in Benghazi, which resulted in the deaths of Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Glen Doherty, Sean Smith, and Tyrone Woodsfour brave Americans who were serving our country," Trump said.

Trump said the US will continue to support Libyan partners to ensure that Islamic State and other terrorist groups do not use Libya as a safe haven for attacks against US citizens or interests, Libyans, and others.

"Libya's long-term stability and security are linked to its ability to form a unified government and military, and we encourage all Libyans to support the ongoing reconciliation process facilitated by the UN and to work together to build a peaceful and stable country," he said.

In a statement, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson welcomed Trump's move.

"I am deeply grateful to the US military, law enforcement, and intelligence community for their efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators of the September 11, 2012 terrorist attacks," he said.

"The Department of State family continues to mourn the loss of Ambassador Chris Stevens, Glen Doherty, Sean Smith, and Tyrone Woods, and will spare no effort to ensure that justice is served for these dedicated Americans and public servants," he said.

Al-Imam has been charged for his alleged participation in the September 11, 2012, attack on the US Special Mission and Annex in Benghazi that resulted in the deaths of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said, "The murder of four Americans in Benghazi on September 11, 2012 was a barbaric crime that shocked the American people. We will never forget those we lost Tyrone Woods, Sean Smith, Glen Doherty and Ambassador Christopher Stevens four brave Americans who gave their lives in service to our nation".

"The apprehension of Mustafa al-Imam demonstrates our unwavering commitment to holding accountable all of those responsible for the murders of four brave Americans in a terrorist attack in Benghazi," said US Attorney Jessie K Liu for the District of Columbia.

According to the complaint, which was filed under seal on May 19, 2015, Al-Imam is charged with killing a person in the course of an attack on a federal facility involving the use of a firearm and dangerous weapon and attempting and conspiring to do the same.

He is also charged with providing, attempting and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists resulting in death, and discharging, brandishing, using, carrying and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Washington has agreed to classify data on the number of Afghan security forces killed and wounded in the conflict, a US watchdog said, after months of soaring casualties and targeted attacks have eroded morale.

The decision was slammed on Monday by the US government's Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John Sopko, who said it would hamper the watchdog's ability to chart progress among US-funded Afghan troops.

"USFOR-A said the casualty data belonged to the Afghan government, and the government had requested that it be classified," Sopko said in the latest quarterly report documenting the use of US funds in Afghanistan.

There was no immediate comment from US Forces or Afghan officials.

Sopko said the move "will hinder SIGAR's ability to publicly report on progress or failure in a key reconstruction sector", noting that more than 60 percent of the roughly $121 billion in US funding spent since 2002 has gone on Afghan security forces.

Casualties among Afghan forces in the early part of this year were "shockingly high" as they struggled to beat back the resurgent Taliban and other militant groups, SIGAR has said previously.

They soared by 35 percent in 2016, with 6,800 soldiers and police killed, according to the watchdog.

As of February only about 60 percent of Afghanistan's 407 districts were reported to be under government control, SIGAR has said.

Sopko said the decision was only the second time that the American military has sought to classify data on the Afghan security forces' capabilities.

The first time was for the January 2015 quarterly report, which came on the heels of the withdrawal of US-led NATO combat troops from Afghanistan at the end of 2014.

During the most recent quarter, Sopko travelled to Afghanistan where he held a series of meetings with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and other senior officials.

"On each occasion, President Ghani noted the National Unity Government's close cooperation with SIGAR and thanked us for our help fighting corruption," Sopko said.

Ghani also "vowed to account for every penny of American assistance to his government".

The SIGAR report comes as the US sends more than 3,000 additional troops to Afghanistan -- on top of the 11,000 already on the ground -- to train and assist Afghan security forces as part of a new strategy outlined by US President Donald Trump in August.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, today took over as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command (ENC) at a ceremonial Parade held here.

Vice Admiral Singh inspected the ceremonial guard and reviewed platoons of naval personnel drawn from various ships and establishments of the ENC, a Navy release said.

Singh took the charge from Vice Admiral HCS Bisht, who retired from the Naval Service.

Commissioned into the Indian Navy in July 1980, Vice Admiral Singh is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy. The Admiral earned his wings as a helicopter pilot in 1982 and has flown extensively on the Chetak and Kamov helicopters.

He is a graduate of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington; College of Naval Warfare, Mumbai and has served as Directing Staff in both these Institutions.

In his career spanning over 37 years, the Admiral has commanded an Indian Coast Guard Ship Chandbibi, Missile Corvette INS Vijaydurg as well as two Guided Missile Destroyers INS Rana and INS Delhi.

He has also served as the Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao today inaugurated the service of a battery-operated vehicle, which will now provide a tour of the Raj Bhavan to the visitors.

The vehicle has been offered by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC).

A statement issued by the MTDC said the initiative has been taken for the comfort and security of tourists.

"The government is now looking to further develop the tourist attraction owing to an increase in the number of tourists at the Raj Bhavan," the statement said.

State Tourism Minister Jaykumar Rawal said the battery-operated vehicle has been offered to enhance tourism experience and create a wide visibility for the heritage site in Mumbai.

"Raj Bhavan, the Governor's home at Malabar Hill (in south Mumbai) has become the town's novel tourist hotspot and our aim is to transform Maharashtra as an environment-friendly tourist destination. This is a small effort by MTDC to diversify tourism products to cater to the passions of growing travellers," he said at the event.

Apart from Rao and Rawal, Nitin Gadre- Principal Secretary of Tourism department, Vijay Waghmare- Joint Managing Director of MTDC, Aashutosh Rathod- Joint Managing Director of MTDC , Swati Kale- General Manager of MTDC were also present at the occasion.

Raj Bhavan, the official residence of Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, is available for public viewing and its gates are open for public six days a week. A two-hour trip of Raj Bhavan starts at 6 am. The vehicle will assist in offering an eco-friendly tour of the Raj Bhavan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
West Bengal Technical Education Minister Purnendu Bose today said the state government would encourage entrepreneurs to undertake agricultural farming on rooftops, as part of its policy to encourage green start-ups.

Bose, who was speaking at the open session of the 18th annual general meeting of the Enterprise Development Institute (EDI) here, said rooftop farming could be a great revenue generator for young entrepreneurs.

"In places like New Town, we have already started the project but we need people to come forward. This won't occupy much space and be eco-friendly. Those having skills in farming and wanting to set up new units can opt for this venture," he said at the Bengal National Chambers of Commerce and Industries here.

"We talk about green cities and which better way than encourage such rooftop farming ventures, which can be one way to realise the green city concept," Bose, the minister in charge of technical education, training and skill development, said.

Bose also talked about making the jute industry viable by adapting to new technologies, which will help in countering the challenges posed by countries like China.

"To make the jute sector viable, we need to make it switch-over from the old technologies to modern ones and impart necessary skill to the workers. We have been telling the jute mills' body about this for quite some time," he said.

To a question, Bose said the state government felt the need to make the course curriculum of old ITIs (industrial training institutes) on par with modern skilled training.

"The state government had recently started 100 ITIs and 500 'Advanced Vocational Education and Training Centres' under public-private-partnership model," he added.

EDI Chairman Sandip Sen said the institute has been working with some agencies of West Bengal government for conducting skill training. "We are also planning to work under the 'Utkarsh Bangla' project of the state government."



'Utkarsh Bangla' is a welfare scheme for school drop-outs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The West Bengal government today released a fund of Rs 308.10 crore for farmers affected by the recent floods in the state.

State Agriculture Minister Ashish Banerjee said distribution of cheques to the farmers would be initiated from November 15.

"This is the first phase when farmers affected by the flood in three months of this monsoon will be given cheques by our department. The distribution of the cheques will start from November 15 and the second phase of cheque distribution will start within seven days after that," Banerjee told PTI.

Farmers in 13 districts, including Hooghly, Howrah, North and South 24 Parganas, East and West Medinipore, Murshidabad, Malda, Nadia and Jhargram would be getting the funds, he said.

"As of now we have released Rs 308.10 crore for the affected farmers, but this is likely to go up once water recedes in some parts which are still inundated," Banerjee said.

Another official of the department said losses of farmers estimated to be beyond 33 per cent of their total expected production, would be getting the cheques.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad today wondered why it took 41 years to give the Bharat Ratna to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who would have made a difference to the "shape and direction" of India had he been the first prime minister.

The minister was addressing a function organised by Patel Sewa Sangh, Bihar, to celebrate the 142nd birth anniversary of the Iron Man of India.

Sardar Patel was bestowed with the country's highest civilian award posthumously in 1991, 41 years after his death in 1950.

"Every eminent personality got this award. But in Patel's case, it took 41 years to honour him with the Bharat Ratna award. It was the Narsimha Rao's government who honoured him with the award," Prasad said.

The nation paid tributes to Patel on his birth anniversary today and 'RashtriyaEkta Diwas' (National Unity Day) was observed.

Prasad said that the country's first president Dr Rajendra Prasad had said in 1959 that what India stands today, it was because of Patel.

"Had Patel been the prime minister for three years (1947 to 1950), the shape and direction of the country would have been different," he said, adding, it was his personal opinion.

Prasad said shortly after Independence, there were 555 princely states and Patel successfully handled 554 of them, while Jawaharlal Nehru handled just one (Jammu and Kashmir), "which he messed up by taking to the UN, against Patel's opinion on the issue".

Patel did not have his own house, while Rajendra Prasad lived in a two-room accommodation after demitting the office, the law minister said, and asked "Where are grandsons and great grandsons of Patel and Prasad (in politics) today?"



"After 70 years of Independence, today we need to debate and discuss the issue as to why a person from only one family would become the CM, party president, the PM...How long this will continue?" he asked.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The winter session of the Mizoram legislature, summoned by state governor Lt General Nirbhay Sharma to commence from November 14, would be a three-day affair, a senior assembly secretariat official today said.

Additional Secretary of the state assembly S R Zokhuma told PTI that the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) chaired by speaker Hiphei, today chalked out detailed programme of the coming session, commencing from November which would be adjourned sine die on November 16.

Zokhuma said the first day would witness obituary reference by the house leader on former minister Zakhu Hlychho and former legislator F Lalzuala who died after the last session.

A new proposed legislation -- The Mizoram Urban Areas Rent Control Bill, 2017 -- would be introduced during the course of the session, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
TOKYO (Reuters) - Imports of Iranian crude by major buyers in Asia rose in September for a third straight month to their highest since March, boosted by a surge in purchases in China and South Korea.

China, India, South Korea and Japan imported slightly more than 1.9 million barrels per day (bpd) last month, up 5.1 percent from a year earlier, government and ship-tracking data showed. Their imports rose nearly 20 percent from August.

Still, purchases from the Asian buyers remain below highs that were hit earlier this year and last year as Tehran ramped up exports following the lifting of economic sanctions, after it had agreed to constraints on its disputed nuclear programme.

Imports by the Asian buyers, which take the bulk of Iran's oil exports, are likely to fall in coming weeks as shipments bound for the region have dropped below 1.5 million bpd for October, a person with knowledge of the Middle Eastern nation's tanker loading schedules told .

Chinese imports from Iran in September rose nearly 60 percent from a year ago to about 784,000 bpd, down from August when China imported the highest monthly amount since 2006, according to data on Eikon.

South Korea's imports rose by nearly a quarter to just over 504,000 bpd, a five-month high. India's imports fell by a third to 415,400 bpd.

Imports to Japan, which announced official figures on Tuesday, were down by more than 30 percent at a bit less than 216,000 bpd.

(Reporting by Aaron Sheldrick and Osamu Tsukimori; Editing by Tom Hogue)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Sankalp Phartiyal and Tanvi Mehta

MUMBAI/BENGALURU (Reuters) - Bharti Airtel Ltd said on Tuesday it had been approached by global investors interested in a controlling stake in its mobile masts unit Bharti Infratel Ltd.

India's largest phone carrier also reported its smallest quarterly profit in nearly five years, hurt by a price war.

The of the approach from unidentified investors comes a day after Bharti Infratel said it was considering buying the rest of Indus Towers, the biggest mobile mast operator in India.

Indian media have reported a consortium led by private equity firm KKR & Co LP is eyeing both Bharti Infratel and Indus Towers.

Indus Towers, which runs nearly 123,000 towers, is owned 42 percent each by Bharti Infratel and Vodafone's Indian unit. Third-ranked mobile carrier Idea Cellular along with its associate owns the remainder.

"Airtel has been approached by a few reputed global investors to acquire a significant stake in Bharti Infratel which, if accepted, could result in such investors acquiring control of Bharti Infratel," Bharti Airtel said in a statement.

It added a panel of its directors recommended the proposal be considered, but said discussions had not started and there was no certainty of a deal.

Bharti Airtel, like its peers, has been struggling amid a price war in the world's No.2 mobile phone market triggered by the market entry late last year of Jio, Reliance Industries' telecoms venture which is backed by India's richest man Mukesh Ambani.

The sector faces further pressure after India's telecoms regulator this month cut the fee operators pay each other for calls made from one network to another.

Bharti Airtel's Indian Chief Executive Gopal Vittal on Tuesday warned the financial stress in the sector would be "further accentuated" by the cut in interconnection fees, which benefited established players.

Net profit fell 77 percent from a year earlier to 3.43 billion rupees ($53 million) in its second quarter to September, Bharti Airtel said, which was its smallest profit since the quarter to December 2012 but still better than analysts' estimate of 3.03 billion rupees.

Revenue in the quarter fell 11.7 percent from a year earlier to 217.77 billion rupees, said Bharti Airtel, which operates in 17 countries across Asia and Africa.

SHEDDING DEBT

India's telecoms market, comprising 1.2 billion subscribers, is heavily indebted due to years of pricey airwaves auctions and cash-burning tariffs as wireless carriers jostle to win customers.

To shed debt, telecom companies are increasing looking to spin off their mobile mast businesses while focussing on core mobile services.

Bharti's plan to engage with investors to sell a stake in Infratel comes at a time debt-laden Reliance Communications is also trying to sell its mobile towers to Canada's Brookfield.

Bharti's net debt stood at 914.8 billion rupees at end-September.

Jio's free voice and cut-price data plans have also pushed rivals such as Bharti to reduce rates, while forcing smaller players to either regroup or exit.

Vodafone Group Plc's India unit and Idea Cellular, the country's No. 2 and No. 3 players respectively, have agreed to merge operations while Bharti is taking over Norwegian Telenor's local unit and Tata conglomerate's money-losing mobile business.

($1 = 64.7475 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Sankalp Phartiyal and Tanvi Mehta, additional reporting by Abhirup Roy and Devidutta Tripathy; Editing by Susan Fenton and Mark Potter)

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
- India's top telecoms operator, Bharti Airtel Ltd said its second quarter profit plunged 77 percent from a year earlier, as it struggled amid a price war in the world's No.2 mobile phone market.

Indian telecom operators have been hit by the market entry late last year of Jio, Reliance Industries' telecoms venture which is backed by India's richest man Mukesh Ambani. It sparked a fierce price war by initially undercutting rival's charges.

The sector faces further price pressure after India's telecoms regulator this month cut the fee operators pay each other for calls made from one network to another.

"The financial stress in the industry continues due to double digit revenue decline and will be further accentuated by the reduction in IUC rates in the next quarter," Gopal Vittal, Bharti Airtel's chief executive for India and South Asia, said in a statement.

That will eventually lead some operators to either consolidate or exit the market, he added.

Vodafone and Idea Cellular are in the process of combining their operations in India. The merger will potentially create the biggest Indian telecoms company, surpassing Airtel, which recently increased its customer base with its acquisition of the Tata conglomerate's consumer mobile business.

Airtel's second quarter net profit of 3.43 billion rupees ($53 million) was its smallest profit in 19 quarters and its sixth consecutive drop in quarterly profit. However, it beat analysts' average estimate of 3.03 billion rupees, according to Thomson data.

Airtel's revenue fell 11.7 percent to 217.77 billion rupees. It operates in 17 countries across Asia and Africa.

Mobile services revenue in India declined about 17 percent to 122.45 billion rupees.

($1 = 64.7475 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Tanvi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by David Evans and Susan Fenton)

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(Reuters) - Automation equipment maker Rockwell Automation Inc said on Tuesday it had rejected another unsolicited acquisition bid from bigger rival Emerson Electric Co for more than $27 billion as the offer undervalued the company.

Rockwell's shares rose as much as 12.7 percent before paring gains to 7.6 percent at $201.09 in late-afternoon trading, and Emerson's shares fell about 4.4 percent to $64.35.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based Rockwell said it had previously rejected Emerson's first buyout offer made on Aug. 2 worth $200 per share, with about half of the consideration in cash and the rest in Emerson stock.

On Oct. 10, St. Louis, Missouri-based Emerson raised its cash and stock offer to $215 per share. But Rockwell's board, after a careful review, rejected it, Rockwell said.

Up to Monday's close Rockwell's shares had risen 13.2 percent, helped by improving sales in the United States and emerging markets.

"A combination would provide increased scale and help expand industrial product and service offerings," CFRA Research analyst Joe Agnese said.

CNBC television on Tuesday was the first to report that Rockwell had rejected the multiple offers from Emerson. (http://cnb.cx/2zVEeUm)

Emerson said it made a private offer to Rockwell, proposing a combination of the companies, adding that currently no discussions were ongoing between the two entities.

Emerson is looking to expand in areas such as industrial automation amid increasing competition from European rivals such as Siemens , ABB Automation Group and Schneider Electric.

(Reporting by Ankit Ajmera in Bengaluru; Editing by Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and Arun Koyyur)

(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.)
Facebook outsources the process to third-party fact checkers who can only tackle a small fraction of the bogus news that floods the social network, according to interviews with people involved in the process. And screenshots obtained by Bloomberg reveal a process that some partners say is too cumbersome and inefficient to stop misinformation duplicating and spreading.
US firms such as Facebook and Twitter should be more aggressive in tackling extremism and political misinformation if they want to avoid government action, a report from the said on Monday.
Effects of ongoing tariff war in telecom sector was evident in Bharti Airtel's quarterly results released today. The quarter that ended on September 30, 2017 saw the net profits of country's largest telecom company nosediving to Rs 343 crore, a decline of 76.5 per cent in comaprison to the same quarter in the corresponding year. The consolidated revenues earned by the company during the second quarter of the current fiscal slipped to Rs 21,777 crore, falling 11.7 per cent, a statement by Bharti Airtel said. Bharti Airtel had posted net profit of Rs 1,461 crore for the July-September quarter of last fiscal. The total revenues posted by the telco in the same period amounted to Rs 24,652.

The consolidated revenues for just-ended quarter, at Rs 21,777 crore, represented a year on year drop of 10.4 per cent (reported drop of 11.7 per cent) on an underlying basis (that is adjusted for Africa and Bangladesh divested operating units and tower assets sale), Airtel said in a statement. On the other hand, India revenues posted by the company for the September quarter at Rs 16,728 crore have declined by 13 per cent over the year ago period, led by mobile drop of 16.8 per cent.

Meanwhile, the company's consolidated net debt rose to Rs 91,480 crore as opposed to Rs 87,840 crore as seen in the previous quarter. Net debt excluding the deferred payment liabilities to the Telecom Department and finance lease obligations increased by Rs 2,554 crore sequentially in the quarter, the company added.

Mobile market continues to experience value erosion and financial stress led by competitive pressures, Airtel mentioned in the statement.

"The financial stress in the industry continues due to double digit revenue decline and will be further accentuated by the reduction in IUC rates in the next quarter. This will eventually force operator consolidation and exits as we have witnessed in the recent past," Gopal Vittal, MD and CEO, India and South Asia, Bharti Airtel said in the statement.

Bharti Airtel, along with other incumbent telecommunication service providers, has been engaged in a fierce tariff war with Mukesh Ambani-controlled Reliance Jio. Over the past few quarters, Bharti Airtel has been blaming the "pricing disruption" in the Indian telecom market casued by Jio's freebies for the eating into industry revenues and stress on sector profitability, cash flows and leverage.

The company said it had "stepped up" the capex investments in the quarter on the back of data coverage and capacity.

Bharti Airtel's net interest costs increased to Rs 1,905 crore compared to Rs 1,603 crore in the same quarter last year on account of lower investment income.

"The forex and derivative loss for the quarter was at Rs 422 crore compared to loss of Rs 302 crore in the corresponding quarter last year," it said.

On the day of the quarterly results, the shares of the company closed at Rs 497.65 a piece, after rising by 0.98 per cent over the previous close on BSE.

(With PTI inputs)
South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd promised to return $26 billion to shareholders over the next three years as it reported record third-quarter profit on the back of the global boom in memory chips.

The world's biggest maker of semiconductors, televisions and smartphones said it would double dividends next year to 9.6 trillion won and keep them at that level until 2020, as it responds to investor pressure to share its vast cash reserves and catch up with some of its more generous peers.

It also said 2017 capital expenditure would be its biggest ever, climbing 81 per cent to 46.2 trillion won ($41 billion) as it builds new chip factories and clean-rooms to stay ahead of demand for servers and devices with ever greater memory.

"The current record earnings are born out of such massive investments in the past, and the outsized capex is a sign that Samsung will continue investing for future results," said Greg Roh, analyst at HMC Investment & Securities.

"Next year's capex could be similar for Samsung to keep this momentum."

Operating profit nearly tripled in the third quarter from the same period a year earlier, to 14.5 trillion won ($12.91 billion), Samsung said in a regulatory filing, matching its earlier estimate.

Revenue jumped 29.8 percent to 62 trillion won, also in line with its earlier estimate.

The shareholder return policy for the next three years ramped up guidance to a level higher than its current range of 30-50 percent of free cash flow to 50 percent over three years.

Samsung's holdings of cash and cash equivalent stood at 76 trillion won at the end of September, eight percent higher than the previous quarter thanks largely to strong earnings that have more than paid for massive capital expenditure.

While the dividend policy builds on the investor-friendly trend Samsung started in 2015, it was not as generous as some investors had hoped, analysts said.

Apple Inc has paid nearly 22 cents for every dollar it earned over the past five years, while Microsoft Corp has shared 53 cents. Meanwhile Samsung has paid just 11 cents, according to Reuters data.

South Korean family-run business empires like Samsung Group have a reputation for low dividend payouts and other governance practices that favour controlling shareholders at the expense of ordinary investors.

In a bid to change that perception, Samsung Electronics is one of about 70 listed firms that has promised to adhere to a governance code adopted by the Korea Stock Exchange this year.

Its shares were up 1.3 percent, while the Kospi benchmark share price index rose 0.4 percent. The stock has risen 67 percent over the past 12 months.

MOBILE REBOUNDS

Samsung said the earnings outlook was positive thanks mainly to the chip business, with conditions in that market likely to "remain favourable" in 2018. It also forecast greater sales of flexible OLED screens used in smartphones.

The chip business was Samsung's top earner in the third quarter as it booked a record 10 trillion won operating profit, from 3.4 trillion won from the previous corresponding period.

Profits from mobile devices jumped to 3.3 trillion won compared with just 100 billion won at the same time last year, when the company booked the costs of the withdrawal of its fire-prone Note 7 gadget.

The record earnings come amid ongoing management upheaval at the company following the arrest of group heir apparent Jay Y. Lee on bribery charges.

CEO and Vice Chairman Kwon Oh-hyun announced on Oct. 13 that he planned to step down from management, leaving several key roles vacant including head of the components business.

New Business Heads

It named Kim Ki-nam, president of Semiconductor Business, as the new head of the components business, Koh Dong-jin as new head of IT and Mobile Communications, and Kim Hyun-suk as new head of Consumer Electronics.

Current Chief Financial Officer Lee Sang-hoon would resign from his CFO role and had been recommended as chairman of the board, Samsung said in a statement.
Tata Steel Ltd on Tuesday promoted T.V. Narendran as chief executive officer and managing director globally. Narendran, 52, a company veteran who joined the Tata ranks in 1988, was serving as managing director (India and South East Asia) for the past four years.

Tata Steel executed and commissioned the Kalinganagar steel plant during Narendran's tenure as managing director and also enhanced the plant's ability to serve higher value segments like steel for automobiles, the company said in an exchange filing.

The steel maker's board also re-appointed Koushik Chatterjee as executive director and chief financial officer for five years with effect from Nov. 9.

On Monday, Tata Steel posted a September-quarter profit, spurred by strong volume growth following the ramp-up of its Kalinganagar plant in the eastern Indian state of Odisha.

Tata Steel and German major Thyssenkrupp AG had last month announced a preliminary agreement to merge their European steel operations, creating the continent's second-largest steelmaker after ArcelorMittal SA.
The World Bank is scheduled to release its 'Ease of doing Business- 2018' later in the evening today. The World Bank compares different economies and find out how business friendly they are in terms of rules and regulations. Under the ease of doing business index, a higher ranking - a low numerical value - means the country's rules and regulations for businesses are favourable and the environment is business friendly. In its 2017 edition, the World bank ranked India at 130th position among the 190 countries.

The World Bank's Ease of Doing Business index ranks the nation based on the 10 indicators. These indicators are: Starting a business, Dealing with construction permits, Getting electricity, Registering property, Getting credit, Protecting minority investors, Paying taxes, Trading across borders, Enforcing contracts and Resolving insolvency. Each one of these indicators carry equal weightage.

While the ranking is yet to be released, the government is expecting at least 30 points jump as it has initiated multiple reforms this year. India is expecting to break into the top 100 nations. Some reports suggest that the country is hoping to improve its rankings in three indicators: starting a business, dealing with construction permits and resolving insolvency. In 2016, the government passed the insolvency and bankruptcy code to deal with failed businesses.

In the World Bank's 'Doing Business' 2017 report, India's place remained unchanged from last year's original ranking of 130 among the 190 economies that were assessed on various parameters. The government however was not satisafied with the rankings as, it said, the World Bank did not capture the reforms undertaken by the Centre and states.

Soon after 'Doing Business 2017' report, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the officials to ramp up the efforts to introduce reforms and push for India's improved rankings. The Prime Minister is known for making business friendly environment and cutting down the bureaucratic interface by introducing online process.
Have you been planning a road trip or an extensive trip across the southern states but somehow never ended up going? Then we have some very exciting news for you. Indian Railways has come up with a new and special offering that could satiate your wanderlust. The IRCTC is flagging off a special 800-seater winter train from Chandigarh that will take you on a religious tour of South India. The IRCTC is now accepting bookings for the tour that will start on December 1.



The Dakshin Bharat Yatra will continue for 12 nights and 13 days. Passengers will be able to get on board from Delhi Cantonment, Jaipur and Bhopal as well.

The package will cost every passenger Rs 10,790. The fare is inclusive of a second class sleeper ticket along with accommodation in non-AC halls or dormitories and three vegetarian meals every day. Not only that, tour escort and buses for sightseeing are accounted for as well.



Destinations that will be covered on this tour are Tirupati, Kanchipuram, Rameshwaram, Madurai, Kanyakumari, Mysore and eventually Bangalore.



One can visit the website and book the tickets online. Alternatively, one could also book the tickets from the Tourist Facilitation Centre, Zonal Offices and Regional Offices.



Now, all you need to do is get those leaves sanctioned!
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.
HMD Global made its first India-exclusive launch with the Nokia 2. While the USP of the launch event in New Delhi was a hands-on session on a moving metro train, the phone boasts several interesting features of its own. From a 2-day battery to Android Nougat, and a 5-inch HD screen thrown in for good measure, the budget smartphone comes loaded in every department.

With the Nokia 2, HMD Global is planning to tap into the ultra-cheap smartphone segment and increase its market share in the country. Currently, the company's market share is on a steep climb in the feature phone industry with around 8 per cent hold in the market. The company is on the fourth position in the feature phone market.

"Nokia has always been a people's brand, and with the new avatar of Nokia mobiles we are looking to continue to be a people's brand and to bring our full range of portfolio of smart as well as feature phones to the consumers out there. We will continue to be a company and a brand that delivers a device for everyone," said Pranav Shroff, Director (Product and Portfolio), Nokia.

The arrival of Nokia 2 will give the brand a much needed boost in the smartphone segment. Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6, all based on Android operating system, were launched earlier this year and later the company launched their flagship Nokia 8.

According to Qualcomm India head Larry Paulson, Nokia's comeback is a very positive story. He said, "We all know the history of Nokia and how strong it was in India. Yes, 2017 is a different world but it's a big market and there is a lot of room for many brands to be successful. If Nokia executes, they have a solid chance of being a winner in the market."

Commenting on the company's strategy, Paulson commented, "Qualcomm believes in segmentation. We use partitioning in our technology to match up to the price, performance in the market and really believe in the importance of grabbing that consumer."

He added that the 200 series chipsets will enable them to expand their reach by grabbing the right customer."We remove a certain amount of cost but we still provide a solid modem and a really solid feature-set to enable devices in that 75-150USD range," he said.

Here below are the specifications of the Nokia 2:



Processor- Nokia 2 is powered by Snapdragon 212, along with a Adreno 304 GPU. Although details about the RAM on Nokia 2 were not divulged during the launch event, it is expected to come with with 1GB RAM and 8 GB internal storage.

Battery- The Nokia 2 draws power from a 4100 mAh battery. HMD Global has promised 2 days worth of battery life with the Nokia 2, given that the phone is used for 5 hours a days. The modest Snapdragon 212 SoC on the phone is likely to aid the battery life.

Display- One of the biggest selling points of the device is the 5-inch HD screen which comes with a contrast ratio of 13000:1. Moreover, the display comes protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

Camera- Nokia 2 houses an 8-megapixel primary camera and a 5-megapixel front facing camera.

Software- In terms of software, the device will come with Android Nougat 7.1.1 which is a first for a phone in this segment. Nokia has kept the interface pretty close to stock version which will keep it easy on the processor. Moreover, Nokia is promising to keep the Nokia 2 'pure secure and up to date', making it future-proof. This means that the Nokia 2 will receive the update for Android Oreo in due time.

Features- Apart from the stock Android, the Nokia 2 will also feature Google Assistant, with the option to get search results in Hindi. The voice assistant has featured for the first time in the budget phone segment. The smartphone will come with LTE 4G support.

Design- The body of Nokia 2 has been milled from 6000 series aluminium. The phone has a polycarbonate back. The phone will be available in Black, White and Copper colour options.

Price- The Nokia 2 has been priced at 99 euros for global markets, which is a little over Rs 7,000. It will be available in markets from mid-November. Although the price for Indian markets has not been disclosed yet, the Nokia 2 might be priced in the vicinity of Rs 6,000 to Rs 6,500.
File photo

LOGAN  Law enforcement is encouraging everyone to be safe while celebrating Halloween Tuesday evening. Officers, troopers and deputies will be increasing their patrols through neighborhoods, ensuring that kids are having a fun time.

Logan City Police Chief Gary Jensen hopes parents will instruct their children on how to be cautious while trick or treating. He also encourages kids to go out in groups and have an adult with them.

We would like to suggest that kids dont go in houses, suggested Chief Jensen. Simply wait at the doorstep to receive their treat before they run onto the next house.

This night is supposed to be a great time for kids and adults alike, and the only thing that could get in the way of a wonderful evening and wonderful holiday, is an accident.

Officers encourage kids to use sidewalks instead of roadways, to travel from house to house and be respectful of peoples property. They should also use crosswalks when available.

Cache County Sheriff Chad Jensen encourages parents to make sure their trick or treaters can been seen.

Have either bright colors or have reflective material on their costumes, said Sheriff Jensen. A flashlight could be used as well.

Out in the county, there is a lot of streets that dont have street lamps or street lights and it gets really dark in some of those places.

Most importantly, drivers need to slow down and watch for kids, while driving through neighborhoods.

<hr /><p style=text-align: center;>will@cvradio.com
During last years presidential election, Donald Trump fanned populist anger at undocumented immigrants, calling them criminals and blaming them for the economic struggles of native-born Americans. Since he took office, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been deporting residents who lack legal status indiscriminately, from Chaldean merchants in Detroit to an Ann Arbor mom from Mexico who overstayed her visa.

Less noticed is his clampdown on legal immigration. Reversing fifty years of U.S. policy, Trump wants to lower the number of people admitted each year, and even briefly barred permanent residents from re-entering the country.

As the president closes what poet Emma Lazarus called the Golden Door, we asked legal immigrants to tell their stories. Call them the documented.

Navigating the global economy

When a Fiat subsidiary transferred Lorenzo Romeri to the Detroit area in 1997, he spent the evenings of his first month driving around southeastern Michigan looking for a place he and his wife would enjoy calling home. When he reached Ann Arbor, he knew hed found it.

You have a downtown, and you have shops and stores, and you can sit outside at restaurants, he says. Unlike the subdivisions and strip malls hed seen elsewhere Ann Arbor was similar to a European city.

Romeri and his sixteen-year-old daughter, Anna, meet me at Black Diesel Coffee on a Saturday morning. They live nearby with his wife, Alessandra Dagostin, a dentist, and Annas ten-year-old brother, Rocco. Romeri is slightly built, stylish in taut blue jeans and an Oxford shirt, and speaks with a mild accent. Anna has none; she talks eloquently about everything from her participation in the Huron High Ethics Bowl team to her absorption with Italian news. I think of myself, she emphasizes, as Italian American.

Romeris career has spanned the global economy. He got an undergrad degree in business at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan and started working for Fiat in Turin; later, its metal-casting subsidiary sent him to London and then to Detroit. He earned an MBA in U-Ms executive program in 2006.

He then took a consulting job so the family could move back to his and Dagostins hometown, Trento, in the mountains of northern Italy. They had missed the cuisine (Romeri says there has been no authentic Italian restaurant in Ann Arbor since Bella Ciao closed in 2009) and wanted to be closer to relatives and old friends. But, after a little more than a year, they returned to Ann Arbor.

I think you idealize the idea of returning back home, Romeri says of the reversal. There is less bureaucracy here, he says, explaining that back home it might take three days to renew your drivers license and horrendous paperwork to open a bank account. But the biggest driver for returning to the States, he says, was that there are more opportunities here for his children. Here, its easier to do what you want.

Like many European countries, Italy has very strong worker protections. It is very difficult to fire somebody, he says, but also, he notes, very difficult for young people to get permanent jobs. Many languish for years in low-paying temporary positions.

Still, he had to weigh the pluses and minuses. Italy also has universal health care, with some small co-pays. I know if I was to lose my job its a much bigger deal [here]. I would lose my health insurance.

Hes been working for DTE for seven years, promoted most recently to a position that analyzes responses to customer problems like power outages. (Hes lost power himself in storms, and no, he cant magically get yours turned on, so dont call.)

The family lives near Buhr Park, and he and Dagostin became citizens in 2012. He remembers with pleasure the ceremony in the federal courthouse in Detroit. They call out your name, and they say, What country do you come from? and you shake hands and you take the pictures  We found it very inclusive.

Watching an Italian news channel every night with his family, hes reminded that hes a modern-age and privileged immigrant. He speaks with compassion about the refugees from Ethiopia and Syria who risk death at sea to reach Italy. And while he treads lightly on politics, he acknowledges that President Trump is often compared to former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, another flamboyant billionaire. But, he says, theres a difference: In Italy, in the big scheme of things, whoever is in charge is not that important. But the U.S. affects other countries.

Fleeing crime and chaos

The first time I walked into Di Maggio Tires on Jackson Plaza, Agata Di Maggio was tensely watching TV in the tire retreading plants small office. A Latin American news station flashed scenes of turmoil: soldiers lined up, demonstrators shouting, and a middle-aged man in sunglasses talking agitatedly in Spanish. Whats he saying? I ask.

He tells you they throw [tear gas] bombs inside the building, she says.

Whos throwing them? I ask. Di Maggio, a serious-looking woman whose dark hair is a shimmer of tiny ringlets, just shrugs. It could be the countrys National Guard, or it could be the protestors whove taken to the streets to demand the resignation of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, whos defying the opposition-controlled National Assembly. Almost sixty days protesting, she says. Maduro has since replaced the legislature with a new one of his own choosing. Fifty-seven dead in the whole country.

Under Maduro and his predecessor, socialist dictator Hugo Chavez, Venezuela has suffered under oppressive government, huge inflation, and widespread crime. Its very bad, says Di Maggios husband, Manuel Rodriguez, coming in from the huge work space that holds machinery and hundreds of tires. I was almost killed, the boyish-looking thirty-six-year-old explains matter-of-factly. I got shot twice. I was robbed with a gun at my head.

This was in Barquisimeto, Venezuelas fourth-largest city, where the couple worked at a tire retreading company owned by Di Maggios father. They finally decided to get out, Rodriguez says, when he got phone calls hinting his wife would be kidnapped. He recalls telling her, I prefer to be at work, entry level [in the U.S.]. I dont want to worry about you being safe.

They were lucky to have options. Because Di Maggios mother was born in Detroit, she was already an American citizen. (Shes also a distant relative of the famous ballplayer.) Another high card: her dad, seeking an outside investment as Venezuelas economy tanked, had bought a retread factory in Miami. Rodriguez moved there first and started work; DiMaggio and their small son, Juan, joined him in July 2014.

Despite the plethora of Spanish-speaking workersRodriguez was just starting to learn Englishhe didnt particularly like Miami. In early 2015, he flew to Detroit to purchase a large number of used tires and learned that a retreading business in Ann Arbor was shutting down. He bought the factory in February 2015 and two months later opened Di Maggio Tires Ann Arbor plant.

I know tires, Rodriguez says, as he proudly shows me around the rambling building dominated by stacks of tiresa place five-year-old Juan loves to visit. Their first year in business was tough, the couple says, but things have improved. They have one employee and would like to hire more but are having trouble finding good help; one person quit without explanation after working just two hours.

The family lives in an apartment near Briarwood. Juan, who just started kindergarten, has picked up English easily. His parents find their English skills improving as they talk to customers.

Rodriguez has experienced some unpleasant moments as an immigrant, mostly outside Ann Arbor; an Ohio gas station worker asked him if he was Mexican, adding We dont like Mexicans. And he is baffled by Americas racial tensions; back home people of different colors mingle freely, he explains. But he enjoys how quiet Ann Arbor is compared to Miami and has started the process of becoming a U.S. citizen. With emotion, he exclaims, Trump says hes going to make America great. America is great!

Finding a place to be passionate

Born in the small Dutch town of Bemmel, Annemarie Toebosch first visited the U.S. as a teenager with an American friend. I was sixteen, she remembers, and I promised myself I would live here when I could.

Why? The passion I felt in the country, says Toebosch, professor of Dutch and Flemish studies at U-M. The Dutch are so much about  even-keeled emotions and being compromising and being calm. She says they consider nuchter (pronounced something like nis-ter) a defining national trait.

I was told my whole childhood that I was not nuchter, she explains in a later email. I was either too happy or too sad, too this and too that, essentially not even-keeled and dispassionate enough. I feel I fit in American culture because my emotional life is more accepted here.

I get a sense of that Dutch reserve when I meet Toebosch, forty-seven, and her mother Dina Toebosch-Janssen, eighty-five, at Zingermans Roadhouse. Like her daughter, Toebosch-Janssen, a retired social worker, is slender, fair, stylish, and friendly. But when, snapping a cell phone photo, I suggest she hug her daughter, she folds her arms and says something disapproving in Dutch. Toebosch explains her mother sees no need to be so demonstrativeadding that the Dutch tend to regard such mugging as insincere.

Toebosch, her husband, David Dugger, and her sons from a previous marriage, Timo, thirteen, and Joris, ten, live near Virginia Park. Their home is decorated with touches of the Netherlandsan antique coffee grinder, wooden shoes displayed on a windowsilland they travel to Europe every summer to visit her mother and other relatives.

While she basks in Ann Arbors progressive climate, Toebosch also believes that American parents are often too permissive (shes tougher about bedtimes than other parents, she says) and also too protective, shielding their kids from upsetting current events. Kids in the Netherlands, she says, regularly watch a childrens TV news show that explains events at their level.

Toebosch praises the Dutch comprehensive social welfare systemhealth insurance is mandatory, but employers and the government bear most of the costand there are many added benefits, such as a government-provided helper for new mothers. On the other hand, shes impressed at how American families and neighbors voluntarily set up really good ways of taking care of each other.

Toebosch recently rankled friends in the close Ann Arbor Dutch community by publishing an article in Newsweek titled Shattering the Myth of Dutch Tolerance. It was prompted, she says, by Hollands March presidential primary, where Geert Wildersa Trump lookalike populistfinished second. Recalling that as a child she never stepped freely into the homes of immigrants from Indonesia (a Dutch colony until World War II), she argues that the Dutch have basked in a not-totally-deserved reputation for open-mindedness.

Her husband is an American citizen, and she has a green card that lets her live and work here. She readily acknowledges that, unlike Latinos, theres no discrimination against people from my part of the world.

And yet, she says, we all feel insecure about Trumps verbal and legal attacks on immigrants.

Toebosch moved to Ann Arbor in 1995, earned a PhD in linguistics, and commuted to a teaching position at U-M Flint for eight years. In 2012, after her predecessor retired, she took charge of the tiny Dutch/Flemish language and culture program at the Ann Arbor campus.

Her classes fill up quickly. Annemarie is such a kind-spirited teacher and phenomenal teacher, writes one student, on RateMyProfessors.com The class is so interesting because she draws so much from her own cultural experience.

The kids confide in her. Recently, a Latina student cried in her office about her fear of deportation. Toebosch understood.

When Trump issued his first executive order on immigration in January, even permanent residents who were abroad were barred from reentering the country. Though the administration later backpedaled, Toebosch applied for citizenship in February.
| BY Ricki Green |

A new tribe exists, and its influential, strong and wants to be heard. Xennials  the youngest Gen Xers and the older Millennials  are redefining what it means to be an adult.

What will adulthood mean in 2020? A new report from J. Walter Thompsons Innovation Group reveals a new and unique cohort shaping the face of adulthood: The New Adults.

The report, The New Adulthood, looks at the make-up, attitudes and behaviours of this influential new consumer tribe  a group of 30 to 45-year-olds with more in common with each other than with Millennials or Gen Xers  as well as what this means for brands.

New Adults spent the last decade on the rollercoaster started by the financial crisis and are now pushing back against the status quo to find a new path to the stability they crave. Previously called Xennials, Midults and more, this sub-generation now needs to be recognized for the influential cohort that it is.

The New Adulthood explores the identity of the New Adult through case studies of its two major groups  the New Types and the Lifestyle Types  which are then broken down into 12 detailed sub types, such as the New Adult Festivalgoer and the Xennial Entrepreneur.

Behaviours, values, motivation and brand engagement are backed up with insights from a survey of 1,755 US and 1,768 UK consumers conducted by SONAR, J. Walter Thompsons proprietary research unit.

Themes covered in the report include:

Technology  New Adults were the first to encounter technology as children, but have also known life without it. The report looks at tech fluency, social media engagement and the ability to switch off.

Business  Are New Adults as entrepreneurial as older Gen Xers? The report looks at how and why they work.

Beauty and Lifestyle  The rise of wellness and health in New Adults is also covered, as well as their beauty spend.

Finance  New Adults are responsible rather than rash. They are financially literate, sensible with money and want to prepare for the future.

Travel  The report looks at the rise of wellness and experiential travel and investigates what impact the New Adults are having on the travel landscape.

Media and Culture  New Adults demand more from their media brands and dont want to be stereotyped because of their age. The report looks at what they are watching, listening to and reading.

Luxury  Is quality overriding quantity for this new tribe? The New Adulthood looks at this new groups favourite luxury brands, the importance of provenance and how the New Adults respond to luxury advertising.

Politics  The New Adults will make up the next major block of voters and politicians. The report examines this highly engaged and influential demographic.
| BY Ricki Green |

We Are Social has appointed Suz Tucker to the new position of editorial director in Sydney, to head up its growing team of content editors.

Suz comes to We Are Social direct from ASOS, where she has been the senior editor for Australia. She has held a number of leading editorial roles, including editor in chief at AnalogFolk and managing editor at both Pedestrian and Oyster Magazine.

Says Suzie Shaw, managing director, We Are Social: Suz has extensive experience working publisher-side as well as on behalf of brands to create content that lands a message, but really grips the audience. Were really excited about her joining We Are Social to inspire and lead our growing team of editors.

Says Tucker on joining We Are Social: For me, the strategic thinking, the passion for creativity and the people at We Are Social were all major drawcards.
The Kyiv Picture Gallery National Museum of Ukraine has extended the exhibition devoted to the 200th birth anniversary of celebrated Russian Armenian seascape artist Ivan Aivazovsky (Hovhannes Aivazian and to the 95th anniversary of the museum.

October 31, 2017, 10:42 Aivazovsky 200th birth anniversary exhibition is extended in Ukraine

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 31, ARTSAKHPRESS: Now, the event will run till November 19.

Museum Director Yuri Vakulenko told AnalitikaUA.net that this decision was made because of the great demand for this exhibition.

Earlier it was reported that this event, which opened in September, will run until October 31.
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The Crows beat the Giants in the opening week of the finals this year, cruising to a 36-point victory at the Adelaide Oval. The Crows went on to make the grand final, but were beaten by Richmond.
What I'm about to write will be of zero interest to other journalists  they all know it's happening. But maybe you, too, should know how politicians try to control a story by giving it to their preferred outlets first or by talking to journalists who won't challenge them. It's not illegal but this control of the narrative gets in the way of voters knowing the facts. As we all saw last week, it can be hard to ignore the drama of a raid on a union headquarters, even if the raid later proves to be unnecessary.
Within the framework of its official visit Tajikistan, the delegation from the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, and led by chairman Ara Babloyan, on Monday met with President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan.

October 31, 2017, 13:46 Armenia Parliament speaker, Tajikistan president discuss Karabakh conflict

STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 31, ARTSAKHPRESS: The parties reflected on bilateral cooperation and parliamentary collaboration, and outlined the directions of further cooperation, informed NEWS.am.

Babloyan noted that the necessary legal contractual basis has been formed between Armenia and Tajikistan.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the importance of establishing closer ties in several domains, spoke about bilateral cooperation within international platforms, and reflected on the joint efforts to address regional and international challenges.

Also, they discussed conflict resolution. In this connection, the Tajik president underlined the need to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through peace talks.

After the meeting with the Tajik president, the Armenian parliament speaker issued a statement for the media. Ara Babloyan considered it noteworthy that the NA delegations current visit to Tajikistan is taking place on the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

All our efforts will be aimed at the establishment and maintenance peace, and the wellbeing of our peoples, he noted, in particular.
Yesterday, Peter Dutton has cut off their drinking water, electricity and food, leaving over 600 innocent people caught between Papua New Guinean Navy personnel.

Some have paid with their lives, others with their sanity.

The asylum seekers and refugees Ive met here have been stranded for 1,700 days, enduring unimaginable deprivations and had their freedoms and rights trampled.

LORENGAU - This week Ive travelled back to Manus Island. Its the third time Ive visited this year, and the third time Ive walked right into a humanitarian catastrophe.

This is the same body that attacked them with machine guns and shotguns on Good Friday this year.

Many of the local Manus people also do not want them in their community.

The reason these men are refusing to leave the detention centre, despite having no access to water in the soaring heat, is the very real threat of violence facing them if they do. The situation here is becoming more combustible every minute.

This catastrophe began when the Labor government opening the Manus Island camp back in 2012, and it has cruelly continued under the current Turnbull-Dutton leadership.

This disaster is on their heads.

The refugees are all justifiably scared for their safety. They need to be brought to safety. Now.

The world is watching what the Australian government is doing on Manus Island. The time for Dutton and Turnbull to act is now. They must bring them here.

There is no solution for the nightmare that our government has created except to end these peoples suffering and bring them to Australia immediately.

Staff have already abandoned the centre, which means the time for action is now.

Senator Nick McKim is the Greens spokesperson for refugees
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.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer will block two Department of Commerce nominees because he believes the Trump administration has delayed investigations into cheap aluminum and steel imports impacting several U.S. manufacturers, including Nucor Steel in Auburn.

Schumer, D-N.Y., informed President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross that he will place holds on the nominations of Gil Kaplan and Nazakhtar Nikakhtar. Kaplan is Trump's choice to serve as undersecretary of commerce for international trade. Nikakhtar, if confirmed, will become assistant secretary of commerce, industry and analysis.

The action stems from Schumer's frustration with how the Trump administration has handled investigations into how aluminum and steel imports from China and other countries are affecting U.S. companies.

"Upstate New York companies like Alcoa and Nucor want to provide high-quality aluminum and steel to businesses in and around the country, but overproduction from China and other countries is threatening upstate New York's metal industry by making it almost impossible for companies that play by the rules to compete," Schumer said.

Schumer sent a letter to Ross in August urging the Commerce Department to conclude Section 232 investigations, which are initiated to determine how imports impact national security. Ross said in June that the investigations would conclude "very shortly," but there haven't been any new developments since that announcement.

One of Schumer's concerns is that imports from China and other countries are heavily subsidized, which places American manufacturers at a disadvantage.

According to Schumer's office, finished steel imports held 27 percent of the U.S. market in September. The surge in imports this year has led to the closure of a factory in Pennsylvania.

"While the (Trump administration) once preached efforts to crack down on China, it now appears they were just reading us a fairy tale of promises, which actually does not live up to a real crackdown on foreign predatory trade practices," Schumer said.

He added that his holds on Kaplan and Nikakhtar's nominations will remain in place until the Commerce Department "provides a satisfactory and meaningful response on the progress of critical investigations that will help protect our upstate steel and aluminum companies."

Schumer's letter was sent in advance of Trump's trip to Asia. The president is scheduled to visit China, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Vietnam during his 12-day trip.
The Auburn YMCA-WEIU thanks Dr. Michael Keating and his staff for donating $1,600 through the Crown Council's Smiles for Life campaign this year to help the YMCA provide services to youth in the community. The campaign has raised more than $75,000 in 16 years, the YMCA said in a news release.

Through the campaign, Keating has also provided teeth whitening services at a reduced cost and donated 100 percent of the proceeds to children with disabilities, serious illness, or lack of medical care or educational opportunities. He raised $3,200 during the four-month campaign, and contributed half to the Auburn YMCA's scholarship fund.

This years effort was a great success, and we want to thank everyone in the community who participated by purchasing whitening services from us during the campaign. We also appreciate Ultradent Products Inc.s generous donation of all teeth whitening materials, Keating said in the release. While its rewarding to see the beautiful smiles of our patients after their teeth are whitened, it is even more fulfilling to see the smiles of the children whose lives are changed by these contributions.
The BMW Z lineup has produced hits such as the Z3 and Z4 but long before those models were launched, the company introduced the Z1.



Originally unveiled at the 1987 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Z1 was a unique roadster which was only in production for a handful of years. 8,000 units were produced and they cost around $100,000 in todays money.

Despite the lofty price tag, the Z1 was based on the 3-Series and featured a 2.5-liter six-cylinder engine sourced from the 325i. Performance was modest as mill developed 168 hp (125 kW) and 164 lb-ft (222 Nm) of torque.

Since the model was never officially offered in the United States, Doug DeMuro decided to check one out and see if Americans missed out one of the more interesting convertible to be released in the past three decades.

DeMuro starts by checking out the Z1s unique doors which slide up and down to open and close. This is an interesting feature but it comes at a cost as the high door sill makes getting in and out of the car a bit trickier than usual.

The doors arent the only odd styling quirk as the model came with plastic body panels and a windshield-mounted roll bar. Even the interior is a bit odd as you cant lock the doors from inside the car and the glove box is located behind the rear passenger seat.

When it comes time to drive the car, DeMuro says the Z1 isnt fast but its a great little beach car thats tons of fun.

Videos
General Motors has settled yet another case relating to its ignition switch recall, this time paying $13.9 million to Orange County, California.



Late Friday, an Orange County superior court judge approved settlement after prosecutors for the county accused the carmaker of deliberately concealing serious safety defects, therefore violating false advertising and unfair competition laws.

This $13.9 million settlement comes just a few weeks after GM agreed to a $120 million settlement with 49 individual U.S. states and the District of Columbia, Reuters reports.

Things are far from over for GM either. It is still facing over 100 other lawsuits regarding its faulty ignition switches, including economic loss and personal injury claims. To date, the company has spent over $2.5 billion on penalties and settlements.

PHOTO GALLERY
AUBURN  Chad Johnson has a lot of taps to choose from, but they're not pouring beer.

Amid the loud hum and grumbles of the city of Auburn's upper pumping station, the 24-year-old engineer in training with GHD Consulting spends parts of his days collecting Owasco Lake water samples. It's an effort he's done with both the city and the town of Owasco to test different harmful algal bloom toxin treatment options.

The city and town hired GHD Consulting to help with its current toxin treatment system last year. The environmental engineering firm has an office based out of Buffalo, but Johnson's office has been the pump houses this past summer and early fall. Johnson, who grew up in Marcellus and attended the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, said it's good to be back in the Finger Lakes region.

"It's kind of nice to be able to have a part in all of this," he said. "My grandpa lived on Skaneateles Lake, so we grew up there on the boat and everything. And now, when I come here for the week, I stay with my dad. He lives on Otisco Lake, so I'm mostly all over all the lakes."

At the Auburn plant on a cold September day, Johnson got to work, bottling up water from 24 spigots across four nearly floor-to-ceiling columns. He also walked past the blue, thick and serpentine tubes where the water flows, and from a small tap in the side of the wall took a sample of the raw lake water.

Back at the columns, he worked his way through the spigots. One column replicates the city's water filtration system stacking anthracite and sand. Johnson collected samples at different stages of the filtration, so if there are toxins in the lake water, test results might show where the toxins are best filtered out.

Another column is all sand, replicating the city's slow sand filter. The last two columns are what the city is perhaps most interested in, mimicking a granular activated carbon filtration similar to what the town of Owasco is using to keep harmful algal toxins at bay. Johnson said there are two kinds of granular carbon GHD is testing.

After he collects and bottles the samples, Johnson said he ships them to a laboratory in Ohio. There, they are analyzed for various harmful algal bloom toxins, including the most common in Owasco Lake, microcystin. A liver toxin, microcystin showed up in the finished drinking water of customers who get their water from the lake last summer. Since installing a powdered activated carbon treatment system, the drinking water this summer has remained free of toxins.

Besides microcystin, GHD is having the lab test for anatoxin, cylindrospermopsin and saxitoxin. These toxins can come from cyanobacteria, the official scientific term for harmful algal blooms, or blue-green algae. The Cayuga County Health Department and the state Department of Environmental Conservation reported levels of anatoxin in some of the blooms sampled on Owasco Lake this year. The toxin has not been found in the drinking water, however, and Johnson said the carbon treatment systems were partially chosen because they do a good job of filtering out all cyanotoxins.

Johnson said GHD will compile the results from the lab into a report back to the city. John West, Auburn's chief water plant operator, said those results may help the city decide whether it will keep the current powdered activated carbon system, which it is utilizing on a lease-to-own deal, or if it will try a new method for next year.

In the meantime, cooler weather means Johnson is wrapping up work at both plants. West said the latest toxin results from the Cayuga County Health Department have shown no detectable toxins, even in the raw lake water.

"It looks like we're getting on that side of it, but we'll have to see for sure," he said.
The Honda Civic Type R is an impressive beast and the company has just announced its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine will be available as a crate motor.



Set to be offered through the Honda Racing Line program, the crate engine will cost $6,519.87 excluding shipping fees. The engine produces 306 hp (228 kW) and 295 lb-ft (399 Nm) of torque and Honda says its ideal for grassroots and professional racers seeking a powerful engine for closed-course racing applications.

Besides announcing the new crate engine, Honda revealed plans to unveil the Baja Ridgeline Concept Truck. Designed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Baja 1000, the truck features a Honda Performance Development HR35TT 3.5-liter V6 engine and a special red metal flake livery. It will compete in the Baja 1000 later this year and be driven by Johnny Campbell during the anchor leg of the race.

Another display will show a Civic Si which has been converted into an SCCA STU-class race car. It will feature a K20C1 turbo engine as well as an assortment of parts from Honda Performance Development.

Visitors can also check out a Civic Type R that has been equipped with the optional Red Carbon Kit. The package costs $2,697 and includes door mirror covers, a rear wing, and special interior trim.

Honda will also showcase the 2018 HFP Series kit which is available for the Civic Si Sedan, Coupe, and Hatchback as well as the Fit. The package includes a sport-tuned suspension, alloy wheels, and a rear spoiler. Other upgrades include special floor mats, sport pedals, and a unique shifter.

Rounding out the highlights are a handful of motorcycles and race cars including the Pirelli World Challenge Civic Si and the Red Bull Global Rallycross Civic Coupe.

Photo Gallery
The Jaguar XJ was introduced eight years ago and the model has only seen a handful of updates since then. This has given rise to speculation that the XJ might not have much of a future but Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum has dismissed that notion.



Speaking to Autocar, Callum said the company has recently come to a consensus and determined the XJ will remain Jaguars flagship. As he explained, Theres more sophistication for a flagship sedan than a flagship SUV. Only one brand can have an SUV as its flagship due to its origins and thats Land Rover.

This means the rumored J-Pace, which would slot above the F-Pace, will be positioned below the XJ. The company was previously considering doing the opposite but it appears the XJ loyalists have won out.

Little is known about the next-generation XJ but Callum said sedans need to be reinvented following the success of crossovers and North American consumers finally accepting hatchbacks such as the Tesla Model S. This seems like a subtle hint that the next XJ could be hatchback in order to increase its practicality and appeal to customers who are used to buying crossovers.

While nothing is official, Callum went on to say the XJs design remains popular because it is different as all of its rivals are traditional three-box designs.

Photo Gallery
Presented in Tokyo last week, the new Nissan IMx wont be put into production, but it will reportedly help influence the design of the brands next-gen compact SUV.



Thats what Nissan VP of Global Design, Alfonso Albaisa, told AutoExpress, suggesting that the show car could play a big role in designing the next-generation Qashqai, otherwise known as the Rogue Sport in North America.

Albaisa was asked whether the IMx will influence the second-gen Juke, but he pointed out that the study is larger than the subcompact SUV. Still, it has a pretty good chance of lending some of its design elements to the Qashqai/Rogue Sport.

Despite its dramatic appearance, Albaisa claims the IMx looks no further than 3 years into the future. This coincides with the compact SUVs 6-7-year lifecycle, which is in production since November 2013, in its current form.

Details about the third-generation Nissan Qashqai have started surfacing, and we already know that it should debut before the turn of the decade, reportedly benefiting from the ProPilot autonomous driving tech.

PHOTO GALLERY
One Small Step is our love letter to everyone who chased that impossible dream and the family that supported them through it, says Chesworth.

The films stylized use of cg is being developed by Pontillas, who says he wants the film to combine the best parts of digital illustration and modern 3D animation toward a fresh new direction.

Zhangs studio is set up as an international operation. In addition to its L.A. office, Taiko has also opened an animation studio in Wuhan, China.

Were proud to be a global company that offers a universal spirit of optimism and inclusion that speaks to all people, founder Shaofu Zhang says. The company seems to be aiming toward creating projects that will play well in both the Chinese and Western film markets.

Other Disney artists who have joined the company in key roles are Joy Johnson and Andrew Jennnings.

Johnson is the cg supervisor in charge of setting up the studios system for animating. A VES Award winner for her work on Elsa in Frozen, she also oversaw character rigging of Zootopias lead character, Nick Wilde.

Jennings will handle the duties of pipeline supervisor. He was technical animation supervisor on the Disney short Inner Workings, as well as many of Disneys recent features.

The company has also announced that veteran vfx animator Erik Lee is the animation supervisor in China, and Steven Horner is composing the music for the studios first project, One Small Step.

One Small Step is due to debut in 2018 on the film festival circuit.
Bill Everitt

10:47 A.M. UPDATE:

Police in Kelowna, B.C., are in the early stages of their investigation after a passenger was stabbed to death aboard a bus and the suspect fled the scene.

RCMP Const. Kris Clark says the incident occurred early Thursday evening and that he couldn't say if the male victim died on the bus or after he was rushed to hospital.

A witness told Castanet that the man appeared to die on the scene, before he was rushed to hospital.

Details regarding the suspect or their description have not yet been released.

Les Milton, president of the Kelowna local of the Amalgamated Transit Workers union, says it was a rough night for passengers and the bus driver who looked on in horror.

Milton says the passenger is believed to have been stabbed in the neck when the bus pulled over at a regular stop.

9:20 p.m. Update:

A witness has come forward and given more details about the incident to Castanet.

The witness, who wanted to remain anonymous, was two feet away from the victim when he was attacked. She says their eyes met and he looked at her with disbelief that he had been stabbed. He was holding his hand over the bleeding neck wound he'd just received in an apparent random act of violence.

She helped another male passenger try to save the victim's life, she compressed an article of her clothing against the man's wound to try and stop him from losing more blood.

The witness says there did not appear to be an altercation on the bus before the man was fatally wounded by another passenger.

"He just got on the bus and before he got off he stabbed him in the neck," she says. "The driver had already stopped the bus when the guy stabbed him and ran off."

"By the time the cops got there, the guy was already dead, I could tell by his eyes."

She says the victim looked to be in his 50s and she said she had noticed him on the bus before.

The woman did not see what the attacker looked like; others reported the man was wearing a grey hoodie.

The stabbing occurred behind Safeway on Baron Road on the 6:21 p.m. University 8 bus. There were about 20 people on the bus at the time of the incident.

RCMP say the suspect is still at large.

An earlier version of this story mistakenly said the incident occurred before 6 p.m. It occurred around 6:30 p.m.

Were you on the bus? If you've already talked to the RCMP, please send your story to [email protected]

Photo: Jennifer Zielinski

A man was fatally stabbed on a Kelowna city bus just before 6 p.m. Thursday.

The suspect is still at large and RCMP have cordoned off several areas on Leckie Road behind the Staples building.

The witness told Castanet that just before 6 p.m. there was some altercation on the bus which resulted in a stabbing.

"The Kelowna RCMP were called to a report of a disturbance on a city transit bus on Baron Road behind Dilworth Centre, located at 2339 Highway 97," media relations officer Cst Kris Clark said in a release. "An unknown male passenger was rushed to hospital but he succumbed to his injuries. Efforts are underway to apprehend the suspect at this time."

There were other passengers on the bus at the time. They are currently being interviewed by the RCMP and will be transferred to another bus to complete their journeys.

RCMP also have an area near a dumpster at 2035 Quail Place taped off. It was overheard that the suspect may have dropped something in the area, although it's currently unclear what the item might be.

The road is blocked behind the Staples building West of Leckie and Baron.

Anyone with any information who has yet to speak with police are asked to call the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300.

Remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, leaving a tip online at www.crimestoppers.net or by texting your tip to CRIMES (274637) ktown.



Were you on the bus? If you've already talked to the RCMP, please send your story to [email protected]
Photo: Flickr/BC Gov't

The B.C. government is aiming to take big money out of municipal politics with legislation that bans corporate and union donations and limits donations by individuals to $1,200.

Municipal Affairs Minister Selina Robinson says the campaign finance reforms follow similar changes to the government's Election Act amendments introduced last month for provincial political parties.

She says the campaign finance reforms introduced Monday are expected to be passed by the legislature this year and will be in effect for municipal elections next fall.

Union of B.C. Municipalities president Wendy Booth says her organization supports the changes because they bring fairness to campaigns and make running for local office more accessible.

Robinson says the proposed legislation also bans out of province contributions to local elections.

The proposed provincial campaign finance reform legislation has sparked an outcry from the Opposition Liberals for its plans to offer political parties about $30 million over five years in public funds to help transition out of the former system.
Photo: RCAF

A Comox air force base aircraft was hit with a laser during a weekend rescue operation.

The Buffalo aircraft was over Mount Washington when the laser flashed the cockpit three times.

The incident was reported to the 442 Squadron tower, who alerted police.

Authorities located a group of people partying in the bush near the base of the mountain, officials say.

It's not known if any charges are pending.

Pointing lasers at planes can blind pilots, and offenders can face criminal charges and fines of up to $100,000.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: CTV

Foul play may have been behind a weekend gas leak in Surrey that forced the evacuation of 200 residents.

RCMP have launched a criminal investigation into the incident at a vacant home on 60th Avenue.

A spark could have levelled the neighbourhood, and it appears natural gas appliances may have been tampered with, fire officials say.

The home showed signs of long-term abandonment. "As a result, it might be pretty hard to nail down when exactly the leak may have occurred."

Residents say they smelled gas for days before reporting the leak.

Fortis crews have shut down gas and power to the home.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: The Canadian Press Max Morton is one of 411 patients who had transcatheter aortic valve replacement surgery. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

A Vancouver cardiologist has presented details of a revolutionary heart valve surgery to thousands of doctors from around the world and says the minimally invasive procedure will "blow people's minds."

Dr. David Wood led a study involving 411 patients who underwent an operation called 3M transcatheter aortic valve replacement for treating aortic heart valve disease, at 13 centres across North America, 11 of them in Canada.

"It's going to change, we think, not just North American, but global practice," Wood said Monday before presenting the study at the annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics conference in Denver, where 15,000 attendees had enrolled.

Instead of invasive open heart surgery, which requires general anesthetic, slicing of the sternum, or breastbone, and long hospital stays and recovery time, patients were awake for the 45-minute procedure and walking within a few hours. Eighty per cent of them went home the next day.

"You had no breathing tube, no catheter in your bladder, you could return to work the next day, you could be driving the next day. These are things that I think the average person can't believe are feasible in 2017," said Wood, who practises at Vancouver General Hospital and St. Paul's Hospital in the same city.

The aortic valve is the most important of four heart valves and leads from the heart to the body, supplying blood to the head, lungs and muscles. It wears out and narrows with age.

The median age of patients in the study was 84, and their symptoms include chest pain and shortness of breath.

"Once you start getting symptoms, 50 per cent of people are going to be dead within a year so it's absolutely imperative that you fix that valve," Wood said.

The new innovation builds on a technique pioneered by Wood's colleague Dr. John Webb in 2005, which still required general anesthetic and a week-long hospital stay.

"By doing less, actually the patients did better," he said of their work done at the Centre for Heart Valve Innovation involving St. Paul's, VGH and the University of British Columbia.

"It's truly been a revolution," he said, adding the latest procedure means quality of life for patients and cost savings for the health-care system, aspects his team are looking into quantifying.

Sister Theresa Stickley had the "miracle" surgery in 2013 at age 83 when she lived in Squamish, B.C., and became increasingly exhausted and had difficulty breathing.

"The doctor told me I was very close to death and had a couple of months only to live," Stickley said of the surgery that meant she didn't have to have her "whole chest bone sawed through."

"I was walking right after the surgery," she said from the Monastery of the Angels in Los Angeles, where the American-Canadian citizen moved last year.

Max Morton, 79, was the first person to have the procedure as an emergency-room patient at Vancouver General Hospital. He'd already had open heart surgery a decade earlier.

"Within 24 hours I thought, well, this is nice. It was such an amazing experience being awake for the whole thing," he said from his home in Richmond, adding he went fishing five days later.

"The only reason Max is alive is because we'd been doing the study and we were able to use that technique for Max. That's why he's such an amazing story. No one had ever done it before like that."
Photo: Todd Standing

A B.C. sasquatch hunter is suing the province to prove the elusive creature of Canadian myth exists.

Todd Standing filed a lawsuit in Golden last week claiming the province refuses to recognize the existence of the ape-man and is shirking its duty to manage B.C. wildlife.

Standing, a documentary maker who says he has video of the beast, hopes to prove his case in court. The government has 21 days to file a response.

"It blows my mind this species has not been acknowledged yet," Standing told CTV. "They won't look at the evidence."

Standing also claims to have DNA samples and fingerprints of sasquatch.

His goal is to get a government biologist or conservation officer to accompany him on a sasquatch hunt.

Standing has been accused of staging his encounters, but he shrugs off the criticism.

"Of course I have haters. I have people that think they're competing with me because really, the sasquatch community is the sasquatch competition," he said.

Environment Minister George Heyman laughed off the lawsuit on Monday.

"I have heard about it. I'll obviously need to get further briefings on the subject of sasquatches," Heyman said.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
AUBURN  After posting an ad on Craigslist looking for a "young playmate," Jason Holcomb went to the Fingerlakes Mall to meet who he thought was a 12-year-old girl; however, the Cayuga County district attorney said it turned out to be a trooper with the New York State Police.

Holcomb, of 216 Blackberry Road, Liverpool, was arrested in May and initially charged with two felonies in the town of Aurelius: one count of first-degree attempted rape and one count of first-degree attempted disseminating indecent material to minors. But now, the 36-year-old is facing additional felonies after a grand jury handed down a six-count indictment in Cayuga County.

On Tuesday, Holcomb pleaded not guilty to one count of first-degree attempted rape, a class C felony, and five counts of first-degree attempted disseminating indecent material to minors, a class E felony.

After Holcomb's arraignment, his defense attorney, Eric Smith, asked Judge Mark Fandrich to continue the defendant out on his own recognizance. Smith argued that Holcomb  an employee with the New York State Thruway Authority  was not a risk to the community as he has no criminal history. He also noted that there was "no victim" in the case.

In response, Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann said he hoped to see some bail placed on Holcomb due to the seriousness of the charges.

Judge Fandrich ultimately set bail at $1,000 cash, $2,000 bond. He said Holcomb would have 72 hours to post bail; otherwise, a warrant would be issued for his arrest and he would be remanded to Cayuga County Jail.

Holcomb was scheduled to return to court Jan. 9.

Also in court:

 An Auburn man was ordered to provide a new DNA swab Tuesday after police allegedly matched an old sample to DNA evidence in a rape case.

Paul Oattes, 42, of 300 Seymour St., was charged March 21 with first-degree rape, third-degree rape and two counts of third-degree criminal sex act, all felonies. He was also charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor.

On Tuesday, Judge Fandrich granted Budelmann's "buccal swab application," which would allow state police to collect a new DNA sample from Oattes.

Oattes' defense attorney, Norman Chirco, said he was "troubled" that the district attorney wanted another DNA swab because he was told the police had an exact match from a previous sample that Oattes provided.

"Does that mean things aren't as clear cut as I've been lead to believe?" Chirco asked.

Budelmann said it is protocol to collect another sample to confirm that the new DNA matches the DNA tested from the "bank." He claimed it was in Oattes' best interest to provide a new sample.

Fandrich agreed, stating he felt it was "better to be safe than sorry."

Oattes  who is charged with first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery and fourth-degree conspiracy in a separate matter  has been held without bail at Cayuga County Jail since January. He is scheduled to go to trial for the rape Nov. 27.

 Two Syracuse residents were sentenced Tuesday for selling drugs in Cayuga County.

First, Juwanda Tyler, 32, was sentenced to three years in prison followed by two years post-release supervision. She also received a shock camp order to receive substance abuse treatment while incarcerated.

A second felony drug offender, Tyler pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance in August. At the time, she told Judge Fandrich she sold cocaine to someone in Auburn in April 2016.

Meanwhile, in a separate case, 27-year-old Julious Anderson was sentenced to two years in prison and two years post-release supervision. He was also given a shock camp order for treatment.

Anderson also admitted to one count of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance in August. The second felony offender said he sold cocaine in Cayuga County in December 2015.

"Hopefully when I get out this time I'll change my life for the better," Anderson said in court. "I'm sorry for what I did."

 An Auburn woman was sentenced to prison Tuesday for her second violation of probation.

Tracy Bertollini, 30, of 20 Cross St., was originally sentenced to five years probation for welfare fraud in November 2013. However, in 2014, Bertollini violated her probation when she was arrested for driving while intoxicated. Then, earlier this year, she was arrested again in Madison County for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and second-degree false personation.

"I think for her sake and the community's sake, (prison) is the best option," Budelmann said, noting that a shock camp order for substance abuse treatment would be appropriate.

"She has addiction issues and she recognizes that," Bertollini's attorney Norman Chirco said. "It's really up to her to turn her life around."

Judge Fandrich said he was torn between a local jail sentence and prison because Bertollini has three small children at home. However, he ultimately sentenced her to one to three years in prison with a shock camp order to help her get "proper treatment."
Photo: The Canadian Press Mark Matthews and his dog, Bounder, at free animal health clinic in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

Mark Matthews isn't sure he would have survived life on Vancouver's streets without his dog.

Bounder has been his constant companion for a decade, including a year where they were homeless. Matthews said through it all, Bounder has given him emotional stability and a sense of responsibility.

"This guy kept me centred," he said, as the dog lazed between his feet. "If I didn't have him, who knows."

Bounder is nearly 12 years old and his health is failing. The dog's back legs no longer work, so Matthews crafted a kind of wheelchair for him out of plastic piping, straps and wheels from a baby carriage. But Bounder also has cancer and a growing lump on his upper lip.

With limited resources, Matthews relies on the SPCA's monthly free veterinary clinic in the city's Downtown Eastside. It's one of a handful of services geared towards helping low or no-income people provide for their pets.

All of the medication is donated and everyone working there is a volunteer.

Shawna Taylor brought her six-year-old dog Josiah to the clinic for flea treatments. Josiah squirmed and yelped as three people held him while another trimmed his nails.

There's a stigma against vulnerable people with pets, Taylor said, and people assume the animals aren't treated well or fed properly.

"This guy is treated a lot better than I treat myself," Taylor said. "He's got friends that drop off steak and crab for him, where I get ham and cheese or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches."

Animals owned by homeless and low-income people are generally very well cared for, said Kathy Powelson with Paws for Hope, another group that provides free veterinary care for vulnerable people.

"The animals that (veterinarians) see in our free clinics are generally as healthy as the animals that they see in their private practice," Powelson said.

Providing the free care allows these people to better care for themselves, Powelson added.

"Often with people and their pets, they will put their animals first and they will feed their animals before they feed themselves. And so by providing this service, we're helping to reduce some of that stress."
Photo: Wayne Moore

The City of Kelowna is among the smartest cities in the world.

According to the Intelligent Community Forum's Smart21 Communities for 2018, Kelowna is among the 21 smartest cities in the world.

The ranking is based on the city's approach and investment in technology to address community goals in areas such as broadband availability, innovation, development of a knowledge workforce, digital equality, sustainability and advocacy.

Kelowna was one of 400 communities around the world to make submissions. The top 21 list includes communities in Australia, Taiwan, France and Finland.

"Kudos to council and staff who have made a very focused effort in recent years to be a city that is open to opportunities, and deliver or expand the services we provide to businesses and citizens," said Mayor Colin Basran during Monday's council meeting.

"Some of those efforts and investments include our expanding dark fibre network, online engagement channels, data-based decision making and partnerships, that keep us open to more opportunities to use technology for economic, social and cultural development in this digital age."

The city will now prepare a more detailed description of opportunities available before the list is pared dow to the top seven in February.

This years list contains more surprises than we have seen in a long time, said ICF co-founder Louis Zacharilla.

Over half of them are Canadian communities that have been working on their programs for years. We also see Taiwan and Australia continuing to embrace broadband and the ICF method effectively."

The Intelligent Community of the Year will be announced June 7.
Alanna Kelly

Haunted houses are often too scary for children, except this one in Kelowna.

A blow-up Frankenstein, a friendly spider and more than 10 pumpkins wait for children to come visit them at 1180 McBride Road.

The happy Halloween house has expanded over the years and lead decorator Marilyn Tietz said herself and her two sisters plan all year for the one night.

It is all about sparkles and happiness, she said. A lot of the decorations you see are blood and gore but we wanted it to be pre-school friendly.

Set up took almost two weeks and includes everything from a witch in a tree, projectors displaying glowing pumpkins and hundreds or lights.

The pumpkins were all carved by one sister and all the mannequins are hand-made by another sister.

When asked about how much the entire happy Halloween house cost, Tietz kept it a secret.

You cant put a price on happiness, she said.
Photo: Alanna Kelly

UPDATE: 1:35 p.m.

Gas stations in Kelowna have jumped to 128.9 cents a litre on Tuesday.

ORIGINAL: 11:45 a.m.

Okanagan residents got a shock during the morning commute as gas prices at many stations jumped as much as seven cents a litre.

Prices, which were between 117.9 cents and 119.9 cents a litre, jumped to 125.9 or 126.9 cents a litre this morning.

Gasbuddy.com spokesman Dan McTeague say the price increase has affected all of Western Canada except for the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.

McTeague says prices in the West are tied to the spot market for gasoline at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

"That market has gone bonkers since the beginning of October," said McTeague. "The price was about $1.65 a gallon at the beginning of the month. Right now, it's trading at $2.08 a gallon. That works out to about a 12 cent increase on wholesale for Canadian consumers."

He says that's what's driving the increase at the pump.

The hike in Chicago is partly driven by the Explorer Pipeline, he says,which delivers gasoline from the Gulf Coast to the U.S. Midwest. That pipeline has been shut down for about a week.

McTeague says it would be up and running again later this week, meaning prices at the pumps could drop. But, he adds, the days of $1.10 a litre may be gone.

"This is not the norm. American demand is way up, and it's not about to fall.
Photo: CTV An Abbotsford man was killed in a crash on Highway 1, Tuesday.

A man was killed in a three-vehicle collision on Highway 1 in Langley Tuesday morning.

The crash occurred just after 5 a.m. in the eastbound lanes of the Trans-Canada, near the 232nd Street exit.

Upon arrival, police found a black Acura in the ditch. The 40-year-old driver from Abbotsford was pronounced dead at the scene.

The occupants of the other two vehicles were not injured in the crash.

Police continue to investigate the incident, and have not yet ruled out speed or impairment as contributing factors.
Photo: hnz.com

The general manager of HNZ Topflight says the company is asking for a "long-term, unrestricted commitment" from government to continue operating its flight school if a national park were created in the South Okanagan.

"Our issue is that there's no real guarantees of what we've been promised," Dave Schwarzenberger said.

"Minister (Catherine) McKenna said in her speech we'd basically be taken care of, but we haven't received anything in writing, and that's what we're looking for."

Both the federal Minister of Environment Catherine McKenna and provincial Minister of Environment George Heyman said stakeholders like HNZ Topflight will be heard in the park planning, when they spoke at a media event on Friday.

Schwartzenberger said the two levels of government met with him last week on short notice, prior to Friday's announcement.

"They told us that they want to work with us so that we're unaffected by any park proposal."

The flight school operates year-round out of the Penticton Airport, running three-week-long training classes for forces including RCMP, the Royal Canadian Air Force, and military from Canadian and NATO forces.

"Some of these people are coming to our course prior to going to Afghanistan and fighting for their country," Schwartzenberger said.

"We're extremely proud of it, and we're hopeful that the government will be proud of our history of training our military forces over the last 67 years and work with us so that we can continue to do so."

The flight school is currently under permit to use several protected areas for training, including Vaseux and White Lake Grasslands, Mount Kobau and Snowy Mountain, as well as Cathedral Lake Provincial Park.

The permit in place was made necessary in 2001.

Schwartzenberger said he's worried that the flight school will get squeezed out of areas where they are currently permitted to operate in the region.

He added that the flight school has long-term contracts in place with NATO forces, and that they need guarantees from government on national park boundaries so that they can, in essence, guarantee their training service.

"We need very clear and concise direction from the federal and provincial government moving forward in order to continue our operation."

And it's not as simple as packing up and moving training elsewhere, as the landscape and climate in the South Okanagan makes it one of the best places in the world to conduct training.

The flight school also provides a large economic impact for the South Okanagan, according to Schwartzernberger, as the flight school makes up more than 60 per cent of aircraft movements at YYF and brings in out-of-town customers.

He added that the environmental impact of conducting the training is minimal.

"We're not impacting the environment at all in terms of equipment or things on the land... We don't have any structures and we don't spend much time on the ground."

The two levels of government and local First Nations communities are hopeful a national park will be in place by 2019.
Photo: Allison Getz Two people were injured in a West Kelowna crash, Sunday.

A two-vehicle collision on Highway 97 in Westbank sent two people to the hospital Sunday afternoon.

About 1:30 p.m., a man travelling south on the highway in a grey SUV collided with black GMC truck that was turning west onto Grizzly Road in front of him.

Both vehicles sustained heavy damage in the crash, and the man driving the SUV was trapped inside his vehicle.

He was extricated using the Jaws of Life and sent to hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries, along with the woman driving the truck.

Police are asking anyone who witnessed the crash to call them at 250-768-2880.
Photo: Province of BC

An inmate at the Okanagan Correctional Centre in Oliver is suing the prison for an injury he allegedly sustained while working at the facility.

In a small claims lawsuit seeking the maximum $35,000, Michael Bradley Telford says he was pushing a meal cart on Aug. 20 when he lost control of it, sending it over his foot.

He claims a sharp pain shot up the side of his body and his foot began to swell significantly. The claim says he was treated in medical with a tensor bandage and set of crutches, but the injury has persisted.

My left knee now clicks because of it, and the top of my left foot is still numb from the injuries, he wrote.

Telford has an extraordinarily lengthy criminal record dating back to 2000, mostly for property crime. He is currently awaiting trial for one count of theft under $5,000 for an incident that is alleged to have occurred in Lake Country in April.

Inmates have won civil cases against prisons for injuries they have sustained while working an assignment, but a Queens University paper indicates that most claims are settled out of court.
Chantelle Deacon

More than 30 car seats were donated to five South Okanagan communities Tuesday, including Penticton.

The Child Safety Initiative partners annually with the United Way, Central Okanagan Foundation and KGH Foundation to provide car seats to families in need.

"Some of the families we work with live on limited incomes and work hard trying to make ends meet," said Ian Gerbrandt, director at Penticton & District Community Resources Society. "It's a peace of mind to know that their kids are safe in a brand-new car seat."

"Kids out grow these things but what's nice about these convertible car seats is they grow with the kids, they can be used as old as 12."

"It also helps stretch their dollars for other things."

Thirty-one seats were disbursed between Penticton, Keremeos, Princeton, Oliver and Summerland. The Penticton & District Community Resources Society received 10.

United Way manager of community investment Reanne Amadio said Costco provided the seats at a discounted rate, and "we have a lovely free truck from Budget to deliver them throughout the Central and South Okanagan.
Taxpayers in Cayuga County pay some of the highest taxes in the state and nation. This is greatly due to the fact that where most states rely on local taxpayers to support their state budgets in the area of 3 percent to 4 percent, New York state relies on local taxpayers in the area of 15 percent. Evidence of this is found in unfunded taxpayer mandates. Example: the assigned counsel program is the responsibility of the state, but since 1966 the cost has been carried by counties.

For Cayuga County this has grown to close to a million dollars annually. The Cayuga County Legislature has discretion over 10 percent to 13 percent of the annual budget, the remaining balance goes to state mandated programs. In the five years I served the taxpayers of the town of Brutus, it was not until the legislative majority changed, that the voices of those with long-range planning were heard. Multi-year budgeting, capital improvement needs, reigning in use of fund balance for everyday needs.

With the long history of Cayuga County having the same party in the legislative majority, and members of the same party holding elective county office seats, the word NO was not often utilized. Request for increased spending was not thoroughly challenged and we as taxpayers saw our taxes increased repeatedly. The taxpayers of this county will benefit greatly by keeping the current majority of financially minded individuals in control of spending.

I support Grant Kyle to represent my tax dollars, and I urge the voters of District 4 to do the same. We need less politicians and more business knowledge to lead this county. Grant is a business man, a proven developer, job creator, networking experience to move projects forward. He has been instrumental in redeveloping downtown Auburn. I urge all taxpayers to put politics aside and look at the candidates you trust with your hard-earned money.

I thank and support Elaine Daly for running for Legislator. The knowledge and experience she has of county government, would take even the most dedicated legislator years to attain. She will be a tremendous asset, and bring much insight to the other members.

I have known Bob Nodzo, for many years, his intelligence, common sense, and dedication will benefit the county greatly.

Mostly, participate in the process, voting is a right that has been earned by the bloodshed of service men and women since this country was founded. Honor their sacrifice, and their memory, vote.

Mark Farrell

Weedsport
The GOP has truly sold its soul to its large donors.

The Trump tax scam slashes trillions of dollars in essential services, including education, Medicaid, Social Security and Medicare in order to dramatically reduce taxes for the ultra-wealthy and Big Business. The GOP Senate budget calls for $473 billion in cuts from Medicare over 10 years  that would impact over 55 million Americans. The GOP budget cuts over $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next decade. Medicaid essential to over 70 million Americans  including the disabled, poor, children and senior citizens.

We in central New York are neither ultra-wealthy, nor are we Big Business. We are working folks who want quality schools for our children, the ability to send them to college without irreconcilable debt, living wage jobs, a good doctor when we get sick, the ability to retire in comfort and to have our roads not fall apart. We're not interested in buying another private jet or a 12th house and we don't have more than $5 million dollars in assets to pass on to our children when we die.

Personally, I want to be able to send my two daughters to public school in Syracuse. It is beyond outrageous to me as someone who cares deeply about public education that our schools are so underfunded that this would have to be a question for me, but it is. I have friends who have left the city for this reason and there are thousands of students whose parents don't have that option.

A nonpartisan website Politifact.com, found that 80 percent of the GOP tax cuts would benefit the top 1 percent by the 10th year of the plan. In contrast, in 2018, middle-income households (those earning $50,000 to $90,000 a year) would receive a tax break on average of $660, or 1.2 percent of their after-tax income. "By 2027, more than one of every four middle-income families would pay more in taxes."

Why would the GOP and Congressman Katko possibly not stand with us and support a GOP tax giveaway? The answer is pretty simple  follow the money.

Congressman Katko and the GOP gets most of their funding for election campaigns from wealthy donors from outside the districts they represent. With this money, they buy advertisements and follow focus groups and polling to figure out the best way to get us to vote for them.

Let's not be fooled. The GOP is choosing its big donors over the well-being of the rest of us.

Jonah Minkoff-Zern

Syracuse
I am writing in support of Kathleen Gorr, who is running for the seat in the 9th District of the Cayuga County Legislature.

In a year when water has become an important concern, from the floods in June to the contaminating algae blooms in September, Kathy has made a particular commitment to advancing plans for protecting our lakes, Owasco, Skaneateles, Cayuga as well as other local other water sources. She is sensitive to the damage of fracking and opposes it for our area. Additionally, she has focused on improving proper road drainage and maintenance to avoid the kinds of washouts and property damage that so many suffered in this years early summer flooding.

Kathy is native New Yorker and currently a resident of Niles. Her husband, Mike, teaches at Wells College. In campaigning with her as she went from house to house meeting voters in our area, I witnessed an upbeat and energetic candidate who wants to listen to the concerns of our community and bring them to the Legislature for action. As a lawyer and concerned citizen, she brings considerable negotiating skills and a willingness to work with all her fellow legislators for the betterment of our area in Cayuga County.

Please remember to vote on Nov. 7 for clean water, good roads and great representation in the legislature.

Joyce E. Jesionowski

Moravia
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Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On October 30, Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation (BAIC) announced its cooperation with Yanfeng Automotive Trim Systems. The two companies have signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement.

According to the agreement, BAIC and Yanfeng will maximize advantages on both sides and work together in such areas as vehicle interior, exterior, safety and seating. They will conduct deep research on the said areas and finally mass produce certain products. In the future, two companies will offer intelligent vehicle cockpit solutions and light-weight technology on the vehicle interior and exterior.

The automaker and the supplier will set up a joint working group and will regularly exchange information on new technology and innovative ideas to implement every project.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Competition in self-owned brands changes greatly this year. The former leader Changan Auto is gradually surpassed by Geely Auto and GWM, while fierce competition takes place between SAIC passenger vehicles and GAC passenger vehicles. Chery and BYD, the once competitors of Geely Auto, now fall into the third echelon. Analysis on sales volume of self-owned brands shows that companies focusing on self-independent research and technological storage are welcomed by the market and that competition between self-owned brands is rising to an unprecedented degree.

In spite of the slow growth, domestic auto market still supports several auto brands developments on the basis of the large market volume. Latest data shows that domestic passenger vehicles have a total sales volume of 2.3m units in September this year with year-on-year and month-on-month growths of 3.4% and 24.3% respectively. Total sales volume for the previous three quarters reaches 16.75m units, growing 3.2% on the yearly basis of 16.23m units. All segments achieve large growths in terms of sales volume in September, with monthly growths for cars, SUV and MPV models reaching 24.36%, 24.88% and 19.2% respectively.

Domestic auto market still keeps vibrant with the top 3 self-owned brands turning out to be Geely, Changan and GWM. Geely Auto and GWM show sales monthly growths of 41.9% and 1.3% respectively in September, while Changan Auto face sales decline of 15.84%.

The following brands SAIC passenger vehicle and GAC Trumpchi all show large growths this year, while other traditional brands including Chery, BYD, JAC and BAIC all show sales slumps in September.
Josh Rozman, of Tampa, Fla., speaks last year during a news conference to announce legal action against a Chicago-area debt collection operation. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, left, on Tuesday announced a settlement with the firms. (Anthony Souffle / Chicago Tribune)

State and federal agencies have settled civil charges against the operators of a collection of Westmont-based businesses they said ran a fake debt collection scheme.

The three defendants have agreed to surrender assets worth at least $9 million  including cash, a 1-kilogram gold bar and homes; the items will be sold and proceeds given to victims. The three settlements combined totaled $47 million, according to a news release from Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigans office, but the state only expects to recover the $9 million because thats all the defendants claim they can pay.

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Stark Law and affiliates Stark Recovery and Capital Harris Miller are accused of coercing individuals into paying payday loan debts that they either didnt owe or owed to others. They also were accused of selling groups of bogus payday loans to other debt buyers, who then tried to collect the fake debt. Stark Law owner Hirsh Mohindra, his brother Gaurav Mohindra and Preetesh Patel will sign over certain bank and investment accounts as part of the deal with Madigans office and the Federal Trade Commission.

Hirsh Mohindra also will turn over his home and rental properties; Preetesh Patel will give up $41,000; Gaurav Mohindra will surrender $85,000, his interest in a condominium and a 1-kilogram gold bar. The three defendants neither confirmed nor denied guilt as part of the deal, which was approved Friday in federal court.

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The statement from Madigans office said that the full $47 million judgment will become due and payable if the defendants are found to have misrepresented their financial condition.

sbomkamp@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @SamWillTravel
Hormel Foods announced Tuesday an agreement to buy Columbus Manufacturing, known for its salami and soppressata, from a Chicago-based private equity firm for $850 million.

Thats almost four times the reported $213 million that Arbor Investments paid for Columbus in 2012, when it acquired the premium deli meat company from Endeavour Capital.

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Hormels acquisition of Columbus  and the sizable return on investment for Arbor  reflects Big Foods insatiable appetite for smaller, more premium food companies these days. Simply put, its easier to buy products that are marketed as natural or premium or authentic  all popular industry buzzwords these days  than it is to create them.

Annual sales for Columbus are about $300 million with an expected growth rate of more than 5 percent, Minnesota-based Hormel said Tuesday.

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Columbus will join other brands in the Hormel portfolio such as Spam, Jennie-O, Applegate and DiLusso.

In a conference call with investors Tuesday morning, Hormel executives touted the benefits of adding Columbus to its deli meat portfolio, saying the craft and artisanal meats would appeal to millennial consumers and possibly help Hormel expand its presence in club and natural food stores, as well as e-commerce channels. Hormel CEO Jim Snee called the acquisition a grand slam for the company.

The acquisition of Columbus allows us to change the narrative in a meaningful way, Snee said.

Since acquiring Columbus in 2012, Arbor invested about $61 million into plants and equipment for the California meat company and overhauled the senior management team, said Gregory Purcell, co-founder and CEO of the private equity group. Columbus is perfectly positioned for todays consumers who increasingly prefer better quality products, Purcell said.

Most people in the food business regard Columbus as the Gucci of premium deli meat, Purcell said.

In August, Hormel also announced the $425 million acquisition of Fontanini Italian Meats and Sausages, a Chicago-area food service business.

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Earlier this month, Kellogg Co. announced its $600 million acquisition of Chicago-based RXBar, a protein bar company. Just weeks before that, Chicago-based Conagra Brands said it would buy the maker of Angies Boomchickapop ready-to-eat popcorn for $250 million.

gtrotter@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @GregTrotterTrib

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Nurses and staff work Oct. 31, 2017, at the nurse's station in the emergency room at Roseland Community Hospital in the Roseland neighborhood on Chicago's Far South Side. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

A hospital serving mostly low-income people on the citys Far South Side is one of only 15 in the country to get a patient safety grade of F on a recent report  a grade the hospital disputes.

Roseland Community Hospital was the only hospital in Illinois to receive the failing grade this week as part of semiannual ratings by the Leapfrog Group, a nonprofit that evaluates hospital performance. No other Illinois hospital has received an F in at least four years from Leapfrog, which grades hospitals on 27 measures of hospital safety, including hand hygiene, intensive care unit physician staffing, bedsores and falls.

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Though experts agree that patients shouldnt base all their decisions on one single grade or measure, consumers shouldnt brush off such grades either, said Larry Boress, president and CEO of the Midwest Business Group on Health, which worked with Leapfrog on the survey in Illinois.

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I think they should question whether or not they should get care in that hospital, Boress said of a hospital that receives a grade of F. Hospital ... mistakes and safety issues are the third-highest cause of death in this country, so its not to be taken lightly.

Roseland Community President and CEO Tim Egan argued some of the information used in Leapfrogs assessment of hospitals was dated and not representative of current conditions at his hospital. The hospital didnt finish filling out the survey sent by Leapfrog because of a lack of resources, and was instead focused on gaining re-accreditation from the Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program, which it achieved in recent weeks, he said.

Egan also pointed to rising patient satisfaction levels. Patient satisfaction rose significantly across a dozen different measures between 2016 and 2017, according to surveys performed for the hospital. You have to judge (based) on what the patients are saying about the hospital, Egan said.

In the Roseland neighborhood, residents dont have a lot of hospital options. The independent, 134-bed facility has been a staple of the community since 1924, primarily serving patients in need.

About 60 percent of Roselands patients are on Medicaid, a state and federally funded health insurance program for the poor, Egan said. About 24,000 patients visit the hospitals emergency department each year, including victims of violence and gunshots.

Shortly before Egan took over in 2013, the hospital accepted money from the state to avoid closure. Egan was tasked with helping to turn around Roseland. The hospital was $30 million in debt when Egan took over, and is now about $6 million in debt, he said.

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Ratings and rankings are perennial sources of pride or anxiety for hospitals. Some hospitals tout their high ratings to attract more patients.

Leapfrog is not the only organization that evaluates hospitals. The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, U.S. News & World Report and Consumer Reports release ratings, each using their own methodologies, among others. Illinois also has its own hospital report cards that show safety, quality and satisfaction measures.

Roseland most recently received two stars out of five for quality from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Hospital leaders, however, caution that consumers should consider ratings as just one part of the equation when making health care decisions.

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The Illinois Health and Hospital Association recommends patients and consumers talk to their doctors and check multiple sources when deciding on hospitals. Weve always agreed hospitals should be transparent on patient and quality and safety information, said association spokesman Danny Chun.However  patients and consumers should not rely on any one set of rankings.

In Illinois, 111 hospitals were graded as part of the Leapfrog report, and of those, 33 received an A, down from 36 hospitals that earned a top grade in the spring. Boress said that may be because of a higher curve this time around as well as some changes in the methodology.

Ten Illinois hospitals earned A grades for the fifth year in a row: Amita Health St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates; Elmhurst Hospital; HSHS St. Josephs Hospital Breese; Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield; OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington; OSF St. Mary Medical Center in Galesburg; Rush University Medical Center in Chicago; Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora; University of Chicago Medical Center; and West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park.

lschencker@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @lschencker
If Mayor Rahm Emanuel is looking for a career change, he might consider acting.

Chicago Med" star Oliver Platt said Emanuel  who made a brief guest appearance as himself on the 2015 premiere of the NBC medical drama  is a natural, man. Yeah, he started to like riff and stuff like that and (co-creator) Dick (Wolf) was like, Rahm, stick to the script.

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Platt was one of several Chicago actors who talked to reporters Monday at a media event promoting Wolfs NBC franchise of dramas set and filmed in Chicago. The gathering was held at Lagunitas Brewing Co., which is near Cinespace Chicago Film Studios, the West Side headquarters for the Wolf shows.

Emanuel, who also had a cameo on Chicago Fire," is the older brother of Hollywood superagent Ari Emanuel. Campaign records show that unions that benefit from work at Cinespace have contributed more than $22,000 since the mayor began fundraising in earnest for a third term.

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Said Platt: Well have the mayor back any day. My understanding is that Rahm has been very supportive of film and television in Chicago, and that's a wonderful thing.

Season 3 of Chicago Med" is scheduled to premiere at 9 p.m. Nov. 21.

tswartz@tribpub.com

Twitter @tracyswartz

[ RELATED: Watch 'Chicago Med' star  a Cardinals fan  discuss being polite at Wrigley Field ]

[ Stars of NBC's Chicago-set franchise return to city to film new seasons ]

[ 'Chicago Med' sets return date for Season 3 ]
Actress Rose McGowan speaks at the inaugural Women's Convention in Detroit. An arrest warrant has been obtained for McGowan for felony possession of a controlled substance. The felony charge stems from a police investigation of personal belongings left behind on a United flight arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport on Jan. 20. (Paul Sancya / AP)

Actress Rose McGowan has been one of the loudest and most persistent voices speaking out against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused of serial sexual harassment spanning several decades. McGowan claimed Weinstein raped her and later attempted to pay her in exchange for her silence.

But her outspokenness, and the media scrutiny that comes with it, has stirred up news of some unrelated legal troubles. On Monday, news broke of a warrant for McGowan's arrest obtained earlier this year.

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The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department confirmed to The Washington Post that it obtained a warrant for the arrest of McGowan for the possession of a controlled substance, a felony charge. The actress left behind "personal belongings" that "tested positive for narcotics" on a flight that flew into Washington Dulles International Airport on Jan. 20, police said in a statement to The Post.

The warrant was obtained on Feb. 1, and police said they have tried to contact McGowan so she can appear in court in Loudoun County, Virginia, to respond to the charge. Her name has also been entered into a national law enforcement database.

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McGowan responded with an angry tweet, calling the warrant "a load of" horse manure.

"Are they trying to silence me?" McGowan said in the tweet

She didn't elaborate on who might be trying to silence her, or what they would be preventing her from saying -- but others seemed to fill in the gaps.

If McGowan "would have taken that million dollars in hush money I'm quite sure this wouldn't even be a headline," writer Ashlee Marie Preston said in a tweet, retweeted by McGowan adding the word, "FACT."

"It's not a coincidence that Rose McGowan" had this happen "after speaking out against Hollywood predators," journalist Laura Loomer said in a tweet.

Radio host Stefan Molyneaux called the warrant "Shockingly transparent retaliation."

It's unclear if these tweets refer to the news coverage of the warrant, or the warrant itself -- which was issued months before news of Weinstein's alleged sexual abuse broke.

The actress became one of the leading voices against sexual abuse in Hollywood after an Oct. 5 article in the New York Times alleged that Weinstein, one of Hollywood's most powerful producers, used his position to sexually harass and assault women he encountered through his work. McGowan was one of the women listed in the article.

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A week later, she tweeted to Amazon CEO and Washington Post owner Jeffrey P. Bezos that she was raped by a man whose initials were "HW." She later confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter that the tweet referred to Harvey Weinstein.

Through her lawyer, she told the New York Times that Weinstein offered her $1 million in September to sign a nondisclosure agreement.

Instead of taking the money, she began speaking loudly against a culture of sexual assault ingrained in Hollywood. On Oct. 12, the same day she tweeted the rape allegation against Weinstein, her Twitter account was temporarily suspended.

She took to Instagram instead, writing, "TWITTER HAS SUSPENDED ME. THERE ARE POWERFUL FORCES AT WORK. BE MY VOICE."

Twitter quickly reinstated her account, explaining in a tweeted statement that "her account was temporarily locked because one of her tweets included a private phone number, which violates our Terms of Service," and that "We will be clearer about these policies and decisions in the future."

Since then, McGowan has continued to speak out about sexual abuse in Hollywood.

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On Friday, she gave a speech at the Women's Convention in Detroit, offering examples of how sexual harassment is embedded in the movie business, such as the fact that, "writers in Hollywood use rape as a plot device. They can't imagine a woman getting strong otherwise."

She also said that there is no protection in place for women.

"In regards to Hollywood, we have no Title IX. There's nothing" McGowan said, before adding that she wouldn't be silenced.

"I've had monsters after me for years and years trying to eradicate me from this planet. And I will not go," she said.

RELATED STORIES:

Actress Rose McGowan says her silence over on sexual assault

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'I'm the victim here': Corey Feldman defends himself in contentious 'Today' interviews







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)
Director Rob Reiner's "LBJ," starring Woody Harrelson facially encased in latex and makeup best categorized as a good try, arrives in theaters a year after its Toronto International Film Festival premiere, and 16 months after "All the Way" (Bryan Cranston reprising his juicy Tony Award-winning performance) debuted on HBO.

The timing puts this latest LBJ screen portrait at a disadvantage. It's a passably engaging biopic focusing on a few short and hugely eventful years in the life of the 36th U.S. president. But it wouldn't raise questions about Harrelson's prostheses and makeup, for starters, if the drama carried more urgency.

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HBO's "All the Way" began with Johnson's momentous Nov. 27, 1963, address to Congress, five days after the JFK assassination. "LBJ" uses that speech, part eulogy and part declaration of civil rights principles, as a climax, not a prologue. The script by Joey Hartstone returns to the assassination at Dealey Plaza in Dallas, over and over, as a motif, while focusing on Johnson's vice presidency under Kennedy (Jeffrey Donovan, all lockjaw vowel sounds, every second). The film's especially harsh in its portrayal of attorney general Robert F. Kennedy (Michael Stahl-David) as a steely weasel of an operator, initially uncomprehending of Johnson's usefulness.

Here's what you don't get in "LBJ." You don't get any conspiracy theories regarding the assassination. You don't get more than a muttered sentence or two about the war in Vietnam (Johnson's ultimate political undoing). What you get is a straightfoward, frustratingly mild portrait of a big man who, in "Hamilton"-speak, wanted to be in the room where it happened, but who really just wanted to be loved and respected.

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"Nominations are not won on the campaign trail. They are won on the convention floor!" Harrelson thunders at one point early on, thus proving how wrong Johnson could be. The dialogue frequently falls out of the mouths of the actors like blocks of wooden irony. Most successfully, although confined to the edges of the screenplay, Jennifer Jason Leigh's Lady Bird Johnson suggests several sides of her character simultaneously: comforter, manipulator and dimensional human being. "You knew what you wanted," she tells her insecure husband at one point. "And you got it."

Decked out in the requisite lobe job, hairline and horn rims, Harrelson valiantly creates a performance halfway between impersonation and suggestion. He's often touching, and he clearly enjoys the ribald side of Johnson (as did Cranston in "All the Way"). Johnson was, in his own words, the only politician in Washington fluent in the languages of both Kennedy and Dixiecrat. Richard Jenkins sidles up to the role of Johnson's longtime crony, Democratic U.S. Sen. (and former governor) Richard Russell of Georgia. "LBJ" uses their evolving relationship for a good deal of screenwriter acreage, with Johnson trying to drag Russell and his segregation-minded constituents into the 1960s and a more equal society.

It's fun to watch Jenkins and Harrelson lock horns over drinks and dinner and good ol' boy conversation. But it's unmistakable: Jenkins (though a little light and wobbly on the dialect) relaxes into an easy-breathing performance. Harrelson never quite gets there; he's locked inside a second-rate makeup job, and all too aware of expectations involving the portrayal of an extremely famous figure. Those naturally wide eyes of Harrelson's are a long way from the scowly LBJ squint, the one that revealed a politico of wily resolve and charismatic duplicity. Reiner goes in for a bit of that, but only a bit.

Reiner, Hartstone and Harrelson have already reunited on a more recent political story, a film titled "Shock and Awe" about the Knight Ridder journalists who questioned George W. Bush's weapons of mass destruction claims in the 2003 sprint to war in Iraq. Here's hoping that project, now on the festival circuit, is a more distinctive movie than "LBJ."

Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.

"LBJ"  2 stars

MPAA rating: R (for language)

Running time: 1:38

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Opens: Friday

RELATED: Bryan Cranston's LBJ in 'All the Way' 

Woody Harrelson co-stars in 'The Glass Castle' 

From 2014: 'LBJ' director Rob Reiner talks to the Tribune's Christopher Borrelli 







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)
The grand adventure continues.

On Wednesday, Lyric Opera of Chicago will open a new production of Die Walkure (The Valkyrie), the second installment of David Pountneys staging of Richard Wagners epic tetralogy Der Ring des Nibelungen. Taking on an entire Ring cycle  all 15 hours of it, spread over four music dramas  is a super-ambitious feat for any opera company. But the rewards, for producer, performers and public alike, are immeasurable.

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The precise meanings behind Wagners monumental saga, about the quest of gods and mortals for possession of a magical golden ring that will empower its owner with world domination, have challenged generations of operagoers for more than 140 years, just as Wagners glorious music has presented them with a unique and enthralling experience in the theater. (But do wear comfy shoes to Walkure, which lasts about five hours, including two intervals.)

The magic of modern theater, with all its power to tell stories that resonate with the heartbeat of humanity, is central to how Pountney and his production team are presenting their new Ring of the Nibelung. That much was clear from the initial installment, Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold), which launched the British directors first full Ring cycle here last season. It reasserts itself in Walkure, with set designs by the late Johan Engels (realized by Robert Innes Hopkins), costumes by Marie-Jeanne Lecca and lighting by Fabrice Kebour.

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During a rehearsal break, I sat down with Pountney and two other key Ring adventurers for the next several seasons at Lyric  music director Andrew Davis and soprano Christine Goerke, (who is portraying the title character, the warrior-maiden Brunnhilde)  to sound out their thoughts about the second segment in particular and the tetralogy in general. (The saga will continue with Siegfried next season, Gotterdammerung (The Twilight of the Gods) in 2019-20. Lyric has scheduled three complete cycles for April 2020.)

Following is an edited transcript of that roundtable conversation.

Q: Die Walkure has long been the great audience favorite among the Ring operas, a masterpiece that stands alone most successfully. How do you account for its surpassing popularity over these many years?

Davis: Its the Ring opera in which human emotions are most prevalent. Musically its very powerful all the way through, from the extraordinary love music for Siegmund and Sieglinde, through the Ride of the Valkyries, to the amazing music Wagner wrote for Wotans farewell to his beloved daughter, Brunnhilde.

Pountney: Its the most intimate and least mythological of the music dramas  the one where most of us can recognize ourselves. Siegmund and Sieglinde you fall in love with, Brunnhilde you admire, and Wotan youre in awe of. You see him being put on the rack  thats why hes so sympathetic.

Goerke: Walkure deals with familial and personal relationships that are basic to human experience. Weve all fallen in love with the wrong person, weve all put a parent on a pedestal. At some point we realize theyve fallen off it, or perhaps never were on it to begin with.

Q: Christine, this is your third assumption of Brunnhilde in a complete Ring cycle, following performances in Toronto and Houston. Brunnhilde is the central figure of the Ring and this operas namesake. How has she taken hold of you in the course of your odyssey through the role?

Goerke: Every time you sing a role you bring something new to it. As many characters as Ive been able to play in opera, this one is truly the gift. Being able to be part of Brunnhildes saga from beginning to end, experiencing her every emotion, has been thrilling. The music feels like home for me. I love to sing it and I am fascinated by the character. I so identify with her!

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Q: You have remarked in the past that your basic approach to Wagners music is to sing it as lyrically as possible.

Goerke: It has to be sung that way. There is so much line and tenderness and an orchestration that at times has an almost chamber-music-like delicacy  I dont think people think of that with Wagner. Yes, there are moments that blow your hair back, but there also are others that allow you to almost whisper. There is nothing like feeling that cushion of (orchestral) sound beneath you.

Davis: Even when the orchestral textures look quite dense on the page, if the conductor gets the dynamics right, its amazing how the voices will ride right over the top. Wagner was very clever that way.

Pountney: Brunnhilde is really a unique creation. Before Wagner, no composer had conceived any female character in any comparable sense. The development of her character in the course of the Ring is extraordinary. She starts out as a young girl, has her sexual awakening, becomes a passionate and exultant lover. Later on shes cruelly betrayed and becomes a revenge-driven harridan. She winds up bringing redemption to the world. Even in Shakespeare, theres no woman who straddles such enormous dramatic and psychological breadth.

Q: When asked about your conception of Das Rheingold last season, you called it a political cartoon. Whats your conceptual take on Walkure?

Pountney: I consider it rather like an Ibsen play, a piece about intimate relationships within a family, about the balance between duty and impulse within those relationships. Everybody is strung out on an essential dilemma: How do I go with my instincts and love whom I love? How do I square that with my moral and social responsibilities?

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Q: With Rheingold, you and your production team put the emphasis on storytelling through purely theatrical means  placing the narrative in a modern, but not high-tech, theater world that creates itself before the audiences eyes. Are you using a similar approach with Walkure?

Pountney: The design framework  the overall theater feeling  is the same, although with much less manipulation by the actors, since there is much less to manipulate in this opera, apart from The Ride of the Valkyries. For the whole of the last scene involving Wotan and Brunnhilde, were on an essentially empty stage. Theres something wonderful about two figures alone on an empty stage, given the epic scale of Wagners music.

Davis: There are elements youll recognize from before and new elements as well. And Siegfried next season will look quite different.

Pountney: I am keen that within the existing framework you should feel that each opera has a different atmosphere and color  because they do. We never wanted to create a kind of one-size-fits-all machine for the cycle.

As for the dramaturgical structure, Im very impressed as to how much Aristotelian dramatic structure there is. One of the greatest expositions of (the idea of) anagnorisis  the moment of recognition in Aristotelian tragedy  is when Siegmund and Sieglinde discover each others identities as brother and sister. Wagners particular take on the device is to have them consummate this recognition passionately and sexually.

Q: For a contemporary stage director, recreating the Ring without breaking faith with the music and text seems almost a radical notion. Todays Wagner cycles arrive freighted with all sorts of ideological baggage, from eco-Rings to oil-industry Rings. Where does your Ring stand within that spectrum?

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Pountney: The minute you declare that the Ring is all about politics, you are pushing a whole lot of other stuff aside. I do not wish to limit the ways of interpreting the piece by forcing my own interpretation on the audience. Im a firm believer in letting them decide what it all means  thats their job. My job is to lay out the ingredients.

The Ring is a massive and ambitious piece, with huge ideas roaming around in it, like beasts in a jungle. Theres no limit to what you can legitimately do with such material, and one shouldnt be afraid of it. I think that being a good narrator of a very good story is a very good thing to be, and Im not at all embarrassed by that.

Lyric Operas new production of Wagners Die Walkure opens at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and continues through Nov. 30 at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive; $34-$279; 312-827-5600, www.lyricopera.org

A whos who in Die Walkure

Particularly if you're a Game of Thrones fan, you will recognize characters and plotlines similar to those in the popular cable TV series. But remember that Wagner came first, loosely basing his massive cycle (written between 1848 and 1876) on legends of the Norse gods and the German medieval epic Das Nibelungenlied ("The Song of the Nibelungs).

Wotan: The king of the gods is a complex of contradictions: a loving father but also a conniving CEO who steals, breaks contracts and will stop at nothing to gain power. That said, he does come to realize the awful consequences of his misdeeds, and Wagners music gives him deeply tragic nobility.

Brunnhilde: Leader of the Valkyries sired by Wotan, shes Wotans favorite child  also one of the most formidable dramatic soprano roles in the repertory. The operas central figure defies her fathers orders so that she might carry out his true wishes. For her disobedience, Wotan consigns her to a fire-ringed rock for a fearless hero to claim as his bride.

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Siegmund and Sieglinde: The human siblings, fathered by Wotan as part of his scheme to regain the ring, discover they are related after they meet in her husband Hundings house. Their passionate and incestuous union produces the hero Siegfried.

Fricka: Wotans long-betrayed wife, the goddess of marriage and the hearth, is his stern moral compass, reminding him of the existential peril in which his rash and duplicitous behavior puts the gods.

Walkure dining options

Bag suppers ($16) from Rivers restaurant will be available for purchase in the lobby before all performances, to be picked up during the first intermission. Sandwich choices are roast beef, smoked turkey and a veggie combo, served on ciabatta. Chips, cookies and bottled water are included.

There will be a single seating at Lyric's restaurants, the prix-fixe Pedersen Room and the Florian Opera Bistro  4 p.m. for evening performances, 11:30 a.m. for matinees.

For more information, go to www.lyricopera.org/yourvisit/dining.

John von Rhein is a Tribune critic.

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jvonrhein@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @jvonrhein

[ RELATED: An epic beginning for Lyric's new Wagner 'Ring' cycle ]

[ Pure gold: Lyric Opera's new 'Rheingold' opens the season with vocal splendor ]

[ Vocal crisis behind her, Christine Goerke takes on the murderous (in all senses) role of Elektra at Lyric ]
Virago is a term typically used to describe women  heroic, strong and courageous to some; shrewd and overbearing to others. In either interpretation, the word implies a transgression of gender norms. Viragoes are women who buck the stereotype of the docile and demure lady, and choreographer Cynthia Oliver has spent much of her career doing just that. Oliver was born in the Bronx, grew up on the Caribbean island of St. Croix and is now a scholar, dancer and choreographer whose work centers on black feminism and the contemporary performance of themes related to the African diaspora and experiences of Afro-Caribbean peoples.

While her body of work focuses primarily on the viewpoints and experiences of women, Olivers latest work dives into the stories of the men. Virago-Man Dem, performed Thursday through Saturday at the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, turns the virago on the other sex, to explore facets of black masculinity and how stereotypes surrounding black men affect their identities and expressions of self. Virago-Man Dem draws from its four cast members intersectional identities to understand the emotional and experiential range of black men.

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I am a mother of a young black boy, Oliver said in a written statement to the Tribune. As he began navigating the world, I saw him reading and interpreting cultural signs that I had hoped would be more open for him. ... I wanted his world to have more possibility and flexibility. But also as a black person in the Americas our positions are fraught. We are often operating against  against stereotype, against negative projections that undermine our humanity. I wanted to offer something to the world that offered more  more possibility, more understanding of the complexities of black life, more tenderness, humanity, love. MORE.

Building the evening-length work began in January 2016, developed through a series of artistic residencies. Rather than regular meetings in the studio a few times a week, the cast would gather for groupings of long, intense weeks of building, and then go their separate ways for weeks or months at a time. The first such residency was in Trinidad, through the support of the New Waves Institute, with additional time spent at the Vermont Performance Lab, the Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography at Florida State University and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where Oliver is a professor of dance.

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It was at the U. of I. where Duane Cyrus first met Oliver, pursuing an MFA in dance before becoming an associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. From the beginning, Cyrus felt Olivers desire for more.

I really appreciate how Cynthia incorporates a diverse range of voices in her creative development. Weve had time to delve into the work, to have discussions. She has regular visitors come see us in rehearsal. We have all been a part of the development of the work, led by Cynthia.  She gives us space, a forum to speak our perspective about the idea of being black men, which for Cyrus has mainly focused on family. Whats been interesting with Cynthias process is there are no absolutes in terms of answering the questions that have been posed. What resonates for me is the fleeting idea of family and voice. There are these questions that you can almost grasp, and then they slip out of your hands, which totally makes sense surrounding a topic like black masculinities.

Though Oliver has previously performed in Chicago as part of Links Halls 2016 aMID Festival, Virago-Man Dem marks the first time her company, COCo. Dance Theatre, will perform here as a group. Performer NiJa Whitson made a home here for many years, however, becoming an established dancer, choreographer and scholar before moving to New York and eventually the West Coast. Unlike Viragos three other cast members, Whitson joined the group just a few months ago. Oliver uncovered a missing element in the work, which hadnt previously viewed black masculinities removed from the binary of biological gender. Whitson spoke in a phone interview about a personal relationship to the work as a gender-nonconforming member of an otherwise all-male cast: For me, I experienced the conflict with predetermination. Theres a through-line narrative (in the piece) of challenging predispositions of what ones behavior is supposed to be based on assumed identities. That was something that I easily felt I could identify with.  What I appreciated was the encouragement to challenge what was there. And add to the dialogue and how it made sense (or not) on my body and in my perspective.

Having lived and worked here, Whitson recognized unique challenges to black masculinities Chicago faces compared to other cities. My experience with segregation in Chicago is a unique queer-identified, black, gender-nonconforming experience, though I had not transitioned to that language when I lived there. The segregation of Chicago makes intersectionality even more challenging. Every place has its work to do, but theres something about being in a place where the idea of difference is already there.

Yet Whitson also pointed to the fierce, grass-roots social justice initiatives occurring in Chicagos neighborhoods, which dont get as much attention in the news because they buck the stereotype of violence and racial tension  theyre Chicagos virago. Indeed, the trope of Chicago created by the media and the current administration speak exactly to the questions asked by Virago-Man Dem, and Chicago audiences may experience the piece differently from others because, or in spite of, what Whitson called the citys relationship to blackness.

As for what the dance will actually look like, Oliver, Cyrus and Whitson kept everything under wraps, preferring to let the audience come and interpret what they see for themselves. What Oliver would offer is this: It is the best of what I could have imagined  and hopefully that means that everyone can come to it honestly and go away from it with their own personal experience that will resonate very specifically to them. I've tried my best to do that. Chicago will let me know if I have done so successfully.

Virago-Man Dem by COCo. Dance Theatre is presented by the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; tickets are $30 at 312-369-8330 or www.colum.edu/dancecenterpresents.

Also of note

Salty Lark Dance: Director and choreographer Madeline Reber splits the bill with Philadelphia-based company The Naked Stark for five works diving into different facets of the human experience. Rebers contributions are centered on the journey: travel, navigation, exploration and how to get from here to there in a literal and figurative sense. Her work is feminine but not demure; Rebers release-based style of modern dance yields works that are a bit like impressionist paintings  soft, pastel swirls of paint whose images and meanings are revealed by taking a step back. Nov. 3-5 at Links Hall, 3111 N. Western Ave.; tickets are $15 at www.linkshall.org.

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The Interpreters: Director/producer JulieAnn Graham gathers with rock stars of dance improvisation Adriana Durant, Jessica Marasa and Lisa Gonzales for The Interpreters. The voices of poet Kevin Coval and vocalist Daryn Alexus will be mixed in real time by sound designers Matthew McMunn and Zheyna Nemirovsky for a spontaneously created performance likely to be super magical. Nov. 2-3 at Hamlin Park Fieldhouse, 3035 N. Hoyne Ave.; tickets are $10 at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3093626.

Lauren Warnecke is a freelance critic.

ctc-arts@chicagotribune.com

[ 'Performing Home' at Links Hall: What does Chicago mean to you? ]

[ Giordano Dance pushes to the future in season opener ]

[ Joffrey Ballet sets aside its modern lines and embraces 'Giselle' ]
Did you vote for John B. Anderson in 1980?

If you were of age and followed the advice of this newspaper, which endorsed the moderate congressman from Illinois in the Republican primary over Ronald Reagan, you would have placed your trust in the man the Tribune said best represents the qualities needed to win nomination and election  and having won those to be a strong, effective president.

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But Anderson lost that primary to Reagan and ran instead as an independent candidate, a move too quixotic for the Tribune, which subsequently offered its then-customary support for the Republican nominee, in this case the governor of California. Anderson started strong in the general election but tanked. He eventually got less than 7 percent of the vote.

So what was it like working in one of his campaign offices?

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That's the question posed by 1980 (Or Why Im Voting for John Anderson), a highly enjoyable and mercifully unpredictable world-premiere play by the experienced scribe Patricia Cotter, open now for voting at the Jackalope Theatre on Chicagos North Side. On one level, 1980 is a bit like a sitcom of losers, a kind of Superior Donuts or a Parks and Rec," only set in a regional Boston office of a failing indie campaign.

You have Brenda (Evelyn Gaynor), the tough office manager with the rough personal life; Robin (Bryce Gangel), the fickle Ivy League slummer; and Kathleen (Hillary Horvath), the naive Southie intern who hates cold-calling but whose coming-of-age story is at the heart of the show. And then theres Will (Sheldon Brown), the man sent from Chicago by Anderson himself to beef up the Boston operations. A forlorn hope, as it turns out, although he does come to better know himself.

Some of the fun here  and this play really is a good time, especially for political junkies  comes from some Mad Men-style anachronistic throwbacks to 1980s mores, replete with Kathleen as the Peggy Olson of the story. But although I think the piece still needs more narrative drive, Cotter is also writing about race and gender in the early 1980s and the eras mostly flailing attempts to create viable coalitions that might one day stand up to the white male establishment. Its actually quite a hopeful play, despite its setting amid failure.

All of the performances are strong and generous in director Kaiser Ahmeds carefully toned production, a zippy show that embraces farce but also personal truth. But the piece belongs to the superb Horvath, who is both very funny as she droops around the office and, as all hope vanishes, exceptionally poignant.

The credo of the office: Most polls say that if people believe John Anderson can win, he will win. You don't doubt the truth of that inconvenient paradox, the Achilles heel of every third-party candidate. But it is Horvaths Kathleen, the character who appears to know the least, who actually knows the most about Andersons inevitable doom after she finally sees the candidate. He looked so boring, she says, as if he was in black and white and the rest of the world in color."

Enter Reagan and a sunrise and the future.

Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

cjones5@chicagotribune.com

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Review: 1980 (Or Why I'm Voting for John Anderson) (3 stars)

When: Through Dec. 2

Where: Broadway Armory Park, 5917 N. Broadway

Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes

Tickets: $5-$30 at www.jackalopetheatre.org

[ At Second City, 'Dream Freaks Fall From Space' offers hope in a divided world ]

[ 'In the Next Room, or the Vibrator Play' crackles with electrified desire ]

[ Spare, moving Chicago 'Fun Home' is a musical about growing up ]
What, one might reasonably ask, are painful beaches? And why are they in the subtitle of the new memoir by John Hodgman, the actor/comedian/author who brought us some of the funniest bits on The Daily Show?

The beaches, it turns out, are in Maine, where rocks stand in for sand, and where Hodgmans family is in the process of moving. The pain the beautiful beaches inflict on Hodgman stands in for the suffering that his beautiful life inflicts on him. He loves and hates Maine and he loves and hates his life, and this is the subject of Vacationland: the self-conscious ambivalence with which John Hodgman regards the privilege and the pain of being a wildly successful, wildly smart, wildly self-involved white American man whos approaching the age of 40 in the year 2017.

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The ocean in Maine is traumatically cold, Hodgman writes. If you make the mistake of going into it, every cell in your body will begin shouting the first half of the word hypothermia into your brain; the second half will simply be frozen tears. And the beaches of Maine offer no relief as you launch yourself back onto shore, because the beaches of Maine are made out of jagged stones shaped like knives.

And later: (Maine) is a beautiful place that I paradoxically want to hoard to myself and share with everyone I meet.

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Considering the content of Hodgmans first three books, a series of fake-fact almanacs (The Areas of My Expertise, 2006; More Information Than You Require, 2009; That is All, 2012), one might also reasonably question whether Hodgmans stories are accurately labeled true. The answer, I would wager, is yes. On these pages, Hodgman is as funny and as self-deprecating as ever, but also, deeply and hilariously, for real. Although he is a very fortunate man, the dotted line he draws between growing older and growing up will be familiar to any gloomily aging person  which is to say, anyone older than 17.

Lets say you move to Park Slope, Brooklyn, in your late thirties because you suddenly, impossibly, have money coming in from television, Hodgman writes. You have grown up. But it turns out all of Brooklyn is suddenly alive with a not-growing-up renaissance . You are surrounded by people younger than you whose sense of style is to look like you.

Lengthily apologizing for his thin, patchy, and asymmetrical beard, Hodgman describes his facial hair as an evolutionary signal that says,  Im all done. A moustache sends a visual message to the mating population of Earth that says, No thank you. I have procreated. My DNA is out in the world, and so I no longer deserve physical affection. 

Vacationland is an ambitious departure from Hodgmans previous authorial endeavors. Its funny, but its no joke. The book is a cleverly composed meditation on one privileged Americans life  and, glancingly, on America  at a crucial moment for both. Although most of his observations are of himself, Hodgman occasionally places his protagonist in the world, looking out as well as in.

In one passage, Hodgman sees an older, affluent black couple sitting on a porch in summertime Maine silently watching the parade of well-heeled Caucasians walk by. They were sharing a vanilla ice-cream cone. I could not guess what they were thinking about . I thought, shamefully for the first time, about what it would be like to be a non-white person visiting Maine . to see so little of yourself . I should have known it all along.

In the books introduction, Hodgman apologizes in advance. This is a book about me and my beard wandering through three wildernesses, he writes, the green mountains of rural western Massachusetts where I disposed on my youth, the mercilessly painful beaches of coastal Maine where I will eventually accept my death, and the haunted forest of middle age that lies between them . (Here is) all the awful truth about my dumb thoughts and feelings. I am sorry for this. It is all I have left.

Reading passages like this, one cant help but wince at Hodgmans self-involvement. And yet, one cant help but give him props for being so unabashedly, so ironically, and so entertainingly who he is.

Meredith Maran is the author of "The New Old Me."

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Vacationland

By John Hodgman, Viking, 272 pages, $27

Hodgman will appear at 7 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave. Visit musicboxtheatre.com for details.
The Revolution of Marina M. is an often exasperating, strange story of a spoiled, entitled aristocratic girl coming of age during the Russian Revolution. And yet, despite its narcissistic heroine and its meandering story, Janet Fitchs novel shimmers with vital energy. The Revolution of Marina M. is a little bit silly, but it is also quite fun.

After a brief prologue, the book plants the reader in St. Petersburg, in January 1916, about a year away from the first Russian Revolution. Our hero is Marina Makarova, a 16-year-old poet. Her mother is a minor aristocrat; her father is an intellectual. She lives in a vast apartment in a posh neighborhood, is tended to by a small army of servants and wears lush clothes trimmed with ermine and mink.

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Yet Marina is bored by her luxe life. She is drawn to the world of grimy artists agitating for revolution around town. In love with a poet and outraged by the inequity around her, Marina becomes deeply involved with the first Russian Revolution, which deposed the czar in March 1917, and the second, later that year in November, which pushed out a provisional government and effectively set up the state that later became the Soviet Union.

Fitch, perhaps best known for her best-selling novel White Oleander, clearly did an astounding amount of research for the novel, which luxuriates in exotic period details. A birthday dinner for Marina is mouth-wateringly vivid:

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In the dining room, we picked the remains of the feast laid out on yards of white damask  roast goose with lingonberries, Salad Olivier, smoked salmon and sturgeon and sea bass, the mushrooms wed picked that autumn. Blini with sour cream and caviar.

Fitch loves to describe filth as well and is particularly great at conjuring up scents. An artists hovel frequented by Marina smelled of turpentine and smoke. A boyfriend smells like fresh mown hay and the harsh makhorka tobacco he smoked. A public bathhouse is fragrant with the smell of green wood.

These details help the story come alive, and the novel starts strong. Marinas teenage rebellion dovetails nicely with the revolutionary events swirling around her. She is lovestruck and idealistic and passionate and extraordinarily naive. She doesnt seem to realize, until it is too late, that a successful revolution would be devastating to her and her family. Fitch plunges Marina into the full consequences of the revolution, as she and her family lose everything and are driven to selling their family heirlooms on the black market in order to eat.

But as the revolutions idealism rots, the novel begins to stray into stranger and stranger territory. Fitch seems to become restless as a writer, moving Marina from one terrible and bizarre situation to another. Her plot grows more and more surreal. Marina lives with a group of elderly astronomers at one point. She disguises herself as a boy at another. She joins a cult living in her familys country estate. She is arrested and beaten. At one point, Marina is imprisoned by a sadist, sexually enslaved and tortured. All of this happens over a period of just a few years, incredibly.

Marina is an infuriating character in a lot of ways: She is entitled and self-absorbed, a terrible friend and the maker of many bad decisions. And yet, after spending so much time with her, a reader would be hard-pressed not to like her. And that is what makes what happens to her over the course of the novel so disturbing.

On the other hand, were these outlandish events meant to convey the terror of revolution? Or were they the product of a restive writer searching for a way to end her story? The sexual enslavement of Marina, in particular, stood out as problematic and marked a change in the flow of the story. What was the purpose of this detour?

This is a question that haunts the story. What is this book about? Perhaps The Revolution of Marina M. was simply meant as a wild ride through some of last centurys most incredible events. Perhaps it was meant as a commentary on revolutions tendency to end in terror and violence and the diminishment of the very people and ideals it means to uplift. Maybe it was a dramatization of what it is like to be a teenager, comparing the transition from child to adult to revolution. Perhaps, but these explanations feel like a stretch.

Many books, especially those requiring 800 pages of time from their readers, would be undone by the absence of a clear purpose. And yet, astonishingly, The Revolution of Marina M. is hard to put down. Like Marina, it is maddening and flawed. It makes a good many bad decisions. And yet it is charming and lively and, ultimately, worth the time.

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Trine Tsouderos is a freelancer.

The Revolution of Marina M.

By Janet Fitch, Little, Brown, 816 pages, $30
Barreling down an empty two-lane highway in California's southern Mojave Desert, Cindy Lupica told her husband through gritted teeth that she wasn't going to make it to the closest hospital, more than 20 miles away.

Lupica, then 37, had seen her obstetrician that morning and knew their fourth child would be born soon - but she didn't expect this soon. A little after 6 p.m. on Sept. 30, 2013, the couple was just three miles from home when Michael Lupica pulled his pickup truck to the side of Highway 18 and punched 911 on his cellphone. Minutes later, a firetruck and an ambulance staffed mostly with trainee paramedics roared up beside them. They loaded Cindy into the ambulance before speeding to St. Mary Medical Center in Apple Valley.

Kylie Lupica was born just as they pulled into the parking lot.

Although the baby turned out to be fine, Lupica most would not be. She would not learn what was wrong until four months later, after suffering a massive hemorrhage in the restroom of another hospital.

Her last pregnancy and delivery would in her mind link one of life's happiest experiences with one of its most terrifying.

"It took a long time to process," she said. "We're still digesting it."

- - -

Lupica was accustomed to being self-sufficient. She lived in the sparsely populated desert community of Lucerne Valley in San Bernardino County and home-schooled her older children. At the time of Kylie's birth, they were 14, 12 and 4.

During her previous pregnancies, there had been complications involving the placenta, the organ that develops during pregnancy and provides nutrients to the fetus. In 2009, after her third child was born, she underwent a dilation-and-curettage procedure to treat a retained placenta.

Lupica's fourth pregnancy was uneventful until about the 25th week, when she began having regular contractions.

Her obstetrician, Om Prakash, told Lupica that she was probably having normal Braxton Hicks contractions, which are a precursor of labor. When they persisted, Prakash advised her to take it easy and stop exercising.

"These didn't feel like Braxton Hicks," Lupica said, but otherwise she felt well. Her prenatal exams and ultrasounds were normal, Prakash said. He met Lupica at the hospital when the ambulance arrived and delivered the placenta, which looked healthy.

A month after giving birth, Lupica said, she began bleeding.

Postpartum vaginal bleeding, Prakash said, is not uncommon. "Ninety-nine percent of the time," he said, "it's normal spotting."

But Lupica said she felt uneasy. A Pap smear was normal, and Lupica said she was relieved when the intermittent bleeding stopped after about a month. A few weeks later, when it recurred, Prakash told her she was probably getting her period.

"I thought, 'Well, my hormones must really be out of whack," she recalled.

- - -

About four months after Kylie's birth, Lupica said, she awoke in the middle of the night to discover that she was drenched in blood.

"I woke up my husband, and I was crying and told him something is really wrong," she recalled, although the bleeding by then had abated. The next morning, she telephoned Prakash, who told her to come to his office.

Lupica vividly remembers the appointment. Given the quantity of blood she had lost, "I already knew something serious was going on." That ominous feeling was underscored when the obstetrician-gynecologist "took us straight back," escorting her past the other patients in the waiting room.

Prakash performed an ultrasound, which revealed something distinctly alarming: A large growth that resembled a cluster of grapes on the right side of Lupica's uterus.

"It scared the heck out of me" Prakash recalled. He was fairly certain he knew what it was, having seen a similar case about 30 years earlier.

"There's something suspicious," he told the couple. Because he didn't want to panic them, he said, he didn't tell them what he suspected. He advised the Lupicas to go to a public hospital several hours from their home first thing the next morning.

Because Lupica had no health insurance at the time, Prakash said, seeking care there would allow her to receive the expensive treatment he suspected she would need without bankrupting her family.

Around 8 a.m. the next morning, the couple arrived at the ER. It would take nearly 12 hours, Lupica said, for doctors to admit her.

"First I was told I was miscarrying, then I was told I was pregnant," she recalled. "I was tossed from team to team." No one seemed sure what to do with her, she said. Lupica said she adamantly refused to leave the hospital, fearing that she might bleed to death at home in the middle of the night.

Late in the afternoon, Lupica realized she had begun bleeding again and ducked into a bathroom. She quickly realized she was hemorrhaging and, "terrified and embarrassed," managed to attract the attention of a passing nurse.

The nurse summoned a doctor, who took one look at her and barked an order for a "STAT beta hCG," an immediate blood test to measure beta human chorionic gonadotropin. The test is used to confirm a pregnancy or to detect certain abnormalities.

"At that point, it was sort of like in the movies where everything goes blurry," she said, as nurses and doctors rushed in to try to stop the bleeding.

Thirty minutes later, Lupica recalled, a trio of grim-faced doctors trooped into the room where she lay on a gurney.

- - -

"We finally have an answer," Lupica recalls one doctor saying. "You have choriocarcinoma."

"It sounds like cancer," Lupica replied.

"It is," one doctor confirmed. Her postpartum bleeding was the result of a rare and aggressive malignancy that grows in the uterus and is sometimes called placenta cancer. As she and her husband sat in stunned silence, doctors told Lupica that they were admitting her immediately and that she would begin chemotherapy as soon as possible, after testing to determine whether her cancer had spread.

Choriocarcinoma occurs in about 2 to 7 of every 100,000 pregnancies in the United States. It results when a tumor - also known as a mole - develops after conception. Instead of a viable embryo, the result is a molar pregnancy, which can mimic a normal pregnancy.

Most moles are benign, but some become malignant, resulting in a cancer that tends to be fast-growing but curable, especially if caught early. Among the risk factors for malignancy is age: Women younger than 20 and older than 35 are at elevated risk. The most common symptom is vaginal bleeding. Choriocarcinoma can spread to distant parts of the body, usually the brain, liver or lungs.
Experts and activists say LGBTQ folks shouldn't be afraid to confront sexual abuse and trauma in their communities. (Seth Wenig / AP)

Harvey Weinstein. Woody Allen. Lars von Trier. And, now, Kevin Spacey. In the film world, the phrase patriarchal trash is getting some seriously good mileage.

And, as a loudmouthed, queer feminist, I fully endorse its usage to describe powerful men with alleged histories of sexual violence. I also think it should describe the complicit bystanders who protect predation.

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Its often too easy for folks like me to throw some hefty stones, The LGBTQ community needs to address our multifaceted participation in rape culture, because all the queer theory in the world is meaningless if its not put into practice.

What I see in the queer community are a lot of people who understand toxic masculinity but havent done the work to remove it from their brains and their interpersonal interactions, says Karen Bartlett, a Texas-based social justice educator and therapist who supports folks as they explore gender identity. Unlearning toxic habits and thoughts is a requirement for becoming a functioning adult.

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Bartlett believes that the less power you have  meaningless access to resources, mobility and safety  the more likely you are to be targeted. This is why it is critical for queer folks to strive toward transgender equity as they campaign against sexual assault and violence.

Around 65 percent of trans folks experience sexual violence, so what might be a little-t trauma to someone who is cis (non-trans) may end up being a big-T trauma to a trans person, she says. Its inaccurate to say, Street harassment is not real trauma. This is an idea I hear cis and straight people use to minimize the experiences of trans folks.

Michael munson, executive director of Forge, a national transgender organization that focuses on anti-violence training and education, says gender variance is often at the root of sexual assault and harassment, which can put trans folks most at risk.

I think that risk factor is a combination of effects, he says. For example, its worth thinking about what happens when trans folks are experiencing poverty and working the streets.

He also says that queer folks have a history of dismissing sexual assault within their communities to shield political progress.

The core myth is that sexual assault doesnt happen in queer communities, says munson. People want to act like it doesnt happen because it would add another negative spin for the conservative right to use.

Kimberly Andresen-Reed is executive director of Transformative Healing, an organization whose mission is to provide survivors with marginalized gender and/or sexual identities compassionate and individualized services. In her line of work, she sees many clients who struggle to see the violence theyve survived because sexual assault is widely discussed within a gender binary  only as it applies to heterosexual relationships and traditional male and female identities.

It can be difficult for people to recognize when theyve experienced sexual violence in the queer community, because so much of our framing around abuse is heteronormative (assumes heterosexuality is the norm), she describes. Many of the people that we serve have faced intimate-partner violence.

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Andresen-Reed says that LGBTQ people  especially trans individuals  face a double-whammy when it comes to sexual assault and harassment. Queer folks frequently battle public discrimination, gaslighting and microaggressions like street harassment, but violence is more difficult to pick up on within the community.

In those situations, its more of a power and control dynamic. Someone might use somebody elses queerness against them, or there could be some internal community policing, she says. There are a ton of lines between intimate partner violence and sexual violence, and they tend to intersect a lot.

Ultimately, munson says, sexual violence is an internal and external issue within queer communities.

When we look at sexual assault and domestic violence, the perpetrator is usually someone the victim knows, he says. But, when we look at hate-movtivated crimes, which can include sexual assault, it is usually someone the survivor doesnt know. So, were seeing it within the community and outside of it.

All three activists agree that its up to LGBTQ folks to believe one another while working to disentangle themselves from the behaviors and ideas that nurture gendered and sexual violence. In other words, when it comes to identifying complicit bystanders, its time for members of the queer community to say, Me too.

khawbaker@tronc.com

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Twitter @kthawbaker

[ Experts concerned that HIV, AIDS may be poised for a comeback ]

[ Open letter alleges rampant sexual harassment in Illinois politics ]

[ Women's #MeToo posts reminded me I had been that awful guy ]
The following editorial is from the Baltimore Sun:

President Donald Trump is right: Most of the accusations against Paul Manafort in the indictment that Special Counsel Robert Mueller brought Monday morning relate to activities from long before he became the Trump campaign manager in the spring of 2016. The word Trump doesnt appear anywhere in the 31-page document, and the only Russian influence it mentions relates to politics in Ukraine, not the United States.

Still, the public wont be so quick to dismiss this development as fake news and evidence of a Democratic witch hunt, as President Trump claimed repeatedly over the weekend and immediately after Manafort and his associate, Rick Gates, were taken into federal custody. Nor should they. This isnt the sort of fishing-expedition indictment that has sometimes given independent investigations like Muellers a bad name. It isnt related to perjury or obstruction of justice but rather accusations of money laundering, tax evasion, fraud and foreign lobbying. The indictment is detailed  down to how much Mr. Manafort allegedly funneled from his offshore accounts to pay for mens clothes in New York ($849,215) or antique rugs in Alexandria ($934,350, plus another $100,000 to a related company). And it suggests that its accusations are backed up by documents  financial records, emails and memos.

Theres rampant speculation that Mueller focused so intently on Manafort in hopes that a strong indictment against him would get him to turn on others in the Trump orbit and provide evidence of crimes related to the central mission of his office, which is to determine whether the Trump campaign engaged in illegal collusion with Russia to influence the presidential election.

Trumps lawyer asserted last week that the president wasnt worried about that possibility because theres nothing for Manafort or anyone else to tell. Perhaps not, but Muellers mandate calls for him to investigate any potentially illegal activity he uncovers as a result of his probe, and thats what hes done. The investigation is only a few months old and is clearly not yet complete  Mueller reportedly has more interviews scheduled and is waiting for more documents from the White House.

But even if we suppose that this marks the most serious turn this investigation will ever take, that Manafort and Gates have no beans to spill, it still reflects poorly on President Trump. Manafort was brought on to the Trump campaign in the spring of 2016 when it appeared possible that the candidate could be headed for a contested convention. Manafort had extensive experience in that area, having worked for Gerald Ford in 1976, and subsequently for other Republican nominees, but his ties to the pro-Russia regime of former Ukrainian President Viktor F. Yanukovych were hardly a secret; they showed up in the very first New York Times blog post about his hiring. (He had also worked for other unsavory international characters, including Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines and Mobutu Sese Seko of what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo; the Daily Beast headlined an article at the time of his hiring by the campaign Top Trump Aide Led the Torturers Lobby detailing his work with another top Trump adviser, Roger Stone.)

The five months or so that he ran the Trump campaign are the crucial ones in the question of possible Russia collusion. Other court documents unsealed Monday detail contacts around the time of Manaforts hiring between another Trump campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos, and a Russian professor connected to the Kremlin who offered up thousands of emails from the Russian government containing dirt on Hillary Clinton. In the summer of 2016, Manafort was part of an infamous meeting between Donald Trump Jr., Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner and others with a Russian attorney who had connections to the Putin regime and also promised damaging information about Clinton.

None of that makes Trump guilty of any crimes, of course. But it does, at the very least, show that the president gave little consideration to the background, baggage and possible motivations of those who surround him  a fact that has become clear again and again in the months since Manafort left the campaign. And Trumps continued inability to see Muellers probe as anything but excuse-making by Democrats over Clintons loss shows just how wantonly blind he is to possible corruption in his midst.

This indictment offers no hint that Trump did anything wrong. But it is one piece in a mountain of evidence that hes a terrible judge of character.
Its no secret that theres no love lost between convicted killer Drew Peterson and his former attorney Joel Brodsky.

But last months ruling by the Illinois Supreme Court upholding the 63-year-old former Bolingbrook cops conviction for murdering his ex-wife, Kathleen Savio, has brought an already toxic relationship to a new low.

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First Brodsky wrote a gloating letter to Peterson, behind bars at the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind., sneering I told you so after Petersons claim that he was ineffectively represented at trial by Brodsky failed to convince the states Supreme Court.

Now Peterson has written back to Brodsky, vowing that their feud isnt over yet. I am in prison due to your blunders and awful examination of our very own witness, Peterson wrote in a letter to Brodsky dated Oct. 21 and obtained by Chicago Inc. Accusing Brodsky of being conflicted because he made money from Petersons media appearances (an argument rejected by the Supreme Court), Peterson described Brodsky as a pimp, manager and lawyer all in one and vowed to pursue Brodskys law license through the Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission.

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Counsel your (sic) not off the hook as I will pursue you in that forum, Peterson wrote.

Brodksy told Inc. he had not yet seen the letter. Forwarded a copy on Tuesday afternoon, he did not immediately respond.

The ongoing war of words isnt Brodskys only headache. In an unrelated case in federal court, he apologized to a judge this summer for having gone too far in his attacks on a rival attorney and a witness. U.S. District Court Judge Virginia Kendall has yet to rule on whether she will apply potentially career-ending sanctions on Brodsky in that case.

kjanssen@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @kimjnews

[ Read: Drew Peterson's letter to his former attorney Joel Brodsky ]
U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez has been one of President Donald Trumps harshest critics from day one.

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Now he says hes helping to spearhead the first coordinated attempt to impeach Trump.

Speaking on Tuesday morning at the City Club of Chicago, Gutierrez said he and several fellow members of the House judiciary committee intend to file articles of impeachment against Trump before Thanksgiving.

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While the effort wouldnt be the first attempt to impeach Trump  Texas Democrat Al Green filed articles of impeachment in early October  Gutierrez told Inc. that his group will be the first to make a coordinated effort.

We appreciate single members putting in on their own articles of impeachment, (but) were going to use a lot of constitutional scholars and really make a case that the president should be impeached, Gutierrez said.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

He declined to identify the specific grounds for asking Congress to remove Trump from office, though he cited obstruction of justice and possible collusion with Russia, and said We believe hes unfit to be president of the United States, and we believe that hes violated the Constitution such that he should be impeached.

The congressman, who was critical of House minority leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer for what he said was their failure to stand up for the 800,000 immigrant children who would be protected under the Dream Act, and for what he characterized as their failure to leverage Democratic power, added that I dont want everyone running out of here thinking Nancy Pelosi is behind this, or that the Democratic Party is behind this, but I and a group of colleagues on the judiciary committee will file those articles of impeachment.

The White House did not respond Tuesday.

Gutierrez, who again Tuesday severely criticized the governments hurricane relief effort in Puerto Rico, said that much depends on special counsel Robert Muellers investigation of alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

I kinda like that Mueller  hes out there doing his job, he said. Our democracy may depend on that one man doing his job.

kjanssen@chicagotribune.com

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Twitter @kimjnews
With children in Chicago fearing gunfire, legislators must pass a bill that would crack down on gun dealers, says Tribune columnist Dahleen Glanton. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

Hardly a day goes by that a young person isnt shot in Chicago. Nine-year-old Isaac Rosales is afraid he will be next.

Its sad that a child would say such a thing. But we all know he could be right.

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In Isaacs Southwest Side neighborhood, gun violence lurks all around. Thats what happens when people who should not have access to firearms can easily get as many as they want.

Just last week, a 15-year-old was killed and a 14-year-old was seriously injured in a shooting near an alley the fourth-grader passes on his way home from school.

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It breaks our hearts to hear such stories, yet we insist there is nothing we can do.

But what if something could be done to protect our children? Would gun-rights supporters and gun-control proponents be able to put their differences aside and form an alliance?

Isaac says his school goes on lockdown when gunfire erupts outside. That means hiding in the classroom in the dark.

In neighborhoods like his, kids dont get to ride tricycles on the sidewalk. They dont get to spend a Saturday afternoon playing in the park. More often than not, their parents have them on lockdown at home in a desperate effort to keep them alive.

Weve heard these stories before, though. Children even younger than Isaac have told us again and again that they are frightened they might be struck by a bullet.

They beg us to help keep them safe. And we insist that we would if we could, but we dont know how.

It isnt often that residents get an opportunity to do something about the violence in Chicago. But in the next few days, a small window will open up allowing Illinoisans to clamp down on the sale of guns to people who should never have them.

During the second half of their veto session beginning Nov. 7, the Illinois House of Representatives will get another chance to consider SB1657, legislation that passed the Senate in April to help gun dealers keep their firearms from ending up in the hands of criminals.

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The bill would require Illinois gun dealers to get a state license, and also would require background checks on dealers and their employees. Dealers also would be required to undergo training to prevent straw purchases  those made by people who can legally purchase a firearm on behalf of someone legally barred from buying guns. The legislation also would allow for videotaping of gun transactions so that straw purchasers can be identified.

It is true that such a law would place more responsibility on gun shops. But is that too much to ask when hundreds of people are shot to death in Chicago each year with firearms that were obtained illegally?

The National Rifle Association has been adamantly opposed to the bill from the beginning. The organization has asked its members to write to their state legislators and demand that they vote against the bill.

The NRA would have legal gun-holders believe that the bill is a ploy to take away their Second Amendment right to have weapons. The group insists that it is another attempt to shut down licensed gun stores and to create so much red tape that new ones cannot open.

The NRA can make that argument because it has no stake in helping Chicago become a safer city. It has no interest helping Illinoisans prevent senseless shootings, even when the victims are innocent bystanders. The NRA has no empathy for our children who dont believe they will live to become adults.

The NRA couldnt care less that 9-year-old Isaac fears that he might be the next one to be shot down on the streets of his Southwest Side neighborhood. And right now, the group is doing an excellent job convincing state lawmakers that Illinois residents dont care either.

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During the past nine months, 14,428 people signed witness slips indicating they objected to the legislation while only 5,842 people entered witness slips in support of it.

Residents of Illinois must let their lawmakers know that they want this bill to pass. It is much easier for our elected officials to cave in to the NRA than to stand up to the organization. And they will give in to the NRA unless their constituents force them to do the right thing.

Regardless of where you stand on the gun issue, this is a commonsense proposal that will go a long way in curbing street violence. There is nothing we can do to stop the flow of illegal guns from states like Indiana and Mississippi. But we do have the power to regulate the gun shops operating within our own state.

A new report commissioned by the mayors office, Chicago police and the University of Chicago Crime Lab found that the most significant number of guns confiscated at Chicago crime scenes originated from dealers in Illinois.

Despite having no gun shops within the city of Chicago, "roughly two out of every five of Chicago's crime guns come into the city from Illinois source dealers, making Illinois the single largest source state for Chicago's illegal guns," according to the report.

It also found that nearly one-fourth of guns recovered at crime scenes over a recent four-year period came from just 10 Chicago-area businesses. We know who those businesses are and they must be held accountable.

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Smart, law-abiding gun owners understand the importance of keeping weapons out of the hands of criminals. These citizens want to be able to carry their guns for self-protection, hunting and competitions without being tarnished by criminals who are willing to shoot someone down on the street in a drug deal or a petty disagreement.

This time, Illinoisans should stand together tell the NRA to butt out. We must let the NRA know that only people who respect the law should be allowed to obtain a gun in Illinois.

Only then can we look children like Isaac in the eye and say, We did what we could.

dglanton@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @dahleeng

RELATED

[ A boy shot dead as kids head home from school: 'Im afraid to be next' ]

[ Melrose Park shop jumps to a leading seller of 'crime guns' in Chicago area ]

[ CPD top cop urges stronger laws to regulate Illinois gun dealers ]
About two-thirds of Illinois public high schools posted below-average to rock-bottom scores on the SAT college entrance exam, given for free for the first time to 11th-graders last spring at school, revealing that thousands of students are still struggling even as the state pushes kids to achieve at higher levels.

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Average scores ranged from the low 740s to the high 1300s, reflecting wide disparities in performance at more than 700 high schools statewide, according to data released Tuesday as part of the states annual picture of public schools, called the Illinois Report Card.

Black and Hispanic teens fared worse on the exam compared with white and Asian peers, the data show. Some students attend classes in high-poverty neighborhoods, while others are educated in wealthy suburban enclaves and blue-collar and downstate rural areas.

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Payton College Preparatory High School, a selective enrollment Chicago Public School, posted the highest SAT average in the state  a 1375. But in pockets of CPS, about two dozen schools posted the worst averages statewide, all under an 800 for math and for reading and writing combined.

The Illinois State Board of Educations report card is a conglomeration of data ranging from state exam scores for high school and grade school students, to school finance, teacher attendance and evaluations, and enrollment and socioeconomic trends, among other measures made available to families and taxpayers.

State School Superintendent Tony Smith highlighted various improvements on a media conference call Monday, but also challenges.

While four- and five-year graduation rates went up, Smith raised concerns about the extent of remedial classes. The percent of graduates enrolled in such courses dropped from 49.4 to 46.8 percent in the 2017 data.

I would say that is worth noting, and good thats its going down. But to me, that is a big area of work in this state. We have too many kids who are still taking remedial coursework, Smith said.

One key piece was missing in the school report card data: state science exams. The delays in scoring date back to the 2016 exams. State officials said some science scores may come out next month. Fifth-grade, eighth-grade and high school students in biology take the state science exams.

And while ISBE has usually met a statutory deadline of providing school data to the public on Oct. 31, the agency will delay until Friday posting a plethora of information at IllinoisReportCard.com. Reports for schools, in traditional paper format, will be available Tuesday on ISBEs eReport Card Public Site.

ISBE cited a variety or reasons for the delays, including a larger load of data to handle this year. Late Monday afternoon, the agency was still making revisions to key data, such as test scores. Some districts, including CPS, have been trying to reconcile the states data compared with their own.

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Still, the 2017 report card represents the broadest picture yet on how schools and students are performing.

The percentage of third- through eighth-graders meeting or exceeding standards in English language arts on the PARCC assessment increased from 36.2 percent in 2016 to 37 percent in 2017. In math, the percentage changed from 30.5 percent in 2016 to 31.2 percent in 2017, according to ISBE.

One of the newest data pieces  and likely the most surprising for educators and families  are the SAT results and how the state is interpreting those scores under a tough new standard that expects juniors to get at least a 540 in math and in reading and writing. That will be a challenge based on current data.

Overall, the College Boards SAT scores range from 400 to 1600, based on math, and reading and writing sections. Each sections scores range from 200 to 800.

The statewide average for last springs exam was 1015.9  a 511.5 in reading and writing and a 504.4 in math. The total figure  based on juniors taking the test for free at school  equates to at least a 19 or closer to a 20 on the familiar ACT, according to the College Boards SAT analysis.

In recent years, when juniors were taking the ACT at school, average scores ranged between 20.3 and 20.6.

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Illinois SAT average would also put the state in the middle of the pack  around the 50th to 52nd percentile  based on a national sample.

The Tribune reviewed average SAT scores at all Illinois public high schools, finding that roughly 32 percent of schools posted higher scores than the state's average of 1015.9. The remaining two-thirds of high schools posted below the average, the data show.

To be clear, the states average is not the same as SAT's national average, which includes both public and private students. For the 2017 graduating class, the national SAT average was 1060  533 on the reading and writing section, and 527 in math.

College Board officials cautioned that comparisons are difficult across states, and the most fair comparison would likely be in several states that administered the SAT at school, just like Illinois.

Illinois will now be using the SAT to determine whether students are meeting academic standards in reading, math and writing. That will require at least a 540 on each section of the exam to be considered proficient.

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The spring 2017 statewide administration of the SAT found that 39.8 percent of 11th-grade students achieved proficiency in English language arts and 36.4 percent in math.

The analysis gets more complicated because the College Board itself uses scores lower than 540 to determine if students are considered prepared for key freshman classes at college. Those scores are generally at least 480 for reading and writing, and at least 530 for math. Those figures mean that students likely could get a C or higher in key classes in the first semester of college.

So parents looking at SAT score reports could find that their child is prepared for college classes, but the state doesnt rate their child as proficient.

Educators are now trying to make sense of the SAT proficiency scores that just recently were approved.

This quick undertaking  seemed rushed and shortsighted and noninclusive, said Kevin OMara, executive director of the Illinois High School District Organization.

The toothpaste is out of the tube and our high school superintendents are left holding the bag and trying to explain how you can be college-ready but not make the (proficiency) cut, OMara said. It is still a difficult thing.

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In the sprawling Township High School District 214 based in Arlington Heights, Superintendent David Schuler said he expected some confusion over the SAT scores. We always knew this was going to be a little murky, Schuler said.

The district has its own set of goals and college-ready indicators for success, he said, and those are not necessarily the same data points that the Illinois State Board of Education uses in its Report Card.

We cant let a state agency or the federal government undermine what is appropriate and acceptable for our locals schools and colleges, Schuler said.

What if we create our own report card and wed say, as superintendents, this is what we value?

The districts John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights scored an average 1202.3 on the SAT, one of only 14 high schools in the state that averaged a 1200 or higher.

At CPS, the states largest district, officials said they will be using SATs college-ready scores, which are lower than the states requirement.

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CPS is using this benchmark as it best reflects actual student performance and is backed by a significant amount of research, spokesman Michael Passman said. Under the College Board's benchmark, 48.2 percent of CPS students met or exceeded reading/writing benchmarks and 26.7 percent met or exceeded math benchmarks.

Under the states numbers, only 27.8 percent of CPS students were considered proficient in reading and writing and 24.5 percent in math.

However, of the 14 schools exceeding 1200 on the SAT, CPS selective enrollment schools were at the top of the list: Payton, Northside, Young, Jones and Lane Tech. In the suburbs, the top-scoring SAT schools were New Trier Township, Stevenson, Lake Forest, Libertyville, Deerfield, Hinsdale Central, Neuqua Valley, Glenbrook North and Hersey.

Smith said the federal government required the state to set scores for proficiency, for high school and grade school students alike. Ultimately, 90 percent of students should be considered proficient by 2032 and be prepared for college and careers.

Overall, were making progress, Smith said.

drado@chicagotribune.com

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[ Illinois ACT scores improve as number of test takers drops ]

[ Most Illinois students didn't pass PARCC exams in 2017 ]

[ As state switches to SAT exam, some districts also paying to offer ACT ]
The August death of a 5-year-old South Side boy has been ruled a homicide, authorities said.

Raamse LanPharay Morris, of the 6100 block of South Eberhart Avenue in the West Woodlawn neighborhood, died of multiple injuries from child abuse, according to police and the Cook County medical examiners office.

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On Tuesday, Raamses death was ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiners office.

Police officers were called to his home on Aug. 5 for a report of an unresponsive child, said Officer Michelle Tannehill, a spokeswoman for the Chicago police.

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He was taken to Comer Childrens Hospital where he was pronounced dead that night at 7:07 p.m., according to the medical examiners office.

No one was custody Tuesday afternoon and the homicide investigation is ongoing, Tannehill said.

A spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services did not immediately have any information.
Story updated Nov. 2, 2017  One man was fatally shot while driving a car, which flipped and crashed in South Austin, according to Chicago police.

About 8:20 a.m. on the West Side, was struck in the head and a passenger in the vehicle was not injured during the subsequent crash in the 5300 block of West Monroe Street. Emergency workers rushed the wounded driver to Loretto Hospital, where he later was pronounced dead, officials said.

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The man was identified as Apache White, 46, of the 1600 block of North Meade Avenue, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. Public records indicate the man's given name was Tracy White.

The victim was in a vehicle "during a narcotics transanction" when someone on foot came up and shot him, police said, updating earlier information that the shooter might have been in a vehicle.

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Police said the passenger of the vehicle wasn't shot and wasn't injured when the car flipped over and crashed.

Surprised the man was unscathed, a police officer said, "his angels were working overtime."

No arrests had been made.
A domestic fight in July led to the suspicious death of a 72-year-old man, officials said.

Police were called to the 3900 block of West Arthington Avenue in the citys Lawndale neighborhood on July 12 about 10 p.m. after James L. Jefferies had been involved in a domestic fight with a 61-year-old man, said Officer Michelle Tannehill, a spokeswoman for the Chicago police.

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The 61-year-old man had struck Jefferies in the left eye and face, causing him to suffer bruising and a laceration. Jefferies declined medical attention and he was later found unresponsive, Tannehill said.

He was pronounced dead on the scene at 10:20 p.m. that night, according to the Cook County medical examiners office.

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On Tuesday, the medical examiner's office said heart disease was the primary cause of death for Jefferies, 72, of the 3900 block of West Arthington Avenue, according to police and the medical examiners office.

But Jefferies also died of asthma and physical stress due to a recent struggle, according to the medical examiner's office, which ruled the manner of his death a homicide.

No one was in custody on Tuesday afternoon, Tannehill said.

Area North detectives are investigation.
Shortened version of dashcam video of Chicago police responding to a shooting involving Officer Gildardo Sierra and Flint Farmer on June 07, 2011. (Chicago Police Department) (Chicago Police Department/Handout)

A father expressed disbelief Tuesday after a Cook County judge declined to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate his son's 2011 shooting by a Chicago police officer.

"I was hoping and praying for another outcome," Emmett Farmer said quietly after Judge LeRoy K. Martin Jr. nixed the request during a hearing at the Leighton Criminal Court Building.

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Farmer's son, Flint, was unarmed when he was fatally shot by then-Officer Gildardo Sierra in 2011 in an incident partially captured on police dashboard camera video.

"Why not prosecute? Why let this police officer off?" Farmer told reporters after the decision. "If it had been the other way around, my son would probably be on death row somewhere."

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Still, Farmer said he was holding out hope.

"I always believe it ain't over until God says it's over," he said.

Emmett Farmer, 51, holds a poster seeking justice for his son at his Sauk Village home Oct. 21, 2011. Flint Farmer, 29, was unarmed when he was shot and killed by a Chicago officer that June. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

Farmer's attorney, Jeanette Samuels, declined to specify what their next steps could be but said they were considering their options.

"This one's a tough one to swallow," Samuels said.

Samuels' argument for a special prosecutor hinged largely on the idea that the state's attorney's office has an innate conflict of interest when investigating police, due to the close working relationship between officers and prosecutors  an opinion that State's Attorney Kim Foxx herself espoused during her successful campaign for the office. But prosecutors have said that since taking office, Foxx has decided that the appointment of special prosecutors is unnecessary because of changes in how her office now handles police shootings.

In his decision Tuesday, Martin, the presiding judge of the criminal division, rejected Samuels' conflict-of-interest argument as overly broad.

"It isn't lost on me that I think all of us are concerned about the restoration of the public's confidence in the process. ... I just don't see that inherent conflict," the judge said.

Martin noted that three different sets of prosecutors had looked at the case and declined to bring criminal charges. Successive state's attorneys  including Foxx  found the evidence insufficient to prove any charges beyond a reasonable doubt. And earlier this year, federal investigators said they had wrapped up their probe of the shooting without bringing charges.

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As a father, Martin said he understood why Farmer has made such a concerted effort for authorities to investigate further.

"I wrestled with this. I really did, Mr. Farmer  but I'm bound to follow the law," the judge said.

Farmer later told reporters he appreciated Martin's consideration but said the outcome was unfair.

"Sympathy's not going to bring my son back," he said. "Nor will it get justice for him."

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The Farmer shooting was Sierra's third  and second fatal one  in a six-month span, the Tribune revealed in fall 2011.

In spite of video suggesting Sierra stood over Farmer as he shot him in the back, then-State's Attorney Anita Alvarez declined to criminally charge Sierra in 2013, saying the officer reasonably mistook a cellphone for a gun pointed at him on a darkened South Side street.

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Although Sierra fired his weapon 16 times  hitting Farmer seven times, including three times in the back  prosecutors said they did not think they could show that the shooting was unreasonable, a key component to prove the officer guilty of a crime.

Last year, though, the city's Independent Police Review Authority, which investigated shootings by Chicago police officers, determined Sierra was unjustified in shooting Farmer. But the decision  a rare ruling by the agency in finding a cop at fault for a shooting  came nearly a year after Sierra had resigned.

Prosecutors have noted that statements given by officers during police disciplinary investigations  a key part of IPRA's decision  cannot be used against them by prosecutors in criminal proceedings.

mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @crepeau






Warning: Video contains graphic language. Video, audio and police reports provide the most complete timeline yet in the death of 19-year-old Kenneka Jenkins in a Rosemont hotels walk-in freezer in September 2017. (Chicago Tribune)

Speculation again swirled about the death of Kenneka Jenkins, the young Chicago woman found in a Rosemont hotel freezer, during Tuesday's episode of the "The Dr. Oz Show," which featured her mother and sister as guests.

Despite a news release sent by the nationally syndicated show that cited "explosive new details" and posed the question, "Was there a cover-up?" the show mostly recounted what has already been reported about the case. But Dr. Oz and fellow presenter Nancy Grace, who also appeared on the show's "True Crime Tuesday" segment, questioned the police investigation, offering theories that Jenkins could have been drugged or kidnapped.

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After a synopsis of the case, a graphic to explain hypothermia and discussion of different theories, Jenkins' mother, Tereasa Martin, and sister Leonore Harris joined the show. The two sat on a couch  later accompanied by their attorney, Larry Rogers Jr.  and described how hotel staff refused to show them video surveillance in the early hours of the search.

Jenkins, 19, was found dead in the hotel freezer Sept. 10 after going missing about 20 hours earlier from a party in a ninth-floor room.

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The Cook County medical examiner's office and Rosemont police both determined that Jenkins' death was an accident and that she died of exposure to cold, with alcohol and a prescription medication contributing factors. Surveillance video showed her staggering drunkenly through the hotel and through an empty kitchen before apparently entering the freezer just out of camera view.

"There is no evidence that indicates any other conclusion" besides an accidental death, police said recently in announcing they had closed their investigation. On the show Tuesday, Dr. Oz said there's "no question she died of hypothermia."

Yet the show's host and Grace perpetuated rumors already rampant on social media, with various theories and claims that Jenkins met with foul play. Her mother's attorneys have also said that gruesome photographs released by Rosemont police, taken of Jenkins after she was found, still in the freezer, "raise more questions than answers."

On the "Dr. Oz" episode, Grace and Jenkins' family said the photos  which show Jenkins' shirt up, exposing her breasts, and her pants sitting low and one shoe off  make them suspicious. While Dr. Oz explained paradoxical undressing, a phenomenon in the end stages of fatal hypothermia where someone feels a rush of heat and in a dazed state begins to undress, he then stated "more than likely it's not what happened, but it's a possibility."

Grace interrupted him and said, "this isn't right."

Then Oz said, "There could be something sinister at play."

The show also highlighted the autopsy report, which showed a prescription medication used to treat epilepsy and migraines, along with alcohol, in Jenkins' system. Martin said her daughter was not prescribed that drug and is concerned someone may have slipped the pill into her drink.

Oz noted that Jenkins' blood alcohol content of 0.112 percent  above the legal limit for driving of 0.08  "does not do this to you," referring to video footage of Jenkins stumbling throughout the hotel.

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Oz said sometimes medication mixed with alcohol can add to drunkenness. He noted the prescription medication found in Jenkins' body is also sometimes used for weight loss, but Martin said her daughter wasn't trying to lose weight. Oz said he then wondered, "Is it one of those party drugs," mentioning the "date-rape drug."

"There's no evidence it's used this way, but we can't speculate," he said. "This drug should've never been in your daughter's body."

The show also played a portion of the 911 call Martin made from the hotel, where she went when she learned Jenkins was missing. On it, the dispatcher explains that Jenkins could be with friends, and that she could turn up in a couple of hours. He asked if she wanted to file a missing persons report.

Martin then asked if police could view the hotel's security camera footage, but the dispatcher said that could take awhile. The call eventually ended.

"Are you kidding me?  and the time is ticking," Oz said. "Waiting a couple hours is the absolute wrong thing to do.

"Freezing to death is one scenario," Oz added. "But, whatever is going on here  carjacking, kidnapping  time is not your friend here."

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On the show, Martin described how she had to stay calm while searching for her daughter because "I knew something was going on with her. I needed help."

Oz comforted her and told her she shouldn't be "intimidated. That's not the country we live in."

The family also again expressed frustration with the initial response of staff members at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare Hotel.

"She went to the front counter of that hotel asking for help and it was all ignored," said Rogers, the family's attorney.

"They would not have dismissed you, Dr. Oz," Grace responded, pointing at the host.

Harris and Martin note that hotel staff called police after family members and friends began searching the hotel themselves.

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Martin said members of the group knocked on hotel room doors, and one pulled a fire alarm, thinking it would draw people out of their rooms so they could ask them about Jenkins.

"They came to arrest us," Harris says of the police, though the family adds that no arrests were made.

"I'm angry. I'm hurt also," Martin added of her dealings with police that day.

After the show aired, Rosemont police Detective Joe Balogh reiterated that the case was thoroughly investigated and that authorities found no evidence to support claims of foul play.

At the conclusion of the show, Oz described the Jenkins death investigation as "just the tip of the iceberg" and promised to follow up on the case for the family. At that point, Martin broke down in tears.

Late Tuesday, a Crowne Plaza spokesman released a statement again offering condolences to Jenkins' family for the "loss of her promising young life."

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But the hotel statement went on to say that "there was no blockbuster information or proof from Nancy Grace or Dr. Oz  just more speculation and sensational theories."

The statement asserted that relatives' attorneys "are pulling out the stops to encourage protests and national television coverage to create pressure for a financial settlement."

Yet, the statement said, "there has been little discussion of accountability for the parties who are truly responsible here: individuals who used a stolen credit card to book a hotel room. Those individuals then held a party where they were serving alcohol to an underage minor and perhaps dangerous drugs.

"What happened to Kenneka was a tragic and unforeseeable accident, which was enabled by the irresponsible actions of the people at a party she attended who then deserted her while she was in a severely impaired condition," the statement continued. "Discussion of holding these people accountable would be an appropriate use of the time of TV investigators, litigators and activists."

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Police have confirmed that they believe the hotel room used for the party was booked by someone using a fraudulently obtained credit card, and authorities are investigating that.

It won't likely be the last time the Jenkins case is the subject of a national TV segment. Other networks and TV documentarians have also indicated interest in producing work about the Jenkins case.

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kthayer@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @knthayer

Kenneka Jenkins' death photos 'raise more questions,' lawyer says as police close case 

Kenneka Jenkins' freezer-death timeline comes into focus with audio, video, police reports 

Medical examiner: Kenneka Jenkins died from exposure, and her death was an accident 
Elaine Zene was shot to death in Plainfield on Saturday. Police are still investigating but said it appears Zene was the victim of a murder-suicide at the hands of her estranged husband Raymond Zene, a longtime former Chicago police officer. (Family photo)

The man who fatally shot himself moments after his estranged wife was found slain nearby was a longtime former Chicago police officer who had threatened to harm her before, according to her request for an order of protection against him years ago.

Police were trying to make contact with Raymond Zene at his Plainfield home early Saturday afternoon when they heard a gunshot and later found him dead in his garage from a self-inflicted wound, according to a Plainfield police news release.

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About a half-hour earlier and a few miles away, Zenes estranged wife, Elaine Zene, 65, was found lying on the ground bleeding to death in a Jewel-Osco parking lot on Route 59. Police said witnesses described the offender as an older male.

Authorities had been sent to Raymond Zenes home to check on his welfare after one of his relatives reported receiving a disturbing text, police said.

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Elaine Zene, of Woodridge, was pronounced dead of multiple gunshot wounds shortly after 1 p.m. Saturday.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident they have described as a murder-suicide.

Raymond Zene spent 30 years as an officer with the Chicago Police Department, from 1966 to 1996, and a month after he retired he took a new job with the Cook County sheriffs office, officials confirmed. He retired from that department in 2008 as a deputy chief investigator.

The Zenes were in the midst of a divorce, court records show, and years ago Elaine Zene wrote in a court filing seeking an order of protection against her husband: I am very afraid of him.

She filed for divorce last year in Will County and, at a hearing on Oct. 17, her attorney argued that an amendment to the couples prenuptial agreement, waiving Elaines rights to her husbands Cook County sheriffs pension, was invalid. The amendment was made after the couple married in 1999, according to court documents. The case was set to be heard again Tuesday for a prove-up, which typically signals both parties had reached an agreement in the proceedings.

Court records in the Zenes divorce indicate he reported earnings of about $6,700 per month from his combined Cook County and Chicago pensions.

Elaine Zenes and Raymond Zenes respective divorce attorneys declined to comment when reached Monday.

Court records show the couple had a troubled past.

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Elaine Zene filed in 2004 for divorce, but later dropped the case. She requested an order of protection in 2004 and was granted a temporary order that only last a few days.

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In a request for an order of protection, Zene described her husband as violent and verbally abusive. She wrote that he kept loaded guns in the home and she feared for her safety.

I just cant take any more chances, she wrote. No more threats. No more mental abuse.

She also said he threatened to shoot her and her daughter and then later stated he told her no one would believe what she claimed he said because he is who he is.

Alice Fabbre is a freelance reporter.

jgorner@chicagotribune.com

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[ Woman, man dead after apparent homicide-suicide in Plainfield ]
A body removal service transports a 16-year-old girl who was fatally shot in the 6600 block of South Marquette Road on Oct. 29, 2017, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

A 16-year-old girl and a man have been charged in an accidental shooting that killed a 16-year-old girl Sunday night on the South Side.

The 16-year-old was charged with involuntary manslaughter, and Joshua Baker, 19, was charged with obstruction of justice for destroying evidence after the shooting, said Officer Michelle Tannehill, a Chicago police spokeswoman.

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Eshunte Mayfield was accidentally shot and killed Sunday night in a home in the 6600 block of South Marquette Road.

It was not immediately clear what evidence Baker was charged with destroying.

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Baker was inside the residence with Mayfield and another 16-year-old girl at the time of the shooting, police said.

The second girl was "handling a gun" that Baker had produced when it accidentally discharged around 7 p.m. and struck Mayfield in the face, according to police. She was pronounced dead on the scene.

An autopsy Monday determined Mayfield died of a gunshot wound to the head and her death was ruled a homicide, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Detectives on the scene had initially said there were two males in the residence with the two girls involved in the shooting, but police later confirmed it was only Baker.

Baker, of the same block where the shooting occurred, was scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.
Elizabeth Freeland was tutoring high-school students in math and physics at her Oak Park home Monday night when she heard a loud banging on her front door.



A friend of one of her children peeked out the window and saw a toddler standing alone, crying.



"He was just a little kid," she said. "Had his shoes. His jacket."



Freeland scooped him into her arms and the boy calmed down a little while her husband called 911.



Police said the 2-year-old had been inside a pizza delivery van when it was stolen from a restaurant in the 6500 block of West North Avenue in Chicago's Galewood neighborhood.



The boy's mother and father deliver pizzas. While they were parked out front, the father ran into the restaurant and the mother turned her back to the van for a moment. When she turned around, she saw two teens jumping in, according to police.



The teens apparently dropped the boy off before crashing the van in Chicago's Austin neighborhood near Jackson Boulevard and Central Avenue.



Freeland said her first fear was that the boy had been abandoned. Officers who arrived at the home told her they just had the call of a boy kidnapped in a stolen car and they thought the boy might be the one they were looking for.



The first 911 call came to police about 6:20 p.m., and within eight minutes or so, the white 1999 Pontiac minivan had crashed and the boy was found safe.

Mother, father and child were reunited outside Freeland's house before Chicago police took the family back to a station.



"They rushed in, everyone was just sort of relieved and happy," said Freeland, who teaches at the Art Institute of Chicago.



Police said two juvenile suspects were in custody and charges were pending.
Chicago police are searching for two women who parked near a South Austin elementary school Monday and offered children candy if they would come inside their car.

The two women stopped in the 5200 block of West Augusta Boulevard, outside John Hay Community Academy on the West Side, around 11:15 a.m. They waved at students who were outside for recess, according to a Chicago police community alert.

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The students notified school security, and the women drove away, police said.

One of the women was described as older, with straight black hair, according to the alert. The other was described as younger, with curly hair.

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The car was an older model, black, four-door sedan.

Police ask anyone with information to call Area North detectives at 312-744-8256.
Sen. Ira Silverstein, a Democrat from Chicago, watches a Senate vote on Oct. 24, 2017, at the Capitol in Springfield, Ill. (Rich Saal / The State Journal-Register via AP)

A victim rights advocate on Tuesday publicly accused a state senator of sexual harassment and said that her complaint fell on deaf ears at the Capitol.

Denise Rotheimer, an activist for victims of violent crime who has run for office as both a Democrat and Republican, said Democratic Sen. Ira Silverstein made unwanted comments about her appearance, sent her numerous Facebook messages and placed midnight phone calls to her.

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In an interview, Silverstein disputed the accusations, saying he apologizes if I made her uncomfortable but hes waiting until the complaint process is concluded before saying anything further.

Rotheimer made the allegations Tuesday during a hearing on the culture of sexual harassment at the Capitol. The focus was on legislation proposed by Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan in response to a recent outpouring of complaints from women about sexual harassment in the Illinois political scene.

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Rotheimer told lawmakers that Silverstein used the crime victim legislation she was advocating as a carrot being dangled over her. She said Silverstein told her she was intoxicating, and said things like, I like having meetings with you because youre pretty to look at.

At one point, she said, Silverstein killed the bill she was advocating  legislation to provide legal representation for crime victims  because he thought she had a boyfriend.

He thought I had a boyfriend, and then once I explained to him I dont have a boyfriend, my bill came back alive, Rotheimer said. So I knew the power that he had over my bill.

Ultimately, the bill never made it out of committee.

Rotheimer said that in November 2016, she went to Democratic Senate President John Cullertons office and explained what I had been put through.

I told them what happened, my experience with Silverstein, how unethical everything was.

Rotheimer said she was told to file a complaint with the inspector generals office, but when she filed a complaint there, she was sent back to Cullertons office.

Cullerton spokesman John Patterson confirmed that the senate presidents office was made aware of these accusations in late November 2016.

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Senior staff met with Sen. Silverstein to let him know such allegations are taken seriously and that this would be reported to the Legislative Inspector Generals Office, which it was, Patterson said.

Rotheimer also said she turned to state Sen. Melinda Bush, D-Grayslake, for help getting a response to her complaint, but nothing happened.

Bush said she was contacted by Rotheimer, who told her that she had been treated in an inappropriate way by Silverstein and raised concerns that her complaint was not being taken seriously by Cullertons office. Bush said she immediately called Cullerton, who said he was aware of the complaint and already had forwarded the matter and documents provided by Rotheimer to the legislative inspector general.

Bush said after that she did not respond to subsequent calls from Rotheimer because she believed it was inappropriate given it had been referred to the appropriate authorities.

Any time anybody alleges misconduct, the first thing I am going to do is go to the appropriate authorities. It is not my job to decide, Bush said.

Rotheimer is a resident of Ingleside in Lake County who has said she is running for the Illinois House seat held by Rep. Sam Yingling, who was a top Republican target in 2016 but won re-election. Rotheimer said she decided to testify at Tuesdays hearing because she wanted to bring attention to her complaint. She said she has more than 400 pages worth of Facebook messages from Silverstein that document her allegations. She said she would provide a copy of them later Tuesday.

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I want these Facebook messages to be presented. I want these phone calls and everything, all the communication between Silverstein and me, to be exposed because I want him to answer for it and to know that it is wrong, it is unconscionable and I for one do not tolerate it, Rotheimer said during her hearing testimony.

The legislative inspector generals office is charged with looking into such complaints, but the job has been vacant for several years.

We absolutely need to fill the legislative inspector general position, and I don't know why it has taken so long, Bush said. I can tell you that as a state senator, I am appalled that it hasnt been filled.

Sen. Silverstein is married to 50th Ward Ald. Debra Silverstein. Approached by reporters at City Hall where she was attending budget hearings Tuesday, Ald. Silverstein declined comment.

John Byrne contributed to this report. Garcia reported from Springfield.

kgeiger@chicagotribune.com

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mcgarcia@chicagotribune.com

[ Open letter alleges rampant sexual harassment in Illinois politics ]
An academic at a Scottish university confirmed Tuesday he is the "professor" mentioned in the probe over suspected Russian interference in U.S. politics, but claimed the allegations are exaggerated.

According to court papers unsealed Monday, George Papadopoulos, a former foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign, told federal investigators that a professor in April 2016 promised him "dirt" on Hillary Clinton compiled by Russians, including thousands of emails.

Joseph Mifsud, who joined the faculty of the University of Stirling earlier this year, was not named in the court documents. He confirmed his identity to the Daily Telegraph on Tuesday, stressing that "I have a clear conscience."

Emails previously described to The Washington Post appeared to suggest the identity of the professor was Mifsud, a native of Malta.

The University of Stirling said in an emailed statement that Mifsud joined its politics department in May 2017 as a "full-time professorial teaching fellow."

Mifsud told the Telegraph that he knew nothing about emails containing "dirt" on Clinton, calling the allegations upsetting and "incredible." He also dismissed the disclosure that he introduced Papadopoulos to a "female Russian national," calling the allegation a "laughing stock."

Papadoulous pleaded guilty this month to lying to federal agents about his outreach to Russia.

Mifsud told the newspaper that he introduced Papadopoulos to the director of a Russian think tank to help him better grasp Russian foreign policy and that he tried to set up meetings with experts on the European Union.

"We are academics," Mifsud told the paper. "We work closely with everybody."

He said that he met Papadopoulos in Italy in March 2016 and then 10 days later in London.

In emails with The Washington Post in August, Mifsud said that he had "absolutely no contact" with the Russian government. "I am an academic, I do not even speak Russian," he wrote.

He said that Papadopoulos "was introduced to me in a visit to a project in Rome by the London Centre of International Law Practice in which we discussed track two diplomacy with a number of countries including the Russian Federation. The only link that was offered vis-a-vis Russia was with RIAC," or the Russian International Affairs Council, a Russian think tank.

According to a biography on the London Centre of International Law Practice's website, which was deleted Sunday, Mifsud "served prominently" in Malta's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and worked as an adviser for Malta's Ministry of Education.
White House chief of staff John Kelly, left, said he would not apologize for the false attacks he leveled against Rep. Frederica Wilson. (AP)

White House chief of staff John Kelly said Monday he would not apologize for the false attacks he leveled against Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., earlier this month when he sought to defend President Donald Trump for his handling of a condolence call to the widow of a fallen soldier.

On Oct. 19, in a rare appearance at the White House press briefing, Kelly attacked Wilson as an "empty barrel" and accused her of grandstanding at a public event two years ago in Florida by taking credit for securing federal funding for a new building.

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Video of the event soon released by the Florida Sun Sentinel showed Wilson did no such thing. Rather, she used her speech to praise the two slain FBI agents in whose memory the building was named. Wilson accused Kelly of "character assassination," and members of the Congressional Black Caucus demanded that Kelly apologize.

In an interview to be broadcast Monday night, Fox News Channel host Laura Ingraham asked Kelly whether he had something to apologize for.

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"Oh, no," Kelly replied. "No. Never. Well, I'll apologize if I need to. But for something like that, absolutely not. I stand by my comments."

Kelly suggested that he may have been accusing Wilson of grandstanding in a private discussion, as opposed to in her public speech, though his comment to Ingraham was vague.

"I'll go back and talk about before her comments and at the reception afterwards," Kelly said. "Again, it was a package deal. Don't want to get into it."

Kelly went on to say that Myeshia Johnson, the widow of fallen Sgt. La David Johnson, has acted within her rights to speak out publicly about Trump's handling of his condolence call.

"As far as the young widow goes, she has every right to say what she wants to say," Kelly told Ingraham. "But it's the politicization of something that was so from the heart."

Ingraham's interview -- one of Kelly's rare public appearances -- delved into a range of other topics, including the removal of Confederate and other historical monuments, an issue that has animated Trump in recent months.

Ingraham asked Kelly about an historic church in Alexandria, Virginia, where former President George Washington worshipped, deciding to remove plaques memorializing both Washington and Confederate general Robert E. Lee because they were considered intolerant.

"Well, history's history," Kelly said. "And there are certain things in history that were not so good and other things that were very, very good. I think we make a mistake, though, and as a society and certainly as individuals, when we take what is today accepted as right and wrong and go back 100, 200, 300 years or more and say what those, you know, what Christopher Columbus did was wrong."

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Kelly added, "Human history, our culture is an evolving thing. There will be 100 or 200 years from now people that criticize us for what we do, and I guess they'll tear down, you know, statues of people that we revere today. I think it's dangerous. ... I think it's just very, very dangerous, and it shows you what, how much of a lack of appreciation of history and what history is."
For the first time, we have a figure from the 2016 Trump campaign who we know is cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller in his Russia investigation. George Papadopoulos is talking after being caught lying to investigators.

Exactly what that means, we don't really know.

But that's just one of several big questions emanating from the former Trump foreign policy adviser's plea deal. The document is filled with anonymous campaign officials on the other end of Papadopoulos' emails. We may not know who they are, but Mueller sure does. And in many cases, they seem to have known about contacts with Russia that the campaign and its principals, including President Donald Trump, would later deny.

Below are seven big questions we have in light of the plea deal.

1. Who is the "campaign supervisor" with whom Papadopoulos emailed in detail about setting up a Trump-Putin meeting?

After a March 24, 2016, meeting with an unnamed London professor and an unnamed Russian national whom Papadopoulos at one point believed to be Vladimir Putin's niece, Papadopoulos emailed a "Campaign Supervisor and several members of the Campaign's foreign policy team," according to the document. He told them the meeting was to set up another meeting between the campaign and "Russian leadership to discuss U.S.-Russia ties under President Trump."

The "Campaign Supervisor" at this point replied: "Great work."

Later, about June 1, Papadopoulos emailed the same "supervisor" to say that a "Russian MFA" wanted to set up a meeting between Trump and Putin. The supervisor urged Papadopoulos to make the trip with another foreign policy adviser instead.

The campaign and the White House have repeatedly denied contacts with Russia during the 2016 race. The denials even came from Trump himself and Vice President Mike Pence. But this particular set of emails (and more to come below) suggest several members of the campaign were aware of contacts discussing a desire on behalf of the Russian government to broker a meeting.

2. Who is the Trump campaign official who urged that the meeting not include Trump "so as not to send any signal?" And what does that even mean?

In a tantalizing footnote, someone described as a "high-ranking official" on the Trump campaign forwarded a Papadopoulos email to another official in late May and said, "We need someone to communicate that DT is not doing these trips. It should be someone low level in the campaign so as not to send any signal."

So yet again, we have a top official in the campaign who was aware of Papadopoulos's contacts with Russia  Papadopoulos titled the email "Request from Russia"  and thought it through enough to offer a different course of action. Along with the "supervisor" and members of the foreign policy team above, that's another apparently high-ranking Trump campaign official who knew about this. How could the campaign and White House go on to deny such contacts?

Also juicy here: What does "so as not to send any signal" mean? Some see that as a potential tell when it comes to a larger effort to coordinate with the Russians, which is the big unanswered question in this whole investigation. But it could also simply be that they didn't want to telegraph a close alliance with Russia, which could have been politically problematic.

3. Was Trump present when Papadopoulos said he could set up a Trump-Putin meeting?

The indictment says Papadopoulos attended a "national security meeting" on about March 31 with "Trump and other foreign policy advisers for the Campaign." It says Papadopoulos told "the group" that he had connections and could arrange a Trump-Putin meeting.

The text doesn't say whether Trump was present for this claim. But if he was, it would render Trump's own denials of his campaign's contact with Russia pretty dishonest.

4. Who is the "senior policy adviser" Papadopoulos emailed saying Russia had an "open invitation" for a Trump-Putin meeting?

This is yet another high-level aide who would have known there was contact with Russia. Papadopoulos told this "adviser" on April 25 that "these governments tend to speak a bit more openly in 'neutral' cities"  playing up his own stationing in London.

5. Who is the other "high-ranking official" whom Papadopoulos told that the Russian government had "relayed to me that they are interested in hosting Mr. Trump?"

This is a different "high-ranking official" than the one mentioned above. But it's another person who apparently knew, based on multiple emails, about what the campaign and White House would later deny.

6. Who is "Putin's niece?"

It may be neither here nor there in this whole sequence, but Papadopoulos seems to have believed at one point that the unnamed London professor introduced him to Putin's niece, identifying her as such in an email to the campaign. He later says it wasn't actually Putin's niece.

But who was it? And did Papadopoulos not seek to verify this information? Or was he trying to inflate his connections in the email? It's all very strange.

And for that matter, who is the unnamed London professor?

7. What is he doing to cooperate?

At the very end, the indictment says Papadopoulos was arrested at Dulles International Airport in suburban Washington on July 27 of this year. It says he has talked with the government "on numerous occasions to provide information and answer questions."

It is suspected that the special counsel is trying to flip Paul Manafort and get him to cooperate via his own indictment. Papadopoulos was far less central to the campaign, but here we actually have someone who is cooperating.

What did he agree to share in his plea deal? And what does he even have to share? This may be the biggest question of all.
They came from eastern Kentucky, Houston and Jakarta, Indonesia, from Bangladesh, Kenya and Mexico.

More than 500 people, described as thought leaders and problem solvers who were hand-selected from thousands of applicants and nominees, gathered on the South Side on Tuesday to participate in the Obama Foundation's first international summit.

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"Our goal is not to present some fixed theory of how change happens," former President Barack Obama said as he opened the main session. "Our goal in this session is not to pump you with a whole bunch of PowerPoints, data and information or a blueprint for how you can go back and do what you're doing even better. In many ways, we want to learn from you.

"In other words, this is a big brainstorming session, it's a big hackathon."

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The summit is the foundation's largest program of the year and in some ways sets a tone for the work it wants to do going forward: bring leaders to Chicago to share their ideas with each other and the world.

The two-day event kicked off with a welcome from Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama and featured large main-stage sessions with Ariel Investments President Mellody Hobson and Prince Harry of Wales, but also smaller breakout gatherings where the participants could talk and network.

The summit's first day had the feeling of a college reunion.

Guests hugged each other in the hallways, took selfies and introduced themselves to the easily recognizable star leaders like former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, artists Krista Franklin, Theaster Gates, Lena Waithe and Thelma Golden, urban farmer and youth educator Emmanuel Pratt and entrepreneur Okendo Lewis-Gayle.

And then they piled into the hotel ballroom to hear about how community activists like Whitney Kimball Coe, of Athens, Tenn., address issues like drug addiction and suicide and children living in poverty.

"We can't control the systemic barriers or disparities that haunt us and haunt us. We can't control the forces of globalization and automation that have taken our livelihoods, our jobs" she said. "But we can control our response to these forces, and usually that means we just keep participating."

Gates told the audience that his work redeveloping under-resourced blocks in Woodlawn is basically about making use of the materials around him.

"When you're building something on the South Side, it's not real hard to find help," he said. "Brothers will come up and ask, 'Can I help you?' If you're thoughtful about sticks and stones ... and think about the deficits as assets, really beautiful things might happen."

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From the time the Obama Presidential Center was announced, leaders have said it would be unlike other presidential libraries. And instead of waiting for the facility to be built, officials wanted to begin programming first so that the center could have an impact, Foundation CEO David Simas has said.

The foundation declined to say how much the event cost, but it paid for it out of its budget, which is funded through donations. Most participants covered their own travel and lodging, but the foundation helped those who needed it, officials said. More than 100 of the participants are from the Chicago region.

The summit is part of Obama's mission to empower people to believe they can improve their communities. It has workshops scheduled on such topics as using personal stories to push a cause; soliciting young people to participate in organizations; using art and creative expressions to give voice to silenced communities; and redesigning civic education.

During Obama's opening remarks, he told the guests that he wanted to bring them to the South Side, which is where he started as an organizer working with small churches, block clubs and community groups.

"I didn't really set the world on fire," he said. "I didn't lead a movement. But what I did learn was that ordinary people in local communities can do extraordinary things when they are given the chance."

Obama told the guests to put down their phones, introduce themselves to strangers and really listen to each other. He told them to have fun.

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"Bringing about change is not just 'eat your peas,'" he said. "There should be some joy in it. It shouldn't just be a burden. What an amazing gift, an extraordinary privilege to be able to make the world better. To work with others and be able to look back ... and say that child has an education because of the work I did, that person has health care, because of the steps I took, that group of people that didn't have a voice now has a voice."

Before the summit got started, Michelle Obama and Prince Harry made a surprise visit to Hyde Park Academy, a high school across the street from where the presidential center will be located. For more than an hour, the two spoke privately to about 20 high school students.

During his talk at the summit, Prince Harry discussed his family's legacy of charitable giving. He said he and his brother wanted to do more than leverage their names and titles, so they carved out their own approach to impacting social change by starting a foundation. During his talk with Hobson, he said to be successful, organizations have to learn to work together to tackle issues like violence.

"There is so much to do," he said. "The question is making sure you streamline it and do it right the first time. The key point is to listen.

"We have to listen to the younger generation," he said. "They are the cures to many of our problems ... you can't teach some of the experiences these young people have."

Some observers who admire the summit's goals still wonder whether it can make an impact.

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Tackling the issues of poverty, inequality, police brutality and mass incarceration takes more than just star power and clever ideas, it takes addressing power structures and pushing against the status quo, said Marshall Ganz, a lecturer at Harvard Universitys Kennedy School of Government and a longtime political activist and strategist.

There is a power imbalance in this country, he said. The question becomes, can this (summit) actually tackle the challenges we are facing? How does this event translate into shifting political and economic power, Ganz said. I dont see that on the agenda.

Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. >

The day also brought some updates on the center itself.

In a breakout session, architect Tod Williams indicated that the Obama Foundation may be rethinking its controversial plan for a parking garage, an above-ground facility at the east end of the Midway Plaisance that would be largely covered by trees and grass.

The garage could be built partially underground, or even relocated east of Stony Island Avenue, Williams said. And it will not have a bus turnaround as previously planned. Williams said.

"We are coming up with ideas in response to the feedback," said Michael Strautmanis, the foundation's vice president of civic engagement

Chicago Tribune's Blair Kamin contributed.

lbowean@chicagotribune.com

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Twitter @lollybowean






White House Chief of Staff John Kelly calls on a reporter during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington on Oct. 12, 2017. Kelly told Fox News host Laura Ingraham in an interview that aired Oct. 30, 2017, that Confederate General Robert E. Lee was "an honorable man" and applying current thinking on social issues to figures in history is "very, very dangerous." (Susan Walsh / AP)

When John Kelly said the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War, he had a point, but not the one he had in mind. A willingness by both sides to make concessions could have averted it. The war came because a genuine compromise was rejected  by the South. Robert E. Lee, whom Kelly praised in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, was one of the Southerners who joined with those who would rather kill their countrymen that give ground on the issue of slavery.

Abraham Lincoln is remembered for freeing the slaves, but he became an abolitionist only during the war. During his 1858 debates with Stephen A. Douglas, he said, I do wish to see the spread of slavery arrested and to see it placed where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in course of ultimate extinction.

Note the key word: arrested. He was in favor of letting slavery continue as long as it didnt expand beyond where it already was in place. He thought that if confined to the South, it would eventually wither and die, but not anytime soon.

In 1860, the Republican Party platform didnt propose to abolish slavery but merely to block its spread. After he was elected, Sen. William Seward, who would soon become Secretary of State, proposed a constitutional amendment that would have forbidden federal interference with slavery in existing slave states  and made that amendment irrevocable by future amendment.

Lincoln said he had no objection to either provision. The South could have kept slavery as long as it chose.

But the South wasnt willing to settle for keeping what it had. It wanted much more. When Georgia seceded, it specifically rejected to any limit on the spread of slavery. The prohibition of slavery in the Territories is the cardinal principle of the Republican Party, it protested.

The opposition, objected Mississippi when it seceded, refuses the admission of new slave States into the Union, and seeks to extinguish it by confining it within its present limits, denying the power of expansion.

When it came to upholding the legal institution of black bondage, Lincoln and his party were willing to accept a deal that many in the North would have found hard to swallow  and that the slaves of that time would have found cruelly irrelevant to them. It was the South that would concede nothing.

Kelly is right that it takes two to compromise. But in contemplating the causes of the Civil War, he is wrong about where to place the blame.
The facts as laid out in the newly unsealed plea agreement between special counsel Robert Mueller and George Papadopoulos, a former foreign policy adviser to President Donald Trump's campaign, do not provide a slam-dunk case that the Trump team was colluding with the Russian government. But to a former CIA officer like me, everything Papadopoulos admitted in the plea deal looks consistent with the modus operandi of the Russian intelligence services engaged in an "active measures" covert operation. So what might the Russians have been up to with Papadopoulos?

Since late last year, when the U.S. intelligence community issued a formal assessment on Russian involvement in the campaign, it is clear that the Russian government was intent on influencing the outcome of the election on Trump's behalf. Trump had already stated policy positions that were much more favorable to Russia than Hillary Clinton or the Obama administration's stances  he had questioned NATO's relevance, played down Russia's annexation of Crimea, contemplated reviewing Western sanctions on Russia and so forth. So helping Trump would be a reasonable Russian covert action goal.

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This undated image posted on his Linkedin profile shows George Papadopoulos posing on a street of London. (LinkedIn)

Over the past months, several elements of this wide-ranging operation have emerged, such as the extensive use of propaganda from Russian-sponsored news media (for example, RT and Sputnik) and the manipulation of social media platforms such as Facebook, Google and Twitter in an attempt to influence U.S. voters. The Russian hacking of Democratic National Committee computer servers  and the subsequent release of thousands of stolen emails  has raised the specter of even more involved Russian cyber operations, and it is still not entirely clear how far the Russians may have gotten into actual voting machines and voter registrations databases at the state level.

And with Monday's news, we now have greater clarity on yet another part of the Russian operation: how a Trump foreign policy aide was lured into contact with Moscow. The Papadopoulos indictment tells a story containing several elements consistent with how Russian intelligence (and in this case, most likely the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, the SVR) operates. According to the indictment, Papadopoulos was living in London when an as-yet-unidentified professor there became interested in Papadopoulos after learning that he had a foreign policy role in Trump's campaign. Papadopoulos, in turn, became interested in the professor's claimed Moscow contacts, and the two apparently communicated substantially in pursuit of this mutual interest.

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The use of a professor  not a Russian government official; that would come later  as first a spotter and later an intermediary to Moscow makes operational sense from the perspective of Russian intelligence. Clearly Papadopoulos, in his role as a foreign policy adviser, had access to information of interest to the Russians, making an approach to him worthwhile. As an added advantage, he was outside the United States, farther from the prying eyes of the FBI. Using a professor as a cutout to gain access to Papadopoulos would have increased the aide's comfort level and minimized the chance of scaring him away from contact. As it turned out, though, the cutout wasn't necessary to gain the target's trust: Papadopoulos wasn't worried at all about the prospect of meeting with Russian operatives.

Next, the professor offered Papadopoulos concrete contacts in Moscow, specifically with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), as well as with an unidentified woman with senior contacts in the Kremlin. This is consistent with the incremental approach to a relationship like this that Russian intelligence typically favors. Having made Papadopoulos comfortable with a cutout in an overseas environment, the Russians then tried to lay the groundwork for contact with actual members of the Russian government. Russian intelligence often uses the MFA as cover for its work, which underscores the importance of the meeting Papadopoulos was offered with the ministry. The official story for such a meeting would have plausible deniability, another earmark of a good Russian operation: The topic of any meetings between the Trump campaign and the MFA could simply be how to get a head-start on planning for improvement of the U.S.-Russia relationship after the election.

In this photo from President Donald Trump's Twitter account, George Papadopoulos, third from left, sits at a table with then-candidate Trump and others at what is labeled at a national security meeting in Washington that was posted on March 31, 2016. (AP)

The proposal of contact with the unidentified Russian woman  who Papadopoulos later told investigators he initially thought was a niece of Putin's  was a further escalation of the operation. The MFA is an official entity, but this unidentified woman with nebulous but important contacts inside Moscow power structures is a bit more shadowy and covert in nature. Meeting with an official Russian diplomatic entity has at least the patina of normalcy; candidates and aides do sometimes meet with foreign officials during campaigns. Contrast that to meeting with a woman whose identity and position are not clear but who is promised to be of consequence in Moscow. The scenario now starts to become sketchier. But the Russians may have already assessed by then that Papadopoulos would be intrigued rather than spooked. Perhaps intelligence officials believed or hoped Papadopoulos was moving up in the Trump campaign, given that he contacted more senior members of the campaign several times offering to arrange the meetings.

Up until early April 2016, the ostensible purpose of the contacts proposed by Papadopoulos was simply to establish an initial relationship with Russian officials to improve relations between the countries. But by late April, the Russians took the next step in the operation by offering "dirt" on Clinton  dirt in the form of stolen emails, even though news of the DNC hack wouldn't become public for several more months. If Russian intelligence officers were worried that taking this step brought increased risk  which any intelligence professional would be trained to consider  they needn't have been concerned. Again, Papadopoulos continued to advocate for Trump campaign officials to meet with the Russians well after hearing the offer of derogatory information on Clinton. Indeed, in June, Papadopoulos indicated he would be happy to make an "off the record" trip to meet the Russians himself. According to his plea agreement, Papadopoulos's still-unidentified supervisor in the campaign replied, "I would encourage you (to) ... make the trip, if it is feasible."

All that may not add up to legal proof. But from a counterintelligence standpoint, a sound case can be made that the identification and slow courting of Papadopoulos by the Russians, initially using a professor with Russian government contacts to arrange foreign policy meetings, then later morphing into a mechanism to share damaging information on Clinton, was part of Russia's larger 2016 operation. However, like most good Russian operations, this one built a strong element of deniability into the construct. The Russian government can easily say that it did have contact with some members of candidate Trump's foreign policy team, but only in support of future foreign policy planning; if their past statements are any guide, they will label any other analysis as American "Russophobia" or Cold War-era thinking. They will simply deny any claim that Russia was trying to pass Clinton "dirt" to the Trump campaign.

Russians will of course denounce all of this new information as conspiracy theories. The Russian government knows that Americans believe strongly in such Western values as hearing out all sides of an argument, trying to be fair to all sides and telling the truth. Russia takes great advantage of this, and will inevitably try to sow doubt and cast aspersions. We never interfere with the internal affairs of other countries, least of all the United States, Russian officials will say. More fabrication on the part of the U.S. press, unfairly targeting Russia, state-owned media will crow. Great umbrage and offense will be taken by Russian officials, who will continue to demand the respect that a great power deserves. Americans should remember that all of that is also part of the Russians' active measures operation against us, and that there is probably more to come.

Washington Post

Steven L. Hall retired from the CIA in 2015 after 30 years of running and managing Russian operations.

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Related articles:

Mueller will get to the facts

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How bad will Mueller probe get for Trump? Watch the Papadopoulos plea.

Donald Trump is done
The news that Hillary Clintons campaign and the Democratic National Committee paid for former British spy Christopher Steeles investigation into Donald Trump showed one thing: Rarely have two political candidates been so worthy of each other in terms of cynicism as Clinton and Trump. No wonder Russian President Vladimir Putin, another world-class cynic, dealt himself in.

Democrats were indignant when it turned out that Donald Trump Jr., the candidates son, was willing to accept damaging information about Clinton from a Russian source. No dirt was forthcoming in that case, though: Instead, a suburban Russian lawyer fighting for the interests of her client, sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act in the U.S., apparently came to see Trump campaign officials to lobby against the law, not to share intelligence.

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In the Clinton case, Fusion GPS, the firm working on the Trump opposition research, paid Steele, a foreigner, with the campaigns money. Britain, of course, is a U.S. ally; Russia is an adversary. But the information Steele produced came mainly from Russian sources. Unlike lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, who once did legal work for the domestic intelligence arm of the Russian spy agency known as FSB in a minor property dispute, these sources were really well-connected, if Steele is to be believed. They included, according to the version of his dossier published by BuzzFeed, a senior Russian foreign ministry figure, a former top level Russian intelligence officer still active inside the Kremlin, a senior Russian financial official and a senior Kremlin official.

In Moscows paranoid political climate, with the Kremlin seeing foreign agents everywhere and the FSB eager to earn its bread, what was the upside for these sources in sharing explosive secrets with a foreigner? The downside is clear: The standard prison sentence for espionage, handed down in recent spying cases, was 12 years  at the lower bound of the Russian criminal codes range of 12 to 20. As a private operative, Steele couldnt even offer his informants the thin protection that comes with working for a foreign intelligence agency, which might help a valuable agent if push came to shove.

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But if the FSB and the Kremlin knew of Clintons interest in putting together a dossier on Trump, all these people had an excellent reason to talk, and especially to provide nonsensical information  such as that Dmitry Peskov, Putins press secretary, and not anyone in Russias intelligence community, was the keeper of a top-secret file on Trump. It was always obvious from the Steele reports that his sources were having fun spinning tall tales for him; since he wasnt required to verify them and vouch for their accuracy  thats the nature of raw intelligence  Steele faithfully wrote them down on GPS Fusions time.

Russia has never hid or denied its propaganda campaign during the U.S. election  except the elements of active measures it included: the rallies Kremlin trolls attempted to organize in the U.S. hinterland through Facebook ads, perhaps (but not definitely) the distribution of Democrats stolen emails to the media. These fit in nicely with the possible use of a Brit on Clintons payroll as a disinformation channel. Now that the nature of Russian activity on social networks has come to light, its likelier than ever that the goal of the whole exercise was to sow discord and instability in the U.S. Pushing Russian-generated kompromat  compromising material  on Trump to Clinton would have served that purpose brilliantly.

The Clinton campaign and the DNC reportedly started paying Fusion GPS in April 2016, which was after the FBI warned about potential Russian hacking and several months before the DNC publicly confirmed that its network was breached by groups tied to Russian intelligence. Its likely that, even before that announcement, the Democrats had been planning to use the Russian angle against Trump. That should prompt further investigation of Russia-related conclusions by Crowdstrike, the cybersecurity firm hired by the DNC, which was the only organization to examine the servers that had allegedly been hacked.

It should also prompt the U.S. intelligence community to release more information about the sources of its conclusion that an arm of the Russian government had hacked the Democrats. Since the Steele dossier made the same conclusion  adding that Trumps team helped  an obvious question follows that has not been answered: Did U.S. intelligence rely at least in part on the information Steele had obtained while his employer was being funded by the Clinton campaign and the DNC?

Of course, collusion between the Trump camp and the Kremlin still cannot be ruled out. Putins people courted former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, and campaign chairman Paul Manafort had business ties to Kremlin-friendly billionaire Oleg Deripaska (who, however, is not part of Putins close circle). And in any case, the Russian efforts to diligently and creatively amplify Trumps divisive messages gave him an advantage.

Its looking increasingly likely, however, that the Kremlin was playing both sides against each other, giving each something it wanted. Thats a classic destabilization tactic that Russia has long employed in Ukraine, feeding the local establishments internal conflicts.

That it got the opportunity to do so is a problem for the U.S. Both of its main parties need candidates who arent so easy to ensnare in international intrigue (at best) and collusion (at worst). Until that happens, Russia  and everybody else interested in humiliating the U.S.  will keep coming back to do more harm.

Bloomberg

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Leonid Bershidsky is a Bloomberg View columnist. He was the founding editor of the Russian business daily Vedomosti and founded the opinion website Slon.ru.

lbershidsky@bloomberg.net
I almost went into hiding Monday after news broke about Paul Manafort, Richard Gates and George Papadopoulos. It seemed like a mob was beginning to form around anyone who was ever skeptical about the Trump collusion story. Well, I'm still skeptical.

I'm reminded of the Roman guard in the stoning scene from Monty Python's "Life of Brian." There is going to be a stoning  and there are a few rocks in the air  but Monday's announcement was not tantamount to special counsel Robert Mueller blowing the whistle. And I'm not sure a stone will ever directly hit President Donald Trump.

The mainstream media's news coverage of the indictments, starting with CNN, was intimidating to any fair-minded person. The faux-anguish, gasping, overreaching and, at times, spittle-filled (spittle seems to be a word that has been in the news a lot lately) coverage was a frenzy.

Even reasonable Democrats and liberals that I spoke to and emailed with were swooning. A few even went on to rant that impeachment was at hand. They thought the heavens had opened and that their prayers had been answered, and the end of Trump had been delivered on a silver platter. Or at least the end was in sight.

Uhh, maybe not.

For starters, the indictment against Manafort and Gates concerns events and schemes that predate their involvement with Trump's campaign. And the young man  Papadopoulos  who pleaded guilty has been dismissed by the White House as a nobody. During the campaign, he tried and failed to set up meetings with Russians. The indictment spells out his feckless effort to repeatedly arrange meetings that higher-ups in the campaign refused to take.

With that said, a big nobody wearing a little wire can lead to great havoc. It will be interesting to learn who Papadopoulos has talked to and what equipment he has been wearing since his deal with the prosecutors was completed.

But for those hoping this was Mueller's opening shot at the president, it clearly missed. Again, I know there is more to come and there are serious consequences for others involved, but as it relates to the Trump presidency, the indictments are not a direct hit. So, I hate to say it, but those who want to celebrate Trump's demise will have to calm down.

The Trump haters were handed a sugar cube Monday, not a full meal. For those hoping this will finish Trump, the best thing to come from the indictments was how broad of a scope Mueller now sees in pursing his mandate and that the question of collusion seems to be tangential to his investigation. Simply put, how far will Mueller go in looking at past Trump actions? Are tax matters and business dealings that predate his presidency, ah la Manafort, fair game for the special counsel?

Mueller, it seems, is on the march to nobody knows where.

Washington Post
Youre driving or walking down a Chicago street, and you see film or TV crew setting up a shoot. Your eyes dart about as you try to spot an actor you recognize. Suddenly youre giddy  movie stars in the midst, cables snaking every which way, the Windy City as a backdrop. Is it Chicago Fire? Chicago P.D.? (Yet) another Transformers?

Theres a sense of pride Chicagoans feel when they revisit on DVD the Blues Brothers driving through the Daley Center lobby, or Ferris Bueller lip-syncing Wayne Newtons Danke Schoen on a parade float downtown, or an anxious Richard Kimble walking the halls of Cook County Hospital in The Fugitive.

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But theres a flip side to the sudden appearance of film crews. Emphasis on sudden. Aldermen at a budget hearing for the citys Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events this week came armed with complaints from constituents about crews disrupting everyday life in neighborhoods. At the core of those complaints: the havoc that movie and TV shoots create for parking.

The Chicago Film Office requires production crews to issue leaflets notifying neighborhoods of an upcoming shoot. But aldermen say crews are giving insufficient notice  sometimes just one or two days notice that theyre going to be commandeering a street. No Parking signs hurriedly go up, and residents suddenly have to forgo their permit parking areas and make do elsewhere. Stores lose parking during the shoots, and that hurts business. Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd, said at the hearing that residents also complain about parking being banned for days in an area much broader than the crew used during the shoot.

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Theres a lot of upside to Hollywoods use of Chicago as a setting. It generates hundreds of millions of dollars for the local economy  from the hiring of local actors and technicians to equipment rentals, hotel rooms and tax revenue. And its invaluable PR for a city thirsty for a bigger, better profile in a world that still associates Chicago with Al Capone.

We know that a lot goes into picking locations. Is a street wide enough for the look the director wants? Is it a spot that has the skyline in view? Lightings critical to filming, and scheduling is routinely dependent on the whims of weather. So we understand the artistic reasons behind last-minute schedule changes.

But were also sympathetic to the Chicagoan whos feeling more and more inconvenienced as the novelty of film crew shoots wears away. Why cant production companies do a better job communicating to a neighborhood the scheduling they envision. The sooner they give neighborhoods a good outline of what theyre doing and when, the less miffed locals will be.

Conversely, theres no need for aldermen to overreact with new laws that ban film crews from certain neighborhoods, as Ald. Pat Dowell, 3rd, threatened at the budget hearing. If you guys do not stop putting parking restrictions in the South Loop one or two days before youre going to film, Im going to have to ban you all out of the South Loop by ordinance, the Tribunes John Byrne reported her saying.

Well, before we start kicking Hollywood out of Chicago, lets give producers and directors ample opportunity to become better collaborators and communicators with the neighborhoods they want as settings. The chaos created in a Chicago Fire scene should endure only on the screen  not on the street where its shot.
Another Obamacare health insurance enrollment period dawns Wednesday with millions of Americans facing harsh reality: Theyll pay more for less next year. Just like they did last year. And the year before.

Theyll find the Obamacare marketplace even more confusing. Some silver plans, for instance, will cost more than gold plans. But bronze plans could be free for some working-class customers; thats because tax credits increase along with the costs of plans. Be alert, shoppers.

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Theyll have a shorter enrollment period  45 days instead of three months. Procrastinators, beware.

There may be fewer navigators to help people choose, and less advertising to remind stragglers. The marketplace website  www.healthcare.gov  will be down for maintenance most Sunday mornings. Plan accordingly.

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Even choosing the path of least resistance  automatically re-enrolling in this years plan  could be risky. Insurers are changing their offerings. So people may find themselves with a plan that includes different doctors, or reimburses differently for drug costs.

Congressional Republicans had months to repeal and replace or fix this faltering law. They failed.

Democrats mostly heckled from the sidelines, content to let the GOP stumble on a major campaign promise.

A few weeks ago, a frustrated President Donald Trump swept away one of the pillars of the law  subsidies to insurers to help low-income households. Those holdover subsidies from the Obama years are likely illegal, as federal district court judges have ruled.

Trumps action prompted a swift reaction: Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington and Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee introduced a proposal that would restore those subsidies. Their proposal also would loosen federal mandates to encourage flexibility in benefits, competition among insurers and lower prices for everyone. Yes, thats a Democrat and a Republican agreeing on a way to improve Obamacare.

We like the proposal because it would provide more choices  especially for healthier Americans  and lower premiums. The plan would would not substantially change the number of people who are covered, the Congressional Budget Office says. Thats a big advantage compared with earlier GOP plans, under which millions of Americans would have lost or dropped their coverage. More young Americans likely would buy insurance because the bill also would allow states to expand low-cost, high-deductible copper plans, the CBO says.

The president sounded like he supported the Alexander-Murray plan, until the next day, when he didnt. So it goes with Trump.

The bill now is in legislative limbo because it is not a total victory for one side or the other. Its  gasp!  a compromise. We repeat what should be obvious by now: This gets resolved only via negotiations between Democrats and Republicans.

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Conservative Republicans, you wont reduce Obamacare to rubble and make more people fend for themselves again. You tried that already. Give it up.

Liberal Democrats, you wont get your single-payer socialized Medicare for all fantasy. Its too expensive and gives the federal government too much control. Give it up.

Until the two parties wise up and cut a deal, lawmakers abdicate responsibility to President Trump, who famously remarked that health care is more complicated than he thought. Now hes trying to goad both parties to act.

Neither Republicans or Democrats should wait for a president to draft a solution. Its not his job. Its yours, lawmakers.

Produce a reasonable agreement, or prepare to tell voters why you didnt. Explain to those millions of Americans why their insurance premiums keep rising and their coverage keeps getting stingier.

And dont expect much sympathy.
To the editor: It should come as no surprise that there is community tensionsurrounding the site of the Obama Presidential Center, as reported in the recent article After fight for Obama Center, why find fault?

As currently planned, it will be in the wrong place.

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The legacy of a true community organizer should be to build the center in a blighted area of the Woodlawn neighborhood, rather than to steal land from Jackson Park, which cannot afford to lose acreage needed for recreation by the community. It is a steal because Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the Chicago Plan Commission, and Park District fell over like a row of dominoes to the blandishments of the Obama Foundation and its grandiose projections of a windfall for the citizens living nearby.

The real blight is the loss of green space by the structure and the proposed parking garage and the disruption of traffic flow by the closure of Cornell Drive. It is also an indirect freebie to the University of Chicago, which will benefit from an academic relationship with the center without having to provide space or salaries.

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The legacy of the community organizer, who rose to become president, will be that of a community disorganizer.

 Ronald Kallen, Highland Park

Pushing back

In a recent article, Chicago resident Cheryl L. Mainor laments that while many wanted the future Obama Presidential Center on the South Side, its Jackson Park location is now resisted by many, and the community risks losing it.

What Mainor ignores is that those with over-riding interests at stake cannot be expected to forfeit them all just because many of us elected President Barack Obama to office twice and think highly of him. He was a president, not an emperor or a deity. His Jackson Park preference, which seems ego-driven more than practical, is no more to be automatically granted than was George Lucas similar ego-driven wish to locate his Star Wars museum on land belonging to all.

Admiration for the man does not automatically require allowing transgressions no end, regardless of promised economic area-wide uplift to follow, which is not guaranteed.

Better the Obama Foundation had made peace with the various stakeholders at the outset, instead of trying to ramrod this through, provoking the ensuing pushback.

Hyde Parkers arent pushovers. They faced down the Army Corps of Engineers who aimed to disfigure Promontory Point and adjoining shoreline years ago with its plan to protect the shoreline, which had to be scrapped.

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Various interest groups are today asserting their prior taxpayer stake in Jackson Park. The grandiose Obama center may yet end up being built elsewhere on the South Side. Washington Park, anybody? Theres infinitely more room there. Its only a mile from the disputed Jackson Park site, which is too small for the center without far-reaching upset, road closings, scrapping of nature conservancies, and other encroachments.

 Ted Z. Manuel, Chicago
President Donald Trump attends a meeting on tax policy with business leaders in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 31, 2017. (REYNOLD/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock / REYNOLD/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

After news broke that his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and Manaforts longtime associate, Rick Gates, had been indicted, President Donald Trump responded by tweet with a familiar response: Investigate Hillary Clinton.

Sorry, he tweeted after Mondays 12-count federal indictment was unsealed, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????

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Translation: Manafort? Manafort? Do I know a Manafort? So when are you going to arrest Hillary Clinton and her fellow Democrats?

Blame Hillary first has been a standard White House response in the days leading up to the first Russiagate indictment. If any collusion took place it was with the Clintons," said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in response to the charges.

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Trump has insisted that the Clinton Foundation received "pay-for-play" donations from Russians in order for then-Secretary of State Clinton to sell a uranium mining company to a Russian one and gave Russia 20 percent of American uranium.

But even though the Clinton Foundation received huge donations and Bill Clinton received questionably huge speaking fees from leaders involved in the deal, The Washington Post Fact Checker and the fact-checking website Snopes.com found no evidence that Hillary Clinton was involved personally in the deal, which may not even have risen to the level of her office.

But as we have seen repeatedly, Trump and his allies are not about to let anything as trivial as facts get in the way of a good slam at their favorite targets, particularly Hillary Clinton.

Devin Nunes, a California Republican and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, plans to look into Clinton's role in a 2010 uranium deal that became a favorite attack line by candidate Trump. Fine. I would not stand in the way of officeholders accountability to public scrutiny. But that doesnt excuse Team Trump from similar scrutiny.

Yet three minutes after that Crooked Hillary tweet, Trump added this: Also, there is NO COLLUSION!

Well, not so fast. Even as Trump tapped out that presidential tweet, newer news broke: The FBI has evidence of  Surprise! Surprise!  collusion.

Foreign policy aide George Papadopoulos secretly pleaded guilty three weeks earlier, it turns out, to charges that he lied to FBI agents about meetings he had with Kremlin-connected Russians during last years presidential campaign who claimed to have dirt about Clintons campaign.

News of the plea came as Manafort and Gates were charged with conspiracy to launder money, making false statements and other charges related to their work advising a political party in Ukraine that was friendly to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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Press secretary Sanders tried to dismiss Papadopoulos as a volunteer. That sounds like his job was no more important than answering phones. But he had enough clout to be one of five people Trump listed and praised as foreign policy advisers during a Washington Post editorial board meeting last year.

His dirt-chasing contacts sound very much like the invitation Donald Trump Jr. received to another meeting with Russians to which Junior famously replied, If its what you say I love it ...

Papadopoulos, according to court filings, was told by an unidentified professor  since identified as Joseph Mifsud of Scotlands University of Stirling  with Kremlin contacts that Russians had dirt on Clinton, including thousands of emails. This came a month after Clintons campaign chairman John Podestas emails were hacked in March.

Theres a lot more to this story, but you get the idea. Papadopoulos plea deal as a proactive cooperator, rebuts Trumps weak charges of fake news  especially if, as CNN legal commentator Jeffrey Toobin speculated, Papadopoulos has been wearing a wire.

As former FBI head James Comey said under different circumstances, Lordy, I hope there are tapes.

As special counsel Robert Muellers investigation moves closer into Trumps inner circle, Watergate-style questions arise, such as What did the president know and when did he know it? In Trumps case, the question of what he did not know is just as appropriate.

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However he may have handled his affairs in the private sector, he was poorly prepared for the extra accountability that public-sector jobs entail, especially in our governments highest office. In Trumps case I cant help but wonder not only about what he didnt know but also why he didnt seem to care  as long as he had someone else to blame.

Clarence Page, a member of the Tribune Editorial Board, blogs at www.chicagotribune.com/pagespage.

cpage@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @cptime
State Rep. Jeanne Ives, of Wheaton, speaks during a ceremony at the Pritzker Military Museum and Library, Wednesday, September 27, 2017, in the Loop. (Alyssa Pointer / Chicago Tribune)

Smart money, as well as Gov. Bruce Rauners money, says state Rep. Jeanne Ives of Wheaton wont stand a chance if she runs against Rauner in the Republican primary for Illinois governor in March.

Rauner has not only the advantage of incumbency but he also has nearly $67 million in his campaign war chest, about three thousand times the roughly $22,500 that Friends of Jeanne Ives has on hand, according to the Illinois Sunshine database.

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In normal times, an insurgent challenge from the ideological edge of the party where Ives resides would be nothing more than a bug on the windshield of Rauners Harley-Davidson.

But as I dont need to tell you, reader, these are not normal times.

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Nationwide, establishment Republican incumbents are either retiring or facing well-funded challenges from their right flanks. Voters everywhere are angry, but base Republican voters are particularly angry  furious and impatient that their party has had so few legislative successes despite its significant power advantage over Democrats.

Big-money folks who are funding these challenges  Steve Bannon, Charles Mercer, Charles and David Koch and so on  could well come to see Ives as a political soulmate and throw enough cash her way to at least blunt Rauners advantage and make a race of it.

After all, Bannon-backed Roy Moore just won a Republican U.S. Senate primary in Alabama despite being outspent 10-to-1 by incumbent Sen. Luther Strange. And in 2014, challenger Dave Brat, backed by grassroots conservatives, ousted House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a Virginia congressional primary in which he was outspent a reported 26-to-1.

Conservative organizations and big donors in Illinois, who have already sent some modest financial encouragement Ives way, could also get solidly behind her candidacy if she chooses to run.

Right now, officially, shes just exploring the idea. She named a running mate  former state Rep. Richard Morthland of Cordova  and started circulating nominating petitions as she attempts to determine if prominent members of her party whove been complaining about Rauner will put real money where their mouths are.

And their mouths have been going, particularly since late September when Rauner disappointed many supporters by signing a bill that expanded taxpayer support for abortion, a bill hed pledged earlier in the year to veto. That move came just a month after he signed a bill guaranteeing additional legal protections for immigrants who are in the country illegally.

Ive come to expect politicians to shade the truth, but whats clear today is that Rauners promises were just flat-out lies, said state House GOP Leader Peter Breen of Lombard. In the face of overwhelming evidence of Rauners inability to competently administer the Illinois government, inability to stand up to (Democratic House Speaker) Mike Madigan effectively and inability to keep his word and his commitments, I can no longer support him.

Bruce Rauner is a failed governor who lied to the people of Illinois, added Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills.

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Ives has emerged as their vessel.

Rauner has created a civil war in the Republican Party, she told Illinois Public Radios Brian Mackey in an interview this week. He absolutely violated every principle that is core to the Republican Party.

She went on to outline an economic agenda  spending cuts and reforms before tax increases  that sounded quite Raunerian.

Ives, 52, is a 1987 West Point graduate who went from a seat on the Wheaton City Council to the General Assembly in 2013.

She made her first real news splash shortly after taking office when she said in a radio interview that a homosexual partnership is "a completely disordered relationship.

Gays who seek to marry are "trying to weasel their way into acceptability so that they can then start to push their agenda down into the schools, because this gives them some sort of legitimacy," she said, adding that a child being raised by a gay couple is an object of desire.

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That kind of talk is highly discordant not just to progressives but to many mainstream and moderate voters in a state that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won by 16 percentage points in 2016. But its music to the ears of base conservative voters, the sort who now feel energized and betrayed and who will knock on doors and turn out to vote in the primary.

So no matter what smart money is saying, Im saying that were living in such abnormal political times that, if she gets the backing to run, Ives will be even money to topple Rauner next spring.

ericzorn@gmail.com

Twitter @EricZorn
Beatrice Middle School was put on lockdown during a reported robbery on Monday afternoon.

At about 2:30 p.m., the school's resource officer recommended the school be closed off to people entering and exiting for about 10 minutes as a way of keeping students and teachers safe, said Beatrice Public Schools superintendent Pat Nauroth.

"I think it was precautionary more than anything else," Nauroth said. "They did a great job, and I thought it turned out well."

This story is still breaking and more details will be posted as they become available.
Periods are undeniably one of the most dreaded parts of any month, but with November comes a good reason to get excited about the red tide for a change.

Thinx, the company that helped bring period-proof undies to the masses, is headed to Chicago for the first stop of its Fearless Bleeding Tour.

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A PMS (Period Management Service) truck will post up at a few spots around the city for fun and educational period-centric activities, plus youll have a chance to give back by donating unused panty liners, pads and tampons, which will benefit people with periods through the Chicago Period Project.

Check out the events below.

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Get personal

Tour the PMS truck and get advice on your personal flow during this 10-minute session with a period specialist. Appointments are available 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4 p.m.-6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2; Noon-7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3; and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4. Some appointment slots are already taken, so check the calendar and book your session here. Free.

Make a toast

Its not like we need an excuse to drink, but the worst crampy, headache-y days call for wine. Swing by the Happy Two Hours at Prairie Production (1314 W. Randolph St.) from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1 for specialty drinks, a yoni breathing sessionthe vagina needs oxygen too, right?and foods thatll hit the spot while youre PMS-ing. Free. RSVP: eventbrite.com

Sweat it out

Its tempting to retreat to the couch when your period is at its worst, but they say yoga is good for cramps. Work on your asanas at Mirepoix Wellness Studio (1414 N. Ashland Ave.) from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, and treat yourself afterward with some juice from Real Good Juice Co. $15, all proceeds go to the Chicago Period Project. Tickets: eventbrite.com

Inside of the PMS Truck. (Thinx / Handout)

Open truck

Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. >

If you cant schedule an appointment with a period specialist or make one of the events above, the truck will be open for visits at select times:

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6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1 at Prairie Production (1314 W. Randolph St.)

11 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2 at Real Good Juice Co. (1616 N. Damen Ave.)

4-8 p.m. Thursday at 124-126 N. Green St.

Noon-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3 at Big Star (1531 N. Damen Ave.)

11 a.m.-7 p.m. at Mirepoix Wellness Studio (1414 Ashland Ave.)

@SadeMichelle | smcarpenter@redeyechicago.com

[ Looking for more to do in Chicago? ]
The Arlington Heights Memorial Library's decision to cancel an immigration-rights event sparked a pro-immigration rally outside of the library in late September. (Brian O'Mahoney / Pioneer Press )

Trying to reel in recent controversies at the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, the library board president said Monday that despite "incorrect and inaccurate information," library officials are committed to embracing diversity and inclusion of all residents through their initiatives.

Addressing a standing-room-only crowd during the board's committee of the whole meeting Monday night, library board president Debbie Smart clarified the discussions that led to the cancellation of a program in late September meant to inform undocumented immigrants about their rights  a move that sparked a pro-immigration rally outside the library amid changes to library leadership.

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Some of the attendees who packed the library board meeting also expressed concerns about the issues surrounding the recent departures of both the library's executive and deputy directors.

Regarding the cancellation of the immigration program, Smart said a rumor started to spread within the community in the wake of the decision that library board members directed staff to cancel the immigration event.

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Denying the rumor, Smart said that library staff made the decision on their own to cancel the event in late September because of safety concerns, noting how board members amended its visions and values statement Oct. 17 to reiterate its mission of providing "free and equal access to all."

Library officials have said the program was canceled due to safety concerns after the library received threats, including some callers who said they were going to contact immigration enforcement agents.

But Smart and other board members declined to comment during the meeting on the specific issues surrounding the departures of two longtime administrators at the library, which under their management, received recognition as a five-star library in 2016 and 2017.

"First and foremost, we have to serve our community," Smart said of the board's administrative decisions. "Library trustees solely make decision in the best interest of the community."

A few residents and a former employee in attendance said they still support the library board, despite the recent turmoil, as well as interim executive director Mike Driskell, who was appointed after former executive director Jason Kuhl resigned suddenly in late September.

The library's second-in-command, deputy director Jeremy Andrykowski, who was fired last week, has said his abrupt termination, which was delivered by Driskell, arrived without cause or warning.

But some former and current library employees, including the library's school services coordinator, Julie Jurgens, reiterated their support of the board for pursuing a change of leadership, pointing to concerns over the title of a presentation that Kuhl and Andrykowski were preparing to deliver at an upcoming conference as reasons for the change.

"When I was hired in 2012, it was like I had found a four-leaf clover," Jurgens said. "But as time went on, programs were disassembled, and they were trying to do more with less."

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Jurgens said her concerns were magnified after she learned about a presentation titled, "Killing Youth Services" that Kuhl and Andrykowski were planning to deliver at a conference that worried some staff members about the prospect of future cuts.

Andrykowski, who was reached by phone late Monday night, said that while in hindsight, the title of the presentation, which, he said, was selected by Kuhl, was a poor choice, his former colleague was attempting to grab people's attention through humor.

"I think the intent was to get noticed with a tongue-in-check title, but the timing was poor," Andrykowski said.

The title prompted what Andrykowski described as a torrent of criticism directed toward he and Kuhl from private social media groups that included posts by outside librarians who, he said, appeared to have taken the title literally.

The backlash was so strong that officials with the Public Library Association, which is hosting the conference this coming March in Philadelphia, asked if the title could be changed, he said. They both agreed, re-naming the presentation "Redesigning Your Organization."

"It's totally ironic that a bunch of librarians were tweeting and posting comments on Facebook about the title, but not one person asked what we were actually doing, and there was no fact-checking," Andrykowski said.

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Arlington Heights library officials have said Kuhl and Andrykowski's presentation since has been canceled.

The intent behind the presentation, Andrykowski said, was to highlight different library efforts meant to strengthen youth services by avoiding duplication of efforts from other departments  a strategy that he and Kuhl spent years brainstorming.

Both he and Kuhl have supported an expansion of ESL services, enhanced "tween" programming, the creation of an experiential "maker space" and dozens of other initiatives, he said.

"The history of the library re-design was based on the fact that several areas of the library were in silos, and there were all of these small empires," Andrykowski said.

Kuhl has declined repeated requests for comment on his resignation and Andrykowski's firing.

Andrykowski also questioned the handling of his departure. Instead of the library's human resources department, Driskell, acting on behalf of board members, delivered the news that he was terminated, he said.

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While Kuhl is receiving six months of his salary and insurance as part of a severance package, Andrykowski said, officials did not offer him any extended salary or insurance benefits following his dismissal.

"I worked at the library 17 years, and I was never aware of anyone being terminated like that," he said. "Employees were always offered an extensive process in helping them be successful. Nobody was ever treated the way I was."

kcullotta@tribpub.com

Twitter @kcullotta
A developer wants to put 80 apartments into the historic Campana Building on the border of Batavia and Geneva. (Linda Girardi / The Beacon-News )

The Batavia City Council will take a final vote Monday on a plan to put apartments in the historic Campana Building.

Evergreen Real Estate Group has submitted a zoning application with Batavia to renovate the former Campana factory for a mixed use, mixed-income development with 80 market-rate and income-restricted apartments.

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The facility currently has business tenants in the original building and in the north addition.

The 131,000-square foot building on the border of Geneva and Batavia has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976 and received a local historic landmark designation in 2003.

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At an Oct. 9 Committee of the Whole meeting, aldermen voted 9-5 to recommend the proposal to the full City Council.

At its Oct. 16 meeting, the City Council voted 7-6 to postpone a vote to get more answers to some questions about the plan. Both aldermen and members of the public were encouraged to send their questions about the proposal to city staff.

Alderman Susan Stark Monday night said city staff took 80 hours poring through more 250 questions they received.

Aldermen Monday debated the merits of delaying the vote for several weeks. Ald. Alan Wolff said no members of the City Council submitted any questions they had about input from other agencies or the developer.

"I am a little bit frustrated that we are back in this position," Wolff said.

Ald. Martin Callahan defended the process, in part because he saw answers to his questions in those responses.

"I felt it was important that we work in partnership with the community to listen to what they are saying. If we are listening to what they are saying there should be questions that we ask on their behalf. I saw questions that I would have asked," Callahan said.

Wolff said other than one response on the development's underground storage tanks he had heard all of the other issues during the hours of public testimony before aldermen and members of the Batavia Plan Commission.

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"The rest of it has all been in front of us," Wolff said. "...We have added quite a few hours to this entire process."

Ald. Dan Chanzit said he, too, thought he would glean some information by delaying the City Council vote in October.

"I didn't learn anything. I did learn there are quite a few people who are practicing law without licenses," Chanzit said. "There are people who simply don't understand how local government works.

"It was a good idea to tap the breaks. No one will ever say we didn't listen. We definitely were listening. I somewhat regret asking (it be sent back to the Committee of the Whole). I don't feel any of our votes will change as a result of this," Chanzit said.

Ald. Elliot Meitzler said it was a "worthwhile exercise" that allowed the city to document responses to questions raised from the public.

"There are still a lot of questions about the general process, what has to happen not just by the city but by anybody," he said.

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Opponents have raised a variety of concerns over the past several months, from the suitability of a former factory being converted into residential units to the traffic it would generate at the Fabyan Parkway and Route 31 intersection.

Preservation advocates have praised the project, while others have endorsed the concept because it would fill a need for affordable housing in the area.

Public testimony was limited to 30 minutes at the Monday night meeting. Geneva resident Joe Kefer questioned the developer concerning funding approval for the project.

Evergreen development director David Block in a telephone conversation and email Tuesday said there was somewhat of a misunderstanding in what he conveyed.

He said the Illinois Housing Development Authority has approved the first stage of financing and they were still in discussion with the authority for the second stage of financing for the project.

"IHDA approved the first stage of financing in September 2016 for tax credits for the Campana (project). We sell the tax credits to a private investor to raise money for the project; the tax credits are worth approximately $13 million," he said. "We are still working with IHDA on the second stage of financing."

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City staff, in their response to the public's questions said "the ability of the developer to obtain financing for its proposed project has no bearing on the zoning amendment requested." Staff said as a condition of the project, the City Council is requiring the developer file with the city appropriate letters addressing financing prior to issuing a permit.

Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
Novice Henry Di Cristofano, left, and Brother Nicholas (Francisco) Medrano come from different cultures and are generations apart but have both joined the Benedictine religious order at Marion Abbey in Aurora. (Denise Crosby / Beacon-News )

They come from two different neighborhoods, two different cultures and are separated by two generations. Yet in their quest to "become closer to God," 21-year-old Francisco Medrano and 65-year-old Henry Di Cristofano both ended up at Marmion Abbey in Aurora.

For Medrano, who described himself as "an introvert, always observing, always analyzing," the decision to enter a Catholic religious order was made while he was a struggling student at East Aurora High School.

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Trying to survive what he called a dysfunctional home life and trying to make sense of a materialistic world that seemed to be ruled by too many vices, Medrano dropped out of school at 18 and still in his junior year, convinced "I didn't need a diploma to get to heaven."

No, but he needed one to pursue his dream.

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After seeking counsel from a local priest and a Rockford Diocesan counselor, both of whom told him he needed a high school diploma to get his foot in the door of any religious order, Medrano began working on his GED at Waubonsee Community College while also employed full time in a warehouse.

It was while struggling to pass the last two parts of the test when he paid a visit to Glenmary Home Missioners, where he felt a strong connection to the monks whom he met there and "the mysterious but spiritual life" they led. After his return, his mother got in touch with Marmion Abbey, which not only welcomed the young man with open arms but provided a tutor for him that helped him finally get that GED.

Medrano, soft-spoken and with a boyish face, entered the Benedictine monastery as a postulant in spring 2016. On Oct. 2, he took his temporary vows as a monk, changing his first name to Nicholas in honor of his home parish. In three years he will take his solemn vows to become a permanent brother.

For Di Cristofano, becoming a postulant Oct. 2 set him on a path he's dreamed of for four decades. At 25, the Chicago South Sider was writing catalog copy for Montgomery Ward when he went to his parents and told them he wanted to join a religious order. But his deeply Catholic mother, much to his surprise, was emphatically against it. And when his father informed him "I was too old" to pursue such a life, Di Cristofano said, "I got cold feet."

Instead, he earned a master's degree in music from Northwestern University and became a music director and professional organist, playing for three parishes in the Chicago Archdiocese, including his home church, St. Kevin.

While Di Cristofano was content working in this intimate spiritual setting, he never lost that desire to do more. Because he lived with his parents, however, this youngest of three children felt the need to honor their wishes while they were alive.

His father died at 88 but his mother lived until 104. Undeterred by the fact he officially was a senior citizen, soon after her death, Di Cristofano spent the last half of 2016 contacting religious orders about joining. And time after time he was rejected because of his age.

"Most don't want anyone after age 40," much less age 50 or 60. And he could understand why. "After putting all that effort" into training, he noted, "they want to get some mileage out of you."

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Finally, while on a visit to St. Bede Abbey in Peru, Ill., at the beginning of this year, Di Cristofano's prayers were answered. Although this abbey was not a good fit for him personally, it was while looking through a directory of religious groups on his nightstand during his stay there that he ran across information on Marmion Abbey.

"I made a phone call on Sunday," he said. "And on Monday I was here."

Both men were subjected to an extensive vetting process, said the Rev. Joel Rippinger, formation director of the abbey. That included detailed background checks as well as extensive psychological testing and interviews. In addition to their "lives being scrutinized," he added, they were rigorously questioned about "their motivations and living a celibate life."

While both told me, in separate questioning, their reason for pursuing this life was "to be closer to God," they are taking different paths to reach that goal. Unlike Medrano, who likely will go onto seminary in three years and become ordained as a priest, Di Cristofano plans to remain a brother after he takes his solemn vows. As an organist, he always liked "working behind the scenes" and plans to stay that way, he said.

Medrano, whose younger brother Kevin is a freshman seminarian hoping to follow in his footsteps, knows the power of being a strong role model, and not just for youth. Among his strengths, I was told, are his ability to communicate with all ages. "People tend to feel better after I talk to them," the soft-spoken Auroran said.

Brother Nicholas "is wise beyond his years," noted Di Cristofano, who is a year behind Medrano in the process and considers him "my mentor" despite the 40-plus-year age difference.

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While he avoids the spotlight when possible  getting him to pose for a few pictures was my biggest challenge that day  Di Cristofano hopes to be a presence in this community, with plans to wear his religious garb whenever he goes, even if it's for "a trip to Walgreens."

By doing so, he wants people to be reminded of the importance of God in our lives, perhaps even ask him to "say a prayer for them or a loved one."

What both men are doing, Rippinger reminded me, is what we should all be doing: Using our talents that God gave us  and then doing something totally different with our lives.

Certainly that's true of the personable and quick-witted Di Cristofano, whom hopes he won't have to answer to his mother "the next time I see her."

His age, Rippinger said, makes this 65-year-old novice the oldest to ever enter the Benedictine monastery.

"They call it a record," Di Cristofano said with a smile. "I call it a miracle."

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dcrosby@tribpub.com
Despite scoring well above the Illinois average on the 2017 PARCC assessments, local school officials in Arlington Heights, Barrington, Buffalo Grove and Lincolnshire cautioned that the strong results on the statewide exams are just one of the tools they use to measure their students' success.

Even though a majority of Arlington Heights School District 25 students either met or exceeded state standards in reading and math, Eric Olson, assistant superintendent of student learning, said district officials always have believed in analyzing many types of data to try and reflect accurately the abilities of students.

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Officials in neighboring school districts throughout the northwest suburbs said they use similar strategies to track student achievement, in part, because of continual changes to the PARCC assessment since it was introduced three years ago.

"Until we have reliable PARCC data that shows trends over time, we will continue to emphasize other assessments, such as the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessment," Olson said. "District 25 continues to perform well on this assessment, which has provided reliable trend data for over a decade."

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But in the latest PARCC data, which state officials released to the public Tuesday, some of the district's scores dipped slightly in a few areas in 2017.

While 67 percent of District 25 students either met or exceeded standards on the 2015-16 state reading assessment last year, only about 60 percent of students met or exceeded standards on the 2016-17 test.

But Olson said officials are not alarmed by the latest data from the state since the PARCC assessment has changed in each of the three years it has been given to students.

"School districts also utilize data best when they can look at trends over time and see consistent patterns from year to year," Olson said. "The PARCC assessment, in particular, has not yet allowed us to see consistent patterns due to the structure and delivery of the assessment over three years."

At Aptakisic-Tripp School District 102 in Buffalo Grove, officials said they are proud of their 2017 PARCC assessment results, in which most students either met or exceeded state standards.

But the assessments fail to consider the challenges facing students, especially those whose first language is not English, said Robert Hudson, assistant superintendent for learning and growth for District 102.

"While important, these results alone do not communicate the extent to which students have grown in these disciplines," Hudson said. "A test that is designed to be rigorous for native English speakers may not be reliable for students whose first language is not English. ... Roughly 70 percent of our households report a language other than English being spoken at home."

Officials at Barrington School District 220, where most students consistently meet or exceed standards on the annual PARCC assessment, also said they look at multiple measurements when tracking student achievement.

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"We administer the required (state) assessments and we review the results in the context of the overall assessment profile to paint a more vivid picture of student progress than the results of a single test," said Ben Ditkowsky, director of data, assessment and program evaluation for District 220.

Ditkowsky said District 220 uses assessments, such as FastBridge Learning and NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), to assess elementary students, and the College Board's suite of assessments, including the PSAT, SAT and AP exams, to gauge the progress of high school students.

David Schuler, superintendent for Arlington Heights-based Township High School District 214, said that while 2017 was "a transition year" for high schools that included student data from both the ACT and SAT exams, district officials were proud of their students' performance.

"Our teachers continue to deliver a high quality education and don't focus on teaching to the test," Schuler said.

As the founder of the national initiative, "Redefining Ready," which uses multiple metrics to assess student's college readiness rather than relying only on ACT and SAT test scores, Schuler said he was excited to see the state include additional data in its 2017 report, which includes information on AP performance, attendance, and participation in career and technical education programs.

"I applaud (Illinois State Superintendent Tony Smith), who has really been willing to listen and shares the belief that kids are more than a test score," Schuler said.

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Jim Conrey, a spokesman for Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, said the shift from the ACT to the SAT this past year was "not a big deal" for students, who typically perform well, with about a quarter of its students already taking the SAT each year  even before it became a statewide assessment.

But like other districts, Conrey said, Stevenson staff have worked to incorporate the differences between the tests into the actual classroom.

For example, Conrey said, the ACT has more of a focus on assessing students' knowledge, while the SAT requires students to do more deductive thinking.

"What the state is trying to do  and we're on board with it  is make sure kids know how to think, not just how to answer questions on a test," Conrey said.

Lake County News-Sun reporter Emily Coleman contributed to this report.

kcullotta@tribpub.com

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Oak Lawn restaurant Fry the Coop's Nashville hot chicken sandwich is served on a brioche bun with sweet and spicy pickles, coleslaw and special sauce. - Original Credit: Courtesy of Joe Fontana (Joe Fontana/HANDOUT )

The last 18 months have been an exercise in patience and persistence for Joe Fontana.

The Villa Park native, who grew up cooking meatballs with his Italian grandmother and later ran a pop-up meatball stand at a California beach, will open his first brick-and-mortar eatery on 95th Street in Oak Lawn this week.

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The plan had been to make Oak Lawn the capital of his Meatball Republic, a meatball-themed restaurant so named because it would "sling food of the people for the people." Fontana even told village trustees last year that he hoped one day the meatball would become Oak Lawn's official food.

But meatballs won't be on the menu at Fontana's new restaurant, which opens for dinner on Wednesday.

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Instead, Fry the Coop  whose punny name was coined by Fontana's wife  will serve a variety of fried chicken known as Nashville hot chicken, in which the chicken is slathered in a spicy sauce for a fiery finish.

"I never thought in a million years I'd open up a fried chicken joint," said Fontana, who quit his corporate job to pursue his lifelong dream of opening a restaurant. "But this is just how the cards kind of fell."

His initial plan to open a sit-down restaurant that served handmade meatballs and wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizzas was thwarted when the occupants of the original space he'd leased in Oak Lawn opted to stay put.

"We signed the lease for it thinking that they were going to move out," Fontana said. "They never moved out, so we just got put on hold, on hold, on hold, on hold, and then eventually we got to the point where we started looking at other locations."

For months he looked all over the Chicago area for a second-generation restaurant where he could establish his Meatball Republic but found no suitable options.

"There wasn't anything at the time in Oak Lawn, but then all of a sudden (in June) we found out the Brooster's was closed for business," he said.

He flew in from California, where he was living with his wife and young kids at the time, to check out the storefront at 5128 S. 95th St. as a potential location for the Meatball Republic.

"I walk in and I was just like, 'Oh my gosh,' like it's a great space," he said. "But it just wasn't right for the Meatball Republic."

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Fontana had a decision to make  would he eliminate the storefront from contention and continue his search for a Meatball Republic landing spot or would he get creative and come up with a new restaurant concept that could work in the space? He chose the latter, and Fry the Coop was born.

While fried chicken doesn't elicit in him the same sense of nostalgia as his grandmother's meatballs, he sees similarities.

"I think one thing that attracted me most to this whole thing was that  fried chicken is such an old-world grandma thing," he said. "Just like I grew up with my grandma making me meatballs, so many people grew up with their grandma cooking them fried chicken.

"When you hear somebody from the South talk about their grandma making them fried chicken, you just watch their face like light up."

It also helped that Nashville hot chicken had recently become a near-obsession of his after his introduction to the dish in southern California. Unable to find the sandwiches on any menus near his home in Temecula, Calif., he started making them himself.

"I was just cooking them at home all the time and then once I came (to the old Brooster's in Oak Lawn) and I realized this wasn't right for the Meatball Republic but all the other things were kind of lining up, I was like 'Oh my gosh, what if we do Nashville hot chicken here?'" Fontana said.

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As far as he's aware, Fry the Coop could be one of the first Nashville hot chicken joints in the Southland.

"I thought it was such a unique opportunity," said Fontana, who has since moved his family across the country and settled in Bridgeview. "There's nowhere (in the Chicagoland area) besides an hour drive up to Lincoln Park to get a Nashville hot sandwich. I can't find it on any menus down here, and it's just such an amazing product."

Fontana and his chef, Frank Morales, plan to keep the menu small  hot chicken and grilled chicken sandwiches, fried chicken breast/wing and thigh/leg quarters, chicken tenders, chicken and waffles, a chopped chicken salad and a handful of sides.

Customers will be able to choose the level of heat for their chicken  from country (no heat) to crazy, which is made using Carolina Reaper, certified as the world's hottest chili pepper by Guinness World Records in 2013.

"It's really us honing in on doing everything really, really well and being the best in our category," Fontana said of the sparse menu, which was inspired by West Coast burger chain In-N-Out Burger.

"We're going to be specialists in fried chicken. We're not going to have tacos for Tuesday."

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Fry the Coop also is working to obtain a liquor license  it hopes to have one by the end of the year  and plans to partner with local craft breweries to serve their drafts on tap once approved.

For the time being, the restaurant's interior looks much like its predecessor, but in time Fontana hopes to change that. The 38-seat counter-service spot, which had a soft opening on Friday, will open officially for dinner this week with hours of 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday to start.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

In about six weeks, Fry the Coop will begin serving lunch, and if all goes well, giant potato donuts and coffee in another six to eight months, Fontana said.

Within 10 years, he's hoping to have expanded to 15 Fry the Coop locations.

"I can't think of a neighborhood that Fry the Coop doesn't work in," he said. "You could put a Fry the Coop almost anywhere and I feel like it'd be a hit.

While Fontana's focus is squarely on assuring the success of Fry the Coop, he still sees a Meatball Republic in his future. He expects the Oak Lawn location he'd anticipated leasing for that venture to become available in 2019, if not sooner, and when it does, he'll be ready to move on it.

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"We will open a Meatball Republic," he said.

zkoeske@tribpub.com

Twitter @ZakKoeske
Swastikas spray painted on four traffic signs and one business sign in downtown Mokena were discovered by police Oct. 22, according to officials.

Police believe the vandalism involved one or more suspects and the incident remains under investigation, officials said.

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In a village-issued news release, Mayor Frank Fleischer said he did not want to give "undue attention" to such acts, but stated in a recent village board meeting that he and other village officials do not "condone or accept this type of behavior."

During that meeting, the mayor also thanked Public Works Director Lou Tiberi for his crew's quick response in removing and replacing the damaged traffic signs.

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The private business sign was additionally tagged with a satanic numeric reference, according to the village.

"I've never felt it appropriate to attribute undue attention to cowardly acts such as this that are generally performed for that very reason  to give the promulgator of the act his or her two seconds of fame," Fleischer said in his release.

slafferty@tribpub.com

Twitter @SusanLaff
Taking a ceramics class at the Deerfield Park Districts Jewett Park Community Center are, from left, Jeff Michel, Paige Kelley, Cheryl Fayne-DePersio, all of Deerfield, and instructor Richard Cohen of Evanston. (Steve Sadin / Pioneer Press)

Programs ranging from theater and painting to ceramics helped the Deerfield Park District earn recognition as Illinois' best for arts programs, according to Arts Alliance Illinois.

The park district won the 2017 Helen Doria Arts in the Park Award Oct. 13, according to Zachary Whittenburg, the organization's communications and engagement director.

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Arts Alliance Illinois does the judging for the Doria award, but it is given by the Illinois Association of Park Districts, according to Whittenburg.

The award goes to the park district that supports the arts and works with artists and arts organizations to improve the quality of life for the community's residents, according to Whittenburg.

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"They do an excellent job of placing art in nontraditional places and engaging with a variety of demographics, like old folks and young folks," Whittenburg said. "They get involved with other (village) participants to promote the arts. They use professional teachers, not volunteers."

Mari Krasney, a Deerfield resident who has taught art classes and run a summer art camp, said her goal goes beyond giving lessons.

"We build self-esteem for the kids," Krasney said. "That's the part I think is the best."

Mark Woolums, the park district's Jewett Park facilities program manager, said he and staff are always looking for more types of arts programs for the district's repertoire, which currently includes dance, music, painting, theater and ceramics for children through seniors.

Park district staff members talk among themselves to develop new and different ideas for art programs, according to Woolums. He said they also look at what neighbors are doing, and aren't afraid of trial and error.

Park District Executive Director Jeff Nehila said the award comes with a $2,500 grant, and it will be used to add to the arts programming.

Steve Sadin is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.
Standardized test scores from last school year show below-average results coming from District U46 students, according to data made public Tuesday.

Both the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and SAT scores were released this week as part of the update of the Illinois State Report Card, along with other K-12 datapoints. Both PARCC and SAT scores are of note this fall, as there is now three-year data on the fairly-new PARCC, while last school year marked the first time the SAT was a requirement for high school juniors.

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According to state data, just over 34.5 percent of students in grades 3 through 8 met or exceeded standards in PARCC exams. The percentage is a marginal improvement over the first two years, when 33 percent and 33.4 percent of students met proficiency in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

Meanwhile, 38.1 percent of high school juniors last school year were considered proficient in the SAT, according to state data. The SAT replaced the ACT in 2016-17, the latter having been a requirement for junior-year students for 15 years. The new change also meant high school juniors would no longer take the PARCC exam.

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In Elgin-area District U46, just over 28 percent of its third-through-eighth graders met or exceeded standards on the PARCC, according to state data. The individual school scores ranged from as low as under 7 percent of students meeting proficiency at Elgin's Garfield Elementary School, to as high as about 58 percent of students meeting standards at Bartlett's Sycamore Trails Elementary.

Three-year trends based on previous Illinois Report Card data show declining average proficiency rates, from 33 percent in 2014-15, to 29 percent in 2015-16.

District U46 spokeswoman Mary Fergus said PARCC scores are just another metric used to gauge student performance, but the least applicable to inform teaching and learning. She said U46 uses NWEA/MAP and U46-specific assessments to greater effect to inform teaching and learning and, importantly, measure growth.

According to the state data, just more than 30 percent of U46 juniors met or exceeded state standards with regards to the SAT; the average combined score for a U46 student was about 980.

According to the state's performance results, U46's average SAT scores ranged from 909 at Larkin High School to 1065 at Bartlett High.

In last week's letter to staff and the District U46 community, CEO Tony Sanders said while he believes in reducing testing for students, "PARCC is important. SAT is important. Graduation rate, dropout rate, attendance, and Advanced Placement participation and test scores are also important. But more important is a student finding joy and meaning in our schools and classrooms."

The average SAT score for a junior student in an Illinois public high school was 1016, according to state data.

At Algonquin-based District 300, the district's average proficiency rate on the PARCC is right on the state average, with 34.2 percent of students achieving proficiency. According to the state data, nearly 8 percent of students at Perry Elementary School in Carpentersville reached proficiency, but at Algonquin's Eastview Elementary, the proficiency rate exceeded 61 percent.

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District 300's three-year trend tracks from 39 percent in 2015, to 33 percent in 2016.

Among its three high schools, District 300 data showed over 42 percent of students met or exceeded standards in the SAT, with an average combined SAT score of 1028.

The average SAT scores for the three District 300 high schools were 971 at Dundee-Crown, 1040 at Hampshire, and 1085 at Jacobs.

School District 301's average proficiency rates for its students in grades 3 through 8 was well above the state average, at just under 58 percent meeting proficiency, according to state data. Its three-year data, meanwhile, trend upward, from 43 percent meeting or exceeding in 2015, to 53 percent in 2016.

In District 301's lone high school, Burlington Central, just more than 54 percent of juniors reached proficiency on the SAT, with an average score of 1092.

raguerrero@tribpub.com
Elgin police collect evidence inside the home of Gail Peck, 76, who has been missing since Oct. 27, 2017. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune) (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Angered after being told he was playing Jimi Hendrix music too loudly, an Elgin man allegedly killed his mother, dismembered her body and then disposed of the remains along Chicago's lakefront over two days in bags and newly purchased luggage, Cook County prosecutors said Tuesday.

Brian Peck, 55, was ordered held without bail after being charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of concealment of a homicidal death, authorities said. Cook County Judge Steven Goebel, at the Rolling Meadows courthouse, said Peck posed an extreme threat to the general public.

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Testing is still underway to determine if body parts found Saturday in a lagoon in Chicago's Lincoln Park are those of Gail Peck, 76, police said. But authorities said there is enough evidence to charge Brian Peck, who lived with his mother in a home in the 700 block of Littleton Trail in Elgin.

Brian Peck has been charged in the slaying of his mother, Gail Peck, of Elgin. (Elgin Police Department)

Assistant Cook County State's Attorney Maria McCarthy said the Cook County medical examiner's office determined that the body parts were consistent with those of a 76-year-old woman. An autopsy also showed a scar on the victim's back consistent with spinal fusion surgery Gail Peck had received in the past, she said.

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According to authorities, the body parts found in duffel bags by a fisherman and divers at a Lincoln Park lagoon included only a torso and parts of two legs. Brian Peck told authorities he also disposed part of the body at Montrose Harbor, where police were investigating on Tuesday.

DuPage County court records show that last year, Brian Peck pleaded guilty to domestic battery and received a jail sentence and probation after his mother told police her son threatened to kill her. The two at the time had shared a home in Oak Brook. That incident also was brought on in part by complaints about loud music, documents show. Gail Peck also had requested an order of protection but later lifted the request, records show.

Gail Peck initially was reported missing Friday afternoon. But police said they quickly began doubting Brian Peck's story that his mother had gone for a walk with her dog, Doris, and that the dog had come back in its own.

A search for the woman was conducted in far east Elgin but was scaled back about 9 p.m. that night. By Saturday morning, police said they no longer needed the public's help.

"Information received began to suggest that Gail Peck's disappearance may not have occurred as reported. As additional information was obtained, more investigative resources were devoted to the possibility of the case being criminal in nature," said Elgin Assistant Police Chief Bill Wolf.

During Tuesday's bond hearing, prosecutors described a gruesome series of events.

After police found a large blood stain and cleaning supplies in his mother's bedroom during a search Friday, Peck told officers his mother had fallen and cut her knee on a plate and knife she had dropped, McCarthy said.

Investigators also found blood stains on furniture, in bathrooms and on a steam carpet cleaner Peck had purchased Thursday, McCarthy said.

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When investigators later showed him surveillance photos of his purchases of suitcases, a duffel bag and bricks, plus photos of the recovered body parts, Peck changed his story, McCarthy said.

The 6-foot-1, 260-pound Peck told police that after the argument over the Jimi Hendrix music about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, he knocked his 5-foot-4, 140-pound mother down and stomped on her head and neck. Realizing she was dead, he put her in the bathroom of the guest bedroom and dismembered her, McCarthy said.

"He told police, 'I put her in the bathtub and hacked her up.' He severed her body parts with the hand saw that was found in the duffel bag that contained the severed legs," McCarthy said.

Peck put the severed parts in garbage bags and wanted to store them in a refrigerator in the basement but disabled the refrigerator when he tried to remove the shelves in it with a hatchet, McCarthy said.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 9 Chicago police officers search the Lake Michigan shoreline south of Foster Avenue, Oct. 31, 2017, as they continued to look for evidence of Gail Peck, of Elgin, who was murdered. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)

On Wednesday, Peck took the bags containing some of the body parts to Montrose Harbor and threw them in the lake, McCarthy said. On Thursday, he purchased a set of suitcases and a duffel bag, put other body parts in them and threw them into the water near Diversey Harbor, she said.

Peck, according to prosecutors, told the family cleaning lady not to come to the house on Wednesday to clean, prosecutors said.

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McCarthy said police were able to track some of Peck's movements through iPass records and store surveillance videos. Police also uncovered drive-up bank surveillance video showing him withdrawing $500 using his mother's debit card and car, she said.

On Friday, Peck transferred $4,000 from his mother's savings account to her checking account, McCarthy said. She said Peck was "living off" his mother and was not her major caregiver, as Peck's attorney stated.

Peck told the judge he had no money and needed a public defender. Prosecutors said Peck had had operated a financial business until two years ago. He was his mother's only child, McCarthy said.

Elgin police on Monday announced the possible connection between Gail Peck and the body parts found in Chicago.

Chicago police supplied personnel and equipment to Elgin detectives throughout the search.

After dive searches were called off near the lagoon during the weekend, a dive team on Tuesday was searching in an area near Chicago's Montrose Beach.

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In 2016, Brian Peck pleaded guilty to domestic battery after his mother told police he threatened to kill her, punched her in the face and attempted to choke her. He was sentenced to two years of probation, according to DuPage County Circuit Court records.

While he was in jail, his mother visited him and told him "that he crossed the line when he became violent with me and that he was no longer my son and that I never want contact with him again," according to DuPage Court documents.

He served 100 days in the DuPage County Jail, and was released with the no-contact order. He also received 24 months of probation.

Peck has six felony convictions, including aggravated battery, identity theft, computer fraud, possession of a stolen vehicle, and theft by deception, McCarthy said.

Janelle Walker is a freelance reporter for the Courier-News. George Houde is a freelance reporter for the Tribune. Chicago Tribune reporter Katherine Rosenberg-Douglas also contributed.
Latest to the vandals goes Teddy Roosevelt, whose bronze likeness astride a horse in front of New York's American Museum of Natural History recently received a splash of red paint upon its base.

"Now the statue is bleeding," proudly pronounced a group of protesters in claiming credit for the makeover. "We did not make it bleed. It is bloody at its very foundation."

One wonders whether these poseurs know anything at all about the man they've targeted. The 26th president gave us national parks, industrial regulation and environmental conservationism, among other things. He was also the author of over 40 books, some of which chronicle his expeditions and safaris that provided some of the basis for the natural history housed in the museum where he and his trusty steed keep vigil.

Also, he died almost 100 years ago (1919). When are these self-important moderns going to get over themselves?

The New York vandalism, which isn't directly connected to the recent flurry of protests against Confederate statues, is merely the most recent episode in a protest that gained traction in 2016 by the same groups that also want to change Columbus Day to Indigenous People's Day. What apparently triggered the freelance artists were two other figures -- an indigenous American and an African -- flanking Roosevelt's horse.

The jury is still out about what to do about the statue. Nothing would be a rational option, if a panel created by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio can handle some heat. Roosevelt may not be a civil rights icon like Rev. Martin Luther King, but he was hardly the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan, either. Indeed, in 1905, Roosevelt gave a speech at the New York Republican Party Club that paid tribute to Abraham Lincoln and addressed racial inequality, which Roosevelt said he aimed to change. That this radical social transformation didn't occur within his time or tenure doesn't affirm in itself that he was racist.

In the speech, he did abysmally refer to whites as a "forward race." But the focus of his address was to echo Lincoln in calling strongly for the raising of minorities' status, which Roosevelt correctly said would benefit the entire country.

And what about the two non-whites in the statue? Let's take a look.

First, both men are walking in a proud, dignified manner, suggesting a parade in which the Rough Rider is accompanied by individuals who were part of his life experience. Second, we have to ask, what was the context of the time? Without the historical backdrop, criticism -- of politics, art or literature -- is meaningless.

In 1901, when this Harvard-educated, wealthy, progressive, worldly Republican New Yorker became president, was he enslaving Indians and blacks? No. Was he hunting extensively in the American West and later in Africa? Yes. Quite a lot. Given this record, is it not possible that the other two figures represent his guides or scouts on his American West hunts and African safaris?

The statue, created as a historical representation of the man and erected to honor his contributions to our knowledge of natural history, may be offensive to a few, but by what imperative are their feelings to be considered superior to the broader citizenry's right to not see public property harmed, defaced or splattered with paint -- or some facsimile thereof?

Vandalism, contrary to the group's claim that they're performing "public art," is the artless tantrum of a childish, self-absorbed mind. Defeating a block of stone or bronze hardly requires courage or, obviously, intellect.

Why not come up with something, I don't know, classier?

Make an argument. Present facts. Bring passion but keep a cool head. One could argue, for example, that the protests against Confederate statues are substantively different from the objections to Roosevelt's monument. Given that most Civil War statues in the South were erected during the civil rights movement, inarguably, they memorialize not Southern courage but Jim Crow, a cowardly, despicable period of state-sponsored terrorism against blacks who had the audacity to insist upon equality under the law.

There. Put that on your plaque, if you care so much about history.

Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, who hated the idea of memorials to the war, would likely be happy for his statues to settle in a statuary hall. As for Roosevelt, one only wishes the swashbuckling warrior-president could dismount for a few minutes and teach his vandals some manners. I'm guessing, but I suspect his two companions would lend him a hand.
As we approach the holiday season, many Nebraskans are planning their travels. Increased fuel demand is a reminder of how important it is for our country to utilize every available energy source, as more choices for consumers typically lead to lower costs.

To broaden our countrys energy portfolio, I have long supported the development and increased availability of biofuels. Early in this Congress, I reintroduced my bill to provide retailers the option of selling E15 fuel year-round. Outdated regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently inhibit the sale of E15 during the summer months, which impedes the free market and limits consumers options at the pump.

There is no reason E15 should not receive the same regulatory relief extended to E10 decades ago. Retailers should have the prerogative to determine whether to offer this affordable alternative.

Reductions in Renewable Volume Obligation (RVO) numbers under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) have caused concern for the future of biofuels. Over the last few years, the EPA has proposed targets lower than the standards set by Congress. This discourages investment and growth in biofuel production, despite record harvests showing supply exists.

Members of the House and Senate recently wrote to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt asking him to strengthen volume standards in the final rule issued by the agency. I joined more than 20 members of the Congressional Biofuels Caucus in sending the House letter, and both Nebraska Senators were part of the Senate delegation expressing these concerns.

On Oct. 19, Administrator Pruitt responded to Congress with assurances the EPA will not pursue reductions in biofuel volumes and will reexamine the issue. This is good news for Nebraska agriculture, consumer choice, domestic energy production, and our economy.

As Administrator Pruitt stated in his response, My responsibility as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency is to faithfully administer the laws passed by the U.S. Congress. This Agency must and will respect those laws. What a refreshing departure from President Obamas EPA, which consistently disregarded congressional intent and concerns. President Trump has made clear his support for the RFS, and he is keeping his word on biofuels to Congress and rural America.

Representative Kristi Noem of South Dakota also introduced legislation earlier this year to extend the $1-per-gallon biodiesel tax credit for fuel produced in the United States. The bill, of which I am a cosponsor, is a needed approach to incentivize domestic biodiesel production. While we work on comprehensive tax reform in the Ways and Means Committee, this step can help to keep our country moving toward energy independence.

Biofuels represent a win-win-win for our economy. They give consumers more options, provide greater stability in the agriculture market, and help reduce our dependence on foreign oil. It is good to see the Trump administration encouraging greater biofuel production, especially with Nebraska as a leader in this area, and I will continue to advocate for responsible development of a wide array of domestic energy sources.
All votes in the CO-3 election won't be counted until the end of this week
 He Reo Wahine: Maori Womens Voices from the Nineteenth Century

by Lachy Paterson & Angela Wanhalla



Years of dedicated research and work have gone into producing this book, and it shows  the result is a literary taonga that adds much to understanding this nations past.

When the arts of reading and writing were introduced to Maori society they added to the strong oral tradition already present, and were taken up with enthusiasm.

It is an unfortunate aspect of colonial tradition that the histories, views and words of women were not as valued as those of men, and were largely overlooked and ignored when archives were being compiled. This is true for women overall, and how much more so in the case of Maori women.

After extensive work, the authors have helped to redress this imbalance. By examining more than 500 texts they have put together this collection, which records examples of the thoughts and experiences of Maori women between 1830 and 1900.

As He Reo Wahine shows, they wrote letters to all sorts of people, institutions such as government departments, and newspapers; they gave testimony in court, and made petitions  whether written or oral, in Maori or English. What is recorded in this resource is in their own words.

The Governor of the day received a good number of direct messages 

Kei mea mai koe he Tane nana tenei Pukapuka. Kahore [h]e wahine au nama [sic]

Do not think that this letter is from a man. No, I am a woman

Written requests and petitions, or oral testimonies made to government departments, boards and courts, gave womens experiences and feelings on a variety of relevant subjects  such as land, war, legal matters.

All my interests in the land of the Ngaitahu have been seized by the Government without the payment to me of even the smallest sum of money

One of the children, a little girl, ran out of my house, and the rifles were pointed at her, and fired at her, but she was not hit.

I know the prisoner. I saw him on that Saturday. I never saw him before.

Similarly, Maori women wrote letters to newspapers giving their views 

We, your female friends, strongly object to the Dog Tax, that it should not be authorised in our districts and in our Maori villages.

But others were more personal, addressed to friends and family 

I want to protect my children; I brought them into the world and I must provide for them.I have sent my eldest daughter to Melbourne to be educated.

Each of the eight chapters includes explanations to put the voices into context. These, with a comprehensive introduction and an epilogue, provide good commentary on the history of the New Zealand colonial period. The 372 pages of the volume also include a glossary, notes, bibliography, and index.

In giving us this work Lachy Paterson and Angela Wanhalla, associate professors at the University of Otago, have made a major contribution to a fuller and more complete account of this countrys history.

Flaxflower Review by Bronwyn Elsmore

Title: He Reo Wahine: Maori Womens Voices from the Nineteenth Century

Authors: Lachy Paterson & Angela Wanhalla

Publisher: Auckland University Press

ISBN: 978 1 86940 865 7

RRP: $65

Available: Bookshops
Chinese ride-sharing giant Didi Chuxing and Japanese taxi provider Daiichi Koutsu Sangyo Co Ltd are planning to launch application-based ride-hailing services in Tokyo, to better serve the growing number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan.

A passenger uses car-hailing app in Shanghai. [File photo/Xinhua]

Nikkei Asian Review reported on Monday that the service is expected to be introduced in Tokyo as early as next spring. According to the report, the two companies are currently in talks on fares, operating procedures and other details, and Daiichi Koutsu aims to attract more Chinese visitors.

The Beijing-based ride-hailing firm plans to cover 500 of the roughly 8,700 taxies owned by Daiichi Koutsu across Japan, and the number is set to increase to a few thousands later. Didi will expand the services to target more areas in Japan through collaboration with other local taxi providers.

"As an open platform, we are exploring broad collaborative opportunities in Japan. But we do not have a timetable yet," Didi said on Monday.

According to official data, the revenue of Japanese traditional taxi industry reached more than 1.5 trillion Japanese yen ($13 billion) in the 2014 fiscal year. During the past two decades, the number of taxi users in Japan dropped 45 percent.

The declining fortunes of the traditional taxi industry has proved to be a challenge for new entrants like US-based Uber Technologies Inc, as it struggles to develop its model in Japan. Didi's move is expected to make it even more difficult for Uber to develop its local business.

A report released by China's online travel giant Ctrip.com said Chinese tourists made more than 6 million trips to Japan last year, with total spending exceeding 100 billion yuan ($15 billion). According to the report, Japan ranked third among the top 10 destinations for Chinese tourists, behind Thailand and South Korea.

To grasp opportunities brought by the tourist surge, Didi and Daiichi Koutsu will target regions favored by Chinese visitors, such as Tokyo, Osaka, Kyushu, Hokkaido and Okinawa, Bloomberg said.

The services introduced by Didi and Daiichi Koutsu will only allow customers to take rides via taxi cabs rather than private vehicles, as the local regulations prohibit unlicensed private vehicles from engaging in paid transportation.

Didi has expanded its overseas businesses to more than 1,000 cities across North America, South America, Southeast Asia and South Asia, with investments in ride-hailing platforms such as India's Ola, Estonia-based Taxify with operations in Europe and Africa, Careem based in Middle East, Southeast Asia's Grab, Uber and Uber's US rival Lyft.

"As Didi Chuxing has already taken the leading position in China's ride-hailing market, now it aims to go global and seek continuous growth in the oversea markets," said Zhang Xu, an ride-hailing expert.
You are here: Home

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said Monday that it has started an anti-dumping investigation into ethanolamine imported from the United States, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

The ministry received a joint application demanding an inquiry from six domestic producers, who accused foreign manufacturers of dumping the products on the Chinese market, according to an official statement.

The combined ethanolamine output of six applicants accounted for more than half of the country's total during the 2014-2016 period.

The ministry will investigate whether foreign companies from the four countries have sold their products in China at an artificially low price.

The investigation should be concluded by Oct. 30 next year, but, in special circumstances, may be extended to April 30, 2019, according to the statement.

Ethanolamine is an organic chemical compound widely used in the production of emulsifiers, detergents, metal cleaners, and polishes.
You are here: Home

China's cyberspace authority on Monday issued two regulations to strengthen the management of online news services.

One of the regulations requires online news providers to provide more training and supervision of their staff.

The training on Marxist news theory should be strengthened, according to the document released by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC).

Cyberspace authorities will set up a management system for online news editors, which will include a blacklist.

The other document deals with a security evaluation mechanism on the use of new technology in online news services.

It requires service providers to conduct such evaluations before the introduction of new technology or applications in their platforms.

The CAC regulation also demands safeguard measures for information security.

Both documents will go into effect on Dec. 1.
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Kevin Downing (L), attorney for Paul Manafort, former campaign manager of U.S. President Donald Trump, speaks to the press after a hearing related to alleged Russian meddling in the U.S. 2016 presidential elections outside the Federal District Court in Washington D.C., the United States, on Oct. 30, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Three of U.S. President Donald Trump's former campaign aides were indicted on Monday, and two of them pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Paul Manafort, former campaign manager of Trump, pleaded on Monday not guilty to all charges filed in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe over the alleged Russia meddling in the U.S. 2016 presidential elections.

Manafort, together with his former business associate Rick Gates, appeared in the Federal District Court in Washington on Monday afternoon. Gates also pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.

The indictment of Manafort and Gates neither mentioned Trump nor election meddling. However, the 31-page indictment against the two men contains 12 counts, including conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy against the U.S., unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading statements surrounding the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), false statements and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts.

In another development, an early foreign policy adviser to Trump's presidential campaign, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty to lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about a contact with a professor with ties to Moscow, prosecutors said on Monday.

Papadopoulos admitted that he lied in a January interview with the FBI about his contacts with a Russian professor who has "substantial connections to Russian government officials," according to the New York Times report, quoting court documents.

Papadopoulos told the FBI at the time that the conversation took place before he joined Trump's presidential campaign. In fact, it happened days after he became Trump's adviser and the Russian professor took interest in him "because of his status with the (Trump) campaign," the court documents said.

After it became public that three of his former campaign aides were indicted, Trump claimed on Twitter Monday morning that there was "no collusion."

"Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????" Trump tweeted.

"Also, there is NO COLLUSION!" the president announced.

Manafort was indicted on charges that he funneled millions of dollars through overseas shell companies and used the money to buy luxury cars, real estate, antiques and expensive suits, according to the NYT report.

"Manafort used his hidden overseas wealth to enjoy a lavish lifestyle in the United States without paying taxes on that income," the indictment reads.

The authorities said Manafort laundered more than 18 million U.S. dollars, while Gates is accused of transferring more than three million dollars from offshore accounts. The two are also charged with making false statements.

"As part of the scheme, Manafort and Gates repeatedly provided false information to financial bookkeepers, tax accountants and legal counsel, among others," the indictment read.

A federal grand jury on Friday filed first charges in Mueller's investigation, which Trump has repeatedly called "a witch hunt."

Trump has vigorously denied allegations of collusion between his campaign and Moscow during the elections. The Russian government has also repeatedly dismissed seeking to influence the U.S. elections.

Mueller, the retired FBI director, was appointed in May as Special Counsel in charge of the Russia probe. His prosecutors have been presenting evidence before a federal grand jury in Washington.
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Spanish State Prosecutor Jose Manuel Maza on Monday announced that former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and the members of his government who were responsible for last Friday's declaration of independence will be investigated for a series of crimes including rebellion, sedition and the misappropriation of public funds.

Puigdemont and his government were sacked on Friday by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy following the approval of Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, which suspended the autonomy of the Catalan region and handed control of key institutions to Madrid pending new elections on Dec. 21.

The former leader and his deputy Oriol Junqueras will be investigated by the Spanish High Court, while other former members of Puigdemont's government face action in the Spanish Supreme Court.

The prosecutor named a total of 20 people in his accusation, but didn't say whether any of them could be remanded in custody while the investigations proceed, limiting himself to commenting that any decision would be made during their court appearances and according to "the seriousness of the deeds" under investigation.

Former Catalan Economy Minister Santi Vila is among those under investigation, despite resigning from the government a day before the independence vote. Former speaker of the Catalan assembly, Carme Forcadell, is also being investigated.

According to Spanish law, the crime of rebellion is for those who rise "violently and publicly" in order to "repeal, suspend or modify the (Spanish) constitution partly or in full" or "declare the independence of part of national territory."

It carried a possible prison term of between 15 to 25 years and was last used in Spain against those involved in the attempted military coup in February 1981.

The crime of sedition carried a possible maximum prison term of 15 years.

Puigdemont is reported to be in Brussels on Monday.
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Iran's top military commander said Monday that Iran will quit the 2015 nuclear deal, if the United States reimposes sanctions against the Islamic republic, Tehran Times daily reported.

The international nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), should benefit Iran by the removal of western sanctions, said the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Baqeri.

However, if the sanctions return, it will make no sense to stay in the JCPOA, he added.

The JCPOA is a multilateral document which was achieved after months of diplomatic efforts and approved by the UN Security Council, Baqeri was quoted as saying.

As for the deal, Iran has accepted nuclear restrictions and another party has committed to the removal of sanctions, he said. If sanctions are reimposed under other pretexts, "Iran will definitely withdraw from the nuclear deal."

U.S. President Donald Trump said earlier this month that the United States could not formally certify Iran's compliance with the nuclear accord. Washington has also demanded inspections of Iran's military sites, which Tehran has rejected.

He has called the Iran nuclear deal, reached during the former U.S. president Barack Obama administration, "an embarrassment" for the United States and has called for renegotiations over some parts of it.
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Pakistani soldiers stand guard near the site where two Chinese nationals were kidnapped in the neighborhood of Jinnah town in southwest Pakistan's Quetta, May 24, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Pakistan on Monday confirmed the death of two Chinese nationals who were killed in southwestern Balochistan province days after they were kidnapped from Quetta, the provincial capital in May this year.

"The DNA reports have confirmed that the two persons killed in Balochistan in June 2017 were the same two Chinese nationals, who were kidnapped from Quetta in May 2017," Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a statement.

The statement said the government of Pakistan expresses its deep shock and grief on the brutal act of terrorism, and extends condolences to the government and people of China and sympathies to the families of the victims.

"The Government of Pakistan would continue to conduct thorough investigation and apprehend the perpetrators of this crime and to bring them to justice," the statement said.

It said Pakistan strongly condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestation.

"We are grateful to the Government of China for its strong support for our fight against the menace of terrorism," the Foreign Ministry said. It said Pakistan will continue to work with China and the international community to enhance counter terrorism cooperation as well as regional and global peace and security.

According to reports, the couple who were teaching Chinese in Pakistan were kidnapped in May by unknown gunmen in Quetta. The kidnappers, disguised as police, initially took away three Chinese nationals, two women and a man, but a passerby helped one of the women escape.

The Pakistani side provided China information in June that the two abductees were "probably dead."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying, speaking on the matter in June, has stressed that China opposes terrorism in any form, and that China will continue to support Pakistan's efforts to fight terrorism and safeguard national stability.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping (R), also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, meets with Hoang Binh Quan, special envoy of Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 30, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called for joint efforts to promote the sustained, healthy and stable development of relations between China and Vietnam.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting with Hoang Binh Quan, special envoy of Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee. Hoang is also head of the Commission for External Relations of the CPV Central Committee.

The new leadership of the CPC Central Committee will work with the CPV Central Committee leadership headed by Nguyen Phu Trong to deepen strategic communication, enhance political mutual trust, implement important consensus, and properly handle related issues in order to promote sustained, healthy and stable development of bilateral ties, Xi said.

He said the parties of China and Vietnam, both as ruling parties of socialist countries, should view China-Vietnam relations from a higher vantage point and a deeper level and firmly promote the building of a community of shared future.

Referring to the 19th CPC National Congress, Xi said he called on everyone in the Party to remain true to the original aspiration and keep the mission firmly in mind, and that also applies to the development of China-Vietnam relations.

For his part, Hoang Binh Quan said Vietnam looks forward to deeper understanding of the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the CPC and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Vietnam stands ready to work with China to promote the bilateral relations in the new era to a new high, he said. Hoang Binh Quan also carried messages from Nguyen Phu Trong to President Xi.

Nguyen Phu Trong said vietnam hails the great achievement made in the 19th CPC National Congress and believes the brotherly Chinese people can fulfill the grand goals set at the congress under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core.
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Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revoked passports of former premier Yingluck Shinawatra, said Deputy Police Commissioner General Pol. Gen. Srivara Ransibrahmanakul on Monday.

He confirmed that the foreign ministry has already revoked two diplomatic passports and two general passports of the former premier who failed to show up for a final court verdict and is known to have fled the country since August.

Yingluck is said to have slipped out of Thailand via neighbor Cambodia with the help of a few police officers, leaving the Supreme Court to deliver last month's judgment in her absentia, to the extent that she be otherwise sentenced to five years in prison for alleged duty-negligence and misconduct charges involving a rice subsidy program several years ago.

Pol. Gen. Srivara said the Interpol and Thai authorities abroad have not located Yingluck's whereabouts amid possibilities that she might seek political asylum in Britain.

The Thai authorities have not obtained any confirmed information which might probably involve her movement overseas for the time being, he said.

The deputy police chief has earlier confirmed that Yingluck had flown to Britain from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates where she had temporarily stayed after she had slipped out of Thailand two months ago.

Her elder brother, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, is known to have been taking self-exile in the Middle East city almost a decade ago.
Courtesy of Heritage AuctionsAn extremely rare stereo copy of the "butcher cover" version of The Beatles' 1966 album Yesterday and Today -- once owned by John Lennon -- is up for bid at a memorabilia auction taking place in Dallas on Saturday, November 11.

The LP is a prototype copy with a blank back that Lennon decorated with a personalized drawing for a Beatles bootleg collector named Dave Morrell. Lennon traded the album to Morrell in exchange for a reel-to-reel recording of the Fab Four bootleg Yellow Matter Custard.

Lennon signed the front of the album "To Dave from/ John Lennon/ Dec 7th 71," and Morrell later was able to get Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to autograph the cover as well.

Heritage Auctions, which is hosting the sale, has deemed the LP "the rarest Beatles record in the world." An initial bid of $100,000 already has been offered for the album, although Heritage expects it to sell for more than $200,000.

The LP will come with a number of letters of authentication, including one from respected Beatles expert Gary Hein, who says, "There is no Beatles album in the world that compares with this one, in my professional opinion, in terms of both Rarity and Value."

Among the other high-priced items going on the block at the November 11 sale in Dallas is a 1963 Martin acoustic guitar that Bob Dylan played at George Harrison's 1971 Concert for Bangladesh and on his own 1975-1976 Rolling Thunder Revue tour. The starting bid for the guitar is $300,000.

To find out more about the sale, visit HA.com.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
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To mark the Kashmir Black Day, an event was organized by the Embassy of Pakistan Beijing on Oct. 31, 2017.

Ambassador of Pakistan Masood Khalid addresses at Kashmir Black day.

The event was co-hosted by Pakistan Embassy College Beijing and was well attended by people from all walks of life. It started with recitation of Holy Quran, followed by the national anthem. Students participated enthusiastically while the College Principal apprised the audience about the Kashmir Issue.

Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Masood Khalid said that this event is dedicated to the revival of the painful memory of the Black Day when Indian forces illegally occupied Jammu & Kashmir. He observed that despite numerous resolutions passed by the United Nations Security Council, India never fulfilled its promise of holding a plebiscite in Kashmir.

Children participate in a tableau on Kashmir Black day.

Ambassador strongly reiterated Pakistans unflinching diplomatic, political and moral support to the just cause of the Kashmiri people. He exhorted the need to continue efforts in sensitizing the world community about the Kashmir issue and Indias flagrant violations of the human rights as well as UN Security Council resolutions.

The event ended with the signing of an Expression of Solidarity with the Kashmiri people by the Ambassador and participants.
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The Spanish Civil Guard on Tuesday raided at least six offices of the Catalan regional police force, the Mossos d'Esquadra, the Spanish media reported.

They were apparently looking for recordings made on Oct. 1, the day the Catalan independence referendum was held despite being declared illegal by the Spanish Constitutional Court.

One of the offices they searched was in Girona city, the control room for all police patrols and also where all police radio conversations are stored.

Josep Lluis Trapero, former chief of the Catalan police force, is being investigated for possible sedition after allegations that the Mossos didn't take any action during the referendum.

Trapero is also under investigation for an incident on Sept. 20, when the Civil Guard forces were unable to leave the offices of the Catalan Economy Ministry for hours after they detained Catalan Economy Secretary Josep Maria Jove due to thousands of people gathering at the site. The crowd also caused minor damage to Civil Guard vehicles parked outside.

The Catalan police force had argued that dispersing the crowd, that was mostly peaceful, would have caused more problems.
The improvement in relations between China and the Republic of Korea is good news not only for the two neighbors but also for the region, since it signals the two sides are taking a pragmatic approach to the larger picture of bilateral ties, which will have a significant bearing on both peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and the forging of regional cooperation.

After the ROK stated on Monday that it is not considering any additional deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system, and it will not participate in US defense networks or develop its security cooperation with Japan and the United States into a tripartite military alliance, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday that the two sides have agreed to bring their relations back onto the normal track as soon as possible.

It was the decision by the previous administration in the ROK to deploy the United States' THAAD anti-missile system in response to Pyongyang's repeated reckless moves that put the freeze on relations, since China views the deployment as a threat to its security.

However, China and the ROK maintained communication regarding the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue through diplomatic channels, and they have agreed to enhance their communication, including through military-to-military channels, in pursuit of their shared aim of achieving a peaceful resolution to the issue.

Since both countries are important stakeholders in peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, their restored rapport will help them better coordinate their stances in response to the deteriorating relations between the DPRK and the US that threaten to spark a military conflict.

And by showing their shared will to properly handle their differences over THAAD, the two neighbors can now revive their economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges, which have borne the brunt of the downturn in bilateral ties over past months.

This will also enable them to better fulfill their responsibilities and contribute more to regional integration by making concerted efforts.

As regional economic powerhouses, China and the ROK, along with Japan, have been long-time cooperative partners and participants in the regional integration process led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and they are being looked upon to play a bigger role in regional development by other countries in the region.

The thaw in China-ROK ties will hopefully be a shot in the arm to efforts to forge regional solidarity and cooperation at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders' Meeting in Da Nang, Vietnam, and the series of East Asia high-level meetings in Manila, the Philippines, next month.






[Photo/VCG]

State Council plans to advance manufacturing and innovation

China will accelerate the development of the internet working with advanced manufacturing to boost innovation and entrepreneurship and the integration of enterprises of various sizes to advance the upgrading of the economy.

The decision was made at a State Council executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Monday.

The integration of the internet and the real economy will be further expanded, and the development of the industrial internet accelerated through the Made in China 2025 strategy to transform the nation into a global industrial internet leader, according to the decision made at the meeting.

The industrial internet refers to a computerized interconnection of machinery, big data and the internet of things that analyzes data from machinery and adjusts its operation.

"Pushing the internet plus advanced manufacturing forward is an important measure to enable the transformation and upgrading of the real economy. China owes the fast development of its new growth engines to its abundant human resources and talents, vast market and the prudent yet accommodating government oversight" Li said.

The meeting decided that the construction and upgrading of internet infrastructure in industrial enterprises will be vigorously pursued to enable greater interconnectivity within enterprises and between production equipment and information systems in different areas, both upstream and downstream. The integration and sharing of manufacturing resources and data will be promoted, while a coordinated manufacturing system linking all industries and businesses will be developed.

The development and promotion of industrial cloud platforms will be boosted. Leading enterprises will be encouraged to develop cloud platforms. Small and medium-sized enterprises, or SMEs, will receive support in uploading their business systems to cloud platforms. A public platform that supports mass entrepreneurship and innovation will be established.

Technical support will be increased to develop a standard system of the industrial internet. The R&D and promotion of intelligent, connected equipment will be promoted in such key areas as industrial robots and large power equipment. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence will be more extensively applied.

"We should create a vibrant and enabling environment for the internet working with advanced manufacturing by further streamlining administration, enhancing compliance oversight and improving government services. This will enable the industrial internet to develop in a more open and integrated manner and put China at the forefront of the new round of the industrial revolution," Li said.

It was also decided at Monday's meeting to step up policy support for the industrial sector.

The government will allocate special funds to support the industrial internet push. Companies will be encouraged to scale up financial input through bonds and stock rights.

They will also be encouraged to build up cybersecurity, and the management, and technical systems for network and platform security will be built in key manufacturing sectors, including automobiles, electronics, energy, aviation and aerospace.

"We should give full play to the role of the market and businesses and provide policy support as necessary. The government will help capable enterprises to establish major industrial internet platforms for the development of the industrial intranet and internet. The government must step up the development of infrastructure to make internet services faster and cheaper for SMEs," Li said.

"Regulations regarding identification systems should be formulated to ensure security," he added.
A worker inspects an aluminum foil product at a plant in Longxi county, Gansu province. [Photo/Xinhua]

Officials, experts say stiff duties on aluminium foil imports from China are discriminatory

Government officials and trade experts from both China and the United States expressed their strong discontent with the US move last Friday to announce a preliminary decision against Chinese aluminium foil product exporters.

The US Commerce Department said that it would impose preliminary import duties ranging from 96.81 percent to 162.24 percent on China's aluminum foil, claiming that the products were being sold at unfairly low prices.

Experts and officials said the US neglected World Trade Organization rules, and its move was both unilateral and protectionist.

The US practice of walking away from global trade agreements, including the WTO, will increase uncertainty and harm global economic growth, said Charlene Barshefsky, a former US trade representative.

"The potential unilateral trade measures against China in steel and aluminum industries are extremely dangerous, especially for global stability and confidence, as well as for economic integration," she said at an international economic governance forum hosted by China's Ministry of Finance.

As the two largest countries bearing significant responsibility for the global economic system, China and the US need to build a win-win bilateral relationship, and protectionism is the enemy of both, said Barshefsky.

Regarding US President Donald Trump's upcoming visit to China, Barshefsky said the two sides may have some discussion on steel trade issues, and she hopes to see some progress on it.

Wang Hejun, head of the trade remedy and investigation bureau at the Ministry of Commerce, said the US decision on Chinese aluminum foil products is unfair as its trade authorities still adopt the surrogate country approach to bilateral trade relations.

The surrogate country measure was written into section 15 of the accession protocol formulated by the WTO and China in 2001.

The rule stated that if China could not prove the existence of market conditions in a certain industry, other countries investigating that industry could base their judgment on data from countries at a similar level of development.

However, this expired on Dec 11, 2016, and all WTO members should abandon this approach in anti-dumping probes and rules against Chinese products.

The US Aluminum Association filed anti-dumping and countervailing duty petitions in March to the US Department of Commerce and the US International Trade Commission against Chinese manufacturers.

The US government then launched anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations on imports of aluminum foil from China.

Wang said the US had neglected this fact and refused to comply with its global obligations by continuing to adopt the discriminatory surrogate country approach toward China.

"The Chinese government will adopt necessary measures to ensure the legal rights and interests of Chinese companies and reserve relevant rights under the WTO's dispute settlement mechanism," said Wang.

Ma Yu, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing, said many US manufacturing businesses not only accounted for the most profitable sectors but also a number of segments with the highest industrial value-added.

"Taking trade remedy measures has been a frequent recourse for the US to protect the interests of its companies that are backed by an affordable energy advantage and strong technologies," said Ma.
A technician checks an AT200, the world's largest transportation drone with a ton-level capacity, in Pucheng county, Shaanxi province. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese logistics firm SF Express has unveiled an ambitious development plan that hinges on full-scale drone deliveries including utilization of large unmanned freight aircraft.

The delivery company signed a strategic cooperation agreement on Monday with the developers of the AT200, the world's largest transportation drone with a metric ton-level capacity.

The homegrown aircraft is 11.84 meters long and 4.04 meters high, with a cargo space of 10 cubic meters, a carrying capacity of 1.5 tons and a flight range of more than 2,183 kilometers.

The plane, which is able to fly at 313 kilometers per hour for about eight hours, successfully performed the first flight on Oct 26 in Shaanxi province.

With the addition of the large drone, SF Express has completed its air transport network, which is composed of large manned transportation aircraft, large drones for branch routes and small drones for terminal deliveries. The company said such a network will help make 36-hour deliveries nationwide.

Besides the AT200, SF Express said it also tested an amphibious drone in July, which can carry up to 250 kilograms of cargo with a cruising speed of 170 kilometers.

Both the seaplane and the AT200 have no special conditions for taking off and landing and are suitable for working in complicated environments, especially in undeveloped and remote areas.

Wu Weiting, deputy general manager of SF Express, said at a meeting in Shenzhen on Friday that the company's strategy would be to utilize unmanned facilities for the transfer process, while maintaining personal services for delivery and collection of parcels.

Utilizing large drones is in line with SF Express' service product transformation. Wu said heavy cargo transportation services rose by 86 percent in the first nine months this year compared with the same period in 2016, and its contribution to net profit is also high.

Drones are increasingly being used for deliveries by international giants such as Amazon.com and DHL Express. However, their drones in service or those under development are mostly small in size.

SF Express has also developed a small-size fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle named Manta Ray by itself.

Zhao Xiaomin, a logistics market consultant in Shanghai, said the biggest barrier for the use of more unmanned transportation aircraft in China is the issue of license. The commercial operation of the large drone AT200 at this time is "revolutionary", he said.
China's quality-focused growth model and its further opening-up will benefit the global economy and international governance systems, officials said.

The emphasis on the quality of economic growth rather than quantity and stressing the environment protection issue in the report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China by General Secretary Xi Jinping two weeks ago has been remarkable, said Alfred Schipke, senior resident representative for the International Monetary Fund in China.

"There is no need of further policy stimulus in China, although it may stabilize growth in the short term," suggested the IMF official at a seminar on international economic governance reform, hosted by the International Economics and Finance Institute under the Ministry of Finance on Saturday.

Schipke expects China will continue to engage with other countries, in terms of a further opening-up reform, which is a positive signal to the world and it will also support a strengthening of the domestic economic growth. The multilateral systems, such as the IMF, will also benefit from the progressing globalization, he added.

China's Vice-Minister of Finance Shi Yaobin said at the seminar that China is and will always be the contributor and participant in international economic governance, "and this will never change".

He urged to continually push forward reforms of the international governance system through innovative methods. "The reform should better reflect the true economic development status of different member countries and serve a much more stabilized and improved global economy, which also requires to enhance the governance power and efficiency."

A much fairer and more open governance system should benefit a broader range of countries and prevent the rise of anti-globalization, according to the vice-minister.

"As China has contributed more than 30 percent of the global economic growth, what happens in China will have significant impact on the rest of the world. Its emphasis on the reform implementation will benefit the international governance mechanism as well as the average person in the country and China is very open to the potential challenges," said Schipke.

"It is pleasing to see that China has tightened financial sector regulations" and the government's crackdown on financial leveraging is efficient, considering the current moderate household and public sector debt levels, but with a relatively higher level of corporate debt.

The financial sector's opening, including the liberalization of capital account, is expected, which will bring in more competition from overseas to accelerate domestic development, he said.
The logo for LinkedIn Corporation is shown in Mountain View, California, US. [Photo/Agencies]

US networking site LinkedIn is looking to cater to the career advancement needs of individuals and corporate users in China and also form partnerships with mature ecosystems in the local market, a top executive said.

"We think about growth as accelerating the realization of our vision, which is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce, rather than just moving metrics," said Aatif Awan, vice-president for growth at LinkedIn, during a visit to China.

"We don't just think about signing professionals onto LinkedIn, but making sure we understand who they are, what their needs are and connecting them to other professionals and our products. That helps them get more value out of LinkedIn," he said.

China is now the biggest growth driver for the company with 530 million individual members worldwide, and about one of its six new sign-ups everyday comes from China, Awan said.

"Last month the number of users on the Chinese mainland reached 36 million, eight times of what was recorded when we first entered China in 2014," he said.

China is definitely a different market from the US, but career advancement is also a similar requirement for Chinese professionals, Awan said.

"We enable professionals to build meaningful relationships on our platform and stay informed about what is happening in their industry in a way that is unique to their network by seeing what people in the industry are reading and exchanging information."

"Professionals can find jobs through LinkedIn and learn new skills to be better in their jobs," he said.

There is also localization and partnerships with large ecosystems where Chinese workers spend a lot of their time to better satisfy users' needs and spur further growth, he said.

"After noticing how fast hiring happens here, we are testing WeChat integration to facilitate the process so that recruiters can reach candidates very quickly and have conversations about job opportunities," he said.

Recently, the company has teamed up with technology firm Huawei.

Users of Huawei's new Mate 10 smartphones can see LinkedIn profile data in their address book, and when they get a call from someone, instead of seeing the phone number, they can see the LinkedIn data of the person.

Awan said LinkedIn can contribute effectively in helping Chinese companies bring international talent back to the country.

"Our product is like a digital map of the global economy. You can see where top-class professionals are located, what key skills transactions are happening and which cities are becoming skills magnets. Companies can use that to plan in a strategic way of what talent to go after and where to find them," he said.
Equities slumped on Monday as investors cashed out to lock in gains from October's bullish market and a batch of listed companies delayed the release of their third quarter earnings reports, said experts.

The Shanghai Composite Index fell by as much as 1.7 percent on Monday morning and closed the day with a 0.77 percent decline to 3,390.34 points. The Shenzhen Component Index dropped by 1.15 percent, and the ChiNext startup index tumbled 2.12 percent.

Chinese liquor producer Kweichow Moutai Co Ltd dropped by 4.24 percent on Monday after shares rose to a record high last Friday. Shares of more than 30 listed companies fell by the 10 percent downside limit on Monday.

"The A-share market was very bullish in October, and investors felt the need to cash out and lock in gains," said Dong Dengxin, a finance professor at Wuhan University of Science and Technology.

The Shanghai Composite Index had on Friday increased by 1.26 percent compared with that on Oct 9, the first trading day of October. The Shenzhen Component Index rose 1.6 percent and the ChiNext startup index by 0.34 percent.

Dong said investors were sensitive about the Shanghai Composite Index breaching the 3,400 point mark, and many of them preferred to adopt a wait and see attitude.

Hong Hao, chief strategist at BOCOM International, said another negative factor for Monday's slump was that many listed companies delayed the release of their third quarter financial reports.

About 17 listed companies had delayed release of their third quarter financial reports by Oct 25, whereas the number during the same period last year was only five, data from information service provider Wind showed.

Wind data also showed that at least 596 listed companies will release their earnings statements on Oct 31, the last day allowed for the third quarter reports.

China's Hushen 300 index futures closed lower on Monday, with the contract for November 2017 down 0.68 percent to finish at 3,981.6 points. The December 2017 contract lost 0.69 percent to close at 3,976.6 points. The March 2018 contract was down 0.63 percent to finish at 3,980 points. The June 2018 contract went down 0.66 percent to finish at 3,975 points.

The stock-index contracts, agreements to buy or sell the Hushen 300 Index at a preset value on an agreed date, are designed to allow investors to bet on and profit from either gains or declines in the market.

Xinhua contributed to the story.
HELSINKI - As the number of Chinese passengers traveling to Finland increases, the Helsinki-Vantaa airport has been continuously updating services for Chinese tourists.

The airport has launched a series of services targeting the needs of Chinese passengers such as Chinese-speaking services and Chinese signboards and maps.

Spotted in the airport were two Chinese-speaking service desks in the Schengen area and non-Schengen area respectively. On the side of desk were three blue Chinese characters meaning "I help you", and on top of the desks were piles of Chinese brochures and fact sheets. At least one uniformed staff could be seen standing behind each of the desks, ready to offer help in Chinese.

Some shops have adopted remote translation software. In case a Finnish attendant has problem in communication with a Chinese customer, he or she can open a tablet and turn to the remote translation application.

All stores and restaurants at the airport accept Chinese UnionPay, and some shops have also launched Alipay, the leading third-party mobile and online payment platform in China.

Along the wall of the corridor leading to the waiting lounges Chinese artistic characters denoting "pure", "beautiful", "dream", "love" and "hero" are seen.

Katia Siberg, senior vice-president of Finnish airport operator Finavia, said the paintings were made by Pan Jianfeng, a Chinese designer who blended Chinese and Finnish elements.

At the newly built terminal, some water dispensers are marked with "hot water" in Chinese. Siberg said Europeans are used to drinking cold water, whereas many Chinese prefer hot water. Helsinki airport has installed some water dispensers with hot water supply specifically for the Chinese travelers.

Helsinki is situated on the shortest route from China to Europe, noted Siberg. "China is a very important market for us," she said.

Currently, the Finnish national carrier Finnair runs direct flights between Helsinki and six Chinese cities.
Guangzhou's GDP hits 989 billion yuan ($147 billion) in the first half year. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Gross domestic product (GDP) in the first three quarters in South China's Guangdong province reached 6.48 trillion yuan ($977.5 billion), up 7.6 percent year-on-year, while GDP in East China's Jiangsu province hit 6.26 trillion yuan, up 7.2 percent, reported China Business News Tuesday.

The GDP growth rate in Guangdong province was 0.3 percentage points higher than that in the same period last year. In addition, Guangdong's first three quarter GDP accounted for 10.6 percent of China's entire GDP, 0.1 percentage points higher than the percentage in the same period last year.

In the first nine months of this year, industry contributed 37.9 percent of the GDP growth in Guangdong, 1.6 percentage points higher than the same period last year and 0.5 percentage points higher than the first half of this year.

Guangdong province, especially the Pearl River Delta, has pioneered in industrial upgrading and this has showed a positive effect, said Xiao Yaofei, a professor with School of Economics & Trade, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.

He added that the smart level of equipment manufacturing and home appliance manufacturing along the west shore of Pearl River has improved a lot and the smartphone industry in Dongguan city, along the east shore of Pearl River, has been developing fast.

During the first three quarters, GDP in advanced and new technology industries in Jiangsu province reached 5.47 trillion yuan, up 14.5 percent year-on-year and accounting for 42 percent of the whole output of industrial companies above the designated level.

China achieved year-on-year GDP growth of 6.9 percent in the first three quarters, while industrial output grew at 6.7 percent, up from 6 percent a year ago.
PHNOM PENH - China's Belt and Road Initiative will greatly benefit the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), especially in infrastructure development, officials and academics said at a symposium.

The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road initiative, known as the Belt and Road Initiative, was proposed by China in 2013 with the aim of building a trade, investment, and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes.

Since ASEAN needs huge capital to realize its Master Plan on Connectivity, the Belt and Road Initiative, supported by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Silk Road Fund, will provide great benefits to ASEAN, Lawmaker Suos Yara, vice-chairman of the Cambodian National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Commission, said at a Belt and Road symposium in Phnom Penh Monday.

A recent report by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development showed that ASEAN would need infrastructure investment of $60 billion to $146 billion per annum up until 2025.

"China has been playing a very active role in building and upgrading physical infrastructure in the region through many initiatives, especially the Belt and Road Initiative," he said.

Mey Kalyan, senior advisor to the Supreme National Economic Council of Cambodia, said the initiative linked very well with the ASEAN Master Plan on Connectivity that would create vast opportunities for ASEAN and China to cooperate and serve as engines for future development and prosperity.

"Among the ASEAN member states, particularly Cambodia, construction and upgrading of infrastructure such as roads, ports and airports are a must," he said at the symposium that was attended by some 200 people, including Cambodian government officials, policy makers, academics and researchers.

"Improved infrastructure is essential for sustaining economic growth as it enhances logistical efficiency, reduces transaction costs and supports greater flow of trade and investment," he added.

Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Xiong Bo said China regarded ASEAN as a key region in advancing the Belt and Road cooperation.

"The connectivity cooperation between China and ASEAN countries including Cambodia is highly compatible with ASEAN Connectivity," he said. "China-ASEAN Belt and Road cooperation is enjoying broad prospects and huge potential."

For Cambodia in particular, Xiong said China and Cambodia shared similar development strategies and have huge potential in cooperation fields such as infrastructure, connectivity, trade and investment.

Song Guoyou, director of Economic Diplomacy Studies Center of Fudan University, said the Belt and Road Initiative would promote regional economic integration and deeper globalization.

"It will also contribute to upholding regional peace and stability," he said.

Neak Chandarith, director of the Cambodia 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Research Center at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, said the Belt and Road Initiative would provide new sources of capital for all participating countries, especially ASEAN nations, for infrastructure development.

"For Cambodia, it stands to benefit enormously from the Belt and Road Initiative, mainly in economic development, transports infrastructure, tourism and people-to-people connectivity," he said.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
BEIJING - China's dollar-denominated Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (QFII) program remained at $94.49 billion at the end of October, the forex regulator said Tuesday.

A total of 287 overseas institutions have received quotas under the QFII program to move money into the country's capital account, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange said.

As of Sept 30, the quota had stood at $94.49 billion.

The quota in the RMB Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (RQFII) program stood at 590.36 billion yuan ($88.91 billion) as of Oct 31, higher than the 589.46 billion yuan recorded by the end of September.

China's currency, the yuan, is convertible for trade purposes under the current account, while the capital account, which covers portfolio investment and borrowing, is still largely controlled by the State due to concerns over abrupt capital flows in and out of the country.

To gradually open the capital account, the government introduced the QFII and RQFII programs in 2003 and 2011 respectively.

The QFII plan represents the country's effort to allow licensed foreign investors to invest in its capital market. The RQFII program allows institutional investors with offshore renminbi deposits to invest in its onshore market.
Apple Senior Vice-President of Worldwide Marketing, Phil Schiller, introduces the iPhone X during a launch event in Cupertino, California, US, September 12, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

The impending arrival of Apple Inc's iPhone X is being greeted with growing enthusiasm among consumers in China, who are rushing to preorder the company's most expensive and advanced smartphone.

The positive user reaction came as a new report showed that the US tech giant's smartphone shipments to China grew by 40 percent in the third quarter, bringing an end to six consecutive quarters of decline in the country.

Apple's flagship store on Tmall, an e-commerce website of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, said sales of iPhone X on Friday afternoon exceeded the first-day sales of iPhone 7 series within 50 minutes of it becoming available for pre-ordering.

The popularity of the iPhone X, which will hit store shelves on Friday, is also evidenced in the prices being quoted by scalpers. Due to strong demand, some traders on Taobao, another online shopping website of Alibaba, are charging about 19,700 yuan ($2,962) for the iPhone X, which ought to retail for 9,688 yuan in China.

On Fenqile.com, an online platform where consumers can buy iPhone X by installments, about 14,600 consumers have pre-ordered the device as of Monday,

Apple said customer demand for iPhone X "is off the charts".

"We're working hard to get this revolutionary new product into the hands of every customer who wants one, as quickly as possible," the company said.

The phenomenal pre-order demand for the iPhone X also sent the shares of Chinese mainland smartphone component makers up on Monday, even though some of them are not directly related to Apple's business.

Shares of Hong Kong-listed Tongda Group, a consumer electronic casing maker, surged at one point by 6.22 percent to HK$2.22 (28 cents) on Monday.

Research company Canalys said in its latest report on Monday that Apple's decline in China has come to an end, as shipments grew 40 percent from 8 million in the third quarter of 2016 to around 11 million this quarter.

This makes it Apple's best performance in the world's largest smartphone market in the last eight quarters, when its growth has slowed considerably since the launch of the iPhone 6S.

Jia Mo, an analyst at Canalys, said: "The high sell-in caters to the pent-up demand of iPhone upgraders in the absence of the iPhone X. Price cuts on earlier models after announcing the iPhone 8 have also helped."

Zhu Wenqian contributed to the story.
Huang Kunming

Huang Kunming, the newly appointed head of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, said on Monday that efforts should be made to better study and report the spirit and meaning of the 19th CPC National Congress.

The understanding and reporting of the spirit of the congress should be the upmost political mission for the country's ideological and cultural front, Huang said at a department meeting in Beijing.

Studying, reporting and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era should be the focus, and these efforts should quickly spur a wave of enthusiasm throughout the nation, the Party and the public, he added.

The 19th CPC National Congress was held from Oct 18 to 24 in Beijing.

It introduced the new Thought into the Party's Constitution, outlined China's development path for the upcoming decades and elected a new CPC Central Committee.

On Wednesday, at the first plenary session of the new Central Committee, a new 25-member Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee was elected.

Huang, former executive deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, was elected as a member of the Political Bureau.

At Monday's meeting, he said that the achievements of the congress have great significance in motivating the Party, the country and its people to be more confident in China's path, guiding theories, political systems and culture. It will also have great importance in pushing China forward and creating a better future, he said.

Huang said that publicity work on the outcome of the congress should focus on understanding and mastering the spirit, and applying it to real life. It has to be comprehensive, accurate, rigorous, yet at the same time, vivid, positive and practical, he said.

The department will motivate various resources to help the public and Party members to accurately understand the spirit of the congress and its core ideas. More activities will be held to study and promote those ideas, both online and offline, to make sure they take root in people's hearts, Huang said.

On Monday, Huang also attended a meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the top legislature. The meeting stressed the importance of studying and applying the spirit of the Party congress and required legislatures nationwide to fully carry out their duties as granted by China's Constitution, according to a news release.

The Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference - the country's top political advisory body - the Central Military Commission and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection also held meetings on Monday to study and promote the spirit of the congress.

zhangzhihao@chinadaily.com.cn
Of the latest revisions to the Constitution of the Communist Party of China, the highlight was the inclusion of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in the amendment.

The amendment, approved at the 19th CPC National Congress on Oct 18 to 24, juxtaposes Xi's thought with Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development as the guiding ideology for the CPC.

The People's Publishing House has published the revised Constitution of the CPC, and it became available at Xinhua Bookstores across the country on Saturday.

Regarding the Party's achievements since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the inclusion of Xi's thought comes at the right time, an official from the secretariat of the 19th CPC National Congress told Xinhua.

Over the past five years, under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the CPC has led the Chinese people from all ethnic groups in a concerted effort to "carry out a great struggle, develop a great project, advance a great cause, and realize a great dream," ushering in a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

In this case, "the theoretical and practical significance of Xi's thought has become more evident," and it has wide acknowledgment and support from across the Party and the people, the official said.

Another key factor paving the way for the inclusion was the adherence to the strict governance of the Party, which helped the Party gain and consolidate "crushing momentum" in its fight against corruption, and significantly improved the political ecology within the Party, leading to the consolidation of the social basis of the Party's leadership.

So, the time and conditions were ripe for writing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era into the Party Constitution, the official said.

"General Secretary Xi Jinping showed the insight, judgment and strategic composure of a Marxist politician, theorist and strategist to have put forward a series of trailblazing concepts, thoughts and strategies.

"They all played a decisive part in creating the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era." the official said.

Apart from Xi's thought, a wide range of new ideas, thinking and strategies put forward by the CPC Central Committee with Xi at the core, have been added to the Constitution, including giving play to the decisive role of market forces in resource allocation, advancing supply-side structural reform and enhancing the country's cultural soft power.

Congress delegates also agreed to write the culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics into the Party Constitution, along with its path, theory and system.

In addition, the amendment included an assessment of the change in the "principal contradiction" facing Chinese society.

The CPC said the central contradiction facing Chinese society has evolved from "the ever-growing material and cultural needs of the people and backward social production" to "unbalanced and inadequate development and the people's ever-growing needs for a better life."

Xinhua
China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, a major space contractor, is considering the establishment of a satellite company to tap the space-based communications market, according to a project insider.

Tan Qianhong, Party chief of China Space Sanjiang Group, a CASIC subsidiary in Hubei province, said Sanjiang has submitted a plan on the proposed satellite firm to CASIC and is waiting for approval.

The new entity would focus mainly on the research, development and launch of small satellites that would operate in low orbit and provide narrowband communications service, Tan told China Daily in an exclusive interview. Tan spoke on the sidelines of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, to which he is a delegate.

"General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed that China's modernization drive will not succeed without the completion of informatization," he said. "Space-based infrastructure is a pillar of the information industry. The new company would be tasked with forming a satellite constellation to boost space-based communications."

Informatization is the development of an information-based economy.

The network would offer coverage to users at sea or in remote regions that have poor access to ground-based communications services, according to Tan. He said the proposed firm would have a team of satellite designers but would procure others' satellites if they have better cost-performance ratios.

Tan said Sanjiang also would continue to improve the capabilities of its Kuaizhou-series carrier rockets, a major product of the company, and use them to acquire more commercial space contracts.

In China, the commercial space industry generally includes development and production of spacecraft not sponsored by the government as well as non-State launch activities. While China has a long history of space exploration, commercial involvement in space is a new idea that is gaining popularity among State-owned space contractors and private enterprises in the wake of the country's rocketing demand for space-based services.

"We will strive to reduce our rockets' costs and to strengthen their capacities. We will also introduce private capital and partners in the rockets' production to optimize the outsourcing and marketing work," he said.

Sanjiang began to develop Kuaizhou-series solid-fuel rockets in 2009 in hopes of presenting a low-cost, quick-response rocket family to the commercial launch market. It has launched three of the rocketstwo Kuaizhou 1 models and one Kuaizhou 1A.

In 2018, Sanjiang plans to launch four Kuaizhou 1A rockets within one week. Each will lift a remote-sensing satellite into orbit for a client. The missions are expected to set a world record for launch frequency for a single model of carrier rocket, the company said.

A new-generation rocket, the Kuaizhou 11, is being tested and will make its first flight next year, sending six satellites into orbit, according to Sanjiang.

The Kuaizhou 11 will have a liftoff weight of 78 tons and will be capable of placing a payload of 1 metric ton into a sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 kilometers, or a 1.5-ton payload into a low-Earth orbit.
Inside of a dormitory for married students at Nankai University in Tianjin. [Photo/qq.com]

A flurry of online discussion ensued after the posting last week of a long-standing offer of special dormitories for married students at Nankai University in Tianjin.

The post was forwarded and commented on by netizens, most of whom supported the university. Some even thought the policy might encourage students to get married while in school.

The dorms for married students are only available to couples if both partners are registered for school.

Students need to provide their campus ID and marriage certificates to apply for the dorms, according to a message posted on the university's social media account on Thursday.

There are a total of 43 dorms for couples, divided between the university's two campuses, Balitai and Jinnan, said Sun Yue, a teacher in the Life Guide Center of the student affairs department.

Sun said the rooms, about 20 square meters each, are equipped with a double bed, wardrobe, a desk and shelf for two, a private bathroom and other basic furniture.

She said the annual fee for each room is 2,400 yuan ($360), and it's up to the couple to decide whether or not to rent an air conditioner.

"Five more couples have checked in for this semester, and currently there are eighteen married student couples living in the dorms," Sun said.

She added: "The dorms for couples have been available at NKU for about seven to eight years. There are not many who apply for it, so we do not have a separate dorm building for couples."

Sun said the university provides special dorms for couples as a courtesy, and will continue doing so as long as there is enough space.

"Some married students waste a lot of money renting an apartment off campus so they can live together," Sun said. "The dorms for couples can relieve the economic pressure and help them focus on their studies."

"Currently, all the couples who have applied for the dorms are master's degree or doctoral students. Getting married is an individual behavior, and the university will not interfere in their personal decisions," she added.

Fan Xueni, 27, a second-year master's degree student, observed: "In general, for master's students, four people share a dorm, and two doctoral students share a dorm with affordable prices."

Fan's boyfriend is studying in Beijing, and they must rent a hotel room anytime they meet in Tianjin.

"I think few students meet the conditions. I don't see many married students around me, let alone both attending the same university. Most of my friends are in long-distance relationships, or dating people at their university - not married," Fan said.

In September 2005, the Ministry of Education scrapped a rule saying that undergraduates' freedom to marry would no longer be restricted under China's Marriage Law and marriage registration regulations.

The new rule meant that undergraduate-age couples - men 22 and above; women 20 and above - could get married as they wished, like other Chinese citizens.

Cai Xiao, 26, now a doctoral candidate in cognitive neuroscience at Renmin University of China, was one of the later beneficiaries:

"I married my husband in 2014 when I was a senior in college," she said.

zhangyi1@chinadaily.com.cn
A Shanghai agency representing a 14-year-old Russian model said on Monday that she died from multiple organ failure caused by pyemia, a type of blood poisoning, rather than overwork during her two-month stay in China.

Vlada Dzuba's death at Shanghai Ruijin Hospital on Friday had nothing to do with exhaustion or overwork, as suggested by some reports, according to Shanghai Esee Model Management, one of China's largest modeling agencies.

"We feel deeply grieved that we lost an angel. But her death was caused by bacterial infection, and it was a very rare disease," said Zheng Yi, president of the agency, which has around 30 foreign models, of whom Dzuba was the youngest.

A medical report provided by the hospital said Dzuba had contracted pyemia, which had damaged multiple organs and resulted in liver dysfunction and kidney problems.

Zhai Xiaowen, director of hematology at Children's Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai, said the disease has nothing to do with overwork.

"It is caused by severe bacterial infection," she said.

Zheng said Dzuba had 16 photo shoots and fashion shows over 21 days during her time in China, which was planned for 60 days.

"She worked an average of six hours during those days. Her workload was similar to other models," he said.

Parisian Adrien Jacques, who has spent much of the last two years in Shanghai as a foreign model, said on average he takes on more than 10 assignments every three months and that the workload is moderate.

The agency said it signed a three-month contract with Dzuba's home company, Smirnoff Models, in St. Petersburg, Russia, for her to work in China. Foreign models typically get three-month work visas.

The agency said that Dzuba traveled to Shanghai's neighboring Yiwu, in Zhejiang province, on Monday last week to prepare for a photo shoot the next day. She began feeling sick and vomiting that night.

She returned to Shanghai on Wednesday and was accompanied to the hospital by two agency staff members.

She was transferred to intensive care on Thursday afternoon and was pronounced dead the next morning.

The agency said it had contacted the Russian consulate and her mother in Russia.

Dzuba's mother is being assisted in getting a passport, Zheng said. "Hopefully she will arrive later this week."

zhouwenting@chinadaily.com.cn
Three vending machines in Shanghai that make bowls of hot noodles in less than a minute will be taking a break until the operator gets all the necessary licenses.

City supervisors said the company has a valid food business license, but the equipment was deemed to be providing services "beyond the scope" of the license.

The machines use half-cooked noodles that remain frozen until a customer orders. Then the machines quickly defrost the noodles and add boiling water through the lid.

Because of the process, the vending machines technically produce "freshly made food", for which the company is not licensed.

The company, Ludou Food and Beverage Management Co in Shanghai, suspended trial operations of the machines on Friday. It is currently awaiting official approval from the Shanghai market management department and hopes to put the "self-cooking" machines back into action.

Other vending machines in Shanghai that dispense fresh orange juice, coconut juice and hairy crabs are popular. Following the trend, the noodle soup vending machines have attracted many customers, especially white-collar workers.

In just 45 seconds, the equipment can make a bowl of hot noodle soup of the customer's choice for about 10 yuan ($1.50).

The handmade noodles in mellow soup are blended with beef, pickled cabbage, needle mushrooms, lettuce and peppers, or with barbecued meat, vegetarian meat, mushrooms and bamboo.

Most customers who left online reviews praised the flavor.

"The noodles are much more delicious than instant noodles," Lydia Zheng, a white-collar worker, was quoted as saying in Shanghai Daily. "It's also really convenient."

Customers can pay through their phones after scanning a QR code on the screen. The machines also provide chopsticks and plastic carry bags.

According to the person in charge of the machines, 120 bowls of noodle soup were sold every day during the trial period.

caochen@chinadaily.com.cn
In the US science-fiction movie After Earth, protagonist Kitai Raige wears a magical suit. The suit, normally brown and scaly, turns beige when Kitai is cold. When he is bitten by a poisonous insect, the suit turns white.

Now, the once-fictional concept has come true. At the third International Conference on Nanoenergy and Nanosystems in Beijing, Wang Zhonglin, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduced one of its many inventions - an intelligent suit - that has functions similar to Kitai's.

Intelligent suits, fitted with large sensors made of woven material, can detect temperature, chemical balance, blood pressure and other indicators of a person's health status. By wireless transmission, those signals can be sent to a cellphone, computer or even to a doctor far away, so the wearer can be monitored anytime and anywhere, Wang said.

The conference, organized by the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, is one of the most influential in nanoscience and energy. More than 700 scientists from at least 30 countries attended the conference from Oct 21 to 23.

Wang also mentioned "nano tattoos" for drug injections. Stickers on the arm can be shaped into a tattoo-like pattern to deliver medicine into a subject's body. It's a private, painless injection method that could help people such as diabetics.

Also in the health sector: a self-charging pacemaker for the heart that doesn't need recharging or replacement.

Scientists have made prototypes of all the gadgets at the institute's technopark. They are expected to hit the market in two to three years, Wang said.

The secret behind these high-tech gadgets is an innovation called the triboelectric nanogenerator. It harvests mechanical energy during motion, such as the energy people produce when they walk, and transforms it into electrical signals.

This technology is also potentially transformative for the field of electronic devices. For example, page-flipping glasses that allow people to turn digital pages on a cellphone with a blink of an eye, have also become a reality. The trick is to fix a nanogenerator on the frame of the glasses to harvest the mechanical energy of facial expressions, and transform it into electricity to command the cellphone.

On a small scale, nanogenerators can be used to power portable devices. Nanogenerating shoes, suits, bicycles and carpets are a few of the new developments. They all gather the mechanical energy people produce when they walk, run or cycle to power lights, monitor body indicators or record the trajectory of movements while providing energy for themselves.

Ashutosh Tiwari, secretary-general of the International Association of Advanced Materials, spoke highly of China's contribution to nanoscience.

"China has surpassed the United States and ranks first in the field of nanoenergy. Thanks to the hard work of Chinese scientists around the world, it now produces 50 percent of academic publications every year. But how to synchronize it into applications, that's a question to think about," he said.

Xinhua
Students at a primary school in Handan, Hebei province, exchange views on their paintings made of leaves on Monday ahead of World Thrift Day, which falls on Oct 31.[Photo/China Daily]

Guidelines lay out average time to be spent broadening children's knowledge

Social activities will be further integrated into China's education system, under guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education.

The ministry released the guidelines on Monday, asking primary, middle and high schools nationwide to design social activities in a better way and make the activities part of the school curricula.

Under the guidelines, social activities should be interdisciplinary and closely connected with students' lives and personal development. Students should be allowed to do research on their own and gain firsthand knowledge and experience.

The ministry said the curriculum could be carried out in diverse forms, citing an example of a student engaged in both designing and making things - such as with animation, programming or pottery.

It also suggested vocational experience as a learning track, suggesting that by observing or working at different jobs, students would come to know their strengths and specific interests and therefore could better set their own goals and make plans for future careers.

Schools were encouraged to design their own programs but should follow some basic rules. For example, the curriculum should aim at nurturing students' abilities in analyzing and solving problems, raising awareness of social responsibility and fostering a spirit of innovation so that students could better adapt to life and meet challenges.

"When designing and carrying out such curricula, schools should pay enough attention to guiding students' knowledge of all subjects, and should not replace the curriculum with the activities of a single subject," the ministry said in the guidelines.

It added that the way such curricula are arranged is flexible, but first-and second-grade students in primary school must, on average, have at least one such lesson each week. Grades three to six and junior middle schools should arrange at least two such lessons per week.

Tian Huisheng, director of the National Institute of Education Sciences, said the education ministry first required schools to bring social activities into the school curricula in a document released in 2001. However, many schools across the country didn't realize the significance of these activities and treated them as a supplement to other subjects taught at school.

"The guidelines released on Monday identify social activities as an independent curriculum that is equally as important as other curricula at school and will be very helpful in improving students' sense of social responsibility and practical abilities," he said.

Cheng Shangrong, a researcher at the Academy of Educational Sciences in Jiangsu province, said the guidelines will play a key role in leading students to study in a practical and interdisciplinary way while nurturing an innovative spirit.

"But teachers might face many challenges in designing and carrying out the curriculum," he said, adding that sufficient support and training should be provided to teachers to ensure that they can do a good job.
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Ma Fuxiang checks an engine during a vehicle maintenance course at Yunnan Transport Technician College in Kunming, Yunnan province.[Photo by Hou Liqiang/China Daily]

Nearly 20 years after the sector entered a decline, skills-based learning is making a comeback.

The prospects for the nation's vocational schools, the traditional centers of technical education, are becoming brighter as a result of government calls for a renewal of the "Spirit of Craftsmanship" and the growing influence of the Made in China 2025 initiative.

However, although the number of enrollments is rising, vocational schools are still failing to attract quality students, and many young people only consider them as a last resort if they fail to gain a place at university.

Experts are concerned that prejudice against the schools will hinder attempts to establish teams of skilled workers to implement the initiative, which was introduced in 2015 to improve manufacturing innovation, strengthen the industrial base and promote breakthroughs in the high-tech sector.

Moreover, they say a lack of qualified teachers could exacerbate the situation.

The problem has its roots in reforms to technical education that started at the turn of the century when the government abolished a number of support policies.

Those advantages included free tuition for students, who were also given subsidies and were guaranteed jobs when they successfully completed their courses.

Traditionally, the schools specialized in subjects such as auto maintenance, welding and woodworking.

Now, however, they are now increasingly focused on advanced technologies, such as computer-aided design and the use of numerically controlled machine tools.

"Before 2000, we never had to worry about recruitment," said Yang Jingyuan, president of the Yunnan Transport Technician College in Kunming, Yunnan province.

In the aftermath of the reforms, the technical education sector began to wane and the bustling college, which covered 80 hectares, was almost deserted, Yang said.

The reforms saw technical schools lose most of the advantages they had enjoyed, meaning they either had to adapt to the new conditions - a total absence of government support - or die.

Yang recalled that as the number of students plummeted, every member of staff was mobilized as part of a recruitment drive.

However, their efforts failed and soon there were just 600 students on the campus rather than the full complement of 4,500.

"We had to go to high schools far and near to recruit students, but we were often given the cold shoulder," he said.

High school principals were contacted so frequently that a joke quickly began to do the rounds: "Special precautions should be taken against fire, thieves and technical school recruitment officers."
President Xi Jinping (R), also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, meets with Hoang Binh Quan, special envoy of Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, in Beijing, capital of China, Oct 30, 2017. Hoang is also head of the Commission for External Relations of the CPV Central Committee. [Photo/Xinhua]
BEIJING -- China will put in place a unified GDP calculation system in 2019 that will see the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) take over data collection responsibilities from local authorities.

Unified calculation will replace the current system in which national GDP and regional data are calculated separately by the NBS and regional offices.

NBS deputy head Li Xiaochao said on Monday that the discrepancy between national and regional GDP data may hinder accurate understanding of the regional economy and harm the government's statistical credibility.

According to Li, the government is working to unify accounting systems at national and regional levels, which will narrow the gap between national and regional GDP data.

The NBS will work with regional authorities and statistics agencies, to conduct research on methods of collecting and calculating regional GDP data, he said.

The government has promised zero tolerance for fabrication of economic data. Earlier this year, Northeast China's Liaoning province admitted that economic data had been falsified from 2011 to 2014.

Despite the many imperfections in statistical methodology, policymakers rely heavily on the key economic indicators to adjust macro-controls in the economy.

Official data showed China's economy strong resilience in the first three quarters with GDP expansion holding steady at 6.9 percent year on year.
He Haiqin holds a bouquet of yellow and white flowers in a classroom at Yancheng Teachers University, East China's Jiangsu province, Oct 27, 2017. [Photo by Fan Muxiaozi/chinadaily.com.cn]

On the day she retired, He Haiqin received a basket of flowers and thousands of greetings from students after she gave the last lesson.

He, 60, had worked as a teacher for 35 years at Yancheng Teachers University, East China's Jiangsu province. She is loved by the students and is usually called "Granny He" due to her kindness and humor.

On Friday afternoon, when she finished the last lesson, her husband Mao Xiufeng opened the door and presented her a bouquet of yellow and white flowers. He then helped her clean the table and the books before bidding farewell to the students. Later, the couple rode bicycles home together.

"My daughter kept asking me when I would give the last lesson," said He. "I never thought she would buy me the flowers on the Internet."

Mao was afraid that the courier might not be able to find the right classroom to deliver the flowers on time, so he met with the courier in advance and carried the flowers himself.

Sixty-two-year-old Mao and He were classmates in college. He taught writing in the same university.

Thousands of students sent their regards to the couple on the university's Weibo and Wechat, China's popular social media platforms. Some said that "the most romantic thing I can think of is growing old together with you" and "that is the kind of love I want to have after I have grey hair".


NANJING -- A super-sized DNA sequencing platform will be built in Nanjing, capital of East China's Jiangsu province, in order to create a genetic information database for ethnic Chinese, according to the provincial health authority.

The DNA project is part of the National Health & Medicine Big Data (Nanjing) Center, a six-billion yuan project under construction in Nanjing's Jiangbei New Area, said Lan Qing, deputy director of the provincial health and family planning commission.

During the first phase, health and medical information on about 80 million people, the equivalent of the population in Jiangsu, will be stored at the center, Lan said.

"When the facilities are ready, the designed capacity for DNA sequencing will be up to 400,000 to 500,000 samples per year," he said.

The DNA sequencing project will be jointly undertaken by the state-owned Yangzi Group, Southeast University and Nanjing Medical University.

Researchers will then use big data created in the database to study genetic mutations related to major diseases, look for the impact of interaction between genes and environmental concerns on human heath, and provide statistical support for diagnosis and treatment of major diseases, Lan said.

Cai Long, board director of Yangzi Group, said the program will focus on population genetics, newborns, childhood brain and cognitive development, cancer, and rare and chronic diseases.

The database is expected to be complete in around four years, he said.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and the other six members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee visit the site where the first CPC National Congress was held in 1921, on Oct 31, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

SHANGHAI -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and the other six members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Tuesday visited the site where the first CPC National Congress was held in 1921.

Xi, Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng arrived in Shanghai from Beijing by air Tuesday morning.

In July 1921, 12 delegates attended the first CPC National Congress, representing more than 50 CPC members nationwide.

On Oct 18, about 2,300 delegates attended the 19th CPC National Congress, representing more than 89 million CPC members.


Beijing police have detained 54 people on suspicion of registering hospital appointments and illegally selling them to genuine patients at highly inflated prices.

The arrests came after a two-month investigation at five hospitals across the capital, including Peking University Third Hospital, according to a police statement on Monday.

Scalpers  known locally as huangniu, or yellow bulls  have long been a problem for China's health system, as they often mean lengthy waiting times for patients unwilling to pay their exorbitant prices.

Depending on the experience of the doctor, the cost of booking a hospital appointment is usually under 100 yuan ($15). The scalpers caught in Beijing were selling appointments for as much as 2,000 yuan, according to the police.

"These scalpers came from six gangs," the police said, adding that they are also suspected to have abused online booking systems. "We took about two months to break the case, and we'll pay high attention to such scalpers and launch a campaign against them."

The statement added that 37 of the suspects had received administrative detention, an extrajudiciary punishment that can last up to 15 days, while the others are awaiting criminal prosecution.
BEIJING -- China's top legislature is considering amending the country's criminal law to include criminal penalties for disrespecting the national anthem.

A draft amendment was submitted for deliberation at the bi-monthly session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, which started Monday.

Violators may face punishments of up to three years imprisonment, according to the draft.

The National Anthem Law, passed at a NPC Standing Committee session in September, came into force this month to ensure appropriate use of the song.

Those who maliciously modify the lyrics, or play or sing the national anthem in a distorted or disrespectful way in public, can be detained for up to 15 days, and even be held criminally liable, according to the law.

"As the criminal law stipulates penalties for offences to national flag and national emblem, violations regarding national anthem should also be incorporated with the passing of the new law," Wang Chaoying, deputy head of the NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission, said in a report to the session Tuesday.

According to the draft amendment, punishments for national flag and national emblem offences in public will also apply to acts of public disrespect to the national anthem. Punishment ranges from removal of political rights and public surveillance to criminal detention and imprisonment of up to three years.

China's national anthem "March of the Volunteers" has lyrics by poet Tian Han and music by Nie Er.

The song encouraged Chinese soldiers and civilians during the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

It was chosen as the national anthem in 1949.
People who disrespect China's national anthem could face up to three years in prison if a draft amendment to the Criminal Law approved.

Besides a prison sentence, those found guilty could also be put under surveillance or deprived of their political rights, according to the draft, which was submitted on Tuesday to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the top legislature, for its first reading.

Under the National Anthem Law, which came into effect on Oct 1, those who mock the anthem in public, including distorting it or maliciously tampering with it, face up to 15 days in administrative detention or, in some cases, criminal punishment.

"Some members of the legislature thought it was necessary to clarify the criminal penalties in the Criminal Law when the National Anthem Law was being discussed a few months ago, to maintain the dignity of the anthem," said Wang Chaoying, deputy director of the NPC Standing Committee's Legislative Affairs Commission.

"The anthem is a symbol like the national flag and emblem," he said, adding that under Chinese law, those who insult the flag and emblem face criminal charges.

The NPC Standing Committee approved the National Anthem Law on Sept 1, to uphold the respect of the people for the anthem and to regulate their behavior while singing or playing the song.

It clarifies nine situations in which the national anthem should be played, including important sporting or diplomatic events, and it also stipulates that the song should not be used as a trademark, on advertisements, as background music in public places, or broadcast at private funerals.

China's national anthem, March of the Volunteers, was composed in 1935, with lyrics written by the poet Tian Han and music composed by Nie Er. The song encouraged Chinese soldiers and residents during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), and it was named as the national anthem in 1949.
A group of Chinese researchers discovered recently a certain rice gene can vary in nature that remarkably increases grain yield by 15 percent.

The findings were published on Nature Plants, an online journal of the Nature series, on Tuesday by a research team led by professor Xing Yongzhong of the College of Life Science and Technology in Huazhong Agricultural University.

Over half of the world's population relies on rice as its staple food. Increasing grain yield has been a life-long aspiration for many agricultural scientists.

Xing said the production of the rice has a close relation with the rice development genes, called frizzy panicle (FZP), which is one of the crucial development genes that cannot be changed but can be controlled in volume.

According to Xing, with a high volume of expression of FZP, the grain grows bigger but the number of grains decrease, while low volume of expression of FZP will lead smaller grain and higher number of grains.

The most effective way to increase the production of the rice is to increase the number of grain per ear though ear number and thousand seed weight are the other two factors to affect the rice production per acre.

"How to balance those factors to maximum the rice production is what we need to figure out next," said Xing.

Xing also said the genetic variation happens in nature that can be used in breed improvement among high-yield variety in China. Related improvement on rice has been under going already.
ZHENGZHOU -- About 20 swans have arrived at Sanmenxia Swan Lake Wetland Park in Sanmenxia city, Central China's Henan province, the park administrator said Tuesday.

Every year, the migratory swans come from Siberia to spend the winter.

"The swans were resting on the lake, finding food there. The park patrolmen have been looking after them," a park employee said.

"The first group of swans arrived earlier this year, possibly due to the cold front," said Zhang Mingyun, head of the Sanmenxia swan protection association. "More swans will come in the next two to three months."

The park has seen an increase in the number of swans during the annual migration season from November to March. Over 60 percent of all swans who winter in China choose the city, earning it the reputation as "the city of swans."

Sanmenxia wetland is fed by the Yellow River, which decades ago was dirty and polluted, with only a handful of swans braving the waters.

In 2011, Sanmenxia began work on the Yellow River Wetland Park, part of the wider Yellow River National Nature Reserve.
The new CPC central leadership will continue to work with the leaders of ruling parties in Vietnam and Laos to further promote bilateral ties, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said on Monday.

Xi made the remark as he met special envoys sent by Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and Bounnhang Vorachith, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.

The envoys were Hoang Binh Quan, head of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee's Commission for External Relations and Sounthone Xayachack, head of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee's Commission for External Relations.
BERLIN - At least five people died and several were injured Sunday as high winds knocked down trees, left homes without electricity and caused widespread travel chaos across much of Central Europe.

Authorities were meanwhile watching for oil leaks from a huge freighter that ran aground in the North Sea.

The Glory Amsterdam, a 225-meter long vessel, foundered on the German island of Langeoog. The ship's crew of 22 were safe, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported.

The freighter was not carrying any cargo, but had 1,800 tons of heavy oil and 140 tons of marine diesel on board as fuel, it quoted local authorities as saying.

Two people died in Poland as a result of the heavy winds, including a man who drove his car into a tree that had been knocked down by the storm, fire department spokesman Pawel Fratczak said. The second man was killed when a tree fell on his car in southwestern Poland, while his passenger was hospitalized, Polish media reported.

Two people were killed in the Czech Republic when they were hit by falling trees, local Television reported.

A 63-year-old camper drowned in the Jadebusen river in Lower Saxony in Germany, when he was swept away in a flash flood, the German news agency dpa reported. In Berlin, one man was severely injured by roof tiles falling from a building, another one was injured when hit by scaffolding torn off a home and four more were injured in storm-related incidents across the country.

Storm Herwart, whose wind gusts reached 180 kilometers, caused blackouts in hundreds of thousands of homes in the Czech Republic, Austria and other countries.

Train connections in several German northern states were shut down, including links to and from Berlin, because of the danger from branches on the tracks. Germany rail company Deutsche Bahn opened stationary trains to travelers left stranded by cancellations.

In the northern city of Hamburg, the Elbe river flooded a parking garage, the city's famous fish market and several streets.

AP - Reuters

(China Daily 10/31/2017 page12)
BANGKOK - Thailand officially ended a year of mourning for late King Bhumibol Adulyadej on Monday, marking a return to colors for some after a monotone year during which many wore black from head-to-toe out of respect for their revered monarch.

Hundreds of thousands of people thronged Bangkok's historic quarter to bid farewell last week to King Bhumibol, who died in October last year. His $90 million-dollar funeral, full of pomp and ancient ritual, took place over five days.

His remains were brought to their final resting place within Bangkok's Grand Palace on Sunday. Portraits of the bespectacled late king, who became a father figure for many during a seven-decade reign, were hung across Thailand.
A culture talk, Gu Zheng and Poem, was held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US, Oct 13, 2017. [Photo/Chinaculture.org]

Chinese guzheng (a Chinese plucked zither) performer Yuan Sha gave a talk and performance at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US on Oct 13.

Titled Gu Zheng and Poem, the talk was part of the Chinese Culture Talk series, supported by the Ministry of Culture of China.

Along with five other young artists, Yuan introduced the instrument's history, basic structure, different schools and performing skills during the lecture.

She also highlighted the relationship between Chinese poems and songs, as well as their historical backgrounds.

The six people performed a series of traditional Chinese classics with cellists from the school, including High Mountains and Running Water (Gao Shan Liu Shui) and The Whole River Red (Man Jiang Hong).

Officials from the Consulate General of China in New York and about 100 students attended the event.

Launched in 2015 by the Ministry of Culture, Chinese Culture Talk is a series of lectures on Chinese philosophy, religion, literature, cuisine, medicine and traditional culture-related subjects. It is sponsored by the Bureau for External Cultural Relations of the Chinese Ministry of Culture.

By the mid-October this year, 100 talks in 32 series had been held in more than 30 countries around the world.
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Paintings loaned from Belarus' national art museum, Issac Levitan's The Alps, on show in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The tranquil landscape of Belarus and the artists nurtured by this landlocked country are little known to most Chinese people.

But as this eastern European country strengthens its ties with China with the advancing of the Belt and Road Initiative, more Belarusian artworks have been introduced to Chinese audiences at several exhibitions held in Beijing this year.

An exhibition of 57 paintings from the collection of the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus is now being held at the National Art Museum of China.

The Beijing museum also staged another Belarusian art exhibition that concluded on Sunday. It showed sculptures and watercolors by Sergei Selikhanov (1917-76) inspired by a visit to China in 1956. They were shown in China for the first time, and they were juxtaposed with the works of Konstantin Selikhanov, 50, Sergei's grandson, who is a sculptor in Minsk.

In June, Tsinghua University Art Museum presented Nonlinear Reality, an exhibition of Belarusian lithographs, watercolors and drawings on loan from the country's National Center of Modern Arts.
Steve Luke, owner of Cloudburst Brewing in Seattle, Washington, works at his brewery. He will be among the beer makers to join the Beijing festival. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A new Beijing beer festival promises a three-hour, freeflow tasting of 32 different craft beers and eight collaborations between breweries in China and the Pacific Northwest, together with gourmet food and live music.

And this is just one of four sessions being held at the inaugural 8x8 Brewing Project's Beer Festival taking place in Beijing on Nov 3-4.

Eight up-and-coming Chinese breweries and eight top craft breweries from the US Pacific Northwest have paired up to brew eight collaboration beers specifically for the festival.

This is the first beer festival in China to focus on collaborative brewingwhere two breweries work together to make a co-branded beer that combines their brewing styles, favorite ingredients and expertiseaccording to Alex Acker, initiator of the project.

Acker is also the cofounder of Jing A, one of the most popular breweries in Beijing, which started in 2014. Acker is surprised by how quickly craft beer has taken off in China.

"When we first started our brewery, probably 80 percent of our customers were from the foreign community, and now that's flipped the other way," Acker says.

The 39-year-old from the United States has taken Jing A beers to several international beer festivals since opening, giving beer fans from the US and around Europe the chance to taste beers from Chinese craft breweries.

Absorbing the positive experiences from the beer festivals they joined, Acker and his team came up with the idea of throwing their own brand of beer festival.

"It's not a typical festival but more like a project, with all 16 breweries becoming more involved in a six-month brewing collaboration.

"Too often, it's just distributors or sales teams that attend festivals, but we've invited the owners and brewers to join themselves," Acker says. "So, there's every chance the guy who pours your beer may well be the brewer, and you will be able to talk with him about it."

Acker's goal with 8x8 is to build connections between craft beer communities in other countries and the vibrant craft brewing industry that's developing in China.

For the first event, Acker chose to team up with breweries from the Pacific Northwest, one of the birthplaces of the modern craft beer movement and the location of his home state of Oregon.

Half the breweries attending the festival from the US are in the top 50 rankings of US breweries. Among them, Breakside Brewery from Portland won two silver and two bronze medals at last year's World Beer Cup, and four bronze medals at the 2017 Great American Beer Festival Awards.

Besides collaborations, each brewery will also bring eight of their craft beers to the festival. "Most of the beers from Pacific Northwest are not available in China, and many of them will cost $30, or even $40 for a bottle," Acker says.

"For beer fans, it's not only an opportunity to try some of these amazing beers in China but also to show support for this creative collaboration between Chinese and Western brewers."
Meat Mate, a chain of modern butcher shops in Beijing, offers chilled Australian wagyu beef freshly delivered every day. You can also have it cooked in the store. [Photo provided to China Daily]

A cut of chilled Australian wagyu beef can take as little as 15 days to reach the refrigeration cabinets at Meat Mate, a chain of modern butcher shops in Beijing specializing in the delicacy.

Japanese wagyu is one of the world's finest meat products and is famous for its signature marbling, but it is not readily available on the Chinese market.

Australia received its first wagyu genetics in 1990 and has been successfully breeding the cattle ever since. Australian wagyu producers currently export up to 90 percent of their beef globally.

Meat Mate, which opened in Sanyuanqiao in October 2016, was the first outlet in the capital focusing on selling chilled Australian wagyu.

The group's newly-opened second store at the Indigo mall in Chaoyang sells every cut of Australian wagyu beef, other than organs and tongues.

Frozen beef is commonly found in Beijing restaurants and used in home cooking, but chilled beef is much more difficult to find.

Chilled wagyu beef is freshly cut and deboned from the cattle and stored at a temperature of between 0 C and 4 C within 24 hours, before being transported in refrigerated containers for export.

The low temperature helps to inhibit the growth of bacteria and gives the beef its tender taste.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, capital of Russia, July 3, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated President Xi Jinping on his re-election as the general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the success of the just-concluded 19th Party National Congress during a phone call on Thursday. He also hoped that Xi will lead the world's largest political party to achieve new goals.

Putin's congratulatory call came just five days before Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev pays a three-day visit to Beijing, during which he is expected to meet with President Xi Jinping. Medvedev will also hold a meeting with Premier Li Keqiangthe 22nd regular meeting between the Russian prime minister and Chinese premier.

Medvedev is among the first foreign leaders to visit China after the 19th Party Congress, which concluded on Oct 24. And his visit to China is evidence that Moscow holds its partnership with Beijing in high esteem.

The major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, China's diplomatic approach that was part of Xi's report to the 19th Party Congress, is expected to upgrade the already close China-Russia relationship, as bilateral coordination deepens over major global and regional affairs. The China-Russia "comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination", which Beijing values highly, will see more regularized meetings between Russian and Chinese leaders and is expected to play a much bigger role in the global arena.

The past 20 years or so have been arguably the best period for China-Russia relations. After the end of the Cold War and the disintegration of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, China and Russia managed to recalibrate their ties in just one decade by settling past disputes, regularizing leadership meetings and expanding cooperation channels.

The strengthening of China-Russia ties in the post-Cold War period means both countries are paying greater attention to each other's core interests and concerns, as well as their geopolitical strategic cooperation and economic exchanges, as part of their efforts to rise above the China-Soviet Union relationship, which was bogged down by Cold War mentality and geopolitical entanglements.

Sharing their respective pursuit of national rejuvenation and modernization, China and Russia now have more incentives to deepen their partnership and help optimize global governance, especially at a time when globalization is facing strong headwinds. The Beijing-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union could well serve that end.

At the heart of the major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics is China playing a bigger, more constructive role in global governance. The Belt and Road Initiative, in essence, is designed to facilitate the modernization and connectivity of the Eurasian landmass, including Russia. The initiative's integration with the EEU, according to Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, might increase bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2020 while boosting high-tech, raw material, cultural and humanitarian exchanges.

In the light of China's major-country diplomacy, Beijing-Moscow ties will hinge on strategic cooperation and joint efforts to advance modernization, rather than on strategic partnership alone, instilling vital energy and momentum to the Eurasian integration process at a time when the United States has adopted an inward-looking policy.

The author is deputy dean of the School of International and Public Affairs, Jilin University.
People protest against the deployment of an advanced US missile defense system in front of the Lotte Headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, Feb 27, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Kang Kyungwha reportedly told lawmakers on Monday that the country is not considering any additional deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system. She also reiterated that the ROK will not be part of the US-led missile defense networks.

Such remarks are valuable because they suggest Seoul has heeded Beijing's security concerns and is taking steps to get their strained relations back on track.

Kang's remarks follow other signs of a thaw in bilateral relations. On Tuesday the ROK's chief representative in the Six-Party Talks will meet his Chinese counterpart in Beijing, one week after the first talks in nearly two years were held between the two countries' defense chiefs at a security forum in the Philippines.

A meeting has also reportedly been slated between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his ROK counterpart Moon Jae-in on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting to be held in Vietnam on Nov 10-11.

China has always opposed the deployment of THAAD in the ROK as part of the missile defense networks the US is trying to establish because its powerful radar can probe deep into the country and harm its national security. Yet it has never wavered in seeking to resolve the diplomatic dispute by maintaining close communications and exchanges with the ROK. Beijing understands the ROK's security concerns regarding the latest development on the Korean Peninsula.

That China and the ROK are pursuing ways to improve their relations reflects the fact that their common interests outweigh their differences and that the two neighbors share the desire to turn the page.

This is timely since the growing tensions between Pyongyang and Washington threaten to become more than just a war of words. At such a critical time, Beijing and Seoul can work together to be a voice of reason. For with the escalating war rhetoric from Pyongyang and Washington, Beijing and Seoul stand in the same trench calling for the same thing: the maintaining of regional peace and stability.

The rapport they seem to have regained is testament to the resilience of their relations, which have brought real benefits to the people of both countries since the establishment of diplomatic ties 25 years ago. China hopes the ROK will fulfill the commitments it has made. Both sides should treasure and strengthen this hard-won strategic and cooperative partnership.
Pedestrians walk across a 3D zebra crossing in Shenyang, Northeast Chinas Liaoning province on Oct 23. Recently, 3D zebra crossings have been used in Shenyang to encourage cars to slow down, as a 3D zebra crossing can give the impression of a genuine speed bump. [Photo/Xinhua]

THE BEIJING GOVERNMENT has organized a media campaign in which it is encouraging people to shoot small video clips showing vehicles stopping at crossings to allow pedestrians to cross the road. These videos of courteous drivers will then be broadcast online and on TV. Rednet.com comments:

According to the traffic rules, vehicles can turn right at crossroads even if the lights are on red. As a result, it is possible for a car to be turning into the road as a pedestrian is crossing it. In order to solve that problem, the law requires vehicles to stop and let pedestrians go first.

However, that column of the law is not obeyed by many drivers in reality. According to official data, there were about 14,000 accidents involving cars hitting people as they crossed the road at a junction, of which 90 percent were caused by vehicles not stopping and letting pedestrians go first. These accidents caused 3,898 deaths in all.

The Ministry of Public Security launched two campaigns to specially strike against this illegal deed in June. As a long-term measure, many traffic authorities have installed cameras on crossroads that monitor whether a car stops to let pedestrians go first. Drivers failing to do so are warned or fined.

However, it is impossible to install a camera at every crossroad. So people should be encouraged to be courteous drivers.

That is what makes the joint activity of the Beijing traffic authorities and the media especially meaningful. When videos of drivers being courteous to pedestrians at crossroads are broadcast online or on TV, it will hopefully encourage more drivers to follow suit.
Two senior citizens take a selfie with a mobile phone in Rizhao, Shandong province, May 28, 2017. [Photo/VCG]

THE LATEST RESEARCH ON ONLINE SHOPPING suggests that it is the elderly, frequently portrayed as not being internet-savvy, who comprise a larger-than-expected proportion of online shoppers. Beijing Youth Daily commented on Monday:

There are at least 30 million senior online shoppers on the e-commerce platform Taobao alone, and 75 percent of them are in their 50s, according to the report. During the past nine months, online shoppers aged 50 or above have each spent 5,000 yuan ($753) and purchased 44 items on average, said the report.

The findings counter the common stereotype that the elderly do not keep up with the times, since senior citizens have also developed the habit of online shopping and using third-party mobile payment services. They may be slow learners when it comes to electronic gadgets and internet-driven lifestyles, but that does not mean they don't know how to keep up with the times.

Online shopping, for example, is widely accepted as a way of life because it fulfills the demand of people for greater convenience, be they young or old.

The aged, as General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed in his report to the 19th CPC National Congress, deserve extra care, be it through favorable policies or medical treatment. The constant controversies triggered by square dancing, a popular outdoor socializing activity among Chinese retirees that often leads to excessive noise and abuse of public space, is evidence that the senior citizens' ever-changing needs for a better life are not being sufficiently met.
Containers are seen at Yangshan Deep Water Port, part of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone, in Shanghai, Feb 13, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

IN THE REPORT he delivered at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Beijing on Oct 18, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping pointed out that the government should give pilot free trade zones more autonomy to carry out reforms and the country should explore the possibility of establishing free trade ports. Beijing News comments:

It can now be expected that a number of free trade ports are on the horizon. Shanghai, Zhejiang and Guangdong, all pilot FTZs, are reportedly actively researching the feasibility of establishing free trade ports.

A free trade port refers to an entire port area in a country's territory that is considered to be outside the country's customs boundaries. Enterprises thus enjoy the freedom to store, exhibit, dissemble, refit and process their goods in these areas.

It is anticipated that the construction of free trade ports will stimulate local governments to take the initiative to promote trade, attract investment and make breakthroughs in institutional reforms. The successful experience, reform and practices that prove effective in these free trade ports can be used elsewhere in the country.

It is a conventional practice in China's reform and opening-up efforts to encourage some places to blaze a trail first, as a way to control the potential risks, and then when it proves successful use the lessons learned elsewhere.

Shenzhen, a special economic zone set up in 1980 in South China's Guangdong province, is a case in point, and it has made an indelible contribution to the market economy reform nationwide.

In fact five placesShenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou, Xiamen and Hainanwere earmarked as SEZs in the 1980s. But only Shenzhen finally distinguished itself.

China now has 11 pilot FTZs. The construction of free trade ports will trigger a new round of competition among the FTZs, which is conducive to motivating these places to try their best to push the envelope of institutional reforms.
Participants attending the opening ceremony of a Lancang-Mekong cooperative program for water resource professionals pose for a group photo at Hohai University, Jiangsu province, on Oct 20. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Theerapon Thammahora, an official from Thailands water resources ministry, had never thought of pursuing his master's degree in China before being recommended by his government this July.

But on Oct 20, Thammahora found himself at Hohai University in Jiangsu province, where he was about to begin a cooperative program for water resources professionals from the Lancang-Mekong region.

At the opening ceremony, the Thai official expressed his gratitude to Hohai University, the program organizer, which has a global reputation for groundbreaking research on water conservancy. He also said he was excited to begin living and studying in China, which he described as very different to how he had imagined.
From Nov 1, 2017 to Dec 31, 2018, US citizens can visit most tourist attractions in Guiyang free of charge.[Photo/Xinhua]

Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, will carry out a series of events and promotions to attract more tourists from the United States.

The municipal government, Tourism Development Committee of Guizhou and American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) will jointly hold the ASTA China Summit 2017 in the city on Nov. 5.

This is the first time ASTA, one of the world's largest travel professional associations, has participated in an event highlighting China as a travel destination.

More than 130 US travel agents and over 200 Chinese travel companies and representatives will attend the summit.

From Nov 1, 2017 to Dec 31, 2018, US citizens can visit most tourist attractions in Guiyang free of charge, according to Yuan Yunlong, director of the Tourism Development Committee of Guizhou.

The city's hot springs will provide a 25 percent discount for US tourists during this period, and local hotels and China Southern Airlines will also offer lower prices.

Hou Ying, chairman of the China branch of ASTA said US tourists want to experience different cultures, landscapes and foods, and Guizhou's stunning karst mountain scenery and multiple ethnic minorities each with unique customs and foods appeal to these interests.

The ASTA summit aims to provide US travel agents with more information about Guizhou, Hou said.

More than 100 million tourists visited Guizhou in 2016, with the city's tourism revenue exceeding 130 billion yuan ($14.8 billion). This included nearly 184,000 foreign visits to the city, according to local tourism bureau statistics.
China on Monday voiced support for the Spanish government's effort to maintain national unity after the Catalan parliament declared independence last week.

"China's position on this issue is consistent and clear. China regards it as a domestic affair of Spain and understands and supports the Spanish government's effort to maintain national unity, ethnic solidarity and territorial integrity," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a daily news conference in Beijing.

"We understand and support the Spanish government's efforts to uphold national unity, ethnic solidarity and territorial integrity," Hua said.

"We oppose moves to split the country and breach the rule of law and believe Spain is capable of protecting social order and citizens' rights within the legal and institutional framework."

China has developed friendly cooperation with Spain in various areas based on the principles of respect for each other's sovereign and territorial integrity and noninterference in domestic affairs, she said.

China Daily

(China Daily 10/31/2017 page12)
Madrid enforces direct rule, seeks charges against region's leaders

BARCELONA - Work resumed normally in Catalonia and calm reigned on the streets on Monday despite calls for civil disobedience from secessionist politicians, in early signs the direct rule imposed to stop an independence bid was taking hold.

Although some public sector workers have yet to tell their new bosses whether they will accept orders, the lack of unrest came as a relief for financial markets, which rose.

Catalonia, a prosperous region with its own language and culture, triggered Spain's biggest crisis for decades by holding an independence referendum on Oct 1, which Spanish courts called illegal.

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy assumed direct control of the region on Friday, sacked its secessionist government and called a snap election for Dec 21.

However, some of the most prominent members of the Catalan administration, including its president Carles Puigdemont and vice-president Oriol Junqueras, had said they would not accept the move and only the people of Catalonia could dismiss them.

The main civic groups behind the pro-independence campaign had called for widespread civil disobedience, and said that public sector workers such as teachers, firefighters and the police should refuse orders from the central authorities.

But most workers started their working day at 9 am as normal and there was no sign of widespread absenteeism.

Spain's State Prosecutor said on Monday that it's seeking charges of rebellion, sedition and embezzlement for members of the ousted Catalan cabinet and the governing body of the regional parliament.

The crimes can be punished, respectively, with up to 30, 15 and six years in prison under Spanish laws.

The country's chief prosecutor, Jose Manuel Maza, said he would ask the judges for preventive measures against the officials, but didn't specify if those would include their immediate arrest and being sent to jail while awaiting trial.

Puigdemont posted a picture from within the regional government headquarters on Instagram but he was not seen entering the building, suggesting the photo may have been taken by someone else.

Regional transport chief Josep Rull posted on Twitter a picture of him working in his office but he was later seen leaving the building. Spain's transport minister said in a radio interview Rull would be allowed to collect his personal belongings but not work there.

On Sunday, hundreds of thousands took part in an anti-independence demonstration in Barcelona, calling for Catalonia to remain in Spain and backing Rajoy's use of unprecedented constitutional powers to seize wrest control from the pro-independence regional administration.

"We won't let Spain be torn apart into pieces," read one banner. "The awakening of a silenced nation," read another.

"We have organized ourselves late, but we are here to show that there is a majority of Catalans that are no longer silent and that no longer want to be silenced," said Alex Ramos, head of Catalan Civil Society, a pro-union grassroots group.

The organizers said more than 1 million people turned out but police put the figure at 300,000.

Prime Minister Rajoy has voiced his support for the rally in Barcelona.

Rajoy sent the message on Twitter: "Concord, peaceful coexistence and common sense, democracy and dialogue within the law."

AP - Reuters - AFP

(China Daily 10/31/2017 page12)
By Zhang Ruinan in New York and May Zhou in Houston | China Daily | Updated: 2017-10-31 07:47

A delegation from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region visited New York on Saturday and promoted mutual understanding and communication in discussions with overseas Chinese communities' leaders, local cultural organizations and local think tank scholars.

"If you haven't been to Xinjiang, you have no idea how big China is," said Zuo Feng, deputy director of the Human Rights Bureau at the State Council Information Office. "It's better to see it once than to hear about it a thousand times."

In a discussion hosted by the East Coast Federation of Chinese Associations, Zuo said the delegation aims to promote understanding of Xinjiang.

"We hope to increase people-to-people exchanges and cultural cooperation, and deepen understanding and friendship between our two peoples," Zuo said.

Zuo discussed recent Xinjiang developments in economy, education, transportation and culture, China's stance on human rights issues and the implementation of ethnic and religious policies in the region.

Zou said that with the Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by President Xi Jinping in 2013, China will fully employ Xinjiang's geography as a window to the West.

"Xinjiang plans to create five centers, including a regional transportation center, a trade logistics center, a financial center and a regional medical center," said Zuo.

James Heimowitz, president of the China Institute, who once visited Xinjiang, said he was impressed by its progress. He suggested the delegation send artists, writers and scholars to exhibitions and forums in the US to enhance understanding.

"The only way to develop friendship is through a deeper trust, and the way to have deeper trust is to have a deeper understanding through language, culture and business," Heimowitz said.

The delegation held discussions on Thursday and Friday in Houston.

At one, former Asia Society Texas Center chairman Charles Foster said discussion would help researchers to better understand China's ethnic and religious policies.

Beena George, dean of the Cameron School of Business at St. Thomas, said: "It is helpful for our regional researchers to have the opportunity to have frank face-to-face exchanges with Chinese officials and scholars. I think it is very wise for China to pay close attention to these issues, because ethnic, religious and cultural environments are important to local long-term economic development and business cooperation".

Contact the writers at ruinanzhang@chinadailyusa.com

(China Daily 10/31/2017 page12)
Iran and IAEA urge commitment to 2015 nuclear accord by all parties

TEHERAN - Iran will continue to produce missiles for its defense and does not consider that a violation of international accords, President Hassan Rouhani has said in a speech broadcast on state television.

Rouhani spoke days after the US House of Representatives voted for new sanctions against Iran's ballistic missile program, part of an effort to clamp down on Teheran without immediately moving to undermine an international nuclear agreement.

He also met the head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog in Teheran, who again vouched for Iran's compliance with the 2015 accord that curbed its nuclear program in return for sanctions relief, which has drawn fire from US President Donald Trump.

"We have built, are building and will continue to build missiles, and this violates no international agreements," Rouhani said in a speech in Parliament.

US sanctions

The United States has already imposed unilateral sanctions on Iran, saying its missile tests violate a UN resolution, that calls on Teheran not to undertake activities related to missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.

Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and says it has no plans to build nuclear-capable missiles.

Trump said earlier this month that the US could not formally certify Iran's compliance with the nuclear accord. Washington has also demanded inspections of Iran's military sites, which Teheran has rejected.

Rouhani also criticized the US over Trump's refusal this month to formally certify that Teheran is complying with the accord on Iran's nuclear program, even though international inspectors say it is.

"You are disregarding past negotiations and agreements approved by the UN Security Council and expect others to negotiate with you?" Rouhani said.

"Because of the behavior it has adopted, America should forget any future talks and agreement with other countries," Rouhani said.

IAEA head visits

Yukiya Amano, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, met Rouhani, President of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Teheran, an IAEA statement said.

"Director General Amano reiterated that the nuclear-related commitments undertaken by Iran are being implemented, and that the JCPOA represents a clear gain from a verification point of view," it said, using an abbreviation for the 2015 accord.

"For the future, he stressed the importance of full implementation by Iran of its nuclear-related commitments in order to make the JCPOA sustainable."

Trump's decision not to certify Iranian compliance with the landmark nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers means Congress now has less than 60 days to decide whether to reimpose sanctions on Teheran that were lifted under the agreement that Amano's agency is in charge of policing.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said Teheran will stick to the agreement as long as the other signatories do, but will "shred" the deal if Washington pulls out, as Trump has threatened to do.

Reuters - Xinhua

(China Daily 10/31/2017 page11)
SYDNEY - Australian honey producers have been stung by the news that New Zealand's honey industry is in the process of trying to trademark the word "manuka" around the globe.

In response, Australian producers have created a new industry body called the Australian Manuka Honey Association in order to fight the bitter feud.

AMHA Chairman Paul Callander said on Monday that function of the new organization is to ensure international governments understand the product is also native to Australia.

"The AMHA will strive to ensure Australia's manuka honey gets a fair go in the global marketplace," he said.

"Our new association is determined to protect the integrity and reputation of Australian manuka honey."

Considered a superfood, the buzz around manuka honey comes from its "healing power" and anti-inflammatory properties.

Containing methylglyoxal compounds, the product is able to fight off superbugs and heal cuts and wounds.

Callander said if the campaign by New Zealand is successful, it would have a severe impact on the capacity of Australia's industry, as the product is highly sought after around the world and fetches a premium price overseas.

One of the New Zealand honey producers are attempting to trademark is China.

"China is a massive market," Callander said.

"Around 40-50 percent of the world's manuka honey is sold to China."

"So we won't be giving in without a fight."

New Zealand claims the honey as their own because manuka is an indigenous Maori word.

"It's interesting that the Maoris in New Zealand didn't produce honey... there was no honey produced in New Zealand until the European bees came over there so it was just their name for the tree," University of the Sunshine Coast senior chemistry lecturer Doctor Peter Brooks explained to local media.

"But the same name has been used in Australia for about 150 years. There are newspaper articles going back to the mid-1800s talking about manuka plants growing in Australia."

Australian beekeepers argue that because leptospermum plants which produce the honey are native to both countries, the word manuka should not be trademarked by either.

"They were first to come up with the activity so they're thinking Australia is riding on their coattails, which may be true to a certain extent," Brooks said.

"But the fact that we've got the same product as them makes it very difficult to say that Australians can't call the same honey by the same name.

"If you look at the chemical profiles of these honeys, it's almost indistinguishable, they are essentially the same honey."

Xinhua

(China Daily 10/31/2017 page11)
Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai briefs media during a news conference on Trump's upcoming visit to China in Washington DC, Oct 30, 2017. [Photo by Zhao Huanxin/chinadaily.com.cn]

US President Donald Trump's first state visit to China, coming at a "historic moment" after a key Party congress in Beijing, will be a successful trip with significant outcomes on trade, the Korean Peninsula and other issues, China's top envoy in Washington said on Monday.

Trump is expected to arrive in Beijing on Nov 8 for what Ambassador Cui Tiankai called a "state visit-plus" featuring talks, a military honor guard and formal banquet and some "special arrangements", whereby China reciprocates the hospitality the US president and the first family showed their visitors at the Mar-a-Lago meeting in Florida in April, Cui told a briefing.

Cui said the recent 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China reaffirmed China's commitment to following a path of peaceful development, a strategy of opening-up, and efforts to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Beijing also will ramp up its close and effective coordination with other countries, especially major powers like the US.

Trump will be the first head of state of a major power to visit China at this historic moment, Cui said.

During the visit, the two presidents are expected to chart the course of development for the world's most important bilateral relationship, he said.

The ambassador said the Korean Peninsula situation will be a priority in the talks between the two presidents.

"I hope they reach more agreement between them and will give us a clear guidance on how the two countries could handle this issue together," Cui said. "We are taking measures to implement the (United Nations Security Council) sanctions, although obviously many of the sanctions would be implemented with a high cost for China itself, because we are DPRK's neighbor."

Cui stressed that the Korean Peninsula issue cannot be solved by China itself. It requires a concerted effort of all the parties concerned, including the US and the DPRK.

"It is clear that if only China is making its efforts, while others are doing things that could lead to escalation of tensions, this issue would not be solved, and it would become even more difficult, and the end result would hurt everybody's interest," he said.

Cui said there is a strong sense of urgency regarding the peninsula, adding that China is open to any talks between any parties as long as they are conducive to a peaceful solution, to a negotiated solution of the nuclear issue.

"I'm sure at the conclusion of the visit, both sides would have something to say about this issue," Cui said.
File photo shows Catalonian President Carles Puigdemont smiles as he chairs a meeting of the regional government at the Palau de la Generalitat, the regional government headquarters, in Barcelona, Spain, Sept 26, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

BRUSSELS - Ousted Catalonian president Carles Puigdemont, as well as five of his advisers, is in Belgium, amidst speculation he could apply for political asylum, local media reported on Monday.

After first confirming Puigdemont's presence in Brussels for a private meeting with the N-VA, the Flemish nationalist and conservative party, the Belgian media relayed the information from Belgian Vice-prime minister Jan Jambon that Puigdemont had not been invited by the N-VA and that nothing had been organized in any way for this.

According to Spanish newspapers, however, Puigdemont is in Belgium to apply for political asylum.

Spain's Attorney-General Jose Manuel Maza announced on Monday morning that Puigdemont was being sued because of his unilateral declaration of independence last Friday. The sacked president is being prosecuted for rebellion as well as sedition and misuse of public funds. He could face up to 30 years in prison.

The application for political asylum has not yet been confirmed by local media and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has not given any comment.

For the Spanish government, the application for political asylum is "a pure sign of despair", local Belgian newspaper La Libre reported.

The Spanish government took charge of Catalonia's administration on Friday shortly after the declaration of independence. Madrid appointed Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, Spain's deputy prime minister, to replace Puigdemont as the head of the region, whose former parliament has been dissolved.

Last week-end, Belgian asylum and migration Secretary of State Theo Francken said Belgium would be ready to grant Puigdemont political asylum. However, this was quickly denied by the prime minister who said it was not "on the agenda of the day" and asked Francken not to "add fuel to the fire".

Interviewed by radio and tv news station RTBF, a professor specializing in European law for migration and asylum policies at the Free University of Brussels (ULB) warned about the consequences of granting such a request: "If Belgium decides to examine this application, it would have to refer immediately to the European Council and that would obviously be a decision with significant consequences," he said.

According to RTBF, Puigdemont is in a safe and discreet place, and might make a speech Tuesday.
A story on the UNESCO Memory of the World International Register is seen in this screen shot from UNESCO's web page.

UNESCO announced on Monday that the nominations for "Voices of the 'Comfort Women'" and "Documentation on 'Comfort Women' and Japanese Army discipline" were recommended for postponement, pending dialogue, to be inscribed in the Memory of the World International Register.

The International Advisory Committee of the Memory of the World Program recommends setting a place and time convenient to the nominator and concerned parties for a dialogue, with a view to leading to a joint nomination to encompass as far as possible all relevant documents on "Comfort Women" - the term given to those who were forced into prostitution by the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II.

As the announcement of UNESCO, the IAC, composed of 14 eminent experts, recommended inscribing 78 new nominations to the Memory of the World International Register.

Among the 78 new nominations, "Oracle-Bone Inscriptions" and "The Archives of Suzhou Silk from Modern and Contemporary Times", submitted by China, as well as "Official Records of Macao During the Qing Dynasty (1693-1886)" jointly submitted by China and Portugal, were approved.

UNESCO established the Memory of the World Program in 1992 to save significant collections worldwide, as many have suffered a variety of fates, including illegal trading, destruction or inadequate housing. The program aims to preserve documentary heritage and memory for the benefit of present and future generations and to build peace in the minds of human beings.

Up to now, 10 projects submitted by China have been inscribed into the Memory of the World International Register, including the "Archives of Nanjing Massacre", inscribed to the nominations list in 2015.
One killed in shooting at US University of Utah

Xinhua | Updated: 2017-10-31 14:39

LOS ANGELES - At least one person was killed in a shooting incident Monday night at the US University of Utah, local media reported.



Sgt. Brandon Shearer, an officer of the Salt Lake City Police Department, was quoted by Salt Lake Tribune newspaper as saying that police received reports of a man with a gunshot wound to the head and at least "one person is confirmed deceased."



The university, located in Salt Lake City, issued an alert to students about 8:30 pm (0230 GMT Tuesday), saying "Shots fired. Red Butte Canyon. Shelter in Place."



About half an hour later, the university tweeted: "CAMPUS ALERT: Suspect male, white adult. Black clothing, beanie with cross, tear-drop tatoo on face."



Authorities are still searching for the suspect, with heavy police presence at the university.
CHONGQING - Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang and Russian Deputy Prime Minster Dmitry Rogozin on Monday agreed to expand cooperation.

Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang and Russian Deputy Prime Minster Dmitry Rogozin shake hands after signing documents to agree to expand bilateral cooperation in Chongqing of Southwest China on Monday. [Photo/Xinhua]

Wang and Rogozin co-chaired the 21st meeting of the Joint Commission for the Regular Prime Ministers' Meetings of China and Russia in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.The meeting is preparation for the 22nd regular meeting of Chinese premier and Russian prime minister.Wang is a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China(CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau.During the meeting, Wang said under the guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, bilateral ties are better than ever.He said the Joint Commission mechanism had been efficient and bilateral cooperation had yielded fruitful results.Wang said Sino-Russian trade has continued to improve this year with cooperation in nuclear energy, civil aviation, aerospace, and cross-border infrastructure construction advancing steadily.The two sides discussed new areas for cooperation, including Far East development, Arctic development and the digital economy, he said.Rogozin said Russia has always regarded the relations with China as the strategic priority of its foreign policy.Current Sino-Russian relations are in the best period of history, he said, noting that Russia is ready to deepen cooperation with China on the basis of mutual benefit and win-win results.He called on the two sides to give full play to the role of the Joint Commission mechanism to push for more cooperation.During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the work of the Joint Commission over the past year and exchanged views on the next steps in cooperation.
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.
I cant remember ever hearing a discussion about unemployment in seminary. Seminarians worked on their Greek and Hebrew, interned at a church, and looked forward to graduation, ordination, and employment. The major questions we asked were, Which job will I take? Do I want to be an assistant pastor, associate pastor, or solo pastor? Or perhaps a military chaplain or missionary? The opportunities were many and varied. One could always find a job in ministry.

How times have changed! In 2012 the Presbyterian Church USA reported 10,262 active churches. In 2015, just three years later, they listed 9,642 churches, a loss of 620 churches. During those three years, 802 clergy members either retired or died. Yet 1,176 new clergy members were ordained. This presents a growing problem for seminary graduates beginning their ministries and for experienced pastors who must move due to a church closing, downsizing of staff, or personal family issues. Often, they can find no immediate job to step into. The problem isnt confined to mainline denominations. With church attendance dropping across the country, all kinds of churches are cutting back on staff.

What can we pastors do to protect ourselves from unexpected unemployment? Every pastor should have a plan. Fortunately, there are many strategies we can employ. Here are three ways you can thrive in a volatile ministry market.

1. Put your pastoral skills to work elsewhere.

Since most pastors already have highly developed intrapersonal skills, along with managerial and communication skills, teaching in a local community college or even in a middle or high school is always a possibility. Working pastors can refine their counseling skills with more education and become certified marriage counselors, hospital chaplains, hospice chaplains, social workers, or daycare administrators.

Try acquiring new marketable skills. Theres nothing wrong with seeking out non-ministry related ways to supplement your income. One pastor I know recently bought a new cara four-door model that complied with Ubers car requirements. Just in case I ever need a job with Uber, he told me half-jokingly.

One pastor I know recently bought a new cara four-door model that complied with Ubers car requirements. Just in case I ever need a job with Uber, he told me half-jokingly.

When I sought to move back to a church position from the collage chaplaincy position that I held, I couldnt find opportunities within a church. So I accepted a position as dean of students at a northeastern university. There I was able to work with students, faculty, parents, and townspeople. Some semesters I taught a course in Introduction to World Religions. I continued to be active in my presbytery, served on special committees, and accepted invitations to lead Sunday worship in local churches.

During that season, my understanding of ministry expanded. Ive learned not to rule out part-time gigs. There are growing opportunities for employment in part-time and three-quarter time pastoral ministries. To obtain and keep a good pastor, many smaller congregations are open to the pastor having an additional part-time job outside of the church.

2. Use the networks youve already built.

When facing unemployment, stay active in your denomination or networks events and programs, serve on committees, and volunteer for extra service. Keep in contact with former church friends and especially former seminary classmates who may know of possible church openings.

At their 25th alumni gathering, Dartmouth Universitys class of 1986 began talking about some of their classmates who were having a tough time. One problem area was unemployment. Out of that discussion, they formed a group called COMPASIO. It is composed of volunteers from the class who work together to address individual classmates problems. Many colleges and seminaries have similar programs. Your alma mater may be a worthwhile resource when you face unemployment.

3. Take a break. (It doesnt have to be permanent.)

When no immediate position is available, step back and do something totally different.

After 15 rewarding and demanding years as dean of students, I needed a change. So I did something different. I bought a farm in New York State, which gave me a chance to refocus and reconnect with nature. Three years later, much to my surprise, a search committee asked me to serve as interim pastor in our local church. I accepted their offer, and when that assignment ended, three other interim opportunities followed.

Then one day I was called to have coffee with a retiring pastor who wanted me to continue his work. I was honored to follow him. For the past 17 years, I have been the part-time stated supply pastor of Third Presbyterian Church in Newark, New Jersey serving a small, diverse congregation of Presbyterians. There have been times when I acted as janitor, landscaper, secretary, and part-time organist. We (the congregation and I) all pitch in when needed.

Over the years, Ive learned that ministry never really ends; it just changes. My advice to any pastor facing unemployment is this: dont obsess about it. Instead, refocus and pray, knowing there is a mountain of work to be done in the kingdom. Adopt the philosophy of General George Patton, Never retreat; attack in a new direction.

North Barry Dancy worked in churches in New York and New Jersey for more than 30 years. Though retired, he joyfully serves the congregation of Third Presbyterian Church in Newark, New Jersey.
In all my years of Catholic schooling, Im sure I was taught about the Reformation in my history or religion classes, but I dont remember those classes at all. However, what I do remember vividly is walking into a Lutheran church one October years ago and experiencing my first Reformation Sunday celebration.

All of it was new to methe red clergy vestments, the red geraniums displayed on the altar, the sea of red clothing worn by congregants to commemorate the day.

The pastor preached on Martin Luther, the devout Catholic monk who was exhausted by trying desperately to earn his way into heaven through good works. (As an earnest young Catholic, I related to this 15th-century priest right away.) Luther knew that penance, fasting, and prayer werent enough to get him into heaven. Although he didnt set out to start a schism, nonetheless he questioned the emphasis on good works (and indulgences) over Gods freely given gift of grace and in so doing changed the church.

For Luther, discovering that the church was minoring in grace and majoring in works changed his life. It changed mine, too. This month, as the church celebrates the 500th anniversary of Luthers brave-hearted reform, Im reflecting on the many ways his Reformation has impacted my personal faith.

1. Questioning is good.

Despite being a rather feisty and independent Italian woman in most areas of my life, it never occurred to me to question the Catholic church until I was gently prompted by my loving Protestant boyfriend. We took a journey deep into the Bible to dig for answers to questions and to understand the traditions, practices, and precepts that I had always taken for granted. I was a happily devout Catholic and am still grateful for many aspects of that vigorous training. But like Luther, I had to learn firsthand where the tradition was majoring in the minors and minoring in the majors.

2. Grace is amazing.

Like Luther, I was a good and conscientious student. I, too, felt overwhelmed trying to do my best for the Lord but always feeling less than, always weary of all the Catholic to-dos on my list. My mantra: I must try harder.

Growing up as a schoolgirl in a Catholic school, I learned through my parochial catechism that grace is a gift from God, but that gift wasnt emphasized enough. In all those years, I missed the heart of grace: Gods love for us, the broken and beautiful people he created. God knows we are sinners and cant ever do enough to repair our fallen humanity. Thats why he sent us Jesus to be our Savior. By Gods grace and through his son, we are forgiven, befriended, and made whole. Like Luther, I was changed when I fully understood whats so amazing about grace.

3. The Bible is Gods love letter to us and to the church.

After being excommunicated from the church, Luther went on to publish a complete translation of the Bible in German, based on the belief that people need to read this important love letter in their own language. During my young adult faith formation, I craved that too. I had to find a Bible in my own vernacular, and I found one in The Message, Eugene Petersons translation of the New Testament. Thanks in part to Luther, I feel a personal connection to the Scriptures, which inspire, encourage, admonish, teach, console, and comfort me.

4. Jesus wants to do life with us.

In reading the Bible closely as a young adult, I came to understand that God sent his Son to us to do life with us. In both the Old and New Testaments, we find evidence of this promise: Emmanuel means God with us. There are no more middlemen, no more veils and curtains separating us from God. We laypeople are called to be a priestly peopleour whole lives are worship. I am called to be an altar, to be church, to be Jesus hands and feet in this world.

5. Reformation is continual.

Transformationsof institutions or peopleare not once and done affairs. They are ongoing. In the life of the church, God used Luther to initiate the Reformation. These centuries later, he continues to transform the church through his people.

I also feel Gods transforming power in my own life. For me, learning about his gift of grace was just the first step, and now living into that gift is part of my lifelong journey. As I learn to trust in Jesus and invite him into every corner of my being, my daily prayer is a reformation prayer: Alter me more and more. As Paul writes in Ephesians, I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (Eph. 3: 1617).

6. Our mandate is to go, share, and tell.

In the gospel stories, everyone that Jesus heals wants to go out and tell others about the miracle that just happened. This share and tell culture was never part of my religious upbringing. Some Catholics like me tend to be private pray-ers, and we often forget the Great Commission. These days, however, share and tell is my hearts desire. I understand now why Luther risked everything to publicly post his 95 Theses in Wittenburg, Germanybecause he believed in the life-transforming power of the gospel.

On this 500th anniversary of the Reformation, I celebrate the renewal of my faith and pray for the renewal of the world around me. I also commit to heart a simple but poignant reminder from the man who started it all: We need to hear the gospel every day, said Luther, because we forget it every day.

Andrea Syverson is the author of Alter Girl: Walking Away From Religion Into the Heart of Faith, which tells the story of her personal journey in, around, and through the church on her way to a deeper connection to Jesus.

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Foundation for Moral Law Denounces Federal Court Transgender Injunction Contact: John Eidsmoe, Foundation for Moral Law, 334-262-1245, info@morallaw.org



MONTGOMERY, Ala., Oct. 31, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Foundation for Moral Law, a Montgomery-based nonprofit corporation dedicated to the acknowledgement of God and the strict interpretation of the Constitution as understood by its Framers, strongly criticized today's decision by Federal District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly that invalidated President Trump's ban on transgender persons serving in the United States armed forces.



On July 26, 2017, President Trump stated in a tweet: "After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the United States Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous military costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you." The President set forth this policy in greater detail in an August 25, 2017 memorandum.



Responding to a lawsuit brought by so-called transgender military personnel and persons in training programs to enter the military, Judge Kollar-Kotelly granted a preliminary injunction on the ground that the plaintiffs had shown a substantial likelihood that the ban violated their right to equal protection of the laws. The effect of the preliminary injunction is that the military may not discharge or deny entrance to transgender persons. The order stopped short of requiring the military to provide transgender surgery. The Trump administration is studying Judge Kollar-Kotelly's order to determine its next move.



Foundation President Kayla Moore noted that the Foundation had previously praised the President for rescinding the Obama administration's plans to allow transgender persons in the military. She denounced the federal court order: "As the wife of a West Point graduate and Vietnam Veteran, I am appalled that Judge Kollar-Kotelly would use her office to force transgenderism upon the United States armed forces. The military is not a place for social experimentation; it is to be a fit fighting force that wins our nation's wars. This is one more Obama policy that the voters repudiated last November, but now a federal judge won't let President Trump change it."



Foundation Senior Counsel John Eidsmoe, a retired Air Force Judge Advocate, added: "It is the height of judicial arrogance and activism for an unelected federal judge with no military experience to substitute her judgment for that of the President and his military advisors on a novel and controversial issue that is not even mentioned in the United States Constitution. The Foundation hopes the Trump Administration will appeal this decision and will support the appeal in any way we can."



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Oil headed for its first back-to-back monthly gain since last year amid signs that efforts by OPEC and its allies to clear a glut are progressing, and that they'll stick with the strategy next year.

Futures were little changed in New York and are up 4.6 percent this month, after rallying 9.4 percent in September. U.S. crude inventories probably declined for a fifth time in six weeks, according to a Bloomberg survey before government data due Wednesday. Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said last week that he backed prolonging supply curbs, following a similar endorsement by Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month.
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Police in Florida are urging parents to check their kids' Halloween candy after arresting a woman with Jolly-Rancher-look-alike bath salts.

CANDY-SHAPED DRUGS: Police find nearly $1 million worth of meth disguised as drugs

A spokeswoman with the Franklin County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday that Brittany Wilson was arrested on Oct. 18 after she was allegedly found to be in possession of bath salts in a mason jar that closely resembled rock candy or Jolly Ranchers. The spokeswoman said Wilson did not manufacture the drugs and that police are investigating where its origins.

The look-alike drug is being tested in a lab, the spokeswoman said.

Bath salts are a synthetic drug that has been known to cause erratic behavior in people.

Florida police encouraged parents in an Oct. 21 Facebook post to check their children's candy for anything that looks suspicious. If there are pieces of candy that are unwrapped or otherwise give parents reason to doubt their safety, it's better to throw the pieces out than take a chance.

Police in Harris County have come across drugs disguised as candy this year. In June, the Harris County Sheriff's Office seized nearly $1 million worth of meth that were in the shape of "Star Wars" and "Batman" lollipops.

Scroll through the gallery above to learn more about bath salts and other synthetic drugs.
A Florida bakery issued an apology after an employee used blackface as part of her Aunt Jemima costume Tuesday.

The employee, who has lighter skin than her face makeup, was celebrating Halloween on Tuesday at the Bunnery Bakery & Cafe in Saint Augustine. News station WTLV reports the costume sparked a protest.

COINCIDENCE?: Houston Texans star Jadeveon Clowney speaks out about his orange jumpsuit Halloween costume

Pam Cross, the owner of the bakery, told WTLV that she asked workers their opinion of the costume. According to Cross, employees said they didn't have an issue with the costume and the woman who wore the costume has biracial grandchildren. According to the television station, that didn't stop about two dozen people who appeared to be college students from protesting the cafe.

The cafe issued an apology over the incident the same day.

"She was thinking of the corporate Aunt Jemima and her pancakes and didnt think any deeper about it. Perhaps she, or any of us should have," the cafe said of the employee in a Facebook post. "After a customer was offended, our employee immediately cleaned off her make up. We have offered a sincere apology and can only hope this situation will encourage personal growth and perspective for all of us."

CELEBRATING HALLOWEEN: Hollywood celebs show off their sexy, scary and clever Halloween costumes during top parties

The cafe also said that it doesn't support racism and believes in the First Amendment. According to the post, some people were screaming at employees, prompting workers to "call police and request their intervention."

"We are very sorry for our lack of cultural perspective and offer our sincere apology."
Modern medications and therapies have a bad reputation for being laden with side effects, but a laser treatment called MonaLisa Touch may be the exception.

MonaLisa Touch treats vaginal atrophy, a condition usually affecting female breast cancer patients or women after menopause. Vaginal atrophy can cause discomfort during sex, urinary tract infections, overactive bladder and other symptoms, according to monalisatouch.com.

In a study published by the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, four percent of premenopausal women and 47 percent of postmenopausal women reported symptoms of vaginal atrophy. For breast cancer survivors, the rates were 23 and 62 percent respectively.

Seventy-five percent of women say vaginal atrophy negatively impacts their lives, yet 44 percent don't consult a doctor, according to monalisatouch.com. Dr. Christina Pramudji, a Houston urologist and urogynecologist, said she believes a lot of women think the symptoms are normal or there aren't effective treatments, but MonaLisa Touch has helped her patients.

"There's been a couple of things," Pramudji said. "One is just the improved comfort in the vaginal area, especially with intercourse. The people who haven't been able to have intercourse for a few years are now able to restore that intimacy with their husband."

Some medications for breast cancer patients, like Tamoxifen, block estrogen throughout the body to stop the cancer from spreading. This can lead to vaginal atrophy, where the vaginal walls become dry and thin. Vaginal atrophy also develops in women without breast cancer, usually around menopause or during postpartum.

Estrogen medications are common treatments for vaginal atrophy, but, for breast cancer patients, especially those known to be estrogen receptor positive, estrogen can spur the cancer, according to Pramudji.

MonaLisa Touch has been a game-changer in medicine, according to Pramudji, and previously few treatments existed for breast cancer patients with vaginal atrophy.

The MonaLisa Touch treatment "has really turned around some people's lives and given them a lot more comfort, and it's an easy solution," Pramudji said.

The MonaLisa Touch website claims the procedure causes no side effects or pain, and the laser treatment is described as a minimally invasive.

"By gently acting on tissue of the vaginal mucosa, the laser stimulates the production of collagen, improving the functionality of the treated area and restoring the proper trophic balance to the mucous membrane," states monalisatouch.com.

Pramudji said only a couple of her patients have complained about side effects after the treatment.

"Very rarely in medicine, usually it's little improvements here and there, and very rarely you'll see these big leaps for something really fantastic and new and better," Pramudji said.

MonaLisa Touch is priced similarly to estrogen medications, depending on the patient's insurance, according to Pramudji. Some doctors recommend vaginal moisturizers, which are usually hormone-free, to treat vaginal atrophy, according to the Mayo Clinic.

MonaLisa Touch treatment session lasts five minutes and are administered about every six weeks. Three total sessions are required to get the full effect, and patients usually need annual follow-up treatments to keep the vagina healthy, according to Pramudji.

A treatment similar to MonaLisa Touch, ThermiVa uses radio waves instead of laser technology to stimulate vaginal cells. The ThermiVa probe is smaller than the MonaLisa Touch probe, making it a better option for some women with severe atrophy, according to Pramudji.

Pramudji's practice, Houston Female Urology, is the only clinic in Texas that serves only female clients and is run by female staff; a deliberate decision according to Pramudji.

"When women come here, they know that they're going to be the main focus," Pramudji said.

Pramudji offers a discount at Houston Female Urology on MonaLisa Touch treatments for breast cancer patients.

To find other clinics offering the MonaLisa Touch treatment, go to smilemonalisa.com and click on "Find a Provider."
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Oct. 20

An officer was dispatched to a residence located in the 4200 block of Bissonnet in regards to suspicious person(s) at the residence. Upon arrival, the officer spoke to the reportee who stated that two subjects looked into his car and afterwards knocked on his door his front door and left. The officer looked into the vehicle to examine if the vehicle was rummaged through and discovered a glass pipe in plain view. The glass pipe was confiscated without incident.

Officers were dispatched to the 3700 block of University in regards to a Minor Accident/Failure to Stop and Give Information that already occurred.

Oct. 21

An officer was dispatched to the 3100 block of Holcombe in reference to a theft that already occurred.

Officers were dispatched to a residence located in the 4000 block of Browning in regards to a Welfare Check. Upon the officers' arrival, it was determined that two subjects were involved in an Assault.

An Officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in reference to found property that was found in the 4100 block of Byron. A report was generated for found property.

Oct. 22

An Officer was notified of a subject sleeping on the ground in the 3900 block of Arnold. Upon making contact the Officer discovered the subject was intoxicated. The subject was subsequently arrested for the offense of Public Intoxication and booked in the West University Place Jail without incident.

An Officer was dispatched to the 2900 block of Bissonnet in reference to an abandoned black mountain bicycle. A found property report was generated.

Oct. 23

At 6:37 PM, an officer found personal property in the jail while conducting a facility check.

Oct. 24

An Officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby in regards to a walk in Auto Theft report that already occurred.

An officer was dispatched to the West U PD Lobby to meet a victim of identity theft that had already occurred.

At 1:14 pm, an officer was dispatched to the 3000 block of Rice Blvd. in regards to a theft that had just occurred.

At 2:10 pm, an officer was dispatched to the West U PD in reference to a case of Identity Theft that already occurred.

An officer was dispatched meet with Pearland Officer, who had a prisoner in custody with West University Place warrant. The prisoner was transferred to the West University Jail Facility and booked without incident.

Oct. 26

At 6:23 pm, an Officer was dispatched to the 6400 block of Brompton, in regards to an Identity Theft that already occurred.

Oct. 27

An officer observed a vehicle traveling west bound at a high rate of speed in the 3200-3600 blocks of University. While making contact with the driver, the officer observed signs of intoxication. The driver was arrested for the suspicion of driving while intoxicated.
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Exxon Mobil will shell out $300 million outfitting eight energy facilities in Texas and Louisiana with technology that monitors and controls air pollution, as part of a settlement with the U.S. government announced by the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday.

The Irving, Texas oil company's settlement with the EPA and other agencies comes after it faced allegations that it failed to monitor flaring at Gulf Coast petrochemical facilities, potentially violating the Clean Air Act.

The EPA said the anti-pollution equipment will curb harmful pollution from 26 industrial flares at five of the company's facilities in Texas, near Baytown, Beaumont and Mont Belvieu, and three others in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Exxon has agreed to cut down on waste gases it sends through its flares and improve the efficiency of the flares. The project could reduce the company's emissions of volatile organic compounds by 7,000 tons a year, and curb toxic air pollutants like benzene by 1,500 tons a year.

"This settlement means cleaner air for communities across Texas and Louisiana, and reinforces EPA's commitment to enforce the law and hold those who violate it accountable," EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said in a written statement.

Related: Exxon completes massive plastics expansion near Houston

Exxon will pay a $2.5 million civil penalty as part of its settlement with the EPA, the Justice Department and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. It also agreed to pay $1 million on a project planting trees in Baytown.

In April, a federal judge in Houston ordered Exxon to pay a civil penalty of almost $20 million for releasing 10 million pounds of pollutants into the air from its Baytown refining and chemical complex over the course of eight years.

"Exxon has been breaking the law and polluting our air for too long," Environment Texas Director Luke Metzger said in a statement on Tuesday, praising the settlement. "Today's announcement means they'll finally have to make plant upgrades they should have made a long time ago."
The Katy Independent School District received a A on its latest state-mandated financial report card.

At the Oct. 23 Katy ISD school board meeting, Christopher Smith, the district's financial officer, presented the results of the 2016-17 report from the Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas or FIRST, part of the state's education agency.

Katy ISD passed with a rating of Superior.

"This is being done this month and next month throughout the state of Texas at every (school district,)" Smith said. "Its primary goal is to improve the management of a school district's financial resources."

The latest report covers the 2015-2016 school year. It looks at a wide variety of financial areas, such as whether the school district has made "timely" payments to the Teachers Retirement System or if an independent auditor has confirmed if the district was adequately tracking local, state or federal funds. Smith said the Texas Education Agency regularly adjust the wording of the review, which was created by the state legislature in 1999.

"They're always tweaking it," he said. "They're trying to make things easier for the public to understand."

The district's overall solvency is pat of the review. Smith said Katy ISD passed those areas as well.

"We still had about 128 days of cash on hand at the end of the 2016 school year," he said.

Katy ISD has gotten the same score - a superior rating - each year since the financial integrity rating system was established in Texas. Except for one year when the state adopted a PASS/FAIL rating. The district got a pass that year.

"We continue to receive the highest rating," Smith said.
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The Texas Department of Transportation's proposal to widen Texas 99 from a four-lane to a six-lane divided highway drew mixed reviews from some residents at an Oct. 24 open house at Cinco Ranch High School.

Comments ranged from concern about road noise which some think is excessive now to the project not providing enough lanes to accommodate traffic.

TxDOT is accepting project comments through Nov. 8. Comments may be sent to Hou-PIOWebMail@txdot.gov or to the TxDOT District Office, Director of Project Development, P.O. Box 1386, Houston, Texas 77251.

In addition to adding lanes to the 6.6-mile segment between Interstate 10 and FM 1093, the project would add a center cable median barrier and modify several ramps. TxDOT's meeting notice said minor amounts of right of way would be required for right-turn lanes at major intersections, but it did not anticipate displacements. Some right of way might be needed for yet-to-be identified detention ponds.

TxDOT's online Project Tracker identifies Phase 2 of a Grand Parkway widening project to a six-lane road from just north of Kingsland Boulevard to Fort Bend County as under development. The construction cost/estimate is listed as $8.7 million but the entry has no set date.

While the project is intended to improve mobility, Oscar Slotboom of Westchase thinks traffic warrants more lanes. A regular user of Texas 99, he said, "Traffic has become worse than ever." He talked of backups even on Saturdays. If it backs up on Saturdays, it needs to be widened, he added.

Mike Stone, Fort Bend Grand Parkway Toll Road Authority project manager, who said the authority's portion ends at the Westpark Tollway/FM 1093, called the northern portion oversubscribed with way more cars than capacity.

TxDOT's Transportation Traffic Count Database System shows annual average daily traffic northbound on the Grand Parkway just north of Highland Knolls at 54,979 in 2016. That number for southbound traffic is 39,994.

Should TxDOT proceed with the proposed widening, though, the authority is doing some engineering work that would involve building direct connectors from the Westpark Tollway to the Grand Parkway, similar to what exists at the Katy Freeway and the Grand Parkway. Motorists southbound on the Grand Parkway can directly access the Westpark Tollway now.

"If they (TxDOT) were to make those improvements, the direct connectors would make more sense to do," said Stone. "There's no point to build a direct connector to a road that is at a complete standstill with traffic. Getting people to a traffic jam faster - who would pay to do that?" asked Stone.

Fort Bend County Precinct 3 Commissioner Andy Meyers also is proposing some projects along the Grand Parkway which would be funded through the $218 million mobility bond issue on the Nov. 7 ballot and coordinated with TxDOT.

Proposed Precinct 3 projects include two-lane southbound frontage roads from north of Cinco Ranch to Westheimer Parkway and from north of Fry Road to FM 1093 and ramp relocations.

The authority recently completed lane and signal modifications at FM 1093/Texas 99 to accommodate another through lane, which Stone said motorists are already using.

In two weeks, the authority also plans to open an extension of the Westpark Tollway from west of the Grand Parkway over to FM 723. Since the Fort Bend Westpark Tollway was completed in August 2005, traffic volumes have increased dramatically, said Stone. "Twenty-seven thousand people used the road yesterday (Oct. 26)," he said.

When Chris and Joann Dau built their home in Cinco Ranch 25 years ago, they were surrounded by a greenscape. But now they and Mitch Abahusayn of Grand Lakes speak about the level of road noise already being excessively high and are concerned what added lanes will mean.

"The noise level at the current state is unacceptable at our house," said Abahusayn. Even with double-pane windows on their house, he said his wife still sleeps with ear plugs

"You can't have a conversation in our backyard. You have to shout," said Joann Dau. "Our double-pane windows vibrate."

And after talking with a local Realtor, she said she learned that the No. 1 complaint is the noise level. "Home values are dropping." Homes near the Grand Parkway are on the market longer than other sections of Cinco Ranch, she added. "Helpless, hopeless and depressed" is how Chris Dau describes his state after spending so much money on their house and then not really being able to enjoy it.

Abahusayn talked of the need to build sound barriers to protect residents who live near the Grand Parkway.

Meyers said he is advocating for TxDOT to do a sound study.

He also is an advocate for grooved roadway to replace concrete which is intended to muffle road noise.

When Precinct 3 puts in access or frontage roads, Meyers said, "Segments of our project will have soundwalls." Those segments will be near residential areas, he said.

Meyers also added a side note.

While the roads are intended to provide traffic congestion relief, he said county roads also are part of the drainage system and designed to convey floodwaters away from structures.
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Dia de los Muertos, or "The Day of the Dead," is a Mexican celebration of the dead that have passed on into the next world.

According to National Geographic, the holiday recognizes death as a natural part of the human experience, a continuum with birth, childhood, and growing up to become a contributing member of the community. Its believed that during the holiday, our beloved dead join us to become the fun, invisible and highly honored guests of the party.

RELATED: Deceased honored in elaborate Day of the Dead festival

Now Playing: The build up to Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, attracted thousands of revellers to Mexico City on Sunday for the annual Parade of the Catrinas. Thousands got their faces painted in the iconic Catrina style and paraded down Republic of Salvador Street in the nation's capital wearing all sorts of macabre but elegant costumes on Saturday. Video: Ruptly TV

The holiday is traditionally spread over the first two days in November. By region, it is celebrated in different ways. For some, Nov. 1 is called Dia de los Inocentes, and it honors the children that have died. The next day, Nov. 2, is Dia de los Muertos officially, and it honors adults who have passed on.

The holiday has become something of a companion piece to Halloween, where most revelers stay in costume at least one more day. The altars, the sugar skulls, and the makeup are its hallmarks, along with festive parties. Compared to the holiday that comes the day before, its brightly colored and joyous.

The holiday is now a big part of American pop culture, with even non-Hispanics getting sugar skull tattoos and decorating their homes with customary iconography. What was once a distinctly Latin American tradition has now made inroads across all societal boundaries.

Some critics say that there has been disrespectful appropriation of the holiday for party hardy, less reverent needs. These critics assert that some Anglos treat it like Cinco De Mayo, with nary a thought of the heritage behind it.

RELATED: El Big Bad celebrates Halloween and Dia de los Muertos

In multicultural Houston, Dia de los Muertos is celebrated with mini music festivals, bar events, community center bashes, and plenty of refreshments.

It won't be hard to find sugar skulls aplenty and people of all ages in makeup on Wednesday honoring their departed loved ones with merriment, food, and song.

Craig Hlavaty is a reporter for Chron.com and HoustonChronicle.com. He's an intolerable native Texan with too much ink in his skin and too much brisket stuck in his teeth.
In the spring break capital of Cancun, Mexico, hotel occupancy has tumbled 10 percent this year. As bad as that is, over in Los Cabos, on the tip of the Baja California peninsula, it's worse.

The airport serving Cabo San Lucas and its lesser-known sister city, San Jose del Cabo, is looking emptier these days. And hotel guests have canceled 35,000 nights of bookings over the next year - collectively a decade's worth of visits for a single traveler.

At a time when the weaker peso should be luring American travelers in droves, many are staying away, spooked by a wave of violence that's come dangerously close to tourist hot spots. Gunmen opened fire at a Cancun nightclub in November, and a cooler with two human heads was found on Cabo San Lucas's main hotel strip in June.

READ MORE: Cabo San Lucas beheadings: Cartel killings traumatize resort town as heads found in cooler

Now Playing: Leaked police body cam footage shows Mexican officers ambushed by a cartel attack. Video: Vocativ

But the biggest blow came on Aug. 22, when the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning advising tourists to steer clear altogether.

"Group tourism automatically went down the moment the warning hit," said Carlos Gosselin, head of the hotel association for Cancun and Puerto Morelos. Many insurance companies likely won't even consider offering coverage in areas under advisory, hurting conventions and events in the area, he said.

Mexico is reinforcing security in popular tourist spots to get the State Department to revise its views, and companies including Hilton Worldwide and Marriott International are spending millions to make guests feel safer. Their motivation is clear: Barclays estimates that a drop in tourism could wipe out as much as 0.5 percentage point from Mexico's gross domestic product growth this year.

"Lower tourism activity will definitely have an impact on growth," said Marco Oviedo, head of Latin America economic research at Barclays. "External tourism is one of the most important sources of income in the current account."

RELATED: Report: 3 headless bodies left in Mexican street with decapitated heads in sombreros

Mexico gets about $20 billion a year from tourism. With murders quadrupling in Los Cabos and doubling in Cancun this year, a chunk of that revenue may be at stake. Quintana Roo, the state where Cancun is located, is the destination of a third of all the nation's international tourists.

In Los Cabos, local and federal authorities are teaming up with hotels, time-share companies and the airport operator to step up the area's security.

The group is spending $50 million to increase surveillance cameras to cover the 20-mile main stretch that includes hotels, restaurants and public beaches. A new military facility, paid for in part by the private sector, will be built near a highway to respond to any activity spotted on the cameras. It is set to open in the second quarter of 2018.

"We understand and appreciate that travelers are more concerned than ever about their safety and security and we have rigorous security procedures in place at all of our hotels in Mexico," Marriott said in an emailed response to questions. "Mexico continues to be a desirable destination for visitors from around the world and we've had very few cancellations for Holiday season due to this matter."

But the slowdown in Los Cabos since the travel warning is starting to show in other areas. International passenger arrivals dropped 2 percent in September, the first decline in three years, and compares with a 20 percent average gain for most of this year, according to airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico SAB and the Los Cabos Tourism Board. Other factors such as hurricanes and earthquakes in recent months contributed, said Rodrigo Esponda, managing director of the tourism board.

RELATED: South Texas Boy Scout leader says more kids are joining cartels than scouting troops

American Airlines Vacations, which packages trips to beach destinations in Mexico, said business had been rising about 25 percent from a year earlier - until the travel warning torpedoed demand. Meanwhile, the online-booking site Best Day Travel Group has also seen a slowdown in reservations for the end of the year, said Director Julian Balbuena. Los Cabos is the hardest-hit destination with a 6 percent drop, he said.

"We were having a good year for Mexico in particular," said Eduardo Marcos, president of American Airlines Vacations.

Gosselin, from the hotel association, said the travel warning went too far and may have been influenced by a shift in U.S. policies toward Mexico following the election of President Donald Trump. There are also signs the alert's effect on tourism is waning, he said, as the peso is still trading about 26 percent below its 10-year average. Marcos also said he thinks bookings will pick back up.

Even so, the hotel association is putting up 10 million pesos ($520,600) for a marketing campaign aimed at attracting more American tourists to Cancun hotels, Gosselin said. The move came after hotel occupancy growth fell from a clip of about 2 percent last year to a drop of about 10 percent, he said.

"Ninety percent of the economic activity here is tied to tourism," Esponda said in a phone interview from Los Cabos. "That's why security has to improve. We need tourism to continue improving people's quality of life - and it's a shared responsibility."

-With assistance from Mary Schlangenstein.
Count out University of Texas System Chancellor William McRaven as a potential challenger to Gov. Greg Abbott in 2018.

The retired Navy admiral said Monday in a statement that he has "no interest in running for governor or any other public office" after speculation in Texas and nationally about his potential political future.

His statement, which a spokeswoman said applied "broadly" beyond 2018, comes in the last months of his three-year contract as UT's chancellor and one week before the system's regents hold their next quarterly meeting. McRaven has not committed publicly to wanting to stay at UT beyond the end of his contract.

Texas Democrats lack a high-profile challenger to take on Abbott, a popular Republican who has already amassed a massive campaign war chest.

McRaven's name had arisen within the state and nationally as a potential opponent. Most recently, a former Democratic congressional aide penned a long column in The Hill urging Texas Democrats to "draft" McRaven.

"Texas Democrats should rise to the occasion and draft the best man for the mission, the best candidate for the post, the best leader who can lift the state and nation by serving in government as he served in uniform  with character, integrity and valor," Brent Budowsky wrote in the piece.

McRaven, 61 years old, came to the UT System in 2015 after a long military career, where he was responsible for the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

As chancellor, he's weighed in on touchy political issues in the state and nationally.

This fall, he urged collegiate athletes to stand during the National Anthem, though he emphasized that those who chose to kneel had his "full support to exercise their rights as citizens."

After President Donald Trump called the news media the "enemy of the American people," McRaven told journalism students that he viewed that sentiment as "perhaps the greatest threat to democracy in my lifetime."

And during a promotional tour for his 2017 book Make Your Bed, based off his University of Texas at Austin commencement speech in 2014, he backed former FBI Director James Comey's testimony before Congress.

Speculation about his interest in politics is not new. Some writers considered whether he would run for president in 2016, and Time reported that McRaven was on a list of preliminary vice presidential names sent to Hillary Clinton in March 2016 when she was the likely Democratic nominee.

In Texas, weeks before the gubernatorial filing deadline, no high-profile candidate has signed on to lead the Democrats' ticket.

"This is when many Democrats start talking about fantasy candidates," Rice University Baker Institute political science fellow Mark Jones said.

McRaven, Jones said, has the "star quality" and leadership experience to be on the party's "silly season" speculation list.

"There's a tendency in both parties to want to choose a unifying figure, and that tends to be somebody who has military experience, who is often seen as apolitical but also extremely competent," University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus said.

Both analysts said McRaven running as a Democrat would face slim odds against Abbott in a state dominated by the Republican Party.

The state's partisanship and McRaven's high-profile failure in expanding the UT System into Houston would have given McRaven "no chance whatsoever" in 2018 against Abbott.

McRaven purchased hundreds of acres in Houston in 2015 for an undefined system project.

He never received Abbott's public support on the project and saw blowback from state lawmakers during the legislative session before calling off the expansion in March.

"It doesn't sound like a particularly good career move to resign as chancellor to launch out on a long-shot bid to defeat the most popular politician in the state of Texas," Jones said.

A gubernatorial race would also require McRaven to take stands on topics including abortion and immigration, Rottinghaus said, which could erode support among Republicans who approve of his job running UT.

Though he may have more crossover appeal than other Texas Democrats, any race would still be an "uphill battle," he said.

McRaven's three-year contract at the UT System ends in January.

He said in June that his future with the system depends on whether he and regents share the same vision for UT and whether the board wants him as chancellor. His purchase of the Houston land saw pushback from Abbott-appointed regents.

"If some of the things that have occurred over the last couple years have created friction for the board, ... if I'm not adding value to the University of Texas System, then maybe I'm not the right guy for the job," McRaven said at a June event sponsored by the Texas Tribune.

In July, he called regents "fantastic" but said the board had not discussed his future with the system.

"That will come in time," he said after a meeting.

Lindsay Ellis writes about higher education for the Chronicle. You can follow her on Twitter and send her tips at lindsay.ellis@chron.com.
We are on the precipice of something horrible. Well, at least something horrible to me.

If you wake up late this Sunday morning - rushing to get ready for church, brunch with the inlaws or whatever you do on a Sunday - only to get out of the house with nary a minute to spare and rush to your destination, you will find out you're there early. Like an hour early.

Then it dawns on you: daylight saving time has ended. We have pushed out clocks back an hour.

Granted, the advent of smart phones and watches have made this happenstance less likely, there are many of us out there who still enjoy the art of a clock not connected to the Internet. I will spend my Saturday night going through the house, changing clocks (I think I counted nine that will need to be set).

For those of us in the greater Houston region, daylight savings time means little other than a big inconvenience. Do we really need for the sun to shining for an extra hour during the summer months? Who is the person who decided we need to have the sun set at 8:25 p.m. on the first day of summer? It really sounds like an electricity provider's dream. More hot sunlight pouring into homes late into the evening in the greater Houston region, requiring more electricity to keep air conditioner running.

If we must continue doing this stupid changing of the clocks, at least we "gain" an hour this time around.

In a society that has retreated indoors for most things, Daylight Saving Time makes no sense. Actually, in the Houston area it makes even less sense. What's the logic in keeping the sun burning late into the evening and driving up air conditioning costs?

At least we get a reprieve until Sunday, March 11, 2018. At 2 a.m. that date, we return to daylight saving time.

Election Day

If you have not voted early and want to have your voice heard, time is running out. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7.

For the electorate in west Harris County and Fort Bend County in particular, this election has some pretty enticing issues with bond issues galore.

School districts holding bond elections include Spring Branch ISD ($898.4 million), Katy ISD ($609.2 million), Lamar CISD ($445.4 million) and Stafford MSD ($62 million).

Also of note, Fort Bend County is asking voters to support the issuance of nearly $219 million in bonds to go toward 63 mobility projects countywide.

In the city of Houston, Mayor Sylvester Turner has led the charge in $1 billion pension obligation bonds to fund a portion of the unfunded liability of the city with respect to the Houston Police Officers' Pension System.

There are also elections scheduled for the city of Bellaire, Missouri City and Weston Lakes.

If you are eligible to vote and have not done so already, vote. It is the right thing to do.

For information on voter registration and locations in Harris County, go to www.harrisvotes.com; in Fort Bend County, go to www.fortbendcountytx.gov.
Jamie Brewster, the long-time executive director for The Upper Kirby District, (UKD) will retire after 30 years of visionary leadership for the organization which started as a merchant's association in the 1980s.

The district's deputy director, Travis Younkin, will take the reins starting Nov. 1 to continue Brewster's legacy in shaping the Upper Kirby District into one of the most successful, innovative and well-run commercial districts in the country.

Since 1988, Brewster has overseen the evolution and growth of the Upper Kirby District and the creation of its umbrella organizations: Upper Kirby District Foundation, Upper Kirby Management District or HCID (Harris County Improvement District) 3 and the Upper Kirby Redevelopment Authority or TIRZ (Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone) 19. Upper Kirby District's commitment to economic development and the redevelopment of underperforming properties has proven to be the catalyst for change and growth in Upper Kirby, which is located west of South Shepherd Drive, east of Buffalo Speedway, north of Bissonnet Street and south of Westheimer Road.

Some of the stellar accomplishments for the Upper Kirby District, spearheaded by Brewster, include:

Planning and implementation of beautification efforts, tree plantings and major thoroughfare pedestrian streetscape improvements along all major thoroughfares within the District, including Kirby Drive

Overhead utility burial implemented along Kirby Drive and Buffalo Speedway and underway on Westheimer

installation of public art created by noted sculptor James Surls on Kirby Drive, known as "Surls on Kirby"

The transformation and re-development of Levy Park, a six-acre urban oasis offering numerous amenities to community members, which has become a popular destination for Houstonians and out-of-town visitors

More than $75 million in storm drainage and street reconstruction as a result of TIRZ 19 and HCID 3 efforts.

"Without the tireless devotion and endless energy of Jamie Brewster, none of us would be enjoying the tremendous success of the Upper Kirby District," says Robert Axelson, chairman of the Upper Kirby Management District. "Jamie is a 'force of nature' in first creating, then shaping, the UKD. Jamie's action words are all positives: 'can do,' 'will find a way,' 'why don't we try.' She has made an indelible difference in the quality of life within the City of Houston through her UKD contributions."

"I have had the incredible privilege of knowing and working with Jamie Brewster for more than 20 years," says Maureen Sanders, board chairman of the Upper Kirby District Foundation. "Jamie always had a plan to execute a long-term vision, and now that vision is being enjoyed by the residents of Houston who visit the Upper Kirby District and in particular, Levy Park, every day. All of these enhancements with Jamie's fingerprints on them have forever changed the quality of life in this area, and it took Jamie's endless energy to make it happen."

"In the beginning of the Upper Kirby District, there was Jamie Brewster," says Syd (Buddy) Bailey, chairmen of the Upper Kirby Redevelopment Authority. "Because Jamie is a vision caster and is perhaps impossible to say 'no' to, she was able to build and equip an exceptional, collaborative team of board members, employees and volunteers. With her guidance, this team coordinated with the City to address the district's needs in anticipation of its redevelopment, forging public/private partnerships which will enhance the quality of life in the UKD for generations to come."

Brewster, who has a background in urban planning, worked as a project manager in the 1980s for Marshall and Company, a design, building and construction marketing and image firm, where she made contacts that would lead to her position at Upper Kirby District. She met with several community leaders and businessmen in 1987, including Tommy Dickey, Lonnie Schiller, Hub Fossier and Sonny Penner, about the possibility of heading up the creation of a Merchant's Association in what is now called Upper Kirby.

"When Sonny Penner and I first met with Jamie 30 years ago to explore creating an entity that could represent the various businesses, landowners and residents to improve the area, we laid out a number of the problems we thought were most in need of a solution," says Dickey. "Jamie impressed us with her fearless desire to take on challenges and with her ideas on how to get it done. We told her we would get back with her. She called two days later to see if she could have the job and then several days after that. I finally had to admit that we had no office, no office furniture and no real grasp yet on how we could pay her a salary. Her response? 'I'm in. When can I start?'"

The idea was that the association would evolve into a Management District. Brewster offered to assist on a volunteer basis and was then offered the job overseeing the merchants' group three months later. No funds were immediately available to support her salary, but she was able to raise money over the next few months from businesses and property owners in the area to launch this venture.

Office space was donated initially, and Brewster was responsible for soliciting memberships and for the creation of both the Merchants Association and the eventual Management District, begun in 1997. The Upper Kirby District Foundation was founded in 1996 as a vehicle to begin the redevelopment of Levy Park and the surrounding properties as a central community gathering place. The first project of the Foundation was the acquisition of 3015 Richmond Ave. adjacent to Levy Park, which served as an incubator for local nonprofits until 2015.

For more information about the Upper Kirby District, visit upperkirbydistrict.org or call 713-524-8000. You can also check out Facebook for updates.
At 5:14 p.m., Officer Marcotte was dispatched to a disabled vehicle at 6900 IH 610 southbound. The driver was found to have Houston municipal warrants and was arrested. She was also found to have Xanax pills and methamphetamine residue in her purse and was additionally charged with possession of a controlled substance.

At 11:35 p.m., Officer Ortega was dispatched to the 4800 block of Locust in reference to a family disturbance. Upon arrival, Officers met with the victim who stated her ex-boyfriend made entry into her home without her consent and assaulted her. The suspect was placed into custody for burglary of habitation with intent to commit assault.

At 2:30 p.m., Officer Schwausch was dispatched to the Bellaire High School conference room to meet with HISD Police Officer Rodriguez in regards to an assault case he was handling. Upon further investigation, a robbery was found to have occurred at the 5100 block of Valerie Street involving 5 suspects causing bodily injury to a 16 year old male and stealing his shoes.

At 5:45 p.m., Officer Liccketto conducted a traffic stop in the 5900 block of the West Loop N/B on a silver Acura. During the course of the investigation, the temporary license plate displayed on the vehicle was found to be fictitious. The driver was arrested and transported to the Bellaire Police Department for booking.

Oct. 15

At 12:02 a.m., Officer Clisham was on routine patrol in the area of 5700 Newcastle when he observed a vehicle stopped at a green light with a subject that appeared to be asleep behind the wheel. After making contact with the subject and further investigation, said subject was placed into custody for possession of marijuana. The Harris County District Attorney's Office advised Officer Clisham the above mentioned subject was a candidate for the Harris County Misdemeanor Marijuana Diversion Program. Said subject agreed to participate in the program and was released from custody.

At 7:58 p.m., Sgt. Hefferin was patrolling the area of the 5200 block of Bellaire Boulevard westbound. Sgt Hefferin observed the suspect vehicle a tan Dodge Ram 2500 stopped for the light at the 5200 Bellaire W/B and Bissonnet. Sgt Hefferin conducted a computer query and found the vehicles registration to be expired. Sgt Hefferin conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and the driver was found to be operating a motor vehicle with a suspended driver's license and no proof of financial responsibility. The driver was later arrested and transported to the Bellaire jail without incident.

At 3:30 p.m., Officer Lysack was on patrol in the 6200 block of Interstate Highway 610 Northbound. Officer Lysack conducted a computer query of the license plate on a tan Ford Ranger and was alerted the plate was expired from August 2016. Officer Lysack conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and upon further investigation the suspect was placed into custody for driving while license invalid and transported to the Bellaire Jail for processing.

At 7:15 p.m., Officer Liccketto conducted a traffic stop on a white Ford Expedition for speeding in the 5200 block of West Loop South. During the investigation, the driver was found to have a suspended driver's license and no proof of financial responsibility. The driver was arrested for driving while license invalid enhanced and transported to the Bellaire Police Department for booking.

Oct. 16

At 2:57 a.m., Officer C. Barber was dispatched to a possible intoxicated driver in the 5100 block of Bellaire. Officers made contact with the suspect vehicle and driver and after speaking with the driver, and performing Standardized Field Sobriety Test's (SFST's), the driver was arrested for suspicion of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI).

Oct. 17

At 3:32 a.m., Officer Jenkins was dispatched to Prospect Place concerning a disturbance between a male and female in a white car. Officer Jenkins observed a white Chrysler 300 traveling northbound on Prospect Place and stopped the vehicle. The female was arrested on an outstanding warrant and the male subject had red glassy eyes and smelled of alcohol. The driver was slurring his speech and had to be asked a number of times to answer the same question. The driver did poorly on the Standardized Field Sobriety Test and provided a sample of his breath, a BAC .186 and a BAC of .184

At 6:28 p.m., Officer Liccketto conducted a traffic stop on a red Nissan Altima for failing to signal lane change in the 4500 block of Bissonnet. During the investigation, the driver was found to have a suspended driver's license with a previous conviction. The driver was arrested for Driving While License Invalid Enhanced and transported to the Bellaire Police Department for booking.

At 11:04 p.m., Officer Bellard was loading his vehicle for the start of his shift at 7008 S. Rice Ave. when he observed a vehicle drive by him at a high rate of speed. Officer Bellard observed the vehicle traveling at 60 MPH in a 35 MPH zone and also run a red light. Officer Bellard initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and after further investigation the driver was arrested for driving while intoxicated.

At 6:37 p.m., the suspect entered 5200 1/2 Bellaire Blvd. The suspect asked for extra services and was denied. The suspect became agitated and robbed multiple people inside the location at gunpoint. The suspect fled the location on foot and was quickly captured by Bellaire Officers. The suspect was charged with two counts of Aggravated Robbery.

At 11:46 a.m., Officer Vorhees was dispatched to the Bellaire Police Department in reference to an identity theft. The victim stated an unknown person used their identity and credit card information to purchase items with their credit card without their permission.

Oct. 19

At 12:06 a.m., Officer Ortega, while on stationary traffic in the 8100 block of Chimney Rock Road, observed the suspect vehicle approaching at a high rate of speed. Officer Ortega observed the suspect vehicle to be traveling at a speed of 49 mph in a 35 mph zone. Officer Ortega initiated a traffic stop on suspect vehicle. The suspect vehicle travelled from the 8300 block to the 8900 block of Chimney Rock Road before completely stopping. During the investigation, it was discovered the driver lied about her identity and had outstanding warrants for her arrest. The passenger had an outstanding warrant for her arrest. The driver was charged with fail to identify-fugitive from justice and the passenger was places into custody for failure to appear warrant.

At 6:46 p.m., Officer Younger was dispatched to 5200 Bissonnet St. in regards to the suspect dancing in the middle of the road in front of traffic. Officer Younger arrived at 6:48 p.m. and made contact with the suspect. The investigation found the suspect being placed into custody and charged with failure to identify fugitive from justice.

Oct. 20

At 12:42 p.m., Officer Schwausch was patrolling the 6700 block of the IH 610 southbound when he observed a silver Mitsubishi Galant travelling in front him with expired registration as of 07/2017. Officer Schwausch initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and found the driver was driving with a suspended driver license with no proof of financial responsibility or insurance. The driver was arrested for driving while license invalid-enhanced.

At 10:49 a.m., Officer Younger contacted Bellaire Dispatch of a criminal mischief report at 4301 Bissonnet St. Officer Younger made contact with the victim who advised a window to his vehicle had been broken but nothing from the vehicle was stolen.

At 4:24 p.m., Officer Liccketto was dispatched to 5959 West Loop North in reference to a theft. The reportee stated while she left her office, an unknown person walked into her unsecured office and took various electronics. When the reportee returned she noticed her property missing and called the Bellaire Police Department.

At 7:33 a.m., Officer Schwausch was dispatched to the 4900 block of Pine Street in reference to a theft. The victim stated her dry cleaning was stolen from her front door by an unknown suspect at 3:48 p.m. Oct. 19.

Oct. 21

At 12:01 a.m., Officer Proctor was patrolling the 6800 block of Chimney Rock Road N/B when he observed a grey Toyota Corolla in fornt of him, blocking a moving lane of traffic at the intersection of 6800 Chimney Rock Rd. and 5400 Bellaire Boulevard. Officer Proctor observed the vehicle sit in the lane without moving as the traffic light turned from red to green multiple times. Officer Proctor initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and attempted to make contact with the driver. Officer Proctor observed the driver passed out in the driver's seat with his foot on the brake and the vehicle in drive. Officer Proctor also observed an open container labeled "Busch" in the center console of the vehicle. Officer Proctor also observed multiple unopened cans labeled 'Busch' in the front passenger floorboard. After further investigation, Officer Proctor determined the driver to be intoxicated. At 12:16 a.m., Officer Proctor placed the driver into custody for driving while intoxicated and transported him to the Bellaire Jail for booking.

At 3:03 a.m., Officer Clisham initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle in the 6600 block of IH 610 West Service Route for having a defective right headlight. After making contact with the driver and further investigation, the driver was placed into custody and charged with possession of marijuana.
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A man wielding a screwdriver and scissors was shot and killed by police early Tuesday after a pair of robberies at a CVS and a McDonald's, according to Houston police.

The morning violence began around 6:30 a.m., when a robber hit up a Southside Place CVS, police said. It's not clear what he may have taken, but afterward police say he hopped on a Metro bus to flee the scene.

A few minutes later, he turned up at a nearby McDonald's in the 5500 block of Bellaire, where police say he tried robbing the restaurant with customers inside before assaulting and injuring a manager.

READ ALSO: FBI data reveals Houston's most dangerous suburbs

"We do not know the extent of those injuries right now, but we do not believe they are serious," Executive Assistant Chief Matt Slinkard with Houston Police Department told reporters afterward.

Both Bellaire and Houston police rushed to the scene in response to calls about a suspicious man in the area.

When they encountered the suspect McDonald's, police say he refused to drop his tools, so two officers - one from each department - fired Tasers.

"It's our understanding the suspect was struck by at least one of those Tasers but it had no effect," Slinkard said.

But the suspect allegedly charged at police, until an HPD officer opened fire. It's not clear how many shots were fired, but at least one struck the suspect, who was rushed to Ben Taub Hospital where he later died.

Authorities did not immediately release his name, but later identified the officer who fired the fatal shots as 25-year veteran Officer T. Conner.

"As is customary in an investigation like this, any officer involved in an officer-involved shooting will be on administrative duty while we conduct our investigation," Slinkard said.

The Homicide Division Special Investigations Unit, the Internal Affairs Division and the Harris County District Attorney's Office will all investigate the killing.

"Obviously we're very fortunate that no officers and no other citizens were seriously injured as part of this incident," Slinkard said. "Of course, any loss of life is always very tragic. We take that very seriously."

Afterward, a mass of police vehicles snarled rush hour traffic as officers shut down Bellaire between Renwick and Mapleridge to investigate.
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Rosenberg Police arrested five individuals suspected of burglary on Sunday, Oct. 29, three of which are brothers.

Police said they responded to a call about a person with a gun at a home near the 1200 block of 7th Street.

When authorities arrived, they spotted a green sedan leaving the scene and detained the vehicle for a traffic stop.

BUSTED: Prostitution sting in Travis County nets 17 people

At the scene, other officers were interviewing a family that said several men forced their way into their home as they slept. One of the family members told police they were assaulted by the alleged burglars, including being pistol-whipped by one of the individuals.

Police said that after assaulting the victim, the suspects fled using a green sedan.

Rosenberg Police arrested Fredis Berrios, 41; Takoda Taylor, 19; Harley Taylor, 17; Dominic Hernandez, 19, and Thomas Taylor, 21.

DATA: Houston neighborhoods with the most registered sex offenders

All five suspects were charged with burglary of a habitation with intent to commit a felony, a first degree felony, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second degree felony.

Berrios, the oldest suspect, also was charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon, a Class A misdemeanor. His bond at the Fort Bend County Jail is set at $77,000 while the rest of suspect's bonds are set $75,000.

See which Texas cities have the most violent crime above.

Fernando Ramirez is a reporter for Chron.com and the Houston Chronicle. You can read more of his stories here and follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93


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A Mexican national set to die by lethal injection next week in Huntsville is begging courts for a stay of execution as part of a last-minute appeal over DNA testing in a case that has sparked pushback from south of the border.

A lawyer for Ruben Cardenas Ramirez filed papers Monday in the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals seeking to reverse a lower court's refusal to allow testing on fingernail scrapings from 16-year-old Mayra Laguna, who was murdered and tossed in a canal in 1997.

Her cousin, a high-school dropout born in Mexico and raised in Texas, later admitted to the crime and was sentenced to death. But his lawyers argue the confessions were coerced and potentially exculpatory DNA evidence should be looked at before his Nov. 8 execution.

READ MORE: Texas set to execute Mexican national amid international dispute

"His conviction and sentence of death were obtained through the use of unreliable, coerced and false evidence, and DNA testing that is meaningless by today's scientific standards," attorney Maurie Levin wrote in Monday's filing.

Now Playing: Isiah Factor Uncensored Video: Fox 26 Houston

"The growing numbers of exonerations - a majority of which involve evidence like to that used to obtain Mr. Cardenas' conviction - compel the recognition that our system is fallible. Justice demands that Mr. Cardenas be given the opportunity to pursue the forensic testing that could exonerate him."

The Hidalgo County District Attorney's Office had not yet filed a response by Tuesday afternoon.

"We will reserve any comments about this appeal until we do so," prosecutor Ted Hake said in an email, pointing to earlier Hidalgo court filings for the state's position.

In October, prosecutors argued that test results weren't enough to prove Cardenas would not have been convicted and that the convicted man may have just been trying to delay his death date.

"This guy is guilty as sin," Hake said earlier this month.

Although courtroom battles over DNA testing could be Cardenas' best shot at avoiding the Huntsville death chamber, it's the alleged treaty violations that have prompted sharp rebuke from Mexico.

In the immediate aftermath of the Guanajuato man's arrest, authorities allegedly neglected to notify the Mexican consulate, and later failed to hold a review required by the United Nations' international court in The Hague.

"It's a significant treaty violation," Gregory Kuykendall, an Arizona attorney authorized to speak on behalf of Mexico, said last week.

"What separates us from anarchy is our commitment to due process and that's the processes of the laws that are in effect in both the United States as well as internationally. Our treaty commitments reign supreme."

But prosecutors say that there's no mechanism to hold the legal review required by the World Court, and in 2008 and the nation's highest court found that international treaties weren't individually enforceable.

This isn't the first time Texas has scheduled an execution amid controversy over possible treaty violations. In 2008 and over protestations from Mexico, the state put to death Jose Medellin, a convicted killer at the center of a high-profile Supreme Court case.

Even before the international legal saga, the case had already gained notoriety for its sheer brutality. In 1993, Medellin and five other men raped and slaughtered two teens - Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Pena - in a Houston park during a bloody gang initiation.

The case netted five death sentences, though two were later commuted to life because of the defendants' ages at the time of the slayings.

Then three years ago, another Houston case drew sharp condemnation south of the border when the state executed cop-killer Edgar Tamayo, another Mexican national allegedly not informed of his right to notify his country's consulate.
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For drinking during this World Series, Gina Mescall recommends something light. She said Karbach Brewery's "Love Street" brew or a simple Lone Star are particularly good options for five-hour games like Sunday's.

She and other local bartenders said they're on pace for record tips and sales this month thanks to the cascade of customers in the city for the World Series and Halloween festivities.

On Monday afternoon, Mescall showed Home Plate Bar and Grill's few patrons how she's contorted her body to weave through weekend crowds that have packed the establishment across from Minute Maid Park.

"We've been slammed," she said, estimating a 50 percent uptick in her tips.

Others have seen similar windfalls.

"Our phone hasn't stopped ringing," said Kristina Wass, a bartender and manager at Lucky's Pub.

"The best week ever," said Greg Kusiak, general manager of Little Woodrow's, which sits across St. Emanuel Street from Lucky's.

And it's not over yet.

One day before Game 6 in Los Angeles on Tuesday - and with the Dynamo still in the middle of its own playoff push - Houston bars and restaurants were preparing for another round of enthusiastic fans.

Houston has handled similar crowds before, notably during the Super Bowl that earlier this year brought thousands of out-of-towners to the city. But what surprised bar owners this week is the way huge groups of fans from around the globe have interacted.

Fights have been rare, they said, and even the most inebriated patrons have been too distracted by the series' historically close play to do anything other than watch in wonder.

"Everybody is just taking this in," said Daniel Hernandez, 34. "Time is just flying by."

He and his brother Manuel Hernandez, 37, flew in Friday night from their hometown of Los Angeles and have spent most of their time since either watching games 4 and 5 inside the park or drinking local craft brews and scarfing down Houston barbecue.

They were surprised by the goodwill of their opponents' fans, especially considering the level of play between the two 100-plus-win teams.

"People have been fantastic," Mescall said, echoing her patrons' claims. "They're drinking all morning and all day long. Normally that's not a good combo.  But the excitement is so overwhelming."

A few yards away, at Minute Maid Park, a dozen or so Astros fans caught glimpses of their favorite Astros loading onto buses headed to the airport, then Los Angeles.

Inside, stadium officials were readying for a Game 6 watch party that could bring as many as 20,000 people to the stadium - a massive increase compared to previous such events.

"We literally are getting updates (on numbers) all the time," said Dena Propis, senior communications manager for the Astros. "It's obviously a clinch scenario, and it's totally different as far as the stakes."

That could mean fewer customers at HTX Fan Tavern on Texas Street. But bar owner Michael Collins isn't worried.

"It's been like three opening days in a row," he said of the final three games at Minute Maid.

Next door, Mescall said there are no big, new plans for Game 6. And don't even ask about Game 7.

"We're gearing up for the parade," she said, of a celebration that would follow an Astros win. "We're optimistic. Actually, optimistic is an understatement."

Others are playing it by ear.

"This threw a wrench into everyone's plans," said Neil Fernandez, owner of Neil's Bahr.

Normally, he'd be focused on Halloween, a key holiday for his comic-filled establishment. But this week, he said, his bar is like others readying for overflows of fans.

"It's Game 6," he said. "Halloween obviously has to take a back seat."
Ken Stubbe

The author of a monumental new work concerning the Civil War and its impact on Southeast Texas, including Fort Bend County, will discuss her topic at the Tuesday, Nov. 21, quarterly meeting of the Fort Bend County Historical Commission.

The meeting, which begins at 3 p.m., is booked in the main meeting room of the Gus George Law Enforcement Academy, 1521 Eugene Heimann Circle in Richmond. The public is invited and admission is free.
The Fort Bend County Narcotics Task Force intercepted a large amount of methamphetamine on U.S. 59 in the Richmond area Tuesday, Oct. 24.

While working highway interdiction, a unit on the interdiction team conducted a traffic stop of a Chevy Malibu for a traffic violation on U.S. 59 North at Williams Way Boulevard in the Richmond area. During the roadside investigation, the interdiction detective and his K-9 partner, "Jakie," located 56 pounds of crystal methamphetamine in a box located in the trunk of the vehicle.
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On Oct. 19, the Fort Bend County Fire Marshal's Office received the Texas Fire Marshals Association's Achievement of Excellence Award and a Letter of Appreciation from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement at the Annual Texas Fire Marshal Conference in Austin.

The achievement award is an annual recognition of organizations for performance excellence in fire prevention. Established in 2008 and administered by TxFMA, the official state chapter of the International Fire Marshal's Association, this award is the only formal recognition for performance excellence of organizations given by TxFMA.
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A Richmond man jailed in connection with a shooting following a recent speech by white nationalist Richard Spencer at the University of Florida is allegedly a white supremacist who attended a number of events over the last year organized by extremist groups, according to information recently released by the Anti-Defamation League.

Tyler Eugene Tenbrink, 28, was arrested on felony charges of attempted homicide along with brothers William Henry Fears, 30, and Colton Eugene Fears, 28, of Pasadena. The three men allegedly yelled "Heil Hitler" while driving by a group protestor, triggering an altercation in which Tenbrink reportedly fired a gun.

OUTCRY: Confederate flags at Texas high school spark controversy on social media

According to the Alachua County Sheriff's arrest report, the three men jumped out of a Jeep to confront people protesting Spencer's event. The men allegedly made Nazi salutes and shouted chants about Hitler at protestors. Tempers flared and Tenbrink reportedly pulled out a gun.

Police say the Fears brothers urged Tenbrink to pull the trigger, allegedly yelling "kill them" and "shoot them."

Tenbrink was reported to have fired the gun but missed protestors, striking a nearby building. The men then fled in their Jeep but were later arrested by police.

Officials from the ADL, which monitors extremist groups, say Tenbrink first caught their attention as a White Lives Matter activist in the Houston area and attended events organized by white supremacist groups such as Vanguard America and the Daily Stormer book club.

ADL officials have traced his activism to a number of events including the torch march and Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., last August; a June 18 white supremacist rally on the steps of the Texas Capitol; Richard Spencer's speech at Texas A&M in December last year; and a October white supremacist protest in front of the Houston ADL offices.

Tenbrink remains in a Florida jail on a $3 million bond. A convicted felon, he also faces an additional charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

William Henry Fears

ADL officials say William Henry Fears is an active white supremacist with ties to several white supremacist groups in the state, including Vanguard America and Patriot Front, an alt-right group that recently broke away from Vanguard America. He has also participated in events organized by a group of Houston area white supremacists said to promote the "White Lives Matter" movement.

Last September, he reportedly protested an Anarchist Book Fair in Houston with members of the Patriot Front, Daily Stormer book clubs, and the Houston Goylers and protested with others over the removal of the Robert E. Lee statue in Houston. He also attended the August torch march and Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., in November of 2016 and helped organize a white supremacist rally on the Texas Capitol steps last June.

Colton Fears

Colton Gene Fears is considered by ADL officials to be the least active of the three and was first documented as part of the white supremacist movement when he participated in a protest of the Houston Socialist movement while armed with an assault rifle. He also attended the August torch march and Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in November of 2016 and participated in a white supremacist rally on the Texas Capitol steps last June.

The Fears brothers remain in jail on $1 million bonds. All three suspects have filed not-guilty pleas according to court records. A Florida Grand Jury is expected to review the evidence in the coming weeks and decide whether to issue an indictment.
Not everyone can have 123,000 plus square feet of educational space named for them.

On Oct. 22, 2017, Fort Bend Independent School District Superintendent Charles Dupre and district trustees dedicated what was known as Elementary #48 in Sienna as Donald Leonetti Elementary. The school slogan and lion mascot are synonymous with Leonetti, who was known as a man with the spirit of a big kid with a lion's heart.

The months-old formed fourth- and fifth-grade choirs sang a rendition of the song "Tomorrow Needs Us Today" under the large lion mural in the school's auditorium before Donald's widow, Jennifer, and his mother, RoseAnn, took the podium as keynote speakers.

Their words shook the cavernous space with both laughter and tears as they spoke of Donald, whose company Leonetti Graphics, has designed and in many situations, donated T-shirts, logos and signs for a wealth of FBISD schools for almost two decades.

Jennifer relayed how it was only after his death that she and her family realized the breadth of his impact on the community. With a smile she told of how he was an amazing husband, father, brother, uncle and friend.

He was also a great businessman. With his partner and best friend Paul Price, he converted a former Missouri City fire station into the corporate headquarters of the company.

Leonetti Elementary is located in Missouri City at 1757 Waters Lake Blvd.

Jennifer relayed how he was "that guy" who would buy a coat for someone homeless on a cold night, mentor youth and businessmen alike, and leave "thinking of you" notes along with a caricature on the toilet paper.

His mother RoseAnn talked of how as a single mother bringing up two children, it took "a village" to raise them, crediting her parents, brother Damon Leonetti and his wife Candy with the tremendous influence they had on Donald's giving nature. She spoke of how Donald kept a promise to his grandfather and at age 19 legally changed his name to Leonetti. In an emotion filled voice, his mother also spoke of the fact that two years after his tragic passing, she wasn't hearing his name as often and how sad that had made her. "Now," she said, " he will always be remembered."

Lion's principal Joy Schwinger's address to the audience echoed the traits the Leonettis had spoke of in Donald in her goals for her teachers and students: Family first, a positive attitude, a strong work ethic, service to others and to have fun while achieving these.

Schwinger said she had not known Donald personally, yet after the naming of the school was announced whether it be while she was interviewing teachers or in line at a store, people would say to her "I knew Donald" and then go on to share their Donald story.

The schools pledge sums it up: "We are the Leonetti Lions. We are kind and we are smart. We are the Leonetti Lions. The strength of our pride is in our heart."

On July 17, 2014, Donald Joseph Leonetti, 45, was fatally shot during an armed robbery in the 4000 block of Greenbriar in Stafford.
Mayor Sylvester Turner told a federal judge Tuesday that two homeless encampments on city property have doubled in size since the court halted a city ban on temporary structures, creating a public health hazard and a threat to public safety.

Testifying in defense of a city ordinance passed last spring, Turner said the ban allowed for a delicate balance, asking people to take down tents and offering them shelter. Many of those in the encampments, he said, do not engage with city personnel offering alternatives.

"Our hands are tied. They now have total power. They own the public space," he said, referring to homeless people who have set up couches and grills in improptu tent cities that have made some people fearful of walking through public spaces.

He said there have been shootings and stabbings.

"A person has died," the mayor said.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt ruled in August that the city's fledgling ban amounted to "cruel and unusual punishment" under the Eighth Amendment. "The evidence is conclusive that they are involuntarily in public, harmlessly attempting to shelter themselves  an act they cannot realistically forgo, and that is integral to their status as unsheltered homeless individuals," Hoyt wrote in his ruling.

That temporary ruling required a three-week follow-up, which was delayed due to complications caused by Hurricane Harvey.

Civil rights lawyers returned to Hoyt's court Tuesday to formalize the temporary halt of the ordinance banning public encampments. The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, which represents three homeless plaintiffs in the class-action suit, asked for the emergency injunction to keep the judge's order in place until a trial can be held on the merits of the case.

Lawyers for the city called the mayor to testify, along with the mayor's adviser on homeless outreach and a Houston police sergeant on the outreach squad.

Turner said his aim is to reduce homelessness by providing safe housing, and portrayed the ordinance as "a gentle nudge" to encourage people to move into shelter beds and to discourage long-term camping with hot plates, couches and mattresses along with rotting food and public defecation. The two main camping areas where populations have grown are near Minute Maid Park and near the old Sears store in Midtown, according to testimony.

The premise of the ordinance is to discourage people from erecting temporary shelters on public property, according to Stephen Wick, a Houston police sergeant who founded the Homeless Outreach Team to help the chronically indigent people who end up on the street for a variety of reasons. There's no law against sleeping there, but there's a problem when people start accumulating piles of stuff, he said. Officers offer shelter and must warn people before issuing citations.

Mark Eichenbaum, a special assistant to the mayor on homeless initiatives, testified that he had made verbal agreements with the major city shelters to open their doors to homeless people who want shelter at any hour of the night. He said the shelters agreed to allow people to stay in the shelters' overflow areas regardless of whether the beds are full or their doors are closed for the night.

The City of Houston also called Dr. David Persse, the mayor's director of emergency medical services and public health, who issued several orders of abatement regarding the unsanitary conditions at the two major encampments. He said the situation became unhealthy at one point, though the city has since addressed those issues.

"People were living there amidst, in some cases, urine and feces," he said. "There was a very large amount of urine and feces. Piles of it, inches and feet. There was so much excrement both from people and birds that anyone going through it would be at risk."

A civil rights attorney for the homeless plaintiffs asked Persse if the situation would be any different if the bird droppings were falling directly on people rather than on their tents. No, he said.

The judge indicated he would hear arguments at a future time before ruling on whether to extend his halt to the camping ban.
An abandoned supermarket where Stella Link meets South Braeswood is the unlikely home to hundreds of displaced animals at one of Houston's no-kill animal shelters.

Over the weekend, Houston Pets Alive! hosted its first official adoption event at the temporary Hurricane Harvey shelter location. The Pawloween event waived adoption fees for all-aged cats and dogs and aimed to find homes for as many of them as possible.

"We want to make sure that all of our pets get out of here and into their forever homes," said Miranda Hitchcock, a Maddie's Executive Leadership fellow for Austin Pets Alive! "If a free adoption event is what gets the community out here and thinking about it, then that's what we're going to do."

At the event, 29 dogs and 21 cats were adopted.

for Tina Elizondo and daughters Gaby, 10, and Ava, 5, it was a 2-year-old shorthaired tortoise-shell cat that caught their eye.

"It was a surprise for the girls. I saw that there was this event and I thought we could go and see if we can save a kitten," Elizonso said. "My youngest loves animals, and we found the cat that was just perfect for her, they're already in love."

This location of Houston Pets Alive! was a product of the chaos that Hurricane Harvey created. Sister organization Austin Pets Alive! mobilized before the hurricane to clear local shelters to make room for the inevitable foray of strays and rescues that would follow the storm.

"Initially we stayed after the storm to help HPA with the rescue efforts and get animals out of the floodwaters into a safer spot," Hitchcock said. "We found this abandoned supermarket and abandoned bank and set up shop to hold strays and other pets who couldn't go with their owners to the shelters after they evacuated."

Now, the temporary shelter has turned into a massive rescue operation for Houston Pets Alive! They have seen more than 2,000 animals come and go in the past two months, and have since implemented a larger effort to pull animals from municipal shelters where they would otherwise be euthanized.

"Obviously, this is not the ideal facility, and we don't have as many volunteers and staff numbers as we'd like in order to give these animals the care they need, but we'll continue to save lives as long as we can, and we'll rely on this community and events like Pawloween to do it," said Hitchcock.

Hundreds of animals at Houston Pets Alive! are still looking for homes, but volunteers and staff say they are in it for the long haul. The temporary shelter at 8620 Stella Link, will be open for adoptions every day of the week from noon to 6 p.m.
Everyone is getting into the Halloween spirit this week, including a handful some of the tiniest, newest Houstonians.

This week, the Texas Children's Pavilion for Women is celebrating Halloween by pairing some of the babies recently born at the hospital with little pumpkins, creating a seasonal collection of scary cute photos.
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The powerful Dallas congressman Jeb Hensarling announced he would not seek reelection Tuesday, citing the end of his tenure as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and a desire to spend more time with his children.

"There are only a few years left before they leave and make their own way in life. I want to be there for those years," he said. "Although service in Congress remains the greatest privilege of my life, I never intended to make it a lifetime commitment, and I have already stayed far longer than I had originally planned."
AUSTIN  The state's association of criminal defense lawyers has withdrawn its amicus brief to a Texas high court which is expected to weigh in on whether Attorney General Ken Paxton's special prosecutors are owed back pay.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars are at stake.

The Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association filed a brief with the Court of Criminal Appeals Friday in support of the special prosecutors' quest to be paid, an issue the prosecutors argue could have far-reaching implications for attracting quality lawyers to take appointments to complicated cases.

However, the group representing 3,200 members yanked its amicus brief Tuesday morning, saying procedures published on the group's website were not followed and "this brief was in fact not authorized to be filed by TCDLA."

According to David Moore, president of the association, the executive committee is supposed to vet recommendations forwarded by chairs of an amicus committee and decide whether to authorize the filing. None of that happened, he said, but added the executive committee could meet in several weeks to decide whether and how to move forward.

The Court of Criminal Appeals is expected to decide in the next few weeks whether to continue exploring the case.

The decision to pull the brief speaks to the touchy politics surrounding Paxton. One of his criminal defense lawyers, Dan Cogdell, said in a statement he wanted to "express my grave disappointment in the impropriety of the filing of such a pleading in a case of this magnitude and am gratified that the proper steps to correct the situation have begun."

Brian Wice, one of the special prosecutors who spearheaded the fight for his team's back pay shot back with his own statement: "I'm at a loss to understand just why Mr. Paxton's defense team is in such an absolute lather about an amicus brief that is one of the most well crafted I've seen in 38 years as an appellate lawyer."

The amicus brief was one of several filed weighing in on the pay for a trio of Houston lawyers  Wice, Kent Schaffer and Nicole DeBorde  who were tapped to build a case against Paxton, a first-term attorney general under indictment on three charges of securities fraud.

The question over pay for special prosecutors has become a long, winding tangent in the criminal case against Paxton, a tea party favorite who was indicted in July 0f 2015 in his home of Collin County. He faces two first-degree felony charges of securities fraud and a third-degree charge of failing to register as an investment adviser.

Paxton has maintained his innocence. His allies have convinced judges in the lower courts the pay promised to special prosecutors busts a local cap on how much appointed attorneys can be paid. The special prosecutors say they are owed about $200,000 in back pay and say local rules in Collin County and throughout much of Texas give judges discretion when deciding how much to pay appointed attorneys in special circumstances.

Paxton is running for reelection to the state's top law enforcement job in 2018. His wife, Angela Paxton, is also seeking office. She is running for Senate District 8 north of Dallas.
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A nearly $61 billion state plan to rebuild Houston and the Texas coast after Hurricane Harvey includes funding for three "coastal spines" to control flooding, new reservoirs and buyouts of thousands of properties.

IN THE GALLERY: Highlights of Texas' spending plan for Harvey-related improvements and repairs.

About 60 percent of the funding would go to "future proof" flood-prone areas and 33 percent would pay for buy-outs and elevating buildings in low-lying regions stretching roughly from Rockport to the Beaumont area and parts of Southeast Texas where Harvey hit hardest.

Now Playing: As Rockport recovers from the strongest storm to hit the area in more than 50 years, business owners there are working to open their doors. Video: Fox7

Gov. Greg Abbott and top Texas leaders briefed top Washington officials and the Texas legislative delegation Tuesday afternoon on the previously undisclosed plan.

Much of the funding would go to the Houston area -- Texas' largest city and the fourth largest in the United States.

The plan appears to mirror much of a longstanding plan in Harris County to buy out properties in the most flood-prone areas.

For the first time, Texas leaders pushed up the official total damage estimate from Harvey to an estimated $180 billion, up from $150 billion. The state's new request for federal funding includes only part of that, covering only flood and hazard mitigation and for public infrastructure such as schools, government buildings, roads and bridges.

The initial reaction from Washington officials to the request: Surprise at its size and scope.

That could mean that approval of the full amount will be a tough sell with Congress and the White House, coming at a time when hurricane damages to Puerto Rico and Florida, and losses in California to wildfires, are also in line for billions more in federal disaster funding.

But Rep. Randy Weber, R-Friendswood, was hopeful. "Just like the Astros, we're going to get 'er done," Weber said in a reference to the World Series.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, gave little indication of the prospects for the governor's request. As for the $61 billion figure, Cornyn said, "We're working on a number. We don't have a number."

Later, Cornyn said in a statement that "it's really important for us to remember that there's a lot of work that we need to do in responding to some of the unmet disaster needs around the country, starting with Hurricane Harvey in my state."

"And we look forward to continuing our work with the Administration and members of Congress to make sure that we address these unmet needs."

Added Cornyn: "The reason I bring that up today is because Governor Abbott of Texas is up meeting with the entire Texas delegation to make sure that we continue to make the case and make sure that Texans are not forgotten as we get to work on these other important matters as well."

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was also circumspect about the prospects for Abbott's request, though he emphasized that the Texas delegation will remain united with the governor in getting the Gulf region all the aid it can from Washington.

"Repeatedly, projections have shown that Harvey is likely to prove to be the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history," he said. "The president has repeatedly made direct assurances to me that the administration will stand by the people of Texas."

As to whether the government might raise or borrow the money, Cruz said, "those discussions will be ongoing."

John Sharp, who heads the Governor's Commission to Rebuild Texas, said Tuesday that the list of projects was developed from a list of needs by county and local officials, plus U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects that could mitigate the potential for future storm damage.

Sharp said the list is not all-inclusive, and that other key local projects in Harvey-devastated areas could be added.

"This level of additional federal assistance is vital to restoring the economy of the Texas Gulf Coast and is consistent with federal aid in past disasters such as Hurricane Katrina," Sharp stated in a letter accompanying the briefing documents, a copy of which was obtained by the Houston Chronicle.

Harvey made landfall near Rockport on August 26, and for nearly a week wreaked havoc on more than 300 miles of coastline and more than 100 miles inland, with winds topping 130 mph. Some areas got more than 50 inches of rainfall. More than a third of Texas' 254 counties sustained significant damage.

The storm is listed as the most costly in U.S. history.
The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p.
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Controlled chaos abounds in The Play That Goes Wrong The show must go wrong. Thats the plan for Clarence High Schools upcoming performance of the aptly named The Play That Goes Wrong, which will be presented at 7 p.m....

WNY Foster Closet is making spirits bright this Christmas Many adults can remember waking up unreasonably early on Christmas morning, rousing their parents and racing down the stairs as fast as their little feet could carry them, eager to...

Meet In The Center ready for holiday season With October in the rearview mirror, its about time to start penciling in holiday events on the calendar, and the Meet In The Center merchants association is ready for the...
AKRON, Ohio - Bandar, the Akron Zoo's new male Sumatran tiger, has been acclimating to his new home since October and is now on exhibit.

Bandar, who was born at the Smithsonian National Zoo on Aug. 5, 2013, has roots in Akron. His father, Kavi, was born at the Akron Zoo in 2001.

"Bandar is a very laid-back cat and has a curious personality," said the zoo's animal curator Eric Albers in a news release. "We're excited to have Bandar here as an ambassador for all Sumatran tigers."

It was a challenging summer for the zoo and its big cats.

In August, the zoo euthanized Sumatran tiger Leonidas after he was diagnosed with advanced liver disease at six-years old. In July, snow leopard Roscoe, 14, was euthanized after being diagnosed with a fast-growing bone cancer.

Sumatran tigers are critically endangered primarily because of habitat loss from palm oil plantations. Tiger populations are also declining because of illegal poaching for pelts. Only 400 Sumatran tigers are estimated to be left in the wild.

As one of only about 230 zoos accredited by the Association of Zoo and Aquariums, the Akron Zoo participates in the Sumatran Tiger Species Survival Plan.

Starting Nov. 1, the Akron Zoo is open from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. and admission is $7 per person. For more information visit the Akron Zoo website or call 330-375-2550.

Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.com's Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail received a timely chunk of support last week from the Clean Ohio Trails Fund in the form of a $500,000 grant for Stage 1 of the five-mile, $56.5 million project.

The latest grant would help complete the short, but problematic section of trail between Harvard Avenue and Steelyard Commons by late 2019. The section runs from the north end of the Cleveland Metroparks Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation at Harvard Avenue around the edge of the former Harshaw Chemical plant.

One rung at a time

"We just keep climbing the ladder, one rung at a time," Tim Donovan, executive director of Canalway Partners, said Monday. "We're not done with our match funding, but it was a good win for us."

A $5 million grant for Stage 1, previously made by the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program through the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, requires local matching funds, Donovan said.

The Clean Ohio grant brings the remaining amount needed to complete the local matching amount for Stage 1 to $750,000, he said.

"That's well within reach," he said. "We feel good about that."

Canalway Partners and collaborating agencies have raised $53 million, or nearly 95 percent of the total required to complete the four stages of Cleveland portion of the Towpath by 2020. The Partners include Cuyahoga County, the City of Cleveland and Cleveland Metroparks

Cuyahoga County was the applicant for the $500,000 grant from Clean Ohio.

Reclaiming history

The Towpath, a regional project aimed at reclaiming and revitalizing landscapes along the route of the 1832 Ohio & Erie Canal, will extend 101 consecutive miles from Cleveland south through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Akron, Massillon, Canal Fulton, Bolivar and points beyond.

The sections in Cleveland are among the last to be completed in the project, which has been in the works for more than two decades.

The Harshaw plant produced enriched uranium for the U.S. military from 1944 to 1953, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which has ordered a cleanup by BASF, the current owner.

Bob Nelson, BASF senior manager for communications and community relations, said in an email Monday evening that the company "is working with the U.S. EPA and other local and national stakeholders to clean up the former Harshaw Chemical site on Harvard Ave.

"BASF inherited the site in 2006 as part of a larger acquisition, but has never manufactured on the property," Nelson added.

Earlier version of Stage 1

An early version of the trail right-of-way would have required building an elevated section passing underneath the Harvard Denison Bridge, skirting the north side of the Harshaw property. That proposal proved to be prohibitively expensive, Donovan said.

The four partnering agencies leading the Towpath project recently found it was possible under federal funding rules to build the trail along Harvard Avenue and Jennings Road to reach Steelyard Commons.

Stage 2 of the trail was completed in 2009. Stage 3 from Steelyard north into Tremont is under construction.

Portions of Stage 4, which will reach from Scranton Road Peninsula to Canal Basin Park on the Columbus Road Peninsula, also await completion. Some $2.25 million needs to be raised to finish those gaps, Donovan said.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Progressive Corp. plans a $30 million expansion in Highland Heights, bringing 900 new jobs.

The Mayfield-based insurer, which employs about 9,000 locally, was approved for a 12-year tax credit for nearly $63 million in new annual payroll. The Ohio Tax Credit Authority today said it approved a 2.35 percent job creation tax credit. In exchange, Progressive agrees to maintain the operations for at least 15 years.

The expansion will also help retain nearly 10,000 jobs, according to Team NEO, the economic development organization focused on creating local jobs. Those retained jobs have a total payroll of about $819 million

The incentives were approved today by the Ohio Tax Credit Authority in Columbus. The Progressive project was among several statewide announced today by Ohio Gov. John Kasich in a news release.

There were hints Progressive could have opened its new operation in another state.

In a statement, Progressive Chief Human Resources Officer Lori Niederst said the insurer chose Northeast Ohio for its expansion because of a talented labor pool and a business-friendly environment.

"Progressive has called Northeast Ohio home for 80 years. We know it's a great place to live, work and play and we're pleased to be adding jobs here," Niederst said in the statement in a Team NEO news release. "We are committed to attracting and developing the top talent in this area to help us meet our goal of becoming the number one choice and destination for auto and other insurance."

The company today didn't indicate when the construction or hiring will begin. The expansion is expected to be finished by December 2021.

"We're early in the planning phase," said spokesman Jeff Sibel. The new facility will be next to an existing Progressive building in Highland Heights, he said, adding, "We're looking forward to working with the city to finalize our expansion plans."

Progressive expects to open the new location to "accommodate increased business needs related to company growth," according to the state. The workforce will include some "qualifying work from home employees," most of who will work in customer service and headquarters duties.

Team NEO said in a statement that a group including representatives from its office, JobsOhio and the Greater Cleveland Partnership worked together on the Progressive expansion project.

Bill Koehler, CEO of Team NEO, said in a statement that officials are glad Progressive is expanding locally. He added that Ohio is second only to New York City for the number of headquarters for U.S. banks and insurance companies, saying Ohio is "a premier location for businesses given its financial services, innovation network, abundant tech-savvy talent and top-rated banking business climate.

"We are committed to helping Progressive and the rest of this sector grow and thrive in Northeast Ohio," Koehler added.

Joe Roman, president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Partnership, said in a statement that Progressive's investment shows its "continued confidence in Greater Cleveland's business environment."

Progressive provides property insurance provides insurance for both individuals and businesses for autos, homes and other property. It is the nation's fourth-largest auto insurer, behind State Farm, Geico and Allstate. It has more than 33,000 employees.

The tax credit was technically granted to Progressive Casualty Insurance, Progressive Specialty Insurance and Progressive RSC.

Plain Dealer reporter Michelle Jarboe contributed to this story.
Strangeways brings Kiss tunes back to pub

With Hogans Goat and Hubba Hubba, Saturday, Dec. 2, 7:30 p.m., in the Ballroom. Tickets for the all-ages show are $15.

Strangeways is a Billings-based Kiss cover band, that have drawn huge crowds locally and performed last summer at the Sturgis motorcycle rally.

Hogans Goat is a Nashville rock band named for the smelly goat of Scotish legend. For the band, the legendary goat perfectly symbolized their unorthodox style, that which is anything but unnoticeable.

The bands first show (at SXSW, on the rooftop of The Blind Pig) was part of an all-Nashville non-country showcase. Soon after, they returned to Nashville, competed in BMI's "Road To Bonnaroo" (winning the fan vote) and played many other shows around the Nashville area. In March 2016, Hogan's Goat began recording their first, self-titled LP.

Hubba Hubba is a group of musicians in Billings who were mutual admirers of each others music. United by a common desire to play funky-dance jams they all stopped avoiding the inevitable and gave in to the funk. They pride themselves on their positive melodies and their high-energy live shows.

Yellowstoned and Dead Presleys join for holiday show

Saturday, Dec. 23, 8 p.m., Pub Station. Tickets for the age-21-plus show are $10.

Yellowstoned and Dead Presleys are co-headlining Dead Presleys Second Annual Holiday Show at the Pub Station. Things are getting festive as the bands create a musical winter wonderland. Fans are encouraged to join the bands in dressing up, with prizes awarded for best holiday attire.

Known for their positive-loving vibe, Yellowstoned is a psychedelic reggae dub-hop collective from Billings. The band has shared the stage with The Movement, The Wailers, Jon Wayne & The Pain, Sol Seed, TAUK, and others.

Groove Rock. Thats as simple as Dead Presleys can describe themselves. If youre not tapping your toes or banging your head, theyre not doing their job. Drawing from blues, punk rock, R&B, 80s hair metal and pretty much everything else, Dead Presleys can hit you with a blistering fuzz-rocker one minute and follow it up with a slow soul ballad the next.

Coming off the 2017 release of their debut album Muses and a summer full of shows, festivals and writing, the music is getting groovier and the live shows are getting sweatier. Kerry Sherman (Vocals/Guitar), Colton Gabel (Drums), Zach Reiter (Bass) and Tyler Cook (Guitar) arent letting the foot off the gas.

Righteous Vendetta returns Dec. 29

With Wake Me. Friday, Dec. 29, 8 p.m. Tickets for the all-age show are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.

Righteous Vendetta is ready for battle, driven by the fire of the classic new wave of American metalcore movement, with a fresh melodic bent. They are primed to decimate the airwaves and the stage, with a unifying message of hope and inspiration, all delivered with smoldering intensity.

Arising from humble, small-town origins, Righteous Vendetta offer positivity and encouragement against adversity, with a sound of defiance and power.

The bands new album for Century Media Records, Cursed, arrives after a long season of writing, rewriting and refining. It was a process that resulted in a definitive mission statement for the quintet, laying the blueprint for the bands evolving creative identity. Cursed was produced and mixed by Mitch Marlow (In This Moment, Stitched Up Heart).

They effortlessly combine the diverse melodic Swedish death metal of vintage In Flames with the spirit-filled pop-melodicism of Anberlin, easily appealing to fans who grew up listening to albums like "The End of Heartache," by Killswitch Engage, and "Shadows Are Security" by As I Lay Dying. Theres even a bit of the SoCal hardcore-meets-Pantera fury of Throwdown, not as much in overt sonic thunder as in energetic, steadfast perseverance.

Righteous Vendetta is a band that knows what it means to fight for everything theyve got, to earn respect with integrity, to standup and be counted, to surpass and defy all expectations by delivering the goods on an awe-inspiring scale. The music is metalcore for the underdog, a new collection of anthems for a generation hungry for music thats authentic and pure.

Reggae's New Kingston tops Feb. 15 bill

With Yellowstoned, the Late Ones. Thursday, Feb. 15, 8 p.m. Tickets for the all-ages show are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.

New Kingston is a progressive reggae group whose members combine their Jamaican heritage with the urban sounds of their New York home.

New Kingston is a family band consisting of Panton brothers Tahir, Courtney Jr., and Stephen, along with their father, Courtney Sr.

A first-generation Jamaican-American, Courtney the elder was active in New York's reggae scene before turning his sons on to the music of their island heritage. Born out of jam sessions in the family's Brooklyn basement, the brothers began their career playing Bob Marley and Earth, Wind & Fire covers at parties and gatherings around the neighborhood.

By 2010, they'd become focused on their own writing, which fused R&B, hip-hop, and dancehall with traditional reggae sounds. With each brother writing and offering vocals, Courtney Sr. filled in on bass. Following their self-released debut, In the Streets, New Kingston went on a European tour with rising reggae star Collie Buddz, playing a number of prominent festivals.
If you want to sign up for health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace, youll have to act quickly. The open enrollment period has been shortened for the 2018 coverage year. The sign-up period begins Nov. 1 and ends on Dec. 15, 2017, for insurance coverage that begins Jan. 1, 2018.

While shopping for a plan online at healthcare.gov, youll get a clear picture of the cost, compare plans based upon your health needs, and choose the combination of price and coverage that fits you and your family. RiverStone Healths specially trained application counselors can help you choose a plan, but make your appointment early, since available time slots fill up early.

To get ready to apply for coverage or meet with an application counselor, youll need to gather some information about yourself and your household. The checklist includes addresses, birth dates and Social Security numbers for everyone in your household who is applying for coverage. The application may ask about income and other information from tax returns, and any current health coverage through an employer or other source.

As you shop, keep in mind that the lower your monthly premium cost, the higher the out-of-pocket costs such as co-payment and deductibles. The higher the premium, the lower the out-of-pocket costs. Once you fill out the Health Insurance Marketplace application, you will know immediately if youre eligible for tax credits to lower the cost on your monthly premiums. If you are uninsured, the only way to get a tax credit to lower your costs is to buy your insurance through healthcare.gov.

Through the Marketplace at healthcare.gov, you can also find out if you qualify for the Montana HELP Plan. In 2015, the Montana Legislature expanded Medicaid to create the HELP plan for Montanans whose income was too high to qualify for Medicaid and too low to buy Marketplace insurance. The HELP Plan, through Blue Cross Blue Shield, is open to 19-year-olds through 64-year-olds, depending on income and family size. Unlike the Marketplace plans, if you qualify for the Montana HELP Plan, Medicaid, or Healthy Montana Kids, you can enroll at any time of year.

Once you get health insurance, its important to know how to use your coverage wisely. Your insurance should work to keep you healthy, not just help pay for treatment when youre sick. One way to start using your insurance wisely is to establish a trusting, ongoing relationship with a primary care provider who can take care of your basic needs in non-emergency situations. Your health insurance company typically provides information on which providers are in your network. In-network providers will usually cost you less than out-of-network providers. If you have questions about your coverage, call the member service number on your insurance card.

Once the open enrollment period ends on Dec. 15, 2017, you can only get coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace if you qualify for a special enrollment period based on life changes. Some of those qualifying life changes include a recent move to Montana, loss of coverage through a job change, or a change in income or marital status. If you are an enrolled tribal member, you may enroll in coverage at any time.

Thousands more Montanans now have the health coverage and access to medical care they need to live healthier lives thanks to the Affordable Care Act and the Montana HELP Plan.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks game wardens are looking for information about two spike elk that were killed recently south of Big Timber and illegally left to waste.

An adjacent landowner found the two dead elk on Sunday, Oct. 29, on Forest Service land near Green Mountain, between the East Fork and main stem of the Boulder River.

FWP game warden Derek Fagone said it appears the animals were shot and killed late Friday evening or early Saturday. The perpetrator removed a small amount of meat and teeth from one of the elk, but the remainder of the elk and another spike bull were left to waste. The poacher built a small warming fire next to the two dead animals.

Anyone with information about the poaching is encouraged to call Fagone at 406-860-7809 or call FWPs 24-hour tip line at 1-800-TIP-MONT (800-847-6668) and qualify for a cash reward of as much as $1,000 for information leading to a conviction of the persons responsible for the illegal waste.
CORNWALL, Ontario  The Cornwall Community Police service is asking the public for their assistance in identifying a man involved in an armed robbery.

On October 30th, 2017 at approximately 8:30 pm. a male suspect entered Jean Coutu, located at 5 Ninth St. E. and proceeded to the Pharmacy Department at which time the unknown male pulled out a black pistol and demanded prescription medication. The man then left the store with an undisclosed quantity of prescription medication. The man is described as being approx. 56, thin build, wearing a dark green construction jacket with reflective stripes, black pants and black shoes and wearing a black balaclava with his hood over his head.

If you have any information about this crime, please contact D/Cst. Joseph at (613)933-5000 ext. 2422 or ext 2404 to leave anonymous information. With your help we can make Cornwall a safer place for all to enjoy. For photos visit the CCPS Facebook page or Twitter.
Bighorn River guide and Montana Untamed outdoor columnist Bob Krumm will be the featured speaker at the Tuesday, Nov. 7, meeting of the Magic City Fly Fishers Trout Unlimited chapter.

Krumm will talk about the many changes to the Bighorn River fishery, primarily associated with the major high water year we just experienced.

Magic City Fly Fishers will also announce their new fundraising campaign to raise awareness of the restoration of native Yellowstone cutthroat trout. The meeting is free and open to the public and starts at 7 p.m. Come early to visit and enjoy refreshments.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has awarded Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks a $50,000 grant to assist with wolf management.

Half of the grant funding will go toward wolf collaring and management actions for problem wolves. The other half will assist a joint effort by FWP and the University of Montana in developing whats called the Patch Occupancy Model for estimating wolf populations.

POM incorporates data on territory and wolf pack sizes along with hunter observations and known wolf locations in an attempt to get a more accurate estimation of wolf populations. It is a cheaper undertaking than previous efforts since it incorporates data analysis rather than direct counting.

Wildlife advocates have complained the data is too unreliable and point to Montana's 2016 wolf report showing a minimum of 477 wolves, which is down from 536 wolves counted in 2015, as proof of a falling wolf population.

"Though the minimum count is down, we've long held that these minimum counts are useful only in ensuring Montana's wolf population stays above the federally mandated minimum threshold," said Bob Inman, FWP carnivore and furbearer program chief, in a press release. "The minimum count is not a population count or an index or estimate of the total number of wolves."

RMEF also provided grant funding to FWP in 2015 for development of the Patch Occupancy Model.
The northwest corner of Stuart Conners Billings home should be breathing a sigh of relief.

After more than a half century of adding taped interviews, cabinets full of correspondence, 200 files on specific archaeological sites, hundreds of color photographic slides and books on history, archaeology and anthropology to weigh down the corner office, Little Big Horn College library staff have been slowly hauling the collection to Crow Agency.

I just had to face the fact that I was mortal and had to get rid of this stuff, Conner said, worried that if he didnt oversee its relocation all of his hard work might have been consigned to obscurity.

Its a massive donation, said Jon Ille, an archivist for the schools library who has been sorting through the 40 linear feet of boxes. I thought it was not going to take too long because he was really meticulous in how he processed things.

Ille has been working on the donation since June and hopes to have everything done by the end of the year.

Its only the second time weve taken a donation that isnt specific to the Crow, he said. Theyre usually from community members or the Crow Tribe. But this is such a rich collection we thought we should take it.

The spark

Conner, 93, has been obsessed with Montanas history and pre-European history since a Harlowton friend, Harlin Lucas, first showed him a small box full of stone arrowheads in 1958.

I was totally unfamiliar with such things in Montana, he said, and was instantly intrigued.

Lucas agreed to take Conner to a buffalo jump, his first.

Before I knew it I was taking archaeologists from the federal government to some of these sites, Conner said. Before I knew it I was up to my ears in it.

Conner wasnt interested in digging up artifacts, or even picking up arrowheads. Instead, he wanted to describe and photograph the rock art, vision quest sites, Indian battlefields, caves, buffalo jumps and old timber lodges that were still standing.

Not only did he collect information from sites, he collected newspaper clippings and everything else, said Larry Loendorf, a Billings-born archaeologist who often collaborated with Conner. So its a real treasure trove for anybody interested in history.

To find and document sites he nurtured a friendship with Crow historian Joe Medicine Crow and tape recorded about 50 oral histories and interviews with Medicine Crow and other tribal members, which have already been digitized for use at the Little Big Horn College library.

These interviews have also served to inform the interpretation of these sites by archaeologists and historians and have provided a Crow voice of traditional knowledge recognized on equal par with standard non-Crow academic interpretation, wrote Tim Bernardis, Little Big Horn College librarian, in an email. In addition, many of the archaeological sites in this region are Crow related, and Stu's documentation of these sites only adds to the general body of knowledge of Crow history and culture available to both the Crow people and outside researchers.

FBI background

Conner was born the son of a minister in Chicago, but spent much of his youth growing up in Livingston. In the summer his parents would drop him off at the nearby Pine Creek campground with a cache of canned food to spend the week unsupervised with his brother. They were only about 11 or 12 years old. In his senior year his father was transferred to Billings and Conner graduated from Senior High in 1942. One summer he spent helping build structures at a Japanese internment camp in Wyoming.

After joining the Marines but never being deployed, he attended college at the University of Montana where he studied law. From there he was recruited into the FBI and eventually was attached to a team investigating communist activities. It was there that he developed his meticulous skills for gathering and recording information. He would have stayed in the FBI but he didnt want to raise his family back East, where he was stationed. So he quit and started a law firm with a partner in Billings.

Conners research, along with others like Medicine Crow, was credited by some for being the basis of the establishment of Pictograph Caves and Chief Plenty Coups state parks. Although never a schooled archaeologist or anthropologist, Conner was recognized by the Montana Historical Society for such contributions.

His formal career in which he made his living was as an attorney, and with his typical humility he describes his archaeological and ethnographic career as an avocation, Bernardis wrote. Be that as it may, Stu is recognized as a true professional and even the foremost authority in many areas of archaeological work by his peers in the field of archaeology. And as Stu says, his work was a labor of passion and love. This is where his heart lay.

Ive never even had a 101 course, Conner said. It was strictly an avocation, but I went at it very studiously.

He also noted that it was just a hell of a lot of fun.

Connected

Conners studious nature included correspondence with archaeologists from the Smithsonian, who he accompanied on their trip down the Bighorn River before Yellowtail Dam was constructed, to document sites before the 70-mile long canyon was flooded to create a reservoir.

From that trip Conner wrote a memorandum, one of many that he would send to other people he knew, for comment, eventually building a network of information exchange.

So they in turn would start sending him stuff that he would disseminate back out, Loendorf said. One time he sent out a memo to 30 or so people and told them, Dont send me any more material. Shortly after, I started telling him about something I discovered and he said, Send me a copy of that. He could not give up the notion of collecting.

Conners connections helped him create an unprecedented collaboration between federal and state agencies along with the Crow Tribe to fund the first archaeological survey of the Pryor Mountains, Loendorf said.

Speculating

Conner took Loendorf under his wing when he was still an undergraduate. Together they romped across the West in search of archaeological sites and the pictographs and petroglyphs that adorned many of them.

Once (Loendorf) got into rock art, he has opened it up to other kinds of archaeologists and opened their eyes to the value of rock art, Conner said.

Asked if it bothers him that he will never fully understand what the rock artists were trying to convey, Conner said, It doesnt bother me a damn bit. Its been delightful speculating.

In Conners mind the pictographs and petroglyphs served many purposes, from ceremonial to simple bragging.

For instance, the shield-bearing warriors might have been saying, Isnt my shield a good-looking one? You can guess forever. Its really difficult to be overconfident, although a lot of people are, dangerously so, from a standpoint of accuracy. Who knows?

Once the Conner collection has been cataloged, Ille said much of it would be available to the public online. Parts of the assemblage will appeal to archaeologists and historians, Ille said, while other portions, like the recordings, would be of interest to Crow tribal members.

I hope it will be of use to the Crow, Conner said. Theyve been awful good to me.
Internet of things News

Francisco Partners Acquires IoT Security Company Comodo's SSL Business, Bill Holtz Appointed CEO

Lindsey O'Donnell

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Comodo on Tuesday announced that private equity firm Francisco Partners had acquired a majority stake in its certificate authority (SSL) business, Comodo CA Limited.

Damon Kachur, head of IoT solutions at Comodo, told CRN he hopes that Francisco Partners' investment will support the company's accelerated growth and global footprint around IoT solutions.

"For our channel partners this means a large investment in what were doing around our IoT channels and ecosystems," he said. "Well be able to make those investments quickly with the support of Francisco partners  were bringing in more troops to increase our technology footprint overseas."

[Related: CRN Interview: GrayMatter CEO Talks About GE's Investment In Partners And How He's Successfully Pitching IoT To Customers]

Terms of the acquisition including price were not specified. As part of the purchase, Comodo CA has hired former COO of identity-based data security solutions provider Entrust, Bill Holtz, as CEO.

"The need to responsibly provide the required verification, oversight and operational management to encrypt network traffic and identify websites will only grow," said Holtz in a statement. "Trusted digital certificates will remain a fundamental requirement of todays network security infrastructure for eCommerce and new evolving IoT networks. Francisco Partners has a sound, smart and aggressive strategy for Comodo CA and Im delighted to join the team to execute their vision."

Bill Conner, the president and CEO of SonicWall, will also serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Comodo CA, according to the company.

The Clifton, N.J.-based company, which issues SSL certificates to ensure online traffic between a website and a user is encrypted, recently announced a new public key infrastructure (PKI) platform for IoT devices and networks that will allow device manufacturers and network providers to issue and manage PKI and SSK certificates for private IoT ecosystems.

IoT is becoming a larger part of the company's strategy as it generates more traffic and security risks, said Kachur, so SSL certificates become further entrenched in organizations security protocols.

Comodo has ramped up its investments in IoT over the past few months. The company last year introduced the Comodo Certificate Manager, a full-lifecycle digital certificate management platform that helps enterprises can better manage their IoT devices.

Comodo has partnered with several companies, including Device Authority, to help customers interact with and manage device certificates for their entire lifecycle, creating a new level of consistent, IoT device security. The company is also looking for silicon partners  including silicon manufacturers and SIM providers to "get customers the security they need along with the embedded world," said Kachur.
Bouncing Back

The first half of Lenovo's 2018 fiscal year has been turbulent, and the market will get a look at just how choppy the waters have been Thursday when the Beijing, China-based firm reports its second quarter results.

Lenovo is looking to bounce back from a first quarter in which it swung to its first quarterly loss in nearly two years. The company in recent months has faced challenges in key markets, as well as significant leadership change.

The company, which does nearly all of its business through the channel, also made changes in October to its channel program that were met with skepticism by partners and announced that it would lay off about 2 percent of its workforce.

Lenovo spent the better part of the last four years atop the global PC market, but saw that lead evaporate earlier this year. The company also launched a rebranded data center product lineup earlier this year, but saw worldwide server shipments decline significantly.

The company, which is traded on the Hong Kong stock exchange, is scheduled to report its second quarter results Thursday. Here are five things to keep an eye on.
FAIRFIELDPolice are addressing community concerns ahead of Halloween trick or treating after a pair of dogs seriously injured a 10-year-old boy who tried to knock on the door of a home on the 800 block of Stratfield Road.

We have also spoken to the dog's owner and advised him of the concerns regarding Halloween and kids trick-or-treating, Fairfield police said in a statement. He has assured us that the dogs will be kept inside the home that night.

The statement, published on Facebook and Twitter Monday night, appears to address an op-ed published in the Connecticut Post online Monday evening and in print Tuesday morning, Little known on Fairfield dog attack.

A Fairfield Police spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Halloween should be a time when children face imaginary threats not real ones, wrote Lisa Quirindongo, of Fairfield, in her letter, which called for legislation to hold dog owners responsible for maulings of children, ant to post warning signs.

(The homeowner) also mentioned that he has posted warning signs on the gate but they were stolen, the Fairfield police statement said. A new sign has since been posted.

The Facebook post did not address Quirindongos criticism of the police departments delay in issuing a warning about the dog.

Heres the full FPD statement:

The Fairfield Police Department understands that there has been a lot of concern over the recent incident on Stratfield Road where a dog attacked a child. The safety of our residents and visitors is our primary concern.

The Fairfield Police Departments Animal Control Division has been investigating the incident and has determined the dogs are kept behind a physical fence that surrounds the property with gates and an electronic fence as a back-up. The dogs are up to date with their required vaccinations and are licensed. We have also spoken to the dog's owner and advised him of the concerns regarding Halloween and kids trick-or-treating. He has assured us that the dogs will be kept inside the home that night. He also mentioned that he has posted warning signs on the gate but they were stolen. A new sign has since been posted.

Our Animal Control Officers issued a 14 day home quarantine as required by law and they are continuing to investigate this incident.

If anyone witnessed the incident please contact our Animal Control Division at (203) 254-4857.
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ANSONIA-Mayor David Cassetti will address the state of his city tonight during a multi-media presentation.

The event which is open to the public will take place at 7 p.m. in the new headquarters of Farrel-Pomini on Farrel Boulevard off Great Hill Road.

Cassetti and Shelia OMalley, the citys economic development director are expected to discuss the status of plans to rehabilitate the former Anaconda American Brass site, the proposed sale of the Ansonia Technology Park and Palmer buildings downtown and the planned purchase of 65 Main Street for a new police station. Additionally they will talk about the recent relocation of RugPad USA and the planned expansion at Better Packages.

Additionally the mayor will address the citys financial state.
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MILFORD  The family of a local teenager who fatally stabbed a female classmate to death in Jonathan Law High School three years ago after she declined his invitation to the prom have officially settled a civil suit with the mother of the victim.

Donna Cimarelli-Sanchez, the mother of murdered 16-year-old Maren Sanchez, withdrew her lawsuit Monday against Christopher Plaskon and his parents, David and Kathleen Plaskon, in Superior Court here.

The Plaskons lawyer, Edward Gavin, declined comment. The details of the settlement were not being disclosed.

Christopher Plaskon was sentenced June 7, 2016, to 25 years in prison after he pleaded no contest to murder for stabbing Maren Sanchez to death on April 25, 2014, with a steak knife in the hallway of the high school.

A week later, Sanchezs mother filed suit in Superior Court here against the Plaskon family and the Board of Education seeking damages for her daughters death.

The case against the Board of Education is scheduled to go to trial in May 2018.

More News Settlements reached in school stabbing death suit

Earlier this week however, the lawyers for Cimarelli-Sanchez asked a judge to modify the case schedule because they had worked out a settlement with the Plaskons.

Plaintiff has worked out a settlement with three of the five defendants: Christopher Plaskon, David Plaskon and Kathleen Plaskon. That settlement is pending in probate court, with a hearing scheduled for Sept. 19, 2017, and will require some time to complete even after the probate hearing, assuming probate approval of the settlement is granted, the motion states.

Cimarelli-Sanchezs lawyer, David Golub, did not return calls and emails for comment.

Sanchez was stabbed to death on the day of the Law High School junior prom.

Security video showed Plaskon arriving at school early that morning and wandering about the hallways, waiting for Sanchez. When he met up with her, Plaskon followed Sanchez into a stairwell, out of sight of the cameras, where he stabbed her in the chest and neck.

The lawsuit states in November 2013, Maren Sanchez reported to the high school guidance department her concern that Plaskon was emotionally disturbed and was threatening to commit suicide or acts of serious self-harm by cutting himself with a knife, and that she believed it was important for high school personnel to help Plaskon to prevent him from engaging in potentially violent conduct dangerous to himself or to others.

Plaskon was absent from school for a week after Sanchez's report about him to the school guidance counselor, then returned to school and continued to engage in self-destructive behavior, including cutting himself with a knife, and began bringing a knife to school with him, the suit states.

Plaskon's guidance counselor failed to advise the principal, school security or others in the school administration or the state Department of Children and Families of Sanchez's report, in violation of mandatory school policies and state law, the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit further alleges Plaskon's parents were aware that their son was engaging in self-destructive conduct with knives that was potentially dangerous to himself and others and failed to obtain proper medical treatment for him, nor did they try to prevent him from having access to knives.
The Crow Tribe's government took a major step earlier this month toward overhauling its judicial and criminal justice systems  changes that Crow legislators say would strengthen the independence of the tribe's three branches of government.

By a 14-0 vote, the Legislative Branch voted Oct. 19 to send the Crow Tribal Justice Improvement Act to Chairman A.J. Not Afraid, who has yet to act on the bill.

The legislation would create a Department of Justice within the tribal government, including stepped-up law enforcement on the Crow Reservation, where police under the direction of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Officers have long been considered stretched too thin to be effective. It would also would expand the Judicial Branch and require regular elections for all judges, some of whom serve as appointees under current law.

The proposal is the product of four years' work within the legislature and with members of the Crow Tribe to establish a more independent law enforcement and court system, Speaker of the Senate Eric Birdinground said in an interview Sunday.

This is a starting point, a foundation ... were wanting to change and move forward and to see all the inconsistencies that weve been seeing and find solutions, Birdinground said. I think that this is a good starting foundation that would move us to the future.

Within the Department of Justice, a newly created position of chief prosecutor, subject to nomination by the chairman and confirmation by the legislature, would assume the duties currently delegated to the office of tribal attorney general.

Under current law, tribal attorneys general serve at the pleasure of the chairman, which Birdinground said has historically allowed politics to be injected into how prosecutions of tribal members tended to play out.

It was customary for families that are experiencing prosecution, that they would in turn talk to the elected (officials) to reduce sentences, Birdinground said. Thats a main reason why Sen. (Paul) Hill has been advocating for this bill for a while now. With crime rising, the meth, the killings, its starting to be a real concern.

Both Birdinground and Hill, the Judicial Committee Chairman and one of the architects of the bill, cited this summers triple-murder in Lodge Grass and a years-long struggle with rising crime and drug abuse on the reservation as an incentive for expanding law enforcement on the reservation.

We hear about it, but theres nothing done about it. Some people Id see, people would be talking and saying this person died this way, and there was nothing being done about it, Hill said.

The bill would establish a Law and Order Commission consisting of seven appointees from different legislative districts to provide oversight for the Department of Justice. The panel would appoint a director to oversee the departments day-to-day operations, including separate divisions of law enforcement and drug enforcement.

The Judicial Branch of the tribe would also see significant changes, mostly intended to subject more judges to election, rather than the current system in which several of those positions are selected by the chief tribal judge.

Currently, the Judicial Branch of the tribal government consists of two courts. The Crow Tribal Court comprises a chief tribal judge and two associate judges, all of whom are elected to four-year terms. The appeals court, however, consists of a single appellate judge  selected by the chief tribal judge  who in turn selects from a pool of associate appellate judges to form the three-judge panel on a case-by-case basis.

Under the proposed changes, the composition of the Crow Tribal Court remain largely the same, but would include one additional associate judge. The appeals court, however, would consist entirely of elected officials, with one full-time chief justice and five part-time associate judges.

The changes to the court system are also aimed at attracting more economic investment on the reservation, according to Hill.

We look at other jurisdictions, they have stronger businesses, and as a tribe we need to be sure about bringing business in and having proper judges that can take civil cases, Hill said. We do a lot of sovereign immunities, we need to start making arbitration laws.

Although the bill passed the legislature unanimously, current Chief Tribal Judge Leroy Not Afraid has stated his opposition to the bill, although he declined to comment beyond an initial statement provided to the Billings Gazette.

The Crow legislature has proposed legislation that is looking to re-vamp the whole entire Crow judicial system, Not Afraid wrote in an Oct. 21 statement submitted to The Billings Gazette. The bill in its amended form is looking to unilaterally remove me from office without due process of law.

In a subsequent interview on Monday, Not Afraid declined to elaborate, stating, In order to maintain confidence in the judicial system my office declines to comment.

Despite the tribal governments ongoing impasse over the still-unsigned annual budget, legislative branch attorney Dawn Gray said the estimated $1 million price tag to expand the judicial branch and create the justice department would be covered under the budget approved by the legislature last month.

After the new justice systems initial year of operation, Gray said, the tribe will likely be able to cover much of the added cost under a grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Justice.
UPDATE: According to the state's attorney, the case against Chadd Sullo was dismissed.

STRATFORD - Police conducted an undercover internet prostitution sting arresting two alleged prostitutes and four alleged Johns.

Erica Calloway, 21, of Henderson, NV, and Yuyun Xu, 46, of Flushing, N.Y., were charged Tuesday with prostitution.

While Jason Flaster, 30, of Trumbull, Gandhi Nikunj, 38, of Wilton, Anthony Girardi, 30, of Bridgeport and Chadd Sullo, 27, of Milford, were charged with patronizing a prostitute.

All were released on written promises to appear in court.

Police said detectives placed advertisements on the websites Backpage, Cityvibe and Craigslist stating Hot Italian Looking 4 fun, with a telephone number.

In each case police said Flaster, Nikuni, Girardi and Sullo answered the ad and agreed to meet with an undercover officer posing as a prostitute in a room at Homewood Suites.

Police said each man was arrested after they handed money to the undercover officer and began undressing to have sex.

In the case of the two women, police said undercover officers answered advertisements on Backpage and agreed to meet each woman in a room at the hotel. The women were arrested after they accepted money to have sex, police said.
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The state has fined six nursing homes for various separate violations that jeopardized patient safety, including one in which a resident was struck by a nurse and others that resulted in residents suffering broken bones.

The Nathaniel Witherell in Greenwich was fined $1,940 for two instances, DPH said.

On March 24, a resident with Parkinson's disease, dementia and other diagnoses suffered a broken collarbone and broken right hip after falling onto the floor in a bathroom. The resident required supervision for standing and transfers, but a nurse aide left the resident alone for privacy, according to DPH. The resident was treated at local hospital.

On Sept. 22, a resident with hypertension was hospitalized for dehydration and severe renal failure, according to DPH. Investigators found the resident, who was at risk for dehydration, wasn't properly monitored for warning signs.

"We've replied with a corrective action plan, which was accepted" by DPH, said Allen Brown, Witherell's executive director. "They consider us now in full compliance."

Apple Rehab Saybrook in Old Saybrook was fined $1,750 after a resident fell and suffered a broken femur that required surgery.

The resident, who was at risk for falls, fell on Oct. 26, 2016, while being helped by a nurse aide to the bathroom, according to the state Department of Public Health. An investigation found the aide failed to use a gait belt when helping the resident to the bathroom, as required by facility policy. According to DPH, the aide was aware of the policy but wouldnt answer specific questions about the incident.

Each resident is unique and important to us and our goal at Apple Rehab Saybrook and Apple Inc. is to continually provide our residents with individualized care and services, said John Anantharaj, vice president of clinical services. Our policies and procedures that uphold residents dignity, safe transfers, prevention of falls and general well-being remain our highest priority and are reviewed regularly with staff for compliance and competency.

Chelsea Place Care Center in Hartford was fined $1,920 for an incident in which a resident reported abuse.

On Feb. 7, the resident, who suffers from bipolar and post-traumatic stress disorders, sustained cuts and abrasions to the mouth and forehead and a broken tooth after being struck six to seven times by a licensed practical nurse, according to DPH.

The LPN admitted to punching the resident and reported being choked by the resident who refused to leave another residents room. The LPN later denied hitting the resident, but the facility determined abuse occurred and the LPN was terminated, according to the citation.

The resident was taken to a hospital for evaluation, admitted for psychiatric treatment, and ultimately discharged to another facility on March 1.

We take this matter very seriously. The health, safety and well-being of our resident community remain Chelsea Place Care Centers utmost priority, said Michael Landi, chief operating officer of parent company iCare. The events in question were isolated in nature and are not representative of the high standards of care and service we demand from our employees.

Westside Care Center in Manchester was fined $1,740 after a nurse aide offered to obtain illegal drugs for a resident in exchange for sexual favors.

On Feb. 26, the aide offered to get the resident illegal substances. The aide asked the resident how payment would be made and made a gesture consistent with a sexual act, according to the citation. The aide also asked to exchange cell phone numbers with the resident.

The resident, who was being treated for various injuries from a motor vehicle accident, reported the incident to staff, according to DPH, and the aide was suspended. The aide was fired after an investigation determined the exchange was inappropriate and violated policy. The aide had sent text messages and made phone calls to the resident in an attempt to extort sexual favors, investigators found.

We strive each day to provide the highest quality care for all resident of our facility. While the facility implemented immediate interventions, all of which were accepted by the Department of Public Health, and took this matter with the highest level of importance, it also successfully contested many aspects of the departments investigation, findings and conclusions, said Patrick Neagle, Westside Care administrator, declining further comment.

Connecticut Baptist Homes in Meriden was fined $1,630 for two instances.

On June 15, a resident with dementia suffered a leg laceration after hitting a bracket attached to a wheelchair. According to DPH, a nurse aide tried to move the resident without help, despite a physicians order calling for two-person assistance. The resident received 14 sutures at a local hospital, according to the citation.

On Aug. 24, two nurse aides were observed transferring another resident with dementia from a wheelchair to a bed by lifting the resident by the legs and under the arm pits, according to DPH. The transfer didnt comply with facility policies and put the resident at risk for shoulder dislocation and nerve damage, according to the citation.

An aide involved in the August incident was suspended and re-educated on safe patient handling before returning to work and all staff were re-educated on the topic, said Patricia Morse, Connecticut Baptist Homes administrator. Random safety audits have been conducted daily throughout the facility, she added.

Beacon Brooke Health Center in Naugatuck was fined $1,530 after one resident made inappropriate sexual gestures to another. After three incidents, the resident who made the gestures was discharged. Administrator Linda Garcia declined to comment, citing confidentiality reasons.

Cara Rosner is a Conn. Health I-Team writer. This story was reported under a partnership with the Connecticut Health I-Team (c-hit.org ).
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Fairfield Hills in Newtown is one of southwestern Connecticut's creepiest spots. The abandoned psychiatric institution was once home to thousands of patients, many of whom were reportedly mistreated and subjected to cruel methods of therapy.

Opened in 1931, the hospital was closed in the mid-1990's. It is speculated that the spirits of abused patients continue to roam the institution's halls as well as the catacomb of underground passages that link the hospital buildings. Visitors report odd noises, screams, moans, being followed by disembodied footsteps and voices, seeing dark, crouching figures and also finding generally creepy decor in patient rooms.

But now, Fairfield Hills is being partially demolished and transformed into a civic and cultural center. So what will happen to the ghosts?

Rose Porto, who has been a paranormal investigator in Connecticut for close to 20 years and founded the CT Spirit Investigators, said they will be sticking around.

"Spirits tend to stay at a location even if the building is torn down and something else is built," she said. "Some spirits are aware of their surroundings and see these changes being made, and some spirits are stuck in time and always see it the way it was."

Porto fully believes in the reports of hauntings and paranormal energy. "Any location like that that has had a traumatic past, it's going to leave imprints of negative energy," she said.

Shamus Denniston of the Thames Society of Paranormal Investigations based in New London recommends the town of Newtown take precautions to prevent unwanted paranormal activity at the new Fairfield Hills.

"When places are being torn down I think you should do some sort of closure, some sort of blessing or remembrance of the people that were there once before. That would be important," he said.

One of the jobs that both the CT Spirit Investigators and the Thames Society do is to work with home owners who believe their houses are haunted. Porto said she is just happy that Fairfield Hills will not be turned into private residences.

"I hate to see history like that be torn down," said Porto. "But as long as it's not going be homes where people are going to be living [it's not as bad]. I'm sure they're going to have some type of activity."

RELATED: Haunting photographs of abandoned Connecticut sites

RELATED: Connecticut's abandoned asylum

Denniston mirrored this sentiment saying homes are a more intimate environment, so hauntings and paranormal activity can be more disruptive. Denniston said the Thames Society is successful in helping some residents of haunted houses coexist with their spirits, but other times the home owners just want the ghosts out.

Newtown plans to preserve some of the smaller former hospital buildings for reuse. Larger buildings, which are too expensive to renovate, are being demolished.

The project is already underway; the entrance to the town's Fairfield Hills campus looks a half-million dollars nicer thanks to a $500,000 streetscape grant that paid for new sidewalks, lighting and landscaping.

Fairfield Hills is a well-known local ghost legend and has even grabbed the attention of the mediaMTV filmed an episode of "Fear" there in the early 2000s and the movie "Sleepers" was filmed therebut it's certainly not the only haunted spot in Connecticut.

Denniston said Connecticut and the Northeast in general have a lot of reported cases of ghosts and spirits. The Denison Homestead Museum in Mystic and the Tansill Theater at Connecticut College are two of the places where he personally has felt the most paranormal energy, but it can be different for everyone.

"People can visit [haunted] public locations and never feel anything," Denniston said.
Four finalists remain in the running to become Casper's next police chief.

City Manager Carter Napier said Friday that five candidates were being considered as finalists for the position. Napier said Monday afternoon that a candidate had dropped out in the interim, leaving four candidates.

The candidates and their current positions are:

Boise, Idaho police lieutenant Brett Quilter;

former West Jordan, Utah police chief Drew Sanders;

former Farmington, New Mexico deputy police chief Keith McPheeters;

interim Casper police chief Steve Schulz.

The finalists will come to Casper this week for interviews. Napier said last week that he expects to finalize a hire by Nov. 10.

The position has been staffed in an interim capacity since May by Schulz, who was tapped after former Chief Jim Wetzel was dismissed from his at-will position after problems in the police department became public.

A survey released in early April by the local branch of the Fraternal Order of Police described a toxic environment in the department. Shortly thereafter, a majority of officers gave a vote of no confidence to Wetzels leadership.

The City of Casper has not given any reason for Wetzel's dismissal.

The new chief will be paid between $105,000 and $126,000 annually, according to a job posting issued by the city. Wetzel was paid about $112,000 in 2016.

Napier said last week that he expects to post a job opening for a new fire chief this week. That position is slated to open up in the new year, when Chief Kenneth King's retirement becomes effective.

King announced his retirement in October 2016, just hours after apologizing for an email regarding 2015's Cole Creek Fire.

In an email to a subordinate who was collecting video evidence of the fire that destroyed 14 homes, King wrote: "Could you cut out the bad parts, and make sure that no copies are made and only DCI views?"

The email was sent while the fire still blazed, but did not become public until the Star-Tribune published it a year later.

King characterized the email as a "bad joke," in an interview with the Star-Tribune.
For the Trump administration, Monday marked an unwelcome Judgment Day. Special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating potential ties between figures in President Donald Trump's orbit and Russian officials, revealed charges against three former Trump campaign officials in what is believed to be just the opening salvo of the former FBI director's potentially wide-reaching probe.

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his longtime business partner Rick Gates were charged with conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, and making false statements, as my colleagues reported. Both pleaded not guilty after hearings on Monday, were ordered confined to house arrest and had their passports confiscated on the grounds that they posed a flight risk. Court papers detail a slew of alleged offenses, including the concealment of millions of dollars earned while Manafort was working with a Ukrainian political party close to Moscow.

The White House, including Trump himself, moved quickly to argue that none of this was connected to Manafort's efforts during his brief stint at the head of Trump's election bid. Yet at a minimum, Trump's hiring of Manafort despite his compromised past suggests a problematic lapse in judgment by a man who repeatedly trumpeted his ability to recruit only "the best people."

But the really juicy information to emerge Monday involved the confessions of George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign adviser who pleaded guilty this month to lying to federal investigators about his contacts with figures he thought had links to the Russian government. One of these contacts included an April 2016 exchange with a foreign professor with Russian affiliations who claimed the Kremlin had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton in the form of "thousands of emails."

This is quite possibly a reference to Democratic National Committee emails hacked by suspected Russian agents and later disseminated by WikiLeaks. It amounts to the single most damning piece of evidence that people within the Trump campaign may have sought to collude with Russian officials.

"The charges collectively show how Mueller is aggressively probing the lives of those in President Trump's orbit - digging into their personal finances while also exploring whether they might have coordinated, or tried to coordinate, with Russia to influence the 2016 election," my colleagues wrote. "Papadopoulos ultimately admitted to lying to the FBI about his interactions with people he thought had connections with the Russian government. He has been cooperating with investigators for months, according to a court filing, and has met with the government on 'numerous occasions to provide information and answer questions.' "

That last detail may disturb the White House most. A coterie of unnamed witnesses and other suspects probably will also come forward in the days and weeks ahead. Manafort and Gates, facing possibly lengthy prison sentences, may also feel compelled to cut a deal with investigators and deliver testimony that could potentially implicate other Trump officials - or even the president himself.

"This is the way you kick off a big case,'" Patrick Cotter, a lawyer in Chicago who once worked alongside the federal prosecutor spearheading the prosecution of Manafort and Gates, said to my colleagues. "Oh, man, they couldn't have sent a message any clearer if they'd rented a revolving neon sign in Times Square. And the message isn't just about Manafort. It's a message to the next five guys they talk to. And the message is: 'We are coming, and we are not playing, and we are not bluffing.' "

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders played down Trump's relationship with Papadopoulos, describing his "volunteer" involvement in the campaign as "extremely limited." But Trump himself, in a meeting with The Washington Post in 2016, mentioned Papadopoulos as a foreign policy adviser, "an energy and oil consultant, excellent guy." In March 2016, he even tweeted an image of a campaign foreign policy meeting where Papadopoulos was also in attendance.

As my colleagues reported in 2016, the 30-year-old Papadopoulos was hardly a heavyweight of any sort. He seemed to falsify his resume and even cited attendance at a model U.N. summit as proof of his expertise - although it appears he actually didn't even show up to this event. Nevertheless, he flitted into Trump's world and courted connections with a curious global network that included prominent figures in the Greek far right as well as Israeli settlers.

Papadopoulos seemed to operate along the same current of hard-line ideology and shadowy opportunism that moved other former Trump officials. For his part, Manafort seems a less ideological figure who amassed a huge amount of wealth as a consigliere to various overseas interests and political parties.

Serhiy Leshchenko, the Ukrainian lawmaker who helped uncover a "black ledger" that allegedly detailed $12.7 million in secret cash payments to Manafort, told Radio Free Europe that the indictment was "great news."

"I'm very much satisfied, because Manafort was involved in high-level corruption in Ukraine. He helped one of the most corrupt persons in the world to be elected president," said Leshchenko, referring to former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled office in 2014 following mass protests in Kiev. "I believe this is money stolen from Ukrainian taxpayers."

Back in Washington, speculation swirls whether Trump may move to fire Mueller and bring the investigation to a premature end. On Monday, right-wing outlets such as Fox News ran reports seeking to cast doubt on Mueller's credibility and impartiality in pursuing the case. Analysts liken Trump's potential firing of Mueller to impeached President Richard M. Nixon's attempt to ax Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox - a politically toxic move that could doom his presidency. But it shouldn't be written off.

"There is simply no way that President Trump will sit quietly as Mueller methodically issues more indictments, flips more witnesses, and grows ever closer to Trump," columnist Ryan Cooper wrote in The Week. "Our president has never shown restraint of any sort. He certainly won't when his own life and career is at stake."
In a video recently uploaded to Facebook, cult leader, Eligio Nature Boy Bishop, who has garnered a following of over 42,000 people on Facebook, claims his group of mostly black followers were racially discriminated against by Spirit Airlines who refused to deport the five U.S. citizens last Thursday, October 26, due to their body odor.According to Bishop, things got really real for the cult known as Melanation, when due to the pungent odors allegedly emitted by their bodies, the group was forced to deplane right before take-off on a flight bound for Miami, Florida, despite the fact they were being deported.Costa Rican immigration authorities confirmed that 11 individuals belong to Eligio Bishops cult were questioned by taxation authorities on October 14 in Cahuita, Limon on Costa Ricas Caribbean coast.When the Melanation group members got a bit rowdy and upset by the questioning, the Costa Rican officials called in the local Cahuita police as well as immigration police. Police then discovered that five had overstayed their visas, and were thus taken to the holding center for foreigners in irregular condition in Hatillo, a southern district of San Jose (Centro de Aprehension Temporal para Extranjeros en Condicion Irregular  CATECI).The six other members, among whom was Toronto, Canadian resident, Alex Raposo, were not detained, as their tourist visas were valid. Raposo was interviewed by Canadas CBC and said they ran into trouble with the police when the car they were using was found to have expired paperwork and license plates.In the video below, the cult leader can be heard declaring Spirit Airlines actions as racist based on the fact that none of the black cult members, who who had been living out in the jungle for the last few months, had eaten anything smelly recently.According to Bishops Facebook page, five of the allegedly smelly cult members were finally able to fly out of Costa Rica Friday, October 27. They were transported on American Airlines, said Costa Rican immigration authorities.Shortly after arriving Florida, they announced on their Facebook page they would be setting up shop in Jamaica, where they hoped to find a more receptive environment in which to practice their beliefs.In March, Canadian woman, Kayla Reid, who had joined Melanation Costa Rica caused a stir in her small hometown after she was declared missing by her family. Due to intense media pressure and phone calls from her family, the young woman returned home voluntarily.A post from October 30 on Eligio Bishops Facebook page exhorts people to wash their hair, with pure water only, no shampoo needed  all you need  is proper sunlight living closer to the equator  and fresh mountain river water from the tropics.Maybe Spirit did have a basis for their claims, after all?!
Tara Isabella Burton



VOX

October 30, 2017

SALEM, Massachusetts  It is nightfall in Salem, the week before Halloween. A woman who looks to be in her 70s sits in the bar of the Hawthorne Hotel sporting a novelty witch hat. Her male companion wears a spiderweb tie. Along the lawn at Washington Square, another tourist tugs at her companions sleeve as she considers another destination for their week. But its not spooky like this place, right? she asks.At Pastime 32, a vintage-inspired craft shop just off Essex Street, a shopkeeper in velvet gives visitors advice about practicing magic. Witchcraft is more of a lifestyle now than a religion, she says. She recommends that they read a BuzzFeed article to that effect. So if a spell works it works. In the old days, she tells them, you might have had to resort to the formal magic kept in some arcane spell book. But now, she adds brightly, you can just check out Witch Instagram for ideas.Along the narrow, red brick street in the pedestrianized heart of town, T-shirt stalls alternate with New Age storefronts selling herbs, tinctures, and Tarot cards.Two girls fixate on the shirts. Look! I got stoned in Salem. One pauses for a second. Get it? Stoned? She rolls her eyes, and explains to her friend what it means to stone somebody in order to execute them.These tourists are just some of the million-odd who come to Salem each year. Destination Salems Stacia Cooper says these tourists come to visit sites and museums associated with the Salem Witch Trials, where 20 people, mostly women, were executed on suspicion of witchcraft after an outbreak of mass hysteria in 1692 through 1693. Some visitors come for the spooky atmosphere. Others come, often with school groups, to learn more about a particularly brutal time in American history. And others still come because they identify as witches or practitioners of magic to pay tribute to a place that, for some, has become a source of spiritual pilgrimage.The difference in their approach, and the myriad differing narratives around the trials available across town, reveal how powerful  and how diffuse  the story of the Salem Witch Trials really is. Is it a story about the dangers of superstition? About what happens when people let fear take over their lives? About misogyny and men policing womens identities? The different ways in which Salems residents tell and retell the Salem narrative can tell us as much about 20th and 21st century America as they can about New England in 1693.A range of political and social groups have interpreted Salem differentlyFor Salems 40,000 residents, particularly those who make their living through witch-related tourism, it can be a challenge to balance the historic narrative of the Salem Witch Trials with the powerful mythology that has surrounded it.Between 1692 and 1693, 19 people were hanged, and one crushed to death, ostensibly for the civil crime of practicing malevolent witchcraft, after an outbreak of mass hysteria. Chances are, none of those 20 people were witches  they all maintained their innocence, with the exception of Tituba, a local enslaved woman, whose confession may have been tortured out of her.The majority of the Salem Witch Trials didnt even happen in Salem Town  what is known as Salem today  but in Salem Village, an inland hamlet that was renamed Danvers in 1752. And on top of all this, none of the accused witches were stoned or burned at the stake in Salem, either.According to Smithsonians Danny Lewis, the witch trials were, historically, a taboo subject within Salem; a reminder of a horrific aberration. But in the 20th century, interest in the Salem Witch trials as a pop culture phenomenon was renewed. Much of this began with Arthur Millers 1953 play The Crucible. A retelling of the trials, the play was a coded indictment of the anti-communist hysteria of the 1940s and 1950s. Miller heavily implied that the accusers and magistrates of Salem were motivated by a combination of fear and greed, including a desire to seize the lands of the accused. The story of Salem, for Miller, was the story of any mass panic  how self-interested human use fear and panic to stoke witch hunts for personal gain.Then came Bewitched. When the popular, proto-feminist supernatural sitcom filmed a portion of its seventh season here in 1970, the protagonist, Samantha, seemed to uphold this dominant narrative. Samantha, a real witch who has magically time-traveled back to 17th-century Salem, uses her powers to prove that the other accused witches were innocent, condemning the prejudices of those who thought otherwise.But Bewitched also heralded a change in how people saw Salem. It became Witch City. Witches were now in fashion, after all  in part because of Bewitched  and Salems witch history could be monetized. And Salem could use the money. After centuries as a prosperous shipping port, Salems fortunes were in decline. The Witch Tourism boom revitalized Salem. (In 2005, in commemoration of that boom, Salem erected a controversial statue of Samantha in the towns main square, raising more debates about the degree to which pro-witch aesthetics had coopted Salems legacy).By the 70s, after all, feminist and New Age movements alike had reappropriated elements of the Salem narrative as part of a wider interest in womens spirituality. For many, the so-called witches of Salem were victims of a male conspiracy. The Salem story was the story of earth-centered, natural female spirituality dominated by a group of misogynist men who sought to control them. Witchcraft was something to celebrate.In 1970, witch Laurie Cabot opened Salems first New Age shop and several others followed suit. The accused of 1692 may not have been witches, but they were nevertheless celebrated as martyrs: foremothers of a modern movement they themselves would almost certainly have disavowed.Those two strands of historical narrative  Salem as a site of mass panic, and Salem as witch city  are factually opposed to each other. Kristina Stevick, artistic director of the Cry Innocent project, which lets people experience a mock witch trial, thinks its utterly illogical. A person cant both be innocent and a martyr. That narrative really puzzles me.And both narratives are also at odds with the generic spookiness that makes up much of the towns touristic appeal, particularly in Halloween season. (Of Salems 40,000 residents, between 800 and 1,600 identify as witches, with many working in or through the towns witch shops, or in witch-related tourism industries, such as the citys myriad magic-themed walking tours.The economics of Salem witchery is often a sore subject for many. Sources speaking on background spoke of witch wars between rival shop proprietors as well as price-fixing of services like Tarot readings, while some sources I contacted for this article would only agree to be interviewed on the condition certain proprietors be excluded from my reporting. (I have not quoted any of them.)In Salem, accused witches are both innocents and martyrsYet many of Salems tourist attractions try to have it both ways.Nowhere is that difficult balance more evident than at the Salem Witch Museum, which opened in 1972  soon after Bewitched put the show on the map. Located in a converted church off Salem Common, the Museum tells the story of the trials through a combination of life-size wax statues, eerie sound effects, and a narrator who seems to have taken his delivery from Vincent Price.He speculates about the devil howling in the wind (theres a menacing-looking statue of Satan himself), reports Puritan superstitions about witches bacchanals, and captures each gory execution of the accused with thoroughly macabre sound effects. He walks us through a grisly narrative that combines kitschy spookiness with a somewhat reductionist view of the trials, portraying them purely as the result of ignorant superstition, even as he uses the tropes of magic for dramatic effect. While the narrator reminds us that the mass panic was anything but supernatural, he leaves us with a distinctly Gothic ending, asking us to reflect on who the real demons are and on whose side they are still working today.The museums second exhibit likewise tells us as much about 1970s New Age feminism as it does about the Salem Witch trials. Dedicated to the history of the witch from the pre-Christian era to the modern day, the museum (and its docents) tell a very clear-cut, if simplistic, narrative. Women, particularly midwives, were once in touch with the earth. They worshipped a pre-Christian Goddess. Once Christianity came to power, evil Christian men  the Church  were afraid of female power and tried to stamp it out. More wax figures present different visions of the witch: the angelic, beaming midwife, the green-faced crone we recognize from The Wizard of Ozs Wicked Witch of the West.A timeline on one wall elides world history: We move swiftly from Jesus Christ is crucified to witch panics in 16th-century Scotland, with an implicit link between the two. A final tableau of two modern Wiccans invites us to learn more about this ancient religion and speak to its peace-loving practitioners. While the odd mention is made of the fact that Salems witches were innocent, a less-careful viewer could easily come away with the idea that the accused of Salem did practice wholesome, nature-based magical traditions and worship a Goddess in secret, and that this is, in fact, a good thing.Historicity, in this exhibition, seems less important than symbolism, celebrating the witch as a symbol of maligned womanhood. Wicca, far from being an ancient religion, only dates back to the 1950s, which the museum never mentions. And although the green-skinned witch as a trope only dates back to 1939s Wizard of Oz, when dyeing Margaret Hamiltons skin was a novel special effect to capitalize on the then-new use of Technicolor, my docent presents several other options as equally valid. Were witches green-skinned because of their use of herbs, she asks aloud? A witch who visited the exhibition, she tells us, sees the green as important symbolism: It is the bruises left upon her by intolerant Christian men who beat her for her independent thought.Its a powerful exhibit, to be sure, but one with an agenda. And it raises questions about more than just what happened in 1692. Rather, it challenges us to think about whether history can or should be rewritten, or reimagined, if the myths it presents to us can inspire positive change. Does a womans personal reaction to a figure of a witch  her intuitive feeling that her face is the color of bruises  belong in a museum alongside, say, actual documents of the trials themselves?For others, Salem is about learning to think historically  and critically  about challenging narrativesStevick, at least, has her doubts. Her Cry Innocent project is an immersive theatre experience that challenges audience members to participate in a mock witch trial. It is designed to help audiences understand the mentality of the witch trials, ideally without projecting a contemporary narrative upon it. The project plays an exceedingly necessary role in Salem, since, Stevick says, the trials have become a lightning rod for different, often ahistorical, interpretations of what happened in 1693.She counts off the most popular misconceptions: That its all about land-grabbing, that its just about misdirected misogyny [against accused women], that Puritans were just stupid and superstitious, that those who died were the spiritual foremothers of the Wicca movementStevick says she sympathizes with such interpretations up to a point. But, ultimately, each narrative fails to appreciate the cocktail of factors that made Salem a lightning rod for hysteria in the late 17th century. The dangers of foreign invasion, tensions within the community over religious observance, the adversarial relationship between the insular Salem Village and the wealthier Salem Town, tensions over the use of folk magic, and various waves of outbreak of illness all contributed to an incident that was about so much more than mere superstition or mere misogyny or mere anything.Often, Stevick says, people are reluctant to abandon their preconceived narratives about the trials. She recalls an incident that happened the previous week with a middle school group that had booked a Cry Innocent show.They had a reductionist idea of what the witch hunt hysteria was about and thought that this was their opportunity to bring down the magistrate, Stevick said. Rather than looking through the historical evidence presented during the show, she said, the students derailed the show with unrelated questions and preconceived judgments, making the show a little bit distressing for the actors.She recalls the students teacher was taken aback by the complexity with which the Cry Innocent cast wanted to approach the 17th-century Puritan mindset. "She wanted this to be an opportunity for the students to take down the patriarchy, which I could relate to, but its not whats happening here.Its a shame, says Stevick, because ultimately developing a more complex understanding of history is necessary if one is to avoid repeating it. What I would hope is that a person who has had 45 minutes to flirt with a 17th-century English mindset  would understand why a person might accuse somebody of witchcraft.It is that, she says, rather than a preconceived narrative, that has the most power to inspire change.Only once audience members learn to empathize with people from the past whose attitudes and preconceptions might be different from their own, she says, audience members can ask themselves: How can I use this newfound imagination  to try and look into my current political situation?  Our country is in a fragile dangerous place [right now] and we need to be extremely careful that a great tragedy doesnt happen. She corrects herself. "Another great tragedy."For contemporary witches, Salems magic is still mysteriousAmong Salems practicing witches, the places magic transcends its history. Margaret McGilvray, who runs The Witchery, equal parts magic shop and experimental performance art space, says that  despite the innocence of Salems original witches  shes always felt a preternatural connection to the place. Visiting the Salem Witch Museum as a child, McGilvray says, she found herself identifying with the accused."I came home to my mom and said 'Ma, I think Im a witch. She recognizes that the witches of Salem denied being witches up through their last breaths, but nevertheless finds in Salem a kind of spiritual home; a place where she can connect with and collaborate with like-minded practitioners. Part of it, she acknowledges, is commercialism  if youre a witch, Salem is a great place to make a living  but part of it is more profound.There is something just mysterious about Salem as a gut level, McGilvray says.And Salems draw, for other witches, has transcended its witchy history, becoming as much about the present as the past.As the witch aesthetic becomes more popularas a cultural signifier  blending 70s-era New Age spirituality with left-wing activism and, at times, performative rebellion  Salem has become something of a hipster haven. In 2015, Salems more eclectic, cluttered-looking witch shops were joined by the sleek, minimalist HausWitch (which itself started as an Instagram), where activist hours are on the schedule alongside Tarot salons and meditation classes. (Destination Salems Cooper describes them as the millennial witch store).These witches are attracted to what HausWitch worker Cheryl Rafuse calls the good vibes of Salem  a town whose witch traditions have given rise, in turn, to a thriving counterculture, and the creative community that comes with it  as to its history. So often Rafuse says, people visit out of interest in the Witch City only to fall in love with the place and joke about moving. And then they end up moving here a year later.Sure, she admits, she gets frustrated by the gimmicky aesthetic of some of the towns tourist traps. She points to the Stoned in Salem T-shirts as a particularly egregious example.Theres a scene [in Salem] thats a little uncomfortable considering the grotesque nature of the trials, Rafuse says.A lot uncomfortable, Erica Feldmann, the shops owner, cuts in.Rafuse continues, the people we draw tend to be pretty woke, good-vibe-y people, or at least looking for something here [thats] at least not gimmicky. We have that Witch City' vibe that people love  but [when] people try to make light of history  mocking or joking about those that died  Rafuse and other shop workers actively work to discourage them.Feldmann adds, The world needed a place to celebrate the witch, and that ended up being Salem, and that has nothing to do with the witch trials."Ultimately, Salems history might be less important than its symbolismThe true history" of Salem, in other words, might be almost irrelevant. A combination of economics and mythology have made Salem a location of pilgrimage for those who identify with the accused of 1693, whether they are witches themselves, feminists drawn to the narrative of wrongly accused women, or just ordinary people drawn to the story of those penalized for being a little bit different. Even Stevick acknowledges that even the more ahistorical elements of Salems mythology  that it was all about misogyny, say  might be powerful narratives of support for people who need them most.She recalls an episode years ago, when she was portraying the character of Bridget Bishop  the woman on trial for witchcraft. A student group had come in, and a shy girl in the audience got up to ask a question in defense of Bishop. Stevick cant remember precisely what the question was, but "I could tell that she was really nervous to speak in public, she was shaking  I remember it being an intense moment  the air was thick.A few years later, when the teacher brought in another group, she and Stevick discussed that day. The teacher told Stevick the girl was famously shy, without many friends.It turned out that she was pregnant, Stevick remembers. [She was] facing this extra level of slut-shaming and all this stuff at school  [the Cry Innocent experience] had given her the extrovertive oomph to get up and say something. And that moment had been a catharsis for her. And that touched me so deeply and made me think: Thats why I love doing this type of theater. That kind of catharsis is okay. Even while it might not be quite the right narrative, Im okay with people saying, Yeah Bridget! Go Bridget! too.There is, in all this, a degree of irony. A town once derided for the damaging aftereffects of religion and superstition has now remade itself in the image of its own new myths.At Salems Witch Museum, the narrator tells us  with more than a little derision  that the Puritans were a superstitious people. They made up stories to explain the world around them, narratives that would make the chaos of their existence make sense. But if Salem can teach us anything, not a lot has changed.
Lawyers for the Wyoming Education Association sent a letter to state officials earlier this month alleging that their recent move to increase class sizes was illegal.

"It is totally inappropriate for the (State Facilities) Commission to change statutorily established class sizes without waiting for the outcome of the study and legislative action," Patrick E. Hacker, of Hacker, Hacker and Kendall, wrote. " ... Whether or not the Commission agrees with the prevailing educational research and opinions of educators and parents, the procedure by which the Commission acted is unlawful and the decisions made are legally invalid."

The association says that the State Facilities Commission's June decision to increase the number of students who can be in kindergarten through third-grade classrooms to 25 is inconsistent with previous court cases and was done in a manner that allowed for no public input. The group further contends the changes occurred before the results of a broad study of the state's education system were completed by consultants.

"The SFC's arbitrary use of the new 25 student class size amounts to an inappropriate work-around of the Legislature's authority and is a violation of established law," the WEA wrote in a press release.

The criticism that state facilities officials were working around the Legislature was leveled by Sen. Chris Rothfuss, a Laramie Democrat, at a meeting late last month. He said the commission's decision threatened to make lawmakers' work "pointless."

In late June, the School Facilities Commission -- the officials who oversee school construction in Wyoming -- approved the adjustment as a policy change, rather than through the rule-making process that would have included public input. While the change doesn't mandate that schools bump up their class sizes, it does mean that any buildings constructed in the future will have fewer classrooms than existing schools, which have lower-grade classrooms built on a 16-to-1 ratio.

School facilities officials have said the change is to maximize square footage and isn't an attempt to force districts into increasing their class sizes. A spokesman for the State Facilities Division declined to comment on the letter or its contents and said it had been passed on to the Attorney General's Office.

A message seeking comment from Attorney General Peter Michael, who handles all press inquiries for the office, was not returned.

Kathy Vetter, the president of the WEA, said the classroom change would have a detrimental effect on student learning.

"If they build to this, you may be in a school, but youre going to have a much larger class size and not receiving that same quality education as those students in other schools," Vetter said.

The change is a cost-saving measure intended to maximize Wyoming's schools as the state moves away from building facilities to preserving them. Over the past several years, the state has spent more than $3 billion building and maintaining its growing number of school facilities. More than $2 billion of that money came from coal lease bonuses, which, in the wake of the recent economic downturn, have dwindled to nothing.

As a result, the state faces a nearly $200 million shortfall for construction and maintenance in the coming two-year budget cycle. To cope with the loss of revenue, officials are moving toward preserving the current square footage.

But the commission's move to increase class size isn't the correct way to go about that, Vetter and the WEA said.

"As a result of the SFC's decision, students who attend schools that accommodate the legislatively established 16:1 class size ratio will get a different and better education than those students who will attend school in buildings that were built to provide capacity for the much larger 25:1 class sizes," the organization said in the press release.

"Treating schools differently on class size because of cost-cutting goals is not justification for the resulting unequal treatment and decreased educational opportunity for students."

In September, facilities officials reminded lawmakers that they had taken action to partially roll back the required 16-to-1 classroom ratio. In March, the Legislature passed a bill that eliminated the mandate that districts who weren't meeting that ratio -- which is often not met but is the level at which the state funds schools -- file paperwork to receive a waiver.

But, Rothfuss and others have pointed out, the state still expects that 16-to-1 ratio and pays schools so they can strive to meet it. Vetter said the commission's actions will make it harder for districts to do that.

She noted that the change was made just as lawmakers had hired a consultant to take a broad look at Wyoming's education system, a process known as recalibration. That review will almost certainly look at classroom size, and she and others have warned that the work of adjusting that ratio should be left not only to the Legislature but specifically to the recalibration committee.

That's at least partially because adjusting classroom size can have a significant effect not only on student learning but also on funding. At the late September legislative meeting, school finance expert Matt Willmarth told lawmakers that if classrooms were funded at 19 to 1 instead of 16 to 1, it would mean a $44 million cut and the loss of 589 teachers. If it were 20 to 1, the reduction would be $57 million and 745 teachers.

School Facilities Division director Del McOmie and commission chairman Bryan Monteith told lawmakers last month that they expected schools to continue working to provide the 16-to-1 ratio anyway, despite the change to construction standards. But Rothfuss said the change would make that harder going forward.

"Weve heard anecdotally from many districts that theyd like to go closer to 16 to 1, but the reason they dont is they cant," he replied. "They dont have enough classrooms.

Rothfuss and Vetter both suggested that the move might have been made to dictate policy as the recalibration committee's consultant begins its work. Monteith denied that charge to lawmakers, but Vetter said she was still concerned.

"This could influence possibly (Augenblick, Palaich and Associates), our consultants that are doing recalibration," she said. "It could definitely influence opinion of some of our elected officials. It is really just a cost-saving measure without looking at how it affects quality of education our children receive."

Vetter didn't say that the association had an intention to sue the SFC. The letter comes several months after a number of large school districts passed resolutions allowing them to file suit against the state should they feel budget cuts have gone too far.

The boards' movements then -- and the WEA's letter now -- were the latest piece of legal maneuvering in Wyoming's educational history, which has been thoroughly shaped by court battles. The current system was created after a series of cases that began in the mid-1990s, which are commonly known as the Campbell decisions.

One of the WEA's attorneys -- Patrick Hacker -- was one of the lawyers on the original Campbell case.
Americans probably have heard more about Russia over the past year than at any time since the demise of the Soviet Union. For all the talk, theres more confusion and suspicion than ever. Regrettably, much of the furor is directed against Americans, instead of where it belongs: at Russian government agents sowing discord.

Last week, the Washington Post reported that Marc Elias, a Washington attorney whose firm represented Hillary Clintons campaign and the Democratic National Committee, retained the Washington firm Fusion GPS to do oppo research on Donald Trump last year. Fusion GPS subcontracted with former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele, who compiled a dossier, reporting Russian informants allegations improper ties between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, along with salacious claims about Trumps personal behavior in Russia.

Meanwhile in the U.S. Senate last week, Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Diane Feinstein, D-California, split on their committees investigation of Russian influence. Grassley declared that he will probe a 2010 decision by the Obama administration to allow Russian-backed investors to purchase mines representing 20 percent of the U.S. uranium supply. Rep. Devin Nunes, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, is already pursuing an inquiry in the uranium mining deal, which involved some investors who had contributed to the Clinton Foundation.

If Grassley and Nunes investigate a seven-year-old transaction involving uranium mines purchased by Russians, maybe they should also investigate the 2003 deal in which the federal government, then headed by President George W. Bush, waived antitrust concerns and allowed Russia mining giant Norilsk Nickel to acquire controlling interest in Montanas Stillwater Mining Co., which was and still is the only platinum and palladium mine in the United States. At the time, that deal was one of the largest ever purchases of a U.S. company by Russian interests. (Norilsk no longer owns Stillwater Mining.)

There are more plot twists and shadowy characters in the unfolding Russia stories than in a John le Carre novel. But this is a real problem for our nation. Americans must separate fact from fiction and focus on the important issue of Russias cyber warfare.

That is why the Department of Justice Investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller is extremely important. The indictment Friday of Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign manager, and Rick Gates, Manafort's former deputy who was still working for the Trump inauguration committee two weeks ago, indicates lengthy and meticulous investigative work by FBI experts in finance and international transactions. The 12-count indictment accuses both Manafort and Gates with conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, acting as unregistered agents of a foreign government (Ukraine), making false statements and failing to report foreign bank accounts. The grand jury indictment alleges that the pair received $75 million from the government of Ukraine and that Manafort personally laundered about $18 million to support his luxurious lifestyle in the United States.

President Donald Trump reacted on Twitter Monday soon after Manafort and Davis surrendered to the FBI: "Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????"

He then added: "Also, there is NO COLLUSION!"

The indictment unsealed Monday doesn't mention the Trump campaign nor does it make allegations about any ties between Trump and the Kremlin. Trump's tweet is wrong about the timing of the alleged Manafort-Gates crimes. Count 11 alleges that Manafort and Gates made false statements in November 2016 and again in February 2017 in which they denied setting up covert lobbying of the U.S. government on behalf of the government of Ukraine.

It's disturbing the the president's first response to these criminal charges is to lash out at his political opponents, again trying to distract the public and the media from a serious national issue that he doesn't want to talk about.

Despite the partisan split in the Senate Judiciary Committee, the panel has a hearing scheduled today when Facebook, Twitter and Google executives are invited to testify about Russian disinformation. Those social media giants were the means by which millions of Russian troll messages were transmitted to U.S. voters before the 2016 elections.

Americans must not allow partisan disputes to distract us from the quest for the truth. Congressional committees should produce bipartisan conclusions. Savvy readers must consider their sources of information.

The mainstream media has its shortcomings, but readers and viewers know where journalists are coming from. Professional U.S. journalists make mistakes and facts may change, but readers can trust that we are working to get the truth out as soon as possible.
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Their gargantuan Malibu home bowled viewers over on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

But since splitting from his wife Yolanda, one of the show's former stars, legendary music producer David Foster has been living the single life in a trendy L.A. bachelor pad which DailyMailTV can now exclusively reveal photographs of.

This week, father-of-four David, 67, showed off the apartment which boasts its owns recording studio and his unrivaled collection of awards.

'Ive had the place for about 12 years but I just sort of moved back in about a year ago,' Foster, 67, said as he welcomed DailyMailTV host Brandi Williams inside.

'You know I miss Malibu but I dont miss having to take care of that big, big home that we had.

'It was beautiful, but Im very happy here,' he said, reflecting on his new, simplified abode.

Scroll down for videos

David Foster opened up his L.A. bachelor pad to DailyMailTV for an exclusive look inside this week

Foster has made the apartment his home over the last year. It is packed with proof of his musical talent. In the living room, his 16 Grammy awards sit alongside family portraits on top of his grand piano

Even in the bathroom there is no escaping the legendary composer's illustrious career as gold and platinum records hang on plaques on the walls

David and Yolanda were married for four years but had been together for almost 10 when they parted ways in January 2016.

During their marriage, their enormous Malibu home - where they raised her supermodel daughters Gigi and Bella Hadid - featured prominently on the Bravo show.

Foster still has a relationship with the girls, who he says are doing 'amazing' in their careers.

'I mean divorce puts a strain on everybody, yeah but Gigi and Bella are doing amazing and theyre so busy that I dont talk to them much but we do text, yeah were still good,' he said.

He is happy their mother has found a new home too in a farm on the East Coast, near New York City.

Their romantic split came as Yolanda, 53, was in the grips of Lyme Disease, a health struggle she has since documented in her memoir.

David features unfavorably in the book but, he insists, there are no hard feelings.

'Yolanda had to write a book about her journey with her disease. In a way, I was a little bit of a drive by shooting in the book, but uhm, were all good now.

'Shes happy, shes healthy. Shes with her kids in New York, shes on her farm. In a ten year, nine-year relationship you can find ten bad things to say about anybody.

'And its a little disappointing that she went there a few times but the main thing is shes happy, shes healthy and her and I are good,' he said.

Foster joked that his bedroom was merely where he rested in between 'making the magic happen' at his piano

Large white and navy blue sofas separate the composer's recording studio from his lounging area

The all-white and grey kitchen is large and homey but isn't where he spends most of his time, he said

Foster split with his fourth wife Yolanda (left together in 2015) in January 2016. She has since moved to a farm on the East Coast where she is pictured (right)

Foster, 67, is pictured in his home this week. He has owned it for several years but moved in last January after splitting from Yolanda

He denied previous reports that her health battle contributed to their break-up, he adding: 'No I don't think it did.'

In his interview with DailyMailTV, Foster also revealed for the first time a recent health scare of his own.

'This is a thing called A-Fib which is just an irregular heart beat and its not age related and its not gender related and it just came out of nowhere. Its just something you have to live with. Hopefully, you live with it,' he said.

Since parting ways with Yolanda, the composer, who is responsible for all-time hits including Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You', has been linked to more than one red-carpet regular.

Sightings have included rumored dates with Elizabeth Hurley and Christie Brinkley, which Foster laughed off: 'I have a really good life.'

But no one has sparked more fan excitement than Katharine McPhee, 33. The pair were spotted strolling through Brentwood, California, last week and McPhee was even seen placing her hand on Foster's behind in what appeared to be a show of affection.

The at-home music studio where Foster and his team work to produce musical hits

Foster with DailyMailTV host Brandi Williams during a tour of his home this week. The piano inside the home is where he has written some of his most famous hits

Among the many art pieces throughout the apartment is this portrait he received from Nespresso. It is made entirely of coffee pods

Foster's daughters, Sara and Erin, who he says are 'hilarious', both seemed to approve of the budding romance.

Alas, he says it is not to be and insists the pair are just friends after striking up a rapport in 2005 when they both worked on American Idol.

'Katherine and I have known each other since Idol, since she was twenty-one, and weve worked together and you know shes super successful and people can just be friends you know?' he said.

'Do they always put their hands on your butt though? We saw those pictures,' host Brandi Williams continued, prompting his laughing response: 'Next Question.'

Foster's aforementioned daughters both work as writers for HBO and Fox and have won the gushing pride of their famous father.

'They're smart girls. They're very smart girls. Everybody should follow them on Instagram, their Insta-stories are so hilarious, it's crazy,' he said.

'Just friends': Foster said there was nothing romantic about his relationship with 33-year-old Katharine McPhee (seen right together in September) despite being pictured with her last week (left) in a very affectionate stance

While his new pad doesn't have all the stylized finishes as the home he shared with Yolanda (he admits his new refrigerator is not as show-stopping as the see-through door creation she installed in their old house), it is packed with proof of his legendary musical talent.

Dozens of Grammy awards sit atop his full-grand piano in the living room. It is this piano where Foster wrote Earth, Wind and Fire's hit After The Love Has Gone.

While most of his musical instincts are spot on, he admitted making one error in judgement when he told Celine Dion not to record My Heart Will Go On.

'I said it you record this song it will ruin your career. Thats how wrong I was. But, if youre going to be wrong go big wrong,' he joked.

There is also a recording studio on site. 'You have to have a studio, I have studio wherever I go. And of course, now its so compact because everything is all digital. Its simple but it works,' Foster said.

While his focus on music continues, he is also devoted to continuing to raise funds for The David Foster Foundation. Its recent 30th anniversary dinner raised more than $10million.

The foundation provides financial support for non-medical expenses to families with children in need of life-saving organ transplants.
Kevin Spacey's brother claims their father was a Nazi who brutalized the family, in this DailyMail.com exclusive. He is speaking out just days after actor Anthony Rapp accused Kevin of sexual assault 30 years ago, leading to the cancellation of House of Cards. Speaking exclusively with DailyMail.com, Kevin's older brother claims their Nazi father terrorized the family and raped him, but left Kevin alone. He says they lived in constant fear.

In a DailyMailTV exclusive, award winning music icon and reality TV star David Foster opens up his LA bachelor pad for an exclusive interview about his life, recent health scare and rumored romance with Katharine McPhee.

Surveillance footage captured a shocking video of a Pittsburgh woman brutally attacked by a stranger. After two similar attacks in New York, some say it's part of the dangerous 'Knockout Game' trend where a stranger sucker punches a random victim. Contributor Nancy Grace explains.

Wendy Williams fainted and dropped to the floor during her show today while dressed as the Statue of Liberty. 'That was not a stunt,' she said a few minutes later. 'I overheated in my costume and I passed out. I am a champ, and I am back.' She was on just one of the morning shows pulling out all the stops for Halloween.

DailyMailTV is judging who wore it best in a costume war between the Today show's Grand Ole Opry country sing along and Good Morning America's superheroes in Times Square.
Turn out the lights, lock the doors, draw the curtains and hide behind the sofa. Halloween is upon us tonight. Indeed, it has been upon us for the past couple of weeks.

This ghastly  no, I dont mean ghostly  commercialised U.S. import is now part of our national calendar. Theres no escape.

Some of us are old enough to remember when All Hallows Eve was merely a gentle warm-up for the far more important festival of Guy Fawkes Night. Those who bothered to mark the date did so decorously, with modest turnip lamps and perhaps a little light apple-bobbing to amuse the kiddies.

You didnt live in fear of having your windows smashed or the front of your house smothered in flour and eggs. Not so today, where gangs of rapacious children and their parents roam the streets, disturbing the peace and soliciting ransoms payable in chocolate.

'Turn out the lights, lock the doors, draw the curtains and hide behind the sofa. Halloween is upon us tonight'

It wouldnt be so bad were it only pre-teens in fancy dress knocking on your door looking for a lucky dip into a jar of Smarties. But as the evening wears on, we can expect unruly mobs of hulking teenage boys and their surly girlfriends, swigging from cans of Red Stripe, menacing the neighbourhood and demanding Danegeld.

The adults are the worst. Over the weekend, city centres from Nottingham to Newcastle were turned into war zones with drunks dressed as everything from Freddy Krueger to Little Red Riding Hood tearing lumps out of each other.

Across the country, police warned that gangs of motorbike and moped riders kitted out in slasher movie costumes were intent on terrorising the streets, riding on pavements and the wrong side of the road, ignoring red traffic lights.

When did pulling on a Texas Chainsaw Massacre outfit, nicking a motorbike and driving at breakneck speed through a packed Arndale Centre become an acceptable way of celebrating Halloween?

Inevitably, the whole event has become politicised. Even innocent pleasures can be turned into hate crimes by social media bigots and self-appointed diversity enforcers.

This Halloween has seen one of the most absurd examples yet, with a campaign to stop little white girls dressing up as Disneys computer-generated Polynesian princess Moana, on the grounds that it is racially insensitive.

Some daft organisation called Raising Race Conscious Children says wearing Moana costumes is appropriating Polynesian culture.

Nurse!

Raiding the dressing-up box is fraught with danger. Weve had confected outrage over students in sombreros insulting Mexicans and white women braiding their hair into cornrows accused of being no better than slave traders. You always run the risk of offending someone, even inadvertently.

Take yesterdays picture spread in the Mail, featuring celebs arriving at George Clooneys Halloween party in Hollywood. Naturally, the ubiquitous Kim Kardashian was there, as one half of Sonny and Cher.

'This Halloween has seen one of the most absurd examples yet, with a campaign to stop little white girls dressing up as Disneys computer-generated Polynesian princess Moana, on the grounds that it is racially insensitive'

Im surprised she hasnt already had her collar felt for cultural appropriation. Kims mum was of Irish/Dutch/English and Scottish ancestry and her dad is of Armenian heritage. Cher, as any fule kno, is part-Cherokee. So for Kim Kardashian to dress up as a Red Indian is tantamount to hate crime.

Unless, of course, Kim was the one with the moustache dressed as Sonny.

Im not the best person to ask.

At the same party, Bruce Willis turned up in a pale blue Little Bo Peep frock and white knee-socks, sporting a long wig and full beard. He looked like something out of Monty Python.

If thats not a calculated insult to the trans community, I dont know what is. Back home, the Halloween outfit which amused me most was worn by Nick Cleggs missus.

Senora Clegg sported a Pinhead mask from the 1987 movie Hellraiser. Strange choice for a right-on brief, as she could easily be accused of mocking the afflicted  to whit, members of the migraine sufferers community who elect for treatment by acupuncture. Sounds like one for the European Court to sort out.

On Saturday night, I went to the O2 in Greenwich to see Hall and Oates. The Halloween spirit was in full swing. There were plenty of people wandering around looking like zombies, their faces plastered with white make-up. (Although that could have been just another hen party.)

I couldnt help noticing that many of the revellers wearing white death masks were black. Is this reverse racism, given that theres apparently nothing worse than white actors and Morris dancers wearing blackface?

Yesterday there was another race row over white men blacking up as Zulu warriors at a bonfire party in Lewes, Sussex.

Who knows what the rules are any more? No doubt someone might consider wearing white zombie make-up to be cultural appropriation of the ethnic Haitian peoples voodoo tradition. Theres bound to be an expat Haitian community lurking somewhere in Britain.

Just down the road from the Polynesians, probably.

And if dressing little white girls in a Polynesian Disney princess costume is racist, then where does that leave little black girls who want to dress as Snow White?

Sorry, I cant keep up. And Im not the only one, either.

Ill leave the last word to a confused caller from Romford who rang LBCs Nick Ferrari breakfast show yesterday:

My sons mixed-race. Is he allowed to dress up as anyone?

When the Harvey Weinstein affair broke, it was inevitable that Westminster would try to get in on the act.

First it was announced that the producer was to be stripped of his honorary CBE. (Who knew he had one?)

Now our political class has decided to have a sex scandal all of its very own.

Admittedly, the allegations so far are pretty mild compared with those levelled against Weinstein. But give it time. No 10 is already talking about installing a sex tsar to clean the stables.

What we need is an elder statesman, one who has held high office and can bring first-hand knowledge of the perils of ill-advised sexual conduct in the workplace.

Two Jags, its over to you . . .

Actor Kevin Spacey is accused of molesting a 14-year-old boy in the Eighties

Actor Kevin Spacey is accused of molesting a 14-year-old boy in the Eighties. He says if it happened he must have been drunk, doesnt remember, and is desperately sorry.

He adds that he is now living as a gay man (knock me down with a feather). As if thats got anything to do with it. Actually, its a cute move, even though it hasnt gone down well with gay activists who have attacked him for associating homosexuality with child abuse.

But its a tried and tested tactic. Spacey is attempting to make it all about his sexuality, not the assault itself, which will guarantee him sympathy in some quarters. Were heading for personal tragedy territory here.

Much the same happened when the late George Michael was arrested performing a lewd sex act in a Gents public toilet in Los Angeles. The story became about his homosexuality, not his disgusting behaviour.

Prominent feminists, including the Wicked Witch, rallied to excuse him. Poor George, they trilled. Suddenly, he was the victim.

OK, I asked at the time, what if hed done it in the Ladies toilets?

Answer came there none.

The Home Office obviously didnt take any notice of suggestions that so-called British jihadis should either be killed or stripped of their citizenship and refused re-entry to this country. Far from it.

In fact, theyve come up with a plan to put those who come back from fighting with Izal at the top of the housing list.

Why doesnt that surprise me? When Afghan terrorists hijacked a plane in February 2000 and flew it to Stansted, instead of putting them in jail the British authorities rolled out the welcome mat.

The headline on my column back then read: Hijack an airliner: win a council house.

Plus ca change.
At the age of 77, Huddersfields Labour MP Barry Sheerman may not plan to stand again for re-election to the House of Commons.

We must certainly assume so given that the old booby just let slip he thinks his constituents in West Yorkshire are ill-educated. As election-winning strategies go, it is at least novel. Vote for me, thickos!

Mr Sheerman, a blowy Europhile, made his outburst during a television discussion at the weekend. Maybe the heat of the studio got to him, or over-excitement at being asked to take part in a live discussion on BBC TVs Sunday Politics (backbencher Barry is rarely considered important enough for such invitations these days).

Talk turned to our EU referendum and Mr Sheerman closed his eyes, tilted his head and said: The truth is that when you look at who voted to remain, most of them were the better educated people in our country.

Disdain

If that was not la-di-dah enough for an MP whose own constituency is in an area (Kirklees) that voted by 54 per cent to leave the EU, Mr Sheerman also took a swipe at people who were educated at polytechnics.

He was cross that Conservative MP Chris Heaton-Harris has written to universities trying to find out what is being taught about Brexit.

This man who went to Wolverhampton Polytechnic, shuddered Mr Sheerman. Who does he think he is? Trying to frighten my university in Huddersfield! The thrust of this was clear: poly-educated oiks such as Heaton-Harris have no place offering their opinion to us Varsity types.

Thats the Brexit vote and the Polytechnic vote slagged off in seconds. Good work, Barry. At this rate Theresa May will give you a knighthood for services to the Tory party.

Let us begin by trying to understand Mr Sheermans snobbery  as one fellow guest in the studio put it. There is certainly data to show university graduates voted two to one in June 2016 to stay in the European Union.

Cambridge and Oxford, our best-known university strongholds, were hot for Remain. The British political, legal, media and academic elites were, and still are, markedly anti-Brexit. They clutch their necks with condescending disdain at those lower orders who voted for British independence.

It may seem unfair to pick on so slight a political figure as Barry Sheerman, a spongy middler who in the Blair years won the Golden Pager Award for asking the most obsequious questions in Parliameny

Mr Sheerman, it could be said, was merely stating facts when he hailed the intellectualism of the Remain camp. But it brings us up against the old truism that the longer someone has studied at university, the less clued up he or she may be. I say that as someone who attended three universities and who has often felt a hamfisted nincompoop alongside non-university friends.

Some of the quickest wits I know never went near a college campus, and many of our biggest idiots are those with fancy letters after their names.

It may seem unfair to pick on so slight a political figure as Barry Sheerman, a spongy middler who in the Blair years won the Golden Pager Award for asking the most obsequious questions in Parliament.

In the past he has called for Buckingham Palace to be torn down (because it is one of Britains ugliest buildings), demanded that Britain join the Euro, and described a 7,000 pay rise for MPs as pathetic.

It probably tells you all you need to know about this sorry little man, but hes again placed his head above the parapet, so here goes with the polemical mallet. His attitude stinks of entitlement, of patronising disdain, of a self-righteous sense of superiority over the little people. For a Labour MP  a Labour MP!  to express such views is dreadful; yet hardly surprising.

Mr Sheerman is typical of the illiberal Centre-Left which has done so much damage to this country in recent decades.

Labour sloganeering about the many not the few is tommy-rot. They are vicious snobs and regard the many as a herd of dumb cattle. There sits Mr Sheerman in the House of Commons, supposedly representing his constituents, yet plainly regards the majority of them as educationally inferior.

He studied at the London School of Economics, long a seed-bed of the worst sort of anti-popular, neo-elitist, pocket-filling Leftism. He has both a BSc and MSc in economics to his name. Bow down, ye voters of Huddersfield, to your twice mortar-boarded Member of Parliament.

Hail to your intellectual master, the chin-stroker, the brow-clutcher, that Erasmus de nos jours, Barry the Brainbox Sheerman! You wont be surprised to hear he opposes grammar schools (even though he went to one).

We dont want the working-classes getting ideas above their stations, do we, Barry? This ninny, this snoot, this velvet-lined codpiece, Sheerman is typical of a Parliament which, with its allies in the Establishment, has gone on dirty protest about Brexit.

They kick, stamp, pout and blow bubbles about last years stonking, revolutionary referendum result. The Leave vote was a close but clear rejection not just of the European Union but also of the stooges and suck-ups who for years anti-democratically pushed Brussels down our throats.

Crucial

The Sheermans of this world argue that MPs are chosen by constituents to act and vote on various matters as they personally see fit. That an MP is entitled to take his or her view on, say, capital punishment, even though it may clash with majority opinion in the constituency. This, Burkean view of democracy  as argued by philosopher Edmund Burke  raises parliamentarians to the level of autonomous trustees, sent to the Commons to do as they see fit for the nation. Except, except, except . . . it is more complicated than that.

The EU referendum was not a parliamentary vote. The crucial thing was that it was beyond and above the House of Commons, and it was established as such by Parliament.

It trumped the Burkean ideal. If there was an element of trusteeship, it was that the Parliamentary class would obey the referendums verdict.

From Labours Sir Keir Starmer and Tory Dominic Grieve, to dimmer bulbs such as Mr Sheerman, Westminsters Remainers put themselves above the majority  and pooh-pooh them as morons who didnt vote to become poorer or didnt vote to leave the Single Market.

In his TV appearance, Mr Sheerman derided Conservatives for agreeing to respect the EU referendum result.

Theresa May will give Sheerman a knighthood for services to the Tory party if he keeps on offending voters at his current rate

Exquisite

The Tories were now no longer the nasty party but the stupid party, he tweeted later.

Yes, how stupid of politicians to respect the will of the majority of voters in the biggest plebiscite held in our country.

The arrogance of these Remain extremists is sometimes matched only by the over-ripeness of their claims.

I recently heard Mr Sheerman claim, in the Commons, that he had met not one person in the manufacturing or business sectors of Huddersfield or Leeds who wanted to leave the EU. He was either lying or picks acquaintances in pro-Brexit Yorkshire with exquisite hygiene.

Let us close by returning to the polling data from pro-EU areas. What exactly do those statistics from university towns tell us? Do they prove the intellectual superiority of the Remain case? Even if they did, the democratic will would surely have to prevail  unless you want riots on the street.

But might the statistics not just tell us our college populations like the world the way it is? University types, who tend to do better financially than non-degree holders, may not have wished their elitist privileges to be imperilled by change. Voting patterns may just be down to all-too human greed and protectionism.

Only a very stupid politician  such as Barry Sheerman  would fail to admit the possibility of that.
Depraved child serial killer Robert Black was finally charged with murdering a string of schoolgirl victims after therapist gained his trust and led him to reveal incriminating details about his heinous crimes, a new documentary reveals.

Black, dubbed 'every parent's worst nightmare', was handed 12 life sentences for murdering four girls aged between five and 11 in the 1980s but is suspected of being responsible for countless more.

He spent the the 1970s and 1980s working as a delivery driver and cruised the length of the UK looking for young victims to abduct.

His reign of terror ended in 1990 when he was caught by police with a barely alive six-year-old girl. She was found hooded, bound, gagged and stuffed in a sleeping bag in the back of his van in the Scottish village of Stow.

However he was only charged with the murders and sexual assault of his earlier child victims after sex therapist Ray Wyre was brought in to speak to Black in prison while he was serving a sentence for attempting to abduct the six-year-old.

Speaking exclusively to FEMAIL, renowned criminologist David Wilson explained how Wyre used two crucial techniques to help lead Black to sharing the details:

He flattered the killer's ego

He listened to Black without passing judgement

Scroll down for video

Killer: Robert Black Black, dubbed 'every parent's worst nightmare', was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering four girls aged between five and 11 but is suspected of being responsible for countless more across Europe. His reign of terror ended in 1990

The series recreates the famous tapes in which sex crime expert interviewed Black in a bid to draw a confession from him

Black gave such vivid descriptions of the victims and their murders that the police knew only he could be the culprit.

Recordings taken from a 1990 interview between Wyre and Black features in the first episode of CBS Reality's series Voice of a Serial Killer, which airs on Wednesday.

Actors also recreate their interviews and Black's subsequent police interrogation.

In an interview with FEMAIL Wilson, who also appears in the documentary, called Black a 'cultural bogeyman' and explained how he couldn't help but 'tease' the police with his guilt although he did not confess to his crimes.

Wyre was brought in to speak to Black by his defence team as they prepared to appeal his conviction. The context allowed Wyre to gain his trust and his expertly judged interview technique helped coax the truth from Black.

Black would approach girls he thought he could overpower and often targeted girls when they were alone. He'd find victims in parks and running errands for their parents

The killer would move his victim's bodies to different parts of the country to avoid being caught

Schoolgirl victims: Black's first known victim was Jennifer Cardy, nine, right, who was murdered in 1981 when she was cycling to a friend's house in Ballinderry, County Antrim. His second victim was Susan Maxwell, 11, left, who was walking home after playing tennis in Cornhill-on-Tweed when Black abducted and killed her in 1982

A conversation with a killer: Robert Black's chilling interview tapes Robert Black revealed the extent of his fantasies about abducting young girls when Ray Wyre asked him to imagine how he would behave if he were a murderer. 'I'd be driving along. I'd see a young girl, I'd get out and talk to her and try to persuade her to get into the van and take her somewhere quiet,' he said. When Wyre asked how the children might react, Black said they would be 'passive'. 'Not helping, but not resisting either,' he said. In a chilling moment, Black admitted he knew his desires were wrong. 'I shouldn't be doing things like that, I shouldn't even be thinking things like that,' he said. 'But there's the other part that says, ''You like it, go on.''' Advertisement

Commenting on the interview, Wilson said: 'A lot of serial killers are quite arrogant so they like to be flattered and it's almost as if sometimes they want to see your CV before they're prepared to talk to you. So partly Black feels flattered that somebody as eminent in the forensic world as Ray Wyre was prepared to speak to him.'

He added: 'You've got to be able to have the person you're interviewing believe that you're suspending judgement at least for the time that you're in the room. If you go in and you accuse, you shut people down.

'If you go into an interview and 'you say help me to understand why these things happen' that's a different way to get people to talk to you.'

In 1994 Black was found guilty of the murders of Susan Maxwell, 11, Caroline Hogg, five, and Sarah Harper, ten. Black was also found guilty in 2011 of abducting and murdering Jennifer Cardy, nine, in his van as she cycled to a friend's house in 1981.

He sexually abused and killed her before dumping her body in a nearby beauty spot.

Black, who died of natural causes in a Northern Ireland prison in January last year, was strongly suspected of killing another 13 children.

Police fear he has taken numerous secrets to his grave, denying parents of the missing girls justice and the chance to bury their daughters.

In his interviews Black also alludes to being the killer of paper girl Genette Tate who vanished in a country lane close to her Devon home in 1978.

At one point Black was asked how he would have killed the child and his proposed method matched the police's theory about her death.

Justice: Black, pictured after being found guilty of murder never confessed to any crimes but revealing interviews with a sex therapist gave the police enough information to convict him

Another victim? In his interviews Black also alludes to being the killer of paper girl Genette Tate, pictured, who vanished in a country lane close to her Devon home in 1978

Snatched from the street: Black's last known victim was Sarah Harper, 10, was abducted and killed after going out to buy a loaf of bread for her mother in 1986

Wilson said it's 'chilling' how the information about Black's crimes came to light, as he began to reveal information about the victims that only their killer could know.

Robert Black's victims Jennifer Cardy, nine, was murdered in 1981 when she was cycling to a friend's house in Ballinderry, County Antrim. Susan Maxwell, 11, was walking home after playing tennis in Cornhill-on-Tweed in 1982 when Black abducted and killed her. Caroline Hogg, 5, was playing outside her house in Portobello, Edinburgh in 1983 when she was approached by Black. He paid for her to ride on a carousel at the fairground before he abducted her. Sarah Harper, 10, was abducted in her hometown of Morley in Leeds in 1986 after going out to buy a loaf of bread for her mother. Black traveled to Nottingham to dispose of her body where she was found in the Rivert Trent. Advertisement

Wilson said: 'Black was asked to speak to him by his defense because they were going to appeal his conviction, so what you hear on that tape is what Black says to Wyre in the context of trying to get help for his underlying sexual interest in children.

'What is even more chilling it seems to me, is that Black will deny it, he will allude to and tease almost, but he won't come directly out and say what he did,' he went on.

'Yet he provides us with enough detail to be able to say several things in confidence.

'That A, he was guilty, B, he was guilty of killing many more young girls and he certainly killed the little paper girl, Genette Tate, because he tells us, albeit in a roundabout way how he did it.'

Black was also the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of carers as a child, after he was abandoned by his own parents.

Wilson says he has never interviewed a pedophile that wasn't also a victim of childhood sex abuse.

Black died of a heart attack while serving his life sentence in prison in January 2016

Ray Wyre, a sex crime expert and therapist, interviewed Black and was able to gain enough information to lead to conviction

He said: '[His desires came from] the abuse he himself suffered as a child. There's absolutely no doubt Robert Black had the most appalling childhood in which he was physically, emotionally and sexually abused by others and that isn't to excuse his behaviour but it does explain the origins of aspects of his sexual paraphilia.'

One of the ultimate ways of being in charge was to choose young girls who he could physically overpower and the final act of being in charge and control is to never admit that to the police Criminologist David Wilson

'I've yet to work with a pedophile who hasn't been sexually abused as a child but I there are many people I know who have been sexually abused as children he would never dream of harming children so therefore where does it come from?' Wilson asked.

'In Black's case, if you bring it back to him, what Black liked to be able to do is feel powerful and in charge and in control because power and control were something that were absent for a large period of his life.

'One of the ultimate ways of being in charge was to choose young girls who he could physically overpower and the final act of being in charge and control is to never admit that to the police.'

Voice of a Serial Killer starts on Wednesday at 10pm on CBS Reality.
A white witch from North London has urged Hollywood star Angelina Jolie to cease dabbling in magic to try to woo back ex-husband Brad Pitt.

Back in September, Star magazine reported that Angelina was 'turning to bizarre spiritual rituals in an effort to fix her life and get Brad back', but Carrie Kirkpatrick, 51, says she knew that what the actress was doing was very wrong.

'When you use spells to try and win someone back, you have to be very careful what you wish for,' Carrie told FEMAIL. 'Brad and Angelina split up for a reason, so if she succeeds in getting back with him, she may end up unhappy.

'She is making a foolish mistake if she thinks she can manipulate him back into her life using magic. He has free will. If they are meant to be together, then love and their highest selves will find a way.'

Carrie, who is ordained as a Priestess Of the Goddess and teaches people how to connect with the 'mystical goddess energies', also noted how Angelina and Brad had a mutual tattooing session last year, months before their union ended,

It was a symbolic effort to 'bind their marriage', but it failed because she was 'forcing' them to stay together, she said.

White witch Carrie Kirkpatrick, 51, from London has cautioned Angelina Jolie not to try to manipulate Brad Pitt into coming back to her through the power of magic

Reports suggest that that Angelina has been 'turning to bizarre spiritual rituals in an effort to fix her life and get Brad back' following her split from Brad last year

The actress flew her tattooist to Cambodia to do a new inking that would spiritually bind her marriage to Brad, but months later they split up

Carrie says Angelina has always been interested in the 'dark arts'.

'The way she used to wear her ex-husband Billy Bob Thornton's blood in a vial around her neck, this is a form of blood magic,' she explained.

'It feeds into her tendencies towards BDSM. For her, obsession and possession equal love.'

'Angelina is known to have a strong interest in the occult, especially Voodoo and Hoodoo.

HATHORS MIRROR: A LOVE SPELL FOR HALLOWEEN Carrie has shared a spell for those looking for love at Halloween, but advises that anyone who uses it must have pure intentions. Trying to control someone elses will, as she believes Angelina is doing with her magic, wont work. 'When a person works magic to "keep" or "get" a particular love interest, it may work, but only for a short period of time,' she said. Tools: Pink/red candle, candlestick, rose/jasmine oil, handheld mirror. Egyptian/inspiring music. Jasmine incense Light the incense, turn down the lights and play the music softly. Anoint the candle with rose or jasmine oil and, focusing on the candle, call upon the Goddess, saying: 'Great Goddess Hathor, Goddess of Love, of Beauty and Joy, I ask that you be here present this night, that I may voice my true desire for a lover in my life who will lift my heart with passionate joy. May they be guided to my side that we may share a love so true. May our hearts sing with joy in honour of you. Guide me to be in the right place at the right time to meet my hearts desire, and that they be ready and willing to love me with a passion equal to mine. Show me my new love, O Goddess divine.' Now light the candle and place it in the candlestick on a table and say: 'So mote it be!' Then take the handheld mirror and gaze into it. Allow your eyes to lose their focus and, as you look at your reflection, see if another face appears before you. Who is it? Is it someone you already know? Perhaps you will see yourself in a particular situation, look at where you are, taking note of the details. How do you appear? Who else is there? This may be where you meet your lover. When you feel ready, re-focus your eyes and bring your awareness back into the room. Thank Hathor for gifting you the vision and say: 'Hail and farewell.' Then let the candle burn all the way down. Advertisement

'Whilst these traditions are not necessarily dark, there is the option here to use the magic for a darker purpose.

'In all magic, the choice between working the spell for good or bad is really down to the intention of the practitioner.

'It's like opening a very potent toolbox, you can use the tools however you wish, but there will be consequences.

'This is why we recommend proper training in magical practice. It's to protect the practitioner as well as the subjects of their magic,' said Carrie.

Angelina is also a devotee of tattoos and before she split from Brad, the couple were inked alongside one another by ex Thai monk Ajarn Noo Kanpai, who they flew to Siem Reap in Cambodia in February 2016 to work on the symbolic designs.

She acquired three new mystical sak yant back inkings from the Thai artist, a style which encompasses lines of script, geometric patterns and animal shapes, while Brad had the left side of his stomach tattooed with a Buddhist symbol.

The process was meant to 'symbolically bind them as husband and wife', but they ended up splitting in September 2016.

Carrie said: 'This is a classic case of the magic rebounding, as she was trying to force them to stay together.

'She uses her tattoos as protective talismans but they are not linked to witchcraft.

'They're magical though, in that she associates them with protective qualities. So she is using the magic of the Far East. This is not witchcraft as we on the West know it - it's the "magic" of another culture.'

The star also reportedly used magic to woo her man, by presenting him with a vial of grey powder that turned out to be a cremated bat, purportedly to ward off negative energies and accidents.

'It's more likely that this was intended to bind him to her,' Carried explained.

'She comes across as a bit insecure so she may have felt that she needed the magic to seal the deal and prevent any other witches or occultists from attacking her or sabotaging her love life.

It's all about the sex with Angelina, and by that I mean the power she can exert over a man. This is like an elixir, the ultimate possession.

'She clearly wanted Brad very much and would not consider letting him go. But ultimately, this is a fool's game as there's no point in trying to make someone be with you.

CARRIE'S LIFE AS A WITCH Seeing Carrie doing the weekly shop with her 11-year-old son, you'd be forgiven for thinking she's just like all the other mums. But she isn't the same at all  not by a long stretch. As a lonely, only child, Carrie always felt 'different'. She remembers being able to read people's minds but she'd get scolded for it. 'I knew I had special talents but I pushed them away,' she recalled. 'I didn't want people to think I was a weirdo! So I just kept quiet and decided a life as a psychic wasn't for me.' Growing up, Carrie always felt different and could read people's thoughts but she kept her abilities hidden for fear of being judged Fate, though, seemed to have other ideas. As the young Carrie grew up, she tried to ignore that part of herself and it wasn't until she was an adult that she found herself drawn back towards the world of the supernatural. 'I realised it always destined to be part of my life. So I started doing readings for people, never thinking it would take off. The white witch specialises in helping the lovelorn 'But it did and, amazingly, I've been working as a professional psychic clairvoyant now for over 30 years.' Every morning at home, Carrie makes a point of grounding herself and giving thanks to the Goddesses for all that she has. 'I am lucky to live surrounded by woods and I have four cats. It's really important to connect with the cycle of nature and acknowledge the season. This is what magic is all about.' She also performs daily cleansing rituals, using sage and essential oils. 'A lot of people visit my house,' she says, 'so it's important that I clear away all the energies that belong to others.' Find out more at www.carriekirkpatrick.com Advertisement

'They have free will and entrapping them will only lead to unhappiness. Why would anyone want to be with someone who doesn't want to be with them?'

Assisting the lovelorn is one of Carrie's many talents. 'I've helped all kinds of people using magic,' she says. 'People with legal issues, love troubles, fears and insecurities.

'I guide them through transformation in their lives, by showing them how to face their fears and follow their true path.'

Carrie cautions again using love spells on anyone who you are certain doesn't want to be in your life

When working with people who've come to her, Carrie has found that some are  or have been  witches.

'I believe that many people are born witches, and that they have been witches, healers and psychics in previous lives. These people often bring with them a fear of persecution due to the history of so many witches being executed,' she claims.

'When working with them, it's important for me to help them heal past life trauma so that they can be themselves in this life and do the work that they're destined to do.
The pioneering creative director of Dior who launched the brand's famed T-shirts proclaiming 'We should all be feminists' has opened up on what feminism means to her.

Maria Grazia Chiuri, 53, became the brand's first female creative director ever last year. As part of her debut collection in September 2016, she designed a simple white T-shirt with the feminist slogan written across the chest in prominent black letters.

Celebrities including Rihanna, Jennifer Lawrence and Natalie Portman have since been spotted wearing the garment  but in her daily life, Chiuri has encountered much less enthusiastic responses to the idea of feminism.

Message: Maria Grazia Chiuri, 53, became Dior's first female creative director ever last year. She designed T-shirts with a feminist slogan as part of her debut collection

Words: The T-shirts, which read 'We should all be feminists', were inspired by an essay and a TED Talk by the Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The Italian designer told Glamour that she was inspired to use the sentence after she and her daughter read all of the Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's books, and watched her TED talk entitled, 'We should all be feminists'.

Both Dior and Chiuri reached out to the author, who gave Chiuri permission to print the words on her T-shirt and later appeared at the front row or her shows on several occasions.

'Before, nobody used the word feminist because they thought it was a bad word,' Chiuri told the magazine. 'The problem sometimes comes from women themselves. The say, "Oh no, I'm not a feminist." But do they know what it means? The word means equal opportunity. You can be both feminist and feminine. Why not?'

Reflecting on the identity of Dior as a brand, she said: 'Everyone told me Dior was a feminine brand. OK. You want to talk about feminine now? What is feminine now?'

The designer also challenged a vision of women once enacted by Christian Dior himself when he said: 'I drew women as flowers, soft shoulders, full busts, waists as fine as tendrils and wide skirts like flowers in full bloom.'

The Italian designer (pictured wearing the famous T-shirt) said she was inspired to use the sentence after she and her daughter read all of Adichie's books and watched her TED talk

Spreading the word: Rihanna is one of many celebrities who were seen wearing the T-shirt after it made its runway debut in September last year

Working it: Natalie Portman proudly donned Dior's feminist T-shirt in June this year

Slogan: Jennifer Lawrence even wore the famous garment on the cover of Harper's Bazaar

Viral: Influencer Chiara Ferragni modeled the T-shirt in January this year in Paris, France

While poetic, this depiction isn't entirely satisfying for Chiuri, who added: 'I love flowers. I have flowers everywhere at home. I can make a beautiful dress with flowers. But women are not as simple as flowers. Women are much more.'

Growing up, Chiuri watched her mother working as a seamstress and traveling alone on vacation. She and her relative often discussed women's rights during Chiuri's teenage years.

'We were a very open-minded family,' the designer said. 'In some ways, we were a feminist family.'

When Chiuri accepted her position at Dior, she left her native Italy to go live in Paris on her own, without her husband nor her son, who is 24 years old  a move that she now wishes wouldn't draw attention when it's done by a woman.

'Yes, I would like it to be normal,' she said. 'It's so strange that it's not normal. I want to have the same power as a man, but I want to be feminine. It's as if it were wrong to want [both]. But why?'

The designer encouraged her daughter Rachele to go study in London when she was 16, so she wouldn't be exposed to the 'stereotypical ideas' that she said are common in Italy when it comes to women.

'I said, "I don't want you to stay here. Find your own point of view," ' Chiuri recounted. 'Sometimes people say feminists are angry. No. Im not angry. Im worried. Its a different attitude.'

Now, the designer hopes her daughter as well as her son view her as 'brave'.

'If there is something that I really want to pass down to them, it is this: Be brave,' she added. 'Don't worry. Nothing will happen. Go. That's what I'd like them to seea brave woman.'
A mother and former inmate who gave birth while serving a sentence says she was made to go through labor while shackled to her hospital bed, in conditions that kept her from receiving a proper epidural and cradling her newborn son directly.

Melissa Hall, 29, had her third child, a boy named Jesus, while serving a year-long sentence at the Milwaukee County Jail in April 2013. The mother-of-four was 25 at the time, and had been in detention for two months when she went into labor.

'I didn't think they were going to chain me to go to a hospital, to go have a baby,' Hall told Cosmopolitan in an interview published earlier this month. 'There's going to be a head right there,' she added, pointing to her vagina. 'Where am I going to run to?'

Legal action: Melissa Hall, 29, has filed a lawsuit saying she was forced to give birth to her son Jesus, now four, (pictured with her) while shackled to her hospital bed in April 2013

Past: Hall was 25 years old and serving a yearlong sentence at the Milwaukee County Jail when she gave birth to Jesus, her third child (pictured as a newborn)

The mother, who has since had a fourth child, a girl aged two, has sued the county of Milwaukee as well as former sheriff and vocal Trump supporter David Clarke for violating her rights by keeping her shackled throughout her two hospital days.

During her delivery, Hall said she had a tight metal cuff on her left ankle keeping her leg straight, and a manacle around her wrist with less than a foot of give, keeping her closely bound to the bed.

Because of the chains, medical staff struggled to give her an epidural, and the anesthesia ended up working only on the left side of her body. On the right side, Hall felt all the pains of labor.

Being shackled also forced her to lie flat on her back as she gave birth, and when she had to go to the bathroom, armed guards would add an extra chain around her belly.

After her baby, Jesus, was born, Hall was forced to place a pillow between her arm and the baby's body, so that the chains wouldn't come into contact with him.

Hall now parents daughters Saida, 11, Aliana, six, and Miliana, two, in addition to Jesus, who is four. She walked free six months into her sentence, and says that she is still plagued by terrifying memories of the day her son was born.

'My head was just racing of negative things that was gonna happen. What if, what if, what if, what if?' she told Cosmopolitan before referring to her son by his nickname, adding: 'What if something goes wrong with Kicho, and I'm in these chains?'

The mother was incarcerated after a period of fighting with her partner, Jesus Zepeda-Lopez. He had moved back with his mother when one night, on New Year's Eve 2012, Hall said she had more to drink than usually.

Zepeda-Lopez was supposed to come to her house so they could spend the evening together, but when he didn't show up after midnight, Hall went to his mother's house. There, according to court documents, she damaged Zepeda-Lopez's van. Later on, the documents state, she hit her partner in the face, before breaking several windows at his mother's residence.

Family: The mother now has four children in total. Pictured in the front row is Aliana, six, and at the back from left to right are Saida, 11, Jesus, four, and Miliana, two

A few weeks later, Hall was accused of threatening to kill her partner and his brother in menacing voicemails.

The mother initially faced charges of criminal damage to property, unlawful use of phone, misdemeanor battery, and bail jumping. But the latter two were dropped, and after pleading guilty to the other two, Hall was placed on probation.

She went through anger management sessions and was appointed a probation officer. But after a short while, Hall stopped keeping contact with the court and moved away, according to court documents. This violated the terms of her probation, so she was sentenced to a year in jail in February of 2013.

At that time, the mother was seven months pregnant.

'My heart dropped to the ground,' she said, recounting the moment when she found out about her sentence. 'I can't believe I'm going to be here this whole time. I'm not going to be able to see my son. I'm going to have my son in jail.'

The mother went into labor on April 11, and said she remained locked in her cell for five hours without medical care before two armed guards took her to the hospital.

As they did so, Hall said, they placed her in handcuffs, put shackles around her ankles, and placed a chain around her belly.

Later on, at the hospital, Hall said her doctors asked the guards several times to remove the chains, to no avail.

Twenty-two states and the District Of Columbia have passed legislation that limit the use of restrains on pregnant women. Wisconsin, where Hall gave birth, is not one of them. The Milwaukee County Jail revised its policy in February, stating that shackling should be used only if 'reasonably necessary'.

However, that policy wasn't in place in 2013, when Hall went into labor. At that time, pregnant inmates were treated like any other inmates requiring medical care, meaning they were to be placed in restraints.

This isn't the first time the Milwaukee County Jail has faced legal action for its treatment of pregnant prisoners. Shade Swayzer, a former inmate, had a lawsuit filed on her behalf last year after her newborn daughter died when the mother gave birth at the facility. Swayzer said she was ignored, denied medical care, and ultimately forced to go through labor in her cell.

Legal action: Hall (pictured with Miliana and Jesus) hopes her lawsuit will prompt the jail to stop shackling its pregnant inmates in labor, and might bring about change in other States

Filing: The mother has sued the county of Milwaukee as well as former sheriff David Clarke (pictured) for violating her rights by keeping her shackled throughout her two hospital days

Her baby was one of four people who died at the Milwaukee County Jail in between April and December 2016. Just last week, a 35-year-old male inmate died at the facility after he was found unresponsive in the mental health unit, officials told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The medical community and lawmakers have criticized shackling pregnant women as demeaning and medically dangerous, because it can delay emergency procedures at times when they are crucially needed.

Hall also said there is a stigma attached to patients who arrive at a medical facility in restraints.

'You see somebody in chains, and it says "Milwaukee Jail", and you see police in front of their door, you're going to think, "Oh, my god. That's a horrible person. What did she do?"' the mother said, adding that a nurse believed she had in fact committed murder.

Some States attempt to justify the need for restraints by claiming women might try to escape during their hospital stay, but no woman in labor has ever attempted to escape, according to a report by the American Medical Association.

Hall hopes her lawsuit will prompt the jail to stop shackling its pregnant inmates in labor, and might bring about change in other States.

'If I just stay quiet, it would just keep going on and on and on,' she said, adding that if her suit is successful, 'Then I'll be like, 'OK, we did something good. Something good came out of it.'

In June this year, a jury awarded $6.7 million to an unnamed woman who said she was raped repeatedly by a guard at the Milwaukee County Jail when she was 19 years old, then was forced to give birth to her daughter while shackled.

The woman was already pregnant when she arrived to the jail, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. Clarke at the time defended the practice of shackling inmates in labor by saying it is needed to protect medical staff.

A midwife testified during the trial that keeping women in labor in shackles creates a risk of slowing down labor, and could be dangerous for the baby.
She's the real-life doctor who answered all your 'embarrassing' questions about life, health, relationships, sex and boys.

And Associate Professor Melissa Kang from the University of Technology Sydney has ripped open the sealed section on her life as Dolly Doctor.

Before the Internet was a thing, Dolly Doctor was dishing out health advice to teenage magazine readers from around Australia for 23 years.

Here, she reveals some of the the most common questions she was asked by teens over the years.

Dr Melissa Kang (pictured) has opened up about her life as Dolly Doctor - and the most common questions she was asked by readers over the years

Before the Internet was a thing, Dolly Doctor was dishing out health advice to teenage magazine readers from around Australia for 23 years

'One of the things people always ask me is "were those questions real?" Yes, every single one of them was actually sent in by a real young person,' Dr Kang told ABC's Ladies We Need To Talk.

For more than two decades, Dr Kang became a reliable source who was always on hand to help teens understand their own health, sexuality and female anatomy.

'When I first started writing for Dolly Doctor in 1993, I was getting a lot questions such as, "I don't know how many holes I have down there" and "what's my vagina and what's my vulva?"' she said.

Dr Kang - who also works as a medical doctor - said the most common questions she received from readers were about tampons and orgasms.

For more than two decades, Dr Kang became a reliable source who was always on hand to help teens understand their own health, sexuality and female anatomy

Dolly Doctor provided advice - ranging from relationships, sex, health, boys and bodies

'These poor girls who couldn't get a tampon in or couldn't actually get it out again,' she recalled.

'[Orgasms] was a pretty common question too amongst the girls who were sexually active.' I think perhaps now, young women are feeling a little bit more entitled to ask [about] orgasms, which is a positive thing that I saw over the years.'

Dr Kang said masturbation-related questions to Dolly Doctor was 'always constant'.

'Girls have always masturbated, and my observation is that they are more willing to ask about it, and more willing to be explicit about the questions they are asking,' she said.

Dolly magazine - known as a 'bible' to teens growing up - folded after 46 years in print (pictured left Miranda Kerr on the cover of Dolly's April 1997 issue and right Dolly Doctor book)

Dr Kang - who also works as a medical doctor - said the most common questions she received from readers were about tampons and orgasms

She said 'am I normal' related questions were also common over the years.

'Teenagers were experiencing sensations, noticing changes in their bodies, getting involved in relationships and just really worrying if that was normal or where it was the same as everybody else,' Dr Kang said.

After sharing her advice for decades, she found young women were comfortable in their own skin because they had a better understanding of their bodies.

In 2016, the Dolly Doctor found as many girls asking about pubic hair removal, as she did revealing their embarrassing body problems.

After sharing her advice for decades, Dr Kang found young women were comfortable in their own skin because they had a better understanding of their bodies

Previous research revealed that Dolly Doctor provided better health advice than major magazines such as Women's Health and Woman's Day

In a previous interview, Dr Kang said that writing for Dolly as the doctor was always about answering one reader's specific question, acknowledging their feelings and simultaneously providing information for all readers about the subject.

She explained the questions she answered over the 23 years she spent as a columnist at Dolly were diverse and unexpected.

Her latest interview comes after Dolly magazine - known as a 'bible' to teenage girls growing up - folded last year following 46 years in print.

Previous research revealed that Dolly Doctor provided better health advice than major magazines such as Women's Health and Woman's Day.
The Kardashian family's resident hairstylist live streamed her own home being robbed online after catching the bungling burglars on her home security system.

Jen Atkin, 37, was away from her Los Angeles property when the robbery occurred, but was notified on her phone via a video monitoring system.

So, after confirming that the police had been alerted to the crime and were on their way, Jen decided to capture every minute of the burglary through a series of posts on Instagram and Snapchat, sharing videos of the thieves from the feed going through her prized possessions.

Shocking find: Celebrity stylist Jen Atkin recently watched her own home being robbed thanks to a security camera

Big hitters: Jen is best known for being the Kardashian family's resident hairstylist

'So whoever is in my closet right now stealing all my jewelry, we have you on camera and the police are on their way,' she explained on one of the videos.

Jen, who was working on a shoot on a nearby beach at the time, added: 'Update: police are on it and I can't say too much. But get cameras in your house guys they're so helpful.'

The stylist, who is married to photographer Mike Rosenthal, shared eight videos in total narrating them along the way, saying: 'You guys this is so crazy to watch. Mike just gave me permission to show this. What if this is just a Nest ad and I was getting paid?'

Looking on: Jen was away from the home on a shoot when the video was sent to her phone

Rifling through: She shared eight videos of the burglars on Instagram, narrating them for her followers after calling the police

Higher ground: Jen mused that she couldn't believe the robbers wouldn't think of the cameras

She added: 'Just kidding. So basically they use my own Henri Bendel bag and start going through the jewelry. This is so crazy that people do this with cameras, its so not smart.

'And apparently they have robbed a couple houses on our very street today, its the same guys, everybodys putting all the clues together, so guess what, buddies? Its so crazy that people do this with cameras. Its so not smart.'

She even spied the robber making a beeline for her Yeezys, a brand of sneakers designed by Kanye West with Adidas.

Jen, who also works for Chrissy Teigen and the Hadid sisters, captioned the video with 'My Yeezys? Ahhhh hell NO!'

'None of my name-brand shoes were taken, he literally just is checking the size of my Yeezys,' she added.

Star power: In addition to the Kardasians, Jen also works with Chrissy Teigen and both Bella and Gigi Hadid

Looking back: After the ordeal, Jen took back to Instagram to reflect on the experience

After the ordeal, Jen took to Instagram once again to reflect on the incident and offer up some advice. She even wished the best for the people who robbed her.

'Was staring at this gorgeous view today while our house was being robbed,' she wrote, sharing a photo from a Santa Monica beach. 'It felt super violating but we know in our hearts that there are good people out in this sometimes dark world.

'Yes we will have to adjust how we live a bit BUT Im grateful for all the good people in our life. Just thinking of it as a good deed and hopefully the material things we loved will help whoever needed to steal it Oh and get NEST, its worth every penny.'

The burglary took place just over one year after Jen's client and close friend Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in an apartment in Paris during Fashion Week last September.

Following the robbery, it was widely reported that Kim took steps to protect herself against future attacks by being more discreet on social media, and maintaining more privacy about her whereabouts.
She's the fitness queen who has worked hard for her bikini body.

But Instagram star Ashy Bines, from the Gold Coast, has found herself at the centre of criticism after cruel trolls accused her of having 'cellulite'.

Speaking to her fans on Snapchat, the 28-year-old hit back after she received the remarks when she recently wore shorts on two different occasions.

'So basically these comments said "love your shorts but you've got cellulite... shouldn't someone in the health and fitness industry not have cellulite?"' she said.

Scroll down for video

Instagram star Ashy Bines has hit back at cruel trolls who accused her of having 'cellulite'

The 28-year-old fitness queen has worked hard for her body - but she has found herself at the centre of criticism

'I don't think they're meant to be rude but obviously, any girl who gets told they have cellulite or they're questioning why I have cellulite, it's like... "Oh thanks".

Despite her confidence, the young mother-of-one - who proudly flaunts her toned figure on social media - admitted she was not 'perfect'.

'I think it's just a little reminder that just because I'm in the health and fitness industry, it doesn't mean that I'm perfect and completely flawless with a six pack and no cellulite or no wobbly bits,' she said.

'I'm just as normal and real as everyone watching this Snapchat. I'm sorry if I disappointed you that I have cellulite.

'I'm not offended by the cellulite comment. I know I'm not flawless, it doesn't upset me. I'm not insecure about my cellulite. It's not something that bothers me. I just think all women have it, most women have it, if you don't hip-hip-hooray.'

Despite her confidence, the young mother-of-one - who proudly flaunts her toned figure on social media - admitted she was not 'perfect'

Speaking to her fans on Snapchat, the 28-year-old said she received the remarks when she recently wore shorts on two different occasions

The fitness guru said her mission was to encourage women to love their life - not just their looks.

'I feel like I've moved into someone who just likes to help women feel amazing,' she said.

'Obviously that comes with looking your best, feeling your best, being your healthiest, living your life during the things you love, surrounded by people.

'It's not just about how you look.'

The Instagram star brushed off the comments about herself but she urged critics to stop judging other women.

The Instagram star brushed off the comments but urged critics to stop judging other women

The fitness guru said her mission was to help women to love their life - not just their looks

'I just think to those people who do comment on other women's appearances just to be careful because I just don't think it comes across as nice,' she said.

'If that person is having a bad day or they're already insecure about it, you're just highlighting for them - and that's never going to make any women feel good.

'Just think about what you might be insecure about, and then having someone point it out all the time. It's not going to make you feel good, it's just going to make you think about it more.

'People should not put other people on pedestals or expect them to be a certain way or act a certain way or say certain things just because they're in the industry.

'We are all so different and we all do things differently, and connect differently, and train differently and have different goals and that's okay.'
Australian restaurants and bars are doing their best to 'scare' their customers with some terrifyingly delicious Halloween-themed treats and tipples.

While there'll be ghosts, ghouls and goblins roaming the streets trick or treating, those wanting to partake in a slightly more civilised way can enjoy an array of horror-inspired dishes and and clever cocktails.

Here, FEMAIL looks at some of the more creepy creations on offer as Australians prepare for some scares ahead of the most frightening night of the year.

Australian bars and restaurants are going all out to create some of the most creepy concoctions this Halloween. "Frankencute" (pictured) from Sydney's Zumbo Patissiere is one

Prepare for some gastronomic scares ahead of the most terrifying night of the year

HUNGER-BUSTING HORROR BURGERS

As Stranger Things season two fever takes over, BL Burgers has stepped up and created a burger special that's out of this world.

In addition to two Southern fried chicken fillets, there's it comes with bacon, Eggos waffles, maple syrup and is served on an appropriately named upside down milk burger bun.

Sydney cafe Bar Luca has also unveiled a special burger in honour of the scariest night of nights.

This beauty, aptly named the "Hellaweiner" comes with a beef pattie, pickled chilies, wieners (franks) and of course its dripping in chilli liquid cheese.

BL Burgers has stepped up and created a 'Stranger Things' burger that's out of this world

Bar Luca's "Hellaweiner" comes with a beef pattie, pickled chilies, wieners (franks) and of course its dripping in chilli liquid cheese

SCARILY DELICIOUS SWEET TREATS

Sweet treats don't come much more decadent that this black chocolate pancake stack created by South Side Tearoom in Queensland.

The stack comes served with blood berry coulis, ice cream, meringue and is topped with scarily realistic sugar glass shards. Terrifyingly good.

In keeping with a national obsession for all things killer related, Canberra's Ricardo's Cafe has created its version of a 'bloody' dessert.

A black chocolate pancake stack created by South Side Tearoom in Queensland

Its 'cereal killer' creation comes with dripping red raspberry 'blood' and a large syringe filled with chocolate. Guaranteed to bring a smile of delight to anyone brave enough to indulge.

When it comes to cuteness though, it's unlikely anyone will be able to go past a quirky creation by Sydney's Zumbo Patissiere called "Frankencute".

This creepy cutie is a concoction of liquid raspberry lime and mint gel, vanilla creme chantilly. And it comes 'nailed' to a vanilla sponge and is coated in condensed milk. Frighteningly amazing!

Canberra's Ricardo's Cafe has created more 'bloodier' desserts on offer

FRIGHT BITES

While a meal might be too much, especially if you plan on prowling the streets, a little sugary sustenance is likely to go a long way.

These monster-faced donuts, courtesy of The Dougnut Bar, are every trick or treaters dream. The range includes oreo spiders, green ghouls and other crazy creations.

Donut Time also nods at Stranger Things 2.0 with it's inspired Stranger Rings donut cocoction. If lashings of chocolate don't appeal, the donut specialists also have a Pennywise creation on offer, ahead of this year's horror phenomenon.

Monster-faced donuts by The Doughnut Bar

Sydney's Bourke Street Bakery is serving a spiced pumpkin tart to celebrate the occasion

Donut Time's inspired Stranger Things and Pennywise creations

Sydney's Bourke Street Bakery has also got into the spirit and is serving a spiced pumpkin tart for its Halloween offering.

The artisanal bakery makes all their goods by hand, and it's as likely this special treat will be as delicious as the rest of their baked goods.

HALLOWEEN THEMED COCKTAILS

Gin Lane Sydney has created a sophisticated, although scary, cocktail in honour of the night where the dead are said to roam.

The aptly named 'Day of the Dead' Margarita, is a decadent concotion of rose-infused tequilla, Cointreau, rose syrup, lime, charcoal syrup, agave and garnished with volcano salt and rose petal dripped with pomegranate 'blood'.

Gin Lane Sydney has created a sophisticated, although scary, cocktail in honour of the night where the dead are said to roam

In keeping with the night's theme, the boutique bar also has another offering for those wanting something a bit more 'spirited'.

Their special 'Vampire Punch' fishbowl is a mix of gin, Campari, pink grapefruit, orange juice, activated charcoal and topped with soda and lemonade.

Served with swirls of dry ice, this cocktail is perfect for Halloween.

The boutique bar also has another offering for those wanting something a bit more 'spirited' - a 'Vampire Punch' fish bowl

Other bars getting in on the act include The Norfolk Hotel in Sydney's Surry Hills.

The bar has created specially brewed margarita that's part pumpkin spice and peach.

And at just $10, the cocktail comes in as one that's likely to offer the best bang for your Halloween buck.
With a sex-pest scandal convulsing Parliament, you could forgive Theresa May for looking weary as another working week began.

However, by last night the Prime Minister was a woman transformed as she swapped Westminster for Mayfair.

Red lipstick highlighted a beaming smile as she attended the Pride of Britain awards at Grosvenor House  in stark contrast to the expression captured in Downing Street that morning.

Left, Theresa May looks downbeat outside No10 Downing Street and right, the PM looking polished as she arrives on the red carpet at the Pride of Britain Awards in Mayfair

Mrs May, who stopped to sign autographs outside the event, wore an eye-catching black dress with a lace effect  and also appeared to have a glucose monitor on her arm.

The device is used by diabetes sufferers like the Prime Minister to check their blood, to help decide when they should inject themselves with insulin.

During the awards ceremony, Mrs May took to the stage with Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn and leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Vince Cable to pay tribute to the heroism of Pc Keith Palmer.

The officer gave his life protecting parliament during the London Bridge terror attack in March.

The PM said it was 'fitting' that Pc Palmer was the first person to receive a posthumous Pride of Britain Award for outstanding bravery, as he gave his life to protect others.

She said: 'As he stood in defence of parliament, facing down and tackling that evil terrorist unarmed, he stood for Britain, he gave his life for Britain, he was quite simply the pride of Britain.'

The Prime Minister appeared to be wearing a glucose monitor as she signed autographs

Prince William also commemorated the courageous efforts of Britain's emergency services during the star-studded ceremony.

William praised the firecrews who put their lives at risk to save residents trapped in the devastating Grenfell Tower inferno in west London.

Presenting the This Morning Emergency Services Award to the firefighters, He said: 'Many people forget the daily grind you go through on a daily basis.'

The Prince also presented a special recognition award to the community around Grenfell Tower.

During an emotional speech, he said: 'Thank you for the hard work you've all done, the community spirit you've shown, the coming together as you did so quickly after Grenfell.

Prince William commemorated the courageous efforts of Britain's emergency services during the star-studded ceremony

'I'm just so sorry that such an awful event ever occurred.'

He added: 'I can only imagine how horrendous and difficult it has been for you all.'

William also joined muscian Ed Sheeran in a presentation to emergency responders at the Manchester bombing in May.

He said: 'I genuinely don't know how you see some of the things you see and I don't understand how difficult it must have been for you.'

He added: 'You take those scars home with you mentally and yet you come back the next day and you still do fantastic work.'




As the Melbourne Cup approaches, many will be forking out hundreds or even thousands on the finest champagne and sparkling wines they can find.

But for those looking for a tasty tipple that won't break the bank, on Wednesday Aldi will launch two 1.5L bottles of French bubbly for just $19.99 each.

The two on offer will be a Brut D'Argent sparkling chardonnay and a Brut D'Argent sparkling pinot noir.

As the Melbourne Cup approaches, many will be forking out hundreds or even thousands on the finest champagne and sparkling wines they can find

But for those looking for a tasty tipple that won't break the bank, on Wednesday Aldi will launch two 1.5L bottles of French bubbly for just $19.99 each

'Going on sale November 1, these high-quality magnums of bubbly are the perfect way to celebrate with friends or family throughout the party season, allowing everyone to enjoy the refreshing taste for under $20 per bottle,' an Aldi spokesperson said.

'However, those who want to snap up this great offer will need to hurry in store, as it is only available while stocks last.'

The liquor will be available in Aldi stores across the country and will launch as part of their famed special buys.

The luxe magnums will go on sale alongside other high-end items including a $399 4K television. $299 3D printer and a $39.99 graphics tablet.

Aldi regularly impresses wine-lovers with their selection and in October, one of their red wines took out the top spot an awards show.

In October ALDI's Blackstone Paddock Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 is the lucky bottle that has been awarded Gold at the prestigious Royal Adelaide Wine Awards (pictured right)

ALDI's Blackstone Paddock Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 was awarded Gold in the Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 vintage class at the prestigious Royal Adelaide Wine Awards.

Only 2,000 wines are accepted into the competition each year, making it an exclusive contest.

The red wine is award winning without the hefty price tag as it costs less than AUD $20, retailing for $17.99.

The liquor has a deep colour with a berry aroma and a rich, smooth palate.

'A wine of elegance, class and structure with powerful plum, blackcurrant, truffles and smokey olive characters,' the ALDI website read.

Only 2,000 wines are accepted into the competition each year, making it an exclusive contest

BOTTLES ALDI BEAT Eric Stevens Purbrick Cabernet Sauvignon - Silver $28.99 The Angelus Cabernet Sauvignon - Silver $54.99 St Hugo Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon - Bronze $39.99 Lindemans Coonawarra St George Cabernet Sauvignon - Bronze $54.99 Advertisement

The $17.99 alcohol beat a $74.99 bottle, Brand's Laira One Seven One Cabernet Sauvignon, which took silver.

The ALDI red wine was one of only eight bottles awarded Gold.

This isn't the first time that ALDI's affordable alcohol has been applauded for its high-quality.

Earlier this year some of their wines won Double Gold, Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in various categories at the Melbourne International Wine Show.

This isn't the first time ALDI's alcohol has been applauded for its high-quality

Before this, ALDI's The Pond Cabernet Sauvignon, which retails for AUD $6.99, was awarded Top Gold at the Rutherglen Wine Show.

This is a classic cool climate cabernet with a palate that consists of blackberries and cassis with spice.

'A wine with very good richness, structure and depth and ideal for barbequed meats and evening meals,' the ALDI website states.

ALDI's buying director, Jason Bowyer, previously told Daily Mail Australia that the quality and value equation is the most important aspect.

Before this, ALDI's The Pond Cabernet Sauvignon, which retails for AUD $6.99, was awarded Top Gold at the Rutherglen Wine Show (pictured right)

'We pride ourselves on sourcing products of the highest quality, and these award wins are testament to the excellent calibre of the Australian suppliers we work with,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'It enables us to deliver to high standards that are in line with our customers' tastes, by bench marking product specifications against market leading wine brands.

'A $10 wine at ALDI should drink like a $20 - $25 wine from elsewhere, and we consistently deliver on this formula.'
They're famous for their incredible figures, and now Natasha Oakley and Devin Brugman are hoping to spread their body positivity.

The bikini bloggers behind the Monday Swimwear brand decided to switch up the sizing in their new Paradise Found swimwear range.

Instead of a size XL or XXL, women will instead be purchasing a size V - for voluptuous.

'We want women to feel completely uninhibited in a bikini, so we design them that way,' Natasha and Devin told Whimn.

Natasha Oakley and Devin Brugman, the bikini bloggers behind the Monday Swimwear brand, are now offering a size V for voluptuous instead of size XL or XXL

The models said they wanted to help women who can't help but feel insecure when they're not a size small or medium

The models said they wanted to help women who can't help but feel insecure when they look at a sizing label.

'So many girls are concerned with why "smalls" don't fit them, believing that they must have put on weight and somehow lost their beauty if their bikinis don't read size small,' they said.

'So much rests on what size people are wearing, that we decided it was time to set the record straight and put people's minds at ease.'

That's why the women also made sure that the Paradise Found range fit up to an E/F cup, making sure it could cater to women of many shapes and sizes.

The bloggers also made sure that the Paradise Found range fit up to an E/F cup, making sure it could cater to women of many shapes and sizes

Natasha, 26, recently said that she believes that the pride she has for her body has helped her 2million Instagram followers with their own self-confidence

This has long been a goal of Natasha and Devina, who model their own designs and proudly flaunt their curvaceous figures.

Natasha, 26, recently said that she believes that the pride she has for her body has helped her 2million Instagram followers.

'I think a lot of people have had newfound confidence within themselves from seeing what we do,' Natasha told Stellar in August.

And the bloggers recently shared a post on their site, A Bikini A Day, in which they asked their fans to realise that sizing is merely a guide.

Both Natasha and Devin revealed that, depending on the brand, they could wear an XS or an XL.

That's because designers use a 'fit model' when finalising the design of their swimwear, adjusting it depending on how the fit pieces her body.

'Their sizing then evolves, meaning that a medium is a medium based on how it compares to her body,' they revealed.

Natasha and Devin scale their sample sizes from both a small and a large - rather than just a small - but note that even their efforts can't fix the sizing problem completely

Instead they believe we should view bikinis not as an extension of our body, but rather how we want to show it off

'It is literally impossible for size to be universal. For that to happen, there would have to be one fit model in the world - and only one.'

The bloggers also explained that some designers make their bikinis deliberately small so that there's 'less cloth on the body', while others will make tops smaller so that it emphasises cleavage.

'The sizes are decided by the overall effect the designer is going for, rather than the size of body it should be worn on,' they continued.

Natasha and Devin scale their sample sizes from both a small and a large - rather than just a small - but note that even their efforts can't fix the sizing problem completely.

And that's because bikinis are not an extension of our body, but rather how we want to show it off.

'Bikinis aren't representative of your size, they're representative of who you want to be and what you want to look like,' they said.

'Swimwear sizing is a preference, rather than a definition. Beauty is in variation, and like our bikinis, we are all different.'
Flying cars, autonomous snow plows and solar roadways are all examples of disruptive technologies, and they could be debuting in North Dakota faster than you think.

"We truly are moving into the age of 'The Jetsons,'" said moderator Marlo Anderson, at the first-ever DisruptWell Technology Summit in Bismarck on Tuesday. "Imagine traveling to Fargo and never having to touch the steering wheel ... That's three hours of travel time where you can do work, call your mom...it'll make family life a lot better and a lot easier."

Hundreds of people gathered at Bismarck State College's National Energy Center of Excellence to discuss disruptive technologies, a term made popular by Clayton Christensen's 1997 book The Innovator's Dilemma."

Disruptive technologies alter the way things are done, creating a new market and forcing others to adapt to it. While companies often plan to make incremental improvements to the way they do business, disruptive technologies completely change it.

North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum was the keynote speaker at the event, in which several panels were formed to discuss technological advances in transportation, healthcare, energy and education.

Ride-sharing services are considered a disruptive technology. Uber and Lyft are now available in 54 communities across the state, noted Tom Sorel, director of the North Dakota Department of Transportation.

Uber drivers not only share rides, they share the road...with snow plows.

"We believe we can equip some of our snow plows with autonomy," said Sorel, noting that snow plow operators often fear for their lives.

"My goal is to have zero fatalities on North Dakota highways," he added, noting that the implementation of driver-assist technology and autonomous vehicles could potentially reduce the number of car crash fatalities.

The development of solar roadways - roads with markings that illuminate at night after a day's worth of charging from the sun's rays - is another disruptive technology receiving approval from Molly Barnes, vice president of Northern Improvement.

"No more disappearing lines from the snow and snow plows," she said.

Also on hand was a panel of healthcare professionals to discuss telemedicine, team-based healthcare and advances in stem cell research and aortic valve replacement.

Advances in medicine make it possible for fat-derived stem cells to be used to accelerate healing after a surgery or help to regenerate tissue, said Craig Lambrecht, executive vice president of Sanford Health.

Some say we're just getting started (with technology) and it's just a function of time," said Bismarck Mayor Mike Seminary. Nothing will happen overnight, but a lot is going to happen quickly because it already is."

Planning is already underway for next year's summit, which is slated for Sept. 18, 2018.
Prince Charles was overcome with emotion as he laid a wreath at the Cenotaph, which honors soldiers who died during World Wars I and II, during an official visit to Singapore.

The Prince of Wales and Camilla arrived in Singapore on Tuesday for the first stop of an 11-day trip to strengthen ties between Britain and Asian countries.

They received a ceremonial welcome to kick off a visit to the Southeast Asian island nation in which they will have an orchid named after them and be hosted at a state banquet by Singapore's president, Halimah Yacob.

Charles last visited Singapore in 1979. He met with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and laid a wreath at the Cenotaph, which honors soldiers who died during World Wars I and II.

Prince Charles was overcome with emotion at the World War One memorial cenotaph in Singapore. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall are on a royal visit to Singapore before travelling to Malaysia and India

Prince Charles laid a wreath at the Cenotaph during a memorial event on day two of the Royal visit to Singapore

Prince Charles and Camilla pause for a moment of silence during a memorial event at the Cenotaph on day two of their visit to Singapore

Singapore was a British colony and a valuable trading port. Thousands of soldiers from countries such as Britain, Australia and New Zealand died when Japanese troops moved swiftly down the Malay Peninsula in early 1942.

It was on Feb. 15, 1942, after a week of fierce, last-ditch fighting, that British Lt.-Gen. Arthur Ernest Percival surrendered Singapore and hostilities ceased.

The British returned after the war. Still, locals pushed for self-rule, and Singapore became independent in 1965.

'This visit reaffirms the historic and long-standing relationship between Singapore and the United Kingdom,' Singapore's foreign ministry said in a statement.

(L-R) Prince Charles, Duchess of Cornwall and Alex Moore, wife of the Defence Attache, attended the memorial ceremony at the Cenotaph war memorial

Prince Charles inspects the Guard of Honour upon arriving at the Presidential Palace in Singapore

Prince Charles attended a welcome ceremony with Singapore's President Halimah Yacob

Camilla looked glamorous in a mint green dress, which she brightened up with a floral scarf

The couple look forlorn as they observe a minute's silence at the World War One memorial cenotaph in Singapore

Prince Charles stood for the national anthem with Singapore's President Halimah Yacob, during the welcome ceremony at the Istana or Presidential Palace in Singapore

A glamorous Duchess of Cornwall attends a Commonwealth Literacy event at Temasek Junior College in Bedok, Singapore

Prince Charles was the main attraction as he spoke to members of the public after laying a wreath at the Cenotaph in Singapore

Members of the public clambered over each other to shake the Prince's hand

Camilla looked refreshed and glamorous as she arrived in Singapore. She and her husband are on a tour of Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and India

The royal couple leaves for Malaysia on Thursday. They'll cap off their Asia tour with visits to Brunei and India.

British media reported that Myanmar was considered for the trip but was excluded from the itinerary.

The mass exodus of hundreds of thousands of minority Muslim Rohingya amid violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state has become a major humanitarian crisis, with Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi facing heavy international criticism.

The Duchess of Cornwall shakes hands and speaks with veterans after a memorial ceremony at The Cenotaph war memorial

Camilla attends a Commonwealth Literacy event at Temasek Junior College and inspects their arts and crafts

Last night, the Prince of Wales greeted the Duchess of Cornwall with a tender kiss after touching down in Singapore for the start of an 11-day trip to south-east Asia and India.

The royals, who looked every inch the loved-up couple, arrived separately on Monday after Camilla returned from a private holiday, with Charles flying in on the RAF Voyager flight.

It was a rare display of affection for the couple, who have been spotted kissing in public on just two occasions; at a Somerset House reception in 2001, before their marriage, and at a polo match in 2005.

The pair are touring the region at the request of the Government in a trip billed as an important event in the run up to next year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London.

The Duchess of Cornwall, who has been holidaying privately ahead of the trip, joined her husband to tour Malaysia, neighbouring Brunei and finally the Indian capital New Delhi.

Prince Charles inspects honor guards during a welcome ceremony at the Istana

Prince Charles attends a welcome ceremony with Singapore's President Halimah Yacob at the Istana or Presidential Palace in Singapore

A dapper Charles walks in front of Singapore's President Halimah Yacob as they inspect honor guards during a welcome ceremony

Prince Charles stands for the national anthem with Singapore's President Halimah Yacob

Prince Charles is in high spirits as he meets Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana in Singapore

The royal couple looked delighted to meet Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, center right, and his wife Ho Ching

Prince Charles meets Singapore's President Halimah Yacob at the Istana in Singapore during their visit

Prince Charles visited the MacRitchie Reservoir Park in Singapore

Prince Charles donned a poppy in honour of those lost in the world wars

The Prince of Wales admired the lush surrounding as he was treated to a tour of the reservoir park

Together at last: Prince Charles greeted the Duchess of Cornwall with a tender kiss after touching down in Singapore for the start of an 11-day trip to south-east Asia and India

He said the royal couple 'will undertake nearly 50 engagements that showcase the breadth and depth of the United Kingdom's relationship with these key Commonwealth partners in advance of a Commonwealth summit in London next April'.

Mr Furssedonn-Wood added: 'The visit will highlight shared priorities such as celebrating community, championing cultural diversity and business innovation.

'There will also be a particular focus on education and youth opportunity, and on sustainability and conservation.'

Charles, who has travelled overseas to attend CHOGM and opened the event in 2013, is likely to play some part in the gathering of world leaders next April.

Scott Furssedonn-Wood, the Prince's deputy private secretary for foreign and Commonwealth affairs, highlighted the importance of the official tour when it was announced earlier this month

Highlights of the visit will see the royal couple welcomed as guests of honour at a Gala Dinner celebrating 60 years of Malaysian independence.

On the Island of Borneo, where they will meet members of the state of Sarawak's diverse indigenous communities, Charles will see first-hand the work being done to preserve the region's biodiversity and to protect some its most endangered species such as orangutans.

And the prince will celebrate Singapore's cultural and religious diversity and meet representatives of British companies working in Singapore.

The tour of Singapore will began on Monday evening when the heir to the throne arrived in the voyager ministerial jet.
The news that Prue Leith has accidentally revealed the winner of tonight's much-anticipated Bake Off final - some nine hours before the show actually airs on Channel 4 - has sparked an avalanche of comedy tweets.

And there are no prizes for guessing who's the star of most of them - that's right, former Bake Off judge Mary Berry.

The show's new judge Leith, currently in Bhutan, blamed the fist-in-mouth clanger on jet-lag and a different time-zone.

Scroll down for video

The original tweet from Prue Leith, who revealed the name of tonight's winner shortly before 11 am this morning - the momentous gaffe has sparked a mountain of memes on Twitter

She wrote: 'No-one told me judging a GBBO final would be so emotional. I wanted them all to win. Bravo [name redacted]'

Channel 4 has confirmed the tweet is genuine. Despite Prue following up with another tweet apologising for her error, Twitter is currently having a field day.

An upset-sounding Leith posted on Twitter: 'I am so sorry to the fans of the show for my mistake this morning, I am in a different time zone and mortified by my error #GBBO.'

Thousands of the show's fans are posting memes galore expressing their frustration at finding out the name of the winner ahead of the show's finale this evening.

Many of the memes center around baking national treasure Berry, often suggesting, without any grounding, that the former judge might be taking some relish in the embarrassing mistake.

The finalists Kate Lyon, Steven Carter-Bailey and Sophie Faldo have said nothing so far on Leith's clanger.

The trio will be seen vying for the Bake Off trophy at 8pm tonight on Channel 4.
With her engagements taking place all over the world Queen Maxima spends a fair amount of time away from her three daughters.

And so the Dutch royal was delighted at the opportunity to spend time with a group of adorable youngsters at a hospital visit on Tuesday.

The Queen of the Netherlands appeared delighted as she greeted a group of young boys and their mother at Subol Hospital in Nigeria.

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands appeared utterly charmed by a group of triplets at Subol Hospital in Nigeria on Tuesday

The mother-of-three was visiting the hospital in order to learn more about access to health insurance available to locals from platform PharmAccess.

But before official proceedings start a typically charismatic Maxima spent time chatting to patients in the waiting rooms.

The 46-year-old appeared particularly charmed by three young triplet boys who appeared fascinated by the brightly dressed royal.

Always one to make a style statement Maxima wore an elegant canary yellow dress for her engagement today.

The mother-of-three spent time chatting to the young boys and their mother in the waiting room at the hospital

Today marks the royal's second day in Nigeria having arrived on Monday for her four day visit

Always one to make a style statement Maxima wore an elegant canary yellow dress for her engagement today

In light of the warm weather in Nigeria the royal opted for bare legs showing off her metallic heels.

The Argentinian-born royal opted for a few simple accessories to finish her outfit today in the form of beaded hoop earrings and several elegant bracelets.

Maxima kept her famous golden tresses off her face tying her hair back in a simple knotted ponytail.

After spending time with the patients at Subol, Maxima was introduced to staff members where she spent time learning about PharmAccess.

Maxima was introduced to staff members where she spent time learning about PharmAccess

PharmAccess focuses on broadening to making healthcare finance and delivery more effective and more inclusive

PharmAccess was founded in 2001 by Professor Joep Lange who brought life-saving AIDS treatment to those who needed it most.

Building on this work on the front lines of HIV/AIDS treatment, their focus has broadened to making healthcare finance and delivery more effective and more inclusive.

Today is Maxima's second day in Nigeria having arrived in the African country on Monday.

This visit will focus on the possibilities for accelerating the process of improving access to financial services.
Princess Madeleine of Sweden proved just how chic maternity dressing can be when she stepped out in London today.

The royal, 35, who is expecting her third child with financier husband Chris O'Neill, looked elegant in an all-black ensemble as she visited the Swedish Embassy in Marylebone.

She wrapped up against the chilly winter weather in a black coat, which she wore over a knee-length black dress.

Monochrome magic: Princess Madeleine of Sweden outside the embassy in London today

Radiant: The royal, who is expecting her third child, was glowing as she stepped out of the car

Chic: The pregnant royal was spotted carrying a classic black Chanel quilted clutch

The mother-of-two finished the outfit with black lace-up boots, black tights and a classic quilted black Chanel bag.

Keeping the look simple, Princess Madeleine opted for minimal make-up - although she did paint her nails in an on-trend plum-coloured polish.

She wore her hair in soft waves loose around her shoulders.

Princess Madeleine's pregnancy was revealed in August.

An announcement from the Swedish Royal Court confirmed the new arrival is due in March 2018 and that the Princess is feeling well.

Good spirits: The 35-year-old royal beamed as she was greeted outside the embassy

Polished: Madeleine wore her hair in loose soft curls and kept her make-up to a minimum

Madeleine is already a mother to Prince Nicolas, two, and Princess Leonore, three, and royal fans rushed to congratulate her after announcing the news on Facebook.

Princess Leonore was born in New York where the family were based at the time for Chris' job as a financier.

However, they have since relocated to London enabling Madeleine to be much closer to her family.

Since moving to the capital, she's also expressed her hope that her children could enjoy a playdate with Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
The Danish royals came out in force to mark the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's Reformation movement in Copenhagen.

Queen Margrethe II led arrivals on Tuesday morning at Folketinget (Danish Parliament) at Christiansborg palace, closely followed by her sons Princes Frederik and Joachim.

Tellingly, there was no sign of Prince Consort Henrik, who the royal household recently announced is suffering from dementia.

The 77-year-old monarch looked sprightly in a vibrant purple coat dress and matching hat adorned with black feathers.

Making an equally stylish entrance at Folketinget were Frederik and Joaquim's wives, Crown Princess Mary, 45, and Princess Marie, 41.

Crown Princess Mary, 45, leads the arrivals at Folketinget, Christiansborg Palace as the Danish royals gather in Copenhagen to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation movement

Princess Marie, 41, who is married to Prince Joaquim, brought a touch of glamour to proceedings with a sequin-adorned skirt and patent heels

Australian-born Mary looked chic in a belted cream jacket teamed with a black A-line skirt and pointed heels, which she finished off with leather gloves and oversized pearl earrings.

The mother-of-four was working as a marketing manager at an advertisement company when she met Frederik in a pub in Sydney during the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

Despite being spotted together several times in both Denmark and Australia, and Mary moving to Europe in 2001, it was not until April 2003 that Queen Margrethe publicly acknowledged their relationship.

Her lookalike sister-in-law, Marie, also opted for dark colours on Tuesday, teaming her black skirt suit with a teal dress and elaborate headpiece.

Queen Margrethe gives a speech: The 77-year-old monarch looked sprightly in a vibrant purple coat dress and matching hat adorned with black feathers

By royal appointment: Queen Margrethe is given a royal salute (left) before Princesses Marie and Mary greet each other (right)

Glamorous Princess Marie chats to husband Prince Joaquim outside the palace today

Australian-born Mary looked chic in a belted cream jacket teamed with a black A-line skirt and pointed heels, which she finished off with leather gloves and oversized pearl earrings

Marie, who is mother to Prince Henrik and Princess Athena, swept her hair into a loose chignon and added a touch of glamour with patent heels and sequin embellishment on her skirt.

Denmark is this year hosting a series of celebrations marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

In London, Westminster Abbey also hosted a service to mark the 500th Anniversary of the 95 Theses and the beginning of the Reformation led by the Dean of Westminster, the Reverend Dr John Hall.

Marie, who is mother to Prince Henrik and Princess Athena, swept her hair into a loose chignon and added a touch of glamour with patent heels and sequin embellishment on her skirt

Rags to riches: The mother-of-four was working as a marketing manager at an advertisement company when she met Frederik in a pub in Sydney during the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games

The Danish royals talk among themselves ahead of the service at Christiansborg palace

In September, the Danish monarchy released a statement regarding Prince Henrik's dementia just weeks after he said he didn't want to be buried with his 'disrespectful' wife Margrethe.

The cruel disease is said to have advanced quicker than expected and the 83-year-old's royal engagements will be downgraded as a result of the diagnosis.

A palace statement read: 'Following a longer course of investigation, and most recently, a series of examinations conducted during late summer, a team of specialists at Rigshospitalet has now concluded that His Royal Highness Prince Henrik suffers from dementia.

The extent of the cognitive failure is, according to Rigshospitalet, greater than expected considering the age of the prince.'
A bride and groom broke with tradition to tie the knot in a quirky Halloween-themed wedding.

Billy Bradshaw and Charlene Hill, both 27, pulled out all the stops in a bid to embrace their love of all things spooky for their big day on October 31.

The pair from Chaddesden, Derby, decided to say their vows dressed as Count Dracula and the Corpse Bride, with all their guests also turning up in ghoulish costumes.

The childhood sweethearts got hitched at Derby Registrar Office in front of 30 family and friends and walked down the aisle to Michael Jackson's hit Thriller.

Freakishly good fun: Billy Bradshaw and Charlene Hill, both 27, pulled out all the stops in a bid to embrace their love of all things spooky for their big day on October 31

The pair said their vows to the sound of Bobby Pickett's 'Monster Mash' before the congregation left to 'The Addams Family' theme tune.

Billy and Charlene spent just 500 on their nuptials, which included a coffin to hold their beer and a wedding cake featuring edible spiders and cobwebs.

The three bridesmaids were dressed up as sugar skulls in the style of the Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations, matching the three best men dressed as 'dead amigos'.

Billy said: 'The wedding theme was my fiancee's suggestion.

'We knew that we didn't want a regular wedding, so she went through a few ideas as to what kind to have.

Ghoulish: The childhood sweethearts got hitched at Derby Registrar Office in front of 30 family and friends (pictured) and walked down the aisle to Michael Jackson's hit Thriller

'She thought about different ideas including a pyjama wedding before settling on the Halloween theme.

'Even our wedding cake is Halloween themed - it's three-tiered with edible spiders and cobwebs to decorate it.

'We asked the registry office if we're allowed to come in and decorate the hall and they were all for it.

'They told us that they've never had a Halloween wedding before and that they couldn't wait for it.'

The couple, who have three boys and another on the way, got engaged in 2010 after meeting at school and fell in love after sharing a passion for Halloween and horror films.

'Undead bride' Charlene (pictured) said: 'I just wanted something different really.I get why people like traditional white weddings but I think this is more memorable. We wanted a fun day for everyone'

Charlene insisted: 'I absolutely love Halloween but we're not wacky or anything like that, we're just different. This kind of wedding is actually very cheap'

The three bridesmaids were dressed up as sugar skulls in the style of the Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations (pictured), matching the three best men dressed as 'dead amigos'

The 'corpse bride' said of her big day: 'Overall I've only spent around 500 on everything including decorations, the outfits and booking the ceremony itself'

Defending her unusual nuptials, Charlene (second right) added: 'We've spoken to lots of people about it and they all thought it was a good idea. To be honest, if we think that it's official, then it is'

Billy added: 'We've been engaged since 2010 after first meeting at school at age 13. Every time we've tried to get married Charlene has fallen pregnant meaning that we've had to call it off.

'We found out that Charlene was pregnant again so we wanted to get married before the baby started showing.

'We do love Halloween and we celebrate it every year by going trick-or-treating with our kids. For us this is kind of a way to break with tradition.

'We also had a little dead bride and groom who are both only two years old to process down the hall in front of us.'

Pulling out all the stops: Billy and Charlene spent just 500 on their nuptials, which included a coffin to hold their beer and a wedding cake featuring edible spiders and cobwebs

'Undead bride' Charlene added: 'I just wanted something different really.I get why people like traditional white weddings but I think this is more memorable. We wanted a fun day for everyone.

'I absolutely love Halloween but we're not wacky or anything like that, we're just different. This kind of wedding is actually very cheap.

'Overall I've only spent around 500 on everything including decorations, the outfits and booking the ceremony itself.

'We've spoken to lots of people about it and they all thought it was a good idea. To be honest, if we think that it's official, then it is.

'We did it all properly and we married through a registrar so it's definitely official. Everyone really got into the spirit of it and some of the costumes were fantastic.'

Hitting back at her critics, bride Charlene (second right) said: 'We did it all properly and we married through a registrar so it's definitely official. Everyone really got into the spirit of it and some of the costumes were fantastic'

Proud groom Billy (right) revealed: 'We've been engaged since 2010 after first meeting at school at age 13. Every time we've tried to get married Charlene has fallen pregnant meaning that we've had to call it off'

Speaking about the unusual theme for his big day, Billy said: 'We do love Halloween and we celebrate it every year by going trick-or-treating with our kids. For us this is kind of a way to break with tradition'

Love at first bite! The couple, who have three boys and another on the way, got engaged in 2010 after meeting at school and fell in love after sharing a passion for Halloween and horror films

Billy's mum Leander Bradshaw, 54, said: 'When Charlene first mentioned the idea I thought she was joking.

'I went along with it at first but the ceremony was really good. I think that everyone has their own style and this was definitely more their thing.

'I had a traditional wedding and I have other children who have had traditional marriages so it's not like I'm opposed to tradition, but this is their day and it has to be about them.

'It's what they wanted to do. The reception of about 50 people was at my house and that's also been done up in Halloween decorations.

'There's a graveyard in the front yard, an outline of a body on the floor like a crime scene and even a coffin to hold our beer.'
A newspaper's editorial team learned the importance of proofreading the hard way when a simple grammatical error turned an innocent headline into a very naughty innuendo.

While printing a story about high schoolers visiting local businesses for job opportunities over the weekend, The Pratt Tribune, a tri-weekly newspaper out of Pratt, Kansas, used the cringe-worthy headline, 'Students get first hand job experience.'

Firsthand should be written as one word or hyphenated, and the paper's failure to do so turned the headline into a sexually explicit blunder that quickly went viral.

Whoops! The Pratt Tribune, a tri-weekly newspaper out of Pratt, Kansas, printed the headline, 'Students get first hand job experience', over the weekend

Grammar lesson: Firsthand should be written as one word or hyphenated, and the paper's failure to do so turned the headline into a sexually explicit blunder that quickly went viral

Just saying: Rhonda Bey was one of many Twitter users who pointed out that writing 'first hand' turned the innocent headline into something much more X-rated

Missing one thing: A woman named Amy tweeted, 'Ah, the importance of hyphenation...'

The Twitter account @NCSox shared a screenshot of the headline on Sunday while imagining a conversation between the article's writer and editor.

'Writer: "Is it 'firsthand' or 'first hand'?" Editor: "Either one is fine,"' he wrote.

The message has been retweeted more than 92,000 times and racked up thousands of comments, many of which came from grammar buffs who couldn't resist poking fun at the mistake.

'Hyphens are important,' Swede Johanson tweeted, while a woman named Amy added: 'Ah, the importance of hyphenation...'

'Firsthand is correct... whereas first hand is explicit,' Rhonda Bey noted.

The Twitter account DemosCat actually offered a useful grammar lesson to any followers who were unclear about the error, using hyphens to show how their placement can completely change a sentence.

Curious: The Twitter account Doctor Donovan wondered what the newspaper wrote for its headline on a story about mentoring

Another example: Writer and editor Kelli Blackwood reminded Twitter users about the importance of proper grammar

Right to the point: Swede Johanson simply noted that 'hyphens are important'

'Is that "first-hand job experience" or "first hand-job experience?" Hyphens save careers,' the person explained.

Of course, some people couldn't resist using other sexual innuendos to make fun of the newspaper's mistake.

'Someone deserves a stiff talking to,' Anne Hughes-Justin joked, while Bart Smaalders wrote: 'These sorts of grammar mistakes rub some people the wrong way.'

'Must have been the editor's first time, 'cause their hyphen broke,' Katheirne Vie tweeted.

And Kelli Blackwood shared her opinions on the error, while also making a cheeky grammatical joke of her own.

She wrote: 'As a writer AND editor, this has me angry laughing so hard right now! (Now imagine I accidentally put a period after laughing...)'

First time? People couldn't resist using other sexual innuendos to make fun of the newspaper's mistake

Prime example: Twitter account DemosCat used hyphens to show how their placement can completely change a sentence

Get it? Bart Smaalders joked about how grammatical errors 'rub some people the wrong way'

Clever: Anne Hughes-Justin couldn't resist tweeting that 'someone deserves a stiff talking to'

Some other people were concerned about the proper spelling of the sexual act that was accidentally referenced in the headline, with Paul Kruszewski, asking: 'Is it hand job or handjob?

Unsurprisingly, a number of comments left in response to the post were shared by grammar lovers, and Andrew Roy noted: 'My second fav thing about this tweet is the number of English buffs providing the grammatically correct way to write that headline.'

A few people even got into a heated debate about whether it should have been written as 'firsthand' or 'first-hand'.

'It should be "first-hand"; the problem with media nowadays isn't so much about "fake" or not -- it's about poor writing/copy-editor skills,' Michael Puskar wrote.

His tweet prompted H.R. Gordon to respond: 'No, it shouldn't. It should be firsthand. Its only "first-hand" when used as an adverb.'

Quick question: Some other people were concerned about the proper spelling of the sexual act that was accidentally referenced in the headline

Heated: The comments section of the post is filled with grammar lovers, and a few people even got into an argument about whether it should have been written as 'firsthand' or 'first-hand'

His take: Michael Puskar insisted it should be 'first-hand' when he slammed the media

According to AP Style: Michael's tweet prompted H.R. Gordon to respond, 'No, it shouldn't. It should be firsthand. Its only "first-hand" when used as an adverb'

Expert opinion: Andrew Brown, a journalist at the Canberra Times in Australia, asked his colleague, editor Markus Mannheim, to weigh in on how firsthand should be written

Michael added that it is right either way, noting that 'hyphenated works for adjectives as well.'

H.R. argued that it isn't according to Associated Press style, 'which most America newspapers follow.'

Michael reminded her that the focus was on the blatantly incorrect headline they were discussing and dropped out of the conversation while she continued to argue with him.

Andrew Brown, a journalist at the Canberra Times in Australia, asked his colleague, editor Markus Mannheim, to weigh in.

'1 word, 2 words or hyphenated?' he asked, and Markus responded: 'One word (though a hyphenated compound adjective also works). This is a great example of why.'

The newspaper's infamous headline has been changed for the online version of the story, which reads: 'Students get job-site training during Disability Mentoring Day.'
Betsy DeVos critics are not exactly spellbound by her choice of Halloween costume this year.

The Secretary of Education attended the White House's holiday celebration on Monday as Ms. Frizzle, the much-loved wacky teacher from the animated series The Magic School Bus.

But those who are opposed to the 59-year-old's policies think the costume choice was an unintentionally  and offensively  ironic one, charging that DeVos views are and practices are at odds with the character she played for the day.

How dare she?! Betsy Devos' critics do not approve of her dressing up as Ms. Frizzle for Halloween

Inspiration: Ms. Frizzle is the teacher from The Magic School Bus, a hit '90s cartoon about a class that goes on magical science field trips

Oh, no way! Many fans were insulted by the costume choice

Not for you! They accused DeVos of being unworthy of wearing the costume

Shots fired! Even Representative Mark Pocan of Wisconsin saw a problem, writing that Ms. Frizzle supported science and 'actually had a background in education'

Doesn't quite add up... Quite a few Twitter users said the choice was an ironic one

The original cartoon The Magic School Bus aired on PBS from 1994 to 1997 and was often used in classrooms to teach students about science.

The series starred Ms. Frizzle, an eccentric public school teacher who would take her class on field trips in a magical school bus, which was able to travel to outer space, shrink to examine small things close up, and even go inside the bodies of some of the students to explore their organs and bodily functions.

Recently, the show was rebooted on Netflix.

Yet DeVos' critics have called her out for dressing like the beloved character, charging that she is not worthy to fill Ms. Frizzle's shows.

'Betsy DeVos how dare you besmirch the good name and honor of Ms. Frizzle!!!' wrote New York magazine's Gabriella Paiella.

'Betsy DeVos, our children's worst nightmare, dressed up as Ms. Frizzle for Halloween. This is what we can't have nice things, y'all,' tweeted another person.

Getting into chracter: DeVos wore a dress with a space print and an orange wig

Sacrilege! A few fans of the series called the costume 'blasphemy'

Old favorite: Many of those tweeting are millennials who grew up with the PBS show

High bar: Some people charged that DeVos does not measure up

At odds: They pointed out that DeVos' policies don't always match up with Ms. Frizzle's teachings

Fremdschamen: This young woman searched for a German word to describe how she was feeling

DeVos wore an orange wig for the occasion, which she paired with a dress covered in an outer space print  much like one Ms. Frizzle wore on the show.

'Betsy DeVos costuming as Ms.Frizzle is the closest she'll ever be to being a notable educator,' one person tweeted.

Wisconsin Representative Mark Pocan, a Democrat, shared his own criticism on the social media platform.

'Unlike @BetsyDeVos, Ms. Frizzle supported science in the classroom and actually had a background in education,' he wrote.

'Is there a German word for the feeling you get when you see Betsy DeVos dress up as Ms Frizzle for Halloween?' asked someone else.

'Betsey DeVos as Ms Frizzle HOWDAREYOUUUUUUUU,' added another.

Not OK with it: One man called DeVos 'our children's worst nightmare'

Anti: Many tweeted variations of the question 'how dare she'

Catch up! Some seemed to think that DeVos wasn't too familiar with the character

Protest: People called it 'disrespectful' that she wore the costume

Once again: She has been compared to Ms. Frizzle before

Dumbledore please! When she was confirmed earlier this year, many people said the cartoon would be more qualified for the job

Several people described it as ironic that DeVos would choose this particular character.

'Betsy DeVos dressing up as ms frizzle is more irony than I can handle,' wrote one. Another said: 'Betsy DeVos knows Ms. Frizzle was a queer teacher in a well-funded public school system, right?'

Interestingly, this isn't the first time DeVos and Ms. Frizzle's names have been uttered in the same sentence.

Earlier this year, when DeVos was being confirmed for the job, critics took to Twitter to compare her unfavorably to the fictional character.

Several tweeted that Ms. Frizzle was more suitable for the job, while an article that appeared in the newspaper Education Week pondered what advice the cartoon would have for the Education Secretary.
Sponsorship helps to pay for many of your favorite things in life: movies, TV, podcasts, festivals and even online celebrity gossip.

In fact, it is so widespread that it gave one couple a novel idea: why not seek sponsors for their very own wedding?

Jodi Gilbert and David Grzybowski, both 26, of Philadelphia, are currently looking to turn their upcoming union into a marketing opportunity for any brands - as long as they are able to help foot the bill.

Lots of love: Jodi Gilbert and David Grzybowski, both 26, of Philadelphia, are courting sponsors to help them pay for their wedding

Calling out: The couple are putting out a request online hoping that brands will help them pay for the big day

Like many couples, Jodi and David were blindsided when they discovered just how much a wedding can actually cost.

They figured that since people are bombarded daily with advertising everywhere from their commute to their social media feeds, their guests wouldn't be bothered in the least by a bit of product placement on their big day.

'Imagine going to a corporate event with sponsors, but at the end of the day, someones getting married!' David mused to CBS Philly.

All smiles: David has described the idea as 'imagine going to a corporate event with sponsors, but at the end of the day, someones getting married!'

Poppin' ring: The couple have been together for seven years and recently went through big moves and career changes

The couple, who have been together for seven years, have recently been through some big moves and career changes that have led to them looking for ways to cut corners without having to sacrifice their dream wedding day.

On top of this, both of their mothers were diagnosed with cancer at the same time, which gave the couple a bit of a sense of urgency in going through with their nuptials.

With the average wedding today costing an eye-watering $35,000, the David and Jodi have put out a call to companies online looking to enter a mutually beneficial agreement.

Making the best of things: Things were made even more difficult after both of their mothers were diagnosed with cancer, leaving the pair keen to give them a wedding to look forward to

Hope against hope: The difficulties have left the couple at a bit of a loss for funds, which is how they came up with the sponsorship idea

'Were saying I do in 244 Days and were looking for local companies to get in on the fun,' Jodi wrote on Instagram, tagging a variety of wedding-friendly brands. 'Help #sponsor our wedding and well help market your product/company.'

Among their ideas are tables at the reception bearing logos, brand mentions on invitations and even: 'the maid of honors speech, brought to you by.'

Speaking to the Philadelphia Inquirer, David said: 'I think what companies would get out of it is something thats cool to be a part of. Obviously, you cant promise this will be seen by a million people - but, in our perfect world, it would be.'
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It's the story that captured the hearts of a nation. Prince Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, met and fell in love with real estate agent, Mary Donaldson, from Tasmania, at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

Since then, the couple's life has followed a similarly fairy tale-like trajectory - with the pair marrying in 2004, and having four beautiful children together.

Now, to celebrate the Crown Prince's 50th birthday next May, a stunning new biography has been released to coincide with Prince Frederik's momentous anniversary.

Teaming up with author, Jens Andersen, the 49-year-old Danish Royal has shared a fascinating insight into his life and work - alongside a series of never-before-seen portraits, which show the Prince with his family, his wife and relaxing and on Royal duty.

To celebrate the Crown Prince's 50th birthday next May, a stunning new biography has been released to coincide with Prince Frederik's momentous anniversary - it features a series of portraits, including this one with Crown Princess Mary

There are countless never-before-seen photographs of the Prince throughout the ages, including a retro photo of him as a young man in an open-top car (pictured)

Teaming up with author, Jens Andersen, the 49-year-old Danish Royal has shared a fascinating insight into his life and work; the biography is called Under The Beam (pictured with his family)

The tell-all book - which translates as Under The Beam - promises to delve deep into Crown Prince Frederik's life.

It has dubbed itself: 'An unusual biography of an unusual man'.

From birth at Rigshospitalet, the Copenhagen University Hospital, in 1968 to his teenage years and adult life, the book is based on talks and journeys with Denmark's future king over a period of a year and a half, as well as a series of interviews with his wife, brother, parents, private circle, former head of court, and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden.

The book encompasses eight chapters - Boy, Teenager, Academic, Frome, Erobrer, Family Fare, Sportsman and King - and is also unique among Royal biographies.

It promises to go 'close to Crown Prince Frederik's willful struggle to reconcile his destiny and role, following his personal journey from childhood to embarrassed young man to the frantic happy father of four'.

The book (pictured) promises to go 'close to Crown Prince Frederik's willful struggle to reconcile his destiny and role, following his personal journey from childhood to embarrassed young man to the frantic happy father of four'

Many people close to Crown Prince Frederik haven't spoken publicly before; including his childhood friends, Ellen Hillings, Peter Heering and Holger Foss; Crown Princess Mary (pictured with Prince Frederik) was also interviewed

Alongside the interviews, there are countless photographs of the Prince throughout the ages, including a retro photo of him as a young man in an open-top car, and a beautiful black and white portrait with his family.

Many of the pictures were shot by the esteemed Danish photographer, Franne Voigt.

Among the sources who have never spoke publicly about their relationship with the Crown Prince include childhood friends, Ellen Hillings, Peter Heering and Holger Foss, as well as other friends, the Sirius patrol and personalities from the worlds of rock music and sport.

Other contributors are family and friends in Australia, as well as formed court chief Per Thornit, who for 20 years was the 'extra father' of Crown Prince Frederik and eventually became his closest employee (pictured: Prince Frederik and Princess Mary)

Crown Princess Mary, for the first time, tells both the adventurous and dramatic story of the encounter with Frederik at a Sydney pub, The Slip Inn, in 2000 (pictured together this year)

Other contributors are family and friends in Australia, as well as formed court chief Per Thornit, who for 20 years was the 'extra father' of Crown Prince Frederik and eventually became his closest employee.

In the biography, Thornit speaks about twenty important years in the Crown Prince's life - between 1990 and 2010 - during which time the 49-year-old met Crown Princess Mary and married her.

Finally, the Danish Royal family also speaks about life with Prince Frederik. Jens Andersen spoke to Prince Henrik and Prince Joachim at Amaelienborg.

Meanwhile, Queen Margrethe sheds light at different periods in her son's life, not least as a baby and a little boy.

Crown Princess Mary, for the first time, tells both the adventurous and dramatic story of the encounter with Frederik at a Sydney pub, The Slip Inn, in 2000.

Alongside the newly-released images, the Palace posted on social media that: 'HRH The Crown Prince received the first copy of the book Under The Beam on Friday' (pictured with his family earlier this year)

Alongside the newly-released images, the Palace posted on social media that: 'HRH The Crown Prince received the first copy of the book Under The Beam on Friday'.

'A portrait of Crown Prince Frederik. The book was written by author Jens Andersen on the occasion of the Crown Prince's 50th birthday in 2018 and is published by Gyldendal's publishing house on Wednesday. Here are selected pictures from the book.'

While the book isn't set to be released to the public until next year, it's almost certain to be a bestseller.
Robert Fool Bear Sr. has filed a notice to appeal his conviction on child sex crimes.

The former Cannon Ball district chairman submitted his notice earlier this month. A jury convicted him in April of two counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child and one each of attempted aggravated sexual abuse of a child and incest.

Chief Judge Daniel Hovland sentenced Fool Bear, 55, on Oct. 6 to the mandatory minimum of 30 years in federal prison with eligibility of release after 25 years.

Defense attorney Kent Morrow said he is reviewing the trial transcript to write a brief for submission to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.

"I just received the transcript on Friday, reviewed it over the weekend and will isolate issues and work on a brief," Morrow said.

It's unclear where Fool Bear is currently located. Carey Goetz, his previous attorney, had requested he be incarcerated as close to North Dakota as possible.

Morrow said he didn't know his client's location but did speak with him at the Burleigh-Morton County Detention Center; however, jail records do not indicate him there.

Staff of the McLean County Jail and Stutsman County Correction Center said Fool Bear was at both locations until recently, but was transported last week by the U.S. Marshals from the Jamestown facility.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons website lists him as not in BOP custody. Phone calls Monday afternoon to the U.S. Marshals in Bismarck and Fargo went unanswered.

The North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation does not list him as an inmate either.
The Danish royals donned their finery tonight for a glittering gala concert in Copenhagen - just hours after attending a service marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation movement.

Queen Margrethe II, 77, wrapped up against the autumn chill in an opulent fur shawl and fuscia gown, as she made a glamorous entrance.

But the flamboyant monarch was in danger of being outshined by her equally glamorous daughters-in-law, Princesses Mary and Marie, who both opted for form-fitting cocktail dresses for the occasion.

Crown Princess Mary, 45, showed off her sensational figure in a sparkling navy number as she took her husband Crown Prince Frederik's arm on the red carpet.

Queen Margrethe II, 77, wrapped up against the autumn chill in an opulent fur shawl and fuscia gown, as she made a glamorous entrance

True blue: Crown Princess Mary, 45, showed off her sensational figure in a a sparkling navy number as she took her husband Crown Prince Frederik's arm on the red carpet

Meanwhile her sister-in-law Princess Marie, 41, was colour-coordinated with husband Prince Joaquim, with the dapper pair both opting for navy.

Earlier, the family came out in force to mark the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's Reformation movement in Copenhagen.

Margrethe led the arrivals on Tuesday morning at Folketinget (Danish Parliament) at Christiansborg palace, closely followed by her sons Princes Frederik and Joachim.

Tellingly, there was no sign of Prince Consort Henrik, who the royal household recently announced is suffering from dementia.

The mother-of-four's dress was embellished with shimmery beading, and Mary completed her look with an elegant box clutch and satin heels

Princess Marie, 41, was colour-coordinated with husband Prince Joaquim, with the dapper pair both opting for navy. Marie wore an elegant chiffon dress with draping detail along the front

Time to shine: The French-born mother-of-two added a shimmering black shawl to wrap up against the cold, completing her look with a colourful brooch and satin box clutch

The monarch looked sprightly in a vibrant purple coat dress and matching hat adorned with black feathers.

Making an equally stylish entrance at Folketinget were Frederik and Joaquim's wives, Mary and Marie.

Australian-born Mary looked chic in a belted cream jacket teamed with a black A-line skirt and pointed heels, which she finished off with leather gloves and oversized pearl earrings.

The mother-of-four was working as a marketing manager at an advertisement company when she met Frederik in a pub in Sydney during the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

Queen Margrethe's sister, Princesse Benedikte of Denmark, also donned her fur for the gala concert - thrown on over a sparkling silver dress and metallic shoes

Stunning Crown Princess Mary looked far younger than her 45 years. She added a pair of statement diamond earrings to her dazzling ensemble

Despite being spotted together several times in both Denmark and Australia, and Mary moving to Europe in 2001, it was not until April 2003 that Queen Margrethe publicly acknowledged their relationship.

Her lookalike sister-in-law, Marie, also opted for dark colours on Tuesday, teaming her black skirt suit with a teal dress and elaborate headpiece.

Marie, who is mother to Prince Henrik and Princess Athena, swept her hair into a loose chignon and added a touch of glamour with patent heels and sequin embellishment on her skirt.

Denmark is this year hosting a series of celebrations marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

In London, Westminster Abbey also hosted a service to mark the 500th Anniversary of the 95 Theses and the beginning of the Reformation led by the Dean of Westminster, the Reverend Dr John Hall.

Prior engagement: The Danish royals talk among themselves ahead of the service at Christiansborg palace on Tuesday morning. Prince Henrik, who has dementia, did not join them

In September, the Danish monarchy released a statement regarding Prince Henrik's dementia just weeks after he said he didn't want to be buried with his 'disrespectful' wife Margrethe.

The cruel disease is said to have advanced quicker than expected and the 83-year-old's royal engagements will be downgraded as a result of the diagnosis.

A palace statement read: 'Following a longer course of investigation, and most recently, a series of examinations conducted during late summer, a team of specialists at Rigshospitalet has now concluded that His Royal Highness Prince Henrik suffers from dementia.

The extent of the cognitive failure is, according to Rigshospitalet, greater than expected considering the age of the prince.'
Prince Harry and Barack Obama have become fast friends, and he was one of the many high-profile guests at the former U.S. president's first Obama Foundation Summit on Tuesday.

The 33-year-old British royal was photographed sitting in the audience at the two-day event held at the Marriott Marquis McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, a few hours before he took the stage with Mellody Hobson, the president of Ariel Investments and chair of After School Matters.

Prince Harry sat one row behind Obama and his wife, former First Lady Michelle Obama, who were all smiles as they took the stage at the global summit aiming to cultivate a new generation of leaders.

Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle took the stage at the first Obama Foundation Summit on Tuesday

Prince Harry was photographed sitting in the audience a few hours before his own session at the high-profile event

The British royal appeared on stage on Tuesday evening for the second session of the summit

Prince Harry was joined by Mellody Hobson, the president of Ariel Investments and chair of After School Matters

'Our goal is not to present some fixed theory of how change happens,' Obama said during the opening session.

'Our goal in this session is not to pump you with a whole bunch of power points, data and information or a blue print for how you can go back and do what youre doing even better. In many ways, we want to learn from you,' he continued.

'In other words, this is a big brainstorming session, it's a big hackathon,' he said.

Obama looked dapper in a suit and a button-down shirt, which he wore sans tie, while Michelle was as stylish as ever in a cowl-neck blouse and plaid dress pants.

When the they weren't on stage, the Obamas were seen sitting in the audience, leaving some space between them to hold their papers.

Prince Harry also opted for a business casual look, sporting a blazer, trousers, and a button-down shirt that he left open at the collar.

The British royal sat one row behind the Obamas, and all three of them were listening intently during the event

The Obamas sat with some space between them to make room for their papers

Obama looked dapper in a suit and a button-down shirt, which he wore sans tie

Michelle was as stylish as ever in a cowl-neck blouse and plaid dress pants

Roughly 500 young civic leaders and community activists from around the world are attending the two-day event

Obama explained that the summit is meant to be a 'big brainstorming session'

He appeared to be fiddling with a pen that he was holding in his hands while he kept his eyes locked on the state in front of him.

Prince Harry later joined Hobson on stage to hold a conversation about the ways young people can help drive community engagement.

He addressed the roughly 500 young civic leaders and community activists chosen from 20,000 applicants from around the world, for what the Obama Foundation promises will be intensive workshops and opportunities to share ideas.

Prince Harry stated that the younger generation in the world has turned him into an optimist.

'We have to listen to the younger generation because they are the cure of some of the world's biggest problems,' he explained.

The Obamas happily waved to the audience on the first day of the summit

Michelle took one last look at the audience before they walked off stage together

Prince Harry opted for a business casual look, sporting a blazer, trousers, and a button-down shirt that he left open at the collar

The British royal and the businesswoman discussed the way young people can help drive community engagement and development

'We have to listen to the younger generation because they are the cure of some of the world's biggest problems,' Harry said at the summit

Harry spoke animatedly while chatting with Hobson on stage

Although she didn't appear to be in attendance, Prince Harry's girlfriend Meghan Markle is a 2003 graduate of Northwestern University, which is near Chicago.

The gathering in the Obamas' hometown was organized by their eponymous foundation, which is also building the former president's library in the city where the former president got his political start.

'The Obama Foundation's goal is to encourage and empower young people to create positive change in their communities,' David Simas, CEO of the Obama Foundation, said in a statement earlier this month.

Among the attendees highlighted by the foundation was Trisha Shetty of India, who started the organization SheSays to combat sexual abuse against women.

Other notable speakers include Matteo Renzi, the former Italian prime minister, and Hamdi Ulukaya, founder of the Chobani yogurt brand.

Prince Harry addressed David Peterson (center, right), from Chicago, and Chantelle Stefanovic (far right), from Nottingham, England, during the discussion

The four of them had a lively conversation about charitable activities

Harry held his mic on his lap as he intently listened to David speak

Harry rubbed his chin at one point while listening to others people's remarks at the summit

Filmmaker George Lucas was in the audience during Prince Harry's session at the summit

Chance the Rapper, a socially active hip-hop artist who was born and raised in Chicago, has helped organize the concert finale.

'I want to help inspire and empower young people to change their world,' the artist said in an email released by the foundation.

Chance the Rapper and Gloria Estefan will perform in a public concert to cap the event.

Earlier in the day, Prince Harry and Michelle made a surprise visit to speak with 20 students at Hyde Park Academy, a high school located across from the future site of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago's South Side.

'The warm and wide-ranging conversation, lasting over an hour, covered how the Obama Presidential Center will showcase the South Side of Chicago for a global audience, the importance of young people staying inspired and hopeful, and the transformative power of students using their voices to change the world,' Caroline Adler Morales, the former first ladys communications director, said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, Prince Harry and Michelle made a surprise visit to Hyde Park Academy

The two were all smiles as they walked through the school's hallway into the library

Michelle and Harry met with 20 students at the school, and there was plenty of laughter during their chat

The group sat with their chairs in a circle as they took turns listening to each other

At one point, Michelle patted one of the student's on the back

Prince Harry and the Obamas are firm friends and have appeared in public together several times over the years.

Obama has thrown his support behind Harry's Invictus Games, a Paralympic-style event for injured servicemen and women.

Last month, Obama and Harry were seen enjoying a warm, lively chat as they took their seats courtside to watch wheelchair basketball at the Invictus Games, which took place in Toronto.

It later emerged that the former president had quizzed Harry about his girlfriend Meghan during their chat.

Obama enjoyed a hugely successful state visit to the UK in 2011, when he and his family stayed with the Queen, and last year he and his wife had dinner with William, Kate and Harry at Kensington Palace, where they met Prince George.
They've crumbled over cookies, they've perfected pies and poured their heart and soul into every single creation they've had to make in the Great British Bake Off tent.

But the blood, sweat and many, many tears will be worth it for at least one of the three final contestants; whomever ends up winning the first ever edition of the show to air on Channel 4 tonight.

Almost all of the previous Bake Off winners have gone on to score lucrative book deals, glamorous TV appearances and ambassadors for corporate giants, with some raking in hundreds of thousands - if not millions - in cash.

FEMAIL looks back at seven years' worth of GBBO winners to reveal who has gone on to launch very successful careers in television, like Nadiya Hussain, and who has kept out of the spotlight since their victory.

SERIES ONE: Edd Kimber

Edd Kimber was the first-ever GBBO winner. Despite not instantly finding success after his win, Edd now has three cookery books to his name

When series one aired, the Great British Bake Off was not the must-watch global phenomenon that it is today.

Only three million people tuned in to watch former debt collector Edd Kimber, from Yorkshire, win the first ever series.

And as Edd revealed in an interview, 'there was nothing set up for the winners' - so there was no instant book deal, or well-paid corporate appearances on the horizon.

It didn't matter to Edd though, as he still quit his job. However, it was three months before the show actually aired.

Edd, who has appeared on TV shows giving cooking demonstrations since his win in 2010, says he doesn't class himself as wealthy

He told the Radio Times: 'Basically, I had no money. I just sat there at home, doing nothing, going, "OK, somethings going to happen".'

Edd moved to London, and stayed on a friend's sofa until the programme eventually aired.

He said: 'So I set myself a deadline. I very specifically sat myself down and thought, "OK, if by the end of the year Im paying my rent and Im happy and I like what Im doing, Ill stick at it."'

Edd, who worked in Raymond Blanc's pastry kitchen, has since published three cookbooks. The first, The Boy Who Bakes, sold 13,000 copies, making 150,000. He was expected to take a 37,500 cut from his first book.

Edd, who was rejected by his local catering college before appearing on Bake Off, also writes about baking for magazines and has a podcast called Stir the Pot.

His latest book, Patisserie Made Simple, comes out in paperback on Thursday.

SERIES TWO: Joanne Wheatley

The 2011 winner Joanne Wheatley was tipped as the series' most successful contestant with her two tomes racking up almost 500,000 in sales and earning Jo a reported 75,000

She's the forgotten winner of Bake Off, the one no-one remembers.

But the winner of the second series, Joanne Wheatley, is quietly one of the more successful Bake Off stars to date.

The mother-of-three went on to launch her own cookery school, where she holds classes on cake-making, and she's written columns, appeared on TV and has written two cookbooks: Home Baking, and A Passion for Baking.

She was reported to have earned 75,000 from those lucrative book deals after racking up 500,000 in sales.

'Bake Off totally changed my life,' she said. 'I couldn't believe it when my books became bestsellers.'

SERIES THREE: John Whaite

John Whaite has four cookbooks to his name and is regularly on TV

John Whaite was a law student when he appeared on the third series of Bake Off, a time he calls the 'most stressful' period of his life.

After winning, the then 23-year-old, who turned down a place at Oxford University, never took up law but instead had classes at Le Cordon Bleu to focus on making cooking his career.

He has now published three cookbooks, and until recently was the resident chef on Lorraine. He also hosted cookery show Chopping Block on ITV.

He's now one of the most successful winners of Bake Off, but it hasn't always been so easy for John.

He recently opened up about his struggles with depression.

John was until recently Lorraine's resident chef but is now taking a break from TV to focus on his new cookery school and the release of his fourth cookbook

He told the Radio Times: 'People think if you win the Bake Off you walk straight into a big book deal and all of this but it isnt like that.

'Youve still got to work really, really hard  probably harder than before  to make the right connections, to tour with brands, to discuss opportunities and negotiations.'

He said that got 'pushed in the wrong direction' when he first won Bake Off, and as a result, he says his first two cookbooks, from which he made 24,000, didn't reflect his own design and style.

He has now taken a break from TV appearances, and has opened a cookery school: John Whaite's Kitchen in Lancashire.

He's just published his fourth book, Comfort: Food to soothe the soul, a 19.99 hardback tome focusing on savoury comfort food.

SERIES FOUR: Frances Quinn

Leicestershire-born Francis Quinn won series 4 and has since graced the pages of Vogue magazine, baked for Clare Balding and Quentin Blake, and released her own recipe book

Frances has appeared on daytime TV, has published a cookbook, and baked the world's largest jaffa cake

The Leicestershire-born former clothes designer was often criticised for 'style over substance' during the fourth series but eventually went on to win.

Since then, she's graced the pages of Vogue, has baked for Clare Balding, Jools Holland and Quentin Blake and even holds the Guinness World Record for baking the world's largest jaffa cake.

In 2015, she released Quintessential Baking, which was lauded by Heston Blumenthal, and now she takes commissions from private clients for cakes.

She's also been a baking ambassador for some corporate giants, such as Nike, and appears at food festivals.

SERIES FIVE: Nancy Birtwhistle

The surprise winner of 2014 was Nancy Birtwhistle, a retired GP practice manager who was initially snubbed after applying for the previous series as her bread wasn't 'up to scratch'

Nancy has challenged herself to upload titbits of household and baking advice to her social media and website every day in the hopes of securing a book deal

Former champion Nancy Birtwhistle, 63, has revealed how appearing on the show has helped make her retirement a little more comfortable.

Speaking to the Sunday Times last week, the former GP practice manager, who won the fifth series of the show in 2014, said the money she earns from appearances, cooking demonstrations and speaking engagements help top-up her pension.

But she says she's still prudent and that she doesn't feel 'wealthy'.

She revealed: 'I have a fairly small NHS pension, just over 10,000 a year. The money I earned after winning Bake Off took me to a nice five figures.

'You don't win any money from Bake Off itself - all you get is a cake stand.'

Nancy, who lives with husband Tim, 66, in Barton-upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire, is one of the few Bake Off winners not to release a book as yet.

But she started a #365Challenge earlier this year, where she shares tips every day of how to bake an item or other useful household advice.

The grandmother-of-eight hopes a publisher will help her to make a book out of the concept.

SERIES SIX: Nadiya Hussain

After her win was announced in 2015, a tearful Nadiya said: 'Im never gonna put boundaries on myself ever again. Im never gonna say I cant do it. Im never gonna say maybe'

Nadiya had her own series, Nadiya's British Food Adventure, on BBC2 this year, and last year starred in The Chronicles of Nadiya

The moment that Nadiya Hussain won the sixth series of Bake Off is imprinted on the minds of 15 million people who were glued to their screens that night in 2015.

Nadiya, 32, is far and away the biggest success story of the Great British Bake Off.

Not only has she best-selling books to her name, but is now the host of a BBC competition herself: The Big Family Cooking Showdown, as well as Junior Bake Off.

And that's not to mention her other TV series documenting her Bangladesh ancestry on The Chronicles of Nadiya, and her love of British cuisine on Nadiya's Great British Food Adventure.

Just last week, she was announced as the latest columnist for BBC Good Food magazine.

The former stay-at-home mum to three funds her new glamorous lifestyle with a huge deal with the BBC for an undisclosed figure.

Her recipes feature in all the major magazines, and she has even begun a career as a children's writer with her Bake Me A Story series. That's not to mention her cookbook and a novel: The Secret Life of the Amir Sisters.

She even baked Queen Elizabeth's birthday cake when the monarch turned 90 last year.

It's not known how much she earns from these endeavours, but at the time, it was expected that Nadiya would rake in 1 million from her first year after Bake Off.

Nadiya had her own series, Nadiya's British Food Adventure, on BBC2 this year, and last year starred in The Chronicles of Nadiya

She was even selected to bake Queen Elizabeth's birthday cake when the monarch turned 90 in April last year

And it would come as little surprise if the charming baker has now exceeded that figure.

Dominic Mohan, CEO of The Outside Organisation, previously told the Daily Mail: 'The earning potential is huge as previous winners have shown, from newspaper and magazine deals to endorsements and public appearances and then on to cookbooks and maybe even their own restaurant.

'In terms of earning power and with the right representation and of course personality, winners could in the first instance be looking at half a million pounds with the potential to reach the million mark as their career develops.'

SERIES SEVEN: Candice Brown

Candice was one of the most divisive Bake Off winners ever, as viewers loved or hated her bold lipstick choices and perfect pout

Candice Brown (pictured at the Pride of Britain awards on Monday night) has been busy in the year since winning Bake Off. She's published a cookbook, writes a column for The Sunday Times and has appeared on TV regularly

When she won the seventh series of the Bake Off, newly engaged Candice Brown, 31, was tipped to be the most successful winner of all time.

Celebrity agent Jonathan Shalit said the glamorous baker could easily earn '1 million' in the 12 months since winning Bake Off.

She's since given up her career as a PE teacher to focus on baking, and in the year since winning, she has certainly been busy.

In an interview with HELLO! magazine to announce her engagement to boyfriend Liam Macaulay, who she's been dating since 2012, she said: 'It's been such an amazing year. I feel very lucky.

'I've had such incredible opportunities  GBBO opened so many doors  and to top it off he puts a ring on it.'

Glamorous Candice turned heads at the British Academy Television Awards earlier this year with a dramatic hairdo

Candice, who divided GBBO fans with her bold lipstick choices and perfect pout, has been an ambassador for several corporate brands, and this summer published her first cookbook: Comfort: Delicious Bakes and Family Treats, which features quirky recipes such as courgette cakes.

She also landed a column in the Sunday Times and has made appearances on Loose Women.

However despite rumours, Candice has denied she will be starring on the rebooted version of Dancing On Ice.

In the future, she's hoping to follow in Nadiya's footsteps and have her own TV series.

She told Vulture.com: 'Id love to do more television.'

It seems she is well on the way to earning that 1 million figure, if she hasn't done so already.
They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and one Harvard physician says there's a fail-safe three-ingredient breakfast everyone should have every single day.

Writing for Business Insider, Monique Tello revealed that having a bowl of cereal, a bagel or a piece of toast first thing is no different to having dessert for breakfast.

Instead, she opts for an Icelandic-esque breakfast of three nutrient-dense ingredients: berries, high protein yogurt, and oats.

Harvard physician Monique Tello reveals that you should always opt for a protein and fibre-rich breakfast of natural yoghurt, berries and oats for breakfast

Tello says this meal is perfect to kick off the day because it's packed with two key ingredients: protein and fibre.

These nourishing ingredients fuel our muscles, keep us full and regulate digestion.

Tello explained she always uses frozen berries because the vitamin content is higher but cheaper and lasts longer.

THE THREE-INGREDIENT BREAKFAST Berries: Packed with fibre, as well as Vitamins A, C, and K. Plain yoghurt: Packed with protein but low sugar. Oats or nuts and seeds: High in fibre and protein. Advertisement

Explaining her choice, she said that berries are packed with fibre, as well as Vitamins A, C, and K.

As for her choice of yoghurt, she loves plain Siggi's yoghurt, a brand of high-protein, low-sugar yogurt from Iceland. She recommends plumping for a plain Greek yogurt with less sugar.

On top of the mix, she will sprinkle either oats or nuts and seeds.

She always opts for unsalted nuts, toasted pepita seeds, and whole rolled oats because they're high in fibre and protein.
Toxic air is killing people in nearly every part of the UK, a report suggests today.

Pollution levels in 43 of our largest towns and cities are so high they breach global safety limits.

The cost is put at 40,000 premature deaths a year and six million sick days. Publishing in the Lancet medical journal, researchers said the promotion of diesel cars by previous governments was a key driver behind the problems.

They warned dirty air damaged health from cradle to grave  exposing tens of millions of Britons to the risk of heart problems and lung disease.

London, Glasgow, Leeds and Birmingham were rated as heavily polluted in the study backed by 26 groups including the Royal College of Physicians.

But smaller places such as Scunthorpe, Eastbourne, Oxford and Leamington Spa were also in breach of World Health Organisation rules. The report said 800 London schools and many of the capitals hospitals were in highly polluted areas, jeopardising some of societys most vulnerable.

The researchers analysed the impact of the climate and environmental factors on human health around the world.

While they identified climate change as the biggest problem for most countries, they said that for Britain, air pollution was the key danger.

The problem dates back to the pea soupers that blighted lives until coal-fired power stations were barred from urban areas in the 1950s. But the researchers said the bulk of the harm had shifted to diesel emissions, creating an estimated total social cost of 22.6billion a year.

The report said 800 schools in London, pictured, and many of the capitals hospitals were in highly polluted areas

We know the effects of poor air quality run from cradle to grave, its a lifetime threat to human health, said Toby Hillman of the Royal College of Physicians.

The major shift has been from coal-fired powered station to diesel engines producing nitrous oxides and particular matter.

Diesel is particularly bad for this and unfortunately previous policies encouraging diesel adoption have led to an increase in the amount of diesel-related emissions. Diesel is probably one of the key drivers for the reduction in air quality.

Jenny Bates of Friends of the Earth said: It cannot be acceptable that the most dangerous fine particles are above World Health Organisation recommended levels, resulting in early deaths in most of the UKs large cities.

The report assessed figures from the World Health Organisations 2016 air pollution database, which tracks tiny particles known as PM2.5  sooty emissions that are particularly a problem in the exhaust systems of older diesels.

Medical experts are increasingly aware these particles  so microscopic they are inhaled deep into our lungs  increase the risk of asthma, dementia, heart disease and premature birth.

The database lists 50 UK cities and towns and 43  or 44 when Gibraltar is included  breached the recommended PM2.5 limit of 10 micrograms per cubic metre of air.

Leeds, pictured, also rated highly in the study backed by 26 groups including the Royal College of Physicians

Glasgow and Scunthorpe emerged as the most polluted areas, with average PM2.5 concentrations of 16.

London, Leeds and Salford were at 15, as was the seaside resort of Eastbourne and port city of Southampton.

Dr Hillman said: We know that high exposures in early life have a major effect on lung and cognitive development throughout an individuals life  that is why it is the Governments duty to improve the air we breathe and to ensure that people across the UK are not exposed to such a preventable cause of death and illness.

Dr Penny Woods, chief executive of the British Lung Foundation, said: This study reveals the tragic reality that the most polluted areas are exactly where our most vulnerable are  schools, hospitals and clinics.

The extent of the public health emergency we are facing demands nothing less than urgent action to protect our lung health. Road traffic is the biggest culprit. The Government should act immediately by using the budget to end incentives to buy diesel vehicles, and finally commit to a new clean air act.

Diesel cars have been promoted for decades as an environmentally-friendly choice because they emit less carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas which causes global warming. Tony Blairs Labour government, in particular, used generous tax breaks to persuade drivers to buy diesel cars.

A summary of the report  a briefing for UK policymakers  called for the expansion of clean air zones nationwide and wider introduction of measures similar to Londons new T-charge, which imposes a levy on drivers of diesel cars and other polluting vehicles.

The researchers said the bulk of the harm had shifted from coal to diesel emissions, creating an estimated total social cost of 22.6billion a year

Alan Andrews of Client Earth, a law firm which has taken the Government to court several times over air pollution, said: Its about time the Government came clean that drivers of diesel vehicles face charges for driving in towns and cities throughout the UK in the near future.

Instead of simply passing the buck to local authorities, they need to commit to a range of national measures to help people and small businesses switch from diesel to cleaner forms of transport.

A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said last night: We have put in place a 3billion plan to improve air quality and reduce harmful emissions.

We will also end the sale of new diesel and petrol cars by 2040, and next year we will publish a comprehensive clean air strategy which will set out further steps to tackle air pollution.

We now have an opportunity to deliver a green Brexit and improve environmental standards as we leave the EU.'

Climate change 'already killing people

Climate change is already harming millions of people around the world and will become the biggest health threat of the 21st century, experts have warned.

Heatwaves are becoming more frequent as global temperatures rise, disease-carrying mosquitoes are increasing their range and crops are failing as the world warms up, according to a major report in the Lancet medical journal.

The 50-page report, written by 26 organisations including University College London and the Royal College of Physicians, chronicles the impact of environment patterns on human health.

Heatwaves are becoming more frequent as global temperatures rise, disease-carrying mosquitoes are increasing their range and crops are failing as the world warms up (stock image)

For Britain, climate change is not yet having a big impact  even though heatwaves are linked to the deaths of up to 3,000 people a year.

But for the rest of the world climate change is already having a big effect on human health, the researchers said.

The world has seen a 46 per cent global increase in weather-related disasters since 2000, they calculated. Heatwaves are a particular problem, hitting an additional 125million elderly people in the past 16 years as they increased in frequency.

Transmission of dengue fever has increased 10 per cent since the 1950s, as mosquitoes have been able to increase their range due to warming temperatures.

Professor Hugh Montgomery, of University College London, said: This is the major health threat of the 21st century.

We are only just beginning to feel the impacts of climate change.

The UNs weather agency yesterday said carbon dioxide had hit its highest level in potentially three million years.

The last time it was this high, sea levels were up to 65ft higher than they are now, according to the World Meteorological Organisation. The record-breaking rise in carbon dioxide has been blamed on greenhouse gas emissions and the El Nino climate phenomenon.
Alzheimer's disease can start anywhere in the body before traveling to the brain, alarming new research has found.

Researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada found the toxic proteins that lead to the neurodegenerative illness can develop in the liver or even kidneys before invading grey matter.

Experts say the discovery suggests kidney dialysis could be used to tackle the disease before it reaches the brain.

Lead author, psychiatrist Professor Weihong Song, said: 'Alzheimer's disease is clearly a disease of the brain. But we need to pay attention to the whole body to understand where it comes from - and how to stop it.'

Researchers have found Alzheimer's-linked proteins in the kidneys and liver (file image)

Until now there has been no clear evidence to show that amyloid from outside the brain plays a role in Alzheimer's.

But the experiment with mice is the first to indicate that it can travel through the bloodstream before entering the brain and triggering the disease.

The study published in Molecular Psychiatry offers hope of developing drugs that could stop or slow the disease without acting directly on the brain.

This is a complex, sensitive and often hard-to-reach organ because of the blood-brain barrier.

This restricts the passage of substances from blood circulating in the body to other fluids in the brain - a vital mechanism to maintain normal mental function.

The downside is many drugs that may have the potential to treat dementia would not work in the brain.

But now they could go to work in the kidney or liver - ridding the blood of a rogue protein before it ever reaches the brain.

This cancer-like mobility was demonstrated through a technique called parabiosis - surgically joining two lab animals so they share the same blood supply for months.

The researchers attached normal mice - which don't naturally develop Alzheimer's - to peers modified to carry a mutant human gene that produces high levels of amyloid-beta.

In Alzheimer's patients this protein ultimately forms clumps - or 'plaques' - that destroy brain cells and lead to symptoms of memory loss and confusion.

The normal mice that had been joined to genetically engineered partners for a year 'contracted' Alzheimer's.

Professor Song said the amyloid-beta travelled from the genetically-modified mice to the brains of their normal partners where it accumulated and began to inflict damage.

ALZHEIMER'S: FAST FACTS WHAT IS IT? Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain. A build-up of abnormal proteins causes nerve cells to die. This disrupts the transmitters that carry messages, and causes the brain to shrink. WHAT HAPPENS? As brain cells die, the functions they provide are lost. That includes memory, orientation and the ability to think and reason. The progress of the disease is slow and gradual. On average, patients live five to seven years after diagnosis, but some may live for ten to 15 years. EARLY SYMPTOMS: Loss of short-term memory

Disorientation

Behavioral changes

Mood swings

Difficulties dealing with money

Difficulties making a phone call

Difficulties following a TV show LATER SYMPTOMS: Severe memory loss, forgetting close family members, familiar objects or places

Becoming anxious and frustrated over inability to make sense of the world...

...This can lead to aggressive behavior

Eventually lose ability to walk

May have problems eating and drinking

The majority will eventually need 24-hour care HOW ALZHEIMER'S DIFFERS FROM NORMAL MEMORY LOSS: With ordinary age-related forgetfulness, you will still remember details associated with the thing they've forgotten. For example, you may forget your neighbor's name in conversation, but you still know that person is your neighbor. Alzheimer's sufferers forget the entire context. Advertisement

Not only did the normal mice develop plaques but also a pathology similar to 'tangles' - twisted protein strands that form inside brain cells.

This disrupted their function and eventually killed them from the inside-out.

Other signs of Alzheimer's-like damage included brain cell degeneration, inflammation and micro-bleeds.

In addition, the ability to transmit electrical signals involved in learning and memory - a sign of a healthy brain - was impaired, even in mice that had been joined for only four months.

Besides the brain amyloid-beta is produced in blood platelets, blood vessels and muscles - and its precursor protein is found in several other organs.

But until the experiments it was unclear if amyloid-beta from outside the brain could contribute to Alzheimer's.

Professor Song, chair of Canada Research in Alzheimer's, and neurologist Prof Yan-Jiang Wang, of Third Military Medical University in Chongqing, China, said their study shows it can.

Prof Song said: 'The blood-brain barrier weakens as we age.

'That might allow more amyloid beta to infiltrate the brain, supplementing what is produced by the brain itself and accelerating the deterioration.'

He foresees a drug that would bind to amyloid-beta throughout the body - tagging it biochemically in such a way that the liver or kidneys could clear it.

Prof Song and Prof Wang said amyloid-beta plays a 'pivotal role' in Alzheimer's but although it's believed it originates in the brain itself it's also generated by peripheral tissues.

They said: 'Our study is the first to reveal blood-derived amyloid-beta can enter the brain, form the related pathologies and induce functional deficits of neurons.

'Our study provides novel insight into Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis and provides evidence that supports the development of therapies by targeting amyloid-beta metabolism in both the brain and the periphery.'

Prof Song and Prof Wang added: 'Amyloid-beta is thought to be mainly generated by neurons in the brain.

'However, it's also generated outside the brain in appreciable quantities in platelets, skeletal muscle and vascular walls.

'We found circulating amyloid-beta levels are associated with the functions of peripheral organs including the liver, kidneys and lungs.

'A recent study found amyloid-beta aggregates were present in the hearts and impaired heart function of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

'Thus, it is necessary to pay our attention to the whole body to understand disease pathogenesis and to develop therapies by targeting amyloid-beta metabolism in both the brain and the periphery.'

About 850,000 people in the UK have dementia - a figure that will rise to 2 million by 2050 because of the ageing population - and 5.5 million have the disease in the United States.

Dr David Reynolds, chief scientific officer at Alzheimers Research UK, said: The brain does not operate in isolation from the rest of the body. While Alzheimers may specifically cause damage to the brain, it is important that we consider the whole of the body as we work to understand and tackle the disease.
Today: Louise Brown is now 39

The worlds first test tube baby has criticised the devastating impact that NHS rationing of IVF has had on couples.

Louise Brown, who was conceived in a petri dish in 1977, spoke of her sadness at the plummeting numbers of women being offered IVF on the NHS in England, where the technique was pioneered.

Latest figures reveal that only 12 per cent of areas in England offer three cycles  the Governments recommended number. This is down from 24 per cent in 2013.

Miss Browns birth in July 1978 was exclusively revealed in the Daily Mail with the headline: And here she is The lovely Louise.

Now a 39-year-old mother-of-two, she spoke out last night at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in San Antonio, Texas.

In an interview beforehand, she revealed her thoughts on the NHS rationing IVF  and even denying the procedure. She said: I think it should be readily available. I mean its really difficult for someone who maybe hasnt got any money, [and] they desperately want a child, for somebody to say, Well, were not going to give you funding. It must be devastating for the couple, thats really hard. But it comes down to money, a lot of it.

She added: In an ideal world, everyone should be able to have three cycles of IVF. But unfortunately it isnt an ideal world, is it?

The campaign group Fertility Fairness, which uncovered the latest figures, highlighted how, in some parts of the country, couples have to pay thousands of pounds for private treatment, while other trusts provide a full service funded by the taxpayer. Just 24 out of 208 clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in England offer three cycles  21 of which are in the North and three of which are in the South. The number of CCGs offering just one NHS-funded cycle has leapt to 61 per cent, up from 49 per cent in 2013.

Breakthrough: Baby Louise with her parents Lesley and John Brown in 1978

Miss Browns birth in July 1978 was exclusively revealed in the Daily Mail

Seven areas have removed NHS IVF entirely. The best part of the country for NHS IVF is Greater Manchester, where four CCGs offer three cycles, including Oldham, where Miss Brown was born.

Guidelines from the National Institute for Heath and Care Excellence (Nice) recommend that eligible women under 40 should be offered three full IVF cycles and eligible women aged 40 to 42 should be offered one full IVF cycle.

But Sarah Norcross, co-chairman of Fertility Fairness said: The scale of disinvestment in NHS fertility services is at its worst since Nice introduced national fertility guidelines in 2004.

An NHS England spokesman said: Ultimately these are legally decisions for CCGs, who are under an obligation to balance the various competing demands on the NHS locally while living within the budget Parliament has allocated.

A Department for Health spokesman said: The trends set out in this report are very disappointing, and to address this we are supporting NHS England with their current development of commissioning guidance.
It has long been thought that biological clocks were strictly a female worry as men can father children even at an advanced age.

But research is increasingly confirming that men should not leave it too late to have children.

Just as many older men are slower than they were in their youth, researchers have found that embryos produced with the sperm of older men are slower to grow.

Another study, presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in San Antonio, also found that sperm from older fathers accumulates more mutations.

IVF scientists in Boston found embryos created with sperm from men over the age of 50 divide more slowly and take longer to reach the early stage known as a blastocyst, when the embryo is ready to be implanted in the womb.

Researchers have found that embryos produced with the sperm of older men are slower to grow

For the study, timelapse video footage of 3,532 embryos taken from 527 couples was examined.

Those created with sperm from men over 50 developed 35 per cent more slowly than embryos created with sperm from men under 35.

Considering only embryos that reached the blastocyst stage, the time to reach this point was 4.3 per cent slower for the embryos of men over 50 than for the embryos of men under 35.

In a further study, researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine in New York showed that as men age, their sperm becomes more prone to develop mutations that result in DNA errors.

Sperm from older men was found to have an abnormal number of chromosomes in each cell  either too many or too few, a condition called aneuploidy. This will make the sperm less likely to create a healthy embryo.

The team analysed the DNA of sperm from men whose partners were experiencing recurring pregnancy loss.

The men were divided into seven age groups, with the youngest group aged 25 to 30 and the oldest over 55. Their sperm was tested for aneuploidy and DNA sequencing for a type of mutation called CNV or copy number variation.

Both types of defects were highest in the oldest age group. Fertilisation rate was 87.7 per cent in the youngest age group and declined to 46 per cent in the oldest group.

American Society for Reproductive Medicine vice-president Peter Schlegel said: These studies make it clear that for men as well as women it may be difficult to have a child at an advanced age.

Older men and their partners should be counseled about the risks of poor pregnancy outcomes and the potential for neurodevelopmental problems in offspring.
Health chiefs are desperately trying to contain a deadly outbreak of airborne plague in Africa that has prompted warnings in nine countries.

More than 1,300 cases have now been reported in Madagascar, health chiefs have revealed, as nearby nations have been placed on high alert.

Two thirds of those are suspected to be pneumonic - described as the 'deadliest and most rapid form of plague', World Health Organization figures show.

The deadly disease is caused by the same bacteria that wiped out at least 50 million people in Europe in the 1300s.

However, the lethal form currently spreading is different to the bubonic strain which was behind history's Black Death. Pneumonic can spread through coughing and can kill within 24 hours.

The outbreak is moving quickly, with several British holiday hotspots now deemed at risk of the epidemic spreading, including Seychelles, South Africa and La Reunion.

Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Comoros and Mauritius are the six other countries to have received the heightened alert.

It has been reported as many as 50 aid workers are believed to have been among the people infected.

The African branch of the WHO states 93 people have lost their lives to the disease so far, lower than the 124 noted in official UN figures.

A WHO official said: 'The risk of the disease spreading is high at national level because it is present in several towns and this is just the start of the outbreak.'

More than 1,300 cases have now been reported in Madagascar, health chiefs have revealed, as nearby nations have been placed on high alert

More than 1,300 cases of the deadly airborne plague that is spreading across Africa have now been reported, health chiefs have revealed

However, amid widespread fears it could reach Europe and wreak havoc, the WHO has stressed the overall global risk is considered to be 'low'.

How many people have died?

The statement questions the UN figures released last week that warned the plague outbreak has infected less than 1,200.

WHO admitted the outbreaks have centered in cities, including the capital of Madagascar, Antananarivo - heightening the risk of it spreading.

Growing concerns

Officials are growing concerned as around two thirds of the cases are suspected to be pneumonic plague, spread through coughing, sneezing or spitting.

It is more deadly then the bubonic variation of the disease which killed a third of Europe's population in the 1300s before being largely wiped out.

Madagascar sees regular outbreaks of the disease, but this one has caused alarm due to how quickly it has spread and a high number of fatalities.

Two thirds of those are suspected to be pneumonic - described as the 'deadliest and most rapid form of plague', World Health Organization figures show

This lethal form, different to bubonic - which killed 50 million in the 1300s, is spread through the air and can kill within just 72 hours of contracting it

Like the bubonic form that often is found in Madagascar's remote highlands, it can be treated with common antibiotics if caught in time.

HOW DID THE OUTBREAK BEGIN? Health officials are unsure how this years outbreak began. However, bubonic plague which is endemic in rural parts of Madagascar can turn into the pneumonic form if left untreated. Pneumonic plague, which is more virulent than other forms, can then be passed on through the air. The bubonic form is spread from fleas that carry the Yersinia pestis bacteria which then bite humans. It is believed they contract the bacteria from rats fleeing forest fires and striking rural communities. The first death this year occurred on August 28 when a passenger died in a public taxi en route to a town on the east coast. Two others who came into contact with the passenger also died. Advertisement

This outbreak is the first time the disease has affected the Indian Ocean island's two biggest cities, Antananarivo and Toamasina, officials said.

Around 600 cases are reported each year on the island. But this year's outbreak is expected to dwarf previous ones as it has struck so early.

Drafting in help



International agencies have so far sent more than one million doses of antibiotics to Madagascar. Nearly 20,000 respiratory masks have also been donated.

However, the WHO advises against travel or trade restrictions. It has previously asked for $5.5 million (4.2m) to support the plague response.

Despite its guidance, Air Seychelles, one of Madagascar's biggest airlines, stopped flying temporarily earlier in the month to try and curb the spread.

A Foreign Office spokesman previously said: 'There is currently an outbreak of pneumonic and bubonic plague in Madagascar.

'Outbreaks of plague tend to be seasonal and occur mainly during the rainy season, with around 500 cases reported annually.
A two-year-old with stage 4 cancer has stunned doctors by learning to walk less than two years after a previous surgery left her paralyzed from the chest down.

Zea Lane was diagnosed with neuroblastoma at three months old after her parents took her to a Miami hospital for a 106 degree fever.

The doctors decided to do an MRI scan on Zea, which revealed cancerous tumors everywhere including a large tumor pressing against her spinal cord.

After debating treatment options, her parents agreed to let the surgeons remove the spinal tumor, which paralyzed Zea from the chest down.

But two years later, Zea has defied odds by successfully battling all of the tumors in her body except for a small sliver that remains between her lungs and spine.

She has also learned to walk with assisted devices despite her doctors originally saying she would never have that ability.

Zea Lane was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma when she was three months old. A surgery left her paralyzed from her chest down, but she has since regained function in her legs. Pictured is her in May walking with her assisted device

Her mother Heather (pictured right) quit her job to take care of Zea while her father (left) is at work. Here the family is in November 2015 after Zea's cancer diagnosis

Zea's parents had fifteen minutes to decide if the doctors should operate on her tumors or start chemotherapy treatment.

'She was covered with cancer,' said her mother, Heather Lane, to CNN. 'She had a primary area on her spine, and from there, she had disease that had spread to her liver, lungs, kidneys, bone marrow, even in her skull. We nearly lost her at that point.'

WHAT IS NEUROBLASTOMA? Neuroblastoma is a cancer of specialized nerve cells in the nervous system and other tissues. More than 700 children in the US are diagnosed each year with the disease and most are diagnosed when they are younger than five. It is the second most common solid tumor in childhood, and it makes up eight percent of the total number of children's cancers. Neuroblastoma commonly occurs in either one of the two adrenal glands in a child's tummy or in nerve tissue that runs alongside the spinal cord, in the neck, chest, abdomen or pelvis. The cancer can spread to tissues beyond the original site, including bone marrow, bone, lymph nodes, liver and skin. As with most cancers the cause of neuroblastoma is unknown. The symptoms vary depending on where a child's tumor is. Treatment depends on the age of the child, as well as the size and position of the tumor and whether the disease has spread. Advertisement

Every year, more than 700 children in the United States are diagnosed with this rare disease and it makes up six percent of childhood cancers, according to Cancer.Net.

This cancer is only found in children and develops in their nerve cells while they are a fetus in the womb.

Zea went into chemotherapy treatment two days after her surgery to battle all the other tumors in her body.

She went through eight rounds of the treatment, but a tiny fraction of a tumor remains between her lungs and her spine.

Since the tumor is wrapped in nerves, it could cause damage to her mobility in her right arm if surgeons attempted to remove it.

The doctors in Miami wanted to start more rounds of chemotherapy, but her parents were worried about what it would do to Zea.

Heather told CNN that they decided to seek another opinion at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York instead of going through more rounds of chemotherapy in Miami.

Their doctor at the cancer center said it was best to monitor the tumor instead of doing any treatments.

Zea goes to the cancer center every three months to make sure the tumor hasn't grown.

It has reportedly shrunk and doctors said Zea is considered stable.

When Zea was going through her chemotherapy treatments, it seemed like the paralysis in her spine from the surgery was irreversible.

But after she stopped the treatments, her parents witnessed her wiggle her toes which gave them hope that she would one day walk.

Doctors said that since Zea was so young, she was more likely to gain her ability to walk again than someone who is older.

She started physical therapy at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, by first utilizing their pools with underwater treadmills.

A sliver of Zea's tumor still remains between her spine and lungs but chemotherapy treatments have helped shrink it

Her physical therapists believe she will be able to walk on her own eventually and even be able to swim. This is her in May during one of her appointments

This has allowed for her to build her muscles in her arms and legs without the pressure of gravity pulling her down.

The toddler goes to the institute for two-week periods every month and has three-hour sessions with her physical therapists each day.

Against all odds, she has started walking on her own in the pool and has also achieved milestones outside of the water.

Her therapists believe Zea will one day walk and even swim on her own without assisted devices if she keeps up with the therapy.

Travelling to and from Miami, New York and Baltimore for Zea's treatments has been difficult financially on the family.

Heather had to quit her job in order to provide full-time care Zea, so she created a GoFundMe page to help raise funds for all the treatments.

'As far as her walking independently, I am hopeful she will get there,' Lane said to CNN. 'She just keeps beating the odds.'

Strike a pose: Zea does two weeks of therapy every month to help strengthen the muscles in her legs and arms. She now can walk on her own in the pool
FARGO  A former city sanitation worker trying to get his job back after shoving a supervisor whom he accused of making racist statements to him was rebuffed by city commissioners Monday.

Elected city leaders were Aaron Cockfields last hope within the citys appeals procedure, but they voted 3-0 -- with two members absent -- to uphold his division leaders decision to fire him. Those voting were Mayor Tim Mahoney and Commissioners Tony Grindberg and Dave Piepkorn.

At the trial-like hearing, in which opposing sides laid out arguments and called witnesses, Assistant City Attorney Nancy Morris emphasized Cockfields violence and insubordination toward route supervisor Shawn Eckre.

Cockfields attorney, Leo Wilking, emphasized Eckre calling Cockfield, a black man, boy and other racist behavior Cockfield had complained about during his eight years with the city. Wilking argued inherent racism is why Cockfield had been fired for a first-time offense of this nature, which he said departed from city guidelines.

Cockfield said afterwards he was disappointed with the commissions actions and expects to take legal action. Whatever I got, it shall be given, he said. I would like to see them held accountable for their reaction. This is ridiculous.

Mahoney said the incident has been hard on Cockfields division and many colleagues enjoy working with him. But we do not tolerate violence in the workplace, he said. Thats something that we all understand.

The city released a statement afterwards, stating: Todays decision reaffirms the Citys zero tolerance for violence within the workplace. The City is also committed to embracing diversity awareness among its employees and has undertaken extensive diversity training for City employees this year.

I got you now, boy

Eckre was the acting supervisor on July 28, the day of the incident, according to Morris. He was away from the office when the household hazardous waste facility called him requesting a container be emptied. When two other employees werent available, he asked Cockfield to do the job but Cockfield twice refused. After Eckre returned, Eckre confronted Cockfield about it in the break room and Cockfield argued with him and walked over and shoved him so hard he hit a wall five to six feet away.

According to Wilking, Eckre marched aggressively toward Cockfield while yelling, causing Cockfield to stand up and push Eckre away in self defense. Eckre then reportedly said, Oh, I got you now, boy. I got you now, boy.

Mark Steffens, a sanitation worker who broke up the two men, said in statements that Eckre did walk over to Cockfield and Cockfield shoved him. He also verified that Eckre used the word boy in reference to Cockfield. But Steffens also said, I was in disbelief how Aaron was yelling at him.

Eckre testified he wasnt aware the term boy was derogatory.

Im sorry, I dont find that credible, Wilking said. Any adult white male in this country knows that referring to an African-American male as boy is evidence of racial bias and prejudice.

When Eckre said I got you now, boy, Wilking said, that suggests Eckre had wanted to provoke a fight and succeeded.

The attorney also cited past racial incidents at the solid waste division, including co-workers donning sandbags as if they were KKK hoods; someone putting African caricatures, such as a black statue with thick lips and a stretched neck, in Cockfields car parked at work; and a co-worker telling him to go back to your mud hut.

Cockfield said after the hearing that he has heard co-workers use the n word to his face.

Morris said the city did investigate Cockfields complaints and disciplined some workers. But, she said, the confrontation between Eckre and Cockfield was not racial in nature.

Terry Ludlum, the division head, testified that he did consider just suspending Cockfield, a punishment Wilking had suggested, but Cockfields actions required a harsher punishment because sanitation workers interact with the public everyday.

Once I read the statements and saw the degree of the verbal abuse and the physical violence, I really lost all the trust that I need to have from my staff and my operators when they're going out into the general public, Ludlum said.

After Cockfield was fired Aug. 22, he appealed to the Civil Service Commission, which voted 3-2 on Sept. 19 to uphold Ludlums decision.

Jane Pettinger, a human resources professional who chairs the Civil Service Commission, told city commissioners her group was divided about whether termination was necessary. She said she wouldve fired him earlier than the city, which conducted a more thorough investigation than required.
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Lucy Brown did not realize she was pregnant until three months before her due date.

The 24-year-old's life had been in disarray for the last five years, since taking Percocet after having her wisdom teeth removed. Despite her family's attempts to help her, the drug took hold, she dropped out of college and spent time in jail.

In the spring of 2011 Lucy noticed her clothes didn't fit, stole a pregnancy test in Wal-Mart and used it before leaving the store. She went to the Health Department in Moore County, North Carolina, to confirm the test's positive result and found out she was having a girl - and soon.

But this was not enough to help her kick her addiction to prescription opioids. Instead, it fueled it.

She says she remembers thinking: 'Now I can't stop because I have a baby who could die if I stopped using.' She was convinced that quitting would cause her baby to experience harsh withdrawal symptoms so she continued taking 30, 40 or even 50 pills a day to satisfy her cravings.

Her reaction is not uncommon: America's current opioid crisis has left many women far too deep in a battle with addiction to consider quitting when they find out they are pregnant. If they do decide to quit, finding doctors who can both provide prenatal care and give them the resources they need to stop using is a challenge in itself.

At eight months pregnant, Lucy found care at a clinic in North Carolina, but she did not go willingly. In between finding out she was pregnant and the beginning of her ninth month, Lucy had gotten arrested, and the only way she could avoid having her baby in prison was admitting herself to the treatment program. In retrospect, she says, the program saved her child's life, and, in turn, having a child saved her life.

Now 30, with two healthy children - including the one she carried while abusing opioids - Lucy works at that same treatment center as an advocate for women who do not know where to turn for help.

'A lot of these women don't have anyone, and we've helped lots and lots of people. I'm just glad that I'm one of them,' she says.

Lucy is one of four women who spoke to DailyMail.com to tell their stories of getting hooked on prescription painkillers, then desperately trying to get clean before parenthood.

Lucy Brown (right), 30, abused opioids while pregnant with her daughter Luna (left), six. Now, Lucy works at the clinic that helped her get and stay clean

Opioids are a class of drugs used to treat severe pain. The highly-addictive medications have been overprescribed in recent decades partially because pharmaceutical companies that manufacture the pills have falsely advertised them.

City and state governments in places where the opioid epidemic has hit hardest are now suing these companies for telling doctors the drugs they were selling were not addictive.

Many people who start out taking prescription opioids to treat pain end up turning to deadly illicit versions of the drugs such as heroin and fentanyl when their doctor stops prescribing painkillers to them or they can no longer afford the expensive, legal medications.

This perfect storm has led to America's worst drug crisis in modern history, which killed a staggering 64,765 people from February 2016 to February 2017.

Maternal opioid use in the US has increased five-fold since 2000

The epidemic has escalated rapidly; that figure jumped more than 20 percent from the number of deaths linked to drug overdoses that occurred from February 2015 to February 2016. The CDC has said more than 90 Americans a day die from an overdose involving an opioid.

Epidemiology experts are now desperately urging doctors to think twice before doling out a prescription for opioids, which is all too often what starts the process of a person becoming addicted to illegal drugs.

Common brands of opioids are OxyContin, Vicodin, Roxicodone and Percocet, which is what Lucy was originally prescribed and became hooked on in 2006. The clinic that helped her get and stay clean is one of only a few in the US successfully treating pregnant women with opioid use disorder.

This is despite the CDC saying that women are more likely than men to be prescribed painkillers and are given higher doses of the medications. The agency has also said that women are more likely to use them for longer periods of time.

The number of pregnant women abusing opioids has increased nearly five-fold since 2000 so the epidemic has not spared children.

It has led to an increase in babies born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS), which translates to withdrawal symptoms including tremors and seizures. It takes an average of 16 days and $66,700 to treat a baby born with NAS.

The problem has left healthcare providers with a complex question: how do prenatal care physicians help mothers-to-be - and their babies - diagnose and treat painkiller and heroin addictions?

'I TOLD THE DOCTOR I WAS USING AND THEY TOLD ME TO PRETEND I HADN'T SAID ANYTHING': THE CONFUSING BATTLE TO SEEK DRUG TREATMENT DURING AN UNEXPECTED PREGNANCY

Lucy Brown's addiction began after she was prescribed Percocet when she had her wisdom teeth removed as a 19-year-old sophomore at Western Carolina University, which was a little more than five hours away from her hometown of Pinehurst, North Carolina.

But she did not use the medication to treat the pain she experienced post-surgery.

'I didn't use it at all. But maybe about six months later somebody said: "Oh, you know you can sell that medication?" And so I did,' she said. The person that she sold the last of her pills to invited her to do them with him, and this was how her five-year opioid addiction began.

'It was just this immediate high, and I felt terminally cool. And I used it, I think, daily from that point on,' Lucy remembered. She did not know in the beginning that she was addicted.

Lucy started buying any kind of prescription opioids from drug dealers in her area.

Lucy (left) now has another child, Juniper (middle), who is 10 months old. Lucy credits her love for her daughter Luna (right) with helping her stay sober after she first gave birth six years ago

WHAT IS NEONATAL ABSTINENCE SYNDROME? A 2016 CDC report revealed that the number of babies born with the syndrome was 2,920 in 2000 but that in 12 years, as the crisis escalated, it shot up by nearly 19,000 to 21,732. The syndrome mostly affects newborns who were exposed to opioids in utero. NAS usually begins to manifest 48 to 72 hours after a child is born, and symptoms include: tremors

feeding difficulties

irritability

seizures

vomiting

diarrhea

sweating The number of babies with NAS has increased 400 percent from 2000 to 2012, in tandem with the worsening of the opioid crisis. The CDC said that in 2012 a NAS-affected infant was born every 25 minutes. In 2012 a baby with the syndrome typically had to stay in the hospital for 16.9 days, and the average hospital charge for a baby with NAS's care was $66,700. The number of Medicaid-enrolled pregnant women who filled an opioid prescription while pregnant went up 23 percent from 2000 to 2010. The National Institutes of Health recently announced that it is funding a study to find evidence-based ways to treat babies with NAS. Currently, treatment for NAS includes swaddling to calm down irritable babies, an increase in the amount of calories they eat because they are hyperactive and, sometimes, IV fluids to counter dehydration. If a baby is born dependent on anti-addiction drugs (because their mother was trying to get clean), doctors might decide to keep the baby on the drug after birth and slowly wean them off of it to ease their withdrawal symptoms. Advertisement

'For a long time, I thought: "This is just a fun, recreational thing that I do every day." And then it switched over to: "Okay, yeah, I have a drug problem, but it's not that bad."'

But one morning when she found herself in a McDonald's at 6am with a friend, another customer's comment shocked her into seeing how bad the problem was.

'We're in line, and this old man said: "Look at those junkies." And I just died inside. I was like: "Wow, I look the part now,"' she said.

The need for more and more of the drugs took over her life. She dropped out of college. She robbed her landlord and got caught. Her parents got her out of jail that time.

Lucy stole from other people to be able to afford her drug habit, rummaging through strangers' unlocked cars to look for valuables.

'I worked up a tolerance to where I had to use a lot of medication constantly. There was just no way that I could feasibly work and pay for that,' she explained.

She was living in a one-room shack that had no water with her boyfriend, who was also using drugs, in 2011 when she noticed she had recently gained weight.

Lucy said: 'I just remember I couldn't fit into my clothes anymore, and my partner at the time said: "I wonder if you're pregnant." I was. I don't even know how many months I was at that time.'

The county health department referred her to an obstetrician. 'I did tell them. I did disclose that I was using, and they asked me not to,' she recalled.

Neonatologist Dr Anne Johnston, who works with addicted pregnant women at the University of Vermont, explained how this became the standard advice women who struggle with opioid addictions receive upon hearing that they are expecting.

'Historically, physicians and every other person that knows [about a woman's addiction] is going to say: "Stop using." And most of the time you can't stop,' she said.

Sometimes, though, obstetrician-gynecologists (OBGYNs) do not ask if a patient they suspect is addicted to opioids is dependent on drugs.

Dr Hendree Jones, director of Horizons, the clinic for pregnant women with opioid use disorder at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill where Lucy got sober, said that research shows 50 percent of OBs do not address substance abuse disorder.

'I've had multiple OBs tell me: "I don't want to ask because I don't know what to do with a "Yes" answer,"' she said.

Whether or not they are asked, the response they receive is usually 'just say no'. However, for most of these women 'just saying no' is no longer an option.

'If "just say no" actually worked, we wouldn't have a drug problem,' Dr Jones explained.

Luna was born on August 27, 2011. She was not born dependent on substances and did not go through withdrawal. She is pictured (left) with Lucy outside the treatment center weeks after she was born and (right) earlier this year

This can be attributed to what an opioid addiction does to a person's brain, according to Horizons outpatient therapist Selden Holt.

'It corrupts the part of your brain that makes good decisions. It proves the point of how insidious a disease it is: you think the most strong instinct is that mother protecting a child instinct,' Holt said. 'I think a lot of women would like to quit and they know that what they're doing could possibly be harmful to their children, but it doesn't feel like a choice.'

Dr Jones said that in this respect, societal views have not caught up with the science proving the disease's effects. 'We're still not there yet. There's still the underlying bias: it's still in some way a "choice",' she explained.

Holt says many of the patients she works with react the way Lucy did, afraid to quit for fear of the painful withdrawal symptoms and misguided concerns that it could hurt their baby.

They give out the What to Expect When You're Expecting book. I immediately thought, "What a good surface to use pills on." And I did. Lucy Brown, 30, who abused prescription opioids while pregnant

'Having the baby wait and go through withdrawal after birth sometimes seems less dangerous than quitting cold turkey in the middle of the pregnancy,' Holt explained.

Lucy found herself turning to this line of thinking when she learned that she was having a baby in a few months. But now, six years sober, it seems foreign to her.

'It's really hard for me to think about. The hospital there, they give out the What to Expect When You're Expecting book to each of their clients. And I left, and I immediately thought, "What a good surface to use pills on." And I did.'

Lucy continued to use until she got arrested for stealing her mother's credit card at the beginning of June 2011, at which point she was taken to jail.

The only way Lucy could get out of giving birth while incarcerated was by enrolling in a treatment center, and this is how she ended up at Horizons, which, though normally $14,000 for a stint, was free with Medicaid.

Lucy moved into the onsite residences at Horizons on August 1 and had Luna, now six, on August 27. At the clinic she went to therapy to learn to deal with her life without drugs. Horizons staff members also helped her with basic parenting tasks, such as putting Luna to bed.

These resources, as well as the love she felt for her daughter, helped her remain sober.

'[Luna] was every bit of me that I liked, every good part of me. And there was nothing negative about her. And so I wanted to make sure that there was nothing negative about me. I made a full effort to be the best mom I could be, and that included following through with the treatment plan. So I stayed.'

The group therapy room (pictured) at Horizons, the clinic that helped Lucy Brown get off drugs, features a wide circle of chairs and soft lighting

'I USED TO JUDGE WOMEN - WOMEN THAT WERE PREGNANT USING. UNTIL THAT HAPPENED TO ME': MOTHER-OF-FOUR MYRA GOT HOOKED ON OPIOIDS WHILE BATTLING BACK PAIN IN HER SECOND PREGNANCY

Myra, a 32-year-old mother-of-four who got hooked on painkillers for back pain, abused opioids during her second, third and fourth pregnancies.

'I was mad,' she said. 'My thought was: "What's wrong with me, and why can't I stop using? Why? I mean I'm pregnant. What's wrong with me?"'

Myra, from nearby Rutherford County, North Carolina, has been a patient at Horizons since May 31. Her youngest two children, Kendra Kaye, one, and Kenneth Lee, four, live with her in the facility's onsite residences, and her oldest two live with their fathers.

The clinic is the only addiction treatment center in the state with a licensed childcare facility offering regular pediatric care and therapy to children as well medication-assisted treatment to babies with NAS.

Dr Jones said it became clear early on that they needed to offer these facilities for women who want to get clean. If they have to leave their children behind to get help, they might choose to forego treatment, she said.

'When women are forced to make a choice about treatment or their children - what a gut-wrenching choice that is - so we have women and children stay together,' Dr Jones explained.

Myra (middle), 32, abused opioids during her second, third and fourth pregnancies. Her youngest two children, Kenneth Lee (left), four and Kendra Kaye (right), one, now live with her at a treatment center she started attending in May. None of her children were born dependent on substances

My thought was: "What's wrong with me, and why can't I stop using? Why? I mean I'm pregnant. What's wrong with me?" Myra, 32, who got hooked on tramadol for back pain

Fortunately, Myra's children were not born addicted and did not go through withdrawal. 'Thank goodness. I had something on my side,' she said, but adds: 'I still worry that something could be wrong with them.'

Myra first struggled with a cocaine addiction, but she got clean before she had her first child. Her addiction to opioids started while she was pregnant with her second child, when her mother gave her tramadol to treat back pain.

Neither she nor her mother were aware of how easy it was to become dependent on them. 'Because it "wasn't that strong" I thought it was okay. She did too, obviously. But I got addicted to them - I got addicted quick,' Myra said.

'I went from using one a day to three or four a day while I was pregnant. After I had my child I was taking anywhere from 10, 12, 15 of them a day.'

The addiction quickly escalated and Myra was soon using heroin and meth to get through the day. 'I started using heroin, and I got to where I couldn't even get up out of the bed to go use the bathroom without eating three Roxis, 30s and doing half a gram of meth,' she said. 'Roxis' are tablets of Roxicodone, a brand of oxycodone, and '30s' also refer to tablets of oxycodone.

This poster hangs in the group therapy room at Horizons. Part of what the women learn there is what particular situations can trigger a relapse

On top of this Myra was trying to parent. 'I thought I was a momma. I thought I was the "functioning addict". But there is no functioning,' she said.

During her third and fourth pregnancies, Myra found herself abusing prescription painkillers and meth, even though she never could have dreamed she would end up using while pregnant.

'I used to judge women - women that were pregnant using. Until that happened to me,' she said.

Her youngest two children, who lived with her, were taken from her by the Department of Social Services in October 2016 when they discovered she was using drugs. Kenneth Lee was allowed to go stay with his paternal grandmother, but her daughter Kendra Kaye was sent to a foster home.

'That's another thing. I was like, "My kids will never go to foster care,"' Myra said. After Kenneth Lee and Kendra Kaye were taken from her, she desperately tried to sober up so she could get them back.

Enrolling in a treatment center would allow Myra to keep her children, so she went to Horizons. She called the facility at 9.30pm one evening in May, desperate to go in straight away.

'I had already relapsed. But I was starting to - I was thinking about needles. And I was like, "How could I even think about this?" So I called, and I was like, "I need to come to your facility,"' she said.

The person on the other end of the phone call tried to keep her talking even though they could not help her that late at night. 'They're like, "You can't come at 9.30,"' Myra remembers. 'But one of the staff members was like, "But don't let me go. I want to talk to you." She talked to me for three hours on the phone.

'I probably would have went and found some heroin and used a needle that night. I don't know. I just know they were there, like, right on time.'

Myra (center) started taking opioids to treat back pain when she was pregnant with her second child. She said prior to this she was not aware of how addictive the substances are

This artwork is displayed in the cafeteria the women eat lunch in at Horizons, and it represents their treatment goals

'I HEARD THE DOCTOR SAYING SHE WOULDN'T BOTHER TELLING ME ABOUT TREATMENTS': ANDREA ABUSED OPIOIDS DURING TWO PREGNANCIES - BUT SHE WAS NEVER TESTED AND MEDICS AVOIDED HER ATTEMPTS TO GET CLEAN

Andrea McSwain (pictured), 31, struggled with addictions to alcohol, opioids, cocaine and over-the-counter medications

Like many women who abuse opioids during pregnancy, Andrea McSwain was never tested, though doctors suspected.

Andrea, now 31, had struggled with addictions for almost 15 years. She started drinking excessively around the age of 12 because she felt like she never fit in anywhere, until her junior year of high school when she found opioids like Percocet and oxycodone.

The birth of her four children - Tai, 14, Kay, 12, Kel, 10, and Cash, three - did not stop her from using, but when her youngest son was taken from her at one week old, something inside her snapped and she knew she needed help.

'That was my last straw,' she said. 'I can't describe that kind of pain: I don't know who has my baby. I don't know who's taking care of him. I won't see his first anything if he does something different.'

Ironically, it was this fear of losing control, she says, that had kept her using and dodging doctors during her last two pregnancies.

'As soon as I got up I'd get myself together, and the only way I could get myself together was by using [cocaine],' she explained. 'I would avoid going to the doctors if there was something I felt wrong. I was scared. I was absolutely terrified the entire time that something was going to be wrong with my child, and it didn't change - the fact that I used.'

If she feared anything was wrong with her baby, she would 'go to the emergency room, get checked out real quick,' then leave as soon as possible.

Doctors that she did see while pregnant did not speak to her about her addiction or offer her helpful resources. 'They never, never tested me, and it was absolutely mind-blowing that they never, never once tested me.'

Andrea's story is another example, Dr Jones says, of doctors avoiding the subject of substance abuse when treating pregnant women so that they do not end up with a tricky situation on their hands.

There is no uniform approach to screening pregnant women for opioid use disorder, which can be a delicate topic to approach when a physician is evaluating a pregnant patient that they suspect is using drugs.

Dr Jones said that all OBGYNs at UNC ask pregnant women if they are addicted to substances, whether or not they suspect they have a problem. 'We ask them about their substance abuse because it's an important part of their health,' she said.

They ask for permission to do a urine sample and proceed if the woman agrees. Dr Jones made clear that the sample is used only to help physicians better treat their patients. She said: 'It's not used to report them to the police.' If a test reflects that a patient is using drugs, whether or not she originally disclosed this information, they try to help her come up with a plan.

Dr Jones explained: 'Then we have a conversation about the urine test coming up positive and what we want to do as the next steps.'

Andrea's experiences with doctors while she was pregnant and abusing substances were not as smooth.

She once went to the emergency room while pregnant because she was passing a clear fluid and she was worried she was going into labor. She disclosed that she was a drug addict.

'I got honest with one of the doctors. I still remember this guy,' she said. 'I was honest with him because I was scared. I was like: "Am I going into labor? What's going on?" So I got to the hospital, and I told them that I had been using.

I overheard a doctor telling an intern "I know she's getting high on these drugs but I'm not going to waste my time telling her about treatment" Andrea, 31, who abused opioids during two pregnancies

'He was like: "You're fine - just - you're about to go into labor soon, but you might want to stop using before you do."'

She recalled another instance in which a physician flat-out refused to tell her about help that she could get for her addiction.

Andrea said: 'I had a doctor, whenever I was pregnant with my third child, even though I was using, she chose to not test me. She didn't know that I overheard her. But she chose not to test me and then told the intern outside: "I know she's getting high on these drugs." And then she named some of them. She said: "But what I'm not going to do is I'm not going to waste my time telling her about treatment."'

The incident stuck with Andrea. She said: 'I'll never forget that. I'll never forget that lady. And she was talking to an intern.'

Dr Johnston said the major challenge for healthcare providers in tackling America's opioid epidemic is getting addicts to see help as a good thing, not a trap that will separate them from their babies.

'There's a huge lack of trust for many women who come forward. They just don't know what's going to happen, and they're full of fear,' Dr Johnston explained.

'They also are totally ashamed of it. So if we can work at decreasing shame, which is one of the things we try to do, and be really honest and sincere with what is going to happen' it will help, she added.

Neither of the children Andrea carried while abusing drugs were born addicted to substances, and she has been clean for three years now.

Andrea said: 'When I got here and got a better understanding of substances - that they're all mind and mood altering - it became less of a struggle to want to stay clean.'

'I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS ADDICTED': KIMBERLY, 31, TOOK PAINKILLERS FOR YEARS AFTER FRACTURING HER BACK IN A CAR ACCIDENT - BUT WHEN SHE GOT PREGNANT SHE REALIZED SHE COULDN'T STOP

Kimberly Holt, 31, started taking painkillers after a car accident which fractured her back when she was 14, and a heavy duty surgery.

The surgery wasn't fully effective, and she needed four more, each time being prescribed Percocet, muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatories and steroids to manage her pain.

About eight years ago, she decided to stop taking the medications her doctor prescribed her because they were making her sick.

She did not know that she was already addicted when she decided to quit, and that desperate fight against the highly-addictive drugs became even more devastating when she got pregnant.

'I never abused them, and I wasn't educated. You don't know it happens by the time it happens. You're addicted before you know you're addicted,' Kimberly explained.

Now, the mother-of-two from Chatham County, North Carolina, is currently delaying another crucial operation she needs, as she is petrified of the inevitable prescriptions she will receive.

Kimberly Holt, 31, holds up a picture (left)of her two children, Nathan, five, and Natalie, two. Kimberly abused illicit Suboxone while pregnant with Natalie, but her daughter (also pictured right) was born healthy

Instead of taking Percocet, which was making her ill, she turned to illicit Suboxone, a narcotic that, when prescribed legally, helps people addicted to opioids stop abusing them.

'I didn't feel high; I felt normal. I wasn't sick. I wasn't throwing up. I did research, and I stayed on them for several years without going to the doctor. Then I found out I was pregnant.'

Kimberly, then 28, called the obstetrics department at UNC to ask for medical advice when she was three months pregnant and first learned she was expecting.

She remembers clearly the conversation. She said: 'I found out I was pregnant, and I called the OBs. And when they asked, I told them, "I'm taking Suboxone off the street. I do not want my daughter to be hurt. What do I do?"' She added: 'My priority, my first concern, is my daughter.'

WILL MEDICAID CHANGES MAKE DRUG DEPENDENCE WORSE AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN? UNC Horizons's director of research Dr Kim Andringa said that 97 percent of the clinic's patients are able to receive the treatment they get because of Medicaid. The insurance covers prenatal care, delivery costs, 60 days of postpartum care, the treatment of conditions that make a pregnancy high-risk, childbirth classes and family planning services. In North Carolina, women can apply for the insurance before or after delivering. Some women who have recently lost a baby they were still carrying can also apply. The following are the monthly income limits for women applying for Medicaid in North Carolina: for a mother with no other children: $2,653

for a mother with one other child: $3,336

for a mother with two other children: $4,018 A 2013 CDC report found that as many as 44.9 percent of women delivering babies in 33 states and Washington, D.C. depend on pregnancy Medicaid. Advertisement

That phone call was how Kimberly, who already had a son who was three at the time, ended up getting treated at Horizons. There, Kimberly was prescribed medication-assisted treatment, and she was able to take Suboxone legally for the rest of her pregnancy.

Treating pregnant women with Suboxone or similar drugs to keep them from doing illicit opioids is controversial because their children might still be born addicted to a substance.

However, both Dr Jones and Dr Johnston stressed how vital the treatment is for pregnant women.

Dr Johnston said: 'Medication-assisted treatment for opioid dependent pregnant women is the standard of care. There's no doubt that they do better on medication-assisted treatment. In fact, it's much healthier for your pregnancy for you to be able to be on medication-assisted treatment [than to be abusing opioids].'

Lucy, who now works to promote the clinic that she turned to during her opioid addiction six years ago, explained the stereotype that comes with receiving medication-assisted treatment, instead of just going cold turkey.

She said: 'Outside of treatment, in the recovery communities, it's not always looked highly upon to be on medication-assisted treatment. That's hard because I have this insight that they don't always have, like where I see it works.

'There are so many benefits of it for the moms, for the babies, just to get stable enough to continue or to really even get a grip on what's going on in their life. It's huge.'

Lucy said that, while she personally never tried medication-assisted treatment, she has seen both data and real-life examples to show how it does help combat drug addiction in mothers and babies.

'I'm glad that I know so when I do go out into the recovery community and see peers and they're like, "Why do you give women medication?" I can say: "Dude, I know it works. I've seen the statistics. I've seen these women succeed. I've seen these babies come home from the hospital and not ever have to go to the NICU,"' Lucy said.

When Kimberly's daughter Natalie was born, she did not show symptoms of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome despite that fact that her mother took Suboxone while pregnant. 'She did not go through withdrawal. I was really blessed. She's healthy, perfect,' Kimberly said, beaming.

Kimberly is still taking legal Suboxone. 'It just makes it to where I can live normal,' she said.

CAN THE EPIDEMIC BE STOPPED IN MOTHERS? DOCTORS WARN AMERICA NEEDS TO TACKLE DOMESTIC ABUSE FIRST - SINCE 90% OF PREGNANT WOMEN IN FACILITIES SUFFER TRAUMA

Kimberly has relapsed a couple of times, turning to Xanax to confront traumatic events she has lived through. But she continues to receive addiction treatment at Horizons. She said her relapses were a result of anxiety, depression and stress.

'I had some really bad things happen when I was a kid. And it's not necessarily going back to relive it, but it's how do you get past it? And how do you move forward in a positive way?' Kimberly said.

'Relapse can be part of the recovery process,' Dr Jones said. She said when patients relapse her staff members work to figure out what people, places or scenarios caused the relapses rather than judging the patients.

This chart shows how the number of babies affected by the opioid crisis in the US has shot up since 2000

Kimberly is not the only one at Horizons affected by trauma: Dr Kim Andringa, director of research at the clinic, said that a recent survey suggested that 85 to 90 percent of the women the facility treats have experienced childhood sexual or physical abuse or domestic abuse.

Dr Andringa said this number is probably higher because it is based on what patients say when they first come to Horizons.

They might not be comfortable sharing deeply personal experiences before building relationships with staff members there. Therefore, 'we basically make the assumption that it's everybody,' Dr Andringa said.

In addition to this, Dr Andringa said data reflect that about 15 percent of the patients were trafficked at one point or another. Dr Jones explained that, for this reason, her clinic is 'trauma-informed'.

'They are women that are incredible survivors. I mean they've gone through more things than I think I personally could ever have gone through and be as well put together as they are, in terms of sexual, physical and emotional abuse from early childhood all the way through adulthood,' Dr Jones said.

She explained that this needs to be taken into consideration when society is debating whether or not pregnant women utilizing mediation-assisted treatment is ethical.

'It's not to condone illicit drug use or to somehow say, "Yay, that's good," but it's to understand what they've been through, which gives us a much better idea of how we need to be approaching people that have had those types of experiences,' Dr Jones explained.

This is the lobby at Horizons, which has both outpatient and inpatient programs. It is the only treatment center with a licensed childcare facility in the state of North Carolina

WHERE ELSE CAN PREGNANT WOMEN WHO ARE ADDICTED TO SUBSTANCES FIND TREATMENT? Clinics that provide the same treatment that Dr Jones and Dr Johnston's facilities offer are few and far between. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 13 percent of outpatient-only treatment centers, 13 percent of residential treatment centers and seven percent of in-hospital treatment centers have special programs for pregnant and postpartum women. There is a center at the University of Kentucky called the Perinatal Assessment and Treatment Home (PATHways), and there is one in Cincinnati called Helping Opioid-addicted Pregnant women Evolve (HOPE). Both provide similar services. Advertisement

She went on to say that societal judgments drive many people to drugs.

'If we really treated trauma as a public health epidemic and made an effort toward preventing it before it ever started, I think we could actually move the needle on the proportion of the population that becomes addicted to drugs,' she said.

The societal judgments Dr Jones talked about have not left Kimberly unscathed.

However, Kimberly said the community of patients she has gotten to know at Horizons has helped her stay sober.

'Most women in here have been through traumatic experiences like me, and we're all fighting together. And this idea of addiction: it's not willpower. It's a disease, and it's hard. It's just like cancer. They both kill people every day,' Kimberly said.

Dr Jones echoed this saying Medicaid needs to provide care for addiction patients 'just like we do for cancer patients. There's followup and after care for cancer patients. Wheres that for people who have opioid use disorder?'

'People are looking for cures, and we don't have cures for this medical illness. We have treatment. The path isn't always straight; people don't always come into treatment and do well forever,' Dr Jones added.

Kimberly talked about the pressure of the judgments passed on her, saying: 'When you think opiates, you think heroin. You think "bad", "prostitution", "They're doing it because they want to or because they're foolish". That's not the case. I had back surgery,' she said.

Her hope is for people outside of her community to realize the damage they are doing by stigmatizing women like herself. 'If society could just give us a chance - because we're all good people. We just got dealt some really shitty cards,' she said.

Selden Holt, the outpatient therapist, said that this message of hope Kimberly now promotes is one that never ceases to amaze her.

She said: 'The thing that doesn't get talked about is - there are a lot of setbacks and challenges, but every day I feel like I see miraculous things happening here.'

Kimberly has another back surgery looming in the distance. The thought of it is daunting because of the medications she will have to take to function after the operation.

'It's going to be put off because I'm not ready. Within a year, I'll have one.' She explained that she knows a prescription for painkillers is inevitable. 'Percocet, I'm sure. Maybe OxyContin, I don't know. I mean it's major surgery.'

Kimberly is trying to delay the operation until she is sure she can handle it. She said: 'My scar tissue is closing the nerve canal, which is causing my right leg to go numb. They'd have to go in, and they'd have to clean it. It's just a matter of waiting as long as possible and trying to figure out what's the best course in treatment to go down as far as minimal pain meds.

'So just to find out how fast I can just get it over with when I have to do it and get back to being, living my normal life.'
If you've got a heart-shaped face like Hollywood star Reese Witherspoon, you can class yourself 'mathematically beautiful'.

Having cheekbones that are as wide as your eyebrows is the most desirable type of face, researchers have discovered.

The conclusion was derived after analysing the average facial measurements from photographs of 55 beautiful female models.

And scientists at the Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia were able to quantify the exact idealistic facial proportions.

Hollywood actress Reese Witherspoon has the one type of face deemed desirable by experts

If you've got a heart-shaped face like Hollywood star Reese Witherspoon, you can class yourself 'mathematically beautiful'. Having cheekbones that are as wide as your eyebrows is the most desirable type of face, researchers have discovered

They revealed that the 'average inter pupillary distance' - the distance between the model's eyes - was a strict 59.2 mm.

While the vertical distance between your eyes and your cheekbones below should be 13.1mm if you want to class yourself as attractive.

Those measurements add up to a 'heart-shaped' face, which can act as a guide to help cosmetic surgeons design perfect looks through fillers or a facelifts.

Led by Dr Gary Linkov, the researchers used a measurement called WIZDOM, which stands for 'Width of the Interzygomatic Distance of the Midface'.

This calculates the horizontal distance between the most prominent point of each cheek bone.

However, they admitted the WIZDOM measurements can be manipulated with the use of 'highlighter makeup and blush'.

They then used this horizontal line as a base to analyse distances to other parts of the face, for the study published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal.

Some 13 distances were measured, but only eight were found to be statistically significant in terms of attractiveness.

REVEALED: THE IDEAL DISTANCES VARIABLE THE IDEAL DISTANCE Interpupillary distance 59.2mm Corneal diameter 11.5mm Nasal length 43.6mm Medial Canthus (MC) to lip 53.8mm WIZDOM-MC 13.1mm WIZDOM to chin diagonal 98.9mm WIZDOM to hairline vertical 86.9mm WIZDOM to chin vertical 83.5mm

Fifty-five stock photographs of female models were obtained from Shutterstock for the study, published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal.

Cosmetic surgeon Dr Allan Wulc, a senior author of the study, selected the pictures after typing in the phrase 'beautiful young woman not smiling'.

Writing in the journal, researchers said: 'The notion of "mathematical beauty" implies the existence of ideal facial contours, dimensions, and ratios that, when present, create a harmonious, balanced, and attractive face.

FACE LIFTS: THE FACTS Face and neck lifts are the third most requested cosmetic procedures in the UK, according to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS). A face lift will reposition and enhance the volume of the face and tighten the overlying skin. Fat transfers from other areas of the body to the face can also add volume, especially in the cheeks. For women who don't want to go under the knife, non-surgical procedures such as facial fillers can also help to rejuvenate the face and give a more youthful appearance. Non-surgical options have surged in popularity in recent years, and have been credited for a dip in the overall number of women having cosmetic surgery. Advertisement

'A heart-shaped midface is the quintessential symbol of youth and remains the overarching goal of mid facial rejuvenation.

'However, few objective criteria exist to describe mid facial position, whether in the ideal or aged state.

'We felt that these parameters might be useful to clinicians looking to find means of quantifying ageing changes, as well as postoperative improvements.'

The researchers added: 'Interestingly, brow length and WIZDOM measurements were found to be nearly identical, without a statistically significant difference.

'Therefore, the zygomaxillary points should ideally lie vertically below the tail of the corresponding eyebrow.'

Dr Gary Ross, a facial cosmetic surgeon based in Manchester has welcomed the findings.

He told MailOnline: 'The face and neck can droop with age, as the skin loses its elasticity and the face appears to lose volume.

'This equation essentially points out that enhanced volume in your face can make you look more aesthetically pleasing, scientifically speaking.

'While we've always known this, it's the first time anyone has sought to put an exact parameter on a "beautiful" mid face.'
Dr John Martin diagnosed his own stage four cancer last summer - using only his iPhone.

The 59-year-old doctor is a vascular surgeon and the chief medical officer at Butterfly Network, a company that has invented a handheld ultrasound machine that can connect to an iPhone called the Butterfly iQ.

While the product was being tested for FDA clearance in July, Dr Martin decided to scan his own neck using the device because he felt a mass in his throat.

The results that popped up on his phone screen revealed he had metastatic cancer. It had started in his tongue and throat and spread to his neck.

After surgery, it was downgraded to stage three and now, coming to the end of six weeks of radiation, doctors say he looks set to be cured.

Vascular surgeon Dr John Martin, 59, diagnosed himself with cancer last summer using an iPhone

Dr Martin used a device called the Butterfly iQ, which can connect to an iPhone, to perform an ultrasound. The result popped up instantly on his cell phone (file photo)

Dr Martin said that the opportunity to try the technology on himself arose when the product was being tested in Denver, Colorado, earlier this year.

'I noticed this mass in my neck,' he said. He tested himself by performing an ultrasound with the Butterfly iQ and looking at the instant results on his iPhone.

'I realized I was holding the diagnostic study I needed in my hand,' he said.

Dr Martin, who has been a physician for 40 years, said he suspected the results were not good, but he consulted with a nearby technician to make sure that was the case.

'I walked across to a technician, and we looked at each other, and I flew home the next morning.' But the first thing he thought when he saw the image was that he was thankful his team had invented the ultrasound technology.

'There's a million things that go through your mind,' Dr Martin said. But one unexpected thought he had when he realized he had cancer was: 'I'm glad I've got this picture.'

Butterfly Network founder Jonathan Rothberg said that the speed of his employee's diagnosis was the goal he had in mind when designing the iQ technology.

The revolutionary aspect of the Butterfly iQ is that the results of an ultrasound appear immediately on an iPhone screen.

The product will be used in clinical trials in 2018, and during the studies doctors will send the devices home with high-risk patients who could benefit from an immediate ultrasound.

Rothberg and Dr Martin said that their technology could help patients with diabetes, lung problems and other ailments.

Dr Martin works for the company that created the Butterfly iQ, and his team hopes that it will bring imaging technology to remote places where people do not have access to ultrasound machinery (file photo)

Dr Martin said he realized he was the case study his company was looking for when he looked at his ultrasound results

WHAT IS SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA? The cancer that Dr Martin was diagnosed with is common, and it occurs when skin cells on the outer layer of one's skin malfunction. The skin cells begin to develop uncontrollably. The following are factors that make a person more prone to develop a squamous cell carcinoma: fair skin

having been sunburned repeatedly

prolonged sun exposure

history of using tanning beds

having previously had skin cancer

weak immune system

xeroderma pigmentosum (a rare genetic disorder) Wearing sunscreen can help people prevent the cancer. Consistently checking your skin for changes and reporting them to your doctor can also help you avoid a squamous cell carcinoma. Advertisement

Rothberg said that Dr Martin's immediate ultrasound results sped up his access to radiation, adding that it could have taken up to two months to get other imaging results back.

And Rothberg added that he thought of his family members and loved ones when designing the product.

'Those [saved] two months hopefully will make all of us a lot happier,' Rothberg said.

Dr Martin returned to his home in Maryland to receive treatment for his squamous cell cancer. He had a procedure known as a trans-oral robotic surgery (TORS) to remove the tumor that was at the base of his tongue.

As he told his story, Rothberg pointed out that his cancer was detected by the artificial intelligence technology of the Butterfly iQ and treated surgically by a robot. 'What an amazing transformation' Dr Martin said.

Squamous cell carcinoma is a common type of skin cancer, and it forms in the outer and middle layers of the skin. If left untreated the cancer can spread to other parts of the body.

Squamous cell carcinomas frequently appear after a person has had increased exposure to sunlight or tanning beds. It is most often found on places that are typically sun-exposed, including the scalp, lips, ears and the backs of one's hands.

However it can be found anywhere on the body including in the mouth and on the genitals.

Symptoms of the cancer include red nodules; sores; and red, raised patches.
Questions over the relationship between a British 'Hindu fundamentalist' charity and a Conservative member of parliament has led to the government's own Charity Commission to open an investigation into the National Council of Hindu Temples.

Last week MP for Harrow East, Bob Blackman hosted and event with Indian Hindu-nationalist Tapan Ghosh at the Commons listed as 'Tolerating the Intolerant'.

The Conservative MP heard Ghosh speaking in committee room 12, on using his 'Hindu Defence Force' to protect Hindu communities against Muslim violence. Ghosh has previously argued that the UN should 'control the birth rate of Muslims around the world' and that 'backwardness' is a 'weapon' of Islam.

Satish Sharma of the National Council of Hindu Temples (left) and MP for Harrow East, Bob Blackman (right)

Satish Sharma (left) and MP Bob Blackman (right) hosted an event at the Commons with Indian Hindu-nationalist Tapan Ghosh

Ghosh told the audience that his 'Hindu Defence Force' in West Bengal would help protect Hindu communities against Muslim violence, and that his anti-Muslim defence militia would be a 'role model' to the rest of the world.

A Charity Commission spokesman confirmed to Mail Online India on Friday afternoon: 'The Commission has opened a case into the National Council of Hindu Temples (UK) to assess concerns raised regarding a speaker at an event linked to the charity.

Earlier this year the NCHT were warned by the Charity Commission for endorsing Theresa May in the run-up to the general elections for performing 'abhishek' (pouring water over the sacred image) at a Temple.

Blackman won the Dharma Rakshak Award for 'strongly opposing caste discrimination legislation' (pictured - Blackman's own website)

The statement adds: 'The Commission has previously issued the charity with regulatory advice and guidance regarding similar issues, which the Commission will consider as a part of the assessment.'

MP Blackman, who can be seen at the event wearing a saffron scarf and eating cake, is no stranger to the ambitions of the National Council of Hindu Temples, the organisers of this event and one of the UK's most politically active charities working between Britain and India.

Caste battle

The key issue on which the relationship between the NCHT and Blackman has developed is caste discrimination.

Caste is an ancient Indian social hierarchy, described in a recent BBC documentary as 'a defining feature of Hinduism'.

There are four caste categories (varnas) with brahmins (priests and teachers) at the top, followed by kshatriyas (rulers and soldiers), vaishyas (merchants and traders) and the shudras (labourers and artisans).

Blackman told the BBC Asian Network: 'I will be quite clear. I don't share those views. I have had a chance now to study the various different tweets and comments he has made (below) on social media and they are not ones I agree with' Blackman (right) Ghosh and Sharma (left)

Beneath them all are the Dalits - so-called 'Untouchables' - who are completely excluded from society and who still suffer shocking cruelty from those above them in the hierarchy.

In India, violence committed against Dalits is so common it scarcely registers as news. Meena Varma director of the Dalit Solidarity Network describes 'untouchability' with an early case that 'came across her desk':

'A Dalit family owned a plot of land. The man was told to hand over this plot of land, he refused. His wife and daughters were raped and their insides were removed. The sons were burnt and their heads chopped off and this was all purely because this man refused to give up his land.

'It is considered OK to rape a Dalit woman because she is a Dalit. The women that survive and take their story to the police are then raped again. Impunity is rife, access to justice is minimal.'

In the UK, the NCHT has longed argued that all discrimination based on caste lines is insubstantial or fabricated, and that the current law should be removed from the statute books.

Sharma told the BBC, 'Without even thinking about what it (caste) means, you automatically now gain the reaction ''dirty Hindus'', that we're terrible and have savage ideals, that's what's automatically invoked whenever you mention caste. It's not part of our culture.'

NCHT and other Hindu charities claim that 'enshrining' caste in UK law is hugely offensive and is an attack on their religion. Leaders from the 50,000 British Dalit community disagree, claiming that it is time to acknowledge years of discrimination.

The NCHT have previously listed events with former EDL leader Tommy Robinson

The link-up between Blackman and the NCHT has been fruitful for the charity and in 2015 they awarded him 'the prestigious' Dharma Rakshak Award, later describing him as, 'having been an Indian in a past life, or destined to be one in a life to come'.

Blackman boasts on his own website that the award from the NCHT comes, 'in recognition of work supporting the Dharmic community in strongly opposing caste discrimination legislation' in Parliament.

Caste discrimination, described as an 'invisible apartheid' in Britain, has been moving towards a law since 2010 when the then Labour government brought in the Equality Act, and a law against caste discrimination was first discussed.

Labour did not add caste to the definition of race but made provisions for a future government to add it at a later date after collecting more evidence.

After the evidence was collected the then Coalition government in 2013 brought in the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act that changed the power to create a law altered to a 'duty'.

The 'duty' acknowledged caste discrimination in Britain today, and sought to protect those identified as 'lower' in the hierarchy.

So since 2013 it has been the 'duty' of the government to make caste an aspect of the protected characteristic of 'race'.

Fighting caste law

However, stakeholders on both sides of the argument believe that we have reached a deadlock.

In 2014 Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Women and Equalities, Helen Grant, seemed to suggest that the next stage of feasibility research had petered out as it, 'might be intrusive and damaging to community relations'.

It is the opinion of two stakeholders in the debate on caste discrimination that the issue is now being 'pushed into the long grass' after the most recent Government consultation finished on 18 September 2017.

Blackman wants to remove caste discrimination from UK law

Dr Prakash Shah, from Queen Mary University of London, argues, 'The NCHT has acquired the position of being the leading voice for reasons that are not widely known.

'Satish Sharma, its General Secretary, is close to the Tory party which also does not want the legislation.'

Shah says that the May government has used the most recent public consultation on caste (that finished on 18th September, results not yet released) as a choice between legislation and case law.

He describes this as a 'fix' to bury the issue by passing the buck to British courts.

Shah told Mail Online India, 'During the government's recent consultation, Satish Sharma took the Tory government's position that the case law should be retained but the legislation not implemented.

'We know that figures within the Tory party have tended to promote him as the spokesperson for the anti-caste legislation movement on behalf of the Hindus.

'The government not only does not want the legislation, but it can also gain some electoral benefits by claiming that it got rid of the caste law.

'The conclusion is predictable. It is not a true consultation, but a fix.'

Sat Pal Muman of CasteWatch UK stands on the other side of the caste debate from Prakash Shah, but confirms his belief that the NCHT and the Conservatives are, 'working together to push the issue into the long grass'.

'Repealing this law will need a draft order, it will have to go through both the Lords and the Commons before this piece of legislation is removed.

'The opposition to this law is now working to delay it by saying, ''just let case law develop'.'

Breakthrough in the courts?

In September 2015 an employment tribunal ruled in the case of a woman recruited from India to be a domestic servant for a family in the UK and paid 11p an hour.

The case was heralded as a breakthrough and proof that there should be no further delay to the 'statutory prohibition of caste discrimination'.

Permila Tirkey, 39, was forced to work 18-hour days, having been recruited because her employers wanted someone who didn't understand UK employment law and who would be 'servile'.

Hundreds protest against atrocities on Dalits outside India House

For the first time in the UK, caste was accepted as an aspect of race. The victim, who had lived life as a 'slave' for so many years simply because she was from a lower caste in India, was awarded 184,000 in unpaid wages.

The hearing was told Ms Tirkey was kept by Pooja and Ajay Chandhok in Milton Keynes for four and a half years. During this time she worked an 18-hour day, seven days a week and slept on a foam mattress on the floor.

The Chandhok family prevented her from bringing her Bible to the UK and going to church. Her passport was held by the Chandhoks and she had no access to it. She spent seven days a week cooking and cleaning for the couple, and helping them raise their children.

The tribunal found the conditions in which she was forced to live and work were a 'clear violation of her dignity', upholding claims that she was harassed on the grounds of her race, and was the victim of indirect religious discrimination.

Ms Tirkey's solicitor Victoria Marks, from the Anti-Trafficking and Labour Exploitation Unit, told the BBC: 'This is a very useful judgement for victims of modern day slavery'.

The victim's barrister, Mr Milsom, of Cloisters, said 'The government's original rationale for refusing explicit prohibition of caste-based discrimination was that there was no evidence of it taking place in the UK', adding that the tribunal's 'damning findings' had left the government's stance on caste discrimination 'untenable'.

Caste discrimination in Britain today

Despite the Tirkey case and a significant pile of costly academic research that shows how caste discrimination affects schooling, marriages, community harmony, personal faith, and free-and-fair business practices in the UK, the Conservative government remains silent on the issue.

This silence has encouraged charities like the NCHT who say that cases of caste discrimination in the UK stem from the 'Hinduphobic' agenda of those pushing for caste legislation.

Mail Online asked MP Bob Blackman how he had arrived at his position on caste discrimination after he tweeted on 11th October, 'Delighted to co-host #AhimsaDay @HouseofCommons this evening & address need for action to remove #CasteDiscrimination from statute book'.

Mail Online has asked for Bob Blackman's thoughts on the government and non-government commissioned research into caste discrimination, and why Blackman has now positioned himself alongside the NCHT?

Despite repeated requests for comment Blackman has refused to return calls, emails and Tweets.

When asked why, as a part of the Indian diaspora, they feel that a law intended to protect a discriminated-upon community should be removed, the NCHT's sent across a published document titled - 'Caste, Conversion and a 'Thoroughly Colonial Conspiracy'.

The document in question which was released at the Indian High Commission by Subramanian Swamy - a senior figure in the BJP leadership - states that the caste system in India and Britain is a 'creation and imposition of white Anglican Colonialism missionaries'.

The NCHT tweeting about the Pope's 'mania for conversion'

NCHT argue that 'Anglican jihadis' found a soft spot in India's caste system, 'ripe for the stab of a supremacist evangelist's missionary thrust'.

According to the NCHT, India's caste system was created by, 'the Anglican Jihadis of the British Raj, with their headquarters in Lambeth Palace, blessed by the Archbishop and Bishops of the time'.

The NCHT claim that Anglican Jihadis, 'created the caste system as an intrinsic element of their 19th-century census activities and colonialist, evangelical mission.'

And on the issue of a UK law to protect those at the bottom of the hierarchy from discrimination the NCHT claim, 'The Church of England is responsible and to be held accountable for the creation of the caste ideology and for trying to impose it yet again on Hindu citizens of Great Britain'.

The NCHT's stance that Britain 'invented' caste and once again wants to impose it on the Hindu citizens of Great Britain is not one shared by the victims of caste discrimination.

Sat Pal Muman, from CasteWatch UK sees the NCHT argument as a 'blatant deflection tactic'.

He argues that Britain began to understand caste after the 1911 census whereas Hindu religious texts on caste date back many thousands of years.

'Britain is not guilty of inventing caste', Muman says that as, 'Great tax collectors, if they're guilty of anything it's enumerating it.'

He adds, 'Did the British invent 'untouchability'? No. Caste discrimination existed a long time before the British arrived in India'.

Muman had previously told the BBC, 'Why the Hindus (NCHT) feel so victimised is beyond my imagination. They have to see the truth for what it is, you have to call a spade a spade.

'If you are unable to face the historical truth then you will never be able to resolve this issue.'

Muman identifies 'Satish Sharma as one of the authors responsible for the 'Caste, Conversion' report and adds, 'these are guys who have had very successful lives in this country, and are now turning around to blame the British for the very thing they themselves and their forefathers were responsible for'.

Munam sees this as a larger political game helped by 'the arrival of Hindutva - Hindu Fundamentalism - in India'.

He argues that when groups liked the NCHT, 'challenge Britain on caste discrimination and colonialism, they are seeking support from this rising fundamentalism in India'.

Muman says, 'the leading groups in India are against all foreigners, but especially the British'.

'What Satish has done is to write something that appeals to India. And he believes that by doing that he will get closer to that particular lobby and even to be a spokesperson for them.'

Muman says that CasteWatch UK 'wants nothing to do with religious texts' and, 'is happy for all reference to religion to be removed from the Equality Act.

He adds, 'no one in India or the UK can go back and re-write their religious texts and so they see this scrutiny as an attack on their religion'.

Muman's view is supported by a number of leading academics from the independent academic research team commissioned by the Equality and Human Rights Commission to research 'Caste in Britain'.

Dr Meena Dhanda from the University of Wolverhampton argues that, 'those driving the opposition to the law want to abort the whole thing by saying that they are the true victims'.

'By saying, ''it is our religion that is being attacked by Britain, in Britain'' they can rely on most people not wanting to be seen on the same side as those supposedly attacking'.

Dr Annapurna Waughray from Manchester Metropolitan University says that the government and the NCHT, 'have not produced a single shred of evidence to show that the experiences, the testimonies and the accounts of people who have suffered from discrimination are false, malicious, untrue, or malign'.

'Their position is just a blanket denial of - ''this is not relevant, this should not be discussed, we don't this therefore its not going to happen''.'

Using trade to hurt Britain

So how have we arrived at a position in 2017 where the 'duty' to protect those discriminated against is being questioned?

In short, there remains a fear that, 'enshrining caste in British law,' could affect Theresa May's attempts to forge trade relationships with Commonwealth countries, namely India.

Unlike the Conservatives, the NCHT are more than willing to announce the terms on which they are able to leverage government support to oppose the law on caste discrimination.

Prime Minister Theresa May at the Sri Someshwara Hindu temple on the final day of a three-day trade mission to India

The PM went to India at the head of a business delegation with the aim of bringing down barriers to commerce and paving the way for a free trade agreement following Brexit

At last week's event in the Commons committee room, NCHT's Satish Sharma stood alongside Bob Blackman and argued that the European Union's opinion on caste, 'doesn't acknowledge the oldest living religious tradition on the planet,' and wants to, 'spend time, energy and resources on alleged disputes that go on in our community without evidence'.

Sharma then says, rather chillingly, 'I will suggest that we speak really slowly for the camera so that we can share this with the Indian Government', adding, 'in this moment in time when the whole world wants to do business with India we have this particular issue (caste) and an opportunity.

'We should be saying to them, if you want to do business with the grassroots Hindu, the grassroots Sikh, the grassroots (business) community in our country, then at least do us the courtesy of recognising that we are not the infidel, heathen, pagan, unwashed, natives, which your religious institutions have been telling you about.

'We want our people in Britain, we want British people, and we want European people to have a mutual respect so that they can do trade.

'But if they're not even willing to accept our religious traditions then why on earth should we engage in business with people who are so discriminatory and so prejudiced?'

Satish Sharma says that there should be no trade relationship between India and Britain while a law that disrupts the 'religious traditions' is still on the statute books.

Caste censorship at leading London University

The fear of offending influential Indians by mentioning caste has allegedly reached Britain's top academic institutions.

On the 24th November this year Dr Meena Dhanda was booked to speak at the London School of Economics at an event hosted by the South Asia Centre to commemorate the 350th Anniversary of Sikh Guru Shri Guru Gobind Singhji.

Dr Dhanda had been invited to talk on, according to the LSE's website, 'the challenge of confronting caste-based oppression' at the event jointly organised by the LSE and the High Commission of India in London.

Before and after, above and below: The event was listed and then cancelled

'After reading my abstract the High Commission of India became worried that if contentious issues of caste prejudice are raised some people may be upset', Dhanda says.

'I did not want to change my argument'.

'LSE sympathised with me and they decided to cancel the lecture, but have not publically stated why they have done so'.

Mail Online India has requested a comment from the LSE South Asia Centre on why the event was cancelled.

Caste, community, confusion

As the issue of caste discrimination in the UK remains in deadlock, David Mosse, from SOAS, told Mail Online that regardless of what kind of discrimination exists - whether it's race, gender, sexuality - it is always the case that those who are fighting against discrimination need to be able to name the basis of their discrimination to get it out there in the open.

The majority of contributors to this article say that caste discrimination needs to be discussed openly, without the influence of an MP and a charity currently under investigation for hosting the now contentious event at the Commons.

Although a law would not protect against all forms of discrimination, there is a general concern that caste is becoming more deeply entrenched in the UK as India continues to rise as a global economic force.
The Rajasthan government wants to protect its ministers, babus, judges and magistrates from investigation for corruption for a layover period of six months.

Ministers generally protect themselves by layers of indifference. No one resigns faced with debacle as Lal Bahadur Shastri did, accepting responsibility for a railway accident, in 1956.

Babus are protected by the Constitution and have security for tenure and no dismissal without due process. After investigation, public servants are protected from prosecution without sanction under the Criminal Procedure Code for discharge of official duties in office or after.

'No one resigns faced with debacle as Lal Bahadur Shastri did, accepting responsibility for a railway accident, in 1956'

In the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA), 1988, public servants have similar protections. Judges have their own protection.

On November 15, 2017, the Bombay High Court refused to immunise a judge for corruption in office relating to his duties. The point is, criminal prosecution cannot take place without special permission. But Rajasthan's ordinance goes further.

Shelter from probe

The Rajasthan ordinance seeks to protect the minister, the babu, sub-babus and their co-conspirators from investigation (not just prosecution after investigation). The babu keep inventing ways to protect themselves.

The ministers go along because they are protected too.

In the Hawala case (1998), the Supreme Court struck down a similar provision of the central government called the Single Directive. All babus who were joint secretaries and above were given protection from investigation.

All babus who were joint secretaries and above were given protection from investigation by a Supreme Court order in 1998

Justice Verma's judgment decisively struck down the Single Directive as an unwarranted protection - wholly unworthy.

The babus tried very hard to introduce this in the Bills on Central Vigilance Commission and Lokpal succeeding to the extent that class A and B employees were more favourably treated.

Imagine the situations.

Situation A: A babu or minister takes bribes. It is a pretty straight forward case of entrapment. Why should he not be investigated immediately? Why the delay of 180 days?

Situation B: A babu or a minister is involved is a fully fledged scam. The scam spreads or is in danger of spreading. A complaint is filed. Rajasthan says no magistrate shall order an investigation for six months, leaving open all the possibilities to cover up, even flight.

During Rajiv Gandhi's tenure as Indian Prime Minister a Defamation Bill 1998 was flaunted but there was widespread opposition

So what if it is about the discharge of his official duties. Discharging duties illegally and criminally can never and should never be immunised. In many of these cases, custodial investigation is required. That will give way for further leads. There is no sense in an immunity period for investigation.

India is a nation riddled with corruption. The PCA was specifically enacted to tackle corruption at all levels. The term 'public servant' (taken from other statutes by the Rajasthan ordinance) is defined in PCA to cover a contractor for fees, local officials, an arbitrator referred by the court or complaint authority, office bearers of corporate societies, vice-chancellors or teachers performing public functions and government or state's cultural or other institutions.

Rajasthan's Bill says 'public servant means as defined in any other law'.

Gagging free speech

The ordinance goes further to gag the press. During this period, Rajasthan's rulers say 'no one shall print or publish publicise... the name, address, photograph, family details of the judge, magistrate or public servant'.

So, if a person is suspected of a crime, and there is no sanction for investigation, there is a blanket gagging on the press on not to publish or publicise it.

A minister is under suspicion and there will be no Twitter, Facebook, or electronic publication. If the provision is construed widely, you cannot talk to your neighbour about it because that is a publication, and certainly publicity.

But matters do not end there. A new section 228B of IPC (applicable to Rajasthan) says that a person who indulges such publicity and publishing can be punished for simple or rigorous imprisonment for up to two years and also fined. The fine can be to any limit.

In former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's term (probably to offset criticism of Bofors, submarine and other scandals), a Defamation Bill 1998 was flaunted. There was a mighty campaign against it. It was like the infamous Bihar law.

The campaign succeeded. The Bill was stopped by public opinion.

In the case of Rajasthan, there was a huge campaign. The Ordinance was denounced. There was criticism outside Rajasthan against the draconian proposal.

The Ordinance continues. But a Bill was tabled before a select committee to examine it. What a ruse! But it has been side-stepped. On October 27, 2017, the Rajasthan high court issued a notice to the state government and the Centre on a petition by Sachin Pilot on the Ordinance's un-constitutionality.

One step left

However, there is one more step after the bill is enacted (and I believe it should also apply for Ordinances). Since this is an amendment of a central legislation, the consent of the President (i.e. the central government) is required.

The Governor has to reserve it for the President. Ideally, such a legislation could be thrown in the dustbin by the President after it is reserved by the governor.

But the President and governor are partymen, and the President is advised in this regard by the Narendra Modi cabinet. But ministers of the Union government support Rajasthan's measure.

Perhaps, the central government would like a similar protection for the Prime Minister, ministers and other public servants. They have so much to hide.

This is a measure to hide corruption, dilute standards of probity and assault the very essence of democracy.
At the end of a stormy hour-long hearing, the Chief Justice Dipak Misra-led bench of the Supreme Court on Monday ordered the father of the 24-year-old in Kerala's sensational 'love jihad' case to produce her before them on November 27.

After the apex court's rather negative remarks on its pet national anthem campaign and Rohingya crisis reversal - the decision was yet another clear blow to the Modi government. The National Investigative Agency has vociferously opposed summoning the girl without going through its probe report.

At stake was the issue of 'love jihad' which the BJP is passionately arguing in Kerala.

The Supreme Court is hearing case of a 24-year-old Hindu girl who converted to Islam to marry Muslim youth Shafin Jahan

The court said it is not bothered about 'love jihad' or 'indoctrination' theories for the time being, but only about the girl's consent to marriage.

The three judges wish to ascertain the mental state of Akhila - an adult who converted to become Hadiya - when she married Shafin Jahan.

They also want to establish if she was willing to stay with her father Ashokan to whom the Kerala High Court gave her custody after quashing their marriage.

The interaction is set to have a huge bearing on the case as CJI Misra, who has questioned the high court order, has been repeatedly been saying that if the girl had married Jahan as per own free will, her consent was valid.

And in that case, no force can separate her from her husband and so her father would be keeping her in 'illegal confinement'.

The SC has now called for her to appear in court to give her side of the story

Significantly, the video clips of medical student Hadiya - in which she is saying that she has married Jahan of her own volition and is being 'tortured by her father' who has kept her in forced 'confinement' has already gone viral.

It will be a huge boost for Jahan, who has moved the SC through his lawyer Haris Beeran, seeking the quashing of the high court order if she repeats the same allegations before the SC.

It will also be a massive setback for the Centre which, using the case, is trying to prove the 'rampant' love jihad in Kerala.

Additional solicitor general Maninder Singh, appearing for the Centre and NIA had vehemently pleaded with the court to go through its probe report before summoning her. However, the CJI rejected it.

The report had said that the Hadiya case was not an isolated one but she was one of those trapped as part of a 'well-oiled racket that uses psychological measures to indoctrinate people and persuade them to join terror groups such as ISIS' as alleged by her father and endorsed by the state High Court, which annulled the marriage.

Singh said the probe found 89 such cases of indoctrination in Kerala.

Singh argued that consent of an adult 'normally, usually, generally' is valid but the one given under 'indoctrination' amounted to 'psychological kidnapping'.

However the CJI Mishra then said: 'All these aspects will be dealt with later. First we want to listen to the girl'.

When Singh said Hadiya had married a criminal, the CJI shot back: 'Is there a rule that a girl cannot fall in love and marry a criminal?'

Also, the father of 24-year-old Hadiya told the apex court: 'She always dreamt to become a homeopathy doctor. And one fine day, she says she wants to rear sheeps in Syria'.

However, even after his words, the bench remained unmoved.
Sabi Giri, 25, lost her job after transitioning from a man to a woman

The Delhi High Court has asked the Centre to consider giving an alternative job to a transsexual sailor who was removed from service after having a sex change.

Sabi Giri, 25, has moved the high court against the Indian Navy's decision after having gender reassignment surgery.

The matter has come before justices GS Sistani and VK Rao who have asked the Ministry of Defence to look into the case.

The court asked the ministry to consider this as similar to that of an injured Air Force pilot who is given a ground duty instead of being ousted from the services.

Calling for a change in mindset, the bench said while it would not interfere with the Centre's policy, the case was probably the only one of its kind in the armed forces and asked the Navy to consider Giri for another job.

'Here is an opportunity to look at it from a different perspective. It may be a first-of-its-kind situation.

'Here is a person struggling with gender identity. Had she suppressed the condition and continued, it would have been dangerous. It could have been fatal. Think about it and come back,' the bench said and listed the matter for further hearing on November 23.

Sabi before her sex change surgery (left) and after (right). Delhi's High Court has now called on the Navy to find her an alternative position within the force

Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain appearing for the Centre as well the Navy said Giri had a chequered history of indiscipline for being absent without leave several times, and suffered from gender identity disorder.

'The individual got badly infected after undergoing the sex reassignment surgery and it was the Navy which treated her humanely and provided treatment and counselling to her.

'One seat in another branch or department of the force cannot be blocked for such an individual who also suffered from psychiatric and gender identity problems.

'Since the petitioner is a female now, she cannot be employed as a sailor in the Navy as that position is not open for women.'

The court with a sympathetic view towards the petitioner said it was a good thing that Giri come out in the open instead of living with the inherent gender disorder for life, which would have made it worse for her as well as the department.

However, the court believed that while the person deserved to be punished for indiscipline, where there is a medical condition of this sort, it may be seen from a different perspective.

'In today's situation, a medical condition like this cannot be suppressed,' the bench said.

The court was of the view that the petitioner, who was posted onboard INS Eksila at Visakhapatnam, can give up claim for the job of sailor and may accept a clerical position so that the family, including her elderly parents, wife and child, need not suffer.

The petitioner had challenged the October 6 order of the Navy removing her from service.

She had claimed that she had been suffering from gender identity issues since 2011 and when she told her parents, they forced her to marry.

She further claimed that she was absent from service without leave several times as she suffered bouts of depression, owing to her gender identity issues.
Kerala likes to boast of being the champion state for freedom, diversity and equality in India.

But an India Today TV has lifted the veil off the Kerala based non-profit Popular Front of India (PFI) and its its ultimate goal to turn India into a theocratic Islamic state through mass conversions and illegal financing.

The PFI, is also under investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), is accused of 'brainwashing' Hindu women and marrying them off to Muslim men.

Islamic organisation Popular Front of Indias founder member Ahmed Shareef told an undercover reporter that an Islamic state is their final goal

'All these allegations are baseless,' claimed Zainaba AS, the head of the group's women's wing, on Monday, responding to accusations that she 'mentored' non-Muslim women into conversions.

She is suspected of playing a key role in what has come to be known as Kerala's own love jihad case  the marriage between Hadiya, previously known by her Hindu name as Akhila Asokan, with Shafin Jahan.

In May, the state high court annulled their marriage after the woman's father challenged it as an act of forcible conversion for terror recruitment. Shafin Jahan's appeal is now being heard by the Supreme Court.

The gir's father secured a Kerala High Court hearing to quash the marriage and the youth is now appealing the order in the apex court

The SC has now called for Akhila (right) to appear in court to give her side of the story

'I contacted Hadiya only after she came to (the PFI's sister organisation) Sathya Sarani for admission. Actually, she embraced Islam two years before,' insisted Zainaba.

'It's no love jihad (but) an arranged marriage.'

However, before Zainaba issued this denial relating to one high-profile case, she had already shared the PFI's dark secrets with India Today TV's undercover reporters.

Womens wing chief Zainaba told undercover reporters about systemic conversions in Kerala

As a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, she was caught on tape saying how the Popular Front of India and Sathya Sarani in Kerala's Manjeri town carried out massive conversions.

'(In) That institute of ours... around 5,000 people have converted to Islam over the past 10 years now,' Zainaba revealed.

They, she admitted, included both Hindus and Christians. Conversions, an emotive issue in Kerala, are banned in Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha if carried out through force or allurement.

Supreme Court is hearing case of a 24-year-old Hindu girl who converted to Islam to marry Muslim youth Shafin Jahan

Recently, Jharkhand's Assembly also passed an anti-conversion bill.

'Your investigation shows that here is PFI, the Popular Front of India, which has an organised racket employing people who are owning up on your channel before your sting operation thatthey are creating a radical group by some kind of psychological brainwashing,' union minister for law and justice Ravi Shankar Prasad told India Today TV.

While the minister advocated a ban on PFI, sources said the NIA may look into India Today TV's findings.

At their home in Malappuram, Zainaba and her husband, Ali, spoke candidly about their involvement in converting several non-Muslim women into Islam.

However, they didn't speak specifically about the Hadiya case.

'We had a schoolteacher with us. She was MSc in Mathematics and BEd,' said Ali. 'Now, she's converted to Islam. She converted four years ago,' added Zainaba.

'Did you proselytise her?' the reporter probed. 'Yes,' confirmed the PFI's woman leader.

Differences between the Modi government and the Supreme Court

The converted woman was previously called Shubha, Zainaba disclosed.

'She's now Fatima.'

She also explained that conversion centres have to be disguised as charitable or educational establishments in order to prevent any backlash.

Ilyas Sharafuddin, media coordinator of the banned Islamic Research Foundation, sought to justify the PFI faith change factory's wily ways while speaking to India Today TV.

'Upper caste Hindus are harassing the lower caste Hindus and that's why they are converting to Islam for equality, justice and peace nowadays,' he said.

In the NIA's dossier, accessed by India Today TV, the agency has also accused the PFI of terror links and hawala financing, charges the group has denied.

But a founding member of the PFI, whom the undercover reporters met in New Delhi, admitted that the organisation aimed to create an Islamic state.

Ahmed Shareef, the PFI's founder member and the managing editor of its mouthpiece Gulf Thejas, also confessed to illegal funding.

'All over the world. That is the motive,' Shareef acknowledged when asked whether the PFI and Sathya Sarani worked on a hidden motive to establish Islamic state in India.

'Islamic state is the final goal?' the reported probed. 'Final goal,' Shareef replied.

He also revealed how he raised funds for the PFI in West Asia five years ago and sent them back home through hawala.

'At that time, Rs 10 lakh or something,' Shareef said. 'Ten lakh? And how did you send it?' asked the reporter.'

'Hawala,' answered Shareef.
Honeypreet Insan (left) is the adopted daughter and aide to Dera Sacha Sauda leader, Ram Rahim

Jailed sect leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's confidante Honeypreet Insan is allegedly still getting special favours in prison, with rival parties and critics attacking the state's BJP government over the controversy.

Leaders from the ruling party openly wooed the Dera Sacha Sauda chief for the votes of his devotional following  he claimed in the millions  in parts of northern India.

Haryana's jail minister Krishan Lal Panwar visited the Ambala Central Jail on Monday after the alleged VIP treatment given to Honeypreet drew media attention.

He absolved the prison authorities who, allegedly, last Thursday permitted a car belonging to the convict's family in a high-security area where only police vehicles are allowed.

Sources say cops had even failed to trace the VIP registration number of the car carrying the family members of Honeypreet, including her brother Sahil Taneja and his wife Sonali Taneja.

The vehicle was allegedly allowed to enter the jail at a time when Dera followers have openly threatened to break Ram Rahim and Honeypreet out of the prison.

The car, sources say, remained inside the jail complex for nearly three hours. 'I have issued a warning to the jail staff not to give any special treatment to anybody.

'The allegations of VIP treatment to Honeypreet and her family are not true. The family members had entered the jail at 5.19pm and had left within 80 minutes at 5.28 pm.

'One of the women travelling in the car was not well so the vehicle was allowed to enter the jail premises,' Panwar said.

Sources said Honeypreet, in connivance with a jail canteen supervisor, was getting home-cooked food as she did not like prison food.

Police asked Honeypreet 40 questions over her role in the Panchkula violence

They also said that some other influential inmates too were getting food from home or restaurants for a price.

The minister, however, rejected the allegations and said all convicts were being served rations as per the jail manual. 'The jail staff was not favouring any inmate. The allegations that home-cooked food was being served inside jail were baseless,' Panwar said.

Police investigations have revealed that Honeypreet had collected a number of videos in which Dera supporters were heard saying that they would wipe India off the face of the world if the sect leader was jailed.
The state government's decision to ban hookah bars has invoked a bittersweet response among Delhiites.

While the medical fraternity has lauded the move, major bars are staring at huge losses.

In line with earlier orders amid strict inspection in hookah bars, Health Minister Satyendra Jain has now asked Delhi Police and municipal corporations to immediately cancel the licences of restaurants and bars serving hookah.

Satyendra Jain has asked Delhi Police and municipal corporations to cancel the licences of restaurants and bars serving hookah

He said previous moves to limit the harmful effects of tobacco had been violated

'A series of letters have been written to Delhi Police and MCDs in the last four years to initiate action against illegal hookah bars and save the younger generation from the harmful effects of tobacco. However, the action is yet awaited and violations are still on in many parts of Delhi,' Jain said.

Maintaining that the state tobacco control cell has conducted several raids across Delhi, the minister said chemical analysis of hand-picked samples have shown the presence of nicotine in significant amount in almost all the samples, though originally they were claimed to be herbal in nature.

Attesting the claim, Dr Vikas Maurya from Fortis Hospital said: 'Smoke from hookah goes directly into the lungs, down till the trachea. As a result, college students and youngsters are coming to our emergency wards as early as four in the morning with breathing difficulties.'

The medical fraternity has lauded the move but major bars face huge losses

Doctors in the Capital have also expressed growing concern with adulteration in hookah, also known as shisha.

'Youngsters smoke hookah without knowing the additives. It not only makes the smoke carcinogenic, but the very combination of hookah, alcohol and non-vegetarian food can be harmful to the health,' he added.

Government officials referred to this move as a final warning to bars and lounges serving hookah before taking stern action.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a one-hour-long hookah session comprises 200 puffs compared to 30 puffs in a cigarette.

Expressing helplessness, Harry, general manager of Lord of the Drinks chain, said: 'This move will slash our business by 25 per cent. The dent is inevitable because we had grown accustomed to serving hookah on almost every table, be it couples or college students.

'In fact, we witness six to seven cancellations or customers exiting our bar if we cannot offer hookah due to unavailability.'

He further said they are serving hookah along with alcohol only to meet the growing demands.
HORACE  Wild Rice Bar and Grill owner Bruce Schauer said hes seen a lot of inappropriate Halloween costumes at his establishment over the past 24 years, but nothing quite like what one patron wore on Saturday, Oct. 28.

An unidentified man entered the Horace bar about 10 that night wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood and robe. The man was in the bar for a total of 36 minutes, and security camera footage shows people posing for photos with him.

It just goes to show where America is at in 2017, said 56-year-old Schauer. It says a lot about our country, doesn't it?

Schauer said he was not working Saturday night, but his employees told him the man in the KKK costume showed up with a group of people on a party bus. Schauer said he did not know who the man was.

Its a long-standing rule on Halloween to have people remove masks when ordering a drink, Schauer said, but the patron was just walking around and didnt ask for a drink.

Employees were so busy, he said, they didnt have time to address the patron. But he said they all thought it was very inappropriate.

We definitely dont condone anything like that, Schauer said.
India's Law Commission is planning a crack down on police engaging in custodial torture.

Recommending a new bill with provision for life term for cops found guilty of the offence, the commission has said it will be presumed that it was inflicted by the police unless it is proved otherwise.

'The burden of proof shall lie on the authority concerned to explain such injury. This must be included in the Indian Evidence Act,' the panel headed by Justice BS Chauhan said in a report submitted to the law ministry.

Lashkar-e-Toiba militant A B Kabir Wani, who escaped recently, in police lock-up after his re-arrest in Doda

The Law Commission had been asked to examine the issue of ratification of UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment and submit a report.

As many as 15, 300 people died in police custody in India between 2001 and 2015 and 16,000 injured.

But less than 50 per cent of custodial deaths led to a case being registered. On an average, 98 people die in police custody every year in India.

The commission also recommended making the definition of 'torture' wide enough to include inflicting injury, either intentionally or involuntarily, or even an attempt to cause such an injury, which will include physical, mental or psychological injury.

In order to curb the menace of torture and to have a deterrent effect on acts of torture, it recommended 'stringent punishment extending up to life imprisonment and fine to the perpetrators of such acts'.

Regarding payment of compensation, it said the courts will decide upon a justiciable compensation bearing in mind the socio-economic background of the victim and will ensure that the compensation so decided will suffice the victim to bear the expenses on medical treatment and rehabilitation.

The commission also suggested that the government ratify a United Nations convention on 'torture and other inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment'.

Though India is a signatory to the convention, in the absence of an anti-torture law, it has not ratified it.

The UPA government drafted a bill on torture in 2010 but it could not be passed.

The panel has said the state should own the responsibility for the injuries caused by its agents on citizens, and the principle of sovereign immunity cannot override the rights assured by the Constitution.

'While dealing with the plea of sovereign immunity, the courts will have to bear in mind that it is the citizens who are entitled to fundamental rights, and not the agents of the state,' it said.

Going by the law, which states 'liability follows negligence' the Commission is of the opinion that the state should own the responsibility for the injuries caused by its agents on citizens, and principle of sovereign immunity cannot override the rights assured by the Constitution.
Shares in Ryanair rose this morning after the budget airline looked set to beat last years record profits despite taking a 25million (22million) hit from the flight cancellations fiasco over the past couple of months.

Pre-tax profits for the six months to the end of September rose 11 per cent to 1.29billion, and despite compensation that will amount to 50million in total, Ryanair still expects full-year profit to come in between 1.4billion and 1.5billion.

Shares in the Dublin-based airline rose 5 per cent to 16.61 in morning trading.

Defiant: Ryanair said that September and October cancellations have not hit full-year profits

A strong Easter meant traffic grew 11 per cent to 72million for the first half, despite the cancellations of around 22,000 flights in September and October due to an error with its pilots holiday rosters.

However, since these results only cover some of the troubled period, Ryanair expects traffic to slow to 4 per cent in the second half due to the grounding of 25 aircrafts as a result of the cancellations. Also, profit in the latest quarter fell 2 per cent to 895million.

Air fares fell by 5 per cent but a rise in ancillary revenues helped to offset this decline as customers spent 1billion on things like reserving seats, priority boarding or car hire.

Ryanair said that it now expects air fares to decline by less-than-expected this year, between 4 per cent to 6 per cent, compared to previous guidance of 5 to 7 per cent.

Thats partly because of the collapse of other European airlines this year  Alitalia, Air Berlin and Monarch, which has reduced a fair amount of slack in the market.

The airlines fuel costs, which make up around a third of its operating expenses, fell by 3 per cent despite increased traffic growth.

Ryanair added 80 new routes and this helped lift revenues by 7 per cent to 4.425billion (3.899billion).

However, moves to boost pilot pay could impact its full year performance by as much as 100million (88million), the company said.

Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary

Neil Wilson, ETX Capital's senior market analyst, said: More passengers, lower fares and on course for another record profit - investors might be wondering what all the fuss was about in the wake of September's cancellation fiasco.

But beneath the rising revenues and passengers there are concerns about rising labour costs that will affect Ryanair's unit cost advantage over peers.

Laith Khalaf, senior analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said the numbers showed little sings of weakness, but more costs could arise in the coming months since the reporting period only covers the start of the problems encountered by Ryanair.

Ryanair isnt blinking though, and has maintained its profit forecast for the year, he said.

The airline can do this because its putting more bums on seats, and each bum is costing that little bit less to fly because fuel costs are falling. Whats more passengers appear to be splashing out a bit more on extras like priority boarding and reserved seating.

The good news for consumers is that overcapacity in the European airline market has driven fares down, and Ryanair expects this trend to continue throughout the winter, so passengers can perhaps afford the extravagance of spending a few more pounds on a bit more leg room.

Chief executive Michael O'Leary said: These strong H1 results reinforce the robust nature of Ryanair's low fare, pan-European growth model, even during a period which suffered a material failure in our pilot rostering function in early September.

The airline also reiterated its stance on Brexit, saying that the UK Government continues to underestimate the flight disruption triggered by uncertainty over Britain's exit from the European Union.

It added: There remains a worrying risk of a serious disruption to UK-EU flights in April 2019 unless a timely UK-EU bilateral is agreed in advance of September 2018.

We, like other airlines, need clarity on this issue before we publish our summer 2019 schedules in mid-2018 and time is running short for the UK to develop a bilateral solution.
A four-legged, canine-like robot has been introduced to the mass market by a robotics company in China.

Unitree Robotics said the initial price for their scary-looking 'Laikago' would be around $25,000 (18,900), but it's set to drop in the future.

Previously, US-based Boston Dynamics had developed two dog-like robots, called 'Big Dog' and 'Spot', but this is the first time such technology has been made available to the general public, according to the creator of 'Laikago'.

Meet 'Laikago': Chinese firm Unitree Robotics has unveiled a four-legged machine (pictured)

Unitree Robotics' 'Laikago' has been compared to Cujo, also known as 'Big Dog', developed by US-based Boston Dynamics. 'Big Dog' (pictured) took 1.6 million and four years to create

Boston Dynamics has also released 'Spot', a complex machine that can walk and trot on four legs like a dog. Pictured, 'Spot' was presented at SoftBank World 2017 conference in July

Unitree Robotics unveiled the company's 'Laikago', or 'Laika Dog', on October 16 after having spent one year creating the machine.

BOSTON DYNAMICS Boston Dynamics makes a variety of robots, including machines that mimic humans and animals. The firm first hit headlines with Cujo, also known as 'Big Dog', which took two million dollars (1.6 million) and four years to create and was first tested out by the US marines. Their products also include Big Dog's little brother Spot, a complex machine that can walk and trot on four legs like a dog. In June, Japanese firm SoftBank agreed to buy Boston Dynamics from Google's parent company Alpahbet. Advertisement

The small firm is led by 27-year-old Wang Xingxing, who has had a great interest in robots since childhood.

Mr Wang told MailOnline that it had been his dream to make such a product for the mass market.

He said: 'My wish is to see everyone having their own robot by 2020.'

'Laikago' is named after Laika, the first-ever animal that was launched into orbit in 1957. Mr Wang said he and his team liked the scientific significance Laika bore, so they decided to give the name to their own invention.

'Laikago' measures 0.56 metres (22 inches) long, 0.35 metres (13.7 inches) wide and 0.6 metres (23.6 inches) tall and can be folded into a suitcase.

It weighs 22 kilograms (48.5 pounds) and can run for two to three hours after it's fully charged.

Different from 'Big Dog' or 'Spot', 'Laikago' has been introduced to the mass market and would be priced at around $25,000. Its creator Wang Xingxing aims to deliver first orders next year

'Laikago' measures 0.56 metres (22 inches) long, 0.35 metres (13.7 inches) wide and 0.6 metres (23.6 inches) tall. It can be turned on with one button and folded into a suitcase

Wang Xingxing (left), the engineer behind 'Laikago' (right), said the robot was a follow-up project to 'Xdog', a four-legged machine he created at university in 2014

The robot, which could be activated with just one button, can climb slopes up to 20 degrees and pull an adult man sitting on a suitcase.

After images and footage of 'Laikago' was released, some people have pointed out that the robot resembles the 'Big Dog' and 'Spot' developed by Boston Dynamics in appearance.

In response, Wang Xingxing said that 'Laikago' was a follow-up project to 'Xdog', a four-legged robot he created at university in 2014.

Mr Wang said both robots used an electric drive system which had been invented before Boston Dynamics released its electrically-driven versions.

CUJO THE BIG DOG A 'Big Dog' robot is being built at Boston Dynamics. The machine can help soldiers carry heavy equipment in the field and walking across wet, sandy and rocky terrain Boston Dynamics first hit headlines with Cujo, also known as 'Big Dog'. It took two million dollars (1.6 million) and four years to create and was tested out by the US marines. It is one of a series of dog-like robots created by the company. It can walk and run over rugged terrain, following a soldier while carrying their kit and weapons. It can stand upright, walk for 20 miles without a break and carry up to 400lbs (180 kg). The controls are simple to learn and have joysticks and one recruit said using it 'feels like playing Call of Duty.' Advertisement

The young engineer also said that none of the components in 'Laikago' was the same as those in 'Big Dog'.

Unitree Robotics has received orders for 'Laikago' from various clients, including universities and research labs.

Most clients wish to buy 'Laikago' for research purpose.

Mr Wang and his team are aiming to deliver the orders by next year.

'Laikago' is named after Laika, the first-ever animal that was launched into orbit in 1957
Saudi Arabia has announced plans to extract uranium domestically as part of its nuclear power programme and will start building its first nuclear reactors next year.

Speaking at an international nuclear power conference in Abu Dhabi, a senior government official said the uranium will only be used for 'peaceful purposes' in order to diversify the country's energy supply.

However, he did not specify whether Saudi Arabia seeks to also enrich and reprocess uranium - which can open up the possibility of military uses of the material.

Plans: Saudi Arabia is set to start extracting uranium on their own territory and will start building its first nuclear reactors next year. Pictured is the now-shut Chapelcross Nuclear Power Station in southwest Scotland

Atomic reactors need uranium enriched to around five per cent purity to produce energy, but the same technology in this process can also be used to enrich the heavy metal to higher, weapons-grade levels.

Hashim bin Abdullah Yamani, head of the Saudi government agency tasked with the nuclear plans, the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE), said Saudi Arabia will award a construction contract for its first two nuclear reactors by the end of 2018.

'Regarding the production of uranium in the kingdom, this is a programme which is our first step towards self-sufficiency in producing nuclear fuel,' Yamani told a conference organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). 'We utilize the uranium ore that has been proven to be economically efficient.'

The process of enriching uranium has been at the heart of Western and regional concerns about the nuclear work of Iran, Saudi Arabia's foe, and led to the 2015 deal in which Iran agreed to freeze the programme for 15 years for sanctions relief.

On Monday, IAEA chief Yukiya Amano said Iran was complying with the nuclear deal signed with world powers and which U.S. President Donald Trump has called into question.

Energy: Hashim bin Abdullah Yamani, pictured in 2004, said the uranium will only be used for 'peaceful purposes'

Under the agreement, Iran can enrich uranium to 3.67 percent purity, around the normal level needed for commercial power-generation.

Saudi Arabia would be the second country in the Gulf Arab region to tap nuclear after the United Arab Emirates, which is set to start up its first, South Korean-built reactor in 2018. The UAE has committed not to enrich uranium itself and not to reprocess spent fuel.

Industry sources have told Reuters Saudi Arabia is reaching out to potential vendors from South Korea, China, France, Russia, Japan and the United States for its first two reactors.

The plans have received extra momentum as part of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, an ambitious economic reform programme launched last year by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Yamani said Saudi Arabia will soon pass laws for its nuclear programme and will have set up all of the regulations for its nuclear regulator by the third quarter of 2018.

'The IAEA also has been requested to conduct an integrated review of our nuclear infrastructure during the second quarter of 2018,' he said, which will allow the agency to assess efforts to prepare Saudi infrastructure 'to introduce nuclear power for peaceful purposes.'

Saudi Arabia is considering building some 17.6 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2032, the equivalent of about 17 reactors, making it one of the strongest prospects for an industry struggling after the 2011 nuclear disaster in Japan.

Preliminary studies have estimated Saudi Arabia has around 60,000 tonnes of uranium ore, Maher al Odan, the chief atomic energy officer of KACARE said at an electricity forum in Riyadh on Oct 11.
The sniper wife of a former British public schoolboy accused of a plot to assassinate Vladimir Putin has been killed in a bloody ambush in Ukraine.

Adam Osmayev, a former Gloucestershire public schoolboy, and his wife Amina Okuyeva were in a car which was strafed with bullets from bushes near a railway track in the outskirts of Kiev.

It was the second assassination bid on the pair this year. In June, Okuyeva used her Makarov hand gun to shoot and wound an attacker carrying a Glock pistol posing as a French journalist.

Osmayev, 36, who attended Wycliffe College near Stroud before moving to Buckingham University, was injured while his 34-year-old Ukrainian wife was shot in the head. He has blamed the attack on the Kremlin.

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Adam Osmayev (top), a former Gloucestershire public schoolboy, and his wife Amina Okuyeva (bottom) were in a car which was strafed with bullets from bushes near a railway track in the outskirts of Kiev

Osmayev, 36, who attended Wycliffe College near Stroud before moving to Buckingham University, was injured while his 34-year-old Ukrainian wife (pictured) was shot in the head. He has blamed the attack on the Kremlin

Adam Osmayev (left) and his wife Amina Okuyeva (right) were shot in an ambush near Kiev

Emergency services were called to the scene of the shooting which left Amina Okuyeva dead

After intervention by the European Court of Human Rights, Ukraine had refused to extradite the June 1 attacker over an alleged 2012 bid to blow up Putin's motorcade in Moscow.

Osmayev said his wife died after the pair were driving outside Kiev and an assassin hidden in bushes shot as they were close to a level crossing.

'I kept driving as long as I could but bullets got into the engine, too, and the car stopped,' he said from hospital where he was being treated for leg wounds.

'I tried to help Amina but she was wounded in her head....'

He immediately blamed Russia for the attack as did other Ukrainian sources.

'It was an attempt on us both,' he said. Asked if Moscow was behind it, he said: 'Naturally.'

Osmayev and Okuyeva both served as volunteers for the Ukrainian military in the fight against pro-Russian rebels. He was a battalion commander.

It was the second assassination bid on Amina Okuyeva and Adam Osmayev (left) this year

Relations between Kiev and Moscow collapsed in 2014 after Russia seized Ukraine's Crimea peninsula and backed a pro-Russian separatist insurgency in eastern Ukrainian regions

In June, Okuyeva (pictured) used her Makarov hand gun to shoot and wound an attacker carrying a Glock pistol posing as a French journalist

Speaking in hospital, Osmayev said his wife died after the pair were driving outside Kiev and an assassin hidden in bushes shot as they were close to a level crossing

The former public schoolboy is also linked with strong opposition to Putin's crushing of rebels in his native Chechnya where his father had been a high ranking official.

'Adam Osmaev was wounded but will live, I just spoke with him on the phone,' said Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to the Ukrainian interior minister.

'As a result of the injuries she sustained, Amina died.'

He called her a Ukrainian 'patriot' adding: 'The best commemoration of her will be a just reprisal against all those who were involved in this horrible murder.'

He claimed the previous attempt was staged by Russian secret services.

Osmayev had been jailed in Ukraine for the for three years for illegal possession of explosives and forgery after the accusations that he had plotted to assassinate Putin.

A second suspect in the case was handed over to Russian authorities in 2013 and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The attack follows a vehicle bombing in Kiev last Thursday, in which two people were killed and three wounded, including Ihor Mosiychuk, a member of the populist opposition Radical Party.

Adam Osmayev is pictured (centre) after his arrest in 2012. He had been jailed in Ukraine for the for three years for illegal possession of explosives and forgery after the accusations that he had plotted to assassinate Putin

Amina Okuyeva (pictured in military clothing) was described by her husband as a 'patriot'

Amina Okuyeva was shot in the head in the ambush near a railway track in the outskirts of Kiev

Osmayev and Okuyeva both served as volunteers for the Ukrainian military in the fight against pro-Russian rebels. He was a battalion commander

The attack follows a vehicle bombing in Kiev last Thursday, in which two people were killed and three wounded, including Ihor Mosiychuk, a member of the populist opposition Radical Party. Ms Okuyeva worked as the politician's assistant

Ms Okuyeva worked as the politician's assistant.

Former Chechen prime minister Akhmed Zakayev, now exiled in London, pointed the finger at Putin's secret services for the ambush.

He accused Moscow of unleashing a 'terrorist gang' to conduct operations in Ukraine.

Osmayev claimed he had been injected with drugs and tortured to extract a confession that he planned to kill Putin and Kadyrov.

His confession was 'the result of physical and psychological pressure which the law enforcement services put me under since the moment I was detained,' he said.

He was beaten so badly, he could not stand for two months, he claimed.
A 62-year-old man has admitted plying a group of underage girls with alcohol and drugs before raping them.

Sunil Batagoda befriended the group of girls, aged 14 and 15, after meeting them at a bus stop in Canberra in August last year.

He drove them home after they asked for money to catch a bus, the ABC reports.

Over the next seven months, he often picked them up and drove them around, gave them money and also bought them alcohol, marijuana and cigarettes.

A 62-year-old man has admitted plying a group of underage girls with alcohol and drugs before raping them. Stock photo

Batagoda often brought them back to his home in Page, a suburb of Canberra, where they drank alcohol and smoked marijuana.

According to Fairfax Media, he would tell them they were beautiful, show them pornography and offer them money in return for sex.

He sexually assaulted four girls a number of times, and they noticed him trying to record video during some of the assaults.

In February, he picked one of the girls and a friend up and took them back to him, where they drank vodka and orange juice.

Sunil Batagoda befriended the group of girls, aged 14 and 15, after meeting them at a bus stop in Canberra (above, file photo) in August last year

When one of the girls went to the bathroom, he took the other into a bedroom and raped her. He filmed the assault on his phone, Fairfax reports.

He offered one girl $300 to perform oral sex him and raped her in his bedroom a few days later.

On another occasion, he offered a girl hundreds of dollars for sex, which she agreed to at first. When she told Batagoda to stop, he continued to force himself on her.

On Monday, Batagoda pleaded guilty to four counts of rape of a child under 16 and one of committing an act of indecency of a person under 16 in the ACT Supreme Court.

His crimes were only reported after one of the girls' father said he saw a video on his daughter Facebook page that showed a young girl having sex with an older man, the ABC reports.

Batagoda will be sentenced on February 19.
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President Trump offered high fives, handshakes and candy to kids, but to reporters just a quick wave and a grin, when asked about Paul Manafort, his ex-campaign manager who was indicted today.

Monday night's Halloween festivities marked the first time the president was seen in public since Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe ensnared Manafort and Rick Gates  and the news broke that a campaign foreign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos, had pled guilty for making false statements to the FBI.

Trump, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump, played it cool, as he posed for photo after photo with some of the 6,000 or so Trick-or-Treaters coming through the White House gates.

Earlier today, the president was reportedly 'seething,' according to CNN, as he fumed, said the Washington Post, over the Mueller probe as he watched television in the private residence.

President Trump (left) and first lady Melania Trump (right) arrive on the South Portico for the White House's annual Halloween event - amid Special Counsel Robert Mueller making his first charges in the Russia probe

First lady Melania Trump gasps at the sight of a giant, inflatable dinosaur who came Trick-or-Treating at the White House Monday nigth

First lady Melania Trump (right) was more at ease when several, smaller dinosaurs came through the line

The president chuckles at seeing a skeleton walk by wearing one of his 'Make America Great Again' hats

The White House was decked out for Halloween with spiders and their webs, along with pumpkins carved with images of former presidents' heads

Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders (right) poses for a picture with her three kids - Batman, Spicer-Man and a giraffe - her husband (left) and the first family

Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway (right) motioned to reporters to see that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos (left) had dressed as the Magic School Bus character, Miss Frizzle for the White House's Halloween festivities

Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway (right) points at Education Secretary Betsy DeVos (left) who is dressed as Miss Frizzle from the cartoon, the Magic School Bus

The president and first lady greet 'Miss Frizzle' - also known as Education Secretary Betsy DeVos - as one of Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta's 'astronaut' daughters waits for her turn

Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, wears a prop on his head as he walks on the South Lawn of the White House

Attorney General Jeff Sessions was also spotted in line waiting for a chance to greet the president and first lady

President Trump (left) and first lady Melania Trump (center) greet Attorney General Jeff Sessions (right) and his grandchildren, including one tiny Marty McFly (in red)

But during the Halloween event he happily chatted with guests.

Among those who came, the president greeted a number of tiny first responders, a giant inflatable dinosaur  who seemingly spooked the first lady and a skeleton wearing a trademark Trump 'Make America Great Again' hat.

One adult had draped a cardboard gravestone over himself, indicating the day of the president's election marked the death of the D.C. swamp.

While the president opted for his typical suit and tie, and the first lady, a tan trench coat and heels, some cabinet officials decided to sport costumes instead.

White House Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, wearing her own Halloween-appropriate orange and black, pointed out to reporters that it was Education Secretary Betsy DeVos underneath an orange wig, as she channeled the Magic School Bus character Miss Frizzle.

Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin was walking around with a headband that made it look like someone had put a knife through his head.

President Donald Trump gives a young boy a high five as he and First Lady Melania give out treats at the White House

President Trump greeted a number of tiny first responders, including this cop, as well as an inflatable minion and a giant dinosaur

President Trump (left) grabs the mask of a small child dressed like a dinosaur, while the first lady (right) engages with another tiny dino

A child wearing a red hat sits atop the shoulders of a man wearing a 'tomb stone' which reads: 'We hardly knew ye'

Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta played the role of doting dad, as he  dressed in a normal suit and tie  accompanied his two young daughters who sport matching hair cuts.

On Monday, they were dressed like tiny astronauts.

With Trump doing no White House events, except the evening's Halloween festivities, it was Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders who had to face reporters' questions and try to distance the administration from the individuals charged.

She was all smiles Monday night when the president and first lady posed for a photo with her three kids.

She had two superheroes in the family, a Batman and a Spider-Man, along with daughter Scarlett, who had dressed as a giraffe.

The Halloween event goes on for four hours with attendees coming from more than 20 Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C., school, along with kids who belong to the Boy Scouts and the YMCA.

Military families were also on hand.

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet a youngster dressed up as a girl riding a unicorn

President Trump poses for a photo with two boys, one of whom sported his 'Make America Great Again' campaign hat
Randall Gaston Jones, 32, became 'highly intoxicated' at a Halloween party - dressed as Santa - and was asked to leave by his roommates

A man dressed in a Santa Claus outfit opened fire at a weekend Halloween party in his Texas home, killing one person and injuring three others, Austin police said on Monday.

The shooting occurred early Sunday morning after Randall Gaston Jones, 32, became 'highly intoxicated' during the costume party and was asked to leave by his roommates, Austin Police Lt. Jason Staniszewski told a news conference.

He allegedly returned to the party with a handgun and began firing at the party-goers, most of which were able to scatter or find cover.

Michael McCloskey, 38, attempted to intervene and was shot several times, according to police. He died later at an area hospital.

Two women were also taken for treatment: one remained in critical condition on Monday and the other has since been released from hospital. A third victim refused to be treated at the scene.

After the shooting, Jones went to a neighbor's house and told the resident a fight broke out at the party and he would surrender to authorities, police said.

When officers arrived, the handgun was on the welcome mat and Jones was waiting outside to be taken into custody.

He allegedly returned to the party in Austin, Texas with a handgun and began firing at the party-goers, most of which were able to scatter or find cover. Michael McCloskey, 38, attempted to intervene and was shot several times, according to police. He died later at an area hospital

According to Austin police Detective Lee Knouse, Jones knew all of the victims he shot.

'This was not a random act of violence,' Knouse said to the Dallas Morning News.

Jones was booked into Travis County jail and charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to online records. A murder charge is pending, Staniszewski said.

No information was available on a lawyer for Jones.
The woman behind a GoFundMe page raising money for the prisoner who tortured Daniel Morcombe's killer has denied it is a 'scam' following online criticism.

Susan Dingwall, 43, started a fundraising drive for prisoner Adam Paul Davidson after he admitted pouring boiling water on fellow inmate Brett Peter Cowan.

But Ms Dingwall has been slammed by GoFundMe users after she used a photo of the wrong person to illustrate her plea.

Susan Dingwall says her GoFundMe effort was not a scam - after commenters criticised her for using a picture of the wrong man

Ms Dingwall's GoFundMe came under fire after she used this picture of a British tattoo artist unrelated to the case to show Adam Davidson

'Don't be fooled!' Ms Dingwall's fundraising efforts have been hit with a wave of criticism

'Is this page just a complete rip off or what. The photo you have up is not Adam,' fumed one apparent acquaintance of Davidson.

Another added: 'This photo is not Adam Davidson? How and Why is it being used too look like him?'

A third said: 'This is not Adam! Prisoners can not receive care packages.... Save your money.'

Ms Dingwall had hailed Davidson as 'king Adam' and a 'hero' online after a court heard the vigilante attacked Cowan 'because he's a f***ing grub'.

'I'm here to help other people find hope,' Ms Dingwall said last week.

She described herself as a victim of crime who pitched a cougar-themed TV comedy project.

But she couldnt explain who was in the photograph which she used to advertise her campaign for 'our new hero Adam Davidson'.

It can now be revealed she used a photo of a British tattoo artist Tony Wallace - who has nothing to do with the case - to illustrate her plea.

When told the photo prominently used to advertise her GoFundMe was not actually Adam Davidson, she said 'OK. Really? OK.''

She rejected any claims it was a scam, and Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting it was. 'We are not a scam,' she said.

'We are simple child victims, if you would put the same energy into help(ing).... instead of these silly allegations it would be a better world.'

The picture has since been taken down.

Fundraiser: Susan Dingwall hailed Adam Davidson as a 'hero' online and told Daily Mail Australia she was committed to help rehabilitate him

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'

Last week, Ms Dingwall revealed she had sent a care package in the mail to Davidson.

It included items such as 'thank you cards and boxes of chocolate scorched almonds', however, it's unclear if the products will ever reach Davidson.

The Queensland government website states: 'Incoming mail (to prisoners).... should contain only letters and approved family photographs.

'If approved, (prisoners) may also receive religious reading materials, underwear and court clothing through the mail.'

Davidson had plotted to attack Cowan for a month before he finally poured scalding water on his head at Wolston Correctional Centre last year, a court heard.

The attack was condemned by Judge Ian Dearden who said 'we are all precious human beings' and Cowan had no right to attack another inmate.

As the Daily Mail reported a week ago, Ms Dingwall began asking people for donations after saying she wanted to help rehabilitate Davidson after prison.

She wrote that while she had sorted out his lolly situation, 'Adam would probably be more in need of girlie magazines, toothpaste, toilet paper and chocolate protein powder.'

Cowan was playing cards with other inmates at the Wolston Correctional Centre in Queensland (pictured) at the time

Davidson said he acted alone in the attack, and referred to Cowan as a 'f***ing grub' (pictured: A cell at the high security prison)

Ms Dingwall said then: 'Weve been backlashed with the fact were supporting the vigilante. Thats not the case.'

She said she simply wanted to help Davidson with a 'new start in life' after his time in jail and media exposure.

Davidson was jailed for fraud and a bizarre incident where he held up a bottle shop with his finger. He will be released on parole in November.

Cowan is serving a life sentence after abducting and murdering the Sunshine Coast boy, 13, in December 2013.

He was caught by police in an elaborate sting operation where he confessed to his crimes after nearly a decade because he thought it would allow him into a gang.

Ms Dingall's campaign had raised $160.
Far-right poster boy Milo Yiannopoulos has argued transgender children 'are just gay' and adults who transition are 'mentally ill'.

The former Breitbart editor made the controversial comments when questioned about Australia's Safe Schools program - which promotes gender diversity in the classroom.

'There's no such thing as transgender children. There are adults who have body dysmorphic disorder - those people are mentally ill,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'They should be treated with therapy, drugs and compassion. They shouldn't have bits of their body carved off.'

Scroll down for videos

Far-right poster boy Milo Yiannopoulos (pictured last year) has argued transgender children 'are just gay'

Yiannopoulos also claimed transgender adults are 'mentally ill'. Pictured, a stock image of a transgender symbol painted in the palm of a hand

Yiannopoulos said parents who allow their children to transition are 'barbaric, cruel and stupid' and claimed they only do so to 'get themselves off the hook.'

'Most supposedly trans children - all the studies in the US show - is that if you just leave these kids alone, they grow up to be perfectly well-adjusted gay men,' he said.

'The reason parents like this trans thing is it gets them off the hook. What's the one thing you say to yourself when your son says they're gay? It's ''what did I do wrong''.

'But if your kid is trans - well in that case they've got a disease. It was some genetic abnormality you had no control over. It's a medical problem - you don't have to ask yourself any searching moral questions in that scenario.

Yiannopoulos (pictured left) said parents who allow their children to transition are 'barbaric, cruel and stupid' and claimed they only do so to 'get themselves off the hook

Yiannopoulos has called on Australia and other Western democracies to ban Muslim immigration (stock)

'A lot of these parents are being misled into believing their children are transgender when actually they're just gay. And studies have backed this up.'

From opposing gay marriage - despite marrying his boyfriend this month - to his criticism of the transgender rights agenda, Yiannopoulos' opinions are almost always divisive.

He has previously likened feminism to cancer, Islam to AIDS and has called on Australia and other Western democracies to ban Muslim immigration.

'I do so as a lover of women and as a gay guy,' he told Daily Mail Australia last week.

'Until Islam has an enlightenment and really interfaces with modernity, democracy and freedom of speech, I just don't think it's compatible with Western civilisation.

'It's just not something that we need in the West. Why don't we focus on other groups rather than people who are dedicated to our annihilation, ideologically speaking.'

Yiannopoulos (pictured at the University of California, Berkeley campus last month) has previously likened feminism to cancer and Islam to AIDS

The controversial figure reiterated his well-known views on the burqa and said he supported the banning of the religious clothing in Australia.

'It's really sad that these women who say they wear it out of this misplaced sense of pride and describe themselves as feminists - it's ludicrous brainwashing.

'These people are idiots and they're being abused. There is no justification for forcing a woman to cover up. The burqa should be banned from all public places.'

Yiannopoulos' views have seen him banned from Twitter, while he departed his role with conservative website Breitbart News after audio surfaced of him appearing to condone sexual relationships between teenage boys and older men.

Ahead of his Australian tour beginning next month, 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 Nine News last week.

Ahead of his Australian tour beginning next month, WA premier Mark McGowan said he was not welcome in the state

'Anyone who defends paedophiles and associates with Nazis, I don't think is a rational person, we shouldn't have them delivering lectures and performances to West Australians.'

Penthouse publisher Damien Costas, who is bringing Yiannopoulos to Australia, claimed the premier was attempting to ban free speech in the state.

'I am amazed at the Premier Mcgowan's views. Milo has never defended paedophilia. Quite the opposite in fact,' he said.

'He also is of Irish, Greek and Jewish heritage, is gay and married to a black man so he is definitely not a Nazi sympathiser or white supremacist.

He added: 'Fortunately we are not using any government owned buildings for Milo's show in WA.'

Yiannopolous will bring his Troll Academy Tour to Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast from November 30.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem enjoyed a large reelection margin as she continued to angle for national prominence from her small state. The large win seemed to be proof of the popularity of her hands-off approach to pandemic restrictions, but as she enters her second term, she will face challenges. Noem is looking to enact a historic tax cut and fend off attempts to soften the states abortion ban. But she will be working with Republicans in a Legislature that has not always been on board with the governor.
A father-of-eight who was caught sending explicit messages to who he thought was a 14-year-old girl has walked free from court.

Cecil James Arthur, 43, asked the 'teenage girl' for naked photographs of herself and sent sexual messages.

The 'girl' he was talking to was in fact an undercover police officer working for Task Force Argos, The Cairns Post reported.

The undercover officer had repeatedly told Arthur there was 14 in the course of their conversations, to which the man remained unfazed, despite his youngest child being only one year older.

A father-of-eight has pleaded guilty after sending explicit messages to who he believed was a 14-year-old girl and asking for naked pictures, but won't spend any time behind bars (stock image)

'You don't mind that I'm 14?' one message from the police officer asked.

'No I don't, if you don't mind me,' Arthur responded.

Arthur continued to request photos, and send explicit messages to the account he believed belonged to a young girl.

Crown Prosecutor Gelma Meoli said the messages sent by Arthur were graphic, but ultimately no plans were made for the pair to meet, and no photographs were sent.

Though the Queensland man pleaded guilty to using the internet to try and procure a child under 16, he was able to walk free.

Cecil James Arthur believed he was sending Facebook messages to a teenage girl, but had actually been messaging an undercover police officer

Arthur's defence barrister James Sheridan said his client was 'thoroughly ashamed of his behaviour'.

Mr Sheridan told the court during the time of offending, Arthur was going through a relationship breakdown and periods of intoxication.

Judge Michael Shananhan found exceptional circumstances and Arthur's low grade offending meant there was no need for him to spend time in jail.

Convictions were recorded, but Arthur walked free and is believed to have held on to his job as a ranger for Australia Zoo in Cape York.
We had the Piety Olympics down at Sexminster. That nickname suggests our legislature is a dungeon of bacchanalian revels, squalid, whiplashed oglers in leather gimp masks being sketched by a modern Hogarth.

Yet when Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom spoke to the House about harassment accusations yesterday, MPs strained to outdo one another in the purity of their thoughts and in their devotion to chastity, consideration and the strictures of that modern clerisy, the Human Resources profession.

More training! More HR wallahs to oversee interviews when youths apply for jobs from goosey-digit MPs! There were calls for another independent body to oversee grievance procedures, more counselling, best practice etc, etc. It wont be cheap and well be paying.

The vortex of anguish continued for more than an hour. Both Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn were in attendance.

Commons speaker John Bercow makes a statement to MPs in the House of Commons yesterday

The session began with Speaker Bercow  that beacon of benevolence in all his employment habits  giving a long statement, overly theatrical. There was a lot of Speaker in it. Let me through. Im a martinet keen to treat everyone with dignity, courtesy and respect. So gripped did the little goblin become by his own sanctity that one hand departed from his text and started to gesticulate. Here was a maestro conducting himself. A little more tremolo from the bass section, please. More moistness from you strings in the larynx.

I am happy to do whatever I can, said Bercow, and Larry Olivier himself could barely have done it with more tragic gravy.

Harriet Harman (Lab, Camberwell & Peckham) got first dibs, having presumably been quickest to the Speakers Office with an urgent question. One hears Hon Members were almost sprinting to Speakers House to submit their bids, like drivers at the start of a Le Mans race in the old days. Le Mans. Now theres a place that needs to change its name sharp if it knows whats good for it.

Pukka Miss Harman, to her credit, knew where to place the emphasis on the word harassment. Others gave it the Frank Spencer treatment, stressing the second syllable. Soon after Miss Harman finished talking, Speaker Bercow sprang to his feet to marvel that she had recently completed 35 years in the Commons. Mrs Leadsom said the Cabinet Office was urgently investigating allegations of misconduct. Parliament must take action in days, not weeks.

The last time they rushed into this sort of thing, they ended up with IPSA, the parliamentary expenses overseer which has proved expensive and unwieldy. Michael Fabricant (Con, Lichfield) stressed the importance of allegations being substantiated.

Harriet Harman MP asks a question about allegations of inappropriate and unwanted sexual behaviour at Westminster in the Commons yesterday

Labour frontbencher Valerie Vaz gave us a homily about appropriate safeguarding policies and not using naughty words based on peoples private bits. Of her brother Keith (Lab, Leicester E), there was no sign. Busy inspecting washing-machine hoses? Mrs Leadsom said erring MPs could lose their party affiliations and, if ministers, could be sacked from the Government. Mrs May, beside her, did not demur.

Mr Corbyn was doing a lot of nodding until Esther McVey (Con, Tatton) said any definition of abuse should include politicians who called for MPs to be lynched. This was a dig at absent Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, who once called Miss McVey a stain on humanity and quoted a Labour activist who asked why arent we lynching the bastard? (i.e. Miss McVey).

Mrs Leadsom agreed that such behaviour was incredibly despicable. By now Mr Corbyn was muttering like Muttley the dog.

Peter Heaton-Jones (Con, N Devon), once of the BBC, said robust governance procedures were more important than individual judgment. Tim Loughton (Con, E Worthing & Shoreham) thought the Commons could send a message to the rest of society. He may not realise that many people hardly give the place a moments thought.

Matthew Offord (Con, Hendon) was interesting. He said abuse could take the form of MPs bullying their staff. An unhappy employee had described a male MP as utterly foul and guilty of a pattern of behaviour. Who could he have meant?
A suspected heroin overdose has taken place just metres from a press conference in Melbourne where the state premier was announcing a safe injecting room trial.

Ambulance Victoria confirmed paramedics were called to a suspected overdose in the heroin hotspot of North Richmond, Tuesday morning.

The incident occurred close to where Premier Daniel Andrews was in the middle of a press conference announcing the trial.

A suspected heroin overdose has taken place just metres from a press conference in Melbourne where the premier was announcing a safe injecting room trial (Pictured is a person being helped into an ambulance at the scene)

Ambulance Victoria confirmed paramedics were called to the suspected overdose in the heroin hotspot of North Richmond, Tuesday morning (Pictured is an ambulance and paramedics at the scene)

Legislation to open the room at the North Richmond Community Health Service has been introduced into parliament.

The government's decision comes after an inquiry found the drugs problem in the North Richmond area had reached 'crisis' levels.

There were 34 heroin-related deaths that occurred in North Richmond last year, while another 34 have already been recorded this year.

'This is a change in policy, there's no doubt about that, but it's a change that's needed,' Mr Andrews told reporters.

'We have the highest heroin death toll since 2000.'

The facility will only be open to people 18 years and older, with illicit drugs neither provided or dealt there.

The incident occurred close to where Premier Daniel Andrews (pictured) was in the middle of a press conference announcing the upcoming trial for the safe injecting room

Mr Andrews spoke with angry local residents following the conference at the community centre, with some pointing his attention to the suspected overdose scene

There will also be extra CCTV used, with Victoria Police and the Department of Health and Human Services involved.

The location of the injecting room means it will be next door to Richmond West Primary School.

Mental Health Minister Martin Foley told 3AW that they had the 'strong support' of the school as the community was 'sick of people dying terrible, lonely deaths.'

The Victorian Labor government had previously opposed a heroin injecting trial, but the mounting deaths and need to win a by-election against the Greens in the inner city seat of Northcote helped reverse that decision.

Reason Party MP Fiona Patten, who led the push for a safe injecting room, hailed the government's about-face as a win for evidence-based policy.

'It saves lives, it saves taxpayer dollars, it frees up our emergency services, it reduces crime and it delivers positive outcomes for individuals and society,' Ms Patten said.

Mr Andrews (centre) said the move had been a change in policy for the Labor government but one that was necessary due to the mounting death tolls

It comes as 34 heroin-related deaths occurred in North Richmond in 2016, while another 34 have already been recorded this year

A Victorian coroner recommended an injecting room trial in February, while the police union, firefighters and paramedics all said they either supported it or wouldn't oppose it.

But Opposition Leader Matthew Guy says the Liberals and Nationals would not support an injecting room, claiming there were other measures to consider.

'We've believed for a long period of time there are other tracks that we should follow, whether it's about one-on-one support rather than having a centralised facility in a certain location,' he said.

Victorian Greens MP Colleen Hartland told ABC Radio the evidence from the Sydney injecting room shows it will save lives.

While Yarra City Council major Amanda Stone said local residents had been 'crying out for something like this for a long time'.

'We have residents who find people who have overdosed on their steps, literally, and in the laneways behind their houses,' she told Channel Seven.

Victorian Greens MP Colleen Hartland told ABC Radio the evidence from the Sydney injecting room shows it will save lives (Pictured is a woman shooting up inside a housing estate car park in North Richmond)

While Yarra City Council major Amanda Stone said local residents welcomed the injecting room (Pictured is a man injecting in a laneway near Victoria Street)

Mr Andrews took to social media to further explain his reasoning, describing his meeting with the mother of a young man who died from an accidental drug overdose.

'We're losing kids like Aaron at a shocking rate. And we're losing them to what can only be described as not merely a 'drug problem', but a full-blown public health crisis,' he wrote.

'I know there is no one simple solution here, but when a grieving mum says something like this you sit up and listen.'

'(Aaron's mother said she had) no doubt that if he had an option to either risk injecting alone, or being able to do so within a safe environment, he would have chosen the latter.'

The location of the injecting room means it will be next door to Richmond West Primary School, with Mental Health Minister Martin Foley saying they had the 'strong support' of the school (Pictured is a man talking to police on notorious Victoria Street)
Theresa May was warned she risked sparking a Westminster witch hunt last night after ministers were told they could be sacked for making staff feel uncomfortable.

The Prime Minister ordered a crackdown on Parliamentary sex pests after the latest Westminster sleaze scandal threatened to spiral out of control.

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom said Tory MPs faced being suspended from the party if unwanted sexual comments or advances were found to have made junior staff feel uncomfortable.

Theresa May, pictured yesterday, was warned she risked sparking a Westminster witch hunt last night

Mrs Leadsom, speaking with Mrs May at her side, said ministers caught up in the scandal could be fired from ministerial office  and the threshold for action would be behaviour significantly below criminal activity. She said new proposals, including an independent grievance procedure and training for MPs in how to treat their staff, would be brought forward within days.

But the proposals sparked unease. One female Tory MP called for perspective, while a female Tory peer warned of creating an atmosphere that might encourage false allegations. As the scandal threatened to engulf Westminster yesterday:

Downing Street refused to say if Mrs May retained confidence in trade minister Mark Garnier, after claims he asked a female aide to buy sex toys;

One Tory MP warned colleagues on a WhatsApp messaging group that the scandal could bring down the Government;

Labour faced questions about its own conduct after frontbencher Cat Smith said she had to run away from a sexual predator in the party;

A Commons researcher revealed an MP had asked him to clean his kitchen in his underwear following a boozy night in a Commons bar;

Journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer recounted a case of a Cabinet minister who repeatedly put his hand on her knee at dinner but said it was absurd to treat the incident as serious sexual harassment;

Mrs May was urged to investigate a secret dossier naming 36 Tory MPs as sex pests;

The SNP confirmed it had launched two investigations into claims of sexual harassment.

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom talking in the House of Commons yesterday

Yesterdays crackdown followed a string of allegations that senior MPs, including members of the Cabinet, have sexually harassed junior colleagues over many years.

Sex pests in the Labour ranks Labour faced a series of sexual harassment claims yesterday, with one MP revealing she had to push a councillor away and run when he tried to kiss her. Cat Smith, the partys youth affairs spokesman, said it happened when she was an activist. She told the BBCs Victoria Derbyshire all parties had a responsibility to tackle the problem, and called for Commons measures to protect interns. It came as Labour MP Rupa Huq said she was sexually harassed by an MEP in the 1990s. Tory ex-minister Esther McVey said any system for misconduct claims should extend to those MPs who go on rallies endorsing the lynching of other MPs. At an event three years ago, shadow chancellor John McDonnell recounted a remark in which someone said Miss McVey should be lynched over welfare cuts. Advertisement

Tory MP Nadine Dorries said it was right to draw up a proper legal basis for dealing with complaints. But she added: We need to keep a perspective on this. Mediocre men behaving badly hold good women back in many workplaces across the UK, not just in Westminster.

We need action in terms of separating the historic and legal behaviour between consenting adults, from that which has serious grounds for complaint. My guess is, that may boil down to very little.

Otherwise, it turns into a witch hunt which benefits no one. Baroness Jenkin, a close friend of Mrs May, warned against creating an atmosphere that encouraged false allegations.

Graham Brady, chairman of the powerful 1922 committee of backbench Tory MPs, described a sense of anguish among MPs that they could have their reputations unfairly tarnished by the activities of a small minority. Where there is wrongdoing it needs to be dealt with, he said, adding: I think it would be a mistake to imagine that Parliament is a den of inequity.

Labours former deputy leader Harriet Harman said: This is not hysteria, this is something which is long overdue for all the parties in this House to deal with.

Labour MP Tulip Siddiq said the number of incidents would probably be in the hundreds. Senior parliamentary figures have met to discuss ways for victims of sexual assault to speak up without fear. The move came after Mrs May called for a new independent helpline to deal with complaints of harassment at Westminster.

Harriet Harman MP asks a question about allegations of inappropriate and unwanted sexual behaviour at Westminster in the Commons yesterday

Commons Speaker John Bercow also called for change in Parliament amid what he described as disturbing allegations about a culture of sexual harassment.

Mrs May has been stung by claims she ignored evidence of sexual harassment because the information was useful to Tory whips.

Yesterday it emerged that in 2014, senior Tories blocked moves designed to give staff greater protection against sexual harassment, arguing that the Conservatives should act only in line with other parties on the issue.
A motorcycle gangster has admitted to beating a man to death less than 120 metres from the wedding venue where he was married just hours earlier.

Mongrel Mob gang member Christopher Manuel, 36, married his partner in Kaitaia, in New Zealand's Far North District, on New Year's Eve in 2015, hours before he chased and seriously assaulted fellow gang member Lee Rata.

Manuel was charged with murder but pleaded guilty to manslaughter and aggravated robbery in the High Court at Whangarei on Monday, the New Zealand Herald reported.

Manuel was part of a group of men who allegedly chased down Mongrel Mob's Lee Rata (pictured) following an argument with guests, including the bride, outside the wedding

Manuel was part of a group of men who allegedly chased down Mongrel Mob's Lee Rata following an argument with guests, including the bride, outside the wedding.

The men allegedly punched and kicked Rata to the ground, and repeatedly stomped on his head when he was down.

One of the men used a Nazi-style metal helmet to hit Rata on the head, the police alleged.

The groom, Christopher Manuel, was dressed in a red Mongrel Mob vest with a t-shirt, pair of shorts, a black bum bag and a Nazi-style helmet.

There is no suggestion the Nazi-style helmet was used as a weapon by Manuel.

Rata, the victim, was also dressed in Mongrel Mob colours.

He wore a leather vest with red strings, a dog chain wrapped around his waist and carried a knife.

One of the men used a Nazi-style metal helmet to hit Rata (pictured) on the head, the police alleged

Manuel and Rata were both alleged members of outlaw motorcycle gang Mongrel Mob

Rata was taken to Kaitaia Hospital after the attack, and later Whangarei Hospital where he died the next day after his life support was switched off.

Six men, including the groom, face charges stemming from the wedding day attack.

Lester Pairama, 17, pleaded guilty at the High Court on Monday alongside Manuel.

Juanita Rafael Wilcox, 26, Joseph Martin, 41, Gregory Mark Comer and Gregory Matthew Comer all pleaded guilty to being accessories to murder and will be sentenced on December 1.
Ahead of the iPhone X release on Friday, keen Apple fans are already leaving deckchairs outside the Sydney flagship store to secure their place in the line.

Unfortunately for them, though, the city's council have noticed the trend, which includes at least 10 chairs and a number of plastic crates, and are looking to have rangers remove them.

At the start of the line is a child-sized blackboard with butcher's paper attached to it, calling out for more people to join the line littered with $5 camping-approved seats.

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Ahead of the iPhone X release on Friday, keen Apple fans are leaving deckchairs outside the Sydney store to secure their place in the line (pictured)

At the start of the line is a child-sized blackboard with butcher's paper attached, calling out for more people to join the line littered with $5 Kmart camping-approved seats (pictured)

'We are building the world's longest line,' it reads enthusiastically.

'To secure your free spot join our Facebook group 'We are making iPhone great again'.'

The Trump motto, while enough to secure the businessman the presidency, has not yet created a world record for the longest line.

The Trump motto, while enough to secure the businessman the presidency, has not yet created a world record for the longest line

Unfortunately the city's council have noticed the trend, which includes at least 10 chairs and a number of plastic crates, and are looking to have rangers remove them

YouTuber Dave Lee is behind the group, which currently boasts 60 members, and asks people to leave some kind of seating equipment outside the store.

Mr Lee, who is first in line for the new iPhone, promises to 'try and take care of everyone's position' from the hours of 8pm to 7am when they can't be camped on the footpath.

'Whenever you pass by to check the seats, please take a photo or video of the line so everyone has live updates of the line,' the group reads.

But there is a cruel twist.

Those that do not check in on their position in the line each day will have their chair replaced by the person behind them.

Mr Lee (pictured), who is first in line for the latest iPhone, promises to 'try and take care of everyone's position' from the hours of 8pm to 7am when they can't be camped on the footpath

'Whenever you pass by to check the seats, please take a photo or video of the line so everyone has live updates of the line,' the group reads

Mr Lee has posted six videos to Youtube about his experiences at the front of the Apple iPhone line, which have garnered hundreds of views

Mr Lee has posted six videos to YouTube about his experiences at the front of the Apple iPhone line, which have garnered hundreds of views.

But not everyone talking about the phone's latest release have had such positive results.

This week a prominent engineer was fired from Apple because his blogger daughter posted a video showcasing the new iPhone without approval.

She shared some of the state-of-the-art features of the phone, activating the Control Centre and homescreen, before taking some pictures with the high quality camera.

The iPhone X, which will cost $1579 for a 64GB handset or $1829 for 256GB of storage, will be released worldwide on November 3.
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The blind great-grandmother who has publically refused to move from the iconic Sirius building has lost her fight to stay  and must be out of her two-bedroom government-owned flat before Christmas.

Myra Demetriou told Daily Mail Australia she has finally accepted defeat and will move from the building which is set to be sold-off to raise funds for more social housing in the suburbs.

The 90-year-old woman has been living in the top-floor apartment since 2008 and has fought for four years to stay  but just weeks after defiantly claiming she would live in the property until her death she has been given final marching orders.

Myra Demetriou, pictured, has been evicted from her multi-million dollar housing commission home as the government prepares to sell the building

The 90-year-old blind great-grandmother has been the last person living in the iconic Sirius building - which is guarded day and night - and has a concierge of three just for her visitors

MrsDemetriou has to leave her home of almost ten years by December 15 - and is afraid her new place won't be set up with her blindness in mind

'They have told me I have to be out by December 15, I have seen the flat they are going to put me in and I hope it is ready for me by then  I am worried it won't be,' she said.

The Department of Family and Community Services (FACS) told Daily Mail Australia they have 'worked intensively with Mrs Demetriou who has recently accepted the offer of a new home'.

'FACS will complete all of the work which it has agreed to undertake to Myras new home by the end of November,' the spokesperson said.

The new apartment is in Pyrmont, but the blind woman claims it needs to be made more accessible for her as it has slippery flooring, no laundry and limited storage space.

'Being blind isn't very funny but I don't think they realise,' she said.

'There is no wardrobe in the flat and no laundry or carpet, I will need these things to be there before I move in.

'I can't live out of boxes because I can't see and need to know where things are, it is hard enough in my own home.

The brutalist style building is set to be sold by the government who claim the money will be used to build more housing commission homes

A community fight to save the building has all but failed with the government declining to register it as a heritage building twice

The elderly great-grandmother has been the only person living in the 79-unit building since mid-October

'I have my own washing machine and dryer they just need to make room in the bathroom for it  because I can't go outside to do these things myself because I can't see.

Mrs Demetriou says she won't move in until these fixtures are in place  and even though she has conceded to moving she has asked for an extension  until February.

'At my age, and with my blindness it is a nightmare to move,' she said.

Just weeks ago the 90-year-old was sure she 'would not be leaving' and spoke to Daily Mail Australia as the last resident of the huge apartment building.

She has million-dollar views of the harbour - but can't see them due to her blindness

Mrs Demetriou pays just $100 a week for the apartment - just weeks ago she said she would never move out

She wants cupboards for storage, carpet and a laundry fitted into the new apartment before she will move in

Mrs Demetriou, who pays $100-per-week for the apartment which boasts multi-million dollar views, has had her own security guards since becoming the last resident in the block.

'I think it is ridiculous, spending all of this money on guards - three of them are in the entrance just to sign people in,' she said.

'We have a laugh with each other. Every time I come down I say ''good morning gentlemen'' and they say ''hello boss''.'

The great-grandmother has been fighting for four years to be allowed to stay - people have rallied to the cause, pictured

The plan to sell of Sirius and terraces in Millers Point was unveiled in 2014 - the government claims the money will go toward more public housing

But the guards are there for her safety, a spokesperson from the Family and Community Services said, and they were put in place after incidents of unauthorised access.

'New security measures, including a concierge, provide a safe and secure building for the remaining residents and their guests.'

A community fight to have Sirius heritage listed has so far failed with NSW Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton announcing a new proposal to demolish the brutalist structure.

'While the Sirius building is distinctive, in my view, it is not a landmark worthy of state heritage protection,' she said.

The building is set to be worth $120million without heritage listing - but just $70million if it cannot be demolished by developers.

'FACS will continue to support Ms Demetriou as she moves into her new home,' according to the spokesperson.
A 12-year-old boy has been charged with manslaughter after allegedly shooting a 12-year-old girl in the head during a slumber party in April during a dare.

Ra'Mya Eunice died on May 25 after she was removed from life support at University of Florida Health in Jacksonville, Florida.

The 12-year-old girl had been shot in the head on April 30 at a home in Willow Branch Avenue around 1.45am.

Authorities arrested a 12-year-old boy at his home on October 20 and charged him with manslaughter in Eunice's death.

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Tragic: Ra'Mya Eunice (above) died on May 25 after she was removed from life support at University of Florida Health in Jacksonville, Florida

The 12-year-old girl had been shot in the head on April 30 at a home in Willow Branch Avenue around 1.45am. Authorities arrested a 12-year-old boy at his home on October 20th and charged him with manslaughter in Eunice's death

Courtesy: WJXT

The children had been joking around in the living room when the boy went outside and grabbed a shotgun hidden beneath the home, according to the affidavit.

When he returned, the boy then pointed the loaded weapon at everyone in the room, witnesses said.

He even challenged those in the room while the gun was leveled at Eunice saying, 'Say I won't,' according to the affidavit.

A guest then replied, 'You won't,' and that's when the boy allegedly pulled the trigger, striking Eunice in the head.

The girl's family is heartbroken over their loss and have questions about what happened.

Authorities say the children were at the home (scene above) for a sleepover and joking around when the boy fetched a shotgun from outside and began aiming at them. He allegedly pulled the trigger striking Eunice in the head

The young girl was set to turn 13 years old on December 3. Her family plans on celebrating her birthday. Her grandmother, Terri Eunice, said: 'I miss my baby and I wish she was still here'

'I was devastated because why would a 12-year-old have a shotgun in their possession?' her grandmother, Terri Eunice, asked WJXT.

The woman still thinks there are others who need to held accountable for what happened to her granddaughter.

'If you have a sleepover with several kids, why isn't there adult supervision in the home,' she said.

The young girl was set to turn 13 years old on December 3. Her family plans on celebrating her birthday.

'I miss my baby and I wish she was still here,' the heartbroken grandmother said.

The name of the 12-year-old boy has not been released.
A 12-year-old girl warmed the hearts of thousands of Katy Perry concertgoers when she wished for her 17-year-old autistic sister to stop being bullied.

The selfless gesture left Kansas City, Missouri's Sprint Center in tears. The 'Firework' superstar herself broke down.

The girl, named Zoe, was called on to the stage at Katy Perry's Witness: The Tour. Her stepmother, Nellie, took her to the concert as a birthday surprise, KCTV5 reports.

Katy Perry called Zoe, 12, up to the stage while in Kansas City, Missouri. Perry asked Zoe to make a wish

Zoe said: 'I wish for my 17-year-old sister with autism to stop getting bullied at her school'

'I've never been to a concert before and Katy Perry is my idol,' Zoe told local media outlets.

Zoe wore a distinctive, bright orange hoodie for the occasion. Perry, calling for an audience member to come on stage, pointed right at her.

Zoe recalled to local media outlets that Perry said: 'You, in the orange hoodie, come up here!'

'And then the doofus I am, I ran the wrong way. And I realized it, and I ran back up.'

Perry asked Zoe what she wanted to wish for.

Fox4KC reports that the girl answered : 'I wish for my 17-year-old sister with autism to stop getting bullied at her school.'

Perry began to cry after the heartwarming gesture. Zoe said: 'My favorite part, honestly, was when I gave the speech. And she just hugged me, and I saw Katy Perry crying. I was like, "I want another hug"'

The wish was met with applause from the audience. Katy Perry gave the girl a hug. The crowd, per Perry's request, began to chant: 'No more bullying.'

'My favorite part, honestly, was when I gave the speech. And she just hugged me, and I saw Katy Perry crying. I was like, "I want another hug,"' Zoe told local media outlets.

'I just wanted to make [my sister] happy and give her my wish,' Zoe said, KWCH reports.

Perry said she would visit Zoe's sister's Kansas school.

Perry's Witness: The Tour began in Montreal, Canada this past September and is set to conclude in Auckland, New Zealand in August 2018.

Witness, the album for which Perry is touring, was released in June to mixed reviews.
A New South Wales man has been charged after drink driving with '30 schooners of rum' in his system.

The 21-year-old man was stopped by police near Leeville in the state's north on Saturday after police received complaints about a swerving car.

The Yorklea man had been driving on a provisional licence and with a child in the car, the Gympie Times reports.

A New South Wales man has been charged after drink driving with '30 schooners of rum' in his system and a child in the car (stock image)

The incident occurred around 3.30am, with the 21-year-old breathalysed on the scene.

Senior Constable David Henderson told News Corp the man was then taken to Casino Police Station.

'There he told police he had drunk 30 schooners of rum and coke that night,' he said.

Further breath tests showed the man in a 'high drink driving category', with the 21-year-old's licence suspended.

The child found in a booster seat inside the car was taken home by police following the incident.

The man is set to appear in Casino Local Court in November.
North Dakota budget director Pam Sharp will retire next month after more than three decades in state government, Gov. Doug Burgum said Monday, Oct. 30.

Sharp, the Office of Management and Budget director, "will assist in a temporary position throughout the transition to new leadership," according to a news release. Her retirement is effective Nov. 30, capping off a career that saw North Dakotas fiscal fortunes swing dramatically in recent years.

Sharp said she didnt want to stay on through another legislative session, the next being in early 2019. She timed her retirement to allow her successor to get acclimated to the job.

Well make it a smooth transition, Sharp said.

Republican Sen. Ray Holmberg, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, said Sharp is one of the best budget directors he has worked with in his four decades in office.

She was a hell of a director, he said. Just a class act, and shell be hard to replace.

Then-Gov. John Hoeven appointed Sharp the OMB director in 2003. In that role, shes responsible for the fiscal management of the states executive branch and supervises the divisions of Human Resource Management Services, Fiscal Administration, Facility Management, Central Services and Risk Management.

Sharp was previously the office's deputy director and a budget analyst, and she had worked in the tax department, auditor's office and state treasurer's office. She has been in state government for 31 years, according to Burgums office.

"Having worked for three governors and through 13 legislative sessions, I've seen a lot of changes in state government, and I'm optimistic about the future of North Dakota with the great team we have in place at OMB," Sharp said in a statement. "I appreciate having had the opportunity to serve the state of North Dakota and its citizens over the course of my career."

Burgum praised Sharp for helping the state navigate through prosperous and lean times. Her tenure saw the Bakken oil boom trigger a drastic rise in state revenues before a subsequent slide in crude and crop prices forced budget cuts.

General fund appropriations sit at $4.3 billion in the current two-year budget cycle, down from the 2013-15 biennium peak of more than $6.8 billion.

Sen. Tim Mathern, a Democratic member of the Appropriations Committee, said there may have been some differences of opinion on budget projections, but Sharps work was supported by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

A national search for an OMB director is now underway.
A stolen phone was tracked by police to a western Sydney hotel where two men were then arrested after a fire station was broken into overnight.

Intruders targeted the Bankstown Fire Station about 7.40pm on Monday after crews were called to a job in Yagoona, police say.

Smashing the station's window and forcing open the personal lockers inside the intruders allegedly stole mobile phones, cash and other personal items.

Intruders targeted the Bankstown Fire Station (pictured) after the crew were called to a job

Offenders forced open the personal lockers and allegedly stole mobile phones, cash and other personal items (stock picture)

Officers from Bankstown Local Area Command were called when crews returned to the station to find a window at the front of the premises smashed and their property missing.

Following an investigation and discussions with the crew, police were able to trace one of the stolen phones to a Bass Hill hotel on the Hume Highway where they arrested two men aged 29 and 38.

The 38-year man was charged with break and enter, goods in custody, malicious damage and breach of bail.

He was refused bail and is due to appear at Bankstown Local Court on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old man was released pending further inquiries.

A fire spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the matter will continue to be investigated by police.
The parents of a girl who may be infertile after undergoing chemotherapy for a tumour on her tail bone have chosen to preserve her ovarian tissue so the six-year-old may one day have a family of her own.

Stella Davis was just a toddler when she was diagnosed with germ cell cancer, her mother Lara MacEwen told The Sydney Morning Herald this week.

Faced with the risk of aggressive treatment leaving her unable to have children, Ms MacEwen said she made the decision to freeze a sample of her daughter's ovarian tissue at a Melbourne fertility clinic.

Lara MacEwen made the decision to preserve her six-year-old daughter's ovarian tissue (pictured together)

ince 2013, the Royal Children's Hospital (right) has preserved tissue from 100 girls and 40 boys who have been diagnosed with cancer

Although techniques of using the tissue have not yet been developed, Ms MacEwen said she was hopeful technology would catch up.

'We know that there isn't a 100 per cent chance that it is going to work, but you have to be hopeful, and science and technology is progressing so fast,' she told SMH.

'Who knows where we will be in 15 years or so?'

It is believed Stella's cryopreserved tissue will be replanted when she and technology are ready.

Stella Davis was just a toddler when she was diagnosed with germ cell cancer and a tumour on her tail bone, her mum Lara MacEwen (pictured together) said this week

Since 2013, the Royal Children's Hospital has preserved tissue from 100 girls and 40 boys.

Royal Children's Hospital paediatric oncologist Professor Michael Sullivan told the publication he has only seen one successful birth using tissue taken before the girl hit puberty.

Globally, there have been about 100 births using preserved tissue, he said.
John Humphrys has admitted that the BBC is out of touch with the population, recalling how bosses were absolutely stunned on the morning of the Brexit referendum result.

The veteran broadcaster said he suspected that the reaction to the vote within the BBCs headquarters was markedly different from the feeling in a cafe round the corner.

And he conceded that it was evidence that those at the top of the organisation do sometimes lose touch with the general public.

Breakfast meeting: The current Today presenters Mishal Hussain, left, Nick Robinson, John Humphrys, Sarah Montague and Justin Webb

Humphrys, 74, spoke out during an interview with Radio Times to mark the 60th anniversary of the Today current affairs programme which he co-presents on Radio 4.

He and his fellow presenters Justin Webb, 56, Mishal Husain, 44, Nick Robinson, 54, and Sarah Montague, 51, were interviewed together over breakfast.

When asked what he made of recent comments by Jeremy Vine that if you had listened to Radio 2 in the run-up to the referendum you would not have been shocked by the result, but if you had listened to Radio 4 you would be, Humphrys said: Where Jeremy is right is that theres a disconnect between the people who run the BBC and a large chunk of the population.

I noted on the morning of the referendum that in the BBC almost everybody who came in, above all, all the bosses, looked absolutely stunned.

And I suspect if you walked into a cafe round the corner frequented by a rather wider mix of the population, there wouldnt have been that same sense of being utterly stunned.

Theyd have been maybe a bit surprised, but perhaps not even that. I think we sometimes do lose touch with the population.

I WAS polite to the ex-Vogue boss It was one of his most controversial interviews of the year, with his mansplaining of womens fashion provoking a backlash. But John Humphrys stands by his aggressive interview with former Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman in August. He was criticised for grilling his Today programme guest about there being no reasonably cosy, comfortably shaped women on the cover of the magazine. 'He also suggested the focus on skinny models promotes anorexia in young girls. 'Yet Humphrys, 74, has defended his approach, telling Radio Times that magazines such as Vogue push the idea that in order to look nice youve got to be stick-thin. He said: Ive always thought it an absurd proposition and damaging to an awful lot of young girls who are susceptible to that sort of pressure. 'So I was, according to some people, too aggressive with her. I thought I was actually rather polite Advertisement

Earlier this year more than 70 MPs wrote to BBC director-general Tony Hall to complain about the pessimistic and skewed coverage of Brexit.

They said the corporation was skewing good economic news since the vote and was unfairly representing Leave voters by focusing on those who regretted their decision.

An episode of BBC1s Countryfile also sparked an outcry after a segment examining the impact of Brexit on seasonal migrant farm workers and those who employ them was described as Leftie, pro-EU propaganda.

More recently, Trade Secretary Liam Fox said the BBCs bizarre coverage of Brexit risked damaging the UKs chances of securing a good deal in negotiations.

Humphrys said he was surprised by the Brexit vote. Robinson added: The only people who knew, knew from a hunch. Point to the programme, the newspaper, the pollster, the politician who got it right? You wont find one.

Asked if they as presenters had been stunned by the result, Montague replied: Yes, do you remember that morning? We arrived earlier than usual and I remember standing there thinking, Whoa how do we tell this story? 

The co-presenters BBC salaries total around 1.5million, the corporations recent publishing of stars pay revealed. Humphrys is paid up to 650,000, Robinson is in the 250,000-299,000 pay bracket, Husain earns 200,000-250,000, Webb gets between 150,000 and 199,000, and Montague less than 150,000.

Thought for the day is deeply boring

Novelist and broadcaster Anne Atkins told the Mail she found the comments puzzling

The Today programmes religion slot is inappropriate when more than half our population have no religion at all, John Humphrys claimed.

He said the three-minute Thought for the Day segment was often deeply boring and it was frustrating to have to cut a really fascinating programme short to hear that Jesus was really nice.

He added during the Radio Times interview that he would have less of a problem with a secular version. Justin Webb described the daily contributions, which are made by representatives of different faiths, as all roughly the same and said it really annoys him.

Nick Robinson added that there are not enough contributors with interesting things to say, although he said that when Jonathan Sacks, the former chief rabbi, does it, I listen.

Mishal Husain was the only presenter to appear in favour of the religious slot, saying it provides an element of punctuation in the three-hour programme.

Her colleagues comments angered regular contributors to Thought for the Day.

Giles Fraser, a Church of England priest, wrote on Twitter that the presenters were competing with each other to sneer at religion, adding: Sneering at stupid little people and their faith has become normalised throughout the BBC.

Novelist and broadcaster Anne Atkins told the Daily Mail she found the comments puzzling, saying Thought for the Day is astonishingly popular and she would be surprised if the sport segment prompted the same volume of positive feedback.

A BBC spokesman said: Thought for the Day is a long-standing part of the Today schedule and an important part of Radio 4s religious content  it will continue to be so. It features speakers from the worlds major faith traditions and regularly provokes a range of different views.
Priscilla Zapata, 26, of Canyon County, is accused of abusing her two daughters and two sons by hitting, biting and choking them after she saw them eating ice cream in July

An Idaho woman has been charged with child abuse after allegedly shaving, hitting, biting, beating and strangling her children over a tub of ice cream.

Priscilla Zapata, 26, of Canyon County, has been charged with four counts of felony injury to a child after allegedly attacking her two sons and two daughters on June 18.

According to court documents, Zapata told relatives that she 'lost it' when she saw that they had eaten the ice cream on July 18 and began an onslaught that culminated in her choking one girl up against a wall, KTVB reported.

Deputies say that Zapata beat all four of her children with a wet belt, and went on to shave the heads of her two daughters.

One of the girls said she didn't say anything as her hair was being shaved because she was scared that her mother would cut her.

The shaving alone amounted to physical and emotional abuse, according to the affidavit. But it didn't end there, police said.

Zapata was also accused of biting and hitting the girls, and shoving one of their faces into the ice cream, as well as pushing her into a wall.

The same girl said Zapata had hit her 'everywhere' and then threw her outside.

The other girl told deputies she was held up against a wall by her throat and choked. She 'felt like [she] was going to die,' and 'like [she] was already dead,' police said.

Deputies wrote in the affidavit that the injuries on the children were consistent with the stories they told.

All four children are now in the care of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

Zapata has been charged with four felony counts of injury to a child, with each count carrying a maximum 10 year sentence. She will have a preliminary hearing on November 8.

Although the attacks were said to occur in July, a warrant was only issued for Zapata's arrest on October 5. She was booked into Canyon County Jail on Tuesday.

Joe Decker, a spokesman for Canyon County Sheriff's Office, told PEOPLE: 'When we have serious allegations like these, we don't ever want to rush the investigation. These things take time to complete.'
Family doctors have threatened to quit the NHS and go private in protest at pressures on the health service.

GPs called for the British Medical Association to support practices to become private, complaining they can no longer operate within the NHS.

The issue will be debated at the BMA Local Medical Committees conference in London next week.

The Bedfordshire committee called for support for GPs who genuinely feel they cannot cope with NHS pressures.

Family doctors have threatened to quit the NHS and go private in protest at pressures on the health service (file photo)

Their motion, revealed yesterday by Pulse magazine, said: Given that a number of GPs genuinely feel that they can no longer operate within the NHS, conference calls on General Practice Committee England to urgently look at how these GPs can be supported to operate within a private, alternative model.

BMA insiders last night played down the significance of the motion, insisting there would be no max exodus from the NHS.

But it is only one in a number of items to be debated which display the growing rift between doctors and health bosses.

The conference will discuss industrial action that would involve balloting GP practices on whether to close their lists to any new patients, in a show of protest against the Government.

Last month the Daily Mail revealed all options are on the table including calling on GPs to close their lists en masse - a move which an internal BMA survey suggests would be backed by just over half of members.

A separate motion by GPs in Cleveland calls on all under-pressure practices to be allowed to close their list anyway, barring new patients who are not new to the area in the interest of patient safety.

And doctors in Oxfordshire called for a boycott of the Governments flagship GP Forward View strategy if more funding is not availabe within a year.

A BMA spokesman said: General practice is under unsustainable and mounting pressure from rising demand, contracting budgets and staff shortages.

GPs called for the British Medical Association to support practices to become private, complaining they can no longer operate within the NHS (file photo)

The BMA has consistently called for the Government to properly fund general practice so that patients can receive the best possible care, free at the point of delivery.

Experts last night called on GPs to step back from the brink of privatising, even in the face of overwhelming pressure.

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: General practice has been the bedrock of the NHS for nearly 70 years and family doctors are doing their utmost to ensure it stays that way, free at the point of need for all of our patients.

The current pressures on GPs are immense and were going through the toughest of times, but to consider privatisation of general practice in any shape or form is not the answer.

We can understand the desperation of GPs, but we must stick together to overcome our current challenges.

We still believe that NHS Englands GP Forward View is our best chance of securing the future of general practice and thats why the Government in England must make sure its pledges are delivered in full as a matter of urgency.

Earlier this month Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt admitted it was becoming much, much harder for doctors to deliver continuity of care because of pressures

The NHS is facing a major crisis in GP staffing, with morale at an all-time low and many family doctors abandoning the profession.

Research suggests two in every five GPs are planning to retire or quit their jobs within the next five years.

The Government has pledged to increase the number of GPs by 5,000 by 2022, but so far the number is still going down.

Earlier this month Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt admitted it was becoming much, much harder for doctors to deliver continuity of care because of staffing shortages, historic underfunding and Britains ageing and growing population.

The number of patients GPs have to care for is soaring, at 58.5million now, 57.7million last year and 57.1million the year before.

Patients are also becoming older, sicker and more demanding.

A recent paper published in the Lancet found the average NHS patient visits or calls their GP 11 per cent more in 2017 than they did in 2008.

And this increased pressure is taking its toll on patients.

Figures released by NHS England reveal one in five patients have to wait at least a week to see their doctor - a 56 per cent relative increase on five years ago.

But Mr Hunt says doctors need to take some responsibility for dealing with the pressure, pointing out every GP could save an hour a day if they simply reduced administration and filtered out the 26 per cent of appointments which could be avoided.
The heart-stopping moment a man threw himself onto a busy motorway as a car almost hit him has been caught on camera.

The allegedly drunk man was stopped by New Zealand Police for driving being over the limit, however it quickly turned into a nasty brawl.

The man was asked to leave the white van he was caught driving and was escorted to the side of the road away, from the busy motorway, by a female officer.

Scroll down for video

The shocking moment a man (pictured) threw himself onto a busy motorway as a car almost hit him has been caught on camera

The man then flung himself at the police officers, punching one of the officers in the face

The man hurled his fists (pictured) after he was asked to leave the white van he was allegedly caught drink driving in New Zealand

His allegedly drunk wife was sitting in the passenger seat of the white van while a male officer asked her questions.

However the man, who told the female officer he had 'nothing at all' to drink, was filmed by Motorway Patrol shoving her away from him before the officer sprayed him with pepper spray.

Meanwhile, the man's wife was threatening to walk onto the busy New Zealand motorway because she was 'angry' and 'too drunk'.

'F*** off then ... if you don't let me go I'll run in the middle of the road,' the woman told the male police officer.

The woman could be seen running towards her husband and the busy motorway, where the female police officer held her back from the road while the two officers tried to calm the man down.

The man lunged towards the motorway as a car blew its horn, almost hitting the man, who then turned around and threw punches towards the male officer.

The man's wife (pictured centre) was threatening to walk onto the busy motorway because she was 'angry' and 'too drunk', according to Motorway Patrol

After almost being hit by a car, police backup arrived, taking three men to hold down and handcuff the man

His wife tried to intervene, clinging to him beside the busy road as police backup arrived to step in.

Three police men held the man to the ground and handcuffed him while the woman was also handcuffed and taken away.

'Let me up, I am a good man,' the man said with three officers holding him down.

The video received more than 31,000 views since it was shared to YouTube less than a month ago.
David Davis (pictured left emerging from Cabinet with Michael Fallon today) briefed senior ministers on the preparations for Brexit today

The Government will hire up to 8,000 extra staff and spend more than 600million preparing for a no-deal Brexit, it emerged today.

Brexit Secretary David Davis briefed the Cabinet today on the latest preparations for Britain's departure from the EU.

And in a separate appearance before a parliamentary committee, he warned that that Britain's divorce from the bloc will 'probably favour the Union in terms of things like money and so on'.

The moves indicate the government is gearing up for a no-deal Brexit and while also laying the groundwork for a hefty divorce bill.

Some 250million has already been spent on preparations for all scenarios from a comprehensive deal to crashing out after a failure of talks.

Another 412million will be budgeted for the rest of this Parliament, running up until 2022.

At the same time, thousands more civil servants - including up to 5,000 customs officials - will be hired by the Government.

The announcements came as Mr Davis told a House of Lords select committee he would travel to Brussels on Friday ahead of a resumption of official talks next week.

He added: 'The withdrawal agreement, on balance, will probably favour the Union in terms of things like money and so on, whereas the future relationship will favour both sides and will be important to both of us.'

Revealing the update given to ministers today, Theresa May's official spokesman said: 'The Cabinet heard that the Government's first priority remains to agree a deep and special partnership that is good for the UK and good for the EU, and that is what we are working towards.

'Alongside the negotiations in Brussels, it is crucial that we are putting our own domestic preparations in place so that we are ready at the point that we leave the EU.

'Cabinet heard many of these will be needed even in our preferred scenario of a bold and ambitious deal  for example, implementing either of our proposed customs arrangements will require investment in new systems and customs officers by HMRC.'

The spokesman said preparatory work has been 'accelerated' in recent months and work was underway across 300 different projects.

The spokesman added: 'Each of these plans prepares the country for the range of negotiated outcomes and a 'no deal' scenario for a policy area affected by the UK leaving the EU.

'The plans set out detailed delivery timelines including, for example, to recruit and train new staff; to design and procure IT systems; and to deliver the necessary legislative and regulatory changes.'

Downing Street yesterday said Mrs May remained 'confident' of striking an exit deal with the EU.

Downing Street yesterday said Theresa May (pictured outside No 10 yesterday) remained 'confident' of striking an exit deal with the EU

But, with Brussels still refusing to open formal talks on trade, ministers are under pressure to show they are ready to walk away without a deal.

The Department for Exiting the EU last night published a list of 58 sectors of the economy where it is undertaking economic analysis of the impact of Brexit.

The studies cover everything from aviation and agriculture to car manufacturing and tourism. Even sectors such as gambling, film and space engineering are covered.

A spokesman for the department last night said the analysis was designed 'to support progress in the negotiations and ensure we ready for Brexit whatever the outcome'.

Sources said the results would not be published because doing so 'would undoubtedly be detrimental to our interests in the negotiation'.

But Mr Davis was thought likely to tell the Cabinet the work shows the government is serious about preparing for the possibility of leaving the EU without a deal.

It includes an analysis of the potential impact of leaving the EU on a range of sectors and how any damage might be reduced.

The move is likely to increase pressure on Chancellor Philip Hammond to release more cash for the preparations in next month's Budget.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson was among the ministers arriving for today's Cabinet discussion on Brexit inside No 10 (pictured)

Environment Secretary Michael Gove (left) and Justice Secretary David Lidington (right) were also in Downing Street for the meeting

Commons leader Andrea Leadsom (pictured arriving at No 10 today) is likely to update the Cabinet on crucial Brexit legislation

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid (left) and Attorney General Jeremy Wright (right) also attended No 10 for the Cabinet meeting today

Concerns have been raised that border controls will not be ready in time for the UK to leave the EU in March 2019 without a transitional deal.

But, in a letter to peers last night, Mr Davis said a new customs system was 'on track to be delivered in January 2019'.

Mrs May's official spokesman said that 'all contingencies' will be discussed at today's Cabinet, including the possibility of Britain leaving the EU without a deal.

'It is looking at Brexit preparations for all contingencies,' said the spokesman.

'That obviously does include 'no deal', but as the Prime Minister has said on many occasions, we are working towards getting a deal and we are confident that we will do so.'

Home Secretary Amber Rudd (left), Culture Secretary Karen Bradley (centre) and Aid Secretary Priti Patel (right) were all pictured today arriving for Cabinet

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt was also among the arrivals for the meeting of senior ministers this morning

Scotland Secretary David Mundell (left) and Wales Secretary Alun Cairns (right) turned out for this morning's Cabinet meeting

Brexit Secretary David Davis is expected to 'take the lead' in the Cabinet discussion, said the spokesman.

'Cabinet has been updated on Brexit preparations regularly. This is another opportunity to do so,' said the spokesman.

Asked whether ministers would discuss the possibility of Brexit not happening, he said: 'We have been very clear that we are leaving the European Union.'
An ominous white shipping container has been set up in the middle of Melbourne's CBD with the word 'seance' emblazoned on it.

People are invited inside the large metal box and asked to sit in two rows of old cinema seats which face each other. Everyone is handed a pair of headphones.

As all of the participants take their seats, preparing themselves for what looks to be a theatre performance, the room suddenly plunges into darkness.

An ominous white shipping container has been set up in the middle of Melbourne's CBD with the word 'seance' emblazoned on it (pictured)

People are invited inside the large container where they sit in two rows of old cinema seats which face each other (pictured)

As all of the participants take their seats and get comfortable, preparing themselves for what looks to be a theatre performance, the room suddenly plunges into darkness (pictured)

That's when an ominous voice echoes through the headphones, asking everyone to put their hands on the table.

Traditionally, a seance means collaborating in a meeting or sitting but most of us know it as the conjuring of spirits, an idea that came about in the Victorian era.

UK theatre company Darkfield created the installation as a way of challenging people to use their ears, rather than their eyes, to experience art.

'The darkness lets your mind take you places,' producer Andrea Salazar told Broadsheet. 'In a theatre, you can't really get out of the fact that you're there. We wanted to control the space.'

'The darkness lets your mind take you places,' producer Andrea Salazar told Broadsheet

UK theatre company Darkfield created the seance room as a way of challenging people to use their ears, rather than their eyes, to experience art

The show debuted at this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival to mass delight, with the crew deciding to set up on Australian turf just in time for Halloween

The show debuted at this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival to mass delight, with the crew deciding to set up on Australian turf just in time for Halloween.

However, some sessions, which only last 15 minutes, had to be stopped midway through to let terrified patrons out of the container.

The company warns: 'Intense and exhilarating, you'll find yourself wondering who, or what, is in the room, or maybe inside your head...'

The container will be in Melbourne until November 12. Tickets cost $20 each.
Gunmen dressed in Halloween costumes gunned down clubbers at an illegal east London rave leaving a man and woman seriously injured.

Thugs in clown, ghost and ghoul masks unleashed a hail of bullets, hitting a 41-year-old man in his leg and a woman, in her twenties, in the chest, at the Money Move party in Leyton, east London.

A gang of three men were responsible for the attack inside and outside the makeshift club, with shocking witness footage showing one man return fire with a handgun.

Thugs in clown, ghost and ghoul masks unleashed a hail of bullets, hitting a 41-year-old man in his leg at the Money Move party in Leyton, east London

Footage captured in the aftermath of the brutal scenes shows a wounded man being helped by a female reveller who used a belt as a tourniquet

A business owner, whose building was hit by a stray bullet, told the Sun: 'It looked like it was a gangland execution gone wrong.'

One clubber said they saw 'at least four guns' being used during the attack.

They said: 'It was terrifying. Everyone who had got out was just running but there were over 100 trapped inside. I turned and ran.

'They had blocked off the only road out of the rave with a car before, so not many got out.'

Footage captured in the aftermath of the brutal scenes shows a wounded man being helped by a female reveller who used a belt as a tourniquet.

Metropolitan Police confirmed the the man was in a stable condition, while the female vicim did not suffer life-threatening injuries.

Shocked witnesses survey the scene at the Money Move rave in Leyton, East London

This man is believed to be the clubber injured during the shooting on Saturday

One of the gunmen was wearing a ghoul mask similar to this, worn in the horror film Scream

A spokesman said: 'Police were called at approximately 05:04hrs on Saturday, 28 October, to commercial premises in Rigg Approach, at the junction with Leabridge Road, Leyton, following reports of a shooting.

'Officers, including firearms officers, attended the scene and discovered a 41-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his left leg.

'He has been conveyed to an east London hospital by London Ambulance Service where his condition is described as stable.

'Officers were then made aware of a female, believed to be in her 20s, who had self-presented at another east London hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest. Her condition is described as not life-threatening or life-changing.

'A crime scene was put in place and an investigation has been launched by Trident officers.'
Questions have been raised over the story of two Hawaii women who say they were lost at sea for six months - after it emerged they never activated their emergency beacon, sailed past an inhabited island and were caught in a seemingly non-existent storm.

Jennifer Appel and Tasha Fiava were rescued by the US Navy 900 miles southeast of Japan last Wednesday after setting sail from Hawaii on May 3.

They told a harrowing tale of survival after their rescue, but many of their claims have now been called into question including:

The woman claimed they did not have a standard Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) on their vessel. The Coast Guard found one on board and say it was never activated.

The 'Force 11 storm' they claimed they encountered at the start of their journey, featuring 30-foot high seas and 60 mph winds over three days, was not recorded by meteorologists

They claim that they considered turning back after the storm but could not because the islands of Maui and Lanai did not have harbors deep enough for their boat. There are several places they could have docked

They also claim that, days later, they could not stop at a nearby island to fix their boat because it was 'uninhabited' - but Christmas Island, part of Kiribati, is home to over 2,000 people and often welcomes huge commercial ships

Instead of stopping at Christmas Island, they set a new destination of 1,000 miles away in the Cook Islands - also hundreds of miles beyond their original destination of Tahiti

When off Tahiti in June, the captain of the ship was reported to have told the Coast Guard they were fine and expected to land next morning - but months later they ended up in the western Pacific

Jennifer Appel said in an interview Tuesday that she did not turn the emergency beacon on because the pair did not feel they were in imminent danger.

She claimed that in her experience the beacon should only be used when you are in imminent physical danger and going to die in the next 24 hours.

'Our hull was solid, we were floating, we had food, we had water, and we had limited maneuverable capacity,' Appel said in an interview in Japan, where the U.S. Navy took them after their rescue. 'All those things did not say we are going to die. All that said it's going to take us a whole lot longer to get where we're going.'

Previously, Appel and Tasha Fuiava had said they were close to giving up when the U.S. Navy rescued them last week, thousands of miles off course.

Jennifer Appel (right) and Tasha Fuiava sit with their dogs on the deck of the USS Ashland on Monday. The Hawaii sailors were rescued on October 25 after being lost at sea for months while trying to sail from Hawaii to Tahiti

Authorities are questioning why Appel and Fuiava (seen here on Monday) did not activate their emergency beacon after their boat was damaged by a storm and they were lost at sea

The two women met in late 2016, and within a week of knowing each other decided to take the trip together. Fuiava had never sailed a day in her life. They planned to take 18 days to get to Tahiti, then travel the South Pacific and return to Hawaii in October.

They set off on May 3 and were rescued by the U.S. Navy last week, thousands of miles off course.

Key elements of the women's account are contradicted by authorities, and are not consistent with weather reports or basic geography of the Pacific Ocean. The discrepancies raised questions about whether Appel and her sailing companion, Tasha Fuiava, could have avoided disaster.

On their first day at sea, May 3, the two U.S. women described running into a fearsome storm that tossed their vessel with 60 mph (97 kph) winds and 30-foot (9-meter) seas for three days, but meteorologists say there was no severe weather anywhere along their route during that time.

After leaving 'we got into a Force 11 storm, and it lasted for two nights and three days,' Appel said of the storm they encountered off Oahu. In one of the first signs of trouble, she said she lost her cellphone overboard.

'We were empowered to know that we could withstand the forces of nature,' Appel said. 'The boat could withstand the forces of nature.'

But the National Weather Service in Honolulu said no organized storm systems were in or near Hawaii on May 3 or in the days afterward. Archived NASA satellite images confirm there were no tropical storms around Hawaii that day.

Appel (left) and Fuiava on October 25, when they were rescued by a U.S. Navy vessel about 900 miles southeast of Japan

The pair said they thought about turning back, but the islands of Maui and Lanai didn't have harbors deep enough to accommodate their sailboat.

At 50 feet (15 meters) long, the vessel is relatively small, and both islands have harbors that would have accommodated them. Plus, the Big Island - the southernmost island in state - has several places to dock.

'I had no idea that we were going to be in this thing for 80 solid hours,' Appel said of the storm of which there is no record.

Still, they pressed on.

Fuiava, on October 25, had never sailed before joining Appel for the planned trip from Tahiti to Hawaii that began on May 3

Days later, after parts of their mast and rigging failed, they sailed up to another small island, still with a working motor, but decided against trying to land, believing the island was mostly uninhabited with no protected waters.

'It is uninhabited. They only have habitation on the northwest corner and their reef was too shallow for us to cross in order to get into the lagoon,' Appel said.

But Christmas Island, part of the island nation of Kiribati, is home to more than 2,000 people and has a port that routinely welcomes huge commercial ships.

A May 3, 2017 satellite image provided by NASA, showing the Pacific Ocean around Hawaii. The women claim they encountered a massive storm that day, but the National Weather Service says there were no organized storm systems were in the area at the time

'We could probably nurse it down to the next major island in Kiribati,' Appel said. 'Then we'll be able to stop there and seek safe haven and get up on the mast and fix it.'

The island has at least two airfields, and the women had flares aboard to alert people on land. Plus, its widest point spans about 30 miles (48 kilometers), a day's hike to safety from even the most remote area.

When asked if the small island would have been a good place to land and repair their sails, Appel said no. 'Kiribati, um, one whole half of the island is called shipwreck beach for a reason.'

A video image of Appel, taken by the Navy, showing the crippled boat that Appel and Fuiava were rescued from on October 25

Christmas Island has a place called Bay of Wrecks on its northeast side.

So, instead of stopping for help, they say they set a new destination about 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) away and a few hundred miles beyond their original target of Tahiti. They were headed to the Cook Islands.

'We really did think we could make it to the next spot,' Appel said.

Then, they say, another storm killed their engine at the end of May.

The Coast Guard made radio contact with a vessel that identified itself as the Sea Nymph in June near Tahiti, and the captain said they were not in distress and expected to make land the next morning.

More than five months after they departed, they were picked up in the western Pacific about 900 miles (1,448 kilometers) southeast of Japan. The two women and their dogs were all in good health when picked up by the U.S. Navy.

Sailors from the USS Ashland approaching Appel and Fuiava's boat on October 25

A retired Coast Guard officer who was responsible for search and rescue operations said that if the women used the emergency beacon, they would have been found.

The EPIRB communicates with satellites and sends locations to authorities. It's activated when it's submerged in water or turned on manually. The alert signal sends a location to rescuers within minutes.

'If the thing was operational and it was turned on, a signal should have been received very, very quickly that this vessel was in distress,' Phillip R. Johnson said Monday in a telephone interview from Washington state.

Johnson described the device as sturdy and reliable, but added that old and weak batteries could cause a unit not to function.

Appel and Fuiava also said they had six forms of communication that all failed to work.

'There's something wrong there,' Johnson said. 'I've never heard of all that stuff going out at the same time.'
Former Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his associate, Richard Gates, have been indicted on a range of charges, including money laundering and acting as unregistered foreign agents. Prosecutors also revealed that George Papadopoulos, another campaign adviser, had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI.

Here are North Dakota and Minnesota leaders reactions to the news:

Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.

Cramer said neither the charges against Manafort or Gates bear on Trumps campaign or administration. Cramer said he was not yet familiar with the details of Papadopoulos guilty plea.

I didnt know anything about Paul Manafort before, Cramer said about Trumps decision to work with Manafort during the campaign. I dont know how much information Donald Trump had on him.

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D.

As this investigation continues, its most important that the independent special counsel is able to do his job to determine the facts, and make sure those involved are held accountable under our justice system, Heitkamp said in statement provided by her office.

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.

We dont have any additional information other than what is being reported about the indictment of Paul Manafort and George Papadopoulos plea deal, but we should get all the facts, which is what the special counsel and the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee are working to do, Hoeven said in a statement provided by his office.

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn.

Im hopeful that this investigation will help us get to the bottom of exactly what role Russia played in the 2016 election and what the Trump teams relationship with Russia was, Franken said in a statement provided by his office. Special counsel Robert Mueller must be allowed to continue his investigation, because the American people deserve answers, transparency, and accountability.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.

The indictments of Paul Manafort and Rick Gates -- and the news that George Papadopoulos pled guilty earlier this month -- are a clear indication of how serious this matter is, Klobuchar said in a statement provided by her office. It is more important than ever that we letformer FBI Director Mueller continue to follow the facts without interference by Congress or the Administration.

Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn.

Petersons office did not respond to a request for comment.
An arrest warrant for felony possession of a controlled substance has been issued for actress Rose McGowan, who is one of dozens of women who accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct.

The felony charge stems from a police investigation of personal belongings left behind on a United flight arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport on January 20.

Police say the items tested positive for narcotics, but they did not reveal what type of drugs they were. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department obtained the warrant on February 1.

Police say they've attempted to contact McGowan so she can appear in a Loudoun County, Virginia, court.

The warrant has been entered into a national law enforcement database.

McGowan had not released a statement regarding the warrant as of Monday night.

But she simply tweeted 'FACT' early Tuesday morning in a retweet suggesting that if she had 'taken the million dollars in hush money' from Weinstein, the warrant would not have been issued and not been a news story.

McGowan retweeted Ashlee Marie Preston who wrote: 'If @rosemcgowan would have taken that million dollars in hush money I'm quite sure this wouldn't even be a headline...'

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An arrest warrant for felony possession of a controlled substance has been issued for actress Rose McGowan (left and right), who is one of dozens of women who accused Harvey Weinstein (right) of sexual misconduct.

The felony charge stems from a police investigation of personal belongings left behind on a United flight arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport on January 20. Police say the items tested positive for narcotics (McGowan pictured above October 27)

McGowan had not released a statement about the warrant as of Monday night. But she tweeted 'FACT' early Tuesday morning in a retweet suggesting that if she had 'taken the million dollars in hush money' from Weinstein, the warrant would not have been issued and not been a news story

She was alluding to a New York Times interview where she claims she was offered $1million by someone close to Weinstein in return for signing a nondisclosure agreement.

The 44-year-old actress also tweeted earlier on Monday claiming that there was a warrant for her arrest, but police would not confirm the details at the time.

'Are they trying to silence me? There is a warrant out for my arrest in Virginia. What a load of HORSES**T.,' she tweeted.

At the time, the Charmed star did not elaborate on why the warrant had been issued or what crime she had been accused of.

McGowan had tweeted earlier on Monday about the warrant in Virginia (above)

McGowan (left) appears to believe that her arrest warrant and her accusations against Weinstein (right) could be in some way related, according to her tweet earlier on Monday

She has been one of the leading voices against sexual harassment in Hollywood.

McGowan, 44, was allegedly raped by Weinstein at the Sundance Film Festival in 1997, and the Times reported that she received a $100,000 settlement in the wake of the incident.

She says she only realized that settlement did not include a nondisclosure component this summer, and this month accused the producer of the sexual assault on Twitter.

In the wake of that bravery, other victims and Weinstein's own employees have spoken out as well, despite also signing NDAs. More than 80 women have come forward with allegations of sexual harassment and assault.

Weinstein is now said to be in rehab and his spokeswoman says he 'unequivocally denies any allegations of non-consensual sex.'

While there is no proof of any conspiracy tying her Weinstein allegations to the warrant, it comes just a few days after actor Corey Feldman, who has been working to expose pedophilia in the entertainment industry, was charged for marijuana possession after being pulled over for speeding in Louisiana.

McGowan also weighed in on the Kevin Spacey scandal today after actor Anthony Rapp accused the Oscar winner of trying to seduce him when he was just 14, tweeting 'Bye bye, Spacey goodbye, it's your turn to cry...'
A Channel Nine reporter who lost her sister to a heroin overdose has broken down in tears after learning Victoria would open its first safe injecting room for drug addicts.

Laura Turner, whose sister Skye died from a heroin overdose in March this year, said the announcement was 'bittersweet' for herself and her family.

Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews announced the opening of a trial facility in North Richmond, inner-west Melbourne, on Tuesday.

Laura Turner, whose sister Skye died from a heroin overdose in March this year, said the announcement was 'bittersweet' for herself and her family (pictured together)

'To hear it come out of the Premier's mouth this morning had a profound impact on me,' she told Nine News.

'I was in tears, my mother was in tears. We've wanted to save other people's lives.'

Since Ms Turner's sister died in March, she and her mother have campaigned for safe injection rooms across the country in an effort to prevent more deaths.

'It's bittersweet for myself and my family the thought of saving the lives of other people like her is a beautiful thing and we are very grateful we are able to make something positive come of her death,' Ms Turner said.

Since Ms Turner (pictured) lost her sister in March, she and her mother have campaigned for safe injection rooms across the country in an effort to prevent more deaths

Laura Turner (pictured left, with her sister Skye right) has campaigned for safe injecting rooms

Ms Turner also posted a photo of herself with her late sister on Instagram on Tuesday with the caption: 'There are floods of tears in our home tonight'.

'Richmond is set to have a safe injecting facility set up. This is for you, beautiful Skye. In death, finally your voice has been heard. I love you,' she continued.

Premier Daniel Andrews made the formal announcement on Tuesday at the North Richmond community health centre.

Ms Turner also posted a photo of her with her late sister (pictured together) on Instagram on Tuesday with the caption: 'There are floods of tears in our home tonight'

Premier Daniel Andrews made the formal announcement on Tuesday at the North Richmond community health centre

North Richmond is a hot spot for drugs, and is known as one of Melbourne's most notorious sites for drug use and dealing.

The Victorian Government will introduce legislation in parliament on Tuesday to legalise the facility, which is expected to open its doors mid-2018.

In his announcement, Premier Andrews said the decision was fuelled by the success of a safe injecting room in Sydney which proved to slash the number of fatal overdoses in the New South Wales capital.

'This will work, this will save lives,' Mr Andrews said.
A hero firefighter has helped save a father and two of his children from a blaze before racing off to the hospital to see his own child being born.

Rescuers were called to a home at The Ponds around 7am on Tuesday morning after neighbours had raised concerns when the children were heard crying from atop of a roof, 7 News reported.

Nearby residents sprang into action, as they went to the aid of the youngsters with one man grabbing a ladder from his property before getting them to safety.

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The hero firefighter (pictured) helped save a father and two of his children from a house fire before racing off to the hospital to see his own child being born

Two children were spotted by neighbours calling for help from atop of a roof and were then helped by the locals

Smoke billowing from the house was captured on surveillance cameras on a residence opposite the blaze.

'We had people confirmed stuck on the roof. So they self-evacuated off the roof and the male occupant was stuck in the bathroom and disorientated,' firefighter John Bolwell said.

The man was treated at the scene before he was taken to hospital with two of his children suffering burns to his face and severe smoke inhalation.

A three-year-old boy suffered minor injuries and possible smoke inhalation and a 15-year-old boy is believed to inhaled smoke also.

Once the man was rescued Alan Fristsch (middle) had to rush off to his own emergency

Shortly after the fire crew's rescue Mr Bolwell's colleague Alan Fristsch had to rush off to his own emergency.

'I'm off to Westmead private hospital, I just had a phone call from my wife who has just gone into labour, or has to have an emergency cesarean so very exciting day.

'It's been hectic but very exciting, so can't wait to get out of here just quietly.'

Investigators will now work to establish the cause of the blaze with first initial inspections indicating it was likely started in the kitchen.
Nine bodies, including two with their heads severed and dumped in a cool box, have been found by police in the suburbs of Tokyo.

Police have arrested 27-year-old Takahiro Shiraishi, who lives in the apartment in Zama, south of Tokyo. He later told officers: 'I killed them and did some work on the bodies in order to hide the evidence.'

The arrest came as police were searching for a missing 23-year-old woman amid reports she had been seen with Shiraishi on CCTV and had recently posted on Twitter: 'I'm looking for someone to die with me.'

Police originally found two heads inside a cool box at the entrance to the apartment before making the grisly discovery of the other body parts, according to Jiji Press.

Grisly find: Police investigators guard an apartment building (centre, blue sheet) as members of the media crowd around in Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

This aerial photo shows the apartment (centre) where police found dismembered bodies in coolers in Zama city, southwest of Tokyo, on Tuesday

'During the course of the investigation, the heads of nine bodies have been discovered' inside various coolers and containers in the apartment, private TV network TBS said.

For the time being, police arrested Shiraishi on a charge that he dismembered one body and placed it inside a cooler, a charge that he was not contesting, according to a spokesman at Tokyo Metropolitan Police.

'He has said 'I dismembered a body and placed it inside a cooler and poured cat litter over it. It was meant to hide the body that I killed and to hide evidence',' the spokesman told AFP, declining to elaborate.

According to TBS, Shiraishi told police he 'dumped cut flesh and organs in the trash'.

The bodies were of eight women and one man, media reported.

Jiji Press said Shiraishi had told police he chopped up the bodies in a bathroom and a saw was found in his room.

The police spokesman could not immediately confirm these reports.

The Sankei Shimbun newspaper quoted a neighbour as saying he had 'smelled an odour he had never smelled before'.

Police inspect the apartment where dismembered bodies were found in coolers in Zama. A police spokesman said Tuesday the 27-year-old suspect confessed to cutting up the bodies and hiding them in cold-storage cases, covered with cat litter

'I thought it was the smell of sewage,' he said.

TBS said the body parts had been stripped of flesh.

Teams of investigators swarmed over the apartment as dozens of journalists joined curious neighbours on the narrow street.

Police used blue tarps to block views inside the two-storey building, and covered windows of the second-floor room where the bodies were discovered.

Authorities had been investigating the disappearance of a 23-year-old woman and discovered a connection between her and Shiraishi.

This woman had earlier tweeted 'I'm looking for someone to die with me,' according to the Sankei Shimbun daily.

Other media said Shiraishi and the woman had connected via a website featuring information about suicides.

A CCTV image showed Shiraishi and the 23-year-old woman walking together last Monday, NHK reported.

Authorities had been investigating the disappearance of a 23-year-old woman and discovered a connection between her and Shiraishi

Police used blue tarps to block views inside the two-storey building, and covered windows of the second-floor room where the bodies were discovered

She had been missing since September 21 and her older brother reported her disappearance to police, according to the Asahi Shimbun.

Japan prides itself on a low crime rate but is no stranger to high-profile violent crimes.

Earlier in October, a 32-year-old father was arrested on suspicion of stabbing his daughter to death. He admitted torching the house in which his wife and four other children were found dead.

In Japan's bloodiest crime for decades, Satoshi Uematsu faces charges of killing 19 people and attempting to kill or injure 24 others at a disability centre near Tokyo in July 2016.

In 1997 a 14-year-old schoolboy decapitated an 11-year-old acquaintance and placed the head at the gates of his school.
A French nurse wept in court as she pleaded guilty to causing the death of a 17-year-old Miss World Australia finalist.

Elyse Miller-Kennedy was killed in a horror car crash in north Queensland in August last year.

Cindy Gonin appeared in the Cairns District Court on crutches on Tuesday, where she pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, the Cairns Post reports.

Elyse Miller-Kennedy was killed in a horror car crash in north Queensland in August last year

French nurse Cindy Gonin was allegedly driving on the wrong side of the Maree Dimbulah Road when her vehicle collided with the one being driven by the teenager (pictured: crash scene)

She was allegedly driving on the wrong side of the Maree Dimbulah Road when her vehicle collided with the one being driven by the teenager.

The Year 12 student died in hospital after sustaining head and chest injuries in the crash.

Elyse had only got her driver's licence five weeks before the crash, but police said the collision was not her fault.

The investigations clearly show Elyse was a completely innocent party in this tragedy,' Forensic Crash investigator Scott Ezard said.

Elyse sustained head and chest injuries in the horrific crash and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition

'The family wish for people to understand how beautiful she was and is, and have asked for people to show their respect in dealing with this tragedy as they try and nurse her back to health.'

Gonin was treated in Cairns for the serious arm and leg injuries she sustained before she returned to France.

The case had been set for sentencing on Tuesday morning, but Judge Michael Shanahan said he was not satisfied with the medical report.

He said it didn't go into detail about Gonin's psychological state.

The matter was adjourned until Friday.

The 17-year-old later died in hospital as a result of the severe injuries she sustained in the crash

There was an outpouring of grief following her tragic death, with family, friends and Miss World Australia all left mourning their loss

Elyse had a promising career ahead of her as a model. She was a Miss World Australia finalist in 2017, and had signed with a modelling agency.

Current Miss World Australia Madeline Cowe said earlier she befriended Ms Miller-Kennedy during her pageant journey and was struggling to deal with the loss.

'You would never imagine she was only 17-years-old  she was so mature, so fun, so happy and full of life,' she said.

'She was a beautiful, amazing girl both inside and out and she could have been or done anything she wanted to.'

A fundraising campaign set up for Elyse by a family friend after the crash to help cover expenses raised more than $50,000 for her family.

A Miss World Australia finalist, Elyse had a promising career ahead of her as a model
John Kelly vowed on Monday night that he would 'never' apologize for making false remarks about Rep. Frederica Wilson on October 19.

Fox News's Laura Ingraham asked him if he would step back from his comments, in which he called Wilson an 'empty barrel' and incorrectly said that she had boasted about her fundraising in a 2015 memorial service.

'Oh, no. No. Never,' he responded. 'Well, I'll apologize if I need to. But for something like that, absolutely not. I stand by my comments.'

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John Kelly told Fox news on Monday night that he would 'never' apologize to Frederica Wilson for saying she boasted about raising funds during a somber FBI dedication ceremony

He had claimed Wilson made the claims in a speech but footage showed he was wrong. He said on Monday she made the remarks before or after the speech instead

Earlier this month, Kelly complained that the Democrat Representative had gone on stage at the dedication service for a new FBI field office in Miami and boasted about the money she raised to build it.

He said the audience was 'stunned' by the remarks at the somber occasion, which saw the building being named after two agents who died in the line of duty.

But footage played by Ingraham - who was interviewing Kelly for the debut of her Fox News show The Ingraham Angle - showed that Wilson made no such claims.

Kelly suggested that she had actually made the comments at the event but outside of her speech, calling it a 'package deal.'

'Well, Ill go back and talk about before her comments and at the reception afterwards,' he said. 'Again, it was a package deal. Dont want to get into it.'

Interviewer Laura Ingraham tried to get him to open up about the recently filed Russia probe charges, but he evaded with rambling, deflecting answers

He also bemoaned the 'politicalization' of soldiers, referring to the incident that sparked off the feud.

That occurred when Wilson said that she had been present during Donald Trump's allegedly insensitive phone call to war widow Myeshia Johnson.

Johnson and Wilson said that Trump had told the widow that her husband - Sgt La David Johnson, who was killed in an ambush in Niger - 'knew what he signed up for.'

Kelly told Ingraham he saw 'the president make a phone call as best he could... he did the best he could to make it personal.'

'As far as the young widow goes, she has every right to say what she wants to say,' Kelly added. 'But it's the politicization [sic] of something that was so from the heart.'

Ingraham also asked Kelly about the charges filed against Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, Manafort's business associate Rick Gates, and campaign foreign policy adviser George Papdopouolos.

But Kelly was evasive, saying that the issues they were charged with allegedly occurred prior to the Trump campaign beginning.

He said that 'Everyones innocent till...' before catching himself and changing his phrasing to 'presumed innocent,' adding: 'We'll see where it goes.'

An attempt to bring up the possibly links between Trump and Russia were met with a rambling evasion that began with an assurance of confidence in Trump's innocence, then turned into a claim that the public has no confidence in 'Congress and the media'.

He then called for a special counsel to be appointed to investigate Democrats over a uranium deal during the Obama administration and a dossier compiled on Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Kelly said that he and his colleagues were 'very, very confident' that Trump was innocent of collusion with Russia, and that the charges were related to events from before the campaign

'I think probably as a layman looking at this kind of thing we need to find someone who is very, very objective who can get to the bottom of these accusations,' Kelly said.

He added that he hopes Robert Mueller's investigation will 'wrap up soon.'

Kelly also complained about the 'destabilizing' threat of North Korean nuclear arms, and acknowledged that China 'beat us very bad in trade' but added 'that doesn't make them an enemy.'

And when asked about the removal of plaques dedicated to Christopher Columbus and George Washington at a church, he said: 'Well, history's history.'

'And there are certain things in history that were not so good and other things that were very, very good.

'I think we make a mistake, though, and as a society and certainly as individuals, when we take what is today accepted as right and wrong and go back 100, 200, 300 years or more and say what those, you know, what Christopher Columbus did was wrong.'
A science museum is pulling a sweatshirt design out of the archives after it featured in the latest season of Netflix's hot sci-fi show, Stranger Things.

The Science Museum of Minnesota has revealed plans to revive and reissue its long dead 'Brontosaurus: Thunder Lizard' hoodie after eagle-eyed fans spotted Stranger Things character Dustin (played by Gaten Matarazzo) wearing it in multiple scenes in the premiere episode of the series' recently released second season.

The purple-hued hooded sweatshirt  which bears an image of a Brontosaurus skeleton, the Greek translation of the dinosaur name and the museum's name  was a vintage, 1980s-era Science Museum gift shop merchandise.

Stranger Things fans tweeted out pictures of Dustin (played by Gaten Matarazzo) wearing a vintage Science Museum of Minnesota hoodie in the season two premiere episode

The Science Museum quickly tweeted that it would be re-releasing the sweatshirt, which was last sold in the gift shop during the 1980s

On Friday, the museum tweeted: 'Stranger Things fans: Check out what Dustin is wearing in season 2, episode 1! Yes, we want one too. Working on it!'

The tweet prompted people to flock to social media to announce how eager they were to buy the sweatshirt and find out when it would be available for purchase.

When queried by fans about how the sweatshirt wound up on the Netflix series, the Science Museum tweeted that it had 'no clue how they got their hands on one of our vintage shirts.'

Science Museum spokesperson Kim Ramsden confirmed to FOX29 that museum staff only discovered that the sweatshirt had been used in the show after seeing a tweet with a screenshot of it on Friday, the same day that the new episodes dropped on Netflix.

The Science Museum's Brontosaurus sweatshirt was featured in multiple scenes in the episode

Fans flocked to Twitter to talk about how eager they were to buy the sweatshirt

Ramsden said that the sweatshirt had, indeed, been sold in their gift shop during the '80s and is not currently part of the museum's wares. As part of the efforts to put the sweatshirt back into production, museum staffers are seeking out records and additional photos of the sweatshirt in the archives.

Ramsden told the Star Tribune that the museum was 'delighted' by all the attention it's now receiving and noted that, 'For those of us here in Minnesota, how cool is it to see that Minnesota connection in this national and international show?'

The Science Museum of Minnesota is urging fans to sign up to their mailing list for an alert about when the sweatshirt will go on sale. On Saturday, the museum tweeted that it would be available 'well before' Christmas.

Fan-created, bootleg merchandise versions of the sweatshirt design are already available for purchase on independent artist design sites including Teepublic and Redbubble.

The Science Museum of Minnesota is thrilled by the attention they're now getting

Considering Stranger Things is set in the fictional rural town of Hawkins, Indiana, it may seem like a strange thing for one of its characters to be sporting a sweatshirt from a Minnesota museum.

While it's generally assumed that the wardrobe department used the sweatshirt because it's a historically accurate piece of clothing that suits the character's and series' vibe  the show takes place in the '80s  some fans are speculating that the decision to use a Minnesota sweatshirt is actually part of an 'Easter egg' in-joke relating to series star Winona Ryder, who was born in Winona, Minnesota.
Salt Lake City police are searching for Austin Boutain (above), 24, and said in a tweet that he is 'considered armed and dangerous'. He is suspected of shooting one person dead near the University of Utah late Monday

One person has died following a shooting near the University of Utah and students have been told to take shelter as the gunman is still on the run.

Salt Lake City police Sgt. Brandon Shearer confirmed that 'one person is deceased' after the police department had received a report of a man being shot in the head, prompting officers to respond to the scene immediately.

Police are searching for the suspect, identified as Austin Boutain, 24, and said in a tweet that he is 'considered armed and dangerous'.

Shearer said during a press conference that the suspect is possibly driving a forest green pick-up truck with a Colorado license plate and that he has a cross tattooed on his face.

He added that authorities are interviewing witnesses to determine exactly what happened.

One person has died following a shooting near the University of Utah and students have been told to take shelter. Above police officers search for the gunman

Salt Lake City police Sgt. Brandon Shearer said during a press conference that the suspect is possibly driving a forest green pick-up truck with a Colorado license plate and that he has face tattoos. Above police officers search for the gunman

Shearer said that authorities are interviewing witnesses to determine exactly what happened. Above police officers search for the gunman

Salt Lake City Police Department confirmed that one person died at the college campus on Twitter early Tuesday morning

Authorities did not release the identity of the victim from the shooting or say how many shots were fired.

At least eight agencies from across the valley are on the scene, including the FBI and highway patrol.

There are also reports that the University of Utah Hospital is on lockdown.

At around 9pm local time, the university tweeted: 'CAMPUS ALERT: Shots fired, Red Butte Canyon. Shelter in place. MORE INFORMATION TO COME.'

'CAMPUS ALERT: Suspect male, white adult. Black clothing, beanie with cross, tear-drop tattoo on face. Possible forest green pick-up CO plate,' the university tweeted around an hour later.

The University of Utah tweeted: 'CAMPUS ALERT: Shots fired, Red Butte Canyon. Shelter in place. MORE INFORMATION TO COME'

'CAMPUS ALERT: Suspect male, white adult. Black clothing, beanie with cross, tear-drop tattoo on face. Possible forest green pick-up CO plate,' the university tweeted around an hour later

Students have been told to take shelter following reports of shots fired near the university (file above)

It added: 'CAMPUS ALERT UPDATE: Continue to secure in place. Active police situation. Heavy police presence in Red Butte Canyon and surrounding areas.'

A Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter has launched to help university police search for a suspect, ABC 4 Utah reported.

The TRAX Red Line is not going past Stadium Station due to police activity the Utah Transit Authority announced.

In addition, the bus system is not continuing service at the campus due to the shooting.
Alva Campbell, 69, will be put to death on November 15 while in a sitting position because he's too sick to lie flat

An Ohio death row inmate has been approved by a doctor to partially sit up during his execution next month because he is too frail to lie flat on his back.

Convicted murderer Alva Campbell, 69, tried to appeal his death sentence last month and was denied.

Campbell is scheduled to die on November 15 for fatally shooting teenager Charles Dials during a 1997 carjacking while fleeing from police.

The inmate has severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder as the result of a decades-long two-pack-a-day smoking habit that finally stopped nine years ago.

Allowing a condemned killer with health problems to partially sit up during his execution next month would be a 'reasonable' accommodation, according to Dr. James McWeeney, a contractor for the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.

Campbell was sentenced to the death penalty for killing an 18-year-old boy in 1997

Typically lethal injections are carried out while inmates lie flat on their backs, but Campbell will be in a reclining position

Franklin County prosecutor Ron O'Brien calls Campbell 'the poster child for the death penalty.'

Campbell's health problems 'could create a spectacle of a terminally ill man, with tourniquets on his arms and legs, being stabbed repeatedly to no avail,' defense attorney David Stebbins said Monday.

Campbell's attorneys also say he uses a walker, relies on an external colostomy bag, requires four breathing treatments a day and may have lung cancer.

Prosecutors say Campbell's health claims are ironic given he faked paralysis to escape court custody the day he killed Dials.

Campbell was paroled in 1992 after serving 20 years for killing another man in a Cleveland bar. On April 2, 1997, Campbell was in a wheelchair when he overpowered a Franklin County sheriff's deputy on the way to a court hearing on several armed robbery charges, records show.

He took the deputy's gun, carjacked 18-year-old Dials and drove around with him for several hours before shooting him twice in the head as he crouched in the footwell of his own truck, according to court records.

Charles Dials (pictured) was just 18 years old when he was shot in the head by Campbell

Franklin County prosecutor Ron O'Brien calls Campbell 'the poster child for the death penalty' as he has been convicted of two murders and shooting a cop

Courtesy of ABC 6

Dr McWeeney said he would now be in a semi recumbent position for the execution.

'Given the events observed at this examination and the patient's underlying pulmonary and mental health disorders, it would be reasonable to make an accommodation for the patient during the execution process that would permit him to lay in a semi-recumbent position,' he said.

The doctor also said he couldn't find veins suitable for inserting an IV on either of Campbell's arms.

In 2009, problems placing an IV in the arms of death row inmate Romell Broom led to the cancellation of the execution after almost two hours and 18 needle sticks. Broom remains on death row, arguing in court the state shouldn't be allowed a second attempt to execute him.

The Department of Rehabilitation and Correction said it 'has taken Campbell's medical conditions under consideration for planning of possible accommodations for his execution.'

Defense attorney Stebbins argued in court filings that Campbell was regularly beaten, sexually abused and tortured as a child.

But the board rejected Campbell's request for mercy on October 12. Republican Governor John Kasich, who has spared some inmates while rejecting clemency for others, has the final say.
A kangaroo has been caught hopping onto a country road and sliding around in front of oncoming traffic.

The footage was captured by a Queensland driver named Craig on his dash cam and appeared to be taken during a period of heavy rain.

The man was harmlessly driving along a road in Toowoomba when he noticed an animal skidding across the road.

Craig was harmlessly driving along a road in Toowoomba when he noticed an animal skidding across the road (pictured)

He slows the car down to a halt, watching as a small kangaroo flings its body back and forth trying to stay upright.

However, it fails.

The kangaroo takes several seconds to right itself before frantically hopping off down the road.

Craig handed in the footage to the website Dash Cam Owners Australia so others could witness 'Slippy the Kangaroo' in action.

Craig handed in the footage to Dash Cam Owners Australia so others could witness 'Slippy the Kangaroo' in action

'It's clear that Roo is normally a Commodore driver, doing burnouts like that without checking for other road users,' someone wrote online

Some social media commenters went to town over the mammal's breaking of the 'road rules'.

'You can see the Roo was in the wrong. Came into the roadway without even bloody looking and was clearly going too fast for the conditions. Kangaroo licensing in this country is a joke,' one person wrote.

'It's clear that Roo is normally a Commodore driver, doing burnouts like that without checking for other road users,' another added.

Others called for A Current Affair to get involved and even mentioned impounding the 'hoon' for three months.
Today is the last day people can lodge their tax returns, or they'll risk facing a huge fine.

People who don't lodge their tax can be hit with fines of up to $1050.

If taxpayers don't lodge a tax return before the cut off date of October 31, they face fines of $210 for every 28 days the return is late.

Today is the last day people can lodge their tax returns, or they'll risk facing a huge fine (stock image)

If tax isn't lodged by the cut off date of October 31, people may face fines of up to $1050

More than 9.4 million people have lodged their tax returns according to News Corp, which is up four per cent on last year.

The Australian Tax Office is expecting about 13 million taxpayers to lodge their tax returns, however some people come up with creative responses as to why they didn't lodge tax return.

'My papers flew out the window on the way to the accountant' and 'my accountant was in prison and doesn't have access to a computer' are some of the interesting excuses the ATO has heard.

However, ATO Assistant Commissioner Kath Anderson told the publication people can just get in contact and explain what is happening, rather than make up absurd explanations.

This year, people who rent out their rooms on Airbnb are in firm sight of the tax man (stock image)

People can still lodge their tax return online through the ATO website, which is estimated to take about 30 minutes, or with a tax agent.

This year, people who rent out their rooms on Airbnb are in firm sight of the tax man.

Ms Anderson said while people may think renting out a room is a 'hobby', the reality is it is a business because they're using an asset to earn income.

For people making work related expense deductions, Ms Anderson told the publication it must be directly related to an income, people must have bought it with their own money and people must have the record to prove it.
Students from five top private Baltimore schools have been accused of wearing racist costumes at Halloween parties over the weekend, or adding racist captions onto party photos.

One image shows a white man in a prison jumpsuit with 'Freddie Gray' written on the back, and the caption 'ur going to jail tonight'. The death of Gray, a black man, in police custody led to riots in Baltimore.

Another photo shows two white students also dressed in orange overalls with the caption 'n*****s broke out' while a third shows a shirtless man with swastikas and the N-word drawn on his back, CBS Baltimore reported.

These two photographs emerged from two separate Halloween parties over the weekend, as students from several elite Baltimore private schools displayed shocking racism

None of the students in question are being identified because they are minors.

The 'Freddie Gray' costume was being worn by a student of Boys' Latin School of Maryland, according to The Baltimore Sun.

The photo was taken an off-campus party at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, the school said.

Boys' Latin Headmaster Christopher J Post said in a letter to parents that he was 'deeply troubled that an individual would choose to act in this way' and 'so sorry for any hurt or pain that these actions have caused.'

'Boys' Latin denounces the insensitivity and intolerance depicted by these images,' he wrote.

Freddie Gray (pictured), who is referenced on one of the pictures, infamously died of a broken neck while in police custody, causing days of civil unrest in Baltimore

'In no way, shape or form will Boys' Latin support or tolerate actions or behaviors that demean or belittle another person, a group of individuals, or the suffering that one may endure.'

The College of Charleston in South Carolina said the division of student affairs and department of public safety are investigating and will take action if rules were broken.

'Our education and our campus community are about lifting each other up, not tearing each other down,' President Glenn McConnell wrote Monday in a campus-wide letter.

'Racism and intolerance of any kind have no place on our campus - and in our world.'

The two other students in jump suits were at a different party from the 'Freddie Gray' student and attend the Gilman School and Roland Park Country School, the schools said in a joint statement.

'Know that we take any situation involving our students seriously, and this is no exception,' the schools said.

In this third photo, a man has swastikas on his back; blanked out is a drawing of a penis (left) and the N-word (over his shoulder-blades). He attends one of the Baltimore schools

'Please understand that many involved in this situation are minors and we respectfully remind you of this as we work through the details.'

One of the students' parents said that their child was innocent and that they were 'just having fun' in a prison costume when the person who took the photo 'misrepresented' them.

'These are costumes that are widely available and the responsibility for this lies with the folks who misrepresented what went on,' the parent told the Baltimore Sun.

The person who took that photo - and added the caption - attends Mount Saint Joseph High School.

Someone claiming to be that student apologized on Twitter Sunday, saying the caption 'N*****s broke out' was a line from an Ice-T song that was playing at the time.

George E Andrews Jr, the school's president, said in a statement: 'Obviously, this sort of behavior cannot be tolerated, and we share in the hurt and dismay this action may have caused.

'We take all matters involving students seriously, and will determine how best to address the matter internally after further investigation.'

The shirtless student with swastikas attends St Paul's School, CBS Local reported.

In a statement, the school said: 'St Paul's School does not tolerate any form of hate or discrimination.

'The School is investigating an incident that occurred off campus and outside of school hours, and will take the necessary and appropriate steps.

'Privacy policies do not permit us to provide any further information. We remain committed to fostering an inclusive community whose members respect themselves and one another.'


The Turnbull Government has been dealt another blow, with Senate President Stephen Parry discovering he is a possible dual citizen of Britain.

The 12-year veteran of federal parliament, who turns 57 on Tuesday, may hold U.K. citizenship by descent, despite being born in the Tasmanian town of Burnie.

The Tasmanian Liberal senator has written to his colleagues confirming he may resign as Senate President and from parliament after consulting the British Home Office.

Stephen Parry may resign as Senate President after learning he may be a dual British citizen

Stephen Parry (pictured in 2005 delivering his maiden speech) has written to his Senate colleagues about his possible need to resign

The unfortunate discovery comes just four days after the High Court ruled that former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce and his Nationals deputy Fiona Nash were dual citizens of New Zealand and Britain, respectively.

'In the event that I am found to hold British citizenship by virtue of my fathers status, then I will clearly be in breach of section 44 (1) of the Constitution and would therefore resign as President of the Senate,' Senator Parry said in an email to his Senate colleagues obtained by Daily Mail Australia.

'I would further resign as a senator for the state of Tasmania and not await the outcome of any referral to the High Court, as I believe the High Court has made it abundantly clear what action is required.'

Senator Parry is now the eighth federal politician to be dragged into the dual citizenship fiasco.

Senator Parry, who was born in Tasmania in 1960, has learnt he may be a Brit by descent

It began in July when former Greens senators Scott Ludlam and Larissa Waters learnt they were dual citizens of New Zealand and Canada, and resigned from parliament.

Senator Parry's potential conflict with Section 44 of the Constitution comes as the Turnbull Government rules without a majority in the House of Representatives, with Mr Joyce preparing for a December by-election in his seat of New England in northern New South Wales.

It follows the High Court's disqualification from federal parliament of former Queensland One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts for being a dual Brit.

Resources Minister Matt Canavan, a Queensland Nationals senator, and South Australian crossbencher Nick Xenophon were cleared by the nation's top judges last week.

Senator Parry, who earns almost $350,000 a year, is the son of a Briton who moved to Australia in 1951.

Senator's letter to his colleagues Dear Colleagues, After the unanimous ruling handed down by the High Court of Australia on Friday last, there is now absolute clarity about the application of Section 44 of the Australian Constitution. As a result of this I have had cause to examine my citizenship status in relation to my late father having being born in the United Kingdom. My father moved to Australia as a boy in 1951. He married my mother in 1960 and I was born that same year in Burnie. I have always regarded my late father as Australian, particularly as he undertook his national service and participated as a member of the Australian Army Reserve and voted in every Australian election since adulthood. Yesterday, I wrote to the British Home Office seeking clarity as to the status of my citizenship with the United Kingdom. This was the first opportunity to do so since the High Court ruling. The British Home office has sought further details from me today, which I have provided, and I await a response. Depending upon the outcome, I may seek further legal advice before reporting back to the Senate. In any event I will report the result of the investigation and any subsequent advice to the Senate. In the event that I am found to hold British citizenship by virtue of my fathers status, then I will clearly be in breach of Section 44(1) of the Constitution and would therefore resign as President of the Senate. I would further resign as a Senator for the State of Tasmania and not await the outcome of any referral to the High Court, as I believe the High Court has made it abundantly clear what action is required. Stephen Advertisement
Sometimes things are best left to the professionals, as one man proved while failing at using a knife to slice open a champagne bottle.

The impressive party trick  a technique called 'sabrage,' popularized by Napoleon's troops  traditionally adds much pizzazz to celebrations when pulled off correctly, but in the hands of an amateur, it can be a total embarrassment.

And waste of perfectly good champers.

A khaki-clad man attempts the party trick of opening a champagne bottle using a knife

In this video, a man can be seen attempting to wow an audience with his sabrage skills, using what appears to be a champagne sword to cut off the top of a bottle of bubbly.

Holding the bottle at arm's length, the man takes a few practice swings at the bottle's neck, before committing to the party trick.

His first attempt to smoothly lop off the top of the bottle is defeated, as not enough force has been applied behind the knife stroke.

The man has slightly more success with his second strike, which cracks the bottle, enough to allow champagne to leak all over his hand.

Sadly for the man, he doesn't quite get the trick right and the bottle tumbles to the floor, spraying champagne everywhere

Refusing to be bested by the uncooperative champagne bottle, the man takes four more stabs at it, striking the bottle repeatedly again and again and again and again, until  through a combination of slippery fingers and strike force  he drops the bottle on the ground, spraying champagne everywhere.

As the man scrambles to pick up the bottle, a little girl runs away to avoid being drenched by bubbly, while his off-camera audience laughs.

Fortunately, it doesn't appear as though anybody was injured during the failed champagne bottle stunt.

When done correctly, opening a champagne bottle with a knife or sword involves one smooth strike below the lip of the champagne bottle, which breaks off the top of the neck, leaving the contents ready to be poured.
Two women have been arrested after the fatal stabbing of a man outside an inner-city Melbourne pub.

Officers were called to Abbotsford at about 9.20pm on Monday following reports of a man being assaulted with an edged weapon.

The man, aged in his 30s, was arguing with a woman outside of the Bakers Arms Hotel before he was fatally stabbed.

Scroll down for video

A man is dead after he was allegedly stabbed to death during a fight with a woman in Melbourne's inner east (pictured)

Police were called to Abbotsford (pictured) at about 9.20pm on Monday following reports of a man being assaulted with an edged weapon

Evidence was seen being taken from the 300metre crime scene on Victoria Street around 7am on Tuesday (pictured)

After he was injured, the man ran up Victoria road and caught the attention of patrons at a pub, according to 7News.

The man was rushed to hospital but later died from his injuries.

Police said the man and woman were known to each other.

The man was rushed to hospital but later died from his injuries

After he was injured, the man ran up Victoria road and alerted people at a pub

Forensic police officers work at the scene where the man was stabbed to death

Victoria Street - one of the city's busiest roads - was reopened around 8am

Police said the man and woman were known to each other (police investigating pictured)

A crime scene was established, stretching 300metres along Victoria Street - causing heavy traffic delays.

Trams were stopped and business owners were not allowed to access their shops.

The section of Victoria Street - one of the city's busiest roads - was reopened around 8am on Tuesday.

Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward with information.

It is believed the man, aged in his 30s, was arguing with a woman near the Bakers Arms Hotel (pictured)
A man who terrorised five women and a teenage girl while he was armed with a knife and high on ice has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

Jie Daniel Curtis, 37, pleaded guilty to six counts of assault with the intention of committing an offence causing harm in Adelaide, according to the ABC.

While the sentence was being handed out at Adelaide District Court on Tuesday, the court heard he harassed five women and a teenage girl over 36 hours across suburbs in Adelaide in February 2016.

Jie Daniel Curtis, 37, pleaded guilty to six counts of assault with the intention of committing an offence causing harm in Adelaide

While the sentence was being handed out at Adelaide District Court on Tuesday, the court heard he harassed five women and a teenage girl over 36 hours across suburbs in Adelaide

The women and the teenage girl were walking and exercising in public during the day when they were targeted by Curtis.

He followed them in a stolen car and then jumped out at them, on occasion threatening them with a knife while wearing high-vis work wear.

While targeting one victim he said 'you are coming with me, don't scream and stay calm', while during another he offered a woman $500 'for pleasure'.

All of his victims were eventually able to scream and get away from Curtis.

Judge Sophie David said Curtis' behaviour was 'terrifying', and the impact of his offending was 'significant and far-reaching'.

The court heard that Curtis had a 'long criminal history', and was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time.

Judge David said Curtis had apologised for his offending and she accepted he was 'genuinely remorseful'.

Curtis was given a non-parole period of seven years in prison.
Manus Island detainees claim locals are looting Australia's offshore detention centre with just hours to go before water and power are cut off.

Hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers are refusing to leave the centre at the Lombrum Navy Base in Papua New Guinea for fear of their safety outside.

All staff have left the centre, and there are multiple reports Manus Island locals wielding machetes are looting the site ahead of its closure on Tuesday afternoon.

Manus Island detainees claim locals are looting Australia's offshore detention centre with just hours to go before water and power are cut off (pictured is a looter stealing a fan)

All staff have left the centre (pictured), and there are multiple reports Manus Island locals wielding machetes are looting the site ahead of its closure on Tuesday afternoon

Sudanese refugee Abdul Mohammad says asylum seekers and refugees fear for their lives.

'Some of the locals have come inside and are stealing boxes, fire alarms, the fans, some of them are taking the air-conditioners,' he said from Manus Island.

Former Manus Island MP Ron Knight suggested former workers were responsible for stripping bare the facilities because they hadn't been paid entitlements.

Bangladesh refugee Mohammad Ohidul Islam said some locals have been throwing rocks at refugees inside the centre.

Refugees securing a recently damaged perimeter fence at the Manus Island immigration detention centre in Papua New Guinea, Monday, October 30, 2017

Refugees gesturing inside the Manus detention camp in Papua New Guinea on the day of the camp's expected closure

Refugees protest outside an Australian detention camp in Papua New Guinea that is due to close on October 31, with fears they could be forcibly removed by authorities

'We are really scared,' he said from inside the centre.

He said refugees and asylum seekers at the detention centre would be holding a meeting in the afternoon to organise teams for night patrol security shifts, while others sleep.

Food packs were last distributed on Sunday night and detainees are using bins and other objects to catch rain water, with running water and power to be cut off on Tuesday evening.

Lawyers for the roughly 600 men in detention lodged a Supreme Court application in PNG on Tuesday, arguing the group's constitutionally protected human rights were being breached by the removal of basic services.

Refugees at Manus Island detention centre, Papua New Guinea, linking hands in solidarity ahead of the centre's closure

Refugees gathered - one holding a placard - inside the Manus detention camp in Papua New Guinea on the day of the camp's expected closure

Hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers are refusing to leave the centre (pictured) at the Lombrum Navy Base in Papua New Guinea for fear of their safety outside

Detainees fear they will not be safe at three other facilities they are meant to relocate to around the island's main town of Lorengau, after locals threatened to use violence to stop them from moving.

Extra PNG police and defence forces have been flown into Manus ahead of the closure deadline.

Local media have reported PNG Immigration Minister Petrus Thomas as saying the detainees won't be forced to leave the detention centre.

Acting prime minister Julie Bishop says refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island will be guaranteed all appropriate services at their alternative accommodation.

Sudanese refugee Abdul Mohammad says asylum seekers and refugees fear for their lives (pictured are facilities at the Manus Island Regional Processing Facility)

Lawyers for the roughly 600 men in detention lodged a Supreme Court application in PNG on Tuesday, arguing the group's constitutionally protected human rights were being breached by the removal of basic services (pictured is the centre ahead of its closure on Tuesday)

'I understand the PNG government has made arrangements for all essential services to be available at the alternative accommodation - food, water, electricity and medical services,' she told reporters.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has little sympathy for those left at the centre.

'They have long claimed the Manus (regional processing centre) was a hellhole - but the moment it was to be closed they demanded it be kept open,' he said in a statement.

Labor's immigration spokesman Shayne Neumann urged the Turnbull government to urgently de-escalate tensions on the island and ensure the safety of refugees.

Detainees fear they will not be safe at three other facilities they are meant to relocate to around the island's main town of Lorengau, after locals threatened to use violence to stop them from moving (pictured is the centre ahead of its Tuesday closure)

'Transferring refugees from one centre to another is not a long-term solution. These people urgently need viable third country resettlement options,' he said.

Amnesty International's Kate Schuetze, who is on Manus Island to observe the closure, said PNG police and defence forces had a chequered history of violence against refugees.

Ms Schuetze pointed to the Good Friday shooting, when nine people were injured after PNG military personnel opened fire on the Manus Island centre.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has little sympathy for those left at the centre (pictured)

Amnesty International's Kate Schuetze, who is on Manus Island to observe the closure, said PNG police and defence forces had a chequered history of violence against refugees (pictured is the centre ahead of its closure)

PNG's government has warned Australia it would take no responsibility for 'non-refugees' and people who refused to settle in PNG, saying they were the obligation of the Australian government.

The Lombrum centre was forced to close after the PNG Supreme Court ruled in April 2016 that Australia's detention of refugees and asylum seekers there was illegal and unconstitutional.

Six detainees have died on Manus Island - including one who was murdered - since the offshore detention centre was reopened in 2012.
A young mother was slapped with a huge Amazon bill after her five-year-old girl accidentally ordered a diamond necklace and almost 300 of the same Disney toy.

Sophie Stone, 32, was utterly baffled when a delivery she had no recollection of ordering arrived at her home in Southampton earlier this month.

But, the mystery was soon solved when her daughter Bella declared: 'My necklace has arrived.'

Bella Stone poses with the 107 diamond necklace she accidentally ordered from Amazon

Sophie Stone told of how Bella ordered the bizarre haul using voice recognition technology

On the help section of Amazon's website, they advise that it is possible to cancel an order

'When the postman first showed up, I was so confused,' said Mrs Stone, a stay-at-home mum to Bella and her siblings Ellie, eight and Oliver, two.

'I was trying to remember what I'd ordered, then began wondering if my husband, Dan, had bought me a present.

'When I asked, though, he was just as confused as me. Bella looked really sheepish, and that's when we knew she had something to do with it.'

Realising the delivery had come from online retailer Amazon, Mrs Stone logged into her account to view her order history, and saw her most recent purchases listed as a 107 necklace and 12 Disney Moana fish hook toys, totalling 287.

Mrs Stone and her girls - eight-year-old Ellie and Bella, five - who live in Southampton

The whole Stone family, pictured here when their youngest child Oliver was born

Mrs Stone, who is a stay-at-home mother to her three children - including daughter Ellie (right)

After talking to Bella, she discovered that the youngster had accidentally ordered the bizarre haul using voice recognition technology while she was playing on the family's Amazon Fire tablet the night before.

The Stones with Bella and Ellie at Disneyland

The schoolgirl had also signed her mum up to a six-month subscription of Amazon Music, and bought DVDs of the children's films Trolls and Boss Baby.

Mrs Stone explained: 'We all have our own passwords, but Ellie knows mine and must've told Bella, so they could log in.

'They don't use the tablet a lot, but Dan and I had been out on the evening when she ordered everything. We'd told the babysitter to let them use it, if they got too much for her.

'When we asked Bella to explain how she'd done it, she said she'd asked to see 'Elsa from Frozen' and the voice recognition had taken her to the necklace, which is blue and silver, like something Elsa would wear.

'Bella absolutely loves jewellery, which is what made it funnier. It's such a 'her' thing to order.'

At first, when Mrs Stone saw how much her daughter had spent, she had panicked, in case she could not get a refund.

But, after posting on Facebook, friends reassured her that she should be able to get the money back.

The purchases on Amazon included a 107 necklace and 12 Disney Moana fish hook toys

Mrs Stone believes Ellie (left) gave Bella (right) her password so they could log on to Amazon

Thankfully, Amazon staff were very understanding and the funds were credited to her account straight away.

'I was worried I'd have to pay out loads to send everything back, especially as one of the things Bella ordered was from New Jersey in the USA, which was about 50,' Mrs Stone explained.

'In the end, though, I was only down about 20. Amazon were really good about it.

'The Moana toys haven't arrived yet, but they said just to refuse the delivery if they do. I've got no idea what's going to show up at my door over the next few days.'

Bella and her father, electrician Dan Stone. The couple saw the funny side and didn't tell her off

Mrs Stone (right) initially thought the order was a present from her husband Mr Stone (left)

Mrs Stone (left) and her five-year-old daughter Bella try on lipstick together

Seeing the funny side, Mrs Stone said neither she, nor her husband, an electrician, told Bella off.

Instead, they explained, gently, why she should never order things without her parents' permission.

She has also changed her password again - just to be on the safe side.

'I'm not telling anyone what it is this time,' she joked.

On the help section of Amazon's website, they advise that it is possible to cancel an order.
A huge saltwater crocodile was spotting taking advantage of the sun on Thursday morning, sun-baking at low tide just metres from locals' homes in North Queensland.

The three metre-long reptile was photographed lying on a sand island close to the Port Hinchinbrook marina.

Residents have expressed concerns to Channel 7, saying that 'it won't be long before they come into someone's front yard'.

An enormous three metre-long crocodile has taken to sunbaking just metres from local homes

The croc was was roaming around the marina 'because there's been no dredging after the cyclone, therefore nobody is using the marina except crocodiles,' said local resident Barry Hare.

People often fish during high tide at the Port Hinchinbrook marina's rock wall, and Mr Hare believed that the reptile was 'sizing things up' in the area.

Mr Hare also slammed the Government, which 'doesn't seem to be too worried about it' because 'they're protected, they're better than us.'

'Next thing you know, we'll lose someone,' said Mr Hare, who lives less than 100m from where the crocodile was last seen.

'Next thing you know, we'll lose someone': Locals are worried that the croc is so close to shore

The sighting follows an incident last week where four men were photographed swimming inside a baited crocodile trap.

The foolhardy swimmers were seen entering a crocodile cage just off the shore, with one man even climbing on top of the mesh to shut the cage door.

'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.

Four men were spotting swimming inside a crocodile trap in Cairns in Far North Queensland

The swimmers were photographed inside a crocodile trap baited to attract dangerous reptiles

'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 is also illegal. Anyone who deliberately interferes with the operation of a crocodile trap faces a fine of more than $15,000.'
Chilling footage of the moment a man was lured to service station before being attacked by bikies has been released by police.

Clint Starkey was driven by a friend to a Caltex petrol station at Peats Ridge on the New South Wales Central Coast at 11pm on April 5.

The 42-year-old was then brutally beaten by four men police claim are Rebels outlaw motorcycle gang members or associates.

Chilling footage of the moment a man was lured to service station and attacked by bikies (pictured) has been released by police

Clint Starkey (pictured) was driven by a friend to a Caltex petrol station at Peats Ridge on the New South Wales Central Coast at 11pm on April 5

Mr Starkey was due to face court Gosford District Court the day after he was attacked for sentencing on drug offences, News.com.au reported.

Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin said Mr Starkey is believed to be a Rebels associate and police are confident they know why the attack took place.

The vicious beating left Mr Starkey so severely injured doctors believed his attackers used an axe.

Mr Starkey was taken to Gosford Hospital just after midnight on April 6 before being flown to Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical condition.

The 42-year-old was then brutally beaten by four men police claim are Rebels outlaw motorcycle gang members or associates (pictured are two men police wish to speak to)

He remained in a critical condition and never regained consciousness until his death on June 12.

CCTV footage from the service station shows the car Mr Starkey was driven in being approached by two men.

Police hope members of the public can help identify the men pictured in the video, amid dawn raid which led to two arrests.

'I would urge these people to come forward now as it's only a matter of time before we come to you,' Mr Jubelin said.

Mr Starkey was due to face court Gosford District Court the day after he was attacked for sentencing on drug offences (pictured are two men police wish to speak to)

'I would urge these people to come forward now as it's only a matter of time before we come to you,' Mr Jubelin said (pictured are two of the men police would like to speak to)

'I'm sure there are people out there who know exactly who these people are in the footage. If I was the person in those images I would be pretty worried because it's clear people will be able to identify them.'

A 37-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday morning and is helping police with their inquiries.

The man, 40, who drove Mr Starkey to the service station was charged with firearms offences and concealing a serious indictable offence after being arrested the day after the attack.
While most people know today as Halloween, for millions of Christians October 31, 2018 is also the 501st anniversary of Reformation Day. Here are five facts about the Protestant holiday:

1. Reformation Day celebrates Martin Luthers nailing his ninety-five theses to the church door Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517. (Some scholars debate whether he posted them to the door then, later in November, or whether he even posted them at all.) By posting them to the church doorwhich was similar to a public bulletin boardLuther intended to start a debate among his fellow academics.

2. While the historical date for the observance of Reformation is October 31st, most churches celebrate it on the last Sunday in October. The only countries in which Reformation Day is a national holiday are Chile and Slovenia. (Though in Chile its called Dia Nacional de las Iglesias Evangelicas y ProtestantesNational Day of the Evangelical and Protestant Churches.)

3. On the first Reformation Day, when he posted the ninety-five theses, Luther was not yet a Protestant. (He would later say that at the time he was a committed Catholic who would have murderedor at least been willing to see murder committedin the name of the Pope.)

4. The theses that sparked the Reformation were not particularly radical, and key Lutheran doctrines, such as justification by grace through faith alone, were not included. The theses were mainly about the selling of indulgences, which the Catholic Church defines as a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints. At the time, believers could pay for an indulgence to reduce the punishment of someone believed to be in Purgatory.

5. On this same day, Luther sent a letter to the Archbishop of Mainz, under whom, as it says in the letter, Papal indulgences for the building of St. Peters are circulating under your most distinguished name. Soon after this letter was sent, the theses were circulating among the intellectual elite. Although the rapid spread of the ideas that launched the Protestant Reformation are often attributed to the printing press (which had been around for more than 60 years), some scholars now say the document went viral because of the wider system of media sharing along social networkswhat is called social media today.
This is the terrifying moment a raging bull flung a man into the air and gored him in the back leaving him covered in blood.

The Peruvian bullfighter was bucked by the animal during a festival in Antonia Raimondi in the country's north western department of Ancash.

Nail-biting footage from Sunday shows the fighter being hurled into the air several times, coming back down to earth with a thud.

A Peruvian bullfighter (pictured) was bucked off the animal during a festival in Peru on Sunday

The unnamed matador was seen being hurled into the air several times by the raging animal, coming back down to earth with a thud

Presumably unconscious from the impact of the fall, he is none the wiser when the beast comes speeding towards him and stabs him in the back with its horn.

The matador's fellow bullfighters are seen rushing into the arena, near the Andes mountain range, eventually managing to drag him away.

Blood can be seen pouring from his spine where the animal stabbed him several times.

The commentator says: 'This man took part in a bullfight, but it didn't end as he might have hoped.'

As he was being thrown around by the beast, other bullfighters and festival staff (pictured right) tried to distract the bull away from the helpless fighter

The man is seen upside down in mid-air as crowds look on in terror. The incident happened at the 53rd Antonia Raimondi bullfighting festival in north western Peru

To add to the horror, the bull was then reportedly able to escape the bullring, terrifying spectators who eventually managed to catch it and carry on with the show.

The festival was the 53rd edition of the Antonia Raimoni bullfighting festival.

The injured bullfighter's condition is currently unknown.

Statistics on bullfighting are hard to come by but one study suggests 534 professionals have died in the past three centuries of the sport.

After sending him flying through the air, the bull comes back for seconds, goring the helpless fighter in the back several times
Ousted Catalan President Carles Puigdemont appeared to be on his way back to Barcelona on Tuesday night, less than 24 hours after he claimed he would only return from Brussels if a fair judicial process was guaranteed.

The controversial politician left his 70-euro-a-night (61) hotel in the Belgian capital, with reports in Spain saying he was heading for the airport and expected to catch a flight back to the Catalan capital.

But early today there was confusion over the politician's whereabouts after he failed to arrive in Barcelona. Instead three of his ministers were on the plane that was expected to also be carrying him.

The flight took off from Brussels just hours after Puigdemont ruled out plans to claim political asylum in Belgium at a packed press conference - but said he couldn't say how long he would stay because he needed 'guarantees'.

Just as Puigdemont began his statement, Spain's constitutional court officially cancelled the Catalan declaration of independence.

Running away: Carles Puigdemont, pictured at the press conference today, said he had not fled to Brussels to escape justice but to bring the Catalan issue to 'the heart of Europe'

Puigdemont, sacked as Catalan president last Friday as Madrid imposed direct rule on the region after its Parliament declared unilateral independence, had been warned he faced arrest and extradition if he failed to attend court in Madrid on Thursday.

He faces charges of rebellion and sedition and has has been summonsed for questioning at the Audiencia Nacional, Spain's Central Criminal Court, on Thursday and Friday.

More than a dozen former government colleagues also face questioning in Madrid.

Spanish prosecutors have said they want them to face charges of rebellion or sedition as well as embezzlement over an illegal October 1 referendum and the independence declaration.

Rebellion is punishable by up to 30 years in prison under Spanish law and sedition carries a maximum 15 year jail sentence.

Spanish daily El Mundo reported: 'Carles Puigdemont is at Brussels airport so he can presumably catch a plane back to Barcelona.'

If Puigdemont does not appear in court, state prosecutors are likely to demand his immediate incarceration once he returns to Spain and start the ball rolling to ask for his extradition from Belgium.

While in Brussels on Tuesday, Puigdemont said he was not trying to escape justice, but to highlight the Catalan issue to the rest of Europe 'and to denounce the absence of judicial impartiality.'

He added that he is not looking to seek asylum in Belgium, as had previously been claimed.

Puigdemont said: 'We saw the charge filings which confirm the extreme aggression of the Spanish government,' he said according to El Nacional .

Dismissed Catalonian regional President Carles Puigdemont arrives at the press club ahead of his press conference at the Press Club in Brussels,

'The lawsuit doesn't stand up legally, it doesn't pursue a crime, it pursues an idea. The lawsuit is added to this belligerent path [chosen] by the Spanish state.'

Asked by reporters how long he would stay in Brussels, he responded: 'As long we consider it (necessary). The situation is developing every day. Here we have better guarantees for our rights here and we can meet our obligations from here.'

'If they can guarantee to all of us, and to me in particular, a just, independent process, with the separation of powers that we have in the majority of European nations - if they guarantee that, we would return immediately.'

Puigdemont said he and his team will 'continue our work despite the limits imposed on us.'

He added that he and other members of the dismantled government would respect the result of the snap election called for December 21, saying: 'problems are solved by voting and not by imprisoning politicians and citizens.'

He also addressed today's announcement that Spain's Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case brought against Mr Puigdemont and other ousted Catalan separatist lawmakers.

Puigdemont said: 'We saw the charge filings which confirm the extreme aggression of the Spanish government.'

'The lawsuit doesn't stand up legally, it doesn't pursue a crime, it pursues an idea. The lawsuit is added to this belligerent path [chosen] by the Spanish state.'

He referred to the announcement on Tuesday that Spain's Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case brought against Puigdemont and other ousted Catalan separatist lawmakers.

Charges brought against the Catalan leader and his political colleagues carry a sentence of up to 30 years and he faces arrest as soon as he sets foot on Spanish soil.

He also warned his supporters that they faced a long road ahead in their struggle to break free from the Spanish state.

Ex-president of Catalonia Jose Montilla Aguilera accused Mr Puigdemont of 'selling the Catalan people something false'

Back to normal? A demonstrator waves a Catalonian pro-independence 'estelada' flag outside Palau de la Generalitat, the Catalonian regional Government Palace, in the first working day after the implementation of the Spanish Constitution's article 155, in Barcelona on Monda

Puigdemont had planned to make his widely anticipated statement at the conference centre opposite the European Union building.

But the Belgian Government, who own the Residence Centre refused permission, and he was forced to hire a small room at the Brussels Press Centre where more than 150 journalists were packed into the small room.

He paid for electronic translation head sets to be distributed to the waiting media but failed to find any translators who were willing to work at short notice.

The press conference was conducted in Catalan, Spanish and French.

Such was crush of media waiting for the press conference that it was delayed by 20 minutes and Puigdemont struggled to make his way through the packed room.

As Puigdemont left the press conference he was jeered by a small crowd of demonstrators waving Spanish flags and shouting 'Viva Espania.'.

He was whisked away from the building in a taxi to a secret location.

The press conference followed accusations by a former president of Catalonia that Mr Puigdemont and his fellow fugitive ministers are 'selling the Catalan people something false' by declaring independence then fleeing to Brussels.

Jose Montilla Aguilera said to Catalan TV: 'Where are the representatives of the [Catalan] government now? They have to show their faces. They have endangered our institutions.'

He added: 'They played with the people. They sold them something that was false.'

'You only had to look at the faces of Puigdemont and [vice president] Junqueras proclaiming the Republic. They knew it was a farce.'

He added: 'I told the president that he knew that nobody in Europe would recognise them.'

Time to explain: Carles Puigdemont, who Spanish prosecutors accuse of sedition, rebellion and embezzlement, is expected to make a statement from Belgium

COSTUME OF THE YEAR? PUIGDEMONT FANCY DRESS OUTFIT IS A HALLOWEEN SUCCESS Trick or treat? Adummy dressed up as the former Catalan regional Government President, Carles Puigdemont in Alicante, Spain A 'Carles Puigdemont' costume has become a bestseller in Spain ahead of Halloween. The outfit comprises a suit, a Catalan flag and the ousted President's characteristic mop of dark hair and glasses. As Puigdemont himself has fled Spain, it is expected that several of his doppelgangers can be seen on the streets of Catalonia this Halloween. Advertisement

Miquel Iqueta, a Catalan Socialist MP, said he had 'warned [Mr Puigdemont and his associates] of the risks of violating the law. They knew what they were exposed to. The most fervent of separatists must recognise that this has ended badly.'

Mr Puigdemont's Catalan lawyer, Jaume Alonso-Cuevillas, appeared to concede this point when he told Catalan media: 'Declaring independence is useless if you do not have the strength to exercise what you have declared.'

This evening, the Spanish government will convene an extraordinary meeting to discuss Madrid's response to Mr Puigemont's unexpected departure from the country.

Mr Puigdemont has also appointed a Belgian lawyer Paul Bekaert, who defended ETA terrorists fighting for the indolence of the Basque region, allegedly to help him seek asylum.

Mr Bekaert, a human rights specialist, worked on numerous cases seeking to block the extradition of ETA members to Spain in the Nineties, when many militants fled Spain to Belgium.

Interpol is currently reluctant to get involved with a possible extradition because its charter forbids it to intervene in political cases, MailOnline understands.

Over the weekend, the Belgian immigration minister suggested that he was considering granting asylum to the former Catalan leader, but his words were slapped down by the country's prime minister, Charles Michel.

Belgium is one of the few countries that resisted a clause in the Lisbon treaty that would prohibit European member states from offering asylum to other EU citizens.

Meanwhile, Spain's Civil Guard police force searched the headquarters of Catalonia's regional police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, in a probe into the independence referendum on October 1.

Tensions: Independence and pro-unionist supporters react outside the Palau Catalan Regional Government Building as Catalonia returns to work

'We're carrying out an inspection related to the Mossos d'Esquadra's communications on the day of the illegal referendum on October 1,' the Civil Guard spokesman said.

He said officers were searching the headquarters in Sabadell, a city in Catalonia, and other offices.

The Mossos were tasked with stopping the ballot, which had been deemed illegal by Spain's Constitutional Court.

But senior Mossos officers issued orders not to use force, and agents steered clear of clashes with activists gathered in large numbers to protect voting stations.

Members of the national police intervened instead, seizing ballot boxes in a clampdown marred by violence against civilians.

The Mossos have since been criticised for not closing down polling stations as they had been asked to. They retorted that they shut as many as they could.

Last night, members of the radical separatist party CUP were seen among about one thousand masked anti-fascist demonstrators who faced off against nationalist protesters on the streets of Barcelona.

Graffiti was painted on buses, traffic was halted and cars were attacked as riot police struggled to contain the two groups.

Yesterday it emerged that the charges of sedition, rebellion and embezzlement against Mr Puigdemont and other senior officials will be handled by the same judge who jailed Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart, two prominent Catalan leaders imprisoned two weeks ago.

The five officials who have fled along with Mr Puigdemont are interior minister Joaquim Forn, health minister Toni Comin, governor Meritxell Borras, employment minister Dolors Bassa and agriculture minister Meritxell Serret.
Harvey Weinstein believes it was his destiny to be accused of sex assault in order to 'change the world', it is claimed

Harvey Weinstein believes he is a savior who was born to be accused of sex assault in order to 'change the world', it is reported.

Sources close to the shamed producer said he has resigned himself to being punished over the allegations 'as a martyr for social change'.

The bizarre claim emerged after more than 80 women accused Weinstein of sexual harassment, assault and rape dating back to the 1970s.

Page Six initially reported the claim, which was dismissed by a representative of Weinstein as 'absurd'.

Sources told the site: 'Harvey believes he is a savior, that he was born to take the fall for his behavior in order to "change the world."'

It comes after Asia Argento, who accuses Weinstein of raping her, tweeted a list of 82 women who say they were also attacked by the producer.

'This is the list of all the 82 women who were sexually assaulted/raped/molested by Harvey Weinstein. We, the victims, have compiled this list,' she said.

But that list does not include Hope Exiner dAmore and Cynthia Burr, who appeared in a New York Times report on Monday to accuse Weinstein of abuse dating back to the Seventies.

DAmore said that Weinstein raped her in a hotel room in the 1970s, when he was a young concert promoter in Buffalo.

Meanwhile Burr said that during the same time period, he assaulted her in an encounter that began in an elevator and ended with forced oral sex in a hallway.

Ashley Matthau, a dancer with a bit-part in one of his movies, also came forward to say Weinstein attacked her in 2004 by straddling her on a bed and masturbating.

Days later, she says he paid her to be quiet.

More than 80 women have claimed Weinstein abused them as the scandal spread to Kevin Spacey, who was accused of attacking actor Anthony Rapp when he was just 14

Weinstein is believed to be in rehab and his representatives have denied all allegations of non-consensual sex.

Kevin Spacey has also been caught up in the widening Hollywood sex assault shame after Star Trek actor Anthony Rapp accused him of making an unwanted sexual advance when he was just 14.

In a rambling Twitter apology Spacey came out as gay before saying he could not remember the incident, though apologized if anything had happened.

He wrote: 'I'm beyond horrified to hear his story. I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago.

'But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years.'
A tragic victim from an appalling car crash when an oligarch's daughter's Lexus smashed into pedestrians at a street crossing has been buried in a white bridal gown - because she was deprived of the chance to marry.

Diana Berchenko, 22, was laid to rest in an emotional funeral in Kharkiv, Ukraine, as relatives who have refused compensation bid farewell to their loved one.

She was the sixth fatality from an appalling accident after 20-year-old glamorous heiress Alyona Zaitseva jumped a red light and collided with another car before mowing down the helpless crowd.

Another five were seriously injured, among them her sister Oksana, 27, who lost her 27-year-old husband Alexander, known as Sasha, as well as her beloved sister.

A relative emotionally leans over the coffin of Diana Berchenko, whose bridal gown can be seen

Diana Berchenko, 22, was laid to rest in an emotional funeral in Kharkiv, Ukraine, as relatives who have refused compensation bid farewell to their loved one

Diana, pictured, was the sixth fatality from an appalling accident after 20-year-old glamorous heiress Alyona Zaitseva jumped a red light and collided with another car before mowing down the helpless crowd

Alyona Zaitseva is pictured here. She caused carnage when she ran a red light in Ukraine

Diana, pictured here with her boyfriend, has been buried in a white bridal gown - because she was deprived of the chance to marry

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

The aftermath of the horrendous crash in the Ukraine which killed six people

Videos of the carnage went viral and a witness said the scene was like a 'war zone'.

Family members said Diana was buried in a wedding dress because 'she had been planning to marry soon but moment this was stolen from her' with her shocking death.

Relatives were seen on a video kissing her farewell as her body lay in an open coffin at the graveside shortly before it was lowered the ground.

Her distraught father Igor Berchenko, 55, said that two weeks after the horror his other daughter Oksana has not been told that she lost her husband and sister due to her condition.

He also angrily rejected an offer of compensation from the father of the heiress.

'Nobody will bring us back our Diana,' he said.

'I can't say more than that.

'What do I need this compensation for? What should I buy with their money - shoes or trainers, or....?

'What kind of compensation are we talking about?

'I will have to tell Oksana one day soon that there is no Sasha and no Diana.'

He said Oksana 'is gradually getting better, and she repeats all the time: 'Give me the phone, I want to call Sasha.

'Where is my Diana?

'Why is Sasha is not calling me?'

Family members said Diana, pictured here, was buried in a wedding dress because 'she had been planning to marry soon but moment this was stolen from her' with her shocking death

Reports say oligarch Vasily Zaitseva is ready to spend 1.1 million in compensation, hoping that by doing so he will reduce or negate any prison sentence for dangerous driving for his daughter, pictured here

She is now in a held in a crowded detention cell like the one picture here with nine other women, including those suspected of murder

Dmitry Kholod, deputy head of detention facility number 27 in Kharkiv picture here, said Ms Zaitseva had wept for two days after the tragic crash in the 40 square metre cell

Another bereaved woman Lyudmila Farbis - who lost her daughter and granddaughter Alla and Anastasia Sokol - refused to meet the heiress's mother Tatiana, 40.

'Her mother to see us,' she said.

'I did not want to meet her.

'We want nothing from them, no money can compensate the loss of both my girls.'

Reports say oligarch Vasily Zaitseva is ready to spend 1.1 million in compensation, hoping that by doing so he will reduce or negate any prison sentence for dangerous driving for his daughter.

She is now in a held in a crowded detention cell with nine other women, including those suspected of murder.

Dmitry Kholod, deputy head of detention facility number 27 in Kharkiv, said Ms Zaitseva had wept for two days after the tragic crash in the 40 square metre cell.

'Of course, her psychological state on the first day was hard, and a psychologist was working with her,' he revealed.

'But two days afterwards - and she was no longer crying.

'There haven't been complaints from her. She's quiet.'

He said: 'All those with her are suspected in grave and specially grave crimes.'
Dr Julien Nash, 54, (pictured with her husband Andrew) had a series of illicit rendezvous with a married RAF serviceman she cared for and could be struck off as a result

A woman doctor had a series of illicit rendezvous with a married RAF serviceman patient and shared kisses and intimate text messages, a tribunal heard today.

Dr Julien Nash, 54, had an improper relationship with the other man after they bonded over a shared love of wildlife whilst she was treating him at an RAF base.

Nash and the serviceman would meet up regularly over an eight-month period during which she sent him text messages - one saying: 'I saw u too and I heard ur beep and my heart jumped because I love you.'

Another text she sent read: 'Hello darling it was so wonderful at lunchtime.'

The romance and text messages were discovered when pictures were taken of Nash and her patient kissing each other during one of their lunch liaisons.

Dr Nash's husband Andrew, 66, also became suspicious when he noticed a birthday message on his wife's Facebook page which had been posted by the patient.

The matter was later referred to top brass at RAF Cosford in Shropshire where Nash worked as GP for all personnel on the base after the estranged wife of the serviceman - known only as Patient A - made a formal complaint.

Today Dr Nash, from Bridgnorth who worked as an aid worker in Nepal following the 2015 earthquake, faced a misconduct hearing in which she could be struck off.

She arrived at the tribunal hand-in-hand with her finance expert husband who is thought to standing by her.

She admitted having an 'emotional relationship' with Patient A between September 2015 and April 2016.

Dr Nash, pictured kissing her husband, who became suspicious about them when he noticed a birthday message on his wife's Facebook page which had been posted by the patient

At the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service in Manchester Chloe Fairley lawyer for the General Medical Council said: 'The charges relate to an improper relationship between patient A and the doctor.

'The concerns first arose when the doctor self referred herself to the General Medical Council when she informed them that she had conducted herself in an inappropriate relationship and there had been a complaint from the patient's estranged wife.

'As a result, a meeting was held to discuss the complaint and she gave an account of what occurred and the General Medical Council conducted an investigation. In November 2015, she engaged in a kiss with patient A and following that she advised him that she should no longer be his doctor.

Dr Nash says that as soon as she shared a kiss with the RAF man she 'asked for him to see another doctor'

'As part of the investigation a photograph was obtained of the two kissing and also recovered was a text message exchange. Whilst Doctor Nash had said she has ceased all contact with patient A, she had in fact seen him for appointments on the 26th of January, the 12th of April and the 3rd of June 2016.'

But giving evidence Dr Nash said: 'When I received the complaint I had a meeting with my colonel and I was told that things like this happen in the military all the time - he was laughing and said I would be absolutely fine.

'At the time I didn't realise where I was, it was only when the complaint was made that I woke up and realised what had happened.

'I was responsible for the care of military personnel and those personnel could not seek medical care from any other source. I have been trained in military medicine and also aviation medicine so you are aware of the different problems that can arise.

'You are constantly in contact with your patients. You will see him in cafes, in the gym or in meetings so we come into contact with them a great deal and military patients may consult with us many times in a year.

'I joined in 2008 and was expected to treat the people I was working with - some of these people were friends. Despite voicing our concerns about this we were still made to treat them. This caused stress for myself and my colleagues and in early 2015 I had to go off work with stress.

'I felt that my professional boundaries had eroded over time and I recognised this and discussed this with my colleagues.

'A patient and a doctor should not be kissing and I wanted to carry on with the friendship but not to pursue it in any other way.

'It was a friendship and at the time I didn't realise the depth of the affection that was building up. We always met in a public place and we were seen by members of staff that we knew. It was an escape for me at lunch time to go for a walk and have a conversation that was not about medicine.

'It was so refreshing and I think towards the end I was perhaps realising my affection for him.

'I advised him to see another doctor but it is a difficult situation because you cannot terminate the medical care because that would not be good for them. There was no breakdown of trust we developed an affection for one another organically.

'At the time I had transferred his care to another doctor and so I didn't see anything untoward really. We were just walking and talking and had the occasional kiss.'

'My husband was aware that I had a patient on Facebook but when we were in Nepal he was alerted by a message and he said: 'Oh, your friend has wished you happy birthday with a kiss,' He was very cross about this and asked me to de-friend him immediately.'

Dr Nash's lawyer said: 'The two parties had a shared interest in wildlife and the patient himself indicated that they would go out for lunch and walk their dogs and talk. There was only one time they met in the evening and this was for a conservation meeting.

'She maintains that the meeting at lunch time was to walk the dogs and on one occasion they went to a book shop and that the meetings would always happen in front of people they knew and were not covert.

'When they exchanged a kiss she felt they had crossed a line and she asked for him to see another doctor. He couldn't move to another practise because of the distance and he required an RAF practise.

'He indicates that the three further visits were due to him having to see a duty doctor. There were three episodes of acute presentation when Doctor Nash saw patient A and they were all perfectly recorded with advice to see his usual doctor for a follow up.

'There is no question of the medical care of the patient having suffered at all and there is no suggestion of that.'
This is the shocking moment a British tourist was thrown into the sea during a violent mugging on the holiday island of Majorca.

The Spanish thugs attacking the man and a friend can be seen launching themselves at the holidaymakers after they try to resist the attempt to rob them.

The sound of a loud splash as the first Briton goes into the water in the Majorcan capital Palma can be clearly heard on footage of the incident now in the hands of police hunting for the muggers.

This is the shocking moment a British tourist was thrown into the sea during a violent mugging on the holiday island of Majorca

The sound of a loud splash as the first Briton goes into the water in the Majorcan capital Palma can be clearly heard on footage of the incident now in the hands of police hunting for the muggers. Footage shows the incident unfolding

One of the attackers can be heard in the video shouting at his friend 'Eres el siguiente, eres el siguiente' - Spanish for 'Youre next, you're next.'

The terrified tourist cries out: 'What are you doing?' and adds 'Why?' as the attackers corner him.

The vicious attack happened around 5am on Sunday on Palma's main seafront promenade.

Three women and two men aged around 20 tried to take the wallet of one of the Britons, then attacked them with a flurry of kicks and punches when they resisted.

They also ripped litter bins off lampposts which they used as weapons by throwing them at the tourists.

They fled towards Palmas Cathedral when they realised witnesses had called police.

A British tourist almost drowned after being thrown in the sea by a gang of robbers who also attacked his friend in Majorca, it has emerged. Pictures showed onlookers helping one of the victims to safety

The Briton who ended up in the water was helped out by locals who assisted him with a head injury he suffered before paramedics arrived.

One of the Good Samaritans appeared to try to intervene during the violent attack, yelling 'Stop, stop' in English as the Britons were targeted.

The footage being analysed by police is believed to have been taken by a witness with a mobile phone.

Local paper Cronica Balear, which published the video, said the attackers had referred to each other by their first names in other footage the police had, and claimed their faces were also visible.

It said: 'It's only a matter of time before the police identify those responsible and arrest them.'
The estranged husband of a NSW woman murdered in Kenya and his cousin have been released in Kenya without charge a week after their arrest, the ABC reports.

Cyrus Bernard Maina Njuguna and his cousin John Njuguna Waithira were arrested in connection to Gabrielle Maina's murder in Nairobi on October 24.

The ABC reports a Kenyan magistrate ordered their release on Tuesday after no charges were laid.

Ms Maina, a 40-year-old school teacher, was shot dead by armed men who were riding a motorbike as she was walking near her home in the Nairobi suburb of Karen on October 19.

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The estranged husband (Cyrus Bernard Maina Njuguna, pictured) of Australian teacher Gabrielle Maina has been released without charge from a Kenyan court along with his cousin

Police have seized and are checking Ms Maina's phone, which was taken during the attack

The 40-year-old mother of two boys, aged 8 and 4, was killed by a single gunshot to the neck

The 40-year-old mother of two boys, aged eight and four, was killed by a single gunshot to the neck in the upmarket Nairobi suburb of Karen last Thursday.

Her husband Cyrus Bernard Maina Njuguna and another man, John Njuguna Waithira, were arrested over the shooting and faced court on Tuesday before being released without charges.

The Kenyan judiciary had previously warned the pair could face a 'mandatory death penalty' if charged and convicted.

Their lawyer Wilfred Nderishu told the ABC his clients were innocent and there was evidence to show neither was at the scene of the killing.

'There is evidence that is capable of corroboration by many people, as many as 10, that Cyrus was in his office at the time that the murder took place,' Mr Nderishu said.

'Therefore, there is no way he can be placed at the scene.'

Cyrus Bernard Maina Njuguna (right) and John Njuguna Waithira (left) were arrested for the shooting murder of Gabrielle Maina murder in Nairobi on October 24, but were then released

No charges were laid against Cyrus Bernard Maina Njuguna or cousin John Njuguna Waithira

Before Tuesday's court hearing Ms Maina's lawyer, George King'ori, who became her legal representative ahead of her death, said the couple was in the midst of divorce proceedings in the Kenyan courts.

The head teacher at Hillcrest Prepatory School in Karen was granted a restraining order against her husband in April.

'She feared he had become irrational,' Mr King'Ori told AAP.

'We believe he has information that can help us know how and why she was murdered,' Karen OCPD Cunningham Suiyanka told the newspaper before Mr Njuguna faced court.

'He is here with another suspect for interrogation.'

Police have also seized and are checking Ms Maina's phone, which was taken by one of her alleged attackers.

Investigators believe she was accosted by three men while walking home after dropping off one of her sons at a friend's home.

Ms Maina had taught English and drama for almost five years at Sarah Redfern High School

Ms Maina moved to Kenya late in 2015 so that her children could grow up with their family

A post-mortem revealed she was shot in the neck, with the bullet exiting through her back, authorities said.

Because of the angle of the bullet and marks on her knees, investigators believe she was kneeling at the time.

Ms Maina moved to Nairobi from Sydney in 2015 so her two sons could experience another culture and grow up near her husband's extended family, a friend told AAP.

She had taught English and drama for almost five years at Sarah Redfern High School in Sydney.
Jerome Wright (pictured), 32, was charged with mutilating a human body after the remains of his girlfriend, 52-year-old Deanna Clendinen, were found in his home

A man has been arrested in Florida after failing to persuade cops that a disemboweled corpse in his closet was in fact a blow-up doll of human flesh.

Jerome Wright, 32, was charged with mutilating a human body after the remains of his girlfriend, 52-year-old Deanna Clendinen, were found in his home.

Cops came to the Northwest Miami-Dade house Wright shares with his mother, Della, after she called 911 to report an overpowering smell coming from her son's room.

Clendinen's stomach had been lacerated and her organs removed from her body and dumped in the trash outside the house, CBS Miami reported.

When officers arrived at the home on Friday night to investigate the smell, Wright's mother led them to her son's room.

Wright then emerged 'naked and sweaty' from his room, police said, and explained he had a stomach ache.

Cops then found body fluids on a mattress before spotting a mutilated corpse in the closet, the Miami Herald reports.

The body was covered in sheets but officers saw a decomposed leg sticking out.

Police said they were looking to charge Wright with murder.

Cops came to the Northwest Miami-Dade (pictured) house Wright shares with his mother, Della, after she called 911 to report an overpowering smell coming from her son's room

He told police, however, that he had not seen Clendinen in five months.

Wright was arrested last March before being charged with aggravated battery against Clendinen.

An autopsy has been ordered to confirm the cause of her death.
An upstate New York traffic cop had a bizarre encounter with a speeding driver, who appeared to have a meltdown after being asked for her licence and registration.

Ulster Police Officer Gary Short pulled over Jennifer Schwartz Berky after she was allegedly driving at 43mph in a 30mph zone.

But when Short requested the usual papers from Berky, the Ulster County Legislator became hysterical and started hyperventilating, begging to not receive a ticket.

Scroll down for video

An upstate New York traffic cop had a bizarre encounter with a speeding driver, who appeared to have a meltdown after being asked for her licence and registration

Police dash-cam footage captures the disturbing encounter in which Berky claims to have PTSD but refuses any medical help when offered.

And citing her job as an elected town official, she brazenly pleads with the police officer to show compassion to avoid the penalty.

The 26-minute-long video shows Berky first climbing out of her car appearing to gasp for breath and then claim to be having a panic attack.

And in a shameless display of name-dropping, Berky then listed other elected officials she said she was contacting.

Berky tells Short he unfairly singled her out, that she planned to call town of Ulster Supervisor James Quigley, and that Ulster County Sheriff Paul Van Blarcum already had been contacted.

All while, the brazen elected official tried to use her position to bargain her way out of a ticket.

Ulster Police Officer Gary Short pulled over Jennifer Schwartz Berky after she was allegedly driving at 43mph in a 30mph zone

Meanwhile, the bewildered police officer, showing remarkable restraint, continues processing the driver, despite her protestations.

Outrageously, even though the sympathetic cop offers to issue a lesser charge of a seat belt infraction, she continues her rant and claims to be late for a job interview.

And eventually blames him for having missed the so called job interview.

Berky protests that the ticket would be inaccurate so Short then gives her a speeding ticket - fueling Berky's rant.

When Short requested the usual papers from Berky, the Ulster County Legislator became hysterical and started hyperventilating, begging to not receive a ticket

The video, appearing to capture Berky's full range of emotions, from anger to remorse and panic, has been viewed thousands of times on social media.

In a statement released after the clip went viral, Berky apologized for her actions, claiming she was going through a particularly stressful time.

She said: 'The video released earlier this week of my town of Ulster traffic stop captured a tough moment for me.

'Like so many working families, I too face tough times and stressful situations. As a professional, a public servant and a mother, I know my interaction with Police Officer Gary Short was unacceptable,' the Daily Freeman reports.

'I want to apologize to Officer Short and thank him for his patience and professionalism with me during a very difficult time,' she added.
A man has died after being tasered by police, who feared he was making an attempt on his own life.

Officers were called to a home in Canberra just after 11:30am on Tuesday where a man was allegedly smashing glass and screaming.

It was believed the man had seriously injured himself and police discharged a taser to attempt to control the situation on Larakia Street in Waramanga.

ACT paramedics then attempted to revive the man but he passed away at the scene.

A critical incident has been declared and investigations are continuing. A report is being prepared for the coroner.

More to come.

A man has died after being tasered by police at a home in Canberra, who feared he was making an attempt on his own life
Growing up, I was fascinated with authors such as Ayn Rand, Aldous Huxley, Lois Lowry, George Orwell, and others who developed dystopian worlds through their writing. Reading their works was a fun way to explore the extremes that our society would never become.

According to a recent article in Wired by Rachel Botsman, some of those fictional worlds are coming ever closer to reality, with the Chinese government developing a new algorithm that will allow them to rank their citizens on a so-called Social Credit System. The goal of the system is to judge the trustworthiness of each of the 1.3 billion residents, ranking citizens based on everything from paying bills on time to consumer purchases to interpersonal relationships.

Not only is this entirely intrusive, but it also serves to diminish a series of personal freedoms. As just one example, citizens will likely begin to self-censor their posts on social media given that a negative post about the government may result in a lower score and subsequent negative impacts.

The system also distorts the free market by changing consumer behavior. The system not only investigates behaviour  it shapes it, writes Botsman. It nudges citizens away from purchases and behaviours the government does not like. If consumers do not have the full freedom and power to choose for themselves, society will continually to drift from following economic law. There will be no supply and demand dictating the point of equilibrium. Demand will be artificial and prices will be arbitrary.

Such a system doesnt just reduce freedom, but it contorts the human person to fit a certain mold. It reduces the human person to an algorithm. Totalitarian systems understand people to be malleable and seek to engineer the perfect citizen. The human person is seen as a hinge in the machine rather than a contributor to society. When producing a material object, imperfections are undesirable, but humans are not objects and therefore should not be treated as such. Algorithms cannot take into consideration context. The system does not know why you didnt pay your bills. It just knows that you didnt. It fails to see the citizen as a human person and instead sees him or her as a number.

The removal of these freedoms and the increasing treatment of human persons as objects isnt unique to China. All over the world there are governments and systems that are heavily involved in the business of monitoring and rating citizens and consumers. There has to be a line drawn between defending our freedoms and removing our freedoms.

Image: Public Domain
The bodies of skipper Ben Leahy and crewman Adam Hoffman were found five days after the FV Dianne sunk, when the boat ran into rough conditions

Family and friends gathered on Tuesday night for a candle lit ceremony to mourn the loss of the men, four of whom are still missing at sea

Hundreds have gathered at a memorial service for the six fishermen who drowned after their fishing vessel capsized off the coast of Cairns two weeks ago

Family and friends of the six fishermen who drowned after their trawler capsized in Cairns gathered at a memorial service to honour the men.

Hundreds turned out to remember skipper Ben Leahy and crewmen Adam Hoffman, Adam Bidner, Zachary Feeney, Chris Sammut and Eli Tonks on Tuesday night.

The fishermen drowned when their vessel, the FV Dianne, sank on October 16 in rough conditions.

Grieving friends and family embraced one another at Munro Martin Parklands in Cairns on Tuesday evening.

The sole survivor of the fishing vessel tragedy, Ruben McDornan (centre), points to the sky after lighting a candle at the memorial service

Mr McDornan, (left), points to the sky with second skipper Adam Kelly (right) at the memorial service for their lost crewmen

Mr McDornan and his wife Sammy led an emotional memorial service for his fallen mates, two weeks after their fishing vessel capsized in Cairns

The word 'mateship' adorned the stage at the memorial service for the six fishermen who drowned at sea

The family of Chris Sammut are seen lighting a candle at the memorial service for the lost crew members of the sunken trawler

Six fishermen drowned after their fishing vessel capsized on October 16: Adam Hoffman (top left), Zach Feeney (top centre), Eli Tonks (top right), Chris Sammut (bottom left), skipper Ben Leahy (bottom centre) and Adam Bidner (bottom right)

The families of the men organised the memorial with Cairns Regional Council, with members of the community also invited to attend.

A candle lighting ceremony was held as Cairns Mayor Bob Manning addressed the community.

Mr Manning said the 'community reflection' would let the families of the men know they don't grieve alone.

'We're really thankful to the people that rescued Ruben and to all the people out searching for the boys and just for everyone's support,' a tearful Ms McDornan following her husband's resuce

Family and friends of the six fishermen who drowned after their trawler capsized in Cairns gathered at a memorial service to honour the men on Tuesday night

Mr McDornan's wife Sammy (pictured) revealed her husband was 'very sad and sore, but OK' following his rescue two weeks ago

'In times like this it's proper that the community come together and grieve with those who have lost loved ones,' he told reporters beforehand.

'This community's been through a couple of whacks like this. I think a couple of years ago with the Murray Street incident, that made us mindful that things like this can happen anywhere.

'This is another disastrous incident, different in nature, but this community is a compassionate community,' Mr Manning said.

'Seven young men went to sea doing what they loved, and then the unthinkable happened,' Mr Manning earlier told the Cairns Post.

The 32-year-old survivor was saved by a passing yacht around 12 hours after the trawler capsized over two weeks ago

The family of Zach Feeney are seen after lighting a candle at the memorial service for the lost crew members of the sunken trawler FV Dianne in Cairns on Tuesday

Families and friends of the crew of the sunken trawler FV Dianne are seen embracing at a memorial service in Cairns on Tuesday

'My heart goes out to their families and friends at this incredibly difficult time.'

Crewman Ruben McDornan, 32, the sole survivor of the trawler tragedy, was seen pointing to the sky at the touching service.

Mr McDorman has reportedly said he did not see any of his crewmates emerge from the boat as he clung to its hull but he heard screams from inside.

The 32-year-old survivor was saved by a passing yacht around 12 hours after the trawler capsized over two weeks ago.

The bodies of Adam Hoffman, 30, (left) and skipper Ben Leahy, 45, (right) were recovered five days after the vessel capsized

Grieving friends and family embraced one another at Munro Martin Parklands in Cairns on Tuesday evening

Mr McDornan's wife Sammy revealed her husband was 'very sad and sore, but OK' following his rescue.

'We're really thankful to the people that rescued Ruben and to all the people out searching for the boys and just for everyone's support,' a tearful Ms McDornan said at the time.

All six of the fishermen's families were in attendance for Tuesday night's event, partaking in a candle-lighting service.

A candle lighting ceremony was held as Cairns Mayor Bob Manning addressed the community

Family, friends and members of the community were seen carrying flowers and candles at the service

It came a day after police scaled back the search for the remaining four bodies still missing on the wreck.

Family, friends and members of the community were seen carrying flowers and candles at the service.

The touching memorial service was led by Police Chaplain Doug Foster.

The families of the men organised the memorial with Cairns Regional Council, with members of the community also invited to attend

Flowers were left at a memorial service to honour the six fishermen who drowned at sea in Queensland

People of all ages attended the service, with many warm embraces and tears shed for the missing fishermen.

The bodies of skipper Ben Leahy, 45, and crewman Adam Hoffman, 30, were recovered from the wreckage five days after it sunk, police confirmed.

Police recently called off an aerial search for the remaining missing men, although they'll continue to conduct daily patrols of the shoreline.
A brave father lowered three children from a window of their burning farmhouse before he and five younger children perished in the blaze.

Locals said David Cuthbertson, 68, managed to save his eldest children but was left trapped in the upstairs of the house with his five youngest.

He was overcome by the heat and smoke and died in the inferno at the remote home in Llangammarch Wells, Powys, Wales.

Police confirmed they found the bodies of a father and five children aged between four and 11 in the debris of the burned out building.

A major investigation has been launched into the cause but classmates of the Cuthbertson children say one of the young boys loved to play with matches.

However, this has not been confirmed by police and detectives have not indicated the fire was caused in this way.

A teddy bear and a note saying 'I will miss my best friend' which were left at the scene today

An aerial view shows the devastation following the blaze in Llangammarch Wells, Powys

Shocked locals said Mr Cuthbertson would have done 'everything in his power' to get his children out alive when he discovered the house ablaze in the early hours of the morning.

One villager said: 'We've heard he managed to get three out by dropping them from a window.

'He loved those kids so much he would have been desperate to get them out.

'But it sounds as if he died in the heat and smoke before he could save the little ones.'

'He was a marvellous father to them all, he would do everything in his power.'

Heartbreaking tributes were made today to the five children aged between four and 11 who died in the devastating fire.

One girl, aged around six or seven, held her mother's hand at the scene in the Welsh countryside as she laid a handwritten letter with a drawing of a love heart and a kiss.

The note was placed on the wall of the driveway leading up to the farmhouse. The letter said: 'I miss you all. I knew you all in school. I will miss my best friend.'

Mr Cuthbertson is believed to have lived with seven children at the property, with just three, aged 13, 12, and ten, managing to escape unharmed.

They are still in hospital where specially trained police officers are supporting them and trying to get their accounts of what happened.

The rear of the farmhouse in Llangammarch Wells, Powys, which is still smouldering today

The farmhouse has been completely gutted by the fire which took hold of it early yesterday

Firefighters are still at the property today following the blaze in the early hours of yesterday

A woman arrives at the scene with floral tributes following the devastating farmhouse fire

It is understood that he could have up to 17 children from three different marriages - and that he had wanted custody to keep his family together.

Mr Cuthbertson lived with his younger children after splitting from their foreign-born mother - named as Seema - who left him, before having a stroke several years later.

Five of his eldest live nearby and are coming to terms with losing their father and five of their half brothers and sisters.

Seema, who is believed to have had two other children from further relationships, was being comforted today at her home in the nearby village of Builth Wells.

After Seema had become ill, Mr Cuthbertson had wanted his and her children to move in with him so they could continue as a family.

They lived at Pointyn Farm just outside the village of Llangammarch Wells in a rented barn that Mr Cuthbertson himself had converted.

Superintendent Jon Cummins, of Dyfed-Powys Police, said: 'Based on current information available to us, we are working on the hypothesis that one adult male and five children, aged between four and 11 years old, are unaccounted for and believed to be deceased within the house.

'Due to the severity of damage at the scene we are unable at this stage to identify any of the deceased.'

Dramatic aerial photographs have today conveyed the true devastation of the fire, with the farmhouse's roof caved in and its interior completely gutted.

Mr Cuthbertson had been looking after the children for three years when the fire broke out. He also had children from previous marriages to a Wendy and Judith.

A local villager, who got to know Mr Cuthbertson after he helped renovate their home, said: 'His children were his life. He used to drop by for a coffee.

Flowers are left at the scene of the fire which is believed to have claimed the lives of six people

It is still unclear how many people lost their lives in the tragedy in the early hours of yesterday

The home was reduced to a smouldering shell in just minutes, its roof completely removed

Police said the blaze yesterday was so severe they are not yet sure how many people died

Three children are believed to have escaped the fire, while another five are said to have died

'It was incredibly tough for him and he could be really low at times, especially when for a while it looked like he might not win. Seema had her stroke and he was desperate to bring them back together.

'He would travel around by train to visit all of them. That was how dedicated a father he was. I remember the day he was awarded custody.

'He was delighted and he could not stop smiling. It was not easy for him to look after all of those children with his bad back and at his age, but he was a brilliant dad.

'He used to encourage Seema to come and visit them and he would walk her back to the bus once she had seen them. The children were so sweet and well behaved.

'I remember him bringing them around for trick-or-treat last year. It's horrible to think of the kids now. They had been through enough tough times already.

'This is another horrible blow. I can't imagine how Seema is feeling. She must be devastated. I can't imagine how she will cope.'

Flowers left close to the scene in Llangammarch Wells after six members of the family died

Investigators comb through the wreckage of the farmhouse following the huge blaze

The farmhouse (centre left) in Powys burnt down overnight while the family were sleeping

Investigators are trying to work out what caused the fire and how it took hold of the property

Forensic teams have been sifting through the remains of the property in Powys, Wales

Specialist police officers at the scene of the fire where a father and five of his children died

Michael Collins, the current partner of Mr Cuthbertson's ex-wife Wendy, today said it was a 'terrible shock' when they were woken with news of the fire.

The 76-year-old said: 'We had a phone call at two o'clock in the morning on Monday from her son, saying he was on his way to Wales.

'Obviously, it was not very nice to be woken with that sort of news. All we have heard is there's about six or seven dead and two or three got out. That's all I know.

'It must have been the oldest kids, I think, that got out, but none of them were of any real age - only young teens. There were some in there that were only four or five years old.'

Mr Collins, speaking at the couple's detached bungalow in Waterlooville, Hampshire, added that Mrs Cuthbertson, 68, was considering travelling to Wales to see her daughter - one of several children she had with Mr Cuthbertson.

Relatives of the family have told of their shock at hearing about the devastating fire

It is still unclear how many people lost their lives in the tragedy in rural Llangammarch Wells

Police have spoken to the owners of the property in Wales, who rented it to the family

Dyfed-Powys Police said five children aged between four and 11 were killed in the fire

The fire was described as 'devastating news in such a close-knit community' by a politician

He said: 'I knew of David, but when I met Wendy, he was no longer on the scene and hadn't been for a long time. She is coping alright, but it's just a terrible shock.'

Meanwhile a JustGiving page set up for the family had raised 5,000 in the 18 hours to 1pm today. One tribute said: 'Thank you for setting up this fund.

'We lived in Cwm Deri until July of this year and knew all of the children well, all beautiful inside and out with a devoted daddy - we are heartbroken.'

Another message said: 'I'm sure any small donation will help them massively.' A further tribute read: 'Very sad. Special thoughts are sent to family and friends.'

A local business owner, who asked not to be named, said: 'Dave was a real family man and really looked after those kids.

'He had his bright yellow Land Rover filled with them as he took them to school or to the cafe for Sunday lunch. He had his older children help him out at times too.

'I think he has about 17 kids in total. Dave has spent his whole life looking after kids. I can't think of a better dad.'

According to friends, Mr Cuthbertson had won an award for his restoration and building work in Hampshire before he moved to Wales.

However, he had to give up work eight years ago when he was electrocuted on a ladder while working on a farm and badly damaged his back.

A woman looks at tributes to the members of the same family who died in Llangammarch Wells

Crews of firefighters enter the torched shell of the family home in Llangammarch Wells

Seven members of the same family are feared dead after a huge fire ripped through their farmhouse and burnt it to the ground while they were asleep

He had since dedicated his life to looking after his children. Former clients also took to Facebook to pay their respects.

Colin Ashton said: 'Very, very sad. I knew David from the early 1990's when he was the main person to restore our barn in West Sussex. A really nice man and a real family man and an excellent builder.

Neighbours Ron, 73, and Rosemary Birchall, 68, said Mr Cuthbertson - known as Dave to villagers - was a dedicated family man.

Mr Birchall said: 'We are close neighbours and Dave would always acknowledge us whether he was in the car or walking. My wife always talked to Dave so she is absolutely devastated.

'I knew him as a good father and a gentle fella. My wife would say he was an exceptional father. All the other villagers are upset by this because Dave has been in the village for about 15 years.

'He used to be a builder but suffered an accident up a ladder, fell off and injured his back. We think he was electrocuted and it threw him off the ladder.

The blaze ripped through the home in Llangammarch Wells, Powys, Wales, during the early hours of yesterday morning

A police car is pictured at the scene of the devastation in the Welsh village this morning

'His wife had a stroke and was incapacitated for a while. She moved away and couldn't bring up the kids. The kids were well presented and they used to pass us everyday. It really is very sad. Rosemary said it's the worst day of her life.'

He added: 'He was a great father who loved his kids and doted on them.'

Mrs Birchall said: 'He was a single father with seven children. They were wonderful.'

Another neighbour, who wished to remain unnamed, said the close-knit community had been rocked by the horrific incident.

He said: 'I'm in shock, the whole village is in shock. We heard about the fire but didn't know there were children involved till later on in the afternoon, we were in disbelief.

'It's hit my daughter hard because she has young children and it's such tragic news. It's devastating. I knew the family as I was friend with David's ex-wife, Judy.

'I know they had children together but she has since remarried and now lives in Greece. David had at least three or four wives and made money from barn conversions. The property was falling to bits and he converted it years ago.'

Floral tributes have been left at the scene of the devastating fire in Llangammarch Wells

Firemen, police and forensic scientists were searching through the gutted remains of the property looking for bodies

Ella Robinson, 65, who lived in a bungalow near the farmhouse in 2015, knew the family well and said the youngest victim could have been six years old.

She said: 'They were a lovely family and David was a good father. His current wife had moved out of the house some time ago when they split and was no longer living there.

'She had a stroke but has since recovered. My ex-partner previously owned the house before selling to his brother. We split and moved out of the bungalow in 2015.

'My ex called me last night to tell me what had happened. It's terrible news that such young innocent children have lost their lives.'

It is believed that one of the youngsters raised the alarm after fleeing the blaze.

Speaking a press conference yesterday afternoon, Chief Superintendent Richard Lewis said the devastation caused by the inferno was so severe that bodies could not be identified at the scene.

He said: 'Just after midnight Dyfed Powys Police were notified by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service that there was a house fire at a remote property at Llangammarch Wells, Powys.

An aerial view of the farmhouse before the inferno, which burnt the property to the ground

Flowers left near the scene in Llangammarch Wells after the fire ripped through the farmhouse

'Upon arrival the house was ablaze and three children aged 13, 12 and 10 years were able to escape. They are being treated in hospital but do not have life threatening injuries.

'However, there are a number of people unaccounted for at this time and we can confirm that there are known to be fatalities.

'Due to the severity of damage at the scene we are unable at this stage to identify any of the deceased or confirm numbers.'

Police are now speaking to relatives to establish how many adults and children were in the farmhouse when fire broke out.

A villager who didn't want to be named said: 'The couple who loved there both had children from previous marriages and relationships.

'There were older children living in the house but they used to come and go.

'It must be very difficult for the police to determine who was there at the time.'

It is understood the three surviving children have now been told that several members of their close family were lost in the blaze.

A police car cordons off a road in Llangammarch Wells near the farmhouse in the village

Due to the severity of the damage, police could not confirm how many people had been killed

A local county councillor has spoken of the community's shock at the devastating loss of life

Officers have spoken to the owners of the property Matthew and Lucretia Callan, who rented it to the family and were at the scene yesterday.

Mrs Callan said: 'It is very emotive, we have been advised not to say anything.'

The family had rented the 250,000 farmhouse and small plot of land for a number of years.

A neighbour raised the alarm shortly after midnight in the early hours of yesterday

The property is almost a mile from the nearest main road which caused the emergency services difficulties when they arrived shortly after midnight.

A neighbour at a nearby caravan holiday park said: 'I woke up at about 2am to get a glass of water and I could see the place was floodlit by police and emergency services.

'There were helicopters there a bit later. We've heard a number of people died.'

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze was 'well developed' when firefighters arrived at the scene.

The Welsh Ambulance Service sent its Hazardous Area Response Team, as well as four crews in emergency ambulances.

The Brecon Mountain Rescue team was also sent to the blaze because it was in such a remote location.

Kirsty Williams, Welsh assembly member for Brecon and Radnorshire, said: 'This is devastating news in such a close-knit community.

This aerial view shows the house and surrounding farm before the fire devastated the building

Police confirmed three children aged 13, 12 and 10 were able to escape when the house caught fire in the early hours of the morning

It is believed the family were asleep when the fire started during the school half-term break

'I'd like to express my deepest sympathies to those affected and thank the emergency services for their assistance.'

Community councillor Jon Hather said: 'It's a dreadful shock for this small community and our thoughts go out to the family.'

The Brecon Mountain Rescue team was also sent to the blaze because it was in such a remote location

County Councillor Tim Van-Rees, who represents the area, said: 'I knew the family, not well, and I knew the father and several of the children.

'I have spoken to the owner of the property - he was alerted by one of the children who came to his house in the early hours of the morning.

'He called the fire service who went to the house straight away but unfortunately not everybody could be saved. The family have lived in the village for some time.

'I've had a full description from the fire commander and they risked life and limb to see whether anything could be done but unfortunately their efforts were not well rewarded.

'Speaking on behalf of the community our thoughts and prayers will all those affected. The community will come together and do all it can for the surviving children and relations.'

Chris Davies MP said: 'I am absolutely devastated at today's news that there was an overnight fire in Llangamarch Wells, which has claimed the lives of a father and his young children.

'As a father to two young girls, this news has shocked me to the core. My thoughts are with the family and local community at this terrible time.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze was 'well developed' when firefighters arrived at the scene

The Welsh Ambulance Service sent its Hazardous Area Response Team, as well as four crews in emergency ambulances

'Our local emergency services were on the scene swiftly and have worked hard to put out the fire and identify who has been hurt. I will be keeping in close contact with the emergency services over the next 48 hours.'

Dai Hancock, from the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: 'On arrival the attending crews were faced with a very difficult situation and did all they could in the circumstances to resolve this.

'All of us in the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service commend them for their efforts in the face of what they were faced with last night.

'Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and residents of Llangammarch Wells following this tragic incident within their community.

'We would like to assure you and the residents that we will be present in the vicinity to do all we can to assist them over the coming days.'

And Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said: 'I am shocked by this incredibly sad news and my heart goes out to the family and friends of those involved in such a terrible incident.

'I commend the bravery of the emergency services and the specialist teams as they diligently seek to establish the cause of this tragic incident. My office are in touch with Dyfed Powys police and have offered to support where possible.'
The remaining files on the assassination of John F Kennedy will be released over the coming weeks after being cleared by the FBI.

President Donald Trump released 2,800 files last week but announced 300 were being held back at the request of the FBI and CIA so they could be redacted further.

Mr Trump initially suggested the process would take six months but after talks with Chief of Staff John Kelly and the security services, the release was sped up.

The remaining 300 FBI files on the assassination of John F Kennedy will be released over the coming weeks after the names of people who helped with the investigation were removed

President Trump released 2,800 of the files last week and suggested the remainder could take six months to publish. However, he changed that time frame the next day with this tweet

The National Archive will now publish the 300 remaining documents on a rolling basis in the coming weeks, according to Politico.

The FBI said Monday that the remaining documents contain some redactions that relate to individuals who provided information during its investigation of the shooting, and whose lives may be at risk if theyre identified.

The bureau said it would make every effort to lift those redactions going forward.

The President previously said that releasing the documents will put 'any and all conspiracy theories to rest.'

The CIA and FBI recommended keeping the files temporarily under wraps, saying that they were concerned the documents could potentially reveal names and activities from the near past that may still have an impact on current operations.

The files have already shown that the FBI was aware of Jack Ruby, the man who shot and killed alleged Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald (pictured)

Some of the new information gathered in the 2,800 documents released on Thursday evening showed that the FBI was aware of Jack Ruby, the man who killed JFK's assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.

The files also showed that former FBI head J. Edgar Hoover frustrated over Oswald's murder, and the Soviet Union's 'shock' over the murdered president.

The 1992 JFK Assassination Records Collection Act, signed by President George H.W. Bush, set a 25-year timetable for declassification of assassination records dealing with President Kennedy.

President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed on November 22, 1963, while riding in his motorcade in Dallas, Texas.

As the nation mourned in disbelief, Oswald was shot and killed in police custody by Jack Ruby.
A bus company boss has sacked an entire staff in an internal message and has cancelled all services with immediate effect.

Employees at Nippy Bus, which operated services in its 17 buses across South Somerset, received a message to 'consider themselves dismissed/redundant'.

The company's customer website said it has ceased operating with immediate effect.

Managing director Sydney Hardy, second right, could not be contacted for comment. He is pictured here in 2004 with David Barlow, left, Yeovil town mayor Cllr Ian Martin, rear, Yeovil town centre manager, Nina Higgins and Nippybus software developer Daniel McLaughlin, right

Somerset County Council has been scrambling to find replacement services, as the shock decision has affected 300 pupils at four different schools.

Managing director Sydney Hardy refused to comment at his home in Yeovil today.

Driver Steve Atkins said that he was 'very angry that it was done that way'.

The internal message, which was sent over the weekend, said the company had 'ceased operational activity with immediate effect' from Sunday.

It added: 'I am quitting to pursue my dream of not having to work here.

'There is a difference between giving up and knowing when you have had enough.

'I have had enough and realise I cannot work with you, the people I employ, a moment longer.'

The memo also says that 'the gates are now closed and will not open so you [staff] can stay in your scratchers Monday and have a lie in'.

Staff today said around nine drivers left a couple of months ago and the company had to cut five to six routes as a result.

Sacked driver Dave English, 64, who was a driver at Nippy Bus for almost nine years, said: 'It's disgusting the way it's been handled. Nobody has any respect for him.

'He wasn't a nice person to work with. You can't just bury your head the way he has done and not confront the problems.

Employees at Nippy Bus, which operated services in its 17 buses across South Somerset, received a message to 'consider themselves dismissed/redundant'

Employees at Nippy Bus, which operated services across South Somerset, received a message to 'consider themselves dismissed/redundant'

'He knew months ago that the company was in trouble in terms of the number of drivers we had.

'Everyone was doing long shifts but he just expected us to do them.

'The memo makes it out that it's the drivers' fault that this has happened, but without us he would never have had his company.

'He was always going off to Thailand on holidays. He was never around. He let other people do his job for him.

'Some of these drivers have children and mortgages. We haven't been paid for last month's work.'

The company's customer website said it has ceased operating with immediate effect

Somerset County Council has stepped in to organise alternative transport.

A statement for the local authority yesterday said: 'The council was given no prior notice of a decision by Nippybus taken late on Sunday to cease operating with immediate effect.

'Nippybus ran several school and public bus contracts as well as a number of demand responsive transport (DRT) services and private services.

'More than 300 students were affected across 4 schools  Stanchester Academy, Huish Episcopi Academy, Ansford Academy and Keinton Mandeville Primary School  yesterday morning.

'Although the majority of services did run, some were delayed by up to an hour.

Somerset County Council has stepped in to organise alternative transport for people

'With the support of other operators, council officers have managed to find replacement services for all of the routes from and today, will be making permanent arrangements as soon as possible.

'Text messages were sent to parents to advise them of delays and alternative arrangements.

'A number of public bus services were also affected and council officers have been working with bus operators to find replacements.

'County Tickets will continue to be valid on all replacement services.'
A man who allegedly engaged in sexually explicit conversations with an underage girl and made arrangements to meet her has been arrested by police.

Detectives from Strike Force Trawler arrested the man, 39, in Parramatta on Tuesday morning after an extensive investigation which began last month.

Police claim the man believed he was speaking to a 14-year-old girl, and had tried to arrange an in-person meeting.

A man who allegedly engaged in sexually explicit conversations with an underage girl and made arrangements to meet her has been arrested by police (pictured)

A home in Kellyville Ridge was searched by detectives from the State Crime Command's Sex Crimes Squad and electronic devices were seized.

The man was charged with use carriage service to procure persons under 16 years for sexual activity at Parramatta Police Station.

He was refused bail and and will appear at Parramatta Local Court on Wednesday November 1.

The man was refused bail and and will appear at Parramatta Local Court (pictured)on Wednesday November 1

Strike Force Trawler is an ongoing Sex Crimes Squads Child Exploitation Internet Unit investigation into the sexual abuse and exploitation of children online.

In September detectives from the strike force arrested a 31-year-old man and discovered a large knife in his bag.

A British backpacker was arrested and charged in August after allegedly grooming a 13-year-old girl for sex in his campervan.
Mary De Jong (pictured), subjected her neighbour to a campaign of harassment

A woman barricaded her neighbour in his home and filmed his property in an 'excessive and repressive' campaign of harassment.

Mary De Jong installed CCTV cameras overlooking Stephen Johnston's house in Topsham, Devon, placed a bamboo plant in front of his kitchen window and left a large log in front of his back door after he testified against her in a court case.

The 66-year-old, who was described as 'vexatious, bullying, petulant, confrontational and aggressive', also told Mr Johnston he could not use his back door, which backed on to her courtyard.

Exeter Magistrates' Court heard De Jong also 'waved a crucifix' at Mr Johnston as she subjected him to four months of abuse.

De Jong was found guilty of harassing Mr Johnston between March 2016 and July this year.

Prosecutor Nick Bradley said while the case was a neighbourhood dispute, it became a criminal case because of De Jong's campaign of harassment.

He said De Jong told Mr Johnston he had no right of way through her courtyard which his back door and window backs on to.

The court heard in June 2015, De Jong launched civil action against her other neighbour Elizabeth Kingston over paving which had been replaced with a gravel path.

The hearing later went in De Jongs favour and the path went back to paving.

In June 2016, De Jong was convicted of battery and common assault after she crashed her bike into Miss Kingston.

De Jong, who was described as 'vexatious, bullying, petulant, confrontational and aggressive', also told Mr Johnston he could not use his back door, which backed on to her courtyard (pictured)

Mary De Jong installed CCTV cameras overlooking her neighbour Stephen Johnston's house in White Street, where they both lived (pictured) in Topsham, Devon

She was given a 12 month conditional discharge and ordered to pay 50 compensation and 620 costs. No restraining order was made.

But she took exception to Mr Johnston's witness statement made during the case, in which he called her a 'petulant bully'.

De Jong said his statement left her 'shocked and appalled'.

Mr Johnston told the court that De Jong accused him of trespassing on her property at Easter 2016.

He said: 'She was V signing with me with both hands. She also waved a crucifix at me.'

He said a 'rather large tree stump' was used to block his back door and cat flap and a bamboo plant put outside his kitchen window.

Then De Jong installed CCTV cameras pointed at his home. He said: 'It made me feel miserable, depressed and I couldnt sleep at night as I was thinking what can be done to avoid such ridiculous behaviour.'

At Exeter Magistrates' Court (pictured), De Jong was given a 12 month community order and must carry out 120 hours unpaid work

She claimed she put the log there and installing the cameras to stop trespassers.

De Jong denied harassment without violence of Mr Johnston between March 2016 and July this year.

However Magistrate chairman Brian Balsdon found her guilty, telling her: 'Your actions were excessive and repressive in targeting Mr Johnston.'

She was given a 12 month community order and must carry out 120 hours unpaid work.

A restraining order was made banning her from obstructing Mr Johnston's house, engaging in harassment or violence, and pay costs of 685.
The full list of Tory MPs on a dirty dossier of claims about their supposed sex lives has been published in the US.

The spreadsheet, which includes six serving Cabinet ministers, has been partially published in the UK over the past few days.

However this evening the entire document, which also contains details of people's relationships where no impropriety is thought to have taken place, was published in the US.

The dossier (pictured redacted by MailOnline) naming the 40 Tory MPs has been published in full in the US

The document, which was compiled Tory aides and leaked to the press following the Harvey Weinstein scandal, contains several serious accusations against the politicians.

Senior Tories fear the controversy could end up being worse than the expenses scandal as more allegations are made and more senior politicians are named.

Tonight, a woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by an MP during a work trip abroad accused Parliament of failing to act during an interview with ITV News.

Zara (not her real name) told political correspondent Paul Brand that the MP forced himself on her in a hotel room despite her 'making it clear' it was not what she wanted.

One woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by an MP overseas accused Parliament of failing to act during an interview with ITV News

THE 'SEX PEST' DOSSIER IN NUMBERS The controversial dossier runs to 40 names in total, and encompasses all levels of the Tory party. It features six Cabinet-level ministers. There are 12 lower-ranking ministers. Some 10 former ministers, including a handful who served in the highest ranks of government, are also on the roll call. But while a number of the MPs are alleged to have acted inappropriately, around 15 of the claims relate to consensual relationships or personal sexual preferences - without any apparent misconduct. Advertisement

It's understood that police interviewed the MP but couldn't charge him as the alleged assault happened in a foreign country.

In the dossier, one MP is accused of 'making' a researcher have an abortion after she fell pregnant and one MP and one Cabinet Minister 'paying' women to be quiet about their alleged behaviour.

The Cabinet Minister is said to have signed a non-disclosure agreement with a woman, while the former minister 'paid a female to be quiet'.

Some of the MPs who have been named in the document by the UK press include Mark Menzies, 45, and Stephen Crabb, 44.

Mark Menzies, 45, quit as a minister's aide in 2014 shortly after being asked about his relationship with rent boy Rogerio dos Santos Pinto, 19, and is named on the so-called sex 'pest list' over the incident

Mr Menzies quit as a minister's aide in 2014 shortly after being asked about his relationship with Rogerio dos Santos Pinto, 19, who claimed the politician had given him a tour of Parliament before allegedly offering to pay him 250 for a two-hour session.

Mr Menzies resigned in the aftermath but said at the time that a number of the allegations made by a Sunday newspaper were untrue.

He is among nine people on the hit list of 40 names that have been named so far.

But at least 13 are MPs have been cited for having consensual relationships without any hint of harassment.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd was put on there only because she had a relationship with Eton-educated Tory MP Kwasi Kwarteng after her divorce from AA Gill.

Rossendale MP Jake Berry is also named for having a son with his partner Alice Robinson, who was a Tory aide.

MP Justin Tomlinson, 40, who settled down with then 25-year-old aide Katherine Bennett in 2016 when he was already divorced is also named.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd (left today) was put on there only because she had a relationship with Eton-educated Tory MP Kwasi Kwarteng (right) after her divorce from AA Gill

Essex MP Robert Halfon is also on the list because the former minister without portfolio had a six-month relationship with a Tory worker behind his long-term partner's back in 2015 - Jake Berry is named on the list over his relationship with a Tory aide, who is now his long term partner and mother of his son

MP Justin Tomlinson, 40, is on the list after he settled down with then 25-year-old aide Katherine Bennett in 2016 when he was already divorced. Theresa May's key ally Damian Green is at the top of Westminster's 'spreadsheet of shame' and repeats claims his email address was on a hacked list the Ashley Madison dating website members, which he has repeatedly denied

Who's inside the Tory 'dirty dossier' MARK MENZIES He quit as a ministerial aid in 2014 after denying allegations involving 19-year-old Rogerio dos Santos Pinto who claimed the MP had offered him 250 for a two-hour sex session after a tour of Parliament. The story was broken by the Sunday Mirror in 2014. STEPHEN CRABB Former Cabinet Minister Stephen Crabb has admitted sending 'explicit' messages to a 19-year-old woman after a job interview at Westminster. Mr Crabb admitted saying 'pretty outrageous things' to her two days ago. Last year, Mr Crabb announced he was running for the Conservative Party Leadership but stepped down from the race after texting a woman in her twenties that he wanted to kiss her 'everywhere'. His messages were leaked to The Times by a source, who said they were concerned by the hypocrisy of Mr Crabb, who said he could be trusted on his values and judgment. MARK GARNIER The Member of Parliament for Wyre Forest is accused of allegedly asking his assistant to buy two vibrators from a sex shop. Commons secretary Caroline Edmondson also told The Mail on Sunday last week that he called her sugar t*ts in front of witnesses. He said: Im not going to deny it, because Im not going to be dishonest, he said. Im going to have to take it on the chin. The dossier also claims he acted in an inappropriate manner with women. AMBER RUDD The Home Secretary has been included on the list due to her relationship with Tory MP Kwasi Kwarteng. Ms Rudd, who was previously married to the late A.A. Gill from 1990 to 1995, is understood to have started her relationship with Mr Kwarteng from 2009. STEVE DOUBLE The St Austell MP admitted having an affair with aide Sarah Bunt, 26, in June last year after rumours began circulating of their relationship during the summer. Mrs Bunt was hired to work alongside his wife Anne, 51, in his constituency office of St Austell and Newquay. He later confessed to the affair, which lasted for a few weeks, and told newspapers that if he had 'known the grief it has caused I would not have done it [given Mrs Bunt the job]'. Mrs Double said she would stand by her husband. JAKE BERRY The Rossendale MP has been named after having a son, Milo, with his partner Alice Robinson, a former Tory aide. Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, he said the pair were 'really happy' at their son's arrival in March. Mr Berry, 38, announced in September last year that he and his former wife of seven years, Charlotte Alexa, had divorced amicably. JUSTIN TOMLINSON In July last year, The Sun revealed the MP for North Swindon had 'amicably' split up with his wife and begun a relationship with researcher Katherine Bennett. Mr Tomlinson, 40, confirmed that he had grown apart from his wife Jo Wheeler and the pair divorced in 2015. Ms Bennett, 26, revealed they were in a relationship after posting about it on Facebook. ROBERT HALFON In 2015, the Essex MP admitted to having an affair with PR executive Alexandra Paterson after claiming Tory director Mark Clarke tried to get film of him leaving a London club with Miss Paterson. In a statement released by the Conservative Party, Mr Halfon, who is unmarried but has a long term partner, said: What I did was wrong, and I feel ashamed. I am not proud of myself. The most important thing to me is to continue to repair my relationship with my partner. He told a Sunday newspaper he had kept quiet about the alleged threat until Mr Johnsons death. He said: Mark Clarke is an appalling man  I wish I had never met him. I was stupid. Advertisement

'PARLIAMENT FAILED TO ACT' SAYS ALLEGED VICTIM OF SEXUAL ASSAULT BY MP In the first TV interview with a victim since a sexual harassment scandal engulfed Parliament last week, a woman called Zara (not her real name), accused an MP of forcing himself on her. Zara said: 'He was quite insistent on me sitting on the bed, at which point I really didn't feel comfortable, to the point where he pushed me on the bed and held me by the shoulders and tried to kiss me. 'I made it very clear that was not what I wanted, but he was insistent, and pushed me back onto the bed and kind of held me there. 'I mean the shock soon turned into fear, I realised I was in quite a vulnerable situation, being in a foreign country, nobody knew where I was, and with someone a lot bigger and stronger than me.' She managed to escape but when she reported the incident the following day, she says it wasn't taken any further by parliamentary authorities. It's understood that police interviewed the MP but couldn't charge him as the alleged assault happened in a foreign country. She said: 'I don't think it was taken seriously whatsoever. Evidence would suggest that absolutely no action taken.' Q: How do you feel about the fact that essentially nothing was done? 'Initially I couldn't believe it. I was horrified. I mean I've never worked in an institution which made me just feel so isolated.' 'The manifestation of the kind of, the power, that that person had over me was quite overwhelming. 'You know, a physical power but also, a more...the power dynamic is such that you know, he, it is really hard to challenge and call out that kind of behaviour. And that's one of the scary things.' The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards has declined to comment on individual cases and ITV News approached the political party that the MP belonged to for a response. Advertisement

Essex MP Robert Halfon is also on the list because the former minister without portfolio had a six-month relationship behind his long-term partner's back in 2015.

The affair was with PR executive Alexandra Paterson, 30, who is chairman of the Conservative party's youth wing, was entirely consensual.

St Austell MP Steve Double is on there for having an affair with his office liaison with Sarah Bunt, 26, but was taken back by his forgiving wife Anne in 2016.

Also named is former Cabinet minister Stephen Crabb, who has admitted sending explicit text messages to a 19-year-old he had interviewed for a job.

And Mark Garnier also makes the list for allegedly asking his assistant to buy two vibrators and called her 'sugar t*ts'.

Another unnamed MP on the dossier, told MailOnline: 'It is hurtful to be included and attached to something that is completely untrue.'

Theresa May's key ally Damian Green is on Westminster's 'spreadsheet of shame' which alleges he used the Ashley Madison dating website, MailOnline can reveal.

The Cabinet Office minister has vehemently denied he was a member of the dating site for married people who wanted to cheat on their spouses.

The allegation first emerged in 2015 when his work email address appeared on a hacked list of members.

He said at the time: 'It's nothing to do with me. I have never registered for an account with Ashley Madison'.

The Westminster 'spreadsheet of shame' reveals several damaging but unverified allegations about some of Britain's highest profile politicians.

There is a Tory MP with the nickname 'Copperfeel' and several others also said to have a reputation for groping women and men.

One is alleged to have forced an aide to have an abortion and another had 'paid women to be quiet'.

A politician is said to have been filmed being urinated on by three men, another MP enjoys sex with prostitutes paid to carry out 'odd acts' and a third seeks out men wearing women's perfume, the list says.

Three female aides were asked to go on holiday with one MP while another politician 'paid a woman to be quiet', while a former Tory minister was said to have propositioned his secretary by asking her to 'come and feel the length of my c***'.

Prime Minister Theresa May said today she 'has confidence in her Government and her ministers', her official spokesman said amid allegations of sexual impropriety at Westminster.

International Trade Minister Mark Garnier (pictured at a trans pride event) is accused of calling his secretary 'sugar t*ts' in front of witnesses

Former Cabinet Minister Stephen Crabb admitted sending 'explicit' messages to a 19-year-old woman after a job interview at Westminster

St Austell MP Steve Double is also on there for having an affair with his office liaison with Sarah Bunt, 26, but was taken back by his forgiving wife Anne in 2016 (all pictured together)

The document, said to be compiled by Tory aides disgruntled about their treatment, names six Cabinet ministers and other senior allies of the Prime Minister.

What was the 'Ashley Madison' website for 'cheaters'? Ashley Madison collapsed in the aftermath of its 2015 hacking which saw the details of millions of users released. Those who signed up were predominantly married and the majority were men. Me paid in 'credits' gets you 30 minutes of live chat with women members, who didn't have to pay for the service. They could then send private messages, 'winks' to notify another user that you have viewed their profile or virtual gifts, normally sexual images, and chat via instant messenger when both members are online. Many would then meet for sex. The site promises its members worldwide complete 'anonymity' and has the motto: 'Life is short. Have an affair' but hackers said they have exposed its members because they wanted it shut down, which succeeded. Some of the people exposed claimed they were blackmailed to keep their membership secret from loved-ones. Advertisement

Today, separately, Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon apologised for repeatedly touching a radio host's knee until she threatened to 'punch him in the face'.

He made the gesture to Julia Hartley-Brewer during a Conservative party conference in 2002, the journalist has revealed.

A close friend of Sir Michael, a married father of two, said: 'Julia's a good friend of Michael's. He overstepped the mark. She made it clear it was unwelcome and he rightly apologised 15 years ago.'

Yesterday Miss Hartley-Brewer, 49, said she was contacted by journalists about the incident in the wake of wider claims of sexual misconduct, but said she regarded it as 'mildly amusing'.

Comparing her experience of a 'misjudged sexual overture' to serious harassment or assault was 'absurd and wrong', she argued.

In a statement on Twitter she wrote: 'Wild rumours and claims are circulating about many male MPs at Westminster in a media feeding frenzy.

'I have worked in and around Westminster for 20 years and, as far as I am aware, incidents of genuine harassment involve only a small number of MPs from all parties.

'I believe it is absurd and wrong to treat workplace banter and flirting  and even misjudged sexual overtures  between consenting adults as being morally equivalent to serious sexual harassment or assault. It demeans genuine victims of real offences. Anyone with any allegations  should speak up now and provide the evidence to ensure any necessary action is taken.

She added: 'I have not been a victim and I do not wish to take part in what I believe has now become a Westminster witch hunt.'

Michael Fallon, pictured today leaving cabinet, has apologised for repeatedly touching journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer's knee

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon (right) has been revealed as the MP who made the gesture to journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer (left) during a Tory party conference in 2002

Hartley-Brewer responded last night by saying 'no one was remotely upset or distressed' by the incident in 2002

Miss Hartley-Brewer said the minister 'repeatedly put his hand on my knee during a party conference dinner  I calmly and politely explained to him that, if he did it again, I would 'punch him in the face'. He withdrew his hand  I have had no issues since with the man and do not regard the incident as anything but mildly amusing, which is why I have declined to name him.'

'Maybe everybody was sloshed!' Tory MP warns of a 'growing witch hunt mentality' Tory MP Michael Fabricant, pictured on Newsnight last night, warned the Westminster sex pest scandal risks turning into a witch hunt There is a 'growing witch hunt mentality' surrounding the Westminster sex pest scandal which risks dragging innocent names through the mud, a Tory MP last night warned. Michael Fabricant said inappropriate behaviour must be stamped out but it is not fair to point the finger based on rumour or things done when 'everyone was sloshed'. His comments come as a list of the alleged sexual improprieties of up to 40 MPs - including current Cabinet ministers - has been circulated among Westminster insiders. The dossier lists Tories who are said to be 'handsy with women', used prostitutes or made inappropriate sexual advances. But as rumours of misconduct swirl around Westminster, there are growing fears politicians could fall victim to unsubstantiated and anonymous allegations. Mr Fabricant, a former whip and MP for Litchfeild, told BBC's Newsnight: 'It's not fair actually to base things on rumour  there has to be evidence. 'And there mustn't be witch hunts either, I feel there is a growing witch hunt mentality currently going on. 'We have got to ensure that inappropriate behaviour is stamped out, it is wrong it is unprofessional. 'But at the same time we don't want to see individuals who have been blameless being accused of things which maybe they hadn't really done, or maybe at the time everyone was sloshed. I don't know. 'You sometimes get that and we have got or be very careful we don't get into that sort of situation.' Advertisement

In the Sunday Express in 2009 she described how he had propositioned her. She wrote: 'He was, he told me, a firm believer in the long-standing Westminster rule of  'party conferences don't count'. I was, I told him, a firm believer in not going to bed with other women's husbands.'

Last night, after Sir Michael had been named, Miss Hartley-Brewer tweeted: 'Sigh. This 'incident' happened in 2002. No one was remotely upset or distressed by it.'

It came as Theresa May was warned she risked sparking a Westminster 'witch hunt' after ministers were told they could be sacked for making staff 'feel uncomfortable'. The Prime Minister ordered a crackdown on Parliamentary sex pests after the latest Westminster sleaze scandal threatened to spiral out of control.

A spokesman for the Defence Secretary said he had apologised when the incident happened 15 years ago  and that both he and Miss Hartley-Brewer considered the matter closed.

The incident is believed to have happened at a Tory Party conference. Miss Hartley-Brewer said last night she did not see herself as a 'victim'.

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom said yesterday Tory MPs faced being suspended from the party if unwanted sexual comments or advances were found to have made junior staff 'feel uncomfortable'.

Mrs Leadsom, speaking with Mrs May at her side, said ministers caught up in the scandal could be 'fired from ministerial office'  and the threshold for action would be behaviour 'significantly below criminal activity'. New proposals, including an independent 'grievance procedure' and training for MPs on how to treat their staff, would be brought forward 'within days'.

But the proposals sparked unease. One female Tory MP called for 'perspective', while a female Tory peer warned of creating an atmosphere that might 'encourage' false allegations.

As the scandal threatened to engulf Westminster:

The Daily Telegraph reported that two female members of a minister's staff moved to other jobs because of his 'inappropriate' behaviour. A spokesman for the minister, who has not been named, said he did not 'recognise' the allegations.

Downing Street refused to say if Mrs May retained confidence in trade minister Mark Garnier, after claims he asked a female aide to buy sex toys;

One Tory MP warned colleagues on a WhatsApp messaging group that the scandal could 'bring down the Government';

Labour faced questions about its own conduct after frontbencher Cat Smith said she had to 'run away' from a sexual predator in the party;

A Commons researcher revealed an MP had asked him to clean his kitchen in his underwear following a boozy night in a Commons bar;

Mrs May was urged to investigate a secret dossier naming 40 Tory MPs as sex pests.

Yesterday's crackdown followed a string of allegations that senior MPs, including members of the Cabinet, have sexually harassed junior colleagues over many years.

Tory MP Nadine Dorries said it was right to draw up a proper legal basis for dealing with complaints.

But she added: 'We need to keep a perspective on this. Mediocre men behaving badly hold good women back in many workplaces across the UK, not just in Westminster. We need action in terms of separating the historic and legal behaviour between consenting adults, from that which has serious grounds for complaint. My guess is, that may boil down to very little.

'Otherwise, it turns into a witch hunt which benefits no one.'

And Baroness Jenkin warned against creating an atmosphere that encouraged false allegations.

Senior parliamentary figures have met to discuss ways for victims of sexual assault to speak up 'without fear'. The move came after Mrs May called for a new independent helpline to deal with complaints.

Commons Speaker John Bercow also called for change in Parliament amid what he described as 'disturbing' allegations.

Mrs May has been stung by claims she ignored evidence of sexual harassment because the information was useful to Tory whips.
Two Britons working on the party island of Ibiza decided to make the most of finding a fellow countryman's mobile phone after he lost it at a club - by holding it for ransom in exchange for pizza.

Reiss White and Kelly-Anne Philipp, both seasonal workers on Ibiza, discovered a lost mobile phone in the world's largest nightclub, Privilege Ibiza.

They were able to make contact with the owner, Adam Fleming from Birmingham, and agreed to return the phone the following day, if he brought them a meal from Pizza Hut.

Happy ending: Finder Reiss White returns the phone to Adam Fleming in exchange for pizza

The pair even included a series of warnings, including a funny snap of the mobile phone tied to a chair, and that the phone would 'lose a button' if he went to a cheaper takeaway.

When Mr Fleming tried to barter - offering onion rings instead - they sent a photo of the phone dangling precariously over a toilet to show they meant business.

However, the tale had a happy ending, with the pranksters returning the phone and Mr Fleming gratefully handing over a pizza as thanks for them finding and giving it back.

Now back on home soil, Mr Fleming has commended the pair for their creativity and admits he was just glad it didn't get into the hands of thieves.

Mr White, from Tamworth, Staffordshire, said: 'We were at Privilege and Kelly-Anne found the phone when it started ringing.

Reiss White, pictured left and right with Kelly-Anne Philipp, found the phone in a nightclub on the Spanish party island of Ibiza and demanded pizza in exchange for its safe return

Jokers: The pair even included a series of warnings, including a funny snap of the mobile phone tied to a chair

'She answered it and it was the guy's friend so we got his number and was texting the guy on that phone.

'She kept the lost phone safe while we carried on partying and we agreed to meet the guy after his boat party.

'After a while, we thought 'let's have a bit of fun here'. We were heading to a takeaway anyway because it was that time of the night, around 3am, so we told him to pick us up a pizza.'

The original ransom text read: 'So you have two options: At the minute your phone is in one piece.

'If you want you want [sic] it to stay that way you will have to make your way to Pizza Hut where you will order a meat feast pizza - not a slice, the whole pizza - with garlic dip and BBQ dip and 18 chicken rocks!

'You will bring it to a location that I will send you at 21.30. You will then have 15 minutes to bring to the location.

'If for any reason you are one minute late the phone will be sold to a looky kooky [sic] man for a score.

'If you think you can cut corners and save money by going to Kebab Star, little miss Samsung will be losing a button.

'Threats': The pranksters demanded a pizza and fried chicken in exchange for the phone, and threatened to drop it into a toilet

'I suggest you comply with the rules if you want to see your sh***y little d*** pics again. I will now send you pictures to show you that this is not a joke.'

The duo then mocked up an image of the phone tied to a chair while the two of them and a pal held a knife to it, covering their faces with makeshift masks and hats.

Mr White said: 'In the end, he asked us to give him the pin for his card in his phone. We told him we were only joking but he did it anyway.

'He was laughing as well and I think he just appreciated that we'd not just stolen the phone.

'He bought us a 14inch Meat Feast pizza and came to meet us with a friend.

'Once he'd got his phone I think he went back to the hotel and we didn't see him again.

'I'm certain he saw the funny side because he was laughing as he approached us and he was just happy it had been returned. It was just a bit of banter.

'We always enjoy a mess-about on nights out.'

As the young men returned home, they discovered they lived just 20 minutes away from each other in Birmingham.

Mr Fleming, a business development manager, has admitted the two friends were 'really funny and nice about it' and claims after seeing his mobile was safe, he wanted to 'give them credit for their creativity'.

Prankster: Mr White, from Tamworth, Staffordshire, found out he only lived 20 minutes away from Mr Fleming back home in Britain

Mr Fleming, 26, said: 'It was a bit weird at first. When the messages started to come in I thought it was a bit odd and it didn't look good but I was laughing the whole time.

'I had come to terms with losing my phone but when I saw my phone being held for ransom I wanted to give them credit for their creativity.

'I told them I would get them a pizza for getting my phone back to me. It is a good job I've got a good sense of humour.

'There was a bit of worry at first because you can't be too careful but we were just laughing and thinking, 'this has to be a joke.'

'They asked for a picture to finish the story and I said you can do whatever you want with it [the picture] as long as I get my phone back. I really needed it.'

Mr Fleming claims he was just thankful to have his phone back in his hands as priceless holiday snaps were saved on it. He believes buying takeaway for the brazen bunch was a small price to pay for the safe return of his Samsung.

He said: 'They are life savers, I have all of my holiday pictures on there. It would have been a bit s**t to lose it.

'They were really funny and nice about it. I couldn't really complain. I was lucky it got into their hands and not a**eholes.'
A Sex and the City star is the latest to open up about having to deal with unwanted sexual advances in Hollywood.

Gilles Marini, who starred in the 2008 hit movie, as well as Dancing with the Stars, said he was approached by 'extremely powerful people', after finding success.

'I became a piece of meat for many executives in Hollywood,' the French model and actor, 41, told PEOPLE magazine.

Gilles Marini, who starred in the Sex and the City movie, as well as Dancing with the Stars, is the latest to open up about having to deal with unwanted sexual advances in Hollywood

Gaining fame as Kim Cattrall's lover Dante in the film version of the popular long-running series, the star said he was targeted particularly after the movie's success.

Marini's comments come amid the furore surrounding the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

The powerful, Oscar-winning producer is accused of sexual misconduct by over 50 women since a New York newspapers released a damning expose of his actions.

While Marini made absolutely no connection to Harvey Weinstein, the revelations come at a time Hollywood is under the microscope for its lurid on-goings.

Marini, hitting out at Weinstein's admission to a sexual addiction treatment facility in Arizona, said the producer belongs in jail rather than rehab.

'When you violate someone, the only place you need to go is jail,' the French actor said.

After finding fame he was targeted particularly he said. 'I became a piece of meat for many executives in Hollywood,' the French model and actor, 41, said (pictured: Edyta Sliwinska, Gilles Marini, Karina Smirnoff, Joanna Krupa)

Adding that it was joke the Hollywood bigwig was able to check himself into a luxury resort, rather than face criminal charges for his actions.

Discussing the recent #MeToo viral campaign, where victims of unwanted sexual advances or abuse, shared their experiences online, Marini also pointed out how few men came forward.

He had that male victims of rape or abuse often lose their manhood because of the stigma and shame surrounding it.

Marini's comments come amid the furore surrounding the Harvey Weinstein scandal

Explaining that while it's a good thing that women are coming forward and exposing vile sex pests, it was unlikely to happen for men despite them being victims too.

The actor said he was able to bluntly turn down any unwanted overtures, saying if success meant him compromising himself, he would turn it down.

Before lamenting that while sexual misconduct occurs in all industries, male victims would never come forward.
A London theatre that Kevin Spacey headed for 11 years says 'no complaints' were ever received about him after he was accused of sexual assault.

The Old Vic, where Spacey served as artistic director from 2004 until 2015, said no allegations were made either during his tenure or since he left.

It comes after Star Trek actor Anthony Rapp claimed Spacey sexually assaulted him at his New York apartment in 1986 when he was 14 and Spacey was 26.

The Old Vic theatre in London has said 'no complaints' were ever received about former artistic director Kevin Spacey after he was accused of sexual assault

Rapp said he found himself alone in Spacey's apartment after a party when the actor put him down on the bed and laid on top of him.

Spacey said on Twitter that he is 'beyond horrified' by the claim and he does not remember the alleged incident, 'which would have been over 30 years ago.'

He added: 'But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behaviour'.

The Old Vic later issued a longer statement, which said: 'We are deeply dismayed to hear the allegations levied against Kevin Spacey, who was Artistic Director from 20042015.

'Inappropriate behaviour by anyone working at The Old Vic is completely unacceptable.

'We aim to foster a safe and supportive environment without prejudice, harassment or bullying of any sort, at any level.

Spacey was artistic director at the famous London playhouse between 2003 and 2015

'We want our employees to feel confident, valued and proud to be part of The Old Vic family. Any behaviour we become aware of which contravenes these goals will not be tolerated.'

came as the International TV Academy withdrew a planned award for the actor in the wake of the allegation.

Spacey was meant to be presented with the 2017 International Emmy Founders Award in New York in November, but has now had the honour revoked.

In a statement on its website, The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences said: 'The International Academy has announced today that in light of recent events it will not honour Kevin Spacey with the 2017 International Emmy Founders Award.'

It has also been announced that political thriller House Of Cards will come to an end after the forthcoming sixth series.

It is thought that the decision to end the Netflix drama was made prior to Rapp's claim about Spacey.

Spacey was subjected to a backlash after coming out 'as a gay man' in the same message as his apology, in what many saw as a ham-fisted attempt to distract from the allegations.

It comes after Anthony Rapp claimed Spacey laid on top of him in bed at his New York apartment in 198 when he was just 14 and Spacey was 26

Netflix and House Of Cards producer Media Rights Capital have also released a joint statement about the allegations.

The statement said: 'Media Rights Capital and Netflix are deeply troubled by last night's news concerning Kevin Spacey.

'In response to last night's revelations, executives from both of our companies arrived in Baltimore this afternoon to meet with our cast and crew to ensure that they continue to feel safe and supported.

'As previously scheduled, Kevin Spacey is not working on set at this time.'

The final series of House Of Cards is due to air in 2018.
Fr. Maximilian Kolbe is well-known for volunteering to die in place of another prisoner at Auschwitz. However, his history as a pioneering entrepreneur, who used the latest technology and managerial techniques to increase his ministrys outreach, has inspired a new movement for the pope to name him the patron saint of entrepreneurs and start-ups.

The fascinating history of how the Polish Franciscan used innovative techniques, employed the latest forms of communications, and oversaw hundreds of workers is the subject of a new essay in Religion & Liberty Transatlantic titled Maximilian Kolbe, saint of Auschwitz and entrepreneurs? The author, Marcin Rzegocki, notes how the missionary and martyr led his monthly evangelistic publications from a first-run print of 5,000 copies to a circulation of one million during his too-brief lifetime.

Cutting-edge technology helped him spread the Gospel. His printing machines ranked among the most modern in Europe, he writes.

Fr. Kolbe asked professors from the best Warsaw universities to craft the managerial structure of his new factory. The solutions he implemented reflected the newest currents of managerial thought, in this case strongly inspired by scientific management or Taylorism. These practices proved effective. The circulation of Knight of Immaculata reached one million on the eve of World War II.

His indefatigable efforts included print and radio ministries, and the funding and planting of missions around the globe. He and other Franciscans left for Japan with little money and no knowledge of Asian languages or culture. Only one month after his arrival to Nagasaki, Japan, the first printing of the Knight of Immaculata in Japanese took place, running 10,000 copies. In a few years the monthly circulation tripled, and their monastery grew exponentially.

These and other actions, which Marcin writes about in detail, have led some Polish entrepreneurs to seek his heavenly patronage.

Their petition asks Pope Francis:

Most Holy Father, As entrepreneurs we know very well that the world of business needs inspiring role models. Only sincere inspiration can provide the strength of will and motivation needed to subdue the earth. We consider St. Maximilian Kolbe one of such people. He is best known for his heroic death in Auschwitz, where he volunteered to die in place of a stranger who was a father to a family, but we also remember him as a brilliant entrepreneur, publisher, journalist and an effective manager. The undersigned of this petition belong to various denominations and have diverse opinions, but we all believe that the achievements and life of St. Maximilian Kolbe should be a role model for the work of many entrepreneurs. That is why we, the undersigned entrepreneurs, activists, journalists and others supporting this petition, ask Your Holiness, with the utmost respect, to designate St. Maximilian Kolbe as the patron saint of entrepreneurs and start-ups beginning their business journey. We sincerely count on Your Holiness support on this issue, being aware of the care with which Your Holiness considers the need to build and improve the everyday world.

They have also created a documentary, Start-up Max.

Since being proclaimed a saint in 1982, his importance has only grown, to people of all faiths. He is one of the twentieth-century martyrs whose statues adorn the outside of the Church of Englands Westminster Abbey in London.

Rzegocki describes the martyr as the perfect model of the Christian businessman seeking to balance a contemplative spiritual life and an active work life:

St. Maximilian Kolbe exemplifies the marriage of virtue and hard work in realizing extraordinary business and professional achievements. His ascetic life not only did not prevent him from using the most recent achievement of business theory and technology but was for him an inspiration and incentive to tirelessly preach the Gospel through every available medium, both in words and action. Another Auschwitz prisoner, Viktor Frankl, said that success and happiness ensue only as the unintended side effect of ones personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself, or as the by-product of ones surrender to a person other than oneself. For Fr. Kolbe, business techniques and technology were a means to achieve his goal of proclaiming the kingdom of his God, to Whom he surrendered everything.

Read his full, fascinating essay here.

(Photo credit: Jean Christophe Benoist. This photo has been cropped. CC BY-SA 3.0.)
Students have been given a lengthy list warning them of all the potentially offensive costumes they should avoid dressing up as this Halloween.

The National Union of Students (NUS) in Scotland are clamping down on revellers who overstep the mark with their choice of outfit.

A number of inappropriate costumes are available online and many people have hit the headlines in recent years due to their fancy dress.

Yesterday, a man from Dundee sparked outrage when a picture of him dressed as missing girl Madeleine McCann went viral online. Other incidents have included revellers 'blackfacing' and dressing up as ethnic minorities.

The NUS today issued guidelines about what they believe is not acceptable and have told students not to wear anything racist, sexist, transphobic, culturally appropriating, ableist, or sl*t-shaming.

The NUS today issued guidelines about what they believe is not acceptable and have told students not to wear anything racist, sexist, transphobic, culturally appropriating, ablist, or sl*t-shaming

A statement on their website read: 'In recent years, weve seen offensive costumes being sold, including costumes that appropriate race and culture, perpetuate sexist stereotypes and make light of the experiences of Trans people and those with disabilities.

'Thats why this Halloween were encouraging you to Check Your Costume! Check and double-check your costume to avoid the exploitation and degradation of others.

'Dont let Racism, Sexism, Homophobia, Transphobia and Ableism be the real Horror this Halloween!'

Last year, a reveller who painted his face black as part of a 'Grim Reaper' fancy dress outfit was left humiliated after being barred from a university party in case he caused racial offence.

Ryan Lytwyn, then 22, wore a creepy cloak and smeared his face black to emphasise his ghoulish white and red eyes.

But when he reached the door of the Edinburgh University Student Union Halloween event he was immediately turned away.

Ryan Lytwyn, then 22, wore a creepy cloak and smeared his face black to emphasise his ghoulish white and red eyes

He fell foul of strict Union rules on fancy dress, which include a ban on dressing up as Mexicans, gangsters, mental health patients and 'camp men'

He fell foul of strict Union rules on fancy dress, which include a ban on dressing up as Mexicans, gangsters, mental health patients and 'camp men'.

Ryan, who graduated with a degree in politics from the university earlier this year, said: 'Everyone thinks it's ridiculous. I felt like I was accused of blacking up which in itself is offensive to me. It's also quite bizarre to compare the Grim Reaper to that as well.'

Yesterday, MailOnline reported on a reveller, who sparked outrage for dressing up as missing girl Madeleine McCann and making a 'cheap dig' at her parents.

Daniel Gearie, 25, from Dundee, posted the iconic picture of Maddie, who disappeared from her hotel apartment in Portugal in 2007, smiling in her Everton shirt next to an image of himself in the same top with a blonde wig on.

Alongside the two images, he tweeted: 'You've taken it too far daniel (sic).'

Daniel Gearie, 25, from Dundee, posted the iconic picture of Maddie, who disappeared from her hotel apartment in Portugal in 2007, smiling in her Everton shirt next an image of himself in the same top with a blonde wig on

He then appeared to defend his actions, saying: 'And before you say 'this is sick' etc I know it is but I'm not the one who left a child unattended in a Portuguese hotel'

He then appeared to defend his actions, saying: 'And before you say 'this is sick' etc I know it is but I'm not the one who left a child unattended in a Portuguese hotel.'

His post on Saturday night went viral and sparked outrage among Twitter users, who branded him 'sick' and 'vile'. And a family spokesman for the McCanns described it as 'cretinous behaviour'.

Speaking to MailOnline yesterday, Mr Gearie said he was 'disgusted' by his own actions and issued an apology to the McCanns.

Similar warnings were issued in American college campuses, which shamed a number of high profile celebrities.

In 2010, hotel heiress Paris Hilton, at a Playboy mansion Halloween party in 2010, dressed up as a 'Native American woman' (left). Just five years later, in 2015, sister Nicky Hilton attended a Halloween party in Hollywood also dressed up as a 'Native American woman' (right)

Actor Colton Haynes was a repeat offender, first dressing as Kanye West in 2011 (left) and painting his face and hands in dark brown paint. Then, in 2012, he dressed up as Gandhi (right) for a Halloween party. He also sported brown face paint for that costume.

While not outright prohibiting any costume, administrators at US Universties are using letters, campus forums and advertising campaigns to encourage students to pick outfits that don't offend classmates of color.

Some, like the University of Texas at Austin, issued a flyer encouraging students to consider how a costume aligns with an organization's values and whether it is 'reflective of a certain racial group, gender, and/or economic class'.

It also includes a list of harmful themes or costumes: any painting or tinting of skin, stereotypes of Asian culture, cowboys and Indians, or south of the border/fiesta. Comic book heroes and time period themes are fine.

Universities across the US are urging students in search of an attention-grabbing costume this Halloween to pass on sombreros, Native American headdresses and blackface. This photo shows one such poster at the University of New Hampshire campus in Durham
An increased reward of $250,000 has been posted for information that leads to solving the suspected murder of Lisa Govan in Western Australia almost 20 years ago.

The 28-year-old was last seen alive near Kalgoorlie's Foundry Hotel about 7.30am on October 8, 1999.

The Boulder Road hotel was at the time located next to the Club Deroes bikie gang clubhouse.

The 28-year-old was last seen alive near Kalgoorlie's Foundry Hotel about 7.30am on October 8, 1999

An increased reward of $250,000 has been posted for information that leads to solving the suspected murder of Lisa Govan

A $50,000 reward was posted a year after Ms Govan's disappearance, but her body has never been found. The state government has now boosted the reward following a request from cold case investigators.

Police Minister Michelle Roberts encouraged anyone who knows what happened to Ms Govan to clear their conscience and contact Crime Stoppers.

'We believe that this is a more realistic amount of money that might encourage people to come forward,' she told reporters on Tuesday.

Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said Ms Govan's disappearance was 'highly suspicious' and detectives suspected foul play.

'Her disappearance is being treated as a homicide investigation,' he told reporters.

'We strongly believe there are people out in the community who know what has happened to Lisa.

The Boulder Road hotel was at the time located next to the Club Deroes bikie gang clubhouse (stock image)

Police Commissioner Chris Dawson (pictured) said Ms Govan's disappearance was 'highly suspicious' and detectives suspected foul play

'Ms Govan's family deserve answers (and) the community deserves answers to bring justice to this matter.'

Mr Dawson said despite the passage of time, evidence could still be found.

'We never close our minds, nor the possibility of fresh information being added to what we already know,' he said.

Raids in Perth and Kalgoorlie conducted on Tuesday were connected to the investigation, but Mr Dawson would not elaborate on the results.
White House chief of staff John Kelly has said that Confederate General Robert E. Lee was 'an honorable man' and that 'the lack of the ability to compromise' sparked the Civil War.

Kelly made his remarks in an interview with Fox News that aired Monday night, speaking in response to a Virginia church's decision to remove historical markers for Lee and George Washington.

'I would tell you that Robert E. Lee was an honorable man,' Kelly told host Laura Ingraham.

'He was a man that gave up his country to fight for his state, which 150 years ago was more important than country,' said Kelly, referring to Lee's decision to resign his US Army commission when Virginia seceded, despite privately opposing the break-up of the Union.

'It was always loyalty to state first back in those days. Now it's different today. But the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War, and men and women of good faith on both sides made their stand where their conscience had them make their stand,' Kelly went on.

John Kelly made his remarks in an interview with Fox News that aired Monday night

'I would tell you that Robert E. Lee was an honorable man,' Kelly told host Laura Ingraham. 'He was a man that gave up his country to fight for his state'

The retired Marine general added that applying current thinking on social issues to figures in history is 'very, very dangerous'.

Kelly's remarks echo his boss President Donald Trump, who has denounced the fever for removing Confederate monuments, including those to Lee, which has swept the country.

The trend has quickly grown to attacks on monuments to presidents including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Teddy Roosevelt, as well as explorer Christopher Colombus and other more obscure historical figures.

'Well, history's history,' Kelly said when asked about a church in Alexandria, Virginia that Washington and Lee both attended, which has decided to remove plaques mentioning the two men to make visitors feel 'welcome'.

Robert E. Lee decided to resign his US Army commission when Virginia seceded, despite privately opposing the break-up of the Union. Kelly has backed him as an 'honorable man'

The chief of staff was responding to questions about a church in Virginia that is removing commemorative plaques to former congregants Lee and George Washington (pictured)

'And there are certain things in history that were not so good and other things that were very, very good,' he continued.

'I think we make a mistake, though, and as a society and certainly as individuals, when we take what is today accepted as right and wrong and go back 100, 200, 300 years or more and say what those, you know, what Christopher Columbus did was wrong.'

'You know, 500 years later, its inconceivable to me that you would take what we think now and apply it back then.'

The steely ex-general generated controversy earlier this month, when he waded into a public dispute between Trump and Congresswoman Frederica Wilson.

Kelly, who himself lost a son in battle, backed Trump in the dispute over condolence calls to a Gold Star family that complained the president wasn't sufficiently comforting on the call.

In the interview with Ingraham, Kelly said he would not back down from false claims he made about Wilson in the midst of that row.

Kelly also said he would not back down from remarks about Rep. Frederica Wilson (pictured)

Kelly complained that the Democrat Representative had gone on stage at the dedication service for a new FBI field office in Miami and boasted about the money she raised to build it.

He said the audience was 'stunned' by the remarks at the somber occasion, which saw the building being named after two agents who died in the line of duty.

But footage played by Ingraham - who was interviewing Kelly for the debut of her Fox News show The Ingraham Angle - showed that Wilson made no such claims.

Kelly suggested that she had actually made the comments at the event but outside of her speech, calling it a 'package deal.'

'Well, Ill go back and talk about before her comments and at the reception afterwards,' he said. 'Again, it was a package deal. Dont want to get into it.'
The uncle of the Duchess of Cambridge has asked for a police caution over an alleged street attack on his wife, a court heard.

Gary Goldsmith, 52, is said to have hit his wife Julie-Ann Goldsmith, 47, outside their central London home, following a night at a private members' club.

He was due to appear in court on an assault by beating charge today but the hearing was put back after a mix-up over whether he could be given a police caution.

Goldsmith, estimated to be worth 30million, is the younger brother of the Duchess's mother Carole Middleton and attended the weddings of both Kate and Pippa.

Gary Goldsmith is accused of attacking his wife Julie-Ann outside their home in Marylebone, central London earlier this month

Goldsmith is accused of attacking his wife after they returned home from a night out in London

Goldsmith allegedly struck his wife in the early hours of 13 October after they left a charity auction in Marylebone.

Following the incident Mrs Goldsmith was taken to hospital in an ambulance but later discharged.

Goldsmith was due to appear before Westminster magistrates' court today charged with assault by beating.

But his defence lawyers asked for a two-week adjournment so a 'caution' for the offence could be considered.

Prosecutor Katie Bryan insisted: 'It does appear to be the case - but that is slightly misleading. We have considered a caution and we are proceeding with the case.'

Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot adjourned the hearing until 14 November.

Mr Goldsmith, who did not attend court today, married Julie-Ann (right) in 2012

Goldsmith attended the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in 2011.

His fortune was made after he set up an IT recruitment company that he sold for an estimated 30million.

The self-made millionaire was brought up in a council estate in Hounslow, west London, and had initially worked as an IT operator before becoming an entrepreneur.

His father was a painter and decorator from west London and his grandfather worked as a miner in Durham.

When his sister Carole left school she went on to work for British Airways, and Goldsmith was an usher at her wedding when he was 15 years old.

Goldsmith, pictured with his daughter Tallulah at the wedding of Kate's sister Pippa this year

Goldsmith married his first wife Miranda Foote in 1991 and reportedly bought a luxury five-bedroom house in Maidenhead, Berkshire complete with a pool..

When that marriage broke down he married again six years later to Luan.

In 2005, he sold his shares in Computer Futures for 17million and bought a villa in Ibiza. He married Julie-Ann in 2012.

Goldsmith, of central London, is charged with assault by beating.
A Metropolitan Police firearms specialist shot himself because he felt responsible for the fatal shooting of Mark Duggan.

Civilian employee Tony Hanley, 51, turned a revolver on himself when negotiations with armed officers broke down near his home in Wallington, south London.

Officers had tried to talk to him on January 30, 2016, and used a Taser and two rubber bullets to try and bring the standoff to an end. But Mr Hanley shot himself in the head and died the following day in hospital.

An inquest into his death was told how the officer felt responsible for the death of Duggan - who was shot dead by police in north London in 2011 - because he had recommended the type of bullets used by armed police.

Firearms specialist Tony Hanley recommended the type of bullets used by armed police when they shot Mark Duggan (pictured), in 2011

Mr Hanley, 51, turned a revolver on himself when negotiations with armed officers broke down near his home in Wallington, south London (pictured)

South London Corner's Court was told the firearms specialist - who worked for the Met Police as a physical protection technician - had also suffered a 'breakdown' due to alleged bullying at work.

Prior to his death he had been off sick for three months suffering from anxiety and depression. He had also been drinking a bottle of whiskey a day on and off for eight years.

The inquest heard how, the day before the shooting, he attended his GP's surgery saying he felt suicidal and would 'take others with him'.

Senior Coroner Selena Lynch told the jury that on the day of his death he had been with his girlfriend Tina Harper.

She said: 'He told me he was really depressed. I said to him you will get through it. And he said, "you don't know what's going on in my head.''

He eventually went to the toilet but came back to the room and grabbed her, which she said 'was very unlike him'.

Ms Harper added: 'He kept saying he was responsible for the death of Mark Duggan because of the bullets.

'I said he wasn't. I said 'you didn't authorise it. You hadn't shot him.'

'He said he was the person who recommended the bullets they were using. He said he kept seeing Mark Duggan's ghost. It never left his mind.

The scene in Wallington, south London where troubled Met Police worker Tony Hanley shot himself

Ms Harper said Mr Hanley had been drinking and 'discussed threatening to harm himself and others and was in possession of a hand gun'.

She left his flat to call for help but just after 8pm he called the police, saying he had a gun to his head and asked for help.

Armed officers rushed to his house but they found him in a nearby street with the handgun.

The coroner said: 'Armed officers then approached from the other side and fired two baton rounds and a taser. He raised the handgun and shot himself in the head.'

He was taken to hospital by ambulance, but died the next day.

Mr Hanley had suffered a 'breakdown' due to alleged bullying at work. Pictured, police at the scene in January 2016

Mr Hanley was described as 'placid and calm' by his sister Laura, who added he collected decommissioned pistols and shells from the Second World War.

MARK DUGGAN: THE DEATH WHICH SPARKED 2011 RIOTS The death of Mark Duggan sparked the 2011 riots. Before his death the 29-year-old was considered to be a violent gangster who was linked to ten shootings and two murders. He was placed under surveillance in August 2011 after officers learnt he was about to pick up a gun from an associate, in Leyton, east London. After Mr Duggan had collected the weapon, the minicab in which he was travelling was stopped by armed police during the evening rush-hour. The father-of-four then ran out of the Toyota minicab and, according to a jury, dropped the firearm onto the grass. He was shot twice by V53. One bullet hit the gangster in his right bicep and the other hit him in the chest. A jury decided in January 2015 that the 29-year-old was lawfully killed by a police marksman. His death triggered four days of rioting and looting across England, leading to five deaths and 200million of damage. More than 1,400 were later jailed over the riots. Advertisement

His brother Gerard said he met with his brother a week before his death and there was no indication he was unwell.

He said Tony would complain about work and 'felt his expertise was ignored ' by management.

The court also heard from his GP, Dr Mohammed Amjad Khan, who said Mr Hanley had previously been off work for 18 months in 2000 suffering with depression.

He was referred to mental health services and went to appointments to help with his alcohol abuse.

In a follow up report, clinical psychologist Dr Yvonne Hemmings said: 'He reported extreme depression which had been triggered by long standing work place bullying.

'He was better when he was not at work.'

The inquest heard Dr Amjad had seen Mr Hanley for an emergency consultation the day before his death.

Mr Hanley had told another doctor he had felt suicidal saying if he kills himself he 'will take others with him'.

However Dr Amjad said by the time he saw Mr Hanley, he was 'calm and placid' and prescribed him Diazepam to help him sleep, but said he had refused to go to A&E for a psychiatric assessment, instead making an appointment to see someone on Monday.

The inquest was read a text from Mr Hanley to his partner, in which he said doctors couldn't help him 'because it was the weekend'.

He said: 'They told me to come back on Monday. I told them I don't think I'll be around by Monday. I told them I would take others. They said it's Friday and the hospital will be busy.'

The shooting of Mark Dugga, centre, triggered the notorious 2011 riots in London

Ms Harper said she and Mr Hanley had been in an on/off relationship for about 20 years.

On the day of the shooting she went to his flat at about 6.20pm, where he answered the door to in boxer shorts and a T-shirt.

She added: 'He said that I wasn't safe. There was something very, very different to how he was. He always made me feel safe.'

The inquest continues.
Natalie Page says that her 10-year-old son Steven Dragwidge, who has autism, was called 'spazzy' by a teacher at his school

A mother-of-four has removed her brain-damaged son from school after claiming a teacher called him 'spazzy'.

Natalie Page, whose 10-year-old son Steven Dragwidge has autism, ADHD and brain damage due to being born prematurely, says she was offended by the term she heard used at Woodside Academy in Croydon, south London.

She says she went into the school to see how Steven got on during a school trip to London's Science Museum but when she asked a teacher, she replied: 'Well, he's a bit spazzy isn't he?'

Following the incident, one of number of disagreements between the mother and the school, she has removed Steven and his brother Ryley Dragwidge, eight.

Ms Page, 29, from Bromley, south-east London, said: 'You wouldn't call anyone something like that. It's derogatory. It makes me so angry that I've heard nothing from the school.

'He has a learning support team because he has autism, ADHD and brain damage. He has severe complex needs.

'He needs to hold an adult's hand at all times when out and about. When I went to pick him up, he was waiting at the tram stop.'

Ms Page said a teacher used the term to describe Steven (pictured) after a school trip

She added: 'I feel as though they are vulnerable at school so I won't send them back. I've had to pull them out of school two weeks ago.

'Steven loves school and wants to go back. The kids will be moving school but I have to wait for Steven's Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to go through first for his special needs.'

Richard Lane, Head of Communications at disability charity Scope, branded the use of the term 'outdated and offensive'.

Mr Lane said: 'Derogatory terms such as this are outdated and offensive, and anyone using them clearly needs a lesson in equality.

'We want disabled people to get the best start in life, and that means being able to attend school without worrying about derogatory comments from teachers.

'Sixty two percent of disabled people say they're treated differently because they are disabled. We have a long way to go to transform society's attitudes towards disability and it's vital that this starts in the classroom.'

She says she had removed Steven and her other son from the Woodside Academy in Croydon

Previously a state-run primary school and children's centre, Woodside Academy is run by The Synaptic Trust. The school is yet to receive an Ofsted rating.

The Synaptic Trust and Woodside Academy have yet to comment on Ms Page's claims but Ms Page has been told they are investigating.

A spokesperson for Croydon Council said: 'Whenever there is an allegation against a professional working in a school the local authority designated officer works in close conjunction with the school to investigate. We wouldn't comment on individual cases.'
Brittney Jade Dwyer, 20, stabbed her grandfather Robert Whitwell, 81, in the neck and chest

The heartbroken mother of a woman who killed her own grandfather has spoken out about the horrific murder for the first time.

Gold Coast woman Brittney Jade Dwyer, 20, stabbed her grandfather Robert Whitwell, 81, in the neck and chest in his Adelaide home in August 2016 before calmly washing the dishes.

Through tears, Dwyers mother Tonya has spoken out for the first time to Sunday Night about the moment her family was ripped apart.

What are the signs that I missed? she said.

The anger thats inside [her] ... never did I think that she was dark.

The murder was part of a plan to steal Mr Whitwells life savings, and was inspired by the television show American Horror Story.

It was my dad, and my daughter killed him, Ms Dwyer said.

Scroll down for video

Through tears, Dwyers mother Tonya has spoken out for the first time to Sunday Night about the moment her family was ripped apart

Shelby Lee Angie Holmes (left) pictured with Brittney Jade Dwyer (right)

Brittney Dwyer cried alongside family members after killing her grandfather, supposedly mourning her poor poppa.

Dwyer and her friend Bernadette Burns, 22, travelled from Queensland to South Australia to steal Mr Whitwells life savings.

Dwyer entered her grandfathers house in Craigmore wearing gloves and carrying a knife about 11am on August 5, 2016.

Mr Whitwell showed his granddaughter family photos of her as a child before she stabbed him to death.

The case summary stated Dwyer then washed dishes while her grandfather died.

Dwyer and Burns stole $1000 from Mr Whitwells wallet and two digital cameras.

Dwyer and her friend Bernadette Burns, 22, (pictured) travelled from Queensland to South Australia to steal Mr Whitwells life savings

Dwyer entered her grandfathers house in Craigmore wearing gloves and carrying a knife about 11am on August 5, 2016

They were unable to find more than $110,000 he had hidden in his shed.

Both women pleaded guilty to murder, and will be sentenced on November 7.

Dwyers friend Shelby Lee Angie Holmes pleaded guilty to home invasion after she allegedly attempted to steal $30,000 from Mr Whitwell.
This is the moment a base jumper broke his ankles in a parachute accident while hurling himself off a mountain.

Landon Dirnberger, 39, lies injured in hospital after jumping off Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona, having climbed 250 feet.

The daredevil fractures his hip after being dragged face-first into the rocks when his parachute opened the wrong way.

The base jumper's friend wishes him luck before he leaps off the mountain only for his parachute to open the wrong way

'When the parachute opened, it opened 180 degrees,' he said.

'So instead of flying away from the cliff, I was flying towards the cliff and didn't have time to turn right or left.'

Rather than guide him through air, the parachute spins the base jumper round and smashes him into the rocks

The moment his body slams against the rocks was captured on the jumper's helmet camera.

He can be heard shouting 'oh s***' and continues to scream in panic while thudding against the mountain as he falls to the ground.

He smashes into the mountain twice before landing, breaking both ankles and fracturing his hip in the accident

People rushed to the daredevil's aid as he lay on the ground after falling 250 feet through the air

When he lands, people rush to help, removing his helmet as a woman tells him not to move, saying: 'You just kinda hang out here.'

The battered and bruised base jumper from Casa Grande was taken to hospital after the near-fatal mishap on Tuesday last week.
Lampposts are being covered in airbags to stop so-called 'smartphone zombies' bumping into them as they walk around staring at their screens in an Austrian city.

Salzburg authorities say tourists are increasingly hurting themselves by not looking where they are going while checking their devices.

Locals have described mobile phone users as Smombies, the short form for a 'smartphone zombie', and civic chiefs are taking action to stop them getting injured.

Lampposts are being covered in airbags to stop so-called 'smartphone zombies' bumping into them as they walk around staring at their screens in the Austrian city of Salzburg

Salzburg authorities say tourists are increasingly hurting themselves by not looking where they are going and accidentally walking into objects

They believe that putting airbags on lampposts is a way of highlighting the need for people to be more careful when using their devices.

The action follows a warning from a local board which promotes safety in public and private life known as the Board for Traffic Safety (KFV).

KFV expert Martin Pfanner said: 'We are of the opinion that when people see this very public warning in the form of lamppost airbags of the dangers of not paying attention, they will change their behaviour.'

Local media interviewed phone users who said the airbags reminded them to take more care.

Pfanner said pedestrians were now involved in more accidents in the city than anyone else on the city streets - including cyclists, moped drivers and car drivers.

He said 40 per cent of the injured pedestrians were hurt because they were distracted at the time of the collision.

Locals have described mobile phone users as Smombies, the short form for a 'smartphone zombie' and civic chiefs are taking action to stop them getting injured

The Salzburg initiative follows on from similar initiatives around the world.

In China, there are special sections of certain pavements that are reserved for people using telephones and walking at the same time.

In Honolulu anyone crossing the road and looking at their phone will be fined.

In the German city of Augsburg they have started putting traffic lights on the ground where they can be more easily seen by people staring at smartphones.
A British theatre director has revealed a 'very powerful' figure in the industry 'coerced' him into a sex act by claiming his career would be destroyed if he didn't comply.

Sean Mathias, who has regularly worked with his former partner Sir Ian McKellen, said it was made 'perfectly clear' that his future in the industry would be harmed if he did not go along with the man's demands.

The director of Bent and No Man's Land, who started out as an actor, said he had been bullied when he was young for being effeminate, which had left him 'very frightened'.

Sean Mathias (pictured left, and with his former partner and regular collaborator Sir Ian McKellen) has told how he was 'coerced' into a sexual act by a 'powerful' man in the industry

He told Radio 4's Today programme: 'So, if anybody forced themselves on me in any way, I felt it probably was safer for me to give in to that.

'Later on a very powerful man who could influence my career took me out for dinner and after dinner suggested we go back to his office, which I found fairly alarming, alarm bells went off, but I thought he was trying to be nice and kind.

'We went back to his office and he coerced me into a sexual act with him and making it perfectly clear that if played along my career would go in the right direction and if I didn't it would not.

'And I did play along that time and felt terrible shame and weakness and vulnerability for it and didn't talk about it for years and years and I've hardly talked about it. I was 19 or 20.'

Mr Mathias, who worked with Kevin Spacey during his stint at the Old Vic, said he was 'dismayed' about the allegations made against the American star

Mr Mathias, who worked with Kevin Spacey during his stint at the Old Vic, said he was 'dismayed' about the allegations made against the American star.

The director said Spacey's decision to come out as gay when he was accused by actor Anthony Rapp of historical harassment was 'unfortunate'.

He said: 'The last thing the gay movement needs is to be associated with paedophilia, which it has endlessly battled against.

'Because you are gay doesn't mean you want to sleep with children and that, unfortunately, in some people's minds, that misconception will now be heightened.'
The 24th meeting of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) Governing Board and associated events were held in Helsinki, Finland, 24-29 September. The Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) was represented at both the 14th GBIF Nodes Meeting (24-25 September 2017, by BHL Program Director, Martin R. Kalfatovic) and the Governing Board Meeting (26-27 September 2017, by BHL Chair, Constance Rinaldo).

BHL Head of Delegation, Constance Rinaldo

14th Global Nodes Meeting

At the Nodes meeting, the delegates were welcomed by Finnish GBIF Nodes Manager, Tapani Lahti. Following this, Andre Heughebaert, Chair, Nodes Committee, provided an introduction to the structure of the meeting and outlined the key goals:

Share information on progress in the nodes

Establish new collaboration models

Set priorities for the next 2 years

Heughebaert also outlined some elements of the GBIF 2018 Work Programme and noted that there are plans to include regional meetings as in the past. The GBIF Secretariat provide an overview of their activities, led by Tim Hirsch (Deputy Director, GBIF Secretariat). Hirschs talk, GBIF International landscape & New regions was an overview of the GBIF international landscape, including participation by area and how different metrics can be used to measure participation and/or coverage of biodiversity data in GBIF. Some key things that GBIF is addressing are:

Address major geospacial gaps

Mobilize sampling-event data

Digitize natural history collections

Areas being focused on include the Caribbean (formation of an Atlas of Living Caribbean) and Pacific Islands (creating new participant options, including a meeting in Samoa).

Hirsch also noted that GBIF is the key reporting structure for Aichi Target 19 of the Convention on Biological Diversity. He also discussed GBIFs relation to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and how GBIF can engage in filling gaps in knowledge through data mobilization priorities.

Other Secretariat updates included:

Capacity Enhancement Support Programme (CESP) / Aisha Lolila Jensen (Program Officer for Participation and Engagement, GBIF Secretariat)

Biodiversity Information for Development (BID) / Laura Russell (Program Officer for Participation and Engagement, GBIF Secretariat)

Biodiversity Fund for Asia (BIFA) / Maofang Luo (Visiting Scientist from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, GBIF Secretariat)

IPT GBIF API and other tools / Laura Russell (Program Officer for Participation and Engagement, GBIF Secretariat)

Presentation of the new GBIF Portal / Morten Hfft & Thomas S. Jeppesen (Web Developers, GBIF Secretariat)

The second session included short talks by members of the GBIF node community and included:

Description of the Antarctic Thematic GBIF Node, Strength & Weaknesses / Anton Van de Putte, Node manager, Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR)

SiB Colombia role as a referent in the Latino American initiatives through GBIF (e.g. workshops, projects, mentoring) / Leonardo Buitrago, Node manager, Colombia

Data management: Stable identifiers for collection specimens: What could the Nodes do to spread the use of this practice? / Walter Berendsohn & Anton Guntsch, Node manager, Germany

Olaf Banki on the @catalogueoflife CoL+ which provides extended taxonomic catalogue & other goals with other partners incl @NLBIF @GBIF @Naturalis_Sci Species2000 ITIS

GBIF Norway: Software tools for online citizen science volunteer digitization of museum herbaria collections (https://data.gbif.no/dugnad) By Christian Svindseth, Node staff, Norway

GBIF Norway: Terms selection tool for data publishers (https://data.gbif.no/dwcexcel) By Christian Svindseth, Node staff, Norway

Swan wings

A tour of the Finnish Museum of Natural Historys herbarium scanning project was also provided at the lunch break. The day concluded with a reception at the Finnish Museum of Natural History. Delegates were also privileged to get a behind-the-scenes tour of the museums collections areas.

Reception with dinosaurs

Global Nodes meeting group photo

(Photo by Anne Mette Nielsen, CC BY-NC 4.0)

* * * * *

24th GBIF Governing Board Meeting

GBIF Governing Board Chair Peter Schalk (Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden) and Donald Hobern (GBIF Executive Secretary) led the meeting and provided an overview of the past year. There was also a discussion of the GBIF Strategic Plan Goals and Work Programme updates. The plan goals were discussed in detail:

Strategic Plan Goal 1  Empower Global Network

Ensure that governments, researchers and users are equipped and supported to share, improve and use data through the GBIF network, regardless of geography, language or institutional affiliation.

Ensure that governments, researchers and users are equipped and supported to share, improve and use data through the GBIF network, regardless of geography, language or institutional affiliation. Strategic Plan Goal 2  Enhance Biodiversity Information Infrastructure

Provide leadership, expertise and tools to support the integration of all biodiversity information as an interconnected digital knowledgebase.

Provide leadership, expertise and tools to support the integration of all biodiversity information as an interconnected digital knowledgebase. Strategic Plan Goal 3  Fill Data Gaps

Prioritize and promote mobilization of new data resources which combine with existing resources to maximize the coverage, completeness and resolution of GBIF data, particularly with respect to taxonomy, geography and time.

Prioritize and promote mobilization of new data resources which combine with existing resources to maximize the coverage, completeness and resolution of GBIF data, particularly with respect to taxonomy, geography and time. Strategic Plan Goal 4  Improve Data Quality

Ensure that all data within the GBIF network are of the highest-possible quality and associated with clear indicators enabling users to assess their origin, relevance and usefulness for any application.

Ensure that all data within the GBIF network are of the highest-possible quality and associated with clear indicators enabling users to assess their origin, relevance and usefulness for any application. Strategic Plan Goal 5  Deliver Relevant Data

Ensure that GBIF delivers data in the form and completeness required to meet the highest priority needs of science and, through science, society.

The meeting also presented the winners of the 2017 Young Researchers Award:

Nora Escribano Compains, a Ph.D candidate at the University of Navarra (UNAV)

Itanna Oliveira Fernandes, a Ph.D candidate at the National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA)

In official business, the various GBIF Committee chairs (Science, Nodes, Budget) all reported. Hobern also presented the 2018 budget and work programme. Ireland was selected as the host for the 2018 GBIF 25th meeting of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) Governing Board, and Governing Board positions were voted on. Results of the elections were:

Chair, Governing Board: Tanya Abrahamse, South Africa

2nd Vice Chair, Governing Board: Mark Graham, Canada

Chair, Budget Committee: Peter Schalk, Netherlands

1st Vice-Chair, Budget Committee: Liam Lysaght, Ireland

2nd Vice-Chair, Budget Committee: Joanne Daly, Australia

Chair, Science Committee: Thomas M. Orrell, United States

2nd Vice-Chair, Science Committee: Anders G. Finstad, Norway

3rd Vice-Chair, Science Committee: Philippe Grandcolas, France

Governing Board meeting group photo

(Photo by Linda Tammisto, CC0 2017)

* * * * *

Finnish National Seminar

All delegates and other guests were invited to the Finish National Seminar , Finnish Biodiversity Information for the Benefit of Society. The national seminar is a full-day event with talks from invited international and Finnish guest speakers including researchers of various fields as well as representatives of the natural resources administration. The programme gives broad insight into the various uses of openly available biodiversity data in research, governance, and teaching, and introduces the newly established Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility (FinBIF).

Professor Leif Schulman

Professor Leif Schulman, Director of the Finnish Museum of Natural History (and GBIF Head of Delegation for Finland) provided a brilliant opening to the Seminar (which was held in the beautiful Great Hall of the University of Helsinki) by pacing four meters across the stage and noting that it was this distance that birds in Finland are moving north due to climate change. Schulman also introduced Finnish Member of Parliment Ville Niinisto (Minister of the Environment in 2011-2014, led to the funding of FinBIF) who provided a governmental perspective on biodiversity.

GBIF Executive Secretary Donald Hobern provided an overview of GBIFs activities and goals and was followed by FinBIF Manager Kari Lahti who contextualized this work within the Finnish context. Dr. Vincent Smith (Head of Diversity & Informatics Division, Natural History Museum, London), provided a keynote talk, The Digital Transformation of Biodiversity Institutions  a Changing Intellectual Business Model.

Executive Secretary Donald Hobern

Researchers from across Finland then provided a series of talks that delved deeper into programs and investigations that FinBIF, GBIF, and other global biodiversity research organizations are facilitating. The talks included:

Research Director Atte Moilanen (University of Helsinki & FinBIF)

Associate Professor Tuuli Toivonen (University of Helsinki)

University Researcher Sami Aikio (University of Oulu)

Post Doc Researcher Andrea Santangeli (Finnish Museum of Natural History)

Research Director Ilari Saaksjarvi (University of Turku)

Senior Curator Marko Mutanen (University of Oulu Biodiversity Unit)

Professor Jouko Rikkinen (Finnish Museum of Natural History & Faculty of Biosciences, University of Helsinki)

Ministerial Adviser Johanna Niemivuo-Lahti, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

Dr. Aino Juslen, Unit Director at the Finnish Museum of Natural History

* * * * *

Other Meetings

Xu & Kalfatovic

The meetings also allowed BHL staff to meet with a number of our partners including Dr. Zheping Xu (BHL China) and Patricia Koleff (BHL Mexico). Discussions with Michelle Price (Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Geneve) and Chair of Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities (CETAF AISBL) provided an opportunity to explore possible collaborations.

Rinaldo, Koleff, Kalfatovic

Rinaldo and Kalfatovic were also able to spend time with outgoing GBIF Science Committee Chair and BHL power user Rod Page to discuss ongoing work with the BHL portal. The GBIF meetings also provided a good opportunity to catch up with staff from iDigBio, including Deb Paul (Digitization and Technology Specialist).

* * * * *

Other Resources
A man accused of raping a 13-year-old girl who was offered by her father to others confessed to police but is fighting the charges at a Perth trial.

Alfred John Impicciatore was 45 in March 2015 when he struck up an online friendship with the girl's father and allegedly sexually penetrated her four times on his first visit to their house.

'He told me she was 17,' Impicciatore told police when they interviewed him about two months later.

Alfred John Impicciatore, 47, admitted to raping a 13-year-old girl four times in March 2015

Impicciatore admitted the girl's father offered his daughter to him and gave him liquid viagra

Impicciatore didn't answer any questions on the way into his trial at the District Court of WA

Impicciatore said the father responded after he advertised on a classifieds website that he was 'looking for girls' and was 'talking about sex and all that sort of stuff' when they spoke on an instant messaging application.

Impicciatore denied he had seen the man's online advertisement for father-daughter fantasies.

'He was talking about his kind of quirky...' Impicciatore said before trailing off.

The detective interjected: 'Fetishes?'

Impicciatore replied: 'I guess so.'

'He implied lots of things.'

Towards the end of the two-hour interview, which was played at Impicciatore's District Court of WA trial on Tuesday, he confessed to all of the allegations, saying the father gave him liquid viagra before they both sexually abused the blindfolded girl.

Impicciatore confessed to all of the allegations in a two-hour interview played at his trial

The father was 'overzealous' and 'it was just weird' seeing him rape his daughter, Impicciatore said.

'He was being, like, really excessive ... wanting a third person to get involved.

'He was very persistent. He was telling me how to do stuff.

'It's f***ed up.'

During the abuse, she put on headphones to listen to music but her father told her to lower the volume, Impicciatore added.

Prosecutor Justin Whalley said the state's case largely rested on those admissions, while DNA from a mixed profile on a condom wrapper matched his.

The court heard that Impicciatore and the girls' father both raped the teen at her home in Perth

The prosecutor said the fact Impicciatore fled the state after being charged demonstrated a consciousness of guilt.

In an interview with police that was also played on Tuesday, the girl said she didn't have a good look at the face of the man who abused her, but noted it was round and his physique was 'really bulky'.

Defence lawyer John Hawkins said his client maintained his innocence and the onus was on the state to prove its case, replying 'yes' to Judge Mark Herron when asked if it was questioned whether the abuse occurred at all.
A top Corbyn ally faces the prospect of a police investigation today over 200,000 in redundancy payments and a loan to buy a house from the 10-member trade union he used to run, a report has found.

Northumbria Police said today it was studying the conclusions of a report into Ian Lavery, Labour MP and party chairman.

A report by the Certification Office, a trade union regulator, last week found he received the generous pay-outs from the National Union of Mineworkers.

A spokeswoman for the police force said: 'Northumbria Police had previously received a complaint which was recorded and put on hold to allow an investigation by the Certification Office.

'Following the outcome of this investigation Northumbria will review the findings of the Certification Office's report, which has now been received to establish if any further action is required by the force.'

Labour MP Ian Lavery, pictured in Parliament, received a generous pay-out from the NUM when he stepped down as general secretary - even though he walked straight into a well-paid job as an MP

The Certification Office said Mr Lavery was handed 147,000 in redundancy payments after he ceased to be the union's chief - even though he walked straight into a well-paid job as an MP.

And he was given a 72,500 loan from the union's benevolent fund to buy a house with his wife.

The union also splashed out nearly 40,000 on sending Mr Lavery away to official trips to India, Cuba and Australia.

A spokesman for Mr Lavery said: 'These allegations have already been investigated by the appropriate bodies with the Union and Ian Lavery cleared of any wrongdoing.

'We are unaware of any police investigation.'

The original revelations in 2016 sparked a number of complaints to the trade union regulator and calls for Jeremy Corbyn to condemn the actions.

The Certification Office probe into the complaints did not find the MP to have broken any rules.

After the regulator's report emerged last week, Alec Shelbrooke, Tory MP for Elmet and Rothwell, urged Mr Corbyn to condemn the payouts.

Tory MP Alec Shelbrooke called for Jeremy Corbyn to condemn the payments (file pic)

He told Mail Online: 'I would call on Jeremy Corbyn to condemn this action as it is clearly against all his socialist principles.

'Or is it a case of as in Animal Farm, all animals are equal but some are more equal than others?'

The once-powerful NUM used to wield immense political power, but after its crushing defeat in the miners strikes it has been left with just a small number of members.

Mr Lavery, who helped mastermind Labour's election campaign, ran the NUM before he became MP for Wansbeck in 2010.

A report by the Certification Office for Trade Unions and Employers Associations shows he received a redundancy pay-out of some 147,424 after he left the union in 2010 - even though he stepped straight into a well-paid job as MP.

The regulator found that both the union and Mr Lavery were unable to 'provide documentary evidence' to show that a proper redundancy process was followed.

But the regulator decided no further investigation would be ordered into the redundancy payments.

Jeremy Corbyn, pictured addressing a meeting of European socialists in Brussels yesterday., has been urged to condemn the pay-outs

It was accepted that the union had overpaid Mr Lavery 30,600 in redundancy money, according to the report.

Mr Lavery disputed 10,600 of it - and he volunteered to repay 15,000, the report continued.

In a separate complaint, the report found Mr Lavery received a generous loan of some 72,500 from the union's Provident and Benevolent Fund to help him buy a home.

The loan was written off in 2007 and Mr Lavery 'appears to have been a beneficiary of this arrangement' the report finds.

Mr Lavery and his wife also got to keep 18,000 from an endowment policy taken out on the property.

The report states: 'The union was not adequately able to explain why they should have taken full responsibility for the under performance of the endowment policy taken out by Mr and Mrs Lavery.

'In particular, they were unable to explain why no attempts were made to seek compensation from the endowment provider.'

The report adds: 'It is far from clear why the union should have made the arrangement with the Provident and Benevolent Fund to write off the whole of Mr and Mrs Lavery's 72,5000 debt to them.'

Mr Lavery is campaign coordinator for Mr Corbyn and played a leading role in the election campaign (he is pictured at a major poster launch in May)

It concludes that the MP and his wife 'may have been over-compensated for the under-performance of the endowment policy'.

The claims relate to payments made between 1994 and 2007, and the investigators found that given the 'historical' nature of the allegation they decided not to pursue the matter.

The report said many trade unions have bought homes for senior officials before, usually the union retains ownership of the property rather than handing over the deeds to the official and their family.

It adds: 'The idea of a trade union purchasing in effect a share in its General Secretary's home is a novel one'.

The report also said it is unable to say if the 40,000 cost of the foreign trips was 'excessive' or not.

The regulator did not find the MP to be at fault.

Mr Lavery said: 'Under my stewardship, the union always complied with the rules and the certification officer signed off every year's transactions.

'As the certification officer's report makes clear, no member of the union, past or present, has made a complaint about the financial affairs of the union.

He added: 'This report should draw a line under almost two years of allegations and innuendo directed at me and my former colleagues.'

The Labour Party declined to comment.'
Former Donald Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski slammed the FBI on Tuesday for failing to inform him last year that Paul Manafort was under federal surveillance before he was hired as the campaign's chairman.

Manafort, who faces a 12-count indictment including felony money laundering charges, was reportedly the subject of wiretaps as early as 2014, authorized by a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court (FISA) warrant.

Lewandowski said on 'Fox & Friends' that the FBI should have given the Trump campaign a heads-up since it didn't have the authority to do comprehensive background checks using government databases.

If it is true that Paul was under a FISA warrant prior to coming under the campaign, then I think the FBI should have probably notified the campaign and said, "Look, you've got a person here who's currently under surveillance; we want to raise that issue to you so you are aware of it".'

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

SHOULD HAVE WARNED US: Former Donald Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski blasted the FBI on Monday for failing to warn him that campaign chairman Paul Manafort was under federal surveillance

Manafort was reportedly the subject of wiretaps as early as 2014, authorized by a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court (FISA) warrant

Manafort was placed on house arrest as a condition of his release on $10 million bond as he awaits trial on a host of financial felonies

'Never was I contacted. Never was the president or the candidate contacted about any relationship that Paul Manafort might have had by a government authority.'

A Justice Department official told DailyMail.com on Monday evening that part of the motivation for keeping quiet may have been investigators' curiosity about whether Manafort's allegedly ill-gotten millions might have found their way into Trump's campaign.

'It could also be that the FBI, which was then an Obama agency, was looking to trap Trump somehow, or at least to sit back while he got mixed up with the worst of the worst,' the official said.

Lewandowski emphasized that the government had access to information about Manafort, including his foreign back accounts and his business dealings with a pro-Russia former president of Ukraine, that the campaign couldn't have known about.

'What the government employees go flew is a very intense, background check. where you have to disclose all of your contacts with foreign government officials. you have to disclose all of your bank accounts,' he said. 'We didn't have that opportunity to do that.'

A Justice Department official says the FBI, then run by the later-fired James Comey, may have been trying to set up the Trump campaign by keeping them in the dark about Manafort

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation brought its first criminal charges on Monday and yielded three arrests  including one low-level guilty plea

The FBI, Lewandowski insisted, should have briefed the campaign 'just from a security standpoint' and said: 'Look, we've got some concerns about this person. You're still welcome to hire them but at least we will make you aware of it.'

'That never occurred,' he said.

Lewandowski repeated the official White House line that indictments facing Manafort and his former protege Rick Gates 'had obviously nothing to do with their tenure at the campaign.'

'They were from incidents that took place more than a decade ago.'

'And it goes on to show that there was no collusion or cooperation or coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia,' he insisted.

Manafort and Gates were confined to their homes in Virginia on Monday as they await trials on a laundry list of federal felony charges.

Lewandowski also said Tuesday: 'I have not spoken to anybody from the FBI...I will cooperate with any investigation'

The pair entered not guilty pleas Monday afternoon in a federal courtroom, telling a magistrate judge that they'll fight the Justice Department in court.

Manafort is a veteran lobbyist now charged with conspiring against the United States and money-laundering on a gigantic scale, following an investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller.

Along with Gates, he surrendered to federal authorities early on Monday as the first charges from the probe of possible Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election were unsealed.

Manafort is free on $10 million bond and Gates agreed to a $5 million bond. Both will be on 'home detention' as a condition of their release, and they have surrendered their passports. They are expected back in court on Thursday.
This is the moment a fat feline's stomach jammed him in a cat flap as he dragged the entire door forward.

Timmy was responding to his owner's call when he poked his head through a cat flap in Berwyn, Illinois, hoping for a bite to eat.

But he struggles to drag his bottom half through as his bulging stomach strains against the gap.

Determined to close in on his meal, Timmy keeps pushing - only to drag the entire door with him.

Unaware of the problem this presents, he pushed ahead and walks straight at the wall.

Timmy tentatively pokes his head through the flap before pressing ahead, eager to reach the food his owners offer

As Timmy tries desperately to reach his next meal, it becomes apparent he could probably do with missing one

The cat's stomach is far too large for him to pass through the gap and he drags the entire door along with him

As he is ridiculed by the people filming him, he realises there's nowhere to go.

With his face jammed against the wall, he is forced to retreat, pulling the slimmer end of his frame backward through the space and freeing his head.
A businessman who left a cyclist with a broken back after deliberately running him over has been jailed for more than two years.

Clifford Harper, 51, swerved his red BMW towards Peter Corfe in slow-moving traffic after the pair traded insults in Marylebone, central London on March 31.

Harper then got out of his car and threatened Mr Corfe, saying: 'I will run you over again if I have to.'

The driver was identified after stunned witness took pictures of the car, while CCTV was recovered when he fled the scene.

Southwark Crown Court heard Harper temporarily 'lost his mind' as pressure built up in his personal life.

He was jailed for two years and three months as a judge described it as a 'deliberate, shocking, appalling piece of driving'.

Clifford Harper, 51, (pictured) swerved his red BMW towards Peter Corfe in Marylebone, in slow-moving traffic after the pair traded insults on March 31

Cynthia McFarlane, prosecuting, said the incident was seen by other drivers and a number of other witnesses.

She said: 'In particular, one passer-by recalled hearing a male voice saying: 'Watch where you're going' and then a car accelerating, a screeching noise.

'That was this defendant's red BMW, deliberately driven by this defendant into the cyclist knocking him off his bike.

'As the witnesses walked over to the cyclist, the driver of the red BMW, the defendant, gets out of his car, walks over to the cyclist and says: 'I'll do it again'.'

Onlookers pleaded with Harper to stay with the stricken rider until police arrived, but he 'ignored them and drove off'.

Harper was arrested on April 12.

In his first interview he told police the scratches left by the collision with Mr Corfe 'had been there for years' before offering no comment when the CCTV was played to him two months later.

He finally admitted the offence at a hearing earlier this month.

Sarah Iskarous, defending, said the married father and company director of a firm employing 150 people had 'momentarily lost his mind' after succumbing to the 'stresses and pressures he had been facing in his life' both personally and financially.

Harper was the sole provider for his wife and daughter and bankrolled the private care of his sick parents.

He had been on his way to see an ophthalmologist following a diagnosis of cataracts as well as other health conditions including the insertion of a metal heart valve giving him a current expected life span of just six more years.

Harper, who lives in Stamford Brook, west London, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving. He was jailed for two years and three months at Southwark Crown Court

Ms Iskarous said: 'An argument ensued with this cyclist resulting in a few angry words exchanged.

'He tells me that this set him off into a rage and he lost his mind momentarily.'

Harper requested the chance to address the court personally from the dock before tearfully offering apologies to Mr Corfe and his family, along with his own.

He said: 'I have let society down - I am very, very sorry.'

Jailing Harper Judge Philip Bartle, QC, said: 'I have seen the CCTV of the driving in question.

'It is truly shocking.

'There isn't any doubt at all that what you did was to deliberately drive at Peter Corfe.

'As a result of that deliberate intention to drive at Mr Corfe you knocked him off his bike and he fractured his spine.

'It was, as I say, a deliberate, shocking, appalling piece of driving which has had devastating consequences for Mr Corfe.

'I have read his victim impact statement, he records that he was in excruciating pain as a result of the injuries which you caused.

'He was in hospital for nine days and it has taken considerable time for him to deal with those injuries.'

The judge told Harper he 'entirely accepted' the incident was 'out of character' as well as taking into account Harper's 'serious health problems' and reliant relatives.

But he added: 'You took a deliberate decision to try to run this cyclist down. You are fortunate that you didn't kill him.'

Harper, who lives in Stamford Brook, west London, admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He was jailed for two years and three months and ordered to pay 5,000 compensation to Mr Corfe.

Harper was also banned from driving for three years, handed six penalty points and ordered to take an extended retest when the disqualification expires.
Many were young, powerless and afraid to speak out in case their careers were ruined.

For nearly three decades their accusations remained bottled up, some suppressed by pay-offs.

More than 30 women have now come forward with allegations of sexual harassment against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, the man once described as 'God' of the film industry.

The accusations, including from some of the world's most famous actresses, range from inappropriate massages to rape.

Here is a list of those who have come forward so far.

Kate Beckinsale In an Instagram post the Underworld star said Weinstein made a move on her when she was just 17.

'When I arrived reception told me to go to his room. He opened the door in his bathrobe. 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. After declining alcohol and announcing that I had school in the morning I left, uneasy but unscathed. A few years later he asked me if he had tried anything with me in that first meeting.I realized he couldn't remember if he had assaulted me or not.'

Teen assault: Kate Beckinsale says Weinstein tried to ply her with alcohol and met her in his bathrobe when she was just 17

Gwyneth Paltrow

The star said that when she was 22, Weinstein touched her and suggested having joint massages in a hotel bedroom before she started shooting the 1996 Jane Austen adaptation Emma. She told the New York Times: 'I was a kid, I was signed up, I was petrified'.

Paltrow (pictured with Weinstein in 2002) told the New York Times that when she was 22 Weinstein touched her and suggested having joint massages in the bedroom

She said she told her then boyfriend Brad Pitt about the incident and he confronted the mogul. She said Weinstein then told her not to tell anyone and she feared getting fired.

Gwyneth Paltrow, 45, is an American actress, singer, and food writer who made her name starring in Seven (1995) and Emma (1996).

Angelina Jolie

The actress told the New York Times she had to turn down advances from Weinstein in 1998 and chose never to work with him again. She said she warned other women about him.

She said: 'I had a bad experience with Harvey Weinstein in my youth, and as a result, chose never to work with him again and warn others when they did.'

Angelina Jolie, 42, is cited as Hollywood's highest-paid actress. She made her screen debut as a child alongside her father, Jon Voight, in Lookin' to Get Out (1982).

Jolie (pictured speaking ahead of a screening of her new film In the Land of Blood and Honey) told the New York Times she had to turn down advances from Weinstein in 1998

Cara Delevigne

The model wrote on her Instagram page about a meeting with Weinstein in which he 'asked her to kiss another woman.'

She wrote: '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'.

Cara Delevigne, 25, is an English fashion model and actress. She signed with Storm Model Management after leaving school in 2009.

Eva Green

Green's mother says Weinstein sexually harassed her during a meeting at his suite in Paris.

The Bond Girl, 37, managed to escape however after being summoned to the movie mogul's hotel room, her mother Marlene Jobert said in a radio interview on Friday.

'He operated with her the exact same way he acted with all the others, under the pretext of a professional meeting, of a script that had to get to her with a nice part into the bargain,' said Jobert.

'Since his office was also in his hotel suite, she [Eva] followed him, and the exact same thing happened to her as to the others. She managed to escape, but he threatened to destroy her professionally.'

Jobert added: '[It was] the usual scenario, the same pattern he used for all the other victims.'

Weinstein allegedly harassed French actress Eva Green in his suite in Paris

Lea Seydoux

The French actress accused the mogul of jumping on her and trying to kiss her.

She wrote in The Guardian: 'We were talking on the sofa when he suddenly jumped on me and tried to kiss me. I had to defend myself. He's big and fat, so I had to be forceful to resist him. He tried more than once. This was never going to be about work. He had other intentions  I could see that very clearly. All throughout the evening, he flirted and stared at me as if I was a piece of meat.

The French actress (pictured in Spectre) accused the mogul of jumping on her and trying to kiss her

'It was hard to say no because he's so powerful. I'm an actress and he's a producer. We are in the same industry, so its impossible to avoid him. I've seen how he operates: the way he looks for an opening. The way he tests women to see what he can get away with. That's the most disgusting thing. Everyone knew what Harvey was up to and no one did anything. It's unbelievable that he's been able to act like this for decades and still keep his career.'

Lea Seydoux, 35, starred in Bond film Spectre and was nominated for the Cesar Award for Best Actress for her role as a lady-in-waiting to Marie Antoinette in the film Farewell, My Queen (2012).

Minka Kelly

The Friday Night Lights star said she met Weinstein at an event and soon after was asked by her agent if she would be willing to meet him at his hotel room to discuss her career.

Kelly said that she agreed to the meeting but refused to go to Weinstein's room, and instead met him at the restaurant inside his hotel with an assistant.

'He bulls*** me for 5 minutes re: movies he could put me in, then asked the assistant to excuse us,' said Weinstein.

'As she walked away, he said, 'I know you were feeling what I was feeling when we met the other night' and then regaled me with offers of a lavish life filled with trips around the world on private planes etc.

'IF I would be his girlfriend.'

Kelly posted a photo of a cross stitch alongside her post that read: 'Boys will be Boys.'

The second 'boys' was crossed out at the bottom however, and stitched in was 'held accountable for their f***ing actions.'

Kelly claimed the alleged encounter was the day-to-day b***shit of being an actress.'

Minka Kelly said she met Weinstein at an event and soon after was asked by her agent if she would be willing to meet him at his hotel room to discuss her career

Tara Subkoff

The actress claims Weinstein sexually harassed her when she was up for a part in one of his movies in the 1990s.

She told Variety: 'That night I was offered the role, and I went out to a premiere after party that was also at.

'He motioned for me to come over to him, and then grabbed me to sit me on his lap. I was so surprised and shocked I couldn't stop laughing because it was so awkward.'

She said he could then feel him getting an erection.

'It was implied that if I did not comply with doing what he asked me to do that I would not get the role that I had already been informally offered,' she added.

'I laughed in his face as I was in shock and so uncomfortable. I left the party right after that.'

After denying his advances, Subkoff claims she was stripped of the part.

Tara Subkoff claims Weinstein sexually harassed her when she was up for a part in one of her movies in the 1990s. She is pictured in 2017

Asia Argento

The Italian actress has accused Weinstein of forcibly performing oral sex on her when she was 21.

She told the New Yorker: 'He terrified me, and he was big. It wouldn't stop. It was a nightmare.' She said she went on to have consensual sex with him over the years that followed. She documented the alleged attack in her 2000 film Scarlet Diva.

Asia Argento is an Italian actress, singer, model, and director, best known for the role of Yelena in the action film xXx (2002).

Asia Argento (left with Weinstein during 2004 Cannes Film Festival) accused Weinstein of forcibly performing oral sex on her when she was 21

Zoe Brock

Model Zoe Brock was 23 when she allegedly had to lock herself in a hotel bathroom to escape Weinstein's advances.

She wrote on Medium: 'Harvey left the room, but not for long. He re-emerged naked a couple of minutes later and asked if I would give him a massage. Panicking, in shock, I remember weighing up the options and wondering how much I needed to placate him to keep myself safe.

Model Zoe Brock was 23 when she allegedly had to lock herself in a hotel bathroom to escape Weinstein's advances

'I told him I was uncomfortable and that I was angry that I had been tricked into this position. He pleaded with me to let him massage me and I let him put his hands on my shoulders while my mind raced. Harvey chased me, d**k, b**ls and all, and banged on the door with his fists, pleading with me to come out.'

Zoe Brock is a model and actress who was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, and raised in Australia.

'Ducked and dived': Claire Forlani said she refused Weinstein on multiple occasions

Claire Forlani

The Meet Joe Black actress appeared in the 2000 Miramax film Boys and Girls. She says she escaped Harvey's advances five times.

'I had two Peninsula Hotel meetings in the evening with Harvey and all I remember was I ducked, dived and ultimately got out of there without getting slobbered over, well just a bit.

'Yes, massage was suggested. The three dinners with Harvey I don't really remember the time period, I was 25.

'I remember him telling me all the actresses who had slept with him and what he had done for them.'

I wasn't drinking the cool aid [sic], I knew Harvey was a master manipulator.

'He also announced to me at the last dinner I had with him at Dominic's that his pilot knew to be on standby because he could never get me to sleep with him, to which I did what I always did, make light of the situation, a joke here or there and moved on.'

'I'd had a fair amount of experience. Sometimes I got angry, really angry. I wondered why I had Prey stamped on my forehead but this I kept to myself.'

Louisette Geiss

The actress said she was called to a late night meeting with Weinstein in 2008. He allegedly emerged in a bathrobe and told her he would green light her script if she watched him masterbate. She left the meeting.

Geiss made her accusations in a press conference with high-profile attorney Gloria Allred on October 10.

The star was born in Miami, Florida. She is an actress and producer, best known for Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell (2001).

Geiss was called to a late night meeting with Weinstein in 2008. He allegedly emerged in a bathrobe

Judith Godreche

The French actress says Weinstein tried to massage her and pull off her sweater after asking her up to his Cannes suite to see the view in 1996, the NYT reported.

Judith Godreche, 45, is a French actress and author. She has appeared in more than 30 films and will soon star in an HBO comedy about a French woman moving to Los Angeles.

Judith Godreche (pictured at the premiere of Nasty Baby in 2015) says Weinstein tried to massage her and pull off her sweater after asking her up to his Cannes suite to see the view in 1996

Dawn Dunning

The actress says she was called to a meeting about future film projects in 2003 aged 24. When she arrived she says Weinstein presented her with three scripts for his next three movies which he would let her star in, only if she had three-way sex with him. She fled the hotel, she told the NYT.

Dunning is a former actress turned costume designer best known for her role in Alias: The Roughest Cut (2006).

Tomi-Ann Roberts

The aspiring actress was 24 when she met Weinstein while serving tables as a college junior in 1984. She says he told her to meet him at his home. When she arrived, she says, he was naked in the bath and told her she would give a better audition if she was nude. She says she refused and left, reports the NYT.

Tomi-Ann Roberts was 24 when she met Weinstein while serving tables

Katherine Kendall

The Swingers actress was told Weinstein had to stop off in his apartment to pick something up after a screening in 1993.

He changed into a bathrobe and told her to massage her, she said. When she resisted she said the mogul returned naked and chased her, reports the NYT.

Kendall, 48, is an American actress from Tennessee. She made her name in Doug Liman's Swingers (1996).

Kendall, 48, was told Weinstein had to stop off in his apartment to pick something up after a screening in 1993

Lucia Evans

The actress, formerly known as Lucia Stoller claims Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him in 2004. Speaking to the New Yorker, she said that she suffered years of trauma after the incident which occurred in a 'casting meeting' in a Miramax office in Manhattan. He reportedly called her late at night after the incident.

Mira Sorvino

The Mighty Aphrodite actress told the New Yorker that Weinstein tried to massage her in a hotel room at the 1995 Toronto International Film Festival.

He then went to her home in the middle of the night but she called a male friend to protect her, she claimed. She said turning down the mogul adversely affected her career.

Sorovino, 50, is an American actress who came to prominence after winning the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as a hooker with a heart of gold in Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite (1995).

Mira Sorvino (pictured starring in Intruders in 2014) said Weinstein tried to massage her in a hotel room

Rosanna Arquette

The actress also said her career suffered after she rebuffed Weinstein's advances in the early 1990s. At a hotel meeting he tried to put her hand on his erect penis, she claims in the New Yorker.

Rosanna Arquette, 58, is an American actress, film director, and producer. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her performance in the 1982 TV film The Executioner's Song.

Rose McGowan

The actress, who made her breakthrough in 1996 in the Weinstein-produced slasher revival movie Scream, reportedly sued Weinstein after he assaulted her in 1997 at the Sundance Film Festival.

She signed a non-disclosure agreement at the close of the suit and has only referred to him obliquely in social media since. On Sunday she referred to being abused by a 'monster' and has previously referred to being raped by a studio head.

Producer Harvey Weinstein (left) and actress Rose McGowan arrive to the premiere of 'Grindhouse' at the Orpheum Theatre on March 26, 2007 in Los Angeles

Ashley Judd

Judd says that during filming for 1997 thriller Kiss the Girls Weinstein repeatedly asked her to watch him shower.

She was one of the women who spoke out to The New York Times this week, saying: 'Women have been talking about Harvey amongst ourselves for a long time, and it's simply beyond time to have the conversation publicly.'

Judd says that during filming for 1997 thriller Kiss the Girls Weinstein repeatedly asked her to watch him shower

Emma De Caunes

French actress Emma de Caunes said that she met Weinstein in 2010. Soon after he told her he had a script he was producing based on a book with a strong female character. Weinstein offered to show her the script, and asked her up to his room at the Ritz in Paris, where he began to take a shower.

He then emerged naked and with an erection, asking her to lay down with him on the bed and telling her that many had done so before, she told the New Yorker. 'I was very petrified,' said de Caunes. 'But I didn't want to show him that I was petrified, because I could feel that the more I was freaking out, the more he was excited.'

French actress Emma de Caunes said that she met Weinstein in 2010 and he invited her to his room

Sophie Dix

The British actress was 22 when she was invited up to his room at The Savoy after being cast in The Advocate alongside Colin Firth. Weinstein tried to massage her and started pulling at her trousers before he started masturbating.

Harvey Weinstein is accused of accosting Sophie Dix in a hotel room

'As soon as I was in there, I realized it was a terrible mistake. I got to the hotel room, I remember talk of a massage and I thought that was pretty gross. I think he showed me his big back and I found that pretty horrid.

'Then before I knew it, he started trying to pull my clothes off and pin me down and I just kept saying, 'No, no, no.' But he was really forceful. I remember him pulling at my trousers and stuff and looming over me and I just sort of  I am a big, strong girl and I bolted  ran for the bathroom and locked the door.'

'I was in there for a while, I think. He went very quiet. After a while I remember opening the door and seeing him just there facing the door, masturbating, so I quickly closed the door again and locked it. Then when I heard room service come to the door, I just ran.'

She said the incident left her bed bound with depression for six months and she decided to end her movie career.

'I decided if this what being an actress is like, I don't want it.'

Lauren O'Connor

The former creative executive at The Weinstein Company, told executives there in the fall of 2015 that there was 'a toxic environment for women at this company' after one of her colleagues told her that Weinstein had pressured her into massaging him while he was naked, the NYT reported.

A former creative executive at The Weinstein Company told executives there in the fall of 2015 that there was 'a toxic environment for women at this company'

Ambra Battilana

The Italian actress and model, 24, told the NYT that in March 2015 Weinstein invited her to his New York office. There, she said, he asked if her breasts were real before grabbing them and putting his hands up her skirt. She reported the alleged incident to police, but they did not press charges. According to the NYT, Weinstein later paid her off.

Italian actress and model Ambra Battilana, 24, alleges that Weinstein grabbed her breasts and put his hand up her skirt

Jessica Barth

Weinstein reportedly pressured Jessica Barth (pictured) to give him a naked massage

Weinstein reportedly pressured the actress to give him a naked massage in the Peninsula Hotel in 2011.

Jessica Barth, 39, is an American stage and film actress, known for portraying Tami-Lynn McCaferty in the film Ted and its sequel.

Laura Madden

A former production assistant and the Weinstein company, she told the NYT that Weinstein had asked her to give him massages from 1991 onwards, while they were both in London and Dublin. 'It was so manipulative,' she told the NYT. 'You constantly question yourself - am I the one who is the problem?' Weinstein denied knowledge.

Emily Nestor

Nestor was a temporary employee of the Weinstein Company for just one day in 2014 when Weinstein approached her and offered to boost her career in exchange for sex, the NYT reported.

Zelda Perkins

Perkins was an assistant of Weinstein's based in London. Aged 25 in 1998, she reportedly confronted Weinstein after she and 'several' others were harassed and later settled out of court.

She said she was subjected to inappropriate requests or comments in hotel rooms.

Zelda Perkins reportedly confronted Weinstein after she and 'several' others were harassed and later settled out of court

Elizabeth Karlsen

Produced Karlsen told The Hollywood Reporter on Sunday that almost 30 years ago an unnamed young female executive who had worked at Miramax with Weinstein had found him naked in her bedroom one night. The exec was in a house rented by Miramax at the time to cut its overheads.

Karlsen, 57, is the Oscar-nominated British producer of Carol and The Crying Game.

Liza Campbell

A freelance script reader, she told the UK's Sunday Times that Weinstein had summoned her to his hotel room in London before telling her to get in the bath with him.

Campbell, 58, is an artist, calligrapher, columnist and writer, born in the north of Scotland and currently living in London, England.

Campbell, 58, (pictured in 2004) said that Weinstein had summoned her to his hotel room in London

Lauren Sivan

The former Fox news host said that Weinstein trapped her in a closed restaurant and masturbated in front of her to completion in 2007.

He allegedly took her to a closed restaurant beneath a club she had visited and attempted to kiss her, then when she refused he cornered her and made her watch him touch himself, according to The Huffington Post.

Sivan is now a TV reporter in Los Angeles and was a local journalist in New York 10 years ago when her encounter with Weinstein allegedly occurred.

Former Fox news host Lauren Sivan said that Weinstein trapped her in a closed restaurant and masturbated in front of her to completion in 2007

Jessica Hynes

Hynes said she was invited to audition for Weinstein when she was 19 - in a bikini. She said she refused to wear the skimpy item - and lost the job.

British actress Hynes, 44, formally known as Jessica Stevenson, is best known for her roles in the Bridget Jones movies and for co-creating and co-writing the sitcom Spaced.

Jessica Hynes said she was invited to audition for Weinstein when she was 19 - in a bikini. She said she refused to wear the skimpy item - and lost the job

Romola Garai

British actress Romola Garai said she felt 'violated' following a meeting with Harvey Weinstein in his London hotel room when she was 18 in which he was in a bathrobe.

Garai, best known for her role in Atonement, said she had already been hired for a part but was told to audition privately with the Hollywood mogul because 'you had to be personally approved by him'.

'Like every other woman in the industry, I've had an 'audition' with Harvey Weinstein,' she told The Guardian. 'So I had to go to his hotel room in the Savoy and he answered the door in his bathrobe. I was only 18. I felt violated by it'.

Garai, 35, is an English actress, writer, and director. She is known for appearing in the films Amazing Grace, Atonement, and Glorious 39.

British actress Romola Garai said she felt 'violated' following a meeting with Harvey Weinstein in his London hotel room when she was 18

Florence Darel

French actress Florence Darel has claimed that she was harassed by the producer in 1993.

Darel, 49, who first came to notice in Eric Rohmer's 'A Tale of Springtime' in 1990, told French media that Weinstein had promised to help make her big in America if she became his 'part-time' mistress.

She said she first had to beat off his advances after Weinstein's company Miramax bought the 1993 fashion industry comedy 'A la mode' in which she appeared.

The following year, pushed by her agent, she agreed to meet Weinstein in a Paris hotel, where he he asked her to be his mistress 'a few days a year'.

Actress Florence Darel, 49, revealed on Thursday to French media that movie mogul Harvey Weinstein had promised to help make her big in America if she became his 'part-time' mistress

Unnamed assistant

Weinstein allegedly behaved inappropriately toward a woman employed as his assistant in 1990. The case was settled out of court.

Another unnamed assistant

In 2015, Weinstein reportedly pressured another assistant into giving him a naked massage in the Peninsula Hotel, where he is also said to have pressured Barth.

Unnamed Miramax employee

At one point in the early 1990s, a young woman is alleged to have suddenly left the company after an encounter with Weinstein. She also settled out of court.

Unnamed woman

A woman who did not wish to be named because she feared Weinstein's connections told The New York Times that the producer had summoned her to his hotel at an unknown date and raped her.
A woman's body has been found in a cooler box in a storage unit where her husband and their two young children were living.

On Monday, police confirmed that the body, which was found last week, belonged to 32-year-old Jessica Monteiro Ray.

Police had been called to the storage unit in Lenexa, Kansas, last Tuesday after Justin Rey, Jessica's 29-year-old husband, asked a stranger in a restaurant for a ride to a train station so that he and his daughters could leave the state and go home to Arizona.

When that person took him to the unit, which was contained in a U-Haul storage facility, to gather their things, they noticed the cooler which was leaking brown liquid and called police.

It took them several days to identify the remains which they said were so decomposed they could not tell if they belonged to a man or woman.

Rey was taken into custody on child endangerment charges and the young children were placed into the care of authorities last week.

Police are still waiting for the result of an autopsy and say they will not file any charges in relation to the woman's death until they have it.

Jessica Rey's body was found inside a cooler box in a storage unit where her husband Justin was found living with their two young children last week. Justin (pictured right in court last week) was arrested for child endangerment but has not yet been charged over his wife's death

Police found her body inside a storage unit at this U-Haul facility in Lenexa, Kansas, where her husband and their two young daughters had been living

The couple's daughters, who were found inside the U-Haul storage unit, are just two and five days old.

They had four older children removed from their care in 2015 and complained about in YouTube videos where they said the children had been 'illegally stolen' from them.

Police were alerted to the family last week when Justin asked an unidentified person in a restaurant in Lenexa if they would take him and his daughters to the train station.

The person agreed and drove him to the unit where he could gather his things.

There, they saw the conditions the girls were living with along with the cooler and called police.

When questioned over his wife's whereabouts last week, Justin at first repeated his earlier story that she died in childbirth then claimed she had committed suicide.

Jessica had not been seen alive since October 20 when she was last spotted at a Missouri motel 25 miles away where the family had been living.

Her relatives believe this is where she gave birth, KTLA 5 reports.

Jessica (seen above with Justin in one of their YouTube videos) was last seen alive at a motel on October 20

The couple's four older children (one of whom is shown above) were previously removed from their care. Relatives said Justin once served in the military but his record could not be immediately confirmed on Tuesday

Jessica (above during previous pregnancies) gave birth to their youngest child a week ago. Her husband later told police she died in childbirth

Jessica complained in YouTube videos that her four older children were 'illegally taken off of her'

The mother-of-six was last seen alive at Woodspring Suites in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 20. Her family believes this is where she gave birth

Justin remains in custody on child endangerment charges but has not been charged over his wife's death. The couple's daughters are now in the care of authorities

On October 23, staff at Woodspring Suites, the motel, said a man called the front-desk in a woman's voice, pretending to be her, to check them out.

Rey was filmed on surveillance footage that day leaving the hotel with a cooler and a stroller.

His wife was not with him when he left. From there, he is believed to have gone to the U-Haul unit in Lenexa.

When police found him there with the girls last week, neither of them had a place to sleep and neither had diapers on.

Justin and his wife regularly appeared in YouTube videos where she complained about having previous children 'illegally stolen from her' by CPS.

In 2015, she said she'd had four of her children taken off of her.

There were no other children inside the unit last week other than the two-year-old and five-day-old.
Asian officials are 'holding their breath' in apprehension of President Donald Trump's visit next week to the Pacific Rim.

Government representatives in South Korea and Japan are fearful that Trump will taunt communist strongman Kim Jong-un from their doorsteps, regional experts are saying, and mire them in an intractable war.

'Seoul and Tokyo are more nervous about Washington than I have seen during my 24 years working [in] Asia,' Heritage Foundation senior research fellow Bruce Klingner told DailyMail.com from Tokyo.

The Council on Foreign Relations' U.S.-Korea policy director Scott Snyder said officials in Seoul are 'praying that the worst doesn't transpire' during Trump's speech to South Korea's National Assembly and officials are approaching it with 'a lot of white knuckles.'

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Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Donald Trump shake hands before a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in February. Asian officials are said to be 'holding their breath' in apprehension of President Donald Trump's visit next week to the Pacific Rim

Trump has rattled both governments with the threats and name-calling he's directed at Kim over the rogue regime's nuclear program. The 71-year-old U.S. president has repeatedly referred to his 33-year-old counterpart as 'Little Rocket Man.'

His administration's maybe-we-will, maybe-we-won't attitude toward preemptive strike on Pyongyang has also unnerved American allies in the region.

'I think they're confused, and I think they're a little bit shaken because they understand that they would be in the line of fire if there's any contact between the United States and North Korea in terms of a kinetic military operation,' Sen. Jack Reed, the ranking Democrat on the upper chamber's Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters this month as he returned from South Korea.

Trump warned Kim during his first speech to the United Nations General Assembly in September that he would 'totally destroy' North Korea if it moves to strike the U.S. or its allies.

Kim retorted that Trump is 'mentally deranged.'

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho claimed afterward that the U.S. had formally declared war on his country, and that it reserves the right to blast American bombers out of the sky even if they are flying outside of the communist nation's airspace.

This undated photo provided on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017, by the North Korean government shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, inspects products during a visit to a cosmetics factory in Pyongyang. Trump has repeatedly referred to the 33-year-old as 'Little Rocket Man'

The Trump administration's oft-stated position is that 'all options are on the table'  a line that has become U.S. officials' stock answer when they're asked publicly about the prospects for military intervention.

Senior Trump administration officials have stressed that war is not the president's preference, however.

Asian officials are confused by Trump's rhetoric on North Korea, which is often at odds with what Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says

'He wants this solved diplomatically. He's not seeking to go to war,' Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said earlier this month on CNN.

The president had scolded Tillerson on Twitter before the secretary of state's comments, asserting that he is 'wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man.'

Tillerson argued after the fact Trump did not actually mean what he said.

'Those diplomatic efforts will continue until the first bomb drops,' the chief U.S. diplomat explained.

The episode generated confusion in the U.S. and abroad about Trump's position on diplomatic talks. The president's later insistence that 'only one thing will work' with Kim, and that Americans might be witnessing the 'calm before the storm,' led to more frayed nerves.

South Korean President Moon Jae-In (R) shakes hands with US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis (L) during their meeting at the presidential Blue House in Seoul on Friday. Government representatives in South Korea are fearful that Trump will taunt Kim Jong-un from their doorsteps

Klingner told DailyMail.com that 'Trump's inconsistent messaging' has the governments in Japan and South Korea concerned.

'They are looking for a consistent message, most notably on reassurance of US commitment and resolve to defend them. They also seek to be fully consulted and coordinated with on policy toward North Korea,' Klingner said.

'Seoul and Tokyo are simultaneously concerned about [the] U.S. entangling them in a war with North Korea, abandoning them once Pyongyang can threaten the continental U.S. with nuclear weapons, and that President Trump will cut a bilateral deal with North Korea.'

A U.S. official said Tuesday that Trump's visit to Seoul will 'celebrate the enduring alliance and friendship between the United States and the Republic of Korea, and call on the international community to join together in maximizing pressure on North Korea.'

The U.S- South Korea alliance 'is stronger than ever in the face of North Korea's aggression,' the official asserted.

Trump departs Washington on Friday for a 12-day blitz through East and Southeast Asia. He'll make stops in Tokyo, Seoul, Beijing, De Nang, Hanoi and Manila during his fourth foreign trip since taking office.

A trip to the demilitarized zone on the Korean Peninsula was off the table as of Tuesday, a U.S. official said. A visit to Camp Humphreys is on the schedule instead.

It is common for U.S. presidents to hold news conferences with their hosts when they are traveling abroad, but the White House has not said whether that will be the case when Trump meets with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

A U.S. official indicated to reporters last week during a press event that Trump would follow Moon's lead during his brief stay in Seoul.

But that won't likely extend to giving the South Korean president advance notice of what he'll tell the nation's elected legislature.

While the South Korean government would prefer to receive a copy of Trump's remarks to the National Assembly, 'it's really almost a fool's errand to try to manage that,' Snyder said.

Regardless of what the U.S. president's advisers direct him to say about North Korea's illicit nuclear tests, the possibility remains that Trump will heckle his adversary from just across the border.

As a result, South Korean officials are 'stuck holding their breath, and praying that the worst doesn't transpire,' Synder said.
Donald Trump launched a furious assault Tuesday morning on two former campaign hands caught in the Justice Department's crosshairs.

Trump said the charges against Paul Manafort, his former campaign chairman, are tied to activities that 'took place long before he came to the campaign.'

'The Fake News is working overtime. As Paul Manafort's lawyer said, there was "no collusion,"' Trump said, referring the special counsel's mandate to probe election meddling.

Of a former foreign policy adviser to the campaign who turned himself in for making false statements to the feds about contact with the Russians, George Papadopoulos, Trump said: 'Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar. Check the DEMS!'

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS

Donald Trump launched a furious assault Tuesday morning on two former campaign hands caught in the Justice Department's crosshairs

Trump said the charges against Paul Manafort are tied to activities that 'took place long before he came to the campaign.' Of a former foreign policy adviser who turned himself in for making false statements to the feds about contact with the Russians, George Papadopoulos, Trump said, he's 'already proven to be a liar'

A former foreign policy adviser to the campaign who turned himself in for making false statements to the feds about contact with the Russians, George Papadopoulos is being slammed by the White House as a volunteer to a committee on the campaign who had no inside knowledge or power

LAST BREATH OF FRESH AIR? Former Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was placed on house arrest as a condition of his release on $10 million bond as he awaits trial on a host of financial felonies

The White House sought on Monday to put as much distance as they could between the president and campaign affiliates facing criminal charges, saying that Trump had not spoken to Manafort in months and pegging Papadopoulos as a volunteer to a committee on the campaign who had no inside knowledge or power.

Another former campaign staffer, Rick Gates, once the deputy campaign manager, was also indicted. A longtime business associate of Manafort's, his alleged crimes are not related to the president, either.

Manafort and Gates have been confined to their homes in Virginia as they await trials on a laundry list of federal felony charges.

The pair entered not guilty pleas Monday afternoon in a federal courtroom, telling a magistrate judge that they'll fight the Justice Department in court. Manafort lives in Alexandria, a close-in suburb of Washington. Gates resides in Richmond, more than 100 miles to the south.

Manafort, a veteran lobbyist, is now charged with conspiring against the United States and money-laundering on a gigantic scale, following an investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller.

Along with Gates, his longtime business partner and protege, Manafort surrendered to federal authorities early on Monday as the first charges from the probe of possible Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election were unsealed.

Manafort is free on $10 million bond and Gates agreed to a $5 million bond. Both will be on 'home detention' as a condition of their release, and they have surrendered their passports.

They are expected back in court on Thursday.

Trump's former campaign chairman was pictured smiling on Monday as he walked through a brisk October breeze and got into a waiting SUV.

It was not clear on Monday afternoon whether the men would have to wear ankle monitors. That kind of GPS technology is typically used in federal cases to ensure defendants don't flee the country.

President Trump watched the specter with revulsion, waking up before dawn, the Washington Post reported, to keep tabs on Mueller's announcement. Holed up in the residence, Trump is said to have fumed over the media's coverage of the surprise indictments.

Trump tweeted victoriously that there was 'NO COLLUSION' before a second bombshell dropped: Papadopoulos had turned himself in.

The president's personal lawyer, Jay Sekulow, was sent out to damage control as the White House delayed a news conference with the president's press secretary until he was finished.

When she did take the podium, spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders repeatedly stated Papadopoulos role in the campaign had been 'extremely limited' in 'a volunteer position.'

'I'd hardly call that some sort of regular advisor or, as you want to push, that he's like a senior member of the staff,' she stated. 'He was not paid by the campaign, he was a volunteer on a -- again, a council that met once.'

Asked what it says about Trump's judgement that he'd have folks like Manafort, who are facing serious charges, working on his campaign at all, Huckabee Sanders, argued, 'These were seasoned operatives that worked on a number of campaigns. Paul Manafort was brought in to lead the delegate process, which he did, and was dismissed not too long after that.'

$5 MILLION LIGHTER: Rick Gates left court where he too was placed on home confinement as part of a multimillion-dollar bond arrangement to avoid custody as his trial approaches

DRAWN FACES: A courtroom sketch shows Manafort (standing, center) and his former protege Rick Gates (standing, right) entering their not-guilty pleas before U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson

GPS FOR PAUL? It's not clear whether Manafort and Gates have to wear ankle monitors during their home confinement as their trials approach, but both of their right lower legs showed hints of a bulge as they left the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C.

The charges against Manafort (shown) and Gates are the first from the special counsel investigating so far unsubstantiated accusations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia

Manafort's lawyer told reporters camped outside of the courthouse on Monday afternoon that the president 'was correct' that the charges that were brought were outside the scope of special counsel's election meddling mandate.

'There is no evidence that Mr. Manafort or the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government,' Kevin Downing said.

The Manafort representative also said, 'Today, you see an indictment brought by an office of special counsel that is using a very novel theory to prosecute Mr. Manafort, regarding a FARA filing. The United States government has only used that offense six times since 1966, and only resulted in one conviction.'

The indictment against Manafort, 68, and Gates, 45, includes 12 separate criminal counts: conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts.

The government alleges that at least $75 million was moved by Manafort to offshore accounts without declaring the income to the government. From there Manafort allegedly withdrew $18 million to fund a lavish lifestyle, and Gates is accused of pulling out another $3 million.

Monday afternoon's preliminary hearing was before U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson.

CIRCUS: Kevin Downing, attorney for Paul Manafort, spoke to reporters after the preliminary hearing on Monday

BIG MONEY: Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort (center) turned himself in at FBI headquarters on Monday and later entered a not guilty plea in federal court

Arriving for court: Manafort was driven in the back of an SUV to the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C. just after noon on Monday

Gates' spokesman Glenn Selig issued a strident defense of his client after his court appearance. He said the former Trump campaign hand 'welcomes the opportunity to confront these charges in court. He is not going to comment further until he has had a chance to review the lengthy indictment with his legal team,' he said. 'In the meanwhile, he would appreciate you respecting his and his family's privacy as they weather this unexpected and hasty proceeding designed to accommodate perhaps political and press considerations rather than his right to have counsel of his choice by his side during this most troubling and challenging day for him and his loved ones. This fight is just beginning.' An angry Trump washed his hands of Manafort on Monday morning. 'Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign,' Trump tweeted after the charges were unsealed. 'But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????' 'Also, there is NO COLLUSION!' he insisted. Outside court Manafort's attorney said the millionaire lobbyist would fight the charges. Downing said Manafort 'represented pro-European Union campaigns' for Ukraine and that he was 'seeking to further democracy and to help the Ukraine come closer to the United States and the EU.'

Kevin Downing, the attorney for Paul Manafort, told reporters in a statement that 'there is no evidence that Mr. Manafort or the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government'

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told DailyMail.com during Monday's briefing that Trump and Manafort 'haven't spoken in several months. The last known conversation was back all the way to February'

President Trump pounced on Monday, denying Manafort's alleged crimes predated his campaign and insisting that he never colluded with Russia to affect the 2016 election

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation has brought its first criminal charges and yielded three arrests  including one low-level guilty plea

'The second thing about this indictment that I myself find most ridiculous is a claim that maintaining offshore accounts to bring all your funds into the United States as a scheme to conceal from the United States government is ridiculous,' he said.

Downing then walked away from a media stake-out site without taking any questions.

The defendants' surrender to the FBI in the morning was followed by a dramatic announcement that one of Trump's campaign foreign policy advisers, George Papadopoulos, had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contact with Russians who promised 'dirt' on Hillary Clinton and access to 'thousands' of her emails.

Papadopoulos secretly agreed to a plea bargain earlier this month, suggesting he may be cooperating with Mueller.

Monday morning's events will raise questions about what happens next and whether Manafort and Gates could follow suit.

Manafort was involved with the Trump campaign for nearly five months, in senior positions that gave him access to the day-to-day operations of the future president's political operation.

Trump's lawyer, Ty Cobb, told reporters on Monday that he had no concern about Manafort offering damaging information about the president in exchange for a deal.

Roger Stone, a longtime Trump confidant, said in September that Manafort has no information that could put the president in legal jeopardy, predicting that 'he's not going to lie.'

The possible sentences, if found guilty, would be stiff: up to 80 years in prison for Manafort and 70 for Gates, plus millions of dollars in fines.

More typical federal sentencing for the crimes charged would be 10 to 12.5 years for Gates and 12.5 to 15 for Manafort.

Trump's personal lawyer, Jay Sekulow, said Monday on CNN that regardless of Manafort's legal woes, 'there is not a formal investigation of the President of the United States.'

Trump hasn't been asked to testify or answer questions for the special counsel, he said, but 'the president said he would' if asked.

'We have been cooperating,' Sekulow said. 'If there's questions that come from the special counsel's office, we've been in full cooperation mode.'

But the charges pending against Manafort, 68, and Gates, 45, are related to 'business activities, not campaign activities,' he said.

The indictment includes 12 separate criminal counts: conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts.

Trump's personal lawyer, Jay Sekulow, said Monday on CNN that regardless of Manafort's legal woes, 'there is not a formal investigation of the President of the United States'

Trump campaign aide Rick Gates, shown at left during the Republican National Convention, faces charges along with Manafort and has also pleaded not guilty

Guilty: George Papadopoulos is facing up to six months in prison. He was a foreign policy adviser to Trump who admits lying to the FBI about contact with Russians who offered dirt on Hillary Clinton and thousands of her emails

The government alleges that at least $75 million was moved by Manafort to offshore accounts without declaring the income to the government. From there Manafort allegedly withdrew $18 million to fund a lavish lifestyle, and Gates pulled another $3 million out.

A source close to the White House told CNN that 'today has zero to do with the White House.'

HOW MANAFORT SPENT HIS MILLIONS Monday morning's indictment lists a host of lavish expenses that ate up millions from Paul Manafort's alleged offshore accounts, including: $5.43 million for home improvement in the Hamptons

$1.31 million for home improvement in Florida for 'home automation, lighting and home entertainment'

$934,000 at an antique rug store

$849,000 at a men's clothing store in New York

$819,000 for two landscapers in The Hamptons

$623,000 on antiques in New York

$520,000 at a Beverly Hills clothing sto re

$163,700 for payments on three Range Rovers

$62,000 on a Mercedes Benz

$31,900 at a Florida art gallery

$20,000 on New York housekeepers Advertisement

Trump's defiant tweet, and his reference to Clinton who faces her own claims of receiving dirty Russian money, sets the stage for a showdown with Mueller which led on Monday morning to Nancy Pelosi, the House minority leader, calling for legislative moves to prevent the special counsel from being fired.

The indictment is purely focused on alleged financial crimes and does not include any charges related to the broader question that formed the basis of Mueller's investigation  whether Donald Trump's presidential campaign colluded with Russia to swing the 2016 election in his favor.

It describes criminal allegations that predate the Trump campaign; Trump's name is not mentioned in the 31-page document.

The move to indict the two men represents a dramatic turn in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Manafort was seen leaving his home at 8:00 a.m. with his attorney and arrived at FBI headquarters less than 20 minutes later.

A federal grand jury approved the indictments on Friday and a judge ordered them sealed. A White House official told DailyMail.com on Monday that the administration may not comment at all on the arrests.

The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who was appointed by former president Barack Obama and confirmed in the Senate by a 97-0 vote.

Among the expenses paid for by Manafort-controlled entities in Cyprus, according to the indictment, were $600,000 for antiques and $500,000 paid to a Beverly Hills tailor and $849,000 to a men's clothing store in New York.

Other money went for premium automobiles and home renovations in Florida and the Hamptons. The Hamptons home alone had $5.4 million in renovations, the indictment said.

Hand them over: The indictment demands that Manafort be stripped of two New York city properties, a SoHo loft (left) and Brooklyn brownstone (right), as well as a Hamptons home which he lavished more than $5 million on in renovations, and an Arlington, VA, condo

Manafort also spent $934,350 at an antique rug store in Alexandria, Virginia.

The indictment demands that four of his properties are seized, including a Brooklyn brownstone he bought to renovate, a loft in New York's trendy SoHo which he let out on Airbnb, a Hamptons home and his Arlington, Virginia condo.

Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez said in a statement that the indictment 'underscores the seriousness of the investigation into Donald Trumps ties to Russia. Its time for Republicans to commit to protecting this investigation and preserving the rule of law.'

In a separate statement, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, said the charges demonstrated the necessity of keeping congressional investigations running alongside the Mueller probe.

'Even with an accelerating Special Counsel investigation inside the Justice Department, and investigations inside the Republican Congress, we still need an outside, fully independent investigation to expose Russias meddling in our election and the involvement of Trump officials,' she said.

'Defending the integrity of our democracy demands that Congress look forward to counter Russian aggression and prevent future meddling with our elections.'

Manafort and Gates were the one-two punch responsible for keeping Republican National Convention delegates in line last year as the possibility emerged of a contentious floor fight over the presidential nomination.

Then-candidate Donald Trump first Manafort after reports that he pocketed at least $12 million in undisclosed payments from Viktor Yanukovych (pictured), the pro-Russia former Ukrainian president.

Manafort was fired shortly after the convention and replaced by pollster Kellyanne Conway, but Gates stayed on and was more recently working to help close out the financial books of Trump's inaugural committee.

He had worked for Manaforts international firm, Davis Manafort Partners, from 2006 to 2007.

The move to throw Manafort overboard came after reports that Manafort pocketed at least $12 million in undisclosed payments from Viktor Yanukovych, the pro-Russia former Ukrainian president.

Manafort and his firm, which Gates helped run, spent years as Yanukovych's political consultants.

The Justice Department's indictment charges that Manafort and Gates 'generated tens of millions of dollars in income as a result of their Ukraine work.'

'In order to hide Ukraine payments from United States authorities, from approximately 2006 through at least 2016, Manafort and Gates laundered the money through scores of United States and foreign corporations, partnerships and bank accounts,' it continues.

Mueller's probe focused on wire transfers Manafort made from Ukraine to private accounts and whether he paid taxes on that income.

Kevin Downing, Manafort's lawyer, was formerly a prosecutor in the Justice Department's criminal tax division.

In July the FBI in July executed a surprise search warrant with guns drawn at Manafort's home in Alexandria, Virginia, seizing financial and tax documents.

Headed to a judge: Paul Manafort was driven by his lawyer on Monday morning to turn himself in to Mueller

It's unclear if Manafort is the biggest fish in Mueller's sights, or if the former FBI director intends to squeeze him for information more directly related to the 2016 election and Russia's possible interference with it.

The Russia investigation has cast a shadow over President Donald Trump's nine-month-old presidency and widened the partisan rift between Republicans and Democrats.

U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in January that Russia interfered in the election to try to help Trump defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton by hacking and releasing embarrassing emails and disseminating propaganda via social media to discredit her.

Mueller is also investigating whether Trump campaign officials colluded with those Russian efforts.

Trump tweeted Monday morning about a report that Barack Obama's campaign organization funneled nearly $1 million to the law firm that served as a pass-through last year between Democrats and an opposition research firm that produced the salacious and discredited 'dirty dossier' on the president.

Manafort hid his face from reporters who were staking out his house in Alexandria, Virginia as he left to turn himself in at the FBI's headquarters

'Report out that Obama Campaign paid $972,000 to Fusion GPS. The firm also got $12,400,000 (really?) from DNC. Nobody knows who OK'd!' the president tweeted on Monday.

That tweet came a half-hour before news broke that Manafort and Gates had been indicted. The White House hasn't yet commented on their surrender.

Trump has denied the allegations of collusion with the Russians and called the probe 'a witch hunt.' The Kremlin also has denied the allegations.

Mueller, a former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has been looking into possible links between Trump aides and foreign governments, as well as potential money laundering, tax evasion and other financial crimes, according to sources familiar with the probe. He also is exploring whether Trump or his aides have tried to obstruct the investigation.

Mueller was appointed to lead the investigation a week after Trump's May 9 firing of FBI Director James Comey, who was heading a federal probe into possible collusion with Russia.

Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn could also face charges later related to his contacts with Russian officials

Master of distraction: A half-hour before Manafort's indictment was unsealed, President Trump tweeted about an alleged money-funnel between Democrats and the opposition research firm behind the discredit 'dirty dossier' about him

Trump initially said he fired Comey because his leadership of the FBI was inadequate.

In a later interview with NBC, he cited 'this Russia thing' as his reason.

On Sunday, Trump tried to shift the focus back to Democrats and Clinton, tweeting that the Russia issue was being used to sidetrack the Republican push for tax reform and praising Republican 'anger and unity' on the need to look into whether Democrats and the Clinton campaign paid for a portion of a dossier that detailed accusations about Trump's ties to Russia.

Special White House counsel Ty Cobb said the president's tweets were 'unrelated to the activities of the Special Counsel, with whom he continues to cooperate.'

Investigators led by Mueller have interviewed former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, former spokesman Sean Spicer and other current and former White House and campaign officials.

In July, FBI agents raided Manafort's Virginia home; his financial and real estate dealings and prior work for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine have been a focus of Mueller's team.
The CIA was told about a man claiming to be Adolf Hitler who lived in Colombia among a community of ex-Nazis during the Fifties, declassified documents reveal.

Agents did not take the claim made by a former SS soldier seriously, however the station chief in Caracas did forward the claims to superiors complete with a photo.

The files show that a man named Phillip Citroen approached agents in 1954 to say he had met a man claiming to be Hitler and living in the town of Tunja, north of Bogota.

By the time agents took any action the man claiming to be the Fuhrer - who was called Adolf Schuttlemayer - had apparently fled to Argentina. However the CIA was clearly extremely skeptical of the claims and recommended the matter be 'dropped'.

The claims have resurfaced now after after Colombian journalist Jose Cardenas tweeted the files from the CIA archive that were declassified in the Nineties.

Phillip Citroen (left), a former SS soldier, went to CIA agents in 1954 to say that he had seen a man claiming to be Adolf Hitler (right) alive and living in Colombia. Citroen gave agents this photo to support his claims

Citroen said 'Hitler' was living in a community of ex-Nazis in the town of Tunja, near Bogota, under the name Adolf Schuttlemayer (pictured is the CIA file with the image attached)

Citroen claims to have visited the town while working for a railroad company where he was introduced to a man 'who strongly resembled and claimed to be Hitler'.

The document says: 'Citroen claimed to have met this individual at a place called 'Residencies Coloniales' which is, according to the source, overly populated with former German Nazis.

'According to Citroen, the Germans residing in Tunja follow this alleged Adolf Hitler with an idolatry of the Nazi past, addressing him as Elder Fuhrer and affording him the Nazi Salute and storm-trooper adulation.'

Citroen even showed agents a photograph of himself sitting next to a man that bears a strong resemblance to the Nazi dictator in an attempt to prove his story.

Agents wrote the story into an informal memo, the documents show, but largely dismissed it as a fanciful rumor.

But in 1955 a second man, identified only by his code name of Cimelody-3, approached agents with the same story, which he said Citroen related to his friend.

Cimelody said Citroen, who by that time was living in Venezuela, had claimed to be in contact with 'Hitler' around once a month on his regular visits to Colombia while working for the KNSM Royal Dutch Shipping Company.

Cimelody also provided agents with a photograph purporting to show Citroen with Hitler, who was named on the back of the image as Adolf Schuttlemayer.

According to Cimelody, Adolf left Colombia in January 1955 for Argentina, though he does not say exactly where.

Citroen said the former Nazis called the man The Fuhrer, offered him Nazi salutes, and 'afforded him storm-trooper adulation'

Thousands of Nazis fled Europe for South America after the Third Reich collapsed, mostly to Argentina, though some were found living in Colombia. Pictured is the town of Tunja, where the man claiming to be Hitler was living

Hitler conspiracy theories: Body doubles, tunnels and U-Boats While most historians accept Hitler killed himself in 1945, theories that he escaped have abounded almost since the moment Berlin fell to the Allies On the morning of April 30, 1945, Adolf Hitler shot himself in the head in his Bunker in Berlin while newlywed wife Ava Braun killed herself with cyanide. That afternoon, their bodies were brought to a garden outside where they were doused in petrol and burned. While the majority of historians agree on this version of events, theories that Hitler actually escaped and lived out his life elsewhere have abounded since the Second World War ended. One of the first to put forward the theory was Marshall Georgi Zhuko, who was present when the Instrument of Surrender was signed in Berlin, who spoke out in 1945 to say that Hitler 'could have flown away at the last moment.' Since then various teams of investigators have tried to give credence to the theory, including British authors Gerrard Williams and Simon Dunstan. In their 2011 book Grey Wolf: The Escape Of Adolf, they argue Adolf and Eva used body doubles to fake their suicides before fleeing the bunker to a waiting aircraft which took them to Denmark. From there the pair returned to Germany before ending up in Spain where fascist dictator General Franco loaded them on a plane to the Canary Islands. A German U-Boat then took them to Argentina where the historians claim couple had two children before Hitler died in 1962 of natural causes. Another writer, Argentinian Abel Basti, also claimed the pair escaped to Argentina via Spain and a submarine moored in the Canary Islands. However, Basti believes Hitler died in South America in 1971 and was buried in a secret bunker in the city of Asuncion, underneath what is now a hotel. Former CIA operative Bob Baer and Tim Kennedy, a US special forces sergeant who was involved in the capture of Al Qaeda leaders Osama Bin Laden and Abu al-Zarqawi, took on the subject for The History Channel earlier this year. One document they uncovered from British Intelligence claims Hitler was flown out of the German capital by Luftwaffe pilot Captain Peter Baumgart the day before he purportedly took his own life. The pair also found evidence of a previously unknown, fifth exit from the bunker, which led to an area large enough for a makeshift runway. Another document reveals an SS officer claiming to have seen Hitler in Denmark, shortly before changing planes to his final destination. Meanwhile in Argentina, evidence surfaced of a military-style compound where Hitler may have stayed after his arrival. The Fuhrer had plans for a Fourth Reich centred in the South American country, according to Baer. Advertisement

After speaking with Cimelody, agents decided to write the information into a formal report which was sent to their superiors 'as of possible interest'.

However, the report was accompanied by another letter which says: 'It is felt that enormous efforts could be expended on this matter with remote possibilities of establishing anything concrete.

'Therefore, we suggest that this matter be dropped.'

Thousands of Nazis are believed to have fled to South America after the collapse of the Third Reich, including Josef Mengele, Auschwitzs Angel of Death, and Adolf Eichmann, the architect of the Holocaust.

The routes they took became known as 'ratlines', which generally led to either Spain or Italy, where fascist sympathizers were able to smuggle them to South America.

Paraguay, Colombia, Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, Guatemala, Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia are known to have housed former members of Hitler's regime.

However, Argentina is the best-known destination for former Nazis, as President Juan Peron was a known sympathizer of Hitler and actively sought to rescue members of his regime from Europe.

In the Alpine-themed town of Bariloche, Argentina, they even felt secure enough to recreate Hitler's holiday home of Berchtesgaden.

The home, along with plentiful Nazi artifacts uncovered there over the years, has led many to believe that Hitler himself visited - though nobody has provided proof.

Once in South America the Nazis were provided with blank identity documents that allowed them to assume new lives, often in barbed-wire ringed settlements away from prying eyes.

That was the case for Paul Schafer, a one-eyed Nazi soldier who had reinvented himself as a charismatic pastor after 1945, who lived in a community called Colonia Dignidad in Chile.

Behind barbed wire and watchtowers, Nazis believed he had built an Aryan utopia but in fact he had create his own slave colony where he abused the children of those who followed him.

Eichmann and Mengele both lived openly in Bariloche, though the former was discovered by the Israeli secret service in 1960 - subsequently kidnapped, put on trial, and executed.

Mengele managed to flee, however, and lived out the rest of his life in Brazil where he died of a stroke in 1979, aged 67.
Biodiversity Excursions

BHL Chair Constance Rinaldo and BHL Program Director Martin Kalfatovic each took advantage of the opportunities provided by our Finnish hosts of GBIF 24 for excursions to explore Finnish biodiversity. Rinaldo explored Nuuksio National Park and Kalfatovic, Vallisaari and Suomenlinna.

Nuuksio National Park

FinBio organized a trip to Nuuksio National Park which is located on the border of an oak forest zone and the southern boreal forest zone. Prominent in the landscape are valleys and gorges formed by glaciers and barren rocky hills covered by lichen and sparse pine forest. At some places the hills reach 110 meters above sea level. This beautiful park is less than an hours drive from Helsinki and has wild trails and many lakes. We wandered the trails with our guide from Green Window and hunted mushrooms under the tutelage of Tea von Bonsdorff from the Finnish Natural History Museum.

Along the way we foraged on bilberries (probablyVaccinium myrtillus) and lingon berries (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) while viewing the beautiful landscapes. In the Helsinki market, bilberries were sold as sour blueberries alongside sweet blueberries. While they were slightly more sour than a standard blueberry, they were delicious. The lingon berries were sweeter than the cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) we find in eastern North America but still had a bite.

After about 2 hours of mushroom hunting, we arrived at the Kattila Lappih Hut where we were treated to a lunch of salmon and potatoes cooked over an open fire. Lunch was served at long wooden tables with candles and we sat on benches covered with reindeer furs.

Following the delicious lunch we set off on our own. Some of us continued to hunt mushrooms on foot. Others headed out in canoes to explore the lake near the Green Window conference facility.

Cortinarius rubellus (deadly webcap)

Vallisaari and Suomenlinna

Vallisaari is just 20 minutes by boat from the Market Square in Helsinki. The island was opened for the public last year  before that it was decades abandoned and the nature took its place. Vallisaari is the most diverse nature destination in the metropolitan area. The islands fortifications, buildings, and a record-breaking range of species tell a tale of coexistence between humans and wild nature. The other attraction, fortress of Suomenlinna, is one of Finlands UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Suomenlinna was built during the Swedish era as a maritime fortress and a base for the Archipelago Fleet.
This mother-to-be was thrilled to find out she is going to have a baby girl but didn't expect two surprises in one day when the father proposed.

Craig Smith, 27, and the mother of his child Jade had organised a party to celebrate the moment they revealed what gender their unborn child would be.

But after pink balloons shot out of the 'boy or girl' box, their guests at the Green Dragon pub in Croydon, south London, didn't realise they were in for a second surprise

Craig Smith and his partner Jade (pictured) thew a party to celebrate the moment they found out if their unborn child was a boy or a girl

After a dramatic countdown, the couple (pictured) opened a 'boy or girl' box to reveal pink balloons and that they were expecting a baby girl

But as cheers rang out around the pub in Croydon, south London, the 27-year-old (pictured) asked for quiet and said there was 'something else he needed to ask'

Amid cheers from friends and family, Mr Smith asked for quiet and was handed a small box by one of his female guests.

He said: 'Everybody, there's one more thing I need to ask', before getting down on one knee and asking his partner if she would marry him.

His now fiancee clasped her hands to her mouth before saying yes and giving him a kiss.

After getting a small jewellery box out, he got down on one knee and asked the mother of his child Jade to marry him

She puts her hand to her face and says yes, triggering chants of 'He's a jolly good fellow'

The couple hug and kiss as they celebrate the sex of their baby and their engagement

Chants of 'Oh he's a jolly good fellow' can be heard around the pub.

Craig said: 'I knew she was the one from the moment I first saw her. 'When I found out we were having a baby I wanted to make it official.'

'Everybody, there's one more thing I need to ask

The pair met online a year ago and will now be welcoming their new baby in February.

Craig Smith and his fiancee Jade are pictured after the big proposal at the Green Dragon pub

The pair threw a 'gender reveal party' to celebrate the moment they found out the sex
Matthew Bordeaux, 48, was arrested on Sunday for secretly recording his girlfriend's daughter in their Sunrise, Florida home

A daughter who went looking for proof that her mother's live-in boyfriend was having an affair ended up finding thousands of nude photos and videos of herself when she looked at his computer files.

Matthew Bordeaux, 48, was arrested on Sunday for secretly recording the young woman in their Sunrise, Florida home.

The daughter had found pictures and video of herself while she was naked and undressing in the privacy of her bedroom and bathroom.

Police eventually uncovered more than 2,500 images dating back to December 2016 that were taken with hidden cameras that Bordeaux had allegedly set up in the home, according to court documents obtained by the Sun Sentinel.

The daughter told police she thought Bordeaux, who has been living with them for seven years, was having an affair so she decided to search the computer to confirm her suspicions.

She said they each have their own computer profiles, but Bordeaux's was not password-protected and she found a folder marked 'hidden' where the images were kept.

Bordeaux was jailed on two charges of video voyeurism on Monday (above). He is being held on $10,000 bail

Police eventually uncovered more than 2,500 images dating back to December 2016 that were taken with hidden cameras that Bordeaux had allegedly set up in the Sunrise home (above)

The camera was hidden in a wall socket that Bordeaux had allegedly given the daughter when they moved into the home at the beginning of the year.

The daughter said Bordeaux had told her he had taken it from their old home in Coral Springs because it was too expensive and he didn't want to leave it with the new owners.

Police also found a camera hidden in an AC adapter in the bathroom.

The cameras had memory cards that allowed him to transfer images to the computer.

Bordeaux was jailed on two charges of video voyeurism on Monday. He is being held on $10,000 bail.
A pregnant woman and her Navy sailor husband are in critical condition after being shot multiple times at a meeting that they arranged while trying to buy a cellphone on the OffersUp app.

Frederick and Emily, of Portsmouth, Virginia, were using the personal sales app to buy a cellphone from robbers, posing as an 18-year-old girl.

But according to Frederick's father, when they arrived to meet her, at least ten people swarmed their car before open-firing into their vehicle - hitting them both.

A pregnant woman and her Navy sailor husband are in critical condition, after being shot multiple times while trying to buy a cellphone via a selling app called OffersUp

The family believe the shooting was linked to a gang initiation attack, whereby would-be gang members prove their loyalty through the heinous crime.

'My son just recently joined the Navy, his wife is pregnant and they were expecting their first child. He had the whole world ahead of him and someone just took it away in a matter of seconds,' Frederick's father told Fox13.

Emily's parents say they tried to drive away but Frederick started screaming he couldn't see.

He was shot through his arm, chest and head, while four months pregnant Emily was shot through the chest, just missing her heart.

According to Frederick's father, when they arrived to meet her, at least ten people swarmed their car before open-firing into their vehicle - hitting them both

'It missed her heart by centimeters, missed the baby and went out her right side,' the father said.

After the attack it emerged Portsmouth Police were aware of several incidents reported concerning set-ups using the OfferUp app.

In May a father was shot and killed after meeting up to buy a cellphone listed on the app.

Now police have announced a new designated safe location for people to meet when they are buying or selling items.

The family believe the shooting was linked to a gang initiation attack, whereby would-be gang members prove their loyalty through the heinous crime

After the attack it emerged Portsmouth Police were aware of several incidents reported concerning set-ups using the OfferUp app

The pair's family regret have said they wonder if their children's injuries could have been avoided.

'That's one of the things I feel the police department dropped the ball on. The public should've been made aware of this several weeks ago,' they said to WTkR.

The family said the couple refuse to be separated and have been side by side since Frederick got out of surgery.

The family said the couple refuse to be separated and have been side by side since Frederick got out of surgery

A GoFundMe page statement, written on behalf of the couple, said: 'Last night, due to an unfortunate series of events, both Emily and Fred were shot.

'They were waiting to meet with an individual to buy a cell phone, and were the end result of a suspected gang initiation shooting. As the individuals came up to their vehicle to sell the phone, they just started firing through the window.

'Fred was shot in his face and chest and Emily was shot in her chest. They sped off as soon as the guys started firing and rushed themselves to the hospital.'

Adding: 'As it stands Fred has lost one of his eyes and is in surgery to save his other.

'Emily is suffering from collapsed lung, but she is in recovery and the baby is safe.'

Donate to their GoFundMe page HERE.
Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon still has Donald Trump's ear, and he's trying to persuade the president to take a hard-line approach to special counsel Robert Mueller's expanding Russia probe.

Several sources close to Bannon told Politico that the Breitbart News chairman is urging Trump to defund the investigation that's inching closer and closer toward his inner circle.

Attacking Mueller that way would de-fang him without the White House formally instructing the Department of Justice to fire him.

Steve Bannon is trying to persuade the president to take a hard-line approach to special counsel Robert Mueller's expanding Russia probe

Bannon believes Trump isn't being served well by his lawyers' advice to play nice with special counsel Robert Mueller

Mueller, pictured, is running a broad investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S> presidential election

One possible approach would be to insist that the 2018 federal budget include an amendment proposed by Florida Republican Rep. Ron DeSantis, which would cut off funding for Mueller's investigation after another six months.

The DeSantis proposal would also bar him from probing any events before Trump signaled his intention to run for the White House in March 2015.

DeSantis is a member of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus.

Democrats are circling their wagons on Capitol Hill, insisting that Congress pass a law specifically to protect Mueller from outside interference of any kind.

Trump's lawyers, John Dowd and Ty Cobb, have counseled him to project an attitude of administration-wide cooperation with Mueller's probe instead of going on the offensive against him.

Dowd and Cobb 'are asleep at the wheel,' one source told The Daily Beast, reflecting Bannon's thinking.

Mueller's probe unsealed indictments Monday against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort (left) and his protege Rick Gates (right), but the charges relate to decade-old financial activity and have nothing to do with Trump's White House or his campaign

Bannon and Trump spoke Monday after Mueller handed down money-laundering and conspiracy indictments against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his longtime protege Rick Gates.

And the president's former consigliere told him to get better lawyers.

Bannon's advice, a White House official told DailyMail.com on Tuesday, was to demote Dowd and Cobb and appoint a 'super-lawyer' to take over the big-picture decision making.

Florida GOP Rep. RonDeSantis wants Congress to give Mueller just six months to wrap up his probe before the funding dries up, and aims to bar him from investigating anything that predates Trump's campaign aspirations

'The only way the president gets ahead of this is by convincing the public that Mueller has it in for him and isn't playing fair,' the aide said. His lawyers aren't doing that at all.'

Another source close to Bannon told CNN on Monday that 'the Dowd/Cobb "play nice" strategy is an epic failure.'

That source said Bannon was mulling whether to recommend to the president that he preemptively assert executive privilege over a host of documents and records of conversations that Mueller might subpoena.

In addition to crafting a new legal strategy, Trump has the constitutional power to fire Mueller  although the political consequences could be harsh.

Mueller, despite being independent of Justice Department oversight, is technically a DOJ employee. That means he serves at the pleasure of the president.

While Trump can't interfere with his investigation, he could end it with the stroke of a pen, handing the reins back to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.
Natalie Finn, 16, starved to death in a dirty diaper on the squalid floor of her adoptive parents' home in October

The adoptive parents of a 16-year-old girl who died from starvation and years of abuse are alleged to have taken out two life insurance policies before she died last October.

Natalie Finn's parents, from West Des Moines, Iowa, took out a Hartford Life Insurance policy that carried a $10,000 benefit while her adoptive mother bought a policy in 2009 that carried a $25,000 benefit.

Court records show that Natalie's adoptive father, Joseph M. Finn II, called about the second policy the day after Natalie died in October 2016 and his wife was then sent information on how to file a claim.

Both Joseph and Nicole Finn have been charged in Natalie's death.

Nicole Finn, 42, will face trial next month on multiple felony charges, including first-degree murder, for allegedly abusing Natalie and two teenage siblings who also were adopted. Joseph Finn has pleaded not guilty to charges of kidnapping, neglect, abandonment and child endangerment.

According to Freep.com Joseph Finn has agreed to relinquish any right to the $10,000 he stood to receive from the policy, while a judge will decide who should receive the $25,000 benefit since Natalies death was a homicide.

Both of her parents will likely be disqualified as beneficiaries.

Finn bought the policy after Natalies adoption from foster care but before her 2011 divorce from Joe court records show.

Nicole Finn, 42, is charged with the teenager's murder. Her ex- husband Joseph faces child endangerment and kidnapping charges. They are believed to have taken out life insurance policies worth $35,000

Nicole Finn has pleaded not guilty, and her lawyers have said she will use a defense of diminished mental capacity.

Joseph Finn's trial has been postponed until January 8. In his defense he will be saying that he didn't live in Nicole Finn's home after the two divorced in 2011 and 'wasn't around the kids that often.'

A number of people, including school officials and neighbors said they believed Natalie was being abused before she was pulled out of public school last year.

She died in her own waste and was found wearing an adult diaper and lying on the linoleum floor of her bedroom when police and medics discovered her.

Natalie had been lying in her own waste for 'some time' when emergency services found her

There was no furniture in their bedroom or in the bedrooms of her other adopted siblings and the house was overrun by cats and kittens whose feces were scattered everywhere.

'Many animals roamed freely, including well over a dozen kittens and cats,' one said in an arrest affidavit that was obtained by The Des Moines Register.

A medical examination found that the teen died of emaciation because of the denial of critical care.

Natalie was taken to hospital but died of cardiac arrest brought on by severe starvation.

Both of the girl's adoptive parents (above in court in December) are awaiting trial. They have both pleaded not guilty to the charges

Blankets which were 'heavily soaked' in what was believed to be urine covered the floor of the room Natalie shared with two of her siblings.

'There were numerous kennels with dogs scattered inside the residence.'

Police say the woman kept the children inside the home against their will to be tortured and starved.

Authorities visited the home in August 2016, two months before Natalie's death, but said she was starving herself

She nailed boards to the windows of the house to stop them from escaping when she learned they had been panhandling for food at a nearby grocery store, according to authorities.

They adopted the children together but later separated, and Joseph lived in a different home where they would visit him.

He told police after Natalie's death that they enjoyed being in his house more because they were given more to eat.

Child protective services and police visited Nicole's house at least once before Natalie's death but nothing was done to remove the children.

A health worker who investigated the case was fired after the teenager's death.

They were called in to look in to the family after receiving reports from Natalie's school, Walnut Creek Campus, that she would come to class dirty and hungry.

The teenager had repeatedly asked neighbors for food and clothing in the months before her death in her West Des Moines house, pictured here

Despite their concern and claims from neighbors that she used to ask them for food and clothes, she was allowed to carry on living in the home.

Last August, police and child protective services visited the house and even noted that Natalie was wasting away but said in a report she was starving herself.

They said there was 'ample' food in the home.

The fired health worker told colleagues she believed there may have been cause for concern but nothing was done.

She said the other children told her they were scared of their adoptive mother but that there was not enough evidence to remove them from her care.

'What happened to not only Natalie but her siblings was preventable,' Senator Matt McCoy said on Wednesday once the documents were unsealed.

'It's a horrific situation and I feel heartbroken for Natalie and her siblings who were, in essence, sealed in that room and left to die.'

http://www.kcci.com/article/search-warrant-reveals-new-details-in-natalie-finn-case/9137248




Natasha Ritchie, 31, was last seen in the Memsie area of Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, at 6.15pm on Sunday

Police have launched a desperate appeal to find a missing heavily pregnant woman who has not been seen for two days.

Natasha Ritchie, 31, who is eight months pregnant, was last seen in the Memsie area of Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, at 6.15pm on Sunday.

She is described as being 5ft 5ins tall with long brown hair and is believed to be wearing black leggings, black Nike trainers and a blue jacket.

Police said it is 'out of character' for her not to be in touch with her family members and added they are becoming 'very concerned'.

It is understood that she may have been in the Watermill Road and Sycamore Row area of Fraserburgh at around 10.30am yesterday.

Sergeant Martin MacDougall, of Police Scotland, said: 'It is out of character for Natasha not to be in touch with her family and we are very concerned for her welfare particularly as she is eight months pregnant.

'We just want to make sure she is OK and would ask her to contact us. Natasha is well known in Fraserburgh.

'She also has connections to Peterhead and we would ask that if you have any information that may assist us in tracing her please contact us on 101 quoting incident number 0831 of 30/10.'
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Breathtaking images have been captured of divers swimming alongside enormous humpback whales.

The aerial shots were snapped by photographer Paul Carlyon over the Ningaloo Reef near Coral Bay in Western Australia.

'We do get very curious whales sometimes that will stop and come back to have a better look at the swimmers,' he said.

The images show the divers treading water only metres away from three humpbacks.

The five divers appear to be photographing the whales themselves.

Ningaloo Reef is world-renowned for its whale shark, manta ray and humpbacks sightings.

The humpbacks migrate through the area on their journey from the Antarctic to warm temperatures around Broome, Western Australia.

Breath-taking images have been captured of divers swimming alongside enormous humpback whales

The images show the divers treading water only metres away from three humpbacks
Two men have been convicted of raping their ten-year-old niece after she fell pregnant and was forced to give birth when an Indian court denied her an abortion.

Judges stopped the young girl terminating the pregnancy at week 32. Her family had only discovered she was pregnant after she complained of a stomach ache.

The young girl, from Chandigarh, Punjab, initially told police and that she had been raped several times by the first uncle, who is in his 40s.

However, police reopened the case after a DNA test showed the first uncle was not the father of her baby.

A DNA test carried out on the young girl's baby matched a 38-year-old uncle who was arrested in September. He was the second uncle to be held on abuse charges. Pictured above is a protest against rape and sexual violence in India

They launched a further investigation to see whether the girl may have been raped by others.

The second uncle, 38, was then arrested and DNA tests on the baby proved he was the father.

The two men were both declared guilty in court today.

The older uncle's trial lasted a month, whereas the younger uncle was convicted in just 18 days, the BBC reports.

Sentencing is set for Thursday.

The young girl was denied an abortion by a court in July because her family only discovered that she was pregnant when she was in her third trimester.

The young girl, from Chandigarh, Punjab, was denied an abortion by a court in July, because her family only discovered that she was pregnant when she was in her third trimester

The girl's baby was delivered by C-section at a hospital in Chandigarh in August and the infant is now in the care of authorities ahead of an adoption.

The chairman of the team that treated the girl, Dr Dasari Harish, said at the time: 'As far as the girl is concerned, she is stable and will be kept in a separate room.'

He added that the 'high risk pregnancy' ultimately concluded in an 'uneventful' birth.

'We hope the baby also recovers,' he said.

The girl was not aware that she was going to hospital to deliver a baby but was instead told by her parents that she needed an operation to remove a stone from her stomach.

Her father has asked that the child be made available for adoption.

Indian law does not allow women to undergo the procedure beyond 20 weeks unless the foetus is proven to be genetically unviable or if it poses a risk to the mother's life.
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Police in London have unveiled new scrambler motorbikes to tackle the scourge of moped criminals.

Scotland Yard hopes the agile BMW bikes will be able to go after the thieves who disappear down alleyways or traffic-clogged streets.

The force are also bringing in wider use of remote-controlled stinger devices and so-called 'DNA sprays' in a bid to stop the up to 8,000 'moped-enabled' crimes tacking place in the capital each year.

The Met Police today showed off their new scrambler bikes which will chase moped gangs

The capital has seen a huge rise in the number of thefts by people riding mopeds and scooters

The bikes are planned to be used by highly-trained officers to chase suspects snared in police ambushes as the force steps up its response to the growing problem.

'DNA sprays' can be sprayed onto fleeing moped thieves and then picked up by UV light if they are later caught.

Stinger devices meanwhile will be used to deflate the tyres of criminals trying to get away on scooters.

Met Commissioner Cressida Dick said: 'I was angered by the apparent perception amongst some criminals that they could operate with near impunity, committing strings of offences using scooters.

'We have brought all our tactics and specialists together to use every ethical option to put a stop to the rise; arrest those responsible; disrupt offenders; dismantle the criminal markets that make these offences lucrative and change the public's behaviour to make them a part of our effort.'

Mopeds are fast becoming the transport of choice for many of London's criminals, with muggers stabbing and killing 28-year-old Abdul Samad earlier this month.

The force is also employing stinger devices and so-called 'DNA spray' to tackle the gangs

Mr Samad was attacked outside his home in Little Venice, three miles from the cafe incident, when muggers tried to snatch his iPhone 7.

The promising economics graduate is thought to have tried to keep hold of his phone before he was brutally attacked and left bleeding to death on his doorstep.

Moped smash and grab robbers meanwhile carried out their 16th raid in just five months when they stole from a designer boutique in Knightsbridge last month.

More than 8,000 offences were carried out by criminals on mopeds in London last year. The figure is 16 times what is was five years before ago.

Thugs favour the bikes because they are easy to get away on and, if they remove their helmets, police can be reluctant to chase them in case the criminals are hurt.

Three teenagers from this moped gang stole 103 phones during three weeks of robberies

Earlier this month, a teenage trio who stole 103 phones in an 18-day reign of terror and targeted ex-Chancellor George Osborne were finally jailed.

The prosecutor in that case, Paul Fairley, said: 'Recently, the UK - and London in particular - has seen a huge increase in what is termed 'moped-enabled crime' - robberies and thefts for, in the main, mobile phones.

'The premise is simple. Obtain a stolen moped, or steal it for yourself, dress up in motorcycle clothing which has the effect of providing a very effective disguise, arm yourself if necessary and then drive about looking for mobile phones to steal.

'They are easy to find, they are expensive and the sell-on price for the thief is significant.

'These offences are difficult to detect. The offending rate was so high precisely because of the rewards available, and because there was a ready market.'
OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- For nearly four decades, throngs of vendors and spectators have flocked to downtown Ocean Springs for the annual Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival -- with well over 100,000 attending and some 450 artisans participating.

This year's 39th annual Anderson festival, which opens Saturday, may take those figures to another level.

With a record 478 vendors registered and perfect weather forecast, crowd totals for the two days may exceed the 151,000 who attended last year, according to an economic impact study conducted by Mississippi State University.

With vendor space, parking and even walking room all at a premium in the downtown area during the festival, it begs the question: How big is too big?

"That's always a concern, because you have to be able to balance between taking care of the people you're inviting down here and the people who live here in the downtown area," said Chic Cody, the City's longtime liaison to the festival, which is sponsored and run by the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce.

"We pretty well manage around any number we have," Cody continued. "Of course, this is the largest we've every had. We've made provisions, I think, to accommodate everyone."

The chamber's executive director, Cynthia Sutton, explained that ever-growing interest and a new software program used this year for vendor registration resulted in registrations rising past the normal 450-booth cutoff.

"It turned out to be a little larger than we anticipated," Sutton said. "But that also shows me we are having more people applying for the festival and more from all over the United States. The biggest form of marketing for the festival booths is word of mouth. These artists tell everybody. There's one group of artists in California who have a Facebook page and they're telling everyone they're coming to Peter Anderson.

"So it's really just grown larger than we've ever imagined. "We're still trying to stay within the same footprint and making it work. We're utilizing every inch of space we have."

Another yearly concern, Cody said, is ensuring emergency vehicles -- fire trucks and ambulances, in particular -- can access any part of the downtown area during the festival.

"That's always the primary concern," he said. "It wouldn't do you any good to have the festival if you're putting the downtown area in jeopardy. We have multiple planning meetings (for the festival) and one of the key things we do is carve out a path through the festival grounds to those (emergency) vehicles can get where they need to go anywhere in the downtown area."

Ocean Springs alderman Rob Blackman agreed that its essential the city monitor the growth of the festival -- which has an estimated economic impact of $24.5 million, according to the 2016 MSU study.

"It is a concern," Blackman said. "You don't want to impact residents of the downtown and surrounding areas any more than they're already impacted. I would think we would need to draw the line somewhere and say "This is as big as we can get with this" until we can figure something else out."

Sutton said that line has been drawn.

"We've researched a lot of festivals over the years to answer the question of how big is too big," she said. "We are there. We won't get any larger. We won't get over 500 booths, because we can't support that.

"So when does it get too big? Hopefully we'll never get there. The footprint of the downtown area kind of dictates that. It's the only space we can fill."

But, Sutton noted, there's little which can be done to keep crowds down.

"They're always going to come," she said. "People always tell us to 'loosen up' the festival. We do -- but when we create more space, it just fills up with more people."
A High Court hearing has been told how one of Lee Rigby's extremist killers is a 'charismatic' inmate who has helped convert other prisoners to Islam.

Michael Adebolajo has launched a 25,000 claim against the Ministry of Justice, after complaining he lost two teeth when he was restrained by prison officers in HMP Belmarsh in July 2013.

During the first day of the hearing today, Mr Justice Langstaff said Adebolajo 'forms relationships easily' and has 'a large group of people' looking after him in prison.

Lawyers representing the Ministry of Justice said Abedolajo's influence inside the jail is so significant that prison officers giving evidence at any trial could be in danger if their names emerged.

Michael Adebolajo (left), who murdered Fusilier Lee Rigby (right) has made a claim in the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court in London

The Islamic extremist is complaining about an incident in HMP Belmarsh (pictured) while on remand in July 2013

The case is being heard in front of jurors at the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court in London, where judges analyse damages claims relating to personal injury.

'He forms relationships easily,' the judge said.

'He is charismatic. There is intelligence suggesting that he has had some influence on the conversion to Islam of some individuals.'

The judge added: 'There is a large group of people who look up to Adebolajo.'

Fusilier Rigby, 25, died after being attacked near Woolwich Barracks in south-east London in May 2013.

Mr Justice Langstaff said the incident at the centre of Adebolajo's claim had occurred while he was awaiting trial for the killing.

Five prison officers had been escorting Adebolajo, and physical force had been used to restrain him, holding him by the head and an arm.

Adebolajo wants 25,000 compensation after claiming to suffer 'distress, loss and damage' while on remand

The judge said the use of physical force by prison officers had to be justified.

The MoJ lawyers told the judge that prison officers were 'deeply unhappy' about being involved in legal proceedings.

Mr Justice Langstaff said Adebolajo had not been given legal aid to pay for lawyers to represent him.

He said Adebolajo might have to represent himself at any trial and suggested that it would be in the interests of justice if public funding could be given.

'If and when this case comes to trial it will be a great pity to justice, and in particular the presentation of the claimant's case, if some means were not found to ensure he had professional help,' said the judge.

Mr Justice Langstaffis presiding over the case at the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court in London (pictured)

'If that could be done by public funds all the better.'

Adebolajo, who is in his early 30s, and Michael Adebowale, who is in his mid-20s, were convicted of murder following a trial at the Old Bailey.

The former was given a whole-life jail term, while the latter was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 45 years.

Adebolajo had screamed 'Allahu akbar' as he and Adebowale were sentenced by a judge at the Old Bailey in February 2014 after being convicted of Fusilier Rigby's murder.

The two British-born extremists, who were dressed in Islamic robes, erupted with rage as Mr Justice Sweeney told them that they had been radicalised and betrayed their religion.

Adebolajo (left), who is in his early 30s, and Michael Adebowale (right), who is in his mid-20s, were convicted of murder following a trial at the Old Bailey.

Both were pinned to the ground and bundled out of court by prison officers.

Mr Justice Sweeney said: 'You each converted to Islam some years ago. Thereafter you were radicalised and each became an extremist, espousing a cause and views which, as has been said elsewhere, are a betrayal of Islam and of the peaceful Muslim communities who give so much to our country.'

He added: 'You decided between you, and in order to advance your extremist cause, to murder a soldier in public in broad daylight and to do so in a way that would generate maximum media coverage.'
A family in Sydney's south-west have been terrorised by four armed masked men on Tuesday night.

Police attended the house on Oxford Street, Belmore following an aggravated break-in around 10pm.

Officers were told one of the men was armed with what appeared to be a firearm, while a second had a metal pole.

The family were able to untie themselves and call police once the masked men had left.

Four masked robbers armed with a gun and metal pole stormed a family home on Oxford Street, Belmore (pictured) on Tuesday night

The men threatened and tied up the four occupants of the home, a man and a woman and two teenage girls.

The thieves then stole property before fleeing the house.

Officers from Campsie Local Area Command established a crime scene and are investigating the incident.

Police are appealing for anyone with information to contact Campsie Police or Crime Stoppers.
A student was able to soak in the sights of four European cities en route to Edinburgh for just 15 more than the 'absurd' train fare direct from London.

William Stein did eventually reach the Scottish capital, but not before he enjoyed stays in Germany and Poland.

The London School of Economics student put his financial skills to good use, finding a flight from Stansted to Edinburgh for 21.95 - but the only catch was he had to go via the Polish city of Szczecin.

William Stein was able to soak in the sights of four European cities for just 15 more than the 'absurd' train fare it would have cost to to travel from London to Edinburgh

By contrast, the cheapest return ticket on the Virgin East Coast Trains line was 80 - booked five weeks in advance with a Young Person's Railcard.

His flight was cancelled by Ryanair, but the 20-year-old used his 40 compensation to squeeze in an additional stop-off in Berlin.

He was put up by friends who happened to live nearby, his accommodation in Scotland and Germany was free, and his hotel in Poland was just 10 for one night.

Mr Stein's convoluted route to get more value for his money Stansted to Szczecin - Flight: 21.95 Szczecin to Berlin - Bus: 7 Berlin to Glasgow - Flight: 12.30 Glasgow to Edinburgh - Bus: 8.80 Edinburgh to London - Train: 45.40 Total travel costs: 95.45 Advertisement

With bus travel from Szczecin to Berlin and Glasgow to Edinburgh costing just 15.80 combined, his total costs came to 95.45 - of which nearly half of which was made up by the 45.40 single train ticket back down to London.

Mr Stein, from Mill Hill in the north of the capital, told the Evening Standard:

Who would've known you can visit four cities for the price of one? I didn't really believe it myself and it all kicked in when I touched down in Szczecin and saw this tiny airport.

'It is so bizarre. I knew, of course, the UK is more expensive than other places but it made me think the rail companies are charging so much for these trains, and wonder how much profit they are making.'

He is not the first disgruntled Briton to fly around rip-off train travel, with 21-year-old Joe Furness travelling from London to Newcastle via Menorca in Spain - and UK fares are set to rise again in 2018, by 3.6 per cent.

The London School of Economics student put his financial skills to good use, routing out a flight from Stansted to Edinburgh for 21.95, but it went via Poland

A Virgin Trains spokesman said: 'Our average fares between London and Edinburgh are more than 30 cheaper than comparable airlines, with fares between London and Edinburgh starting at 25 one way when booked in advance.

'That's why we're seeing so many more customers deciding to take the train over the plane.

'If customers wish to travel via Poland on their way to Scotland, they might be able to find a cheap deal, but they'd miss out on a chance to relax while looking at the beautiful views afforded by the route, before arriving directly into Edinburgh's wonderful city centre.'
A woman has sparked outrage after she appeared to don 'blackface' while working at a Staples store.

Footage filmed by a customer at the Pleasant Hill, California, store, shows them confronting the woman, a contract worker from Marketsource there to promote Hewlett-Packard items, for her inappropriate getup.

'What is your costume supposed to be?' Geneen Bland, who is black, demanded to know in the video she shared.

Scroll down for video

A woman has sparked outrage after she appeared to don 'blackface' while working at a Staples store (pictured)

Footage filmed by a customer at the Pleasant Hill, California, store, shows them confronting the woman, a contract worker from Marketsource there to promote Hewlett-Packard items, for her inappropriate getup

The contractor, who has not yet been named, replied she was a 'beauty shop customer' pointing to the curlers in her hair and shower cap.

When Bland pressed her on why her face was black, the woman replied that she was supposed to be wearing a charcoal face mask.

'It looks like blackface to me,' Bland replied.

The flustered employee replied that's why she was also wearing the curlers and shower cap, adding that she had chosen the charcoal mask because it 'sits better than the green one I had'.

'I apologize if you feel that way,' she added.

Geneen Bland was horrified to see someone wearing such an offensive costume in her local Staples store

When Bland complained to store managers, they told her the contractor was wearing a 'Sharpie costume', she told ABC News.

Another customer, Harold Leffall of Benicia, revealed that he'd also seen the Hewlett-Packard promoter in store on Friday.

'She turned around and I was so surprised because of her face,' Leffall told SFGATE. 'It was a white lady with blackface, and it really startled me.'

Leffall was so shocked, he initially assumed it was some kind of hidden camera show.

He complained to a cashier, who agreed it was offensive but explained it was a Sharpie pen costume. But whatever the contractor may have been aiming for, Leffall said that all he saw was a 'white person with blackface.'

Both Staples and Marketsource have issued an apology to customers who were offended by the costume

He also complained to the local store manager and to Staples corporate offices.

Bland says that she has since heard that the Marketsource contractor has been suspended.

Both Staples and Marketsource have issued an apology to customers who were offended by the costume.

Staples' statement continued, adding that the representative from HP 'didn't realize (their costume) could be considered offensive to some of our customers.

'While it was unintentional, it was still inappropriate and once this was raised to the representative, they immediately removed the costume.'

Blackface was used from the 1800s up until the Civil Rights Movement as a way to portray, and often mock, black people and has long been denounced as a form of racism.
Horrific dashcam footage has emerged of the terrifying moment a deputy's squad car collides with a deer at 114mph on a road in Minnesota.

The unnamed Isanti county deputy was responding to a report about a man with a gun at a local restaurant in Cambridge at 6.30am when the crash occurred.

The video shows a female deer getting spooked by the sirens and running across the road in front of the squad car.

The impact was so strong that the hood of the car went into the windshield, and the deer was obliterated.

An Isanti County deputy was responding to a call driving 114mph when his sirens spooked a deer that ran across the road in front of him

Dashcam footage captured the incident on Saturday at around 6.30am

The impact was so strong that the hood of the vehicle was sent into the windshield, the airbags deployed and the deer was obliterated

The totaled squad car is shown after the crash with blood and deer matter everywhere

The deputy did a great job hitting the brakes and keeping the squad car in his lane, according to Sheriff Chris Caulk.

'This goes to show how dangerous deer strikes can be; but this also shows how important it is to not to swerve when an animal strike is going to occur. If the deputy swerved, he would have rolled and been injured or worse,' Caulk told The Isanti County News. 'Staying in a straight line kept the injuries to a minimum when the air bags deployed.'

Caulk said the deputy sustained minor injuries, but otherwise was fine.

Four of the department's squad cars have been totaled this year, with three due to deer strikes.

'We wish to remind all drivers out there to keep an eye out for the deer,' he said' They are on the move and with deer hunting season upon us, they will be moving even that much more.'

When the deputy arrived at the restaurant, no gun was found. However, one person was arrested.
The sexual assault charges against Coronation Street star Bruno Langley relate to alleged attacks on two women

Coronation Street actor Bruno Langley faces claims he sexually assaulted two women on the same night, it emerged today.

The 34-year-old, who is no longer contracted to the ITV soap, was charged yesterday with assaulting a woman at a music venue in the Northern Quarter of Manchester.

But prosecutors announced today he faces two charges relating to two women after another alleged victim came forward.

A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said: 'The CPS authorised Greater Manchester Police on October 29 to charge Bruno Langley with two offences of sexual assault on a female on October 1. The charges relate to two complainants.'

The actor, from Altrincham, is due to appear at Manchester Magistrates' Court on November 28 to face the charges.

Langley made his debut in Corrie as Todd Grimshaw in 2001 and was the first openly gay character in the soap.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman said yesterday: 'Bruno Langley has been charged with two counts of sexual assault and will appear at Manchester Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, November 28, 2017.

'At around 1am on Sunday, October 1, 2017, police received a report that a woman in her 30s had been sexually assaulted at a music venue on Swan Street in the Northern Quarter.'

Langley was today seen out in his car for the first time since the charges were announced

In the wake of the claims, Langley previously announced he was stopping his work on the show.

He said: 'Sadly, I will no longer be working on Coronation Street. Acting on the show has been the fulfilment of a personal dream.

'Playing the role of Todd Grimshaw since I was 17 years old has been a huge part of my life, and an absolute honour.'

Langley played Todd for three years from 2001 before leaving the show and coming back a few times over the years. He made an official return to the cobbles in 2013.

Langley has also had roles in Doctor Who, Dalziel And Pascoe and in several theatrical productions, including Calendar Girls and The Mousetrap.

He is a father to ten-year-old Freddie, his son with his ex-girlfriend Victoria Roscoe.
Clint Starkey (pictured) was driven by a friend to a Caltex petrol station and beaten to death

A 36-year-old man has been charged over the death of a man who was brutally and fatally beaten after being lured to a Caltex petrol station at Peats Ridge on the Central Coast.

A Rebels outlaw motorcycle gang enforcer has been accused of the murder of Clint Starkey, who was bashed by four members or associates of the gang.

Detectives from Strike Force Bartondale have alleged that Mr Starkey had fallen out with some Rebels over a 'dispute', the nature of which they have not disclosed.

The suspect was refused bail after being charged with murder and will appear in Gosford Local Court on Wednesday, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Chilling footage of the moment Mr Starkey was lured to service station and attacked by bikies

The 42-year-old never regained consciousness and died two months after the brutal assault

Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin confirmed that Mr Starkey had had a 'falling out' with some members of the Peninsula chapter of the bikie gang.

Police believe another man was involved who does not appear on the CCTV, and that others were later called in to help remove evidence of the crime.

Chilling footage of the moment Mr Starkey was lured to service station before being attacked by four Rebels was released by police in the wake of the arrest.

On Tuesday, Inspector Jubelin encouraged any member of the public who may recognise any of the men in the footage to come forward.

It is believed by the authorities that after the video cuts out, Mr Starkey was dropped off at Gosford Hospital barely alive.

The 42-year-old father died two months after the April 5 assault, during which he suffered severe head injuries at the hands of his attackers.

He was rushed from Gosford to Royal North Shore Hospital where he remained in a coma for two months before succumbing to his horrific injuries.

After his death, the investigation into his murder began in earnest, which lead homicide detectives to arrest the suspect at his Central Coast home on Tuesday morning.

'This was a particularly violent offence were a man was bashed to death,' said Inspector Jubelin in a statement.

'We know that four people were directly involved in it [and] we know others were involved in the planning and organisation of it and we also know that people were involved in cleaning up the crime scene.'

Mr Starkey was brutally beaten by four men police say are Rebels outlaw bikie gang members

Any member of the public who recognises any of the men in the footage should contact police

'I am very mindful of the matters of this nature, that the public are reluctant to come forward. I assure you, if anyone does, provide information in relation to this matter it will be treated in the strictest of confidence.'

The vicious beating left Mr Starkey so severely injured doctors believed his attackers had used an axe.

He remained in a critical condition in hospital and never regained consciousness. He died on June 12 after two months in a coma.

The man, 40, who drove Mr Starkey to the service station was charged with firearms offences and concealing a serious indictable offence after being arrested the day after the attack.

Two men were also charged with hindering police investigation on October 10.
Controversial high-profile Sydney barrister Charles Waterstreet has admitted he sent a paralegal to pick up Viagra pills for him  as she claims he watched pornography at his desk in front of her and showed her sketches of his penis.

Mr Waterstreet said he was 'hurt' and 'disappointed' at the claims made by former employee Genevieve Wilks, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Ms Wilks, 26, came forward to New Matilda with claims Mr Waterstreet often made inappropriate sexual comments while she worked for him from September 2014 to June 2015.

Mr Waterstreet said he was 'hurt' and 'disappointed' at the claims made by former employee Genevieve Wilks (pictured)

Ms Wilks, 26, came forward to New Matilda with claims Mr Waterstreet (pictured right) often made inappropriate sexual comments while she worked for him from September 2014 to June 2015

An email Ms Wilks claims Mr Waterstreet sent to her and other female employees

Mr Waterstreet defended sending Ms Wilks to pick up Viagra from the pharmacy for him, saying it was considered part of her job and 'plenty of men my age use them'.

She claims Mr Waterstreet watched pornography in the office in front of young female employees and arranged for payments to be made to sex workers and women he met on dating websites.

'Sometimes I'd pick up my medication and sometimes Genevieve would,' he said.

'As for claims I showed her my flaccid penis, well, that's not mine.'

He said he was disappointed and hurt that Ms Wilks had 'chosen to interpret the chain of emails differently to the way they were meant at the time'.

He denied sexualising situations in the office, and said other colleagues would support him in denying them.

Ms Wilks said she would often go weeks and months without being paid, and claims she was given a signed book containing naked pictures of Mr Waterstreet on her first day at work.

The allegations come after Tina Huang, 21, said she quit working for the prominent criminal barrister just three hours into her first day as a junior paralegal

The allegations come after Tina Huang, 21, said she quit working for the prominent criminal barrister just three hours into her first day as a junior paralegal after feeling uncomfortable with the sexual situations she was put in.

Ms Huang, who also is also a gender studies student, outlined her experience during her brief stint working for Mr Waterstreet in an article for the New Matilda, saying he'd told her enjoyed sex parties and women snorting cocaine off his body.

Pictured is a screenshot of an email Ms Wilks claims Mr Waterstreet sent her while she was working for him

But in a statement he refuted the allegations and said Ms Huang had only been shown explicit material because it was relevant to a case.

He also said the reference to women snorting cocaine off his body was a joke he often told since he has been sober for 21 years.
A pair of Delta passengers are facing criminal charges after allegedly being caught having oral sex mid-flight.

The female passenger, 48, was allegedly caught performing the sex act on a man 20 years her junior as they remained in their seats on the flight from Los Angeles to Detroit on Sunday.

Airport police say both were connecting in Detroit to other flights and the pair only met on board the aircraft.

The pair were on a Delta flight from Los Angeles to Detroit on Sunday when the woman, 48, was allegedly caught giving the man, 28, oral sex (file image)

After landing in Detroit, they were met by airport police and given citations.

Neither has been named but the pair are both now facing charges from the FBI.

Because the alleged encounter happened in the air, it falls into the jurisdiction of federal investigators.

The FBI did not respond to questions on the incident on Tuesday morning.

Airport police in Detroit said the woman was on her way to Nashville and the man was flying on to Miami.

It is not known if they missed their flights as a result of their brush with the law.

Delta has not revealed whether the pair had been drinking during the flight. The airline declined to comment on the investigation on Tuesday morning.
Preston Bonnett, 26, has been accused of setting the fire at a home in Laflin, Pennsylvania, that killed his ex-girlfriend's three sons

The ex-boyfriend of woman whose three sons were killed in a house fire has been charged with homicide and arson.

Preston Bonnett, 26, has been accused of setting the fire at a home in Laflin, Pennsylvania, that killed three brothers.

Erik Dupree, 16, and Devon Major, 12, died of smoke inhalation, while Ezekiel Major, seven, was resuscitated and flown to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He died Saturday.

Court records show Bonnett is the ex-boyfriend of the children's mother, Susan Major, 48.

The mother told police that she left the children alone at around 6.30pm on October 25 to attend a work-related event.

Just after 7pm Erik Dupree called 911 to report Bonnett was on the back porch, according to the affidavit. He asked police to hurry, saying Bonnett and his mother hadn't been getting along and Bonnett was not supposed to be there, police said.

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The fire killed Erik Dupree, 16, Devon Major, 12, and Ezekiel Major, seven, pictured above, while there mother was out at a work-related event

Above is the home in Laflin, Pennsylvania, where the boys lived with mother Susan Major, 48

A neighbor heard a voice screaming 'help us!' from the second floor of the burning home before the window blew out and the yelling stopped

A neighbor and friend of Dupree's, Jonquil Throop, told police the family had been concerned because the people Major ejected over the summer had been threatening them. He said the family had considered moving to get away.

On the night of the fire, Throop's father John told police he saw flames coming from the back window of the home, and ran over with his daughter to hear a boy screaming 'help us!' from the second floor of the burning home.

The voice yelled a second time and then the window blew out, and the yelling stopped, police said.

An investigation revealed the fire had been intentionally set inside the living room, directly inside the back door, according to the affidavit.

Bonnett reportedly briefly lived at the home before they had a falling out and Major kicked him out over the summer.

She told police that a week before the fire, she had security cameras - hidden inside Minions characters from the 'Despicable Me' movies - installed at her home because she was concerned for her family's safety, according the Citizen's Voice.

An investigation revealed the fire was intentionally set inside the living room, directly inside the back door. Surveillance footage shows Bonnett outside the house moments before the fire

Bonnett reportedly briefly lived at the home before they had a falling out and Major kicked him out over the summer. He returned several times to get his belongings

Bonnett can be seen in the footage walking around the back porch five minutes before Dupree called 911. He was identified by a tattoo on his hand.

Bonnett and Major met through a personal advertisement on Craigslist in 2015. A few months later they both pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges related to credit card fraud and were served with a month of probation.

This summer the couple had a falling out after Major let another woman stay at her house. Citizen's Voice reported that the woman, Tyla Marie Griffin, 28, brought Bonnett to the house without permission in June.

Major kicked them both out a few days later when she found a device used to make fraudulent credit cards in Bonnett's things. She called the police and Major and Griffin were faced with 25 charges of fraud and conspiracy.

Major told police that Bonnett was angry with her and had returned several times in an effort to retrieve his belongings, according to the affidavit.

On October 14 Bonnett was accused of throwing a beer bottle through the window of Major's house.

Bonnett was arraigned Monday on two counts of criminal homicide and three counts of arson. He vehemently denied the charges

Bonnett was arraigned Monday on two counts of criminal homicide and three counts of arson.

He vehemently denied the charges and denied having problems with Major, saying he did not go to the house at the time of the fire.

'They need to do better police work and find out who really did it,' Bonnett said in a video from the Times Leader. 'I'm innocent.'

Investigators said Bonnett could face another count of criminal homicide after an autopsy is completed on Ezekiel Major.

Bonnett and Griffin's landlord told police that Bonnett's car was not home at the time of the fire.

Griffin said Bonnett was at work throughout the day and that he planned to go to the Home Depot that night.

Bonnett's bail had been set at $150,000 in the fraud case, but the new charges mean he will not be eligible for bail.
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'Live With Kelly and Ryan' managed to once again go above and beyond with their annual Halloween extravaganza, with Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest showing off over a dozen different costumes on their show Tuesday.

It all kicked off with the pair recreating Taylor Swift's 'Look What You Made Me Do' music video, with a zombified Ripa and nude-in-a-tub-of-diamonds Seacrest.

The pair then came out dressed like one another, with Ryan wearing a red dress, heels and blond wig while Kelly had one a suit and tee with a pompadoured wig.

The pair even did the opening segment of the show as one another as they shared what they did the previous day.

Ryan Seacrest bathed his body in some crushed diamonds to kick things off, just like Taylor Swift in the 'Look What You Made Me Do' video

Kelly Ripa went for a more zombie-like look, crawling from the grave like Swift in 'look what you made me do'

For their first studio look, the pair came out dressed like one another

Costume change number one came just eight minutes in, with Kelly appearing as Daenerys Targaryen and Ryan as Jamie Lannister

Seacrest and Ripa then changed into their next look, coming out as Eleven and Mikey from 'Stranger Things'

Bravo exec Andy Cohen later teased an upcoming series from the network, which rolled into Ripa and Seacrest's next costumes: 'The Realhandmaids of Manhattan'

The pair then came out in retro (Ripa) and contemporary (Seacrest) versions of the Wonder Woman costume

Seacrest as Kylie Jenner with Ripa as Kim Kardashian, who spent the segment taking belfies with her phone

Ryan (as Kelly) went to Soul Cycle, had a parent-teacher conference and then met up with husband Mark Consuelos, who was surprising her from Vancouver.

Kelly (as Ryan) did her radio show and then prepared food for the green room and then worked as a crossing card and then did the annual staff medical exams and then took some livery cab fares and then went for a run and then did the running of the bulls and then sewed samples for his clothing line and then did a 'little work for NASA' and then did a 'Rockin' New Year's Eve' photo shoot and then taped 'American Idol.'

'It was a light day for me,' said Kelly (as Ryan).

Costume change number one came just eight minutes in, with Kelly appearing as Daenerys Targaryen, Ryan as Jamie Lannister and producer Michael Gellman as Jon Snow from 'Game of Thrones' in a pre-taped segment.

That gave Seacrest and Ripa time to change into their next look, coming out as Eleven and Mikey from 'Stranger Things,' with guest Andy Cohen dressed as Dusty.

The Bravo host also teased an upcoming series from the network, which rolled into Ripa and Seacrest's next costumes: 'The Realhandmaids of Manhattan.'

In another pre-taped segment, the hosts could be seen fighting with one another as they roamed the city and grabbed coffee in the red robes and wide-brimmed bonnets that were seen on Elisabeth Moss and the other actors in Hulu's recent adaptation.

Secrest as Ripa at a Soul Cycle class in a grab from the opening segment

Seacrest as Ripa at a parent teacher meeting, which he said took place after Monday morning's show

Seacrest as Ripa running to school for that parent-teacher conference after Soul Cycle

The day ended with drinks with Mark Consuelos said Seacrest as Ripa

Kelly (as Ryan) did her radio show and then prepared food for the green room and then worked as a crossing card

And then did the annual staff medical exams and then took some livery cab fares and then went for a run and then did the running of the bulls

And then sewed samples for his clothing line and then did a 'little work for NASA'

And then did a 'Rockin' New Year's Eve' photo shoot and then taped 'American Idol'

It was another matching look after that segment wrapped, with Ripa and Secreat coming back out both dressed like Wonder Woman.

It was double the fun soon after when they were joined by 'Property Brothers' Jonathan and Drew Scott, also dressed like Wonder Woman.

With just a few minutes left in the opening half of the program it was time for costume number seven, with another pre-taped segment showing Ripa as Kim Kardashian and Seacrest as little sister Kylie Jenner.

That bit was shot with the Property brothers, who appeared as themselves in the segment.

The next guest to stop by the show was YouTube personality and comedian Colleen Ballinger, better known to most as Miranda Sings.

That was also the next costume for the hosts, who got a makeup tutorial from Miranda.

Then, in what may have been the best look of the day, the pair recreated two costumes from their youth, an accomplishment that could likely only be pulled off by this duo.

The two then showed up as the Guardians of the Galaxy to close things out, before a brief Bachelor segment poking fun at Ripa's casting of Seacrest to replace Strahan.

The Today show honored country music legends in their Halloween episode, with Savannah Guthrie dressing as Kenny Rogers and Matt Lauer dressing as Dolly Parton

Over on 'Today,' Carson Daly was the first to come out, dressing up as Billy Ray Cyrus and performing a rendition of Achy Breaky Heart with the real Billy Ray surprising him by coming out to join in.

He was followed by Al Roker who wore a braided wig to dress up as Willie Nelson and mouthed along to the lyrics of On the Road Again. Roker emerged from a pickup truck in a cloud of smoke for his entrance as the pot smoking legend.

Hoda Kotb sent fans into a frenzy when she came out dressed as her real-life crush Blake Shelton. She was surprised on stage when the real Shelton came out and joined her for a song in a matching flannel shirt.

Kotb's co-host Katie Lee Gifford then joined the two on stage, dressed as Shelton's co-judge on The Voice, Miley Cyrus, complete with a lot of tongue.

Megyn Kelly, in her first year participating since leaving Fox News primetime for NBC, wore a bustier and and a short skirt to imitate Canadian country music star Shania Twain, performing a bit of 'Man! I Feel Like a Woman'. The real Shania, dressed in a leopard costume, later came out to applaud her on the look.

When asked how it felt to partake in the annual tradition, Kelly later said: 'Every shred of my dignity is gone.' She also revealed that she spent all morning studying Twain's music videos to get her moves just right.

Kelly said she spent the whole morning studying Twain's music videos to get her moves right

Megyn Kelly, in her first year participating since leaving Fox News for NBC, dressed up as Shania Twain

On the fourth hour of the Today show, Gifford treated fans to a pre-taped video of her imitating Miley Cyrus in the Wrecking Ball music video

Megyn Kelly teased the Wrecking Ball clip on her show, saying it was one of the best things she has ever seen

The show finished off strong with a cross dressing duet of Islands in the Stream from Savannah Guthrie and Matt Lauer, dressed up as Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton - marking the first time in several years that Lauer has dressed in drag.

Lauer's look involved a mile-high blonde wig, a glittering dress and a substantial bra.

In a pre-taped clip, Lauer showed how Parton helped him prepare for the part, giving him a wig, padded bra and doing her stage make-up.

When Lauer tried on the bra, he asked Parton: 'What do I do if I spring a leak?'

Parton joked that he has to to what she does every morning - blow them up again.

As Guthrie and Lauer were singing their duet, the rest of the Today show cast joined them on stage

When asked how it felt to partake in the annual tradition, Kelly, left, said: 'Every shred of my dignity is gone.' Kelly pictured above with Daly (center left), Gifford (center right) and Cyrus (right)

The real Shania Twain later came out to applaud Kelly on her look, and gave the Today show dog a pat on the head (center)

In a pre-taped clip, Lauer showed how Parton helped him prepare for the part, giving him a wig, padded bra and doing his stage make-up. When Lauer tried on the bra, he asked Parton: 'What do I do if I spring a leak?'

Lauer committed from the head all the way down to the toes - which were spilling over the edge of his sparkly platform sandals - with some impressive bright red nails on his fingers

Good Morning America dressed as comic book superheros, most of which were from the Marvel universe - which is owned by the same parent company as GMA, Disney.

Sarah Haines kicked things off as a news reporter, telling the audience that Times Square had been taken over by a gang of bandits before introducing the superheroes who were on hand to protect the city.

Robin Roberts was Wonder Women, George Stephanopoulos was Superman, Michael Strahan was Thor, Amy Robach was Spiderman, Ginger Zee was Baby Groot, Rob Marciano was Lego Batman and Lara Spencer was Black Widow.

Stephanopoulos seemed less than thrilled with the spectacle and at one point Haines asked if he could open his shirt to show his Superman shirt because he 'looked like he was just doing the news.'

It was a Marvel comics theme on GMA with George Stephanopoulos dressed in a Superman t-shirt, Amy Robarch as Spiderman, Robin Roberts as Wonder Woman, Michael Strahan as Thor, Lara Spencer as Black Widow and Sara Haines as a news reporter

George Stephanopoulos put in minimal effort, wearing a simple superman shirt underneath his button down. But it was an improvement over last year, when he didn't dress up at all

The real Thor (Chris Hemsworth, left) was on set to see Michael Strahan's interpretation of his character

Perhaps the most elaborate costume was Ginger Zee's Baby Groot . It certainly had Stephanopoulos laughing

Later, an actual Avengers appeared in the form of the Hulk, Mark Ruffalo.

And despite the presence of two black anchors, no one dressed as Black Panther, the upcoming Marvel film.

The group also got a visit from the cast of 'Stranger Things' earlier in the day, who bucked the costume trend and opted instead for designer threads, with Millie Bobby Brown appearing in a $1800 stretch jersey dress by Gucci.

Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Norah O'Donnell continued their tradition of not dressing up for the holiday over on CBS This Morning.

Last year was one of the strongest Halloween years for the Today show, with the cast each dressing up as a different figure from the 90s.

Carson Daly dressed as himself from 18 years prior, when he was the host of the popular MTV music video countdown show Total Request Live, to kick things off.

Then came Willie Geist and Tamron Hall as Vincent Vega and Mia Wallace from Pulp Fiction, Al Roker as Steve Urkel, a pregnant Savannah Guthrie dressed as Demi Moore's iconic Vanity Fair cover, Matt Lauer as Jerry Seinfeld in his infamous puffy white shirt, Daly making a reappearance as Arnold Schwarzenegger from Terminator, Jenna Bush as her grandmother Barbara Bush, and finally Hoda Kotb as Kathie Lee Gifford and Kathie Lee Gifford as Regis Philbin.

The Today puppy Charlie was dressed up as a Beanie Baby while Lauer later revealed that producers wanted him to be Britney Spears from the 'Hit Me Baby' music video.

On Good Morning last year Amy Robach did Sia, Ginger Zee came as Dory from Finding Dory, Robin Roberts was a Pokemon hunter, Michael Strahan did Pikachu, Sara Haines and Alfonso Ribeiro were Ghostbusters, and Lara Spencer was Alexander Hamilton.

Maksim Chmerkovskiy also appeared as Joker with his Dancing With the Stars costar Peta Murgatroyd coming as Harley Quinn, TJ Holmes was Madea, and Jesse Palmer - who has since left to host Daily Mail TV - was Captain America.
An elderly couple drowned together when the wife had a seizure and plunged their car into a river - but an inquest heard she had been stripped of her licence after suffering fits for 50 years.

Poppy collectors Joan and John Tipler had been driving home when their Renault Clio careered off the road, Avon Coroners Court in Bristol was told.

Their family had pleaded with her to stop driving, despite the DVLA deciding she was in a suitable physical state to get back behind the wheel.

The couple were 'stalwarts' of their community in Bristol and were active members of their local Royal British Legion Club.

Mrs Tipler, 73, had a long history of suffering seizures and had previously had her licence being taken from her.

However, her licence was given back and her family had repeatedly asked her to stop driving, the inquest heard.

'Community stalwarts' Joan and John Tipler drowned together when the wife had a seizure and sent their car into a river

Loved ones had even contacted the DVLA to make them aware of the situation - but a response only came back two days after the couple's death, it was said.

The retired nurse had her licence reinstated nine to twelve months prior to their deaths -This was despite continuing to suffer occasional seizures and family members requesting she give up driving altogether, it was said.

Their joint inquest heard they died on April 26 this as they drove home from the club.

Coroner Mr Terence Moore recorded a verdict of accidental.

He said: 'I think the most likely scenario here is that Joan has had a seizure, and that has been the cause.

'All that is left is for me to offer enormous sympathy to the family, who did all they could do with regards to the tough job of persuading elderly parents to give up their licence.'

A statement from the couple's daughter-in-law Jenny Searle, said: 'We had seen her suffer a small seizure in January this year, and we had suggested she sell the car and stop driving.

'But they both said there was no reason to, as the seizures weren't frequent enough and they didn't use the car that often.'

She added that the couple's son, Christopher Searle, had even contacted the DVLA to make them aware of the situation - but, tragically, a response only came back two days after the couple's death.

Mrs Searle said: 'This has been a terrible tragedy for the whole family. The one saving grace is that they were together - just like they always were when they went anywhere.'

Joan and John, 69, of St Phillips, Bristol, drowned while driving home from their Royal British Legion club at around 11pm.

Their inquest heard Joan had dropped her husband off for the evening and had gone back to pick him up later, as John did not have a driving licence.

Collision Investigator PC William Gibson, of Avon and Somerset Police, said the couple had been driving home along a 'predictable' route down single-carriageway Feeder Road, when Joan had lost control of the car and mounted the curb.

PC Gibson said: 'The car had only gone about 800 yards from the Royal British Legion club when it left the road and mounted the nearside footpath.

'The car then rejoined the carriageway for about 120m, and then made a sharp left-hand turn and crashed through the barrier separating the carriageway from the river.

'When I investigated the scene I could see no obstruction of the road itself or any surface contaminates that could have caused the diversion.

'All components of the car were also working fine at the time of the accident.'

PC Gibson added that the road was well-lit and the road markings were clear.

He said there was no evidence to suggest that Joan had been driving at excessive speed along the 30mph road, or that she had accelerated or gained speed.

CCTV footage from two commercial premises along Feeder Road, along with the accounts of two eye witnesses, corroborated PC Gibson's account.

The inquest heard that Joan was on two different medications - Phenobarbitol for her seizures, and Mirtazipine for spells of depression that she had reported to her GP.

Avon Coroners Court (pictured) in Bristol was told that her family had pleaded with her to stop driving

The results of a post-mortem showed lower levels of Phenobarbitol than expected in her blood stream, but higher levels than expected of Mirtazipine.

But pathologist Dr Newton Wong ruled out the death being related to either medication, saying the levels of Mirtazipine were 'well below therapeutic level'.

The inquest, filled with immediate family members, heard that Joan and John were well-loved in their community, with 300 people attending their funeral.

The couple 'went everywhere together', with both getting involved in the annual Royal British Legion poppy collection, and Joan accompanying John to the bowls club - which he played at county level.

Speaking after the inquest, Joan and John's son, Christopher Searle said: 'There's nothing that's come as a surprise.

'I knew that mum had has been having seizures for as long as I've been alive, and I've been alive for 50 years. It was very well-covered.'

A verdict of accidental death was recorded.
A Japanese company is to offer its non-smoking employees an extra six days of paid holiday a year to compensate for the regular breaks its smokers take.

Piala Inc, a marketing firm based in Tokyo, introduced the perk in September and it has proved popular among staff.

'One of our non-smoking staff put a message in the company suggestion box earlier in the year saying that smoking breaks were causing problems', Hirotaka Matsushima, a spokesman for the company told The Telegraph.

A Japanese company is to offer its non-smoking employees an extra six days of paid holiday a year, to compensate for the regular breaks the regular smokers take (stock image)

'Our CEO saw the comment and agreed, so we are giving non-smokers some extra time off to compensate', Mr Matsushma added.

The divide between company smokers and non-smokers became more apparent because of the company's location, on the 29th floor of an office block.

Meaning anyone wanting to take a cigarette break had to go to the basement level, lasting around 15 minutes a time.

So following complaints, company bosses decided to act and introduce a means of readdressing the balance.

The bitter divide between company smokers and non-smokers became more apparent because of the company's location, on the 29th floor of an office block (stock image)

Company CEO Takao Asuka said he hoped the move would encourage employees to quit though incentives instead of penalties or coercion.

So far, at least 30 of the company's 120 employees have made use of the extra days off.

Spokesman Matsushima himself also enjoyed a holiday with his family with the extra days. While four people have given up smoking since the incentives began.

Company CEO Takao Asuka said he hoped the move would encourage employees to quit though incentives instead of penalties or coercion

World Health Organisation statistics indicate 21.7 percent of Japanese adults smoke - though the figure is higher among older generations.

In July, a Tokyo governor made plans to impose a smoking ban in public across the capital ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics.

But the proposal is likely to face strong opposition from pro-smoking politicians as well as those in the hospitality sector and tobacco manufacturers in Tokyo - including Japan Tobacco, a one-third government-owned firm that contributed $700million in dividends to the state in 2015.
A new dad comforted his son during the baby's his first visit to the pediatrician as he grieved the loss of his own father.

Antwon Lee, 29, shared a video of his two-month-old son Debias King getting his first shots at the pediatrician on October 26 in Warrenton, Georgia.

The sweet video has now gone viral after Lee revealed that his own father had died that same day due to complications from drinking.

'It was very hard,' Lee told ABC News of 57-year-old Anthony Lee's passing.

The video shows Lee telling his first child to 'stay strong' as he comforts the tiny tot.

Debias wails as the shots get injected into his upper thigh and Lee holds his hand. When the shots are done he picks up his son and cradles him.

'I felt his pain but at the same time, it was all about love,' he said. 'I know he felt the love because his daddy was there.'

Antwon Lee, 29, shared a video of him comforting his two-month-old son Debias King at the pediatrician on October 26 in Warrenton, Georgia

Debias wails as shots get injected into his upper thigh and Lee hold's his hand and tells him to 'stay strong'

When the shots are done he picks up his son and cradles him

Baby Debias doesn't cry often, Lee said.

'When I hold him and when I talk to him, he just sits there and listens. This is my first time,' the father said.

Lee didn't expect that his son would 'be this type of angel.'

The night of Debias's grandfather's death, his own father gave him a heartwarming message.

'I let him know: "Son, I want to see you succeed before I die,"' Lee said. 'I've got to see you succeed.'

Lee revealed that his own father had died that same day due to complications from drinking
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From a biplane soaring through the skies to a mournful Queen returning home to claim the throne, these pictures capture some of the royal family's most jubilant and sombre moments of the past century.

The collection celebrates 100 years of royal air travel, revealing how it has changed from Edward VIII's first flight in 1917.

Compiled for a new book 'Royal Flying, A Pictorial History', the poignant images include Prince Charles carrying two-month-old William in a crib and Diana's coffin being brought home to Britain after her death in a Paris car crash in 1997.

They also show the Queen, then-Princess Elizabeth, returning from Africa after learning of the death of her father George VI in 1952, Princess Anne arriving at Balmoral with her dog and the Queen Mother on a royal tour in 1948.

More recent images show Prince William, who went on to pilot helicopter for the RAF and air ambulance service, and Harry with his British Army Apache in 2012.

The Royal Flight was the world's first head of state aircraft unit. The first recorded flight took place on July 17, 1917 when the Prince of Wales, who went on to become Edward VIII, enjoyed a 30 minute flight in northern France.

One of the most poignant images show Prince Charles exiting a plane carrying a two-month-old Prince William in a crib after his first ever flight in 1982

A young Prince Charles looks enthralled as he walks around an aircraft during his flight training at RAF Tangmere in 1968

The Queen pictured leaving her Heron C3 to open London Gatwick Airport in 1958. Aviation photographer Keith Wilson has been given unprecedented access to Royal archives to provide a fascinating insight into both Royal and aeronautical history

Princess Diana's body was flown back to RAF Northolt in the Queen's Flight 146 in August 1997, following her fatal crash in Paris

Pictured is the Queen's Flight Wessex flying over London, with Tower Bridge and the River Thames in shot, in 1983

Prince Philip flying a Royal Flight Whirlwind in 1962. Starting in 1917 the book, 'Royal Flying, A Pictorial History' charts in pictures the 100 year evolution of first the King's Flight and then later the Queen's Flight

The oldest known Royal Flight - a 1914 flypast for the King's birthday by a BE.2 at Ludgershall. The Royal Guards are seen watching the display

Princess Diana visits the BP oil rig 'Charlies Darling' in a Queen's Flight in the North Sea in 1985. She had a three-hour tour and met the workers

Prince Harry with his British Army Apache in 2012 (left) and Princess Margaret on the Royal tour to Africa in 1947 (right)

Flying Officer 'William Wales' at the controls of the C-17 Globemaster during his visit to RAF Brize Norton

Coming home: Founder of Royal flying the Duke of Windsor's body was flown into RAF Benson in 1972 following his death in exile

The Queen Mother leads a young Princess Elizabeth off a BOAC Comet during a 1949 Royal tour

1968: The VVIP interior of the Royal VC 10 shows the small kitchen area, where cups of tea were made (left) and the lounge area where the Royals could relax

A young Princess Elizabeth with Prince Philip and Royal Flight chief Edward Fielden in 1949 (left) and Sir Geoffrey de Havilland delivers a Heron C3 to Prince Philip in 1955 (right)

His Royal Highness Prince William with the Queen at RAF Valley in 2011. The new book covers the the flying careers of Royals including Prince Charles and Prince William

Pictured is the Queen's Flight BAe146 and 2 HS 125's flying over the English countryside in 2002

The Queen Mother leaving a Westland Dragonfly in the 1950s. The Royal Flight was the world's first head of state aircraft unit, with the first recorded royal taking place on July 17, 1917 when the Prince of Wales, who went on to become Edward VIII, enjoyed a 30 minute flight in northern France

Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee greet Princess Elizabeth on her return to London from Africa after the death of her father in 1952

Spartan Beginnings: Edward Prince of Wales clambers into the 'specially modified' rear cockpit of a Bristol F.2B in 1928 - the first officially allocated Royal aircraft

The Duchess of York leaving a Queen's Flight Wessex in the mid 1980's. The Royal Air Force officially allocated a series of aircraft to fly around members of the Royal Family

BAE Systems Edward Prince of Wales took delivery of this DH.83 Fox Moth in 1932. Between 1929 and 1935 Edward VIII purchased 13 aircraft and he officially formed the King's Flight in 1936 upon his short-lived ascension to the throne at a time when passenger flying was still in its infancy

Workers clearing snow from a BAe 146 in Sarajevo in 1996. The trail-blazing nature of the Royal Family is demonstrated by the fact that it was not until 1943 that a sitting US President boarded a flight

A young Princess Margaret in the cockpit of the new DH Comet in 1951. Over the years, the King's and Queen's Flight operated a variety of aircraft and helicopters, many of them of British design and manufacture

Queen's Flight hangar in 1986. In a cost cutting measure, the Queen's Flight was effectively closed at RAF Benson, south Oxfordshire, in 1995 when it formally merged into No. 32 (The Royal) Squadron at RAF Northolt in west London

Proud day: Prince William receives his wings from his father Prince Charles at RAF Cranwell in 2008

The Queen and a young Princess Elizabeth are pictured arriving off their plane for a Royal tour in Africa in 1947

Edward Prince of Wales had to don heavy flying kit and a parachute for his early Royal flights (left) and Princess Anne and her dog arriving in Balmoral (right)

Flying visit: Edward Vlll visiting RAF Mildenhall in 1936. The crew on board the Queen's Flight went the extra mile to make the flying experience as smooth as possible to prevent gin and tonic 'slopping around' in the passengers' glasses

Pictured is the Queen's Flight at RAF Benson in 1964 - Whirlwind, Heron and Andover

The interior's became a lot more luxurious with art deco style marquetry - the first aircraft specifically ordered for Royal use was this Vickers Viastra delivered in May 1933 and costing 4250

The Queen leaving a HS Andover whilst visiting RAF Thorney Island in 1964, wearing a light blue dress coat and hat

The first aircraft specifically ordered for Royal use was this Vickers Viastra delivered in May 1933 and costing 4250

A Royal salute - Prince Albert is recognised and acknowledged by soldiers in a Handley Page 0/400 Bomber in October 1918

Edward, Prince of Wales in the rear cockpit of a Bristol F.2B Fighter in Italy in 1918. The first monarch that flew was the Prince of Wales and like with a lot of people that first flight was enough to ignite a passion for it

Door to door service: Queen's Flight Wessex at Balmoral. Today, the Royal Family get about on a helicopter owned by the Royal Household and also charter planes for short haul flights. For long distance travel, they tend to fly with British Airways

His Royal Highness Prince William alongside his helicopter instructor Sqn Ldr Allison at RAF Shawbury in 2008

Edward, Prince of Wales can be seen standing up in the rear cockpit of a British F2B Fighter in Villaverta, Italy, in the summer of 1918

Prince Andrew learning to fly in a glider in 1975. A new book gives an intimate look behind the scenes of the Royal Flight and also the flying Royals

Luxury post-war interior of the Royal Flights Vickers Viking delivered in 1947. Starting in 1917 the book charts in pictures the 100 year evolution of first the King's Flight and then later the Queen's Flight as well as the Royal families passion for aviation

Vickers Viking was delivered in 1947. Author Keith Wilson has had unprecedented access to the Queen's Flight Archives to provide a fascinating insight into both Royal and aeronautical history

The comfortable interior of the WW2 DH.95 Flamingo

In World War II the Royal Flight used this camoflaged DH.95 Flamingo

The Queen leaving a BAe146 at RAF Northolt in 2005

Interior of the Queen's Flight HS125 shows the padded leather sofas and recliner chairs which the royals relaxed in

Queen's Flight BAe 146 over Oxfordshire. A new book gives an intimate look behind the scenes of the Royal Flight and also the flying Royals

Aviation fans Edward, Prince of Wales and his brother Albert in a Handley Page 0/400 Bomber

The Queen Mother and her husband Albert boarding a flight in 1934

The Royal family nowadays have to rely on chartered helicopters to fly them around

Lucky escape: This Vickers Viking crashed near Balmoral in 1947 when delivering the Royal mail. Fortunately no members of the Royal family were onboard

Lucky escape: This Vickers Viking crashed near Balmoral in 1947. No members of the Royal family were onboard (left). Royal Flying, A Pictorial History (right), by Keith Wilson, is published by Amberley Books and costs 14.99

Royal Flying, A Pictorial History, by Keith Wilson, is published by Amberley Books and costs 14.99.
Two women in Saudia Arabia have been sentenced to ten lashes each after insulting one another via WhatsApp.

The two unnamed women were sentenced to the brutal punishment after trading insults on the messaging app this year, local media reports.

The case was among 220 'social media crimes' unearthed by Okaz Newspaper, that had been reported in the past six months.

The two unnamed women had traded insults using messaging app WhatsApp and were both sentenced to ten lashes each in court in Saudi Arabia under the country's strict Islamic laws

The high number of cases over such a short period of time, marked an increase in the pursuit of offenses involving smartphones and social media, the newspaper said.

Another case highlighted by Okaz involved a man who blackmailed a woman using revealing photos and another who had sent a friend an offensive message.

While there has been an increase in there types of offenses, it is not the first time Saudi nationals have been convicted of breaking the country's strict Islamic laws using social media.

One of the most famous cases is that of Raif Badawi, a 33-year-old blogger who is serving a ten year prison sentence and is due to receive a total of 1,000 lashes.

Mr Badawi founded website Free Saudi Liberals and called for free speech and was first detained in 2008, but released after questioning.

Rise: Saudi Arabia has seen an increase in crimes carried out on social media where members of the public have flaunted the country's interpretation of Sharia law

He was arrested again in June 2012, and charged with 'insulting Islam through electronic channels' before his conviction in 2014.

The first 50 of the 1,000 lashes were administered in 2015, but following punishments has had to be postponed due to his health.

His wife Ensaf Haidar, who who fled to Canada with the couple's three children in 2013, says the 50 lashes nearly killed her husband, who suffers from high blood pressure.

Last year, journalist Alaa Brinji was sentenced to five years in prison and given an eight-year travel ban over messages he posted to Twitter.

He was found guilty of charges including insulting Saudi rulers, inciting public opinion and accusing security forces of killing protesters in the kingdom's predominantly Shiite east.
Charissa Brown-Wellington was today jailed for five years for manslaughter

A mother-of-two with a 'propensity for impulsive violence' took ecstasy before pushing a stranger to his death under the wheels of a moving tram.

Charissa Brown-Wellington was today jailed for five years for the manslaughter of 30-year old Philip Carter, who was crushed to death after the pair had a row at Manchester Victoria station.

Other commuters looked on in horror as Mr Carter, a labourer, was dragged under the wheels of the carriage and killed almost instantly.

Manchester Crown Court heard the 31-year-old and her fiance had earlier shared a bottle of wine bought from Tesco in Manchester city centre.

She also drank two cans of lager, and took ecstasy.

She and Mr Carter were seen arguing on the platform as a tram pulled into the station before she pushed him after screaming: 'Get the f*** out my face'

She then lunged at him, pushing him onto the track in front of the oncoming tram.

Mr Carter suffered 'catastrophic injuries' and was pronounced dead at the scene on Sunday, June 12.

Mr Carter was pronounced dead at the scene on Sunday, June 12 after being pushed into the path of the oncoming tram

Charissa Brown-Wellington and Mr Carter were rowing before the fatal incident at Manchester Victoria rail station

Other commuters looked on in horror as Mr Carter (left), a labourer, was dragged under the wheels of the carriage and killed almost instantly. Philip Carter's friend Tommy Whyte and Carter's ex-girlfriend Joanna Gregory (pictured together right) attended Brown-Wellington's sentencing

Brown-Wellington told police at the scene: 'We were just play fighting. All my life I have put up with men putting their hands on me.'

As he jailed her Mr Justice William Davis said Brown-Wellington, who has some 65 previous convictions including assaults on police, still posed a risk to the public.

GRIEVING FAMILY PAY TRIBUTE TO LABOURER A statement from Philip Carter's family was read outside court by a policeman. They said: 'Phil was much loved by all his family and friends and had much life ahead of him. 'He was taken from us in June this year in completely unnecessary circumstances. We can't express how devastated we are that his life has been stolen from him. 'Phil is missed every minute of every day. 'Today his killer has been sentenced and justice has been served. 'We can try to repair our heartache although no matter how long the sentence is it will not bring Phil back or make our lives any easier. 'We need to attempt to move on and hopefully today will now provide closure for our pain over the last few months, however, we will never forget Phil or the many memories he has given us.' Advertisement

After she was sentenced Mr Carter's grief-stricken family said he was 'missed every single day'.

As they stood at the packed railway station in June, Brown-Wellington shouted at Mr Carter: 'What you looking at?'

Mr Carter then said something back to her, before Brown-Wellington added: 'You what?'

As she stood in the dock, Brown-Wellington denied the exchanged before being reprimanded by the judge.

The court heard she then added: 'What the f*** did you say?'

Mr Carter said: 'Get the f*** out of my face you dirty skank.'

She replied: 'You get the f*** out of my face.'

When emergency services arrived at the scene Brown-Wellington told them: 'I didn't mean it, he got in my face and was aggressive so I pushed him away.

'We were just play fighting, he pushed me first and I pushed him back.

'All my life I have put up with men putting their hands on me.'

Experts compiled a 250-page psychiatric report on Brown-Wellington which confirmed she has a 'personality disorder'.

Brown-Wellington was originally charged with murder but admitted manslaughter at a hearing on 22 September.

Charissa Brown-Wellington, 31, (right) was arrested in June when 30-year old Philip Carter (left) was crushed to death after the pair had a row at Manchester Victoria station

After Brown Wellington was sentenced, Mr Carter's grief-stricken family said he was 'missed every single day'. Pictured above, are Mr Carter's friend, Mr Whyte, and ex-girlfriend, Miss Gregory

Doctors told the court that Brown-Wellington has a 'personality disorder' and that she has a 'propensity for impulsive violence'

The judge told her: 'Mr Carter fell backwards and tragically fell between two cars of the tram. He was crushed to death in full view of any number of bystanders.

'There was more than one victim in this case because the effect of what you did was so dreadful.

'There was nothing accidental about you losing your temper and pushing this man forcefully.'

According to court records, in 2013 Brown-Wellington was jailed for four months for criminal damage, assaulting three police officers and using racially aggravated threatening or abusive words or behaviour.

Last April she was taken to court for fare-dodging on a tram.

Brown-Wellington posed a significant risk of causing harm to the public until she 'gets a grip' on her emotional well-being and substance misuse, the judge ruled.

Brown-Wellington posed a significant risk of causing harm to the public until she 'gets a grip' on her emotional well-being and substance misuse, the judge ruled

She was classed as a dangerous offender and was given an extended three year sentence

Just before he passed sentence, a tearful Brown-Wellington cried from the dock: 'It was an accident. I swear it was.'

Prosecutor Robert Hall told the court today: 'The defendant was described as lairy and loud.

'The victim was stood on the platform on his way home and both were strangers - although she was slightly taller and stockier than him.

'As she got off the tram she said to Mr Carter 'What are you looking at?'

'She quickly pushed him to the shoulder and immediately after used both hands to the chest with force - and the force was described by witnesses as unnecessary.

'The push forced him backwards onto the side of the tram which had just started to move off.

'He fell into the gap and in affect was standing in between the two tram cars

Senior investigating officer Bob Tonge of Greater Mancherster Police reading a statement on behalf of Philip Carter's friend Tommy Whyte and ex-girlfriend Joanna Gregory outside Manchester Crown Court after Charrissa Brown Wellington's sentence for pushing Philip Carter to his death under a tram

Mr Carter's friend Tommy Whyte and Carter's ex-girlfriend Joanna Gregory looked somber as they stood together outside Manchester Crown Court on Tuesday

Mr Whyte said that 'justice has been served' after the sentencing, and added that Mr Carter had died in 'completely unnecessary circumstances'

Miss Gregory stood by Mr Whyte's side as he paid tribute to Mr Carter following the sentence on Tuesday

'and was crushed at chest level. Witnesses described him screaming as he rotated at chest height, spinning him around.

'He then fell onto the track and as the tram passed it was immediately clear that nothing could have been done for him.

'He died from multiple crushing injuries, resulting in rapid death.

'A 16 year-old boy happened to witness what happened and his father described in some detail what a devastating affect it had on him.

'It was described as other witnesses as absolutely dreadful.

'The defendant was detained and heard to say: 'All my life I have had to put up with men putting their hands on me,' but there is no suggestion from the CCTV that the victim put his hands towards her.'

In mitigation defence counsel Mark Ford said the tragedy was the product of a 'coincidence of circumstances'.

Brown-Wellington was initially charged with murder before pleading guilty to manslaughter, which the prosecution accepted.

She will serve three and a half years of her five year stretch behind bars and will be on licence until 2025.
This is the first image of a two-year-old allegedly killed by her Pakistani father who flew into a rage when his asylum application was rejected.

The man, identified only as 33-year-old Sohail A, had been living with little Aeysha and her mother in Hamburg, Germany.

He had his application for refugee status rejected in 2012 but prolonged his stay in Germany by losing his documents, moving around the country and fighting deportation in the courts, it has been reported.

The first image has emerged of two-year-old Aeysha (above) who was killed by her Pakistani father when his asylum application was rejected

He married during his attempts to avoid deportation and his daughter was cited in court as a reason for remaining in Germany - despite several complaints about his alleged violent behaviour from his wife Lubna, 32.

The day after his final application was rejected he allegedly attacked the child's mother at their home in Hamburg.

She had already said that she wanted a divorce, and fled the house after the alleged assault. She went to complain to police but when she returned the child was lying on the ground with her throat cut, police say.

Sohail then went on the run to Breisgau on the German-French border before fleeing to San Sebastian in Spain, where he was finally caught.

Interpol assisted in the hunt for the man and UK police had been notified as a matter of urgency as Hamburg detectives thought he might have relatives in England and be making his way there.

German police say 33-year-old Sohail A murdered his two-year-old child

Sohail's estranged wife and their son are said to have been living in terror for a week until he was finally caught.

The mother was being treated in hospital after the shock of the incident, and was being cared for by her parents and her sister.

Her sister told a Hamburg-based newspaper: 'She is really bad at the moment as you can imagine.'

She added that the fact Sohail had now been arrested was an enormous relief for the whole family.

She said: 'Now we can say our goodbyes to Ayesha in peace.'

Prosecutor Gerald Janson confirmed: 'We have requested he be extradited on murder charges.'

Questions are being asked in Germany as to why the rejected asylum seeker was allowed to continue to stay in the country so long, and why he still had access to his children.

After the girl's death, it emerged that the victim's family were already on the authorities' radar.

A spokesman for the local youth authority said: 'The department had multiple contacts with the family. The security of the children was the main topic.'

The young girl, Aeysha, was left alone in the apartment with her father when her mother, Lubna, went to police to report her husband' s violence. Pictured above, officers remove Aeysha's body from the crime scene

Sohail had his application for refugee status rejected in 2012 but prolonged his stay in Germany by losing his documents, moving around the country and fighting deportation in the courts Police investigate the crime scene in Hamburg, Germany

Police spent a week searching for Solhail A, after he disappeared following the gruesome killing

Before his arrest, Solhail was last seen making his way to Hamburg main railway station

In April this year Sohail launched an emergency action at Hamburg's Administrative Court to be allowed to stay on in the country.

According to media reports, the judge in the case was informed by police of violence against his wife, leading him to get the Youth Authorities involved instead of ordering his expulsion.

German media reported that social workers reported back to the court that they did not foresee a worsening of the family situation.
One of the Catholic church's most experienced exorcists has revealed a key trick of his trade: knowing when a person is 'genuinely' possessed by the devil.

Father Cipriano de Meo, an Italian priest who has been carrying out exorcisms for 65 years, said the key is in how the person reacts to prayer.

He also admitted that in most cases, a person is not possessed by the devil, but suffering from some other illness.

Exorcism expert: Italian priest Father Cipriano de Meo revealed that if a person is possessed, he or she will react to prayer and speak 'blasphemies against God and Our Lady'

Father de Meo, an exorcist since 1952, said the exorcist will typically say a 'prolonged prayer to the point where if the Adversary[the devil] is present, there's a reaction,' he told ACI Stampa.

'A possessed person has various general attitudes towards an exorcist, who is seen by the Adversary [the devil] as an enemy ready to fight him.'

He said a possessed person would contort their face in 'frightening facial expressions', threaten the exorcist and use foul language - 'especially blasphemies against God and Our Lady.'

Not all: Father de Meo admitted that in most cases, a person is not possessed by the devil, but suffering from some other illness. Pictured is a scene in 2013 film The Last Exorcism Part II

Earlier this month, the first English language translation of exorcism rituals was published in the U.S. by bishops.

Priests can now obtain copies of Exorcisms and Related Supplications from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops - if permitted.

It is an official, Vatican-approved translation of De Exorcismis et Supplicationibus Quibusdam, the official 84-page ritual which was promulgated in 1999 after being used in various, unofficial forms by priests for centuries beforehand.

The translated version of the actual exorcism ritual will only be able to members of the Church, clergy and scholars who have to be approved by a bishop before they can receive it.
President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday that the 'biggest story' emerging from special counsel Robert Mueller's legal bloodbath on Monday is the resignation of Democratic lobbyist Tony Podesta from the firm he started with his brother John.

John Podesta chaired Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

Tony Podesta is essentially dissolving his lobbying firm in what an insider says will be a move to stay ahead of a coming indictment from Mueller.

The Podesta Group is set to be reincarnated as a new firm, an employee told DailyMail.com on Monday night, one that won't be legally liable for anything the old one engaged in.

'The biggest story yesterday, the one that has the Dems in a dither, is Podesta running from his firm,' Trump wrote on Twitter.

'What he know[s] about Crooked Dems is earth shattering. He and his brother could Drain The Swamp, which would be yet another campaign promise fulfilled. Fake News weak!'

BIGGER NEWS? President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a Democratic power-lobbyist's resignation from his own firm is more significant than the indictment of Paul Manafort

Tony Podesta's quick distancing from the firm he started with his brother  Hillary Clinton's campaign manager  'has the Dems in a dither,' Trump tweeted

Top Democratic lobbyist Tony Podesta told staff he was leaving the eponymous firm he founded with his powerful brother, on a day two top Trump campaign officials were indicted

A 12-count indictment unsealed Monday charges Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, with money laundering on a massive scale and failure to register as a foreign agent.

Separately, Mueller's team announced a guilty plea from a low-level campaign volunteer adviser George Papadopoulos, who admitted to lying to the FBI about the time-frame of communications he had with Russian intermediaries.

Monday's indictment identified two firms as 'Company A' and 'Company B' as recipients of more than $2 million in offshore funds from Manafort.

Several news outlets reported that the Podesta Group is the latter entity. The firm disclosed in April that it had worked for an organization called the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine to burnish that nation's image in the West.

Then-candidate Donald Trump first Manafort after reports that he pocketed at least $12 million in undisclosed payments from Viktor Yanukovych (pictured), the pro-Russia former Ukrainian president.

Podesta is a top Democratic lobbyist and brother of John Podesta, who helped run Hillary Clinton's campaign

Manafort oversaw that group, nominally a nonprofit organization but reportedly conceived to be a mouthpiece for deposed Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych.

'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,' according to a statement the firm issued Monday.

The Podesta brothers founded their firm in 1988.

The hacking of John Podesta's personal emails is one of the key factors in the investigation of Russian meddling in the U.S. elections, which underscores the significance of Tony Podesta's role.

Manafort represented Yanukovych's political party and is charged with orchestrating a vast money laundering scheme to hide foreign payments he stashed overseas.

According to the Manafort indictment, Gates wrote Company A that it would be 'representing the Government of Ukraine in [Washington] D.C.' Manafort repeatedly communicated with Yanukovych, who led the Party of Regions and served as president of Ukraine before being ousted.

Then-candidate Donald Trump stood alongside Paul Manafort at the 2016 Republican National Convention; Manafort was indicted Monday

POWER COUPLE: Tony Podesta and his wife Heather Podesta ran separate lobbying firms, but it's Tony's that has come under scrutiny by federal investigators

Such lobbying requires disclosure with the Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Both Manafort's firm and the Podesta Group only filed amended forms acknowledging the work following media reports.

The firms were paid not by their 'nominal client, the Centre,' but through offshore accounts associated with Manafort and Gates headquartered in Cyprus and the Grenadines.

They took in more than $2 million in payments between 2012 and 2014.

The work outlined in the indictment was extensive. The firms 'engaged in weekly scheduled calls and frequent emails' with Manafort and Gates.

They provided detailed reports on their work, and communicated with Yanukovych, as well as 'with United States officials in connection with this work.'

Some of the evidence came from a July early morning raid of Manafort's home.

Seizures from the home and email accounts 'revealed numerous documents, including documents related to lobbying, which were more than thirty-days old at the time of the November 2016 letter to the Department of Justice'  meaning they should have been disclosed.

Manafort (center) turned himself in at FBI headquarters on Monday, under fire for possible money laundering and conspiracy related to his work for Ukraine's former president

According to a statement the group provided to DailyMail.com last week, 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.'

A spokesperson added: '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.'

Headed to a judge: Paul Manafort was driven by his lawyer on Monday morning to turn himself in

In his heyday Podesta was one of D.C.'s power lobbyists, with an unusual professional partnership with his wife, Heather Podesta, who was also a fixture on the city's party circuit.

But by 2014 the two were engaged in an angry divorce with a dispute over art assets as well as the separate lobbying shops that each headed.

The couple squabbled over high-priced D.C. real estate, famous paintings and lithographs, and the value and cache provided by the Podesta name, Washingtonian reported at the time.

In a sign of how plugged-in Podesta remains, he was spotted at a surprise 70th birthday party for Hillary Clinton over the weekend. Also present were former Clinton advisers John Podesta, Huma Abedin, and Sidney Blumenthal, according toPolitico.
French feminists who set up an anti-harassment hotline were forced to shut it down after three days following a campaign of abuse by men.

Activists Clara Gonzales and Elliot Lepers launched the 'anti-relou' (anti-annoyance) service on Friday, encouraging women being hassled by men to give out the fake phone number instead of their real one.

When an insistent man sent a text to the fake number, he would receive an automatic response reading: 'If a woman says no, there's no point in insisting.'

French feminists who set up an anti-harassment hotline were forced to shut it down after three days, following a campaign of abuse by men. Activists launched the service encouraging women hassled by men to give out its number instead of their own

But the service was axed on Monday after they received 'more than 20,000 insulting messages' over the course of a few hours.

The organisers were also targeted on Twitter with a flood of hate messages including death threats, while dozens of food orders were made to their homes.

'We were the victims of a coordinated attack against the service and a campaign of harassment against us personally,' Gonzales and Lepers wrote in a statement.

'We will try to reactivate a similar service as soon as possible.'

They added: 'Above all we want a government response that matches the expectations expressed by the whole of society in recent weeks concerning the fight against violence targeting women.'

The trolling campaign comes in the midst of a global outpouring of anger over sexual harassment and abuse following the Harvey Weinstein scandal.

The service was axed on Monday after they received 'more than 20,000 insulting messages' over the course of a few hours. The organisers were also targeted on Twitter with a flood of hate messages including death threats, while dozens of food orders were made to their homes

The French initiative took its inspiration from a similar phone number set up by US feminist pop culture website The Mary Sue following the claims against Weinstein and millions of other men around the world.

The coordinated wave of text messages appears to have been intended to bankrupt the initiative - which had launched an online fund-raising campaign - as the service sent an automatic reply to each one.

Gonzales and Lepers said the campaign against them was organised via an infamous youth forum on website jeuxvideo.com - roughly a French equivalent of the English-language message board 4chan, a hub for young internet trolls.
While President Trump had plenty to say about Paul Manafort and George Papadopoulos on Twitter today, when asked about the two men by reporters the president stayed quiet.

The president was asked about pardoning Manafort, his former campaign manager, and he didn't respond, telling reporters 'thank you' instead, as the press pool was ushered out of the Roosevelt Room where Trump was meeting with business leaders to discuss tax reform.

He also refused to answer any questions about Papadopoulos.

Earlier Tuesday morning, Trump launched a furious assault on the two former campaign hands caught in the Justice Department's crosshairs.

Trump said the charges against Paul Manafort, his former campaign chairman, are tied to activities that 'took place long before he came to the campaign.'

'The Fake News is working overtime. As Paul Manafort's lawyer said, there was "no collusion,"' Trump said, referring the special counsel's mandate to probe election meddling.

Of a former foreign policy adviser to the campaign who turned himself in for making false statements to the feds about contact with the Russians, George Papadopoulos, Trump said: 'Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar. Check the DEMS!'

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS

Donald Trump launched a furious assault Tuesday morning on two former campaign hands caught in the Justice Department's crosshairs

Trump said the charges against Paul Manafort are tied to activities that 'took place long before he came to the campaign.' Of a former foreign policy adviser who turned himself in for making false statements to the feds about contact with the Russians, George Papadopoulos, Trump said, he's 'already proven to be a liar'

A former foreign policy adviser to the campaign who turned himself in for making false statements to the feds about contact with the Russians, George Papadopoulos is being slammed by the White House as a volunteer to a committee on the campaign who had no inside knowledge or power

LAST BREATH OF FRESH AIR? Former Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was placed on house arrest as a condition of his release on $10 million bond as he awaits trial on a host of financial felonies

The White House sought on Monday to put as much distance as they could between the president and campaign affiliates facing criminal charges, saying that Trump had not spoken to Manafort in months and pegging Papadopoulos as a volunteer to a committee on the campaign who had no inside knowledge or power.

Another former campaign staffer, Rick Gates, once the deputy campaign manager, was also indicted. A longtime business associate of Manafort's, his alleged crimes are not related to the president, either.

Manafort and Gates have been confined to their homes in Virginia as they await trials on a laundry list of federal felony charges.

The pair entered not guilty pleas Monday afternoon in a federal courtroom, telling a magistrate judge that they'll fight the Justice Department in court. Manafort lives in Alexandria, a close-in suburb of Washington. Gates resides in Richmond, more than 100 miles to the south.

Manafort, a veteran lobbyist, is now charged with conspiring against the United States and money-laundering on a gigantic scale, following an investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller.

Along with Gates, his longtime business partner and protege, Manafort surrendered to federal authorities early on Monday as the first charges from the probe of possible Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election were unsealed.

Manafort is free on $10 million bond and Gates agreed to a $5 million bond. Both will be on 'home detention' as a condition of their release, and they have surrendered their passports.

They are expected back in court on Thursday.

Trump's former campaign chairman was pictured smiling on Monday as he walked through a brisk October breeze and got into a waiting SUV.

It was not clear on Monday afternoon whether the men would have to wear ankle monitors. That kind of GPS technology is typically used in federal cases to ensure defendants don't flee the country.

President Trump watched the specter with revulsion, waking up before dawn, the Washington Post reported, to keep tabs on Mueller's announcement. Holed up in the residence, Trump is said to have fumed over the media's coverage of the surprise indictments.

Trump tweeted victoriously that there was 'NO COLLUSION' before a second bombshell dropped: Papadopoulos had turned himself in.

The president's personal lawyer, Jay Sekulow, was sent out to damage control as the White House delayed a news conference with the president's press secretary until he was finished.

When she did take the podium, spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders repeatedly stated Papadopoulos role in the campaign had been 'extremely limited' in 'a volunteer position.'

'I'd hardly call that some sort of regular advisor or, as you want to push, that he's like a senior member of the staff,' she stated. 'He was not paid by the campaign, he was a volunteer on a -- again, a council that met once.'

Asked what it says about Trump's judgement that he'd have folks like Manafort, who are facing serious charges, working on his campaign at all, Huckabee Sanders, argued, 'These were seasoned operatives that worked on a number of campaigns. Paul Manafort was brought in to lead the delegate process, which he did, and was dismissed not too long after that.'

$5 MILLION LIGHTER: Rick Gates left court where he too was placed on home confinement as part of a multimillion-dollar bond arrangement to avoid custody as his trial approaches

DRAWN FACES: A courtroom sketch shows Manafort (standing, center) and his former protege Rick Gates (standing, right) entering their not-guilty pleas before U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson

GPS FOR PAUL? It's not clear whether Manafort and Gates have to wear ankle monitors during their home confinement as their trials approach, but both of their right lower legs showed hints of a bulge as they left the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C.

The charges against Manafort (shown) and Gates are the first from the special counsel investigating so far unsubstantiated accusations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia

Manafort's lawyer told reporters camped outside of the courthouse on Monday afternoon that the president 'was correct' that the charges that were brought were outside the scope of special counsel's election meddling mandate.

'There is no evidence that Mr. Manafort or the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government,' Kevin Downing said.

The Manafort representative also said, 'Today, you see an indictment brought by an office of special counsel that is using a very novel theory to prosecute Mr. Manafort, regarding a FARA filing. The United States government has only used that offense six times since 1966, and only resulted in one conviction.'

The indictment against Manafort, 68, and Gates, 45, includes 12 separate criminal counts: conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts.

The government alleges that at least $75 million was moved by Manafort to offshore accounts without declaring the income to the government. From there Manafort allegedly withdrew $18 million to fund a lavish lifestyle, and Gates is accused of pulling out another $3 million.

Monday afternoon's preliminary hearing was before U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah Robinson.

CIRCUS: Kevin Downing, attorney for Paul Manafort, spoke to reporters after the preliminary hearing on Monday

BIG MONEY: Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort (center) turned himself in at FBI headquarters on Monday and later entered a not guilty plea in federal court

Arriving for court: Manafort was driven in the back of an SUV to the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C. just after noon on Monday

Gates' spokesman Glenn Selig issued a strident defense of his client after his court appearance. He said the former Trump campaign hand 'welcomes the opportunity to confront these charges in court. He is not going to comment further until he has had a chance to review the lengthy indictment with his legal team,' he said. 'In the meanwhile, he would appreciate you respecting his and his family's privacy as they weather this unexpected and hasty proceeding designed to accommodate perhaps political and press considerations rather than his right to have counsel of his choice by his side during this most troubling and challenging day for him and his loved ones. This fight is just beginning.' An angry Trump washed his hands of Manafort on Monday morning. 'Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign,' Trump tweeted after the charges were unsealed. 'But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????' 'Also, there is NO COLLUSION!' he insisted. Outside court Manafort's attorney said the millionaire lobbyist would fight the charges. Downing said Manafort 'represented pro-European Union campaigns' for Ukraine and that he was 'seeking to further democracy and to help the Ukraine come closer to the United States and the EU.'

Kevin Downing, the attorney for Paul Manafort, told reporters in a statement that 'there is no evidence that Mr. Manafort or the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government'

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told DailyMail.com during Monday's briefing that Trump and Manafort 'haven't spoken in several months. The last known conversation was back all the way to February'

President Trump pounced on Monday, denying Manafort's alleged crimes predated his campaign and insisting that he never colluded with Russia to affect the 2016 election

Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation has brought its first criminal charges and yielded three arrests  including one low-level guilty plea

'The second thing about this indictment that I myself find most ridiculous is a claim that maintaining offshore accounts to bring all your funds into the United States as a scheme to conceal from the United States government is ridiculous,' he said.

Downing then walked away from a media stake-out site without taking any questions.

The defendants' surrender to the FBI in the morning was followed by a dramatic announcement that one of Trump's campaign foreign policy advisers, George Papadopoulos, had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contact with Russians who promised 'dirt' on Hillary Clinton and access to 'thousands' of her emails.

Papadopoulos secretly agreed to a plea bargain earlier this month, suggesting he may be cooperating with Mueller.

Monday morning's events will raise questions about what happens next and whether Manafort and Gates could follow suit.

Manafort was involved with the Trump campaign for nearly five months, in senior positions that gave him access to the day-to-day operations of the future president's political operation.

Trump's lawyer, Ty Cobb, told reporters on Monday that he had no concern about Manafort offering damaging information about the president in exchange for a deal.

Roger Stone, a longtime Trump confidant, said in September that Manafort has no information that could put the president in legal jeopardy, predicting that 'he's not going to lie.'

The possible sentences, if found guilty, would be stiff: up to 80 years in prison for Manafort and 70 for Gates, plus millions of dollars in fines.

More typical federal sentencing for the crimes charged would be 10 to 12.5 years for Gates and 12.5 to 15 for Manafort.

Trump's personal lawyer, Jay Sekulow, said Monday on CNN that regardless of Manafort's legal woes, 'there is not a formal investigation of the President of the United States.'

Trump hasn't been asked to testify or answer questions for the special counsel, he said, but 'the president said he would' if asked.

'We have been cooperating,' Sekulow said. 'If there's questions that come from the special counsel's office, we've been in full cooperation mode.'

But the charges pending against Manafort, 68, and Gates, 45, are related to 'business activities, not campaign activities,' he said.

The indictment includes 12 separate criminal counts: conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts.

Trump's personal lawyer, Jay Sekulow, said Monday on CNN that regardless of Manafort's legal woes, 'there is not a formal investigation of the President of the United States'

Trump campaign aide Rick Gates, shown at left during the Republican National Convention, faces charges along with Manafort and has also pleaded not guilty

Guilty: George Papadopoulos is facing up to six months in prison. He was a foreign policy adviser to Trump who admits lying to the FBI about contact with Russians who offered dirt on Hillary Clinton and thousands of her emails

The government alleges that at least $75 million was moved by Manafort to offshore accounts without declaring the income to the government. From there Manafort allegedly withdrew $18 million to fund a lavish lifestyle, and Gates pulled another $3 million out.

A source close to the White House told CNN that 'today has zero to do with the White House.'

HOW MANAFORT SPENT HIS MILLIONS Monday morning's indictment lists a host of lavish expenses that ate up millions from Paul Manafort's alleged offshore accounts, including: $5.43 million for home improvement in the Hamptons

$1.31 million for home improvement in Florida for 'home automation, lighting and home entertainment'

$934,000 at an antique rug store

$849,000 at a men's clothing store in New York

$819,000 for two landscapers in The Hamptons

$623,000 on antiques in New York

$520,000 at a Beverly Hills clothing sto re

$163,700 for payments on three Range Rovers

$62,000 on a Mercedes Benz

$31,900 at a Florida art gallery

$20,000 on New York housekeepers Advertisement

Trump's defiant tweet, and his reference to Clinton who faces her own claims of receiving dirty Russian money, sets the stage for a showdown with Mueller which led on Monday morning to Nancy Pelosi, the House minority leader, calling for legislative moves to prevent the special counsel from being fired.

The indictment is purely focused on alleged financial crimes and does not include any charges related to the broader question that formed the basis of Mueller's investigation  whether Donald Trump's presidential campaign colluded with Russia to swing the 2016 election in his favor.

It describes criminal allegations that predate the Trump campaign; Trump's name is not mentioned in the 31-page document.

The move to indict the two men represents a dramatic turn in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Manafort was seen leaving his home at 8:00 a.m. with his attorney and arrived at FBI headquarters less than 20 minutes later.

A federal grand jury approved the indictments on Friday and a judge ordered them sealed. A White House official told DailyMail.com on Monday that the administration may not comment at all on the arrests.

The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who was appointed by former president Barack Obama and confirmed in the Senate by a 97-0 vote.

Among the expenses paid for by Manafort-controlled entities in Cyprus, according to the indictment, were $600,000 for antiques and $500,000 paid to a Beverly Hills tailor and $849,000 to a men's clothing store in New York.

Other money went for premium automobiles and home renovations in Florida and the Hamptons. The Hamptons home alone had $5.4 million in renovations, the indictment said.

Hand them over: The indictment demands that Manafort be stripped of two New York city properties, a SoHo loft (left) and Brooklyn brownstone (right), as well as a Hamptons home which he lavished more than $5 million on in renovations, and an Arlington, VA, condo

Manafort also spent $934,350 at an antique rug store in Alexandria, Virginia.

The indictment demands that four of his properties are seized, including a Brooklyn brownstone he bought to renovate, a loft in New York's trendy SoHo which he let out on Airbnb, a Hamptons home and his Arlington, Virginia condo.

Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez said in a statement that the indictment 'underscores the seriousness of the investigation into Donald Trumps ties to Russia. Its time for Republicans to commit to protecting this investigation and preserving the rule of law.'

In a separate statement, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, said the charges demonstrated the necessity of keeping congressional investigations running alongside the Mueller probe.

'Even with an accelerating Special Counsel investigation inside the Justice Department, and investigations inside the Republican Congress, we still need an outside, fully independent investigation to expose Russias meddling in our election and the involvement of Trump officials,' she said.

'Defending the integrity of our democracy demands that Congress look forward to counter Russian aggression and prevent future meddling with our elections.'

Manafort and Gates were the one-two punch responsible for keeping Republican National Convention delegates in line last year as the possibility emerged of a contentious floor fight over the presidential nomination.

Then-candidate Donald Trump first Manafort after reports that he pocketed at least $12 million in undisclosed payments from Viktor Yanukovych (pictured), the pro-Russia former Ukrainian president.

Manafort was fired shortly after the convention and replaced by pollster Kellyanne Conway, but Gates stayed on and was more recently working to help close out the financial books of Trump's inaugural committee.

He had worked for Manaforts international firm, Davis Manafort Partners, from 2006 to 2007.

The move to throw Manafort overboard came after reports that Manafort pocketed at least $12 million in undisclosed payments from Viktor Yanukovych, the pro-Russia former Ukrainian president.

Manafort and his firm, which Gates helped run, spent years as Yanukovych's political consultants.

The Justice Department's indictment charges that Manafort and Gates 'generated tens of millions of dollars in income as a result of their Ukraine work.'

'In order to hide Ukraine payments from United States authorities, from approximately 2006 through at least 2016, Manafort and Gates laundered the money through scores of United States and foreign corporations, partnerships and bank accounts,' it continues.

Mueller's probe focused on wire transfers Manafort made from Ukraine to private accounts and whether he paid taxes on that income.

Kevin Downing, Manafort's lawyer, was formerly a prosecutor in the Justice Department's criminal tax division.

In July the FBI in July executed a surprise search warrant with guns drawn at Manafort's home in Alexandria, Virginia, seizing financial and tax documents.

Headed to a judge: Paul Manafort was driven by his lawyer on Monday morning to turn himself in to Mueller

It's unclear if Manafort is the biggest fish in Mueller's sights, or if the former FBI director intends to squeeze him for information more directly related to the 2016 election and Russia's possible interference with it.

The Russia investigation has cast a shadow over President Donald Trump's nine-month-old presidency and widened the partisan rift between Republicans and Democrats.

U.S. intelligence agencies concluded in January that Russia interfered in the election to try to help Trump defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton by hacking and releasing embarrassing emails and disseminating propaganda via social media to discredit her.

Mueller is also investigating whether Trump campaign officials colluded with those Russian efforts.

Trump tweeted Monday morning about a report that Barack Obama's campaign organization funneled nearly $1 million to the law firm that served as a pass-through last year between Democrats and an opposition research firm that produced the salacious and discredited 'dirty dossier' on the president.

Manafort hid his face from reporters who were staking out his house in Alexandria, Virginia as he left to turn himself in at the FBI's headquarters

'Report out that Obama Campaign paid $972,000 to Fusion GPS. The firm also got $12,400,000 (really?) from DNC. Nobody knows who OK'd!' the president tweeted on Monday.

That tweet came a half-hour before news broke that Manafort and Gates had been indicted. The White House hasn't yet commented on their surrender.

Trump has denied the allegations of collusion with the Russians and called the probe 'a witch hunt.' The Kremlin also has denied the allegations.

Mueller, a former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has been looking into possible links between Trump aides and foreign governments, as well as potential money laundering, tax evasion and other financial crimes, according to sources familiar with the probe. He also is exploring whether Trump or his aides have tried to obstruct the investigation.

Mueller was appointed to lead the investigation a week after Trump's May 9 firing of FBI Director James Comey, who was heading a federal probe into possible collusion with Russia.

Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn could also face charges later related to his contacts with Russian officials

Master of distraction: A half-hour before Manafort's indictment was unsealed, President Trump tweeted about an alleged money-funnel between Democrats and the opposition research firm behind the discredit 'dirty dossier' about him

Trump initially said he fired Comey because his leadership of the FBI was inadequate.

In a later interview with NBC, he cited 'this Russia thing' as his reason.

On Sunday, Trump tried to shift the focus back to Democrats and Clinton, tweeting that the Russia issue was being used to sidetrack the Republican push for tax reform and praising Republican 'anger and unity' on the need to look into whether Democrats and the Clinton campaign paid for a portion of a dossier that detailed accusations about Trump's ties to Russia.

Special White House counsel Ty Cobb said the president's tweets were 'unrelated to the activities of the Special Counsel, with whom he continues to cooperate.'

Investigators led by Mueller have interviewed former White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, former spokesman Sean Spicer and other current and former White House and campaign officials.

In July, FBI agents raided Manafort's Virginia home; his financial and real estate dealings and prior work for a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine have been a focus of Mueller's team.
First daughter and White House aide Ivanka Trump won't accompany her father President Trump on his 12-day trip to Asia, instead heading back state-side after delivering a speech in Japan.

Axios reported Tuesday that Ivanka Trump, along with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and economic adviser Gary Cohn, will hold tax reform events in the U.S. instead, laying the public opinion groundwork with voters while President Trump is away.

The White House wouldn't confirm the report with a senior administration official telling reporters after the story broke that casting decisions for the Asia trip would be announced by National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster later this week.

First daughter and White House adviser Ivanka Trump will give a speech in Japan, but won't accompany her father on his 12-day journey through Asia, Axios reported Tuesday, as she'll stay home and focus on tax reform

President Trump (right) confirmed Tuesday, in a meeting with business leaders, that Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin (left) would be among the administration officials staying back to push tax reform efforts

President Trump's economic adviser Gary Cohn (pictured) will also be part of the White House's push to get voters on the president's side on tax reform

'I'm not going to go into the specifics of who's where, and when, and at what stop, I'll leave that to later this week with General McMaster,' the official told journalists at a Tuesday morning briefing.

But in the Roosevelt Room about an hour later, the president confirmed that at least Mnuchin and Cohn will be staying home.

'While I'm in Asia, members of my cabinet will be traveling all around the country talking directly to taxpayers and focusing on the regional media, which we've found to be much more credible media to be honest with you,' Trump first said.

He then motioned to Mnuchin and Cohn, who were both attending the meeting, alongside business leaders, who Trump assembled to talk tax reform.

'They'll be staying here and will continue to work closely with all of you,' Trump pledged.

The president, however, did not mention his daughter's plans and she wasn't on hand at the Tuesday meeting.

A White House official did tell DailyMail.com last week that Ivanka Trump would deliver a speech on November 3 to the World Assembly for Women in Tokyo, two days before her father's arrival.

The first daughter had accepted an invitation from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

A spokesperson for Ivanka Trump couldn't say last week if the first daughter would be accompanying her father past Tokyo.

At the same time, Politico reported that Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner, also a White House senior adviser, will play a diminished role in the administration's China policy, and thus may also not stay on for the full duration of the trip.

A trip to China for Ivanka Trump could also be bad for optics, as her Chinese clothing factories have attracted negative headlines in recent months.

Axios reported that Ivanka Trump had canceled meetings in both China and South Korea that she had previously booked.

Both Ivanka Trump and Kushner accompanied the president on his two previous foreign trips, though they broke off to spend a date night in Rome in May, before peeling off and heading back to the United States.
A former New York Observer editor who worked under then-publisher Jared Kushner has claimed that, even back then, Donald Trump's son-in-law had a total contempt for the press.

Kyle Pope claims Kushner tried to run the Observer like his own mouthpiece, attempting to 'use the paper to settle scores or reward cronies' including a 'hit piece' on a private banker who'd 'run afoul of the Kushner family.'

The 36-year-old, who is currently senior adviser to President Trump, also refused to pay journalists' pay rises, believing they were 'essentially interchangeable, and easily replaceable' and even failed to read the newspaper most weeks and just used it 'as a bullhorn for his own business interests', Pope alleged.

A former New York Observer editor who worked under then-publisher Jared Kushner (pictured while the owner of the Observer in 2007) has claimed that even back then, President Trump's son-in-law had a total contempt for the press

Pope believes Kushner's seeming disdain towards the press foreshadowed the Trump campaign and presidency's aggressive, anti-media stance.

'Throughout Donald Trumps campaign and into his presidency, I have looked back on my short tenure at the Observer for signs of the anti-press fervor I can only assume Kushner has shaped,' Pope wrote in a lengthy editorial in the Columbia Journalism Review (CJW).

'It didn't take long at the Observer for me to figure out that Kushner didnt have much respect for the people on his payroll who were reporters.'

He said that when he approached Kushner, who was working out of an extremely expensive office building on Fifth Avenue in Midtown, while living in an 'enormous' loft apartment in lower Manhattan, about pay rises for staff the president's son-in-law would balk.

Kyle Pope (left) claims Kushner (right) tried to run the Observer like his own mouthpiece, attempting to 'use the paper to settle scores or reward cronies'

He would point out 'if we didnt boost their pay, there was a line of replacements willing to work for the same salary or less.'

Pope said he believes that Kushner may have a deep seated hatred of the press who his family blamed for supposedly helping in his father Charles' downfall.

Charles was jailed for trying to coerce his brother-in-law not to cooperate with federal investigators by blackmailing him with a secret tape of him with a prostitute. But Jared remained close to his father, even while he was imprisoned in Alabama,and Charles would often pop into see his son during meetings with Pope, according to the former Observer editor.

'Given this background, why would Jared choose to buy a newspaper, of all things? Was his poor treatment of reporters some sort of revenge for the presss treatment of his father?' Pope asked.

Years later, when he saw Kushner at his father-in-law's rallies and in his role as senior White House adviser, Pope said there was 'something familiar about the anti-media rants we were hearing from Trump.'

He said that when he approached Kushner, who was working out of an extremely expensive office building on Fifth Avenue in Midtown (pictured) about pay rises for staff the president's son-in-law would balk

'They brought me back to.... the frustration of working for a paper owned by a man who had no respect for or interest in journalism or the people who practice it. In fact, his view was the opposite, a deep suspicion and derision of journalism and reporters, an impression burned into him by a painful family trauma.'

He added that Kushner only saw merit in the media in what he could use to benefit himself or his family directly.

'It dawned on me then that Kushner and his father-in-law werent so far apart after all. Both had used the media, quite successfully, for their own ends. Now the press had become more trouble than it was worth, and both felt perfectly fine tossing it aside.'

Pope claims that while Kushner was publisher, he had no interest in his newspaper, or current affairs in general. He rarely read, and would even boast that he never read The New York Times, he added.

But while he didn't 'remotely care' about the content, he 'desperately' wanted the paper to be a financial success, according to the former editor.

'His interest in turning the business side of the Observer around seemed rooted more in bragging rights than in any commitment to the paper itself,' he said.

Jared Kushner speaks at Observer Media Group Holiday Party at W.I.P. on December 14, 2011

Pope said he'd been working as an editor at the newspaper for six months in the spring of 2010, when he clashed with Kushner, who is married to President Trump's daughter Ivanka.

Pope, now editor-in-chief and publisher of the CJW, said he had spent weeks avoiding his publisher, after Jared had asked him for a 'a hit piece' on an official at Bank of America 'whose only sin was running afoul of the Kushner family.'

When they finally ran into each other, Pope was forced to explain why 'ordering up a slam of someone who had crossed his family in business didnt pass the journalistic smell test.'

He continued: 'Kushner, then a 28-year-old journalism novice who had so far been deferential to my news judgment, pursed his lips, paused a beat, and ended the conversation.'

Within a year of that conversation, Pope says he was fired. And he wasn't alone. Another four editors were also let go during the ten years Kushner acted as publisher.

Pope later learned that the 'hit job' had been ordered by Charles - which he believes is why Kushner was so keen on running it.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Kushner's representatives for comment.
Joseph Breslin avoided jail after scrawling 'Death to Allah' on the armrest of his business class Qatar Airways plane seat

A pub landlord who wrote 'Death to Allah' on the armrest of his business class passenger plane seat and wrote an Islamophobic note to two Arabic travelers has been spared jail.

Joseph Breslin, 36, was flying home from his honeymoon with his pregnant black American wife when he became angry and defaced the armrest.

During his Qatar Airways flight from Doha to London Heathrow, he dropped a 'provocative' note near the husband and wife which read 'Death to Allah. F*** the rag-heads'.

One member of the cabin crew saw Breslin, from Bromley, London scratching on the chair while another saw him write the Islamophobic note. The two staff said they were 'shocked' by what he had written during the flight on July 8.

The two passengers, Muneera Al-Gahtari and Salem Omar Shamlam, could not read English but were horrified after hearing the translation.

Prosecutor Ravinder Johal told Isleworth Crown Court: 'As he left his seat he approached two other passengers and placed a note on the table between the two seats.'

He added: 'It was clearly provocative and designed to elicit a response from those two Arabic complainants.'

The court heard that the damage to the armrest was worth 983, but the total cost of not being able to use the seat had costs of 3,604.

Passing sentence Mr Recorder Bruce Houlder QC said: 'You got up, walked around to other passengers who, you complained, had in some way given you offence, and put a piece of paper on the table between them.

'Fortunately, English wasn't their first language.

'It is difficult to think of a phrase, particularly these days, more offensive and potentially inflammatory as those words.

'Coming, as they did, from a grown man who should know better.'

But he said he could spare Breslin jail because of his good character and added: 'I have no doubt that you have been of immense benefit to your local community.

'I accept too that you are remorseful.

'It is clear that you had just got married, you were bringing your wife back to the country. She was pregnant.

'Your business was under strain. And that was something that was very much on your mind.

Breslin was sentenced to a community order and ordered to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work, and pay 3,604 in damages, as well as 300 towards prosecution costs

'And you had recently given up smoking. For a number of other reasons, you were under considerable stress.'

Breslin wiped away tears as he told the court how he lost his licence to sell alcohol and that his marriage had been put under stress, partially due to the charges brought before him.

Summarising the victim impact statements, Mr Johal, prosecuting, said: 'As he left his seat, he approached two of the passengers, a male and a female passenger, and placed a note on the table between the two seats.

'The note said 'death to Allah, f*** the ragheads'.

He added: 'When the police arrived with an Arabic interpreter, they translated what was actually on the note.'

'They were worried that something was going on. The wife was pretty stressed. She didn't know if they were safe or not.'

Summarising their statements, Mr Johal said: 'She said "I was very frightened and terrified".

'He felt worried, disturbed and terrified.'

Breslin admitted two charges of racial and religious aggravated harassment and one count of religiously aggravated criminal damage but escaped jail today.

He was sentenced to a community order and ordered to carry out 160 hours of unpaid work, and pay 3,604 in damages, as well as 300 towards prosecution costs.
Jake Tapper's 10-year-old daughter is already taking after her journalist father - getting a byline in the New York Times.

On Tuesday, the Times published an op-ed from Alice Paul Tapper, in which the precocious fifth-grader talked about her effort to create a new Girl Scouts badge.

In the article, Alice described a field trip she took last year that made her 'upset'.

She said she noticed that all of the boys in her class were standing in the front of the group, constantly raising their hands to ask questions while the girls stood in the back, timid and quiet.

'On the car ride home I told my mom about what happened. We talked about how it seemed unfair and how boys and girls should be equal,' Alice recalled.

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Jake Tapper's 10-year-old daughter has written an op-ed in the New York Times, speaking out her effort to get a new Girl Scouts badge created. Tapper pictured are on the left in July and Alice on the right in a recent television interview

Alice's Raise Your Hand badge (top) is now available for Scouts to earn across the country

Alice holds up her new badge with Girl Scouts CEO Lidia Soto-Harmon

Alice told her mom that she 'thought girls werent raising their hands because they were afraid that the answer was going to be wrong and that they would be embarrassed'.

'I also think they were being quiet because the boys already had the teachers attention, and they worried they might not be able to get it,' she added.

Alice and her mom, a former regional manager for Planned Parenthood, decided to talk about the incident at Alice's next Girl Scouts meeting.

At the meeting, the 12 other girls in Alice's Junior troop agreed that they and other girls needed to be more assertive in the classroom and decided to try to do something about it.

So they came up with the idea of the Raise Your Hand badge. In order to earn the badge, a Scout must pledge to raise her hand in class and recruit three other girls to do the same.

Alice and her troop pitched the idea to their local council, Girl Scouts Nation's Capital, and it was accepted. As of this week, the badge is available for Scouts across the country to earn.

'Im so excited that girls in other troops that I dont even know will soon sew the patches onto their vests or sashes,' Alice writes.

Tapper defended his daughter when one Twitter user suggested that Alice didn't write the op-ed herself

Above, a poster to publicize Tapper's new Girl Scouts badge, the Raise Your Hand badge

Alice and her parents pictured when she was a baby. Jake and Jennifer Tapper met during the 2004 presidential campaign

Alice says she hopes that the badge inspires other girls to be more confident in school, because they've got nothing to lose.

'People say girls have to be 90 percent confident before we raise our hands, but boys just raise their hands. I tell girls that we should take the risk and try anyway, just like the boys do. If the answer is wrong, its not the end of the world. Its not like answering a trivia question to win a million dollars on live TV,' Alice writes.

Jake Tapper and his wife Jennifer Brown Tapper are pictured above on October 22. Mrs Tapper used to work for Planned Parenthood and now is a consultant for non-profits

Alice also reveals in the essay that her parents named her Alice Paul Tapper in honor of the Suffragette.

'On their first date, when my mom found out that my dads middle name was Paul, she instantly knew that if she married my dad and had a baby girl she would call me Alice Paul.

'Alice Paul was one of the women who led the movement for women to have the right to vote. Having Alice Pauls name makes me feel special. For women to be equal to men, we have to fight for it,' Alice wrote.

Alice's father proudly tweeted the article twice on Tuesday.

When one Twitter user questioned whether Alice wrote the document herself, Jake spoke up on his daughter's behalf.

'The editor provided a suggested outline, Alice wrote it, editor edited it,' he wrote.

Alice's parents met during the 2004 presidential election, when her dad was covering politics in ABC's Washington Bureau, according to the Washington Post.

He's now the host of The Lead with Jake Tapper on CNN.

When they married, Alice's mother Jennifer Brown was a regional manager for Planned Parenthood in Washington, DC - recruiting, educating and organizing supporters of the organization. She's now is a consultant for non-profits and sits on the board of Population Action International, an NGO that uses research to advocate for global access to family planning and reproductive health care.

The family resides in the Washington, DC area.
Production on the final season of House of Cards has been suspended indefinitely following the underage sex assault claims against star Kevin Spacey.

'MRC and Netflix have decided to suspend production on House of Cards season six, until further notice, to give us time to review the current situation and to address any concerns of our cast and crew,' producer Media Rights Capital said in a joint statement Tuesday.

The move comes just two days after Star Trek actor Anthony Rapp revealed that Spacey attempted to sexually assault him in 1986, when Rapp was just 14.

Spacey, who was aged 26 at the time, claims he does not remember the alleged attempted assault but issued a public apology which he also used to come out as gay. The move has since been criticized as a cynical way of trying to deflect from the allegations.

Less than 24 hours later, Netflix announced it was cancelling 'House of Cards' after its sixth season - which was still in production. Today they issued the statement revealing that production would stop while they reviewed the current situation.

Scroll down for video

Production on the final season of House of Cards has been suspended indefinitely following the underage sex assault claims against star Kevin Spacey (pictured in the popular Netflix series above)

The move comes just two days after Star Trek actor Anthony Rapp (seen right) revealed that Spacey (left) attempted to sexually assault him in 1986, when Rapp was just 14

On Monday, Netflix and MRC issued a statement saying they were 'deeply troubled' by the allegations and executives from both companies met with the cast and crew of the political drama 'to ensure that they continue to feel safe and supported,' the statement continued.

Spacey was not on set at the time, as was previously scheduled.

The show's creator Beau Willimon also weighed in, saying: 'Anthony Rapp's story is deeply troubling. During the time I worked with Kevin Spacey on House of Cards, I neither witnessed nor was aware of any inappropriate behavior on set or off.'

He went on to state: 'That said, I take reports of such behavior seriously and this is no exception. I feel for Mr. Rapp and I support his courage.'

There is also a chance that Spacey's character was never meant to be in the sixth season, with his character's health an issue throughout the five previous seasons of the show and the actor currently in the middle of shooting a Gore Vidal bio pic.

Spacey, 58, is now being compared to Harvey Weinstein by members of Hollywood's LGBTQ community, who view his sudden openness about his sexuality as nothing more than a 'calculated manipulation.'

Less than 24 hours after Rapp's claims, Netflix announced it was cancelling ' House of Cards ' after its sixth season - which was still in production. Today they issued the statement revealing that production would stop while they reviewed the current situation

The incident that spurred this all allegedly took place at Spacey's apartment in 1986 when the actor invited Rapp to a party while they were both appearing on Broadway.

In an interview with Buzzfeed, Rapp said that he found himself alone in the apartment at the end of the night and that Spacey then began to make his move.

La Vie Boheme: Rapp (above with Idina Menzel in the 2005 film version of 'Rent') shot to fame as a member of the original Broadway cast

'He picked me up like a groom picks up the bride over the threshold. But I don't, like, squirm away initially, because I'm like, 'What's going on?' And then he lays down on top of me,' said Rapp, who detailed being pressed up against the bed before being able to squirm away and ultimately leave the house without being assaulted by Spacey.

At the time, Spacey was just at the start of his illustrious professional career, having been selected by Jack Lemmon personally to star alongside him in the Broadway run of Eugene O'Neill's 'Long Day's Journey Into Night.'

That same year, he also scored his first big screen role with a cameo in the Nora Ephron comedy 'Heartburn.'

His brief part was that of a subway thief, whose failed attempt to steal the purse of the film's leading lady, played by Meryl Streep, is one of the more memorable parts of the movie.

He would go on to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1996 for 'The Usual Suspects' and the Best Actor trophy in 2000 for 'American Beauty.'

There was talk of Spacey possibly scoring another nomination this year as well for his work in the beloved summer hit 'Baby Driver' or the upcoming Getty biopic 'All the Money In the World.'

Spacey issued a statement soon after the Buzzfeed story was published on Sunday, which began with his claim that he did not recall this incident.

Man: Spacey was making his big screen debut in 1986 in the Nora Ephron film 'Heartburn' (above) opposite Meryl Streep

Boy: Rapp in 1986 at the age of 14 (top left), when the alleged incident occurred at Spacey's apartment

'But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior,' wrote Spacey.

'This story has encouraged me to address other things about my life. I know that there are other stories out there about me and that some have been fueled by the fact that I have been so protective of my privacy.'

He then went on to state: 'I now choose to live as a gay man.'

This was a shocking statement from Spacey, who in 2010 said that being forced to reveal his sexuality was akin to being a bullied teen in an interview with The Daily Beast.

'I think what we have seen in terms of gay teenagers committing suicide because of bullying is anguishing. I think young people, if they are feeling like they are confused, need to know that there are people to talk to and that there are places they can go and not feel alone,' said Spacey.

'But I feel that they have just as many rights as I do to not be bullied. And I don't understand people who say, 'Well, this is a terrible thing that is happening to this young person whose life is being exposed,' and then turn around and do it to another person. People have different reasons for the way they live their lives. You cannot put everyone's reasons in the same box.'

He then closed out his response by sating: 'It's just a line I've never crossed and never will.'

That move caused a fast and furious backlash, with writer and actor Billy Eichner one of the first to respond, writing: 'That Kevin Spacey statement. Nope. Absolutely not. Nope.'

He then tried to find a small bit of humor in the situation, by adding: 'Kevin Spacey has just invented something that has never existed before: a bad time to come out.'

That move then caused Eichner a bit of guilt, leading him to tweet: 'But honestly I hesitate to make jokes because the Spacey statement is truly disgusting, irresponsible and dangerous. Ok goodnight!'

Saturday Night Live writer Paula Pell wrote: ' I just had a morning meeting with my fellow gays and we cannot accept your application, Mr. Spacey. Please move along, bish.'

Zachary Quinto eviscerated the two time-Oscar winner in a searing indictment of his behavior through the years in which he accused the actor of remaining in the closet for his own benefit.

'It is deeply sad and troubling that this is how Kevin Spacey has chosen to come out,' wrote Quinto, who produced the 2011 film 'Margin Call' which starred Spacey.

'Not by standing up as a point of pride - in the light of all his many awards and accomplishments thus inspiring tens of thousands of struggling LGBTQ kids around the world - but as a calculated manipulation to deflect attention from the very serious accusation that he attempt to molest one.'

He continued: 'I am sorry to hear of Anthony Rapp's experience and subsequent suffering. And I am sorry that Kevin only saw fit to acknowledge his truth when he though it would serve him  just as his denial served him for so many years.

'May Anthony Rapp's voice be the one which is amplified here. Victim's voices are the ones that deserve to be heard.'

Rapp meanwhile said after the publication of his story: 'I came forward with my story, standing on the shoulders of the many courageous women and men who have been speaking out to shine a light and hopefully make a difference, as they have done for me.

'Everything I wanted to say about my experience is in that article, and I have no further comment about it at this time.'
Three psychology professors at Dartmouth College are under criminal investigation for allegations of sexual misconduct.

The professors - Todd Heatherton, Bill Kelley and Paul Whalen - were put on paid leave from the Ivy League college last week and have had their access to campus restricted due to the allegations.

Details of the allegations have not been released but the college described them as 'serious'.

Todd Heatherton, Paul Whalen and Bill Kelley were put on paid leave from Dartmouth College last week and have had their access to campus restricted due to the allegations

The New Hampshire attorney general's office said Tuesday it was carrying out a criminal investigation with local, county and state law enforcement agencies.

The investigation was sparked after the college newspaper, The Dartmouth, inquired last week with administration officials on the whereabouts of the three professors after they had suddenly disappeared from the campus.

The college had said it was conducting its own investigation.

But officials later told authorities it had received complaints of sexual misconduct allegedly involving the professors.

The New Hampshire attorney general's office said Tuesday it was carrying out a criminal investigation in relation to the Dartmouth College professors

In a statement on Tuesday, Dartmouth president, Philip J. Hanlon, said the college was cooperating with the criminal investigations.

'We take these allegations very seriously and are pursuing our own independent investigations in coordination with law enforcement officials,' he said.

'I want to say in the most emphatic way possible that sexual misconduct and harassment are unacceptable and have no place at Dartmouth. Such acts harm us as individuals and as members of the community.'

The professors did not immediately respond to email messages seeking comment.
Former federal prosecutor Andrew C. McCarthy jumped up Monday to claim the federal prosecution of former Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is 'shaky' and a legal stretch

Donald Trump's onetime campaign chairman and his protege are being railroaded with a bombshell 12-count criminal indictment, according to a former federal prosecutor who laid out a case on Monday that special counsel Robert Mueller's prosecution plan is 'shaky and overcharged.'

Andrew McCarthy, the Assistant U.S. Attorney, who led the 1995 terrorism prosecution against 1993 World Trade Center bombing conspirator Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, wrote for the conservative National Review that there's little chance of convicting Paul Manafort and Rick Gates on money-laundering charges.

That's because only money resulting from illegal activity can be 'laundered' under federal law.

McCarthy's is one of only a few knowledgeable public voices to weigh in with an argument that the pair of power-brokers could ultimately be in the clear  or face only a few minor charges  in federal court.

Special counsel Robert Mueller brought a 12-count indictment against Manafort and his protege Rick Gates on Monday, alleging money-laundering and a scheme to hide their relationship with Ukrainian politicians

'[I]t is surely a terrible thing to take money, under the guise of "political consulting," from an unsavory Ukrainian political faction that is doing the Kremlin's bidding,' he wrote Monday. 'But it is not a violation of American law to do so.'

Manafort's lawyer Kevin Downing characterized the consulting as 'pro-Democracy' work, and blasted the notion that there's anything wrong with moving money into the U.S. from overseas.

'The claim that maintaining offshore accounts to bring all your funds into the United States is a scheme to conceal from the United States government is ridiculous,' he said outside the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C. on Monday.

It's theoretically possible that the illegal act which turned $75 million of profit into a money-laundering slush fund was an intention by Manafort and Gates all along to avoid registering with the federal government as 'foreign agents,' and to hide their foreign bank accounts at the same time.

The Bank Secrecy Act requires Americans to file Treasury Department forms every year disclosing more than $10,000 that they hold in accounts outside the U.S.

IRS tax returns are also required to include that information.

Manafort (left) and Gates (right) are being railroaded, according to McCarthy  stuck defending themselves against 'overcharged' indictments based on crimes that are almost never prosecuted

In addition, the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) requires Americans who have business relationships with anyone acting on behalf of foreign leaders or other 'political entities' to inform the U.S. government regularly.

Egyptian Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman died in prison serving a life sentence for plotting the 1993 World Trade Center bombing in New York; McCarthy was the chief prosecutor

Those disclosures can include descriptions of the relationships services provided and how much money is involved.

Mueller alleges that Manafort and Gates failed to do most of this, but failing to register as a foreign agent is rarely prosecuted and it's unclear whether the reporting requirements apply in some cases.

Downing said Monday that Mueller is 'using a very novel theory to prosecute' him.

Federal authorities have only brought six prosecutions under FARA since 1966, he said, 'and only resulted in one conviction.'

Also, according to McCarthy, Mueller's office charged them twice for the same offense  once as a misdemeanor and again as a felony.

One count of Monday's 12-count indictment charges them with a misdemeanor for failing to register as foreign agents; another cites the same lapse as justification for a more generic felony of making a false statement to a federal official.

McCarthy points out, as many Republicans have since Monday morning, that Manafort and Gates were charged with committing crimes 'years before the 2016 election.'

President Donald Trump and his campaign organization have insisted that there is no nexus between the Manafort case and his White House campaign, and so far they appear correct

'From President Trump's perspective, the indictment is a boon from which he can claim that the special counsel has no actionable collusion case,' he wrote.

Democrats have alleged a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin whose goal was to swing the 2016 election away from Hillary Clinton.

But 'there may be less to this indictment than meets the eye,' McCarthy writes.

'[I]t's not so much a serious allegation of "conspiracy against the United States" as a dubious case of disclosure violations and money movement that would never have been brought had he not drawn attention to himself by temporarily joining the Trump campaign.'
Ferne McCann's ex has told his acid attack trial that a corrosive substance allegedly in his car before the incident was actually hair-thickening shampoo.

Arthur Collins, 25, is standing trial alongside Andre Phoenix, 21, for the alleged acid attack where more than a dozen people were injured at the Mangle E8 nightclub in Dalston, east London, on April 17.

He admits to throwing the acid but claims he had snatched the bottle out of another man's hand and threw it, believing he planned to spike someone else's drink.

Yet on April 10, a week before the attack, Collins sent a text to his sister reading: 'Tell mum to mind that little hand wash in my car acid.'

Collins (right) is the ex-boyfriend of The Only Way Is Essex star Ferne McCann (left, together)

Collins claimed the 'hand wash' was actually a hair-thickening shampoo which contained amino acid and coconut oil, which he was concerned his found nieces who might bite it.

He said he hid the shampoo in his car so that his celebrity partner did not find out about his two hair transplants.

Collins' sister Chinade Rowe backed up his claims, telling the court she had massaged the special shampoo, which she referred to as 'that acid s***', into his scalp.

She also claimed that she massaged the shampoo into her brothers her because she had 'better massage techniques and I could do it better for him.

'If you try and massage your head yourself it's not the same as someone doing it for you.'

Collins was asked what would happen if Ms McCann found a bottle of the shampoo, to which Collins was asked: 'How good are you at misleading her? Can she tell when you are lying to her?'

'Yes she can,' Collins replied.

During the trial, the court was shown a number of hair products used by Collins, including Regain and Professional-C Serum.

More than a dozen clubbers were hurt when the acid was thrown across Mangle's dancefloor

Ms Rowe claimed she had been spiked the day before the alleged attack at Mangle E8.

Yet WhatsApp messages sent to her friends revealed she said she had 'a few too many vodkas last night'.

When asked if she had been brought to court to lie for her brother, she replied 'absolutely not'.

Collins was arrested several days after the incident hiding in an unfurnished flat in Northamptonshire.

He denies five counts of grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent and nine counts of actual bodily harm (ABH) against 14 people.

Phoenix, of Clyde Road, Tottenham, north London, denies four counts of GBH and two counts of ABH.
During her confirmation hearing, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos promised not to contribute to political campaigns while in office. But her husband, Dick DeVos, a business executive, contributed to two Michigan political action committees, according to the Detroit News .

Dick DeVos donated to both the Michigan Chamber of Commerce PAC and to the Friends of West Michigan Business Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce PAC. Both PACs have since contributed to state and federal campaigns, the paper reported.

So does this mean that Betsy DeVos has broken her pledge? Her long-time associate, Greg McNeilly, says no, in part because Secretary DeVos did not give a lot of context on her pledge during the confirmation hearing.

As it relates to Dick, I think theres a big difference between (giving to) federal candidates and the rest of the world of political giving, and that was a distinction there wasnt really an opportunity to make, Greg McNeilly told the Detroit News. But I think in his mind, thats kind of where the line was drawn with her testimony.

But Lonnie Scott, executive director of the Progress Michigan liberal advocacy group, called the contributions a violation of Betsy DeVos promise. And he told the Detroit News he wasnt surprised.

Did we expect her to keep her word in the first place? I think thats the real question, he said. When you have spent literally millions of your own money to purchase legislators and specific policies, youre not going to stop that once you can finally get in a position where you can influence it directly.

More from the Detroit News here .

Vice President Mike Pence swears in Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington on Tuesday, as DeVos husband, Dick DeVos, watches. --Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
ISIS has urged its supporters to carry out attacks on people celebrating Halloween tonight.

The terror cult has released a picture of a bloodied machete imposed on a picture of the Eiffel Tower, with a message in French which reads: 'Enjoy their gathering'.

Chillingly, underneath that message it reads: 'Terrorise October 31'.

The eerie message was published by the French ISIS group Centre Mediatique An-Nur, which also publishes Daesh's monthly Rumiyah magazine.

The poster includes a picture of a bloodied machete imposed on a picture of the Eiffiel Tower which reads 'enjoy their gathering' and 'terrorise October 31'

The Rumiyah publication has openly called for and praised previously terror attacks, including incidents in London, Paris and Manchester.

In the past it has published a step-by-step guide on how to carry out terror attacks and is believed to have heavily influenced knife attacks on London Bridge and Borough Market earlier this year.

Paris has been rocked by a number of deadly terror attacks in the past few years, including a series of coordinated attacks across the city which left 130 dead and dozens more injured in November 2015. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.

Millions of people across Europe are expected to celebrate Halloween, whether it be at parties involving large gatherings of people or trick-or-treaters taking to the streets.

ISIS has ramped up its calls for terror attacks in Europe after it has suffered devastating loses in Syria and Iraq, including in the de facto capital of Raqqa and the northern Iraqi city of Mosul earlier this year.

Terror experts have warned that as ISIS continues to suffer loses in Iraq and Syria, the group could use attacks on Europe as a method as a show of strength.

Security minister Ben Wallace told the BBC in August: 'The threat is still increasing, partly driven by the fact Isis is collapsing in Syria and people are either unable to get out there to fight for ISIS.

'So they look to do something at home... also because people have come back and tried to inspire people with their stories and tales of the caliphate.

'Those two things mean that the threat is to some extent increasing.'

New ISIS propaganda which has emerged this week has threatened terror attacks on top footballers Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar

Earlier this week, ISIS released propaganda which showed mocked up images of Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar facing execution or dead.

In one image, a bloodied and bruised Cristiano Ronaldo, is kneeling with a jihadist holding a knife behind him, in the execution pose the world has come to associate with the terrorist group.

The Portuguese star has a black eye and there is a pile of rubble and broken bones in the background.

The poster has a World Cup 2018 logo on the left hand side with the words: Our words are what you see NOT what you hear. So, just you wait. We are WAITING too at the bottom.
Shane Galliers, 51, went to scatter the ashes of his late sister Michelle, 44, at her favourite Cornish beauty spot

A grieving man drowned when he tried to scatter his sister's ashes and was swept into a raging sea, an inquest heard.

Grandfather Shane Galliers, 51, went with his family to scatter the remains of his 44-year-old sister, Michelle at her favourite beauty spot.

But he left the group on the beach to venture onto rocks so he could have 'one final chat' with his sister.

He disappeared from view when his mother, Patricia Howells, read out a letter by Michelle on Trebarwith Strand, near Tintagel, Cornwall.

Mr Galliers was swept into the turbulent waters by 15ft waves and drowned shortly after, the inquest heard.

His body has never been found since the tragedy on January 31, 2015.

Detective Constable Richard Martin told the inquest in Truro, Cornwall DC that Mr Galliers had put himself in an extremely risky position.

He said: 'Shane Galliers and his family had been to the beach to scatter the ashes of his sister.

'The water that day was severe, with 12 to 15ft waves. The strong waves of the Atlantic Ocean make it a popular surfing beach.

'The state of the tide makes a massive impact on the beach area.

'At 3.30pm the family were at the pub which overlooked the beach, and on this day they realised it was too stormy to scatter the ashes directly into the sea.

'His sister's ashes had been put into separate containers that had been decorated, and Shane left the group and was seen walking along the rocks by a passerby.

'Shane was alone on the rocks by the sea. A large wave knocked Mr Galliers into the waters.

Mr Galliers was trying to scatter the ashes of his sister Michelle, pictured, at Trebarwith Strand, near Tintagel when he slipped off rocks into the stormy sea and drowned

Mr Galliers mother, Pat Howells, pictured standing near the spot where her son died, said her daughter wanted her ashes spread on the beach at Trebarwith Strand in Cornwall

Mr Gallier's inquest heard he slipped into the sea and was faced with powerful 15-foot waves

'The family realised and tried to help Mr Galliers. A life buoy was used but by this time he was overcome by the cold sea.

'His brother-in-law jumped in to try and help but he was washed inshore.

'A wave forced Mr Galliers into a rock and he was forced under the water.'

The coastguard was told that Mr Galliers could be seen in the water facedown and the lifeboat continued to search the sea in treacherous conditions.

DC Martin added: 'He was not depressed but was grieving the death of his sister at the time.

'The facts are that Mr Galliers put himself in a risky position that day.

'He was alone on the rocks, he was dressed in warm clothing, he was of slight build and had a back operation that left him disabled.

'It was clear he was on his own, it is my opinion that he died in the sea moments after falling in.'

Members of the family, pictured, gathered to scatter the ashes on January 30, 2015 when Mr Galliers tragically slipped from a rock and fell into the ocean. His body has not been recovered

Coroner Andrew Cox recorded a verdict of drowning on Mr Galliers, from Lifton, Devon.

He said: 'On January 31, 2015, Mr Galliers was on the rocks at the edge of the sea at Trebarwith Strand.

'He was a group that was there for the scattering of his sisters ashes.

'He ventured close to the sea and he was then hit by a large wave that dragged him into the sea.

'He drowned and regrettably his body was never found.

'This was not a suicidal act.'

Coastguards, an RAF helicopter and lifeboat crews were all involved in the initial rescue operation.

It is feared Mr Galliers would not have been able to survive in the freezing waters in conditions described by rescuers as 'turbulent and chaotic'.

Speaking previously, Shane's mum Patricia Howells, told how the family had gone to scatter the ashes of Shane's sister who had died three months earlier.

Mrs Howells , from Camelford, Cornwall said: 'The family were all meeting at Trebarwith Strand so we could scatter the ashes of my daughter, Shane's sister, who died a couple of months back.

'We were waiting for the tide to go out quite a bit as the sea was very rough. In the end we decided it would be safer to go up to a little river on the beach and do it there.

'Michelle died a couple of months ago and she wanted her ashes scattered on the beach as that's where her grandmother and uncle are.

'It was where she grew up - we always used to come down to this beach - so she wanted her ashes scattered there.

'Each member of the family had their own pot of ashes to scatter. For some reason Shane decided he wanted to go the other side of the river to all of us.

'I think he wanted some space to have one last chat with his sister. We didn't even know he was there.

'He just wanted a private moment with his sister. The first we knew about it was when someone shouted 'there's someone in the water'.

'We didn't think it could be any of our group as we were all together, but then we realised it was Shane.

'It's all a very big shock for all of us. First I lost my daughter and now I have lost my son, it's so difficult to come to terms with.'

The family declined to comment after the inquest.
Omar Soto, 22, was shot dead on Friday night by the father of a woman he was out with

A 'possessive' father who shot a man he believed was his daughter's boyfriend then ran the pair over and killed himself last week asked the young man what his name was before launching the attack.

Rafael Brena Arteaga , 43, turned the gun on himself after shooting Omar Soto, a 22-year-old college graduate, outside a movie theater in Arlington near Dallas, Texas, last Friday.

Soto was with Arteaga's 24-year-old daughter, named locally as Yesenia, who police say later told them she was his girlfriend.

Another woman who was not involved has since told DailyMail.com that they were just friends and that she was in fact his partner.

Arteaga, it is claimed, believed they were an item and on Friday he swerved in front of them in his pick-up truck to block their path as they left the movie theater.

Soto got out of the car as did Arteaga and they met in the street where he asked him: 'What is your name?' before pulling the trigger, The Star Telegram reports.

Lieutenant Christopher Cook said the man was 'very possessive' and 'protective' of his daughter.

After shooting Soto, he got back into his pick-up truck then ran over him and his daughter who had rushed to help him, a move police say was deliberate.

Soto had just left this movie theater in Arlington, Dallas, in his car with Arteaga's daughter when her father suddenly appeared in his pick-up truck and blocked their path

Soto was shot and then run over by the woman's father. Another woman, who was not there, claims he and Arteaga's daughter were not romantically linked and that she was his girlfriend

He then fled the scene, leaving another woman who was in the car with his daughter and the young man behind.

Hours later, police found Arteaga's body in the car in a parking-lot.

Police have not revealed whether he and his daughter were estranged or how he knew where to find her when he carried out the killing.

Arteaga's daughter has not been named. She remains in hospital with serious injuries.

Another woman who spoke with DailyMail.com on Tuesday said the pair were not romantically linked.

She had never heard of Arteaga or his daughter until she learned of her boyfriend's death. Soto's family are now fundraising to pay for his funeral on a GoFundMe page.
Cash-strapped police officers with an 'unprecedented workload' have caused fury after posing in Halloween-themed snaps - rather than getting out on the streets fighting crime.

Fenland Police in Cambridgeshire posted a series of images on Twitter showing a uniformed officer inside a police station dressed in a cartoon mask.

The cop, jokingly named PC Frankenstein, was pictured sitting in an interview room, opening a cell door, and from behind bars while working a night shift.

Fenland Police posted a series of images on Twitter showing a uniformed officer, jokingly named PC Frankenstein inside a police station dressed in a cartoon mask

Each image was captioned #Halloween2017 and linked to an unofficial Twitter page UK Cop Humour.

Earlier this month, Humberside Police were criticised for allowing 18 police officers to ride dodgems while on duty, despite repeatedly saying they are stretched and understaffed.

But the pictures posted on Tuesday have been blasted by a victim of crime who feels the officer's time could have been better spent.

Mike Townley, 53, whose house was broken into earlier this year by a burglar who was never caught, said: 'I was under the impression these officers were run off their feet.

'They should be out fighting crime not taking stupid pictures of themselves.

'If they want to dress up for Halloween they should do it in their own time, not when they're on duty.

'It doesn't give a very tough message out to criminals, they should be doing what they're paid for.'

The cop, jokingly named PC Frankenstein, was pictured sitting in an interview room, opening a cell door, and from behind bars while working a night shift. The pictures posted on Tuesday have been blasted by a victim of crime who feels the officer's time could have been better spent

In July, it was revealed Cambridgeshire Police has seen a large rise in recorded crime as it faces a budget deficit of nearly 10million over the next three years.

It follows a 17 per cent reduction in workforce since 2010 and raised concerns around the level of demand facing policing in the county.

Cambridgeshire has some of the highest levels of 999 and 101 calls in the country, between 190,000 and 210,000 incidents per year.

Up to 23 per cent of calls are immediate grades and therefore require a response within 15 minutes and up to 23 per cent are prompt grades and require a response within an hour.

Cambridgeshire receives below the national average funding and has fewer officers per head of population compared to the national average.

Speaking at a media briefing earlier in the year, Cambridgeshire Police Chief Constable Alec Wood said: 'Demand for our services has never been higher and this is putting pressure on our control room and the frontline.

'Nationally policing is seeing an increase in "999" calls and recorded crime, and Cambridgeshire is no different.

'At times of high demand a number of officers and staff are having to work long hours, having rest days cancelled and dealing with a high volume of incidents.'
A Botox customer felt like she was 'burned with a cigarette end' and looked' 50 years older' after 'bogus' treatment by a cosmetic doctor.

Marcelle King, 62, said she was told 'no pain, no gain' when she complained to Ozan Melin, about her agony following a procedure.

Despite her doctor's alleged indifference, Mrs King was later rushed to hospital after suffering anaphylactic shock.

Marcelle King (left, at Bournemouth Crown Court), 62, said she was told 'no pain, no gain' when she complained to Ozan Melin (right outside court), about her agony following a botox procedure

The patient, who paid Melin hundreds of pounds for Botox treatment on her 'jowls and brows', is one of three middle-aged women the cosmetic surgeon is accused of causing grievous bodily harm to.

Melin, 41, claimed he had been trained in Botox in America when in fact he had no medical qualifications and was not registered with the General Medical Council, Bournemouth Crown Court heard.

He is said to have acted recklessly by using undiluted 'fake' Botox solution that was described by a forensic plastic surgeon as 'an extremely dangerous substance'.

Another woman, Jozette Sheppard, was left unable to 'eat, speak or smile' for six months after being treated by Melin.

Mrs King, a dog behaviourist from Poole in Dorset, saw Melin in July 2013 at a beauticians' salon in Poole.

She said she had expected him to use fine needles like she had seen in photographs and was surprised when the one he used on her was like a 'canine vaccination needle'.

Menin (right) and his wife, Lisa Bolster (left) both deny fraud charges. Pictured, both outside Bournemouth Crown Court earlier in their trial

Mrs King, who was 58 at the time of the treatment, said: 'He arrived with a big needle case and I said 'you are going to use those fine needles I have seen in photos?

'He held up what looked to me like a canine vaccination needle and said ''these are better''.

'I just really accepted that was how it happens.

'I asked for my jowls to be done. I don't know how many injections there were but it was a lot, it was all done quite quick, probably less than a minute.

'It was very painful, I think at that point he said ''no pain, no gain''.'

Mrs King had a second follow-up session with Melin on July 22.

Bolster, who denies three counts of fraud, arrives at Bournemouth Crown Court today

She said: 'The second injections were twice as painful. It felt like being burnt with a cigarette end.

'When I got in my car I noticed my head was starting to swell.

'When I got home my husband was pulling horrible faces - I started to get lots of blisters and my face started swelling outwards.

'I had burn blisters all around my eyes, I couldn't see out of my eyes. I was having trouble moving my neck and wheezing.'

In a text message Menin's wife, Lisa Bolster, told Mrs King she had 'never seen a reaction as bad as yours'.

Mrs King texted on July 26: 'I look 50 years older. Booey hooey :('.'

Mrs King said after the pain and swelling went down she suffered extreme fatigue for a year.

In 2014 after Mrs King went to the police, officers raided Bolster's home in Lytchett Matravers, near Poole, and found nine glass vials labelled 'Botox' in her freezer.

She said: 'I thought he was a doctor, I would never have had it done otherwise. I had no reason not to believe him.'

The company responsible for making Botox - Allergan Ltd - tested the substances in the vials and found they were counterfeit.

Melin, from Uxbridge, Middlesex, ran a mobile clinic called The Smooth Face Botox Company and carried out treatments at beauty salons and customers' homes.

He denies three counts of causing grievous bodily harm and three charges of fraud.

Bolster, 51, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of fraud and one of unauthorised use of a trademark.

The trial continues.




Two women who claim they were lost at sea for six months while trying to sail from Hawaii to Tahiti, say they are already planning a second attempt at the trip in May.

Jennifer Appel, Tasha Fuiava and their two dogs, Valentine and Zeus, were picked up by the US Navy last week, around 900 miles off the coast of Japan, after they say their boat was caught in a storm that flooded their engine and damaged the mast.

But questions have been raised about their harrowing tale - after it emerged the pair, from Honolulu, never activated their emergency beacon, sailed past an inhabited island and were caught in a seemingly non-existent storm.

Now the pair have announced they are to make another attempt at the route next year.

Scroll down for video

Appel (left) and Fuiava on October 25, were rescued by a U.S. Navy vessel about 900 miles southeast of Japan last week. They are now planning another trip next year

Jennifer Appel, center, waves from the bridge way of the USS Ashland as the ship pulls into White Beach Naval Facility in Okinawa, Japan on Monday

This US Navy photo shows Tasha Fuiava, an American mariner, being rescued by the USS Ashland last week

'We still never got to see the 20,000 islands, so I think that would be the most fantastic trip for May of next spring,' Appel told People.

The civilian sailor announced she plans to build a huge 'unsinkable and unbreakable boat' for the second attempt after her first, the 50-foot sailboat Sea Nymph, had to be abandoned in the Pacific during the rescue.

Appel said she'd spent year preparing for the 2,700-mile trip, which should only have taken a month, and said she only survived because she'd heeded the advice of experienced sailors who recommended she took six times as much supplies as she thought she'd need.

'They said pack every square inch of your boat with food, and if you think you need a month, pack six months, because you have no idea what could possibly happen out there,' Appel said, adding it turned out to be 'really gave us good advice.'

The sailors said they got knocked off course by a storm on May 30, which also took out their engine, and were eventually picked up in the western Pacific, 900 miles southeast of Japan

She also credited the crew of the USS Ashland who she said 'saved our lives.'

'Had they not been able to locate us we would have been dead within 24 hours.'

Yet some people have begun to raise questions about Appel and Fuiava's story - in particular, why the pair hadn't activated their rescue beacon when they became stranded at sea or caught up in the storm.

A Coast Guard spokeswoman told the Associated Press, 'We asked why during this course of time did they not activate the [beacon]. She had stated they never felt like they were truly in distress, like in a 24-hour period they were going to die.'

Appel confirmed in an interview Tuesday that she did not turn the emergency beacon on because the pair did not feel they were in imminent danger.

She claimed that in her experience the beacon should only be used when you are in imminent physical danger and going to die in the next 24 hours.

'Our hull was solid, we were floating, we had food, we had water, and we had limited maneuverable capacity,' Appel said in an interview in Japan, where the U.S. Navy took them after their rescue. 'All those things did not say we are going to die. All that said it's going to take us a whole lot longer to get where we're going.'

Previously, Appel and Tasha Fuiava had said they were close to giving up when the U.S. Navy rescued them last week, thousands of miles off course.

Authorities are questioning why Appel and Fuiava (seen here on Monday) did not activate their emergency beacon after their boat was damaged by a storm and they were lost at sea

The two women met in late 2016, and within a week of knowing each other decided to take the trip together. Fuiava had never sailed a day in her life.

They set off on May 3, planning to sail to Tahiti, then travel the South Pacific and return to Hawaii in October. But when they were finally picked up by the Navy, they were thousands of miles off course.

Key elements of the women's account are contradicted by authorities, and are not consistent with weather reports or basic geography of the Pacific Ocean. The discrepancies raised questions about whether Appel and her sailing companion, Tasha Fuiava, could have avoided disaster.

On their first day at sea, May 3, the two U.S. women described running into a fearsome storm that tossed their vessel with 60 mph (97 kph) winds and 30-foot (9-meter) seas for three days, but meteorologists say there was no severe weather anywhere along their route during that time.

After leaving 'we got into a Force 11 storm, and it lasted for two nights and three days,' Appel said of the storm they encountered off Oahu. In one of the first signs of trouble, she said she lost her cellphone overboard.

'We were empowered to know that we could withstand the forces of nature,' Appel said. 'The boat could withstand the forces of nature.'

Jennifer Appel, Tasha Fuiava and their two dogs, Valentine and Zeus, were picked up by the US Navy last week, around 900 miles off the coast of Japan

Appel (right) and Tasha Fuiava sit with their dogs on the deck of the USS Ashland on Monday

But the National Weather Service in Honolulu said no organized storm systems were in or near Hawaii on May 3 or in the days afterward. Archived NASA satellite images confirm there were no tropical storms around Hawaii that day.

The pair said they thought about turning back, but the islands of Maui and Lanai didn't have harbors deep enough to accommodate their sailboat.

At 50 feet (15 meters) long, the vessel is relatively small, and both islands have harbors that would have accommodated them. Plus, the Big Island - the southernmost island in state - has several places to dock.

'I had no idea that we were going to be in this thing for 80 solid hours,' Appel said of the storm of which there is no record.

Still, they pressed on.

Days later, after parts of their mast and rigging failed, they sailed up to another small island, still with a working motor, but decided against trying to land, believing the island was mostly uninhabited with no protected waters.

'It is uninhabited. They only have habitation on the northwest corner and their reef was too shallow for us to cross in order to get into the lagoon,' Appel said.

But Christmas Island, part of the island nation of Kiribati, is home to more than 2,000 people and has a port that routinely welcomes huge commercial ships.

A May 3, 2017 satellite image provided by NASA, showing the Pacific Ocean around Hawaii. The women claim they encountered a massive storm that day, but the National Weather Service says there were no organized storm systems were in the area at the time

A video image of Appel, taken by the Navy, showing the crippled boat that Appel and Fuiava were rescued from on October 25

'We could probably nurse it down to the next major island in Kiribati,' Appel said. 'Then we'll be able to stop there and seek safe haven and get up on the mast and fix it.'

The island has at least two airfields, and the women had flares aboard to alert people on land. Plus, its widest point spans about 30 miles (48 kilometers), a day's hike to safety from even the most remote area.

When asked if the small island would have been a good place to land and repair their sails, Appel said no. 'Kiribati, um, one whole half of the island is called shipwreck beach for a reason.'

Christmas Island has a place called Bay of Wrecks on its northeast side.

So, instead of stopping for help, they say they set a new destination about 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) away and a few hundred miles beyond their original target of Tahiti. They were headed to the Cook Islands.

'We really did think we could make it to the next spot,' Appel said.

Then, they say, another storm killed their engine at the end of May.

The Coast Guard made radio contact with a vessel that identified itself as the Sea Nymph in June near Tahiti, and the captain said they were not in distress and expected to make land the next morning.

More than five months after they departed, they were picked up in the western Pacific about 900 miles (1,448 kilometers) southeast of Japan. The two women and their dogs were all in good health when picked up by the U.S. Navy.

A retired Coast Guard officer who was responsible for search and rescue operations said that if the women used the emergency beacon, they would have been found.

The EPIRB communicates with satellites and sends locations to authorities. It's activated when it's submerged in water or turned on manually. The alert signal sends a location to rescuers within minutes.

'If the thing was operational and it was turned on, a signal should have been received very, very quickly that this vessel was in distress,' Phillip R. Johnson said Monday in a telephone interview from Washington state.

Johnson described the device as sturdy and reliable, but added that old and weak batteries could cause a unit not to function.

Appel and Fuiava also said they had six forms of communication that all failed to work.

'There's something wrong there,' Johnson said. 'I've never heard of all that stuff going out at the same time.'
A Las Vegas police officer accidentally fired a gun inside the Mandalay Bay mass shooter's suite during the investigation, police have said.

Las Vegas Sheriff Joe Lombardo revealed the astonishing incident for the first time on Monday, declining to name the officer involved or explain the circumstances of the accident on the night of the October 1 tragedy.

'Nobody was struck' when the gun went off, Lombardo told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

'It happened and were investigating it, just like we do with any officer-involved use of force,' he said.

The round or rounds were not fired in the same room where gunman Stephen Paddock was found dead, Lombardo said. Paddock booked adjoining suites connected by a door.

Las Vegas Sheriff Joe Lombardo revealed the astonishing incident for the first time on Monday, declining to name the officer involved or explain the circumstances of the accidental gunshot

Lombardo said the accidental gunshot did not occur in the same room where Paddock's body was found. The shooter booked two adjoining rooms that were used in the attack

Broken windows of Stephen Paddock's suite are seen in the days after the shooting. Cops made an astonishing blunder by firing a gun accidentally in the suite, it has been revealed

Fifty-eight people were killed and hundreds wounded at a country music festival, when gunfire rained down on the crowd from Paddock's 32nd-floor suite.

Paddock was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound through his mouth, investigators say.

The Clark County coroners office had not released the gunmans official cause or manner of death as of Monday.

Also on Monday, Lombardo revealed that there were no hotel security cameras covering the doors to Paddock's suite or the stairwell door he apparently sealed, with the only cameras on the floor trained on the elevator banks.

The shocking investigative bumble of the accidental gunshot at the crime scene was revealed as many questions about the largest mass shooting in modern US history remain unanswered.

Paddock's motive has yet to be explained. The killer's brain is being sent to Stanford University for a months-long examination after a visual inspection during an autopsy found no abnormalities.

The interior of the suite is seen during the investigation. Police say one officer accidentally fired his gun inside the suit in the hours immediately after the massacre

Paddock's motive has yet to be explained. The killer's brain is being sent to Stanford University for study after a visual inspection during an autopsy found no abnormalities

Authorities have resorted to putting up billboards in southern Nevada seeking tips.

Inconsistencies in the shooting timeline have remained persistent as well, with officials revising the official timeline several times.

A key witness who could possibly resolve some questions, the hotel security guard who was shot at the outset of the rampage, has remained largely elusive.

He reportedly left the country in the days after the tragedy, crossing back into the US on October 8 via the San Ysidro border check in California driving a rental car with California plates.

After giving one interview on the daytime talk show Ellen, which did not address key questions about the shooting, Jesus Campos was whisked out of sight of the press.

He is said to be holed up at another hotel owned by MGM, the proprietor of the Mandalay Bay.

The FBI has repeatedly declined to comment on the case, and the last public press conference on the shooting was on October 13.
As revelations emerged that Russian-linked accounts reached many more American voters than previously thought, Tech giants Facebook, Twitter and Google on Tuesday defended their security measures and promised a Senate subcommittee they would do more to stop the misuse of their platforms by a foreign nation.

Just before top lawyers from the three companies began their testimony before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., quoted President Donald Trump as saying that he had won based on Twitter. Graham also said the social media platforms were being used by people who 'wish us harm and wish to undercut our way of life.'

Graham said the purpose of the hearing was for the government to 'figure out how we can help' the tech companies. All three will also testify Wednesday before the House and Senate intelligence committees as part of congressional probes of Russian election interference.

Representatives for Facebook, Google and Facebook appeared for a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Crime and Terrorism Subcommittee on Tuesday. From left to right: Facebook General Counsel Colin Stretch, Twitter's acting General Counsel Sean Edgett and Google's Director of Law Enforcement and Information Security Richard Salgado

The representatives for the tech giants details their knowledge of foreign powers trying to use social media to influence U.S. elections. Above, members of the Senate committee that interviewed them on Tuesday. From left to right: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)

Before the hearing, one source told CBS News that Facebook shut down 5.8 million fake accounts in the U.S. before the presidential election. (The company was expected to make that revelation at the hearing).

Those accounts were removed in October 2016 - just weeks before the election.

The company says their systems for weeding out fake accounts did not reflect new understandings of just how widespread the issue is.

Facebook data obtained by The Associated Press revealed that posts generated by a Russian internet agency potentially reached as many as 126 million users. The company said pages created by Russia's Internet Research Agency generated 80,000 posts on 120 pages between January 2015 and August 2017. Possible views reached the millions after people liked the posts and shared them.

Testimony from Colin Stretch, Facebook's general counsel, made clear that many of those users may never have seen the material. The company said the total number represents around 1 out of 23,000 pieces of content on the site.

Sean Edgett, acting general counsel for Twitter, addresses the committee during the meeting on Tuesday

Before the hearing, a source close to Facebook said that they were going to reveal the fact that the company deleted 5.8 million fake profiles before the election

These 'organic' posts that appeared in Facebook users' news feeds are distinct from more than 3,000 advertisements linked to the agency that Facebook has already turned over to congressional committees. The ads - many of which focused on divisive social issues - pointed people to the agency's pages, where they could then like or share its material.

Twitter told the same subcommittee that it has uncovered and shut down 2,752 accounts linked to Russia's Internet Research Agency, which is known for promoting pro-Russian government positions.

That number is nearly 14 times larger than the number of accounts Twitter handed over to congressional committees three weeks ago.

And Google announced in a blog post that it found evidence of 'limited' misuse of its services by the Russian group, as well as some YouTube channels that were likely backed by Russian agents.

Lawmakers have pressured the social media companies to come forward and have criticized them for not being fully forthcoming immediately after the election. All three firms are expected to face questions about what evidence of Russian interference they found on their services, as well as why they didn't find it earlier. Lawmakers are also expected to probe whether the firms know of any connections between the Russian posts and the Trump campaign.

Graham, who chairs the subcommittee holding the hearing, said in a statement that manipulation of social media by terrorist organizations and foreign governments is 'one of the greatest challenges to American democracy' and he wants to make sure the companies are doing everything possible to combat it.

'Clearly, to date, their efforts have been unsuccessful,' Graham said.

On Twitter, the Russia-linked accounts put out 1.4 million election-related tweets from September through Nov. 15 last year - nearly half of them automated. The company also found nine Russian accounts that bought ads, most of which came from the state-backed news service RT, previously known as Russia Today.

Twitter said last week it would no longer accept ads from RT and Sputnik, another state-sponsored news outlet. It will donate the $1.9 million it has earned from RT since 2011 to support external research into political uses of Twitter.

Google said two accounts linked to the Russian group spent $4,700 on ads on its platforms during the 2016 election. The company also found 18 YouTube channels likely backed by Russian agents. Those channels hosted 1,108 videos with 43 hours of material, although they racked up just 309,000 views in the U.S. between June 2015 and November 2016, Google said.

The companies will almost certainly do what they can to convince lawmakers that they can fix the problem on their own, without the need for regulation. A bill unveiled earlier in October would require social media companies to keep public files of election ads and require companies to 'make reasonable efforts' to make sure that foreign individuals or entities are not purchasing political advertisements in order to influence Americans.

The companies haven't commented on the proposed legislation, but say they're at work on the problem. Last week Facebook said it will verify political ad buyers in federal elections and build transparency tools to link ads to the Facebook pages of their sponsors. Twitter has also said it will require election-related ads for candidates to disclose who is paying for them and how they are targeted.

Google announced on Monday that it will also verify the identity of election-related ad buyers and identify these advertisers publicly via an ad icon. It will provide a public database of election ads detailing who purchased each one, and will publish a transparency report on election ads as well.
Twenty-one New York college students have been charged with hazing fraternity pledges.

Members of Pi Alpha Nu at State University of New York at Plattsburgh have been accused of mistreating pledges by forcing them to drink alcohol and eat food off the floor.

The abuse also included vomiting and urinating on the pledges as well as hitting them on the buttocks with paddles.

A first report was filed with campus police in February, and a second was filed in September. The hazing reportedly occurred off-campus.

21 members of the Pi Alpha Nu at State University of New York at Plattsburgh (pictured) have been charged with hazing pledges

The fraternity has been suspended by the school pending investigation

University officials say the charges include hazing, criminal nuisance and unlawfully dealing with a child, which pertains to providing alcohol to people under 21.

Six former Plattsburgh students are also expected to be charged.

The college has suspended the fraternity pending investigation.

'County District Attorney office to prosecute the matter criminally and it emphasized we have no tolerance for hazing,' the college's director of communications, Ken Knelly, told WCAX.

'I think the school is coming down a little too hard on them. I think it's safe to assume every fraternity or sorority haze or do some kind of not that fun pledge process. My guess is some kid was not up for it and decided to shut them all down,' student Ethan Campana said.

The students will head to court in November.
An Ohio teenager accused of fatally shooting her father is free on bond that was posted using his life insurance payment.

Police say the then-14-year-old girl shot 71-year-old James Ponder in the head at their Hamilton home in February and called 911 to report it.

The Hamilton-Middletown Journal-News reports an affidavit filed in court shows Ponder's wife received $250,000 in life insurance benefits and used $30,000 of it to post the teen's bond last month.

The affidavit says those benefits also are paying for the girl's legal defense.

An Ohio girl, who was charged with fatally shooting her 71-year-old father, James Allen Ponder (left and right), is free on bond that was posted using her dad's $250,000 life insurance

A judge has kept the aggravated murder case in juvenile court.

The high school freshman was put on electronic monitoring at her grandmother's home.

Authorities haven't said why she shot her father.

At the time, the teen made a tearful 911 call to a dispatcher saying that she had shot her father dead.

Police allege the 14-year-old loaded a handgun and shot Ponder, (right with his older daughter), in the head with the intent to kill him back in February

The caller urged the dispatcher to have 'somebody come and put me in handcuffs'.

When the dispatcher asked why, the caller replied: 'I just shot my dad.' The dispatcher asked: 'You just did what to your dad?' She answered: 'I just shot him.'

The dispatcher then asked what happened, to which the girl replied, 'I don't know. I just shot him.'

She also said repeatedly that she was 'sorry'.

The teen said she put the gun in another bedroom 'where they keep the guns.'

Crime scene: Ponder was found mortally wounded in a bedroom in the family's home in the 1200 block of Millville Avenue in Hamilton, Ohio (pictured) earlier this year

She said she was calling from outside the house and had only her phone in her hand and her backpack on the ground. She asked what would happen to her, and the dispatcher told her he didn't know.

Police said they found Ponder shot in the face in a bedroom at the family's home in Hamilton, about 25 miles north of Cincinnati.

Ponder was taken to Fort Hamilton Hospital, then transferred by helicopter to another hospital in Cincinnati where he later succumbed to his injuries.

Hamilton Police Sgt Brian Robinson said Ponder was shot with a handgun. Robinson said the girl's mother and five siblings apparently weren't home at the time.

Authorities allege she loaded the gun and shot Ponder in the head with the intent to kill him.

Police later searched the house on seizing a 9mm handgun and a Cobra .380 semi-automatic pistol, along with a blood-soaked pillow, a book bag, an iPhone, four computers and a notebook.
With more than 4,000 homeless students in its schools last year, educators in the Dallas district decided they needed to try something new, especially to support the most extreme casesstudents living in cars, parks, or abandoned buildings.

The district is teaming up with After8toEducate, a local nonprofit, to turn one of its unused elementary schools into a 35-bed shelter and a 24-hour drop-in center that would provide homeless students with wraparound services, such as mental health counseling, primary medical care, and tutoring.

District officials say that when the facility is up and running next year, it will be the first of its kinda shelter and one-stop-shop for homeless students on a school district campusin the country.

With more than 1 million students classified as homeless across the country, districts are taking a harder look at what they can do to help those students be successful in school and graduate. An August report by the New York City-based Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness, put a staggering figure on the number of homeless students in New York City, the nations largest school district. The report estimated that 100,000 of the districts 1 million students were homeless in the 2015-16 school year.

Paying More Attention to Needs of Homeless Students

The latest federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act, for the first time requires schools and districts to disaggregate data on test scores and graduation rates for homeless students, the way they already do for racial minorities, English-language learners, students with disabilities, and low-income students.

The new Dallas effort is aimed at unsheltered high school students, about 112 students.

Of the 113,000 Texas students who were identified by districts as homeless in the 2014-15 school year , three percent were considered unsheltered, according to the Dana Center and the Texas Education Agency. Unsheltered refers to homeless students who do not live with a parent or legal guardian.

Nearly a quarter of the states homeless students were in high school. The vast majority were in doubled-up housing situations.

We have to find a way to try to address this bigger homeless situation, which is increasing not only in the city of Dallas, but I think in the United States, said Jaime Sandoval, the executive director of student advocacy and youth outreach in the Dallas district.

If you start targeting your youthwhere you are empowering them to give them the tools necessary to be productive and successfulthen, hopefully, that will translate into [fewer] individuals who are on the streets...once they are adults, Sandoval said.



Jeanne Stamp, the director of the Texas Homeless Education Office at the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas in Austin, praised the Dallas proposal and said that she wished more districts had the resources to pursue similar efforts.

If you were to interview any other homeless liaison in any of the school districts in Texas, and, probably throughout the country, they will tell you that unaccompanied homeless youth shelter is one of their main needsthere are few places that an unaccompanied youth, who is a minor under the age of 18, can find to get shelter, Stamp said. Most shelters dont want to take in the younger kids. They want to have parent or guardian signature or contact within a very brief time, like within a day or two, and thats not possible for most kids. There are not a lot of options for those kids.

Still, she said, other Texas school districts have been ramping up efforts to give more direct supports to homeless students.



In Waco, for example, The Cove, a drop-in center thats open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. for high school students who are homeless, offers students homework help, mentoring, and tutoring. The Cove has bathrooms, a shower, laundry room, study rooms, and a dining room for students. And the school district has also worked with the local housing authority to create temporary housing for homeless families.

And more and more school districts are offering mental health services and other medical assistance to students, she said.

Those efforts come at a critical time, Stamp said.

For one thing, we have a growing number of youths that are not with their parents or legal guardians, Stamp said. They are moving around, couch-surfing, and arent necessarily sheltered at night. We have a lot more street youths, and we are seeing issues with those kidsmental health issues and physical health care issues that go unattended, obviously, when they dont have a parent or guardian looking out for them. Schools are seeing that they have to address those needs or those kids are not going to be able to be successful in school and go on to be able to graduate and have post-secondary success of any kind.

Still, she said, to make such programs work, districts must ensure that the individuals who are providing the wraparound services for homeless students are knowledgeable and have experience working with this specific population. They must be up-to-date on state and federal laws and have a keen understanding of what students need, she said.

Having homeless youth who can advise district leaders on what they and their peers need when living on the streets and the kinds of services that can be most helpful is essential, Stamp said.

Get Help to Those Who Need Help

Sandoval, who has been overseeing homeless services in the Dallas school district for about a year, said that the partnership with After8toEducate is one of the districts many efforts to meet the needs of homeless youngsters.

In the 2016 -17 school year, Dallas ISD had 4,200 homeless studentsstudents who lived in shelters, hotels or motels, or who were doubled up with family or friends and did not have permanent housing.

Sandoval thinks the number of unsheltered youth is much greater than the 112 the district had last year. An estimated 500 homeless youths are of school age but not enrolled in school, he said.

The After8toEducate program is an effort to reach those homeless youthsthe ones who are couch-surfing and sleeping in abandoned buildingsand bring them into the school system, he said. The 35 students will be chosen on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Our goal is to get help to those who need help, he said, adding that the district will make additional efforts to link additional homeless students to other housing options in the city.

The district already has a drop-in center that provides some of the wraparound services that After8toEducate will provide. At the current programwhich does not have a shelter componentstudents can get food from a pantry, hygiene items, uniforms, and clothing"any of those things that students need to be successful in school or to help them become part of the school without standing out, Sandoval said.

Something as simple as toothpaste and a toothbrush can mean the difference between a student contributing in a group discussion, or it could mean that they get bullied because they are different, he said. We are trying to remove those roadblocks for them.

There is also mentoring available for those students, he said.

The new program will give a second life to the Fannie C. Harris Elementary School, a two-story building that has been closed since 2006.

The districts contract with After8toEducate, which was approved last week, will last for seven years, and it can re-upped for additional five-year extensions.

The nonprofit group will be required to provide the district with data on the number of students served and social services provided. And a third-party evaluator will look at the program and the services it provides to students.

What we are hoping to accomplish with this [is to have] students who are healthy, have a place to stay, and obviously graduate from high school, Sandoval said. Not only graduate from high school but have as many opportunities as their counterpartsthat they have college-and-career opportunities, that they have doors open for them to take them off the streets. We want them to be able to self-manage ultimately.

Image 1: Image by Getty

Image 2: Texas Education of Homeless and Youth Program, Annual Report, 2015-2016, by the Texas Education Agency, the Region 10 Education Service Center, and the Texas Homeless Education Office.
There are concerns that jihadis who have returned to Australia from fighting with ISIS in Iraq and Syria could be radicalising and recruiting more extremists to their cause, Acting Prime Minister Julie Bishop has revealed.

Ms Bishop said around 40 fighters have returned from the war-torn region, many of whom are not in custody, and are a serious security threat as they may be passing on the deadly skills they have acquired to others.

'The government is concerned that foreign fighters who have gained fighting experience in the Middle East will return to pass this knowledge on to violent extremists in our region,' Ms Bishop told the Daily Telegraph.

There are concerns that jihadis who have returned to Australia from fighting in Iraq and Syria could be recruiting more extremists to their cause, Acting Prime Minister Julie Bishop said

'Foreign fighters inspire and incite terror, pass on skills and can attract more extremists to terror networks.'

Only a small number of the returning fighters  thought to be as few as two  have been prosecuted out of the 40 who have returned from the region in the past five years, the Telegraph reports.

The remainder are free because authorities did not have enough evidence to jail them.

Ms Bishop also warned that ISIS has been working to set up as base in the southern Philippines.

Around 40 fighters have returned from the war-torn region, many of whom are not in custody. File photo

Fighters in Marawi over recent months have declared their allegiance to the terror group and waved its banners, she said.

Now, Ms Bishop said Australia will begin sharing intelligence about terrorists with Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines to ensure any returning fighters are detained.

'Foreign fighters also pose a threat to Australians travelling overseas who can potentially be caught up in ISIL-inspired or directed attacks,' she said.

More than 200 have Australians fled the country to join the conflict in Iraq and Syria in the past five years.

At least 100 are believed to still be in the region  and Ms Bishop recently confirmed that about 80 had been killed.
Austin Boutain, 24, was taken into custody at a public library in downtown Salt Lake City on Tuesday following an overnight manhunt in foothills near the university campus

A man accused of murdering a University of Utah student has been arrested after a massive one day manhunt.

Austin Boutain, 24, was taken into custody at a public library in downtown Salt Lake City on Tuesday following an overnight manhunt in foothills near the university campus.

He was wanted over the shooting death of Chinese student ChenWei Guo who was found shot dead in his car near Red Butte Canyon in what police believe was a failed carjacking attempt.

Boutain had manage to evade police on Monday night by apparently slipping past a containment line after the killing.

Police said Boutain and his wife, Kathleen Boutain, 23, were also wanted for a homicide committed last week in Golden, Colorado.

He was wanted over the shooting death of Chinese student ChenWei Guo who was found shot dead in his car near Red Butte Canyon in what police believe was a failed carjacking attempt

A law enforcement vehicle passes what is believed to be the victim's car as they continued their search for Austin Boutain on Tuesday

Authorities found the body of a 63-year-old man last week after being asked by their Utah counterparts to conduct a welfare check at a trailer park.

Police said Boutain and his wife, Kathleen Boutain, 23 (above), were also wanted for a homicide committed last week in Golden, Colorado

Boutain had been camping in the foothills with his wife for at least a few days after the Colorado slaying, according to authorities.

Kathleen was being treated for minor injuries and was in jail on unrelated charges following her arrest on Monday night.

Classes were canceled on Tuesday at the university where the victim's peers remembered him as a smart, bright and caring person who loved to tell jokes.

The victim, ChenWei Guo, was a pre-computer science student and peer adviser at the school's International Student and Scholar Services Office.

Guo, who was a member of the Mormon church, was also an interpreter and technology supporter at the Salt Lake City-based church.

Authorities searched the hills near Red Butte Canyon for hours in search of the murder suspect

Boutain had manage to evade police on Monday night by apparently slipping past a containment line after the killing. Officials are pictured combing the rugged terrains

His friend Rachel Tam told the Associated Press that Guo would always speak in a moving and powerful way about his beliefs.

She said Guo loved to dance and wowed his friends on the dance floor in August at a church event for young, unmarried Chinese members of the church.

Tam says Guo was at the center of the dance floor busting out hip hop moves and was also a talented swing and ballroom dancer.

A campus memorial in his honor was being organized for Tuesday night.
A series of strange calls from a CIA informant known only as 'the Polish driver' were made from a Canberra hotel the day after John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

The mysterious informant boasted about his connections with Russia's 'diplomatic establishment' and said he was calling from 'across' the Kingston Hotel.

In one of the calls - which were made between August 9 to November 23 in 1963 - the informant ominously warned: 'two men you are looking for are in Moscow'.

It's understood he was referring to William Martin and Bernon Mitchell - two National Security Agency code breakers who defected to the Soviet Union a month later.

The informant also phoned the US embassy in Australia the day after JFK's death 'claiming to have knowledge about a Soviet plot to assassinate President Kennedy'.

A mystery CIA informant called the US Embassy from a Canberra hotel the day after John F. Kennedy was assassinated (pictured, moments before) claiming to have knowledge about a Soviet plot to kill the president

The man, known only as 'the Polish driver', said he was calling from 'across' the Kingston Hotel (pictured now). It's understood that was a coded reference to the nearby Soviet Embassy

The classified memos were released along with thousands of other intelligence files related to the killing of President Kennedy by the US National Archives after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered they be made declassified.

The CIA director's office was quick to dismiss the Polish driver's intelligence as fake at the time, but urged agents in the US Embassy's Australian office to 'do everything to identify him' if he called again.

'Agree anonymous caller looks like a crank but please continue to follow-up. If he calls again, do everything to identify him,' the director was recorded as saying.

The informant began communicating with the US embassy on 9 August 1960.

He refused to reveal his identity but claimed he was 'across from the Kingston Hotel' in Canberra - likely a coded reference to the nearby Soviet Embassy.

The classified memos (pictured above) were released along with thousands of other intelligence files related to the killing of President Kennedy by the US National Archives after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered they be made declassified

The informant also alluded to the whereabouts of defected NSA agents William Martin and Bernon Mitchell (pictured left and centre)

In a string of bizarre communications across the years, he said his boss 'Kurdiukov' - the Ambassador of the Soviet Union to Australia at the time - was having 'secret conferences in Moscow.'

Ivan Kurdyukov was a senior Soviet diplomat who was alleged to have a Soviet spy working for him at the embassy.

Kennedy was shot dead alongside his wife while on a political trip to Texas as tensions soared between the United States and Communist states in the Cold War.

The Polish driver phoned the US embassy the day after Kennedy's death 'claiming to have knowledge about a Soviet plot to assassinate President Kennedy.'

The FBI and Warren Commission found that former US marine Lee Harvey Oswald murdered Kennedy, but the newly released files have fueled long-standing theories the hit was ordered by the Soviet Union and Oswald was a KGB agent.
A jilted lover has attacked his ex-girlfriend, stabbing her in the leg and sexually assaulting her after slitting her female friend's throat, according to police.

Ruslan Baimov, 40, was arraigned on attempted murder and rape charges on Tuesday in Brooklyn, in connection with a horror five-hour attack on two women in a Coney Island apartment.

The attack, described by police sources reported by the New York Daily News, unfolded as the ex-girlfriend's 11-year-old daughter remained locked in a bedroom of the apartment.

Police say that Baimov, upset after being dumped by his girlfriend, broke into her apartment in the Sea Gate community late Saturday, close to midnight.

Ruslan Baimov, 40, (pictured) was arraigned on attempted murder and rape charges on Tuesday in Brooklyn, in connection with a horror five-hour attack on two women

The attack occurred in Sea Gate, a private gated community in Brooklyn's Coney Island

After pushing in an air-conditioner and shimmying through a window, the knife-wielding Baimov found her 42-year-old female friend relaxing while the ex took a shower, police said.

Alarmed by the sound of her screaming friend, the ex ran out of the bathroom and found Baimov attacking the woman as she tried to call 911, the ex told the Daily News.

'Then he took her phone, smashed it, grabbed her neck and said 'Bitch!' and then took the knife and stabbed her in the neck,' she said.

With her friend critically wounded, the ex ran down the hallway and told her 11-year-old daughter to lock herself in the bedroom.

For hours, with the friend lying on the floor bleeding, Baimov perversely alternated between threatening the ex and proclaiming his love for her, she said.

'After kissing me, he said, 'Oh, son of a b***h, I'll kill you. I love you. No, I'll kill you,' the ex- girlfriend said.

Baimov (pictured) has been charged with 12 felony counts, including first degree rape, burglary, assault, attempted murder

'I said, 'Please, I have a child ... You already have one woman dying. Now you will have two, maybe three.'

Baimov ripped at her clothes and tried to rape her several times, before ultimately dragging her into the bathroom and forcing her to perform oral sex, she alleged.

Suddenly he broke into a rage again and sliced her in the right shin, before breaking down and trying to kiss the wound in apology, she said.

Finally the horror saga ended when the ex-girlfriend convinced him to go home and sleep at around 4.50am on Sunday, when she managed to call police.

Baimov was arrested in his nearby apartment in a SWAT raid a few hours later, around 6.30am.

Prosecutors said the girlfriend's pal is 'brain dead' and 'likely to die in a few days'.

Detectives with the NYPD Special Victims Unit were called in after the ex told detectives on Sunday that she was so traumatized, she initially did not remember a sexual assault during the ordeal.

Baimov has been charged with 12 felony counts, including first degree rape, burglary, assault, attempted murder. He has been ordered held without bail.
Hours after a terrorist attack left eight people dead and several others injured in New York City, President Donald Trump said he's asked the Homeland Security department for a heightened vetting program.

'I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program. Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!' Trump tweeted Tuesday night around 9pm ET.

A few hours earlier, he said that the U.S. cannot allow 'ISIS to return or enter' the country after 'defeating them in the Middle East,' stoking fears that Sayfullo Saipov, the man responsible for the attack in New York City was a returned ISIS fighter.

'We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere. Enough!' Trump tweeted.

The president did not indicate where he was getting his information, though the 29-year-old driver was identified as a citizen of Uzbekistan who came to the U.S. in 2010 and has used addresses in Florida and New Jersey.

Saipov used a rented Home Depot to plow into cyclists and joggers, reportedly yelling 'Allahu Akbar' as he emerged from the vehicle.

'In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person,' Trump wrote at first. 'Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!'

The Arabic slogan the suspected terrorist shouted translates roughly to 'God is great,' and is often a calling card for murderous Islamist radicals.

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Hours after a terrorist attack left eight people dead and several others injured in New York City, President Donald Trump said he's asked Homeland Security for a heightened vetting program

'I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program. Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!' Trump tweeted Tuesday night around 9pm ET.

Trump also stoked fears that the terror suspect in today's deadly New York City attack had once fought for ISIS and returned back. The fighter has been identified as 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov who came to the U.S. in 2010

'NOT IN THE U.S.A.' said Trump, casting the attack as an assault on all of America

In a statement to reporters, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said that Trump 'has been briefed on the incident in NYC by CoS [Chief of Staff] Kelly and will be continually updated as more details are known.'

Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke was briefed on the attack, the agency said.

'We have recently seen attacks like this one throughout the world. DHS and its law enforcement partners remain vigilant and committed to safeguarding the American people,' a statement read.

Tuesday's attacker carried a pair of imitation firearms  a pellet gun and a paintball gun. Police shot him in the abdomen and transported him to a local hospital.

The city had a stronger police presence after the horrific attack. Above officer stand guard near the site of the incident

Saipov was shot in the stomach by NYPD officer Ryan Nash. He is out of surgery and recovering in a hospital. He is pictured in an arrest photo after he failed to pay a traffic citation in St. Charles County, Missouri in 2016

A rented Home Depot truck that was driven through cyclists and runners on a bicycle path in lower Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon came to a stop after plowing into a school bus

President Trump offered his condolences and prayers to the victims of this latest terror attack also on Tuesday

First Lady Melania Trump also used Twitter to offer prayers for New Yorkers

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the attack, near the World Trade Center, 'was an act of terror, and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians.'

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called it a 'lone wolf' attack and said there's no evidence to that it was part of a wider plot.

Witnesses on the scene said the man slammed into a school bus after he drove through a crowd of bicyclists.

There were children on board; some of them are among the injured.

First lady Melania Trump also used Twitter to communicate with the American people.

'My heart breaks for #NYC today,' she wrote. 'Thoughts & prayers as we monitor the situation.'

The truck driver is shown scampering through new York City with what the FBI said was a pellet gun and a paintball gun

Saipov turned on to the bike track at Houston Street then drove for 17 blocks southbound. The pathway leads from Greenwich Village down to Tribeca. Saipov drove the full distance, only coming to a stop when he hit a school bus at Chambers Street

Shattered bicycles lay on the West Side Highway bike path where riders were mowed down on Tuesday

The president echoed the sentiment in a later tweet.

'My thoughts, condolences and prayers to the victims and families of the New York City terrorist attack. God and your country are with you!' Trump wrote.

In a longer statement issued by the White House, Trump also offered 'thoughts and prayers,' but also full support to the NYPD, who the White House said will investigate the incident alongside the FBI.

'We offer our thanks to the first responders who stopped the suspect and rendered immediate aid to the victims of this cowardly attack,' Trump said. 'These brave men and women embody the true American spirit of resilience and courage.'

Trump also vowed to follow the developments closely.

The president has sometimes described mass-casualty events as being related to mental illness.

Following a mass-shooting in Las Vegas four weeks ago, he told reporters at the White House that the attacker was 'a sick man, a demented man, lot of problems I guess.'

'We're dealing with a very, very sick individual,' Trump added then.
Elmer Crawford is accused of electrocuting and beating his three children and pregnant wife (pictured) before driving them off a cliff in 1970

In 1970, Elmer Crawford was accused of electrocuting and bashing his pregnant wife and three children before bundling them into a car and sending it off a cliff.

Just one day later, he vanished, and police are still searching for him more than 50 years later.

After reports Crawford might be in Western Australia, Victoria Police travelled to the Pilbara region to revive the search, but were unsuccessful, Seven News reported.

One former truck driver told the program he believed he had once spoken to the man, now believed to be in his late 80s.

'Nugget' Wright said he had met a man with a wife who was 'long gone' who claimed to have moved from Melbourne in 1970.

When asked why he left the Victorian capital, the man believed to be Crawford told the former driver: 'I had to leave in a hurry, I did something terrible.'

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Crawford (pictured) vanished the next day and police have been chasing him ever since

After he allegedly beat and electrocuted his family, Crawford is believed to have bundled them into the back of his car and rolled them off a cliff hundreds of kilometres away from their home (pictured: the car as it was found)

Pictured: A police re-enactment of the car rolling off the Loch Ard Gorge, near Port Campbell

'Nugget' asked if his new acquaintance was the man Victoria Police had recently been in the area to look for, and told Seven News the man's reaction was concerning.

'His head dropped, his shoulders shrunk, and he had that attitude: "oh s***, I've told this bloke too much",' Nugget said.

On July 1, 1970, Crawford allegedly used a roughly constructed electrocution device to shock his pregnant wife Therese and two of their children: Katherine, 13, and eight-year-old James.

A 15m electrical cord with a plug at one end and extension cord socket at the other was found in the family home after the brutal deaths, with five small wires with alligator clips attached to each one, News Corp reported.

A former Western Australian truck driver (pictured) believes he once met Crawford in the outback

Police believed Crawford attached the alligator clips to the ears of his three family members and shocked them to death as they slept. He then beat the children with a hammer.

His youngest child, six-year-old daughter Karen, was not shocked. Instead, she was beaten to death with the hammer.

The bodies were then bundled into the back of Crawford's car, where the seat had already been removed.

After driving hundreds of kilometres with the bodies lying dead in the back, Crawford is then believed to have arrived at the edge of Loch Ard Gorge, near Port Campbell, and rolled the car off the cliff.

The driver says the man he believes was Crawford physically reacted when asked if he was the man Victoria Police had been in the area searching for

The car was discovered the next day, having landed on a ledge 20m below the cliff edge.

Police knocked on Crawford's door, and believe this is when he chose to flee.

Retired detective Adrian Donehue, who aided in recovering the bodies of the shocked and beaten family, said it was still not too late to bring the man to justice and finally get closure on the brutal cold case.

'It's definitely solvable, if you get the right information,' he told Seven News.

'We've got everything else - all we need is a body.'
A Russian businesswoman masterminded a terrifying raid on her married British lovers home that saw his wife and daughter tied up, a court heard.

Tycoon Robert McKendrick, 57, had a five-year affair with Karine Solloway, 59, during which time she lent him more than 1million to help his ailing business, a jury was told.

But following a bitter break-up, it is alleged she recruited a gang to recoup the money by robbing his home in the upmarket Cheshire village of Alderley Edge. While Mr McKendrick was away in Africa, his wife Priya and 17-year-old daughter were subjected to a prolonged and serious robbery by three men who all wore black, Chester Crown Court heard.

Andrew Ford, prosecuting, said their hands were bound with plastic cable ties and their eyes were covered with blacked-out goggles. Cling film was stretched over Mrs McKendricks face.

Karine Solloway, 59, is alleged to have had an affair with Robert McKendrick, 57

Mr Ford added: They were shepherded about and made to kneel on the ground.

In the alleged attack on October 6 last year, Mrs McKendrick was alerted by her daughter screaming in another room.

Ringleader Paul Prior, who has admitted conspiracy to rob, revealed he knew Mr McKendrick had business interests in Africa and had debts.

The intruders took jewellery worth 100,000, designer shoes and clothes, electrical goods and valuable African rock samples collected by Mr McKendrick.

[Prior] said they were there for the money. He was accusing Robert of having transferred his assets to Priya, Mr Ford added.

When some stolen property was traced back to Priors London address via his eBay account, police found phone conversations revealing he been in contact with Solloway.

Mr Ford said: Messages between Solloway and the ringleader Prior show that she was part of it, she backed it and she was crucial to the recruitment of his team to carry it out. The court was told Mr McKendrick had business interests, including rice growing, in Sierra Leone and Liberia  but one venture resulted in financial dispute and legal proceedings. His worldwide assets were frozen.

Solloway, who runs a medical services firm for UK-based Russians, lent him huge sums of money, including 350,000 and 800,000 to help meet legal costs, the jury was told.

Mr McKendrick had been leading a double life after starting an affair with Solloway, who he met at a Russian Embassy party.

Following a bitter break-up, it is alleged McKendrick recruited a gang to recoup the money by robbing his home in the upmarket Cheshire village of Alderley Edge

Mr Ford said: In 2010 he began an affair with Solloway. During that time Mr McKendrick kept up appearances at the family home in Alderley Edge as if everything was normal.

He spent much of the week with Solloway and the weekends at home. Mr McKendricks African businesses ran into difficulty and there was serious litigation.

Eventually Mr McKendrick ended the affair and it went bitter. Solloway claims he promised to give her a family and pledged he would leave his wife for her.

But they fought in drink, and their relationship ended in acrimony. He returned to his wife and Solloway later told police that he was a coward.

Since the affair, his business declined and, by the time of the alleged, plot divorce proceedings were under way between Mr McKendrick and his wife, who have three children.

Prior and another man, Ian McGarry, have previously admitted conspiracy to rob.

Phone conversations showed Prior and Solloway discussing the robberys proceeds, Mr Ford said. They also reveal how Prior recruited Kimpton Mativenga, specifically for his muscle.

Solloway, of London, and Mativenga, 31, of St Albans, Hertfordshire, both deny conspiracy to rob. The case continues.
New peers should only be appointed if two others have died or retired, according to a major report on shrinking the size of the House of Lords.

A review by the Lord Speaker said the size of the upper chamber must be cut by a quarter if it is to earn the publics confidence.

This would mean that, for the first time, the size of the House would be capped at 600  and all new peers would have to retire after 15 years.

New peers should only be appointed to the House of Lords if two others have either died or retired, a report outlined by the Lord Speaker Lord Fowler, pictured in the chamber yesterday

The number of peers appointed to the Lords would be proportionate to the electoral success of their various political parties according to the new report on reducing members

All new political peers would be appointed in proportion to the previous election result  meaning that the number of Liberal Democrat peers will gradually fall if their poor electoral fortunes continue.

The report calls for an accelerated two-out, one-in retirement scheme to ensure the House falls to 600 members within a decade.

But the plan, outlined by Lord Fowler, the Lord Speaker, can only work if the Prime Minister and all political parties agree to limit their numbers. That would require about 50 Tories and 40 Labour peers voluntarily agreeing to retire by 2022.

And the plans would actually increase the power of privilege in the Lords because it says the number of hereditary peers should remain the same  increasing their proportion over time as the House shrinks.

Lord Fowler said the reforms, which aim to cut costs and raise the quality of new peers, were vital to build public confidence in the upper house.

Unless reforms are made soon, current trends mean the House of Lords will rise from 824 now to 1,000 within 25 years.

Peers who won't even sit in the House The Queen should confer peerages without offering a seat in the Lords as a way to bring down the size of the House, the report said. Individuals of distinction could be given a life peerage and given the title of lord, without sitting in the upper chamber. The idea is to encourage political parties to give figures peerages without a place. That would please recipients who would like the dignity of the title, but are not interested in being a legislator. No more new members would be appointed than there were vacancies. The report said: We have thought about whether there would be merit in providing for peerages which would not entail membership of the House. Such peerages might, for example, be suitable for individuals of distinction who are thought to deserve an honour at that level but who cannot be accommodated within the cap on the size of the House, or who do not wish to become a legislator. We have been advised that the monarch is empowered to appoint life peers other than under the Life Peerages Act 1958. Peers appointed in this way would not be entitled to a seat in the House of Lords. We would encourage the Government to pursue this option. Advertisement

He said: The House of Lords carries out vitally important work in holding the government to account. However, with over 800 members, about 150 more than the Commons, we are too large. The time has now come to take action to correct this and put a cap on numbers.

A smaller more effective house will be able to build public confidence and support for its crucial constitutional role in checking bills before they become law and in reviewing policy through their hard-working select committees.

The Prime Ministers spokesman and Labour said they would consider the report.

Lord Fowler said the proposals would only go ahead if it was shown to have cross-party support in a debate in December.The report lays down a proposed timetable of departures, with 48 Tories going by 2022, 38 Labour peers, 18 Liberal Democrats and 35 crossbenchers.

Although new peers would be appointed on a 15-year limit, there would be no change for existing peers.

To reflect public opinion more closely, new political appointments would be calculated on the average of the partys share of the vote in the previous election and the proportion of seats won. That could see a gradual cutting of the number of Lib Dem peers, if they continue to perform poorly in elections. There are currently more than 100. Lord Beith, the Lib Dem member of the committee, said: We intend to reverse our electoral fortunes in no time at all.

No party would be allowed an absolute political majority and a minimum of 20 per cent of seats would be reserved for independent crossbenchers.

Hereditary peers are usually replaced in by-elections. If that system continues unchanged in a smaller House, the number of seats for hereditary peers would remain the same and they would make up a larger proportion of the membership.
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Uzbek national Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, 29, identified as suspect in truck terror attack in New York City on Tuesday. He is in hospital after being shot by an NYPD officer

Roughly two million defiant New Yorkers took to the streets for the 44th annual Halloween parade after ISIS called on lone wolf attackers to target the event following a truck terror attack just blocks away.

With the city on high alert, costume-clad revelers stood side-by-side with police officers after the horrific attack, which claimed the lives of eight people and was carried out by 29-year-old Uzbek national Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo were among those who attended the parade.

"We go forward together and we go forward stronger than ever. We're not going to let them win, and if we change our lives, we contort ourselves to them, then they win and we lose," Cuomo said in a press conference Tuesday afternoon in front of NYPD headquarters.

Not long after the attack, officials said that New York's 44th annual Village Halloween Parade will still take place but with a heavy police presence.

The parade, which featured 53 marching bands, dancers, artists and more, kicked off at 7pm on Sixth Avenue and Spring Street, traveling north and ending on 16th Street just around 11pm.

Sand trucks were rolled out along the route, as certain areas were barricaded off by police.

New Yorkers were photographed in bright and creative costumes for the popular event that took over the city.

Only those who dressed in costumes were allowed to march in the parade that was attended by roughly two million people.

Out and about: Roughly two million defiant New Yorkers took to the streets for the 44th annual Halloween parade after ISIS called on lone wolf attackers to target the event hours after a truck terror attack left at least eight dead just blocks away.

Costume-clad revelers stood side-by-side with police officers while the city remains on high alert following the horrific attack

A man dressed in an elaborate costume makes an NYPD officer crack a smile during the parade on Tuesday

A group of gorgeous women all dressed like Wonder Woman for the parade in the New York City Tuesday night

Several parade participants in New York dressed up as US President Donald Trump (above)

While another person sported a costume showing Trump carrying Russian President Vladimir Putin

Others dressed as former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama

A couple brought out their dog as part of their Nightmare Before Christmas costumes for the annual event in the city

A group of people also dressed in the Where's Waldo signature look and joined together for the parade

A police officer stands guard on one of the blocked off streets in the city during the annual event

Two women hold up a 'Day of the Dead' sign while dressed in Mexican-themed costumes for the parade

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio both attended the 44th annual event on Tuesday after the terror attack in the city

There was a heavy police presence during Tuesday night's event in the city after the horrific attack left eight people dead

The parade kicked off at 7pm on Sixth Avenue and Spring Street in the city with revelers marching up the Avenue of Americas alongside police

Heavily armed police officers were on hand for hours during the parade after the terror attack on Tuesday

A pro-ISIS online messaging channel called on lone wolves to attack the parade and posted a picture of the parade route, according to SITE Intelligence Group - which monitors jihadist activity.

After the shocking terror attack, Cuomo said that more police will be present in the city, at airports and tunnels for Halloween festivities.

'We will be vigilant. More police everywhere-- you'll see them in the airports, you'll see them in the tunnels,' Cuomo said.

'To New Yorkers, be New Yorkers. Live your life, don't let them change us or deter us in any manner, shape or form.'

Tuesday's horrific truck attack happened shortly after 3pm when the driver, identified as 29-year-old Saipov, mounted the bike path while driving a Home Depot truck on the West Side Highway a few blocks north of Chambers Street.

A person in costume waits at a barricade with police officers for the New York City Halloween parade

Two people sported gigantic Beavis and Butthead masks during the parade in the Village

Another person just wore a frightening and over-the-top mask during the event on Halloween in the city

A family dressed as super hero characters stands along the barricaded parade route

A person in a brightly colored costume with lights walks along the parade route in New York City

A trio of girls dressed in yellow wigs to portray a canister of fries from a fast-food eatery for the parade

People in costume wait at a barricade with police officers for the New York City Halloween parade

A man in costume passes a police officer at a barricade as he enters the New York City Halloween parade, after a shooting incident blocks away

Heavily armed police officers guard the New York City Halloween parade following the truck attack

After striking several cyclists and runners, he came to a stop when his truck crashed into a school bus beneath the TriBeCa Bridge.

Officials say Saipov, who is originally from Uzbekistan, then emerged with imitation guns in his hand and was shot in the stomach by NYPD officer Ryan Nash, 28.

He survived and was taken to hospital, but at least eight innocent people were killed and several others were left injured.

Among those killed were five Argentinians in New York for a class of 1987 school reunion, according to the Argentine government.

They were named as Ariel Erlij, Hernan Diego Mendoza, Diego Enrique Angelini, Alejandro Damian Pagnucco and Hernan Ferruchi.

Five members of this group of Argentinian friends were killed when they were struck while on a school reunion holiday in New York. A sixth is in hospital. A Belgian was also among those killed in the attack

The rented Home Depot truck which plowed through cyclists and runners on a bicycle path on the West Side Highway in lower Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon. Saipov was shot in the leg by police and is in hospital

Suspect: Saipov, 29, is pictured above on the ground shortly after he was shot in the stomach by NYPD officer Ryan Nash Tuesday

Saipov, the driver of a truck (above) which mowed down eight people on the West Side Highway bike path on Tuesday afternoon, is pictured after emerging from the vehicle with a fake firearm in his hand

The statement said that 'a sixth victim, Martin Ludovico Marro, is hospitalized at the Presbyterian Hospital of Manhattan recovering from injuries suffered, out of danger according to the official medical part.'

Also among the dead was one Belgian, Didier Reynders, deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister for Belgium, confirmed. Three other Belgians were among the wounded.

The FBI and NYPD are now treating the incident as an act of terror. Witnesses and law enforcement officials said the man shouted 'Allahu Akbar' - which means God is great in Arabic - during the attack.

NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said at a news briefing Tuesday evening: 'There was a loss of innocent life.

'The dead and injured were injured just going about their days, heading home from work or from school, or enjoying the afternoon sun on their bicycles. This is a tragedy of the greatest magnitude.'

He came to a stop by crashing into a school bus after plowing through others on the bike path. There were two children and two adults inside the bus; all of them were injured

The driver eventually came to a stop beneath the TriBeCa Bridge at Chambers Street where he got out of the car and was shot in the stomach. The car took with it a large amount of debris from the cycle path and beside it and was smashed in at the front

Saipov turned on to the bike track at Houston Street then drove for 17 blocks southbound. The pathway leads from Greenwich Village down to Tribeca. Saipov drove the full distance, only coming to a stop when he hit a school bus at Chambers Street

De Blasio condemned the 'particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians' would not break the city's spirit.

He urged New Yorkers to be more vigilant and said police presence would be stepped up across the city, adding, 'New Yorkers are resilient; our spirit will never be moved.'

President Trump acknowledged the attack on Twitter, describing the perpetrator as a 'sick' individual.

'In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!' he said.

First Lady Melania Trump, who was in Manhattan when the attack occurred, said: 'My heart breaks for NYC today.

'Thoughts & prayers as we monitor the situation.'
Acting Prime Minister Julie Bishop gave an icy stare at the start of a tense breakfast television interview dominated by leadership tensions.

The Liberal MP, renowned for her death stares and strict fitness regiment, also had the perfect response when asked when she would run.

'Probably later this morning along Cottesloe Beach,' she said.

Chalk and cheer: Julie Bishop (right) gave Karl Stefanovic (left) a series of death stares on TV

The exchange began very awkwardly when Today Show host Karl Stefanovic cited an online poll showing she was four times as popular as her hapless boss Malcolm Turnbull.

With the regular prime minister in Israel, Ms Bishop stared straight into the camera lens for three whole seconds after being greeted on air.

The deputy Liberal Party leader and Foreign Minister took the tension to another level when Stefanovic asked the Perth-based MP 'when she was running', prompting another three second stare into the camera.

'Probably later this morning along Cottesloe Beach,' she told the Nine Network on Wednesday.

Acting Prime Minister Julie Bishop death stared at the camera when asked about leadership

Things were tense enough when she was asked if she enjoyed being Australia's Acting Prime Minister.

After staring at the camera for another three seconds, she answered: 'I'm very busy dealing with the issues of the day while the Prime Minister is in Israel.'

As Ms Bishop evaded the leadership question, Stefanovic responded with a grin, clarifying he meant the top job of Australian politics, prompting another two-second pause and stare from the Acting Prime Minister.

'I'm very happy doing what I am doing as foreign minister,' she said.

'I'm just Acting Prime Minister while the Prime Minister is overseas and while Barnaby Joyce is facing a by- election.

'Otherwise, I get on with the job of being Foreign Minister.'

Leadership tensions in the Turnbull Government were etched all over Julie Bishop's face

The leader of the National Party usually acts as prime minister in a Coalition government when the regular Liberal PM is overseas.

However, the government now has no deputy prime minister after the High Court last week ruled that Barnaby Joyce is ineligible to remain in parliament for being a dual New Zealand citizen by descent.

The government's fortunes took another farcical turn on Tuesday when Liberal Senate President Stephen Parry, who was born in Tasmania, revealed he may be a dual British citizen by descent.

After Ms Bishop smiled awkwardly, Stefanovic asked Ms Bishop about the government's latest dual citizenship woes.

The deputy Liberal leader since 2007 at least managed a smile at the end of the interview

Senate President Stephen Parry has told his colleagues he may be a dual British citizen

'We would rather not be in this position obviously, Karl, but we're dealing with it,' Ms Bishop said.

The Nationals had reportedly lobbied to have one of their own, Nigel Scullion, serve as acting prime minister instead of Ms Bishop, who has now spent a decade as deputy Liberal leader.

An online News Corp poll of 2,000 readers on Tuesday showed Ms Bishop to be a far more popular potential Liberal Party leader than her boss Malcolm Turnbull, who had just 12 per cent support compared to her 47 per cent backing.

It came a day after a Newspoll showed the government losing its 22nd consecutive poll under Mr Turnbull's leadership.

Ms Bishop at least finished the interview with a polite smile.
Taking career and technical education classes in high school increases students odds of graduating on time, but doesnt improve their chances of enrolling in college, according to a paper published Tuesday.

The findings are likely to inform the expanding national conversation about the role that career and technical education can play in the lives of high school students as they prepare for jobs and college. Policymakers are increasingly touting CTE as a road to college, and the new paper adds to evidence that questions how solid that linkage is.

The study was published today in the American Educational Research Journal, the peer-reviewed journal of the American Educational Research Association. It was conducted by two scholars from the University of California at Santa Barbara: Michael A. Gottfried, an associate professor of education, and Jay S. Plasman, a doctoral student. They tracked a cohort of about 10,000 students from 2002 to 2006, starting when the students were 10th graders, and following up as they moved into their first couple of years after high school.

The study found that taking yearlong courses in career and technical education increase students chances of graduating from high school in four years, and decreases their chances of dropping out. Its also the first to examine the question of timing: It found that taking CTE courses in 11th and 12th grades increases students odds of graduating on time, and not dropping out, more so than taking those courses in 9th or 10th grades.

Career Tech Ed as a Weapon Against Dropping Out

A yearlong career-tech-ed course taken anytime during high school, for instance, decreased the odds of dropping out by 1.2 percent for each course, the study finds. Each course taken in 11th or 12th grades, however, decreased students dropout chances by 1.6 percent, a dynamic the authors say represents promising evidence of CTEs potential to keep students in school.

It could be, they wrote in the paper, that CTE students make connections between their schoolwork and how it relates to opportunities after high school. This may be especially critical for students at risk of high school dropoutlinking educational content with practical experiences might help to solidify the relevance to keep students on track for graduation, the paper says.

On-Time Graduation: Better Chances Through Career Study

Gottfried and Plasman found that each yearlong career and technical education course students took sometime during high school boosted their chances of on-time graduation by 1.6 percent.

Broken down by grade level, the effect escalates as students get older. There was no significant effect on graduation for freshmen. For 10th graders, the likelihood of on-time graduation increased .7 percent with each CTE course taken. For 11th graders, the chances of on-time graduation rose 1.5 percent with each yearlong CTE course, and for seniors, it was 1.6 percent better with each course.

The links between career tech ed study and college-going were weak or nonexistent, however. Gottfried and Plasman studied four college-related outcomes for students who took yearlong CTE courses: whether they ever applied to college, whether they enrolled in college right after high school; whether they enrolled in college within two years of finishing high school, and whether they ever enrolled in college at all.

Weak Link Between Career Study and College Enrollment

They found that taking CTE courses had no effect on whether students went to college right after high school. They found only a small effect on college application, and only for students who took one or more CTE classes in 12th grade. And they found that 11th graders who took CTE were .8 of a percent more likely to attend college, and .8 of a percent more likely to go to college within two years. But that effect was absent at other grade levels.

Career-tech-ed study and college-going might not be strongly linked because CTE students learned skills in those courses than enable them to go directly into the workforce, so they are less likely to perceive a need to go to college, Gottfried and Plasman write in the paper.

Data that the two authors gathered show that students who took more CTE courses were more likely to report that they werent seeking a bachelors degree in the future, and more likely to have parents with only a high school diploma. But in an interview, Gottfried and Plasman said their findings controlled for those factors.

The authors aimed their findings at the policymaking conversation about career and tech ed, and its potential to supply the college pipeline. The lack of strong, positive links to postsecondary outcomes is noteworthy, they wrote, and suggests the need for further assessment of the reach of high school CTE coursetaking if indeed policymakers wish to more effectively rely on CTE to address college-going gaps.

Feeding the College Pipeline

Even though the findings showed no strong link between career-tech-ed courses and college-going, that doesnt mean that CTE courses dont help feed the college pipeline, Gottfried and Plasman said in an interview.

The pipeline to college goes through high school, Gottfried said. Our study shows that career and technical education does supply that pipeline by increasing the odds of high school completion.

The paper examined all students who took a yearlong career and technical education course, and didnt isolate the effect of being a CTE concentrator"taking three related CTE courses. It also didnt tease out whether there were any differences in dropout, high school completion or college-going among different CTE fields.

Research last year by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute found that CTE concentrators in Arkansas are much more likely to graduate from high school on time than other students, and more likely to go to two-year colleges.

A 2014 study, which followed 2004 high school graduates for eight years, found that CTE concentrators were less likely to attend or complete four-year college programs, but also found that those rates varied significantly according to the field of CTE study.

Eighty-four percent of students who concentrated in computer and information went to college, for instance, compared to 52 percent for students who concentrated in repair and transportation.
Robert Duane Wyatt, 51, was sentenced to 13 years in prison for sexually assaulting a child

A Colorado preacher has been jailed after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting an underage congregant multiple times.

A judge in Adams County announced Tuesday that Robert Duane Wyatt, 51, formerly from the Agape Bible Church in Thornton, would serve 13 years behind bars for the crimes that occurred over the course of the past two years.

The child, who was 12 and 13 at the time of the sexual assault, told police Wyatt first began inappropriately touching her when she was 12, and just last year, invited her on 'a field trip' which led to a hotel destination, according to The Denver Post.

'This wasn't a mistake,' said senior deputy district attorney, Patrick Freeman during court hearing. 'He saw he could manipulate the victim and her family.'

The young girl attended church services at the parish located at 8761 Huron St. alongside members of her family at the time.

Wyatt was a pastor at the Agape Bible Church in Thornton, Colorado (shown) when he committed the crimes against the child congregant

District Judge Don Quick (pictured) condemned Wyatt's behavior during Thursday's sentencing, and said: 'You preyed on her emotional and physical vulnerabilities'

The child was also said to be enrolled in a home school program under the supervision of Wyatt - who also worked as an education teacher at his residence.

District Judge Don Quick condemned Wyatt's behavior during Thursday's sentencing, and said: 'You preyed on her emotional and physical vulnerabilities.

'Over and over again you planned how to groom her so that you could commit these acts,' he added.

'You took advantage not just of her body but her heart, telling her that you loved her.'

Wyatt pleaded guilty to sexual assault on a child and attempted first-degree assault in July. He was arrested in September 2016.

Wyatt was a prominent figure at the Agape Bible Church, where he often spoke in front of the congregation during services

Another leader of the church, Rev. Darrell Ferguson, said in a news release at the time: 'We can confirm that Bob Wyatt, a former pastor at our church, was arrested.'

Ferguson added: 'We are simply going to let the authorities handle it to make sure justice is done.'

Freeman said Tuesday that 'those who attempted to hide him from justice share blame' after they learned of the incidents and attempted to resolve matters within the church, according to the Denver Post.

'I'm still shocked at how certain adults responded to this,' Judge Quick said.

The child's father had also been aware of the sexual assault incidents and did not immediately report them to police.

Wyatt was a prominent figure at Agape Bible Church and often preached in front of the congregation.

Rev. Ferguson told Denver7 the case disgusted him and was 'heartbreaking,' adding that he wanted 'justice to be done.'
Todays terror attack in New York is chillingly similar to a spate of killings in Europe in recent months where vehicles were used.

Eight people were killed by a truck driver who mowed them down on a bike path in lower Manhattan.

The driver made his way from Houston Street down towards Tribeca where he mounted the bike path on the West Side Highway shortly after 3pm.

Eight people were killed by the driver of this Home Depot rental truck who mowed them down on a bike path in lower Manhattan

After striking several cyclists and runners, he came to a stop when his truck crashed into a school bus beneath the Tribeca bridge.

But it is not the first time a vehicle has been used to carry out mass murder in Western Europe with similar atrocities taking place in Britain, France , Germany, Spain and Stockholm and claiming well over 100 lives.

In August, Barcelona terrorist Younes Abouyaaqoub calmly walking away seconds after ploughing a van into crowds on the Ramblas murdering 14 people.

Abouqaaqoub was part of a 12-man cell who brought terror to Barcelona on August 17 and 18.

In August, Barcelona terrorist Younes Abouyaaqoub calmly walking away seconds after ploughing a van into crowds on the Ramblas murdering 14 people

Hours after the Ramblas attack, five other members of the gang ploughed into pedestrians in the nearby seaside town of Cambrils before they went on the rampage with an axe and large knives, stabbing one person to death.

On Bastille Day in the summer of last year, 86 people were killed when a truck was driven through crowds enjoying fireworks in Nice

Low tech attacks using stolen and hired vehicles to randomly rammed into crowds, have been increasingly used by terrorists unable to get hold of guns and explosives.

On Bastille Day in the summer of last year, 86 people were killed when this truck was driven through crowds enjoying fireworks in Nice

In June a team of jihadists used a hire van to drive through pedestrians at London Bridge before going on the rampage with knives

'Whether they are going to be permanent or temporary, time will tell. It is very difficult to stop, nigh on impossible.'

Before today's attack there had been a series of atrocities using cars and trucks in 2016 and 2017.

In June a team of jihadists used a hire van to drive through pedestrians at London Bridge before going on the rampage with knives.

On March 22, Khalid Masood, 52, drove a Hyundai 4x4 over Westminster Bridge, mowing down members of the public before crashing into a fence beside Big Ben.

Khalid Masood, 52, drove a Hyundai 4x4 over Westminster Bridge, mowing down members of the public before crashing into a fence beside Big Ben and getting out and killing a policeman

He then got out of the car and attacked PC Keith Palmer with a knife.

Masood was shot twice by police and died when he was taken to hospital.

Five people died in the attack, including PC Palmer.

In April, in central Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, a hijacked truck was deliberately driven into crowds before being crashed through a corner of a department store

The day after the Westminster attack, a man in Antwerp drove into a crowded shopping area in the Belgian city in an attempted attack, but no one was injured.

In April, in central Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, a hijacked truck was deliberately driven into crowds before being crashed through a corner of a department store.

An ISIS-inspired massacre took place in Germany when a terrorist drove a truck through a Christmas market in Berlin .

Twelve people were killed in the attack on December 19.

Anis Amri stole a cargo truck and killed 12 people when he drove through a Christmas market next to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church at Breitscheidplatz.

Among the dozen people killed was the original driver of the truck Lukasz Urban who was found dead with a gunshot wound in the passenger street.

An ISIS-inspired massacre took place in Germany when a terrorist drove a truck through a Christmas market in Berlin

The wreckage of a truck which crashed into a department store in Stockholm, leaving bodies and devastation in its wake

Amri was a Tunisian who had failed to gain asylum status in the country. He was killed in Milan four days later after an international manhunt.

But the most deadly was the driver of a tractor-trailer who targeted Bastille Day revelers in the southern French city of Nice in July 2016.

On the evening of July 14, a 19-tonne cargo truck was driven into crowds on the Promenage des Anglais.

ISIS fanatic Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel was behind the wheel and after exchanging gunfire with police, the Tunisian migrant was shot dead.

Thousands had gathered on the seafront to watch the fireworks that night. 86 of them died and 434 were injured.
Prime Minister Theresa May has condemned the New York terror attack and told the American people 'together we will defeat terrorism'.

Eight people were killed and 11 injured after a truck mounted a bicycle path in lower Manhattan this afternoon.

The attacker was heard shouting 'Allahu Akbar' as he ploughed into cyclists and runners.

Terrorist Sayfullo Saipov came to a stop by crashing into a school bus after plowing through others on the bike path

The rented Home Depot truck which plowed through cyclists and runners on a bicycle path on the West Side Highway in lower Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon

Responding to the atrocity in Manhattan, Mrs May tweeted: 'Appalled by this cowardly attack, my thoughts are with all affected.

'Together we will defeat the evil of terrorism. UK stands with #NYC.'

US President Donald Trump tweeted a similar message of defiance.

He wrote: 'We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere. Enough!'

Mr Trump later posted: 'My thoughts, condolences and prayers to the victims and families of the New York City terrorist attack. God and your country are with you!

The terrorist responsible for the horrific attack was 29-year-old Uzbek Sayfullo Saipov.

The attacker has been named as 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov (pictured, at the scene) from Florida. Witnesses said he did not resist arrest after being shot in the stomach on Tuesday afternoon

He had mounted the bicycle path at Houston Street at 3.05pm and driven 17 blocks in his rented truck, knocking down victims before coming to a stop at Chambers Street where he eventually crashed in to a school bus.

He then emerged waving a paintball gun in one hand and a pellet gun in the other.

He was shot in the stomach by an on-duty NYPD officer and is now in hospital under police supervision.
New York's mayor and governor overcame their mutual loathing on Tuesday to denounce terrorism in the wake of a shocking attack on civilians that has left at least eight dead.

Mayor Bill De Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo joined representatives of the city's first responders on Tuesday afternoon after a man plowed a truck into cyclists and pedestrians before reportedly shouting 'Allahu Akbar'.

Speaking on the incident, Cuomo - flanked by De Blasio, promised that the evening's Halloween parade would go on, and that the public should 'Be New Yorkers - live your life and don't let them deter us in any manner shape or form.'

But this union will be short lived, as the two Democrats loathe one another.

Scroll down for video

New York Mayor Bill De Blasio (right) and Governor Andrew Cuomo (speaking) overcame their mutual loathing to call for solidarity among New Yorkers Tuesday

They spoke up after this man - reportedly Sayfullo Saipov, 29 - allegedly drove into crowds of civilians over 17 blocks, killing at least eight and injuring many more

Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, 29, reportedly drove through civilians over a series of blocks from Houston Street to Chambers Street where he struck a school bus, just blocks from Ground Zero.

He then allegedly got out of the truck wielding paintball and pellet guns before being shot and arrested by a police officer.

Saipov, 29, a citizen of Uzbekistan who lives in Florida, has been named as the driver by inside sources. Police have not yet officially named him

Two children and two adults on the bus have been hospitalized; no others on the bus were hurt. Six people died at the scene and two more died in hospital.

De Blasio said that 'Based on the information we have at this moment, this was an act of terror, and a particularly cowardly act of terror' that targeted unaware civilians.

'This attack was intended to break our spirit,' he continued, 'but we also know that New Yorkers are strong, New Yorkers are resilient, and our spirit will never be moved by an act of violence, an act meant to intimidate us.'

He then introduced Cuomo, offered similar thoughts, saying that the victims 'left the house this morning, they were enjoying the beautiful West Side of Manhattan on a beautiful Fall day.

'They and they are not going to return and the shock and the pain is going to be very real.'

As well as the eight killed, several - including at least two children - have been hospitalized.

Cuomo went on to say that the attack was likely caused by the 'lone wolf' attacked called for by ISIS.

De Blasio and Cuomo were once friends, but they represent different Democrat philosophies - Cuomo is business friendly; De Blasio backed Occupy Wall Street - and they fell out

The truck mounted the bicycle path on the West Side Highway 17 blocks north of Chambers Street in Tribeca in lower Manhattan. It struck a school bus on Chambers, injuring four

Saipov turned on to the bike track at Houston Street then drove for 17 blocks southbound. The pathway leads from Greenwich Village down to Tribeca

Both he and Be Blasio promised that New Yorkers would see more police, including heavy arms units, throughout the next few days, including ramped up protection for the Halloween Parade to take place on Tuesday night.

That was only out of 'an abundance of caution,' Cuomo said, and not an indication that any other attacks are actually expected.

To see the governor and mayor side by side should not be a surprise, given the nature of the attack.

But their conference would have been even more uncomfortable for the pair, given that the Democrat politicians have a long-standing hatred of one another.

Once, they were friends - to the extent that when Cuomo was Bill Clinton's Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), he selected De Blasio to run the New York-New Jersey office of HUD, Vice reported.

New York Mayor Bill De Blasio (center) and Governor Andrew Cuomo overcame their mutual loathing to call for solidarity among New Yorkers Tuesday

But as the years wound on, a divide opened up between them that reflects the two main halves of the modern Democratic party.

Cuomo represented the business-focused, millionaire-friendly wing of the Democrat party; De Blasio pushed a more egalitarian, anti-status-quo philosophy.

He even marched with Occupy Wall Street, which had criticized Cuomo for his reticence in backing a millionaire's tax.

On his election in 2013, De Blasio proposed free kindergarten in the five boroughs, to be paid for using a tax on the wealthy.

Cuomo immediately attacked it, saying it would scare off wealthy New Yorkers; his alternative, partial state funding was untenable, De Blasio said.

Cuomo ultimately signed off on a bigger state fund for the kindergartens, but the following year he reneged on an agreement to help flip the state senate to the Democrats in exchange for De Blasio backing a third party.

They then butted heads repeatedly over the coming years.

The driver of a truck which mowed down seven people on the West Side Highway bike path on Tuesday afternoon is pictured after emerging from the vehicle with a fake firearm in his hand

The rented Home Depot truck which plowed through cyclists and runners on a bicycle path on the West Side Highway in lower Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon. Its driver was shot in the leg by police and is in hospital

De Blasio was accused of having 'blood on his hands' by the NYPD in 2015 after he talked about his own interracial kids' experiences with racism following controversy over the shooting of black suspects; Cuomo remained quiet.

The same year, Cuomo shut down New York's subways during a blizzard without telling De Blasio.

Early the following year, Cuomo demanded that the state's substantial homeless population be moved into shelters in sub-zero weather.

His aide said that it was inspired by the city's substantial homeless population; De Blasio and his staff groused that the NYPD and local authorities did that anyway - and said Cuomo's command didn't offer any money or help in continuing the job.

And in October a state ethics panel focused on De Blasio's political nonprofit organization and served a subpoena on City Hall demanding information on donors, funds and workers.

Since then, their war has turned very public.

On the subject of the state's subway funding, Cuomo complained in August that the city didn't pay enough while De Blasio told reporters that Cuomo is 'responsible. It's clear. Just take ownership and fix the problem.'

That same month, De Blasio offered a solution, once more proposing a tax on the very rich to pay for it.

A woman is seen being treated by paramedics at the scene of the attack in Tribeca, downtown Manhattan, on Tuesday

Medical bags are seen being transported to the scene of the crash where several people were run down over a string of blocks by a Home Depot truck

Cuomo - once more in the sticky situation of putting populism against his business-friendly politics - has said such an idea would have to wait until after November, when De Blasio runs for re-election.

Even on the subject of a deer, the pair fell out. After the animal strayed into Harlem's Jackie Robinson Park in 2016, Cuomo offered to help relocate it, the New York Times reported.

That went against state rules of not paying for city wildlife concerns, but he said it was needed 'because acceptable release sites are not available and because the poor chances for deer survival do not warrant the risks.'

De Blasio said the deer wouldn't survive relocation and should be put down, but eventually gave in after Cuomo took to Twitter to demand 'everything' be done to 'save the Harlem deer'.

'Bureaucracy lost' Richard Azzopardi, a spokesman for the governor, responded on on Twitter.

Bill Hyers, who managed De Blasio's 2013 mayoral campaign, was more abrupt: 'Andrew Cuomo is an idiot,' he said.
Incredible video shows the moment the suspected Uzbek national terror attacker waived two imitation guns around before being shot in the stomach by a single NYPD officer who stopped the carnage of Tuesday's horrific attack from being much worse.

Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, 29, was taken into custody by police after he was shot by hero NYPD officer Ryan Nash, 28, while trying to flee the attack scene shouting 'Allahu Akbar'.

The 29-year-old man is suspected of killing eight people and injuring several others when he mowed them down driving a Home Depot truck.

A federal law enforcement source told CBS News that a note was found in the suspect's truck that made reference to ISIS.

Saipov, who used addresses in both Florida and most recently New Jersey, is out of surgery and in recovery at a New York hospital.

Authorities searched the parking lot of a Home Depot in Passaic, New Jersey as it's believed he rented the truck used in the attack from that location. It's unclear if they recovered a vehicle that belonged to Saipov.

Video from the scene shows the suspect running in the middle of the street while carrying a paintball gun and a pellet a gun, which police believed to be real weapons at the time.

The clip was filmed from inside of an office building at the scene, as employees can be heard sounding terrified of the suspect in the street.

On the run: Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov allegedly killed at least eight people when he mowed them down on the West Side Highway bike path on Tuesday afternoon. He is pictured above after emerging from the vehicle a paintball gun and a pellet a gun trying to flee

Saipov was taken into custody by police after he was shot in the stomach by NYPD officer Ryan Nash, 28. He is pictured above on the ground after being shot

The 29-year-old man, who used addresses in both Florida and most recently New Jersey, is out of surgery and in recovery at a New York hospital. He is an Uzbek national

Saipov is pictured above moments after crashing the rented Home Depot truck as he tried to flee the scene on Tuesday before being shot

NYPD officer Ryan Nash (above), 28, is being credited with stopping the attack from becoming worse by shooting Saipov

Nash joined the NYPD in July 2012 and is a Long Island resident, police sources told the Daily News. He was commended by NYPD Commissioner James O'Neil for his efforts

Five members of this group of Argentinian friends were killed when they were struck while on a school reunion holiday in New York. A sixth victim, Martin Marro, is in hospital recovering from injuries. A Belgian was also among those killed in the attack

Marro (left) is hospitalized at the Presbyterian Hospital of Manhattan and his wife, Mariana (right), is by his side. He is pictured above left last week with Gov. Charlie Baker (center) at a fundraiser he hosted with his wife

Moments later, Nash shot Saipov in the suspect, causing him to collapse to the ground in the street, which is not far from the World Trade Center.

Sirens can be heard rushing to the hectic scene that left millions on high alert in the city and across the country.

Nash is assigned to Lower Manhattan's 1st Precinct and arrived to the scene after responding to a call of a nonviolent, emotionally disturbed person outside Stuyvesant High School, the New York Daily News reported.

Nash joined the NYPD in July 2012 and is a Long Island resident, police sources told the Daily News.

He is being credited with stopping the tragedy from becoming worse and was commended by NYPD Commissioner James O'Neil for his efforts.

'I want commend the response of our NYPD officer that was on post near the location who stopped the carnage moments after it began,' O'Neill told reporters at a press conference Tuesday evening.

The horrific attack happened shortly after 3pm when the driver mounted the bicycle path at Houston Street and drove 17 blocks downtown, knocking down victims before coming to a stop at Chambers Street where he eventually crashed in to a school bus.

There were two children and two adults inside the bus at the time. They are among the 15 injured people now in hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Information about the victims of the terror attack began emerging on Monday evening.

Among those killed were five Argentinians in New York for a class of 1987 school reunion, according to the Argentine government. They were named as Ariel Erlij, Hernan Diego Mendoza, Diego Enrique Angelini, Alejandro Damian Pagnucco and Hernan Ferruchi.

Saipov turned on to the bike track at Houston Street then drove for 17 blocks southbound. The pathway leads from Greenwich Village down to Tribeca. Saipov drove the full distance, only coming to a stop when he hit a school bus at Chambers Street

The rented Home Depot truck, which plowed through cyclists and runners on a bicycle path on the West Side Highway in lower Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon, is pictured above

The truck came to a stop by crashing into a school bus after plowing through others on the bike path. The two adults and two children inside the bus were injured

The driver eventually came to a stop beneath the TriBeCa Bridge at Chambers Street where he got out of the car and was shot. The car took with it a large amount of debris from the cycle path and beside it and was smashed in at the front

The statement said that 'a sixth victim, Martin Ludovico Marro, is hospitalized at the Presbyterian Hospital of Manhattan recovering from injuries suffered, out of danger according to the official medical part.'

'The compatriots, from the city of Rosario, were part of a group of friends celebrating the 30th anniversary of their graduation from the polytechnic school of that city when the tragic event occurred,' it continued.

'The consulate general continues working in permanent contact with the police authorities and the hospital that received the affected, as well as with the relatives in Argentina.

'We accompany the families in this terrible moment of deep pain, which all Argentines share.'

Marro, a native of Argentina, actually lived in Newtown, Massachusetts. He had recently met up with his friends from Argentina shortly before the attack happened.

Newtown City Councilor James Cote said Marro's injuries are non-life-threatening, and that his wife, Mariana, is in New York with him, NECN reported.

Erlij, 48, was a steel mill owner who had paid for flights for several of his friends so they could attend, according to local Argentine newspapers, The Guardian reported.

Also among the dead was one Belgian, Didier Reynders, deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister for Belgium, confirmed. Three other Belgians were among the wounded.

'I am deeply saddened to announce a Belgian victim in Manhattan,' Reynders tweeted. 'I express my condolences to the family and friends.'

He said the three others that were hurt were 'in the operating room'.

A vehicle is surrounded by a police perimeter in the parking lot of a Home Depot store in Passaic, New Jersey where authorities believe Saipov rented the truck used in the attack

'I am deeply saddened to announce a Belgian victim in Manhattan,' he tweeted. 'I express my condolences to the family and friends.'

At a press conference at Police Plaza shortly after the attack, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio condemned the attack as a 'cowardly act of terror'.

'We know this action was intended to break out spirit. But we also know New Yorkers are strong, resilient and our spirit will never be moved by an act of violence or an act meant to intimidate us.

'Based on the information we have, this was an act of terror and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians, people going about their lives,' he said.

Saipov is pictured in an arrest photo after he failed to pay a traffic citation in St. Charles County, Missouri 2016

De Blasio was joined by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo who prayed for those killed.

'It reminds us all how precious life is. They left the house the morning, they were enjoying the beautiful west side of Manhattan on a beautiful fall day and now they will not be returning home.

'That shock and that pain is going to be very real,' he said.

President Trump acknowledged the attack on Twitter, describing the perpetrator as a 'sick' individual.

'In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!' he said.

First Lady Melania Trump, who was in Manhattan when the attack occurred, said: 'My heart breaks for NYC today.

'Thoughts & prayers as we monitor the situation.'

The front of the Tampa, Florida apartment building where Saipov also listed as an address is pictured on Tuesday night

Members of the Paterson police department block of Genesse Ave. near Getty Ave. where it is believed that Saipov 29, lived in an apartment building

It's unclear if anyone else lived in the Paterson apartment with Saipov

Records show Saipov used the address in Paterson, New Jersey (file above) that he provided police during a Pennsylvania traffic stop from 2015

The annual Halloween Parade started at 7pm with an increased police presence among the estimated two million who attended the event. In addition, bolstered police patrols are expected across the city in the coming days and weeks.

Saipov is an Uzbek national who came to the U.S. in 2010, according to NBC. At the time of his arrest on Tuesday, he was carrying a Florida identification card that listed a Tampa address, but he also used an address in New Jersey.

The suspect was said to be 'very friendly', as he also reportedly worked for Uber, according to one of his friends, Kobiljon Matkarov.

The 37-year-old told The New York Post that he met Saipov roughly five years ago in Florida where they became friends.

'He is very good guy, he is very friendly he is like little brother he look at me like big brother,' Matkarov told the Post by phone from his home in Miamisburg, Ohio.

'My kids like him too, he is always playing with them. He is playing all the time.'

Court records show Saipov was stopped in Mount Holly Springs Borough, Pennsylvania on March 26, 2015 by Deputy Ron Hoover of the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department

Saipov, who provided authorities with an address in Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to a single charge of maximum length of a single trailer and paid the fees associated with the citation

He said that Saipov had been living in New Jersey and working for Uber as recently as this past summer.

Uber told the Post on Tuesday night: 'We are horrified by this senseless of violence. Our hearts are with the victims and their families. We have reached out to law enforcement to provide our full assistance.'

The company said that he had passed a background check by the company and that they are now 'aggressively' reviewing his history with them, although they had not yet found any 'concerning safety reports.'

The company added that he has been banned from the app.

Matkarov said that Saipov took him to John F. Kennedy Airport back in June when he flew to Uzbekistan with his children and wife.

'He dropped me to the airport with my family I called him and said I needed a ride,' Matkarov stated.

But Matkarov said that his son asked for a photo when they were departing and Saipov declined.

Matkarov said Saipov got along well with his five kids, who enjoyed playing with him.

'He no like that. He said no,' Matkarov said.

He added that he did not know Saipov to have any terrorist corrections.

According to online records, he worked as a commercial truck driver and had also lived in Ohio previously. He also has a minor criminal record for traffic offenses in Missouri and Pennsylvania.

Saipov provided an address in St Charles County, Missouri for that traffic violation, which shows the location is registered address for STL Logistics LLC.

That company had a Freightliner tractor and semi-trailer registered, records show.

He was arrested by St. Charles County police after failing to pay a traffic citation.

Court records also show he was stopped in Mount Holly Springs Borough, Pennsylvania on March 26, 2015 by Deputy Ron Hoover of the Cumberland County Sheriff's Department.

Saipov, who provided authorities with an address in Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to a single charge of maximum length of a single trailer and paid the fees associated with the citation.

He has two businesses registered in Ohio- Sayf Motors Inc. in Hamilton County from May 2011 and Bright Auto LLC in Cuyahoga Falls from August 2013.

According to state records, Sayf Motors Inc. is located at an apartment in Cincinnati and the license remains active.

Bright Auto LLC is also based in an apartment and records show the company is an active carrier registered with the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Records show that the trucking company has one truck and one driver.
A heartbroken mother in China who killed her disabled son after taking care of him devotedly for decades has been spared jail.

The court showed mercy to Ms Huang, 83, who claimed she chose to end her son's life because she didn't want him to suffer when she dies.

Ms Huang said she had looked after her child, who was born with severe disabilities, for 46 years before coming to the difficult decision.

Ms Huang was given a three-year imprisonment suspended for four years on October 26.

Ms Huang, 83, weeps as she tells a court in China why she decided to kill her disabled son

Ms Huang dosed her severely-ill son with sleeping pills before strangling him to death

According to People's Daily Online, Ms Huang dosed her 46-year-old son with sleeping pills at home in Yuexiu district of Guangzhou, Guangdong Province on May 9.

She then covered her son's mouth with a quilt and strangled him.

Ms Huang turned herself in on the same day, presenting a paper listing her son's physical condition and claiming that she was the only person responsible for the killing.

She explained to the police that her son was born with disabilities, including mental defects and rickets, that left him having difficulties in talking and walking.

The problem worsened when her son reached the age of 30 as he developed muscular dystrophy and became bed-ridden.

She refused to send her son to caretaker's home and community centre, said Ms Huang's another son.

She explained that she could no longer take care of her son, considering her own health

She was given a three-year imprisonment suspended for four years by Judge Wan

Ms Huang turned herself in on May 9 and claimed that she was the only person involved

'My brother couldn't talk and couldn't take care of himself. My mother had been sharing a room with him for a few years, feeding him food and taking shower for him,' Mr Li said.

The first hearing section was carried out at Guangzhou Yuexiu district Intermediate People's Court on September 21, where Ms Huang admitted to an account of manslaughter.

Ms Huang stated that she had been struggling to take care of her son in the past two years as she got older.

'I'm worried that I would leave before him and I didn't want to pass this responsibility to my elder son. I had been thinking about it for a long time before deciding to put an end on his life,' she cried.

Public prosecutor Qiu Lingzhu, agreed that Ms Huang had broken the laws and orders.

However, given by the situation, Qiu believed that Ms Huang killed her son 'out of love and care'.

She did not wish to put burden on her eldest son for taking care of the younger brother

Prosecutor Qiu Lingzhu believed that Ms Huang was doing it 'out of love and affection'

'The mother had taken away her son's right to live, but considering her motives were not as serious as other crimes and passing the age of 75 years old, a suspended sentence can be given out,' said the public prosecutor.

Huang's family had also written a pleading letter to prove the elderly woman's affection to her son.

Judge Wan Yunfeng, president of Guangzhou Yuexiu district Intermediate People's Court, delivered a sentence on October 26 that defendant Ms Huang, was charged with an account of voluntary manslaughter.

Ms Huang will face a three-year imprisonment and receive a four-year suspended sentence.

Judge Wan's verdict revealed that the defendant had intentionally killed her son out of love. Given that the defendant, at the age over 75 years old, had turned herself in, the sentencing will be reduced.
The face of an 18th-century 'witch' who died in jail before she could be burned for her 'crimes' has been digitally reconstructed.

Lilias Adie, from Torryburn, Fife, died in 1704 while held in prison for her 'confessed' crimes of being a witch and having sex with the devil.

Researchers believe it is likely to be the only accurate likeness of a Scottish 'witch' in existence as most were burned, destroying any hope of reconstructing their faces from skulls.

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The face of an 18th-century 'witch' who died in jail before she could be burned for her 'crimes' has been digitally reconstructed. Researchers believe it is likely to be the only accurate likeness of a Scottish 'witch' in existence

WHO WAS LILIAS ADIE? Lilias Adie, from Torryburn, Fife, died in 1704 while held in prison for her 'confessed' crimes of being a witch and having sex with the devil. Her remains were buried on the beach between the low and the high tide marks under a large stone. By the 19th century, scientific curiosity outweighed zombie fears and some antiquarians dug up Ms Adie's remains to study and display. Her skull eventually went to the St Andrews University Museum, where it was photographed more than 100 years ago. It then went missing at some point in the 20th century but the images remain and are held by the National Library of Scotland. The records of her accusers paint a picture of a woman, possibly in her 60s, who may have been frail for some time, with failing eyesight. They also suggest a woman who showed courage in holding off her accusers and their demands for the names of others to interrogate and kill. Advertisement

BBC Radio Scotland's Time Travels programme unmasked her face by working with a forensic artist at the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at the University of Dundee.

Presenter Susan Morrison said: 'It was a truly eerie moment when the face of Lilias suddenly appeared.

'Here was the face of a woman you could have a chat with, though knowing her story it was a wee bit difficult to look her in the eye.'

Dr Christopher Rynn, who carried out the work using state-of-the-art 3D virtual sculpture, said: 'When the reconstruction is up to the skin layer, it's a bit like meeting somebody and they begin to remind you of people you know, as you're tweaking the facial expression and adding photographic textures.

'There was nothing in Lilias' story that suggested to me that nowadays she would be considered as anything other than a victim of horrible circumstances, so I saw no reason to pull the face into an unpleasant or mean expression and she ended up having quite a kind face, quite naturally.'

Ms Adie had been sentenced to be burned to death but died in prison beforehand, with one theory being she committed suicide.

Her remains were buried on the beach between the low and the high tide marks under a large stone.

Locals had sought to weigh down Ms Adie in her grave, perhaps to prevent her coming back to haunt them.

By the 19th century, scientific curiosity outweighed zombie fears and some antiquarians dug up Ms Adie's remains to study and display.

Her skull eventually went to the St Andrews University Museum, where it was photographed more than 100 years ago.

By the 19th century, scientific curiosity outweighed zombie fears and some antiquarians dug up Ms Adie's remains to study and display. Her skull eventually went to the St Andrews University Museum, where it was photographed more than 100 years ago

It then went missing at some point in the 20th century but the images remain and are held by the National Library of Scotland.

The records of her accusers paint a picture of a woman, possibly in her 60s, who may have been frail for some time, with failing eyesight.

They also suggest a woman who showed courage in holding off her accusers and their demands for the names of others to interrogate and kill.

Programme historian Louise Yeoman added: 'I think she was a very clever and inventive person. The point of the interrogation and its cruelties was to get names.

The records of her accusers paint a picture of a woman, possibly in her 60s, who may have been frail for some time, with failing eyesight. They also suggest a woman who showed courage in holding off her accusers and their demands for the names of others to interrogate and kill

Lilias Adie, from Torryburn, Fife, died in 1704 while held in prison for her 'confessed' crimes of being a witch and having sex with the devil

'Lilias said that she couldn't give the names of other women at the witches' gatherings as they were masked like gentlewomen.

'She only gave names which were already known and kept up coming up with good reasons for not identifying other women for this horrendous treatment - despite the fact it would probably mean there was no let-up for her.

'It's sad to think her neighbours expected some terrifying monster when she was actually an innocent person who'd suffered terribly. The only thing that's monstrous here is the miscarriage of justice.'

The Halloween Time Travels special airs in the UK at 13.30 on Tuesday 31 October.
A British city was gripped by the dread of witchcraft for more than a century, new research has found.

Historian Mark Stoyle has discovered Exeter was not only the last place in England where people were hanged for practising 'dark arts', but these were just the last in a series of executions which may have begun as early as 1566.

The Devon city may have been one of the first places in the kingdom to sentence a witch to death, he said.

New evidence reveals that between the accession of Elizabeth I in 1558 and Charles II in 1660, more than 20 women and men were accused of being 'witches' or 'sorcerers' and denounced to magistrates.

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Exeter was not only the last place in England where people were hanged for practising 'dark arts', but these were just the last in a series of executions which may have begun as early as 1566. Pictured is a woodcut illustration from a book published in 1579 of a witch feeding her familiars with blood

EXETER'S WITCHES Historian Mark Stoyle has discovered Exeter was not only the last place in England where people were hanged for practising 'dark arts', but these were just the last in a series of executions which may have begun as early as 1566. The Devon city may have been one of the first places in the kingdom to sentence a witch to death, he said. New evidence reveals that between the accession of Elizabeth I in 1558 and Charles II in 1660, more than 20 women and men were accused of being 'witches' or 'sorcerers' and denounced to magistrates. Advertisement

Many were believed to possess 'familiar spirits' - demons in the shape of small animals, like rats and toads, which unleashed their evil powers to 'waste' both livestock and humans on the witches' behalf.

Professor Stoyle, of the University of Southampton, said: 'It's long been known that Exeter witnessed the last English witch executions.

'In 1683 three elderly women from North Devon - Temperance Lloyd, Susannah Edwards and Mary Trembles - were hanged at Heavitree Gallows, while in 1685, another Devon woman, Alice Molland, was sentenced to death at the Exeter Assizes.

'What we didn't realise before was that further alleged witches were also executed in Exeter over the preceding 100 years.'

Many witches were believed to possess 'familiar spirits' - demons in the shape of small animals, like rats and toads, which unleashed their evil powers to 'waste' both livestock and humans on the witches' behalf. Pictured is a woodcut illustration form a book published in 1579

Professor Stoyle added: 'The world-famous witch trials at Salem, in colonial America, have been the subject of many books and films, as has the mass witch-hunt led by Matthew Hopkins - the so-called Witchfinder General - in East Anglia in the UK between 1645 and 1647.

'Yet it's too rarely appreciated that there were other centres of witch-prosecution in Tudor and Stuart England as well.

'In Exeter, there was a long succession of indictments and prosecutions during the 16th and 17th centuries, which resulted in many unlucky women and men being banished, imprisoned or sent to the gallows.'

Professor Stoyle, of the University of Southampton, said: 'In Exeter, there was a long succession of indictments and prosecutions during the 16th and 17th centuries, which resulted in many unlucky women and men being banished, imprisoned or sent to the gallows'

The deep roots of witch belief in the city are revealed in a new book by Professor Stoyle, 'Witchcraft In Exeter: 1558-1660'.

Sourced from centuries-old court records, manuscript chronicles and registers of births, marriages and deaths, it charts the progress of each case of alleged 'witchcraft' from accusation to ultimate sentence.

Among the cases is one which occurred soon after a parliamentary statute of 1563 first decreed that those convicted of using 'conjurations, enchantments and witchcrafts' should suffer the death penalty.

THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS In 1692, mass hysteria swept through Salem, Massachusetts. Superstitious townspeople, fearful of the devil, began accusing men and women of witchcraft and hounded scores of 'witches' to put on trial. The hysteria began after a group of young girls in claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several local women of witchcraft. As a hysteria spread throughout Massachusetts, a court convened in Salem to hear the cases. In 1692, mass hysteria swept through Salem, Massachusetts. Superstitious townspeople, fearful of the devil, began accusing men and women of witchcraft and hounded scores of 'witches' to put on trial The first convicted witch, Bridget Bishop, was hanged that June. Eighteen others followed and some 150 more men, women and children were accused over the next several months. Trials continued until May 1693. But by that May, the governor of Massachusetts had pardoned and released all those in prison. Advertisement

Two local women, Maud Park and Alice Mead, appeared before the city court in 1566 and were charged with causing death and physical injury through the exercise of 'magic art'.

Park and Mead were both found guilty, and although no record of their execution survives, if they did indeed fall victim to the noose - as seems all too likely - then they were among the first people in England to be executed for witchcraft following the passage of the statute.

Further hangings of witches took place in the city soon after this case.
From Vesuvius to Krakatoa, the Earth's supervolcanoes have caused widespread destruction.

But a new study suggests that the devastation caused by these eruptions is nothing in comparison to explosions to come.

Researchers indicate that future eruptions will have the potential to affect global temperatures and precipitation more dramatically because of climate change.

They say future eruptions could plunge the Earth into 'years without summer' as climate change reduces oceans' ability to buffer impacts.

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From Vesuvius to Krakatoa, several volcanoes have famously erupted in the past, causing widespread destruction. But a new study suggests that the devastation caused by these eruptions was nothing in comparison to explosions to come (stock image)

WHY AN ERUPTION WOULD BE WORSE IN 2085 If Mount Tambora erupted in 2085, Earth would experience a similar increase in land area covered by snow and ice. But the ocean's ability to moderate the cooling would be substantially reduced. As a result, the magnitude of Earth's surface cooling could be as much as 40 per cent greater in the future. The reason for the change has to do with a more stratified ocean. As the climate warms, sea surface temperatures increase. The warmer water at the ocean's surface is then less able to mix with the colder, denser water below. Water that was cooled after the volcanic eruption would become trapped at the surface instead of mixing deeper into the ocean, reducing the heat released into the atmosphere. Advertisement

Researchers from the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Colorado focused on the cataclysmic eruption of Indonesia's Mount Tambora in April 1815.

They found that if a similar eruption occurred in the year 2085, temperatures would plunge more deeply.

The researchers suggest that the reason for the difference in climate response between 1815 and 2085 is tied to the oceans, which are expected to become more stratified as the planet warms, and less able to moderate the climate impacts caused by volcanic eruptions.

Dr John Fasullo, lead author of the study, said: 'We discovered that the oceans play a very large role in moderating, while also lengthening, the surface cooling induced by the 1815 eruption.

'The volcanic kick is just that - it's a cooling kick that lasts for a year or so.

'But the oceans change the timescale. They act to not only dampen the initial cooling but also to spread it out over several years.'

When Mount Tambora erupted, the volcano spewed a huge amount of sulphur dioxide into the upper atmosphere, where it turned sulphate particles into aerosols.

The layer of light-reflecting aerosols cooled Earth, and led to an extremely cold summer in 1816, especially across Europe and the northeast of North America.

The 'year without a summer' is blamed for widespread crop failure and disease, causing more than 100,000 deaths globally.

To understand how the climate effects might differ in a future eruption, the researchers looked at two sets of computer simulations.

When Mount Tambora (pictured) erupted, the volcano spewed a huge amount of sulphur dioxide into the upper atmosphere, where it turned sulphate particles into aerosols

The first simulated Earth's climate from 850 to 2005, including volcanic eruptions in the historic record.

The second modelled Earth's climate recreated a hypothetical Mount Tambora eruption in 2085.

The historical simulation revealed two key processes that helped regulate Earth's temperature after Tambora's eruption.

As aerosols in the stratosphere began blocking some of the sun's heat, this cooling was intensified by an increase in the amount of land covered by snow and ice, which reflected heat back to space.

THE 1813 ERUPTION OF MOUNT TAMBORA Researchers from the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Colorado focused on the cataclysmic eruption of Indonesia's Mount Tambora in April 1815, which is thought to have triggered the so-called 'year without a summer' in 1816. When Mount Tambora erupted, the volcano spewed a huge amount of sulphur dioxide into the upper atmosphere, where it turned sulphate particles into aerosols. The layer of light-reflecting aerosols cooled Earth, and led to an extremely cold summer in 1816, especially across Europe and the northeast of North America. The 'year without a summer' is blamed for widespread crop failure and disease, causing more than 100,000 deaths globally. Advertisement

At the same time, the oceans served as an important counterbalance.

As the surface of the oceans cooled, the colder water sank, allowing warmer water to rise and release more heat into the atmosphere.

By the time the oceans had cooled substantially, the aerosol layer had started to clear, allowing more of the sun's heat to reach Earth's surface again.

At that point, the ocean took on the opposite role, keeping the atmosphere cooler, since the oceans take much longer to warm back up than land.

When Mount Tambora (pictured) erupted, the volcano spewed a huge amount of sulphur dioxide into the upper atmosphere, where it turned sulphate particles into aerosols. The layer of light-reflecting aerosols cooled Earth, and led to an extremely cold summer in 1816, especially across Europe and the northeast of North America

Dr Fasullo explained: 'In our model runs, we found that Earth actually reached its minimum temperature the following year, when the aerosols were almost gone.

'It turns out the aerosols did not need to stick around for an entire year to still have a year without a summer in 1816, since by then the oceans had cooled substantially.'

When the scientists studied how the climate in 2085 would respond to a hypothetical eruption that mimicked Mount Tambora's, they found that Earth would experience a similar increase in land area covered by snow and ice.

But the ocean's ability to moderate the cooling would be substantially reduced in 2085.

As a result, the magnitude of Earth's surface cooling could be as much as 40 per cent greater in the future.

The reason for the change has to do with a more stratified ocean.

This increase in ocean stratification means that the water that was cooled after the volcanic eruption becomes trapped at the surface instead of mixing deeper into the ocean, reducing the heat released into the atmosphere (stock image)

As the climate warms, sea surface temperatures increase.

The warmer water at the ocean's surface is then less able to mix with the colder, denser water below.

This increase in ocean stratification means that the water that was cooled after the volcanic eruption becomes trapped at the surface instead of mixing deeper into the ocean, reducing the heat released into the atmosphere.

The scientists also found that the future eruption would have a larger effect on rainfall than the historical eruption of Mount Tambora.

Cooler sea surface temperatures decrease the amount of water that evaporates into the atmosphere and decrease global average precipitation.

Dr Otto-Bliesner, co-author of the study, said: 'The response of the climate system to the 1815 eruption of Indonesia's Mount Tambora gives us a perspective on potential surprises for the future, but with the twist that our climate system may respond much differently.'
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The makers of the world's first hoverbike have revealed plans for a self flying air taxi that seats five.

Hoversurf, whose hoverbikes are used by police in Dubai, is launching a new product known as 'The Formula Project'.

It uses fold-away wings and 52 tiny turbine Venturi propulsion units - and its makers say experience is not necessary to navigate the skies.

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The Hoversurf drone taxi operates with 'no human factor involved', and its wings fold up, allowing it to fit in a standard car park space

THE DRONE TAXI ATAASs feature in-flight computers and hybrid FPE generators. They also include 80-centimeter platforms and can be parked in regular parking spaces. Additionally, the device's wings fold up to make it compact. Advertisement

The company also said that the device will help with traffic jams and it will be a 'solution' for people's daily commutes.

'Do you know the problem with all projects of flying cars?,' it said

'They are all made for the future, and are impossible to park at the store or put in a garage.

'FORMULA - is created for the present day.'

Hoversurf announced that the drone taxis, which they call the 'transport of the future', will be available as early as next year, and they said the taxis are safer than ground transportation.

The new product is called an ATAAS (Air Transport As A Service), and it features a computer, a security system and a drone signal

Hoversurf announced that the drone taxis, which they call the 'transport of the future', will be available as early as next year, and they said the taxis are safer than ground transportation

The new product is called an ATAAS (Air Transport As A Service), and it features a computer, a security system and a drone signal.

It monitors all ground and flying vehicles.

ATAASs can take off from and land in a parking space, and they also feature a digital map of the city and GPS.

They can be fueled at an electric charging station or a regular gas station with a hybrid power plant FPE.

Hoversurf said their new product will help solve the problem of traffic jams in major cities and that it will help people tackle their morning commutes

Pictured is a simulation of a parked air taxi, the wings of which are folded up. Hoversurf says the device will eventually replace cars

ATAASs can take off from and land in a parking space, and they also feature a digital map of the city and GPS. They can be fueled at an electric charging station or a regular gas station with a hybrid power plant FPE

Hoversurf is also responsible for the Scorpion-3, the single-seat aircraft capable of lifting a person in the sky with full passenger control.

The Scorpion-3 merges a standard motorbike design with drone quad-copter technology to allow riders to maneuver in the air as if they were riding a bike.

Hoversurf said the company's new product is safer than modes of ground transportation. The device can monitor air and ground devices around it

The company that created the air taxi says the product is expected in 2018 and that users require no prior flying experience

Creators say the Scorpion-3 can carry 266 pounds in weight while hitting 30 miles an hour and reaching 33 feet.

It can stay airborne for up to 27 minutes.

The quad-copter is available for a whopping $150,000.

While it is currently seen as an 'extreme sports' incident the company hopes that the mode of transportation will one day realize its full potential and replace cars as the go to mode

The five-seater VTOL air taxi has been dubbed the 'Formula Project' concept and Russia-based Hoversurf say it their machines are 'ready to use in real world'

The vehicle has fold-away wings, so it can fit into a normal car parking space, and uses 52 tiny turbine Venturi propulsion units to get it off the ground and propel it along

An inbuilt safety mechanism limits the maximum speed and altitude of the aircraft in order to prevent accidents.

Hoversurf creators want to provide flight to the hands 'of amateur and professional navigators'.

While it is currently seen as an 'extreme sports' incident the company hopes that the mode of transportation will one day realize its full potential and replace cars as the go to mode.

The Russian makers of the first hoverbike have created a new product: a flying taxi that seats five

The new product is called an ATAAS (Air Transport As A Service), and it features a computer, a security system and a drone signal

Hoversurf calls their new air taxis the 'transport of the future', and their new product also features GPS

Pictured is the world's first hoverbike being tested in a warehouse by Hoversurf, a tech company based in San Francisco

The Scorpion-3 merges a standard motorbike design with drone quad-copter technology to allow riders to navigate the skies as if they were riding a bike

Earlier this year, BMW unveiled a prototype flying motorbike concept called the Hover Ride.

The growing trend and developments in the world of drone-technology could lead to a revolution in everyday transportation.

Hoversurf believes the Formula Project vehicle will help fulfill their mission of "flying for everyone" and "freedom without traffic jams and traffic lights
In several states where the fight over K-12 funding moved from legislature to courtroomand, in some cases, back againthe drama continues. Heres a summary of three such battlegrounds and the implications for the amount of money districts have to spend in future years.

Mississippi

The states supreme court ruled recently that its not the legislatures obligation to fully fund that states funding formula, enshrined in state law. Moodys credit rating agency, in response, warned that the ruling will significantly hurt school districts in the long run because, they said, its less likely that the legislature will significantly increase districts funding anytime soon.



The funding formula was created by Lt. Gov. Ronnie Musgrove a decade ago and was based on the amount of money necessary for a district to receive a C on the states report card. (Musgrove subsequently filed a lawsuit on behalf of 21 districts in the state stating that the legislature is obligated to fully fund the formula).

But the states legislature has repeatedly failed to fully fund the formula, increasing the state budget by only $400 million in the last six years, at least $1.9 billion short of the necessary amount. This years budget provides the school districts $2.2 billion, $214 million less than whats required under the state formula, according to Moody.

The supreme court ruling last week removes the court from the budget-making process and gives the legislature next year free range in how it decides to upend the states funding formula yet again, an effort that culminated in a study last year but no vote.

Washington

In oral arguments earlier last week, the states supreme court justices sounded doubtful that a recent influx of money to shore up teacher salaries complies with their 2012 ruling that the state offset local education costs.

The state and the courts have been at odds for almost a decade now over the states paramount constitutional duty to provide for an adequate education.

The state has, since the 2012 McCleary v. Washington ruling, poured billions more into its districts coffers but, up until this year, had not been politically able to figure out a way to pay for a boost in pay for its new teachers. The new tax the state levied on homeowners doesnt kick in until 2019, leading justices to ask the states lawyers at a hearing on Tuesday how this complies with their 2018 deadline.

What has been brought is something that says, Well, were not going to do it at all, well do some, and well do more later, after the timeframe, said Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst.

A ruling against the state could result in fines, another contentious legislative session, or the court shutting down its school system, as former state Superintendent Randy Dorn has suggested it do.

Connecticut

Connecticuts legislature this week, passed a budget for this school year, months after its deadline. The budget provides the schools $2 billion in the 2017-18 fiscal year and will result in most of the states property-poor districts receiving the same amount of money they received last year, according to the Connecticut Post . The rest of the states districts will have around 5 percent cut from their budget.

Malloy has not yet signed the budget.

The Republican-controlled legislature had battled with the Democratic governor over how much money to give the schools amid a $3.5 billion deficit. Malloy said at the beginning of this years legislative session that he wants to preempt a pending supreme court ruling on whether the states funding formula is constitutional.

But the five-month standoff led the states teachers union to file a lawsuit to block an executive order that would result in cuts to some districts.

The supreme court began hearing the Connecticut Coalition for Justice v. Rell case last month and is expected to rule within the next year.

Dont miss another State EdWatch post. Sign up here to get news alerts in your email inbox. And make sure to follow @StateEdWatch on Twitter for the latest news from state K-12 policy and politics.
A new analysis of data from NASA's Kepler telescope has revealed a treasure trove of 20 extraterrestrial worlds astronomers say could hold life.

The new analysis includes several planets that orbit stars similar to our sun.

They include KOI-7923.01, an exoplanet 97 per cent the size of Earth, but colder.

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The 'alien tundra: The finds include KOI-7923.01, an exoplanet 97 per cent the size of Earth, but colder that astonomers says could be similar to the Arctic tundra, shown here.

THE EARTH TWIN KOI-7923.01 takes 395 Earth days to orbit its star. Its cooler temperature is due to its distance from its star and the fact that the star is slightly cooler than our sun. This means it may be a little more like tundra regions on Earth than temperate ones, but is still warm enough and large enough to hold the liquid water essential to life as we know it, New Scientist said. Advertisement

'If you had to choose one to send a spacecraft to, it's not a bad option,' Jeff Coughlin, a Kepler team lead who helped find the potential planets, told New Scientist.

KOI-7923.01 takes 395 Earth days to orbit its star.

Its cooler temperature is due to its distance from its star and the fact that the star is slightly cooler than our sun.

This means it may be a little more like tundra regions on Earth than temperate ones, but is still warm enough and large enough to hold the liquid water essential to life as we know it, New Scientist said.

However, the team admits more observations are needed before the finds can be confirmed.

The catalog was created using a new tool called the Robovetter which automatically analyses Kepler finds.

'We present the Kepler Object of Interest (KOI) catalog of transiting exoplanets based on searching four years of Kepler time series photometry,' they wrote.

'The catalog contains 8054 KOIs of which 4034 are planet candidates with periods between 0.25 and 632 days.

'Of these candidates, 219 are new in this catalog and include two new candidates in multi-planet systems (KOI-82.06 and KOI-2926.05), and ten new high-reliability, terrestrial-size, habitable zone candidates'

Earlier this year the Kepler spacecraft has detected 219 new exoplanet candidates  and ten could be habitable.

In a press briefing earlier this year at NASA's Ames Research Center, scientists revealed the 'most reliable' catalog yet of potential planets in our galaxy, bringing the total to 4,034.

According to the scientists, over 2,300 planets spotted during the Kepler missions have been confirmed so far, including over 30 terrestrial-sized planets that lie in the 'Goldilocks Zone' of their star.

In a press briefing today, scientists revealed the 'most reliable' catalog yet of potential planets in our galaxy, bringing the total to 4,034. In addition, the researchers identified a notable distinction between groupings of small planets that could help guide the search for alien life

A NEW BRANCH IN THE 'FAMILY TREE' In addition to the new exoplanet candidates, the researchers also identified a notable distinction between groupings of small planets, akin to a new branch in their 'family tree.' With the Kepler observations and the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii, the researchers found groups of small planets could be divided among two categories: rocky, Earth-sized planets, and gaseous planets smaller than Neptune. The finding suggests that  for reasons not yet understood  the universe tends to create rocky planets up to about 75 percent bigger than Earth. And, roughly half of these planets take on small amounts of hydrogen and helium, causing them to dramatically increase in size. As a result, they jump the gap, to become one of the Neptune-sized worlds. Advertisement

Of the 219 new planet candidates, 10 are near-Earth sized and orbit within the habitable zone of their host star, the Kepler scientists revealed during the briefing today.

The habitable zone represents a range in which a planet could be the right temperature to host liquid water at the surface.

With the new analysis, the number of terrestrial-sized candidates in habitable zones has now climbed to about 50, with over 30 confirmed as exoplanets.

The closest candidate to Earth is an object known as K77-11, the researchers say.

It receives just about the same amount of energy as we do from our sun, and is only slightly larger than Earth, at 1.3 Earth-radii, explained Susan Thompson, Kepler research scientist at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California.

The latest catalog represents Keplers final survey from the Cygnus constellation, and spans the spacecrafts first four years of data.

Of the 4,034 candidates identified so far, 2,335 have now been verified.

Researchers say the findings could ultimately help guide the search for alien life, offering the most complete and reliable accounting of distant worlds to date.

The latest catalog represents Keplers final survey from the Cygnus constellation, and spans the spacecrafts first four years of data. The Kepler spacecraft has detected 219 new exoplanet candidates  and ten could be habitable

With the new analysis, the number of terrestrial-sized candidates in habitable zones has now climbed to about 50, with over 30 confirmed as exoplanets

WHAT KEPLER HAS FOUND SO FAR Kepler mission Candidate exoplanets: 4,034

Confirmed exoplanets: 2,335

Confirmed exoplanets less than twice Earth-size in the habitable zone: 21 K2 mission (2014-present) Candidate exoplanets: 520

Confirmed exoplanets: 148 Source: NASA Advertisement

'This new result presented today has implications for understanding the frequency of different types of planets and galaxies, and helping us to advance our knowledge on how planets are formed,' said Mario Perez, Kepler program scientist in the Astrophysics Division of NASAs Science Mission Directorate in Washington, during the conference.

In addition to the new exoplanet candidates, the researchers also identified a notable distinction between groupings of small planets, which could help guide the search for alien life.

With the Kepler observations and the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii, the researchers found groups of small planets could be divided among two categories: rocky, Earth-sized planets, and gaseous planets smaller than Neptune.

The finding suggests that  for reasons not yet understood  the universe tends to create rocky planets up to about 75 percent bigger than Earth.

Of the 4,034 candidates identified so far, 2,335 have now been verified. Researchers say the findings could ultimately help guide the search for alien life, offering the most complete and reliable accounting of distant worlds to date

With the Kepler observations and the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii, the researchers found groups of small planets could be divided among two categories: rocky, Earth-sized planets, and gaseous planets smaller than Neptune

And, roughly half of these planets take on small amounts of hydrogen and helium, causing them to dramatically increase in size.

As a result, they jump the gap, to become one of the Neptune-sized worlds.

We like to think of this study as classifying planets in the same way that biologists identify new species of animals, said B.J. Fulton, doctoral candidate at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and the California Institute of Technology.

Finding two distinct groups of exoplanets is like discovering mammals and lizards make up distinct branches of a family tree.

The Kepler mission has spotted thousands of confirmed exoplanets over the years, with at least 30 planets not much larger than Earth now known to exist in the habitable zone.

After the fix, Kepler started its K2 mission, which has provided an ecliptic field of view with greater opportunities for Earth-based observatories in both the northern and southern hemispheres

The Kepler mission has spotted thousands of confirmed exoplanets over the years, with 21 planets not much larger than Earth now known to exist in the habitable zone  and, the latest catalog will be the best look yet at possible alien worlds

According to NASA, the new catalog is the result of the most sophisticated analyses yet, by the Kepler mission, and will give rise to new lines of exoplanet research.

The Kepler space telescope launched in 2009, in a major breakthrough in the search for Earth-sized planets outside of our solar system that may be in or near the habitable zone of their star.

Just last summer, astronomers revealed theyd discovered 197 new planet candidates, and confirmed 104 planets through the Kepler mission.

The planets, which are all between 20 and 50 per cent larger than Earth by diameter, are orbiting the M dwarf star K2-72, found 181 light years away.

At the time, the researchers led by the University of Arizona said the possibility of life on planets around a star of this kind cannot be ruled out.

The Kepler space telescope launched in 2009, in a major breakthrough in the search for Earth-sized planets outside of our solar system that may be in or near the habitable zone of their star

In the spacecraft's extended mission in 2013, it lost its ability to precisely stare at its original target area, but a fix created a second life for the telescope

Since its launch, the Kepler mission has been plagued by several setbacks  but, it has still continued to spot new objects outside of our solar system.

In its initial mission, Kepler surveyed just one patch of sky in the northern hemisphere, measuring the frequency of planets whose size and temperature might be similar to Earth orbiting stars similar to our sun.

In the spacecraft's extended mission in 2013, it lost its ability to precisely stare at its original target area, but a fix created a second life for the telescope.

After the fix, Kepler started its K2 mission, which has provided an ecliptic field of view with greater opportunities for Earth-based observatories in both the northern and southern hemispheres.

Because it covers more of the sky, the K2 mission is capable of observing a larger fraction of cooler, smaller, red-dwarf type stars.




Google has revealed the self driving minivans it hopes could revolutionise the way we travel.

At a closely guarded 'fake town' testing facility called The Castle located 120 miles southeast of San Francisco, it showed where its cars complete their equivalent of driver's education.

The tour included giving more than three dozen reporters rides in Chrysler Pacifica minivans traveling through faux neighborhoods and expressways that Waymo has built on a former Air Force located in the Californian Central Valley city of Atwater.

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Google has revealed the self driving minivans it hopes could revolutionise the way we travel. At a closely guarded 'fake town' testing facility called The Castle located 120 miles southeast of San Francisco, it showed where its cars complete their equivalent of driver's education

Waymo, hatched from a Google project started eight years ago, showed off its progress Monday during a rare peek at its secret test facility.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Waymo passenger experience begins by with a screen welcoming people aboard the vehicle, and telling them to push a blue 'start ride' button on the ceiling of the car.

Other buttons in the car include a call for help, which calls someone at a call center, pull the vehicle over and lock or unlock the doors.

During the demonstration test, the minivan moved out of the parking lot and the screen showed passengers an avatar of the van moving along the track.

Waymo, hatched from a Google project started eight years ago, showed off its progress Monday during a rare peek at a closely guarded testing facility located 120 miles southeast of San Francisco

During the demonstration test, the minivan moved out of the parking lot and the screen showed passengers an avatar of the van moving along the track

The minivans smoothly cruised the roads - driver's seat empty and passengers in the back - at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour.

During the seven-minute long ride, the van drove around the track which was set up to mimic real-life driving conditions.

For example, pedestrians and a cyclist passed by the van, and the van evaded them.

By contrast, the Waymo-powered Pacifica minivans that have been driving volunteer riders in the Phoenix area still use safety drivers to take over control if something goes wrong.

'CASTLE,' WAYMO'S FAKE 100-ACRE CITY Waymo built 'Castle,' a hidden mock city that can quickly be configured to test different scenarios. It's located north of the Merced metro area where the Castle Air Force Base used to be an has been rented by Google since 2014. As part of the initial two-year lease, the firm rented 80 acres from Merced Country for $456,000, being paid in $19,000 monthly installments. It has different driving environments including residential streets, expressway-style streets, cul-de-sacs, and parking lots. The Waymo test site is located north of the Merced metro area, where the Castle Air Force Base used to be At Castle, the roads are named after famous cars, such as DeLorean, Bullitt, Thunderbird, Fury, and Barbaro. For the structured testing, Waymo looks at how self-driving cars perform on real roads to determine how they need to practice - then they build what's required at Castle. The fake city has no buildings except one - a converted military dorm Waymo employees sleep in when they're too tired to make it back to San Francisco. It's hidden, and you need GPS coordinates to find it. Castle is located north of the Merced metro area where the Castle Air Force Base used to be, 2.5 hours from the company's headquarters. There, Waymo is testing several types of self-driving cars, including Chysler Pacificas minivans Advertisement

But Waymo's real goal is to get to the point where people in cars are nothing but passengers.

Waymo CEO John Krafcik told reporters that the company will be making some cars and freight trucks totally driverless fairly soon, though he didn't provide a specific timetable.

'We are really close,' he said.

'We are going to do it when we feel like we are ready.'

The tour included giving more than three dozen reporters rides in Chrysler Pacifica minivans traveling through faux neighborhoods and expressways that Waymo has built on a former Air Force located in the Californian Central Valley city of Atwater

The Waymo passenger experience begins by with a screen welcoming people aboard the vehicle, and telling them to push a blue 'start ride' button on the ceiling of the car

Since Google began working on self-driving cars in 2009, dozens of established automaker such as General Motors and Ford Motors have entered the race, along with other big technology companies, including Apple and ride-hailing service Uber.

The competition is so fierce and the stakes so high that Waymo is currently suing Uber, alleging that one of its former managers stole its trade secrets and took them with him when he joined Uber in 2016 as part of an elaborate scheme.

During the seven-minute long ride, the van drove around the track which was set up to mimic real-life driving conditions. For example, pedestrians and a cyclist passed by the van, and the van evaded them

The trial in that high-profile case is scheduled to begin in early December.

Waymo is hoping to infuse its technology into ride-hailing services such as its current partner, Lyft, and big-rig trucking companies.

It also intends to license its automated system to automakers such as Fiat Chrysler Automobile, which is already using it in 100 Pacifica minivans.
Mobile phones are beginning to group together your photos by category.

Using smart data recognition technology, Apple and Android devices can see exactly what's in your images.

They can categorise the photos in groups such as 'dog', 'food' and 'sunglasses'.

But now, some users have been shocked to learn that these group extend to more intimate categories, such as 'brassiere'.

Sources say 'corset' and 'girdle' are also on the searchable list.

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This data stores pictures under categories one of which is 'brassiere' and sources say 'corset' and 'girdle' are also on the searchable list (stock image)

HOW DOES IT WORK? Both iPhone and Android devices are grouping your photos using smart data image recognition technology. This data stores pictures under categories one of which is 'brassiere' and sources say 'corset' and 'girdle' are also on the searchable list. Algorithms that previously would have only been available on a large machine are not efficient enough to run on a phone which makes this tool possible. When users search in the photos app on iPhone, photos appear in a folder. You can train these algorithms to recognise the 500 most common objects seen in photos, If the image in question does not contain one of those objects it does not get tagged. Advertisement

When users search in the photos app on iPhone, photos related to that search appear in a folder.

These algorithms are able to recognise the 500 most common objects seen in photos.

Many took to Twitter to express their alarm at their intimate pictures being grouped together, writes TechCrunch.

Twitter user @ellieeewbu, who is a brand ambassador for Dodo Lashes, was one of the first to spot the photo search option.

'ATTENTION ALL GIRLS ALL GIRLS!!! Go to your photos and type in the Brassiere why are apple saving these and made it a folder!!?!!?' she tweeted.

Another user @Sophiejade98_ wrote: Typing brassiere into your photo album search bar and seeing what photos apple have saved in that file freaks me out a bit.'

However, some users reported the grouping tool working more effectively than others.

Twitter user @elie_gastelum tweeted about iPhone classifying 'Brassiere' pictures. 'Funny thing: none of these brought bra', she said.

The technology was launched on Android in May 2015 but iPhone users are only now finding out that their devices also use it.

The algorithms do not know what a 'brassiere' is but they are using this tag to group similar photos.

Previously, these algorithms would only have been able to work on large machines but now they are efficient enough to run on mobiles.

'ATTENTION ALL GIRLS ALL GIRLS!!! Go to your photos and type in the Brassiere why are apple saving these and made it a folder!!?!!?', wrote Twitter user @ellieeewbu

Another user @Sophiejade98_ wrote 'typing brassiere into your photo album search bar and seeing what photos apple have saved in that file freaks me out a bit'

The photos would only be transferred off personal phones in exceptional circumstances, such as if someone had been looking at child pornography.

If the image in question does not contain one of the objects the algorithms recognise it does not get tagged.

However, just because they are appearing in a folder does not mean they have been taken off the device.

This is the latest in a string of issues about how our devices are using advanced technology to find out details about our personal lives.

Twitter user @elie_gastelum tweeted about iPhone classifying 'Brassiere' pictures. 'Funny thing: none of these brought bra', she said

At the weekend there were concerns that rolling out facial recognition on the iPhone X could mean the technology was used as a form of surveillance in the future.

Despite Apple's safeguards, privacy activists fear the widespread use of facial recognition would 'normalise' the technology.

This could open the door to broader use by law enforcement, marketers or others of a largely unregulated tool, creating a 'surveillance technology that is abused'.

Unlocking your phone with a face scan may offer added convenience and security for iPhone users, according to Apple, which claims its 'neural engine' for FaceID cannot be tricked by a photo or hacker.

While other devices have offered facial recognition, Apple is the first to pack the technology allowing for a three-dimensional scan into a hand-held phone.

Facial recognition could open the door to broader use by law enforcement, marketers or others of a largely unregulated tool, creating a 'surveillance technology that is abused', experts have warned. Pictured is the iPhone X, which uses Face ID

'Apple has done a number of things well for privacy but it's not always going to be about the iPhone X,' said Jay Stanley, a policy analyst with the American Civil Liberties Union.

'There are real reasons to worry that facial recognition will work its way into our culture and become a surveillance technology that is abused.'

Civil liberties groups have sued over the FBI's use of its 'next generation' biometric database, which includes facial profiles, claiming it has a high error rate and the potential for tracking innocent people.

'We don't want police officers having a watch list embedded in their body cameras scanning faces on the sidewalk,' said Mr Stanley.
It has been previously described by geologists, and now scientists have finally explored a mysterious Blue Hole in the Great Barrier Reef.

The Blue Hole lies over 125 miles (200 kilometres) from Daydream Island, off the coast of north east Australia.

While little is known about the hole, the initial exploration suggests that despite extensive coral bleaching in the area, the formation is home to healthy coral colonies.

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It has been previously been described by geologists, and now scientists have finally explored a mysterious Blue Hole in the Great Barrier Reef. The Blue Hole lies over 200 kilometres from Daydream Island, off the coast of north east Australia

WHAT IS A BLUE HOLE? A blue hole is a marine sinkhole that extends well below sea level for most of its depth. The formations were created during past ice ages, when the sea level was as much as 100-120 meters lower than it is now. Over time, glacial runoff began dissolving the limestone ground, forming sinkholes with massive caverns below. The roofs of these caverns would eventually collapse, leaving deep holes in their wake. As the glaciers of the ice age steadily melted, the deep holes in the ground were filled with water, creating the blue holes we see today. Advertisement

Johnny Gaskell, a marine biologist from Whitsundays, Australia, shared a stunning image of the Blue Hole on Instagram.

He wrote: 'This Blue Hole has previously been described by geologists who suggested it could be even older than the famous Great Blue Hole, in Belize.

'Its location is in one of the least explored parts Great Barrier Reef, over 200km from Daydream Island.

'To get there we had to travel overnight for 10 hours and time the tides perfectly...Was well worth it!'

The team of divers explored just over 20 metres (65 feet) down into the Blue Hole, before hitting bare sediment that slowly sloped towards the centre.

Mr Gaskell added: 'It was great to see big healthy coral colonies. Stay tuned for video footage of the coral within...'

The discovery of healthy coral in the Blue Hole may come as a surprise to experts, following extensive coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef.

The corals of the Great Barrier Reef have undergone two successive bleaching events, in 2016 and earlier this year, raising experts' concerns about the capacity for reefs to survive under global-warming induced events.

This bleached states can last for up to six weeks, and while corals can recover if the temperature drops and the algae return, severely bleached corals die, and become covered by algae.

But the discovery of healthy coral in the Blue Hole raises hopes for the recovery of the Great Barrier Reef.

While blue holes can be found around the world, the most famous example is probably Belize's Blue Hole, which at over 300 metres (984 ft) across and 125 metres (410 ft) deep, is believed to be the largest in the world

A blue hole is a marine sinkhole that extends well below sea level for most of its depth.

The formations were created during past ice ages, when the sea level was as much as 100-120 meters lower than it is now.

Over time, glacial runoff began dissolving the limestone ground, forming sinkholes with massive caverns below.

WHAT IS CORAL BLEACHING? Corals have a symbiotic relationship with a tiny marine algae called 'zooxanthellae' that live inside and nourish them. When sea surface temperatures rise, corals expel the colorful algae. The loss of the algae causes them to bleach and turn white. This bleached states can last for up to six weeks, and while corals can recover if the temperature drops and the algae return, severely bleached corals die, and become covered by algae. In either case, this makes it hard to distinguish between healthy corals and dead corals from satellite images. Pictured is an aerial image showing some of the coral bleaching that has occurred in the Great Barrier Reef in recent years Advertisement

The roofs of these caverns would eventually collapse, leaving deep holes in their wake.

As the glaciers of the ice age steadily melted, the deep holes in the ground were filled with water, creating the blue holes we see today.

While blue holes can be found around the world, the most famous example is probably Belize's Blue Hole, which at over 300 metres (984 ft) across and 125 metres (410 ft) deep, is believed to be the largest in the world.
Two heads are better than one for this little turtle as he scampers across the ground with lightning speed.

The adorable infant mutant turtle was born in August at the home of Nong Somjai, a reptile breeder in Nonthaburi, Thailand.

The three-month-old slider turtle - nicknamed Michelangelo - has now won hundreds of fans with his rare features and cute behaviour filmed earlier this month.

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The adorable infant mutant turtle was born in August at the home of a reptile breeder Nong Somjai in Nonthaburi, Thailand

TWO-HEADED TURTLES The adorable infant mutant turtle was born in August at the home of a reptile breeder Nong Somjai in Nonthaburi, Thailand. The three-month-old slider turtle - nicknamed Michaelangelo - has now won hundreds of fans with his rare features and cute behaviour filmed earlier this month. Two-headed turtles have been born before but they are considered rare and a number of them are kept in museums. In August a similar two-headed turtle was found in a beach in Florida by researchers. Advertisement

Ms Somjai said she had been breeding turtles to sell for several years but had never seen one with two heads.

She said: 'I have had a lot of turtles but this is the first time I've had one like this. I knew about them but had never seen them.'

Two-headed turtles have been born before but they are considered rare and a number of them are kept in museums.

'I breed turtles to sell and a lot of people have been interested in this but I think we might keep him as he is very special', said Ms Somjai.

'People think that turtles are slow but no, just look at the video of how fast he goes.'

In August a similar two-headed turtle was found in a beach in Florida by researchers.

The three-month-old slider turtle - nicknamed Michaelangelo - has now won hundreds of fans with his rare features and cute behaviour filmed earlier this month

While checking empty nests left by recently hatched loggerhead turtles, scientists spotted the reptile struggling to keep up with its fellow hatchlings.

Scientists noticed the animal had two heads, and took photos that were later posted online.

'It's not rare to find a turtle born with developmental abnormalities,' Dr Kate Mansfield, who manages the university's Marine Turtle Research Group, told National Geographic.

Ms Somjai said she had been breeding turtles to sell for several years but had never seen one with two heads

The three-month old turtle was born in Nonthaburi. 'I breed turtles to sell and a lot of people have been interested in this but I think we might keep him as he is very special', said Ms Somjai

'But it is rare to find one alive - in my career I've only seen one other turtle with two heads.'

Dr Mansfield posted photos of the mutant loggerhead to Twitter after university interns found the creature.

Dr Mansfield's team later released the turtle, which quickly crawled down the beach toward the sea.

In August a similar two-headed turtle was found in a beach in Florida by researchers. While checking empty nests left by recently hatched loggerhead turtles, scientists spotted the reptile struggling to keep up with its fellow hatchlings

'It's possible it could survive, but the chances are pretty low,' Dr Mansfield said, adding that a genetic mutation likely caused the two heads.

The chances of any single hatchling surviving are extremely low, with anywhere from 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 10,000 infant turtles making it adulthood, according to statistics from the US Sea Turtle Conservancy.

Young turtles must survive fishing nets, abnormal weather patterns caused by climate change, and human developments along the Florida coastline on the reptiles' long migration routes.

Scientists noticed the animal had two heads, and took photos that were later posted online. Dr Mansfield's team later released the turtle, which quickly crawled down the beach toward the sea

Dr Mansfield said that adult sea turtles with severe abnormalities are not common, with the occasional misshapen shell spotted by her team, but rarely anything more serious.

A bizarre video that surfaced online in April showed a baby turtle with two heads and six legs found in north China's Shanxi Province.

Footage showed the baby red-eared slider as it moved around normally, with each flipper moving and all eyes blinking.

Researchers from Shanxi Medicine and Life Science Academy told Chinese media that it was 'caused by genetic mutation, just like a human.'
A worrying new online trend sees children as young as 12 posting nasty anonymous messages about themselves.

A new study has shown that one in 20 US teenagers have 'digitally self-harmed', and like its physical counterpart, the behaviour is often a cry for help.

The researchers say there may be a link between digital self-harm and suicidal thoughts and/or attempts.

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A worrying new online trend sees children as young as 12 posting nasty anonymous messages about themselves. A new study has shown that 'digital self-harm' is widespread among US teenagers, and like its physical counterpart is often a cry for help (stock image)

WHAT DID THEY FIND? The researchers quizzed nearly 6,000 US middle and high school students between 12 and 17 years old. - One in 20 had anonymously abused themselves online - Young men were more likely to have digitally self-harmed, with 7.1 per cent reporting they had done it compared to 5.3 per cent of girls - Those who identified as 'non-heterosexual were three times more likely to bully themselves online - Victims of cyberbullying were 12 times more likely to have also cyberbullied themselves - Teenagers with a history of drug use, depression symptoms, or self-harm behaviours offline were all far more likely to have digitally self-harmed Advertisement

'Like physical self-harm and depression, we need to closely look at the possibility that digital self-harm behaviours might precede suicide attempts,' study lead author Professor Sameer Hinduja, from Florida Atlantic University, said.

'We need to refrain from demonising those who bully, and come to terms with the troubling fact that in certain cases the aggressor and target may be one and the same.'

The Florida researchers quizzed nearly 6,000 middle and high school students between 12 and 17 years old for their study.

Young men were significantly more likely to have digitally self-harmed, with 7.1 per cent reporting they had done it compared to 5.3 per cent of young women.

Of those who had self-cyber bullied, around half said they had only done it once, while a third said they had done it a few times.

More than one in ten - 13.2 per cent - said they had done it 'many times'.

'The idea that someone would cyberbully themselves first gained public attention with the tragic suicide of 14-year-old Hannah Smith in 2013 after she anonymously sent herself hurtful messages on a social media platform just weeks before she took her own life,' Professor Hinduja said.

'We knew we had to study this empirically, and I was stunned to discover that about one in 20 middle- and high-school-age students have bullied themselves online.

The researchers say there may be a link between digital self-harm and suicidal thoughts and/or attempts (stock image)

'This finding was totally unexpected, even though I've been studying cyberbullying for almost 15 years.'

The researchers claim that many who engaged in the behaviour were looking for some form of response.

While boys saw the stunt as a joke or a way to get attention, girls said they did it because they were depressed or hurting emotionally.

The researchers say the latter of the two is worrying because it suggests a possible link between self-cyber bullying and suicidal thoughts and/or attempts.

HANNAH SMITH 14-year-old Hannah Smith tragically committed suicide after sending hurtful messages to herself in 2013 The idea that someone would cyberbully themselves first gained public attention with the tragic suicide of 14-year-old Hannah Smith in 2013. Hannah Smith, 14, was found hanged in her bedroom by her older sister at her home in Lutterworth, Leicestershire. Her father David Smith, 45, maintained that his daughter was driven to suicide by internet bullies posting vile messages on social networking site AskFM. But a police investigation into the death uncovered no evidence that she was the victim of internet bullying, a 2014 inquest was told. Asked by Leicester and South Leicestershire coroner Catherine Mason if there was 'any evidence' that Hannah Smith was subjected to cyber-bullying, Detective Sergeant Wayne Simmons said: 'No, there isn't.' Det Sgt Simmons, of Leicestershire Police, added that on the 'balance of probabilities' the 'vile' messages about Hannah on the social media site were posted by the teenager herself in the run-up to her death. Advertisement

The participants surveyed by the team were nationally representative of US teenagers.

Age and race didn't appear to affect the chances someone would engage in the behaviour, but other factors did.

Those who identified as 'non-heterosexual were three times more likely to bully themselves online, while victims of cyberbullying were 12 times more likely to have also cyberbullied themselves.

Teenagers with a history of drug use, depression symptoms, or self-harm behaviours offline were all far more likely to have digitally self-harmed.

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.
Robots are set to take 600,000 UK builders' jobs in the next 20 years, according to a new report.

Nearly one in three construction roles could be wiped out over the next two decades by robots and digital technology, the report found.

Research by London-based engineering giant Mace said 600,000 of the current 2.2 million positions in the industry could be automated by 2040 in what it called the 'fourth industrial revolution'.

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Nearly one in three construction roles could be wiped out over the next two decades by robots and digital technology, the report found (stock image)

ROBOT BUILDERS Research by engineering giant Mace said 600,000 of the current 2.2 million positions in the industry could be automated by 2040 in what it called the 'fourth industrial revolution'. By 2040, there will be just 15,500 carpenters and interior fitters, down from 260,000 now, and the number of labourers will slump from 127,000 to 7,500. There may be just 6,500 painters and decorators in 20 years, compared with 110,000 now, the study said. Mace said the building sector needed to adapt to these major changes or face a crisis. It said the situation was being made worse by immigrant builders being deterred by Brexit and questions about whether foreign staff will be allowed to work in the UK once we leave the EU. Advertisement

One of the hardest hit jobs will be bricklaying, where numbers are predicted to fall from 73,000 to just 4,300, said the report.

By 2040, there will be just 15,500 carpenters and interior fitters, down from 260,000 now, and the number of labourers will slump from 127,000 to 7,500.

There may be just 6,500 painters and decorators in 20 years, compared with 110,000 now, the study said.

While increased robotics and automation may take jobs, it will increase safety and speed up construction projects, Mace said.

It will also create new roles such as computer programmers, not normally found in the construction industry.

Mace said the building sector needed to adapt to these major changes or face a crisis.

It said the situation was being made worse by immigrant builders being deterred by Brexit and questions about whether foreign staff will be allowed to work in the UK once we leave the EU.

Mark Reynolds, chief executive of Mace, said: 'Everyone acknowledges the current skills shortages need to be addressed.

'Our research highlights the opportunities offered by the digital revolution.'

Robots are set to take 600,000 builders' jobs in the next 20 years, according to a new report. Pictured is a robot called Hadrian, which can build an entire house in just two days

Mace said output per worker in the construction industry had been flat over the past 10 years, compared to a 30 per cent improvement in services and a 50 per cent increase in manufacturing.

Many construction companies are investing in robot builders.

In July it was revealed a construction giant Caterpillar had created a robot that can build an entire house in just two days.

The construction giant has backed its Hadrian X giant truck mounted building robot that can lay 1,000 bricks an hour, glueing them into place as it goes.

Mounted on the back of a truck, Hadrian X is simply driven onto a building site, and can put down 1,000 bricks an hour using a 30m boom, allowing it to stay in a single position while it builds.

The $2m (1.5m) deal means the robot, which can work 24 hours day, and finish an entire house in just two days, is a step closer to appearing on building sites around the world.

Mounted on the back of a truck, it is simply driven onto a building site.

It can put down 1,000 bricks an hour using a boom, allowing it to stay in a single position while it builds a house.

Fastbrick, the firm behind it, says it could revolutionise building.

CEO Mike Pivac said:'We are a frontier company, and we are one step closer to bringing fully automated, end to end 3D printing brick construction into mainstream.
What killed off Neanderthals around 40,000 years ago has long puzzled scientists.

Some have suggested that as humans migrated from Africa they out-competed Neanderthals for resources, while others claim climate change finished them off.

Now, a new study shows that - whatever it was that drove Neanderthals to extinction - the species was doomed from the start.

A computer simulation showed that the slow but continuing trickle of humans coming from Africa to Eurasia meant they outlasted the Neanderthals.

Even without human competition or a wavering climate, Neanderthals would have died out thanks to random genetic drift, the research found.

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Neanderthals were a human-like species that lived alongside our ancestors in Eurasia for thousands of years. But what killed off our hominid cousins around 50,000 years ago has long puzzled scientists. Pictured is the migration of Neanderthals and human from Africa to Eurasia

WHAT THEY FOUND The new research, from experts at Stanford University, shows that Neanderthals died thanks to a lack of reinforcements from Africa. They based their conclusion on a computer simulation that represented small bands of Neanderthals and modern humans in Europe and Asia. These local populations were randomly chosen to go extinct, and then be replaced by another randomly chosen population, with no regard for whether it represented the same species. Neither species was assumed to have any inherent advantage, but there was one crucial difference: Unlike the Neanderthals, the modern humans were supplemented by reinforcements coming in from Africa. It wasn't a huge wave, but rather 'a tiny, tiny trickle of small bands,' lead researcher Dr Oren Kolodny said. Still, that was enough to tip the balance against the Neanderthals. They generally went extinct when the simulation was run more than a million times under a variety of assumptions. Advertisement

This 'drift' describes changes in a species' population driven by random events rather than a selective advantage.

Neanderthals, which like humans first evolved from an ape-like ancestor in Africa, migrated to Eurasia long before modern humans, around 560,000 years ago.

They were already well-established in Eurasia before the first humans migrated there around 120,000 years ago, though lived in small, isolated groups and had a modest overall population.

Previously research has suggested that humans brought competition for resources and even tropical diseases with them from Africa, which killed off the Neanderthals.

But the new research, from experts at Stanford University, shows that Neanderthals died thanks to a lack of reinforcements from Africa.

They based their conclusion on a computer simulation that represented small bands of Neanderthals and modern humans in Europe and Asia.

These local populations were randomly chosen to go extinct, and then be replaced by another randomly chosen population, with no regard for whether it represented the same species.

Neither species was assumed to have any inherent advantage, but there was one crucial difference: Unlike the Neanderthals, the modern humans were supplemented by reinforcements coming in from Africa.

It wasn't a huge wave, but rather 'a tiny, tiny trickle of small bands,' lead researcher Dr Oren Kolodny said.

Still, that was enough to tip the balance against the Neanderthals.

Neanderthals (museum model pictured) are a human-like relative that evolved from a common ancestor, but split from humans between 1,000,000 and 800,000 years ago

PREVIOUS THEORIES Neanderthals are a human-like species that evolved from a shared ancestor, but split from humans between 1,000,000 and 800,000 years ago. They migrated from Africa to Europe around 560,000 years ago, long before modern humans. The first Homo sapiens reached Europe roughly 100,000 years ago, replacing the Neanderthals there a few thousand years later. There are many theories as to what drove the downfall of the Neanderthals. Experts have suggested that humans may have carried tropical diseases with them from Africa that wiped out their ape-like cousins. Others claim that plummeting temperatures due to climate change killed off the Neanderthals. The predominant theory is that early humans drove the Neanderthals to extinction through competition for food and habitat. Homo sapiens' superior brain power and hunting techniques meant the Neanderthals couldn't compete. Advertisement

They generally went extinct when the simulation was run more than a million times under a variety of assumptions.

The researchers claim that, because migration between Africa and Eurasia was only ever in one direction, Neanderthals were destined to die out.

If human populations died in Eurasia, they were quickly replaced by African migrants.

A new study shows that - whatever it was that drove Neanderthals to extinction - the species was doomed from the start. Even without outside factors, the species would have died out thanks to random genetic drift. Pictured are Neanderthal (front) and human (back) skulls

But Neanderthal populations dying in Eurasia were not replaced in the same way, meaning it was inevitable they would become extinct over time.

If survival was a game of chance, 'it was rigged by the fact that there's recurring migration,' Dr Kolodny said.

'As long as migration was truly uni-directional, Neanderthals just had to go extinct.'

ANCIENT DNA IN HUMANS Modern humans carry traces of DNA from mixing with other hominids, including Neanderthals and Denisovans. In February, researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine analysed the DNA of 1,500 people, including those from Europe, Asia and the Pacific islands, to see where these ancient genes remain. They identified 126 areas of the modern human genome where ancient DNA persists. They found genes relating to the immune system and skin function. Neanderthal gene expression likely contributes to traits such as height and even our susceptibility to lupus and schizophrenia. Scientists believe the genes from our extinct cousins helped modern humans to thrive as they moved outwards from the African continent. Advertisement

Dr Kolodny said the evidence that such migrations actually occurred is suggestive rather than conclusive.

Such migrations would not be expected to leave much of an archaeological trace, he said.

Experts in human origins said the paper could help scientists pin down the various factors that led to the Neanderthals' demise.

It fits in with other recent attempts to explain the extinction without assuming behavioural differences between Neanderthals and our ancestors, said Wil Roebroeks of the University of Leiden in the Netherlands.

The notion of such differences is largely dis-proven, he said.

Katerina Harvati of the University of Tuebingen in Germany said while the new work could be useful in solving the extinction mystery, it doesn't address the question of why modern humans dispersed from Africa into Europe and Asia.

It's important to figure out what was behind that, she said in an email.
The Burmese python, an invasive species of snake in the Florida Everglades, has been linked to declining mammal populations in the area.

The species of python has decimated populations of rabbits, deer, raccoons and other mammals.

Rodents, however, have persisted - and a species of mosquito has been 'forced' to feed on the rats, which carry the Everglades virus.

The mosquito transmits the virus, and this could put humans and greater risk to exposure.

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Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission non-native Wildlife Technician, holds a North African Python during a press conference in the Florida Everglades about the non-native species on January 29, 2015 in Miami, Florida

WHAT IS THE EVERGLADES VIRUS? According to the researchers at the University of Florida, the hispid cotton rat happens to be one of the only known natural hosts of Everglades virus, a pathogen that causes encephalitis - inflammation of the brain. According to the CDC, The Everglades virus can infect humans, casing a febrile disease (a fever with an uncertain cause) sometimes accompanies by neurologic manifestations. Most animals survive infection with no signs of illness, despite virus invasions of the brain and the development of mild encephalitis - swelling of the brain. The virus circulates near metropolitan Miami, which indicates the potential for substantial human disease, if outbreaks should arise. Advertisement

The new research, published in the journal Biology Letters, looks at the repercussions of declining mammal populations in the everglades.

The study is about how a vector mosquito, called Culex cedecei, has shifted from feeding on a variety of mammals to feeding almost exclusively on certain rodents in parts of the Everglades where the Burmese python has established itself.

Because the python has been behind the drastic reduction in populations of rabbits, deer, raccoons and other mammals, rodents are the only mammals that have persisted in python-established areas.

This is likely because of their naturally high population density levels and 'explosive reproduction.'

However, now that populations of rabbits, raccoons and deer have plummeted, the C. cedecei mosquito is 'forced' to feed on rodents, particularly the hispid cotton rat.

According to the researchers at the University of Florida, the hispid cotton rat happens to be one of the only known natural hosts of Everglades virus, a pathogen that causes encephalitis - inflammation of the brain.

In addition, C.cedecei is the only mosquito known to transmit Everglades virus, so as this mosquito feeds more and more on hispid cotton rats, this could increase the prevalence of Everglades virus and human risk to exposure.

Nathan Burkett-Cadena, one of the authors of the research, told Phys.org that the main point readers should take is that 'invasive species have consequences beyond economics costs and disrupting community function.

'Hopefully, this work could spur more research focused on the impact of invasive species for human (and wildlife) health,' says Burkett-Cadena.

HOW THE BURMESE PYTHON COULD ENCOURAGE THE SPREAD OF DISEASE The Burmese python, an invasive species of snake in the Florida Everglades, has been linked to declining mammal populations in the area. The python has been behind the drastic reduction in populations of rabbits, deer, raccoons and other mammals, and rodents are the only mammals that have persisted in python-established areas. As such, a mosquito species called Culex cedecei is 'forced' to feed on rodents, particularly the hispid cotton rat. Culex cedecei biting the tail of a hispid cotton rat. The rat happens to be one of the only known natural hosts of Everglades virus, a pathogen that causes encephalitis - inflammation of the brain. In additon, C.cedecei is the only mosquito known to transmit Everglades virus The hispid cotton rat happens to be one of the only known natural hosts of Everglades virus, a pathogen that causes encephalitis - inflammation of the brain. In addition, C.cedecei is the only mosquito known to transmit Everglades virus, so as this mosquito feeds more and more on hispid cotton rats, it could increase the prevalence of Everglades virus and human risk to exposure. Advertisement

'Voters and policy makers need to understand how human activities that affect the environment can have unintended consequences, which can increase our risk of infection with dangerous pathogens.'

First author, Isaiah Hoyer, with mosquito collecting gear in the Everglades. Rodents have persisted despite Florida's invasive Burmese python decimating most mammal populations. As such, a species of mosquito has been 'forced' to feed on rats which carry the Everglades virus

The next step for the researchers will be to investigate whether changes in the mammal community caused by the Burmese python has has actual consequences for infections prevalence in the vector mosquito.
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It was devastated by the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008.

But now China's Jintai Village, in the Sichuan Province, is rebuilding itself in an ingenious way - thanks to a new development of sustainable houses with roof farms.

More than 22 cutting-edge properties have been erected in the afflicted area, which allow residents to grow their own food and rear animals for continuous, greener living in an environment where there is little space for house building.

New vision: The collection of houses in China's Jintai Village, Sichuan Province, where sustainable houses have roof farms

Green fingers: More than 22 cutting-edge properties have recently been erected in the afflicted area

Do it yourself: Fruit and vegetables can be seen growing atop a roof farm, where the community can cultivate fresh food

Clever: The conception actively affords people the opportunity to grow food, while the design incorporates rainwater harvesting, natural light and ventilation for maximum productivity

New generation housing: Experts at the University of Hong Kong, led by design experts John Lin and Joshua Bolchove, devised a way for people to live in homes that had functionality as well as strength

Designed by the Rural Urban Framework, it's funded by both local government and NGOs in response to the natural disaster, which left nearly five million people homeless when it struck nine years ago.

It's estimated that 80 per cent of all buildings in the affected area were destroyed.

Then, in July 2011, heavy rainfall and landslides obliterated five years of reconstruction efforts.

So experts at the University of Hong Kong, led by design experts John Lin and Joshua Bolchove, conceived a way for people to live in homes that had functionality as well as strength.

Impressive: The village homes are flanked by a stunning mountain view, which is accentuated by the clouds

Rebuilt: Jintai Village was badly affected by the Wenchuan earthquake in 2008, then again by landslides in 2011

This stunning aerial view shows how the village is eye-catchingly stacked in tiers

Struggle: The disaster left nearly five million people homeless and roughly 80 per cent of local buildings were destroyed

Connected: Each upper storey is cantilevered over a sheltered porch, which encourages people to sit outside and sell their products or interact with their neighbours

In addition to the green space on the top of building, which affords people the opportunity to grow food and rear animals such as pigs and chickens, it also incorporates rainwater harvesting, natural light and ventilation for maximum productivity.

Built along narrow streets, the design strategy provides four different types of houses, varying in size, function and roof sections.

Each upper storey is cantilevered over a sheltered porch, which encourages people to sit outside and sell their products or interact with their neighbours.

Meanwhile, open spaces on the ground level allow for individual family-owned workshops.

Rural Urban Framework said: 'This project demonstrates a socially and environmentally sustainable model for earthquake reconstruction while examining the many nuances of reconstructing a community.

'This is an investigation into modern rural livelihood. With tens of thousands of newly planned villages occurring in China today, the challenge is to plan villages as authentic places whereby the spatial organization and physical expression is derived directly from its relationship to its natural environment.'
Florida Cop Steals From Man Hospitalized After Hurricane

When Jay Rosoff alerted sheriff's deputies that his 85-year-old father Moe was not moving around in his West Boynton, Florida home following Hurricane Irma, he was expecting help from officers and hoping for the best. And while three officers did help Moe get to the hospital after finding him collapsed on the floor in his bathroom, another did something far worse.

The same surveillance cameras installed in Moe's house that told Jay his father might be in trouble also showed Palm Beach County sheriff's Deputy Jason Cooke entering the home after it was empty, rummaging through cabinets and drawers, and allegedly stealing medication, cash, and jewelry. Moe Rosoff passed away at a hospital hours later, and Cooke has been charged with grand theft of a controlled substance and armed burglary during a state of emergency.

Cop Caught on Tape

According to the Sun-Sentinel, Jay Rosoff installed the surveillance system after his mother, Edith Rosoff, died in June, as a way to keep an eye on his father from his home in North Carolina. "When I first saw the video, I was thinking it was a cop sent to the house to check on medication," the younger Rosoff told the paper. "After looking at it again, he was going through stuff he shouldn't have gone through." When Jay and his brother Steven were in the Florida home later, they also noticed cash and jewelry were missing. "We're assuming he took it as well," Jay said. "I didn't have a camera in the master bedroom, but he was in there for a minute, going through drawers."

Cooke, who was not one of the three officers who responded to the initial call or aided Moe Rosoff, allegedly got the garage door code from the sheriff's dispatch log, used it to enter the residence, and left five minutes after entering. When he was arrested, investigators found 60 pills, including narcotic painkillers, muscle relaxers, and other medicine in Cooke's patrol car. He claimed to have been at a death investigation and recovered some medications from the call, but had not submitted them into evidence yet.

State of Emergency Statute

Under Florida law, burglary of the kind Cooke is accused is generally a second degree felony. But the statute specifically states "if the burglary is committed within a county that is subject to a state of emergency ... after the declaration of emergency is made and the perpetration of the burglary is facilitated by conditions arising from the emergency, the burglary is a felony of the first degree." This means that Cooke could be facing up to 30 years in prison on that charge alone.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office "holds its employees to the highest standards and never forgets about its duty to preserve the public's trust," the department asserted in a statement. "Unfortunately sometimes an employee makes a bad decision, which leads to misconduct ... This misconduct was reported, investigated and subsequently determined to be criminal in nature, resulting in the charges."

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A pier rebuilt after a devastating fire has been crowned the UK's best new building.

The new Hastings Pier on the East Sussex coast has been awarded this year's Riba Stirling Prize by the Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba).

Designed by dRMM Architects, the new pier has been described by Riba judges as a 'phoenix risen from the ashes'.

The new Hastings Pier on the East Sussex coast has been awarded this year's Riba Stirling Prize by the Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba)

Dating from 1872, Hastings Pier was ravaged by fire in 2010 but had closed two years earlier because of storm damage.

The structure, on the East Sussex coast and overlooking the English Channel, was rebuilt.

Riba president and prize jury chairman Ben Derbyshire praised the structure as a 'masterpiece of regeneration and inspiration'.

Designed by dRMM Architects, the new pier has been described by Riba judges as a 'phoenix risen from the ashes'

Dating from 1872, Hastings Pier was ravaged by fire in 2010 but had closed two years earlier because of storm damage

'The architects and local community have transformed a neglected wreck into a stunning, flexible new pier to delight and inspire visitors and local people,' he said.

'Local people' had 'taken the initiative, and risk, to create this highly innovative and extraordinary new landmark'.

The new structure contains timber reclaimed from the original pier and has scorched wood cladding on its visitor centre, which has a viewing deck.

The new building of the Hastings Pier project was partly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and crowdfunding, with 3,000 shareholders buying a stake in the project at 100 a share

After the fire, residents and supporters wanted to use the disaster to reimagine the structure, once famous for its musical acts.

A Riba design competition attracted entries from around the world.

The project was partly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and crowdfunding, with 3,000 shareholders buying a stake in the project at 100 a share.

The new structure contains timber reclaimed from the original pier and has scorched wood cladding on its visitor centre, which has a viewing deck

After the fire, residents and supporters wanted to use the disaster to reimagine the structure, once famous for its musical acts

The Riba also announced that the 2017 Stephen Lawrence Prize, for experimental architectural talent, has been awarded to a 'spectacular home' dubbed The Houseboat (pictured). Conceived as two upturned hulls propped together, it faces the sea over Poole Harbour

The 19th-century structural iron work, hidden below deck, has been restored and strengthened and the surviving Victorian Pavilion, one of two buildings on the site, is now an open plan, glazed cafe-bar, with the deck set aside for large-scale concerts, markets and public gatherings.

The Riba also announced that the 2017 Stephen Lawrence Prize, for experimental architectural talent, has been awarded to a 'spectacular home' dubbed The Houseboat.

Conceived as two upturned hulls propped together, it faces the sea over Poole Harbour.

The Stephen Lawrence Prize was first awarded in 1998 in memory of Stephen Lawrence, who was taking steps to become an architect before he was murdered in 1993.

Bedales School in Hampshire won a separate prize, Riba client of the year, for its Art and Design Building.
Last week it was revealed The Bachelorette's Blake Colman is being investigated in relation to allegations of threatening to sell nude photos of his ex-girlfriend, The Bachelor's Jennifer 'Jen' Hawke.

Now, an insider has claimed producers Warner Bros. KNEW about Jen's allegations against Blake, but turned their backs on her to protect the 'Bachelor brand'.

'Warner Bros. knew Blake had threatened to sell nude images of Jen, but didn't help her,' the insider exclusively revealed to Daily Mail Australia this week.

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EXCLUSIVE: 'She felt betrayed by Warner Bros': Bachelorette insider says TV producers KNEW Blake Colman threatened to sell Jen Hawke's (pictured) naked photos - but didn't help her

'After receiving the threat from Blake, Jen sent Warner Bros. an email asking for help and telling them that she was going to the police,' the source said.

'Warner Bros. sent a response the same day. The email cautioned her not to post anything online relating to the show, as it would constitute a breach her confidentiality agreement.

'However, their email didn't respond to Jen's request for help. It made Jen feel that Warner Bros. was trying to intimidate her into not reporting what had happened.'

Investigation: Blake (pictured) is being investigated under new legislation that criminalises the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, otherwise known as 'revenge porn'

'She felt betrayed by Warner Bros. She believed they cared more about protecting the Bachelor brand than her revenge porn allegations,' the source added.

New South Wales Police confirmed last Thursday that they have received a report in relation to this revenge porn incident and are investigating, but said that 'due to the ongoing investigation, no further information is able to be provided.'

Jen told police she received a text message from Blake threatening to sell nude images she had sent him during their relationship.

AVO: A source also told Daily Mail Australia that Jen has sought an AVO to be taken out on Blake, but police have only confirmed that an investigation is underway

A source also told Daily Mail Australia that Jen has sought an AVO to be taken out on Blake, but police have only confirmed that an investigation is underway.

Blake is being investigated under new legislation that criminalises the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, otherwise known as 'revenge porn'.

Under these laws, which came into effect in August, offenders who share or threaten to share revenge porn face up to three years in jail and a fine of $11,000.

The incident: Meanwhile, a source close to Jen has spoken to Daily Mail Australia about Jen and Blake's acrimonious breakup and the events leading up to Blake's alleged revenge porn threat

Meanwhile, a source close to Jen has exclusively spoken to Daily Mail Australia about Jen and Blake's acrimonious breakup and the events leading up to Blake's alleged revenge porn threat.

'Blake and Jen called it quits following a rocky romance earlier this year, but things really went south after Jen told Blake that she had found somebody else,' they said.

'It was two days after she told Blake she'd moved on. Blake had made his debut on The Bachelorette as the show's 'villain' character that day, and Jen's friends couldn't believe she had dated such a horrible guy.'

Split: 'Blake and Jen called it quits following a rocky romance earlier this year, but things really went south after Jen told Blake that she had found somebody else,' the source told Daily Mail

'Jen posted to her private Facebook page that her phone was going crazy with people sending messages about her former boyfriend, who was one of Sophie's contestants on the show. She also posted that she was happy to get rid of her "douche" ex,' the insider added.

'After reading Jen's post Blake completely lost it. He started sending her a barrage of insults, accusing her of the ultimate betrayal. Then, he threatened to sell nude photos of her to the media,' the source claimed.

They continued: 'These photos were sent to him while they were still dating - so you can imagine how upset Jen was by these threats.'

Media circuit: The insider also claimed Jen had taken out an AVO against Blake, preventing him from travelling to Sydney for media appearances after being eliminated from The Bachelorette

The insider also claimed that Jen had taken out an AVO against Blake, preventing him from travelling to Sydney for media appearances following his elimination from The Bachelorette.

This isn't Blake's first brush with the law.

In April this year, he was convicted of a horrifying Perth assault which took place in August 2015.

Not Blake's first brush with the law: In April this year, Blake was convicted of a horrifying Perth assault which took place in August 2015

Perth Now reported that Blake pleaded guilty to the sickening street attack, which left his victim, Tristan Cooper, 'unconscious, paralysed and bleeding from the head'.

According to the victim, the incident took place after a night out when Tristan tried to intervene in an argument between two groups of men.

'He just came running up and with all his body weight sort of grabbed me in the back of the head,' Tristan, 31, told the publication.

At the time, Blake released a statement via a Network Ten publicist in relation to the assault, saying: 'I am truly remorseful and accepted full responsibility for my actions.'
She spent weeks in nothing but a bikini during her time on ITV2's smash hit reality series Love Island, this summer.

And Montana Brown continued to resist covering up as she put on a sizzling display in a khaki halterneck gown with an incredibly plunging neckline at the Pride of Britain Awards at London's Grosvenor House on Monday.

The stunning reality star, 22, showed off her flawless decolletage in the skimpy number, as she posed up a storm before enjoying a Love Island reunion as this year's winners Amber Davies and Kem Cetinay arrived hand in hand.

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Daring: Montana Brown put on a sizzling display in a khaki halterneck gown with an incredibly plunging neckline at the Pride of Britain Awards at London's Grosvenor House on Monday

Showing off her toned figure, Montana's dress was cinched at the waist before cascading neatly around her long legs.

She added a touch of glam to the outfit with a gleaming pair of silver and black bangles, as well as rocking classy black strapped sandals on her feet.

Montana, who has recently become ambassador for Pretty Little Thing as well as landing a role as an MTV news presenter, finished off her sophisticated look by scraping her raven tresses into a sophisticated up-do.

The stars were out in full force for the annual awards night as queen of the villa Amber Davies, 21, joined co-star Montana to put on a showstopping display.

Working it: The stunning TV talent, 22, showed off her flawless decolletage in the skimpy number, as she posed up a storm on the star-studded red carpet

Reunion: Also on the scene were this year's Love Island winners Amber Davies and her beau Kem Cetinay, both 21

The Welsh beauty covered up in a lacy cream and black jumpsuit, paired with glossy locks and smoky eyeshadow.

Amber held hands with beau Kem Cetinay, also 21, who looked dapper in a three-piece suit.



In comparison Montana cut a lone figure without her reality show love interest Alex Beattie, as the couple split shortly after leaving the villa.

Ex-boyfriend Alex recently revealed he got a hair transplant after admitting he had been 'extremely insecure' about his hairline for years.

Glam: The Welsh beauty covered up in a lacy cream and black jumpsuit, paired with glossy locks and smoky eyeshadow

Close: Amber held hands with beau Kem Cetinay who looked dapper in a three-piece suit

The personal trainer shared a social media snap of his bloodied hairline after the surgery, which was later bandaged up and left him with a 'swollen head'.

Alex's decision comes after Montana condemned the need for surgery. She is a firm believer of being 'happy in your own skin' and has slammed those who turn to cosmetic surgery to alter their image.

Bucking the trend that has seen a slew of reality stars go under the knife, the beauty exclusively told MailOnline that she thinks turning to surgery is 'just not good' and sets a bad example for younger fans.

She said: 'I just think it's not good - especially as quite a lot of us have quite a young following, so people who are under 18. People look up to you and want to copy what you do.

'Bite me': Montana posted a series of cheeky snaps to her Instagram earlier this month

Take me out: The reality TV star has been pining for the sun ahead of an LA break, and shared a series of sexy flashbacks to her time in the Maldives

'As soon as you start promoting that, it kind of encourages young people to want to do that and the first thing shouldn't be to change yourself. You should be happy in your own skin without having to get surgery.'

The starlet insisted that everybody has 'pros and cons' when it comes to themselves and it is better to realise and accept that.

She continued: 'I've got small boobs but a big bum. Some people may have really nice hair, but they might hate their legs. Everyone has got their negatives.
She's the former Big Brother star that's become a regular on the social circuit.

And the 30-year-old blonde bombshell, who hails from Melbourne, shared a throwback picture as a young girl in a Halloween costume, to Instagram on Tuesday.

The identity, who now boasts 230,000 Instagram followers, is seen sporting a black dress and witches hat, as she sits on a wooden bench alongside her brother - so can YOU guess who she is?

Guess who! Former reality star and blonde bombshell is pictured in a Halloween costume from her younger years...but can YOU recognise her from this photo?

The photo shows Big Brother star Tully Smyth as a young girl, dressed as a witch for Halloween.

Tully, who was previously linked to The Bachelor's Richie Strahan, wears a black long-sleeved dress and witches hat.

She interlaces her fingers and sits next to her brother Scott Smyth on a wooden bench outside of a white house.

Tully captioned the snap: 'I was going to upload a shot of all the times I went as a sexy cat or naughty nurse but this felt more "me". HAPPY HALLOWEEN!'

Revealed! The photo shows Big Brother star Tully Smyth, 30, as a young girl, dressed as a witch for Halloween

Notoriety: The avid Instagrammer became a household name after starring in the 2013 season of Big Brother Australia

The avid Instagrammer became a household name after starring in the 2013 season of Big Brother Australia.

She was embroiled in a scandal while in the Big Brother house, accused of cheating on her then-girlfriend Tahlia Farrant with co-star Anthony Drew.

The on-air pair were spotted cuddling and locking lips on many occasions, and upon being evicted, Tully was forced to address the scandal.

She told Southern Cross Austereo at the time: 'Thinking is cheating in my books so yes, I guess it is. I'm not going to brush that off...I think I will definitely have to change my relationship status (on Facebook) to 'it's complicated,' now.

Scandal: She was embroiled in a scandal while in the Big Brother house, accused of cheating on her then-girlfriend Tahlia Farrant with co-star Anthony Drew

Intimate: The on-air pair were spotted cuddling and locking lips on many occasions, and upon being evicted, Tully was forced to address the scandal

Confession: Tully told Southern Cross Austereo at the time: 'Thinking is cheating in my books so yes, I guess it is. I'm not going to brush that off'

'You guys only see a snippet. Everyone loves a love story. We were house husband and wife, we bickered like husband and wife,' Tully added.

Following her eviction, Tully parted ways with Tahlia and in the years following was linked to The Bachelor's Richie Strahan.

Despite not being crowned the winner, Tully has become a regular on the social scene, and is no stranger to flaunting her slender figure in a number of skimpy bikinis.

Monday saw the media personality take to Instagram, flaunting her ample cleavage, taut torso and lean legs in a barely-three black two-piece.

Popular: Despite not being crowned the winner, Tully has become a regular on the social scene, and is no stranger to flaunting her slender figure in a number of scantily-clad ensembles

Daring to bare: Monday saw the media personality take to Instagram, flaunting her ample cleavage, taut torso and lean legs in a barely-three black two-piece

Tully, who was trying out an infrared sauna, cast a sultry gaze as she allowed her blonde locks to frame her pretty facial features.

The avid jet-setter wrote in the caption that she wanted to 'sweat out her sins.'

Tully also documents her love of travel on her blog Young Blood Runs Wild.
They reconciled last year after being hit by a cheating scandal, renewing their vows in May after 35 years of marriage.

And Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne proved they were stronger than ever on Monday, sharing a kiss on the red carpet at the Pride of Britain awards.

The couple were seen looking loved-up at the event in London, just as it was announced that they are inviting fans into their home for an appearance on Celebrity Gogglebox for a Stand Up To Cancer special.

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Happy: Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne showed their marriage is stronger than ever on Monday night as they put on a loved-up display for the Pride of Britain awards red carpet

The X Factor judge looked fabulous in a navy velvet gown as she puckered up for her husband in a figure-fitting navy dress.

Sharon joined her co-judges Nicole Scherzinger and Louis Walsh at the awards ceremony, in the absence of Simon Cowell, who was recovering from a fall in his home on Friday.

The couple will appear together in a Celebrity Gogglebox special, set to air this Friday among a series of Stand Up to Cancer specials on Channel 4.

Other stars set to appear are Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn, Liam Gallagher, Freddie Flintoff and Jamie Redknapp.

Coming soon: Fans will be invited back into The Osbournes' home in a one-off special for Gogglebox

Guess who's back! The couple seem to be stronger than ever, and have agreed to take part in the new charity series, in aid of Stand Up To Cancer

In love: The pair were seen together at the event after renewing their vows in secret in May

Romantic: Sharon was seen enjoying the evening out with her husband of 35 years

Loved-up: Sharon attended the awards show in London with her husband, along with her X Factor co-judges

Sofa watch: The pair have also revealed they are set to appear on Celebrity Gogglebox for a Stand Up to Cancer special

On taking part in the charity special, the couple said: 'Being able to support such a brilliant cause like Stand Up To Cancer means such a lot to our family  the fact that we can sit on the sofa and watch a load of TV is an added bonus.

'We had such fun filming and are thrilled that we can join the Gogglebox families and play our part this year.'

Sharon and Ozzy - who previously had their own reality show The Osbournes on MTV - were in turmoil last year when Ozzy was revealed to have been involved in several affairs during a battle with sex addiction.

Sharon gave an interview last August to The Sunday Times, which wrote that Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy had philandered with five women in as many countries.

Panel squad: Fellow X Factor judges Louis Walsh and Nicole Scherzinger also attended the event, with injured Simon Cowell absent

Sweet: Sharon revealed she had forgiven Ozzy after his affair, and the pair renewed their vows in May

'This s*** thats been going on with my husband recently - well, its not recent, its been going on for five years - but people are talking about it now,' Sharon said.

Ever pragmatic, she pointed out that 'Weve survived everything, drink, drugs and now its women. Next thing hes going to want to be a woman. Who knows?'

Last May, Sharon revealed on The Talk, the daytime show she co-hostesses, that she'd booted Ozzy from their Beverly Hills home, but that she'd ultimately wound up moving out herself and that he'd resumed living at their digs.

That July, Sharon confirmed - again on The Talk - that she and Ozzy had reunited and were having another go at keeping their decades-long marriage afloat.

Strong: The turbulent couple are said to have one of the strongest romances in the showbusiness

Behind closed doors: Fans are no stranger to seeing inside Sharon and Ozzy's home, after they starred in reality show The Osbournes from 2002 to 2005
Fiona Falkiner has confirmed her romance with personal trainer and women's AFL star Lara Creber.

After being photographed getting cosy with the Sydney-based sportswoman, Fiona fessed up to her new romance, telling Cosmopolitan that she's fallen in love with Lara.

'There's nothing 'scandalous' about it. Lara and I met on a trip to South America and I'm all about falling in a love with a person and yes, I've fallen in love with Lara,' she gushed.

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'I've fallen in love with Lara': Fiona Falkiner has confirmed her romance with personal trainer and women's AFL star Lara Creber

'This is the first female relationship I've had and I didn't think there would be interest in it because it's just normal life,' she explained.

'I'm at a place in my life where I'm just focusing on what makes me happy and not caring what other people think and focusing inwardly. And Lara was part of that journey.'

Speaking of her trip to South America, Fiona explained: 'I was opening myself up to good people, to good experiences. You know, finding what makes me happy and I think it helped being away from Australia as I guess I could just be myself.'

New beginnings: 'This is the first female relationship I've had and I didn't think there would be interest in it because it's just normal life,' she told Cosmopolitan

Cute couple alert! The amorous duo have been spotted together on Fiona's social media since May as they trekked with a group across South America

How thoughtful! On Tuesday Lara was spotted grabbing coffee for two and delivering it to Fiona's apartment in Redfern early in the morning

As an exercise enthusiast, Fiona must surely have much in common with her new girlfriend, who runs her own Sydney-based fitness training company, Healthy Habit Fitness.

On Tuesday Lara was spotted grabbing coffee for two and delivering it to Fiona's apartment in Redfern early in the morning.

Fiona's doting girlfriend revealed her gym-honed legs in a pair of sporty shorts while completing her casual look with a grey hoodie and trucker cap.

Ready for action! Fiona's doting girlfriend revealed her gym-honed legs in a pair of sporty shorts while completing her casual look with a grey hoodie and trucker cap

Earlier this year, Fiona opened up to Nova FM's Fitzy & Wippa about starting a new relationship with a mystery.

The curvaceous beauty, who was named an ambassador for eHarmony at the time, spoke with the radio hosts about how she found dating to be difficult, especially as she lived her life in the public eye.

'You meet someone, go on a couple of dates, [go] on date three and get papped, and in the headlines the next day, it's 'Fiona's found love',' she said.

'I don't want to scare this poor bloke away,' she added.

Fitness lover: Lara runs her own Sydney-based fitness training company, Healthy Habit Fitness

Match made in heaven! As a fitness enthusiast, Fiona must surely have much in common with her new girlfriend

Open: Rising to fame after starring in the debut season of The Biggest Loser in 2006, the magazine reports Fiona is 'sexually fluid' and has 'dabbled with women in the past'

The Biggest Loser: Transformed described the relationship as 'pretty fresh' at the time.

When asked by co-host Fitzy if that meant weeks or months, the model confirmed she was only weeks into the romance.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, Fiona was pictured running errands following her confirmation on a romance with Lara.

The Channel Ten star sported a casually chic figure in a black maxi-dress, accessorised with an abstract cape, black strappy flats and reflective aviator sunglasses.

Casually chic: Meanwhile on Tuesday, Fiona was pictured running errands following her confirmation on a romance with Lara
She caught plenty of attention with her perilously plunging ensemble on The X Factor on Sunday.

And Nicole Scherzinger showed no signs of stopping her busty displays on Monday night, as she slipped into another low-cut look for the 2017 Pride of Britain Awards.

The former Pussycat Doll, 39, turned heads in a stunning white sequin gown, complete with one of her trademark revealing necklines, as she posed fiercely for cameras at London's Grosvenor House.

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Fit to bust: Nicole Scherzinger showed no signs of stopping her busty displays on Monday night, as she slipped into another low-cut look for the 2017 Pride of Britain Awards

Eye-popping: Her sizzling appearance comes just one day after she caught attention with her cleavage, in another plunging ensemble on The X Factor (above)

The pop star set pulses racing in the saucy but stylish floor-length gown, embellished with glittering silver sequins all over.

Tightly hugging her slender frame all the way down, the dress upped the sex appeal further by plunging deeply at the chest - to give a flash of her ample cleavage to all.

Cinching in at her waist with a line of delicate jewels, the gown then made more of a statement with quirky pipe detailing on the front, shaped like a heart.

All that glitters: The pop star set pulses racing in the saucy but stylish floor-length gown, embellished with glittering silver sequins all over

Saving the bust til last: Hugging her slender frame all the way down, the dress upped the sex appeal further by plunging deeply at the chest - to give a flash of her ample cleavage to all

A whole lotta love:Cinching in at her waist with a line of delicate jewels, the gown then made more of a statement with quirky pipe detailing on the front, shaped like a heart

Finishing touches: Never one to shy away from glitz and glamour, Nicole accessorised with a dazzling diamond necklace, which further teased at her bust, and a marble effect clutch

Glamour girl: She styled her hair into loose, tousled waves and added a dramatic smoky eye and slick of liquid eyeliner, in classically glamorous finishing touches

Never one to shy away from glitz and glamour, Nicole accessorised with a dazzling diamond necklace, which further teased at her bust, and a marble effect clutch.

She styled her hair into loose, tousled waves and added a dramatic smoky eye and slick of liquid eyeliner, in classically glamorous finishing touches.

Posing fiercely for cameras, Nicole certainly turned heads with her look, which marked her second eye-popping display in two days.

All eyes on her: Posing fiercely for cameras, Nicole certainly turned heads with her look, which marked her second eye-popping display in two days

Co-stars: Nicole happily posed for cameras with fellow X Factor judge Louis Walsh

Nicole had stolen the limelight from stand-in judge Alesha Dixon on Sunday's episode of The X Factor, after arriving onstage in a push-up top - drawing more attention to her cleavage.

Despite all four judges being seated when the show began, Nicole managed to make quite the impact at desk level with her busty outfit.

She stunned viewers with her chesty outfit, which featured one sleeveless side and one puffball shoulder.

Catching attention: Posing fiercely for cameras, Nicole certainly turned heads with her look, which marked her second eye-popping display in two days

Twice as nice: The appearance (L) came after Nicole conducted her X Factor duties in an equally revealing jumpsuit (R) on Sunday

It plunged dramatically low with her ample bust pushed together for quite the eyeful at desk level.

She also showed off her sensational physique when she got up and started gyrating before putting her leg on the desk while praising her act Kevin Davy White's performance.

The neckline didn't escape fans' attention, and even distracted many of them throughout the show.

'I was worried they would pop out,' exclaimed one viewer of her perilously low cleavage.

Who's the star here? Nicole looked giddy to be joined by Alesha Dixon (right), who was standing in for Simon Cowell while he's recovering from a fall down the stairs

Scher-mazing: Nicole pushed up her assets as she made it her night to see the Overs take the stage

Show-stopper: The musician wore a jumpsuit that showed off her sleek frame

Distracted, another viewer added: 'Apparently #NicoleScherzinger has a bow on her dress... Sizzling'

With appreciation for the former Pussycat Doll's figure, a female tweeted said: 'Serious boob envy right now @NicoleScherzy'

'Not very much to Nicole Scherzingers outfit tonight!' noticed one X Factor fan during the show.

And another added: 'DAAAAAAAAAM!!!!!! @NicoleScherzy looks smoking hot tonight!!!'

Others were even tuning in to see her beauty: 'Worth flicking over to ITV to check out Nicole Scherzingers clevage. Thank me later.'

Up on her feet: Nicole couldn't resist getting on her feet to celebrate her act Kevin Davy White's performance

Protecting her modesty: Alesha held a piece of paper over Nicole's cleavage as she stood up

Feeling it; Nicole waxed lyrical about her act as she showered the French singer with praise

Leggy: A busty Nicole then got up and started gyrating saying 'When you sing it serves my soul like that' before putting her leg on the desk

Smiling: She arrived on stage with her acts Tracy (left) and Talia (right)

Dramatic: It was Nicole's Overs category that was forced into elimination on Sunday

Wowzers trousers: With a cutout at the middle, Nicole also showcased her abs

Praying: She obviously wanted to keep all of her acts in the competition

Joking about marine programme Blue Planet II on BBC One, another humorously added: 'From Nicole Scherzinger's two planets to Blue Planet two'

Another humorous tweet, referring to bald-headed TV personalities, read: 'Good to see Nicole Scherzinger has smuggled her old mates Harry Hill and Greg Wallace in to the live shows.'

But the outfit wasn't to everyone's taste, with some even complaining about the cleavage she had on show.

Eye-popping: Viewers were noticeably distracted by the outfit and flooded Twitter with their praise for her look

'Wish @NicoleScherzy would put some clothes on,' said one disgruntled fan. 'Family show @TheXFactor shes outshone by classy @MrsSOsbourne and @AleshaOfficial'

Another agreed, saying: #XFactor just a bit too much boob tonight from @NicoleScherzy'

While another asked: '@NicoleScherzy less is more? Ffs take a look at yourself woman'

But others were quick to leap to her defence, saying: 'Its her body, she can wear what she wants lol'

@NicoleScherzy oh my god where did they come from ?? Need my eyes checking now.. gorgeous as always.xx

Not all were happy: Some, were naturally offended and entered into a debate about whether it was appropriate for a family show

She didnt direct it to anyone though? She literally just put her leg on the desk.

Proving quite the double act, Nicole looked delighted to have Britain's Got Talent judge Alesha on the panel for one night only.

Tasked at the last minute with standing in for Simon, Alesha looked equally stylish despite pulling an outfit together at the eleventh hour.

She revealed on the show that she was asked to feature on the panel a mere few hours before it went live on ITV.

But she pulled it off with impeccable fashion flair, slipping into a leather crop top with her abs on show.

Busty display: Nicole Scherzinger's busty display stole the limelight from stand-in judge Alesha (right) and fellow panelist Sharon Osbourne (left) on Sunday night

It was a female heavy panel for the night, while Simon continues to recover from his stairs fall on Friday.

Louis Walsh was outnumbered as he resumed his position on the far right of the panel, beside an always-elegant Sharon Osbourne.

Sunday night's show saw Nicole's Overs category of Matt Linnen, Tracy Leanne Jefford and Kevin Davy White perform, with the former Pussycat Doll bringing back Talia Dean, 32, for her wild card.

Alesha was representing Simon while the acts he picked for the Groups category took the stage.

Rak-Su, Sean Price and Conor Price and The Cutkelvins performed, with the public bringing back Jack and Joel as the wild card.

Double act: Nicole and Alesha proved to be quite the sister act as they joined each other on the panel
Since Sophie Monk chose Stu Laundy on the finale episode of The Bachelorette, the legitimacy of the couple's romance has come into question.

Now, the pub baron has hit back, slamming The Project's Meshel Laurie and KIIS FM's Kate Langbroek, after the two media personalities declared that the reality TV romance was a sham.

The 44-year-old publican fired back at the two women on The Kyle and Jackie O show on Tuesday morning, telling co-hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson: 'They had their knives out for me!'

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'They had their knives out for me!' The Bachelorette's Stu Laundy lashes out at Meshel Laurie and Kate Langbroek after they described his romance with Sophie Monk as a sham

After the high-profile couple were grilled on Friday's The Project, the millionaire said 'vengeful' Meshel, 41, was rude to him from the get go.

'A lady I'd never met just started shooting me, it was pretty rude actually,' he explained.

Meshel, a regular on the Channel Ten news program, accused Sophie of having done 'the classic woman thing.'

Firing back: The 44-year-old publican fired back at the two women on The Kyle and Jackie O show on Tuesday morning, telling co-hosts Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O Henderson: 'They had their knives out for me!

Not impressed: After the high-profile couple were grilled on Friday's The Project, the millionaire said 'vengeful' Meshel, 41, was rude to him from the get go

The comedian said on-air to the Click actress: 'I think you've done the classic woman thing where you say that you want one thing but what you actually go for is something else.

You said in the beginning, "I just want a down-to-earth, normal guy who wants to get married and have kids," what you've chosen is a millionaire, who's already married and had a vasectomy.'

Vocal: Meshel, a regular on the Channel Ten news program, accused Sophie of having done 'the classic woman thing''

Blunt: Meanwhile, KIIS FM's Kate Langbroek was also vocal prior to her on-air radio chat with Stu. The 52-year-old was quoted to have said to the reality star: 'This is a scam and it will take a lot of convincing for me to believe it'

Meanwhile, KIIS FM's Kate Langbroek was also vocal prior to her on-air radio chat with Stu.

The 52-year-old was quoted to have said to the reality star: 'This is a scam and it will take a lot of convincing for me to believe it.'

She also went so far as to post a screenshot of Sophie and Stu on The Project to her Instagram account, along with the text 'she hates him.'

Taking it online: Kate also went so far as to post a screenshot of Sophie and Stu on The Project to her Instagram account, along with the text 'she hates him'

Meanwhile, Sophie has confirmed that she and Stu are very much together.

The former Bardot songstress told Kyle and Jackie O: 'No, we have not broken up!'

Sophie chose Stu over vineyard manager Jarrod Woodgate on the dating reality series last week.

Still together: Meanwhile, Sophie has confirmed that she and Stu are very much together
Andy Cohen explained why he said he didn't know Kathy Griffin.

The TV host jokingly told paparazzi that he 'didnt know' his former Bravo co-worker Kathy when being questioned about replacing her on CNNs New Years Eve Live.

And on Sunday's Watch What Happens Live broadcast, the 49-year-old said he was imitating Mariah Carey's famous quote to 'avoid getting involved with the paps.'

Cat fight: Andy Cohen, 49, explained why he said he didn't know Kathy Griffin, 56, on his Watch What Happens Live show on Sunday

Mariah had famously insulted rival Jennifer Lopez in a German TV interview years ago by simply stating: 'I don't know her.'

Andy tried to use the same line but it did not come off as intended.

'Here is the deal. Usually with TMZ, youre walking and you say your thing and you get in your car. Well, my driver parked on the second level of the parking lot.

So were standing there all that time waiting for the elevator, and thats why it kept going on and on. And I didnt really know how to pivot in the conversation. Like, "What, what, I dont know!" So I failed my Mariah impression.'

Strong allegation: Kathy Griffin said during a YouTube video she uploaded on Friday that the Bravo executive and host allegedly offered her cocaine

The host has started the show by saying: 'I only have one thing to say about this bag of bullsh*t.'

Meanwhile, Kathy saw the dismissive video and was not happy - responding on Twitter: 'Even when it's on tape, there are doubters? He is NOT kidding w paps.

'Was my boss for 10 years. Treated me like a dog. Deeply misogynistic.'

The 56-year-old said while on Watch What Happens live 'right before we went live, Andy Cohen privately asked me in an office in embassy row, which is the production company that does that s***show asked her if I wanted to do blow,' she claimed.

Kathy shared this tweet Friday morning after seeing the Cohen video

Kathy alleges that he asked her both times she visited the show.

'He was asking me to do cocaine with him,' she added.

Kathy said: 'I get it I know the haters are going to say if you can't take it, don't dish it out but I'm a comic so if Oprah wants to come for me I kind of deserve it, Ryan Seacrest, all right I have it coming, but Andy Cohen I didn't call you. You shouldn't have come for me.'

She then called him a 'miserable boss' for all those years as her boss on her show My Life On The D-List.

Kathy also alleged that he harassed her and treated her 'poorly.'

Not holding back: She then called him a 'miserable boss' for all those years as her boss on her show My Life On The D-List

The comedian also directed her attention to TMZ for posting a video of Andy pretending to not know who she is.

Kathy shared TMZ founder Harry Levin's phone number as well as his message asking her to call him back.

The star said during the two month investigation following the controversial photo of Donald Trump, 'phone numbers got out of my mom and my mom got death threats at her retirement village and my sister while she was dying of cancer got death threats at her apartment.'

After publishing the 17-minute long video, Andy took to Twitter to deny the allegation.

He wrote: 'I am completely stunned by this story. It is 100% false and totally made up.'

BuzzFeed contacted Bravo for comment and the network's spokesperson said: 'This is completely false and we are not going to credit it with any more attention.'

Not staying quiet: After publishing the 17-minute long video, Andy took to Twitter to deny the allegation

Putting it all out there: The comedian also directed her attention to TMZ for posting a video of Andy pretending to not know who she is

Andy was executive producer of her six-season reality show Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List which aired on Bravo from 2005-2010.

He joked on Thursday that he had never heard of Kathy Griffin, after replacing the sacked star as Anderson Cooper's co-host onCNN's New Year's Eve coverage.

The comments were made during an impromptu sidewalk interview with a cameraman from TMZ, who caught him on Thursday after he landed at LAX.

Watch what Happens Live host Cohen first said he was 'really psyched' about his new gig.

But when asked if he had spoken to Kathy, Cohen made it clear he had no intention of doing so, joking around as he said 'Who?' and insisted he 'didn't know' her.

Ditched: Kathy was fired as the co-host of CNN's NYE coverage earlier this year; she is seen on last year's show with Anderson Cooper

Griffin and Cooper had co-hosted CNN's NYE coverage every year since 2009.

Now in its 11th year, CNN's New Year's Eve show is a global celebration featuring contributions from CNN correspondents across the country and around the world.

However Griffin was ditched by CNN in May after posting a skit online showing herself holding a model of Donald Trump's bloody severed head.

The controversy following the video also saw her tour cancelled, despite Griffin making a tearful public apology to the President.

Cooper himself tweeted his disdain for Griffin's actions at the time.

'For the record, I am appalled by the photo shoot Kathy Griffin took part in. It is clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate,' he wrote in tweet.

Griffin then said in an interview that any friendship between the two was 'over'.

Cooper's best friend Cohen was tapped as his replacement.
Tamra Judge broke down in floods of tears on Monday's episode of The Real Housewives Of Orange County as she finally made up with Vicki Gunvalson.

The latest episode of the Bravo reality show saw Vicki being rushed to hospital during their vacation in Iceland fearing she was dying from a heart attack.

She was eventually allowed to leave after being told it was merely elevated blood pressure  and immediately started drinking with the other women in a hotel room.

Making up: Tamra Judge and Vicki Gunvalson finally buried the hatchet during Monday's episode of The Real Housewives Of Orange County

The emotion of seeing her potentially seriously sick sparked a desire in Tamra to patch up their feud, with her bursting into tears as they hugged and 'hashed-out' their issues.

Tamra also peed her pants during their drinking session.

'Seeing Vicki being taken off to the hospital kind of puts things in perspective,' Tamra, 50, admitted to camera later.

'Like, what are we fighting over? Does it really matter? And I feel like now we can really have a conversation that means something.'

Big hug: Vicki and Tamra embraced as their long feud appeared to be over

Tamra quickly brought up her husband Eddie and 'the vicious rumor about him being gay' that she insisted Vicki had spread.

'I would never, ever do that to a friend,' Tamra said to camera.

Her voice cracking with emotion, she told Vicki: 'He is so amazing to me. He's my best friend. I love him.

Candid conversation: Tamra and Vicki discussed the root of their issues with each other

Never ever: The reality star said she would never spread false rumors about Vicki's boyfriend

'Could you imagine if I was spreading rumors about Steve?' she said, referring to Vicki's boyfriend Steve Lodge. 'It would be hurtful. You should have come to me.

'Just please tell me you're sorry  just tell me you're sorry.'

When Tamra said she never said bad things about her partner, Vicki insisted otherwise.

Broke down: Tamra broke down in tears while making up with Vicki

'You did, with Brooks. You did for five years. But I had to learn that myself,' she said of her controversial ex Brooks Ayers who was accused of faking his cancer.

This quickly proved to be at the heart of the feud, with Tamra getting down on her knees right in front of Vicki and sobbing: 'I was your friend Vicki  I wanted for you the best. I wanted you to be happy I knew that he was lying to you.

'Do you understand how hard it hurt me? Because I was protecting you.

Feelings hurt: Vicki listened as Tamra explained why she was so hurt

'Do you understand how hard it hurt me? Do you understand? He f****ing  you chose him over me.

'I f***ing fought for you. I loved you as a friend. and you chose him over me.'

Vicki said later to camera: 'I'm sorry that Tamra feels that I chose Brooks over her. But I don't feel as if she chose Eddie over me. You can have a lot of people you love in your life.'

Feeling sorry: The OG of the OC said she was sorry Tamra felt that she chose her ex over her

Hospital bound: Vicki was transported to the hospital with a robe draped over her

Emergency trip: An ambulance took Vicki to hospital after she feared a heart attack

Vicki insisted to Tamra: 'I promise you, on my children's lives, I have no desire to hurt you. We should never have lost our friendship over a man.

'You, Shannon and Heather were all pushing me out  calling me con woman, calling me all these horrible things.

'I've known you for a decade of my life. This is crazy. When I told you that you were like my sister, you were like my family, and don't hurt me, and I will not hurt you.'

Drink up: Vicki started drinking once she was released from the hospital

They were seen hugging the next day, and even sharing laughs together as they went shopping.

'Just because I hashed out my problems with Vicki doesn't mean we are best friends again. But it feels good to be in a place where we can at least have fun,' Tamra said.

As they hugged, Vicki insisted it was 'definitely the break-through that Tamra and I needed.'

Big hug: Tamra and Vicki shared a long hug after they let it all out

'We put our differences aside and now we can whoop it up and have fun. That's what life's about  having fun,' Vicki said.

But the emotional heart-to-heart infuriated Shannon Beador, who told Meghan King Edmonds during the confrontation: 'What I'm watching right now is making me sick to my stomach. Vicki's never been a real friend to Tamra. Ever.'

She also repeatedly called her a 'f***ing liar' as she tried to make-up to Tamra and blame the others for alienating her.

Fake friend: Shannon Beador told Meghan King Edmonds that Vicki was never a real friend to Tamra

Meghan said later: 'I get where Shannon's coming from  it's got to be hard watching your best friend getting along with someone who completely s*** on you.

However, Tamra insisted later: 'I understand why Shannon's upset, but she's gotta understand that I'm done with the negativity, I'm done with the fighting. I need to move on for myself, and if Shannon doesn't like it  well, too bad.'

However it was Peggy Sulahian who was left the most upset during the trip, especially after a falling out with Kelly Dodd who felt she was trying to be too controlling over how they helped Vicki during her health scare.

Getting ugly: Kelly Dodd yelled at Peggy Sulahian for being too controlling during Vicki's health scare

Kelly effectively stopped Peggy joining Vicki at the hospital  then astonished everyone when she sat down to have a fancy fish dinner at the hotel rather than go to the hospital.

Lydia McLaughlin was the first to ignore Kelly, getting a cab to the hospital and saying later of Kelly: 'If I get taken in a stretcher in an ambulance in another land, just note, being my friend  please come to the hospital and don't continue a dinner.'

Peggy also stuck to her guns despite Kelly's harsh teasing of her, saying later: 'If you have to feed your tummy before your friend  yeah, you are selfish.'

Showing support: Peggy decided to visit Vicki in the hospital while her friends ate and drank

Taking shifts: Kelly tore into a fancy fish meal while Peggy went to the hospital

Shannon knew it would be fake of her to pretend to want to rush to Vicki's side  but even she was stunned to see Kelly staying there for dinner.

'Meghan and I were severely criticized for not going to the hospital last year when I was not even close to her,' she said to camera. 'Yet here I'm sitting across from one of her closest friends whose still sitting here having dinner and a cocktail.'

Peggy phoned husband Diko in tears and he said he knew she was having a 'flashback,' with Peggy explaining to camera: 'My dad had a little stroke that led to dementia.

Flashback feeling: The reality star admitted she was having flashbacks of her late father

'My father's death was unbearable.'

She was so upset she locked herself in her room the next day, initially even refusing to answer their calls to check that she was OK.

She insisted later that it had been 'one of the worst experiences I've ever had in my life.'

Tough night: Peggy later said the experience was one of the worst of her life

'Kelly insulted me while the other ladies sat around and laughed. Why would I want to be around creatures like that?' she asked.

She also made a dig at Kelly  who later revealed her marriage was over, after the scenes were shot  for having teased her for listening so closely to what her husband Diko told her to do.

'Yes, I listen to my husband and he listens to me. It's called respect,' Peggy said to camera.

'And that's a solid marriage  learn from it. If you paid attention to it maybe you'd have a good marriage, too.'

Casserole gift: The ladies presented Vicki with a hospital after her release
Virginia Man Captured Fleeing From ISIS Sentenced to 20 Years

In December 2015, Virginia-born Mohamad Khweis bought one-way plane tickets from the United States to London, then to Turkey. By November 2016, he had been indicted on terrorism and weapons charges.

In between, Khweis had been smuggled into Syria, joined ISIS, fled the group, and was captured by Kurdish forces in Iraq. And last week, after contradicting himself on the witness stand and failing to provide a credible story as to his time with ISIS, Khweis was sentenced to 20 years in prison. What happened?

Contradictory Accounts

Khweis gave varying accounts of his three months with ISIS forces, at times claiming he just wanted to experience the "caliphate," that it was a drunken impulse, or that he had followed love across the Turkey-Syria border. And yet his Twitter handle was lifted from ISIS-friendly social media pages, his phone was littered with anti-American imagery, and a detailed intake form listed his shoe size, skills, and "specialty before jihad."

Federal prosecutors methodically picked apart each of Khweis' excuses over 13 hours of testimony during his two-day trial. Justice Department attorney Raj Parekh confronted Khweis with evidence of phony email accounts, covert browsing apps downloaded onto multiple phones, and social-media posts allegedly aimed at baiting ISIS facilitators. The most damaging evidence may have been the propaganda found on Khweis' phone, including photos of a U.S. soldier engulfed in flames, the World Trade Center at moment of impact on 9/11, and Islamic State soldiers toting AK-47s and ISIS flags.

Ultimately, Khweis was convicted of providing and conspiring to provide material support to a terrorist organization and one weapons charge. "He obstructed justice from Day 1 and during his cross-examination," U.S. District Judge Liam O'Grady noted during sentencing. "All of the counts were met."

Serious Sentence

While those charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison and prosecutors asked for a 35-year sentenced, O'Grady showed some leniency. "I believe you left because you became disillusioned," O'Grady said, handing down the 20-year sentence. "You didn't harm anybody. You didn't kill anybody. You left of your own volition."

"Because Mr. Khweis will not be the only young man to engage in this travel," his lawyers maintained in a sentencing memo to the judge, "it is imperative to ask -- when those youth change their minds, do we want them to turn themselves in and provide valuable intelligence information, or do we want them [to] stay under ISIS control, possibly causing harm to themselves or others?"

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Ewan McGregors daughter Clara has been comforting his wife, Eve Mavrakis, after the Star Wars actor left her for a besotted actress 14 years his junior.

Now, however, its Clara who needs some TLC.

For I can reveal that the 21-year-old model has split up with her long-term boyfriend, Gordon Goodman, 23.

Close: Eve Mavrakis, Ewan MacGregor, Clara and Gordon at a premiere last year

It just was no longer working and we werent on the same page, Clara tells me. It was the right choice.

She had met the part-time disc jockey in 2015 at New York University, where they are both studying film.

The pair soon became lovers and travelled together to exotic destinations including Bali in Indonesia.

They would often share romantic photos together on social media, including this one where they are posing by a hot tub in Miami.

The pair would often share romantic photos together on social media, including this one where they are posing by a hot tub in Miami

Gordon, who hails from Scotland like Trainspotting star Ewan, had been warmly welcomed into the McGregor clan. Last October, Ewan invited him to join Clara and his wife at the New York premiere of his film American Pastoral.

Its so sad that theyve broken up because they were really sweet together, one of Claras friends tells me. And with everything thats going on with her parents, its not exactly been the best year.

Two weeks ago, Ewan, 46, was spotted passionately kissing actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead at a restaurant in St Johns Wood, North London. She plays his lover in the American television series Fargo and is said to have been besotted with him as a teenager.

A source later confirmed that Ewan had separated from French production designer Eve, 51, after 22 years of marriage. The couple have three other daughters: Jamyan, 16, Esther, 15, and six-year-old Anouk.

Clara publicly supported her mother by sharing a photo of her on social media, with Ewan cropped out of the right-hand side of the shot.

How frickin gorgeous is my mama? Clara said. Strongest, smartest, most loving woman I know. My rock.

Heiress chic: Junk food and 720 loafers

What do you wear to pop into Subway for a sarnie? If youre the daughter of billionaire roly-poly retailer Sir Philip Green, the answer is a pair of fur-lined 720 Gucci loafers.

Thats what glum-faced Chloe Green, 26, sported in a branch of the fast-food chain in Los Angeles, where she was accompanied by her model boyfriend, Jeremy Meeks, 33, the hot felon who was jailed for gun possession.

To think, for that money she could have bought 240 meatball marinara 6in subs.

What do you wear to pop into Subway for a sarnie? If youre the daughter of billionaire roly-poly retailer Sir Philip Green, the answer is a pair of fur-lined 720 Gucci loafers. Pictured: Chloe Green and Jeremy Meeks in Subway

As a clotheshorse, Kate Moss earns millions each year, but her move into interior design is not yet proving so successful. Her company, Kate Moss Interiors, made a loss of 4,300 in its first year. Her only publicly reported contract was to kit out Cotswolds retreat The Barnhouse. Naturally, it then featured in Vogue.

Pippa Middletons parents have always intrigued pals with the fortune they managed to make from party paraphernalia, but theres no doubt how her husband, James Matthews, earns his cash.

The brother of reality TV star Spencer Matthews doubled profits at his hedge fund, Eden Rock, last year. According to new accounts at Companies House, the Mayfair firm made a 2.9 million profit, up from 1.5 million in 2015. Matthews, 42, was rewarded with a three-fold pay rise, to 682,000. That should keep Pippa in skinny jeans.
She was a model long before a famous actress.

And Kate Bosworth looked like she was combining the two as she posed on the red carpet in Los Angeles on Monday.

The 34-year-old looked sophisticated chic as she rocked a multicolored toga gown for the screening of The Long Road Home.

Stunner: Kate Bosworth, 34, looked like she was combining the two as she posed on the red carpet in Los Angeles on Monday

Daring to impress, the Superman Returns starlet turned heads in the gorgeous yellow, pink, and orange couture number.

She was ravishing with subtle makeup tones and her trademark blonde tresses swept back in a messy bun.

The actress changed into a strapless tulle Oscar de la Renta gown and gold Sarah Flint heels for the premiere of her new show later that evening.

The Long Road Home is an eight-episode miniseries that centers on the events of April 4, 2004, a day known in military circles as Black Sunday.

On that day, a platoon from the 1st Cavalry Division in Fort Hood, Texas, was ambushed in Sadr City in Baghdad.

Quick change: Bosworth slipped into a strapless Oscar de la Renta dress later that night at the premiere for The Long Road Home

Tulle us about it! The star played around with her diaphanous skirt, showing off her gold Sarah Flint heels as she twirled around for the cameras

Ballerina time! The actress seemed to be in a playful mood as she posed for snaps

So in love: Kate got affectionate with her husband Michael Polish

The show is based on the New York Times best-selling book of the same name by Martha Raddatz and will debut on the National Geographic channel.

Sarah Wayne Callies also stars in the adaptation.

She opened up about how her own life experience helps her traverse the challenges of being a parent for the Fall Issue of Who What Wear digital magazine.

'My stepdaughter is just entering her 20s, and Im reminded of how angst-ridden and horrifying that decade is,' Bosworth said.

'Its a lot of fun but also just riddled with anxiety. I dont have many regrets, but I do feel like I learned a lot from that decade and have implemented those lessons into my 30s.'

Handsome couple: The pair have been married since 2013 and appear to be going from strength to strength

Color blast: Daring to impress, the Superman Returns starlet turned heads in the gorgeous yellow, pink, and orange couture number

Stars align: Sarah Wayne Callies also stars in the adaptation

Kate also touched on her love affair with producing.

'Producing was a quick fit for me; I think its just the way my brain compartmentalizes things,' she noted.

The actress has previously spoken of her love of dressing up on the red carpet, but admitted it took some time for her to accept her 'boyish' body type.

Speaking to Fashion magazine earlier this year, she said: 'Ill look at someone like Beyonce and say, "That dress is so amazing on her," but I know that my body type is completely different.

Plot: The Long Road Home is an eight-episode miniseries that centers on the events of April 4, 2004, a day known in military circles as Black Sunday

'I have more of a boyish figure, so anything thats too loose or shapeless isnt the most flattering for me.

'When it comes to dressing up, I dont have any anxiety at all - its actually something I really enjoy.

'Its the quickest way to communicate a feeling - culturally and individually, clothing can represent something about our time or what is going on inside us.

'Fashion is the most immediate way to see something evolve.'
The Biggest Loser host revealed on Monday that she had embarked on a same-sex relationship with women's AFL star Lara Creber, confessing she was 'in love'.

And on Sunday, Fiona Falkiner looked radiant at Sydney's Coogee beach before making her big announcement in an interview with Cosmopolitan magazine.

The 34-year-old exuded confidence as she flaunted her famous curves in a two-piece bikini with a bright smile.

Love looks good on her! Fiona Falkiner flaunts enviable curves and carefree attitude at the beach... after revealing her same-sex romance with new girlfriend Lara Creber

'This is the first female relationship I've had': The Biggest Loser host revealed on Monday that she had embarked on a same-sex relationship with women's AFL star Lara Creber (pictured), confessing she was 'in love'

The fitness enthusiast showcased her enviable physique in an animal print bikini top and skimpy bottoms.

Appearing in high spirits, Fiona couldn't keep her grin at bay as she enjoyed a swim in the ocean.

Her busty assets were on display in the triangle-cut swimwear top design.

Happy! Appearing in high spirits, Fiona couldn't keep her grin at bay as she enjoyed a swim in the ocean

Look of love: On Sunday, Fiona Falkiner looked radiant at Sydney's Coogee beach before making her big announcement in an interview with Cosmopolitan magazine

Beach babe! The 34-year-old exuded confidence as she flaunted her famous curves in a two-piece bikini with a bright smile

Looking good! The fitness enthusiast showcased her enviable physique in an animal print bikini top and skimpy bottoms

Fiona's low-riding black bottoms also made her star tattoo on her hip visible.

She wore her long blonde locks out for the beach trip and shielded her eyes from the sun in reflective blue-lens aviators.

The media personality took a swim in the calm waters, but her new personal trainer girlfriend was nowhere to be seen.

'I'm just focusing on what makes me happy': Fiona had been spotted with girlfriend Lara on social media since May, but decided to 'come out' this week, revealing she loved her

'This is the first female relationship I've had and I didn't think there would be interest in it because it's just normal life,' she explained to Cosmopolitan magazine this week.

'I'm at a place in my life where I'm just focusing on what makes me happy and not caring what other people think and focusing inwardly. And Lara was part of that journey.'

The amorous duo have been spotted together on Fiona's social media since May as they trekked with a group across South America

While Fiona's partner Lara was not present, the stunner enjoying the sweltering Sydney temps with fellow model and friend Jessica Vander Leahy.

Fun in the sun: While Fiona's partner Lara was not present, the stunner enjoying the sweltering Sydney temps with fellow model and friend Jessica Vander Leahy

Friends: The models shared a conversation as they enjoyed a fun dip together before laying out in the sun

The models shared a conversation as they enjoyed a fun dip together before laying out in the sun.

The pair later left the beach together, with Fiona sporting a blue off-the-shoulder frock.

Days later on Tuesday, Fiona was pictured cutting a casually chic figure as he ran errands in Sydney's Surry Hills.

Picture-perfect: Fiona appeared carefree and relaxed during the sighting

Everything's beachy! The pair later left the beach together, with Fiona sporting a blue off-the-shoulder frock

On the go: Days later on Tuesday, the body-confident star was pictured cutting a casually chic figure as he ran errands in Sydney's Surry Hills

Casually chic: Fiona opted for a black form-fitting maxi-dress, and draped a stylish abstract cape over her shoulders

The body-confident star opted for a black form-fitting maxi-dress, and draped a stylish abstract cape over her shoulders.

Accessorising with black strappy sandals and reflective aviator sunglasses, Fiona appeared to have picked up a few items.

Allowing her blonde locks to fall effortlessly, the personality appeared to sport a minimal makeup palette.

Fiona first rose to fame as a contestant on the very same weight loss program in 2006, losing 30 kilos during the first season.

Details: Fiona accessorised with black strappy sandals and reflective aviator sunglasses

On a mission: The Channel Ten presenter picked up a few items

Neighbourhood watch: Fiona attended to the parking metre and carried just a few belongings including her iPhone
After winning Sophie Monk's heart on The Bachelorette, Stu Laundy has been linked to a number of pretty blondes.

And on Tuesday, a source revealed the millionaire's interesting generous side to Daily Mail Australia.

The blonde socialite, who has known Stu for two years, revealed that after just a few dinner dates, the publican paid her rent.

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Stu's VERY generous friendships revealed: The Bachelorette star and millionaire Laundy paid a mystery blonde's rent after just a few dates... as he's linked to Sydney socialite Tiffany Tilley

'During a conversation one day he asked why I seemed a bit stressed. I told him I was embarrassed to tell him why, but he pushed. I told him I'd had a heavy month of bills and I was late with my rent payments,' she explained.

'He asked what amount of rent I paid and what real estate I was with, I thought as part of a general conversation.'

'Next thing I knew, he'd called the agent and had paid my rent for me. I was gobsmacked. I told him so and that I would pay him back as soon as my money was paid but he refused,' added the mother-of-three.

Despite Stu's generous actions, the single parent claimed the relationship went no further than friends.

He's got a type! Stu was recently linked to another Sydney blonde - socialite Tiffany Tilley

'We just worked so well as mates we decided if it's not broken, why fix it? Why date? We both weren't ready, so fast became firm buddies,' she added.

'He never made me feel ashamed or awkward, just said he knew what it was like to go through a break up and with kids he understood it was hard and wanted to cut me some slack. He has never asked me for the money back.'

'He genuinely cares about people. Some people pretend to be good humans and some people just are. He is one of the good ones, for sure,' the source continued.

Daily Mail Australia contacted Stu for comment, and confirmed he did in fact pay the woman's rent at the time.

It's not the first time the father-of-four has been linked to pretty blondes.

Penchant for blondes?According to the Daily Telegraph , Sydney's Eastern suburbs had been filled with whispers that Stu and Tiffany had been seeing each other after filming for The Bachelorette

The revelations come after Stu was linked to another Sydney blonde - socialite Tiffany Tilley.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Sydney's Eastern suburbs had been filled with whispers that Stu and Tiffany had been seeing each other after filming for The Bachelorette.

Tiffany bares a striking similarity, not only to Stu's mystery blonde companion, but also to his now girlfriend Sophie.

With speculation about the two reportedly spreading like 'wildfire', the newspaper alleged Tiffany's husband Ben had called Stu to address the rumours he was seeing his estranged wife.

'Ben and his brother rang Stu to get to the bottom of what was going on. Apparently Stu denied any involvement with Tiffany,' an insider said.

Loved up? Sophie and Stu say they have not broken up despite many calling the romance 'fake'

Despite rumours of a romance between Stu and Tiffany, Stu has denied the romance allegations, telling Daily Mail Australia: 'I've never met Tiffany. It's an outrageous claim.'

An unnamed friend of Tiffany's also denied they were seeing each other, telling The Daily Telegraph: 'I called Tiffany when I heard about this and she is denying anything has happened.'

The Tilley home is next door to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Is he The One? Stu and Sophie insist they are still together

A few weeks back the publican was spotted having lunch with a flaxen haired female at Catalina Rose Bay, one of Sydney's glitziest restaurants.

In the picture, which was shared by a fan, the blonde beauty has her head down and shields her face with large sunglasses.

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, Stu revealed the woman to be Katie Adamo, who is the wife of his best friend Daniel Adamo.

The photo in question was snapped last month at a birthday celebration where Katie's husband Daniel was also present.

'I was having lunch for my best mate's bday,' he said.

'Katie is the wife of my best friend Daniel Adamo.

He continued: 'Daniel and I have been best friends since we were 10 years old, we served at each other's best men at our respective weddings and we are god parents to each other's children.'

Out and about: Stu was pictured having lunch with a beautiful blonde after he was linked to socialite Tiffany Tilley

Recently, Stu's relationship with Sophie has come under fire after Em Rusciano labelled the romance 'fake'.

The 2Day FM radio personality addressed Stu and Sophie's 'relationship' in an Instagram post, which she later deleted.

The post featured a photo of Sophie and Stu being interviewed on The Project. Em wrote in the caption: 'I think her skin is crawling'.

'The ultimate prize is a great career': Em claimed on Monday that there is no romance between the reality TV 'couple' and that Sophie had 'played' audiences by appearing on the dating show

'I don't think there is a skerrick of romance between them, she looked uncomfortable and cagey and like she didn't want to be there,' Em added.

Her opinion echoed that of fellow radio personality Kate Langbroek, who took to Instagram on Friday to claim that Sophie 'hated' Stu.

'I think her skin is crawling': Much has been made of Sophie and Stu's apparently 'awkward' interview on The Project on Friday, the day after The Bachelorette finale was broadcast

'She hates him,' she wrote, adding the hashtags 'It's done' and 'Poor Sophie'.

Kate's post was then shared by The Project co-host Meshel Laurie, who added the cheeky caption: 'Thank God for @katelangbroek!'

Meshel went on to justify her opinion in a comment, writing: 'I don't know what Stu is normally like, but I realised eventually that Sophie was a bit off her game.'

On Tuesday both Stu and Sophie told KIIS FM hosts, the rumours were not true and that the couple were very much still together.

'We have not broken up,' Sophie exclaimed.

Team Jarrod! The Project co-host Meshel Laurie (pictured) also appeared to agree with Em's verdict of Stu and Sophie's 'relationship'

According to OK! Magazine, with his million dollar bank account, Stu lives a 'party boy lifestyle.

Daily Telegraph reported that he 'drives a $430,000 Aston Martin ('a divorce extravagance'), flew a date to Bali just for one night, owns two yachts and takes the kids to America to ski every January.'

Five star holidays: Stu also holidays several times a year in luxury ski hotspot Aspen

Stu resides in a multi-million dollar waterfront penthouse, located in Sydney's harbour-front suburb of Kirribilli.

Kirribilli is the sixth most expensive suburb in Australia and the lavish apartment includes sweeping views of Sydney Harbour Bridge, an indoor pool, gym and large balcony.

Stu was educated at St Joseph's College - an elite all-boys Catholic school, which now charges $30,000 per year for tuition

What a view! He resides in a multi-million dollar waterfront penthouse, located in the blue ribbon Sydney harbour suburb of Kirribilli
He plays the world's greatest hitman in his latest movie Killing Gunther.

But Arnold Schwarzenegger proved he was a family man at heart when he was surrounded by his kin on the red carpet for the premiere of National Geographic's The Long Road Home in Los Angeles on Monday. Patrick stars in the event miniseries as Sgt. Ben Hayhurst.

Flashing his killer smile, the 70-year-old Expendables star posed with his ex Maria Shriver, 61, and their children Katherine, 27, Christina, 26, and Patrick, 24.

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Family affair: Arnold Schwarzenegger, 70, posed with his ex Maria Shriver, 61, and their children Katherine, 27, Christina, 26, and Patrick, 24 in Los Angeles on Monday

The former California governor was dressed in a dazzling blue polo shirt underneath a matching jacket as they attended a screening of Long Road Home.

The Long Road Home is an eight-episode miniseries that centers on the events of April 4, 2004, a day known in military circles as Black Sunday.

On that day, a platoon from the 1st Cavalry Division in Fort Hood, Texas, was ambushed in Sadr City in Baghdad.

Meanwhile, Arnold's latest movie Killing Gunther tells the story of assassins who plot to kill off Gunther (Arnold) when they become fed up of him.

Support: His daughters came to the premiere of his latest film Killing Gunther last week

But in a series of exciting plot twists, the world's greatest hitman always appears to be one step ahead of them.

The movie star established himself in Hollywood as an icon in James Cameron's The Terminator in 1984.

He went onto reprise the role that made him famous for the franchise's later installments.

Lunch date: Arnold had a lunch date with his daughter Christina earlier on Monday

As well as Hollywood's action man, the actor is quite the family man as he raises five children.

Hunk Arnie married Maria in a romantic ceremony in Hyannis, Massachusetts in 1986.

But after 25 years of marriage, the broadcast journalist moved out of their Brentwood mansion.

The estranged couple also share 20-year-old Christopher.

Arnie also raises his son 20-year-old Joseph Baena with Mildred Patricia Baena.
Kylie Jenner's rapper boyfriend Travis Scott has been sued by a 23-year-old man who was left paralyzed after attending his concert earlier this year in New York City.

Kyle Green sued Scott, 25, and venue operator Bowery Presents over injuries he suffered during the performer's April 30 show at Terminal 5, according to an article by the New York Post.

Some concertgoers began leaping from the balcony into the crowd and were egged on by Scott, according to Green.

Concert lawsuit: Travis Scott, shown last month in Las Vegas, has been sued by a 23-year-old man left paralyzed after attending the rapper's concert in April in New York City

Green said he was on a balcony when he was pushed over the railing by a surging crowd.

'I fell and hit the floor. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by security guards, who scooped me up,' Green said.

'Travis Scott was yelling at his security guards to bring me to the stage. They didn't put a backboard or a neck brace on me or anything, they just kinda lifted me up and pulled me around,' he added.

'Then they dropped me in front of the stage,' said Green, who filed the lawsuit Friday in State Supreme Court in Manhattan.

Baby coming: Kylie Jenner and Scott, shown in April in Houston, reportedly are expecting a baby girl together

Scott, real names Jacques Webster Jr., then gave Green a ring before his limp body was carried away from the stage by security.

'I was in a lot of pain. I just laid there, and finally, an ambulance came,' Green told The Post.

Green was living in Brooklyn and attending the Fashion Institute of Technology when he went to the concert.

On stage: Scott, shown performing last week on The Tonight Show, gave Green a ring after his limp body was carried onto the stage

He now resides in Dutchess County with his family after leaving school and his third-flooor apartment in Brooklyn.

'The emotional toll is just brutal. I was very independent, and now I depend on my family for almost everything,' he said.

The lawsuit, which also named the security company Strike Force Protective Services as defendants, claimed the venue and security guards should have known that Scott 'had incited mayhem and chaos at prior events'.

Rap singer: The Houston rapper, shown performing earlier this month in Atlanta, has been arrested before for disorderly conduct at concerts

Scott pleaded not guilty earlier this year to inciting a riot, disorderly conduct and endangering the welfare of a minor.

He was arrested after his May concert in Rogers, Arkansas for allegedly encouraging people to rush the stage and ignore security protocols.

The Houston rapper also was arrested in August 2015 by Chicago police for disorderly conduct after he encouraged Lollapalooza concertgoers to jump over security barricades and storm the stage.

His performance lasted just five minutes before organizers shut it down and Scott later was taken into custody after fleeing the venue.

New album: Scott, shown in August 2016 in France, has been working on his third studio album AstroWorld

Green's lawyer, Howard Hershenhorn, said there was 'no crowd control so that the crowd was able to push him over the ledge, and then to add insult to injury, he winds up not even being given basic and routine first aid.

'Clearly, had he been given [the aid], he wouldn't have wound up paralyzed,' Hershenhorn said.

Green sued Scott and Bowery Presents for 'severe personal injuries resulting in extreme pain and suffering, loss of earnings, emotional distress, and medical expenses'.

His injuries included fractured vertebrae, a broken left wrist and fractured right ankle and left him paralyzed on the left side and confined to a wheelchair.

Scott was spotted last week with his pregnant girlfriend Kylie Jenner, 20, in his hometown of Houston,

The reality star and rapper reportedly are expecting a baby girl together.
He is Australia's bad boy model who's in Sydney filming upcoming feature film Lady Blue.

But Jordan Barrett took the day off on Sunday to head to Bondi Beach and ride a few waves.

The 20-year-old looked happy to be off the set, cutting a relaxed figure as he cooled off in the pristine waters with his friend Elliot Isles.

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Surf's up! Bad boy model Jordan Barrett takes a break from filming as he rides a few waves with a friend at Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach

The 2016 Male Model of the Year stayed true to his 'bad boy' persona as he took to the beach wearing an unbuttoned white jacket with the collar turned up.

And Jordan completed the whitewash look with a pair of matching swim shorts.

Jordan looked the part as he wore some surfer-chic bracelets, pushed his sweeping blonde locks behind his ears and tucked a surfboard under his arm.

Day off: The 20-year-old looked happy to be off the set, cutting a relaxed figure as he cooled off in the pristine waters with his friend Elliot Isles

Beach or the catwalk? The 2016 Male Model of the Year stayed true to his 'bad boy' persona as he took to the beach wearing an unbuttoned white jacket with the collar turned up

Determination: The shirtless Jordan was seen looking determined as he sat on his blue and bright yellow board waiting to catch a wave

He looked like he hadn't left the catwalk as he offered a steely glaze and pouted his lips before slipping off his jacket.

But it was all fun from there for Jordan, as he took to the water to try his hand at riding some of Bondi's famous waves.

The shirtless Jordan was seen looking determined as he sat on his blue and bright yellow board waiting to catch a wave.

Good spirits: It was all fun in the water for Jordan, as he tried his hand at riding some of Bondi's famous waves

Unique style: Despite being on a surfboard, Jordan appeared more at home riding the waves on his stomach and paddling with his arms

Despite being on a surfboard, Jordan appeared more at home riding the waves on his stomach and paddling with his arms.

His friend showed him how it's done though as he jumped up on his board, while Jordan looked on with an amused grin.

Jordan appeared refreshed and content with his efforts though as he called it a day and returned to shore.

Looking on: His friend showed him how it's done though as he jumped up on his board, while Jordan looked on with an amused grin
He's the tattooed rapper known for tracks Live It Up and Price Of Fame.

And 360, real name Matt Colwell, has revealed the bizarre friendship he's struck with none other than convicted drug smuggler, Schapelle Corby.

On Tuesday's 92.9 Heidi, Will & Woody radio show, the 31-year-old said that he would 'private message' her on Facebook while she was on parole after serving time at Indonesia's Kerobokan Prison.

Who knew they were friends? Rapper 360, real name Matt Colwell, 31, revealed to radio on Tuesday that he would 'private message' Schapelle Corby on Facebook while she was in JAIL

Co-host Heidi Anderson quizzed 360 on his connection with Schapelle after noticing the pair follow each other on Instagram.

'I've known Schapelle Corby for a while,' the musician said of the 40-year-old.

'I actually... fun fact, I used to talk to her while she was in jail. It was on Facebook, so it was just private messaging and stuff.

Surprise friendship: 'I've known Schapelle Corby for a while,' the musician said of the 40-year-old. 'I actually...fun fact, I used to talk to her while she was in jail. It was on Facebook, so it was just private messaging and stuff,' he continued

'She obviously had her phone in jail. It was just like chatting to a friend. We're not like close friends or anything like that. Just Facebook mates,' he went on to explain.

Finding the friendship surprising, Heidi and her co-hosts further probed 360 on how their communication came about.

'Facebook mates (introduced us),' he offered, before going on to state that their chats would be about his music and her living conditions in jail.

Chit chat: The rapper told the radio co-hosts that he would chat to Schapelle about his music and her living conditions in jail

Convicted: Schapelle served nine years behind bars in Kerobokan Prison and was released on parole in February 2014. After three years in Bali, she returned to Australia in May this year

Schapelle served nine years behind bars in Kerobokan Prison and was released on parole in February 2014.

After three years in Bali, she returned to Australia in May this year.

The former beautician's life was forever changed the moment a customs officer lifted 4.2kg of top-quality marijuana from her boogie board bag the afternoon of October 8, 2004, in Indonesia.

However since her return to Australia, it appears Schapelle has put the past behind her - and established herself as a social media influencer.

Sharing snaps with her 196,000 Instagram followers, the former felon has been seen sipping champagne for her 40th birthday and soaking up the sunshine in coastal locations.
Aussie actor Chris Hemsworth is known to have a sense of humour.

And on Monday, the actor looked to be in good spirits at SiriusXM's 'EW Spotlight' With Chris Hemsworth And Taika Waititi in New York.

Donning a black leather jacket from Billy Reid and dark blue jeans, the 34-year-old hammed it up for the cameras alongside the Thor: Ragnarok director.

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Ruggedly handsome: Thor star Chris Hemsworth (pictured) opted for a Billy Reid leather jacket and jeans as he attended SiriusXM's 'EW Spotlight' With Chris Hemsworth And Taika Waititi in New York on Monday

Chris opted for a casual rock star ensemble, wearing his leather jacket over a white T-shirt and teaming it with dark denim jeans.

The former Home And Away star added a pair of brown shoes to the outfit, while a pair of aviators dangled precariously from his T-shirt.

His piercing blue eyes and rugged facial hair cemented Chris's heartthrob status during the media appearance.

Strike a pose! Chris and Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi (right) put on an animated display

Too tall? Chris bent his knees and crossed his arms while Taika casually rested his arm on the actor's shoulder

Proving he's not shy, Chris and Taika put on an animated display on the media wall, posing back to back and sporting humorous facial expressions.

In another shot, very tall Chris bent his knees and crossed his arms as Taika casually rested his arm on the star's shoulders.

During the panel, Just Jared reported that Chris opened up about having to film shirtless scenes in the latest installment of the Thor franchise, despite the concept being omitted from the original script.

'To go from "we're not doing a shirtless scene" to [eight continuous gratuitous shots], was incredibly exploitative, but I was like, okay,' Chris said.

'I was like, okay': Chris joked that Thor's shirtless scenes were 'incredibly exploitative' but that he went along with it

It comes after the Ghostbusters star confessed to OK! Magazine that almost pursued a career in fashion design instead of acting.

'I remember doing cross-stitch,' he told the magazine last week.

'There was a period when I was like, "I'm gonna be a designer!"'
Georgia Love is climbing the ranks in the Channel 10 offices, having this week scored a position anchoring Ten News Melbourne.

The exciting announcement was made on Twitter by former Ten newsreader Mal Walden, who Tweeted on Tuesday: 'As a mentor so proud of Georgia Loves appointment with Ten News Melbourne'.

Amid the exciting news, Georgia took to her Instagram page on Tuesday to pose for a sexy Halloween selfie dressed as a naughty nurse.

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That's one way to celebrate! Georgia Love has scored a new job as a Ten News Melbourne anchor, with the former reality star celebrating by dressing up as a naughty nurse on Halloween

Mentor: The exciting announcement was made on Twitter by former Ten newsreader Mal Walden, who Tweeted on Tuesday: 'As a mentor so proud of Georgia Loves appointment with Ten News Melbourne'

Posing in an elevator at Studio 10 headquarters, Georgia turned up the temperature in her faux blood-soaked ensemble, which included a dangerously short dress and a pair of thigh-high stockings.

The look was completed with a ripped nurse's hat and a pair of ruby-red pumps.

'Just heading into work, nothing unusual', the brunette wrote next to the image.

Out for blood! She also Tweeted an image of herself donning the same outfit while reporting live for Studio 10's Halloween special

She also Tweeted an image of herself donning the same outfit while reporting live for Studio 10's Halloween special.

The former Bachelorette star has certainly come a long way from her years as a regional TV journalist in Tasmania.

Since leaving the WIN network to become The Bachelorette, Georgia has found success as a television panel host and media personality.

Claim to fame: Georgia shot to fame last year after starring on The Bachelorette, during which she found love with mechanical engineer Lee Elliott (R)

She has guest hosted The Project on one occasion and appears as a regular guest on daytime chat show Studio 10 since the end of last year.

Georgia has also incorporated her paid advertising gigs into her considerable presence on Instagram, where she boasts more than 183,000 followers.

With the help of her beau Lee, Georgia has managed to spruik a host of products on her page, including cosmetics, beer, health food and skin creams.
Off-Label Drug Use and the First Amendment

When we go to doctors for treatment and medication, we want to believe the medications are safe. And when we hear the phrase "FDA-approved," we generally believe the drug or medication has undergone extensive testing and that the FDA wouldn't approve a drug -- and a doctor wouldn't prescribe it -- if it weren't safe.

But what a doctor will prescribe medication for and what the FDA has tested a drug for may not always match up. Here's what you need to know about off-label drug prescription and use.

Off-Label on the Wrong Side of the Law

When a drug is approved by the Food and Drug Administration, it is generally for a specific purpose. But drug manufacturers will sometimes push doctors to prescribe the drug for other purposes, to increase sales. For instance, the FDA approved the use of a drug called Zofran to help cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy battle their nausea. But drug maker GlaxoSmithKline has been accused of marketing Zofran to pregnant women as an aid for morning sickness, without FDA approval. Zofran was never tested or approved for this purpose in human patients, and it turns out that it can cause birth defects.

The FDA calls this kind of prescription and use of a drug "off-label" drug use. And while healthcare providers are permitted to prescribe a drug for an unapproved use (in situations where there might not be an approved drug to treat a disease or medical condition or if a patient has tried all approved treatments without seeing any benefits), drug companies have been prohibited from promoting off-label uses of a drug to healthcare providers. In fact, GSK pleaded guilty to off-label promotion of Zofran and other drugs in 2012 and agreed to pay $3 billion in fines. But those days may be changing.

Is Promotional Speech Free Speech?

In a recent case, a sales rep for a pharmaceutical company had his conviction for off-label promotion overturned, after a court found that "the government prosecuted Caronia for mere off-label promotion" that, unlike what GSK was charged with, was not proven to be false or misleading. The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals determined that federal law does not prohibit "the truthful off-label promotion of FDA-approved prescription drugs," so as long as drug companies do not lie to or mislead healthcare providers, such promotion is protected commercial speech under the First Amendment.

This may mean doctors will be prescribing more drugs for off-label purposes, and it may be up to patients to determine whether the benefits of off-label drug use outweigh the risks.

If you've been injured by a drug that was prescribed for an unapproved use, contact an experienced injury attorney in your area.

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Her Migos rapper beau Offset surprised her with a live on-stage proposal during her concert in Philadelphia on Saturday.

But despite her joy over the jaw-dropping rock, Cardi B covered up her engagement ring on Tuesday as she attended Bacardi Presents Dress To Be Free Halloween party in New York, where she was booked to perform.

The 25-year-old Bodak Yellow hitmaker dressed as a busty Cruella de Vil, but kept her engagement ring firmly covered amid rumours it is worth a jaw drop $550,000.

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The lady herself: Bodak Yellow hitmaker Cardi B turned up to a Monday night New York City Halloween party dressed as Cruella de Vil, but hid her ring- reportedly worth $550k

According to TMZ, the rapper spent a staggering $550k on the custom-made ring, which took a month and a half to make, and was finished just hours before his surprise proposal.

The eight carat stone is surrounded by two half-carat pear diamonds and two carats of pink and white stones, and Cardi has made no secret of her joy over the masterpiece in an influx of gushing social media posts.

But heading to her Halloween appearance on Tuesday, she covered up her hand as she approximated Cruella De Ville.

Rocking her world! The 25-year-old Bodak Yellow hitmaker kept her engagement ring firmly covered amid rumours it is worth a jaw dropping half a million dollars

Pulling out the stops: To add to the effect, Cardi - who got engaged onstage to Offset on Friday - brought along an actual, faintly alarmed-looking dalmatian on a leash

Imitating the way the character appeared in the 1961 Disney animated film 101 Dalmatians, she brought along a real life, faintly alarmed-looking dalmatian on a leash.

What a dazzler! The eight carat stone is surrounded by two half-carat pear diamonds and two carats of pink and white stones

Cardi's busty ensemble did feature some departures from the cartoon's look, as she updated the look with her own twists.

While the Disney Cruella's hair is black and one side and white on the other, Cardi went for a more youthful do, replacing white with blonde.

Her elaborately designed top went elegantly with simple black trousers, and like the cartoon character she draped herself in a massive fur coat.

Yet while Disney's Cruella wears a yellow and black wrap, Cardi went for a raven and white one with a slightly different design.

She did, however, match the animated Cruella with two flourishes - she mimicked the character's cigarette holder and scarlet gloves.

Earlier in the night she documented her arrival at the party, taking to Instagram from her car as she announced: 'Im on my way to the Dress To Be Free Bacardi party,' and later vamped in a put-on accent that 'I don't wanna be around all those poor people,' presumably in character as Cruella de Vil.

Inspiration: Cardi was approximating Cruella as she appeared in the 1961 Disney animated film 101 Dalmatians, in which she was voiced by Betty Lou Gerson

Discrepancy: While the Disney Cruella's hair is black and one side and white on the other, Cardi went for a more youthful do, replacing white with blonde

And getting into the spirit of things, Cardi later posted an Instagram photo of herself inside the party, sitting on an elaborate throne-like chair and holding the dalmatian by a leash.

The rapper qualified: 'But I will be performing - my accent sucks, doesn't it?' she asked someone next to her in the car, who laughed.

'BRUELLA DE VILLE is on her way!! #dresstobefreeEVENT,' she captioned it.

Floss! According to TMZ , the rapper's custom-made ring, which took a month and a half to make, and was finished just hours before his surprise proposal

Televised: Cardi and Offset are set to wed following his on stage proposal, and it's been claimed Cardi and Offset will film their big day in a wedding TV special worth $1million

In the 1956 animated version, she was voiced by Betty Lou Gerson.

Glenn Close went on to portray her in two live-action films also made by Disney - 101 Dalmatians, out in 1996, and 102 Dalmatians, which was released four years later.

In 2003, Disney secreted a direct-to-video animated sequel to the 1961 movie, 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure, with Susanne Blakeslee as Cruella.

Iconic: She matched the animated Cruella with two flourishes - she mimicked the character's cigarette holder and scarlet gloves

Solo: Cardi was sans dog when she got in a bit of posing on the red carpet

How apropos: Behind her was a backdrop advertising Bacardi, including its famous symbol - a bat - which just so happened to be perfect for Halloween

Cardi and Offset are set to wed following his on stage proposal, and it's been claimed Cardi and Offset will film their big day in a wedding TV special worth $1million.

According to TMZ, shortly after their engagement BET, VH1 and WE expressed their interest in the couple, with Cardi and Offset set to be 'mulling over' offers.

Speaking of her beau in her interview with Rolling Stone, Cardi dished that on her birthday in October, Offset was away on tour and 'I was sad, because it's like, "Oh, my gosh, I'm not getting no d**k on my birthday." But I wasn't going to get d**k on my birthday anyway, because I got my period.'

In repose: Cardi later posted an Instagram photo of herself inside the party, sitting on an elaborate throne-like chair and holding the dalmatian by a leash

Decor: Behind her was a framed picture of what was apparently an undead girl, plus false cobwebs draped all over the crimson backdrop
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She's the Sydney socialite whose lavish Mosman home she shares with boyfriend Kyle Sandilands played host to a wild Halloween party over the weekend.

And on Tuesday, Imogen Anthony shared a photo of the destructive-looking aftermath of the boisterous event.

Posted on Instagram, the 26-year-old's image showed the party's remaining mess - including overturned chairs and tables and leftover decorations - as well as featuring the expansive waterfront view the couple enjoys.

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'This mess is officially almost completely cleaned': Following a wild Halloween party over the weekend held at the lavish Mosman home she shares with boyfriend Kyle Sandilands, Imogen Anthony took to Instagram on Tuesday to share an image of the aftermath

'Post-party outside. Now I've survived the biggest hangover of all, I can finally share all the greatness from our CIRQUE LE FREAK Halloween party': Imogen captioned the photo.

'Mind you, this mess is officially almost completely cleaned - sun baking and cocktails anyone??'

The couple count millionaire horse breeder John Messara among their neighbours in the flash Mosman suburb.

The current weekly rent hasn't been confirmed, but according to Core Logic the last three rental contracts were for $5,000 per week.

Prior to that, it was rented for between $3,000 and $4,500, after it sold for $9,875,000 in 2008.

And what better place for Kyle, his scantily-clad model girlfriend and their collection of luxury cars to call home than this five-bedroom, four-bathroom abode - steeped in controversial history.

'Exquisitely private': The polarising pair have reportedly settled into this 'exquisitely private,' $5,000 a week waterfront pad in Mosman's 'usually quiet' Burran Avenue

The tri-level property was owned by disgraced HIH founder Ray Williams, according to Fairfax.

They added: 'The property featured in the corporate collapse of the insurance giant when it was revealed Williams' associate Brad Cooper agreed to pay $5.6 million for the Mosman home.'

The publication also noted that the current owner was listed as Shelley Kathleen Wilson, the wife of 'secretive' professional gambler Zeljko Ranogajec.

Kyle and Imogen enjoy a 'Hollywood Style,' Master Suite at the property.

Suite life! So what makes it so Hollywood? How about the all-black marbled ensuite and adjoining spa, featuring his and her basins, allowing Kyle to get up early for radio and perform his feasibly extensive morning routine without disturbing Imogen

Bathing beauty: Kyle and Imogen enjoy a 'Hollywood Style,' Master Suite at the property

Plenty of choice! Although she could choose one of the other four bedrooms, which all feature remarkably spacious wardrobes and noise dampening carpets

Throw in an extra kitchen! The abode also offers separate dining rooms for formal and casual gatherings, and a fully stocked games room with its own kitchen

So what makes it so Hollywood? How about the all-black marbled ensuite and adjoining spa, featuring his and her basins.

Now Kyle can get up for his 6am radio start and perform his feasibly extensive morning routine without disturbing sleeping Imogen.

Although she could choose one of the other four bedrooms, which all feature remarkably spacious wardrobes and noise-dampening carpets.

Breathtaking! According to its Domain profile, the pad is an 'exquisitely private waterfront home,' that enjoys 'spellbinding views spanning the full breadth of Middle Harbour'

The ideal shooting location? Imogen has shared plenty of snaps of herself in the spacious home

How private? Every room in the abode features stunning water views, and although private, doesn't appear to boast potential issues for any extra-savvy, boat-owning paparazzi, who may well be able to see right in

The abode also offers separate dining rooms for formal and casual gatherings, and a fully stocked games room with its own kitchen.

According to Domain, the pad is an 'exquisitely private waterfront home,' that enjoys 'spellbinding views spanning the full breadth of Middle Harbour.'

Plent of room for horsing around! One of the neighbours, according to the publication, is millionaire horse breeder John Messara, although there's no indication it's him who made the alleged complaint

Steeped in history: The tri-level property was owned by disgraced HIH founder Ray Williams

Heavily featured! They added: 'The property featured in the corporate collapse of the insurance giant when it was revealed Williams' associate Brad Cooper agreed to pay $5.6 million for the Mosman home'

The listing concluded: 'Enjoy the crashing waves on the rocks beneath its high majestic, unbeatable cliff top position.'

Every room in the abode features stunning water views, and although private, doesn't appear to boast potential issues for any extra-savvy, boat-owning paparazzi, who may well be able to see right in.

Judging by Kyle's unfiltered discussions of the couple's private affairs on national radio, any takers may well be in for quite the interesting show.
Even while popping out to a Baskin-Robbins, she manages to look glamorous.

Angelina Jolie was photographed ice cream cone in hand on Monday as she emerged from a Los Angeles location of the chain.

The 41-year-old actress - who was also seen ambling about an LA sidewalk without ice cream that day - wore a chic black cocktail dress that fell past the knee.

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Always elegant: Angelina Jolie was photographed ice cream cone in hand on Monday as she emerged from a Los Angeles location of Baskin-Robbins

She matched the dress with a pair of black stiletto boots.

Angelina, the daughter of Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand, had draped a tasseled pale grey shawl-style Gerard Darel cardigan about her arms.

The mother of six accented her ensemble with a pair of tortoiseshell butterfly sunglasses, plus a simple black purse.

Cooling treat: The Maleficent star enjoyed her dessert with one of Baskin-Robbins' tiny pink plastic spoons

Blowing in the breeze: She let her brown hair fall free over her shoulders

The Maleficent star enjoyed her dessert with one of Baskin-Robbins' tiny pink plastic spoons.

As she stood at the open door of a car, Angelina was glimpsed seemingly eating a bit of stray ice cream off her thumb.

After 11 years as half of Brangelina, one of Hollywood's premier power couples, she filed for divorce from Brad Pitt last September.

Catching a droplet?: As she stood at the open door of a car, Angelina was glimpsed seemingly eating a bit of stray ice cream off her thumb

Single again: After 11 years as half of Brangelina, one of Hollywood's premier power couples, she filed for divorce from Brad Pitt last September

On the go: The 41-year-old actress - who was also seen ambling about an LA sidewalk without ice cream that day - wore a chic black cocktail dress that fell past the knee

Though they had been a couple since 2005 - when Brad infamously left his first wife Jennifer Aniston for Angelina - Brangie had waited to marry until 2014, holding the ceremony at their Chateau Miraval in the South Of France.

They are the parents of six children, three of whom are adopted and three of whom Brad and Angelina conceived together.

When she split from Brad last year, Angelina enlisted the services of divorce-lawyer-to-the-stars Laura Wasser, as TMZ had reported at the time.

Coordinated: She matched the dress with a pair of black stiletto boots

Bit of warmth: Angelina, the daughter of Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand, had draped a tasseled pale grey shawl-style Gerard Darel cardigan about her arms

Last month saw the stateside release of First They Killed My Father, the fifth and latest movie Angelina has directed.

Set in Cambodia under the brutal Khmer Rouge, the movie is based on a memoir by Loung Ung, who co-wrote the script with Angelina.

The country concerned - where the film was shot on location - has a family significance to Angelina, whose 16-year-old son Maddox was born in Cambodia.

Garnishing the look: The mother of six accented her ensemble with a pair of tortoiseshell butterfly sunglasses, plus a simple black purse
She's just left Channel Nine and her coveted co-hosting job on the Today show.

And it seems the break from work - and the early starts - has worked wonders for Lisa Wilkinson.

The 57-year-old journalist looked positively radiant, fresh, and svelte as she caught up with former Today co-host Karl Stefanovic on Tuesday.

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Is this what NOT waking up with Today looks like? Lisa Wilkinson looks positively radiant and svelte as she catches up with former co-host Karl Stefanovic...after her shock resignation

Lisa was glowing in a picture of the pair she shared to Instagram account, which showed her and Karl smiling broadly.

Lisa looked stunning in a cream blouse and gold hoop earrings, a chic outfit fit for a meal overlooking Sydney Harbour.

'The best lunch today with this guy,' Lisa captioned the happy snap.

Moving on: She's just left Channel Nine and her coveted co-hosting job on the Today Show

Her hair was out and straightened, and she wore makeup including dewy foundation, a glossy pink lip and lashings of mascara.

One fan commented underneath how great Lisa looks after she ditched the early mornings.

'Those sleep ins!! Not to mention the lunches overlooking the beautiful Harbour! Enjoy.'

Another added: 'You look amazing Lisa, the sleep-ins are agreeing with you!'

Lisa's husband Peter FitzSimons, 56, also shared to Twitter a shot of the pair from the lunch, holding up his book, Burke and Wills.

He captioned the shot: 'This is the story of two intrepid adventurers who came to a surprising end. And Karl and Lisa discussed it over lunch today!'

Lisa made headlines when she resigned from her role as co-host of Today, a fortnight ago.

'Two adventurers who came to an end': Lisa's husband Peter FitzSimons, 56, also shared to Twitter a shot of the pair from the lunch, holding up his book, Burke and Wills

Rumours: The Daily Telegraph alleged that Lisa was holding out on re-signing until she was granted 'pay parity' with Karl

Lisa is said to have left her high-profile gig after an explosive report claimed her contract negotiations had been 'stalled.'

The Daily Telegraph alleged that Lisa was holding out on re-signing until she was granted 'pay parity' with Karl.

It was suggested the reason Lisa wanted the same money as Karl, was because he was 'rumoured to be on twice as much.'

The Australian had previously reported that Karl earns at least $2 million a year, in a three-year contract with a potential bonus that could take his salary to $3 million if ratings were hit.

Details: The Australian had previously reported that Karl earns at least $2 million a year, in a three-year contract with a potential bonus that could take his salary to $3 million

Lisa was also was said by The Daily Telegraph to have been on a $1.1 million a year contract, with Nine only willing to increase the amount to $1.8 million.

The amount was claimed to have not been enough for her to stay with the network, defecting to Ten where she will co-host news and current affairs program, The Project.

Nine CEO Hugh Marks spoke out on the claims, saying that he offered Lisa $1.8 million, but that she asked for $2.3 million.
She is no stranger to having all eyes on her both on and off the red carpet.

And turning heads as she attended the premiere of Party Bus To Hell in Las Vegas on Monday, Tara Reid caught the eye in a metallic silver jumpsuit that was entirely covered in fringe detailing.

The 41-year-old actress stepped out in the company of her new boyfriend Ted Dhanik, with the duo putting on a smitten display as they cuddled up together on their arrival.

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Hot couple: Tara Reid, 41, attended the premiere of Party Bus To Hell with her new boyfriend Ted Dhanik in Las Vegas on Monday

Tara showcased her figure in a fringed jumpsuit that boasted flared trousers and a zip down its centre.

The former American Pie actress put on a confident display on the red carpet, after speaking candidly of how frustrating it is to have people constantly question her weight. Tara told DailyMailTV: 'I don't fluctuate. This is just who I am, this is my natural weight and people need to leave me alone.'

The star claims she weighs 95 pounds and is 'not anorexic' and speaking out against bodyshamers, Tara says it is especially difficult for her ailing mother to read such accusations online.

Stars (almost) in her eyes: The former American Pie actress appeared to embrace a futuristic theme when it came to her make-up and her getup

Eye-catching: She slipped into a fringed metallic silver jumpsuit that boasted flared trousers and a zip down its centre

Meanwhile, the blonde beauty wore her blonde tresses in a half up, half down style, with the front of her bonce swept back from her face in a large quiff. She braided the side sections of her mane and sported dark blue extensions underneath her lightened locks to thicken her head of hair.

Tara styled her locks in tousled curls and sported a glamorous make-up look that came complete with bronzed cheeks and kohl-lined eyes.

She appeared to embrace a futuristic look and added a trio of gems to the side of her eye and wore silver-hued lipstick across her lips.

Beauty: Tara wore her blonde tresses in a half up, half down style, with the front of her bonce swept back from her face in a large quiff

Tara appeared in high spirits as she attended the event on the arm of her new beau.

Her handsome boyfriend is a successful tech entrepreneur, and the pair have kept their blossoming relationship relatively low-key, claiming that they were 'casually dating' when news emerged of their romance last month.

The pair sparked romance rumours when he accompanied her to pal Christina Milian's birthday party in late September.

At the time they were said to be enjoying casually dating, a source divulged to Page Six.

Tara is undergoing something of a career renaissance at the moment, and currently has nine movies on the way and three in pre-production.

Rubbing shoulders: She was seen embracing Rolfe Kanefsky - the movie's writer and director

Perhaps most excitingly of all, the Sharknado actress has just landed a movie opposite John Travolta that will film in Europe early in the new year.

Her comeback has emerged after a tough summer, with Tara admitting in July that she has felt bullied many times throughout her career - especially after being branded 'scary skinny' by online trolls.

The Sharknado star revealed she tired of being body shamed, telling E! News, she's 'just a thin girl' in a new interview promoting her film Worthless.

'I've definitely felt bullying in my life. With... just different things in my life,' she said.

The former teen star says she hopes her new movie, Worthless, which follows the actions and consequences of a bully, will strike a chord with people who have been through something similar.

Exciting: Tara is undergoing something of a career renaissance at the moment, and currently has nine movies on the way and three in pre-production
She's made a shocking transformation from her 2010 appearance on The X Factor as Chloe Mafia.

And Chloe, now known by the surname Khan but born Chloe Heald, continued to covet attention by flaunting her cosmetically enhanced body on Instagram on Monday.

The 26-year-old Instagram personality posed in a racy pinstripe bikini, making the most of her enhanced assets as she posed up a storm in Turkey, where she appears to be for further surgery.

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Making a splash! Chloe, now known by the surname Khan but born Chloe Heald, continued to covet attention by flaunting her cosmetically enhanced body on Instagram on Monday

Posing in a striped monochrome bikini, she showed off her enhanced assets and posterior, the result of a Brazilian Butt Lift- a procedure where the fat is taken from the waist and injected into the bottom.

'Oh hi', she captioned the steamy picture, before pointing her posterior to the camera and looking out towards the impressive view.

And despite her plethora of holidays, she looked to be planning another, as she asked: 'Hey loves , its Katie Salmon's birthday next month and we want to take her somewhere for a lush girls week . Any suggestions where ? We were thinking maybe Santorini as none of us have ever been but is it as good as it looks or we are open to ideas?'

Subtle: The 26-year-old Instagram personality posed in a racy pinstripe bikini, making the most of her enhanced assets as she posed up a storm in Turkey, where she appears to be for further surgery

Ahead of her journey to get surgery in Turkey earlier this year, Chloe announced in a video: 'I'm on my way to Elite after care, it is in Turkey so I'm going to jump on a quick flight, to go and get a Brazilian butt lift.

'It's not implants, they actually take all the fat from your own body that you don't want and they put it all in your booty, to give you that fat a**e.

'So for someone who isn't that fat, or wasn't, I've been stuffing my face on Dominoes and loads of munchies all week to pack on the pounds.'

Oh my! 'It's not implants, they actually take all the fat from your own body that you don't want and they put it all in your booty, to give you that fat a**e

Chloe has been open about her love of plastic surgery, and recently revealed she has splashed out roughly 50,000 on cosmetic procedures.

Speaking to new! magazine, the Playboy playmate explained: 'In my circles, surgery isnt weird. Its like going for dinner!

'I love looking like a Barbie and being out of proportion.'

She added: 'Ive spent about 20,000 on my boobs, 9,000 on my nose, 8,500 on veneers, and my lips were another 10,000 - so about 50,000 in total.'

However in August the mother-of-one revealed the sum is closer to 100k, with surgeries including a nose job, lip enhancement, breast augmentation, liposuction, and bottom enlargement (known as Brazilian Butt Lift).

But the transformation hasn't gone without complications, with the 26-year-old admitting on This Morning that rhinoplasty has left her unable to smell or breath properly.

'I feel embarrassed to talk about it, and it's stupid, I wake up with nose bleeds, I can't smell perfume.. but it's a vanity thing', she admitted at the time.

But she plans to go for a third nose job to correct it yet again, despite revealing she doesn't actually enjoy going under the knife.

'I'm waiting until January and someone else will correct it for me, she said.
The pressure is on to impress the judges on Family Food Fight.

And on the show on Tuesday, things heated up in the kitchen.

Soulla - who is part of the Panayides family - under pressure as she tried to prepare food as part of the food truck challenge - cut her finger on a food processor blade and called out for medical assistance.

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It's heating up in the kitchen! Family Food Fight's Soulla (seen) has a nurse attend to her after cutting her finger on a food processor blade...before the Shahrouk sisters head to elimination

'Guys, I need a nurse,' Soulla said.

'She cut herself pretty bad. That's a big wound. Soulla is essential to the Panayides,' the judges said.

Ouch: Coming to a halt, she called for a nurse to help her

She said: 'I accidentally ran it over the food processor blade. Guess what? It's really sharp.'

Soulla was waiting for her brothers Con, 44, and Fanos, 35, to return from the supermarket to help her and their father, George, 69, cook.

The families had to create three dishes and sell them from a food truck.

Under the pump! Soulla was waiting for her brothers Con, 44, and Fanos, 35, to return from the supermarket to help her and their father, George, 69, cook

They did it: The Gibaldi family (seen) won the challenge, earning $1,130

Whoever made the most money won the challenge.

The Gibaldi family won, earning $1,130.

However, the Shahrouk sisters were sent to elimination at the end of the show.

They created tasty dishes, but came last in terms of food sales as they took too long to bring the dishes out.

Can they survive elimintation? However, the Shahrouk sisters were sent to elimination at the end of the show

Houda, 43, said she and her sisters remain positive that they can stay in the competition.

Another family will be joining them in the elimination round after Wednesday's show.

'I've still got some positive left in me,' Houda said.

'We are going through to the eliminations, we've got another chance. So, yeah, it's not all end here.'
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It's a special event, giving back to the remarkable people in our local communities, and always draws in a bevy of stars every single year.

And with a cause worth celebrating, it seems the celebrity guests got a little too carried away when it came to toasting this year's winners, with a slew of famous faces making a bleary-eyed exit on their way home from the prestigious calendar highlight on Monday night.

X Factor judge Nicole Scherzinger, 39, seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed herself, as she was pictured heading home looking a little worse for wear, with TV presenter Laura Whitmore, 32, Vicky Pattison, 29, and former Bake Off winner Candice Brown, 32, appearing to follow suit.

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Feeling a little worse for wear? X Factor judge Nicole Scherzinger, 39, seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed herself, as she was pictured heading home from the Pride of Britain Awards 2017 looking a little worse for wear, with TV presenter Laura Whitmore, 32, Vicky Pattison, 29, following suit on Monday night

Nicole seemed to let her hair down at the awards, undoubtedly enjoying a night off from her gruelling X Factor schedule, as the new series is currently airing on ITV. She is mentoring the Over 25s this year and has been on hand to guide them as the hopefuls embark on the live shows.

With the first live show successfully done and dusted, Nicole seemed to throw herself into Monday's celebrations and was later pictured grappling with her gown and attempting to cover her modesty as she made her way outside.

The Don't Hold Your Breath singer was seen receiving a little helping hand as she made her way to her waiting vehicle and couldn't quite keep her eyes open as she made the short walk.

Easy does it! Nicole was seen clutching onto the netted skirt of her floor-length skirt as she stepped out of the awards

Steady on! The raven-haired beauty was seen steadying herself as she prepared to get into her taxi while still grappling with her frock

Nothing to see here! Nicole was seen clutching onto her chest, keen to protect her modesty in her low-cut frock

Content: The Don't Hold Your Breath singer was seen flashing a smile as she embarked on her journey home

Taking a break: Nicole seemed to let her hair down at the awards, undoubtedly enjoying a night off from her gruelling X Factor schedule, as the new series is currently airing on ITV

Beautiful: She had dazzled at the awards in a stunning embellished gown that made for a busty display, thanks to its perilously plunging neckline

Sporting a smile across her face, Nicole was seen steadying herself (and her frock) as she lowered herself into her car to embark on her journey home.

She had dazzled at the awards in a stunning embellished gown that made for a busty display, thanks to its perilously plunging neckline, and was held up by dainty spaghetti straps. It included an entirely backless design and sheathed the raven-haired beauty's svelte frame, with Nicole finishing off look with her shorter locks in curls.

Former I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here Now presenter Laura, meanwhile, was pictured unable to keep her eyes open, as she exited the bash, with her blonde locks seeming to fall slightly out of place.

Her tresses at the front of her bonce hung loosely in front of her face, as Laura was seen pouting while clutching onto her bag and her phone. Her glamorous make-up look, however, was firmly intact, with the starlet boasting shimmering eyes and a deep pink lipstick across her lips.

Good night, Laura? The former I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here Now presenter was pictured unable to keep her eyes open, as she exited the bash, with her blonde locks seeming to fall slightly out of place

High spirits: The blonde beauty seemed to be having a ball as she left the venue, having rubbed shoulders with a whole host of stars inside the annual event

Before and after: Laura's exit was arguably not as perfectly poised as her arrival on the red carpet, earlier in the evening

Smile! Caught catching her ride home, Laura appeared in high spirits, no doubt having had a ball with a whole host of other stars inside the awards ceremony

Caught catching her ride home, Laura appeared in high spirits, no doubt having had a ball with a whole host of other stars inside the awards ceremony.

She wasn't the only celebrity guest who appeared to have got carried away inside, as Vicky Pattison seemed to be in a similar state, as she too struggled to keep her eyes open while heading home.

Vicky, who has become known for her love of partying after shooting to stardom on the notoriously wild Geordie Shore, was also seen being assisted, as she battled with her dress and heels after raising a glass to this year's winners.

Seeming ready for bed, Vicky, like Nicole and Laura, couldn't keep her eyes open as she succumbed to the tiredness that already appeared to be creeping in while taking her place in her taxi. She had been joined by her mother Caroll at the awards bash and dazzled on her arrival in her striking turquoise blue bandeau dress.

Heading home: Vicky, who has become known for her love of partying after shooting to stardom on the notoriously wild Geordie Shore, was also seen being assisted, as she battled with her dress and heels after raising a glass to this year's winners

Head-turner: She had been joined by her mother Carol at the awards bash and dazzled on her arrival in her striking turquoise blue bandeau dress

Gushing about the awards ceremony on Tuesday morning following her fun-filled evening, Vicky had told fans, while showing off her fry up breakfast via Instagram: '@prideofbritain was a truly inspiring evening. I felt overwhelmed being in the presence of so many true British heroes.'

Former Great British Bake Off winner Candice Brown put on a playful display at the end of the night, posing up a storm for photographers on her exit.

Clad in an emerald green velvet dress that reached down to the floor, Candice hitched up her skirt to reveal her metallic heels underneath and flashed a smile, before amusingly pouting her lips at the camera.

Stumbling into her taxi, the baking star seemed to keep all eyes on her as she flashed a look at her pins while still maintaining her impressive pout - although, it wasn't long before the show was over.

Animated: Former Great British Bake Off winner Candice Brown put on a playful display at the end of the night, posing up a storm for photographers on her exit

One too many? Stumbling into her taxi, the baking star seemed to keep all eyes on her as she flashed a look at her pins while still maintaining her impressive pout - although, it wasn't long before the show was over

Flaunting it! Candice couldn't resist showing off her legs as she hitched up the skirt of her floor-length frock

Still celebrating! It's no surprise Candice was in great spirits for the evening, as she had recently announced her engagement to her boyfriend of five years Liam Macaulay

Not feeling so good? Candice covered her mouth with her hand following her night of fun

It's no surprise Candice was in great spirits for the evening, as she had recently announced her engagement to her boyfriend of five years Liam Macaulay.

Sharing the news with HELLO! magazine in a new engagement shoot, the gorgeous baker said she was 'feeling very lucky' following an 'amazing' year.

'I get emotional' she said. 'Because it's been such an amazing year. I feel very lucky. I've had such incredible opportunities  GBBO opened so many doors  and to top it off he puts a ring on it.'

She told the story of how Liam, who she's been with since 2012, took them back to the spot where they had their first date in Bedfordshire and pulled a ring from the glove compartment of his car.

The Only Way Is... bed? TOWIE star Chloe Sims was seen wanting to take a snooze after clambering into her car at the end of the evening

Stepping out: Tracy Leanne Jefford looked bleary-eyed as she left the Pride of Britain Awards in London on Monday night alongside her fellow X Factor hopefuls

Jovial spirits: The 34-year-old singer - who wowed the judges with her sophisticated new makeover during the second X Factor live show on Sunday - appeared to be in high spirits as she left Grosvenor House following the ceremony

Settling in: Tracy Leanne held onto fellow contestant and Rak-Su member Myles' shoulder as she settled herself into the car

Candice recalled: 'He reached into the glove compartment, got out the ring, got down on one knee and said, "I love you, you are my world. Will you marry me?"

Liam continued: 'So I proposed in a car park. But it really meant something to us. Candice just cried for five minutes before she could say, "Yes!"'

TOWIE star Chloe Sims was seen wanting to take a snooze after clambering into her car at the end of the evening, while X Factor contestant. Tracy Leanne Jefford seemed to take a leaf out of her mentor Nicole's book, as she made a joyous, yet bleary-eyed exit, alongside her fellow hopefuls.

Soap star Michelle Collins, who has starred on EastEnders and Coronation Street, was seen putting on an amorous display on her exit, as she received a smooch from her suit-clad toyboy beau Mike Davison, 33.

Delighted: Soap star Michelle Collins, who has starred on EastEnders and Coronation Street, was seen putting on an amorous display on her exit, as she received a smooch from her suit-clad toyboy beau Mike Davison, 33

High spirits: Michelle looked nothing but gleeful as she made her way out of the venue

Smitten! She and her toyboy beau couldn't resist stealing a smooch as they cuddled up together in the street

Pixie Lott, meanwhile, hid behind her fiance Oliver Cheshire. The Baby singer looked just glorious in her fitted frock that perfectly flaunted her slender frame and came complete with a mesh floral design.

Resting her hands on his shoulder, Pixie appeared to come over all coy as she shielded herself from photographers. The beauty held a hand up to her face as she passed onlookers, making sure to keep her arms covering her face as she stepped into her taxi.

Her appearance comes after Pixie recently confessed on ITV's Lorraine that the pair, who have been together for seven years, are in no rush to walk down the aisle, despite Oliver popping the question in November last year. Insisting they are simply enjoying the new phase of their relationship, she said: 'We will get round to it at some point. we don't want to rush it.

'I was 19 when we got together, he was my first serious boyfriend. And we're still going strong.'

Coy: Pixie Lott, meanwhile, hid behind her fiance Oliver Cheshire as she sauntered out of the awards

Leading the way: Model Oliver took charge as he accompanied his future wife to their taxi home

Suited and booted: He cut a dapper figure as Pixie made sure to use him as her personal shield

Can't see me! The beauty held a hand up to her face as she passed onlookers, making sure to keep her arms covering her face as she stepped into her taxi

Hiding: Pixie came over all camera shy as she sat alongside her beau

The Pride of Britain Awards always pulls in the stars - celebrating and giving back to truly remarkable people who make the world a better place, and have completed brave and compassionate deeds for others.

Nominated by the public, the winners are from all walks of life and areas of the country - with their achievements being incredibly inspiring and moving for all.

The winners this year include campaigners, members of the emergency services who went beyond the call of duty, and family and friends who defied the odds and embraced their innermost courage to help the need of others.

The Mirror's annual event honours the emergency services of the UK, and is set to present awards to those who helped at the Manchester Arena bombing as well as the Grenfell Tower blaze.

Also receiving recognition at the star-studded ceremony are PC Charlie Guenigault and Wayne Marques, who fought against terrorists at the London Bridge attack in June, and PC Keith Palmer, who was killed at Westminster.

The ceremony was hosted by Carol Vorderman - the former Countdown star has hosted the event since 1999 and, according to the Mirror, sported not one but two glamorous dresses to host proceedings on Monday night.

As the leading lady of the star-studded affair, sources even claimed her second dress was so luxurious it was guarded by security, as she posed on the carpet.

The awards will air on ITV on November 7.

Getting in on the action! As Candice cuddled up to Stacey Solomon, Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood couldn't help but interrupt
She oozed Old Hollywood glamour as she arrived on the red carpet for Pride Of Britain Awards.

And for Candice Brown the party clearly wasn't over as she expressed desires to continue her night out before finally stumbling into an awaiting taxi.

The Great British Bake Off winner, 32, was seen in a clip admitting that she didn't want to head home before kissing her pal and posing up a storm for photographers.

Party gal: For Candice Brown, who announced her engagement to boyfriend of five years, Liam Macaulay, on Sunday, the party clearly wasn't over as she expressed desires to continue her night out

Candice proved she had a fantastic time over the course of a few hours, which began with her cutting an incredibly regal and composed figure on the red carpet.

However, she was adamant on not heading to bed as she pleaded with her two pals to continue the party into the early hours.

Knowing full well that Candice needed to go home, they discouraged her by telling her 'no.'

Not taking the hint, the foodie continued with her pleas, before she noticed the legions of cameras and started pouting and posing up a storm.

Rising to the occasion: After her pals refused to go out with her, she gave up and stumbled into an awaiting taxi

In good spirits! The Great British Bake Off winner, 32, was seen in a clip admitting that she didn't want to head home before kissing her pal and posing up a storm for photographers

Wild child: She was adamant on not heading to bed as she pleaded with her two pals to come out with her

Not a happy bunny! Knowing full well that Candice needed to go home, they discouraged her by telling her 'no'

Spotlight: Not taking the hint, the foodie continued with her pleas, before she noticed the legions of cameras and started pouting and posing up a storm

She ensured to put on a fun display as she strutted her stuff out of the venue, before stopping to give the cameras a few twirls.

Clearly oozing body confidence, the beauty lifted up her sensational slinky gown to flash a peek of her toned legs as she posed up a storm.

She finally clambered into the taxi and got comfortable in the back seat, where she struggled to keep her eyes opened.

Let's mix things up: The GBBO winner, who announced her engagement to boyfriend of five years, Liam Macaulay, on Sunday, looked sensational as she put on a fun display while exiting the award ceremony

Life is what you bake of it! Candice looked worse for wear as she teetered out of London's Grosvenor House, before sweeping up her slinky velvet gown to climb into the vehicle

Taking whisks! She strutted her stuff out of the venue, before stopping to give the cameras a few twirls

Wheat a second! Clearly oozing body confidence, the beauty lifted up her sensational slinky gown to flash a peek of her toned legs as she posed up a storm

Candice couldn't resist flirtatiously kicking up her legs, which were boosted in silver strappy heels.

Despite the long night, Candice's retro hairdo and make-up application proved to be in place.

The former PE teacher showed off her incredible hourglass figure in the skintight gown, which featured a halterneck and an elegant train.

Loaf-ing life! She finally clambered into the taxi and got comfortable in the back seat, where she struggled to keep her eyes opened

She might be toast in the morning: Candice couldn't resist flirtatiously kicking up her legs, which were boosted in silver strappy heels

She doughs what she can: Despite the long night, Candice's retro hairdo and make-up application proved to be in place

She injected a dose of sparkle with her accessories, carrying a metallic box clutch and rocking some gold barely there heels.

Teasing her dark hair into glossy polished waves, the baker stayed true to her trademark statement lips with a slick of vampy berry lipstick.

Candice's outing comes after she announced her engagement to Liam Macaulay on Sunday, following one very memorable false alarm.

No bun intended: Candice was clearly ready to get home and head to bed

It's a wrap! It has clearly been an enjoyable night for the newly-engaged star as she proceeded to head home

The night has scone swimmingly! Holly looked comfortable as she cut a solo figure while heading home

Happy lady: Candice Brown proudly showed off her engagement ring on Monday night, as she attended the Pride Of Britain Awards at Grosvenor House in London - days after announcing her engagement to boyfriend of five years Liam Macaulay

Candice Brown's outing comes after she announced her engagement to Liam Macaulay on Sunday, following one very memorable false alarm.

Sharing the news with HELLO! magazine in a new engagement shoot, the gorgeous baker said she was 'feeling very lucky' following an 'amazing' year.

'I get emotional' she said. 'Because it's been such an amazing year. I feel very lucky. I've had such incredible opportunities  GBBO opened so many doors  and to top it off he puts a ring on it.'

And despite prompting speculation of a surprise engagement in late 2016, Candice revealed that the proposal was everything she'd been waiting for.

Exciting: She revealed Liam took them back to the spot where they had their first date in Bedfordshire and pulled the ring (pictured) from the glove compartment of his car

She told the story of how Liam, who she's been with since 2012, took them back to the spot where they had their first date in Bedfordshire and pulled a ring from the glove compartment of his car.

Candice recalled: 'He reached into the glove compartment, got out the ring, got down on one knee and said, "I love you, you are my world. Will you marry me?"

Liam continued: 'So I proposed in a car park. But it really meant something to us. Candice just cried for five minutes before she could say, "Yes!"'

Candice won Bake Off in 2016, on its former BBC One home, earning a handshake from Paul Hollywood for her four-tier meringue cake and impressing former judge Mary Berry with a humdinger of a showstopper.

Looking good: The Great British Bake Off winner, 32 oozed Old Hollywood glamour as she hit the red carpet in a slinky velvet gown and retro waves

Exciting: Candice Brown's outing comes after she announced her engagement to Liam Macaulay on Sunday, following one very memorable false alarm

Something to pout about! Candice shared the news almost a year to the day since winning the Great British Bake Off (here in July)

The former PE teacher had been odds-on favourite going into the final, having been star baker three times in the series thanks to her ambitious bakes, including a peacock made out of marzipan.

Quite the sparkler! Candice inititally prompted speculation at the National Television Awards by wearing this extravagant ring on that finger

She attracted the support of thousands of fans, many of whom complimented her stylish appearance, including her collection of colourful lipsticks and her distinctive pout.

But she was unpopular with some viewers due to her tantrums earlier in the series.

Following her win on the show, Candice and Liam sparked engagement rumours when she wore a show-stopping ring to the National Television Awards.

Candice recently shrugged off the speculation of wedding bells in a chat with Loose Women.

She said: 'I know [I panicked everyone with the ring] but I just like wearing jewellery.

'Poor boy  he's like, "Oh god, the pressure", and I'm like, "Don't you dare pressure-ask me to marry you!"'

In November last year, she also insisted that she was in no rush to marry Liam because they had a long future ahead.

She said to Hello!: 'Well get married one day but theres no rush. Well have kids too. We want it all.'

Shortly before Candice burst on to screens last year, The Sun revealed that one year before the couple met, Scottish-native Liam, was serving a 16-month jail term for dealing cannabis.

He was arrested after police caught him with 6,970 worth of cannabis in his car as he an accomplice drove from Edinburgh to Inverness in 2009. Mr Macaulay then admitted supplying cannabis.

Sources close to Candice insisted she had nothing to do with the crime committed by Liam as she was not dating him at the time.
She's carving out a busy career as a model and actress.

But Lily-Rose Depp, 18, was joined by her boyfriend Ash Stymest, 26, as she made the most of some downtime in Los Angeles on Monday, picking up some groceries at Bristol Farms.

The star was sporting a casual look for her outing, wearing a plain black shirt and skinny jeans.

Casual: Lily-Rose Depp, 18, was joined by her boyfriend Ash Stymest, 26, as she made the most of some downtime in Los Angeles on Monday, picking up some groceries at Bristol Farms

Lily-Rose donned a pair of simple trainers and accessorised with a gold necklace.

She went make-up free for her trip to the store, wearing her dark blonde hair down loose.

Male model Ash was rocking a low-key look as the tattooed Brit led the way out of the store.

Low-key look: The star was sporting a casual look for her outing, wearing a plain black shirt and skinny jeans

The daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis has been living the jet-setting life, taking after her famous parents.

She divides her time between her birth country of France and LA for work.

Lily-Rose is currently carving a successful career as both a model and an actress.

On the rise: The daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis has been living the jet-setting life, taking after her famous parents

The French-American actress has currently been filming Les Fauves, which is thought to tell the tale of a campsite where young people start to disappear over the summer, with rumors a big cat is attacking them.

Lily-Rose takes on the starring role of Laura alongside French actors Laurent Lafitte and Camille Cottin.

The star has previously appeared in films Planetarium, The Dancer and Yoga Hosers alongside her famous father Johnny.
Can You Lose Your Voting Rights If You Don't Vote?

We all know that you need to register in order to vote. But did you know that you also need to vote in order to vote? At least according to Ohio election officials you do.

Since 1994, the Ohio secretary of state's office has had a voter purge process whereby it compiles a list of registered voters who have gone two years without casting ballot and mails them a confirmation notice. If the voter neither returns the notice nor participates for the next four years, the voter will be automatically struck from the rolls.

Larry Harmon was once such voter purged from Ohio's voter rolls, and his lawsuit against the state is heading to the Supreme Court. Here's a look.

Use It or Lose It

According to the New York Times, Harmon voted in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections, but skipped 2012, along with the midterm elections in 2010 and 2014. When he tried to vote again in 2015, he was told he could not vote at his normal polling place.

While federal law prohibits states from purging people from voter rolls simply "by reason of the person's failure to vote," states may send confirmation notices to a voter election officials suspect has moved. "I've been living in Ohio my whole life," Harmon told the Times, asserting he had been at the same residence 16 straight years. "I pay property taxes and income taxes. I register my car. They obviously had all the data to know that I was a resident. They could have looked it up, but they were too cheap."

Disingenuous Disenfranchisement

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with Harmon, ruling Ohio officials violated the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 by using the failure to vote as a "trigger" for sending confirmation notices, and blocking the purge process before Election Day last year. That ruling allowed 7,515 voters who had been removed from the voter rolls to cast a ballot.

"In more concrete terms," the court reasoned, "a state cannot avoid the conclusion that its process results in removal 'solely by reason of a failure to vote,' by providing that the confirmation notice procedure is triggered by a registrant's failure either to vote or to climb Mt. Everest or to hit a hole-in-one." While Ohio and the federal government are defending the state's purge policy, critics say it has been unevenly applied across the political spectrum.

"Voters have been struck from the rolls in Democratic-leaning neighborhoods at roughly twice the rate as in Republican neighborhoods," according to a Reuters study last year. "Neighborhoods that have a high proportion of poor, African-American residents are hit the hardest." Now it will be in the Supreme Court's hands to determine when the purges were constitutional.

Related Resources:
She's as illustrious for her activism works as she is her outstanding movie career.

And Charlize Theron celebrated her philanthropic efforts as she marked the tenth anniversary of her Africa Outreach project at Montage in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, on Monday night.

The Hollywood actress was supported by an array of stars, including Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane, Canadian YouTuber Lilly Singh and actress Aisha Tyler, as they recognised the work completed by the charity, which aims to keep African youth safe from HIV and AIDS.

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Celebrating a decade: Charlize Theron celebrated her philanthropic efforts as she marked the tenth anniversary of her Africa Outreach project at Montage in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, on Monday night

Charlie, 42, appeared overjoyed with the turnout as she shared a tender hug with comedian and actress Lilly, before planting a peck on her cheek as they posed for a selfie.

The Atomic Blonde actress looked stunning at the event, layering a semi-sheer white blouse beneath a black slip dress.

The star's glossy tresses were styled into preened waves, while her gorgeous face sampled a natural make-up palette.

Hugs: The Hollywood actress was supported by an array of stars, including Canadian YouTuber Lilly Singh

Familiar faces: Charlize's close friends Seth MacFarlane and Aisha Tyler also helped celebrate her achievements

Let's try that again! The trio laughed incessantly as they attempted to take a snap together

Cheeky! Aisha playfully sat on Seth's lap as she gave a speech

Her look was a far cry from the one Charlize spotted earlier in the day, when the screen siren stepped out in leggings and a comfortable sweater to run some errands in the city.

Showing off her effortless good looks, the award-winning actress went make-up free and tied her blonde locks into an easy ponytail.

YouTube phenomenon Lilly looked equally stylish for the occasion, donning a vibrant floral print dress.

Star-studded: West Wing star Mary McCormack also turned out to support her long-time friend

Chuffed: Seth seemed pleased with the charity goody bags

In good company: The group enjoyed an intimate dinner at the luxury hotel

Bring it in! Charlize and Lilly shared a sweet hug as they posed for a snap

The Atomic Blonde actress looked stunning at the event, layering a semi-sheer white blouse beneath a black slip dress

Ghost Whisperer star Aisha - who is listed among Charlize's closest friends - also pulled out the stops in a demure navy dress.

UN Messenger of Peace Charlize created CTAOP in 2007 with the hope of making a difference in fighting HIV in her home country of South Africa.

Although the geographic scope of CTAOP is Sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa has remained the primary area of focus with the highest number of people living with HIV in the world.

Low-key look: Charlize stepped out in leggings and a comfortable sweater to run some errands in the city earlier in the day

Say cheese! Charlize and Lilly were in animated spirits as they snapped an open-mouthed selfie

Flower power: Lilly opted for a vibrant printed dress to help celebrate Charlize's special night

Getting the violins out! Violinist Lee England Jr. provided the entertainment for the evening
She's never been one to hold her tongue on Real Housewives of New Jersey with many of her jarring comments getting her into hot water with her co-stars.

And now Teresa Giudice, 45, has aimed her latest acid tongue at Sofia Vergara as she claimed the Modern Family star acted like a 'b***h' as they got their photo taken following an appearance last week on Extra and outrageously insisted she should have been nice as 'she's an immigrant'.

Speaking at the Gettin Real With The Housewives event in Connecticut, the Bravo star opened up about her best and worst celebrity meetings when she recalled an incident with the Colombian actress and how she over took their selfie.

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Rant: Teresa Giudice, 45, has aimed her latest acid tongue at Sofia Vergara as she claimed the Modern Family star acted like a 'b***h' as they got their photo taken following an appearance last week on Extra and insisted she should have been nice as 'she's an immigrant'

In the video obtained by TMZ, the reality star insisted that she never wanted a photo with the Hollywood actress but was asked by her publicists to do so while in the green room.

She began: 'We're in the green room and my publicist from Bravo say: "You're going to run into Sofia so we want you to take pictures together". I said: "Alright that's fine"...'

Waiting for the photo, Teresa said she was taken aback by Sofia's less than friendly demeanour and has since been left anger by the encounter.

MailOnline have contacted Sofia Vergara's rep for comment.

'Sofia was "Oh I can't stand her,"' she shared on stage. 'We were in the green room and I hate to say it because I'm Italian and she's Colombian. She's has an accent, more of an accent than me.

Hitting out: Speaking at the Gettin Real With The Housewives event in Connecticut, the Bravo star opened up about her best and worst celebrity meetings when she recalled an incident with the Colombian actress and how she over took their selfie (Sofia pictured above)

Not impressed: In the video obtained by TMZ , the reality star insisted that she never wanted a photo with the Hollywood actress but was asked by her publicists to do so while in the green room (Sofia pictured above)

Awkward: Teresa began: 'We're in the green room and my publicist from Bravo say: "You're going to run into Sofia so we want you to take pictures together". I said: "Alright that's fine"...' (Sofia pictured above at Extra above)

'You think she would be nice, you know she's an immigrant. No but I'm just saying, she should be nice.'

Attracting gasps from the audience for her comments, Teresa continued to say how she felt about the experience and admitted she was left furious after Sofia stepped infront of her.

She continued: 'So they take a picture and this is how she wanted to take a picture with me but she didn't want to take a picture. I'm here so I'm standing and she goes like this (stepping infront of me) to take a picture.

'And I didn't even do anything, I swear that's what she did. I was so mad at myself because I wanted to say: 'B***h I didn't want to take a picture with you'.

Angered: Waiting for the photo, Teresa said she was taken aback by Sofia's less than friendly demeanour and has since been left angered by the encounter

Speaking: She joined Danielle Staub, Siggy Flicker and Dolores Catania at the fan event on Sunday in Connecticut

Hitting out: Teresa said: 'Sofia was "Oh I can't stand her"', she shared on stage. 'We were in the green room and I hate to say it because I'm Italian and she's Colombian'

Following the awkward selfie, Teresa claimed that Sofia turned to her publicist and shared her dissatisfaction with the situation, something the Bravo star insisted her make-up artist Priscilla DiStasio also overheard.

Teresa added: 'And this is what she said to her publicist: "Why did you make me take that picture with that woman?" just like that.

'Priscilla heard it and Priscilla was freaking out: "I can't believe that b***h said that. I can't stand her".'

In the midst of her rant however, Teresa admitted that she's only ever asked for one photo with a celebrity and that was with Jennifer Lopez earlier this year at her Planet Hollywood show, adding that she 'loved her'.

'Nice': Teresa added: 'She's has an accent, more of an accent than me. You think she would be nice, you know she's an immigrant. No but I'm just saying, she should be nice' (Sofia pictured above)

Gasps: Attracting gasps from the audience for her comments, Teresa continued to say how she felt about the experience and admitted she was left furious after Sofia stepped infront of her

Talking head: She continued: 'So they take a picture and this is how she wanted to take a picture with me but she didn't want to take a picture.

Acting out: She continued: I'm here so I'm standing and she goes like this (stepping infront of me) to take a picture'

'I never ask for a pictures because I'm so not like that, I don't care,' she said. 'If you look at my Instagram, you know who I did take a picture with but she was so sweet, was Jennifer Lopez. And she's on my Instagram and she's so sweet, I love her.'

Her rant comes after Radar Online reported that she was 'flat broke' and didn't 'know how she's going to pay for college for' daughters Gia, 17; Gabriella, 13; Milania, 12; and Audriana, 8, earlier this month.

'She is pretty desperate,' a source close the ex-con told the site.

'No one attacked Teresa this season because she's so fragile. After her [mother Antonio Gorga passed away on March 3] and Joe being away they didn't want to victimize her anymore.'

Claims: Following the awkward selfie, Teresa claimed that Sofia turned to her publicist and shared her dissatisfaction with the situation, something the Bravo star insisted her make-up artist Priscilla DiStasio also overheard

Happy: In the midst of her rant however, Teresa admitted that she's only ever asked for one photo with a celebrity and that was with Jennifer Lopez earlier this year at her Planet Hollywood show, adding that she 'loved her'

Reports: Her rant comes after Radar Online reported that she was 'flat broke' and didn't 'know how she's going to pay for college for' daughters Gia, 17; Gabriella, 13; Milania, 12; and Audriana, 8, earlier this month

Meanwhile, Giudice's husband Joe has already 'lost 45lbs and got his GED' 21 months into his 36-month sentence at Fort Dix Federal Correctional Institution.

'We try to see Joe as much as we can and my girls are in contact with him constantly, through email, he calls every day,' the Berkeley College alum said on last week's TRHONJ.

'I have good days and I have bad days. I miss my mom tremendously. It's hard on the girls to have their dad away, but we've adapted the best that we can.'

Family first: Meanwhile, Giudice's husband Joe has already 'lost 45lbs and got his GED' 21 months into his 36-month sentence at Fort Dix Federal Correctional Institution

Upon release, Teresa's 45-year-old high school sweetheart (born Giuseppe) might face deportation because he is not a US citizen.

The Italian-American duo were originally sentenced in October 2014 for bankruptcy fraud and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.

Giudice formerly known as FCI Danbury inmate No. 65703-050 completed her own 11-month sentence for 41 counts of fraud on December 23.
Claims have emerged that Sophie Monk is expected to be named host of Channel Nine's direct competitor to The Bachelor series in a shocking network defection.

According to reports that surfaced Wednesday, the 37-year-old is trying to 'negotiate her way out' of her contract with Ten to host Nine's Love Island.

'It fits with her personality and she's looking for ways of maintaining her profile off the back of Bach,' an insider told The Daily Telegraph.

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Leaving Ten stranded? Reports have claimed that Sophie Monk is expected to be named host of Channel Nine's direct competitor to The Bachelor series in a shocking defection

According to the source, the former Hollywood actress - who was responsible for Channel Ten's highest-ever Bachelor series finale ratings - wants out.

Her complex contract with the network may be the only stumbling block, the insider suggested.

'Sophie is definitely keen to explore Love Island as an option,' they told the publication.

Even if the beauty can't find a way out of Ten's notoriously strict Bachelor series contract, it's believed the terms expire in just a matter of weeks.

Perfect match! 'It fits with her personality and she's looking for ways of maintaining her profile off the back of Bach,' an insider reportedly said on Wednesday

The insider went on to claim there are a few 'hiccups' in her deal with Ten, which are preventing her from signing the deal with Nine for the new dating show.

Sophie Monk's decision to pick millionaire pub tycoon Stu Laundy over 'stage five clinger' Jarrod Woodgate proved a huge hit for Ten.

The ailing network managed to land more than 1.6 million viewers for last Thursday's The Bachelorette finale.

Freedom! Sophie's complicated contract with Ten may be the only stumbling block to her defecting to Nine for Love Island, although the terms reportedly end in a few weeks

In fact, the five city metro figure of 1,640,000 was enough to earn the franchise its single highest rated episode of the entire series - including its five male-fronted Bachelor seasons.

Given that the series is already done-and-dusted, the chorus of reports that claim Sophie and Stu have split will hardly worry Ten.

Much more damaging for their credibility would be Sophie's defection to Nine's Love Island, which is slated to air next year and is based on the UK show with the same name.

Hiccups: The insider went on to claim there's a few 'hiccups' in her deal with Ten, which are preventing her from inking the deal with Nine's new dating show

Real or fake? Given that the series is already done-and-dusted, the overwhelming chorus of reports claiming Sophie and Stu have split will hardly worry Ten

The success of The Bachelor, combined with social media support for UK series - thanks in part to super-fan Shane Warne - may have influenced Nine's move.

The raunchy UK reality series follows singles in sexy situations, as they compete for a first prize of $84,000 (50,000).

That's gotta hurt! Much more damaging for their credibility would be Sophie's defection to Nine's Love Island, which is coming next year, based off a UK version of the same name

Nine took to Twitter earlier this month to announce the series, which was originally expected to air on its lower-rated digital-only channels.

They wrote: 'Hearts will be pounding and pulses will be racing as Love Island gets an Australian edition exclusively for @9Go & @9NowAU in 2018.'
They're set to celebrate 20 years of marriage next year.

But Cindy Crawford, 51, and Rande Gerber, 55, looked like young lovebirds as they enjoyed a romantic date at Nobu Malibu on Monday evening.

The happy couple wore casual outfits as they walked to a waiting vehicle after a sushi dinner in the luxurious beach-side community.

Happy couple: Cindy Crawford, 51, and Rande Gerber, 55, looked like young lovebirds as they enjoyed a romantic date at Nobu Malibu on Monday evening

The supermodel looked casually cool in a pair of dark denim jeans over her long and lean legs, which she wore with a large brown belt.

Cindy added a tight white tank top to her comfortable outfit, which included a long and layered grey sweater.

A long black pendant necklace rested on her neck as she carried a brown leather purse along her shoulder.

Cindy showed off a nearly make-up free face and wore her glossy chocolate brown locks in loose waves.

Date night: The happy couple wore casual outfits as they walked to a waiting vehicle after a sushi dinner in the luxurious beach-side community

Rande looked relaxed and at ease in a pair of light denim jeans and an unzipped black bomber jacket.

The former male model turned businessman sported a crisp grey T-shirt underneath his cool jacket with black-and-white trainers on his feet.

The couple went all out for their annual Halloween bash on Friday evening for Gerber's tequila company, Casamigos.

Cindy looked incredible in an orange and pink dress which she accessorized with a white fur boa and multi-colored heels.

Groovy, baby! The couple went all out for their annual Halloween bash on Friday evening for Gerber's tequila company, Casamigos

Gerber looked like her perfect match, as the former model stepped out in an all-white Elvis ensemble.

Their model children, Kaia, 16, and Presley, 18, were certainly dressed for the part in '70s inspired ensembles.

The bash was co-hosted by Gerber, George Clooney and Mike Meldman, the co-founders of the Casamigos tequila brand.

The company recently sold for a reported $1billion to European beverage company Diaegeo.

Throwback! Their model children, Kaia, 16, and Presley, 18, were certainly dressed for the part in '70s inspired ensembles for the Casamigos Tequila Halloween party on Friday
She's been hard at work promoting three movies over the past few months.

And Dakota Fanning ensured all eyes were well and truly on her as she attended the Rome Film Festival photocall for her new film, Please Stand By, at Auditorium Parco Della Musica in the Italian capital on Tuesday.

The actress, 23, looked lovely in a bright magenta dress, featuring a stylish tiered hem and a flattering cinched-in waist with a red belt.

A bright fuchsia: Dakota Fanning attended the Rome Film Festival photocall for her new film, Please Stand By, at Auditorium Parco Della Musica in the Italian capital on Tuesday

Pretty in pink: The actress, 23, looked lovely in a bright magenta dress, featuring a stylish tiered hem and a flattering cinched-in waist with a red belt

The star's chic fuchsia ensemble featured sheer panels that showed off her slender legs, adding a bit of naughty to the nice.

Dakota teamed her pretty dress with high-heeled sandals with clear plastic panels and pink laces.

The beauty's long blonde hair was simply styled and she opted for natural make-up to accentuate her pretty features.

Dakota was joined by her director Ben Lewin, 71, who was casually dressed in a black sweater, white shirt and black pants.

Sheer daring: The star's chic fuchsia ensemble featured sheer panels that showed off her slender legs, adding a bit of naughty to the nice

Strutting her stuff: Dakota teamed her pretty dress with high-heeled sandals with clear plastic panels and pink laces

Pretty as a picture: The beauty's long blonde hair was simply styled and she opted for natural make-up to accentuate her pretty features

The Polish-born Australian filmmaker, now based in Los Angeles, has used crutches since contracting polio at the age of six.

During her appearance at the Rome Film Festival, Dakota addressed the issue of sexual harassment in Hollywood in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey scandals, among others.

She explained that although she hasn't experienced the sort of sexual assault that has turned Hollywood on its head, it's 'important to talk about these issues, for women to stand up for themselves'.

Speaking out: During her appearance at the Rome Film Festival, Dakota addressed the issue of sexual harassment in Hollywood in the wake of the Weinstein and Spacey scandals,

Addressing issues: She explained that although she hasn't experienced the sort of sexual assault that has turned Hollywood on its head, it's 'important to talk about these issues'

Talented: In Please Stand By, Dakota plays a young autistic woman obsessed with Star Trek

In Please Stand By, Dakota plays a young autistic woman obsessed with the Star Trek series, who runs away from her home in San Francisco to get to Los Angeles to submit her manuscript for a Star Trek script writing contest.

The actress said she shares her character's determination in achieving her goal, adding: 'You have to fight for what you believe in and stay true to what you are.'

Comedy drama Please Stand By will screen in the Alice In The City competition for children's films.

The Rome International Film Festival kicked off on Thursday and runs until Sunday.

Cuddling up: Dakota was joined by her director Ben Lewin, 71, who was casually dressed in a black sweater, white shirt and black pants

Having a laugh: The pair evidently had a really good time as they posed for photographers
She was inundated with compliments for her costume at her wild Halloween party last week.

And Imogen Anthony didn't look like she had taken her lavish leopard-print suit off on Tuesday, as she starred in a video filmed by boyfriend Kyle Sandilands.

The 26-year-old frolicked around a rural field as she lip-synced to Shania Twain's 1998 smash hit 'That Don't Impress Me Much.'

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Thats impressive though! Kyle Sandilands filmed girlfriend Imogen Anthony dressed in a leopard-printed jumpsuit as she lip synced to Shania Twains That Dont Impress Me Much on Tuesday

Sharing the video with her 136,000 Instagram followers she wrote in the caption: 'When your boyfriend takes pictures of you but you know him that well that he's actually recording video, so you bust into an impromptu lip sync and it actually turns out great.'

The successful model sported short red hair for the clip.

Imogen moved her hands below her chin to make it seem as she was leaning mid-air, while shaking her hips from side to side in time with the song's beat.

She then moved her hands down to flirtatiously touch her entire body, before cheekily smirking at the camera biting her bottom lip.

'It actually turned out great': The successful model sported her trademark short red hair that was styled into a fringe, as she danced around a dirt field

Dancing queen: Imogen moved her hands below her chin to make it seem as she was leaning mid-air, while shaking her hips in time to the song's beat

Imogen fastened the hood of her jumpsuit by pulling it in closer towards her face, as the song's tempo slowed down and then picked back up again.

Beginning to mimic kissing as per the song's lyrics, she pointed at the camera towards her radio shock jock beau and beckoned him forward.

Her outfit boasted an enormous hemline that swung swiftly as Imogen danced, and was worn open, revealing her tightly toned body.

Flirty: Imogen fastened the hood of her jumpsuit by pulling it in closer towards her face

Imogen was mimicking Shania Twain's dance moves in the associated video clip, during which she also dresses in a leopard-printed jumpsuit.

Her leopard-printed jumpsuit is the same costume she wore to her wild Halloween party that took place last weekend, that took place at Kyle's glamorous Mosman pad that overlooks Sydney Harbour.

The party hosted many A-list Sydney socialites, including Jackie 'O' Henderson, Lisa Oldfield, and previous Bachelor contestants.
Kim Kardashian shared to Instagram on Tuesday a photo from her glam session.

The 37-year-old talked about how much she loved her makeup which was applied by Mario Dedivanovic. But all eyes likely went south as the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star flashed her cleavage in a low-cut grey top.

Hours earlier Mrs Kanye West shared a rare flashback photo from a decade ago with former best friend Paris Hilton as well as sister Kourtney while they danced.

On show: Kim Kardashian shared to Instagram on Tuesday a photo from her glam session. The 37-year-old talked about how much she loved her makeup done by Mario Dedivanovic

Nostalgic: Hours earlier Mrs Kanye West shared a rare flashback photo from a decade ago with former best friend Paris Hilton as well as sister Kourtney while they danced

In the makeup image, Kim wrote in her caption: 'Love this glam! @makeupbymario used the @kkwbeauty dark & light Powder Contour & Highlight kits for my eyeshadow! Kkwbeauty.com.'

She was plugging her popular contour and powder kits.

The star had on beige and brown eye shadow with heavily arched brows and a painted pout.

Her top was basic - a grey tank top with skinny straps. She added gold necklaces designed by rapper husband West.

While Kim has been pushing her makeup line, she has an even bigger launch next month: she is coming out with a new fragrance called KKW.

I got you babe: These posts come after Kim turned out two incredible Halloween outfits. Her first was a yellow costume as she dressed as Cher. Her date was Jonathan Cheban as Bono

Her flashback image was rare, and Kim normally doesn't go back this far in her vault. The photo is likely from around 2007.

The siren looks hot in a red dress with beige lace trim as she boogies away.

Her makeup is frosty and her locks are messy as she has a good time with her pals.

So 80s: And the next night she dressed as Madonna with Kourtney as Michael Jackson

In the center is Hilton, who was one of the hottest pinups at the time. The Simple Life star had on a silver top and a black skirt with her blonde locks worn wold.

To the left is Kourtney, who is also in red like Kim.

Her caption read: 'And just because its Monday & I need to start my week with some rhythm!'

More glam: Here Kim is seen on Monday with a filter that included ears and cuts

These posts come after Kim turned out two incredible Halloween outfits.

Her first was a yellow costume as she dressed as Cher. Her date was Jonathan Cheban as Bono.

They wore the outfits Friday night at Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber's Casamigos Halloween Party.

And the next night she dressed as Madonna with Kourtney as Michael Jackson.

Weekend fun: Here is a Snap of her daughter North, aged four, with a rainbow tongue
She is the breakout star of one of Netflix's most popular shows at only age 13.

And Millie Bobby Brown has reflected on the surreal experience of having her very first kiss filmed for season one of Stranger Things - as hundreds of people watched to capture the moment on camera.

'It was a strange experience,' she told Variety, of which she appears on their cover. 'Having 250 people looking at you kissing someone is like, "Whoa!"

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'It was a strange experience': Millie Bobby Brown has reflected on the surreal experience of having her very first kiss filmed for season one of Stranger Things - as hundreds of people watched to capture the moment on camera (pictured L and R in New York on Tuesday)

Milestone moment: The actress shares her very first kiss on camera with co-star Finn Wolfhard on season one of the sci-fi serie

The actress shares her very first kiss on camera with co-star Finn Wolfhard on season one of the sci-fi series.

And while the kiss wasn't a first for her co-star Finn, Mille said she had some doubts about that.

'He says I wasn't, but I definitely think I was,' the actress said. 'I think he was just trying to be cool.'

Even though she's shaping up to be a huge star, Millie said she's actively avoided living in Hollywood in favor of her current home, Atlanta, Georgia.

Throwing herself into character: Wearing her shoulder-length hair down in loose waves, Millie looked unrecognizable from her mysterious character Eleven, who famously has a buzz cut, as she promoted her show on Tuesday

Hilarious: 'He says I wasn't, but I definitely think I was,' the actress said. 'I think he was just trying to be cool'

No place like home: Even though she's shaping up to be a huge star, Millie said she's actively avoided living in Hollywood in favor of her current home, Atlanta, Georgia

And she's not putting too much pressure on herself as she navigates stardom: 'I'm still just a kid. I'm 13, and making mistakes is OK.'

And she applies the same mindset towards her wardrobe: '"If I'm in a photo shoot and they're like, Can you wear a crop top? I'm like, No. No, not yet. When that day comes I'm going to be, like, 18.'

Millie was just 11-years-old when she auditioned for the role of a lifetime in the 1980's set series.

Golden girl! The actress also wore a pink crop top, flowing trousers, and a Rodarte jacket draped over her shoulders as she appeared at AOL Build Series

Claim to fame: Millie was just 11-years-old when she auditioned for the role of a lifetime in the 1980's set series

But the actress confessed she didn't even know what a record player was until she started filming the series.

'I think that era is so exciting and different for us,' she said while appearing on Good Morning America on Tuesday.

'I was born in 2004, so I'm definitely very new to it. I feel like going onto set and seeing the bikes, I didn't even know what a record player was.

'I just was like, it's a box, with a thing on it, and an antennae on it, really high!' she described.

Stepping out: Millie was spotted promoting the series on Halloween in two different yet stylish outfits

'I didn't even know what a record player was!' Brown confessed on Good Morning America that she didn't even know what a record player was before filming Stranger Things

Millie was spotted promoting the series on Halloween in two different yet stylish outfits on Tuesday.

Wearing her shoulder-length hair down in loose waves, Millie looked unrecognizable from her mysterious character Eleven, who famously has a buzz cut.

She first wore a pretty black dress with a red, white, and blue pattern and a pair of matching high heels.

The actress also wore a pink crop top, flowing trousers, and a Rodarte jacket draped over her shoulders as she appeared at AOL Build Series.

Season two of Stranger Things premiered on Netflix on October 27.
It was previously reported that he was left at gunpoint after a case of mistaken identity by two American police officer.

And now Matt Terry, 24, has discussed the moment he faced the gun-wielding the Miami Police Department authorities after they suspected him of robbing the recording studio he was working in.

Speaking to ITN, the 2016 X Factor winner admitted he was left terrified after he had accidentally set off the recording studio's alarm system and was held under their supervision until the owner of the building showed up to confirm his claims.

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Terrifying: Matt Terry, 24, has discussed the moment he faced the gun-wielding the Miami Police Department authorities after they suspected him of robbing the recording studio he was working in

He said: 'So when I was in Miami, in the studio actually, I got there on time and they're really laid back so they're always late. It's fine, I know the code so I punched it in and I set the whole building, the alarms were going off.

'And I'm talking full out alarm here, like just about to rob a bank. 20 minutes later the alarm stopped, I thought OK great, I'll try go back in again.

Adding: 'I walked out the building to two Miami police around the corner and they pull out their guns and hold me at gunpoint. I was like "I'm from London" that was the first thing that came to my head.

'But I was held at gunpoint and the fear, my heart was racing. I thought "Are they going to shoot me?" "Do they think I'm robbing the place?"'

Scary: Speaking to ITN, the 2016 X Factor winner admitted he was left terrified after he had accidentally set off the recording studio's alarm system and was held under their supervision until the owner of the building showed up to confirm his claims

Late: He said: 'So when I was in Miami, in the studio actually, I got there on time and they're really laid back so they're always late'

He continued: 'Luckily the owner of the studio arrived five minutes after they were questioning me. It was terrifying. Once the other guys arrived, they put down their guns and the other guy explained what I was doing.'

Although he was let go following the incident, Matt admitted that he was taken aback about how quick the authorities were to pull their guns on him.

'There were just very gun happy, they just pulled them out no worries. I thought, "You're pointing a gun at me".'

Matt soared to fame after winning the 13th series of long-running talent show The X Factor in December.

Recollection: He said: 'It's fine, I know the code so I punched it in and I set the whole building, the alarms were going off'

Mistaken identity: Adding: 'I walked out the building to two Miami police around the corner and they pull out their guns and hold me at gunpoint'

Racing: He said: 'I was like "I'm from London" that was the first thing that came to my head. 'But I was held at gunpoint and the fear, my heart was racing. I thought "Are they going to shoot me?" "Do they think I'm robbing the place?"'

But after climbing to number three in the UK chart with debut single When Christmas Comes Around he is still in the process of developing his own music, and is yet to release a second single.

More recently he joined a host of stars on a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water, with all proceeds going to victims of the devastating Grenfell Tower blaze.

This week, Matt attended the Pride of Britain Awards at Mayfair's Grosvenor Hotel on Monday night and was reduced to tears at the ceremony which celebrated everyday heroes making a difference in the United Kingdom.
Jeremy McConnell has claimed to have kept cocaine in his luxury villa during a holiday to Turkey with his pals.

In video obtained by The Sun Online, the 27-year-old reality star was filmed boasting about his class-A contraband, despite running the risk of being arrested and sentenced up to 24 years if found with the illegal substance.

In the clip, the Dubliner can be seen in a rust-coloured T-shirt, showcasing his intricate tattoos as he addressed his prohibited stash.

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Claims: Jeremy McConnell has claimed to have kept cocaine in his luxury villa during a holiday to Turkey with his pals

Speaking to those around him, he said: 'You are all chickens. Ive got coke in that f***ing villa, sitting there waiting for my nose to come. I don't give a f**k.'

According to the Foreign Office, the Irish model could run the risk of falling foul to Turkey's strict drug laws and face 24 years in prison should he be approached by authorities and found with any illegal substances during his trip.

A spokesperson for the star told MailOnline that he was merely joking in the video, saying: 'It is well known that Jeremy is still in recovery from his addiction. Jeremy likes to make light-hearted jokes about drug use which can sometimes be misconstrued.'

It comes days after he was filmed partying in a hotel room next to suspicious white powder before laughing at a host of horrific jokes made by his friends.

Shocking: Jeremy was filmed partying in a hotel room next to suspicious white powder before laughing at a host of horrific jokes made by his friends

The reality star - who is currently in Cardiff carrying out his community service - shared a Snapchat video last week in which he showed the mysterious powder presented in lines on the table.

In other shocking moments, the former CBB star - who was recently charged with assaulting his ex-girlfriend Stephanie Davis - was overheard laughing at jokes made by his friends regarding the mass Las Vegas shooting this month, and even his dead mother.

Jeremy - who attended rehab in April for drink and drug addiction - was seen partying next to the powder as well as empty bottles and glasses.

Trying times: Jeremy, 27 - who is currently in Cardiff carrying out community service - shared a Snapchat which showed the mysterious powder in three lines on the table (top picture)

The image was captioned 'Swear to god mate, 4 trains'. The term 'c-train' is slang for the drug cocaine.

According to the government's guidelines, any misbehaviour while a criminal is carrying out community service could see them being given a warning or sent back to court.

The Mirror then reports that in footage shot the next morning, the former Beauty School Cop Outs star laughs at an impression of his dead mother.

Recovering addict: Jeremy - who attended rehab in April for drink and drug addiction - was seen partying next to the powder as well as empty bottles with a friend in his hotel room

Bad to worse: The Mirror reports that in footage shot the next morning, the Beauty School Cop Outs star laughs at an impression of his dead mother (footage from the night before above)

His friend covers himself in a sheet and pretends to be a ghost as he calls out: 'Jeremy, it's your mother speaking... I'm back from the dead! It's your family back from the dead.'

Jeremy's friend then aims a vodka bottle out of their hotel window at the streets below to mimic a rifle whilst making machine gun sound effects.

The scenes were shockingly similar to the the recent Las Vegas shooting this month that saw Stephen Paddock kill 58 and maim 546 other people with semi-automatic rifles from the window of the Mandalay Bay hotel.

Shocking: Jeremy's friend aims a vodka bottle out of their hotel window (above) at the streets below to mimic a rifle whilst making machine gun sound effects

Imitation: The scenes aired on his Snapchat (above) were shockingly similar to the the recent Las Vegas shooting this month, which saw 58 killed and 546 injured by a semi-automatic rifle

Not fazed by the actions, Jeremy is overheard laughing at the imitation.

Jeremy's representatives declined to comment when approached by MailOnline.

Jeremy's shock footage came after he threw a raucous party in his Cardiff hotel room in the midst of his community service in the Welsh city.

The reality star - who is currently completing the 200 hours of unpaid work for assaulting Stephanie - enjoyed a booze-fuelled night and even documented the evening on his Snapchat.

Traumatised: Former Hollyoaks star Steph, 24, (above) was bruised on her arms and head, bitten on her arm and said she feared for her life

In one clip, the Dublin native sang along to music in a pub, while one of Jeremy's three pals - one man and two women - shared footage of their party once back in the room.

The foursome - including his rumoured new squeeze Demi-Leigh - were filmed ordering a number of bottles of wine from the hotel's room service.

Jeremy is in Cardiff doing 200 hours of unpaid work, after he was convicted of throwing his then pregnant girlfriend Steph 'around like a rag doll' leaving her shaken, battered and bruised on March 9.

Former Hollyoaks star Steph, 24, was bruised on her arms and head, bitten on her arm and said she feared for her life.

Her victim impact statement read at Liverpool JPs' court, said: 'I feel a nervous wreck, like I'm drowning.'

Family: He and Stephanie share a son together, Caben-Albi

Guilty: Jeremy was sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work, after he was convicted of throwing his then pregnant girlfriend Steph (above) 'around like a rag doll' on March 9

McConnell denied the attack in St Helens, Merseyside, after suspecting Steph of a lesbian affair and fling with a fireman.

He narrowly avoided jail, as the judge slammed him for showing 'no remorse', despite attacking Steph while she held their baby son Caben-Albi in her arms.

Last week, friends of the star said he was taking his community service seriously and is using it as a turning point in his life.

Prior to the assault, Jeremy had spent time at Smarmore Castle, a private rehab clinic in Ireland, to be treated for 'chemical dependency' and battle his addiction with substance abuse.

In April, Jeremy had posted a message his Instagram, revealing he was going to rehab and finally seeking help for the sake of himself and his family, after 'falling into a downward spiral' of drink and drugs.
He is considered to be one of the greatest actors in Hollywood, and is best known for his Oscar-winning role in Silence of The Lambs.

But despite his legendary status, Anthony Hopkins was completely unrecognisable on Tuesday, as he transformed into a homeless man to film his newest project.

Taking to the streets of Stevenage, onlookers completely failed to notice the 79-year-old actor in his tattered clothing, as he shot scenes for the upcoming adaptation of King Lear.

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Unrecognisable: Anthony Hopkins was completely unrecognisable on Tuesday, as he transformed into a homeless man to film his newest project in Stevenage

The actor was worlds away from his usually slick self, as he transformed into the tramp-like character for the BBC TV film.

The Nixon star sported a tatty green coat, which fastened with a rope at his waist, as well as baggy trousers and heavily muddied boots.

Only adding to the bedraggled effect, he finished the look with a faded black hat, decorated with flowers on one side, and a pair of ripped gloves as he filmed a number of scenes on a park bench.

Who's that guy? Taking to the streets of Stevenage in tattered clothing, the 79-year-old (above) was worlds away from his slick self, as he shot scenes for the new adaptation of King Lear

Transformed: The star sported a tatty green coat, which fastened with a rope at his waist, as well as baggy trousers and heavily muddied boots, as he transformed into the character

Going about their business: Anthony also added a faded black hat and ripped gloves as he filmed a number of scenes on a park bench - barely catching any attention from onlookers

Convincing: Making the look even more convincing, Anthony was seen pushing shopping trolley around set later on - which was laden with full bin bags, old blankets and milk cartons

Making the look even more convincing however, Anthony was then seen pushing shopping trolley around set later on - which was laden with full bin bags, old blankets and milk cartons.

Despite being surrounded by film crew and cameras, onlookers failed to notice the Oscar-winner at first as he shot the new project on the busy shopping street.

Anthony was confirmed to be playing Shakespeare's famous character back in June, in the new BBC adaptation directed by Richard Eyre.

Not himself: Despite being surrounded by film crew and cameras, onlookers failed to notice the Oscar-winner at first (right) as he shot the new project in the costume (left)

New project: Anthony was confirmed to be playing Shakespeare's famous character back in June, in the new BBC adaptation of King Lear directed by Richard Eyre

The reboot of the famous story is set in 'the fictional present', with the tyrannical King Lear using the Tower of London as the base for his military dictatorship.

According to the Daily Mail's Baz Bamingboye, the Oscar-winner is thought to be playing the character like an 'English Stalin' in the film, set to air in 2018.

Emma Thompson appears as Goneril - marking the stars' first onscreen reunion since Remains Of The Day in 1993 - while Emily Watson and Florence Pugh play his other two daughters Regan and Cordelia.

Jim Broadbent and Jim Carter are signed up play Lear's war ministers Gloucester and Kent while Sherlock's Andrew Scott has been confirmed as Edgar, Lear's secret protector.

Co-stars: Emma Thompson appears as Goneril - marking the stars' first onscreen reunion since Remains Of The Day in 1993

Dynamic duo: Jim Broadbent and Jim Carter (L-R) are signed up play Lear's war ministers Gloucester and Kent
A set designer from soap opera Days Of Our Lives is suing Sony, the owners and producers of the long-running TV the show.

A report on Tuesday details a lawsuit by Karla Bergstrom in which she claims she suffered severe brain injuries when 400lb of lighting gear crashed down on top of her.

Bergstrom is claiming Sony hired negligent set builders whose shoddy work resulted in the serious accident in 2015.

Lawsuit: A set designer from soap opera Days Of Our Lives is suing Sony, the owners and producers of the long-running TV the show

In documents obtained by TMZ the woman says staff were lowering the heavy bar of stage lights but didn't give any warning.

She says that the equipment came down on top of her causing serious head injuries.

Sony and lighting company, Goodnight and Co., are named in the suit.

Bergstrom is requesting damages and her medical expenses.

In 2012 Kristin Chenoweth was rushed to hospital after she was injured on the Brooklyn set of The Good Wife.

Accident: Designer Karla Bergstrom claims she suffered severe brain injuries when 400lb of lighting gear crashed down on top of her in 2015

The actress was struck by a piece of lighting equipment that collapsed because of a large gust of wind.

She fell and struck her head on the concrete but escaped with minor injuries.

Days Our Lives has run since 1965 with a total of 13,203 episodes as of October 27.

When it debuted it revolved around the tragedies and triumphs of the suburban Horton family and over time more families were brought in to spice it up.

The soap is filmed at The Burbank Studios in California and airs on NBC.
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Jonathan Ross' annual Halloween party set off in fine fashion as the likes of Nicole Scherzinger, Ed Sheeran, Natalie Dormer and Alan Carr donned their finest costumes to attend the lavish bash held at his Hampstead manor on Tuesday evening.

Whilst some guests may not have have gotten the memo about donning their spookiest ensembles, Melanie Sykes included, they were still able to enjoy the spooky atmosphere of the party as the chat show host had not held back on decorations, adorning his home in creepy decor that attracted a host of trick or treaters ahead of the A-List guests.

One stand out look from the night came courtesy of Nicole Scherzinger who took inspiration from another style queen, putting on a busty display as the iconic Cleopatra.

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Spooktacular! Jonathan Ross' annual Halloween party set off in fine fashion as the likes of Nicole Scherzinger, Ed Sheeran, Natalie Dormer and Alan Carr donned their finest costumes to attend the lavish bash held at his Hampstead manor on Tuesday evening

The glamorous goddess rocked the incredible gold look, which showed off both her amazing cleavage and her taut legs, and the metallic detailing on the look certainly made it stand out.

Nicole rocked a be-jewelled collar with the look, as well as a raven black wig in the style the Queen of Egypt was known for. The Poison singer also commanded attention with her glittering gold cape, as well as several gold bangles to add to the look.

The X Factor judge rocked incredible eye makeup with the look, one of the things Cleopatra was known for. With exaggerated cat-eyes, gold eyeshadow and defined brows, Nicole's dark complexion glowed as she arrived for the party.

Nicole finished off her look with gold strappy sandals, though the style goddess did not allow anything to detract from her amazing figure within the dress.

Glamorous in gold: One stand out look from the night came courtesy of Nicole Scherzinger who took inspiration from another style queen, putting on a busty display as the iconic Cleopatra

Sizzling: The glamorous goddess rocked the incredible gold look, which showed off both her amazing cleavage and her taut legs, and the metallic detailing on the look certainly made it stand out

Natalie Dormer no stranger to a period costume or two, after appearing as the scheming Margaery Tyrell in the epic series Game of Thrones, and the starlet donned another historical get-up on Tuesday night.

The 35-year-old actress took inspiration from the Renaissance era for her look, rocking a pirate costume for the star-studded party Natalie rocked a classic red coat adorned with gold buttons for the look, along with loose fitting black trousers and red boots.

The look was adorned with a slew of belts and scarves in all colours and priFnts, as well as a sinister skull which hung from the waistband of the belt.

Adding to the 18th Century style of the look, Natalie rocked a lace cravat collar with her look, as well as an enormous hat complete with feather detailing.

Arrrrrgh there she is: Natalie Dormer no stranger to a period costume or two, after appearing as the scheming Margaery Tyrell in the epic series Game of Thrones , and the starlet donned another historical get-up on Tuesday night

Furry nice! Ed Sheeran opted to go as a 70s hustler by dressing in an eye-catching pink fur coat and holding gaudy canes as he sashayed into the bash. The Lego House hitmaker also rocked a hot pink trilby hat with vibrant feathers

Two of a kind: Ed was dressed in the same ensemble as his girlfriend Cherry Seaborn - with the pair walking into the bash arm in arm with broad smiles on their faces as they headed inside

It takes two: The pair seemed in high spirits as they held onto each other and made their way into the lavish annual party

Chest the glimpse: Nicole accentuated her ample cleavage in the daring costume

What a giggle: The pair couldn't help but giggle in the back the car

Car-ried away: Ed beamed as he summoned his other half into their car

Meanwhile, Alan Carr took inspiration from TOWIE star Gemma Collins' famous fashion fail at the ITV summer party this year, transforming into a zombie version of the flamboyant reality star.

The comedian, 41, channelled the bubbly blonde's out-there look with aplomb as he slipped into a garish orange dress, with extreme shoulderpads for his evening out.

Alan had clearly put a huge amount of effort into his transformation into the GC with his bright frock featuring the same ruching and bejewelled design as Gemma's legendary outfit.

Covering up his chestnut locks and doing away with his trademark glasses, the former Chatty Man host donned a sleek blonde wig topped with a hairbow as he cracked a broad grin.

And the outfit went down a treat with Gemma herself, who shared a picture of Alan in costume captioned: 'Alan Carr I [love] you this is pure jokes ha ha ha made my night x dressing up as me what an honour.'

Attracting attention: One stand out look from the night came courtesy of comedian Alan, who took inspiration from TOWIE star Gemma Collins' famous fashion fail at the ITV summer party this year, transforming into a zombie version of the flamboyant reality star whilst out with his terrifying companion dressed as Pennywise The Clown from IT

Making an arrival: Whilst Melanie Sykes appeared to have missed the memo somewhat and appeared to sport just a smidge of fake blood under her nose, Alan Carr went all out as he recreated Gemma Collins look at the ITV summer party

Fashion fright: The comedian, 41, channnelled the bubbly blonde's out-there look with aplomb as he slipped into a garish orange dress, with extreme shoulderpads for his evening out

Feeling left out? Alan looked in great spirits as he cosied up to gal pal Melanie - who didn't dress up for the party

Working it! Alan posed up a storm in his eye-catching outfit as he partied up a storm at the star-studded bash

Looking good: Alan was the life and soul of the party as he strode in hand in hand with his terrifying companion

Having a giggle: The hilarious comedian was looking exactly like Gemma bar his bloodied v

Cruising and boozing: Gemma clutched a drink in her hand as she headed home after the party

Haunted house: Jonathan Ross proved he had not held back on decorations for his annual Halloween bash as his Hampstead manor was seen adorned in spooky decorations and attracting a host of trick or treaters ahead of the A-List guests

Dame Joan Collins attended the party with her husband Percy Gibson, with the pair opting for a rather obscure couples costume for the star-studded party.

Joan, 84, rocked up as Madame du Barry - one of the victims of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution - and the final mistress of Louis XV who met a grisly end as she was executed.

Keeping within that time period, Percy dressed as Maximilien Francois Marie Isidore de Robespierre - a French lawyer and politician, one of the best known and most influential figures associated with the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror.

Commanding attention: Dame Joan Collins attended the party with her husband Percy Gibson, with the pair opting for a rather obscure couples costume for the star-studded party

Historical: Joan, 84, rocked up as Madame du Barry - one of the victims of the Reign of Terror during the French Revolution - and the final mistress of Louis XV who met a grisly end as she was executed

Meanwhile, Ed Sheeran, 26, and girlfriend Cherry Seabourn opted for a couple's costume for the party, opting to go as 70s hustlers by dressing in pink fur coats and holding gaudy canes as they sashayed into the bash. The pair also rocked hot pink trilby caps with vibrant feathers.

The couple were in for a treat as they made their way into Jonathan's party, as circus performers and reams of lanterns, fake cobwebs and pumpkins were seen piled up outside the 56-year-old chat show host's property.

Jonathan, 56, and his wife Jane Goldman, 47, also opted for a couple's costume, dressing as Orin Scrivello and Audrey from the 1986 musical horror and comedy, Little Shop of Horrors, which tells the tale of a man eating plant.

Casual Tuesdays? Melanie Sykes was incredibly dressed down given the array of costumes on show. Instead of dressing up the star opted to wear a casual ensemble of distressed skinny jeans with a black blazer and a touch of fake blood

Similar: Melanie was thought to be channelling the gothic makeover given to character Eleven in Stranger Things 2 (R)

The presenter had teased a glimpse of their outfits on Twitter ahead of the party, sharing a snap captioned: 'Couples costume!' as the duo posed up a storm and snapped the image with their own Snapchat filter for the party.

Jonathan perfectly chanelled the evil dentist Orin in the film - a role originally played by Steve Martin in the film, whilst Jane looked the spitting image of Ellen Greene - who played Audrey.

Adding to the spooky element of the costume, Jane had sewed herself into a man eating plant costume.

Foaling around: Holly Willoughby dressed as an ice zombie unicorn for the party - an outfit she had donned earlier in the day for her presenting stint on This Morning, but she changed her clothing to rock a leather jacket and skinny jeans

Transformed: Holly was barely recognisable in the heavy make-up and with a colourful wig and prosthetic horn

Cruising along: Holly and her husband no doubt raised eyebrows as they left home to arrive at the party

Holly Willoughby also dressed to impress. Having transformed into an 'ice zombie unicorn' for Tuesday's episode of This Morning, she put on a rockier edge to her magical ensemble after dark as she stepped out with her Tin Man husband Dan Baldwin at Jonathan's annual party.

The presenter, 36, was almost unrecognisable in her mythical outfit, which she debuted earlier in the day, adding some darker and more sinister touches for the spooky evening.

Holly, who rocked a sparkling silver horn and tumbling rainbow tresses, threw on a quirky patterned leather jacket over her white and silver glittery top, to toughen up the look.

Getting the party started: Holly Willoughby and her husband Dan Baldwin weren't the only glamorous couple in attendance as supermodel Claudia Schiffer and her other half Matthew Vaughn also turned heads with their ensembles

Dressed to impress: Claudia Schiffer showed off her supermodel figure in a skintight pink catsuit adorned with gold panels and a pair of suede knee high boots as she headed into the bash with her spooky dressed husband

Dazzling: Claudia showcased her sensational figure in the skintight ensemble that hugged her physique

The eclectic jacket was decorated with sparkling silver studs as well as frog and jewel designs, adding to the otherworldly look of the outfit.

Swapping out her white furry trousers from earlier in the day, Holly showed off her slender legs in black skinny jeans and added height with black ankle boots.

In a change from her usual wholesome breakfast television look, the star rocked dramatic smoky eye make-up, blue eyeshadow, face jewels and white face-paint, giving her an ethereal look.

The star held onto her husband of 10 years arm, as he rocked an impressive Tin Man costume, made famous in the iconic film, The Wizard of Oz.

TV executive Dan wowed in a silver bodysuit, tin hat and elaborate face-paint which included metallic cogs stuck to his face and fake blood pouring from his eyes.

He added a casual touch to his outfit with trainers and carried an axe as befitting the character.

Popular choice: David Walliams opted to dress as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, but he wasn't the only guest to do so

Now THERE'S a Pretty Woman! Stacey Solomon channelled Julia Robert's iconic film character as she joined her friend who dressed as an Avatar character for the party

Speaking the morning after the bash, Holly revealed that she had stayed in her unicorn fancy dress for the entire day, wanting to sport it at Jonathan's party that evening.

Appearing on This Morning on Wednesday, Holly explained: 'I stayed in it all day, watched Midsummer Murders, I went trick or treating with the kids which was quite fun, Belle obviously loved it. Then I went to the party.'

She detailed the exchange she'd had with Joan Collins at the annual bash, after the Dynasty star had asked Holly to guess what she had chosen to dress up as.

'I spoke to Joan [Collins] and she was like, "Can you tell who I am?" and it was like I cant get this wrong because it's Joan Collins and I said, "Marie Antoinette," and she was like, "Noooo I'm Madame du Barry," Marie Antoinette's auntie, but I apologised and did a curtsey, so I think I'm alright,' she joked.

Locked up: Magician Dynamo dressed up as a convict as he carted around a cardboard cut out of Louis Theroux - who has made several documentaries on life behind bars and the psychology of prisoners

Spooky stuff! The group's inventive costume certainly broke the norm among the fellow revellers

Looking good: Frank Skinner couldn't resist a pun as he brought along a lilo whilst dressed up as Kylo Ren from Star Wars. Meanwhile DJ Jodie Harsh didn't look too dissimilar from their everyday outfits

Meanwhile, Claudia Schiffer wanted to show off her costume so badly on Tuesday night that she asked faithful husband Matthew Vaughn to carry her coat.-

The 47-year-old German model stunned in a Power Rangers-style pink catsuit as she arrived at the event with her husband, who covered up in a blood-soaked white mask.

As Claudia arrived at the star-studded event hand-in-hand with her husband, the blonde beauty allowed her amazing outfit to be on full display.

Caped: Comedian Aisling Bea and Sara Pascoe were inspired by The Handmaid's Tale with their costumes

Going for it: The pals went all out for the party as they wrapped red cloaks around them and covered their hair with white hats

Forgotten something? Michael McIntyre attached a skeleton to his shoulder to give the illusion he was missing part of his arm as he attended the bash with wife Kitty and the killer doll Chucky

Loving life! Michael seemed in great spirits as he beamed broadly heading into his friend's party

Cosy couple: Konnie Huq made a statement as she donned a costume that symbolised she had been banned from talking on Twitter whilst her husband Charlie Brooker donned a Super Mario outfit. Fellow comedian Rob Beckett and his wife Louise Watts went as zombie newlyweds

Hello pumpkin! Jimmy Carr came as cult character David Pumpkins in a quirky festive suit and curly wig with an orange stripe

Rocking a baby pink catsuit with gold panelling, the fashion designer added to her look with thigh-high suede boots and a quirky pink bow.

With a soft twist on Halloween, Claudia rocked bright pink eyeshadow and metallic highlighter.

The couple, who have been married for 15 years, seemed as smitten as ever as they arrived at the party.

Transformed: Keith Lemon dressed as David from The Lost Boys whilst his wife Jill Carter went as Lucy from Bram Stokers Dracula, as another guest looked terrifying holding a replica of a human head

It takes two: David Mitchell dressed as Dracula complete with his own portable coffin whilst wife Victoria Coren Mitchell donned a dead Alice In Wonderland costume for the party

The Creepy Family: Comedian John Bishop and his wife Melanie dressed as Uncle Fester and Morticia Addams from creepy television series The Addams Family

Low-key: Unlike many of the other guests, presenter Laura Whitmore opted for a more low-key costume, simply wearing all black and sporting a touch of ghoulish face paint

Party people: The Irish beauty attended the bash with a pal and her beau Ian Sterling (Pictured behind)

Starry, starry night: David Baddiel dressed up as painter Van Gough for the star-studded party

Jonathan's bashes are so packed full of stars that he has previously enlisted the help of the police to protect both the guests and the public. However, in 2016 it was revealed that the officers on duty were funded by the tax payer.

An angry neighbour was appalled by the discovery after he submitted the Freedom of Information request following the high-profile party, and found the cost of the operation to be 531.80, none of which was funded by the broadcaster.

While officers weren't stationed on the front door of Ross's property, a policing plan was drawn up 'for the protection of the public'.

Ready to party: For this year's lavish party, Jonathan and his wife Jane Goldman, 47, opted for a couple's costume, dressing as Orin Scrivello and Audrey from the 1986 musical horror and comedy, Little Shop of Horrors

Spooky: The presenter had teased a glimpse of their outfits on Twitter ahead of the party, sharing a snap captioned: 'Couples costume!' as the duo posed up a storm in a photo booth at their party

Prepare to be scared: Circus performers and reams of lanterns, fake cobwebs and pumpkins were seen piled up outside the 56-year-old chat show host's property, as he no doubt hoped to impress his guests

Reasons given for the outlay were potential dangers to the public from crowding of the pavement, spilling onto the road and impingement of traffic.

The Metropolitan Police said: 'Local officers will continue to attend and interact at events of all kinds on their areas as part of their normal patrols as this is an integral way to foster support and trust in the police and to promote engagement and communication as we do for school fetes and the like.'

A police source told the Daily Mirror: 'Most officers would rather spend time on proper jobs, rather than shepherding rubberneckers gawping at celebs in silly outfits.'

Lining the streets: Eager children and their parents lined the pavements to go inside and receive their sweets

Creepy: Trick or Treaters pulled on their spookiest costumes to beg for sweets at the house before the party kicked off
She has been welcomed into her beau Rio Ferdinand's family, enjoying a sunsoaked holiday with his nearest and dearest and two nights out with his sister.

And Kate Wright, 26, showed the strength of her bond with Rio's children as she posted a spooky snap of the trio clad in their Halloween costumes on Monday.

The photo showed Lorenz, 11, Tate, nine and Tia, six all striking a fierce pose in colourful Halloween costumes.

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Family time: Kate Wright, 26, showed the strength of her bond with Rio Ferdinand's children as she posted a spooky snap of the trio clad in their Halloween costumes on Monday

Blossoming romance: Showing her high spirits ahead of a night of trick or treating, the former TOWIE star captioned the shots 'HAPPY HALLOWEEN'' followed by pumpkin, ghost and skull emojis (pictured with Rio last week)

The boys appeared to be dressed as goalie mask wearing killer Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th and chainsaw-wielding villain Leatherface from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre while Tia was clad in a zombie-esque costume.

Their adorable pooch was dressed as a pumpkin.

Showing her high spirits ahead of a night of trick or treating, the former TOWIE star captioned the shots 'HAPPY HALLOWEEN'' followed by pumpkin, ghost and skull emojis.

Showing she is fast becoming part of the Ferdinand family unit the blonde bombshell posted a tropical snap with her beau's younger sister Sian on Sunday with the caption: 'My special Siany', following a girls' night out.

Stunners:Showing she is fast becoming part of the Ferdinand family unit the blonde bombshell posted a tropical snap with her beau's younger sister Sian on Sunday with the caption: 'My special Siany', following a girls' night out

The pair enjoyed their family quality time at Veuve Clicquot's third edition of Yelloween at COYA Dubai.

Kate looked stunning in a pink satin maxi skirt, which she teamed with a peach tank top.

Her sun-kissed skin radiated through her nude makeup look with a gloss to her lip, which accentuated her natural beauty.

She wore her blonde locks down in a middle parting which made room for her accessories.

Close: Earlier this week, Kate showed how close she had got to her beloved's nearest and dearest as she posted a sizzling snap from their night out

The 26-year-old opted for gold string earrings and a stand-alone bracelet as she stood on beige sandal heels.

Sian boasted her leggy pins in floral shorts, paired with a burgundy crop top.

The brown-haired beauty also rocked a nude look, which worked well against her gorgeous complexion.

Showing the strength of her bond with Sian, Kate also captioned a group photo on Saturday night 'my loves'.

Busty: All eyes were on the former TOWIE star who flaunted her ample assets in a tiny grey crop-top, which also revealed her slender waist and taut midriff

Family first: The outing comes as Kate has been holidaying in Dubai with boyfriend Rio and his children

Kate has been holidaying in Dubai with boyfriend Rio, 38, and his children.

They went public with their romance in August after he shared the first ever snap of the duo on his Instagram account during a Portugal holiday.

Despite two years of fame, winning various lucrative contracts and garnering 682,000 Instagram followers, Kate recently confirmed her time in the spotlight is up as she moves towards looking after the kids.

A friend said: 'Kate left TOWIE because she wanted to be away from the limelight. But interest continued to be sky high and she struggled to visit the gym...

Hot couple: Kate and Rio went public with their romance in August after he shared the first ever snap of the duo on his Instagram account during a Portugal holiday

'She hopes having no links with brands and no longer being on TV will help give her the quiet life she longs for with her new family.'

Rio, meanwhile, had finally addressed his romance with Kate during an appearance on This Morning.

He told hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby that he is 'happy again', following the passing of his wife Rebecca, adding: 'I'm in a relationship and it's going well.'

Rio revealed that he has been open with his relationship with his three young children and confessed that his new romance has been a positive effect on the whole family.

Kate soared to fame on TOWIE in 2015, when she was introduced as the ex-girlfriend of show heartthrob Dan Edgar.
She was recently the centre of a barrage of fan criticism for scolding host Claudia Winkleman for 'slouching' during Sunday's results show.

But Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas slammed her critics on Monday night, after being accused of 'over-marking' some couples by fans on social media.

The 57-year-old now says she does not care about what viewers think of her judging, replying, 'they're not ballroom dancers.'

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Bite back: Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas slammed fans who criticised her 'over-marking' on the BBC, saying 'they're not ballroom dancers'

Speaking at the Pride of Britain awards, the champion dancer told The Sun: 'I have been an adjudicator all my life. People are judged against themselves and not against each other. Every journey is a different one.

'In some ways I love the viewers but they're not ballroom dancers. Some of them are and they have great constructive criticism.

'But it doesn't matter if you like one thing because someone is always going to like the opposite of what you like and that's OK, it's what makes the world go round.'

It follows yet more criticism this week for scolding host Claudia while trying to demonstrate posture.

The head jude had been discussing Alexandra Burke's core strength when she made the comment about the presenter slouching - leading fans to brand her as 'rude' and 'patronising' onTwitter.

Awkward: Shirley caused a stir among Strictly fans on Sunday night, after she scolded host Claudia Winkleman (R) for 'slouching' during the results show

Awkward: The 57-year-old had been discussing Alexandra Burke's core when she made the comment about the presenter's posture - leading fans to brand her as 'rude' and 'patronising'

Shirley had been looking back at the Halloween performances on the show, when the awkward incident occurred.

Explaining Alexandra's posture to viewers, the ballroom judge asked Claudia to help her by stating: 'Will you stand up for a minute, as you do slouch a bit?'

Met with gasps from the audience, the 45-year-old presenter was visibly shocked by the comment, and immediately responded with: 'Ooh, that's a brave thing to say!'

Doing her bit: Shirley had been looking back at the Halloween performances on the show, when the awkward incident occurred

Straight talking: The ballroom judge asked Claudia to help her demonstrate by stating: 'Will you stand up for a minute, as you do slouch a bit?', leaving the presenter in shock

Standing her ground: Met with gasps from the audience, the 45-year-old presenter (R) was visibly shocked by the comment, and responded with: 'Ooh, that's a brave thing to say!'

Laughing the moment off, Shirley then straightened Claudia's back in front of viewers, explaining: 'You need to pull in the fuse box and flatten the chest!'

In her usual witty style, Claudia then proceeded to slowly sit back down with her back rigid and upright, to the delight of the audience.

However, the incident was met with huge backlash from viewers - who took to Twitter to blast Shirley as 'rude' and patronising'.

Carrying on: Laughing the moment off, Shirley then straightened Claudia's back in front of viewers, explaining: 'You need to pull in the fuse box and flatten the chest!'

Funny girl: In her usual witty style, Claudia then proceeded to slowly sit back down with her back rigid and upright, to the delight of the audience

Fans wrote in their droves: 'I do find Shirley very patronising', 'My god Shirley is so rude' and 'Oh my god how rude was Shirley to Claudia !? every week I'm liking her less and less.'

Another unimpressed fan chimed in: 'I think the remarks of Shirley towards Claudia crossed a line. RemindS me of a mother who only criticises.'

As others added: 'So Shirley is rude & embarrassing to Claude & assumed the public are idiots not knowing what a 'core' is; good grief' and 'I like Shirley but why be such a total b***h to Claudia? How rude and unkind. What a horrible thing to do.'

Not impressed: However, Shirley's comment was met with huge backlash from viewers

'If you can't say anything nice, keep quiet!': Viewers took to Twitter to blast Shirley as 'rude' and patronising'

A further fan blasted the comment as 'unkind', stating: 'Shirley didn't your parents teach you? ' if you can't say anything nice- keep quiet' #unkind'

While another expressed their hope that Shirley will be scolded herself for her behaviour, writing: 'How rude is Shirley telling Claudia she slouches, I hope she gets pulled up on it off screen.'

However, a number of other fans were quick to see the funny side of the incident, and branded the moment as TV gold.

In stitches! However, a number of other fans were quick to see the funny side of the incident, and branded the moment (above) as TV gold

Playful: Many viewers acknowledged the funny side, and even branded Shirley an 'icon' for the comment

Having a ball: Her fellow judges did not seem bothered by the comment as their critique continued as normal

Farewell: Elsewhere on the show TV chef Simon Rimmer (L) was the fifth celebrity eliminated, after a shock dance-off with Mollie King (R)

One viewer kicked things off by writing: 'Shirley scolding Claudia's posture. Single best tv moment of the decade ?'

As others added: 'Loving Shirley sorting out Claudia's 'sack of potatoes' posture', 'Shirley shading Claudia. What an ICON' and 'I do love Shirley'

Another addressed the light-hearted nature of the moment, adding: 'A bit patronising to @ClaudiaWinkle Shirley! But quite funny'

While further fans claimed they were left in hysterics by the gaffe, interjecting: 'Oh my days that moment with Claudia and Shirley, had me in stitches' and 'Fair play to Shirley, that was quite funny!'

Elsewhere on the show TV chef Simon Rimmer was the fifth celebrity eliminated, after a shock dance-off with Mollie King.

Proud: Simon said of the show: 'Do you know it has been the most amazing experience ever, from the minute I walked in through the door' (pictured with partner Karen Clifton)

Strictly star: Contestant Debbie McGee was beaming as she arrived at the BBC studios on Tuesday for an appearance on The One Show

Happy: Carrying a beautiful bunch of flowers, Debbie was all bundled up as she arrived at the studio

New dance: Debbie next routine will be an energetic tango to I Gotta Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas

Pressure: Debbie will have a lot to live up to this weekend, after her spooktacular Charleston scored 39 out of 40

Lovely: Debbie seemed delighted with her gifts as she arrived for the interview

Good spirits: After her interview, Debbie flashed a beaming smile to the cameras as she exited BBC's Broadcasting House

Classic: The radio presenter rocked a classic beehive for the appearance on The One Show

Support: Debbie stopped to chat to fans outside the studio

Italian Stallion: Debbie's Strictly partner Giovanni Pernice also stopped to sign autographs after the interview
She recently made waves when she revealed her First Lady of the United States costume.

And Courtney Stodden added quite the accessory for her Melania Trump costume.

The 23-year-old reality star was joined by a young boy dressed as Donald and Melania's son Barron Trump while out and about for Halloween in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

First family: Courtney Stodden was joined by a young boy dressed as Donald and Melania's son Barron Trump while out and about for Halloween in Los Angeles on Tuesday

High-profile: Melania and Barron Trump pictured in New York last November

Courtney was once again a dead ringer for the 47-year-old Slovenia-born First Lady as she rocked a clinging grey midi dress.

She had a bright red coat draped over her shoulders over the body-hugging number as she teamed the look with a pair of beige patent leather heels.

The Celebrity Big Brother star accessorized with a bright red and silver metallic clutch.

Stunning: The 23-year-old reality star was once again a dead ringer for the 47-year-old Slovenia-born First Lady as she rocked a clinging grey midi dress

Inspiration? Courtney's get-up looked very similar to the one Melania wore at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany back in July

United States front: Barron and Melania with President Donald Trump in Washington DC back in June

Her usually platinum blonde locks were turned brunette to look like Melania's as she finished off the look with smokey eye and pink lip.

Courtney's 'Barron' was dressed perfectly in a black puffer jacket over a navy blue sweater and patterned button-down shirt.

He wore baggy jeans and read sneakers as his medium-length blonde hair was worn down and disheveled much like the First Boy of the US.

Interesting placement: At one point the two were even pictured next to a pinata that was made to look like US President Donald Trump

It remains unknown how the child is associated to Courtney but he did look more than happy to be joining in on the gag.

At one point the two were even pictured next to a pinata that was made to look like US President Donald Trump.

Just days ago Courtney nearly looked identical to the First Lady as she impersonated Melania in multiple photos and videos on Wednesday.

Almost identical: Courtney nearly looks identical as she impersonated First Lady Trump in multiple photos and videos posted last Wednesday

Twins: Courtney decided to dress up as Melania Trump this Halloween

Courtney gave her best Melania impersonation as she displayed her busty chest in a risque black lace dress.

She starts the video using Melania's Slovenian accent: 'Hello America, this is Melania Trump.'

'I wanted to wish everyone in America a very happy Halloween on behalf of me, Melania, Barron my son, and Donald my husband, the President of the United States of America.'

The Couples Therapy star looks virtually unrecognizable as she hides her iconic golden locks under the Melania Trump wig.

Courtney kept the wig parted in a comb-over, while sporting a glamorous make-up look.

The ensemble: Courtney gave her best Melania impersonation as she displayed her busty chest in a risque black lace dress

Greetings: She starts the video using Melania's Slovenian accent: 'Hello America, this is Melania Trump'

First lady: The Couples Therapy star looks virtually unrecognizable as she hides her iconic golden locks under the Melania Trump wig

Courtney gives a very animated performance as she jokes about 'decorating the White House'.

She added: 'I don't spend too much time there, but we have fun doing it when we're there.Happy Halloween American. God bless you.'

The 23-year-old finishes off the video by playfully blowing a kiss to the camera.

Courtney captions the video: 'Happy Halloween from me Melania' while using the hashtags '#halloween #trumptowers'.

Talented impersonator: Courtney kept the wig parted in a comb-over, while sporting a glamorous make-up look

Good sense of humor: Courtney gives a very animated performance as she jokes about 'decorating the White House'

Excited for Halloween: The 23-year-old finishes off the video by playfully blowing a kiss to the camera

Along with the comedic video, the former wife of Actor Doug Hutchinson posted multiple photos of her posing seductively for the camera.

In one snap, the Washington-born beauty gives a smoldering look as she raises her leg while showing off the red-bottoms of her Christian Louboutin heels.

The reality star is known to get political on social media, in 2016 she endorsed Vermont senator Bernie Sanders on Twitter.

Courtney has also been an active PETA spokesperson who constantly advocates for animal rights.

Getting leggy: In one snap, the Washington-born beauty gives a smoldering look as she raises her leg while showing off the red-bottoms of her Christian Louboutin heels

Courtney gained her fame when she was just 16, after getting married to 51-year-old Doug Hutchinson.

A brief split occurred in 2013 after Courtney's appearance on Celebrity Big Brother, but they later rekindled their romance.

However, it wasn't to be and the couple split for good in 2016.

In an interview with People in February, Courtney said of the union: 'I dont really like having regrets. I dont really want to live that way and harp on something I feel like I shouldnt have done.

'I feel like its affected me in ways. And theyre playing themselves out now. I feel like I really didnt get a chance to do a lot of the things a normal 16-year-old  ultimately 22-year-old girl experiences.'
She's the fashion designer known for her bohemian lifestyle.

And this week, Camilla Franks spoke candidly on discovering she was pregnant with her first child at age 41, in an interview with 9Honey Style.

The creative, who is engaged to Welsh artist JP Jones, told the publication it has been an emotional rollercoaster.

'It started off as an unpredictable emotional rollercoaster': Camilla Franks spoke candidly to 9Honey Style on expecting her first child at age 41

'It started off as an unpredictable emotional rollercoaster of happy, excited, terrified and everything in between,' Camilla shared.

'But as January comes closer, I'm beginning to learn how to relax and enjoy this sacred time.'

Having put so much energy into her fashion empire, Camilla went on to say that motherhood was always in her plans.

'I've always said my business was my first love child. She has been the centre of my everything for nearly 15 years - it was time to bring her a sibling.'

The fashion designer shared: 'It started off as an unpredictable emotional rollercoaster of happy, excited, terrified and everything in between. But as January comes closer, I'm beginning to learn how to relax and enjoy this sacred time'

Always in her sights: Having put so much energy into her fashion empire, Camilla went on to say that motherhood was always in her plans: 'I've always said my business was my first love child. She has been the centre of my everything for nearly 15 years - it was time to bring her a sibling'

Camilla announced she was pregnant in August via an Instagram post that read: 'Inside my belly now lays the love we've shared. To my JP, when we were young, the world was ours. Not a care in a world, so many raised eyebrows.

'We loved relentlessly, yet drifted apart, eighteen years later, we reconnected our hearts.

'Always my soul mate, a lover and a friend. You've always been here, from start to end. Now we're all grown up, but we're still just starting. We proudly stand here, seas apart yet never parting.'

She added: 'Inside my belly now lays the love we've shared and been through, Inside your Milla (Camilla) two hearts are now beating for you.

Online: Camilla, who is expecting her first child with fiance JP Jones, announced the happy news to her Instagram account in August

'It seems like yesterday, we were two kids drinking in that London pub. But today, we're drinking tea here waiting for little bub.

'In this world, and every universe after, I'll always be your girl and you our babys father xxC,' she concluded.

Camilla and JP postponed their wedding so that they can focus on their baby, who is expected to arrive at the same time the event was planned - November.

The pair became engaged in Wales on New Year's Eve, and continue to split their time between Sydney and Wales.
It's the reality dating show that will bring together some of Australia's most iconic reality stars.

And there will be no shortage of drama on Ten's debut season of Bachelor In Paradise, with the likes of former Bachelor 'villains' Keira Maguire and Leah Costa reportedly signing on for the show.

According to The Daily Telegraph, Keira and newly-single Leah will be pitted as enemies against each other on the show, amid their recent social media feud.

Battle of the blondes! There will be no shortage of drama on Ten's debut season of Bachelor In Paradise, with the likes of former Bachelor 'villains' Keira Maguire (R) and Leah Costa (L) reportedly signing on for the show

'Bad blood began to flow between the outspoken contestants when Costa reached out to Maguire over social media, asking for hints on how she had coped with the backlash of being cast as a villain,' the publication claimed.

'But Maguire wasn't interested in playing reality TV mum, and responded by calling Costa a 'tacky skank', they added.

Newly-single Laurina Fleure, Elora Murger, Jake Ellis, Sasha Mielczarek, Sarah-Mae Louise, Michael Turnbull and Zilda Williams have all been tipped as possible cast-members for Bachelor In Paradise.

Feud: 'Bad blood began to flow between the outspoken contestants when Costa reached out to Maguire over social media, asking for hints on how she had coped with the backlash of being cast as a villain,' the publication claimed

While the Aussie spin-off would no doubt be a ratings winner for Channel Ten, given the success of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, the US version has not been without controversy.

In June, filming in Mexico for season four was temporarily suspended due to allegations of misconduct.

Production later resumed following an internal investigation involving Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson, which subsequently cleared the two.

Will she find love? While Elora Murger may have missed out on winning Matty Johnson's heart on The Bachelor this year, she may be given a second chance at love if she signs on to Bachelor In Paradise

Headed to paradise? Former Bachelorette star Michael Turnbull is also said to be a potential cnadidate

'Our internal investigation, conducted with the assistance of an outside law firm, has now been completed,' Warner Bros said in a statement.

'Out of respect for the privacy interests of those involved, we do not intend to release the videotape of the incident. We can say, however, that the tape does not support any charge of misconduct by a cast member.'

Bachelor In Paradise is slated for release in Australia next year.
She's one of Australia's hottest modelling exports, living in New York and travelling the world over for exciting shoots and catwalk shows.

But this month, Victoria's Secret model Shanina Shaik is thrilled to be returning home to enjoy the race that stops the nation.

The 26-year-old will host the Maison Mumm marquee on AAMI Derby Day as part of her Mumm ambassador duties, adding: 'I'm so excited to be coming home to attend the Melbourne Cup Carnival with Mumm.

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'I'm so excited to be coming home!' Victoria's Secret model Shanina Shaik jets into Melbourne ahead of the race that stops the nation

It's the first time the brand has flown over the International successful model especially for the race day event.

'I love Mumm champagne and I can't wait to enjoy their marquee on Derby Day I've heard it is the best party in the Birdcage!' Shanina said.

Pernod Ricard Australia Managing Director Bryan Fry said there were 'excited to be working with Shanina Shaik as our 2017 ambassador. Shanina's fast-paced, high-energy lifestyle makes her the perfect partner for Mumm, an icon of celebration.'

'It's been a while since I've been back home in Melbourne': The star took to Instagram from within a plane in Los Angeles to announce her return Down Under in comfortable long-haul flight attire

Rich Kids of Beverly Hills stars Morgan Stewart and Brendan Fitzpatrick will also attend the E! Lounge in the Maison Mumm marquee on November 4.

The brunette stunner took to Instagram on Wednesday to announce her return Down Under.

Wearing red trackpants, a matching I.Am.Gia hoodie and crisp white sneakers, Shanina looked comfortable for her long-haul flight from Los Angeles.

She captioned her photo: 'It's been a while since I've been back home in Melbourne. So happy to be coming home to Australia. See you at the RACES.'

'See you at the races': Shanina will host the Maison Mumm marquee on AAMI Derby Day as a Mumm ambassador, with Rich Kids of Beverly Hills stars Morgan Stewart and Brendan Fitzpatrick also attending the E! Lounge in the Maison Mumm marquee on November 4

It's not known how long Shanina intends to visit Australia for or if she's travelling with her fiance DJ Ruckus.

DJ Rukus - real name Gregory Andrews - proposed to Shanina on a beach in The Bahamas in 2016.

Shanina and Ruckus first started dating in June 2015 following the brunette beauty's split with her on/off boyfriend at the time, fellow model Tyson Beckford, whom she first started dating in 2008.
She's been plagued with notoriety for over a decade after finding herself on the wrong side of the law.

Even now in 2017, her name is instantly recognisable to the majority of Australians and she boasts almost 200,000 followers on Instagram.

Now that the 40-year-old's prison days are behind her, this high-profile personality looked unrecognisable as she put on a frightening display for Halloween on Tuesday... so can you guess who it is?

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Can you identify this woman? This high-profile personality took to Instagram on Tuesday to put on a terrifying display in this mask for Halloween but looks unrecognisable

'Hello. And welcome to my house,' the convicted criminal drawled eerily in an Instagram video posted to her account on Tuesday.

The creepy footage shows Schapelle Corby covering her face with a wrinkly mask that gave her the appearance of an elderly woman.

Apart from her mouth and chin, the only visible elements of Schapelle's real face were her eyes - while her distinctive auburn hair could also been seen as she turned her head.

Creepy! The scary elderly person mask obscured the 40-year-old's identifiable features

Halloween fun! Another video shared to the high-profile personality's Instagram Stories was just as spine-tingling

And the footage wasn't the only spine-tingling post she shared for Halloween.

Taking to her Instagram story, Schapelle uploaded a video of an unknown person donning a scary clown mask that featured blonde pig tails.

Dressed in all-black attire the mystery person rounded a corner in a menacing manner, frightening with every move as they passed a cupboard.

It's her! Schapelle Corby (pictured) was behind the scary Halloween mask

Free woman: Schapelle now lives on the Gold Coast following her return in May this year

Schapelle rose to infamy in 2005 when she was convicted of smuggling cannabis into Indonesia in a boogie board bag.

She was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment but only served nine years in Bali's Kerobokan Prison.

In May 2017 she returned home to Australia for the first time since her sensational court case and is now based on the Gold Coast.
A Syrian man from the recently retaken desert town of Al-Qaryatain is greeted by relatives on October 29, 2017, after the Syrian army reportedly freed him from Islamic State (IS) group detention

Two weeks ago, Manaf thought his days were numbered. But this weekend he and other former Islamic State group hostages were given a hero's welcome in the recaptured Syrian town of Al-Qaryatain.

"I was dead and I have come back to life," he told AFP in the central Syrian town, which the jihadists overran in early October before being driven out by Syrian troops on October 21.

In the 20 days before they were ousted from the town, IS executed at least 116 civilians they accused of collaborating with the regime, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor.

And they kidnapped at least 38 people, according to the government, among them Manaf and his brother.

But 25 of the hostages were able to escape last week and make their way to a Syrian army checkpoint, according to the hostages' accounts and Syrian military sources.

From there, they were returned to Al-Qaryatain by army forces on Sunday, as a group of media was brought into the town for an army-led tour.

Hundreds of residents of the town turned out to greet the returning hostages, with the mothers of the kidnapped scrambling to push their way through the crowds in a bid to spot their sons.

The arrivals were hoisted on the shoulders of residents, as women ululated and threw rice into the air in celebration.

Suddenly, Manaf spotted his parents and young sister among the crowd, and ran towards them, collapsing into his mother's arms and bursting into tears.

"My joy is indescribable... I don't want anything else in life, I have returned to my parents," the 20-year-old said.

His mother struggled to contain her emotions as she embraced Manaf and his brother Mohammed.

"The two have returned, thanks to God almighty," the 50-year-old said, her face framed by a brown patterned veil.

- 'You are heroes' -

Hugging Manaf tight, she repeated over and over: "my love, my life," taking his face in her hands and examining it with joy.

His little sister, her pigtails decorated with pink ribbons, rushed towards Manaf, who lifted her up and laughed.

A Syrian man from the recently retaken desert town of Al-Qaryatain is greeted by relatives on October 29, 2017, after the Syrian army reportedly freed him from Islamic State (IS) group detention

His father Haitham, with tears in his eyes, repeated over and over with pride: "You are heroes."

"I had lost all hope of seeing them again. I thought they (the jihadists) would kill them, because they are devoid of humanity," he said.

Al-Qaryatain, in the central province of Homs, has twice changed hands, being first captured by IS in 2015.

Russian-backed Syrian forces recaptured the town the following year, but in early October the jihadists overran the town again in a surprise attack before losing it to a regime offensive a few days ago.

At the city's entrance, graffiti left behind by the jihadists was still visible: "The (Islamic) State will endure" and "Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi," in reference to the group's chief.

But with the city's recapture, duelling graffiti has appeared: "Assad or no one," reads one scrawl just opposite, referring to President Bashar al-Assad.

The jihadists' arrival into town was a terrifying moment, Manaf recalled.

"We heard intense gunfire and we stayed inside," he said.

- 'We thought death was waiting' -

From the minarets of local mosques, IS fighters told residents to stay indoors, and then they burst into homes and took people away by force.

"We thought death was waiting for us," Manaf said.

Last Monday, after being taken by the group to an unknown location, he and 24 others managed to escape and reach an army checkpoint.

But while Manaf's family and others were celebrating, some were mourning loved ones executed by the jihadists.

Mohammed Kheir's brother was abducted by IS just two days before the army arrived.

"The jihadists entered the shelter where I was hiding with other residents of my neighbourhood," said Kheir, 45.

They took his brother and three other men, and Kheir later watched in horror from a window and saw the jihadists carrying out executions.

Syrians walk through a street in the desert town of Al-Qaryatain on October 29, 2017, after regime forces retook it from Islamic State (IS) group fighters

"They were shooting at passers-by in the square," he told AFP, dressed in a brown robe, with a grey scarf draped over his head.

When IS withdrew from the city, he went straight to a building known to have been transformed by the jihadists into a prison.

"Near the entrance, I saw my brother lying on the ground in a pool of blood, a bullet in his head," said Kheir, adding that he saw other bodies at the site.

"I want to take up arms to avenge my brother."
American Indian Mouvement (AIM) leaders Dennis Banks (L) and Russell Means (C) attend a meeting in March 1973, as about 200 American Indians occupy the town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation

Dennis Banks, a Native American activist who helped found the American Indian Movement in the 1960s and led sometimes violent uprisings to protest how his people were treated, has died at the age of 80.

Banks died late Sunday at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, his family said on Facebook.

News reports said the cause of death was complications from pneumonia following open-heart surgery a week ago.

In 1973, the Chippewa tribe member led a 71-day armed occupation of the town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota on the Pine Ridge Reservation.

It was a protest against both the US government and what the demonstrators called corruption in tribal leadership.

Shots were fired often during the standoff and two Native Americans died in the insurrection. Hundreds more were arrested.

The last major conflict of the American Indian Wars unfolded at Wounded Knee. A total of 350 Lakota men, women and children were massacred by US soldiers in 1890.

Banks told National Public Radio in 1998 that the aim of the occupation was to focus attention on the government's poor treatment of native people.

"It was aimed at trying to ... bring about major change in America regarding policies, attitude, and the behavior of white America," he said.

Over the course of his life, Banks did jail time for burglary and was convicted of rioting and assault. He spent nine years living as a fugitive before surrendering to the authorities and serving 14 months in prison.
Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta's decisive win with 98 percent of the vote is likely to raise questions over its credibility as turnout was less than 40 percent

Kenya was once again left waiting Tuesday, as embattled opposition leader Raila Odinga prepared to lay out his strategy following a boycott of last week's protest-hit elections that handed President Uhuru Kenyatta a landslide win.

Thursday's contest saw Kenyatta winning a decisive victory with 98 percent of the vote, hailing the result as a vindication of his victory in an initial August poll which was later overturned by the country's Supreme Court.

But it proved to be a bittersweet victory.

Turnout was just 38.8 percent, which is likely to raise questions over the credibility of a vote that has deeply polarised the East African nation, sparking months of bitter infighting, legal wrangling and violent protest.

"This was nothing more than a revalidation of (the voters') general will," Kenyatta said in his victory speech, in which he admitted the result was likely to face further legal challenges.

Thursday's vote was fraught with problems, with polling prevented by violent demonstrations in four western counties where Odinga supporters had widely observed a boycott, prompting two days of running battles with security forces that left nine people dead.

So far, Odinga has remained silent but has promised to address his followers on Tuesday.

Ahead of Monday's announcement, security was stepped up in flashpoint areas in the west and in Nairobi's slums where some opposition supporters could be seen piling rocks and tyres and setting light to a few barricades, AFP correspondents said.

- 'This is illegal' -

"People are not happy, how can they declare the results when four counties have not voted? This is illegal," said a man watching a group of several hundred people chanting anti-Kenyatta slogans in the western city of Kisumu, an opposition stronghold.

"This was nothing more than a revalidation of (the voters') general will," Kenyatta said in his victory speech

"Let's wait to hear what Raila will say, he will give the way forward."

Despite his successful bid to overturn the results of the August election, Odinga withdrew from the re-run some two weeks beforehand, citing concerns the new vote would be neither free nor fair.

He has since pledged to transform his National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition into "a resistance movement" that will spearhead a campaign of "civil disobedience".

Odinga has called for a fresh election to be held within 90 days and is likely to throw down further legal challenges to the validity of Thursday's election.

"We have an announcement to make to our supporters and to the country tomorrow," a member of Odinga's entourage told AFP on Monday, saying the 72-year-old would use the opportunity to point the way ahead.

Aside from some scuffles on Monday after the announcement, things have been largely calm since Saturday.

According to figures released by the IEBC election commission, a total of 7,616,217 people cast ballots in Thursday's protest-hit election. Kenyatta had received 7,483,895 votes to Odinga's 73,228, which equates to less than one percent of the vote in a sign that the boycott he called for had held.

The vote was the chaotic climax of two months of political drama after the Supreme Court overturned Kenyatta's victory in August 8 polls over widespread irregularities and mismanagement by the IEBC.

But this time, election chief Wafula Chebukati said he was confident the poll had been "free, fair and credible".

The current political crisis is the worst to hit the country since a 2007 vote sparked months of politically-driven ethnic violence that left 1,100 people dead.
The war has devastated Syrian cities including Raqa, where a Kurdish-led force expelled Islamic State group fighters this month

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has regained the upper hand after six years of conflict, but his regime faces a tough diplomatic fight against international isolation and negotiations with newly powerful Kurds.

"The regime has indeed militarily regained control of large swathes of Syrian territory, but speaking of a political and diplomatic victory would be exaggerated and premature," said Karim Bitar of the Paris-based Institute of International and Strategic Affairs.

Bolstered by a military intervention by ally Russia that began in 2015, Assad's government now controls 52 percent of the country.

The area held by the regime is home to two-thirds of the country's current population of 17 million, according to Syria expert and geographer Fabrice Balanche.

The rest of the country remains carved up between rebel factions, the Islamic State group and Kurdish forces.

The advances, paired with the weakness of moderate rebels against more extremist elements in the opposition, have left Assad's regime back on top.

"There is no question that the regime has won the strategic war," said Hassan Hassan, an expert at the US-based Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy.

- 'Tables turned' -

"Nobody wants the regime to go... Some of the opposition backers actually want the regime to stay," he said.

"The tables have turned in that sense."

But Hassan said the prospects for enduring peace in Syria were still slim for now.

"I think there will be some sort of insurgency that will continue for many years -- jihadists or non-jihadists," he said.

Kurdish women fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces in Raqa on October 19, 2017, after retaking the city from the Islamic State group

Syria's war has proved stubbornly immune to international efforts to resolve it since it began with anti-regime protests in March 2011.

More than 330,000 people have been killed in the violence since then, and successive rounds of peace talks overseen by three different UN envoys have yet to bear fruit.

The latest round of talks between the government and opposition is scheduled for November 28 in Geneva, but it remains unclear how much the track can achieve.

It has been largely overshadowed by a separate so-called Astana track, organised by government allies Russia and Iran along with rebel backer Turkey.

The Astana talks, which resumed on Monday for two days, have produced so-called "de-escalation zones" where violence has subsided.

- West's new mood -

Negotiations have long been hamstrung by the fundamental disagreement between the regime and the opposition over Assad's fate.

The opposition has consistently demanded that he step aside, over adamant regime refusals.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said last week, after a UN report blamed the April sarin gas massacre in Khan Sheikhun on the regime, that "the reign of the Assad family is coming to an end".

But "the mood in Europe has changed considerably in the past few years", said Bitar.

Playing the long game: a SANA picture from October 23, 2017 of President Bashar al-Assad wearing the shirt of the national football team

"Many important actors -- intelligence services, counter-terrorism professionals, right-wing parties, economic interests, groups afraid of Islamic immigration -- have already opened up to the regime and are lobbying for the normalisation of relations."

Joshua Landis, a professor at the University of Oklahoma, predicted Damascus could also see ties improve with its neighbours.

"They need refugees to go home and trade to return," he said.

During the conflict, Damascus has leaned heavily on allies Russia and Iran, which are likely to retain powerful influence over the regime, including during the potentially lucrative reconstruction process.

"The regime has become extremely dependent on its Iranian and Russian supporters, who will not allow the Syrian regime to make important decisions without referring to them," Bitar said.

- Limited changes -

Domestically, the regime faces another major challenge, beyond that of reconstruction or security: the status of the Kurds.

The minority was historically oppressed by Damascus, and has used the conflict to build a semi-autonomous administration that it will be loath to dismantle.

The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) are the backbone of the force that ousted IS from swathes of Syria, of which the Kurds now control more than a quarter.

Damascus has indicated some willingness to discuss a potential federal arrangement, but is unlikely to accept the semi-autonomous government and security apparatus the Kurds have now.

"Devolution and decentralisation would make sense in theory but will be impossible to implement under current conditions," said Bitar.

"They require extensive negotiations on important technical and economic issues like sharing of the oil resources. These discussions can't succeed in the absence of mutual trust."

The Kurdish areas are the only part of the country beyond government control with a "viable long-term government", meaning major changes to the current political system are now unlikely, Landis said.

"Assad will preserve a similar government undergirded by a similarly organised security apparatus," he said.

"Any significant change could undermine his rule. He is stuck in an authoritarian trap."
British General Edmund Allenby (L), former premier and foreign secretary Arthur Balfour (C) and Herbert Samuel, the first High Commissioner of Palestine, in Jerusalem in 1925

Britain's Balfour Declaration turns 100 this week, hailed by Israel for helping lead to its founding, but viewed by Palestinians as contributing to a catastrophe that stole their land.

The November 2, 1917 declaration by then British foreign minister Arthur Balfour said his government viewed "with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people".

It was only one sentence of 67 words, but it was the strongest support yet from a world power for the goals of the Zionist movement -- Jews, including those facing persecution, resettling in the land of their ancient ancestors.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will commemorate the anniversary in London, where he will attend a dinner in honour of the declaration with his British counterpart Theresa May.

May has said she will mark the date with "pride", but there is also criticism in Britain over the anniversary because of Israel's continuing half-century occupation of the West Bank.

Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn of the Labour party has said he cannot attend the dinner -- without explaining further -- although shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry will.

Palestinians are planning a demonstration on Thursday in Ramallah as part of their campaign calling on Britain to apologise for the declaration. They have also explored suing Britain over it.

- 'Historic injustice' -

Netanyahu said this week that the declaration "advanced the international moves that established the state of Israel".

"While the state would not have arisen without settlement, sacrifice and a willingness to fight for it, the international impetus was, undoubtedly, the Balfour Declaration," he said.

A copy of the Balfour Declaration dated November 2, 1917

For Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah, Britain should apologise for a "historic injustice it committed against our people and to correct it instead of celebrating it".

"The international community is obliged, while we approach the first centennial of the ominous Balfour Declaration, to end the historic injustice that has been inflicted on our people."

The declaration came in a letter from Balfour to Lord Walter Rothschild, a leader of the Jewish community in Britain, and had British cabinet approval.

Some argue today that later events -- conflicting policies from Britain and the Zionists' own efforts to realise their dream -- diminished the Balfour Declaration's importance.

But others see it as monumental, having helped lay the groundwork not only for the creation of the modern state of Israel, but also the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

- 'It's dramatic' -

"It's dramatic," Jonathan Schneer, an American historian and author of the book "The Balfour Declaration", told AFP.

"And they're both right," he said, referring to the starkly different viewpoints of Israelis and Palestinians.

"The Israelis see it as a foundation stone for the birth of a Jewish state, and the Arabs see it as a foundation stone leading towards their dispossession and misery."

A portrait of Britain's then foreign secretary Arthur Balfour taken in 1917

According to Schneer, the declaration ironically grew to a large degree out of anti-Semitic myths.

British leaders saw the Jewish community as capable of helping them win World War I due to its perceived influence in finance and within Russia, he said.

Others say that Britain was also seeking a firm foothold in the Middle East after the war.

But regardless of the motivations that created it, "if someone has to choose five documents that shaped Israel's history and existence, then the Balfour Declaration has to be one of them", said Paula Kabalo, director of Israel's Ben-Gurion Research Institute for the Study of Israel and Zionism.

For Palestinians, the declaration is colonialist and even racist.

It mentions that "nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine".

Not only were they left nameless in the document, Palestinians say, but Britain has also failed to ensure the pledge was maintained.

- Solution hopes fade -

It was written "as if the Palestinians did not exist", said Nabil Shaath, a senior adviser to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

"We were referred to as 'others', others in Palestine who had civilian and religious rights but no political rights whatsoever."

It would be another 31 years before the state of Israel would be founded in 1948.

The war surrounding its creation saw 750,000 Palestinians either expelled or fleeing from their homes.

In the Six-Day War of 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. It later annexed east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as the capital of their future state.

Hopes for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are greatly diminishing as Israeli settlement building continues in the West Bank.

Britain's May sought to acknowledge those concerns in her recent comments.

"We are proud of the role that we played in the creation of the state of Israel and we will certainly mark the centenary with pride," she said.

"We also must be conscious of the sensitivities that some people do have about the Balfour Declaration, and we recognise that there is more work to be done. We remain committed to the two-state solution in relation to Israel and the Palestinians."

burs-mjs/srm/ceb
The Solomon Islands government appears on the verge of collapse following a string of resignations by ministers amid plans for a vote of no-confidence in Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare (pictured)

The Solomon Islands government appeared on the verge of collapse on Tuesday following a string of resignations by ministers amid plans for a vote of no-confidence in Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare.

Nine ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister Manasseh Maelanga, have defected, and several backbenchers also announced they were leaving.

They claim the ruling Democratic Coalition for Change has lost faith in Sogavare's leadership.

Communications Minister Peter Shanel, a Sogavare supporter, confirmed the resignations had put the Pacific nation's government in a minority but he was confident of regaining a majority before the no-confidence vote next week.

The no-confidence motion was filed by Derek Sikua, who heads a group of independent MPs in the 50-seat parliament.

Rawcliffe Ziza, deputy private secretary to the governor general, told the Solomon Star newspaper that the ministers stated in their resignation letters they no longer had confidence in Sogavare.

"Governor General Sir Frank Kabui has seen the (resignation) letters and has accepted them," Ziza said.

The prime minister linked the resignations to an anti-corruption bill about to go before parliament with some MPs fearing it could lead to them being jailed.

"The move by some of the nine ministers was orchestrated in an attempt to derail the Anti-Corruption Bill (ACB)," Sogavare's office said in a statement.

"Some of these resignations come as no surprise based on the fact that some of these same ministers were responsible for undermining the progress of the ACB."

Shanel told Radio New Zealand the resignations had hurt the government but he was confident many of the defectors would return before the no-confidence vote on Monday.
The shocking murder of Pakistani social media star Qandeel Baloch by her brother last July turned the spotlight on an epidemic of so-called honour killings and sparked a fresh push to close loopholes allowing such killers to walk free

A year since new laws came into force aimed at stemming the flow of "honour killings", scores of young women in deeply conservative Pakistan are still being murdered by relatives for bringing shame on their family.

The shocking murder of Pakistani social media star Qandeel Baloch by her brother last July turned the spotlight on an epidemic of so-called honour killings and sparked a fresh push to close loopholes allowing the killers to walk free.

Long-awaited legislation was finally passed three months later in a move cautiously hailed by women's rights activists.

But, more than a year on, lawyers and activists say honour killings are still occurring at an alarming pace.

At least 280 such murders were recorded by the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan from October 2016 to June of this year -- a figure believed to be underestimated and incomplete.

Pakistani social media celebrity, Qandeel Baloch chieved notoriety in Pakistan with her social media antics, tame by Western standards but considered provocative in a misogynistic country where women have fought for their rights for decades

"There has been no change," Benazir Jatoi, a lawyer who works for the independent Aurat Foundation, a women's rights watchdog, told AFP.

"In fact, the Peshawar High Court twice acquitted a man of honour crimes after this law was passed," she added.

The new legislation mandates life imprisonment for honour killings, but whether a murder can be defined as a crime of honour is left to the judge's discretion.

That means the culprits can simply claim another motive and still be pardoned, said Dr Farzana Bari, a widely-respected activist and head of the Gender Studies Department at Islamabad's Quaid-i-Azam University.

Qandeel Baloch's brother Waseem (R) told reporters that 'of course' he had strangled his sister, finding her behaviour 'intolerable'

They can do so under Pakistan's Qisas (blood money) and Diyat (retribution) law, which allows them to seek forgiveness from a victim's relatives -- a particularly convenient means of escape in honour cases.

Bari called for a study on the murders of women over the past year to ascertain the scale of the problem.

The convoluted courts system also often sees police encouraging parties to enter blood money compromises, circumventing the beleaguered judicial system altogether.

"Forgiveness and compromise negates justice," Jatoi said.

Asma Jahangir, one of Pakistan's most acclaimed human rights lawyers, agreed, telling AFP: "The law will be implemented once the courts function."

- 'Of course, I strangled her' -

The roots of "honour" killings lie in tribal social norms which remain prevalent across South Asia and dictate the behaviour of women in particular.

Women have been shot, stabbed, stoned, set alight and strangled for bringing "shame" on their families for everything from refusing marriage proposals to wedding the "wrong" man and helping friends elope.

Men can be victims too, but the violence is overwhelmingly aimed at women.

Rights activists have called for change for years, and Pakistan's young, urbanised population often take to social media for campaigns such as last year's #NoMoreKillingGirls

The double standard is glaring. Generally Pakistanis will accept a man who has committed rape, a senior police official who has overseen honour killing investigations told AFP.

But "if a woman is even suspected of an affair it is considered a shame for the family and not forgiven," the official, who asked to remain anonymous as he was not authorised to speak to media, told AFP.

"People even sympathise (with) and praise the men who murder their women for so-called honour," he said.

Even when the state does take steps to implement the law -- as with the murder of Qandeel Baloch -- the wheels of justice often get stuck in the mud.

Baloch achieved notoriety in Pakistan with her social media antics, tame by Western standards but considered provocative in a misogynistic country where women have fought for their rights for decades.

Her brother Waseem told reporters that "of course" he had strangled his sister, finding her behaviour "intolerable".

At least 280 such murders were recorded by the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan from October 2016 to June of this year -- a figure believed to be underestimated and incomplete

At first, Baloch's heartbroken parents vowed they would give Waseem no absolution.

But well over a year later, the trial is still grinding its way through the courts.

This length of time is not unheard of for Pakistani murder cases, but it has been long enough -- as often happens -- for Baloch's father to change his mind.

"I want my son to return home," Mohammad Azeem told AFP near the central city of Multan recently, dismissing Waseem's proud statements. "My son is innocent."

Had international revulsion over the killing not seen the Pakistani state take the unprecedented step of declaring itself an heir alongside Baloch's parents, their forgiveness could have already seen Waseem walk free.

- Outdated, arbitrary, patriarchal code -

For Jatoi, the issue goes far beyond the courts -- from the elites, where the political leadership fails to understand the issue, to the rural masses, where illiteracy and poverty help perpetuate it.

Rights activists have called for change for years, and Pakistan's young, urbanised population often take to social media for campaigns such as last year's #NoMoreKillingGirls.

But Jatoi said Pakistan as a society has been unable to move past the meaning of "honour".

"Only when we widely condemn the act will we stop seeing proud murderers... telling of how they killed a woman because she breached an outdated, arbitrary, and patriarchal 'honour' code of which no one knows the rules."
A passenger checks-in his luggage using an automated booth at the newly opened Changi International Airport's Terminal 4 in Singapore

Singapore's Changi Airport opened a cutting-edge terminal Tuesday with a fully automated check-in system including facial scanning and computerised baggage drop points, but some passengers struggled with the new technology.

Terminal 4, built at a cost of Sg$985 million (US$723 million), will have an annual capacity of 16 million people and is aimed at coping with an expected increase in passenger numbers through one of Asia's top travel hubs.

It is packed with new technology, meaning passengers should in theory be able to check in and board without having to talk to airport staff.

On its first day of operations, more than 100 passengers arrived in the morning to take the inaugural service out, a Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong.

But not everyone managed to get to grips with the self check-in machines, forcing travellers to use counters manned by airport staff instead.

Not everyone managed to get to grips with the self check-in machines, forcing travellers to use counters manned by airport staff instead

"I think itll take a while for people and systems to get used to it," Loh K Ling, who tried to use two self-service machines before giving up and going to a manned counter, told AFP.

At the boarding gate, several travellers also had trouble getting used to the facial scanning technology and were redirected to manned counters.

Changi, often voted the world's best airport, is among hubs worldwide rolling out new technology as the fight intensifies for long-haul travellers.

Along with hubs such as Hong Kong and Dubai, Singapore is scrambling to attract the growing army of travellers -- on trips such as Australia to Europe -- who can choose the routing of their journeys.

A growing number of mainland Chinese are also visiting Southeast Asia, and there is competition between Singapore and other local hubs, such as Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, to attract the new passengers.
North Korea has denied 'wicked' British claims it was behind the WannaCry ransomware attack and warned the accusation is 'beyond the limit of our tolerance'.

A third of Britain's public hospitals were affected when the global cyber attack hit the NHS May, according to a government report, while up to 300,000 computers in 150 countries were also affected.

Some researchers have pointed the finger at Pyongyang, saying that the code used was similar to past hacks blamed on Kim Jong-Un's regime.

North Korea has denied 'wicked' British claims it was behind the WannaCry ransomware attack and warned the accusation is 'beyond the limit of our tolerance'. Pictured: North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un

British Home Office minister Ben Wallace said last week that London was 'as sure as possible' that North Korea was responsible.

But North Korea has slammed the UK over the accusation, calling it a 'wicked attempt' to further tighten international sanctions against the secretive state.

The worm seized systems and demanded payment in Bitcoin to return control to users.

A spokesman for the North's Korea-Europe Association denied the accusations and warned Britain against 'groundless speculation'.

'This is an act beyond the limit of our tolerance and it makes us question the real purpose behind the UK's move,' he said, in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency late Monday.

'The moves of the UK government to doggedly associate the DPRK with the cyberattack cannot be interpreted in any other way than a wicked attempt to lure the international community into harboring greater mistrust of the DPRK,' the spokesman said, using the initials of the North's official name.

A third of Britain's public hospitals were affected when the global cyber attack hit the NHS May, according to a government report, while up to 300,000 computers in 150 countries were also affected

Up to 300,000 computers in 150 countries were hit by WannaCry, which seized systems and demanded payment in Bitcoin to return control to users

According to the South Korean government, the North has a 6,800-strong unit of trained cyberwarfare specialists.

It has been accused of launching high-profile cyberattacks, including the 2014 hacking of Sony Pictures.

Experts say the North appears to have stepped up cyberattacks in recent years in a bid to earn hard foreign currency in the face of tougher United Nations sanctions imposed over its nuclear and missile programmes.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Veteran nationalist and former Zimbabwe Newspapers Group board member Don Kwaedza Muvuti who died on Wednesday last week at a Harare hospital has been declared a national hero.Muvuti (84) who was also a Zanu-PF National Consultative Assembly member was unanimously declared a national hero during an extra-ordinary politburo meeting held at State House yesterday.The Politburo's decision was announced at Muvuti's home in St Martin's by Zanu-PF Secretary for Administration Ignatius Chombo who was leading a delegation comprising Minister of Defence, Sydney Sekeramayi, Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Simon Khaya Moyo and Senate president Edna Madzongwe.He described Muvuti as a dedicated cadre who contributed a lot to Zanu-PF during and after the liberation struggle."We came here last night (Sunday) and we acknowledged that we had received the request from Mashonaland East that he be declared a national hero outlining his contributions to the party and the struggle. The President however, said it was only proper that the Politburo discuss his hero status today (yesterday) before we embark on our normal duties and that is what we did at State House this morning."We heard about his life history as the Politburo and everyone expressed their gratitude for the work that Muvuti did for the party through his writings in its various publications, writing about the history of the party and also as an administrator. From the time he left school until his death he dedicated his life to working for the party."The President saw it fit that because of his dedication to duty and hard work without expecting any monetary benefits, Don Muvuti be buried at the National Heroes Acre. He has been declared a national hero and we have agreed with the family that he will be buried on Wednesday," Chombo said.Family representative and former GMB chief executive Samuel Muvuti thanked President Mugabe for recognising the late Muvuti."As a family we are grateful that the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces who is also the First Secretary of our party has recognised our father as a national hero," he said.Muvuti, who died last Wednesday, had not been well for some time, having been diagnosed with cancer in 2013.He was born in Hwedza on June 20, 1933 and did his primary education at Chigwedere and Waddilove Primary Schools before proceeding to Goromonzi High School for his secondary education.Upon completing school he was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship to study at Aligaru University in India.After attaining his first degree he proceeded to New Dehli University for his Master's Degree.Muvuti became politically active while doing his undergraduate degree and was part of the African Students Association that included the late Cdes Solomon Tawengwa and John Mataure, which articulated the needs of African students there as well as being a vehicle through which they canvassed support for the African' liberation movements fighting to end colonial rule.After completing his Master's degree Muvuti joined the liberation struggle in Tanzania in 1964 where he met the late former Zanu national chairman Herbert Chitepo.During the war he played a role in mobilising resources and international support for the country's fight for independence and held various position in the then Zanu, now Zanu-PF, that include Deputy Secretary for Information and Publicity and Deputy Secretary General.After independence Muvuti also served as a ZBC board member in the 1980s, sat in the Zanu-PF Central Committee and at the time of his death was a member of the party's NCA and a proof reader at the party's publication, The Voice.Muvuti is survived by his wife, Deliwe seven children and eight grandchildren.
The Australian government agreed to close the Manus facility by the end of October after the PNG Supreme Court ruled last year that holding people there was unconstitutional

Hundreds of asylum-seekers were refusing to leave an Australian detention camp in Papua New Guinea that authorities closed Tuesday, citing fears for their safety, despite food, water and electricity being cut off.

Staff have abandoned the camp on Manus Island, and one resident said detainees had locked themselves in because they were terrified of what could happen to them outside its gates.

The standoff is the latest development in a long-running and bitter dispute over Australia's controversial off-shore detention policy.

Asylum seekers who try to reach the country by boat are sent to two remote Pacific processing centres -- PNG's Manus Island and Nauru.

They are barred from settling in Australia, even if they are ultimately found to have a legitimate case for asylum.

Australia immigration detention

Canberra says the policy is designed to discourage people from attempting the risky journey by sea.

Human rights groups have been campaigning for years to have Manus shut down, amid reports of widespread abuse, self-harm and mental health problems.

The Australian government agreed to close the Manus facility by the end of October after the PNG Supreme Court ruled last year that holding people there was unconstitutional.

More than 600 men housed in the camp have been told to move to three transition centres on Manus. The present site is to be handed over the PNG military.

But many men have locked themselves in the centre.

"Refugees adamant they won't leave detention. They are afraid but refuse to leave," one Manus detainee, an Iranian called Behrouz Boochani, tweeted Tuesday.

"The power will be cut after 5pm. The refugees know that it will be very hard to stay, but are saying we will stay in a peaceful way."

He added that detainees had locked the camp's main gate to protect themselves.

Canberra sends asylum-seekers who try to reach Australia by boat to two remote Pacific processing centres -- PNG's Manus Island and Nauru -- under a harsh immigration policy

Detainees told Fairfax Media earlier Tuesday that locals had started to loot equipment from the camp as PNG authorities looked on.

Australia's Immigration Minister Peter Dutton insisted the detainees were not welcome in Australia.

They have been told "there is safe and secure alternate accommodation where health and other services will be maintained," he said.

"These people sought to subvert Australia's laws by paying people smugglers to bring them illegally to Australia by boat -- none will ever resettle here," he said in a statement Tuesday.

Refugee advocates say the transition centres are not secure, leaving the detainees defenceless against a hostile host community.

"They are vulnerable to attacks from locals. We've seen so many victims and casualties already because of those kinds of attacks," refugee advocate Ian Rintoul told AFP.

- Fears of forcible removal -

Manus detainees have been given the option of making a life in PNG, moving to the Nauru camp, returning to their homeland, or going to a third country like Cambodia or the US.

A 'final message' put up at the centre, posted online, stated that arrangements were being made to return the site to the PNG Defence Forces

So far, just 54 people have notified of their acceptance by the US, with 24 flown out to America in September.

Rintoul said supporters had filed an injunction in the PNG Supreme Court to stop the camp's closure, demanding that food, water and other services are restored.

"There are real fears that the government will authorise force to be used against the asylum-seekers and refugees in the centre," Rintoul added.

An Australian Broadcasting Corporation correspondent on Manus said he saw several busloads of Australian officials and workers heading to the island's airport with a police convoy on Tuesday morning.

A "final message" put up at the centre, posted online, stated that arrangements were being made to return the site to the PNG Defence Force.

Human rights groups have been campaigning for years to have Manus shut down, amid reports of widespread abuse, self-harm and mental health problems

"Move to alternative accommodation now," the message said.

"Anyone choosing to remain here will be liable for removal from an active PNG military base."

Last week, Human Rights Watch released a report saying the Manus refugees faced "unchecked violence" and that they "have been getting stabbed, beaten, and robbed" ahead of the October 31 dateline.

"The tragic irony is that moving these men from their squalid, guarded centre and settling them elsewhere in PNG will actually put them at greater danger," Human Rights Watch's Australia director Elaine Pearson said.
Francisco Gonzalez (2R) and his wife Marisel (2L), pictured with their son and daughter, initially thought they would be in New York for a couple weeks after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, but now plan to stay for several years

Francisco Gonzalez, 79, and his wife Marisel arrived in New York nearly a month ago to live with their student son after Hurricane Maria. US citizens, they nonetheless feel like foreign refugees in their own country.

Uprooted from the island they love, they are angry at corruption and the political system in Puerto Rico, and its complicated ties to the United States, which they believe hindered the response to the Category Four storm.

Flying to New York to join their children, they initially planned to find refuge for a couple of weeks. Now they're planning to stay a couple of years, Gonzalez told AFP at a new aid center for hurricane victims in Harlem.

They are sharing a studio apartment with their 22-year-old son and their three dogs. Their daughter, his twin, lives in the same building.

"I feel like a refugee," says Gonzalez, a US Army veteran who sold insurance for more than 40 years and who lived in Bayamon, west of San Juan. "Although I am an American citizen, I think of Puerto Rico as a separate country."

"The weather is not the same, the system is not the same, I have to get used to everything," he said. "It's as if I had come to China," he added. "I left because I was forced to, because God knows what would have happened if I stayed."

Tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans have fled to the mainland since Maria struck on September 20, devastating the island, just two weeks after Hurricane Irma tore through the Caribbean.

The vast majority went to Florida and New York, which already had around one million Puerto Ricans each. Around 700,000 Puerto Ricans live in New York City.

Overall there are five million Puerto Ricans on the mainland, compared to 3.4 million on the island.

The Trump administration has come under fire from all quarters for its sluggish response to the humanitarian catastrophe in Puerto Rico, where more than five weeks after Hurricane Maria struck, 75 percent of the island remains without power.

But in New York, a beacon of diversity opposed to Trump, Democrats have been eager to pick up the slack.

The city's mayor Bill de Blasio is eyeing re-election next month, and the state's governor, Andrew Cuomo, is a rumored presidential hopeful for 2020.

- 'Lived a lie' -

Cuomo has visited the island twice since Maria struck. The state and city have sent supplies and hundreds of police and rescue workers to Puerto Rico.

The city opened an assistance center 10 days ago, where nearly 65 families come every day, says Johanna Conroy of the city's emergency management team.

Pleas for housing before the onset of the freezing winter, medical assistance, food stamps and school supplies are the most common requests, Conroy said.

"The constant labor of having to look for food, stand in line, it was very difficult," remembers Gonzalez. "We couldn't continue like that," he added.

"In addition, prices skyrocketed. A packet of 24 bottles of water used to cost $14 and now costs $40. We could not cook, the gas ran out."

For days they were without water or power, living as if in a century past.

If the Gonzalez couple find New York "terribly expensive," they are grateful for assistance they have received in navigating their requests for subsidized housing, medical help, an additional veteran's pension and a disability pension.

"I'm calmer now I know they are safe and they're not sick because they had to bathe or drink dirty water, or going hungry," says their daughter Maria, who lives in another studio with her boyfriend.

The problem, says Marisel, is not the hurricane but the system of government on Puerto Rico "and our colonial status."

Puerto Ricans do not have political representation in Congress, nor the right to vote for US president as long as they live on the island, although they do when they reside in the continental United States.

"We had a power system left over from the 1940s, and the government instead of renewing it, time goes by and that old system remains," she said.

"Where is the money? The money is in the corrupt government. And that has been very frustrating," she said with tears in her eyes.

"You realize that you have lived a lie," she said. "That the government failed you... that we were living in a country that isn't what we thought."
Zuckerberg has made a big show of courting China's leadership in hopes of convincing Beijing to relax its ban on Facebook

Apple's Tim Cook and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, state media said Tuesday, as the Communist Party pushes for a larger role in private firms.

The meeting came days after Xi secured his position as China's most powerful leader since Mao and as Facebook seeks to gain entry to the massive market.

"As a beneficiary of and contributor to economic globalisation, China's development is the opportunity for the world," Xi told the annual gathering of advisers to Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Under Xi, the Communist Party has increasingly tightened its grip on state-owned companies and has asked foreign firms to include party cells in their offices.

The move has raised concerns that the party may try to create alternative power structures within companies and potentially exercise control over management decisions, as it has in the case of state-owned enterprises.

Of the more than one hundred thousand foreign-funded companies in China, 70 percent had set up party organisations by the end of 2016, according to Qi Yu, deputy head of the party's Organisation Department.

Foreign companies regularly complain about the lack of access to Chinese markets and Zuckerberg in particular has made a big show of courting the country's top leadership in hopes of convincing Beijing to relax its ban on Facebook.

The Silicon Valley entrepreneur has been photographed with a collection of Xi's writings and happily jogging across Tiananmen Square in choking pollution. He has also given a lecture in China in halting Chinese.

The company has recently begun staffing up on the mainland, but appears to have made little progress in convincing Beijing to change its mind, a prospect that seems even less likely as the country tightens social media controls.

Tsinghua University's business school has attracted a bevy of A-list advisers from the worlds of tech and finance, including Blackstone's Stephen Schwarzman, Goldman Sachs' Lloyd Blankfein, and Tesla's Elon Musk, as well as China's own leading entrepreneurs, such as Alibaba's Jack Ma.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said rules would be tightened to prevent foreigners, apart from Australians, buying homes in New Zealand

The New Zealand government firmed up plans Tuesday to prevent foreigners from buying houses in the country, saying it wanted the new law in place early next year.

New Labour Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she aimed to have the ban take effect before the wide-ranging Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement is ratified in February.

The government believes that blocking foreign homebuyers and cutting back on immigration numbers will help reduce demand and drive down prices in a heated housing market.

Ardern, who was only sworn in as prime minister last week, said Australians would be exempt.

She said the government would change the Overseas Investment Act to classify residential housing as "sensitive", which would effectively stop purchases by non-residents other than Australians and New Zealanders living overseas.

It would not impact on most of New Zealand's free trade agreements (FTA), she added.

"This solution does not breach our Korea FTA, it will not impact on TPP if passed on the timeline that I have proposed, nor will it impact on the China FTA," said Ardern.

The ban would apply to existing dwellings and non-residents would still be able to buy land to build a house on.

"Our position has always been that if you're adding to supply, for on-sale of that new dwelling, then you will be able to build," Ardern said.

Foreign ownership and a housing shortage in New Zealand's larger cities were prominent issues in the lead-up to the September 23 election, which brought an end to nine years of rule by the conservative National Party.
The United Nations says an estimated 605,000 Rohingya had arrived in Bangladesh since late August fleeing an upsurge in ethnic violence in Rakhine State

At least four Rohingya were killed Tuesday when their boat sank off the coast of Bangladesh, police said, just hours after three babies drowned as they reached shore in a separate incident.

At least 200 Rohingya have drowned since late August making the treacherous sea crossing from Myanmar to Bangladesh.

Overall, some 600,000 members of the Muslim minority have fled their mainly Buddhist homeland following a wave of violence there which the United Nations has described as ethnic cleansing.

Police said the three babies fell into the water as their boat reached shore in the town of Teknaf on Monday evening.

"Two of the children were dropped from their mothers' laps," Teknaf police chief Main Uddin told AFP. "The children were aged between three and 10 months."

The other four victims drowned when their boat sank in rough weather on Tuesday morning as it neared the Bangladesh coast.

"There were at least 33 people in the small trawler, which capsized after it was caught in high waves," local police chief Abul Khair told AFP.

He said one person was found dead at the scene while six others were rushed to hospital in critical condition. Three of them later died.

The rest were dragged ashore or managed to swim to safety, Khair added.

He said the victims were all Rohingya from Buthidaung district in Myanmar's westernmost Rakhine state. The UN estimates that 605,000 members of the persecuted minority have fled since August 25.

Most have crossed by land into Bangladesh, where refugee camps have been overwhelmed by the sick and injured.

But others have made the dangerous voyage by sea, taking rickety fishing boats into the Bay of Bengal and snaking up the coastline of Bangladesh looking for a spot to make landfall.

The refugees have described systematic massacres, rapes and arson in their villages by Myanmar troops and ethnic Rakhine Buddhists.
Pro-democracy activist Avery Ng gestures outside court

Hong Kong democracy activist Avery Ng was Tuesday found guilty of assault for throwing a sandwich towards the city's then-leader which hit a police officer.

Ng, 40, chairman of political party the League of Social Democrats, was sentenced to three weeks in jail but released on bail pending an appeal.

It was the latest in a series of cases against democracy activists which have led to accusations of interference in the judiciary as Beijing tightens its grip on the semi-autonomous city.

Judge So Wai-tak said the sentence was a "deterrent" against what he described as "violent means" used in protests against government policies, although he acknowledged the fact that the weapon was a sandwich merited a shorter jail term.

Afterwards Ng told reporters he believed the judicial system was being used by the city's Beijing-backed government.

"Only in such a ridiculous place as the current Hong Kong will you see a sentence of three weeks," he said.

Ng told the court he had thrown what he described as a "smelly fish sandwich" at Hong Kong's unpopular then-chief executive Leung Chun-ying as he was on his way to vote in the September 2016 legislative election.

He said the sandwich was a protest prop to show that the poor in Hong Kong may not be able to afford even a simple breakfast. It illustrated the pro-democracy camp's demand for a universal retirement protection plan.

Ng added that he had wanted to hand the sandwich to Leung but when he was blocked by police he threw it instead.

Leung, in office from 2012 until July this year, was accused by opponents of overseeing the erosion of Hong Kong's freedoms.

The former leader had told Ng's trial he felt "panic" at the time of the sandwich throwing.

It followed an incident in 2014 where an anti-China lawmaker threw a glass at Leung in the legislature.

The glass did not hit him but the lawmaker was convicted of assault and jailed for two weeks.

Some online commenters poured scorn on what they saw as a surprisingly harsh sentence Tuesday.

"Even treating Leung Chun-ying to a sandwich is a crime?" questioned one Facebook user.

Umbrella Movement leaders Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow were jailed in August over their roles in the mass 2014 pro-democracy rallies after the government successfully sought to overturn previous non-custodial sentences passed by a lower court.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (2L) and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu (2R) pose with two Australians in Beersheba as they mark the 100th anniversary of a key cavalry charge during World War I

Israeli, Australian and New Zealand leaders gathered in southern Israel on Tuesday to mark the 100th anniversary of a key cavalry charge that helped clear the way to Jerusalem during World War I.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was joined by his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull and New Zealand Governor-General Patsy Reddy in Beersheba, where the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) defeated Ottoman troops to gain control of a strategic crossroads.

Netanyahu hailed the battle as eventually helping lead to the creation of the state of Israel.

"Nearly 4,000 years ago Abraham came to Beersheba, the city of seven wells," Netanyahu said at the ceremony, held in the city's Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery.

"Exactly 100 years ago brave ANZAC soldiers liberated Beersheba for the sons and daughters of Abraham and opened the gateway for the Jewish people to reenter the stage of history," Netanyahu said.

"Israel salutes the sacrifice of these brave soldiers. We will never forget them. We will forever honour and treasure their memory."

To Australians, "the battle has become part of our history, part of our psyche," Turnbull said.

The audacious assault on entrenched Ottoman forces enabled the British advance into Palestine and "secured the victory that did not create the state of Israel, but enabled its creation," Turnbull said.

"Had the Ottoman rule in Palestine and Syria not been overthrown by the Australians and the New Zealanders, the Balfour Declaration would have been empty words," the Australian premier said.

Britain's Balfour Declaration on November 2, 1917 said it viewed "with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people".

New Zealand's Reddy said the battle "changed political conditions in this region in the most profound way".

The historic battle will also be marked with a 100-horse parade in Beersheba by volunteer Australian riders in period uniform and a reenactment of the charge.
Israeli security forces inspect a car near the Jewish settlement of Halamish and the Palestinian village of Nabi Saleh in the Israel-occupied West Bank on October 31, 2017

Israeli forces opened fire on a "suspect" vehicle in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, killing one Palestinian and wounding another, Israel's army and the Palestinian health ministry said.

An army statement said a vehicle approached Israeli soldiers in a suspicious manner near the Jewish settlement of Halamish and the Palestinian village of Nabi Saleh.

"The soldiers perceived the vehicle as a threat and consequently fired towards it in order to stop it," it said.

The Palestinian health ministry said one man was killed, identifying him as 26-year-old Mohammed Mussa.

His sister Latifa, 33, was shot in the shoulder and was later treated in hospital.

Speaking to reporters, she said they were on their way to run errands when the Israeli soldiers started firing.

"There were two soldiers behind stone barriers on the street. They suddenly began shooting at us without any warning. My brother tried to protect me," she said.

"After that I saw he was breathing, but the soldiers left him alone."

He was confirmed dead later after being taken to an Israeli hospital.

Israel's military said no soldiers were wounded and "the event is being reviewed".

A wave of unrest that erupted in October 2015 has claimed the lives of at least 303 Palestinians or Arab Israelis, 51 Israelis, two Americans, two Jordanians, an Eritrean, a Sudanese and a Briton, according to an AFP toll.

Israeli authorities say most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks.

Others were shot dead in protests and clashes, while some were killed in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip.

Separately on Monday, Israel's military blew up a tunnel it said stretched from the Gaza Strip into Israel and it said could be used for attacks, killing seven Palestinian militants.
The decision to classify data on the number of Afghan security forces killed and wounded in the conflict was slammed by the US government's Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John Sopko

Washington has agreed to classify data on the number of Afghan security forces killed and wounded in the conflict, a US watchdog said, after months of soaring casualties and targeted attacks have eroded morale.

The decision was slammed on Monday by the US government's Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John Sopko, who said it would hamper the watchdog's ability to chart progress among US-funded Afghan troops.

"USFOR-A said the casualty data belonged to the Afghan government, and the government had requested that it be classified," Sopko said in the latest quarterly report documenting the use of US funds in Afghanistan.

There was no immediate comment from US Forces or Afghan officials.

Sopko said the move "will hinder SIGAR's ability to publicly report on progress or failure in a key reconstruction sector", noting that more than 60 percent of the roughly $121 billion in US funding spent since 2002 has gone on Afghan security forces.

Casualties among Afghan forces in the early part of this year were "shockingly high" as they struggled to beat back the resurgent Taliban and other militant groups, SIGAR has said previously.

They soared by 35 percent in 2016, with 6,800 soldiers and police killed, according to the watchdog.

As of February only about 60 percent of Afghanistan's 407 districts were reported to be under government control, SIGAR has said.

Sopko said the decision was only the second time that the American military has sought to classify data on the Afghan security forces' capabilities.

The first time was for the January 2015 quarterly report, which came on the heels of the withdrawal of US-led NATO combat troops from Afghanistan at the end of 2014.

During the most recent quarter, Sopko travelled to Afghanistan where he held a series of meetings with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah and other senior officials.

"On each occasion, President Ghani noted the National Unity Government's close cooperation with SIGAR and thanked us for our help fighting corruption," Sopko said.

Ghani also "vowed to account for every penny of American assistance to his government".

The SIGAR report comes as the US sends more than 3,000 additional troops to Afghanistan -- on top of the 11,000 already on the ground -- to train and assist Afghan security forces as part of a new strategy outlined by US President Donald Trump in August.

The Taliban has been rampant in recent years and Trump's open-ended committment to put more American boots on the ground and a surge in US airstrikes has further fuelled the insurgency.

But Afghan security forces have been struggling to beat back the insurgents amid desertions, killings and corruption.
Iraqi soldiers gesture on top of a vehicle as they enter the city of Kirkuk on October 17, 2017

Iraqi government forces on Tuesday took control of the key border crossing with Turkey in the Iraqi Kurdistan region after weeks of tensions between Baghdad and Arbil, the Turkish prime minister said.

The border crossing "has been handed over to the central government" of Iraq, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told his ruling party at a televised meeting in Ankara.

He said all controls at the border will now be carried out by Iraqi and Turkish officials on their respective sides.

The Iraqi forces deployed at the Ibrahim Al Khalil crossing alongside Turkish forces with whom they have been carrying out joint exercises over the last weeks, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.

They were to raise the Iraqi national flag and take down the flag of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) which had until now controlled the crossing, it said.

The border crossing was closed while the handover was being carried out, leading to long queues, it added. There were no reports of any clashes.

The Kurdish region has found itself increasingly isolated after holding a non-binding independence referendum on September 25 that was opposed not just by Baghdad but also Iran, Turkey and the Kurds' Western allies.

Turkey, which over the last years had cultivated strong trade ties with the KRG, reacted with fury to the referendum, fearing the move could encourage separatism amongst its own Kurdish minority.

Deemed by many analysts to have severely overplayed his hand by holding the referendum, the KRG's leader Massud Barzani said at the weekend that he was stepping down.
News / National

by Staff reporter

THE troubled MDC-T has been plunged into further chaos after its leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai returned to South Africa for treatment last week.Mr Tsvangirai, who is battling cancer of the colon, returned home from South Africa on October 13 after spending almost a month receiving treatment in the neighbouring country.After his return, Mr Tsvangirai cancelled a meeting of the party's national standing committee that he was scheduled to chair in Harare on October 16 with insiders raising fears that he was still far from recovery.The latest trip to South Africa has thrown the party into chaos with Mr Tsvangirai's lieutenants at each other's throats over comments made on the MDC-T leader's health.MDC-T national executive member Mr Eddie Cross at the weekend told private media that Mr Tsvangirai was in "excruciating pain."Mr Cross, who weeks ago expressed fears that Mr Tsvangirai might not be able to contest in the 2018 election as ill-health is taking its toll on the MDC-T leader, said his sources told him that the former Prime Minister's condition was grave.However, reacting to Mr Cross' statements, Mr Tsvangirai's spokesperson Mr Luke Tamborinyoka yesterday said the Bulawayo South legislator has neither mandate nor expertise to talk about the issue."Honourable Eddie Cross has neither the mandate nor the medical expertise to purport to speak authoritatively and competently about president Tsvangirai's health," Mr Tamborinyoka posted on his Facebook wall."Those of us who have been in constant interaction with the president are worried stiff about the needless and unnecessary innuendos that are being thrown around concerning his health. There is absolutely no reason for anyone, let alone a senior member of the party citing nameless and ill-informed third parties, to trigger a national alarm not based on objective facts."True, like all mortal beings, MT is winding up his health issues and is currently on a short break but he is well out of danger and will be back home soon. I have just spoken to him and he is in fine health. Yes, we are unrepentant democrats; but certainly, indiscipline does not constitute democracy."Efforts to get a comment from Mr Cross were fruitless as his mobile phone rang continuously without being answered.However, in a recent interview with The Sunday Mail, he insisted that Mr Tsvangirai could quit politics due to ill health adding he does not fear reprisals from those angry at him for speaking candidly about the leadership question dogging the opposition party.
The Punggye-ri test site is thought to have suffered a collapse

More than 200 people are feared to have died when a tunnel caved in at North Korea's nuclear test site after its latest detonation, a Japanese news report said Tuesday.

A tunnel collapsed at Punggye-ri in early September, days after North Korea conducted its sixth and largest underground nuclear test on September 3, TV Asahi said, quoting unnamed North Korean sources.

Some 100 workers were involved in an initial collapse. Another cave-in occurred during rescue operations, leaving at least 200 people feared dead in total, the Japanese broadcaster said.

The accident was triggered by the test, TV Asahi added.

Experts have warned that the underground tests could cause the mountain to collapse and leak radiation into the atmosphere near China's border.

The latest test -- the sixth at the site since 2006 -- triggered landslides in the detonation area and beyond, according to satellite pictures taken the day after.

The images published by the 38 North website showed changes in the surface at Punggye-ri where the ground had been lifted into the air by the tremors. Small landslides followed the course of stream beds.

The blast caused a 6.3-magnitude earthquake, according to the US Geological Survey, followed a few minutes later by another with a magnitude of 4.1.

Japan assessed the yield from the test of what the North said was a hydrogen bomb at 120 kilotons, eight times the size of Hiroshima in 1945.

It is very unusual for North Korea to acknowledge any major accident, especially anything that involves its nuclear programme.

Lee Eugene, a spokeswoman at South Korea's unification ministry, said: "We are aware of the report but do not know anything about it."

The report came ahead of US President Donald Trump's first presidential visit to South Korea next week amid an escalating war of words between him and North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

The reclusive country has made significant strides in its atomic and missile technology under Kim, who took power after the death of his father and longtime ruler Kim Jong-Il in 2011.

Since then he has overseen four of the country's six nuclear tests and hailed atomic weapons as a "treasured sword" to protect the nation from invasion by the United States.
Johney Zheng, chairman of Chinese agency ESEE Model Management, which has denied that the teenager had been exhausted by a punishing schedule

The Chinese agency responsible for a 14-year-old Russian model who died in Shanghai said on Tuesday there is a growing demand worldwide for younger-looking girls in the fashion industry.

Vlada Dzyuba died in hospital on Friday, sparking accusations that she had been overworked and underpaid during a two-month working stint in China that included Shanghai Fashion Week.

Dzyuba's Chinese agency ESEE Model Management has vehemently denied that the brunette teenager, who was to turn 15 on November 8 and died without her family at her side, had been exhausted by a punishing schedule.

ESEE president Johney Zheng told AFP that Dzyuba was the youngest model his firm had represented in its 14 years and was part of an accelerating trend in the modelling industry.

"Her face looked young because there is a new generation coming, so the brands always want that the models can look younger and younger because consumers in this internet age are getting younger and younger," he said.

"Fashion brands are focused on the young consumers, that means mostly high school and university students."

ESEE, which calls itself one of the biggest modelling agencies in China, provided a copy of a hospital certificate that gave the cause of Dzyuba's death as a type of septicaemia, the invasion of bacteria into the bloodstream.

Initial reports in Russia said that Dzyuba died of meningitis -- another type of meningococcal infection -- compounded by exhaustion, but ESEE said doctors found no signs of meningitis.

Shanghai-based ESEE, which has Chinese and international models, male and female, has come under fire over why a 14-year-old girl was allowed to model in China without her parents being present.

The company, which has declined to give precise figures for how much the teenager earned, is working with authorities and Zheng believes that Dzyuba's death could result in a change in Chinese law.

But until then, the pressure grows for girls who look as young as possible, Zheng said, citing Japan as an example of a country where baby-faced models are popular.

Zheng said that most of the models with ESEE are aged 18 or above but they took on Dzyuba because she had experience working abroad, in Taiwan earlier this year, and "her personality was closer to 16".

"From this case I don't think we will do that again," he said.

"It's too much risk: in future we will tell the team not to sign models below 16."

Zheng and Carrie Fang, founder and chief agent of ESEE, denied media reports that Dzyuba pocketed as little as $8 a day and had collapsed after a gruelling 13-hour photo shoot.

Fang was at Dzyuba's hospital bedside as she slipped away, suffering multiple organ failure.

Dzyuba's mother Oksana was expected to fly to Shanghai this week.
A Syrian child lies on a bed at a makeshift hospital following the reported government shelling of a school in the rebel-held besieged town of Jisreen, east of the capital Damascus, on October 31, 2017

Syrian regime shelling killed four schoolchildren and a man on Tuesday in the rebel-held besieged town of Jisreen east of the capital Damascus, a Britain-based monitor and a medical source said.

"A shell fired by regime troops hit the entrance of a school in Jisreen just as children were leaving it, killing five people including four schoolchildren," Syrian Observatory for Human Rights chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.

A medical source at the town hospital confirmed the death toll.

An AFP photographer at the medical facility saw the bodies of four children, as well as school bags and a small shoe covered in blood.

He also saw several wounded, including one child with amputated legs.

A man cried out after learning his son had died, as others around him tried to comfort him.

Jisreen lies in the rebel-held stronghold of Eastern Ghouta east the capital, where opposition fighters have been battling President Bashar al-Assad's troops for six years.

On July 22, the regime announced a ceasefire with rebels in the besieged area, which was included in a so-called "de-escalation zone" agreed by rebel backer Turkey and government allies Russia and Iran.

But regime shelling on the area has been on the rise for the past week.

Tuesday's shelling comes as Eastern Ghouta is also facing a mounting humanitarian crisis.

Shocking AFP images from the region this month showed severely underweight children, and doctors reported two infants had died of malnutrition and related complications.

On Monday, dozens of trucks carrying aid for 40,000 people entered Eastern Ghouta.
China is tightening restrictions on social media websites

China has ordered online platforms to punish staff who spread "illegal" content domestically, in the latest move by authorities to tighten policing of the web.

Service providers must "establish a sound information security management system", the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said in a Monday statement.

"While we benefit from new applications or technologies... they are also improperly used by some people to post illegal information or even to commit crimes," it said.

It was unclear what companies would have to do to comply with the new standards.

In a separate regulation issued the same day, the CAC called for tighter oversight of website workers.

"Some content posted by the staff of news websites without sufficient training is still improper or illegal," it said.

Administrators should set up a blacklist to track people who violate rules, "while the websites they work for should also punish them", it added without going into details.

Both regulations take effect on December 1.

China tightly controls the internet through a censorship system known as the "Great Firewall" and closely monitors social media networks for sensitive content.

Regulations in force since 2000 decree that websites are responsible for "ensuring the legality of any information" posted on their platforms.

In July the CAC said it had held a meeting with representatives from domestic tech giants Baidu, Sohu, Tencent and Netease among others to inform them of multiple content violations on their platforms.

The offences included misinterpreting policy directives, disseminating false information, distorting Chinese Communist Party history, plagiarising photos and challenging public order.

Previous regulations that came into force on June 1 require online platforms to obtain a licence to post news reports or commentary about the government, the economy, the military, foreign affairs and social issues.

In other recent moves, authorities have closed dozens of celebrity gossip blogs and issued new rules concerning online video content to eliminate programmes deemed offensive.
The body of Palestinian Marwan Alagha, 22, is carried by mourners in the Gaza Strip after he was killed when Israel blew up what it said was a tunnel stretching from Gaza into its territory

Tensions rose Tuesday after an Israeli operation to blow up a tunnel from the Gaza Strip killed seven Palestinian militants in one of the deadliest incidents since a devastating 2014 war.

The seven men, from the armed wings of Gaza's rulers Hamas and allied group Islamic Jihad, were killed Monday when Israel blew up the tunnel it said had crossed into its territory and was intended for attacks.

They were buried Tuesday in their respective Gaza Strip neighbourhoods.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniya appeared at a funeral in central Gaza attended by a few thousand people, witnesses said, while senior Hamas figure Khalil al-Hayya spoke at one in the southern part of the strip.

"(Hamas) knows how to manage the conflict with the enemy and how to get revenge and strike at the time and place that hurts the enemy," Hayya said, according to a statement.

Hamas and Israel have fought three wars since 2008, and the last conflict in 2014 was waged in part over tunnels from Gaza that were used to launch attacks.

Israel said it had been monitoring the digging of the tunnel for an unspecified length of time and was forced to act after "the grave and unacceptable violation of Israeli sovereignty".

It said the operation was carried out on the Israeli side of the border and stressed it was not seeking a further escalation.

No tunnel opening had been found on the Israeli side. The tunnel ran from the vicinity of the city of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip, Israeli's military said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday his country would "not tolerate any attacks on our sovereignty, on our people, on our land, whether from the air, from the sea, from the ground, or below the ground".

"We attack those who seek to attack us."

- Sensitive moment -

The operation comes at a sensitive time, with rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas pursuing a reconciliation accord aimed at ending their 10-year rift.

Hamas is due to hand over control of the enclave's borders to the Palestinian Authority on Wednesday under the deal mediated by Egypt and signed on October 12.

It is due to return the Gaza Strip to full PA control by December 1.

Both Haniya and Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah spoke of ensuring the reconciliation pact remains on track.

"The response to this massacre... is to move forward towards the restoration of national unity because the enemy realises our strength is our unity," Haniya said.

PA deputy premier Ziad Abu Amr told AFP the planned transfer of power at the crossings, seen as a first test for the reconciliation, would go ahead on Wednesday morning.

"The recent events in the Gaza Strip were intended to impact the implementation of the reconciliation agreement, but... things will go as was agreed."

Israel bombs Gaza tunnel

Separately in the West Bank on Tuesday, Israeli forces opened fire on a "suspect" vehicle, killing one Palestinian and wounding another, Israel's army and the Palestinian health ministry said. There did not appear to be any connection with the tunnel incident.

Hamas forces have used tunnels in the past to enter Israel and carry out attacks, but discoveries of those stretching into Israeli territory since the end of the 2014 war have been rare.

In April 2016, Israel's military said it had located and destroyed a tunnel extending from Gaza into Israel in the first such discovery since the 2014 conflict.

- Advanced technology -

An army spokesman said Monday Israel used advanced technology to locate the tunnel, but declined to elaborate.

The army has been seeking to build an underground wall surrounding Gaza that would block such tunnels, among other methods it has been developing.

Israeli leaders have been keen to show they are addressing the threat of tunnels from the Gaza Strip.

A state inquiry in February accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top army brass of being unprepared for the tunnels used by Hamas during the 2014 conflict.

Hamas has ruled Gaza since a near civil war with Fatah, based in the occupied West Bank, in 2007.

Since then, the Islamists have fought three wars with Israel, while Gaza's two million citizens have suffered as Israel has blockaded the territory.

Egypt's border with Gaza has also remained largely closed in recent years.

Relatives mourn in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on October 31, 2017, during the funeral of Palestinians who were killed the previous day in an Israeli operation to blow up a tunnel stretching from the Gaza Strip into Israel

Israel has said it will reject any Palestinian unity government that includes Hamas if the Islamist group does not disarm and recognise the country, among other demands.

During the 2014 war, 32 tunnels were discovered, including 14 that extended into Israel, according to a UN report on the conflict.

The devastating conflict killed 2,251 Palestinians, while more than 10,000 were wounded and 100,000 were left homeless.

On the Israeli side, 74 people were killed, all but six of them soldiers.
Dozens of Bahrainis have been jailed and stripped of citizenship since the 2011 outbreak of protests demanding an elected government in the Sunni-ruled kingdom

Bahrain's lower court jailed 10 Shiite men for life on Tuesday on charges of plotting attacks a day after the Gulf state sentenced 19 others to lengthy prison terms.

Three were sentenced in absentia after fleeing to Iran, Ahmad al-Hamadi, head of the counter-terrorism prosecution, said in a statement on Twitter.

A judicial source told AFP all those convicted were Shiite Muslims.

The 10 were also stripped of their Bahraini citizenship, Hamadi said.

They had been charged with forming an outlawed group that plotted "terror" attacks, smuggling arms and ammunition into Bahrain, travelling to Iran and Iraq for military training and possessing arms and ammunition.

On Monday, 19 Shiites were given lengthy jail terms after being convicted of spying for Iran and plotting to overthrow the regime.

Eight were given life terms, nine got 15 years and two received 10 years for espionage and inciting public dissent, a statement from the counter-terrorism prosecutor's office said.

Fifteen of those convicted on Monday were also stripped of Bahraini citizenship, the statement said.

Dozens of Bahrainis have been jailed and stripped of citizenship since the 2011 outbreak of protests demanding an elected government in the Sunni-ruled kingdom.

A key US ally and home to the US Fifth Fleet, Bahrain has tightened its grip on dissent, drawing harsh criticism from international rights groups for its treatment of the Shiite-majority population.

In April, parliament gave approval for military courts to try civilians charged with "terrorism", a vaguely defined legal term in Bahrain.

Manama accuses Shiite Iran of training "terrorist cells" that aim to overthrow Bahrain's government, an allegation Tehran denies.
George Papadopoulos (3rd L) in a photograph released on Donald Trump's Instagram account (@realDonaldTrump) on April 1, 2016

US President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Tuesday to blast the "fake" media and his Democratic rivals, and called a former campaign aide who has pleaded guilty in the Russia probe a "liar."

The morning attack came a day after special counsel Robert Mueller announced charges against three aides to Trump's campaign who were indicted as part of a sprawling investigation into Russian efforts to influence the vote.

One of the three, George Papadopoulos, who Trump has previously called an "excellent guy," pleaded guilty earlier this month on a charge of lying to the FBI about his Kremlin-related contacts.

The other two, former campaign chief Paul Manafort and Rick Gates pleaded not guilty Monday on charges of conspiracy, money laundering and other counts.

In a series of two tweets, Trump wrote:

"The Fake News is working overtime. As Paul Manaforts lawyer said, there was "no collusion" and events mentioned took place long before he... came to the campaign. Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar. Check the DEMS!"

The reference to the Democratic Party comes amid mounting attacks from Trump and his supporters, who among other things claim the Democrats are behind a "fake" dossier containing salacious details about Trump's alleged Russia ties.

Trump has repeatedly denied any collusion with Russia during his campaign.

In another tweet that landed minutes later, Trump said he hoped people would turn their attention to a tax reform package being fleshed out in Congress.

"I hope people will start to focus on our Massive Tax Cuts for Business (jobs) and the Middle Class (in addition to Democrat corruption)!" he wrote.
The Rapid Action Battalion police unit said the pilot plotted with senior extremists from Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh to crash a plane into the homes of politicians or to take passengers hostage

Bangladesh on Tuesday arrested a pilot from the national airline accused of plotting with Islamist militants to hijack or crash a plane in a spectacular attack, police said.

Sabbir Emam, a pilot with state-run Biman Bangladesh Airlines, was detained in Dhaka with three others suspected of links to a militant group blamed for a cafe siege last year that left 22 people dead, including 18 foreigners.

The Rapid Action Battalion police unit said Sabbir plotted with senior extremists from Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh to crash a plane into the homes of politicians or to take passengers hostage.

"He is a dangerous person and is working at a sensitive place like Bangladesh Biman, which the country's important individuals use," the battalion said in a statement.

Sabbir, a pilot since 2014, flew a Boeing 737 passenger jet as recently as Monday for Bangladesh's flag carrier, the battalion said.

Neither Sabbir's family or lawyers could be immediately reached for comment.

Sabbir allegedly had ties to senior militants including Sarwar Jahan, the head of a new JMB faction, before he was killed in a police raid.

Police say Sabbir and Sarwar plotted a plane attack with another man, Abdullah, who was killed in a raid in September along with six others, including his wife and children, in an apartment building in Dhaka.

The building was owned by Sabbir's father, who was questioned by police.

The homegrown JMB group has been blamed for a string of deadly attacks on foreigners, atheist bloggers, rights activists and religious minorities in Bangladesh.

The most prominent was in July last year when militants stormed an upmarket cafe in Dhaka and massacred 22 hostages. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State group but the government denied any role by the international militants.

JMB remains active despite efforts to decapitate its leadership by Bangladesh police, who have while killed more than 70 alleged militants since the cafe attack.

Police have warned of new cells and plots to stage attacks in Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation of 160 million.
Syrian children stand at the blood stained scene of a reported government shelling that killed schoolchildren in the rebel-held besieged town of Jisreen, east of the capital Damascus, on October 31, 2017

At least six schoolchildren were among 11 people killed in Syrian regime shelling Tuesday in Eastern Ghouta, a war monitor said, despite a ceasefire in the hunger-hit rebel enclave.

The bombardment of the rebel-held pocket outside Damascus came as a new round of peace talks to end Syria's six-year war entered a second day in the Kazakh capital Astana.

Government fire on the besieged region has been on the rise in the past week, and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said the latest shelling hit a school in the town of Jisreen.

"A shell fired by regime troops hit the entrance of a school in Jisreen just as children were leaving it," said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman.

A Syrian man mourns over the body of a child at a makeshift hospital following the reported government shelling of a school in the rebel-held besieged town of Jisreen, east of the capital Damascus, on October 31, 2017

A medical source at the town hospital confirmed the death toll and said another 25 people were wounded.

The Observatory said earlier that four children had died, but two later succumbed to their wounds in hospital.

An AFP photographer at the medical facility saw the bodies of four children, wrapped in blood-stained white shrouds.

Several wounded children lay or sat in shock on hospital beds, including one with severed legs.

A man cried out after learning his son had died, as others around him tried to comfort him.

- Blood-stained satchels -

A Syrian child lies on a bed at a makeshift hospital following the reported government shelling of a school in the rebel-held besieged town of Jisreen, east of the capital Damascus, on October 31, 2017

Small blue school bags and a tiny pair of shoes lay in a corner, drenched in blood.

Outside the primary school, children stared at the pools of blood staining the concrete ground.

"I was coming out of school and was about to turn into a side street when the shell hit. There were dead people, wounded people," one child told AFP.

The Observatory said regime bombardment on Tuesday also hit other areas of Eastern Ghouta, where opposition fighters have been battling President Bashar al-Assad's troops for six years.

The regime on July 22 announced a ceasefire with rebels in the besieged area, which has been included in a so-called "de-escalation zone" agreed by Turkey, Russia and Iran.

On Tuesday, regime shelling on the Mesraba area, also in Eastern Ghouta, killed four civilians including two children, the Observatory said.

A Syrian man mourns next to the bodies of schoolchildren at a makeshift hospital after a reported government shelling in the rebel-held besieged town of Jisreen on October 31, 2017

An AFP journalist at a morgue saw rescue volunteers and young men slip the bodies of a father and his son into white plastic bags.

"May God avenge oppressors," the man's brother cried.

In the town of Harasta, shelling also hit near a school as pupils were leaving it, wounding 10 people including five children.

On Sunday, 11 civilians including a journalist for pro-opposition television were killed in Eastern Ghouta.

- Malnutrition -

The shelling comes as Eastern Ghouta, where an estimated 400,000 people live, faces a mounting humanitarian crisis.

A mother holds her son who is suffering from dehydration and malnutrition at a hospital in the rebel-held town of Kfar Batna in the Eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of the capital Damascus on October 25, 2016

Shocking AFP images from the region this month showed severely underweight children, and doctors reported two infants had died of malnutrition and related complications.

On Monday, dozens of trucks carrying aid for 40,000 people entered Eastern Ghouta.

The region was once a prime agricultural region famed for its orchards.

But the rebel stronghold has been under a tight government siege since 2013, causing shortages of food and medicine, as well as price hikes for the local and smuggled supplies available.

Basic services are virtually non-existent, with electricity produced only by generators and water often dirty and a vector for disease.

More than 330,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests.

A Syrian Red Crescent truck arrives with humanitarian aid parcels to be distributed to residents and hospitals in the besieged rebel-held region of Eastern Ghouta outside Damascus on October 30, 2017

The conflict has since spiralled into a complex war involving world powers and Islamic State group jihadists, who took over large swathes of the country in 2014.

But the jihadists have since lost most of the territory they controlled, and were ousted two weeks ago from their de facto Syrian capital of Raqa.

They face twin offensives in the eastern oil-rich province of Deir Ezzor, from the regime and the US-backed Kurdish-Arab Syrian Democratic Forces.
British police are investigating allegations of sexual assault against US film mogul Harvey Weinstein from seven women, the Press Association news agency reported

British police are investigating allegations of sexual assault against US film mogul Harvey Weinstein from seven women, the Press Association news agency reported Tuesday.

Scotland Yard confirmed that its "Operation Kaguyak" was investigating 11 separate claims brought by seven women, but it does not identify any person subject to an investigation unless they have been charged.

British media, including PA, reported that the claims related to the disgraced producer.

Police said officers from the its Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command were probing 11 claims of sexual assault committed from the early 1980s to 2015.

Nine were alleged to have taken place in London and two outside British jurisdiction, which have both been referred to the relevant police departments.

Accusations of sexual assault have continued to pour in since investigations in The New York Times and The New Yorker three weeks ago exposed a series of accounts of sexual predation by the film tycoon.

More than 50 women including stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie and Mira Sorvino have accused 65-year-old Weinstein of sexual abuse and harassment, though he has denied forcing himself on anyone.
News / National

by Staff reporter

FIVE armed robbers allegedly shot and robbed a suspected illegal money changer of R10 000 in Beitbridge on Saturday night.The gang shot Isaya Tadzembwa (34) of Rasboy Bill, Lutumba area under chief Sitaudze on the left ankle and the right arm.He is admitted to Beitbridge District Hospital where his condition is said to be stable.A source close to investigations said the robbers pounced on him as he arrived home at around 9PM and demanded cash before one of them produced a pistol"The robbers who probably concluded Tadzembwa was resisting, shot him twice," said the source.The source said after shooting him, the robbers ransacked his car, took away R10 000, a cellphone and disappeared into the dark.Matabeleland South police spokesperson, Inspector Philisani Ndebele said investigations into the robbery were underway."I can confirm we received an incident of armed robbery and investigations are underway," said Insp Ndebele.Two weeks ago, a crack police team shot and killed a notorious armed robber and arrested four others in connection with a spate of armed robberies around Beitbridge town and at illegal crossing points along the Limpopo River.The killed robber, commonly known as Kedah, was part of a feared gang that unleashed a reign of terror on Beitbridge residents.Several other criminals are still at large.Police have so far arrested eight armed robbery suspects linked to recent robberies in the border town.One of the suspects arrested is Emmanuel Mpafumo (29) from Gutu who is alleged to have killed a taxi driver before driving away in his car.Mapfumo is alleged to have later attacked and robbed a money changer of R30 000.That incident was the sixth armed robbery in the border town in two weeks.Mapfumo who is facing charges of robbery and murder appeared before Beitbridge magistrate, Mr Trevor Nyatsanza, who remanded him in custody to October 25.Three other armed robbers were arrested during a ZRP and South African Police Services (SAPS) joint operation targeting cross border criminals operating along the Limpopo River.
Afghan security personnel investigate the site of the suicide bombing

A suicide bomber believed to be as young as 12 struck Kabul's heavily fortified diplomatic quarter on Tuesday and killed at least five people, showing that militants can still hit the heart of the city despite tighter security.

It was the first attack targeting the Afghan capital's "Green Zone" since a massive truck bomb ripped through the area on May 31, killing or wounding hundreds, and prompting authorities to strengthen protection.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attack, which follows a spate of suicide assaults by Taliban and IS insurgents on security installations and mosques in recent weeks.

A Western security source told AFP the attacker appeared to have been targeting workers leaving an Afghan defence ministry facility inside the heavily protected zone.

Health ministry spokesman Ismail Kawoosi told AFP that at least five people had been killed and 20 wounded, including women.

"The suicide attack was carried out by an underage bomber, a boy we think 13 or 15 years old, killing at least four and wounding over a dozen more civilians," interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP.

A police spokesman said the attacker may have been as young as 12.

Kabul suicide blast

Defence ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said the bomber "made it through the first checkpoint but was stopped at the second checkpoint and detonated".

"We don't know the target but it happened a few metres from the defence ministry's foreign relations office. There were no casualties to our personnel," Waziri said.

The attack is a setback for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani who had promised to beef up the security of the diplomatic zone after the truck bomb detonated outside the German embassy five months ago.

Ghani immediately ordered an investigation into how Tuesday's attacker had been able to enter the supposedly secure area.

A Western security source told AFP he had repeatedly warned Afghan authorities about lax security at the checkpoint targeted by the bomber.

- 'Horrible scene' -

The attack struck the heart of the city's diplomatic area, where many embassies and the offices of major international organisations including the United Nations and NATO's Resolute Support mission are located.

"I was 100 metres away when the explosion happened and as I ran towards the site I saw several people lying in blood -- one had been hit in the head and was moving. It was a horrible scene," an eyewitness told TOLOnews.

Another witness told AFP: "A lot of people were dead and injured and there was no one to carry them away."

AFP reporters heard a loud explosion around 4:00 p.m. (1130 GMT) just as workers would have been leaving their offices to go home, followed by the sirens of emergency services.

Many injured people were carried from the scene of the blast, put into ambulances and police pickup trucks and driven away.

The attack is a setback for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani who had promised to beef up the security of the diplomatic zone after the truck bomb detonated outside the German embassy five months ago

US special charge d'affaires Hugo Llorens, America's top diplomat in Afghanistan in the absence of an ambassador, condemned the "cowardly attack" in a tweet.

The last major assault in Kabul was on October 21 when a suicide attacker hit a busload of Afghan army trainees, killing 15.

On October 20 a suicide bomber pretending to be a worshipper blew himself up inside a Shiite mosque in the city during evening prayers, killing 56 and wounding 55.

"The Taliban and IS are trying to demonstrate a lot of potency before the winter," Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told AFP.

Security in Kabul has been ramped up since the May truck bomb that went off on the edge of the Green Zone, killing around 150 people and wounding 400 others.

Special truck scanners, barriers and permanent and mobile checkpoints have been rolled out across the city.

Earlier this month Kabul police stopped a lorry carrying 2,700 kilogrammes of explosives hidden under boxes of tomatoes, averting a potentially deadly blast.

"There will -- and should -- be a careful investigation whether the security lapse included corruption among" Afghan security forces, Felbab-Brown said.
In his speech, opposition leader Raila Odinga denounced the Kenyan election as a "sham" and vowed to fight on

Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga on Tuesday rejected outright the result of last week's "sham" election, vowing to fight on after the protest-hit poll that handed President Uhuru Kenyatta a landslide win.

"This election must not stand. If allowed to stand, it will make a complete mockery of elections," he said in his first remarks on Thursday's presidential re-run, which his supporters boycotted en masse.

Without change, "elections will become coronation rituals," Odinga warned.

The vote, which saw Kenyatta winning with 98 percent of the votes cast, was the chaotic climax of two months of political drama and acrimony triggered by the Supreme Court's overturning of an initial August poll over widespread irregularities.

But Odinga did not say whether he would once again petition the Supreme Court to have the vote annulled, as he did back in August.

Residents of Nairobi's Kibera slum clean up a shop that was burned down during clashes after President Uhuru Kenyatta was declared the winner of last week's protest-hit election

He spelt out a campaign of non-violent protest and disobedience that would ensure the government had "no peace" so long as there was no change.

The remarks are likely to extend the political uncertainty that has paralysed the country since September 1.

Despite his successful bid to throw out the results of the August election, Odinga withdrew from the re-run some two weeks beforehand, citing concerns the new vote would be neither free nor fair.

Last week, the 72-year-old leader pledged to transform his National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition into "a resistance movement" that would spearhead a campaign of "civil disobedience."

On Tuesday, he laid out plans for a programme of "vigorous" political action including "economic boycotts, peaceful processions, picketing and other legitimate protests."

"If there is no justice for the people, let there be no peace for the government," he declared.

- Odinga 'the unpredictable' -

Supporters of Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga say they will do whatever he tells them

In his western stronghold of Kisumu, Odinga's highly-anticipated speech drew a mixed reaction.

"It was a very good speech," nodded Linah Awuor, 42, who was selling plastic jerrycans in Kibuye market, saying she hoped the government would hear his "message of peace".

"I am happy that it's peaceful. It was not good for business lately, and I hope it will get better now."

And Nixon Juma, a 25-year-old who said he had taken part in every protest since August, said he was happy to follow Odinga's leadership.

"Raila has said dialogue first, so dialogue it is. We will see what happens," he said. "Raila knows that he can count on us, we are here, and we will be waiting for his word."

But 21-year-old taxi driver Samwell Ochyeng was a bit nonplussed, saying Odinga was definitely living up to his nickname Agwambo, a Luo word which translates as "the unpredictable".

"I don't understand, I am a bit disappointed. We were waiting for a crucial announcement, and he comes up with this speech," he said.

But in the end, they would follow, he said. "We are waiting, and whatever he says, we'll do."

Aside from some scuffles after the results were announced, things have been largely calm for the past four days although security was stepped up Tuesday as more than a million pupils aged between 13 and 15 began sitting their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams.

- Victor but at what cost? -

President Uhuru Kenyatta said his victory in Thursday's election re-run was a "revalidation" of the people's will

In his victory speech on Monday, Kenyatta hailed the result as vindication of his triumph in the August poll which was later overturned.

But it proved to be a bittersweet victory.

Turnout was just 38.8 percent, marring the credibility of a vote that has deeply polarised the East African nation, sparking months of bitter infighting, legal wrangling and violent protest.

The last few months of chaos drew a sharp rebuke on Tuesday from the European Union's election observer mission.

"Actions by both sides of the political divide have been damaging to the electoral process and have put the people and institutions of Kenya in an extremely difficult position," it said.

"Such a divisive electoral process, with accompanying violence, has been detrimental to Kenyas democratic functioning and the rule of law, as well as its prosperity," the mission said.

And it stressed the "urgent need for dialogue between the two sides... and for grievances to be addressed through democratic and judicial channels", saying the onus was on the leaders to "find a way out of the current impasse".

But from a technical point of view, it said the actual polling and counting process appeared to be "generally well administered" with some technical improvements evident in the results process.

The political crisis is the worst to hit the country since a 2007 vote sparked months of politically-driven ethnic violence that left 1,100 people dead.

While the dynamics of 2017's political crisis are very different, the memory of the bloodshed a decade ago is never far away.
Former US president Barack Obama in 2012 looks towards North Korea from Observation Post Ouellette during a visit to the Joint Security Area of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

US President Donald Trump will not be going to the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean peninsula when he visits South Korea next week, a senior administration official said Tuesday.

The decision to skip the DMZ at a time of high tensions with nuclear-armed North Korea was attributed to time constraints.

"The president is not going to visit the DMZ, there is not enough time in the schedule," the official said.

Trump, who departs Friday on a five-nation Asian tour with world attention on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, will instead visit Camp Humphreys, which is south of Seoul and away from the DMZ, the official said.

The DMZ, a razor's edge separating North and South Korean forces, is a common stop for visiting presidents and other high-level US officials wanting to see one of the world's most dangerous flashpoints.

But the senior administration official downplayed the decision not to go.

"We just had Secretary Mattis there last week, we had Vice President Pence there earlier this year," the official said, referring to Pentagon chief Jim Mattis and Trump's number two, Mike Pence.

"It's becoming a little bit of a cliche, frankly."

Contrary to what its name suggests, the DMZ is the most heavily militarized strip of land on the planet.

Located a few dozen miles north of the South Korean capital Seoul, the 2.5-mile (four-kilometer) wide terrain stretches for 151 miles and bristles with electric fences, minefields and anti-tank barriers.

A visit by any US leader to the DMZ -- described by former president Bill Clinton as "the scariest place on Earth" -- is widely seen as a show of solidarity in the face of threats from the North.

Although the senior administration official stressed that only a "minority" of US leaders had visited the DMZ, it has become an almost indispensable part of any US president's tour of the region.

Since Ronald Reagan visited in 1983, only George H.W. Bush has failed to make the trek to the tense frontier.

Trump's 12-day swing through Asia -- his first as president -- is the longest presidential visit to the region since Bush in 1991.

The US administration has sent out mixed messages amid escalating tensions with Pyongyang, which has threatened to fire missiles toward the US military base in the Pacific island of Guam.

During a recent visit to China, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson hinted that diplomatic channels were open to the North, only to be quickly undermined by his boss.

"I told Rex Tillerson, our wonderful Secretary of State, that he is wasting his time trying to negotiate with Little Rocket Man," Trump said on Twitter, using his derogatory nickname for North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

"Save your energy Rex, we'll do what has to be done."

Trump will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on November 8, the official said, and will discuss closer cooperation with Beijing in tackling the crisis with North Korea.

"The Chinese have done a great deal. They've done more than I think many expected they would do. And the US is working more closely with China on the North Korea problem than ever. That said, there is clearly more that China could do," the US official said.

After visits to Tokyo, Seoul and Beijing, Trump will go to Vietnam and the Philippines to take part in regional summits.
As the US faces a growing movement to take down statues and other monuments commemorating the pro-slavery South, White House Chief of Staff John Kelly told Fox News that Confederate general Robert E Lee was an "honorable man"

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly has triggered a backlash by calling general Robert E Lee, of the pro-slavery Confederate Army, an "honorable man" in a Civil War provoked by an inability to compromise.

He made the comments Monday evening on the Fox News television channel as the United States faces a growing movement to take down statues and other monuments to generals and leaders of the 1861-1865 Confederacy.

Many Americans consider such monuments to be commemorations of a racist past.

"I would tell you that Robert E Lee was an honorable man," Kelly said when asked about the nationwide debate over Confederate monuments.

"He was a man that gave up his country to fight for his state, which 150 years ago was more important than country," he continued.

"Now it's different today. But the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War, and men and women of good faith on both sides made their stand where their conscience had them make their stand."

Numerous commentators criticized Kelly's suggestion that a "compromise" could have been possible over a question like slavery.

The daughter of slain civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr, Bernice King, called Kelly's comments dangerous.

"It's irresponsible and dangerous, especially when white supremacists feel emboldened, to make fighting to maintain slavery sound courageous," she said in a tweet.

Tensions over the Civil War legacy peaked in August when extreme-right demonstrators and counter-protesters clashed in Charlottesville, Virginia, sparked by a white nationalist rally opposing the removal of a Lee statue.

Heather Heyer, 32, was killed and 19 others were injured when 20-year-old James Fields allegedly drove into a crowd of protesters.

President Donald Trump drew widespread condemnation when he suggested there was blame "on both sides," and that there were "very fine people" among the white supremacist demonstrators.

He has since condemned the removal of Confederate statues as "ripping apart" US culture and history.

Kelly spent nearly four decades in the Marine Corps, retiring at the rank of general, and is considered Trump's closest White House aide.

Normally averse to public commentary, Kelly last week delivered an emotive defense of the president, while lashing out at Florida congresswoman Frederica Wilson. The congresswoman accused Trump of offending the widow of a US soldier slain during an ambush in Niger.
US President Donald Trump (R) is pressuring Congress to pass a tax overhaul before the end of the year

US Republicans have delayed unveiling the Donald Trump-backed tax overhaul until Thursday, signaling potential trouble ahead as congressional leadership struggles to lock in support for the historic but controversial effort.

Congressional aides late Tuesday confirmed that the roll-out, originally slated for Wednesday, had been pushed back as GOP negotiators continued to hammer out a deal.

Lawmakers want additional time to study the measure, which includes $1.5 trillion in tax cuts that Trump has described as "rocket fuel" for the US economy.

Trump wants lawmakers to pass the plan by the end of the year to salvage a key plank of his 2017 agenda.

That is lightning speed for a mammoth bill that has been crafted in secrecy, and is being unveiled in November just weeks before Congress goes on holiday.

With its delay, uncertainty about the tax bill's fate swelled. It risks running afoul of fiscal conservative lawmakers intent on not adding to the deficit, and Senate moderates concerned with tax breaks for the wealthy.

In the midst of negotiations, House Speaker Paul Ryan told conservative groups that the GOP will preserve the top individual tax rate of 39.6 percent for the wealthiest Americans, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

Republicans had recently announced a top rate of 35 percent, but concern rose about how to maintain sufficient revenues, and to win over Republicans concerned about tax cuts for millionaires.

Trump weighed in ahead of the tax plan's release.

"The Republican House members are working hard (and late) toward the Massive Tax Cuts that they know you deserve. These will be biggest ever!" Trump tweeted.

The Republican intention to slash tax rates has been forecast to add more than $5 trillion to the debt over a decade. But with the Republican budget passed last week setting a $1.5 trillion cap, tax writers must find ways to offset the costs.

- 'Special interest ghouls' -

The plan's chief author, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, acknowledged the difficulties in balancing competing interests, but said it was worth it to seek once-in-a-generation tax reform.

"We can improve the lives of every American, either by lowering their taxes so they can keep more, simplifying this code so that the complexity's gone, or... increasing those paychecks that have been stagnant for a decade," Brady told Fox News.

The plan's basic outline is a drop in the corporate tax rate from 35 to 20 percent, a reduction in income tax for most income groups and the elimination of many loopholes and deductions.

Democrats have assailed the plan, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling it "a huge tax cut for the top one percent."

Ryan, embracing a fright-night Halloween theme, issued a statement -- prior to the delay -- urging lawmakers to act.

"Don't be spooked, and let's get this done," Ryan said, as he blasted "special interest ghouls" and Democratic scare tactics.

Tax writers have struggled to find the sweet spot that will lower taxes for most Americans and spur economic growth while not ballooning the debt.

They have considered curbing 401(k) US retirement plans as a way to pay for the cuts. But last week, Trump inserted himself into the debate, warning lawmakers against tampering with the popular tax-deferred plans.

Another proposal involves limiting several local and state deductions. But that has antagonized Republicans in high-tax states like New York and New Jersey who warned the move would hurt their constituents.

Any plan would also have to pass the US Senate, where Republicans hold a narrower majority than in the House of Representatives, before making it to Trump's desk for his signature.
Mohammadu Buhari (R) defeated Nigeria's former president Goodluck Jonathan in March 28 elections -- the first time in Nigeria's history that an opposition candidate had beaten a sitting president

Nigeria's former president Goodluck Jonathan should be given the equivalent of $2.7 million to testify at the corruption trial of his party's former spokesman, his lawyer said on Tuesday.

The money would cover costs to enable him to attend the case, Mike Ozekhome told reporters outside the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Olisa Metuh is accused of fraudulently receiving 400 million naira ($1.1 million, 945,000 euros) from Jonathan's former national security advisor, Sambo Dasuki.

The money was allegedly diverted from funds meant to procure weapons and equipment for the fight against Boko Haram and was used to fund Jonathan's failed re-election bid in 2015.

Both Metuh, a former communications chief for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Dasuki, who is being tried separately, have said Jonathan was aware of the payments.

Lawyers for Metuh have summonsed both Jonathan and Dasuki to give evidence. But both failed to appear in court last week.

Ozekhome on Tuesday said Jonathan was "not the proper person to testify in these proceedings at all".

But he said if the judge maintained he should testify, the court "should order Olisa Metuh... to deposit the sum of one billion naira" to cover Jonathan's travel costs.

The money would also cover "logistics and the security personnel that will have to accompany him" from his home in Otuoke, in southern Nigeria, to the capital, added Ozekhome.

Otuoke, in oil-rich Bayelsa state, is some 680 kilometres (422 miles) by road from Abuja, where Jonathan is known to own property.

Jonathan was defeated by Muhammadu Buhari at elections that year.

Buhari has since embarked on an anti-corruption drive to root out endemic graft in government and public service.

Critics have accused him of a political witch-hunt as only members of the PDP and Jonathan's administration have been arrested and charged.

Jonathan's name has cropped up in a number of investigations and several members of his family and close allies have been taken to court.

But he is not thought to have been formally questioned.
George Papadopoulos posing on a street in London on his LinkedIn profile

At just 29, George Papadopoulos, the Trump campaign volunteer who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian operatives, sported a relatively thin resume for an advisor to a contender for the White House.

Papadopoulos was only seven years out of university and with little professional experience when he was named in March 2016 to Republican hopeful Donald Trump's foreign policy team.

Trump, in a meeting with The Washington Post that month, described Papadopoulos as "an energy and oil consultant, excellent guy."

Nineteen months and one guilty plea later Papadopoulos is being derided by now-President Trump as a "low level volunteer" and a "proven liar."

Papadopoulos has not spoken publicly since special counsel Robert Mueller, who is looking into alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, unveiled his guilty plea on Monday.

He admitted lying to FBI agents in January 2017 about his contacts with individuals claiming ties to Russia, including one who told him that Moscow had "dirt" on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Papadopoulos is also cooperating with the investigation into Russian election meddling, catapulting him from obscure Trump campaign adviser to the center of a storm which has engulfed Washington.

Little was known about Papadopoulos when he was named a member of Trump's foreign policy team in March 2016 and the appointment did raise some eyebrows at the time.

The Washington Post, somewhat derisively, noted in a headline that Papadopoulos listed being the US representative to the 2012 Model United Nations in Geneva as among his credentials.

Other members of the advisory panel included a retired US army lieutenant general who commanded the 82nd Airborne Division and a former inspector general at the Defense Department.

- White House says role 'extremely limited' -

Papadopoulos's LinkedIn page lists him as a graduate of DePaul University in Chicago and the holder of a master's degree "with honors" from University College London.

It says he was accepted to the prestigious London School of Economics for a second master's degree, in international political economy, but does not say whether he graduated.

Following his studies in London, Papadopoulos said he worked from March 2011 to September 2015 as a research associate at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington.

That was followed by four months as an oil and gas consultant in London for a company called Energy Stream.

The Hudson Institute, in a statement, said Papadopoulous was an "unpaid intern in 2011" and "provided research assistance on a contractual basis to one of our senior fellows in 2013 and 2014."

George Papadopoulos (3rd L) during a national security meeting in Washington DC on March 31, 2016 chaired by Donald Trump

"Mr. Papadopoulos was never a salaried employee of Hudson Institute, and the Institute has had no relationship with him since 2014," it said.

Papadopoulos's LinkedIn profile includes a recommendation from Richard Weitz, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, saying "George is a very productive, outgoing, and enthusiastic member of our team."

From November 2015 to February 2016, Papadopoulos was an adviser to the presidential campaign of neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who dropped out of the race for the Republican nomination in March 2016 and endorsed Trump.

Papadopoulos joined Trump the same month and immediately began trying to organize meetings between members of the Trump campaign and Russian officials, according to a statement which accompanied his guilty plea.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders sought Monday to play down Papadopoulos's role on the campaign, saying it was "extremely limited."

"This individual was a member of a volunteer advisory council that met one time over the course of a year," she said. "I'd hardly call that some sort of regular advisor or, as you want to push, that he's like a senior member of the staff."

Sanders also portrayed Papadopoulos's efforts to organize meetings with the Russians as a failure.

"He reached out and nothing happened beyond that -- which, I think, shows, one, his level of importance in the campaign, and, two, shows what little role he had within coordinating anything officially for the campaign," she said.

Papadopoulos's LinkedIn profile remains online.

In bold letters at the top, he describes himself as "Former Advisor at Donald J Trump for President" followed by a recommendation.

"President Trump recommendation about me: "George is an oil and gas consultant; excellent guy," it says.
Bahraini King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa (C) accused Qatar of undermining the security of other GCC member states

Bahrain has decided to impose visas on travellers from Qatar, which is embroiled in a diplomatic crisis with its Arab neighbours, Bahraini state media reported Tuesday.

Under Gulf Cooperation Council agreements, citizens of countries in the six-state bloc, including both Bahrain and Qatar, can visit other GCC countries without visas.

But Bahrain's King Sheikh Hamad bin Issa Al-Khalifa on Tuesday ordered the new rules and urged authorities to strengthen security measures in the tiny Gulf kingdom, the official BNA news agency said.

Bahrain's Foreign Minister on Monday said Qatar's GCC membership should be suspended until it accepts the demands of its neighbours.

King Hamad also accused Qatar the same day of undermining the security of other GCC member states.

"So long as Qatar continues on this path, Bahrain will not attend any Gulf summit or meeting in the presence of Qatar unless it rectifies its policy and accepts the demands" of the Saudi-led bloc, he said.

GCC members Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and non-member Egypt on June 5 severed ties with Qatar over accusations of supporting extremism and being too close to Shiite rival Iran, charges Doha has denied.

GCC leaders are scheduled to meet before the end of the year, but the months-long crisis could see the bloc's annual meeting postponed or cancelled.

The GCC also includes Oman and Kuwait.
Representatives of the Syrian government and rebel groups, along with other international officials, take part in the talks in Astana, Kazakhstan

Russia, Turkey and Iran pledged Tuesday in Kazakhstan to bring the Syrian regime and its opponents together for a "congress" to help nudge peace efforts towards a more lasting political settlement.

A joint statement released by Russia and Iran, who support the regime, and Turkey, which backs the rebels, referred to an "initiative of Russia" to put Syrian government representatives and opposition groups face-to-face.

A statement on the Russian foreign ministry website on Tuesday listed 33 Syrian organisations invited to a "Congress of Syrian National Dialogue" in the Russian city of Sochi on November 18.

The proposal was one of the few notable outcomes from the seventh round of talks on Syria held in the Kazakh capital Astana, which are widely viewed as Moscow's attempt to stamp its imprint on a settlement for Syria.

Russia's chief negotiator for Syria, Aleksandr Lavrentyev, urged opposition factions to "participate and present their positions" in the meeting that he said would touch on constitutional reform.

But Lavrentyev could not confirm that the United Nations and its Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura would take part in the Sochi meeting, despite continuing negotiations.

"We want to emphasise that this event should be part of the international community's efforts to find effective mechanisms for political settlement," Lavrentyev said.

Damascus's delegate, Bashar al-Jaafari, right, at the Astana talks

But representatives of the Syrian opposition in Astana cast doubt on the plan.

Yehya al-Aridi, a spokesman for the Syrian opposition, called the suggestion "a jump in the air to another place" and said the congress risked sending "a fake message" on Syria.

"We told Russia, 'First stop killing our children'," said another rebel representative, Yasser Abdelrahim, who brandished what appeared to be photos of dead children at the plenary session in Astana.

The Astana talks that began in January have run parallel to negotiations taking place in Geneva with the backing of the United Nations, and the congress plan appears to be Moscow's attempt to force the pace in a bid for a political settlement.

Speaking Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov credited the Astana negotiations with waking up a "dozing" Geneva process.

Nevertheless, Lavrov said there had been a recent "slowing in the efforts made as part of the Geneva process."

"We believe it is necessary not to hesitate but rather to seize the initiative," he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Tehran on Wednesday for talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, the Kremlin has confirmed.

- Turkey's 'occupation' -

Recent rounds of talks in Kazakhstan have focused on ironing out the details of a Russia-led plan establishing four "de-escalation" zones in Syria.

The plan was first tabled in Astana in May to minimise fighting between government forces and moderate rebel factions and improve civilians' access to aid.

The fourth and final zone to be established was the thorniest, taking in the northern province of Idlib where Iran and Turkey are viewed as having competing interests.

In Astana, Syrian government negotiator Bashar al-Jaafari denounced Turkey's presence in the province and accused Ankara of cooperating with extremist groups.

"We have emphasised that we see the presence of Turkish armed forces in Idlib as an act of occupation," al-Jaafari said.

- Concern over 'de-escalation' zones -

The zones were initially credited for bringing about a significant reduction in fighting.

But international aid organisations say they are failing to curb a recent uptick in violence which has significantly worsened humanitarian conditions in Syria.

The International Rescue Committee in the Middle East released a statement Monday that said civilian safety had "not improved with the establishment of these so-called de-escalation areas."

It said the situation in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta, covered under the zones plan, is particularly dramatic, with the area facing "a malnutrition crisis".

"Air attacks, as well as the impact of fighting between groups, has made it harder for food and medicine to get in," said Tom Garofalo, director of the group's public affairs.

Lavrentyev had described the situation in Eastern Ghouta as "satisfactory" on the first day of taks in Astana.

"Humanitarian aid is able to arrive," he said.

The multi-sided Syrian war that began with anti-government protests in March 2011 has claimed more than 330,000 lives.
US President Donald Trump has hit back after the unveiling of three explosive indictments against former campaign aides

A wave of indictments has undercut Donald Trump's attempts to paint allegations of collusion with Russia in his election as a media invention, with the White House admitting the probe is rattling the president.

Trump counterpunched in typical fashion Tuesday, a day after it was revealed that one of his campaign aides had admitted meeting Russians to get dirt on Hillary Clinton, and then lying about it to the FBI.

"The Fake News is working overtime," tweeted Trump, who has long pursued a strategy of deflect and deny -- both as president and during his career as a bareknuckle business tycoon.

"I hope people will start to focus on our Massive Tax Cuts for Business (jobs) and the Middle Class (in addition to Democrat corruption)!"

Forget the Kremlin conspiracies, Trump argues, countering with allegations that Democrats are trying to relitigate their shock defeat, the media is biased and the Washington establishment is trying to hobble his agenda.

But beyond Trump's stonewalling, the White House's defense has subtly shifted from outright denial to containment.

- 'Marginal figure' -

Rather, they state George Papadopoulos -- the aide who admitted meeting Russian interlocutors -- was a "marginal" figure, a "volunteer" or "young."

Any contacts Papadopoulos had with the Kremlin or their cut outs were unofficial, White House press secretary Sanders Huckabee Sanders insisted.

That theory will likely be tested when the investigation, as seems likely, turns to Trump's son Donald Jr., who has already released emails showing he welcomed any "dirt" the Russians gleaned on Clinton.

"Trump, in short, had on his campaign at least one person, and allegedly two people, who actively worked with adversarial foreign governments in a fashion they sought to criminally conceal from investigators," said Susan Hennessey and Benjamin Wittes of the influential Lawfare blog.

"The release of these documents should, though it probably won't, put to rest the suggestion that there are no serious questions of collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government."

Despite Monday's indictment of his former campaign chief Paul Manafort and Papadopoulos' admission, Trump's administration is still trying to keep the focus on his upcoming tax reforms.

Robert Mueller in 2013, when he was head of the FBI

But Sanders' efforts to set the agenda in the regular White House media briefing soon came unstuck when it came to taking reporters' questions which were dominated by the Russia probe.

And inside his White House, Robert Mueller's special investigation is as all-consuming as it was the day in May when junior aides looked up at their TV screens in horror to learn of his appointment to lead the Russia probe.

Senior officials have been forced to "lawyer-up." They worry their colleagues or former colleagues may be informants and they spend an inordinate amount of time managing the crisis.

"We're in great hopes that it wraps up," his chief of staff John Kelly said in an interview on Fox News.

- Weight on shoulders -

Even Trump himself appears all-consumed.

"It is very distracting to the president, as it would be to any citizen," admitted Kelly.

"To be investigated for something, while at the same time trying to carry the weight of what being president of the United States means on his shoulders."

Kelly acknowledged that the latest developments in the Russia inquiry were the first thing they talked about most mornings.

"Generally in the morning when we first talk, it will be about these kind of things... before we get down to business."

Trump's approval ratings remain dire -- 33 percent according to a recent Gallup poll.

And while Republican lawmakers have not publicly criticized Trump over the indictments, neither have they appeared on television to support him.

If Mueller's investigation is allowed to continue, Trump's rhetoric may be further tested by political and legal realities.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Maxwell Sibanda, has received responses of questions sent to Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook. Find below some excerpts of the interview with the Facebook spokesperson.Q: How safe are Facebook users given that government will be tightening its grip through introduction of new cyber laws?A: Protecting the security of people on Facebook and the privacy of their information is hugely important to us. We do not provide any government organisation with direct access to our servers. We require governments to follow our published guidelines for requesting information from us.Q: What is your policy in terms of those who use your platform to abuse others; that is, the use of hate language?A: Our Community Standards prohibit hate speech, terrorism, specific threats of violence and bullying. As our platform grows, we keep investing in our teams and work with carefully selected and reputable partners to make sure that we apply these standards consistently and effectively.People are who they say they are on Facebook, unlike other places on the Internet.People use their names on Facebook, not random screen names or Internet handles. This means people know who they are communicating with and can feel comfortable sharing and connecting.People are also more responsible on Facebook because they can't hide behind a fake name and troll other people -t hey have to stand behind what they post and say.While we work hard to remove hate speech, we also give you tools to avoid distasteful or offensive content. Every week, our community reports millions of pieces of content to us for possibly violating our Community Standards. To speed up our process of reviewing those reports, we recently announced that we are adding an additional 3 000 content reviewers to our existing 4 500 reviewers, nearly doubling our existing team.Q: How are you dealing with people who create fake accounts?A: As part of our mission to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together, online safety is important to us.We allow people to use Facebook to challenge ideas and raise awareness about important issues, but we will remove content that is reported to us and violates our Community Standards, which includes amongst others bullying, hate speech and fake accounts.Misrepresenting yourself on Facebook is against our policies, and we have a dedicated team that's tasked with helping to detect and block these kinds of scams. To help prevent fake profiles, we have built automated systems over the years that use machine learning and other sophisticated techniques to help address scams, spam, phishing and malicious accounts, including profiles that might be impersonating someone else. We recently improved its measures against fake Facebook profiles, and a team is dedicated to detect and block those accounts.Q: How are you dealing with fake news and those who spread it?A: We take misinformation seriously. People want accurate news on Facebook - and we want that too. We've been working on this problem for a long time - and will continue. Fake news isn't new - and everyone has a responsibility to do their part.We take this responsibility seriously. We're testing several ways to make it easier to report a hoax if you see one on Facebook, which you can do by clicking the upper right hand corner of a post.We've also found that a lot of false news is financially motivated. So we're doing several things to reduce the financial incentives.The goal is to empower people to identify misleading news content with an educational, in-product communication from Facebook and send a strong signal that we are against false news.Q: What is your policy in terms of protecting users from government security agencies?A: Protecting the security of people on Facebook and the privacy of their information is hugely important to us. We do not provide any government organisation with direct access to our servers. We require governments to follow our published guidelines for requesting information from us.Q: How do you control Cyber-bullying?A: Our standards prohibit the posting of content that bullies or harasses, and we maintain a robust reporting infrastructure that leverages two billion people who use our site to keep an eye out for offensive or potentially dangerous content. We allow you to speak freely on matters and people of public interest, but remove content that appears to purposefully target private individuals with the intention of degrading or shaming them when reported to us.Q: How do you control nudity?A: It is not always easy to find the right balance between enabling people to express themselves while maintaining a comfortable experience for our global and culturally diverse community of many different ages, but we try our best. We also have to take into account that we have young people on our platform.Q: Do you allow advertising on your platforms? What is your policy?A: In order to maintain a safe and respectful community on Facebook, we have global Advertising Policies that describe what ads are and are not allowed on Facebook. When an ad is submitted, it goes through an extensive review process. If an ad is submitted that violates these policies, the ad will be rejected by our team.Q: Do you sometimes get lawsuits from those abused through you network?A: This isn't something we can or would discuss.Q: Have there ever been any prosecutions of those with fake accounts?A: Again, this isn't something we can discuss, however as mentioned, Community Standards and online safety is extremely important to us at Facebook and will continue to be - we always want people to feel welcome, safe and empowered when using the platform.Q: How many users are there in Zimbabwe?A: We don't reveal figures for Zimbabwe, however what we can say is that since 2015, the number of people connected to Facebook across the continent has increased by 42 percent to over 170 million monthly active people, of which 94 percent come back on mobile.Sub-Saharan AfricaTotal Daily Active People: 49 millionMobile: 48 millionTotal Monthly Active People: 101 millionMobile: 98 million.Q: How does Facebook make its money as a business?A: Facebook makes the majority of its revenue from advertising. You can find the latest information on our financials and revenues on our Investor Relations site. What this means is that we're in the business of growing our advertising partners businesses - we want to be the best dollar and minute they spend. Our success depends upon driving business results for our clients.
George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign adviser seen here in a picture posted on his LinkedIn profile, has pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI about his contacts with Kremlin-linked figures

Between March and September 2016, members of the campaign team of presidential candidate Donald Trump held a series of meetings with Russian officials and representatives, the timeline of which is now at the center of the investigation by special prosecutor Robert Mueller.

Here is the sequences of those contacts as outlined in court documents released on Monday:

March 2016: Lobbyist Paul Manafort joins the campaign of presidential candidate Donald Trump. During the preceding decade, Manafort is accused of laundering 18 million dollars amassed through his work for ousted pro-Russian Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovich.

Early March 2016: George Papadopoulos, a young and largely unknown London-based former advisor to presidential candidate Ben Carson, learns he is being named a foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign team.

March 14: Papadopoulos meets in Italy with a "professor" who claims to have an inside track to the Russian authorities.

March 19: John Podesta, campaign manager for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, has his email server hacked. According to US intelligence agencies, thousands of emails are then copied by the Russian secret service. These emails, which contain often embarrassing information, are leaked in early October, just ahead of the November 8 election.

March 24: Papadopoulos meets again with the "professor" in London, as well as with a woman who presents herself as the niece of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

March 31: Papadopoulos attends a national security meeting presided by Trump, during which he boasts of being able to set up a meeting between Putin and Trump.

April 18: Papadopoulos begins a series of email exchanges and Skype calls with a person in Moscow closely associated with the Russian foreign ministry.

April 26: Papadopoulos meets again with the "professor" in London who says he has "dirt" on Hillary Clinton.

April 27: in a speech at the Mayflower hotel in Washington, Tump promises to "ease tensions" with Russia. The Russian ambassador to Moscow, Sergei Kislyak, is present in the room.

May 2016: Manafort takes over the running of the Trump of the campaign.

May 4: Papadopoulos' contact in Moscow sends an email saying that the Russian foreign ministry is "open to cooperation".

May 18: James Clapper, director of US national intelligence, reveals his concerns about the risk of cyber-attacks in the election campaign.

June 2016: Briton Rob Goldstone, a friend of the Trump family, exchanges emails with Donald Trump Jr, the candidate's eldest son, saying he has information that would be damaging to Clinton that was provided by Yuri Chaika, the Russian attorney general.

June 9: Donald Trump Jr and Jared Kushner, the candidate's son-in-law, meet in Trump Tower, New York, with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, who they understand to be representing the Russian government and who claims she can provide damaging information about Clinton. The family later claim the meeting was brief and yielded nothing of value.

June 14: CrowdStrike, an American cybersecurity company, reveals that two hacker groups, Fancy Bear and Cozy Bear, have hacked Democratic party computers. CrowdStrike says these groups are linked to the Russian intelligence services.

July 2016: The FBI opens a secret investigation after US intelligence agencies report intensive communications between Trump aides and Russians.

July 7: Carter Page, another Trump campaign adviser, gives a speech in Moscow that is particularly favorable to the Kremlin. Later, on the fringes of the Republican National Convention, Page and another adviser, J.D. Gordon, meet Russian ambassador Kislyak.

July 22: WikiLeaks starts putting out emails stolen from the Democratic Party computer server.

July 27: in a speech, Donald Trump publicly calls on Russia to "find the 30,000 emails that are missing."

August 4 2016: CIA head John Brennan warns that Russian interference in the US elections would have "serious consequences."

August 15: Papadopoulos' superior in the campaign encourages him to go to Moscow for a confidential meeting. In the end, the trip does not take place.

August 19: Manafort is forced to step down as campaign chairman after reports emerge of payments from pro-Russian groups in Ukraine.

September 8: Senator Jeff Sessions, who will be go on to serve as Trump's attorney general, receives Russian ambassador Kislyak in his office.

October 7: WikiLeaks starts publishing Podesta's hacked emails.

November 8: Donald Trump is elected 45th president of the United States.

January 27, 2017: Papadopoulos is questioned by the FBI, and makes false statements about his interactions with the Russians

July 27: He is arrested by the FBI at Dulles Airport in Washington

October 4: He pleads guilty to making false statements
Madagascar's plague outbreak is unusual as it has affected urban areas increasing the risk of transmission

A plague outbreak that has claimed 128 lives in Madagascar has slowed down, health authorities on the island nation said Tuesday, citing a decline in the numbers of the infected and dying.

"There is an improvement in the fight against the spread of the plague, which means that there are fewer patients in hospitals," Dr. Manitra Rakotoarivony, Madagascar's director of health promotion, told local radio.

"There are almost no more deaths due to the plague... in recent days," he added.

The highly contagious plague has caused alarm across the poor Indian Ocean island since August, spreading to the capital Antananarivo and other cities.

The plague has infected more than 1,130 people and forced the closure of schools, universities and a ban on public gatherings.

Students from private schools in Antananarivo resumed classes on Monday despite the education ministry suggesting postponing the start of the school year until November 6.

Health checkpoints are in place across the country, with passengers travelling on buses and taxis needing to pass a check with a thermometer.

Banks and schools have a similar check, and the trade of infrared thermometers has soared, with prices of 100,000 to 220,000 ariary (27-60 euros, $31-$69).

The current outbreak is unusual as it has affected urban areas increasing the risk of transmission, according to the World Health Organization.

WHO has delivered 1.2 million doses of antibiotics to fight the disease while the Red Cross has been training hundreds of volunteers on the island to publicise preventative measures.

Plague bacteria develops in rats and is carried by fleas.

In humans, the pneumonic version is transferred through coughing and can be fatal within 72 hours.

Most of the victims recorded in Madagascar have been infected with the pneumonic form. The bubonic form is less dangerous.

Both plagues can be cured using antibiotics if given quickly.
Kanye West's last major public appearance came last December when he unexpectedly showed up at Trump Tower

Rap superstar Kanye West is back nearly a year after suffering a breakdown -- making a brief musical appearance in which he appears to keep his feud with Taylor Swift alive.

West, a once omnipresent celebrity with a prolific media presence and high-profile marriage to Kim Kardashian, abruptly ended a tour and was hospitalized in November 2016 after unusual rants on stage.

Making his most visible appearance this year, West contributed a verse on a song released Tuesday by Cyhi The Prynce, an Atlanta rapper whom West earlier signed to his label imprint.

The song, "Dat Side," expounds on the perils of fame and hits back at critics, with West speaking of being African-American in his affluent Los Angeles neighborhood.

"Neighbors said they think I gave the neighborhood a black eye," the 40-year-old father of two raps.

He also appears to reference his ongoing rift with Swift. In his 2016 song "Famous," West boasts that the pop star may have sex with him as he takes credit for her celebrity -- a reference to how he disrupted her at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.

Swift voiced anger at the lyric and hit back in "Look What You Made Me Do," a vindictive track released in August.

West on the latest track references the name of the controversial song as he raps: "The people claim to know you... get famous on you / Then they go and blame it on you / You just good, they can't ignore you."

West's last major public appearance following his hospitalization came in December when he unexpectedly showed up at Trump Tower in New York to meet then president-elect Donald Trump -- whose aides said he was mulling an official role for the rapper.
In addition to spending $300 million to upgrade its facilities, ExxonMobil will also have to pay a 2.5 million civil penalty

ExxonMobil will spend $300 million to upgrade eight US chemical facilities and resolve allegations it spewed excess emissions of benzene and other dangerous chemicals into the air, US regulators announced Tuesday.

The US petroleum giant will install new pollution controls and monitoring equipment at plants in Texas and Louisiana, according to a consent decree announced by the Justice Department, the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.

ExxonMobil also will pay a $2.5 million civil penalty.

"This settlement will improve air quality in Texas and Louisiana by eliminating thousands of tons of harmful air pollution each year," said acting assistant attorney general Jeffrey Wood of the Justice Department's environment and natural resources division.

The settlement comes after regulators charged that ExxonMobil failed to properly operate and monitor industrial flares, leading to excess emissions from the units, the Justice Department said in a news release.

Industrial flares are used at such chemical sites to burn off excess chemicals. Well-run flares do better at combusting harmful pollutants, such as benzene, a human carcinogen, and volatile organic compounds, which can exacerbate asthma and other respiratory ills.

As part of the settlement, ExxonMobil will upgrade flares at 26 industrial flares at the Texas and Louisiana plants, a shift that is expected to reduce emissions of volatile organic compounds by 7,000 tons a year and toxic air pollutants by 1,500 tons a year, regulators said.

The settlement requires the company to spend $1 million on a project to plant trees as a buffer to airborne pollutants.
Men identified by Syrian Democratic forces as US special operations forces ride in the back of a pickup truck in the village of Fatisah in the northern Syrian province last year

Pentagon officials scrambled Tuesday to clarify how many US troops are in Syria after a general put the number at a "little over 4,000" -- far higher than previous tallies.

"I think it's a little over 4,000 US troops in Syria right now that are supporting efforts against," the Islamic State group, Army Major General James Jarrard told Pentagon reporters in a briefing about the anti-IS fight in Iraq and Syria.

When pressed on the issue, Jarrard backtracked. For months, the official number has only been 503.

"I'm sorry. I misspoke there. There are approximately 500 troops in Syria," he said.

But that number is not accurate either. It refers to what the military calls the "force management level" -- a bare minimum that does not include certain categories of personnel, such as when incoming and outgoing units temporarily overlap in the country.

A US official told AFP on condition of anonymity the actual number currently is more than 1,000.

And in Iraq, the official US presence is 5,262 -- but again officials acknowledge a bigger footprint.

The precise numbers stem from the Barack Obama era, when the former president wanted to keep the US presence in Iraq and Syria down.

Under President Donald Trump, battlefield commanders have been given greater flexibility to flow troops across the region, making it harder to track figures.
Colin Stretch, General Counsel of Facebook, Twitter's Acting General Counsel Sean Edgett, and Richard Salgado, information security director at Google(from Left), testified before a Senate committee on October 31, 2017

American internet giants told Congress Tuesday they were committed to cracking down on fake news operations on their platforms like the ones Russians conducted to meddle in last year's US presidential elections.

A day after bombshell indictments in a US probe of Moscow's election interference and possible coordination between President Donald Trump's campaign and Russia, Facebook,Google and Twitter sought to assure concerned lawmakers that they were taking necessary steps to rid their platforms of disinformation, propaganda and provocation.

In their testimony, the social media companies revealed startling new data showing many more millions of Americans were exposed to the fake news than previously thought.

The new information gives the broadest picture yet of the Russian effort to spread discord across US society.

"We are deeply concerned about all of these threats," Facebook general counsel Colin Stretch told the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism.

"That foreign actors, hiding behind fake accounts, abused our platform and other internet services to try to sow division and discord -- and to try to undermine our election process -- is an assault on democracy, and it violates all of our values."

The closely-watched hearing comes as the first charges in a US probe into Russian meddling reverberated through Washington.

One of three unsealed indictments brought by US special prosecutor Robert Mueller revealed early contacts between Kremlin-linked figures and a former advisor of Trump's campaign.

In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov insisted the US accusations of election-meddling were being made "without one piece of evidence."

- Staying ahead of threats -

Testimony by the three companies, whose executives face more congressional questioning Wednesday, shows that Russian activities were far greater than they had previously reported.

Twitter has found that nearly 37,000 automated "bot" accounts with Russian links generated 1.4 million tweets that were seen by a potential 288 million people in the three months before the November 8, 2016 presidential election, the company said.

Twitter's acting general counsel Sean Edgett acknowledged that despite improvements that have helped the company identify and suppress malicious automated and human-generated activity, "we will need to evolve to stay ahead of new tactics."

"We agree that we must do better to prevent it," he added.

Facebook testified that some 126 million US users, a potentially huge portion of the voting public, may have seen stories, posts or other content from Russian sources.

Russian fake-news operations were able to reach millions of Americans in an effort to spread discord across US society using the networks of Google, Facebook and Twitter.

"Foreign governments like Russia -- in the 2016 election cycle -- were deeply involved in manipulating popular social media websites with misinformation to sow discord among Americans," Senator Lindsey Graham, the subcommittee's chairman, said in a statement.

He said social media manipulation by terror networks and foreign governments is "one of the greatest challenges to American democracy" and national security.

Analysts say Russia's social media interference was part of a broader effort to help Trump defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Some lawmakers sounded exasperated about the extent of the meddling, conducted in part by "troll armies" like the Russia-based Internet Research Agency.

"What is really staggering, and hard to fully comprehend, is how easily and successfully they turned modern technologies to their advantage," Senator Dianne Feinstein said.

All three executives faced intense questioning about how they will counter such operations.

Google's information security director Richard Salgado said users next year will be able to learn the source of each political ad on YouTube with a single click on an icon above the ads.

"We are committed to doing our part," Salgado said.

- Twitter blocking Russian media -

But the social media firms face the difficult challenge of keeping their platforms open, in order to avoid accusations of censorship and bias, and not becoming the curators of truth in society.

The trio has already begun taking measures to try to screen out manipulative Russian content.

Researchers have identified efforts in the past year that aimed to make white Americans angry at blacks, to hurt the image of feminists, and other such targeting that may have hurt Clinton and helped Trump.

Twitter announced last week it would no longer accept advertising from Russia Today and Sputnik, two Russian government-backed media groups that allegedly hone their stories and news placement for political impact.

Facebook's Stretch said the threat was of a global magnitude.

Asked by Graham whether he believed countries like Iran or North Korea could launch similar social media campaigns of misinformation, Stretch noted it was "certainly" possible.

"The internet is borderless," he said.
French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian defended the nuclear deal saying it "removes the possibility for Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon"

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Tuesday he will soon travel to Iran to prepare a visit by President Emmanuel Macron and raise concerns about Tehran's missile programs and regional role.

The visit comes as France is hoping to salvage the nuclear deal reached between Iran and world powers after President Donald Trump refused to certify the agreement, leaving its fate to Congress.

Speaking to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, Le Drian again defended the nuclear deal saying it "removes the possibility for Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon."

"But that does not prevent us from being firm and demanding on the other issues" such as Iran's missile program and it regional activities, he said.

Iran has been criticised for providing military backing for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and support to Shiite rebels in Yemen as well as Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

Le Drian said he would raise those concerns during his visit expected to take place during the second half of November.

Macron would be the first French president to visit Iran since 1976, but the foreign minister did not give dates for that trip.
Reunions of separated families on the Korean peninsula have been suspended since October 2015

The European Union and Japan asked the United Nations on Tuesday to condemn North Korea for gross human rights violations, drawing a link between severe hunger endured by North Koreans and Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programs.

After the death of US student Otto Warmbier, a draft resolution also said North Korea must provide detained foreign nationals with access to consular services and allow them to communicate with their families.

The measure was presented to the General Assembly's human rights committee which is expected to vote on the text in the coming weeks.

North Korea conducted its sixth nuclear test this year and test-fired a series of advanced missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, even as 18 million North Koreans, or 70 percent of the population, are struggling with food shortages.

The draft resolution condemns North Korea "for diverting its resources into pursuing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles over the welfare of its people," according to the draft text obtained by AFP.

Over half of North Korea's population face food shortages and nearly a quarter suffer chronic malnutrition, according to UN findings cited in the proposed measure.

The draft resolution "condemns the long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights" in North Korea, and said those violations have led to severe hunger and malnutrition.

It expresses "very serious concerns" that Pyongyang has carried out torture, summary executions, arbitrary detention and abductions of foreign nationals within and outside its territory.

Warmbier, a 22-year-old student, died in June just days after he was released by Pyongyang and sent home in a coma following his arrest in January 2016 while visiting the North as a tourist.

His parents have said their son showed signs of torture, including teeth that appeared to have been "rearranged," and hands and feet that were disfigured.

In February, the half-brother of North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-Nam, was killed with the poisonous nerve agent VS while waiting a crowded airport in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur.

The draft resolution recalled that all UN member-states are barred from providing work permits to North Korean nationals in line with a Security Council resolution.

It also expressed concern that reunions of separated families on the Korean peninsula have been suspended since October 2015.
CAIRO (AP) - Egyptian state security prosecutors have extended the pre-trial detention of a young man arrested on charges of "promoting deviance" after fans waved rainbow flags at a rock concert last month.

Lawyer Hoda Nasrallah says Monday that the hearing for her client, Ahmed Alaa, took place a day earlier. The case involves another young defendant, Sarah Hegazy, whose detention has already been extended until Nov. 13.

The two were arrested shortly after the Sept. 22 concert. Rights advocates say some 70 individuals have been caught up in the sweep since then.

Homosexuality is not explicitly prohibited by law in Egypt, although gay men are often arrested on other charges.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos is being honored this week at the U.S. university where he earned degrees in business and economics.

Santos will be at the University of Kansas on Tuesday to receive an honorary degree and speak at a public event.

Santos won last year's Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end his country's civil war after five decades of bloodshed. The conflict left more than 200,000 dead.

University of Kansas Chancellor Douglas Girod described Santos as an "inspirational leader."

Santos was born in Bogota, Colombia, and arrived at the University of Kansas in 1969. After graduating, he studied at the London School of Economics and Harvard University. He last visited the University of Kansas in 2012, when he received a distinguished alumni award.
News / Press Release

by PDP

The #OneLove campaign is expected to reach its peak this week with a record high of voter registration numbers expected in Harare East as a result.The #OneLove campaign is an encouragement to show some love for one's country by contributing through the ballot.An individual who loves their country ensures a good leadership is in place to take care of the governance issues of the day.Zimbabwe has been subjected to bad governance by ZANUPF since 1980 as a result the nation has been in a permanent fudge status quo straddling from one crisis to another.The #OneLove phrase also captures the idea of working together of political parties in the MDC Alliance against the tyranny and dictatorship of Mugabe and ZANUPF.It is a campaign which was initiated by People's Democratic Party President Tendai Biti in Harare East recently.The campaign is currently running in Harare East together with MDC-T Youth Assembly Secretary General Lovemore Chinoputsa in an endeavour to increase the number of voters in the constituency.The campaign is expected to spread to other parts of the capital and ultimately the whole country.In the past few days the #OneLove campaign has conducted door to door voter mobilisation in Harare East with the #OneLove frontman President Biti leading from the front.During this exercise the #OneLove team unearthed serious voter rigging shenanigans initiated by Terence Mukupe of ZANUPF who bused young people from Caledonia and forged Harare East addresses for them.The People's Democratic Party is of the view that this is just a tip of an iceberg many other rigging acts will be unearthed.This week, the #OneLove campaign will this week increase activity including a flier distribution targeting 30 000 households as well as a car rally which will cover most roads in Harare East.One Love, show some love for your country through your vote.Together Another Zimbabwe is Possible
Long after the Equifax breach was announced, people were still struggling to freeze their credit reports as credit bureau websites failed, lured people to look-alike products or even redirected visitors to download malicious software.

But that's just the start of the gauntlet people may have to run to protect their financial lives.

The Equifax hack exposed the names, addresses, birthdates and Social Security numbers of up to 145.5 million Americans. Drivers license information for 10.9 million people was also exposed, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

FILE - This April 2017 file photo provided by NerdWallet shows Liz Weston, a columnist for personal finance website NerdWallet.com. (NerdWallet via AP, File)

This is the sensitive, private information that's used to establish your identity, which is why freezing your credit reports - as important as that is - won't be enough.

Credit freezes won't prevent criminals from taking over credit, bank, retirement and investment accounts, says security expert Avivah Litan with Gartner Research. Thieves also could use the purloined information to snatch your tax refund or mess with your Social Security benefits. Your email, phone, shopping and cloud-based storage accounts aren't safe, either.

Here are the cybersecurity steps you should take now:

MAKE SURE ALL OF YOUR FREEZES ARE IN PLACE

You need to set up credit freezes separately at each of the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) as well as with Innovis, a lesser-known bureau, and ChexSystems, a database that banks use to track people who mishandle their accounts. Banks and lenders that can't access your reports are much less likely to allow criminals to set up phony accounts in your name. Keep track of the personal identification numbers you're issued, since you'll need those to lift the freezes if you apply for credit or financial accounts.

SET UP TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION IF YOU CAN

Two-factor security requires something you know, typically a password, along with something you have, such as a code texted to your phone or generated by an authentication app. (Security experts including Litan recommend using an app since criminals have started taking over cell phone accounts to circumvent two-factor verification by text.) Yes, two-factor authentication is a hassle, and no, it's not foolproof, but it creates another barrier between your accounts and the criminally inclined. Typically, once you set it up, you'll have to use it only if you try to sign in with an unrecognized device or after a set amount of time.

Two-factor security is a must for your password manager, your email and any cloud-based storage account including DropBox and Evernote. Consider setting it up for shopping sites, such as Amazon, and your social media accounts. Incredibly, not all financial institutions offer this (they should); consider whether you want to continue doing business with a company that refuses to take your security seriously.

The four big cell phone carriers don't offer it, either, which is pretty horrifying. Phone numbers are often used as a security backup, so a criminal controlling yours could reset passwords on many of your accounts.

FILE YOUR TAXES EARLY

It's pretty lame that the only thing you can do to thwart thieves from ginning up a phony tax return is to file your legitimate one as soon as possible after the IRS begins accepting them. Right now, that's all you can do. People who have already been victims are issued a special code they can use in the future, but a pilot program offering codes to other taxpayers hasn't been extended. The IRS will start processing returns Jan. 22. Employers don't have to send out the W-2 forms most of us need until Jan. 31.

CREATE A 'MY SOCIAL SECURITY' ACCOUNT

Again, you're trying to get there before the evildoers. Setting up online access to your Social Security records will help you monitor activity, such as attempts to take over your account or apply for benefits. If your credit files are frozen, you'll need to lift the freeze with Equifax - yes, that's the bureau Social Security uses to verify your identity - or set it up in person at a Social Security office. Equifax is waiving the fees to set up and lift freezes until January.

You can't make your identity hack-proof, unfortunately, any more than you can keep a determined burglar from breaking into your home. Your goal is to make the bad guys work hard enough that they'll decide to move on to an easier target.

_______

This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet .

Liz Weston is a columnist at NerdWallet, a certified financial planner and author of "Your Credit Score." Email: lweston@nerdwallet.com . Twitter: @lizweston.

RELATED LINKS:

NerdWallet: Your guide to credit locks, freezes and alerts - https://nerd.me/cybersecurity-guide

Double security: Which banks and sites support two-factor authentication? - https://twofactorauth.org

Social Security: Set up a My Social Security account - https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/
ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia's highest court says the makers of a popular podcast series do not have the right to copy audio recordings made during a murder trial by a court reporter.

The second season of the "Undisclosed" podcast featured the case of Joey Watkins, who was convicted of murder and other crimes for his role in the January 2000 slaying of Isaac Dawkins in northwest Georgia. He was sentenced to serve life plus five years in prison.

Undisclosed LLC argued the recordings are court records, and rules governing the courts provide for the right to copy court records.

Georgia Supreme Court Justice Nels Peterson wrote in an opinion published Monday that, under common law, court records include only materials filed with the court. The recordings at issue weren't filed with the court.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court is leaving in place an appeals court ruling that concluded police can frisk someone they believe has a weapon.

The court declined Monday to take a case out of West Virginia in which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit concluded that an officer who makes a lawful traffic stop and has a reasonable suspicion that one of the automobile's occupants is armed may frisk that individual for the officer's protection and the safety of everyone on the scene.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, joined by attorneys general for Indiana, Michigan, Texas and Utah, had asked the court to hear the case. Morrisey said innocent gun owners have the right to carry weapons "without the fear of being unreasonably searched."
BENI, Congo (AP) - A Congo police spokesman says at least two people, a police officer and citizen, have been killed in clashes between police and protesters in eastern Congo.

Col. Pierrot Mwanamputu said the two died early Monday amid demonstrations in Goma to protest President Joseph Kabila's continued rule and the delay of elections.

The protesters are demanding that Kabila step down at the end of the year if new elections are not held.

North Kivu commissioner Gen. Nyembo Placide said investigations are underway to determine who organized the march.

Congo has seen widespread anger over Kabila's extended stay in power after his mandate ended in December and elections were delayed.

The U.S. has warned that Congo will not have the support of the international community if elections are not held in 2018.
PARIS (AP) - French feminist groups have staged a protest against a retrospective honoring director Roman Polanski at film institute La Cinematheque Francaise.

A few dozen protesters gathered near the Paris institute as the event was starting Monday night. Polanski was attending the opening.

La Cinematheque Francaise maintained its program despite criticism in the wake of allegations against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.

The institute said its role was not to moralize. The Polish-born director in the 1970s pleaded guilty to having sex in the U.S. with a 13-year-old girl whom he plied with champagne and Quaaludes.

Since Polanski fled the U.S., he has mostly lived in Paris.

An online petition calling on the institute to cancel the retrospective was signed by more than 27,000 people Monday.
OGDEN, Utah (AP) - Four Utah women who survived a mass shooting at a Las Vegas country music festival are memorializing their experiences with matching tattoos.

Laura Farthing, Shelley Burch, Lori Wilson and Alyssa Hodges took a trip to Las Vegas to enjoy the Route 91 Harvest festival earlier this month. The four women wound up being witnesses and survivors of the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.

The Route 91 tattoo design they are wearing resembles a poker chip with "10.1.17" - the date of the shooting - written in thin letters above it.

In this Monday, Oct. 16, 2017, photo, Lori Wilson's phone rests near her wrist with the Route 91 Harvest festival logo pulled up from her camera roll at Savage Tattoo in Ogden, Utah. Wilson was with her daughter and two friends when a gunman opened fire at the event in Las Vegas Oct. 1. (Sarah Welliver/Standard-Examiner via AP)

The group hadn't been friends for very long when they made the trip to the festival. Burch and Farthing met years ago, but Farthing met Wilson and her daughter, Hodges, less than a year before the trip. Burch lives in Layton, Farthing and Wilson live in the Salt Lake City area, and Hodges lives in Plain City, the Standard-Examiner reported .

The group spent their first two nights in Vegas at the front of the festival near the stage, sometimes in a VIP area. On the third night, Oct. 1, the group planned to do the same.

But Farthing and Burch decided to stay toward the back of the general admission area, and Hodges and Wilson moved to a VIP tent just to the right of the stage.

Moments into Jason Aldean's fourth or fifth song, Farthing got a text from Wilson: They were leaving the VIP area and heading back to the hotel. Despite Hodges' fandom for Aldean, she was not feeling well and needed to leave.

As their Uber drove off, Wilson and Hodges recalled hearing a rapid series of pops.

Meanwhile, Farthing and Burch heard what sounded like fireworks from their spot at the back of the outdoor venue. Burch remembered feeling annoyed - a rude distraction from a great performance.

Then it happened again.

The third time, the panic started.

Farthing looked toward the stage and watched as people ducked for cover.

Then Burch grabbed Farthing's hand and told her to run.

Wilson and Hodges couldn't make sense of the popping noises from the safety of their Uber until an out-of-breath Farthing called.

"Every time Alyssa and I looked at each other that night, we started crying," Wilson said. "Three minutes would have made the difference between life and death."

Farthing and Burch ducked behind a bar, pressing themselves flat against the alcohol-soaked cement. Glass shattered around them and shrapnel hit Farthing in the leg.

"I pulled out this piece of bullet, and I don't know, I just got mad," Farthing said. "Then I realized what direction the bullets were coming from."

Burch recalled feeling frozen in that moment. All she could think about was that she hadn't talked to her two daughters in days. She wanted to tell them she loved them.

The women held onto one another, prayed and waited. The cycle of gunfire felt endless, Farthing said. Later, it was reported the shooting lasted about 11 minutes.

Sometime after 4 a.m., Burch and Farthing left the Tropicana and got outside to find the entire strip shut down.

"Everything was quiet. It was hard to be outside," Farthing said.

They reunited with Wilson and Hodges in their hotel room. Farthing realized she broke a tooth during in the chaos. Burch had a black eye from two pieces of debris that hit just below her right eyebrow.

Before they left Vegas, the four friends agreed to get tattoos.

The group went to Savage Tattoo in Ogden. Farthing saw an Instagram post that the tattoo parlor was offering free tattoos to anyone affected by the shooting.

"I've dealt with loss in my own life. As tattoo artists, doing what we love ... it's a way to give back," shop owner Dax McClellan said.

Farthing said the experience tightly bound the group. If she needs any one of her friends, she is confident they would be there in a second, she said.

"And they know I would do the same, hands down," Farthing said.

___

Information from: Standard-Examiner, http://www.standard.net

In this Oct. 16, 2017, photo, Shelley Burch, right, hugs her friend Laura Farthing at Savage Tattoo in Ogden, Utah. Burch, Farthing and two other Utah women who survived a mass shooting at a Las Vegas country music festival are memorializing their experiences with matching tattoos. (Sarah Welliver/Standard-Examiner via AP)
Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Tuesday:

1. EX-TRUMP CAMPAIGN ADVISER PLEADS GUILTY

George Papadopoulos admits lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russians - the first criminal case citing interactions between Trump campaign associates and Russian intermediaries during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl leaves the Fort Bragg courtroom facility after a sentencing hearing on Monday, Oct. 30, 2017, on Fort Bragg, N.C. Bergdahl, who walked off his base in Afghanistan in 2009 and was held by the Taliban for five years, pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. (Andrew Craft/The Fayetteville Observer via AP)

2. CRIMINAL CASES UNDERSCORE ONGOING THREAT TO TRUMP

Charges against former Trump aides, including Paul Manafort, mark a new phase in Robert Mueller's sprawling investigation into Russia and the president.

3. BOWE BERGDAHL SPEAKS AT SENTENCING HEARING

In an unexpected statement, the Army sergeant apologizes to the military personnel who were wounded searching for him after he walked off his post in Afghanistan.

4. HOW HARASSMENT SCANDAL IS SPREADING

The Netflix hit "House of Cards" is cancelled after star Kevin Spacey apologizes for allegedly assaulting an underage actor in 1986.

5. JUDGE SIDES WITH TRANSGENDER SOLDIERS

A federal judge bars Trump from changing a policy that allows transgender people to serve openly in the military.

6. KEY MILITANT TAKEN INTO CUSTODY

U.S. special operations forces capture a militant in Libya accused of playing an instrumental role in the Benghazi attacks.

7. WHAT'S AN 'OBAMACARE' CURVEBALL

In an unintended consequence of changes to the law, low-income people in about half of U.S. counties will now be able to get health insurance for free.

8. FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD MEMBER EYED FOR TOP JOB

Jerome "Jay" Powell is Trump's leading candidate to replace Janet Yellen as the head of the nation's central bank.

9. COAL ID'D AS CULPRIT

Public health experts say patient Earth is in "guarded" condition because of global warming - but recovery is possible if Earth cuts out coal.

10. WHOSE STORY HAS SHIFTED ANEW

Police in Denmark say an inventor now admits dismembering a Swedish journalist who disappeared from his home-made submarine, but still says he did not kill her.

FILE - In this June 11, 2017, file photo, Kevin Spacey arrives at the 71st annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Spacey says he is "beyond horrified" by allegations that he made sexual advances on a teen boy in 1986. Spacey posted on Twitter that he does not remember the encounter but apologizes for the behavior. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) - Colombia's Nobel Peace Prize-winning president has thanked Canadians for their support of his country's peace process.

Juan Manuel Santos was awarded the peace prize last year for his efforts to end Colombia's half century of civil conflict. He says Canada along with other nations were instrumental in maintaining the momentum behind peace talks.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said after meeting with Santos in his Parliament Hill office on Monday that Canada will provide police training and advice to support post-conflict policing efforts in Colombia

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, right, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau make their way to a bilateral meeting in Trudeau's office on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa on Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. (Fred Chartrand/The Canadian Press via AP)

Trudeau also left the door open to a possible deployment of peacekeepers to Columbia, characterizing the policing effort as a separate initiative.

The president added that he wanted to strengthen economic ties. The two nations signed a free trade agreement in 2008.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos walk through the Hall of Honour following a joint news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, left, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau shake hands as they hold a joint news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos listens to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right, respond to a question during a joint news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP)
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (AP) - Officials say a North Carolina correctional officer has died from injuries she suffered during a deadly inmate escape attempt.

Forty-nine-year-old Correctional officer Wendy Shannon died Monday and is the third person killed in the Oct. 12 incident at Pasquotank Correctional Institution.

Department of Public Safety Secretary Erik A. Hooks said in a statement, "Our hearts are broken at the passing of Officer Shannon."

Shannon had worked as a correctional officer at Pasquotank since 2013.

Thirty-five-year-old Correctional officer Justin Smith and 50-year-old Correction Enterprises manager Veronica Darden were killed and eight other prison workers were injured in the incident. Four inmates face murder charges.

Pasquotank County Sheriff Randy Cartwright has said the inmates set a fire inside a sewing plant to divert guards and apparently planned to climb over prison fences.
SEATTLE (AP) - Legendary mountain climber Fred Beckey, who wrote dozens of books and is credited with notching more first ascents than any other American mountaineer, has died. He was 94.

Megan Bond, a close friend who managed his affairs, told The Associated Press that Beckey died of natural causes in her Seattle home Monday.

"He was an extraordinary mountaineer. He also had a personality and humor that almost dwarfed the mountains around him," Bond said. "He was a brilliant writer. He was a scholar. He lived based on what was important to him, and he was not going to sell out."

FILE - In this July 26, 2016, file photo, Fred Beckey, the legendary mountain climber, visits with guests during a promotional event for "Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey," an upcoming documentary feature film about his life in Seattle. Beckey died on Monday, Oct. 30, 2017, according to Megan Bond, a close friend who managed his affairs. He was 94. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

Beckey was known as much for his eccentric personality as for his singular obsession with climbing.

He was born in Germany and immigrated to the United States as a child. His family settled in Seattle, where he got his first taste of hiking and scrambling with the Boy Scouts and later The Mountaineers club.

In 1942, he and his younger brother Helmut wowed the climbing community with an impressive second ascent of Mount Waddington in British Columbia.

He went on to accomplish hundreds of first ascents on peaks throughout the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Canada and Wyoming. In 1954, he established new routes on three of Alaska's mountains: McKinley, Deborah and Hunter. He also climbed in the Himalayas and China.

"Fred got the golden age of climbing first ascents," Alex Bertulis, a former climbing partner told the AP last year. "That will be his legacy."

He authored more than a dozen books, including the three-volume "Cascade Alpine Guide" that details hundreds of peaks in the North Cascades in Washington state.

Beckey once wrote that climbing gave him a unique sense of control over his destiny. "The exaltation one can get in the presence of mountains can be a memorable lesson in humility and an aid to self-realization," he wrote.

"Fred was a true American icon. His legacy is profound, and he has inspired countless people to explore this amazing planet," Dave O'Leske said in a statement. He directed the documentary feature film, "Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey" and spent the past decade filming Beckey.

Even in his 90s, Beckey was still plotting routes and climbing - though more slowly and with the help of a cadre of fiercely protective partners.

Bond said they were planning a trip to the Himalayas next spring and she was working on arranging porters to carry him. In recent weeks, she and others took him climbing to Squamish, British Columbia. It was logistically complicated, she said, but he was able to get about half a pitch.

With Beckey, she said, "there was always more to do."

Beckey is survived by his younger brother Helmut. Beckey will be buried in private services this weekend, Bond said. A public memorial service will be scheduled in November.

___

An earlier version of this story mispelled Beckey in the short headline.

FILE- In this July 26, 2016, file photo, legendary mountain climber Fred Beckey, second from lower left, sits next to Megan Bond, left, as they view a trailer for "Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey," an upcoming documentary feature film about his life in Seattle. Beckey died on Monday, Oct. 30, 2017, according to Bond. He was 94. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Opinion / Columnist

The outbreak of typhoid in Harare last week torched a heated debate on social media with some observers blaming the city fathers for the scourge whilst others wanted to pin it on Government. As the typhoid debate ensued, new twists emerged on the matter when the City of Harare Director of Health Services, Dr Prosper Chonzi, told a local paper that the municipality was seeking permission from Government to inoculate all residents against the medieval disease.Dr Chonzi told the paper that all along council had been dispensing the typhoid vaccine to its employees working at sewage plants but now wants to give it to all residents. The proposal to vaccinate all residents against typhoid elicited more questions than answers. If the typhoid vaccine was previously only given to sewage plant workers, why recommend it for the rest of the city? Is this a tacit admission by the MDC-T city fathers that they have turned the capital city into a huge sewerage pond in which everyone living in it has to be inoculated against medieval diseases?What is raising more stench is that council has chosen the vaccination route as a way to fight typhoid instead of prioritising the rehabilitation of its antiquated water supply infrastructure. This seems to be an admission by council that it has failed to improve the quality of water supplies in the city. But how practical is the vaccination exercise? According to Zimbabwe's 2012 census, Harare has a population of 2 123 132 people. Also a search on internet reveals that a single dose of a typhoid vaccine could costs around $200.What it means is that council requires a staggering US$425 million to inoculate all residents against typhoid. This is a lot of money that can easily be directed towards the rehabilitation of the town's obsolete water and sewer reticulation infrastructure. With the rehabilitation of Harare's Morton Jaffray water plant fraudulently pegged at $144 million, the money earmarked for the typhoid vaccination would easily be used to revamp the rest of the town's water supply system.The refurbishment of the system would improve water quality and probably eliminate the possibility of future outbreaks of primitive diseases such as typhoid. Council should also slash its wage bill, which is currently gobbling a large chunk of its revenue. Municipal salaries are way above market average, with a council senior nurse said to earn $1 350 compared to $600 paid to those at Government health institutions. The realignment of the wage bill would allow the local authority to redirect a large portion of its revenue towards service delivery thus improving water quality and foster a clean environment.Council should also realise that it would not be enough to simply inoculate residents alone as more people would trickle into Harare from rural areas or from outside the country. Without a safe water supply, these visitors would also need to be vaccinated prior to their visit. And how many from the rural areas would afford a vaccine bill of $200? Moreover, what kind of message are we sending to tourists with this typhoid vaccine narrative? How many tourists would volunteer to visit a supposedly typhoid- infested Zimbabwe? This would indeed be a blow to the country's tourism industry.Harare Municipality should therefore consider more permanent measures to eradicate the typhoid fever instead of undertaking cosmetic measures such as introducing vaccinations. A study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) titled "A study of typhoid fever in five Asian countries: Disease burden and implications for controls" noted that typhoid vaccinations have not been employed as a routine public health measure in most the typhoid-endemic countries.In this regard, the Harare Municipality could only target typhoid-prone areas such as Mbare for vaccination while it dedicates itself to wholly improving its water supply situation to fight the disease. It is also disheartening that the city fathers appear oblivious to the importance of undertaking a preventive campaign against typhoid. A clear public awareness campaign against typhoid using the media would go a long way in curbing the spread of the disease.Residents should observe the following precautions: Drink treated water from safe sources Wash hands with soap before handling foodstuffs Eat fruits and vegetables that have been washed or peeled Eat food while hot Avoid touching the face with dirty hands The MDC-T city fathers should therefore reconsider the global vaccination programme and focus more on improving water and sewer treatment infrastructure.
WASHINGTON (AP) - An arrest warrant has been obtained for actress Rose McGowan for felony possession of a controlled substance.

The felony charge stems from a police investigation of personal belongings left behind on a United flight arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport on Jan. 20. Police say the items tested positive for narcotics. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department obtained the warrant on Feb. 1

Police say they've attempted to contact McGowan so she can appear in a Loudoun County, Virginia, court. The warrant has been entered into a national law enforcement database.

FILE- In this Oct. 27, 2017, file photo, actress Rose McGowan speaks at the inaugural Women's Convention in Detroit. An arrest warrant has been obtained for McGowan for felony possession of a controlled substance. The felony charge stems from a police investigation of personal belongings left behind on a United flight arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport on Jan. 20. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

McGowan has been one of the leading voices against sexual harassment in Hollywood, and tweeted earlier this month that she was raped by a man with the initials "HW." The Hollywood Reporter said McGowan confirmed she was referring to disgraced media mogul Harvey Weinstein.
TOKYO (AP) - Tokyo police have arrested a man after finding "multiple" dismembered bodies in coolers in his apartment in a city southwest of the capital.

The 27-year-old suspect, Takahiro Shiraishi, confessed to cutting up the bodies and hiding them in cold-storage cases, covered with cat litter, a police spokesman said Tuesday.

Investigators found the bodies while searching for a 23-year-old woman who had disappeared, the spokesman said. He did not give his name, in line with police policy.

The national broadcaster NHK and other media said police believed the bodies of eight women and one man were hidden in the apartment. The missing woman is thought to be one of them.

They said the woman had contacted the man via social media seeking someone for a suicide pact.

Local media said police first found the severed heads of two victims in coolers in the apartment's entryway. The reports cited the man's neighbors as saying they had notice foul smells near the apartment.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - A Connecticut state police internal affairs investigation has cleared three troopers of wrongdoing in connection with allegations they retaliated against a protester at a sobriety checkpoint by filing bogus criminal charges, a state police union lawyer disclosed Tuesday.

The disclosure came as state police lawyers settled public records laws complaints filed by The Associated Press and Journal Inquirer. The agency agreed to release the internal affairs investigation report just before a state Freedom of Information Commission hearing officer was to start a hearing on the news organizations' complaints.

State police had refused to release the report earlier this year, citing the privacy rights of the three troopers.

Details from the investigation report were not immediately released Tuesday, and state police lawyers declined to comment. The report is expected to be released, with certain personal information redacted, within two days, but state police union attorney Mark Dumas confirmed the findings during a proceeding before the commission hearing officer.

"They were exonerated," Dumas said. "The troopers didn't do anything wrong. They were doing their jobs, and they do an excellent job."

The investigation centered on the encounter between Michael Picard, of East Hartford, and the three officers - Trooper John Barone, Master Sgt. Patrick Torneo and Sgt. John Jacobi - at a sobriety checkpoint in West Hartford on Sept. 11, 2015.

Picard and his lawyer, Joseph Sastre, disagree with the findings of the internal investigation but said they weren't surprised. They attended the Freedom of Information Commission proceeding Tuesday.

"We all should be so lucky to be in charge of investigating ourselves," Sastre said.

According to a lawsuit filed by Picard, the officers fabricated charges against him, not knowing they were being recorded by his camera after they seized it. The officers also seized Picard's legally carried pistol.

The troopers are heard, but not seen, on Picard's recording calling a Hartford police officer to see if he or she had any "grudges" against Picard, initiating an investigation of him in a police database and discussing a previous protest Picard organized, the lawsuit said.

After finding that Picard had a valid pistol permit, Barone tells the other troopers they have to "cover" themselves and either Torneo or Jacobi said "let's give him something," the lawsuit said.

The troopers wrote Picard infraction tickets for illegal use of a highway by a pedestrian and creating a public disturbance - charges that were later dropped by prosecutors.

After state police refused to release the report on its internal investigation of the encounter, the AP and Journal Inquirer appealed to the Freedom of Information Commission, arguing that citizens have the right to know whether public employees are disciplined for wrongdoing.

Picard's lawsuit accuses the three troopers of violating his First and Fourth Amendment rights by not allowing him to record the checkpoint activities with his camera and by seizing his camera without a warrant. He also accuses them of retaliating against him for exercising his constitutional rights. The troopers deny any wrongdoing.

Torneo and Jacobi remain on the state police force, while Barone has since retired.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A man sought in the fatal attempted carjacking of a University of Utah student and believed to be connected to the killing of a Colorado man was arrested Tuesday after he surrendered to authorities at a Salt Lake City library, police said.

Austin Boutain, 24, dodged a manhunt in the rugged foothills near campus for nearly 15 hours before his arrest miles away in the death of ChenWei Guo.

Guo, a 23-year-old student from China, was shot to death Monday evening during an attempted carjacking and found dead in his car in Red Butte Canyon on the edge of campus.

Austin Boutain, a suspect in Monday night's fatal shooting of University of Utah student ChenWei Guo, is led out of the University of Utah Department of Public Safety in Salt Lake City, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. Boutain surrendered to police in Salt Lake City on Tuesday after a manhunt in the foothills near the University of Utah campus. Golden police say he's a person of interest in 63-year-old Mitchell Bradford Ingle's death. (Spenser Heaps/The Deseret News via AP)

In addition, police in Golden, Colorado, have said they want to question Boutain about the killing of a 63-year-old man whose pickup truck had been driven by Boutain in Utah. The body of Mitchell Bradford Ingle was found Tuesday in his trailer home in Colorado.

Police haven't released any information about how Ingle was killed. Authorities believe Boutain and his wife were friendly with Ingle and spent some time at the trailer home but aren't sure how they met.

Kathleen E. Boutain, the suspect's wife, is also a person of interest in the Colorado case. She was in custody in Utah on unrelated drug and theft charges. She was arrested after she reported to police Monday night that her husband had assaulted her while they were camping in the canyon.

Salt Lake City Police Detective Greg Wilking said Austin Boutain apparently slipped a police containment line in the canyon after Guo was killed.

Boutain was arrested after he was spotted by a librarian at a downtown Salt Lake City library, about 4 miles away (6.44 kilometers) from the shooting scene.

The librarian alerted library security, who arrested Boutain without incident.

"He basically just turned around and surrendered," Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown said, adding later, "I think he was just acting like anyone else at the library."

Brown and University of Utah police did not have details about how Boutain evaded police or where he had been since the shooting. He was being interrogated by investigators and was expected to be formally booked into jail later in the day, police said.

Guo, one of thousands of international students at the University of Utah, was a freshman from Beijing who came to the U.S. in 2012 and dreamed of owning his own consulting company. He was studying pre-computer science.

He was a member of the Mormon church, having converted at age 16, served as a missionary in Provo and recently convinced his parents to join him, according to Steve Comrie, a leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregation that included Guo.

Guo was "a handsome man who had a quick smile," was confident in his command of English and considered a leader in the congregation, Comrie said.

Rachel Tam, a 24-year-old friend of Guo, said he would speak in a moving and powerful way about his faith.

Tam said Guo also loved to dance and wowed his friends on the dance floor with hip hop moves at a church event in August.

A lockdown at the university, which has about 32,800 students, ended early Tuesday and university officials canceled classes for the day. About 175 students had to shelter in the library Monday night because they couldn't return to their homes.

University President David W. Pershing issued a statement calling the killing a "senseless, random act of violence" and said the school would offer counseling.

An arrest record from the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office showed Kathleen Boutain was being held on suspicion of three counts, including theft by receiving stolen property. She acknowledged to police that she was traveling in a stolen vehicle that had stolen firearms, according to arrest records.

Authorities said in the records that the woman had a prescription bottle with a torn-off label that contained zolpidem - a sedative used to treat insomnia.

It wasn't immediately clear if Austin or Kathleen Boutain had attorneys. No phone numbers were listed publicly for either of them. A phone number listed for Austin Boutain's parents in Alexandria, Minnesota, rang unanswered.

His mother, Roseanne Boutain, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the family had hoped he would be quickly captured. She said her family is "heartbroken for the victims and their families. We are sending out our heartfelt and earnest prayers."

Court records show Austin Boutain had a string of arrests in Minnesota and Alabama dating back to his days as a juvenile for possessing a dangerous weapon on school property, car theft and drug offenses.

Boutain served time in state prison as recently as last spring on a charge of being a convicted sex offender and failing to properly report his whereabouts to police, court documents show.

He was sentenced to five years in prison in November 2015 and paroled in May.

Court records show he married Kathleen Boutain in March 2014 and the couple had two children.

Austin Boutain filed for divorce in January, citing his incarceration, but a judge has not yet issued a final order ending the marriage.

It wasn't clear Tuesday where the couple's children were living.

___

Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price and Brady McCombs in Salt Lake City, Regina Garcia Cano in Las Vegas, Jay Reeves in Birmingham, Alabama, Kathleen Foody in Denver, and Steve Karnowski and Doug Glass in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

An investigator emerges with evidence from a trailer in a park along Clear Creek in which the body of a 63-year-old man was found Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, in Golden, Colo. Police say that a man arrested in a fatal carjacking near the University of Utah is wanted for questioning in the death of the man in Golden. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Law enforcement search of the hills near the mouth of Red Butte Canyon, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, in Salt Lake City. A fatal carjacking attempt near the University of Utah late Monday left one student dead and touched off a campus-wide lockdown as hundreds of police officers swarmed buildings and nearby foothills and canyons in search of the suspected gunman. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

This undated photo provided by University of Utah shows ChenWei Guo, a student killed in an attempted carjacking near campus Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. Police swarmed rugged mountain foothills near the University of Utah Tuesday, Oct. 31, searching for Austin Boutain, suspected of killing Guo while on the run after another homicide in Colorado. (University of Utah via AP)

Law enforcement search the hills near the mouth of Red Butte Canyon, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, in Salt Lake City. A fatal carjacking attempt near the University of Utah late Monday left one student dead and touched off a campus-wide lockdown as hundreds of police officers swarmed buildings and nearby foothills and canyons in search of the suspected gunman. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

This undated photo provided by the Salt Lake County Sheriff's office shows Austin Boutain. Authorities are searching for Boutain, who is a suspect in the fatal shooting and attempted carjacking near the University of Utah on Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. (Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office via AP)

This undated photo provided by the Salt Lake County Sheriff's office shows Kathleen Boutain, who is wanted along with her husband, Austin Boutain, in a homicide in Golden, Colo., last week. Authorities are still searching for Austin Boutain, who is also a suspect in a fatal shooting and attempted carjacking near the University of Utah on Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. (Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Law enforcement personnel comb the hills near the mouth of Red Butte Canyon in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, in search of the gunman responsible for the shooting a University of Utah student during a fatal carjacking attempt near the University of Utah late Monday. (Ravell Call/The Deseret News via AP)

Law enforcement officials comb the hills near the mouth of Red Butte Canyon in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, in search of the person responsible for fatally shooting a University of Utah student. (Ravell Call/The Deseret News via AP)

A Law enforcement vehicle passes what is believed to be victim ChenWei Guo's car as they the continue their search for suspected murderer Austin Boutain in the mountains above the Red Butte Gardens and University of Utah Medical Center on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. (Scott G Winteron/The Deseret News via AP)

A police officer stands guard near a trailer in a park along Clear Creek in which the body of a 63-year-old man was found Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, in Golden, Colo. Police say that a man arrested in a fatal carjacking near the University of Utah is wanted for questioning in the death of the man in Golden. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Top U.S. national security officials have warned congressional Republicans and Democrats demanding a new war authorization that existing laws governing combat operations against terrorist groups are legally sufficient and that repealing them prematurely could signal the United States is backing away from the fight.

During testimony Monday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis urged Congress to tread carefully. If lawmakers are compelled to replace the post-Sept. 11, 2001, laws, the two secretaries cautioned them against imposing restrictions and conditions on American military forces that allow their enemies "to seize the initiative."

Tillerson and Mattis said President Donald Trump doesn't have permission from Congress to attack North Korea, but they indicated the U.S. Constitution gives him that power in certain circumstances where U.S. citizens and national security interests are being imminently threatened.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, right, with Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, testifies during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on "The Authorizations for the Use of Military Force: Administration Perspective" on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

The response troubled several Democrats who have expressed concerns over Trump's confrontational statements toward North Korea and its budding arsenal of nuclear weapons. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., asked if the act of possessing a nuclear weapon capable of striking the U.S. qualified as an imminent threat, but both witnesses declined to answer.

"Secretaries Tillerson and Mattis's responses to my questions about the Administration's war powers in North Korea were very worrying," Murphy said. "The fact is, no president has unlimited power to start a war without congressional approval."

Murphy and several other Democrats are planning to introduce legislation that would prohibit Trump from starting a pre-emptive war against North Korea, absent an imminent threat or without express authorization from Congress.

The testimony from Tillerson and Mattis came as the deadly ambush in Niger earlier this month is igniting a push among many lawmakers to update the legal parameters for combat operations overseas.

Roughly 800 U.S. service members are in Niger as part of a French-led mission to defeat the extremists in West Africa. There are hundreds more American forces in other African countries.

The bulk of the nearly three-hour hearing centered on arcane but crucial laws known as authorization for use of military force. One, to fight al-Qaida, was approved a week after the Sept. 11 attacks. A separate authorization for the war in Iraq approved by Congress in 2002 also remains in force.

Tillerson and Mattis said if Congress does pursue a new authorization for foes such as Islamic State militants, it's imperative the existing laws not be rescinded until a new one is fully in place. Tillerson and Mattis also said any new war authorization, like the existing ones, should not have any geographic or time restrictions so as not to tip the enemy off.

"We cannot put a firm timeline on a conflict against an adaptive enemy who would hope that we haven't the will to fight as long as necessary," Mattis said. "Instead we must recognize that we are in an era of frequent skirmishing, and we are more likely to end this fight sooner if we don't tell our adversary the day we intend to stop fighting."

A growing number of congressional Republicans and Democrats, many of whom were startled by the depth of the U.S. commitment in Niger and other parts of Africa, have been demanding a new war authorization. They've argued that the dynamics of the battlefield have shifted over the past 16 years and it's past time to replace the post-Sept. 11 authorization to fight al-Qaida with a law that reflects current threats.

Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., highlighted the fact that none of the 21 members of the committee were members of the Senate when the 2001 war authorization was approved. Flake and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., are sponsoring legislation for a new war authority for operations against the Islamic State group, al-Qaida and the Taliban.

Flake said he understood the reluctance expressed by Mattis and Tillerson not to telegraph when U.S. troops might depart a particular war zone. But he said that concern is "overwhelmed in a big way by not having Congress buy in, and us not having skin in the game."

"It simply allows us to criticize the administration, Republican or Democrat, if we don't like what they're doing because we haven't weighed in," Flake said.

U.S. troops also are battling an enemy - Islamic State militants - that didn't exist 16 years ago in a country - Syria - that the U.S. didn't expect to be fighting in. Nor did the 2001 authorization anticipate military confrontations with the Syrian government. Trump in April ordered the firing of dozens of Tomahawk missiles at an air base in central Syria, and American forces in June shot down a Syrian Air Force fighter jet.

Beyond that, Trump has approved a troop increase in Afghanistan, the site of America's longest war, and the U.S. backs a Saudi Arabia-led coalition carrying out airstrikes in Yemen.

But previous attempts to ditch the old authorization and force Congress to craft a new one have failed.

"So far, Congress has been unable to bridge the gap between those who see a new (war authorization) as primarily an opportunity to limit the president and those who believe constraining the commander in chief in wartime is unwise," said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., the committee chairman. "And unfortunately, the inability to reconcile this divide without threatening the existing authorization has allowed the status quo to prevail."

___

Associated Press writers Andrew Taylor and Josh Lederman contributed to this report.

___

Follow Richard Lardner on Twitter at http://twitter.com/rplardner

Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, testifies during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on "The Authorizations for the Use of Military Force: Administration Perspective" on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, testifies before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on "The Authorizations for the Use of Military Force: Administration Perspective" on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - Cambodia's Supreme Court on Tuesday authorized the continued detention of opposition leader Kem Sokha, who faces treason charges that critics have denounced as part of a ruling party campaign to crush political rivals before elections next year.

Sam Sokong, a lawyer for Sokha, said the Supreme Court upheld a lower court's refusal of bail on the grounds that Sokha's release would be detrimental to national security and his own safety. Sokha was not at the court hearing.

He was arrested Sept. 3 on charges of conspiring with the United States to topple the government of long-ruling Cambodian strongman Hun Sen and faces up to three decades in prison if convicted.

A supporter of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, wears party president Kem Sokha portrait poster read ing"Free" as she stands outside the Supreme Court in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the lower court's decision to continue detaining opposition leader Kem Sokha, who has been charged with treason, the latest in a series of moves to gain an advantage ahead of next year's general election. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Sokha and the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh say the accusations are false.

Rights groups and Western governments are concerned by Hun Sen's increasingly draconian measures against the media and opposition. But their ability to exercise a restraining influence has been undermined by China's greater role in Cambodia, including investment and generous financial aid.

On Nov. 16, the Supreme Court will start hearing a case that seeks the dissolution of Sokha's Cambodia National Rescue Party, the only opposition party with seats in Cambodia's parliament.

Riot police block a street near the Supreme Court in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. The Supreme Court on Tuesday uphold the lower court's decision to continue to detain opposition leader Kem Sokha who has been charged with treason, the latest in a series of moves to gain an advantage ahead of next year's general election. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)

Security stand guard outside the Supreme Court in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the lower court's decision to continue to detain opposition leader Kem Sokha, who has been charged with treason, the latest in a series of moves to gain an advantage ahead of next year's general election. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The first criminal charges from special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into foreign meddling in the 2016 election stem from very different activities. Who are the men charged?

GEORGE PAPADOPOULOS

Before joining GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump's campaign, Papadopoulos billed himself as international energy consultant - though he only graduated from DePaul University in 2009 and was largely unknown in foreign policy circles.

A court artist drawing shows President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, center standing and Manafort's business associate, Rick Gates, in federal court in Washington, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson. Seated at front left is Manafort's attorney Kevin Downing. Manafort and Gates have pleaded not guilty following their arrest on charges related to conspiracy against the United States and other felonies. The charges are the first from the special counsel investigating possible coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia. (Dana Verkouteren via AP)

Trump's campaign named him as one of eight foreign policy advisers in March 2016, however, as it scrambled to develop policy positions on key international issues. The Washington Post previously reported he had tried to facilitate contact between Russian government entities and the Trump campaign.

PAUL MANAFORT

Before Manafort became Trump's top strategist between late March and August 2016, he had a storied career in Republican politics.

A lawyer by training, Manafort gained prominence rounding up delegates for Gerald Ford at the 1976 Republican convention and helping manage Ronald Reagan's convention efforts in 1980. He founded a lobbying shop, known as Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly, earning a reputation for both his flashy lifestyle and his willingness to take on less-than-savory clients, such as Democratic Republic of Congo's dictator, Mobutu Sese Seko.

In 1995, Manafort set up a new lobbying firm with Rick Davis, who later helped Manafort establish his political contacts in former Soviet states, including Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska and Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Ahkmetov. Manafort's work in Eastern Europe came at a lucky time, as he struggled in his domestic lobbying business and his spending on an ill-fated career as a movie producer left him nearly broke in the early 2000s.

As an adviser to Ukraine's pro-Russian Party of Regions, Manafort helped the party turn around its reputation as corrupt and under Russian influence, getting Ukraine's president elected in 2006. Manafort remained an adviser to the Party of Regions until 2014, when it was ousted amid popular protests.

Among Manafort's long-term friends was Thomas Barrack, who was also personally close with Trump. That connection and Manafort's perceived skill in Republican Party politics got Manafort his entree into Trump's campaign. In August 2016, he was ousted amid revelations of large payments listed in an alleged "black book" of under-the-table payments by the ousted Ukrainian government.

RICK GATES

Rick Gates was Manafort's deputy, both in the Trump campaign and in Manafort's work in Ukraine. Now 45, Gates began as an intern at lobbying firm Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly, before furthering his career elsewhere.

But after working with another Republican lobbyist, Rick Davis, Gates came back into Manafort's fold. By the time that Davis took a leave from his partnership with Manafort to run John McCain's presidential campaign, Gates joined Manafort's new firm, Davis Manafort Inc and was working with Manafort to drum up business in former Soviet States. They hit gold in work performed for the Party of Regions, though that work fizzled out in 2014 after Ukraine's president fled to Russia amid street protests.

Gates joined Manafort for the Trump campaign, too, serving as a top decision-maker for day-to-day matters. But he never drew a Trump campaign paycheck.

When Manafort got booted from the campaign amid revelations about his Ukrainian political work and questions about how he'd been paid for it, Gates stayed on in Trump Tower as a Republican National Committee liaison to the campaign.

Gates work wasn't done after Election Day, however. He was tapped by Trump Inauguration Chairman Thomas Barrack, a friend of both Manafort's and Trump's, to manage the work of the inaugural committee. And he also took a post with a newly created political nonprofit to support Trump, America First Policies, though he stepped down amid controversy surrounding his and Manafort's work with Deripaska, the Russian oligarch.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - The Latest on the fatal shooting near the University of Utah (all times local):

4:30 p.m.

The Minnesota mother of a man suspected in the carjack killing of a University of Utah student and another slaying says the family is heartbroken for the victims.

This undated photo provided by University of Utah shows ChenWei Guo, a student killed in an attempted carjacking near campus Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. Police swarmed rugged mountain foothills near the University of Utah Tuesday, Oct. 31, searching for Austin Boutain, suspected of killing Guo while on the run after another homicide in Colorado. (University of Utah via AP)

Roseanne Boutain tells the Minneapolis Star Tribune that Austin Boutain lived with the family in Alexandria, in western Minnesota, from ages 11 to 19 and earned a high school equivalency degree before moving to the Minneapolis area for a time.

Boutain says the family is glad Austin Boutain was quickly captured. She says the family sends their "heartfelt and earnest prayers" to the victims and their families.

Her 14-year-old son, Hunter, died of bacterial meningitis in 2015. Roseanne Boutain says the family thought they knew what loss was, "but this enters into a whole new realm of heartbreak."

___

3:50 p.m.

A local Mormon leader says a University of Utah student who was killed in a carjacking attempt had converted to the faith at 16 and convinced his parents to join him.

Steve Comrie said Tuesday that 23-year-old ChenWei Guo was from Beijing and served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Provo in 2013 and 2014.

Comrie said Guo was "the kind of person who was the fizz in the pop of life," an outgoing, gregarious person who loved hiking and the outdoors.

Guo was shot to death Monday night, touching off a manhunt for the 24-year-old suspect, Austin Boutain, who was also being sought for questioning in a Colorado homicide.

He was arrested at a Salt Lake City library following a call from a librarian.

___

3:10 p.m.

Police say an alert librarian called Salt Lake City police after spotting a man sought in the carjacking death of a University of Utah student and a homicide in Colorado.

Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown said Tuesday that 24-year-old Austin Boutain surrendered quietly after the librarian called security guards.

University of Utah police chief Dale Brophy says Boutain was being questioned Tuesday.

Police from Colorado were flying in to question him in the death of a 63-year-old man whose body was found Tuesday in a trailer in Golden.

Police believe Boutain had been driving the man's pickup truck, which remains missing.

Brown says police are still investigating how Boutain evaded a manhunt that started after 23-year-old Chinese student ChenWei Guo was found shot to death Monday evening in his car in a canyon near campus.

___

1:30 p.m.

A friend of a University of Utah student who was killed in an attempted carjacking says the man was a smart, bright and caring person who loved to tell jokes.

Rachel Tam of Pleasant Grove, Utah, said Tuesday that ChenWei Guo was a member of the Mormon church and served as a missionary in Provo.

She says Guo would speak in a moving and powerful way about his beliefs.

She said Guo loved to dance and wowed his friends on the dance floor in August at a church event for young, unmarried Chinese members of the church.

Tam says Guo was at the center of the dance floor busting out hip hop moves and was also a talented swing and ballroom dancer.

She says he was also dedicated computer science student.

___

1:10 p.m.

Utah police say they've arrested a man sought in a fatal carjacking near the University of Utah and a Colorado homicide.

Salt Lake City Police Detective Greg Wilking said Tuesday that 24-year-old Austin Boutain turned himself in to staffers at the city library following an overnight manhunt in foothills near campus.

He was wanted in the death of a student from China who was found shot to death in his car in a rugged canyon near the University of Utah campus.

Police say Boutain had been camping in the foothills with his wife for at least a few days.

He was also wanted for questioning in the death of a 63-year-old man whose body was found in a trailer in Golden, Colorado.

___

12:20 p.m.

Police say they have ended a search of rugged foothills without finding a man suspected of killing a University of Utah student in a carjacking attempt.

Salt Lake City Police Detective Greg Wilking said Tuesday that 24-year-old Austin Boutain apparently slipped a police containment line after the Monday night slaying. He is believed to be armed and dangerous.

Authorities are asking people to call police to report anything suspicious, especially involving stolen cars, in the lead-up to Halloween trick or treating.

Wilking said the search near campus unearthed a campsite used by Boutain and his wife but there was no trace of him.

The search was ended about 15 hours after the death of 23-year-old ChenWei Guo, a student from China.

__

11:30 a.m.

Police in Golden, Colorado, say they want to question a man already being sought in the fatal carjacking of a University of Utah student about the killing of a 63-year-old man whose body was found in a trailer.

Golden police said in a statement Tuesday that 24-year old Austin Jeffrey Boutain and his wife Kathleen E. Boutain, who is also a person of interest, had been driving a green pickup truck with Colorado license plates that was registered to the victim in Colorado.

Police discovered the man's body inside a trailer in an RV park where he had been staying.

The discovery came after police learned the truck was being driven by the suspect in the Utah killing of a student from China.

Authorities believe the man had been dead for several days.

Police did not offer details about how the man was killed or his identity because they were in the process of informing his family.

___

10:20 a.m.

Utah police say a man wanted in the fatal carjacking of a University of Utah student is a suspect in a recent homicide in Colorado.

University of Utah police chief Dale Brophy said Tuesday at a press conference in Salt Lake City that 24-year-old Austin Boutain and his wife, Kathleen E. Boutain, are wanted in a homicide in Golden, Colorado, last week.

Brophy says authorities believe the couple have been in Utah for several days and were camping in the foothills above the University of Utah.

Police say they believe Austin Boutain fatally shot 23-year-old student ChenWei Guo on Monday night.

Salt Lake County jail records show Kathleen E. Boutain was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on Tuesday on unrelated drug and theft charges.

___

7:18 a.m.

The University of Utah says that an international student from China was killed when a carjacking turned fatal near the campus Monday night.

University spokesman Christopher Nelson confirms that ChenWei Guo was killed. President David W. Pershing issued a statement saying that he was studying pre-computer science and was a peer adviser in the international Student and Scholar Services Office.

Pershing said the university has been in contact with the student's parents.

University of Utah Police Chief Dale Brophy says an injured woman came to the campus and reported that her husband had assaulted her while they were camping in Red Butte Canyon east of the school.

Brophy says the woman's husband is 24-year-old Austin Boutain. Police are searching for Boutain, who is suspected in the carjacking.

___

2:50 a.m.

Police say one person is dead after a carjacking turned fatal near the University of Utah campus Monday night.

University of Utah Police Chief Dale Brophy says an injured woman came to the campus and reported that her husband had assaulted her while they were camping in Red Butte Canyon just east of the school.

Brophy says the woman's husband is 24-year-old Austin Boutain. Police are still searching for Boutain, who is suspected of fatally shooting a person during a carjacking at the mouth of the canyon.

Authorities didn't immediately release the victim's gender or other details.

The Deseret News reports the university sent an alert at 9 p.m. to students and staff to shelter in place. The lockdown ended six hours later.

The University of Utah cancelled Tuesday classes.

___

11:45 p.m.

Police say one person is dead after a shooting near the University of Utah campus Monday night.

The Deseret News reports that the university sent an alert at 9 p.m. to students and staff to shelter in place. People on campus remained on lockdown hours later.

Salt Lake City police posted on Twitter officers are searching nearby Red Butte Canyon for 24-year-old Austin Boutain, who is suspected in the shooting. He is considered armed and dangerous.

At least eight law enforcement agencies are on scene, including the FBI. A helicopter was assisting the search.

Salt Lake City Police Sgt. Brandon Shearer said officers weren't immediately releasing the victim's gender or other details.

Utah Transit Authority says there will be limited light rail service and that buses won't service the campus for the reminder of the night.

Law enforcement personnel load into a vehicle during a search of the hills near the mouth of Red Butte Canyon, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, in Salt Lake City. A fatal carjacking attempt near the University of Utah late Monday left one student dead and touched off a campus-wide lockdown as hundreds of police officers swarmed buildings and nearby foothills and canyons in search of the suspected gunman. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Police officers search for a gunman near Red Butte Garden on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. Police say a deadly shooting occurred near the school campus on Monday. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP)

A police officer searches for a gunman near the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. Police say a deadly shooting occurred near the school campus on Monday. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP)
BRUSSELS (AP) - Facing possible criminal charges at home that could put him behind bars for decades, ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont took his bid for independence from Spain to the heart of Europe on Tuesday, attempting to portray his secessionist movement as persecuted underdogs who deserve international backing in their fight against Madrid.

A Spanish judge, meanwhile, ordered Puigdemont and the rest of his ousted Cabinet to appear for questioning later this week as part of a rebellion probe. Whether they appear or not, the judge is likely to decide as soon as Friday on whether to issue arrest warrants.

Two of the officials flew back late on Tuesday to Barcelona, where protesters holding Spanish flags insulted them and shouted "Long live Spain." A person close to Puigdemont, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the ousted separatist leader remained in the Belgian capital.

Sacked Catalonian President Carles Puigdemont looks on after a press conference in Brussels, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. Ousted Catalan President Carles Puigdemont is calling for avoiding violence and says dialogue is a priority during his first address on Belgian soil. Puigdemont on Tuesday recapped the issues which led him to leave for Belgium the previous day, but did not immediately say in his statement what he would do in Brussels or whether he would seek asylum. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)

In a high-profile appearance before international media in Brussels, Puigdemont kept up his defiant tone against the Spanish government's relentless efforts to thwart his secession ambitions. His unannounced trip underscored that his path to success is being blocked by the law in Spain, and he conceded ground to the Spanish government by agreeing to take part in an early regional election called for Dec. 21.

Even as Puigdemont's quest to establish a new Western European country appeared increasingly quixotic, his grass roots supporters showed no signs of wavering - a depth of passion that illustrates why the wrangling over Catalonia has been going on for so long and why it is unlikely to end soon.

Puigdemont said he and the five ousted government colleagues who accompanied him to Brussels were seeking "freedom and safety" from the Spanish authorities.

If Spain "can guarantee to all of us, and to me in particular, a just, independent (legal) process, with separation of powers that we have in the majority of European nations - if they guarantee that, we would return immediately," Puigdemont told a packed news conference at the Brussels Press Club, which is right next to the European Union's headquarters.

"But we have to continue to work, and that is why we decided Friday night on this strategy," he said.

The Spanish government in Madrid has cracked down hard on Puigdemont's attempt to take Catalonia, a wealthy region of some 7.5 million people that accounts for about one-fifth of the national GDP, out of Spain.

It accused Puigdemont of flouting the constitution by holding an Oct. 1 independence referendum and deployed police to stop the vote after the Constitutional Court said it could not go ahead. Then, when the Catalan parliament approved a motion declaring independence last week in defiance of the Spanish Constitution, which says Spain is "indivisible," the national government stripped Catalonia of its powers of self-rule.

Spain's chief prosecutor is seeking charges of rebellion, sedition and embezzlement against Puigdemont, and his No. 2, Oriol Junqueras, before Spain's National Court, which on Tuesday ordered the two men and the rest of the ousted Cabinet to appear for questioning on Thursday.

National Court Judge Carmen Lamela said the 14 were being investigated for allegedly "weaving a strategy" that led to the Oct. 27 unilateral declaration of independence in the regional parliament.

She also ordered them to pay a $7.2 million (6.2 million euro) deposit by Friday to cover possible liability costs associated with the banned Oct. 1 referendum, or risk seizure of their assets.

It was not immediately clear whether Puigdemont planned to return for questioning, but if appeals don't succeed the judge could issue arrest warrants for him and the other Cabinet members as soon as Friday.

Separately, the prosecutor is seeking similar charges before the higher Supreme Court for six ex-members of the governing body of the now-dissolved Catalan parliament because they enjoy a degree of immunity and can only be tried by this court. The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to investigate the allegations against the six.

As Puigdemont walked into the Brussels Press Club, a group of demonstrators held up Spanish national flags and pro-unity signs, including ones that that said "Rule of Law" and "Not in my Name. Long live Spain."

Puigdemont, in a tweet, asked Catalans to be patient, "because the road will be long."

While in the rest of Spain there is little sympathy for the region's independence drive, a new opinion poll indicated growing support for secession among Catalans.

Pro-secession sentiment has increased in Catalonia over the tumultuous past month, an opinion poll published Tuesday by Catalonia's official public opinion center indicated. It said the percentage of Catalans who want the region to become an independent state has risen to 48.7 percent from 41.1 percent in June, while the proportion against independence has fallen to 43.6 percent from 49.4 percent. The poll, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.69 percentage points, questioned 1,500 people from Oct. 16-29.

In the coastal Catalan town of Vilanova i La Geltru, south of Barcelona, separatists were as determined as ever, despite the legal setbacks.

"I want to say that we are with him. And the sad thing is that in order to be safe, he had to go to Brussels," Jordi Trillas, a cafe owner, said of Puigdemont.

Another resident, Sergio Cabrera, also said he continued to support the ousted Catalan leader. "He followed his line," Cabrera said. "The issue is to see whether they hear him or not."

Puigdemont's Brussels trip raised some eyebrows among his political allies, who said they were kept in the dark about it. Pro-independence parties in Catalonia have long been riven by squabbling over how best to achieve their goal.

The ousted regional minister for business, Santi Vila, a moderate in Puigdemont's separatist Democratic Party of Catalonia, said nobody in the party leadership knew about the Brussels plan.

"Separatism is legitimate, but it must be defended within the law," Vila told La Sexta television. "We have to recover our serenity. We wanted to take Catalonia to the gates of independence, but we have returned it to a period before it had any self-governance."

___

Associated Press writer Raf Casert reported this story in Brussels and AP writer Aritz Parra reported from Barcelona. AP writers Lorne Cook in Brussels, Elena Becatoros in Vilanova i La Geltru, Joseph Wilson and Hernan Munoz in Barcelona, and Ciaran Giles in Madrid contributed to this report.

Sacked Catalonian President Carles Puigdemont arrives for a press conference in Brussels, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. Puigdemont arrived in Brussels on Monday, the same day that Spanish prosecutors announced they were seeking rebellion, sedition and embezzlement charges against deposed Catalan officials, including the ex-regional leader. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)

People hold up signs reading in Catalan 'not in my name - Long live Spain' as sacked Catalonian President Carles Puigdemont arrives for a press conference in Brussels, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. Puigdemont arrived in Brussels on Monday, the same day that Spanish prosecutors announced they were seeking rebellion, sedition and embezzlement charges against deposed Catalan officials, including the ex-regional leader. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)

Sacked Catalonian President Carles Puigdemont smiles after a press conference in Brussels, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. Ousted Catalan President Carles Puigdemont is calling for avoiding violence and says dialogue is a priority during his first address on Belgian soil. Puigdemont on Tuesday recapped the issues which led him to leave for Belgium the previous day, but did not immediately say in his statement what he would do in Brussels or whether he would seek asylum. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)

A Halloween ghost and bat decorates a bar as people watch the news conference in Brussels by ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont on a tv in a bar in downtown Barcelona, Spain Tuesday Oct. 31, 2017. Carles Puigdemont arrived in Brussels on Monday, the same day that Spanish prosecutors announced they were seeking rebellion, sedition and embezzlement charges against deposed Catalan officials, including the ex-regional leader. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Sacked Catalonian President Carles Puigdemont arrives for a press conference in Brussels, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. Puigdemont arrived in Brussels on Monday, the same day that Spanish prosecutors announced they were seeking rebellion, sedition and embezzlement charges against deposed Catalan officials, including the ex-regional leader. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)

Sacked Catalonian President Carles Puigdemont, center, speaks during a press conference in Brussels, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. Ousted Catalan President Carles Puigdemont is calling for avoiding violence and says dialogue is a priority during his first address on Belgian soil. Puigdemont on Tuesday recapped the issues which led him to leave for Belgium the previous day, but did not immediately say in his statement what he would do in Brussels or whether he would seek asylum. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)

Tom Van Grieken, chairman of the Flemish nationalist right-wing Vlaams Belong party, leaves after a speech by sacked Catalonian President Carles Puigdemont in Brussels, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. Ousted Catalan President Carles Puigdemont is calling for avoiding violence and says dialogue is a priority during his first address on Belgian soil. Puigdemont on Tuesday recapped the issues which led him to leave for Belgium the previous day, but did not immediately say in his statement what he would do in Brussels or whether he would seek asylum. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)
IRBIL, Iraq (AP) - An Iraqi Kurdish official is denying reports that Iraqi federal forces have taken control of a key border crossing between Turkey and Iraq's northern Kurdish region that's in a major dispute with Baghdad.

Abdul Wahab Mohammed, who heads the Kurdish border intelligence, says "no Iraqis have entered or taken over" the crossing of Ibrahim Khalil.

Border crossings have become a contested issue after last month's Kurdish independence referendum. Baghdad has demanded that all border control revert to federal authorities and has also banned all international flights to and from the Kurdish region.

Mohammed says a senior Iraqi officer - Othman al-Ghanmi, the chief of staff to the Iraqi Army - only briefly met with Iraqi troops on Turkey's side of the crossing. Iraqi troops are in Turkey for military drills.
16 years and counting of talking about whatever catches my fancy. Mostly comics, books, and movies, but there can always be surprises.
YAZOO CITY, Miss. (AP) - Authorities in Mississippi have charged a man with aggravated assault on a police officer and domestic violence after he allegedly fired shots at the home where she and their children stay.

Yazoo City Police Chief Ron Sampson told The Clarion-Ledger that Darius Teon Moore was arrested after trying to force his way into the officer's home around 2:45 a.m. on Monday.

The chief says that after the officer refused to let Moore in, he went into the street and fired several rounds. One hit her car, and another entered her bedroom.

Authorities say Moore also fired a shot at responding officers, who did not return fire. No one was hit by any of the bullets. It's not clear if Moore has a lawyer.
LONDON (AP) - Designer Christopher Bailey, who was replaced as Burberry chief executive earlier this year, will leave the British brand in 2018, ending a 17-year stint in which he helped transform a company once known mainly for trench coats into a global luxury icon.

Bailey added the title of CEO to his position as chief creative officer in 2014, taking on unique dual role in recognition of how much his ideas had contributed to Burberry's success. But he struggled to reinvigorate sagging sales in the company's key Asian markets and was replaced in July by Marco Gobbetti of the French luxury fashion house Celine.

It was as a designer, however, that Bailey made his name.

FILE - In this Saturday, June 23, 2012, file photo, British fashion designer Christopher Bailey receives applause from the audience after presenting Burberry Prorsum, from the men's Spring-Summer 2013 collection, part of the Milan Fashion Week, in Milan, Italy. Burberry's chief creative officer and president will be leaving the company by the end of 2018. The luxury retailer said Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017 that Christopher Bailey has decided it was time to "pursue new creative projects." (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, file)

He took the company that made trench coats in World War I and wove its classic plaids into contemporary designs. Banking on Britishness, he made it the center of Burberry's brand.

Long before other luxury houses even had the notion, he championed the digital marketplace, embracing the new medium with innovations such as allowing shoppers to immediately buy online what they saw on fashion show catwalks.

"It has been a truly inspiring place to work and the decision to leave was not an easy one," Bailey said in a statement Tuesday. "I do truly believe, however, that Burberry's best days are still ahead of her and that the company will go from strength to strength with the strategy we have developed and the exceptional talent we have in place."

Bailey will remain president and chief creative officer until March 31, when he will leave the board of directors, Burberry said. He will remain at the company until Dec. 31, 2018, to ensure a smooth transition.

Long-time Burberry watcher Anusha Couttigane of Kantar Retail said the fact that Bailey is needed for the transition period shows how valuable he has been to the brand, but the split gives Burberry a chance to bring in "fresh blood."

"Gobbetti will also have ideas about how he wants to run the business and the direction he wants to take it in, without being held back by the existing culture," she said. "Burberry is constantly reinventing itself, so bringing fresh thinking to its creative strategy will have real impact."

Bailey took over during a time of strength for the company in May 2014, when former CEO Angela Ahrendts moved to Apple. But the world economy soon turned against Burberry, with an economic slowdown in Asia and a Chinese government crackdown on luxury gifts eroding the brand's sales.

Shareholders soon began to ask questions about Bailey's pay package, which could have totaled as much as 7.6 million pounds including salary, allowances, a bonus and share awards. Others wondered whether the gifted designer had the right skill set to be CEO.

The company called in Gobbetti, who has a long track record of managing luxury retailers.

Gobbetti credited Bailey with being "instrumental" in Burberry's transformation, adding that he leaves behind a legacy of talent that gives him "enormous confidence" in the future.

"We have a clear vision for the next chapter to accelerate the growth and success of the Burberry brand, and I am excited about the opportunity ahead for our teams, our partners and our shareholders," Gobbetti said.

Bailey says despite his departure he remains fully committed to Burberry's success.

"Burberry encapsulates so much of what is great about Britain," Bailey said in a statement. "As an organization, it is creative, innovative and outward looking. It celebrates diversity and challenges received wisdoms. It is over 160 years old, but it has a young spirit."

Burberry said as a result of his departure, Bailey has agreed to give up a total of 830,550 shares, valued at 16 million pounds ($21 million), that were awarded as part of his compensation packages between 2014 and 2017.
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - Two international rights organizations criticized the Dutch government Tuesday for detaining people convicted of or suspected of terror offenses in "inhuman conditions" at two top-security prison units.

Amnesty International and the Open Society Justice Initiative said in a report that detainees in the two units are routinely confined to their individual cells for between 19 and 22 hours each day, and that guards "routinely and frequently administer full-nudity body searches that are invasive and humiliating."

In a written reaction, Minister for Legal Protection Sander Dekker said that Dutch prisons, including the two terror units, adhere to international standards and defended the detention regime as a way of combatting the spread among inmates of extremist ideology.

The 60-page report said that restrictions on social contacts for detainees in some cases "appeared to be in breach of the state's obligation to treat detainees humanely or of the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment."

Measures used at the units "can unnecessarily isolate and humiliate people" and violate the Netherlands' human rights obligations, Doutje Lettinga, of Amnesty International Netherlands, said in a statement.

The report, based on interviews with 50 people including 19 ex-detainees, recommends that suspects awaiting trial on terror charges should not be held together with detainees convicted of terror offenses. It also said people should only be placed in the top-security units based on individual risk assessments and not purely because they are suspected or convicted of terror offenses.

It also called for an end to strip searches unless "absolutely necessary and proportionate in light of a concrete security need."

The report acknowledged, however, that the Dutch government has begun making changes to the system, including using risk assessments to differentiate between "leaders" and "followers" and tailor security measures accordingly.

In his defense of the detention units, Dekker said that, "Placing these detainees in a separate department counters the spread or radical ideology and (detainees) influencing one another."
MINSK, Belarus (AP) - The wife of a leading opposition figure in Belarus says her husband has been detained by the police.

Marina Adamovich says in a Facebook post that she was traveling with her husband, Mykola Statkevich, Monday evening when they were stopped by traffic police, who detained Statkevich.

Adamovich says she wasn't told why he was detained.

In this photo taken on Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, opposition leader Nikolai Statkevich seen during protest action against the Zapad (West) 2017 joint Russia-Belarus maneuvers in Minsk, Belarus. The wife of Nikolai Statkevich a leading opposition figure in Belarus said on Tuesday Oct. 31, 2017 that her husband has been detained by the police. Statkevich had organized two events in Belarus this month - a protest march against the government Oct. 21 and a commemoration on Sunday Oct. 29, for victims of Stalin-era political repression. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Statkevich had organized two events in Belarus this month - a protest march against the government Oct. 21 and a commemoration Sunday for victims of Stalin-era political repression.

Statkevich ran against authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in the 2010 election and was arrested after a large demonstration protesting the results. He spent the next five years in prison.

He had been due to travel to Ukraine for a conference Tuesday involving members of the European Parliament.
SULLIVANS ISLAND, S.C. (AP) - A Florida man is charged with running over two people lying on a South Carolina beach.

News outlets reported 29-year-old David Brian McCarty of Jacksonville, Florida, is charged with leaving the scene of an accident with injuries.

Police were called to Sullivans Island on Friday night and found two people with back injuries. They were taken to the Medical University of South Carolina hospital in Charleston. The woman was in good condition and the man was in critical condition.

Officers found vehicle parts on the beach. Officers responding later to a domestic violence call found a damaged vehicle and questioned McCarty, who said he thought he had hit some driftwood on the beach.

McCarty also is charged with criminal domestic violence.

It was not known if he has an attorney.
VATICAN CITY (AP) - An Italian journalist who was put on trial by the Vatican for divulging confidential documents is coming out with a new book promising to reveal fresh secrets about sex, crimes and money in the Holy See.

Gianluigi Nuzzi's "Original Sin: Secret Accounts, Hidden Truths, Blackmail and the Forces Blocking Pope Francis' Revolution" hits bookshelves in Italy and France on Nov. 9, The Associated Press has learned.

Some of the documents reproduced in the book come from the archives of the Vatican bank, the Institute for Religious Works, which was the subject of Nuzzi's first big expose on the Holy See's opaque finances, "Vatican SpA." Overall, the new book covers the period from Pope Paul VI in the 1960s to Pope Francis, according to people familiar with the book.

Pope Francis waves to faithful from his studio's window overlooking St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Nuzzi and fellow journalist Emmanuele Fittipaldi were put on trial in a Vatican court in 2015 after both published books based on leaked documents that exposed the greed, mismanagement and corruption in the highest levels of the Catholic Church. In July 2016, after an eight-month trial, the Vatican's criminal court declared it had no jurisdiction to prosecute them.

The court did, however, convict two other people for conspiring to leak the documents, and absolved a third.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - A suicide bomber struck near the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan's capital on Tuesday, killing five people in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

Health Ministry spokesman Wahid Mujro said another 20 people were wounded in the blast, which took place in a heavily-guarded area housing several diplomatic missions and the offices of international organizations.

IS claimed the bombing in a brief statement carried by its Aamaq news agency, without specifying the target.

Doctors assist wounded men in Wazir Akbar Khan hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, Oct. 31, 2017. An Afghan official says at least three people were killed after a suicide bomber carried out an attack in central Kabul, near the U.S. Embassy. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini)

"There were a number of dead bodies and wounded victims lying around," said Ghulam Hazrat, who witnessed the attack. He said military and civilian ambulances arrived quickly.

The attack took place about 500 meters (yards) from the American Embassy, but there were no reports of foreigners killed or wounded.

Gen. Dawlat Waziri, spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said the bomber was on foot. The police promptly cordoned off the area of the attack.

An Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan has carried out several attacks in recent years, mainly targeting the country's Shiite minority, which the Sunni extremists view as apostates. The IS affiliate is largely made up of disenchanted insurgents who left the much larger and more well-established Taliban.

Although both groups want to impose a harsh version of Islamic rule in Afghanistan, they are bitterly divided over leadership and ideology, and have clashed on a number of occasions.

A policeman stands guard at the site of a suicide attack in central Kabul, Afghanistan, Oct. 31, 2017. An Afghan official says at least three people were killed after a suicide bomber carried out an attack in central Kabul, near the U.S. Embassy. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini)
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) - Bosnian authorities say a man with suspected terrorism links has been extradited to the United States.

The prosecutor's office said in a statement on Tuesday that the agency has taken part in a "complex operation" to locate the suspect and hand him over to the U.S. No other details were immediately revealed.

Bosnian media have identified the suspect as Mirsad Kandic, a Kosovo-born Islamic State group supporter sought for years by the U.S.

The Zurnal online news portal says Kandic was arrested in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo in July, and kept in detention until the extradition Tuesday. Kandic has reportedly spent time in the former IS stronghold of Raqqa, and helped Australian teenage suicide bomber Jake Bilardi, also known as Jihadi Jake, reach the Islamic-held territory in 2014.
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) - Connecticut police have made an arrest in the death of a barber shot while protecting customers.

Bridgeport police tell the Connecticut Post that 32-year-old Mark Christian was arrested Monday in connection with the Oct. 14 death of Deon Rodney inside the Just Right Cutz barbershop.

Police say Christian and an accomplice robbed a man in the shop's parking lot. When they went inside, Rodney tried to stop one of the attackers, and the other one shot him. The shop's owner and police praised Rodney for trying to protect customers, including a young boy whose hair he had just cut.

Christian was held on $1 million bond on charges including felony murder. It could not immediately be determined if he has a lawyer.

Police are looking for the second suspect.

___

Information from: Connecticut Post, http://www.connpost.com
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PRAGUE (AP) - The Czech president asked Andrej Babis on Tuesday to try to form a new government after the populist billionaire's centrist movement won parliamentary elections.

Babis' ANO (YES) movement won 78 seats in the 200-seat lower house of Parliament earlier in October. Eight other parties and groups won seats, including the anti-migrant and anti-EU party Freedom and Direct Democracy, which finished fourth.

After their meeting in the presidential castle in Lany, west of Prague, President Milos Zeman said his move was "the first step to create a stable, successful and long-term government in the Czech Republic."

Czech Republic's President Milos Zeman, left, asks billionaire and leader of ANO 2011 political movement Andrej Babis, right, to try to form a new government during a press conference in Lany, Czech Republic, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. Babis' centrist ANO (YES) movement won 78 seats in the 200-seat lower house of Parliament earlier in October in Czech Republic's general elections. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Zeman said he would formally swear Babis in as prime minister after the first session of the new house and the outgoing government's resignation.

"It's certainly a big day for our movement," Babis said. "I'm honored."

He said he would like to present his government's program before Christmas but he's got a long way to go.

None of the parties has agreed to create a coalition government with ANO because they consider Babis unsuitable to lead the government due to charges he has been facing of fraud linked to EU subsidies.

Babis said he would be seeking to create a minority government of ANO with support from independent experts.

Any new government has to win a parliamentary confidence vote to rule.

"We will try to win support from the lawmakers by our program," Babis said.

So far, only the Communists have indicated their lawmakers might be ready to support the new government, but their 15 seats would not be enough for a majority.

Babis said one of the first steps for his new Cabinet will be to increase pensions. He's a known opponent of setting a date for the Czech Republic to adopt the euro common currency.

If Babis' government fails to win the confidence vote, Zeman, his ally, said he would ask him to form a government again.

Another failure would mean it would be a task for the new speaker of the house to select a prime minister. A member of ANO is expected to be elected to the post.

Billionaire and leader of ANO 2011 political movement Andrej Babisa ddresses media during a press conference in Lany, Czech Republic, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. The Czech Republic's president Milos Zeman has asked Babis, whose movement won parliamentary elections, to try to form a new government. Babis' centrist ANO (YES) movement won 78 seats in the 200-seat lower house of Parliament earlier in October in Czech Republic's general elections. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Czech Republic's President Milos Zeman addresses media during a press conference in Lany, Czech Republic, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. The Czech president has asked populist billionaire Andrej Babis, whose movement won parliamentary elections, to try to form a new government. Babis' centrist ANO (YES) movement won 78 seats in the 200-seat lower house of Parliament earlier in October in Czech Republic's general elections. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Czech Republic's President Milos Zeman, left, and billionaire and leader of ANO 2011 political movement Andrej Babis, right, shake hands during a press conference in Lany, Czech Republic, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. The Czech president has asked populist billionaire Andrej Babis, whose movement won parliamentary elections, to try to form a new government. Babis' centrist ANO (YES) movement won 78 seats in the 200-seat lower house of Parliament earlier in October in Czech Republic's general elections. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House says President Donald Trump will not visit the Demilitarized Zone during his upcoming trip to Asia - a break from many previous administrations.

There's not enough time in the president's schedule to accommodate a visit to the heavily fortified border zone that has separated the North and South Korea for 64 years, a senior administration official told reporters during a White House background briefing Tuesday.

Trump will go to Camp Humphreys, a military base about 40 miles south of Seoul, to highlight the U.S.-South Korean partnership, instead.

President Donald Trump listens during a meeting on tax policy with business leaders in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump's trip comes amid his escalating rhetoric and taunts against North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the country's nuclear program. In a recent speech at the United Nations, Trump said he would "totally destroy" the nation, if necessary. He also derided Kim as "little Rocket Man."

Every president but one since Ronald Reagan has visited the DMZ, often wearing bomber-style jackets and flanked by military officers. Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, visited during a 2012 trip to Seoul and told troops stationed at the border that "the contrast between South Korea and North Korea could not be clearer, could not be starker, both in terms of freedom but also in terms of prosperity."

Numerous Trump administration officials, including Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Vice President Mike Pence have all made the trip. Pence said his trip let North Koreans "see our resolve in my face."

The White House has played down the notion that the hesitance to visit the DMZ stemmed from security concerns, although experts on the region say a visit could have further inflamed tensions.

Trump will depart Friday for a trip that will take him to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. He will attend several summits, hold a series of meetings, be feted at banquets and spend time golfing with Japanese President Shinzo Abe.

Trump will meet for the first time with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has been accused of human rights abuses, including killing suspected drug dealers. The White House has said that Trump could raise concerns about the program.

But the official said on Tuesday that Trump and Duterte shared a warm rapport during a telephone conversation. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to preview the president's itinerary and aims on the record.

The White House said Trump spoke with Abe by phone on Monday to discuss the trip. They also discussed the importance of promoting a "free and open Indo-Pacific region," maintaining close ties, and maximizing pressure on the North.
CAIRO (AP) - Egypt's military destroyed three vehicles loaded with weapons, ammunition and explosives, and killed a "large number" of militants in the western desert, a military spokesman said Tuesday.

Col. Tamer el-Rifai said in a statement that those targeted are suspected of having been involved in an ambush on police nearly two weeks ago about 135 kilometers (84 miles) southwest of Cairo. The Interior Ministry said 16 police were killed in the attack.

El-Rifai said the airstrikes took place in a rugged area some 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of Cairo. He said the scene was still being assessed and a casualty count was incomplete.

He posted aerial footage on his official Facebook page that showed three vehicles, allegedly belonging to the suspected militants, being targeted by airstrikes.

The state-run news agency MENA quoted an unnamed security official as saying the forces freed a police officer who had been abducted during the ambush and transferred him to a Cairo hospital.

Egypt has been battling militants in recent years in the western desert as well as the northern Sinai Peninsula, where an Islamic State affiliate has targeted security forces as well as the region's Christian minority.

Egyptian security officials said four civilians were killed Tuesday when a mortar shell hit their tractor in el-Arish, Sinai's largest city on the Mediterranean coast. A fifth person was wounded, according to the officials, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to reporters.

Egyptian officials say militants and weapons have entered the country from Libya, Egypt's western neighbor, which has been mired in unrest since the 2011 overthrow and killing of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

On Monday, el-Rifai said the military targeted an arms convoy crossing the border from Libya, destroying six vehicles loaded with weapons and ammunition, and killing militants.

Libyan officials said Tuesday that Egyptian airstrikes on the eastern Libyan city of Darna killed dozens of civilians, including an entire family.

Libyan lawmaker Hamad al-Bandaq said the fighter jets bombed a house in al-Fatayah district in eastern Darna late Monday, killing at least 12 people. Most of them were women and children who were paying a visit to their sick relative, he said.

A second airstrike hit a shepherd and his family while they were sitting next to a fire pit on a chilly night.

The Shura Council of Darna Mujahedeen, which controls the city, accused Egypt of carrying out the "brutal airstrike."

The Egyptian army declined to comment.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump's tax overhaul (all times local):

9:30 p.m.

President Donald Trump is offering words of encouragement to House Republicans as they struggle to come up with a tax plan.

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting on tax policy with business leaders in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, in Washington. From left, Jay Timmons, President & CEO, National Association of Manufacturers, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Trump, Karen Kerrigan, President and CEO, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, and Alfredo Ortiz, President and CEO, Job Creators Network. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

In a tweet late Tuesday, Trump writes: "The Republican House members are working hard (and late) toward the Massive Tax Cuts that they know you deserve. These will be biggest ever!"

Members of the House Ways and Means Committee are trying to finalize a bill, with the rollout delayed to Thursday. The committee chairman, Rep. Kevin Brady, insists drafters are making "excellent progress" and will work through the night.

In a statement, Brady says the release will be delayed a day, until Thursday.

Despite Trump's claim, it remains to be seen whether the nearly $6 trillion plan will amount to the biggest tax cut ever.

___

9:15 p.m.

The top tax writer in the House isn't conceding that the planned rollout of his long-sought tax code overhaul is being delayed.

Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady tells reporters "we are moving forward" and there is "no announcement of change in the schedule."

The Texas Republican made his comments after GOP sources said a Wednesday release of the measure would be delayed amid continuing negotiations over the complicated measure.

Hang-ups appear to include continuing complaints by lawmakers from high-tax states about repeal of a deduction for state income taxes.

Brady appeared before a throng of reporters after news organizations reported a likely delay. He says "we are making excellent progress - we are very close."

___

8:20 p.m.

House Republicans are delaying their rollout of a tax plan until Thursday amid a struggle to finalize details.

That's the word from a senior GOP aide late Tuesday night. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity because the individual was not allowed to publicly discuss the schedule.

The tax-writing Ways and Means Committee was working throughout the day and evening to produce a sweeping plan, the first overhaul of the nation's tax code in three decades.

Although they have settled on some details - such as a cut in the corporate tax rate and maintaining the top personal income tax rate for the wealthy - other elements still have to be resolved.

President Donald Trump has intensified his lobbying for the tax overhaul plan.

- Erica Werner

___

7:15 p.m.

House Republican leaders are expected to unveil a tax proposal Wednesday that would maintain the 39.6 percent top personal income tax rate.

That's according to two people familiar with the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity in advance of the public release of the GOP bill.

The plan originally unveiled by President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans called for shrinking the number of tax brackets from seven to three, with respective tax rates of 12 percent, 25 percent and 35 percent.

It's unclear what income levels would fall into each of the tax rates.

Republicans also plan to reduce the corporate tax rate to 20 percent, erasing the recent chatter about phasing in the cut, according to a congressional official.

-By Jill Colvin.

___

12:20 p.m.

President Donald Trump is meeting with business industry leaders to build momentum for his tax overhaul ahead of his lengthy trip to Asia.

Trump says he's hoping to sign the tax bill into law by Christmas and predicts the White House signing ceremony will be "the biggest tax event in the history of our country."

The president is meeting with the leaders of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Business Roundtable and others on taxes.

Trump says Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and economic adviser Gary Cohn will be staying behind to work on the tax bill.

And he's calling on industry groups to build momentum for the plan while he's in Asia for 10-and-a-half days. The president is departing on Friday.

__

9:15 a.m.

Top White House aides, including Ivanka Trump, will be lobbying in the U.S. for a tax overhaul while President Donald Trump is traveling in Asia.

A White House official says Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Director of the National Economic Council Gary Cohn and White House adviser Ivanka Trump will hold tax events around the country.

The first daughter is going to Japan for a speech Friday, but has canceled plans to continue on to China and South Korea and will return to the U.S. over the weekend.

President Donald Trump leaves Friday for a lengthy trip through Asia.

House Republicans are set to unveil their tax bill Wednesday.

Trump is scheduled to hold a tax meeting at the White House Tuesday.
CAIRO (AP) - Egyptians are using the social media hashtag of an international youth conference organized by the government to slam its poor human rights record and crackdown on free speech.

Billed as the "World Youth Forum" under the patronage of President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the event is scheduled for Nov. 4-10 in the Red Sea city of Sharm el-Sheikh. On its web site, organizers had encouraged people to use the hashtag #WeNeedToTalk for posts from early October onward. But as with previous government attempts to harness social media, the move seems to have backfired.

By Tuesday, Twitter was alight with criticism and the hashtag reached Egypt's top trending topic, with users posting images of Egyptian police beating and chasing down youths during el-Sissi's rule alongside portraits of young jailed activists. One mentioned a student jailed for three years for posting a doctored image of el-Sissi wearing Mickey Mouse ears.

Pedestrians walk under a bridge near a billboard advertising the upcoming World Youth Forum conference, in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. An international youth gathering organized by the Egyptian government was slammed on its own social media hashtag on Tuesday, with hundreds of posts criticizing Egypt's leaders for their poor human rights record and campaigns against free speech. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

"#WeNeedToTalk about the disappeared ... about torture ... about corruption ... about millions spent on arms in a country with no health care," one user posted.

Egypt has waged an unprecedented crackdown on dissent under el-Sissi, a former general who came to power after overthrowing his elected but divisive Islamist predecessor in 2013. What began as wholesale lockups of Muslim Brotherhood members was later extended to prominent secular activists and others who criticized the government's policies. Thousands have been imprisoned, with some rights advocates putting the number as high as 60,000.

Activists and organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have documented enforced disappearances, widespread torture and a recent arrest campaign targeting people authorities believe are gay. The authorities have blocked hundreds of independent news and critical websites.

El-Sissi denies that Egypt tortures or has any political prisoners, and maintains that human rights are only one among several pressing issues his government is addressing, such as improving the economy and providing stability. He has also said Egypt is at a lower stage of development than advanced countries and thus must approach the topic differently. He reiterated both positions at a recent joint press conference with the French president.

"It is the most offensive thing he could choose to represent him and his government," Timothy Kaldas, a non-resident fellow with the Tahrir Institute for Middle East policy, wrote of the hashtag. "We have been trying to talk for the past several years and, yet, the government insists on beating, exiling, imprisoning and torturing anyone who talks in a way the government dislikes."

The campaign to promote the event has gone beyond the internet, with several slick television ads and giant billboards appearing in Cairo, including one near Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the 2011 Arab Spring protests that forced longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak from power.

Spots aired on public and private channels offer "a message of peace from Egypt to the world." One scene shows hundreds climbing one of Egypt's famed pyramids, which is an illegal activity. The website says guests will be encouraged to "express their views and recommend initiatives to decision makers and influential figures... to create real change in the world we live in."

The program is driven by a core group of young Egyptians involved in a government-run leadership program initiated by el-Sissi, which plans to share its lessons on the role of the state in creating future leaders. The group, mostly composed of recent graduates, normally avoids public attention except in highly controlled environments.

In a meeting hosted at the Foreign Ministry earlier this month, the group urged foreign embassies to organize youth delegations and offered to pay for transport and accommodation.

The Foreign Ministry invited world leaders but demanded near-immediate confirmation. The short notice prevented many from attending, a diplomat said on condition of anonymity for fear of angering authorities.

"Rather than spending money hosting an international conference pretending to be committed to dialogue with youth, the government could actually free youth political prisoners," said Kaldas. "When the government is ready to talk with youth, there's no shortage of brave and brilliant young people here ready to do so," he added.

___

Follow Brian Rohan on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/brian_rohan
WESTMORE, Vt. (AP) - Vermont wildlife officials have accused a man of poaching a moose cow out of season, dragging the animal behind his truck for 11 miles and leaving it to rot by the side of the road.

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department says 20-year-old Gerin Fortin, of Irasburg, was arrested Sunday.

Wardens say the moose was shot at night on Sept. 23 in Westmore. They say the animal was lactating and likely had a calf with it.

Vermont's top game warden, Col. Jason Batchelder, called the case "particularly heinous."

It's not immediately known if Fortin is being represented by an attorney. The Associated Press was unable to reach anyone at a phone number that appeared to be Fortin's.

He's charged with six violations, including taking game by illegal means and in a closed season and two counts of shooting from a motor vehicle.
CAIRO (AP) - An Egyptian satirist has dressed up for Halloween as 'Sophia the Robot,' an automaton recently declared a citizen of Saudi Arabia, mocking the kingdom's move and generating laughter and shock on the streets of Cairo.

Sherine Arafa wore the outfit on Tuesday, mimicking the advanced lifelike humanoid robot that spoke at a panel on robotics and artificial intelligence at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh on Oct. 25.

Many took to social media to mock the Saudi announcement, suggesting that Sophia had more rights than human women in the ultraconservative kingdom, where women will be allowed to drive for the first time next summer.

Egyptian satirist Sherine Arafa poses for a photograph at her home, in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. Arafa dressed up for Halloween as 'Sophia the Robot,' an automaton recently declared a citizen of Saudi Arabia, mocking the kingdom's move and generating laughter and shock on the streets of Cairo. The advanced lifelike humanoid robot spoke at a panel on robotics and artificial intelligence at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh on Oct. 25. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

Here is a series of photos by Nariman El-Mofty of Arafa as "Sophia the Robot."

___

Follow El-Mofty on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NMofty

Egyptian satirist Sherine Arafa gets her make-up done for Halloween at her home in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. Arafa dressed up for Halloween as 'Sophia the Robot,' an automaton recently declared a citizen of Saudi Arabia, mocking the kingdom's move and generating laughter and shock on the streets of Cairo. The advanced lifelike humanoid robot spoke at a panel on robotics and artificial intelligence at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh on Oct. 25. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

Egyptian satirist Sherine Arafa dressed up for Halloween, poses for a photo at a fish shop, in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. Arafa dressed up for Halloween as 'Sophia the Robot,' an automaton recently declared a citizen of Saudi Arabia, mocking the kingdom's move and generating laughter and shock on the streets of Cairo. The advanced lifelike humanoid robot spoke at a panel on robotics and artificial intelligence at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh on Oct. 25. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

Egyptian satirist Sherine Arafa dressed up for Halloween poses for a photograph at her home, in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. Arafa dressed up for Halloween as 'Sophia the Robot,' an automaton recently declared a citizen of Saudi Arabia, mocking the kingdom's move and generating laughter and shock on the streets of Cairo. The advanced lifelike humanoid robot spoke at a panel on robotics and artificial intelligence at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh on Oct. 25. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

Egyptian satirist Sherine Arafa dressed for Halloween poses for a photo as men look at her on a street, in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. Arafa dressed up for Halloween as 'Sophia the Robot,' an automaton recently declared a citizen of Saudi Arabia, mocking the kingdom's move and generating laughter and shock on the streets of Cairo. The advanced lifelike humanoid robot spoke at a panel on robotics and artificial intelligence at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh on Oct. 25. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)

Egyptian satirist Sherine Arafa dressed for Halloween interacts with school children, in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. Arafa dressed up for Halloween as 'Sophia the Robot,' an automaton recently declared a citizen of Saudi Arabia, mocking the kingdom's move and generating laughter and shock on the streets of Cairo. The advanced lifelike humanoid robot spoke at a panel on robotics and artificial intelligence at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh on Oct. 25. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)
NEW YORK (AP) - The storied movie studio MGM is getting back into distribution, teaming with Megan Ellison's Annapurna Pictures in a joint venture that could have ramifications for the next James Bond film.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Annapurna on Tuesday announced a partnership to distribute films in the United States. The move signals growing ambitions for MGM, which was once one of Hollywood's premier brands. After financial struggles, the Beverly Hills, California-based studio, founded in 1924, emerged from bankruptcy protection in 2000 and has since released its films through larger studios.

"The time has come for MGM to regain control of its own destiny and return to U.S. theatrical distribution," Gary Barber, MGM chief executive and chairman, said in a statement.

In this image released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures/EON Productions, Daniel Craig appears in a scene from the James Bond film, "Spectre." MGM is getting back into distribution, teaming with Megan Ellison's Annapurna Pictures in a joint venture. Neither MGM nor Annapurna said if the next Bond movie, planned for 2019, is a part of their new deal. MGM's pact with Sony Pictures on the franchise expired in 2015. (Jonathan Olley/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures/EON Productions via AP)

MGM remains the home of James Bond, but neither MGM nor Annapurna said if the next Bond movie, planned for 2019, is a part of their new deal. MGM's pact with Sony Pictures on the franchise expired in 2015. Worldwide distribution rights for the 25th Bond film, MGM said, would be announced "at a later date."

MGM and Annapurna said they will together release about 15 films a year, including six to eight by MGM. Each company retains creative control over their individual projects. Annapurna, which has recently begun marketing and distributing its own titles, will handle campaigns for all MGM titles.

"We are thrilled to expand our relationship with Gary and the entire MGM team," said Ellison. "MGM's distinguished legacy and library of films has made them a pillar in the industry and I couldn't be more proud and confident in our team's ability to collaborate on the distribution of their upcoming slate."

The first movie MGM will release under the agreement will be Eli Roth's "Death Wish," a remake of the 1974 revenge thriller, in March. Also on the docket are a musical of 1983's "Valley Girl," the Rocky saga sequel "Creed 2," and a female-led remake of 1988's "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" titled "Nasty Women."

Since its founding in 2012, Annapurna has become an Academy Awards regular thanks to films like "American Hustle," ''Zero Dark Thirty" and "Her." Its recent forays into distribution, however, have been less successful. None of its three releases this year - Kathryn Bigelow's "Detroit," Angela Robinson's "Professor Marston & the Wonder Woman" and Mike White's "Brad's Status" - have performed well at the box office.
WASHINGTON (AP) - A U.S. trade commission recommended on Tuesday that the Trump administration impose tariffs as high as 35 percent to slow an influx of low-cost solar panels imported from China and other countries.

The four-member International Trade Commission split over the exact nature of the remedies but agreed that a surge in imported solar cells and panels has caused serious harm to U.S. manufacturers.

The panel's chairwoman, Rhonda Schmidtlein, recommended tariffs ranging from 10 percent to 35 percent on selected imports, while two other commissioners recommended 30-percent tariffs to be phased down over four years. A fourth commissioner recommended quotas on imports of solar products to the U.S.

FILE - In this Feb. 14, 2017, file photo, a rooftop is covered with solar panels at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, in New York. A U.S. trade commission is recommending that the Trump administration impose tariffs of up to 35 percent to slow an influx of low-cost solar panels imported from China and other countries. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

The commission's non-binding recommendations follow a unanimous vote in September that the imports are harmful. President Donald Trump is expected to make a final decision by mid-January.

Georgia-based Suniva Inc. and Oregon-based SolarWorld Americas brought the trade case, saying the imports have pushed them to the brink of extinction. Suniva has declared bankruptcy, while SolarWorld had to lay off three-quarters of its workforce.

Cheap imports have led to a boom in the U.S. solar industry, where rooftop and other installations have risen tenfold since 2011.

The main trade group for the solar industry and many governors oppose tariffs, saying they could cause a sharp price hike that would lead to a dramatic drop in solar installations and cause massive layoffs in the solar industry.

The National Electrical Contractors Association, whose members build, frame and maintain solar projects, called the recommendations "extremely troubling" and said they put "the entire solar supply chain and tens of thousands of jobs at risk."

Solar energy is "a proven job creator for electrical workers nationwide who install utility-scale and rooftop solar systems around the country," said John Grau, the group's CEO. "These are good, middle-class jobs that promote apprenticeship, community-based hiring and veterans. We urge President Trump to reject" tariffs or other restrictions.

The Solar Energy Industries Association, which represents about 1,000 U.S. solar companies, said the proposed tariffs "would be intensely harmful to our industry," but expressed relief that the recommended rates were lower than many in the industry feared.

"We are encouraged by three commissioners' reference to alternative funding mechanisms, including our import license fee proposal," said Abigail Ross Hopper, the group's president and CEO.

Hopper and other industry leaders have said the United States should not be helping foreign-owned companies such as Suniva and SolarWorld.

Suniva's majority owner is based in China, while SolarWorld Americas is a subsidiary of German solar giant SolarWorld.

Trump has not cozied up to the solar industry, as he has for coal and other fossil fuels, but he is considered sympathetic to imposing tariffs on solar imports as part of his "America first" agenda.

Governors of four solar-friendly states - Nevada, Colorado, Massachusetts and North Carolina - oppose tariffs, warning they could jeopardize the industry.

Suniva called the trade commission's recommendations disappointing. Solar panel makers have "suffered serious injury at the hands of foreign imports," the company said, and the remedies recommended by the trade commission "simply will not fix the problem the ITC itself identified."

Suniva declared bankruptcy this spring after laying off 190 employees and closing production sites in Georgia and Michigan. SolarWorld Americas, meanwhile, has trimmed its workforce from 1,300 to 300, with more cuts likely.

While the U.S. solar industry employs about 260,000 people, fewer than 2,000 are involved in making solar panels like those made by Suniva and SolarWorld. More than half of solar jobs are in installation, with about a quarter in sales, distribution or development.
NEW VIENNA, Iowa (AP) - Authorities are blaming a manure runoff from a dairy farm for killing about 60,000 fish in eastern Iowa.

The farm is situated about 3 miles (5 kilometers) east of New Vienna. The fish kill was reported Oct. 9 after fish carcasses were spotted in two creeks downstream in Dyersville.

The Iowa Natural Resources Department has issued a notice of violation to the owner, John Hoefler, and is expected to seek restitution for the fish. Among the dead were minnows, white suckers and creek chubs.
Cory Lee Woodard of LaFayette is a winner in the 2016-2017 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Competition, taking the gold award for Best Travel Blog for his website Curb Free with Cory Lee. The annual competition is sponsored by the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation.

Winners of the awards, the most prestigious in the field of travel journalism, were announced Monday at the SATW convention, held in Portland, Or., this year.

The competition drew 1,190 entries and was judged by members of the faculty at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. This year, the SATW Foundation presented 89 awards in 24 categories and nearly $20,000 in prize money to journalists. The awards are named for Lowell Thomas, acclaimed broadcast journalist, prolific author and world explorer during five decades in journalism.

In honoring Mr. Woodard's work, the judges said: "Travel isnt  and shouldnt be  only for the able-bodied. Curb Free with Cory Lee is a treasure of useful information on wheelchair-accessible locales and attractions. From reviewing hotel rooms to hiking in the Amazon and up Masada, making the most of a tiny airplane seat and introducing other travelers rolling around the globe, this blog will leave everyone inspired to take off and try it all."

Among other winners, Christopher Reynolds, travel writer with the Los Angeles Times, earned the title of Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year for a portfolio of his work in the past year. The New York Times took 12 awards, including Gold for best Newspaper Travel Coverage and two other gold places.

The Foundation distributes nearly $20,000 annually in prize money to individual winners. Contributions by Gold Supporter Carnival Corp. and other donors help sustain the competition and make prizes possible to recognize outstanding work in travel journalism.

For more information about the awards, including a full list of winners and judges comments, and SATW, visit www.satwf.com and www.satw.org.
In this era of rampant sequelizing, has any filmmaker more playfully inverted the standard more-of-the-same monotony than Richard Linklater?

His Oscar-nominated "Boyhood" was, if nothing else, a compendium of life's chapters, filmed - and lived - year after year. His "Before" trilogy reteamed Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, every nine years, for strolling encounters that compressed and marveled at the passage of time. His last film, "Everybody Wants Some!!" was billed as a "spiritual sequel" to Linklater's "Dazed and Confused" - a college movie to bookend a high school one.

In Linklater Land, nothing is ever "rebooted." The ripples of time are interesting enough, just as they are.

This image released by Lionsgate shows Laurence Fishburne, from left, Bryan Cranston and Steve Carell in a scene from "Last Flag Flying." (Wilson Webb/Lionsgate via AP)

But Linklater's latest, "Last Flag Flying," is a still more unorthodox kind of sequel. It's a kind of follow-up to Hal Ashby's great 1973 film "The Last Detail," in which two petty officers (Otis Young and a young, blistering Jack Nicholson) who are transporting a naive 18-year-old soldier (Randy Quaid) from Norfolk, Virginia, to the brig in New Hampshire, where he's been sentenced to serve eight years for attempting to steal $40 from a charity box.

Ashby's film was a real-time odyssey, glorious in its fiery expletives (courtesy of screenwriter Robert Towne) and seething in its outrage. As a film, it's still alive, and Nicholson's cackle still echoes.

"Last Flag Flying" is a journey mapped over the same terrain, but the central trio are now well into middle age and their reason for reunion, three decades later, is more melancholy still. Larry "Doc" Shepherd (Steve Carell, in a version of Quaid's character) gathers together his old Vietnam War buddies - Sal Nealon (Bryan Cranston, the Nicholson-esque, anti-authoritarian rabble-rouser of the bunch) and Rev. Richard Mueller (Laurence Fishburne, whose character draws partly from Young's real life) - to bury his son, a Marine killed in Iraq.

The source of the tale is author Darryl Ponicsan's 2003 novel, which was a direct sequel to his 1970 book, the one Ashby and Towne turned into a film. But Linklater's film has severed some of those ties, changing the characters names and slightly shifting their background while still maintaining much of the connective tissue to "The Last Detail." It is, in some sense, another "spiritual sequel."

Why distance "Last Flag Flying" from "The Last Detail"? Well, not everyone is so familiar with Ashby's film, and perhaps more to the point: Filling the shoes of Nicholson is a fool's game, if ever there was one.

But while the film's gentle, rolling humanism is indeed its own, "The Last Detail" stands like an unspoken island around which the movie flows. The balance of trio is off, too. Cranston, a very gifted performer, is acting like a funny live-wire while Nicholson simply was one. Carell, who can render innocence as well as anyone, gives a performance that feels hollowed out by its grieving solemnity. Fishburne, never one unsure of his footing, alone feels in the right place.

And while "Last Flag Flying" is missing the edge of Towne's dialogue, it's a deeply thoughtful film about how so much changes (in one scene the guys buy cell phones, marveling at the invention) while so much stays the same. It might be 30 years later, but time hasn't altered the injustice for the foot soldiers enlisted to fight ill-conceived wars. When the guys arrive in Washington to see the body of Doc's son, they soon find themselves disagreeing with a hardline Marine colonel (Yul Vazquez) who disapproves of Doc's decision to bury his son at home in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, instead of at Arlington National Cemetery. The colonel and his tone are, to Sal, exceedingly familiar.

There are scenes here that pulsate with anti-war passion, sometimes a little too obviously, sometimes effectively. But despite its flaws, the film gathers an honest force as it burrows deeper into its characters as the group (along with a current Marine played by a memorable J. Quinton Johnson) makes its way up the coast. It's a trip that glimmers with both mournful reflection on the human cost of war and the abiding camaraderie among soldiers.

That "Last Flag Flying" is a sequel, with future installments sure to come, is the point. Times change. New wars are fought. The same kids pay the price.

"Last Flag Flying," an Amazon Studios release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for "language throughout including some sexual references." Running time: 124 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

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MPAA definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

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Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexican authorities say 12 people have died in the central state of Puebla in a string of shootings being investigated as possible score-settling by rival gangs of fuel thieves.

The state prosecutor's office reports Tuesday that three men and a woman were slain at a hospital in the state capital. Another man was shot dead while driving in the suburb of Chachapa. And two more were killed while riding in a pickup truck in the municipality of Amozoc de Mota, which contains Chachapa.

In a separate statement late Monday, Puebla prosecutors said gunmen in an SUV shot dead five people who were drinking on a lot around midday in Tlaltenango.

Fuel pipeline theft is a growing problem in Mexico, with regular shootings between gangs and sometimes police or soldiers.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Attorneys in the bribery trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez gathered on Tuesday to hash out the legal instructions the judge is to give to the jury before deliberations, a crucial phase of the trial in light of a recent Supreme Court decision that has already prompted the overturning of several public corruption convictions.

After eight weeks of testimony, jurors could hear closing arguments from both sides on Wednesday or Thursday.

Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, is charged with taking gifts from a wealthy donor between 2006 and 2013 in exchange for political influence, including lobbying government officials on behalf of the donor's business interests. The donor, Florida eye doctor Salomon Melgen, also is on trial.

The two men have denied any bribery arrangement and say the gifts, which included flights on Melgen's private jet and a luxury hotel stay in Paris, are an outgrowth of their longtime friendship.

Before jurors hear closing arguments, they will be instructed by U.S. District Judge William Walls on the specifics of the law. That is especially important here because the definition of official bribery was narrowed by the Supreme Court's decision last year that overturned the conviction of former Republican Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell.

Since then, courts have cited the decision to toss convictions of former New York state lawmakers Sheldon Silver, a Democrat, and Dean Skelos, a Republican, and former Louisiana Rep. William Jefferson, also a Democrat.

The judge in Menendez's trial already denied the defense's motion to throw out the case on the grounds that the prosecution didn't demonstrate a bribery agreement under the McDonnell definitions. Both sides argued Tuesday over how the judge should instruct the jury on those points.

The defense proposed that the judge tell jurors they would have to find Menendez took gifts in exchange for official acts that "were agreed upon at the time of the exchange" to find him guilty. That conforms to language in the McDonnell decision, the defense wrote.

In contrast, prosecutors wrote that the judge should tell jurors they need only find Menendez took a thing of value "corruptly in return for being influenced in the performance of an official act" to find him guilty.

Menendez and Melgen each face six bribery counts, one conspiracy count and four related counts. Menendez also faces one count of making false statements by not reporting Melgen's gifts on Senate disclosure forms.
HOUSTON (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union sued the U.S. government Tuesday to demand that it release a 10-year-old girl with cerebral palsy detained by Border Patrol agents after surgery because she is in the U.S. without legal permission.

The ACLU filed a lawsuit in federal court in San Antonio, where Rosa Maria Hernandez, whose parents brought her to the U.S. from Mexico a decade ago, is being held in a facility for unaccompanied minors who have entered the country illegally. The Border Patrol has said its agents took the child into custody last week after emergency gallbladder surgery out of concern for her welfare because she was not with her parents, but an adult cousin. But the ACLU argues in its lawsuit that Rosa Maria's detention violates federal law and puts her health at risk.

"Nothing stops the government right now from returning Rosa Maria to the family she's lived with her entire life," said Michael Tan, an attorney for the ACLU.

Rosa Maria was 3 months old when her parents brought her into the United States from Mexico in 2007, said Leticia Gonzalez, an attorney for the family. Her parents are also in the U.S. without legal authorization and live in the Texas border city of Laredo. Gonzalez says that due to her cerebral palsy, Rosa Maria has the mental capacity of a child who is 4 or 5 years old.

To get to a children's hospital in Corpus Christi, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) away, the child had to cross one of the many interior checkpoints the Border Patrol operates in South Texas at which it checks the legal status of people crossing. Rather than risk being detained themselves, her parents sent her with a cousin who is a U.S. citizen.

After discovering that Rosa Maria was not in the U.S. legally, Border Patrol agents followed the vehicle she was in to the Corpus Christi hospital. There, Gonzalez said, the agents insisted on keeping the door to Rosa Maria's room open so they could watch her, then took her after the surgery to a federal facility in San Antonio. A video released by Gonzalez shows green-uniformed agents carrying Rosa Maria in a stretcher.

Rosa Maria now faces deportation. She remained Tuesday at the facility, which normally holds young people who have recently crossed the Rio Grande on their own, rather than the children of families living in the U.S. without legal permission.

Priscila Martinez, an activist at the Workers Defense Action Fund, said that Rosa Maria appeared to be not doing well in the facility. According to the child's family, Rosa Maria is refusing her favorite bread and appears to be withdrawing socially. Instead, she keeps saying that she wants to go home, Martinez said.

Facing strong criticism from immigration advocates and several Democrats in the U.S. House, the Border Patrol has defended its handling of the case and argued its agents couldn't let her go.

In a statement Monday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it had to take Rosa Maria into custody because she did not have legal permission to be in the country and was not accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, making her the same as an unaccompanied minor under the law. The agency said it did not consider her 34-year-old cousin to be her legal guardian.

The agency said that "there is no discretion with regard to the law whether or not the agents should enforce the law."

A 2014 policy memo on detaining immigrants in the U.S. illegally, still posted on CBP's website, says Department of Homeland Security employees should apply "prosecutorial discretion" to decisions, including "whom to stop, question, and arrest" and "whom to detain or release."

"It is generally preferable to exercise such discretion as early in the case or proceeding as possible in order to preserve government resources that would otherwise be expended in pursuing enforcement and removal of higher priority cases," the memo says.

But Gabriel Acosta, assistant chief patrol agent for the agency's Laredo sector, said Tuesday that the memo did not mean the Border Patrol could release a child it considered an unaccompanied minor.

Acosta said his agents "acted professionally and compassionately to get this child the medical attention she needed." But he declined to say whether there was a way Rosa Maria's parents could have sent her for the surgery without risking her being detained.

Tan called Rosa Maria's case "contrary to law and the Constitution," and said that by CBP's logic, federal officials could "take children whom it decides are 'unaccompanied' and separate them from their families and detain them."

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Follow Merchant on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nomaanmerchant
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California Gov. Jerry Brown is continuing his international fight against climate change with an 11-day trip to Europe starting Saturday including stops at the Vatican and a United Nations conference in Germany.

Brown is a chief adversary to Republican President Donald Trump in the battle over U.S. climate policy, promising to help the country reach its emissions reductions targets even as Trump withdraws from an international climate accord. He's been named the special adviser for states and regions at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany.

"While the White House declares war on climate science and retreats from the Paris Agreement, California is doing the opposite and taking action," Brown said in a statement announcing the trip. "We are joining with our partners from every part of the world to do what needs to be done to prevent irreversible climate change."

FILE- In this July 13, 2017, file photo, California Gov. Jerry Brown testifies during a hearing of the Senate Environmental Quality committee in Sacramento, Calif. Brown is continuing his international fight against climate change with an 11-day trip to Europe with stops at the Vatican and a United Nations conference in Germany. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

The non-profit California State Protocol Foundation, which accepts donations from private businesses, pays for Brown's international travel. Travel for Brown's staff members will be partially covered by money from the non-profit Climate Registry and the Climate Action Reserve, a program that deals with carbon offset projects, spokesman Evan Westrup said.

Brown's November trip follows visits to China and Russia earlier this year to promote international collaboration on climate change. Next year, he plans to host a summit in San Francisco.

He will give a speech Saturday to the Vatican Pontifical Academy of Sciences symposium. During the week, Brown will address European Parliament leaders, the state parliament in Baden-Wurttemberg Germany, meet with representatives from national scientific academies and serve on several panels at the U.N. conference.

Govs. Kate Brown of Oregon, Jay Inslee of Washington and Terry McAuliffe of Virginia - all Democrats - will join him on a panel about states' roles in fighting climate change. California Senate leader Kevin de Leon, also a Democrat, is scheduled to speak Friday at a Vatican workshop on climate.

His trip ends Nov. 14.

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This story has been corrected to show Brown's trip is 11 days, not 10 days.

FILE -- In this July 25, 2017 file photo, California Gov. Jerry Brown holds up a climate bill after signing it as former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, third from left, looks on at Treasure Island, in San Francisco. Brown is continuing his international fight against climate change with an 11-day trip to Europe with stops at the Vatican and a United Nations conference in Germany. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, file)
WASHINGTON (AP) - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday lobbied the White House and top congressional leaders for a $61 billion Texas Gulf Coast rebuilding package.

Topping the huge Hurricane Harvey recovery proposal is $37 billion for Army Corps of Engineers flood control and navigation projects and $15 billion for community development block grants.

Abbott said Tuesday "what we're asking for is not unusual when you consider the size and scope and population impacted by this storm."

FILE - In this Sept. 27, 2017, file photo, a boat is submerged in a damaged marina from Hurricane Harvey in Beaumont, Texas. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is in Washington, on Oct. 31, making the case to the White House and top Capitol Hill leaders for a $60 billion Texas Gulf Coast rebuilding package. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

He said Harvey was "far larger than Katrina. It's pretty much Katrina and Sandy combined."

Abbott visited with White House budget director Mick Mulvaney on Tuesday and was scheduled to meet with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Congress just last week wrapped up a $36.5 billion hurricane recovery measure to respond to this year's disastrous hurricane season, which sent successive storms sweeping through Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico. An earlier $15 billion package passed in September.

The first two measures focused largely on immediate response and recovery efforts; The White House says an upcoming request from President Donald Trump for rebuilding efforts is coming by mid-November.

Abbott was making the round in support of a report from a commission he set up to assess the state's needs.
PARIS (AP) - Left back Layvin Kurzawa scored a second-half hat trick as Paris Saint-Germain crushed Anderlecht 5-0 to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League on Tuesday.

PSG, which is unbeaten this season, could have had more goals but squandered five clear scoring opportunities before Marco Verratti opened the scoring in the 30th minute with a well-taken effort.

Brazil star Neymar, after fluffing his earlier shots, made it 2-0 deep into first-half stoppage time with a fine strike from the edge of the penalty area.

PSG's Layvin Kurzawa, celebrates after scoring his side's forth goal with his teammates PSG's Marquinhos during a Champions League Group B soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Anderlecht at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Then it was the unheralded Kurzawa's turn to shine in a star-studded side that is desperate to prove it belongs among Europe's elite after failing to go beyond the quarterfinal stage in the past five seasons.

Kurzawa added the third goal after 52 minutes, when Neymar's free kick hit the post and bounced up to him, and then scored the fourth after Neymar and countryman Dani Alves combined to set him up with a telling cross in the 72nd.

Just six minutes later, the France international drilled the ball into the bottom right corner from just inside the penalty area after substitute Angel Di Maria inadvertently rolled the ball perfectly into his path as he forayed toward goal.

PSG has won its four matches so far in Group B - scoring 17 goals while conceding none - and is three points clear of Bayern Munich. The German champion joined PSG in the knockout stages after winning 2-1 away to Scottish champion Celtic.

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More AP Champions League coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/ChampionsLeague

PSG's Layvin Kurzawa,, scores his side's third goal during a Champions League Group B soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Anderlecht at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

PSG's Neymar celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during a Champions League Group B soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Anderlecht at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

PSG's Marco Verratti, 2nd right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal with his teammates Kylian Mbappe, right, Julian Draxler, center, Edinson Cavani, 2nd left, and Neymar during a Champions League Group B soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Anderlecht at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

PSG's Neymar, right, struggles for the ball with Anderlecht's Sofiane Hanni during a Champions League Group B soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Anderlecht at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

Anderlecht's Sven Kums, left, and PSG's Neymar battle for the ball during a Champions League Group B soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Anderlecht at Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Property damage claims from a series of deadly October wildfires now exceed $3.3 billion, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said Tuesday.

The figure represents claims for homes and businesses insured by 15 companies and is more than triple the previous estimate of $1 billion. Jones said the number will continue to rise as more claims are reported.

The amount of claims now reported means that the fires caused more damage than California's 1991 Oakland Hills fire, which was previously the state's costliest, with $2.7 billion in damages in 2015 dollars, according to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America.

FILE - In this Oct. 9, 2017 file photo, Jim Stites watches part of his neighborhood burn in Fountain Grove, Calif. California's insurance commissioner said Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017 that losses from a series of destructive wildfires now exceed $3.3 billion. Commissioner Dave Jones said Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, that the figure represents claims for homes and businesses insured by 15 major insurers. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP, File)

Forty-three people were killed in the October blazes that tore through Northern California, including the state's renowned winemaking regions in Napa and Sonoma counties. They destroyed thousands of buildings as more than 100,000 people were forced to evacuate. It was the deadliest series of fires in California history.

The fires are now nearly contained.

Several dozen buildings were also damaged or destroyed in fire in Southern California's Orange County.

"Behind each and every one of these claims...are ordinary people, Californians who lost their homes, lost their vehicles, in some cases whose family members lost their lives," said Jones, a Democrat who is running for attorney general.

Jones said there were just over 10,000 claims for partial home losses, more than 4,700 total losses and about 700 for business property. There were 3,200 claims for damaged or destroyed personal vehicles, 91 for commercial vehicles, 153 for farm equipment and 111 for watercraft.

The figures do not reflect uninsured losses, including public infrastructure and the property of people who were uninsured or underinsured.

Meanwhile, a man facing arson charges for a wildfire that destroyed two homes south of the San Francisco Bay Area had an ominous message for a prosecutor during a court hearing Tuesday: "You're next."

Marlon Coy, 54, uttered the words while glaring at Santa Cruz County District Attorney Jeffrey Rosell while he explained four of the felony charges Coy is facing, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported .

Coy pleaded not guilty to charges of arson of a nondwelling, arson causing bodily injury and being a felon in possession of a firearm, the newspaper reported.

Witnesses saw Coy start the fire on October 16 near a property in Santa Cruz County connected to someone with whom he had a dispute, sheriff's officials said.

Coy was arrested in possession of jewelry and a bicycle that was taken from a home that was burglarized while under evacuation, according to sheriff's officials.

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Associated Press writer Sudhin Thanawala contributed.

FILE - In this Oct. 9, 2017 file photo, a wildfire moves closer to North Tustin homes along the 261 freeway in Tustin, Calif. Dave Jones, California's insurance commissioner, said Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017 that losses from a series of wildfires in the state in October now exceed $3.3 billion. (Cindy Yamanaka/The Orange County Register via AP, File)/The Orange County Register via AP)

FILE - In this Oct. 14, 2017, file photo, an aerial view shows the devastation of the Coffey Park neighborhood after a wildfire swept through in Santa Rosa, Calif. California's insurance commissioner said Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017 that losses from a series of destructive wildfires now exceed $3.3 billion. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 9, 2017 file photo, a firefighter sprays a hose into a Keysight Technologies building in Santa Rosa, Calif. The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported that more than 100 boxes of letters and other materials from tech pioneers William Hewlett and David Packard burned in the fires. Electronics firm Keysight Technologies had acquired the archives through spinoffs, and the archives were stored at its offices in Santa Rosa. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, file)

FILE - In this Oct. 9, 2017 file photo, a fire continues to burn at Keysight Technologies in Santa Rosa, Calif. The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported that more than 100 boxes of letters and other materials from tech pioneers William Hewlett and David Packard burned in the fires. Electronics firm Keysight Technologies had acquired the archives through spinoffs, and the archives were stored at its offices in Santa Rosa. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)
STOCKHOLM (AP) - New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says a man in a rented pickup who mowed down pedestrians and bicyclists along a bike path near the World Trade Center memorial Tuesday was a "lone wolf." The attack killed at least eight and injured 11 others. Police shot the 29-year-old driver and took him into custody after he jumped out of the truck with what turned out to be a fake gun in each hand. It's the latest in a string of incidents where drivers have used their vehicles as weapons. Some were orchestrated by extremist groups, others by unstable individuals with unclear motives. Radical groups have urged supporters to use any weapons at hand, including cars, a tactic that presents a major challenge for security forces around the world. Here's a look at some other attacks:

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Aug. 17, 2017

Emergency personnel carry a man into an ambulance after a motorist drove onto a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center memorial and struck several people Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

A rented van veered into Barcelona's crowded Las Ramblas promenade, swerving along the walkway and killing 13 people. Armed with an ax, knives and false explosives belts, attackers then drove a second vehicle to the boardwalk in the resort town of Cambrils early the next day, fatally injuring one person. Five of those attackers were shot to death. Authorities said a cell of at least nine extremists plotted to combine vehicles and explosives in a direct hit on tourists. Islamic State claimed the group as its own.

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Aug. 12, 2017

A car slammed into a crowd protesting a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, killing 32-year-old legal assistant Heather Heyer. The driver of the car, James Alex Fields Jr., described as an admirer of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany, was photographed with white nationalist demonstrators before the deadly crash. Fields is charged with murder and other offenses. Two Virginia state troopers also died in the crash of their helicopter, which was monitoring the rally.

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June 19, 2017

A van attack on a crowd of Muslim worshippers near two north London mosques killed a 51-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant and injured nine other people. The worshippers were spilling out of the mosques following Ramadan prayers. British authorities charged Darren Osborne, an unemployed man from Wales, with murder and attempted murder. Police characterized the incident as a terrorist attack directed at Muslims.

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April 7, 2017

A man drove a stolen beer truck into a crowd of afternoon shoppers outside the upmarket Ahlens store in Stockholm, killing four and injuring 15 others. The victims of the attack included an 11-year-old Swedish schoolgirl, a 31-year-old Belgian woman, a 69-year-old Swedish woman and a 41-year-old Briton whom the British government identified as Chris Bevington, an executive at Swedish music-streaming service Spotify. A Uzbek man, Rakhmat Akilov, was later arrested and pleaded guilty to a terrorist crime for ramming the truck into the crowd, according to his lawyer.

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March 22, 2017

A man identified by police as Khalid Masood ran his rented SUV into pedestrians on London's Westminster Bridge. Three people were killed on the bridge; a fourth person, a Romanian woman who was knocked into the Thames, died Thursday. Masood was eventually shot and killed by police, but not before stabbing a police officer to death on the grounds of Parliament. Police say Masood was inspired by extremist ideology, but that there's no evidence he had direct links to the Islamic State group or al-Qaida.

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Jan. 20 , 2017

A man with a history of mental health and drug abuse issues drove into a street crowded with pedestrians in Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, killing at least four people, including a child, and injuring around 15 others. The 26-year-old man was arrested, and police said the incident had no links to terrorism.

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Jan. 8, 2017

A Palestinian truck driver rammed his vehicle into a crowd of Israeli soldiers at a popular Jerusalem tourist spot, killing four people and wounding 17 in the deadliest single attack of more than a year of Israeli-Palestinian violence. It was the latest in a string of stabbings, shootings and vehicle ramming attacks in a wave of violence that erupted in the fall of 2015.

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Dec. 19, 2016

A young Tunisian rammed a truck into a crowded Berlin Christmas market, killing 12 and injuring dozens in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. It was the first mass casualty attack by Islamic extremists carried out on German soil. Attacker Anis Amri, who had been denied asylum in Germany, was later killed by police in Italy after an international manhunt.

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Nov. 28, 2016

Eighteen-year-old Somali-born Abdul Razak Ali Artan drove a car into a crowd of students at Ohio State University. Artan then attacked bystanders with a knife before he was shot and killed by OSU police officer Alan Horujko. Thirteen people were injured in the attack.

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July 14, 2016

A Tunisian residing in France plowed a refrigerator truck through a crowd celebrating Bastille Day on the Mediterranean beachfront in Nice, killing 86. Attacker Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, who claimed allegiance to the Islamic State group, was killed by police. Cities around the world beefed up measures to prevent vehicle attacks in response.

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December 2014

A motorist injured 13 pedestrians in the French city of Dijon; a day later, a man ran over pedestrians at a Christmas market in Nantes in western France, killing one and injuring nine. Both suspects, who survived, had histories of mental illness.

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Oct. 20, 2014

A 25-year-old man drove his car into to Canadian Air Force members near Montreal, killing one and injuring another. Authorities said the driver was a convert to Islam and had been flagged for jihadist ambitions. He was later shot dead by police.

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June 30, 2007

Two men attempted to crash a blazing Jeep loaded with explosives into Glasgow Airport in Scotland. The car's path was blocked and the explosives failed to detonate.

Firemen work in the scene after a motorist drove onto a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center memorial and struck several people Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The former mayor of Jackson is a pastor who gives sermons on Sundays, but before he got to church this week, he taught a suspected burglar a lesson he will never forget.

When the burglar tried to break into pastor Tony Yarber's truck, the former mayor said he subdued the suspect and brought him into his home's garage. He held him to the floor and hit him with his fraternity paddle, shouting: "When you break in people's stuff, it's because somebody ain't whooped your tail!"

The spanking was captured on a video by Yarber's daughter and aired by news organizations.

In this Feb. 20, 2017 photograph, then Jackson, Miss., Mayor Tony Yarber speaks at a forum during his reelection campaign. Yarber, now former mayor, subdued and paddled 22-year-old Juwuan Bibbs, a man who police say was burglarizing his truck at his home, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017. Yarber dragged Bibbs into his garage, held him on the floor and hit him with a paddle while awaiting police. (Justin Sellers, The Clarion-Ledger, via AP)

Yarber told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he caught Juwuan Bibbs, 22, breaking into his truck before dawn Sunday. Bibbs is charged with auto burglary and marijuana possession. It's unclear if he has a lawyer.

Yarber said the family was getting ready to go to church Sunday when his wife noticed two men sitting in a car at the curb near their house. Yarber went outside to check things out and found Bibbs entering his truck.

He kicked the truck door, and Bibbs ran toward the garage. Yarber put him in a headlock, dragged him inside and paddled him as he waited for police. The other man fled.

Yarber, who lost his re-election earlier this year, said he became agitated because Bibbs was pleading for his life, saying he had a young son. Yarber felt his own family had been threatened, so the former kickboxer trained in taekwondo, who stands 6-foot-1 (1.85 meters), called for the paddle.

"If he was going to go to jail for a day and get out, I wanted him to remember why he went," Yarber said.

The former elementary school principal said his wife called police a second time, saying they should hurry because Yarber might injure Bibbs.

Several years ago, the former mayor fought off two men who tried to break into his house. When police arrived this time, Yarber said the first officer told Bibbs, "Wrong house, homeboy."

Police recovered a handgun they believe belonged to Bibbs. Yarber said he believes Bibbs lost the gun when he kicked the truck door.

Yarber's daughter, Carmen Neal Yarber, caught the tail end of the confrontation on video. Asked whether she had ever been spanked by her dad, she said: "I received whoopins, but not with that paddle."

___

Follow Jeff Amy at: http://twitter.com/jeffamy. Read his work at https://www.apnews.com/search/Jeff_Amy.
The 2017 Industry Showcase and Appreciation Luncheon for representatives of Chamber-member industries and suppliers took place on Oct. 24.

Industry plays a vital role in economic development in our community, said Lisa Pickel, director of existing industry programs for Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce. Our community is blessed to have a strong existing industry base.

The annual event was presented in part by Chattanooga Gas Co., Cleveland Utilities and MurMaid Mattress.

The luncheon keynote speaker was Denise Rice, president of Peak Performance, Inc. and director of the Tennessee Manufacturing Association. Ms. Rice shared insights on programs and initiatives for existing industries, while emphasizing the need for workforce development. In Bradley County, we have 102 high-quality job commitments for 2016-17, said Ms. Rice. She also noted the important role the high schools play in preparing the future manufacturing workforce and applauded the collaborative work being led by the Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Council such as the week-long coordination of student tours and hands-on activities at 10 area manufacturing centers.

Ms. Rice additionally noted students can now graduate from high school with a CNA in nursing that can put you right to work. We've got to be able to do the same thing in manufacturing.

The manufacturing and distribution company Showcase participants were BC Champions, Bayer Healthcare LLC, Cleveland State Community College Workforce Development, Cleveland Utilities, MurMaid Mattress, Peak Performance, Peytons Southeastern, and Tennova Healthcare - Cleveland.

For more information about the Chambers Workforce and Economic Development programs visit www.clevelandchamber.com.






Hundreds of people will join a protest aimed at persuading ministers to reverse a decision not to hold a public inquiry into violent clashes between striking miners and police 33 years ago.

A year ago, Home Secretary Amber Rudd ruled out an inquiry into the events at Orgreave in South Yorkshire in June 1984.

Scores of miners were arrested during a day of violence, and many were injured, although all charges were later dropped.

A massive police presence greets pickets as they arrive on the hill heading to the Orgreave Coking Plant near Rotherham

The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign will hold a Halloween protest in Sheffield on Tuesday, including a procession through the city, with a coffin leading the way.

Joe Rollin, the groups chairman, said plans were still being made for a legal challenge to the Governments refusal to hold an inquiry.

He said: Theresa Mays rhetoric about tackling burning injustices was clearly ignored by Amber Rudd. For this Conservative Government it is establishment business as usual. For many the wounds of Orgreave are as fresh as if it was yesterday.

Former miner Kevin Horne, one of those arrested at Orgreave, said: Orgreave was a seismic event in our history. You have to wonder what the Government is so afraid of in revealing the truth. The outcome will be unpleasant but the continuation of deception and a flawed picture is an even uglier threat to the future of justice in Britain.

Are you ready for HALLOW33N #DeathOfJustice rally - 31 October 2017 https://t.co/QP5fmefr8Q via @OrgreaveJustice pic.twitter.com/yo4cqEBWcM  Unite the union: join a union (@unitetheunion) October 30, 2017

The clashes between thousands of police and pickets on June 18 1984 became known as the Battle of Orgreave, a day which will never be forgotten by those who were there.

A British Steel coking plant near Rotherham, South Yorkshire, had been picketed peacefully for weeks, as had many pits which largely came to a standstill because of the strike over jobs and closures by the National Union of Mineworkers.

Something changed dramatically on the fateful day, and 33 years later, campaigners are still fighting to establish the reasons for what happened.

They blame the then government for being behind the police tactics, to break the morale of the NUM, but they also believe that officers went too far in attacking pickets, leading to dozens of injuries.
Britains winning-most female trainer Mary Reveley has died, aged 77, her son Keith has announced.

The former dual-purpose trainer, who saddled over 2,000 winners in a pioneering career, died of a suspected heart attack at her familys North Yorkshire stables on Monday morning.

Reveley told Press Association Sport: She was walking about the yard and was with Gill Boanas, who is training there now. She was around the horses, feeding them, and basically collapsed of a suspected heart attack. Were all still in shock, but its just typical of her that she was around horses right up to the end.

The late Mary Reveley was a real force on the northern training circuit (Tony Marshall/EMPICS Sport)

Based at Groundhill Farm stables in Saltburn, Cleveland, Mary Reveley took out a training licence with just four horses in 1982 but soon emerged as a powerhouse of the northern circuit.

She was the first woman in Britain to saddle 100 winners in a calendar year, having reached the significant milestone in 1991.

In the same year she landed the Cambridgeshire Handicap at Newmarket with her favourite horse, Mellottie. In 1992, she then became the only British female to claim 50 victories in a Flat season.

She twice won the Cesarewitch with Old Red (1995) and Turnpole (1997), while the likes of Cab On Target, Marello, Seven Towers and Into The Red secured big-race victories over jumps for Reveley. She retired from training in 2004 and passed on the baton to her son, who announced his own retirement this January.

Mellottie (right) was one of the best horses Mary Reveley trained (John Giles/PA)

Reveley added: The only good thing was that she didnt suffer at all. She always loved being on the farm and wasnt ever keen on going racing as she just wanted to be around the horses.

She did it all without any publicity and always wanted to stay out of the limelight. Even in spite of not wanting publicity, she was sent all these horses and enjoyed wonderful success.

Her favourite horse all along was Mellottie. We bred him ourselves and he was her first ever foal. We bred him as jumper but he was just a freak on the Flat and went from a mark of 60 up to 110, winning Listed races at Newmarket and also the Cambridgeshire.

The memories we have of her are just amazing. Her career was unbelievable and we didnt appreciate at the time just how successful she was.
Its never a dull moment while Raheem Sterling is around if his latest antics on Manchester Citys trip to Naples is anything to go by.

The 22-year-old pranked several of his team-mates en route to Wednesdays Champions League clash with Napoli in Italy.

Raheem Sterling was a nuisance on the flight to Italy (Martin Rickett/PA)

Sterling shared videos on Instragram where he toyed with his sleeping team-mates midway through the flight.

Coming in for the pesky treatment was midfielder Leroy Sane and defender Tosin Adarabioyo.

City boss Pep Guardiola was nowhere in sight but he will no doubt be hoping Sterling makes as much of a nuisance of himself on the pitch.
Tottenham can take another step towards qualifying for the Champions League knock-out stages when they face Real Madrid on Wednesday.

Spurs held the European champions to a 1-1 draw in Spain last month and will be confident of at least replicating that result at Wembley.

Here, Press Association Sport takes a closer look at their distinguished opponents.

Cristiano Ronaldo, centre, trains at Wembley with Real Madrid (Adam Davy/PA Wire)

Team news

Madrid are facing something of an injury crisis ahead of this weeks game, with Gareth Bale, Keylor Navas and Raphael Varane all left out of the squad. Isco has travelled to London but is also a doubt after he missed training on Monday with a thigh problem. Dani Carvajal and Mateo Kovacic remain long-term absentees.

Form

Madrids lengthy injury list is one concern and their form is another after they slipped to a 2-1 defeat to Girona in La Liga on Sunday. The result leaves Zinedine Zidanes side third in the table, eight points behind Barcelona, and under pressure to regain momentum. They have now won only six of their opening 10 league matches.

Champions League so far

 Cristiano Ronaldo & Raul Gonzalez's all-time stats in the #UCL = 



Favourite Real Madrid No7? pic.twitter.com/zv3eKB3UUF  UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) October 30, 2017

While domestic performances have failed to convince, Madrid have saved their best for Europe this season. They backed up a 3-0 win at home to Apoel Nicosia with a 3-1 victory away to Borussia Dortmund before drawing at home to Tottenham. Madrid are bidding to clinch their third consecutive Champions League crown, and fourth in five seasons.

One to watch

Cristiano Ronaldo is the obvious choice, having scored five goals in his opening three group games, but a word too for Luka Modric, who will be eager to make an impression in front of the fans of his former club. If Isco fails to prove his fitness, Marco Asensio could also feature. The 21-year-old has claimed Zidane thinks he has the best left foot since Lionel Messi.
By Thomas Wilson

TOKYO, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Japan will clamp down on asylum seekers' rights to work and detain other refugee applicants, the Yomiuri daily reported on Tuesday, in a move that would put further curbs on one of the developed world's tightest refugee systems.

From as early as mid-November, Japan will only allow those it regards as bona fide refugees the right to work, leading to more than 10,000 asylum seekers a year becoming unable to work, the Yomiuri said, without citing sources.

Others, including those deemed as clearly not refugees in initial checks and multiple asylum applicants, will be held in detention centres after their permission to stay in Japan expires, the report said.

At present, asylum seekers with valid visas receive renewable permits allowing them to work in Japan while their refugee applications are reviewed - a system the government says encourages people to seek asylum in order to work.

"We are looking at policies, including this in the (Yomiuri) article. We haven't decided whether to put it into action," said Yasuhiro Hishida, a Justice Ministry official overseeing refugee recognition.

Japan accepted just three refugees in the first half of 2017 despite a record 8,561 fresh asylum applications, and only 28 in 2016. Human Rights Watch in January described the country's record on asylum seekers as "abysmal".

The world's third biggest economy has remained unwelcoming to immigration despite a shrinking, ageing population that has exacerbated the worst labour shortages in four decades and drags on an already slow economic growth.

Japan's reluctance to accept foreign workers and refugees is in contrast to the policies of other industrialised countries, and has forced labour-hungry industries including construction and manufacturing to rely on asylum seekers with work permits.

Immigration remains a controversial subject in Japan, where many pride themselves on cultural and ethnic homogeneity.

Almost six in 10 Japanese think diversity of ethnic groups, religions and races makes their country a worse place, a poll this month by the Pew Research Center showed.

(Reporting by Thomas Wilson; Editing by Michael Perry)
By Vera Haller

PALERMO, Italy, Oct 31 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The 16-year-old Bangladeshi boy and the retired Italian social worker made an unlikely pair as they strolled though a Palermo park.

Sharing no common language, the teenager, named Sobuj, and 65-year-old Christiane Frost used Google Translate on her smartphone to figure out what the other was saying.

The oldest of five children, Sobuj, identified only by his first name, was dispatched to Europe earlier this year by his family - first on a flight to Libya and then smuggled by boat across the Mediterranean by traffickers - after his ailing father could no longer work, Frost said.

"All he wants is a job to make money to send to his family," she said of Sobuj, who is one of more than 18,000 child migrants and refugees in the Italian government's care who have arrived without parents or adult companions over the past several years.

Frost acts as Sobuj's guardian, part of a new, nationwide effort in Italy to match each "unaccompanied foreign minor" with an Italian citizen who volunteers his or her support.

It is an ambitious goal in a country that has received more than 600,000 migrants and refugees in the past four years and where growing anti-immigrant sentiment is expected to feature strongly in next year's election.

Nearly 70 percent of respondents of a recent national opinion poll said they believed Italy was host to too many immigrants.

Yet, the government is forging ahead with the guardianship programme, which envisions a corps of regular Italians guiding vulnerable youngsters who arrive on Italy's shores after a dangerous Mediterranean sea crossing.

Under the scheme, the children remain housed in government-supported centres while the guardians help enrol them in schools, obtain healthcare and help them with legal applications to stay in Italy.

Filomena Albano, who heads the national Authority for Children and Adolescents in Rome, said Italy was the first European country to formalise such a comprehensive guardianship project in law, passed in March, which includes additional protections for young unaccompanied migrants and refugees.

So far, 2,100 Italians across the country have applied to be guardians, she said in a phone interview, adding that a rigorous vetting process and training meant the programme was only now starting to move forward.

"Clearly, this is just the beginning. The numbers are not there yet to give each child a guardian," Albano said. "But I see the programme allowing us to take responsibility for the future of these young people."

BARRIERS

Sobuj and Frost are taking part a pilot project in the Sicilian capital Palermo that has been underway since June, enrolling 40 teenagers, aged 14 to 17, from countries including Gambia, Sudan and Bangladesh.

For all its good intentions, the guardianship idea is fraught with difficulties and the pilot project is serving as an early warning system.

In addition to language barriers, guardians often find themselves stymied by bureaucracy when they try to gather information on legal proceedings or advocate for better meals at centres, said Pasquale D'Andrea, the guarantor for children and adolescents in Palermo who oversees the pilot project.

Minors chosen for the programme sometimes suddenly disappear, he said, to forge lives outside the system or to attempt to meet family in other parts of Europe.

Sabrina Avakian, chief of UNICEF's child protection for refugee and migrant response in Italy, said in an interview that the guardianship programme would benefit minors because having a local contact made it less likely they would strike out on their own, where they often face abuses by human traffickers.

"Many of these unaccompanied minors become victims of trafficking and in the case of girls, prostitution," Avakian said. "The guardians become a point of reference that makes them less vulnerable to these things."

BONDS

The guardianship law envisions practical and bureaucratic support for the young migrants, but the less visible effect is emotional.

The guardians and their wards quickly develop strong bonds. Of the Italians, D'Andrea said: "these are human beings with blood in their veins who feel emotions."

In Sobuj's case, Frost took heed of his complaints that the centre served only pasta at dinner, of which he was not a fan. She now cooks for him at home once a week and prepares his favourite meal, chicken and rice.

A growing bond was evident when Patrizia Opepari, 57, the owner of a Palermo bed and breakfast, and her ward, Kawsu, 17, of Gambia, spoke of their relationship during a walk through Villa Trabia, a Palermo park.

They exchanged a smile as he recounted what she said after loaning him a bicycle: "Go slow and be careful".

Kawsu, who attends a local high school, said his journey to Sicily lasted almost a year as he travelled alone, working odd jobs, through Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Algeria and Libya, where he was kidnapped by local militia and held in a detention centre for six months.

He said his captors only released him to traffickers for the Mediterranean crossing after he convinced them his family had no money for ransom.

Opepari said she has yet to fully understand the trauma Kawsu went through so she keeps their relationship light, offering friendship and support where she can.

"I am here to give affection, security and friendship," she said. When asked what he thinks of his guardian, Kawsu said: "She's good. She wants to help."

At the end of the walk, they demonstrated the special handshake they share when they say goodbye. They entwined thumbs, bumped fists and then placed their fists to their hearts. (Editing by Ros Russell; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, resilience and climate change. Visit www.trust.org)
By Davide Barbuscia

DUBAI, Oct 31 (Reuters) - United Arab Emirates energy producer Dana Gas will not redeem some $700 million of its Islamic bonds when they mature on Tuesday as a dispute on the validity of the sukuk drags on in British and UAE courts, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Dana refuses to redeem its bonds because it claims changes in the interpretation of Islamic finance over recent years means the securities are no longer sharia-compliant and have become unlawful in the UAE.

But sukuk holders will not be able to declare a debt default because of injunctions issued in June by British and UAE courts, which prevented the holders from enforcing claims pending a resolution of the case.

The case is being closely watched by the global Islamic finance industry because some investors think it could set a precedent for other sukuk issuers.

Dana, however, believes its case will not set a precedent because the mudaraba structure of its sukuk is different from most other Islamic bonds in the market, a source close to the situation said. He declined to be identified as he was not authorised to speak with media.

Sukuk outstanding globally total close to $370 billion, but instruments with the same structure as Dana's bond comprise less than 5 percent of total issues by value, said the source.

A trial on the validity of the sukuk started at a London High Court in September but injunctions issued by a court in the UAE emirate of Sharjah have slowed proceedings.

In the latest London hearing, earlier this month, High Court judge George Leggatt adjourned proceedings to give time to the company to appeal against an injunction, requested by some of the companys shareholders and granted by the Sharjah court, preventing the company from taking part in the London trial.

Proceedings in London are expected to resume by Nov. 13, Leggatt said. Some sources familiar with the case believe a ruling on the case could be issued on that date or shortly afterwards.

Dana asked the Sharjah court early last week for an early hearing date for an appeal which would allow it to participate in the London court case, said the source close to the situation. (Reporting by Davide Barbuscia; Editing by Andrew Torchia and Joseph Radford)
BEIJING, Oct 31 (Reuters) - China's trade deficit in services narrowed to $22.2 billion in September from $24.6 billion in August, the foreign exchange regulator said on Tuesday.

The deficit was largely due to a $17.4 billion gulf in spending between foreign tourists and the Chinese, who splurge more abroad than do visitors to China, data from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) showed.

For the January-September period, China's services trade deficit stood at $198.7 billion. (Reporting by Beijing Monitoring Desk; Editing by Richard Borsuk)
By Raquel Castillo and Angus MacSwan

MADRID, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Spain's foreign minister said on Tuesday he would be surprised if Belgium granted political asylum to Catalan secessionist leader Carles Puigdemont, who turned up there following Madrid's dismissal and takeover of Catalonia's regional government.

By Tuesday, the Madrid government had gained the upper hand in the protracted struggle over Catalonia's independence.

Resistance to Madrid's imposition of direct control on the autonomous region failed to materialise at the start of the week on Monday. The secessionist leadership is in disarray, and attention is now turning to a regional election called by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy for Dec. 21 as a way out of the crisis.

But Puigdemont, whose parliament declared an independent Catalan republic on Friday before being removed by Rajoy, remains a thorn in Madrid's side. He was due to make a statement later on Tuesday in Belgium.

Spain's prosecutor on Monday called for charges of rebellion and other crimes to be laid against him, which carry combined sentences of more than 30 years in prison.

Any request for asylum in Belgium could lead to a diplomatic dispute between the two European Union nations. But Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis appeared to play down that prospect for now.

"We have no certainty of what he is doing," he told Cadena Ser radio. "We would be a bit surprised, given the situation regarding the right of asylum in Europe, but the actions of ex-president Puigdemont are not easy to foresee."

Any decision would be up to Belgian courts, not the government, Dastis said.

"If Belgium grants asylum to Puigdemont, it will not be a normal situation. Let's leave it there for now," he said.

UNCERTAINTY TO BUILD

The political crisis, Spain's gravest in the four decades since the return of democracy in the late 1970s, was triggered by an independence referendum in Catalonia on Oct. 1.

Though it was declared illegal by Spanish courts and less than half Catalonia's eligible voters took part, the pro-secessionist regional government said the vote gave it a mandate for independence.

Some prominent ousted Catalan leaders, including Puigdemont and Vice President Oriol Junqueras, had said they would not accept their dismissal. But their respective parties, PdeCat and Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, said on Monday they would take part in the Dec. 21 election, a tacit acceptance of direct rule from Madrid.

Two opinion polls showed support for independence may have started to wane. A Sigma Dos survey published in El Mundo showed 33.5 percent of Catalans were in favour of independence, while a Metroscopia poll published by El Pais put that number at 29 percent. That compared with 41.1 percent in July, according to an official survey carried out by the Catalan government.

Opponents of secession say a majority of Catalans want to remain part of Spain and did not take part in the referendum.

But some analysts say the dispute is not going to disappear anytime soon despite the present state of play.

"Spain is heading for a period of disruption, and like the UK and Brexit, having its policy agenda dominated by one political issue while other key challenges fade into the background," said Raj Badiani, an economist at IHS Markit in London.

"A more tangible impact from the crisis could evolve from early 2018, with the uncertainty set to build as Catalans push harder for a legally binding referendum."

The government's move to impose direct rule received the backing of several influential Catalan business lobbies, which called on firms to stay in the region. The chaos has prompted an exodus of businesses from Catalonia, which contributes about a fifth of Spain's economy.

Credit rating agency Fitch late on Monday said the escalation of tensions in Catalonia significantly worsened the outlook for Spain's economic growth and could prompt negative action on the country's rating. (Additional reporting by Paul Day and Sonya Dowsett)
By Ellen Francis

BEIRUT, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Russia has invited the Kurdish-led authorities in northern Syria to its proposed congress of Syria's rival parties in November, a senior Kurdish official said on Tuesday, as Moscow seeks to launch a new initiative to end the Syrian conflict.

"We are studying the issue and our stance has been positive so far," Badran Jia Kurd, an adviser to the administration that governs Kurdish-led autonomous regions of Syria, told Reuters.

It would mark the first time Syria's main Kurdish groups have been brought into peace talks. Although they now control at least a quarter of Syria, Kurdish authorities have so far been left out of international talks in line with Turkish wishes.

After intervening decisively in favour of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Russia has sought to spearhead diplomatic efforts among the various combatants over the past year. Moscow has said the congress will focus on "compromise solutions" towards ending the conflict, which began more than six years ago with street protests against the Syrian leader.

A spokesman for the Syrian opposition, which wants peace talks to take place under U.N. supervision, described the proposed congress as "really worrying". It was unclear what the aims were and who would join, said Yahya al-Aridi.

Aridi also said he feared the congress would be used as "fabricated" evidence of reconciliation to mislead both the Syrians and foreign countries.

Several rounds of U.N. talks in Geneva between the Damascus government and the anti-Assad opposition have gone nowhere.

Russia invited 33 Syrian groups and political parties on Tuesday to a "Syrian Congress on National Dialogue" which it will host on Nov. 18 in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.

They include Kurdish groups and anti-Assad rebel factions.

The Kurdish-led administration received the invitation at meetings with Russian officials in northern Syria last month and favour the idea as it strives for a political solution, Jia Kurd said. Kurdish officials say they have been in talks with Russia to assess the prospects for dialogue with the Syrian government.

Since 2011, the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia and its allies have carved out autonomous cantons in the north. Their territorial grip has expanded since they joined forces with the United States to fight Islamic State militants.

But Turkey views Syrian Kurdish power as a national security threat along its border. Ankara considers the YPG as an extension of the outlawed Kurdish PKK movement that has waged a three-decade insurgency inside Turkey.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who sent warplanes to help Assad's military against mostly Sunni rebels in 2015, first mentioned the congress earlier this month.

Putin has said it would include "all ethnic and religious groups, and the government, and the opposition".

Syria's U.N. ambassador, Bashar al-Jaafari, said Damascus was ready to take part in the congress and that the time was now more appropriate to join such talks after its military victories.

Since Russia's intervention in 2015, the government has taken back significant territory from rebels opposed to Assad and has this year recaptured swathes of central and eastern Syria from Islamic State.

Alexander Lavrentyev, a senior Russian negotiator on Syria, urged Syrian rebel groups to join the congress, provided they support Syria's integrity and sovereignty and status as a secular, democratic state.

"If someone is against these principles,.. they will of course not go there," he told reporters after a round of talks with Turkish and Iranian delegations in Kazakhstan. "But then we think they will risk being sidelined in the political process."

The Kazakhstan talks did not produce an anticipated document on prisoner swaps. Lavrentyev said the sides had spent a lot of time discussing the situation in Idlib where Damascus accuses Ankara of acting in coordination with Islamist militants. (Additional reporting by Dmitry Solovyov in Moscow and Raushan Nurshayeva in Astana; Editing by Tom Perry/Mark Heinrich)
photo by Carmen O'Hagan photo by Carmen O'Hagan photo by Carmen O'Hagan photo by Carmen O'Hagan photo by Carmen O'Hagan photo by Carmen O'Hagan Previous Next

The Canadian R&B popstar known as The Weeknd brought his world tour to a packed Bridgestone Arena in Nashville this week.





Fans came to see the Starboy himself perform and catch all of his famous radio hits like The Hills, I Cant Feel My Face, and of course Starboy, which he opened the show with when he rose from beneath the stage showered in laser lights.





He also treated fans to some covers, like Drakes song Crew Love, and the French Montana hit Unforgettable.





Gucci Mane, Nav, and DJ Panda all played opening sets and got the crowd dancing well before The Weeknd even hit the stage.





The Starboy World Tour continues in the US this week before hitting Australia next month.
ABU DHABI/KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has sent a request for information (RFI) for two nuclear power plants to nuclear reactor builders worldwide in a first step towards opening a formal tender, three sources familiar with the situation told Reuters.

"Saudi Arabia has just sent the request for information to various companies and it is being examined," one industry source told Reuters on the sidelines of a nuclear conference in Abu Dhabi. He added that the companies had around two months to respond.

A second industry source confirmed that Saudi authorities had sent an RFI, which is a request to nuclear vendors for a non-binding offer to build a nuclear reactor.

"We sent a communication to suppliers," a Saudi official told Reuters. (Reporting by Syvlia Westal in Abu Dhabi and Reem Shamseddine in Khobar; Writing by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Louise Heavens)
By Sylvia Westall and Reem Shamseddine

ABU DHABI/KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has sent a request for information (RFI) to international suppliers to build two nuclear power plants, a first step towards a formal tender, three sources said.

The kingdom is considering building 17.6 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear capacity by 2032, the equivalent of about 17 reactors, making it one of the biggest prospects for an industry struggling after the 2011 nuclear disaster in Japan.

The world's biggest exporter of oil wants to reduce the amount of crude it burns at home to generate electricity so it can sell more of it overseas.

"Saudi Arabia has just sent the request for information to various companies and it is being examined," one industry source told Reuters, adding that firms had about two months to respond.

A second industry source confirmed that Saudi authorities had sent an RFI, which is a request to nuclear vendors to submit non-binding offers to build a nuclear reactor.

"We sent a communication to suppliers," a Saudi official told Reuters without giving details.

One source said Saudi Arabia planned to organise a nuclear conference in Riyadh in coming months.

If a tender proceeds, Saudi Arabia would become the second Gulf Arab state to turn to nuclear power after the United Arab Emirates, which is building four South Korean-designed reactors, with the first due to start in 2018.

The four plants will provide up to 25 percent of the UAE's "clean energy" needs by 2021. UAE Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazroui said on Monday the nation's energy strategy called for more than four reactors to be built by 2050.

Industry sources said Saudi Arabia was reaching out to suppliers from South Korea, China, France, Russia, Japan and the United States for its first two reactors.

French EDF said last month it was in talks with several nations to sell nuclear reactors, including Saudi Arabia. Other potential suppliers are Toshiba-owned Westinghouse , Russia's Rosatom, China's CGN and South Korean firms, such as Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO).

Executive vice president at Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co (KHNP), Noh Baek-ail, said South Korean firms would bid as a group for the Saudi nuclear project.

A senior U.S. official said the United States was looking at export opportunities to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and elsewhere.

"We work closely with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and we work with them in areas of energy," Edward McGinnis, acting U.S. assistant secretary for nuclear energy, said during the conference.

Saudi Arabia's nuclear plans have received extra momentum from the kingdom's Vision 2030, an economic reform programme launched last year by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. (Reporting by Sylvia Westall in Abu Dhabi and Reem Shamseddine in Khobar; Writing by Geert De Clercq; Editing by Louise Heavens and Edmund Blair)
By Karolina Tagaris

ATHENS, Oct 31 (Reuters) - A consortium led by France's Total moved a step closer to exploring for oil and gas off Greece after signing a lease on Tuesday with the government for a block in the Ionian Sea.

Greece wants to tap into its limited oil reserves to reduce dependence on oil imports and boost public finances.

It awarded the contract to the Total consortium, which also includes Greece's biggest oil refiner Hellenic Petroleum and Italy's Edison, in October 2016.

"Undoubtedly it is a vote of confidence in the Greek economy," Energy Minister George Stathakis said of the agreement on Tuesday.

Total will operate the block with a 50 percent stake, while Edison and Hellenic Petroleum will each hold 25 percent. The agreement must be ratified by Greece's parliament before exploration work can begin.

Western Greece is a frontier, underexplored area and very little data exists on its hydrocarbon potential.

Bernard Clement, a senior Total executive for the Caspian and Southern Europe, said it would maintain "realistic expectations" before obtaining data.

Total has shown interest in the eastern Mediterranean following major gas discoveries off Israel and Egypt. It is currently drilling for oil off Cyprus.

Together with Hellenic Petroleum in a consortium led by U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil, Total has also expressed interest in exploration at two sites off Crete, prompting Greece to launch a tender.

LOOKING WEST

Greece, like other European countries, relies on Russian gas imports which account for over 60 percent of supplies. Russia covers about a third of Greece's oil needs.

Athens also wants to attract investment into the oil industry as it tries to emerge from years of economic crisis.

During a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump this month, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Athens wanted U.S. investment in energy too, and it planned to set up a taskforce to overcome red tape.

"It helps a lot to keep the bureaucracy moving if you have a clear message from the top that the answer to investors should be 'Yes'," U.S. ambassador to Greece, Geoffrey Pyatt, told Reuters.

Greece has one LNG terminal off Athens, where it imports Algerian gas, but an official at state-run gas firm DEPA said it plans to invite U.S. companies to ship LNG there for the first time.

It is also developing a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) off Alexandroupolis, a city close to the Turkish and Bulgarian borders near where EU-backed pipelines are being built to cut reliance on Russian gas.

"Our vision for Greece (is) as a European energy hub," said Pyatt, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.

The FSRU, with an estimated annual capacity of 6.1 billion cubic metres, will seek to supply gas to southeastern Europe via the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) pipeline, which is due to begin construction next year.

The IGB and the FSRU could be connected to the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline which is being built to carry Caspian gas to European markets, which currently depends on Russian oil giant Gazprom for a third of its supply.

"You have several American companies that are looking at the FSRU," Pyatt said. "We very much hope to see an American company also become involved." (Editing by Susan Fenton)
Oct 31 (Reuters) - American CoCo Vandeweghe kicked off the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai, China with a dramatic comeback win on Tuesday, seeing off home wildcard Peng Shuai 3-6 6-3 6-2 in the first round-robin match of the Bougainvillea Group.

After dropping her serve twice in the opening set, Vandeweghe rediscovered her rhythm and fired five of her six aces over the course of the next two sets.

The two-time grand slam semi-finalist dropped only five points on her serve in the decider to collect her first win of the tournament.

"Today was a survive-and-conquer kind of day. I really was playing not so well, very below average for the standard that I'm used to playing and competing at," Vandeweghe, the second seed, told reporters.

"I think it was just a matter of focusing on the next point at hand and just moving forward. It's a tough part of the year and it's a tough event."

Fourth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova opened her campaign with a 6-3 3-6 6-2 win over former world number one Angelique Kerber of Germany in the Rose Group.

The 26-year-old Russian rallied back from an early break down in the final set to continue her impressive run in Asia, after a runner-up finish in Tokyo followed by her third title of the year in Hong Kong earlier this month.

Germany's Julia Georges held off a late charge from Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia to win 6-1 7-6(5) in the first match of the Azalea Group. (Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
CAIRO, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Bahrain will impose entry visas on Qatari nationals and residents, it said on Tuesday, in what it called a security measure.

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut diplomatic, transport and trade ties with Qatar in June, accusing it of financing terrorism. Doha denies that and says the boycott is an attempt to rein in its support for reform.

"The new measures aim at preventing harming the security and stability of the kingdom of Bahrain particularly in light of the latest repercussions of the crisis with Qatar", said a statement on official news agency BNA.

Citizens from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council countries are supposed to be able to travel within the GCC carrying only an identity card. Bahrain's visa requirements will apply from Nov. 10.

Bahrain believes Qatar is fomenting unrest in the island kingdom by supporting protests and even sporadic shooting and bombing attacks against security forces.

Bahrain's foreign minister said on Sunday his country would not attend December's GCC summit if Qatar does not change its policies, and that Qatar should have its GCC membership suspended. (Reporting by Ali Abdelaty; Writing by Reem Shamseddine; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
HAMAT, Lebanon, Oct 31 (Reuters) - The United States delivered two A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft to Lebanon's army on Tuesday, a sign of continued U.S. support despite Israeli accusations that the Lebanese military is controlled by Hezbollah.

The planes will be used as armed observation aircraft, a security source in Lebanon said, and represent a big upgrade for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).

Earlier this month, U.S. ally Israel said Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Shi'ite Muslim movement, had gained control over Lebanon's conventional military, a charge the Lebanese army denies.

Hezbollah, which was designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. State Department in 1997, last fought Israel in a war in 2006. Lebanon is formally in a state of war with Israel.

"The significant increase in LAF combat capability that this aircraft represents will ensure that the LAF will remain a national unifying force, a bulwark against extremism and terrorism," said U.S. Ambassador Elizabeth Richard.

The Islamic State militant group held a pocket of land straddling Lebanon's border with Syria until August.

Over the last decade, the U.S. government has invested over $1.5 billion in training and equipment, and has trained over 32,000 Lebanese troops, Richard said.

"We have recently announced another $120 million in foreign military financing, which brings the total investment in the LAF to over $160 million just this year," she said. The United States will deliver another four Super Tucanos to Lebanon.

The two new aircraft - which have advanced combat and surveillance capabilities - will "make a qualitative leap in improving the aerial capabilities of the LAF," said Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun.

(Reporting by Sarah Dadouch; editing by Mark Heinrich)
WASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has developed a friendly relationship with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, a senior administration official said on Tuesday, despite Duterte's often profanity-laden tirades against the United States.

"I think there's a warm rapport there and he's very much looking forward to his first in-person meeting with President Duterte," the U.S. official told reporters during a background briefing on Trump's Nov. 3-14 trip to Asia.

The two leaders have become friendly during telephone conversations and exchanges of letters, the official said.

Trump will travel to Asia amid rising tensions over North Koreas nuclear and missile programs. He will be in Manila on the last leg of his trip, which includes visits to Japan, South Korea, China, and Vietnam, to attend the ASEAN leaders summit.

Duterte has attacked the United States verbally, chiding Washington for treating the Philippines "like a dog," despite the two nations longstanding relationship.

The Philippines leader announced his "separation" from the United States during a visit to Beijing a year ago, declaring he had realigned with China as the two agreed to resolve a South China Sea dispute through talks.

Duterte is accused by international human rights groups of supporting a campaign of extrajudicial killings of drug suspects in the Philippines, which his government denies.

The Philippine leader was infuriated by expressions of concern by members of former President Barack Obamas administration about extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.

But Trump, in a phone call to Duterte in May, praised the Philippine leader for doing an "unbelievable job on the drug problem" despite human rights groups condemnation of Dutertes drug crackdown, in which thousands of people have been killed. (Reporting by Steve Holland and Doina Chiacu; Editing by David Alexander and Alistair Bell)
BUENOS AIRES, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Argentina will replace Agriculture Minister Ricardo Buryaile with Luis Miguel Etchevehere, currently the president of the Argentine Rural Society, a powerful industry group, Cabinet Chief Marcos Pena said on Tuesday.

Buryaile will next serve as Argentina's ambassador to the European Union, Pena said at a news conference. Argentina is the world's top exporter of soymeal and soyoil and a main exporter of corn, raw soybeans and wheat.

Argentina and other members of Mercosur, the South American trade bloc, are seeking to finalize a trade deal with the European Union. Farmers in France and other countries are concerned about a potential surge in agricultural imports, particularly beef, which Mercosur members Argentina and Brazil export.

"We have asked Ricardo to take this on because it is very important for us in this stage of the negotiations," Pena said. "One of the most sensitive topics in that negotiation is agriculture."

Since taking office in late 2015, Argentina's market-friendly President Mauricio Macri has implemented policies favorable to the South American country's farm sector, a major driver of the economy and source of foreign currency.

Producers had a combative relationship with former populist President Cristina Fernandez, who hiked export taxes.

Macri eliminated export taxes on wheat and corn, leading to a surge in planting and record harvests. He cut the export tax on soybeans, the country's main cash crop, from 35 percent to 30 percent, but delayed more cuts to 2018, faced with a gaping fiscal deficit.

Export tax cuts on soy are expected to resume next year, with a gradual reduction of 0.5 percentage points per month for two years. That move is expected to stop a decline in soy planting area.

Etchevehere, a farmer from Argentina's nEtre Rios province in the vast Pampas grains belt, took the helm of the Argentine Rural Society in 2012. (Reporting by Caroline Stauffer, Luc Cohen, Maximiliano Rizzi and Maximilian Heath; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
WARSAW, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Poland's state-run gas firm PGNiG said on Tuesday it has submitted an 8.1 billion zloty ($2.2 bln) binding offer to book capacity on the country's planned gas link to Norway.

The Baltic Pipe, which will run via Denmark, is Poland's flagship project aimed at reducing reliance on gas supplies from Russia.

PGNiG said its offer was to use the capacity for a 15-year period from 2022 when the pipeline is expected to open.

The company, which buys most of its gas from Russia's Gazprom, did not say how of the pipeline's capacity it has booked. Previously it has said it would book almost all of the Baltic Pipe's expected annual capacity of 10 billion cubic metres.

An investment decision will be made next year on whether to go ahead and build the pipeline.

PGNiG's bid was submitted as part of the so-called Open Season, a market survey by Polish and Danish gas system operators Gaz-System and Energinet.dk to help confirm the extent of gas demand and the required capacity for the Baltic Pipe.

"Based on the positive result of the Open Season 2017, both Energinet and Gaz-System will continue their project activities in order to be able to deliver the first gas in 2022 if a positive investment decision is taken in 2018," Energinet said in a statement.

The gas operators have not said whether companies other than PGNiG are interested in gas flows via the pipeline.

In June, Gaz-System and Energinet.dk said total capital spending on the project would be 1.6 billion-2.1 billion euros, while the part to be covered just by Gaz-System was estimated at between 841 million euros and 1.1 billion euros.

Poland's ruling conservative Law and Justice party (PiS) revived the plan for the pipeline, which dates back to 2001, in 2015 and said it was a top priority, but critics say it may not materialise since it will be not be profitable.

The Baltic Pipe's capacity is expected at 10 billion cubic metres a year, compared to annual gas consumption in Poland at around 16 bcm and around 2.5 bcm in Denmark.

Final capacity agreements are expected to be signed by the end of January, after more studies on the project. ($1 = 3.6423 zlotys) (Reporting by Agnieszka Barteczko; Additional reporting by Stine Jacobsen in Copenhagen; Editing by Susan Fenton)
KIEV, Oct 31 (Reuters) - A passenger plane flying from Moscow to Turkey made an emergency landing at Odessa airport in southern Ukraine on Tuesday after a suspicious package was found in one of its lavatories, a local police official said in a post on Facebook.

"The discovery forced the crew to take the decision to carry out an emergency landing at the nearest airport, which turned out to be Odessa international," said Ruslan Forostyak, advisor to the head of Odessa regional police.

The press service of Odessa could not immediately be reached for comment.

Forostyak said the landing was successful and a security team with dogs was examining the package.

He did not name the plane's operator but said it was Turkish. A Turkish Airlines official said it was not one of the company's planes.

(Reporting by Alessandra Prentice; Additional reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun in Istanbul; editing by John Stonestreet)
One of the better-read stories in the New York Times earlier this week was A Mirror of Todays Political Fray in Letters From 50 Years Ago.The article, which was featured prominently on the Times webpage on Monday as one of its hottest-trending online stories, pulled out some letters that had been written in the 1960s to then-U.S. Sen. Albert Gore Sr. from Tennessee.The letters had been in a collection of the late senators papers at the Albert Gore Research Center at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.They had been pulled out by writer Campbell Robertson with the help of MTSU political science professor Kent Syler to point out that many viewpoints on such issues as civil rights, gun control, Medicare and immigration have changed little in 50-odd years.In fact, Mr.Syler said that the phrasing on some of the letters sounded like some of the thoughts heard not only today but also in the letters he saw while serving as chief of staff for Congressman Bart Gordon from Tennessees 6th District from 1985-2011.Of the 15 sample letters to Sen. Gore that were scanned and posted along with the story, most  but not all -- offered conservative viewpoints. And two of the conservative ones were written and sent by then-Chattanoogans W.E. Kirby and Bird Underwood.Mr. Kirby in a letter dated May 12, 1968, and sent from his home at 909 McHann Drive in the Belvoir area discusses the various civil rights-related social programs that he said had been a tax burden on working class people like him.The Civil Rights Bill was passed, did that satisfy them? he asked. No, and the next bill wont, nor the next. All you hear from this group is discrimination, but the word has more than one meaning. The passing of that bill alone has torn the U.S.A. apart. Surely there is a man somewhere with enough guts to stand for our Constitution and our form of government.Mr. Underwood, writing on Southern Wholesale Sundry Co. of Chattanooga stationary on Sept. 10, 1965, was letting the senator know of his hope that he would vote against an immigration-friendly law of the time.Since the beginning of World War II, this country has been overrun with foreigners, Mr. Underwood wrote. In many cases they have grown fat and rich while many of us were serving our country during war.Sen. Gore Sr.  the father of former Vice President Al Gore Jr. and a liberal senator from the South for his time period  served as U.S. senator from 1953 until shortly after being defeated by Bill Brock of Chattanooga in 1970.Jcshearer2@comcast.net
By Ben Hirschler

LONDON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca has won U.S. approval for a new blood cancer drug several months earlier than expected, boosting its oncology portfolio - and requiring it to pay $1.5 billion to shareholders in the biotech company that first discovered the medicine.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Tuesday it approved Calquence, or acalabrutinib, as a treatment for adults with a rare type of blood cancer called mantle cell lymphoma who have received at least one prior therapy.

The British-based company had said it expected a U.S. approval decision by the first quarter of 2018, after the FDA granted an accelerated approval pathway.

Acalabrutinib is a cornerstone product for AstraZeneca in haematology and the U.S. approval marks its first entry into blood cancer treatment. Chief Executive Pascal Soriot said it was "a landmark moment for our company".

AstraZeneca acquired acalabrutinib when it bought a majority stake in Acerta Pharma in 2015. It paid $2.5 billion upfront at the time, with a further $1.5 billion due on first regulatory approval of the medicine.

Although AstraZeneca said in 2015 it believed acalabrutinib could eventually sell more than $5 billion a year, analysts have been more cautious, with consensus forecasts pointing to sales of $1.1 billion in 2023, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Acalabrutinib works in a similar way to Johnson & Johnson and AbbVie's Imbruvica. However, the new medicine's side effect and efficacy profile have the potential to make it a best-in-class product.

AstraZeneca's drug is also in development for the treatment of multiple B-cell malignancies and other blood cancers including chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, Waldenstrom macroglobulinaemia, follicular lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and multiple myeloma.

In addition, it is being studied as a monotherapy and in combination trials for solid tumours.

The drug is given as a 100 milligram capsule taken orally approximately every 12 hours. Common side effects include headache, diarrhea, bruising, fatigue, muscle pain and anemia.

AstraZeneca is relying heavily on new cancer drugs to revive its fortunes as it grapples with loss of patent protection on older medicines, like its best-selling cholesterol fighter Crestor.

Most investor attention is focused on its immuno-oncology medicines, especially in lung cancer, where it is conducting a range of clinical trials.

The company earlier on Tuesday announced it was starting a new pivotal lung cancer trial with to test its drug Imfinzi alongside Incyte's second-generation immunotherapy drug epacadostat. (Additional reporting by Tamara Mathias in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza and Edmund Blair)
By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. senators introduced a bill on Tuesday they said would prevent President Donald Trump from launching a nuclear first strike on North Korea on his own, highlighting the issue days before the Republican's first presidential trip to Asia.

The measure would stop Trump, or any U.S. president, from launching an attack on North Korea, or spending any money on a military strike, without congressional approval, unless North Korea has first attacked the United States.

Tensions between Washington and Pyongyang have been building after a series of nuclear and missile tests by North Korea and bellicose verbal exchanges between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The CIA has said North Korea could be only months away from developing the ability to hit the United States with a nuclear weapon, a scenario Trump has vowed to prevent.

"I worry that the president's enthusiasm will not be checked by the advisers around him," Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, the legislation's lead sponsor, told reporters on a conference call.

Some Republicans have also expressed concern about Trump's rhetoric, but none co-sponsored the bill, which is backed by seven Democrats and Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent.

Republicans control majorities in both the Senate and House, and there has been no indication that congressional leaders would allow a vote. Similar measures introduced earlier this year have also failed to advance.

However, backers said they might try to pass it later this year by introducing it as an amendment to legislation such as a as a must-pass spending bill.

"I have confidence that if this came to a vote on the floor of the Senate, it would prevail," Murphy said.

Lawmakers have been trying to take back more control over foreign policy from the White House.

Congress passed a bill in July barring the president from lifting sanctions on Russia without lawmakers' approval, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Monday held a hearing on a new authorization for the use of military force, or AUMF, to exert some authority over the campaign against Islamic State and other militant groups.

At that hearing, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis said Trump does not have the authority to use force against North Korea without an imminent threat, but they did not define what such a threat would be. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
By Foo Yun Chee, Robert-Jan Bartunek and Alastair Macdonald

BRUSSELS, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Belgium has given a cool welcome to Catalonia's ousted leader and may not offer the safe haven from Spanish justice that it once extended as it grapples with separatist troubles of its own.

Carles Puigdemont was not invited by the Belgian government, Prime Minister Charles Michel said in a curt statement, a day after he arrived unannounced following his dismissal by Madrid on charges of rebellion over Catalonia's independence bid.

"He will be treated like any other European citizen," Michel said, noting Puigdemont was entitled to move freely within the EU. "He has the same rights and duties ... no more, no less."

Deputy premier Kris Peeters was even brusquer, saying: "When you declare independence, it's better to stay with your people."

Puigdemont himself told a news conference in Brussels that he was there to engage with the European Union -- which has shunned his pleas -- and not to exploit Belgium's reputation as a place of political asylum for citizens of other EU states.

Nonetheless, he travelled to a small town in western Flanders on Monday to hire a human rights lawyer with a successful track record of fighting extradition to Spain on behalf of Basque separatist sympathisers.

The lawyer, Paul Bekaert warned, however, that EU rules have made it harder. He told Reuters that the European Arrest Warrant system had removed exceptions previously made for extraditions to face "political" charges like sedition in other EU states.

Politics, too, may play a part. Eighteen months before the next Belgian federal election, there have already been tensions over Catalonia within the coalition, where Flemish nationalists sympathetic to the Catalans are a major force and Michel, a French-speaking liberal, has lately tried to mollify Madrid.

ASYLUM HURDLE

On Tuesday, Spain's High Court called Puigdemont and 13 members of his sacked administration to testify on Thursday. It also said it had started processing rebellion and sedition charges against Puigdemont and other Catalan leaders.

Bekaert said Puigdemont, who faces up to 30 years in jail if Spanish prosecutors follow through on plans to charge him with sedition and misuse of public funds, saw no hurry to file for asylum, a simple procedure that would halt any extradition.

However, asylum requests from EU citizens are rarely accepted nowadays and are often rejected within days.

"As an EU citizen, Puigdemont has to demonstrate that there is a clear risk of prosecution against him, that the sentence he could face could be disproportionate, that he doesnt have a fair trial in Spain," said Dirk Vanheule, a law professor at Antwerp University and president of Belgium's Refugee Council.

"If he fails to demonstrate that from the beginning, the asylum proceeding can be terminated within five days."

Koen Lemmens, a human rights lawyer and professor at Leuven University, said the Belgian asylum agency would not take into account potential diplomatic embarrassment. But it would be up to Puigdemont to prove he would not get a fair trial.

The Belgian government looks unwilling to back him up.

Michel annoyed Spain by speaking out against police violence as people voted in the Oct. 1 independence referendum. But he also slapped down his Flemish nationalist immigration minister for suggesting at the weekend that Belgium might grant asylum.

That did not stop the French-speaking Socialist opposition from accusing Michel of damaging Belgium's credibility abroad.

The issue may not fade quickly. Any EU citizen can stay for up to three months without permission. And despite support for Madrid from the Belgian government, judges refused in 1996 and again, under new EU rules, in 2004 to extradite Luis Moreno and Raquel Garcia, whom it accused of aiding Basque militants.

The N-VA has soft-pedalled demands for splitting the richer, Dutch-speaking half of Belgium off but with elections looming it must be wary of the small, anti-immigration Vlaams Belang, whose leader attended Puigdemont's Brussels news conference.

VB leader Tom Van Grieken called on N-VA ministers to break with Michel's refusal to recognise Catalan independence.

Mark Demesmaeker, an N-VA member of the European Parliament, told Reuters he met Puigdemont in Barcelona a month ago and said he did have a case for asylum as the EU "looks the other way".

"The fact he is coming here already says plenty enough about the situation in Spain and Catalonia," Demesmaeker told Reuters.

"He has no faith in the Spanish judiciary." (Additional reporting by Robert-Jan Bartunek in Brussels and Clement Rossignol and Lucasta Bath in Tielt, Belgium; Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by Gareth Jones)
WASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - The United States will vote against a U.N. General Assembly resolution on Wednesday calling for the lifting of the U.S. embargo against Cuba, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday, reversing Washington's abstention of last year.

U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley will vote against the resolution, introduced annually by Havana for 26 years, to underscore President Donald Trump's new Cuba policy, which puts greater emphasis on advancing human rights and democracy, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a briefing.

(Reporting by David Alexander)
CAIRO, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Bahrain said on Tuesday it would impose entry visas on Qatar nationals and residents in what it called a security measure.

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut diplomatic, transport and trade ties with Qatar in June, accusing it of financing terrorism. Doha denies that and says the boycott is an attempt to rein in its support for reform.

"The new measures aim at preventing harming the security and stability of the kingdom of Bahrain particularly in light of the latest repercussions of the crisis with Qatar," said a statement from the official Bahraini news agency BNA.

Citizens from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council countries are supposed to be able to travel within the GCC carrying only an identity card. Bahrain's visa requirements will apply from Nov. 10.

Ambassador Ali Khalfan Al Mansouri, Qatar's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, said the visas "constitute a flagrant violation of the agreements and resolutions of the Gulf Cooperation Council."

"These measures are completely contrary to the statements of officials of the siege countries not to harm the Qatari citizen when taking any steps in the context of this crisis," Mansouri told the Qatari state news agency.

Bahrain believes Qatar is fomenting unrest in the island kingdom by supporting protests and even sporadic shooting and bombing attacks against security forces.

Bahrain's foreign minister said on Sunday his country would not attend December's GCC summit if Qatar does not change its policies, and that Qatar should have its GCC membership suspended. (Reporting by Ali Abdelaty in Cairo and; Eric Knecht in Doha; Writing by Reem Shamseddine; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
TRIPOLI, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Libya's coastguard intercepted 299 migrants from sub-Saharan African countries on two rubber boats east of Tripoli on Tuesday, officials said.

The migrants were intercepted near the town of Zliten by one of several coastguard vessels that Italy repaired and delivered to Libya earlier this year.

Libya's western shoreline is the main departure point for migrants trying to reach Europe by boat, many of them fleeing conflict or poverty.

Crossings have dropped sharply since July, when an armed group in the smuggling hub of Sabratha began blocking departures.

Under pressure from Italy and other European states, Libya's coastguard has also become increasingly active, patrolling more widely and intercepting migrants before they can reach international rescue vessels.

As of Oct. 24, more than 18,800 migrants had been intercepted so far this year, according to the International Organisation for Migration. More than 111,000 had crossed to Italy, the vast majority from Libya.

The group picked up on Tuesday was brought back to Tripoli port and was being transferred to a detention centre in Tajoura, a suburb of the capital. It included about 15 children and 25 women, said coastguard official Ali al-Shebrak.

A reporter saw one newborn child crying from hunger as his mother, barely able to walk, was given medical treatment from an ambulance. (Reporting by Ahmed Elumami; Editing by Aidan Lewis and Peter Cooney, Larry King)
Minister of Education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam in a recent interview with the Daily Mirror spoke on educational reforms and the incorporation of technology in education while responding to criticism of his ambitious strategies. Following are excerpts of the interview.

Q How effective do you think the insurance cover introduced to school children would be?

It will affect the entire school system positively. The new scheme covers Goveernment schools, international schools and even pirivenas (Education institutes administered by a temple). The insurance cover for each student will offer welfare benefits to the tune of over Rs. 500,000 which will cover students health, accidents, funeral expenses, medical expenses and medicine costs. Even if a child is admitted at a Government hospital, costs have to be borne by parents. Therefore this social security cover will relieve parents to a great extent. We could say it is the greatest social service that a Government and the Ministry of Education have rendered in the recent past.

Q Do you believe the scheme will be carried out seamlessly when considering the issues schools are faced with at present?

These issues have been minimised to a great length. We have recruited 4,000 new teachers sans political influence. There is no shortage of principals now. There were various administration issues in education. 852 personnel were recruited through an open examination. 250 were provided with in-house training for one year while the remainder were also provided with suitable training. All of them were absorbed into the education system while some were provided with training in foreign countries. There were shortages in several areas where teachers were concerned for which we have recruited adequate personnel. Over the next six months approximately 15,000 more teachers will be recruited.

Under the Nearest School is the Best School Programme, 18,500 projects are being carried out in the country. We have provided buildings and laboratories. 26,000 toilets have been constructed in schools. When I was appointed the Minister of Education in 2015 only 60% of schools had electricity. We have now raised this number to 95%. We have provided not only human resources, but also physical resources in order to uplift education. There are more projects underway. The 2015 Budget made provisions for the biggest monetary allocation for education in Sri Lankan history. The Suraksha insurance programme was implemented corresponding to this allocation.

In January, we will be providing all students who pass the Ordinary Level Exam and enter the Advanced Level class with an ipad. These ipads will be provided to teachers as well. The total number of students receiving this ipad is approximately 200,000.

The insurance cover for each student will offer welfare benefits to the tune of over Rs. 500,000

Under the Nearest School is the Best School Programme, 18,500 projects are being carried out in the country

There will be no change of Government and there is no reason to fear such a change

A gazette will be issued to recruit 3,450 counsellors to schools

We have already transferred 3,000 teachers while the remaining 9,000 will be transferred by the end of this year

Q What is your response to criticism over the pass rates regarding the Ordinary Level Exam?

The pass rates at the Ordinary Level Exam have been increasing over the past three years. In 2011,the pass rate was 60.80%. It was raised to 69.94% in 2016. The pass rate at mathematics had increased to 62.81% in 2016. Under the new education reform programme those who fail in mathematics will be absorbed into the Advanced Level classes through the introduction of 26 subjects under the vocational stream. The pilot project for this was initiated on October 2 in 42 schools involving nearly 5,000 students. Our aim is to ensure that no student will fail the Ordinary Level Exam in 2019. The vocational stream will include agricultural, arts, sports, robotics, hospitality, designing, technical and technological subjects.

Q Does the Ministry have adequate resources to implement this programme?

We have already concluded training for teachers who will undertake these subjects, through the National Institute of Education (NIE). The areas have been identified and provided with resources such as computers. The resources required for the next year are being evaluated at present. We are confident that 150,000 students will be absorbed into the Advanced Level stream through these subjects next year.

Q The regulation of international schools has been long overdue. What mechanism will you introduce to address this issue?

For this an Independent Inspectorate will be established, through which the learning and teaching process and also the physical resources of each school will be inspected. This inspectorate will be established in the near future and will regulate state schools and not only international or private schools.

This mechanism will replace the school inspectors role practised earlier with which the quality and efficiency of the entire education system will be enhanced. Were confident a Director General and Additional Director Generals for each province will be appointed by the end of this year.

150 smart classes will be established soon. When ipads are provided for Advanced Level students next year, the e-learning and e-library concepts will also be in use. This programme has been formulated to suit the next 10 to 20 years by which time the latest digital technology will be incorporated into learning

Q Policy decisions and concepts when introduced by successive Governments take a toll on the curriculum. How do you add such concepts without harming the education process?

Everything I have mentioned earlier was implemented through policy decisions. For instance, areas such as the prevention of violence against women and taking a stand against corruption have been inserted into the curriculum. Meanwhile the content in the curriculum is too heavy for children. The Academic Affairs Board of the NIE is the authority dealing with this matter. I have informed them about these issues. We have been implementing these programmes in accordance with the internationally accepted sustainable development goals.

Q In the event of a change of Government or officials, how do you ensure that these decisions arent reversed and wouldnt affect education negatively?

First of all, there will be no change of Government and there is no reason to fear such a change. We have the mandate for the next three years. We have a strategy and there is no reason to act in haste. The policies we have implemented over the past two years, will be strengthened over the next three years. For instance, the technical stream was introduced when we were in the opposition, but we have only strengthened this programme. I was a member of this committee even though I was in the opposition as it was a timely need.

Only 2 or 3% of technical colleges of education were established by the previous regime which the present Government completed. But they had established Mahindodaya Laboratories across the country and we had to build the remainder of 400 laboratories to complete the project. The projects initiated by the NIE and the policy decisions were carried out by this Government sans changes.

Q How confident are you that these programmes will be carried out after these three years?

Nobody can change these decisions. Can anyone change the suraksha insuarance cover now? This Government distributed free books and uniforms, a decision which nobody was able to alter. The only change was that I introduced a voucher system; which can only be standardised but not changed. The existing programmes like the 13 years of continuous education nor the independent inspectorate will change. This Government will have no issue until 2025.

Q How will you ensure that there wont be a repetition like the incidents such as the recent case in Kekirawa?

I have advised all the relevant officials to take necessary action regarding such matters. Earlier there were acting principals in schools. As a remedy to this issue 4,000 personnel were recruited. These principals should receive a good training in social science, Psycology as well as counselling. Principals should possess a deep understanding of these areas. The lack of such an understanding or education leads to these incidents. A gazette will be issued to recruit 3,450 counsellors to schools. Rupees two billion had been allocated for the training of principals and teachers last year. We hope to allocate a bigger amount next year. The target is to set a standard where it will be mandatory for teachers to possess a diploma or a degree.

Q What is the smart class concept about?

150 smart classes will be established soon. When ipads are provided for Advanced Level students next year, the e-learning and e-library concepts will also be in use. This programme has been formulated to suit the next 10 to 20 years by which time the latest digital technology will be incorporated into learning. It is a long term, step by step process where IT teachers must be trained alongside the establishment of facilities.

Q With this concept, how will you manage an equal distribution of resources and ensure that some schools dont lack basic infrastructure?

The nearest school is the best school Project was initiated with this in mind. The project is carried out in 7,000 schools out of the 10,353 schools in the country. Nobody can criticise us, as there are 18,500 educational projects that are being carried out in the country to uplift education. Basic infrastructure for rural schools, sanitary facilities, drinking water, insurance covers, recruitment programmes for principals and training programmes for teachers; all these have been implemented in order to standardise the education system. We have three more years to continue with our work.

Q The teacher transfer programme has stirred controversy. Your comments?

There were issues regarding the transfer of teachers, earlier. But there is no such issue at the moment. Earlier teachers hadnt been transferred for over 25 years, especially in national schools. We have taken measures to transfer 12,000 teachers. We have already transferred 3,000 teachers while the remaining 9,000 will be transferred by the end of this year. The issues therefore are being solved. A mechanism has been introduced to avoid such errors in the future.

The teacher transfer programme was implemented with the participation of all concerned entities such as trade unions and teacher transfer boards. But some have a problem in leaving their schools. These are problems that dont concern us. These teachers may have problems affecting their tuition classes or privileges, when they no longer work at a leading school. We have taken necessary measures to deal with such teachers. Those who arent willing to be transfered will face disciplinary measures.

Some have even incited racism over this matter. There was talk of appointing Muslim teachers to leading schools. But we havent done so. This too was a problem for some. But we dont fear these attempts. Since we took over the Government, we have taken clear policy decisions.

These attempts are made by unable and unsuccessful parties. There have been no appointment of Muslims to these schools, but there is no fault in appointing Hindu or Muslim individuals to such schools. If true reconciliation is to be achieved in a country, such divisive thoughts should not matter. Our only focus is on whether a teacher is able and qualified to teach his or her respective subject.

The project is carried out in 7,000 schools out of the 10,353 schools in the country. Nobody can criticise us, as there are 18,500 educational projects that are being carried out in the country to uplift education

Q There is criticism that your proposals challenge the fundamentals of formal education. What is your response?

The Minister of Education should have insights to the future and his decisions should be taken accordingly. The government too should possess this quality. We cant survive with this island mentality.

If we thought in the same manner when computers were introduced, where would we be now? The Prime Minister himself told me about the opposition when computers and mobile phones were introduced to the country. Not only in Sri Lanka, but all over the world there exist groups which habitually oppose any new process.

We cant surrender to those groups as we have the responsibility to nurture education. Future generations will reap benefits of these decisions.

If a right or wrong decision is made in education, we will only see its results decades later. Therefore I am not prepared as the Education Minister to take wrong decisions.

The roots of education may be bitter, but its fruits are delectable.

When I introduced the uniform voucher, trade unions vehemently opposed this. They claimed they would take to the streets and oust me from the Ministry.

We didnt backtrack. Research uncovered that 30% of the students didnt use the material for uniforms. We have saved billions for the Government and brought simplicity and efficiency to the entire process. Therefore we arent prepared to heed to unsuccessful groups.
Amana Takaful Team awarded in the Takaful Entity of the Year category at the Islamic Finance Forum of South Asia (IFFSA) Awards

Amana Takaful PLC (ATL) was awarded the prestigious Gold Award in the Takaful Entity of the Year category at the Islamic Finance Forum of South Asia (IFFSA) Awards held recently. At this gala ceremony held in Colombo the dynamic insurer was also recognized for its novel insurance scheme TukTuk Full (a scheme especially for three wheelers), which won Silver in the Product of the Year category.

The event recognised the contributions made by individuals and organisations to the IBF industry within the South Asian Region.The IFFSA Awards highlight excellence in the industry and give special recognition to institutions demonstrating outstanding performance, innovation, use of technology and contribution to the society.

The awards ceremony was held as part of a gala evening which celebrated the gathering of the SLIBF fraternity. Accolades were awarded in multiple categories which were keenly contested. The nominees were selected after a thorough auditing process conducted by KPMG auditors, who partnered as the official adjudicator.

Fazal Ghaffoor, CEO, Amana Takaful receiving the award

Commenting on these prestigious accolades, Fazal Ghaffoor, CEO, Amana Takaful PLC, stated, It is a great honour,in ATL being adjudged as The Takaful Entity of the Year in the South Asian region. We are also very proud to have TUK TUK FULL win Silver in the Product of the Year category. At ATL we strive to provide the best services and products to our customers while delivering the best to our stakeholders, profitably and productively. These awards are a welcome acknowledgement of our hard work and the trust our policyholders place in us. Ghaffoor added, As the pioneer and the only fully fledged Takaful operator in Sri Lanka, the accolade is a true testament to the stability, growth and acceptance of the Takaful way of risk management that we bring in to the financial services industry in the country.

On the product TUK TUK FULL, he concluded through our customer-centric philosophy to partner customers through their success or failure, we at ATL, last year launched this revolutionary insurance scheme - especially for the 3 wheel community. The scheme includes a host of eventualities, to ensure that at any point in time, the TukTuk Driver is shielded from loss. TukTuk Full covers natural perils, riot & strike, third party property damage for uptoRs. 300,000/- and hiring cover. In addition to this,

TukTuk Full extends a comprehensive insurance cover against personal emergencies such as disability or hospitalization. This value proposition for 3 Wheel owners and its drivers is the most attractive in the market and takes into account all the challenges faced by the drivers on a daily basis, to ensure their livelihoods are sustained. It is a product that we truly believe in and we are proud that it has been recognised.

ATL continues to be in the forefront of the insurance industry in Sri Lanka and caters to all segments of customers. The Takaful way of insurance operates on the concept of bringing people together to be part of a system that gives them the opportunity to help each other. Since its inception in 1999, ATL has been successful in establishing a strong position for the concept of Takaful amidst competition from established conventional players. As the pioneer Takaful provider, ATL operates 27 branches and is set to expand further to better serve customers across the country. ATL continuously reaches out to customers from all segments of society and offers innovative and state-of-the-art insurance products that are convenient, affordable and reliable. As part of its commitment to remain open to all, ATL serves all communities and employs a multi-ethnic team across its network.
Hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers were barricading themselves inside a detention center in Papua New Guinea (PNG) on Tuesday, defying attempts by Australia and PNG authorities to close the facility.

Human rights advocates are warning of a looming humanitarian crisis in the stand-off between detainees of the Manus Island Centre and authorities as the Oct. 31 deadline to close the Australian-funded camp arrived.

Lawyers for some 600 men who are refusing to relocated in three other facilities in PNG, citing concerns about violent reprisals from the local community, were filing a last-minute lawsuit on Tuesday seeking an injunction to prevent the camps closure and the relocation of the men to a third country.

The Manus center has been a key plank of Australias controversial Sovereign Borders immigration policy. The country refuses to allow asylum seekers arriving by boat to reach its shores, detaining them in camps in PNG and Nauru in the South Pacific. The United Nations and rights groups have for years cited human rights abuses among detainees in the centers.

Nick McKim, a senator with the Australian Greens Party who is on Manus, said that authorities had cut power to the center on and off overnight in a bid to encourage the men to leave.

PNG officials also posted a notice at the camp early on Tuesday warning the men that electricity and water supplies would be turned off at 5pm local time, while no further food would be delivered to the camp.

Asylum seekers said many men had now run out of food, while others were surviving on supplies that they had stockpiled.

PNG has sent paramilitary services to oversee the closure.

This is a breach of human rights, McKim told Australian Broadcasting Corp radio. They remain Australias responsibility and the U.N. has repeatedly confirmed that.

PNGs High Court ruled last year that the Manus center, first opened in 2001, was illegal. Closed between 2008 and 2011, the center reopened in 2012 after a rise in the number of boat arrivals to a peak of 300 in 2013, carrying more than 20,500 people. Two years later, the Australian government announced that boat arrivals had stopped.

PNG Immigration Minister Petrus Thomas warned late on Sunday that Australia will not be allowed to walk away from legal, financial and moral responsibility for the men.

Australia has already said it would spend up to A$250 million ($195 million) to house the men for the next 12 months. Just under 200 men have already been moved.

The relocation of the men is designed as a temporary measure, allowing the United States time to complete vetting of refugees as part of a refugee swap deal.

The United States has agreed to take up to possibly 1,250 refugees from Australias two Pacific detention centers, but so far only 25 men from Manus have been resettled. In exchange, Australia said it will resettle Central American refugees.

Australia has said those detainees not resettled in the United States will be allowed to stay in PNG or Nauru. But nearly all have refused invitations to settle permanently in both locations. Thomas said PNG will not force anyone to remain.

The bulk of the detainees come from war-torn countries such as Syria and Afghanistan, and Pakistan, Iran, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.(Reuters)
Founder and Managing Director of Lakpa Shoes, Chandra Kannangara loads their first container for export in 1990 together with his son Malitha Kannangara, now a Director at the company as well as a Doctor of Medicine

Leading footwear manufacturer Lakpa Shoes (Pvt) Ltds 150th container-load left Sri Lankan shores recently. The shipment will make its way to markets scattered across the globe, supplying rubber slippers (flip-flops) and other items to reputed international brands in Australia, the UK, Samoa Island, Papua New Guinea, the Maldives and the UAE.

Established in 1984, Lakpa Shoes is a home-grown, 100% Sri Lankan business, focusing on export-quality rubber slippers, among a variety of footwear products, designed and manufactured primarily with the international market in mind. Founded by Managing Director and pioneering rubber technologist Chandra Kannangara, the company dispatched its first export order in 1989. A family-owned company, shares of Lakpa Shoes are held by Kannagaras wife and daughter, with his son Dr. Malitha Kannangara- now serving as Director.

In addition to producing rubber slippers for a variety of leading department stores in the country, Lakpa Shoes also supplies footwear for some 3,500 shops island wide. Apart from footwear, the company also manufactures other rubber products such mats, coasters and other items, each made to a recipe personally formulated by Kannangara.

Lakpas vibrant range of export-quality rubber slippersmade of natural rubber  known for their durability, comfort and safety

Lakpa rubber slippers are made of natural rubber combined with a slew of other materials, all of which can be recycled. With its uniquely sustainable approach to manufacture, Lakpa Shoes is committed to keeping its production line environmentally friendly, with absolutely no polythene or plastic used and giving priority to local resources and materials wherever possible. This eliminates any health concernssuch as skin rashes that usually arise with rubber slippers that contain plastic. Lakpa rubber slippers are also known for their durability, and the company goes to great pains to ensure that their product is safe and, crucially, not slippery.

The companys factory in Horana is where the magic happens. Providing employment to over 200 Sri Lankans, including contract workers, Lakpa Shoes is directly responsible for the wellbeing of hundreds of local families. The birthday of every staff member is celebrated without fail, and every worker is made to feel at home, as part of the Lakpa family. The spirit of kinship at Lakpa Shoes is so strong that some employees have even had their weddings hosted at the factory.

While Lakpas exports bring much needed foreign exchange into the country, the company is also looking to expand its presence in Sri Lanka, by introducing an innovative range of footwear whose design and build quality will go beyond regional standards, as spelt out in its mission statement. Drawing inspiration from its array of already successful international products, Lakpa is ready to walk with its Sri Lankan customer base towards a better, more global class of footwear, while not taking its eyes off its ambitious vision: to become the number one footwear exporter in the region. And it wont stop there. Kannangara and family are determined to ensure that every major city in the world will be home to a Lakpa footwear outlet, and every individual on the planet will sport his or her own pair of Lakpa shoes, putting Sri Lanka truly on the map.
Human Remains Found In Lincoln Park Lagoon, May Be Those Of Missing Elgin Woman

By Stephen Gossett in News on Oct 30, 2017 10:00PM



Flickr / Photo: David Wilson text

Authorities are working to determine if human remains discovered in a duffel bag at the Lincoln Park Lagoon are those of a missing woman from northwest suburban Elgin.

Fishermen called police after they discovered suspected human remains in the Lincoln Park Lagoon on Saturday at around 11:08 a.m., according to Chicago police. Divers that responded to the call discovered a second bag that contained additional remains, police said. Body parts discovered in the bags include a torso and parts of two legs, Cook County Medical Examiner's spokesperson Becky Schlikerman told the Courier-News.

Police said they believe the remains in both bags were from the same person.

The Elgin Police Department posted an update on Facebook on Monday about their investigation of a missing Elgin woman, Gail Peck, 76. They are pursuing the possibility that the remains in the lagoon may be Peck's.

Elgin police wrote:



"Detectives have been following up on many leads since her disappearance. We are also working with the Chicago Police Department on the possibility that the body that was found in a lagoon area near Lincoln Park is related to this case. Additional testing will need to be conducted before we can confirm there is a connection. Nobody has been charged in the case at this time and all persons are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law."

The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office performed an autopsy, but a cause and manner of death are yet to be determined, pending further testing, according to reports.

Elgin police posted on Friday after Peck went missing:



"We are attempting to locate Gail Peck, 76-years-old, who was last seen in the 700 block of Littleton Trail on the east side of Elgin (E.Chicago St./Shales Pkwy area). She left home a couple of hours ago to walk her dog; the dog has since returned home without her. She is described as 5'0", black hair, hazel eyes, and her clothing description is unknown."
The Supreme Court determination in the Chandrasoma Vs Senathirajah case (SC Spl 03/2014 -Decided on 04/08/2017), this August, did not receive the public attention it deserved. The silence speaks volumes for a society that chooses to languish in ignorance by choice.

The ongoing political debate on a new constitution does not seem to have absorbed the nutrition the judgment offers for a discourse on constitutional making. Yet for a national political psyche hegemonized by Unitarism for decades, the finding is unparalleled. The declaration that Federalism is not the same as separatism marks a paradigm shift in terms of judicial interpretation of what it is.

I hardly wish to go into detail to the particulars of the case or the technical points of the judgement as the judgement itself is available online (link given below); rather I wish to highlight the academic, legal and political implications of such a groundbreaking judgement.

Federalism demonized

As a law student two decades ago, I still remember, how our constitutional law curriculum always portrayed unitary character of the state as the only legitimate and legal module that could be accepted for our country. Although we studied Federalism in the abstract, it was never contextualized as a legitimate contender viz a viz Unitarism, as a mode of governance for Sri Lanka. This hegemony demonized the idea of federalism, making it synonymous with a separate state or secession. Unitary Vs Federal debate was always perceived as a struggle between patriots and traitors.

To the Sinhala majority the words Federal, self determination, aspirations of the Tamil people, etc. simply meant Eelam and thus sacrilegious. Few Sinhalese intellectuals had the courage to confront these myths and sport federalism as a legitimate and alternative structure of governance. Extremist fringes from both sides have reaped ample dividends from this mystification of the issue, keeping ITAK and the TNAs constituent parties demonized.

Momentous Decision

It was eventually left to the Supreme Court to clear the muddy waters of constitutional ignorance thus created; quite uncharacteristically, the apex court obliged. It took the form of an application by a Sinhalese who sought an order from SC declaring the ITAK proscribed and its officials liable to penalties in terms of objectives and aims of the party to cause secession and to create a separate state in Sri Lanka.

The focal points of the judgement could be summarized as follows.

Federalism per se is not separatism and thus not unconstitutional.

Right to self determination of the Tamils as a nation is not only constitutional it is a universally accepted right

Parties such as ITAK are within their legal right to promote Federalism

Labelling states as Unitary or Federal could be misleading as there could be many hues in the spectrum in terms of devolution

In a sense this was the most crucial finding by the Supreme Court in terms of constitutional law after the Thirteenth Amendment, which dealt with the issue of 13A and Provincial Councils in 1987. Although a divided bench ruled that the Provincial Councils did not dilute the unitary character of the state, in doing so, it gave a rigid and narrow interpretation of what was constitutionally permissible, in terms of devolution of power. The legal monolith thus embodied, vilified any substantial devolution of power labelling it Federal and erroneously, secessionist.

Internal connotations within a united state

The Supreme Court declared that Federalism per se is not separatism; that it is a legitimate mode of governance within a united state, that it could have internal connotations as opposed to the popular perception of it as a locomotive to secession.

Some analysts opine that the Judgement as acknowledging some of the major premises enumerated at the Vadukkodai Conference in 1972 as well as at Thimpu talks. For starters, it acknowledges some terms traditionally awkward for the Sinhala society such as Tamil people as a nation and self determination; de-criminalizing and placing federalism on par with Unitarism as a legitimate alternative in constitution making.

The immediate political implications of the judgement at a time of constitutional crossroads with the proposed constitution is obvious. Even on the abstract legal plain, it repaints the perception of power sharing that transcends the unitary module; it legitimizes moves for federalism as an alternative to Unitarism; it de-demonizes political and constitutional objectives of Tamil parties such as ITAK and others within the TNA umbrella; it opens up the politico-constitutional debate by placing an alternative to the hitherto sacredly guarded unitary casket; it smashes the Sinhala Buddhist Ultra Nationalist hegemony in the constitutional play area by blooding in a new contender!

The Unitary Mantra

The extent to which the Sinhala society got possessed by the unitary mantra is highlighted in the 06th Amendment inserted by JR Jayawardena , which required state and public officials to take an oath against a separate state. It was conceived that a proponent of Federalism could not hold office in terms of the requirement, which in itself was draconian, undemocratic and illegal.

Yet the irony was as that much as the Tamil politicians were averse to the amendment and the resultant requirement, they nevertheless tacitly acknowledged that vying for Federalism was equivalent to secessionism by refusing the oath. They , in effect fuelled the fallacy that propagating federalism and self determination was separatism; what they should have done was to take the oath and still stand for Federalism or self determination, on the grounds that they were not overlapping with separatism or Eelam, thus standing for the right to engage in Federalist politics; a constitutional mirror image of Unitarism.

The logical extension of the judgement to the political is saying basically that the constitutional debate need not be a coin with both sides having a face called Unitarism. It concedes that the constitutional future of the nation could be discussed with one party saying heads while the other says tails, hemming in the Tamils under the wing of moderate and conventional political parties instead of extremist and fringe organizations that are not ready to engage in a toss where both sides are unitary. It is not the political leaders of the south or the intelligentsia that has managed to shake off the self imposed delusion that only Unitarism was legitimate and federalism demonic but the judiciary with its legal interpretation based on universally acknowledged premises of departure. It is uncharacteristic of our judiciary to lead the public discourse as in India but still , the unfamiliar gesture of boldness is highly welcome.

70 years in the making

It is ludicrous that a society governed by parliamentary democracy for so long, could be in the dark with regard to the legal , ethical , political and constitutional reality of Federalism as an alternative to Unitarism and a component of democratic discourse. It is macabre that it has taken almost 70 years after independence for us to come to terms with the viability of Federalism or for that matter, a high degree of devolution as a direction leading to power sharing.

The legal implications being thus, it is yet unclear whether the Sinhala society is wise or sensitive enough, firstly, to be humble enough to realign its thinking in view of the new vistas the judgment has painted on the national politico-historical landscape and secondly, to jump in to the band wagon and stretch the reasoning to its logical conclusion by moral, political and constitutional action aimed at finding a solution to the ethnic issue.

At the same time it is possible, if not probable, for us to be as headstrong, narrow minded and hegemonic in our mindset , being oblivious to the unimaginable bloodshed and destruction a thirty year old war did to both communities and engage in the self deceptive , suicidal and infantile worship of deified Unitarism.

(The judgment is available online at

http://www.supremecourt.lk/images/documents/sc_spl_03_2014.pdf)
The government will go through a process of self criticism in order to determine where it went wrong and rectify whatever shortcomings, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday.

The Prime Minister made this remark after releasing a report on the government's achievements during the past two years.

Mr Wickremesinghe said the government has not been able to secure a 5.5 per cent economic growth it expected to achieve as a result of floods, drought, Kolonnawa incident and dengue during the year.

However he said changes brought about in the economy had endured an economic growth of 4.5 percent. " Country would have ended up with a 2.5 percent growth if not for economic reforms brought about by the government' he said.

He said any party from any part of the world was welcome to buy over a stake of the Trincomalee Port. One should remember that the Trincomalee Port is going to play a major role in the region soon. The Indian Ocean is going to be a region which will have a vast growth and Trincomalee has to be a part of it" he said. At the same time he said Sri Lanka will have to work with India as the subcontinent will account for 40 of the growth of the Indian Ocean' the Prime Minister said.

Responding to the criticism that this government has failed to bring in infrastructure development as the previous regime did, the Prime Minister said this government does not intend to burden the people with more debt. "We don't want to dump money like the previous regime but will go on with developing after securing the economy" he said.

"The economy is central to every thing we have achieved. Without a strong economy we would not have been able to build houses, ensure that working people are getting decent wages. The progress report we put out today very clearly states that Sri Lanka is on the right track towards a better future ' he added. He said what the government did was bringing about s transformation.

" I was at the forefront of this transformation and had earned criticism for it especially from the media" he said.

Referring to the local government election he said the UNP will be contesting as an alliance with other allies. " Our party is ready for the elections " he said. (Yohan Perera)
Sri Lankas leading provider of office automation solutions, John Keells Office Automation (JKOA), recently introduced the innovative 3D printer brand XYZprinting to the local market.



XYZprinting is the worlds leading desktop 3D printer brand, which makes 3D printing accessible and affordable to the public. It is dedicated to bringing cost-effective 3D printing to educators and classrooms, consumers and artists, small and mid-sized businesses and households around the world. With proven industry expertise, XYZprinting has broken down the barriers of 3D printer ownership by providing an easy-to-use device that delivers an outstanding user experience, via a computer or a smart device.



XYZprinting products currently offered by JKOA include the daVinci range, encompassing the 3D Pen, the Color, the MiniMaker, the Mini WiFi, the 1.0A and the 2.0A DUO, as well as the Nobel 1.0A, Nobel Superfine, the UV Curing Chamber and the 3D Scanner Pro.



The daVinci 3D Pen is a standalone device that allows kids and adults alike to create 3D objects or doodles without the need of computers or computer-assisted design software. The daVinci Color is the worlds first full-color FFF inkjet 3D printer, with this technology patented by XYZprinting for the next 20 years.



Ready to go right out of the box, the daVinci MiniMaker and Mini WiFi are introductory, plug and play 3D printers for beginners. The daVinci 1.0A is an intermediate 3D printer for professionals, while the daVinci 2.0A DUO is also an intermediate 3D printer with the added advantage of two print heads in one machine to enable two materials and/or colors to be printed simultaneously. Further, the Nobel 1.0A and Nobel Superfine are advanced 3D printers using SLA technology for prints needing extremely high resolution such as for jewelry and prints needing delicate details.



Compact and light-weight, XYZprinting 3D Scanner Pro allows easy movement around the desired target for no fuss scanning with no large, complicated equipment necessary. This product is the most versatile, lightweight, and affordable 3D scanner on the market right now.



XYZprinting 3D printers are great in catering to the following sectors: Education, for use with science projects, or arts and crafts; Medical, utilized for casts and prototyping bones, teeth, etc.; Engineering, when used in custom making parts for new inventions; Construction, for prototyping buildings, houses and apartments, to show customers prior to completion; and even in the creation of jewelry.

The introduction of the innovative XYZprinting 3D printer brand to Sri Lanka is a landmark event, enabling new horizons to open up for the local industry. Whatever preconceived notions you had about the capabilities of printers to date, be prepared for them to be shattered. With XYZprinting products, you now have a whole new, boundless world of creativity accessible to you, JKOA Product Manager Dinukshi Kirthisinghe said.



JKOA is a subsidiary within the Information Technology sector of John Keells Holdings PLC, one of the countrys most respected conglomerates. The company is the authorized distributor for a range of reputed global office automation brands and the leading technology provider to the local market. JKOA is also renowned for its unmatched product support, warranty services, and repair and maintenance.
The newly appointed Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Sirimevan Ranasinghe met State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene at the Ministry, today. This is the new Navy Commander's first official meeting with the State Minister since assuming office as the 22nd Commander of the Navy on Friday.
Several people have come forward to defend National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa who threatened to bomb the Parliament if a new Constitution was adopted on the basis of the interim report submitted by the Constitutional Assemblys Steering Committee and tabled in Parliament on September 21 by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Keheliya Rambukwella a former media minister in the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime and joint opposition front-liner in the Central Province, Dilum Amunugama had echoed what Weerawansa had said while NFF deputy leader and MP Jayantha Samaraweera defended his boss. He said bombs should fall on the Parliament (not that Parliament should be bombed) if a new Constitution was promulgated on the basis of the above interim report.

They advocate violence and justify it on the basis that the new constitution would pave the way for the division of the country. This has been the Oppositions argument whenever the incumbent government took measures to introduce a new Constitution or Constitutional Amendments with the intention of finding a political solution to the national question.

Interestingly the two main political parties in the country have bandied similar accusations against each other when they were in the Opposition. The passage of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, the presentation of the famous package in 1995, the governments proposals for the Parliamentary Select Committee on a new Constitution in 1997, the draft Constitution presented in the Parliament in August 2000 and the ceasefire agreement cum peace talks with the LTTE in 2002 were some of such cases in point.

Ironically when one of the parties which while in opposition opposed moves to promulgate a new constitution, would moot the very same proposals when in power. In 2001 United National Party (UNP) continued the Norwegian-mediated peace talks which were initiated by the Chandrika Kumaratunga government and former president Mahinda Rajapaksa continued with the ceasefire agreement and the peace talks which were continued by the UNF government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

All major parties or their leaders, at some point in their political life, have in some way or the other supported federalism which many of them now describe as the first step towards the division of the country. Had some others implemented a policy of eliminating those supporting federalism in the past how many of those leaders would have been spared?

Therefore the allegation by both main parties that the government of the day was attempting to divide or betray the country has been a ploy to incite the people against the government and an indication of the inability of those parties to engage in an intellectual discourse in a civilized manner leading to understanding the others point of view rather than being understood. The use and the threat to use violence during a discourse on an important or national issue is an extension of this intolerant and uncultured mindset.

Needless to say the efforts by past governments to resolve the ethnic problem had not always been on the correct path. But that does not morally grant anybody the right to incite people or resort to violence.

The speeches in Parliament are occasionally interrupted by members raising points of order but only to be rejected by the Speaker saying they cannot be described as points of order. This again points to the unethical ploys by parliamentarians who are not capable of engaging in an intellectual discourse instead of disrupting the speeches of their opponents out of ignorance on what points of order are.

Sri Lanka boasts of a high rate of literacy in the region. But the current state of affairs increasingly points to the vast disparity between literacy and intellect.
A good newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself.

~Arthur Miller

I look out the window. The sun, already below the horizon, having left its days legacy of tireless yet unkind assault on mother earth, with the darkening western sky, is behaving in her usual splendor, creating a riot of colors; a magnificent departure of the day is being greeted by the ascending tapestry of millions of stars; another day of the nation in twilight pacing her way into the waiting millions of villagers and city dwellers. Its raining in the distance.

A hazy drape of heavenly waters has fallen across the Indian Ocean. Yet the sea, as it always does, rolls and roars its mighty way, blissfully tolerant of the wetness on itself with candor and gratitude. This glorious play of coming dusk is totally oblivious to the color of skin of the folks who populate our island; its apathy towards the language one spoke is in a way a rare blessing while those who labored to rule by division between the colors of skin and lingo they spoke have now fallen by the wayside.

A nation whose history books are abundant in the glories of military conquests to go with some of the most stupendous architectural creations and awesome sculpture and paintings, is attempting to grapple with herself. A culture that was founded on the serene teachings of Siddhartha Gautama the Buddha- who claimed to be a common man although born to royalty- is being defaced and debased. That culture was not perfect.

Yet the painting is bleak; its corner lines are too abstract and the canvas too wide and long. In this land of ours the setting of sun is not for the weary and tired eyes of a working mother

No culture is perfect. But when founded on positive, firm and utterly realistic analysis of life and living, when such a set of teachings, as a religion or a philosophy, is as the unseen driving force behind a people whose recorded beginnings as a nation or as a cohesive community of human beings are centered on betrayal of one community and importing a new bride from South India to create a brand new nation as Sinhala or Hela, whichever name one calls it. Leave it to social scientists and historians to argue the case for or against such a radical view. But one simply cannot take one piece of our chronicle and discard another. The chronicle is the great Mahawansa.

Whoever wrote the first few chapters of Mahawansa, especially the ones that deal with Price Vijaya and Kuweni and the very establishment of our nation, had been quite stringent in the description of the great betrayal of Kuweni by Vijaya while at the same time very matter-of-fact about the importation of a South Indian woman. That act alone is a very crucial part that tells a whole lot about the mindset of the one who founded a nation that was later named as the custodian-nation of Buddhism, a philosophy that is founded on very radical and liberal set of values and scientific explanation of the universe and life itself.

Another remarkable oxymoron is the rejection of Prince Saliya by his father-King Dutugemunu for marrying a woman from a so-called low caste. Buddha, on the contrary decried the very existence of caste concept which was and still is a destructive social malady. Then what part of Buddhism did King Dutugemunu accept and what part did he discard. Yet he built Ruwanveliseya, a monumental architectural tribute to his faith in the religion. Mahawansa is replete with many contradictions. Such contradictions are not limited to our Great Chronicle.

Every nations history books abound in exaggerations, half-truths and in some cases, plain fabrications. A certain amount of writers license might be tolerable. But to portray a King as a spearhead of the forefront of custodians of a religion that is later admittedly the governing force of a nation is self-deceiving and self-destructive.

All throughout our storied history, a remarkable culture of tolerance, religious obedience, values beyond question and of great resilience in times of crisis has been a dynamic force, not only in driving that nation to great heights of achievement but also to sublime plateaus of meditation.

People look to their political leaders as role-models. They have the lazy habit of depending on their political leaders for their salvage. Overdependence on Govt. is a characteristic of the Indian subcontinent

A great religious luminary such as Venerable Balangoda Ananda Maithri Thero is one such rare example. The same nation produced on the other side of the religious coin, Reverend Marceline Jayakody of the contemporary times led a marvelously simple life while contributing to Sinhalese literature in his magical lyrical renditions. That culture seemed to have nurtured a nation, yet sustained a monarchical rule of governance until she was invaded, first by the Portuguese then succeeded by the Dutch and the British.

The colonial era spanning nearly half a millennium may have had the most unkind effects a suppressed people go through. But that culture, which was independent of the oppressive rule of a colonial power, did not die. It was strong and sturdy enough to withstand the mighty guns and sharp daggers of the oppressors.

People at large always look to their political leaders to be their role-models. They also have the lazy habit of depending on their political leaders for their salvage. Overdependence on government is a unique characteristic of the Indian subcontinent. Both India and Sri Lanka belong in that lot. There resides a dangerous and malefic symptom of a more malignant ailment. The more one depends on government, the more powerful the government becomes.

The more powerful it becomes, all avenues are open for corruption and unreasonable exercise of power. What happened during the last regime of the Rajapaksas is only one Act of the whole Play. Every government before the Rajapaksas, including the ones that preceded gaining of Independence, had its own share of corruption; its only the degree that changed. That corruption reached its zenith during the Rajapaksas time.

That culture which embraced all communities in Sri Lanka, Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim and Burgher alike, has engineered a marvelous product. It produced and embraced what is good in the people and also paved the way for its own self-destructive process. Plato in The Republic observed thus: The soul takes nothing with her to the next world but her education and her culture. At the beginning of the journey to the next world, ones education and culture can either provide the greatest assistance, or else act as the greatest burden, to the person who has just died.

The twin character of culture is amply portrayed in this simple quotation. The burden of culture weighs quite heavy on the shoulders of the weak. The weak will eventually waver and buckle down. The strong will carry the burden with pride and walk on. The culture that nourished him and rendered intellectual security and inner discipline is unequal and enormous in value. Whether its in its last stages of the decline process is one great question. We might not find an answer to that in our lifetime.

From D.S. Senanayake to Maithripala Sirisena, our political leaders have tried to grapple with our problems, mainly in the sphere of the economy. Unless the masses are fed, clothed and housed properly, any cultural input is totally irrelevant and could be even burdensome. In that rush to get things done on the economy of the country, many corners were cut and many a toe was trampled. That is the burden of a leader.

But what is visibly apparent today is not only the corruption of politicos, it is also being proven each passing day that those who were considered above board, civil servants whose function it is to implement the decisions taken by the Executive, in todays context, the Cabinet of Ministers, are more corrupt than the politicians. That corruption, like water, has found its own level.

Parents who religiously follow the daily routine of bathing their children early morning, clothing them and feeding a meager breakfast and trekking a dusty gravel road to the school of three hundred students and one teacher, themselves are clothed in that garb of ancient culture. They may have their own battles to fight, just to put food on the table. Yet they will resist any desecration of that culture by unqualified politicians.

Buddha, on the contrary decried the very existence of caste concept which was and still is a destructive social malady. Then what part of Buddhism did King Dutugemunu accept and what part did he discard

The rustic ripeness of our villagers is far too valuable to be taken for granted. Daily chores of the rural mother might have made her stoop in physical stature, stoop she would not at the feet of a politician who attempts to rape her adolescent daughter; stoop she would not to beg at the doorstep of an avaricious landlord who tries to bleed her white with excessive interest for a borrowed sum of cash; their pride and faith in their inner values are too great to sacrifice.

Yet the painting is bleak; its corner lines are too abstract and the canvas is too wide and long. In this land of ours the setting of sun is not for the weary and tired eyes of a working mother; its glamour and brilliance is beyond ones horizon. The rain has stopped but darkness surrounds my apartment. Its time to light a lamp and finish my column. Penning ones own thoughts could be easy when one wants to. Thank goodness for our newspapers.

The writer can be contacted at vishwamithra1984@gmail.com
State Minister of International Trade, Sujeewa Senasinghe attended the 34th Anuga International 2017, worlds largest exhibition for Food and Beverages, which was held in Cologne, Germany from 7th to 11th October.



Over 7400 companies from 107 nations exhibited their products to 165,000 trade visitors from 198 nations. Exports Development Board and Sri Lanka Tea Board organized the Sri Lanka Pavilion at the Fine food and hot beverages sections, enabling leading Sri Lankan exporters to showcase their products. 52 Sri Lankan exhibitors participated in this trade fair.



On the sidelines of Anuga, the State Minister attended a series of high level meetings to enhance and strengthen bilateral economic cooperation between Sri Lanka and Germany. In this regard he met his counterpart Prof. Andreas Pinkwart, State Minister of Economy, North Rhine Westphalia, Dusseldorf with whom he discussed options for German vehicle manufacturers to bring electric car development to Sri Lanka. The State Minister was accompanied by the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Germany, Karunasena Hettirachchi Director General of the Export Development Board Jeevani Siriwardena and Minister (Commercial), at the Consulate General of Sri Lanka, in Frankfurt Ameina Mohin.
There is currently a debate about the drafting of a New Constitution for the country among the academic community and the general public in Sri Lanka. This started with the appointment of a 19-member Committee headed by Lal Wijenayake called the Public Representations Committee on Constitutional Reforms. Its report was released in May 2016.

Meanwhile, a Constitutional Assembly was established by a parliamentary resolution on March 9, 2016 and a 21-member Steering Committee chaired by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed thereafter. The Steering Committee had its first sittings on April 5, 2016.

The Steering Committee recognized 12 main subject areas and assigned six of those subjects to sub-committees appointed by the Constitutional Assembly. The reports of the six Sub-committees were presented on November 19, 2017. Interim Report of the Steering Committee deliberates the remaining six subjects that were not assigned to any Sub-committee published on September 21, 2017.

The basic principles and facts mentioned in the IRSC were previously discussed and agreed at two workshops held in Singapore. The first was held from Aug. 31 to Sept. 1, 2013 the second between the 3 and 5 of April, 2015

I have gone through Wijenayake Committee Report, the six Sub-committee reports and the Interim Report of the Steering Committee (IRSC). After considering the academic achievements and the capacity of a majority of the members in both the committees, incertitude appeared in my mind whether the reports were original or were prepared with external help. Hence, I did research on my own and found some interesting connections.

The basic principles and facts mentioned in the IRSC were previously discussed and agreed at two workshops held in Singapore. The first was held from August 31 to September 1, 2013 followed by the second between the 3 and 5 of April, 2015. Those events were organized by a South Africa -based INGO called In Transformation Initiative (ITI) with the help of the Government of Switzerland.

According to the ITI website, it promotes the principles of the South African peace-making model to support, advise, and assist democratic transition and conflict resolution in Africa and around the world. ITI was actively involved in activities in Sri Lanka, Northern Ireland, Colombia, Cuba, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Cyprus, Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, Iraq, Spain (in the Basque region), Bahrain and India (on the Naga question).

Further it says it has partnership with Burgh-of Foundation an INGO with a questionable history in Sri Lanka.

ITI has four Directors: Roelf Meyer, Mohammed Bhabha, Ivor Jenkins and Ebrahim Ismail Ibrahim. Roelf Meyer was a one-time Minister of Defence of the F.W. de Klerk Government in South Africa. He later became Minister of Constitutional Affairs and Communications under Nelson Mandelas government.

According to the ITI, Meyer is a consultant on peace processes in Sri Lanka, Rwanda, Burundi, Kosovo and Bolivia. Paradoxically he is also on the Board of Directors of Armscor Corporation of South Africa, which supplies all the needs of South Africas Department of Defence.

Armscor was originally established in 1968 as an arms production company. Mohamed Bhaba, an Attorney-at-law, was part of the African National Congress (ANC) negotiating team for the final South African Constitution and a former member of South African parliament.

Ivor Jenkins was Director of Kutlawanong Democracy Centre, a part of the Institute of Democracy of South Africa.

The Steering Committee recognized 12 main subject areas and assigned six of those subjects to sub-committees appointed by the Constitutional Assembly. The reports of the six Sub-committees were presented on November 19, 2017

Mohomad Ebrahim is a former member of the armed wing of the African National Congress, He was arrested in 1963 and charged under the sabotage act and sentenced to 15 years on Robben Island. According to the ITI, members of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) including M.A. Sumanthiran MP, members of the Global Tamil Forum, V.T. Thamilmaaran, a senior lecturer in the Department of Public and International Law of the Faculty of Law at the University of Colombo, Jayampathy Wickramaratne, Mangala Samaraweera MP, a member from Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and an observer from the Government of Australia were among the participants at the Singapore meetings.

A 10-point document was prepared following the 2013 meeting, and it was named as Singapore principles. It was further discussed and improved at the April 2015 meeting. The final agreement has 11 points. Here is a comparison between the so-called Singapore principals and the Interim Report of the Steering Committee (IRSC) where symmetry of the concepts is obvious.

Although several parties claim that the New Constitution-making process is genuine and rooted in Sri Lankan soil this comparison clearly shows a different scenario.

Who is really behind the New Constitution-making process in Sri Lanka?
A Major, Chicago-Tied Booze Company Is Priming Up For Weed-Infused Drinks

By Stephen Gossett in News on Oct 31, 2017 4:20PM



Another source of green / Getty Images / Photo: Drew Angerer

One of the titans in the world of beer and liquor has officially jumped into the marijuana business. Constellation Brandswhose beer portfolio includes Corona, Modelo and PacAfico, and whose spirits include Svedka Vodkaannounced on Monday that the company has agreed to buy a minority stake in Canadian medical marijuana company Canopy Growth. The end game? Constellation intends to (eventually) make and market cannabis-infused drinks, once the landscape allows, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Constellation, which headquarters its beer division in Chicago, announced it will spend some $245 million Canadian (about $190 million in U.S. dollars) to take 9.9 percent ownership interest. The booze colossus is expected to close the deal during the company's third quarter of fiscal year 2018.

Constellation said in a release that its core alcohol business will remain the company's focus and stressed that it had "no plans to sell any cannabis products in the U.S. or any other market" until the sale of marijuana is fully legal. But the purchase nevertheless signals a clear widening of how alcohol brands approach, and will approach in the future, the windfall market that legalized marijuana could one day represent nationwide, and beyond.

Canopy Growthwhich trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "WEED" (for real)"has a seasoned leadership team that understands the legal, regulatory and economic landscape for an emerging market that is predicted to become a significant consumer category in the future," the Constellation Brands president and CEO Rob Sands said in a statement. "Our companys success is the result of our focus on identifying early stage consumer trends, and this is another step in that direction."

Possessing small amounts of recreational marijuana is decriminalized in Illinois, but the effort for full legalization and regulation of recreational weed sales has seen a major push from proponents in Springfield over the last several months. Eight states currently allow the use of recreational marijuana. Legal sale of marijuana climbed to a staggering $6.7 billion last year, according to Arcview Market Research.

Meanwhile, some brewers away from Constellation are already getting crafty with weedy beers: Lagunitas made headlines earlier this year when the brewer unveiled an IPA made with marijuana terpenes, one that had all that legally pesky THC extracted out.
The Fights Over The New S.K.Y. Restaurant In Pilsen Are Getting Intense

By Anthony Todd in Food on Oct 31, 2017 8:22PM



Future site of SKY at 1239 W. 18th St.

A while back, I shared the news that one of my favorite chefs, Stephen Gillanders (formerly of Intro) was starting his own place, with the slightly silly name of S.K.Y. The restaurant, which is set to open on Nov. 17, has become the subject of a ton of protest activity, and it's not quite clear how this mess will end.

DNAinfo has spent a lot of time covering this story in great detail, but here's the brief outline: Last week, anti-gentrification activists (some of whom reportedly were from Los Angeles) held a protest outside the as-yet-unopened restaurant. The stated concerns were not new: A fancy restaurant might contribute to rising rent prices, this type of business pushed out people of color and long-time residents, etc.

When the business attempted to respond to these complaints by pointing out their planned charitable and community work, as well as their accessible pricing and the fact that their chef was a person of color, activists mocked them pretty hard. DNAinfo also reported that the building was vacant and condemned prior to the restaurant moving in.

It's worth noting that Michelin-starred Dusek's is across the street and new, acclaimed HaiSous is right down the street, so S.K.Y. isn't exactly appearing out of nowhere to transform the neighborhood. On the other hand, continued development in Pilsen has been a subject of controversy for quite a whilethough what the solution is isn't clear. Should development (which also provides jobs) be entirely halted? Or perhaps only certain sorts of businesses should be "allowed" to openthough exactly how that's done isn't clear either.

Responses from the food world have been interesting. Michael Gebert in Fooditor responded thusly:

A part-Filipino chef with fine dining experience plans to open (with his Korean wife) a casual-upscale place, entrees under $30, in the vicinity of HaiSous and Duseks along 18th street in Pilsen, in the empty space of a long-closed clinic. Is this 1) a nice addition to the neighborhood providing jobs for locals, or 2) Youre Hitler? If you were the activists (some apparently from LA) protesting Stephen Gillanders S.K.Y. during a friends and family dinner last week, the only possible answer is #2...Dead Czech-American residents of the now largely Latino neighborhood who sold their property to John Podmajersky in the 1980s could not be reached for comment.

Peter Frost, formerly of Crain's also weighed in on Twitter with a long thread. .





1) "You've inserted yourself into a community that doesn't want you, without talking to us first."  Peter Frost (@peterfrost) October 30, 2017 Q1) Are all who wish to do biz in Pilsen supposed to have your L.A. cell phone numbers? This is pathetic.  Peter Frost (@peterfrost) October 30, 2017 2) Is cursing out diners and restaurant workers going to turn people to your side?  Peter Frost (@peterfrost) October 30, 2017 3) If you're going to protest and disrupt, unmask yourself. If you're going to be an asshole, own it. Don't hide behind a red bandanna.  Peter Frost (@peterfrost) October 30, 2017 4) Gentrification is real, and this is a real issue for Pilsen or any other near-downtown neighborhood, and folks will get priced out.  Peter Frost (@peterfrost) October 30, 2017 5) And that, indeed, is sad. And I completely understand the anger and sadness. But to pretend that being confrontational is the only ...  Peter Frost (@peterfrost) October 30, 2017 potential remedy is dishonest. At best.  Peter Frost (@peterfrost) October 30, 2017

According to a post on Reddit this morning , anti-gentrification graffiti has also targeted Dusek's, scrawling "Get Out" on their large picture windows. The comments include some fairly nuanced discussions of the dynamics of gentrificationas well as lots of mud slinging. But it is Reddit, after all.

Demonstrators continue to make noise, and in a fickle restaurant environment with a ton of closings, having masked people outside your new restaurant shouting for a few weeks at opening is definitely not going to help business. At the same time, if S.K.Y. calls the cops, they'll surely be yelled at for suppressing the local voices opposing gentrification. And it's not entirely fair to pick on this one restaurant, given the number of upscale places that have opened in rapidly-gentrifying neighborhoods.

We'll keep an eye on thing as it gets closer to the 17th.
The just concluded Guardian Fine Art Asia, one of the top antique and design art fairs in China, which ran from Oct 25 to 29 in Beijing, attracted about 40 galleries and antique dealers from across the world, and featured hundreds of artworks including classic paintings, Buddha sculptures, porcelain and antique furniture.

Several works by Monet are on display at the Guardian Fine Art Asia. [Photo provided to China Daily]

First held in 2014, the annual art fair organized by the Guardian Art Center and Fine Art Asia Hong Kong has always drawn well-known foreign galleries and antique dealers due to strong Chinese demand as well as art dealers' confidence in the market.

Gladwell & Patterson, a gallery established in 1752 in London, started taking part in the art fair in 2015.

"We are building our market slowly. Every year there are new faces and the number of Chinese collectors who visit our gallery in London is increasing," says Glenn Fuller, the director of the gallery.

He stresses the importance of the Chinese art market and says the demand for high quality Western art here is strong.
A Shanghai agency representing a 14-year-old Russian model said on Monday that she died from multiple organ failure caused by pyemia, a type of blood poisoning, rather than overwork during her two-month stay in China.

Vlada Dzuba's death at Shanghai Ruijin Hospital on Friday had nothing to do with exhaustion or overwork, as suggested by some reports, according to Shanghai Esee Model Management, one of China's largest modeling agencies.

"We feel deeply grieved that we lost an angel. But her death was caused by bacterial infection, and it was a very rare disease," said Zheng Yi, president of the agency, which has around 30 foreign models, of whom Dzuba was the youngest.

A medical report provided by the hospital said Dzuba had contracted pyemia, which had damaged multiple organs and resulted in liver dysfunction and kidney problems.

Zhai Xiaowen, director of hematology at Children's Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai, said the disease has nothing to do with overwork.

"It is caused by severe bacterial infection," she said.

Zheng said Dzuba had 16 photo shoots and fashion shows over 21 days during her time in China, which was planned for 60 days.

"She worked an average of six hours during those days. Her workload was similar to other models," he said.

Parisian Adrien Jacques, who has spent much of the last two years in Shanghai as a foreign model, said on average he takes on more than 10 assignments every three months and that the workload is moderate.

The agency said it signed a three-month contract with Dzuba's home company, Smirnoff Models, in St. Petersburg, Russia, for her to work in China. Foreign models typically get three-month work visas.

The agency said that Dzuba traveled to Shanghai's neighboring Yiwu, in Zhejiang province, on Monday last week to prepare for a photo shoot the next day. She began feeling sick and vomiting that night.

She returned to Shanghai on Wednesday and was accompanied to the hospital by two agency staff members.

She was transferred to intensive care on Thursday afternoon and was pronounced dead the next morning.

The agency said it had contacted the Russian consulate and her mother in Russia.

Dzuba's mother is being assisted in getting a passport, Zheng said. "Hopefully she will arrive later this week."
A driving tour of the 318 national highway lets you travel at your own pace and make your own adventure.

The 318 national highway, linking Shanghai in the east to Tibet in the west, is named by Chinese National Geography as Chinas Landscape Avenue.

Starting from the eastern coastal city Shanghai, spanning across Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Hubei, Chongqing and Sichuan provinces and ending finally in Tibet, the 318 national highway is the longest and the most beautiful national highway in China.

The 5476km road passes plains, hills, basins and plateaus. The winding 318 highway in Sichuan. [China.com.cn/Photo by Qiu Haiying]

The 318 began being built in 1950 and took 4 years to finish. Most people start their self-guided tour from Chengdu, Sichuan Province. The section from Sichuan to Tibet is the most perilous but boasts the most breathtaking scenery.
 Flash

Zhangjiajie in Hunan province.China's Hunan province is on the list of Lonely Planet's best value destinations for 2018.[Photo/Xinhua]

Among newly published lists of hot travel spots around the world in 2018, China is in the top 10 countries to visit.

Lonely Planet, the world's largest travel guide publisher, recently released its annual report of the best worldwide destinations in 2018.

The list features "Top 10 countries", with Chile topping the list; "Top 10 cities", where Seville in Spain grabbed first place; "Top 10 regions", with Belfast and the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland taking the top spot, and "Top 10 best value places", with pole position occupied by Tallinn in Estonia. All of the listed destinations are selected by Lonely Planet's globe-trotting team based on factors like safety, convenience, novelty and whether the place can offer visitors a unique experience.

Also worthy of interest is China's Hunan province being on the list of best value destinations, for its abundance of natural and historical treasures like Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang ancient town.

Moreover, the province's modern wonders like its newly-opened glass bridge, longest in the world, are also worth a try. Just as Lonely Planet put it, China is a country full of mystery and adventure. "Twenty-first century China is here to stay," the guide said, "so hop on board a bullet train and explore this modern Middle Kingdom."
 AARP Tax-Aide seeks volunteers to serve as tax counselors and greeters for low-income and middle-income taxpayers from February through April in the Charlottesville, Fluvanna and Lovingston areas. (434) 244-0451.

 Albemarle County School Board seeks volunteers through Dec. 1 to serve on the Long-Range Planning Advisory Committee. Details and applications: www2.k12albemarle.org/acps/division/board/documents/LRPAC_application.pdf. (434) 972-4055.

 Charlottesville Albemarle SPCA holds a rabies vaccine and microchip walk-in clinic from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. $20 rabies; $20 microchip; $30 combination rabies/microchip. 3355 Berkmar Drive. caspca.org. (4340 973-5959.

 Charlottesville Sister Cities Commission accepts grant applications through Nov. 15 from Charlottesville nonprofits, arts organizations, schools, businesses and individuals for projects that benefit the Charlottesville community as well as Sister City communities of Besancon, France; Pleven, Bulgaria; Winneba, Ghana; or Poggio a Caiano, Italy. charlottesville.org/about-charlottesville/sister-cities-program. (434) 243-7060.

 City of Charlottesville seeks the donation of a large tree for the Grand Illumination, the citys annual holiday celebration. The tree should be approximately 25 feet high and be accessible for removal by city staff. (434) 970-3587.

 Fluvanna SPCA holds a drive-through rabies vaccine clinic from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Augusta Co-op at 127 Irish Road in Scottsville. fspca.org. (434) 591-0123.

 Goodwill Industries holds a job fair from 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Charlottesville Workforce Center at 2211 Hydraulic Road. goodwillvalleys.com. (434) 963-2960.

 Jefferson Area Board on Aging offers free counseling for Medicare Open Enrollment by appointment at 674 Hillsdale Drive. (4340 817-5248.

 Jefferson Area Board on Aging holds its Wills for Seniors program with attorneys from the law offices of Williams Mullen by appointment from 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Wednesday at Church of the Incarnation at 1465 Incarnation Drive. (434) 817-5253.

 Louisa County Resource Council opens a food pantry distribution site from 1 to 4 p.m. Nov. 9 and 30 and Dec. 14 and 28 at Servants of Christ Baptist Church on U.S. 15 at Zion Crossroads. Distribution is still available at the main warehouse at 147 Resource Lane. (540) 967-1510.

 Miss Merry Christmas 2017 Pageant, hosted by Ashtons Birthday Wish and benefiting Ronald McDonald House of Charlottesville, accepts entries through Nov. 20 for the Dec. 3 event at Holiday Inn-Monticello. facebook.com/ashtonsbirthdaywish/ or ashtonswish@aol.com.

 Narconon offers help to individuals and their families in overcoming addiction. Details: narcononnewliferetreat.org and (800) 431-1754.

 Orange County Free Clinic offers free assistance by appointment with enrolling in the Health Insurance Marketplace. 101 Woodmark St. in Orange. (540) 741-2447.

 Overseas Students Mission seeks host families to welcome international students into their homes to share a Thanksgiving meal. (434) 227-0811.

 Piedmont Virginia Community College Educational Foundation and Monticello Bird Club accept applications through Dec. 15 for a new scholarship for PVCC students interested in ornithology. Details and application are available at pvcc.edu/monticellobirdscholarship. (434) 961-5204.

 Renaissance School Fall Open House offers tours of the school and opportunities to speak with students and faculty, attend classes and more from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday. 418 E. Jefferson St. renaissanceschool.org. (434) 984-1952.

 St. Annes-Belfield School accepts applications through Dec. 15 for the SPARK! Teen Hackathon to be held at the school on Jan. 27 and 28. Details and applications: spark.stab.org. (540) 296-5106.

 Veterans Benefits Legal Clinic is offered by the Veterans Benefit Group of Goodman Allen Donnelly, UVa School of Law and UVa Maxine Platzer Lynn Womens Center from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday at the UVa School of Law at 580 Massie Road. Advance registration for the free event is required. womenscenter.virginia.edu/legal-clinic. (434) 817-2193.

 Veterans Employment Services are offered by the Virginia Employment Commission from 10 a.m. to noon each Thursday at Northside Library. Appointments are encouraged by calling (434) 951-6440.

 Virginia Credit Union holds a free document-shredding event from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the branch in Seminole Square Shopping Center. Three full paper grocery bags of documents per person. Donations of nonperishable foods for the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry also will be collected. (434) 974-7191.

 The Womens Initiative Challenge into Change Writing Contest accepts entries through Dec. 15 of real-life stories about women overcoming personal struggles to find growth and healing, in 500 words or fewer, written in English, Spanish and other languages. Details: thewomensinitiative.org/change. (434) 872-0047.
Charlottesville City Manager Maurice Jones is disputing a claim in a preliminary state report that says the city did not follow safety recommendations the state provided ahead of the violent Aug. 12 white nationalist rally in Emancipation Park.

Following the presentation of the preliminary report last week, a former federal prosecutor who is both representing and investigating the city of Charlottesville says his team and Gov. Terry McAuliffes office are negotiating an information-sharing agreement so that parallel reviews of the rally can proceed unimpeded.

In the spirit of cooperation and good faith, the city will offer state officials the opportunity to interview our personnel and review our documents as soon as possible in order for them to meet their review deadline of Nov. 15, Jones said Monday. We sincerely hope they will return the favor and provide us the access we are seeking to complete our report by the beginning of December.

At a recent meeting of a gubernatorial task force that was created following the deadly rally, Brian Moran, the states secretary of public safety and homeland security, said city officials are denying state investigators access to city records and personnel.

City officials made similar claims earlier this month, alleging that state officials are refusing to provide former U.S. Attorney Tim Heaphy with information he has requested for his investigation.

In an email Friday, Heaphy said that he and his associates from the law firm Hunton & Williams have been in contact with a lawyer in the governors office who is facilitating the work of the Task Force on Public Safety Preparedness and Response to Civil Unrest.

The governor created the task force to assess the events of Aug. 12 and to identify ways to improve how the state responds to potentially violent protests. The International Association of Police Chiefs has been assisting the task force with a review of the event.

According to a preliminary association report, which was presented to the governors task force last week, the city placed minimal or no restrictions on the Aug. 12 demonstrators, many of whom came armed with guns, mace, projectiles and other makeshift weapons and shields.

The report said many recommendations communicated by the state were not adopted.

We strongly disagree with those claims and will provide a detailed response at the appropriate time, Jones said Monday.

Last week, Heaphy said his team and state officials have discussed a possible agreement that would govern the exchange of information.

We have each identified documents that wed like to receive and individual employees we would like to interview, he said. Im hopeful that these discussions will result in an agreement that will give us access to information and people within state government and similarly provide the state entities with access to information maintained by the city of Charlottesville.

On Monday, Heaphy and state officials did not respond to requests for more information about which records might be shared in such an agreement.

In response to a recent Freedom of Information Act request for records of the states requests for information from the city, officials from the citys attorney, communications and police departments last week said they have not seen any formal FOIA requests from the state.

On Monday, Jones said Heaphy has been the primary point of contact with state officials and that the city has been developing an information-sharing protocol.

Jones said the state is considering their requests, which he said has included requests for interviews with Virginia State Police personnel and members of a Virginia Department of Emergency Management team that was in Charlottesville on Aug. 12.

Earlier this month, a city spokesperson informed a Daily Progress reporter that a recent request for messages between the city and Heaphy may remain privileged as confidential attorney-client communications.

In an interview earlier this month, Jones said other options for reviewing the Aug. 12 rally were considered, but that he made the decision to hire Heaphy after consulting each city councilor individually.

I considered a number of different options, Jones said,  but I kept coming back to the fact that I think were very fortunate to have someone with the skills to conduct this review, and who at the same time knows our community and would have an objective and unbiased approach to it.

Jones said each councilor agreed to the idea, which had been proposed by Heaphy a day after the Aug. 12 rally, according to emails obtained by The Progress.

I made sure they are very comfortable with it, Jones said. To a person, they said they are comfortable with this approach.

According to a response to an FOIA request from Jim Moore, an independent open-government analyst, the city was able to hire Heaphys law firm, Hunton & Williams, in a no-bid procurement process. According to Virginia Code 2.2.-4344, any public body is allowed to enter into no-bid contracts for legal services in certain scenarios.

Despite having an attorney-client relationship that would allow them to keep some parts of his investigation and the report secret, several city officials, including Mayor Mike Signer, have said they do not plan to keep any information from Heaphys review confidential.
Unite the Right organizer Jason Kessler will be permitted to move to Ohio for a marketing job after an Albemarle County judge agreed to modify his bond.

Kessler was in county Circuit Court on Tuesday for a bond hearing for the felony perjury charge levied against him in early October. The 34-year-old, best known for organizing the white nationalist rally on Aug. 12 that turned deadly, claimed hes had trouble finding work in Central Virginia and has been offered a job opportunity in sales in Ohio.

The charge stems from a January incident in which Kessler made a statement to a county magistrate, alleging that he had been assaulted by Charlottesville resident James Justin Taylor.

At the time, Kessler told The Daily Progress that while petitioning for the ouster of City Councilor Wes Bellamy, he was approached by two men, including Taylor, who grabbed his arm and the petition and violently shook his arm. He claimed to have then punched Taylor in self-defense; Taylor had Kessler charged with misdemeanor assault, to which he pleaded guilty earlier this year.

Prosecutors dropped the case against Taylor, stating that video evidence refuted Kesslers claim. That video evidence may now serve as the basis for Kesslers perjury charge.

In court Tuesday, Kessler said he had been offered a sales job at a business called Optimus Marketing, and that he is looking to relocate to a place in Ohio known as Charleston. It was unclear if he was referring to Charlestown Township, in Portage County; West Charleston, an unincorporated village in Miami County; or South Charleston, a village in Clark County; or somewhere else.

Kessler added that he would be staying in the home of someone he knew through his participation in white nationalist rallies, but whom he had not met.

Albemarle Commonwealths Attorney Robert Tracci opposed the bond modification, noting that Kessler had not been clear about the marketing company for which he would be working, and that his living situation appeared tenuous, given that he had not met his host. Tracci added that the company Kessler said hed be working for did not appear to have an online presence.

An online search for Optimus Marketing does not return any results. It is possible that Kessler meant Optimum Marketing Partners, a call center company that may have offices Ohio. The company did not return requests for comment.

Neither Kessler nor his defense attorney, Mike Hallahan, returned requests for clarification about the company.

Tracci also said he was concerned about Kesslers willingness to return to Virginia for further court hearings, given a failure to appear at a court in Richmond 15 years ago. When asked, Kessler said he did not recall exactly what the charge was, but that it could have been obstruction of justice and that he had pleaded guilty.

Hallahan told Judge Cheryl Higgins that the motivation for the bond modification was financial, and that Kessler has had difficulty finding work in Central Virginia.

Higgins agreed that it would be difficult for Kessler to find local work, given his notoriety in the area after the Aug. 12 rally. She ultimately elected to grant Kessler the modification.

The new charge against Kessler is a Class 5 felony, which carries a minimum prison term of one year and a maximum prison term of 10 years, or, at the discretion of the jury or a court trying the case without a jury, confinement in jail for a maximum of 12 months or a maximum fine of $2,500, or both.

A pre-trial hearing has been set for Dec. 27, and a one-day jury trial is scheduled for March 20.
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Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta (R, front) receives the certificate as the winner of the repeat presidential election from Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chabukati in Nairobi, capital of Kenya, Oct. 30, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who was formally declared winner of the country's repeat presidential election on Monday, promised to abide by the constitution if his victory in the re-run is challenged in court.

Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati announced that Kenyatta garnered 7.48 million, or 98.26 percent, of the total votes cast, with his National Super Alliance (NASA) rival, Raila Odinga, only managing 73,228 votes, or about 1 percent.

The opposition leader had rallied his supporters to boycott the Oct. 26 balloting, which was marred by low turnout and violent protests in opposition strongholds.

"The total votes cast were 7.62 million and rejected ballots 37,713. This translates into a national voter turnout of 38.84 percent," Chebukati said. Some 19.6 million Kenyans registered as voters.

Chebukati said the repeat poll was free and fair despite opposition complaints over the vote that led to it boycotting the process.

"I am satisfied that we were able to meet conditions that enabled the commission to deliver a free, fair and credible election," he said.

In his acceptance speech, Kenyatta said his victory is likely to be subjected to a constitutional test through the courts.

He promised to submit to this legal path no matter its outcomes.

"If we remain committed to constitutionalism, the rule of law, respect for independent institutions and respect for human life, our democratic resilience will be assured. And this is my commitment to the General Will of All," said Kenyatta.

Kenyatta said despite the fact that his major competitor went to court demanding the presidential election be nullified and was granted that annulment, Odinga chose to ignore the rest of the ruling which ordered a fresh election in 60 days conducted by IEBC.

"Thereafter he chose to abandon the fresh poll. You cannot choose the opportunity to exercise a right and abscond from the consequences of that choice," Kenyatta said.

Kenyatta thanked the many voters who turned up in the fresh elections to exercise their democratic right despite violent intimidation.

"I celebrate our resilience as a nation. I celebrate the resilience of our democracy, the resilience of our people and the resilience of our institutions," he said. "Our democratic resilience will not tire. It will not give in to obvious provocations and a base invitation to politics of darkness."

"For those who voted for Jubilee by way of re-validating our Aug. 8 victory, I thank you. Now we can begin the process of re-imagining our nationhood," Kenyatta said, referring to his ruling party.

IEBC Vice Chairperson Consolata Nkatha said the election failed to take place in 25 constituencies, all located in Odinga's political bedrock of Western Kenya, after protesters prevented polls opening by blockading polling stations or intimidating voters.

The commission said those results from Kisumu, Migori, Siaya and Homabay counties would not affect the final outcome so it could proceed with its announcement.

"The commission could not immediately determine an appropriate and practical time in compliance with Section 55 (b) of the Election Act which requires that when an election is postponed it should be held at the earliest practicable time," Nkatha said.

Odinga's withdrawal from the fresh presidential race 16 days to the election, though anticipated, had sparked uncertainties in the country's body politic, economy, social cohesion and diplomatic engagement. He is due to speak later this week on the way forward.

The Supreme Court on Sept. 1 annulled the results of the Aug. 8 presidential polls where the incumbent Kenyatta was declared the winner.

Judges of the apex court based their decision to invalidate Kenyatta's victory on what were described as gross malpractices by the electoral agency that included tampering of results tallying and transmission infrastructure, and ordered the IEBC to conduct fresh presidential elections within 60 days.

Announcing the election results on Monday, Chebukati said his commission worked under difficult conditions but managed to deliver a free, fair and credible election, noting that Kenyatta had cleared the threshold of winning 25 percent of the votes cast in more than 24 counties.

He said the electoral agency took reform measures this time around, including the provision of more electronic kits, gadgets and wider mobile telecom coverage and extensive training of poll officials.

"I can confidently say that on Oct. 26, we did everything to ensure every Kenyan was able to practice his/her right. We discharged our mandate. Unfortunately not all Kenyans exercised their rights but I respect their choice," said Chebukati.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe on Tuesday convened the states Environmental Justice Advisory Council, which he created through an executive order.

The councils mission is to give advice and recommendations to the governors office on considering environmental justice in decision-making so that no community or individual is saddled with pollution impact.

McAuliffe will appoint the councils members.

Creating the council was part of a recommendation made by a study group considering ways to reduce carbon pollution from Virginia power plants. The University of Virginias Institute for Environmental Negotiation will assist the council.

Attempts to contact the governors office to determine if the council could consider environmental issues regarding the Atlantic Coast Pipeline project championed by McAuliffe were unsuccessful.
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Carles Puigdemont, former president of Catalan regional government, gives a speech at the region's parliament in Barcelona on Oct. 10, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

Ousted Catalonian president Carles Puigdemont, as well as five of his advisers, is in Belgium, amidst speculation he could apply for political asylum, local media reported on Monday.

After first confirming Puigdemont's presence in Brussels for a private meeting with the N-VA, the Flemish nationalist and conservative party, the Belgian media relayed the information from Belgian Vice-prime minister Jan Jambon that Puigdemont had not been invited by the N-VA and that nothing had been organized in any way for this.

According to Spanish newspapers, however, Puigdemont is in Belgium to apply for political asylum.

Spain's Attorney-General Jose Manuel Maza announced on Monday morning that Puigdemont was being sued because of his unilateral declaration of independence last Friday. The sacked president is being prosecuted for rebellion as well as sedition and misuse of public funds. He could face up to 30 years in prison.

The application for political asylum has not yet been confirmed by local media and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel has not given any comment.

For the Spanish government, the application for political asylum is "a pure sign of despair", local Belgian newspaper La Libre reported.

The Spanish government took charge of Catalonia's administration on Friday shortly after the declaration of independence. Madrid appointed Soraya Saenz de Santamaria, Spain's deputy prime minister, to replace Puigdemont as the head of the region, whose former parliament has been dissolved.

Last week-end, Belgian asylum and migration Secretary of State Theo Francken said Belgium would be ready to grant Puigdemont political asylum. However, this was quickly denied by the prime minister who said it was not "on the agenda of the day" and asked Francken not to "add fuel to the fire".

Interviewed by radio and tv news station RTBF, a professor specializing in European law for migration and asylum policies at the Free University of Brussels (ULB) warned about the consequences of granting such a request: "If Belgium decides to examine this application, it would have to refer immediately to the European Council and that would obviously be a decision with significant consequences," he said.

According to RTBF, Puigdemont is in a safe and discreet place, and might make a speech Tuesday.
Democrat Ralph Northam and Republican Ed Gillespie combined to raise a record-smashing $20.6 million between Oct. 1 and Oct. 26, as national money poured into Virginia's marquee election for governor.

The combined haul was nearly twice the record that Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Ken Cuccinelli raised in the same time period four years ago, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, a nonpartisan tracker of money in state politics.

Virginia and New Jersey are the only states that elect governors the year after a presidential election. Virginia's contest is widely seen as the more competitive contest. The spigot of campaign money is funding a flurry of television ads ahead of the Nov. 7 election.

As of the previous reporting period, Northam had amassed a sizable fundraising advantage over Gillespie entering October with more than double his GOP rival in cash on hand. But a gusher of money from each major party's governors' association made for a financially competitive contest in the homestretch.

For the week of Oct. 23-29, advertising spending by Gillespie and allied groups in the state's four largest TV markets topped $2.4 million, to $2.0 million for Northam and allied groups, VPAP reported recently, citing Federal Communications Commission data. Democrat-leaning groups had topped the ad spending in each of the four previous weeks.

Northam, the state's current lieutenant governor, raised $10,966,135 between Oct. 1 and Oct. 26. He spent nearly $15 million in the period, finishing with a balance of $1.65 million.

Northam's largest donor in the period was DGA Action, the Democratic Governors Association committee, which contributed $3.2 million. This year it has contributed more than $6 million to Northam's war chest.

Northam's haul included $2.65 million from in-kind contributions, donations of goods or services, such as mailers or travel. Northam's top donors of in-kind contributions were Planned Parenthood Virginia PAC, which contributed more than $827,000 during the reporting period, and the Virginia League of Conservation Voters PAC which donated $645,000.

Gillespie, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, brought in $9,656,267 during the reporting period. He spent nearly $10.8 million, finishing with a balance of $1.36 million.

Gillespie took in $3.5 million in the period from the Republican Governors Association, which previously donated $1 million to his campaign in September.

Gillespie reported an additional $1.25 million contribution from RGA Right Direction, which was set up as a Super PAC to oppose Hillary Clinton, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The Republican reported nearly $1.3 million in in-kind contributions from the Republican Party of Virginia.

Cliff Hyra, the Libertarian candidate for governor, raised $11,505 in the reporting period, spent $10,161 and finished with a balance of $5,269.

In the contest for lieutenant governor, Republican Jill Vogel and Democrat Justin Fairfax combined to raise nearly $2.7 million in the period, nearly twice the previous record of $1.4 million set in 2001 by Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican Jay Katzen.

In the race for attorney general, Democrat Mark Herring, the incumbent, and Republican John Adams brought in $6.1 million in the period, nearly twice the prior record of $3.4 million that Herring and Republican Mark Obenshain raised in the same time period four years ago.
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Danish submarine owner Peter Madsen changed his explanation of what had caused the death of Swedish journalist Kim Wall, but insisted that he had not killed her, local media reported Monday.

Madsen said in a new interview with the police that Wall died of carbon monoxide poisoning while on the deck of the submarine, according to Danish news agency Ritzau.

Earlier, he said that Wall died when she was hit by a heavy hatch in her head and he subsequently threw the body intact into the ocean.

In the new interview, he also acknowledged that he had dismembered the Swedish journalist, who was last seen on Aug. 10 when she went inside the 18-meter submarine with Madsen.

"This explanation naturally causes the police to collect various additional statements from both the forensics and the submarine experts," deputy police inspector Jens Moeller Jensen was quoted as saying.

Madsen has volunteered to extend his custody until Nov. 15, Ritzau reported, citing his lawyer.
This threshold was earlier Rs. 75 lakh and the GST Council had this month raised it to Rs.1 crore from October 1 so that more traders and manufacturers could benefit from this scheme which is easy to comply with as it does not require much paperwork. (Representational image)

Chennai: Eating out will not be so costly anymore with a suggestion coming before the government to bring down the Goods and Services Tax (GST) rate to 18 per cent for all restaurants. Hotel associations appear to be elated over the proposal. The Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted to make the composition scheme more attractive, has suggested that GST for hotels, which have room tariffs of over Rs 7,500 per night should be reduced to 18 per cent from the current level of 28 per cent and 12 per cent for restaurants in hotels with a tariff below Rs. 7,500 per night.

The hospitality sector has been complaining that the high rates were affecting their business. The GST on restaurants in five-star and luxury hotels had been earlier reduced from 28 to 18 per cent, bringing it at par with standalone air-conditioned restaurants. Food & beverages constitute 30-40 per cent revenue for five-star hotels.

But it remains to be seen if these restaurants are also brought into the 12 per cent bracket. GST composition scheme is open for manufacturers, restaurants and traders whose turnover does not exceed Rs.1 crore. This threshold was earlier Rs. 75 lakh and the GST Council had this month raised it to Rs.1 crore from October 1 so that more traders and manufacturers could benefit from this scheme which is easy to comply with as it does not require much paperwork.
Bengaluru has emerged as the top city for powering start-ups in India. (Photo: Pixabay/ Representational)

Bengaluru: As it continues to attract young professionals from all over the country, Bengaluru has emerged as the top city in India to attract funding in the start-ups category.

The Silicon City of India toppled Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune in harbouring the attention of investors, in the first nine months of 2017, reported Financial Express.

Start-ups in Bengaluru attracted USD 4.1 billion in funding which was constituted more than half the total investment of USD 7.8 billion raised by Indian start-ups in the first three quarters, according to data from research firm Tracxn.

The Delhi-NCR region has been a strong rival to Bengaluru with the rise of companies like Paytm, Snapdeal, MakeMyTrip, Zomato, Ibibo, MobiKwik and others, which are based out of the capital region. In the first nine months of 2016, the Delhi NCR region was the number one region in attracting USD 1.2 billion out of the total USD 3.3 billion of total start-up funding.

Bengaluru, which came second to Delhi-NCR region in 2016, climbed past the same on the heavy infusion of funding into companies such as Flipkart and Ola.

The first nine months of 2017 saw a number of start-ups raise billion-dollar funds, starting with Flipkart, Ola and Paytm.

Others like Swiggy, BigBasket and Byjus investment-raising stance upped the IT hubs position.
Nifty Midcap and Small cap gained 0.12 per cent and 0.49 per cent. (Photo: AP)

Mumbai: NSE benchmark Nifty witnessed a range-bound momentum and ended the volatile session with 28 points fall as investors preferred profit-booking in PSU banks, metal and auto stocks.

Investors remained cautious ahead of the outcome of the US Federal Reserve's two-day policy meeting.

Globally, European shares were trading higher, supported by a jump in the shares of oil firm BP, which announced buoyant earnings and a share buyback program.

Most Asian stocks ended on a mixed note following weak closing in the US market.

Anupam Singhi, CEO, MarketSmith India (Part of William O'Neil India) said, "The Indian market frittered away from the promising start and remained in a negative territory throughout the session. The investors remained shy to take new positions in the stocks before the earnings release."

The NSE Nifty opened higher at 10,364.90 and moved in a range of 10,367.70 and 10.323.95 before ending at 10,335.30, a fall of 28.35 points, or 0.27 per cent, from last close.

It saw an intra-day movement of about 43.75 points.

The broader indices bucked the trend, as the Nifty Midcap and Small cap gained 0.12 per cent and 0.49 per cent, respectively.

On the sectoral front, PSU banks fell 2.14 per cent, metal 1.71 per cent, auto 0.49 per cent, media 0.26 per cent, IT 0.15 per cent and energy 0.14 per cent.

However, realty rose by 2.89 per cent, private banks 0.67 per cent, FMCG 0.20 per cent, financial service 0.13 per cent and banks 0.12 per cent.

Major index gainers were Axis Bank, InfraTel, ONGC, HCL Tech, Bharti Airtel, BPCL, Indusind Bank and Hero Motocorp.

Losers included UPL, Vedanta Ltd, Infosys, GAIL, M&M, Tata Steel, Hindalco, Tata Motors, HindPetro and SBIN.

The market breadth, indicating the overall health of the market, was mildly in favour of gainers. On the NSE, 883 stocks advanced, 851 declined and 77 stock remained unchanged.

Total securities that hit their price bands were 172.

Turnover in the cash segment rose to Rs 35,110.14 crore from Rs 32,986.81 crore on Monday.

A total of 17,880.64 lakh shares changed hands in 11,268,021 trades. The market capitalisation of listed firms on NSE stood at Rs 1,42,08,617.46 crore.
Mumbai: French feminists disrupted the opening ceremony of a planned retrospective of Roman Polanski's work by the Cinematheque Francaise.

The activists entered the theater bare-chested with slogans reading 'VIP - Very Important Pedocriminal' painted across their backs and chanted 'No honour for the rapists' as Polanski signed autographs, reports The Guardian.

The demonstrators were quickly surrounded and removed from the building by security.

Additional protests against the Polish-French filmmaker continued outside, organized by groups Femen and Osez le Feminisme.

Several dozen protesters stationed outside the theater chanted, "Enough of those who want to protect the aggressors!"

Many signs read, "If rape is an art, Polanski deserves all the Cesars," a reference to the French film award.

The 'Pianist' helmer pleaded guilty to having sex with a 13-year-old girl in 1977. Polanski fled the U.S. before his sentencing in 1978 and has not returned.

Femen and Osez le Feminisme asked the Cinematheque Francaise to cancel the Polanski retrospective as new allegations came to light and launched an online petition that gathered more than 27,000 signatures.

In the petition, activist Laure Salmona, wrote, "It's an insult to all the women who mobilized around the #MeToo and #BalanceTonPorc hashtags, and an affront to all rape victims, particularly Polanski's victims."

In response to the call for protests, Cinematheque Francaise president Costa-Gavras noted that they would not change its plans to hold the retrospective.

In a statement issued by Gavras, he explained, "We have nothing to discuss with the people demanding that La Cinematheque Francaise abandons its fundamental mission: to tirelessly show the works of great filmmakers."

The new claims, which Polanski has denied through his lawyer, bring to at least four the number of women who have publicly accused him of sexual assault.
Chennai: City police on Monday said that no action would be taken against actor Kamal Hassan over his tweets about Nilavembu Kudineer ending speculation about criminal action against the actor.

Madras HC had recently asked the city police to register an FIR against the actor in case a cognizable offence is made out.

The inspector of the cyber crime wing, Central Crime Branch wrote to the petitioner, G. Devarajan, who filed a complaint against the actor, explaining him that there is no basis for any action against the actor's tweets.

On October 19, a man claiming to be a social activist approached the city police commissioner's office on Thursday seeking action against the actor for spreading panic among public with his tweets about Nilavembu Kudineer.

Petitioner G. Devarajan of Sembium in his complaint said that he is filing the complaint on the basis of being a patient who recovered from illness by Siddha medicine including Nilavembu kudineer.
The police booked him under section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (Punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form)

Madurai: A fan of actor Vijay was arrested on Monday for abusing the Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi, in a chat with a BJP functionary on 'Facebook messenger' at Srivilliputhur town in Virudhunagar district. The Srivilliputhur town police arrested Thirumurugan (19), an engineering diploma holder based on the complaint from Marimuthu, BJP, Virudhunagar district secretary.

According to police Thirumurugan reacted in abusive language to a meme sent through 'Facebook messenger' by Marimuthu. The meme is about the controversial dialogues on GST and public health care in the recently released movie Mersal, starring actor Vijay. Offended by the reaction from Thirumurugan, the BJP functionary produced the details of chat to the police and demanded action against him.

The police officer said that when they conducted an inquiry with Thirumurugan, he accepted to have sent those messages. The police booked him under section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (Punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) and remanded Thirumurugan to judicial custody after producing him in the Judicial magistrate court II in Srivilliputhur.
It looks like the remake of Queen is going to be a lot of fun. Especially for the leading ladies down south. Tamannaah (Telugu), Kajal (Tamil), Manjima Mohan (Malayalam) and Parul Yadav (Kannada) are about to shoot at the same locations for the comic drama. These actresses will also come together at a picturesque spot near Cannes for their respective films. The icing on the cake is that these divas would be put up at the same hotel.

It is not often that these stars get to meet each other at the work space, so naturally Tamannah and Kajal are excited at the prospect of bonding with their colleagues at the shooting spots.

It is indeed a rare scenario to have four actresses (Kajal, Manjima, Parul, and I ) shooting together. When I first heard, I was really excited. We have already started discussing our to-do list in Paris on our WhatsApp group. Since we are all accommodated pretty much at the same location, it only makes our bonding stronger, shares Tamannaah.

Kajal Aggawarl says, I know Tamannaah personally too. And both of us started out pretty much at the same time and have grown together, so we have a lovely bonding. Shes one of my besties in the industry. We bond sometimes at filmy events and retail outings, but bonding on the film sets and shooting at the same location will be fun. We can share lot of things professionally too. Also, Manjima and Parul are good actors.

Manjima Mohan, who will join the shoot along with the others, says that since all of them are accommodated in the same vicinity, they are sure to have a gala time. I have heard that Tamannaah and Kajal are very sweet, but I never really bonded with them. If they break the ice when the shooting starts, Im sure I can have a great time. We are all accommodated at one place and while shooting together at Nice (France), hopefully, we all can have a great time experiencing the architecture, the beautiful beaches and the picturesque location. Its a month-long schedule and I am looking forward to meeting them, expresses Manjima.
Post the smashing success of the Baahubali series, Prabhas has become a national figure. And ahead of the release of Sahoo, which is also releasing in Hindi, the usually reclusive actor, who rarely makes an appearance at social get-togethers, will have to do some homework to become more social.

Earlier Prabhass PR machinery (comprising his friends and family) used to handle his media campaigns. But ever since he got national acclaim, the actor was more than pleased to hand over his PR and media campaigns to a Mumbai-based agency.

Apparently, the actor also feels that a Mumbai PR agency can get him better visibility and handle his work well with a wide media coverage, especially with Sahoos release next year.

A source informs, Since Bollywood media also tracks Prabhas keenly, the actor felt its time to be in the right hands for the films media strategy. Post the blockbuster Baahubali, the actor believes he can leverage the services of a professional PR agency for optimal visibility in Bollywood.
Of the estimated 27.9 lakh patients, only 19.3 lakh patients were notified in public and private hospitals. The remaining 8.5 lakh cases are still missing their treatment options. (Photo: Pixabay)

Hyderabad: The Global Tuberculosis Report, released by the World Health Organization shows that India bears the highest burden of this disease, with 27.9 lakh patients, according to estimates collected in 2016.

Of the estimated 27.9 lakh patients, only 19.3 lakh patients were notified in public and private hospitals. The remaining 8.5 lakh cases are still missing their treatment options.

The global report shows that there are an estimated 10.4 million new cases of TB worldwide, of which 64 per cent of the total burden is shared by Asian and South East Asian countries. Out of these estimates, India has the highest incidence of TB.

Dr. Pramod Kumar, senior chest physician at Erragada Chest Hospital, explains, The government has an excellent tuberculosis control program. But what is lacking is proper co-ordination by the different agencies in bringing the patient to the institutes and then following up. He said, There is a strong need to integrate these programs and also motivate those diseased, so that they can be cured.

The treatment is long and requires a lot of motivation for the patients to go through it.

City chest physicians state that of the 10 TB patients that they see, only one or two complete their treatment on their own through self-motivation. The remaining eight have to be pushed and motivated to carry out the treatment.

At the end of the time period, it is found that two patients have been lost with no trace of them. Another cause for the increasing TB patients is the scourge of diabetes in the country. In 45 per cent of cases, diabetes was detected first and TB later in city clinics and government hospitals.

In about 25 per cent of the cases TB was detected first and diabetes followed. In 20 per cent of the cases diabetes and TB were detected together. Dr. Sridevi Paladugu, consultant endocrinologist at Apollo Hospitals explained, Those who are suffering from diabetes must get their chest X-ray taken every year as it helps to diagnose TB. The growing burden of diabetes cases is also increasing the burden of TB. Both the diseases require very stringent management and often people find it difficult to cope with the tough medication regimen.

Another burden is that of people living with HIV whose numbers have remained stable, but who are living in society and have to be tackled. A senior doctor on condition of anonymity explained, People living with HIV have no option but to go to government clinics. In the private sector, these patients are not treated due to threat of infection to others. Often they require social support and that structure is missing in dealing with these patients. The numbers are not rising but they continue to remain in this category of patients and must not be undermined.

The burden of multi-drug resistant TB is another category where World Health Organisation has asked that apart from medical support it is important to also provide social support to these patients. There is also a need for research and innovation to deal with the resistant bacteria which is adding to the overall existing burden.
KOCHI: Indias southern states, especially Kerala, were able to contain diarrhoea related diseases due to womens education and breastfeeding, according to Prof. Nirmal Kumar Ganguly, president, Asian Conference on Diarrhoeal Disease and Nutrition. South Indian states pip their counterparts in the north in preventing this disease. Social development is high in these states and if a child is breastfed at least for six months, the child is largely protected, Prof. Ganguly said during an interaction at the three-day 14th ASCODD.

He explained that lack of girls education, malnutrition, paucity of latrines and gender imbalance are some reasons for states like Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Madhya Prad-esh struggling to ward off diarrhoeal diseases. Prof. Ganguly suggested WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene), balanced nutrition and vaccines such as rotavirus, typhoid vaccine and cholera vaccine as preventive measures for diarrhoeal diseases. WASH can be connected to Swachh Bharat Mission, and other preventive activities could be linked to the National Health Mission, which moves to the lowest level of the healthcare, he opined. The disease is a hindrance to growth of India as diarrhoea leads to stunted children. If you have a stunted nation, its growth in every sphere is affected. So it is very much linked to development of a nation, he stressed.

Though mortality due to diarrhoea has come down in rural areas, it is still the second killer of children below five after pneumonia, he pointed out. About the biennial conference, Prof. Ganguly said that during the early 60s or 70s, diarrhoeal diseases were one of the largest killers of children below five. That was one of the major causes of morbidity in children up to adolescence, and for those who survived, it led to malnutrition and many children became stunted. Nutrition is the highest challenge still in India. Dr Firdausi Qadri from Bangladesh assumes charge as the next President post the conference and the ASCODD will be headquartered in Dhaka. Over 61scientists from countries, including the UK, the US, Bangladesh, Germany, India, France and Sweden, will present papers at the conference organised by the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology.

Genome sequencing can help prevent diarrhoea

Genome sequencing can be useful to identify a novel antibiotic that can protect kids from Shigella bacteria-induced diarrhoea, a noted epidemiology and public health expert from the US said. Addressing the 14th Asian Conference on Diarrhoeal Disease and Nutrition (ASCODD) here, Prof. Colin Stine from University of Maryland School of Medicine, US, delineated the process of preventing diarrhoea using meta-genome and whole genome sequencing. The process of identifying an antibiotic using genome sequencing invo-lves interaction of Shig-ella and Lactobacillus Salivarius, a probiotic bacteria found in the gastrointestinal tract. Incre-asing quantities of Lactobacillus Salivarius decreases diarrhoea due to Shigella, he explained,

Prof. Stine, who was addressing the session on the topic Understanding of enteric pathogens and NGS during the inaugural day of the conference, said the whole genome sequence of Lactobacillus Salivarius helps identify the mechanism with which Lactobacillus Salivarius inhibits the growth of Shigella in culture. The researchers found that the supernatant from an overnight culture of Lactobacillus Salivarius inhibits the growth of Shigella in culture. They cloned and developed a cell wall hydrolase that kills Shigella in culture.

From this, we have arrived at the conclusion that the cell wall hydrolase is a mechanism to protect children from Shigella-induced diarrhoea, the expert told the three-day conference, being held at the Crowne Plaza in Kochi. Over 61 scientists from countries, including the UK, the US, Bangladesh, Germany, India, France and Sweden, are attending the conference, which has been organised by the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram in association with International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr, b); Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad; the INCLEN Trust International (INCLEN INT) and the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED), Kolkata.
Eight Egyptian men convicted for 'inciting debauchery' following their appearance in a video of an alleged same-sex wedding party on a Nile boat leave the defendant's cage in a courtroom in Cairo, Egypt, November 2014. (AP FIle Image)

Egyptian police are allegedly using dating apps like Grindr to lure gay men into hotel rooms with the intention of arresting them. The explosive claim has been made by a gender researcher with the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights.

Speaking to The Age newspaper, Dalia Abdel-Hameed said that she unearthed dozens of police reports which outline a cultivation technique where suspected gay men are seduced via dating apps.

She further went on to add, Its related to the fact that men are using apps more than women and an obsession of who is being penetrated. There is this penetration mania in Egypt due to religious reasons, mostly.

The violent crackdown on gay men began last month following a Mashrou Leila concert in Cairo, where some members of the crowd waved rainbow flags.

Over 57 people have been arrested since the incident on charges of debauchery and sexual deviancy laws. Many of these have reportedly been lured through dating apps like Grindr.

While homosexuality is not illegal in Egypt, views towards the LGBT community are increasingly turning hostile, and the term debauchery has allowed authorities to arrest gay men.

Interestingly, state media and the religious establishment are claiming that its a public duty to tackle the spread of homosexuality. Recently, a bill was proposed by MP Riyad Abdel Sattar that would make homosexuality illegal in Egypt if passed.

In an effort to combat this crackdown on LGBT+ people, gay dating apps Grindr and Hornet are issuing safety warnings and tips in Arabic to users in the region who are at risk of being targeted by authorities.

Grindr is using tips that include letting close ones know where you are going before you meet someone, double checking if you have mutual friends with the other user, and attempting to meet in a virtual space so you can be certain that you are talking to another LGBT+ person and not an undercover official.
File photo of US President Donald Trump. Stumpf was finally executed in 1589 and the case has fascinated scholars for centuries as being one of the earliest legends of a werewolf.

Academics investigating the infamous tale of Peter Stumpf, also known as the Werewolf of Bedburg made a shocking discovery that may point towards Donald trump being related to a 16th century cannibal serial killer.

The revelation was made by MirrorOnline.

Stumpf was a farmer convicted of murdering at least 13 children and two pregnant women before devouring parts of their corpses.

Stories go that he was also known to have mutilated cattle, had incestuous relationships with both his daughter and sister and had murdered his own young son before eating his brain.

Dr Kebin Pittle, anthropologist, Biola University in Southern California was re-examining it ahead of a talk on Halloween when he made the startling discovery.

According to surviving documents, Stumpf was put to death alongside his lover 'Katharina Trump' who was convicted of aiding his grisly crimes.

Intrigued, Dr Pittle decided to examine Katharina's story further with colleagues.

His team now believes evidence including ancestry records and socio-linguistic factors mean it is "possible" that Katharina Trump can be traced all the way back to the US President.

Interestingly, Trump's grandfather Friedrich was born in the tiny village of Kallstadt, 60 miles south of Frankfurt, in 1869 before emigrating to the United States as a teenager.

In New York, he had two sons, John and Fred who founded the successful property business that Donald went on to inherit.

The Trump family goes back generations in Kallstadt and many are buried in the local cemetery and the owners of the house where Friedrich was born have become so fed up by people ringing the doorbell they put it up for sale.

Donald even appeared in a documentary entitled 'Kings of Kallstadt' last year made by local filmmaker Simone Wendel.

It is one of Donald's earliest ancestors in Kallstadt, Hans Trumpf II, born around 1559, who may link the stories of both Donald Trump's German ancestry and the 'Werewolf of Bedburg'.

While the story of Peter Stumpf is generally considered to have happened in Bedburg, a small town near Cologne, Dr Pittle has found no legal records of anyone named Stumpf or Trump living in the area at that time.

But then again, this is likely because most records were destroyed in the 30 years war of 1618.

Dr Pittle says ancestral records show a Katharina Trump and Peter Stumpf lived in the Kallstadt area at the time of the 'werewolf' murders.

Could they have produced a child called Hans Trump whose distant relative would go on to become the 45th President of the United States?

"We started looking through these databases to find Trumps and Stumpfs in the same place," said Dr Pittle. However, the researcher went on to add that they have no legal records, family records to support this happening in Cologne.

Dr Pittle is hoping fellow researchers will now take his 'speculative hypothesis' and examine it further.

According to historical evidence, Stumpf said he had been murdering and eating human flesh for at least 25 years.

He confessed to murdering 13 young children and two pregnant women "tearing the children out of their wombs, in most bloody and savage sort, and after ate their hearts panting hot and raw, which he accounted dainty morsels and best agreeing to his appetite."

Stumpf was executed on October 31, 1589, in equally gruesome fashion.

Crucially, documents mention that magistrates discovered that Stumpf's daughter 'Beell' and lover 'Katharina Trump' were both accessories to the murders.

They were also burned at the stake with Stumpf's 'carcass'.
He is accused of endangering clients, mostly health care workers, by renting them cadavers and severed heads that were infected with HIV and hepatitis. (Photo: AP)

Detroit: When US authorities arrested Arthur Rathburn last year, they hailed their investigation as a milestone in efforts to police a growing industry: brokers who acquire bodies donated to science, dissect them and sell or lease the parts for profit.

The indictment alleges that Rathburn stored bodies destined for medical education and training in grisly conditions and dismembered them with a chainsaw. He is accused of endangering clients, mostly health care workers, by renting them cadavers and severed heads that were infected with HIV and hepatitis.

A government news release touted the arrest as a significant step, one that demonstrates that protecting the public is a high priority.

But authorities missed repeated opportunities to rein in Rathburn. Warning signs about his activities date back more than a dozen years.

In the mid-2000s, for example, New York state health inspectors twice reprimanded him for failure to provide documentation that bodies he acquired were in fact willingly donated. Rathburn also had been on the radar of federal authorities since 2010, when border agents first questioned him about 10 heads he was transporting from Canada, court records show.

Over the next three years, agents documented five similar cross-border shipments, one that included a severed penis. But agents did not raid Rathburns warehouse until December 2013. In the meantime, he acquired, sold and rented out more bodies and parts.

The failure to intervene sooner shows how easily brokers can evade government scrutiny and points to a gap in U.S. law surrounding the body trade, an industry that typically targets the poor with incentives such as free cremation. Rathburn and his then-wife were charged with defrauding customers, not with selling or desecrating human remains.

Selling or leasing body parts is not a federal crime and is largely unrestricted in all but a few states.

The FBI told me they found my sisters shoulder inside Rathburns warehouse, said Carol Keenan. Her sibling had donated her body in 2013, hoping to aid cancer researchers.

It was hard enough to lose her, but this has been devastating, Keenan said. I was shocked when I learned theres no regulation  that any Joe-fly-by-night can start up a company and nobody knows what hes doing.

Rathburn, 63, faces trial in January on charges of defrauding health care workers and lying to federal agents. He has pleaded not guilty and remains jailed. His ex-wife, Elizabeth Rathburn, pleaded guilty to one count of fraud and is cooperating with prosecutors. Neither the Rathburns nor their attorneys responded to requests for comment for this story. The FBI also declined to comment.

CALLS FOR PROTECTION

A chance to establish national standards governing body brokers came in 2004, after disturbing reports emerged about the nascent industry.

In one case, police arrested a California university employee for secretly selling donated cadavers. In another, the U.S. Army admitted that bodies originally donated to a university for educational purposes were used in landmine experiments. Harpers Magazine also published a 10-page expose on body brokers, briefly citing Rathburn as a supplier.

Appalled by the reports, a federal health advisory panel meeting that year called for regulation of body brokers. The panel asked the U.S. government to apply the same strict oversight to the body parts trade that already governed organ transplantation.

Nothing came of the panels recommendation.

Since that failed effort, the market for body parts has grown, and abuses abound, some reminiscent of those the 2004 federal panel sought to prevent. A Reuters review of court, police and internal broker records and interviews identified more than 2,357 body parts obtained by brokers from at least 1,638 people that were misused, abused or desecrated.

The customers include the U.S. government. As Reuters reported in December, the Army used heads, arms and legs from more than 20 bodies in blast experiments in 2012 and 2013, even though donors had not given permission. In one of the most egregious examples, the military used the body of an Army veteran who signed a donor form two months before he died of cancer in 2013. The man was so angry about the poor health care provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that he checked No to military experimentation on the consent form. It didnt matter. His body was used in a violent Army test anyway.

An Army spokeswoman said the military was deceived by its supplier and never knowingly used the bodies of donors against their wishes.

Asked about the federal panels 2004 call to regulate body brokers, a U.S. Health & Human Services Department spokesman said the agency was under no obligation to accept the recommendation. How and whether to police the industry, spokesman Martin Kramer added, is left to each state.

Most states, including Michigan, dont regulate body brokers closely, or at all. In those states, a broker may legally sell a donated cadaver or its parts, such as heads and arms, so long as the remains are not intended for transplantation. Only 10 states provide any oversight. Just a handful require licensing or disclosure.

As a result, donors and their families are left to rely on the good faith of the people who run the programs, said retired anatomy professor William Burkel, who supervised Rathburn at the University of Michigan when they both worked there in the 1980s.

Because the laws vary so much from state to state, Burkel said, there is a lot of opportunity for people like Mr. Rathburn to do it without any sort of oversight.

Rathburns alleged victims included not only donors and their families but also the doctors, dentists and other health care workers who acquired parts from him.

Steve Schomisch, who directs surgical training at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland, learned recently how unregulated the industry can be. Federal authorities told him that a head Rathburn supplied to train Case Western neurosurgeons in 2013 was among a number of body parts that could not be traced to a donor, raising questions about the donations legitimacy.

We felt betrayed, Schomisch said. Then we said, What can we do to make sure this doesnt happen again?

Schomisch formed a university committee to research the way the industry supplies body parts; the panel found little oversight and few rules. Today, Case Western leases only from a handful of pre-screened brokers that follow standards established by the American Association of Tissue Banks, a national accrediting organization.

Its such a difficult decision whether to donate, Schomisch said of people who bequeath their bodies. I think you just assume that by donating, youre doing something good. But people like Art Rathburn tarnish that.

A CHARISMA ABOUT HIM

Rathburn was hired in 1984 by the University of Michigan body donation program, which uses cadavers for anatomy classes and research. He was 30 years old with a community college degree and a work ethic that endeared him to better-educated colleagues.

He had a charisma about him, said former supervisor Stuart Baggaley.

Rathburn arrived at a critical time. University archives show that Rathburn helped the program rebound from complaints by donor families about poor customer service.

He was just energetic, doing something all of the time, said Burkel, who led the program during those years. He had a lot of ideas.

One merited publication in a scientific journal and a patent: A State-of-the-Art Embalming and Autopsy Station, a device that promised safer and easier preparation of dead bodies.

In 1988, Rathburn was prominently featured in the monthly Ann Arbor Observer newspaper. He expounded on the significance of cadavers in the classroom and told a whimsical tale about his entry into the business  a friend bet him $10 he wouldnt fill out a funeral home job application. He did. In a photograph accompanying the story, Rathburn wears a tie, lab coat and broad smile.

Two years later, however, Rathburn left the school, records show, following unspecified allegations of misconduct. He obtained a court order barring release of his personnel records. But recently, two people with direct knowledge disclosed the alleged transgression: Rathburn mishandled the donor ashes, a cardinal sin in the funeral industry.

With that information shielded from public view, Rathburn set out in the early 1990s to sell body parts.

One person Rathburn impressed was Ed Eichenlaub, then a doctors assistant in Pittsburgh who began working with him to supply body parts for research and surgical seminars.

I would call up Art and say, I need half a dozen human heads, he said. Later, Eichenlaub said, he worked for Rathburn handling body parts at medical seminars in New Orleans, San Francisco and Chicago.

I wont lie to you. It was creepy, said Eichenlaub. You arrive at this place and there is this huge ice chest and you open it and there are a dozen heads. Theyre wrapped up, but it takes a special person to do this.

THOROUGH EXAMINATION

One reason entrepreneurs like Rathburn can avoid scrutiny is the patchwork of state laws relating to the sale of body parts. Only 10 states provide meaningful oversight, and almost all of them do it differently.

For example, Virginia and Florida regulators need to give advance permission before a broker may bring body parts into the state for research or training. In Oklahoma and Oregon, regulators do not require prior approval to ship individual body parts, but they do inspect brokers regularly and require stringent record-keeping.

In two of the 10 states, the laws do not appear to be a high priority. In New Jersey, an official said, a 2008 law restricting the business to nonprofits and requiring brokers to register with health authorities hasnt been implemented, because the legislature failed to authorize funds. In Maine, a state spokesman said that although the law requires brokers to be registered, officials havent bothered to create rules because no one has ever applied for a permit.

Perhaps no agency in America imposes tighter controls on body brokers than the New York state health department. New York requires licenses, inspections and annual statistical reports  for any broker, even those not based in the state, that ships body parts to customers in New York. State health officials travel around the country to inspect brokers.

Still, neither New Yorks laws nor its regulators were enough to stop Rathburn, according to a review of court documents and state health records obtained under open-records laws.

In 2004, a New York inspector traveled to Rathburns warehouse in Detroit. Though Rathburn was notified of the visit a week in advance, the inspector still found serious deficiencies  flaws that demonstrate how body parts can enter a black hole of accountability after being donated, dissected and shipped to customers. Among the problems: Rathburn could not produce documents proving that bodies were donated willingly.

There are no such records for whole bodies and body segments received for use at the facility, the report said.

Rathburn, the records show, contended that privacy laws and supplier policies prevented him from providing such proof. New York officials said that was no excuse for not supplying consent forms.

Your plan of correction, inspectors wrote him in 2005, does not address the core of this deficiency.

In 2006, officials told Rathburn he could no longer ship body parts to New York until he resolved their concerns. In 2007, New York health officials issued Rathburn a provisional license, allowing him to resume operations there.

In a statement to Reuters, New York officials said they conducted a thorough examination. A New York health official added that her agency did not notify Michigan authorities at the time because such a regulatory agency does not exist in that state. The official did not elaborate on what agency that might be.

The records show that, from 2005 through 2007, Rathburns business continued unabated outside New York as he distributed more than 200 severed heads.

At least one broker voiced concern during this period. Walter Mitchell, former owner of BioGift, an Oregon body donation firm, said he stopped supplying body parts to Rathburn after a 2006 incident. A week after shipping two human torsos to Rathburn in Detroit, Mitchell got a call from the airline that transported them. No one had picked up the packages at the airport.

When are you going to come? an airline employee asked, according to Mitchell. The coolers are leaking and it smells. Rathburn ultimately picked up the torsos, Mitchell said.

ILL-CONCEIVED PLAN

In the mid-2000s, Rathburn launched an ambitious expansion, one that would lead to bankruptcy.

For $1.8 million in 2005, Rathburns company bought a funeral home and warehouse in Richmond, Virginia. People familiar with the deal said he chose the properties because they were strategically located near two interstate highway exits, a convention center and a medical school. The neighborhood also was on the upswing.

They were going to bring in loads of cadavers to be stored at the warehouse and, as needed, transferred to the funeral home, then to medical training events, recalled former city councilman Bill Pantele. Having invested a lot of years in revitalization of that neighborhood, I thought, This is a bad idea.

Faced with community opposition, Rathburn abandoned the plan and struggled financially. While his Michigan company grossed almost $900,000 annually from 2006 to 2008, records show, debts mounted.

By late 2008, when Rathburns company declared bankruptcy, it reported assets of $72,130 and debts of $621,905. It owed $210,402 in back taxes and at least $175,000 to companies supplying body parts. In court records, Rathburn described the Virginia venture as an ill-conceived plan.

As part of the bankruptcy filing, Rathburn provided a list of assets. The inventory included 14 chairs, 10 file cabinets, 91 heads, 18 spines, six hips and a copy of the Hippocratic Oath. He put the total market value of the body parts at $160,900.

WARNING SIGNS

Despite the bankruptcy, Rathburn continued to operate. Through 2013, six body brokers shipped him more than 800 body parts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, court and New York health department records show.

And federal authorities came into contact with Rathburn or his employees a dozen times  including six border crossings  from 2010 through 2013.

In 2010 and again in 2011, federal law enforcement records show, Rathburn was stopped returning from Canada. Each time, he was carrying 10 human heads.

In 2012, picnic-style coolers containing eight heads in red liquid arrived at the Detroit airport. Border agents confronted Rathburn. Among the lies agents allege Rathburn told them was that the liquid wasnt blood, but Listerine mouthwash, used to preserve specimens.

The alleged lies to the federal agents appeared to accelerate the investigation of Rathburn, court records show, though no one intervened to search his warehouse or stop his business. Seven months later, his indictment alleges, Rathburn sent a cadaver infected with Hepatitis B and HIV to a medical convention in Washington, D.C. No attendees were harmed, although they would not learn of the potential danger for years.

In August 2013, New York officials inspected the Detroit warehouse once more  and again reported problems with Rathburns ability to keep proper records for each body part. No other action was taken against him at the time. Rathburn continued to acquire bodies for $5,000 and heads for $500 until late 2013.

Among those remains: the head, two legs and a shoulder from Glorious Pearl Jeffries, according to her daughter, Lachell Jeffries-Hanson. The Chicago-area wedding planner, who died at age 72 of a pulmonary embolism, hoped her donation would educate others, the daughter recalled. The daughter said the FBI told her recently that the donation firm that took her mothers body distributed some of its parts to Rathburn.

You dont really read through everything, Jeffries-Hanson said of the donation paperwork she signed. I was distraught.

In December 2013, after nearly four years of investigation, the FBI raided Rathburns warehouse and office. Inside, authorities said, agents found thousands of body parts.

Rathburn stored human heads by stacking them directly on top of each other without any protective barrier, authorities said in a court filing.

The FBI began informing next of kin with a form letter: There is nothing that I can say that can make this news easy for you. As a victim, however, you have the right to know the truth...

We want justice, Jeffries-Hanson said. What troubles her most, she said, is that her mothers head, which she thought had been cremated, was sitting on someones shelf. Thats her face, thats her brain, thats her, thats what made her function.

Rathburn was arrested in January 2016. By then, he told agents, he was homeless and living out of his van.
Hyderabad: A one-month-old infant was killed and his grandmother escaped with minor injuries in a road accident.

According to the police, Rama Devi, a resident of Jeedimetla, had gone to a private hospital in Ameerpet for regular medical check up for her son who is yet to be named. They hired an auto rickshaw to return home.Her mother was carrying the child and was sitting beside her.

When the vehicle reached Narsapur X Roads, the auto driver suddenly noticed a bike in the opposite direction and applied the sudden brake. As a result, the woman and the child fell off the vehicle. The child suffered a severe head injury and was declared brought dead. Cops have traced the driver to Vikarabad district.
Hyderabad: T. Prakash Goud, TRS MLA from Rajendranagar, was booked for criminal trespass and criminal intimidation after a businessperson, G. Mohan Reddy, lodged a complaint against him. The Mailardevpally police has registered a case against the MLA.

Mohan Reddy stated that the MLA along with his associates threatened him and forcefully demolished a compound wall which was constructed recently.

Prakash Goud said that the land owned by Mohan Goud had a walkway through it used by the entire village. The villagers requested me to allow the walkway. The demolition happened in presence of the police and GHMC officials, the MLA said.

The MLA and his associates trespassed into the land and threatened the guards, abused them and demolished the wall using a JCB machine, Mohan Goud said in his complaint.

Though there are many other alternative routes, the MLA is threatening us with a hidden agenda. All the villagers are cooperating. Even if they really want the walkway through our land, let them approach the government and we are ready to part with the land as per the norms, said Mr Sreenath, a relative of the complainant.

He further added that when the wall was demolished, there were no GHMC officials and police.
BENGALURU: In a daylight heist, two bike-borne burglars decamped with Rs 18.50 lakh cash from an ATM cash vehicle after stabbing one of the security guards who tried to resist them, near Jalahalli Cross in Bagalagunte police limits on Monday. The incident happened around 6 am when the cash-filling vehicle belonging to a private security agency stopped at the ICICI Bank ATM near Ayyappa Temple and the security staff stepped out with a bag containing Rs 18.50 lakh. Before they could reach the ATM, where the cash had to be loaded, the two burglars on the bike, wearing full-face helmets, accosted the security staff and tried to snatch the bag. One of the security guards, Sagar, tried to resist them, but the burglars stabbed him and fled the spot.

The security agency filed a complaint at the Bagalagunte police station and two teams have been formed to trace the burglars. The police are examining the CCTV footage from the cameras installed in and around the area. After two days of bank holidays, the security agency had assigned its staff to fill cash in the ATMs around Peenya. The employees left their main branch around 5 am with Rs 1.26 crore in the van. A police source said that the burglars may have planned the heist for a long time and followed the movements of the van continuously. As the banks were closed on Saturday and Sunday, the burglars knew that the ATMs will be loaded early on Monday morning, he said.
Hyderabad: While welcoming Secunderabad Cantonment Boards (SCB) efforts to revise the eight-decade-old building by-laws, the builders fraternity in Hyderabad is circumspect in its reaction.

The reason being similar efforts in the past had hit a stumbling block with the defence ministry officials not conceding to proposals sent by SCB. Will the proposal to revise the by-laws get cleared this time is a big question.

Kanday Ramesh of Vasavi Developers felt that relaxations like exempting stilt and parking areas from floor area calculations would bring a lot of relief to residents and property owners.

Mr Ramesh stated that he had submitted a report to the previous CEO Sujata Gupta detailing the builders perspective with special focus on the modifications they desire in residential, group housing, in different categories of commercial constructions etc.

Cantonment Board members have been pursuing this issue continuously for the last few years and sending it to New Delhi. The file is getting stuck there and not moving any further. It will be great if MP Malla Reddy could pursue the matter with defence officials in New Delhi and make it a reality, the builder stressed.

C. Shekar Reddy, former national president of Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India, felt it was time the SCB modified its decades- old-laws to suit present needs and requirements and thus be part of the city development.

He felt building laws in the cantonment, except for small areas in airport and firing zones, could be identical to laws implemented in GHMC limits.

The Cantonment has a good number of vacant spaces. In line with the Prime Ministers slogan of Housing for All by 2022, even Secunderabad Cantonment could come forward and contribute to this mission by tweaking its laws.

From national builders forum side, we would like to reach out to higher ups in New Delhi on modification of building by-laws in SCB, he said.

Meanwhile, Ajay Kumar, ex-director general of Defence Estates in New Delhi, emphasised on similar building laws in the Cantonment and the nearest civic body in its proximity.

Ajay Kumar was very instrumental in SCBs floor space index getting increased from 0.5 to 1.5 in 2002.
Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday expressed anger at the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams Executive Officer for allowing hoteliers in Tirumala to loot devotees by selling food and beverages at exorbitant prices.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Abhinand Kumar Shavili, while dealing with a PIL by Parihaara Seva Samiti, said it appeared that the TTD authorities have connived with the hoteliers and shop owners and were allowing them to loot devotees.

The bench pointed out that stall owners and hoteliers were even charging Rs 100 for snacks and beverages while the display board listed the cost of these items at Rs 10

The bench said that though the hoteliers and stall owners were ruling roost without paying taxes and not even issuing the bills, the authorities remained mute spectators.

The ACJ said that they had experienced the situation first hand during their visit to Tirumala.

Appearing before the court as per its direction, TTD EO Anil Singhal informed the bench that checks had been conducted in the past three days and stall owners and hoteliers had been imposed Rs 21 lakh fine for selling the snacks and beverages on high rates.

The bench asked the EO why the TTD was not fixing reasonable prices of foodstuff and beverages that both the consumers and sellers found satisfactory. Counsel said that fresh tenders for stalls and hotels will be called in December and the TTD will incorporate stringent rules with regard to price of items.

While dispensing with the presence of the EO in the case, the bench directed the TTD to file the counter by November 14 explaining the reason behind imposing Rs 21 lakh fine on stall owners and hoteliers.
Bengaluru: The senior most IPS officer in the state, Director General of Police Neelmani N. Raju became the first ever woman officer to head the state police force, when outgoing DG & IGP Rupak Kumar Dutta exchanged the baton with her on Tuesday evening.

Ms Raju, an IPS officer of 1983 batch, is the 40th DG & IGP of the state. She will be heading the police force till January 2020.

After the ceremonial exchange of baton, she told reporters that running the general elections next year would be a great task and responsibility.

The Chief Minister and Home Minister have given me the opportunity keeping trust in me and I will work up to their expectations. Its a challenging task to lead the police force, that too when elections are coming.

Further, she said that she will carry forward some of the good systems implemented by her predecessors.

The beat system introduced by Dutta is revolutionary. Also, his idea of giving responsibility of investigations to Head Constables and ASIs is really good. Todays constabulary is educated and we should make use of their knowledge in both crime prevention and detection. I will continue these schemes along with many others introduced by other predecessors, she said.

When reporters asked how she would manage policing in Karnataka as during most of her service, she was on central deputation, she replied, Length of experience does not indicate the intensity of experience. She further stated that she would also focus on unsolved cases.

Dont see myself as woman officer

When asked how it feels to be the first woman police chief of a state, Ms Raju said, I never see myself as a woman officer. That's how we are trained. However, I want police stations to be more women friendly. I will also focus on improving work atmosphere for women staff.

Praveen Sood promoted as DGP, four transferred

The state government has promoted one IPS officer and transferred four others.

Praveen Sood, who was Additional Director General of Police of Communication, Logistics & Modernization, has been promoted to the grade of Director General of Police and posted as DGP, Internal Security Division, replacing DGP Neelmani N. Raju.

Sood has been replaced by Alok Mohan, who was ADGP Law & Order.

DGP of the CID, H.C. Kishore Chandra, who was in the race for the DG & IGP post, has been transferred and posted as DGP & Chairman and Managing Director of the Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation in the existing vacancy.

DGP M. N. Reddi, who was heading the Anti Corruption Bureau, has been posted as DGP and Commandant General, Home Guards, Civil Defence & Director of the Fire Force, relieving Raju from concurrent charge.

Meanwhile, Sanjay Sahay, who was ADGP, Grievances & Human Rights, is transferred to Karnataka Lokayukta.
Bengaluru: The senior most Indian Police Service (IPS) officer in the state and Director General of Police, Internal Security Division (ISD), Neelmani N. Raju, on Tuesday was appointed the Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP). A veteran intelligence officer with over two decades of experience with the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Ms Raju is the first woman police chief in Karnataka, who will be heading a one lakh strong uniformed force.

Deccan Chronicle was the first newspaper, to break the news on her appointment as the police chief. In her appointment, the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government has also sent a strong message on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Having broken the glass ceiling in a hardcore male-dominated police force, Ms. Raju's biggest challenge is to bring in discipline in the department and to ensure that the 2018 Assembly elections are held smoothly. Karnataka is one of only three major states in the country where the Congress is ruling and there will be large-scale efforts to derail fair and smooth elections. She met the chief minister on Monday and assured him that she would ensure maintenance of law and order in the state.

Newly appointed DG&IGP Neelmani Raju takes charge from R.K. Dutta, in Bengaluru on Tuesday. (Photo: Shashidhar B.)

Ms Raju had stiff competition from two other officers of 1984 batch; DGP, Criminal Investigation Department, H.C. Kishore Chandra and DGP, Anti-Corruption Bureau M.N. Reddi, who were also in the zone of consideration for the top post.

Till Monday late evening, there was wide speculation that the chief minister has finalised the appointment of Mr Chandra.

On the contrary Mr Siddaramaiah had made up his mind on Ms Raju's candidature considering her seniority and track record.

She had returned to Karnataka in January 2016 after a 23-year-long stint with the IB, where she had last served as the Joint Director. Her husband and retired IAS officer D.N.

Narasimha Raju was additional chief secretary to the chief minister before he retired in April last year. Ms Raju is originally from Uttar Pradesh. She had served in Karnataka for 10 years before she left on a Central deputation in 1993.

She has succeeded Mr R.K. Dutta, who demitted office on Tuesday on superannuation. She has a more than two-year-long tenure and will retire in January 2020.Her appointment has been welcomed by the IPS fraternity.

In the hot seat

The road ahead for the newly appointed and first ever woman Director General and Inspector General of Police Neelmani N. Raju is not going to be easy.

Her challenge starts from November 2 itself, when the BJP has called for Nav Karnataka Parivarthan rally, in Bengaluru in the presence of party president Amit Shah.

Eight days later the police are gearing up for a major confrontation with the BJP on Tipu Jayanthi on November 10, followed by a stormy 10-day-long Assembly session in Belgavi, which kick starts on the same day as Tipu Jayanthi.

The Assembly elections in 2018 will be a litmus test for the Congress party in Karnataka and for Raju, as monitoring law and order and the smooth conduct of the election process will be the toughest challenge, said an officer on condition of anonymity.
Hyderabad: A landlord from Venkatapuram recently tweeted to Minister K.T. Rama Rao, My house has been illegally occupied and vandalised; rent has not been paid for the past five months by P.D. Raj. I heard you are supporting him.

The Minister not only replied to him saying, I dont support such illegal activities, Kulkarni Ji, but also forwarded the matter to the Hyderabad Police.

The Minister asked the Hyderabad Police to register a complaint, and the department followed up by asking the complainant for additional details.

The landlord alleged that he was being threatened by local TRS leaders. He was trolled by Twitter users for dragging the Minister into the matter.

In the past six months, we have rea-ched out to every office, every authority and the police, but we are suffering, he responded.

After receiving help from the minister, the man apologised for his allegations.
New Delhi: The CBI on Tuesday filed its chargesheet in the Vyapam scam case and virtually rejected allegations that computer hard discs seized from an accused purportedly carrying reference of the letters CM have been tampered.

The findings of the CBI will come as a major relief for Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who will be facing assembly elections next year.

The agency in its charge sheet filed before a special Central Bureau of Investigation court said that the forensic analysis of the hard disc drives seized from Nitin Mohindra, an official at Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board, by the Madhya Pradesh Police has shown that no files having letters CM were stored in them.

Vyapam scam: Digvijay Singhs claims baseless, says CBI

The chargesheet filed by the CBI in connection with Pre-Medical test for the year 2013 has listed 490 accused which includes three Vyapam officials-Mohindra, Ajay Kumar Sen and C.K. Mishra. Talking about the modus operandi of the Vyapam scam, the CBI has alleged in the chargesheet that racketeers arranged solvers for MBBS aspirants.

The CBI in its chargesheet filed before the court said that the allegations levelled by Vyapam scam whistle-blower Prashant Pandey and senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh were baseless, sources said.

Mr Singh had alleged that Chouhan was involved in the scam, along with his family members, and alleged that crucial pieces of evidences, including hard disks and pen drives, were tampered with to protect them. Both had alleged that the hard disks and pen drives seized by Indore Police on July 18, 2013 from the computer of an accused had been tampered.

Mr Pandey had given the submission in the Delhi High Court while Digvijay Singh had approached the Supreme Court which had handed over the matter to the CBI.

The two, in separate pleas, had alleged the word CM was mentioned 48 times in an excel file stored on the hard disks which was either replaced or deleted. The seized documents, hard disks and the pen drives given by Prashant Pandey were sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Hyderabad for scrutiny and the report suggested no tampering. A detailed forensic analysis revealed that there was no file carrying the word CM ever stored on it,, said the agency in its probe report.

The experts found that computer was not accessed after July 15, 2013 thus ruling out any manipulation of records contained in it after July 18, 2013 when it was seized by Indore Police, the agency said. The files given by Pandey in its pen drive to the High Court and the CBI were created after July 18, 2013 indicating falsification of evidence, the CBI alleged.

There were allegations that the then systems analyst in Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board, popularly known as Vyapam, Nitin Mohindra, who is an accused in the admissions scam, had recorded details of payoffs to influential persons on his computer in the excel sheets. Two pen drives, one kept in custody of the Delhi High Court in writ petition filed by the private person (Pandey) and the other submitted by him to the CBI in a sealed cover were also sent Hyderabad for analysis. All the five excel files in the pen drive provided by the private person to the Delhi HC as well as to the CBI, containing reference CM in it, were created or last modified on or after July 18, 2013 as per the report of CFSL, said the report.
Bengaluru: The state government on Saturday decided to use plastic material while giving a facelift to roads in Bengaluru city.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting chaired by CM Siddaramaiah.

BBMP Commissioner, Manjunath Prasad, told the media that local authorities had seized one lakh kg of plastic material and imposed a fine of Rs 1.67 crore. Since BBMP lacked powers to register cases, a proposal was sent to the Centre in this regard. With no response from New Delhi, BBMP decided to use plastic material while giving a fresh coat to roads within Bengaluru. Minister K J George, principal secretary, urban development, Mahendra Jain, and Mayor Sampath Raj attended the meeting.
Balachandran Kavungalparambath was caught on camera by a UK-based vigilante group called "Internet Interceptors" tracking the internet to catch adults grooming children online for sexual abuse. (Facebook | Internet Interceptors)

New Delhi/London: A 38-year-old Indian-origin bank employee in London has been sentenced to 15 months in prison after admitting to attempting to arrange or facilitate the commission of child sex abuse.

Balachandran Kavungalparambath was caught on camera by a UK-based vigilante group called "Internet Interceptors" tracking the internet to catch adults grooming children online for sexual abuse.

Kavungalparambath, the Citibank business manager, was intercepted in a hotel room in Birmingham where he had arranged to meet one of the group's activists posing as a 14-year-old girl during Whatsapp chats.

"I will have to leave the country. I am from India. I lose my job, I have to leave the country," Kavungalparambath is heard saying on the video when asked what would happen to him as punishment.

Video uploaded by Internet Interceptors on Facebook. (https://www.facebook.com/internetinterceptors/videos/748680312006962/?permPage=1)

"I have heard about this. I heard about these groups. But as I said, I was supposed to have a chat with her, it was not with the intention of getting her into a bed and having sex with her. That was not my intention," he is heard saying.

Birmingham Crown Court was told last week that the video was streamed live on Facebook, during which the London-based banker and married father of one broke down in tears and claimed he just wanted to have lunch with the youngster.

However, his own Whatsapp messages were read out to him which indicated otherwise.

Video uploaded by Internet Interceptors on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/internetinterceptors/videos/748671798674480/?permPage=1

"It's not right. I accept my mistake," he told members of the vigilante group on camera.

At one stage he is ordered to empty the contents of his rucksack, with perfume and condoms spilling onto a table in front of him.

Besides his 15-month jail term handed down last week, Kavungalparambath has also been placed on the sex offender register for 10 years and handed a 10-year sexual harm prevention order to prevent any future re-offending.

A spokesperson for Citibank said, "This individual is not a Citi employee any longer. The offences are abhorrent."
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said she was personally monitoring the situation and asked the students not to worry. (Photo: File)

New Delhi/Milan: Indian students have been assaulted in a string of incidents in northern Italy, the Indian Consulate in Milan has said.

The Consulate General of India (CGI) in Milan on Monday issued an advisory to Indian students and asked them not to panic.

"The Consulate has received reports of unfortunate incidents of attacks on Indian students in Milan. All Indian students are urged not to panic. The Consulate is taking up this matter with the highest level of law and order authorities in Milan," according to the advisory posted on Twitter.

Attack on Indian students in Milan pic.twitter.com/kY0qwfePm8  India in Milan (@cgmilan1) October 30, 2017

The advisory did not mention if the attacks on Indian students appeared to be racially motivated.

The CGI advised Indian students to be in touch with each other, especially when they go out.

It also advised students to spread information among other students from India about the areas where they have experienced "such incidents" so that such areas can be avoided.

In New Delhi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said she had received a detailed report about the incidents.

Swaraj said she was personally monitoring the situation and asked the students not to worry.
A Mumbai-Delhi Jet Airways flight, with 115 passengers and seven crew members on board, had on Monday made an emergency landing after a note stating that there were hijackers and a bomb on board was found in the plane's washroom. (Photo: File | PTI)

Ahmedabad: Jeweller Birju Kishore Salla, who allegedly planted a note about hijackers and a bomb in the toilet of a Mumbai-Delhi Jet Airways flight, was arrested on Tuesday under the stringent Anti-Hijacking Act, a senior official said.

This is the first arrest under the Act which came into force in July 2017, replacing the 1982 vintage law, according to which an accused can face a maximum punishment of life imprisonment till death and his properties can be confiscated, police said.

"We have arrested him under the Anti-Hijacking Act sections. This is the first arrest under the Act after it came into force," Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) J K Bhatt said.

"We are in contact with the National Investigation Agency. The case may be handed over to the NIA if the Centre wants," he said.

"Salla is a multi-millionaire jeweller, having a flat in a posh locality of Mumbai. He is originally from Dedan village of Amreli district," the police official said.

"The accused had planted the note with an intention to close down Jet Airways so that his girlfriend working in the Delhi-based office of the airline would leave her job and come to stay with him in Mumbai," Bhatt said.

He said the accused had earlier complained of finding a cockroach in the food served on Jet Airways flight.

"We are investigating if he is in contact with any other anti-social groups. We have not found any other offence against him," Bhatt said.

The Mumbai-Delhi Jet Airways flight, with 115 passengers and seven crew members on board, had on Monday made an emergency landing after a note stating that there were hijackers and a bomb on board was found in the plane's washroom.

The Boeing 737-900 plane was parked at a remote bay and all 122 people on board safely deplaned.

The note, allegedly placed by Salla, stated that there were hijackers and a bomb in the cargo area, officials had earlier said.

Threat letter placed by the jeweller. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

It was a printed note in Urdu and English, asking that the plane be flown straight to PoK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir). It ended with the words, "Allah is Great".

The reference to PoK made investigators suspicious because Pakistan-based terrorists call the area 'Azad Kashmir', an official earlier said.
Hyderabad: To provide 10 tmc ft of drinking water to Hyderabad city, Medchal collector M.V. Reddy on Monday directed officials to acquire 1,194 acre of forests, 1,690 acres of government land and 587 acres of patta land from farmers for the construction of a reservoir at Keshavapur near Keesara on the city outskirts.

The collector during a public opinion programme said that the administration would provide compensation to farmers as per the Land Acquisition Act.

We are taking up the survey of government lands as well as patta lands for the drinking water project, he said.

Local MLA M. Sudhir Reddy told farmers that the government had halved the storage capacity of the reservoir to protect farmers land.

All public representatives will meet the Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and will be seeking requesting more compensation, said Mr Sudhir Reddy.

What IS needed

3,575 acre: Land needed for the reservoir.

1,194 acre: Forest land to be utilised.

1,690 acre: Government land.

587 acre: Patta land: (434 acres in Bomranpet, 104 in Ponnala and 25 acres each in Keshavapur and Yakutpura).
On October 27, Vinod Verma was arrested by the Chhattisgarh Police in connection with extortion and blackmailing case. (Photo: Vinod Verma | Facebook)

Raipur: Raipur court, on Tuesday sent senior Journalist Vinod Verma to judicial remand till November 13.

On October 27, Vinod Verma was arrested by the Chhattisgarh Police in connection with extortion and blackmailing case, from his residence in Indirapuram in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad.

Verma was arrested after an FIR was filed against him by a man over a certain 'vulgar' video that features his boss.

A day after his arrest, Chhattisgarh police lodged an FIR against him and state Congress president Bhupesh Baghel.

Verma has maintained that he possesses 'a sex CD 'of a state minister.

"I have a sex CD of Chhattisgarh Minister Rajesh Munat and that is why the state government is not happy with me," he said.

On Saturday, Chhattisgarh government handed the probe over the scandal to the CBI.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said, 'There is a substantial change in Rahul Gandhi since 2014. People like to listen to him now.' (Photo: File | PTI)

Mumbai: Without mincing words, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday the BJP his party's "principal enemy" and said it is part of the Maharashtra government "just for the sake of it".

His remarks came on the eve of the Devendra Fadnavis government's third anniversary.

Raut also praised Rahul Gandhi saying there has been a substantial change in him over the last three years.

"The BJP owns the government. We are (in the government) just for the sake of it. Instead of hitting out at the Congress and NCP, the BJP targets the Sena. They (the BJP) are thus our principal enemy," Raut told reporters in Nashik.

On Rahul Gandhi, the Rajya Sabha MP said, "A leader is one who is accepted by people. There is a substantial change in Rahul Gandhi since 2014. People like to listen to him now."

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party has begun preparations for the Lok Sabha and assembly polls of 2019 and it is ready to fight elections whether or not there is an alliance with the BJP, Raut said.

To a question on the Sena's stand on encroachment by hawkers on the Mumbai streets, Raut said Bal Thackeray, the late Sena chief, was the first to raise the issue.

"Bala-saheb was the first person to speak on this issue. Today, unless the chief minister provides police protection to corporation employees, the civic body cannot remove encroachments," he said.

Asked about former Congress leader Narayan Rane - who started his career with the Shiv Sena before a bitter parting of ways - joining the state cabinet, Raut said he had been hearing rumours of cabinet expansion for long, and he would comment on it only when it happens.

Earlier on Monday, Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had said the cabinet reshuffle will take place before the winter session of the state legislature, and Rane, who quit the Congress recently to form his own outfit, will be inducted into the cabinet.
New Delhi: With just nine days left for polling to take place in Himachal Pradesh, BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday announced that 73-year-old veteran leader Professor P.K. Dhumal will be the partys chief ministerial candidate in the hill state.

The name of Prof Dhumal, who is just two years short of the partys unofficial age bar, was announced by Mr Shah at an election rally in the state where the Virbhadra Singh-led Congress government is facing massive anti-incumbency sentiment.

A former chief minister and a Thakur, Prof Dhumal is contesting from a new Assembly constituency, Sujanpur, this time.

Sujanpur and its adjoining seats, including Kangra, Hamirpur and Mandi, have a significant Thakur population. Thakurs, who constitute about 35 per cent of the population, are the largest caste group in Himachal, followed by Dalits (25 per cent), Brahmins (15 per cent) and OBCs (12 per cent).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Rajnath Singh and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi after paying tribute to former PM Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary, in New Delhi on Tuesday. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: In a veiled attack on the Congress ahead of Gujarat polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said some parties and governments in the past have tried to run down and erase the contributions of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in unifying the country immediately after Independence.

Flagging off a run to commemorate the 142nd birth anniversary of Patel, Mr Modi said due to the statesmanship and political acumen of the countrys first home minister, India is united today despite the colonial rulers wish that it was disintegrated into smaller states after Independence.

There have been attempts to run down Patel, to ensure that the contribution of Patel is forgotten. But Sardar is Sardar, whether any government or any party recognises his contribution or not but the nation and the youth will not forget him, he said without naming any government or party. Meanwhile, the Congress said that the BJP was adopting leaders like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as its own participation in the freedom struggle was absent and accused the party of rewriting history.

The Opposition partys criticism came on a day the government marked Patels birth anniversary with fanfare.

Asked about the BJPs charge that Patel was not given Bharat Ratna till a non-Congress government came to power, Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said, This business of trying to adopt Congress leaders is a clear indication and admission by the BJP that their participation in the freedom struggle was not only missing but is totally out of context. They are now trying to adopt Congress leaders and trying to rewrite history, he said.
Ms Amrita Duhan receiving the Bhubanananda Mishra Memorial Trophy from Union home minister Rajnath Singh at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVP NPA) in Hyderabad on Monday. (Photo: P. Surendra)

Hyderabad: Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Monday assured that terrorism, extremism and communalism would be eradicated from the country in five years.

Our government has taken up a crucial decision and its results are seen in Jammu and Kashmir, the North-eastern states and states affected by Left-wing extremism. Security forces are getting success in these areas, Mr Singh said.

He said a package of Rs 25,000 crore for modernisation of police forces to fight cyber terrorism, online radicalisation and other threats had been cleared.
Chennai: The BJP took strong exception to former Union minister P. Chidambaram for allegedly supporting Kashmirs in their demand for autonomy and charged that when in power, he had not done anything for Tamil Nadu. But, as his party is not in power now, he was spreading canard about Jammu & Kashmir or elimination of black money, claimed BJP state president Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan.

When in power as finance minister, Chidambaram didn't do anything for TN but he is now spreading wrong information about Kashmir or elimination of black money, Dr Tamilisai said on Monday. Recently, pitching for greater autonomy for Jammu & Kashmir, Mr Chidambaram had said his interactions with people had led him to conclude that when Kashmiris ask for azadi, mostly, I am not saying all... the overwhelming majority... want autonomy.

Taking strong exception to Chidambaram who had also been the home minister, BJP national secretary H. Raja tweeted: PC's statement backing separatists in Kashmir is condemnable. Good that Congress has distanced itself from PC's rattlings.

According to Dr Tamilisai certain political parties misconstrued the good ties between the BJP government at the Centre and the AIADMK government in the state as interference by the Centre. But it is not so. The situation does not warrant any interference by the Centre. The state government is functioning independently. The Centre has been maintaining good ties with the states to ensure more development, Dr Tamilisai said.

Those who cannot digest the Centre's good intention have taken up a misinformation information campaign that the Centre is dominating the TN government, she said and asserted that the BJP's sole objective is TN's prosperity.
Mysuru: The debate on who should become CM if the Congress party returns to power after the 2018 Assembly polls, has resurfaced with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah unequivocally stating in Mysuru that people of the state aspire for a Siddaramaiah-led government again.

This statement assumes significance as KPCC president Dr G. Parameshwar, an aspirant for CM post, had said a couple of days ago that the question of who should become CM will be decided after the Congress wins the polls. Dr Parameshwar was an aspirant for the CM post in 2013 but lost out after he was defeated in the election.

Speaking to mediapersons near his house at Sharadadevi Nagar here on Monday, Mr Siddaramaiah said, leaders of BJP and JD(S) have begun to fear me because, they are worried that people have become pro-Siddaramaiah.

On PM Modis statement that people of the state will not tolerate the Congress for six more months, he quipped, it was because people tolerated the Congress that they elected our candidate in the Nanjangud bypoll. Modi is scared of me. So he targets me whenever he comes here. BJP leaders too are scared of me. If I am weak, why would they target me all the time? Why would all leaders from opposition parties unite to defeat me in Chamundeswari?

He added, If BJPs mission is to get 150 seats, our mission is to come back to power. ...There is no other party in the nation like BJP, which engages in dirty politics. Their leaders have a perverted mindset. Without any reason, they make allegations. They do not know anything other than lying. Their leader Muralidhar Rao has come here from Andhra to make allegations against Siddaramaiah, he said.

Regarding rumours of Mr P.G.R. Sindhia contesting from Varuna on a JD(S) ticket, he said, it is totally false. He has no connection with Varuna. Mr Deve Gowda and Mr Kumaraswamy have just invited him and spoken to him. He has not made his stance clear. If he contests, he would do so from Kanakapura or Ramanagar. Even if he contests in Varuna, nothing will happen.

Reacting to former minister C.P. Yogeshwar quitting the Congress and his reported moves to join BJP, Mr Siddaramaiah said, he is a businessman. He was not in the Congress earlier. He had requested me that he wanted to join the Congress and I agreed. He was in several parties before that. He is a marketing man. I do not want to answer questions on him.
We can take the boy out of the country. The challenge is to take the country out of the boy. Through all the decades since school and college, I have lived with a silent difference of opinion with classmates who thought much of the institutions where we studied. La Martiniare College in Lucknow was built by Claude Martin and Aligarh Muslim University was set up by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. I trusted neither, but I was lucky to have great teachers on both occasions. The reason for my aloofness was my early unease with the fact that that I was in Hodson House in La Martiniare College, Lucknow. The house was named after an unspeakably callous British captain who had gouged out the eyes of the grandchildren of Indias last Mughal emperor and murdered them at Delhis Khooni Darwaza (bloody gate) now located near the Indian Express office. There was a Cornwallis House named after the man who was thrashed in the battle of Yorktown by the Americans. His British godfathers, however, elevated him as governor general of India.

My schools founder Claude Martin had built the cannon that Lord Cornwallis used to slay Tipu Sultan with, not without the help of Maratha troops and soldiers of the Nizam. This aspect of Maratha valour is seldom discussed in school books, how they helped the British and the Nizam take down Tipu. Martin was himself a French mercenary who defected to the British side after Clive overwhelmed Dupleix in southern India, not militarily, but by a diplomatic subterfuge in Europe whereby the British and the French joined hands in a treaty to redistribute the spoils of colonialism. It was the 200th birth anniversary of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan on October 17 and there were the familiar eulogies at seminars and symposiums. Some Indians or Pakistanis like him, a few adulate him, and most ignore him. Partly, Allama Iqbals towering presence as a liberating Muslim icon crowds out the older Sir Syed. I am grateful to Sir Syed for setting up the Aligarh University where I got to study history with Irfan Habib and Shakespeare with Zahida Zaidi. Habib had the hard task of fighting Hindu and Muslim communalists who stalked the campus or preyed on it from outside.

Masood Alam Falahi has worked closely on the Urdu sources of the period to throw light on Sir Syeds worldview. In an address to the second convention of the Muhamma-dan Educational Conference in Lucknow in 1887, Syed Ahmad claimed that lowly [adna] families were not useful [mufid] for the country or for the government. In contrast, the nobles (rais) of high-status [ala] families were loyal to the British and so are useful to the country and the government. He referred to Pathans, Syeds, Hashmis and Quraishis as his own brothers [hamarey bhai], from whose blood ... the smell of the blood of Abraham emanates. He shared their hope that they would be employed in top posts in the British Army. He assured them that this would happen soon, but for this, he added, they would have to win the favour of the British.

Sir Syed was not unique in his avowed casteism but merely following a tradition of elitist Hindu-Muslim bonhomie to the exclusion of Hindu-Muslim hoi polloi. In this sense, Begum Hazrat Mahal, the valiant warrior of 1857, may have set the example for Sir Syeds prejudices though he disagreed with her role in fighting the British. Everyone follows his own religion [in my domain], Hazrat Mahal wrote in a pamphlet she circulated from exile. Everyone enjoys respect according to their worth and status. Men of high extraction... retain the respectability according to their respective ranks. And all persons of a lower order such as a sweeper, chamar, dhanook, or pasi cant claim equality. I am not surprised that Begum Hazrat Mahal lost the battle against British colonialism. As for Sir Syed and Claude Martin, they represented colonialisms positive moments but only in the interest of colonialism. There is much for the boy to learn still.

By arrangement with the Dawn
Donald Trumps presidency can said to have entered uncharted waters with the US special counsel Robert F. Mueller III, a former FBI director, indicting three aides of the Trump campaign committee, including chairman Paul Manafort, which oversaw his election against Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016. The broad charge against all three, with specifics varying in each case, is collusion with the Russian government or its intermediaries to obtain damaging information against Ms Clinton, which the Russians appeared to have after hacking the emails of the Democratic campaign headquarters.

While Mr Manafort and Rick Gates have pleaded not guilty, George Papadopoulos, the so-called foreign policy adviser of the Trump campaign, has entered a guilty plea. This acceptance of guilt may be the most serious factor in raising suspicions about the active collaboration of Mr Trumps campaign associates with Moscow, specially when seen in light of the Presidents son also meeting Russian contacts. Whether this collaboration, most evident in the case of Mr Papadopoulos, also extends to engaging in conspiracy with the Russians is yet to be established.

How deep is the trouble President Trump is in as a result of these developments? It is hard to judge. but his reputation has taken a bad knock. Matters may only get worse if he dismisses the special counsel or uses his executive powers to pardon Mr Manafort, as some speculate. At any rate, the indictments are just the beginning of what might turn out a long chapter of subsequent disclosures. Its too early  yet  to speak of impeachment. That also depends on how the US political system reacts.
Allergy of the body, obsession of the mind, the BJPs fixation, even overriding pet hobby horse, for black money is indeed gratifying for various numbers have been given to peg the size of Indias parallel economy at astronomical levels. Armed with slings, arrows and what have you, the Narendra Modi government has tried to bring everything to bear  from tyrannical taxmen virtually in jackboots to mass appeals which infatuate the proletarian bottom of Indias pyramid as its unending quest searches the deep recesses of the abyss for black stash. Suckling at the power teat, the BJPs much-fangled strategy to unearth large tranches of cash has proved a failure. Not once, not twice, but three times in four years. Instead what it has got is  through a massive data-mining exercise  to trail ultimate beneficiaries of a large swathe of dubious shell companies and an army of tax-evading legionnaires. Using data analytics and artificial intelligence, the information gathered is being used to take action against errant offenders, leading to tax terror and inspector raj. The vagaries of DeMo may have turned all of us into hapless hostages for those 52 days, but the dividend is being reaped by investigating agencies in terms of collating information. So, why have tax amnesty schemes launched by the BJP in rapid succession failed despite all the hype and hoopla attached to them? Amnesty schemes are morally corrosive. There is absolutely no dispute on this basic premise simply because they provide an unfair advantage post facto to people who dodge the bullet on taxes. And this is gun barrel straight, no questions asked. Hapless taxpayers would argue that they do the right thing by paying their taxes and despite the stiff penalty, an amnesty scheme allows ingenious tax-dodgers to get away with blue murder. But this is only a part of the argument against an amnesty scheme, the other more compelling reason is that more often than not it is a failure in India given the humongous size of the parallel economy. Like the black cash overseas stash amnesty scheme which ended at midnight on September 30, 2015. It garnered a paltry Rs 3,770 crore declared by 638 individuals and entities. A 90-day window, which opened on July 1 with draconian penal provisions, was pretty much laughed away by black money hoarders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his second Independence Day speech had said Rs 6,500 crores of undisclosed income had already come through the compliance window then. The window had started on July 1, and by August 15, it was only halfway through. Under the scheme, those coming forward had to pay a total of 60 per cent tax, which included 30 per cent penalty. The tax and penalty on the income declared under the window was to be paid by December 31. The harsh penal provisions for those not declaring black money and other assets overseas included a 10-year jail term, and even that did not scare the hoarders. A penalty of 120 per cent and a jail term extending up to 10 years under the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act 2015 hardly acted as a catalyst. The government had egg on its face. It stood to reason that after such a fiasco, one should have rolled down the shutters. Instead committed to ambition, the government attempted an even bigger aspiration  Income Declaration Scheme 2016. A total disclosure of Rs 65,250 crores of unaccounted wealth in the form of cash and other assets was launched between June and September 2016. Under the scheme, people had to pay 45 per cent of their undisclosed wealth as tax  30 per cent tax plus a penalty of 7.5 per cent and a similar 7.5 per cent surcharge  but didnt have to pay the levy upfront or put money for a lock-in period. After the closure of the Income Declaration Scheme (IDS) in September, finance minister Arun Jaitley said a total 64,275 declarations were filed online. But these numbers did not add up and many of the claims emerged as dubious and fraudulent, including the big fat one which stated that Rs 10,000 crores had come in from a single evader. Then came DeMo, which led to anarchic scenes and demand destruction just when the economy appeared to be rebounding last November. Almost in parallel, another attempt was made through the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY)  the governments second income disclosure scheme, which was pathetic, availed only by 24,000 people.

The scheme, which was operational between December 17, 2016 and March 31, had given a fresh window to black money-hoarders to come clean. The total tax amount from the scheme was about Rs 6,000-8,000 crores. The scheme was never kosher for a high level of tax and penalty fixed on the disclosures was one of the key reasons for the scheme not attracting many people. Again draconian sub-text meant no takers  those availing the scheme had to pay 30 per cent tax on the undisclosed income, a penalty of 10 per cent and a surcharge of 33 per cent on the tax paid, which amounts to roughly 50 per cent. Another 25 per cent of the amount was to be deposited in a bank for four years without interest. Many shied away from availing the scheme due to stringent clauses and taxes. Laughable. For the very first overseas amnesty scheme, government policy mavens created such a flawed narrative that everyone ran away. Even the governments assurance, that information would be kept confidential in terms of Section 138 of the I-T Act, did not see people coming forward. In panic, on September 28, just two days before the compliance window was to shut, a CBDT clarification also did not help. The clarification stated that those declaring illegal overseas assets would not face any penalty or prosecution under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and four other laws  Income-Tax Act, Wealth Tax Act, Companies Act and Customs Act.

Against this, more or less around the same time as our IDS 1, Indonesia rolled out its domestic and overseas tax amnesty scheme. A resounding success  Indonesia introduced its tax amnesty scheme and provided a window between July 1, 2016 and March 31, 2017 for all residents and expatriates to report their undeclared wealth. Reports from Jakarta suggested that $342 billion was declared. President Joko Widodo had launched a massive tax amnesty campaign to repatriate hidden assets. Declare assets and take advantage of a discounted tax rate  as little as two per cent compared with 25 per cent  and, in turn, be part of Indonesias future, was the clarion call. Revenue from the nine-month amnesty, continuing through March, promised to build railway networks, ports and airports in a country whose prospects, politically and economically, have been on the ascent, the differentiator being the discounted tax rate and no penal provisions. In Argentina, declarations are estimated to touch $80 billion. In both the countries, the tax charged on disclosed incomes was ridiculously low and there was guarantee of no further penalty. Overzealousness remains the bane of our policy architects and tax terrorists who seek compliance at any cost. Hounding people has been perfected into a fine art form. If the road chosen is amnesty, then at least get it right by not making it difficult for the evader and offender. By rightly putting the squeeze on him, use the nomenclature of amnesty in its right spirit. And use the proceeds to beef up your infrastructure deficit. We chose to call it IDS. And all fall down.
The Gaza Team Cybergang has been attacking government embassies, diplomats and politicians as well as oil and gas organizations and the media in the MENA region on a continuous basis since at least 2012, with new malware samples detected regularly.

Kaspersky Lab experts are registering important changes in the operations of the infamous Gaza Team Cybergang, which is actively targeting multiple commercial and government organizations in the Middle East and Africa (MENA) region. While the group has been active in the threat landscape for several years, it has upgraded its arsenal in 2017 with new malicious tools.

The Gaza Team Cybergang has been attacking government embassies, diplomats and politicians as well as oil and gas organizations and the media in the MENA region on a continuous basis since at least 2012, with new malware samples detected regularly.

In 2015, Kaspersky Lab researchers reported on the gangs activity after seeing a significant shift in its malicious operations. On this occasion, the attackers were spotted targeting IT and incident response personnel in an attempt to gain access to legitimate security assessment tools and significantly decrease visibility of their activity in the attacked networks. In 2017, Kaspersky Lab researchers have captured another surge of Gaza Cybergang activity.

The target profile and geography remain unchanged in these new attacks, but the scale of Gaza Teams operations has expanded. The actor has been spotted seeking out any type of intelligence across the MENA region, which was not previously the case.

What is more important: the attack tools have become more sophisticated  with the group developing topical,geopolitical spearphishing documents that are used to deliver malware to targets, and using exploits to a relatively recent vulnerability, CVE 2017-0199 in Microsoft Access, and potentially even Android spyware.

The intruders perform their malicious activities by sending emails containing various RATs (Remote Access Trojans) in fake office documents, or URLs to a malicious page. When these are executed, the victim is infected with malware that subsequently enables the attackers to collect files, keystrokes and screenshots from the victim's devices. If the victim detects the initially downloaded malware, the downloader tries to install other files on the victims device in an attempt to bypass detection.

Further, Kaspersky Lab investigation suggests the potential use of mobile malware by the hacking group: some of the file names found during the analysis of Gaza Team activity look to beAndroid Trojan-related. These upgrades in attack techniques have allowed Gaza Team to bypass security solutions and manipulate the victims system for prolonged periods.

In order to prevent falling victim to such an attack, Kaspersky Lab researchers recommend implementing the following measures:

 Train staff to be able to distinguish spearphishing emails or a phishing link from legitimate emails and links;

 Use a proven corporate-grade endpoint security solution In combination with specialized protection against advanced threats, such as Kaspersky Anti Targeted Attack platform, which is capable of catching attacks by analyzing network anomalies;

 Provide security staff with access to the latest threat intelligence data, which will arm them with helpful tools for targeted attacks research and prevention, such as Indicators of compromise (IOC) and YARA.

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Fritzshall is one of 13 Holocaust survivors who tell their stories through holographic images that invite the audience to ask questions, creating what feels like a live conversation. (Photo credit: AP)

Fritzie Fritzshall knows she is running out of time. She knows the day will come when she wont be here to describe being herded onto a boxcar, hearing the cries that turned to whimpers that turned to the silence that signalled another death. And she wont be able to tell of the doors opening to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, where an old prisoner, as he unloaded the dead, whispered to her in Yiddish to lie to the guards about her age. That lie kept her out of a line to the gas chambers.

Preserving her story is why shes on stage, or at least a three-dimensional likeness of her is on stage, at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Centre in Skokie, just outside Chicago. Fritzshall is one of 13 Holocaust survivors who tell their stories through holographic images that invite the audience to ask questions, creating what feels like a live conversation.

The interactive display is the latest version of an exhibit thats been shown at a handful of sites including New Yorks Museum of Jewish Heritage and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC but those exhibits were two-dimensional, with survivors appearing as they would on a movie or television screen. The exhibit in Skokie marks the first time that the voice-recognition technology powering conversations with audiences has been married to 3-D holographic technology to tell survivors stories.

We are the first in the world to have this and show it like this, said museum CEO Susan Abrams. We will be working with the Shoah Foundation to license this globally so that it can be seen by as many people as possible.

The holographic theatre is part of the Skokie museums new Take a Stand Centre. Its the result of a three-year, $5 million project using New Dimensions Testimony technology developed by the Shoah Foundation. The foundation, based at the University of Southern California, grew out of an effort by Hollywood director Steven Spielberg to preserve as many survivors stories as possible.

For her part, Fritzshall spent a week in Los Angeles in a studio, one of three in the world like it, surrounded by a 3-D camera system. She answered some 2,000 questions about a life that was shattered one night in Czechoslovakia when German soldiers pounded on the door and told her family at gunpoint they had 15 minutes to pack and leave.

On stage, Fritzshalls holographic image nods tilt her head and appears to listen as someone in the auditorium asks a question. Stumping her is next to impossible, thanks to technology that turned her responses to those 2,000 questions into 30,000 answers, Abrams said. Fritzshall not only provided horrific details about her two years in Auschwitz but if a child asks about her favourite colour or food, the hologram can answer those too. She has even sung a song. But mostly, what audiences see is a woman going back in time.

When I am sitting in that chair I am back on the train, I am afraid, Fritzshall said in an interview. I see the women holding infants, dead infants ... Im watching the entire scene at Auschwitz. Im watching my brothers leave me, Im hungry and cold and I see the trains coming in day in and day out.

In the exhibit, she describes being herded into a Jewish ghetto and from behind a fence, seeing neighbours she thought were her friends ridiculing her. To this day she does not understand how people who were friends one day could turn on her family the next. She recalls arriving at Auschwitz with two younger brothers who disappeared forever. She speaks of the confusion of the separation, where prisoners were ordered into this line and that line, and the moment she told her mother she was in the wrong line, not knowing she was sending her mother to her death.

I didnt know, she whispers in the auditorium, a tiny echo of what her holographic image is saying on stage, both of them sounding like the 13-year-old girl she was on that day more than 70 years ago. I have carried this for all these many years the guilt of my mother, that maybe she would have lived had I not sent her into that line, she says after leaving the auditorium.

At Auschwitz, she says, women who were slowly starving to death pressed a tiny piece of the sliver of bread they received each day into her hand, in exchange for a promise that if she lived, she would tell others what had happened.

I am leaving this behind for people five years from now, 10 years from now, 50 years from now ... so that the world can remember what happened to us, so it cannot ever happen to anyone else, she said.

She and others at the museum say preserving these stories is especially important in the current US political climate when emboldened hate groups are taking to the streets wearing swastikas and shouting Nazi slogans, as they did in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August. Charlottesville totally brought that fear back into me, said Fritzshall. I see that and I think what happened to me can happen to your children, your grandchildren if I dont speak out.

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The transgender service members sued in August to try to block the ban. (Photo: AP)

Washington: A federal judge in Washington on Monday blocked President Donald Trump from banning transgender people from serving in the US military, handing a victory to transgender service members who accused the president of violating their constitutional rights.

Trump announced in July that he would ban transgender people from the military in a move that would reverse Democratic former President Barack Obamas policy of accepting them and halt years of efforts to eliminate barriers to military service based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

The transgender service members sued in August to try to block the ban, which had not yet gone into effect, and US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly granted them an injunction halting enforcement of it until their case is resolved.

The service members asserted that Trumps policy violated their rights to due process and equal protection under the law under the US Constitution. Kollar-Kotelly said the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in their claim that the ban was unconstitutional because the administrations reasons for it do not appear to be supported by any facts.

After his policy announcement on Twitter, Trump signed a memorandum in August that directed the military not to accept transgender people as recruits and halted the use of government funds for sex-reassignment surgeries for active-duty personnel unless the process was already underway.

The memo called on Defense Secretary James Mattis to submit a plan to Trump by Feb. 21 on how to implement the changes, and the Pentagon has created a panel of senior officials for that purpose. In the meantime, the current policy of allowing transgender people to serve remains in force.

Mattis in June already had delayed allowing transgender recruits to join the US armed forces on July 1 as previously scheduled.

The judge tossed out the suits challenge to the sex-reassignment surgery directive, saying none of the plaintiffs had shown they would be impacted by that prohibition.

Hugely important

This is a hugely important decision and confirms that transgender people can and should be able to serve in the military if they are qualified to do so, said the plaintiffs lead attorney, Jennifer Levi.

The court saw through the smoke screens that the government tried to throw up to hide what is actually going on here, which is straight-on bias and prejudice against transgender people, added Levi, director of the transgender rights project for the anti-discrimination group GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders.

The Justice Department said it was disappointed in the ruling and evaluating its next steps. Spokeswoman Lauren Ehrsam said the suit was premature because the Defense Department is actively reviewing such service requirements, as the president ordered, and because none of the plaintiffs have established that they will be impacted by current policies on military service.

Trumps action appealed to his hard-line conservative supporters. The president in February also rescinded protections put in place under Obama for transgender public school students.

The judges action marked the latest legal setback suffered by Trump on policies he has pursued as president. Courts also have blocked Trumps latest version of a travel ban on people from several Muslim-majority countries, and dealt him setbacks on policies on so-called sanctuary cities and environmental rules.

The service members who sued Trump, Secretary of Defense James Mattis and military leaders in August had been serving openly as transgender people in the US Army, Air Force and Coast Guard. They said Trumps ban discriminated against them based on their sex and transgender status.

They also said they relied on the 2016 policy put in place by Obama to reveal they are transgender and called Trumps reversal unfair, arbitrary and a violation of their privacy rights.

The Trump administration argued that transgender people might harm military unit cohesion and that they suffer medical conditions that could limit their ability to perform duties or deploy.

The judge said the military previously commissioned a study that debunked concerns about unit cohesion, military readiness, or healthcare costs related to transgender troops. That report estimated there were 2,450 active-duty service members and 1,510 in the military reserves.

In short, the military concerns purportedly underlying the presidents decision had been studied and rejected by the military itself, Kollar-Kotelly wrote.

Other suits also have been filed against Trumps ban.
China will continue to attach great importance to cross-border river cooperation, Hua Chunying said. (Photo: PTI)

Beijing: China, on Tuesday, rejected as "false anduntrue" a media report that it was planning to build a 1,000-km long tunnel to divert water from the Brahmaputra river in Tibet close to Arunachal Pradesh to the parched Xinjiang region.

Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post on Monday, said that Chinese engineers were testing techniques that could be used to build the tunnel, the world's longest.

"This is untrue. This is a false report," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing when asked about the report.

China will continue to attach great importance to cross-border river cooperation, she said.

According to the report, the proposed tunnel, which would drop down from the world's highest plateau in multiple sections connected by waterfalls, would provide water in China's largest administrative division, comprising vast swathes of deserts and dry grasslands.

The water would be diverted from the Yarlung Tsangpo River in southern Tibet, which turns into the river Brahmaputra once it enters India, to the Taklamakan desert in Xinjiang, the report had said.

India as riparian state has already flagged its concerns to China about various dams being built by it on the Brahmaputra river, which is known in China as Yarlung Tsangpo.

Beijing has been assuring India and Bangladesh that its dams were not designed to storing water.
In the light of the recent controversial remarks made by a BJP legislator in Uttar Pradesh -- calling the Taj Mahal a blot on Indian culture and terming Mughal rulers traitors, demanding that their names be removed from the pages of history  one must understand that history cannot be written as per the whims and fancies of a few politicians.







History is a record of past events through the ages, based on archaeological and literary sources, chronologically arranged by a historian pursuing a methodology that comprises collection of data, critical examination, synthesis and, finally, exposition. Discovery, collection and interpretation of evidences are great challenges the historians face, particularly in writing Indian history due to its multi-dimensional and multi-ethnic aspects.



In tracing Indias history through the ages to the present era, the time-line is categorised into ancient, medieval, modern and contemporary periods. While ancient Indian history pertains to the Vedic and Epic ages and the splendid political ideas and institutions initiated by great dynasties, starting with the Mauryas, the medieval epoch begins in the 12th century, with Muslim invasions into India.



Those invasions began with Mahmud of Ghazni, who launched repeated expeditions into India from Afghanistan, but it was Muhammad of Ghor, who firmly planted Muslim rule in India after he defeated Prithiviraj Chauhan in the second Battle of Tarain in 1192, leading to the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate and eventually the Mughal dynasty, which lasted right up to the time the British gained mastery of India.



If this entire period of Muslim kings and emperors is deleted from our history, wouldnt it leave a huge void between the 12th century and the advent of the Europeans in the 15th century? Even the British ravaged India for nearly 200 years. The Indian economy bore the brunt of the British quest for supremacy as Dadabhai Naoroji recorded in his book Poverty and UnBritish Rule in India, in which he first proposed the Drain theory, tracking the flow of wealth from India to England in different forms.



If British Imperialism continues to be an important chapter in modern Indian history, why and how can the period of Muslim rule over India be simply expunged from our history books?



Among the Mughals, Akbar was a benevolent monarch who tried to establish unity amongst different faiths and founded his own version of a universal religion, Din-Ilahi, for this purpose. History also recognises the autocratic rule of Aurangzeb, who had subjugated his subjects, particularly the non-Muslims.



Similarly, while the policies of a few British governors, like William Bentick, in the domain of social reform, and Charles Woods Despatch in the educational sphere helped push India onto the progressive path, Lord Curzons repressive measure of Partition of Bengal (1905) sowed the seeds of communal venom, paving the way for discord between the Hindu and Muslim communities.



Therefore, whether it was the Muslim rulers or the British colonialists, both had their own effects on the course of Indian history. Both came as foreign invaders, exploited Indian wealth but, in the course, have also influenced Indian culture deeply and became a part of it. Its impossible to simply wish this truth away.



Rich legacy



As we scroll back the pages of history, a rich heritage of ancient India and her incredible legacy unravels, in various facets of life  Yoga, Ayurveda are unique gifts to the physical and mental health of man, as also the great works of Charaka and Sushrutha in medicine, or Aryabhatta in Mathematics and Astronomy; the universities of Nalanda and Takshashila, which attracted a number of foreigners, testified to the spiritual and intellectual triumph of the India of those times. Sanskrit, which had become the lingua-franca of the time, influenced the development of many regional languages.



During the medieval age, the Persian language became important under Muslim rule and, finally, under the British, English became the prime language and continues to thrive to this day. Through all this, a composite culture has evolved. The historical monuments that belong to distinct past ages are wonderful specimens of artistic excellence. Taj Mahal is one of them. Despite a few administrators being despotic, Indians through the ages have always developed a spirit of tolerance.



Let not todays political leaders belittle that spirit and inject communal venom into society. By intruding into the domain of historical facts through their irrational statements, they are only seeking to escalate needless controversies and create havoc.



Our constitution, the present socio-economic conditions, and the effects of globalisation have minimised our religious and caste differences to an extent. Indians (Hindus) believe in the concept of Sarve janaha sukhino bavanthu, meaning, let all people be happy. Let us take pride in our belief system and uphold the glory of the nation.



(The writer is Lecturer, Department of History, St Clarets Pre-University College)
Under fire from Congress over induction of former Union telecommunication minister Sukh Ram's son Anil Sharma in the party, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi has said cases against Sukh Ram was too old.



"Jo beet Gayi wo baat gayi (let bygones be bygones). The law would take its own course," he said yesterday.

Anil Sharma who was a Cabinet minister in the Virbhadra Government till recently joined the BJP on October 15 and is now official candidate of the party from Mandi Sadar Assembly constituency.

The Mandi seat was represented by Sukh Ram from 1962 till November 1984, when he was elected to Lok Sabha and his protege D D Thakur won the seat in 1985 while the BJP wrested the seat in 1990.

In the 1993 Assembly poll, his son Anil Sharma won from Mandi but after Sukh Ram's name surfaced in the Telecom scam, he was expelled from the Congress and formed Himachal Vikas Congress which entered into a post poll alliance with BJP and joined the government.

Trivedi yesterday claimed that the people of Himachal Pradesh would vote for change in attitude, system and ideologies and elect a fearless and corruption-free government in the state.

"Corruption is the character of the Congress and each time that party is voted to power there is a rat race among the Congressmen to indulge in corruption," he said.

About the the BJP's Chief Ministerial face for the Assembly polls, Trivedi said not declaring the CM candidate is a part of the BJP's strategy, but experienced and competent leader would be the selected for the post if the party wins the polls.
The Chinese envoy to the US today said that no one could "contain" China now, expressing his displeasure over the formation of an "exclusive club" in the Indo-Pacific region.



Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai was responding to questions on the recent India-centric policy speech by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the decision of the Trump administration to sell to India high-tech military equipment, including state-of-the-art armed drones, and the Japanese proposal of a strategic quadrilateral dialogue involving India and Australia.

"I don't think that the sales of advanced arms would really serve that purpose," Cui said.

Political analysts in the west have described the sale of arms to India as a US move to contain China.

"By the way I don't think anybody would be able to contain China," the Chinese Ambassador asserted in his rare press conference at the Embassy of China here.

The top diplomat was addressing media ahead of US President Donald Trump's visit to China early next month.

Trump is scheduled to embark on a 10-day visit to China. He would also visit Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Cui said China is "open to cooperation among the regional countries" for stability and prosperity.

The relationship between China and India "have been developing quite steadily over the years".

Chinese President Xi Jinping, he said, has always said that Pacific Ocean is large enough to accommodate that development both of China and the US, and the Asia-Pacific region is big enough to accommodate the development of China, India and Japan.

"In this regard I hope all parties will do things conducive to better relations, better mutual trust," he said.

Without mentioning the recent stand-off between India and China, Cui said he does not think that "confrontation" is in the interest of either of the two countries.

"I'm quite confident that both countries have a clear recognition of what will serve their respective interests best," he said, responding to a question on India and the move to have a strategic dialogue involving four countries India, Japan, US and Australia.

Any relationship between any two countries in the region, between any regional country and another country outside of the region should not be a zero sum game, he said when asked about the strengthening of India US relationship, which many say is aimed at China.

"Good relations between China and the US is not at the expense of any other country. The same should be true for relations between US and India and Japan and India," he said.

It is not in the interest of these countries if their aim is to sort of "contain" China, the top Chinese diplomat said.

Cui said all the regional countries in the Indo-Pacific have shared interests in greater stability, peace and better prospects for prosperity.

In order to achieve that regional countries have to work together and have to promote closer cooperation among them and maybe establish appropriate regional mechanisms, he said.

As such, China is open to cooperation with all its neighbours so that Asia-Pacific will continue to be a peaceful, stable and prosperous region.

"We are following developments in the region very closely and hopefully other countries will have the same approach as we have," he said, responding to a question on quadrilateral dialogue between India, Japan, US and Australia.

Cui said he does not think that "any attempt to form exclusive clubs in the region following a so-called zero sum approach will help anybody".
One of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's great contributions was the creation of the Indian Administrative Service, which was once a 'mission' but had now become a 'commission' for some, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said today.



Many contributions and teachings of Patel have been ignored and remain unrecognized, Naidu said at an event to commemorate the 142nd birth anniversary of India's first home minister at the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library here.

The day is being celebrated as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas.

"His vision for a unified India also saw the creation of the All India Administrative Service which he described as a steel frame. It was one of the great contributions he made to the country," the vice president said.

Patel's exhortations to probationers to maintain "utmost impartiality and incorruptibility in administration" were as relevant today as they were then, Naidu said.

"Earlier it was a mission, now some people have turned it into a commission giving remission and committing many omissions."

Naidu, who also inaugurated a two-day national conference and an exhibition on 'Making of a Gandhian Nationalist: Life and Times of Sardar Patel', said agriculture had been completely ignored post-independence, contrary to Patels belief that it was the "basic culture of India".

Agriculture and industry were like our eyes, both needing equal care, but the former had been treated unjustly, the vice president said.

Food security is an important aspect in India, with a population of 130 crores, and agriculture cannot be ignored, he said.

"People are leaving agriculture... a doctor wants his son to be a doctor, a teacher wants his son to be a teacher, a businessman wants his son to be a businessman, an actor wants his son to be an actor, even when the face is not good enough, and then thrusting them upon us, but a farmer does not want his son to be a farmer. This is because agriculture is not remunerative," he said.

In a bid to rectify the situation, the Modi government was focusing on agriculture. "... by 2022, the aim of the government is to double the income of agriculturists."

Naidu also rued the fact that there had been no proper recognition of Patel's monumental contribution and his legacy in unifying the country at its most critical juncture.

He asked the young to read and follow Patel's life story and understand his contribution in building a modern, unified India.

Patel led a down to earth life and knew each and every problem of the country. He had clarity and was committed to unity, Naidu said.

"He needs to be remembered by every Indian as the country marches ahead as one of the largest economies in the world... His thoughts combined with parts of Mahatma Gandhis are eternal to India," he said.
A six-year-old boy suffered serious burn injuries after he fell into a pot of hot vegetable curry while standing in a queue for the midday meal in a primary school here, the police said on Tuesday.



Shivam, a class 1 student, was standing in the queue for the midday meal in a primary school in Hemriya Kutti gram panchayat area on Monday when he stumbled and fell into the pot, they said.

The boy's father, in his complaint to the police, alleged that the school staff neither rushed Shivam to a hospital nor informed his family about the incident.

Shivam's father claimed that upon returning home, the boy fell unconscious and was rushed to a hospital where he is undergoing treatment, the police said.

On the basis of the complaint, a case has been registered against the cook and teachers of the school, and a probe is on, they said.

Basic Shiksha Adhikari Amarkant Singh said three teachers, including a lady teacher, have been suspended after preliminary inquiry and action has been initiated against the cook.
China has deemed talk of building a media report claiming that the country plans to build a 1000-km long tunnel to divert water from the Bhramaputra to the Xinjiang region as 'false and untrue'.



The report, published by the South China Morning Post, claimed that Chinese engineers are testing techniques to build a 1000-km long diversion in the Brahmaputra's waters to divert it to the parched Xinjiang region.



It said that the Yunnan tunnel would be a rehearsal of the new technology, engineering methods and equipment needed for the Tibet-Xinjiang tunnel, which would divert the Yarlung Tsangpo River in southern Tibet to the Taklimakan Desert in Xinjiang. Downstream, in India, the river becomes the Brahmaputra, which joins the Ganges in Bangladesh.



During a media briefing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunyung officially denied the claims, saying: "This is untrue. This is a false report", adding that China will continue to attach great importance to cross-border river cooperation.



India has already flagged concerns about China building dams on the Brahmaputra, which the country has played down.
An IPS officer trainee was caught red-handed using a cellphone and a Bluetooth speaker to cheat his way through the ongoing UPSC mains exam in Chennai.



According to a report by the Times of India, Safeer Karim, an assistant superintendent of police, currently on probation in Nanguneri subdivision of Tirunelveli of Tamil Nadu, was attending the UPSC mains exam being held at the Presidency Girls Higher Secondary School For Girls, Egmore. During the frisking, he handed his wallet and phone, which he claimed to have forgotten to remove, to the security officers, allowing him to conceal the phone he used for cheating in his socks.



During the exam, his wife, Joicy N Zia, helped him out by dictating the answers from Hyderabad, which he noted onto the answer scripts.



However, he did not realise that the IB, which was already suspecting him of cheating in past exams, was tailing both him and his wife, and was caught by a team of 4 officers who followed him to the exam hall.



Safeer and his wife have been detained by the police pending further investigation.
Congress leaders across the country will seek Prime Minister Narendra Modi's resignation on November 8 for "destroying" the economy with demonetisation and "faulty" implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).



The party on Monday decided to observe November 8, the first anniversary of demonetisation, as a Black Day with countrywide protests with the theme 'Bhugat Raha hai desh' (the country is suffering) and said it will not rest till "inherent flaws" in the GST were resolved.

Congress leaders will hit the streets in district and state headquarters to "mourn the death" of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes with various catchy slogans.

'Note nahin, PM Badlo (Change PM, not notes), Ek hi Bhool, Kamal ka phool (Only mistake, voting for the lotus), 'Modi-Made Disaster Maafi Maango, Istifa Do' were some of the slogans shortlisted for the protests.

'Kisan, Grihani, Mazdoor Vyapari, sab hue notebandi se laachar, Nahi Chahiye ab Modi Sarkar (Farmers, housewives, workers and traders, note ban has made them helpless, We don't want Modi government)', was another slogan discussed at the meeting of senior leaders convened by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday.

Rahul had already termed demonetisation and GST as Modi-made disasters that had dealt twin blows to the economy.
A teenage girl was injured after Pakistani Army fired from small arms along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.



"The Pakistan army resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing on Indian Army posts at Karmara sector along the LoC in Poonch district, injuring a 13-year-old girl," an official said.

She was shifted to a hospital, he said and added that the Indian army retaliated effectively and strongly.

It was a fresh border firing between the two countries after a lull following weeks of heavy exchange of fire on the LoC and the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir earlier this month.

There has been a sharp rise in the ceasefire violations by Pakistan this year with 600 violations reported till the start of this month. Nine civilians and 16 security personnel were killed in these incidents. The number of violations was significantly less at 228 for the entire 2016, according to the army figures.

A senior army officer said they expect the ceasefire violations to continue as Pakistan has been relentlessly trying to push heavily armed militants into India.

"However, well aware of the new strategy of Pakistan we have strengthened anti-infiltration grid. Whenever the militants try to infiltrate, they would be either killed or forced to retreat," he added.

Due to the rising tensions, the cross-LoC bus and trade services between Poonch-Rawlakote route has been suspended since July 10 this year. Poonch residents engaged in barter trade between the two sides have claimed that they suffered an estimated loss of Rs 63 crore following the trade suspension.
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Tuesday hit out at the compulsory Aadhaar, saying it was a threat to country's "national security". The Rajya Sabha MP tweeted that he would soon write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hoped that the Supreme Court will "strike it down".



A day ago, the Supreme Court had said that a Constitution bench will start hearing from November last week a batch of petitions challenging the Modi governments move to make Aadhaar card mandatory for availing several services and benefits of welfare schemes. About 50 schemes have so far been linked with Aadhaar, with the government now making it compulsory to seed it with bank accounts and mobile phone numbers.



Swamy has been constantly demanding that Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) promoted Aadhaar numbering scheme should be scrapped. He had questioned the use of software prepared by foreign companies for biometric identification of Indians ever since it was conceived during the previous Congress-led UPA regime. Swamy earlier had also publicly expressed his surprise over BJP changing its stand, from opposing to coming in support of Aadhaar after coming to power in 2014.



In the past, he had stated that a study conducted by IIM Ahmedabad had found the Aadhaar the most useless scheme and the Standing Committee of Parliament on Finance too had concurred with the view.
Karnataka on Tuesday launched an app-based farmer crop survey to collect authentic information on crops being grown on more than two crore landholdings in the state.



"This is India's first such GPS-enabled app-based crop survey," Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said, after launching the app.

The crop survey app will allow farmers themselves to upload details of the crops they are growing. "There are 2.7 crore landholdings in Karnataka and the Revenue department was tasked with collecting details of crops being grown. However, the collection of details stopped and the records of rights, tenancy and crops (RTCs) or Pahani documents do not reflect crop details," Gowda said.

For loans, insurance

Authentic information of crops will help farmers apply for loans, claim insurance and also get compensation from the government. "The app is linked to the Bhoomi land records. The crop information farmers upload through the app will reflect in the RTCs," Gowda said, adding that the app was so far being used only by officials and that nearly 45 lakh crop details had been captured.

Citizen Connect app

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's Citizen Connect app was also launched on the occasion. The app - available on Android and iOS platforms - will allow citizens to reach out to the chief minister with suggestions and complaints. "The app provides details on government schemes, achievements, chief minister's speeches and blogs," chief minister's principal secretary L K Atheeq said.

Both apps have been designed in-house by the department of e-Governance.
At a time when the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project has run into a controversy, here comes a shocker - 40% seats on the trains on this route go vacant.



In the past three months, there have been 40% empty seats on the Mumbai to Ahmedabad route and 44% empty seats on the Ahmedabad to Mumbai route, according to information obtained by activist Anil Galgali under the Right to Information Act (RTI).

According to Galgali, the maximum load of passengers on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route is for sleeper class seats and it can be seen that occupancy of the upper-class seats is very poor.

"The railway ministry and the state governments should study the scenario. Centre's bullet train is not a viable option financially as well as from common man's view," he said in a statement.

Galgali had sought information from the Western Railway about the seat occupancy on all the trains running between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to and fro for the past three months.

The Western Railway chief commercial manager Manjeet Singh provided the information from July 1, 2017, to September 30, 2017.

Out of 7,35,630 seats on the 32 mail/express trains that run from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, only 4,41,795 seats were booked. A revenue of Rs 30,16,24,623 was generated of the expected Rs 44,29,08,220, incurring a loss to the tune of Rs 14,12,83,597, in just three months.

A total of 31 mail/express trains run on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai route. A total of 3,98,002 passengers travelled on these trains having a total capacity of 7,06,446 seats.

This route incurred a loss of Rs 15,78,54,489. It could generate a revenue of only Rs 26,74,56,982 as against the expected Rs 42,53,11,471.

The trains running on the route such as Duranto, Shatabdi, Gujrat Mail, Bhavnagar, Saurashtra, Vivek, Bhuj, Lokshakti are included in the data provided.

The 12009 Shatabdi is the most famous and favourite train for chair car service. This train en route to Ahmedabad has a capacity or 72,696 seats out of which it managed to sell only 36,117 seats.

It could garner Rs 4,11,23,086 of the total expected Rs 7,20,82,948 revenue.

The executive chair car has 8,216 seats, But only 3,468 seats could garner Rs 64,14,345 of the total expected Rs 1,63,57,898.

The Shatabdi's 12010 Ahmedabad-Mumbai route story is no different.

Out of total 67,392 seats, only 22,982 seats were sold and revenue garnered was Rs 2,51,41,322 in place of total expected Rs 6,39,08,988.

In the case of executive chair car, only 1,469 seats were booked out of 7,505 available seats. The revenue generation was Rs 26,41,083 instead of Rs 1,45,49,714.

The position of all the other trains is more or less the same. The maximum demand for seats on this route is for sleeper class for which the Railways is not paying any attention to augment the capacity.
The BJP in Himachal Pradesh got a shot in the arm on Tuesday after party president Amit Shah declared former chief Prem Kumar Dhumal as its chief ministerial candidate.



This puts an end to all the speculations about a change of guard in the BJP after the election results.



Addressing a poll rally at Rajgarh in Sirmaur district of the state, Shah said while the BJP was contesting under the leadership of Narendra Modi in the whole country, in Himachal Pradesh they will contest these polls under the leadership of their senior leader P K Dhumal.



Dhumal is a two-term chief minister. There had been talks of announcing Union Health Minister J P Nadda as the chief minister in case the BJP is victorious in the upcoming elections.



Shah said, "Dhumal is a former chief minister and at present the Leader of the Opposition, but after December 18 (the result date) he will be the state's next chief minister.



The saffron party hopes to make the most of the announcement in the last leg of campaigning that ends on November 7.



The party cadre has been reeling under a sense of disenchantment with talks of Dhumal being sidelined by the BJP. Dhumal is actively campaigning across the state.



Dhumal did not aggressively voice his dissent with the BJP for not being announced the chief ministerial candidate. However, he often said that the central leadership should keep in mind the feelings of the people and announce a chief ministerial face of the party.










Dear Amy: I am a 30-year-old man. I used to live in New York City, where I worked as an architect.

I met a 22-year-old girl on Tinder two weeks ago in New York. The first date went well, and we agreed to meet again after I returned from my two-week vacation in Sydney, Australia.

The thing I could not tell her was that I would not be taking a two-week vacation. I had to leave the U.S. because of my visa status, and now I have to live in Sydney until I get this matter resolved.

I would like to return to the U.S. after resolving this visa situation and see her. Do you have any suggestions about my situation? Aussie

Dear Aussie: My suggestion is pretty simple: Dont lie. What youve chosen to lie about is a fairly pedestrian legal issue that most people have the capacity to understand.

Im not sure why you are acting like George Costanza, caught in an Art Vandelay deception, but if this young Tinder date has a brain in her head, she will quickly discern that you are not actually on a two-week vacation in Sydney. She will figure this out either because you tell her, or she will notice that you havent returned, tanned and rested from your holiday.

You could paper over your lie by telling her now that once you re-entered your home country, you realized that your visa status was in trouble and that you will be in Australia for an indefinite period.

Tinder makes it very easy to quickly connect with people. This seems to accelerate the whole dating dynamic in all sorts of ways. Not only are people closing the deal much faster, but an ancillary result of this speed-matching is that people are also less interested in putting up with shenanigans. Because Tinder users know that there are always other people out there to meet.

Dear Amy: Being an unashamed animal lover, I recently spent a lot of money on a cat, who was very ill and has since recovered because of the expensive treatment I paid for.

A frugal (cheap!) relative of mine heard of my expense and has been broadcasting it to the family, saying that Im foolish and extravagant.

Im no longer speaking to her, and in fact Ive stated that Id never spend near that amount on her if she was ill. Furthermore, I refuse to attend any family gathering that she would attend. So, Amy, am I wrong about this? Dont I have the right to spend what I want on my own animals? Pet-Friendly Guy

Dear Pet-Friendly: Congratulations, you are in a catfight! And just like catfights involving actual cats, it is undignified and over something trivial.

You are being rude and inconsiderate. Your relative is also being rude and inconsiderate, but unfortunately by slinging insults, you now owe her an apology.

What she did was in poor taste. You could have taken the high road and responded with a simple chuckle and shoulder shrug, or my mothers favorite situation-diffusing line: OK, and whats your point?

Any number of responses could have put this spat to bed, but you have chosen to escalate itand are dragging your other relatives into your feud.

I also love my pets like family, and occasionally Ive thought about ditching my family events so I can hang out with the four-legged contingent. Thats when I remind myself that while my pets are lovely, they cant call me on my birthday, pick me up if I get a flat tire or invite me over for a nice dinner after a tough day.

Its time for the fur to stop flying, and for everyone to settle down and lick their wounds.

Dear Amy: Thanks for your response to Lonely Woman. She was a 28-year-old woman who was desperate to find love, and was looking in all the wrong places.

She needs to join some organizations. If she wants to meet men, she should go where she will find the kind of men she wants to be with. Avid Reader

Dear Reader: Lonely Woman might easily meet men by joining organizations, but first she has a lot of work to do. She seemed woefully out of touch when it came to her own issues. People cant succeed in their relationships unless they are at least somewhat secure and happy with themselves. Thats why I suggested that this woman should take a total break from dating.
Separatist leaders in Kashmir on Tuesday rejected Centre's dialogue offer through its special representative Dineshwar Sharma, saying any such process will undermine their internationally acknowledged struggle.



"For any Kashmiri to be part of this futile exercise (dialogue) will only undermine our internationally acknowledged legitimate and just struggle, nourished by the blood of martyrs and great sacrifices and hardships rendered by the masses," a joint statement by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik, said.

"Unless the Kashmir dispute is understood and addressed in its historical context and in the background of international commitments made over it, lasting peace can neither be achieved in J&K nor in the subcontinent," they said.

While referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's outright dismissal of former home minister P Chidambaram's suggestion of restoration of autonomy to the J&K, the separatists leaders said, "If government of India even rejects the demand of its co-political party for restoration of autonomy guaranteed by its own constitution, how will New Delhi address Kashmiris' political aspiration of right to self-determination."

They claimed that appointment of Sharma is "nothing more than a tactic to buy time adopted under international pressure and regional compulsions and due to the abysmal failure of the state policy of military repression upon the people of Kashmir."

Justifying their stand, they said, "Sharma's assertion that he is coming to the Valley with the directive from the government of India to restore peace rather than addressing the dispute limits the scope of any engagement with him and makes it an exercise in futility."

This is the first statement from the separatists rejecting the offer ever since Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on October 23 announced the appointment of former Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Sharma as a special representative to initiate and carry forward a dialogue with all the stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan has already dismissed New Delhi's move to appoint an interlocutor to understand the legitimate aspirations of people in Jammu and Kashmir, saying no interaction or dialogue would carry any weight without the participation of the Hurriyat Conference.

Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir based supreme commander of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Syed Salahuddin had last week attached three conditions for talks with India.

"India should accept Kashmir as a disputed territory, accept that there are three parties to the dispute and hold meaningful and result-oriented dialogue with Hurriyat leadership in the light of UN resolutions for resolving the Kashmir issue as per wishes and aspirations of people of Jammu Kashmir," he had said.

DH News Service
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday received the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, as he landed in New Delhi with his wife and child.



This is the first visit of the King of Bhutan to New Delhi after India and China had a 72-day-long military face-off at Doklam Plateau in the Himalayan Kingdom's western region. His wife Pema Wangchuck and child Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck are accompanying him on the four-day visit to New Delhi.

"Special gesture for a valued friend. EAM @SushmaSwaraj receives Their Majesties, The King, The Queen and The Gyalsey (Prince) of Bhutan," Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson of the Ministry of Extrnal Affairs, tweeted.

The King will meet President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence - 7 Lok Kalyan Marg - on Wednesday. Sushma will also formally call on him on Wednesday. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will call on him on Thursday.

The prime minister will host a dinner in honour of the royal couple. Bhutan transitioned from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy in 2008. It now has a democratically elected parliament and a government, currently led by Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay.

The King, however, continues to be the ceremonial Head of State and holds considerable influence over internal and external affairs of the country.

"India and Bhutan enjoy unique ties, which are characterised by deep understanding and mutual trust," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army personnel had come to Doklam Plateau a disputed territory on the Bhutan-China border on June 16 and started building a road, brushing off protests by Royal Bhutan Army soldiers camping nearby. The Indian Army personnel from the nearby Doka La post in Sikkim had intervened two days later, leading to the stand-off.

Though Beijing withdrew its troops from Doklam Plateau on August 28 to end the military stand-off, both New Delhi and Thimphu are worried over the Chinese PLA's move to deploy more troops in its forward posts close to the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction boundary point. The PLA also purportedly intruded into the territory claimed by Thimphu along the disputed China-Bhutan boundary at least thrice in recent weeks.

The issue is likely to be discussed when the King of Bhutan will have a meeting with Modi.

"The visit will provide an opportunity to both the sides for reviewing the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation, including plans for befitting celebrations of the golden jubilee of establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries in the year 2018, and to advance the special bilateral ties," Kumar said.
Sushma, Singapore Foreign Minister meet

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan met here on Tuesday to discuss the new areas of bilateral cooperation between New Delhi and the city state.

Sushma and Balakrishnan co-chaired the fifth meeting of the India-Singapore Joint Ministerial Committee for Bilateral Cooperation. They reviewed the state of bilateral relations and discussed new areas of cooperation.

"Strengthening our warm bonds of friendship. EAM@SushmaSwaraj welcomes Foreign Minister @VivianBala of Singapore to India," Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, posted on Twitter.

"Expanding our strategic partnership. EAM @SushmaSwaraj & Singapore FM @VivianBala at the 5th Joint Ministerial Committee Meeting in N.Delhi (New Delhi)," he added in another tweet.

The Foreign Minister of Singapore arrived in New Delhi for a two-day visit to India. He is likely to call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi later on Tuesday.



He will travel to Guwahati in Assam on Wednesday. He will be hosted for lunch by Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal. Balakrishnan and Sonowal will also witness the signing of agreements to kickstart project implementation for the North East Skills Centre (NESC) in Guwahati.

The NESC is Singapore's third skills centre in India and will contribute to the development of the north-eastern region of the country.

DH News Service
The ruling Congress in Karnataka today accused the Centre of adopting a step-motherly attitude towards non-BJP ruled states after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge were given invitation for a railway line inauguration at the last moment.



Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the 107-km Bidar-Kalaburagi railway line, built at a cost of Rs 1,542 crore, on October 29.

Siddaramaiah had skipped the inauguration of the new line expressing displeasure over being invited at the last moment for the function at Bidar.

Kharge too had stayed away from it on similar grounds.

"This type of attitude is against the federal structure of the Constitution," KPCC President G Parameshwara said while addressing a meeting to review the door-to-door campaign by the Gundlupet Block Congress Committee here.

"The BJP should bear in mind that the chief minister represents six-and-a-half crore Kannadigas," he said.

Pointing out that the Karnataka government had shared 50 per cent of the cost for the Bidar-Kalaburagi railway project, Parameshwara felt that both Siddaramaiah and Kharge should have been informed and requested to participate in the programme well in time.

"Ignoring the chief minister and informing him at the last minute, as also ignoring the Congress party's floor leader in the Lok Sabha, was improper and in bad taste," he said.

Parameshwara also expressed confidence that Congress would return to power with a comfortable majority in the assembly elections in the state next year.

He said the ongoing door-to-door campaign had helped enable nearly 6.5 lakh party workers enlighten people on the programmes and achievements of the government.

He also claimed that booth-level committees had been formed in all 224 assembly constituencies in the state.
The Vigilance Investigation Bureau in Bihar has lodged an FIR against ten people, including four IAS officers, for embezzlement of funds which were meant for the uplift of Dalit students in the state.



The financial irregularities were detected in Bihar Mahadalit Vikas Nigam, a corporation established in 2007 to run several welfare schemes for people of the Scheduled Castes.

Out of the four IAS officers named in the FIR, Ramashish Paswan, a promotee bureaucrat, has retired, while another, K P Ramaiah, has taken VRS.

Despite voluntary retirement, Ramaiah is currently serving as chairman of the Bihar Land Tribunal. The other two IAS officers named accused in swindling the amount of Rs 4.25 crore are S M Raju and Ravi Manubhai Parmar.

All these officers, who have been booked under sections 406, 409, 420, 467, 468, 471A and 120 B of the Indian Penal Code, have been charged with defalcation of money under welfare programmes like radio scheme, helpline centres, special schools-cum-hospitals, Dashrath Manjhi Kaushal Vikas Yojna and dress scheme for Dalits.

The FIR was lodged after Director General (Vigilance) Ravindra Kumar set up a probe team, which eventually found the allegations against these officers prima facie true.

"As the investigation progresses, the figure of the swindled amount is likely to go up. It's quite possible that those named in the FIR will be arrested soon for further questioning," said a top official, wishing not to be identified.

Raju is also an accused in fund embezzlement to the tune of Rs 9.75 crore when he was posted principal secretary in the SC/ST Welfare Department. He was suspended in January this year.

This is the third occasion when Raju has been charged with corruption.

Earlier, he was reportedly arrested in Karnataka in 2003 on the directive of the then Lokayukta N Venkatachala on the charge of accepting bribe from a private college.

Raju, who was then posted in Karnataka on inter-State deputation, was immediately repatriated to his parent cadre, Bihar, on the recommendation of the Karnataka Government.
India on Tuesday accorded a special welcome to Bhutanese King, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, as he arrived in New Delhi with his wife and child for a four-day visit.



External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj made a special gesture and personaly received the royal couple and their one-and-a-half-year old child at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. This is the Bhutanese King's first visit to New Delhi after the Indian Army and the Chinese People's Liberation Army had a 72-day-long face-off at Doklam Plateau in the western region of the Himalayan Kingdom.

"Special gesture for a valued friend. EAM @SushmaSwaraj receives Their Majesties, The King, The Queen and The Gyalsey (Prince) of Bhutan," Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson of the Ministry of Extrnal Affairs, tweeted.

Swaraj will again call on the King on Wednesday, shortly before he would have a meeting with President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The King will also have a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will host a dinner in honour of the royal couple at his official residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg on Wednesday itslef.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will call on him on Thursday.

Modi will host a dinner in honour of the royal couple.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army personnel had come to Doklam Plateau a disputed territory on Bhutan-China border on June 16 and started building a road, brushing off protests by Royal Bhutan Army soldiers camping nearby. Indian Army personnel from nearby Doka La post in Sikkim intervened two days later, leading to the face-off, which ended on August 28.

Bhutan publicly stood by India all through the face-off in Doklam Plateau, risking the wrath of China.

Beijing and New Delhi withdrew troops from Doklam Plateau on August 28. But New Delhi and Thimphu are worried over the Chinese PLA's move to deploy more troops in its forward posts close to the India-China-Bhutan tri-juinction boundary point. The PLA also purportedly intruded into the territory claimed by Thimphu along the disputed China-Bhutan boundary at least thrice in the recent weeks.

The issue is likely to be discussed when the King of Bhutan will have a meeting with Modi.
Czech Republic actor Sara Sandeva had never been a crazy fan of Shah Rukh Khan, but she wants to work with the Badshah of Bollywood some day. I am not a crazy fan, but Shah Rukh Khan is one actor I wish to work with in an Indian movie, said Sandeva.



When asked about one Indian film director she was keen to work with, Sara, who attended the screening of her fantasy-comedy The Spooks at the Guwahati International Film Festival (GIFF) recently, said, I liked the film Queen a lot. Director Vikas Bahl has made a beautiful film. I loved the concept of an Indian girl going out to tour Europe on her own.



The 20-year-old actor said she was open to all types of movies that promise a challenging role.



I would like to do more than one movie in India. I want to play different roles, no matter what the genre is, she claimed. The noted actor also said she loved dancing and was looking for a script which would strike an emotional chord with the audience.



I would love to act in an Indian film because I love dancing. I started dancing when I was 13, she said.
Darrin and Kim Senn, Oktoberfest 2017s Festmeister and Festmeisterin, will be presenting over $20,000 in donations to the community on Tuesday, November 14 starting at 4:30 p.m. at the Chippewa Area Visitors Center, 1 N Bridge Street.

Over 30 community groups will be presented with a contribution check in appreciation for the time they donated during the 15th Annual Oktoberfest, which was held September 1416 at the Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds.

The success of our event is directly dependent on the several hundred volunteers that give their time to Oktoberfest, which totals more than 1,700 donated hours during the weekend, Programs Director at the Chippewa Falls Area Chamber of Commerce Maranda Mahr said. One tradition that has remained through each of the 15 years of Oktoberfest is the philosophy of giving back.

The 16th annual Oktoberfest will be held September 1416, 2018 at the Northern Wisconsin State Fairgrounds. More information can be found for Oktoberfest at oktoberfestcf.com.
Naval heads from 10 of India's maritime neighbours meet in Goa as India continues to build on its attempt to emerge as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean region.



Navy chiefs or the heads of maritime agencies of India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Maldives, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand congregate in the coastal state to discuss issues of mutual interest.

The conclave will focus on emerging maritime threats, force structuring, maritime domain awareness, maritime security architecture and challenges in the Indian Ocean region, said a Navy officer. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will address the conclave on Wednesday.

The gathering comes at a time when India and China are vying for supremacy in the strategically important Indian Ocean region. The Indian Navy has not only expanded its footprint, but has also decided to keep an eye on important sea lanes, including the Malacca Strait, throughout the year.

With the US support, the blue water force seeks to emerge as the net security provider in the Indian Ocean region.

The Goa conclave comes days after the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM Plus) in the Philippines, where several defence ministers from the region had their first interaction with US defence secretary Jim Mattis.

Before the ASEAN meeting, Mattis met Nirmala in Delhi to discuss issues related to regional stability, among others.

Nirmala too was present at ASEAN, where India's role in resolving the Doklam crisis through diplomacy was well appreciated.

"As the Indian Ocean region becomes the focus of the 21st century strategic landscape, it is natural for the Indian Navy to play a constructive role in bringing together uniformed and non-uniformed personnel from neighbouring maritime countries, who have a stake in the formulation of policies, strategies and implementation of operational concepts in the maritime domain," said the officer.

On the second day of the conclave, bilateral interaction between the Navy Chiefs is planned.
The stand-off between residents, Manyata Tech Park and the traffic police entered the second day over the blocking of a road inside the tech park.



Residents of an upscale enclave on the tech park premises blocked a thoroughfare, leaving the police struggling to manage traffic on the busy outer ring road on Tuesday.

The residents claimed that the area is still not a public layout since the developer was yet to hand it over to the BDA. They also said it was not Embassy Business Park, but the residents who pooled in money to maintain the roads.

K Jayaraman, president of Manyata Residents Welfare Association said, "There is huge traffic every evening. Infants and senior citizens are affected by the pollution. Techies used to take shortcuts to reach the back gate, hence we put up a bollards on each road connecting the main road. But since traffic and pollution continue on the main road, we blocked it to send a strong message to tech companies to make alternative arrangements. Why should we suffer?" he asked.

Kannada actor Shivarajkumar, who stays in the Manyata Residency, took part in the silent protest. "We have lost our peace of mind staying in this layout. More and more new buildings are coming up in the area but infrastructure has been totally neglected. Embassy Group, which maintains the tech park, had given a representation to the BDA three years ago stating that it will construct a flyover connecting Nagawara and Veerannapalya junction but no work has taken place. The 100 Feet Road connecting Jakkur and Ballari Road was started but work has stopped. Residents had given many representations to BDA, BBMP and the companies but residents' problems have not been addressed."

Shivarajkumar said the tech park has two other exits which they have closed. The tech park wants to use the lone road in the residential layout for their vehicles to exit. "This is a huge nuisance for residents. We are unable to enter our own houses or even get out in the evenings. The traffic pile-up is so heavy that many a time, residents are forced to park their cars outside and walk a few kilometres to reach their houses. I have also faced this situation," he said.

The company spokesperson of Embassy Office Parks said: "Manyata Business Park maintains all the connecting roads inside the campus for the benefit of corporates as well as the residential colony. We understand the pressure of traffic across the city. We continue to work with the authorities to improve road infrastructure and avoid any inconvenience."

"Manyata Tech Park was formed in 2001 and Manyata Residency was formed in 2003. The road is a public road and residents have no right to block it, it is illegal. The residents should have realised while buying property that there will be dense traffic with the expansion of the tech park," said an official from the layout developer.

Residents on Tuesday forcibly shut the back gate and held a protest, resulting in piling up of vehicles for more than two hours in the outer ring road.

The traffic police are still trying to figure out whether it is a public road or private road. Sarah Fathima, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) said, "We have called a meeting with companies and residents on Friday to discuss the problem. Officials are gathering information about the ownership of the road. Changing the companies' shift timings will also be discussed to reduce traffic.''
Former minister G Janardhan Reddy on Monday expressed confidence that he will soon be absolved of all corruption charges in the illegal mining case, paving way for his re-entry into politics.



Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Reddy said that he would also spell out his next political move on December 5. "I will be making an announcement on December 5 about what I am to be doing next politically," he said.

His statement comes in the wake of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which was probing the illegal mining case in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, deciding to wind up its investigations.

Dismissing speculations that he has distanced himself from the BJP, Reddy said that he was very much with the saffron party. "Both the central and state leaders such as Pralhad Joshi have made it very clear that I am still with the party. I have not been expelled or suspended," he added.

Reddy, however, expressed regret over having entered politics. "As a child, I had always wanted to be part of films. But, I accidentally entered politics, which has landed me in deep trouble. But, this does not mean that I will quit politics. I will very much be part of it," he added.

He also said that he will be foraying into filmmaking from March 2018 onwards. "I will be producing a big budget film. The logistics are still being worked out."

Reddy said that he had to venture into films next year, as the "timing" was not right at this juncture.

Incidentally, Reddy has rendered his voice to a music video, where he is seen singing the 'Nada Geethe'. He launched the 5-minute music video, which has been conceptualised by Ayyappa P Sharma, on the even of Kannada Rajyotsava.
The 'World Bank Group's latest Doing Business 2018: Reforming to Create Jobs' said India was one of the top 10 improvers in this year's assessment, having implemented reforms in 8 out of 10 Doing Business indicators.



Giving a filip to the Narendra Modi government's efforts in this front, the bank acknowledged that India moved up on the back of sustained business reforms over the past years.



India is the only large country this year to have achieved such a significant shift, it said, going on to list a number of reasons on why India for the first time moved into the top 100 in the its Ease of Doing Business global rankings.

Last year, the bank's report had ranked India at 130. On the "distance to frontier metric," one of the key indicators in the survey, India's score went from 56.05 in Doing Business 2017 to 60.76 in Doing Business 2018.

This means, the bank's report said, last year India improved its business regulations in absolute terms a indicating that the country is continuing its steady shift towards best practice in business regulation. Marking its 15th anniversary, the report noted that India has adopted 37 reforms since 2003. Nearly half of these reforms have been implemented in the last four years. It said it had captured reforms implemented in 190 countries in the period June 2, 2016 to June 1, 2017.

This year, the eight indicators on which reforms were implemented in Delhi and Mumbai, the two cities covered by the report are: starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency.

India performed well in the areas of Protecting Minority Investors, Getting Credit, and Getting Electricity.



The country's corporate law and securities regulations were recognised as highly advanced, placing India in 4th place in the global ranking on Protecting Minority Investors.

The time to obtain an electricity connection in Delhi dropped from 138 days four years ago to 45 days now, almost 20 days less than the 78 days average in OECD high-income economies.
Car prices across all segments are likely to go up by 5-15% next year as the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has made it mandatory for installation of airbags and speed limiters from July 2019.



In India, it must be noted that largely, the A-segment hatchbacks lack most safety features, with few manufacturers offering a single driver-side airbag on high-end trims. During FY2016-17, of the 21 lakh cars sold, 5.42 lakh cars were from the A segment. 'Safety in India comes at a premium', and experts say that an imminent price rise may vary between 5% and 15% - for instance, a Rs 4 lakh car could see a 15% price rise, eventually costing Rs 4,60,000.

India registers high fatalities on its roads, with almost 1.5 lakh people dying each year. Minister of Road Transport, Shipping and Highways Nitin Gadkari has envisioned reducing road fatalities by a steep 50% by 2020.

"To achieve this goal, much needs to be done. One of the areas identified by the government is making vehicles safer. After examining the best practices around the globe, a road map for safety norms has been finalised," Maruti Suzuki India R&DaHead CaVaRaman said.

In addition to airbags and speed limit reminders, all cars will also have seat belt reminders, reverse parking sensors and a manual override switch for central locking systems.

Carmakers are investing in facilities, testing and equipment to build advanced safety into vehicles, ahead of the deadlines set by the government. On its part, Maruti - the largest player in the market - has overtaken the competition, with 75-80% of its cars becoming compliant to the said norms a year ahead of them becoming mandatory.

Even each of Toyota's cars is equipped with at least two airbags. "We are way ahead of the curve. The customer sentiment towards safer vehicles is increasing, and they demand airbags. It's the industry's responsibility to provide them," Toyota Kirloskar Motor Vice Chairman Shekar Viswanathan told DH.
BJP state general secretary Shobha Karandlaje on Tuesday charged the Congress government with deliberately trying to stall state energy projects to pave way for purchase of power from the private sector at high rates.



Addressing a press conference with party state president B S Yeddyurappa and other leaders, Karandlaje accused the government of stalling completion of projects like the second unit of Yermarus Thermal Power Station and the third unit of Ballari Thermal Power Station despite availability of sufficient coal links.



A House committee, headed by Energy Minister D K Shivakumar, is readying a report, which purportedly has details about a scam during the BJP regime that cost the state exchequer Rs 28,000 crore. Karandlaje held the Energy portfolio in the BJP government.



Karandlaje said that during her tenure as energy minister, she had cancelled a long-term power purchase agreement with Jindal as the company used imported coal for power production. Use of imported coal results in upward revision of rates every year which would have resulted in the government buying power at high rates, she said and added that her move had resulted in savings to the state exchequer.



The present government had violated rules by purchasing thousands of tonnes of coal from a private company without even calling for tenders, she charged.



Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of an event in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah wondered why Karandlaje was so jittery about the House committee report, when it had not even been tabled.



Yeddyurappa said Siddaramaiahs comment that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was afraid of him (Siddaramaiah) could be termed as the joke of the year. He said Siddaramaiah had hurt the sentiments of lakhs of devotees by stating that there is no bar on entering the Manjunatha temple in Darmasthala after eating non-vegetarian food. (PM) Modi was fasting when he entered the temple on Sunday. That makes him a true leader of the people, Yeddyurappa said.



Later in the day, BJP leaders visited Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, the venue of the launch of the partys Nava Karnataka Nirmana Parivarthana Yatra. The yatra will be launched by party national president Amit Shah on Thursday.






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Since 1997, DR1 has been covering the Dominican Republic in English. A site overhaul had long been due. Here is the beta version of the first phase of the new DR1. We have upgraded the website with user-friendly software to serve our community better. We have kept the up-to-date content. Now it is your turn to give the new DR1 a test run!

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A CSI, who examined the alleged getaway car in a double murder investigation which occurred at Ravensdale just outside Dundalk in 2012, has told a court that the silver Mercedes 'appeared to have been cleaned.

Belinda Kennedy was giving evidence to the Central Criminal Court today in the trial of a Dublin man, charged with murdering two fellow Dubliners on March 7th, 2012.

Jason ODriscoll (34), with an address at Richmond Avenue, Fairview, has pleaded not guilty to murdering car thieves 31-year-old Anthony Burnett and 25-year-old Joseph Redmond in Co Louth.

The trial has already heard that firefighters were called to a burning car in Ravensdale Forest Park shortly before 11 o'clock that night. The bodies of the two men were discovered inside, with gunshot wounds to their heads.

Ms Kennedy testified that she was a CSI or crime scene investigator with the PSNI in Belfast, when tasked to examine a silver Mercedes in the case.

The trial previously heard that the car was found abandoned on the northern side of the border the morning after the killings. Its the States case that this was the car in which the accused and another man had left Ravensdale after the assassination.

Ms Kennedy told Alexander Owens SC, prosecuting, that she photographed the vehicle, noted any damage to it, tested areas inside for firearms residue and DNA, took fibre tape lifts and removed a number of items for further analysis. She also took impressions of all of the tyres and took soil samples from underneath the car.

She said she swept the whole of the car for fingerprints but that her results were negative, meaning that there were none or that they were obscured.

I had noted that there was a smell of cleaning fluid, and it appeared to have been cleaned, she said.

Under cross examination by Sean Guerin SC, defending, she agreed that she hadnt found anything usable in her fingerprint search.

The jury also began watching a compilation of CCTV footage in the case.

This included footage of the car in which the dead men were found being driven through Dublin City after being stolen there in the early hours of March 7th. It also included the movements of another car at a hotel in Newry later that evening.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of eight men and four women.
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Twenty years ago, in an effort to address some of the worlds most complex future challenges, Japans Kanto International School launched the World School program.For two weeks each year, a school from a global cohort of participating schools is selected to host the forum for two weeks and develop its own program to address how these challenges should be resolved.This year, St Pauls School, located in Brisbane, had the honour of being chosen for the second time since 2006. And so last week, four principals, 18 teachers and 64 students convened at the school to discuss solutions to a looming crisis  global water scarcity.It is expected that by 2025, nearly two billion people will live in areas plagued by water scarcity. By 2047, it is expected that water will become more fought over than oil and gas resources.The schools principal, Dr Paul Browning , told The Educator that the forum is an opportunity for students and school heads to work collaboratively on solving important global problems.Because St Pauls School is very focused on developing students thinking skills, we have introduced all of the other schools to the design thinking process, which leads students through problems in order to develop solutions, he said.Browning says one of the real benefits of World School is that students from all over the world are developing empathy for one anothers issues.A key element in the design thinking process is being able to empathise with the client or with the problem itself, he says.As a result of each students presentation on their countrys issues facing water and food sustainability, everybody develops empathy from one anothers perspective, and this helps break down barriers and build friendships across borders so we can solve some of these problems together rather than in competition with each other.The school's head of design learning, Tim Osborne, told The Educator that by the end of the conference, the students  who had been put into 10 multinational design teams  had created a number of innovative solutions.One group developed an app to help communities track their food and water usage in order to ensure the sustainability of their resources, he said.We told all students that their solution had to be something they were able to successfully implement back in their home country, whether that might be in Finland, China, Russia or the United States.Osborne said this made students realise that they had to empathise with the issues facing one anothers countries and collaborate in order to make their solution work.Another group came up with a website that was centred on educating students about how in many countries, multinational companies are taking over the production of food, often at the expense of local farmers, he said.While schools are raising awareness about environmental issues, such as the importance of conservation, issues like these sometimes fly under the radar.Silke Weiss, principal at Kopernikus Gymnasium  a grammar school, located in Germany  was one of the 22 visiting principals at St Pauls School in October.Weiss said one problem she has observed in Germany is that regardless of whether students are from water rich or water poor countries, all of them face the same challenge of agriculture being intensified, which leads to a drain on the fresh water supply.This also means that more fertilisers go into the ground water or into lakes, and those problems are quite serious, but theyre addressed in different ways, she told The Educator.According to current statistics, agriculture accounts for 70% of global freshwater withdrawals and up to 90% in some fast-growing economies.There are countries like Germany which have to compete on the European market, and increasingly on the global market, and therefore this intensifies agriculture, Weiss said.Another visiting principal at the forum was Esa Partanen, who heads Sopunki Upper Secondary School, located in Finland.Partanen said that while Finland enjoys a clean environment with an abundance of easily accessible water, helping other countries explore innovative solutions to the looming water crisis plays a pivotal part in schools.In Finland, we have quite a clean country, and we have lots of water, so in our everyday lives we are not facing the same kind of problems as some other countries, he told The Educator.However, we are concerned about these things and we try to maintain our lakes and our seas so in the future we can help other countries.Partanen said that while its understandable that schools research what others are doing overseas, they shouldnt copy one another.Copying what other countries are doing can place limitations on creativity and innovation back home, so we should be trusting in our own way of education first, because thats how new ideas thrive.
Thousands of Sydney teachers will stop work tomorrow after Catholic employers failed to respond to their unions attempt to negotiate for almost a year.The Independent Education Union (IEU) announced that the industrial action will take place tomorrow morning  a move that will impact 242 schools.In addition to stopping work, teachers and support staff in Archdiocese of Sydney Catholic systemic schools will take to the streets to highlight their cause.The industrial action is part of rolling stop works in schools across NSW and the ACT that will continue through to next weekThe IEU says the enterprise agreement covering Catholic schools expired in December 2016, and members have yet to receive the agreed pay rise of 2.5% while they fight for their rights to arbitration.IEUA NSW/ACT branch secretary, John Quessy, said the right of the union to take disputes to arbitration by an independent umpire was a basic workers right being denied by employers.Were not sure why they are singling out Catholic schools in NSW and the ACT. Without the right to arbitration, enterprise agreements are compromised, he said.While we are loathe to take any action which disturbs students education, its crucial that employers cannot stop the Union seeking a hearing at the Fair Work Commission.Quessy said it was rather ironic that the union is having a long-running dispute to fight for the right to resolve disputes quickly and fairly.The stop work will begin at the start of duties and finish at 12.30pm. Only members covered by Protected Action Orders will participate in the action.
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Charmed actress and Harvey Weinstein accuser Rose McGowan is facing arrest for drug possession after she left some of her belongings on a flight.

McGowan, who recently came forward with allegations of rape against Weinstein, has an arrest warrant issued in her name for felony possession of a controlled substance.

The warrant, authorized by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department, was issued on Feb. 1, following a police investigation after traces of narcotics were found in her personal belongings. The actress had allegedly left some of her personal items behind on a United flight that landed at the Washington Dulles International Airport on Jan. 20, according to the Associated Press.

"Her personal belongings that were left behind from a flight arriving on Jan. 20 tested positive for narcotics," a spokesman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police Department, Rob Yingling said in a statement obtained by Deadline. He also added that the police have been trying to get in touch with the actress so she can make an appearance in court and respond to the charge.

McGowan, 44, also tweeted about the arrest warrant on Monday, Oct. 30, referring to it as a "load of HORSES**T" and claiming that this is all part of a conspiracy to silence her.

Are they trying to silence me? There is a warrant out for my arrest in Virginia. What a load of HORSESHIT.  rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) October 30, 2017

Earlier this month, the actress, whose credits include films like Scream, Planet Terror, and Grindhouse, accused Weinstein of raping her in 1997 when the two of them attended the Sundance Festival. She has also claimed that actor Ben Affleck was aware of the Hollywood producer's sexual misconduct towards her, as previously reported. She also alleged that one of Weinstein's associates also offered to buy her silence for $1 million.

McGowan opened up about life after the alleged rape in a speech at the Women's Convention in Detroit on Friday, Oct. 27.

"I have been silenced for 20 years," she said at the event. "I have been slut-shamed. I have been harassed. I have been maligned and you know what? I'm just like you. ... What happened to me behind the scenes happens to all of us in society and it cannot stand and it will not stand."

McGowan is among the dozens of women, which includes the likes of Ashley Judd, Angelina Jolie, and Lena Headey, who have come forward with allegations of sexual harassment against Weinstein after the New York Times published an explosive story on Oct. 5, detailing the producer's history of alleged misconduct that dates back decades.
Few in Washington express much doubt that Russia recently violated the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty (1), testing and deploying ground-launched cruise missiles within the treatys prohibited range.

Yet the lack of clear public evidence of Russian violations amid persistent Russian denials has left the United States in a position where the strongest American retaliatory responses could provide Russia with an excuse to abandon the treaty.

Russia already views the INF as an inconvenient hindrance given that its restrictions do not apply to countries such as China and Pakistan that could threaten Russia (but not the United States) with the INF-class missiles. Most U.S. analysts see the treaty as serving U.S interests given that it limits the threat to US allies in Europe and East Asia. Yet failing to respond to the Russian alleged violation could be considered as foolishly ignoring a breach of an important US-Russian arms control treaty, which could, in turn, embolden Russia to conduct further violations.

As a result, U.S. responses have tended to fall along predictable lines. Hardliners in Congress have introduced the INF Treaty Preservation Act which provides funds for the US to develop and potentially deploy a new ground-based cruise missile that would violate the treatys constraints. They claim that the legislation is a means to confront Russia with an unacceptable alternative to continued testing and deployment of systems that violate the pact. The additional leverage of such a potential deployment, they believe, should force Russia to end its violations. The House approved a somewhat stronger version of the measure in its annual defense policy bill, authorizing spending immediately $25 million to initiate a program to develop an INF-prohibited missile. The Senate would hold off this spending until the Pentagon provided a report (due within four months) on the feasibility of modifying existing or planned cruise missiles so they could reach the ranges prohibited under the treaty. Differences between the two bills will be reconciled in a final bill currently being drafted by House and Senate negotiators.

Both versions would require the President to report within 15 months on whether Russia had flight tested, produced or possessed INF-banned missiles within that period and if so, would declare that the United States was no longer constrained by the pact.

The Trump Administration has registered its opposition to the congressional initiative, seeing it as interfering with the presidents ability to control arms control diplomacy and potential military responses. In a statement of administration policy, it stated:

This provision unhelpfully ties the Administration to a specific type of missile system and funding requirements, which would limit potential military response options. The Administration would support broad authorization of research and development on missile systems, including those prohibited by the treaty, to determine candidate systems that could become programs of record. (2)

The legislation implicitly echoes a successful strategy that led to the treatys enactment in the 1980s. At that time NATO responded to the Soviet Unions deployment of the 5,000 kilometer range SS-20 missile with the deployment of US Pershing II weapons to Western Europe. Yet the analogy is far from exact. At that time, the deployment of SS-20s was not denied by Russia. Moreover, despite Allied government support, deployment of the Pershing II, during a tense period of the Cold War, faced massive public protests. There is little to indicate that there would be significant allied support for such a deployment today. A more likely outcome is that initiating the development of such a system would simply provide Russia with a ready excuse for leaving the treaty without any guarantee that its implied deployment threat could be carried out.

Supporters of the legislation argue that the treaty does not ban research and development of such systems, only testing and deployment. Still, many of the supporters of this legislation inside and outside of Congress have long advocated for greater deployments of U.S nuclear weapon systems to allies to guard against what they see as Russias greater willingness to use nuclear weapons on its own terms were it to be losing a conventional confrontation. The legislation could provide them with a means to achieve this longstanding ambition.

Several former U.S. arms control officials wrote in a letter to US Senators in September 2017 that the legislation would shift blame from Russia, and Russia could respond by publicly repudiating the treaty and deploying large numbers of noncompliant missiles without any constraints. (3) They put their faith in bilateral dialogue and existing military responses to try to deal with Russias actions and intentions, an approach began by the Obama administration. They noted that Russias violation of the INF Treaty is a serious matter. But a tit-for-tat responsedeveloping our own new nuclear-armed missilewont make us safer and will only make the problem worse. (4) It would also allow Russia to leave the treaty while blaming the United States for the treatys demise.

To date Russia has insistently denied the accusations, claiming that the United States has not produced sufficient evidence. At the same time, Russian officials have countered with technical quibbles of their own, particularly that US land-based missile defense installations in Europe could be used to launch conventional cruise missiles.

What should be done? Given the unsatisfactory nature of above-mentioned U.S policy alternatives, another approach is needed, effectively putting the onus on Russia to clarify whether or not it intends to exit the pact. This would involve a carrot-and-stick approach, one that could be supported in legislation by Congress.

The carrot would involve an offer to continue working through the treatys Special Verification Commission. The United States could propose a time-limited discussion to agree on distinguishable characteristics of missiles and launchers (5) that could cover the Russian and US concerns over the Aegis and SSC-8. Follow-on inspections of both systems could be considered as a way of implementing the agreement.

Simultaneously, rather than moving toward breaching the pact immediately with ground-based cruise missiles, the United States could deploy and and/or develop additional NATO assets that do not violate the INF but could respond in some fashion to Russian deployments. The introduction of these sticks can be staged in a way to assure a prompt and satisfactory end to the dispute. These military options could include additional deployments of US and Western European ground troops to Central and Eastern Europe to assuage any fears of decoupling on the part of NATO allies; greater deployments of conventional precision cruise missiles; revival of sea-launched nuclear cruise missiles; and moving forward with plans for a new generation of air-launched nuclear cruise missiles.

For 30 years, the INF treaty has proved to be a cornerstone of European security. Russias action has loosened that cornerstone. The United States must act to reinforce the Treaty, or risk a collapse of the wider security architecture.

(1) A bilateral treaty between the United States and Russia foreswearing the testing and deployment of ground based ballistic and cruise missiles with a range of 500-5500 kilometers, signed in 1987.

(2) http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=127977

(3) http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/america-about-dump-the-inf-treaty-22355

(4) http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/america-about-dump-the-inf-treaty-22355

(5) http://russianforces.org/blog/2017/07/is_it_too_late_to_have_an_info.shtml

The opinions articulated above represent the views of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the position of the European Leadership Network or any of its members. The ELNs aim is to encourage debates that will help develop Europes capacity to address the pressing foreign, defence, and security challenges of our time.
History is lived in retrospect, but reality unfolds moment by moment.

We know that former Trump campaign director Paul Manafort turned himself in to the FBI Monday is the first shoe  two shoes, as he was joined by business associate Rick Gates  to drop in the Robert Mueller III investigation of Russian influence on the 2016 campaign. For those of us who see the Trump administration as a siege of un-American values, it is an encouraging moment of hope after nine months of continual shocks, of jaw-dropping veers away from responsible leadership and good government.

But we don't know if it's the beginning of the unwinding of the chaotic Trump administration. Or the beginning of further descent into lawlessness as the president pushes back with all his twittery might. He is already condemning the investigation  by a special counsel his own Justice Department appointed  as a "witch hunt," urging, with the "what-about-this?" reflex that passes for rebuttal of late, that Hillary Clinton be investigated instead. He might still simply fire Mueller, despite the Constitutional firestorm that would ignite.

Charges against the two include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder millions of dollars and making false statements  charges you can watch already being shrugged off by Republicans who spent years going after will-o'-the-wisps like which email server Clinton used and whether she had broken State Department email guidelines

This is the first shoe to drop, but there will be others. The way these investigations work is, the authorities begin on the outermost ring of a criminal enterprise and work themselves toward the center. The blind loyalty that Donald Trump demands from all those under him  indeed, from all Americans  is seen differently when viewed in light of a prison sentence. Think of a centipede sitting on the edge of the bed at the end of the day, taking off shoe after shoe, each one bigger than the last, each one falling with a bigger clomp.




syncroy said: I have been to canada onsite for 15 months at a client site for transition . I wanted to clarify if this is canadian experience or it will still be considered as my home country experience . If in case it can be considered as a experience in canada then i can select YES for the above question. Please suggest. Click to expand...

If you can get a letter from the client stating your worked on their project, then you MAY be able to use it as Canadian work experience.See, the thing is,work experience is considered based on the country your are employed in.. so if you are employed in India, all your work experience will be counted as Indian work experience.. travelling for work doesn't exactly qualify as working in another country.. so your 15 months Canadian deployment would be counted as Indian work experience in this case..However, if you can get a letter from the client stating you worked in Canada, you might be able to use it.. Fair warning, the chances of that being considered as Canadian work ex is close to Nil.. so dont get your hopes up..Just my two cents..
There is no "official" timescale provided by IRCC for a reason... no two applications are the same, so it would be impossible to say with any certainty, that applications will all be processed in x number of days... it's simply not going to happen.



In an ideal world yes, they'd be able to give a timescale but the world doesn't operate this way. There are occasionally circumstances beyond IRCC's control that can delay the decision making process for any one application (inquiries into the validity of documents may take longer from some countries than others; travel history might require inquiry; applications may just not be completed correctly; documents mislaid; IT problems etc etc) so they are unable to be any more specific than specifying a "within 6 months" window.



All you can do is wait to hear back from them... if it's approaching say the 5-6 month mark and you've not head anything then I'd say contact. However, if it's been <4 months, I wouldn't bother as there's still a few months of leeway before IRCC will have reached the end of its specified processing timeline.
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For 26 years Mexico Citys Bertha Sandoval, 81, has taken part in Dia de los Muertos events playing the iconic La Catrina, the distinctive grand dame of death, her delicate, beautiful face painted to skeletal perfection.

Sandoval is a visual work of self-art and at 7 p.m. Wednesday, the former art restorer  highly regarded as one of Mexicos best  painter, photographer and bon vivant will discuss her passion as La Catrina de Mexico in a conversation with author and University of Texas at San Antonio Professor Emerita Ellen Riojas Clark at The Pearls Hotel Emma.

With drugstore makeup and art sketch pencils, the tips of which she heats under a cigarette lighter to soften the ink, Sandovals immaculate two-hour makeover has come to symbolize the only thing she knows for certain in this life: death.

And she is fearless about it, just like the diva she transforms herself into every autumn.

She starts with the makeup, staying true to a black and white palette with a sprinkle of silver glitter. A swimmers cap keeps her gorgeous white hair neatly in place.

Once done, she dresses the part: a white on white layered look topped with a heavily adorned French-influenced plumed hat embellished with her own handmade flowers of corn husks on top. A lace overlay wraps around the wide brim.

Now Playing: Bertha Sandoval Romero has been La Catrina Mexicana for 30 years. Video: San Antonio Express-News

Her ivory-hued floor-length dress is accented with puffy Elizabethan sleeves that start at the shoulder and extend to just above the elbow. Around her waist is a vintage brass buckle emblazoned with Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent, a major Aztec deity among the ancient Mexican pantheon. Around her neck is a monocle on a gold chain and a languidly draped feathered boa. In her hand, she carries a ladylike lace parasol.

We sat down with Sandoval to talk in Spanish about La Catrinas influence on culture, art and her life, translated and excerpted below.

Q: Please tell us about the origin of La Catrina.

A: She was originated by a printmaker named Jose Guadalupe Posada, in Mexico City, but only as a 5-inch by 7-inch image of a skeletal head and shoulders wearing an elegant hat with feathers. Decades later, artist Diego Rivera who was greatly influenced by Posada, painted the rest of La Catrinas form in the famous satirical mural called Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park. Rivera painted himself as a young boy in the mural with Posada standing next to La Catrina, giving Posada the greater presence.

Rivera respected and loved Posada. In Riveras painting La Catrina is a form of satire for the women of the town who wanted to be something they were not: rich.

Q: Youve done this for decades, multiple times a year, not just for Day of the Dead. Do some people think youre a little crazy or eccentric?

A: I think that many people saw me as a rarity. They probably ask This lady, where does she come from and why is she doing this?

I actually became La Catrina quite by accident. An architect friend who knew me asked if I could wear a papier-mache Catrina head to a mural inauguration event being held behind at a cathedral in Mexico City.

But I misunderstood, and so I painted my face shoe polish and Vaseline I mixed together! Then the dyes from the polish started to melt off my face. My dress, which I made from my living room curtains, was all stained. That was my baptismal into personifying La Catrina.

Q: After that I bet you stopped using shoe polish.

A: A famous mime came to me and told me, I will help you and teach you about makeup, and Im not going to charge you anything. He put a mirror in front of me and when he was done I looked like a sugar Calavera doll. And thats how I learned how to get my makeup on.

Q: When you transform from Bertha to La Catrina do you feel like another person?

A: Yes, its like being an actor, representing a character. When I speak as La Catrina I am no longer Bertha Sandoval.

Q: Why have La Catrina and Day of the Dead observances, especially in the past several years, resonated with people? We are seeing more events about this celebration.

A: Because I think people are interested in the afterlife. And, as La Catrina I am the symbol of the afterlife.

In Mexico City one time I was walking as La Catrina on the Avenida de Los Insurgentes, the longest avenue in the city, and people were whistling at me and calling out to me. Suddenly a trash picker who was pushing a cart ran up to me, hugged me and gave me a kiss.

People would walk out of restaurants and invite me to eat with them. The people have invited me to their pueblos. The people have given me so much, have told me to never stop what Im doing and keep moving ahead. They have embraced me and nourished me, especially the impoverished and homeless children who live in the sewers and have told me I am theirs.

It was then that I realized the importance of my presentation as La Catrina. I am of the people, the families and the dead who are alive when we remember them.

Q: What have you learned personally as La Catrina about dying? Are you afraid of dying?

A: The world of La Catrina has taught me how to be a better person and to prepare myself for death. I have a deeper honor and respect for death.

Am I afraid of death? Not precisely, but I would like time to rethink what my life has been when that time comes. I know I am going to die, but I just dont know at what corner La Catrina will be waiting for me. I will meet her because I do believe that there is hope for a better life in the afterlife.

Q: How do you want to always be remembered?

A: I want to be remembered with a school for Catrinas. If I can start such a school, this is what I would like to pass on.

Q: Can you share your most memorable story as La Catrina?

A: On a walk near a well-known subway stop in Mexico City a young man who I think was high on drugs grabbed me for what I thought would be a hug and then I heard something cracking. Imagine! But what was cracking was the serpent bird Quetzalcoatl, which I had woven with corn husks and had draped around my neck.

This mans interest was in death that I represented. And he felt so lost that he wanted to kill death by crushing me.

But minutes before that happened, a 12-year-old child came up to me. I leaned down. She asked, Will you please take my mother a message? Tell her not to worry. Tell her that I am doing well. I told her I would give her mother the message.

That touched me greatly. You cry one minute, and then the next minute a man is grabbing me. I have had many grand emotions as La Catrina for almost 30 years.

Q: Still, it seems like theres no stopping you. How much longer can you do this?

A: I occasionally have a spine problem, but I will go on until I cant. As along as the bones can take it, Ill keep doing it.

La Catrina Mexicana, Bertha Sandoval, will have a conversation with Ellen Riojas Clark at 7 p.m. at The Pearls Hotel Emma, 136 E. Grayson St. The event is free but an RSVP is requested by emailing catrinarsvp@cegroupinc.net. It is one of many events as part of The Pearls Dia de los Muertos festivities Wednesday and Thursday, including live music, reading, matachines dancers and calavera stilt walkers. Visit atpearl.com for more information.

Michael Quintanilla is a San Antonio freelancer.
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AUSTIN  Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is beefing up the states law enforcement presence in San Antonio to help crack down on a rise in violent crime, though city police said they didnt request or need the help.

The governor offered the additional troopers, and of course we werent going to say no, Police Chief William McManus said at a news conference in San Antonio on Monday. The more people we have, the more visibility we can provide, the more area we can cover.

At Abbotts request, the Department of Public Safety is dedicating roughly 15 more troopers to the citys Violent Crime Task Force, bringing the agencys total participation to 31 officials, McManus said. DPS will also lend use of its aircraft to provide around-the-clock air support capabilities in San Antonio, according to a news release.

DPS wouldnt confirm how many more agents its deploying or say where exactly they were stationed before.

Formed 10 months ago, the task force is a collaboration of local, state and federal agencies seeking to combat rising rates of violent crime and homicide in San Antonio. Last year, there were at least 149 homicides in the city  making it the deadliest year in more than two decades.

Though McManus said the task force didnt need the help, we certainly welcome the help.

In a news release Monday, Abbott said his top priority as governor is the safety of our citizens and communities in Texas.

That is why Im committing state resources to support our local law enforcement partners and locally elected officials of San Antonio and Bexar County to crack down on and combat violent crime, said Abbott, whose office did not return requests for further comment.

Abbotts office publicly announced the initiative Monday, but McManus said the added DPS support began about two weeks ago. The new state law enforcement officials arent assigned to any one area of the city, and its not clear how long they will be stationed here.

The task force is taken where the activity dictates, so it could be anywhere in the city, McManus said, adding later: I hope they are here as long as the task force is in existence.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg said the city appreciates the additional DPS support, which will help increase the Violent Crimes Task Forces operational effectiveness.

In April, Abbott allocated $500,000 to a similar crime reduction effort in Houston. Then DPS sent Texas Rangers and special agents to the city, where the agency set up a new tactical center to help tackle rising crime and gang-related killings.

In San Antonio, DPS is providing trooper strike teams made up of Texas Highway Patrol Troopers, violent crime squads made up of DPS special agents, a felony fugitive team made up of Texas Rangers and tactical support personnel, an intelligence team of criminal analysts, and communication and surveillance support personnel.

DPS will be utilizing existing resources in the region, spokesman Tom Vinger said in a statement. As is customary in law enforcement, we regularly shift our resources to focus on the most significant threats to the public.

Abbotts office said in the news release that the additional resources will focus on both violent crime and gang-related activity. When asked which gangs have a big presence in San Antonio, McManus said it doesnt matter.

There are a lot of loose-knit gangs that are around the city, he said. Theres well-established gangs. Theres transnational gangs. It doesnt matter. Were not focused on any specific type of gang. Whatever gang is giving us trouble, whatever our intelligence tells us is what were focusing on.

In the past, the Police Department has focused its efforts on well-established gangs such as the Mexican Mafia, Tango Orejon, Bandidos Motorcycle Club, Aryan Brotherhood and local gangs including the East Terrace Gangsters and Wheatley Courts Gangsters.

Since its inception this year, the task force has made over 4,170 arrests, McManus told city officials recently. While he said its too soon to tell whether the initiative has been effective, he is hopeful the arrests will drive down a recent uptick in crime.

The task force is not housed in a new room or special building; rather, detectives in the homicide, vice, narcotics, gang and intelligence units share and analyze data and intelligence, McManus has said. They also team up with law enforcement officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration, a local FBI field office and the state.

The new resources come amid a larger push by the city to crack down on crime. The Police Department and the Bexar County Sheriffs Office are working with other law enforcement agencies on a new anti-gang unit set to launch later this year.
Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahls punishment hearing, which could end with him being sentenced to prison for life, ran just short of an hour Monday before his judge ordered an adjournment. Counsel for both sides discussed a defense motion to dismiss the case for unlawful command influence.

The judge, Col. Jeffery Nance, adjourned the proceeding until Wednesday. Nance said that he is concerned that President Donald Trumps comments about the case could impact the public perception of the military justice system, according to the AP.

I dont have any doubt whatsoever that I can be fair and impartial in the sentencing in this matter, he said. Nance also had stern words and pointed questions for prosecutors about what effect the presidents comments would have on the public perception of the case, the AP reported.

Nance indicated that he would issue a written ruling on the defenses request to have the case thrown out because of Trumps comments.

Bergdahl, 31, 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.

Last week Trump made a brief statement that he couldnt say anything more about Bergdahls case, but I think people have heard my comments in the past.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump denounced Bergdahl in interviews and speeches calling the soldier "a dirty, rotten traitor," a "dirty, no-good traitor" and a "horrible traitor." It cited Trump as saying Bergdahl "went to the other side" and "negotiated with terrorists" and calling him "the worst," "no good," "this bum," a "whack job" and "this piece of garbage."

The Associated Press contributed to this story | sig@express-news.net
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The American Civil Liberties Union on Monday joined the growing list of organizations calling for the release of a 10-year-old special needs girl whos in the custody of the Heath and Human Services Department in San Antonio and faces deportation.

In a letter to HHS and the Department of Homeland Security, the civil rights group threatened legal action if 10-year-old Rosa Maria Hernandez is not returned to her family in Laredo so she can continue special education classes and see her doctor.

Rosa Maria needs this care, stability, routine, and support, the ACLU wrote in its letter. Without her mother and supportive community of services, her developmental progress will suffer.

Border Patrol agents followed Rosa Maria, who has cerebral palsy, to Corpus Christi last week after she crossed an immigration checkpoint as she was being transferred to a childrens hospital for gallbladder surgery. After the surgery, the girl, who was born in Mexico and is in the U.S. illegally, was moved to a San Antonio child care facility.

Border Patrol said once agents encountered the girl at its immigration checkpoint, they had to take her into custody, something immigration lawyers have said is not the case.

For its part, HHS said it must first screen sponsors who want to take custody of children in its care.

Also Monday, a group of demonstrators gathered outside of Sen. John Cornyns office downtown chanting and demanding that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement drop Rosa Marias deportation case and asking Cornyn to put pressure on HHS and ICE to release her.

Trish Florence, one of the rallys organizers, said activists met briefly with Cornyns staff.

The fact that theyre still holding her, that theyre actually making an example of her, is ridiculous, Florence said. Our hope is he would intervene on her behalf.

The case has garnered national attention, particularly after a lawyer representing Rosa Maria released a video of Border Patrol agents escorting her out of the hospital.

Now Playing: A video from the attorney of 10-year-old Rosa Maria Herandez, whos facing deportation after being taken from Laredo to a hospital in Corpus Christi, shows Border Patrol agents following the girl out of the hospital when she was released on Oct. 26. Rosa Maria, who has cerebral palsy, was taken to a Corpus Christ childrens hospital for gall bladder surgery. After passing through a Border Patrol checkpoint, she was followed by agents to the hospital and kept under surveillance while she had surgery. Shes being kept in a San Antonio child care facility. Her family has said shes lived in the U.S. since she was an infant and should be returned to them. Source: Leticia Gonzalez Video: San Antonio Express-News

jbuch@express-news.net | Twitter: @jlbuch
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HONDO  A settlement has been reached in the last condemnation lawsuit filed against Medina County property owners by Southwest Gulf Railroad to obtain easements for its new rail spur, clearing the final potential hurdle for a project on which construction is under way.

A final judgment was entered last Thursday by state District Judge Camile DuBose after Richard K. Fournier withdrew all objections and counterclaims to providing a 200-foot wide easement, covering 5.15 acres, for the rail spur, which will carry rock from a quarry near Quihi to existing union Pacific Railroad tracks at U.S. 90 in Dunlay.

Fournier had rejected a $80,000 condemnation award proposed by a local special commission for the easement. His lawyer, Paul Parkhurst, said Monday that the settlement calls for its terms to remain confidential for four months.

A counterclaim by Fournier also sought to challenge the common carrier designation claimed by the railroad, a subsidiary of Vulcan materials that was created in 2003, primarily to convey rock from Vulcans 1,760 acre quarry.

The resolution of the litigation dashed the hopes of the Medina County Environmental Action Association, which has been fighting the railroad/quarry project since 2000.

It had asked the court last May to let it join Fourniers side in the suit challenging the common carrier status. The case had been slated for trial here in December.

Its a sad day for us, Lester Landrum, an officer in the grass-roots group of about 100 families, said Tuesday. As far as I know, its all over.

The association filed a lawsuit over the quarry but settled that in 2006 after Vulcan agreed to leave a vegetative buffer around the dig site, among other concessions.

Fournier and the MCEAA had hoped to convince the court to rescind the common carrier designation, which could have been a major setback for the project.

Were fighting for every Texan who owns land. Nobody is going to be safe if this goes through, Fournier said in 2016 when the condemnation suits were filed.

But the Unopposed Final Judgment entered by DuBose decrees that the U.S. Surface Transportation Board in 2008 determined that Southwest Gulf Railroad is a common carrier and has the power of eminent domain.

That authority helped it overcome restrictive covenants that the Medina County Environmental Action Association had convinced many area property owners to include in their land deeds barring their use for railroad lines.

Scott Burnham, the railroads spokesman, confirmed confidential settlements had now been reached in all 20 condemnation cases it filed against owners of properties along the roughly 9-mile rail route.

Working with Union Pacific Railroad, SGRR has received significant interest from businesses and employers seeking to enhance their supply and distribution capabilities within the Texas and global marketplace, he said Monday.

The new rail spur, costing tens of millions of dollars, and the quarry are forecast to generate $400,000 in new tax revenue for the county annually.

We are committed to Medina County and excited about bringing new jobs, generating new tax revenues and spurring economic growth throughout the area, Burnham said, projecting the two-year construction phase will create 150 jobs and the railroad operations will create 50 full-time jobs.

Many local residents and officials see moving the rock by rail as far preferable to adding hundreds of daily trucks hauling limestone to existing traffic on area roads.

Medina County Judge Chris Schuchart, who worked as an attorney for Vulcan/Southwest Gulf Railroad until taking office in 2015, said Monday of his former clients, Their path is paved to get everything done now.

zeke@express-news.net
We might only purchase those single origins and specialty blends once in a season, so there might only be 100kg available, and seeing as half of that will go toward waking us up each morning, that doesnt leave a lot, April said.
Now we do lunches and catering we have had to put extra cupboards in for storage and we have built a decking out the front of the cafe so that we can fit more patrons, she said.
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Weve all been there  the clocks just turned 4pm and we HAVE to have a chocolate biscuit, now. But why do we long for certain tastes and flavours over others? You might be surprised about why you crave the flavours you do  and what that says about you. Abbott senior sensory and consumer scientist Teresa Vollmecke reveals the truth about taste and why its important for our health.

Food and Drink on Female First

Culture club

Culture and where we are from have the biggest influences on our development of taste. From an early age the tastes, smells and varieties of foods and spices that you are exposed to influence your taste expectations. With so much global influence, we all still have a few favourites in common and there are some specific regional tastes too. While the most popular flavours across the globe are vanilla, strawberry and chocolate, in the UK we tend to lean towards fruity tastes like raspberry and peach, while the US has a sweeter tooth, craving chocolate and buttery flavours. And childhood familiarity might explain why people in parts of Asia and Asia-Pacific opt for green tea and wheat-based tastes.

Its gene-ious

To a lesser degree, our genes have some influence too. For instance, our parents pass down bitterness receptors in our DNA, meaning our aversions to certain tastes could be attributed in part to our genetics. In fact, a study a few years ago into coriander seemed to confirm this, noting those with gene SNP rs72921001 said the herb tasted like soap to them.[i]So picky eaters, you can blame mum!

We eat with our eyes

Not only is appearance important when posting your dinner on Instagram, but it seems the way our food looks can also impact our perception of how a meal tastes. While the strongest triggers for tasting food are the olfactory receptors  our sense of smell to you and me  visual appearance, especially the colour and thickness of our food can change how we taste it. In fact, data from Abbotts taste panel studies show we crave darker chocolate over any other type, and reducing a drinks grey tinge makes it more appealing to the eye  and thats where it all starts.

Whats in a name?

Picture a bar of chocolate. The one named rich chocolate is more appealing than the plain chocolate bar, right? Thats because our brain conjures mental images and expectations associated with language that makes us start to salivate.

Health is the key

We all know that the better a meal is for us, the trickier it can be to make it taste amazing (kale ring a bell?). But nutrition-dense food is especially important when it comes to recovering from illness, when eating is often the last thing on our minds. And, as any parent will tell you, if it doesnt look good, children wont eat it  no matter how good it is for them and thats a real challenge when a child is ill. So the look, texture and dominant flavours of therapeutic foods are key, to make sure even the most vulnerable little ones get all the nutrition their bodies need.

There are actually taste and flavour scientists Teresa Vollmecke works with, who are dedicated to making nutritional products taste better, helping to make the road to recovery that much easier. But finding the right combination of ingredients that taste good and blend well together, to make something nutrition-packed pleasing to the taste buds is easier said than done. Some nutrients that can help nourish us back to health dont taste the best on their own, so finding the right balance can be a challenging puzzle.

Mind over matter

Memory is a powerful beast, so its understandable it also plays a role in the food we crave. Studies show that when it comes to making food choices, we are reliant on our memory to recap prior meals since we so often choose what we eat before we see or smell the food.[ii] For example, if someone tells you to imagine the taste of a large, juicy lemon, youll think about how yellow it is or the puffiness of its skin. You can imagine it in more detail and your mouth will start salivating. So eat a delicious meal and it makes sense that days later the mere memory might create some tummy rumblings.

It transpires that our sense of taste is actually pretty complex and what we like to eat cant just be put down to personal taste. In fact, our culture, genes, eyes and even memory are all wrapped up in one forkful. Food for thought!

[i]Eriksson N et al. A genetic variant near olfactory receptor genes influences cilantro preference. Flavour 2012; 1(1):22.

[ii]Robinson E et al. Changing memory of food enjoyment to increase food liking, choice and intake. B J Nutr 2012; 108(08):1505-1510.
Mark Hamill almost snubbed the chance to return to 'Star Wars'.

Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker

The 66-year-old actor played Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy alongside Harrison Ford and the late Carrie Fisher as fellow heroes Han Solo and Princess Leia.

All three were asked to appear in the sequel and start of a new trilogy 'The Force Awakens', but Hamill was initially reluctant to return to the sci-fi franchise but decided to say yes to Disney and Lucasfilm's offer once Ford, 75, signed up.

Speaking to The New York Times, Hamill said: "I was just really scared. I thought, 'Why mess with it?' The idea of catching lightning in a bottle twice was ridiculously remote.

"But can you imagine if I was the only one to say no? I'd be the most hated man in nerd-dom!"

Although the three beloved original cast members returned for the 2015 hit - helmed by J.J. Abrams - Hamill's part was minimal with him only appearing at the end of the movie without any dialogue, despite his character playing a major role in the plot.

In the upcoming 'Episode VIII', 'The Last Jedi', Hamill will have a major role throughout the movie - which marks the last outing for Fisher as General Leia Organa after she sadly died last year.

Hamill recently promised fans will "love" her performance, but did admit that bosses have had to change their plans for the character due to Fisher's shock death.

Speaking at New York Comic Con, he said: "You're going to really love her in ['the Last Jedi'].

"I know they're going to try and find a way to close her story in 'Episode IV' that gives her the respect she deserves, because [Han Solo] was more prominent in ['The Force Awakens'], Luke's a little more prominent in 'Episode VIII, and certainly Leia was meant to be more prominent in 'Episode IV'.

"Worldwide, everyone feels that gap she left. But we all have to hang in there. And if she's out there somewhere, we have to give her the one-finger salute. Come on everybody, for Carrie."

Hamill and Fisher are joining a number of returning cast members including Adam Driver (Kylo Ren), Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe), Lupita Nyong'o (Maz Kanata), Gwendoline Christie (Captain Phasma), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), Andy Serkis (Snoke) and Domhnall Gleeson (General Lux).

'The Last Jedi' hits cinemas this December.
Bjork and LCD Soundsystem will join The xx and The National to headline the All Points East Festival.

Bjork

The quartet will be the main acts for the brand-new 10-day event in east London's Victoria Park from May 25 to June 3, 2018, with the likes of Beck, Lykke Li, Father John Misty and Warpaint also on the bill.

LCD Soundsystem - who split in 2011 before getting back together in 2015 - will headline the first ever night of the music event on Friday May 25, supported by Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Phoenix, and Glass Animals.

'I Dare You' hitmakers The xx will take to the stage the following night to complete a day of music action, which will also feature Lorde and Rex Orange County.

Bjork will close out the weekend's performers on the Sunday night after fans have listened to sets from Beck, Father John Misty, Flying Lotus 3D, and Alexis Taylor, among others.

The music then returns to Victoria Park less than a week later as The National headline on Saturday June 2, 2018, with special guests The War on Drugs and Future Islands.

The US rockers are planning something big to make the event a special one for their fans.

They said: "After a thrilling four sold out shows at the Eventim Apollo in September, we are excited to take over Victoria Park next summer.

"We are already thinking about ways to make this more than just a show."

Pre-sale tickets for the All Points East Festival are on sale on Wednesday (01.11.17) at 9am.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip will receive a recreation of their 9ft-tall wedding cake to mark their 70th anniversary.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip

The royal couple will be able to see the impressive calorific treat once again after chefs at Le Cordon Bleu spent months creating the incredible cake, which weighs 500lbs and includes 660 eggs and nearly four gallons of rum.

While it could've been their dessert for months, Elizabeth, 91, and Philip, 96, will only get to keep the top tier, with the bottom three sections heading to charities and nursing homes as well as pensioners at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, west London.

Head patisserie chef Julie Walsh admitted it was a tough task because there was no original template.

She told the Sunday Express newspaper: "The project had its challenges due to the sheer size and scale.

"Every detail had to be hand drawn to form a template because no original existed."

While the royal couple's impressive wedding cake has been recreated to mark their anniversary, the pair will not have a national celebration to see in the platinum event on November 20.

A royal source recently said: "Any celebration will be a private, family affair.

"There will be no public event."

The pair previously marked their silver, golden and diamond wedding anniversaries with national services of thanksgiving, which were held at London's Westminster Abbey.

However, a tune, 'Royal Platinum Love Song', has been composed by Russian Olga Thomas, and features Australian tenor Daniel Koek and soprano Joanna Forest, to mark the event, and double-headed platinum coins will be released.
Queen Elizabeth has visited Canada more than any other country during her reign.

Queen Elizabeth

The 91-year-old monarch became queen in Kenya in February 1952 when she discovered her father King George VI had passed away in his sleep, and since then she has been to Canada more than any other nation, heading to the North American country a massive 27 times.

However, it doesn't come as much of a surprise that Elizabeth has visited the nation so many times seeing as she is the Sovereign of the constitutional monarchy of Canada, and all ministers and the armed forces swear allegiance to her in the country.

The queen has also headed to Australia on 18 different occasions, making it her second-most visited behind Canada, according to the Daily Express.

Elizabeth met with the Australian Governor General Sir Peter Cosgrove just last month at her Scottish residence of Balmoral, and the pair bemoaned the "gloomy" weather.

He said upon meeting her: "The rain has been unceasing."

She replied: "Yes, we were just saying that it really is rather gloomy today I'm afraid."

Elizabeth met with Julie Payette, the governor general of Canada, in September, too.

While the queen has been accompanied by Prince Philip on many foreign engagements, he is unlikely to do so in the future after retiring from royal duties earlier this year.

A statement released at the time read: "His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh has decided that he will no longer carry out public engagements from the autumn of this year. In taking this decision.

"Prince Philip will attend previously scheduled engagements between now and August, both individually and accompanying The Queen. Thereafter, The Duke will not be accepting new invitations for visits and engagements.

"Although he may still choose to attend certain public events from time to time."
Christmas comes with turkey, Easter edibles contain milk chocolate- but Halloween is perfect for the plant based people. Want to know why? Read on...

Image courtesy of Pixabay

EVERYONE carves vegetables and not animals- At Christmas you might be the one left out when others are reaching for the carving knife to cut the turkey while you slice into your nut roast. On Halloween, people would rather cut up a squash than an animal- happy times.

The vegan treats- There are so many sweet things out there that are already vegan- Skittles, Raspberry Ruffles, Party Rings, Oreos, Starburst, Pear Drops, Love Hearts and Millions to name a few- so you won't go hungry.

You can spread the vegan message through your food- Instead of buying any old sweets and treats you could make your own vegan buffet and show people that plant based food is just as terrifyingly tasty!

The black cats- Suddenly everyone starts to appreciate cats- especially the black ones- you can finally share your love of animals with those nearest and dearest.

The candles- Whether they're lighting up a pumpkin or around the house to give the right atmosphere- it saves on electricity and is kinder to the planet.

MORE: Female First's top vegan candles and reed diffusers

The skeletons- The abundance of skeletons offers up the opportunity to address the important issue of bone health and introduce people to plant based milks instead of cow's milk.

The synthetic costumes- The costumes tend to be made of out synthetic materials so you and everyone else have lots of cruelty free choice when it comes to what you'll be wearing. A special mention to the cotton sheet.

The scary fruit- Peel a satsuma and give it a green top to look like a pumpkin, chop bananas in half and give them some raisin eyes and a mouth to look like a ghost or even carve a face into an orange pepper to create a mini pumpkin.

The soup- You can get out your very own cauldron (soup pan) and cook up something suitably orange to serve up as a warm, inviting, plant based meal for the family.

The toffee apples- It may only be one day of the year but on Halloween, people get just as excited about apples as you do. And you get to indulge in an extra topping (vegan of course) on yours as a treat.

For more articles on Halloween, click HERE

by Lucy Moore for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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One of the fastest-growing cities in Turkey is among the most visited destinations in Europe  and you may not have even heard of it.

According to Euromonitor Internationals annual Top 100 City Destinations ranking for 2017, which measures international tourist arrivals in 100 of the worlds leading cities, the first and second most visited places in Europe (as of 2015) were London and Paris, with 18.5 million and 15 million international annual visitors respectively. The top cities in the world were Hong Kong and Bangkok, Auckland was in 87th.

Turkeys Istanbul came in third in Europe, with 12.4 million.

One of the fastest-growing cities in Turkey

But it was Antalya, a resort city on Turkeys western Mediterranean coast with a pretty harbour and old town, that was the fourth most visited place in Europe, beating the likes of Berlin, Barcelona, and Rome.

Its not hard to see why

Antalya, known in ancient times as Lycia, belongs to the so-called Turkish Riviera, or Turquoise Coast.

It has abundant Turkish culture, a preserved historic city of Kaleici, an idyllic harbour, and hazy-blue mountains as a backdrop to its stunning beaches, resembling Rio de Janeiros somewhat.

It also benefits from some of the most undeveloped coastline in the Mediterranean, according to The Telegraph Travel.

More about Antalya

Antalya is a Turkish resort city with a yacht-filled Old Harbor and beaches flanked by large hotels. Its a gateway to Turkeys southern Mediterranean region, known as the Turquoise Coast for its blue waters. Remnants remain from Antalyas time as a major Roman port. These include Hadrians Gate, built to honor the Roman emperors visit in 130 A.D and 2nd-century Hidirlik Tower, with harbor views.

Kaleici The old quarter Kaleici, has narrow, winding streets enclosed in ancient city walls. The northern part (Selcuk and Tuzcular sections) of Kaleici is mostly shops and restaurants lining the narrow mazelike streets. The Kilincarslan district is a little quieter but still charming. Although there are other entrances, it is best to enter and exit the old quarter from Hadrianus Gate, built by the Roman emperor Hadrianus as the entrance arch to the city. Hadrian Gate will lead you to the Kilincarslan district. Places to visit Fluted Minaret Yivli Minare  In this area, you can see the famous 125 feet tall fluted minaret and the mosque. Nearby is an old market building with an interesting entrance, and a ruined gate or two.

 In this area, you can see the famous 125 feet tall fluted minaret and the mosque. Nearby is an old market building with an interesting entrance, and a ruined gate or two. Clock Tower area Saat Kulesi  Ottoman-era clock tower and 18th century Pasa Camii mosque.

 Ottoman-era clock tower and 18th century Pasa Camii mosque. Fortified Roman port Yat Liman  A beautiful harbour surrounded by town walls built during the Roman Era. Nearby is the Iskele Camii mosque.

 A beautiful harbour surrounded by town walls built during the Roman Era. Nearby is the Iskele Camii mosque. Broken Mnaret Mosque Kesik Minare  beautiful ruins of an old Roman temple, which was converted into a Christian church and finally a mosque.

 beautiful ruins of an old Roman temple, which was converted into a Christian church and finally a mosque. Hdrlk Tower Hdrlk Kulesi  a tower on the edge of the town walls with scenic views of the marina and the harbour.

 a tower on the edge of the town walls with scenic views of the marina and the harbour. Ataturks Home Ataturk Evi (just outside the Kilincarslan district, walk to Karaalioglu Park along Ataturk Cd.) -the house where the first president of Turkey stayed during his visits in Antalya. Click here to find many other things to do in Antalya

Source: Business Insider/Wikitravel

Featured image courtesy of Property Turkey
British luxury retail band Burberry has announced the exit of its president and chief creative officer Christopher Bailey at the end of next year. Christopher will maintain his position until March 31, 2018. Bailey will provide his full support to chief executive officer Marco Gobbetti and the team on the transition until December 31, 2018.

"Burberry has undergone an incredible transformation since 2001 and Bailey has been instrumental to the company's success in that period. While I am sad not to have the opportunity to partner with him for longer, the legacy he leaves and the exceptional talent we have at Burberry will give me enormous confidence in our future. We have a clear vision for the next chapter to accelerate the growth and success of the Burberry brand and I am excited about the opportunity ahead for our teams, our partners and our shareholders," Marco Gobbetti, chief executive officer said.

Since Bailey's joining in 2001, he has been a driving force behind Burberry's transformation. In that time, Burberry has grown from a small licensed outerwear business to become one of the world's largest and most admired global luxury brands. He became CEO and chief creative officer in May 2014. In this joint role, he continued to push boundaries and led the ongoing elevation of the brand. He has also built a highly talented and experienced creative team, capable of the constant re-invention that Burberry is known for.

"It has been the great privilege of my working life to be at Burberry, working alongside and learning from such an extraordinary group of people over the last 17 years. Burberry encapsulates so much of what is great about Britain. As an organisation, it is creative, innovative and outward looking. It celebrates diversity and challenges received wisdoms. It is over 160 years old, but it has a young spirit. It is part of the establishment, but it is always changing, and always learning. It has been a truly inspiring place to work and the decision to leave was not an easy one. I do truly believe, however, that Burberry's best days are still ahead of her and that the company will go from strength to strength with the strategy we have developed and the exceptional talent we have in place led by Gobbetti," said Bailey.

"I would like to thank all my colleagues as well as sir John Peace and the board for all their support and faith in me over the years. I am excited to pursue new creative projects but remain fully committed to the future success of this magnificent brand and to ensuring a smooth transition," concluded Bailey.

"Bailey is a unique talent and an exceptional person and I would like to thank him personally for his part in transforming Burberry. He has been a great partner to me and he leaves the company in the very best of hands, with a strong team and culture in place, led by Gobbetti as CEO. I have total confidence that Gobbetti's vision and leadership, with the excellent management team in place, will keep Burberry on the forefront creatively, digitally and financially, creating further value for shareholders in the next exciting stage of our evolution," sir John Peace, chairman said. (RR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Following a call and employment promise by Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park in Warangal, handloom and textile workers from the state, who had migrated decades back to Gujarat, Haryana and Maharashtra in search of work, are now said to be interested to return to the state.Some textile workers from Surat met industries minister KT Rama Rao recently and expressed their happiness at the government taking interest in textile workers, according to a report in a leading Indian daily.

Following a call and employment promise by Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Kakatiya Mega Textile Park in Warangal, handloom and textile workers from the state, who had migrated decades back to Gujarat, Haryana and Maharashtra in search of work, are now said to be interested to return to the state.#

Apart from advising the workers to equip themselves better to meet job requirements, Rama Rao urged those who had set up small textile units in other states to think of coming to Telangana. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / October 30, 2017 / Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Rio Tinto plc ('Rio Tinto' or the 'Company') (NYSE: RIO). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 9980.

The investigation concerns whether Rio Tinto and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here to join a class action]

In August 2011, Rio Tinto acquired certain Riversdale Mining Limited coal assets in Mozambique for approximately $3.7 billion. In or around December 2012, the Chairman of the Board of Rio Tinto ordered an investigation into the true value of these coal assets. In January 15, 2013, the Company's Board determined that the assets were severely impaired and should be written down to $611 million. On February 15, 2013, Rio Tinto disclosed the initial impact of the impairment to investors in a press release announcing the Company's financial and operating results for 2012. On this disclosure, Rio Tinto's American Depositary Receipt price fell sharply over the following trading sessions, damaging investors. After recording hundreds of millions of dollars in additional impairment charges, Rio Tinto ultimately sold the assets at issue for $50 million (less than two percent of the original $3.7 billion acquisition price).

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.

SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP
OVERLAND PARK (dpa-AFX) - SoftBank Group plans to break off negotiations toward a merger between subsidiary Sprint (S) and T-Mobile US amid a failure to come to terms on ownership of the combined entity, Nikkei Asian Review reported citing people familiar with the matter. SoftBank's founder and chairman, Masayoshi Son, is concerned about giving up too much control in the potential transaction, the report said. The two sides also have been unable to agree on a valuation for Sprint's shares, they added, though the talks still could be revived at a later date. SoftBank, which owns more than 80% of Sprint, had been in negotiations with T-Mobile's parent Deutsche Telekom AG on an all-stock deal that would give the German firm control over the combined U.S. company. 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.
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- Relevium Technologies Inc. (TSX VENTURE: RLV)(FRANKFURT: 6BX) (the "Company" or "Relevium"), a publicly traded corporation strategically focused on creating value through the acquisition and development of e-brands, online businesses and e-retail technologies in the Health and Wellness space, is pleased to announce the filing of the company's Audited Financial Statements and MD&A for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 on Sedar

News Release Highlights

-- An active year focused on acquisitions and its impact on the income statement -- Impact of Bioganix and first quarter of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018 -- Major events impacting our Consolidated Statements of Financial Position

An active fiscal year focused on acquisitions

The fiscal year ended June 30, 2017 was a year dedicated to the identification, evaluation and negotiation with several acquisition targets. As the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements and MD&A reveal, the company's expenses increased substantially for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017, primarily the result of the non-cash impairment of the carrying value of the intellectual assets acquired as part of the company's qualifying transaction in 2015, totaling $747,322. The additional increase in expenses of $567,677 in consulting fees were related primarily to acquisitions and related expenses. The combination of these major categories of expenses resulted in a net and comprehensive loss of $2,584,738 as compared to $1,557,719 in 2016.

Commenting on the results for the reporting period, Aurelio Useche, President and CEO stated: "It was a year dedicated to the execution of our first acquisition in our roll-up strategy. The process was challenging but effective". Mr Useche added: "The impact from operations of newly acquired Bioganix will only take effect in the company's Consolidated Financial Statements for the three-month period ended September 30, 2017 (Q1), which will be reported at the end of this month of November"

Major events impacting our Consolidated Statements of Financial Position

The Company reported significant changes to the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position, including an increase in total assets of $6,111,470 from $1,003,682 in 2016 to $7,115,152 in 2017. In parallel, the Company also reported significant changes in total liabilities of $4,343,533, from $447,031 in 2016 to $4,790,564 in 2017. Most of these changes transpired during the last quarter of the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017 and were primarily the result of an equity financing, a debenture financing and the execution of the definitive agreement and deposit to acquire BioGanix.

Commenting on these major events, Aurelio Useche, President and CEO stated: "From the execution of the binding agreement to the close of all three major events six months later, the company's overall financial position has improved materially, positioning Relevium to continue to execute on the roll-up strategy". Mr Useche added: "Relevium remains an entrepreneurial venture at heart and every single person in the team, from directors to the actual operators of the business, is guided by this principle in mind: We are Intense, Nimble and Lean"

The company looks forward to continuing to update shareholders.

About Relevium Technologies

Relevium is a TSXV listed company focused on growth through the acquisition of businesses, products and/or technologies with a focus on e-commerce in the growing health and wellness sector. Relevium Technologies Inc. also holds patented intellectual property for the use of static magnetic fields for application on wearable devices.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, which reflects the Company's current expectations regarding future events. Forward-looking information is based on several assumptions and is subject to several risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking information. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward- looking statements and forward-looking information and are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update such forward-looking information, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

RELEVIUM TECHNOLOGIES INC.

Aurelio Useche, President and CEO

RELEVIUM TECHNOLOGIES INC

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Contacts:

Edward Ierfino

Manager, Investor Relations

Tel: (514) 562-1374

Email: eierfino@releviumcorp.com

Website: www.releviumtechnologies.com




SAN DIEGO, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Astute Medical, Inc., developer of biomarkers for better healthcare, today previewed several presentations taking place in conjunction with the annualAmerican Society of Nephrology Kidney Weekmeeting, which will be held today through Nov. 5 in New Orleans. The Company highlighted research focusing on the biomarkers TIMP-2 and IGFBP7, which were identified1and validated2in clinical studies for their utility in assessing the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI), leading to the commercialization of Astute Medical'sNephroCheckTest.

Recent studies have shown that the use of the NephroCheckTest in conjunction with guided therapy based upon Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) clinical practice guidelines improved patient outcomes,3 shortened hospital stays and reduced per patient costs.4

Clinicians have found the use of the test for early identification of patients whose kidneys are stressed allows treatment to be tailored to mitigate risk.5,6

The two biomarkers are involved in G1 cell-cycle arrest, a protective mechanism that prevents stressed cells from dividing in case of DNA damage.7 This allows the biomarkers to function as an early alarm of kidney cell stress before major damage and progression to AKI.8

Hospitals are using the NephroCheckTest as a risk assessment tool and developing patient management strategies based on their protocols to address the danger that AKI poses to susceptible patients, including those suffering from serious injury, systemic illness, or who have recently undergone surgery.9 AKI is known to strike in up to 50 percent of critically ill patients,10heightening risk of mortality, lengthening intensive care stays and driving health care costs higher.11

Kidney Week attendees can learn more about theNephroCheckTest at Astute Medical's exhibition booth #501.

"Presentations at Kidney Week include a new multicenter analysis of the NephroCheckTest in patients presenting to the emergency department with sepsis," said Astute Chief Scientific Officer Paul McPherson, Ph.D. "This study provides additional insight for how physicians may use the test to improve assessment of these difficult to manage patients, leading to better care."

Presentations include:

Biomarkers of AKI

Pre-conference session Critical Care Nephrology

Tuesday, Oct. 31 , Ballroom C, 1:00 to 1:30 p.m.

Cell-Cycle Arrest Biomarkers TIMP2*IGFBP7 Predict Worse Outcomes in Septic Patients Without Clinical Evidence of AKI

Poster identifier: PO302

Acute Kidney Injury, oral abstract presentation, Thursday, Nov. 2 , Room 282, 5:42 to 5:54 p.m.

On Wednesday, Nov. 1, the Cardio Renal Society of America (CRSA) will host a dinner symposium at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, during which physicians will discuss their experience using the NephroCheckTest. The event is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Astute Medical.

Attended by more than 13,000 kidney professionals, Kidney Week promotes the opportunity to discuss the latest scientifically advanced medicine and technology, the chance to exchange knowledge and listen to discussions from the top specialists in the field.

TheNephroCheckTest helps clinicians determine if certain hospitalized patients are at risk of developing moderate to severe AKI in the 12 hours following test administration. Early knowledge that a patient is likely to develop AKI may prompt closer patient surveillance and help prevent permanent kidney damage or death.

About Astute Medical, Inc.

Astute Medical is dedicated to improving the diagnosis of high-risk medical conditions and diseases through the identification and validation of protein biomarkers that can serve as the basis for novel diagnostic tests.

The Company's focus is community- and hospital-acquired acute conditions that require rapid diagnosis and risk assessment. Astute Medical's current areas of interest include abdominal pain, acute coronary syndromes, cerebrovascular injury, kidney injury and sepsis.

Astute Medical is a founding corporate partner of 0by25, a human rights initiative aimed at eliminating preventable and treatable deaths from AKI worldwide by 2025.

Astute Medical's NephroCheck Test received 510(k)-clearance through the FDA's de novo classification. The test is CE-marked and available in Europe.

For additional information, please visit AstuteMedical.com.

The NephroCheckTest Intended Use (United States)

The NephroCheck Test System is intended to be used in conjunction with clinical evaluation in patients who currently have or have had within the past 24 hours acute cardiovascular and or respiratory compromise and are intensive care unit (ICU) patients as an aid in the risk assessment for moderate or severe AKI within 12 hours of patient assessment. The NephroCheck Test System is intended to be used in patients 21 years of age or older.

For more information on the NephroCheck Test visit NephroCheck.com.

Astute Medical, Inc., Astute Medical, the AM logo,Astute140,NephroCheck, theNephroChecklogo and AKIRiskare registered trademarks of Astute Medical, Inc. in the United States. For information regarding trademarks and other intellectual property applicable to this product, including international trademarks, please seewww.astutemedical.com/us/about/intellectualproperty. PN0652 Rev A 2017/10/29



1 Kashani K, Al-Khafaji A, Ardiles T, et al. Discovery and validation of cell cycle arrest biomarkers in human acute kidney injury.Crit Care. 2013;17:R25.

2Bihorac A, Chawla L, Shaw A, et al. Validation of Cell-Cycle Arrest Biomarkers for Acute Kidney Injury Using Clinical Adjudication.Am J Respir Crit Care Med. Vol 189, Iss 8, pp 932- 939, Apr 15, 2014.

3Meersch M, Schmidt C, Hoffmeier A, et al. Prevention of cardiac surgery-associated AKI by implementing the KDIGO guidelines in high risk patients identified by biomarkers: The PrevAKI randomized control trial. Intensive Care Med. (2017) Jan. 21.

4Gocze I, Jauch D, Gotz M, et al. Biomarker-guided intervention to prevent acute kidney injury after major surgery: the prospective randomized BiK Study.Ann Surg.Published online August 2017.

5Laviano B, DiGiorgi P, Buss R, Comas G, Hummel B. Utility of Urinary [TIMP-2] *[IGFBP7] as a Predictor of Acute Kidney Injury in Cardiac Surgery Patients. Abstract presented at the 14th Annual Multidiscipline Cardiovascular and Thoracic Critical Care Conference from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons; October 5, 2017; Washington, D.C.

6Schanz M, Shi J, Wasser C, Alscher MD and Kimmel M. Urinary [TIMP-2] x [IGFBP7] for risk prediction of acute kidney injury in decompensated heart failure.Clin Cardiol. 2017. https://doi.org/10.1002/clc.22683.

7Kellum JA, Chawla LS. Cell-cycle arrest and acute kidney injury: the light and dark sides. Nephrol Dial Transplant (2015) 0:1-7 doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfv130.

8Kellum JA, Chawla LS. Cell-cycle arrest and acute kidney injury: the light and dark sides. Nephrol Dial Transplant (2015) 0:1-7 doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfv130.

9Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) CKD Work Group. KDIGO 2012 Clinical Practice guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Chronic Kidney Disease. Kidney inter., Suppl. 2013; 3:1-150.

10Mandelbaum T, Scott DJ, Lee J, et al. Outcome of critically ill patients with acute kidney injury using the AKIN criteria.Crit Care Med. 2011;39(12):2659-2664.

11Hobson C, Ozrazgat-Baslanti T, Kuxhausen A, et al. Cost and mortality associated with postoperative acute kidney injury.Ann Surg. 2014;00:1-8.
NEW YORK CITY (dpa-AFX) - American International Group Inc. (AIG) announced Monday that Chris Townsend will join the company as Chief Executive Officer, International General Insurance, in the first quarter of 2018. In this newly created role, Townsend will lead the International operations of AIG's General Insurance business. He will report to Peter Zaffino, Chief Executive Officer, General Insurance, as a member of the General Insurance Executive Leadership Team. Townsend has over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. He previously served as president of MetLife's Asia region, with responsibility for all businesses and operations across 11 markets in Asia, and as a member of the company's Executive Group. He joined MetLife from AIG, where he held senior roles based out of London, New York, Singapore, Sydney and Hong Kong. From 2010 to 2012, Townsend was Chief Executive Officer of AIG's Asia Pacific region. Townsend said, 'I started my career at AIG, and it feels great to be returning and to be part of the next era in the company's long history.' 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.
BERLIN, GERMANY -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- (NYSE: CAE)(TSX: CAE) - CAE announced today at the 2017 European Aviation Training Symposium (EATS) aviation training solutions contracts with European airlines, including Brussels Airlines and Stobart Air, as well as the expansion of its footprint in Europe. Reinforcing its leadership position in the region, the company inaugurated new ATR 72-600 and A320 full-flight simulators and updated training equipment to the latest standards in Madrid, Spain; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; and London Gatwick, United Kingdom.

"CAE places such great importance on supporting the various growing training needs of our airline customers around the world," said Nick Leontidis, CAE's Group President, Civil Aviation Training Solutions. "I'm pleased that we have signed new training services contracts and invested in our training network to better serve our existing and future customers. This is part of our commitment of being the training partner of choice."

Stobart Air: ATR 72-600 and Embraer 195 pilot training

New CAE customer Stobart Air will begin training its pilots at CAE's training centre in Madrid in the fall of 2017 on the new ATR 72-600 full-flight simulator and at CAE Amsterdam in the first half of 2018 on the Embraer E190 platforms. The Ireland-based regional airline signed a 5-year agreement with CAE in the fall of 2016.

Brussels Airlines: Airbus A320/A330 pilot training

Brussels Airlines has extended its partnership that spans over a decade with CAE with the signing of a renewed Airbus A320 and A330 training equipment services contract. Under the exclusive 5-year agreement, effective beginning of 2018, Brussels Airlines' pilots will continue to train at CAE's training centre in Brussels. In addition to training equipment services, CAE has placed and continues to place graduates from its Brussels aviation academy as first officers with Belgium's national carrier.

CAE's European training network expansion: in-line with customers' pilot training needs

To support the growing pilot training needs of its customers and continue to deliver an outstanding training experience, CAE inaugurated new state-of-the-art full-flight simulators and updated training equipment to the latest standards in Amsterdam, Madrid and London Gatwick. The new simulators are part of the previously disclosed capital deployment plans.

CAE Madrid: New ATR 72-600 FFS

CAE's brand-new ATR 72-600 full-flight simulator is now ready for training at CAE Madrid to support the growing pilot training needs of its European regional airline customers, including Stobart Air, Air Nostrum, White Airways, and Binter Canarias. The CAE 7000XR Series FFS is equipped with the CAE Tropos 6000XR visual system, offering unprecedented realism.

With this training equipment addition, CAE Madrid now provides pilot training for Airbus A320, A330, A340, ATR 72-600, CRJ 200/900NG/1000, DCH8Q300 and Dornier Do328TP platforms, bringing the total number of simulators available to 10. In addition, the already announced new Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 CAE-built FFS will be ready-for-training at the centre in the first half of 2018. CAE Madrid is the training partner of choice of Spain's major airlines and low-cost carriers, providing cadet training for tomorrow's captains, and training more than 10,000 pilots and cabin crew every year.

CAE Amsterdam and CAE London Gatwick: Elevating the pilot training experience with new deployments and updates of simulators

An additional CAE-built Airbus A320 full-flight simulator is now ready-for-training at CAE's training centre in Amsterdam, supporting the pilot training needs of airlines in the region including easyJet. The CAE 7000XR Series FFS is also equipped with the CAE Tropos 6000XR visual system.

With this training equipment addition, CAE Amsterdam now provides commercial and business aviation pilot training for Airbus A320, Boeing 737NG, Embraer E190, ATR 42/72, Fokker 50, 70/100, Bombardier Challenger 300/350, 605 and Global Vision 5000/6000 platforms. CAE Amsterdam is the training partner of choice of Europe's major airlines and large fleet operators, providing pilot and cabin crew training to more than 10,000 crew members every year.

To keep the most advanced training network in the world, CAE is also continuously updating its training equipment to the latest standards. Following the upgrades of the two Airbus A320 full-flight simulators in Manchester in 2016, CAE London Gatwick completed the upgrade of its A320 FFS to continue to deliver the excellent pilot training experience that airline customers, including easyJet, expect. CAE London Gatwick is equipped with 9 full-flight simulators, providing pilot training for Airbus A320, A330; Boeing 737, 737NG, 757/767; Embraer E190.

About CAE

CAE is a global leader in training for the civil aviation, defence and security, and healthcare markets. Backed by a 70-year record of industry firsts, we continue to help define global training standards with our innovative virtual-to-live training solutions to make flying safer, maintain defence force readiness and enhance patient safety. We have the broadest global presence in the industry, with more than 8,500 employees, 160 sites and training locations in over 35 countries. Each year, we train more than 120,000 civil and defence crewmembers and thousands of healthcare professionals worldwide. www.cae.com

Follow us on Twitter @CAE_Inc

This press release was issued to Trade Media

Contacts:

CAE contacts:

General Media: Helene V. Gagnon, Vice President,

Public Affairs and Global Communications

+1-514-340-5536

helene.v.gagnon@cae.com



Trade Media:

Frederic Morais, Marketing Leader,

Civil Aviation Training Solutions

+1-514-506-8331

frederic.morais@cae.com



Investor relations:

Andrew Arnovitz, Vice President,

Strategy and Investor Relations

+1-514-734-5760

andrew.arnovitz@cae.com




BERLIN, GERMANY -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- (NYSE: CAE)(TSX: CAE) - CAE announced today at the 2017 European Aviation Training Symposium (EATS) the signature of an exclusive long-term A350 pilot training contract with Iberia Airlines, one of the world's distinguished legacy carriers. Under the agreement, Iberia pilots will receive Airbus A350 training at CAE's training centre in Madrid starting in the second half of 2018.

CAE has been Iberia's training partner of choice for more than 50 years, beginning with the sale of the airline's very first full-flight simulator. Iberia's pilots and cabin crew have been training on Airbus A320, A330 and A340 aircraft platforms at CAE's training centre in Madrid since 2004.

"CAE is proud to serve our long-standing partners like Iberia. I think that the length and the expansion of our relationship with Iberia speaks volumes to the quality of our training products and services, and customer support. It is always a privilege to support our airline customers for their growing training needs," said Nick Leontidis, CAE's Group President, Civil Aviation Training Solutions.

About CAE

CAE is a global leader in training for the civil aviation, defence and security, and healthcare markets. Backed by a 70-year record of industry firsts, we continue to help define global training standards with our innovative virtual-to-live training solutions to make flying safer, maintain defence force readiness and enhance patient safety. We have the broadest global presence in the industry, with more than 8,500 employees, 160 sites and training locations in over 35 countries. Each year, we train more than 120,000 civil and defence crewmembers and thousands of healthcare professionals worldwide. www.cae.com

Follow us on Twitter @CAE_Inc

This press release was issued to Trade Media

Contacts:

CAE contacts:

General Media:

Helene V. Gagnon, Vice President,

Public Affairs and Global Communications

+1-514-340-5536

helene.v.gagnon@cae.com



Trade media:

Frederic Morais, Marketing Leader,

Civil Aviation Training Solutions,

+1-514-506-8331

frederic.morais@cae.com



Investor relations:

Andrew Arnovitz, Vice President,

Strategy and Investor Relations

+1-514-734-5760

andrew.arnovitz@cae.com




BERLIN, GERMANY -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- (NYSE: CAE)(TSX: CAE) - CAE announced today at the 2017 European Aviation Training Symposium (EATS) that it has sold the world's first airline-operated Boeing 777X full-flight simulator (FFS) to Lufthansa Aviation Training. As the launch airline customer of the first-ever Boeing 777X aircraft expected to take wing in 2020, Lufthansa will begin training its pilots across its training network in Germany on the CAE 7000XR Series FFS equipped with CAE Tropos-6000XR innovative visual systems in the first half of 2020.

"CAE has been a tremendous partner for more than two decades, providing the most innovative and highest-quality training equipment for our customers to train on", said Rainer Hiltebrand, CEO Lufthansa Aviation Training GmbH. "Choosing to team-up with the worldwide leading training partner to bring the Boeing 777X program successfully to market was a natural choice. We look forward to celebrating this new key milestone together".

"It is an honor to be selected as the training partner of choice for the delivery of the world's first airline-operated Boeing 777X full-flight simulator," said Nick Leontidis, CAE's Group President, Civil Aviation Training Solutions. "This is testament to our commitment to excellence and ability to deliver best-in-class training equipment. We look forward to supporting Lufthansa and Lufthansa Aviation Training customers with the entry into service of this new aircraft."

CAE and Lufthansa Aviation Training share a long-standing relationship. CAE has provided more than 30 full-flight simulators to Lufthansa Aviation Training over the span of 35 years.

About CAE

CAE is a global leader in training for the civil aviation, defence and security, and healthcare markets. Backed by a 70-year record of industry firsts, we continue to help define global training standards with our innovative virtual-to-live training solutions to make flying safer, maintain defence force readiness and enhance patient safety. We have the broadest global presence in the industry, with more than 8,500 employees, 160 sites and training locations in over 35 countries. Each year, we train more than 120,000 civil and defence crewmembers and thousands of healthcare professionals worldwide. www.cae.com

Follow us on Twitter @CAE_Inc

This press release was issued to Trade Media

Contacts:

CAE contacts:

General Media: Helene V. Gagnon, Vice President,

Public Affairs and Global Communications

+1-514-340-5536

helene.v.gagnon@cae.com



Trade Media:

Frederic Morais, Marketing Leader,

Civil Aviation Training Solutions

+1-514-506-8331

frederic.morais@cae.com



Investor relations:

Andrew Arnovitz, Vice President,

Strategy and Investor Relations

+1-514-734-5760

andrew.arnovitz@cae.com




SINGAPORE--(Marketwired - October 31, 2017) - Zecotek Photonics Inc. (TSX VENTURE: ZMS) (FRANKFURT: W1I) (OTC PINK: ZMSPF), a developer of leading-edge photonics technologies for healthcare, industrial and scientific markets, is pleased to announce that a well-established life sciences OEM based in Europe has selected its patented Lutetium Fine Silicate (LFS) scintillation crystals for a new line of high resolution positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) medical imaging devices. Final qualifying phase data has been sent to the OEM, prior to the execution of a long-term supply engagement as the OEM prepares for the introduction of a new line of specialized PET/CT medical systems to be distributed globally. The OEM has requested to remain anonymous for competitive reasons.

"We are pleased to announce that a major European OEM has officially adopted our patented LFS crystals; production and supply discussions are ongoing, and the contract to supply LFS scintillation crystal to a top European OEM, launching a new line of PET/CT scanning devices, is potentially worth over $10 million per year to Zecotek when in full production," said Dr. A.F. Zerrouk, Chairman, President, and CEO of Zecotek Photonics Inc.

"We have been developing the project to supply LFS crystals to this organization for quite some time, and continue to be in discussions with several other OEMs wanting scintillation crystals. This new customer adds to our recent success in the Chinese PET market, where we have been qualified to supply crystals to several PET OEMs and High Energy Institutions. Based on our internal analysis, the estimated demand for LFS crystals in 2018 is likely to be over US$20 million. We are focused to capture as much of this estimated business as possible."

Zecotek has strategically positioned itself to supply the LFS scintillation crystals to medical device OEMs around the globe. The Company has recently announced the adoption of LFS crystals by tier 1 PET OEMs in China, one of the world's fastest growing medical scanning device markets. China has experienced rapid economic growth, it has a growing middle class and an aging population, and a government motivated to increase investment in medical diagnostic equipment.

Other international medical device OEMs, including the well-established European OEM adopting LFS crystals, are expected to introduce new generation PET and PET/CT medical scanning devices very soon. New and more efficient readout systems, combined with faster and brighter crystals and more sensitive photo detectors, have created the technological environment where the new devices are being readied for the medical markets with far superior operating systems than current devices being used in hospitals today. Medical officials in North America, Europe and Asia are desperate for faster, higher resolution scanning devices as aging populations place greater demands on their respective healthcare systems.

Zecotek's patented (US patent No. 7,132,060) LFS series of scintillation crystals are characterized by their high light yields and ultra-fast decay times which will produce quicker, more detailed images and diagnoses, resulting in faster patient throughput and improved patient outcomes. The LFS crystals cover a wide range of emission wavelengths which can be tailored to match the spectral sensitivity of various photo detectors including Zecotek's own solid-state MAPD/T photo detector arrays.

Scintillation crystals play a fundamental role in healthcare, science, industrial and security applications, where they are used to convert high-energy photons into visible light. Zecotek's patented LFS scintillation material with all its variants are known to have superior operating attributes and were developed specifically for use in medical imaging systems, high-energy physics experiments, and other applications.

The LFS scintillation crystals will be supplied by the Beijing Opto-Electronics Technology Company (BOET), a subsidiary of North-China Research Institute of Electronics-Optics an industry leader in growing, cutting, polishing and large-scale production of scintillation crystals grown by the Czochralski method. Zecotek's manufacturing process permits the growth of very large-diameter boules with uniform properties and without cracking (a problem with many competing scintillation materials), resulting in high element output and lower unit costs.

About Zecotek

Zecotek Photonics Inc (TSX VENTURE: ZMS) (FRANKFURT: W1I) (OTC PINK: ZMSPF) is a photonics technology company developing high-performance scintillation crystals, photo detectors, positron emission tomography scanning technologies, 3D auto-stereoscopic displays, 3D metal printing, and lasers for applications in medical, high-tech and industrial sectors. Founded in 2004, Zecotek operates three divisions: Imaging Systems, Optronics Systems and 3D Display Systems with labs located in Canada, Korea, Russia, Singapore and U.S.A. The management team is focused on building shareholder value by commercializing over 50 patented and patent pending novel photonic technologies directly and through strategic alliances with Hamamatsu Photonics (Japan), the European Organization for Nuclear Research (Switzerland), Beijing Opto-Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. (China), NuCare Medical Systems (South Korea), the University of Washington (United States), and National NanoFab Center (South Korea). For more information visit www.zecotek.com and follow @zecotek on Twitter.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on management's expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual future results and trends may differ materially from what may have been stated.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release. If you would like to receive news from Zecotek in the future please visit the corporate website at www.zecotek.com.

For Additional Information Please Contact:

Zecotek Photonics Inc.

Michael Minder

T: (604) 783-8291

ir@zecotek.com
DUBAI, UAE, October 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

DAMAC'stopping ofForbes listputsUAEon world stagefor itsleadership inbusinessentrepreneurship andglobal competitiveness

DAMAC Properties, a leading luxury real estate developer in the region, has clinched the number one spot on the Forbes Global 2000 List of Growth Champions, making it the fastest growing company worldwide among the top 2,000 listed by Forbes.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160714/389603LOGO )



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/593537/Hussain_Sajwani.jpg )



The Forbes list was created in collaboration with Statista, a leading portal providing online statistics, market research and business intelligence, and is based on four metrics - sales, profit, assets and market value, and takes into account a company's compounded annual revenue growth between 2013 to 2016.

Hussain Sajwani, Chairman of DAMAC Properties, said, "Topping the Forbes Global 2000 Growth Champions list is a personal honour for me as it puts the UAE and Dubai firmly on the global map for competitiveness. This ranking is a testament to the visionary leaders of the UAE, and the government's support in nurturing entrepreneurship and commercial success, particularly in the real estate sector. This achievement also recognizes DAMAC's clear vision for growth, its innovative offerings, its solid financial planning and performance, as well as the relentless ambition of its 2,000 employees to be leaders of the industry."

The Growth Champions list considers growth rates for all the companies included in the Global 2000 index, and identifies the top 250 outperformers as Growth Champions, based on their compound annual revenue growth over the last three years.

DAMAC's strong sales performance is attributed to continued demand for its projects including AYKON City, DAMAC Hills and AKOYA Oxygen. In the first half of 2017, DAMAC had booked sales of AED 4 billion, an 11 percent increase over the same period last year. Established in 2002, DAMAC's footprint now extends across the Middle East with projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Lebanon and the United Kingdom. As of 30 September 2017, DAMAC has delivered over 19,800 homes, and has another 44,000 units at various stages of development.

Since its establishment, DAMAC has been at the forefront of the real estate industry in the UAE and the region, as well as setting an example for brands and organizations in other industries both financially and profile wise. DAMAC has launched and developed iconic real estate projects that have changed the face of the real estate industry in the UAE.

The full list of the Forbes Global 2000 Growth Champions can be found at:https://www.forbes.com/growth-champions/list/

Get more information athttp://www.damacproperties.com

DAMAC Properties has been at the forefront of the Middle East's luxury real estate market since 2002 - bringing luxury living experiences to residents from all over the world. Making its mark at the highest end of stylish living, DAMAC Properties has cemented its place as the leading luxury developer in the region, offering iconic design and the utmost quality. The company's footprint now extends across the Middle East with projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Lebanon and the United Kingdom.

As of 30thSeptember 2017, DAMAC Properties has delivered approximately 19,855 homes. The company has a development portfolio of over 44,000 units at various stages of progress and planning, comprising more than 13,000 hotel rooms, serviced apartments and hotel villas, which will be managed by its hospitality arm, DAMAC Hotels & Resorts. With vision and momentum, DAMAC Properties is building the next generation of Middle East luxury living.

Follow DAMAC Properties onFacebook,Twitter(@DAMACofficial) andYouTube.
MILAN, October 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The industrial solutions multinational signed another contract for the supply of a turn-key photovoltaic plant(PV) with Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Corsica.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/592886/Nidec_ASI.jpg )

Nidec Industrial Solutions (NIS) and Corsica Sole, Project Developer and Independent Power Producer (IPP), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the turn-key construction and maintenance of four photovoltaic projects with battery storage which are part of the 13 MWp pipeline project won by Corsica Sole awarded under the French CRE ZNI tender.

NIS and Corsica Sole have recently finalized and signed an EPC contract, related to one of these projects, with a capacity of 4.78MWp(PV)and 7.5MWh(BESS), located near Bastia, one of the biggest electricity consumption centers in Corsica. "This project, and those to come next, demonstrate that it is already technologically possible, economically feasible and socially beneficial today to achieve 100% renewable energy mix," says Michael Coudyser, CEO of Corsica Sole.

The NIS scope of work includes anEPC and two years of maintenance including supplying NIS manufacturing product, namely 1.5 kV inverter, ARTICS Smart Energy, Nidec's Power Management System for smart microgrids and energy storage, in addition to design, construction, installation and commissioning. The plant is expected to be fully operational by April 2018. "We consider this project" - concludes Matteo Rizzi, Nidec Industrial Solutions Director Global Sales PV & BESS - "a significant step in the consolidation of our leadership in renewable energies". The construction of the other three projects, will start in 2018.

Nidec Industrial Solutions is currently the world's leading supplier of PV, battery energy storage solutions and smart microgrids with an installed base in BESS of more than 430 MWh already in operation and another 59 MWh expected to come online later this year.

Nidec Industrial Solutions success is the result of extensive expertise in automation and power quality along with a strong capacity for R&D. At the end of last year, theylaunchedtwo new applications for Power Conversion System (PCS): the ES1000 inverter, specifically designed to maximize grid performanceoffering primary, secondary and tertiary frequency regulation, and the GS1500, a 1500V Power Conversion Systems for PV plants. The new GS1500 has already been met with success, bringing the company to have more than 200 MW PV installed around the world.

Pietro Lucchese: tel.+39-335-7040-604, e-mail: lucchese@nextcommunications.it
On 31 of October 2017 at 9:00 (EET) AB Klaipedos nafta (hereinafter - the Company) holds a conference webinar for its shareholders, investors, mass media representatives and other stakeholders. The presentation is held in English. The webinar is hosted by KN Chief Financial Officer Marius Pulkauninkas who introduces the Company's financial results for the nine months of 2017 and will answer the participant questions. Webinar presentation is enclosed. Marius Pulkauninkas, Chief Financial Officer, tel. +370 46 391763 Attachment: https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=650674

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.
To view the announcement as a .pdf with referenced images please click on the following link: http://www.auraenergy.com.au/investor/ASX%20Announcements/2017/Quarterly%20Report%20September%202017%20and%20Appendix%205B.pdf

31 October 2017

AURA ENERGY LIMITED

("Aura" or the "Company")

SEPTEMBER QUARTERLY REPORT

KEY POINTS:

TIRIS PROJECT (Mauritania)

Tiris operating costs reduced by 35% to US $19.40/lb U?O?

Tiris Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) approved by the Mauritanian Government - Key Project Milestone

Strong engineering progress on the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS)

Tiris Project Water Study continued

Tiris Resource upgrade drilling program continues

TASIAST SOUTH GOLD PROJECT (Mauritania)

Aura awaits granting of gold and base metal tenements to commence exploration in this very promising field

HAGGAN POLYMETALLIC ROJECT (Sweden)

Haggan Polymetallic review highlights 'Battery Metals' potential

Significant vanadium content now a key area of evaluation

Review has highlighted need to optimise significant quantities of cobalt, vanadium, uranium, molybdenum, nickel, zinc and neodymium

QuarterLY OVERVIEW

Aura's work during the quarter supported the broad scope the company maintains across its projects and believes strategically this is the best approach to maximise the many metals and opportunities these projects present.

The Tiris Uranium Project continues to present as Aura's best near-term prospect for project cashflow despite the lagging uranium price. Aura has worked to reduce the operating costs within the DFS which places Tiris' C1 cash cost below both spot and long-term contract prices.

For prudent diversification, Aura has pressed forward with its gold and base metals projects in Mauritania and while the tenement granting process has been slow, affecting the start of work, the company believes these to be exceptional prospects.

With respect to Haggan, the 'Battery Metal' sector has recently been born and Haggan's key attributes of contributing strongly to the energy sector, including renewables and battery's is now a key focus. This sudden development within the battery sector and Haggan's significant vanadium content now place these additional aspects of the project in prime focus.

During the September quarter, Aura pressed further with the Tiris Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) with the main points being;

Tiris operating costs reduced by 35% to US$19.40/lb U?O?

Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) approved by the Mauritanian Government

Strong progress on the engineering aspects of the project

Water drilling continued but encountered difficult drilling conditions

First phase of resource upgrade work - aircore drilling with downhole logging nearing completion

The achievement of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) approval was a key project milestone as the company maintains this is the key approval required for a uranium project.

With the extensive early engineering underway, the Tiris Project development momentum remains good. As the Tiris Mining Lease application was submitted in late May, the granting of the Mining Lease could be achieved shortly.

Aura remains positive on its significant Tasiast South gold and base metal prospects, and awaits granting of the permits to commence field activities immediately following the grant.

Haggan Polymetallic Project in Sweden has become a new focus given the increasing demand and pricing for the Battery Metals that is emerging. Haggan has always had a good focus on its base metal content but the expansion to include Battery Metals is expected over time to enhance the project economics.

Haggan contains very substantial quantities of cobalt, vanadium, copper uranium, molybdenum, nickel, zinc and neodymium. The reassessment highlights the work required in the project's early development stages and the company will assess funding via metal-streaming transactions.

Tiris Project, MAURITANIA (Aura 100%)

Tiris Project Overview

Aura is conducting a Feasibility Study on its 100% owned 49-million-pound U?O? calcrete uranium project in Mauritania (See Figure 1). The project has low operating costs and low development capital with strong financial returns under long-term pricing scenarios.

Tiris Project Definitive Feasibility Study

During the quarter, Aura was granted environmental approval for the Tiris Project with the approval by the Mauritanian Government of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA). Aura's maintains this is the key approval for any uranium project and thus a key project milestone achievement.

Another important part of the work during the quarter was the reduction of the operating cost to US$19.40/lb U?O? via optimisation of reagent usage. This adjustment as a result of study work within the DFS positions Tiris well versus the current spot and contract prices.

Geology and Resource Upgrade Program

Field activities aimed at upgrading additional resources to Indicated/Measured status were active for most of the quarter.

These have involved:

Diamond drilling: 59 vertical triple tube PQ drillholes

Air-core drilling: approx. 7,500 metres of vertical drilling in 1200 holes

Down-hole radiometric logging of all drill holes

Detailed geological mapping of the ore zones

The diamond drilling objective was to provide sample for chemical analysis to serve to validate grade estimation by downhole radiometric logging, to allow density determinations throughout the ore zones and additionally to provide material for further metallurgical testwork. In order to obtain good quality samples large diameter PQ triple-tube core was drilled and transported from site to Nouakchott for processing. There the core was geologically logged, density determinations taken, cut and sampled for assay.

Results of this work have indicated that uranium grades determined by downhole gamma logging correlate well with chemically assayed grades of the same drill hole.

Water drilling

A drilling program to test 12 water targets identified by ground resistivity surveying conducted by Aura earlier in the year commenced during the quarter. Progress has been slower than anticipated and results have been obtained so far on only one target, where water flow of 1.7 m3 per hour was reported.

Tiris Metallurgy

Process development for the Tiris Uranium Project focused on completion of a steady state simulation model to generate a deeper understanding of cost reduction opportunities.

Since the commencement of the Tiris DFS, Aura has applied a focus on reducing the soda ash requirement in the project, given that this is a significant component of the Tiris operating cost. The primary method to reduce this cost was via a reduction in consumption; however, Aura also commenced exploration for local sources of soda ash as another cost mitigation step. Additional steady state simulation modelling of the process was used to examine the effects of recycle and impurity build up in the Tiris leach circuit, exploring optimisation of reagent requirements and the water balance. This is illustrated in the Tiris process flowsheet (see Figure 2), showing the distribution of recycled liquor. The modelling focused on optimisation of liquor recycle streams through scenario based simulation to minimise losses of recovered soda ash in the beneficiation circuit. This modelling defined that requirements for soda ash could be reduced by 32% when compared with Scoping Study estimates. These results will be examined in detail as part of the planned Tiris metallurgical test work program and subject to ongoing peer review.

Scenario analysis on the effect of increasing the quantity of reagent consuming minerals in the beneficiation feed also demonstrated that there was minimal impact on leach reagent consumption. This was primarily driven by rejection of these minerals in the beneficiation stage of the processing circuit.

Another collateral benefit of the reagent and process stream optimisation has been a reduction in the process flow volumes to the leach circuit. This flow reduction will lead to a strong reduction in the size of the leach circuit and consequently the capital cost of that section of the plant. The quantity of this reduction will be determined as part of the leach circuit engineering and design currently underway. Importantly, the optimisation has also led to a substantial reduction in the process make-up water requirements from the Scoping Study estimates.

All of the outcomes of simulation modelling analysis will be tested as part of the planned Tiris metallurgical test work program and will provide the basis for where the focus in that program should be placed.

Over the remaining course of the Tiris DFS, test work will be conducted to further define the geometallurgical domains and better understand variability in the mineralisation. This will allow continued optimisation of process parameters, process equipment, consumables and further scope for review of the operating and capital cost estimates.

Tiris Project Engineering

The Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) for the Tiris Uranium Project continues to progress well. However, as some elements of the Tiris DFS will be priced in early 2018 following test work the DFS completion has necessarily been delayed to Q2 2018.

Engineering progress on Tiris to the end of the reporting period included;

Issued formal budget enquiries to equipment vendors for pricing, schedule and provision of drawings, and tabulated technical and commercial evaluations once received. This included diesel power generation with 50% solar contribution.

Commissioned an engineering house to produce a desktop study, Class 4 capital budget and 3D CAD models for 5 options of ROM ore receival, attrition and screening up to feed to leaching. (Refer to Figures 3 and 4).

During a 2 day visit to Perth and Adelaide, 4 technical meetings were held with screen suppliers, leaching area equipment engineers and consulting engineers for precipitation, drying and drumming plant. Subsequently, obtained pricing from each for their equipment or engineering services, for input into the capital estimate.

Obtained engineering rates from potential engineering consultants for Tiris detail design stage.

Obtained technical documentation for an existing camp in Mauritania.

Obtained Mauritanian trucking quotes for bulk construction transport from Nouakchott to Tiris, and SNIM railway quotes from Nouadhibou to Zouerate.

Obtained hourly trades labour and equipment hire rates, concrete and steel pricing from major Mauritanian construction company ASML, for input into capital estimate.

Assembled an Excel cost spreadsheet comparing 2014 estimate with incoming 2017 costings.

Obtained budget pricing from total Mauritania for bulk supply of diesel, assuming demand of 65,000L/week.

Prepared a mining engineering scope of work for initial work to optimise process plant location, mine output and mining fleet.

Continued development of the project design criteria as the basis for engineering progression, listing system capacities, site conditions and material properties.

TASIAST SOUTH GOLD PROJECT, MAURITANIA (AURA 100%)

Aura holds applications for 3 exploration permits covering 600 km2 in the Tasiast area. (See Figure 5). Programs of RC and air-core drilling and ground geophysics to define additional targets have been prepared but are awaiting grant of the permits, which is expected shortly.

The permit areas cover several greenstone belts which contain gold mineralisation along strike, including the +20 million oz Tasiast deposit and the Tijirit gold deposits currently being actively drilled. The areas have been evaluated by only one previous explorer who identified a number of gold mineralised zones, including the Ghassariat Zone where an intersection of 71m of 0.3 g/t gold, including 5m of 1.2 g/t & 3m of 1.0 g/t were obtained in an RC drill hole. No follow-up drilling has yet been conducted on this mineralised zone.

HAGGAN POLYMETALLIC PROJECT, SWEDEN (AURA 100%)

Haggan Development

The Haggan Polymetallic Project contains significant quantities of cobalt, vanadium, copper, uranium, molybdenum, nickel, zinc and neodymium.

Haggan has become a new focus given the increasing demand and pricing for the Battery Metals that is emerging. Haggan has always had a good focus on its base metal content but the expansion to include Battery Metals is expected over time to enhance the project economics.

In the 2012 Scoping Study the project value was US$1.8 billion. This value only incorporated a small portion of the Battery Metals.

Work and discussions with relevant Swedish groups continued, regarding a community engagement program for the Haggan Project.

The key aspects of the community liaison program are twofold;

Recruitment of an appropriate representative

Further the education and understanding of Aura's project in those areas

Completion of an economic development study to outline the benefits of the project in terms of direct and indirect jobs, capital outlay and broader contribution to the local and regional economy

Aura continues to press the Haggan Project as a unique and strategic source of metals in Europe.

Aura believes Haggan is a 5-7 year proposition as a development project and is scoping its work program around that time frame.

Haggan Polymetallic Attributes

Process development update

During the quarter, Aura continued to focus on development of 'green' and 'Battery Group' metals, including vanadium, nickel, cobalt, zinc and neodymium, at the Haggan polymetallic deposit in Sweden. Haggan represents one of the world's largest undeveloped vanadium resources with significant value in nickel, zinc, copper and cobalt, in addition to the previously defined uranium value.

Scoping level test work for the Haggan bacterial heap leach process did not place an emphasis on optimisation of base metal recovery and only preliminary sighter test work has been undertaken to examine supporting processes for vanadium recovery. Aura has now commenced an Option Study to explore opportunities to improve recoveries of base metals in the bacterial heap leach process and to assess process options for efficient recovery of vanadium. The scope of the Option Study includes:

Review of scoping test work to focus on identification of opportunities for process improvement for vanadium, nickel, zinc, copper and cobalt recovery.

Opportunity assessment of alternative processing options.

Assessment of integrated solutions to produce value added metal products.

Supporting test work for identified options.

Aura conducted a study of Haggan's gross metal content to highlight the significant polymetallic potential of the project and to illustrate the value of these metals at current prices (See Figure 6 below).

This review has highlighted Haggan's potential to supply base metals and the so-called 'green metals' to satisfy the growing demand for battery related metals as part of the electrification of vehicles.

The potential for base metal streaming transactions from this deposit to aid the development is under review, to reposition future development focussed on the benefits of base metal production from Haggan. This approach allows a broader appeal of the project in Sweden, with strong industrial spin-off benefits for the local community such as local manufacturing and valued added metal work industries.

For further information contact:

Aura Energy Limited

Peter Reeve(Executive Chairman and CEO) Telephone: +61 (3) 9516 6500

Email: info@auraenergy.com.au WH IrelandLimited

Adrian Hadden

James Bavister Telephone:+44 (0) 207220 1666 Yellow Jersey PR Limited

Joe Burgess Telephone:

+44 (0) 7769 325 254

Competent Persons

The Competent Person for the Tiris Metallurgical Testwork is Dr Will Goodall.

The information in the report to which this statement is attached that relates to the testwork is based on information compiled by Dr Will Goodall. Dr Goodall has sufficient experience that is relevant to the testwork program and to the activity which he is undertaking. This qualifies Dr Goodall as a Competent Personas defined in the 2012 edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Dr Goodall is a Member of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM). Dr Goodall consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

The Competent Person for the Tiris and Haggan Resources is Mr Neil Clifford.

The information in the report to which this statement is attached that relates to the resource is based on information compiled by Mr Neil Clifford. Mr Clifford has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking. This qualifies Mr Clifford as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 edition of the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves'. Mr Clifford is a Member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM). Mr Clifford consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

Top 20 Shareholders

Top 20 Shareholders 30 October 2017 Rank Name Units % of Units 1. COMPUTERSHARE CLEARING PTY LTD 242,837,266 30.59 2. HSBC CUSTODY NOMINEES (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED 98,099,286 12.36 3. CITICORP NOMINEES PTY LIMITED 63,576,281 8.01 4. PRE-EMPTIVE TRADING PTY LTD 37,500,000 4.72 5. SAMBOLD PTY LTD 15,364,895 1.94 6. BNP PARIBAS NOMINEES PTY LTD 14,796,330 1.86 7. PASAGEAN PTY LIMITED 13,094,558 1.65 8. MR MARTY HENG LAU 10,500,000 1.32 9. MR PETER DESMOND REEVE 9,718,304 1.22 10. MR PIETER HOEKSTRA + MRS RUTH HOEKSTRA 5,300,000 0.67 11. HSBC CUSTODY NOMINEES (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED-GSCO ECA 5,250,000 0.66 12. YARANDI INVESTMENTS PTY LTD 4,754,793 0.60 13. MS MICHELLE ANNE PAINE 4,700,000 0.59 14. BUSHELL NOMINEES PTY LTD 4,292,542 0.54 15. MRS KERRYN PATRICIA DELEN 3,668,075 0.46 16. MR LUKE PETER DALE + MRS MARIEANNE ERIKA DALE 3,611,468 0.45 17. MR SEBASTIAN MADEJA + MRS SYLVIA MADEJA 3,500,000 0.44 18. MR SCOTT ANDREW ROBERTS 3,500,000 0.44 19. M & K KORKIDAS PTY LTD 3,400,000 0.43 20. MS CHUI YING CHAN 3,327,828 0.42 Total Top 20 Shareholders 550,791,626 69.39 Remaining Shareholders 242,944,264 30.61 GRAND TOTAL 793,735,890 100

Top 20 Shareholders 26 July 2017 Rank Name Units % of Units 1. COMPUTERSHARE CLEARING PTY LTD 246,847,839 31.14 2. HSBC CUSTODY NOMINEES (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED 99,143,528 12.51 3. CITICORP NOMINEES PTY LIMITED 63,251,412 7.98 4. PRE-EMPTIVE TRADING PTY LTD 36,900,000 4.65 5. SAMBOLD PTY LTD 15,364,895 1.94 6. BNP PARIBAS NOMINEES PTY LTD 14,752,355 1.86 7. PASAGEAN PTY LIMITED 13,094,558 1.65 8. MR MARTY HENG LAU 10,000,000 1.26 9. MR PETER DESMOND REEVE 9,718,304 1.23 10. HSBC CUSTODY NOMINEES (AUSTRALIA) LIMITED-GSCO ECA 6,750,000 0.85 11. BUSHELL NOMINEES PTY LTD 6,292,542 0.79 12. MR PIETER HOEKSTRA + MRS RUTH HOEKSTRA 5,300,000 0.67 13. YARANDI INVESTMENTS PTY LTD 4,754,793 0.60 14. MS MICHELLE ANNE PAINE 4,700,000 0.59 15. MRS KERRYN PATRICIA DELEN 4,104,840 0.52 16. MR LUKE PETER DALE + MRS MARIEANNE ERIKA DALE 3,611,468 0.46 17. M & K KORKIDAS PTY LTD 3,400,000 0.43 18. MS CHUI YING CHAN 3,327,828 0.42 19. MR SCOTT ANDREW ROBERTS 3,250,000 0.41 20. DR ROBERT BEESON 3,129,071 0.39 Total Top 20 Shareholders 557,693,433 70.34 Remaining Shareholders 235,114,691 29.66 GRAND TOTAL 792,808,124 100.00

About Aura Energy's Projects

Tiris Project, MAURITANIA (Aura 100%)

The Tiris Uranium Project is based on a major greenfields uranium discovery in Mauritania, with 49 Mlb U 3 O 8 in current resources(1) from 66 million tonnes @ 334 ppm U 3 O 8 . The project has several natural attributes which result in low capital and operating costs. These attributes are:

Shallow flat-lying surface mineralisation (only 1-5 metres deep) within unconsolidated gravels

Low cost mining with no blasting and negligible overburden

Uranium ore can be simply (wash and screen) upgraded by up to 700%; from 335 ppm to 2500ppm

Leads to a very small plant, small footprint and minimal supporting infrastructure

Leach feed grade 2,000-2,500 ppm U 3 O 8 with 94% leaching recovery in 4 hours

The conceptual 1 Mtpa mine and plant project described in the Scoping Study(2) was designed to take full advantage of these unusual characteristics, whilst providing a low capital cost and rapid project development and construction. Significantly, a water study by Golders has indicated that potential sources of water in the immediate vicinity will satisfy the demands of the project.

The Study, which indicates 11 million pounds of uranium will be produced over an initial mine life of 15 years, only utilises 20% of the known Global Mineral Resource resulted in the following outputs;

Low capital cost - US$45 million

Low operating cost - A$30/lb

Easily scalable

Mining at ~120 tph (1.0 Mtpa)

Small 25 tph leach facility

Mined grade >420ppm U 3 O 8 for 15 years

Produce 0.7-1.1 Mlbs U 3 O 8 per year

Expand project from cashflow

HAGGAN POLYMETALLIC PROJECT, SWEDEN (AURA 100%)

Haggan is located in central Sweden and is a large undeveloped multi element project. The project has a resource containing significant quantities of cobalt, vanadium, uranium, molybdenum, nickel, zinc and neodymium.

The Haggan project is located in a sparsely populated area of swamp and forest used mainly for commercial forestry. Sweden's has a current and active mining industry, with a clear regulatory position and a well-established path from exploration to production.

A Scoping Study(5) suggests that the Haggan Project has excellent potential to become a major, low cost producer of a range of metal, a number which could support demand from the burgeoning electric vehicle battery industry. Aura's discovery that the mineralisation is ideally suited to bioleach metal extraction was the major breakthrough to creating a robust and economic project. Bioleaching, including bioheap leaching, is a proven technology widely used in copper and gold industries.

The Haggan Inferred Resource contains 2.35 billion tonnes at the grades shown in the table below. Metal content is also shown.

NOTES TO PROJECT DESCRIPTIONS

(1) There is a low level of geological confidence associated with inferred mineral resource and there is no certainty that further exploration work will result in the determination of indicated measured resource or that the production target will be realised.

(2) The Company released to the ASX the Tiris Project Scoping Study on 16 July 2014 and the Company believes that no material change to forecast capital and operating costs and forecast production rates have occurred since the release.

(3) There is a low level of geological confidence associated with inferred mineral resource and there is no certainty that further exploration work will result in the determination of indicated measured resource or that the production target will be realised.

(4) http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Country-Profiles/Countries-O-S/Sweden

(5) The Company released to the ASX the Haggan Project Scoping Study on 7 February 2012 and an updated study on 29 May 2014. The Company believes no material change to forecast capital and operating costs and forecast production rates have occurred since the releases.
Begins Final Phases of GUIA Submission

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 31, 2017 / Maxtech Ventures Inc. (CSE: MVT) (Frankfurt: M1N) (OTC PINK: MTEHF), ("Maxtech" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it is moving forward with due diligence activities on its 100% owned assets in Mato Grosso, Brazil, and is beginning the final phase of exploration in order to acquire a trial mining license ("GUIA").

Maxtech in conjunction with Maringa, is currently coordinating a site visit to its assets in Mato Grosso within the next two weeks to evaluate in preparation for filing an application to the DNPM (National Department of Mineral Production, Departamento Nacional da Producao Mineral) for a GUIA (Guia de Utilizacao, i.e. trial mining use permit) license on the Juina Claims. Upon approval, the Company will have the ability to process "initial high-grade surface tonnage" and mine to a maximum of 6,000 tons of manganese. (as released on May 4th).

Additionally, Maxtech has completed due diligence on the targeted area in the state of Goias. The Company is evaluating the results and will ascertain if further research is warranted.

Peter Wilson, CEO of Maxtech said "This has been an exciting year for Maxtech. As it comes to a close, we are developing strong partnerships globally with potential offtake partners. Their expertise and continuous support of our exploration activities is pivotal to our success as a relevant manganese mining concern."

About Grupo Maringa

Founded in 1946, Grupo Maringa now has over 2,000 employees with over USD $200 million in 2016 revenues. The Maringa companies are located in the states of Parana and Sao Paulo. They produce sugar cane, sugar, ethanol, energy and manganese alloy. Maringa Ferro-Liga S.A. is a subsidiary of Grupo Maringa and is located in Itapeva, State of Sao Paulo. It is the second largest manganese ferroalloy producer in South America, producing high-quality silico-manganese and high-carbon ferromanganese.

About Maxtech Ventures Inc.

Maxtech Ventures Inc. is a Canadian based diversified industries corporation with gold and manganese mineral properties. Its focus is on mining and the products that are derived therefrom.

For additional information see the Company's web site at http://www.maxtech-ventures.com

Email to info@maxtech-ventures.com

Phone: 604-484-8989

Further information about the Company is available on www.SEDAR.com under the Company's profile.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Certain statements contained in this release may constitute "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively "forward-looking information") as those terms are used in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and similar Canadian laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "projected", "estimated", "anticipates" and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to the business of the Company, the Property, financing and certain corporate changes. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

SOURCE: Maxtech Ventures Inc.
Vilnius, Lithuania, 2017-10-31 08:31 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Equity of the Company and the Company's net asset value as of 30 September 2017 was EUR 19,941,795.21 or EUR 1.6379 per share.



Investments of the Company to managed companies amounted to EUR 21.9 million at the end of September 2017. Increase in fair value of investments amounted to EUR 5.2 million in nine months of 2017.



The cash and cash equivalents of the Company decreased from EUR 3.1 million to EUR 50 thousand in nine months of 2017. The net profit of the Company amounted to EUR 214 thousand.



Additional information:



The equity capital of INVL Technology, a company that invests in IT businesses, was EUR 19.9 million, or EUR 1.64 per share, at the end of the first three quarters of this year. The latter figure increased 1.1 per cent from the start of the year.



The company's investments in the businesses it owns totalled EUR 21.9 million at the end of September 2017 and increased by EUR 5.2 million from the start of the year. The change comprised EUR 5 million allocated for increasing the share capital of the newly established Nordic Cyber Security Oy by acquiring 77.35 per cent of the shares of the Finnish cybersecurity firm Deltagon Group Oy, and EUR 0.3 million of dividends paid out by Inventio UAB (which negatively impacted the value of investments), as well as EUR 0.54 million of growth in investment value due to the positive performance of business holdings. The company's net profit for the first nine months of this year was EUR 214 000.



"In assessing the business holdings' nine-month revenue trends, we see that the investments to-date and work in sub-Saharan African and South Asian markets are giving results. With the new acquisition in Finland, we're strengthening our positions not only in the area of cybersecurity, but also in Northern European markets," said Kazimieras Tonkunas, Managing Partner for the closed-end investment company INVL Technology at INVL Asset Management.



NRD Companies, a global information technology and consulting group specialized in governance, digital economy infrastructure development and financial sector modernization, had revenue of EUR 4.27 million in three quarters of this year, similar to the same period of 2016 when revenue was EUR 4.24 million, while its EBITDA improved from a negative EUR 278 000 to a positive EUR 213 000.



Andmevara, which operates in Estonia and Moldova, had nine-month revenue of EUR 839 000 and a negative EBITDA of EUR 173 000. Since publication of the company's data began on 1 May 2016, when control of the company was acquired, there are no comparable previous-year figures. From May to the end of September 2016, Andmevara's revenue was EUR 569 000 and its EBITDA was a negative EUR 24 000.



The revenues of BAIP and Acena, which work in the area of IT infrastructure, grew 15.1 per cent in the first three quarters of this year compared to the same period last year and totalled EUR 8.14 million. Their EBITDA for the nine-month period more than doubled to EUR 491 000 (versus EUR 202 000 in the same period of 2016).



NRD CS, which operates in the area of cybersecurity, had revenue of EUR 1.78 million in January-September, which is almost double last year's figure for the same period of EUR 893 000. Its EBITDA, meanwhile, increased 4.5 times, to EUR 235 000, from EUR 52 000 in nine months of 2016.



Algoritmu Sistemos, which works in the area of solutions for IT-intensive industries, in the first three quarters of this year had revenue of EUR 1.6 million and EBITDA of EUR 154 000. Since publication of the company's data began on 1 April 2016, when control of the company was acquired, there are no comparable previous-year figures. From April to the end of September 2016, Algoritmu Sistemos had revenue of EUR 1.3 million and EBITDA of EUR 304 000.



Following INVL Technology's acquisition in late September of a controlling stake in Deltagon Group Oy, which has offices in Finland and Sweden, INVL Technology businesses operate offices in 11 countries: Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Moldova, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Bangladesh.



To date INVL Technology has invested in the Norwegian company Norway Registers Development AS with subsidiaries NRD UAB and Etronika UAB in Lithuania, Norway Registers Development East Africa Ltd in Tanzania, Norway Registers Development Rwanda Ltd in Rwanda, NRD Bangladesh Ltd in Bangladesh, and the associated company Infobank Uganda Ltd in Uganda. It has also invested in BAIP UAB with its subsidiary Acena UAB as well as NRD CS UAB and Algoritmu Sistemos UAB, all in Lithuania, Estonia's Andmevara AS with its subsidiary Andmevara SRL in Moldova, and Nordic Cyber Security Oy - established in September this year in Finland - with its subsidiary Deltagon Group Oy.



On its receipt of a closed-end investment company license in July 2016, INVL Technology's management was assumed by INVL Asset Management - a part of Invalda INVL, one of the leading asset management groups in the Baltics. INVL Technology will operate as a closed-end investment company until 14 July 2026.



The person authorized to provide additional information: Kazimieras Tonkunas INVL Technology Managing Partner e-mail k.tonkunas@invltechnology.lt



Attachment:

https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=650706

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STOCKPORT, England, Oct. 31,2017 /PRNewswire/ --Global performance improvement solutions provider GP Strategies Corporationannounced that its wholly owned subsidiary, GP Strategies Training Limited, has been selected as a supplier to deliver apprenticeships to the UK Government and the wider public sector through a new procurement framework managed by the Crown Commercial Service (CCS). The framework itself will see an expected 360 million of apprenticeship levy investment to develop the next generation of civil servants.

GP Strategies will be working in 5 of the available 12 lots providing specialist support to leadership, delivery, IT, customer service and administration public servants throughout the UK.

Dave Martin, Vice President for GP Strategies, said, "We are delighted to be working with CCS on such an exciting project. This opportunity recognises that our organisation continues to progress strongly in the levy-funded sector. By securing a place on this framework, GP Strategies is being recognised as a provider of high-quality apprenticeships across the whole country."

Peter Lawson, Strategic Category Director, People Pillar at CCS, said, "This agreement supports the government to train the next generation of public servants, who will eventually be responsible for delivering efficient, effective services that meet the needs of citizens."

For further information, please visit http://gpsta.co.uk/ or email apprenticeshipsUK@gpstrategies.com.

About GP Strategies Training Limited

GP Strategies Training Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of GP Strategies Corporation operating in the UK. Our direct delivery and Managed Training Services include repeatable processes to make knowledge transfer more efficient and cost-effective to over 2,500 UK businesses and 8,500 learners each year. GP Strategies Corporation is a global performance improvement solutions provider of training, eLearning solutions, management consulting and engineering services. Clients include Fortune 500 companies, manufacturing, process and energy industries, and other commercial and government customers. For more information about GP Strategies Training Limited, please visit http://gpsta.co.uk/ or call 0330 100 610.

 2017 GP Strategies Corporation. All rights reserved. GP Strategies and the GP Strategies logo design are trademarks of GP Strategies Corporation.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130502/PH05881LOGO

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gp-strategies-training-limited-named-an-apprenticeships-delivery-supplier-by-crown-commercial-service-300545653.html


SEOUL (dpa-AFX) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. (SMSN.L, SSNNF.OB, SSNLF.OB) recommended Sang-hoon Lee as its next board chairman and announced changes at the top of its three main divisions.



The company noted that Lee will leave the role of chief financial officer to become chairman, the first time the company has split the chairman and chief executive officer duties.



Samsung said, 'President Sang-Hoon (SH) Lee will leave his position as CFO, effective immediately. Mr. Lee has been recommended by outside Board members to be Chairman of the Board and succeed Mr. Kwon next March. This would mark the first time that the Company will separate the Chairman of the Board and the CEO roles.'



The executive changes come as de facto chief Jay Y. Lee appeals his prison sentence for corruption and patriarch Lee Kun-hee remains hospitalized.



The Company noted that it will maintain the current three co-CEO management structure. All new appointments will be effective immediately.



Presidents Kinam Kim, Hyunsuk (HS) Kim, and Dongjin (DJ) Koh will succeed Vice Chairman Oh-Hyun Kwon, Presidents Boo-Keun Yoon and Jong-Kyun Shin, respectively, as heads of Device Solutions, Consumer Electronics CE, and IT & Mobile Communications IM Divisions.



Shin and Yoon offered to resign while Kwon earlier this month announced his retirement.



At the next AGM in March 2018, the three new Division heads as well as Mr. Lee will join the Board of Directors. Messrs. Kwon, Yoon and Shin will remain as members of the Board until then, the company said.



Earlier today, Samsung reported that its operating profit for the third-quarter was 14.53 trillion Korean won, an increase of 9.33 trillion won from last year's 5.20 trillion won. The company will increase annual dividends in 2017 by 20 percent, which will be followed by a 100 percent rise in dividends in 2018. The 2019 and 2020 dividends will be kept at the same level with 2018.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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LONDON and DUBAI, UAE, October 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Her Royal Highness endorses India's integrated system of medicine

Her Royal Highness Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall, wife of The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, is once again back at Dr. Issac Mathai's SOUKYA International Holistic Health Centre, Bangalore (India) with family and friends. Dr. Mathai has been a Holistic Health Consultant for the British Royal Family for more than 10 years. SOUKYA is the first of it's kind in the world, where different systems of medicine like Ayurveda, Naturopathy, Homeopathy, Yoga and Complementary therapies work under one roof, becoming a natural choice for people from over 90 nationalities.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/592772/SOUKYA.jpg )



Homeopathy is a choice of medicine for the British Royal Family for more than 100 years. Her Royal Highness Camilla's wellness journey included Homeopathy, Ayurveda, Naturopathy and a customised menu. She was served with sessions on yoga and meditation, amidst the 30 acres of lush greenery. She also visited SOUKYA's Holy Trinity Chapel on campus and planted a Plumeria.

Bangalore being the hub of Integrated Medicine, having the largest number of systems of medicine and world class institutions, is an obvious destination for health and wellness. Prince Charles and The Duchess are shortly due to meet our Honourable Prime Minister, Sri Narendra Modi in Delhi, who is a firm believer in the AYUSH systems of medicine and their benefits.



For further details, please contact:

Trigam Mukherjee

trigam@theprophets.in

+91-9731651640


ROCHESTER, Michigan, Oct. 31,2017 /PRNewswire/ -- OneStream Software LLC , the leader in corporate performance management (CPM) solutions for the mid to large enterprise, announced another deployment of XF Cloud for financial consolidation, reporting, budgeting and forecasting with complete visibility in a unified solution.

"OneStream welcomes Benchmark Holdings to its growing list of live and successful customers," says Tom Shea, President of OneStream Software. "Benchmark required a modern CPM solution capable of addressing their core financial consolidation and planning requirements They needed complete visibility into their process and the flexibility to optimize across the enterprise. Our SmartCPM platform is anchored by a true financial engine and gave Benchmark more financial intelligence with built-in data quality, a core requirement for their growing organization."

"Benchmark was looking for a unified reporting system to meet all our key reporting and planning requirements," says Lee Bown, Group Business Systems Accountant at Benchmark Holdings PLC. "The group has grown rapidly in recent years and we had reached a point where our existing financial reporting systems were not performing optimally. We knew our initial focus would be on consolidation and OneStream's functionality in this area was a real differentiator in our selection process as it provides true financial consolidation capability and not just straight aggregation like many other tools. The OneStream platform has improved our month-end reporting, foreign exchange analysis and accountability of financial information. We are looking forward to leveraging the significant capabilities of OneStream to support additional data collections in the future."

CONTACT

Craig Colby

OneStream Software

+1 404-786-7932

Ccolby@onestreamsoftware.com

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical are "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements involve a high degree of risk and uncertainty, are predictions only and actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to differences include the uncertainty regarding viability and market acceptance of the company's products and services, the ability to complete software development plans in a timely manner and changes in relationships with third parties.
Sustainability leaders and professionals to converge in Berlin for Greenbuild conference dedicated to green building

BERLIN, Germany, Oct. 31,2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), creators of the LEED green building rating system, and Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), announced that Greenbuild, the world renowned green building conference will be held in Europe in April 2018. The event will be held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Berlin from 17-18 April and the call for proposals is now open at greenbuild.usgbc.org/europe.

Founded in 2002, Greenbuild brings together industry leaders, experts and frontline professionals dedicated to sustainable building, making it the ideal space to learn about groundbreaking green building products, services and technologies. Greenbuild offers two groundbreaking days of U.S. and international speakers, invaluable networking opportunities, industry showcases and workshops on the LEED green building program.

"The green building movement is driven by passionate individuals who are dedicated to creating healthier, more sustainable communities," said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, USGBC and GBCI. "There is no better place than Greenbuild to bring these passionate green building leaders together. Greenbuild Europe is an opportunity for us to come together and explore new opportunities to create a more sustainable built environment throughout the region."

The 2017 Greenbuild conference will be held in Boston, Mass. with more than 20,000 attendees expected and 500 exhibiting companies. Greenbuild also expanded to India and China this year.

With demand for green building expected to double every three years according to the World Green Building Trends 2016 SmartMarket Report, Greenbuild's expansion increases access to green business tools and resources and encourages discussion around some of today's toughest environmental issues.

GBCI, the certification body for LEED and other sustainability systems globally, will play a key role in the conference having recently announced its expansion in the region. GBCI opened its first European office in Munich in April to help facilitate its array of green business rating systems and professional credentials, which include LEED, the PEER standard for power systems, the WELL building standard, the Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES), Parksmart, TRUE Zero Waste, the Investor Confidence Project (ICP) for energy efficiency retrofits, and the GRESB benchmark, which is used by institutional investors to improve the sustainability performance of the global property sector.

"For decades, the European building community has been among the greenest, continually raising the bar on sustainability," said Kay Killmann, managing director, GBCI Europe. "With Greenbuild coming to Europe, we will finally have a platform that brings regional players together."

The world's green building market has become a trillion-dollar industry, a surge that has led to a corresponding increase in the scope and size of the green building materials market, which is expected to reach $234 billion by 2019. In Europe, currently, there are more than 5,200 LEED registered and certified projects, comprising more than 147 million gross square meters of space, and more than 2,500 LEED professionals.

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a nonprofit organization committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for our planet through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its global network of member and partner organizations; LEED green building rating system and performance platform; robust educational offerings and professional credentials; the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo; and advocacy in support of public policies that encourage and enable green buildings and communities.

Greenbuild

Greenbuild is the world renowned conference dedicated to green building. Founded in 2002, Greenbuild brings together industry leaders, experts and frontline professionals dedicated to sustainable building, making it the ideal space to learn about groundbreaking green building products, services and technologies. Greenbuild offers two groundbreaking days of keynote & master speakers, invaluable networking opportunities, educational sessions, industry showcases, green building tours, and workshops on the LEED green building program. For more information: greenbuild.usgbc.org.

GBCI

Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) is the premier organization independently recognizing excellence in green business industry performance and practice globally. With locations in the U.S., Europe and India, GBCI supports project teams and professionals in over 160 countries. GBCI.org.



Media Contact

Sarah Stanley

SStanley@usgbc.org
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- Fortuna Silver Mines Inc. (NYSE: FSM)(TSX: FVI) announces that it will release its financial statements and MD&A for the third quarter after the market closes on Wednesday, November 8, 2017.

A conference call to discuss the financial and operational results will be held on Thursday, November 9, 2017 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific / 12:00 p.m. Eastern. Hosting the call will be Jorge A. Ganoza, President and CEO, and Luis D. Ganoza, Chief Financial Officer.

Shareholders, analysts, media and interested investors are invited to listen to the live conference call by logging onto the webcast at: http://www.investorcalendar.com/IC/CEPage.asp?ID=176299 or over the phone by dialing just prior to the starting time.

Conference call details: Date: Thursday, November 9, 2017 Time: 9:00 a.m. Pacific /12:00 p.m. Eastern Dial in number (Toll Free): +1.888.567.1603 Dial in number (International): +1.404.267.0368 Replay number (Toll Free): +1.877.481.4010 Replay number (International): +1.919.882.2331 Replay Passcode: 10434 Playback of the conference call will be available until November 23, 2017 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. Playback of the webcast will be available until February 9, 2018. In addition, a transcript of the call will be archived in the company's website: https://www.fortunasilver.com/investors/financials/2017/.

About Fortuna Silver Mines Inc.

Fortuna is a growth oriented, precious metal producer focused on mining opportunities in Latin America. The Company's primary assets are the Caylloma silver mine in southern Peru, the San Jose silver-gold mine in Mexico and the Lindero gold project in Argentina. The Company is selectively pursuing acquisition opportunities throughout the Americas and in select other areas.

ON BEHALF OF THE COMPANY

Carlos Baca

Investor Relations manager

Trading symbols: (NYSE: FSM)(TSX: FVI)

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward looking statements which constitute "forward looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, "Forward looking Statements"). All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are Forward looking Statements and are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the Forward looking Statements. The Forward looking Statements in this news release may include, without limitation, statements about the Company's plans for its mines and mineral properties; the Company's business strategy, plans and outlook; the merit of the Company's mines and mineral properties; mineral resource and reserve estimates; timelines; the future financial or operating performance of the Company; expenditures; approvals and other matters. Often, but not always, these Forward looking Statements can be identified by the use of words such as "will", "will be" or statements that events, "could" or "should" occur or be achieved and similar expressions, including negative variations.

Forward looking Statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward looking Statements. Such uncertainties and factors include, among others, changes in general economic conditions and financial markets; changes in prices for silver and other metals; technological and operational hazards in Fortuna's mining and mine development activities; risks inherent in mineral exploration; uncertainties inherent in the estimation of mineral reserves, mineral resources, and metal recoveries; governmental and other approvals; political unrest or instability in countries where Fortuna is active; labor relations issues; as well as those factors discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in Forward looking Statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended.

Forward looking Statements contained herein are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management, including but not limited to expectations regarding mine production costs; expected trends in mineral prices and currency exchange rates; the accuracy of the Company's current mineral resource and reserve estimates; that the Company's activities will be in accordance with the Company's public statements and stated goals; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; that all required approvals will be obtained; that there will be no significant disruptions affecting operations and such other assumptions as set out herein. Forward looking Statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any Forward looking Statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required by law. There can be no assurance that Forward looking Statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on Forward looking Statements.

Contacts:

Investor Relations:

T (Peru): +51.1.616.6060, ext. 0

info@fortunasilver.com




LONDON, October 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The University of Law (ULaw) is pleased to announce the appointment of Peter Crisp as its new Pro Vice Chancellor -External. Peter will take up his post at the University on 2nd January 2018, joining the executive management team led by Vice-Chancellor & CEO Professor Andrea Nollent.

Peter is a barrister specialising in property and is a King's College London alumnus. He began his teaching career as a tutor at BPP in 1997, going on to serve as Dean and CEO of BPP University's law school from 2003 to 2017.

This continued investment in senior management and leadership reflects ULaw's strategy of growth and innovation in sector leading legal and business education. The University was recently awarded Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) and has seen a significant increase in recruitment across its portfolio. In his new role, Peter will lead the university's activity with a range of external clients, partners, and law firms.

Peter will join the two existing Pro Vice Chancellors for Academic and International Development, and the wider Executive Board. He will lead the University's highly respected business development and client relationship teams.

Reflecting on his appointment, Peter said: "This is a very exciting time for me to join ULaw, and I am very much looking forward to embracing the opportunities of the role as the University continues to go from strength to strength.

"I am pleased to be beginning this new chapter in my career, and I hope to make a valuable contribution to the University's continued growth and success."

Vice-Chancellor & CEO Professor Andrea Nollent said: "I am delighted to welcome Peter to the University of Law. The future changes to legal qualifications offer many opportunities for innovation and enhancement. The University will continue to drive new initiatives in the sector with a clear focus on delivering excellence to our clients, our law firm partners, and our students.

"This is a very important role for us in terms of external strategy and, with his extensive skills and experience, I look forward to Peter building further our reputation and success."

About The University of Law

The University of Law is the UK's longest-established specialist provider of legal education and training in the UK, with campuses in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Guildford, Manchester and Leeds, as well as at The University of Exeter and The University of Reading.Previously The College of Law, it was granted university status in November 2012.

The University of Law's market-leading Employability Service gives students access to work experience, pro bono opportunities and legal vacancies as soon as they accept their place. The result is excellent employability statistics: 96% of its full-time Legal Practice Course (LPC) students gained employment in 2016 after finishing their course while 91% of undergraduate students achieved the same.

In 2017, The University of Law was awarded a gold ranking in the Government-led Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). The panel judged that ULaw delivers consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for its students and was assessed to be of the highest quality found in the UK.

For more information, visit http://www.law.ac.uk.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- SentinelOne, a pioneer in delivering autonomous AI-powered security for the endpoint, datacenter and cloud, today announced their Lateral Movement Detection Engine to identify and stop malicious actors from accessing further parts of a network. One of the most common tactics used by an attacker once infiltrating a network is to start to move laterally, hopping from machine to machine in an attempt to traverse the network for specific assets, or just as means to infect and gain persistence over multiple hosts. Lateral movement attempts will also often involve credentials scraping techniques to attempt to steal admin passwords, or pass the ticket techniques to hop from machine to machine.

Lateral movement can also be attributed to two main causes: a live attacker traversing a network, or malicious code with automatic spreading abilities such as a worm. The techniques to perform lateral movements can include utilizing exploits such as the EternalBlue SMB exploit, using remote desktop protocols, using harvested credentials with tools/interfaces like Powershell and WMI, and executing code on a remote machine.

Given that the vast majority of the above techniques are fileless methods most traditional security controls have a hard time identifying an attacker or a piece of code moving within a network. The stealthy nature of these attacks make them highly efficient and lucrative for the attacker on one hand, and can allow mass infections on the other hand.

SentinelOne's Lateral Movement Detection engine utilizes the platform's low level monitoring to gain visibility into all machine operations, including the above script language and protocols. It is able to detect and mitigate lateral movement attacks in real time by building execution context in real time and applying Behavioral AI to identify the anomalies in usage of these various techniques to move around in the network, preventing the spread of malware or a "roaming" attacker.

The type of detection and visibility offered by the SentinelOne Lateral Movement Detection is far superior to every other EDR tool out there and is integrated holistically for automated operation into our 2.0 platform -- no configuration needed.

Watch the video below to see the Lateral Movement Engine in action. An infected machine will attempt to infect additional machines on the same network by utilizing ps.exe in order to make that infection happen. The video will show how a machine with the SentinelOne agent installed would detect and block this type of lateral movement attack from an infected machine. It will then show some of the information that SentinelOne provides about the attack such as information about the identified threat and the infected machine, the actual engine that blocked the attack, and an attack storyline that shows the visual forensics of the attack. [VIDEO]

Last month, the SentinelOne Platform was deployed alongside an existing EDR tool on a prospect network, and within minutes of deployment SentinelOne identified an attacker moving laterally in the network. Read the full incidence report to learn more about a real live case -- from deployment to full mitigation. DOWNLOAD NOW

Additional Resources:

Learn more about SentinelOne's Endpoint Protection Platform online or read the datasheet.

Follow SentinelOne on Twitter and LinkedIn and Facebook.

About SentinelOne

SentinelOne is shaping the future of endpoint security with an integrated platform that unifies the detection, prevention and remediation of threats initiated by nation states, terrorists, and organized crime. SentinelOne's unique approach is based on deep inspection of all system processes combined with innovative machine learning to quickly isolate malicious behaviors, protecting devices against advanced, targeted threats in real time. SentinelOne was formed by an elite team of cyber security and defense experts from IBM, Intel, Check Point Software Technologies, Cylance, McAfee, and Palo Alto Networks. To learn more visit sentinelone.com or follow us at @SentinelSec.

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HONG KONG, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Xifu International Gold Wedding Jewellery Design Competition is playing a pivotal role in injecting jewellery designs with modern flair and cross-cultural influences. The 2017 competition is still the talk of the town even though its award ceremony took place a month ago on 12 September. Of the inaugural edition's 11 winners, eight are from China while the remaining three hail from Turkey, India and the United Arab Emirates respectively.

For thefull multimedia release, click here: http://www.prnasia.com/mnr/ubm_20171025en.shtml

Wang Xiao Mei, a professional designer from Beijing, took home the Xifu Grand Prize for her delicate and exquisite design that was lauded by all of the judges. Her winning entry was inspired by the Golden Wattle. According to Wang, the flower alludes to an old story of true and everlasting love between a couple, thereby embodying the competition's theme, "Oneness." She also thanked the judges for acknowledging and appreciating her cutting-edge design.

Yi Ran, who was awarded the first prize in the Plain Gold Jewellery category, was grateful to be given an international platform to showcase her talents. She ingeniously applied mechanical concepts to her design so that it would form the Chinese word for "Oneness" when arranged at a certain angle. The first prize in the Gem-set Gold Jewellery category went to Xu Min. Her design drew inspiration from the water molecule, which consists of inseparable bonds between two elements. She noted that this concept of togetherness and completion likewise applies to the competition's theme, "Oneness."

The second prize winner in the Plain Gold Jewellery category, Meltem Sahan from Turkey, felt extremely proud to represent her country in an international competition. According to her, the award boosts her determination to continue pursuing her career in the field of design. Huang Xiang Min, winner of the second prize in the Gem-set Gold Jewellery category, shared the glory of his victory with the craftsmen who flawlessly captured the essence of his design in the actual jewellery piece. His win emboldens him to vie for the Xifu Grand Prize in the next competition, he added.

The rest of the winners likewise said they were grateful for the opportunities afforded to them in this international competition, adding that they would continue striving for excellence and success in the field of jewellery design.

The Xifu International Gold Wedding Jewellery Design Competition has not only cast the spotlight on budding and accomplished designers alike, but is also paving the way for further development and innovation in the gold wedding jewellery sector.

Given the success and international exposure from the competition, along with the launch of the Global Alliance of Design Institutes, more modern, meaningful and spectacular designs are expected to emerge in the gold jewellery market.

The Xifu International Gold Wedding Jewellery Design Competition encourages more designers to participate in its future editions and seize the chance to gain international recognition and acclaim.

Althea Long

Phone Number: +852 2516 1653/ 90291281

Email: althea.long@ubm.com
LONDON, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --CNA Hardy, a leading specialist commercial insurance provider for clients within the Lloyd's and company markets, is pleased to announce the appointment of Stuart Middleton as Head of Small Business.

Reporting to David Brosnan, CEO, Stuart will be responsible for developing and building out a profitable growth and distribution strategy for CNA Hardy's small business portfolio.

Stuart joins with a proven track record of building profitable business and highly effective teams, having held numerous leadership roles including Chief Underwriting Officer (CUO), Europe at Hiscox and most recently, CUO and Joint Managing Director of EXIN's Wholesale Division, based in Barcelona. He is fluent in French and a good working knowledge of German and Spanish.

David Brosnan, CEO at CNA Hardy, said: "Stuart heads up our ambitious plan to transform the way we work with small businesses. Stuart's wealth of experience and expertise will enable us to refine our underwriting and pricing strategies, and focus on developing an effective, customer focused service that utilises technology solutions and a service platform to drive efficiency. We are delighted to welcome him to CNA Hardy."

Stuart begins at CNA Hardy on 6 November 2017.

About CNA Hardy

CNA Hardy, acting through Hardy (Underwriting Agencies) Limited and CNA Insurance Company Limited, independent wholly-owned UK subsidiaries, are a leading specialist commercial insurance provider for clients within both the Lloyd's and company markets. For more information, please visit CNA Hardy at www.cnahardy.com.

Follow CNA Hardy on: LinkedIn

About CNA

CNA is the eighth largest commercial insurer in the United States. CNA provides a broad range of standard and specialized property and casualty insurance products and services for businesses and professionals in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia, backed by 120 years of experience and more than $45 billion of assets. For more information about CNA visit our website at www.cna.com

Follow CNA (NYSE: CNA) on: Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube

CNA Insurance Company Limited (company registration number 950) and Hardy (Underwriting Agencies) Limited (company registration number 1264271) are authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (firm reference number 202777 and 204843 respectively). CNA Services (UK) Limited (registered number 8836589). 'CNAHardy' is a trading name of CNA Insurance Company Limited and Hardy Underwriting Group PLC (which includes Hardy (Underwriting Agencies) Limited and Hardy Underwriting Asia PTE). VAT registration number 667557779.

The above companies are all registered in England with their registered office at 20 Fenchurch Street, London, EC3M 3BY.

Switchboard: +44 (0)20 7743 6800 Facsimile: +44 (0)20 7743 6801

The information contained in this document does not represent a complete analysis of the topics presented and is provided for information purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice and no responsibility can be accepted by any CNA Hardy group company for any reliance placed upon it.

CONTACT:

Georgina Peters-Venzano, 02076454968 / 07739448121,Marketing & Communications Director,

Georgina.Peters-Venzano@cnahardy.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/593734/stuart_middleton_cna_hardy.jpg

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cna-hardy-appoints-stuart-middleton-as-head-of-small-business-300546239.html
ABC/Randy HolmesOn Monday, Metallica's European tour made a stop in Birmingham, England: the birthplace of Black Sabbath. During the show, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo honored the hometown metal heroes with a cover of "War Pigs."

Trujillo handled lead vocals for the performance, but encouraged the arena to sing along, and they happily obliged. You can watch footage of the cover now via Metallica's Twitter.

Over the weekend, Hammett and Trujillo teamed up for a cover of "Don't Look Back in Anger" during their show at the newly reopened Manchester Arena, the site of the May 22 terrorist bombing. In the days following the attack, the Oasis classic became a rallying cry and an anthem of defiance for the city of Manchester.

Metallica is currently touring Europe in support of their new album, Hardwired...to Self-Destruct. The band will return to the U.S. for a November 9 benefit concert in San Francisco in support of the victims of the Northern California wildfires, the deadliest in recorded state history.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
CHESTER, PA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 --



WHO:

Optymyze, a worldwide provider of enterprise cloud applications and services for improving sales and channel performance

WHAT:

Will spotlight its solutions for the insurance vertical during the National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies (NAILBA) Annual Meeting.

WHEN:

Thursday, November 16 - Saturday, November 18, 2017

WHERE:

Diplomat Resort and Spa

3555 S Ocean Drive

Hollywood, Fla.

Optymyze will exhibit in Booth No. 217.

DETAILS:

The insurance space is rapidly evolving, tasking life brokerage agencies with the challenge of keeping up and aligning sales operations with business objectives.

During the NAILBA Annual Meeting, Optymyze will be on-site to highlight the company's award-winning sales solutions for the insurance industry. Conference attendees will have the opportunity to meet company representatives and learn more about the Optymyze app for distribution management, which provides comprehensive real-time insights into agency/brokerage appointments and manages workflows for the approval process, onboarding and training. In addition, Optymyze will offer demonstrations of its solutions including Optymyze Sales Operations as a Service and Optymyze Sales Compensation Management.

To see how Optymyze solutions can help insurance organizations save time and sell better, attendees are encouraged to visit the company in Booth No. 217. For event information, visit http://www.nailba.org/nailba36/home.

About Optymyze

Optymyze is revolutionizing the performance of salespeople with data science, process automation, enterprise planning, and advanced analytics. We do this by motivating people to achieve sales goals; efficiently managing sales operations; predicting the performance of each sales person, and forecasting sales results and the cost of sales. By enabling clients to rapidly and efficiently adapt to change, Optymyze turns sales operations into a strategic advantage. Our success has been recognized by Ventana Research for innovations in sales operations management, and by Brandon Hall Group for advances in sales enablement.

Follow Optymyze at: Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Google+
Transformation in progress



One-time charges hurting profitability



Third quarter 2017



-- Order intake reached EUR 39.1 million (3Q16: 46.5), a decrease of 15.8% compared to previous year. -- Order book decreased 2.9% to EUR 97.5 million (3Q16: 100.4). -- Revenues for the quarter totaled EUR 52.2 million, an increase of 1.9% compared to previous year (3Q16: 51.3). -- EBIT excluding non-recurring items amounted to EUR 0.8 million (3Q16: 1.5), corresponding to a margin of 1.6% (3Q16: 3.0%). -- Non-recurring items amounted EUR -7.5 million mainly due to operational write-downs. -- Net result for the period was a loss of EUR -7.6 million (3Q16: -0.6). Earnings per share basic and diluted decreased to EUR -0.097 (3Q16: 0.008). -- Operating cash flow was EUR -2.7 million (3Q16: 7.3).



Nine months 2017



-- Order intake reached EUR 150.1 million (9M16: 153.3), a decrease of 2.1% compared to previous year. -- Revenues for the nine months totaled EUR 155.8 million, an increase of 3.0% compared previous year (9M16: 151.3). -- EBIT excluding non-recurring items amounted to EUR 2.7 million (9M16: 3.6), corresponding to a margin of 1.7% (9M16: 2.4%). Figures include non-recurring items EUR -8.2 million due to operational write-downs. -- Net result for the period was a loss of EUR -11.4 million (9M16: 1.6). Earnings per share basic and diluted decreased to EUR -0.145. -- Operating cash flow was EUR -5.0 million (9M16: 2.4). -- Net debt increased to EUR 37.2 million (9M16: 30.5).



Comment from the CEO



A New Organizational Structure to Tackle Internal Challenges



It's been an intense few months for me since taking on the role as CEO at the start of July. After meeting with our business units, employees and many of our customers, I have a much better view of our strengths and weaknesses. I'm confident Cavotec's innovative products are uniquely positioned to support our customers' drive to become greener and more automated. I also now know there is more internal work to be done to make sure we operate more efficiently and effectively and we have begun taking decisive action to address these areas.



Our third-quarter revenue amounted to EUR 52.2 million, putting our revenue for the first nine months at EUR 155.8 million. This represents a 3 per cent increase compared to last year's first nine months. Cavotec recorded an EBIT loss of EUR 6.7 million during this quarter. This includes operational write downs of EUR 7.5 million related to our ongoing review of our businesses. The loss for the quarter is clearly disappointing, but the write-downs are needed as we take on the challenge of transforming Cavotec.



As Cavotec has grown over the years we have become a true global player in our segments. With our focus on innovation and product development, our customers expect us to play an ever increasing part in supplying them with complete solutions. At the same time our internal processes haven't kept pace. With this in mind we have launched an internal transformation plan consisting of a multitude of projects focused on every aspect of how we operate.



A critical step to transforming the company is to have a clear understanding of where each business is in terms of its opportunities and challenges. That starts with clarity around responsibility, authority and accountability.



Today, we are announcing our plan to streamline and simplify decision making by creating an organisation with three business divisions. You're already familiar with the first two - Ports & Maritime and Airport & Industry. We are also creating a third business division called Services. This new Services division will be tasked with developing an after-market business, something our customers view as a key area. Breaking out Services will ensure focus and the attention this potential deserves. The new organizational structure also gives each business division clear profit and loss ownership, from product development to sales to delivery, by moving the supply chain in under their responsibility. The new organization will increase transparency around operational performance and ensure optimum capital allocation. Together with the transformation plan it will provide us with a much-needed structure on which to build for the future.



Even though our review of the operations continues we wanted to be as transparent as possible. We are moving forward with urgency, speed and purpose. Transforming Cavotec won't happen overnight, but we are committed to having open communications along the way.



Cavotec is making these changes from a position of strength. As our customers push to reduce their carbon emissions and work more efficiently they are increasingly turning to us for innovative solutions. The steps we're taking now will make sure we are better able to serve them for years to come.



Looking Forward



We are in the process of transforming Cavotec and we continue to see 2017 as a transitional year. I still expect modest revenue growth for 2017 overall compared with last year.



ENDS



This is a summary of the 3Q17 published today. The complete 3Q17 report and full year summary with tables is available at http://investor.cavotec.com/financials.cfm. Investors should not rely on summaries only, but should review the complete reports with tables.



For further details, please contact:



Kristiina Leppanen Group Chief Financial Officer & Investor Relations Telephone: +41 91 911 40 11 - Email: investor@cavotec.com



The information in this release is subject to the disclosure requirements of Cavotec SA under the Swedish Securities Market Act and/or the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act. This information was publicly communicated on 31 October 2017, 12:00 CET.



Attachment:

https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=650789

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SHENZHEN, China, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

"With the internet increasingly becoming a way of delivering television services, Italian media company Mediaset needed to overhaul its IT network to stay ahead of the market."

-- Stefano BossiNew Video Management System,Coordinator, Mediaset Group

Background

Founded in the 1970s by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Mediaset is the main Italian private television broadcaster. It specialises primarily in the production and distribution of free-to-air television (FTA) and pay TV (subscription and pay-per-view) on multiple platforms. It's also involved with film production and distribution.

In common with other traditional broadcasters it has, over the past few years, had to rethink the way it delivers content to its audience. The advent of internet-only providers such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, along with the growing usage of catchup services, have shaken up the industry and have created a growing demand to watch broadcast television in the same way.

Challenges

There are current IT infrastructures that are unable to support Internet TV services.

This changing market presented Mediaset with a major technical challenge. Stefano Bossi, responsible for the new Video Content Management Systems area at Mediaset explains: "Although we continue to transmit television over the air, there's no doubt that delivery through the internet is going to be an increasing part of our business in the future. We are determined to lead the Italian market in this, but we realised a couple of years ago that our existing IT infrastructure was not up to the job."

The main issue for the company was that its network had developed in an unstructured way. Much of it was outsourced and expensive to run and it lacked the flexibility and capacity to support its new strategy. The only way forward was to bring everything back 'in house' and build a new replacement network from scratch. With this in mind, Mediaset issued an RFI to find the solution it needed.

Stefano Bossi continues: "Our requirement was for a comprehensive solution that would provide the server infrastructure, internet connectivity and storage for video content. We invited a number of vendors to make proposals and following an initial commercial review of each of them, we selected three to take to a more in-depth, proof-of-concept technical evaluation."

Solution

Huawei IP vertical solution constructs an all-new network infrastructure

After a period of exhaustive testing it was clear that the Huawei solution, proposed by Systems Integrator Mediapower for IT components and BT for IP components and network management, offered the best mix in terms of performance, scalability and reliability.

"We received a great deal of support from Huawei during the evaluation phase. It even built a mock installation in China which we were able to use for a week to carry out all of our testing. Although there was little from a cost perspective to separate the contenders, the future-proofing offered by the Huawei solution couldn't be matched by the others," adds Stefano Bossi.

Huawei's IP vertical solution is based on its CloudEngine 6800 series datacenter switches, which offer high speed performance over 10 and 40 Gbits ports, while internet routing is provided by its NetEngine 40E Series Universal Service Router, a high-end backbone router offering full redundancy across all of its components.

On the IT side, the video delivery infrastructure is made up of a farm of 14 RH2288 servers and two OceanStor 9000 NAS scale-out storages split across two sites. These provide a high performance, advanced NAS platform, built on a scale-out, highly available system, employing general-purpose x86 hardware architecture.

Although this was the first time that Mediaset had worked with Huawei, the installation of this relatively complex solution was basically trouble free.

"We only experienced one performance problem that we had not come across in the proof-of-concept testing and I was really impressed with the way Huawei reacted. They immediately assigned an engineer and managed to solve a complicated problem with our existing network within a couple of days," comments Stefano Bossi.

Benefits

Excellent performance management, the best choice for pursuing the Internet service dream

There's no doubt that Mediaset's new network infrastructure is already more than delivering the improvement in performance and reliability it needs to support its future IPTV strategy. Its last financial year showed some significant cost savings in terms of management and running costs and from a technical perspective everything has continued to function without any problems.

For the marketing team, the capabilities that it offers have already got it thinking about a host of additional business opportunities.

"As an engineer, what's really impressed me about Huawei's products is how simple they are to use. They are easy to control and quick to fix if they go wrong, which is something that is obviously crucially important in our business. They're also not overloaded with features that we don't need - something that can't be said about some of the other systems we looked at. I would be happy to recommend them to anyone who asks," concludes Stefano Bossi.
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / October 31, 2017 / Danaos Corporation (NYSE: DAC) will be discussing their earnings results in their Q3 Earnings Call to be held on October 31, 2017 at 9:00 AM Eastern Time.

To listen to the event live or access a replay of the call - visit https://www.investornetwork.com/company/3191.

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

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SOURCE: Investor Network
DUBLIN, IRELAND -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- Aqua Comms DAC ("Aqua Comms"), the operator of Ireland's first dedicated subsea fibre-optic network interconnecting New York, Dublin and London, announces today it has won the 2017 Global Carrier Award for 'Project of the Year - Subsea Networks' given by Capacity Media. Aqua Comms was recognized for the innovation, vision and excellence demonstrated in its partnership with Epsilon to bring European route diversity and on-demand connectivity to the colocation campus of NJFX (New Jersey Fiber Exchange).

"It is a great honour to receive the 2017 Global Carrier Award for Project of the Year in the Subsea Networks category," comments Nigel Bayliff, Chief Executive Officer, Aqua Comms. "This recognition not only demonstrates Aqua Comms' leadership in providing advanced subsea connectivity, but underscores our ongoing commitment to leverage innovation and strategic partnerships to deliver service excellence to our customers."

Aqua Comms' 2017 Global Carrier honour highlights a year of significant milestones, including network expansion and new subsea cable builds in development. The award-winning pact with Epsilon enables Aqua Comms' customers to benefit from interconnecting with NJFX's ecosystem of global carriers, network operators, enterprises, cloud providers and internet exchanges. Establishing a Point of Presence (PoP) at the NJFX colocation campus in combination with the deployment of Epsilon's connectivity platform also allows customers to further diversify and plan their international connections with accuracy, eliminating any transport uncertainty.

Expanding its global network, Aqua Comms also recently formed a strategic alliance with Seaborn Networks ("Seaborn"), interconnecting its America-Europe Connect ("AEConnect") cable system with Seaborn's Seabras-1 undersea cable to create a new, next-generation subsea route between Sao Paulo and London.

"The need for international capacity has increased exponentially, driving unprecedented demand for newer and more advanced subsea cable systems," says Andy Hudson, Chief Networks Officer, Aqua Comms. "At Aqua Comms, we have taken it upon ourselves to meet this growing demand with innovative subsea fiber deployments and expansion of available capacity on our existing networks."

Capping a banner year, Aqua Comms has begun to develop CeltixConnect-2, a diverse, high capacity subsea cable system crossing the Irish Sea from Dublin to Manchester and connecting to the Isle of Man. CeltixConnect-2 is a resilient system designed to complement the reliability of Aqua Comms' existing Irish Sea subsea cable network, CeltixConnect-1. In addition to CeltixConnect-2, Aqua Comms is in preliminary stages of development on North Sea Connect, the first modern, high capacity subsea cable system crossing the North Sea from the North East UK to Denmark.

To learn more about Aqua Comms, visit www.aquacomms.com.

About Aqua Comms DAC

Aqua Comms DAC is the owner and operator of the transatlantic cable AEConnect and the Irish Sea cable CeltixConnect-1, and was established with a vision to build, acquire or merge with subsea fibre-optic cable networks to provide capacity networking solutions to the global media, content providers and IT companies. To learn more about Aqua Comms and its new transatlantic subsea cable system, AEConnect, visit www.aquacomms.com.

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iMiller Public Relations for Aqua Comms

Tel: +1 866 307 2510

pr@imillerpr.com




VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- Highlights:

-- The overall North Bullfrog Mineral Resource estimation has expanded with the Measured and Indicated categories increasing by 30% from the 2015 Mineral Resource estimation to now account for 64% of contained ounces, as further detailed below -- 99% of the proposed mill material now in the Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources categories -- The new Phase 1 Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource contains 904,000 ounces of gold & 5,459,000 ounces of silver at an average grade of 0.80 g/t gold and 4.86 g/t silver in 35 million tonnes, as further detailed below -- The maiden sulphide Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources estimations were defined for the Phase I project with 89,000 ounces of gold and 343,000 ounces of silver at a grade of 1.46 g/t gold and 5.64 g/t silver in 1.89 million tonnes utilizing Ambient Atmospherics Oxidation (AAO) processing in the proposed mill facility -- Total Phase 2 Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources estimations of 855,000 ounce of gold and 2,565,000 ounces of silver at 0.22 g/t gold and 0.65 g/t silver in 123 million tonnes of material

Corvus Gold Inc. (TSX: KOR) (OTCQX: CORVF) ("Corvus" or the "Company") announces updated Mineral Resource estimations incorporating all drill results through to 2017 at its 100% owned North Bullfrog Project ("NBP"). The updated Mineral Resource estimation is a two phase approach with "Phase 1" as an early stage, higher grade mix of predominantly oxide mill processing and oxide heap leach processing. "Phase 2" includes mainly heap leach mineralization. The Mineral Resources estimations (Measured, Indicated and Inferred) were based on economic constraints using Whittle  software, assuming open pit mining and a gold price of USD $1,250 per ounce and a silver price of USD $16.50 per ounce. Figure 1 shows the locations of the projected open pits at the NBP and displays the mineralization in the defined Phase 1 & 2.

Jeff Pontius, the Company's President & CEO states, "The North Bullfrog Resource update has delivered an expansion of the Phase 1 project with an increase in mill ounces, Mineral Resource confidence and overall grade. This initial phase has approximately one-million Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources gold ounces and over five million silver ounces which outline potential for a future mining operation that we believe could be complemented by the Mother Lode project, which is located six kilometres to the southeast. Additionally, this study provides a first look at the viability of integrating higher grade sulfide mineralization into the mine plan which potentially opens the door for future resource expansion in this class of mineralization. We at Corvus Gold look forward to the integration of the Phase 1, North Bullfrog Project with the Mother Lode Project which we believe could deliver an exciting new, low cost, Nevada gold mining project."

To view Figure 1 - Locations of pit constrained, Phase 1 & 2 Resources at the NBP, please visit the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1104106a.pdf

New Resource Calculation

The new Mineral Resource estimation reflects the benefits of the drilling conducted during 2016 and 2017 which has expanded and improved the definition of the YellowJacket vein/stockwork zone, allowing the mine plan to deliver higher average grade mineralization from the YellowJacket zone in Phase 1 with high gold and silver recoveries. This new Mineral Resource has been estimated in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") using a gold price of USD $1,250 per ounce and silver price of USD $16.50 per ounce. The Mineral Resources are tabulated for Phase 1, Phase 2 and Total Mineral Resources in Tables 1, 2 and 3, where they are also subdivided by mill or heap leach process.

Table 1

Phase 1, Measured, Indicated, and Inferred Mineral Resource Estimations for the NBP constrained by Whittle  pit volumes, including both the YellowJacket Vein/Stockwork and Disseminated Oxide Mineralization at a gold price of USD $1,250 per ounce and a silver price of USD $16.50 per ounce

Table 1a - Phase I, Total Mineral Resource tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 10,415 1.08 362 7.59 2,540 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 24,557 0.69 542 3.70 2,919 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 34,972 0.80 904 4.86 5,459 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 5,908 0.31 59 0.74 140 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 1b - Phase I, Mill Mineral Resource (oxide and sulfide) tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 5,221 1.79 300 12.72 2,136 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 5,582 1.75 314 11.86 2,128 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 10,803 1.77 614 12.28 4,264 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 49 1.90 3 18.41 29 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 1c - Phase I, Mill Mineral Resource (sulfide) tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 756 1.32 32 5.35 130 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 1,137 1.56 57 5.83 213 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 1,893 1.46 89 5.64 343 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 15 2.07 1 16.59 8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 1d - Phase I, Heap Leach Mineral Resource tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 5,194 0.37 62 2.42 404 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 18,975 0.37 228 1.30 791 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 24,169 0.37 290 1.54 1,195 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 5,859 0.30 56 0.59 111 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i)- See Cautionary Note to US Investors below (ii)- The Mineral Resources above are effective as of October 31, 2017 (iii)- Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability (iv)- Includes Sulfide Mineral Resources discussed below

Table 2

Phase 2, Measured, Indicated, and Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate for the NBP constrained by Whittle  pit volumes, including both the YellowJacket Vein/Stockwork and Disseminated Oxide Mineralization at a gold price of USD $1,250 per ounce and a silver price of USD $16.50 per ounce

Table 2a - Phase II, Total Mineral Resource tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 10,129 0.26 84 1.04 338 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 113,009 0.21 771 0.61 2,227 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 123,138 0.22 855 0.65 2,565 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 58,877 0.19 367 0.48 902 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 2b - Phase II, Mill Mineral Resource (oxide & sulfide) tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 798 1.01 26 3.27 84 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 2,733 1.04 91 2.96 260 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 3,531 1.03 117 3.03 344 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 67 1.39 3 2.32 5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 2c - Phase II, Mill Mineral Resource (sulfide) tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 401 1.24 16 2.48 32 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 1,402 1.18 53 1.82 82 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 1,803 1.19 69 1.97 114 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 61 1.53 3 2.04 4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 2d - Phase II, Heap Leach Mineral Resource tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 9,331 0.19 58 0.85 254 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 110,276 0.19 680 0.55 1,967 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 119,607 0.19 738 0.58 2,221 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 58,810 0.19 364 0.47 897 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i)- See Cautionary Note to US Investors below (ii)- The Mineral Resources above are effective as of October 31, 2017 (iii)- Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability (iv)- Includes Sulfide Mineral Resources discussed below

Table 3

Measured, Indicated, and Inferred Total Mineral Resource Estimate for the NBP constrained by Whittle  pit volumes, including both the YellowJacket Vein/Stockwork and Disseminated Oxide Mineralization at a gold price of USD $1,250 per ounce and a silver price of USD $16.50 per ounce

Table 3a - Total Mineral Resource, Phase I & II tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 20,544 0.68 446 4.36 2,878 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 137,566 0.30 1,314 1.16 5,146 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 158,110 0.35 1,760 1.58 8,024 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 64,785 0.20 426 0.50 1,042 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 3b - Total Mill Mineral Resource (oxide and sulfide), Phase I & II tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 6,019 1.68 326 11.47 2,220 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 8,315 1.51 405 8.93 2,388 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 14,334 1.59 731 10.00 4,608 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 116 1.61 6 9.12 34 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 3c - Total Mill Mineral Resource (sulfide), Phase I & II tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 1,157 1.29 48 4.35 162 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 2,539 1.35 110 3.61 295 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 3,696 1.33 158 3.85 457 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 76 1.64 4 4.91 12 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table 3d - Total Heap Leach Resource, Phase I & II tonnes (k) Grade (g/t Au) k-Ounces AuGrade (g/t Ag) k-Ounces Ag ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Measured 14,525 0.26 120 1.41 658 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indicated 129,251 0.22 909 0.66 2,758 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total M&I 143,776 0.22 1,029 0.74 3,416 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inferred 64,669 0.20 420 0.48 1,008 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i)- See Cautionary Note to US Investors below (ii)- The Mineral Resources above are effective as of October 31, 2017 (iii)- Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability (iv)- Includes Sulfide Mineral Resources discussed below

The Mineral Resource estimation is based on 766 drill holes with 27,729 gold composites. Geologic volumes were defined by geologic interpretations and used to constrain the estimation. Heap leach resources were estimated by Ordinary Kriging. The YellowJacket vein and stockworks were estimated using Inverse Distance estimations. To estimate the reasonable prospects of eventual economic extraction, Metal Mining Consultants Inc. confined the resources to mining volumes defined by Whittle  analysis using the input parameters defined in Table 4. There are no known legal, political or environmental risks that could materially affect the potential development of the Mineral Resources.

Table 4, Whittle Input Parameters used for the NBP Mineral Resource Estimation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mayflower Jolly Sierra YellowJacket Sulfide Parameter Unit (i) Jane(i) Blanca(i) (ii) (iii) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mining Cost USD/total tonne 1.64 1.42 1.54 1.54 1.54 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Au Cut-Off g/t 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.35 0.71 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Processing USD/process Cost tonne 1.72 1.72 1.15 11.84 25.6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Au Recovery % 70.0 72.0 73.8 86.6 91.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ag Recovery % 8.0 8.0 6.3 74.3 57.2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Admin Cost USD/process tonne 0.5 0.5 0.45 0.45 0.45 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Refining & USD/tonne Sales 0.07 0.04 0.02 0.11 0.11 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Au Selling USD/oz Price 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Slope Angle Degrees 50 50 50 50 50 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i) - assumes heap leach processing of disseminated mineralization (ii) - assumes Gravity - CIL mill processing of YellowJacket mineralization (iii) -assumes Ambient Atmospheric Oxidation mill processing of Sulfide mineralization (iv) - break-even grade derived from Whittle input parameters at USD $1,250 per ounce gold price, and USD $16.50 per ounce silver price

Sulfide Resource

Sulfide Mineral Resources have been added to the NBP Mineral Resources based on previously identified materials that lie within the YellowJacket zone and 2017 drilling in the Swale and Liberator areas. The majority of the identified sulfide mineralization is along the YellowJacket zone and was previously identified as waste material. Metallurgical test work on sulfide mineralization from the Sierra Blanca, Pioneer Tuff, Rhyolite and Dacite rock types in the YellowJacket area indicate high gold and silver recoveries possible using flotation to produce a concentrate, fine grinding of the concentrate, oxidation of the concentrate using the AAO method followed by cyanide leaching of the resulting filter cake. Gold recoveries with this processing approach ranged between 87% and 94% as indicated in Table 5, which lists the gold recovery to the concentrate, the concentration ratio and the overall gold recovery from the testing (NR 17-9, June 21, 2017). Both Soda Ash and Trona were used in the tests as the neutralizing agent and the tests were conducted by Hazen Research Inc., of Golden, Colorado.

Table 5 NBP Concentrate AAO Testing ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sample Unit Gold Recovery Concentration Post AAO CN Overall Gold to Concentrate Ratio Gold Recovery Recovery (mineralized (from (from tonne to concentrate) mineralized concentrate) tonne) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soda Ash ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sierra Blanca 94% 9:1 99% 93% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer Tuff 94% 14:1 100% 94% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rhyolite 89% 14:1 100% 89% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dacite 88% 5:1 100% 88% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trona ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sierra Blanca 94% 9:1 97% 91% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pioneer Tuff 94% 14:1 99% 93% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rhyolite 89% 14:1 98% 87% ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dacite 88% 5:1 99% 87% ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sulfide Mineral Resources within the Whittle pit shells have been included in the Mill Mineral Resource tables presented earlier. Operating costs and gold recoveries have been developed for use in the Whittle analysis and are included in Table 4. The breakdown of the Sulfide Mineral Resource are listed in Table 3c.

The Company will file an updated NI 43-101 compliant technical report (the "Report") to be prepared by independent qualified persons, which will include the results of the Mineral Resource update on SEDAR within 45 days, and investors are urged to review the Report in its entirety.

Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

About the North Bullfrog Project and the Mother Lode Project, Nevada

Corvus controls 100% of its North Bullfrog Project, which covers approximately 72 km2 in southern Nevada. The property package is made up of a number of private mineral leases of patented federal mining claims and 865 federal unpatented mining claims. The project has excellent infrastructure, being adjacent to a major highway and power corridor as well as a large water right. The Company also controls 65 federal unpatented mining claims on the Mother Lode project which totals 522 hectares which it owns 100% of.

The NBP includes numerous prospective gold targets at various stages of exploration with four having the following modeled Mineral Resources (Sierra Blanca, Jolly Jane, Mayflower, and YellowJacket). In Phase 1, the project contains a Measured Mineral Resource for the mill of 5.2 Mt at an average grade of 1.79 g/t gold and 12.72 g/t silver, containing 300 k ounces of gold and 2,136 k ounces silver and Indicated Mineral Resources for the mill of 5.6 Mt at an average grade of 1.75 g/t gold, and 11.86 g/t silver, containing 314 k ounces of gold and 2,128 k ounces of silver, and an Inferred Mineral Resource for the mill of 49 kt at an average grade of 1.90 g/t gold and 18.41 g/t silver, containing 3 k ounces of gold and 29 k ounces of silver. In addition, the project contains a Phase 1 Measured Mineral Resource for oxide, run of mine, heap leach of 5.2 Mt at an average grade of 0.37 g/t gold and 2.42 g/t silver, containing 62 k ounces of gold and 404 k ounces silver and an Indicated Mineral Resource for, oxide, run of mine, heap leach of 19.0 Mt at an average grade of 0.37 g/t gold and 1.30 g/t silver, containing 228 k ounces of gold and 791 k ounces of silver, and an Inferred, oxide, run of mine, heap leach Mineral Resource of 5.9 Mt at an average grade of 0.30 g/t gold and 0.59 g/t silver, containing 56 k ounces of gold and 111 k ounces of silver.

The Phase 2 Measured Mineral Resource for the mill has 0.8 Mt at an average grade of 1.01 g/t gold and 3.27 g/t silver, containing 26 k ounces of gold and 84 k ounces silver and Indicated Mineral Resource for the mill of 2.7 Mt at an average grade of 1.04 g/t gold and 2.96 g/t silver, containing 91 k ounces gold and 260 k ounces silver, and an Inferred Mineral Resource for the mill of 67 kt at an average grade of 1.39 g/t gold and 2.32 g/t silver, containing 3 k ounces gold and 5 k ounces silver. In addition, the project contains a Phase 2 Measured, oxide, run of mine, heap leach Mineral Resource of 9.3 Mt at an average grade of 0.19 g/t gold and 0.85 g/t silver, containing 58 k ounces gold and 254 k ounces silver, an Indicated, oxide, run of mine, heap leach Mineral Resource of 110.3 Mt at an average grade of 0.19 g/t gold and 0.55 g/t silver, containing 680 k ounces gold and 1,967 k ounces silver, and an Inferred, oxide, run of mine, heap leach Mineral Resource of 58.8 Mt at an average grade of 0.19 g/t gold and 0.47 g/t silver, containing 364 k ounces gold and 897 k ounces silver.

Qualified Person and Quality Control/Quality Assurance

Jeffrey A. Pontius (CPG 11044), a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, has supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical information that form the basis for this news release and has reviewed and approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Pontius is not independent of Corvus, as he is the CEO and holds common shares and incentive stock options.

Carl E. Brechtel, (Nevada PE 008744 and Registered Member 353000 of SME), a qualified person as defined by NI 43-101, has coordinated execution of the work outlined in this news release and has reviewed and approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Brechtel is not independent of Corvus, as he is the COO and holds common shares and incentive stock options.

The work program at the NBP was designed and supervised by Mark Reischman, Corvus' Nevada Exploration Manager, who is responsible for all aspects of the work, including the quality control/quality assurance program. On-site personnel at the project log and track all samples prior to sealing and shipping. Quality control is monitored by the insertion of blind certified standard reference materials and blanks into each sample shipment. All resource sample shipments are sealed and shipped to ALS Chemex in Reno, Nevada, for preparation and then on to ALS Chemex in Reno, Nevada, or Vancouver, B.C., for assaying. ALS Chemex's quality system complies with the requirements for the International Standards ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 17025:1999. Analytical accuracy and precision are monitored by the analysis of reagent blanks, reference material and replicate samples. Finally, representative blind duplicate samples are forwarded to ALS Chemex and an ISO compliant third-party laboratory for additional quality control.

The Independent Qualified Person, Scott E. Wilson, visited the NBP site during 2014, 2015 and 2016. Mr. Wilson has performed data verification by examining core materials at the site, and has selected check samples to develop independent verifying assays of intervals by the Inspectorate laboratory in Reno, NV. Geologic data development processes were reviewed and observed during a site visit. All drilling geologic description, assaying data and geochemical data have been provided in a database format to Metal Mining Consultants Inc. for the purpose of estimating the resource. The Qualified Person has reviewed the News Release and approved its publication.

Mr. Scott E. Wilson, CPG, President of Metal Mining Consultants Inc., is an independent consulting geologist specializing in Mineral Reserve and Resource calculation reporting, mining project analysis and due diligence evaluations. He is acting as the Qualified Person, as defined in NI 43-101, for the overall technical report, and the Mineral Resource estimate. Mr. Wilson has over 28 years of experience in surface mining and is a Registered Member (#4025107RM) of Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, Inc. Mr. Wilson and Metal Mining Consultants, Inc. are independent of the Company under NI 43-101.

About Corvus Gold Inc.

Corvus Gold Inc. is a North American gold exploration and development company, focused on its near-term gold-silver mining project at North Bullfrog, Nevada. In addition, the Company controls another exploration property, Mother Lode, with gold mineralization near the NBP. Corvus is committed to building shareholder value through new discoveries and the expansion of those discoveries to maximize share price leverage in a recovering gold and silver market.

On behalf of

Corvus Gold Inc.

Jeffrey A. Pontius,

Chief Executive Officer

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and US securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein including, without limitation, statements regarding projected economics of the mine plan contained in the PEA, including mine development and operating costs and potential future productions, estimates of mineral resources, the anticipated content, commencement and cost of exploration programs, anticipated exploration program results, the discovery and delineation of mineral deposits/resources/reserves, the potential to expand the existing estimated mineral resource at the North Bullfrog project, the potential for the North Bullfrog system to continue to grow and/or to develop into a major new higher-grade, bulk tonnage, Nevada gold discovery, the potential for any mining or production at North Bullfrog, the potential for the identification of multiple deposits at North Bullfrog, the potential for the existence or location of additional high-grade veins, the potential for a low cost mining operation at the North Bullfrog Project the gold and silver prices used to constrain the Mineral Resource estimates at the North Bullfrog Project, the potential development of the Mother Lode property, the potential for the Company to secure or receive any royalties in the future, business and financing plans and business trends, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements are discussed in this news release and the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis filed at www.sedar.com.

In addition to, and subject to, such assumptions discussed in more detail elsewhere, the forward-looking statements in this news release are also subject to the following assumptions: (1) the price of gold and silver being consistent with the prices used herein; (2) the ability to develop the North Bullfrog project in accordance with the terms of the PEA; (3) the timing of the receipt of regulatory and governmental approvals, permits and authorizations necessary to implement and carry on the Company's planned exploration and potential development programs; (4) the Company's ability to attract and retain key staff, (5) the timing of the ability to commence and complete the planned work at the Company's projects, and (6) the ongoing relations of the Company with its underlying property lessors and the applicable regulatory agencies. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, variations in the nature, quality and quantity of any mineral deposits that may be located, variations in the market price of any mineral products the Company may produce or plan to produce, the Company's inability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its activities, the Company's inability to produce minerals from its properties successfully or profitably, to continue its projected growth, to raise the necessary capital or to be fully able to implement its business strategies, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's 2014 Annual Information Form and latest interim Management Discussion and Analysis filed with certain securities commissions in Canada. All of the Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and the Company's United States public disclosure filings may be access via www.sec.gov and readers are urged to review these materials, including the technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties.

Cautionary Note to US Investors

NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators which establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Unless otherwise indicated, all resource estimates contained in or incorporated by reference in this press release have been prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 and the guidelines set out in the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (the "CIM") Standards on Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council on November 14, 2004 (the "CIM Standards") as they may be amended from time to time by the CIM.

United States investors are cautioned that the requirements and terminology of NI 43-101 and the CIM Standards differ significantly from the requirements and terminology of the SEC set forth in the SEC's Industry Guide 7 ("SEC Industry Guide 7"). Accordingly, the Company's disclosures regarding mineralization may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by companies subject to SEC Industry Guide 7. Without limiting the foregoing, while the terms "mineral resources", "inferred mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" and "measured mineral resources" are recognized and required by NI 43-101 and the CIM Standards, they are not recognized by the SEC and are not permitted to be used in documents filed with the SEC by companies subject to SEC Industry Guide 7. Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability, and US investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of a mineral resource will ever be converted into reserves. Further, inferred resources have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and as to whether they can be mined legally or economically. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of the inferred resources will ever be upgraded to a higher resource category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of a feasibility study or prefeasibility study, except in rare cases. The SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute SEC Industry Guide 7 compliant "reserves" as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit amounts. The term "contained ounces" is not permitted under the rules of SEC Industry Guide 7. In addition, the NI 43-101 and CIM Standards definition of a "reserve" differs from the definition in SEC Industry Guide 7. In SEC Industry Guide 7, a mineral reserve is defined as a part of a mineral deposit which could be economically and legally extracted or produced at the time the mineral reserve determination is made, and a "final" or "bankable" feasibility study is required to report reserves, the three-year historical price is used in any reserve or cash flow analysis of designated reserves and the primary environmental analysis or report must be filed with the appropriate governmental authority. The mine economics presented herein and derived from the PEA are preliminary in nature and may not be realized. The PEA is not a feasibility study. U.S. investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our latest reports and registration statements filed with the SEC. You can review and obtain copies of these filings at http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml. U.S. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any defined resource will ever be converted into SEC Industry Guide 7 compliant reserves.

This press release is not, and is not to be construed in any way as, an offer to buy or sell securities in the United States.

Contacts:

Ryan Ko

Investor Relations

info@corvusgold.com

1-844-638-3246 (toll free) or (604) 638-3246




31 October 2017

Ganapati Plc

("Ganapati" or "the Company")

Unaudited Interim Results for the Six Months Ended 31 July 2017

Ganapati today announces its unaudited interim results for the six months ended 31 July 2017.

Chairman's Statement

Review of the Six Months Period ended 31 July 2017

Ganapati is a Company that develops online casino software and mobile applications. In particular, the Company's strength has been creating online casino games combining the unique contents of Japan with the traditional slot games. During this period under review the Company has continued to develop pan-European partnerships. These will allow Ganapati to create online games with multiple popular content based on the special advantage it has in its use and understanding of Japanese history and culture.

Financial Review

The unaudited results for the six-month period ended 31 July 2017 show a loss of ( 4,541,031) (six months to 31 July 2016: (8,750,140). The loss per share was (14p) (six months to 31 July 2016: (28p).

Total income was 2,186,278 (six months to 31 July 2016: 1,337,493). Net liabilities at the end of the period under review were 21,598,900 (as at 31 July 2016: 16,977,331).

The Company continues to rely on the bonds bought by Japanese investors. These have a three-year maturity date with an option to renew for a further year. The Directors are pleased to confirm that as the early bonds come up for repayment, many Japanese investors have agreed to extend for a further one year. These can continue to be extended each year upon the approval of the investor. The Company is attracting new investors.

On 27 July 2017 the Company was able to announce that the first equity for debt swap for 1,172,941 new ordinary shares involving Equity Midas Co Ltd and CD One LLC had been completed.

Review of Operations

The Company continues to operate and update its three Apps - BUZZ POP, Zapppi and My list.

BUZZ POP has been downloaded over 140,000 times and has been updated many times to improve its potential profitability. During this period under review there was a new iOS update (the mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc.) which has, temporarily, hindered further development. Your directors expect this issue to be resolved before the end of the year.?

The Online Casino business of the subsidiary companies in Estonia and Malta are progressing well and it is estimated that ten new games will be completed by the end of the fiscal year. Ganapati (Malta) has established a subsidiary company, Ganalogics SRL, as a game development base in Romania.

The sales teams are working on negotiating contracts with online casino operators, and also attending online casino conventions pursuant to meeting new operators and signing agreements.

The Company, including the office in London, has locations around the world and there is a weekly Skype meeting between the six divisional heads to ensure communication and continuity of the agreed strategy.

The Gambling Commission

Whilst the Company is maintaining a constructive dialogue with the Gambling Commission it has been decided to withdraw the current application and submit a fresh application in due course which will reflect the growing strength of the Company. In the interim, the Company will rely on the Class 4 licence obtained by our wholly owned subsidiary Ganapati (Malta) Limited. On 2 June 2017 we announced this award by the Malta Gambling Commission which allows Ganapati (Malta) Limited to offer the Group's Japanese-themed casino games to Malta-licensed operators.

Post Period End Events

The main operational events have been covered in the sections above.

On 14 September 2017 it was announced that Mr Toshitaka Nakajima had been appointed Chief Financial Officer. On 1 August 2017 it was announced that Mr Taku Sawada had been appointed Chief Marketing Officer. On the same date it was announced that Mr Mitsuya Fujimoto had resigned as Chief Operating Officer.

Corporate Governance

The Company runs an Audit Committee and will be forming a Remuneration Committee before the end of the year. The roles and composition of the committee is kept under regular review.

Risk Assessment

While during the period under review, the Company has, through its pan-European expansion, created new and potentially significant opportunities, the Directors believe there continue to be three main risks to a possible loss of value of the shares:

Firstly, if the generation of revenues is delayed further.

Secondly, if anticipated revenue generation is below the estimates of the Directors.

With the appointment of Mr Toshitaka Nakajima as Chief Financial Officer, the Company believes its financial reporting will become increasingly competent.

Thirdly, if the Company cannot continue to maintain the support of its Japanese investors and/or cannot attract further equity investment.

During the period under review the Chairman has met regularly with the directors of GPJ Limited and has obtained re-assurances that the investment needed during this loss-making phase is available. The equity for debt swap referred to above is significant.

Outlook

Ganapati is not affected by the Brexit negotiations: our markets are global. Whilst the financial results achieved in this six month period show reduced losses and significant cash reserves, delays in rolling out our games have absorbed executive time, and the new iOS update referred to above, has frustrated the increased generation of revenues from the Apps. However, we believe the improved financial performance will continue. The atmosphere and commitment amongst our staff is at the highest level yet. We are recruiting well. Your directors remain committed to repaying the faith of our investors.

Tony Drury

Chairman

31 October 2017

The directors of Ganapati Plc accept responsibility for this announcement.

COMPANY CONTACT DETAILS:

Ganapati Plc

Tony Drury

Chairman

Telephone: 07973 737284

NEX EXCHANGE CORPORATE ADVISER:

Alexander David Securities Limited

David Scott -Corporate Finance

James Dewhurst - Corporate Broking

Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7448 9820

http://www.ad-securities.com

49 Queen Victoria Street, London EC4N 4SA

UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 JULY 2017

Unaudited

6 months

ended

31 July

2017 Unaudited

6 months

ended

31 July

2016 Audited

Year ended

31 January

2017 Notes    Turnover 2,186,278 1,337,493 3,269,908 Administrative expenses (4,916,666) (9,122,563) (10,415,497) Operating loss (2,730,388) (7,785,070) (7,145,589) Other income 2 9,041 - Interest payable (760,199) (686,396) (1,475,129) Amounts written off investments - - (106,140) Loss on ordinary activities before taxation (3,490,585) (8,413,225) (8,726,858) Taxation (1,044,331) (287,715) (719,863) Loss on ordinary activities after taxation (4,534,916) (8,750,140) (9,446,721) Non-controlling interests (6,115) - (12,379) Loss for the financial period (4,541,031) (8,750,140) (9,459,100) Basic loss per share, pence 4 (14) (28) (31)

There are no items of other comprehensive income.

UNAUDITED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN EQUITY

FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 JULY 2017

Ordinary share capital Share

premium Retained deficit Minority Non-controlling interest Total

Equity      At 31 January 2017 308,197 396,526 (18,467,146) 88,510 (17,673,913) Loss for the period - - (4,541,031) 6,115 (4,534,916) Conversion of debt to equity 11,729 598,200 - - 609,929 At 31 July 2017 319,926 994,726 (23,008,177) 94,625 (21,598,900)

UNAUDITED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION

AS AT 31 JULY 2017

Unaudited

6 months

ended

31 July

2017 Unaudited

6 months

ended

31 July

2016 Audited

Year ended

31 January

2017 Notes    NON-CURRENT ASSETS Intangible assets 19,277,891 8,897,175 13,535,736 Tangible assets 147,663 80,864 118,257 Investments - 106,140 - 19,425,554 9,084,179 13,653,993 CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 1,977,430 1,632,773 2,013,344 Cash and cash equivalents 1,906,053 1,497,125 2,376,011 3,883,483 3,129,898 4,389,355 CURRENT LIABILITIES Creditors (861,205) (831,998) (772,933) NET CURRENT ASSETS 3,022,277 2,297,900 3,616,422 NET ASSETS 22,447,831 11,382,079 17,270,415 NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES Loans (44,046,731) (28,359,410) (34,944,328) (21,598,900) (16,977,331) (17,673,913) EQUITY Ordinary share capital 3 319,926 308,197 308,197 Share premium 994,726 396,526 396,526 Non-controlling interest 94,625 76,131 88,510 Retained deficit (23,008,177) (17,758,185) (18,467,146) TOTAL EQUITY (21,598,900) (16,977,331) (17,673,913)

UNAUDITED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOW

FOR THE SIX MONTHS ENDED 31 JULY 2017

Unaudited

6 months

ended

31 July

2017 Unaudited

6 months

ended

31 July

2016 Audited

Year ended

31 January

2017    OPERATING ACTIVITIES Loss for the year (4,541,031) (8,750,140) (9,459,100) Adjusted for: Depreciation charge 14,917 - 33,021 Amounts written off investments - - 106,140 Finance income (2) - - Finance cost 760,199 686,396 1,475,129 Tax charge 1,044,331 287,715 719,863 Non-controlling interest 6,115 - 12,379 Unrealised foreign exchange loss on borrowings 6,115 5,706,425 12,379 (2,715,471) (2,069,604) (7,112,568) Working capital adjustments: Decrease/(increase) in trade and other receivables 35,914 (612,447) (935,546) Increase in trade and other payables 88,272 176,943 187,942 (2,591,285) (2,505,108) (7,860,172) Taxation paid (996,850) (217,651) (680,811) Interest paid (760,197) (686,396) (1,475,129) Net cash used in operating activities (4,348,332) (3,409,155) (10,016,112) INVESTING ACTIVITIES Payments to acquire intangible assets (5,179,706) (890,070) (5,528,631) Payments to acquire tangible assets (44,323) - (76,128) Proceeds on disposal of tangible fixed assets - - 1,937 Net cash used in investing activities (5,224,029) (890,070) (5,602,822) FINANCING ACTIVITIES New loans 9,102,403 4,515,035 16,713,630 Net cash generated by financing activities 9,102,403 4,515,035 16,713,630 Increase / (decrease) in cash (469,958) 215,810 1,094,696 Cash at the beginning of the year 2,376,011 1,281,315 1,281,315 Cash at the end of the year 1,906,053 1,497,125 2,376,011

NOTES TO THE INTERIM RESULTS

Interim accounts

The financial information set out in this interim report does not constitute statutory accounts as defined in section 434 of the Companies Act 2006. The group's statutory financial statements for the year ended 31 January 2017, prepared under FRS 102, have been filed with the Registrar of Companies. The auditor's report on those financial statements was unqualified and did not contain a statement under section 498 (2) or (3) of the Companies Act 2006.

Copies of the interim report are available to view and download from the Company's website: www.ganapatiplc.com.

Accounting policies

The interim financial information has been prepared in accordance with the recognition and measurement principles of FRS 102, including Financial Reporting Standard 104, "Interim Financial Reporting", and on the same basis and using the same accounting policies as used in the financial statements for the year ended 31 January 2017.

The interim financial statements have not been audited or reviewed in accordance with the International Standard on Review Engagement 2410 issued by the Auditing Practices Board.

The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis under the historical cost convention. The Directors believe that the going concern basis is appropriate for the preparation of the financial statements as the Company is in a position to meet all its liabilities as they fall due.

Share capital

Share capital Share premium  

Allotted, called up and fully paid 31,992,653 ordinary shares of 1p each 319,926 994,726 319,926 994,726

Loss per share

The basic loss per share is calculated by dividing the loss attributable to equity shareholders by the weighted average number of shares in issue.

Six months ended

31 July

2017

(unaudited) Six months ended

31 July

2016

(unaudited) Year ended

31 January

2017

(audited) Weighted average number of shares in the period 31,992,653 30,819,712 30,819,712 Total loss attributable to equity shareholders of the Company (4,541,031) (8,750,140) (9,459,100)

Basic loss per share: (14p) (28p) (31p)

Unrealised foreign exchange loss on borrowings

Unrealised foreign exchange loss on borrowings represents an exchange difference on loans denominated in Japanese Yen.

Dividends

No interim dividend will be paid.
MCLEAN, VA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- Freddie Mac (OTCQB: FMCC) today reported its third quarter results and filed its Form 10-Q with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The company's 10-Q and press release are available now on the company's website, www.freddiemac.com/investors, along with the third quarter 2017 financial results supplement.

The company will hold a conference call at 9:00 a.m. Eastern time (ET) on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017, to discuss the company's results with the media. The conference call will be concurrently webcast and the replay will be available on the company's website at www.FreddieMac.com/investors for approximately 30 days.

Freddie Mac makes home possible for millions of families and individuals by providing mortgage capital to lenders. Since our creation by Congress in 1970, we've made housing more accessible and affordable for homebuyers and renters in communities nationwide. We are building a better housing finance system for homebuyers, renters, lenders and taxpayers. Learn more at FreddieMac.com, Twitter @FreddieMac and Freddie Mac's blog FreddieMac.com/blog.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Lisa Gagnon

703-903-3385

INVESTOR CONTACT:

Laurie Garthune

571-382-4732




WEST CHESTER, OH -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- AK Steel (NYSE: AKS) today reported its financial results for the third quarter of 2017.

3rd Quarter 2017 Highlights

Precision Partners acquisition completed

Successful refinancing of 2022 senior notes

$1.35 billion revolving credit facility extended until September 2022

Planned maintenance outages on schedule

Net loss of $5.8 million, inclusive of $13.1 million for acquisition and debt refinancing costs

AK Steel reported a net loss of $5.8 million, or $0.02 per diluted share of common stock, for the third quarter of 2017, compared to net income of $50.9 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2016. The third quarter of 2017 included $4.7 million of costs related to the acquisition of Precision Partners and $8.4 million of costs related to refinancing long-term debt. In the third quarter of 2016, the company incurred $6.8 million of costs for debt refinancing.

The company's adjusted EBITDA (as defined in the "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section below) was $69.2 million, or 4.6% of net sales, for the third quarter of 2017, which includes costs associated with the Precision Partners acquisition and debt refinancing. This compared to adjusted EBITDA of $156.6 million, or 10.8% of net sales, for the year ago third quarter.

"Our financial results for the third quarter are in line with the guidance we provided in July. We are particularly pleased to have completed the acquisition of Precision Partners during the quarter as we execute on our downstream strategy," said Roger K. Newport, Chief Executive Officer of AK Steel. "Our ongoing efforts to strengthen our balance sheet continued during the quarter with the successful refinancing of our 2022 senior notes and extension of our credit facility. These actions position us well for the future."

Net sales increased 3% to $1.49 billion for the third quarter of 2017 from $1.45 billion for the third quarter of 2016. Third quarter flat-rolled steel shipments declined 2% to 1,368,600 tons from 1,397,900 tons in the third quarter a year ago, primarily as a result of softer automotive market demand. Average selling price per flat-rolled steel ton increased 2% to $1,021 from $1,001 in the same quarter a year ago, primarily as a result of a higher average selling price on both contract and spot market sales and higher surcharges on specialty steels.

Higher raw material costs, particularly for scrap, chrome, zinc and other alloys, contributed to the decline in results compared to the third quarter a year ago. Results for the third quarter of 2017 included a LIFO charge of $49.0 million, which was a $73.2 million year-over-year change from a LIFO credit of $24.2 million in the third quarter a year ago.

Costs for planned maintenance outages for the third quarter of 2017 were $8.5 million, as compared to $16.9 million from the same quarter a year ago.

Nine-Month Results

For the first nine months of 2017, the company reported net income of $117.9 million, or $0.37 per diluted share, compared to net income of $54.6 million, or $0.26 per diluted share, in the corresponding nine months of 2016. Included in the results for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 were $21.5 million of costs related to debt refinancing and $6.2 million for costs related to the Precision Partners acquisition. For the corresponding nine months of 2016, debt refinancing costs were $9.4 million.

Sales for the first nine months of 2017 were $4.58 billion, a 3% increase from sales of $4.46 billion in the same period a year ago. Flat-rolled steel shipments for the first nine months of 2017 were 4,259,100 tons compared to 4,550,900 tons in the first nine months of 2016. The reduction in shipments was primarily a result of continued efforts to reduce sales of lower margin products, as well as a decrease in automotive market demand. The company's average selling price for the first nine months of 2017 was $1,022 per flat-rolled steel ton, an 8% increase from $946 per ton for the first nine months of 2016. The higher sales reflect an increase in average selling price on both contract and spot market sales, higher surcharges on specialty steel, and an improved product mix.

Adjusted EBITDA for the first nine months of 2017 was $354.1 million, as compared to adjusted EBITDA of $337.0 million for the same period last year. The company's adjusted EBITDA margin as a percent of net sales improved to 7.7% for the first nine months of 2017 from 7.5% for the same period a year ago. The improvement was principally driven by the company's strategy to focus on higher margin products, optimize its manufacturing footprint, and maintain its focus on cost control.

The first nine months of 2017 included LIFO charges of $108.3 million, which was a $124.1 million change from LIFO credits of $15.8 million in the comparable period for 2016. The company recorded costs of $38.2 million during the first nine months of 2017 for planned maintenance outages, compared to $40.0 million during the first nine months of 2016.

Iron Ore Derivatives

The company routinely uses iron ore derivatives to reduce the volatility in the cost of its iron ore purchases. Historically, these derivatives qualified for hedge accounting--meaning that gains and losses on derivatives were reflected in the company's financial results in the same period that the hedged iron ore purchases affected earnings. Beginning in the third quarter of 2016, the company's iron ore derivatives no longer qualify for hedge accounting treatment. Therefore, adjustments to mark these derivatives to fair value each period are recognized immediately in the company's financial results, versus being recognized in the period that iron ore purchases affect earnings.

In the third quarter of 2017, the fair value of the company's iron ore derivatives increased due to an increase in the market price of iron ore from June 2017, which resulted in the company recognizing mark-to-market gains of $4.0 million in its third quarter results. The company has net mark-to-market gains of $11.9 million in its results for the first nine months of 2017. Not included in the financial results for the third quarter and first nine months of 2017 were $9.3 million and $29.6 million of realized gains from iron ore derivative contracts that settled during these periods, as those gains were recognized in prior periods as a result of the change in hedge accounting treatment.

Acquisition of Precision Partners

On August 4, 2017, the company acquired 100% of the equity of Precision Partners, which provides engineering, tooling, die design and hot- and cold-stamped steel components for the automotive market. Precision Partners is headquartered in Ontario, Canada and has more than 1,000 employees, including approximately 300 engineers and skilled tool makers, across eight plants in Ontario, Alabama and Kentucky. The company acquired Precision Partners to advance its core focus on the high-growth automotive lightweighting market and its prominent position in advanced high strength steels, further strengthen close collaboration with automotive market customers, and leverage both companies' research and innovation in materials and metals-forming. The condensed consolidated financial statements reflect the effects of the acquisition and Precision Partner's financial results beginning August 4, 2017.

The initial purchase price was $360.9 million, net of cash acquired, and was paid with cash on hand and borrowings under the company's credit facility. The purchase price is subject to a customary working capital adjustment based on the final closing date net working capital. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, the company incurred acquisition costs of $4.7 million and $6.2 million. Acquisition costs are primarily comprised of transaction fees and direct costs, including professional fees. These costs are included in selling and administrative expenses in the condensed consolidated statements of operations.

New Credit Facility

In September 2017, the company entered into a new $1,350.0 million revolving credit facility which expires in September 2022. The new credit facility replaced the company's previous $1,500.0 million revolving credit facility, which was set to expire in March 2019, and is secured by the same classes of assets as the replaced credit facility. The company ended the third quarter of 2017 with total liquidity of $929.5 million, consisting of cash and cash equivalents and $865.3 million of availability under the company's revolving credit facility.

Senior Notes Offering and Debt Redemption

In August 2017, the company issued $280.0 million of 6.375% senior unsecured notes due 2025. Through a concurrent tender offer for its 8.375% senior unsecured notes due 2022, and subsequent redemption, the company retired all $279.8 million in principal of the 2022 notes in the third quarter of 2017. Included in other income (expense) in the third quarter of 2017 was $8.4 million of expense related to the debt redemption. The company recorded other expense of $21.5 million in the first nine months of 2017 related to this and earlier transactions for the issuance and redemption of notes.

AK Steel

AK Steel is a leading producer of flat-rolled carbon, stainless and electrical steel products, primarily for the automotive, infrastructure and manufacturing, electrical power generation and distribution markets. Through its subsidiaries, the company also provides customer solutions through carbon and stainless steel tubing products, die design and tooling, and hot and cold stamping. Headquartered in West Chester, Ohio (Greater Cincinnati), the company employs approximately 9,400 men and women at manufacturing operations across seven states (Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia), as well as Canada and Mexico. Additional information about AK Steel is available at www.aksteel.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements made or incorporated by reference in this earnings release reflect management's estimates and beliefs and are intended to be "forward-looking statements" identified in the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "plans," "estimates" and other similar references to future periods typically identify forward-looking statements.

The company cautions readers that forward-looking statements reflect the company's current beliefs and judgments, but are not guarantees of future performance or outcomes. They are based on a number of assumptions and estimates that are inherently affected by economic, competitive, regulatory, and operational risks, uncertainties and contingencies that are beyond the company's control, and upon assumptions about future business decisions and conditions that may change.

Forward-looking statements are only predictions and involve risks and uncertainties, resulting in the possibility that actual events or performance will differ materially from such predictions as a result of certain risk factors. Such factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from the results contemplated by such forward-looking statements include reduced selling prices, shipments and profits associated with a highly competitive and cyclical industry; domestic and global steel overcapacity; changes in the cost of raw materials and energy; the company's significant amount of debt and other obligations; severe financial hardship or bankruptcy of one or more of the company's major customers or key suppliers; the company's significant proportion of sales to the automotive market; reduced demand in key product markets due to competition from aluminum or other alternatives to steel; excess inventory of raw materials; supply chain disruptions or poor quality of raw materials; production disruption or reduced production levels; the company's healthcare and pension obligations; not reaching new labor agreements on a timely basis; major litigation, arbitrations, environmental issues and other contingencies; regulatory compliance and changes; climate change and greenhouse gas emission limitations; conditions in the financial, credit, capital and banking markets; the company's use of derivative contracts to hedge commodity pricing volatility; potential permanent idling of facilities; inability to fully realize benefits of margin enhancement initiatives; information technology security threats and cybercrime; that we will not integrate Precision Partners successfully; and that potential growth opportunities, accretion to earnings and cash flow and other anticipated benefits and opportunities from the Precision Partners acquisition, such as providing enhanced customer solutions and accelerated research and innovation, may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; as well as those risks and uncertainties discussed in more detail in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, as updated in subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. As such, the company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only to the company's plans, assumptions and expectations as of the date hereof. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, except as required by law.

AK STEEL HOLDING CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (Unaudited) (Dollars and shares in millions, except per share and per ton data) Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, September 30, -------------------- -------------------- 2017 2016 2017 2016 --------- --------- --------- --------- Flat-rolled steel shipments (000 tons) 1,368.6 1,397.9 4,259.1 4,550.9 Selling price per flat-rolled steel ton $ 1,021 $ 1,001 $ 1,022 $ 946 Net sales $ 1,494.3 $ 1,452.9 $ 4,584.9 $ 4,463.9 Cost of products sold 1,347.0 1,194.1 4,001.5 3,884.6 Selling and administrative expenses 67.7 80.0 204.0 205.7 Depreciation 58.0 53.7 168.2 161.7 Pension and OPEB expense (income) (16.2) (5.7) (48.6) (29.5) --------- --------- --------- --------- Total operating costs 1,456.5 1,322.1 4,325.1 4,222.5 --------- --------- --------- --------- Operating profit 37.8 130.8 259.8 241.4 Interest expense 37.5 40.3 115.1 124.5 Other income (expense) (7.8) (7.0) (19.2) (5.6) --------- --------- --------- --------- Income (loss) before income taxes (7.5) 83.5 125.5 111.3 Income tax expense (benefit) (18.8) 14.6 (40.9) 4.1 --------- --------- --------- --------- Net income 11.3 68.9 166.4 107.2 Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests 17.1 18.0 48.5 52.6 --------- --------- --------- --------- Net income (loss) attributable to AK Steel Holding Corporation $ (5.8) $ 50.9 $ 117.9 $ 54.6 ========= ========= ========= ========= Net income (loss) per share attributable to AK Steel Holding Corporation: Basic $ (0.02) $ 0.21 $ 0.37 $ 0.26 ========= ========= ========= ========= Diluted $ (0.02) $ 0.21 $ 0.37 $ 0.26 ========= ========= ========= ========= Weighted-average shares outstanding: Basic 314.3 237.5 314.2 210.6 Diluted 314.3 238.4 321.1 211.4 AK STEEL HOLDING CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) (Dollars in millions, except per share amounts) September 30, December 31, 2017 2016 ------------- ------------- ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 69.3 $ 173.2 Accounts receivable, net 563.4 442.0 Inventory, net 1,184.1 1,113.9 Other current assets 115.6 94.6 ------------- ------------- Total current assets 1,932.4 1,823.7 Property, plant and equipment 6,745.3 6,569.0 Accumulated depreciation (4,720.7) (4,554.6) ------------- ------------- Property, plant and equipment, net 2,024.6 2,014.4 Goodwill and intangible assets 312.8 32.8 Other non-current assets 189.5 165.1 ------------- ------------- TOTAL ASSETS $ 4,459.3 $ 4,036.0 ============= ============= LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 718.0 $ 589.9 Accrued liabilities 245.1 234.1 Current portion of pension and other postretirement benefit obligations 41.3 41.3 ------------- ------------- Total current liabilities 1,004.4 865.3 Non-current liabilities: Long-term debt 2,098.2 1,816.6 Pension and other postretirement benefit obligations 1,011.8 1,093.7 Other non-current liabilities 168.4 148.4 ------------- ------------- TOTAL LIABILITIES 4,282.8 3,924.0 EXCHANGEABLE NOTES EXCHANGE FEATURE -- 21.3 Equity: Common stock, authorized 450,000,000 shares of $0.01 par value each; issued 315,745,678 and 314,739,500 shares in 2017 and 2016; outstanding 314,848,092 and 314,160,557 shares in 2017 and 2016 3.2 3.1 Additional paid-in capital 2,883.7 2,855.4 Treasury stock, common shares at cost, 897,586 and 578,943 shares in 2017 and 2016 (5.4) (2.4) Accumulated deficit (2,946.9) (3,064.8) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (111.3) (63.5) ------------- ------------- Total stockholders' equity (deficit) (176.7) (272.2) Noncontrolling interests 353.2 362.9 ------------- ------------- TOTAL EQUITY 176.5 90.7 ------------- ------------- TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY $ 4,459.3 $ 4,036.0 ============= =============

Note: The company completed its acquisition of PPHC Holdings, LLC on August 4, 2017. The initial purchase price allocation is preliminary and is subject to the completion of several items, including consideration of final valuations and the final determination of post-closing purchase price adjustments relating to working capital.

AK STEEL HOLDING CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited) (Dollars in millions) Nine Months Ended September 30, ------------------------ 2017 2016 ----------- ----------- Cash flows from operating activities: Net income $ 166.4 $ 107.2 Depreciation 155.8 150.8 Depreciation--SunCoke Middletown 12.4 10.9 Amortization 17.9 14.3 Deferred income taxes (36.1) 6.1 Pension and OPEB expense (income) (48.6) (29.5) Contributions to pension trust (38.1) -- Other pension payments (0.7) (32.6) Other postretirement benefit payments (30.0) (24.3) Changes in working capital (44.1) 37.5 Other operating items, net (0.9) 47.5 ----------- ----------- Net cash flows from operating activities 154.0 287.9 Cash flows from investing activities: Capital investments (88.7) (81.9) Investment in acquired business, net of cash acquired (360.9) -- Other investing items, net 4.2 2.2 ----------- ----------- Net cash flows from investing activities (445.4) (79.7) Cash flows from financing activities: Net borrowings (payments) under credit facility 415.0 (360.0) Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt 680.0 380.0 Redemption of long-term debt (821.8) (392.8) Proceeds from issuance of common stock -- 249.4 Debt issuance costs (25.0) (20.4) SunCoke Middletown distributions to noncontrolling interest owners (58.2) (63.2) Other financing items, net (2.5) (0.3) ----------- ----------- Net cash flows from financing activities 187.5 (207.3) ----------- ----------- Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (103.9) 0.9 Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 173.2 56.6 ----------- ----------- Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 69.3 $ 57.5 =========== =========== AK STEEL HOLDING CORPORATION NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (Unaudited) (Dollars in millions)

In certain of its disclosures in this news release, the company has reported adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA margin that exclude the effects of noncontrolling interests. EBITDA is an acronym for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. It is a metric that is sometimes used to compare the results of different companies by removing the effects of different factors that might otherwise make comparisons inaccurate or inappropriate. For purposes of this news release, the company has made adjustments to EBITDA to exclude the effect of noncontrolling interests. The adjusted results, although not financial measures under generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") and not identically applied by other companies, facilitate the ability to analyze the company's financial results in relation to those of its competitors and to the company's prior financial performance by excluding items that otherwise would distort the comparison. Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA margin are not, however, intended as alternative measures of operating results or cash flow from operations as determined in accordance with GAAP and are not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies.

Neither current nor potential investors in the company's securities should rely on adjusted EBITDA or adjusted EBITDA margin as a substitute for any GAAP financial measure and the company encourages current and potential investors to review the following reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA.

Reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA Three Months Nine Months Ended September Ended September (dollars in millions, except per ton) 30, 30, ---------------------------------------- ---------------- ---------------- 2017 2016 2017 2016 ------- ------- ------- ------- Net income (loss) attributable to AK Steel Holding $ (5.8) $ 50.9 $ 117.9 $ 54.6 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests 17.1 18.0 48.5 52.6 Income tax expense (benefit) (18.8) 14.6 (40.9) 4.1 Interest expense 37.5 40.3 115.1 124.5 Interest income (0.5) (0.3) (1.3) (1.2) Depreciation 58.0 53.7 168.2 161.7 Amortization 2.8 1.1 7.6 4.2 ------- ------- ------- ------- EBITDA 90.3 178.3 415.1 400.5 Less: EBITDA of noncontrolling interests (a) 21.1 21.7 61.0 63.5 ------- ------- ------- ------- Adjusted EBITDA (b) $ 69.2 $ 156.6 $ 354.1 $ 337.0 ======= ======= ======= ======= Adjusted EBITDA margin 4.6% 10.8% 7.7% 7.5% ======= ======= ======= =======

(a) The reconciliation of EBITDA of noncontrolling interests to net income attributable to noncontrolling interests is as follows:

Three Months Nine Months Ended Ended (dollars in millions) September 30, September 30, ------------------------------------------------ ------------- ------------- 2017 2016 2017 2016 ------ ------ ------ ------ Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests $ 17.1 $ 18.0 $ 48.5 $ 52.6 Depreciation 4.0 3.7 12.5 10.9 ------ ------ ------ ------ EBITDA of noncontrolling interests $ 21.1 $ 21.7 $ 61.0 $ 63.5 ====== ====== ====== ======

(b) Included in adjusted EBITDA for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, were $4.0 million and $11.9 million of unrealized gains on iron ore derivatives.

AK STEEL HOLDING CORPORATION FLAT-ROLLED STEEL SHIPMENTS (Unaudited) (Tons in thousands) Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, September 30, ------------------ ------------------ 2017 2016 2017 2016 -------- -------- -------- -------- Tons Shipped by Product Stainless/electrical 197.1 212.2 617.5 663.1 Coated 726.8 758.1 2,269.9 2,414.6 Cold-rolled 244.1 219.3 732.0 777.9 Hot-rolled 164.9 168.7 527.3 573.0 Secondary 35.7 39.6 112.4 122.3 -------- -------- -------- -------- Total shipments 1,368.6 1,397.9 4,259.1 4,550.9 ======== ======== ======== ======== Shipments by Product (%) Stainless/electrical 14% 15% 14% 15% Coated 53% 54% 53% 53% Cold-rolled 18% 16% 18% 17% Hot-rolled 12% 12% 12% 12% Secondary 3% 3% 3% 3% -------- -------- -------- -------- Total shipments 100% 100% 100% 100% ======== ======== ======== ========

Contacts:

Media

Lisa H. Jester

Corporate Manager

Communications and Public Relations

(513) 425-2510



Investors

Douglas O. Mitterholzer

General Manager

Investor Relations

(513) 425-5215




AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- Smart recruitment technology firm StartMonday Technology Corp. (CSE: JOB) (OTC: STMDF) (FRANKFURT: JOB) (the "Company" or "StartMonday") is pleased to announce that it has developed an opportunity to connect the power of blockchain technology with its existing product lineup aimed at delivering a true next generation solution for HR professionals and job-seekers alike.

In the Human Resource sector, it is a known fact that an extraordinary number of people regularly inflate aspects of their career history. From exaggerated skills to outright fake qualifications, trust has long been a moving target when it comes to the hiring process. Falsehoods penalize otherwise ideal candidates and employers pay the price when a new hire inexplicably fails. The blockchain solution completely alters and corrects this equation.

StartMonday Co-Founder and CEO, Ray Gibson observes, "When we set out, we had a vision of one day eliminating CV submissions entirely and allowing candidates to apply with a single 15-second video and win an interview. In the end, we built an entire candidate management system to accommodate employers' reliance on regular CVs -- however unreliable they are! Now with blockchain verification available to us, we have developed a method of absolutely confirming many, if not all, aspects of a candidate's job history."

"Once we launch this all-new product we've branded as 'CareerChain,' we will offer employers and job candidates our proven advanced application, integrated 15-second video pitch tool and the added ability to certify a job history that is forensically valid. Trust is returned to the equation, and we get that much closer to our original goal of relegating the curriculum vitae to simply a piece of the puzzle instead of the whole picture." Mr. Gibson continues, "The result? Better hiring practices that dramatically improve job suitability and confidence in the decision-making process. We are trying to make this a total win-win for everyone, and blockchain technology is going to propel the StartMonday platform into the next generation."

The technology further provides added value as the verification process must be mined on a public blockchain creating opportunities for miners (including StartMonday) to earn currency tokens. Subscribers derive added value from data decentralization which returns absolute control and security of personal information back to the user.

Andrew Evans, StartMonday Co-Founder and CPO draws on his personal experience as part of the team that built the first job board on the web, Careerbuilder.com. "Since the onset of online job boards, all the big players in this sector committed to centralized data as part of their business models and so everyone had no choice but to give up their personal data -- that's how it worked. So, your very personal information is out of your control, and given the spate of data theft and outright losses in recent years, individuals are increasingly and rightly concerned about what they share and where they share it. Blockchain technology allows you to encrypt your own data and share how you want, when you want, and with whom you want -- In fact, it's really good at this. Consider the level of privacy you need when electing to enter the job market while still employed. You simply can't trust a third-party application to effectively limit access from your current employer. With blockchain that's not a problem. Plus, we envision the future will allow us to load personal data into the equivalent of a blockchain 'digital wallet" so we can simplify and streamline the process of updating your information across all your job search platforms. This sort of security and enhanced functionality is going to revolutionize HR practices very rapidly. To our knowledge, CareerChain is one of the most robust and practical use-case scenarios for blockchain generated revenues currently being developed, and we are pleased to be at the forefront of innovation -- again."

StartMonday anticipates completion of ongoing proof-of-concept trials during Q4/2017. Product rollout is scheduled for Q1/2018 and aims to provide regular updates as features and benefits are finalized for commercialization. Sign up here for regular updates.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"Ray Gibson"

CEO & Director

About StartMonday (CSE: JOB) (XFRA: JOB) (OTC: STMDF)

StartMonday helps employers select better candidates, faster, with the power of 15-second video introductions. StartMonday's video-led mobile and web applications deliver a better impression of personality and customer skills, ultimately helping employers decide which candidates they should talk to first - making the process much more efficient. StartMonday is focused on becoming recognized as an innovative and trusted brand for job recruitment. The Company is dedicated to building powerful tools for the Mobile Generation. The mission is to make recruiting, and work itself, an amazing experience for everyone. For more information please visit www.startmonday.com.

CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMER STATEMENT: The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.

This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the completion of the listing of the Company's shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include the failure to satisfy the conditions of the Canadian Securities Exchange and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulations.

The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward- looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by applicable law.

Contact:

Walter Spagnuolo

Invictus Investor Relations

Office: +1.604.343.8661

Toll Free from North America: +1.800.274.8143

Toll free from Germany: +0800.180.6687

Toll Free From UK: + 0.800.014.8387

Email: investors@startmonday.com

Website: www.startmonday.com




LOS ANGELES, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- Agritek Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: AGTK) www.AgritekHoldings.com, a fully integrated, active real estate investor for the cannabis sector and consultant for multiple cannabis brands, today announced that the Company has appointed Mr. Anton Ansalmar Founder of Rapid Healthcare Inc and MediK8Mobile Inc, as Chief Technology Officer and member of the Board of Directors of Agritek Holdings Inc. effective November 1, 2017.

Mr. Ansalmar brings over 18 plus years of experience in Information Technology, with over 13 plus years of Web/Mobile technologies and over eight years of experience in Enterprise Mobility within the healthcare, utilities and supply chain sectors. Mr. Ansalmar has managed and built an Enterprise Mobility Practice which has developed Mobile applications across all platforms including iOS, Android and Windows Mobile, he has consulted for clients such as the UNITED NATIONS, PG&E, NBC UNIVERSAL, NUVASIVE and GREENLEE COMMUNICATIONS, he also advises as CTO for early stage startups. Mr. Ansalmar has additionally designed and managed development of clinical workflow Mobile Applications for Healthcare that utilized Mobile Devices, Mobile Printers, Web Platforms and Integration into Health IT Systems. Mr. Ansalmar holds a BSC in Computer Science from QMW University of London.

"I have observed Mr. Ansalmar manage his development team out of the Irvine start up and incubator division located at the University of Irvine Research Triangle. He will become an excellent complement to our existing Board skill set, bringing demonstrated and relevant industry experience and strategic acumen to the table. His knowledge and past technical experience from the healthcare industry and across emerging industries will further support our strategy to deliver value to our shareholders through innovative technology geared toward corporate compliance, operational excellence, and continued growth within the fragmented cannabis sector", stated B. Michael Friedman, CEO of Agritek Holdings Inc.

As part of the Board of Directors Agreement, Mr. Ansalmar has developed specific intellectual property for the cannabis industry which has now been acquired by Agritek Holdings Inc, that will provide as a major technology asset for the Company held and operated by Agritek holdings. The HIPPA compliant software platform built my MediK8Mobile, will provide for patient verification, storage of medical records and allow patients to search and order products initially through a web & mobile based software. The platform that is now being utilized by local dispensaries in South Orange County during the Beta allows for an "Uber Eats like" experience where the dispensary may track deliveries and manage drivers. The platform also provides a "track and trace" labeling system to record purchases and label packages of strains and all orders being sold to patients through dispensaries and delivery services. Agritek Holdings expects to release the consumer version of the application now known as MediK8mobile to consumers where patients and recreational users will be able to track deliveries coming directly to them. The new platform and application will be branded under "Herbi", which is expected to compete with the likes of Eaze, Speed Weed and Green Rush.

About Agritek Holdings, Inc.

Agritek Holdings, Inc., (www.AgritekHoldings.com) a pioneer within the medicinal marijuana space, provides innovative technology and agricultural solutions for both the medicinal and recreational cannabis industry. Agritek Holdings, Inc. presently owns or manages property in Colorado, Washington State, Puerto Rico and Canada and has licenses with permitted facilities in California approved for cultivation as well as manufacturing capabilities. The company owns several Hemp and cannabis brands for distribution including "Hemp Pops", Hemp oil wellness products and "California Premiums". Agritek Holdings Inc. does not directly grow, harvest, or distribute or sell cannabis or any substances that violate or contravene United States law or the Controlled Substances Act, nor does it intend to do so in the future.

FORWARD-LOOKING DISCLAIMER:

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Agritek Holdings, Inc. to be materially different from the statements made herein.

Contact:



Agritek Holdings Inc.

www.AgritekHoldings.com

305.721.2727

info@agritekholdings.com




VANCOUVER, BC -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- Liberty One Lithium Corp. ("Liberty One" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: LBY) (OTCQB: LRTTF) (FRANKFURT: L1T), is pleased to advise that drilling has commenced at its Pocitos West property in Northern Argentina. The operational team moved quickly to secure and mobilize a drilling rig and all related equipment. Commensurate with the Company's focus on its strong leadership team, the Company has deployed to site Monty McNeil, the Company's Senior Engineering and Operations Manager.

With operations underway, on-site determination by the team will assess initial findings from the brine samples at specific depths, as defined by geophysics and drill hole logging. If warranted, the team may elect to case the primary well for monitoring, and drill an adjacent rotary/core hole for pumping tests. Once the initial well is at depth and down-hole geophysics logging and depth-specific packer sampling have been completed, the drilling equipment will be moved to the second target to undertake preliminary wide-area sampling of the salar basin characteristics.

Company CEO Brad Nichol notes, "Events are moving quickly in the field now, and I credit that to the top-notch team on the ground. They were fully prepared to get underway and are currently ahead of schedule. Samples will be shipped to the SGS laboratory in Buenos Aires, employing QA/QC procedures including the insertion of blanks, standards and duplicates, comprising at a minimum 25% of the samples submitted. The SGS lab is accredited to ISO 9001, and operates consistent with ISO 17025 methods employed as industry standards.

"If all goes well, we anticipate a comprehensive report within eight weeks and will utilize the intervening period to finalize our drill and work planning based on anticipated result scenarios. Having pre-paid over $1 million for the start of the drilling program, we still have a healthy cash position of over $9 million in the bank. If this initial exploration is successful, our plans call for embarking on the full drilling program consistent with the current 11-hole permit approval, representing the first round of development activity at the Company's 15,000 hectare 'Pocitos West' property."

In related news, the Company welcomes the appointment of Mr. Monty McNeil as Senior Engineering and Operations Manager. Living at altitude and on-site, Mr. McNeil will be present and involved in all facets of operations including drilling, sampling, down-hole geophysical logging and cost control. With his characteristically hands-on approach, Mr. McNeil has overseen the drilling and completion of many exploration and development wells throughout his extensive career.

"Mr. McNeil is a trusted professional with decades of experience and innovation in some of the drilling industry's most complex and challenging operational environments." Mr. Nichol continues, "He has the empathetic temperament, supported by an indisputable knowledge base, to learn from our experienced partners in this area and to support and guide the drilling team during this most important phase in the exploration and development of our Pocitos West property. There is no other person that I would trust more than Monty to be the eyes and ears of Liberty One in Argentina at this critical moment."

Mr. Monty McNeil, Liberty One Senior Engineering and Operations Manager, notes, "Having hit the ground running, everything is moving smoothly ahead. I am very happy to be working with Brad and the experienced field team on this exciting project. It is a huge property in a prospective environment, and the data from the previous Vertical Electrical Soundings ("VES") survey has provided an excellent selection of drill targets. I am particularly keen to explore the brine horizons encased in pre-existing salar sediments that lie beneath the alluvial fans along the salar edges. Information from the local team, based on their previous experiences in similar locations, leads me to prioritize these targets high on my list. The first round of results will help steer us as we develop a proper field interpretation and NI43-101 compliant valuation of this impressive property."

The Company is also is pleased to announce that it has engaged Hybrid Financial Ltd. ("Hybrid") to provide marketing, distribution and branding services pursuant to a marketing agreement dated October 3, 2017 (the "Consulting Agreement"). The Consulting Agreement has an initial 3 month term which commenced October 10, 2017 and is automatically renewable on a monthly basis thereafter (subject to termination by the Company upon one months' written notice). Hybrid will be paid a monthly fee of $7,500 plus applicable taxes. Additional information about Hybrid Financial can be found at www.hybridfinancial.com. Hybrid does not currently hold any shares of the Company and does not have any other direct or indirect interests in the Company. The Consulting Agreement is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

The Company further reports that Bradley Hoeppner has resigned from the Board effective October 12, 2017. The Company would like to thank Mr. Hoeppner for his contributions to the Company and wishes him all the best in his future endeavours.

Iain Scarr, AIPG, CPG, a non-arm's length party to the Company, is the Qualified Person responsible for the technical disclosure in this news release.

For further information about Liberty One Lithium Corp., please visit www.libertyonelithium.com or view the Company's filings at www.SEDAR.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"/s/ Brad Nichol"

Brad Nichol

President & CEO

About Liberty One Lithium (TSX VENTURE: LBY) (OTCQB: LRTTF) (FRANKFURT: L1T)

Liberty One Lithium Corp. is an exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of high grade lithium brine deposits. The extensive Pocitos West Argentinian property is based in the heart of the well-known "Lithium Triangle" and positioned on-trend within 25 km of several lithium producers. The property is ideally situated for lithium brine production via low-cost and well-proven evaporation methods, and is adjacent to substantive infrastructure and a skilled, experienced labour force. Liberty's international team is comprised of recognized technical experts that have focused on lithium for decades. The Company is stringently managed with a critical eye on value-creative decision making, aimed at ensuring the Company is well-capitalized and consistently creating value for shareholders. Read more at: www.libertyonelithium.com/about-us/summary.

Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information

Some of the statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "intends," "is expected," "potential," "suggests" or variations of such words or phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "should," "would," "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements and information are not historical facts and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control. Actual results and developments are likely to differ, and may differ materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulations Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

CONTACT

Walter Spagnuolo

Invictus Investor Relations

Office: +1.604.343.8661

Email: investors@l1lithium.com

Website: www.libertyonelithium.com




WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Crude oil futures were little changed Tuesday morning ahead of U.S. inventories data. The American Petroleum Institute is out with its industry survey this afternoon, followed by official numbers from the Energy Information Administration tomorrow morning. The reports showed a surprise build in domestic stockpiles a week ago, but oil prices have since risen on speculation OPEC will extend its supply quota deal with Russia. The cartel meets in Vienna November 30. Meanwhile, U.S. WTI crude oil was down a few cents at $54.12 a barrel, having touched its highest since February. Brent oil has rocketed above $60 in London. The S&P Corelogic Case-Shiller home price index for August that tracks monthly changes in the value of residential real estate in 20 metropolitan regions across the U.S. will be revealed at 9.00 am ET. The consensus is for growth of 0.5 percent, compared to 0.3 percent in the previous month. 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.
Hikvision's 'AI Cloud' establishes a distributed structure incorporating Cloud Computing and Edge Computing. It extends the Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm from the cloud, to an edge network of on-premises video recorders and servers, and further to edge devices like the security cameras. The three layer architecture all supports the goal to build a new class of AI-powered application, being even smarter and faster.

HANGZHOU, China, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Hikvision, the world's leading supplier of innovative video surveillance products and solutions, successfully held an Artificial Intelligence forum in Shenzhen, China on October 28, one day before the CPSE trade show kicked off (Oct. 29th- Nov. 1st).

The forum had the theme of "AI, beyond innovation" in keeping with the company's continued commitment to technology advancement. Accordingly, Hikvision introduced AI Cloud, the next level of AI technology development, and its comprehensive implementation in a variety of vertical applications.

Hikvision AI Cloud

Cloud computing is an information technology (IT) paradigm. It allows users with various computing capabilities to store and process data either in a privately-owned cloud or on a third-party server located in a data centre. However, with the computing business becoming more and more versatile and complicated, the demand for data processing performance is even higher. In the process of data transition to the cloud, cloud computing consumes tremendous network resources and time, which all result in network congestion and low reliability.

Mr. Hu Yangzhong, CEO of Hikvision who addressed the forum, pointed out the irresistible trend of engineering AI algorithms into edge devices, and making the edge more intelligent. The Hikvision "AI Cloud" structure was then introduced, which enables AI algorithm from edge to cloud, distributing the overall pressure that the large amount of data places on the centre.

"Edge computing uses local computing to enable analytics at the source of the data. Powered by AI technology, it strengthens the sensing capability of front-end cameras, and helps us understand the captured scene more effectively and accurately. With AI algorithms woven into the edge devices, only selected information such as an individual or a vehicle in a video image will be extracted and sent which significantly enhances the transition efficiency and reduces the network bandwidth, while still sustaining high quality and accuracy. Edge computing will also accelerate more efficient business responses, creating immediate action and event alerts." Hu commented.

Hikvision AI Cloud was developed to solve real world challenges existing in different vertical markets, and to create continuous value to end users.

Artificial Intelligence is the most trending technology in the security industry. Hikvision has gained over a decade of experience in this field. The company has invested in video intelligence technology since 2006, when its first algorithm team was established. In 2013, the company started to implement Deep Learning technology, and in 2016, its full range Deep Learning products were introduced to the security industry.

Hikvision has taken this technology and innovated a family of products to maximise its use. The DeepinView IP camera range and the DeepinMind NVR range work together to provide all the power and benefits of Deep Learning. While the cameras provide the smart 'eyes' of the system, the NVR represents the analytic and storage capabilities of the brain. The products help to tackle security on two fronts - recognition, monitoring and counting of people and recognition and detection of vehicles. They use Deep Learning technology at its most effective- for its ability to classify and recognise thousands of 'features'.

For more information of the latest Hikvision DeepinView release, please click here.

About Hikvision

Hikvision is the world's leading provider of innovative video surveillance products and solutions. Featuring the industry's strongest R&D workforce, Hikvision advances core technologies of audio and video encoding, video image processing, and related data storage, as well as forward-looking technologies such as cloud computing, big data, and deep learning. In addition to the video surveillance industry, Hikvision extends its reach to smart home tech, industrial automation, and automotive electronics industries to achieve its long-term vision. Always creating value for its customers, Hikvision operates 33 regional subsidiaries all over the world to achieve a truly global presence. For more information, please visit us at www.hikvision.com.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 31, 2017) - Defiance Silver Corp. (TSXV: DEF) (OTC: DNCVF) ("Defiance") is pleased to announce the commencement of a Phase II, 5,000 meter drill program targeting new high-grade silver shoots along a 900m section of the Veta Grande vein located southeast of the San Acacio Silver Deposit in Zacatecas, Mexico.

"We are excited to begin the first systematic drill program testing the Veta Grande vein east of San Acacio. Our geological model indicates that with the Veta Grande tilting to the south east, historic miners did not recognize the potential of the vein along strike. If our model is correct, we could dramatically expand the district's silver footprint. With two diamond drills operating, we look forward to a steady flow of drill results over the next three months." stated Roy Bonnell, President and CEO of Defiance Silver Corp.

The Veta Grande vein, which pinches and swells along strike, produced approximately 200M ounces of silver from high-grade shoots in the swells, with an estimated 100M ounces of silver from high-grade shoots on Defiance's portion of the Veta Grande. Mapping, mineralogical studies and drilling to date indicate that the pinching and swelling continues along strike and the mineralized system hosting the San Acacio deposit is tilted to the southeast. With only a few shallow historic exploration shafts and minor modern exploration, there is significant potential for the discovery of multiple intact, high grade silver shoots in this area. Over 4.4 km of Defiance's 5.6 km holdings along the Veta Grande vein have not seen historical production nor been systematically explored, providing Defiance the opportunity to potentially grow the resource along strike.

A Panoramic Video on the San Acacio Deposit is available on our website, or Click Here to visit our Defiance YouTube Channel. Defiance Silver Corp. is a silver explorer and developer advancing the San Acacio Deposit, located in the historic Zacatecas Silver District of central Mexico. Defiance is managed by a team of proven mine developers with a track record of exploring and developing 7 operating mines to date. Defiance's corporate mandate is to expand San Acacio to become one of Mexico's premier high grade wide vein silver deposits.

Mr. Bruce Winfield, P.Geo. consultant to Defiance Silver Corp, is a Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101, and has approved the technical information concerning the Company's material mineral properties contained in this press release.

On behalf of Defiance Silver Corp.

"Roy Bonnell"

President and CEO

For more information, please contact: Sunny Pannu - Corporate Development (604) 669 7315 or via email at pannu@defiancesilver.com

2300 - 1177 West Hastings Street

Vancouver, BC V6E 2K3

www.defiancesilver.com

Tel: 604-669-7315

Email:info@defiancesilver.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 31, 2017) - Austral Gold Limited (TSXV: AGLD) (ASX: AGD) ('the Company" or "Austral") is pleased to report results from activities during the first fiscal quarter ending September 30th, 2017.

"During the quarter, our main focus was commissioning the new plant in Chile with the objective of having all sections of the plant operational. The team continues to work towards optimising technical performance of the plant and reaching full commercial production in the near term", stated Stabro Kasaneva, CEO of Austral Gold. "In addition, our team has made tremendous progress at Casposo as evidenced by more stabilized production during the quarter. I am also very confident about the potential that exists at the Amancaya project, especially given the discovery of a new mineralized vein at Amancaya announced on August 21, 2017. Developing the potential at Amancaya is a priority for us and we plan on advancing our exploration activities to enable drilling at the newly discovered Nueva vein by the end of the year".

Highlights for September Quarter (Q1 2018 FY):

 Quarterly combined production (100% Casposo, Guanaco and Amancaya) was 10,482 gold ounces and 549,546 silver ounces (or 17,732 gold equivalent ounces) or 9,163 gold ounces and 397,899 silver ounces (Net to Austral*).

 Quarterly cash cost (C1) and all-in-sustaining cost (AISC) across all operations were US$955/AuEq oz and US$1,133/AuEq oz respectively with average selling prices at US$1,274/Au oz and US$17/Ag oz.

 Sales proceeds for the September quarter was US$22.3m of which the Guanaco mine contributed with US$7.8m and the Casposo mine with US$14.5m.

Guanaco and Amancaya Production

 Quarterly production was 6,086 gold ounces and 44,057 silver ounces (or 6,668 gold equivalent ounces) as compared to 11,762 gold ounces and 16,109 silver ounces (or 11,985 gold equivalent ounces) in the September quarter 2016. Production was affected by lower tonnes processed due to some delays in the commissioning phase of the new agitation leach plant.

 Although YTD Production is 24,767 AuEq oz, we anticipate full year production to be at the lower end of the 45,000-50,000 AuEq oz guidance provided in June 2017 as higher production is expected in the last quarter of 2017 as a result of the ramp-up in processing at the new agitation leach plant.

 Open-pit mining operations at Amancaya continued in the current quarter while more selective processes in defining ore material within the narrow Central Vein to control dilution were implemented.

Casposo Production

 Quarterly production was 4,396 gold ounces and 505,514 silver ounces (100% basis). Austral Gold's 70% share of production was 3,077 gold ounces and 353,860 silver ounces (70% basis).

 Casposo production continued to show improvement on a quarter over quarter basis as silver production increased by 130,931 silver ounces or 35% from the prior quarter.

A summary of key operational parameters is set out in the following table:

Operations Guanaco/Amancaya Casposo (100% basis) Net to Austral* Sept

Quarter

2017 Sept

Quarter

2016 Sept

Quarter

2017 Sept

Quarter

2016 Sept

Quarter

2017 Sept

Quarter

2016 Processed (t) 99,240 140,460 65,481 68,055 145,077 175,168 Gold produced (oz) 6,086 11,762 4,396 4,457 9,163 14,035 Silver produced (oz) 44,057 16,109 505,514 313,765 397,917 176,129 Gold-Equivalent *** (oz) 6,668 11,985 11,048 8,585 14,402 16,363 C1 Cash Cost (US$/AuEq oz) 997 673 930 804 955 728 All-in Sustaining Cost (US$/Au oz) 1,229 848 1,043 1,200 1,113 995 Realised gold price (US$/Au oz) 1,274 1,330 1,274 1,330 1,274 1,330 Realised silver price (US$/Ag oz) 17 19 17 19 17 19

* Austral Gold owned 70% of Casposo for the quarter ended 30 September 2017; 51% for the quarter ended 30 September 2016

** The cash cost (C1) includes: Mine, Plant, On-Site G&A, Smelting, Refining, and 3% ENAMI Royalty (excludes Corporate G&A)

# The All-in Sustaining Cost (AISC) includes: C1, Sustaining Capex, Brownfield Exploration, and Mine Closure Amortisation

*** AuEq ratio is calculated at 76:1 Ag:Au for September Quarter 2017

 Production guidance for the full calendar year (100% basis) is 85,000-90,000 gold equivalent ounces, below the initial guidance of 95,000-101,000 gold equivalent ounces.

Exploration

 Exploration in Chile focussed on exploration at the Amancaya project, with the initial program of 134 trenches and a ground magnetic survey completed. Following the discovery of high grade mineralisation on the Nueva Vein (see Company's News Release on 21 August 2017) additional infill trenches were completed and more detailed ground magnetics commenced. The Company expects to commence first pass drilling on the Nueva Vein by the end of the year.

 Exploration in Argentina focussed on near Casposo mine targets with mapping and channel sampling to complete the existing database and review of potential targets. Targets are initially being assessed on open pit potential.

Mergers & Acquisitions

 On 13 July 2017, Austral Gold executed a binding letter to acquire the San Guillermo and Reprado projects from Revelo Resources Corp. (TSX-V: RVL) for consideration of up to ten million Austral Gold ordinary shares (capped at US$0.21/share) and subject to existing Net Smelter Royalties (each an "NSR") and an additional NSR of up to 1%. The offer is subject to entering into a definitive agreement and customary regulatory and exchange approvals.

 Other opportunities aligning with Austral Gold's strategic vision for value accretive investments in Latin America are being explored.

Financial Figures

 Cash on hand at 30 September 2017 was US$4.9m.

 Total consolidated financial debt is at US$21m, of which US$13m are 3-year financial leases with local banks in Chile and Argentina. Net debt repayments during the quarter totalled US$1.7m.

Further details can be found in the Company's Quarterly Activity Report filed at www.australgold.com, http://www.asx.com.au and on www.sedar.com.

* Non-IFRS Measures

The Company has included certain non-IFRS measures including "Cash cost per gold ounce sold" and "All-in sustaining cost per gold ounce sold" in this press release. Cash cost per gold ounce sold is equal to production costs less silver sales divided by gold ounces sold. All-in sustaining cost per gold ounce sold is equal to production costs less silver sales plus general and administrative expenses, exploration expenses, accretion of reclamation provision and sustaining capital expenditures divided by gold ounces sold. The Company believes that these measures provide investors with an improved ability to evaluate the performance of the Company. Non-IFRS measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS. Therefore they may not be comparable to similar measures employed by other companies. The data is intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS.

Qualified Persons

The scientific and technical content of this news release has been prepared by, or under the supervision of Michael Brown, MAIG, and has been reviewed and approved by him. Mr Brown is a Geologist and Member of Australian Institute of GeoScientists and an employee of Austral Gold Limited. Mr. Brown is a "qualified person" for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Austral Gold

Austral Gold Limited is a growing precious metals mining, development and exploration company building a portfolio of quality assets in Chile and Argentina. The Company's flagship Guanaco mine in Chile is operated with the Amancaya mine with processing of ore from both mines at a new agitation leach plant at Guanaco. There is significant exploration upside at and around both operations, with a new vein discovery at Amancaya. The Company also owns 70% and is operator of the underground silver-gold Casposo mine in San Juan, Argentina. With an experienced local technical team and highly regarded major shareholder, Austral's goal is to continue to strengthen its asset base through acquisition and discovery. Austral Gold Limited is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV:AGLD), and the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: AGD). For more information, please consult the company's website: www.australgold.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

On behalf of Austral Gold Limited:

"Stabro Kasaneva"

CEO

For Further Information Please Contact:

Mike Brown, VP Corporate Development

Mike.brown@australgold.com

Canada: +1 604 568 2496

Argentina: + 54 11 4323 7558

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical, and consist primarily of projections - statements regarding future plans, expectations and developments. Words such as "expects", "intends", "plans", "may", "could", "potential", "should", "anticipates", "likely", "believes" and words of similar import tend to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include: expectation to reach full commercial production in the near term, expectation to advance exploration activities and commence drilling at Nueva vein by the end of the year, anticipation full year production to be at the lower end of the 45,000-50,000 AuEq oz guidance provided in June 2017 as higher production is expected in the last quarter of 2017 as a result of the ramp-up in processing at the new agitation leach plan. All of these forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied, including, without limitation, business integration risks; uncertainty of production, development plans and cost estimates, commodity price fluctuations; political or economic instability and regulatory changes; currency fluctuations, the state of the capital markets, uncertainty in the measurement of mineral reserves and resource estimates, Austral's ability to attract and retain qualified personnel and management, potential labour unrest, reclamation and closure requirements for mineral properties; unpredictable risks and hazards related to the development and operation of a mine or mineral property that are beyond the Company's control, the availability of capital to fund all of the Company's projects and other risks and uncertainties identified under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's continuous disclosure documents filed on SEDAR. You are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which may have been used. Austral cannot assure you that actual events, performance or results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements, and management's assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Austral's forward-looking statements reflect current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof and Austral does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
An unprecedented look at al Qaeda, al Shabaab, Tehrik-i-Taliban, Boko Haram and the Islamic State

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --CGTN America's weekly documentary series Big Story will air a five-part special on the world's most feared terrorist organizations, exploring the roots of present-day terrorism, and examining its impact around the world.

Anchored by VICE founder Suroosh Alvi, "Terror" starts with an in-depth profile of the organization that in many ways reshaped post-9/11 global terrorism. In Yemen - the birthplace of al Qaeda - Suroosh meets with al Qaeda leaders and fighters, clerics and civilians, government officials and victims of the war on terror, to investigate the organization's complex history.

Exploring the binary universe of the war on terror - good versus evil, us versus them - "Terror" paints a nuanced picture of the cycle of violence terrorism has left behind, while seeking to answer a fundamental question: is there an end in sight?

"We are excited to bring additional depth to an issue that, unfortunately, makes the news almost daily. Our hope is that understanding the inner-workings of these organizations will give further context to fight a problem that ultimately, affects us all," said Ma Jing, CGTN America's Director General.

Big Story signals CGTN America's commitment to high-quality global news and current affairs content.It can be seen Fridays at6PM EST,11PM in the United Kingdom.It reprises Saturdays at 9AM and 10PM,Beijingtime.

CGTN, China Global Television Network, broadcasts daily through cable and satellite from production centers inBeijing,Washington, DC, andNairobi. CGTN's wide array of news and current affairs programming can also be seen at http://cgtn-america.com/.

Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/592936/CGTN_Terror_Series.jpg
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- Orbite Technologies Inc. (NEX: ORT.H) ("Orbite" or the "Company") today provided an update on its continuing efforts to emerge from insolvency protection for the benefit all of its stakeholders.

CCAA Court extends the Stay Period and approves the release of the remaining $2 million of the DIP Financing

As announced on August 2, 2017, the Superior Court of Quebec (the "CCAA Court") issued a second amended and restated initial order pursuant to the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act ("CCAA") providing for a stay of all proceedings until October 31, 2017 (the "Stay Period"). On October 30, the CCAA Court granted a motion filed by the Company and issued the following orders:

-- extending the Stay Period until January 31, 2018; -- relieving Orbite from its obligation to call the annual meeting of shareholders on or before January 31, 2018 and directing Orbite to call such annual meeting, as the case may be, by April 27, 2018; -- establishing a claims procedure for claims against the Company; and -- directing PricewaterhouseCoopers, to release the balance of the Debtor in Possession ("DIP") financing representing an amount of $2,037,666, to be used by the Company in accordance with the terms and conditions of the DIP financing and the August 1, 2017 court order.

Based on the cashflow projections filed by Orbite with the CCAA Court, the Company expects to have liquidities until the week of April 22, 2018 taking into account the released balance. Accordingly, the Company believes that such orders will be beneficial to all stakeholders by giving it the required time and resources to emerge from CCAA protection.

There can be no guarantees that the Company will be successful in its restructuring efforts or will emerge from CCAA protection.

Update on the Calcination Equipment

Orbite and the calcination equipment supplier's technical teams continued to work very closely to resolve the issues with the calcination equipment.

-- An extensive root causes analysis was conducted and is now complete. The different causes contributing to the failures of the electric heating system have been identified and confirmed; -- The solution to the heating system failure issues has been indentified, modeled, and evaluated and is now entering the detailed engineering phase, by the equipment supplier; -- Solutions to the other issues identified are mostly finalized and are into the detailed engineering phase, also carried out by the equipment supplier.

The initial diagnostic phase carried out by the equipment supplier took longer than it originally planed, consequently, production activities are expected to commence in the latter part of Q1 2018, subject to raising adequate financing and implementing the contemplated supplier-related solutions.

The Company will provide further updates as developments occur.

About Orbite

Orbite Technologies Inc. is a Canadian cleantech company whose innovative and proprietary processes are expected to produce alumina and other high-value products, such as rare earth and rare metal oxides, at one of the lowest costs in the industry, and in a sustainable fashion, using feedstocks that include aluminous clay, kaolin, nepheline, bauxite, red mud, fly ash as well as serpentine residues from chrysotile processing sites. Orbite is currently in the process of finalizing its first commercial high-purity alumina (HPA) production plant in Cap-Chat, Quebec and has completed the basic engineering for a proposed smelter-grade alumina (SGA) production plant, which would use clay mined from its Grande-Vallee deposit. The Company's portfolio contains 15 intellectual property families, including 44 patents and 38 pending patent applications in 11 different countries and regions. The first intellectual property family is patented in Canada, USA, Australia, Japan and Russia. The Company also operates a state of the art technology development center in Laval, Quebec, where its technologies are developed and validated.

Forward-looking statements

Certain information contained in this document may include "forward-looking information". Without limiting the foregoing, the information and any forward-looking information include statements regarding projects, costs, objectives and future returns of the Company or hypotheses underlying these items. In this document, words such as "may"," confident", "would", "could", "will", "likely", "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "estimate" and similar words and the negative form thereof are used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether, or the times at or by which, such future performance will be achieved. Forward-looking statements and information are based on information available at the time and/or the Company management's good-faith beliefs with respect to future events and are subject to known or unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Risks, uncertainties and other factors that could affect anticipated results and future events also include, but are not limited to, those described in the section of the Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) entitled "Risk and Uncertainties" as filed on July 28, 2017 on SEDAR, as well as those under the headings "Going Concerns", Commercial Operation of HPA Plant", "We will need to raise capital to continue our growth" and "Development Goals and Time Frames" described in the MD&A filed on March 31, 2017.

The Company does not intend, nor does it undertake, any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements contained in this document to reflect subsequent information, events or circumstances or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.

Contacts:

Orbite Technologies Inc.

Yves Noel, VP Business Development

514 744-6264

info@orbitetech.com



Media enquiries:

TACT Intelligence-conseil

Mathieu Lavallee, External Media Relations Consultant

514 947-7628

mlavallee@tactconseil.ca




OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- CannaRoyalty Corp. (CSE: CRZ)(CSE: CRZ.CN)(CNSX: CRZ)(OTCQX: CNNRF) ("CannaRoyalty" or the "Company"), an active investor and operator in the legal cannabis industry, is pleased to announce that its investee company, Resolve Digital Health Inc. ("Resolve"), has signed an exclusive agreement with Aphria Inc. ("Aphria"), one of Canada's largest licensed medical cannabis producers. The agreement will provide Resolve with a Canadian source of high quality cannabis products, which will be packaged and sold in its proprietary Breeze Smart Inhaler metered dosing system pods and cartridges.

Resolve's Breeze Smart Inhalers provide accurate, metered, treatment solutions with pre-packaged, single use Smartpods that will now be filled with Aphria's high quality dried herb or extract once the products launch in Canada. The inhalers use machine-learning algorithms to provide patients with learned dosing and strain selection appropriate to their medical condition, continuously improving the patient's experience and the efficacy of the product.

"This agreement marks a significant milestone for Resolve as it prepares for commercial launch in the Canadian marketplace, following its successful financing earlier this year," said Marc Lustig, CEO of CannaRoyalty. "We look forward to our continued partnership and to supporting Resolve in their brand development and distribution goals across North America."

Rob Adelson, CEO of Resolve said: "Following our research and development phase, with strong backing from CannaRoyalty, we are now in a position to commercially launch our proprietary product suite in Canada and the U.S. The execution of this agreement is a critical step closer to our Canadian launch."

Resolve also recently closed deals in both the US and Australian markets as it ramps up to begin domestic and international product distribution and sales. On October 11, 2017, Resolve granted Liberty Health Sciences Inc., an investor and operator in the medical cannabis market, exclusive distribution rights to its products in Florida. In the summer of 2017, Resolve formed a joint venture with Australia's LeafCann Group Pty Ltd. ("LeafCann"), a leading cannabis medication production and development company. The venture granted LeafCann a license to register and promote Resolve's Breeze Smart Inhalers in the Australian market.

Under CannaRoyalty's previously announced investment relationship with Resolve, the Company holds 27.2% of Resolve's existing shares on a non-diluted basis, which carries an implied value of approximately $7.1 million based on the financing price. The Company also provided seed capital and research and development resources to Resolve during the two-year development of its Breeze Smart Inhalers.

About Resolve Digital Health

Resolve Digital Health is the leading provider of standardized medical cannabis for patients suffering from cancer, arthritis, migraine headaches, chronic pain and other diseases. The company's proprietary technology and cloud-based health information platform found in Resolve's debut product Breeze addresses the numerous issues with currently available methods of cannabis delivery - establishing a standard of care and rigorous medical approach previously missing from the medical cannabis industry. With over two years of research and development, the complete product ecosystem will be initially available Spring 2017 in select dispensaries in the United States. For more information, visit www.resolvedigitalhealth.com.

About CannaRoyalty

CannaRoyalty is an active investor and operator in the legal cannabis sector. Our focus is building and supporting a diversified portfolio of growth-ready assets in high-value segments of the cannabis sector, including research, consumer brands, devices and intellectual property. Our management team combines a hands-on understanding of the cannabis industry with seasoned financial know-how, assembling a platform of holdings via royalty agreements, equity interests, secured convertible debt, licensing agreements and its own branded portfolio.

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 CannaRoyalty's periodic filings with Canadian securities regulators. When used in this news release, words such as "will, could, plan, estimate, expect, intend, may, potential, believe, should," and similar expressions, are forward- looking statements.

Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements including the Company's expectations with respect to pursuing new opportunities and its future growth and other statements of fact.

Although CannaRoyalty 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, including, but not limited to: dependence on obtaining regulatory approvals; investing in target companies or projects which have limited or no operating history and are engaged in activities currently considered illegal under US Federal Laws; changes in laws; limited operating history; reliance on management; requirements for additional financing; competition; hindering market growth and state adoption due to inconsistent public opinion and perception of the medical-use and adult-use marijuana industry and; regulatory or political change.

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 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 news release are made as of the date of this release. CannaRoyalty disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law, and CannaRoyalty does not assume any liability for disclosure relating to any other company mentioned herein.

Contacts:

Marc Lustig

CEO

info@cannaroyalty.com

1-844-556-5070

www.cannaroyalty.com



Jonathan Ross

LodeRock Advisors Inc.

jon.ross@loderockadvisors.com

416-283-0178






SCHIPHOL-RIJK (dpa-AFX) - Airbus (EADSF.PK, EADSY.PK) said it has notified U.S. regulators about reporting failures in defense-related deals. The company said it had reported itself to U.S. authorities about errors made on equipment exports.



The transgression related to a failure to properly notify U.S. authorities about the use of outside sales agents, who help broker deals of defense equipment and services, Chief Financial Officer Harald Wilhelm reportedly said.



Airbus noted that the investigations initiated by the UK's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and France's Parquet National Financier (PNF) following self-disclosure by Airbus to the UK authorities are ongoing. The company is cooperating fully with both authorities, including in respect of potential issues across Airbus' business.



The SFO and PNF investigations and any penalties potentially levied as a result could have negative consequences for Airbus. The potential imposition of any monetary penalty or other sanction arising from the SFO and PNF investigations will depend on the ultimate factual and legal findings of the investigation, and could have a material impact on the financial statements, business and operations of Airbus. However, at this stage it is too early to determine the likelihood or extent of any such possible consequence.



Airbus said, following a review of its US regulatory compliance procedures, the company has discovered and subsequently informed relevant US authorities of its findings concerning certain inaccuracies in filings made with the US Department of State pursuant to Part 130 of the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).



Airbus noted that it is cooperating with the US authorities. Airbus is unable to reasonably estimate the time it may take to resolve the matter or the amount or range of potential loss, penalty or other government action, if any, that may be incurred in connection with this matter.



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Anyone wishing to use substantial parts or all of any of the articles is asked to contact Dr Am Ang Zhang (cockroachcatcher (at)gmail (dot)com) in advance.
HONG KONG -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- Weyland Tech Inc. (OTCQX: WEYL) ("Weyland Tech" or the "Company"), a global provider of mobile business applications announces that it has entered into a memorandum of understanding ("MOU") with partner iAXCESS ("iAXCESS").

"I want to congratulate and thank Ghassan Saade, who joined our strategic advisory board just a few weeks ago, for his success in working out the preliminary terms of our relationship with iAXCESS. Their footprint in the Middle East and North Africa ("MENA") makes an exciting starting point for CreateApp in the region, where ecommerce is expected to grow to $200 Billion through 2020," said Weyland CEO, Brent Suen.

Mr. Adnan Abu Sharar, CEO of IAXCESS, commented that, "According to the International Finance Corporation at the World Bank more than 19 million businesses call this region their home. We have already begun to speak with some of our larger customers about incorporating Weyland's technologies into their operations. The response has been positive. To say we are excited to bring the platform to our customers would be an understatement."

Mr. Suen continued, "iAXCESS is one of the top 10 Microsoft Solution Providers in the region and their customers are exactly the types of businesses that CreateApp was built for. We look forward to providing them the CreateApp platform as a valuable add-on for their clients and expanding our customer base to the millions of small businesses in the region. This relationship builds on our model of working with regional service providers to expand the reach of the CreateApp platform by accessing their existing customer relationships in a way that benefits both companies."

Ultimately, iAXCESS intends to utilize the Weyland Tech CreateApp platform for iAXCESS's m-Commerce app and will also provide the CreateApp platform on a white-label basis, as a branded app, to other industries in the MENA Region. This MOU lays the groundwork for the relationship by establishing the preliminary structural terms of the venture.

Weyland Tech looks forward to providing additional details as we move to a fully memorialized agreement.

About iAxcess

iAXCESS (www.iaxcess.net) is a value-added regional distributor for Security, Backup & Disaster Recovery, Business Continuity, DRaaS and Microsoft software solutions. iAXCESS was founded in 2003 and has local offices in the UAE, Jordan, KSA, Kuwait and Lebanon, servicing 11 countries throughout the Arab world. iAXCESS is among the Top 10 Microsoft Solution and Service Providers in MEA & GCC. iAXCESS is one of the top-rated Enterprise resource planning vendors in Dubai.

About Weyland Tech Inc.

Weyland Tech's CreateApp platform is focused on the Asia markets. Our CreateApp platform offered in 12 languages, enables small and medium sized businesses ("SMB's") to create native mobile applications ("APP") for Apple's iOS and Google Android without technical knowledge or background. Empowering SMB's to increase sales, reach more customers and promote their products and services via simple easy to build mobile APPs in an affordable and cost-effective manner.

Follow Weyland Tech online at:

Weyland Tech Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/weylandtech)

Weyland Tech Twitter Feed (https://twitter.com/weylandtechinc)

Weyland Tech LinkedIn Page (https://linkedin.com/company/weylandtech)

Brent Suen, CEO Public Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/BrentSuenWEYL)

Brent Suen, CEO Public Twitter Feed (https://www.twitter.com/BrentSuenWEYL)

Safe Harbor Statement

This release contains certain "forward-looking statements" relating to the business of the Company. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein are "forward-looking statements" including statements regarding: the continued growth of the e-commerce segment and the ability of the Company to continue its expansion into that segment; the ability of the Company to attract customers and partners and generate revenues; the ability of the Company to successfully execute its business plan; the business strategy, plans, and objectives of the Company; and any other statements of non-historical information. These forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "believes," "expects" or similar expressions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Company's periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website (http://www.sec.gov). All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume any duty to update these forward-looking statements.

CONTACT WEYLAND TECH @:

info@weyland-tech.com

www.weyland-tech.com




PUNE, India, October 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

According to the new market research report "Digital Substation Market by Module (Hardware, Fiber Optic Communication Network, and SCADA), Type (Transmission and Distribution Substation), Voltage (Up to 220 kV, 220-550 kV, and above 550 kV), Industry, and Region - Global Forecast to 2023", published by MarketsandMarkets', the market is expected to grow from USD 6.32 Billion in 2017 and is expected to reach USD 9.96 Billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 7.87% between 2017 and 2023. The moderate growth of the digital substation market can be attributed to the increase in demand for electricity and the need to replace aging infrastructure. Government funding initiatives in collaboration with the private utilities is increasing the installation of digital substations across the globe.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )

Browse68 Market Data Tables and39 Figures spread through156Pages and in-depth TOC on"Digital Substation Market - Global Forecast to 2023"



http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/digital-substation-market-43227003.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report



Hardware module expected to lead the digital substation market

The hardware module is expected to hold the largest share of the market between 2017 and 2023. The hardware module includes components such as transformers, bus bars, protection devices, and interfacing units. Transformers form a major part of the market, as they are the primary component that is installed in the substation. These hardware components have the largest share of the overall market owing to their extensive use in digital substations.

Digital substation market for the utility industry is expected to grow at the highest CAGR between 2017 and 2023

The utility industry is one of the booming application areas pertaining to digital substations, owing to the high demand-supply gap in energy in most of the developing and developed nations. Its market growth can be attributed to the increase in demand for renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, and hydro to meet the consumers' demand for power generation. Digital substations have a large scope in the utility industry as these systems are used in transmitting and distributing power.

Download PDF Brochure : http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=43227003

Asia Pacific held the largest share of the digital substation market in 2016

Asia Pacific (APAC) held the largest share of the market in 2016. This growth can be attributed to the fact that several initiatives have been taken up by the Government of India to develop its power and energy sector, which is a major factor supporting the growth of the digital substation market in APAC. For instance, in 2016, ABB Ltd. (Switzerland) received an order from the Adani Group (Ahmedabad) to commission five substations that would involve the integration of 648 MW solar project at Kamuthi in Tamil Nadu.

Inquiry Before Buy @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=43227003

Some of the major players in the digital substation market are ABB Group (Switzerland), General Electric (US), Siemens (Germany), Schneider Electric (France), and Cisco Systems (US).

Browse Related Reports

Packaged Substation Market by voltage Split (below 36kV and above 36kV to 150kV), by Application (Industrial, Infrastructure, and Power Utilities & Generation) and by Region - Global Trends and Forecasts to 2019

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/packaged-substation-market-26109112.html

HVDC Transmission Market by Component (Convertor Stations, Transmission Cables, and Others), Technology (CCC, VSC, LCC, and UHVDC), Project Type, Power Rating, Application, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2023

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/hvdc-grid-market-1225.html

Subscribe Reports from Semiconductor Domain @ http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Knowledgestore.asp

About MarketsandMarkets'

MarketsandMarkets' provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets' for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets' are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets' now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets' is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

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HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- Note to editors: There are two maps associated with this press release.

Erdene Resource Development Corp. (TSX: ERD) ("Erdene" or "Company") is pleased to provide an update on its gold exploration projects in southwest Mongolia, including additional assay results from the Company's 2017 drill program at its 100%-owned Bayan Khundii Gold Project ("Bayan Khundii").

"Today's results further demonstrate the growth potential at Bayan Khundii with holes west of Striker and east of Midfield providing the widest gold mineralized intersections in those areas to date, along with some of the very high grades observed in Striker and Midfield," said Peter Akerley, Erdene's President and CEO. "In addition to the Bayan Khundii drilling program and those at the neighboring Altan Nar project, surface exploration programs have been successfully generating new targets elsewhere within an area up to 8 kilometres north of Bayan Khundii and along the 6 kilometre long trend of gold prospects at Altan Nar. Over the next two months we will continue drilling at Bayan Khundii and Altan Nar, continuing to test the perimeters of the main mineralized areas and improving confidence in the ultra-high-grade zones at Bayan Khundii within which almost 20% of our holes have returned intersections of 30 to 300 g/t gold."

Summary of Results

Twenty holes (BKD-199 to BKD-218) and five-hole extensions (BKD-27, -29, -68, -85 and -176), totalling 4,355 metres, were drilled throughout the Bayan Khundii project area in mid Q3 and are included in this update. For reference see Table 1 and attached plan maps below.

Two plan maps have been attached for reference:

http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Fig1_4128.jpg

http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/Fig2_4128.jpg

Highlights

Expansion East of Midfield Zone: While most of the drilling in Midfield has focused on pushing the northern limits of the gold mineralized zone towards the Northeast Zone, hole BKD-210, located 80 metres east of Midfield's eastern boundary, returned 43 metres of 1.8 g/t gold (BKD-210) and included gold values up to 44.8 g/t, establishing a new eastern extension to the Midfield Zone that justifies further follow-up drilling.

Multiple Mineralized Intersections West of Striker Zone: The area west of Striker continued to be a focus of the recent expansion drilling program with new holes returning the widest and highest-grade intersections to date in this area, justifying further follow-up drilling. Hole BKD-216, located along the western portion of the target area, 240 metres west of the Striker Zone, returned a 20 metre intersection of 2.8 g/t gold, including up to 50.5 g/t gold over 1 metre, and hole BKD-211, located 200 metres west of the Striker Zone, returned 63 metres of 1.1 g/t gold. In addition, three new holes and two extension holes (BKD-204, -205, -212; extensions BKD-68 and -176) were drilled in this area returning multiple zones of lower grade gold mineralization.

Striker Zone - Extensions at Depth Toward Midfield: Recent drilling in the northwest Striker area, where early, shallow holes had not intersected significant mineralization, returned an extension of mineralization below previous drilling with 58 metres of 1.2 g/t gold, including 16 metres of 2.8 g/t gold (BKD-30ext.) (see Sept 12, 2017 news release). Today's results include three additional hole extensions in this area; BKD-27, -29, and -85. Hole BKD-27ext. returned 55 metres of 1.2 g/t gold from 109 to 164 metres, followed by 20 metres of 0.74 g/t gold to 222 metres depth with the other two extension holes intersecting wide zones of highly anomalous gold, further confirming the extension of gold mineralization at depth between Striker and Midfield. These extended holes also continue to support the down-dip extension of mineralization from Midfield toward the west side of Striker.

Further Continuity in area North of Midfield Zone: Five holes were completed in this area and continue to support continuity of the gold mineralization in this zone discovered earlier in 2017, north of the Midfield Zone (BKD-199, -200, -209, -217, and -218). These holes were spaced at approximately 40 metre intervals and provided a number of wide gold mineralized intersections including hole BKD-199 which intersected a thick sequence of mineralized volcanics, returning 88 metres of 1.1 g/t gold at 74 metres depth. Hole BKD-217 also intersected a thick sequence of altered tuffs, with an 18 metre wide zone averaging 0.74 g/t gold. Hole BKD-218, drilled 80 metres northeast of BKD-217, intersected an 81 metre wide zone that returned 0.65 g/t gold and included a 20 metre zone that averaged 1.5 g/t gold. These results confirm continuity within this zone north of Midfield, extending it closer to the Northeast Zone.

Reconnaissance Drilling in Northeast Zone Demonstrates Continuity: A series of reconnaissance holes were drilled north and northeast of the main Bayan Khundii trend with one of these step-out holes, BKD-214, located 130 metres east of the Northeast Zone and 650 metres northeast of the Midfield Zone, returning an altered volcanic sequence with anomalous gold intersections, including 31 metres of 0.24 g/t gold at 48 metres depth. The result, although low-grade, is important as it provides evidence of continuity of the gold mineralizing fluids beyond the areas defined to date.

The following table includes drill result highlights of the holes discussed above.

Table 1. Bayan Khundii drill highlights

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interval (m) Drill Hole From (m) To (m) (1) Gold (g/t) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- East of Midfield Zone ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-210 89 131.8 42.8 1.75 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 105 118 13 4.89 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 106 107 1 44.8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- West of Striker Zone ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-204 70 87 17 0.89 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 74 81 7 1.70 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-205 12 15 3 0.70 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- and 107 131 24 1.21 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 120 127 7 3.59 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 122 123 1 12.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- and 159 196 37 0.57 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 183 195 12 1.34 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-211 100 163 63 1.09 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 101 114 13 3.99 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 101 102 1 17.9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- and 106 107 1 12.2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-216 29 50 21 0.48 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- and 153 173 20 2.83 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 153 163 10 5.52 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 156 157 1 50.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-68 ext. 128 130 2 20.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- North of Midfield Zone ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-199 74 162.3 88.3 1.08 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 148 149 1 15.2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- and 153 154 1 16.6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-200 110.4 190 79.6 0.64 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 110.4 136 25.6 1.18 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- and 210.7 223.5 12.8 0.47 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-209 136.5 153 16.5 0.62 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-217 179 197 18 0.74 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 189 197 8 1.58 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-218 141 222 81 0.65 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 202 222 20 1.46 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Striker Zone Hole Extensions ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-27 ext. (2) 109 164 55 1.21 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- and 202 222.3 20.3 0.74 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-29 ext. 175 191 16 0.31 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 175 181 6 0.51 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-85 ext. 148 170 22 0.34 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- and 177 213.4 36.4 0.47 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- incl 182 195 13 0.84 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Northeast Zone ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- BKD-214 48 79 31 0.24 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) Reported intervals are not true width. At this time, there is insufficient data with respect to the shape of the mineralized system to calculate true orientations in space. They represent drill intersection widths from holes drilled at a dip of -45 to -65 degrees and oriented to the north-northeast. The Bayan Khundii mineralization is interpreted to be moderately dipping (approximately 40 to 50 degrees to the southwest). (2)Previously reported in 2016, 57m to 85m (end of hole), 28m of 0.51 g/t gold.

Going Forward - Q4-2017 Drill Program at Bayan Khundii

Since the beginning of the year, the Company has completed a total of 22,710 metres with 122 new drill holes and 10 extended drill holes at Bayan Khundii, and is expected to reach over 26,000 metres by year-end. Since the first drill hole in Q4-2015, the Company has drilled a total of 35,085 metres in 218 drill holes.

For the remainder of Q4, the Company's drilling program at Bayan Khundii will be focused on further defining boundaries and increasing confidence through a series of holes across the Bayan Khundii mineralized area including Striker, Midfield, and the areas north of Midfield and west of Striker. The Q4 drill program is expected to include an additional 4,000 metres, to be completed at Bayan Khundii and at the Company's Altan Nar gold-polymetallic project, 16 kilometres northwest. There will also be some additional reconnaissance drilling in target areas within both licences over the next two months. Those targets are still being defined as exploration results are continuing to be evaluated.

Ultra, High-Grade Areas

Bayan Khundii has a very significant high-grade component with over 20% of the 218 reported drill holes having one or more intersections of 30 g/t to 300 g/t gold. These 50+ intersections have an average grade of 78 g/t gold and their contribution to the eventual resource will be very significant. Therefore, ensuring these zones are well defined with sufficient data to provide accurate levels of influence and control for any proposed capping of these grades is of primary importance to the quality of the eventual resource estimate. Higher definition drilling of these ultra-high-grade zones has been recommended by an independent technical consultant and will be designed to assist in resource modeling.

Regional District Exploration Programs

In addition to drilling at Bayan Khundii, significant work has been completed in a series of projects within the larger developing district, including detailed geological mapping, soil geochemical sampling, rock chip geochemical sampling and geophysical programs over the entire Khundii license, north of the Bayan Khundii project. Final results are pending but several areas of intense alteration with associated anomalous gold in rock chip samples have been identified, including a zone along trend from Bayan Khundii, three kilometres to the northeast. It is anticipated that, the priority targets generated will be identified and drilled in Q4-2017 or early 2018.

2018 Resource Estimate

During Q1-2018 the Company's technical team will assess the 2017 program and determine what additional drilling may be required prior to an independent resource evaluation. Timing of the eventual resource studies for both Bayan Khundii and Altan Nar will be influenced by that determination, however it is anticipated that the studies will be completed between Q2 and Q3 2018.

Background on Bayan Khundii Gold Project

In Q2-2015, Erdene conducted an initial exploration program on the southern portion of the Company's 100%-owned Khundii exploration license in southwest Mongolia where an early rock-chip sampling program revealed multiple very high-grade surface quartz veins that returned up to 4,380 g/t gold. Since that time, drilling has revealed the presence of very high gold grades, with up to 306 g/t gold over 1-metre intervals, within broad mineralized zones, with up to 131 metres of 3.9 g/t gold, including 80 metres of 6.0 g/t gold. In addition to the drilling discussed above, the Company has completed a comprehensive exploration program at Bayan Khundii that has included: geological mapping; soil geochemical surveys; additional surface rock chip sampling; a ground magnetic survey; gradient array and dipole-dipole induced polarization surveys. In addition to this work, a series of detailed follow-up studies have also been completed, predominantly on drill core and minor surface outcrop, including: petrographic and mineralogical analyses; a fluid inclusion study; SEM gold composition analysis; Short-Wave Infra-Red Analysis (SWIR); structural analysis; and overall petrogenetic analysis. Detailed studies indicate the mineralized zones can be characterized as low-sulphidation, quartz-illite-adularia type mineralization that was presumably formed in an extensional environment.

In Q1-2016, the Company concluded preliminary metallurgical test work at Bayan Khundii, indicating that gravity concentration and cyanidation of the gravity tails yield very good overall gold recoveries for both high-grade and low-grade composites, yielding 99% gold recovery from the high-grade composite (24.9 g/t gold) and 92% gold recovery from the low-grade composite (0.7 g/t gold). Additional metallurgical work is underway with completion anticipated in Q3-2017.

The Bayan Khundii license has a 2% net smelter returns royalty ("NSR Royalty") in favour of Sandstorm Gold Ltd. with a buy-back option to reduce the NSR Royalty to 1%.

Qualified Person and Sample Protocol

Michael MacDonald, P.Geo. (Nova Scotia), Vice President Exploration for Erdene, is the Qualified Person as that term is defined in National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this news release. All samples have been assayed at SGS Laboratory in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. In addition to internal checks by SGS Laboratory, the Company incorporates a QA/QC sample protocol utilizing prepared standards and blanks.

Erdene's sampling protocol for drill core consisted of collection of samples over 1 metre or 2 metre intervals (depending on the lithology and style of mineralization) over the entire length of the drill hole, excluding minor post-mineral lithologies and un-mineralized granitoids. Sample intervals were based on meterage, not geological controls or mineralization. All drill core was cut in half with a diamond saw, with half of the core placed in sample bags and the remaining half securely retained in core boxes at Erdene's Bayan Khundii exploration camp. All samples were organized into batches of 30 samples including a commercially prepared standard, blank, and either a field duplicate, consisting of two 1/4 core intervals, or a laboratory duplicate. Sample batches were periodically shipped directly to SGS in Ulaanbaatar via Erdene's logistical contractor, Monrud Co. Ltd.

About Erdene

Erdene Resource Development Corp. is a Canada-based resource company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of base and precious metals in underexplored and highly prospective Mongolia. The Company has four exploration licenses and a mining license in southwest Mongolia. In addition to the Bayan Khundii and Altan Nar projects, other deposits and prospects within these licenses include: Khuvyn Khar - an early-stage, copper-silver porphyry project with multiple drill targets and significant copper intersections; Nomin Tal - a narrow, high grade copper-gold discovery; Zuun Mod - a large molybdenum-copper porphyry deposit; and Altan Arrow - an early-stage gold-silver project. In addition to the above properties, the Company has an Alliance with Teck Resources Limited on regional copper-gold exploration in the prospective Trans Altai region of southwest Mongolia. For further information on the Company, please visit www.erdene.com. Erdene has 145,963,086 issued and outstanding common shares and a fully diluted position of 156,592,160 common shares.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information regarding Erdene contained herein may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements may include estimates, plans, expectations, opinions, forecasts, projections, guidance or other statements that are not statements of fact. Although Erdene believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Erdene cautions that actual performance will be affected by many factors, most of which are beyond its control, and that future events and results may vary substantially from what Erdene currently foresees. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration results, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. The forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The information contained herein is stated as of the current date and is subject to change after that date. The Company does not assume the obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements, except as may be required under applicable securities laws.

NO REGULATORY AUTHORITY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENTS OF THIS RELEASE

Contacts:

Erdene Contact Information

Peter C. Akerley, President and CEO

Ken W. MacDonald, Vice President and CFO

(902) 423-6419

info@erdene.com / www.erdene.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErdeneRes




OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- Editors Note: Photos for this release will be available on the Canadian Press picture wire via Marketwired.

Canadian Parliamentarians gathered at a Press Conference in Ottawa today to demonstrate their concern for loss of basic freedoms in Canada, the subject of a Parliamentary Forum, "Canadian Freedoms: Growing Threats?" held yesterday on Parliament Hill. MPs David Anderson, Mark Warawa, Harold Albrecht, and Bev Shipley attended, along with CHP Leader Rod Taylor and former MPs Reed Elley and Stephen Woodworth.

Under recent regulations, graduates of Trinity Western University are denied equal admission to legal practice. Other rules prohibit the free exercise of conscience by doctors, submit professionals to values screening, and restrict political expression on campuses.

"It's a vital concern for all Canadians that our elected representatives defend the hard-won freedoms that past generations bravely fought, sacrificed and died to preserve," said a spokesperson for the Parliamentarians.

These issues were discussed at the Parliamentary Forum by Dr. Janet Epp Buckingham, Director of the Laurentian Leadership Centre, Trinity Western University; Mr. Jay Cameron, Litigation Manager, Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedom; and Dr. John Robson, Documentary Film-maker, Commentator, and Invited professor at the University of Ottawa.

Biographical details of the panellists at the Parliamentary Forum:

Dr. Janet Epp Buckingham teaches at Trinity Western University and since 2006 has directed the Laurentian Leadership Centre, an Ottawa-based program on leadership in public policy, business and communications. Dr. Buckingham researches religious freedom in Canada and internationally, as well as the relationship between faith, public policy and the legal system. She studied in England, France and South Africa. She was the Executive Director of Christian Legal Fellowship (1991-94) and general legal counsel (1999-2003) and director, law and public policy, (2003-2006) for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

Jay Cameron is the litigation manager at the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, a non-profit group dedicated to education and the defence of Canadians constitutional rights, particularly freedom of religion, conscience, speech, and association. Mr. Cameron graduated from law school in New Brunswick in 2007, articled at a national law firm in Alberta, and worked in British Columbia as a Crown prosecutor. In 2012 he returned to Alberta and civil litigation and has since appeared at every level of court in Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and at the Court of Appeal in Ontario. He has testified on constitutional issues at both the House of Commons and the Senate, and will represent the Justice Centre at the Supreme Court of Canada in November 2017 on a landmark freedom of association case.

Dr. John Robson, commentator-at-large, journalist and documentary filmmaker, is also an Invited Professor at the University of Ottawa. He holds a B.A. and M.A. in history from the University of Toronto and a Ph.D in American history from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Robson has worked in academia, think tanks and politics as well as print, radio and television journalism in Canada. He produced the documentary The Great War Remembered for Sun News Network in 2014. He also produced the documentary "Magna Carta: Our Shared Legacy of Liberty."

Contacts:

Tristan, Office of the David Anderson,

MP for Cypress Hills-Grasslands

613-995-1616

david.anderson.a1@parl.gc.ca




DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / October 31, 2017 / Alternet Systems, Inc. (OTC PINK: ALYI) today announced that the company anticipates its lithium energy storage solution footprint to expand in conjunction with the Lithium Exploration Group Acquisition (LEXG) announced today. Alternet Systems and LEXG recently announced negotiations between the two companies whereby Alternet Systems expects to expand its current portfolio of lithium technologies in an agreement with LEXG. Alternet Systems acquired Lithium IP Holdings on July 21st of this year. Prior to the acquisition by Alternet Systems, Lithium IP Holdings obtained a portfolio of patented lithium based energy storage technologies in an exclusive and confidential agreement with a prominent Fortune 500 company. Today, LEXG announced that it has entered into a purchase agreement to acquire a series of lithium patents for the retail consumer. Alternent Systems anticipates that LEXG's acquisition announced today will enhance and expand Alternet's lithium energy storage solution footprint.

The Company's website:

www.otc-alyi.com or www.lithiumip.com

Disclaimer/Safe Harbor:

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act. The statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Among others, these risks include the expectation that any of the companies mentioned herein will achieve significant sales, the failure to meet schedule or performance requirements of the companies' contracts, the companies' liquidity position, the companies' ability to obtain new contracts, the emergence of competitors with greater financial resources and the impact of competitive pricing. In the light of these uncertainties, the forward-looking events referred to in this release might not occur.

Alternet Systems, Inc. Contact:

Randell Torno

info@lithiumip.com

1 800 713 0297

https://www.otc-alyi.com/contact/

SOURCE: Alternet Systems, Inc.
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.
In the light of improving operative efficiency, with consequent cost savings, on 27th October 2017, AS Baltic Re Group will complete the process started in 2016 to rationalize the group's structure.



Following the acquisitions of shares (75% of Key 1 SIA for EUR 8 505 000, 67% of Key 15 SIA for EUR 6 518 000, 100% of Key 2 SIA for EUR 1 310 000 and 48,34% of Key 6 SIA for EUR 1 361 964) through intercompany agreements , AS Baltic Re Group will own directly all participations in its subsidiaries. The settlement of the purchase price shall be performed compensating subsidiaries' due amounts to the mother company.



The new structure of Baltic RE Group AS is published in our webpage.



About AS Baltic RE Group



AS Baltic RE Group business lines are purchase and sale of real estate, its lease and management. The holding is the largest lessor of all-purpose high quality commercial areas with state-of-the-art facilities in Old Riga. AS Baltic RE Group is investing in the Baltics with a long-term view, highly specific vision and a non-speculative approach for the creation of sustainable value.



For more information, please visit - http://www.balticregroup.com



Dina Abaja Member of the Board, authorized person Phone: +371 27832796 E-mail:dina.abaja@balticregroup.com

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GUILDFORD, SURREY -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- ANGLE plc (AIM: AGL) (OTCQX: ANPCY)

AIM:AGL OTCQX:ANPCY

For immediate release 31 October 2017

ANGLE plc ("the Company")

Result of 2017 Annual General Meeting

ANGLE plc (AIM: AGL) (OTCQX: ANPCY), a world-leading liquid biopsy company, announces that at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held earlier today, all resolutions were duly passed.

For further information ANGLE: ANGLE plc +44 (0) 1483 343434 Andrew Newland, Chief Executive Ian Griffiths, Finance Director finnCap Ltd (NOMAD and Joint Broker) +44 (0) 207 220 0500 Corporate Finance - Adrian Hargrave, Simon Hicks, Kate Bannatyne Corporate Broking - Alice Lane, Nikita Jain WG Partners (Joint Broker) +44 (0) 203 705 9330 Nigel Barnes, Nigel Birks, Andrew Craig, Chris Lee FTI Consulting Simon Conway, Mo Noonan, Stephanie Cuthbert +44 (0) 203 727 1000 Kimberly Ha (US) +1 212 850 5612

Notes for editors

About ANGLE plc www.angleplc.com

ANGLE is a world-leading liquid biopsy company commercialising a disruptive platform technology that can capture cells circulating in blood, such as cancer cells, even when they are as rare in number as one cell in one billion blood cells, and harvest the cells for analysis.

ANGLE's cell separation technology is called the Parsortix system and it enables a liquid biopsy (simple blood test) to be used to provide the cells of interest. Parsortix is the subject of granted patents in Europe, the United States, Canada, India, China, Japan and Australia and three extensive families of patents are being progressed worldwide. The system is based on a microfluidic device that captures live cells based on a combination of their size and compressibility. Parsortix has a CE Mark for Europe and FDA authorisation is in process for the United States.

ANGLE has established formal collaborations with world-class cancer centres. These Key Opinion Leaders are working to identify applications with medical utility (clear benefit to patients), and to secure clinical data that demonstrates that utility in patient studies. Details are available here http://www.angleplc.com/the-company/collaborators/

The analysis of the cells that can be harvested from patient blood with ANGLE's Parsortix system has the potential to help deliver personalised cancer care offering profound improvements in clinical and health economic outcomes in the treatment and diagnosis of various forms of cancer.

The global increase in cancer to a 1 in 3 lifetime incidence is set to drive a multi-billion dollar clinical market. The Parsortix system is designed to be compatible with existing major medtech analytical platforms and to act as a companion diagnostic for major pharma in helping to identify patients that will benefit from a particular drug and then monitoring the drug's effectiveness.

As well as cancer, the Parsortix technology has the potential for deployment with several other important cell types in the future.

ANGLE stock trades on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol AGL and in New York on the OTC-QX under the ticker symbol ANPCY. For further information please visit: www.angleplc.com

Contacts:

RNS

Customer

Services

0044-207797-4400

rns@londonstockexchange.com

http://www.rns.com






WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A federal judge in Washington, DC, has suspended key parts of President Donald Trump's controversial ban on transgender troops serving in the US military.



The Court order means that the military cannot take any actions to discharge or treat unfavorably any transgender people who are currently serving in any branch of the military or in the Coast Guard. The Court order also means that as of January 1, 2018, transgender people will be able to enlist and commission in the military.



A presidential directive that Trump signed in August bars enlistment by trans-gender individuals, prohibits coverage for certain critical medical procedures, and bans those currently in the military from serving.



In an interim guidance he issued later, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said trans-gender personnel in US military will be allowed to re-enlist until February 21, 2018, when he presents the president with a permanent policy on trans-gender ban.



No new sex reassignment surgical procedures for military personnel will be permitted after March 22, 2018.



The proposed ban faced multiple legal challenges by serving trans-gender members of the armed forces.



Considering one of these cases on Monday, the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted a 'preliminary injunction' that prohibits the Trump administration from banning transgender people from enlisting and serving in the military.



The ruling was issued in the first lawsuit challenging the discriminatory ban, brought by five transgender service members, who were represented by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD).



The Court found that the President's Memorandum of August 25 that prohibited transgender people from actively serving after March 23, 2018 was unconstitutional and may not be enforced.



US District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly wrote in a 76-page decision that Trump's justifications for the policy 'do not seem to be supported by any facts,' noting 'it appears that the rights of a class of individuals were summarily and abruptly revoked for reasons contrary to the only then-available studies.'



The policy of ban on transgender people in US military was lifted by Barack Obama's administration last year.



The decision is the latest blow to an administration that has seen many of its flagship executive actions challenged and curbed in federal courts



Justice Department spokesperson Lauren Ehrsam said 'We disagree with the Court's ruling and are currently evaluating the next steps.'



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Collapsing foodchain: Germanys ecosystem is threatened as scientists discover a 75% decline in insects  is industrial agriculture to blame?

German researchers are now warning of a future ecological Armageddon and a collapse of the food chain after discovering a steep drop-off in flying insect populations. Over the last thirty years, scientists say insect numbers have declined by nearly 80 percent in Germany alone. Their studies of the rapidly dwindling insect populations within nature reserves have sparked fears that the entire ecosystem will collapse  and the food chain as we know it would fall, as well.

Indeed, if the population of insects in protected areas has declined at such a disturbing pace, its hard to imagine how insects across the rest of the world have fared. At least one member of the research team believes that pesticides are driving down insect numbers, according to the Daily Mail.

Caspar Hallmann from Radboud University, located in The Netherlands, and his colleagues authored study, which was recently published in the journal PLOS ONE on October 18. Their findings seem to fall in line with other reports of falling insect numbers, such as the massively concerning decrease in bee populations.

Over the course of 27 years, Hallmann and his team used Malaise traps to measure total insect biomass at 63 different nature protection areas. What they learned was that the average total flying insect biomass has decreased by an average of 76 percent in the last three decades  with the decline reaching a peak of 82 percent in midsummer.

Hallmann commented, Since 1989, in 63 nature reserves in Germany the total biomass of flying insects has decreased by more than 75 percent. This decrease has long been suspected but has turned out to be more severe than previously thought.

The researchers found that this steep decline was evident regardless of where the habitat was or what characteristics the area had  and changes in land use, weather and other variables could not explain the decline in full. In other words, something else is at play. While the research team did not come to any conclusions on that front, it was posited that pesticides could be to blame. And truly, the entire purpose of pesticides is to kill bugs and other, so-called, pests. Is anyone actually surprised to learn that these chemical killers are destroying insect populations?

A recent study confirmed that pesticides had a negative impact on bee populations, killing both worker bees and their queens indiscriminately. Neonicotinoid pesticides, or neonics for short, were to found to kill at least 25 percent of exposed bees. Neonics are more likely to be lethal to insects, like bees, than other creatures like birds or mammals. But, their potential impact on the ecosystem is no less concerning; as sources report, neonics can have a grievous effect on honeybees. And if bees are killed off, our entire ecosystem could go down the tubes, too. Bees, and many other insects, are essential to the pollination process  and without them, our food supply would be greatly affected.

Recent research has also shown that the harms of pesticides can be felt even in infinitesimal amounts; insect infertility can be seen even at low levels of exposure to the chemicals. Biologists at Bielefeld University found that lea beetles laid 35 percent fewer eggs after being exposed to just a tiny amount of pyrethroid  a type of pesticide. It was also noted that female offspring developed abnormalities thanks to their parents pesticide exposure.

Dozens of studies have pointed to the harms of pesticides, yet almost nothing is being done to stop their overly prevalent use. Will the world wake up before its too late? [Related: Learn more about the ill effects of pesticides at Pesticides.news.]



Sources for this article include:

ScienceDaily.com

DailyMail.co.uk

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RIMOUSKI, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- Puma Exploration (the "Company" or "Puma") (TSX VENTURE: PUM)(SSE: PUMA) is pleased to announce the results of the first of three holes from the 2017 drilling program at its Murray Brook Deposit in New Brunswick. Hole MB17-01 intersected over 405 meters of continuous massive sulphide mineralization starting from 27 meters from surface and extending to a depth of 435 meters. The overall grades of the 405 meter massive sulphide mineralization are 3.3% Zn, 1.1% Pb, 0.95g/t Au, 42g/t Ag, and 0.30% Cu including a high grade gold zone of 2.0 g/t Au over 160 meters.

Hole MB17-01, drilled to a total downhole depth of 549 meters, was designed to validate historic high-grade zones, to expand the potential resources at depth and to define the geological model, including the metal zonation. All of this new information will be used for mining plan in the current Preliminary Economic Assessment ('PEA") along with the Results of a bulk sample of 200-300 kg of fresh core being collected to proceed with more advanced metallurgical recovery studies.

Figure 1 is available at the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1104137_fig1.jpg

The 405 meters of massive sulphide intersected in hole MB17-01 is characterized by numerous higher-grade thick zinc horizons with grades up-to 5.8% Zn, 2.8% Pb, 1.05 g/t Au, 77 g/t Ag, over 53 meters and also much higher-grade zinc intercepts of 10.04% Zn, 3.23% Pb, 2.58 g/t Au, 119 g/t Ag over 17 meters.

(i)Highlights of Higher-grade Zinc Zones in Hole MB17-01 and other significant results can be found in Table 1 below.

-- 27.0m to 39.0m (12.0m): 4.54% Zn, 1.02% Pb, 0.31 g/t Au, 28 g/t Ag, 2.15% Cu -- 65.0m to 77.0m (12.0m): 5.57% Zn, 3.10% Pb, 0.20 g/t Au, 97 g/t Ag, 0.38% Cu -- 135.0m to 142.0m (7.0m): 6.24% Zn, 0.85% Pb, 0.44 g/t Au, 27 g/t Ag -- 151.0m to 160.0m (9.0m): 6.45% Zn, 1.93% Pb, 55 g/t Ag -- 174.0m to 180.0m (6.0m): 5.12% Zn, 2.09% Pb, 50 g/t Ag -- 253.0m to 264.0m (11.0m): 5.53% Zn, 2.40% Pb, 0.29 g/t Au, 117 g/t Ag -- 285.0m to 306.0m (21.0m): 7.07% Zn, 3.57% Pb, 1.60 g/t Au, 62 g/t Ag -- 344.0m to 351.0m (7.0m): 5.12% Zn, 1.11% Pb, 2.62 g/t Au, 50 g/t Ag, 0.56% Cu -- 357.0m to 374.0m (17.0m): 10.04% Zn, 3.23% Pb, 2.58 g/t Au, 119 g/t Ag, 0.56% Cu -- 383.0m to 390.0m (7.0m): 6.49% Zn, 1.78% Pb, 2.31 g/t Au, 134 g/t Ag, 0.80% Cu

Hole MB17-01 Analysis (or Discussion)

Hole MB17-01was drilled at a -45 degrees declination in the center of the west side of the Murray Brook Deposit, is characterized by high grade zinc mineralization, which constitutes the core of the resource estimate released in December 2016. The West Zone (Zinc) is 200 meters wide, extending from surface to 300 meters vertical and the true thickness of the massive sulphide body varies from 75 meters to 100 meters. Please refer to figures 1 and 2.

Figure 2 is available at the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/1104137_fig2.jpg

MB17-01 has successfully identified new mineralized zones at depth, and, due to its orientation and declination, has filled gaps between previously drilled holes, which will increased the confidence of continuity in the current PEA, as follows:

From 27 meters to 100 meters, MB17-01 has filled a 73 meter gap between two previous holes with a intersection of 4.54% Zn, 1.02% Pb, 2.15% Cu over 12.0 meters (extending laterally the surface rich copper and zinc zones for more than 50 meters) and with a second infill intercept of 5.57% Zn, 3.10% Pb, 97 g/t Ag over 12 meters.

From 135 meters to 205 meters, MB17-01 has filled a 70 meter gap between two previous holes with an infill intercept of 5.14% Zn, 1.05% Pb, 36 g/t Ag over 26.0 meters.

From 295 meters to 420 meters, a MB17-01 massive sulphide intersect located below the current zinc resource block model fills 125 meter gap between two previously drilled holes. This mineralization is represented by one of the best intercepts of the current hole with 5.26% Zn, 1.52% Pb, 2.62 g/t Au over 59 meters, representing a significant at-depth extension of the current define "Zinc" block envelope.

From 420 meters to 549 meters, MB17-01 extends the favorable host sedimentary horizon for more than 129 meters. Footwall sediment alteration is represented by strong chloritization and silicification. The mineralization beyond 435 meters, downhole from the projected mineral target, contains lower grade mineralization. The system remains open downhole and, more likely, vertically below or above the last part of the current hole.

Table 1. Significant intercepts in the Hole MB17-01

------------------------------------------------------ Drill hole From To Length Au Ag (m) (m) (m) g/t g/t ------------------------------------------------------ MB17-01 27.0 432.0 405.0 0.95 41 incl. 27.0 39.0 12.0 0.31 28 65.0 77.0 12.0 0.20 97 134.0 160.0 26.0 0.34 36 incl. 135.0 142.0 7.0 0.44 27 incl. 151.0 160.0 9.0 0.07 55 174.0 180.0 6.0 0.03 50 253.0 306.0 53.0 1.05 77 incl. 253.0 264.0 11.0 0.29 117 incl. 285.0 306.0 21.0 1.60 62 341.0 400.0 59.0 2.62 72 incl. 357.0 374.0 17.0 2.58 119 incl. 367.0 373.0 6.0 1.70 149 ------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Drill hole Cu Pb Zn Pb+Zn Comments % % % % -------------------------------------------------------------------------- MB17-01 0.34 1.14 3.30 4.44 Continuous massive sulphide incl. 2.15 1.02 4.54 5.56 Extends Cu+Zn zone by 50m 0.38 3.10 5.57 8.67 Fills 73m gap between 2 holes 0.08 1.05 5.14 6.20 Fills 70m gap between 2 holes incl. 0.05 0.85 6.24 7.09 incl. 0.03 1.93 6.45 8.38 0.02 2.09 5.12 7.21 0.06 2.83 5.83 8.66 incl. 0.02 2.40 5.53 7.93 incl. 0.09 3.57 7.07 10.64 Below the Current Resource 0.68 1.52 5.26 6.78 Estimate incl. 0.56 3.23 10.04 13.27 incl. 0.24 4.73 14.91 19.63 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- (i) Highlights and Table 1 represent length and grade weighted composite core intervals. True thickness is estimated to be approximately 20-40% of the reported intervals. The lateral extend is estimated at 70-80% core intervals.

"We are very pleased with the results from hole MB17-01. The massive sulphide intersection below the current resource estimate represents a fundamental and significant expansion of the system's geometry and metal content. We look forward to incorporating this new information into our deposit resource model. Also, this "deep model" extension carries higher than anticipated gold values, represented by a 160 meter drill intersection of 2.0 g/t Au, including 3.02 g/t Au over 25 meters. The contrasts with the existing resource estimate that assigns a value of only 0.65 g/t Au for the entire block model.", notes Marcel Robillard, President of Puma Exploration.

Diamond drill holes MB17-02 (74m) and MB17-03 (174m) were drilled close to surface to test the extension of the Murray Brook deposit toward the south-western extension. The results from these holes are pending and their location is referenced in Figure 2.

Qualified Persons and QC/AC

The contents of this press release were prepared by Marcel Robillard, P.Geo., President and Dominique Gagne, P.Geo., Vice President of Exploration, are qualified persons as defined by NI 43-101 and have supervised the preparation and technical information that forms the basis for this news release. 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. Mr. Robillard and Mr. Gagne are not independent of the company, as he is an officer and shareholder. The samples are prepared, sent, processed at ALS Val D'Or, Quebec and ALS Sudbury, Ontario. All samples were assays by ME-ICP41 method and gold was assay by AU-AA26 method. QA/QC are monitored by the analysis of blanks, reference material and replicate samples at a frequency of one (1) of each per 30 samples.

About the Murray Brook Project

The Murray Brook Project consists of three (3) distinct contiguous areas that cover more than 18 kilometers of the favorable rocks that host the operating Caribou Mine (Trevali Mining Corp.), the Murray Brook Deposit and the past operating Restigouche Mine (Trevali Mining Corp.). From east to west, the project comprises the Murray Brook East Property (4925), the Murray Brook Mining Lease (# 252) and the Murray Brook West Property (7846) (refer to website). The Murray Brook East and Murray Brook West Properties have been subject to various degrees of exploration and share the same potential of increasing the mineral resources defined at the Murray Brook Deposit. The Company has defined several future priority targets on these properties (see Figure 2).

The Murray Brook deposit has a currently defined measured and indicated mineral resources of 5.28 million tonnes averaging 5.24% zinc, 1.80% lead, 0.46% copper, 68.9 g/t silver and 0.65 g/t gold. The core of the mineral resource occurs in the West Zone which is 200 meters wide, extending from surface to 300 meters vertical and the true thickness of the massive sulphide body varies from 75 meters to 100 meters. The East Zone (Copper-Gold) is 100 meters wide, also extending from surface to 300 vertical meters and is mainly mineralized with gold and copper. On February 20th 2017, a NI 43-101 report was accepted and filed on SEDAR.

About Puma Exploration Inc.

Puma Exploration is a Canadian mineral exploration company with advanced precious and base metals projects in Canada. The Company's major assets consist of an option to acquire 100% per cent beneficial interest in the Murray Brook Property, the Turgeon Zinc-Copper Project and the Nicholas-Denys Project located in New Brunswick as well as an equity interest in BWR Resources, Manitoba. Puma's objective for the coming year is to focus its exploration efforts in New Brunswick.

You can visit us on Facebook and Twitter.

Learn more by consulting www.pumaexploration.com for further information on Puma Exploration Inc.

Forward-Looking Statements: This press release may contain forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Puma Exploration Inc. to be materially different from actual future results and achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements which speak only as of the date the statements were made, except as required by law. Puma Exploration undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties are described in the quarterly and annual reports and in the documents submitted to the securities administration.

Contacts:

Marcel Robillard, President

(418) 724-0901

president@explorationpuma.com




PHOENIX, AZ -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- In an effort to support the families, communities and clinics impacted by the recent string of natural disasters in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, WebPT has launched the national Rehab Therapists Give Back campaign. The goal of the campaign, which launched in September at the Ascend Summit, is to bring the rehab therapy community together to support a worthy cause and collectively raise $1 million by the end of February 2018.

Funds raised through Rehab Therapists Give Back will go toward disaster relief efforts for those impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, as well as those affected by the wildfires in the Northwest. Dr. Heidi Jannenga, PT, DPT, ATC/L, president and co-founder of WebPT, announced the campaign at Ascend, calling on those in the rehab community to join in helping families, providers and communities in need.

"As rehab therapists, we chose this profession out of a deep desire to help people, and now we have an opportunity to help our fellow therapists, colleagues, friends and families rebuild in this time of need," Jannenga said. "Through this campaign, we're aiming to build a culture of 'us' in the rehab community, and we've already been blown away by the support. It truly speaks to the healer's heart, an innate quality of physical, occupational and speech therapists."

WebPT and the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) both committed to matching $10,000 in donations to kick-start the campaign, and two of Ascend's most highly acclaimed speakers, Chris and Heidi Powell, also contributed. In total, more than $40,000 was raised at the Ascend event alone. Countless other supporters -- from therapy clinics and corporations, as well as industry product vendors -- are starting to join and rally behind this important mission with contributions of all sizes.

"APTA's bold vision demands that the physical therapy community looks beyond the walls of our day-to-day work settings in order to transform society," said Sharon L. Dunn, PT, PhD and APTA board president. "The Rehab Therapists Give Back campaign is a terrific example of the positive impact we can make when we work together in that spirit. I'm grateful to WebPT for organizing the campaign and to all those who generously donated to those in need."

The Powells -- who are both trainers, hosts of ABC's Extreme Weight Loss and cofounders of the TRANSFORM app -- jumped at the chance to support not only the rehab therapy industry, but also communities in need.

"We are proud to support the Rehab Therapists Give Back campaign and join in the effort to provide critical disaster relief aid to those in need," they said in a joint statement. "The rehab therapy community has been so welcoming of us and the TRANSFORM App we created to help patients achieve even better treatment outcomes, so it is our honor to continue paying it forward."

To learn more about Rehab Therapists Give Back and make a donation, visit https://www.globalgiving.org/rehab-therapists-give-back/.

About WebPT, Inc.

With a 30-percent market share, WebPT is the leading rehab therapy platform for enhancing patient care and fueling business growth. From scheduling, documentation and billing to outcomes tracking, business reporting and software integration, WebPT is the ideal solution for outpatient therapy organizations of all sizes. With a 99-percent retention rate and a 99.99-percent uptime rate, WebPT is the most-trusted and most-reliable solution in the industry. Launched in 2008, the company is based in downtown Phoenix's historic Warehouse District. Learn more at webpt.com.

Contact:

Beth Cochran

Email Contact

602-758-0750



Rebecca Hasulak

Email Contact

480-599-6280




LONDON, October 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Getting the perfect fit with Modaris 3D

Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles and composite materials, for the fourth year running has sponsored the Drapers Fashion Forum. Entitled 'Fit for the Future', this year's event highlighted great insights from executives from some of industry's most significant brands such as Adidas, Levi Strauss & Co, ASICS, Clarks and Zalando.

Jean Patrice Gros, Managing Director, Northern Europe and UK, Lectra introduced Lectra's keynote speaking session highlighting that getting the fit right is a critical element of a products success. "When we shop we have a vast choice of product, the style we chose is a personal reflection of our identity. A poor fitting garment creates a perception of a poor low cost product," he explained.

In order to illustrate how crucial fit is in the product development process, Vidas Butkus, CEO of Kauno Baltija spoke about his company's successes with using Modaris 3D. "Fit is now the most important factor in high-end fashion. Quality cannot exist without a perfect fit. People will buy new brands, but unless they fit well, the customers will not come back. Fit guarantees customer loyalty and allows you to remain competitive," he confirms. Being a manufacturer of high-end ladieswear products for a global market he detailed that using Lectra's intuitive 3D virtual prototyping solution has helped Kauno Baltija reduce development time, achieve a perfect fit and facilitate seamless communication at the product development stage.

Confirming that Kauno Baltija have been able to visualize, adjust and virtually grade styles that fit perfectly in every size sharing his results with the audience; lead time reduced by 30%, sample returns reduced by 50% and development samples reduced from 3-5 to 1-2. "Sample development time has been cut by half. We still need samples, but we have experienced a massive reduction in the time spent making them," he said closing the presentation.

The Lectra hosted lunch explored what fashion businesses are doing to make their supply chains smarter and more connected, user friendly and agile. Executives form leading brands and retailers such as Adidas, Zalando, Jigsaw and Amazon shared their experience on how important a 360-degree view of the supply chain to their design and sourcing teams was and how accessing previous design and sales data was critical to the success of their product lines.

"With globalisation, strategies need to focus on improving communication both internally and externally. Having complete visibility of supply chain is key for fashion businesses to ensure the right product on the market at the right time," concluded Jean-Patrice Gros.

About Lectra

Lectra is the world leader in integrated technology solutions (software, automated cutting equipment, and associated services) specifically designed for industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles, and composite materials to manufacture their products. It serves major world markets: fashion and apparel, automotive, and furniture as well as a broad array of other industries. Lectra's solutions, specific to each market, enable customers to automate and optimize product design, development, and manufacturing. With more than 1,600 employees, Lectra has developed privileged relationships with prestigious customers in more than 100 countries, contributing to their operational excellence. Lectra registered revenues of $288 million in 2016 and is listed on Euronext.

For more information, please visit http://www.lectra.com

Modaris is a registered trademark of Lectra.

Contact

Lectra UK

Victoria Fothergill

E-mail: v.fothergill@lectra.com

Tel.: +44(0)-127-462-3080


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President Donald Trump took aim at one of his favorite targets in a series of posts to Twitter early Tuesday morning, accusing the media of overhyping the story of the indictment of his former campaign manager Paul Manafort.



Trump cited Manafort attorney Kevin Downing, who claimed there was 'no evidence' that his client or the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government.



'The Fake News is working overtime. As Paul Manafort's lawyer said, there was 'no collusion' and events mentioned took place long before he came to the campaign,' Trump tweeted.



Manafort and his longtime business associate Rick Gates were indicted by a federal grand jury on twelve counts, including conspiracy against the United States.



The indictment unsealed Monday claims between 2006 and 2017, Manafort and Gates knowingly and intentionally conspired to defraud the U.S.



However, Downing claims Manafort's work lobbying for a pro-Russia party in Ukraine ended in 2014, over two years before he served in the Trump campaign.



Trump also attacked former foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, who secretly pleaded guilty earlier this month to lying to the FBI about interactions with Kremlin-connected Russian nationals.



'Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar,' Trump tweeted.



The president suggested the focus should be on Republican tax reform efforts rather than the news about Manafort and Papadopoulos.



'I hope people will start to focus on our Massive Tax Cuts for Business (jobs) and the Middle Class (in addition to Democrat corruption)!' Trump tweeted.



Later Tuesday morning, Trump argued that the 'biggest story' from Monday was Democratic lobbyist and Podesta Group founder Tony Podesta stepping down.



The brother of Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, Tony Podesta announced his resignation after coming under investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.



'The biggest story yesterday, the one that has the Dems in a dither, is Podesta running from his firm,' Trump tweeted. 'What he know about Crooked Dems is earth shattering.'



He added, 'He and his brother could Drain The Swamp, which would be yet another campaign promise fulfilled. Fake News weak!'



Trump has repeatedly denied there was any collusion between his campaign and Russia, calling the investigation a 'witch hunt.'



(Photo: Gage Skidmore)



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
LONDON, October 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Australia's TCorp and Sunsuper will acquire stakes from Ontario Teachers' in two of the UK's leading regional airports

Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan ("Ontario Teachers'"), and Australia's New South Wales Treasury Corporation ("TCorp") and Sunsuper Superannuation Fund ("Sunsuper"), are announcing they will become investment partners in Bristol Airport and Birmingham Airport, two of the UK's leading regional airports.

Ontario Teachers' has entered a definitive agreement by which it will sell 30% of its stakes in both Bristol and Birmingham to TCorp as trustee of TCorpIM Direct Investment Fund E and Sunsuper Pty Limited as trustee of Sunsuper. TCorp and Sunsuper will each acquire 15% of Ontario Teachers' stakes in Bristol Airport and Birmingham Airport. Following completion, Ontario Teachers', TCorp and Sunsuper will own 70.0%, 15.0% and 15.0% of Bristol Airport and 33.8%, 7.2% and 7.2% of Birmingham Airport respectively.

Ontario Teachers' is Canada's largest single-profession pension plan. TCorp is the financial markets arm of the public sector in New South Wales, Australia, and Sunsuper is one of Australia's largest and fastest-growing superannuation funds.

"Working with like-minded partners who bring new ideas, capital and expertise to the table is core to our broader investment strategy," said Andrew Claerhout, Senior Managing Director, Infrastructure and Natural Resources at Ontario Teachers'. "We look forward to TCorp and Sunsuper joining us as shareholders, alongside the strong teams at Bristol and Birmingham andOntario Teachers' enduring partnership with the District authority shareholders in Birmingham. Under the new shareholder structure we will continue to focus on creating long-term value for all stakeholders including the 19 million passengers who fly through these two airports every year."

Ontario Teachers' is the largest private investor in airports in Europe, with holdings in five freehold airports: Copenhagen Airports, Brussels Airport, Bristol Airport, Birmingham Airport and London City Airport. Ontario Teachers' has been an investor in Bristol and Birmingham Airports since 2001, increasing its stakes to 100% (Bristol) and 48.25% (Birmingham) in 2014 with the intention of bringing in new partners.

"In addition to the attractive investment characteristics of the individual airports, TCorp was particularly interested in this investment because of the opportunity to partner with Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and Sunsuper, both experienced and like-minded global infrastructure investors," said Stewart Brentnall, TCorp Chief Investment Officer. "We are excited about working with our partners, not only on this investment but also on future opportunities. TCorp has a strategy of building long-term relationships with other sophisticated investors, which we believe will help to deliver value to our clients and members, both for managing existing investments and for identifying new investment opportunities."

"Sunsuper is an experienced investor in the Australian airport sector, and we are excited to expand our existing portfolio by adding stakes in two high-quality UK airports in Bristol and Birmingham," said Michael Weaver, Head of Private Markets at Sunsuper. "We believe that investments in the infrastructure sector provide greater scope for value creation through responsible stewardship, governance and proactive management of assets to create value for our members. We look forward to our ongoing involvement in the Bristol and Birmingham airports, with a key focus on delivering high-quality outcomes for all passengers and stakeholders."

Bristol Airport is the ninth largest airport in the UK with 7.5 million passengers in 2016, and Birmingham Airport is the seventh largest airport in the UK with 11.6 million passengers in 2016.

The sale is expected to complete in late November.

About Ontario Teachers'

The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (Ontario Teachers') is Canada's largest single-profession pension plan, with CAD$180.5 billion in net assets at June 30, 2017. It holds a diverse global portfolio of assets, approximately 80% of which is managed in-house, and has earned an annualized gross rate of return of 10.1% since the Plan's founding in 1990. Ontario Teachers' is an independent organization headquartered in Toronto. Its Asia-Pacific region office is located in Hong Kong and its Europe, Middle East & Africa region office is in London. The defined-benefit plan, which is fully funded, invests and administers the pensions of the province of Ontario's 318,000 active and retired teachers. For more information, visit otpp.com and follow us on Twitter@OtppInfo.

About TCorp

TCorp provides investment management and financial services for the government of New South Wales, which is the largest state in Australia by population and economic activity. TCorp is the third largest institutional investor in Australia. TCorp's investment management business currently manages approximately A$90 billion of funds. For more information, please visithttp://www.tcorp.nsw.gov.au

About Sunsuper

Sunsuper, a profit-for-members superannuation fund, is one of the 10 largest pension funds in Australia. Sunsuper was established in 1987 and is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia. As at October 2017, Sunsuper had A$46 billion in funds under management and over one million members. Sunsuper invests across a diversified portfolio of global assets, including in the infrastructure sector. Sunsuper has been investing directly in infrastructure since the late-1990s, making it one of Australia's most experienced infrastructure investors with a long track record. For more information, visithttp://www.sunsuper.com.au

Media Contacts: Lori McLeod, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, +1-416-730-7207, Lori_mcleod@otpp.com; Margaret Davey, TCorp, +61-2-9325-9264, margaret.davey@tcorp.nsw.gov.au; Alice Andrewartha, Sunsuper, +61-7-3333-7059, Alice_Andrewartha@sunsuper.com.au
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- Le Chateau (TSX VENTURE: CTU), one of Canada's leading fashion retailers for men and women, is joining forces with Real Housewives of Toronto star and Body Positivity Activist Roxy Earle to create her first ever capsule collection, Roxy Earle for Le Chateau, introducing sizes 20 and 22 in women's apparel.

Earle will be teaming up with Le Chateau as a Collaborating Creative Director for the Roxy Earle for Le Chateau collection, encouraging body positivity and providing stylish clothing to Canadian women of all sizes. The women's clothing capsule will launch in Fall 2018 and introduce the brands new offering of extended sizes ranging from 00-22, in addition to footwear and accessories to complete the look. Earle's body positivity message spoken through her mysizerox movement truly resonates with Le Chateau and the partnership reflects the brands commitment to innovation, integrity and its customers. The capsule collections will be available for purchase in select Le Chateau stores and online.

"My dream has always been that two friends can walk into a store and shop the same collection regardless of size. I created the MySizeRox movement with the intention of empowering women through body confidence and the ability to find stylish clothes in all sizes, without "plus size" labels. I am proud of this iconic Canadian company having the vision to believe in me and my movement and with my assistance, broaden the standard size to 22," says Earle.

In addition to her capsule collection, Roxy's Picks, an online exclusive collection designed by Le Chateau and curated by Earle, features 48 of Earle's favourite fall pieces including women's clothing, footwear and accessories that fit perfectly with her fabulous style and feel-good attitude.

"Roxy has already become a Canadian fashion icon, and we're delighted to have her join our creative team on this exciting project! We have shared values and a shared vision of today's consumer, and we will work tirelessly to deliver fashion excitement to even more Canadians. Roxy rocks!", says Executive Vice President, Franco Rocchi.

Roxy's Picks is available online at www.lechateau.com/roxyspicks.

ABOUT LE CHATEAU

Le Chateau is a leading Canadian specialty retailer and manufacturer of exclusively designed apparel, footwear and accessories for contemporary and style-conscious women and men, with an extensive network of 171 prime locations across Canada and a rapidly growing e-com platform servicing Canada and the U.S. Le Chateau, committed to research, design and product development, manufactures approximately 30% of the Company's apparel in its own Canadian production facilities. For Information please visit lechateau.com.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Contacts:

For media inquiries:

Ashley MacIntyre

Principal at MacIntyre Communications

ashley@macintyrecommunications.com

647.200.9135



Emilia Di Raddo

CPA, CA, President

(514) 738-7000




CARROLLTON, TX / ACCESSWIRE / October 31, 2017 / Carrollton, TX business, Neighborhood Garage Door Service, is proud to announce that they have a new online booking service available on their website. This allows people to book an appointment with the company to have their doors inspected, repaired, replaced, or installed at a time that is convenient for them. The new booking service is available through the company's homepage at http://www.garagedoorservice.com.

A representative from Neighborhood Garage Door Service was quoted as saying, "We want to be a friendly neighborhood service, one in which we are part of the community. Hence, we want to make sure people can reach us with ease, at a time that is convenient to them. No more worrying that you can't make an appointment because you couldn't phone us within business hours. It can all be done online."

The company prides itself on always putting the customer first. They offer services on garage doors and garage door openers. They can offer repair and installation for all types of garage doors, including overhead doors. It has been observed that these things often break down as a result of the spring malfunctioning, something very few people know. What some believe might be a hugely expensive replacement, in other words, often only needs to be repaired.

The representative adds, "We are not in the business of charging people for things they do not need. Rather, we want to make sure that they have the tools and facilities they need to get into their home and garage, at a price that they can afford."

Those who have used the services of the company have been full of praise about their experiences. Eugene S. says on the company website, "Great service, I emailed for an appointment and was put in touch with a representative quickly. Willie showed up on time for my appointment, explained to me the services, and made sure I understood why he was doing the repairs he did. The pricing was great, and I'm happy to have chosen them. For any future door services, I'll be going with them."

People are encouraged to contact Neighborhood Garage Door Services through their website to make an appointment.

Contact Neighborhood Garage Door Service:

wecare@garagedoorservice.com

Neighborhood Garage Door Service

2900 N Interstate 35E

Carrollton, Texas 75007

SOURCE: Neighborhood Garage Door Service
Gilles Cojan, Chairman of the Board of Directors

Pedro Fontana, Chief Executive Officer

Regulatory News:

Following the decision by Elior Group's (Paris:ELIOR) Board of Directors at its July 26, 2017 meeting to separate the roles of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Gilles Cojan who has been appointed by the Board as a director has been named Chairman of Elior Group's Board of Directors, and Pedro Fontana, currently Group Deputy CEO and CEO of Concession Catering Worldwide, has been appointed as the Group's interim Chief Executive Officer, both with effect from November 1, 2017.

Gilles Cojan, 63, graduated from ESSEC business school in 1977. He began his career in 1978 as Treasurer at the pharmaceuticals group, Servier, before joining Banque Transatlantique to take up the position of CEO of its subsidiary, GTI Finance. In 1990, he was appointed head of the Financing and Treasury department at Valeo.

Gilles Cojan joined Elior in 1992 as Chief Financial Officer before going on to become CEO of Elior International and Group Chief Strategy Officer.

Acting alongside Elior's founders Robert Zolade and Francis Markus he ensured the success of the MBO organized in 1992 and completed in 1996. Then in 1997, again with the founders, he organized two successive LBOs for the contract catering and concession catering businesses, which resulted in the creation of the Elior Group. As from that date he was directly responsible for implementing the Group's internationalization strategy, which led to it successively entering the UK, Spanish and Italian markets.

Gilles Cojan was the driving force behind a number of the major partnerships that have stepped up the pace of the Group's growth, including the partnership set up in 2001 with the Spain-based company Areas, which helped the Group strengthen its leadership position in concession catering, and then the alliance forged in 2013 with the founder of THS, which underpinned Elior's rapid development strategy in the United States.

In 2000, he oversaw Elior's IPO and then in 2006, with Robert Zolade, he organized the Company's voluntary stock market de-listing followed by a new LBO carried out with the aim of accelerating the Group's development.

In 2010, he had the idea of creating a "services" business which has now become an integral part of the Group.

Since 2007, Gilles Cojan has also been the CEO of BIM, Elior Group's principal shareholder. In the same year he was appointed a member of Elior's Supervisory Board, sitting alongside Robert Zolade and representatives of Charterhouse, and in June 2014, when the Company was re-listed, he became a member of its Board of Directors.

He is currently a member of Elior Group's Audit Committee and its Strategy, Investments and CSR Committee and was appointed Vice-Chairman of the Group on July 26, 2017.

Gilles Cojan has now been appointed Chairman of Elior Group's Board of Directors, effective November 1, 2017.

Pedro Fontana, 65, is an MBA graduate from Harvard University (1976). He began his career in the banking sector, where he successively held the posts of Regional Director of Banco del Comercio from 1978 to 1983 and Chief Executive Officer of Banca Mas Sarda from 1983 to 1989. In 1990, he was appointed Director General of the Barcelona Olympics Organizing Committee and in 1993 he became the CEO of Barcelona's Tourist Office. In 1994, he returned to the banking sector where he served as Chairman of Banca Catalana until 1999 and then CEO Cataluna for Banco Bilbao Vizcaya until 2009. Alongside his professional career, Pedro Fontana also held the positions of President of the Circulo de Economia (1996-1999), Chairman of the Board of Directors of Barcelona University (1994-2004) and President of the Board of Trustees of the ESADE Foundation (2009-2013). He is currently a member of the Boards of Directors of Fira Barcelona, the Indukern Group and Banco Sabadell, a member of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a member of the Board of Ramon Llull University. He joined Areas in 1998 as a member of the Board of Directors before being appointed Vice-Chairman in 2001 and Executive Chairman in 2012. Pedro Fontana has been CEO of Concession Catering Worldwide for Elior Group since August 2015 and also Group Deputy CEO since July 26, 2017.

Pedro Fontana has been appointed as Elior Group's interim Chief Executive Officer, effective November 1, 2017.

On July 26, 2017, the Group's Board of Directors asked the Nominations and Compensation Committee to begin the recruitment process for the new Elior Group Chief Executive Officer. It is still under way.

The English-language version of this document is a free translation from the original, which was prepared in French. All possible care has been taken to ensure that the translation is an accurate representation of the original. However, in all matters of interpretation of information, views or opinions expressed therein, the original language version of the document in French takes precedence over this translation.

About Elior Group

Founded in 1991, Elior Group has grown into one of the world's leading operators in the catering and support services industry, and has become a benchmark player in the business industry, education, healthcare, and travel markets.

Now operating in 15 countries, the Group generated 5,896 million in revenue through 23,000 restaurants and points of sale in FY 2015-2016. Our 120,000 employees serve 4.4 million people on a daily basis, taking genuine care of each and every one by providing personalized catering and service solutions to ensure an innovative customer experience.

We place particular importance on corporate social responsibility and have been a member of the United Nations Global Compact since 2004, reaching the GC Advanced Level in 2015. The professional excellence of our teams as well as their unwavering commitment to quality and innovation and to providing best-in-class service is embodied in our corporate motto: "Time savored".

For further information please visit our website (http://www.eliorgroup.com) or follow us on Twitter (@Elior_Group).

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171031006200/en/

Contacts:

Elior Group

Investor relations

Marie de Scorbiac, +33 (0)1 71 06 70 13

marie.descorbiac@eliorgroup.com

or

Press contact

Claire Doligez Laurent Poinsot, +33 (0)1 53 70 74 70

cdoligez@image7.fr / lpoinsot@image7.fr

or

Anne-Laure Sanguinetti, +33 (0)1 71 06 70 57

anne-laure.sanguinetti@eliorgroup.com
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ / ACCESSWIRE / October 31, 2017 / A CBD oil brand containing minimal ingredients, including just extracted CBD plus a carrier-oil, is now the top seller on CBDReporter.com. See it here: http://cbdreporter.com/.

The popular CBD brand is unique in that the only ingredients in the product are CBD in a base-oil. Many CBD competing brands often include a number of other ingredients and flavorings. Many consumers seek pure organic products without any extras. CBDReporter is a good source for basic information, including information about the ingredients in various products popular with consumers.

Both CBD derived from industrial hemp, as well as THC-rich cannabis, are experiencing strong growth, and that growth is projected to accelerate. These areas are also becoming active on Wall Street with a number of public companies attracting the attention of both individual share investors as well as venture capital investments. Both market niches are seen as poised to become potentially very large industries, including on the cannabis side of the equation with more and more US states legalizing recreational marijuana. The fast-growing CBD niche market has seen explosive growth in recent years. Just a year ago, CBD sales reached only $170 million. But at the current expansion rates, CBD could reach the billion-dollar market in the not too distant future. Some industry experts are projecting sales to reach $1 billion by the year 2020

Medical cannabis is currently legal in 29 states, while recreational cannabis is legal in just eight but that number seems to grow with each new election cycle. Presently, about two out of three Americans live in a state with some type of legalized cannabis. Legal sales of cannabis in US states hit approximately $5.9 billion last year. Wall Street analysts at a well-known firm recently predicted sales of $50 billion in the recreational cannabis market alone within 10 years, making this potentially one of the fastest growing industries in the United States. In addition to CBD for human consumption, there is also a growing market for CBD oil for dogs, horses, and other pets.

CBD attracted strong consumer interest after being discussed by a popular television medical expert on a leading cable news channel a few years ago. CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of many compounds present in both the hemp and cannabis plants. CBD products are mostly made from industrial hemp in the United States and Western Europe. CBD is also present in the cannabis that produces the psychoactive substance known as THC, but CBD has no such psychoactive effect. Hemp and cannabis are in the same family of plants but are different in that industrial hemp, from which most CBD products are derived, is not a source of psychoactive THC.

CBDReporter.com is an A+ Rated Better Business Bureau Accredited website founded in 2016 featuring ratings and reviews of popular CBD products. CBDReporter is a good resource for consumers seeking to evaluate the best CBD oil products for people and their pets.

CBDReporter.com advises consumers to consult with a licensed physician and pharmacist before taking any nutritional supplements including CBD oil supplements especially for persons on any medications or with underlying medical conditions, or who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

SOURCE: CBDReporter.com
Revenues over the first nine months increased by 64% to 6.6mln

16.3mln and 39.4MW of Order Intake 1 increased the Orders Backlog 2 by 122% to 12.9mln

Gross margin at 37% of reported revenues; 8.9mln cash on hand heading into Q4

Utility-scale storage systems and microgrids under commissioning in Europe, Latam and the Asia Pacific

Sustained contract flow from the largest European utilities, mostly on a turnkey EPC basis

New industrial footprint now sealed in compliance with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001

Regulatory News:

Commenting on the figures, Carlalberto Guglielminotti, Chief Executive Officer of EPS (Paris:EPS), said:

"In the third quarter, we reaped the result of our effort over the past three years to affirm EPS as a leading player in decentralized energy solutions with a unique technology play to accelerate the energy transition. Orders from the largest European utilities have proven our technology leadership, competitiveness and strategic and industrial maturity.

We are delivering one of the largest installed bases of commercial microgrids and utility-scale systems globally, maintaining a high marginality level and strengthening our industrial footprint. This confirms the solidity of the Strategic Plan 2020 and enables the continuous deployment of our disruptive technology towards the highest levels of engineering excellence and operational efficiency".

The Board of Directors ofElectro Power Systems S.A. ("EPS"), technology pioneer in energy storage systems and microgrids, listed on the French-regulated market Euronext Paris (EPS:FP), under the chairmanship of Massimo Prelz Oltramonti, approved the financial information (unaudited) and the installed base update for the nine months ended on 30 September 2017.

STRATEGIC AND FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Over the first nine months of the year we were awarded contracts and projects from Enel, Engie, Endesa, Terna, and Edison (EDF), among others, for projects to be delivered mostly on a turnkey Engineering, Procurement and Construction basis. This sealed the international credibility of EPS Group as general contractor in the delivery of cutting-edge microgrids and energy storage solutions to leading utilities globally. The maturity of the new EPS industrial footprint and organizational platform to deliver on such landmark contracts has also been certified in compliance with ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and OHSAS 18001:2007.

Revenues as of 30 September 2017 were 6.6mln, up 64% compared to the 4.0mln reported at the end of September 2016. The continuous double-digit growth is driven by the successful deployment of microgrids in East Africa, Latin America and Asia-Pacific, coupled with the construction of utility-scale storage systems and grid connected solutions, mainly in Southern Europe.

Order Intake year-to-date increased to 39.4 MW for a contract value of 16.3mln, the highest level of Order Intake in our history and representing more than the total cumulative revenues over 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Orders Backlog at the date of this press release is at 12.9mln, up 122% based on reported figures in the same period of 20163. This growth is mainly represented by utility-scale storage systems and microgrids delivered by EPS on a turnkey basis, acting as a general contractor. The largest project under construction is the 20MW energy-storage system with Endesa, which is expected to be commissioned and online by Q2 2018. This project would be in the top 20 of the largest li-ion energy storage systems ever commissioned in the world4. Backlog of orders includes utility-scale storage systems and microgrids with global utilities, smart islands with national grid operators and control systems for mobility and distribution applications.

The main regions of installation are Southern Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia Pacific.

Gross Margin stands at 37% of the reported revenues of the period, which is substantially stable despite the double-digit growth, confirming the sustainability of the EPS business model and the path towards profitability.

Cash Position5 at the end of September 2017 amounted to 8.9mln, up 62% compared with 5.5mln at the end of the same period in 2016, particularly thanks to the financial support of the European Investment Bank.

Net Financial Position, is equal to -7.2mln compared to -1.0mln as of 31 December 2016, mainly due to the continuous growth of the Orders Backlog and related working capital needs. More particularly, the change in working capital was 3.0mln, increasing significantly compared to the end of 2016.

INSTALLED BASE HIGHLIGHTS

20MW Utility-Scale Storage System in Spain under construction: upon signing the agreement with Endesa on 5 September 2017, the Spanish utility part of the Enel group, EPS immediately started construction of the utility-scale storage system, with a power capacity of 20MW, expected to be commissioned and online by Q2 2018.

upon signing the agreement with Endesa on 5 September 2017, the Spanish utility part of the Enel group, EPS immediately started construction of the utility-scale storage system, with a power capacity of 20MW, expected to be commissioned and online by Q2 2018. 12MW microgrid in Australia online: on 10 October 2017 EPS started operations at the storage system related to the Coober Pedy Renewable Hybrid Power Project's microgrid in Coober Pedy, Southern Australia. The hybrid power plant will be connected to a microgrid composed of 1MW solar panels, 4MW wind turbines and up to 6MVA generators combined with 1MW of storage system and will be able to cover up to 70% of the demand, supplying the inhabitants of the area about 1,600 people with energy from renewable sources for the 20-year life of the hybrid power plant.

on 10 October 2017 EPS started operations at the storage system related to the Coober Pedy Renewable Hybrid Power Project's microgrid in Coober Pedy, Southern Australia. The hybrid power plant will be connected to a microgrid composed of 1MW solar panels, 4MW wind turbines and up to 6MVA generators combined with 1MW of storage system and will be able to cover up to 70% of the demand, supplying the inhabitants of the area about 1,600 people with energy from renewable sources for the 20-year life of the hybrid power plant. 5.9MW microgrid in the Horn of Africa commissioned: on 22 July 2017, EPS commissioned a microgrid awarded by NECSOM (National Electric Corporation of Somalia) composed of a solar, wind and storage turnkey solution that allows the reduction of diesel consumption by 1mln litres per year, and reduces electricity bills by 17%.

on 22 July 2017, EPS commissioned a microgrid awarded by NECSOM (National Electric Corporation of Somalia) composed of a solar, wind and storage turnkey solution that allows the reduction of diesel consumption by 1mln litres per year, and reduces electricity bills by 17%. World's first 100% emission-free microgrid in the Atacama Desert (Chile) began operations: on 1 June 2017, Enel and EPS announced the operation of the world's first 100% emission-free "plug-and-play" commercial-sized micro-grid, powered by solar PV as well as hydrogen-based and lithium-based storage.

on 1 June 2017, Enel and EPS announced the operation of the world's first 100% emission-free "plug-and-play" commercial-sized micro-grid, powered by solar PV as well as hydrogen-based and lithium-based storage. 4.1MW microgrid in the Maldives outperforming expectations: on 8 February 2017, EPS announced the performance results of its second microgrid in the Maldives and confirms the reduction in CO 2 and that renewables, coupled with the EPS storage system, cover up to 63% of the resort's power requirements, enabling reductions in diesel consumption by 423,000 litres per year, 50% more than expected at the time of commissioning.

on 8 February 2017, EPS announced the performance results of its second microgrid in the Maldives and confirms the reduction in CO and that renewables, coupled with the EPS storage system, cover up to 63% of the resort's power requirements, enabling reductions in diesel consumption by 423,000 litres per year, 50% more than expected at the time of commissioning. 3MW microgrid in Flinders Island commissioned: on 15 February 2017, EPS announced the commissioning of a hybrid storage system, in partnership with Toshiba, sired to Flinders Island's microgrid for Hydro Tasmania, Australia's largest producer of renewable energy.

on 15 February 2017, EPS announced the commissioning of a hybrid storage system, in partnership with Toshiba, sired to Flinders Island's microgrid for Hydro Tasmania, Australia's largest producer of renewable energy. 1.5MW microgrid in Sardinia commissioned: on 22 February 2017, EPS announced the realisation of an energy storage system microgrid for ENAS in Sardinia. The system is connected to the Ottana Experimental Solar Farm, which consists of a concentrated solar power (CSP) farm, integrated with thermal storage that has a capacity of 14MWh as well as a concentrated photovoltaic plant (CPV).

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

BASIS OF PREPARATION

Effective 1 January 2015, French Law n2014-1662, dated 30 December 2014, in transposing the European Directive 2013/50/EU, removed the reporting obligation to French-listed companied to disclose quarterly financial results. Therefore, this press release has been prepared on a voluntary basis in line with EPS' policy to provide the market and investors with regular information about the Group's financial and operating performance and business prospects, considering the disclosure policy followed by our energy peers.

The financial information (unaudited) for the nine months ending 30 September 2017 consists of Revenues, Gross Margin, Backlog, Cash and Net Financial Position. Revenues and Gross Margin are presented on a consolidated basis for the first nine months of 2017 and for the first nine months of 2016. Orders Backlog is presented as of the date of this press release and as of the same period in 2016, i.e. 15 November 2016, the date of announcement of the Group's results as of 30 September 2016. Information on liquidity and the Net Financial Position relates to the end of the periods as of 30 September 2017 and 31 December 2016, in line with the Half-Year 2017 Financial Report.

The accounts set forth herein have been prepared in accordance with the evaluation and recognition criteria set by the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and adopted by the European Commission according to the procedure set forth in Article 6 of the European Regulation (CE) No. 1606/2002 of the European Parliament and European Council of 19 July 2002. These criteria are unchanged from the First Half 2017 Financial Results published on 19 September 2017, which investors are urged to read. The financial information of Electro Power Systems S.A. for the first nine months of 2017 consists of this press release. All legally required disclosures, including the 2016 Annual Financial Report, the Half-Year 2017 Financial Report and the 2016 Registration Document are available on the Group's website (www.electropowersystems.com) under "Financial Information" and are published by Electro Power Systems pursuant to the provisions of Article L. 451-1-2 of the French Monetary and Financial Code, as well as to Article 222-1 and follows the General Regulation of the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF).

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENT

This press release contains forward-looking statements, i.e. assessments and assumptions which relate to future events and circumstances, particularly regarding the Orders Backlog and pipeline, which are assessed based on the parameter described in the presentation of the Strategic Plan 2020, published at www.electropowersystems.com. Inherent in these statements are risk factors that are described in greater detail in our regulatory filings, including the Half-Year 2017 Financial Report and the 2016 Registration Document. All figures are approximations based on the management's current beliefs and assumptions, and our actual results could differ from those presented above.

This announcement includes statements that are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. These statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the verbs or terms "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "expects", "intends", "may", "plans", "build- up", "under discussion" or "potential customer", "should" or "will", "projects", "backlog" or "pipeline" or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, goals, future events or intentions. These statements include all matters that are not historical facts. They appear throughout this announcement and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Group's intentions, beliefs or current expectations concerning, among other things, the Group's results of business development, operations, financial position, prospects, financing strategies, expectations regarding product design and development, regulatory applications and approvals, reimbursement arrangements, costs of sales and market penetration.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to future events and circumstances. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and the actual results of the Group's operations, and the development of the markets and industry in which the Group operates may differ materially from those described in, or suggested by, the statements contained in this announcement. In addition, even if the Group's results regarding operations, our financial position and growth, as well as the development of the markets and industry in which the Group operates, are consistent with the statements contained in this announcement, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods. A number of factors could cause the results and developments of the Group to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statement including, without limitation, general economic and business conditions, global energy market conditions, industry trends, competition, changes in law or regulation, changes in taxation regimes, the availability and cost of capital, the time required to commence and complete sale cycles, currency fluctuations, changes in business strategy and political and economic uncertainty. The forward-looking statements herein speak only of the date of this announcement.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

About Electro Power Systems

EPS operates in the sustainable energy sector, specialising in storage solutions and microgrids that enable intermittent renewable sources to be transformed into a stable power source.

Listed on the French-regulated market Euronext (EPS:FP), EPS is part of the CAC Mid Small and the CAC All-Tradable indices. Its registered office is in Paris and conducts its research, development and manufacturing in Italy.

Thanks to technology covered by 125 patents and applications, combined with more than 10 years of R&D, the Group develops utility-scale energy storage systems to stabilize electrical grids that are heavily penetrated by renewable sources in developed countries and microgrids in emerging economies to power off-grid areas at a lower cost than fossil fuels.

As of 30 June 2017, EPS has installed and has under commissioning an aggregate of 36 large scale projects, including off-grid hybrid systems powered by renewables and energy storage that provides energy to over 165,000 customers every day, with a total capacity output of 47MWh systems in 21 countries worldwide, including Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa.

For more information, visit www.electropowersystems.com

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

1 Order Intake consists of the aggregate contract value in terms of MW or euros with reference to all purchase orders received, contracts signed and projects awarded year-to-date.

2 Orders Backlog consists of the estimated revenue and other income attributable purchase orders received, contracts signed and projects awarded as of the date of this press release.

3 15 November 2016, the date of announcement of the Group's results as at 30 September 2016.

4 According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (Energy Storage Project Database, 28 October 2017) as of today just 18 li-ion energy storage systems have been commissioned in the world with a capacity higher than 20MW (all in the US, Korea and Japan).

5 The Cash Position is represented by liquid assets, cash and cash equivalents.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171031006260/en/

Contacts:

Electro Power Systems

INVESTOR RELATIONS

Francesca Cocco

Vice President Investor Relations

Tel. +33 970 467135

e-mail:francesca.cocco@eps-mail.com

or

MEDIA CONTACTS

Image Building

Simona Raffaelli Ilaria Mastrogregori Alexia Casaus

Tel. +39 02 89011300

e-mail: eps@imagebuilding.it
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VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 31, 2017 / TIMIA Capital Corporation ("TIMIA" or the "Company") (TSX-V: TCA) is pleased to announce its Q3 results for 2017.

Timia Capital has firmly established its revenue finance model over the past 8 quarters and is focused on expanding its asset base, achieving scale, and delivering returns to shareholders.

Highlights

$235,000 of net income during Quarter,

Earnings per share of $0.01,

One portfolio during the quarter and one significant unrealized gain,

Continued strong performance with payments from the portfolio growing by 43% over the same quarter in the prior year, and

Growth in Adjusted EBITDA1.

Revenue

Revenue of $251,599 for Q3, 2017 is the highest quarterly interest revenue that TIMIA has achieved under its revenue finance model, and a 28% increase over the Q2, 2017 interest revenue of $228,246

Revenue for the nine month period ended August 31, 2017 is $728,700, 81% higher than the $403,000 revenue for same period in the previous year.

Gains

TIMIA had two gains during the quarter:

A realized gain of $35,310 as a result of an exit from a $600,000 revenue finance investment into Lambda Solutions Inc. ("Lambda"). Lambda was bought out of its $600,000 revenue finance facility on August 29th, 2017, paying a total of $823,000 over the 2-year term of the facility.

An unrealized gain of $330,000, primarily due to a $306,000 increase in the fair market value of TIMIA's equity position in Moj.io. Moj.io, a private company based in Vancouver, is the leading open platform for connected cars and has recently announced a number of mobile telecom sales channel partnerships.

Net Income / EPS / Adjusted EBIDTA

The Company had net income of $235,000 for Q3, 2017 as compared to net loss of ($104,400) in Q2, 2017. The Q3, 2017 net income resulted in positive EPS of $0.01 per share.

Net loss for the nine month period ended August 31, 2017 is ($2,554) vs. ($291,544) for the same period in the prior year.

Adjusted EBITDA1 improved to $78,264 in Q3, 2017 from $74,038 in Q2, 2017 as a result of increased revenue and consistent quarter over quarter cash-based operating expenses.

Total Payments Received from Investee Companies

Total payments received from investee companies are a key measure of the Company's progress. These payments are comprised of both interest and principal repayments, and for Q3 2017 these payments totaled $270,500 vs $247,100 in Q2, 2017. This represents an increase of 9% from Q2 to Q3 and a 43% increase over the same quarter in 2016.

All investee companies are current in their payments.

Outlook

The Company has a cash balance of $2,301,700 at the end of Q3, 2017, and expects to utilize these cash resources in the near term for investment into new and existing investee companies. Please refer to the forward-looking disclaimer below.

[1] Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure comprising EBITDA - non-cash items such as Share Based Compensation, Warrant Accretion Expense included in Interest Expense and Loan Loss Provision +/- equity related realized and unrealized gains/losses.

About TIMIA Capital Corporation

TIMIA Capital Corporation is a specialty finance company that provides revenue financing to technology companies in exchange for payments tied to revenue and bonus payments upon exiting the investments. The alternative financing option complements both debt and equity financing while allowing entrepreneurs to retain a greater share of their business. TIMIA's target market is the fast-growing business-to-business software-as-a-service (SaaS) segment. TIMIA is managed by a seasoned investment team with a track record of originating and managing debt and equity investments, as well as monitoring, compliance, and workouts. For more information about TIMIA Capital Corporation, please visit www.timiacapital.com.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

For more information, please contact:

Mike Walkinshaw

Chief Executive Officer

TIMIA Capital Corporation

(604) 398-8839

IR@timiacapital.com

Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. The Company disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking statements except as required by law.

SOURCE: TIMIA Capital Corporation
GAN plc ("GAN" or the "Company") a leading B2B supplier of Internet gaming enterprise software-as-a-service solutions to the US land-based casino Industry, today announces that HB 271, a bill that includes provisions for the legalisation of full real money Internet gaming in Pennsylvania, was signed into law by the Governor of Pennsylvania yesterday. HB 271 was passed by the Senate in Pennsylvania on October 25, by the House of Representatives on October 26 and signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf on October 30.

Pennsylvania is the second largest casino market in the United States and becomes the fourth State where Americans will be permitted to undertake Internet gaming. The Pennsylvanian regulated Internet gaming market is now expected to commence in H1 2018 and GAN is positioned for strong revenue growth from that market commencing in 2018.

Management Commentary

Dermot Smurfit, CEO of GAN commented:

"The signing into law yesterday of House Bill 271 provides full certainty that real money Internet gaming is coming to Pennsylvania in 2018. Governor Tom Wolf elected to sign this major gaming expansion bill in order to start the clock ticking as soon as possible. GAN is positioned for strong revenue growth in 2018 both prior to and following the commencement of the new Pennsylvanian Internet gaming market in H1 2018 as the first land-based casino operators 'ready to go' are likely permitted to move online first. GAN is very well prepared for Pennsylvania to regulate. We have a full Internet gaming system already deployed inside a leading Pennsylvania casino, hold a full gaming license in New Jersey as well as being a registered authorized gaming services provider in Pennsylvania since 2014."

FAQ's about US regulation GAN's real money online Regulated Gaming

Internet gaming was effectively out-lawed in the United States during October 2006 by the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act by prohibiting financial institutions from processing Internet gaming payments.

In 2013 three (3) US States passed laws to regulate Internet gaming within their borders: Nevada (pop. 2.8m), Delaware (<1m) and New Jersey (8.9m) comprising a total of 12.6m people representing less than 4% of the US population (324m). In the neighbouring State of New Jersey (pop. 9m) the Internet gaming market commenced in November 2013 and generated $197m in gross Internet gaming revenues in calendar year 2016 representing 8.2% of the $2.4bn in land-based gross gaming revenues generated by New Jersey's eight (8) casino properties operational in full or in part throughout 2016.

Pennsylvania has a population of 12.8m, which more than doubles the number of Americans, who will be legally permitted to wager real money on Internet casino games following the commencement of Regulated Gaming in the State of Pennsylvania, anticipated in the first half of 2018.

Real money online Regulated Gaming for GAN comprises wholly-regulated and US-compliant Internet gaming where end user players resident in wholly-legal jurisdictions deposit wager real money while playing casino games online.

GAN received its first full US gaming licence in April 2017 awarded by the State of New Jersey.

GAN Overview

GAN is a leading B2B supplier of Internet gaming enterprise software-as-a-service solutions to the US land-based casino Industry. GAN is listed on the ESM Market of the Irish Stock Exchange and the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange under the ticker: GAN

The Company has developed an Internet gaming enterprise software system, GameSTACK, which it licenses principally to land-based US casino operators as a turnkey technology solution for both regulated real-money and/or virtual Simulated Gaming. GAN has thirteen (13) casino operators as clients of Simulated Gaming coast-to-coast across the US; two (2) clients of real money Regulated Gaming in New Jersey; and ten (10) clients of real money Regulated Gaming in Europe.

The Internet Gaming System, developed in London under a UK Gambling Commission license, is certified to the highest technical standards currently required by gaming regulators. In April 2017 GAN was granted a Casino Service Industry Enterprise license by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement being GAN's first privileged gaming license in the United States.

For more information please visit www.GAN.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171031006320/en/

Contacts:

GAN

Dermot Smurfit, +44 (0) 20 7292 6262

Chief Executive Officer

dsmurfit@GAN.com

or

US Investors:

The Equity Group

Adam Prior, 212-371-8660

aprior@equityny.com

or

UK & Ireland Investors:

Walbrook PR

Paul Cornelius, +44 20 7933 8780

GAN@WalbrookPR.com

or

Davy (Nominated Adviser, ESM Adviser and Joint Broker)

John Frain Barry Murphy, +353 1 679 6363

or

Liberum (Joint Broker)

Neil Patel Cameron Duncan, +44 (0) 20 3100 2000
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Berthed in the harbor of Cape Town and overlooked by its iconic Table Mountain, the Sanya Serenity Coast yacht hosted an Open Day of Clipper Round the World on Oct. 29 local time. The Open Day was highly welcomed by local citizens and tourists in Cape Town, who lined up early for a chance to visit the ship. The charity sale of the yacht crew uniforms got wild support from the visitors! Nicky, a family member of our crew, hosted the charity sale and stated: "Under the support of Sanya Municipal Government, China, we organized this event and we will donate the proceeds to UNICEF to help more children in need."

The charity sale event raised 12,000 RMB, all of which was immediately donated to UNICEF, the Clipper Race's official charity partner. The charity event also promoted the image of China's Sanya City to the world.

About UNICEF

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) aims to protect and defend the rights of every child. UNICEF works its best to improve the children and teenagers' life in the whole world. Through cooperation with countries, UNICEF has helped children in over 190 countries and territories.

Photo -http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/593761/Sanya_Serenity_Coast_Charity_Sale.jpg
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Congressman Jeb Hensarling, R-Tex., the Chairman of the powerful House Financial Services Committee, has revealed he will not run for re-election to a ninth term next year. 'Today I am announcing that I will not seek reelection to the U.S. Congress in 2018,' Hensarling wrote to supporters on Tuesday. He added, 'Although service in Congress remains the greatest privilege of my life, I never intended to make it a lifetime commitment, and I have already stayed far longer than I had originally planned.' Noting that his term as Financial Services Committee Chairman comes to an end next year, Hensarling said the time seemed right to retire. Hensarling said he would use the remaining fourteen months of his congressional term to continue the fight for individual liberty, free enterprise, and limited constitutional government. 'Much work remains at the House Financial Services Committee in the areas of housing finance reform, regulatory relief, cyber security and capital formation to name just a few,' Hensarling said. 'Furthermore, important work remains in the Congress as a whole - especially pro-growth tax reform,' he added. 'I look forward to continuing this work on behalf of the people of the 5th District of Texas and all Americans.' The Dallas Morning News noted the filing period for the March primary starts November 11th, leaving potential successors little time to make a decision and start the campaign process. 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.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 4, 2017) - EMX Royalty Corporation (TSXV: EMX) (NYSE MKT: EMX) (the "Company" or "EMX") is pleased to announce the execution of an option agreement (the "Agreement") for the Slattberg project (the "Project") with Sienna Resources Inc. ("Sienna") (TSX Venture: SIE). The Agreement provides EMX with immediate share equity in Sienna, and upon Sienna's earn-in through work commitments, additional share equity and a 3% NSR royalty on the Project. The Slattberg Project hosts nickel-copper-cobalt enriched massive sulfide mineralization and is located approximately 25 kilometers northwest of Falun, Sweden. Please see www.emxroyalty.com for more information.

Commercial Terms Overview. Pursuant to the Agreement, Sienna can earn 100% interest in the Project by the issuance of shares to EMX and performance of work during the one-year option period, as described below (all dollar amounts in CAD):

On signing the Agreement, Sienna will issue to EMX 3 million common shares of Sienna stock.

As a condition to the exercise of the option, Sienna must undertake work commitments of at least $500,000 on the Project, including drilling of at least 750 meters.

Upon exercise of the option, Sienna will issue to EMX an additional 3 million shares of Sienna stock, and EMX will receive a 3% NSR royalty on the properties comprising the Project. Within six years of the execution of the Agreement, Sienna may purchase 0.5% of the NSR royalty for $1,500,000, leaving EMX with a 2.5% NSR royalty.

After exercise of the option, Sienna will use commercially reasonable efforts to raise $3,000,000 for development of the Project and other activities. Once Sienna has raised that amount, Sienna will issue an additional 4 million shares to EMX. Thereafter, EMX will have the right to participate pro-rata in future financings at its own cost to maintain its interest in Sienna.

The issuance of Sienna shares to EMX as set forth in the Agreement is subject to receipt of TSX Venture Exchange approval.

Project Overview. The Slattberg Project contains a two kilometer belt of historic nickel-copper mines hosted in massive sulfide lenses that are also enriched in cobalt. Historic drilling has delineated massive sulfide mineralization that extend to ~100 meters in depth, and remains open for expansion at depth, as well as along strike. The Project also contains multiple untested cobalt and nickel geochemical anomalies identified by historic stream sediment sampling programs.

Although Slattberg is commonly listed as a platinum group element ("PGE") occurrence in Swedish publications (along with Ni, Cu, and Co), only limited assaying has been conducted for PGE mineralization. In addition, gold enrichment of the mineralized zones is indicated by historic assays, but has not been followed-up.

Dr. Eric P. Jensen, CPG, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and employee of the Company, has reviewed, verified and approved the disclosure of the technical information contained in this news release.

About EMX. EMX leverages asset ownership and exploration insight into partnerships that advance our mineral properties, with EMX receiving pre-production payments and retaining royalty interests. EMX complements its royalty generation initiatives with royalty acquisitions and strategic investments.

-30-

For further information contact:

David M. Cole

President and Chief Executive Officer

Phone: (303) 979-6666

Email: Dave@EMXroyalty.com



Scott Close

Director of Investor Relations

Phone: (303) 973-8585

Email: SClose@EMXroyalty.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain "forward looking statements" that reflect the Company's current expectations and projections about its future results. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding perceived merits of properties, exploration results and budgets, mineral reserves and resource estimates, work programs, capital expenditures, timelines, strategic plans, market prices for precious and base metal, or other statements that are not statements of fact. When used in this news release, words such as "estimate," "intend," "expect," "anticipate," "will", "believe", "potential" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which, by their very nature, are not guarantees of the Company's future operational or financial performance, and are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors may include, but are not limited to: unavailability of financing, failure to identify commercially viable mineral reserves, fluctuations in the market valuation for commodities, difficulties in obtaining required approvals for the development of a mineral project, increased regulatory compliance costs, expectations of project funding by joint venture partners and other factors.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date otherwise specifically indicated herein. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified in this news release, and other risk factors and forward-looking statements listed in the Company's MD&A for the nine month period that ended on September 30, 2017 (the "MD&A"), and the most recently filed Form 20-F for the year that ended on December 31, 2016, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. More information about the Company, including the MD&A, the 20-F and financial statements of the Company, is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the SEC's EDGAR website at www.sec.gov.
IRVINE, CA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- Astoria at Central Park West -- a high-rise coastal living community in Irvine that offers panoramic views and resort-style amenities -- is pleased to announce the launch of its robust new mobile application, an expansion on its previously existing first-rate resident offerings. The new resident app will serve to enhance the luxurious lifestyle that its residents have grown accustomed to.

"At Astoria, we understand that our tenants are busy and have a need for quick ways to improve their day to day lifestyles," said Ed Pajarito, Astoria at Central Park West general manager. "With the launch of this new app, Astoria is looking to demonstrate the investment we have made in our residents."

A unique one-stop tool, the new resident app offers a multitude of features including a messaging system, maintenance requests, package notification, surveys, a resident bulletin board, check-ins for delivery services, reservation requests, guest authorization and rent payments. A simple and effective way for residents to engage within the Astoria community and interact with the team, the unified app is now available for residents on iTunes.

An exclusive feature offered through the platform allows for each resident to experience what it's like having their very own virtual assistant and gives users instant access to a variety of helpful services. The program was designed to help tenants to book travel arrangements, dining reservations, view price comparisons, request directory assistance, explore traffic and road conditions, create appointment reminders and more.

"We are excited to hear the feedback on this new program, and look forward to additional improvements in the coming year," said Pajarito.

For more information about Astoria at Central Park West, please visit http://www.astoriacpw.com.

About Astoria at Central Park West: A high-rise coastal living community in Irvine, California, Astoria features an alluring mix of resort-inspired amenities that include an oversized pool, state-of the art fitness center and 24-hour concierge and valet parking. Located on the border of Irvine and beautiful Newport Beach, Astoria features easy access to the Irvine business district, The District at Tustin Legacy, South Coast Plaza, Fashion Island, the I-5 and 405 freeways and John Wayne Airport. Astoria's striking dual 15-story high-rise towers feature 240 luxury residences offering urbane floor plans with fully equipped kitchens, stainless steel appliances, full-size washers and dryers, built-in surround sound, and walk in showers with glass enclosures and separate soaker tubs. For more information, please visit http://www.astoriacpw.com and follow Astoria on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Leslie Licano

Beyond Fifteen Communications, Inc.

949.733.8679

leslie@beyondfifteen.com




MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- Geomega Resources Inc. ("GeoMegA" or the "Corporation") (TSX VENTURE: GMA) has applied for and received consent from the TSX Venture Exchange to extend the closing date for the balance of its private placement (as detailed in a news release dated August 14, 2017) until November 30, 2017. The Corporation has previously closed the first tranche of the private placement for proceeds of $235,000.

About GeoMegA (www.geomega.ca)

GeoMegA is a mineral exploration and evaluation company focused on the discovery and sustainable development of economic deposits of metals in Quebec. GeoMegA is committed to meeting the Canadian mining industry standards and distinguishing itself with innovative engineering, stakeholders' engagement and dedication to local transformation benefits.

78,258,049 common shares of GeoMegA are currently issued and outstanding.

Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking information" or "forwardlooking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information and statements may include, among others, statements regarding future plans, costs, objectives or performance of the Corporation, or the assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. In this news release, words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely", "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "estimate" "target" and similar words and the negative form thereof are used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether, or the times at or by which, such future performance will be achieved. No assurance can be given that any events anticipated by the forward-looking information will transpire or occur, including additional closings of the private placement referred to above, or if any of them do so, what benefits the Corporatioon will derive. Forward-looking statements and information are based on information available at the time and/or management's good-faith belief with respect to future events and are subject to known or unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond the Corporation's control. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to, those described under "Risk Factors" in the Coproration's annual management's discussion and analysis for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2017, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com; they could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements. The Corporation does not intend, nor does the Corporation undertake any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements contained in this news release to reflect subsequent information, events or circumstances or otherwise, except if required by applicable laws.

Contacts:

Kiril Mugerman

President and CEO

GeoMegA

450-641-5119 ext.5653

kmugerman@geomega.ca




VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - October 31, 2017) - Almaden Minerals Ltd. ("Almaden" or "the Company") (TSX: AMM) (NYSE American: AAU) (NYSE MKT: AAU) is pleased to announce new assay results from Almaden's ongoing exploration and development program at the Company's Tuligtic project, Mexico. One drill rig is focused on step-out exploration drilling outside of the established resource area. A second drill rig is drilling holes for metallurgical samples related to the ongoing Feasibility Study. Where possible holes also serve as resource infill holes, as does the hole reported today, TU-17-513 drilled on section 10+600 East. This infill hole intersected the Main Ixtaca Zone vein swarm. Highlights include the following intercepts:

Hole TU-17-513 SECTION 10+600 EAST Az. 150, Dip -55 184.00 meters @ 1.25 g/t Au and 54.0 g/t Ag (2.03 g/t AuEq, or 140.3 g/t AgEq) Including 32.50 meters @ 2.02 g/t Au and 109.2 g/t Ag (3.60 g/t AuEq, or 248.6 g/t AgEq) And 24.15 meters @ 1.58 g/t Au and 102.9 g/t Ag (3.07 g/t AuEq, or 211.9 g/t AgEq) And 25.00 meters @ 4.08 g/t Au and 91.7 g/t Ag (5.41 g/t AuEq, or 373.2 g/t AgEq)

(1) Gold equivalent ("AuEq") and silver equivalent ("AgEq") values are calculated assuming a silver to gold ratio of 69:1.

www.moosemmc.com.

About the Ixtaca Drilling Program and the Ixtaca Zone

The Ixtaca Zone is a blind discovery made by the Company in 2010 on claims staked by the Company. The deposit is an epithermal gold-silver deposit, mostly hosted by veins in carbonate units and crosscutting dykes ("basement rocks") with a minor component of disseminated mineralisation hosted in overlying volcanic rocks.

The Ixtaca deposit is located in a developed part of Mexico in Puebla State, the location of significant manufacturing investments including Volkswagen and Audi plants. The deposit is accessed by paved road and is roughly 30 kilometres from an industrial park with rail service where significant manufacturers such as Kimberly Clarke have facilities. Any potential mining operation at Ixtaca would be located in an area previously logged or cleared with negligible to no current land usage.

The Company has access to the entire project area and works closely with local officials and residents. The Company has employed roughly 70 people in its exploration program who live local to the Ixtaca deposit. For example, local employees have made up virtually all the drilling staff and have been trained on the job to operate the drill rigs being used at the project. The Company has implemented a comprehensive science based and objective community relations and education program for employees and all local stakeholders to transparently explain the exploration and development program underway as well as the potential impacts and benefits of any possible future mining operation at Ixtaca. The Company regards the local inhabitants to be major stakeholders in the Ixtaca deposit's future along with the Company's shareholders. Every effort is being made to create an open and clear dialogue with our stakeholders to ensure that any possible development scenarios that could evolve from the feasibility study work are properly understood and communicated throughout the course of the Company's exploration and development program. To better explain the impacts of a mining operation at Ixtaca the Company has conducted numerous tours for local residents to third party operated mines in Mexico so that interested individuals can form their own opinions of mining based on first-hand experience. The Company invites all interested parties to visit www.almadenminerals.com to find out more about our community development, education and outreach programs.

Technical Details of the Ixtaca Drilling Program

The Main Ixtaca and Ixtaca North Zones of veining are interpreted to have a north-easterly trend. Holes to date suggest that the Main Ixtaca and Ixtaca North Zones are sub vertical with local variations. This interpretation suggests that true widths range from approximately 35% of intersected widths for a -70 degree hole to 94% of intersected widths for a -20 degree hole. The drilling completed to date has traced mineralisation over 1,000 meters along this northeast trend. The Chemalaco (Northeast Extension) Zone strikes roughly north-south (340 azimuth) and dips at 55 degrees to the west. This interpretation suggests that true widths range from approximately 82% of intersected widths for a -70 degree hole to 99% of intersected widths for a -40 degree hole. The orientations of the new vein zones intersected in the holes reported today are not well understood and true widths cannot be calculated at this time.

Mr. Norm Dircks, P.Geo., a qualified person ("QP") under the meaning of NI 43-101, is the QP and project manager of Almaden's Ixtaca program and reviewed the technical information in this news release. The analyses reported were carried out at ALS Chemex Laboratories of North Vancouver using industry standard analytical techniques. For gold, samples are first analysed by fire assay and atomic absorption spectroscopy ("AAS"). Samples that return values greater than 10 g/t gold using this technique are then re-analysed by fire assay but with a gravimetric finish. Silver is first analysed by Inductively Coupled Plasma - Atomic Emission Spectroscopy ("ICP-AES"). Samples that return values greater than 100 g/t silver by ICP-AES are then re analysed by HF-HNO 3 -HCLO 4 digestion with HCL leach and ICP-AES finish. Of these samples those that return silver values greater than 1,500 g/t are further analysed by fire assay with a gravimetric finish. Intervals that returned assays below detection were assigned zero values.

Blanks, field duplicates and certified standards were inserted into the sample stream as part of Almaden's quality assurance and control program which complies with National Instrument 43-101 requirements.

About Almaden

Almaden Minerals Ltd. owns 100% of the Tuligtic project in Puebla State, Mexico, subject to a 2.0% NSR royalty held by Almadex Minerals Limited. Tuligtic covers the Ixtaca Gold-Silver Deposit, which was discovered by Almaden in 2010.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

"Morgan Poliquin"

Morgan J. Poliquin, Ph.D., P.Eng.

President, CEO and Director

Almaden Minerals Ltd.

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) nor the NYSE American have reviewed or accepted responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of this news release which has been prepared by management. Except for the statements of historical fact contained herein, certain information presented constitutes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Canadian securities laws. Such forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, those with respect to potential expansion of mineralization, potential size of mineralized zone, and size and timing of exploration and development programs, estimated project capital and other project costs and the timing of submission and receipt and availability of regulatory approvals involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievement of Almaden to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, risks related to international operations and joint ventures, the actual results of current exploration activities, conclusions of economic evaluations, uncertainty in the estimation of mineral resources, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, environmental risks and hazards, increased infrastructure and/or operating costs, labour and employment matters, and government regulation and permitting requirements as well as those factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Almaden's Annual Information form and Almaden's latest Form 20-F on file with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. Although Almaden has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Almaden disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required pursuant to applicable securities laws. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/10/31/11G147218/Images/Plan-8196c8c99462bb0b8d3897ceef54bd69.jpg

Image Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/10/31/11G147218/Images/Section_10600_Final-e282d3efed1d838da52070adec2f0eeb.jpg

Contact Information:



Almaden Minerals Ltd.

Tel. 604.689.7644

Email: info@almadenminerals.com

http://www.almadenminerals.com/
EDMONTON, ALBERTA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- North American Energy Partners Inc. ("NAEP" or "the Company") (TSX: NOA) (NYSE: NOA) today announced the following changes to its Board and management structures:

1. Mr. Ronald A. McIntosh will step down from the Chair of the Board of Directors, however will remain as a Board member. 2. Mr. Martin R. Ferron will assume the role of Chairman of the Board, in addition to that of Chief Executive Officer and will step down as President. 3. Mr. Bryan D. Pinney will assume the role of Lead Director of the Board. 4. Mr. Joseph C. Lambert will assume the role of President, in addition to that of Chief Operating Officer.

Commenting on these changes Martin Ferron, Chairman and CEO stated, "Ron McIntosh has led the Board extremely effectively for almost fourteen years and has been a great role model for me. I am honored to succeed him and hope to remain as Chairman and a major shareholder long after my eventual retirement from executive management." Furthermore, Mr. Ferron added, "The promotion of Joe Lambert is made in recognition of his exceptional contribution to our pursuit of operational excellence and our continuing successful drive for revenue diversification." Mr. Ferron concluded, "I am also delighted that Bryan Pinney will become our Lead Director, as he brings a wealth of expertise, experience and sagacity to the positon."

Note: For biographies of the persons mentioned in this news release, please see pages 28 and 29 of the Annual Information Form issued on 14th February, 2017.

About the Company

North American Energy Partners Inc. (www.nacg.ca) is the premier provider of heavy construction and mining services in Canada. For more than 50 years, NAEP has provided services to large oil, natural gas and resource companies, with a principal focus on the Canadian oil sands. The Company maintains one of the largest independently owned equipment fleets in the region.

Contacts:

David Brunetta, CPA, CMA

Director: Finance, Investor Relations, Information Technolog

North American Energy Partners Inc.

(780) 969-5574

dbrunetta@nacg.ca

www.nacg.ca




NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. (the "Company" or "Aegean") (NYSE: ANW), a leading international marine fuel logistics company, today announced that after almost 11 years as a prominent player in Singapore, it has decided to exit the market as a physical supplier as of January 2018. The Company will maintain a trading presence in the Singapore market.

Our President Jonathan McIlroy commented, "The bunkering market in general, and the Singapore market in particular, are extremely competitive. We had hoped that enforcement of mandatory mass flow meter (MFM)-equipped bunker barging in January would have driven commercial improvement in the Singapore market allowing Aegean to compete profitably. However, 2017 has seen heightened commercial pressures in Singapore, and as a result, management has determined that Aegean's resources can be more profitably deployed elsewhere."

The Company is in the process of arranging its orderly withdrawal from the physical supply market in Singapore in conjunction with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and its barging and cargo partners in the market.

"All deliveries and contracts that we have booked with clients' vessels, cargo providers and barge contractors will be fulfilled," emphasized Aegean's President.

Despite the cessation of our physical supply activities, the Company will retain a presence in the market. "We will continue to employ a team of traders and support staff who will actively support our valuable clients in this market. This office will support our broad base of Asian customers across both our global physical supply network as well as handling back-to-back bunker trading and our lubricants business in Singapore and South-East Asia," said McIlroy. "We have an extensive customer base in Asia and we are committed to supporting the valued clients of our business," continued McIlroy.

Underscoring our client commitment, Aegean continues to develop new physical supply stations in addition to its most recent expansions in Algoa Bay (South Africa) in 2016, and Savannah (U.S.) and St Croix (U.S. Virgin Islands) in 2017. The Company believes it is in advanced stages of development with a number of new physical supply projects in new geographies. Mr. McIlroy commented, "We expect to debut these new markets over the course of 2018 and believe they will continue to reinforce Aegean's commitment of being an innovative market leader as the industry looks forward to change ahead in 2020."

About Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc.

Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc. is an international marine fuel logistics company that markets and physically supplies refined marine fuel and lubricants to ships in port and at sea. The Company procures product from various sources (such as refineries, oil producers, and traders) and resells it to a diverse group of customers across all major commercial shipping sectors and leading cruise lines. Currently, Aegean has a global presence in 30 markets and a team of professionals ready to serve its customers wherever they are around the globe. For additional information please visit: www.ampni.com

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.

The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words "will," "believe," "intend," "anticipate," "estimate," "project," "forecast," "plan," "potential," "may," "should," "expect" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, our management's examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies that are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections.

In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in our view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include our ability to manage growth, our ability to maintain our business in light of our proposed business and location expansion and other changes, our ability to obtain double hull secondhand bunkering tankers, the outcome of legal, tax or regulatory proceedings to which we may become a party, adverse conditions in the shipping or the marine fuel supply industries, our ability to retain our key suppliers and key customers, material disruptions in the availability or supply of crude oil or refined petroleum products, changes in the market price of petroleum, including the volatility of spot pricing, increased levels of competition, compliance or lack of compliance with various environmental and other applicable laws and regulations, our ability to collect accounts receivable, changes in the political, economic or regulatory conditions in the markets in which we operate, and the world in general, our failure to hedge certain financial risks associated with our business, our ability to maintain our current tax treatments and our failure to comply with restrictions in our credit agreements and other factors. Please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties.

CONTACTS:

Company

Aegean Marine Petroleum Network Inc.

Tel. +1-212-430-1098

Email: investor@ampni.com



Investor Relations / Media Advisor

Nicolas Bornozis / Daniela Guerrero

Capital Link, Inc.

Tel. +1-212-661-7566

Email: aegean@capitallink.com




COLUMBUS  A 42-year-old Columbus man pleaded no contest in Platte County District Court to fondling his teenage daughter several times over a more than two-year period beginning in 2014.

Judge Robert Steinke scheduled the city man for sentencing Dec. 15 for his conviction of five counts of third-degree sexual assault of a child.

The charges are all Class 3A felonies, each punishable by a maximum of three years imprisonment, 18 months of post-release supervision and a $10,000 fine.

The defendant, who is not being named to protect the identity of the victim, remains in custody at the Platte County Detention Facility.

A Columbus Police investigation began last summer when the victim reported being subjected to sexual contact from her father both inside and outside her clothing, according to Investigator Gregory Sealocks probable cause arrest statement.

The victim reported the contact took place at the family's home in Columbus.

In mid-August, Sealock wrote in his statement, the defendant denied the sexual assault allegations and agreed to undergo a polygraph examination, which revealed deception during questioning.

The man then confessed to up to a dozen incidents of sexual contact involving his daughter during the past six months, the investigator wrote.
SUDBURY, ON / ACCESSWIRE / October 31, 2017 / Frontier Lithium Inc. (TSX-V: FL; OTC PINK: HLKMF; FRA: HL2) is pleased to announce that a total of 4,088,725 common shares have been issued as a result of combination of exercise of share purchase warrants and options since May 15, 2017 at a weighted average price of $0.23 per common share. This results in $943,795.50 of aggregate proceeds to Frontier Lithium.

Frontier is pleased to also report that it has received a positive response from creditors concerning a 'Shares for Debt Financing' of $197,585.35. $104,791.66 of debt is owed to a company owned by one 'non-arm's length' individual and the balance of $92,793.69 to one arm's length company. Frontier proposes to issue up to 493,963 common shares at a price of $.40. In addition to the common shares issued to the arm's length party, Frontier will issue one (1) share purchase warrant (the 'Warrant') that entitles the holder thereof to purchase one additional common share of Frontier at an exercise price of $.64 for an eighteen (18) month period. The financing is subject to regulatory approval and would have a hold period of four months.

The exercise of these warrants and options represent a strong vote of confidence by our shareholder's with support of the current phase of the PAK Lithium Project. Proceeds from the exercised warrants and options will be used to advance exploration and complete the ongoing pre-feasibility study of Frontier's 100% owned PAK Lithium Project located in northwestern Ontario.

The Company also announces that it has granted an additional 1,966,667 stock options. The options are to replace stock options that have been exercised by management in 2016 and 2017. The options granted are set for a period of five years, expiring on October 31, 2022. The options are priced at $.40 and are subject to regulatory approval.

About Frontier Lithium Inc.

Frontier's goal is to become a low-cost, fully integrated lithium and tantalum producer through development of the PAK lithium deposit in Ontario, Canada. Frontier maintains a tight share structure with management ownership exceeding 30% of the Company. CAD $6 million of exploration work has been conducted from 2013 to date on the deposit which boasts its lithium in a rare, high-purity, low-iron spodumene. The initial target market is the glass-ceramic industry which consumes roughly one-third of global lithium supply and is currently faced with monopolistic conditions, coupled with major lithium producers increasingly directing output toward supporting battery manufacture.

Ceramic/glass customers prefer to source technical-grade (low-iron) spodumene concentrate in excess of 7% lithium oxide (Li2O), if available, to avoid inferior lower grade petalite concentrates, or paying much higher prices for battery grade lithium compounds.

The PAK lithium deposit remains open in all directions and Company Management believes the resource can be developed into a viable operation. The Company is currently conducting a pre-feasibility study to assess the economic viability and technical feasibility of producing lithium concentrates. If production of lithium concentrates can be established from Frontier, the possible second stage of investment and longer term prospect is to further process some of PAK's output to produce the higher purity lithium compounds required for lithium battery technologies used in the electrification of transportation and electric grid storage applications.

About the PAK Lithium Project

The PAK Lithium Project lies close to the boundary between two geological sub-provinces of the western Superior geologic province in northwestern Ontario and hosts a rare metals pegmatite deposit. The deposit is an LCT (lithium- cesium- tantalum) type pegmatite. These types of pegmatites have been the principal source of hard rock lithium, tantalum, rubidium and cesium ores mined in the world but there are comparatively few commercially-viable deposits.

Frontier is actively exploring its 100% owned project which contains the Pakeagama Lake pegmatite. The PAK deposit is one of the highest grade lithium mineral resources in North America which has a current Measured and Indicated Resource of 7.89 million tonnes of 1.73% Li2O equivalent (eq.) or 1.58% Li20 and 104 ppm Ta2O5 and an Inferred Resource of 295,600 tonnes of 1.35% Li2O eq. or 1.20% Li2O and 103 ppm Ta2O5 which has a technical/ceramic grade spodumene with low inherent iron (below 0.1% Fe2O3). The deposit has adjacent zones that are enriched in tantalum and rubidium.

The deposit now has a known 500m strike length with an estimated true width varying from 10m to 125m with a sub-vertical orientation. The resource remains open to depth and along strike to the northwest and southeast.

Company Contact Information

Trevor R. Walker

President & CEO

2736 Belisle Drive Val Caron, ON. P3N 1B3 CANADA

T. +001 705.897.7622

F. +001 705.897.7618

Media Requests

Joseph Mansourian

Manager, Investor Relations

2736 Belisle Drive Val Caron, ON. P3N 1B3 CANADA

T. +001 705.618.0070

F. +001 705.897.7618

Additional information regarding Frontier Lithium is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the Company's profile and on its website at www.frontierlithium.com, including various pictures of ongoing work at the project.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Frontier Lithium Inc.
Ternium S.A. (NYSE: TX) announced today that its Board of Directors has appointed Maximo Vedoya, Ternium Mexico's Executive Vice President, to succeed Daniel Novegil as Ternium's Chief Executive Officer, effective March 1, 2018. After 12 years as CEO and 40 years in the steel industry, Mr. Novegil will retire. Following his retirement, he will remain on Ternium's Board of Directors, assuming the role of Vice Chairman.

Mr. Vedoya, 47, is an industrial engineer and holds a Master in Science of Management degree from Stanford University. With 26 years of experience in the steel industry, he has led Ternium's operations in Mexico since January 2012. Prior to serving in that capacity, he held several executive positions at other Ternium subsidiaries, including Chief Executive Officer of Ternium Colombia, Commercial Director and Export Manager of Sidor (Venezuela), Director of Ternium Mexico's international and steel purchase operations, and Commercial Planning Manager of Siderar (Argentina).

"Daniel will leave a remarkable legacy in Ternium," said Paolo Rocca, Chairman of Ternium's Board of Directors. "He was an integral part of each of Ternium's milestones and helped turn the company into what it is today. He also has positioned Ternium very well for its next chapter of profitable growth. We are pleased that we can continue benefiting from his experience once he takes on his new role at the Board."

Mr. Rocca continued: "Maximo is an exceptional leader who has had a proven track record of success in each of his executive positions at Ternium. Under his leadership, Ternium Mexico has been a growth engine for our company. He has the skills, energy and experience to lead our company into this exciting, new stage of growth and he will have the Board's full support in his transition to CEO."

Forward Looking Statements

Some of the statements contained in this press release are "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements are based on management's current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by those statements. These risks include but are not limited to risks arising from uncertainties as to gross domestic product, related market demand, global production capacity, tariffs, cyclicality in the industries that purchase steel products and other factors beyond Ternium's control.

About Ternium

Ternium is Latin America's leading flat steel producer, with operating facilities in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, the southern United States and Central America. The company offers a broad range of high value-added steel products for customers active in the automotive, home appliances, construction, capital goods, container, food and energy industries through its manufacturing and service center network and advanced customer integration systems. More information about Ternium is available at www.ternium.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171031006135/en/

Contacts:

Ternium Investor Relations

Sebastian Marti, +1-866-890 0443, +54 (11) 4018 8389

www.ternium.com
According to the latest market study released by Technavio, the global renewable propulsion for marine vessels marketis expected to grow at a CAGR of close to 5% during the forecast period.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171031006392/en/

Technavio has published a new report on the global renewable propulsion for marine vessels market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire)

This research report titled 'Global Renewable Propulsion for Marine Vessels Market 2017-2021' provides an in-depth analysis of the market in terms of revenue and emerging market trends. This report also includes an up to date analysis and forecasts for various market segments and all geographical regions.

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 market research analysis categorizes the global renewable propulsion for marine vessels market into three major technology segments. They are:

Steam and gas turbine

Natural gas

Wind and solar

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.

Global steam and gas turbine propulsion for marine vessels market

The combined gas and steam turbine (COGAS) propulsion system is one of the most efficient alternative power-driven propulsion systems for naval and commercial ships, which offers significant advantages over steam and diesel propulsion. The system allows faster movement of ships, and fuel efficiency is balanced with the steam propulsion system. In addition, its power output is higher than other non-renewable fuels.

According to Moutushi Saha, a lead analyst at Technavio for defense research, "COGAS systems maximize the operational efficiency when combined with other propulsion systems, such as diesel engines. Though the market for future ship propulsion systems is shifting toward all-electric concepts, gas turbines will remain the reliable source to produce electricity."

Global natural gas marine propulsion systems for marine vessels market

As the maritime industry aims to shift away from diesel and petroleum fuel, natural gas projects will emerge as a viable option in multiple sectors, including shipping. Various experiments have been conducted in the last 15 years, which have proved the viability of LNG-powered marine vessels and its potential to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. As the availability of large domestic shale reserves in the US has reduced the LNG prices to lesser than that of diesel, the adoption of LNG is expected to yield a reduction in operational expenses as well.

"The shipping sector favors the use of LNG owing to its low carbon emissions, and a suitable network is rapidly evolving on established transport routes to support the development of such renewable propulsion infrastructure. In addition to natural gas, liquid biomethane can also be used as a transport fuel," says Moutushi.

Global wind and solar energy propulsion systems for marine vessels market

With the accelerating demand for eco-efficient ships, manufacturers are focusing on developing propulsion systems that can use alternative fuels. In 2015, a Norwegian engineer came up with a new cargo ship, Vindskip, which is powered by wind and natural gas. It features software that controls the use of alternative fuels in the propulsion system and ensures an optimum use of wind energy.

The photovoltaic cells setup on board ships capture and store solar power and enable a long durability for the sailplanes. Tests conducted on a 150 miles four-day summer journey, which resulted in the consumption of 106 kWh of electric energy, showed that 4% of the total energy was supplied by the solar panel. Similarly, in 2016, approximately three million solar panels and 3.87 million wind turbines were installed on the decks of several ships to capture and store energy.

The top vendors highlighted by Technavio's market research analysts in this report are:

Deltamarin

Eco Marine Power (EMP)

Eniram (Wartsila)

Norsepower

Smart Green Shipping Alliance (SGSA)

Browse Related Reports:

Global Light Attack and Reconnaissance Aircraft Market 2017-2021

Global Solar-powered UAV Market 2017-2021

Global Marine Communication Systems 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.

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COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- Gold Resource Corporation (NYSE American: GORO) (the "Company or GRC") reported production results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2017 of 6,465 ounces of gold and 392,153 ounces of silver, which along with base metal revenue generated $31.1 million in net revenue and $4.6 million in net income for the quarter. Gold Resource Corporation is a gold and silver producer, developer and explorer with operations in Oaxaca, Mexico and Nevada, U.S.A. The Company has returned $110 million to its shareholders in monthly dividends since commercial production commenced July 1, 2010, and offers its shareholders the option to convert their cash dividends into physical gold and silver and take delivery.

Q3 2017 HIGHLIGHTS

$4.6 million net income, or $0.08 per share

$31.1 million net sales

6,465 gold ounces produced

392,153 silver ounces produced

$2 total cash cost per gold equivalent ounce sold (after by-product credits)

$639 total all-in sustaining cost per precious metal gold equivalent ounce sold

$18.0 million base metal by-product credits, or $1,707 per precious metal gold ounce sold

$0.3 million dividend distributions, or $0.005 per share for quarter

$15.8 million cash and cash equivalents

Overview of Q3 2017 Results

Gold Resource Corporation's Aguila Project sold 10,573 precious metal gold equivalent ounces at a total cash cost of $2 per ounce (after by-product credits), benefiting from strong base metal production and sales. Average realized metal prices during the quarter included $1,289 per ounce gold and $17.00 per ounce silver*. The Company recorded net income of $4.6 million, or $0.08 per share. The Company paid $0.3 million to its shareholders in dividends, or $0.005 per share during the quarter. Cash and cash equivalents at quarter end totaled $15.8 million.

Production totals for the first nine months of 2017 included 18,908 ounces of gold, 1,217,713 ounces of silver, 804 tonnes of copper, 3,583 tonnes of lead and 11,447 tonnes of zinc. The Company maintains its 2017 Annual Outlook, targeting a plus or minus 5 percent production of 27,500 gold ounces and 1,850,000 silver ounces.

* Average realized metal prices include final settlement adjustments for previously unsettled provisional sales. Provisional sales may remain unsettled from one quarter into the next. Realized prices will therefore vary from average spot metal market prices upon final settlement.

The following Production and Sales Statistics table summarizes certain information about our mining operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016:

Production and Sales Statistics Three months ended Nine months ended September 30, September 30, --------------------- --------------------- 2017 2016 2017 2016 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Milled Tonnes Milled (1) 114,678 113,945 329,798 331,423 Tonnes Milled per Day (2) 1,346 1,278 1,282 1,269 Grade Average Gold Grade (g/t) 2.09 1.86 2.10 2.36 Average Silver Grade (g/t) 117 128 125 146 Average Copper Grade (%) 0.35 0.24 0.32 0.31 Average Lead Grade (%) 1.73 1.18 1.44 1.18 Average Zinc Grade (%) 5.04 3.45 4.19 3.71 Recoveries Average Gold Recovery (%) 84 89 85 90 Average Silver Recovery (%) 91 92 92 92 Average Copper Recovery (%) 72 78 76 77 Average Lead Recovery (%) 73 74 75 72 Average Zinc Recovery (%) 80 82 83 84 Mill production (before payable metal deductions) (3) Gold (ozs.) 6,465 6,066 18,908 22,540 Silver (ozs.) 392,153 431,335 1,217,713 1,437,975 Copper (tonnes) 291 213 804 777 Lead (tonnes) 1,449 1,000 3,583 2,847 Zinc (tonnes) 4,628 3,232 11,447 10,306 Payable metal sold Gold (ozs.) 5,672 6,683 17,521 21,096 Silver (ozs.) 371,754 410,337 1,121,870 1,337,668 Copper (tonnes) 328 200 769 739 Lead (tonnes) 1,389 893 3,299 2,629 Zinc (tonnes) 4,326 2,480 9,452 8,503 Average metal prices realized (4) Gold ($ per oz.) 1,289 1,339 1,262 1,271 Silver ($ per oz.) 17.00 20.79 17.33 17.45 Copper ($ per tonne) 6,341 4,791 6,042 4,577 Lead ($ per tonne) 2,349 1,908 2,293 1,808 Zinc ($ per tonne) 2,936 2,421 2,790 2,012 Precious metal gold equivalent ounces produced (mill production) (3) Gold Ounces 6,465 6,066 18,908 22,540 Gold Equivalent Ounces from Silver 5,172 6,697 16,722 19,741 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Total Precious Metal Gold Equivalent Ounces 11,637 12,763 35,630 42,281 ========== ========== ========== ========== Precious metal gold equivalent ounces sold Gold Ounces 5,672 6,683 17,521 21,096 Gold Equivalent Ounces from Silver 4,901 6,371 15,411 18,364 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Total Precious Metal Gold Equivalent Ounces 10,573 13,054 32,932 39,460 ========== ========== ========== ========== Total cash cost before by- product credits per precious metal gold equivalent ounce sold (5) $ 1,709 $ 1,287 $ 1,353 $ 1,152 ========== ========== ========== ========== Total cash cost after by- product credits per precious metal gold equivalent ounce sold (5) $ 2 $ 623 $ 181 $ 511 ========== ========== ========== ========== Total all-in sustaining cost per precious metal gold equivalent ounce sold (5) $ 639 $ 757 $ 664 $ 765 ========== ========== ========== ========== Total all-in cost per precious metal gold equivalent ounce sold (5) $ 756 $ 902 $ 768 $ 919 ========== ========== ========== ========== (1) For the third quarter of 2017 and 2016 and first nine months of 2017 and 2016, this includes 2,108, 11,459, 42,079, and 38,764 tonnes, respectively of open pit ore. (2) Based on actual days the mill operated during the period. (3) Mill production represents metal contained in concentrates produced at the mill, which is before payable metal deductions are levied by the buyer of our concentrates. Payable metal deduction quantities are defined in our contracts with the buyer of our concentrates and represent an estimate of metal contained in the concentrates which the buyer deducts from payment. There are inherent limitations and differences in the sampling method and assaying of estimated metal contained in concentrates that are shipped, and those contained metal estimates are derived from sampling methods and assaying throughout the mill production process. We monitor these differences to ensure that precious metal mill production quantities are materially correct. (4) Average metal prices realized vary from the market metal prices due to final settlement adjustments from our provisional invoices when they are settled. Our average metal prices realized will therefore differ from the market average metal prices in most cases. (5) For a reconciliation of this non-GAAP measure to total mine cost of sales, which is the most comparable U.S. GAAP measure, please see Non- GAAP Measures in the Company's most recently filed 10-Q.

See Accompanying Tables

The following information summarizes the results of operations for Gold Resource Corporation for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, its financial condition at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and its cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016. The summary data as of September 30, 2017 and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 is unaudited; the summary data as of December 31, 2016 is derived from our audited financial statements contained in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, but do not include the footnotes and other information that is included in the complete financial statements. Readers are urged to review the Company's Form 10-K in its entirety, which can be found on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

The calculation of our cash cost per precious metal gold equivalent ounce, total all-in sustaining cost per precious metal gold equivalent ounce and total all-in cost per precious metal gold equivalent ounce contained in this press release are non-GAAP financial measures. Please see "Management's Discussion and Analysis and Results of Operations" contained in the Company's most recent Form 10-Q and Form 10-K for a complete discussion and reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures.

GOLD RESOURCE CORPORATION CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share amounts) September 30, December 31, 2017 2016 -------------- -------------- (Unaudited) ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 15,832 $ 14,166 Gold and silver rounds/bullion 3,831 3,307 Accounts receivable 3,664 630 Inventories, net 9,890 8,946 Income tax receivable, net 1,025 626 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 1,822 1,587 -------------- -------------- Total current assets 36,064 29,262 Property, plant and mine development, net 79,447 70,059 Deferred tax assets, net 18,645 17,580 Other non-current assets 945 1,542 -------------- -------------- Total assets $ 135,101 $ 118,443 ============== ============== LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable $ 8,883 $ 5,383 Loan payable, current 562 - Mining royalty taxes payable 1,222 2,033 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 2,165 1,526 -------------- -------------- Total current liabilities 12,832 8,942 Reclamation and remediation liabilities 2,790 2,425 Loan payable, long-term 1,789 - -------------- -------------- Total liabilities 17,411 11,367 Shareholders' equity: Common stock - $0.001 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized: 56,891,484 and 56,566,874 shares outstanding at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively 57 57 Additional paid-in capital 114,211 112,034 Retained earnings 10,477 2,040 Treasury stock at cost, 336,398 shares (5,884) (5,884) Accumulated other comprehensive loss (1,171) (1,171) -------------- -------------- Total shareholders' equity 117,690 107,076 -------------- -------------- Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 135,101 $ 118,443 ============== ============== GOLD RESOURCE CORPORATION CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (U.S. dollars in thousands, except share and per share amounts) (Unaudited) Three months ended Nine months ended September 30, September 30, ----------------------- ----------------------- 2017 2016 2017 2016 ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Sales, net $ 31,122 $ 21,367 $ 76,849 $ 64,968 Mine cost of sales: Production costs 16,122 12,767 39,634 34,570 Depreciation and amortization 3,762 3,189 10,271 9,049 Reclamation and remediation 37 48 101 139 ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Total mine cost of sales 19,921 16,004 50,006 43,758 ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Mine gross profit 11,201 5,363 26,843 21,210 Costs and expenses: General and administrative expenses 1,950 2,027 5,437 5,875 Exploration expenses 1,457 881 3,415 2,027 Other expense (income), net 110 74 1,183 (1,170) ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Total costs and expenses 3,517 2,982 10,035 6,732 ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Income before income taxes 7,684 2,381 16,808 14,478 Provision for income taxes 3,103 787 6,987 6,479 ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- Net income $ 4,581 $ 1,594 $ 9,821 $ 7,999 =========== =========== =========== =========== Net income per common share: Basic $ 0.08 $ 0.03 $ 0.17 $ 0.15 Diluted $ 0.08 $ 0.03 $ 0.17 $ 0.14 Weighted average shares outstanding: Basic 56,888,115 55,781,382 56,841,897 54,994,430 =========== =========== =========== =========== Diluted 57,455,805 57,597,392 57,617,030 55,589,307 =========== =========== =========== =========== GOLD RESOURCE CORPORATION CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (U.S. dollars in thousands) (Unaudited) Nine months ended September 30, 2017 2016 ----------- ----------- Cash flows from operating activities: Net income $ 9,821 $ 7,999 ----------- ----------- Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash from operating activities: Deferred income taxes 3,033 250 Depreciation and amortization 10,602 9,343 Stock-based compensation 877 997 Other operating adjustments 392 (531) Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Accounts receivable (3,034) (2,092) Inventories (945) (657) Prepaid expenses and other current assets 958 1,203 Accounts payable and other accrued liabilities 3,319 (2,774) Mining royalty and income taxes payable/receivable (1,556) 3,690 Other noncurrent assets 36 64 ----------- ----------- Net cash provided by operating activities 23,503 17,492 ----------- ----------- Cash flows from investing activities: Capital expenditures (20,382) (12,637) Proceeds from the sale of equity investments - 749 Other investing activities (265) (315) ----------- ----------- Net cash used in investing activities (20,647) (12,203) ----------- ----------- Cash flows from financing activities: Proceeds from the exercise of stock options - 391 Dividends paid (852) (818) Repayment of loan payable (46) - Repayment of capital leases (21) (606) ----------- ----------- Net cash used in financing activities (919) (1,033) ----------- ----------- Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (271) (13) ----------- ----------- Net increase in cash and cash equivalents 1,666 4,243 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 14,166 12,822 ----------- ----------- Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 15,832 $ 17,065 =========== =========== Supplemental Cash Flow Information Income and mining taxes paid $ 2,764 $ 256 =========== =========== Non-cash investing activities: Increase (decrease) in accrued capital expenditures $ 510 $ (2,764) Equipment purchased through loan payable 2,397 - Equipment purchased under capital lease 21 300 Common stock issued for the acquisition of mineral rights $ 1,300 $ 13,910 =========== ===========

About GRC:

Gold Resource Corporation is a mining company focused on production and pursuing development of gold and silver projects that feature low operating costs and produce high returns on capital. The Company has 56,891,484 shares outstanding, zero warrants and has returned over $110 million back to its shareholders since commercial production commenced July 1, 2010. Gold Resource Corporation offers its shareholders the option to convert their cash dividends into physical gold and silver and take delivery. For more information, please visit GRC's website, located at www.Goldresourcecorp.com and read the Company's Form 10-K for an understanding of the risk factors involved.

Cautionary Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. When used in this press release, the words "plan," "target," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "intend" and "expect" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the statements regarding Gold Resource Corporation's strategy, future plans for production, future expenses and costs, future liquidity and capital resources, and estimates of mineralized material. All forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon information available to Gold Resource Corporation on the date of this press release, and the company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those discussed in this press release. In particular, there can be no assurance that production will continue at any specific rate. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in the Company's 10-K filed with the SEC.

Contacts:

Corporate Development

Greg Patterson

303-320-7708

www.Goldresourcecorp.com




Acquisition creates the leading global extractables and leachables lab testing platform to serve the pharmaceutical and medical device industries

Sterigenics International LLC announced today that it has acquired Toxikon Europe N.V., the European division of Toxikon Corporation, a Bedford, Mass.-based preclinical contract research organization. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Toxikon Europe N.V. provides a suite of integrated analytical, material characterization and microbiological services to the pharmaceutical, medical device and biologics industries. The company's unrivaled extractables and leachables (E&L) testing expertise and leading database enhance the flexibility and speed with which its life science customers can bring their products to market.

This acquisition provides a more comprehensive service offering and a platform for growth for Sterigenics International's Nelson Labs business. Nelson Labs will now offer Toxikon Europe's leading E&L capabilities to its customers around the world and in kind, offer Nelson Labs leading microbiological services to Toxikon Europe's customers.

"Toxikon Europe's geographic foothold and expert analytical testing platform enable our global expansion and ability to provide significantly greater value to customers," said Michael B. Petras Jr., CEO of Sterigenics International. "We are excited to welcome a strong management team, with over 150 years of aggregate industry experience, and the highly trained Toxikon Europe employees to our company."

Toxikon Europe's capabilities are both complementary and additive to Nelson Labs' existing testing portfolio and, in combination, make Nelson Labs one of the premiere global E&L laboratory testing platforms for the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.

As part of this deal, Nelson Labs and Toxikon USA will enter into a long-term supply arrangement under which Nelson Labs will outsource in-vivo biocompatibility to Toxikon USA.

"The acquisition of Toxikon Europe and our ongoing partnership with Toxikon USA support our strategy to offer greater breadth of services to meet the demands of our rapidly growing, global customer base," said Jeff Nelson, President of Nelson Labs. "We are now able to serve the pharmaceutical and medical device industries continuously from the early stages of product development through manufacturing, sterilization, and quality assurance testing."

"For Toxikon Europe, the acquisition by Sterigenics International validates our success and provides our customers with additional resources," said Dr. Laxman Desai, President and CEO, Toxikon Corporation. "Our team at Toxikon USA looks forward to our continued partnership with Nelson Labs."

Jos Bollen, Managing Director, Toxikon Europe, added, "Our customers, who are increasingly focused on quality and safety, will continue to receive the superior service and quality they have come to know from Toxikon Europe. In addition, our breadth of service and our reach will be enhanced with the expertise and industry leadership of Sterigenics International's Nelson Labs."

About Sterigenics International LLC

Sterigenics International LLC, along with its affiliates, is the world's leading, fully integrated protector of global health. With over 500 years of combined scientific expertise, the company ensures the safety of healthcare by providing mission-critical services to the medical device, pharmaceutical, tissue and food industries. Sterigenics International operates 60 facilities in 13 countries across the Americas, Europe and Asia. The company has 2,600 employees globally and touches the lives of more than 180 million people around the world each year. With more than 6,000 customers worldwide, Sterigenics International goes to market through its three best-in-class companies Nelson Labs, Nordion and Sterigenics with the mission of ensuring the safety of healthcare each and every day. Nelson Labs offers leading microbiological and analytical testing and consultancy to customers in the medical device, tissue/implantable, pharmaceutical and biologics fields. Nordion is the world's largest provider of Cobalt-60 used in the gamma sterilization process as well as medical isotopes used in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases and cancers. Sterigenics provides contract sterilization and ionization services for the medical device, pharmaceutical, food safety, and high-performance materials industries. Sterigenics International LLC is owned by private equity firms Warburg Pincus and GTCR. Learn more about Sterigenics at sterigenics.com, about Nordion at nordion.com and about Nelson Labs at nelsonlabs.com.

About Toxikon Europe N.V.

Toxikon Europe is an independent, privately owned Contract Research Organization, specialized in providing premium Extractable Leachable Services to the Pharmaceutical Industry. Based in Belgium, Toxikon Europe supports Pharma Companies across the Globe in developing worldwide compliant (FDA, EMA) Testing Strategies to qualify Container/Closure Applications and Pharmaceutical Production Equipment from an Extractable Leachable Perspective. In addition, the Toxikon group also provides Biocompatibility Testing Services (In-Vivo and In-Vitro testing) to both the Medical Device and the pharmaceutical Industries. Toxikon is ISO 17025 Accredited, GLP-Certified and GMP Accredited. Toxikon is also FDA registered.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171031006603/en/

Contacts:

Sterigenics International

Amy McGahan, 216-241-3027

amcgahan@dix-eaton.com

or

Toxikon Europe N.V.

Jos Bollen, 32 16 400484

Jos.Bollen@toxikon.be

or

Toxikon USA

Branden Morris, 781-275-3330 X 7141

branden.morris@toxikon.com
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - October 31, 2017) - Silver One is pleased to announce that it has received permitting from the Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") to commence drilling of the historic leach pads at its past producing Candelaria silver project in Nevada. Drilling is expected to commence in November 2017.

Greg Crowe, President and CEO of Silver One commented: "With the closing of the previously announced C$4.3 million financing and the receipt of the BLM permit, Silver One is now in a strong position to advance its flagship Candelaria past producing silver project in Nevada. Drill testing of the old leach pads, which have a previously disclosed historic inferred resource (see table below) of over 48 million ounces of silver averaging 1.29 oz/t silver (40 g/t), will be our first priority. Drill samples will be submitted for analytical and metallurgical studies to assess the potential of reprocessing the old leach pads to recover silver in a near-term leaching operation. Silver One will also be exploring the potential for down-dip high grade silver mineralization north of the two past producing open pits and historic resource area, where drill intercepts as high as 670 g/t (21.4 oz/t) over 13.7 metres were encountered. Additionally, numerous old workings that occur along strike from the open pits will be examined to determine the potential of adding new silver resources at Candelaria." The historical resource estimate was reported by SSR Mining Inc. (formerly, Silver Standard Resources Inc.) in a technical report titled "Candelaria Project Technical Report" dated May 24, 2001 (filed on EDAR on June 20, 2002), prepared by Pincock Allen & Holt. The historical mineral resource estimate used "measured mineral resource", "indicated mineral resource" and "inferred mineral resource", which are categories set out in NI 43-101. Accordingly, Silver One considers these historical estimates reliable as well as relevant as it represents key targets for exploration work by Silver One. The qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource. Silver One is not treating this historical estimates as current mineral resources.

Further, the historical resource estimate is set forth in the table below:

Candelaria Project Historical Resource Estimate Area/Type Classification Tons Factored Ag Grade

(opt Ag total ) Sol. Au Grade

(opt Au soluble ) AqEq Grade

(opt AgEq total ) Ag Ounces

(Ag total ) Aq Equiv. Ounces

(AqEq total ) Mount Diablo Measured 3,391,000 4.44 0.004 4.67 15,054,000 15,838,000 Indicated 10,231,185 2.84 0.003 3.01 29,005,000 30,796,000 Subtotal, Measured + Indicated 13,623,000 3.23 0.003 3.42 44,060,000 46,633,000















Mount Diablo Inferred 5,191,000 2.12 0.003 2.30 11,015,000 11,939,000 Northern Belle 9,162,000 2.26 0.002 2.37 20,661,000 21,714,000 Leach Pads 37,328,000 1.29 --- 1.29 48,153,000 48,153,000 L.G. Stockpiles 4,000,000 0.75 --- 0.75 3,000,000 3,000,000

Subtotal. Inferred 55,681,000 1.49 0.002 1.52 82,829,000 84,806,000

Notes

1) Lode resources tabulated at a 0.5 opt Ag soluble cutoff grades, with only Ag total shown in this table.

2) Leach pads and low grade stockpile resources tabulated for entire accumulation of material.

3) Total silver grades factored from soluble silver grades using regression formulas developed by Snowden.

4) Silver equivalent grade includes the contribution from the gold grade (soluble) using an Ag:Au equivalency ratio of 57.8:1.

The data base for the historical resource estimate consists of:

on the Mount Diablo Deposit consisted of 538 drill holes by previous owners and 10 drill holes by Silver Standard Resources Inc. For drill holes that were twinned, the author used the lower of the two values assigned to the original holes. The mineral resource estimate used a kriging estimation method to establish zones with a cut-off grade of 0.5 opt Ag. Ordinary kriging was used to interpolate grades in the block model. The block models were set up with block dimensions of 25 feet by 25 feet in plan and 10 feet in height. The maximum search range used in the higher-grade zone was 235 feet, in the lower grade zone it was 1,000 feet and in the background zone it was 350 feet. Block models more than 300 feet from the nearest composite only constituted 3 percent of the total number of estimated blocks and were assigned to an inferred category, on the Northern Belle Deposit consisted of 226 drill holes by previous owners, of which a portion of these holes were duplicated for the Mount Diablo Deposit database. The mineral resource estimate used a kriging estimation method to establish zones with a cut-off grade of 0.5 opt Ag. The mineral resource estimate used multiple indicator kriging to interpolate grades in the block model. Block models were set up with block dimensions of 50 feet by 50 feet in plan and 20 feet in height. The maximum search range used in the higher-grade zone was 85 feet, in the intermediate-grade zone was 120 feet and the lower-grade zone was 140 feet and in the lower undifferentiated material below the current pit topography was 260 feet. Block models more than 300 feet from the nearest composite only constituted 3 percent of the total number of estimated blocks and were assigned to an inferred category; on the Leach Pads consisted of 24,633,000 tons located on Leach Pad 1 and 12,695,000 on Leach Pad 2. The estimate for Leach Pad 1 is based on the fact that silver production indicates 51.5% of total silver was recovered by heap leaching operation, while 81.2% of the soluble silver contact was recovered. Further, the estimate for Leach Pad 2 is based on the fact that silver production indicates 42.4% of total silver was recovered by heap leaching operation, while 71.3% of the soluble silver content was recovered; on the Low-Grade Stockpile is based on limited and incomplete data and documentation. Material placed on the on the stock piles ranged from 0.5 to 0.65 opt Ag,

To the knowledge of Silver One, there is no new data available since the calculation of the above historical resource estimate and no additional work has been done to upgrade or verify the historical resource estimate.

Candelaria was historically the highest-grade silver producer in the state of Nevada, averaging over 1,250 g/t silver from high-grade vein mining between the mid 1800s and the mid 1900s. Open pit mining operations were undertaken in the 1970s through 1998 by several companies including Nerco and Kinross. Kinross closed the open pit and leach operation in 1998 due to low silver prices. Leaching of the historic pads was not completed leaving a substantial amount of silver unprocessed. It is estimated that the property has produced over 68 million ounces of silver.

Qualified Person

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Greg Crowe, P.Geo, President and CEO of Silver One, and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

About Silver One

Silver One is a silver focused exploration company that holds an option to acquire a 100% interest in the past producing Candelaria Silver Project, located in Nevada, from SSR Mining Inc. (formerly, Silver Standard Resources Inc.) and a 100% interest in three significant silver assets located in Mexico: Penasco Quemado in the State of Sonora, La Frazada in the State of Nayarit, and Pluton in the State of Durango. The Mexican mining assets were acquired from First Mining Financing, which became a key shareholder resulting from the transaction.

For more information, please contact:

Silver One Resources Inc.

Monica Hamm

VP, Investor Relations

Phone: (604) 974-5274

Email: info@silverone.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. Silver One cautions that all forward looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond Silver One's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to Silver One's limited operating history, ability to obtain sufficient financing to carry out its exploration and development objectives on the Candelaria Project, obtaining the necessary permits to carry out its activities and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Silver One undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

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.
TORONTO, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 10/31/17 -- Denison Mines Corp. ("Denison" or the "Company") (TSX: DML)(NYSE American: DNN)(NYSE MKT: DNN) today filed its Consolidated Financial Statements and Management's Discussion & Analysis ("MD&A") for the period ended September 30, 2017. Both documents are available on the Company's website at www.denisonmines.com or on SEDAR (at www.sedar.com) and EDGAR (at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml). The highlights below are derived from these documents and should be read in conjunction with them. All amounts in this release are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated.

David Cates, President and CEO of Denison commented, "The third quarter of 2017 truly showcased Denison's ability to add value through the use of the drill-bit. Our Saskatoon based exploration team has been busy drilling high-grade uranium mineralization throughout the summer on our flagship Wheeler River project, as we delineate and expand the Gryphon deposit, as well as the Waterbury Lake project, where the team discovered a new basement hosted zone of uranium mineralization called the 'Huskie' zone. It has been very exciting to see preliminary grades and assays reported on these two projects all summer long, building up to quite a considerable body of high-grade results in areas that are not currently included in any of our current resource estimates.

The results at Wheeler River are particularly encouraging, given our plan to update the resource estimate for the Gryphon deposit following the receipt of final assays from an extended summer drilling season. We are confident that we will achieve our goal of increasing both the confidence and size of the resource at Gryphon. The updated resource estimate is expected to be an important part of the Pre-Feasibility Study ("PFS") for the project, which is expected to be completed in the first half of 2018. Taken together, it is a very exciting time for Wheeler River - as we are advancing what is already the largest undeveloped uranium project in the infrastructure rich eastern Athabasca basin, towards development.

At Waterbury, the emergence of the Huskie zone has brought new life to a project that already hosts the strategic J Zone deposit. Huskie was discovered on the first drill hole of the summer program, and the mineralized footprint has quickly expanded to the extent of drilling - measuring 100 metres along strike and up to 120 metres along dip, with multiple high-grade mineralized lenses having been interpreted to date. Huskie is wide open and has the potential to grow considerably with follow-up drilling expected to resume in 2018."

Q3 2017 PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS

- Discovery of high-grade unconformity mineralization in new E series lenses at the Gryphon deposit

Drill hole WR-689D3, on the Company's 60% owned Wheeler River project, intersected high-grade unconformity-hosted uranium mineralization approximately 250 metres along strike to the northeast and 200 metres up-dip of the Gryphon deposit. Preliminary radiometric equivalent probe results ("eU3O8") from drill hole WR-689D3 are highlighted by an interval of 5.0% eU3O8 over 4.7 metres, including 8.5% eU3O8 over 2.7 metres (see Denison press release dated August 30, 2017). This intersection adds to other high-grade intersections, at or immediately below the unconformity, in the newly defined E series lenses, which occur outside of the current resources estimated for the Gryphon deposit. Other highlights of the E series lens intersections include 19.3% U3O8 over 1.0 metres (drill hole WR-507D2), and 6.2% U3O8 over 2.5 metres (drill hole WR-646) (see Denison press releases dated May 26, 2016 and November 17, 2016).

- Continued expansion of the Gryphon D series lenses including thick and high-grade intersections

Drill holes from the summer 2017 drilling program, testing for additional mineralization within the D series of lenses and outside of the Gryphon resource area, returned positive results, with the potential to add meaningful resources to the Gryphon deposit. An update to the resource estimate for the project is planned following the receipt of assays. A total of fifteen drill holes have been reported for the D series lenses, with results expanding the mineralized zone outwards from drill holes WR-641 (5.3% U3O8 over 11.0 metres) and WR-633D3 (1.3% U3O8 over 3.0 metres, plus 3.3% U3O8 over 13.5 metres, and 6.2% U3O8 over 2.5 m) (see Denison press releases dated May 26, 2016 and May 26, 2017). Preliminary radiometric equivalent grade results from recent drill holes are highlighted by 3.5% eU3O8 over 3.2 metres (drill hole WR-621D2), 4.8% eU3O8 over 3.7 metres (drill hole WR-694), 3.8% eU3O8 over 3.7 metres (drill hole WR-690D2), 2.0% eU3O8 over 5.2 metres (drill hole WR-657D1) and 6.4% eU3O8 over 1.0 metre (drill hole WR-690D1) (see Denison press releases dated July 24, 2017 and August 30, 2017).

- Discovery of the new high-grade basement-hosted Huskie zone at Waterbury Lake

With the first hole of the summer 2017 drilling program at Waterbury Lake, a new high-grade, and basement-hosted, zone of uranium mineralization (the "Huskie" zone) was discovered approximately 1.5 kilometres to the northeast of the property's J Zone deposit. The nine drill hole program, completed on an approximate 50 x 50 metre spacing, included seven mineralized holes with high-grades occurring in four holes. Highlight assay results included 9.1% U3O8 over 3.7 metres, including 16.8% U3O8 over 2.0 metres (drill hole WAT17-446A), 1.7% U3O8 over 7.5 metres, including 8.2% U3O8 over 1.5 metres (drill hole WAT17-449) and 1.5% U3O8 over 4.5 metres, including 3.9% U3O8 over 1.0 metre (drill hole WAT17-450A). The mineralized zone occurs between 50 and 175 metres vertically below the sub-Athabasca unconformity (265 and 390 metres vertically below surface) and measures approximately 100 metres along strike (the current extent of drilling) and up to 120 metres along dip, with individual lenses varying in interpreted true thickness between approximately 2 and 7 metres. The zone is wide-open in all directions (see Denison news release dated October 11, 2017).

ABOUT DENISON

Denison was formed under the laws of Ontario and is a reporting issuer in all Canadian provinces. Denison's common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX") under the symbol "DML" and on the NYSE American exchange (the "NYSE MKT") under the symbol "DNN".

Denison is a uranium exploration and development company with interests focused in the Athabasca Basin region of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. In addition to its 60% owned Wheeler River project, which hosts the high grade Phoenix and Gryphon uranium deposits, Denison's exploration portfolio consists of numerous projects covering approximately 355,000 hectares in the Athabasca Basin region, including 335,000 hectares in the infrastructure rich eastern portion of the Athabasca Basin. Denison's interests in Saskatchewan also include a 22.5% ownership interest in the McClean Lake joint venture ("MLJV"), which includes several uranium deposits and the McClean Lake uranium mill, which is currently processing ore from the Cigar Lake mine under a toll milling agreement, plus a 25.17% interest in the Midwest deposit and a 64.22% interest in the J Zone deposit and newly discovered Huskie zone on the Waterbury Lake property. The Midwest and J Zone deposits, as well as the Huskie zone, are located within 20 kilometres of the McClean Lake mill.

Denison is engaged in mine decommissioning and environmental services through its Denison Environmental Services ("DES") division, which manages Denison's Elliot Lake reclamation projects and provides post-closure mine and maintenance services to a variety of industry and government clients.

Denison is also the manager of Uranium Participation Corporation ("UPC"), a publicly traded company listed on the TSX under the symbol "U", which invests in uranium oxide in concentrates ("U3O8") and uranium hexafluoride ("UF6").

SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL INFORMATION ============================================================================ (in thousands) As at As at September 30, December 31, 2017 2016 ============================================================================ Financial Position: Cash and cash equivalents $ 4,393 $ 11,838 Investment in debt instruments (GIC's) $ 32,215 $ - --------------- --------------- Cash, cash equivalents and GIC's $ 36,608 $ 11,838 Working capital $ 31,572 $ 9,853 Property, plant and equipment $ 200,377 $ 187,982 Total assets $ 263,168 $ 217,423 Total long-term liabilities $ 65,753 $ 37,452 ============================================================================ ============================================================================ (In thousands, except for per share amounts) Q3 2017 Q3 2016 ============================================================================ Continuing Operations: Total revenues $ 2,717 $ 3,489 Net loss $ (5,777) $ (2,506) Basic and diluted loss per share $ (0.01) $ - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

RESULTS OF CONTINUING OPERATIONS

Revenues

Revenue from DES during Q3 2017 was $2,007,000, including continued revenues from the Company's recently renewed cornerstone contract with BHP Billiton Limited, which relates to the management and operation of several of BHP's decommissioned mine sites in Ontario and Quebec. The Company also recognized $254,000 in revenue during the quarter from its management contract with UPC.

On February 13, 2017, Denison closed an arrangement under which Denison received an upfront payment of $32,860,000 (CAD$43,500,000), in exchange for its right to receive future toll milling cash receipts from the MLJV under the current toll milling agreement with the Cigar Lake Joint Venture ("CLJV") from July 1, 2016 onwards. The upfront payment was accounted for as deferred revenue. In Q3 2017, the Company recognized toll milling revenue of $456,000 from the draw-down of the deferred revenue.

Operating expenses

Operating expenses at DES during Q3 2017 totaled $1,803,000 and relate primarily to care and maintenance and environmental consulting services provided to clients and includes labour, and other costs.

Operating expenses in the Canadian mining segment include depreciation, mining and other development costs. Operating expenses during Q3 2017 were $794,000, including $532,000 of depreciation from the McClean Lake mill, associated with the processing of U3O8 for the CLJV.

Exploration and Evaluation

During 2017, the Company has remained active on its portfolio of projects in the Athabasca Basin region in Saskatchewan, Canada. The Company's Athabasca land package decreased slightly during the third quarter, from 359,313 hectares (249 claims) to 346,761 hectares (244 claims), as certain low priority claims were allowed to lapse where no further work was warranted. Denison's share of exploration and evaluation expenditures was $4,348,000 during Q3 2017.

Wheeler River Project

Denison's share of exploration costs at Wheeler River amounted to $3,064,000 during Q3 2017. Field activities during Q3 2017 included continuation of the summer 2017 drilling program, which commenced in late May 2017. A total of 27,116 metres in 58 holes were completed as part of the summer 2017 drilling program through mid-October 2017. Preliminary radiometric equivalent results for 34 holes were reported in our press releases dated July 24, 2017 and August 30, 2017. In early September, Denison announced a significant increase to the summer 2017 drilling program with the addition of approximately 16 drill holes (6,500 metres) (see Denison's press release dated September 12, 2017). Once completed, the summer drilling program is expected to include a total of approximately 30,000 metres in 64 holes.

The summer 2017 program includes drilling to increase the confidence of the resources estimated for the Gryphon deposit, from an inferred level to an indicated level, and to potentially expand the size of the deposit's overall resources, ahead of an updated resource estimate scheduled following the receipt of summer assay results, and the Pre-Feasibility Study ("PFS") scheduled for 2018.

The definition drilling within the current inferred resource has continued to show good consistency with the inferred resource block model. Furthermore, the summer program has resulted in the successful expansion of the A, B and D series of mineralized lenses, as well as the recognition and expansion of the new E series lenses. Most notably, the D and E series lenses are fully outside of the current resources estimated for the Gryphon deposit.

Denison's share of evaluation costs at Wheeler River amounted to $427,000 for Q3 2017, and mainly related to the work on the pre-feasibility study, which included engineering data collection activities, including geotechnical and hydrogeological work, engineering investigations into alternate mining methods at Phoenix, and options for shaft and vent raise excavation at both Gryphon and Phoenix. The Company also advanced its environmental baseline programs, and continued with the community consultation and engagement process.

Waterbury Lake

The summer 2017 drilling program at Waterbury Lake, comprising 3,722 metres in nine holes, has led to the discovery of a new zone of high-grade basement-hosted uranium mineralization, named the "Huskie" zone. The summer program commenced in late July 2017 and was originally designed to include six exploration drill holes over 2,650 metres. The first drill hole of the program, WAT17-443, returned a high-grade uranium intersection in the basement rock. Following this result, a further eight holes were completed, including three additional holes announced as part of an expanded program, on an approximate 50 x 50 metre spacing. Of the nine drill holes completed, seven intersected significant mineralization, including high-grade intersections in four holes.

The Huskie zone is located on an east-west geological trend, located approximately 1.5 kilometres to the north of the property's J Zone deposit. Drill testing to date has allowed for the wide-spaced definition of a zone of entirely basement-hosted mineralization, with geological features consistent with basement-hosted deposits in the Athabasca Basin. The mineralized zone, which covers the extent of the current drilling, occurs between 50 and 175 metres vertically below the sub-Athabasca unconformity (265 and 390 metres vertically below surface) and measures approximately 100 metres along strike and up to 120 metres along dip, with individual lenses varying in interpreted true thickness between approximately 2 and 7 metres. The zone is wide-open in all directions in terms of the mineralization and associated alteration intersected.

General and administrative expenses

Total general and administrative expenses were $1,169,000 during Q3 2017. These costs are mainly comprised of head office salaries and benefits, office costs in multiple regions, audit and regulatory costs, legal fees, investor relations expenses, project costs, and all other costs related to operating a public company with listings in Canada and the United States.

Other Income and expenses

During Q3 2017, the Company recognized a loss of $556,000 in other expenses, mainly due to a decline in the fair value of certain investments of $453,000 in the quarter.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Cash and cash equivalents were $4,393,000 at September 30, 2017, compared with $11,838,000 at December 31, 2016. At September 30, 2017, the Company also held investments in GICs of $32,215,000, which are categorized as short term investments on the balance sheet. The Company holds the large majority of its cash, cash equivalents, and GIC's in Canadian dollars, amounting to approximately CAD$45.7 million at the end of the third quarter.

Denison also has restricted cash of $9,862,000, at the end of the third quarter, which largely relates to the terms of the Company's revolving term credit facility with the Bank of Nova Scotia ("BNS") that is restricted to non-financial letters of credit in support of reclamation obligations. The facility requires the Company maintain CAD$9,000,000 pledged restricted cash on deposit at BNS.

OUTLOOK FOR 2017

During Q3 2017, the Company increased its 2017 outlook for mineral property exploration and evaluation expenses by $1,300,000, primarily because of the expansion of the Wheeler River and Waterbury Lake summer exploration programs, partly offset by a deferral of the Hook-Carter summer drilling program into 2018. Also during Q3 2017, planned spending on development and operations for the year decreased by $460,000, primarily due to lower than expected spending on the surface access bore hole resource extraction (SABRE) project at McClean Lake, and expected services fees from UPC for 2017 have been increased by $180,000.

QUALIFIED PERSON, ASSAY PROCEDURES AND FURTHER DETAILS

The disclosure of scientific or technical information regarding Denison's properties in this press release and the MD&A was prepared by, or reviewed and approved by, Dale Verran, MSc, Pr.Sci.Nat., the Company's Vice President, Exploration, a Qualified Person in accordance with the requirements of NI 43-101.

Grade results reported herein as "eU3O8" refer to radiometric equivalent U3O8 derived from a calibrated total gamma down-hole probe. Radiometric equivalent U3O8 results are preliminary in nature and all mineralized intervals have been sampled and submitted for chemical U3O8 assay in accordance with Denison's technical procedures. All Gryphon drill holes reported herein were drilled at a high angle to mineralization to allow for better evaluation of true thicknesses which are expected to be approximately 75% of the intersection lengths. For further details regarding the description of the data verification, assay procedures and the quality assurance program and quality control measures applied by Denison, please see Denison's Annual Information Form dated March 23, 2017 available under Denison's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com, and its Form 40-F available on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.

Further details regarding the Gryphon deposit and the current mineral resource estimates are provided in the NI 43-101 Technical Report for the Wheeler River project titled "Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Wheeler River Uranium Project, Saskatchewan, Canada" dated April 8, 2016 with an effective date of March 31, 2016. A copy of this report is available on Denison's website and under its profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and similar Canadian legislation concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Denison.

Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes", or the negatives and/or variations of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". In particular, this press release contains forward-looking information pertaining to the following: the likelihood of completing and benefits to be derived from corporate transactions; use of proceeds from financing activities; expectations regarding further studies on material properties, including the PFS; expectations regarding the toll milling of Cigar Lake ores; expectations regarding revenues and expenditure from operations at DES; expectations regarding Denison's ownership interests and continuity of agreements with its partners; expectations regarding the provision of management services to UPC; capital expenditure programs, estimated exploration and development expenditures and reclamation costs and Denison's share of same; and exploration, development and expansion plans and objectives and statements regarding anticipated budgets. Statements relating to "mineral reserves" or "mineral resources" are deemed to be forward-looking information, as they involve the implied assessment, based on certain estimates and assumptions that the mineral reserves and mineral resources described can be profitably produced in the future.

Forward looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made, and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Denison to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Denison believes that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be accurate and may differ materially from those anticipated in this forward looking information. For a discussion in respect of risks and other factors that could influence forward-looking events, please refer to the factors discussed in Denison's Annual Information Form dated March 23, 2017 under the heading "Risk Factors". These factors are not, and should not be construed as being exhaustive. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Any forward-looking information and the assumptions made with respect thereto speaks only as of the date of this press release. Denison does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information after the date of this press release to conform such information to actual results or to changes in Denison's expectations except as otherwise required by applicable legislation.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources: This press release may use the terms "measured", "indicated" and "inferred" mineral resources. United States investors are advised that while such terms are recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission does not recognize them. "Inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies. United States investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of measured or indicated mineral resources will ever be converted into mineral reserves. United States investors are also cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists, or is economically or legally mineable.

Contacts:

David Cates

President and Chief Executive Officer

(416) 979 - 1991 ext 362



Sophia Shane

Investor Relations

(604) 689 - 7842



Follow Denison on Twitter

@DenisonMinesCo




BioGeneration Ventures (BGV), a Naarden, The Netherlands-based venture capital firm with a focus on early stage European biotech, medtech, and diagnostics companies, closed its third fund, at 82m.

New investors in BGV III include biopharmaceutical company Bristol-Myers Squibb, healthcare company Johnson & Johnson Innovation  JJDC, Inc. (JJDC) as well as private equity investor Schroder Adveq, and the MAN Pension Trust.

The third fund will focus on therapeutics, medical devices and diagnostics, within Europe, in particular in the Benelux and Germany.

Five investments have already been made from the fund into German immuno-oncology company Catalym, and Dutch companies Escalier Biosciences, Scenic Biotech, Varmx, and Mellon Medical working on autoimmune diseases, target discovery, haematology, and vascular suturing respectively.

Led by Edward van Wezel, Managing Partner, BGV operates as a joint venture with Forbion Capital Partners, providing access to the later stage perspective on early innovation and a global network of experts and pharma companies. The firm has already had meaningful achievements with the first two BGV funds. These include Dezima Pharma sold to Amgen for USD 1.5 billion and Acerta Pharma which at USD 7 billion was the largest private exit in Europe in the biotech sector to date.

FinSMEs

31/10/2017
CircleUp, a San Francisco, CA-based investment platform, has launched a $125m venture capital fund focused on investing in innovative, early-stage consumer and retail companies.

Limited Partners in CircleUp Growth Partners include institutional investors and consumer industry veterans, such as Temasek, Euclidean Capital, outsourced CIOs, Annies Homegrown cofounder John Foraker, former Blackrock executive of Scientific Active Equity Ken Kroner, Plum Organics founder Gigi Lee Chang, and Deva and Tevya Finger, cofounders of Luxury Brand Partners, the beauty incubator behind Oribe, Becca Cosmetics, etc.

The fund, which can both lead and participate in existing rounds, leverages CircleUps machine learning platform  Helio  through each step of the investment process, from deal sourcing, to investment decisions, to post-close company support. The platform proactively collects and analyzes billions of data points across more than 1.2 million companies to understand and predict their future success and find and evaluate more investment opportunities and help bring value to companies after close.

The first investments out of CircleUp Growth Partners are:

HUM Nutrition, a beauty supplements brand , and

4505 Chicharrones, a high protein salty snacks brand.

Founded in 2012, CircleUp is backed by Union Square Ventures, GV, Canaan Partners, QED Advisors, and former leaders of Goldman Sachs, Capital One and Stanford Endowment.

FinSMEs

31/10/2017
Innoviz Technologies, a Kfar Saba, Israel-based provider of LiDAR sensing solutions designed for the mass commercialization of autonomous vehicles, raised Series $8m Series B funding.

This new tranche  which brings the total amount raised in the Series B round to $73m and overall total funding to $82m  came from strategic investors Samsung Catalyst, a Samsung Electronics early stage venture capital fund, and from SoftBank Ventures Korea, a SoftBank Group early stage venture capital arm based in Seoul.

They joined Delphi Automotive PLC (NYSE: DLPH), Magna International (NYSE: MGA), 360 Capital Partners, Glory Ventures, Naver and others, in addition to all Series A investors.

The company intends to use the funds to grow its team filling positions in R&D, Operations, Marketing and Business Development.

Led by Omer Keilaf, co-founder and CEO, Innoviz leverages a proprietary System, MEMS and Detector designs to deliver accurate and long ranging autonomous vehicle sensing capabilities. The companys LiDAR products, InnovizOne and InnovizPro, offer solid-state design that uses Proprietary technology to deliver superior performance at the cost and size required for mass market adoption.

InnovizPro, a development platform designed to provide auto manufacturers, Tier 1 suppliers and technology companies with the most advanced LiDAR available for testing and development, will be available in Q1 of 2018.

Samples of InnovizOne, the companys automotive grade LiDAR device for levels 3  5 autonomous driving, will begin shipping in 2019.

FinSMEs

31/10/2017
COLUMBUS  The opioid abuse epidemic seen in some parts of the country hasnt hit Nebraska  yet.

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said efforts are being made to get ahead of the problem and prevent it from becoming a major issue in the state, but abuse of powerful prescription painkillers is already on the rise.

Our hope is we will never have a crisis here in Nebraska, Peterson said Monday while addressing the Columbus Noon Lions Club at Hy-Vee.

Peterson made several stops in Columbus to speak on various topics at Columbus Community Center, Columbus High School and Columbus Middle School and also met with local law enforcement and other officials.

Opioid abuse and marijuana use were two discussion points.

Peterson said a state coalition was launched about a year ago to get ahead of the abuse of prescription opioids and the growing concern of synthetic opioid use. That coalition, which includes medical professionals, treatment providers and others, put the focus on prevention, treatment and law enforcement involvement.

We dont feel as though we have an opioid crisis, but things are now occurring that will really help us stay in front of it, Peterson said.

A growing national awareness of opioid abuse is one positive step, along with a prescription drug monitoring program in Nebraska that started last January. That program requires prescriptions for controlled substances such as opiates to be entered into a state database that medical professionals can access.

New guidelines issued by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services on how to prescribe drugs commonly used to treat acute and chronic pain are another preventative measure, Peterson said.

As far as marijuana goes, Peterson has been a strong opponent of legalizing it in Nebraska. He said people need to keep an eye on medical and community health issues coming out of Colorado, where marijuana is legal for both medical and recreational use.

Marijuana is a stronger product now than in decades past, Peterson said. His biggest concern is the impact it will have on youths by sending a message that using the drug isnt a big deal.

He said the tobacco industry knew its best target was teenagers to get them hooked for life, and the marijuana industry is the same.

We didnt like it when the tobacco industry targeted young people. I dont know why the marijuana industry gets a pass, Peterson said.

The attorney general, who is seeking a second term, also supports a phase-out of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

More than 3,000 young immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as infants or children live in Nebraska under DACA protection.

Peterson said his opposition to DACA is based on upholding the Constitution and challenging the executive action taken by former President Barack Obama to create the program. Peterson said Obama effectively created new laws.

He said he has empathy for those young people in the program.

The reason I joined those other states (in challenging DACA) was I had to peel back the emotional stuff and deal with the Constitution. Because if I say, This one really emotionally appeals to me, Im going to let it go,' then you are in a position to pick and choose. I took an oath of office to uphold the Constitution, he said.

The issue needs to be addressed by Congress, not through executive order, he argues.

You may be OK with this executive order, but next month if the president issues another executive order and its unconstitutional, how do I pick and choose? Peterson said. We are trying to keep the balance so it doesnt matter who is the president. These important public policy issues need to be debated on the floors of the House and Senate.
Recorded Future, a Boston, MA-based provider of a threat intelligence (TI) platform, raised $25M in Series E funding round.

The round was led by Insight Venture Partners.

The company intends to use the funds for geographical expansion, and continued commitment to machine learning-based threat intelligence and research.

Led by Christopher Ahlberg, CEO and co-founder, Recorded Future provides a software-as-a-service (SaaS) threat intelligence product that delivers automated, contextual, and relevant intelligence for empowering security teams to defeat cyber threats. The solution collects applicable threat intelligence from open, technical, and dark web sources in real time and delivers targeted analytics and alerts to improve business decisions, operational efficiency, and strengthen network defense.

FinSMEs

31/10/2017
New Delhi: Dr Reddy's Laboratories (DRL) on Tuesday reported a marginal decline of 1.13 percent in consolidated net profit to Rs 305.4 crore for the second quarter ended 30 September, 2017.

The drug major had posted a net profit of Rs 308.9 crore in July-September a year ago, DRL said in a filing to BSE.

DRL's total revenue during the quarter under review stood at Rs 3,559.8 crore, down 1.56 percent, as against Rs 3,616.3 crore a year ago.

"Healthy performance in India, emerging markets, Europe and PSAI business as well as continued focus on cost control have contributed to sequential growth in our topline as well as bottomline with an EBITDA increase of 105 percent over the previous quarter," Dr Reddys co-chairman and CEO GV Prasad said.

Total expenses were down 2.48 percent to Rs 3,182.9 crore as against Rs 3,264.1 crore.

During the period, revenue from DRL's pharmaceutical service and active ingredients (PSAI) business was down 4.35 percent to Rs 721 crore as against Rs 753.8 crore.

Revenue from its global generics in the said quarter was also down 1.78 percent to Rs 2,867.2 crore.

However, contribution from proprietary segment was up 23.80 percent to Rs 72.8 crore as against Rs 58.8 crore.

Shares of Dr Reddy's Laboratories were trading at Rs 2,486.10 per scrip, up 2.18 percent, on BSE.
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World Bank's 2018 ease of doing business rankings, set to be released later in the day, is likely to bring good news to the Narendra Modi government for a few obvious reasons. These include hopes of quicker resolution of stressed assets with the progress on the Bankruptcy code, a simpler, unified tax economy promised by the GST regime among other policies to facilitate the business environment. All along, this government has presented its policy steps as enabling factors to create an investor-friendly economy. If the World Bank takes note of these policy steps, India's rankings could move up in a notable manner this year. But, regardless of what the rankings from multilateral institutions indicate, there is certainly more work needs to be done to facilitate an improved business environment. Most importantly, the government needs to work on land and labour reforms without delay as these are two major areas of concerns for any company wanting to set up factory in India. Also, streamlining the GST process at the earliest is key.

India's position could move up in a notable manner in this year's ease of doing business ranking

According to the latest World Banks Doing Business 2018: Reforming to create jobs released today, India for the first time has moved into the top 100 in the Ease of doing business segment.

World Bank vice-president (South Asia region), Annette Dixon said, India has embarked on a strong reform agenda to improve its business environment. The significant jump this year is a result of the Indian governments consistent efforts, over the past few years. Due to the number of reforms undertaken by the government, Indias ranking has gone up.

India has moved into the top 100 rankings in the World Bank's 'Doing Business 2018' and is among the top 10 improvers in this years assessment by implementing 8 out of 10 reforms. The Narendra Modi government has indeed reasons to celebrate the improvement in the World Bank rankings since the structural reforms it has initiated such as GST has been duly acknowledged. This improvement in rankings reflects certain important areas such as paying taxes (118 from 172 last year), getting credit (29 from 44), bankruptcy proceedings (103 from 136) etc. However, a closer look at the individual segment rankings also shows that improvement in certain other critical areas is not up to expectations. For instance, when it comes to starting business ranking has slipped by one notch to 156 from 155 last year and trading across borders to 146 from 143 in the last year. Unless areas such as land and labour reforms are addressed, the ground level situation for businesses won't change.

We were ranked 142 in 2014 and 130 last year in ease of doing business World Bank list, Jaitley said, highlighting how significant India's jump in the metric was. The World Bank report says India is one country which has been undertaking structural reforms, Jaitley said in a category where India has been ranked fourth. India has also seen betterment in protecting minority investors, the finance minister informed. As for resolving insolvency, India moved from rank 136 to rank 103. He also said that India jumped 53 places to 119 in ease of paying taxes. Considering how GST was implemented on 1 July, Jaitley pointed says that there is scope for India's rank to improve in this category even further in the future.

"There is scope to jump up from rank 100," Jaitley said in the presser. There is reason to believe we have further capacity to improve, he added saying that when the NDA first came to power, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India can immediately reach the top 50 ranks. "I think this is believable," Arun Jaitley said, believing that India can expedite the process of India raising the bar in the rankings.

Arun Jaitley says that he believes in Modi's conviction that India can immediately reach in top 50 ranks

Here are some reasons why India's jumped hugely in #easeofdoingbusiness rankings: easier credit,easy way to pay taxes, resolving insolvency pic.twitter.com/lifbHgZBXw

On the impact of GST, World Bank vice president (South Asia region), Annette Dixon said that GST was a complicated reform to have rolled-out. Steps taken by the government this year may take 2 to 3 years to show results. This factor will be considered next year or after that.

Guided by the Mantra of Reform, Perform & Transform we are determined to further improve our rankings & scale greater economic growth.

It has never been easier to do business in India. India welcomes the world to explore economic opportunities our nation has to offer!

Over the last 3 years we have seen a spirit of positive competition among states towards making business easier. This has been beneficial.

Easier business environment is leading to historic opportunities for our entrepreneurs, particularly MSME sector & bringing more prosperity.

Historic jump in Ease of Doing Business rankings is the outcome of the all-round & multi-sectoral reform push of Team India. pic.twitter.com/DhrEcuurgi

The World Banks survey didnt consider the Demonetisation factor and it wasnt measured in this index. Read the report here .

The results are for the world to see. There has truly never been a better time to #MakeInIndia . @EODB_India @CimGOI pic.twitter.com/lVNIhUeqCs

If we see continued leadership&coordination,we would expect India to continue to make good progress in coming years-World Bank VP,South Asia pic.twitter.com/asz1j6lIW6

India is one of the top-10 improvers across the world this year: World Bank vice-president Annette Dixon tells ANI

Resolving insolvency: India made resolving insolvency easier by adopting a new insolvency and bankruptcy code that introduced a reorganization procedure for corporate debtors and facilitated the continuation of the debtors business during insolvency proceedings. This reform applies to both Delhi and Mumbai.

Paying taxes: In both Delhi and Mumbai, paying taxes was made easier by requiring payments to the Employees Provident Fund to be made electronically, and introducing administrative measures that make it easier to comply with corporate income tax regulations.

Protecting minority investors: Protections for minority investors were strengthened by increasing the remedies available in cases of prejudicial transactions between interested parties. This reform applies to both Delhi and Mumbai.

Dealing with construction permits: India reduced the number of procedures and time required to obtain a building permit by implementing an online system that has streamlined the process at the Municipality of New Delhi and Municipality of Greater Mumbai.

Starting a business: India made starting a business faster by merging the applications for the Permanent Account Number (PAN) and the Tax Account Number (TAN) and by improving the online application system. Mumbai also made starting a business faster by merging the applications for value-added tax and the Profession Tax (PT).

The World Bank released a fact sheet on the substantive changes India implemented 2016/17. Here are the areas where India has seen a change:

Will the World Bank's ease of doing business ranking for 2018 give a relief to the Narendra Modi government, which is drawing flak from within the BJP and outside for messing up the economy?

If the media reports, citing highly placed sources, are to be believed, it will. The country is likely to have jumped 30 places to hit 100th spot in the ranking that takes 190 countries into account, said recent reports.

The World Bank's rankings will be released on Tuesday 7:30 pm. Finance minister Arun Jaitley will also hold a press conference following the release of the report.

A report in The Hindu newspaper said the rise in the ranking is due to the changes in areas such as starting a business, dealing with construction permits, and resolving insolvency. Last year, when India moved just one notch up, the ranking in these areas were 155, 185 and 136.

The low-rank last year galvanised India to act. There was an explicit order from the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) to ensure faster reforms to improve Indias rankings, a source has been quoted as saying in the report.

According to this source, Mumbai and Delhi responded well to the governments exhortation to better the environment, thus resulting in the jump.

The successful implementation of the insolvency code and the goods and services tax (GST) has given a big boost to Indias business environment, a top government official has been quoted as saying in another report in The Economic Times.

However, it has to be remembered that even the 100th position is a far cry from what Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initial wish. He had said that his aim is to take the country to the top 50 rankings in the World Bank report.

Ironically, the news comes at a time when small businesses are struggling with the goods and services tax, the indirect tax reform that the government implemented from 1 July. The government has tweaked the norms many times already in a bid to help the small traders tide over the cumbersome procedures.

Prior to that in November 2016, the government's shock demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes also had dealt a body blow to some of the cash-intensive small and medium businesses. The move had sucked out 86 percent of the currencies under circulation, resulting in a cash crunch that crippled the economy.

Both the moves have pulled down the GDP growth in the first quarter of the current financial year to the three-year low of 5.7 percent, prompting political leaders and economists from BJP and outside to slam the government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ministers will use any jump in ease of doing business ranking to counter the critics, whatever the ground reality is.
India has jumped 30 places to 100th position in the World Bank's 'ease of doing business' ranking, helped by a slew of reforms in taxation, licensing, investor protection and bankruptcy resolution.

The ranking comes as a shot in the arm for the Narendra Modi government amid dissenting voices in certain quarters about the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as well as demonetisation.

In its annual report 'Doing Business 2018: Reforming to Create Jobs', the World Bank said that India's ranking reflects nearly half of the 37 reforms, adopted since 2003, implemented in the last four years.

The ranking, however, does not take into the account business environment post implementation of GST, which weaved the country of 1.3 billion into one market with one tax and removed inter-state barriers for trade. World Bank vice-president for South Asia region, Annette Dixon said that GST was a complicated reform to have rolled-out. Steps taken by the government this year may take two to three years to show results. This factor will be considered next year or after that.

India, which was ranked 130th among the 190 nations, is "one of the top 10 improvers in this year's assessment, having implemented reforms in 8 out of 10 'doing business' indicators," it said. This is the first time India has broken into top 100 nations. "The government is committed to further ease of doing business by bringing in more reforms," said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

India is the only large country this year to have achieved such a significant shift. "The Government has undertaken an extensive exercise of stakeholder consultations, identification of user needs, government process re-engineering to match Government rules and procedures with user expectations and streamline them to create a more conducive business environment," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said about this shift on Twitter. "The report acknowledges India as a top improver with the highest jump in rank of any country in DB Report, 2018. India is the only country in South Asia and BRICS economies to feature among most improved economies of the DB Report this year," he added. He said that his mantra of 'Reform, Perform, Transform' has lead to this improvement.

PM @narendramodi's Mantra of 'Reform, Perform, Transform' leads to business becoming easier in India. pic.twitter.com/dC2MAZHdOp  PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 31, 2017

The parameters that witnessed improvement in 2016-17 were India making it faster for start business, reduction in procedures and time required to obtain a building permit, easier access to credit, protecting minority investors, ease of paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and making resolving insolvency easier, the World Bank said.

But it still lags in areas such as starting a business, enforcing contracts and dealing with construction permits. It takes 30 days now to register a new business, down from 127 days 15 years ago, but "the number of procedures is still cumbersome for local entrepreneurs who still need to go through 12 procedures", it said.

"This is a major, major jump," Rita Ramalho, Acting Director for World Bank's Global Indicators Group, told PTI in Washington, attributing the climb of 30 places to the series of reforms undertaken by the Modi government since 2014. Annette Dixon, World Bank vice-president for South Asia region, said India's strong reform agenda was responsible for its improvement, Having embarked on a strong reform agenda to improve the business environment, the significant jump this year is a result of the Indian governments consistent efforts over the past few years. It indicates Indias endeavour to further strengthen its position as a preferred place to do business globally.

Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), said, "The huge improvement in ranking and score will immediately boost investor sentiments. The latest report validates the commitment of the government to fast-tracking economic reforms, addressing red tapism and facilitating business. The surge in ranking by as much as 30 places is an outcome of key reforms including digitisation of processes, enhancing tax payment and access to credit...India is well on its way to emerge as a global leader in protecting minority interests and is currently ranked 4th in the world."

The GST, which was implemented from 1 July, will get reflected only in next year's 'ease of doing business' report. "GST reforms have not been counted this year. It would come into play for the report next year," Ramalho said, adding that demonetisation was not covered.

India was ranked 130th for last two years. In 2014, it managed to get the 142nd spot.

According to the World Bank, New Zealand is the easiest place on the planet to do business, followed by Singapore, Denmark, South Korea and Hong Kong. The US and the UK are ranked sixth and seventh on the list.

Among BRICS countries, Russia tops the list with 35th position, followed by China which has retained its ranking at the 78th place for the second consecutive year.

The biggest surprise of this year, the authors of the report said, is India, which jumped 30 spots in one year by improving its score by 4.71 to 60.76 points. "India has improved a lot (this year), but there's still room for improvement, So, I wouldn't necessarily classify it as a nice place to do business yet, but definitely is in the right direction to become a nice place. It is much easier than it was two years ago," Ramalho said.

Santiago Croci Downes, Acting Manager, Doing Business Unit at World Bank, said that in the 15 years' history of this annual report, there have been only five countries like Georgia and Rwanda which made a massive jump in one year. But none of them was as big an economy as India.

Noting that India made a very big effort in the past two years, the World Bank said the results now reflect those initiatives.

"This is a continuous effort of two or three years. But there's still a long way to go," she said. India used to be in the bottom quarter of the distribution, now it's in the middle which is a big improvement.

"It (India) is still a place where there is room for improvement in making the life of entrepreneurs, less bureaucratic, making transactions simpler and more efficient and less costly. So, there's still significant room for improvement. But it was a very significant change and even not just in relative but also in absolute terms," she said. "It is expected that Indias ranking will improve further in near future, once our reforms process in contract enforcement is put in place," Arun Jaitley said adding that the economic reforms in the nation had started bearing fruit and the government's stand on Indias growth roadmap was vindicated with positive rankings.

For entrepreneurs in India, doing business is simpler now, Santiago Croci Downes argued. Referring to the series of reforms being carried out by India, Downs said there is a willingness to improve the private sector and prioritise these. "If you're asking me would India be 50 next year, I would say that's very, very unlikely. But if you could tell me you would be 50 in five years, I will say maybe," she said.

There are a few areas where there is much room for improvement such as enforcing contracts, which on an average in India is 1,445 days, besides the court system in India is very slow, she said.

"That's one of the areas where India really lags behind compared to other countries," she said, adding that easing property registration and property transactions is another area where things are not very efficient.

Junaid Ahmad, Country Director India from World Bank concluded, Tackling these challenging reforms will be key to India sustaining the momentum towards a higher ranking. To secure changes in the remaining areas will require not just new laws and online systems but deepening the ongoing investment in the capacity of states and their institutions to implement change and transform the framework of incentives and regulation facing the private sector. Indias focus on doing business at the state level may well be the platform that sustains the countrys reform trajectory for the future.

With inputs from PTI and IANS
The government on Monday extended the due date by a month for filing of goods and services tax returns (GSTR)-2 to 30 November and returns-3 to 11 December.

The move comes after complaints from businesses about problems in matching invoices while filing GSTR-2 on the GST Network portal. This is the first month of filing GSTR-2.

Form GSTR-2 reflects purchases made by a business whereas GSTR-3 is a combination of sales and purchases.

Form GSTR-2 reflects purchases made by a business whereas GSTR-3 is a combination of sales and purchases.

The deadline to file GSTR-2 was Tuesday whereas the last date for filing GSTR-3 was 10 November.

"To facilitate trade, the last date for filing GSTR-2 and GSTR-3 for July 2017 has been extended to November 30 and December 11 respectively," a government tweet said.

Government extends the last date of filing of GSTR-2 for July, 2017 to 30th November, 2017; For details, https://t.co/5fmcupsrom  Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) October 30, 2017

last date for filing of GSTR-3 for the month of July, 2017 also stands extended to 11th December, 2017 (deadline was 10th November, 2017).  Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) October 30, 2017

"A notification in this regard will be issued to facilitate about 30.81 lakh taxpayers for filing GSTR-2 for July," the Finance Ministry tweeted.

A Notification in this regard is being issued shortly - to facilitate about 30.81 lakh taxpayers for filing GSTR-2 for month of July, 2017.  Ministry of Finance (@FinMinIndia) October 30, 2017

The decision comes after the Group of Ministers headed by Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi met on 28 October in Bengaluru to review the issues faced under the Goods and Services Tax filings.

Experts reacted to the government extension:

GST expert Pritam Mahure told IANS:

This extension was necessitated as many technical glitches were cropping up during GSTR-2 filing. In days to come, the government should have well thought out strategy to address GST compliance issues.

Aditya Singhania, DGM GST, Taxmann

The matching concept is a much appreciated step for allowing input tax credit which is regulated by the GSTR 1, 2 and 3 mechanism. But with the brilliant concept, the IT platform of GST i.e. www.gst.gov.in should equally work in same wavelength for achieving the objective. Due to certain bugs and frictions, coupled with totally new forms of returns, taxpayers were unable to file the same on time. Looking at the practical deficiency, a pragmatic, timely and much appreciated step has been taken by the Government to extend the due date of GSTR 2 and 3 for the month of July, 2017. However, once the people complete atleast one cycle of GSTR 1, 2 and 3, taxpayers will feel comfortable and the statistics is expected to rise in coming tax periods.

With the extension in GSTR 2 till 30th November, 2017, still the taxpayers who had not filed GSTR 1 yet will be barred from filing GSTR 1 for the month of July, 2017 till the due date of GSTR 2 gets over. Late fee levied on this account would again be a point of concern for taxpayers. Furthermore, with due date being 11th December, 2017 for GSTR 3 will now open the opportunity for taxpayers to claim ITC from Input Service Distributer which earlier seems to be blocked since the due date of GSTR 6 (ISD return) being 15th November, 2017 which was later than due date of filing GSTR 3 for the month of July, 2017.

Archit Gupta, Founder & CEO, ClearTax

GSTR-2 is the most important return for GST compliance since availability of ITC depends on it. This return requires matching and reconciling and automatic review, to make sure manual effort is minimised.Since the last date for submission of audited ITRs and GSTR-2 coincided, it put a strain on some taxpayers. Besides, the ecosystem also needs some more stability and preparedness for smooth compliance to take place.

(With inputs from IANS)
New Delhi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Monday urged industrial houses to explore opportunities to invest in the mineral-rich state. He was addressing the maiden Jharkhand Mining Show 2017 Mining & Minerals Summit organised by the state with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

"I invite the new players and existing business houses to explore opportunities offered by the state," he told a large assembly of industry members, including CMDs and CEOs, at the inaugural session of the meet, as per a statement by the state government.

The Mining & Mineral Show 2017 aims to promote the state in the national and international mining space and to deliberate on the growing prospects of the mining sector of Jharkhand.

"The mineral reserve of the state provides excellent opportunity for the state to surge ahead and be on the drivers seat for country's growth. My government is proactive in marketing outreach to attract foreign players. My visits to China, Czech Republic and especially Japan have been fruitful," the chief minister said.

He said abundance of minerals has made the state home to various mineral based industries that includes Tata Group, Aditya Birla Group, JSPL, Usha Martin, ACC, Lafarge and large PSUs like Hindustan Copper, Uranium Corporation.

Union Minister for Railways and Coal, Piyush Goyal said in his view Jharkhand will decide what will be the look of the country in the years to come.

"Over the next five years we intend investing Rs 20,000 crores across projects, establishing a strong social responsibility programme, and helping generate 10,000 direct and indirect jobs. We look forward to your support," Adani Group MD Rajesh Adani said in the statement.

Chief Secretary, Jharkhand, Rajbala Verma, said Jharkhand is on fast track for revamping the mineral and mining sector on basis of requirement specified by the industries operating in the sector.
COLUMBUS  A trucker was on his route late one night.

Every curve in the road got more difficult to see through the torrential rain, but he continued toward his destination.

After rounding yet another nearly impossible turn, the driver sees a man standing on the side of the road. He is covered from head to toe in mud and waving the truck down.

The driver pulls over to let the mud-clad man into the cab of the truck. The messy man warns the driver of a mudslide ahead and says to be careful.

One more winding curve led to a spot with most of the road covered in slick mud that was nearly impossible to see. The trucker drove the muddy man to safety and let him out at the next stop.

Some investigating ensued, which led the truck driver to learn the passenger who saved him from danger was actually a ghost.

This story was one of three Dorothy Rieke told during her Ghosts, Ghouls and Goblins talk Sunday afternoon at Columbus Art Gallery.

The Julian woman closed the book on her 44-year career as a middle school English teacher in 1993. Immediately following her retirement, she started giving talks for Nebraska Humanities on spooky stories as well as Nebraska farm families during the Great Depression.

Rieke said she chooses to tell ghosts stories for a specific reason.

When someone hears a story, they usually encounter pleasant themes, she said. But the scary stories tell a different tale. They show the audience a monster with claws that come to a point. They show readers a ghoulish, haunting smile from ear to ear. These stories dont make people feel very comfortable. Thats why theyve always stood out to me.

Next to her is a large board with many drawings of people, buildings and possible monsters. This board travels with Rieke as she gives her presentations. After each story is told, children and other willing participants are asked to come forward and use the board to point out what pictures are associated with the story. If their guesses are correct, they receive a Halloween-themed goodie.

The gifts aren't the only thing her audience appreciates.

Jessica Reiff from Girl Scout Troop 50331 said Rieke struck a chord with her.

I love scary stuff, Rieff said. This is my favorite time of year because all of the horror stuff is out, the haunted houses are up and all that. When I got to see this presentation I just got even more excited for Halloween."

Rieke splits her time between telling terror-filled tales and freelance writing. She has published hundreds of articles for approximately 50 magazines, including Happier Week, Grit and Nebraska Life.

While telling scary stories is her area of focus, Rieke has her own opinions about the afterlife.

I dont really believe in ghosts, Rieke told her audience Sunday afternoon. But with all the stories Ive read and told over the years from different authors, Ive come to a decision. There has got to be something out there.

Her Ghosts, Ghouls and Goblins presentation was co-sponsored by Girl Scout Troop 50331 and Friends of the Library.
The emergence of technologies like robotic process automation, artificial intelligence, natural language processing and machine learning  to name a few  are advancing business, science, and lifestyle at a rapid pace. However, they are also threatening to take over a large number of jobs from humans in the near future. Or so people believe.

It is true that there are certain kinds of jobs, or tasks within jobs, that can be completely left to machines. However, these are fairly limited. A McKinsey study suggests that less than 5 percent of all occupations would be fully automated in the near future and 60 percent of the occupations could have 30 percent of the tasks automated based on currently available technologies.

These numbers, however, do point to the simple and obvious fact that technology will play an increasingly important role in human activities going forward, and that we need to keep pace with latest developments to be relevant in the modern-day work environment. Unfortunately, news reports over predicted job losses and recent instances of workforce reductions by some of Indias biggest companies have instilled a negative sentiment and sense of fear amongst professionals. Lack of awareness and limited consideration to the emerging opportunities is probably one of the biggest causes of this sense of fear surrounding emerging technologies.

Currently, there is a gap between the picture painted and the reality, which has moved conversations away from talking about the benefits of bringing emerging technologies into the workplace to the repercussions of implementing new technology. The truth is, machines will not take away jobs, but will help in making professionals a lot more effective and productive.

A key requirement is for organizations to identify and communicate the opportunities to their workforce and upskill their talent to leverage the latest technologies, thus investing in employees as strategic partners for business growth. It is important to encourage and educate employees to upskill to stay relevant in the market. While doing so, a great responsibility lies with the employers to stress on the fact that machines will not take away roles instead the inclusion of machines will create a conducive environment for growth, higher efficiency and overall productivity. Clearly, all jobs or industries can be automated fully.

For instance, Artificial Intelligence is getting better at tackling complex problems, but it is incapable of creativity, empathy, leadership, and artistic expression  traits that are unique to humans. Big Data can analyze massive amounts of data and provide great insights, but it still requires a human to place those insights in moral, ethical, cultural, and eventually in business context. Hence, the human hand will always be required.

There is another reason why all jobs or industries cannot be automated away  and this needs to be looked at from an economic, political, and social lens of any country. In India, the IT industry currently serves two-thirds of the fortune 500 companies and continues to remain one of the largest employers of the nation. Herein, its extremely important to understand the government of a competitive economy like India will always ensure that its citizens stay relevant with employable skills.

The collaboration of humans and machines will undoubtedly, create new job opportunities for prosperity and economic equality. Countries witnessing this shift such as India and other developing markets should focus on facilitating innovation, strengthening education, skilling talent across levels, to reap the benefits of new technology adoption. Economies and institutions will have to build social safety net for its people amid this change to enable successful transition.

It is interesting to note that 65 percent of children entering primary schools will work on completely new job types that dont yet exist, as stated by a report by the World Economic Forum. This means that a larger onus rests on the education sector to empower learning institutions to provide the right skill training that will help students in taking up roles of the future. The emphasis will have to be on the emerging future-proof skills and providing the required infrastructural support to make this a reality.

As the industry gears to drive digital technology transformation through workforce realignment, it is important to bring each member of the workforce along. There is a shared responsibility to drive awareness of the importance of emerging technologies in the larger sections of the population  especially semi-urban and rural regions that are currently untouched by the shift in technology and the changes in the employment sector. The responsibility for achieving this must be shared between the Government, industry bodies, private corporations, citizens and any every institution involved with making talent employable. It is imperative that all of us think and act in collaboration, for socio-economic progress happens to be one of those things that cannot be automated.

(The writer is Chief People Officer, NIIT Technologies)
New Delhi: About 76 percent of LED bulbs sold in India are spurious and non-compliant with government's safety standards, says a report by market research firm Nielsen.

The report, based on a survey of 200 retail outlets conducted in four cities -- Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad -- in July this year, found majority of the LED

brands not meeting the norms of BIS and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

The survey found that 48 percent of LED (light-emitting diode) bulb brands had no mention of manufacturer's address and 31 percent brands did not have a manufacturer's name violating Indian legal metrology regulations.

Moreover, on LED downlighters the study found that 45 percent brands did not have manufacturers name and 51 percent brands had no mention of their address.

According to the Electric Lamp and Component Manufacturers' Association (ELCOMA), the total LED market in India is valued at around Rs 10,000 crore and LED bulbs and downlighters constitute nearly half of the overall LED market.

Commenting on the development, ELCOMA President Rakesh Zutshi said: "It threatens fair competition in the LED lighting market, especially for those companies that are compliant with all mandatory consumer safety standards."

He added that it was unlikely that the manufacturers of these spurious LED bulbs and downlighters would pay any GST to the government.

Given the government's push towards adoption of LEDs and their general consumer popularity, LED lighting will constitute a majority share of the total lighting market in the next few years.

"With this scenario, it is important for the government to act against these spurious and non-branded products for safeguarding consumer safety and protecting their revenues against these companies," Philips Lighting India Vice Chairman and MD Sumit Joshi said.
With some of its deleveraging plans, which included a merger with Aircel, collapsing, cornered RCom on Monday presented a fresh plan to recast its Rs 45,000 crore debt to lenders that includes converting Rs 7,000 crore of debt into equity by banks and handing over majority stake to them.

If the latest rescue attempt goes through, lenders led by SBI will hold at least 51 percent in the telco and promoters stake will be halved to around 26 percent.

The debt revamp plan involves the Anil Ambani-run RCom raising money through asset sale to repay Rs 17,000 crore of debt, executive director Punit Garg said, adding though total value of the assets is over Rs 30,000 crore they are conservatively looking at raising only Rs 17,000 crore.

Of this, it will raise around Rs 10,000 crore through sale and commercial development of real estate assets, including its 100-acre headquarters, DAKC (Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge Centre) in the nearby Navi Mumbai, he said.

The assets which would be put on block include its spectrum holding of 122 MHz valued at Rs 14,000 crore, towers business from where it can get Rs 7,000 crore, optical fibre network valued at Rs 3,000 crore and data centres which can fetch Rs 4,000 crore, Garg added.

The telco claimed that under the new plan there will be zero write-off for the lenders, who used to taking haircuts in stressed assets, and that this will make RCom a sustainable and profitable if the new restructure plans goes through.

Even though RCom has time till December 2018 under the strategic debt restructuring (SDR) agreement with the lenders, it is confident of getting through with the asset monetisation efforts by March 2018.

The lenders have appointed SBI Caps to carry out the new monetisation plan.

Even under the ongoing SDR, banks would have any way taken majority ownership, but the collapse of a slew of deals including a planned merger with Aircel earlier this month, had raised doubts over its sustainability.

The merger with Aircel was the last straw of hope for the company, but did not go through due to a slew of litigations filed by many of its unpaid vendors like Ericsson among others and even individual shareholders.

At Monday's closing price, RCom was valued at over Rs 3,900 crore only. But when asked about the conversion of Rs 7,000 crore debt to equity, Garg said they assume an appreciation in the enterprise value once the new restructuring started. He also said had the merger deal with Aircel happened the capital base would have expanded by 10 percent.

Speaking about the outcome of the meeting, Garg said, "the lenders were very comfortable looking at the conservative management estimates".

When asked if it has received the lenders nod, Garg said, "Do you think lenders can refuse a zero write-off plan... they got to be so happy that they wanted it to be completed as of yesterday."

As part of the plan, the lenders will be left with Rs 6,000 crore of debt which Garg said will be sustainable.

He said the assets will be sold one by one transparently with the help of transaction advisors in a process overseen by lenders and RCom will not get into bilateral agreements for sales.

Asked whether Reliance Jio, with which it has ongoing pacts for sharing towers, fibre and spectrum, might be interested in these assets, Garg replied in the affirmative.

"As far as their (Jio) interest is concerned, I think at this moment theyre very much interested in a lot of our assets. They've said very clearly that if it is a transparent process, which is run by lenders, theyre happy to bid and pick up some assets from them," he said.

Earlier, RCom was looking to reduce its debt by over Rs 25,000 crore through a merger with Aircel and also selling its tower telecom mast business to Brookfield Infrastructure, which seems like going for a rebid as part of the plan presented today.

Meanwhile, Garg also confirmed that RCom is significantly reducing its presence in the 2G and 3G voice business to concentrate on the 4G services and also the enterprise business.

He, however, did not share the number of jobs that will be impacted because of this
After having a magnificent audio launch in Dubai, the makers of Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar and Amy Jackson starrer 2.0, have released a new poster. In the poster, superstar Rajinikanth and Jackson are seen channeling hardcore robotic avatars. Their look is complete with cutting-edge headgear and goggles.

Jackson is dressed in a gold and red ensemble while Rajinikanth's silver suit adds to the futuristic vibe of the film. It looks like the two characters are filming a dance sequence, with robotic background dancers completing the frame.

Kumar, who plays the antagonist in this S Shankar directorial, is not seen in this poster. In the initial posters, the Toilet: Ek Prem Katha actor was seen sporting a menacing look in a face-off with Rajinikanth.

The sequel to the 2010 Tamil film Enthiran, 2.0 is reportedly the most expensive film ever made in Asia. Made on a mammoth budget of Rs 450 crore, the film is going to release in 15 languages while being shot in both Hindi and Tamil simultaneously. The film is slated to hit the screens during the Republic Day weekend on 25 January. Interestingly, Kumar's Padman is also going to release on the same weekend, on 26 January.
The films that an actor chooses reflect not just his or her political and social beliefs but also establishes the person's individuality, says film industry veteran Naseeruddin Shah.

"If I agree with the vision of the director, then and only then will I do the film. Therefore, an actor's individuality comes from his choices. The film you choose reflects your own political beliefs and social expression," Naseeruddin, 67, told IANS in an interview.

At the same time, he believes that the job of an actor in films is to be the messenger of writers and the director. "I think my definition of acting might just make many actors uncomfortable but the fact is an actor's role is to follow and execute the vision of the writer and the director who has created the character.

"With time, cinema has changed but my approach hasn't because I always attempted to tune in with their idea. I, an actor, am the messenger of the director's vision. I am not there to create my individuality. Yes, my signature could come from my means of expression but those expressions are of the director," he said.

With a film career spanning over three decades, Naseeruddin is among the prominent faces of India's parallel cinema. He has also been a part of more 'commercial' movies, but it is interesting to observe how the widely awarded talent does not prefer to put himself in the spotlight of a film.

Asked what makes him not get seduced by attention unlike other actors, he said, "Because actors are basically narcissists, they love themselves. Not that I am not, but over a period of time, I realised there are a lot more qualities that are required to be an actor. Narcissism is just one of them."

Naseeruddin spoke to IANS on the sidelines of the 19th Jio MAMI With Star, where his movie The Hungry was screened. He plays a dark character in the Bornila Chatterjee directorial.

On his process to internalise a character, Naseeruddin said, "I don't look outward for inspiration, rather within, to find a connect with the character. I try to find the potential of the character within me, I try to understand how I would react if I am in a certain situation. If I can, I agree to do the role. It's an internal process. I do not take a reference to someone I have seen next to me," said the actor, whose contribution to the arts has been recognised with a Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.

It was in 1980 that the actor debuted in Hindi cinema with Hum Paanch. He went on to act in films like Karma, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, Masoom, Hey Ram, Monsoon Wedding, Sarfarosh, Maqbool, A Wednesday and The Dirty Picture.

His filmography is laced with projects with iconic directors like Shyam Benegal, Sai Paranjpye, Govind Nihalani and commercial filmmakers like Anees Bazmee, Zoya Akhtar and Vishal Bhardwaj, to name a few.

What is the way to stay relevant with time? "I keep trying to inculcate my thoughts and ideas of acting in youngsters. I think acting is a means of expression, it is a tool of communication. Sadly, in films, actors are conditioned to believe that they are the centre, their performance is everything for the film, which is not right. Therefore, they cannot take criticism and failure, because being the most visible component of a film, they face the criticism first."

But film reviews are not something he takes seriously himself. "For me, reviews are as good as the opinion of a taxi driver... Pardon me but reviews are nothing but another piece of opinion on our film. Half of the reviewers do not critically analyse every aspect of the film but write about the plot in their review."

"And then half of the reviewers condemn a film for what it is not. I mean, what is the point of finding social relevance in David Dhawan's film when he himself never claimed to have one? Or of calling a Mani Kaul film 'too heavy' for not having song and dance? Is it right to take the reviews seriously?" questioned the actor.
Arjun Kapoor has unveiled the first look from his next, Dibakar Banerjee's Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, on Twitter. He plays a 30 year old Haryanavi cop from Delhi Polices special unit in the film.

10th film 1 truth...Change is the only constant !!! Cant wait to begin filming this one #sandeepaurpinkyfaraar @yrf @SAPFTheFilm pic.twitter.com/SjZJw9f8Nu  Arjun Kapoor (@arjunk26) October 31, 2017

Arjuns character wants a promotion so he can play a more responsible role in law enforcement and needs to undergo special training to notch up high-profile cases.

In preparation for Arjuns cop avatar, Dibakar engaged the actor in extensive, in-depth research for about 10 days. The study involved thorough observations and close interactions with the police force in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR).

"Dibakar wanted me to understand the world the character comes from. I also wanted to understand the characters entire journey. I wanted to know his psychology and why he is the way he is, and why he makes certain extreme choices," said Arjun, as per a press release issued by the makers.

Arjun and Dibakar spent ten days travelling across Delhi and NCR to attend workshops for cadet training, weapon handling, physical exercises, and fitness training, besides going through an orientation for crisis and high-risk conflict situations. The actor also spent between six to nine hours interacting with the police at their homes and talking with their families.

I got to meet so many fascinating people. Actually, I have been preparing almost for three months now. I am devoting more time for the prep than shooting it. I knew that if I understood this world, I would be able to play the character better, says Arjun.

Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar also stars Parineeti Chopra. It is produced by Aditya Chopra's Yash Raj Films and is slated to release on 3 August, 2018.

(Also read: Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar to deal with the issue of Bharat vs India, says Arjun Kapoor)
Los Angeles: Salman Khan-starrer Tiger Zinda Hai has been shot across five different countries but each location lent itself to a turning point in the film's story, says director Ali Abbas Zafar.

Shot across various destinations in Austria, Greece, Morocco, Abu Dhabi and India, the sequel of Kabir Khan's Ek Tha Tiger will bring back Salman and actress Katrina Kaif as intelligence agents Tiger and Zoya, who travel to five different countries, fighting against the odds to fulfill their life-threatening mission.

"To meet the scale of the film, we had to travel to four different countries for different reasons. Certain landscapes needed to become a part of the film so we had to go to Austria to get the snow-covered mountains. We also had to go to Morocco to feature crucial fight sequences of horseback riding. The country's landscape and topography brings a certain texture to these sequences," Zafar said in a statement.

"It also has horses trained for some fight sequences, as many Hollywood films like Troy, and The Mummy Returns. Greece was absolutely picturesque and was the perfect location to shoot the celebratory anthem Swag Se Karenge Sabka Swagat.'

"Abu Dhabi gave us desert terrain. We got great support from the Abu Dhabi government, be it locations, production, army and air-force requirement. They helped us create larger than life action drama sequences. We also shot a couple of scenes in North and South Block, Delhi. Overall, each location has huge significance and is part of turning points in the film's script," he added.

The Yash Raj Films project is slated to release on 22 December.

(Also read  Tiger Zinda Hai: Ali Abbas Zafar posts picture of Salman Khan wielding a MG 42 machine gun)
Two South Korean stars who played lovers in a TV drama that took Asia by storm last year tied the knot in real life on 31 October in a highly-anticipated wedding. Actress Song Hye-Kyo, 35, and actor Song Joong-Ki, 32, who played the two leads in the military romance Descendants of the Sun, married in a star-studded ceremony in Seoul.

The wedding was said to be private, but photos were posted on social media.

The drama tells the story of an army captain sent on a peacekeeping mission to a fictional war-torn country, Uruk, where he meets and falls in love with a surgeon working with a medical NGO.

It enjoyed huge popularity at home and across Asia, garnering billions of views on Chinese video-streaming sites and winning a thumbs-up from Thailand's junta chief, who praised the main characters' sense of duty.

The 16-episode series was hailed as reviving the so-called Hallyu, or Korean Wave, of K-pop and K-dramas that spread across Asia and beyond since the early 2000s. The show also spawned a mini-industry, with Chinese fans snapping up cosmetics, clothes and fashion accessories favoured by the series' stars and sold on online shopping sites.

The closed-door event featured a Who's Who of the South Korean television industry as well as Zhang Ziyi, the award-winning Chinese actress who starred in the 2000 film Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon.
Los Angeles: Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has resigned from the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and is now banned for life from being a member of the organisation.

PGA made the announcement on Monday. The Guild had voted on 16 October to begin the process of expelling Weinstein but his expulsion was not immediately effective since the guild, according to its bylaws, was required to go through a termination process, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

According to its rules, it is required that a member be given 15 days' notice before disciplinary action is taken. But the PGA received notice that rather than face the guild's charges, Weinstein elected to resign his membership.

The Guild released a statement, saying, "In light of Mr Weinstein's widely reported behaviour, with new reports continuing to surface even now, the Producers Guild's National Board has voted unanimously to enact a lifetime ban on Mr Weinstein, permanently barring him from PGA membership. This unprecedented step is a reflection of the seriousness with which the Guild regards the numerous reports of Mr Weinstein's decades of reprehensible conduct. Sexual harassment can no longer be tolerated in our industry or within the ranks of Producers Guild membership."

Weinstein has been accused of sexual misconduct, including harassment and assault, by over 50 women, with incidents dating back to the 1970s.

He has also been expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and suspended by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He has even been terminated from his namesake production company, The Weinstein Co.
To put all the rumours to rest, actor Dhanush's home production Wunderbar Films officially released a statement on Twitter that Rajinikanth's much awaited film Kaala will not release in January or on Pongal.

Contrary to rumours and articles, #Kaala would not be ready for a January nor Pongal release. @dhanushkraja @vinod_wunderbar  Wunderbar Films (@WunderbarFilms_) October 30, 2017

Kaala is helmed by Pa Ranjith. Set in Mumbai, the film features Tamil superstar Rajinikanth in the role of a gangster from a slum area in the city of dreams. The film went on floors last May in Mumbai. An important part of the film has also been shot in Chennai. Kaala marks Rajinikanth and Pa Ranjith's second collaboration after the 2016 blockbuster Kabali. Huma Qureshi will make her Tamil debut with this movie. She will reportedly play the role of a woman who helps the gangster with his business activities reports NDTV. Huma also shared a picture of her with the director Ranjith and took an opportunity to thank him for the film.

With my director @beemji & DOP #MuraliSir..thank you for a wonderful journey called #Kaala ..cannot wait to share the film with u all pic.twitter.com/h9NeQAIW9v  Huma Qureshi (@humasqureshi) October 30, 2017

The film also stars Nana Patekar as the prime antagonist, Easwari Rao as Rajinikanth's wife and Pankaj Tripathi. "Nana Patekar plays a conniving, ruthless politician and he takes Rajinikanth head on. It's a very powerful role and audiences are going to love the face-off between him and Rajini sir," a source tells IANS.
The American Bar Association on Monday issued a statement deeming Omaha attorney Steve Grasz, who was nominated by President Donald Trump to a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, to be "not qualified" to serve on the federal court.

The rare ABA designation of a federal court nominee comes two days before Grasz is scheduled to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee for his confirmation hearing.

In a statement issued in conjunction with the ABA announcement, the chairperson of the committee that submitted the recommendation cited concerns about "temperament issues, particularly bias and lack of open-mindedness" by Grasz.

The ABA statement written by Pam Bresnahan, a Washington attorney, said many members of the committee who reviewed his nomination "questioned whether Mr. Grasz would be able to detach himself from his deeply held social agenda and political loyalty to be able to judge objectively, with compassion and without bias."

Grasz served as chief deputy attorney general for Nebraska from 1991 to 2002 and has been legal counsel for Pete Ricketts for Governor, formerly served as general counsel for the Nebraska Republican Party and was legal counsel for Nebraskans for the Death Penalty.

Bresnahan pointed to ABA concerns about "the nominee's deep connection and allegiance to the most powerful politicians in his state" along with questions about whether Grasz's "pro-life agenda" would color his judicial decisions.

Grasz has stated that he spends about 50 percent of his professional time lobbying and 50 percent of his time in litigation, Bresnahan said in her report.

The ABA report noted "a reluctance on the part of (some) members of the Nebraska bar" to respond to questions about Grasz and cited some responses that "expressed the view that he would be unable to separate his role as an advocate from that of a judge."

Grasz was recommended to the White House by Republican Sens. Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse.

Sasse is a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
With three consecutive blockbusters, Mehreen Pirzada is Telugu cinemas new golden girl and she is in no mood to stop her success streak. A lot has changed in the career of this Punjabi lass in the last one year and she thanks the universe for her good fortune.

In 2016, she made her acting debut with Nani-starrer Telugu romantic drama Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha and despite the films runaway success, things did not look bright for Mehreen, who had to wait long before she could sign her next project.

I remember coming to Hyderabad and meeting people whod say how much they loved me in Krishna Gaadi but I was surprised why no projects were coming my way. Looking back, I just feel the time wasnt right and theres nothing one could do about it. It was around this time, I did the Hindi film Phillauri, Mehreen told Firstpost in an exclusive chat. Recalling the tough phase, she said, On my birthday (5 November) last year, I was crying and my close friend wanted to throw a party to cheer me up. But I didnt want because I felt I didnt deserve one.

A day after her birthday last year, she met Tamil director Suseenthiran and the tables turned. Two days later, she signed her maiden Tamil film Nenjil Thunivirundhal, which is slated for a 10 November release. She sees Nenjil as a lucky project for a reason. I finished the first schedule of the film in Chennai and went back to Hyderabad in December (2016) and signed six films. I was told it was a record as nobody had signed so many films. I have already finished four projects. From waiting to be offered projects, I went through the phase where I was under tremendous pressure to choose which film to work on. My manager would tell me I cant shoot for so many films at the same time but I really liked the tension as it gave me a high. Im waiting for this years birthday and I hope I will sign six more films, she laughs.

Sharwanand-starrer Telugu romantic comedy Mahanubhavudu was Mehreens first release of the year. The film turned out to be a blockbuster, widely loved by the masses. This was followed by the recently released Ravi Teja starrer, Raja The Great, and there was no difference in the result. Her optimism can be easily mistaken for over confidence, especially when Mehreen says her best is yet to come and she describes it as her era. Raja The Great is the biggest hit of my career. It marks my hat-trick. It feels amazing but I believe this is just the beginning. Im not taking anything too seriously. Theyre saying Mehreen season has started but I want Mehreen era to start and until then I havent achieved anything. Im definitely happy with this kind of success but I feel I have a long way to go, she said.

Talking about Nenjil Thunivirundhal, in which she has shared screen space with Sundeep Kishan and Vikranth, she says her character from the film will leave a mark on the audience. I believe audiences connect with you by the characters you play; they remember you by your characters. In Telugu, audiences still see me as the rebellious girl Mahalakshmi from Krishna Gaadi Veeram Prema Gadha. Although I had equally good roles in Mahanubhavudu and Raja The Great, the Mahalakshmi character was very special and thats why people still remember it. In NenjilI play a character called Janani, who is equivalent to two Mahalakshmis. Even though its a brief role, it will be remembered, she said, adding she is yet to pick up Tamil. For Nenjil Thunivirundhal, I hardly shot for ten days. Thanks to Suseenthiran sir, I can manage Tamil but wish I had gotten more time to learn the language. I have signed another film with him and Im sure Ill pick up Tamil before I start shooting for that project, she added.

Mehreen, whose major upcoming Telugu release this year is Sai Dharam Tej-starrer Jawaan, is quite serious about building her career in Tamil industry and has an endless list of people with whom she would like to work. Im hopeful Ill get to work with all of them. Maybe, this year I might end up signing six Tamil films. Recently, I was quite excited for Vijay sirs Mersal because it released alongside my film Raja The Great on the same day. I see it as a message from the universe. Today, our films released together and tomorrow, I might work with him in the same film, she said.

Currently on a much deserved holiday, she is looking forward to ring in her birthday in the US this year. For the last eleven months, I have been working non-stop. I had planned this US trip a long time ago and this is the perfect break to reevaluate my career, she signs off.
The issues between the Bhartiya Janata Party and Mersal seem to be far from over as a fan of Vijay has been taken into police custody for making derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Deccan Chronicle reports that the Srivilliputhur police have arrested the young fan who launched a verbal attack on the prime minister using the social media screen name of Sachin Thiru.

BJP Madurai District Secretary K Marimuthu lodged a complaint against the post with the Srivilliputhur police. The comments were made between 23 and 29 October by S Thirumurugan. He has been charged under CrPC section 505 for public mischief and IPC section 67 IT ACT, 2008 for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form.

The ongoing tussle between the BJP and Vijay fans started after the BJP leaders took opposed the actor's recently released Mersal for its critical comments on demonetisation and the recently implemented Goods and Service Tax (GST).

The Tamil Nadu BJP leaders insisted the dialogues have to be removed. They claimed the one-liners were not at all factually correct and spread misguiding information about the government's latest ambitious moves.

A PIL was also filed by an advocate against Mersal stating that the movie is spreading wrong information but the Madras High Court rejected the plea to revoke censor certificate saying that any voice of opposition cannot be suppressed in a mature democracy and it is up to the viewers to judge the content.
The next season of Netflix's award-winning House of Cards will be the last, a spokesman said on 30 October, as the series reeled over sexual misconduct allegations against its star Kevin Spacey. According to a Deadline report, the actor's 2017 International Emmy Founders Award is also being withdrawn in the light of the allegations.

The 58-year-old double Oscar winner, who plays ruthless President Francis Underwood in the hit show, is facing claims from actor Anthony Rapp that he "made a sexual advance" at a party 31 years ago while Rapp was underage.

"Season six is our last season," a spokeswoman told AFP.

A source with knowledge of the issue told AFP however that the decision to end the series was unrelated to the allegations, having been made before they came to light.

Starring alongside Robin Wright, Spacey is also executive producer of the platform's flagship series, which is adapted from a BBC drama of the same name and has earned 46 Emmy nominations and Golden Globes for its lead couple.

Netflix doesn't release viewing figures. But the show has marked out its place in television history as the company's debut in original programming, which has grown to include other highly regarded shows such as Stranger Things and Orange is the New Black.

Filming for season six is under way in Maryland, with season six expected to drop next year. No premiere date has yet been set but House of Cards has never debuted later than May.

Rapp, 46, told Buzzfeed that in 1986, while both he and Spacey were performing on Broadway, Spacey invited the then 14-year-old to a party at his New York home. Spacey would have been 26 at the time.

Rapp said he was in Spacey's bedroom watching TV when Spacey, apparently drunk, came in after all the other guests had left, and lay on top of him.

"He was trying to seduce me," Rapp told Buzzfeed. "I don't know if I would have used that language. But I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually."

Spacey apologized on Twitter, and went on to say that Rapp's accusation "encouraged me to address other things about my life" before confirming that he was gay.

His comments prompted a backlash from critics who accused him of deflecting from his misdeed by finally coming out, while reports suggested that he may face other accusers.

Netflix and House of Cards production company Media Rights Capital issued a joint statement saying they were "deeply troubled" the allegations against Spacey, who is currently not scheduled to be on set.

"In response to last night's revelations, executives from both of our companies arrived in Baltimore this afternoon to meet with our cast and crew to ensure that they continue to feel safe and supported," it said.



With inputs from AFP.
Baahubali star Prabhas is on his way to Abu Dhabi in order to shoot an extensive never-seen-before chase sequence that will last for 20 minutes for his Bollywood debut Saaho.

The Indian Express reports that the chase sequence with Prabhas is being shot on a grand scale and it will involve a lot of cars, trucks and other vehicles. It is an integral part of the narrative and has been in the planning for a while now.

The same report states that the film's spokesperson also confirmed the news and says, "Saaho is a futuristic action entertainer and Abu Dhabi is the perfect location for shooting some key chase sequences. The city's skyscrapers make it the perfect backdrop for our schedule, the first of which was wrapped up in Hyderabad recently."

Action choreographer Kenny Bates, who has already amazed the audience with Hollywood hits like Transformers, Mission Impossible, Rush Hour and Armageddon, will be a key part of this team. The film is simultaneously being shot in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.



The cast of Prabhas starrer Saaho has grabbed the headlines even since the first announcement. Shraddha Kapoor will be seen in the lead role opposite the south Indian actor. The star cast of this film got more interesting with names like Jackie Shroff, Chunky Panday, Mahesh Manjrekar and Tinnu Anand joining the team.

Shooting for this high-octane futuristic action-drama started in August in Hyderabad. The action thriller is directed by Telugu filmmaker Sujeeth Reddy. Apart from Hyderabad, the film will be shot in Romania, Abu Dhabi and Europe. Saaho is expected to release in 2018. The movie is being produced on a budget of Rs 150 crore.

(Also read  Saaho: Is poster of Prabhas' film uncannily similar to Blade Runner 2049?)
New Delhi: In times of crises, India always relies on its armed forces, the railway ministry said on Tuesday, amid criticism over the governments decision to take the help of the Army to build a new foot-over bridge at Mumbai's Elphinstone Road station where 23 people were killed in a stampede in September.

Earlier on Tuesday in Mumbai, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Army would help build the footover-bridge (FOB) which will be completed by 31 January, 2018.

"We have always relied on the Army during a crisis," a railway ministry official said.

The Army had strong operational expertise in the construction of roads and bridges and in developing infrastructure and had been used during many civilian crises in the past, ministry officials pointed out.

"Why should we wait for another disaster to happen before seeking help? If the Army can help rebuild the structure then why not get them to build it," said an official.

Pointing out that the Army had been called in to join operations when the Mumbai-Goa highway bridge collapsed in August 2016, in rescue and rehabilitation work in Jammu and Kashmir during an earthquake in 2005 and floods in 2014 and the construction of a bridge during the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010, the officials said building the FOB in time was a matter of public interest.

Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has criticised the decision to rope in the Indian Army for the FOB, terming it "deplorable" and "an admission of failure" of the government and the Indian Railways.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah tweeted, "The Army was to be a measure of the last resort to be called upon in an extreme emergency. Now it seems like its the first number

on the speed dial."

A railway ministry official also listed instances where the Army had been called in not just to repair and rebuild, but to manage fires as in 2008 when it helped control a blaze in a 13-storey building in Kolkata.

The ministry officials also said that not just in India, but globally too armed forces played key roles in the betterment of citizen services.

They said the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) maintains deepwater ports, operates 75 hydroelectric facilities and also operates 2,500 recreation areas at 463 projects.

"Our officials, engineers who will see the Army at work will also learn from the best. They will learn how to complete such tasks on a war footing. This will eventually lead to swifter completion of projects in the railways as well," an official said.
On Tuesday, the Congress launched a state wide agitation called the Jan Aakrosh Andolan even as the BJP-led government in Maharashtra marked its third year in office.

The agitation, which seeks to shed light on the "various unfulfilled promises" made by the government, will conclude on 8 Novemberthe one year anniversary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcing demonetisationwith the Congress observing a "Black Day".

Senior Congress leaders Gulab Nabi Azad, Mohan Prakash, Ashok Chavan, Prithviraj Chavan, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil were present at the public rally in Ahmednagar.

Former chief minister and state Congress president Ashok Chavan said that the government is insulting farmers by not clearing their loans despite distributing no dues certificates. Chavan claimed that the certificates have been distributed for two weeks, but not a single farmer has benefitted.

Chavan added that the Congress will hold multiple rallies across the state and that the agitation will bring to light the public anger at the failures of the BJP-led government.

Chavan also blamed the state machinery for delaying the disbursal of the loan waiver amount to farmers.

"When we were in power, we gave the loan waiver to farmers within a week of the announcement," Chavan said. "This government, in the name of transparency, issued 9 Government Resolutions (GR) in one week."

Chavan added that the government was trying to deprive farmers by imposing strict criteria to be eligible for the loan waiver scheme.

"They are famous for making false promises," Chavan said.

Chavan also demanded a judicial probe into the inaccurate data provided by the banks for the Rs 34,022-crore farm loan waiver scheme declared by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. "Errors such as linking a single Aadhaar number with hundreds of accounts are a serious matter. The state government cannot abdicate its responsibility," he said.

Chavan said the Fadnavis government made several promises when it came to power in 2014, but not a single promise has been fulfilled.

"Every section of society will join in our stir. Reservation for Marathas, Muslims and the Dhangar community remains on paper. The government keeps misleading us again and again. They are only making false promises to the 12 crore citizens of Maharashtra. The Congress is on the right track and we will win the upcoming elections," he added.

The government is attempting to mask its failure by putting the blame on the banks, Chavan claimed, adding that the government's intention seems to be to make a mockery of the farmers and reduce the number of beneficiaries so that the expenditure remains minimal.

"As far as I know, the amount spent on the farm loan waiver will not be more than Rs 10,000 crore," Chavan claimed. "Around 12 lakh farmers will benefit."
Editor's note: This is the second article in a multi-part special series done by Firstpost where we document several problems of illegal immigration and ethnic turmoil that authorities in Assam face.

Even as tensions and apprehensions have gripped Assam over speculation that the draft updated National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the state may exclude lakhs of people residing in the state, it is not clear if the updated NRC would ever settle the vexed foreigners' issue as the cut-off date to decide as to who can enjoy the status of an Indian citizen in the northeastern state is yet to be sealed politically.

The Supreme Court, which has been monitoring the process, directed a partial publication of the draft NRC on 31 December this year until the issue of claims of 48 lakh applicants, who submitted the certificates issued by Gaon (village) Panchayat secretaries to support the claim, is decided by the apex court. The Gauhati High Court in a judgment and order held that certificate issued by a Gaon Panchayat secretary is not a legal and valid document to support a claim for inclusion in the NRC.

Altogether 68.33 lakh application forms and about five crore supporting documents were submitted to the NRC authorities till the closure of submission on 31 August 2015 for the inclusion of names in the updated NRC. Apprehensions over the exclusion of names in the final NRC were raised after State Coordinator, NRC Prateek Hajela submitted before the Supreme Court on 12 October that of 47 lakh applicants who have submitted claims for inclusion in the NRC on the basis of certificates issued by Gaon Panchayat secretary, 17.40 lakh were found to be original inhabitants. On the basis of a detailed field verification, the registering authority was satisfied with regard to the citizenship status of the aforesaid 17.40 lakh applicants.

The division bench of the apex court comprising Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Navin Sinha while taking the state coordinator, NRCs statement on record, in course of hearing a bunch of Special Leave Petitions, directed that the claims of those 17.40 lakh persons be processed accordingly. sThe bench said in its order that whether the claims of the remaining 26.13 lakh for inclusion in the NRC are to be verified "on the basis of the Certificate(s) of the Gram Panchayat Secretary or on the basis of other documents would depend on the final answer that the Apex Court would provide to the issue(s) arise in the present special leave petition(s) in question". The SLPs were filed challenging the Gauhati High Court judgment and order. The Supreme Court has fixed 15 November as the next date of hearing.

Although existing citizenship laws have clearly spelt out who can be an Indian citizen, amendments to provisions in the existing laws are pending before Parliament.

It is not clear if the modalities of NRC would require being reviewed if the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, which has already been tabled in both Houses of Parliament is passed into an act. Passage of the bill in Parliament may give rise to fresh political conditions and legal questions if revised modalities would also apply to those whose names are going to be excluded from the updated NRC in the event of their failure to submit proof of their residential qualification for citizenship in Assam with respect to the cut-off date for updating the NRC, 1951.

The modalities for updating the NRC in Assam state that persons whose names appear in NRC, 1951, persons whose names appear in any of the Electoral Rolls up to 24 March (midnight), 1971, descendants of these persons, persons who came to Assam on or after 1 January 1966 but before 25 March 1971 and registered themselves in accordance with the rules made by the Central government with the Foreigners Registration Regional Officer (FRRO) and who have not been declared as illegal migrants or foreigners by the competent authority, persons who are original inhabitant of Assam and their children and descendant who are citizens of India provided the citizenship of such person as is ascertained reasonable doubt by the registering authority are eligible for inclusion in the updated NRC.

In accordance with the Supreme Court order all Indian citizens including their children and descendants who have moved to Assam post March 24, 1971 would be eligible for inclusion in the updated NRC on adducing satisfactory proof of residence in any part of the country (outside Assam) as on 24 March, 1971.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 proposes to grant citizenship to persons belonging to six non-Muslim minority communities  Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians  from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan and reduce the aggregate period of residential qualification for citizenship, in respect of the migrants from these three countries, from 11 years to six years. However, no distinction in respect of any religion has been made in the modalities for updating the NRC. Therefore, if the provisions of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 require to be incorporated, when the bill is passed into an Act, then it runs the risk of reducing the process of updating the NRC also to be on religious lines unless those, including the Muslim migrants, excluded for not being able to prove their residency qualification for citizenship for inclusion of their names in the updated NRC are also brought in the ambit of the new modalities to be framed.

For the Bharatiya Janata Party, the ruling party both at the Centre and in Assam, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 is a political necessity as the party believes that granting of citizenship to Hindu Bangladeshi migrants will help the party consolidate its support base among Hindu Bengali voters not just in Assam, it will also help woo Hindu Bengali voters in West Bengal and Tripura. The party made the bill a major poll plank in 2016 Assam Assembly polls and has been defending the stand for pushing the citizenship amendment bill in Parliament.

Opposition parties and various minority groups have raised questions over the identification of the 17.40 lakh of the 48 applicants as original inhabitants and demanded the NRC authorities make criteria public to remove confusion and apprehension among the people, which they said have been doing the rounds across the state.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal cautioned the people that certain forces were trying to create confusion and fear psychosis by spreading rumour regarding the NRC and warned that such acts would be treated "anti-national". He also sought to allay apprehensions among the people with the assurance that his government would ensure that names of all genuine citizens in the state were included in the updated NRC. However, a political finality in respect of cut-off date for deciding the citizenship issue remaining elusive with the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 which seeks to grants citizenship to Hindu Bangladeshi migrants and other non-Muslim minority communities from Pakistan and Afghanistan still pending before Parliament, the apprehension over the NRC cannot be expected to die down immediately in the state.

Also Read

Quest for citizenship: As millions try to prove nationality in Assam, one man's story reveals the burden of proof

The author is a senior journalist and editor of NEZINE.
Mumbai-based Gujarati jeweller Birju Salla, who created a false hijack scare on Mumbai-Delhi Jet Airways flight on Monday, has become the first person in the country to be put on the 'No-Fly' list, CNN-News18 reported .

Birju allegedly placed a note stating that there were 12 hijackers and a bomb in the cargo area. The note, which was printed in Urdu and English, asked that the plane be flown straight to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). It ended with the words, "Allah is Great". After the note was discovered, the flight was diverted to the airport in Ahmedabad.

Following the incident, Union civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju put Birju on 'No-Fly' list.

I am advising the Airlines to put him on the No-Fly list immediately, in addition to other statutory criminal action.  Ashok Gajapathi Raju (@Ashok_Gajapathi) October 30, 2017

According to the new guidelines issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation in September, anyone who indulges in life-threatening behaviour, verbal or physical unruly behaviour, while on board an aircraft  even if the aircraft is still on ground  could find himself/ herself foul of the new law.

Salla had also done such a mischief in the past with the airline out of some grudge, a police official said.

"This is the second time when Salla did such a mischief with Jet Airways. A few months ago, he tried to harass the airline using some other trick. It seems that Salla has some grudge against the airline," he said.

Earlier, Salla had created a ruckus over a cockroach he allegedly found in his food.

The fact that the insect wasnt cooked made the crew suspect that it may have been planted. The matter, however, was resolved with minimal fuss, a senior government official was quoted by Hindustan Times on the condition of anonymity.

The airline, however, had let him go after taking an assurance that he would not repeat the offence.

With inputs from agencies
As China prepares to build a 1,000-kilometre-long tunnel by diverting the Brahmaputra river towards the parched Xinjiang region, Beijing's ambitious projects has potentially worrisome implications for India, which have again come to the fore.

The proposed tunnel, which will be the world's longest once completed, is expected to "turn Xinjiang into California". It would drop down from the world's highest plateau to provide water to an area which now includes only vast swathes of desert and dry grasslands. The move, which is likely to give China an upper hand in geopolitical relations in the region, will also have deep environmental implications for other nations that the Brahmaputra passes through.

The project falls in line with a long-running hydro-power tussle between two of the largest stakeholders, India and China, to harness the power of the mighty Brahmaputra.

Brahmaputra's strategic location

The Himalayas give birth to multiple rivers, including the Brahmaputra, Mekong, Yangtze, Sutlej, Indus, Salween, and the Huang Ho.

Apart from being one of the longest rivers in the world at 2,880 kilometres, the Brahmaputra is also a regional giant, with its tributaries extending through Tibet (where it is called Yarlung Tsangpo), the hills of North East India (as Siang and Brahmaputra), and the valleys of Bangladesh (as Jamuna), before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.

In India, the path of the river has sculpted the natural and human landscape of two Northeastern states  Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, according to an essay in The Conversation.

In the past, Indian and Chinese governments have tried to undertake multiple hydro-power projects, including the Lower Subansiri project and the Dibang Valley project, the article says, and as many as 168 MoUs have been signed between the Arunachal Pradesh state government and private and public dam-building companies.

China's diversions to allow for construction of multiple hydroelectric dams are a stark reminder of the advantage Beijing holds over its downstream neighbours in Delhi and Dhaka.

Impact on India

China, especially in times of drought, keeps a tight handle on water supply from upstream areas. In 2016, Vietnam pleaded with Beijing to release water from the Yunnan dam into the Mekong river. China complied, and water flowed into Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam. Even so, however, the drought damaged 1,40,000 hectares of rice in the Mekong Delta, while over 6,00,000 people faced water shortages.

In India and Bangladesh, local communities are afraid of the environmental and socio-economic consequences of the mega-dams proposed by both China and India. The Conversation's essay said that the size and scale of these proposed infrastructure developments on the river, and the wider region, is unprecedented in the history of Northeast India.

Moreover, the monsoon also brings with it the threat of Chinese dams releasing water to ease pressure, often with little warning. In the past, India has blamed sudden discharges from Chinese dams as the cause of devastating flash floods in several parts of the country. Even earlier this year, heavy flooding was witnessed in Assam, from which some districts are yet to recover. Assam state government minister Himanta Biswa Sarma blamed heavy rainfall in China as the cause of the flooding that killed over 160 people and affected millions in the state.

Refusal to share data

One solution devised to establish trust between the neighbours  and to avoid downstream flooding  was to regularly share hydrological data among the countries. This helps downstream India and Bangladesh forecast floods, and make necessary arrangements during the monsoon to tackle rise in water levels.

The two countries signed two pacts in 2008 and 2010, facilitating India with data on water levels and rainfall twice a day, from 1 June to 15 October  the usual length of the monsoon season  at three hydrological stations in Tibet.

Later in 2013, during former prime minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Beijing, an MoU was signed where China agreed to share hydrological data with India from 15 May to 15 October annually.

In August 2017, the external affairs ministry said India has not received hydrological data on Brahmaputra and Sutlej rivers from China this year despite existing agreements. China later cited technical reasons, saying a data collection centre in the Tibet Autonomous Region was under renovation.

However, New Delhi does not seem to be convinced, especially since Bangladesh officials have also confirmed that China has shared hydrological data on Brahmaputra, The Economic Times reported.

In 2017, a swollen Brahmaputra wreaked havoc in Assam in four waves, displacing people of 29 districts, while in Punjab, over 10,000 acres of farm land were inundated by waters of the Sutlej.

China tampering with the river's flow

Over the past decade, Beijing has undertaken several projects to divert the flow of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, consistently ruffling diplomatic feathers in New Delhi and Dhaka.

China's 13th five-year plan proposed significant hydro-power expansion along rivers originating in the Tibetan plateau, The Hindu reported. Although the plan does not mention the rivers, the report said it is anticipated that the new dams are envisaged along the Yarlung Zangbo, Lancang (Mekong) and Nu (Salween).

In 2016, during the construction of China's most expensive hydroelectric project in Tibet, China announced it will be blocking one of the Brahmaputra's tributaries, the Xiabuqu River. "The Lalho project on the Xiabuqu river in Xigaze involves an investment of $740 million," an official said, sparking fears in India about possible repercussions the country will face once the project concludes in 2019.

For the 1,000 kilometre-long Tibet-Xinjiang tunnel, a "rehearsal project" to build a 600-kilometer long tunnel in Yunnan province was initiated in August.

"The water diversion project in central Yunnan is a demonstration project," an official said. "It is to show we have the brains, muscle and tools to build super-long tunnels in hazardous terrains, and the cost does not break the bank," he was quoted as saying in the South China Morning Post report.

Chinese engineers say the Tibetan plateau, often referred to as "the roof of the world", stops the monsoon from reaching Xinjiang, leaving the Gobi desert in the north and the Taklimakan desert in the south unsuitable for human settlement. In recent decades, Chinese government departments, including the Ministry of Water Resources, have come up with engineering blueprints involving huge dams, pumps and tunnels.

India has already flagged its concerns to Beijing about various dams being built by it on Brahmaputra river. Beijing has assured India and Bangladesh that its dams are not designed for storing water.

The project's enormous cost, engineering challenges, possible environmental impact and the likelihood of protests by neighbouring countries have meant that it never left the drawing board. But Zhang Chuanqing, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics in Wuhan, Hubei province, said China was now taking a quiet, step-by-step approach to bring it to life.

With inputs from PTI
A Hong Kong-based publication on Monday claimed that China is testing ways to divert water from Brahmaputra in Tibet to the parched Xinjiang region. Such a move is likely to encounter India's protest as the Brahmaputra is a major river system in the strategically important North East.

This is the latest among a series of incidents recently where China's interests have clashed with those of India.

Doka La - Sikkim border standoff

The standoff at the Bhutan-Sikkim-Tibet tri-junction began on 16 June when the Indian Army protested the Chinese troops constructing a road at Doka La, a Bhutanese territory which is also claimed by China. On the behalf of Bhutan, India then sent its bulldozers to physically stop the construction. The standoff at Doka La continued for over two months.

Just nine days after the standoff began, China stopped the movement of the first batch of Kailash Manasarovar yatris. The standoff created a huge political furore in India, with the Opposition targetting the Narendra Modi government for its handling of the situation. However, addressing the Parliament, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj assured the Opposition that "India is capable of defending itself".

The media of the two nations, too, added to the standoff. Chinese media's "belligerent" stance on the issue, accusing New Delhi of trespassing into Chinese territory, did not make matters pleasant. One of the editorial also went to the extent of reminding India of the 1962 debacle.

China's provocation continued as on 29 June, the Chinese foreign ministry released a map which showed the disputed tri-junction area as part of China.

While no diplomatic solution seemed to be in sight, China on 18 July urged India to withdraw its troops from the area and claimed that Indian troops were camping at least 80 metres inside the Chinese territory.

However, on 28 August, just three days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to embark for the BRICS Summit in China, both nations decided to mutually disengage their troops at the tri-junction.

Masood Azhar

On Monday, China said that it would block a resolution at the United Nations this week to declare Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar an international terrorist.

China, in the past too, has blocked attempts by India and the US to declare Azhar an international terrorist.

Beijing had put a technical hold on the proposal last year which remained till August. Beijing then extended it further for three months.

China's 'no' to the US proposal means that a new resolution will have to be moved. Minus China, all the countries of the 15-member Security Council are on board to ban Azhar, who heads the Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit.

China's refusal to pass the resolution is reportedly frustrating India and the US, who want him punished. Azhar is accused of several terror attacks including the 2001 Indian Parliament attack.

China's move is being seen as an attempt to sheild its "all-weather" ally Islamabad, which has been accused of harbouring terror outfits by India.

Defending Pakistan over terror charges

On 26 September, just a day after India's external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj criticised Pakistan for exporting terrorism at the 72nd session of the UNGA, the Chinese state media slammed her speech, calling it "politically imbecilic and unsophisticated".

"There is indeed terrorism in Pakistan. But is supporting terror the country's national policy? What can Pakistan gain from exporting terrorism? Money or honour? Is India really an IT superpower that produces engineers and doctors when it is hell-bent on believing Pakistan is evil?," an editorial in the Global Times said.

OBOR project infringing upon India's sovereignty

As part of President Xi Jinping's dream project to rejuvenate a new silk route across Asia, the Chinese government kick-started the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative.

Most of India's neighbours, including Sri Lanka, Nepal and Pakistan, have signed up for the multi-nation infrastructure project, which is worth at least $4 trillion. However, India refused to do so following sovereignty concerns over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). CPEC passes through Pakistan occupied Kashmir before ending at Gwadar port in Balochistan.

On 14 May, no Indian delegation was seen at the opening ceremony, which was addressed by Xi. "...No country can accept a project that ignores its core concerns on sovereignty and territorial integrity," the then Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Gopal Bagley said.

Water wars over Brahmaputra

India's concerns over Chinese dam building over the Brahmaputra is not new. In the latest move, China plans to build a 1,000 kilometre underground tunnel to divert water from the river to Xinjiang province.

The move, that is expected to "turn Xinjiang into California", has raised concerns among environmentalists about its likely impact on the Himalayan region.

India's concerns over the river project is due to the fact that there are no bilateral or multilateral treaties on the water. According to Economic Times, the dam building will help China assert its claim over Arunachal Pradesh and also reduce river flows into India.

India's fear of Chinese control over Brahmaputra river was first seen on 12 September this year when Beijing said that it cannot share hydrological data of the river with India as the data collection station in Tibet is being upgraded.

With inputs from agencies
LINCOLN  Gov. Pete Ricketts said Monday he will focus on further reductions in state spending in the wake of last week's forecast of a growing gap in anticipated state revenue.

But he's "willing to discuss different ideas" that might be proposed by state senators, he said.

"We'll work with the Legislature," the governor said during a news conference at the Capitol called to discuss efficiencies in state government that have resulted from his administration's imposition of "operational excellence initiatives."

Ricketts already has imposed a hiring freeze and placed restrictions on travel expenses in the wake of the Nebraska Economic Forecasting Advisory Board's reduction in anticipated revenue available to fund the state's 2017-19 budget.

The latest forecast left a projected $195 million revenue hole in the state budget that was approved by the Legislature earlier this year, pointing to likely reductions in budget allocations to state agencies and institutions.

"The Legislature and I will work to control spending," Ricketts said, and "align the budget with the forecast."

Asked if congressional efforts to enact federal tax cuts might negatively impact Nebraska's revenue picture even further, the governor said those tax cuts conceivably could improve the economy and "we could see revenue grow."

The state government operational efficicencies hailed by Ricketts stemmed from his determination to "change the culture of state government (and) operate it more like a business."

Some of the results have included swifter and more efficient telephone response, improved online service, improved processing time for licensing, and cost savings.

"We need to treat people like customers," the governor said, and "do a better job serving the people of Nebraska" while controlling government costs.

Representatives from the Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Corrections and Department of Administrative Services outlined changes that have improved service and response time and, in some cases, already saved money.

Ricketts created a Center of Operational Excellence to work with state agencies to train state government's workforce to help improve governmental operations, identify waste and "deliver better customer service."
New Delhi: The Election Commission has barred the railways from publicising its new timetables and introducing new trains for poll-bound Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. A letter received by the ministry from the poll panel last week states that while the railways can go ahead with publishing the new timetables  'Trains at a Glance'  and making it operational as planned on 1 November, "no publicity shall be made in this regard".

Railway sources had earlier said that as many as 700 trains could see alterations in the new schedules because of changes in departure/arrival timings, enhanced speed and various other adjustments made by the transport behemoth in an effort to cut down travel time of long-distance trains. Many express trains have been made superfast as a result of which train numbers have been changed, which could create confusion among passengers.

As of now, the railways has not been able to publicise these particular changes to inform the public, the sources said. Each zonal railway is ready with its own timetable, but is wary of publicising them because of the Election Commission letter, the sources said.

The railways also has a slew of new trains that would benefit several states, officials said. According to the Election Commission letter, no new trains in these two states can be introduced or formally inaugurated till the model code of conduct is in place.

Himachal Pradesh goes to polls on 9 November, while the Assembly polls in Gujarat will be held in two phases on 9 and 14 December. "If passengers are having problems, the railway ministry is free to write to us again and we will review the matter," a senior EC functionary told PTI.
Over a month after 23 people were killed in a stampede at the Elphinstone Road Railway Station in Mumbai, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that a new bridge would be constructed in the area within three months.

Fadnavis who visited the site of the stampede on Tuesday along with Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, confirmed that the army had been called in to construct three new bridges in railway stations in Mumbai including one near Elphinstone Road station.

"After the incident at Elphinstone Road station, there was a demand to construct a new bridge here," said Fadnavis.

After Elphinstone stampede incident had asked for help from armed forces,&Defence Min agreed,3 bridges will be constructed by 31 Jan:Maha CM pic.twitter.com/P8P8ucOTm0  ANI (@ANI) October 31, 2017

"The army constructs bridges during wartime. They have expertise in this area. Nirmalaji has called authorities from the army here. The army will construct three bridges here till by 31 January," he added.

Goyal said that the three foot-over-bridges would be constructed at Elphinstone Road station, Currey Road station and another in Ambiwali.

"We have conducted surveys at stations all over Mumbai. Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar met me and Nirmalaji on 6 October and told us that there are some factors, which create conditions for such tragedies, which need to be addressed immediately," he said.

"These three bridges will be completed by 31 January 2018," added Goyal.

The defence minister thanked the army for this task. "We know that the army reaches any place affected by natural disasters. This is the first time we are asking the army to do civil work. But the Elphinstone Road tragedy was such a big tragedy that we asked the army whether it would be possible for them to help."

Army has come &seen,inspected and assessed where the bridge is going to be built, they will be there at every stage of the work: Defence Min pic.twitter.com/04E4VRnTdL  ANI (@ANI) October 31, 2017

"I am grateful to the army for coming forward and saying that they have a role in nation-building," she said.

On Wednesday, five teams of the Western Railway (WR), which conducted an audit of facilities at suburban stations in and around Mumbai, had suggested construction of a number of foot over-bridges (FOBs).

The multidisciplinary teams, set up in the wake of the Elphinstone Road station stampede, had also suggested a slew of steps to improve rail infrastructure and provide better amenities to suburban passengers, including setting up more CCTV cameras.

The teams were set up by Goyal after the tragedy to conduct an audit and review capacity of the current infrastructure and recommend measures to improve commuter amenities.

With inputs from PTI
New Delhi: Two suspected robbers, referred to as 'Jai' and 'Veeru', popular characters of the iconic Bollywood film 'Sholay', were arrested from south Delhi for their alleged involvement in motor vehicle thefts, police said on Tuesday.

Jamshed Alam (18), a resident of Sangam Vihar, and Irshad (21), who lives in Shiv Park, they said.

The police have recovered 13 stolen autorickshaws and a scooty thereby solving six cases of motor vehicle theft.

On 29 October, the police received a tip-off about the accused coming to a specific location following which they laid a trap and arrested the accused.

During an interrogation, both the accused confessed to have committed several vehicle thefts in Delhi and the National Capital Region, the police said.

"Both the accused are good friends and were inspired by the iconic Bollywood movie 'Sholay' and are known as 'Jai' and 'Veeru' in the locality," the police said.

Initially, both used to drive an autorickshaw on rent to earn a livelihood.

Later, to make quick money, they started stealing auto rickshaws from Gurgaon or Faridabad, they said.
New Delhi: India can contribute to the international coalition against the Islamic State in its fight against terrorism, Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni said on Monday.

India is important for maintaining stability "in this region" that faces the menace of terrorism and nuclear threats from North Korea, Gentiloni said at event organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF).

India is not part of the international coalition against the Islamic State. But it has made an "extraordinary" contribution to the fight against terrorism, he said. India is important to "promote and maintain stability in this region in which European interests are directly involved", he said.

He said India and Italy can work together for the UN commission on terrorism and in Afghanistan.

In his lecture on "Italy, the EU and India: A strong partnership in a time of global challenges", Gentiloni stressed the need for a closer cooperation between the two countries and a common migration policy for Europe.

Responding to a question, the Italian prime minister said his country's trade cooperation with China is "open and frank" and it is positive as far as India is concerned.

He said Italy and India are together in opposing increasing trade protectionism as it is not in the interests of the two countries and the global trade.

On Brexit, he said the process of Britain leaving the European Union has started.
Jammu: The Pakistani Army on Tuesday fired from small arms along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, leaving a girl injured.

The girl was identified a 13-year-old Gulnaz.

"There was ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops on Tuesday along the LoC in Karmara belt of Poonch", a police officer told PTI.

The girl has been admitted to a district hospital. It may be recalled that on 26 October, Pakistani troops fired using small and heavy weapons at Sher Shakti and Mandhar areas of Kerni sector.

On 18 October, eight civilians, including a two-year-old child, were injured in heavy shelling by Pakistani troops in the district.
After reports emerged of a Delhi-bound Jet Airways flight being diverted to Ahmedabad due to a hijack scare, lawyers scrambled to find copies of a little-used law under which the suspect was booked.

Passed in 2016, the Anti-Hijacking Act replaced the older 1982 law, which allowed for hijackers to be tried for the death penalty only in the event of death of hostages, such as flight crew, passengers and security personnel. Interestingly, while the Act was passed in 2016, it only came into effect in July 2017 after the government framed the requisite rules.

In the new law, the definition of hijacking has been expanded to include death of "security personnel on board" or "ground support staff" as well. In other cases of hijacking, the guilty will be punished with imprisonment for life and fine, besides confiscation of movable and immovable property held by him or her.

Extended definition of hijacking

The Act also gives Indian courts universal jurisdiction as they can apply this law in cases the hijacker is Indian, or if the hijacked aircraft is registered in India or if any foreign registered aircraft lands in India with the alleged offender still on board or when the aircraft is hijacked anywhere in the world and an Indian citizen is on board.

The new law includes several acts within the definition of hijacking including making a threat, attempts or abetment to commit the offence. Those who organise or direct others to commit such offence will also be considered to have committed the offence of hijacking.

The Act applies from the beginning of the pre-flight preparation of the aircraft until 24 hours after any landing. Further, in cases of a forced landing, the flight shall be deemed to continue until the authorities take over the responsibility for the aircraft and for persons and property on board.

The law also mandates the central government to confer powers of investigation, arrest and prosecution on any officer of the central government or the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The Act also allows the Indian Air Force to scramble its fighters to intercept a hijacked aircraft and force it to land. It can also shoot down a hostile plane if there is evidence that it could be used as a missile to hit a vital installation.

Act was under consideration for 15 years

According to Livemint, the law has been under consideration for around 15 years after incidents like the hijack of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 in 1999 and the 11 September, 2001 terror strikes in the United States, reflecting major threats like civilian aircraft being hijacked and used as missiles to cause mass destruction.

Apart from the practical necessities of passing the law, it also fulfilled India's treaty obligations under the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft, 1970 as well as the Beijing Protocol, 2010.

The law still has some weaknesses as detailed by The Wire. The first of these is the non-inclusion of any aircraft that is used in customs or police service. It also doesn't punish hoax calls which can cause a lot of trouble to the public and the security forces.

With inputs from PTI
A Delhi-bound Jet Airways flight from Mumbai was diverted to the airport in Ahmedabad after a note was found on board threatening the presence of hijackers and explosives on the aircraft. The person responsible for the 'letter', a Gujarati jeweller, was detained by the city police.

The note, allegedly placed by Mumbai-based Gujarati jeweller Birju Salla, stated there were 12 hijackers and a bomb in the cargo area. The note, which was printed in Urdu and English, asked that the plane be flown straight to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). It ended with the words, "Allah is Great". The reference to PoK made investigators suspicious as Pakistan-based terrorists call the area Azad Kashmir, an official said, according to The Indian Express.

Flight 9W 339, which had taken off from Mumbai at 2.55 am with 115 passengers and seven crew members, landed without incident at Ahmedabad around 3.45 am. The Boeing 737-900 plane was parked at a remote bay and all 122 safely deplaned, a Jet Airways spokesperson said.

Salla was reportedly the last person to use the washroom before the threatening note was discovered by the cabin crew staff. Salla, who now lives in Mumbai, had in the past too done such a mischief with the airline out of some grudge, the police official said.

Repeat offender

Salla, who now lives in Mumbai, in the past had done such a mischief with the airline out of some grudge, the police official said.

"This is the second time when Salla did such a mischief with Jet Airways. A few months ago, he tried to harass the airline using some other trick. It seems that Salla has some grudge against the airline," he said.

Salla was a repeat offender who usually travelled business class and appeared to have a grouse against the airline. He had had earlier created a ruckus over a cockroach he allegedly found in his food.

The fact that the insect wasnt cooked made the crew suspect that it may have been planted. The matter, however, was resolved with minimal fuss, a senior government official was quoted by Hindustan Times on the condition of anonymity.

The airline, however, had let him go after taking an assurance that he would not repeat the offence.

A plot out of 'Bollywood'

Investigators have two working theories as to why Salla resorted to the hijack hoax: First, that it was an act of revenge against an airline employee for not responding to his declaration of love for her; and second, that it was aimed at the airline for having treated him poorly during flights he had taken in the recent past.

An initial probe in Salla and his motive behind planting the hoax revealed a plot straight from a Bollywood movie with unrequited love as its theme, according to The Times of India.

The report stated that investigators ascertained the 37-year-old had reportedly fallen for a Jet Airways employee and had hoped that by doing something that runs the airline to the ground, he would leave the lady jobless and force her to come to him for employment.

The bizarre theory emerged during a background check on Salla and was reaffirmed in alleged confessions made by him.

"Salla runs property business in Thane, a suburb of Mumbai. His company is registered with the ministry of corporate affairs. Last July, he had picked up a major fight on a Jet Airways flight by claiming that his meal had cockroaches. He somehow wanted to harm Jet so that the lady comes to him for a job. Salla may be of unsound mind," a senior investigator told The Times of India.

Salla had reportedly told police that he had "made up the hijacking note to defame the airline and seek revenge against a female crew member who had spurned him.

NIA to probe

According to a report in The Indian Express, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is set to probe the fake hijack threat.

Official sources in Mumbai said that a case has been registered against Salla under sections 3(b), for forcefully seizing control of an aircraft, and 4(b), mandating life imprisonment, of the Anti Hijacking Act, 1982. They said that charges under the Act bring the case under the ambit of the NIA, the report said.

Salla's note had read: "9W 339 is covered by hijackers and a/c (aircraft) should not land and (be) flown straight to POK (Pakistan-occupied Kashmir). 12 ppl on board. If you put landing you can hear the noise of people dying. Don't take it as a joke. Cargo area contains explosive bombs and will blast if you land in DEL (Delhi). Allah is great."

According to CNN-News18, an air hostess onboard had found a note in the bathroom there were hijackers and explosives on the aircraft.

As per protocol, the air hostess alerted the pilot who in turn alerted the Air Traffic Control (ATC) and made an emergency landing in Ahmedabad and parked at a remote bay in the airport. The note warned the pilot not to land at Delhi and instead fly the aircraft to Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).

The plane was then diverted to Ahmedabad where it landed safely. Inspection by the bomb disposal squad found no explosive in the plane and the note turned out to be a hoax.

With inputs from PTI
Mumbai: The political tussle between the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Congress over the hawkers' issue intensified on Monday with the workers of the Raj Thackeray-led party holding a protest outside the suburban residence of Mumbai unit Congress president Sanjay Nirupam.

Police arrested 11 MNS activists for participating in the protest held outside the Versova residence of Nirupam, who has sided with hawkers in the wake of the MNS' 'drive' to evict them from railway station premises.

MNS and Nirupam have been exchanging sharp barbs since the last few days.

On Saturday, some MNS activists were assaulted by hawkers outside suburban Malad railway station while they were trying to evict them forcibly, within hours of Nirupam addressing a rally of street vendors in Malad.

Nirupam had said that hawkers will not tolerate "high-handedness" of MNS activists and are capable of retaliation.

Following the attack on MNS workers, Nirupam was booked yesterday for addressing the rally without securing prior permission of the police.

A police officer said the 11 MNS workers arrested this afternoon were later released on bail.

Police had arrested seven hawkers under various sections of the IPC, including 307 (attempt to murder) in connection with the Saturday's incident in which 40 MNS workers were also booked on charge of rioting and 18 of them were arrested.

After MNS chief Raj Thackeray addressed a rally in south Mumbai earlier this month over the death of 23 people in a stampede on the staircase of the foot overbridge (FOB) at suburban Elphinstone Road railway station last month, MNS workers took upon themselves the task of removing hawkers from station premises.
Chandigarh: The Punjab Police believes militancy is returning to the state even though activists have termed it a ploy to turn people's attention from developmental issues plaguing the state.

The police claims that it has busted many groups and arrested many people who were planning to carry out terror activities in the state. It says that several of the arrested men were planning to kill those who wrote or spoke against Sikhism.

The latest such case involves seven youth who were arrested from Ludhiana on 29 September for allegedly being a part of the banned terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International. However, human rights activists and the accuseds kin have called these arrests the polices way to divert public attention from real developmental issues.

The police said that although the youth have no criminal past, it found incriminating evidence against them.

It said that the seven accused were held for trying to disturb law and order by getting overactive on social media platform. The police also seized a 32 bore pistol, two 315 bore pistols and cartridges from the accused.

The arrested accused were Kuldeep Singh alias Rimpi, 29, who worked as a granthi (one who reads religious books in a Gurudwara) in Basti Jodhewal of Ludhiana, Jasvir Singh alias Jassa, 32, of village Balipur of Tarn Taran; Amanpreet Singh alias Amna, 21, of Shakti Nagar of Jalandhar; Onkar Singh, 30, and Jugraj Singh of village Jhadu; and Amritpal Singh, 30, of Amritsar. The seventh is a minor and a resident of Moga in Punjab, the police said.

Ludhiana police commissioner RN Dhoke said, "The youth have no criminal background but their operations were funded by Surender Singh Babbar of Babbar Khalsa International who operates from England." A case had been registered against the seven under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 and the Arms Act.

The police said that it has proof of the arrested accused were talking to terrorists and working for them as sleeper cells. Dhoke added that three of them were school dropouts and were helping others in identifying 'anti-Khalistan' pages on social media platforms and the people running them.

The police also said that it has deactivated their social media accounts, which contains a lot of inflammatory content. "We have clinching evidence and if needed, we will bring members of Babbar Khalsa International to Punjab from the United Kingdom," Dhoke added.

Kin and activists tell a different story

Human rights activist Gurnaam Singh, however, alleges that the youth have been made scapegoats to a state-sponsored terrorism.

"Terrorism has been the past of Punjab and people have always been concerned about their safety and lived in fear of its revival. Every government, be it Shiromani Akali Dal or the incumbent Congress government has used this tool to keep people engaged in non-productive issues," he said.

Sukhbir Singh, the maternal uncle of Kuldeep Singh, says that the arrested youths were not terrorist but with a religious bent of mind. They were a member of a WhatsApp group, in which they used to talk about Sikhism.

"They are not terrorists but youths with a religious bent of mind and a deep faith in the Sikh religion. Whenever there was a malicious and derogatory campaign on social media against Sikhism they used to answer the narrative and that just became their fault," said Sukhbir.

Harbhajan Singh, a neighbour of another accused Amratpal Singh, said that the accused was just a religious person. "Forget about terrorism, he never even spoke ill of others," Harbhajan added.

According to Gurnaam, this was not the only time when youths in Punjab were targeted by the police.

Not the first such case

Punjab sees many such arrests even though crime rate in the state is way below the national average. "Punjab has a crime rate of 129.6 against the national average of 220.5 and is one of the four states which are placed at the bottom in terms of FIRs registered per lakh population, said Punjab DGP Suresh Arora.

On 31 May, the police arrested four Babbar Khalsa International terrorists from Mohali. The police said the arrested individuals had senior Congress leaders Jagdish Tytler, Sajjan Kumar and few Shiv Sena leaders on their target.

In a joint operation, the Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police arrested two people suspected to be Khalistani terrorists on 22 May. The accused were allegedly linked to a terrorist organisation in Canada and Pakistan and were nabbed while receiving an arms consignment from Pakistan.

The cops seized two AK-47 rifles, five hand grenades, one modified machine pistol, four pistols and 450 bullets were during the arrest. The group too had several leaders who spoke against Sikhism on their radar.

Future in the dark?

Gurnam says that the police makes these arrests to please the government, but in the process, it leaves the suspects with no career prospects and in a bad economic state even after they are let go.

Sukhbir Singh Bajwa, 42, was arrested in Mohali when he was 19-years-old. He said that his only fault was that he used to inscribe Sikh teaching on walls.

Bajwa was acquitted after an eight-year trial. But he could not get a government job after he was acquitted and had to fend for himself by working odd jobs. No one invites him to social functions and whenever there is tension in the area, the police arrive at his place to inquire about his activities.

Even in the latest case, all the seven youths are from modest backgrounds.

Gurnaam alleges that the police frame youths who dont have any resources or any way to defend them. "Lawyers demand a lot of money to fight their case and even if they get acquitted from a court, they cant enjoy a normal life, he adds.

"Even family members of such youths do not come forward in the fear of being arrested," adds Harbhajan, a neighbour of one of the accused.

The families of the seven youths are living in constant fear of being picked up by the cops. Such is the fear that they have left their homes to escape police harassment. "They are terrified as the police would pick up family members whenever they wanted and there was no one to address their grievances," says Sukhbir.

Sat Singh is a Rohtak based freelance writer and Manoj Kumar is a Chandigarh based freelance writer. Both are members of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters.
New Delhi: Former president Pranab Mukherjee, former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday paid tributes to former prime minister Indira Gandhi on her 33rd death anniversary.

They paid floral tributes to the late prime minister at Shakti Sthal.

"We pay tribute to a dynamic leader; India's first and only female prime minister and 1999's 'Woman of the Millennium', Indira Gandhi," the Congress party said in a series of tweets.

We pay tribute to a dynamic leader; India's first & only female PM & 1999's 'Woman of the Millennium', Indira Gandhi. #RememberingIndiraji pic.twitter.com/KpxikO3tgu  Congress (@INCIndia) October 31, 2017

They posted a picture of their leader and her message "Martyrdom does not end something, it is only a beginning". "Remembering Indiraji and her immense passion for India and its people. She was a leader whose conviction remains unparalleled," the party said.

#RememberingIndiraji and her immense passion for India and its people. She was a leader whose conviction remains unparalleled. pic.twitter.com/MhYgMMYCdx  Congress (@INCIndia) October 31, 2017

It quoted Indira Gandhi's own words posting with the tweet that read, "If I die a violent death, as some fear and a few are plotting. I know that the violence will be in the thought and the action of the assassins, not in my dying."

She was the daughter of the first prime minister late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Born on 19 November, 1917, Indira Gandhi was assassinated on 31 October, 1984, by her bodyguards.

The assassination came a few months after she ordered the storming of the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar in the "Operation Blue Star" to counter the Punjab insurgency.

She held office from January 1966 to March 1977, and again from 14 January, 1980 till her death.
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Local and regional leaders are calling for the national governments and the European Union to support local and regional authorities by investing more in social infrastructure to tackle two major problems in the Mediterranean region: the radicalisation of young people and the position of women.



The two separate draft reports  one written by an Egyptian governor and the other by a member of the council of the Irish capital, Dublin  contain a range of recommendations that will be debated and adopted by the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly (ARLEM) in early 2018, and then passed on to the governments of the 43 countries represented in the assembly and to the decision-making institutions of the European Union.



The two reports share a common emphasis on the potential of local and regional authorities to be "catalysts for change" and on the need for increased national and international support for municipal and regional authorities, for greater attention to education and training, and for improving the position of women. The draft recommendations note particular challenges in rural and disadvantaged urban areas. They would, if adopted, also have effects on cross-cutting policy areas, with, for instance, a call for urban planning  including housing and transport  to pay specific attention to women's concerns, notably safety.



The report on "The role of the sub-national authorities from the Mediterranean region in addressing radicalisation and violent extremism of young people" has been drafted by Mohamed Kamal El Daly, Governor of Giza in Egypt. His report emphasises that "local authorities need to go beyond a one-dimensional approach, which focuses only on security measures". They should, he said, direct their efforts at providing "a variety of places where young people can spend their leisure time" and where they "can express their ideas", with particular attention to vulnerable areas  "such as those border areas", rural and urban marginalised neighbourhoods.



Reflecting a particular stress on education, Governor El Daly's recommendations call for job-creation efforts to be accompanied by educational reform. He also highlights that "efforts to fight extremism among young people need to include the integration of women at all levels", and declares that "grass-roots civil society organisations" should be supported in efforts to "design programmes for dialogue and knowledge exchange with marginalised young people and their families".



The rapporteur on "Women's empowerment in the Mediterranean region" is Mary Freehill, a member of Dublin City Council and a member of the European Committee of the Regions. Her report concludes with nine specific recommendations. Noting that regional and local governments are "on the frontline of identifying and tackling violence and harmful practices against women", the report argues that local and regional leaders are "well placed to roll out public information campaigns" to raise awareness of domestic violence and other forms of gender-based violence, "can make significant practical interventions to increase women's participation in local employment" and are "well placed to identify and tackle barriers to women's equal access to land control and ownership and access to finance". At present, however, "poor infrastructure and resources result in poor services and totally inadequate protection for vulnerable women", the report states.



While Ms Freehill's report notes "substantial progress" in the position of women in southern and eastern Mediterranean countries, it points to persistent problems and highlights specific areas in which the region is lagging behind other parts of the world. A below-average percentage of employers are women (6%, compared with a global average of around 24%); the same is true for the percentage of self-employed people who are women (13%, compared to 31%-38% globally). It notes too that violence against women  including sexual and domestic violence  is "endemic", that female genital mutilation is common in Egypt and Mauritania, reports that child marriage is on the increase in rural areas of Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon and remains prevalent in Mauritania, Morocco and Palestine.



Both reports argue municipalities in the Mediterranean region should form international partnerships and share best practice.



The reports were adopted by ARLEM's commission on sustainable development, which has in recent years also drawn up recommendations on other critical issues for the region, such as the impact of climate change, water management, waste management, and the energy transformation. The European Committee of the Regions created ARLEM in 2010 to provide a local and regional perspective on Mediterranean issues, complementing efforts made by the EU and non-EU Mediterranean states in the region to develop more channels and levels of dialogue and cooperation.



The commission meeting, which was held in Brussels on 24 October, were the first ARLEM meetings chaired by Karl-Heinz Lambertz, president of the CoR since July, and by Mohamed Boudra, president of the Moroccan Association of Presidents of the Municipal Councils (AMPCC) and President of the Commune of Al Hoceima.



ARLEM's plenary session will be hosted in Egypt in early 2018 by Governor El Daly of Giza.



Earlier, at a meeting of the ARLEM bureau, Patrick Costello, a head of division in the European External Action Service, provided an EU perspective on developments in Egypt, while Guido De Clercq, executive director of Transparency International Belgium, mapped out recent findings about governance and corruption in the Mediterranean region. Speakers at the debates about the opinions included Professor Ana Maria Vega Gutierrez of University of La Rioja, Professor Aicha El Hajjami from Morocco, and a consultant Serena Romano on women's empowerment and  on radicalisation  Emmanuel Cohen-Hadria of the European Institute of the Mediterranean (IEMed) and Werner Prinzjakowitsch, co-chairman of the youth, families and communities working group of the EU's Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN).
The Supreme Court, last week, ruled that abortion is an exclusive right for women. The Bench which consisted of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud dismissed a civil appeal, pending since 2012, that sought to identify and fortify husbands consent to terminate a pregnancy.

The matter in the appeal revolved around a case where the woman had separated from her husband and had subsequently terminated her pregnancy, using the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 without his consent. The apex court upheld the 2011 ruling by the Punjab and Haryana High Court stating that the woman's family and doctors cannot be held liable for an abortion that was legal.

This judgment comes after the Supreme Court observed in July that "[a] woman has a sacrosanct right to her bodily integrity and it's her choice to abort her 26-week old foetus with grave abnormalities. The Bench in the present case stated that an adult woman had an impeachable right to give birth or terminate her pregnancy.

Chief Justice Misra also added: "She is a mother and an adult who says she did not want the pregnancy. How can she or others be made liable for it? Even a mentally challenged woman has a right to terminate her pregnancy. How can parents and doctors be made liable?"

The couple got married in 1994 and had a son in 1995. The case began with matrimonial discord in 1999 between the husband and wife and this resulted in their separation  the wife moved out to live with her parents and took her minor soon with her. Afterwards, the wife filed an application under Section 125 CrPC claiming maintenance from the husband. During the pendency of this application, the Lok Adalat in Chandigarh mediated and cajoled the couple to live together in the husband's house. It was during this period in January 2003 that she discovered that she was pregnant. The differences between her and her husband remained, and the relationship had shown no signs of recovery; the wife was determined to terminate her pregnancy.

The husband refused to sign the papers that indicated his consent to such a termination and filed a suit for a mandatory injunction restraining the wife from the procedure. The wife underwent a procedure under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (MTPA) without the consent of her husband and the suit was withdrawn. Later the husband filed a civil suit for the recovery of Rs 30 lakhs towards damages stating that he was under mental pain, agony and was subjected to harassment by his estranged wife, her parents, brother and the doctors who performed the procedure under MTPA.

The suit was based on the fact that the termination of pregnancy using the MTPA was done without the "specific consent" of the father and was performed in connivance with the respondents; he argued that the termination of pregnancy under the MTPA was illegal without the consent of the father of the unborn child.

Before the case came to the Supreme Court, in 2011, the Punjab and Haryana High Court stated that under Section 3(4)(b) of the MTPA, the consent of the pregnant woman, who was undergoing the procedure, was needed  "An unwanted pregnancy as per Explanation II to Section 3(2) of the Act is a grave injury to the physical or mental health of the woman."

The high court also added that Section 5(1) of the MTPA would not be attracted here because the wife was well-qualified, of sound mind and was the mother of a grown-up child. Justice Jitendra Chauhan of the Punjab and Haryana High Court stated, "The husband cannot compel her to conceive and give birth to his child. Mere consent to conjugal rights does not mean consent to give birth to a child for her husband. The wife did so in order to strengthen the matrimonial ties [] The wife is the best judge and is to see whether she wants to continue the pregnancy or to get it aborted. When the husband has no right to compel her wife, not to get the pregnancy terminated, he has no right to sue her wife for compensation,"

"The husband also has no cause of action against his wife on this account. Keeping in view the strained relations between the husband and wife, the decision of the wife to get the termination of an unwanted foetus was right. It was not the act of termination of pregnancy, due to which relation became sour, but the relations between the husband and the wife were already strained. So, keeping in view the legal position, it is held that no express or implied consent of the husband is required for getting the pregnancy terminated under the Act," Chauhan said.

The high court also stated that an unwanted pregnancy would negatively affect the mental health of a woman: "The woman is not a machine in which raw material is put and a finished product comes out. She should be mentally prepared to give birth to a child." The Supreme Court upheld the rulings made by the high court in this case and stated explicitly that the consent of the husband is not mandatory for the termination of pregnancy.

By upholding women's right to undergo medical termination of pregnancy, the Supreme Court has indicated that when it stated that a woman has a sacrosanct right to her bodily integrity, it did not make an empty, meaningless remark. The apex court upholds the agency of a woman to choose what happens to her body.

However, there are certain glaring problems in the judgment that one must make a mention of. For instance, it is assumed that only married women would want to resort to the MTPA; the word, 'husband' instead of 'biological father' is jarring as is the judgments fixation on conjugal or matrimonial sex with the husband. "In the present case, the wife knew her conjugal duties towards her husband. Consequently, if the wife has consented to matrimonial sex and created sexual relations with her own husband, it does not mean that she has consented to conceive a child." This harping upon conjugal sex as the duty of a married woman by the judiciary is disturbing given that the Delhi High Court is in the midst of deciding a marital rape case.

More importantly, it would be significant to point out there was not any requirement in the MTPA for the consent of the husband for the termination of pregnancy. Under the Act, it has always been a prerogative of the pregnant woman, and the right is limited by certain conditions such as the length of the pregnancy.

The permissible limit for termination under the Act is 20 weeks, though in recent cases, the Supreme Court has allowed terminations at 24 and 26 weeks. Under the Act, even pregnant rape victims cannot terminate a pregnancy after 20 weeks and are compelled to move court.

Another issue that the court could have brought up and dealt with is the involvement of a medical board when the termination of pregnancy has to be considered beyond the permissible limit. A medical board is constituted at the direction of the courts and this board examines and considers in good faith if aborting the foetus is necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman.

There are no strict indicators that the medical board follows in making a recommendation, and past cases have shown that its recommendations are often arbitrary. For instance, in R versus Haryana, the medical board had not recommended termination and the Punjab and Haryana High Court had denied the right of abortion to a petitioner who was a rape survivor.

For a judgment that was considering a woman's right to her bodily integrity and her right to terminate a pregnancy, the role of the medical board would be a pertinent question to scrutinise, especially because when speaking about a right, it is also important to examine the boundaries of such a right.

In my opinion, the judgment is progressive but leaves out many significant aspects of the MTPA that influence the right of a woman to choose.
Kolkata: The nearly two-week long stalemate at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) came to an end on Tuesday as the agitating students withdrew their strike after the management issued a formal notice revoking the expulsion of 14 girl students.

The students have been on a relay hunger strike since Saturday night demanding unconditional revocation of the expulsion order of the girl students from the institute over their refusal to shift to the newly built girls' hostel from a common accommodation which also had boys.

The expelled girls also submitted a written note to the SRFTI authorities individually stating the reasons behind their initial opposition to the hostel segregation order.

"We have withdrawn the relay hunger strike after authorities accepted our demand for formal revocation of expulsion of 14 girls and we have already shifted to the new girls' hostel building," Rupkatha Purakayastha, one of the 14 expelled girls, told PTI.

"Classes resumed on Tuesday and all of us decided that the institution will also be functioning normally from Wednesday," she said.

The agitation was withdrawn after another round of talks between the faculty, including the SRFTI director, and the students' body earlier in the day, another students' body spokesperson said.

When contacted, SRFTI director Debamitra Mitra said, "Yes, the talks have been fruitful and the impasse has been resolved. The 14 girls have given formal letters stating the reason behind their opposition initially and we have accepted that. The notification confirming revocation of their expulsion has also been issued."

Purakayastha said the student's body would hold another meeting with the faculty on Wednesday to discuss other demands, including a hike in budgetary allocation for film projects by students and better academic facilities.

The autonomous SRFTI, the premier institute for film training that stands in line with the Film and Television Institute of India, had been in the limelight since October 17, after protests against the girl students' expulsion rocked the campus.

The students had initially objected to building a separate accommodation facility for girls and had described it as an act of moral policing.

Mitra had said the authorities had decided to build a separate ladies hostel and upgrade the curriculum and infrastructure of the institute after receiving an approval from the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry in 2013 in this regard.

She had said the objective behind shifting the girls to the new hostel was to ensure students' safety.
The Supreme Court saw an action-packed Monday as it lined up a number of high-profile cases for hearing, ranging from the Aadhaar issue and its implementation, the Kerala love jihad case and Article 35A.

The Aadhaar case relates to the mandatory linking of the biometric ID to government welfare schemes, while in the Kerala Love Jihad case, the top court opened sealed envelopes handed over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The hearing on Article 35A relates to special rights and privileges of the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

While the hearing in the Article 35A case was deferred by three months, the apex court made several notable remarks during the proceedings in the Aadhaar and the Love Jihad case.

Supreme Court amends its order, says, it would hear #Article35A matter after three months.  ANI (@ANI) October 30, 2017

'How can state challenge Parliament's mandate on Aadhar?

In what is a clear setback to the Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal, the Supreme Court declined to entertain its petition challenging the Centres decision to make Aadhaar mandatory for availing benefits of numerous government welfare schemes. The top court asked how a state can challenge the mandate of Parliament. "How can a state file such a plea. In a federal structure, how can a state file a plea challenging Parliament's mandate," a bench comprising Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said.

According to Live Law, the Bench comprising Justice AK Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan said, "The controversy over Aadhaar needs examination but state government cant file petition against a law passed by Parliament."

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Banerjee-led West Bengal government, told the court that the plea has been filed by the labour department of the state as subsidies under these schemes have to be given by them.

"You satisfy us how the state has challenged it. We know it is a matter which needs consideration," the bench said adding the Centre's move can be challenged by an individual but not by states. Let Banerjee come and file a plea as an individual. We will entertain it as she will be an individual," the top court said.

However, Sibal maintained that the state was entitled to file such a plea but said that they would amend the prayer in the petition. Meanwhile, the bench issued a notice to the Centre on a separate plea filed by an individual challenging the linking of mobile phone numbers with Aadhaar.

The court has asked the Centre to file its response on the plea in four weeks. The West Bengal government had challenged the provision which says that without Aadhaar, the benefits of social welfare schemes would not be extended. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court agreed to hear fresh petitions against linking Aadhaar with mobile phone numbers. Thus opening the door for Banerjee, in an individual capacity, to challenge the move that she has vehemently opposed.

The top court also issued a notice to Centre and asked it to file a response within four weeks, ANI reported. Aadhaar deadline hearing The government is not willing to extend the deadline for Aadhaar.

"We will argue the case," the government told the Supreme Court. The apex judicial body is likely to hear the case in the last week of November. The deadline issue talks of an extension for people who do not have Aadhaar card as of yet and the government giving them the leeway to do so and link all services by 31 March, 2018. The petitioners are contesting why the same should not be extended to those already with Aadhaar.

The Aadhaar matter was mentioned by Attorney-General KK Venugopal, who demanded that the case be heard in March. This was objected to by Senior Advocate Shyam Divan, according to LiveLaw. Gopal Subramanian added that there should be no compulsion for linking various services with Aadhaar if the hearing is postponed.

The petitioners, meanwhile, termed the linking of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) number with bank accounts and mobile numbers as illegal and unconstitutional and strongly objected to the CBSE's move to make it mandatory for students to appear for exams. Divan, appearing for some of the petitioners, had earlier contended that final hearing in the main Aadhaar matter, which is pending before the apex court, was necessary as the government "cannot compel" citizens to link their Aadhaar with either bank accounts or mobile numbers.

'Consent of the girl is prime'

The Supreme Court, while hearing the Love Jihad case, directed that Hadiya shall be produced before the top court to ascertain if she, an adult, had married Shafin Jahan out of her own free will after her conversion. The apex court directed the father of the Kerala woman, who had converted to Islam and married a Muslim man, to produce her before it on 27 November. A bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, asked senior advocate Shyam Divan, representing the father of the woman, to ensure that she is produced that day for interaction with the bench, which is likely to ascertain her mental stage and whether she had given free consent to the marriage.

The National Investigation Agency, represented by Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh, said there was well-oiled machinery working in the state and they are indulging in the indoctrination and radicalisation of the society in the state where as many as 89 cases of similar nature have been reported.

Divan, appearing for woman's father KM Ashokan, claimed the alleged husband of his daughter is a radicalised man and several organisations like Popular Front of India (PFI) are involved in the radicalisation of the society. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for her husband Shafin Jahan, opposed the NIA's submission and that of the woman's father.

The woman, a Hindu, had converted to Islam and later married Jahan. It was alleged that the woman was recruited by Islamic State's mission in Syria and Jahan was only a stooge. Jahan had, on 20 September approached the apex court seeking a recall of its 16 August order directing the NIA to investigate the controversial case of conversion and marriage of a Hindu woman with him.

Meanwhile, the Kerala government had on 7 October told the Supreme Court that its police had conducted a "thorough investigation" into her conversion and subsequent marriage to Jahan and did not find material warranting the transfer of probe to the NIA. The apex court said that the "investigation conducted so far by the Kerala police has not revealed any incident relating to the commission of any Scheduled Offences to make a report to the Central Government under Section 6 of the National Investigation Agency Act, 2006", according to a Live Law report.

Is there any law prohibiting a woman marrying a criminal: CJI asks ASG  Live Law (@LiveLawIndia) October 30, 2017

Jahan had moved the apex court after the Kerala High Court annulled his marriage, saying it was an insult to the independence of women in the country.

Follow LIVE updates on the Supreme Court hearings here

With inputs from PTI
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan on Tuesday held extensive talks to boost bilateral cooperation in key sectors such as defence, security and trade.

In the talks held under the framework of Joint Ministerial Committee, both sides discussed a wide range of issues of shared interests and mutual concern, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

It said cooperation in political, defence and security fields, trade and investment, tourism and connectivity were among other major issues discussed during the talks.

The MEA said the two sides also reviewed the commemoration of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of ASEAN and 25 years of India-ASEAN dialogue partnership.

"They also exchanged views on issues of mutual interest at regional and multilateral levels, including cooperation at UN and international organisations," it said.

Swaraj also hosted a lunch in the honour of Balakrishnan, who is on a two-day visit to India, and his delegation.

On Wednesday, Balakrishnan would visit Guwahati where he would meet Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonawal and witness signing of an MoU on launching a skill development centre being set up with Singapore's assistance.
Mumbai: The family members of a Virar-based merchant navy officer, who along with other Indian crew members went missing after their cargo ship sank in the Pacific off the Philippines earlier this month, met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj seeking her help to trace him.

The family members of Rajesh Nair, who was the captain of the cargo ship, met Swaraj in Delhi last Friday, who assured all possible help to trace him.

The Maritime Union of India (MUI) facilitated the meeting between Nair's kin and Swaraj.

On 13 October, the 33,205-tonne cargo ship Emerald Star with 26 Indian nationals on board sank off Okinawa. While 16 Indians were rescued, a search for the missing crew members was launched by Indian missions in the Philippines, Japan and China to locate them.

"Nair's wife and sister met Swaraj and requested her to help find him. The minister was kind enough to assure extending all sort of support," Amar Singh Thakur, general secretary of the MUI said.

"Sushmaji was kind enough not only to brief Nair's aggrieved family members about the various measures taken up by the Indian missions in a few countries, but also assured them to do every bit to trace him," he added.

Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was also present on the occasion.

"The kin of the missing seafarers are distraught. Swaraj ji has assured that India will continue its search and rescue mission. She also said that the photos of the missing crew members have been shared with the officials of the neighbouring islands off Japan's coast near the accident site," Thakur said.

Nair and his family reside in Virar in neighbouring Palghar district.
New Delhi: The Swiss couple who were attacked at Fatehpur Sikri earlier this month has been offered a free two-night stay at a five-star hotel in the national capital as a "token of concern" by tourism minister KJ Alphons.

In a letter to the couple, Alphons offered to put them up at the government-run ITDC hotel, The Ashok, after they recovered from their injuries.

He said Marie Droze and Quentin Jeremy Clerc, can choose to stay at the hotel on the dates of their choice.

"Trust you are recovering fast and would be on your way home soon. As a token of our concern, we would like to offer you a room at our luxury hotel, The Ashok, at Chanakyapuri, New Delhi for two nights on the dates of your choice. All expenses at the hotel, including food and beverages, would be covered," he said in the letter.

The minister had earlier written to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath over the issue and also visited the couple, who are currently recovering at Apollo Hospital, Delhi, assuring them of help.

On 22 October, the couple from Lausanne in Switzerland were chased and attacked with stones and sticks by a group of four youths in the tourist town of Fatehpur Sikri, about 40-kilometre from Agra, according to media accounts of the incident.

They later told the media that as they lay on the ground bloodied and bruised, bystanders began making videos of them on their mobile phones.
Editor's Note: Rains lashed several parts of Tamil Nadu on Monday, partially disrupting normal life in some areas in this metropolis and claiming one life in Thanjavur district. Even though the rainfall isn't as heavy as Monday, reports said, the Met department has said that heavy rains are expected for the next two days in Chennai and several parts of coastal Tamil Nadu. According to Public Works Department, the catchment areas of Chennai reservoirs and Kandaleru in Andhra have been receiving rains since Sunday, which increased water levels. On Monday, water storage rose to 300 MCFT in Poondi lake from 42 MCFT, Cholavaram lake storage was 35 MCFT on October 1, 2017 and it rose to 91, while Redhills lake storage rose from 135 MCFT to 347 and Chembarambakam lake storage rose from 221 MCFT to 308. Chembarambakkam lake is now 20 per cent full, while Puzhal lake at 25 per cent, Ambattur lake 70 per cent and Korattur lake 70 per cent full.



Sibi Arasu, in this report, argues how over-exploitation of groundwater to meet growing demand, combined with increasingly unpredictable weather due to climate change, further stresses Chennai's fast-depleting aquifers.

***

About 30-km north of Chennais centre is the sand dune-laden coastal village of Kalanji. It's located just beyond the industrial hub of Ennore, which hosts three thermal power plants, two ports and a coal yard, among other heavy industry. Kalanji and its neighbouring village of Kattupalli are among the last remaining traditional villages in this region. They are also the sites of excessive groundwater extraction, which provides for many of the heavy industries and the drinking water needs of the ever-expanding city and its suburbs.

On the other side of the city, 30-km south of the centre, is the erstwhile village and now peri-urban area of Perumbakkam. Regardless of the location, the story is similar. Perumbakkam and its adjoining neighbourhoods were a water-rich region with numerous lakes, ponds, wells and other water bodies. They are now a primary source of groundwater for Chennais expansive Information Technology (IT) corridor. About 200 water tankers, each with a capacity of 12,000 to 15,000 litres, ply from here to the nearby IT corridor every day, providing water to multi-storeyed apartment complexes and glass-walled offices.

The water tankers are an easy fix for industrial, residential and service-sector consumers, especially when theres no infrastructure for water supply set up by civil authorities in Chennai. For the thousands of inhabitants of these villages, the water tankers and the bore wells that feed them spell death for their traditional life and livelihoods.

Nobody farms here anymore. That was all in the past. People now do anything to survive, even become criminals, a teashop owner in Kattupalli told indiaclimatedialogue.net. The water tankers also drive all day and night at high speeds, resulting in accidents and even deaths of many of our people. The villagers of Perumbakkam echo similar sentiments.

Natural water system destroyed

Chennai is blessed with an aquifer system that runs a few kilometres from the coastline along the entire coastal stretch of the metropolitan area as well as the Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts on either side of the city. An aquifer is an underground layer of rock saturated with water through which water can be extracted. A healthy aquifer is key for a good groundwater level and is recharged by the various wells, tanks, ponds as well as the wetlands that lie in and around Chennai.

Increasing encroachments on all of these water bodies, combined with over-extraction of groundwater as well as extreme weather, has led to the crippling of the citys coastal aquifer system. For example, the Pallikaranai marsh, a sprawling wetland to the south of the city, is only a fraction of the size that it was a century back.

In the book, Reconsidering the Impact of Climate Change on Global Water Supply, Use, and Management, researchers from the Chennai-based non-profit Care Earth Trust state that the size of the Pallikaranai marsh has reduced from 6,000 hectare (ha) in the 1900s to the present 593 ha. Earlier this year, a study by the Central Groundwater Board (CGWB) confirmed that the citys groundwater resources are being overexploited. It stated that the water below the surface is being extracted at a rate of 185 percent.

Starting from Minjur (North of Chennai) to Uthandi (extreme south), large stretches of the coastal freshwater aquifers have become completely saline, S Janakarajan of the Madras Institute of Development Studies (MIDS) told indiaclimatedialogue.net. Janakarajan has been studying water and environment related issues in Chennai as well as other parts of southern India for two decades.

Also, it is clear that Chennai is susceptible to extreme weather events. You have a state climate change cell but they are doing absolutely nothing. Theres no climate change adaptation strategy. The Greater Chennai region has more than 3,600 water bodies but despite the tremendous rains of 2015, many were dry the next year, Janakarajan said. If only they had stored water and conserved these water bodies, the water table would have gone up, but they have not done it.

Extreme weather adding to water woes

It is estimated that the present water requirement for the Greater Chennai region is about 1,400 million litres per day (mld) and the citys Metro Water board expects this demand to rise to nearly 1,800 mld in four years. The city is highly dependent on its surrounding reservoirs to be periodically replenished since there are no perennial sources of water around Chennai.

As of now, the primary sources for water to the city are reservoirs such as the Veeranam reservoir, located about 200-km from the city; water from the Krishna River in Andhra Pradesh about 400 km away; as well as two desalination plants built over the last few years.

Even during the best of times we can supply about 830 mld of water. During a drought year, we can manage only about 450 mld, a senior state government official told indiaclimatedialogue.net. The rest comes from groundwater sources. Even though there are laws and government orders that are supposed to prevent extraction of groundwater, these have never been implemented for the simple reason that the city is always water-stressed."

Water tanker owners and private landowners in peri-urban regions exploit this water stress, holding the city to ransom. A strike by water tankers in March 2017, which was a reaction to seizures of two trucks by the revenue department for illegally extracting water, resulted in the entire IT corridor being nearly shut down.

While the strike was called off on the third day after the government conceded their demands, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) estimated that another day of strike would have led to a cumulative loss of business of up to USD 16 million on the IT corridor. The state official said, You can control a group only when youre in a position to control. If we can provide the water, we can take them on. As of now, that is not possible.

Bleak future

In a report titled The Peri-urban to Urban Groundwater Transfer and its Societal Implications in Chennai, S Packialakshmi and NK Ambujam of the Department of Civil Engineering, Sathyabama University, said, "Conservation and recharge measures should be adopted immediately in the hard rock areas, by constructing open shafts or open wells in and around the water bodies (till it reaches the fractured zone to inject the storm water effectively in monsoon times), by the construction of percolation ponds, adopting rainwater harvesting structures at the household level, protection of water bodies, etc.

"While there are many laws which can be used to regulate over-extraction, in the many years I have been studying the groundwater scenario in Chennai, I have never seen them implemented," Packialakshmi told indiaclimatedialogue.net.

The Chennai Metropolitan Area Ground Water (Regulation) Act, 1987, and the Tamil Nadu Groundwater (Development and Management) Act, 2003, for the state of Tamil Nadu provide directions to regulate, control and conserve groundwater. Apart from this, there is a government order passed by the state public works department in 2010 that restricts extraction of groundwater within a distance of 10 km from the coastline. Unfortunately, all these measures have remained only on paper. In reality, water extraction continues unabated and only increases manifold when demand increases due to climate change-related scenarios.

"There's no acknowledgement that there is even a problem. Acknowledgement doesnt mean to have a law, it means to start acting on the law, city-based environmental activist Nithyanand Jayaraman told indiaclimatedialogue.net. "They are just turning a blind eye to this situation. The groundwater situation here is an environmental disaster that is already in motion. It is only a matter of time before there is extensive salinity in all of our groundwater. It will be very difficult to return to anywhere close to normal if this happens."
New Delhi: Tejashwi Yadav, the son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, on Tuesday skipped his scheduled appearance before the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering probe in the railway hotels allotment case, official sources said.

It was not immediately clear if the former Bihar chief minister furnished any reason for his absence to the central probe agency as also the next course of action of the ED.

Tejashwi has been once grilled by the agency for over nine hours in connection with the case but since then he has skipped the summons thrice.

His mother and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi too has skipped the ED summonses five times.

She has now been summoned to appear on 7 November before the Investigating Officer (IO) of the case.

The agency had registered a case against Lalu Prasad, his family members and others under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) sometime back.

In July, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered an FIR and conducted multiple searches on the properties of Lalu Prasad, who is also a former Bihar chief minister, and others.

The CBI FIR has alleged that Lalu Prasad, during his tenure as the railway minister, handed over the maintenance of two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotels to a company in 2004 after receiving a bribe in the form of a prime plot of land in Patna through a 'benami' company owned by Sarla Gupta, the wife of Prem Chand Gupta, a former Union minister.

The ED had registered a criminal case against his family members and others under the PMLA, based on the CBI FIR.

The CBI also recently recorded the statements of Tejashwi and Lalu Prasad in this case.

The ED is investigating the alleged "proceeds of crime" generated by the accused, purportedly through shell companies, according to the officials.

Others named in the CBI FIR include Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar (both directors of Sujata Hotels), Delight Marketing company, now known as Lara Projects, and the then IRCTC managing director PK Goel.

The CBI FIR was registered on 5 July in connection with favours allegedly extended to Sujata Hotels in awarding a contract for the upkeep of the hotels in Ranchi and Puri and receiving premium land as 'quid pro quo'.
New Delhi: Telangana leader A Revanth Reddy, who resigned from Telugu Desam Party last week, joined the Congress in the presence of party vice-president Rahul Gandhi.

Reddy joined along with several of his supporters, including some former legislators from the state. He also resigned as a legislator from Kodangal constituency in the state.

Gandhi welcomed Reddy into the party fold and offered him some sweets. "We wish him all the success!," the party said on its Twitter handle.

Reddy was arrested in the "cash-for-vote" case after he was caught on camera allegedly offering money to a nominated MLA for his vote in the MLC election in 2015.

He had quit TDP on 28 October amid reports claiming that he had met Gandhi and was about to join the Congress.

Reddy, who was TDP's state working president and floor leader in the Telangana Assembly, caused a stir by accusing some leaders of Andhra Pradesh TDP, including two ministers, of securing huge financial contracts from the TRS government in Telangana.

AICC secretary incharge for Telangana RC Khuntia and Telangana Congress chief N Uttam Reddy were present when the announcement was made at the party headquarters.

Khuntia said that Reddy had joined the Congress not for any gains as the party was neither in power in Telangana nor in Andhra Pradesh.

Uttam Reddy said Congress is the only alternative party and Rahul Gandhi the alternative leader.

Revanth Reddy later lamented that the state government had not prepared a list of those who gave their lives in the 'Telangana Andolan' for giving compensation to their families,

and to those youths whose studies suffered.

Telangana, he said, is a state which has the second- highest farmer suicides after Maharashtra and the government of Telangana has not done anything in this regard.
A recent report of China planning to construct a 1000 kilometre-long underground tunnel to divert the water of the river Brahmaputra to its arid Xinjiang province has strengthened persistent concerns about China's bullying behaviour. China has since denied the report but it had issued several similar and vehement denials in the past about building military facilities on South China Sea littoral while in the very process of doing so.

It is being seen as yet another example of China's coercive water diplomacy and further proof that in the 21st century Asia, water will emerge as the biggest strategic weapon. And as an upper riparian state which controls virtually the entire flow of water in Asia, China is in a unique position to wield that weapon.

To be sure, the plan to develop the parched Xinjiang region  90 percent of which is inhabitable with Gobi Desert in the north and Taklimakan Desert in the south  by rerouting water from Tibet isn't a new one. The Tibetan plateau is home to nearly all of Asia's major rivers including the Yellow, Yangtze, Salween, Mekong, Ganges, Indus, Irrawaddy and Yarlung Tsangpo  which becomes Siang in Arunachal Pradesh and the Brahmaputra in Assam and sustains virtually the entire northeastern region before meeting the Bay of Bengal through Bangladesh.

Chinese plans to redirect the flow from Tibet to Xinjiang and turn the desert province into 'modern California' has long been the subject of futile discussion due to lack of engineering expertise, fragile ecological balance and prohibitive cost estimation of the project. So, what has caused a renewed interest?

According to a report in Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, China has pressed its engineers and scientists into service to build a similar tunnel on the earthquake-prone Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in southwest China  a region that is as geologically unstable as the Tibetan Plateau.

This comparatively smaller 600-kilometre tunnel (that still comfortably beats the world's longest tunnel underneath New York City that runs for 137 km) will be built over an eight-year period at a cost of nearly $12 billion as a 'test case', using groundbreaking technology and state-of-the-art equipment that is expected to provide a blueprint for the Tibet-Xinjiang project. Scientists hope that once the project takes off, the government will be more amenable towards the master plan.

South China Morning Post quotes a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, as saying that "the water diversion project in central Yunnan is a demonstration project to show we have the brains, muscle and tools to build super-long tunnels in hazardous terrains, and the cost does not break the bank."

Why should this worry India?

Though the project is still at a conceptual stage, it poses a direct risk to India's sensitive north-eastern region and given the way the Brahmaputra is integral to North East's ecology, economy, livelihood, life and socio-economic well-being, by controlling the river's functionality China will gain a huge strategic leverage over India. A huge, expansive project like this one will vastly improve China's control-capabilities vis-a-vis India, and in the event of any conflict New Delhi will remain perennially vulnerable to Beijing's strong-arm tactics.

This move may be seen in conjunction with China's recent refusal to share hydrological data with India despite a bilateral mechanism whereby Beijing  as the upper riparian state  is expected to share hydrological, meteorological, credible, scientific and specific data on the progress, dispersal and quality of water on Brahmaputra river with India (the lower riparian state).

India, in cases where it is the upper riparian state, shares such data for free with downstream neighbours such as Bangladesh and Pakistan. However, despite paying its pecuniary instalment to China (in accord with the bilateral agreement) it has not received any hydrological data from Beijing this monsoon season.

China has come up with an unimaginative excuse that its hydrological stations are "being upgraded" and hence it is unable to share the data, a lie that is easily busted. A BBC report "has found that China continues to share data for the same river with Bangladesh, the lowest downstream country in Brahmaputra basin".

Punishment for OBOR, Doka La stance

This raises the direct possibility that China withheld crucial information as a policy to punish India's obstinacy in not joining the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and having the gumption to lock horns with it over a patch of land on the Doka La plateau. As a direct consequence of Chinese action, India has suffered devastating floods in Assam.

According to data from Floodlist, in the "third wave of flooding in the state since the start of the 2017 monsoon season, 84 people had lost their lives and 29 districts in the state had been affected by heavy rains and floods (data updated till 6 August, 2017)".

As strategic affairs expert professor Brahma Chellaney writes in Project Syndicate, "Chinas cutoff of water data, despite the likely impact on vulnerable civilian communities, sets a dangerous precedent of indifference to humanitarian considerations. It also highlights how China is fashioning unconventional tools of coercive diplomacy."

These are not far-fetched concerns. The South China Morning Post report on the 1000 kilometre-tunnel, which triggered the latest spate of concerns, carries comments from Chinese scientists who show a stunning disregard for humanitarian and ecological costs that such a disruptive project would inflict.

Wang Wei, a researcher who forms part of a team of 100 scientists involved in the gigantic project, revealed that Yarlung Tsangpo river will be drained at Sangri county in southern Tibet, near the disputed border with India, and though the project may witness protests from India and Bangladesh, "it wont leave a mark on the surface for other countries or environmental activists to point their fingers at," according to the South China Morning Post report.

China's grand strategy

Such hegemonic behaviour on the distribution of freshwater and a rather naked ambition to use all natural resources as foreign-policy tools may justifiably cause alarm in affected nations. One needs only to look at how China has endangered the Mekong river basin through an elaborate network of mega-dams and hydroelectric projects and has driven a wedge through ASEAN nations by its control over water resources. While Laos and Cambodia have benefitted from it, Vietnam's delta basin has been devastated and its primarily agrarian economy that is dependent on water from the Mekong is gasping for breath.

As Rabea Brauer, Frederick Kliem note in their research paper on China's coercive water diplomacy, Chinese actions have fragmented the ASEAN nations and allowed China an iron grip over South China Sea littoral because the warring and competing countries are in no position to present a united front. "China," write the authors, is the only country manipulates river flow "with more than its own economic development in mind; to play politics with water-control capability."

India not only lacks options against such a diabolical adversary, it has so far shown a remarkable lack of seriousness about the threat of a water war. Through its foreign ministry, China has denounced the SCMP report as "false" but its behaviour has so far been consistent with a water hegemon that seeks to establish its unilateralism. India can ignore these developments only at its peril.
Visakhapatnam: Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, on Tuesday took over as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command (ENC) at a ceremonial Parade held in Visakhapatnam.

Vice Admiral Singh inspected the ceremonial guard and reviewed platoons of naval personnel drawn from various ships and establishments of the ENC, a Navy release said.

Singh took the charge from Vice Admiral HCS Bisht, who retired from the Naval Service.

Commissioned into the Indian Navy in July 1980, Vice Admiral Singh is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy. The Admiral earned his wings as a helicopter pilot in 1982 and has flown extensively on the Chetak and Kamov helicopters.

He is a graduate of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington; College of Naval Warfare, Mumbai and has served as Directing Staff in both these Institutions.

In his career spanning over 37 years, the Admiral has commanded an Indian Coast Guard Ship Chandbibi, Missile Corvette INS Vijaydurg as well as two Guided Missile Destroyers INS Rana and INS Delhi.

He has also served as the Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet.
Raipur: A Chhattisgarh court on Tuesday remanded journalist Vinod Verma, arrested in connection with a case of blackmailing and extortion, in judicial custody for 14 days.

The Raipur police produced Verma before Judicial Magistrate First Class Bhavesh Kumar Watti at around 11 am in Raipur after his police remand expired on Tuesday, the journalist's lawyer Faizal Rizvi told reporters.

According to the defence counsel, he pleaded in the court that the police does not have any evidence to prove the charges in the case, in which offences have been registered under IPC sections 384 (extortion) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

The lawyer said he urged the court to release Verma citing lack of evidence.

After the hearing, the court sent Verma in judicial remand and asked the police to produce him before it on 13 November, he added.

Verma was arrested by the Chhattisgarh Police on 27 October from his residence in Ghaziabad.

He claimed that the Chhattisgarh government suspected that he had a "sex CD of Chhattisgarh PWD Minister Rajesh Munat" and that is why he was being framed.

However, Munat called the CD "fake" and an attempt at character assassination.

The minister had on Saturday filed a complaint against state Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel and Verma for allegedly tarnishing his image through the "fake" sex CD.

According to the Raipur police, a case of blackmailing and extortion was registered at the Pandri police station based on a complaint of Prakash Bajaj, who alleged that he "was being harassed on phone by an unidentified caller who told him that he had a CD of his master".

After the investigation, the search team was sent to Delhi and Verma was held from Ghaziabad, police had said.

The police also claimed to have recovered 500 "porn" CDs, a pen drive and a laptop from Verma.

The issue has sparked a political row in the state with the Congress and the BJP trading charges.

The state government has recommended a CBI probe in the case.
Giving a clean chit to Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a charge sheet against 490 individuals in the multi-crore Vyapam medical scam, News18 reported.

While submitting the charge sheet in the special court in Bhopal, the CBI told the judge that there was no tampering with a hard disk drive seized by the Madhya Pradesh Police in the case, dismissing an allegation by senior Congress leader and former chief minister Digvijaya Singh on this count.

"We conducted investigation on allegations by Digvijay Singh and another person on tampering with the hard disk drive seized from a computer of the then Principal System Analyst of Vyapam on 18 July, 2013. Based on CFSL (Central Forensic Science Laboratory) reports and other evidence gathered, the CBI has concluded that there is no tampering in the said drive," the CBI charge sheet said.

"We had submitted a status report on the findings of investigation into alleged tampering with the hard disk to the Supreme Court," it said.

Those named in the CBI charge sheet include three Vyapam officials, three racketeers, 17 middlemen, 297 paper solvers and beneficiary candidates and 170 guardians of beneficiary candidates. Most accused were operating from state capital Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Shahdol, Ratlam, and Sagar in Madhya Pradesh.

The charge sheet against another 12 accused will be filed in juvenile courts concerned. The charge sheet was connected to the Pre-Medical Test of 2013 -- one of several cases of irregularities in examinations conducted by Vyapam.

#BREAKING: CBI files chargesheet in Vyapam scam. Gives clean chit to Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan | @SubhajitSG with more details pic.twitter.com/ehCXncFDli  News18 (@CNNnews18) October 31, 2017

CBI investigators said the organised rackets employed students from across the country to allegedly impersonate medical students and appear in recruitment exams since 2008. Middlemen manipulated seating arrangements and forged answersheets in exchange of lakhs of rupees.

Speaking to CNN-News18, Anand Rai, who exposed the Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh, said that the whistleblowers have lost all hope in the state special task force and believe only Supreme Court can help them.

Vyapam Scam: CBI says there is no basis in allegations made by Digvijaya Singh that the hard disk which was seized was tampered with.  ANI (@ANI) October 31, 2017

The charge sheet filed on Tuesday said the racketeers managed to get roll numbers in such a manner that a beneficiary candidate was seated right behind his solver candidate to facilitate cheating.

CBI investigations revealed that these solver candidates were among medical college students or bright medical college aspirants taking coaching in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.

"The CBI collected pertinent details of students of various medical colleges and coaching institutes spread all over these states and prepared a data base of more than 10 lakh such students.

"With the help of advanced forensic software and said data base, the CBI was able to identify and trace 42 accused solver candidates. Using other innovative methods, the CBI was able to trace 11 middlemen and made them join investigation," the charge sheet added.

The scam in Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal (Vyapam) or Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board broke out in 2013, wherein candidates bribed officials, rigged exams by deploying imposters to write their answersheets.

The arrest of 20 people in Indore blew the lid off the massive scam, which quickly snowballed into the biggest political crisis for Chouhan and led to more than 2,000 arrests, including those of politicians, bureaucrats, and middlemen.

Over 40 persons, including witnesses, accused, and alleged beneficiaries, died in mysterious circumstances ever since the scam broke out. These included a son of the then governor. Some died in freak accidents or of mysterious illnesses.

The CBI was entrusted by the Supreme Court to look into the alleged conspiracy to eliminate suspects booked in the scam and was asked to investigate deaths of 24 individuals.

On 15 October, CBI said that the controversy over the deaths linked to the admission and recruitment scam was a result of a goof-up by the Madhya Pradesh Police including the names of dead persons as accused in its FIRs registered in the cases pertaining to the scam.

On 17 September, nine CBI courts hearing Vyapam cases were closed by the Madhya Pradesh High Court at the request of the agency, which wanted the cases to be shifted to its other special courts for a tighter scrutiny of trials.

The court set up 22 special courts for hearing Vyapam scam-related cases and had closed four of them earlier.

The Supreme Court had asked CBI in August to submit the charge sheet in the trial court, including the CFSL report on electronic evidenceexcel file (in hard disk and pendrive)collected during the probe.

After submitting pen drive containing the evidence, the Congress claimed in 2015 that it got the original excel sheet of the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) results drawn from the hard disk of PEB examination controller Nitin Mohindra.

The excel sheet showed the chief minister having recommended several candidates.

Digvijaya Singh claimed that the document was later tampered with to replace the chief ministers name with that of senior leader Uma Bharti, the governor and some ministers.

With inputs from agencies
Will the World Bank's ease of doing business ranking give the Narendra Modi government a reason to cheer?

If media reports are to be believed, it will. Recent reports, citing sources, have said the country has jumped 30 spots to 100th position in the ranking of 190 countries.

A report in The Hindu newspaper on Saturday said the the rise in the ranking is due to the changes in areas such as starting a business, dealing with construction permits, and resolving insolvency. Last year, when India moved just one notch up, the ranking in these areas were 155, 185 and 136.

The World Bank will release the report on Tuesday evening. Finance minister Arun Jaitley will hold a press conference after the release of the ranking.

DIPP (Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion) Secretary Ramesh Abhishek had recently told PTI that the country's ranking may improve significantly in the report on the back of reforms initiated by the government.

"We have worked very hard so we are definitely expecting," Abhishek was quoted as saying in a report.

"The World Bank's Doing Business report is going to come out on 31 October and we hope to see a significant improvement because of the large number of work that we have done," Abhishek said.

Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu had recently hinted about the same, saying the country would soon hear "good news" on the ease of doing business front.

The government's optimism regarding the improvement in India's rank comes on the back of reforms taken to improve the efficiency in granting construction permits, starting a business and resolving insolvency.

The ease of doing business ranking is taken seriously by participating countries as they believe it plays a key role in helping foreign investors decide where to invest.

In the last three-and-a-half years, India has received foreign direct investment (FDI) of above $170 billion, the DIPP secretary pointed out.

India's rank inched up by just one place to 130 in the last year's survey that measures the ease of doing business in various countries.

Coming at a time when the small and medium enterprises are reeling under the twin blow of demonetisation and hasty rollout of goods and services tax (GST), any improvement in the ranking will look ironic. Earlier reports had even said many small and medium enteprises (SMEs) had shut down after the ban of the Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes on 8 November, 2016 crippled their businesses.

The two back-to-back disruptive steps had pulled down the economic growth to a three-year low of 5.7 percent. The NDA government had to face criticism from with the BJP and outside for messing up the economy. However, the government will strive to make the most of a move upwards in the ranking.

The news also comes at an opportune time as the BJP is fighting crucial state elections, one in its strong hold Gujarat where small businesses have suffered majorly due to both GST and note ban.

However, ground reality is definitely a far cry from whatever the ranking reflects.

Sunil Mittal, the head of the largest telecom operator Bharti Airtel, recently had said at a panel discussion that ease of doing business still remains a "major concern" in India and urged the government to do more.

"The ease of doing business remains a major concern. I know government is very focused on this, the PM wants our ranking to go up. You come out with fantastic policies," Mittal said.

Describing how he was stunned to get approvals for a merger in Ghana in flat three days despite the holding companies were based in The Netherlands, Mittal rued that it still takes much longer for such processes in our country.

"We can't get to three days. But can we get to 30, may be 60 days? We really need such a framework," Mittal told a panel discussion where Union minister Arun Jaitley, who handles the finance and corporate affairs portfolios, was the chief guest.

He cited the case of the merger of a 100 percent subsidiary with the parent, saying it takes up to five months to get the requisite approvals in India.

Mittal said the government has de-clogged the courts to have the National Company Law Tribunals, a special forum for clearing mergers and acquisitions, but termed the progress on this as "slow" as they are taking "time to stabilise".

As a solution, he suggested having an inter-ministerial panel or a committee that may look into the industry's suggestions and implement them.

"My appeal to the government is to create an inter- ministerial framework, a committee may be, where we can present with logic as to what needs to be changed and you will either reject the logic or buy it. Then government must take a position as quickly as possible," he said.
The very last time Nirupama Dutt visited Amrita Pritam, poppies with blood-red strokes in hand, she witnessed the slow, palpable spectacle of death. Unusually forlorn, visibly encumbered with pain, Amrita would not look at Dutt, let alone make prosaic conversation.

Where love had been the epithet of life, death had now entered, an impervious presence, and made itself too comfortable. Imroz, Amritas lover and beloved, cheered up, propped Amritas head on the pillows, and said, Forget your pain and age. Just look (emphasis mine) at the flowers coloured with the prime of youth and love.

In their last exchange thereafter, Amrita would ask, So Niru, any new love? So significantly could love move Amrita Pritam that even death would be defeated. Like deaths many triumphs, she, too, would succumb to mortality, as she did on 31 October, 2005. But her many loves would outlive her, as she would outlive her death. Indeed, the presence of Amrita Pritam has not left, obstinate in its refusal to be surrendered unread.

She left a lover and a lover she returns to contemporary imagination, in the diligent reiterations commemorating the anniversaries of her birth and death.

Every year, lovers and chroniclers of Amrita Pritam turn to this archival presence and derive from it the greatest pleasures coloured with the prime of youth and love.

Her poetic promise to Imroz, in itself, is uncomplicated; it only promises the world. Ae jism mukkda hai, tan sab kuch mukk janda / par cheteyan dey dhaage, kaayenaati kana dey hunde / main unha kana nu chunagi, dhageyan nu walangi, te tenu main fer milaangi (when the body perishes, then everything else ceases to be / but the threads of memory are the stardust of galaxies / I will cherry-pick those particles, weave them into threads, and I will meet you again) One has not read Pritam if one has not felt her final promise to Imroz  main tenu fer milaangi (I will meet you again) with a resonance that stultifies the literary tiredness of reading Amrita Pritams love as romance, year after year.

This is not to imply that Pritam did not romance her lovers and life itself. Her first anthology, Amrit Lehran (Immortal Waves, 1936), published in the very year of her marriage to Pritam Singh, is an ode to romance. She was sixteen. Her famous and infamous relationship with Sahir Ludhianvi, both the background and progression of her failed marriage to Singh, is, like Pritam herself, poetic legend. In Rasidi Ticket (The Revenue Stamp), her remembered autobiography, we are told, in vivid detail, of a romance mediated by the motif of the cigarette  Ludhianvi would smoke, gazing into Pritams eyes with studied silence, and after he had left, Pritam would carry the stubs to her lips in the mimicry and anticipation of embrace.

When Ludhianvi was unwell, Pritam rubbed ointment on his chest and arms, wishing that I could live in this moment forever. She did not. Of Imroz, there are no legends, but immortal elegies. With willing pleasure, these have become the template of Amrita Pritams memory, foreclosing the universe of love that she imagined, wrote, and lived.

Amrita Pritam was a lover, even a being of love, but to represent this love only as romantic passion is to stifle its political promise.

So titanic was its reach, so rarefied its texture that it could hold a universe. In this, Amrita Pritam leaves us not merely with a different, more democratic conception of love, but a new vocabulary  one that we have not read, let alone used. The misreading is unsurprising, even patterned. Love, as we are condemned to live it, demands a scriptural performative, or what we know to be romance. Romance is certainly desire where the body must be fulcrum, but it must also flow mediated. As this is written, Hadiya, a convert of love to Islam, fights romance with love, merely for the inexorable crime (and by the script, it is one) of transgressing, in her desire, the performance which asks that she love along acceptable circuits of caste, class, religion, gender.

But Hadiya refuses compliance to love as acceptable romance, and it is only in this courage and love that Amrita Pritam can be remembered, if she is to be remembered against biography.

In 1947, Amrita Pritam confronted, like many others in Punjab, a macabre of violence that would come to be known and lived as the Partition of British India. Faced with relentless bloodshed and a personal deracination from Lahore to Delhi, Pritam turned, as ever, to poetry. This would become the venerated nazm  Ajj aakhaan Waris Shah nu (Today, I call Waris Shah). Appalled and horrified by the face of religious violence, she invokes Waris Shah not in castigation, but in the plea to witness, as she is, unthinkable horrors. To be implored to return (utth dard-mandaan diya dardiya, utth tak apna Punjab  rise, look at your Punjab!) Waris Shah must hear of these horrors, which are painstakingly narrativised: Aaj bailey lashaan bichiyaan, tey lahoo di bhari Chenab / kissey ne Panjaan Paaniyan wich, diti zahar rala / tey unhan paniyaan dharat nuu, dita paani laa (Today, fields are lined with corpses and blood fills the Chenab / someone has mixed poison in thhe five rivers flow / their deadly water is, now, irrigating our lands galore) It is interesting that this spectral violence leads Pritam to the memory of Waris Shah, the cherished Sufi writer of Heer Ranjha, an inglorious legend of the many tragedies of love.

For Waris Shah, it represented the mystical difficulty of communion between the self and the divine. For Amrita Pritam, the nazm was a call from one lover to another in what had become a loveless world. There were those who starting abusing me, she writes, castigating me on why I took up a Mussalman Waris Shah? The ones of Sikh faith asserted that I should have written on Guru Nanak, while communists complained that I have ignored Lenin. In Akhar (Words), the spirit of the nazm is revealed: The fire lit by the poet Waris / I have inherited the same within me. (Nonica Dattas quotations) What is this fire but love? The nazm inaugurates Amrita Pritams life in her radical universe of love  she remains the ardent lover, but here she is a lover of Punjab, its syncretic pasts and presents, of individuals and communities she must now hate; here, she returns, like Waris Shah, as the young Amrita who made her first baghavat by questioning the separation of utensils for her fathers Muslim friends. Hereon, Amrita Pritam, and her love, is unstoppable.

In further work, Pritam introduces her subjectivity as a woman and engenders both lived reality and the Partition of British India. She is unmistakably unafraid in portraying desire as unfettered and fantasies real. Although Nirupama Dutt calls her a feminist before feminists, Pritam captures the illusive impulse that is feminism  of love, for others and oneself, held in the acknowledgement that we are, and can be, more than the beings that patriarchy imagines for us. Her unfazed resistance to the youth of body forced into motherhood is the revolt of love against the compulsoriness of certain futures.

In her celebrated Pinjar (Skeleton), we receive the figure of Pooru, a Hindu girl abducted by Rashid, a Muslim man, during the fateful partition. Pooru stays on in Pakistan, for her family could not, now, accept a woman who had been defiled by a Mussalman. Pooru accepts this subjugation of romance, but not with the kindness that patriarchy would expect of her. In Pinjars dazzling narrative, Pooru positions her struggle against patriarchy and even the nation-form in a remarkable act of love.

Another dimension of Amrita Pritams many loves, however uncomfortable its recognition has been, was otherworldly  in her later years, Pritam was attracted to Rajneesh, or Osho. Potently mystical themes begin to mark her literary life, most notably in Kaal Chetna (Time Consciousness) and Agyat ka Nimantran (Call of the Unknown). Her obituary in The Guardian reviles that she followed tantric practices and the Bhagwan Rajneesh of Pune unquestionably.

But this, too, as her nazm, was an invocation of Waris Shah and the indeterminable mystical quest. When Oshos voice rustles in ones interior like a soft breeze, she writes, I can say on my own authority that the dormant seed of consciousness starts sprouting. Then the flower of countless colours that blooms can have any name to it. It blooms also as a Gautam Buddha, it blooms also as a Mahavira, it blooms also as a Nanak.

Yet, for her many loves, Amrita Pritam was of human failing. Professional malpractice was alleged in the case of her Sahitya Akademi Award, wherein she purportedly cast a vote in her own favour in the selection panel, and when Krishna Sobti alleged plagiarism in the title of her Zindaginamah. Pritam maintained an ominous silence on the two disquiets of postcolonial India that impinged on her personal and political world  the Operation Blue Star in which the akhal-takht was desecrated, and the anti-Sikh massacre that followed Prime Minister Indira Gandhis assassination in conspiratorial political complicity. Reginald Massey found it repellent that Pritam kept a portrait of Indira Gandhi by her bedside, believing that they had been sisters in an incarnation. But it is only in human failing that love can take a radical presence.

Amrita Pritams many loves did not come from the extraordinariness unthinkingly read into figures we render prominent, but a rustic humanity of many failings. To her mortal end, she remained a lover who could forget pain and age through poppies of blood-red strokes merely for representing the prime of love. The memory of this love cannot remain constricted to romance, and Amrita Pritam cannot forever be its biography.

Note: This column was originally published on 31 October 2017, to commemorate Amrita Pritam's 12th death anniversary
Hearing on the politically contentious constitutional provision, Article 35A was slated for Monday, but the Supreme Court deferred hearing by eight weeks.

In Kashmir, people across ideological and political lines were keenly awaiting the outcome of the petition, which had called for striking down Article 35A of the constitution. There have been a total of four petitions filed in Supreme Court challenging the article. The main petition was filed in 2014 by then lesser-known NGO, "We the Citizens" on the grounds that Article 35A was illegally added to the Constitution as the article was never put up before the Parliament.

The hearing has created a debate in the states political circles for the last three months while mainstream political leaders from the Valley have threatened major protests if there was any tinkering with the article.

The Centres refusal to support the state government, which has been seeking dismissal of the petition, has already raised alarm bells in the state and has cast a shadow on the Centre-state relations.

Earlier, Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, had told a bench headed by former chief justice JS Khehar that given the "sensitive" nature of the issue, the Centre wanted a larger debate on it.

Separatist leaders on Sunday had threatened widespread protests in Kashmir. In a joint statement, Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik had urged the people to "launch a mass agitation if the Supreme Court delivered a verdict against the interests and aspirations of the people of the state".

People in the Valley say that there would be another spell of protests and chaos if a verdict had come in the favour of abrogation of Article 35A.

"If the construction of a few huts by a shrine board in Sonamarg in 2008 could give rise to such a huge uprising, imagine the depth of an upcoming agitation if the article is scrapped," Shafat Mir, a local journalist told Firstpost.

Locals who have witnessed the unrest that followed the killing of former Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in 2016 fear the Valley may slide into a disastrous agitation once again.

While speaking to Firstpost, a resident from South Kashmir said, Tinkering with article 35A will bring back the unrest and nobody in the Valley wants bloodshed on the streets. The government too should take into consideration that the issue is too sensitive to deal with and should settle it by the political means."

Article 35 (A) gives special rights to Jammu and Kashmirs permanent residents. It disallows non-residents of the state from buying or owning immovable property, settling permanently or from holding a government job in the state.

The attempt to dilute Article 35A of the Constitution is being viewed in Kashmir as an attempt to disregard and breach the states special status.

The political parties are not the only one concerned about the abrogation of the constitutional provisions of Article 35A. The locals also see it as an attempt to pave way for outsiders to raise settlements in the state and change the demography.

"There are various issues related to Article 35A. Its all about Center-state relationship. People have the right to stand for Article 35A and they have the right to protest for it as well. If it is abrogated, the PDP government will lose the moral right to be in government," Irfan Kullar, a Congress leader told Firstpost.

"I believe that the central government is well aware of possible consequences in the Valley, and thats why the Attorney General told the court that it should adjourn the hearing on the petitions against Article 35A of the Constitution by six months. Its a time buying attempt, Javid Wani a political expert told Firstpost.

He also said, The honourable court does not want to stir up a controversy and is buying the time as it has done in certain crucial cases and want it to be subsided by amicable political means".

Whatever the outcome may be during the next hearing, it is clear that fear of another unrest looms large over the Valley while people eagerly look for the return of calm.
An important question the upcoming Assembly elections in Gujarat would answer is: Do people vote with the intention of making their own lives better, or do they go to polling booths to address past grievances  both imagined and real  and fight for the honour of others and the community?

To rephrase the question in Ayn Rand's words: Elections in Gujarat will tell us if the individual lives for himself, or for the society.

It will tell us if the individual is subservient to the collective. This binary has emerged because several forces are pulling Gujarat politics in opposite directions. The BJP is trying to turn it into a vote for others and their pride  Sardar Patel, Gujarati asmita, Narendra Modi, and of course, fellow Hindus.

Denied its "development model" claims because of the state of the economy and the mess created by demonetisation and GST's implementation, inadequate growth in jobs and a general malaise in the market, the BJP has begun to pull the narrative in the direction it is most comfortable with.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speeches during his Gujarat blitzkreig betrayed the BJP's strategy of making voters think about emotive issues that have very little to do with an individual's life. The focus is now on avenging the way Gujaratis were humiliated; righting the wrongs done to Patel and other leaders from the state like Morarji Desai. He has also gone back to his trademark strategy of insinuating that Congress leaders speak the language used in Pakistan.

BJP's attempt to claim Patel for itself, portray him as a victim of Congress' politics isn't new. Devoid of leaders from the saffron Parivar who participated in the Independence movement, the BJP has been trying to claim various Congress leaders in an attempt to create a 'Nehru vs The Others' divide. The attempt sounds farcical in view of Patel's own views on Hindutva outfits including the RSS, which he had banned.

But bringing Patel out during the election season suits the BJP's time-tested strategy of making individuals forget their own lives and get carried away by appeals for using their vote for the "greater good" of the community and country. This strategy has worked well for the BJP in the past. For decades, it reaped a bountiful harvest by sowing seeds of the Ayodhya movement, turning Gujarat riots into a electoral issue and fertilising the ground with rhetoric on nationalism and Hindutva.

This time, however, the old ideas may not sell so easily. After several years, voters in Gujarat may be willing to put their individual interests in mind. They might finally be ready to delineate themselves from the community, throw the yoke of the collective over the individual.

In an interview with The Hindu, Dalit activist Jignesh Mewani argues that the narrative might be changing in Gujarat. "The contradictions (between BJP's claims and reality) have sharpened. The Hindutva wave has worked three times (in 2002, 2007 and 2012), but if my child is still suffering from malnutrition, you can't fool me any longer," he said.

This then might be the essence of the developing narrative in Gujarat.

That there is some churning in the minds of voters is manifest in Rahul Gandhi's strategy of talking about individuals and their day-to-day lives and the response this has evoked. The Congress vice-president has consistently been talking about the "failed Gujarat model" and the hardships caused by demonetisation, GST and unemployment. If crowds at his rallies are an indication, people are willing to listen to him.

Simultaneous socio-political movements for addressing individual injustices, problems of unemployment and falling incomes by Patidars, OBCs and Dalits are adding to the momentum generated by Gandhi's focus on real, day-to-day issues.

"No one is talking about the Gujarat model: The Patidars, OBCs and Dalits are up in arms, but so are ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers, anganwadi workers, farmers, labourers, traders. The vikas (development) balloon has been punctured; the BJP can no longer use the Sabka Vikas slogan," Mewani added.

Politicians are scared when voters start thinking about themselves; they get the jitters when emotive issues that have no real bearing on the lives of individuals begin to lose their impact. They find themselves at a loss of words when people start asking the right questions. That process, fortunately for Indian democracy, may have begun in Gujarat.

The BJP, of course, would try to steer the narrative back towards questions of community and country; of insults to Gujarati pride and its leaders. We will know soon if Gujarat cares more about jobs, economy and individual rights, or about Sardar Patel, Morarji Desai and the cries of impending threat to Hindutva and India from real and imagined enemies.
Ahmedabad: Gujarat Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani has termed as "wrong" reports that he is going to meet Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday.

He also said that even if he meets Gandhi, it will be to know the Congress' stand on issues of the Dalit community and not for his own "personal gains".

In a Facebook post shared on Tuesday amid speculation about his possible meeting with the Congress leader, Mevani said, "I request media friends that please do not share this wrong news that I am going to meet Rahul Gandhi today(Tuesday)."

"Even if I meet Rahul Gandhi or any other leader, it will not be for my personal gain but to know Congress' stand on the issues of Dalit communities on which the BJP government in the state is not ready to talk. Why shall I meet anyone secretly?" he said in the post.

The Congress also said there was no plan yet for a meeting between Mevani and Gandhi during the latter's three-day campaign tour of the state from Wednesday.

"As far as the Congress is concerned, there is no such plan of Mevani meeting Gandhi," party spokesperson Manish Doshi said.

Notably, Kshatriya-Rajput community leader Alpesh Thakor has lent his support to the Congress ahead of the Gujarat Assembly elections in December.

Patidar quota agitation leader Hardik Patel, who has put forward a set of demands before the Congress as a pre-condition for extending support to the party in the upcoming state polls, has asked it to make its stand clear on how it would ensure reservation for the community.
Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah on Tuesday announced that senior leader and former chief minister of Himachal Pradesh Prem Kumar Dhumal would be the party's chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming state polls on 9 November.

"The BJP is going to fight the Himachal Pradesh Assembly polls under the leadership of Prem Kumar Dhumal...Dhumal is currently a former chief minister but after 18 December, he will be the new chief minister of the state," PTI quoted Shah as saying.

The former Himachal Pradesh chief minister will lead the BJP to a "huge majority" in the state, Shah added.

Dhumal has been chosen over Union minister JP Nadda. Earlier media reports hinted at a close competition between the two for the seat.

BJP's announcement of Dhumal comes as a surprise to many because the saffron party has remained mum on the the chief ministerial candidate in all state elections held after Narendra Modi became the prime minister.

Dhumal is 73 years old, just two years away from BJP's disqualifying age limit of 75 years. Referring to his age Dhumal told News18 that he will cross the river when he gets there.

Party sources told The Indian Express that "popularity and the acceptability among the cadre played in his favour.

He has worked with several units of the BJP and he remained state secretary of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha in 1980-82. He was later the general secretary of state BJP in 1985-93 and state president of the party in 199398.

Dhumal has been elected to Lok Sabha in 1989, 1991 and 2007 from Hamirpur Parliamentary Constituency. He has served as the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh from 1998-2003 and again from 2007-2012.

In 2012, Dhumal lost to Virbhadra Singh but won from the Hamirpur seat defeating his nearest Congress rival Narinder Thakur by a margin of over 9,500 votes. Speaking to Zee News after the 2012 state election, he underlined the "need to analyse what went wrong".

Dhumal has also served as a member of several important panels of the Parliament like Consultative Committee, Ministry of Communication (1989-96), Standing Committee on Transport and Tourism (1991-96), Railway Convention Committee (1991-96), The Indian Express reported. He was also a member of National Council for Teachers Education (1993-96) and remained an Alternate Chairman of the Estimates Committee of Lok Sabha between 1989-91.

Born on 10 April, 1944, the former chief minister did his MA and LLB from Doaba College in Jalandhar and Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar respectively. He has also been a teacher and agriculturist.

Dhumal is also associated with various social organisations such as Bharat Vikas Parishad, Vivekanand Memorial Society and Himachal Hitkarini Sabha.
The Himachal Pradesh election, where the BJP is trying to wrestle power from the Congress, is scheduled for 9 November and will be primarily be fought on the plank of development. The political heat is on the rise in the hill state with both the major parties - Congress and BJP - levelling allegations on each other.

BJPs election in charge for Himachal Pradesh, Thaawar Chand Gehlot, has said that the only issue in the state polls is development, development, development.

While the BJP and the Congress are engaged in a war in Himachal Pradesh, both the parties speak in the same language when it comes to the main issue in the polls.

The India Today-Axis My India opinion poll also indicated that development is the biggest issue in the upcoming election. Almost 82 percent of the people voted for development while seven percent said employment might also be a factor.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi told a rally in Mandi that Himachal model of development was far superior to Gujarat model. He further said that Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh-led government is ahead in development indicators as compared to the Gujarat government in last five years.

Employment

The BJP's vision document for Himachal Pradesh lays thrust on employment generation because it is another major issue in the election. The document said, thrust will be on generation of employment by harnessing tourism potential and developing new tourist circuits.

The document also promises abolition of interviews for class III and Class IV jobs, laptops and free WiFi and job fairs to facilitate unemployed youth.

Meanwhile, Congress too has launched a campaign to woo the youth. During his campaign in the state, Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress government had created 70,000 jobs for the youth in Himachal Pradesh over the past five years compared to only 10,000 jobs by the BJP government in Gujarat over the same period.

The focus on employment, India Today reported, is a key plank for both parties as the youth comprise 43 percent of the voters.

Infrastructure

The BJP has time and again accused the Himachal Pradesh government of failing to develop infrastructure in the state.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of a Rs 1,350-crore All India Institute of Medical Sciences project. He also laid the foundation stone for an Indian Institute of Information Technology at Una and a steel processing plant in Kangra district via video conference from Bilaspur.

ANI quoted the prime minister as saying, Centre would invest Rs 15,000 crore for 13 development projects in Himachal Pradesh.

GDP and human development index

Himachal Pradesh recorded a GDP growth rate of 8.1 percent in 2015-16 and 7.1 percent in 2016-17. The growth rate during 2012-17 has been estimated at 7.2 percent, which is comparable to Gujarat, India Today reported. The Congress party is likely to play up these figures to their advantage.

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma had attacked the BJP for making a "mockery" of the GST and said that it was not 'one nation, one tax', but "one nation, six tax, and thirty states, thirty tax".

The implementation of the GST coupled with demonetisation has largely been seen as a setback for the saffron part in both the Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat election.

On the human development index, the state ranks at third position behind Delhi and Kerala.

Statistics show how much care the Gujarat government really extends towards the health and immunity of its children. pic.twitter.com/vxazWG1mcd  Congress (@INCIndia) October 30, 2017

The Social Progress Imperative and Institute of Competitiveness released the Social Progress Index 2017 for the States of India and Himachal Pradesh comes second in the list, reported Business World. The index is a holistic and robust measurement framework for national, social & environmental performance.

The Social Progress Index supplements measures of economic success by directly measuring social and environmental outcomes.

The achievement of the state government in putting Himachal Pradesh at the second position might work in the favour of the Congress.

Development, therefore, remains an important issue which the BJP and the Congress will have to focus on.

A three-time BJP MP from Hamirpur, Anurag Thakur told The Times of India that the saffron party is fighting this election on the plank of development by Centre and the previous BJP government. Congress' Sharma agreed, saying only development would be an issue in the elections as the Virbhadra Singh-led government had undertaken a lot of projects in the past five years.

With inputs from agencies
Rampur: Accusing the Congress of speaking the language of separatists on Kashmir, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday asserted that the BJP dispensation would never allow any political conspiracy against national interest.

"The Kashmir problem is a Congress legacy, it nurtured the problem..... Congressism and separatism are two faces of the same coin," he said at a 'run for unity' event to commemorate the 142nd birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

The minority affairs minister alleged that the Congress had "proposed and accepted plebiscite when our forces were very near to crushing the Pakistani attackers in Kashmir", and that it wanted the "problem" to linger on.

"It has sufficiently been proved by the recent statement of a former very eminent Union minister. That is why leaders who are its pivots speak the same language as separatists," Naqvi said in an apparent reference to recent remarks by P Chidambaram on Kashmir.

The Union minister stated "the Grand Old Party's brand new love for separatists exposes its character and designs to exploit the explosive situation to nurse its political interests".

However, the BJP dispensation would never allow any political conspiracy against national interest, he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched massive celebrations to mark the 142nd birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on Tuesday, sending the message that 'Rashtriya Ekta Diwas' will be an occasion second only to Gandhi Jayanti. It's part of an ongoing narrative being propagated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), where they have repeatedly slammed the Congress for not according due respect to Patel, one of the founding fathers of the Republic.

"People tried to ensure the contribution of Sardar Patel is forgotten. But the youth of India respects him and his contribution towards the building of our nation," Modi said at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Tuesday.

It's an argument that has been used by the Sangh Parivar in the past as well. This time last year, Modi had said nobody could have a "copyright" over Patel's legacy, a clear reference to Patel's Congress roots. "I am from the BJP and Sardar Patel was from Congress, but I still follow his ideology and beliefs, which belong to no party," Modi had said in 2016.

Twelve months have come and gone, but the argument is the same. The BJP is still trying to ensure Patel, the first home minister and deputy prime minister of independent India, is on the same pantheon as Jawaharlal Nehru and Mohandas Gandhi. That it should be left to the BJP to claim this honour for a life-long Congressman is a deep irony that has only picked up more momentum with time.

But the more important question is why does the saffron party rely on a Congressman, with such secure credentials as Patel, so heavily? The answer may lie in the fact that most freedom fighters and leaders who were part of the Independence struggle were Congress leaders. The BJP, or even the Jan Sangh that preceded the party, came into being post-Independence, and they lack leaders who can provide the spark that was neeeded. If anything, the party owes its ideology to the works of Vinayak Savarkar, who was tried for the murder of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi.

And though Patel's Congress credentials couldn't be questioned, the fact that he united over 500 princely states gives him a nation building aura, while him being from Gujarat works in favour of the Modi-Shah combine.

When did Patel switch from Congress to BJP?

The BJP has claimed the Congress didn't value Patel, and prevented his rise in order to ensure Jawaharlal Nehru's numero uno position within the party remained intact. It also reportedly launched a WhatsApp campaign earlier this week in Gujarat, highlighting the "insults" allegedly meted out by Congress. The campaign accused the Nehru-Gandhi family of insulting "Gujarati pride" while citing that Patel was never accorded a memorial in New Delhi or given the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.

To prove his point that Patel was sidelined by the previous Congress governments, Modi, on Tuesday, also invoked Rajendra Prasad, saying that India's first president was not happy with the way Patel's contribution to India was neglected. The BJP, in the past, had even said Nehru didn't attend Patel's funeral, forcing the Congress to issue video proof to the contrary.

But how much of this is actually true?

As with everything else that took place over half a century ago, a lot of it is misrepresented.

Unfortunately for the Congress, Patel's birth anniversary also happens to be the date Indira Gandhi was assassinated. Caught in a bind over which occasion to mark, it chose Indira Gandhi's assassination.

Historian and author Ramchandra Guha writes in a report in Hindustan Times: "From 1985 onwards, the Congress, when in power in New Delhi, vigorously commemorated 31st October for being the day that Indira Gandhi died, while forgetting to alert the public that this was also the day that Patel was born. Since the Nehru-Gandhis would not praise Patel, the BJP chose to do so instead."

So, with a battle emerging where only one political party could claim rights to the original Iron Man of India, "Indira Gandhi and her descendants have suppressed Patels contributions, while Narendra Modi and the BJP have set up a tendentious opposition between two Indians who worked together to build this country," Guha wrote, suggesting that tales of Patel and Nehru not seeing eye-to-eye were grossly misrepresented and exaggerated.

Differences between Patel and Nehru

Having said that, however, they did have their differences. As pointed out by Livemint, Nehru was a committed socialist with a firm belief in State-led industrialisation, Patel's borrowed belief in Gandhian self-sufficiency was tempered by his personal advocacy of private capital. Patel argued against nationalisation of industries and was for letting "those who have the knowledge and experience manage the industries and increase the country's wealth". They were also extremely contrasting personalities, the report notes. "Nehru was a visionary, abstract at times, Patel a hard-nosed realist," it said.

But while they differed on numerous things  right from the issue of whether or not the Congress should participate in general elections in 1935, to the Quit India movement in 1942  one thing that kept these differences from simmering to the surface was their shared faith in Mohandas Gandhi's leadership.

As senior journalist MV Kamath wrote in The Free Press Journal in 2013, "Patel, hailing from a Patidar farming family, was deep-rooted in Indian soil, while Nehru, an upper-class, anglicised Kashmiri Brahmin was, from his very childhood, raised to be British in cultural upbringing. The two differ as chalk and cheese, no matter who the chalk is and who the cheese. They differed strongly on many issues, and if they worked together on many others, it was because they shared one guru: the Mahatma."

But a nuanced version of history that seeks to place things in perspective is hardly possible in the rough and tumble of modern politics. So you have the RSS appropriating Patel as one of their own, which is especially pertinent considering he hailed from Gujarat, the same state as Prime Minister Modi and BJP party president Amit Shah, and the state which is about to witness Assembly election in just over a month from today.

Patel no friend of the Sangh

But a more careful reading of history also tells us that Patel had a few less than flattering things to say about the RSS. And his dislike for the Sangh was no secret. As reported by Firstpost earlier, Patel, a "beacon of secularism", had an extreme dislike for the RSS. He even banned it in 1948. He squarely blamed the Hindu Mahasabha for Gandhi's assassination; and said the "activities of the RSS constituted a clear threat to the existence of the government and the State". He also called Sangh leaders' statements to be "poisonous" in nature. "The speeches of the Sangh leaders are poisonous. It is as a result of this venom that Mahatma Gandhi has been assassinated," he had said.

Even when Patel lifted the ban on the RSS a year after Gandhi's killing, he insisted on a rider: That it would never participate in active politics. It's ironically this rider that led the RSS to push forward the Jan Sangh as its political arm. The Jan Sangh later morphed into what is today the BJP, as elaborated further in this Scroll article.

The article would make for damaging reading for those seeking to pursue the train of thought that in Patel the BJP has found a kindred soul from half a century ago. But it's clearly not so the case. Patel was even more receptive to the idea of Partition than Nehru, it reads. "VP Menon, the architect of the Partition Plan, said that Patel 'accepted the division of India in December 1946, while Nehru would only acquiesce six months later'."

"Abul Kalam Azad, a staunch critic of Partition right till the very end, was disappointed with Patel's support and writes in his memoir India wins Freedom that he was 'surprised and pained when Patel in reply (to why Partition was needed) said that whether we liked it or not, there were two nations in India'," the report further added.

Not words that the Sangh would like to read from the man it has often said should have been the first prime minister of India instead of Nehru.

Even on the contentious Ram Janmabhoomi issue, Patel's views could be inimical to the position taken up by the saffron parties. "In 1949, when an idol of Lord Rama was installed in the precincts of the Masjid, Govind Ballabh Pant was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. Sardar was worried because he feared the matter might take an ugly turn; the mob might take the law into its hands He, therefore, wrote to Pant, advising him to exercise restraint, and cautioned him that any unilateral act of force by any party in the dispute must be met by force. And that law-breakers were to be given no quarter at any cost," said an article by scholar Dr Rafiq Zakaria in Rediff.

Do these sound more like the views of a Congressman or a member of the Sangh?
Members of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti met Gujarat Congress leaders on Monday but no agreement could be reached on the assurance about quotas for the Patels, a precondition set by PAAS leader Hardik Patel for extending support to the party in the Assembly polls.

After the meeting at the Congress's state headquarters which lasted three hours, PAAS leaders said they will hold another round of discussion by 7 November to resolve the issue.

Hardik Patel, who skipped the meeting, said the next round of negotiations will be the final. "If we have been fighting for reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for two-and-a-half years, then waiting for a few days is no a big deal. But the next meeting on the issue will be the last and final," he told reporters.

Hardik Patel had last Saturday threatened to disrupt Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's proposed rally in Surat if the main opposition party in Gujarat did not make clear how it will provide quotas to the Patidar community. However, on Monday a Patidar leader said that they will not oppose Rahul Gandhi's rally.

The announcement to withdraw the threat was made by Surat-based PAAS leader Alpesh Kathiria after the meeting, according to The Indian Express. Kathiria said, We have decided neither to oppose Rahul Gandhis public meeting in Surat on November 3 nor support it.

Gandhi is scheduled to campaign in poll-bound Gujarat from 1-3 November. Patel said he will take the final call on meeting Gandhi after consulting the core committee of the PAAS.

The ruling BJP, meanwhile, accused Patel and the Congress of misleading the Patidar community with the latter's claim that the opposition party has accepted all the demands of the community. "The main demand of the PAAS and Hardik Patel was reservation under OBC quota. The Congress and PAAS should clarify if the Congress will give reservations under OBC quota to the community," deputy chief minister Nitin Patel said, reacting to today's meeting.

The Congress has been reluctant about promising quotas to the influential patidar community under the other backward classes category and offered them reservation under a separate grouping -economically backward classes.

After the meeting, the PAAS members who met Congress leaders told reporters that the party agreed on four of their five main demands. "As far as the issue of reservation is concerned, we have decided to meet again to discuss its technical and legal aspects so as to ensure that it is technically and legally sound," said PAAS convener Alpesh Kathiriya.

Congress agreed to the demand for formation of special investigation team (SIT), if voted to power, to investigate alleged atrocities against the members of the community during the PAAS rally in Ahmedabad on 25-26 August, 2015, senior Congress leader Siddharth Patel said. He said legal action will be taken against those held guilty.

It also promised withdrawal of all police cases against PAAS members, including on the serious charge of sedition. If voted to power, the Congress government will make an ex-gratia payment of Rs 35 lakh to the kin of those killed during the quota agitation and a government job to one member of their families, Patel said.

The Congress will form a commission for general category communities and provide it with a corpus of Rs 2,000 crore for education, skill development and self-employment, he said. "The Congress discussed reservation in detail and we have decided to get more details on how to make it possible under constitutional provisions," Siddharth Patel said, adding the matter will be resolved at their next meeting.

The Congress leaders who met the PAAS team included state party chief Bharatsinh Solanki.

With inputs from PTI
Two months ago, when Kerala's Left-ruling government was 'bogged down' by negative reviews by right wing leaders, the state invested in full-page advertisements in major English dailies in New Delhi titled 'What Makes Kerala No. 1.'

The eye-catching advertisements listed the state's achievements on literacy, transparency, governance and communal amity, with quotes from well-known personalities praising Kerala. Additionally, Left-leaning Twitterati all over India also started a Kerala No.1 hashtag campaign to repel the "Right-ist malice".

The advertisements and campaigns by the state government come in the backdrop of continuous attacks by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in and out of the Parliament on Kerala's 'failures'. And in a 15-day-long political rally led by state BJP, which ended last week, also mainly aimed at portraying Kerala as a 'failed' state and an unsafe place.

In fact, in his speeches during the Jana Raksha Yatra, BJP chief Amit Shah also took on Left leaders in the state and the government on the front of development. But President Ram Nath Kovind, BJP's top choice for the post, seems to have a different view.

During his visit to Kerala on Friday, Kovind called the state the 'Global face of India'. Terming Kerala a digital power house of the country, Kovind lauded state's achievements in the sectors of health, education, sanitation and Income Tax. Recently, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath attacked Kerala for its "poor healthcare" facilities and Chief Minister of Goa Manohar Parrikar stated that Kerala is being ruled by "rogues".

Comparing certain health statistics, Adityanath even said that the Kerala government should learn how to run infirmaries from the Uttar Pradesh government. However, Kovind said that the emphasis on development, health care and education in the state should be an example for the rest of the country.

Kovind also said that the state's tradition and its thinking has been "humanistic, people-oriented and democratic". "In sanitation, your achievements are praiseworthy. In local self-government and panchayati raj, again Kerala has deepened our democracy," he had said.

Kovind lauded the hardworking nature of Keralites, especially in the field of healthcare and hospitality and added that hospitals and medical centres in and outside the country cannot function without the "ever smiling and ever attentive sisters from Kerala". He said that healthcare workers from the state, both men and women, are internationally sought after.

Subhash Chandran, a Left campaigner and an advocate in the Supreme Court, said that the President's praise stands in stark contrast to BJP leaders' attempts to stigmatise Kerala. "This is not the first time, Kovind contradicted the opinion of BJP leaders. "When the Uttar Pradesh government downplayed the importance of Taj Mahal, Kovind said the Mughal-era monument is one of the seven wonders," the advocate added.

The President had said that "they say Shah Jahan dedicated it to his wife but I say he dedicated it to love." On another occasion, while Union Minister Anantakumar Hegde condemned Tipu Sultan as a "brutal killer, wretched fanatic and mass rapist", Kovind averred, saying that "Tipu Sultan died a heroic death."

"All these instances prove that it is not very easy for the Sangh Parivar to destroy the history and demolish the monuments for a Hindu Rashtra. Kovind realised that he has to follow the Constitution, not vichardhara (ideology)," the advocate added.

However, Kummanam Rajasekharan, the state BJP president, said Kovind's good words are used politically.

"We welcome the good words from the President. However, it is used politically by people with vested interests. Kerala still is not doing well in job and industry sectors. The progress achieved in the education sector is due to the contribution of the private sector," the BJP state president said.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan too thanked Kovind for the support. "The good words said by the President on Kerala and its people is matter of pride for us. We thank you for the support you extended."

An Aam Admi Party leader in Kerala said that Kovind did the right thing. "Whichever political background a President comes from, he has to be constitutionally correct. Kovind also did the same," Shybu Madathil, AAP political affairs committee member, said. "We can say that our President was constitutionally and factually correct while talking about Kerala," Shybu added.
Puducherry: Puducherry chief minister V Narayanasamy on Tuesday accused the NDA government at the Centre of "ruining" the country's economy by adopting "injurious" economic policies.

Addressing party workers on the death anniversary of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, he claimed, "The Centre has ruined the economy of the country by introducing the Goods and Services Tax."

"Farmers, unemployed youth, poorer sections and small and medium industrialists are suffering a lot following demonetisation which came into effect a year ago," he alleged.

"The Centre's injurious economic policies have thus hit the revenue of Puducherry and bigger states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka," he claimed.

Narayanasamy also alleged that the NDA government was using different nomenclatures for the welfare schemes which were launched by the Congress during the tenure of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Manmohan Singh.

"The contents and spirit of the schemes were what the Congress rule had intended in the past...Only the names are changed to give them a look as if they are evolved by the BJP," he claimed.

In a veiled attack on Lt Governor Kiran Bedi, the chief minister alleged, "Certain persons are functioning in Puducherry as the agents of the BJP."

The Congress government in the Union Territory has been at loggerheads with Bedi on a host of issues since she assumed office.

On the Gujarat elections, Narayanasamy claimed that the "upcoming polls will teach a lesson to the BJP and the prime minister as industrialists and other sections there are disillusioned with the capability of the party to deliver the goods".

He claimed there was a change in the mood of people in the favour of the Congress and the BJP would be pushed aside in Gujarat to ensure the Congress rule there.

PCC chief A Namassivayam said the first anniversary of demonetisation on November 8 would be observed as 'Black Day' in association with the alliance partners and fraternal parties to protest the step of the NDA government as per direction of the AICC.
Patna: Union Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday wondered why it took 41 years to give the Bharat Ratna to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who would have made a difference to the "shape and direction" of India had he been the first prime minister.

The minister was addressing a function organised by Patel Sewa Sangh, Bihar, to celebrate the 142nd birth anniversary of the Iron Man of India.

Sardar Patel was bestowed with the country's highest civilian award posthumously in 1991, 41 years after his death in 1950.

"Every eminent personality got this award. But in Patel's case, it took 41 years to honour him with the Bharat Ratna award. It was the Narsimha Rao's government who honoured him with the award," Prasad said.

The nation paid tributes to Patel on his birth anniversary today and 'Rashtriya Ekta Diwas' (National Unity Day) was observed.

Prasad said that the country's first president Dr Rajendra Prasad had said in 1959 that what India stands today, it was because of Patel.

"Had Patel been the prime minister for three years (1947 to 1950), the shape and direction of the country would have been different," he said, adding, it was his personal opinion.

Prasad said shortly after Independence, there were 555 princely states and Patel successfully handled 554 of them, while Jawaharlal Nehru handled just one (Jammu and Kashmir), "which he messed up by taking to the UN, against Patel's opinion on the issue".

Patel did not have his own house, while Rajendra Prasad lived in a two-room accommodation after demitting the office, the law minister said, and asked "Where are grandsons and great-grandsons of Patel and Prasad (in politics) today?"

"After 70 years of Independence, today we need to debate and discuss the issue as to why a person from only one family would become the CM, party president, the PM...How long this will continue?" he asked.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought to know the rate of conviction of politicians in criminal cases and asked whether its direction to complete trial against them within a year was being effectively implemented.

The apex court said that data about the conviction rate of politicians in criminal cases would open up a "new dimension" and sought to know whether it would act as a "deterrent" if the trial against lawmakers is completed in a year.

"We would also like to know what is the rate of conviction. That will throw open a new dimension. We will see that criminal cases against politicians, if it does not end in conviction, then why? What are the reasons for it," a bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Navin Sinha said.

The top court made these observations while hearing petitions seeking to declare the provisions of the Representation of People (RP) Act, which bar convicted politician from contesting elections for six years after serving jail term, as ultra-vires to the Constitution.

During the hearing, the bench asked the lawyer appearing for one of the intervenors about the data of cases pending against lawmakers in trial courts and high courts across the country and also whether there was stay on any of them.

The lawyer told the court that it was an important aspect and he would file an affidavit giving details of the data available on the national judicial data grid as well as with the Election Commission of India (EC).

"We do not think it would be easy for you to collect data from the EC as cases are pending in the trial courts and different high courts," the bench said, adding, "we can see your anxiety for purity in elections".

"If the trial (against politicians) is over in one year, do you think it would be a deterrent," the bench asked.

Referring to a data, the counsel claimed that an estimated 34 percent of parliamentarians had a criminal record.

The bench observed that a direction was earlier passed by the top court that trial against politicians should be completed within a year and wanted to know how effectively was that order being implemented.

The court also asked what would happen to a judge when charges were framed against him or an FIR lodged.

To this, the counsel said, "the court has laid down such a high and rigorous standards for judges. If this is the position in case of judges, why can't the same be there in case of politicians".

The lawyer argued that if a lawmaker was convicted by a court of law, he should be permanently barred from politics.

The arguments remained inconclusive and would continue tomorrow.

Advocate Ashwini Kumar Updhyay has filed a PIL in the matter, while several others have come to the apex court as intervenors.

The apex court had on 12 July pulled up the ECI for not taking a clear stand on a plea seeking barring of convicted politicians for life.

The Centre, in its affidavit, had said the prayer sought by the petitioner seeking lifetime bar on convicted lawmakers was not maintainable and the plea should be dismissed.

The petition has also sought a direction to the Centre and the EC to fix minimum educational qualification and a maximum age limit for persons contesting polls.
7BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has stirred up the hornet's nest again.

On Tuesday, Swamy took to Twitter to announce he would write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi detailing how compulsory Aadhaar was 'a threat to national security' and added that he was sure the Supreme Court would soon strike it down.

Swamy tweeted:

I am writing a letter soon to PM detailing how compulsory Aadhar is a threat to our national security. SC will I am sure strike it down.  Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) October 31, 2017

On Monday, the Supreme Court had said that a bench would start hearing a batch of petitions challenging the Narendra Modi government's move to make Aadhaar mandatory for citizens to avail services and benefits of welfare schemes in the last week of November. The court had instructed the government to file its reply in four weeks.

According to a report in The Times of India, this isn't the first time Swamy has critiqued Aadhaar. Earlier, the veteran BJP leader had stated that Aadhaar was intrusive and susceptible to abuse, particularly by foreign intelligence agencies.

He also stated that the government's decision to use an American company to develop core software for the Aadhaar system may raise issues concerning the security of the data and leave it vulnerable to US intelligence agencies who may use the information to gain an advantage, according to The Times of India report.

With inputs from PTI
Reuters

Facebook Inc, Twitter Inc and Alphabet Incs Google head before US lawmakers on Tuesday for two days of gruelling hearings on how Russia allegedly used their services to try to sway the 2016 US election.

At stake for the Silicon Valley companies are their public images and the threat of tougher advertising regulations in the United States, where the technology sector has grown accustomed to light treatment from the government.

Facebook, the worlds largest social network, added fuel to the debate on Monday when it told Congress in written testimony that 126 million Americans may have seen politically divisive posts that originated in Russia under fake names.

That is in addition to 3,000 US political ads that Facebook says Russians bought on its platform.

Google and Twitter have also said that people in Russia used their services to spread messages in the run-up to last years US presidential election.

The Russian government has denied it intended to influence the election, in which President Donald Trump, a Republican, defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton.

US lawmakers have responded angrily to the idea of foreign meddling, introducing legislation to require online platforms to say who is running election ads and what audiences are targeted.

The companies need to get ahead of the curve here, said James Lewis, senior vice president of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. If they can, he added, they might avoid regulation.

Lewis, speaking during the Reuters Cyber Summit in Washington, said he expects European officials to watch the US hearings closely.

The US Senates crime subcommittee will be the first of three committees to hold hearings on Russia. Its hearing is set for 2:30 p.m. ET (1830 GMT).

Facebook and Twitter are dispatching their general counsels, Colin Stretch and Sean Edgett, to appear before the subcommittee, while Google is sending its director of law enforcement and information security, Richard Salgado.

Our goal is to bring people closer together; what we saw from these actors was an insidious attempt to drive people apart. And were determined to prevent it from happening again, Stretch will tell lawmakers, according to an advance copy of his remarks.

Facebook and Twitter have taken steps toward self-regulation, saying they would create their own public archives of election-related ads and also apply more specific labels to such ads.

Google followed on Monday, saying it would create a database of election ads including ones on YouTube.

The companies have meanwhile disclosed new details about the extent of Russia-based material, raising alarms about a sector that once inspired idealism.

The internet was seen as a great engine for promoting democracy and transparency. Now we are all discovering that it can also be a tool for hijacking democracy, said Karen Kornbluh, a senior fellow for digital policy at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Sheldon Pinto

It's 2017, and just like last year, Google has launched two new Pixel smartphones. At its hardware announcement in October, one term stood out and that was 'machine learning'. The other buzzword after the Pixel 2 was revealed was "bezels". That's because the Pixel 2, unlike its elder sibling the XL, has plenty of them.

While the feature set sounded interesting and impressive on stage we had yet to experience the purpose of all that 'machine learning' and software that make every Google product so special.

Well, after the India launch, the Pixel 2 is finally here in the tech2 office. But right off the bat, it seems that there are a few problems.

Build and Design

I unboxed the device and the first line out of my mouth was, "This does not look like a smartphone that costs Rs 61,000". And this is what is going to be the Pixel's biggest problem. While the Pixel smartphone launched last year felt at home with the rest of the smartphone competition, this year's smartphone looks even more understated, and to make things worse, costs more. We've given Apple its fair share of grief for the iPhone 8, but Google is not doing the Android camp any favours.

The phone feels light in the hand. While that may sound like a good thing when it goes in your pocket, a little bit of heft does give buyers the impression that something's actually in there.

The unit we received was the Just Black model and it comes with a finely textured matte finish all over the smartphone. The matte finish continues around the unibody frame and is even present on the buttons. The only area that does not sport this finish is the part where the frame meets the display. It's a fine line and it gives off the buffed look of the aluminum that lies below the paint.

Despite feeling grippy, it also feels plasticy (Dare I say 'cheap'?) and this, combined with the light weight of the device, gave some the impression that it is made of polycarbonate. The cold feeling metal below the paint however, gives it away. Being a coating over metal, let's hope it sticks and does not deteriorate over time.

There are only two shiny surfaces and they are made of glass. There's that screen covering the display on the front, and the window around the camera at the rear. The window at the back which is present to facilitate wireless connectivity has grown smaller since the last model.

At the front, there are two strips near the top and bottom area of those thick bezels that house the speakers. Oh yes, and the device is IP67 dust and water resistant, which means you can use it in the rain, but not underwater.

Did I mention those thick bezels?

Overall, the design does look a bit like HMD's Nokia 6 from the front, but looks distinctly Pixel once you flip the device over to the back, because of that glass window. It may not look special (especially with those thick bezels), but it sure feels solid. Think more Volvo, than a snazzy Lamborghini. Let's just hope, that it somehow grows on me by the time I begin to pen down the full review.

Display

So I boot the phone and considering that there's an AMOLED display inside, you expect colours to pop, but they did not. Everything looked just right, which was almost bordering dull. After using the saturated Super AMOLED unit on the Galaxy Note 8 and then the Mi Mix 2 (which was also vibrant) the Google Pixel 2's display does feel a bit dull. It is however, quite sharp and bright enough.

While many will find it lacking, the saturation and vibrance we have come to expect from smartphone displays, I am of the opinion that these accurate displays help tell you what your photographs actually look like. At least with my initial hands-on, the display seems to do justice to the camera, which in my opinion is pretty good.

Chipset, RAM and Storage

This time around, Google did not bring along anything special in terms of hardware (may be it decided to let software drive the experience entirely). Still, you get a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 inside (instead of the rumoured 836) paired with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of internal storage, which cannot be expanded. Indeed, this is pretty much the standard fare in the premium smartphone segment today so it will not attract buyers on a spec hunt. So those looking for 6 GB or even 8 GB of RAM can look elsewhere.

But while the specifications may not sound as exciting as last year's Pixel, the Pixel smartphones are all about software. And with that in mind, I can conclude from my limited usage of the device that it's pretty slick.

Operating System

Indeed, this section needs no introduction because the Pixel 2 comes from Google. In fact, this is one of the few smartphones out there that Google will provide the software for. There's no waiting for months like with other manufacturers, because, well, this is Google's baby. With that said, the Pixel 2 features Android 8.0.0 Oreo in its purest form possible, with the latest security patch that was last updated on 5 September.

Camera

It all boils down to this. While Google won our hearts over the iPhone 7 Plus and even the Samsung Galaxy S7 last year, Google's back with some software magic this year. While HDR+ was a thing on the old Pixel, the Pixel 2 brings machine learning to the camera that lets it not just click, but even find stuff for you.

The camera on the rear is a 12.2 MP, f/1.8 aperture unit that packs in OIS, phase detection and laser autofocus. The camera setup on the front, includes an 8 MP sensor, with an f/2.4 aperture. There's no no flash on the front.

While the hardware is indeed nothing to talk about, Pixels are about software and, if the iPhone hadn't made the case already, the Pixel 2 could very well be a lesson to manufacturers on how software is as important as the hardware.

The images, thanks to the display, looked really accurate in terms of colour. Noise was under control and the the Portrait mode, using the front and the rear cameras, is quite impressive given that there's no dual-camera setup in sight. There's also Google Lens that lets you find stuff after your have clicked a picture of it. While the demo looked great on stage, this is still a beta so it's hard to conclude how useful the Lens feature really is at the moment.

For now, I'm impressed, but I'll be putting it through its paces in all types of conditions, before I come to a conclusion. Is it better than iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X? Come back for my full review.

Battery and Connectivity

The Pixel 2 features a 2,700 mAh battery and includes your usual connectivity options including Bluetooth 5.0 (A2DP and aptX HD), Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, A-GPS, GLONASS a single nano SIM card slot and even an eSIM, something that has yet to be put into practice by operators in India.

As for the battery it should do well considering that there is just a 5-inch Full HD AMOLED display to run, add the 10 nm chipset to the mix and the battery saving should be pretty good. More on this in my full review.

Conclusion

As you can see both from my first impressions above and the product photos, the Google Pixel 2 has its strong points in its software offering. While the hardware is just half the story, machine learning in the camera has not failed to impress me. But it does look a bit too average, and this could be a problem, when a buyer stands in a store with snazzy handsets like the curvy Galaxy S8, the bezel-less Note 8, the colorful HTC U11 and the full-screen iPhone X sit right next to it on the store shelf. At this moment, given its price tag of Rs 61,000, buyers will be confused whether it's worth the money.

Has the market matured to the point where design doesn't matter anymore? Would you be willing to sacrifice the S8's gorgeous design for the Pixel 2's phenomenal camera? Find out more in my upcoming review!
tech2 News Staff

Computer security firm Trend Micro on Tuesday revealed that miners are using a malicious code to gather cryptocurrencies through affected Android apps.

The code helps miners to harness CPU power from affected devices while remaining mostly undetected by Google's app scanning systems. As per a report by Etherium World News, the malicious code uses embedded JavaScript loading along with a native code injector that keeps it under Google's radar.

The report also states that with the processes running in the background on Android applications, Trend Micro has been able to trace the code back to two crypto miners dubbed 'ANDROID_JSMINER and ANDROIDOS_CPUMINER'.

According to the report malicious website named Coin Hive is responsible for the development of the code. This is not the first time when the website has come under scanner as it is responsible for injecting JavaScript automatically into computers without the user's consent for crypto mining. Previously, Coin Hive was responsible for hacking up to thousands of websites with its code for bitcoin mining.

Security researchers have advised users to keep a track on their smartphone's CPU usage which could be a key indicator towards knowing whether a malware is in play. Trend Labs has also reached out to Google to have the compromised applications removed from the Google Play Store, to limit the damage. However, the ability of the code to stay hidden from Google's security scans in their app ecosystem does raise pertinent questions.
Nimish Sawant

HMD Global has been on a roll since it announced the first Nokia phone 11 months ago. There has been a constant inflow of Nokia handsets at regular intervals since. India has so far seen the launch of the Nokia 6, Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 3310 Classic.

On 31 October, at an event held in Gurugram at one of the Rapid Metro stations, HMD Global announced its latest Android OS powered Nokia device - the Nokia 2. This being a global launch of the device, HMD Global has announced a global price tag of 99 Euros, and it will be available from mid-November. The company did not announce an official India price at launch, but looking at the European price, it is safe to assume that the Nokia 2 would be selling at around the Rs 8,000 price bracket, give or take a few hundreds of Rupees. We got our hands on the device and here are our first impressions.

Build and Design

The Nokia phones that we have seen released this year have come with stellar build quality and the Nokia 2 tries to maintain that trend. Built from a single block of Series 6000 Aluminum, the Nokia 2 has a sturdy frame. The rear cover is plastic and tends to attract a lot of smudges. The device comes with a removable cover, however, the battery isnt removable. It does provide a good grip on the device though. The reason for the removable cover is because the Nokia 2 houses two SIM card slots and a dedicated microSD card slot just above the battery section.

The left-hand edge is clean whereas the right-hand side has the power/standby button below the volume rocker button. At the top, you have a 3.5mm audio jack and at the base is the microUSB charging and data transfer port. You do see antenna cut lines on the top and bottom edge. For a phone that houses a 4100mAh battery, the Nokia 2 isnt that bulky to hold. Yes, its not the thinnest thing around.

On the front, you have a 5-inch HD LTPS display which is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. I liked how smoothly the edge of the metal frame merged with the glass.

Display

The Nokia 2 comes with a 5-inch HD display with LTPS IPS panel and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The display appeared decently bright and viewing angles were good in the limited time that I had with the Nokia 2.

OS and Software

Nokia is going with a Pure, Secure, up to date tagline with the Android OS and to that extent, it bundles a pure Android Nougat 7.1.1 OS. There is barely any bloatware on the Nokia 2 which is a good thing. It also supports Google Assistant. HMD Global has also promised a guaranteed update to the Android Oreo 8.0 OS, but as for the timeline, your guess is as good as mine. It also supports gestures such as double-clicking the power button to activate the camera from any screen as well as from the sleep mode.

Chipset, RAM, Storage

Since the Nokia 2 is targetted at the millennial crowd looking at an affordable device, it has decided to partner with Qualcomm with its Snapdragon 212 chipset inside the phone. The Snapdragon 212 mobile chipset has a quad-core Cortex A7 processor clocked at 1.3GHz, along with Adreno 305 GPU. This is paired with 1 GB RAM and 8 GB storage. Storage is expandable using a microSD card slot.

The RAM and storage seem less when compared with what phones at similar price tags are offering. And considering Nokia is planning to address the millennial segment with this phone, an additional expense for a microSD card will have to be taken into consideration as the system storage itself uses up half the usable storage space. This means that users have about 4 GB of free space out of the box to install their apps and store important files. This could prove to be a deal breaker for many prospective customers.

Camera

Nokia 2 comes with an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front-facing camera. Theres a dual-tone LED flash unit just under the rear camera. We are not yet sure of the pixel size or the aperture on the lens of the cameras. The user interface of the camera seems like a custom Nokia one and has the basic modes such as video (shoots up to Full HD), beauty mode, panorama mode, HDR mode (which is on by default). I didnt really get to use the camera much to my satisfaction, so cant really comment on the image quality.

Battery and Connectivity

One thing that was being touted as the highlight of the Nokia 2 was its battery life - two days. It comes with a non-removable 4100 mAh battery. I will have to of course test the claims with regards to the battery life when actually reviewing the device. In terms of connectivity, you get a dual-SIM configuration, 4G LTE support, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS and it also supports FM radio.

Conclusion

The Nokia 2 is a well-built device and the clean Android Nougat OS is paired with a large battery and good display. On paper, it seems promising, but 1 GB RAM and the minuscule storage may not be enticing to a lot of users especially when you get higher specced devices in the same price range. We will really need to put the Nokia 2 through its paces to see how it performs in the real world. The price segment it is competing in has some proven winners from the likes of Xiaomi, Lenovo among others and specs-wise also you can get a better overall feature set for 99 Euros. It is yet to be seen how Nokia 2 comes together as a package and delivers in the real world.
tech2 News Staff

North Korea has slammed Britain for accusing it of being behind a global ransomware attack that hit the National Health Service, calling the allegation a "wicked attempt" to further tighten international sanctions against Pyongyang.

A third of Britain's public hospitals were affected by the WannaCry worm in May, according to a government report.

Up to 300,000 computers in 150 countries were hit by WannaCry, which seized systems and demanded payment in Bitcoin to return control to users.

Some researchers have pointed the finger at Pyongyang, saying that the code used was similar to past hacks blamed on Kim Jong-Un's regime.

British Home Office minister Ben Wallace told the BBC last week that London was "as sure as possible" that North Korea was responsible.

But a spokesman for the North's Korea-Europe Association denied the accusations and warned Britain against "groundless speculation".

"This is an act beyond the limit of our tolerance and it makes us question the real purpose behind the UK's move," he said, in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency late Monday.

"The moves of the UK government to doggedly associate the DPRK with the cyberattack cannot be interpreted in any other way than a wicked attempt to lure the international community into harboring greater mistrust of the DPRK," the spokesman said, using the initials of the North's official name.

According to the South Korean government, the North has a 6,800-strong unit of trained cyberwarfare specialists. It has been accused of launching high-profile but low tech cyberattacks, including the 2014 hacking of Sony Pictures, and the $81 million heist from Bangladesh central bank.

Experts say the North appears to have stepped up cyberattacks in recent years in a bid to earn hard foreign currency in the face of tougher United Nations sanctions imposed over its nuclear and missile programmes.

According to security researchers, the threat actor believed to be associated with North Korea is the Lazarus group, also known as the Dark The Dark Seoul Gang. The threat actor is believed to be controlled by Bureau 121, a division of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, an intelligence agency in North Korea. Recent reports suggests that the group has a physical and virtual presence outside North Korea, including China and India.

With inputs from AFP
Reuters

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd named a new generation of leaders at its three main businesses on Tuesday as it seeks to steady the ship following the arrest of group scion Jay Y. Lee earlier this year on charges including bribery.

The South Korean technology firm also announced that CFO Lee Sang-hoon had been recommended as the new chairman of the board, and that long-time co-CEOs J.K. Shin and Yoon Boo-keun would step down.

Kim Ki-nam, 59, was appointed to lead the Device Solutions division which makes components including memory chips; Koh Dong-jin, 56, would head up IT and Mobile Communications; and Kim Hyun-suk, 56, would lead Consumer Electronics, Samsung said in a statement. The changes were effective immediately.

The current three co-CEO management structure would be maintained, it added, without elaborating.

Samsung is expected to recommend the three new heads of divisions as co-CEOs after the next shareholder meeting in March. A Samsung spokeswoman declined to comment.

Current Chief Financial Officer Lee Sang-hoon would resign from his CFO role, effective immediately, and had been recommended as chairman of the board.

The moves come after Samsung Electronics CEO and Vice Chairman Kwon Oh-hyun announced on 13 October that he planned to step down from management.

Samsung said Yoon and Shin decided to follow Kwons earlier announcement to resign, making way for new leaders.

Jay Y. Lee was convicted in August and jailed for five years for bribing the countrys former president, raising concerns of a leadership vacuum at Samsung Electronics.

He has appealed against his conviction and hearings are ongoing.
Reuters

Hundreds of drivers for the internet based ride-hailing firm Uber drove through Brazils largest cities on Monday to protest legislation that would turn them into regular taxi drivers subject to the same local licensing and taxation rules.

The chief executive of Uber Technologies Inc, Dara Khosrowshahi, arrived in Brazil to lobby against the bill that is due to be voted on by the Senate on Tuesday and which threatens the companys business in a fast-growing foreign market.

Brazil is Ubers third-largest market, with 17 million users, and the city of Sao Paulo sees more trips on the ride-hailing service than any other city in the world, ahead of New York and Mexico City, according to the company.

A spokesman for the company said the application as it exists could not operate under the new rules, including the use of a taxi license plate on cars owned by Uber drivers.

The business model we have today would not longer be viable, Ubers executive spokesman in Brazil Fabio Sabba told Reuters.

Uber is already battling to keep operating in London after the citys transport regulator deemed it unfit to run a taxi service and refused to renew its license.

Police said 800 Uber drivers drove through the center of Brazils capital Brasilia to protest the bill that many say will put them out of business. Similar protests in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro snarled downtown traffic.

Uber did not organize the drivers protests but alerted authorities that they would happen.

The bill will create so much bureaucracy that it prevents the 500,000 drivers in Brazil from earning income for their families, Uber said in a statement.

Uber said it has paid 495 million reais ($150 million) in federal and municipal taxes so far this year.

The bill, which has already been approved by the lower house of Congress, would define ride hailing applications as public transport instead of private services and require drivers to get a special permit from city authorities. It would also establish additional regulations and taxes.

If the Senate votes to approve the bill, it will be up to President Michel Temer to sign or veto the legislation or parts of it.
Beijing: China's top legislature is considering tougher penalties for those who disrespect the national anthem with up to three-year jail term instead of the current 15-day detention, official media said on Tuesday.

In September, China's rubber stamp parliament passed a national anthem law stipulating 15-day detention for anyone disrespecting the country's national anthem: "March of the Volunteers".

A draft amendment was submitted for the lawmakers' deliberation at the bi-monthly session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, which started yesterday.

Violators in this regard may face punishments of up to three years of imprisonment, according to the draft, Xinhua news agency reported.

The anthem will only be allowed at formal political gatherings, including the opening and closing of NPC sessions, constitutional oath ceremonies, flag raising ceremonies, major celebrations, award ceremonies, commemorations, national Memorial Day events, important diplomatic occasions, major sport events and other suitable occasions.

It will be illegal to use the national anthem during funerals, "inappropriate" private occasions, commercials or as background music in public places, the draft said.

The previous law says that violators, including those who maliciously modify the lyrics or play/sing the national anthem in a distorted or disrespectful way, can be detained for up to 15 days or held criminally liable.

The song must be included in textbooks for primary and secondary school students and people are encouraged to sing the national anthem on appropriate occasions to express patriotism.

China has already adopted laws covering its national flag in 1990 and national emblem in 1991.

"The national anthem is different from other songs, it is the symbol of our country," said well-known music composer Jin Fuzai. "The law ensures people will be more serious when playing or singing the song."

Earlier reports said the national anthem should not be used in brand logos or advertisements, performed at funerals and other improper events or played as background music at public places, it said. Students in primary and middle school might have to learn the national anthem as the draft proposes to include the anthem into their texts books.

China's national anthem is "March of the Volunteers," with lyrics by poet Tian Han and music composed by Nie Er.
Beijing: China on Tuesday asked Pakistan to bring the killers of two Chinese nationals to justice, a day after DNA tests confirmed the identities of the couple murdered allegedly by Islamic State militants in the restive Balochistan province.

"We hope that Pakistan could continue its all-out efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing in Beijing.

Pakistan on Monday said that the DNA reports have confirmed that the two persons killed in Balochistan were the same two Chinese nationals, who were kidnapped from Quetta.

Lee Zing Yang, 24, and Meng Li Si, 26, were killed in June  a month after they were kidnapped from the Jinnah Town area of Quetta on 24 May allegedly by IS militants.

Pakistan later said the two were involved in preaching instead of business activities  their declared purpose for visiting Pakistan.

The confirmation from the Foreign Office comes months after the Islamic State (IS) militant group claimed responsibility for killing the couple, who had reportedly been "preaching" in Balochistan under the garb of learning Urdu.

Hua said China was in close coordination with Pakistan after learning about the murders. She said China condemns all forms terrorism and the violent acts on innocent civilians.

"China will cooperate with Pakistan and the international community to enhance counter-terrorism cooperation," she said.

China will always attach high importance to the security and legitimate rights of Chinese citizens overseas, she said, adding that Chinese citizens overseas should take good note of all the alerts being put out the Foreign Ministry.

Chinese interest in Balochistan has spiked in recent years after the announcement of the $50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which plans to connect the Pakistani port of Gwadar to Xinjiang in China.

In the past, China has asked Islamabad to improve security, especially in Balochistan, where it is building the Gwadar Port and funding roads as part of the CPEC.
Brussels: Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont, who was sacked when the Spanish government imposed direct-rule on the region, was preparing to hold a press conference in Brussels a day after Madrid's Attorney General announced a rebellion and sedition lawsuit against him.

Sources close to Puigdemont told Efe news that the ousted leader would speak from an undisclosed location.

"He has not fled Barcelona," Paul Bekaert, a Belgian lawyer hired by Puigdemont, told the media.

When pressed on whether the dismissed Catalan leader would apply for asylum, he said that all options were still open and nothing had been decided.

News that Puigdemont and five of his advisors had travelled to Brussels broke just as Spain's top prosecutor, Jose Manuel Maza, announced that a case had been brought to the National Court against the once president of Catalonia and his entire regional cabinet, which included charges of rebellion, sedition and embezzlement.

In addition, Maza said that a second lawsuit had been filed at the Supreme Court against the speaker of the Catalan parliament, Carme Forcadell, as well as five top officials in the regional chamber, for allowing the independence declaration to be voted through by lawmakers on Friday.

Minutes after the unilateral declaration of independence, Spain's conservative government triggered Article 155 of the Constitution, which dismissed the Catalan executive en masse, dissolved the parliament and scheduled fresh local elections for 21 December.

Spain's Constitutional Court is expected to formally dismiss Catalonia's independence declaration later on Tuesday.

The five associates reported to have travelled with Puigdemont to Brussels include former regional councillor of governance, Meritxell Borras; health, Antoni Comin; interior, Joaquim Forn; employment and social affairs; Dolors Bassa and agriculture, Meritxell Serret.

Belgium's secretary of state for migration Theo Francken on Sunday said that Puigdemont could apply for political asylum in Belgium to avoid imprisonment in Spain.

But Belgian prime minister Charles Michel have not commented on Francken's remark yet.
Washington: A former Donald Trump campaign aide described by the White House as a low-level volunteer was thrust Monday into the centre of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation, providing key evidence in the first criminal case connecting Trump's team to alleged intermediaries for Russia's government.

George Papadopoulos was approached by people claiming ties to Russia and offering "dirt" on Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails, according to court documents unsealed. Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents about the conversations and has been cooperating with investigators, the documents said.

Papadopoulos' guilty plea and the possibility that he's working with Mueller's team came as an unexpected twist in the mounting drama surrounding the criminal probe. A separate welter of charges Mueller announced Monday against Trump's ex-campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his longtime aide Rick Gates do not appear directly related to their work for Trump.

But Papadopoulos' case cuts close to the central question of Mueller's investigation: Did Russia try to sway the election? Did Trump's campaign know?

"The Russians had emails of Clinton," Papadopoulos was told by an unnamed professor during a breakfast meeting at a London hotel in April. US investigators said that the following day, Papadopoulos then emailed a Trump campaign policy adviser, "Have some interesting messages coming in from Moscow about a trip when the time is right."

Papadopoulos was arrested in July and has been interviewed repeatedly by authorities, the filing said. After entering his guilty plea he was ordered not to contact other Trump officials and prohibited from foreign travel. In one of the unsealed files, an FBI agent working for Mueller bluntly hinted that more former Trump associates could soon be questioned.

Papadopoulos' lawyer, Thomas M Breen, based in Chicago, declined to comment on the guilty plea but noted that "we will have the opportunity to comment on George's involvement when called upon by the court at a later date. We look forward to telling all of the details of George's story at that time."

The incident echoes elements of a June 2016 meeting involving Donald Trump Jr. and other campaign officials at Trump Tower. The president's son organised that sit down with a Russian lawyer who was offering negative information about Clinton.

The White House immediately cast Papadopoulos as a mere volunteer with little influence during the campaign. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said his role was "extremely limited" and that "no activity was ever done in an official capacity on behalf of the campaign."

Trump named Papadopoulos to his foreign policy advisory council in March 2016, among a short list of experts amid growing public pressure on Trump to demonstrate he had a bench of foreign policy expertise.

During a meeting with the Washington Post editorial board, Trump called Papadopoulos an "excellent guy." He was named along with retired US Army Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg, former Bush administration inspector general Joseph Schmitz, international affairs professor Walid Phares and energy executive Carter Page, whose ties to Russian interests have also been scrutinised by congressional inquiries.

On 31 March, 2016, Trump tweeted a photo of his meeting with the advisory board, with Papadopoulos among a handful of advisers at the president's table. In his plea filing, Papadopolous admitted that he told Trump and other top campaign national security officials during that meeting, that he had made contact with intermediaries for Russia who said they could set up a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The statement does not describe Trump's reaction, but one meeting attendee recalled that it was not well received by Attorney-General Jeff Sessions, then a senator and close adviser to the campaign who was also in attendance. Sessions quickly dismissed the idea and said he'd prefer that no one ever speak about it, according to the attendee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share the private conversation.

The court filings recount Papadopoulos' meetings abroad starting in March 2016, after he'd been named to Trump's board. Papadopoulos initially told the investigators the meetings came before, and later admitted that was untrue. Papadopoulos also deleted a Facebook post about his travels, the documents said.

The court filings say he met first with the unnamed Russian professor who boasted of damaging emails and then later with an unnamed Russian woman, who claimed to me related to Putin and sought to arrange a meeting between Trump and the Russian leader. The unnamed professor also introduced Papadopoulos to a third unnamed person who claimed he had connections to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two men then exchanged emails about a possible meeting between Trump campaign aides and Russian government officials.

The court records did not specify which emails the Russian claimed to have.

The timing of the new disclosures about Clinton emails may be significant because the scope of the Kremlin's efforts to hack Clinton's campaign and the Democratic National Committee were just beginning to be understood by March 2016, weeks before Papadopoulos was told of damaging emails.

It's unclear how frequently Papadopoulos was in contact with the campaign officials. Sanders initially said the foreign policy advisory board convened only once, but the White House later clarified she was speaking only of official meetings with Trump in attendance. An official involved with the group said the group met on a monthly basis throughout the spring and summer for a total of about six meetings.

Papadopoulos, who was based in London at the time, did not attend them all, but he did attend a dinner meeting of the advisers in late June at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, along with Sessions.

The special counsel's statement noted that in an email exchange about Papadopoulos' contacts last year, two unnamed Trump campaign officials sought to protect Trump from any overt involvement. "We need someone to communicate that DT is not doing these trips. It should be someone low level in the campaign so as not to send any signal," one of the campaign aides said. An email independently obtained by AP shows that the comment was sent by Trump's former campaign chairman Manafort to his long-time aide Gates on 21 May, 2016.
Tezpur: Army personnel of India and China on Monday held a meeting at Bum La Pass in Tawang and resolved to maintain peace and tranquillity along the Sino-India border.

A border personnel meeting (BPM) was organised by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) at the historic Bum La pass in Arunachal Pradesh, a senior Army official said.

The Indian delegation was led by Brigadier MP Singh while the Chinese delegation was headed by Senior Colonel Liu Jiang Xun.

The meeting commenced with the hoisting of national flags and the rendition of national anthems of both countries.

The delegations interacted in a free, congenial and cordial environment and renewed commitments in maintaining peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
The New York Police Department is responding to reports of shots fired in lower Manhattan, according to J. Peter Donald, a spokesperson for the NYPD.

One person is in custody and no others are being sought, the NYPD said. The police also said to expect "many emergency personnel" in the area of Chambers Street and West Street on the lower west side of Manhattan.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has been briefed on the incident in downtown Manhattan, the mayor's press office said in a tweet, adding that NYPD and first responders are on the scene. Video from the scene showed large numbers of officers and police vehicles.

Tuesday afternoon on Twitter, a user posted an image of a person lying on the ground near the scene of an incident near West & Chambers Streets in Manhattan.
Milan/New Delhi: Indian students have been assaulted in a string of incidents in northern Italy, the Indian Consulate in Milan has said.

The Consulate General of India (CGI) in Milan on Monday issued an advisory to Indian students and asked them not to panic.

"The Consulate has received reports of unfortunate incidents of attacks on Indian students in Milan. All Indian students are urged not to panic. The Consulate is taking up this matter with the highest level of law and order authorities in Milan," according to the advisory posted on Twitter.

Attack on Indian students in Milan pic.twitter.com/kY0qwfePm8  India in Milan (@cgmilan1) October 30, 2017

The advisory did not mention if the attacks on Indian students appeared to be racially motivated. The CGI advised Indian students to be in touch with each other, especially when they go out. It also advised students to spread information among other students from India about the areas where they have experienced "such incidents" so that such areas can be avoided.

In New Delhi, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said she had received a detailed report about the incidents. Swaraj said she was personally monitoring the situation and asked the students not to worry.
Tehran: Iran's supreme leader has restricted the range of ballistic missiles manufactured in the country to 2,000 kilometres, the head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said on Tuesday, which limits their reach to only regional West Asian targets.

The comments by General Mohammad Ali Jafari to reporters mark the first acknowledgement that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has imposed limits on the country's ballistic missile programme.

It also appears to be an effort by Iranian authorities to contrast its program, which they often describe as for defensive purposes, against those of countries like North Korea, which now uses its arsenal to threaten the United States.

The range of 2,000 kilometres, or 1,240 miles, encompasses much of West Asia, including Israel and American military bases in the region.

That's caused concern for the US and its allies, even as Iran's ballistic missile program was not included as part of the 2015 nuclear deal that Tehran struck with world powers.

Speaking on the sidelines of a conference in Tehran, Jafari told journalists that the capability of Iran's ballistic missiles is "enough for now." The Guard runs Iran's missile programme.

"Today, the range of our missiles, as the policies of the Iran's supreme leader dictate, are limited to 2,000 kilometres, even though we are capable of increasing this range," he said.

"Americans, their forces and their interests are situated within a 2,000-kilometre radius around us and we are able to respond to any possible desperate attack by them."

However, Jafari said he didn't believe there would be any war between Iran and the US.

"They know that if they begin a war between Iran and the United States, they will definitely be the main losers and their victory will by no means be guaranteed," he said.

"Therefore, they won't start a war," he added.

While keeping with the anti-American tone common in his speeches, Jafari's comments seemed to be timed to calm tension over Iran's missile programme.

By limiting their range, Iran can contrast itself against threatening countries like North Korea, as Pyongyang has tested developmental intercontinental ballistic missiles that could potentially reach the US mainland and conducted its most powerful nuclear test to date.

Pyongyang also flew two powerful new midrange missiles over Japan, between threats to fire the same weapons toward Guam, a US Pacific territory and military hub.

The Trump administration already sanctioned Iran for test-firing a ballistic missile in February, with then-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn warning Tehran that Iran was "on notice."

President Donald Trump's recent refusal to re-certify the nuclear accord has sent the matter to the US Congress. On Thursday, the US House of Representatives voted to put new sanctions on Iran for its pursuit of long-range ballistic missiles, without derailing the deal.

Iran long has insisted its ballistic missiles are for defensive purposes. It suffered a barrage of Scud missiles fired by Iraq after dictator Saddam Hussein launched an eight-year war with his neighbour in the 1980s that killed 1 million people.

To build its own programme, Tehran purchased North Korean missiles and technology, providing much-needed cash to heavily sanctioned Pyongyang.

The Gulf Arab nations surrounding Iran, while hosting American military bases, also fly sophisticated US fighter jets that Iranian forces can't match. The ballistic missiles provide leverage against them, as well as the US-made anti-missile batteries their neighbours have bought, according to Tytti Erasto, a researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

"Iran's pattern of missile testing, which has sought to address the long-standing problem of poor accuracy, is consistent with the program's stated purpose as a regional deterrent," Erasto wrote yesterday. "It also reinforces the argument that Iran's missiles are designed to be conventional, not nuclear."

Meanwhile on Tuesday, Iran broke ground at its Bushehr nuclear power plant for two more atomic reactors to generate electricity. State television quoted Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, as saying the first new reactor would go online in seven years, while a third would be active in nine years.

Russia will provide assistance in building the new reactors as Moscow helped bring Bushehr online in 2011. It marks the first expansion of Iran's nuclear power industry since the atomic accord.
Following a massive campaign that saw an outpouring of sexual harassment stories being reported on social media, three French women have accused Islamist scholar Tariq Ramadan of sexual assault, according to several media reports.

Ramadan teaches Islamic Studies at Oxford University and has written numerous books on Islam and the integration of Muslims in Europe. He is the grandson of Hassan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.

The allegations first came to light on 20 October, when Henda Ayari, a former Islamist turned secular feminist accused the controversial academician of rape and assault in 2012. In an interview to a French TV channel, Ayari alleged that Ramadan had thrown himself on her when she entered his hotel room on his invitation to discuss spirituality and religious issues, The Times reported. He choked me so hard that I thought I was going to die, the article quotes her as saying.

Ayari, who lodged a rape complaint against the 55-year-old Swiss national, charged that for Ramadan: "Either you wear a veil or you get raped".

Millions of people have taken to Facebook and other social media platforms, using the #MeToo to share accounts of being pestered or sexually abused. The French equivalent is #balancetonporc, meaning "expose your pig".

Another woman a convert to Islam alleged that she suffered "sexual violence of great brutality by Ramadan in a hotel in Lyon in 2009, BBC reported. The woman, who has not revealed her identity, described an extremely violent assault by Ramadan to two French newspapers, Le Monde and Le Parisien. She has also filed a complaint against the Islamic scholar.

The third accusation came Saturday, when yet another woman said that Ramadan sexually harassed her in 2014 and blackmailed her for sexual favors. She said Ramadan threatened to distribute compromising pictures of her, a report in Haaretz states. The report further added that the third complainant is also considering pressing charges against Ramadan.

Following the allegations, the Paris prosecutor's office is investigating the case, even as Ramadan denied any wrongdoing. In a detailed Facebook post, Ramadan termed the allegations a "slander campaign" which was "launched by my adversaries."

Ramadan said he would file a defamation suit against the women and would remain determined and calm in fighting of these charges, even as he "anticipated a long and bitter struggle."

Meanwhile, Ayari, mother of three, said that she kept quiet for such a long time because Ramadan was an influential figure and had the support of millions.

Many people are angry because I denounced someone whom people respect a lot, she told The New York Times over the telephone last week. I, for example, never would have thought he would do that to me, never, never. I had a great admiration for him for years. For me, he was something like a saint.

I kept silent for several years for fear of reprisal," The Telegraph quoted her as saying.

Ayari previously published an account of an alleged assault in a book published last year without naming the man, the BBC report said. She also claimed that she endured months of threats after the incident, including threats to her children to stop her from going to the police, according to The Telegraph report.

She said that she was aware that Ramadan's thousands of supporters would rally to his defence.

I am about to go through a big storm, she wrote on Facebook. But I dont plan to shut up or backtrack anymore, in the name of all the female victims.

She also said she has been a victim of "real public lynching campaign" on social media ever since she dared name the influential scholar. Her supporters have also started a campaign to raise funds to support her legal battle, as she observed that unlike her opponent, she "does not have the same capacities or financial means to pay for the best lawyers."

"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," her Facebook post read.

One of Ayari's lawyers, Gregoire Leclerc, alleged that Ramadan was using his numerous supporters to defend him. He prefers to give space on social media to his fans who are throwing a political-religious veil over this affair, to try to detract from the fundamental, The New York Times report quoted the lawyer as saying.

Ramadan's lawyer, Yassine Bouzrou, has denied the accusations and says his client is suing for "false allegations."

A Swiss citizen who grew up in Geneva, Ramadan had been denied entry into US and France amid allegations that he supported charities linked to Hamas, a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist organisation. The US visa ban, however, was overturned in 2010 by then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Ramadan is a popular figure among conservative Muslims, especially in the West and West Asia, however, secular critics accuse him of promoting a political form of Islam.

With inputs from AP and AFP
Gaza City: Tensions rose on Monday after an Israeli operation to blow up a tunnel from the Gaza Strip killed seven Palestinian militants in one of the deadliest incidents since a devastating 2014 war.

The seven men, from the armed wings of Gaza's rulers Hamas and allied group Islamic Jihad, were killed on Sunday when Israel blew up the tunnel it said had crossed into its territory and was intended for attacks.

They were being buried on Monday in their respective neighbourhoods in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniya appeared at a funeral in central Gaza attended by a few thousand people, witnesses said, while senior Hamas figure Khalil al-Hayya spoke at one in the southern part of the strip.

"(Hamas) knows how to manage the conflict with the enemy and how to get revenge and strike at the time and place that hurts the enemy," Hayya said, according to a statement.

Hamas and Israel have fought three wars since 2008 and the last conflict in 2014 was waged in part over tunnels from Gaza that were used to carry out attacks.

Israel said it had been monitoring the digging of the tunnel for an unspecified length of time and was forced to act after "the grave and unacceptable violation of Israeli sovereignty."

It said the operation was carried out on the Israeli side of the border and stressed it was not seeking a further escalation.

No tunnel opening had been found on the Israeli side of the border. It had come from the vicinity of the city of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip, Israeli's military said.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday his country would "not tolerate any attacks on our sovereignty, on our people, on our land, whether from the air, from the sea, from the ground, or below the ground," he said.

"We attack those who seek to attack us."

The operation comes at a sensitive time, with rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas pursuing a reconciliation accord aimed at ending their 10-year rift.

Hamas is due to hand over control of the enclave's borders to the Palestinian Authority tomorrow under the deal mediated by Egypt and signed on October 12.

It is due to return the Gaza Strip to full PA control by 1 December.

Both Haniya and Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah spoke of ensuring the reconciliation pact remains on track.

"The response to this massacre... is to move forward towards the restoration of national unity because the enemy realises our strength is our unity," Haniya said.

Senior PA official Mustafa Barghouti accused Israel of trying to disrupt the reconciliation bid.
Japanese police have found nine mutilated bodies dumped in containers with their heads cut off and flesh stripped in a suburban Tokyo flat, media reported Tuesday.

Tokyo police have arrested 27-year-old Takahiro Shiraishi who reportedly confessed to slicing the flesh off the bodies and throwing it in the trash, then sprinkling cat litter over the remains in an effort to cover up the evidence.

According to local media, Shiraishi told police he had chopped up the bodies in a bathroom, while a saw was found in his room.

The suspect reportedly told investigators he had "dumped cut flesh and organs in the trash".

Police and journalists swarmed around the nondescript apartment in the quiet residential neighbourhood of Zama, as locals struggled to comprehend how an act of such violence could have occurred so near them.

"It's really cruel. He used a saw to dismember the bodies or something. He must be abnormal to have done such things," said neighbour Hideaki Hosogaya, 83.

The Sankei Shimbun newspaper quoted another neighbour as saying he had smelled an odour he had "never smelled before".

"I thought it was the smell of sewage," he said.

Police used blue tarps to block views inside the two-storey building, and covered windows of the second-floor room where the bodies were discovered.

Japanese social media users were quick to draw parallels with Halloween. One Twitter user wrote: "Nine dismembered bodies found on the day of Halloween. Humans are definitely scarier than ghosts."

Another said: "What a psychotic event on Halloween. I don't think I could bear 10 minutes with nine dead bodies around."

'Die with me'

Authorities had been investigating the disappearance of a 23-year-old woman and discovered a connection between her and Shiraishi.

This woman had earlier tweeted "I'm looking for someone to die with me", according to the Sankei Shimbun daily.

Other media said Shiraishi and the woman had connected via a website featuring information about suicides.

A CCTV image showed Shiraishi and the 23-year-old woman walking together last Monday, NHK reported.

She had been missing since 21 September and her older brother reported her disappearance to police, according to the Asahi Shimbun.

When police visited the apartment, they originally found two heads inside a cool box at the entrance before making the grisly discovery of the other body parts, according to Jiji Press.

"During the course of the investigation, the heads of nine bodies have been discovered" inside various coolers and containers in the apartment, private TV network TBS said.

For the time being, police arrested Shiraishi on a charge that he dismembered one body and placed it inside a cooler, a charge that he was not contesting, according to a spokesman at Tokyo Metropolitan Police.

"He has said 'I dismembered a body and placed it inside a cooler and poured cat litter over it. It was meant to hide the body that I killed and to hide evidence'," the spokesman told AFP, declining to elaborate.

Japan prides itself on a low crime rate but is no stranger to high-profile violent crimes.

Earlier in October, a 32-year-old father was arrested on suspicion of stabbing his daughter to death. He admitted torching the house in which his wife and four other children were found dead.

In Japan's bloodiest crime for decades, Satoshi Uematsu faces charges of killing 19 people and attempting to kill or injure 24 others at a disability centre near Tokyo in July 2016.

In 1997 a 14-year-old schoolboy decapitated an 11-year-old acquaintance and placed the head at the gates of his school.
Kabul: A suicide bomber believed to be as young as 12 struck Kabul's heavily fortified diplomatic quarter on Tuesday and killed at least five people, showing that militants can still hit the heart of the city despite tighter security.

It was the first attack targeting the Afghan capital's "Green Zone" since a massive truck bomb ripped through the area on 31 May, killing or wounding hundreds, and prompting authorities to strengthen protection.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for Tuesday's attack, which follows a spate of suicide assaults by Taliban and Islamic State insurgents on security installations and mosques in recent weeks.

A Western security source told AFP the attacker appeared to have been targeting workers leaving an Afghan defence ministry facility inside the heavily protected zone.

Health ministry spokesman Ismail Kawoosi told AFP that at least five people had been killed and 20 wounded, including women.

"The suicide attack was carried out by an underage bomber, a boy we think 13 or 15 years old, killing at least four and wounding over a dozen more civilians," interior ministry spokesman Najib Danish told AFP.

A police spokesman said the attacker may have been as young as 12.

Defence ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said the bomber "made it through the first checkpoint but was stopped at the second checkpoint and detonated".

"We don't know the target but it happened a few metres from the defence ministry's foreign relations office. There were no casualties to our personnel," Waziri said.

The attack is a setback for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani who had promised to beef up the security of the diplomatic zone after the truck bomb detonated outside the German embassy five months ago.

Ghani immediately ordered an investigation into how Tuesday's attacker had been able to enter the supposedly secure area.

A western security source told AFP he had repeatedly warned Afghan authorities about lax security at the checkpoint targeted by the bomber.

Horrible scene

The attack struck the heart of the city's diplomatic area, where many embassies and the offices of major international organisations including the United Nations and NATO's Resolute Support mission are located.

"I was 100 metres away when the explosion happened and as I ran towards the site I saw several people lying in blood, one had been hit in the head and was moving. It was a horrible scene," an eyewitness told TOLOnews.

Another witness told AFP: "A lot of people were dead and injured and there was no one to carry them away."

AFP reporters heard a loud explosion around 4:00 pm (1130 GMT) just as workers would have been leaving their offices to go home, followed by the sirens of emergency services.

Many injured people were carried from the scene of the blast, put into ambulances and police pickup trucks and driven away.

US special charge d'affaires Hugo Llorens, America's top diplomat in Afghanistan in the absence of an ambassador, condemned the "cowardly attack" in a tweet.

The last major assault in Kabul was on 21 October when a suicide attacker hit a busload of Afghan army trainees, killing 15.

On 20 October a suicide bomber pretending to be a worshipper blew himself up inside a Shiite mosque in the city during evening prayers, killing 56 and wounding 55.

"The Taliban and Islamic State are trying to demonstrate a lot of potency before the winter," Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, told AFP.

Security in Kabul has been ramped up since the May truck bomb that went off on the edge of the Green Zone, killing around 150 people and wounding 400 others.

Special truck scanners, barriers and permanent and mobile checkpoints have been rolled out across the city.

Earlier this month Kabul police stopped a lorry carrying 2,700 kilogrammes of explosives hidden under boxes of tomatoes, averting a potentially deadly blast.

"There will and should be a careful investigation whether the security lapse included corruption among" Afghan security forces, Felbab-Brown said.
Washington: The Chinese envoy to the US said on Monday that no one could "contain" China now, expressing his displeasure over the formation of an "exclusive club" in the Indo-Pacific region.

Chinese ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai was responding to questions on the recent India-centric policy speech by US secretary of state Rex Tillerson and the decision of the Trump administration to sell to India high-tech military equipment, including state-of-the-art armed drones, and the Japanese proposal of a strategic quadrilateral dialogue involving India and Australia.

"I don't think that the sales of advanced arms would really serve that purpose," Cui said.

Political analysts in the west have described the sale of arms to India as a US move to contain China.

"By the way I don't think anybody would be able to contain China," the Chinese ambassador asserted in his rare press conference at the Chinese embassy in Washington DC .

The top diplomat was addressing media ahead of US president Donald Trump's visit to China early next month. Trump is scheduled to embark on a 10-day visit to China. He would also visit Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Cui said China is "open to cooperation among the regional countries" for stability and prosperity. The relationship between China and India "have been developing quite steadily over the years".

Chinese president Xi Jinping, he said, has always said that Pacific Ocean is large enough to accommodate that development both of China and the US, and the Asia-Pacific region is big enough to accommodate the development of China, India and Japan.

"In this regard I hope all parties will do things conducive to better relations, better mutual trust," he said.

Without mentioning the recent stand-off between India and China, Cui said he does not think that "confrontation" is in the interest of either of the two countries.

"I'm quite confident that both countries have a clear recognition of what will serve their respective interests best," he said, responding to a question on India and the move to have a strategic dialogue involving four countries: India, Japan, US and Australia.

Any relationship between any two countries in the region, between any regional country and another country outside of the region should not be a zero sum game, he said when asked about the strengthening of India US relationship, which many say is aimed at China.

"Good relations between China and the US is not at the expense of any other country. The same should be true for relations between US and India and Japan and India," he said. "It is not in the interest of these countries if their aim is to sort of "contain" China," the top Chinese diplomat said.

Cui said all the regional countries in the Indo-Pacific have shared interests in greater stability, peace and better prospects for prosperity. In order to achieve that regional countries have to work together to promote closer cooperation among them and maybe establish appropriate regional mechanisms, he said.

As such, China is open to cooperation with all its neighbours so that Asia-Pacific will continue to be a peaceful, stable and prosperous region.

"We are following developments in the region very closely and hopefully other countries will have the same approach as we have," he said, responding to a question on quadrilateral dialogue between India, Japan, US and Australia.

Cui said he does not think that "any attempt to form exclusive clubs in the region following a so-called zero sum approach will help anybody".
Paul Manafort, President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman who was indicted on Monday, had always worked behind the scenes in lucrative consultant deals before the 2016 US presidential race.

The veteran strategist advised Gerald Ford in the 1970s and Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, before taking his talents abroad to help often seedy foreign leaders like Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Somalia's Mohamed Siad Barre, Jonas Savimbi of Angola and former Ukraine leader Viktor Yanukovych.

It was that work, and not his links to Moscow, that led to him being the first to be charged by Robert Mueller, the special prosecutor investigating suspected collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Manafort was charged only with crimes related to the millions of dollars he earned for his work for Yanukovych: 12 counts of money laundering, tax evasion, and failing to register as a foreign agent.

Manafort, 68, turned himself in at the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Washington field office early Monday.

Republican strategist

Manafort established himself as an important political strategist for Republicans in the 1970s when he set up a lobbying shop in the US capital, eventually known as Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly. The "Stone" in the name referred to Roger Stone, the consummate Washington political fixer who would eventually recruit him to the Trump operation.

After advising Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, Manafort turned his focus to foreign governments abroad who would pay millions to boost their profiles in Washington.

In 1995, Manafort set up a new lobbying firm with Rick Davis, who later helped Manafort establish his political contacts in former Soviet states, including Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska and Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Ahkmetov. Manafort's work in Eastern Europe came at a lucky time, as struggled in his domestic lobbying business and his spending on an ill-fated career as a movie producer left him nearly broke in the early 2000s.

He eventually ended up working for Yanukovych in the mid-2000s, where the Ukrainian politician and billionaire was building a party that eventually took him to the presidency, but also allegedly raked hundreds of millions of dollars from state coffers.

As an adviser to Ukraine's pro-Russian Party of Regions, Manafort helped the party turn around its reputation as corrupt and under Russian influence, getting Ukraine's president elected in 2006. Manafort remained an adviser to the Party of Regions until 2014, when it was ousted amid popular protests.

After Yanukovych fled Kiev for Moscow in 2014, Manafort turned his attention back to the United States, where Stone was advising the early stages of Trump's presidential machine.

At first Manafort was helping to organise the all-important battle to win over delegates to the Republicans' national convention. But in June 2016 Trump fired campaign chairman Corey Lewandowski and put Manafort in charge, his first time running a presidential campaign.

Ukraine probe forces resignation

Two months later Manafort himself was in trouble, when investigators for the new Ukraine government released files showing secret cash payments from Yanukovych to Manafort companies worth $12.7 million.

He resigned on 19 August, 2016, with compliments from Trump. "Paul is a true professional and I wish him the greatest success," Trump said.

Months later, though, the White House was downplaying his contribution. Manafort "played a very limited role for a very limited amount of time," Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said in March.

While Monday's indictment did not connect Manafort to any alleged election collusion with Moscow, he still draws suspicions. He was one of several people who attended a 9 June, 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with a Kremlin-linked lawyer who was offering the campaign damaging information on Hillary Clinton.

He also has business links to Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska, a Putin ally whom Manafort offered private meetings to discuss the US election in the middle of 2016, according to a Washington Post report.
Washington: The first criminal charges to come from special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into foreign meddling in the 2016 election stem from different activities. A primer on those charged:

Paul Manafort

Before Manafort became GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump's top strategist between late March and August 2016, he had a storied career in Republican politics.

A lawyer by training, Manafort gained prominence rounding up delegates for Gerald Ford at the 1976 Republican convention and helping manage Ronald Reagan's convention efforts in 1980. He founded a lobbying shop, known as Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly, earning a reputation for both his flashy lifestyle and his willingness to take on less-than-savory clients, such as Democratic Republic of Congo's dictator, Mobutu Sese Seko.

In 1995, Manafort set up a new lobbying firm with Rick Davis, who later helped Manafort establish his political contacts in former Soviet states, including Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska and Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Ahkmetov. Manafort's work in Eastern Europe came at a lucky time, as struggled in his domestic lobbying business and his spending on an ill-fated career as a movie producer left him nearly broke in the early 2000s.

As an adviser to Ukraine's pro-Russian Party of Regions, Manafort helped the party turn around its reputation as corrupt and under Russian influence, getting Ukraine's president elected in 2006. Manafort remained an adviser to the Party of Regions until 2014, when it was ousted amid popular protests.

Among Manafort's long-term friends was Thomas Barrack, who was also personally close with Trump. That connection and Manafort's perceived skill in Republican Party politics got Manafort his entree into Trump's campaign. In August 2016, he was ousted amid revelations of large payments listed in an alleged "black book" of under-the-table payments by the ousted Ukrainian government.

Rick Gates

Rick Gates was Manafort's deputy, both in the Trump campaign and in Manafort's work in Ukraine. Now 45, Gates began as an intern at lobbying firm Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly, before furthering his career elsewhere.

But after working with another Republican lobbyist, Rick Davis, Gates came back into Manafort's fold. By the time that Davis took a leave from his partnership with Manafort to run John McCain's presidential campaign, Gates joined Manafort's new firm, Davis Manafort Inc. and was working with Manafort to drum up business in former Soviet States. They hit gold in work performed for the Party of Regions, a pro-Russian Ukrainian political party, though that work fizzled out in 2014 after Ukraine's president fled to Russia amid popular protests.

Gates joined Manafort for the Trump campaign, too, serving as a top decision-maker for day-to-day matters. But he never drew a Trump campaign paycheck.

When Manafort got booted from the campaign amid revelations about his Ukrainian political work and questions about how he'd been paid for it, Gates stayed on in Trump Tower as a Republican National Committee liaison to the campaign.

Gates work wasn't done after Election Day, however. He was tapped by Trump Inauguration Chairman Thomas Barrack, a friend of both Manafort's and Trump's, to manage the work of the inaugural committee. And he also took a post with a newly created political nonprofit to support Trump, America First Policies, though he stepped down amid controversy surrounding his and Manafort's work with a Russian oligarch, Oleg Deripaska.

George Papadopoulos

Before joining Trump's campaign, Papadopoulos billed himself as international energy consultant  though he only graduated from DePaul University in 2009 and was largely unknown in foreign policy circles.

Trump's campaign named him as one of eight foreign policy advisers in March 2016, however, as it scrambled to develop policy positions on key international issues. The Washington Post previously reported he had tried to facilitate contact between Russian government entities and the Trump campaign.
Amidst all the speculation about the scope and direction of Robert Muellers deepening Trump-Russia probe  triggered anew by the indictment of Paul Manafort  one thing is certain: No matter what happens on the legal front in the days and weeks ahead, Trumps credulous fan base will remain wedded to him til death do they part.

They wont care a whit that Trumps ex-campaign chairman has been charged with money-laundering and conspiracy against the United States. Theyll dismiss any and all indictments as deep-state concoctions and fake-news conflations.

Theyll continue to guzzle all the junk food served up by Rupert Murdochs Fox News talking heads and Wall Street Journal editorial writers, all the nonsense about how its really ObamaHillaryDemocrats whove been in cahoots with Russia  precisely the kind of disinformation that Putin has perfected to confuse and exhaust the oppressed people of Russia.

All told, theyll continue to gift Trump an approval rating in the range of 35 to 38 percent, which he will take and use.

Granted, thats pitiful popularity for a president nine months into his tenure  by far the worst in the history of polling  especially when you consider that some recent polls have reported that as high as 48 percent of Americans want him to be impeached. But alas, the traditional political metrics no longer apply. Putins useful idiot, the beneficiary of Russias unprecedented intervention in our electoral process, is playing by his own set of rules and the rest of us are playing catch up.

If youre still wondering how Trump can possibly have the gall to do what he does  to trash the rule of law, to impugn an independent investigation, to fail spectacularly as a leader on legislation  with seemingly no regard for his horrific standing in the polls, I recommend the analysis that appears below. It comes to us from Todd Harris, a veteran Republican strategist whom Ive long respected as a smart dude and straight shooter. He made these remarks at a recent political symposium:

Trumps ideology is popularity. There is nothing more important for the president. Its not policy. Its certainly nothing in Republican dogma that motivates him. What motivates him is his popularity. He wants to be loved. And you could say, Well, how is that possible? His approval ratings are not nearly where you would think that they should be for someone who is motivated by popularity.

But I dont believe that the president views public opinion the way that previous presidents have viewed it, which is something you use the bully pulpit to shape and to meld and to try to build some kind of national consensus. I think Trump views public opinion as a commodity. Its something you own, your piece of it that you tend to. You own a slice of it ...

Its like you own your building. You need to make sure your building is well-maintained and you dont care about the building across the street.

There it is, folks. Trump just tends to his building, with serial lies and detestable tweets, and he couldnt care less if the rest of the American neighborhood goes to pot as long as he can keep his tenants content and ignorant.

This is why hes currently feeding them gaslit garbage about how Hillary supposedly sold uranium to the Russians seven years ago, a tiresome old lie that Trump  with help from servile congressional allies and his mouthpieces in the de facto state media  has lately sought to recycle. The Hillary uranium yarn has been thoroughly exposed as the antithesis of fact, but under the cynical rules of Putin-Trump politics, fact is irrelevant. All that matters is the counter-narrative. The uranium faux scandal is raw meat for Trumps tenants to chew on. Its designed to distract them from the real-world fact that Mueller is breathing down his neck.

In short, its designed to placate his piece of public opinion. As Todd Harris said, its something Trump owns. And theres no evidence, even in the wake of indictments, that his tenants are itching to split.
Moscow: Russia's foreign minister on Tuesday said there was no evidence the country had interfered in US elections, after a Washington probe accelerated with charges against three former aides to Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

"We are accused of interfering not only in US elections but also in those of other countries without one piece of evidence," Sergei Lavrov told reporters in Moscow.

Russia has repeatedly denied any attempt to influence the 2016 presidential election.

On Monday Trump's ex-campaign chairman Paul Manafort and another former aide appeared in court, pleading not guilty to conspiracy against the US, money laundering and several other charges after the indictments in the Russia probe were unsealed.

Facebook, Google and Twitter are expected to tell Congress this week that Russian-backed content aimed at manipulating US politics during last year's election was more extensive than first thought, US media reported.

At a meeting of the Association of European Businesses, Lavrov also said that the "sometimes unpredictable" actions of the current US administration had caused "serious fears".

He pointed to threats to solve problems over the Korean peninsula by force, as well as Trump's refusal to certify the Iran nuclear deal.
Washington: Key dates related to the investigation of the Trump campaign's alleged ties to Russia:

2006: Paul Manafort and Rick Gates begin work as consultants for the Party of Regions, a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine led by Victor Yanukovych, the country's former prime minister. Manafort is a veteran Republican political operative who worked on the US presidential campaigns of Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George HW Bush and Bob Dole.

February 2010: With the help of his Russian patrons and his American political consultants, Yanukovych is elected president of Ukraine.

February 2014: Following months of violent clashes between protesters and police, Yanukovych flees Ukraine and enters exile in Russia. US government later opens investigation into Manafort's foreign lobbying and political work.

June 2015: New York real estate billionaire Donald J Trump announces his candidacy for US president as a Republican.

September 2015: The FBI contacts the Democratic National Committee's IT help desk, cautioning that at least one of its computers has been compromised by Russian hackers. A technician scans the system but fails to find evidence of the intrusion.

March 2016: Manafort joins Trump campaign as a volunteer consultant. George Papadopoulos is named one of five foreign policy advisers to the Trump campaign and meets with people associated with the Russia government amid discussions to set up a meeting between Trump and Putin.

April 2016: Papadopoulos meets with Russian national who he says offered "dirt" on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, including thousands of emails. Papadopoulos emails other members of Trump campaign about Russian offer of dirt on Clinton and offer for Trump to meet with Putin. Democratic National Committee becomes aware of the scope of the months-long intrusion into its email systems by hackers US intelligence agencies later linked to the Russian government.

May 2016: Manafort promoted to campaign chairman and chief strategist, taking command of the Trump campaign.

June 2016: Manafort attends meeting at Trump Tower in New York with Russian lawyer named Natalia Veselnitskaya, who promised to provide the Trump campaign damaging information about Clinton. Donald Trump Jr and Jared Kushner are also in the meeting. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says his website will publish a batch of Clinton emails.

July 2016: Trump becomes the Republican nominee for president at the party's convention in Cleveland, Ohio. In a speech the following week, Trump encourages Russians to release hacked Clinton emails. FBI opens investigation into Russian government's attempt to influence the election, including whether members of Trump's campaign are involved.

August 2016: The New York Times reports that Manafort's name appears on a secret list of payments made by the Yanukovych regime. Manafort resigns from Trump campaign the day after The Associated Press reports he failed to register as a foreign agent after arranging a covert lobbying campaign in the United States on behalf of the Ukrainian Party of Regions.

November 2016: Donald Trump wins the presidential election.

January 2017: FBI Director James Comey, who was overseeing the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, briefs Trump on contents of an unverified dossier that contains salacious allegations about him and his campaign. Trump inaugurated as 45th President of the United States. Papadopoulos interviewed by the FBI about his contacts with Russians.

May 2017: Trump fires Comey. Former FBI Director Robert Mueller is appointed as special counsel to take over the probe.

June 2017: Manafort files paperwork with the Justice Department retroactively disclosing under the Foreign Agents Registration Act that his firm received more than $17 million working for the government of Ukraine between 2012 and 2014. The Washington Post reports that Mueller is investigating Trump for obstruction of justice.

July 2017: FBI agents conducted a raid at former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's home in Alexandria, Virginia. Papadopoulos arrested by FBI at Dulles International Airport.

August 2017: Mueller empanels criminal grand jury in Washington, DC.

October 2017: Papadopoulos pleads guilty to making false statements to the FBI, as part of apparent agreement to cooperate with Mueller's investigation. Mueller files 12 count criminal indictments against Manafort and Gates.
London: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Monday refuted rumours that Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif would replace his brother Nawaz Sharif as the chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, according to a media report.

Sharif, 67, had to step down as the chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) after he was disqualified as the prime minister by the Supreme Court on 28 July in the Panama Papers scandal.

After attending a meeting of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) top leadership in London, sources said that it was decided that the PML-N would not accept removing the former premier from the post of the party chief.

Abbasi refuted rumours that Shehbaz would replace his brother Nawaz as the chief of PML-N, Express Tribune reported.

Sharif is in London along with his family to be with his ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz who is still receiving cancer treatment in the British capital.

His daughter Maryam and son-in-law Captain (retired) Mohmmad Safdar have already been indicted in corruption cases filed against them by the country's anti-corruption body National Accountability Bureau on the Supreme Court's instruction in the Panama Papers case.

Abbasi and Punjab chief minister Shahbaz left for London on Sunday and met the former premier, who landed in Islamabad from Saudi Arabia along with his son Hussain.

Dismissing speculation about early general elections, Sharif said: "Rumours are always around but don't believe them".

He once again complained about his removal and said: "When a government is weakened, the country gets weakened".

Shahbaz had said that "Elections will be held on time and there are no differences in the party or family".

After the day-long meeting, Abbasi is expected to return to Pakistan later in the day.

Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, along with other cabinet ministers, is also expected to reach the UK from Saudi Arabia.

The PML-N party is trying to position itself for the 2018 elections. Both Sharif and his daughter have stated that the cases against them are politically-motivated.

Sharif reached London to be with his wife after concluding a week-long private visit to Saudi Arabia.
     8    :     ,    12    
Apple and Qualcomm dispute continue to escalate; A new report from The Wall Street Journal says that the Cupertino giant will drop Qualcomm components and move to Intel or possibly MediaTek for next years iPhones and iPads.

The report further says that Qualcomm has withheld critical to testing its chips in iPhone and iPad prototypes. Meaning Qualcomm has stopped sharing the critical testing software right after Apple filed its initial lawsuit. However, the report also says that Apple might change its decision of moving away from Qualcomm as it is still very early in the process.

Until last years iPhone 7, Apple heavily relied on the Qualcomm chips, however, with the iPhone 8 and X this year, it used a mix of chips from Intel and Qualcomm. Earlier Tim Cook mentioned that he would rather settle the dispute with Qualcomm, rather than going through court battles.

Apple has three months before the launch of a product to decide on a modem manufacturer. With iPad Pro generally launching around mid-year, the date on finalizing the manufacturer is coming up soon followed by a new iPhone in September.

The Wall Street Journal report states,

Apples plans to exclude Qualcomm chips from next years model could still change. People familiar with Apples manufacturing process said the company could change modem-chip suppliers as late as June, three months before the next iPhone is expected to ship. Still, some of the people said Apple hasnt previously designed iPhones and iPads to exclude Qualcomm chips at a similar stage of the process.

Qualcomm in a report said,

Modem that could be used in the next generation iPhone has already been fully tested and released to Apple.

Source
HMD Global just announced Nokia 2, the companys latest budget smartphone at an event in India. It has a 5-inch HD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection and packs a 4100mAh battery that promises up to 2 days of battery life on a single charge. It runs on Android 7.1.1 (Nougat) with support for Google Assistant and the company has promised Android 8.0 (Oreo) update for the phone.

It has a 6000 series aluminum frame and a polycarbonate back. It is also splash proof with IP52 ratings. It comes with dual SIM support with dedicated dual SIM and microSD slots and is also available in single SIM variant in some markets.

Nokia 2 specifications

5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD LTPS LCD In-Cell Touch display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 display protection

1.3 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 212 Mobile Platform with Adreno 304 GPU

1GB LPDDR3 RAM, 8GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD

Android 7.1.1 (Nougat) OS, upgradable to Android 8.0 (Oreo)

Dual SIM

8MP autofocus rear camera with LED Flash

5MP front-facing camera

Splash proof (IP52)

3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio

Dimensions: 143.5 x 71.3 x 9.30 mm

4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS / GLONASS

4100mAh battery

The Nokia 2 comes in Pewter Black, Pewter White and Copper Black colors and will go on sale from mid-November for a global average price of 99 Euros (US$ 115 / Rs. 7465 approx.). We should know the price of the phone in India closer to the launch.
Reliance Communications (RCOM) today announced that it has completed merger transaction with Sistemas Indian wireless business, carried on by Sistema Shyam Teleservices Ltd. (SSTL) under the MTS brand. The deal was announced back in 2015 and it was decently approved by Department of Telecommunications (DOT) last week.

The Board of Directors of Reliance Communications also approved the issuance of shares to the tune of 10% of the equity shareholding of Reliance Communications Limited, to SSTL, as part of the agreement between the two companies.

If the Department of Telecommunications and the courts of India confirm that SSTLs spectrum can be used for deployment of the 4th generation networks without any additional payments, SSTL may become entitled to an earn-out payment from RCom, said Sistema.

Under the terms of the agreement between RCOM and Sistema, RCOM will acquire the telecommunications business of SSTL including its licenses. In addition, RCOM will acquire 30 MHz of the most valuable and superior 800 / 850 MHz band spectrum, ideally suited for 4G LTE services and other evolving technologies, to complement its own unique nationwide footprint.

This will extend the validity of RCOMs spectrum portfolio in the 800 / 850 MHz band in eight important Circles (Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Kolkata, UP-West and West Bengal) by a period of 12 yearsfrom 2021 to 2033.

As a result of the demerger, SSTL will receive a 10% equity stake in the fully diluted equity share capital of RCOM. In addition, RCOM will assume the liability to pay the DoT, instalments for SSTLs spectrum, amounting to Rs 390 crore per annum for the next 8 years

Regarding the completion of deal, Sistema President Mikhail Shamolin said:

We welcome the completion of this deal, which marks another chapter in consolidation of the Indian telecom sector. As a shareholder of RCom we are confident that this merger will help strengthen the operators position in the industry and deliver on its strategic plans.
Last Wednesday, Boeing (NYSE: BA) delivered another solid quarterly earnings report. Most importantly, the company's run of strong cash flow continued, allowing it to return even more cash to its shareholders.

On Boeing's earnings call, CEO Dennis Muilenberg and CFO Greg Smith elaborated on how the company aims to maintain its momentum in the coming years. Here are five key highlights from their remarks.

Lofty goals remain in place

In the Q3 earnings report, Boeing raised its 2017 cash flow forecast. The company now expects to generate operating cash flow of approximately $12.5 billion this year, substantially above its initial forecast of $10.75 billion.

This means that Boeing will face much tougher year-over-year cash flow comparisons going forward. Nevertheless, Smith reiterated the company's projection that cash flow will improve each year through the end of the decade. This implies that Boeing will be producing stellar free cash flow results by 2020.

The services business gets off the ground

During the third quarter, Boeing began operating its services portfolio as a separate business segment. (Previously, services offerings were housed in the broader commercial and defense segments.) Boeing expects to produce services revenue of $14.0 billion-$14.5 billion in 2017 -- but it has big growth aspirations. The segment's revenue could rise as high as $50 billion within a decade, according to management.

Boeing believes that having a unified services business to serve commercial jet and defense customers will be a big competitive advantage. In the short run, management sees substantial growth opportunities in spare parts, maintenance, and aircraft modifications.

Longer term, Boeing has a huge opportunity to add value through analytics solutions that glean insight from the massive amounts of data generated by airplanes. The company is already gaining traction in this area, but it is just scratching the surface of the market's potential.

Another 737 production increase could be in the cards

Rising production of Boeing's workhorse 737 jets will be a key driver of the company's projected cash flow growth. Last quarter, Boeing increased production from 42 a month to 47. It is already preparing to increase production to 52 a month next year and 57 a month in 2019.

Despite this planned production growth, demand for narrowbody aircraft continues to outpace supply. Boeing has seen another uptick in 737 orders and commitments this year, supported by the launch of the new 737 MAX 10 model. As a result, Boeing is evaluating pushing 737 output even higher. The biggest constraint on raising production beyond 57 per month is ensuring that the supply chain will be able to keep up.

The 777 situation is stabilizing

Among Boeing's five commercial aircraft families, the 777 has been the biggest disappointment recently. Last quarter, Boeing reduced the 777 production rate to five per month, down from 8.3 per month just a year ago. Furthermore, monthly deliveries to customers will decline to 3.5 per month for much of the next two years as Boeing shifts to building the next-generation 777X.

However, Boeing has seen a modest uptick in orders for the current-generation 777 recently. Just since the beginning of September, it has booked an order for six 777s from Aeroflot and an order for 10 777s from an unidentified customer, while China Southern Airlines has announced plans to buy eight more 777s. Boeing has now filled its 777 order gap for the next few years, addressing a potential risk to its cash flow forecast.

The 767 could make a comeback

Not too long ago, it looked like the aging Boeing 767 family was on the way out, ready to be replaced by the 787 Dreamliner. However, Boeing has seen surprisingly strong demand for the 767, which first entered service 35 years ago. FedEx (NYSE: FDX) has added 48 767 freighters to its fleet since 2014. It has another 68 on order through 2023. Meanwhile, production of the KC-46 military tanker is ramping up on the same assembly line.

It now appears that Boeing has a shot at winning a big order for 767-300ER passenger planes if it can boost its output. (At the current production rate, the 767 line is virtually sold out through 2023 just based on orders from FedEx and the U.S. military.)

It would be a bold move for any airline to buy such an outdated model. But the 767-300ER could be a good stopgap measure while airlines wait for better options from Boeing and Airbus. And 10-15 years down the road, any new-build passenger 767s could be converted to freighters for the likes of FedEx and UPS, providing more work for Boeing's services business.

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The Latest on the Republican tax-cutting plan (all times EDT):

6 p.m.

House GOP lawmakers from high-tax states who threatened to sink the Republican tax plan have wrung a key concession from GOP leaders over the federal deduction for state and local taxes.

The head of the House tax-writing committee, Rep. Kevin Brady, says taxpayers will still be able to deduct local property taxes on their federal income tax returns. The Republican plan had called for eliminating taxpayers' ability to deduct state and local taxes. Its repeal could provide more than $1 trillion over 10 years to help pay for deep tax cuts.

Brady says, "we are restoring an itemized property-tax deduction to help taxpayers with local tax burdens."

The rebellious lawmakers, from states such as New York and New Jersey, insisted the elimination of the state-local deduction would hurt their constituents.

___

11:15 a.m.

A powerful lobbying group in the housing industry has withdrawn its blessing for the Republican tax-cutting plan.

The building opposition to the sweeping tax overhaul plan comes as House Republicans work behind closed doors on proposed legislation for the plan that they'll unveil this Wednesday.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said he's been warning Republican lawmakers that opposition to the plan will only intensify as details are released. Speaking to local business leaders in Wisconsin after the homebuilders' action, Ryan accused special interests in Washington of trying to derail the tax plan by sowing "confusion and chaos."

.
House Republicans from New York voiced their concerns to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and National Economic Council Gary Cohn about the possibility of losing their coveted state and local tax deduction during a phone conference on Monday night, FOX Business has confirmed.

As earlier reported by FOX Business, all nine GOP representatives from New York, were scheduled to speak with Cohn and Mnuchin at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The call, according to those familiar with the matter, lasted approximately 30 minutes and both senior White House officials appeared sympathetic to the lawmakers desire to keep most of the tax break, also known as SALT, in the final tax reform bill and said they would try to get back to them with a compromise in the next few days.

"They recognized the situation and the intensity of the problem our constituents could face if we lose SALT," said one call participant, speaking to FOX Business on the condition of anonymity.

The lawmakers emphasized that they believed middle class individuals and small businesses from New York could get punished if the tax break was eliminated.

Still, that same source noted, while they hoped they could come to a compromise on Monday with the White House on including the deduction in the House tax bill with the legislative text expected to be unveiled on Wednesday, "no specific solutions were discussed."

A White House spokeswoman did not return emails for comment when asked about the details of the call.

The conference comes after the House passed their budget by the slimmest of margins, 216 to 212 in favor of the budget, and as seven of the 20 no votes came from disgruntled New York Republicans.

Those lawmakers have been looking for a compromise on the deduction in meetings with House Republican leaders, including House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX), since the tax reform blueprint was released in September.

The call between lawmakers and the White House also comes on the heels of Brady announcing hes willing to concede to those same representatives as well as others from states that have the most to lose from eliminating SALT, such as New Jersey and California. Brady indicated that he will include a property tax deduction in the final bill.

At the urging of lawmakers, we are restoring an itemized property tax deduction to help taxpayers with local tax burdens, Brady said in a statement on Sunday.

Still, even with this concession, House members from New York and New Jersey gave a mixed reaction to the news and called for caution on whether there will be continued compromises leading into the bills publication.

In a text message, Rep, Steve King (R-NY) told FOX Business on Sunday that hes happy with Bradys decision but still has concerns. Its a good step forward, but still very concerned with losing state income tax deduction, King said.

Rep. Thomas MacArthur (R-NJ) told FOX Business on Sunday that hes cautiously optimistic but later added, The devil is in the details."

SALT affects about 30% of all taxpayers, mainly in states such as New York, New Jersey, California, Connecticut, Virginia and Pennsylvania that impose significant state income and property taxes.

The GOP Congress is dominated by lawmakers from southern and western states that dont impose such levies. They have argued for ditching the SALT deduction from the tax code on the grounds that it unfairly benefits taxpayers from just a handful of states and deprives the federal government of trillions in revenue.

Indeed, the Trump administration has called on the elimination of the SALT deduction that would produce close to $1.3 trillion in revenues over 10 years and help pay for his plan to slash taxes for individuals and take the corporate tax rate down from its current level of 35% to 20%.

But lawmakers from these high-tax states argue that the federal government receives a disproportionate share of tax revenues from states like New York and California, where a large percentage of wealthy people reside, thus the tax break provides some degree of fairness in the governments revenue collection efforts.

Making the matter even more contentious as the Republican-controlled Congress and the Trump administration move toward the politically vital tax reform bill: close to 60 Republican members come from states that benefit most from the SALT deduction and could vote against tax reform if the tax break isnt preserved in some way.
Samsung Electronics said on Tuesday it will pay dividends of about 29 trillion won in the 2018-2020 period as it reported record operating profit for the three months through September, lifted by its largest-ever memory chip earnings.

The world's biggest maker of memory chips, smartphones and television sets said the memory chip "supercycle" of tight supply and strong demand was set to continue as servers and mobile devices require ever greater processing capacity.

"For 2018, the company expects earnings to grow primarily from the component businesses, as conditions in the memory market are likely to remain favorable and the company expects increased sales of flexible OLED panels," the South Korean tech giant said in a statement.

Samsung is on track for record full-year profit, with analysts forecasting even better fourth-quarter on strong memory chip prices and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen sales for Apple's iPhone X.

It also announced a shareholder return policy for the next three years, ramping up returns guidance to a level higher than its current range of 30-50 percent of free cash flow to 50 percent over three years.

Operating profit nearly tripled in the third quarter from the same period a year earlier, to 14.5 trillion won ($12.91 billion), Samsung said in a regulatory filing, matching its earlier estimate.

Revenue jumped 29.8 percent to 62 trillion won, also in line with its earlier estimate.

The chip business was Samsung's top earner as it booked a record 10 trillion won operating profit, from 3.4 trillion won from the previous corresponding period. Client demand for more powerful devices and supply constraints pushed up prices of both DRAM and NAND memory chips, widening profit margins.

In the mobile sector, Samsung has put last year's costly withdrawal of the fire-prone Note 7 gadget behind it and posted a jump in mobile profit to 3.3 trillion won from 100 billion won last year.

More than 4 million Galaxy Note 8 smartphones have been sold since the premium model was launched in mid-September, making up for slowing sales of the Galaxy S8 launched earlier in 2017, analysts said.

The record earnings come after Samsung Electronics CEO and Vice Chairman Kwon Oh-hyun announced on Oct. 13 that he plans to step down from management.

His departure leaves key roles vacant - head of the components business including memory chips, head of the display business, as well as chairman of the board and a board director.

Samsung Electronics shares were down 0.7 percent soon after the earnings release, while the Kospi benchmark share price index was flat.

($1 = 1,123.4300 won)

(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Stephen Coates)
The Latest on President Donald Trump's tax overhaul (all times local):

In a statement, Brady says the release will be delayed a day, until Thursday.

Members of the House Ways and Means Committee are trying to finalize a bill, with the rollout delayed to Thursday. The committee chairman, Rep. Kevin Brady, insists drafters are making "excellent progress" and will work through the night.

In a tweet late Tuesday, Trump writes: "The Republican House members are working hard (and late) toward the Massive Tax Cuts that they know you deserve. These will be biggest ever!"

President Donald Trump is offering words of encouragement to House Republicans as they struggle to come up with a tax plan.

Despite Trump's claim, it remains to be seen whether the nearly $6 trillion plan will amount to the biggest tax cut ever.

___

9:15 p.m.

The top tax writer in the House isn't conceding that the planned rollout of his long-sought tax code overhaul is being delayed.

Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady tells reporters "we are moving forward" and there is "no announcement of change in the schedule."

The Texas Republican made his comments after GOP sources said a Wednesday release of the measure would be delayed amid continuing negotiations over the complicated measure.

Hang-ups appear to include continuing complaints by lawmakers from high-tax states about repeal of a deduction for state income taxes.

Brady appeared before a throng of reporters after news organizations reported a likely delay. He says "we are making excellent progress  we are very close."

___

8:20 p.m.

House Republicans are delaying their rollout of a tax plan until Thursday amid a struggle to finalize details.

That's the word from a senior GOP aide late Tuesday night. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity because the individual was not allowed to publicly discuss the schedule.

The tax-writing Ways and Means Committee was working throughout the day and evening to produce a sweeping plan, the first overhaul of the nation's tax code in three decades.

Although they have settled on some details  such as a cut in the corporate tax rate and maintaining the top personal income tax rate for the wealthy  other elements still have to be resolved.

President Donald Trump has intensified his lobbying for the tax overhaul plan.

 Erica Werner

___

7:15 p.m.

House Republican leaders are expected to unveil a tax proposal Wednesday that would maintain the 39.6 percent top personal income tax rate.

That's according to two people familiar with the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity in advance of the public release of the GOP bill.

The plan originally unveiled by President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans called for shrinking the number of tax brackets from seven to three, with respective tax rates of 12 percent, 25 percent and 35 percent.

It's unclear what income levels would fall into each of the tax rates.

Republicans also plan to reduce the corporate tax rate to 20 percent, erasing the recent chatter about phasing in the cut, according to a congressional official.

By Jill Colvin.

___

12:20 p.m.

President Donald Trump is meeting with business industry leaders to build momentum for his tax overhaul ahead of his lengthy trip to Asia.

Trump says he's hoping to sign the tax bill into law by Christmas and predicts the White House signing ceremony will be "the biggest tax event in the history of our country."

The president is meeting with the leaders of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Business Roundtable and others on taxes.

Trump says Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and economic adviser Gary Cohn will be staying behind to work on the tax bill.

And he's calling on industry groups to build momentum for the plan while he's in Asia for 10-and-a-half days. The president is departing on Friday.

__

9:15 a.m.

Top White House aides, including Ivanka Trump, will be lobbying in the U.S. for a tax overhaul while President Donald Trump is traveling in Asia.

A White House official says Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Director of the National Economic Council Gary Cohn and White House adviser Ivanka Trump will hold tax events around the country.

The first daughter is going to Japan for a speech Friday, but has canceled plans to continue on to China and South Korea and will return to the U.S. over the weekend.

President Donald Trump leaves Friday for a lengthy trip through Asia.

House Republicans are set to unveil their tax bill Wednesday.

Trump is scheduled to hold a tax meeting at the White House Tuesday.
A motorist driving a rented Home Depot (NYSE:HD) pickup truck killed at least eight people and injured several more Tuesday in a terrorist attack in lower Manhattan, shutting down New Yorks financial district.

Police bomb units, ambulances and helicopters descended on the area in response to the attack, a Citigroup (NYSE:C) official on the ground told FOX Business Charlie Gasparino.

Its really bad down here, the person said. Downtown Manhattan is largely shut down. Tons of traffic, ambulances and sirens, and choppers in the air. Its 9-11 mode down here all over again.

In addition to Citigroup, lower Manhattan is also home to Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) headquarters and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:ICE), among other financial firms.

The NYPD said the suspect was shot twice by police and taken into custody. FBI agents are also on scene investigating the attack, which Mayor Bill de Blasio called an act of terror.

President Trump decried the attack on Twitter.
Legislation to build an aerial tram to take paying visitors to a riverside boardwalk in the Grand Canyon has been voted down by the Navajo Nation Council.

Members of the council voted 16-2 against the bill during a special session Tuesday in Window Rock, Arizona. It was the first time the full council had taken up the measure since it was introduced last year.

The proposal had gotten a cold reception from lawmakers from the nation's largest American Indian reservation even before Tuesday's lengthy debate.

Some lawmakers raised concerns about the development resulting in more public safety demands, while others questioned a requirement for the tribe to invest $65 million for roads, water and power lines, and communications at the 420-acre site that borders Grand Canyon National Park on the reservation.

Council delegates amended the legislation to change the operating license from non-revocable to revocable, to delete language to prevent other development within a 15-mile radius and along access roads, and to strike a non-taxation provision before voting on the bill. The amendments didn't convince them the project should move forward.

Developers had said the tram and accompanying retail and hotel sites at the East Rim could be running by May 2021 had everything gone as planned. They did not immediately return phone messages seeking comment after the vote.

Critics showed up to urge lawmakers to oppose the project as the debate finally got under way late Tuesday afternoon. Those included families who hold grazing permits and leases to build homes in the area.

They have said the area is sacred and the proposed development would mar the landscape where the Colorado River meets the blue-green waters of the Little Colorado River.

Declaring victory over what they termed a "monster," they praised the council's vote on social media and let out loud cheers outside the council chambers.

"They heard us," activist Renae Yellowhorse said of the council members. "We needed to be a presence there to let them know we're not going to go away. We're going to always be here to defend our Mother, to defend our sacred sites."

Environmentalists and outdoor enthusiasts also decried the measure. Actor Robert Redford released a video last December voicing opposition, and an online petition against the proposal has collected thousands of signatures.

The vote came ahead of a tribal election year and as the tribe prepares for the loss of hundreds of jobs with the expected shutdown of a coal-fired power plant and its supply mine in 2019.

Lamar Whitmer, part of the Scottsdale-based Confluence Partners development group, previously said the East Rim project could employ up to 3,500 people on a reservation where half the workforce is unemployed.

The management team includes former Navajo President Albert Hale and others who have helped develop resorts and theme parks.

Under the legislation, the Navajo Nation's share of revenue was based on the number of visitors. The tribe would have been guaranteed a minimum 8 percent of gross revenue, developers say.

___

Associated Press writer Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report
Federal trade officials on Tuesday will recommend measures to safeguard struggling domestic solar panel manufacturers against cheap imports in a closely watched case that could have a major impact on the price of U.S. solar power.

The vote by the U.S. International Trade Commission is a major milestone in a case that has divided the solar industry for the last six months. The panel's proposals, which could include tariffs, a quota or other trade remedies, will be delivered to President Donald Trump, who will make a final decision later this year.

Trade remedies were requested earlier this year by two small U.S. manufacturers that say they are not able to compete with cheap panels made overseas, mainly in Asia.

But fears of steep new tariffs on imports have sparked widespread nervousness among solar developers and installers that have benefited from a 70 percent drop in the cost of solar since 2010. Many snapped up panels ahead of the ITC's vote and warned that some projects may not be completed if the cost of panels rises too much.

The ITC made a preliminary finding on Sept. 22 that domestic solar manufacturers had been harmed by cheap imports after the complaint brought by bankrupt Georgia-based producer Suniva Inc in April.

Solar installation companies are hoping the commission will recommend a small tariff, or none at all.

"This tells you what's going to land on the president's desk, though there is a fair amount of unpredictability here given that the president has wide leeway and this president is pretty unpredictable in general," said Shayle Kann, head of solar market research firm GTM Research.

Suniva filed the rare Section 201 petition nine days after seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In the petition, the company said a global glut of panels has depressed prices and made it difficult for American producers to compete.

Suniva's petition is opposed by the Solar Energy Industries Association, the sector's primary trade organization.

Suniva is majority owned by Hong Kong-based Shunfeng International Clean Energy. It was joined in the petition by another domestic manufacturer, the U.S. division of Germany's SolarWorld.

In documents filed last month, Suniva asked for a tariff of 25 cents per watt on solar cells and 32 cents per watt on panels. It is also seeking a minimum price on panels of 74 cents a watt, nearly double their current cost. SolarWorld has asked for an import quota.

(Reporting by Nichola Groom; Editing by Sue Horton and Dan Grebler)
Former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino on Monday described the Trump dossier as Watergate on steroids.

The Trump dossier was written by former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele, who was hired by Fusion GPS to find dirt on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. It was later discovered the Clinton campaign and the DNC helped fund the research against Trump.

At Watergate they broke into a hotel, in this they broke into an entire information file a foreign government had of fake information on their political opponent, he told FOX Business Trish Regan on The Intelligence Report.

Former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty Monday to lying to the FBI about his interactions with foreign officials close to the Kremlin.

Also, former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and former Trump campaign official Rick Gates surrendered to Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller. Both have been indicted on 12 counts by a federal grand jury.

The fact that they arrested today essentially a fibber (Papadopoulos), a guy who lied to the FBI, and a guy (Manafort) who did some really bad business dealings before he joined the Trump campaign and into the campaign a bit, who was fired by Donald Trump. Yet the fact that the Democrats paid through an intermediary Russian people and Russian intel people to get bogus intel on their political opponents and use it to wiretap and potentially unmask them, the contrast is striking, he said.

Bongino added, We got played by the Russians, we were made fools of and the Democrats and frankly some people on the Republican side but not Trump, were part and parcel.
Former President Barack Obamas foundation is hosting a two-day summit in Chicago starting Tuesday, aimed at fostering a hands-on exchange on ideas to address top global concerns.

The summit will feature discussions on topics including communicating across differences, art and cultures role in creating productive cities, understanding race in relation to ones civic identity, motivating young people to choose a civic path and technologys role in creating equitable and inclusive communities, according to the website.

Guests are expected to include Prince Harry, the former Prime Minister of Italy Matteo Renzi and Chobani founder Hamdi Ulukaya. The foundations site says hundreds of leaders from around the world will attend the event hosted by the former president and first lady.

Chance the Rapper and Gloria Estefan will be among the artists that will perform for attendees.

The foundation, started in 2014, already has a dozen contributors who have donated more than $1 million apiece. They include the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) and George Lucas Lucas Family Foundation, as well as LinkedIn (NYSE:LNKD) co-founder Reid Hoffman and wife Michelle Yee. Another 11 individuals and entities have donated between $750,001 and $1 million each.

In 2016, the foundation collected more than $13 million in donations, exceeding the totals collected in the two years prior, combined. Totals are expected to rise now that Obama is out of office because during his tenure at the White House, the foundation took no donations from for-profit organizations, lobbyists or foreign agents.
Special counsel Robert Muellers indictments against three advisers to President Trumps campaign did not produce any evidence of collusion with the Russian government, according to a former Department of Justice attorney.

Hans von Spakovsky, who served under President George W. Bush, said the plea agreement suggests that the underling behavior by former Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos did not violate federal law.

He was charged and pled guilty to lying about what he was doing, his campaign activities, to federal investigators. If he had actually told them truth, he wouldnt be in federal court and he wouldnt have any problems, Spakovsky said during an interview with FOX Business Neil Cavuto.

On Monday, former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his business associate, Rick Gates, pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy against the U.S.

The former Justice Department official said the indictment of Gates doesnt imply anything improper regarding involvement with the Trump campaign.

It all has to do with Manaforts activities when he was working with the Ukrainian government long before his brief stint with the Trump campaign, Spakovsky said.

Unless Manafort provides new information about the Trump campaign, the indictments produced no evidence of any Russian collusion, von Spakovsky said.
Andy Dick has been fired from the independent film "Raising Buchanan" following reports of alleged sexual assault on the set.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, two unnamed sources claimed the actor inappropriately groped people's genitals, kissed and licked people and made inappropriate sexual comments.

Dick told The Hollywood Reporter the claims aren't accurate, but he admitted he may have licked his colleagues.

"I didn't grope anybody. I might have kissed somebody on the cheek to say goodbye and then licked them. That's my thing I licked Carrie Fisher at a roast. It's me being funny. I'm not trying to sexually harass people."

He said he understands that following the recent onslaught of sexual assault allegations against disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein he needs to be more appropriate.

"I don't grope people anymore," he insisted. "I don't expose myself anymore. I do understand that the temperature in the world right now is delicate."



The 51-year-old star said he made comments defending Weinstein on the Arizona set and his statements were not well received. He did not detail what he said about the former movie exec.

"Can I tell you my side of it? They were so incensed by what I was saying. People are so sensitive," Dick told The Hollywood Reporter.

He added, "I didn't grab anybody's genitals... Of course I'm going to proposition people. I'm single, depressed, lonely and trying to get a date. They can just say no, and they probably did and then I was done."

Dick is the latest star to be accused of misconduct. Kevin Spacey was recently accused of sexually harassing a then-14-year-old Anthony Rapp when he was 26. Jeremy Piven was also called out for allegedly of assaulting an actress, and NBC contributor Mark Halperin and director James Toback have also been accused in recent weeks.
"Property Brothers" star Drew Scott has been one of the big surprises of this season's "Dancing with the Stars" as he's made it into the final six.

But on Monday night's show, he and partner Emma Slater took a hard tumble onto the ballroom floor!

Scott and Slater performed a difficult Charleston routine for the Halloween-themed night and toward the end of the dance, the two suddenly appeared to slip  and both fell down. But during the spooky Halloween show anything is possible, so some thought it could be part of the routine.

Afterward, co-host Erin Andrews spilled the beans, laughing, "Let's be honest. There was a bit of a fall, right?"

Slater explained that for their dance, based on the movie "Corpse Bride," "there's a lot of fog on the floor and it kind of leaves this residue  but you know what? He did it right on!

"We knew the floor was quite slippery," she said.

For his part, Scott said, "I think with something like this, we can get away with a bit of goofiness. I got back on my feet and we finished that thing off."

"It was artistic creativeness," his partner added with tongue in cheek.

Judge Carrie Ann Inaba told Andrews, she thought "it was part of the choreography. I thought it was really clever."

Scott and Slater earned 27 out of 30 points for the dance, with Inaba saying, "I love the energy."

The couple also received a perfect score of 30 for their team dance based on "The Phantom of the Opera," in which they were team captains.

The 6'4" star Scott, who appears with twin brother Jonathan on HGTV's "Property Brothers," has stood tall on "DWTS" while juggling filming for both shows. He's also planning his wedding to fiance Linda Phan.

Vanessa Lachey and Nikki Bella were eliminated on Monday night, so Scott will compete against Victoria Arlen, Terrell Owens, Frankie Muniz, Jordan Fisher and Lindsey Stirling next week  when the house expert will hopefully have a stronger foundation!
While the rest of the world eagerly awaits the final season of HBOs Game of Thrones, one of the shows key stars will debut a new project thats very close to his heart.

The network has announced the premiere date of Gunpowder, starring Kit Harington.

In partnership with BBC One, HBO will debut the three-part thriller based on the events in the 17th century that led to Guy Fawkes Day. In addition to starring, Harington will co-executive produce the show.

The reason the star is taking such a commanding role in this project is simple: its a family thing.

The star is a descendant of Robert Catesby, the central figure of the series and mastermind behind the infamously foiled gunpowder plot. Hes also who the Jon Snow actor will be playing.

We are delighted to offer a platform for a project that is so close to Kit Haringtons heart, Kary Antholis, president of HBO Miniseries and CINEMAX Programming said in a statement. Kits passion for and belief in Gunpowder are evident in every frame of the miniseries.

Catesby was a driving force behind the 1605 plot in London to kill James I. The series will depict a time when Catholics were persecuted by Protestant England. Catesbys refusal to abandon his religion brings him to the edge of financial, social and psychological ruin as he navigates a shadow game involving spies and a government dedicated to hunting him, his family and priests down to torture and kill them.

The new series will debut on December 18 and play out over the next two nights, ending on December 20.
Luke Skywalker didn't want to rejoin the force -- until Han Solo convinced him.

Mark Hamill said he was not interested in reprising his iconic role as Luke Skywalker in the new Star Wars movies but signed on after Harrison Ford convinced him.

Hamill told The New York Times he was just really scared after Star Wars mastermind George Lucas informed him there were plans for more Star Wars movies that involved Skywalker, Solo and Princess Leia.

I thought, why mess with it? Hamill told The New York Times. The idea of catching lightning in a bottle twice was ridiculously remote.

Hamill said Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia, was immediately on board with reprising her role in the new films.

Im in! Fisher exclaimed, he recalled.

I said, Carrie, poker face! Hamill said. No one wants to see the 50-, 60-, 70-year-old versions of us, running around, bumping heads on the Death Star. Its sad.

Hamill said he was apprehensive about signing on and was sure Ford would also reject the opportunity.

Ford told Jimmy Kimmel in 2015 that he asked Lucas to kill off Solo during the original three films.

I asked him to ask the writers to kill me off, because I thought that it would be good that the character who appeared to have not so much of a complex interweaving with the theme of the Force and all that good stuff. Ford told Kimmel. I thought it would be good that the character, if he sacrificed himself in some noble way.

However, Fords character was not killed off.

BLADE RUNNER 2049 STARS HARRISON FORD, RYAN GOSLING FALL APART DURING INTERVIEW

Hes (Ford) too old and too rich and too cranky, Hamill said of Ford. Hes not going to do this.

To Hamills surprise, Ford was also on board for the new films.

Can you imagine if I was the only one to say 'no'? Id be the most hated man in nerd-dom, Hamill said.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams told The New York Times that Hamill was not particularly happy with how small his role was in the 2015 film.

I let him know before he read the script that his role was minimal, Abrams told The New York Times. I dont think he knew just how minimal until he read it.

HARRISON FORD TALKS CARRIE FISHER AFFAIR CLAIMS

Hamill said the decision turned out well since the next films storyline, Star Wars: The Last Jedi revolved around Skywalker.

However, Hamill said he was disappointed Princess Leia would not get the air time she deserved. Fisher died on Dec. 27, 2016, at the age of 60 from cardiac arrest.

She (Fisher) deserved that second act, Hamill said. Harrison was more prominent in VII, Im more prominent in this one, and she was meant to be more prominent in the last one. Her timing was perfect, except in this case.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi will hit theaters on Dec. 15.
A second Kevin Spacey accuser has come forward claiming the actor groped him in a Los Angeles bar in 2003.

Tony Montana, who first spoke to Radar Online, told Fox News the "House of Cards" star approached him at Coronet Pub.

Montana said Spacey grabbed his crotch.

"People react differently to trauma," said Montana, who was then in his 30s. "With what happened to me was an immediate form of helplessness. The bar was my safe place. This person of out nowhere, who I know is famous, who is misbehaving and has a license to misbehave and this is happening to me.

"I was in a horror movie. No one could see it... I used to compete in mixed martial arts. [I] pulled his thumb back. He then followed me into the restroom and he followed me in. It was all very strange."

He told Radar Online Spacey, now 58, "was telling me to come with him, to leave the bar."

Montana claimed after Spacey put his hand on Montana's crotch the star said, "This designates ownership.

Montana decided to come forward after actor Anthony Rapp claimed Spacey behaved inappropriately towards him when he was 14 years old.

"I want people to know," Montana told us. "I considered it into my decision that Spacey might try to sue but this is more important to get this out."

Spacey did not return Fox News' request for comment.
A Tampa Bay pizza shop posted a sign outside its business last week  no children.

The sign, written in all capital letters, quickly drew the attention, and ire, of many in the community. Soon after the new policy took place, a Tampa Bay Moms Group Facebook page exploded with comments about the situation.

Many felt this is an outrage, while others thought its [the business] prerogative.

Troy Taylor, who opened the Hampton Station pizza shop in 2015, had started his business as a family and hipster-friendly eatery with patio courtyard and a variety of action figures positioned on the tables. But after a lot of people who couldnt keep their kids under control, Taylor tells the Tampa Bay Times, he was forced to take action, referencing a particular incident as the catalyst for his decision.

NEW YORK RESTAURANT HAS ONE-DRINK LIMIT POLICY FOR CUSTOMERS WITH KIDS

"A kid was in danger and could have seriously been hurt," he said. "Its a liability and safety issue. After the incident, I thought, this cant happen again."

The restaurant is located on a busy street in the Seminole Heights neighborhood and has an unprotected patio with access to the road.

Troy defends his decision citing the mixture of alcohol, which the restaurant serves, and kids could have dangerous results.

Social media has been split on the Troys choice, with some on Facebook asking how does this not fall into some type of discrimination?

Another wrote, This is a place that neighborhood families rallied around. I mean, this place literally uses action figures as their order markers.

But many supported the no kids allowed policy, writing that there are plenty of places families can go to instead.

ITALIAN RESTAURANT REWARDS WELL-BEHAVED KIDS WITH FAMILY MEAL DISCOUNT

One Facebook user bluntly wrote, Get over it. Go somewhere else its not that big of a deal lol.

Another said, Fine by me! I dont have to take my kids everywhere with me and there's also plenty of other pizza places I can take them with me if I chose to.

Some even tried to find a middle ground suggesting that maybe the pizza shop and bar should just ban kids after a certain time like other pubs do.

Troy said, "Its one of the toughest things Ive ever done. Its been gut-wrenching. Im not a big social media person, but Ive stayed away from Facebook."

Troy acknowledge in a Facebook comment the Tampa Bay Mom's Group cites, that he might lose some long time customers, but he "couldn't live with the fact that a child might get hurt at Hampton."

"We had a lot of great kids come in to Hampton and we are going to miss them, but this had to be done for everyone's well being," the post says.

Courtney Mattina, a mother of two also felt the business move was a positive one.

"Im happy to see restaurants are taking a stand and saying, We dont want kids in here being noisy or messy, were going to create an environment for adults only," she said to the Tampa Bay Times. "I was a waitress for six years and kids running around a restaurant is one of the most dangerous things in the world."

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Other Seminole Heights restaurants have encountered the same problem when it comes to allowing children at their businesses. One restaurant in the same neighborhood caught flack for going child free, citing the dangers he witnessed when parents would allow children to frolic on the patio unsupervised.

While Southern Brewing and Winemaking in the same area decided not to ban children entirely, they do understand the importance of child safety. To combat bad behaviors, the brewery decided to set up a sign of rules discouraging running, screaming and other disruptive antics.

"Southern wanted to make absolutely clear that we are family-friendly and dont want to do any blanket banning, but we need to set some ground rules, retail associate Charlie McElman said. We as staff said we needed signs that we can point to. I think theres been a big shift in how people are comfortable disciplining their children, especially in public."

"Its two camps, theres not a lot of middle ground on [banning children]. And people go from zero to nasty when they have access to social media, McElman added.
A Michigan woman is giving the babies in Beaumont Hospital- Royal Oaks Neonatal Intensive Care Unit a special treat this Halloween.

Ingrid Peeples and her friend, Sarah Roberts, have created dozens of Halloween costumes to lay over the tiny babies who are in Royal Oaks NICU during their first Halloween.

My daughter was here at Royal Oak NICU when she was born prematurely, Peeples told FOX 2. She is 4 and 1/2 years now, so its a near and dear place to my heart.

One baby is dressed as a taco, while another is dressed as a jar of peanut butter. Others are dressed as a Hersey kiss, a donut, or a superhero.

NEW JERSEY AUTHORITIES WARN OF MARIJUANA-LACED HALLOWEEN CANDY

Baby Jensen, who was born 11 weeks early, is dressed as a latte.

"I was so excited because we were hoping he would be home for Halloween," Kaitlyn Barber, Jensen's mother, told FOX 2. "But since he is not we still get to dress him up."

Tiffany Nwabudes daughter, Paris, is also in the NICU this Halloween. Peeples made Paris a fitting costume -- a princess.

"I think it is so beautiful," Nwabude said. "It was so nice for the lady to make these for them. She made it special for them because we wanted her to be a princess so she went back and made this special for her.

Peeples said that she wanted to create the costumes to cheer up everyone who cant be home to celebrate the candy-filled holiday.

My friend and I know, we how hard it is to be in the NICU and bring a little something fun," Peeples said. "Some smiles to parents' faces and to have some sort of memory for the baby, is why we did it."
Babies spending their first Halloween in a Missouri neonatal intensive care unit celebrated the holiday dressed as superheroes and butterflies.

The newborns at Saint Lukes Hospital in Kansas City donned some of the tiniest and cutest outfits for March of Dimes annual Halloween costume party last week. Some were dressed as Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman while others had a colorful butterfly or pumpkin costumes.

MICHIGAN WOMAN MAKES HALLOWEEN COSTUMES FOR NICU BABIES

Every day a child is in the NICU can be frightening and uncertain, but holidays are especially tough, as families miss the normal joys of celebrations at home. Rebecca Keunen, March of Dimes/NICU Family Support Coordinator, said in a news release.

Babys first Halloween is a day theyll want to remember and celebrate and March of Dimes is here with them at Saint Lukes to help, she added.

Volunteers helped create the costumes and professional photographers took pictures of the tiny trick or treaters. The photos were given to the families as a keepsake afterward.

Babies are placed in the NICU after they are born too early, small, or have a medical condition that require intensive care.
A model born partially deaf is speaking out against a chain of health clubs for their editing practices.

South African model and award-winning dancer, Simone Botha Welgemoed, was picked to model in an advertisement for Virgin Active, part of the Virgin Group brand. When the ad finally ran, the twenty-seven year old was not pleased.

"I was shockingly surprised and it felt like somebody just dropped a bucket of water on me, Welgemoed said to The Sun. I couldn't believe what I saw when my sister tagged me in the Virgin advertisement on Instagram, I couldn't believe what I saw.

PLUS-SIZE MODELS USE INSTAGRAM TO POINT OUT 'ALTERED IMAGES'

Virgins advertising campaign had digitally removed the cochlear implant that Welgemoed has worn since birth.

I was born profoundly deaf and received my CI (Cochlear implant) at the age of 22 months, she said.

"At that stage I was the youngest child in Africa to receive it, without my CI I hear absolutely nothing at all, she added.

Welgemoed, who was crowned Miss Deaf South Africa in 2012, has her implant fitted behind her right ear and her speech processor above her left ear.

She said she immediately contacted Virgin once she saw the ad on social media without her implant.

Welgemoed was upset by the direction the Sir Richard Branson-owner company went because she said she had previously modeled for them, and they left her implant in the pictures.

MODEL BARES ALL IN PHOTOSHOP-FREE CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE BODY CONFIDENCE

"I was put in a difficult situation. If I claim to be an ambassador for the deaf, then am I not proud to boldly showcase who I am? she said.

The company issued an apology and pulled the ad once she brought it to their attention and replaced them with unedited versions featuring Welgemoeds implant.

"Virgin Active immediately responded to my post on Facebook and made contact with me to meet with them, she said. "We had a discussion about what happened and they were extremely apologetic about everything. Somebody on the creative team, probably uneducated about hearing disability if I can say so, told them to remove it.

"Unfortunately nobody thought the better of it and that the impact of the bigger picture would be an unwelcome one, she continued.

A spokesperson for Virgin admitted they made an error with removing the implant.

"We 100% accept that the action of photo-shopping the image is not in line with our values as a business, nor in keeping with the welcome we extend to everyone, the spokesperson said. "We got it wrong and we realize that."

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

The chief executive of the Royal Association for Deal People, Dr. Jan Sheldon agrees that they got it wrong.

Although we acknowledge that Virgin have apologized for their actions it is clear that they have a very urgent need to significantly develop their knowledge and understanding of Deafness, Sheldon said.

Welgemoed feels there is still work for her to do as an ambassador and former Miss Deaf [South Africa] to educate people about being deaf.

"I was born deaf and my disability as shaped me in who I am today, she said. Not for one moment would I hope to try and change myself, because I was meant to find my purpose in life with it and so I do it with hard work, many obstacles and and yet with joy, grace and beauty.

The model is currently working on a solo dance performance for an international event in Austria next year, where she will represent the worlds first professional ballerina with a cochlear implant.
A teen was recently called out for a dress code violation at her high school, but says she isn't sure why.

Annie Concannon of Turpin High School in Cincinnati posted a photo of herself in the offending outfit on Twitter. Shes wearing a cropped t-shirt with fraternity letters on it, high-waisted jeans, and sneakers. In her tweet she wrote, I got dress coded for this outfit. Turpin high school. Twitter do your thing.

The 17-year-old senior also told Yahoo Lifestyle that her outfit didnt break the dress code, which she describes as: Dont show the three Bs: Boobs, Butt, Belly Button.

13 CELEBRITIES WHOSE COSTUMES CAUSED CONTROVERSY

She said that her outfit went unnoticed early in the day, but her homeroom teacher later called her out for the inappropriate attire. Concannon claims shes worn the same clothes before without issue, but this time the teacher pulled her aside and told her she should know better because shes a senior.

She said the teacher also referred to the shirt as provocative, Yahoo reports.

Concannon claims the teacher instructed her to go to the principals office, and to find a new shirt to put on, but the student decided to disregard the teacher because she felt her outfit was appropriate. I disregarded her comment and went to my second-period class without changing. I was really frustrated because my outfit wasnt breaking our dress code.

Other teachers took note after being warned of Concannons shirt, informing them she should be wearing something over her t-shirt. As I went to third period, my teacher approached me and told me that I needed a jacket put on immediately, she told Yahoo. At this point I started crying because I was so frustrated by the situation. I have never been dress-coded before, and I felt the staff of my school put a target on my back.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

The teen said people arent dress-coded often at her school, and she feels the rules are one-sided against the female gender.

Reactions on Twitter were mixed. While some defended the students outfit as perfectly acceptable, many bashed Concannon for breaking the rules and using social media to harass the school.


A Florida bride-to-be had to undergo emergency surgery following a trip to the nail salon.

Tara Batista, of Tampa, blamed a pedicure for the serious infection that sent her to the hospital for a week and will impact her wedding.

Its been a total nightmare, Batista told news station WFTS.

She claims she noticed signs that her pedicure had gone awry while at Nail Image salon in Tampa.

It was painful, Batista said. I told her at one point that she was inflicting pain.

Hours after leaving, she said she started to feel pain shooting up her legs.

Batista decided to go to the emergency room the next day when she could no longer could stand on her left foot.

Next thing I know, they tell me Im going into surgery, she told WFTS. The infection had spread to my bone.

Doctors said she had developed a deep abscess from an infection on her left big toe, according to WFTS.

For the infection to come on in less than 24 hours to that severity  somethings not right, she told the station.

Batista was discharged from the hospital, but said she is now under the care of a home health nurse.

She was instructed to use an IV line for medication for the next six weeks, including during her wedding.

This is not what I envisioned for my wedding, Batista said.

This story originally appeared on the New York Post.
Editor's note: This first appeared in The Hill.

Okay, you are covering the White House. What do you do when a retired four-star general who is now White House Chief of Staff tells lies in an on-the-record briefing?

You stick to the facts, and let readers and viewers realize the alarming dereliction of public trust from a high government official.

Then comes a response from Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary.

"If you want to go after General [John] Kelly that's up to you, but I think that if you want to get into a debate with a four-star Marine general, I think that's something highly inappropriate," Sanders said.

Lets review this effort to normalize lying by a White House official.

In a democracy  government by the people and for the people  it is now highly inappropriate to tell the truth about a Chief of Staff who tells confirmed falsehoods?

Trumps appetite for shutting down the free press is a reminder of his open admiration for strong men dictators like Russias Vladimir Putin, Turkeys Recep Erdogan and the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte.

That appears to be President Trumps opinion. He said in the Oval Office this month that it was frankly disgusting that the press is able to write whatever they want to write.

Clearly the president has an authoritarian bent when it comes to journalism. His latest comments fit with past labeling of straight news reporters as dishonest, scum and the enemy of the American people.

I hate some of these people, I hate 'em, Trump said about reporters at a Michigan rally late last year, a month after he won the presidency. I would never kill them. I would never do that.

He then paused smiled and joked, No, I wouldn't. I would never kill 'em.

But he did direct tirades at straight news reporters covering his campaign and have his supporters turn to curse and threaten them at rallies.

And Trump did ask his Twitter followers: With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for the country.

A corrupt President Nixon expressed similar thoughts about going after television stations owned by The Washington Post during the papers probe into the Watergate scandal.

Trumps appetite for shutting down the free press is a reminder of his open admiration for strong men dictators like Russias Vladimir Putin, Turkeys Recep Erdogan and the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte. Those strongmen limit the freedom of the press and, in some cases, kill and jail journalists.

Earlier this year, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., responded to Trump calling the press the enemy of the American people by saying that is how dictators get started.

Trump, like those dictators, wants to control what the public knows. His goal is to shape reality in order to manufacture public approval of his leadership  which is at an all-time low for a president during his first year.

And as brazen as that strategy is in a country with constitutional protections for freedom of the press, the bigger shock is that it is having some success.

This is especially true among Republicans.

A Vanity Fair/60 Minutes poll from April found 36 percent of Republicans say they believe freedom of the press does more harm than good.

Recently, the president called attention to a Politico/Morning Consult poll that found 46 percent of Americans believe the media fabricates stories to damage him and his administration. In the same poll, 37 percent said the media does not fabricate and 17 percent said they didnt know.

Trumps desire to make the American news media into his version of Pravda  the Russian governments propaganda sheet  is being criticized even by some on the right.

This isnt a game. It isnt just Trump being Trump. It is a new front in his endless attack on a central pillar of our liberties  a free press, GOP strategist Rick Wilson, a longtime critic of the president, wrote recently in the Daily Beast.

Bernie Goldberg, a Fox News commentator, wrote this rebuke on his website:

As with so many things, this president is just plain wrong. Journalists have biases; they make mistakes; sometimes theyre sloppy; and worst of all, sometimes they have a political agenda. But fabricating stories that they know are not true, inventing fake news sources: that is so rare as to be virtually nonexistent.

Bret Baier, the Fox News anchor and my colleague, said last week that Trumps criticism of the press is now way over the top.

Another colleague, Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace, said in a separate interview he dislikes media personalities who join Trump in bashing the media, because oftentimes what they are bashing is stuff that we on the news side are doing.

As a journalist, I have been critical of President Trump. That has led to Twitter taunting against me by Trump. And then there are the countless racist and hateful comments posted to my social media pages by self-described Trump supporters.

When National Public Radio (NPR) fired me in 2010 for speaking my mind about fear of Muslim terrorism, principled conservatives  even those who disliked me  rose to my defense and called NPR out for their censorship and thug tactics to stifle free speech.

When the Obama administrations press shop waged a campaign to delegitimize Fox News by excluding it from a White House pool interview in 2009, journalists  even those who didnt like Fox  stood up and said that was wrong.

If people were outraged by what NPR did to me and what the Obama White House did to Fox, then their principles must dictate that they are similarly outraged by Trumps treatment of the press.

Recall what President Jefferson wrote in his famous letter to Edward Carrington:

Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.

How far weve come from Jeffersons wisdom to Trumps ugly, ignorant threats.

Fake News, indeed.
Much has been said in recent months, if not days, about the aggressive agendas of hostile foreign actors to undermine our nations democratic processes. The American people are rightfully concerned about these subversive efforts to taint our public policy and our elections, and Congress must do all it can to address the issue.

It has been almost 70 years since Congress first enacted the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) to limit and keep track of outside influences. The law created critical disclosure requirements for any lobbying group that works on behalf of foreign interests here in the United States, so their advocacy and activities can be properly evaluated in light of their associations.

Clearly, much has changed in the world since FARA became law in 1938. Subsequent statutes have added ambiguity to its application and limited its enforcement, and existing loopholes have been exploited to allow foreign nations to funnel millions of dollars through outside groups aiming to influence Congresswithout any disclosure to the federal government or the American people.

Our susceptibility to foreign aggression is a serious matter. Today, adversaries like China, Russia and Iran have become increasingly adept at inserting their agendas into our politics. Recent evidence suggests that nations funding terrorist groups have found new methods to circumvent our protections and lobby lawmakers without disclosure. Some U.S. intelligence officials have characterized their actions as a relentless assault, and many have warned that our outdated laws need to be revised to address the growing problem.

To make matters worse, the federal agencies tasked with monitoring these foreign influences, such as the Department of Justice National Security Division (NSD), have little to no authority to actually enforce the existing disclosure requirements.

Absent extreme circumstances, the NSD is typically required to wait for a voluntary disclosure by a party before taking any actioneven when wrongdoing is suspected. Because of these limitations, only seven criminal cases have been prosecuted in the past 49 years, and not a single civil case has been brought since 1991.

Recent examples highlight the need for change. Consider the situation in 2014, when the New York Times uncovered documents showing a clear violation of the law and listing the violators name and place of employment. Due to flaws in our statutes, the NSD was unable to investigate the matter because it lacked receipt of necessary disclosure paperworkwhich the violator himself had discretion to withhold.

Similarly, under the Obama administration, although evidence was presented that top administration officials were lobbied on behalf of foreign nations, those agents remain unregistered.

Unfortunately, incidents like these are not isolated. For more than 40 years, both independent and official government reports have issued warnings about the diminishing effectiveness of our disclosure laws.

In September 2016, the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG) issued a report on the subject following its exhaustive review. The report outlined longstanding deficiencies and concluded the U.S. government lacks a comprehensive enforcement strategy and the adequate tools to combat foreign influence abuses.

Although the 2016 report echoed similar conclusions reached in 1974, 1980 and 1990until today, nothing has been done to correct the problem. While foreign adversaries continue to take advantage of this inaction and exploit FARAs glaring loopholes and exemptions, the OIG believes this is an issue of national security, and experts insist reform is now an absolute necessity.

Using commonsense recommendations from years of investigative reports, I have introduced legislation to address the dangerous shortcomings in current law and remove grey areas that have been used to circumvent disclosure requirements. These long overdue reforms will help restore transparency and enhance our nations defenses by fortifying our laws and allowing the NSD to do its job.

Regardless of our individual policy preferences, all Americans can agree that the integrity of our democratic processes and the security of our country should never be compromised. Our legislation, the "Disclosing Foreign Influence Act," will be an important new tool to help modernize transparency efforts and maintain these critical objectives.

The American people deserve to know when foreign adversaries are attempting to meddle in our domestic affairs. This bill will help bring those efforts to light.
To celebrate the 94th anniversary of the founding of Ataturks republic, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson issued a statement Sunday praising Erdogans Turkey as a strategic partner in addressing the causes of instability throughout the world and working to promote peace and prosperity across the globe.

The autocrat in Ankara is not only trying to dismantle Ataturks secular state, but "strategic partners" of Washington dont usually sweep up U.S. consulate employees and Americans in a paranoid purge.

Turkish authorities arrested Metin Topuz, a liaison officer at the U.S. consulate in Istanbul who has been employed there since 1994, in early October and accused him of having contacts with plotters of last years coup  historys most bloated conspiracy ever, going by more than 60,000 coup-connection arrests since July 2016  as well as claiming he was involved with the 2003 Istanbul bombings perpetrated by al Qaeda.

While Trump lauds democratic institutions in Turkey, theyre crumbling.

After Topuzs arrest, the U.S. froze non-immigrant visa services in Turkey, and the Turkish Embassy in D.C. retaliated by suspending visa applications.

Turkish officials then went after consulate employee Mete Canturk, first taking into custody and interrogating his wife and daughter. Pro-Erdogan media charged that Canturk read anti-Erdogan newspaper Zaman, which was seized and shut by the government last year, and was friends with the editor. In case that charge isnt silly enough, Canturk is also accused of listening to radio stations accused of being Gulenist while in his car. Turkish officials have alleged that Canturk used his consular job to ease access for Turks wanting to visit Erdogans arch-foe, cleric Fethullah Gulen, at his home base in Saylorsburg, Pa.

On Oct. 24, a bipartisan group of senators livid over the arrests of Topuz, Canturk and another unnamed U.S. consulate employee  just a few cases of Erdogans methodical erosion of human rights and decline of democratic values  sent a letter to President Trump noting that Turkey may be a strategic ally in a restive part of the world but Erdogan has corroded Turkeys democracy by mounting an assault on the rule of law, using sweeping state of emergency authorities to stifle fundamental rights including free speech, undermining the independence of the judiciary, and quashing any expressions of opposition.

The president must send a clear message to Erdogan, the senators wrote, that the U.S. will not tolerate this type of behavior and that any cooperation must be based on a shared commitment to human rights and rule of law.

Three days later, at a Washington reception hosted by Turkish Ambassador to the U.S. Serdar Klc, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon read a Republic Day congratulatory message from Trump to Erdogan hailing counterterrorism cooperation between the two and adding music to the regimes ears: The U.S. once again underlines its unwavering support to the democratic institutions in Turkey and re-emphasizes that it condemns the July 15, 2016, coup attempt. We appreciate the bravery of committed Turkish citizens to defend their democracy on that tragic day.

The coup attempt has been nothing more than an everlasting excuse for Erdogan to purge perceived enemies  Gulenist or not, doesnt matter to him  and flex his autocratic whims. North Carolina pastor Andrew Brunson was arrested a year ago in the post-coup purge and charged with bogus Gulenist links, espionage and trying to overthrow the republic. Erdogan recently suggested swapping Brunson for Gulen, showing his obvious hand that the pastor is a pawn in his game, not any more a coup plotter than the tens of thousands of other arrested supposed coup co-conspirators.

While Trump lauds democratic institutions in Turkey, theyre crumbling. While Tillerson praises Turkey as partnering with the United States to fight violent extremism, Erdogans regime fosters its own brand of extremism  stomping free speech and the rule of law like no NATO ally, like no professed partner, should ever do.
With Veterans Day taking place during the month of November, the Mineral Area College Veterans Organization, under the leadership of Advisor Todd Kline, has over the past several years, recognized MAC employees and students who are veterans of the United States armed forces at a special ceremony held on campus.

This year, however, the club is extending its recognition of veterans over an entire week  beginning Nov. 1 and continuing through Nov. 8.

This is a holiday event that is very near and dear to my heart, said Kline, who is himself a veteran who served 20 years in the National Guard. Were calling it Veteran's Week and we have a whole host of events planned to celebrate it. The events will culminate on Nov. 8th, with a memorial ceremony held at the 10 oclock hour. After the ceremony  around 10:30  there will be the usual cookie, lemonade, and coffee refreshments.

Kline said this year the club decided to go a step further in raising the profile of veterans on that day.

From 11-1 p.m. on the 8th, the club will be holding a potluck luncheon to honor all MAC employees and students that served in the armed forces, he said. "If you know of any MAC employees  past or present  that have served, Im hoping people will let me know.

Kline noted that military spouses and their families will also be invited to the luncheon.

In addition to the slate of activities and events, Kline added that his students have been working on a special PowerPoint program highlighting local Vietnam veterans.

Its a chronological listing of all Mineral Area Vietnam-era veterans killed in action, he said. Each of the students was given a soldier to research and then they created a PowerPoint slide and a life summary. We still need to add a few, as some that were raised here moved to other towns."

Asked why he became so focused on the project, Kline said, Many of my drill instructors in 83 were Vietnam vets. Many of my fellow guard members also. I dont want the memories of those killed in action to be forgotten."

Following is a list of events planned for the week:

Wednesday, Nov. 1  The club will decorate the concourse area with departmental flags, bulletin boards and other veteran memorabilia. It will also be the kickoff day for the employee/student door decorating contest.

Saturday, Nov. 4  The club has entered a float  a decorated 4-door pickup  in the Farmington Veterans Day Parade, which begins at 10 a.m. Joining them will be MAC student nurses. This years theme is May We Never Forget & Forever Honor Our Veterans.

Monday, Nov. 6  All MAC employees and students are encouraged to wear camo on Camouflage Day.

Wednesday, Nov. 8  The Veteran's Memorial Ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. in the Concourse Area on what has been designated Red, White and Blue Day, when MAC employees and students are encouraged to wear patriotic colors to honor veterans. The ceremony will be followed by the potluck luncheon for veterans, their spouses and families in the private dining room off of the main cafeteria.
Special counsel Robert Muellers charges against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and two other aides mark a new phase in his sprawling investigation into Russia and President Donald Trump. But the presidents supporters on Capitol Hill have said they want all the facts to come in first.

There will be holy hell to pay if Mueller is dismissed, Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told Fox News on Monday, unconcerned about rumblings of the ongoing threat Mueller poses to the president. He said there is zero evidence from the White House that Muellers investigation will be stopped or curtailed.

Asked to elaborate, Graham continued: I've heard nothing from the White House to suggest that the president's going to try to replace Mr. Mueller. Zero evidence from anybody I've talked to. It would be wrong to do so unless there were cause.

People familiar with Trumps thinking told The Associated Press the president has become increasingly concerned that the Mueller probe could be moving to an investigation into his personal dealings.

No politician should ever be afraid of the American legal system working its will, Graham told Fox News about many of his colleagues refusal to comment on the case.

White House officials were publicly optimistic about Muellers investigation wrapping up swiftly.

Many lawmakers noted the U.S. government would continue as normal regardless of the indictments.

The agenda of the Trump administration such as health care and tax reform shouldnt be affected, said Senator John N. Kennedy, R-La., noting that Americans can multitask. Most Americans do, and I dont see why we cant, he told Fox News.

Trump immediately sought to distance himself after Manafort and Rick Gates pleaded not guilty to a 12-count indictment alleging money laundering, conspiracy and other offenses. Another former aide, George Papadopoulos, was revealed to be cooperating with authorities after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI.

Fox News' Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trump and first lady Melania Trump got into the Halloween holiday spirit Monday when they hosted a trick-or-treat event at the White House.

The first couple greeted, shook hands with and gave candy to a procession of youngsters on the South Lawn  including one child dressed up as Melania Trump herself.

The girl donned a black cap with "FLOTUS" emblazoned on it like the one the real first lady wore to visit hurricane-stricken Texas in August.

She also wore a white shirt, black pants, and sneakers, like the ones the first lady changed into after catching snark for wearing stilettos as she and the president first departed for Houston.

Melania Trump grinned and looked amused when she saw the costume.

Click for more from the Washington Examiner.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis told Senate lawmakers at a hearing Monday that the U.S. needs the authority to deploy troops oversees to fight terror, as the killing of four U.S. service members in Niger earlier this month drew significant scrutiny.

Mattis and Tillerson testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which they privately told several months ago that the post-9/11 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) gives the U.S. military ample authority to fight terrorist groups.

However, the deadly Oct. 4 ambush on U.S. troops has brought to light the extent to which America's military is fighting terrorism in foreign countries, including Afghanistan, Syria and Niger, one of a reported half-dozen African countries with American troops.

Speaking to the committee, the two men said if Congress does pursue a new authorization for foes such as Islamic State terrorists, it's imperative the existing law not be rescinded until a new one is fully in place.

Tillerson and Mattis also said that any new war authorization, like the existing one, should not have any geographic or time restrictions so as not to tip the enemy off.

Though a statement of continued congressional support would be welcome, a new (war authorization) is not legally required to address the continuing threat posed by Al Qaeda, the Taliban and ISIS, Mattis said.

Doing away with existing laws prematurely could only signal to our enemies and our friends that we are backing away from this fight, he continued.

Asked if there were circumstances that would allow Trump to preemptively strike North Korea or other countries with nuclear weapons, Mattis said the question was hypothetical.

Mattis said that he could forsee a situation where its possible to preemptively fire weapons should another country be preparing to use weapons of mass destruction at the United States. But, Mattis said, the process for launching nuclear weapons is very rigorous.

Tillerson said that no U.S. president has foresworn first strike and that has served us well for 70 years.

Some Congressional Republicans and Democrats after the Niger ambush seemed startled to learn the depth of the U.S. commitment, which has reignited a Capitol Hill debate about replacing or updating the post-Sept. 11 authorization to reflect current threats.

Among those who have called for changes is Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.

We were in Niger to deal with an ISIS threat, he said recently. Its time for Congress to finally revisit the authorization, which is badly out of date and have a debate on full view of the American public about all the different countries where we are in engaged in military action right now.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., recently trolled Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Twitter after Graham told NBC he wasnt fully aware of U.S. military operations there.

You know you are in too many wars in too many places when even warmonger Lindsay Graham cant keep track anymore, Paul tweeted.

Kaine and Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., are sponsoring legislation to install a new war authority for operations against ISIS, Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

Roughly 800 U.S. service members are in Niger as part of a French-led mission to defeat the extremists in West Africa.

Those calling for the 2001 authorization to be updated also argue Islamic State militants didn't exist 16 years ago and they are entrenched in a country  Syria  that the U.S. didn't expect to be fighting in.

Nor did the 16-year-old authorization anticipate military confrontations with the Syrian government. Trump in April ordered the firing of dozens of Tomahawk missiles at an air base in central Syria and American forces in June shot down a Syrian Air Force fighter jet.

Beyond that, Trump approved a troop increase in Afghanistan, the site of America's longest war, and the U.S. backs a Saudi Arabia-led coalition carrying out airstrikes in Yemen.

Previous attempts to end the old authorization and force Congress to craft a new one have failed.

Democrats in the House complained that Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., used underhanded tactics after an amendment was stripped from a military spending bill that would have repealed the 2001 war authorization 240 days after the bill was enacted. Proponents of the measure said eight months was enough time to approve new war authority.

GOP leaders said voting to rescind existing war authority without a replacement in hand risks leaving U.S. troops and commanders in combat zones without the necessary legal authority they need to carry out military operations.

A similar effort in the Senate, led by Paul, also came up short.

Paul, a member of the committee and a leader of the GOP's noninterventionist wing, has accused his colleagues of surrendering their war-making power to the White House.

Fox News Rich Edson, Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Trump administration Monday pledged up to $60 million to support the counterterrorism efforts of a five African nation force to fight the growing terrorist threat in the Sahel region of Africa. Four American servicemen were killed in a terrorist attack earlier this month in Niger  one of the Sahel countries who are part of the fighting force.

Walid Phares, a Fox News national security and foreign policy expert, said the Islamic State, Al Qaeda and Boko Haram already have penetrated vast areas and warns that the Sahel could turn into the next reservoir for Jihadi terror. He says those are the terrorists who will penetrate Europe and later the U.S.

Forming a Sahel force backed by the U.S. and France is the strategic response to the expansion of the jihadists, Phares explained. He has lectured on the subject to United States Africa Command and to members of Congress and the European parliament. He added there is a need for a Sahel regional-NATO.

The Sahel has a trans-Sahara jihadi network and thus the U.S. and its allies need to establish a trans-Sahara coalition force to respond, he said. Certainly $60 million is a small amount to cover such a force, but it is, I guess, a start to the process.

The U.N. Security Council at the behest of France discussed ways to bolster support for the force. Chaired by the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, members heard from U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, whose report discussed ways forward for the force.

Le Drian encouraged a multilateral aid package for the burgeoning military force known as the G5 Sahel force, which is made up of military personnel from Mali, Niger, Chad, Mauritania and Burkina Faso.

Le Drian said the terrorist groups in the Sahel represented a global threat to both regional stability and international security.

The situation has a direct on effect on the security of a number of countries in Africa, Europe and the rest of the world, he said. It calls for a clear, strong, coordinated U.N. response, but also a response by each and every one of us, the French foreign minister said.

United States Ambassador Nikki Haley told members of the council that the U.S. was committed to stabilizing the region. She warned of the growing problem of violent extremism, but added the U.S. had reservations of the force being run by the U.N.

I note that we also have serious and well-known reservations about using U.N. resources to support non-U.N. activities, Haley stated.

The United States will continue its longstanding bilateral support to the G5 members security forces. We will also continue to work closely with our partners to help the G5 force be effective and well-coordinated with other counterterror efforts in the region, Haley emphasized. The United States is committed to stabilizing the Sahel region.

Earlier in the day, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced that the U.S. would pledge up to $60 million dollars in support of the G5 Sahel Joint Forces counterterrorism efforts.

His statement read, This money will bolster our regional partners in their fight to ensure security and stability in the face of ISIS and affiliated groups and other terrorist networks. This is a fight we must win, and these funds will play a key role in achieving that mission.

Malis foreign minister, Abdoulaye Diop, told Fox News that U.S. support was critical.

We think that countries like the U.S. who have done an initial step today is very important, he said, but we think that as we are going forward and as the U.N. is considering a new resolution, perhaps we will see more tangible support for the countries in the Sahel. And we are also ready to play our part. We are taking risks, we are putting our soldiers at risk, we are putting our financial resources, but what we are tackling is a global threat that we should not be left alone to deal with.

The size of the regional force could climb to 5,000 troops, and the cost of the forces first years operation is expected to be around $400 million.
In a wide-ranging interview on Fox News The Ingraham Angle Monday night, hours after charges were announced against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, White House chief of staff John Kelly said the administration believes the law should run its course before jumping to conclusions.

All of the activities, as I understand it, that [Paul Manafort and his aide Rick Gates] were indicted for were long before they ever met Donald Trump, or had any association with the campaign, Kelly said. I think the reaction of the administration is let the legal justice system work  everyones  presumed innocent and well see where it goes.

Asked if a special counsel is necessary regarding the recent revelations that the Clinton campaign and Democratic National Committee funded research that led to the controversial dossier of allegations about President Trumps connections to Russia, Kelly said he believes U.S. citizens have a right to know whats going on behind the scenes of their government.

The American people really do have a right to know what their government does have a right to know what their government is doing on any given day, and by this same token what private citizens are doing if they break the law, Kelly said.

MUELLER'S RUSSIA INVESTIGATION: WHAT TO KNOW

The former secretary of homeland security added he believes special prosecutors such as Robert Mueller should be very, very objective, people who can get to the bottom of these accusations.

Kelly noted that its important for the American people to know things unless its classified information. You saw Mr. Trump do this the other day when he demanded that the JFK documents be released in their entirety with  few redactions, but nothing held back.

Meanwhile, days after Defense Secretary Jim Mattis claimed threats of nuclear missile attacks by North Korea have been accelerating, Kelly said that, with the help of countries like China, he hopes North Korean leaders will come to their senses and end their country's secretive nuclear program.

The chief of staff reiterated that North Korea with nuclear weapons is an issue that keeps him up at night.

Theres no reason for them, they serve no purpose for that country, Kelly said of atomic weapons in the rogue nation. He added that theres hope that the Chinese exert pressure on the leadership in North Korea, and we have great hopes for the Russians as well.

In addition, more than a week after Florida Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson had a spat with Kelly regarding a phone call Trump had made to the widow of Army Sgt. La David Johnsons widow  which Wilson listened in on  Kelly said he has no regrets.

Kelly said at a White House news briefing on Oct. 19 that Wilson's "selfish behavior" stunned him. "It stuns me that a member of Congress would have listened in on that conversation, absolutely stuns me. ... I thought at least that was sacred."

No, never, when asked if he felt he should apologize for the situation and his comments. Ill apologize if I need to, but for something like this  absolutely not. I stand by my comments.
In a new opposition ad released Monday, supporters of Virginias Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie are seen as Confederates who attack minority children.

The minute-long advertisement, titled American Nightmare, was released by Democratic group Latino Victory Fund (LVF). It shows minority children seemingly being chased by a driver in a pickup truck, decked out with a Confederate flag, a Gillespie for governor bumper sticker and a "Don't tread on me" license plate.

The driver makes his way toward the scared children  who shout, Run! Run! Run! when they see the truck.

The ad concludes with a narrator asking: Is this what Donald Trump and Ed Gillespie mean by the American Dream?

VIRGINIA GOVERNOR RACE: WHO ARE ED GILLESPIE AND RALPH NORTHAM?

American Nightmare is airing through Election Day on Nov. 7 in Richmond and Washington markets on Spanish stations, according to The Washington Post.

LVF took to Twitter throughout the day Monday to allege: The Gillespie campaign has consistently promoted a false narrative painting Latinos as criminals and gang members.

Ed Gillespie has made it very clear what he thinks of Latinos, and on Election Day, our community will make it clear how we feel about him, another tweet read.

In a statement to Fox News, campaign manager Chris Leavitt called the ad part of "a desperate smear campaign" and "an all out attack on the people of Virginia."

"Ed Gillespie has focused his campaign on the many policy differences between Ralph Northam and him, but sadly the Northam campaign and its allies have launched a desperate smear campaign against Ed in the closing days of this election," the statement read.

"The Lieutenant Governor was roundly rebuked for exploiting imagery from the tragedy of Charlottesville for political points. Now his allies have reached a new low with a disgusting, vile television ad seeking to instill fear in our children with that same imagery," the statement continued. "This is not an attack on Ed Gillespie anymore. This is an all out attack on the people of Virginia. This latest ad gives a clear indication of just what Ralph Northam and his national Democratic allies think of all of us, and its sickening."

Northam's campaign has defended the ad. Campaign spokeswoman Ofirah Yheskel said in a statement that, "It's not shocking that communities of color are scared of what his Trump-like policy positions mean for them."

VIRGINIA GOVERNOR RACE: CANDIDATES PULL OUT POLITICAL HEAVY HITTERS AS SHOWDOWN GETS NASTY

The television spot is the latest in a political battle between Republican candidate Gillespie  a former National Republican Committee chairman whos received support from President Trump  and Democratic candidate Ralph Northam.

Trump has eagerly tweeted support for Gillespie by alleging that Northam is fighting for the violent MS-13 killer gangs & sanctuary cities  a narrative Gillespie has pushed through local advertisements.

Northams campaign has tried to link Gillespie with the white supremacists who rallied in Charlottesville, Va., in August. Northam slammed the Republican candidate for not denouncing Trump for not calling these white supremacists out for who they are.

Fox News' Kaitlyn Schallhorn contributed to this report.
A Facebook executive told a Senate panel Tuesday that they should have had a broader lens into currency used for payments of political advertisements on their social media platform during the 2016 presidential election.

In the first of a series of hearings on Capitol Hill this week related to how Russian actors meddled in the 2016 campaigns on social media, representatives of tech giants Facebook, Twitter and Google testified before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism that they still have much to do in their efforts to stop the abuse of their platforms by improper or fake users.

How did Facebook, which prides itself in connecting data points, somehow not make the connection that electoral ads, paid for in [Russian] rubles were coming from Russia? Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., pressed Facebooks legal counsel.

In hindsight, we shouldve had a broader lens, Facebooks General Counsel Colin Stretch said. Its a signal we should have been alert to.

Franken pressed Stretch over whether Facebook would commit to not taking political ad payments in currencies other than dollars.

FACEBOOK, GOOGLE, TWITTER: HOW TECH GIANTS ARE INVOLVED IN THE RUSSIA INVESTIGATION

Just answer yes or no, Franken said in a heated exchange. Youre the chief legal counsel.

Stretch said that Facebook was not going to permit political advertising by foreign actors.

My goal for you is to think through this stuff a little bit better, Franken fired back.

Last week, Facebook said it would verify political ad buyers in federal elections and would build transparency tools to link ads to the Facebook pages of their sponsors.

But in the 2016 election, Facebook estimated that roughly 29 million people were served content in their Facebook News Feeds directly from Russias Internet Research Agencys 80,000 posts. The IRA is known for promoting pro-Russian government positions.

Facebook estimated that approximately 126 million people may have been served content from a page associated with the IRA, noting that that is approximately 1 out of 23,000 pieces of content.

Much of the content weve seen is essentially imitative of social causes, many meaningful ones to the Facebook community, and its what makes this so vile and cynical, Stretch told lawmakers. Its an attempt to exploit divisions in our society.

Committee Chairman Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., asked the tech giants whether nations like Iran or North Korea could interfere in a U.S. election as Russia did.

Certainly potentially, Stretch said. The Internet is borderless.

A Twitter representative testified that it uncovered and shut down 2,752 accounts linked to Russias IRA, and said that 5 percent of 330 million active user accounts are false, spam or automated. The Russia-linked accounts put out 1.4 million election-related tweets from September through November 15 of last year, nearly half of which were automated.

Twitter also found nine Russian accounts that purchased advertisements coming from the state-backed news service RT. Twitter said last week it would no longer accept ads from RT and Sputnik, another state-sponsored news outlet, and would donate the $1.9 million it earned from RT since 2011 to support external research into political uses of Twitter.

Google said this week that it would verify the identify of the election-related ad buys. It will provide a public database of election ads detailing who purchased each one, and will publish a transparency report on election ads as well.

A bipartisan group of senators introduced earlier this month legislation that would regulate advertisements purchased for online platforms. The legislation is aimed at hitting archaic laws that allow content and purchasers of advertisements to be hidden from the public, according to a Senate aide who helped draft the Honest Ads Act backed by Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn; Mark Warner, D-Va.; and John McCain, R-Ariz.

Fox News' Peter Doocy , Kaitlyn Schallhorn and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
George Papadopoulos, a former foreign policy adviser to President Trumps campaign, pleaded guilty in 2017 to making false statements to the FBI.

Papadopoulos, 31, was charged with willfully and knowingly making false statements to FBI agents regarding the timing, extent and nature of his relationships and interactions with certain foreign nationals whom he understood to have close connections with senior Russian government officials, according to court documents.

He was the first person sent to prison in the Russia investigation. He was sentenced to 14 days in jail and was released on Dec. 7.

He took a remorseful tone during his sentencing hearing, but he has since attacked Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation as corrupt.

How is Papadopoulos connected to Trump?

Papadopoulos was an early foreign policy adviser for Trumps presidential campaign.

Papadopoulos emailed multiple campaign officials in March 2016 to offer to set up a meeting with Russian officials to discuss US-Russia ties under President Trump, The Washington Post reported. He would reportedly continue to make such offers as he worked with the campaign.

During the campaign, Papadopoulos reportedly traveled to Israel where he took part in an energy conference.

He is seen in a March 2016 Instagram photo that also includes Trump, former Attorney General Jeff Sessions and other national security advisers.

How is Papadopoulos tied to the Russia investigation?

After becoming an adviser to the Trump campaign, Papadopoulos interacted with a professor understood to have substantial connections to Russian government officials who told Papadopoulos that the Russians had dirt on Hillary Clinton, Trumps campaign rival, according to court documents released by Muellers office.

Papadopoulos had told investigators that the professor divulged the information before he joined the Trump campaign. However, the professor only took interest in [Papadopolous] because of his status with the campaign, according to court documents.

MUELLERS RUSSIA INVESTIGATION: WHAT TO KNOW

Papadopoulos also repeatedly attempted to use the professors Russian connections as well as that of a female Russian national to arrange meetings between the Trump campaign and Russian government officials, according to the Special Counsels Office.

Papadopoulos told an Australian diplomat in Britain that Russia had dirt on Clinton during a night of drinking, The New York Times reported. Later, Australian officials would inform their American counterparts about Papadopoulos, according to the newspaper.

That meeting was part of the catalyst behind the FBIs decision to begin investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to The New York Times.

What was Trumps response?

The Trump administration  including the president  attempted to distance itself from Papadopoulos.

Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar, Trump said on Twitter.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders simply referred to him as a volunteer on an advisory council when asked multiple times about Papadopouloss influence on the campaign during a press briefing.

What else should you know about Papadopoulos?

Before joining Trumps campaign, Papadopoulos was an adviser for Dr. Ben Carsons 2016 presidential campaign.

Aside from campaign work, Papadopoulos has worked as an oil and gas consultant, his LinkedIn page said. Much of his work has revolved around natural gas and Greece, Cyprus and Israel, according to The Washington Post.

He was also the director of the Center for International Energy and Natural Resources Law & Security at the London Center of International Law Practice.

From Chicago, Illinois, Papadopoulos graduated from DePaul University in 2009. He also received a Master of Science from the University of London, according to his LinkedIn page.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Paul Manafort's prison stay was extended Wednesday  nearly a week after he was sentenced to 47 months on bank and tax fraud charges in a separate case. The former Trump campaign chairman is now slated to spend a total of 81 months in prison.

He was given extra prison time at his second sentencing in connection with his guilty plea related to foreign lobbying and witness tampering.

In August, Manafort became the first Trump campaign associate to be found guilty by a jury as part of Special Counsel Robert Muellers long-running probe. He was convicted of eight bank and tax fraud charges at that time.

PAUL MANAFORT SENTENCED ON FOREIGN LOBBYING AND WITNESS TAMPERING CHARGES

Manafort has been the subject of an investigation over his dealings in Ukraine several years ago  he didnt file as a foreign agent until June 2017. But Mueller has incorporated that investigation into his probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion with Trump associates.

Manafort was convicted on multiple counts of financial fraud last year in connection with his Ukranian work, and is in prison. In November, Mueller accused Manafort of lying "on a variety of subject matters" since his plea deal, thus violating that agreement.

Read on for a look at Manafort's work with the Trump campaign and how he is connected to the Russia investigation.

What kind of foreign work did Manafort do?

A GOP operative who worked for former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, Manafort reportedly began his work in Republican politics in the 1970s.

Eventually, Manafort was hired by former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, a controversial pro-Russia politician who was ousted from power twice. After Yanukovych was elected president in 2010, Manafort reportedly stayed on as an adviser and worked on other projects in Eastern Europe, including the Party of Regions political party.

Manafort also worked for Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska. In 2005, Manafort allegedly came up with a plan to influence U.S. politics, business dealings and the media in order to greatly benefit the Putin government, according to The Associated Press.

Deripaska is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and signed a $10 million annual contract with Manafort in 2006; they maintained a business relationship until at least 2009.

Financial records obtained by The New York Times indicated that Manafort was in debt to pro-Russian interests by up to $17 million prior to joining Donald Trumps presidential campaign.

He also took more than a dozen trips to Moscow and frequently talked to Putin allies over a period of about 10 years, McClatchy reported. He traveled to Kiev at least 19 times in 20 months after the February 2014 removal of Ukraines pro-Russia leader.

How was Manafort involved with Trump's campaign?

Manafort joined Trump's presidential campaign in March 2016 to help wrangle delegates ahead of the Republican National Convention in Ohio, something he'd done for former President Gerald Ford.

Just two months later, Manafort became Trump's campaign chairman.

Manaforts resignation from the campaign was announced on August 19, 2016, after The Times reported that he'd received $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments from Yanukovychs pro-Russian party between 2007 and 2012.

Manafort and Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, met with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya in June 2016. She reportedly was said to have damaging information on Trumps campaign rival, Hillary Clinton, which was "part of Russia and its governments support for Mr. Trump."

What was Manafort charged with?

Along with his former business associate Rick Gates, Manafort was initially indicted in October 2017 on multiple counts that included: conspiracy against the U.S., conspiracy to launder money, false statements and failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts.

Nearly four months later, in February 2018, the pair were hit with additional tax evasion and bank fraud charges. These charges involved much of the same conduct Manafort and Gates were initially accused of, but the amount of money Manafort said to have laundered through offshore accounts increased to $30 million.

In June 2018, Mueller's team brought additional charges of obstruction of justice against Manafort and Konstantin Kilimnik, an associate. The charges against Manafort and Gates dont relate to allegations of misconduct during Trumps campaign.

Mueller also accused Manafort of secretly paying former European politicians to lobby on behalf of Ukraine.

Manafort was found guilty of eight counts in August in the first trial victory for Mueller's team. The judge declared a mistrial on 10 other counts after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict.

In September, Manafort pleaded guilty as part of an agreement with Mueller's team ahead of his second trial. According to Politico, the plea deal includes a 10-year cap for how long Manafort will be in prison. It also includes allowing Manafort to serve his time for both trials concurrently.

He received a nearly 4-year prison sentence on March 7 after a federal jury in Virginia convicted him on eight counts of bank and tax fraud last year. A week later, on March 13, he received an additional three and a half years on foreign lobbying and witness tampering charges.

Manafort previously maintained his innocence despite all of the charges brought before him  but he has since expressed remorse for his actions.

"I am sorry for what I have done and all the activities that have gotten us here today," Manafort said in a written statement in March, begging a judge for mercy.

Fox News' Ann Schmidt, Jake Gibson, Alex Pappas, Matt Richardson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The militant who was allegedly involved in the deadly attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound and CIA annex in Benghazi will be charged in federal court when he arrives in the U.S., an official told Fox News on Monday.

The decision to transport Mustafa al-Imam to Washington where he will be charged shows that the Trump administration is not opposed to using civilian courts to prosecute these terror suspects captured outside of American soil.

Officials told Fox News that the suspect will not be going to Guantanamo Bay. The Department of Justice has the lead in the operation.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has said that he does not believe terrorists deserve the same legal rights as other defendants and has spoken in favor of prosecution at Guantanamo Bay, The New York Times reported.

He faces three criminal charges that were filed in May 2015 but only recently unsealed: killing or conspiring to kill someone during an attack on a federal facility, providing support for terrorists, and using a firearm in connection with a violent crime.

It wasn't immediately clear how al-Imam was involved in the Sept. 11, 2012, violence. The U.S. attorney's office said he is a Libyan national and about 46 years old.

Al-Imam was captured on Sunday at an unknown location in Libya. FBI agents joined members of Navy SEAL team 6 in the mission, The Times reported. Sources told Fox News that Trump had approved the mission, which was carried out in coordination with Libyas internationally recognized government.

"Our memory is deep and our reach is long, and we will not rest in our efforts to find and bring the perpetrators of the heinous attacks in Benghazi to justice," Trump said.

The attack, on September 11, 2012, killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.
DEAR ABBY: Last year I had a baby with one of my college professors. He left me 10 days before our daughter was born and has never met her. I chased him through family court, and he gives me the bare minimum in state-ordered support.

Recently, I spotted him advertising himself on a dating website as a loving man and describing how he loves his first daughter with no mention of ours (he has two other children, a girl and a boy). How do I move past this? A part of me is angry for her, but I'm also angry for myself. I'm in therapy, but seeing him on a dating website describing himself as a good person, when in truth he's a sociopath, has reopened wounds I thought had closed months ago. -- OPEN WOUNDS

DEAR OPEN WOUNDS: Thank you for writing to me, but this is a question you should be addressing with your psychotherapist. Sometimes it takes multiple doses of "medicine" to cure an ailment, but the longer you allow this man to occupy real estate in your head, the harder it will be for you to get on with your life. Call your therapist.

DEAR ABBY: I love my fiance with all my heart. We have good friends and family. The problem is, my fiance loves to talk. He talks A LOT.

I've known this since I met him, but because I don't talk much, it doesn't bother me. I like listening to his stories. However, I can see our friends getting annoyed because of his constant talking. It also happens when we are around his family -- and they usually end up treating him badly for it.

Is there any way I can gently talk to him about this so he's aware that he is irritating people? I don't want to hurt him, but I also don't want him to annoy people. I'm also afraid it may affect his employment. His co-workers get that same look on their faces when he's talking that his family members do when they are annoyed with him. -- ENGAGED TO A BIG TALKER

DEAR ENGAGED: Your fiance may have difficulty picking up on social cues, which is why he doesn't notice that others become annoyed as he drones on and on. You should absolutely point out to him what you have noticed, and tell him you are concerned that it may affect his employment. Then suggest he discuss his compulsive talking with a licensed mental health professional. This is not to imply there is anything "wrong" with him, but rather that he may benefit from professional help in recognizing the social cues he is missing.

A NOTE TO PARENTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN: Tonight is the night when wee witches and goblins will be out trick-or-treating. Please supervise them so they'll be safe. Happy Halloween, everyone! -- Love, ABBY

DEAR ABBY: My sister "Eileen" is married to her second husband, a man I'll call Harry. He's nice, but some of his choices landed him in jail for a while. I'm polite when we see him, but I don't trust him.

Eileen and Harry live beyond their means. They rent a large house and buy luxury cars rather than something more economical. These are my observations; I never mention them to my sister. Although she's happy to give advice on what's wrong with my life, she becomes defensive if anyone else says anything about how she lives.

My concern is, she refuses to visit or spend time with me and my family without her husband. Before our mom's death a few years ago, I offered to buy her an airline ticket to fly here for a few days to visit. Because she's very organized, I recently invited her to come -- at my expense -- and offered to pay her to help me declutter my house. She declined both invitations because I wouldn't buy a ticket for Harry. (I didn't have the money.)

I think my sister's marriage is very co-dependent. Abby, what should I do? -- WANTS SOME SISTER TIME

DEAR WANTS SOME SISTER TIME: While Harry may have made some poor choices in the past -- for which he has paid the penalty -- he seems to make your sister happy. Assuming that you have told her you love and miss her and would like to be able to spend "sister time" with her, I think it's time to accept that they are a package deal and stop trying to separate them.

Because you crave sister time, offer to go there and visit her. She seems to be happily living the life she has chosen, so stop putting negative labels on her relationship with her husband.

DEAR ABBY: I never thought I'd be writing you, but I have a situation that needs an objective opinion.

My husband works for a small company owned by a nice couple. They have a teenage daughter who keeps asking to baby-sit our three kids. Abby, we have a special needs child and a new baby. Although the girl seems to be kind and responsible, our children would be a challenge for an adult, let alone a teenager.

Also, we are on a very tight, one-income budget with money needed for therapies. I don't want to mention it because I don't want to insinuate they aren't paying my husband enough, but it is a serious deterrent.

How can I gracefully decline her offers without offending my husband's employer? Keeping him in good standing with his company is my primary concern because he works hard and loves his job. -- ANONYMOUS IN THE USA

DEAR ANONYMOUS: Explain your refusal as an abridged version of what you wrote to me. Thank the girl for her kind offer and tell her that because your older child has special needs and the baby requires constant supervision, you prefer not to have anyone baby-sit until they are older. The explanation is reasonable, logical and the truth.

DEAR ABBY: I'm a woman who was honorably discharged from the military recently and am now in an electrical construction apprenticeship. I'm starting a great career in a field I love that can give me a comfortable living without having to rely on a second job.

My problem is my family. Most of them are convinced that I hate men or I wish I was one. The rest are sure that I will emasculate anyone I would start dating.

I'm not a lesbian, and I like being female. I have no problem with anyone who follows different life paths than mine. My family is basing these opinions purely on what I have chosen to do for work. In their opinion, because I chose to work in what is considered nontraditional employment for "nice young ladies," as they put it, and can work on my house and car without extra assistance, it must be true.

I have tried repeatedly to explain that what I have chosen for a living has no bearing on my gender identity or my sexual orientation. They are completely ignoring anything I have to say about my life and life choices. Sometimes I wonder how I'm even related to these people. If I were asked to deploy back to the war zone, I'd happily leave tomorrow, because it would be easier than dealing with the small-minded, narrow viewpoints I'm encountering here at home. -- HOW CAN I MAKE THEM LISTEN?

DEAR HOW: It is beyond sad that you would find returning to a war zone more appealing than dealing with the pressure you're receiving because of your career choice. But please try not to blame your family for their outdated thinking. Many people are unaware that women are now being trained -- and succeeding in -- high-paying jobs once held only by men.

Because your relatives refuse to believe that you're heterosexual, stop wasting your time trying to convince them otherwise. Live your life in an authentic way, and if you meet a nice man and decide to settle down with him, eventually they'll realize they were mistaken.

DEAR ABBY: I am in my late 40s and live in New York City. I was taught to hold doors open for women and to allow women to exit the elevator first. Problem is, in our lobby there are two separate glass doors that must be opened to walk outside the building. If I let a woman neighbor leave the elevator first, she will then have to open and hold both doors for me. But I always feel awkward if I don't allow them out first, and I sometimes worry they think I'm rude for walking ahead. Sometimes I even want to explain my actions. I just figure holding and opening two heavy glass doors is more polite than allowing someone to exit the elevator first. What's the proper protocol in a situation like this? -- A GENTLEMAN IN NEW YORK

DEAR NEW YORK GENTLEMAN: While it is polite for a man to hold a door open for a woman, it would also be considered good manners if she returns the favor if she's the first to reach the lobby door. As to the rule of etiquette for elevators, the person at the front of the elevator should exit first, if the elevator is crowded.

DEAR ABBY: Taking care of a loved one who has Alzheimer's is difficult. My boyfriend came up with a brilliant idea to help me maintain my own space (the basement in the family home) and still keep track of my mom upstairs. A baby monitor! I could hear everything going on upstairs, at night especially, and it made a challenging time much easier.

Both of my parents had Alzheimer's disease, and I wish I had known about the monitor when Dad was still alive. I hope this will help others to be more effective caregivers without compromising their own lives. -- MISSING MOM AND DAD IN MONTANA

DEAR MISSING: So do I, because placing a baby monitor in the room of a sick person of any age is a good idea in case the person needs assistance. I have heard of this being done not only with Alzheimer's patients but also with people in hospice programs whose caregivers can't be with them every minute. Thank you for writing.

DEAR ABBY: I was unhappily married years ago and conceived a child by an ex-boyfriend. My son is now 31. I divorced my husband 28 years ago. He knew the baby was not his, but claimed him as his own son. He refused to do a DNA test when we were going through the divorce. He died a few years ago.

I am in contact with my son's biological father. They look identical, and my grandson looks just like his father and grandfather.

My guilt is consuming me. I want to tell my son that even though the dad he knew all his life is gone, he still has a chance to get to know another father who is his blood. On the other hand, I don't want to ruin my relationship with my son and grandchildren, whom I love very much. How can I tell the truth without hurting my son and our relationship? -- RIGHTING A WRONG

DEAR RIGHTING: Better late than never. Your son needs to know that the man who raised him and claimed him as his own was not his biological father so that he can have a complete medical history. If the birth father wasn't interested in knowing or supporting his son, he sounds more like a sperm donor than a "blood" relative to me. Do not be surprised if your son isn't interested in knowing more about his birth father than the information I suggested.

DEAR ABBY: My mother died from a heroin overdose when I was 8. As a mother with children of my own, I often find myself getting upset when people say nice things about her -- things that would normally make people feel good, such as, "Oh, she would have been so proud of you," or, "She was such a great woman." I feel that if she was such a great woman, she wouldn't have chosen drugs over her (or our) well-being. How can I let go of the anger I feel toward her when everyone else sees her only in a good light? -- MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT MOM

DEAR MIXED FEELINGS: I'm sorry for the loss of your mother at such a tender age and under such tragic circumstances. Far more is understood about drug addiction today than was known when you were a child. We now know that addiction can be less about a lack of character than a medical problem.

I seriously doubt that when your mother gave herself her final fix she realized it would be her last. While I sympathize with your anger at being cheated out of her presence in your life, it would be better for your own quality of life if you could accept that she was a human being and fallible. A licensed mental health professional can help you work through your anger, and I hope you will talk to one soon.

DEAR ABBY: We host many gatherings in our home during the year, including picnics. We have a downstairs bathroom that is intended for guests. But twice now, I have encountered guests using my upstairs bathroom. I have never offered it, and I'm offended that they take it upon themselves to go uninvited into private territory. I would never do that in someone else's house. Am I wrong, or are they overstepping the boundaries here? -- WONDERING IN THE EAST

DEAR WONDERING: To use your upstairs bathroom without asking your permission is overstepping. The exception might be if the downstairs bathroom was in use, and the need to get into one was urgent.

DEAR ABBY: My three best friends over the last four years recently decided to start a business together. They said I was more than welcome to join them, but financially I wasn't able to swing it. I work part-time, so I have been helping them when I can.

When we get together for dinner once a month, most of their conversation focuses on their business. But recently they discussed a shopping trip they took together. They went on a day I could have gone, but I was not invited. Should I take this -- and other similar incidents -- as a hint that our friendship has run its course? -- FEELING LEFT OUT

DEAR FEELING LEFT OUT: Talking about the shopping trip in front of you was insensitive. However, you may not have been invited because your friends were afraid you might be embarrassed it you could not participate in the shopping. You mentioned that their business arrangement is recent. They may be discussing business because that's what is on their minds.

Don't write them off or withdraw just yet. You can always do that. Wait to see how things play out.

DEAR ABBY: Help! I'm a 67-year-old man being relentlessly chased by a 68-year-old woman. I have told her I want to date other women and will be moving out of the country at the end of the year. Despite this, she is constantly trying to maneuver me into an exclusive relationship, probably ending in living together. I don't want to hurt her, but I'm at a loss as to how to get her to back off. -- HAPPILY UNCOMMITTED

DEAR UNCOMMITTED: Here's how. Tell her you can't handle the pressure she's putting on you and end the relationship NOW.

DEAR ABBY: I am in a predicament. My therapist is great, but sometimes I think she shares too much. Last time I went, she was running late. When I finally got into her office, she told me the previous patient was nonverbal and had painted her nails during the session. Later in the session, she confided that years ago she had been date raped.

Abby, I am in counseling because my father raped me when I was 15 (I am now 24). Her sharing has me worried because I don't want her telling others what I say or do during counseling. Further, her story of the date rape scared me. She described a situation that is not uncommon for me to be in, and it caused something almost like a flashback in me. I think what she did was insensitive, to say the least.

I have nobody else to ask, so what should I do? I'm getting counseling for free now due to my income, and it took months to get set up with a counselor. Should I report her or accept that this was a mistake and say nothing? If I need to report her, how would I go about doing that? -- CONFLICTED ABOUT IT

DEAR CONFLICTED: You should change therapists because it appears this one has more problems than you do. As to what agency you should report her breach of professional ethics to, contact the state organization that has licensed her to practice.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi backed fellow Californian Sen. Dianne Feinstein's re-election bid on Monday.

"Dianne Feinstein is uniquely positioned to defend California against Donald Trump's constant attacks on health care, immigration, and voting rights," Pelosi said in a statement. "Senator Feinstein's standing in the Senate is a source of strength to California and is especially needed at this time. I proudly support her re-election."

Feinstein hailed Pelosi as a "friend" in a statement welcoming her endorsement. "I look forward to continuing to work with her for California and against Donald Trump's attacks on our state and our citizens," Feinstein said.

Pelosi's early support boosts Feinstein ahead of what could be a contentious primary contest characterized by liberal discontent with the longtime Democratic senator.

Click for more from Washington Examiner.
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.
As President Trump weighs what actions he wants to take in response to a purported chemical attack in Syria, a debate among lawmakers and congressional scholars has been reignited  what should Congress do about the Authorization for Use of Military Force?

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has said Trump needs a new AUMF from Congress before he can authorize a strike in Syria. And Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, has called on colleagues to debate bills that grant the president the ability to use military force in general.

Read on for a look at the law and why its controversial.

What is AUMF, and why was it created?

AUMF became a public law on Sept. 18, 2001 as a response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The resolution, in part, allows for the president to use all necessary and appropriate forces against terrorists who committed or aided in the 9/11 attacks  particularly, Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

Under former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, AUMF was used to authorize military action in Afghanistan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Georgia, Iraq, Kenya, the Philippines, Somalia and Yemen.

Another resolution authorizing military force was approved by Congress in 2002, pertaining to Iraq.

Why is it relevant now?

AUMF originally authorized the president to use military force on specific terrorist organizations, but its been misused over the years by both Obama and Trump to fight other terrorist groups around the world, Jimmy Gurule, a Notre Dame law professor, told Fox News.

Its pretty obvious just from the text that it was in response to the 9/11 attacks and intended to authorize the president to use force and kill the persons responsible for the terror attacks, Gurule, a former assistant attorney general, said. Here we are 16 years after the authorization was passed by Congress.

As Trump weighs his options in Syria, lawmakers, such as Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., have called on the president to seek congressional authorization before any military action, such as an airstrike.



But House Speaker Paul Ryan said Trump already has broad authority to attack Syria, saying, "The existing AUMF gives him the authority he needs to do what he may or may not do."

Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., disagreed with Ryan's assessment on Twitter.

Multiple lawmakers also expressed desire to review the broad war authority resolution after the deadly Niger ambush, which left questions as to why U.S. troops are in the African country.

For 16 years, Congress has remained largely silent on this issue, allowing administrations to go to war anywhere, anytime, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said in 2017. A new AUMF is not only legally necessary, it would also send an important message of resolve to the American public and our troops that we stand behind them in their mission.

Who is to blame for its misuse?

Although multiple presidents have used AUMF for unintended purposes, both the executive and legislative branches are to blame, Gurule said.

There have been repeated efforts to get Congress to adopt a new resolution focused on ISIS, but for many reasons Congress cant come to an agreement on what the scope of the new AUMF should be, he said, citing arguments over the type of force, temporal limitations and geographical boundaries.

The House Appropriations Committee voted to strike the 2001 AUMF in June 2017, but the repeal was eventually removed from the defense appropriations bill later that month.

Pauls bill to sunset the AUMFs was scuttled in September 2017.
Following the terror attack in New York City Tuesday, President Trump said he ordered the Department of Homeland Security to "step up" the nation's "extreme vetting program."

"I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program," Trump tweeted Tuesday night. "Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!"

Trump initially reacted to the terror attack in Lower Manhattan by saying it was done by a sick and deranged person.

In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person, the president tweeted. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!

Authorities said at least eight people died and 11 were injured after a driver plowed into a bike path in New York on Tuesday afternoon. Sayfullo Saipov, 29, was shot by police and taken into custody following the attack.

"My thoughts, condolences and prayers to the victims and families of the New York City terrorist attack," Trump later tweeted. "God and your country are with you!"

Meanwhile, the president vowed to stop the Islamic State from executing terror attacks in the United States.

"We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere," Trump said. "Enough!"

Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, said the president has been briefed on the attack by chief of staff John Kelly and will be updated as more details are known.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected, Sanders said.

First lady Melania Trump also tweeted that her heart breaks for her hometown.

My heart breaks for #NYC today, she tweeted. Thoughts & prayers as we monitor the situation.

The FBI is investigating the incident as terrorism, Fox News has learned. It is being jointly investigated by both the New York Police Department and the FBI.

The Department of Homeland Security said its acting secretary, Elaine Duke, has also been briefed on the apparent act of terrorism and is closely monitoring the situation and working with our federal, state and local partners in responding to and investigating this tragedy.

We have recently seen attacks like this one throughout the world, the department said in a news release. DHS and its law enforcement partners remain vigilant and committed to safeguarding the American people.

Fox News Jake Gibson contributed to this report.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Tuesday that a Democratic television ad showing minority children in Virginia being chased down the road by a man in a pickup truck with a Confederate flag and bumper sticker for a Republican candidate is political racism.

Frankly, the only people I see stoking political racism right now are the people and the groups that are running ads like the one you saw take place in Virginia earlier this week, Sanders said during Tuesdays briefing. Thats the type of thing that I think really is a problem.

A liberal group called the Latino Victory Fund, which is supporting Democratic nominee Ralph Northam in the Virginia gubernatorial race, released the "American nightmare" ad this week targeting Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie.

The pickup truck in the ad displays a Gillespie for governor bumper sticker and a "Don't tread on me" license plate as children attempt to outrun the driver. Its in reference to the violence in Charlottesville this summer, where a white supremacist driver plowed into a crowd of counter protesters, killing one.

DEMOCRATIC CAMPAIGN AD IMPLIES GILLESPIE SUPPORTERS ARE CONFEDERATES WHO ATTACK MINORITY KIDS

Sanders brought up the ad amid questions about White House chief of staffs comments on Fox News "The Ingraham Angle" on Monday that the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War."

NBC reporter Hallie Jackson asked Sanders if the White House is willing to acknowledge Kellys comments were deeply offensive to some folks.

Sanders responded by slamming the media for pushing the narrative that they are a racially charged and divided White House.

Because you dont like history doesnt mean that you mean you can erase it and pretend that it didnt happen, Sanders said. And I think thats the point that Gen. Kelly was trying to make it. And to try to create something and push a narrative that simply doesnt exist is just frankly outrageous and absurd.
Congressional Republicans are rigorously pitching their bold tax reform plan ahead of Wednesdays scheduled rollout, but concerns within their ranks about increases for some Americans have put the legislations passage in jeopardy.

Under pressure to advance a conservative agenda by year's end, especially after their failure to repeal and replace ObamaCare, Republicans are seeking to enact sweeping tax reforms. They have proposed lower marginal rates, a higher standard deduction and elimination of some loopholes.

This is going to be life-changing, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy told Fox News Americas Newsroom Tuesday. Im excited for America.

President Trump is still searching for his first major legislative victory, as are congressional Republicans ahead of next years elections in which their House and Senate majority is at stake.

But McCarthy and other House Republicans know they have a challenge in getting enough votes, considering the chamber last week passed a budget plan that paved the way for tax reform by just two votes.

In addition, National Association of Home Builders chief executive Jerry Howard last week told The Wall Street Journal that his group is pulling its support for the legislation over concerns that that middle class may no longer be able to use the IRSs mortgage interest deduction and calling it a bad bill for the housing sector.

McCarthy on Tuesday suggested some of the expected changes to the U.S. tax code are still in the bill -- including the doubling of the so-called standard deduction, lowering the corporate tax rate and tax cuts for small businesses.

However, he allowed that some Americans will probably face a tax increase as a result of the tax code overhaul -- the first in roughly three decades -- because some so-called tax loopholes will be closed.

He was also mum about whether the bill will make changes to 401(k) plans, which now serve as most American workers retirement plan, and the future of state and local tax deductions -- a big concern for the roughly two dozen House Republicans from California and New York.

Shortly after McCarthy spoke, Vice President Pence went to Capitol Hill, where he will talk with congressional Republicans about the bill, after attending a weekly Senate luncheon.

President Trump has also been pushing hard for tax reform.

He went to Capitol Hill last week to meet privately with Senate Republicans, who said afterward the president didnt mention a timeline, after suggesting he wanted the bill passed by as early as Thanksgiving.

If passed in the House, the bill would also face uncertainty in the Senate, where the ObamaCare repeal-and-replace effort failed.

Republicans have just a 52-48 Senate majority and will need support from essentially all of their senators to pass the legislation with a simple, 51-vote majority.

Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, a holdout on ObamaCare, has voiced her opposition to what she considers tax breaks for the wealth in the GOP draft plans.

Trump predicted Tuesday, after a White House meeting with business leaders, that the tax plan will get some support from congressional Democrats. But he also criticized detractors, with Senate Minority Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., among them.

Democrats will say our tax bill is for the rich, but they know its not, the president said after the roundtable meeting. Its a tax bill for the middle class. Its a tax bill for jobs, and its a tax bill for business, which is going to create the jobs.

Trump also returned to his time-line of House passage by Thanksgiving and him signing the bill by Christmas.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce leader Tom Donahue said afterward that the countrys business community has been waiting for decades for tax reform.

He also expressed optimism about Democratic support and seemed to downplay the expected disagreements within the business community over the tax takeaways and the adds.

Last night, administration officials conducted a conference call with Republican House members from high-tax states New Jersey and New York, where the ability to deduct state and local taxes from federal filings is a big concern.

Texas GOP Rep. Kevin Brady, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the chambers tax writing panel, still appears to be on track to lay out the specifics of his tax reform plan Wednesday.

Brady suggested Tuesday that eliminating state tax deductions would be part of the overhaul bill.

If his schedule holds, the bill will next go to a so-called markup session next week, where lawmakers will review the legislation line by line. The bill will then get a final House floor vote the following week.

Lawmakers have another incentive to work fast: Their Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks could be in jeopardy if they can't get something done soon.
There was the ISIS attack on a chemical plant in southern Louisiana last September. Two months later, an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus occurred in Atlanta on the same day a video began circulating on social media of an unarmed black woman being shot to death by police in the Georgia city.

What all these shocking and disparate stories have in common are two things: they are not true and they all originated from a group of Russian cyber trolls working out of a non-descript office building in St. Petersburg.

In addition, throughout last years presidential election season, dozens of stories circulated on Twitter, Facebook and other social media attacking Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton about everything from supposedly having poor mental health to allegedly fostering secret ties with Islamic extremists.

With top executives from Facebook, Twitter and Google testifying Tuesday before a Senate Judiciary subcommittee on Russias attempts to influence U.S. elections and sow discord across the country via social media, many questions remain about how these Russian trolls operate, the veracity of the so-called news they are spreading and what tech giants in Silicon Valley are doing to combat this scourge.

Were pretty sure Russia is behind this given that weve seen the building they use, know that theyve put hundreds of millions of dollars into this effort and that they have about 200 employees working on this, Philip Howard, a professor of internet studies at the University of Oxford and research director of the Oxford Internet Institute, told Fox News. The problem combatting them is different with each social media platform.

On the worlds most popular social media site, Facebook, Russian trolls use fake names and backgrounds paired with stolen photos to pose as American citizens and spread either false news stories or hacked information.

In one instance, an account under the name of Melvin Reddick of Harrisburg, Pa. last June posted a link to a website called DCLeaks, which displayed material stolen from a number of prominent American political figures. While the information posted on the site appeared to be true, Reddick was an apparition  with no records in Pennsylvania appearing under his name and his photos taken from an unsuspecting Brazilian.

While trolls in Russia have also used individual accounts on Twitter to disseminate false or incendiary news, the more common practice implemented on that platform is so-called bot farming, where a series of up to hundreds and at times  thousands of automated accounts will send out identical messages seconds apart and in the exact alphabetical order of their made-up names.

On Election Day last year, a group of bots on Twitter blasted out the hashtag #WarAgainstDemocrats more than 1,700 times.

Experts say that while these trolls may use various methods to try and disguise their Russian identities, such as changing their IP addresses, they are easily tracked by their frequent screw-ups (some accidently put their location setting on in Twitter, use credit cards linked to the Russian government or write their posts in Cyrillic).

Preventing them from operating, however, is a different story.

Groups like Hoffmans Oxford Internet Institute say that they can monitor questionable accounts and alert tech companies, but to really make progress  and to openly prove that Russia is behind these attacks  Facebook and Twitter need to be more transparent.

The only way to see if these accounts are actually Russian is for Facebook and Twitter to be more open and tell us, Hoffman said. That is why these testimonies are so important.

The testimony from Facebook, obtained before the company went before the Senate, revealed that posts generated by Russia's Internet Research Agency potentially reached as many as 126 million users between January 2015 and August 2017.

Twitter was expected to tell the same subcommittee that it has uncovered and shut down 2,752 accounts linked to the same group, Russia's Internet Research Agency, which is known for promoting pro-Russian government positions.

Twitter believes that any activity of that kindregardless of magnitudeis unacceptable, and we agree that we must do better to prevent it, a source familiar with Twitters testimony, said in an email to Fox News. State-sanctioned manipulation of elections by sophisticated foreign actors is a new challenge for usand one that we are determined to meet.

Despite the more than 2,700 accounts linked to Russia being nearly 14 times larger than the number of accounts Twitter handed over to congressional committees three weeks ago, the company the number of accounts linked to Russia and that were Tweeting election-related content was small in comparison to the total number of accounts, on the social media site, the person familiar with the testimony said, adding they did not rig the election in favor of President Trump.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, the Republican chairman of the Judiciary subcommittee holding the hearing, said in a statement that manipulation of social media by terrorist organizations and foreign governments is "one of the greatest challenges to American democracy" and he wants to make sure the companies are doing everything possible to combat it.

"Clearly, to date, their efforts have been unsuccessful," Graham said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The spinning of Paul Manaforts indictment began from the minute it was made public.

It was either a terrible day for Donald Trump or had nothing to do with Donald Trump.

Trump detractors kept saying this was the first of many dominoes to fall, and Trump supporters and surrogates kept arguing that Robert Mueller was focusing on the wrong person.

In fact, it was the president who said on Twitter: Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????

So lets take a closer look.

It is never a good day for a president when his former campaign chairman faces criminal charges. Manafort ran the campaign for a crucial five-month period in 2016 that included managing the Republican convention. And his business associate Rick Gates, also indicted yesterday, continued with the campaign, and the transition, after Trump fired Manafort in August 2016. Both men pleaded not guilty, and Manaforts attorney called parts of the indictment ridiculous, saying Mueller is using a very novel theory to bring the charges.

But its just as important to point out that everything in the 12-count indictment covers the period from 2006 to 2015, or before Manafort and Gates had any involvement in the fledgling Trump campaign.

The charges involve money-laundering, tax evasion, illegal lobbying and lying. So the alleged details, such as moving money from offshore accounts in places like Cyprus, have nothing to do with the man who became the Republican nominee.

Given those inconvenient facts, some commentators are saying, well, Mueller is just trying to squeeze Manafort and turn him against Trump. That may be true, but of course assumes he has some kind of incriminating evidence on the president.

Manaforts attendance at that meeting with Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer isnt mentioned in the indictment. Its all about his past business dealings.

Yesterdays guilty plea by George Papadopoulos is potentially more troubling for the White House, although Sarah Huckabee Sanders dismissed him as having been an unpaid campaign volunteer on an advisory council. Papadopoulos admitted lying to the FBI about the timing of his efforts to arrange a meeting with the Russians, and telling a supervisor that his Russian contacts claimed to have dirt on Hillary Clinton and thousands of emails. No meeting was ever set up.

Now some pro-Trump commentators, including on Fox, have responded by questioning Muellers credibility or asking why hes not investigating Hillary. He was widely regarded as fair-minded Republican appointee to the FBI and Justice before taking this job, and his mandate is to probe allegations of collusion between the Trump team and Moscow. (If Mueller gets into the unverified dossier, though, hell have to reckon with the fact that the Clinton camp and DNC financed it.)

So both sides are spinning the indictments, hailing or dismissing their importance to the president. And that is only going to intensify as the investigation unfolds.
Alabama Republican Senate nominee Roy Moore is famous for refusing to remove a statue of the Ten Commandments from a government building but told reporters Tuesday he doesnt support a religious test for officeholders.

"There should be no religious test, no. That's against the Constitution," Moore said as he met with Republican senators at the Capitol on Tuesday, according to The Hill.

Moore, the former chief justice of Alabamas Supreme Court who is popular with Christian conservatives in the state for his fights over cultural issues, was responding to questions about his 2006 statement that Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, a Muslim, shouldn't be allowed to serve in Congress.

He also accused reporters of portraying him unfairly.

"Well I'm a lot different than what the Washington Post has been printing," Moore said. "I don't hate people."

Moore was removed twice from his position on Alabama's Supreme Court; first for refusing to remove the Ten Commandments monument and then again when he ordered probate judges in the state not to grant same sex marriage licenses.

ALABAMA SENATE HOPEFUL ROY MOORE BLASTS WASHINGTON POST REPORTS

On Monday, Moore waded into another divisive social issue by calling for the impeachment of the federal judge who issued an order blocking the implementation of President Trumps ban on transgender people serving in the military.

In a statement, he said U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly should be impeached by the House of Representatives for unlawful usurpation of power and lack of good behavior and should be referred to the Senate for a vote on removal.

Moore stated that as recently as 2013, the American Psychiatric Association considered transgenderism to be a mental disorder.

The decision of a federal judge in the District of Columbia enjoining President Trumps executive order on transgenderism in the military is absolutely ridiculous and is a perfect example of the outlandish doctrine of judicial supremacy whereby judges exalt themselves over the Constitution they are sworn to uphold, he said.

Moore defeated incumbent-appointed Sen. Luther Strange in Alabamas primary in September to fill the seat once held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. He faces Democrat Doug Jones in Decembers special election.
The smallest fish in the net hauled up Monday by Special Counsel Robert Mueller is a "liar" and a low-level aide with a history of exaggerating his role in last year's presidential campaign, according to President Trump and other administration officials.

Listed as a former foreign policy adviser to President Trumps campaign, the 30-year-old George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty earlier this month to making false statements to the FBI. He allegedly tried to set up meetings between Team Trump and the Kremlin, then lied about to the FBI.

But Papandopoulos, who President Trump on Tuesday branded a "liar," appears to have greatly exaggerated his influence within the campaign.

"Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar," Trump tweeted Tuesday morning, a day after Mueller announced former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and his own aide, Rick Gates, had been indicted Friday and that Papandopoulos had pleaded guilty Oct. 5.

MANAFORT, GATES PLEADED NOT GUILTY

Papadopoulos was charged with lying to the FBI about his contacts with a UK professor with alleged ties to the Kremlin, according to court documents. Papandopoulos reportedly tried to enlist the professor's help in connecting Trump's campaign to Russian officials who had dirt on the Clinton campaign.

But the professor cited in the official documents, Joseph Mifsud, the honorary director of the London Academy of Diplomacy, told The Telegraph he didn't tell Papadopoulos about any "dirt" the Russians may have had on Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Mifsud also said it was a "laughing stock" that he would have introduced Papadopoulos to a "female Russian national" purported to be a relative of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

One former Trump campaign official told Axios' Jonathan Swan he was confused when the news of Papadopoulos' story broke on Monday.

FORMER TRUMP AIDE GEORGE PAPADOPOULOS PLEADS GUILTY TO MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS TO THE FBI

"To be honest...I thought they were talking about [advance man] George Gigicos...not because he could've possibly been involved with Russia, but because he's the only guy with a Greek name that anyone knew on the campaign," the official said.

Subsequent reporting has only unearthed a single Trump reference to Papadopoulos, made by the then-candidate during a Spring 2016 interview with the Washington Post editorial board. Trump, describing those who advised him on foreign policy, called Papadopoulos an "energy and oil consultant, excellent guy.

Papadopoulos is also seen in a March 2016 Instagram photo with Trump, Sessions and 10 other "national security" advisers.

The Washington Post reported in April 2016 that Papadopoulos may have exaggerated his resume. Though he said he was a fellow at the Washington-based Hudson Institute, a Hudson senior fellow disputed that, saying Papadopoulos was only an unpaid intern and then a contracted research assistant. Despite saying he was in attendance as a U.S. Representative at the 2012 Geneva International Model United Nations, Papadopoulos' attendance wasn't remembered by two other members of the delegation

Papadopoulos additionally said he was the keynote speaker at the 2008 annual American Hellenic Institute Foundation Conference -- but the agenda lists former Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis as giving the keynote address.

Still, critics say unlike the Manafort and Gates indictments, the Papadopoulos guilty plea could shed light on collusion with Russia by the Trump campaign.

WHITE HOUSE DISTANCES ITSELF FROM MANAFORT, PAPADOPOULOS CHARGES

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders noted that Papadopoulos guilty plea has nothing to do with the activities of the campaign, but his failure to tell the truth.

He was a volunteer on the campaign and a volunteer member of an advisory council that met one time, Sanders said.

Sanders said the White House expects special counsel Muellers investigation into Russias meddling in the election to conclude soon while accusing Democrats and Hillary Clintons campaign of colluding with the Russians.

The real collusion scandal has everything to do with the Clinton campaign and Fusion GPS and Russia, Sanders said. There is clear evidence of them colluding to spread disinformation and smear the president. We have been saying from day one there is no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion and nothing today changes that.



Fox News' Alex Pappas contributed to this report.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I am the neighbor who never participates in Halloween activities. I don't have children, so I have never been pressured to do it. Also, I just don't dig it. The dark imagery of corpses and goblins and all that death stuff doesn't appeal to me. I don't begrudge the people who are into it, though. What bothers me is that my neighbors get upset every year when I don't put out candy or welcome the kids who come knocking. I don't want to get into a political debate with anyone about my beliefs, but I would appreciate it if they backed off. What can I do or say to get them to have their fun without trying to get me to be a part of it? -- Off the Ghostly Grid, Denver

DEAR OFF THE GHOSTLY GRID: What many people do when they don't want to participate in Halloween activities in their neighborhoods is to go out to dinner or go elsewhere during the peak hours when children typically come knocking. That way you don't feel any angst about not opening the door when you hear a knock. As far as your neighbors go, stop trying to convince them Halloween isn't your bag. You are not the only person who doesn't go the distance for this holiday. Be clear in your intentions and let it go.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I had an almost-affair with a guy many years ago when I was having trouble with my husband. What I mean by that is, I went out to dinner with a guy and he kissed me before we parted ways. Nothing else happened, but apparently he was really into me. I say that because my husband and I ran into him at an event, and he walked up to us and told my husband he was my ex. What? I don't even remember his name. I'm not kidding. His comment jarred me into remembering who he was, but I swear our encounter was nothing. How can I squash his overture? -- Long Ago, Seattle

DEAR LONG AGO: Tell your husband what you remember about this guy. As uncomfortable as it may be to reveal your slight indiscretion years ago, you are best off by keeping your husband in the know. In this way, this guy has no power over you. If going out with him helped you to see your marriage was more valuable than a potential fling, be sure to tell your husband that as well.

Use this uncomfortable moment as an opportunity to check in with your husband about the health of your marriage today. Are you both happy? Is there anything you can do to reinvigorate your life together? If you see this guy again, ignore him. By strengthening your conviction in your marriage, you neutralize his very presence.

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
Democratic candidate for Virginia governor Ralph Northam is not distancing himself from the controversial ad suggesting supporters of Republican candidate Ed Gillespie are seen as Confederates who attack minority children.

The new opposition ad titled American Nightmare was released Monday by Democratic group Latino Victory Fund (LVF) and is scheduled to run through Election Day. The opposition ad shows minority children seemingly being chased by a driver in a pickup truck, decked out with a Confederate flag, a Gillespie for governor bumper sticker and a Dont tread on me license plate.

The driver makes his way toward the scared children who shout, Run! Run! Run! when they see the truck. The ad concludes with a scene of a Charlottesville-like rally, with a narrator asking: Is this what Donald Trump and Ed Gillespie mean by the American Dream?

Northams campaign told Fox News Tuesday that the ad was not shocking based on Gillespies campaign.

Independent groups are denouncing Ed Gillespie because he has run the most divisive, fear-mongering campaign in modern history, Northam campaign spokeswoman Ofirah Yheskel said in a statement to Fox News. It is not shocking that communities of color are scared of what his Trump-like policy positions mean for them.

But Gillespie said the ad was an attack on his supporters, whom

he calls good decent hardworking Virginians who love their neighbors.

VIRGINIA GOVERNOR RACE: WHO ARE ED GILLESPIE AND RALPH NORTHAM?

The fact is, whether you disagree with people or not, in Virginia, we respect civil discourse and this is a new low in politics here. Its a sad day, Gillespie said on Fox & Friends Tuesday. I was glad when a couple of the Democratic members of our House Delegates yesterday condemned the ad, but outrageously my opponent has embraced it, and it reveals a disdain not just for more supporters but for all Virginians, frankly, who want to have a discussion about issues and policies in this election that Ive been focused on.

Gillespie added: They [Northam campaign] dont want to debate the issues, and instead of debating the issues, they just demonize, they vilify, they marginalize anyone who disagrees with them.

In a statement to Fox News, Gillespies campaign manager Chris Leavitt called the latest ad part of a desperate smear campaign against Gillespie.

This is no an attack on Ed Gillespie anymore. This is an all-out attack on the people of Virginia, Leavitt told Fox News. This latest ad gives us a clear indication of just what Ralph Northam and his national Democratic allies think of all of us, and its sickening.

The LVF ad is not the only one drawing significant criticism in this gubernatorial race.

Northams campaign came under fire after a Democratic mailer showing Gillespie and Trump, along with a photo of white nationalists carrying torches in another Charlottesville-like scene. The mailer encourages voters to stand up to hate.

Northam has stood by the mailer and slammed Gillespie for not denouncing the president for not calling these white supremacists out for who they are.

Because the message is that we live in a very diverse society. That means that we need to be inclusive, Northam said, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

The Lieutenant Governor [Northam] was roundly rebuked for exploiting imagery from the tragedy of Charlottesville for political points, Leavitt said. Now his allies have reached a new low with a disgusting, vile television ad seeking to instill fear in our children with that same imagery.

Gillespie has also been criticized for ads that attempt to tie Northam to the MS-13 gang. One ad accuses Northam of being weak on combating the gang.

Northam, who is currently the lieutenant governor of Virginia, has had a star-studded roster of Democratic guests on the campaign trail, including former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Joe Biden, and a fundraiser in New York earlier this month headlined by Hillary Clinton.

Gillespie, on the other hand, has had Vice President Pence with him on the campaign trail, and a fundraiser hosted by President George W. Bush. Gillespie has been endorsed by President Trump, who repeatedly expresses his support for the Republican candidate on Twitter.

Fox News' Kaitlyn Schallhorn contributed to this report.
The Trump administration announced last year its plan to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA)  which provides a level of amnesty to certain undocumented immigrants, many of whom came to the U.S. as children  with a six-month delay for recipients. But a federal appeals court ruled against the proposal in early November, declaring the government couldn't immediately end the program.

The Executive wields awesome power in the enforcement of our nations immigration laws, the ruling said. Our decision today does not curb that power, but rather enables its exercise in a manner that is free from legal misconceptions and is democratically accountable to the public.

Trump had initially set a March 5 deadline for the program and called on Congress to pass legislation pertaining to the young immigrants. But the deadline came and went, with no congressional action but several lawsuits challenging the administration's decision to end the program.

FEDERAL APPEALS COURT RULES AGAINST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ON DACA

Federal judges in New York and Washington also have ruled against President Trump on DACA.

President Trump has repeatedly blamed Democrats for inaction.

Heres a look at the DACA program and why the Trump administration wants to dismantle it.

What is the DACA program?

The DACA program was formed through executive action by former President Barack Obama in 2012 and allowed certain people who came to the U.S. illegally as minors to be protected from immediate deportation. Recipients, called Dreamers, were able to request consideration of deferred action for a period of two years, which was subject to renewal.

Deferred action is a use of prosecutorial discretion to defer removal action against an individual for a certain period of time, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services stated. Deferred action does not provide lawful status.

Individuals were able to request DACA status if they were under the age of 31 on June 15, 2012, came to the U.S. before turning 16 and continuously lived in the country since June 15, 2007.

Individuals also had to have a high school diploma, GED certification, been honorably discharged from the military or still be in school. Recipients could not have a criminal record.

It did not provide legal status.

How many people are affected by DACA?

Nearly 800,000 youth, called Dreamers, are under the program's umbrella.

Daniel Garza, president of the conservative immigration nonprofit Libre Initiative, told Fox News that DACA offers a reprieve from a life of uncertainty for innocent kids who didnt break the law.

Its rather disappointing to think they could return to a state of anxiety and fear, he said.

What did the Trump administration do?

The Trump administration announced in September 2017 that it planned to phase out DACA for current recipients, and no new requests would be granted. But a lower court order required the administration to continue accepting renewal applications for those under the DACA program, and the Supreme Court rejected the Trump administration's request to intervene.

Since the announcement, Trump had offered to work with lawmakers on a solution for the hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. who fell under DACAs umbrella of protections. But at the same time, he has repeatedly blamed Democrats on social media for lack of a solution.

Earlier this year, Trump released his four pillars of immigration reform, which included a provision for legal status for DACA recipients and others who would be eligible for DACA status. The White House estimated that total to be 1.8 million people. The Senate rejected the plan.

Republicans  and some Democrats  opposed Obamas directive establishing DACA from the start as a perceived overreach of executive power.

Obama spoke out on social media after the Trump administration announced a plan to dismantle the program, stating that it's "self-defeating ... and it is cruel" to end DACA and questioned the motive behind the decision.

Do any DACA recipients serve in the military?

Despite some rumors circulating online to the contrary, Dreamers were eligible to serve in the U.S. military since 2014 when the Pentagon adopted a policy to allow a certain amount of illegal immigrants to join.

In fiscal year 2016, 359 DACA recipients had enlisted in the Army  which is the only branch to accept immigrants of this category.

Fox News' John Roberts and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Tyrannosaurus rex has long been thought to be the "king of the dinosaurs," but after this latest discovery, T. rex may have some company.

Discovered in southern Africa, the new dinosaur, named Kayentapus ambrokholohali, was about 30 feet long and had three-toed feet that left footprints measuring nearly two feet long.

So far, no fossilized bones have been found, but the footprints reveal key details about the dinosaur, chiefly that it was a large theropod and part of the same group that included the aforementioned T. rex and Giganotosaurus.

150-MILLION-YEAR-OLD 'SEA MONSTER' UNEARTHED IN INDIA

Our finding corroborates the hypothesis that theropods reached a great size relatively early in the course of their evolution, but apparently not before the Triassic-Jurassic boundary, said paleontologist Fabien Knoll in an interview with Reuters.

It is the first evidence of an extremely large meat-eating animal roaming a landscape otherwise dominated by a variety of herbivorous, omnivorous and much-smaller carnivorous dinosaurs, paleontologist Lara Sciscio of the University of Cape Town in South Africa added in the interview.

Kayentapus lived early in the Jurassic Period, nearly 65 million years ago, just after a mass extinction. Kayentapus is thought to have lived on the super-continent Gondwana. Antarctica, South America, Africa, Madagascar and Australia were all once part of Gondwana.

"This new megatheropod trackway site marks the first occurrence of very large carnivorous dinosaurs (estimated body length >89 meters) in the Early Jurassic of southern Gondwana, an evolutionary strategy that was repeatedly pursued and amplified in the following ~135 million years, until the next major biotic crisis at the end-Cretaceous," the researchers wrote in the journal PLOS ONE.

Though no fossils have been found, additional footprints found in Poland indicate a similar-sized theropod inhabited the other super-continent of the time, Laurasia.

Follow Chris Ciaccia on Twitter @Chris_Ciaccia
A painting the Nazis looted from a Jewish leader of the French Resistance during World War II has been identified, German authorities announced yesterday (Oct. 25).

The 19th-century painting in question is "Portrait of a Seated Young Woman" by Thomas Couture, a French artist whose other works can be found in institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Ar t in New York and the Musee d'Orsay in Paris.

The Couture painting had been confiscated in 2012 when German authorities discovered a possible trove of Nazi-looted art in the Munich apartment of collector Cornelius Gurlitt. But it was not connected with a specific victim of Nazi artwork looting until now. [Images: Missing Nazi Diary Resurfaces]

Gurlitt, who died in 2014, had inherited the collection from his father, an art dealer who had been commissioned by the Nazis to sell looted and "degenerate" art abroad. His collection included pieces from famous artists like Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Paul Cezanne.

The original owner of the Couture painting was Georges Mandel, a French journalist turned politician, according to the German Lost Art Foundation. Mandel was an early opponent of Nazi Germany and is sometimes called a French counterpart of Winston Churchill. He was eventually arrested and held as an Ehrenhaftling, or "prisoner of honor," in the German camps until his execution in the Forest of Fontainebleau near Paris in 1944.

German art-looting organizations raided Mandel's apartment in Paris. (The German Lost Art Foundation found documents to prove this.) When reports of looted art were filed after war, Mandel's lost Couture painting was described, but only in vague terms. Couture painted many portraits of society women, but there was one detail that helped to identify this stolen artwork. A note from a conservationist mentioned that the canvas had a tiny, repaired hole near the chest of the young woman in the painting. Sure enough, the painting had such a repair.

"I hope very much to see this work returned promptly to the descendants of the original owner," Monika Grutters, Germanys federal commissioner for culture and media, said in a statement. "We owe it to the people who were persecuted by the National Socialists, deprived of their property and their rights, and in many cases murdered, to leave no stone unturned in investigating and clarifying the Nazi looting of art. It is and remains our moral obligation in cases of artworks seized by the Nazis to find fair and just solutions."

Researchers are still sifting through the Gurlitt collection, which contains more than 1,500 artworks. So far, more than 200 have been identified as works of "degenerate art" that the Nazis had banned, and six (now including the Couture painting) were confirmed as having been looted from victims of Nazi persecution. Some have been returned to descendants of the owners, including a painting by the Impressionist artist Camille Pissarro that was restituted earlier this year, as well as a painting by Henri Matisse that was returned in 2015. Hundreds more of the artworks still await a ruling as to whether they were looted by Nazis. Many of the pieces from the collection will go on display next month as part of the exhibit "Gurlitt: Status Report" at the Bundeskunsthalle museum in Bonn, Germany.

Original article on Live Science.
As lawmakers continue to investigate Russias role in the 2016 presidential election, major tech companies have sent representatives to Capitol Hill to reveal just how much Russian activity was found on their platforms.

General counsels for Facebook, Google and Twitter testified in multiple hearings in 2017 as congressional probes into alleged Russian influence in the election continued. Delegates from the tech giants have also met privately with lawmakers on the Hill.

Heres what you need to know about the tech companies involvement.

How is Facebook involved in the investigation?

Last year, Facebook revealed that it uncovered about $100,000 in ad purchases connected to inauthentic accounts that violated its policies. Another $50,000 was found to have been spent on potentially politically related ad spending that were in Russian.

Facebooks Chief Security Officer Alex Stamos said the accounts were likely operated out of Russia.

As lawmakers called for more information about the advertisements, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has promised to make its political advertising more transparent.

Facebook also revealed that content from a Russian group called the Internet Research Agency (IRA) could have reached as many as 126 million users.

President Trump accused Facebook of being always anti-Trump.

But Zuckerberg hit back and said both sides of the political aisle were upset by content on Facebook  proving what running a platform for all ideas looks like.

What about Twitter?

Twitter representatives told lawmakers that it suspended approximately two dozen accounts that were potentially linked to Russia and corresponded to Facebooks troublesome accounts. Additionally, it said it found 179 related accounts that violated their rules.

Twitter also revealed in a blog post that Russia Today (RT), which it said has strong links to the Russian government, spent $274,000 in ads in 2016.

The social media giant said it would use the money already spent on advertisements by RT for research around civic engagement and electoral misinformation.

A Twitter representative told congressional committees that it shuttered nearly 3,000 accounts linked to Russias IRA  which is known for spreading pro-Russian government propaganda. That number is nearly 14 times larger than the number of accounts Twitter said it handed over to congressional committees previously.

Twitter was criticized by Rep. Mark Warner, D-Va., after representatives met with lawmakers in Sept. 2017. Warner said the information shared was frankly inadequate on almost every level.

Warner, again, criticized the social media company in January 2018 after he said it neglected to meet a deadline to provide lawmakers with additional information regarding the Russia investigation, The Hill reported.

Im disappointed. Ive been disappointed throughout this, Warner reportedly said. Twitter has been often times the slowest to respond  The other companies met the deadline which was way over a month from when they testified.

And Google?

Russian operatives spent tens of thousands of dollars on ads on YouTube, Google Search products and Gmail regarding the 2016 election, Fox Business reported. However, the ads do not appear to be from the same source as those purchased on Facebook.

Accounts connected with the Russian government spent $4,700 on search and display ads and $53,000 was spent on ads with political material that were purchased from either a Russian territory, Russian Internet address or with Russian currency, according to the Associated Press.

"We are taking a deeper look to investigate attempts to abuse our systems, working with researchers and other companies, and will provide assistance to ongoing inquiries," Google said in a statement.

Why does it matter?

The issue over social medias involvement in the investigation largely stems from advertisements bought from the companies, not necessarily the content shared by users, Dr. Karen North, a clinical professor of communication at the University of Southern California, told Fox News.

But the issue further boils down to what is wrong versus what is illegal. Spreading so-called fake news is wrong, but it might not be illegal, the social media expert explained.

We as users of social media platforms do not want the platforms to be telling us what we can or cant say  or even that we cant say falsehoods  because people spin the story of their lives to present a public face to our friends and colleagues, North said. We dont want Facebook or Twitter to tell us we cant do that.

North predicted that social media companies will begin to strengthen their regulations  or dress codes  for future advertisers.

There are laws [to protect speech] and then there are rules of conduct, including dress codes at offices or schools, North said. Whether or not whats being done by the Russians or fake news or people lying about adventures in their life, are those illegal or in violation of dress codes?

Shareholders in the major tech companies have also demanded more transparency regarding foreign involvement that could have interfered in the election.

Like Congress and the American public, shareholders in these companies have serious questions and concerns about how these platforms were used and abused during the 2016 election, Michael Connor, executive director of the nonprofit Open MIC, said in a statement.

Open MIC said shareholders with assets worth more than $25 billion have filed proposals asking Facebook, Google and Twitter to divulge more information about foreign involvement as well as disinformation and hate speech.

The investors, through these filings, intend to play a critically important role in holding Facebook, Google and Twitter accountable for what happens on their platforms, Connor said.

The Associated Press also contributed to this report.
More than 81,000 people have signed a petition calling on Facebook to inform users how they were exposed to Russian propaganda.

The change.org petition was started earlier this month by March for Truth. American citizens that use Facebook deserve to know how they were exposed to Russian disinformation and propaganda, says a post accompanying the petition. Facebook should provide this data to users in an application that makes it easy to understand.

Users should be able to see how content and advertising messages from identified Russian sources appeared in their timeline, whether they interacted with such media, and basic metrics that quantify their exposure, it added.

FACEBOOK UNCOVERS $100G IN FAKE AD SPENDING TIED TO RUSSIAN OPERATIVES DURING 2016 ELECTION

The petitions goal is 150,000 signatures.

Fox News has reached out to Facebook with a request for comment on this story.

Earlier this month, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said Congress should release the ads Russian operatives purchased to the public, while noting that Facebook owed the country an "apology." "Absolutely ... we think it's important they get the whole picture," Sandberg said during an interview with Axios' Mike Allen at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

On Tuesday Facebook, Twitter and Google will give evidence to a Senate Judiciary Committee investigating Russian disinformation online.

FACEBOOK: 150 RUSSIA-LINKED POLITICAL ADS SHOWED UP ON INSTAGRAM

Last month, Facebook announced that it uncovered $100,000 in fake ad spending tied to Russian operatives during the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, associated with around 3,000 ads, which were later turned over to Congress.

Facebook said a Russian group, Internet Research Agency, posted more than 80,000 times on its service during and after the election, potentially reaching as many as 126 million users. The company plans to disclose these numbers to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the testimony. The person declined to be named because the committee has not officially released the testimony.

FACEBOOK CEO MARK ZUCKERBERG ASKS FORGIVENESS FOR WAYS HIS 'WORK WAS USED TO DIVIDE PEOPLE'

Twitter plans to tell the same committee that it has uncovered and shut down 2,752 accounts linked to the same group, Russia's Internet Research Agency, known for promoting pro-Russian government positions.

That number is nearly 14 times larger than the number of accounts Twitter handed over to congressional committees three weeks ago, according to a person familiar with the matter. This person requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the new findings ahead of the hearing on Tuesday.

Google announced in a blog post that it found evidence of "limited" misuse of its services by the Russian group, as well as some YouTube channels that were likely backed by Russian agents.

TWITTER BANS ADS FROM RUSSIAN MEDIA OUTLETS RUSSIA TODAY AND SPUTNIK

Last week, Twitter banned ads from Russian media outlets Russia Today (RT) and Sputnik, following the social media giants probe into alleged Russian interference in the U.S. election.

RT and Sputnik slammed Twitters move.

Twitter also announced a plan to increase ad transparency on its platform, including political and issue-based ads. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg also outlined a plan to bring greater transparency to political ads on the social network.

Russia denies meddling in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election.

The Associated Press and Fox News' Chris Ciaccia contributed to this article.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
An archive of historic documents that belonged to Hewlett-Packard founders William Hewlett and David Packard has been destroyed in the devastating Tubbs fire in Northern California.

The archive was held by electronics measurement specialist Keysight Technologies on its campus in Santa Rosa, which suffered damage in the fire. Beginning on the night of Oct. 8, wildfires burned through parts of the city of Santa Rosa and surrounding areas, explained Keysight Technologies, in a statement emailed to Fox News. The Tubbs fire entered Keysight Technologies Santa Rosa campus, damaging company buildings and destroying two structures.

The archive, which reportedly consisted of more than 100 boxes of the founders writings, correspondence, speeches and other items, was housed in one of the two buildings destroyed on the Keysight campus. The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports that Keysight acquired the archive in 2014 when it split from HP spinoff Agilent Technologies.

APPLE-1 COMPUTER SOLD AT AUCTION FOR $905,000

We are saddened by the loss of historical documents authored by our visionary founders Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, Keysight told Fox News. This is a tremendous loss to Hewlett-Packard, Agilent and Keysight, as well as a loss to all of Silicon Valley.

More than 120 Keysight employees lost their homes in the devastating fire and hundreds were displaced, according to the company.

Keysight, which has received criticism over the destroyed archive, told Fox News that the documents were victims of an unusually destructive wildfire. Keysight met and exceeded the strictest standards for archival protection, including guidelines set by the United Nations and the Library of Congress, it said. Adhering to the strictest archival standards could not protect these artifacts from the most damaging fire in state history. 

SUPERCOMPUTER SET TO LAUNCH ON SPACE STATION MISSION

Other parts of the Keysight corporate archive survived the fire. Many items in the Keysight archives were not affected by the fire because they were situated in other parts of the Santa Rosa facility that sustained only minor damage, housed in other sites around the world, or are digitally preserved, it said.

HP told Fox News that its own archive of historic items is intact. HPs sites were not impacted and archives remain intact in both physical and digital formats, it said, in a statement. HPs archives contain hundreds of items related to HPs founders including many examples of speeches, personal correspondence, writings and other materials.

The company uses a facility in Atlanta, Georgia for its corporate archives. In addition, many other materials from the founders are part of public collections, such as the William Hewlett papers (1907-2010) held by Stanford University, it said.

HP was founded in 1939 by Hewlett and Packard in a car garage in Palo Alto, now regarded as the birthplace of Silicon Valley. The garage is now a private museum and historical landmark.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
At a time when Twitter is trying to curb trolling and incendiary use of its platform, its logged-out homepage features one of its users attacking model Chrissy Teigen.

First spotted by user Chris Messina (himself a former employee at both Google and Uber), the image shows a Twitter user @Amir_Hali calling Tiegen "a wh**e" in response to one of her tweets.

Below is a screenshot of the logged-out homepage.

Fox News has reached out to Twitter for comment for this story. Teigen's reps were looking into the matter when contacted by Fox News.

TWITTER ATTEMPTS TO INCREASE AD TRANSPARENCY AFTER RUSSIAN-BACKED SCANDAL

Twitter has come under attack for abuse on its platform, with the company actively trying to curtail it, to mixed results. In 2016, companies such as Salesforce.com and Disney looked at acquiring the Jack Dorsey-led company, only to call off the attempts, due in part to the abuse on the platform.

The abuse has been cited by experts as one of the reasons it was not purchased. Former New York Times editor Quentin Hardy said he spoke to Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff about the trolling issue, and he confirmed that trolls were part of the reason Salesforce dropped its bid.

In November 2016, the company wrote a blog post, detailing some of the progress it has made in curtailing online abuse.

In the post, Twitter explained that it was expanding its mute function, which lets users mute accounts they dont want to see tweets from, to muting keywords, phrases, and even entire conversations.

It also put a spotlight on its hateful conduct policy, which "prohibits specific conduct that targets people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or disease."

Lastly, the company said it had retrained its support teams on its policies, "including special sessions on cultural and historical contextualization of hateful conduct, and implemented an ongoing refresher program," while improving internal tools to deal with abuse in a more effective manner.

Follow Chris Ciaccia on Twitter @Chris_Ciaccia
The fifth day in the trial of the homeless illegal immigrant charged with killing Kate Steinle in San Francisco featured a police witness who explained the deadly bullet's trajectory, after a week of dramatic testimony.

The bullet that killed Steinle, whose death touched off a national debate about illegal immigration, ricocheted off the ground about 100 feet away before hitting her in the back, a retired police investigator testified Monday.

Former Officer John Evans said he and other investigators working on the case found a strike mark on the piers concrete surface four days after the shooting of Steinle by a Mexican national who had been deported five times.

Prosecutors have charged Jose Ines Garcia Zarate with murder, alleging he intended to point and shoot the gun at pedestrians on the pier on July 1, 2015.

Lawyers for Garcia Zarate say the ricochet shows the shooting was accidental.

Evans, who later retired from the department, said investigators had overlooked the strike mark on the night the 32-year-old Steinle was killed.

Authorities returned to the popular pier four days later, after the bullet was found to be partially flattened, indicating it had ricocheted, he said.

Evans also testified that inexperienced shooters are often shaky and fire in haste, causing the barrel of the gun to point downward. He called it jerking the trigger.

Defense lawyer Matt Gonzalez called that aspect of Evans analysis highly speculative, and the two wrangled over whether the shot had traveled straight, which would support the prosecutions contention that Garcia Zarate aimed the gun before firing.

Evans conceded on cross-examination that he didnt know exactly where Garcia Zarate was sitting when the gun fired nor did he know the specific spot where Steinle was standing when she was struck.

The retired officer said he drew a circle around blood spots and Steinles bloody clothes and another circle where witnesses placed Garcia Zarate. Using a laser pointer, Evans said he created a straight line between the two circles and through the strike mark.

Testimony on Thursday came from a government employee whose gun was stolen and used in the shooting.

Bureau of Land Management Agent John Woychowski told the jury he parked his car in what he thought was a safe location and left a black backpack, which had his loaded weapon inside, in the back seat. He said the car was locked and had an alarm and tinted windows.

When his family returned from dinner, he said his cars windows were smashed and the backpack was gone.

He said he immediately reported the theft to 911 and his employer.

KATE STEINLE TRIAL FEATURES TESTIMONY FROM AGENT WHOSE STOLEN GUN WAS USED IN SHOOTING

The prosecution brought out a P239 weapon as evidence which Woychowski confirmed was his and he showed the jury how it worked, adding that hed never had trouble with it.

Gonzalez cross-examined the agent, focusing primarily on why the agent had a loaded gun if he was off duty  and why he left it in the car.

Woychowski said he was required to keep his weapon loaded in a specific way and reiterated that he thought the car was safe. He said he always kept the backpack on him to protect his family. He added his employer had issued a locking device for the gun but he didnt have it on him that day and that the gun did not have an external safety.

Previous days in court have included testimony from witnesses on the scene and responding officers who handled evidence and investigation.

Garcia Zarate, 54, admitted shooting Steinle, but says it was an accident.

Prosecutors and Gonzalez said the case boils down to whether Garcia Zarate pointed and fired the gun intentionally or the weapon accidentally discharged.

COURTROOM GASPS AS VIDEO OF KATE STEINLES SHOOTING IS PLAYED FOR JURY

Steinles father testified last week at the trials opening that before she died, she said to him: Help me, Dad.

The prosecution said those were her last words.

While Garcia Zarates immigration status is what brought the case into the national spotlight, jurors will not hear evidence about that, and it will not be a factor in the trial.

Steinles death became a signature issue for Donald Trump as he was running for president. He invoked the slaying in calling for the construction of a wall on the Mexican border and stepping up deportations and cracking down on illegal immigration.

San Francisco is a sanctuary city, with local law enforcement officials barred from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. President Trump has threatened to withhold federal funding to cities with similar immigration policies.

Fox News Michael Lundin in San Francisco and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A 26-year-old mother of four in Idaho severely beat each of her children, bit one of them, and shaved her two daughters' heads earlier this year --- all because they ate a tub of ice cream, police say.

Priscilla Zapata, who lives in Canyon County, admitted to relatives that she "lost it" after discovering that her children had eaten the ice cream on July 18, KTVB reported, citing court documents.

One of Zapata's daughters told relatives that Zapata pushed her face into the ice cream, hit her "everywhere," shoved her into a wall, and bit her, the court documents reportedly said.

Zapata's other daughter, who told deputies she felt Zapata was trying to kill her, alleged that Zapata choked her so aggressively that she nearly lifted her off the ground, the report said.

When Zapata began shaving the girls' heads as punishment, courts documents charge, one of the girls said she remained quiet out of fear that Zapata would attack her.

KTVB reported that the children are now in the custody of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare.

Zapata has been arrested and charged with four felony counts of causing injury to a child. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail.
"(The) (c)reme de la creme of Washington, D.C. insiderdom." That's how a newspaper columnist described Kate O'Beirne, the Washington editor of National Review and a panelist on CNN's "Capital Gang" about 20 years ago, when I first started working at NR. I thought of that as Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake announced his decision to not run for re-election. I thought of Kate, who died this spring, because politics was never the most important thing in life. That's what endeared her to people with serious political power: She'd remind them of more enduring things.

When Flake went to the Senate floor on Tuesday, he said: "I rise today with no small measure of regret. Regret because of the state of our disunion. Regret because of the disrepair and destructiveness of our politics. Regret because of the indecency of our discourse. Regret because of the coarseness of our leadership." He continued: "Regret for the compromise of our moral authority, and by our, I mean all of our complicity in this alarming and dangerous state of affairs. It is time for our complicity and our accommodation of the unacceptable to end."

A lot of Flake's ire was implicitly directed toward President Donald Trump, his supporters and the circus surrounding them. But there's a lot more that Flake's decision says, including this root principle: Our politics is only ever going to be as good as our culture. And our culture is only ever going to be as good as we demand it to be. And we make demands on our culture not just by picket signs or grand statements and impassioned commentary, but by what we spend our time and money on. There's a complicity that goes beyond sitting senators.

And letting your opinion be known of the president isn't enough. Because while he is president now, and he does happen to be coarse and seemingly erratic, he was elected in spite of those things -- and for some people, because of those things.

The most important part of Jeff Flake removing himself from the senatorial scene, it seems to me, is what it says about Washington, D.C. insiderdom: It's not how we're going to change the world.

There's a new book by Bishop Robert Barron in which, at one point, he talks about "the genius" of Pope Francis. "Don't begin with the true or the good, begin with the beautiful, and it leads you to the true and the good ... begin with ... the kind gesture." He continues: "We all think of the Church as giving laws, wagging fingers and clarifying sexual ethics, but in the great tradition ... the project begins with beatitude, with happiness, with joy."

And while that's not a political project, if it fuels people in politics, people commenting about politics and the people voting, you could see how things could start to look better. Instead of a constant war between the media and the White House and the constant barrage of acrimony and argument, we could be aspiring to work together, to have a debate, yes, but ultimately to respectfully listen, consider and strive for the common good.

In "To Light a Fire on the Earth," Bishop Barron writes: "We no longer dare to believe in beauty, and we make of it a mere appearance in order the more easily to dispose of it. Our situation today shows that beauty demands for itself at least as much courage and decision as do truth and goodness."

I think it's fair to say that most Americans today don't think of any of these words in association with politics. Which is why Sen. Flake is leaving and why we must do better. It's something beautiful we'll fight for and rally behind and become better people for. Remembering that and coming together around it requires more beautiful standards, ones that don't come from politics but from our choices on a whole host of even more important things.

Kathryn Jean Lopez is senior fellow at the National Review Institute, editor-at-large of National Review Online and founding director of Catholic Voices USA. She can be contacted at klopez@nationalreview.com
A 24-year-old rape suspect was not denied his constitutional right to an attorney even though he requested a lawyer dog during a police interrogation, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled Friday.

Warren Demesme, who is charged with first-degree rape and indecent behavior with a juvenile under 13, made the unusual request to investigators after his arrest in October 2015, according to The Times-Picayune.

"If y'all, this is how I feel, if y'all think I did it, I know that I didn't do it so why don't you just give me a lawyer dog cause this is not what's up, Demesme told police.

Demesme did not receive an attorney, and he proceeded to make incriminating statements to investigators, according to The Times-Picayune. The Louisiana Supreme Court's ruling states that Demesmes statements are admissible in his upcoming rape trial because he did not unambiguously demand counsel.

But various commentators observed that it is unclear whether Demesme was really requesting a lawyer dog. One popular law blog noted that it is possible the 24-year-old was referring to the police investigator as a dog, which is sometimes colloquially spelled dawg.

The Louisiana Supreme Court did not discuss that possibility in its ruling, The Times-Picayune reported. Instead, the court held that Demesme  who had waived his right to counsel before sitting down with rape investigators on two occasions  did not invoke his right to an attorney with sufficient clarity.

"As this court has written, 'If a suspect makes a reference to an attorney that is ambiguous or equivocal in that a reasonable police officer in light of the circumstances would have understood only that the suspect might be invoking his right to counsel, the cessation of questioning is not required,'" State Supreme Court Justice Scott J. Crichton wrote in his opinion, the Times-Picayune reported.

"In my view, the defendant's ambiguous and equivocal reference to a 'lawyer dog' does not constitute an invocation of counsel that warrants termination of the interview, Crichton wrote.
A gunman suspected of shooting and killing a University of Utah student Monday night was caught at a Salt Lake City library Tuesday after a manhunt that stretched on for about 15 hours, police confirmed.

Austin Boutain, 24, allegedly shot and killed ChenWei Guo, an international student at the university, during an attempted carjacking at the mouth of Red Butte Canyon, officials said. They added that Boutain and his wife, Kathleen, were also wanted in Golden, Colo. for an unrelated homicide that unfolded last week.

Kathleen Boutain was booked into Salt Lake County Jail for unrelated drug and theft charges. She was treated for unknown injuries after Monday nights incident.

Boutain was arrested after he was spotted by a librarian at a downtown Salt Lake City library, about 4 miles away from the university shooting scene.

Police had received a call just after 8 p.m. Monday from Boutains wife saying her husband assaulted her while they were camping in Red Butte Canyon, prompting an hours-long lockdown on the University of Utahs campus. When officers arrived, they received a separate call about a shooting. Guo was found shot dead inside the car. Police launched a search through the foothills above Red Butte Garden, deploying armored vehicles and sniper teams in the area.

Investigators located Boutains campsite where they found a rifle and ammunition cans, Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown said. He said the couple apparently had been staying there for the last day or two.

Guo, who was from China, was a pre-computer science major and worked as a peer adviser at the schools International Student and Scholar Services Office, the universitys president, David W. Pershing, said in a statement, according to FOX13. Pershing described the shooting as a senseless and random act of violence. The schools dean said students described Guo as outgoing charming, creative and smart and very engaged in the university.

Pershing added the university was working to bring Guos family to Utah.

University officials issued an alert on campus around 9 p.m. saying: Shots fired. Red Butte Canyon. Shelter in Place. The lockdown was lifted six hours later, but classes were canceled on Halloween.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Two Texas teens who chose to sit during the Pledge of Allegiance to protest injustice have sued their schools, claiming teachers and administrators subjected them to months of harassment and violated their Constitutional rights.

One lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, alleges a student, identified as M.O. in court filings, was disciplined by school officials and bullied by other students, despite the efforts of her mother to resolve the issue with administrators.

Although she began sitting during the pledge in 2014, the harassment reached its apex in September 2017 when a teacher allegedly said those who refused to participate in the Pledge were unappreciative and disrespectful, and compared anyone who wouldn't stand to communists and those who condone pedophilia, according to the lawsuit.

School officials at Klein Oak High School have violated the First Amendment rights of M.O. and her mother, said Geoffrey Blackwell, staff attorney for American Atheists, in a statement posted online. For years, they were complicit in a bullying and harassment campaign of a student who did nothing more than peacefully exercise those rights.

American Atheists is a nonprofit that advocates for the separation of church and state and is funding the lawsuit.

STUDENT EXPELLED FOR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE SITDOWN, LAWSUIT CLAIMS

The school district released a statement to Fox News saying it was aware of the lawsuit, however, it denies the allegations and, after investigation and discussion with those involved over a three-year span, finds multiple discrepancies in the allegations. The district said it does not tolerate harassment against students.

The students mother withdrew her from Klein Oak and homeschooled her, allegedly incurring expenses over $10,000, and the lawsuit seeks a judgement confirming her rights were violated as well as compensatory and punitive damages.

The first reason I sit is because, obviously, it is my Constitutional right, but I also believe that we live in a country where there isnt justice and freedom for all, and so Im not going to stand for a pledge that says there is when there really isnt, the teenager said during a press conference, according to KPRC Houston.

In 1943, the Supreme Court ruled in West Virginia Board of Education v. Barnette that a student could not be forced to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

The second lawsuit, filed on behalf of India Landry and her mother against the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, says the student protested without incident until October.

On Oct. 2, the student was with the principal and school secretary in the principals office when she refused to stand for the Pledge and was expelled, according to the lawsuit.

INDIANA MOM SUES PRINCIPAL, TEACHER AFTER SON 'FORCED' TO RECITE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

She asked me to, and I said I wouldnt, Landry, a senior at Windfern High School, told KHOU. And she said, Well, youre out of here.

She was then allegedly told to get a ride home from her mother within five minutes or she would be escorted out of the school by police.

This is not the NFL, the schools secretary reportedly said.

The students mother, Kizzy, who told local media that she recorded a phone conversation with the principal, alleges the principal said, She can't come to my school if she won't stand for the Pledge."

I dont think that the flag is what it says its for, for liberty and justice and all that. It's not obviously what's going on in America today," Landry said.

The Cypress-Fairbanks district released a statement to Fox News stating it had not been served any papers in the matter and "will not be able to comment on any potential litigation," adding the student is still enrolled and attending classes.
The New Hampshire state attorney general said Tuesday he is probing allegations of sexual misconduct against three Dartmouth professors.

The announcement came a week after Dartmouth said it was investigating potential serious misconduct against the three educators without clarification.

Attorney General Gordon MacDonald said his investigation is based on information provided by the Ivy League school.

This office has engaged in a dialogue with Dartmouth College and we have learned from the College that it has received allegations of sexual misconduct, MacDonald said.

The three professors are Todd Heatherton, Bill Kelley and Paul Whalen according to officials. They are members of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the Hanover school.

They've been placed on paid leave and had their access to the campus restricted.

It is important to remember that investigations are ongoing, with no official findings yet produced, Dartmouth president Phil Hanlon said in an email Tuesday to the campus community. However, we take these allegations very seriously and are pursuing our own independent investigations in coordination with law enforcement officials.

Heatherton and his colleagues did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News.

Last week, a local attorney told the Valley News in West Lebanon that Heatherton was cooperating with Dartmouths investigation.
Gut-wrenching testimony at the sentencing hearing for Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl will likely continue Tuesday as the deserter's defense team questions officials who treated and debriefed the soldier following his brutal five years of captivity by Taliban allies.

The defense presentation began Monday in North Carolina with Bergdahl himself describing his experience in enemy hands. And that served as a dramatic counterpoint to the emotional testimony of the final prosecution witness, Shannon Allen, whose husband is unable to speak and needs help with everyday tasks after being shot in the head while searching for Bergdahl in Afghanistan.

Georgia National Guard Master Sgt. Mark Allen's daughter is now 9 years old, and "he's never had the chance to really play with her," she said.

Bergdahl, who faces up to life in prison for endangering his comrades after pleading guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, told the judge he didn't mean to cause harm when he walked off his post in 2009.

He spoke for two hours, apologizing to those wounded searching for him, and describing his captivity and the challenges he still faces with daily life.

Asked by a defense attorney what the worst part was, he said it wasn't the beatings: "The worst was the constant, just the constant deterioration of everything. The constant pain from my body falling apart. The constant screams from my mind," he said, haltingly.

"It was the years of waiting to see whether or not the next time someone opens the door if that would be the person coming to execute you."

He described brutal conditions, including beatings with copper wire and unending bouts of gastrointestinal problems brought on by squalid conditions. He was kept in a cage for four out of the five years after several escape attempts, his muscles atrophying to the point he could barely stand or walk.

Bergdahl said he still has nightmares that make it hard to sleep more than five hours. He checks his door at least three times to make sure it's secure each night and sleeps with a flashlight nearby. He wakes up sometimes not remembering that he's back in the U.S., he said, and has daytime flashbacks to captivity arising from unpredictable triggers.

Because Bergdahl's words in court were an unsworn statement, prosecutors won't be given the chance to cross-examine him.

The 31-year-old soldier from Hailey, Idaho, was brought home by President Barack Obama in 2014 in a swap for five Taliban prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.

Earlier Monday, the judge, Army Col. Jeffery Nance, ruled that Donald Trump's scathing criticism of Bergdahl  made first as a candidate and reaffirmed as commander-in-chief  won't prevent the soldier from receiving a fair sentence. Nance also said that a reasonable member of the public would not have doubts about the fairness of military justice because of Trump's comments.

He rejected a defense request to rule that it would be unfair to give Bergdahl any prison time. The judge did say, however, that he would consider Trump's comments as a mitigating factor, not an aggravating factor, in the sentencing. Other mitigating and aggravating factors that he could consider include Bergdahl's mental health and serious wounds to service members who searched for him.

The hearing is expected to last several more days. Defense attorneys told the judge that one of the next witnesses they plan to call is an official who debriefed Bergdahl from the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency, which works with captive service members. The official testified in 2015 that Bergdahl was "skin over bones" and had been subjected to worse conditions than any American prisoner of war since the Vietnam War.

___

Follow Drew at www.twitter.com/jonldrew
An online petition signed by more than 200,000 people is demanding a halt to a taxpayer-funded research project at Texas A&M University that studies muscular dystrophys debilitating effects in golden retrievers, arguing that it is cruel and scientifically useless.

Two Texas A&M students are behind the Change.org petition, which seeks an end to the experimentation led by Dr. Joseph Kornegay, in which the dogs are bred to develop different types of muscular dystrophy, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy -- a particularly severe form of the disease that causes progressive muscle wasting and weakness.

"Studies with these dogs haven't led to a cure or even a treatment to reverse disease symptoms, even after experimenting for 30 years," states the petition, which as of Tuesday morning had 217,645 signatures.

The petition follows a year-long protest by animal rights activists that began after an anonymous worker at the Texas A&M laboratory sent photos and videos of disabled dogs to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

The images, obtained by PETA in 2013, showed golden retrievers struggling to walk and eat. Drool dripped from the mouths of dogs whose jaw muscles had weakened as a result of disease. PETA promptly filed an open records request for information about the research, which the group contends Kornegay has been conducting for more than 30 years at various institutions.

By late last year, PETA compiled corroborating evidence from the university on the research as well as testimony from scientists who claim the experiments are of no value to human patients.

"We had no idea that these sorts of experiments were going on," Dr. Alka Chandna, PETA's senior laboratory oversight specialist, told Fox News.

"Its sad that in nature we see disease and disability but to deliberately breed animals to have muscular dystrophy is criminal," Chandna said. "They are using public money to conduct research that is painful and involves a lot of suffering."

"At the end of the day, dogs and humans are not being helped," she said.

In its effort to end the program, PETA cites Kornegay's own writings detailing how researchers stretch muscles of the dogs with levers to induce mechanical damage and how some dogs experience a shift in their hind limbs and an inability to open their mouths.

But the university stands firm in its belief that the research is valuable in developing new treatments for the disease in humans -- in particular, Duchenne muscular dystrophy. DMD is a genetic disease that affects boys, all of whom die early in life.

"While DMD occurs in nature in both children and dogs, the disease is not as severe in dogs, which means dogs offer a unique opportunity to learn as much as possible, thereby helping all affected by DMD," university spokeswoman Amy Smith said, speaking on behalf of Kornegay and the research project.

"After years of study, we are close to a promising novel treatment involving gene therapy," she said.

Smith also noted that the Federal Drug Administration requires medications to be studied in at least two animal species before being tried with people.

"Without animal studies, there will be no new medications for people," she said.

Texas A&M also defends its handling of the dogs, saying they are treated with "great care and tenderness for the heroes that they are."

Similar studies on dogs with muscular dystrophy are being conducted in one other U.S. university and possibly a third.

Kornegay, who works at Texas A&M's Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, has written for more than 30 publications about his research on muscular dystrophy in dogs, including a 2013 article titled "Comparative Genomics of X-linked Muscular Dystrophies: The Golden Retriever Model."

"Theres not another way," Kornegay told Fox News in a December 2016 interview.

"Im a dog lover. Im a veterinarian. Ive had dogs all my life," he said. "So every time we have a research project we want to be as sure as we can that the research will be valuable because the dogs are valuable. Not financially valuable, but valuable as individuals."

Animals rights groups, however, say the photos and video "say it all" about the treatment of the dogs at Texas A&M.

"I think it's clear there's no love there. There's no care there. This is not what anybody would consider humane," said Chandna.

"The university's claims ring hallow," she said. "Decades of tormenting and killing dogs have yielded nothing."
A Florida man was arrested Friday after he claimed a body that was found in his room was a life-size blow-up doll made with human flesh and not a dead woman, police said.

Jerome Wright, 32, was charged with abusing a dead human body after Miami-Dade police said they found a decomposing corpse with its stomach gutted in his closet.

Police arrived at the home of Wrights mother Friday evening after she called the police to notify them of a foul odor coming from her sons bedroom, the Miami Herald reported.

Police said they found a badly mutilated body covered in sheets in the closet, the paper reported. Police said a decomposed leg was sticking out from the sheet.

Della Wright, his mother, told police that her sons girlfriend Deanna Clendinen often stayed with her son. When questioned by police, Jerome Wright said he had not seen his girlfriend in five months.

Police took a closer look at the womans body and found a large laceration across her stomach and found that several of her organs were missing, the Herald reported. Police said they found the organs outside in a garbage can next to the home.

Jerome Wright denied killing the woman and insisted that the body was not real, police said. Police said Wright insisted that anything found in his room was from the internet.

Pending the medical examiners report, well know which way the investigation will go, Miami-Dade Detective Alvaro Zabaleta told the newspaper.

As of Monday, Wright had not been charged with murder but police said that it was not off the table.
TOP OF THE MORNING

Welcome to Fox News First. Not signed up yet? Click here.

Happy Halloween  Developing now, Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017:

No mention of Russian collusion by special counsel Mueller, but are more charges coming?

Ingraham Angle Exclusive: White House Chief of Staff John Kelly talks Mueller, Gold Star families and more

Analysis: Hillary Clinton should be worried

Facebook, Google and Twitter face grilling on Capitol Hill

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Don't miss Shannon Bream's exclusive interview with Vice President Mike Pence on "Fox News @ Night" tonight at 11 p.m ET!

THE LEAD STORY: Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his associate Rick Gates have pleaded not guilty after being indicted on 12 counts as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling and potential collusion with Trump campaign officials in the 2016 presidential election. But perhaps most noteworthy is that the 31-page indictment makes no mention of Trump or Russia or "collusion" ... The charges brought against Manafort and Gates focus on alleged actions before the two had any association with the Trump campaign. According to the indictment, between at least 2006 and 2015, Manafort and Gates acted as unregistered agents of the Government of Ukraine and laundered the money through scores of the United States and foreign corporations, partnerships and bank accounts in order to hide Ukraine payments from U.S. authorities.

Perhaps the closest Mueller's investigators come to a collusion case is the guilty plea by former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos. However, Papadopoulos, who has been described by Trump campaign officials as a low-level volunteer, was not charged with having improper communications with Russians but rather with lying to FBI agents. Are more charges coming from Mueller's team? Judge Andrew Napolitano says Manafort indictment is the "first of many dominoes to fall". Legal scholar Alan Dershowitz says charges are part of an effort to gather evidence on higher-level members of the Trump campaign and administration, including President Donald Trump himself.

INGRAHAM ANGLE EXCLUSIVE: In a wide-ranging interview on Fox News' "The Ingraham Angle," White House chief of staff John Kelly said the administration believes the law should run its course in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation before jumping to conclusions ... Kelly also made no apologies for his defense of Trump against Rep. Frederica Wilson.

MAYBE HILLARY AND COMPANY SHOULD BRACE FOR RUSSIA COLLUSION CHARGES: Fox News legal analyst Gregg Jarrett believes that while a case against President Trump is weak, there may be evidence of Russian collusion facing Hillary Clinton and her campaign ... "It is against the law for the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee to funnel millions of dollars to a British spy and to Russian sources in order to obtain the infamous and discredited Trump 'dossier,'" he writes in his latest column. "Damning new evidence appears to show that Clinton used her office as Secretary of State to confer benefits to Russia in exchange for millions of dollars in donations to her foundation and cash to her husband," Jarrett continues. "Secret recordings, intercepted emails, financial records, and eyewitness accounts allegedly show that Russian nuclear officials enriched the Clintons at the very time Hillary presided over a governing body which unanimously approved the sale of one-fifth of Americas uranium supply to Russia. If this proves to be a corrupt "pay-to-play" scheme, it would constitute a myriad of crimes ..."

TECH COMPANIES ON THE HOT SEAT: Major tech companies will face the first of two days of grilling on Capitol Hill today when they testify before Congress on Russian activity on their platforms during the 2016 election ... Facebook General Counsel Colin Stretch is scheduled to testify in front of the Senate judiciary subcommittee on crime and terrorism this afternoon, alongside the general counsels for Twitter Inc. and Alphabet Inc.s Google. Twitter and Google also have found evidence of Russian activity on their platforms during the 2016 U.S. presidential election period. Facebook Inc. estimates that about 126 million people may have seen content posted by Russian-backed accounts over more than two years that sought to disrupt American society, the social-media giant plans to tell congressional investigators, according to a prepared copy of the remarks obtained by The Wall Street Journal.

ABOUT LAST NIGHT

WHAT IS AMERICA? "The people took their power back on Election Day, and the establishment is mad as hell. Let's face it, they don't really like the American people, not very much at least. This show is going to be about all of this and certainly the political, the legal and the cultural battles of the day, but something more: how all of that affects your life and that of your families."  Laura Ingraham, in her opening monologue during the premiere of "The Ingraham Angle," explaining to viewers what her show will be about. WATCH

GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF RUSSIA: "I think they're getting to the bottom of some of these facts. I don't think all of these facts are leading where the Democrats wanted. But that's part of the reason why we have investigations and that's why we follow the facts."  Sen. Mike Lee, on "Fox News @ Night," discussing the pace of the various congressional investigations on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. WATCH

MINDING YOUR BUSINESS

Are Amazon, Facebook, Google too big for current regulatory rules?

Mnuchin, Cohn field New York GOP concerns in late night call ahead of tax reform final plan.

Obama Foundation summit: Prince Harry, Chobani founder among attendees.

NEW IN FOX NEWS OPINION

Hey, Trump fans: Manafort indictment means your hero isn't perfect (and that's OK).

JFK files release -- The dangerous threat behind the documents we still can't see.

Democratic women in the Senate were all for these tax reform principles until Trump proposed them.

HOLLYWOOD SQUARED

House of Cards ending amid Kevin Spacey sexual harassment claim.

Bryan Cranston: 'F--- you' to anyone who wants Trump to fail.

Harvey Weinstein reportedly sees himself as a martyr for social change.

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS?

Spooky Halloween cocktails that are perfect for parties.

Pre-Halloween warning: FDA warns about too much black licorice.

Mysterious rock art uncovered in caves on uninhabited Caribbean island.

STAY TUNED

On Fox News:

Fox & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski gives his perspective on Paul Manafort's indictment in the Mueller investigation; Republican candidate for governor Ed Gillespie talks about the Virginia race; a look at how the creator of "Dilbert" predicted President Trump's historic win; plus, our annual Halloween costume parade.

Your World with Neil Cavuto, 4 p.m. ET: Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone gives his take on whether the GOP will get tax reform done before the end of the year.

Hannity, 9 p.m. ET: Radio host and author Mark Levin joins Sean for a deep look into Washington and the media's attempts to take down President Trump.

Fox News @ Night, 11 p.m. ET: Vice President Mike Pence sits down with Shannon Bream for an exclusive interview on the Mueller indictment, tax reform and more!

On Fox Business:

Mornings with Maria, 6 a.m. ET: Former congressman Jason Chaffetz and Alan Dershowitz take on the fallout from special counsel Mueller's indictments; Rep. Peter Roskam, chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax Policy, sounds off on the latest in the quest for tax reform.

Varney & Co., 9 a.m. ET: Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley sounds off on the Mueller Russia investigation.

Lou Dobbs Tonight, 7 p.m. ET: Rep. Jim Jordan weighs in on what could be next in the Mueller Russia investigation.

On Fox News Radio:

The Brian Kilmeade Show, 9 a.m. ET to Noon ET: The Mueller indictment will be the main hot topic of the day with the following guests: former congressman Allen West, former federal prosecutor Sidney Powell, and Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

#OnThisDay

1999: EgyptAir Flight 990, bound from New York to Cairo, crashes off the Massachusetts coast, killing all 217 people aboard.

1984: Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is assassinated by two Sikh security guards.

1975: The Queen single "Bohemian Rhapsody" is released in the United Kingdom by EMI Records.

Thank you for joining us on Fox News First! Enjoy your Tuesday and we'll see you in your inbox first thing Wednesday morning.
An Illinois man was charged with murder Tuesday after his mother was found dismembered in a Chicago lagoon.

Brian Peck, 55, reported his mother, Gail Peck, 76, missing Friday afternoon after she went for a walk with her dog and the dog returned home without her. Police initiated an hours-long search on foot, a drone, helicopter and all-terrain vehicles.

During the investigation, police received information that suggested Pecks disappearance may not have occurred as reported by her son prompting an extensive search of their Elgin, Illinois home.

On Saturday, three duffel bags containing human remains were discovered in a lagoon at Chicagos Lincoln Park. Police believe the remains in all three bags are from the same person.

Investigators have evidence the body is Gail Peck. They also are doing DNA testing, which isnt complete, but police have enough evidence to charge Brian Peck, Deputy Chief Bill Wolf said.

Peck faces two counts of first-degree murder and one count of concealment of a homicidal death, Elgin police said. He was scheduled to appear for a bond hearing Tuesday afternoon.

The Arlington Heights Daily Herald reports that DuPage County records show Gail Peck filed an order of protection against her son in March 2016. She told police they argued about loud music he was playing and he twice put her in a chokehold and said he was going to kill her.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Latest on man whose mother's dismembered remains believed to have been found (all times local):

3:15 p.m.

A suburban Chicago man whose mother's dismembered remains are believed to have been found in a Chicago park lagoon has been ordered held without bond.

Brian Peck of Elgin was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of concealment of a homicidal death. Police say the 55-year-old Peck told Elgin authorities on Friday that 76-year-old Gail Peck went for a walk and didn't return.

During a hearing Tuesday, prosecutors alleged Brian Peck attempted to conceal the body in recently purchased luggage.

Citing details from prosecutors that indicated "extensive planning and premeditation," Cook County Judge Steven J. Goebel said Peck posed an "extreme real and present threat."

___

12:10 p.m.

Police in the Chicago suburb of Elgin say murder charges have been filed against a man whose mother's dismembered remains are believed to have been found in a Chicago park lagoon.

Elgin Police Chief Jeff Swoboda said Tuesday that 55-year-old Brian Peck of Elgin was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of concealment of a homicidal death. Police say Peck on Friday told Elgin police that 76-year-old Gail Peck went for a walk and didn't return. That prompted an hours-long search that included a helicopter.

On Saturday two duffel bags containing human remains were discovered in a lagoon at Chicago's Lincoln Park. Elgin police say investigators have evidence the body is Gail Peck. They also are doing DNA testing.

Brian Peck is scheduled to appear in bond court Tuesday afternoon.
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The man accused of plowing into New York pedestrians Tuesday had a printout of an ISIS flag in his car and left behind handwritten notes pledging his loyalty to the Islamic State, as a clearer picture emerged Wednesday morning of Sayfullo Saipov's alleged links to the terror group.

Saipov, 29, is originally from Uzbekistan and is not a U.S. citizen, federal law enforcement sources have confirmed to Fox News.

Saipov had handwritten notes pledging his loyalty to the Islamic State terror network and shouted "Allahu akbar" ("God is great") after the crash, law enforcement officials told Fox News.

Saipov's notes, written in Arabic and pledging loyalty to ISIS, turned up in and near the vehicle, Fox News was told. In addition, the New York Post reported that investigators found "an image of the ISIS flag inside his vehicle."

The attack on a bright Halloween afternoon occurred not far from the new World Trade Center building and the site of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Saipov, who was shot by police, was taken into custody and remained hospitalized. Eight people died in the attack and 11 were injured.

The suspect had a green card, a source told Fox News. Saipov came to the U.S. in 2010, and, according to the Associated Press, has a Florida driver's license but was said to be living in Paterson, N.J.

Saipov was an Uber driver who had passed a background check, the company told Fox News. It added that Saipov has now been banned from the app, and Uber has offered assistance to the FBI.

Four of the injured were teachers and students who were riding on a short yellow school bus near Stuyvesant High School when they were hit by the suspect's Home Depot rental truck. One student remained in critical condition.

A victim killed in the attack was a Belgian citizen, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Didier Reyners tweeted Tuesday. Three Belgians were also injured.

Others killed in the attack were Argentine citizens, according to Argentina's Foreign Ministry. Argentine newspaper La Nacion reported five of the eight people killed were Argentines traveling in the U.S. on a celebratory vacation.

Those killed, according to the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were Hernan Mendoza, Diego Angelini, Alejandro Pagnucco, Ariel Erlij and Hernan Ferruchi.

The attack was being treated as an act of terrorism. At a news conference Tuesday evening, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called the attack "an act of terror and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians."

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo described it as a "lone wolf" attack, and added that there was no immediate evidence to suggest that there was a wider plot.

Around the globe, cities have been on high alert regarding vehicle attacks. ISIS has been encouraging its followers to mow down people, and Britain, France and Germany have all seen deadly vehicle attacks in recent months and years.

FBI officials confirmed to Fox News that they have agents responding to the situation with the New York Police Department. A bomb squad examined the truck, but found no explosives.

Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke said in a statement that DHS and its law enforcement partners "remain vigilant and committed to safeguarding the American people."

Following the attack, President Donald Trump tweeted, "looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!"

Trump later tweeted his "thoughts, condolences and prayers to the victims and families of the New York City terrorist attack. God and your country are with you!"

Police said the truck entered the bike path on West Street a few blocks from the new World Trade Center  the site of the deadliest terror attack in U.S. history  and plowed into several people. The driver jumped out of his rental truck  which police say Saipov rented from a Home Depot in New Jersey around 2 p.m. Tuesday  carrying what turned out to be a paintball gun and a pellet gun.

Video of the attack provided to Fox News by a witness shows the accused suspect running through traffic on the West Side Highway, surrounded by police in the nearby area.

Despite the attack, the city's Halloween Parade went on as planned, with police "dramatically increasing presence," including "personnel, blocker trucks, long guns etc.," according to de Blasio's press secretary. Cuomo and de Blasio both attended the annual event.

Fox News' Jake Gibson, Catherine Herridge, Rick Leventhal and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
A parent on the Menominee reservation found a packet of meth among her childs trick-or-treat Halloween candy.

The parent turned the small packet of crystal powder over to police early Monday and officers say it tested positive for meth. The child did not ingest the powder that was wrapped inside a small Ziploc baggy.

The incident occurred on Sunday during a Halloween event in the downtown area of the reservation and it is unclear if the meth was dropping in the bag intentionally or by accident.

Menominee Tribal Police are urging parents to check their childrens candy if they have been trick or treating in the Keshena area on the Menominee reservation.

"It is a Ziploc bag. Unfortunately Ziploc baggies can open up, we don't know if there's more out there. Right now this is an isolated incident, but if there was more out there, if it does get through the Ziploc baggies and kids are touching this candy, that can be very dangerous to them. Even the parents," Joshua Lawe, a Menominee Tribal Police detective, said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
Roy Moore lunched with the Senate Republican establishment he has repeatedly derided.

The Alabama Senate candidate and former jurist joined Vice President Mike Pence and GOP senators at their weekly, closed-door policy luncheon on Tuesday. Republicans, who had mostly favored appointed Sen. Luther Strange, have endorsed Moore as they look ahead to the Dec. 12 special election to fill the seat held for years by Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Emerging from the luncheon, Moore faced questions from reporters about past statements on religion and his criticism of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Moore has said Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., should not be allowed to serve in Congress because he's a Muslim. Asked about those comments, Moore declined to comment, saying, "I'll address that later."

Moore's presence in the Senate came as Republicans repeatedly have defended one of President Donald Trump's judicial nominees, Amy Coney Barrett, who has faced questions about whether her Catholicism influences her legal opinion. GOP senators criticized Democrats for that line of questioning and insisted there is no religious test to hold office.

As Republicans have backed Moore, Ellison tweeted on Monday: "Do these folks know they've stood by a Senate candidate who thinks I shouldn't be able to serve in Congress, simply because of my faith?"

A few Republican senators have distanced themselves from Moore's comments.

"Anyone who says a Muslim shouldn't serve in Congress is applying a religious test. That's unconstitutional. That's not right," said Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.

Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, the No. 2 Senate Republican, has endorsed Moore. He said on Monday that just because he and Moore are both Republicans "doesn't mean you agree 100 percent with what some other office holder or candidate for office feels, so I would disagree with that statement" by Moore.

Moore has been removed from office twice, once for refusing to remove a Ten Commandments monument from Alabama's judicial building and then suspended for insisting probate judges refuse same-sex couples marriage licenses.

McConnell and top Republicans had backed Strange in the September runoff, and a McConnell-aligned PAC invested some $9 million for his candidacy.

Moore used fundraising appeals to blast McConnell, saying "dirty tricks and schemes ... like turning out Democrats to vote for his crony Luther Strange in our Republican primary," and Moore in the Senate "means the END of Mitch McConnell's reign as Majority Leader."

Although Trump backed Strange, Moore easily won the September runoff with the help of former White House adviser Steve Bannon.

Moore told reporters on Tuesday that he spoke to McConnell and it "went well."
A Pennsylvania man who would dress as cartoon characters at children's parties is accused of sexually abusing five boys.

The allegations against 43-year-old Michael Cripps of Colwyn date back seven years.

Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan says authorities are concerned the allegations are the "tip of the iceberg."

Whelan says Cripps targeted single or divorced women with young boys and volunteered to babysit. There is no evidence he met any victims through his business in which he dressed up as Mickey Mouse, Elmo or SpongeBob SquarePants.

Cripps shouted "nope" when asked if he was guilty while he was led from the courthouse on Monday. He's held on $250,000 bail and awaits preliminary hearings.
A man who told his stepdaughter her mother was sick is accused of beating his wife to death with a hammer, police in South Carolina said.

April Mosley said it wasn't like her mother not to return phone calls, so she and her sister entered the home, smelled cleaning supplies, saw blood, and then found the body of 58-year-old Mildred Burris Arnold.

Lancaster Police Chief Scott Grant said in a news release Monday that 49-year-old Matthew James Alman has been charged with murder. It was not known Tuesday if Alman has an attorney.
Nearly a year since a Wisconsin woman died at a Mexican resort after she became severely ill from drinking what is believed to be tainted liquor, officials are calling on the State Department and Office of the Inspector General on Monday to conduct additional investigations into Mexican resorts serving bootleg alcohol.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., the chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, sent the letter to Inspector General Steve Linick urging investigators to examine how the State Department monitors, records and reports overseas incidents involving physical abuse or death after the potential consumption of tainted alcohol, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

The call came after Wisconsin college student Abbey Conner, 20, died on a family vacation at Iberostar Paraiso del Mar, just north of Playa del Carmen, in January. Conner and her brother were drinking tequila, believed to be tainted, at the resorts swim-up bar when they became ill. She was found unconscious in the pool and died in the hospital several days later. Her brother, who was also found unconscious next to her, survived the horrific ordeal.

WARNING ISSUED OVER POSSIBLY TAINTED ALCOHOL IN MEXICO

In early September, a Missouri woman also said she was hospitalized after taking two shots of tequila at an all-inclusive Playa del Carmen resort that caused her to collapse.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel received more than 100 travelers accounts of experiencing similar events  drinking a minuscule amount of alcohol and blacking out or becoming violently ill moments later. Some people reported being robbed and raped because they were unconscious. Johnson and Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., have been pressing the State Department for more action and answers following Conners death.

The number of reported incidents prompted the State Department to issue a warning to American tourists staying at the resorts. However, some senators, including Edward Markey, D-Mass., say the State Department is downplaying the risks of ingesting the potentially fatal liquid.

Mexican authorities have taken some action. Regulators raided 31 hot spots in Cancun and Playa del Carmen and seized 10,000 gallons of tainted alcohol from a manufacturing company in early August following Conners death.
A 44-year-old Texas woman was arrested last week after she admitted to having sex with her daughter's teenage boyfriend, according to court records.

Claudia Yaneth Lopez of Pharr was charged with sexual assault of a child after she confessed, KGBT reported.

Police said an investigation began after they were contacted in August by a woman who said she found a suggestive text message on her son's phone and thought he had sex with Lopez.

The boy was younger than 17 at the time, according to court records obtained by the television station.

During an interview in September, the teen told police he had sex with the Lopez.

Public records don't show any previous criminal history for Lopez, who faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the second-degree felony, the Dallas Morning News reported.
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 Vermont man dressed as a clown was arrested Sunday after he was found sleeping in a stranger's home and in possession of cocaine, cops said.

Vermont State Police said in a news release they were called around 3:30 a.m. to the home in Marlboro, located just outside Brattleboro, where a teenager found an unknown man sleeping in an upstairs bedroom.

When police arrived, they allegedly found Sean J. Barber, 43, of Wilmington, Vt. in the home, "intoxicated and sleeping in an upstairs bedroom."

The 43-year-old was found in be in possession of cocaine, according to cops.

Barber was arrested and charged with unlawful trespass and possession of cocaine. He was ordered held at the Southern State Correctional Facility, and has a Dec. 5 court date.
A South Korean lawmaker said Tuesday the country is "almost 100 percent certain" that North Korean hackers pilfered several of its sensitive military documents as part of a massive cyberattack last year, including classified naval warship blueprints.

Kyung Dae-soo, a member of the Liberty Korea opposition party, told Reuters that North Korea likely accessed the files after breaching the databases of South Korea-based Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co., Ltd in April 2016.

The company has constructed several South Korean submarines and Aegis-class missile warships. Kyung said North Korea likely lifted blueprints for these vessels.

Aegis-class destroyers are capable of shooting down ballistic missiles. The U.S. has regularly tested Aegis anti-missile systems in the region this year as tensions with North Korea have heightened.

Daewoo, which is one of South Korea's largest shipbuilders, said it is currently in the process of confirming details of the apparent breach, according to Reuters. Kyung said the method of the hack resembled other data intrusions orchestrated by North Korea.

Approximately 60 classifed files were among the 40,000 documents accessed during the cyberattack, Bloomberg reported.

Kyung told Retuers the breach was uncovered by South Korea's Ministry of Defense, which monitors cyberattacks.
Bosnian authorities said a man with suspected terrorism links has been extradited to the United States on Tuesday.

The prosecutor's office said in a statement that the agency has taken part in a "complex operation" to locate the suspect and hand him over to the U.S. The operation was kept secret for three months, and no other details were immediately revealed.

Bosnian media have identified the suspect as Mirsad Kandic, an alleged Islamic State group supporter from Kosovo sought for years by the U.S.

The Zurnal online news portal said Kandic was arrested in the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo in July, and kept in detention until his extradition Tuesday. It said that Kandic, who has used several other names and different passports to travel, is "one of the most wanted IS associates."

Kandic has reportedly spent time in the former IS stronghold of Raqqa, and helped Australian teenage suicide bomber Jake Bilardi, also known as Jihadi Jake, reach the Islamic-held territory in 2014. Bilardi, 18, has died in a suicide bomb attack west of Baghdad in March 2015.

Zurnal said that Kandic is suspected of supplying the IS with suicide vests as well as weapons.

Kandic was reportedly transported on a special U.S. flight from Sarajevo airport. It wasn't immediately clear who Kandic's legal representative was in Bosnia before he left the country.
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.
German police on Tuesday said they thwarted an Islamist-motivated bomb attack that aimed to kill as many people as possible.

Authorities identified Yamen A., 19, a Syrian migrant, as the suspect. Police searched his home and also those of other people not suspected of being directly involved, Reuters reported.

Authorities further detailed how he obtained components and chemicals for the construction of an explosive device. It is unclear whether the suspect had a specific target in mind. It is also unclear if he is a member of a terrorist network.

The alleged plot comes amidst criticism leveled at Chancellor Angela Merkel for her open door policy that allowed one million people to enter Germany over the past two years, many of whom were refugees from Syria.
Something is wishy-washy here.

Two Hawaii women who claimed they were lost at sea for five months and would have been dead within 24 hours had the U.S. Navy not picked them up last week never activated their emergency beacon, the Coast Guard said Tuesday, adding to a growing list of inconsistencies and questions that cast doubt on their harrowing tale of survival in the Pacific Ocean.

"If the thing was operational and it was turned on, a signal should have been received very, very quickly that this vessel was in distress," Phillip R. Johnson, a retired Coast Guard officer, said Monday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

The women previously said they had radios, satellite phones, GPS and other emergency gear, but they didn't mention the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, or EPIRB.

A Coast Guard review of the incident and subsequent interviews with the women revealed they had an EPIRB aboard their boat but never turned it on.

More than five months after they departed from Hawaii for a planned trip to Tahiti and the South Pacific, they were picked up in the western Pacific about 900 miles southeast of Japan. The two women and their dogs were all in good health when recovered by the U.S. Navy Wednesday, a day after being spotted by a Taiwanese fishing vessel.

Jennifer Appel confirmed in an interview with The Associated Press Tuesday they had the beacon and did not use it. She said that in her experience, it should be used only when you are in imminent physical danger and going to die in the next 24 hours.

"Our hull was solid, we were floating, we had food, we had water, and we had limited maneuverable capacity," Appel said in Japan, where the U.S. Navy took them. "All those things did not say we are going to die. All that said, it's going to take us a whole lot longer to get where we're going."

However, just hours earlier, Appel appeared to contradict herself by claiming her scenario was a life or death situation.

Had [the USS Ashland] not been able to locate us, we would have been dead within 24 hours, she told reporters in Okinawa on Monday, adding that they were both extremely grateful for the men and women of the USS Ashland.

HAWAII WOMEN SAY THEY ARE ALREADY PLANNING THEIR NEXT BOATING VACATION

They saved our lives, Appel also said last week, according to a Navy press release. The pride and smiles we had when we saw [the Navy] on the horizon was pure relief.

The two say they were able to last on the open waters because they packed a water purifier and enough dried food to last a year.

The EPIRB communicates with satellites and sends locations to authorities. It's activated when it's submerged in water or turned on manually. The alert signal sends a location to rescuers within minutes.

Johnson described the device as sturdy and reliable, but added that old and weak batteries could cause a unit not to function.

But Appel and Tasha Fuiava also said they had six forms of communication that all failed to work.

"There's something wrong there," Johnson said. "I've never heard of all that stuff going out at the same time."

In retrospect, though, Appel said there were two times that she would have used it  once when she and Fuiava were off Hawaii around late June to early July, and a second time off Wake Island on Oct. 1.

"That's a lesson learned for me, because that was the best chance we had in the ocean to get help," Appel said of the Wake Island missed opportunity.

Previously, Appel and Fuiava had said they were close to giving up when the Navy rescued them last week, thousands of miles off course.

The two women met in late 2016, and within a week of knowing each other decided to take the trip together. Fuiava had never sailed a day in her life. They planned to take 18 days to get to Tahiti, then travel the South Pacific and return to Hawaii in October. They set off May 3.

U.S. NAVY TO USE XBOX CONTROLLERS ON HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED SUBMARINES

Their accounts of the weather conditions during the trip also are not consistent with weather reports or basic geography of the Pacific Ocean, according to The Associated Press.

On their first day at sea, the two women described running into a fierce storm that tossed their vessel with 60 mph winds and 30-foot seas for three days, but meteorologists say there was no severe weather anywhere along their route during that time.

After leaving "we got into a Force 11 storm, and it lasted for two nights and three days," Appel has said of the storm they encountered off Oahu. In one of the first signs of trouble, she said she lost her cellphone overboard.

"We were empowered to know that we could withstand the forces of nature," Appel said. "The boat could withstand the forces of nature."

But the National Weather Service in Honolulu said no organized storm systems were in or near Hawaii on May 3 or in the days afterward. Archived NASA satellite images confirm there were no tropical storms around Hawaii that day. Appel expressed surprise that there was no record of the storm. She said they received a Coast Guard storm warning while sailing after sunset on May 3.

The pair said they thought about turning back, but the islands of Maui and Lanai didn't have harbors deep enough to accommodate their sailboat. At 50 feet long, however, the vessel is relatively small, and both islands have harbors that accommodate boats of that size. Plus, the Big Island  the southernmost island in Hawaii  has several places to dock.

Appel, though, said she modified her sailboat, called the Sea Nymph, by adding six tons of fiberglass to the hull to make it thicker and heavier and extend the keel to a depth of 8.5 feet to give the boat greater stability.

"Given the constraints of our vessel, we chose the appropriate action," she said.

So they pressed on.

Then, they say, another storm killed their engine at the end of May.

The Coast Guard made radio contact with a vessel that identified itself as the Sea Nymph in June near Tahiti, and the captain said they were not in distress and expected to make land the next morning.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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The Latest on developments in Syria (all times local):

9 p.m.

Russia says it will host Syrian talks next month aimed at reaching a political settlement.

Alexander Lavrentyev, the head of Russia's delegation at the talks between the Syrian government and the opposition in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, said the so-called Congress of National Dialogue will be held in Sochi on Nov. 18.

Lavrentyev said Tuesday in remarks carried by Russian news agencies that the gathering should bring together representatives of various opposition factions. He said they could discuss efforts to draft a new constitution and prepare parliamentary and presidential elections under U.N. monitoring.

Lavrentyev urged the armed opposition to attend the forum in Sochi and "take part in searching for ways of political settlement."

Syria's U.N. Ambassador Bashar al-Ja'afari said his government is ready to participate.

___

6 p.m.

The Russian military says that one of its submarines has launched cruise missiles at the Islamic State group in eastern Syria.

The Defense Ministry said that the Veliky Novgorod submarine on Tuesday launched three cruise missiles at IS facilities in the province of Deir el-Zour.

It said in a statement the missiles destroyed IS command facilities, fortified positions and an ammunition depot near the town of Abu-Kemal. The ministry said that it was the fourth time in two months that the submarine fired missiles at IS positions in Syria.

The Russian military has backed the Syrian army offensive in eastern Syria with intensive airstrikes and cruise missile launches

___

1:09 p.m.

Syrian activists say at least four children have been killed when government shelling hit their school in a rebel-held town outside the capital Damascus.

The Ghouta Media Center and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights say a shell landed Tuesday at the gate of a school in Jisreen, a town in the Eastern Ghouta suburbs of Damascus. The shelling killed five, including four children, and left many injured.

Residents of the Eastern Ghouta suburbs have been living under a suffocating government blockade amid intense bombings. The violence and siege have continued even though the suburbs are part of a de-escalation agreement guaranteed by Syrian government backers Russia and Iran.

On Monday, the United Nations said it reached thousands of the suburbs residents for the first time in over a month.
Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont tried to put asylum rumors to bed Tuesday, saying he was in Belgium to put an international spotlight on the political situation plaguing Spain, not to seek a safe haven.

Puigdemont, speaking at a press conference in Brussels, said he was not trying to escape from justice after prosecutors in Madrid recommended charges for rebellion and sedition be brought against him. Instead, he said, he was seeking "freedom and safety."

While he did not clarify how long he would stay in Belgium, Puigdemont said he would return immediately to Catalonia when given guarantees by the Spanish government of a fair judicial process.

"As long we consider it [necessary]. The situation is developing every day. Here we have better guarantees for our rights here and we can meet our obligations from here, he said when asked how long he would stay away from Catalonia.

He added: "If they can guarantee to all of us, and to me in particular, a just, independent process, with the separation of powers that we have in the majority of European nations  if they guarantee that, we would return immediately."

The press conference came on the heels of Spains Constitutional Court suspending the ousted Catalan parliaments recent vote to declare its independence while it studies its legality.

The vote, which was boycotted by opposition lawmakers, passed 70 votes to 10 in the 135-seat Catalan parliament Friday.

The Catalan parliament was formally dissolved Monday and Carme Forcadell, its speaker, was to head a transitional committee of lawmakers until a Dec. 21 regional election is held.

Puigdemont said on Tuesday he would support the snap election, adding he and his team will continue our work despite the limits imposed on us.

I ask the Catalan people to prepare for a long road. Democracy will be the foundation of our victory, he said.

Puigdemonts appearance in Brussels is a further twist in a month-long political crisis triggered by an independence referendum in Catalonia on Oct. 1.

On Monday, the Spanish government moved to put Catalonias secessionist leaders on trial for alleged crimes that carry maximum sentences of decades in prison.

Spain's state prosecutor said he would seek rebellion, sedition and embezzlement charges against members of the region's secessionist government.

The rebellion, sedition and embezzlement charges carry maximum sentences of 30, 15 and six years in prison, respectively. It wasn't immediately clear when judges would rule on the prosecutors' request.

Those facing charges include the ousted Puigdemont, and his No. 2, Oriol Junqueras, as well as Forcadell  high-profile figures in the region of 7.5 million people and its capital, Barcelona.

By targeting Puigdemont and some of his entourage, Spanish authorities apparently hoped to send a message that attempts to break up Spain will not be tolerated. The country has 17 autonomous regions, including Catalonia, but the constitution says Spain is "indivisible."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Kevin King, an American professor held hostage by the Taliban, is in poor health, according to a statement released by the extremist group on Monday.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announced that King is suffering from heart and kidney problems, often losing consciousness.

We have periodically tried to treat and care for him but since we are facing war conditions and do not readily have access to health facilities therefore we are unable to deliver complete treatment," the statement read according to CBS.

As a result, the Taliban is urging the United States to meet the groups demands, adding that if "the illness of Kevin King becomes incurable or he loses his life... (we) will not be held responsible."

In August of last year, King and his Australian colleague Timothy Weeks were captured by the Taliban outside of the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul, where the two were teaching.

In response to the Talibans statement on Monday, the University said in a statement that both King and Weeks are innocent victims of criminal abduction.

They came to Afghanistan to teach Afghan youth and contribute to building a peaceful Afghanistan. They have done no harm to anyone. We strongly urge the Taliban immediately to release Mr. King and Mr. Weeks unharmed, the statement reads.

As the two professors continue to be held hostage, heres what to know:

The kidnapping

King, 61, and Weeks, 49, were kidnapped in Kabul by five gunmen in August 2016. The two were reportedly taken from their SUV on a main road near the University. According to a Guardian report at the time, the men were thought to be traveling from the school toward their residence.

King and Weeks are believed to be held by the Afghan Taliban-linked Haqqani network.

U.S. SERVICE MEMBER DIES IN AFGHANISTAN HELICOPTER CRASH

The Haqqani network was also behind the kidnapping of Caitlan Coleman and Joshua Boyle-- a U.S/Canadian couple who was released earlier in October when they were rescued by Pakistani forces. The couple was captured in 2012 and had three children while in captivity.

Whats happened since King and Weeks were captured?

Since their capture, the Taliban has released two videos of King and Weeks. The first, which was released in January on YouTube, shows the two in an undisclosed location asking then President-elect Trump for a prisoner exchange.

If we stay here for much longer, we will be killed. I dont want to die here, Weeks said in the video.

Donald Trump, sir, I ask you, please. This is in your hands. I ask you please to negotiate with the Taliban. If you do not negotiate with them, we will be killed, he added.

In the second video, which was released in June, the two re-iterate their plea for a prisoner exchange on behalf of their captors.

My captors treat me well. They treat me and my colleague Tim Weeks as their guests; but every prisoners final wish is to get freedom from the prison, King said in June.

The U.S. government has previously agreed to Taliban demands of a prisoner swap. In 2014, the Haqqani group released Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in exchange for five Taliban prisoners.

Prior to his capture, Bergdahl walked off his post in Afghanistan in 2009. Bergdahl has since pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.

Whats been the response from the U.S. and Australia?

There has been at least one attempt by U.S. forces to rescue King and Weeks, but it was unsuccessful.

A team of Navy Seals reportedly invaded a militant hideout in the mountains in eastern Afghanistan, missing the two hostages by just a few hours, according to the Guardian.

We call for the immediate and unconditional release of Kevin King and all other hostages, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State told Fox News in a statement on Monday.

AFGHAN OFFICIAL: TALIBAN KILL 9 POLICE IN CHECKPOINT ATTACK

Taking and holding hostages is reprehensible and we condemn such actions in the strongest terms. The U.S. government will never stop trying to recover them and other Americans held by criminal and terrorist networks around the world. We adopt a whole-of-government approach to recover U.S. citizen hostages abroad, and we leverage all diplomatic, military, investigative, and intelligence elements in support of our recovery efforts.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families involved. Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment, the spokesperson added.

It is currently unclear if Trump will adhere to the Taliban's request for a prisoner swap.

After the release of the first video in January, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told the Australian Financial Review that the Australian government has been working closely with other governments to secure the release of an Australian man kidnapped in Afghanistan in August 2016. We have also been providing consular support to the man's family, who have requested privacy. Out of respect for his family's wishes, and in the interests of his own safety and well-being, we will not be commenting further."
Two uncles in India were convicted of raping their 10-year-old niece, who sparked national headlines after seeking an abortion for the baby she conceived with one of the men.

A fast-track court case found the two uncles guilty of raping their niece, who gave birth in August, on Tuesday. One trial took a month while the other uncle was convicted in 18 days, the BBC reported.

Sentencing is set for Thursday.

The harrowing case of the 10-year-old girl captured headlines both in India and around the world for several weeks.

SECOND UNCLE ARRESTED IN 10-YEAR-OLD INDIAN GIRL'S RAPE CASE

The girls parents discovered she was pregnant in mid-July when she complained of a stomach ache.

At 30-weeks pregnant, a local church in Chandigarh turned down her plea for an abortion, saying her pregnancy was too advanced. A doctors panel advised a medical termination would be too risky.

The Supreme Court in India also refused to allow an abortion, citing similar reasons.

The baby was eventually given to child welfare authorities and put up for adoption.

According to police, the girl said she had been raped several times in the past seven months by one of her uncles, who is in his 40s.

While the man initially denied the charges, he later admitted to the allegations, police said.

INDIAN MAN ACCUSED OF RAPING 10-YEAR-OLD IS NOT HER BABY'S FATHER, TESTS SHOW

However, a DNA test last month proved he was not the babys father and police were forced to search for a different suspect.

In September, the mans younger brother was arrested after the girl told police he had also abused her. DNA tests proved he was the babys biological father.

Indias law only allows abortions for women who are fewer than 20 weeks pregnant. Some exceptions have arisen for women whove said they were raped.

In May, another 10-year-old girl, who claimed her stepfather raped her, was allowed to abort her baby. In September, a 13-year-old girl who was 32 weeks pregnant was also granted an abortion.
The wife of a Chechen man sought by Russia on charges of involvement in a botched plot to kill Russian President Vladimir Putin was shot dead Monday in an ambush near the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, a Ukrainian lawmaker said.

Amina Okuyeva was shot and killed while in the car with her husband, Adam Osmayev, who was injured in the attack, Anton Gerashchenko, a member of parliament and adviser to Ukraines interior minister said.

"She was shot in the head. I drove as much as I could until the car stopped, I don't know, the engine was also hit. I tried to give her first aid, but she was shot in the head, Osmayev told Ukrainian media, according to the BBC.

GERMAN PRESIDENT IN RUSSIA TALKS ABOUT UKRAINE, OTHER CRISES

Russian prosecutors have long demanded Ukraine extradite Osmayev, an ethnic Chechen who faced charges related to a 2012 plot to assassinate Putin with powerful explosives. They claimed Osmayev and other plotters were linked to a Chechen rebel warlord.

Gerashchenko said a motive was not yet known, Reuters reported.

The ambush follows last weeks car bombing in Kiev which killed at least two people and wounded three others, including, Ihor Mosiychuk, who was involved in the opposition Radical Party, Reuters reported.

BLAST IN UKRAINE CAPITAL WOUNDS LAWMAKER, KILLS BODYGUARD

Mosiychuk blamed Russia for the car bombing.

This is not the first time Osmayev has been targeted. In June, Osmayev was shot by a gunman posing as a French journalist who in turn was shot and wounded by Okuyeva.

Osmayev and Okuyeva were familiar in Ukraine and known for volunteering in the Ukrainian military and battling pro-Russian rebels.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The three finalists of the 2017 Made In Fred VA Business Startup Competition are perfecting their proposals to be presented this Thursday at 6 p.m. before a panel of judges and audience members at the Old Silk Mill in Fredericksburg.

Organized by the Next Generation of Business Leaderspart of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerceeach finalist will have 10 minutes to pitch their business idea, after which the judges (a panel of three local entrepreneurs) will have 10 minutes to ask the business owners questions. The competition is patterned after the Shark Tank television show.

One startup will win $10,000 for business expenses, and the audience will vote for a peoples choice cash award of $500.

Next Generation Chairman Rich Brown said past participants in the competition have already made their mark on the Fredericksburg community.

In 2013, the first year of the competition, Adrian Silversmith won the Peoples Choice award. Now Sprelly, Silversmiths company, is a thriving downtown business. Also, Silversmith is serving on the 2017 board.

Another example from the 2013 competition is Shawn Phillips, who opened Spencer Devon Brewing on George Street.

This year we have three very strong, very different contestants with viable business ideas, Brown said. Im anxious to see how each brings their dream to the public stage.

Beyond High C

Singing Specialty

Every week Kiersten Kanaster, a voice instructor in Fredericksburg, conducts an hour-long online group video voice lesson for survivors of traumatic brain injury in recovery.

Kanaster, who has been teaching voice lessons since 2002 and holds music degrees from Westminster Choir College and California State University, believes that, with a little startup support, she could help many more brain injury survivors with her business, Beyond High C Singing Specialty.

These people who become disabled by their injury have trouble adjusting to life, Kanaster said. They cant get work, they feel isolated and depressed, and there arent enough affordable resources out there for them to improve their quality of life.

Kanaster said her once-a-week group lessons reduce the students anxiety and help them feel happier and more confident. Some of the participants are having trouble with speech, and music helps people work through those issues, she said.

Working in partnership with the Fredericksburg office of Brain Injury Services, Inc., Kanaster hopes to eventually offer day-long local workshops and possibly even an annual conference at the Fredericksburg Expo Center.

A portion of the prize money would be applied to exhibit space at conferences for medical personnel who serve brain injury survivors, which Kanaster said is key to making connections and building a customer base. Additional money would be used for digital marketing, and building a lending library of instruments like shaker eggs, drums and tambourines that enrich Kanasters lessons.

Fredericksburg Co-op

Patterned after similar food co-ops located in cities across the country, Rich Larochelle and seven other directing board members are seeking to establish a member-owned grocery store in the area.

The goal of a grocery co-op ultimately is to have a healthier, more connected community that supports local agriculture and other local businesses, said Larochelle.

A grocery co-op would provide a way for local farmers to sell year round, and provide members with a variety of fresh, local, organic food products. Educational programs would help members share ideas about healthy eating on a budget and other food and health topics. When the store makes a profit, that money is allocated back to the members.

The nearest grocery co-op is in Harrisonburgthe Friendly City Food Co-op. Several in Virginia are working toward opening, including one in Richmond. Working with the Food Co-op Initiative (a non-profit support service for budding co-ops), means developing a co-op takes three to five years. A co-op should start with a member base of 800 to 1,000 members. Fredericksburgs Co-op membership is 535.

A market study we commissioned concluded that Fredericksburg is a wonderful place for a co-op, Larochelle said. The projection is that once we open, our first year sales would be $3.5 million and we would reach profitability within the first four years.

The prize money would be used to accelerate membership growth by developing creative member incentive programs and covering financing aspects that otherwise might have to be paid for through member equity.

Mandala Pies

We bake beautiful pies for beautiful people, said Caitlin LaComb, owner and founder of Mandala Pies. I believe that a communitys strength starts at its food system. I seek to help the consumer connect with the local agriculture community through my delicious pies.

In June, LaComb and her husband had a three-month-old baby and were unable to take their normal trip to Florida to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Instead, LaComb decided to make their favorite pie, Key Lime. After some trial and error, she had the perfect recipe and LaComb found her calling.

I see Mandala Pies directly helping Fredericksburgs agriculture system, our local farmers, LaComb said. I know how significant businesses are for local economies and I see myself continuing to contribute to the local community through collaboration with other businesses.

LaComb said the prize money would go toward establishing her business as an official LLC, after which she would begin to buy her ingredients in bulk. She also needs a website for marketing and sales.

It would be great to take a lump of that money and offer it to an existing business with a commercial kitchen so I could rent some space and go wholesale, LaComb said. And down the road, I want to have a brick-and-mortar pie shop downtown, if possible.

LaComb said she already feels a lot of support from the community. Im grateful for that, and no matter how this competition turns out, Im dedicated to the business and will stick to it, she said.
It was Halloween 1957, and the first in a series of Soviet satellites had been launched into orbit earlier that month, ushering in a new age and kicking off the space race.

It was all over the news, so Dad decided to make Mom a sputnik costume, said Susan Limerick McGee, who appeared in a photograph in the Oct. 31, 1957, edition of The Free LanceStar, peering at her mothers costume.

Mothers in there? reads the text below the photo, which shows 6-year-old Susan inquisitively gazing at a large metallic sphere.

I remember Dad putting it together using coat hangers covered with aluminum foil, McGee said in a recent phone interview. I think he used TV antennas, too.

The Limerick familySonny, Doris and daughters Susan and Crystalwere longtime Fredericksburg residents. They lived in a home in Normandy Village, then in a duplex on Caroline Street, and later back in the same house in Normandy Village. McGee moved away from the area in the 1980s.

Sonny Limerick, a Navy veteran, was a lifetime member of Fredericksburg Elks No. 875, and he and his wife loved to celebrate Halloween.

They were usually coming up with some unique costumes to wear, McGee said.

She remembers a costume that her father once wore to an Elks dance. It was a big cardboard box, and he communicated with guests by sliding slips of paper through a slot on the box. He and his wife arrived at the dance separately, and Doris Limerick told everyone her husband was away on a hunting trip, McGee said.

No one knew it was him until he revealed himself at the end of the night, she explained.

They pulled the same trick with the sputnik costume, but a distinguishing feature gave her mother away.

The costume was short, and my mom always had really great looking legs, so a couple people guessed it was her from her legs, McGee said.

McGee also remembers a prize-winning, professionally made costume her dad once wore. It featured bold red and white stripes, big rubber ears and had a wig made from a bathing cap and red yarn. She thinks it won a contest, and the outfit was again put to good use when she wore it for her last year of trick-or-treating, she said.

What did her classmates think of Susan and her mom making the front page of the local paper that year?

It was like being a celebrity in the first grade, she recalled with a laugh.

It wasnt McGees first brush with fame, either. A few years earlier, a toddling Susan had become lost in a sea of tall weeds behind her home. Her mother had found her after about 10 minutes, but the adventure spurred a call from local residents to have something done about the mass of overgrown brush, which covered about eight vacant lots in the neighborhood.

Her photo made it on the front page of the paper then, too. Little Susan Limerick Looks Up to a Tall, Tall Weed. She Lost Her Way in a Forest of These, the caption reads.

McGee is retired and lives in Stuart, Fla. Her mother and sister live in Virginias Augusta County. Her dad died in 2010.

The 1969 James Monroe graduate thinks fondly of her time in Fredericksburg, especially her high school years.

There were very momentous things happening in 196869, and we were a close class, she said. I have lots of wonderful memories.

Now, at least some of those memories are preserved in newspaper clippings, carefully tucked away in McGees mothers cedar chest, along with one rubber earthe last remnant of a beloved clown costume from long ago.
In the only attorney general race in the U.S. this year, Virginias candidates are polar opposites, and they have gone after each other aggressively.

Republican John Adams is challenging Democrat Mark Herring, who is seeking re-election to the states top legal position in the Nov. 7 election.

The candidates have butted heads in debates and through ads.

Adams has repeated time and again his goal of taking politics out of the Attorney Generals Office and focusing on upholding the law. He has criticized Herring for taking liberal stances on same-sex marriage, health care, immigration and contraception.

Herring has countered by saying his opponent is fixated on conservative social issues, a stance he said is out of touch with Virginians. Herring also has gone after Adams work as a private attorney, saying he has defended money launderers and white-collar criminals.

University of Mary Washington political science professor Stephen Farnsworth said the attorney general race is a clear right-versus-left campaign, which could make it difficult on centrist voters.

Herring, who lives in Leesburg, served on the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and for eight years as a state senator. The 56-year-old University of Virginia and Richmond School of Law graduate also has more than 20 years experience as an attorney in private practice.

Adams, who lives in Chesterfield, has never held a public office, but served as associate counsel to former President George W. Bush. The 43-year-old Virginia Military Institute and U.Va. Law School graduate also served in the U.S. Navy as a surface warfare officer.

Adams works in a private practice law firm, but also has been a federal prosecutor. He clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals and for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

Adams is personally opposed to abortion, same-sex marriage and is pro-gun, but he said his personal beliefs wouldnt affect how he would do things as attorney general.

He told The Free LanceStars editorial board that under Herring, the Attorney Generals Office has been way too political. The attorney general, he said, is supposed to uphold the law for Virginians, something he claimed Herring is not doing.

I would take the politics out, he said.

His campaign has gone after Herring for fighting several Trump administration policies in court: the first immigrant travel ban, which was eventually overturned; the ending of federal subsidies to health insurers; and ending the requirement that businesses provide contraception coverage for employees under the Affordable Care Act.

Adams also has claimed Herring spent asset forfeiture money on such things as pay raises for employees in the Attorney Generals Office, something Herrings campaign has called a lie.

Herring has defended himself against Adams charges that he has ignored the law and pushed his own agenda.

First of all, hes got his facts wrong, Herring told the FLS editorial board in response to Adams saying he is too political. Virginia, he noted, has a poor track record on civil rights going back to Brown v. the Board of Education.

I chose to fight for civil rights rather than block them, he said of his challenges to the Trump administration policies. Adams disagrees with marriage equality and he wants to roll it back.

Farnsworth said Herrings actions are not different from what other Democrat and Republican predecessors have done over the past two decades. Because of the changing political landscape, he said it has been a national trend for attorneys general to become embroiled in social issues.

One of the key issues in the race for both candidates is the opioid crisis that in recent years has led to thousands of overdose deaths in Virginia and across the country.

The epidemic of overdoses started to spike around the time Herring took office in 2013, and he called this his top priority. He said the problem was still under the radar when he became attorney general, but when he learned of it his office really dove in to find a solution.

Herring focused on a combination of education and prevention and going after drug dealers peddling the deadly opioids. He also pushed for better access to a drug that revives overdose victims. He also noted that he is among 48 attorneys general investigating the pharmaceutical industry for possible fraudulent marketing.

Herring said he wants to continue that battle as attorney general.

Adams has been critical of Herrings work fighting the opioid problem, saying overdoses have increased since he took office. He said one thing he would do as attorney general is create a substance abuse program and do a better job of gathering and sharing information. He also believes cocaine abuse is on the rise and is something that should not be ignored.

He said he would battle the opioid problem with a combination of prevention and prosecution.

Big dealers need to get hammered, he said.

Adams pointed out that human trafficking as another growing problem he would focus on.

It would be a priority for me, Adams said. This is forced prostitution.

Sex crimes also are a priority for Herring, who has touted his offices work to clear out a backlog of 3,000 untested rape kits in Virginia.

Gun rights, on the other hand, is something the candidates disagree on.

Herring supports universal background checks and a law to limit gun purchases to one a month per person. He also is opposed to allowing bump stocks to allow guns to rapid-fire like automatic weapons. Such a device was used by the man who killed dozens and injured hundreds in the recent Las Vegas shooting. He criticized Adams for not supporting a bump stock ban.

Adams told the FLS editorial board that, based on the Second Amendment, it appears the government shouldnt be allowed to track purchases of non-automatic guns. Stricter gun laws, he said, would not have prevented the Las Vegas attack.

In a free society, he said, there will always be a small percentage of people who are nuts.

Adams also said gun violence is a cultural issue, noting that people are angrier than ever.  Access to firearms has not really changed, so what has?

He pointed out that another issue he would focus on would be violent crime, something he said has increased during Herrings tenure.

Herring said his office has focused on punishing violent felons and would continue to do so if he is re-elected.
There are striking deficiencies in educational opportunities for students in high-poverty Virginia schools, a new report has found.

Students in high-poverty schools, or schools where at least 75 percent receive free and reduced-price lunch, have less access to core subjects like math and science, lower levels of state and local funding for instructors, who are less experienced in these schools, according to a report from The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, a research organization based in Richmond that focuses on economics and policy.

All students are not being given the same opportunities to pursue their dreams upon graduation, said Chris Duncombe, a senior policy analyst at The Commonwealth Institute and author of the report, which was released late last week.

The report shows that in schools where at least 3 in 4 students receive free and reduced-price lunch, less than 50 percent offer a physics course, just over half offer calculus and teachers are twice as likely to be new teachers compared with low-poverty schools. It also reveals that less than 75 percent of the high-poverty schools offer an Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate class.

These high-poverty schools are strongly tied to race.

More than 4 in 5 students in high-poverty schools are students of color, according to the report, and about 22 percent of all black students attend a high-poverty school, compared with 3 percent of white students.

The students are the ones who feel the impact of these disparities, Duncombe said in a prepared statement accompanying the release of the report. And its largely Virginias Black and Latino students who are being deprived of the opportunity to pursue their goals and career ambitions.

Richmond Public Schools, a division with a population of students thats about 85 percent black and Latino, has the most high-poverty schools (29) in the state, according to the report. Other cities have a high concentration of high-poverty schools, but the issue extends across the state.

This is not just a problem in Virginias large cities, Duncombe said. This is a statewide problem of high-poverty schools that needs everyones attention.

The report includes data from the Virginia Department of Education for the 2013-14 school year.

About 1 in 3  69 out of 204  high-poverty schools are fully accredited by the state education department, compared with all but three of the 413 low-poverty schools being fully accredited.

The report includes three proposed solutions to the problem, including funding, local enrollment policies and private school options.

Duncombe highlighted a state-funding program called the At-Risk Add-On, which targets divisions based on students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch. The report calls on a boost in support for the program while also recommending a broad examination of school funding.

When it comes to private school options, officials should be skeptical of solutions that seek to redirect funds for public education to private schools through private school vouchers or educational savings accounts, the report says.

Instead, school leaders should promote more controlled choice enrollment with free transportation, among other recommendations.

If we really want to be giving students diverse opportunities, we should be supporting diverse schools, Duncombe said.
A small airplanes parachute system failed to prevent a fatal crash in Orange County last year because of the manufacturers inadequate design, according to a federal agencys final report on the accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board concluded in September that the plane lost control, and the two occupants tried to activate a large parachute capable of carrying the single-engine aircraft. But the parachute did not properly deploy, preventing them from safely recovering on May 24 of last year, according to the NTSB report.

The report did not say why the 2007 Jihlavan Skyleader 500 plane lost control, but noted that its speed dropped from 108 to 71 mph, which is consistent with slow flight and stall practice. The previous owner told investigators he had to be vigilant during such practice because the aircraft would twist abruptly right and spinmore so than any other airplane he had ever flown, the NTSB stated.

The pilot, Charles Neal Caldwell, 57, of Florida, had recently purchased the plane and was receiving flight instruction to meet an insurance requirement. His flight instructor, John Joseph J.J. Quinn, 81, of Culpeper County, was in the passenger seat.

Both died from blunt-force trauma after the plane nosedived en route to Orange County Airport from Culpeper Regional Airport.

The report cited a toxicology test and stated Caldwell was likely impaired by a combination of medicineincluding sedatives and an opioidto treat chronic pain and other medical conditions. But investigators said they did not find evidence that his impaired condition contributed to the accident.

Quinn did not have alcohol or drugs in his system, according to the report.

Federal investigators said the parachute was built to support up to 1,350 pounds, or about 21 pounds more than the combined weight of the plane and occupants. The total weight did exceed the aircrafts maximum takeoff weight by about 50 pounds, though investigators did not attribute the accident to that fact.

The parachute had been tested on the ground but never in flight, the report stated. It had four risers attached to the plane, two of which shared an anchor bolted to an aluminum surface behind the aircrafts seats.

That front anchor, designed to carry most of the weight, separated from the airframe during the crash, likely because the planes thin aluminum skin could not handle the force of the parachute, the NTSB wrote. The inadequate design of the front parachute anchor attachment structure caused the equipment to fail.

The airplane manufacturer was unable to provide any data or testing of the amount of shock force the surrounding aluminum skin could withstand, the report stated.

A marketing representative for the Czech Republic-based Skyleader manufacturer did not immediately return an email for comment. The companys latest model has two front anchors for the parachute rather than one.

NTSB notified the plane manufacturer and the Federal Aviation Administration of its findings. A search of FAA data showed 15 other Skyleader 500 planes registered in the U.S., according to the report.

Several witnesses to the Orange crash told investigators they heard what sounded like thunder or a loud crack. They then saw a parachute deploy as the airplanes nose pointed straight down before hitting the ground.

One witness took a photograph of the plane descending with the parachute still attached and partially inflated. The parachute was found in trees about 100 yards east of the wreckage.

The pilot had nearly 121 hours of flight time, while the instructor had 32,480 hours.

Quinn, the flight instructor, was a retired United Airlines pilot and volunteer for Angel Flight Mid-Atlantic, a nonprofit company that provides air medical transport for low-income patients.
Mark Meerschaert knows this only too well. The Michigan State University statistics professor learned that he carried a BRCA2 mutation after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2013  but the news was no shock. One of his male relatives had already tested positive for mutated BRCA2 after developing breast cancer a few years earlier.

When medical oncologists look at my family history, they usually all have the same reaction, which is, Well, thats a typical BRCA2 family tree, Meerschaert said. Meerschaerts father and nearly all of his fathers 11 brothers and sisters experienced some form of cancer.

Because hobbled DNA-repair genes raise the risk of so many cancers, Montgomery and Cheng hope that if a man tests positive through the GENTleMEN study, his family members will also get tested. Then, theyll have a better sense of their own cancer risk and what steps could safeguard their future health. The genetic counseling offered through the study can help men weigh their options.

Meerschaert encouraged his family members to find out if they carry the same mutation. If hed known about his BRCA2 status earlier, he said, he might have undergone more stringent screening to catch potential tumors earlier. Confronted with the risk of other cancers, he includes screening steps, such as breast self-exams, that would never have occurred to him previously.

I dont understand why someone wouldnt want to know, Meerschaert said. Now, many members of his family have learned that they also carry the same cancer-predisposing variant of BRCA2.

Tailoring treatment

As Meerschaert learned, testing positive for a DNA-repair mutation can lead to more targeted treatment. After an initial course of chemotherapy, his prostate tumor melted away  but then recurred in July 2016. Within the tumor, the normal copy of BRCA2 that Meerschaert had inherited from his mother had also been mutated. Meerschaerts health declined quickly.

Meerschaert was an avid runner who was also in the midst of arranging an international scientific conference. I was running three miles a day. Within three months [of my cancer recurrence], I couldnt even stand for five minutes, he recalled.

Now a patient of Chengs, Meerschaert is taking a type of chemotherapy known as a PARP inhibitor, a type of drug to which tumors with DNA-repair mutations are particularly sensitive. Already approved for advanced ovarian cancer, PARP inhibitors are still being tested against advanced prostate cancer, but Cheng and other researchers are excited about their potential.

Men who participate in the GENTleMEN study could well be steered toward a clinical trial similar to the one Meerschaert is in, said Cheng and Montgomery. But there are other drugs, already available and in use against certain subtypes of prostate cancer, that could benefit men with DNA-repair mutations. Patients could receive them from their local oncologists.

The possibility that a patient who tests positive for certain DNA-repair mutations will respond well to such drugs is not theoretical, said Cheng. Its very likely to be true.

On his experimental therapy, Meerschaert has bounced back  from standing to walking, walking to occasional running. Though hes selective about how he spends his now more-limited energy (and makes sure to maintain his health with a daily two-hour nap), Meerschaert said he has plenty with which to enjoy his life.

Removing barriers

Once theyd established the link between inherited DNA-repair mutations and aggressive prostate cancer, Nelson, Pritchard and their team pushed for modifying screening guidelines for men with advanced prostate cancer. As a result, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines now recommend that men with metastatic prostate cancer receive testing for such mutations. But getting the testing and information to men who are eligible is another matter.

Chengs GENTleMEN study removes two of the largest barriers, said Montgomery: getting access to genetic counseling and getting approved for coverage of genetic testing.

The web-based, long-distance nature of the study could be the key to providing men access to this kind of care, regardless of where theyre located. One of the studys goals is to assess how well a web-based approach works, said Cheng. In addition, theyll try to build a full picture of the patients participating, including their family history and knowledge about these mutations. To do this, the team is building on prior work in other cancer fields.

We know from breast and ovarian cancer that [web-based genetic counseling is] a reasonable option given that there are limited resources with genetic counselors in person, she said.

And for those men who test positive for a DNA-repair mutation that is known to carry cancer risk, insurance generally covers face-to-face genetic counseling, Montgomery said.

A first step toward more knowledge

Researchers in Seattle have spent many years carefully parsing different DNA-repair mutations and risks associated with breast and ovarian cancer, but the strength of those links to prostate cancer are only starting to be appreciated, Montgomery said.

Were in the Dark Ages compared to breast and ovarian cancer and really understanding which mutations raise the risk and by how much, Nelson said. The GENTleMEN study is a first step toward gathering the information researchers need to paint a fuller picture of mens cancer risk and appropriate preventive measures, he said. More studies are in the works by the cross-institutional prostate cancer research team at Fred Hutch and UW to begin addressing these questions.

And although the work already has resulted in changes to the NCCN guidelines, it will take time to translate these into changes in practice and insurance reimbursement, Nelson said.

Even as they look to the future, Cheng and Montgomery want the GENTleMEN study to make a difference in mens lives now.

Were really invested in anybody anywhere who could know about this [trial] and have it make a difference, Montgomery said.

The GENTleMEN study is supported by the Fred Hutch-UW Institute for Prostate Cancer Research and the Color Foundation.
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A farmer who had part of his skull removed in a life-saving operation following an accident has urged other growers and livestock producers to take care while working.

Norfolk grower Tim Papworth was airlifted to Addenbrookes hospital in Cambridge after falling 14ft off a ladder in his potato store while trying to change a lightbulb.

He underwent a series of operations and spent five weeks in a drug-induced coma.

See also: Ground-breaking pto safety scheme to be expanded

Changing a lightbulb is an everyday occurrence, he said.

But that is what I was doing and I fell on to concrete. I put my arm out  I didnt break it but I knocked my head very badly.

I had two bleeds on the brain and I was paralysed on the left side of my body.

Therapy

The accident happened in 2010.

Mr Papworth said his long road to recovery included speech therapy, occupational therapy and physiotherapy.

I had every kind of therapy going  the only thing I havent got is my hearing. I am very deaf in one ear.

Mr Papworth, who now has a titanium plate in his head, acknowledged he should have been more careful.

Theres no reason for me to do what I did  but like many farmers, I am a risk-taker, he admitted.

Ladders are dangerous equipment.

The episode was just one story shared during a farm safety day attended by 75 farming ambassadors at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire.

Organised by the NFU and Health and Safety Executive, the event on Monday (30 October) highlighted the need for safer working practices.

Not inevitable

NFU vice-president Guy Smith said the hardest part of his job was receiving notifications of farm fatalities.

Accidents are not inevitable. By sharing ways to prevent or minimise risk with friends and neighbours we can drastically improve the safety record.

Main causes of farm fatalities Transport-related 30%

30% Trapped by something collapsing 20%

20% Struck by an object 17%

17% Contact with electricity 10%

10% Fall from a height 7%

7% Injured by an animal 7% (Source: Health and Safety Executive 2016-7)

Urging those present to return to their farms and encourage others to adopt safer working practices, Mr Smith said it was particularly disheartening many accidents involved similar and reoccurring circumstances  such as working in enclosed spaces with animals or with machinery.

In most instances, it only takes a bit of thought or simple precaution to make safe what could be a fatal or life-changing situation.

I dont believe that farming is inherently dangerous, yet every day we farmers place ourselves in situations of unnecessary risk.

We need to adjust this culture as a matter of urgency, learn from each other and our past mistakes, and start preventing the risk from forming in the first place.

I think younger farmers are leading the way here, and everyone working in agriculture can learn a lot from their younger counterparts.
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A Pinch of Salt: The election is over, I think, so what now?
A modest-sized crowd gathered Monday at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library to talk about affordable housing.

And, as is generally the case in Corvallis discussions of housing, there were more questions than answers.

What are we doing in Corvallis to address this problem? asked longtime local realtor Gary Rodgers, who noted that there is far more new construction in tiny North Albany than in Corvallis.

Why are other communities doing things to move the needle and Corvallis isnt? asked Judy Ball, who works on housing issues with the League of Women Voters of Corvallis and also serves on the city Planning Commission.

Ward 4 City Councilor Barbara Bull, who noted that increasing the citys supply of buildable land could take years, asked what is a fast way to fix the housing problem?

The forums panelists, Karen Rockwell of Benton Habitat for Humanity and Jim Moorefield, executive director of Willamette Neighborhood Housing Services, offered some answers. But the answers ultimately became more questions.

Rockwell criticized the city for continuing to fight a legal battle against the state, which in 2016 implemented a law limiting voter-approved annexations.

If we stop the lawsuits, maybe we can move the community forward, Rockwell said. Now is the right time. We are spending too much money on lawsuits.

Annexation, the process used to add land to the citys supply, came up often at the forum. Corvallis was the first community in Oregon to institute voter-approved annexations, but its process has been criticized for being too slow.

Slow was a word Moorefield used often.

There is a high degree of citizen involvement in Corvallis, Moorefield said, but it also means were slow. Certainly its frustrating for me. We recognize the problems, and we do not have the will to do something about them.

During his presentation, Moorefield noted that the 648 homes sold in Corvallis in 2016 were listed at an average of $348,058 and that just 61 new home were among the 648.

Moorefield also stressed that one third of Corvallis households spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing and one in three renters spends more than 50 percent on housing.

Limited supply of land (city officials say Corvallis has just 12 percent of the land it needs to accommodate future growth) and too few new homes being built leads to a white, wealthy gated community, Moorefield said.

Is this the community we want? he asked.

The City Council included housing as one of its goals for both the 2013-14 and 2015-16 terms. The goal stated that the city would by December 2016, select and implement strategies to facilitate creation of additional transitional, low-income, and workforce housing. In addition, the City will develop strategies to sustain or increase service levels in order to continue the programs currently in place to build and maintain affordable housing.

A task force, which included Moorefield, met 23 times before turning over a series of recommendations to the council. One major initiative, a construction excise tax, has been approved by the council. The levy charges 1 percent of the improvement value on residential construction and 1.5 percent on commercial and industrial. The money raised, about $600,000 per year, will be used to augment current city efforts to increase the stock of affordable housing and also pay for an affordable housing planner.

The rest of the task force recommendations were assigned to the citys Housing and Community Development Advisory Board. On the list are possible systems development charge waivers, tiny houses and accessory dwelling units. The board is supposed to make recommendations to the council at a Nov. 9 work session.

Karyle Butcher asked Mondays panel is it true that if all of these recommendations were passed, it wouldnt move the dial much?

Rockwell said the city had waited too long and should have implemented the recommendations earlier.

Were nibbling around the edges, said Moorefield. But Im starting to sound like a broken record here.
This log includes incidents in which there might have been a public disturbance or a risk to the public. Information comes from the Corvallis Police Department, the Benton County Sheriffs Office and the Oregon State Police. It does not include all calls for service. The status of incidents might change after further investigation. Locations are approximate. People arrested or suspected in crimes are considered innocent until proven otherwise.

Corvallis Police Department

THURSDAY, OCT. 26

CAR THEFT: 5:20 p.m., 1600 block of Southwest 49th Street, Corvallis. A man reported that someone had broken into his car and stolen his wallet.

BURGLARY: 7:07 p.m., 200 block of Northwest 15th Street, Corvallis. A man reported Brian Robert Barley, 31, of Beaverton, chased him into his home and attempted to attack him. The alleged victim was able to escape. Police arrested Barley for first-degree burglary and second-degree disorderly conduct.

FRIDAY, OCT. 27

ATTEMPTED ROBBERY: 4:33 a.m., 2400 block of Northwest Monroe Avenue, Corvallis. A man reported he was walking to Subway with friends when a woman started following them and accused the man of stealing her phone. The man said the woman, later identified as Pevonka Wonka, 36, of Corvallis, reached over his shoulder and grabbed his iPhone. The man said he was able to hold onto the phone. Wonka then reportedly raised a coffee mug in her hand and threatened the group. Police arrested Wonka for third-degree robbery and second-degree disorderly conduct and took her to the Benton County Jail.

STOLEN TRAILER: 8:24 a.m., 1100 block of Northwest Circle Boulevard, Corvallis. A man reported a trailer belonging to TG Gerding Construction was stolen. The trailer held multiple tools and constituted a total loss of more than $12,000, the man reported.

STOLEN MOTORCYCLE: 12:55 p.m., 100 block of Northwest Eighth Street, Corvallis. A man reported his Suzuki 750 motorcycle was stolen from the back patio of his apartment.

ASSAULT: 9:59 p.m., 1600 block of Northwest Division Street, Corvallis. Police arrested Scott Ernest Bruyere, 52, for attempted first-degree assault, menacing, unlawful use of a weapon and reckless endangering after he allegedly threatened to kill a woman and threw a screwdriver at her face. The alleged victim evaded the screwdriver and was not injured. Police took Bruyere to the Benton County Jail.

SATURDAY, OCT. 28

VIOLENT CONDUCT: 1:02 a.m., 2900 block of Northwest Harrison Boulevard, Corvallis. Police cited Malik Anthony White, 22, for violent conduct after White allegedly punched a car and a bus shelter.

VIOLENT CONDUCT: 3:08 a.m., 2000 block of Northwest Monroe Avenue, Corvallis. Police cited Manase Kanasa Hungalu, 22, of Corvallis, and Abdinasir Ali Shido, 21, for violent conduct.

STOLEN MOTORCYCLE: 1100 block of Northwest 10th Street, Corvallis. A man reported his Yamaha FZ6R motorcycle was stolen from outside his home.

THEFT: 9:08 p.m., 700 block of Northeast Circle Boulevard, Corvallis. Four men reportedly stole more than $100 worth of merchandise from Spirit Halloween. The suspects were not identified.

SUNDAY, OCT. 29

ANIMAL NEGLECT: 2:12 a.m., 2700 block of Northwest Harrison Boulevard, Corvallis. Police responded to a report of a dog in a car. An officer reportedly found a six-month old puppy confined to a wire crate that was covered in feces and lacked access to water. The officer spoke with the dogs owner but reportedly discontinued the case due to lack of a culpable mental state.

STOLEN CAR: 8:58 a.m., 400 block of Northwest 23rd Street, Corvallis. A woman reported her Hyundai Accent was stolen from behind her sorority house.

STOLEN CAR: 9:51 a.m., 1200 block of Northwest 13th Street, Corvallis. A man reported his Subaru Impreza was stolen from his driveway.

TRESPASSING: 12:16 p.m., 1300 block of Southwest Maple Tree Court, Corvallis. The residents of an apartment stated they returned home about midnight the night before to find their front door kicked in and two men in costumes running from the back door. Nothing was missing from the apartment.

Benton County Sheriffs Office

FRIDAY, OCT. 27

DUII: 10:32 p.m., 2500 block of Northwest Ninth Street, Corvallis. A deputy responded to the parking lot of Arbys for a report of a man passed out in a car. The deputy arrested the man, Sean Paul Fleming, 26, of Corvallis, for driving under the influence of intoxicants. Fleming reportedly had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.17 percent.

SATURDAY, OCT. 28

METH: 6:43 p.m., Northeast Second Street and Northwest Polk Avenue, Corvallis. A deputy stopped a car for reportedly committing multiple traffic violations. The deputy arrested the driver, Michael Lee Betker, 53, of Jefferson, for driving under the influence of intoxicants. The deputy reportedly seized what appeared to be methamphetamine and cannabis from inside Betkers car. Betker was taken to the Benton County Jail.

DUII: 11:10 p.m., Southwest 35th Street and Western Boulevard, Corvallis. A deputy stopped a car for reportedly failing to drive within its lane. The deputy arrested the driver, Joshua Kekoa Hiwatashi, 20, of Corvallis, for driving under the influence of intoxicants. Hiwatashi reportedly had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent.

SUNDAY, OCT. 29

DUII: 3:07 a.m., Northwest Harrison Boulevard and Northwest Third Street, Corvallis. A deputy stopped a car for offensive littering. The deputy arrested the driver, Alexandros Andreas Simotas, 20, of Portland, for driving under the influence of intoxicants. A drug recognition expert reportedly determined Simotas was under the influence of cannabis.

Oregon State Police

SATURDAY, OCT. 28

DUII: 10:06 p.m., Northwest 13th Street and Northwest Harrison Boulevard, Corvallis. Troopers responded to a noninjury crash and arrested the alleged at-fault driver, Parker William McManus, 18, of Salem, for driving under the influence of intoxicants. McManus reportedly did not have alcohol in his system and declined to be evaluated by a drug recognition expert.

SUNDAY, OCT. 29

DUII: 2:40 a.m., Southwest 14th Street and Southwest Campus Way, Corvallis. A trooper stopped a car that was allegedly driving without its lights on. The trooper arrested the driver, Olivia Marlies Evans, 20, of Silverton, for driving under the influence of intoxicants. Evans reportedly had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent.

DUII: 2:58 a.m., 100 block of Southwest 26th Street, Corvallis. A trooper stopped a car for an unspecified reason. The trooper arrested the driver, Kain Jared Pfennig, 26, of Salem, for driving under the influence of intoxicants and reckless driving. Pfennig reportedly had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.14 percent. The deputy took Pfennig to the Benton County Jail.

DUII: 3:29 a.m., Northwest Fourth Street and Northwest Jackson Street, Corvallis. A trooper stopped a car for allegedly making an illegal U-turn. The trooper arrested the driver, Shila Noel Campbell, 31, of Corvallis, for driving under the influence of intoxicants. Campbell reportedly had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.16 percent.
Imagine Corvallis today without the university. That is what the citizens of Benton County faced in 1885.

Their college  Corvallis College  had just relinquished the right, granted in 1868, to be the state agricultural college of Oregon. Other towns, including Albany with its Albany College, would be happy to step in. Benton Countys state senator, Thomas E. Cauthorn, successfully guided a bill through the state Legislature which confirmed Corvallis as the location for the college, but it stipulated that the citizens of Benton County shall erect a building on the college farm costing $25,000 by January 1, 1887, free from all debt.

Nine leading citizens, including five former Corvallis mayors, incorporated the State Agricultural College Association on Feb. 15, 1885 and set out to raise $30,000 by seeking 300 subscribers at $100 each. These citizens were Judge John Burnett, John R. Bryson, M.S. Woodcock, Frederick A. Horning, Morris Jacobs, Daniel Carlile, Thomas J. Buford, Punderson Avery, and Dr. J.B. Lee. It would be a challenge  Corvallis had a population in 1880 of just 1,128. Benton County, then including todays Lincoln County, had a population of 6,403, representing about 1,400 households.

The people will, no doubt, respond to this, because it would be a disgrace to a county for so valuable a school to be taken away from any county for lack of enterprise of her citizens, opined the Weekly Corvallis Gazette.

College president Benjamin Arnold stepped up immediately with a donation of $1,000, as did Punderson Avery. President Arnold was asked to canvass the town for subscriptions of $500. By October, the association resolved to ask the Legislature to extend two years further time. The Legislature granted that request and reduced the amount to $20,000. Then, in March 1886, the association reincorporated with a goal of $23,000 with donations of $25 from 920 subscribers. It was an ongoing struggle, but they did not give up. By May, they had raised $9,000, by December, $14,000. Philomath farmer Andrew Gellatly gave $8.38 on May 4, 1887, the second payment on his $25 donation. How they finally raised the required funds is lost in the missing issues of the Corvallis Weekly Gazette.

But, they did it and celebrated their accomplishment. The cornerstone was laid on Aug. 17, 1887 in a ceremony attended by the townspeople and dignitaries from out of town. A sumptuous meal was served at the Opera House at Fourth and Madison. The building was a symbol of community cooperation, said one citizen.

They faced adversity and did not shrink from the challenge. They encountered setbacks and revised their plan and, ultimately, succeeded, to the joy of everyone in town. Their accomplishment was recognized in 1947 when the Administration Building was renamed Benton Hall in honor of the citizens of the county.

The citizens story is inspiring for anyone who faces challenges in life. It holds many lessons for success and one that this descendant hopes the student activists can embrace and rejoice in, just as the citizens of 1885 did.

In 1930, Professor J.B. Horner described their accomplishment: The sacrifice required for the Administration Building was so great that it came like hearts blood from the makers of the college. This condition  has been such that were the buildings threatened, the donors and their descendants would protest with one voice.

This descendant is protesting and urges the university, in its sesquicentennial year, to preserve the citizens legacy by keeping the name of Benton Hall on this, the oldest building of the university.

Yes, to the students and citizens of Benton County of 2017, try to imagine Corvallis without the university  impossible.
Cop23 : Largest conference in Germany comes to Bonn

Bonn The Federal Ministry for the Environment is responsible for all the technical aspects of the World Climate Conference. In an interview with the General Anzeiger, Stefan Susterhenn from the Ministry talks about organisational difficulties.

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Herr Susterhenn, have you ever had to prepare for an event of the size of Cop23?

Stefan Susterhenn: No. At least not an event like this one, which will be the largest ever international conference in Germany.

What is the greatest challenge for you?

Stefan Susterhenn: That we only had eleven months lead-time to prepare ourselves for it. We had two years lead-time for the World Biodiversity Conference that we organised in Bonn in 2008. Thats what you normally need. Also, there were far fewer participants then than will be the case this time. We are lucky that many colleagues here in our offices are working with great commitment. We were also able to bring back colleagues who are already retired but who have a lot of experience in organising such large-scale events.

Who from your Ministry is responsible for what?

Stefan Susterhenn: We have formed three project teams. One is responsible for traffic, security planning, accommodation, budgeting, contracts and especially all the issues surrounding the erecting of the tent cities. This team is led by Beate Frey-Stilz, a head of division in the Environment Ministry. She was originally an architect so knows a lot about the subject matter. The second team, which consists mainly of employees from the climate protection department, is responsible for the programme, the so-called side events and the diplomatic-political questions surrounding the conference preparations in the Bonn-Zone, in close cooperation with the UN Climate Secretariat.

And then, of course, we have the team that looks after public relations and press work. Leadership of this project rests with my colleague, Eva Kracht, a deputy director in the climate department, and me. We have a regular day in the week when the current state of play is discussed by all three teams. We also have numerous consultations with all those involved, such as the UN, the Federal Foreign Office, the Ministry of Development Aid, the states of NRW and Rhineland-Pfalz as well as the police and the city of Bonn.

Who is responsible for the programme? Who decides with whom which events run when?

Stefan Susterhenn: The programme was put out to tender worldwide by the Climate Change Secretariat. All participants such as states, UN organisations, cities, trade associations and non-governmental organisations took part in the process. The 400 or so events planned for the Bonn-Zone were then determined. There are also numerous events taking place in the pavilions of the respective countries and organisations.

Will delegates be accompanied, ie looked after personally?

Stefan Susterhenn: Liaison officers have been engaged through agencies for high-ranking delegates such as heads of state and government. They were all checked, of course. They will accompany these delegates from their arrival point, i.e. from the airport, until they leave again. Ministers will be supported and accompanied by their own delegations, and, of course, we and the Climate Change Secretariat are available to answer any questions. For all other participants, there are internet offers for all events and negotiations. Together with the UN Volunteers Programme, we have also engaged 650 volunteers, who will be present at airports and train stations in the region, as well as at the conference venues, to provide advice and support to participants. They can be identified by their white t-shirts with the Cop23 logo. We have been able to find them from all over the world.

Are they there on a completely voluntary basis?

Stefan Susterhenn: Yes. They will get food and a unique chance to take part in the Cop.

Which questions are you most frequently asked?

Stefan Susterhenn: Whether we will have constructed the temporary conference venues in time: a definite yes! Or the question whether we are expecting conditions like at the G20 Summit in Hamburg: a definite no. That is at least what the police assure us.

Which questions cant you answer at the moment?

Stefan Susterhenn: The question of the exact number of participants. We are estimating up to 25,000. But the registration is still open and will also not be closed after the start of Cop23.

How expensive will Cop23 be for the Federal Government in the end?

Stefan Susterhenn: We have calculated 117 million Euros, of which 17 million has been made available by the Foreign Office for the rental of the WCCB. That will be enough overall.
The group's comprehensive income amounted to NOK 434 million in the third quarter of 2017, an increase of NOK 34 million from the second quarter of 2017 and NOK 187 million from the third quarter of 2016. Comprehensive income amounted to NOK 1,162 million as of September 30, 2017, compared with NOK 634 million for the same period in 2016.

The continued strong earnings growth is explained by loan growth, stable margins, good cost control and stable credit quality. The profit after tax includes a gain of NOK 50 million from the sale of non-performing loans in Norway, compared with a corresponding gain of SEK 43 million in the second quarter.

The strong customer and loan growth continued in the third quarter, with a loan growth of NOK 1.2 billion, while deposits increased NOK 1.1 billion. The bank recruited 73,800 customers in the third quarter. At the end of the third quarter the bank had a customer base of 1,167,000 customers, which can be broken down into 843,900 credit card customers, 164,200 loan customers and 158,900 deposit customers.

The bank has a broad Nordic platform and loan volumes grow faster outside of Norway. The recently implemented regulations from the Norwegian authorities are anticipated to have a limited impact on the bank's total development in the future.

The bank's framework for IFRS 9 is under implementation. The accounting standard is generally expected to lead to increased write-downs on loans, as under IFRS 9, an impairment allowance must be made for expected credit losses at the reporting date. Preliminary calculations indicate a moderate change in impairment losses.

The bank has a common equity tier 1 ratio of 16.6% that exceeds the minimum requirement of 15.3% with a wide margin and the bank is well positioned for further growth while maintaining the goal of dividend payments in 2018.

Bank Norwegian started its operations in November 2007 and offers consumer loans, credit cards and deposit accounts to retail customers distributed through the Internet in the Nordic market. The bank offers, in cooperation with the airline Norwegian, a combined credit card and reward card. The bank started operations in Sweden in May 2013. In December 2015, the bank launched consumer loans and deposit accounts in Denmark and Finland, while credit cards were launched in June 2016.

Bank Norwegian is a digital bank offering simple and competitive products to the retail market. The operations are based on leading digital solutions, synergies with the airline Norwegian, attractive terms for our customers, cost-effective operations and effective risk selection.

For further information, see the report for the third quarter 2017 and the investor presentation for the third quarter 2017 available at:

https://www.banknorwegian.no/OmOss/InvestorRelations

If you have questions you may call;

CEO Tine Wollebekk; phone: + 4740805557

CFO Pal Svenkerud; phone: +4793403904

https://www.banknorwegian.no

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.
More than a dozen members of the Danville Life Saving Crew smashed up windows, stabilized vehicles and removed car doors during a training exercise Monday evening in Danville.

As the sun began to set on the parking lot across from Woodall Nissan, the crew members donned protective clothing and face masks and crowded around a tarp filled with stabilizing blocks, glass cutters and other tools. Instructor and crew member Tommy Barber began by talking about how to size up crash scenes.

What were going to do is just some basic fundamentals of vehicle extrication, Barber said.

The Danville Life Saving Crew is a volunteer organization that responds to medical emergencies including vehicle crashes.

Barber taught the trainees how to report a crash scene to their peers over the radio, and also introduced them to each of the tools on the tarp.

In 2015, 18 people were killed and 543 were injured in a total of 890 wrecks in Danville. In Pittsylvania County, 19 people were killed and 393 were injured from a total of 645 crashes in the same time period.

Statewide, more than 125,000 motor vehicle crashes were reported to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles in 2015.

Recruitment and retention captain April Campbell said she was intimidated when she first saw the large number of tools.

Once I got my hands on them, I wasnt intimidated at all, she continued.

The trainees also learned how to cut the glass from windows and remove other sections from the vehicles. Barber encouraged all the trainees to communicate with one another constantly at the scene.

Theres not a dumb question, he added.

Public information officer Erin Gusler said the rescue organization offers training exercises to members every month. She said minutes and seconds count in every wreck, and rescuers even learn how to approaches a vehicle on its sides.

It does happen fairly often, where vehicles flip and go down embankments, Gusler said.
Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCwire) - Maxtech Ventures Inc. (CSE: MVT) (Frankfurt: M1N) (OTC: MTEHF), (Maxtech or the Company) is pleased to announce that it is moving forward with due diligence activities on its 100% owned assets in Mato Grosso, Brazil, and is beginning the final phase of exploration in order to acquire a trial mining license (GUIA).

Maxtech in conjunction with Maringa, is currently coordinating a site visit to its assets in Mato Grosso within the next two weeks to evaluate in preparation for filing an application to the DNPM (National Department of Mineral Production, Departamento Nacional da Producao Mineral) for a GUIA (Guia de Utilizacao, i.e. trial mining use permit) license on the Juina Claims. Upon approval, the Company will have the ability to process initial high-grade surface tonnage and mine to a maximum of 6,000 tons of manganese. (as released on May 4th).

Additionally, Maxtech has completed due diligence on the targeted area in the state of Goias. The Company is evaluating the results and will ascertain if further research is warranted.

Peter Wilson, CEO of Maxtech said This has been an exciting year for Maxtech. As it comes to a close, we are developing strong partnerships globally with potential offtake partners. Their expertise and continuous support of our exploration activities is pivotal to our success as a relevant manganese mining concern.

About Grupo Maringa

Founded in 1946, Grupo Maringa now has over 2,000 employees with over USD $200 million in 2016 revenues. The Maringa companies are located in the states of Parana and Sao Paulo. They produce sugar cane, sugar, ethanol, energy and manganese alloy. Maringa Ferro-Liga S.A. is a subsidiary of Grupo Maringa and is located in Itapeva, State of Sao Paulo. It is the second largest manganese ferroalloy producer in South America, producing high quality silico-manganese and high-carbon ferromanganese.

About Maxtech Ventures Inc.

Maxtech Ventures Inc. is a Canadian based diversified industries corporation with gold and manganese mineral properties. Its focus is on mining and the products that are derived therefrom.

For additional information see the Companys web site at http://www.maxtech-ventures.com

Email to info@maxtech-ventures.com

Phone: 604-484-8989

Further information about the Company is available on www.SEDAR.com under the Companys profile.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Certain statements contained in this release may constitute forwardlooking statements or forward-looking information (collectively forward-looking information) as those terms are used in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and similar Canadian laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words could, intend, expect, believe, will, projected, estimated, anticipates and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Companys current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to the business of the Company, the Property, financing and certain corporate changes. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the Company is not obligated to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein.

To view this press release as a PDF file, click onto the following link:public://news_release_pdf/maxtech10312017.pdfSource: Maxtech Ventures Inc. (CSE:MVT, OTC Pink:MTEHF)

To follow Maxtech Ventures Inc. on your favorite social media platform or financial websites, please click on the icons below.

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Copyright  2017 Filing Services Canada Inc.
TORONTO, Oct. 31, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rupert Resources Ltd. (Rupert or the Company) (TSX-V:RUP) (FSE:R05) announces its results for the second quarter of 2017 and provides an update on exploration and development at its permitted Pahtavaara gold project in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt in Northern Finland. The Company spent $1.6 million on general exploration and development costs over the quarter (down from $2.6 million in Q1 2017), primarily on definition drilling of near mine mineralisation and works to permit drilling at lower depths of the underground mine. As at August 31, 2017, the Company had cash of $7.2 million.



James Withall, Chief Executive of Rupert said, We continue to make good progress with Pahtavaara and are well advanced with geological modelling work that is re-evaluating over 20 years of exploration data on the deposit. Furthermore, we have now received all assay results from our 2017 fieldwork program and in combination with our extensive geophysical surveys are ranking our near mine exploration targets for drill testing over the winter.

Pahtavaara gold mine, Northern Finland

Over the quarter Rupert progressed with activities that would allow a restart of the Pahtavaara mine and mill once sufficient resources have been defined. The Company commenced work on a new geological model with an external consultant as a basis for future resource estimation. In addition, Rupert has identified a number of potential mineralisation targets within 20km of the Pahtavaara mill. The Company also added to its land position through the application of a further 101km2 of contiguous reservation and exploration licence applications.

Gold Centre Property, Ontario and Surf Inlet Property, British Columbia

An initial review of previous work and land position of the Gold Centre and Surf Inlet properties has commenced. Opportunities to joint venture the properties to accelerate development are being explored.

During the six months ended August 31, 2017, the Company spent $nil (six months ended August 31, 2016 - $nil) on general exploration costs.

Financial Highlights

During the three months ended August 31, 2017, the Company spent $1,632,590 (three months ended May 31, 2016 - $2,651,254) on exploration and project development at Pahtavaara and $nil on its other properties.

At August 31, 2017, the Company had a working capital of $6,716,415 (May 31, 2017  $9,295,215). The decrease in working capital during the three months ended May 31, 2017 was primarily due to the decrease in cash and amounts payable and accrued liabilities as a result of operating activities and expenditures on exploration and evaluation assets and buildings and equipment. The Company had cash of $ 7,182,752 at August 31, 2017 (May 31, 2017 - $10,535,987). The decrease in cash during the three months ended May 31, 2017 was primarily due to the cash used in operating and investing activities.

The Companys interim financial statements and Managements Discussion and Analysis for the period ended August 31, 2017, which can be found under Ruperts profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). Detailed information about Ruperts exploration activities can be found in the press release dated September 25, 2017.

All references to currency in this press release are in Canadian dollars.

Appointment of Head of Corporate Development

The Corporation also announces that Thomas Credland was been appointed Head of Corporate Development and Investor Relations. A geologist with over 15 years experience in mining, Thomas began his career in the gold mining industry in Western Australia before returning to the United Kingdom to work as a mining analyst. He then moved into an institutional equity sales role at Canaccord before moving into a senior corporate position at a London listed mining company. Thomas contributed to the identification and acquisition of the Pahtavaara mine by Rupert.

About Rupert

Rupert is a Canadian based gold exploration and development company that is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol RUP. The Company owns the Pahtavaara gold mine, mill, and exploration permits and concessions located in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt in Northern Finland (see the Companys November 9, 2016 press release). The Company also holds a 100% interest in the Gold Centre property, which consists of mineral claims located in the Balmer Township, Red Lake Mining Division of Ontario.

For further information, please contact:

James Withall

Chief Executive Officer

jwithall@rupertmining.com Thomas Credland

Head of Corporate Development & Investor Relations

tcredland@rupertmining.com

Rupert Resources Ltd.

82 Richmond Street East, Suite 203, Toronto, Ontario M5C 1P1

Tel: +1 416-304-9004



Web: http://rupertresources.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.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains statements which constitute forward-looking statements, including the statements with respect to those that address potential quantity and/or grade of minerals, potential for minerals and statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company with respect to the future drilling and geological activities, business activities and operating performance of the Company. The words may, would, could, will, intend, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made, and are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These factors include the general risks of the mining industry, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's annual Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended February 28, 2017 available at www.sedar.com. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements except as otherwise required by applicable law.
Thunder Bay, October 31, 2017 - Kesselrun Resources Ltd. (TSXV: KES) ("Kesselrun") is pleased to provide the following update on its 100% owned Bluffpoint Gold Project:

Surface exploration on Bluffpoint continues to yield encouraging results. Surface channel sampling results received include 5.2 g/t gold over a composite sample length of 3.2 metres and 0.9 g/t gold over a composite sample length of 8.7 metres. These sample results are from a zone of gold mineralization located approximately 3 kilometres north of the zone trenched and drilled in 2012-2013.

Michael Thompson, P. Geo., President and CEO commented, "These encouraging results from Bluffpoint are continuing to assist us in our modelling of this very large gold mineralizing system. We believe the emerging gold district of Rainy River is in its infancy highlighted by the recent announcement by New Gold achieving commercial production at its Rainy River Mine".

Table 1: Summary of Significant Channel Sample Results  Bluffpoint Project (1)

Channel ID Zone Weighted Grade Au (g/t) Length (m) F18 F 5.2 3.2 F19 F 1.0 4.0 F20 F 6.4 0.6 F21 F 1.1 2.1 Q2 Q 0.9 8.7

(1) Contiguous sampling lengths are dictated by the exposure of rock available to sample and not necessarily the width of the zone. Channel samples are cut as close to perpendicular to the strike of mineralization as possible but are not representative of true width of the zone.

Kesselrun holds 4.7M First Mining Finance (TSX:FF) shares with a current value of approximately $3M as of market close yesterday which management believes gives Kesselrun sufficient means to implement its corporate strategy going forward.

Kesselrun's Bluffpoint Gold Project is located approximately 50 km northeast of, and on the same structural trend as, New Gold's Rainy River Mine which recently achieved commercial production (See New Gold's October 19, 2017 news release). Kesselrun's management believes Bluffpoint has all the ingredients to host a major gold deposit and continues to move the project forward.





To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

http://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4206/30105_fig1_enhanced.jpg

Michael Thompson, P. Geo., President and CEO of Kesselrun, is the Qualified Person responsible for the project as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has approved the technical information in this news release.

QA/QC

Kesselrun has implemented a quality control program for the trench sampling to ensure best practice in sampling and analysis. The planning, execution and monitoring of Kesselrun's quality control programs are under the supervision of Michael Thompson, P. Geo. Kesselrun maintains strict quality assurance/quality control protocols including the systematic insertion of certified standard reference and blank materials into each sample batch. Analyses in this release were performed by Activation Laboratories Ltd. (Actlabs) of Thunder Bay, Ontario with ISO 17025 accreditation. Samples are transported in security sealed bags to Accurassay and all samples were analyzed using industry-standard techniques. Gold and silver was analyzed by a standard 50 gram fire assay with an AAS and a gravimetric finish on samples greater than 5 g/t.

About Kesselrun Resources Ltd.

Kesselrun Resources is a Thunder Bay, Ontario-based mineral exploration company focused on growth through property acquisitions and discoveries. Kesselrun's management team possesses strong geological and exploration expertise with particular experience in Northwest Ontario. For more information about Kesselrun Resources, please visit www.kesselrunresources.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 news release.

For additional information please contact:

Kesselrun Resources Ltd.

Michael Thompson, P. Geo., President & CEO

807.285.3323

michaelt@kesselrunresources.com

Corporate Communications

1.866.416.7941

information@kesselrunresources.com

Forward Looking Statements  Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of Kesselrun, including, but not limited to the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, volatility of commodity prices, dependence upon regulatory approvals, the execution of definitive documentation, the availability of financing and exploration risk. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements.


Vancouver, October 31, 2017 - Austral Gold Ltd. (TSXV: AGLD) (ASX: AGD) ('the Company" or "Austral") is pleased to report results from activities during the first fiscal quarter ending September 30, 2017.

"During the quarter, our main focus was commissioning the new plant in Chile with the objective of having all sections of the plant operational. The team continues to work towards optimising technical performance of the plant and reaching full commercial production in the near term", stated Stabro Kasaneva, CEO of Austral Gold. "In addition, our team has made tremendous progress at Casposo as evidenced by more stabilized production during the quarter. I am also very confident about the potential that exists at the Amancaya project, especially given the discovery of a new mineralized vein at Amancaya announced on August 21, 2017. Developing the potential at Amancaya is a priority for us and we plan on advancing our exploration activities to enable drilling at the newly discovered Nueva vein by the end of the year".

Highlights for September Quarter (Q1 2018 FY):

 Quarterly combined production (100% Casposo, Guanaco and Amancaya) was 10,482 gold ounces and 549,546 silver ounces (or 17,732 gold equivalent ounces) or 9,163 gold ounces and 397,899 silver ounces (Net to Austral*).

 Quarterly cash cost (C1) and all-in-sustaining cost (AISC) across all operations were US$955/AuEq oz and US$1,133/AuEq oz respectively with average selling prices at US$1,274/Au oz and US$17/Ag oz.

 Sales proceeds for the September quarter was US$22.3m of which the Guanaco mine contributed with US$7.8m and the Casposo mine with US$14.5m.

Guanaco and Amancaya Production

 Quarterly production was 6,086 gold ounces and 44,057 silver ounces (or 6,668 gold equivalent ounces) as compared to 11,762 gold ounces and 16,109 silver ounces (or 11,985 gold equivalent ounces) in the September quarter 2016. Production was affected by lower tonnes processed due to some delays in the commissioning phase of the new agitation leach plant.

 Although YTD Production is 24,767 AuEq oz, we anticipate full year production to be at the lower end of the 45,000-50,000 AuEq oz guidance provided in June 2017 as higher production is expected in the last quarter of 2017 as a result of the ramp-up in processing at the new agitation leach plant.

 Open-pit mining operations at Amancaya continued in the current quarter while more selective processes in defining ore material within the narrow Central Vein to control dilution were implemented.

Casposo Production

 Quarterly production was 4,396 gold ounces and 505,514 silver ounces (100% basis). Austral Gold's 70% share of production was 3,077 gold ounces and 353,860 silver ounces (70% basis).

 Casposo production continued to show improvement on a quarter over quarter basis as silver production increased by 130,931 silver ounces or 35% from the prior quarter.

A summary of key operational parameters is set out in the following table:

Operations Guanaco/Amancaya Casposo (100% basis) Net to Austral* Sept

Quarter

2017 Sept

Quarter

2016 Sept

Quarter

2017 Sept

Quarter

2016 Sept

Quarter

2017 Sept

Quarter

2016 Processed (t) 99,240 140,460 65,481 68,055 145,077 175,168 Gold produced (oz) 6,086 11,762 4,396 4,457 9,163 14,035 Silver produced (oz) 44,057 16,109 505,514 313,765 397,917 176,129 Gold-Equivalent *** (oz) 6,668 11,985 11,048 8,585 14,402 16,363 C1 Cash Cost (US$/AuEq oz) 997 673 930 804 955 728 All-in Sustaining Cost (US$/Au oz) 1,229 848 1,043 1,200 1,113 995 Realised gold price (US$/Au oz) 1,274 1,330 1,274 1,330 1,274 1,330 Realised silver price (US$/Ag oz) 17 19 17 19 17 19

* Austral Gold owned 70% of Casposo for the quarter ended 30 September 2017; 51% for the quarter ended 30 September 2016

** The cash cost (C1) includes: Mine, Plant, On-Site G&A, Smelting, Refining, and 3% ENAMI Royalty (excludes Corporate G&A)

# The All-in Sustaining Cost (AISC) includes: C1, Sustaining Capex, Brownfield Exploration, and Mine Closure Amortisation

*** AuEq ratio is calculated at 76:1 Ag:Au for September Quarter 2017

 Production guidance for the full calendar year (100% basis) is 85,000-90,000 gold equivalent ounces, below the initial guidance of 95,000-101,000 gold equivalent ounces.

Exploration

 Exploration in Chile focussed on exploration at the Amancaya project, with the initial program of 134 trenches and a ground magnetic survey completed. Following the discovery of high grade mineralisation on the Nueva Vein (see Company's News Release on 21 August 2017) additional infill trenches were completed and more detailed ground magnetics commenced. The Company expects to commence first pass drilling on the Nueva Vein by the end of the year.

 Exploration in Argentina focussed on near Casposo mine targets with mapping and channel sampling to complete the existing database and review of potential targets. Targets are initially being assessed on open pit potential.

Mergers & Acquisitions

 On 13 July 2017, Austral Gold executed a binding letter to acquire the San Guillermo and Reprado projects from Revelo Resources Corp. (TSX-V: RVL) for consideration of up to ten million Austral Gold ordinary shares (capped at US$0.21/share) and subject to existing Net Smelter Royalties (each an "NSR") and an additional NSR of up to 1%. The offer is subject to entering into a definitive agreement and customary regulatory and exchange approvals.

 Other opportunities aligning with Austral Gold's strategic vision for value accretive investments in Latin America are being explored.

Financial Figures

 Cash on hand at 30 September 2017 was US$4.9m.

 Total consolidated financial debt is at US$21m, of which US$13m are 3-year financial leases with local banks in Chile and Argentina. Net debt repayments during the quarter totalled US$1.7m.

Further details can be found in the Company's Quarterly Activity Report filed at www.australgold.com, http://www.asx.com.au and on www.sedar.com.

* Non-IFRS Measures

The Company has included certain non-IFRS measures including "Cash cost per gold ounce sold" and "All-in sustaining cost per gold ounce sold" in this press release. Cash cost per gold ounce sold is equal to production costs less silver sales divided by gold ounces sold. All-in sustaining cost per gold ounce sold is equal to production costs less silver sales plus general and administrative expenses, exploration expenses, accretion of reclamation provision and sustaining capital expenditures divided by gold ounces sold. The Company believes that these measures provide investors with an improved ability to evaluate the performance of the Company. Non-IFRS measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS. Therefore they may not be comparable to similar measures employed by other companies. The data is intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS.

Qualified Persons

The scientific and technical content of this news release has been prepared by, or under the supervision of Michael Brown, MAIG, and has been reviewed and approved by him. Mr Brown is a Geologist and Member of Australian Institute of GeoScientists and an employee of Austral Gold Ltd.. Mr. Brown is a "qualified person" for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Austral Gold

Austral Gold Ltd. is a growing precious metals mining, development and exploration company building a portfolio of quality assets in Chile and Argentina. The Company's flagship Guanaco mine in Chile is operated with the Amancaya mine with processing of ore from both mines at a new agitation leach plant at Guanaco. There is significant exploration upside at and around both operations, with a new vein discovery at Amancaya. The Company also owns 70% and is operator of the underground silver-gold Casposo mine in San Juan, Argentina. With an experienced local technical team and highly regarded major shareholder, Austral's goal is to continue to strengthen its asset base through acquisition and discovery. Austral Gold Ltd. is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV:AGLD), and the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX: AGD). For more information, please consult the company's website: www.australgold.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

On behalf of Austral Gold Ltd.:

"Stabro Kasaneva"

CEO

For Further Information Please Contact:

Mike Brown, VP Corporate Development

Mike.brown@australgold.com

Canada: +1 604 568 2496

Argentina: + 54 11 4323 7558

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical, and consist primarily of projections - statements regarding future plans, expectations and developments. Words such as "expects", "intends", "plans", "may", "could", "potential", "should", "anticipates", "likely", "believes" and words of similar import tend to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include: expectation to reach full commercial production in the near term, expectation to advance exploration activities and commence drilling at Nueva vein by the end of the year, anticipation full year production to be at the lower end of the 45,000-50,000 AuEq oz guidance provided in June 2017 as higher production is expected in the last quarter of 2017 as a result of the ramp-up in processing at the new agitation leach plan. All of these forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those expressed or implied, including, without limitation, business integration risks; uncertainty of production, development plans and cost estimates, commodity price fluctuations; political or economic instability and regulatory changes; currency fluctuations, the state of the capital markets, uncertainty in the measurement of mineral reserves and resource estimates, Austral's ability to attract and retain qualified personnel and management, potential labour unrest, reclamation and closure requirements for mineral properties; unpredictable risks and hazards related to the development and operation of a mine or mineral property that are beyond the Company's control, the availability of capital to fund all of the Company's projects and other risks and uncertainties identified under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's continuous disclosure documents filed on SEDAR. You are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which may have been used. Austral cannot assure you that actual events, performance or results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements, and management's assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Austral's forward-looking statements reflect current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof and Austral does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.


Five times Medicaid expansion has passed the Maine Legislature and all five times the expansion bills met the same fate: a veto from Republican Gov. Paul LePage.On Nov. 7, the people of Maine will vote on whether or not to expand Medicaid through a citizen's initiative question, giving voters a final say by possibly circumventing the governor's prior refusals after legislators failed to override his previous vetoes. If passed, Maine would join 32 other states, including the District of Columbia, that have expanded Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act.Question 2 asks citizens, "Do you want to want Maine to expand Medicaid to provide healthcare coverage for qualified adults under age 65 with incomes at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level, which in 2017 means $16,643 for a single person and $22,412, for a family of two?"Proponents of the ballot question say a Medicaid expansion will lead to lower premiums for people who buy private health insurance and end up providing "charity" care when people with no health care coverage need emergency medical procedures and also tens of thousands of Maine citizens would gain access to some form of health care, while creating thousands of new jobs, according to David Farmer, director of communications for Mainers for Healthcare, the ballot committee supporting Question 2."Voters can send a message throughout Maine and down to D.C. that we want more health care, not less; more people with health care coverage, not less, lower premiums, not higher premiums," Farmer said. "Question 2 does all that. Expanding Medicaid is something that has had wide support from Democrats, Republicans and Independents. When one person stands in the way of this passing, it was imperative this issue was taken directly to voters."According to a study by Dr. Elizabeth Kilbreth, associate research professor emerita in the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine, expansion of Medicaid would be paid for with mostly federal dollars through the first year, injecting $490 million into Maine during the first full year of the expansion in 2019, which covers 94 percent of the expansion cost and declines to 90 percent in federal funding by 2021. Farmer said 2018 would be a "partial implementation" of the expansion with the state receiving $230 million in federal funding with Maine matching $13.5 million in 2018. According to the Maine Office of Fiscal and Program Review, Maine would have to match $31 million in 2019, topping out at nearly $54.5 million in matching funds to receive nearly $525 million in federal funds in 2021.Some 80,000 additional people would be eligible for Medicaid coverage, according to Kilbreth's study. She estimates the expansion would generate 4,000 new jobs in health care and 2,000 jobs in other sectors, and combined with the federal dollars, it would result in more than $700 million in additional economic activity for Maine in 2019.York Hospital CEO Jud Knox said his hospital supports Question 2 passing because even though roughly 7 percent of York Hospital patients are Medicaid recipients, he believes Medicaid expansion will benefit more people in rural areas because they will have more access to services at their local hospitals."Generally, if people have coverage of some kind, it means they can receive services," he said. "In the northern part of the state for the population with little or no coverage, clearly that is a huge barrier to whether or not they can get care. At York Hospital, we take care of everything for everyone; if that's an emergency procedure or a routine checkup. But to cover people with no coverage, the cost is either borne by people with private insurance; leaving them to pay higher premiums or it's left to the hospital to pay and that can be a struggle to make ends meet, especially in parts of the state where there's fewer people on private health-care plans."Democratic State Rep. Mark Lawrence, who represents Eliot and parts of Kittery and South Berwick, will speak at an informational forum hosted by the Eliot and South Berwick Democratic Committees alongside Knox on Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the John F. Grange Hall in Eliot. Lawrence said even though Maine voters may approve the expansion, there is no guarantee it will become law."There's nothing to say this will not get caught up in the Legislature and get delayed in going into effect," he said. "For instance, the public passed term limits through referendum and I'm not in favor of term limits but I always respected the role of the public and the referendum process is an important way to have the peoples' voices heard. The law was put into place because the Legislature was not listening to the will of the public, so if the expansion passes, it's a direct representation of the public's wishes."However, Farmer contends that since the Medicaid expansion received "tri-partisan" support each time it passed the Legislature, he believes the expansion would encounter less friction in being rolled out compared to other citizens' petitions that are still being debated in the Legislature, such as establishing the retail infrastructure for recreational marijuana and a minimum wage increase long after they were passed through public referendum."It's important to remember that five different times Democrats, Republicans and Independents have come together to pass Medicaid expansion, if voters vote yes that will make the expansion the law of the land," Farmer said. "So the support is already in place, and we believe the Legislature will fully execute the expansion. That level of support was not the case with the other proposals."LePage opposes Question 2. He said Medicaid expansion would cost Maine taxpayers $500 million over the next five years while, "racking up massive budget shortfalls every year," he said in a recent letter to the Maine State Chamber of Commerce made available to the Portsmouth Herald. "Maine should not expand Medicaid to give free health care to able-bodied people who should be working and can contribute to the costs of their own health care," LePage stated in the letter. "Medicaid was designed as a safety net for the truly needy -- not for adults who are more than capable of working."On Oct. 11 during his weekly radio address, LePage criticized supporters of Question 2, calling them "socialists (pushing) their agenda through the ballot box.""Expanding Medicaid to give them 'free' health care removes this incentive to work," LePage said. "As I always say, 'free' is very expensive to somebody. Maine learned this the hard way when it expanded Medicaid in 2002 under then-Gov. (Angus) King. Medicaid expansion did not decrease the number of uninsured Mainers. It did not reduce emergency-room utilization. Instead, it nearly destroyed the state budget and created a $750 million debt to our hospitals. To pay for this 'free' health care, Maine took money away from our nursing homes and it put vulnerable people on waitlists for services they need."Farmer said if passed, LePage or one of his allies in the Legislature would have to introduce a new bill to repeal the new Medicaid expansion. LePage's office did not respond to multiple requests asking if he would plan on introducing a repeal bill if the expansion were to pass.Lawrence said overall, the ways in which health care is financed in the United States leaves a lot to be desired."It's a pieced-together system of financing and if you were starting from scratch, you would not choose the way we do it now," he said. "You have all the subsidies, private insurance, Medicare and Medicaid and it's a really complicated puzzle for people. Therefore, passing Medicaid expansion will be important for taking pressure off the health care system otherwise we'll see more insurance providers leaving Maine's marketplace like Anthem deciding to leave at the start of 2018."
Montana has spent more than a hundred years trying to keep a lid on campaign contributions. It is still trying.Back around the dawn of the 20th century, the Anaconda Copper Co. and a cabal of copper kings ruled the roost in the Treasure State. One of their number, William A. Clark, actually bought himself a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1899; that body initially refused to seat him due to qualms about the bribery scheme. Clarks plot and others led Montana citizens in 1912 to approve a corrupt practices act, barring all corporate spending in state elections. That law lasted until 2011, when it was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court on the grounds that it interfered with free speech.But Montana still had in place limits on the size of campaign contributions that could be given to candidates. The limits were imposed by voters in 1994. Five years ago, U.S. District Judge Charles Lovell found that those limits too were an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment, because they didnt allow candidates sufficient resources to run their campaigns. His decision was rejected by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which sent the case back down for him to reexamine.Last year, Lovell again found the limits unconstitutional. This time, he decided that limits on campaign contributions were unnecessary except in cases with clear evidence of corruption. The disturbing thing is the judge was holding us to a standard of proving a candidate had approved a quid pro quo, says Jaime MacNaughton, an attorney for the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices.On Oct. 30, a three-judge panel overturned Lovell's decision, finding that the state had adequately made the case that campaign contributions can be used to sway political action, without having to prove an actual case of quid pro quo corruption. This lawsuit ... sought to open the floodgates of money in Montana elections by making it easier for out-of-state corporations to buy officeholders, Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock said in a statement. Im glad the federal courts upheld Montanas limits on money in elections.Montana refuses to give up on the idea of limiting money and its influence on politics. Some of this seems to be the long historical memory of an era when state politics was dominated by a single industry. One would think this would pass over time, yet it seems to have influenced the state forever, says Jeremy Johnson, a political scientist at Carroll College in Helena.Like any state, Montana has occasional campaign finance scandals that keep the issue alive in the media and in peoples minds. Back in 2010, nine Republican legislative candidates were accused by the Commissioner of Political Practices of violating campaign finance laws. This past August, the state Supreme Court upheld a sizable fine imposed against one of them, former state Rep. Art Wittich. Two days later, one of the others, failed state Senate candidate Pat Wagman, signed a settlement with the state and agreed to a pay a fine. All but one of the nine have been punished in some fashion. In September, Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock agreed to pay $3,000 to clear up a case regarding his 2014 campaigns failure to disclose in a timely manner his use of a state plane for political trips.The fact that the state has an active office targeting campaign finance violations -- in an era when many states have weakened their election and ethics regulation -- is one reason Montana continues to take the issue seriously. But politicians in the state say that support for restrictions and penalties is part of the culture. People feel they should know who is giving and that there should be some limits on how much money can influence politics and elections, says state Rep. Frank Garner, who co-sponsored a 2015 law requiring so-called dark money groups to disclose their spending. Thats still very much the culture of Montana.
Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson, a Republican, is facing another lawsuit over the states process for removing voters from registration lists.Voting rights group Common Cause said the states policy violates federal voting law by immediately removing voters from rolls if they are suspected of having moved away. Federal election law requires election officials to wait two federal election cycles before removing voters who did not respond to confirmation notices.The challenge to the Indiana law comes as the U.S. Supreme Court is set to consider a case from Ohio in which elections officials are being sued for sending confirmation of address notices to registered voters after they failed to vote in an election, initiating a process that could remove them from the rolls. The groups suing over the law, including the American Civil Liberties Union, say Ohios action violates a federal law that bars removing registrants for not voting.Under an Indiana law enacted last year, elections officials are required to enter a persons name and birthdate into a program called Crosscheck to see whether she has registered in another state. Critics have questioned the accuracy of the program and said Indianas approach, which has yet to be implemented, would falsely connect separate people with the same name and birthday.The Brennan Center for Justice and the League of Women Voters are already suing the state over the same law.Lawson has declined to comment on the suits. But, she said, I certainly want our list to be accurate.
Description

GIS -31 October, 2017 : The African Union (AU) High Representative for the Peace Fund, Dr Donald Kaberuka, at the head of a delegation, paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, yesterday at the New Treasury Building in Port Louis.

The Peace Fund is established under Article 21 of the protocol establishing the Peace and Security Council of the AU to finance the Unions peace and security operations. This followed the adoption in July 2016 by the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the decision directing all Member States to implement a 0.2% levy on eligible imports with a view to establish a reliable effective and predictable financing mechanism at the level of the Union. The decision entered into operations in January 2017.

The Peace Fund covers operational activities such as mediation and preventive diplomacy, institutional capacity and peace support operations .
Description

GIS - 31 October, 2017: The country has embarked on a new wave of radical changes by identifying potential growth sectors, and strategies are being harnessed to develop a range of Mauritian industries to improve productivity. Government has a crucial responsibility to ensure that economic growth brings greater equity and sustainability for the country and actions in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will support Mauritius in this endeavour. : The country has embarked on a new wave of radical changes by identifying potential growth sectors, and strategies are being harnessed to develop a range of Mauritian industries to improve productivity. Government has a crucial responsibility to ensure that economic growth brings greater equity and sustainability for the country and actions in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will support Mauritius in this endeavour.

The Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, made this statement yesterday at the l aunching of a booklet entitled, The Mauritian Experience with SDGs, at Le Sirius, Labourdonnais Hotel in Port-Louis. The UN Resident Coordinator, Mr Simon Springett, and several personalities were present.

He highlighted that the 2030 agenda encompasses social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development which aims at eradicating extreme poverty, fighting injustice and inequality whilst protecting the environment. It also encompasses universal respect for human rights, equality and non-discrimination for everyone in all segments of the society, he added.

On that score, Prime Minister Jugnauth underlined that the goals and targets of the 2030 agenda are an integral part of national priorities for Mauritius and have consequently been a perennial feature of past and present strategies to achieve economic prosperity and social development.

With a Human Development Index of 0.78 recorded in 2015, Mauritius is already among the high human development countries of the world, matching progress with social development, he emphasised. The vision of Government, underpinned Mr Jugnauth, is to provide impetus to jumpstart a new phase of high growth for sustainable development that will bring in shared prosperity and enhance quality of life, to ultimately transform the country into an inclusive, high- income economy by 2030.

The Prime Minister reiterated the need of having an effective partnership among development partners, in particular the United Nations, the civil society, and the private sector to implement Government policies of improving the lives of people, promoting inclusiveness in the economy and society, broadening opportunity for the youths, increasing female participation in the labour force, empowering women and bridging gender gaps.

For his part, Mr Simon Springett emphasised that agenda 2030 is a universal, transformative and unifying fundamental guide for all countries, all governments and everyone in all segments of the society. It calls for collective actions and encourages us to take the steps to shift the world to sustainable development, he added.

Mr Springett underscored the need for everyone to reinforce their collective understanding of the SDGs and the targets of the agenda so as to ensure collective actions.

The Mauritian Experience with SDGs

The publication, at the initiative of UN Mauritius, provides an overview of the journey that Mauritius has taken in the Post-2015 era. It delineates the trajectory of the country in its implementation of the SDGs across various sectors.
Description

GIS - 31 October, 2017: Mauritius is hosting the first Meeting of the International Scientific Committee for the Indentured Labour Route Project (ILRP) which was opened yesterday by the Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Prithvirajsing Roopun, at the Intercontinental Hotel in Balaclava. The two-day meeting is being attended by local and foreign delegates.

In his address, Minister Roopun highlighted that the ILRP will contribute to a better understanding of the diasporic culture and movement of indentured labourers. It will also provide information on indentured labour and the various global transformations that have taken place over the years, he added.

The Minister underlined that the project will help explore the story of some 500 000 indentured labourers who were recruited to work on the sugar cane plantations in Mauritius after the abolition of slavery. He pointed out that the ancestors of some 70% of the Mauritian population were indentured labourers and this necessitates a better understanding of the impacts of this mass movement.

Minister Roopun underscored that the Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund, since 2001, is conducting research on indentured labour and its heritage in Mauritius so as to bring its history to broader horizons. This, he added, will help discover unknown aspects of the indenture experience and help people to trace back their family roots.

He emphasised that research and documentation of indentureship will contribute to a culture of peace by promoting pluralism, intercultural dialogue, sustainable development and unity. The Minister called for further collaboration of the delegates in the finalisation of a dynamic programme of actions for the project.

For her part, the Programme Specialist of UNESCO Regional for Eastern Africa, Mrs Karalyn Monteil underlined that UNESCO extends its full support to the ILRP as it represents a major historical advancement. She also emphasised that this project will provide a global and systematic overview of indentureship and will urge further research and development as regards cultural history. It will also contribute to remembrance tourism and encourage the preservation of memorials, historic sites, written archives and oral descriptions, she added.

The two-day meeting is an initiative of the Aapravasi Ghat Trust Fund in collaboration with the National Heritage Fund and the Mauritius Film Development Corporation. The main objectives are to present the ILRP to the Committee and establish a Strategy for 2017-2020 .

The Indentured Labour Route Project is an approved project of UNESCO and it will complement UNESCOS Slave Route to gain better understanding of the transatlantic slave trade in the 18th century.
Description

GIS  31 October, 2017 : The Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit, and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, had a working session yesterday with the Chairman and Leader of the Chagos Refugees Group, Mr Louis Olivier Bancoult, at the New Treasury Building in Port Louis.

The meeting focused on joint efforts being undertaken at the International Court of Justice for Mauritius to effectively exercise its sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago and for the right of Mauritian citizens, including those of Chagossian origin, to return to and resettle in the Chagos Archipelago.

In a statement following the meeting, Mr Bancoult said the meeting was very positive and cordial. Recalling the historic adoption on 22 June 2017 by the United Nations General Assembly of the resolution seeking International Courts advisory opinion on pre-independence separation of Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius, Mr Bancoult pointed out that the working session reviewed the status regarding the presentations of written statements and comments to the International Court of Justice. The time-limit within which statements on the question may be presented to the Court has been set for 30 January 2018.

According to Mr Bancoult, members of the Chagossian community are finalising their arguments on the violations of rights and sufferings endured in their deportation, and their statements will be ready by next week. He added that all submissions will be made in consultation with the Government.

The Leader of the Chagos Refugees Group stated that the coordinated efforts of everyone, both the Government and the Chagossian community, are required for a positive outcome.
Like this years model, which featured whats believed to be its first major hackathon CES 2018 will offer something its never had before: a separate smart cities track throughout the show, Jan. 9-12.Located at the Westgate Las Vegas hotel next to the Las Vegas Convention Center, the main CES location, it will examine a topic that show organizers said they felt was significant enough to merit its own distinct event.Presented by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and Deloitte, the Consumer Electronics Show will feature programming from companies including Bosch, Ford, Nissan and Qualcomm on smart transportation, energy, public safety, health care, data analytics, security, artificial intelligence and more.In conjunction with FirstNet , another partner, CES 2018 will also feature a half-day program focused on first responders.Governance and policy are in the smart cities mix as well. Exact times are not yet set, but Smart Cities at CES 2018 will feature an innovation policy summit that Karen Chupka, senior vice president, CES and corporate business strategy for CTA, said is geared toward government officials and targeted at educating policymakers on whats happening from a technology perspective.CTA officials had seen an influx of local, state and even federal officials at previous editions of the show, Chupka said, and recognized the significance of smart cities. Global smart cities spending is projected to rise from $14.9 billion in 2015 to $34.4 billion in 2020, CTA said earlier this year.It seemed like the natural place to take this discussion to the next level and start taking a look at this. These are solutions that are potentially going to be tied together and government leaders need to know how to prepare their cities for them, prepare their communities for them, Chupka said.Not surprisingly, officials in Las Vegas strongly agree. Earlier this year, the agency hired two members of winning teams from the 2017 hackathon, among them Maria De Lourdes Ramos, who earned her bachelors of science in mechanical engineering cum laude from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas and is earning a doctorate in mechanical engineering.Its uncertain yet whether CES 2018 will again feature a hackathon, but Las Vegas IT Business Partner Don Jacobson said the city is mulling whether to host one during the weekend of Jan. 6, then showcase winners at its booth.Also at its booth, the city will likely share results from three pedestrian safety pilots slated to wrap later this fall, Jacobson said. Each uses technology to examine issues such as the design of intersections, traffic signal times, police enforcement and the availability of features like sidewalks.Its great to have this be the next wave of interest, not only by municipal governments and state governments, but by the people who create the solutions for those public agencies to get together and talk about the real problems that we want to solve, the real data that we want to get. So, were really looking forward to it, Jacobson said.
(TNS) -- AUBURN  The Androscoggin County Sheriff's Office still has its body cameras in the 2018 budget and Probate Judge Michael Dubois got the raise he was seeking.All that is left is for the Androscoggin County Commission to ratify the budget following a public hearing next month.The Budget Committee completed its work on the 2018 Androscoggin County budget Wednesday, approving $20,746 in cuts in the $13.6 million budget.As proposed, the county tax levy in the 14 municipalities will rise by roughly 6 percent.The rate of increase was not palatable for some committee members, especially on top of last year's 6.44 percent increase."I appreciate the hard work by the commissioners," Andrew Titus of Auburn said. "I want people to understand that when I'm budget conscious, it's not because I don't think you guys are doing a good job, but I have a responsibility to Auburn, which is not to pass them another 6 percent increase."Titus did his best to find budget lines to cut and had a few successes. But he failed in his attempt to cut the entire amount appropriated to replace the cameras in the patrol vehicles, add body cameras for his officers and purchase a server large enough to handle the digital photos and videos from those cameras.The total cost of $125,000 was to be budgeted at $25,000 over five years. Sheriff Eric Samson explained that the vehicle cameras were outdated, with the current system not working on three cars.Looking to either cancel the entire program or at least delay its implementation for a year, Titus sought to cut the $25,000. He said that body cams are still too controversial for the county to be ahead of the curve on having the technology.But Samson countered that Titus was opposing the purchase as a matter of policy instead of a budget concern. Policy is the purview of the commissioners and not the Budget Committee, Samson said. And the commissioners had already approved the purchase of body cams.The vast majority of the Budget Committee also thought the addition of body cameras was a good idea, voting 2-9 to reject Titus' motion. Budget Committee Chairman Michael Lachance of Lewiston joined Titus in supporting the cut.The panel did adjust the cut it made to salaries for Probate Court. After initially cutting more than $7,400 in salaries, the board changed the cut to $6,500. With the department replacing a longtime clerk with a new hire, the county has enough money to give Judge Dubois the $10,000 raise he was seeking for his increased workload for several evidentiary hearings and floating court dates.The Budget Committee cut $1,800 from the Civil Process Division and $1,600 from communications."We don't want to cut budgets, but we've got no choice," Titus said. "We can't sustain this year after year. I understand we need stuff, and we want to grow. I also need to have you understand that we can't spend this year after year, whatever the reason is."County Administrator Larry Post said he agreed with Titus that the budget increase was unacceptable to him, but he defended the increase."It's all about providing the services that citizens ask of us and demand of us," Post said. "We have to provide those in such a way that we have to do it as frugally as we can. We also have to do it in an excellent manner. Sometimes I've seen places where they become so frugal that they're not providing the services, and the whole thing just doesn't work."Unlike past years, with no lawsuits threatening to tear apart the civility of the two groups, Wednesday's meeting completed one of the most cooperative budget processes between the county and the municipalities in a few years. Lachance seized on the feel-good atmosphere."I hope commissioners will take it upon themselves, in a gesture of goodwill, and set a precedent and honor the budget submitted by the Budget Committee," Lachance said. "We're at a point now that it's important this relationship between the municipalities and the county move in a positive direction."The county will hold a public hearing on the budget at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1, at the county courthouse.
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.
Stepping inside an emergency operations center sometimes requires vying for a cramped spot in a bare-bones facility. But visiting one of the new, state-of-the-art emergency operations centers emerging across the country means encountering advanced technological tools situated in a more spacious environment. Safety professionals say these high-tech centers allow them to better assist the public in quickly navigating emergency situations.Technology tends to draw the most attention, but its generally not the primary factor driving the construction of a new EOC. Space constraints frequently motivate staff to campaign for a new facility. That was the case for New Jersey Transit safety employees, who had been working out of a 53-foot-long trailer for an EOC until they recently opened a permanent building.It became very apparent that the facility we were using was not adequate, said New Jersey Transit Police Chief Christopher Trucillo. It took a lot of coordination and convincing  because dollars are very dear in a public entity  to get folks to understand  that we would be better at what we do as a result of having an adequately sized and staffed emergency operations center.Wisconsin Emergency Management also struggled with functioning optimally in its previous facility because of bottlenecks and large crowds and people crawling over each other, said Greg Engle, planning and preparedness bureau director. It was very difficult for people to move around and work together. And we built some expansion capacity into [the new building] so if we have other agencies come in, we can set them up.Insufficient space prompted emergency managers in St. Charles County, Mo., to request a new facility, which is scheduled to open next year. We really need a more technologically advanced and bigger space to bring services to our residents, said Capt. Chris Hunt, director of emergency management. The growth of the county and the responsibilities of public safety have increased tremendously.Expanded emergency management responsibilities, in addition to the space issues, played a role in securing Wisconsins new state EOC, which opened last December. When I started 20 years ago, our focus was on tornadoes and flooding. But emergency management has changed over the years to include [threats such as] 9/11  and cyberthreats, said Wisconsin Emergency Management crisis communications manager Lori Getter. We have to continue to be ready to evolve and help our citizens.Many contemporary EOCs are anchored by a large main room that glows with dozens, or perhaps hundreds, of computer monitors located at staff work stations. Various room layouts exist, but most situate stations so workers face or easily can view a smart wall, typically consisting of many smaller monitors or tiles. We have a huge screen that can be a full screen or broken out into smaller screens or visuals, said Richard D. Flinn Jr., director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency.New Jersey Transit finds its smart wall beneficial. [It] enables us to integrate all our video, all our audio, all our networks and PCs, as well as commercial services like cable TV and satellite TV  and put it up on the board, said Capt. Robert Noble, commanding officer for the office of emergency management. And our 3,500-plus [closed circuit] TV camera system.Cameras in public spaces, especially traffic cameras, have become a game-changing resource on which cutting-edge EOCs capitalize. The cameras offer real-time oversight of situational aspects. If something happens, they zoom right in and see whats going on, Flinn said of employees at the Pennsylvania EOC, which opened last year. Thats something we did not have in the old building.New Jersey Transit relies heavily on its video feeds to simultaneously observe a variety of conditions. We can display up to 36 cameras on those monitors at once, said Noble. Rail operations is using them to look at passenger flows or train movement, but were also having the same set of eyes on noticing any terrorism action.Although its still rare, a few EOCs use streaming video transmitted by drones. Were getting real-time images through drones or through state-owned aircraft, Getter said. The aerial images help officials to assess the scale of a situation, especially in areas that are difficult to access. The footage becomes more advantageous when used in conjunction with a geographical information system. Weve really pushed areas  such as GIS, Getter said. Using the traditional aircraft and drones for aerial footage  and comparing them with the GIS mapping  has been a tremendous asset. Were going to a whole other level.Similarly, geocoding helps distribute messages to select groups of citizens via wireless emergency alert systems. We are able to geocode where an incident occurs and send an alert right to [nearby citizens] phones, and ask folks if they want to get information about whats happening, Flinn said. Just keeping somebody informed about whats happening helps alleviate stress [and] it alleviates folks calling 911 to see whats going on.Social media is another frequently upgraded area. Social media has been the biggest addition to the EOC, Noble said. Were able to quickly share a lot of information  from people out in the field. Pennsylvanias state agency pushed social media to the forefront in its new facility as well. We realized that in the changing world, we have to be involved in monitoring whats happening on social media, Flinn said.High-tech tools fall short, however, without a solid technological infrastructure. Fast, disaster-resistant networks are another focus in new EOCs. Our network infrastructure is going to be so robust and so powerful. Were not going to be limited by a network that is going to slow things down, St. Charles Countys Hunt said. And our county IT department is going to house all of their servers and all of their infrastructure in this facility.That sharing of resources  such as space and technology  among departments and agencies is a financially beneficial trend prevalent at advanced EOCs. Wisconsin Emergency Management, for example, is co-located with the Wisconsin National Guards Joint Operations Center in its new 24,500-square-foot building.Harris County, Texas, essentially created a public safety campus. The 30,000-square-foot building accommodates several related departments, including emergency management and safety communications. We made the best use of the building, said Judge Ed Emmett, director of homeland security and emergency management. In our case  its the fact that youve got four different government entities sharing one building that makes it such an efficient use.Pennsylvanias emergency management collaborates with the state Department of Transportation, whose employees sit right beside our watch officers, 24/7, Flinn said. They also share space with some human services employees. Beyond cutting costs, such a system fosters relationships among groups that need to cooperate during an emergency. Were working side-by-side on blue sky days on planning and logistics issues, and then when an incident happens we have that relationship and flow right into activation mode, Flinn said.In addition, agencies sharing space and viewing the same information on the EOCs smart wall speeds daily and emergency operations by eliminating the need to actively contact employees in other locations. Information is presented in real time on the wall and everyone can make their own decisions based on the information thats in front of them, Noble said.Safety professionals increased roles and investments in capital-intensive tools both have led an increasing number of agencies to scrap the concept of using separate centers for daily operations and emergency activations. Instead, they occupy one well-equipped facility that allows for both. For example, many new EOCs include communications workers staffing a 911 call center, whereas that function is located separately from emergency management in many older configurations.Emergency situations often unexpectedly require extended responses, but many existing EOCs are not adequately outfitted for longer-term operations. That, too, is changing in modern centers. The whole thing has been designed for people to stay there for extended periods of time and work as efficiently as possible, Emmett said of Harris Countys new facility.During extended activations, emergency workers in under-equipped facilities might be forced to attempt to sleep in the midst of a bustling EOC. Managers realize the toll that takes on their staff, though, and modern EOCs therefore better meet basic needs. What makes this of particular importance during an emergency is that you work in shifts, Emmett said. For people who are  not on shift, to be able to rest properly is a critical component.Harris Countys previous facility didnt have sleeping quarters and only had two showers. To say it was not the most comfortable environment would be a real understatement, Emmett said. But the new building provides access to two large rooms that can be converted to sleeping areas, about a dozen showers and locker rooms, he said. We also made it easier to get food service in and out ... now we have loading docks, and those have improved things a great deal.Designing the facilities to withstand natural disasters and security breaches further boosts value. The St. Charles County EOC, for example, will have few windows due to its location in a tornado-prone area. It took about a year in working with constructors to develop an EF-5 rated building, Hunt said. Plus, it has fencing and bollards  its all gated, all key card access. The entire campus is under video surveillance thats monitored 24 hours a day.Designing a new EOC doesnt simply involve hiring an architecture firm to figure out the details. Safety staff report taking an active role in offering ideas to improve upon their previous facilities by incorporating lessons learned from past successes and failures.Harris Countys staff carried over findings from Hurricane Rita because that evacuation went very badly.  One of the big problems was that people would get outside of Houston and theyd run into traffic jams in smaller towns, Emmett said. Therefore, the new EOC houses improved technology for monitoring traffic and communicating with responders assisting with traffic flow. If theres an evacuation, I can monitor the traffic all the way to Dallas and San Antonio, Emmett said. We can tell you the deputy thats supposed to be at each intersection monitoring it. If they dont check in on their laptop, we can find out why theyre not there.New Jersey Transit considered difficulties experienced during several longer responses when designing its new EOC. The experience with Superstorm Sandy being so devastating and having an impact not just for a few days or a couple weeks, but literally for a couple months  really crystallized the need to step up our game in terms of an emergency operations center, Trucillo said. Safety planning for the Super Bowl and the Popes visit also were influential.St. Charles County emergency management staff acutely felt their EOCs shortcomings when a tornado struck in 2013. With all the emergency support functions [in there] it was extremely crowded and made it difficult to communicate, Hunt said. That prompted research into not just a larger space, but also noise and echo reduction measures to ease communication.Agencies also benefit from researching other EOCs and learning from other entities. Everybody should be doing that, New Jersey Transits Noble said.St. Charles County safety staff toured other new facilities and discovered the importance of right-sizing visual equipment in large rooms. Some EOCs they visited encountered problems from installing what you think is a gigantic monitor on a wall. But when you put it up, its really small. So you cant see what content is on those monitors, Hunt said.Wisconsin Emergency Management staff visited and borrowed ideas from facilities in multiple states. Most notably, they reworked their main rooms layout based on Ohios EOC, which groups together the different emergency support functions in pods, Engle said. Our previous layout was in long rows like a movie theater. But in these pods people are working together more in groups.Many agencies across the country have entered into new territory by constructing state-of-the art operations centers. But in the end, as Emmett said, an EOC is only as good as the people that are in it.
(TNS)  A cutting-edge network of interactive digital kiosks for Miami-Dades transit system may cost passengers an old-fashioned perk: shelter from the rain and the sun.Outfront Media, the company that builds county bus shelters in exchange for selling ad space on the structures, recently warned it may have to abandon the venture if a rival company installs as many as 300 Wi-Fi-enabled kiosks at bus stops across the county. The kiosk company, Civiq, won a deal in January to spend about $20 million bringing the technology to Miami-Dade at no charge, partly in exchange for selling ads on the nearly 10-foot-tall pylons.We understand that the objectives of the digital kiosk program are fantastic  to provide free Wi-Fi to transit riders, Outfront lobbyist Michael Llorente told county commissioners at a recent hearing. But I can assure you that if that program is funded by essentially cannibalizing some of our top-producing bus shelters, a lot of those riders are going to be surfing the Internet under the sun and the rain. Because the money is simply not going to be there for the bus shelters.County vendors often warn of financial ruin if the government allows competition, and Outfront has millions invested in its near-monopoly on advertising throughout South Floridas public-transportation system. It already wraps national brands around Miami-Dade Metromover cars, county buses and on placards at all Metrorail stations under an exclusive contract approved in 2015.While Miami-Dade owns the bus shelters Outfront builds, the company pays to empty the trash at them, clean up graffiti, and repair the lights  maintenance costs Llorente hinted might not be sustainable if Civiq came into the picture.The dispute with Civiq  best known for converting New York Citys phone booths into high-tech pods  comes during a sensitive time in the countys long-delayed effort to protect more bus passengers from the elements as Miami-Dade looks to expand the program.And Civiq, a Boston-based company, is facing a new fight with Miami-Dade over a contract it won just 10 months ago. It has yet to turn in requested locations for 150 kiosks, or installed Wi-Fi equipment in 10 county buses, as required under its deal. That prompted Miami-Dade to recently warn Civiq it risked losing the contract altogether.Immediate action is required on your part to provide these deliverables, Angel Petisco, the countys technology director, wrote a Civiq executive on Sept. 29.A transit spokeswoman said Civiq had until Sunday to comply with Petiscos requirements. Civiq representatives declined requests for on-the-record interviews.Civiq faced a string of complications when it pursued the Miami-Dade deal. While the county runs one of the countrys largest bus systems, the most-sought-after bus stops for roadside advertisers sit within the city limits of Miami and Miami Beach.Because cities negotiate their own advertising deals for shelters within municipal limits, Civiq was left to pursue separate agreements with those governments. While Miami-Dade used a provision in county law allowing a no-bid arrangement by branding the kiosk deal a marketing arrangement, Miami Beach is accepting competitive proposals for a potential kiosk system. Miami is still weighing its options.The strife over the Civiq contract could complicate the pending effort to change Miami-Dade law to accommodate Civiqs digital-advertising plans. The electronic ads it wants to broadcast at kiosks in bus shelters throughout the suburbs are currently banned by Miami-Dades sign ordinance, and open-space advocates won concessions before county commissioners approved the original Civiq contract on Jan. 24.A proposed change to the sign rules narrowly passed a committee in October, with a final vote before the full County Commission is expected by the end of the year.Outfront Media, the billboard giant based in New York, is opposing the ordinance while pursuing an expansion of its own shelter contract with Miami-Dade.Shelters exist at only about a third of the 3,000 bus stops outside of city limits in Miami-Dade, and the county doesnt want to spend tax dollars building more. Instead, it is asking Outfront and rivals to bid on a new advertising deal that would require construction of at least 1,000 more shelters.Weve been waiting five years for it, Commissioner Xavier Suarez said of a new bus-shelter contract. It breaks my heart to see people not able to get out of the sun or the rain.For Barbara Walters, who lives in Kendall and runs a marketing company, rain makes a big difference when she takes the bus. When shes heading north, her bus stop off Southwest 99th Street offers only a bench under a thicket of trees. The one across the street has a full shelter, so when it pours, shell wait there and dodge rush-hour traffic when the 104 Bus arrives.I just want to turn around and go home, said Walters, a longtime transit advocate who is a regular bus passenger. Im in sales, so I dont want to walk in to meet a client looking like a drowned rat.With Suarez and other commissioners pressing to award the new shelter contract, the Civiq deal is billed as milestone upgrade for the countys transit riders. Civiq agreed to take over all Wi-Fi systems on Metrorail and buses, saving Miami-Dade about $2 million in cellular charges it pays each year providing the service. Civiq also would expand Wi-Fi to all 850 of the countys buses. Only about 20 percent offer Wi-Fi now.The contract calls for kiosks at Metromover and Metrorail stations and more than 100 bus stops throughout the county. Thats a tiny portion of the more than 8,000 stops in Miami-Dade, including the ones within city limits, and Miami-Dade sees the limited quantity shielding the shelter programs ad dollars.Civiq kiosks radiate Wi-Fi about 200 feet away, allowing passengers waiting for a bus to continue watching a video or maintain a Facetime call without losing wireless Internet once their ride arrives. The 55-inch screens offer touch-screen information on the transit system, and feature a string of gizmos that include the ability for a user to snap a selfie and receive it by email.The kiosks also are billed as early infrastructure for making Miami-Dade a smart community, with cameras and sensors on the devices able to help county officials monitor traffic, crime, pollution and other factors. Though touted as a breakthrough for Miami-Dade, the contentious deal now evokes a hint of wistfulness from transit chief Alice Bravo. Her agency negotiated the original Civiq deal, and now is helping manage the first steps in what could be a termination if Civiq and the county cant resolve the dispute.The digital kiosk was going to have an interactive touch screen, information alerts, video surveillance, Bravo said Friday, using the past tense throughout in referring to the Civiq agreement. It was almost like having a Siri. But with transit.
Sauber has reportedly decided to drop Pascal Wehrlein from its 2018 driver lineup.

Earlier, amid rumours the Swiss team wanted to keep at least one of its existing drivers next year, it appeared it could be Marcus Ericsson that is shown the door.

But the Swede has strong ties to Sauber's new owners, and Blick newspaper now claims Ericsson is indeed definitely staying in 2018.

He looks set to be joined by Monaco-born Charles Leclerc, a junior driver for Sauber's engine partner Ferrari and the new GP2 champion.

Roger Benoit, the well-connected Blick correspondent, claims the announcement of Leclerc, 20, joining Ericsson at Sauber will be made "in November".

German Wehrlein's future is therefore clouded, with his Mercedes backing said to be running out and only an outside chance of a switch to Williams.

"I have no news yet on this side," the 23-year-old said last weekend in Mexico.

"But there are some discussions going on for next year and I hope we can fix something soon."

(GMM)
Nico Hulkenberg says Renault's lack of reliability has become "unacceptable".

Indeed, it was nothing short of a horror weekend for the French marque in Mexico, with Viry-made power units failing not only at the works team but also customers Red Bull and Toro Rosso.

Even the winner, Max Verstappen, was nervous as he cruised to victory.

"I could see problems with many drivers and it made us nervous," said the Dutchman.

"I saw that Daniel was also out and Toro Rosso and I thought 'Oh my god, do not let that happen to me'."

Daniel Ricciardo agreed: "For some of us, it was a gruesome weekend."

For his part, works Renault driver Hulkenberg had to leap out of his failed yellow car with both feet so as to prevent an electric shock.

"Something like this (Mexico) must not happen to a manufacturer," he told Bild newspaper, referring to Renault's Mexico outing.

"It is not acceptable. We are not good enough."

For the German, it's his sixth DNF this year.

"Everyone is angry, frustrated, disappointed," Hulkenberg told Auto Motor und Sport. "We somehow have to get it under control for next year.

"The damage has been done this year but reliability is our first homework task for 2018," he insisted. "Otherwise, even having the fastest car would not help us."

(GMM)
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MILLERSBURG  Barbara Castillo has withdrawn as interim city manager and the City Council unanimously voted to hire former Albany fire chief Kevin Kreitman for the temporary role.

The unanimous decision came during a special council meeting Monday night, which covered a wide range of topics related to Millersburgs future, including explosive population growth and industry expansion.

But many of the 60 audience members wanted to talk about the past and ask about the city manager, city recorder and deputy clerks recent resignations.

The main thing we want to know is why all this is going on.  There are so many rumors, said resident Sharon Henschel, a former councilor.

Six employees of the city also signed a letter of no confidence in Mayor Jim Lepin last week.

And in a meeting on Oct. 24, the council appointed Castillo, its longtime city recorder and administrator as a volunteer interim city manager. However, she has an active complaint against her filed with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission.

Lepin said that Castillo will continue to help out at City Hall, however. Barb will still assist us as needed when she can, Lepin said.

Kreitman will be paid $6,500 per month starting in November and should be on the job about four months or so, Lepin estimated.

Former city manager Steven Hasson also will be paid by the city of Millersburg through the end of January.

The council also voted to have the Council of Governments help Millersburg find a permanent city manager, and approved a pay scale of $80,000 to $100,000.

During the public comment period, some residents criticized Hasson, while others praised him. Lepin also acknowledged that, as mayor, he could be a micromanager if he saw things werent getting accomplished.

Resident Robin Wilson Whitney said the council needed to be more transparent about its decision making process, rather than holding discussions behind closed doors or via email.

Youve already obviously talked about this, Wilson Whitney said, regarding Kreitmans hiring.

After the meeting, Henschel still felt uneasy. I feel like theres a lot of unanswered questions, she said.
Renesas Electronics Corporation announced that its automotive technologies will drive Toyota Motor Corporations autonomous vehicles, which are presently under development and scheduled for commercial launch in 2020. Selected by Toyota and Denso Corporation, Renesas autonomous-driving vehicle solution for Toyotas autonomous vehicles combines the R-Car system-on-chip (SoC), which serves as an electronic brain for in-vehicle infotainment and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), and the RH850 microcontroller (MCU) for automotive control.

This combination delivers a comprehensive semiconductor solution that covers peripheral recognition, driving judgements, and body control.

The R-Car SoC has been selected for Densos engine control unit (ECU), which will be used for Toyotas upcoming autonomous-driving vehicles. The R-Car SoC will function as the electronic brain for the autonomous-driving system, providing highly accurate intelligence on the vehicles position within its environment and making real-time decisions on vehicle control and active safety maneuvers based on sensor data. The RH850 was also selected to control driving, steering, and braking functions based on the judgements made by the R-Car SoC.

The combination provides a balance between performance and power consumption, and serves as a comprehensive autonomous-driving solution with high reliability, which had a decisive influence on the adoption by Toyota and Denso.

Renesas is committed to strengthening its Renesas autonomy solutions for autonomous-driving vehicles and continues to advance technological developments that enable a safe and reliable driving experience. Renesas plans to contribute to making ADAS and autonomous-driving systems available for all types of vehicles, ranging from entry- to high-level models.
The plant will continue ramping up to its target operational capacity of 250 bpd. Finished, saleable products (premium renewable waxes, diesel and naphtha) are meeting customer product specifications and sales are being made to product offtakers.

Velocys plc announced that production at ENVIA Energys Oklahoma City gas-to-liquids plant has reached an operational capacity of 200 barrels per day (bpd), passing a key capacity milestone. ( Earlier post .)

In order to meet this milestone and support continued operations, Velocys has extended the loan arrangement it has made available to ENVIA by $0.7 million to $13.4 million. All other terms of the loan, which has a 10% coupon, remain unchanged.

Biorefinery. Earlier this month, signed a site option agreement with Adams County in the State of Mississippi for its first US biorefinery to be located in Natchez, Mississippi.

Velocys has been offered economic development incentives from Adams County estimated to be worth the equivalent of $42 million. The project expects to qualify for additional incentives worth up to $15 million, provided via Mississippis Advantage Jobs Act and other statutory tax incentives. These incentive packages would reduce the companys future tax liabilities and are subject to Velocys meeting certain minimum requirements for capital investment and local employment opportunities.

Velocys has also received commitments from Adams County worth approximately $4 million (relating to the land and upgrades to the site) and $1 million site upgrade commitments from local utility suppliers, further increasing the attractiveness of the site.

The analysis lays the foundation for future biorefineries: Velocys is maintaining its list of other advantaged sites in the region, which could host plants with capacities totalling 100 million gallons over the next 10 years. Velocys remains in close contact with the economic development officials in these other States regarding the locations and timing of future renewable fuels facilities.

This announcement completes one of the work packages required for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) loan guarantee application announced in June 2017. Site permitting activities have now begun.
Concentrations of CO 2 are now 145% of pre-industrial (before 1750) levels, according to the Greenhouse Gas Bulletin .

Concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere surged at a record-breaking speed in 2016 to the highest level in 800,000 years, according to the World Meteorological Organizations Greenhouse Gas Bulletin . Globally averaged concentrations of CO 2 reached 403.3 parts per million in 2016, up from 400.00 ppm in 2015 because of a combination of human activities and a strong El Nino event.

Population growth, intensified agricultural practices, increases in land use and deforestation, industrialization and associated energy use from fossil fuel sources have all contributed to increases in concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere since the industrial era, beginning in 1750.

Since 1990, there has been a 40% increase in total radiative forcingthe warming effect on the climateby all long-lived greenhouse gases, and a 2.5% increase from 2015 to 2016 alone, according to figures from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration quoted in the bulletin.

The WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin reports on atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases. Emissions represent what goes into the atmosphere. Concentrations represent what remains in the atmosphere after the complex system of interactions between the atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere and the oceans. About a quarter of the total emissions is taken up by the oceans and another quarter by the biosphere, reducing in this way the amount of CO 2 in the atmosphere.

A separate Emissions Gap Report by UN Environment, to be released today, tracks the policy commitments made by countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and analyses how these policies will translate into emissions reductions through 2030, clearly outlining the emissions gap and what it would take to bridge it.

Together, the Greenhouse Gas Bulletin and Emissions Gap Report will provide a base for decision-making at the UN climate change negotiations, which will be held from 7-17 November in Bonn, Germany.

WMO, UN Environment and other partners are working towards an Integrated Global Greenhouse Gas Information System to provide information that can help nations to track the progress toward implementation of their national emission pledges, improve national emission reporting and inform additional mitigation actions. This system builds on the long-term experience of WMO in greenhouse gas instrumental measurements and atmospheric modelling.

WMO is also striving to improve weather and climate services for the renewable energy sector and to support the Green Economy and sustainable development. To optimize the use of solar, wind and hydropower production, new types of weather, climate and hydrological services are needed.

Key findings of the Greenhouse Gas Bulletin:

Carbon dioxide CO 2 is the most important anthropogenic long-lived greenhouse gas. Globally averaged concentrations for CO 2 reached 403.3 parts per million in 2016, up from 400.00 ppm in 2015. This record annual increase of 3.3 ppm was partly due to the strong 2015/2016 El Nino, which triggered droughts in tropical regions and reduced the capacity of sinks such as forests, vegetation and the oceans to absorb CO2. Concentrations of CO 2 are now 145% of pre-industrial (before 1750) levels.

The rate of increase of atmospheric CO 2 over the past 70 years is nearly 100 times larger than that at the end of the last ice age. As far as direct and proxy observations can tell, such abrupt changes in the atmospheric levels of CO 2 have never before been seen.

Geological records show that the current levels of CO 2 correspond to an equilibrium climate last observed in the mid-Pliocene (35 million years ago), a climate that was 23 C warmer, where the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets melted and even some of the East Antarctic ice was lost, leading to sea levels that were 1020 m higher than those today.

Methane. Methane (CH 4 ) is the second-most important long-lived greenhouse gas and contributes about 17% of radiative forcing. Approximately 40% of methane is emitted into the atmosphere by natural sources (e.g., wetlands and termites), and about 60% comes from human activities like cattle breeding, rice agriculture, fossil fuel exploitation, landfills and biomass burning.

Atmospheric methane reached a new high of about 1,853 parts per billion (ppb) in 2016 and is now 257% of the pre-industrial level.

Nitrous Oxide. Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) is emitted into the atmosphere from both natural (about 60%) and anthropogenic sources (approximately 40%), including oceans, soil, biomass burning, fertilizer use, and various industrial processes.

Its atmospheric concentration in 2016 was 328.9 parts per billion. This is 122% of pre-industrial levels. It also plays an important role in the destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer which protects us from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. It accounts for about 6% of radiative forcing by long-lived greenhouse gases.

The annual bulletin is based on observations from the WMO Global Atmosphere Watch Program, which coordinates systematic observations and analysis of greenhouse gases and other trace species. Fifty one countries contributed data for the Greenhouse Gas Bulletin. Measurement data are reported by participating countries and archived and distributed by the World Data Centre for Greenhouse Gases (WDCGG) at the Japan Meteorological Agency.
LINN COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT

Domestic violence charges  Monday afternoon. Katelyn Marie George, 26, of Albany, was charged with unlawful use of a weapon, menacing and fourth-degree assault. All of the crimes were categorized as domestic violence. Every time she drinks she gets like this, said the victim, in asking for security in the case. Judge Carol Bispham set Georges bail at $20,000 based on two previous assault convictions and a weapon allegedly used in this case.

Attempt to elude, resisting arrest  Lance Christopher Taylor, 45, of Albany, was charged with felony fleeing or attempt to elude a police officer, resisting arrest, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, third-degree theft, driving while suspended and violating a speed limit. The shoplifting charge was from the Lebanon Safeway, and Prosecutor Ani Yardumian said that Taylor fled at 60 mph to 70 mph through town. He represents a risk to the public with his behavior, Yardumian said. The state also will ask for an enhanced sentence in the case. Bispham set Taylors bail at $20,000.

LINN COUNTY SHERIFF

Pickup break-in  9:04 a.m. Sunday, 26300 block Big Lake Road. A caller reported that his truck was broken into the previous day and multiple pieces of hunting gear were taken. The value of the loss was between $5,000 and $7,000.

Abandoned kittens  11:33 a.m. Sunday, Waterloo County Park. A deputy on parks patrol was flagged down by a visitor who said that someone had abandoned a female cat and four kittens. The cats were left under a park bench in a rabbit-style wire cage. The deputy made arrangements with the Kitty Angel Team in Foster to pick up the cats for care, treatment and eventual adoption.

SWEET HOME POLICE

Burglary  Noon Saturday, 2200 block Long Street. A caller reported that someone broke into his garage the previous night and stole several items worth about $800.
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President Donald Trump last week declared opioid abuse a national public health emergency.

To which people in a lot of communities across the nation responded, Thanks for joining this epidemic already in progress. Where have you been?

The rising levels of addiction and death because of opioids have been a national public health crisis since the early 2000s. The number of opioid overdose deaths soared 200 percent between 2000 and 2014, according to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control.

In North Carolina, more people die from drug overdose than car accidents. Nationwide, drug overdose is the leading cause of death among people under 50.

To his credit, Trump did indicate as far back as the summer that he was going to declare opioid addiction a crisis. The time lag between then and now was likely the realization on the part of his staff that every policy he has put forward so far actually makes the problem worse.

The presidents proposed budget reduces funding for addiction research, treatment and prevention. It cuts the Department of Health and Human Services by 16 percent, the CDC by 17 percent and the National Institutes for Health by 18 percent.

His budget would eliminate the Appalachian Regional Commission, which helps promote economic activity for a perennially depressed region that has been hit particularly hard by opioids. Death from overdose was 65 percent more common for those living within the Appalachian region in 2015.

But most impactful in relation to opioid treatment would be the $610 billion cut to Medicaid, which is on the forefront of dealing with the opioid crisis. The expansion of Medicaid gave 1.3 million Americans access to mental-health services, and the Affordable Care Act added substance abuse disorder treatment to the 10 essential benefits that had to be covered under Medicaid and marketplace plans.

Nearly 12 percent of adults covered by Medicaid have a substance-use disorder.

This huge budget cut would reduce dramatically access to treatment for millions of Americans.

Only 1 in 10 Americans with a substance-abuse disorder receives treatment as it is, according to the U.S. surgeon general.

If we want to take care of this epidemic, we need more health insurance coverage, not less, said Dr. Joe Parks, medical director at the National Council for Behavioral Health.

Bipartisan commissions and crisis declarations dont do much unless they are supported by actual dollars dedicated to research, treatment and prevention.

The Trump administration did not couple its declaration  which is good only for 90 days  with a specific request for additional funding to battle the crisis.

All that did was allow federal agencies to direct more grant money already in their budgets to opioid-related programs and to open access to the Public Health Emergency Fund, which holds all of $57,000.

In other words, it was all just talk  and uninformed talk, at that.

Trump assured the nation that his border wall would stop the flood of illegal drugs from Mexico, although the huge majority of the people now addicted started with legally prescribed painkillers.

He also suggested a really tough, really big, really great advertising campaign to convince people not to take drugs  to just say no, if you will.

Research has proven the ineffectiveness of just say no and abstinence campaigns, and there is widespread agreement even among law enforcement agencies that we cant arrest our way out of this particular problem. Its going to take different strategies and significant investment to make a dent in the opioid crisis.

If Trump really wants to liberate our communities from this scourge of drug addiction, he needs to put our tax dollars into treatment centers instead of lining the pockets of the already incredibly wealthy.

He needs to fund fully the national agencies that study addiction and treatment, so those dollars can be invested in effective programs.

Trumps opioid announcement was more of the same from a president who loves to make promises and sign declarations but who is far less enthused about actually funding solutions.

In the run-up to last weeks announcement, most of the agencies involved in the actual work had no idea what the president even was going to say. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which is responsible for federal treatment programs, was not consulted.

But no expert is required to tell you that 90 days and $57,000 isnt going to get the job done.

Resources are key, Dr. Lisa A. Marsch, the director, Center for Technology and Behavioral Health at Dartmouth College, told Time magazine.

When you think of an emergency, if you had a fire burning, youd allocate resources to get the fire out, she says.

We cant just assume this is just going to solve itself without having a really focused, concerted and intensive effort to resolve it.

So far, Trump has provided only failed ideas and unfulfilled promises.
The Santiam Christian FFA dairy judging teams trip to the 90th national FFA convention in Indianapolis last week was both exciting and exhausting, according to adviser Amy Krahn.

The four-person team brought home a silver award, placing 16th out of more than 50 teams from every state, plus Puerto Rico and Guam. A team from Spencer County, Kentucky, earned first place.

Had we placed one spot higher, we would have earned gold, Krahn said. We had so much fun, it was so educational and very fast-paced.

Team scores were the combination of each team members individual scores. Team members and their placings were: Matthew Mehlschau, Rhyan Reid and Madison Kuhn, all silver, and Gracie Krahn, gold.

Judging event components included evaluation of six classes of dairy cattle, oral reasons of three classes, herd record evaluation, and team analysis and collaboration of feeds and nutrition on a dairy farm.

The team competed and won at both the local and state levels to earn the privilege of representing Oregon at the national event.

Kyndall Davis earned a silver award in the individual dairy handlers contest. Krahn said that in the dairy handlers activity, students learn to work with others in a way that is cooperative, courteous, and helpful in the show ring. They were also evaluated on how they handle dairy cattle while in the show ring.

The team flew into Chicago on Sunday and drove three hours to Peoria, Illinois.

Monday morning we visited River Valley, a jersey farm known around the world, Krahn said. They have more than 300 commercial cows, but they really focus on embryo transfers and developing superior cows and bulls.

Tuesday, they were treated to a private tour at Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana.

This is an extremely large farm that specializes in agritourism and includes chickens, pigs and cows, Krahn said. I have a friend from college who is the veterinarian there and gave up a private tour. The kids got to see robots at work and to learn about the farms many protocols.

Krahn said the information the students gained was valuable at the national contest.

Team members competed Wednesday and Thursday.

The kids looked at a lot of commercial cows, Krahn said. There were 67,000 people there on the last day of the convention. Our kids got to meet so many people and to network with people from all over the country. It was a great experience and I am super proud of how our kids did.

The mid-valley was also represented by Robert Schmidig of Scio, who moved into the presidency of the National FFA Alumni Association at the convention.

Schmidig had served as president-elect for the last year.

Schmidig works for Foster Farms. He and his wife, Margie, a Scio native, also raise cows.

His lifelong association with FFA began during his freshman year of high school in Modesto, California, in 1973.

Margie Schmidig was teaching school in California and the couple met when one of her class projects involved chickens. Robert was working with Foster Farms' poultry division.

The FFA Alumni Association is open to anyone interested in supporting the organization, which teaches young people about all phases of agriculture.

About 225,000 people belong to FFA Alumni associations nationwide, but FFA membership is about 650,000, Schmidig said. Now called FFA, the organization began in 1928 as the Future Farmers of America.

The annual Scio FFA Alumni & Friends dinner and auction will be held at 5:30 p.m., Nov. 11, at Scio High School, 38880 Main St., Scio.

Tickets are $15 each or a table of eight for $200.
Speculation about Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc.s future in Winston-Salem resumed Tuesday with two new developments, including news that the companys chief executive has bought a house in the Charlotte area.

Mike Tattersfield, Krispy Kremes chief executive for the past 15 months, and his wife, Christine, spent $1.37 million on Aug. 22 to buy a house off Lake Norman in Cornelius, according to real-estate records. The move puts him closer to Charlotte, where the company said last week it plans to increase its presence.

On Tuesday, reports said that JAB Holdings Inc., the German-based parent company of Krispy Kreme, is preparing to offer up to $8.2 billion for Dunkin Brands Group Inc., the parent company of Dunkin Donuts, by far the top doughnut chain in the country. Dunkin is based in Canton, Mass.

Krispy Kreme has been privately held since July 2016 when it was bought for $1.35 billion by JAB subsidiary JAB Beech.

Krispy Kreme spokeswoman Sarah Roof Garling said Tuesday that we have no comment on either topic at this time when asked about the Tatterfields house purchase or talk that employees have been told about future operational plans.

There have been increasing levels of local speculation recently that the company is considering moving its headquarters from Winston-Salem to Charlotte. It has been based in Winston-Salem since being founded by Vernon Rudolph in Old Salem on July 1937.

Krispy Kreme has 150 headquarters employees and 554 employees overall in Forsyth County, according to the latest workforce total the company has provided to the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce.

The Tattersfields house is in the 17th phase of the build-out of The Peninsula, a high-end development along Lake Norman.

The surfacing of news about the Tatterfields house purchase has increased local speculation about a possible move.

When JAB Beech bought Krispy Kreme, it pledged to retain local management, the local headquarters and the local workforce.

On Friday, Garling said the company is maintaining Krispy Kremes global headquarters in Winston-Salem, the birthplace of the company, as we deeply value our heritage and attachment to this area.

The company also confirmed that it is planning to establish a presence in the Charlotte market as part of its long-term growth strategy.

Tattersfield has served as Krispy Kremes chief executive since Jan. 1 after becoming its chairman as part of the JAB Beech purchase. Tattersfield has kept his chief executive duties with Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bagels, two other JAB brands.

Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines said Friday that he spoke with Tattersfield on Thursday after hearing rumors about the headquarters.

He assured me that the headquarters will remain in Winston-Salem, Joines said. I asked him directly if I could make that statement to the press and he said, Absolutely.

JAB has invested heavily in the coffee and doughnut sectors in recent years, spending a combined $23 billion on buying Krispy Kreme, Panera Bread, Keurig Green Mountain, Peets Coffee and Caribou Coffee.

Dunkins share price on the Nasdaq has risen as much as 10.6 percent since Fridays close of $54.82 after reports of the possible sale. It closed Tuesday at $59.07.

Some media reports question whether an $8.2 billion price tag for Dunkin would be financially feasible for JAB Holdings, as well as the potential for regulatory scrutiny for controlling two-thirds of the American market share between 62.1 percent from Dunkin and 4.5 percent from Krispy Kreme, according to IRIS World.

Bowman Gray IV, a local independent stockbroker, said a JAB Holding purchase of Dunkin Brands makes some sense given the rest of JABs portfolio.

It appears that they are building what amounts to a privately held Yum Brands business model of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, Gray said.

I doubt they will face any significant resistance from the regulatory bodies at all. I do think that both brands are in need of a refresh, he said, and I am curious to know if they intend to merge them under a new banner or keep them separate.

Tony Plath, a finance professor at UNC Charlotte, said its a toss-up on whether JAB could gain regulatory approval to buy Dunkin with the business-friendly Trump administration.

Justice Department approval will hinge on how you define companies, such as Krispy Kreme and Dunkin, Plath said. If you define their business broadly as part of the fast-food industry, then combining these two companies doesnt really produce an anti-competitive concentration.

Alternatively, if you define their business more narrowly as the retail doughnut trade, then its quite easy to make an argument that the combination creates a virtually monopoly in the industry, Plath said.

As such, Plath said, JAB may be contemplating the offer in part to see how federal regulators react.

Dunkin has confirmed it is considering taking Donuts out of its brand. It is also planning to spend $100 million over two years on updating its online presence and enhancing its store designs.

Nigel Travis, Dunkins chief executive, told The Associated Press on Thursday that it wants to remain the No. 1 retailer of doughnuts.

However, it may reduce its store count from about 1,000 and remove some menu items, including some doughnut varieties, to make the stores easier to run for franchisees, Travis said.
GRAHAM  Two Greensboro women and a High Point man are among six people who have been charged after authorities conducted a covert operation Monday to focus on human trafficking.

Much of the investigation centered on prostitution, some of which was suspected of being involuntary. The operation was conducted at a controlled location in Alamance County, a release from the Alamance County Sheriff's Office stated.

During the operation, seven potential victims of human trafficking were encountered. No charges of soliciting for prostitution initially were made.

The six individuals arrested are:

Levina Conyers, 22, of 601 Holt Ave., Apt. A in Greensboro was charged with driving while license revoked, possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Christian Alexander Blakely, 22, of 5230 Samet Drive in High Point was charged with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Elizabeth Lynn Locklear, 46, of 501 S. Regional Road in Greensboro was charged with possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia.

Destini Imani Frazier, 18, of Sanford was arrested as a probation absconder from Florida.

Evelin Lopez Umana, 31, of 1003 Apple St. Ext. in Burlington was charged with possession of marijuana.

Tia Marie McMillan, 37, of Pittsboro was arrested on a probation violation.

In addition, several individuals suspected of trafficking the victims were identified. Those investigations are ongoing.

The operation involved the Alamance County Sheriffs Office, the Office of the Alamance County District Attorney, the Burlington, Graham, Haw River police departments, the N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement, N.C. State Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
GREENSBORO  A party attended by both teens and young adults was cut short Sunday morning when a fight turned into a fatal shooting.

Greensboro Police said Timothy Frierson, 26, of Greensboro died at a nearby hospital after being shot at 836 Burbank St., in the Ray Warren Homes area.

Friersons death marks the citys 37th homicide this year.

Greensboro Police Capt. Nathaniel Davis said officers do not know what the fight was about, but that a dispute led to the shooting.

Davis said that police do not yet have a person of interest and do not know how many people fired shots during the party.

Otherwise, many details remain unknown.

Davis said some of that is because officer reports are coming in from the weekend and also because officers continue to talk with witnesses.

Its still early in the investigation,  Davis said. Were still trying to put information together and talk with more people.

Davis said that witnesses are cooperating with police but have been slower in providing information than other witnesses from other shootings.

Officers responded to the reported shooting at 1:32 a.m. and found three people, including Frierson, suffering from gunshot wounds.

Davis said investigators believe all three of the gunshot victims were involved in the same dispute.

The other two victims, whose names have not been released, are hospitalized, one with serious injuries and one with minor injuries, a Greensboro Police news release stated.

Davis said police expect both victims to survive their injuries.
GULFPORT, Miss.  A woman convicted of running guns to Mexico has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison.

U.S. District Judge Halil S. Ozerden sentenced Paula Villalva-Patricio on Thursday in Gulfport following her conviction by a jury in July on charges including conspiracy and smuggling. The Winston-Salem, North Carolina, resident was also fined $20,000.

Court papers show that Villalva-Patricio's nephew, Javier Molina, told investigators in 2012 that Villalva-Patricio ran a gun-smuggling ring. Javier was stopped in Mississippi in 2011 in a pickup carrying nine rifles, five shotguns, eight pistols, 902 rounds of ammunition, and other items. Authorities located the truck after secretly attaching a tracking device during an earlier traffic stop in the same Mississippi county.

Villalva-Patricios husband, Jose Luis Santos-Garcia, and Molina, of Greensboro, North Carolina, were each sentenced on smuggling charges in August 2012 following traffic stops and searches by a Jackson County deputy and a DEA Drug Task Force. Santos-Garcia is serving a prison term of eight years and one month. Molina is on probation after serving a five-year term, according to a July 17 article in the Sun-Herald.

Villalva-Patricio is accused of trying to smuggle several people into the U.S. since 1990, which led to the gun-smuggling conspiracy with which she is charged, the Sun-Herald reported, citing a court document.

The document alleges Villalva-Patricio was caught trying to smuggle a person at the San Clemente, California, point of entry on March 28, 1990. She was caught trying to smuggle a girl into the U.S. in July 1998, but was allowed to return the child to her mother. And in January 2002, she was caught trying to bring a one-year-old child, who was not her own, across the Laredo, Texas, point of entry. She was convicted in only one of those incidents, on a misdemeanor charge.

Villalva-Patricio, Jose Luis Santos-Garcia and Molina are from Mexico and are listed as legal permanent U.S. residents, the Sun-Herald reported.
A third person has died as result of injuries in Pasquotank Correctional Institution escape attempt, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.

Correctional Officer Wendy Shannon, 49, died Monday at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital as a result of injuries she sustained during the attempted prison break on Oct. 12, the department said in a news release.

Correctional officer Justin Smith and vocational worker Veronica Darden were killed after the inmates set a fire inside a prison sewing plant and apparently planned to climb over prison fences.

Four inmates, 28-year-old Mikel Brady, 29-year-old Wisezah Buckman, 30-year-old Jonathan Monk and 33-year-old Seth Frazier, were already charged with murder in the two previous deaths.

Shannon began working at Pasquotank on Oct. 21, 2013 as a correctional officer.

Our hearts are broken at the passing of Officer Shannon, said Department of Public Safety Secretary Erik A. Hooks. Our deepest condolences go out to the Shannon family during this difficult time.

The prison continues to be on lockdown.
WASHINGTON  President Xi Jinping's command at this month's Communist Party gathering was so complete that President Trump likened him to a "king." But some China analysts are wondering whether Xi has overreached.

Xi dominated the stage, literally and figuratively, at the party's 19th Congress, which ended this week in Beijing. His consolidation of power has nearly erased the collective leadership style of his recent predecessors and vaulted him into a Chinese pantheon occupied only by Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. "Xi Jinping Thought" is now celebrated as the guide to a "new era" for China.

Xi's capture of the commanding heights was summarized in a private report by Pamir Consulting, a leading advisory firm on China. During Xi's first five years in office, Pamir reported, his anti-corruption campaign has disciplined 1.53 million party members and prosecuted 278,000, including 440 ministerial or provincial officials and 43 Central Committee members, about 11.4 percent of that body.

Xi has purged the Chinese military, too. Under his rule, 13,000 officers have been sacked and more than 50 general officers have been imprisoned for corruption, by Pamir's count. In place of the ousted generals, Xi has installed new commanders for the joint staff, army, navy and air force of the People's Liberation Army. Members of this reshaped PLA now appear to control nearly 20 percent of the party's reconstituted Central Committee.

Xi also reigns supreme in the factional battle at the top of the party leadership. Of the 25 members of the Politburo, 17 are his allies, Pamir estimates. His faction has four seats on the Politburo's seven-member standing committee. And for the first time in several decades, the leadership hasn't signaled who will succeed Xi after he completes his second five-year term as party secretary, suggesting that he may ignore the 10-year limit that capped recent Chinese leaders.

Trump appears to see a kindred spirit in Xi. He made a congratulatory telephone call Wednesday and praised Xi's "extraordinary elevation" in a tweet. "Some might call him the king of China," Trump said in a television interview.

What could go wrong for a leader with such sweeping authority? Several leading analysts argue that Xi's dominance is now so complete that it carries a kind of vulnerability. He owns China's economic and foreign policies so totally that he'll get blamed for any setbacks. Perhaps more important, his power play may worry older Chinese who remember the damage done by Mao's cult of personality.

"Beneath the confetti, there's an uncomfortable apprehension among some of China's elderly leaders who recall the capriciousness and brutal realities of one-man rule," explains Kurt Campbell, who ran the State Department's Asia policy during the Obama administration and was in Beijing to observe the congress.

Will other top Chinese officials dare to question Xi? Analysts noted the mostly impassive posture during Xi's long speech from Jiang Zemin and Zhu Rongji, former president and prime minister, respectively. The gathering wasn't attended by Li Rui, a deeply respected 100-year-old former secretary of Mao who suffered during the Cultural Revolution and helped establish the institutions of post-Mao collective leadership.

Xi's concern about dissent was perhaps signaled by a recent internal party document that, according to a Chinese source, warns against criticism of party leadership, Communist history, traditional Chinese culture and national heroes. That implies a ban on criticism of Xi himself.

The scope of Xi's ambition isn't just domestic or personal power. He outlined at the congress an agenda for China's growth through 2050 into a "modernized strong country" that can dominate technology, finance and security. China five years ago spoke of its ambitions to be a regional power, but Xi now describes a China that can frame a new global order.

Trump's America poses a tricky problem. For now, Xi chooses to reciprocate Trump's embrace. China is planning for Trump's arrival next month as if it's a royal visit, much as the Saudis received him last May. An elaborate welcoming ceremony is planned, perhaps followed by a photogenic meeting of Xi's grandchildren and Trump's. (Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are said to be coming with their family.)

The "deliverables" at the Trump-Xi summit will be mutual commitments on North Korea and trade. To oversee the Sino-America account, Xi is said to be readying Yang Jiechi, a former ambassador to Washington, as deputy prime minister with oversight of foreign policy.

Chinese strategists have traditionally argued that it's wise to appear less powerful than you really are, and take adversaries by surprise. This approach is no longer possible for a monarchical Xi. He must beware the weakness inherent in his dazzling display of strength.
EDEN  Morehead Memorial Hospitals Board of Trustees selected Empower iHCC Inc. as the successful bidder at an asset auction sale held Monday at the offices of Womble Carlyle in Winston-Salem, the hospital announced in a news release.

Empower iHCCs successful bid included the hospital, as well as, all of its assets.

On Nov. 6, Judge Benjamin A. Kahn of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of N.C. will make the final decision about Moreheads partnership selection at the scheduled sale hearing.

Following that, it should take no longer than 60 days to complete the transaction.

Morehead will operate as usual during the transition.

Finding a partner for the community-owned hospital was the goal of Moreheads Board of Trustees when it filed a petition for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code on July 10.

"The boards determination to strengthen the position of the hospital led us to make the difficult decision to file for Chapter 11, said Eugene Russell, chairman of the board. "It is gratifying that we are now moving closer to that goal.

In September, the court approved a motion to allow Morehead to hold the Oct. 30 asset auction.

Seven qualified bidders were at the table to make offers on the hospitals assets which partially include an acute care hospital licensed for 108 beds, emergency department, surgical center, cancer center, diagnostic, screening and rehabilitation services, a wound healing center, physician clinics and Morehead Nursing Center.

The Empower Group, together with its affiliated entities which include Empower iHCC Inc., EmpowerHIS, EmpowerHMS, Empower Investment Group and Empower Advantage, is focused on rural and critical access hospitals. They own or manage more than 15 hospitals across Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.

Empower iHCC Inc., a for-profit company based in Miami that an Internet search suggested was formed recently.
MADISON  Regional leaders, victims and residents of the community brought a taboo topic to the forefront on Oct. 21 during the 9th annual Rockingham County Domestic Violence Awareness Candlelight Vigil held at Madison First Baptist Church.

The event, which remembers victims killed, honors survivors and pays tribute to law enforcement officers who handle domestic violence situations, was held to help break down the social wall that prevents discussion of a difficult topic that affects millions of people yearly.

While candlelight served in remembrance of loved ones lost to abuse for those in attendance, representatives from across Rockingham County honored those lost to domestic violence by bringing to light the statistics and experiences that are often shied away from.

Officer Josh Shaffer of the Mayodan Police Department shared some of the brutal facts regarding domestic abuse. He said that the U.S. Department of Justice estimates that 95 percent of assaults on partners and spouses is committed by men against women. He added that every minute, 20 people are abused by their intimate partner in the United States and that only 34 percent of people that are injured receive medical care.

Annually, 2-4 million women are abused by their male partners and 30-43 percent of children have witnessed some form of physical violence between their parents, Schaffer said.

He also reported that one in five female high school students in the United States have reported physical or sexual abuse by a dating partner.

In total, 25 percent of physical assaults are reported to law enforcement nationwide.

Davidson County native Stephanie Schroeder served as one of the evenings keynote speakers.

Schroeder, who was inspired to join the marines after 9/11, had her dreams slowly came to a halt following the report of a personal sexual assault incident. The report led to years of abuse from superior officers and a wrongful discharge.

Since then she's been on a pure mission to share her story to help stop the abuse that comes with reporting a sexual assault as a female member of the military.

From the Geneva Convention in Switzerland in 2014 to the pulpit at First Baptist Church in Madison, the message has remained the same: nobody should have to feel remorse for doing the right thing and reporting assault.

"We can't change the past, what happened will always be with you and that's the tragic part, but we can change how we relate to victims and the incidences themselves, Schroeder said. All victims hurt, feel helpless, hopeless and powerless. We aren't powerless. We have the power to change our circumstances."

District Court Judge Bill Southern of Stokes and Surry County also spoke about how widespread the affects of domestic violence are. The former assistant district attorney said his perspective changed when his sister was murdered last summer because of a domestic violence situation.

We can do our own part with family and friends in our lives that have been direct victims of domestic violence and continue to help them and have vigils like this, Southern said. I believe by remembering and holding up our candles, it gives us an opportunity as family and friends to continue to celebrate their lives whether they are here still with us or whether they have unfortunately left us.

Following the nights speakers, those in attendance posted their prayer requests for those currently in violent situations on a prayer cross. That was followed by a reading of victims.

Teddy bears were also collected for law enforcement and local hospitals, who provide them for children reeling from situations involving domestic violence. Food and hygiene donations were also collected and donated to Help, Inc. of Rockingham County.

The vigil closed with a reading of victims, moment of silence and closing remarks from Sarah Lawson, a survivor of domestic violence, who has organized the event for the past nine years.

"Sometimes in the quiet moments where we are caused to think and pray and to seek you, great change occurs inside of us  a deeper resolve of reaching toward hope and seeing things in new ways, said Pastor Chuck McGathy during his closing prayer. We pray as we are dismissed from this place, that we will take with us the grace that was sung to us  that grace that speaks beyond the pain of sin and leads to a new day.
A Wilton man admitted to defrauding investors of more than $6 million, after being charged in January as part of an investigation into another defendants alleged activities in reselling tickets to Hamilton and other shows.

Steven Simmons, 48, pleaded guilty Monday to using some of the hedge fund moneys he raised between 2013 and this past January for his own personal use, and repaying prior investors with those funds akin to a Ponzi scheme and generating phony financial statements.
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NEW CANAAN  Shortly after Paul Manafort, President Donald Trumps former campaign manager, was indicted on federal conspiracy charges, a picture of Kevin Moynihan and Manafort was shared on social media.

Moynihan, a Republican candidate for first selectman, said while he did attend Georgetown University at the same time as Manafort, he was, at most, an acquaintance.

I think New Canaan voters are too intelligent to be fooled by those who raise my support of Trump during the 2016 campaign or my Georgetown association with Paul Manafort as relevant issues for our local election, Moynihan said Tuesday.

Kit Devereaux, the Democratic candidate for first selectman, didnt raise this association as an issue for the upcoming elections.

Moynihan was in the College of Arts and Sciences while Manafort was in the Business School at Georgetown. They both graduated in 1971 but were not involved in any extracurricular activities together, the candidate said.

More News Greenwich tailor: Manafort just another client

From 1990 to 2006, Moynihan served as chairman of reunion fundraising for his Georgetown class. During that time, Moynihan reached out to Manafort, and other alumni, to solicit funds for reunions. Moynihan remarked that Manafort was not a big donor and donated $5,000 a year.

Manafort was charged on Monday by special counsel Robert Mueller on counts of conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal and false and misleading statements among others. Manafort pleaded not guilty to these charges.

If (Manafort) failed to comply with any of these laws, the indictment may have merit as regards (to) these specific charges, Moynihan said.

Moynihan, a former Wall Street attorney, said he recognizes the importance of complying with money laundering laws and other federal statutes.

I have no reason to comment, Moynihan said. I only know what I read. It doesn't appear to have anything to do with his time with the Trump campaign. The legal process will take its course.

Elections to determine the first selectman of New Canaan will be held on Nov. 7. Moynihan is running against Democratic candidate Kit Devereaux for the position.
A spread from chef John Frasers new American brasserie. Photo: Melissa Hom

So wheres my foie gras? murmured the offal-loving guest to my left, as our little party of eaters processed the first wave of appetizers to descend on our crowded little table at John Frasers new Bleecker Street brasserie, the Loyal. The dish in question is listed on the crowded, one-page menu as Hudson Valley Foie Gras: Root Vegetables and Bone Broth, and, upon closer inspection, I had to admit that it looked less like a glistening piece of seared duck liver, and more like a small, slightly tepid bowl of vegetable soup. The soup was the bone broth, of course, and after a while we located the foie gras, which was chopped into little cubes, and floated among what looked like bits of carrots, rolled cabbage, and maybe a chopped turnip or two. My guest took one hesitant taste of this strange concoction, and then another, before putting down her spoon. I still dont think thats foie gras, she said with a confused look on her face.

Fans of Frasers delicate, much-praised brand of vegetable-forward cooking (at the Michelin-starred Dovetail on the Upper West Side; Narcissa, in the Standard East Village; and the similarly Michelin-approved Nix, near Union Square), might also be a little confused by the Loyal. After one visit, I was, too. Unlike Frasers other restaurants, which feel polished and well-considered, the Loyal looks like its been designed more or less on the fly, with a whole jumble of populist trends in mind. The name has an aggressive gastropub ring to it (Fraser describes his new venture as an American Brasserie, and yes, there are plenty of local beers and ciders on tap), a standard-issue red canvas awning flutters over the facade outside, and the generic decor (caramel-colored banquets, whirring ceiling fans, long mirrors on the walls ) looks like something youd see at a neighborhood bistro in Fort Greene, say, or in one of the trendier suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio.

Of course, generic, populist (and often scalable) establishments have been proliferating around trendy Manhattan for years now. Then theres what Ill call the more recent (and worrisome) Big Fish trend, as rents and other costs associated with the low-margin, cutthroat business of restaurants continue their endless rise. Younger, less bankable Little Fish chefs are pushed out to the margins, or at least to Bushwick, leaving the Big Fish chefs (and their backers) to staff the kitchens in the citys increasingly expensive spaces  in random hotel lobbies, in trophy midtown office buildings, and in popular downtown corners like this one the best way they can. The Big Fish are happy to have the business, Im sure, but as their empires grow larger and more stretched, they tend to run out of ideas (or endlessly repeat the old ones).

Or so I thought to myself, glumly, as we pondered the jumbled, one-page menu at the Loyal. With its multiple sections (I counted five), it reads like it is trying to please all of Frasers different fan constituencies (veggie, non-veggie, casual, gourmet) simultaneously. This helter-skelter approach has its perils, although a few of the things we tasted seemed to benefit from Frasers touch. Setting aside the disappointment of the nonfoie gras, my guest enjoyed the black sea bass doused with a tangy mix of olives and preserved tomatoes in the Mediterranean acqua pazza style. The inevitable Loyale with Cheese burger is served with a tiny helping of tater tots sizzled in duck fat, and tasted just fine once I removed the oversize tomato-confit garnish.

But a few too many dishes feel like things weve seen a hundred times before: Yet another iteration of the Parker House Roll, that suddenly omnipresent totem of highbrow comfort. An undistinguished strip steak served, like most of the food here, on a tiny, hobbit-size plate, alongside some admittedly nice stuffed mushroom caps. A leathery mutton chop. And a gummy creation called mushroom carbonara that could have used fewer mushrooms and a little more guanciale.

The most innovative, reliably bankable recipes seem to be the ones created with the chefs veggie-loving faithful in mind, like the cauliflower au poivre, or the delicate pumpkin ravioli, which are slim and moon-shaped, and served in a subtle broth flavored with slices of barely cooked shiitake mushrooms.

Like lots of brasseries around town, the desserts on this first visit are small, mostly pre-made, and seem designed for quick, easy consumption. The best, on this first visit, was a fruity, vanilla creation called County Fair, although Im sad to report that, unlike that mythical bistro in suburban Ohio, there are no chocolate profiteroles in sight.
OMG, Prue! No, baby, no! Photo: Channel 4

Chances are pretty good that Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith regrets getting out of bed this morning. The popular shows eagerly awaited finale airs tonight, but several hours ago, Leith  who, it must be said, replaced beloved veteran Mary Berry for Channel 4s modern update on the series  accidentally broadcast the winner to her 12,300 Twitter followers. Shes apparently in Asia right now, forgot about the time difference, and casually congratulated the shows new champ in a tweet that started: No one told me judging a #gbbo final would be so emotional. I wanted them all to win. She ended the message with Bravo and the winners name.

It was an extremely short-lived tweet, and in its place is now a mortified apology that was posted just minutes later:

I am so sorry to the fans of the show for my mistake this morning, I am in a different time zone and mortified by my error #GBBO.  Prue Leith (@PrueLeith) October 31, 2017

Leith told Britains Press Association that shes vacationing in Bhutan, where the time difference is massive. She added: I thought that they got it six hours ago. Im in too much of a state to talk about it. I fucked up. This being the modern internet, people eager to see tonights finale noticed her mistake instantly, and soon it was going viral that shed spoiled the whole episode, which, theoretically at least, is down to the final three contestants  Steven Carter-Bailey, Sophie Faldo, and Kate Lyon.

Oh god what has Prue done? Do I need to stay off Twitter for rest of day? #bakeoff  Matt Wells (@MatthewWells) October 31, 2017

Don't know what's worse: Diana sabotaging Iain's baked Alaska in 2014 or Prue sabotaging tonight's #GBBOFinal   laura (@lauragoodship15) October 31, 2017

Of course, they would never actually tweet this, so I thought Id mock it up for them instead. #GBBOFinal pic.twitter.com/NYDswqhsPW  Nick Harvey (@mrnickharvey) October 31, 2017

Just saying our Mary wouldnt of leaked the winner #GBBOFinal tutus @PrueLeith pic.twitter.com/0l6WHZyt8w  Ricky Gwilliam (@Mr_Ricker79) October 31, 2017

Going as Prue Leith's Twitter fail for Halloween. #GBBO  Josh Barrie (@joshbythesea) October 31, 2017

Dont click this next link unless you want the finale spoiled, too, but others, like The Suns Dan Wootton, who has 342,000 followers, retweeted Leiths post in order to say how angry they were, only to then realize theyd expanded the spoiling effect exponentially.

A Channel 4 spokesperson told the BBC earlier today that Prue has just tweeted an apology to fans. We have no further comment. In an entirely unrelated tweet, Leith also confirmed today that shell be returning for the next season of Bake Off.
Labor activists say diners wouldnt even know that servers werent getting their tips. Photo: Philippe Intraligi/Getty Images/EyeEm

The Trump administration has started putting the pieces in place to revoke an Obama-era rule that bans tip-pooling  essentially, a restaurant-industry practice not unlike socialism where servers tips get collected by the house, then redistributed however owners see fit (meaning to themselves, even). The system obviously invites controversy, and has generally been one backed, unironically, by pro-business Republicans. Which explains why the Trump administration threatened to repeal the Obama ban months ago and, according to CBS News, has now officially taken the first steps. Its story says the Labor Department hasnt publicly released details yet, but did send the White House a notice back on October 24 about a pending rule change that seeks to rescind the current restrictions on tip pooling by employers that pay tipped employees the full minimum wage directly.

Labor activists fear the change will give restaurateurs full control of workers tips. Obamas old Labor Department solicitor tells CBS that rescinding the rule would create a race to the bottom. Activists argue that one in five restaurants already steals workers tips under the current regulations  she adds that this amounts to a way of doing what they have been doing, but it becomes legal.

Labor groups ding Obama for not doing more to push a $15 living wage, but his 2011 amendments to the Fair Labor Standards Act did draw a hard line in the sand on tips: First, it ruled that employees own them, not the restaurant. Second, it added that this applies even if the restaurateur tries to compensate by paying servers a full $7.25 minimum wage instead of the $2.13 tipped wage. Third, it said restaurants cant pool tips and give them to non-tipped employees.

Federal courts have since disagreed about whether those changes were okay, which means tip-pooling could end up before the Supreme Court  that is, unless the Trump administration intercedes with a federal ruling beforehand. The restaurant industry, naturally, welcomes such a rule. The National Restaurant Association, its biggest lobby, tells NBC that this is because it supports equitable pay, that limiting tips just to servers creates a disparity between the front of the house and the back of the house. But other industry groups have perhaps been more transparent. Like the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association, which called the Labor Departments proposal an absolute game changer, since it would in part protect our members from private lawsuits for the period the rule was purportedly in place.

What scares labor activists anyway isnt necessarily tips being split between the front and back of house. In fact, That might be OK, says the co-founder of ROC United, one of the groups fighting for a $15 wage. This regulation goes beyond that. It says its possible for employers to walk away with the tips and not give them to anybody.




Haiti - News : Zapping...





EPT project coordinator's house riddled with bullets

Earlier Sunday, heavily armed individuals riddled with bullets the home of the General Coordinator of the Education For All Project (EFA), located at Canape Vert. At least 450 bullet holes were reported on the front of the house and the two vehicles on the courtyard. For Norbert Stymphil, it is an "official" attack accusing without naming, people of power who want to get their hands on EFA funds financed by donors such as the IDB and the World Bank Recalling that the EFA Project currently manages funds amounting US $ 300 million. In addition, Stymphil mentions a meeting last week with a government official who asked him to resign.



Haiti 2nd importer of DR beauty products

Haiti is the second largest importer of Dominican cosmetics after the United States, followed by Cuba and Puerto Rico. According to Beauty Cluster, exports of cosmetics brought $22 million to the Dominican Republic.



International level solar power training

Haiti Tec, in partnership with the Norwegian-funded Solar Electric Fund (SELF), has inaugurated a state-of-the-art solar energy laboratory, which will allow students to master all aspects of the industry in a timely manner, a new training to the international standard, offered by Haiti Tec in photovoltaic solar electricity.



Prospecting of subdivision plots in Delmas

The Public Company for the Promotion of Social Housing (EPPLS) is prospecting for subdivision plots in Delmas in the upcoming prospect of building social housing for the benefit of agents of the National Police of Haiti (PNH).



Towards a System Reform

To facilitate the work of the National Commission for Reform of the Health System and Hospital Services, created by order dated June 12, 2017, and to ensure the administrative follow-up of this decree, the Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant presided over a working session with the members of the Commission, in a way for the Head of Government to assist the Commission in its mission, to define among other things, a model of health financing capable of taking into account emergency, preventive and palliative care.



Haiti will not recognize the independence of Catalonia

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Haiti deplores the vote of the unilateral declaration of independence of Catalonia by the Parliament of this region, thus resulting in its trusteeship pursuant to Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution. In keeping with the principle of non-intervention in the internal affairs of States, the Government of Haiti will not recognize any new State created in violation of the principles of international law.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22538-haiti-news-zapping.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















By William Schwartz | Published on 2017/10/30

Between the thirteenth and fourteenth episodes, Ah-reum and Woo-seong are mid-scene on an airplane. Even knowing the dividng of drama episodes into half-hour ones was done for technhical reasons the lack of a scene stopgap in that storyline really bugged me. That was a lazy design decision. Which incidentally turn is the main problem with "Boy and Girl From the 20th Century" overall. The whole production is just really lazy.

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Consider how the entire storyline of that same plane flight is just that there's a pervert on the plane, Ah-reum shuts him down and Woo-seong watches. There's no sense of dramatic tension or anything because the whole problem is solved so easily without so much as the pretension of risk on the part of any named character. If the purpose of this sequence was to make Ah-reum look cool, it's really late in the drama for basic character establishing scenes.

But then that's all "Boy and Girl From the 20th Century" ever does is just character establishing scenes. We still aren't anywhere near the main romance between Jin-jin and Ji-won evolving beyond mild flirting. They can't even kiss each other on purpose. Everything that happens in the plot has to be completely contrived because the characters refuse to use agency for any purpose except refusing to take action. It's all very bizarrely paradoxical.

This much is necessary because again, there are almost no obstacles preventing the lead characters from reaching any obvious goals. The closest we get to that is the fake marriage show So-ni and Jin-jin are doing. But the very fact that this is a fake marriage show, where their actions should be calculated for ratings anyway, is such that it would be trivially easy to walk back So-ni's plausibility as a competing suitor.

Presumably this is all to set up a conflict around Jin-jin and Ji-won's real relationship becoming public knowledge while she's still doing the fake marriage show A pity the big mean paparazzi storyline we already had was hugely overwhelming. Also, note the irony of the press conference here with its reporters clapping, ooing, and aaing at a press conference as if they are sincerely impressed. I've been to those events, and that is not how they go down. They're a lot more dry and technical than that, as the cast and crew of "Boy and Girl From the 20th Century" must surely know, given that they did one too.

Review by William Schwartz

"Boy and Girl From the 20th Century" is directed by Lee Dong-yoon , written by Lee Seon-hye and features Han Ye-seul, Kim Ji-suk, Lee Sang-woo, Lee Sang-hee, and Ryu Hyun-kyung.

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By Lily Lee | Published on 2017/10/30 | Source

Actress Lee Yoo-young was in the middle of shooting the popular variety show, "Running Man", in Busan when she heard the news of boyfriend Kim Joo-hyuk's death.

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When she heard the news, she rushed to Seoul while trying to confirm its verity. "Running Man" members and other guests stopped the show and headed to Seoul.

Actress Lee Yoo-young and actor Kim Joo-hyuk met while filming the movie, "Yourself and Yours" in 2016 and announced their official relationship status in last December. At the time, people were surprised by the news because of the seventeen-year age gap; Kim Joo-hyuk was forty-four years old and Lee Yoo-young is twenty-eight. However, many people sent their happy blessings to the couple.

Only three days ago, Kim Joo-hyuk received an award at the film festival, mentioning his passion for acting and also a possible marriage with actress Lee Yoo-young in the interview held at the ceremony. Many people are mourning this tragedy, especially knowing that the talented actor was planning his marriage with Lee Yoo-young.

By: Lily Lee
Published on 2017/10/31 | Source

Added episodes 47 and 48 captures for the Korean drama "Bad Thief, Good Thief" (2017)

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Directed by Jang Joon-ho, Oh Kyeong-hoon

Written by Cha I-yeong, Son Yeong-mok

Network : MBC

With Ji Hyun-woo, Seohyun, Kim Ji-hoon-I, Lim Ju-eun, Ahn Kil-kang, Jung Kyung-soon,...

50 episodes - Sat, Sun 22:00

Synopsis

A story of thieves who affect the authorities that manipulate Korea. It serves to bring satisfaction to those who are frustrated at the reality of the world.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2017/05/13

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Published on 2017/10/31 | Source

Added episodes 5 and 6 captures for the Korean drama "The Package" (2017)

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Directed by Jeon Chang-geun, Park Joon-seo-I

Written by Cheon Seong-il

Network : jTBC

With Lee Yeon-hee, Jung Yong-hwa, Choi Wooshik, Ha Si-eun, Ryu Seung-soo, Park Yoo-na,...

12 episodes - Fri, Sat 23:00

Synopsis

Set against the backdrop of Paris, France, a local guide and eight tourists explore and have fun.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2017/10/13

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Published on 2017/10/31 | Source

Children from Jeju Island perform in Seoul on Monday at an event to mark the first anniversary of the listing of haenyo or female divers on the UNESCO cultural heritage list. /Yonhap

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Vinisud and Vinovision join forces

By Michelle Perrett

Vinisud, the exhibition dedicated to Mediterranean wine, and international cool climate wine exhibition Vinovision Paris, have joined forces in a bid to become the focus of the wine events calendar.

The partnership follows recent news that French exhibitions company Comexposium had acquired Vinisud-owner Adhesion Group and its 74% in World Bulk Wine Exhibition.

The move has been described in a statement as an improved response to the needs of the international wine trade.

The new organisation will bring together all Southern and Northern wine regions, but each event will retain its distinct identity.

This will mean members of the wine business will be able to connect over three successive events run over an eight-day period at the beginning next year.

Vinovison Paris will run from 12 to 14 February 2018 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Paris, followed by the WWM Global business meetings, hosted from February 14 to 17 at the 5-star Hotel du Collectionneur.

Meanwhile, Vinisud will run from 18 to 20 February 2018 at the Montpellier Exhibition Centre.

By joining forces, both shows will retain their unique positioning whilst allowing the attending wine regions and businesses to ensure a higher profile for their distinctive identities, the statement said.

Sales and PR activities will also be pooled with details announced later in November 2017.

Vinisud 2018 will focus on the issue of sustainable development and ethical accountability during its event. The aim is to consider how consumer demands have changed with more focus on local products and transparency.

Vinovision is the 1st international cool climate wine exhibition, and represents all the French cool climate wine trade associations.

The WWM business convention offers the opportunity to meet selected wine buyers from key buying markets of the world.
Here's Where We've Met Him Before-- And What It Tells Us About The Swamp



-by Skip Kaltenheuser





Birds of a feather. Ever notice the gravitational pull that brings sleaze together in the legal world, how those of similar ilk find each other? Sure, everyones entitled to a defense, but too often the ethics of high profile, highly connected power clients dovetail with those of their attorneys. Weve seen it time and again with the finance sector, as attorneys lay out roadmaps for the business model of taking what doesnt belong to you.





New Yorker. Now we have the dramedy of Paul Manafort and his lawyer, Kevin Downing to ponder. Before giving Downing a closer look, a quick thought on Manafort: How deep in the anything-goes corruption bubble must one be to accept neon-lit roles like manager of a presidential campaign after allegedly laundering money or fudging taxes? This arrogant detachment from reality, most recently on display with energy grid contracts for Puerto Rico , is what might jerk the White House rug sooner than later. How delighted Putin must be at the prospect of a national turmoil gifting us a President Pence. Yes, be careful what you wish for, as Jane Meyer cautioned in the

American Gothic Revisted 2 by Nancy Ohanian

For a sober analysis of recent indictments, its well worth your time to catch Washington University Law Professor Jonathan Turley on this mornings C-Span program Washington Journal . For those with limited time, this should top your list. Turley: The moral high ground in Washington has always been measured in millimeters. Heres hoping Turleys right, that ripping off all the scabs in this neck of the swamp will prove a great public education on both major parties.





DWT readers might recall his Oct. 21st, 2016 appearance in Lucifers Banker. Now to Kevin Downing.readers might recall his Oct. 21st, 2016 appearance in A Devils Advocate Rings in a Bad Night for Bankers , a piece on Swiss bank whistleblower Brad Birkenfeld and his book

I interviewed Birkenfeld some time back for a still-in-progress essay on the revolving door. Birkenfeld went to the US government to reveal the jaw-dropping extent of US tax evasion via Swiss bank enablers. In a frightening insight into how the fix was in for banks, even foreign banks, at the Department of Justice under the Eric Holder crowd, the only person to go to jail was whistleblower Birkenfeld. Downing was lead DOJ prosecutor putting the screws to Birkenfeld. It appeared to this writer that an example was made of Birkenfeld, warning others who might throw light on or otherwise inconvenience the Big Money that lubricates so much of Washingtons political machinery. Think of Birkenfelds prosecution as the brilliant colors on a poison dart frog. It must rankle DOJ no end that while in prison Birkenfeld was awarded the largest IRS whistleblower award to come down the pike.





The whole book is an entertaining if alarming read, but at least zip through Devils Advocate and/or explore Birkenfelds site for the flavor of what happened. And dont miss surprise guest appearances such as then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, which raises important questions that to my amazement media has thus far ignored.





Excerpted from Devils Advocate:

The lead prosecutor (Downing) negotiated Birkenfelds plea and signed off on his motion for a sentence reduction. Then Downing sat quietly while a judge nailed Birkenfeld with a much longer sentence than Birkenfeld was led to expect.



Later, Birkenfeld discovered (Downing) signed a secret non-prosecution agreement for the UBS kingpin who oversaw the 19,000 US accounts (including all of the North and South American offshore business), the show-runner for approximately $20 billion in assets. That banker was quietly allowed to go back to Switzerland two weeks later while the US Senate committee was on summer recess.



Birkenfeld's lead prosecutor then left DOJ to partner with a law firm that's now defending a Credit Suisse private banker who also handled US accounts (which Birkenfeld told the DOJ prosecutor about in 2007). The Credit Suisse banker is being prosecuted by another prosecutor, still at DOJ, that also dealt with Birkenfeld. Before leaving DOJ, Birkenfeld's lead prosecutor (Downing) supervised the indictment of the Credit Suisse banker, which was signed by both prosecutors. The former prosecutor now with the law firm isnt listed as attorney of record on the case. Hes merely a partner in the firm.

Birkenfeld sent me a September 6th, 2016 letter after he sent it to the Federal judge hearing the case regarding the Credit Suisse banker. Its a splendid view of revolving door ethics and of Downing

Downing departed from that law firm when he took on Manaforts defense, because of an existing client matter . Ill bet that conflict is an interesting one.





It wasnt Downing that uncovered UBS, it was the whistleblower. Birkenfeld says Downing took credit for uncovering the UBS scandal, an imaginative stretch toward class-leading irony.





Birkenfeld dropped me a note this morning, noting that Manafort opened multiple Cyprus accounts (2008-2012) during the period Downing was at DOJ Tax. Birkenfeld says its a shame Downing didnt uncover those accounts. Instead hes now representing Manafort. Birkenfeld said when Downey departed DOJ, Downing claimed he would only be representing corporate clients. Would one judge Manafort a corporate client? Looks like an individual to me, though from a revolving door perspective, whats the difference?





But Birkenfeld wonders how many thousands of offshore accounts Downing had access to due to Birkenfelds whistleblower actions. In any case, Birkenfeld believes former government lawyers like Downing should be removed from legal matters involving off-shore accounts. How else does one make sure former government attorneys once charged with oversight on such matters dont tumble into the swamp? Birkenfeld raises the specter of attorneys who fail to uncover or expose illegal offshore accounts who might still know of them and later cash in defending clients who had those accounts.





Whether that concern applies to Downing regarding Manafort isnt something I know. But it is the sort of issue that ought to get close consideration by any inspector general staff still lingering in government who are worth their salt.





Weve already seen Downing in the swamp on Swiss bank matters, doing an impressive backstroke.

The Swamp by Nancy Ohanian

Readers can locate DOJs secret non-prosecution agreement with UBS, signed by Downing, and some other interesting items, here





Below is an open letter to President Obama that Birkenfeld sent him along with a copy of his book. Darn interesting questions, yet to be answered, though Im confident President Obama is on the case.
Amata, Sablan, and Bordallo Call for Oversight Hearing on Pacific Territory Veterans

News Release from Office of Del Aumua Amata October 12, 2017

Washington, D.C. Thursday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata (R-AS) along with her colleagues Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D- CNMI) and Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-GU) wrote to Chairman Phil Roe and Ranking Member Tim Walz of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs requesting an oversight hearing to examine the challenges facing veterans residing in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Independent Samoa, and the Freely Associated States. The Representatives noted that these areas suffer from minimal involvement by the national Department of Veterans Affairs.

American Samoans enlist in the United States Army at a rate higher than any other place in the United States. American Samoa has also one of the highest percentage of veteran population of any area of the United States. Yet veterans in American Samoa must travel over 2,500 miles to receive care in Hawaii, and thats not to mention the lack of any benefits counselors in Americans Samoa. American Samoans have served with distinction in the US Armed Forces for over a hundred years. Its time they received the care that they are owed, said Aumua Amata.

The Northern Marianas is the only U.S. jurisdiction without a VA clinic, dedicated VA medical or mental health professionals, or a Vet Center, said Congressman Sablan. Our veterans have to travel to Guam or Hawaii to receive basic medical care. The VA must do more for the veterans in the Northern Marianas who served our country with honor and distinction. Veterans in the Pacific territories are entitled to the benefits they earned and should be able to access those benefits where they live.

Said Congresswoman Bordallo, Veterans in Guam and the Pacific territories should be treated equitably with their counterparts in the mainland, and receive the level of benefits they have earned from their service to our nation. Unfortunately our veterans continue to experience significant challenges, especially in receiving timely and accessible health care. While I was successful in obtaining funding to remodel and expand Guams CBOC and in requiring the GAO to review the level of care provided to veterans in the Pacific, both of which are ongoing, I have been frustrated by continued short staffing levels on Guam and lack of resources dedicated to the needs of our veterans. I hope the House Veterans Affairs Committee will work diligently to provide appropriate oversight for the concerns on Guam, American Samoa, the CNMI, and other Pacific islands. I look forward to working with Congresswoman Amata and Congressman Sablan, and the Veterans Affairs Committee, to improve services provided to veterans in the Pacific.

Congresswoman Aumua Amata and Congressman Sablan are members of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs and sit on the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. Additionally, Congresswoman Aumua Amata sits on the Subcommittee on Health and Congressman Sablan serves on the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

FULL LETTER TEXT:

October 11, 2017

The Honorable Phil Roe Chairman House Committee on Veterans Affairs

The Honorable Tim Walz Ranking Member House Committee on Veterans Affairs

Dear Chairman Roe and Ranking Member Walz:

We request that the Committee on Veterans Affairs hold an oversight hearing on the challenges facing veterans in the Pacific insular areas in obtaining VA health care and other benefits. Specifically, we ask this hearing focus on veterans residing in American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam; as well as the American veterans living in the Independent State of Samoa and the Freely Associated States.

Veterans in the Pacific must contend with much greater obstacles to access VA healthcare than veterans in the rest of the country. They must travel thousands of miles to reach the nearest full-service facility, the Spark M. Matsunaga VA Medical Center in Hawaii.

American Samoan veterans must fly 5 hours north, a distance of about 2,650 miles, to receive the most basic of care, due to the rundown nature of both the local Veterans clinic and LBJ Hospital. Veterans in American Samoa also face the unique challenge of not having direct flights to and from Hawaii every day, forcing veterans to spend a minimum of three days away from home, and often up to a week.

On Guam, veterans have limited services due to challenges associated with recruiting and retaining of medical doctors, nurses, and staff, especially in the mental health field, and many must fly nearly 4,000 miles to Honolulu for treatment.

Veterans living in the Northern Marianas do not have a VA medical facility, dedicated medical and mental health professionals or a Vet Center to serve them. VA health services are limited to two part-time contract physicians who are at capacity and unable to take additional veteran patients. Veterans in the Marianas must travel to Guam, or in many cases go directly to Hawaii to receive VA care.

In addition, the Veterans Benefits Administration does not have staff in American Samoa or the Northern Marianas. Veterans there wanting to speak with VBA staff must wait for the occasional visits by staff from Hawaii or Guam.

It is heartbreaking that men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces and chose to return to their island homes face so many unique challenges accessing the most basic health care services that they are entitled to. Congress must ensure the VA is responding to the unique needs of Pacific Island veterans.

We urge this committee to hold a hearing so that we may examine the injustices that these veterans face and ensure that Pacific Island veterans can receive the care and benefits they deserve.

* * * * *

Amata Welcomes Plans for Pacific Territories Veterans Hearing

News Release from Office of Del Aumua Amata October 26, 2017

Washington, D.C. Thursday, Congresswoman Aumua Amata welcomed news that a veterans hearing will be scheduled sometime in the second session of the 115th Congress to examine the challenges of veterans in Pacific insular areas.

Congresswoman Amata led a bipartisan letter earlier this month, joined by her colleagues Congressman Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-CNMI) and Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-GU), to Chairman Phil Roe and Ranking Member Tim Walz of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, requesting an oversight hearing to examine the challenges facing veterans residing in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and elsewhere in the Pacific. The Representatives noted that these areas suffer from minimal involvement by the national Department of Veterans Affairs.

Chairman Roe replied today with his intention to move forward with plans for the requested hearing in the second session of the current Congress. Ensuring that all of our nations veterans have access to the health care and other services they need to live healthy, full lives is my top priority as Chairman. To that end, I would be pleased to work with you to schedule a hearing on Pacific insular area veteran access to care in the second session of the 115th Congress, states the Chairman in his letter.

I look forward to working with you to address the issues Pacific insular area veterans face and I thank you both for bringing their concerns to my attention and for all your hard work and leadership on behalf of Americas veterans wherever they may reside, continued the Chairman in his reply.

This is great news for our veterans, and I look forward to examining these issues in a hearing dedicated to that purpose, said Aumua Amata. I appreciate my colleagues, Congressman Sablan and Congresswoman Bordallo, who joined me in this request regarding these priorities that we share. I am especially grateful to Chairman Roe for caring deeply about our veterans, and his willingness to plan this hearing. I also want to thank Ranking Member Walz, and assure our veterans that we will continue to examine ways to improve access to health care in remote areas.

###
SIX STATES SEEK TO JOIN HAWAII TRAVEL BAN LAWSUIT

News Release from Hawaii AG, Oct 30, 2017

HONOLULU  The states of California, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, and Washington today filed a motion to intervene as parties in the travel ban lawsuit brought by Hawaii against President Trumps third travel ban. In todays motion to intervene, the 6 states side with Hawaiis position that the travel ban is illegal and unconstitutional.

Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin stated, Hawaii is not the only state to be negatively impacted by this discriminatory order. Attorneys general from states throughout the U.S. have objected to the Presidents travel ban in all of its forms from day one. Hawaii has stood side-by-side with these states in opposing the various forms of this travel ban from the beginning.

On September 24, 2017, President Trump issued a proclamation creating an indefinite ban on travel that targeted an overwhelmingly Muslim population. On October 17, 2017, a Hawaii federal district court judge ordered a nationwide injunction against the travel ban, hours before it was set to go into effect. The Trump administration has appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

PDF: A copy of the motion to intervene in the Ninth Circuit by the 6 states is attached.

# # #

Meanwhile: Muslim 'Admitted legally in 2010' Practices his Religion in NYC
Tulsi Gabbard Calls for Real Reform to the Democratic Party

News Release from Tulsi Gabbard campaign

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2017 -- Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard released a video today that criticizes the recent actions by Tom Perez and the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which she says "cast out those who want to strengthen and reform the party , while continuing to allow lobbyists and consultants a prominent seat at the table."

Tulsi Gabbard Calls for Real Reform to the Democratic Party

As she has been for more than a year , Tulsi Gabbard, formerly a DNC Vice Chair, again called for ending the undemocratic system of superdelegates and putting a stop to the issues surrounding a lack of transparency and inclusion that has plagued the party. Instead, she says, "The party should be enacting open or same day registration in Democratic primaries to ease and encourage voter engagement."

In a Medium post released this morning, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard elaborates on the deep divides within the Democratic Party and the importance of reforming the DNC. In her video, Tulsi Gabbard says the DNC must put people over profits and progress over special interests.

Background:

Tulsi Gabbard is a Democrat who has served as the U.S. Representative for Hawaii's Second Congressional District since 2013. She was Vice Chair of the DNC from 2013-2016, when she resigned to support Bernie Sanders for President . She has been calling for an end to superdelegates in the Democratic Party's nomination process and open Democratic primaries. Tulsi Gabbard is a Major in the Hawaii Army National Guard and has served on two Middle East deployments. She is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The video can be viewed & downloaded here: https://www.votetulsi.com/node/33049

Related: Donna Brazile -- Inside Hillary Clintons Secret Takeover of the DNC

WE: Tulsi Gabbard 'not surprised' by Donna Brazile's DNC bombshell, but 'surprised' it went public
Update from Washington, D.C.

From Hawaii Republican Party Oct 31, 2017

Aloha Hawaii Republicans!

I have fielded dozens of questions over the past week about our plans to greet President Trump when he stops in Hawaii during his historic trip to Asia, so I wanted to personally send you an update.

Earlier today, in Washington, D.C., I met with key White House staffers and was briefed about the Presidents schedule when he visits this week. As you would expect, the President will be on a very tight schedule to include intelligence briefings with Generals and Admirals in the US Pacific Command, a visit to the USS Arizona Memorial to pay his respects and a tour of Pearl Harbor.

I know many of us are so eager to show President Trump that he has support in Hawaii and would like to meet him, but his schedule and detail movement, while staying in Waikiki, will be extremely limited. More importantly, I was advised that his visit would be non-political in nature, and therefore, not the appropriate time for a rally or organized reception.

His staff assured me, however, that the President is aware of the political climate here in Hawaii and that they are watching with great enthusiasm, our efforts to rebuild and strengthen our party as we work to recruit candidates to win races in 2018. So, while we are unable to show our support with a rally while he is here, I was grateful for the opportunity to represent our party to his team and express to them how proud we are of his leadership.

Like you, I look forward to the outcome of the Presidents historic visit to Asia and to Hawaii.

With Warmest Aloha,
After BP leak report, state calls for review of all Alaska North Slope wells

The Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (ADEC) is ordering all wells on the North Slope that have a similar design to a BP well that failed to be shut in immediately and reported to the state. The emergency order comes after BP blamed an April oil spill and gas leak on a well casing that buckled under pressure from thawing permafrost.

The affected BP wellhead - Image: ADEC

State regulators have called for a review of thousands of oil wells on the North Slope by the end of this year to see how many are similar to the failed BP well and what action needs to be taken to prevent a re-occurrence of the incident, which saw the well spew oil and gas for several days before it could be plugged.

ADEC, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the North Slope Borough and BP Exploration Alaska has established a committee to respond to the discharge near Prudhoe Bay.

According to the KTOO website, ADEC board member Cathy Foerster said she was disappointed by BPs decision not to share information from its internal review into the incident with all other North Slope operators. Where problems were identified, operators would have to remediate them, she said.

Foerster said the ADEC review would establish how many wells on the North Slope have a similar design, but expected newer fields not to suffer the same problems.

She said the permafrost around the wells is not thawing because of climate change but from the heat from the oil and gas and other fluids being pumped from thousands of feet underground to the frozen surface.

Earlier, local media reported that BP was likely to plug and abandon 13 wells on the North Slope following the incident earlier this year.

BPs report concluded the incident was caused by thawing permafrost deep below the surface, which put uneven stress on the well. Eventually, the well gave out, rising several feet out of the ground and colliding with the top of the well house, leading to the uncontrolled leak.



This was not BPs only accident this year. Last week, Buzzfeed News released documents showing the company forced many employees to halt work for 12 days this month following a series of safety incidents.



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Australian public are being urged to not purchase Gaytimes, Magnums and Paddle Pops this summer to help Streets (owned by Unilever ) employees win an industrial dispute.The move follows Unilevers decision in August to lodge an application with the Fair Work Commission (FWC) to terminate the current Enterprise Agreement (EA) at their Minto site in south- west Sydney.This followed 16 months of negotiations with the Australian Manufacturers Workers Union (AMWU), when they reached a mutual and in-principle agreement which was ultimately voted down by employees.The union said that if the current EA is terminated it could leave 140 workers at the Minto factory with a pay cut of up to 46%.They also argued that employees will have their overtime penalties and their redundancy entitlements cut.In a statement, Unilever said that whatever the FWC decides, they will continue to have discussions with their workers and the union to find a solution that works for everyone and makes the Streets factory more viable.We know this is a very difficult time for our employees, but the best way the AMWU can help workers is to shore up their jobs by working with us to make the factory more viable, said the statement.Ultimately if we need to close the factory, everyone is worse off.We strongly refute statements made by the union that Unilever will, or may, reduce employee wages by 46%, there is absolutely no truth to these claims.The company also said that every Streets ice-cream chosen this summer will help shore up the future of Streets manufacturing in Australia.All a boycott will do is hurt workers and local manufacturing, said the statement.We are in the midst of further negotiations with the AMWU and we suggest their efforts are best focused on working constructively with us to find solutions that can work for everyone and help secure the future of our Streets factory.Unilever added that the Minto factory lacks the flexibility needed to run a seasonal business and is too costly to run.For example, Unilever said its currently almost 30% cheaper to import a Magnum Classic ice cream made in Europe than to make the same ice cream at Minto, even when you factor in the 16,000 kilometres of frozen transport.However, Steve Murphy from the AMWU said that if you're running an ice cream factory during an Australian summer you can't lose money and that it's a very profitable site."These workers are left with no other option because Unilever has stopped listening, but to seek the support of the Australian public," he said.The AMWU also points out that Unilever made $8 billion in profits last year.
Four of them worked as housekeepers at The Melbourne Hotel between two and four weeks in 2014 and were owed a combined $9,359. The housekeepers  three from South Korea and one from the UK  were in Australia on 417 working holiday visas at the time. Three of them were under 25.

Another worker, an Indian national who worked as a marketing specialist, worked 18 weeks but received no pay. The work was equivalent to $4,000.

A sixth worker  an Australian citizen who was general manager for Goldfinger  was shortchanged by $13,000.

Judge Antoni Lucev said the contraventions were serious and that the underpayment of the five overseas workers included a complete, conscious and deliberate failure on the part of Goldfinger and Mr Djoneski to pay the employees at all.



The judge added there had been an absence of any expression of contrition, regret or acceptance of wrongdoing from Djoneski and his company.



Judge Lucev also said the underpayment sums were very significant to the employees and that the the penalty to be imposed should reflect the deliberate nature of the contraventions.



The penalties and back-payment order are the result of an investigation and legal action by the Fair Work Ombudsman.



Acting Fair Work Ombudsman Kristen Hannah says the substantial penalties are a stark reminder that businesses that exploit overseas workers will face the full weight of the law.



The Courts have again proven they will show no leniency to employers who benefit by exploiting visa holders, particularly in such a blatant manner involving no payments at all to five of the workers, Ms Hannah said.






>In today's working world, people want to be empowered, make an impact and have an open dialog with their CEO. Ben Gould asks if corporate communication channels are keeping upToday, the way we work is evolving to become faster, mobile and more complex. The workforce is becoming increasingly agile, whilst teams and staff are often spread out across the country. More than ever, human resources professionals need to get the right messages to their employees, in a relevant and consumable way.The goal of any employee engagement plan should be to improve satisfaction, productivity and reduce attrition rates. Effective employee engagement is when an organisation can empower their employees to share their voice, with confidence and authenticity. The power of communication lies in keeping your audience involved in the evolution of the message and how its delivered, because it is their interaction and interest that will mean the difference between communication that goes nowhere and communication that can motivate entire workforces.The workforce is changing  by 2020, in just three years, 50% of the workforce will be millennials. In this new world people want to be empowered, make an impact and have an open dialog with their CEO. One of the key challenges for organisations today is keeping up with ways to reach and engage employees who are not using traditional communication means like email. For many organisations, being able to communicate quickly and effectively with teams in multiple locations, or with employees who work remotely, is often also a challenge.It is clear that there is a growing desire from HR leaders to embrace the migration towards the digital workforce in sharing communications across an organisation. That means adopting a mobile-first strategy. In Australia, smartphone ownership has risen to 84%*. Utilising mobile to engage employees with relevant content and company announcements should be an important factor when organisations want to connect with the next generation in todays modern workforce.The rise of social media also plays a role; it has made communication something of a global obsession and is changing the way we interact  both in our personal as well as professional lives. In fact today, we are seeing social media play a growing role in connecting employees within organisations.Social media platforms have a large role to play in the future of employee engagement and internal communications. Its for this very reason why, at Facebook last year, we launched Workplace by Facebook in recognition of this trend.There are over 11 million daily active users in Australia on Facebook and 10 million of these active on mobile each day, making a platform such as Workplace a key contender in transforming the way companies communicate. Were already working with organisations like Coca-Cola Amatil, who are using Workplace, which is a mobile-ready platform, to connect their employees and empower them to share their voice every day, no matter their preferred device or location  whether that is in the office or remote.With convenient mobile and familiar technology, organisations can reduce communications barriers and build an open environment where transparency and knowledge can make people feel connected and giving individuals accountability beyond what they do today in the workplace.Ben Gould is the Enterprise Growth Manager Australia and New Zealand, Workplace by Facebook
The majority state-owned airline points out that up-to-date passenger weight data is crucial for determining the need for jet fuel, for example.

Finnair will begin collecting more data on the weight of its passengers and their carry-on luggage by launching voluntary weight checks at the departure gates of Helsinki Airport, reports Helsingin Sanomat .

The scales will be placed close to the departure gates with the initial objective of weighing 100150 passengers together with their carry-on luggage, according to Helsingin Sanomat. The reading on the scale will be seen only by the customer service agent conducting the weighing and entered into the database in an anonymous form.

Sami Suokas, the manager of customer processes at Finnair, reveals to the newspaper that the state-owned airline, similarly to other airlines, uses the standard passenger and luggage weights devised by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in 2009.

We want to make sure we have the best possible data at our disposal also in this respect. Thats why were collecting data from our own network, Suokas explains to Helsingin Sanomat.

The EASA's survey on the standard weights of passengers and baggage found that the average male passenger weighed 84.6 kilos and flew with a carry-on luggage of 6.7 kilos. The average female passenger, in turn, weighed 66.6 kilos and flew with a carry-on luggage of 5.9 kilos, while the average under-12-year-old passenger weighed 30.7 kilos and flew with a carry-on luggage of 2.0 kilos.

Almost 23,000 passengers and 22,500 pieces of luggage were weighed for the survey.

The values are lower than the mean weights in Finland, highlights Helsingin Sanomat. Finnish men weighed an average of 85.5 kilos and women an average of 70.4 kilos in 2012, according to the national health study Finrisk.

Finns, however, are naturally not the only people flying with Finnair.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Vesa Moilanen  Lehtikuva
A solicitor providing personal injury advice has said that, even if a claim is fraudulent, a claimant usually aren't pursued for costs.

The advice was given during an undercover consultation with a firm that advertises "no win, no fee" legal representation - despite the Law Society having strict regulations against this.

"I've only lost two cases in 10 years and that's because they were chancers with fraudulent claims, and even then they didn't go after them for costs - they usually don't," the solicitor told our undercover reporter.

The scenario presented to the solicitor was a slip and fall in a Dublin nightclub.

"We've had a couple of slips and falls, a couple of good cases," the solicitor said. "There was one where a girl slipped and fell and got glass in her knee and I think she got like 80,000. I didn't actually ask you what kind of injuries you sustained," they then asked.

"I was off work for a couple of days and I've had spasms in my neck," the reporter said.

"So whiplash, yeah," was the solicitor's response.

The reporter said she had around seven or eight drinks and wasn't sure if there was a wet floor sign on the dance floor after it had been cleaned.

Negligence

When asked if there would be a contributory negligence element to the defence because they had seen the member of staff mopping the floor, the solicitor said the nightclub could say this during the case.

"But you would be saying, well, I assumed when he was there mopping, he was after drying up, he wasn't after leaving more water, so there's ways around that as well," the solicitor said.

"[Defences like that] never really wash, as that's their whole premise.

"You are there to dance and have a few drinks and to have a good time.

"They are bringing you in and charging you for the drinks so on their back be it.

"[You look injured] the way you are sitting," the solicitor said - despite the reporter having no actual injuries.

Two different personal injury firms contacted by the Herald said there would be a contributory negligence element.

They advised the reporter to bring the case to the Injuries Board instead.

A Law Society of Ireland spokesman said: "We actively seek out regulation breaches and investigate possible breaches brought to our attention."

But the Law Society doesn't comment on specific cases or prejudge possible outcomes.

Barrister Shane English has acted for defendants in personal injury cases that have uncovered a number of exaggerated claims in recent years.

One was that of Rita Milinovic, who was involved in a minor collision in a car park.

She claimed she had to give up her job as a waitress and could no longer work out in the gym.

Her case collapsed when pictures she had posted of herself on Facebook since the accident - including in the gym - emerged.

Costs

"In most cases awarding costs against them is useless because the plaintiff has no money in any event so it makes no difference to them," Mr English told the Herald.

"Insurers feel very strongly about these types of claims.

"They are pursuing people in an attempt to recover money, even where there may be limited prospect.

"Some solicitors on behalf of insurers will pursue them and register judgments, so that if they win the lottery or come into money, it may come against them.

"It can make life difficult for them, but in terms of getting your money, in 90pc of cases that never happens."
Kenneth Green at Balbriggan District Court, where he was given a three-month suspended sentence

A judge branded a man an "idiot" for trying to smuggle drugs into a youth detention centre while he was visiting a prisoner.

Judge Dermot Dempsey made the comment as he gave Kenneth Green (46) a three-month suspended sentence.

Green initially claimed he did not realise there was cannabis resin in the packet he carried into Oberstown Detention Centre in Lusk, Co Dublin, in December, which also contained tobacco and matches, Balbriggan District Court heard.

However, after Judge Dempsey asked if the defendant accepted he knew there was cannabis in the packet, defence lawyer Patrick Jackson claimed his client was "reckless."

Mr Jackson said Green had thought it was just tobacco in the package.

Judge Dempsey replied: "He can't plead half guilty. He passed something illegal to a prisoner.

Observed

"I take a serious view of this. I am not satisfied with his view of the whole offence, idiots like this bringing items like this into Oberstown when there is enough trouble going on there."

The court heard the defendant, who works as a plasterer, was visiting a youth prisoner in the detention centre.

While they were in the visitation room, Green was observed handing a package to the prisoner.

When the package was seized by staff, it was found to contain matches, tobacco and 15 worth of cannabis resin.

Green supplied a voluntary caution statement and admitted he thought the package only contained tobacco.

The defendant, of Baker's Road, Gurranabraher, in Cork, pleaded guilty to conveying a controlled drug in the detention centre in Oberstown, Lusk on December 23, 2016.

He also pleaded guilty to being in unlawful possession of 15 worth of cannabis resin on the same date.

Green has one previous conviction dating back to 2006 for failing to comply with garda direction.

"It was out of character for him to do this," Mr Jackson added.

"He was under stress, and the youth said he would take serious actions if something wasn't brought in for him."

Judge Dempsey convicted and sentenced the defendant to three months in prison which he suspended for one year and convicted and fined him 100 for being in unlawful possession of drugs. He fixed recognisances in the event of an appeal.
An Irish comedian has said she doesn't know many actors of her era who don't have a "Kevin Spacey story".

Aisling Bea made the comment after Spacey released a statement in which he apologised for any "inappropriate, drunken behaviour" with a 14-year-old in 1986.

"I don't know many actors from my era of drama school graduates who don't have a Kevin Spacey story," Bea wrote on Twitter. "The surprise is the lack of surprise."

She was asked to elaborate on whether she was talking about allegations like those against Spacey or stories specifically about Spacey.

"Specifically," she replied.

The double Oscar-winner has apologised to fellow actor Anthony Rapp, who said Spacey made a sexual advance towards him in 1986, when he was 14.

Spacey said in a post on Twitter on Sunday that he was "beyond horrified" to hear Rapp's story of the encounter, which he said he did not remember.

He wrote that he owed Rapp a "sincere apology" for what he said would have been "deeply inappropriate, drunken behaviour".

In an interview with BuzzFeed, Rapp described attending a party hosted by Spacey in which the actor picked him up, took him to a bed and lay down on top of him after other guests had left.

Rapp, who said he had the impression Spacey was drunk, pushed him away and left. Spacey (58), who has won acting Oscars for The Usual Suspects and American Beauty, also said Rapp's story had encouraged him to address "other things" in his life.

"I have loved and had rom- antic encounters with men throughout my life, and I now choose to live life as a gay man," he wrote.

"I want to deal with this honestly and openly," he said. "And that starts with me examining my own behaviour."

For years, the actor had declined to publicly discuss his sexuality.

Rapp, who went on to star in the musical Rent, was starting his career on Broadway at the time of the incident.

Seduce

"He was trying to seduce me," he told BuzzFeed of the encounter with Spacey.

"I don't know if I would have used that language, but I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually."

Rapp said on Twitter that he had decided to come forward and tell his story, "standing on the shoulders of the many courageous women and men who have been speaking out, to shine a light and hopefully make a difference, as they have done for me".

Everything he wanted to say about the experience had been covered in the interview, Rapp tweeted, adding that he had no further comment to make.

Spacey, a Tony Award winner for Lost In Yonkers, stars in the political drama House Of Cards, although last night it emerged the Netflix show will finish at the end of its sixth season.

He was also artistic director of London's The Old Vic theatre company for 10 years.

Some people on social media were infuriated by Spacey's conflation of the incident and his coming out as gay.

Actor and writer Louise Brealey said: "Trying to hide behind coming out and offering drunkenness as an excuse for jumping on a child shows breathtaking arrogance."

Vanity Fair film critic Richard Lawson wrote: "The psychology of living in the closet was dark, cruel and self-punishing.

"That Spacey has dwelt in that for years is sad. But 14 is 14. The distance we've had to walk to get away from the notion that we're all paedophiles is significant.

"How dare you implicate us all in this."

Colm O'Gorman, Executive Director of Amnesty Ireland, also criticised Spacey's decision to bring his sexuality into his apology.

"The first thing to acknowledge is that this is an allegation of an attempted sexual assault of a 14-year-old boy going back some three decades, and right now it is that - an allegation," he said.

"There are elements of Kevin Spacey's statement where he appears to acknowledge that the allegation is credible.

Inexcusable

"First of all, what I feel that is rather inexcusable is he seems to somehow refute it by suggesting it was entirely drunken, inappropriate behaviour.

"Alcohol is not an excuse for either sexually assaulting or attempting to sexually assault anybody, let alone a 14-year-old child.

"When an adult man sexually assaults a 14-year-old girl or child, we don't immediately point out that person is heterosexual, nor would we in any way allow their sexual orientation to be used as an excuse for what is a very serious criminal act.

"Kevin Spacey's sexual orientation has nothing whatsoever to do with whether or not he sexually assaulted or attempted to sexually assault a child. Those are two separate issues."
A pharmacist has spoken of her devastation after her shop was destroyed by fire in an apparent arson attack.

"I can't believe it. The fire spread so rapidly. It's devastating," said Nuala Mac Cinna, whose Donabate business was destroyed in the early hours of yesterday.

Expand Close The Pharmacy at Donabate which was destroyed by fire last night. / Facebook

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Whatsapp The Pharmacy at Donabate which was destroyed by fire last night.

Wheelie bins at the rear of the one-storey Donabate Pharmacy, on Portrane Road, were set ablaze and the flames spread up into the roof.

Fire brigade crews from Swords, Kilbarrack, Finglas and Tara Street battled the blaze until 4am.

Eyewitness Josephine Girvan (56) told how she and her husband heard the noise of the blaze at their home in a nearby housing estate and saw flames engulf the roof of the building.

"We heard a continuous banging and popping noise as if aerosols inside the pharmacy were exploding or roof tiles cracking in the heat," said the mother of two. "It sounded like a fireworks display.

"The flames were coming through the roof and it was getting worse and worse and worse. There were flashing lights everywhere as firemen ran up and down looking for hydrants to get more water."

Firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to adjoining business premises, but a hairdressing salon next door suffered water damage.

Support

"When I got here last night, the guards were already here. The fire was in the roof and it was spreading very fast. I just feel disbelief," added Ms Mac Cinna, speaking outside the badly damaged building.

"Seven people work in the pharmacy. I will try to get back open as soon as possible. The customers are fantastic. I would have been here 14 years this Christmas."

She hoped CCTV footage might be available of the scene, which could help identify the possible arsonists.

Whoever set fire to the wheelie bins not only destroyed her shop but also kept 25 firefighters busy all night, Ms Mac Cinna pointed out.

However, she has been heartened by the support of the local community.

"I've had wonderful offers of help from local business people and customers," she said.

Locals at the scene speculated that youths caught up in Halloween activity could have set fire to the wheelie bins.

"The local kids are absolutely lovely," said Lisa O'Neill, who works in the pharmacy. "They come into the shop and are very well behaved, but there could be others who did this or youths from outside the area."

Her colleague Catherine McNally said there was anger at what happened.

"We don't know who did this. The local kids are very nice. This is sickening," she said. "I feel sad for the owner. She spent all night outside the pharmacy."

Malik Farooq (32), who works in a nearby grocery shop, said two garda vehicles remained at the scene of the blaze yesterday. "The Government should take strict action," he added.

Gardai investigating the fire have conducted house-to-house inquiries. "It could take a number of days to properly examine the damage done and determine exactly how the fire started," a source said.
ELKO  A dozen Native American student artists took a field trip to the California Trail Interpretive Center to hike the trails and see the display of their work, which has been seen by more than 10,000 visitors from all over the country.

In the past four months, visitors have purchased 32 of the 49 pieces created by the students from Owyhees Combined School. Park Ranger Alex Rose said most art exhibits are considered successful if 30 percent of the art is sold, but the student art exhibit has more than doubled that, selling 65 percent of the pieces.

Rose approached Kit Julianto, the art teacher at Owyhee, with the idea. He wanted to shine a light on the culture and talent of the people of Duck River Valley. Rose had co-curated two similar exhibits in Wyoming with students of the Wind River Indian Reservation when he worked at the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper.

Julianto returned home to Owyhee to invest in his own people after graduating with his bachelors degree in fine arts. For the past couple of years he has challenged his students to create works from their own point of view. He requires them to write about the topics that they choose, to ensure that their art has meaning. He doesnt want them to copy from others, but to be original and think of things they like to do and talk about. His students art reflects this. Using acrylics and canvas, they express their culture and worldview in traditional and contemporary styles.

Sequoia Roubideaux, 14, sold his painting, Horse Fields, for $300. His piece depicts two horses on a field of blue and red. Blue symbolizes water and red fire, two elements important in his culture. Sequoia chose horses because of their importance to his people, the Paiute, in traveling. Although Sequoia does not have a horse of his own, he does like to ride when he can. He has no specific plan for the money.

Terry Don Howard, 16, sold two pieces. Paradise Valley People features the face of an old Shoshone woman. Her worn face and white hair give witness to her struggle to keep old traditions alive. Because of women like this, Terry was able to give thanks for lunch in his native language. Below the woman, a traditional powwow dancer stands separating two distinct buffalo. The brown buffalo represents the traditional, while the purple buffalo represents the modern.

Terrys other piece, The Woman Who Sings to Birds, uses colors to express the four elements: earth, fire, water and air. The painting shows a woman in the midst of a green prairie, birds flying in the air above her. In the distance, an isolated teepee stands against a horizon of blue and red. The woman holds a bundle of sage and a rosary. Terry said it symbolizes the relationship between Christianity and the red road.

Terry was able to meet the buyer of this piece, Karin Schubert. While speaking, she became emotional as she expressed how the artwork had touched her.

I am the woman who talks to birds, she said. I am in there.

She encouraged Terry to never stop. Terry said that there are no plans of making art his career, but I want to keep doing it (painting) until my hands cant do it anymore.

Connie Jacobs, the Trail Centers manager, told the students: I cant tell you the number of smiles Ive seen coming out of this place, and those who werent smiling were thinking.

She said that part of what they do at the Interpretive Center is sharing cultures. She and Rose hope this is the beginning of a tradition at the California Trail Interpretive Center.
WISE, Va.  An attorney for four of five felons seeking to restore their right to possess firearms filed court documents Monday objecting to a motion by the Wise County commonwealths attorney to subpoena three state leaders, including a current gubernatorial candidate, in relation to the restoration.

The objection came after Wise County Commonwealths Attorney Chuck Slemp last week filed a motion seeking to subpoena Gov. Terry McAuliffe; Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, the Democratic nominee for governor; and Secretary of the Commonwealth Kelly Thomasson regarding five cases involving the felons.

The felons filed petitions stating that their rights were restored by the current administration. Slemp has questioned the process used by members of the McAuliffe administration to evaluate the matters.

However, the objection filed Monday in Wise County Circuit Court by attorney Richard Kennedy argues that the court must pre-approve subpoenas issued to the governor and lieutenant governor.

The objection also states that the lieutenant governor has no power to restore the rights of felons and thus Northam could never be a material or relevant witness in this matter.

The filing also dismisses Slemps motion as political grandstanding, calling the partisan political nature and timing of the subpoenas as intended to affect the current gubernatorial election.

Slemp, a Republican, has denied political motivation. He noted that hearing dates have been set by the felons attorneys and the subpoenas are part of discovery.

A hearing on whether the subpoenas will be issued is set for Thursday.
BRISTOL, Va.  A Twin City delegation attended Mondays ceremony welcoming Amtrak to Roanoke, in a continuing effort to try and attract passenger rail service here.

Bristol Virginia Councilman Archie Hubbard and Vice Mayor Kevin Wingard attended the noon ceremony along with members of the citys planning staff, Bristol Tennessee planner Rex Montgomery and other Twin City residents who belong to the local rail coalition.

The coalition and Bristol, Virginia have been working with the state of Virginia and Amtrak to try and extend passenger service to and through Bristol.

We wanted Amtrak to know were still interested, Hubbard said Monday. We were afraid if we didnt go they might think there wasnt much interest. They announced Bristol several times as interested parties that were there today.

State Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne and Sen. John Edwards, D-Roanoke, were among the speakers at Mondays midday event.

Hubbard said it was good information to understand how many entities  state and federal agencies, railroads and Amtrak  are involved in the decision-making process.

Amtrak has already completed a passenger usage study involving Bristol and a city-sponsored economic impact study is expected to be completed by mid-2018. After that study is complete, a Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation cost analysis is expected to occur in fiscal 2018-19, state officials previously said.

Starting today, Amtrak is extending service from Lynchburg to Roanoke. An Amtrak Eastern Regional train is to depart Roanoke weekdays at 6:19 a.m. and weekends at 8:40 a.m., on a route to and beyond Washington, D.C. It will return each night at 10 p.m.

Service to Lynchburg was expected to draw about 40,000 annual riders but response has been about double that every year since it began in 2009. Significant response to bus service between Roanoke and Lynchburg prompted interest in extending rail service.

Passenger rail last served Bristol in the 1970s.

It would be excellent for tourism, which results in economic development and its hard to tell, Hubbard said. It would be great if we could get it back like it used to be and get service all the way to New Orleans. Thats got to get Tennessee looking at it too, to get [the train] to Chattanooga and Atlanta. That to me would give them [Amtrak] impetus to come here.
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. -- A Johnson City couple has donated $100,000 to Niswonger Children's Hospital to help babies who are born with neonatal abstinence syndrome.

The money, from Mike and Nancy Christian, will help create a program to allow affected babies to stay with their mothers in the hospital. The mothers will receive food, shelter and other necessities.

During a kickoff for the hospital's 2018 radiothon, the couple said watching videos of babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome, often called NAS, is heartbreaking.

NAS afflicts babies exposed in the womb to addictive drugs taken by the mother. It can cause a range of withdrawal symptoms affecting the nervous and digestive systems.

Sullivan County reported 77 NAS cases in 2016 or 50.5 per 1,000 births - the highest rate among Tennessee counties for the fifth straight year.

The radiothon will take place Feb. 26 and 27. The money from the Christians puts the hospital a quarter of the way to its $400,000 goal.

Mike Christian cited famed 19th-century philanthropist Andrew Carnegie when announcing the donation. Carnegie, who in the early 1900s was the world's richest man, was an advocate of using wealth to give back to society.
Hunter, guide attacked by grizzly

CODY, Wyo. (AP)  A hunting guide and hunter are recovering in Wyoming hospitals after being attacked by a bear in the Washakie Wilderness.

The Cody Enterprise reports that John Sheets said he was field dressing an elk Thursday night on a late-season cow hunt with a female hunter when she was attacked by a grizzly bear.

Sheets said he rushed in, grabbed the bear by the neck and stabbed it with his hunting knife, which caused the bear to retaliate.

Sheets said the rest of the encounter is fuzzy, but he remembers the bear dragging the hunter down a hill. He said the bear came back up and chewed on his ear and broke his leg.

He says they were able to escape on their horses.

Sheets said the last he heard the hunter was in stable condition.

Group submits signatures to recall state senator

LAS VEGAS (AP)  Clark County officials say a group behind efforts to recall three Nevada state senators has submitted 17,465 signatures in an attempt to unseat Democrat Sen. Joyce Woodhouse of Henderson.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports the county Registrar of Voters office received the signatures on Monday. The office has four business days to verify the signatures and make sure at least 14,412 are valid.

The signatures would then go to the secretary of states office for further verification.

Woodhouse in a statement called the recall effort politically motivated and said it is an affront to voters and a blatant abuse of the process.

Democrats have been fighting the recall efforts with a Decline to sign campaign.

New plant species to be named after late governor

BOISE, Idaho (AP)  A newly discovered plant species will be named after the late Idaho Gov. Cecil Andrus after a group of his friends successfully helped raise $10,000 for researchers work, they said.

Scientists from Boise State University and the College of Idaho discovered the new plant species in the Boise Foothills, KBSX-FM reported .

They offered to let someone name the yellow, flowering plant for a $10,000 donation.

Andrus was the longest-serving Idaho governor with four terms. He died in August due to complications from lung cancer. He was 85 years old.

Andrus friends wanted to see the plant bear his name since he would often walk his dogs in the area where the plant was discovered, they said.

They were able to reach their goal after a last-minute donation last Friday.

The plant will be named in Lomatium Andrusianum in honor of Andrus.

It was kind of great to see a lot of these people pull together and make a contribution and be able to honor Gov. Andrus in this way, said Jim Smith, one of the Boise State University researchers behind the project.

The donation will be used to further research the plant and others like it in southwest Idaho and southeast Oregon, Smith said.
Regional health care can soon enter a new chapter after Virginia Department of Health Commissioner Marissa Levine on Monday approved the merger of the areas two largest providers.

Ballad Health, the name chosen by Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health System, is now expected to become a reality following the commissioners order conditionally approving their request for a cooperative agreement under Virginia law.

It coincides with last months similar approval of a Certificate of Public Advantage by Tennessee Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner.

The merged system would feature 21 hospitals  including seven in Virginia  more than 14,000 employees and combine two systems that generate nearly $2 billion in annual revenue.

Mondays approval is the culmination of a merger process that was formally announced in April 2015. Applications were initially filed with each state in February 2016 and  at that time  health system officials hoped to complete the deal by the end of last year.

A deadline included in the Tennessee approval requires that the merger be completed by Jan. 31.

We have received notice of the decision of the Commissioner of Health in Virginia, and we are reviewing it, health system officials said Monday in a joint written statement. We are grateful for the diligence demonstrated by the commissioner and her staff, and the staff of the Virginia Attorney Generals office. The commissioner personally took the time to evaluate our proposed merger and to understand the reasons why the benefits of the proposed merger outweigh the other options.

The health systems also expressed support for the work of the Southwest Virginia Health Authority, which voted its support last November and helped with changes to the application and a review of the Tennessee COPA.

In Mondays letter, Levine described enlisting a team of state experts from inside her department, the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services and two independent health care consultants, to review the application. That review began last December and included a series of meetings with the applicants and the filing of substantial supplemental documentation.

I find by a preponderance of the evidence that if the applicants meet and comply with the conditions set forth, the benefits likely to result from the proposed cooperative agreement outweigh the disadvantages likely to result from a reduction in competition from the proposed cooperative agreement, Levine wrote in a letter to the presidents of each system.

Levine cited 14 reasons for the favorable decision, including:

Southwest Virginia experiences significant challenges in the delivery of health care services and population health status.

Competition between the applicants failed to provide meaningful, visible benefits to area residents in terms of access and status.

The applicants committed to keep existing rural hospitals operating as health care facilities for at least five years, which she termed a significant commitment.

The applicants committed to create residential addiction recovery and mental health resources in addition to pledging to support an enhanced rural health service plan.

The applicants desire to coordinate population health initiatives to help residents become healthier.

Much like Tennessees approval, the Virginia approval will include a series of thresholds the merged system must meet  but those are incomplete.

I will establish quantitative measures that will be used to evaluate the proposed and continuing benefits of the cooperative agreement by Jan. 31, 2018, Levine wrote. A technical advisory panel will be appointed forthwith in accordance with [state law] to provide initial recommendations to me as to the quality, cost and access measures and benchmarks to be considered to objectively track the benefits and disadvantages of the cooperative agreement, she wrote.

The panel will identify cost, quality and access measures in areas including population health, patient safety, health outcomes, patient satisfaction and access to care and make recommendations to the commissioner on how to best report performance on those quality metrics, according to the letter.

The approval spells out 49 conditions the merged system must meet regarding its relationships with insurance companies, physicians, physician groups, employees, indigent patients, those with no insurance or insufficient coverage and other stakeholder populations.

It spells out that the systems must continue to operate all existing hospitals as a health care center for a minimum of five years. If an effort to restart a hospital in Lee County, Virginia, fails, the merged system must provide essential services to that area.

It also stipulates that the merged system must maintain its three existing tertiary care hospitals in Tennessee.

The merged system must submit an annual report to the commissioner, due one year from the closure of the merger.

Those steps are in addition to a substantial oversight framework established by the Tennessee approval. Last month, Commissioner Dreyzehner said the COPA established measurable goals and terms and conditions to ensure that in granting approval, there is a clear public benefit to the health and well-being of residents of the region.

The merger has generally been supported by Tri-Cities area businesses, chambers of commerce and elected officials at a series of public meetings. Opposition has come from some segments of the insurance industry and staff of the Federal Trade Commissions Bureau of Competition.

We also appreciate the role the FTC plays in protecting the public and we believe the concerns voiced by the FTC were considered both by the authority and the commissioner, both of which have acted in accordance with federal law, according to the health system statement. We are now intensely focused on the operational integration of the two systems and plan to close in the next few months.
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Sir Anthony Hopkins has been spotted filming scenes for a new BBC adaption of King Lear in Stevenage today (October 31).

The legendary actor, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of serial killer Hannibal Lector, was shooting in the town centre this morning.

Adapted from the Shakespeare play of the same name, the BBC Two drama will see Sir Anthony playing the eponymous ruler in a fictional present day version of England.

In this modernised version of the play, King Lear will be presiding over a totalitarian military dictatorship in England.

Joining Sir Anthony in the cast is Academy Award and BAFTA Award winner Emma Thompson  who will star as his oldest daughter Goneril.

Former Doctor Who Christopher Ecclestone and Academy Award and BAFTA Award winner Jim Broadbent are also part of the cast.

However only Sir Anthony has been spotted in Stevenage so far.

Piers Wenger, controller of BBC Drama, sais: "Richard Eyre has assembled an unmissable cast to embody his vision for a timeless but deeply resonant screen adaptation of King Lear.

"We are all looking forward to seeing this landmark production come to life on BBC Two."
NEWTON The jury heard from several medical and scientific experts, including the pathologist who performed Jaydon Ray Sandlins autopsy, in Catawba County Superior Court on Monday, kicking off the second week in the William Howard Lail III trial.

Lail is charged with one count of first-degree murder and four counts of felony child abuse. He does not face the death penalty.

He is accused of killing Jaydon, 1, and physically abusing both Jaydon and his older sister Kylie Madison Sandlin at a residence in Long View. Kylie was 3 at the time of Lails arrest.

Kylie and Jaydon were the children of Lails now ex-girlfriend, Whitney Weathers.

Weathers pleaded guilty to several felony counts of child abuse earlier this year.

On May 3, 2013, first responders arrived to a duplex in Long View to find Jaydon dead from an apparent drowning and covered in burns and bruises. Lail was arrested later that evening.

Witness testimony earlier last week described Kylie as quiet, filthy, and covered in burns, scabs and bruises May 3.

Dr. Kenneth Summer, a pediatrician in Hickory, examined Kylie at Frye Regional Medical Center on May 4.

She had remarkable burns, visible from across the room, he said on the witness stand Monday.

Kylie was admitted to the hospital overnight because social services had yet to find a placement for her.

Summer said her burns were in an unusual pattern and did not look like the majority of scald injuries hes seen.

A week and a half prior to Jaydons death, Lail said Jaydon and Kylie were scalded by the running shower water after he left them alone in the tub to take the trash out.

There were no burns on the bottom of her feet, Summer said.

He added that was unusual, considering Kylie was supposed to have been in the tub when the scalding occurred and had exited the tub by the time Lail returned from outside.

On Friday, Kari Whisnant, who was a social worker with the Catawba County Department of Human Services at the time, testified she photographed the injuries on Kylies body, including apparent burns on Kylies face, back, left leg, head and neck, and bruising on various parts of her body.

Summer described her scabs as thicker than what hes seen in his close to 30 years as a medical professional.

In my opinion, these (injuries) did not fit the accidental pattern, he said.

Pictures of Kylies injuries were shown to the jury again as Summer went through each, giving his medical opinion.

He testified the bruises on Kylies back and other parts of her body were not in the typical places he has seen on toddlers and young children.

Since Kylies burns were healing, Summer said it was difficult to tell what degree of burn they were, but he was able to determine the burns had to be at least second degree.

She was definitely in pain, he added. Probably in a lot of pain the first few days.

Neither Kylie nor Jaydon received official medical treatment for their burns while in Weathers and Lails care.

Both Lail and Weathers testified that Lail purchased hydrogen peroxide, bandages, Motrin and burn cream to treat the burns at home.

Summer also testified hes not sure what substance caused Kylies burns, and it could very well have been a thicker substance like oatmeal or soup instead of water.

She had sharp borders on her burns, he said.

People whove been burned with thick substances usually have sharp borders on their burns because the substance moves slower than water, he added.

Summer said he did not know Lails explanation for the burns prior to examining Kylie, but when he was informed, he was suspicious of that because of the pattern (of the burns).

Autopsy results

Dr. Jerri McLemore, a board certified forensic pathologist and associate professor at the Wake Forest School of Medicine, conducted Jaydons autopsy.

McLemores autopsy ruled the cause of death as presumed drowning, with blunt force injuries, including the burns, as contributing factors.

Jaydon had a number of blunt force injuries, she said.

McLemores autopsy found 135 to 140 individual injuries internally and externally on Jaydon, with the majority of the injuries being bruises and burns.

While there were a large amount of injuries, McLemore clarified one injury does not indicate one impact.

One impact could cause multiple injuries, she said. I found 23 to 36 minimum points of impact on Jaydon.

Jaydon had healing burns and scalding injuries at the top of his head, upper thighs and buttocks, along with scattered, smaller healing burns across his body that were all at least second-degree burns, McLemore added.

He also had bruising across his body, including his forehead, top of his head, chin, mouth and back.

Several of the areas of bruising indicated a pattern like the bruising on his forehead.

Her autopsy concluded Jaydon had two rib fractures, which couldve been caused by CPR, and one healed rib fracture. She could not determine the age of that fracture and said she couldnt rule out that it happened during birth.

He had no organ damage or signs of malnourishment, McLemore added.

When asked to explain what presumed drowning means, she said that conclusion was made from the discovery of watery fluid in the lungs and from what was described to her from people on the scene.

She said she knew of the drowning story Lail gave police and the fact a foamy liquid was seen coming from Jaydons mouth after the incident, which is consistent with drowning.

McLemore guesses Jaydon was fatigued and in pain from his injuries, fell asleep in the bathtub and drowned, but theres no way to know for sure.

It doesnt take much for people to drown, she said.

She added there was no water found in his stomach.

Based on his injuries, she said, I would not expect this toddler to be robust.

McLemore concluded, like Summer did with Kylie, Jaydons injuries did not match the scalding story Lail told investigators.

She said some of the burns were consistent with a pouring pattern, whereas the burns on Jaydons buttocks were not consistent with being forced to sit in hot water or dipped in hot water.

Investigators tested the water heater and water temperature at the Long View residence and found the heater set on 140 degrees.

McLemore said 140 degrees could burn a child in seconds.

Throughout her testimony, McLemore used photos and X-rays from Jaydons autopsy to further explain her findings to the jury.

DNA findings

The final witness to testify Monday was Tanisha Walker, a DNA analyst with the North Carolina State Crime Lab.

She analyzed bodily fluids found on several items and surfaces in the home and tested two items of clothing found in the bathroom.

The bodily fluids analyst found semen on the pillow investigators found on the bathroom floor.

Yet, Walker was unable to determine who the semen belonged to upon DNA analysis.

The pillow was the only item submitted to evidence containing traces of semen.

The bodily fluids analyst found the reddish stains investigators swabbed contained chemical indicators of blood. These stains were located behind the front door of the home on the wall and on the bathroom door and wall.

Walker concluded the blood-like substances found on those surfaces belonged to Kylie.

Swabbings from the stained mattress in the living room found DNA matching Kylie and Jaydon, but swabbings from the tub and tub drain matched only Jaydon, not Kylie.

Lails DNA was not found to be any of the substances or on any of the items submitted to the state crime lab for analysis.

Testimony continues Tuesday, where the state is expected to rest its case.
HICKORY  Maryann Gay said she couldnt be more proud of her 16-year-old son Kameron.

He recently made the move from attending Conover School  a separate school for students with disabilities overseen by the Newton-Conover City Schools district  to enrolling at Hickory High.

Kameron has a learning disability and a mild case of cerebral palsy on his right side.

I always wanted him to be with regular kids and special needs kids so he could learn more, so just to see him here and changing classes and doing good, Im really happy for him, Gay said.

Kamerons story is one April Coffey has seen many times in her 10 years as an educator. Shes Kamerons Exceptional Children teacher at Hickory High.

I tell everybody my kids dont have disabilities. They have different abilities, Coffey said.

The country has pushed for greater inclusion every year since 1945, when Congress declared the first week in October National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week, according to dol.gov. It celebrates the contributions of workers with disabilities and educates about the value of a workforce inclusive of their skills and talents.

Students like Kameron are examples of how capable they are when given the chance to push themselves.

In what is called the Extend Class, Coffeys students stay with her the entire day except for their English class.

I teach a modified version of the academic areas. They still learn their English, their math, their science, their social studies. Its just on their level, Coffey said.

The students receive any occupational and physical therapy they need as well at the school, while Coffey teaches basic life skills.

We teach them how to order off of a menu, how to count change to pay for something, how to ask for help, manners, those type of things, Coffey said.

In North Carolina, the mission of the Exceptional Children Division in the states Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is to ensure students with disabilities develop intellectually, physically, emotionally and vocationally through the provision of an appropriate individualized education program in the least restrictive environment, according to ec.ncpublicschools.gov.

Moving forward

Gay admitted Kameron was always ready to make the move to another school.

Trust in others was a key hurdle for Gay when it came to letting others care for her son. She said she just didnt want anybody running over him, being mean to him.

Coffey admitted if she had a child with severe disabilities, she would have a hard time trusting someone else with her child as well.

I communicate with parents on a daily basis. Thats the key to this whole program, she said.

The states Exceptional Children Division works diligently to collaborate with parents, provide information on parent involvement to school districts, and support parent involvement in their childrens education, according to ec.ncpublicschools.gov

When he was younger, he went to some of the elementary schools special classes, Gay said. Then when he got ready to go to junior high, he could either go to one of the middle schools or Conover School, and I chose it.

She said Kameron began to excel and stand out at the Conover School, helping his fellow classmates. After three years there, Gay realized her son had grown enough to step back into a regular school.

I figured it was time for him to do things on his own, to be independent, she said.

Gay has been pleased with the reception her son has had at Hickory High from both faculty and other students. In fact, Kamerons enjoyed and embraced the greater independence like any other teenager.

He doesnt want me coming here. He doesnt want me kissing him. He doesnt want me standing outside with him at the bus stop, Gay said. He really loves his class, and he really loves his teacher and his friends.

Through the years, Gay said shes learned to let her son take those risks and find new paths to take. Its her advice to other parents just starting a similar journey with their child.

You can know when things arent right. If hes not having a good day at school and things arent right at school, I can tell, Gay said. You just got to trust and let them try it out.

The job is a passion

For Coffey, the job is simply a calling. Her desire to be part of this area in education started when she was a child. Her mother would take in other children who needed a place to stay.

When I was in high school, there was a young lady who was handicapped, and I helped all the time because people always made fun of her, and it really made me mad, Coffey said. I knew after helping her, thats what I wanted to do.

This passion followed her into her personal life as well. She and her husband have been doing therapeutic foster care for more than 10 years, only taking in children with disabilities.

I feel like God led me to come into this field. I really think its a calling, Coffey said.

While every educator faces challenges in any classroom, Coffey has an even larger list of things to consider every day.

If they have a physical disability, you have to think about if there is a ramp where youre going, Coffey said. Are the braces a kid wears on the leg, is it secure? Are they buckled in their wheelchair? My number one thing is keeping my kids safe.

Then there is the emotional part of it and figuring out how to teach them individually.

What Ive learned in this classroom this year, these kids catch on to everything if I do it to music, Coffey said. The main thing if you have a class like this is if you dont have patience, this is not the job or you.

In the past three to four years, Coffey has seen other students at the high school go out of their way to be around the kids in her class and help them.

Disabilities scare people. It scares adults. It scares kids. They dont know how to react, how to act around them, Coffey said. I tell all my kids in the whole school, theyre all kids. It does not matter what the disability is.

Her suggesting to others who are worried about how to act around her students is simple  just ask.

I want people to understand my kids are not weird. Theyre not different. I want them to understand theyre just kids. They have feelings, Coffey said. They can express themselves. It may not be the way you express yourself and you may need help understanding them, but you still need to let them express themselves and you need to support them.

More than seeing the academic success, Coffey feels like shes making a difference when shes earned the trust of her students and their parents.

They need to know they are loved and safe here, she said.

For more information, Coffey suggest parents visit parentcenterhub.org/specific-disabilities/.
McCutcheon is a retired colonel with the U.S. Marines and later retired from BoozAllen Hamilton, where he consulted on ballistic missile defense, information-intelligence operations and strategic planning and communication. He lives in Granite Falls.

Newcomers of Catawba Valley is primarily a social organization that enables new and long-time residents of the region to meet, make friends and participate in a variety of activities, including support of area charities and service programs. The club is made up of men and women and does not limit how long a member may belong. Monthly general meetings, open to the public, are usually held at the Hickory Regional Airport at 10:30 a.m. on the second Wednesday of every month. For more information, visit www.newcomersofcv.com.
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Across the world, the history of marine regulation is traced to approaches and worldviews emerging from terrestrial domains. In India, the protection of marine wildlife and spaces which are protected is mainly through the creation of marine protected areas under the various categories of the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972 (WLPA), or by categorising various species on the protected species lists or schedules of the WLPA. Nearly half a century of WLPA-style protection has passed, but few can claim that marine habitats and species have been well-served by this legislation and its approaches to conservation.

Marine conservation perspectives have always been on the margins of the conservation narrative. The new National Wildlife Action Plan (NWAP), in an attempt to change that, suggests some bold steps towards new and inclusive approaches. But how these suggestions are implemented will depend on changing many of the historical attitudes of wildlife conservationists, the forest department, development planners, and the legal edifice of the WLPA.

Marine perspectives

The terrestrial approach of the WLPA is based on a foundation that firstly fails to recognise the fluidity of marine species and ecosystems. Nearly all marine species, either in their early life stages or as adults disperse several miles across the oceans and are inherently in a state of flux. Managing such a dynamic system necessitates an ability to think beyond conservative fortress approaches and adopt protection measures that are spatially and temporally dynamic.

Nearly all marine species, either in their early life stages or as adults disperse several miles across the oceans and are inherently in a state of flux. Managing such a dynamic system necessitates an ability to think beyond conservative fortress approaches and adopt protection measures that are spatially and temporally dynamic.

The second major shortcoming is the inability to perceive marine wildlife as a resource that can be sustainably harvested. This approach is in stark contrast to the perspectives of coastal communities and fisheries departments, thereby bringing the four million fisherfolk who depend on these resources in direct conflict with the WLPA. Bans on the trade of species like seahorses and sea cucumbers persist, despite evidence that shows that the trade has merely gone underground in regions like the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Bay, and that prices have shot up and trade in these items continues in neighbouring Sri Lanka which has not introduced such bans.

Further, the WLPA has few mechanisms to address impacts to habitats from practices like bottom trawling, shipping or marine dredging. The NWAPs call for greater coordination with the ministry of agriculture indicates that there is recognition of the problem. But the proposed action (that calls for immediate amendments to the fisheries laws rather than broadening the scope of the WLPA itself) indicates a hesitancy to reflect upon the limitations of the WLPA.

More important, Indias coastal and marine habitats today are first and foremost threatened by industrial developments that are already changing entire inter-tidal habitats, mangrove forests and estuarine flows across coastal India. The political decision that will fuel the desired institutional coordination hinges on the Indian government embracing a philosophical turning point on the question of growth and development.

Layers of jurisdiction

Today, a multiplicity of departments are in charge of coastal and marine regions such as the Forest Department, Coast Guard, Fisheries Department, Public Works Department, Port Authorities, Marine Police, Customs Department to name a few. Even legislations like the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification that have been in operation for over a quarter of a century have not been able to ensure institutional coordination to protect coasts.

With the entry of large infrastructure, oil and gas, and large-scale tourism into the coastal space, an autopsy of laws like the CRZ (or the WLPA) are instructive to policy reform. How else can one understand how contemporary coastal India, once the domain of multiple maritime traditions and livelihoods has become, despite decades of central legislation, a contested space marked by large industrial infrastructure on the one hand and impoverished ecologies and communities on the other? To these problems of coastal environments, the NWAPs series of Coastal and Marine Ecosystem Cells might appear to some as an institutional silver bullet, but an institutional black box to others.

A curious paradox marks conservation today. While the legal edifice of the WLPA appears fixed in its long-standing tradition of separating (local) development from (global) conservation, (local) people from parks, Indias new NWAP comes as a welcome surprise. Whether it will succeed in accomplishing all its goals is anybodys guess. The novelty of the new NWAP will be felt only if it makes the slightest dent to the legal edifice of the WLPA and its historical attitude to people and their fluid relations with wildlife and that of the state to development.

Aarthi Sridhar is a doctoral candidate at the University of Amsterdam and trustee of Dakshin Foundation.

Dr. Naveen Namboothri is director and trustee, Dakshin Foundation

The views expressed are personal
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that submitted chargesheet against 490 people in the alleged irregularities in the PMT 2013 examination conducted by Vyapam suffered a major embarrassment on Tuesday. The court granted bail to all the seven accused who were arrested as the agency had summoned them under a wrong section of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

Advocate Gopesh Shikkewal told HT that the CBI had demanded that the accused be sent to jail, but the court agreed with the defense since all of them were summoned under a wrong CrPC section and deserved bail.

Read more: Rigged exams to mysterious deaths of suspects: What is MPs Vyapam scam

The CBI had summoned 88 people out of the 490 accused under Section 160 of CrPC, which empowers an investigating officer to summon people for recording statement at the office. However, when the accused reached the CBI office in Bhopal, they were told to come to the court.

In the court, the accused were told that a supplementary charge sheet was being filed. This meant that the accused would have been arrested and it was not certain whether bail would be granted or not. When the accused realised this, many of them ran away from the court premises, said advocate Dinesh Tiwari who is representing 300 persons in the Vyapam case.

The CBI then demanded that all those who fled should be declared as absconders under Section 224 of IPC, but the court refused when the defense argued that they were not summoned under Section 170 of CrPC.

The court gave 15 days time to other accused to file for their bail.

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Angry over not getting remunerative price for their soyabean crop at the Agar Malwa mandi, hundreds of irate farmers pelted stones, damaged furniture at the mandi office before police moved in, used tear gas shells and cane-charged them on Monday afternoon. In the stone pelting, several persons including a naib tehsildar were injured.

The farmers protest for getting low price for their produce has been recurring in Madhya Pradesh over the past few months. It started in the first week of June and gained momentum after five farmers were killed in police firing in Pipliyamandi, Mandsaur.

According to officials, tension was on the rise in the mandi when bidding for soyabean by traders did not rise above Rs 2000  Rs 2100 per quintal in the initial round of bidding. This angered the farmers who kept on demanding that the prices should be around Rs 2500 per quintal. The mandi officials were informed of the problems and a second round of bidding started in the afternoon. The price went up a bit but not by much, further angering the farmers.

Soon the farmers and the traders started abusing each other and suddenly the stone pelting started. Farmers damaged the weighing scale of the farmers, while some of them rushed inside the mandi office, smashed window panes and broke furniture in the office. In the melee, naib tehsildar Mukesh Soni was injured. It was after Sonis injury that the police tear gassed the mob and cane charged them.

According to SP Manoj Singh, seven persons were arrested, but all of them have been released on bail. Police used a lot of restrain in dealing with the situation. Most of the people who were creating trouble were not farmers, the SP asserted.

The collector Ajay Gupta said there was no problem in the morning during the first round of auctions. In the second round, some anti-socials started shouting slogans and creating trouble which resulted in stone pelting. The situation is now under control, the collector said.

Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Anil Yadav said that farmers are not getting their fair price due to recently introduced Bhavantar scheme (Crop price deficit payment scheme). Before Bhavantar price of soyabean was around Rs 2800 to Rs 2900 per quintal, but after this scheme was introduced, the price has crashed to Rs 2000 to Rs 2100 and today it sold as low as Rs 1500 in Agar Malwa mandi which angered the farmers. The Bhavantar scheme is a flop, it is not transparent and we demand that minimum support price should be reintroduced.
When Nawazuddin Siddiqui came out with his controversial memoir, An Ordinary Life, recently, he had admitted that the book could ruffle feathers, for he, after much deliberation, chose to reveal details and names when describing his love affairs. So, it came as a shock when, on Monday evening, Nawaz decided to withdraw the book. He tweeted, I m apologising 2 every1 whos sentiments r hurt bcz of d chaos around my memoir #AnOrdinaryLife. I hereby regret & decide 2 withdraw my book (sic).

Nawazs announcement comes after two of his ex-flames, Miss Lovely co-star Niharika Singh and TV actor Sunita Rajwar expressed their displeasure. Sunita said that Nawaz misrepresented facts, while a complaint has been reportedly registered with the National Commission for Women that accuses Nawaz of outraging Niharikas modesty.

Nawazs decision to withdraw the book, however, raises questions about the purpose of a tell-all book, the legalities involved and the publishers role in it.

Ram Kamal Mukherjee, author of Hema Malini: Beyond The Dream Girl

Ram Kamal Mukherjee, the official biographer of actor Hema Malini, and author of Hema Malini: Beyond The Dream Girl, says, Why would he (Nawaz) withdraw it? Last time I heard such [a] thing was when MF Hussain was upset with the negative criticism of his film Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities (2004) and withdrew the film from the theatres. The book about Hema Malini, too, made some big revelations, including the bit about Hema almost getting married to actor Jeetendra, and how a drunk Dharmendra (who eventually married Hema) stopped the wedding.

Actor Asha Parekh had recently released her biography The Hit Girl.

Yesteryear actor Asha Parekh, who released her biography The Hit Girl, says, I, too, said the truth. [But] I have not had any objections from anybody because I havent criticised anybody. In her book, Parekh had revealed that she was in love with Nasir Hussain, who was a married man and had directed her in six films and produced a seventh with her. She, however, never married him because she wasnt a home-breaker. About the idea of a biography, Parekh says its not a good idea anyway to write about oneself midway through ones life. You have to experience your life and then you can write about it, not at a young age or when you are in the middle of your life, she says.

And what about taking permissions from the people mentioned in the book? You need that only when you talk about issues that can mount to character assassination... My intention as a writer was clear. I wanted to tell her (Hemas) journey, and that doesnt mean I will have to run down anyone, says Ram Kamal Mukherjee.

If an author decides to pull the plug on their book, the publisher cant do much about it, says Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri from HarperCollins Publishers India that published actor Rishi Kapoors biography, Khullam Khulla. I think its entirely up to the author who has withdrawn his book after it got the kind of press it received; only the juicy bits were highlighted. The publisher cant do much. What happens in a biography is that one goes by what the author is saying. What we do is that we seek a legal opinion when there are names mentioned, take the lawyers feedback, and pass it on to the author. Theres a discussion, and then we decide if we keep it. Nawazuddin, it seems, wasnt careful enough. Also, since the co-author was a woman, Rituparna Chatterjee, she should have asked him that since you are talking about women here and describing your relationships, are you sure about this? Do these people know? Care should have been taken, says Chaudhuri.

Penguin India, publisher of Nawazs memoir, did not comment at the time of writing the article.

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India has for the first time moved into the top 100 in the World Banks Ease of Doing Business rankings from its 130th position last year, propelled by reforms that include making tax-paying easier, according a report released on Tuesday.

The World Bank Groups latest report Doing Business 2018: Reforming to Create Jobs says India is one of the top 10 countries to improve in this years report.

India, with eight reforms, was one of this years top ten improvers worldwide and the leading regional performer. This is the first year that India is in the top 100 economies globally, it said.

Here is how India has performed on 10 parameters of the report:

PARAMETERS THIS YEARS RANK LAST YEARS RANK Starting a business 156 155 Getting credit 29 44 Trading across borders 146 143 Dealing with construction permits 181 185 Protecting minority investors 4 13 Getting electricity 29 26 Enforcing contracts 164 172 Paying taxes 119 172 Resolving insolvency 103 136 Registering property 154 138
Ucoms mobile customers will benefit from the best internet roaming rate of 8 AMD/MB when travelling to Georgia, Egypt or the UAE

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Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has objected to a draft law dealing with bankruptcy in financial institutions, saying some of its provisions could undermine the authority of other regulatory bodies.

The central banks opinion is a potential setback for the Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill, which now faces criticism from opposition parties that say existing laws are enough to tackle bankruptcy in banks and insurance firms.

In August, the government placed the draft law before Parliament but it was immediately referred to a joint panel of both Houses for scrutiny. The panel also sought the RBIs opinion.

The central bank wrote back in early October, objecting to the bill giving wide powers to a proposed regulator. It said the regulator, Resolution Corporation, could undermine the central banks authority. The RBI also emphasised on proper harmonisation of roles and responsibilities, suggesting that existing regulators alone be allowed to assess risk of viability in distressed companies. Otherwise, there would be divergence of assessment, the RBI said in its note to the parliamentary panel, which has been seen by HT. The RBI did not respond to HTs request for comments. TS Vijayan, chief of insurance regulator IRDA, also refused to comment.

The Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill seeks to protect peoples investments in banks and insurance companies as well as limit the use of public money to bail out distressed businesses. The bill is similar to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code issued last year, except for the fact that the proposed law would cover only financial sector companies. We want to ensure full protection to consumers in case of insolvency and the provisions of the proposed bill do just that, said a top finance ministry official. He refused to be named as the bill is still in Parliament.

The RBI has also opposed empowering the Resolution Corporation to carry out joint inspections of potentially insolvent financial institutions. We dont agree with the need for joint inspection with RC, the RBIs note said, referring to the proposed regulator.

The central banks comments have led opposition members on the panel to question the need for a new legislation to deal with bankruptcy in financial institutions  a rare occasion when an entire bill backed by the NDA government has been challenged.

Parliament has passed an Insolvency and bankruptcy Code in 2016. The RBI Act also has enough safeguards. Where is there a need for another bill? asked an opposition a member of the joint parliamentary panel, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to journalists.

Objections to the bill have also come from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority. Underlining its ability to resolve bankruptcy among insurers, the insurance regulator cited three instances when companies were restructured without any loss to the customers. The panel might ask RBI governor Urjit Patel to depose, sources said.

SALIENT FEATURES OF THE BILL  It aims to create a framework for resolving bankruptcy in financial firms, such as banks and insurance companies

 Financial firms and any other financial service provider designated as a systemically important financial institution by the Centre will come under the bill

 The Centre will establish a Resolution Corporation, which will have representatives from the finance ministry, RBI, and SEBI, among others

 The corporation, in consultation with respective regulators (RBI for banks and IRDA for insurance companies) specify criteria for classifying service providers based on risk of failure

 The Corporation may also investigate the activities of service providers, or undertake search and seizure operations if provisions of the bill are being contravened. Source: PRS It aims to create a framework for resolving bankruptcy in financial firms, such as banks and insurance companiesFinancial firms and any other financial service provider designated as a systemically important financial institution by the Centre will come under the billThe Centre will establish a Resolution Corporation, which will have representatives from the finance ministry, RBI, and SEBI, among othersThe corporation, in consultation with respective regulators (RBI for banks and IRDA for insurance companies) specify criteria for classifying service providers based on risk of failureThe Corporation may also investigate the activities of service providers, or undertake search and seizure operations if provisions of the bill are being contravened.
A fast-track court in Chandigarh is on Tuesday expected to pronounce its verdict in the rape of a 10-year-old girl, a case that made national and international headlines after the Supreme Court turned down her plea for abortion.

The girl, who gave birth to a baby girl on August 5, has accused two of her uncles, both brothers, of raping her over five months. If found guilty, the two men, who like the girl and her family are from Nepal, would face life imprisonment.

The defence on Monday closed its arguments in the case, which was heard daily for the last three and a half months.

The case

In mid-July the girls mother, a domestic help, took her to a hospital after she complained of stomach ache. Doctors found that the girl was 30-week pregnant.

A local court dismissed the girls plea of abortion after a doctors panel said she was too far into her pregnancy and the procedure would be too risky. The decision was upheld by the Supreme Court.

India has a 20-week legal ceiling on abortion except when there is a risk to mothers life. But in recent times, there has been a flood of petitions, with women, including rape victims, seeking termination beyond 20-week limit.

Twists and turns

On the girls complaint, police arrested her older uncle, her mothers cousin who was a guard at a Chandigarh hotel, for the rape.

But the case turned on its head when the DNA samples of the newborn didnt match those of the uncle, as first reported by Hindustan Times on September 11.

Seventeen days later, police arrested the mans younger brother, saying he was the main accused.

Both the brothers have been charged with raping an under-12 child and aggravated sexual assault under the stringent protection of children from sexual offences act.

The older man used to stay with his younger brothers family in the same sector as the victim.

The girl told police that she was first raped by the younger uncle, a cook with the same hotel as his brother, around Christmas in 2016. The older uncle, too, assaulted her repeatedly from April till early July, she said.

Initially, the girl didnt name the younger uncle, fearing he would come good on his threat of killing her parents.

Both the accused confessed to the crime, police said.

SC monitoring

The crime, which shook everyone including the medical fraternity for which is was a rare case of such a young pregnancy, has been constantly monitored by the Supreme Court.

The Chandigarh state legal services authority and the trial court have been regularly sending status reports to the top court. Though it refused abortion, the Supreme Court ordered the Centre to ask states to set up permanent medical boards in each district to quickly decide on pleas of pregnant women and girls seeking termination beyond the permissible 20-week period. The Centre has issued a notice to the states.

Defence raises questions

Closing his arguments on Monday, the older uncles lawyer Manjit Singh pointed the finger at the victims parents, alleging the mother was least bothered about biological changes in her daughters body.

Singh also questioned the fathers constant absence from the hospital and court proceedings.

He also said in her second statement the 10-year-old had said denied that she was threatened not to name her younger uncle.

Singh also raised questions the girls statement that she was raped between Christmas 2016 and April 2017 and the younger uncle impregnated her, saying the girl gave birth in August, eight months after she was raped the first time.

According to hospital sources, the baby was born prematurely. The baby has since been put up for adoption.

The older uncle has also accused the girls father of molesting his minor daughter when she visited India last year.

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For the first time, the All India Tiger Estimation will cover Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradeshs high altitude areas where tigers were spotted 10,000 ft above the sea-level.

During a meeting of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) in Delhi on Monday, tiger sighting in remote areas of both the hill states was discussed and a decision was taken to frame Special Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to conduct tiger estimation in these areas.

The authority directed officers to prepare the SOP in consultation with pioneer Wildlife Institute of India (WII), an official said.

Tiger presence was reported in Uttarakhand last year in Askot Wildlife Sanctuary where a tiger was camera-trapped above 12,000 ft. Following which tiger was photographed in Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary and Tehri forest division. Similar incidences were also reported from Arunachal Pradesh.

VB Mathur, director WII told Hindustan Times, Tigers are generally found at an altitude of 4000 ft-6000 ft in India. But, since the last estimation was done (2014) both states have reported the presence of tigers in high altitude areas. Certainly, these areas should be covered during the estimation.

One key challenge before the officers would be the snow clad ranges. In such circumstances, it wont be possible to follow NTCA protocols.

Special SOP for both states would be prepared as the areas are remote and remains covered with snow at least 6 months, said Digvijay Singh Khati, chief wildlife Uttarakhand.

In Uttarakhand, the officers are planning to conduct the estimation in identified areas from May when the snow will start melting. Camera traps would be potentially used to cover the habitat.

The last estimation of 2014 reported 2226 tigers in the country accounting for 70% of big cats in the wild in the world and the only tiger range country to have acclaimed robust methodology.

Uttarakhand accounts for 340 tigers during the last estimation, second highest in the country after Karnataka. Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) has the highest number of tigers 215.

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DEHRADUN: India will conduct its tiger estimation survey along with neigbours Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh for which the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the apex body formulating policies for conservation of striped cats, has given the nod.

The exercise aims at counting the tigers whose habitats are geographically separated but spread across the four countries.

At a meeting in Delhi on October 30, the Authority discussed the plan with Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam which share border with the three neighbouring countries. It is already conducting training for field staff and will start Phase 1 of the estimation from December. Consultation workshops will be organised with the forest departments of the three countries to finalise the period during which similar exercise will be held there as well.

The Global Tiger Forum is pitching in to maintain a dialogue with the three countries. Only areas adjoining India have reported tiger presence, So, we will restrict to conducting the estimation in these pockets only, NTCA member secretary Debabrata Swain told Hindustan Times on Tuesday.

In its September 28 edition, HT reported the tiger estimation would be done with the neighbouring countries.

Chitwan National Park in Nepal supports the tiger population in Valmiki (Bihar). Similarly, the tiger populations of Bardiya (Nepal)-Katarniaghat (Uttar Pradesh) and Shuklaphanta (Nepal)-Pilibhit (Uttar Pradesh) compliment each other. The northern boundary of Shuklaphanta (Nepal) touches Champawat in Uttarakhand.

The Sundarban is spread over in West Bengal and Bangladesh, and, therefore, the survey will be done on either side of the tiger reserve. Incidentally, the northernmost part of Bengal touches Bhutan. Tigers in border areas have been supporting population on both sides. The estimation will help to determine a holistic figure of the tiger populated landscape, Bivash Pandav, a scientist at Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India, said.

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Uttarakhand Governor KK Paul and chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Tuesday flagged off the Run for Unity from the Vidhan Sabha Bhawan campus to mark the birth anniversary of Indias first home minister Sardar Patel.

Both Paul and Rawat participated in the `Run for Unity, which concluded at the Police Lines. Hundreds of people from across the state participated in the Run for Unity. At the concluding part of the function, the governor administered the participants the pledge of national unity and integrity.

Paul said the entire nation is paying tributes to the Iron Man of India on his birth anniversary. The governor extolled the contribution of Patel in merging the erstwhile princely states with India. It was thanks to his (Patel) strong will power, political sagacity and farsightedness that a seemingly impossible task could be resolved without violence or bloodshed.

Rawat, while paying tributes to the great freedom fighter, said the countrys youth should take a leaf out of Patels life. All educational institutes, on the occasion of the birth anniversaries of the countrys great personalities, should publicise their contributions, an official note quoted Rawat as saying.

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Get ready for delays if youre flying in or out of the national Capital next week as one of the three runways at Delhi airport will undergo repair for three days starting November 7. Airlines have cancelled some flights as capacity of Delhi airport is expected to be reduced by 30 per cent during this period.

Delhi airport handles 67 flights an hour, but between November 7 and 10, the capacity will be reduced to 45 movements in an hour. Sources said that about 300 flights will be affected due to the reduced capacity.

Runway 11-29 of IGI airport will remain closed for maintenance for three days from 0001hrs on November 7 to 0700hrs on November 10. The scheduled time was chosen after a careful evaluation by airport operator in close consultation with Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the airlines. Given the onset of fog season, the time was jointly agreed from the perspective of safety and operational reliability, said a Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) spokesperson.

The other two runways  10-28 and 09-27  will accommodate the load of runway 11-29.

Runway 10-28 was closed for maintenance for a week in April last year. Delhi airport handles almost 1,150 flights everyday and has a capacity to handle 75 aircraft movement in an hour, which is the highest in the country.

Detailed safety assessment and other relevant documents were shared with the Indian aviation safety regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). After the due approval from DGCA, the global aviation community was informed by issuing Note for Airmen well in advance. During the maintenance, the airfield capacity will be lowered to 45 air traffic movements per hour. The airport operator has revised the slot allocations in consultation with all the airlines, DIAL spokesperson added.

Airlines operating out of Delhi airport have cancelled some flights.

It has affected our departures and arrivals into many cities. Unfortunately this is beyond our control. To avoid causing more inconvenience to our customers our teams are working around the clock to accommodate them in other IndiGo flights. Passenger can opt for an alternative flight or cancel and getting full refund for the same, said an Indigo spokesperson.

SpiceJet has also confirmed that it has cancelled some of its flights and has informed the passengers.
Delhi assembly speaker Ram Niwas Goel has written a letter to Chief Justice Gita Mittal of the Delhi high court, alleging that a division bench of the court had passed orders against the legislature without ascertaining facts.

The three-page letter, a copy of which is with Hindustan Times, is dated October 27, 2017.

 In the recent past, every time the Legislature as an institute was assailed by two individuals who happened to be officers serving with the Government of NCT of Delhi, the pronouncements of a particular honorable Division Bench of the honorable High Court of Delhi turned out to be alarmingly injurious to the harmonious relationship that ought to exist between the three organs of the State, he has written in the letter.

The speaker, who is the Aam Aadmi Party legislator for Shahdara, did not name the two officials. But, sources said, the reference is to petitions in high court filed recently by PWD principal secretary Ashwani Kumar and Delhi chief secretary MM Kutty.

Kumar approached court against breach of privilege proceedings initiated by the assemblys privilege committee. He got a stay from the court. The proceedings had been initiated against Kumar for allegedly misleading a house panel on desilting of drains in the city.

Kutty also got a stay from the HC on a show-cause notice issued by the assemblys question and reference committee for allegedly not following its directive to incorporate adverse remarks in the annual confidential report, or ACR, of a bureaucrat.

In his letter to the Chief Justice, Goel said: I urge upon you to not to allow in future such acts which endanger the delicate balance and harmonious relationship that exists between the legislature and judiciary.

He said such orders were alarmingly injurious to the harmonious relationship that ought to exist between the three organs of the State.

When asked about the speakers letter, AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj said that chairpersons of some assembly committees had raised the issue with the speaker regarding bureaucrats getting stay from the high court. The speaker, in his wisdom, has confidentially shared the concern with the acting chief justice of Delhi high court. It is a communication between two persons holding constitutional posts, he told HT on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, deputy speaker Rakhi Birla, who is the chairperson of the questions and reference committee, and panel member Bhardwaj told reporters that the judiciary was stalling the functioning of assembly committees.
Delhi woke up to a hazy morning on Tuesday, with monitoring stations across the national capital recording air quality as very poor as visibility fell below one kilometre.

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (Safar), the levels of airborne particulate matter PM 10 was 289 micrograms per cubic metre (g/m3) and PM 2.5 171 g/m3 on Tuesday morning.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) considers 100 g/m3 for PM 10 and 60 g/m3 for PM 2.5 the safe limit.

Visibility was at 900 metres, an Indian Metrological department (IMD) official said on Tuesday. The conditions would persist through the week, with shallow fog expected early morning.

A high moisture level of 96% added to the problem. The high moisture level is increasing the pollution load because particles are getting trapped in the air, the IMD official said.

Real-time data shows high pollution in several parts of Delhi, counted among the worst polluted cities of the world.

At Lodhi Colony, SAFAR recorded PM2.5 at 364, Mathura Road 359 and IGI Airport 350.

PM 2.5, particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter, are tiny fragments produced by fossil fuel combustion and other industrial processes that can lodge deep into the lungs.

Prolonged exposure to these particles can cause respiratory and heart diseases. The WHO has declared polluted air a carcinogen.

The air quality index (AQI), calculated for 24 hours, was averaging 328 g/m3 in Delhi a day before. It was worse for Noida at 332 and severe for Ghaziabad at 404 on Monday, the CPCB data shows.

Air quality is marked very poor if the AQI is between 300 and 400 g/m3. Beyond that, it is severe.

Every year, Delhis air quality starts to worsen with the onset of winter, as weather conditions facilitate concentration of toxic gases and ultra-fine particles.

Delhi smog is out in full force today... pic.twitter.com/PkOFh2mupY  Kabir Taneja (@KabirTaneja) October 31, 2017

The maximum temperature on Tuesday was 30.2 degree Celsius and minimum 16.4, an IMD official said.

Experts say vehicular emissions and stubble burning by farmers in neighbouring states are primary reasons for the Capitals poor air. Dust particles and construction activity, too, contributes to the pollution.

The Graded Response Action Plan to combat air pollution came into force for the first time this month. It involves taking measures such as a ban on garbage burning and firecrackers, closing brick kilns and mechanised sweeping of roads as air quality turns from moderate to poor.

Children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with conditions like diabetes and hypertension are at a higher risk of developing complications due to toxic air.

Doctors advise against outdoor activities especially in early hours and suggest wearing masks when going out.

Check the air quality in your city with this real-time map
An aircraft seat worth crores  it may sound bizarre but customs officials at Delhi airport recently recovered gold worth Rs 1.09 crore hidden in the seat of an Air India plane coming from Muscat.

Acting on a tip-off, the customs searched the aircraft after the passengers deboarded and found gold bars under the cushion of seat 30F. A message was immediately relayed to the staff at the green channel to stop the passenger who had travelled in that seat.

We had an input that one of the passengers travelling in AI 974 was carrying gold and had kept it under the seat cushion. Cushions of aircraft seats are detachable and the passenger had kept gold bars under it. We were not sure about the seat so the team rummaged the aircraft and recovered the gold after passengers had deboarded, said a customs official, requesting anonymity.

The four gold bars weighed 1kg each.

Since the passengers had already left, we flashed the message and asked our staff at the green channel to check the boarding pass of every passenger and stop the passenger who had travelled on 30F, the official added.

The passenger has been arrested and investigation is going on. The 22-year-old man from Kerala had returned from Muscat on October 24 before going there again the next day. He then returned on October 29, when he was caught.

We are probing whether he had smuggled gold earlier also. He claimed to have a business of garments. We suspect involvement of staff or someone else which is why he did not take the gold out, the officer said.

In September 2015, 4kg gold stashed in the toilet of a Qatar airways plane was recovered by customs.

In a similar incident in 2014, around 12kg gold was seized from the toilet of a plane coming from Dubai and customs officials suspected insiders, who were keeping a track of aircraft movement and would have informed the smuggler when it was to fly to a domestic sector.

Indian airline usually uses same aircraft for international and domestic sector. Some smugglers remember the aircraft registration number and take out gold when it lands in a domestic sector. Sometimes insiders, like airline staff, take out gold during cleaning of aircraft and hand it over to the smuggler, the official added.

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Animal lovers and NGOs came together and rebuilt the makeshift shelter of Pratima Devi, a waste collector, who housed more than 100 dogs, after it was demolished by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation on Monday.

Devi has been living behind PVR Saket for more than three decades. Better known as Amma in the neighbourhood, she told Hindustan Times that she earned only to look after hundreds of dogs whom she feeds and cares for.

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation had on Monday demolished her shanty, saying it had received complaints from local residents and the area councillor about Devi encroaching on public land and distributing drugs.

Civic officials said if the shelter has been rebuilt by activists on Tuesday, it was in violation of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act. The rules mandate that such structures be demolished. If the shelter is back, we will have to take action, said an SDMC official.

The area councillor, Kishanwati, who goes by her first name, said the shanty was made on public property and was also obstructing access to a public toilet in the complex. Not just that, there were complaints from the councillor and residents that the woman gave drugs to minor ragpickers. She was also forcing them to cook food for the dogs, she said.

She said that her complaint was primarily intended to rescue the children living at the shanty with Devi. The demolition action was taken by civic officials and I was not even present during the demolition drive, Kishanwati said.

The animal rights activists contested the councillors claims. Pratima Devi has been living here for past 35 years and helps in sterilisation and vaccinations of stray dogs. Has there been any suspicion of drug peddling, the matter should have been handed over to the local police for investigation, said Ambika Shukla, who arranged a tent and blankets for Devi.

And even if it was an encroachment, then proper notice should have been served and the action should have been taken against other encroachers in area as well, she said.

Jai Arjun Singh, a freelance writer and resident of Saket, who has been providing financial support to the Devis animal centre for six years said, The move will demotivate those working for noble cause. Through locals I even got to know that local councillor had demanded Rs 50,000 for Devi and the step has been taken to serve the interest of local real estate people, who wanted the space for their shops.
On Monday, at around 6:30 am, officials of the New Delhi Municipal Council, assisted by the Delhi Police, evicted the 17-odd groups of protesters from Jantar Mantar in compliance with the National Green Tribunals orders banning demonstrations in the neighbourhood.

These evicted protesters, however, are left wondering where do they continue their fight for justice, as the North MCD charges Rs 50,000 per day to use the suggested alternative site of Ramlila Grounds, and doesnt have toilets, and other facilities like Jantar Mantar.

Do they expect women to go (defecate) in the open? They also expect us to pay Rs 50,000 per day to exercise our constitutional rights, which is neither affordable nor right. Also, if noise pollution is a concern at Jantar Mantar, it would be a bigger issue there, as there are three hospitals in the vicinity, said major general Satbir Singh, Sena Medal awardee, protesting for one rank one pension (OROP).

Police and civic officials demolish tents at Jantar Mantar area set up by ex-servicemen, demanding implementation of the One Rank One Pension scheme. (Burhaan Kinu/HT Photo)

Nearly 40 protesters were briefly detained at the Parliament Street police station, while another 10-15 were taken to the Mandir Marg station on Monday, which included many ex-servicemen demanding OROP.

The number of protesters at Jantar Mantar had already started dwindling before the eviction on Monday, according to police, as there were 37 groups there before the courts orders. They went back home because they could not afford to stay, and move to Ramlila Grounds, said a police officer.

Civic officials clean up the area around Jantar Mantar after tents and makeshift structures were demolished on Monday. (Burhaan Kinu/HT Photo)

However, the protester who was allegedly raped by a Punjab top cop and has been staging a sit-in demanding justice, has decided to stay put. I, the OROP team and those demanding Gorkhaland , will move the Supreme Court asking for a stay on this eviction, she said.

Om Shanti Sharma, the woman who wanted to get married to Narendra Modi, wasnt seen at the protest site. Wo to apne maike chali gai (She has gone back to her parents), the alleged rape victim said.

The ones who held on till Monday, are not sure of where to go either. The Gorkhaland protesters, who have been at Jantar Mantar for almost 150 days, said they would take to the streets if they are not given democratic spaces to protest.

The OROP advocates said that though they will continue their protest, they still had not decided the venue.

Some others have come up with interesting solutions.

They will transfer the living to Ramlila Maidan. Where will they take people like me who have been declared dead? The cemetery?... I think I will protest outside the Tihar Jail. A jail bharo andolan. At least there I will get free meals, said Santosh Kumar Singh, who has been fighting to prove that he is alive since 2012.

Till now, many protesters, including Singh, had been going to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib for free meals.

The gaurakshsak from Maharashtra, Santosh Narayan, has been staying at the Hanuman Vatika Mandir near Ramlila Ground, in the hopes that officials may soon relax the charges to use the grounds. If they dont I will have to return home, he said.

Others like Manohar Lal Verma, who alleges that a top conglomerate in the country had looted his factory, has claimed that he would leave India. I had applied for asylum in countries such as Pakistan, UK, USA, China, Saudi Arabia, UAE, etc. Canada has responded. I think I will go there now, he said.

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Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has reinstated Okhla member of legislative assembly (MLA), Amanatullah Khan, who was suspended in May this year after his tirade against partys founder member Kumar Vishwas.

I got a call from senior party leader Ashutosh on Sunday night who informed me that I have been reinstated in the party, Khan said.

Khan had sparked a controversy after the partys poor performance in Delhi municipal polls in April, by accusing Vishwas of being an RSS-BJP agent and plotting a coup in the party. On May 3, 2017, the Political Affairs Committee meeting of the party decided to suspend Khan till further enquiry by a disciplinary committee.

A three-member committee constituted to find why Khan made the allegations against Vishwas, comprised of party leaders, Pankaj Gupta, Atishi Marlena and Ashutosh . He has been reinstated after due process of investigation by the disciplinary committee, said a party spokesperson.

It may have something to do with Rajya Sabha elections in January or the momentum that AAP has generated in Rajasthan, said Vishwas, who is the party incharge in Rajasthan.

Days after the suspension, Manish Sisodia had met Khan at the latters residence, and Khan was made member of six Delhi Assembly committees, set up by the speaker of the house. The move, perhaps, was to placate the Muslim face of the party.
Swipe for reality.

With these three words, Diana Sirokai and Callie Thorpe are sending a powerful message to women: Dont believe everything you see on social media.

UK-based plus-sized models, social media stars and friends, size 16 Sirokai, from London, and size 24 Thorpe, from Wales, recently posted two powerful black-and-white photos on their Instagram accounts -- one edited using Photoshop and the other left untouched - to show just how much of a difference the tool can make and how misleading social media can be.

Photoshop is a magical tool, yet these days its overuse on social media can lead to insecurities. Thorpe and Sirokai decided to bring everyones attention to it by asking a photographer to airbrush all the perceived imperfections out of a photograph of the pair using Photoshop.

And, the stark difference will leave you gobsmacked.

Diana Sirokai and Callie Thorpes bodies are completely different in the edited photo. (Instagram/ dianasirokai)

Its no wonder women are laden with insecurities, Thorpe wrote in her post. For years we have been subjected to perfect airbrushed and often altered images across the media.

Thorpe said she thinks they look perfect just as we are but wanted to show women that its okay to look normal to have cellulite, stretch marks and tummies that arent flat and toned.

She continued that while Photoshop has its place in some industries, it can also be used to the extreme.

Whilst Photoshop has its place and need in some parts of industries this is the extreme when it comes to editing, Thorpe wrote on her instagram post with the pictures.

It just goes to show how much we can really alter ourselves, she added.

Many followers have praised the women on Instagram, suggesting they look better in the unedited image. (Instagram/ dianasirokai)

Sirokai echoed similar sentiments under her Instagram post, captioning the before and after shots: Myself and @calliethorpe have asked our photographer @photo_karizza to use photoshop on us. I have to say we look Amazing both ways. The purpose of this was to show you all how magazines and the media takes editing to a different level. Models and celebrities do not even look like theirselves. We live in such a fake world its time to bring real back. Own who you are and slay ! #AConfidentYou.

A post shared by Callie Thorpe (@calliethorpe) on Oct 27, 2017 at 1:45pm PDT

And really, whats not to love about their message? Society has set too many unrealistic standards for women - and well take any opportunity to knock those down.

Together the women have almost 7,00,000 Instagram followers, some of whom were shocked at the difference between the two images. How did they even do this? Im shocked, one person wrote.

A post shared by D I A N A S I R O K A I (@dianasirokai) on Oct 28, 2017 at 2:17pm PDT

However, others praised the women, suggesting they look better in the unedited image.

I think yall are way more beautiful without the photoshop, yall are straight goddesses, wrote one follower. I much prefer you with those wonderful curves, wrote another.

Actually, you look incredible in the original one.

A post shared by D I A N A S I R O K A I (@dianasirokai) on Sep 14, 2017 at 2:02pm PDT

This was not the first time the ladies spread a body positivity message. In September, Sirokai shared an image of her body next to Kim Kardashian with an empowering note, We are both women with different bodies.

Her message? Everyone should love themselves; and thats something that everyone can get behind.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more
Leader of opposition in the Haryana assembly Abhay Chautala on Tuesday accused the Manohar Lal Khattar led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of causing water and power crises in Gurgaon and across the state.

Briefing the media in Gurgaon on Tuesday, the senior Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader said the government has failed to deliver on its promises in the past three years.

Chautala said, The Haryana government purchases electricity at 44 paisa per unit and sells it to end users at Rs 8 to 9 per unit. Yet, the electricity supply is pathetic. The city (Gurgaon) reels under shortage and voltage fluctuations all the time. There is corruption in the (power) department. In spite of filtering out corrupt officials, the government and officials are harassing innocent consumers.

The state assembly election is two years away and it is speculated that the INLD leader has set the ball rolling to gain power in the state.

In the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) elections in September 2017, the INLD managed to get just one of 35 seats.

In the state assembly elections 2014, the INLD won 19 of 90 seats in Haryana, four ahead of Congress.

Gurgaon generates maximum revenue but residents here are crying foul round the year for uninterrupted water and electricity supply. The CM announced twice that Gurgaon will get 24x7 electricity supply. But this is a blatant lie. Similarly, the government has failed to provide adequate water to the city. We will reveal all scams this government is part of in the time to come, the leader of opposition said.

This is Chautalas first media briefing after the partys defeat in the MCG election.

Chautala accused the government of spending Rs 1,700 crore on advertisement in the run-up to the Swarn Jayanti celebrations and called the entire programme a big scam.

Replying to Chautalas allegations, PWD minister and Badshahpur MLA Rao Narbir Singh said, The INLD ruined the state during its tenure and now they are desperate after a humiliating defeat in the MCG elections.

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The city mayor and her deputies will be elected on Friday, more than a month after the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) election was held on September 24.

A meeting to administer the oath to all councillors will take place at John Hall in Civil Lines at 11am and the mayor and her deputies will also be elected, said D Suresh, divisional commissioner.

A letter in this regard was issued to all councillors from the divisional commissioners office on Tuesday.

The newly elected councillors and members of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the party has a full majority in the 35-member house. The BJP has 26 councillors on its side.

The divisional commissioner will administer the oath to all councillors. Once the mayor is elected, she will then chair the meeting of all councillors at 12pm in which the senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor will be elected, Suresh said.

The mayor post is reserved for woman from scheduled caste category.

The Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, stipulates that within 30 days of the election result, the divisional commissioner has to call for a house meeting to elect the mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor.

Haryana BJP state general secretary Sandeep Joshi said, On November 3, the mayor will be elected. The entire state machinery was busy in the Swarn Jayanti celebrations that is concluding in Hisar and in next three days, the party will decide all three names.

Four names for the mayor seat  Madhu Azad, Sheetal Bagri, Mithilesh and Rajni Sahni  are making the rounds. Azad is the strongest contender as she contested on the party ticket and is backed by a senior party leader who is also in the Union government.

For the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor, the BJP is finding it tough to choose councillors from Ahirwals and Punjabis.

BJP won 14 seats in the MCG elections but later 12 independent councillors joined the party taking the partys total tally to 26.

Names are not decided yet for the mayor and deputies. The party will announce it on November 3, said Rao Narbir Singh, Haryana PWD minister, adding that the party would choose suitable candidates.

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The Pakistani Army fired from small arms along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch district on Tuesday, in which a teenage girl was injured.

The girl, identified as 13-year-old Gulnaz, was admitted to a district hospital.

There was ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops today (Tuesday) along the LoC in Karmara belt of Poonch, a police officer told PTI.

On October 26, Pakistani troops fired using small and heavy weapons at Sher Shakti and Mandhar areas of Kerni sector. On October 18, eight civilians, including a two-year-old child, were injured in heavy shelling by Pakistani troops in the district.
At the end of its three-day national convention in Bhopal on Sunday, Bajrang Dal blamed the government for failing to bring in a central law to protect cows and vilifying Hindutva groups who revere the bovine.

The Bajrang Dal, the youth wing of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and a part of the extended Sangh Parivar, passed three resolutions, which included one on commitment to cow protection.

These reminders from the Bajrang Dal about a cow protection law, the need to hasten the construction of a Ram Temple at Ayodhya, the call for scrapping Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and the reiteration of all Indians being Hindus, are messages to the government to stay the course and consolidate the majority vote.

This comes even as the issue of cow protection has resurfaced in Gujarat, where the memory of the flogging of seven Dalits by alleged gau rakshaks (cow vigilantes) in Una for skinning a dead cow is alive. The incident led to a coalition of Dalit protests, which continues to thwart the Bharatiya Janata Partys outreach to the community and threatens its electoral performance.

While the BJP governments in Gujarat and at the Centre would appear keen to side-step the contentious issue, outfits such as the Bajrang Dal seem unwilling to tone down their rhetoric.

If the gau rakshaks have taken to the streets, it is the because of the governments failure. There is no central law; every year gau rakshaks and even security forces are attacked by cow smugglers. There may have been 16 -17 incidents of attacks by gau rakshaks, but we have a list of over 140 attacks on them, said the international joint general secretary of the VHP, Surendra Jain.

The issue of cow protection is also not just a demand for a law that bans all bovine slaughter; it is an indication of simmering discontent and a power tussle within the Sangh Parivar.

The Bajrang Dal and other outfits, which claim credit for helping the BJP win the 2014 Lok Sabha election, are making themselves heard and are not willing to remain on the sidelines. They want a bigger say in the decision-making process and do not want the BJP to lose focus on the issues they support.

Its been more than a year since Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at the cow vigilantes for attacking people suspected of either consuming or transporting cow meat. Amid a crescendo of protests against such killings, the Prime Minister, without masking his disapproval, dubbed the vigilantes as criminals.

The statement that set off a furore, uncovering the fractures within the Parivar over issues as volatile as beef ban continues to chafe the Hindutva groups. Led by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the BJPs ideological fount, they parsed the PMs statement and promptly came up with a distinction between their pious cow protectors and criminals.

It is unfair to link the cow protectors or entire activity of cow protection with violent incidences or communal feelings without knowing the facts or by neglecting the facts, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said in his annual Dussehra speech in September.

While both the BJP and RSS affiliates seem to agree that cow protection cannot be vigilantism, the points of divergence are hard to miss.

The RSS affiliates want a complete ban on slaughter and export of bovine meat; consequently, the BJP has to contend with the Sanghs demand on the one hand and protecting citizens rights on the other hand.

By bringing up the demand for cow protection and investigating the so-called love jihad, groups such as the VHP and Bajrang Dal are catering to the Hindu vote bank that they assert will be the prime force to bring the BJP back to power in 2019.

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Police in Uttar Pradesh registered an FIR on Tuesday against nine people, including a BJP legislator, in connection with the killing of a man over panchayat poll rivalry, following which three persons were arrested.

BJPs Badaut MLA Krishnapal Malik has been charged with conspiracy to murder even as he termed it an effort to malign his political image.

Police said that on Sunday, a man named Amit (30) was killed in an attack by his relative and former gram pradhan Ramvir in Hilwadi village in Baghpat.

The two were rivals in the last gram pradhan elections. Five others were also injured in the incident that took place in an area under Badaut Kotwali police station, they said.

Rubbishing the allegations, Malik said he has been framed to malign his image and that he was ready for any probe.

An impartial inquiry would be conducted and action will be taken against those found involved in the crime, superintendent of police Jaiprakash said.
The Union home ministry has liberalised the Arms Rules to encourage investment in the manufacturing of arms, ammunition and weapon systems in the country, a move that will likely boost the Centres Make in India initiative.

The liberalised rules will promote employment generation in the field of manufacturing of arms and ammunition, according to an official statement on Monday.

Under the new rules, the licence granted for manufacturing will be valid for the life-time of the licensee company.

The requirement of renewal of the licence every five years has been done away with.

Similarly, the condition that small arms and light weapons produced by a manufacturer should be sold to the central government or the state governments with the prior approval of the home ministry has been done away with.

The liberalised rules will apply to licences granted by the home ministry for small arms and ammunition, and those granted by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), under powers delegated to it, for tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, defence aircraft, space crafts, warships of all kinds, arms and ammunition and allied items of defence equipment other than small arms.

The new rules, which came into effect on October 27, are expected to encourage the manufacturing activity and facilitate availability of world-class weapons to meet the requirement of armed forces and police forces in sync with the countrys defence indigenisation programme.

Under the new rules, enhancement of capacity up to 15% of the quantity approved under the licence will not require any further approval by the government. The manufacturer will be required to give only prior intimation to the authority, the statement said.

The licence fee has been reduced significantly. Earlier the licence fee was Rs 500 per firearm which added up to very large sums and was a deterrent to seeking manufacturing licenses. The licence fee will now range from Rs 5,000 to the maximum of Rs 50,000.

The fee for manufacturing licence will be payable at the time of the grant of license rather than at the time of application.

Single manufacturing licence will be allowed for a multi-unit facility within the same state or in different states within the country, the statement said.
More than a month after Union home minister Rajnath Singh announced that the home secretary would convene a tripartite meeting on Gorkhaland to discuss all related issues within a fortnight, it remains elusive.

The meeting would be convened soon. Earlier the state government was opposed to the idea of tripartite meeting, was all that Darjeeling MP S S Ahluwalia would tell HT on the phone Monday from New Delhi.

While the MP could not indicate when the meeting would take place, the West Bengal government insists that it is the Centres prerogative to call the tripartite conference.

The tripartite meeting is a subject of the Centre but the bilateral meeting between the state government and hill parties will be held on November 21 in Siliguri, Bengals tourism minister Goutam Deb told HT. Deb is also the Trinamool Congress president of Darjeeling district (plains).

Ahluwalia won from Darjeeling on a BJP ticket in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections due to the support of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), a BJP ally.

The GJM and other parties of the north Bengal hills such as Gorkha National Liberation Front, Jan Andolan Party, All India Gorkha League have demanding a tripartite meeting to address the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland. Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had ruled out another division of the state.

On September 26, GJM chief Bimal Gurung had called off the indefinite shutdown in the hills after 104 days following Rajnaths appeal and the assurance of a tripartite meeting.

Read more: Bengal police staged encounter, planted AK47s to frame me:Bimal Gurung

I have asked the home secretary to convene an official level meeting in the home ministry within a fortnight to discuss all related issues. I also appeal to the GJM and its leader Bimal Gurung to withdraw the ongoing bandh and to help create a conducive atmosphere for allowing normalcy to return to the area, particularly in view of the festive season, Singh had said in his statement on September 26.

Gurung has been absconding for a long time after the Bengal police slapped charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against him and a few of his comrades.

Over the past few days, he has claimed through audio messages from his hideout that he would appear before his supporters on October 30. Despite being on the run with the police hot on his heels and the state government propping up a rival faction of the GJM led by Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa, Gurung still seems to have some support among the hill people. Tamang and Thapa were expelled from the party on September 1 for alleged anti-party activities.

As the Centre is about to fix the date for the tripartite talks, Bimal Gurung would not come out in the public soon. It would give the state government an opportunity to jeopardise the upcoming talks, GJM general secretary Roshan Giri, who is also facing UA(P)A charges and is in hiding, said in a statement.

Sources said the Centre is still waiting for the state governments nod before announcing the date for tripartite.

Tamang who was appointed as the chairman of the board of administrators in the semi-autonomous Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) by the state government after his expulsion by the Bimal Gurung faction, also insists the ball in is the Centres court.

Gurung is hiding not for the cause of Gorkhaland but out of fear of arrest. The Centre has not taken any initiative to call a tripartite meeting, said Tamang.

In his audio clips, Gurung has accused Tamang of betraying the cause of Gorkhaland and for working as an agent of the state government. Tamang, who is also facing many charges, said We are not against the cause of Gorkhaland but are against the undemocratic way of functioning of Gurung.

A total of 13 people have died so far in the north Bengal hills as the agitation for Gorkhaland turned violent from June.

Incidentally, there had been a series of tripartite meetings on Darjeeling that culminated in the creation of the semi-autonomous GTA in 2011. Subsequently, the hill parties alleged that the state government was encroaching upon the autonomy of GTA and that full statehood was the only solution to the problem.

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As the campaign for Himachal Pradesh heats up, the use of helicopters by political leaders has reached new heights.

The campaign window for the polls which will take place on November 9,was cut short by nearly 12 days as model code of conduct(MCC) kicked in on October 13.

This meant parties had to scramble their leaders to various parts of the state for rallies, campaign activities and public meetings.

It had become difficult to traverse from one end (of the state) to others for our leaders, said BJPs Sandeepani Bhardwaj, who is responsible for arranging choppers for the partys leaders.

We have hired three helicopters from a private company in Delhi and if need be, we will engage more, he told HT .

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah are the main campaigners for the BJP.

The saffron party, which is vying for a comeback in the state, is also relying on former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and Union health minister Jagat Prakash Nadda .

All four of these leaders are being flown to different parts of the state.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath also used a chopper when he visited the state earlier this month.

On the Congress side, chief minister Virbhadra Singh has become a frequent flyer.

On Monday, he flew to Seraj tehsil to attend a rally to support Congress candidate Chet Ram Thakur, a loyalist of his.

He travels both by road and chopper said a member of the CMs staff, not authorised to speak with the media.

Several sources said, besides the cutting the travel time of leaders, choppers also help political parties to pull crowd in the rural areas.

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BJP national president Amit Shah on Monday asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi to clarify partys stand on separatists in Kashmir and illegal migration of Rohingyas, who are posing a threat to national security.

The Congress leaders are supporting those who are raising slogans in favour of Kashmirs independence, Shah said at a public rally in Banikhet in Chamba district of the poll-bound Himachal Pradesh.

Asking the electorates whether they were with those who are raising slogans for freedom, the BJP President, who started his five-day tour of the state on Monday, said thousands of brave soldiers belonging to this hill state had sacrificed their lives for the cause of Kashmir.

Taking a dig at the Congress over its leader P Chidambarams autonomy-for-Jammu-and-Kashmir remark, Shah said: Its Chidambaram who wrote a letter to the Prime Minister asking him to allow the Rohingya intruders to come as they are facing tortures.

Why they should be allowed when the government of India is saying they are a security threat, he asked.

Rahulji and Soniaji should come here and give reply on the issue. Himachal people and Gujarat people should ask them what is the Congress stand on the issue of Rohingyas. And what is the stand of the Congress on raising freedom slogans, he said.

When in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) slogans like Bharat Tere Tukade Hazar Honge (India, you will become a thousand pieces) were raised, Rahul baba went there to express solidarity with them.

Shah, who later addressed a public meeting in Jawali in Kangra district, said the Congress only promoted corruption, with scams worth Rs 12 lakh-thousand crore taking place in the previous UPA (United Progressive Alliance) regime.

In the last three years not even a single scam has come to the light, he said.

Shah accused state Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh of corruption and ruining the state.

The Congress regime (in the state) had only performed ground-breaking ceremonies and the day never come to inaugurate them (projects), he added.

Elections to the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly will be held on November 9 and the votes counted on December 18, coinciding with the polls in Gujarat.

--IANS

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Launching a scathing attack on the Virbhadra Singh-led government, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said on Monday that mafia was an Italian word and it fits the Congress regime in Himachal.

Yogi Adityanath, who was at Nagrota Bagwan assembly segment to address the rally in favour of BJP candidate Arun Mehra, who is pitted against four-time legislator and minister GS Bali.

The UP chief minister said that had there been a BJP government in Himachal, the state would have scaled new heights on the developmental front.

The current Congress regime in Himachal was neck deep in corruption while the mining mafia, forest mafia and drug mafia are ruling the roosts, alleged Yogi. He said the Congress government in Himachal has spoilt the young generation by promoting the drug mafia.

Similarly at the national-level, the corrupt UPA rule hollowed out the country with scams, the head priest of Gorkhnath Math said.

Yogi further said the current government at the Centre which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has built a reputation of India as a powerful country in just three years of rule. India has developed cordial diplomatic relations with most countries of the world under Modi rule, said Yogi. Accusing the Congress regime of failing to utilise the central grants, Yogi said, PM Modi-led government launched various welfare schemes in three years but Himachal government did not implement them.
A dry Bihar is a desperate Bihar, willing to risk life for a daily fix of liquor.

The death of four people in the states Rohtas district on Saturday after drinking illicit alcohol, once again highlights the challenge the Nitish Kumar government faces in stemming the flow of liquor. The sale of was first banned on April 1, 2016 and the government enforced a fresh law on October 2 that year after the Patna high court struck down the previous version.

Eighteen months, 90,000 arrests, 77,000 FIRs and nearly 500,000 raids later, Bihar is far from liquor-free. For the record, 95% of the arrested people are out on bail.

The Rohtas hooch tragedy is the second since the ban on sale and consumption of liquor kicked in. Eighteen people had died in Gopalganj in August 2016.

The two tragedies have blown the lid off the parallel economy that thrives in a state where smuggling of foreign and India-made liquor is rampant. Seizure of truckloads of alcohol is reported regularly in the media.

When Kumar banned liquor in Bihar he was fulfilling a poll promise he made to women, who have believed to have voted for him in large numbers.

Since then he has changed political partners but remains steadfast in his support to the liquor ban.

Kumar has dismissed criticism as the whim of an elitist and urban mind and often cites Mahatma Gandhis statement that drinking is more a disease than a vice.

The disease has Bihar in its grip and every day innovative ways are being found to get around the ban, called draconian by critics, which included the BJP but that was before Kumar joined hands with it.

The 2016 prohibition act makes drinking or even possessing liquor a bigger offence than several heinous crimes.

In the initial days of the ban, several bridegrooms enjoying a drink found themselves in jails instead of marriage halls. Lawmakers, soldiers  even those just passing through Bihar  doctors, businessmen, policemen and teachers, all got a taste of the prohibition law.

Former ally and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad says prohibition is a big failure.

Liquor is home delivered. Those who can afford it, get it at their doorsteps. Those who cant turn to spurious liquor, he said on Sunday.

Bihar home secretary Amir Subhani, who is in charge of the department of excise and prohibition, told HT that police and excise officials were going after those flouting the ban.

We are trying our best but criminals will always try to commit a crime. Our job is to catch them, he said, denying liquor smuggling had gone up.

Innovative ways

When there is demand, there is supply. And bootleggers are coming up with new tricks to keep the booze flowing. It is worth the money  a liquor bottle command three to four times the price it costs in the neighbouring states.

Chassis of scooters, leather padding in cars and covers of spare wheels  liquor bottles have been recovered from everywhere.

Police have also confiscated white alcohol-filled jerrycans from trains. These are usually used for carrying water from the Ganga considered holy by Hindus.

Liquor has been found inside cooking gas cylinders with a specially designed detachable base or hidden in trucks along with grocery items.

There are specially designed boxes attached to a trucks underbelly to carry liquor. We found liquor in refrigerator consignments. Bottles were hidden in shelves inside the packages, said a police officer.

Bootleggers have even hidden liquor stocks in ponds, wells, ditches and even toilets, he said. The contraband is shipped in parcel vans of trains, including the premier Rajdhani Express.

It has also been found that dumping of liquor stocks is often done in Maoist-affected or disturbed areas, which also points to connivance of extremists, said another police officer.

Home delivery

Liquor is readily available, provided you are willing to pay a price.

It is delivered right at the doorstep by unsuspecting kids and women, who are paid Rs 300-400 an assignment for the risk involved, said a Patna-based man, a regular of the home-delivery facility.

Last month, a boy was shot at and wounded in Begusarai district when he refused to carry liquor bottles.

In some towns, chemists take orders, but only from trusted clients. Dawai milega (Is the medicine available)? is the code, which keeps changing to stay ahead of the authorities.

First, the home address is confirmed. Then the delivery is made so that there is minimum risk and no trap. No stranger is entertained, said another buyer, adding there is no bargaining.

Patna senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaj confirmed the use of couriers, mostly young boys from poor families. We must have nabbed around 100 school and college-going students, who were found carrying liquor bottles in bags, he said.

Thousands arrested

While more than 90,000 people have been arrested, police and excise officials continue to seize consignments coming from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Haryana and West Bengal.

Nobody has data about how much liquor sneaks into the state. Anything that comes to our knowledge is acted upon, home secretary Subhani said.

During a review on the first anniversary of the prohibition, the chief minister admitted stopping the smuggling from other states was a challenge and asked officials to get tough.

Police as well as excise officials are vigilant, but some habitual offenders dont give up. We are now targeting the big fish, a senior officer said, citing the provisions about confiscation of seized property and capital punishment in case of deaths from hooch.

Police acted against its own men to make prohibition a success. Twenty-three policemen were sacked and 220 suspended for dereliction of duty, additional director general of police (headquarters) SK Singhal said.

Easy bail

The law is strict and punishment harsh but getting bail is not difficult.

More than 90,000 people were arrested in 18 months but barely 3,500 people are in jail.

While the capacity of all prisons in Bihar is 38,000, the number of all inmates is just around 30,000. So, those in jail for violation of the prohibition law may come to around 10% of the total, inspector general (prisons) Anand Kishore said.

Courts are overworked and taking on the additional load of prohibition cases is not easy.

To tell you frankly, the law is non-implementable, senior advocate Vinod Kanth said. Slapping all kinds of charges under the Indian Penal Code and the excise act for carrying a bottle or downing a few pegs was strange, he said.

According to a judicial officer, the government set up special courts in each district for cases related to the liquor ban, but it isnt effective. They have to see regular trials as well as prohibition cases, which makes it difficult, he said.

A senior police officer admitted that the rate of conviction was very poor, as arresting people for possessing liquor was easy but proving it difficult.

Another officer said district police chiefs had set recovery and arrest targets for police stations along national highways, which lead to highhandedness.

In May, seven excise department officials were sacked for extorting money from a Punjab-based businessman, Satnam Singh.

Social analyst Shaibal Gupta says Kumars caste and class neutral agenda might help him politically but it was the social advantage of prohibition that was at the root of the ban.

Kumar says the poor who used to fritter away hard-earned money on liquor were now spending it on childrens education and family.

But the Rohtas tragedy is a rude reminder that Bihar is far from kicking the bottle.
The Swiss couple who were attacked at Fatehpur Sikri earlier this month have been offered a free two-night stay at a five-star hotel in the national capital as a token of concern by tourism minister K J Alphons.

In a letter to the couple, Alphons offered to put them up at the government-run ITDC hotel, The Ashok, after they recovered from their injuries.

He said Marie Droze and Quentin Jeremy Clerc, can choose to stay at the hotel on the dates of their choice.

Trust you are recovering fast and would be on your way home soon. As a token of our concern, we would like to offer you a room at our luxury hotel, The Ashok, at Chankyapuri, New Delhi for two nights on the dates of your choice. All expenses at the hotel, including food and beverages, would be covered, he said in the letter.

The minister had earlier written to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the issue and also visited the couple, who are currently recovering at Apollo Hospital, Delhi, assuring them of help.

On October 22, the couple from Lausanne in Switzerland, were chased and attacked with stones and sticks by a group of four youths in the tourist town of Fatehpur Sikri, about 40 km from Agra, according to media accounts of the incident.

They later told the media that as they lay on the ground bloodied and bruised, bystanders began making videos of them on their mobile phones.
India and Georgian authorities held a slew of diplomatic exchanges, after 200 Indian travellers with e-visa were sent back from the country in the past six months.

The Georgian authorities, who admitted to having problems in their system, said they would review it. It also suggested that Indians should opt for normal visa till the problem of e-visa is resolved. Though no centralised data is available, various estimates put the number of those sent back from Georgia in the past six months at 200.

Georgia issued 29,000 visas to Indian nationals between January and June this year, out of which around 590 people were denied entry into the country, the Georgian authorities informed its Indian counterpart.

We are told that out of 590 people who were denied entry, many of them held e-visas. The Georgian authorities said there are issues with their e-visa system. They also said they are reviewing it. Till then, they have suggested Indian nationals to opt for normal visa, said an official who is familiar with the conversation between the two countries on the issue. The Georgian authorities also said that in certain cases, people were sent back because of improper documentation.

Indian embassy in Armenia, which oversees Georgia, took up the matter with the foreign office of the country and the external affairs ministry also spoke with the embassy of the East European country. I will contact the Ministry of foreign affairs of Georgia as we (the embassy) dont handle e-visas, Georgian ambassador to India Archil Dzuliashvili told this newspaper.

Many travellers who were sent back complained to the external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and ministry officials besides airing their grievances on the social media. Khushbu Kaushal, an advertising professional from Mumbai, who was sent back from Tbilisi took to Facebook to share her harrowing experience in the country.

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The Madras high court on Tuesday allowed a woman to file her income tax returns without quoting Aadhaar number or Aadhaar enrolment number.

Justice TS Sivagnanam passed the interim order on a plea by Preethi Mohan.

She had moved the court relying upon a Supreme Court decision in Binoy Viswam Vs Union of India case, in which it had imposed a partial stay on the operation of Section 139AA of the Income Tax Act, which mandates linkage of Aadhaar with I-T returns.

The counsel for the woman contended that the directions issued by the apex court in the case make it clear that Aadhaar scheme was always meant to be voluntary.

But despite a partial stay imposed by the apex court, the Income Tax department is acting in a manner directly opposed to the court order and are demanding linkage of Aadhaar, the counsel submitted.

The petitioner also referred to similar petitions allowed by the Kerala High Court permitting people to file returns without quoting Aadhaar number or enrolment number.

Recording the submissions, the judge said, I am inclined to grant a similar relief, since today being the last day for filing income tax returns. If the returns are filed belatedly and if ultimately, the matter is decided by the Constitution Bench of Supreme Court against the petitioner, then she may be liable to pay interest for belated payment of tax.

Accordingly, there will be an interim direction to the Income Tax department to permit the petitioner to file her returns for the assessment year 2017-18 either manually or through appropriate e-filing facility without insisting for Aadhaar number, the judge said and posted the matter to December 18 for the I-T department to file its counter- affidavit.
Rains eased in Chennai on Tuesday but the Tamil Nadu capital saw traffic snarls amid waterlogging and flooding of low-lying areas after heavy showers lashed different parts of the city and coastal areas of the southern state on Monday.

Authorities closed schools and colleges in Chennai and adjoining areas of Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur as a precautionary measure. Power outages were reported from different parts of Chennai amid a drizzle and light rain scattered across Indias fourth most populous city on Tuesday morning.

Reports said a 38-year-old man was killed in Thinnaiyoor near Thanjavur districts Orathanadu after the mud wall of his hut collapsed due to the heavy rains on Monday. Two men were struck by lightning in Ankaputhur, a suburb of Chennai.

In some parts of the city, like Chembakkaam in Tambaram locality, water logging up to two feet was reported after the overnight rain making it difficult for motorists to negotiate the roads. Subways at Vyasarpadi in north Chennai were flooded and people faced difficulty in reaching the railway station.

Heavy waterlogging was also reported in Anna Nagar, Vadapalani, West Mambalam, T Nagar, Ashok Nagar junction, Nandanam, Mogappair, Ambattur, Perambur, Mudichur, and Perangalathur. These areas faced severe problem in 2015 when Chennai was flooded for three days.

More heavy rainfall is predicted for today, said S Balachander, director of Area Cyclone Warning Centre of the Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai.

School students run along a street under monsoon rains in Chennai on Monday. (AFP)

Weather officials have predicted heavy to very heavy showers in the next three days in Chennai and its neighbourhood. The met office has also issued a warning of heavy to very heavy rain across the coastal Tamil Nadu till Friday.

The city administration has requested help from National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and kept nine rescue teams on standby.

A mix of flood waters and neck-deep sewage swelled in Chennai after weeks of monsoon rains resulted in a cloudburst in November-December 2015. The floods claimed the lives of 270 people in Chennai.

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A photo of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar in company of a hooch tragedy accused has spelt trouble for him with the opposition targeting him over his dual stand on total prohibition.

Rakesh Singh, who posted his selfie with Kumar on social media after his meeting with the chief minister on Sunday, is a named accused in the hooch tragedy which killed 29 people in Nawada police station area of Ara in Bihars Bhojpur district on December 30, 2012 and also a block president of the Kumar-led Janata Dal (United).

In a knee jerk reaction, an embarrassed JD (U) removed Rakesh Singh from the party.

He (Rakesh Singh) is an elected president of the partys Udwantnagar block unit in Bhojpur district. But we were not aware about the case against him. We have removed him from the party and will be alert in future that such elements do not join the party, said JD (U) state president Bashistha Narain Singh.

Kumar also said that the party had no inkling of Rakesh Singhs involvement in the hooch tragedy.The JD (U) is committed to prohibition and we are not going to compromise on the issue, the chief minister (CM) added.

The RJD was quick to react on the issue. Former deputy chief minister and Lalu Prasads son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav said the selfie showed double standards of Kumar on liquor ban.

The state government is already under attack following the death of four persons on October 27 after consuming spurious liquor in Rohtas district of west Bihar. Twelve police personnel and two excise officials have been suspended after the hooch deaths.

A complete ban on sale and consumption of alcohol was imposed in the state in April last year.

The CMs meeting with Rakesh Singh took place when he accompanied former school principal Harindra Kumar Singh, whom Kumar felicitated for returning Rs 4 lakh he had received as dowry for his sons marriage from the prospective brides family. Kumar welcomed the retired principal at his official residence with a warm hug for promoting the states anti-dowry campaign.

Harindra Kumar Singh, a native of Bhojpur, shot into prominence after HT carried an account of how he made up his mind to return the money received from the brides family to make arrangements for his younger son Prem Ranjan Singhs wedding, slated for December 3.

Harindra Kumar Singh and his family members were inspired by the CMs call on October 4 at Ara to shun the practice of dowry and decided to take the bold step of returning the cash on October 10.

The JD (U) block president was known to the school principals family and accompanied him to the CMs house.

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Kalawati Bai wore a pink saree and carried her slate and chalk to school as she began her lessons formally.

Bai wants to fulfil her dream of getting an education and along with her friends, she can already write her name. They go to a government upper primary school but with a difference: The students here are all above 40 years of age.

Bai and her friends have enrolled at the Matri Gyan Kendra, a school for grandmothers in Kachnawada village in Sangod region of Rajasthans Kota district.

I could not pursue an education in my childhood due to poverty and lack of awareness for education. But now when the authorities of Matri Gyan Kendra approached me, I decided to fulfil my childhood dream... the 50-year-old said.

I am studying so that I can learn to sign and write my name instead of giving thumb impression for drawing money from banks and also benefit from government schemes, she added.

The Matri Gyan Kendra is a brainchild of the member of Parliament from Kota Om Birla and Chambal Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited (CFCL). The centre was officially launched on Monday evening.

Married women learning to write at Matri Gyan Kendra in Kota. (HT Photo)

I conducted a survey of education among rural women and found that a large number of them were illiterate so we decided to start these kendras in the rural areas, Birla said.

... a literate woman can persuade the children in the family for literacy in a more effective manner so the education of elderly women is also necessary to ensure the goal of complete literacy in the society, he said.

Indias literacy rate grew to 74% in the decade to 2011, according to the latest census, but female literacy continued to lag - about 65% of women were found to be literate, compared with 82% of men.

Experts say outdated attitudes toward women, including a preference for male children, and child marriages as the main reasons for the lower female literacy rate in India.

Birla said four more such centres will be opened in government schools in the district.

Their teacher Annu Kewat said the classes began two months ago and are held in the evening from 4.30pm to 6.30pm so that they dont disturb the regular classes at the school.

Women above 40 attending class to receive formal education in Kotas Matri Gyan Kendra.

CFCLs corporate social responsibility manager Vikas Bhati said that the women will get a uniform, stationery, and other facilities from the companys CSR fund.

Sixty-year-old Kranti Bai said her family members, including her children, have been to a school.

I was the only one in the family without education so I hope to get educated through the centre.

A similar school, Aajibaichi Shala, is run in Thane district of Maharashtra where the grannies learn to write, read and multiply in Marathi. The school was opened on March 8, 2016, Womens Day.
Establishment of the park dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Armenian Army in Artsakh

On October 27-29, more than 90 students of Yerevan State University visited the Republic of Artsakh. The visit is dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Armenian Army. During the visit by the Youth Foundation of Armenia (YFA), YSU Rectorate, Student Affairs Center, Leonid Azgaldyan Military Training Club, Student Councils, students were in liberated territories. Coordinator of the Youth Foundation of Armenia, MP Karen Avagyan assured: Many of the students have not been in Artsakh. So, we solve that problem. Our young people should recognize Artsakh. The other problem that is being solved during our program is to be next to young people who keep our borders at least a short time, making them more exciting. Mr. Avagyan mentioned that such programs are implemented with all universities: Medical and Economic Universities, Polytechnic university, National University of Architecture and Construction. Vahagn Varagyan, Director of YSU Center for Student Affairs, noted that these visits are very important for the students as they become more patriotic. In Shahumyan region, students established a park dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the formation of the Armenian Army. Moreover, a few years ago, the park named after Tatul Krpeyan, founded by university students, was completely destroyed by fire. But according to Gurgen Melikyan, it will definitely be restored thanks to students.
India set the ball rolling for buying 111 naval utility helicopters (NUHs) on Tuesday, with the defence ministry giving its stamp of approval for a Rs 21,738-crore programme to replace the Navys outdated fleet of French-designed Chetak choppers.

The governments defence acquisition council (DAC), headed by defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, gave its go-ahead to the project at a time when the Navy is struggling to bridge capability gaps, and a majority of its 140 warships are operating without utility helicopters.

With the DAC according its acceptance of necessity (AoN) to the critical project, the government has moved a step closer to releasing a global tender for the five-tonne class helicopters. US, European and Russian rivals are expected to compete for the lucrative deal by stitching up alliances with Indian firms under the governments strategic partnership model.

A South Block source said 16 of the choppers would be bought in flyaway condition from a foreign military contractor, and the remaining 95 will be built here in partnership with an Indian firm.

Even under the Make in India plan, the countrys arms procurement rules allow for direct purchase of weapons and systems from the foreign vendor in keeping with the strategic partnership policy. It stipulates that a minimum number of platforms, not exceeding 10-15% of the units being procured, may be manufactured on the premises of the original equipment manufacturer.

Such choppers are used for several purposes, including search and rescue operations, medical evacuation, communication duties, anti-piracy and anti-terrorism operations, humanitarian assistance, surveillance and targeting.

The Navy had released two requests for information (RFIs) for 123 naval multi-role helicopters (NMRHs) and 111 NUHs this August. The multi-billion dollar NMRH programme to replace obsolete Westland Sea King helicopters is yet to come up for DAC approval.

The August RFI said that the NUHs being bought in flyaway condition should be supplied within five years of the contract being signed, and the remaining between five and 13 years of the contract under the make category (built in India).

The twin-engine helicopter, meant to be flown by two pilots, will have wheeled landing gear and blade-fold capability. India wants the choppers built in the country to have 40% indigenous content.

A few basic helicopters may be initially delivered to meet the Navys immediate training and search-and-rescue needs. They will be later upgraded to fulfil all requirements.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Tuesday that the Indian Army would help in building the foot over bridge at the Elphinstone station that collapsed on September 29, leaving 23 people dead.

Fadnavis was visiting the Elphinstone Road station with railway minister Piyush Goyal and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The new bridge will be constructed by the militarys engineering wing, and will be ready for use by end of February 2018.

Railway minister Piyush Goyal thanked defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman for responding to the call for help.

#MumbaiThanksArmy for coming to the aid of the Nation. Grateful to RM @nsitharaman for immediately responding to our call for help  Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) October 31, 2017

Sitharaman said, This is probably the first time we have asked the Army to come in to build what could otherwise be called a civil work, but Elphinstone tragedy was so big.

A call was taken to cooperate seeing the urgency of the matter as the Army has its role at the borders. The Army has come and seen, inspected and assessed where the bridge is going to be built, they will be there at every stage of the work, she said.

The bridges will be built with the Armys help at Elphinstone Road, Currey Road and Ambivili stations, Fadnavis said.

Twitter has seen a sharp reaction to this move, with opposition leaders, citizens as well as a retired Indian Army general criticising it. Users on social media have questioned the governments decision to bring in the army to rebuild the bridge, saying it implied a failure of state and civic agencies.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah tweeted, The army was to be a measure of last resort to be called upon in extreme emergency. Now it seems like its the 1st number on the speed dial.

The @adgpi job is to train for war, not to be used for civilian works @nsitharaman ji. Dont divert defence resources to civilian jobs(1/2).  Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) October 31, 2017

China digs 1100-km tunnel to divert Brahmaputra. Our PM inaugurates flyovers, 2 ministers call Army to build Elphinstone pedestrian bridge  Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) October 31, 2017

Calling Army to make a bridge in Mumbai underlines failure of Corrupt #ShivSenaBJP ruled #BMC.Hope army wl not b asked to fill potholes here https://t.co/BKj5nwoCBH  Sanjay Nirupam (@sanjaynirupam) October 31, 2017

1/2 Learnt Army engrs will be building footbridge at Elphinstone stn.With current hostile civ mil relationship bound to generate controversy  Syed Ata Hasnain (@atahasnain53) October 31, 2017

If the #Elphinstone tragedy is so big it requires the army, we'd better get something a lot bigger than the army for the tragedy of war. https://t.co/ZkpUKcqUlH  Mitali Saran (@mitalisaran) October 31, 2017

Wake up gov officers and do some work for salary you are taking, army have lot of other things to handle #elphinstone  Aniket Joshi (@Aniket19Joshi) October 31, 2017

Mumbai CM @Dev_Fadnavis @PiyushGoyal @nsitharaman how can you divert construction work to Indian Army? Dont you have respect for Army people? Common if u cant build simple bridge how you gonna make Bullet infrastructure? u are not allow to misuse powerhttps://t.co/TYnQOwzGrV  Simmi Ahuja (@SimmiAhuja_) October 31, 2017
India on Tuesday said it had taken up with Italian authorities several cases of attacks on Indian students in Milan, with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj saying she was personally monitoring the situation.

At least three Indian students in Milan told a TV news channel that they were victims of racist attacks in the northern Italian city. One said he was repeatedly punched in the face by some Italian men and told to go home on October 17, while another said he was threatened with a broken beer bottle and hit on the head on October 29.

In a statement posted on Twitter, the Indian consulate in Milan said it had taken up the unfortunate incident of attacks on the Indian students with the highest level of law and order authorities in the city.

Attack on Indian students in Milan pic.twitter.com/kY0qwfePm8  India in Milan (@cgmilan1) October 30, 2017

All Indian students are urged not to panic, the statement said. The consulate asked students to report all such attacks as it would help officials to take up the issue with authorities in Milan so that all efforts can be made to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future.

The statement advised Indian students to be in touch with each other (particularly when they go out) as well as with the consulate and spread the information among other students about the areas where they face such incidents so that such areas can be avoided.

In a tweet, Swaraj said she had received a detailed report on the attacks. Pls do not worry. I am monitoring the situation personally, she added.

Attack on Indian students in Milan : I have got the detailed report. Pls do not worry. I am monitoring the situation personally. @cgmilan1  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) October 31, 2017

Italy is home to a 180,000-strong Indian community, the third largest in the European Union after the UK and the Netherlands.

News of the attacks emerged as Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni was visiting India during October 29-30.

He was the first Italian premier to travel to the country in more than a decade in a bid to boost bilateral ties, which took a hit following the February 2012 killing of two Indian fishermen by Italian marines Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone in the waters off Kerala.

The case is now with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Seas at The Hague and India has allowed both marines to return home.
The appointment of an interlocutor is nothing more than a tactic to buy time and no dialogue is possible unless the Centre accepts the Kashmir dispute as a political issue, a conglomeration of separatist leaders said on Tuesday.

The comments was the first by separatists directly addressing the appointment of former Intelligence Bureau chief who has been tasked with starting a dialogue to end an insurgency that has killed more than 44,000 people in the the Valley since 1989.

Unless the Kashmir dispute is understood and addressed in its historical context...lasting peace can neither be achieved in Jammu and Kashmir nor in the subcontinent, said a statement by the Joint Resistance Leadership, consisting the Hurriyat and the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF).

While the repressive state militaristic approach continues in dealing with Kashmir, to talk of peace and dialogue is also a ploy by the GOI (government of India) to strike a hard bargain which people of Kashmir and leadership will never succumb to, the statement by Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik added.

The Centre has said Sharma will decide whether to talk to the Hurriyat, several of whose leaders are being probed for possible money laundering to fund public protests. In July, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested seven Hurriyat members on charges of receiving funds from Pakistan-based militant groups to wage attacks on security forces.

The Hurriyat, an umbrella group of political and religious groups fighting mostly for Kashmirs secession from India, denies the charges.

It termed the appointment of Sharma as nothing more than a tactic to buy time under international pressure and regional compulsion and said no Kashmiri will participate in the exercise of futility.

Sepaking to HT, Mirwaiz Umar said the governments adverse reaction to Congress leader P Chidambarams call for autonomy to Kashmir signalled the Centres rigid stand on Kashmir.

Chidambaram was talking about something that is within the framework of the Constitution...if the government of India and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him anti-national, how will they talk to us as our agenda is entirely different, Mirwaiz said.

We talk about right to self determination, he added.

The Hurriyat leadership also took objection to Sharmas comments that his biggest challenge and the top priority in Kashmir are to deradicalise the youth and militants and prevent it from turning into a Syria of India.

To compare the internationally recognised 70-year-old political and humanitarian issue of Kashmir to that of the sectarian war and power struggle in Syria is deception and propaganda as there is no correlation between the two situations, the statement said.

It said Sharmas assertion that he will visit the Valley to restore peace rather than addressing the dispute limits the scope of any engagement.

His agenda is clear, where does he leave room for any dialogue, the statement said.

The leaders, however, said that they had always advocated dialogue in principle as a means of conflict resolution over Jammu and Kashmir.

What it inherently entails from all participants to dialogue is the basic acknowledgment that there is a dispute that has to be resolved. But the government of India continuously refuses to accept this basic premise and the reality on the ground, said the statement.
Birju Salla, a wealthy businessman from Gujarat, finds himself on a no-fly list after his alleged hoax bomb and hijacking hoax forced a Jet Airways flight to make an emergency landing at the Ahmedabad airport on Monday.

Birju allegedly left a note in the aircrafts washroom of the plane that threatened a fatal explosion unless passengers were flown to Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Birju-- who allegedly has created a ruckus in a flight over a cockroach allegedly found in his food -- was detained for disturbing the peace in the Mumbai-Delhi flight.

While its not clear what Birjus intention was, this isnt the first time a flight in India has been diverted, delayed or held up because of a strange reason. Some of them more bizarre than others. Heres a look:

Navy officer wanted to de-board midway

An Indian Navy officer was detained in August in Jodhpur after he claimed he was carrying a bomb on board an Air India flight from Delhi to Jaipur. The scare turned out to be a hoax and the officer allegedly made the claim after the airline crew denied him permission to deboard at Jodhpur because his ticket was booked for Jaipur.

The officer had a tiff with the airline staff when the flight touched down at Jodhpur. He told them he wanted to deboard and threatened he was carrying a bomb when the crew stopped him from disembarking. The passenger has been handed over to local police, said a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officer.

The passenger, however, denied making any bomb claim.

Late for own engagement, couple has a plan

In February, a couple allegedly hatched a plan in Bengaluru to delay their Kochi-bound flight because they feared they would not make it in time for their engagement, according to a report in The Hindu.

Arjun and Swapna called the airline six times and realised there was little they could do after their cab turned up late, police said. They reportedly asked their relatives in Kerala to make the hoax bomb call to the Kempegowda International Airport.

As per protocol, authorities cordoned off the plane, de-boarded the passengers and scanned all luggage.

MPs create ruckus

TDP MP Diwakar Reddy allegedly created ruckus and pushed an airline staffer in June after he was denied boarding by IndiGo for being late -- prompting a temporary flying ban by the budget carrier and other airlines.

Earlier this year, Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad was temporarily banned by airlines from flying after he assaulted an Air India staffer, triggering a major controversy. Not one to give up, the parliamentarian tried in vain to circumvent the ban on flying by booking flights to Delhi with different honorifics and spellings of his name.

Teen doesnt want girlfriend to go on trip

In 2006, a16-year-old boy who was denied permission to go on school trip tipped off authorities that one of his classmates was carrying a bomb.

The caller, Saneel Shah, a student of Jamnabai Narsee School (JNS), did not want his girlfriend to go for the UN-sponsored trip to Milan without him. The flight was permitted to leave after 3 hours but the JNS students and their teacher were grounded.

Married man wants to dodge girlfriend

In April, a 32-year-old man was arrested near Hyderabad for a hoax email about a possible hijack of flights, apparently cooking up the story to dodge his girlfriends demand for a holiday in Mumbai and Goa.

Police said Motaparthi Vamsi Krishna was married and had two children. But he was having an extramarital affair with a woman in Chennai. He was to trying to avoid his girlfriend who was pestering him to take her to Mumbai and Goa for a holiday, a police officer said.

He created a fake flight booking in her name on April 16 from Chennai to Mumbai, and sent the air ticket a day before. Since he would be exposed if she tried to board the flight with the fake ticket, Vamsi went to an internet centre at Madhuranagar on April 15 and sent a mail to Mumbai police through a fake email, ununn0801@gmail.com.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed that seven minors, taken into custody by the railway police on the suspicion that they were being taken to Mumbai for religious conversion, be handed over to their parents.

The parents had moved the Indore bench of high court with a habeas corpus petition seeking that the police produce their children before the court.

The Government Railway Police apprehended the children with a man and a woman from the railway station in Indore about a week ago after a local Hindu outfit alleged that they were being taken to Mumbai for conversion.

The court ordered the GRP to produce them and, after speaking to the children, a bench of Justices Alok Varma and SC Sharma directed the police to hand over the children to their parents in accordance with their own wish, said advocate KP Gangore, the petitioners lawyer.

The children are in the age group of 5-17 years.

According to the GRP, the children were rescued from the railway station on October 23 when they were being taken to Mumbai by a man and a woman.

The duo was arrested under the Madhya Pradesh Religious Freedom Act.

Parents of some of the children said they were Christians and were going to Mumbai for religious studies of their own will.
Kaun jeetega Gujarat: Modi uses phone-a-friend lifeline to remember old connections

Hello, the Prime Minister is on the line. Narendra Modi is striking a chord with his home states grassroots BJP workers with his phone, a weapon that Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi may miss in his arsenal in the battle for Gujarat. These personal calls by the Prime Minister are making a huge impact both on the party and the people of Gujarat. His approach is infusing new energy into our strong organizational network. This goes to prove how he remains a peoples leader unlike Rahul Gandhi, BJP media cell in-charge Harshad Patel said. The phone-a-friend strategy is seen as an attempt to underline his ability to remember old connections and rekindle emotional bonds ahead of elections in Gujarat. Read the story here.

China plans 1000-km tunnel to take Brahmaputra water to Xinjiang: Report

Top scientists backed by the ruling Communist Party of China are working on a plan to drain the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) river near the Indian border and divert the water through a 1,000-km tunnel, the worlds longest, to arid Xinjiang. The tunnel project, submitted to the government in March, is in the blueprint stage but could trigger a serious water crisis in Indias northeast if implemented as the Tsangpo is an upper riparian river. Chinese engineers are testing techniques that could be used to build the 1,000-km tunnel to carry water from Tibet to the Taklimakan Desert in Xinjiang, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported, citing experts involved in the project. Read the story here.

First cockroach, now bomb threat: Man detained over Jet Airways flight hijack scare a repeat offender

A wealthy businessman from Gujarat has been detained in connection with a bomb scare that forced a Jet Airways flight to execute an emergency landing at Ahmedabad airport on Monday morning. A note, which threatened of a fatal explosion in the hold unless the passengers were flown to Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, was found in a lavatory of the aircraft flying from Mumbai to New Delhi. Jet Airways, in a statement, said Flight 9W339 was diverted after the declaration of an emergency as per established security procedures, due to the detection of an onboard security threat. Read the story here.

Jet Airways hijack threat: Flyers unaware of drama during flight

Of the 115 passengers, who were on board the Jet Airways flight facing hijack threat, apart from Birju Kishore Salla, no one knew why the flight had landed an hour before the scheduled time. The next shock came in form of inflight announcement when the pilot informed that flight has landed in Ahmedabad instead of Delhi. We knew something was amiss as scheduled time of landing was 5am and flight landed at 3:50am. Most of the passengers were sleeping and woke up when the announcement was made. The pilot said due to security situation, we have landed in Ahmedabad. For the next 30-40 minutes we were inside the plane, said a passenger who was on board Jet airways flight 9W 339. Read the story here.

Supreme Court refers all Aadhaar cases to Constitution bench

The Supreme Court said on Monday a five-judge Constitution bench will hear a slew of petitions related to the validity of the Aadhaar identification number, including linking it to bank accounts and making it mandatory to avail social benefits. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said this after Attorney General KK Venugopal told the court that the government would be amenable to various Aadhaar cases pending before the court being decided by a Constitution bench, instead of the Supreme Court passing any interim orders. Read the story here.

Gujarat polls: Mellowed Hardik ready to discuss EBC with Congress

Hardik Patel-led Patidars are willing to consider the Congress proposal of providing 20% reservation to economically weaker classes (EBCs) through a Constitutional amendment, a groups spokesperson said on Friday, even as their meeting with the main opposition party seeking their support for forthcoming polls remained inconclusive. The Patidar leaders, however, decided to withdraw their threat to disrupt Congress vice president Rahul Gandhis rally in Surat on November 3, an indication of forward movement in the first round of talks. Patel, who did not participate in the meeting but has been seeking other backward classes (OBCs) reservation for his community, said he was ready for a compromise. Read the story here.

Punjab: Hindu outfit leader shot in Amritsar, fifth murder in 2 years

Exactly 13 days after the killing of a local leader of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) in Ludhiana, another Hindu right-wing activist, Vipan Sharma, 45, was shot dead in broad daylight in Bharat Nagar locality of the city on Monday. This is the fifth such murder of Hindu outfit leaders, and the ninth overall of any religious or religio-political leader, in the last two years in Punjab. It is also the third such killing in the tenure of the Congress regime under Captain Amarinder Singh that took power in March. Police and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have remained clueless so far, and the probe into RSS leader Ravinder Gosains October 17 killing has even been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Read the story here.

Chennai: IPS officer on probation caught cheating in civil services test, held

Safeer Karim, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer on probation, was allegedly caught cheating in a civil services test conducted at the Presidency Girls Higher Secondary School in Chennai on Monday. The accused, who has been arrested, faces dismissal from the force because he was still under probation when the incident occurred. An assistant superintendent of police posted at Tirunelveli, Karim wanted to rise up in the ranks and join the Indian Administrative Service. The alleged fraud was detected while he was appearing for the main civil services examinations. Read the story here.

Trump campaign ex-chair arrested for conspiracy against US, aide pleads guilty on Russia links

Paul Manafort, the former chairman of Donald Trumps presidential campaign and associate Rick Gates, were arrested on Monday and charged by investigators with conspiracy against the United States, money laundering and failing to register as foreign agents while another aide has pleaded guilty to lying about his Russia links. Manafort and Gates were indicted on 12 counts, that included failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts, the office of special counsel Robert Mueller said in a statement. It added the two men were permitted to surrender themselves to the custody of the FBI, which happened in the morning. Read the story here.

Trump plays down indictments, says Manafort charges years ago

President Donald Trump said alleged misdeeds by ex-campaign chairman Paul Manafort were years ago, and asserted there was NO COLLUSION! between his campaign and the Russian government. Responding to news that two former senior campaign aides were charged by special counsel Robert Mueller, the president asked on Twitter why Crooked Hillary & Dems arent the focus of the probe. His Twitter response marked the first official comment by the White House on the news that Manafort and Rick Gates turned themselves into federal authorities in the first arrests in Muellers probe into Russian involvement in the 2016 election. The indictment against Manafort and Gates alleges criminal activity through at least 2016. Read the story here.

Pakistan confirms killing of two Chinese kidnapped by Islamic State

Pakistan on Monday confirmed the death of two Chinese nationals who were kidnapped in the southwestern city of Quetta, the foreign office said, months after the Islamic State group claimed it had killed them. The pair, a man and a woman, were abducted in May this year from the city, capital of restive Balochistan province, which is at the heart of a multi-million dollar investment by Beijing in Pakistan but is also wracked by militancy. They were dragged into a car by three unknown men, witnesses said, adding that another Chinese woman managed to escape. Read the story here.

How Gordon Browns Indian doctor saved his sight twice

Hector Chawla, an Indian-origin eye surgeon who saved former prime minister Gordon Browns right eye after the left went blind following a rugby incident when he was 16, came to the rescue again when his famous patient was in 10, Downing Street, in 2009. Brown recalls in his memoir, to be published next week, how he sought his old friend Chawlas second opinion when he had problems in the right eye and was about to go in for surgery in London. The Edinburgh-based eye surgeon, now in his late 70s, was consulted. Read the story here.
A TV journalist and a cameraman have been sentenced to one year imprisonment by a court for breaching the security ring of Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan about seven years ago.

The case was related to a scuffle between journalist Vijay Meena and cameraman Vikrant Singh Thakur and security personnel on April 11, 2010 at the Berda Primary Health Centre, where Chouhan was staying for the night.

Assistant district prosecutor Seema Sharma said Class-One Judicial Magistrate Vishnu Prasad Solanki on Monday convicted Meena and Thakur under section 456 (punishment for lurking house-trespass or house-breaking by night) of the Indian Penal Code and sentenced them to one year imprisonment.

The court also found the duo guilty under IPC section 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and sentenced them to six months in jail. Both the punishment would run concurrently.

A case against these scribes was registered on a complaint filed by platoon commander of 32 battalion of RAF, Ujjain, Vijay Kumar Mahor, she added.

It was alleged in the complaint that the security personnel sustained injuries as these journalists manhandled them.

The accused scribes pleaded that the dispute started when they were filming the security personnel who were sleeping on duty, she added.

The court in Sailana town also slapped a fine of Rs 100 on each of them.

After the conviction, the scribes were granted bail.
Attacking the ruling dispensation over narrow nationalism, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday that Indias heritage is now in the hands of people who want to rewrite history and impose falsehood.

At a ceremony to confer the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration, Rahul said the idea of India that Indira Gandhi fought for has been thrown fundamentally into question by the rising intolerance that we are witnessing today.

Gandhis latest assault has come weeks before the Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh polls.

On Tuesday, he targeted the ruling dispensation, without mentioning any names, saying, A view of Indianness that is one-sided, discriminatory, even warped, is being thrust upon us. The countrys heritage is now in the hands of those who are bent upon rewriting history, imposing falsehood and unscientific ideas on our people and stifling independent thinking.

Rahul and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh handed over the award to Carnatic maestro TM Krishna.

Krishnas engagement with the artistic scene has converged with his parallel reflections on the state of our society, Rahul said.
The CBI filed on Tuesday a chargesheet against 490 people in the Vyapam scam, a scandal that allegedly involved people paying bribes to get coveted government jobs and admissions to state-run medical colleges.

The Vyapam scam broke in 2013 after the Indore police arrested 20 people for impersonating candidates appearing for a professional examination. The arrests blew the lid off one of Indias biggest scams as the scale of irregularities within the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) -- popularly known by its Hindi acronym Vyapam (Vyavsayik Pariksha Mandal) -- came to light.

More than 25 whistleblowers and witnesses have died since the scam was unearthed, but unofficial reports put the toll at 41. Other accused and witnesses say they have received death threats. The case was transferred to the CBI from the Madhya Pradesh special task force after a Supreme Court order in 2015.

Heres a closer look at the Vyapam scam:

What is the scam all about?

Vyapam is Madhya Pradeshs autonomous, self-financed body formed to conduct tests for professional examinations and government services. The organisation holds 21 exams on an average every year.

The scam allegedly involved an organised racket that allegedly rigged tests for admissions and recruitment to various courses and government jobs. Police say suspects employed imposters to write exam papers, manipulate sitting arrangements in exam halls and even supply forged answer sheets by bribing officials between 2012 and 2013.

How was the scam unearthed?

While investigating complaints of imposters in the Pre-entrance Medical Test (PMT), Indore Police stumbled upon multiple rackets that committed large-scale fraud in MPPEB examinations for years.

Among the tests rigged were the PMT 2008-13, Pre-PG test for postgraduate medical courses 2012, and recruitment exams for contract teachers, food inspectors, police constables and Ayurvedic medical officers.

How many were affected?

As many as 1,087 ineligible students got admission in medical colleges from 2008 to 2013. Their admissions were cancelled. Thousands of candidates who appeared in the rigged tests were also affected.

The modus operandi

Several gangs operated with the connivance of MPPEB officials to manipulate sitting arrangements in examination halls and to fill optical mark recognition answer-sheets. While the rate started from Rs 15 lakh for the PMT, it was more than Rs 50 lakh for admission in PG (Medical).

The investigation

The investigation was handed over to the Special Task Force (STF) of the state police. The high court monitored the STFs investigation directly through a Special Investigating Team after a pitched Opposition campaigned against the state government for allegedly going slow in the probe.

Separate cases have been registered for investigating scams in different tests. In March 2015, the SIT told the Supreme Court it had arrested approximately 1,800 accused and was on the lookout for another 800 people.

In July 2015, the Supreme Court transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Who are the top accused?

Former education minister Laxmikant Sharma was jailed for fraud in the contract teachers recruitment test. His former officer on special duty (OSD) OP Shukla and former PA Sudhir Sharma are also behind bars.

Shukla was charged with taking Rs 85 lakh from suspended officials of the PEB - director and controller of tests Pankaj Trivedi and principal systems analyst Nitin Mahindra - for getting candidates selected.

Dhanraj Yadav, former OSD to governor, was arrested for his alleged involvement in the recruitment of a large number of candidates through his links with suspended PEB officials.

DIG RK Shivhare, a suspended IPS officer, was arrested for allegedly getting candidates selected in the sub-inspectors recruitment test. His daughter and son-in-law were allegedly involved in fraudulently cracking the pre-PG (medical) entrance test.

Governor Ram Naresh Yadav was booked for allegedly accepting bribes from five people for recruiting them as forest guards but the high court later quashed the FIR in view of his constitutional position. Yadavs son Shailesh, who was also named as an accused, was found dead mysteriously at his fathers official residence on March 25, 2015. Yadav died over a year later, in November 2016.

Its not immediately clear if these people are named in CBIs chargesheet against 490 people in the scam.
Ucoms mobile customers will benefit from the best internet roaming rate of 8 AMD/MB when travelling to Georgia, Egypt or the UAE

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Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

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I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

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EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought to know the rate of conviction of politicians in criminal cases and asked whether its direction to complete trial against them within a year was being effectively implemented.

The apex court said that data about the conviction rate of politicians in criminal cases would open up a new dimension and sought to know whether it would act as a deterrent if the trial against lawmakers is completed in a year.

We would also like to know what is the rate of conviction. That will throw open a new dimension. We will see that criminal cases against politicians, if it does not end in conviction, then why? What are the reasons for it, a bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and Navin Sinha said.

The top court made these observations while hearing petitions seeking to declare the provisions of the Representation of People (RP) Act, which bar convicted politician from contesting elections for six years after serving jail term, as ultra-vires to the Constitution.

During the hearing, the bench asked the lawyer appearing for one of the intervenors about the data of cases pending against lawmakers in trial courts and high courts across the country and also whether there was stay on any of them.

The lawyer told the court that it was an important aspect and he would file an affidavit giving details of the data available on the national judicial data grid as well as with the Election Commission of India (EC).

We do not think it would be easy for you to collect data from the EC as cases are pending in the trial courts and different high courts, the bench said, adding, we can see your anxiety for purity in elections.

If the trial (against politicians) is over in one year, do you think it would be a deterrent, the bench asked.

Referring to a data, the counsel claimed that an estimated 34% of parliamentarians had criminal record.

The bench observed that a direction was earlier passed by the top court that trial against politicians should be completed within a year and wanted to know how effectively was that order being implemented.

The court also asked what would happen to a judge when charges were framed against him or an FIR lodged.

To this, the counsel said the court has laid down such a high and rigorous standards for judges. If this is the position in case of judges, why cant the same be there in case of politicians.

The lawyer argued that if a lawmaker was convicted by a court of law, he should be permanently barred from politics.

The arguments remained inconclusive and would continue tomorrow.

Advocate Ashwini Kumar Updhyay has filed a PIL in the matter, while several others have come to the apex court as intervenors.

The apex court had on July 12 pulled up the ECI for not taking a clear stand on a plea seeking barring of convicted politicians for life.

The Centre, in its affidavit, had said the prayer sought by the petitioner seeking life-time bar on convicted lawmakers was not maintainable and the plea should be dismissed.

The petition has also sought a direction to the Centre and the EC to fix minimum educational qualification and a maximum age limit for persons contesting polls. PTI ABA MNL SJK RKS ARC
Chairman of the UP Shia Central Waqf Board Waseem Rizvi met Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravishankar on Tuesday to find an amicable out-of-court settlement in the legal case over the Babri-Masjid-Ram Temple dispute in Ayodhya.

I met Gurudev Sri Sri ji and insisted that the Ram Temple should be built on the Ram Janmbhoomi site itself and that there was no need to construct a mosque there. The mosque should come up in a Muslim-dominated locality, if required, as there are already enough of them to cater to the Muslim population in Ayodhya and Faizabad, Rizvi told HT after the meeting.

On October 27, some members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) had also met Sri Sri to discuss the issue.

Rizvi said the AIMPLB has no role to play in the dispute as it was not a party in the on-going case and only the Shia Waqf Board has the claim and right to the land in question.

Though the AIMLB is not a party in the case, being the apex Islamic body on religious and personal matters it wields considerable influence over the community.

I have met all the Mahants and those fighting the court battle for the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. They have all agreed to a mutually agreeable solution. The Shia Waqf Board is drafting the terms and conditions of a mutual agreement, he said.

Rizvi, however, refused to disclose what Sri Sri Ravishankar said to him.

Not all Shia clerics, however, support the Boards stand.

Majlis-e-Ulama Hind, an umbrella organisation of Shia clerics, has already disassociated itself from the Boards stance.

Only a mosque can be built at the site. The mosque does not belong to any Shia or Sunni; it is the house of God and belongs to Him. The UP government has a dossier of Waseems misdeeds in the Board and is going to order a CBI probe, said Shia cleric Maulana Kalbe Jawad.

He said Rizvi was raising the issue to placate the BJP and save his skin.

A one-time close associate of the Samajwadi Party leader and former UP minister Azam Khan, Rizvi has staked the Boards claim in the Ayodhya dispute after SP lost power in UP.

His detractors feel that his new-found enthusiasm urging Muslims to give-up their claim in the case is because he is in the cross-hairs of the Yogi Adityanath government for alleged bungling and misappropriation of waqf properties.

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BJP national president Amit Shah, who started his five-day tour to Himachal on Monday, slammed Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi and said that they should clarify the partys stand on separatists in Kashmir and the illegal migration of Rohingyas.

Addressing an election rally at Banikhet of Dalhousie asssembly segment in Chamba district, the BJP chief said that Congress leaders are supporting those who are raising slogans of Azadi(independence) in Kashmir.

Asking the audience whether they support the people who raise freedom slogans in Kashmir, the BJP president said thousands of brave soldiers belonging to the hill state had made the supreme sacrifice due to Kashmir problem.

Hitting out at former finance minister P Chindambrams statement on autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir, Shah said it was Chidambram who wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, seeking him to allow Rohingyas refugees into Indian Territory. Why should Rohingyas be allowed to enter India when the government is maintaining that they are a threat to national security, said Shah.

The BJP president said Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi should clear their stand on the issue.

Attacks Congress over corruption

Later, addressing a public meeting at Chalwara village in Jawali assembly segment of Kangra district, Shah said, The Himachal election is slated for November 9 and results will be declared on December 18 but, I already know the result. People of Himachal want change,said Shah, adding that the change should not be in the government but rather in the system so that Himachal emerges as a model state.

Shah said Himachal has a lot of potential in tourism, agriculture and power, but no development has taken place as people alternated the government every five years. So this time, give a verdict that the Congress is eliminated forever and such a government is formed which steers Himachal in the right direction and makes it a number 1 state, he said.

Hitting out at chief minister Virbhadra Singh, the BJP chief said, not just Virbhadra, his family and even servants are facing corruption charges.

Citing a CAG report, Shah said, the Virbhadra-led Himachal government raised loans worth 20,000 crore and a whole amount was embezzled by way of wasteful expenditure. Mafia is ruling the roost in Himachal and Virbhadra wears all allegations against him as badges of honour, Shah alleged.

Taking potshots at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Shah said he was seeking account from the BJP government in Gujarat. I want to ask you Rahul Baba! Your family has been winning from Amethi for three generations but could not build a collectorate building or even a hospital there and you are seeking accounts from us, said Shah. Rahul does not know how many soldiers Himachal has given to the country, because such things are not written in Italian, the BJP chief said.

You have to give answer to those soldiers who sought One Rank, One Pension (OROP) from your grandmother, your father and then your mother, Shah said. He said the Modi government gave OROP within a year of coming into power.

Alleging that the Congress only promoted corruption, Shah said scams worth 12 lakh thousand crore took place during the UPA regime. In last three years, not a single scam has come to light, he claimed.

He said the Modi government opened bank accounts of 30 crore people and gave gas connections to 2 crore poor women. Our government has increased grants for Himachal from 44 crore to 1.15 under 14th finance commission, said the BJP chief. He alleged that the funds given by the Centre were misspent as the Congress government in Himachal did not want the money to reach public.

The BJP chief also promised that if the party formed the government in the state this time, interviews will be scrapped to make appointments transparent.

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External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj said on Tuesday she was monitoring the situation after an attack on Indian students in Milan.

Reports said three Indians studying in Milan alleged they were attacked with beer bottles and abused by attackers for their skin colour. A police case has been registered over the attack, which took place on October 17. More details on the attack werent immediately available.

Attack on Indian students in Milan : I have got the detailed report. Pls do not worry. I am monitoring the situation personally. @cgmilan1  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) October 31, 2017

On Monday, the Indian Consulate in Milan said it had received reports of unfortunate incident of attacks on the Indian students in Milan.

The consulate said it was taking up the matter with the highest level of law and order authorities in Milan. The advisory did not mention if the attacks were racially motivated.

Attack on Indian students in Milan pic.twitter.com/kY0qwfePm8  India in Milan (@cgmilan1) October 30, 2017

Swarajs reaction came a day after Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni visited India and stressed the need for a closer cooperation with the country.
External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and her Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan on Tuesday held extensive talks to boost bilateral cooperation in key sectors such as defence, security and trade.

In the talks held under the framework of Joint Ministerial Committee, both sides discussed a wide range of issues of shared interests and mutual concern, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

It said cooperation in political, defence and security fields, trade and investment, tourism and connectivity were among other major issues discussed during the talks.

The MEA said the two sides also reviewed the commemoration of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of ASEAN and 25 years of India-ASEAN dialogue partnership.

They also exchanged views on issues of mutual interest at regional and multilateral levels, including cooperation at UN and international organisations, it said.

Swaraj also hosted a lunch in the honour of Balakrishnan, who is on a two-day visit to India, and his delegation.

On Wednesday, Balakrishnan would visit Guwahati where he would meet Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonawal and witness signing of an MoU on launching a skill development centre being set up with Singapores assistance.
A woman believed dead after being pushed off a moving train in Uttar Pradesh with four minor daughters by her husband has appeared at her mothers house in Bihar, adding yet another twist to a case testing the police.

Afreena Khatoons back-from-the-dead appearance has left UP railway police with an additional case of an unidentified body and the circumstances of her death.

They have made little headway in this case even as they investigate the death of a seven-year-old child, who they believe is one of Afreenas daughters, Muniya.

The account of a nine-year-old girl, Algun Khatoon, also believed to be Afreenas daughter, guided the preliminary investigation. But Afreenas account changed facts of the case, including the train they were in, police added.

Algun and two other girls believed to be her sisters survived the fall, but were injured. Algun even identified the dead woman as her mother, said police.

Algun initially said her father, Iddu Mian, pushed them off, but later claimed her uncle and his friend did it.

Police booked the childrens uncle and his friend in the case, but later ruled them out as suspects and focused on Iddu, 42.

According to Afreena, the children were not pushed off the Amritsar-Saharsa Express, as Algun led the police to believe, but from the Kamakhya-Katra Express.

She also said Iddu did not push her and their fifth daughter, their youngest, off the train, said police.

Afreena Khatoon, 36, turned up at Jagdishpur police station in Bettiah (the administrative headquarters of West Champaran district) on Monday, said Saumitra Yadav, superintendent of police, Government Railway Police, Lucknow.

Iddus village is under Jagdishpur police station limits. Yadav said Afreena was being brought to Uttar Pradesh to meet the three surviving girls thought to be her daughters and piece together the sequence of events.

Afreenas mother identified her daughter and informed her local police station in Paharpur, about 10 km from Jagdishpur.

Afreenas mother said Iddu was drunk and he pushed off his daughters, one after another, from the running train, said CB Shukla, station house officer of Paharpur police station.

Afreenas mother said Iddu fought with his wife over the lack of money and was reluctant to take his family to Jammu, Shukla added.

Afreena told her mother Iddu tried to throw their fifth daughter too, but she resisted. They reached Jammu, where he made Afreena and their fifth daughter board a Bihar-bound train, said Shukla.

Police tracked Iddus phone location to Jammu a few days ago, but are yet to find him. According to his family, he left Bihar years ago and worked in Jammu.

Iddu came under pressure to shift his family and returned home after two years this Diwali to take them with him, police said.

Police also found that Iddu had another wife before Afreena. He had two sons with his first wife. One of the sons died as did his first wife, said police.
Federal investigators virtually cleared on Tuesday Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and charged 490 people in the multi-crore Vyapam examination scandal that rocked the BJP-ruled state four years ago and affected thousands of students.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told a court that there was no mention of word CM in the hard drives recovered  as alleged by senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and whistle blower Prashant Pandey. The agency presented its findings on the basis of forensic analysis of the drives.

We have informed the special court in Bhopal on Tuesday that forensic experts have held that there is no tampering with the three computer hard disk drives (HDDs) that were recovered in the case, CBI spokesman Abhishek Dayal said.

The case pertains to the CBIs probe into the 2013 pre-medical test conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (Vyavsayic Pariksha Mandal or Vyapam in Hindi).

Read more: Rigged exams to mysterious deaths of suspects: What is MPs Vyapam scam

Investigators said Vyapam officials colluded with racketeers to manipulate roll numbers of candidates and solvers  the term used for paid candidates who helped others crack the exams. Candidates were seated behind their solvers, enabling the beneficiaries to copy the answers, the agency said.

Most of the solver candidates were either medical college students or bright medical aspirants undergoing coaching in MP, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

In the chargesheet, the CBI has named three Vyapam officials, three other racketeers, 17 middlemen, 297 solver and beneficiary candidates and 170 guardians of beneficiary candidates.

However, the CBI did not mention any possible action against Prashant Pandey.

As of now, we have left it to the discretion of the court, said a CBI official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

CBI team returns after filing chargesheet against 490 accused in the Vyapam scam at Bhopal district court on Tuesday. (Mujeeb Faruqui/HT Photo)

CBI officials said Pandey had provided two pen drives  one to the Delhi high court and another to the agency  which had five excel files allegedly containing references to CM in it.

But the CBI said all these files were either created or modified after July 18, 2013 when the HDD was seized from the Vyapam office. Pandey had claimed that the pen drives contained the tampered and untampered versions of the excel files.

The forensic analysis report said the HDD was last shut down on July 15, 2013 and no file was accessed on it subsequently.

The pen drive provided by the said private person to the Delhi high court as well to the CBI contains false documents.There is no grain of truth in the allegation that the HDD seized on July 18, 2013 from the office of then principal system analyst, Vyapam, was tampered (with), the CBI said in its statement.

When approached for his reaction, Pandey said: I copied the excel files from the HDD on the pen drive and thats why they show a date of creation or modification after July 18.

He added that had not seen the chargesheet filed by the CBI and therefore I am not a position to comment on it in detail.

The CBI will file another chargesheet in connection with its probe into the conduct of the pre-medical test in 2012.

The arrest of 20 people in Indore blew the lid off the massive scam in 2013 which quickly snowballed into the biggest crisis for Chouhan and led to more than 2,000 arrests, including politicians, bureaucrats and middlemen.

But the case grabbed national headlines two years ago, when witnesses, accused and alleged beneficiaries of the case were found dead over the course of a few months  mostly in mysterious circumstances. At least 40 people, including the son of the then governor, have been found dead since 2013 -- some bodies were found under bridges and on railway tracks while other died of freak accidents or mysterious illnesses, sometimes while behind bars.

The opposition Congress has repeatedly blamed the BJP for the deaths, which it alleges is a cover-up for the racket. Chouhan and the BJP deny the charges.

The state BJP was quick to accuse Digvijaya Singh of insulting the chief minister and BJP workers with his bundle of lies.

We are considering a legal action against Digvijaya Singh and will also request the Supreme Court to take action against him for wasting the courts valuable time on the basis of a forged document, said Nandkumar Singh Chauhan, state BJP president.

The Congress, too, said it will move the top court on the matter.

The CBI does not have the authority to give a clean chit to anyone and by doing so they are in contempt of the Supreme Court, which has clearly said in its order that the trial court will decide who is guilty or innocent, said KK Mishra, the Congress spokesperson in MP.

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Eight people were killed and 20 injured when a transformer exploded at Khatulai village near Shahpura town in Jaipur Tuesday afternoon.

State power minister Pushpendra Singh ordered an inquiry into the incident.

We have set up a committee to look into cause of the blast...Usually this kind of thing (blast in transformers) never happens, the minister said.

Late in the evening, the government announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the kin of the deceased.

SP Jaipur (rural) Dr Rameshwar Singh told HT that five people, including a minor, died on the spot. Eighteen people were referred to SMS Hospital and others sent to a local government hospital for treatment.

SMS Hospital superintendent Dr D S Meena said that all the victims were women and children and one child was brought dead. Two more victims succumbed to their injuries during treatment.

Two people were discharged after first aid and remaining are being treated for burn injuries.

The massive explosion took place when the members of a family, who were part of a marriage procession, were passing by the transformer, police said.

Eyewitnesses said that scalding oil fell on the women and children and their clothes immediately caught fire.

An enraged mob gathered at the site and police and administrative officials had a tough time controlling the situation.

Officials of the power department rushed to the spot. The reason behind the blast could not be ascertained at the time of going to press.

Chief minister Vasundhara Raje visited SMS hospital while health minister Kalicharan Saraf announced free treatment for the injured. Saddened by the unfortunate incident at Shahpura near Jaipur. Took feedback and directed officials to take necessary measures and action, Raje said in a tweet.

Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot too expressed grief. My heartfelt condolences to families of victims, may God give them strength to bear loss.. may departed souls rip...Prayers for the injured, tweeted Gehlot.
Farmers called off on Tuesday their month-long agitation at Ninder village on the outskirts of Jaipur after receiving a written assurance from the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) on conducting a fresh survey of the land earmarked for acquisition.

The farmers had been agitating against land acquisition for a housing project proposed on nearly 1,350 bighas at Ninder. Under the banner of Zameen Samadhi Satyagrah, they had intensified the agitation from October 2, Gandhi Jayanti; 21 of them had buried themselves neck deep in pits.

A three-member committee will be formed for the fresh survey.

We have reached an agreement with the JDA on the modalities of conducting a fresh survey, and called off the agitation after receiving a written assurance in this regard, farmers leader Nagendra Singh Shekhawat told HT.

The agreement was reached after talks between representatives of the farmers and the urban development minister.

Singh said the government has agreed to their five-point demand, including a resurvey of the area. The farmers are hopeful that the new survey will reflect the ground situation and ensure a better compensation.

The earlier survey conducted by the JDA before acquiring the land had many faults as many farms were marked as barren land and hamlets were shown as vacant land. A fresh survey will take care of the anomalies, Shekhawat said.

In 2011, the JDA had issued a notification for acquisition of the land and the process was completed on paper by the middle of 2013. A farmers stir at that time had fizzled out; the agitation launched since September forced the government to talk to the protesters.

An earlier attempt to break the deadlock had failed as the JDA and the farmers had not agreed on the modalities of conducting a fresh survey.
A number of Muslim and dalit organisations have come together to hold a mega public gathering in Kolkata on December 6 to mourn the demolition of Babri masjid and observe death anniversary of B R Ambedkar simultaneously.

This is the first time an initiative of this kind has been taken in the state. The motto, organisers say, is to fight manuvadi and brahminical fascism.

In Bengal, people belonging to scheduled caste (23%) and Muslim (27%) communities comprise nearly half the population.

Read: BJP cant ignore new zeal in Dalit resistance against caste violence

Earlier, dalits used to observe Ambedkars death anniversary while Muslims mourned the demolition of Babri masjid. This year, we have decided to bring all programmes under one banner and hold a single event on December 6, said Sukriti Ranjan Biswas, president of Samya, Shanti, Sampriti Mancha (forum for equality, peace and harmony), an amalgamation of dalit and Muslim organisations founded in late 2016.

Around three dozen dalit and Muslim organisations based in various parts of Bengal are coming together to make the initiative successful.

Muslims of Kolkata took part in a rally in September and raised slogan against genocide of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. (Samir Jana/HT PHOTO)

Biswas - a dalit leader who mostly works among refugees from Bangladesh - alleged that politicians have always used dalits against Muslims for electoral gains. We will foil their plan, he said.

Organisers believe that the event will become a major step towards forging a dalit-Muslim unity in Bengal against the BJP and saffron organisations.

The BJP has been in the crosshairs of Dalit and Muslim groups across India after attacks were perpetrated by cow vigilantes groups.

Read: Kolkata emerging as a centre of protest against uniform civil code, national meeting planned on Nov 20

With the BJP being accused of being anti-Dalit - an allegation that stuck after students unrest across universities following the suicide of Dalit scholar Rohith Vemula in Hyderabad and reinforced by the flogging of Dalits by cow protection groups at Una in Gujarat - the party is now working hard to change the perception.

Significantly, former central committee member of the banned CPI(Maoist), septuagenarian Purnendu Sekhar Mukherjee, is one of the organisers of the event in Kolkata. Arrested in 2011, Mukherjee was released on bail in 2015.

Initial steps towards dalit-Muslim unity were taken last year to maintain peace and harmony and defeat divisive campaign by Brahminical fascist forces. With the December 6 rally, we hope to strengthen this unity, Mohammad Kamrujjaman, general secretary of the Mancha, told HT.

Read: Dalit-Muslim unity is historically unsustainable, says senior BJP leader

Incidentally, several organisations set to participate in the event earlier came together and took out a rally in Kolkata in support of the Rohingya Muslims. Thousands marched in the city protesting the Centres stand on the refugees from Myanmar.

The organisers said they have informed Kolkata Police about the event. The gathering will be held at Rani Rashmoni Road in central Kolkata.

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Power was finally restored Monday evening to an impoverished tribal village in Bengal two and a half months after lightning knocked out the only transformer in the area.

The administration got active on Sunday after HT reported on how the sole transformer in Amlashole village in Jhargram district was neither repaired nor replaced as the poor tribals could not pay their outstanding bills. West Bengal power minister Sovandeb Chatterjee had told HT on Saturday that he would fix the problem in 24 hours.

Amlashole had hit the headlines in 2004 for alleged starvation deaths in the then Left-ruled state.

We have replaced the transformer and electricity has been restored at Amlashole. We have requested the villagers to pay the bills in the regular way now, Ujjwal Roy, the divisional manager of West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited, the state-run power distribution utility told HT.

If there are such problems in other areas of the region, we will take necessary steps, he added.

But villagers say they are simply too poor to pay the bills.

Our homes were lit after more than 75 days. But we are too poor to pay bills. The chief minister is providing many things to us like subsidised rice. We would request her to waive the power bills, said Madan Sabar, a villager.

Amlashole is located about 230 km to the west of Kolkata near the Bengal-Jharkhand border in the heart of what was once the Maoist-dominated region popularly known as Jangalmahal.

Amlashole is inhabited by tribes such as the Mundas and Sabars, who are not only poor but also socially marginalised. During British rule, the Sabars were even categorised as a criminal tribe under the Criminal Tribes Act 1871.

Read more: A decade after starvation death, Bengal village lives in darkness due to unpaid power bills

The villagers pointed out that during chief minister Mamata Banerjees visit to Amlashole in January 2014 she had assured supply of all basic necessities to the impoverished area.

She also visited the village earlier this month and had asked the administration to address the problems the tribal population.

WBSEDCL officials pointed out that they are in a bind as unpaid bills keep mounting in the area. Many consumers of Jangalmahal did not pay their bills from November 2008 to November 2011. Those bills were waived after the chief ministers intervention.

But the unpaid dues since November 2011 have piled up to Rs 100 crores. There are about 2 lakh consumers in Jhargram and about 1.5 lakhs have not paid their bills for several years.

We are happy that power has been restored in Amlashole. We are also aware about that many are not paying their bills, and due to this the power department is taking time to repair the damaged transformers in many places of the area. We are also requesting people to pay the bills. We will ask the power department to allow the consumers to pay in instalments, said Samay Mandi, president of Jhargram Zilla Parishad.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath will begin his three-day visit to Mauritius on Wednesday to attend the Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and woo investors from the island nation that has a considerable number of people of Indian origin.

Minister for external affairs Sushma Swaraj had requested Yogi to be the chief guest at the RPBD in Mauritius. The RPBDs are regularly organised outside India to connect with the Indian diaspora in specific regions, said a senior officer of the state government.

Adityanath, who will fly to Port Louis from Mumbai, will also revisit history in the island nation where the descendants of the indentured Indian labourers called Girmitiyas live.

His visit will not only mark 183 years of the arrival of the first group of 36 Indian indentured labour on the island nation on November 2, 1834, but also 100 years of the British governments decision to stop the experiment. The British shipped over two million indentured labourers to several plantation sites out of India.

The state government also wants to market Uttar Pradesh as a potential destination for investment, tourism, and cultural tourism through a connect with your roots programmes in Mauritius, of which India is the largest trading partner and has been the largest exporter of goods and services to the island nation since 2007.

We will make efforts to connect with them to attract investment, tourists and improve cultural ties, said the officer.

The officers will also take material about the Divya Deepotsav that was organised a day before Diwali in Ayodhya on October 18. This will help in connecting with the Girmitiyas, said another officer.

Adityanath is also likely to extend an invitation to the diaspora to attend the third Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to be organised in Lucknow in early 2018.

Mauritius high commissioner to India J Goburdhun, while speaking at the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas at Agra in January 2016, said that the Girmitiyas were all sisters and brothers of the people of Uttar Pradesh.

The chief ministers visit comes after his recent meeting with representatives of more than two dozen US companies exploring investment opportunities in the state.

Uttar Pradesh recently came up with an Industrial Investment and Employment Promotion Policy to create a framework to stabilise and make existing industries more competitive and to attract and realise new international and national investments in the industrial sector.

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The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has decided to set up online community portals to connect more than 10,000 technical institutes  engineering, pharmacy, management, architecture and hotel management  across India.

The online platform, which will be set up over the next two years, will allow 10 million students and faculty to engage with alumni, parents and corporate partners. The AICTE plans to provide students with better opportunities at entrepreneurship, networking, jobs, internships, faculty capability building, higher education and social causes through these portals.

The project will be activated in a phased manner across various states. The AICTE plans to engage its regional offices, state universities, directorates of technical education. Moreover, the council recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Fourth Ambit, a start-up from Kerala, to implement the project.

Anil Sahasrabudhe, chairperson, AICTE, said, We hope that this project will synergise the benefits of internship, job opportunities and skilling tests under one umbrella for the student community. We request college alumni and corporate partners to join us in this endeavour and help us set up an online ecosystem to support all the technical institutions in the country.

The colleges can build their own student, parents and alumni communities on the online platform. The students can interact with people in their own college community and from those across the country as well.

Rahul Das, chief executive officer, Fourth Ambit, said the portals will provide the corporates access to an exclusive network of professional students. The corporates can engage the students and even recruit them, he said.
By end of January 2018, commute at the congested Parel and Elphinstone Road stations, which witnessed 23 deaths on September 29, will be easier for lakhs of passengers. The Indian Army will build a new alternate Foot Over Bridge (FOB) at the station to ease the pressure on existing common FOB.

On the BJP-led governments third anniversary, CM Devendra Fadanvis pulled out this surprise in the presence of Union railway minister Piyush Goyal and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who along with him carried out a review of the station on Tuesday.

Fadnavis said the Indian army will construct two more FOBs at Currey Road and Ambivli stations by January 31, 2018. This is the first such incident in the countrys history, in which such work will be done by the Army that always does extraordinary work in case of emergencies, he said. These bridges will serve as temporary respite - up to a couple of years - until railways undertakes upgradation of the concerned bridges.

He also gave credit for getting the defence ministry in the loop to BJPs city unit chief Ashish Shelar, who proposed it to the railway minister and defence minister first on October 6. Sitharaman said she was grateful to the Army for accepting their role in nation building. This is probably the first time we have asked the Army to come in to build what could otherwise be called civil work, but Elphinstone tragedy was so big that a call was taken to cooperate, seeing urgency of the matter, she said.

The move, however, drew heavy criticism from political leaders across the nation. MP Milind Deora tweeted , Army building foot over bridges dilutes its role and purpose and sets the wrong precedent. Overhaul Mumbais rail infra on a war footing instead.

Later on railway authorities defended the move . The role of the Indian Armed Forces is not confined to keeping a vigil on the highest battle ground of the world, Siachen, and fighting cross-border terrorism, but it also extends to helping its countrymen in distress and during crisis situations, said a statement issued by the CR public relations department.

Terming Elphinstone road tragedy as sad, Goyal counted the immediate steps taken by the railway authorities following the Elphinstone road incident. We have decided to utilise military precision to work the bridges. These three bridges have been identified as they record higher footfall. Goyal said.

The railway officials said the landing of the alternate FOB will be near the flower market. They also said the involvement of Indian Army will cut time required to build FOB. Railways would have to go through a tendering process and the construction process would take up to 8 months. The army can readily deal with the construction, said Sunil Udasi, Chief Public Relation Officer, CR.

Bridges from Rajastan, Punjab to be used

The Indian Army Corps of Engineers (IACOE) will use three precast sets of bridges, which will arrive from Jaisalmer and Jalandhar, to build a new 80-metre-long foot over bridge (FOB) at Elphinstone Road station.

Of these, one bridge will be brought from Jaisalmer and the other two will come from Jalandhar. Each bridge, known as Bailey bridge, the kind that has been in use since the First World

War, will be around 110 feet in length.

This new but temporary FOB will provide an additional entry/exit option to the overcrowded Parel station on the north side, bringing the much-needed relief to passengers, who every day face stampede-like situation on south-end staircase.

These bridges are part of a temporary solution for pedestrian safety until the railways completes work on it proposed 12-meter-wide FOB, which will be between the existing and new defence FOB.

A defence official said they will build the FOB wherever the railway authorities want it, but the suitable location is north end of the lane at Elphinstone Road station ahead of the power station.

The Union railway minister Piyush Goyal and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday also said the Indian Army will build FOBs at Currey Road and Ambivli stations, which face similar congestion and where there is an urgent need of FOB for pedestrian safety.

However, defence sources told HT that so far they had just received directives about building FOB at Elphinstone Road station, but once they receive official communication, the work at other two sites will also be taken up. They, however, carried out primary inspection of the spots with railway officials.

Meanwhile, sources said the defence ministry will charge Indian Railways for the bridge they will construct. Railway officials here said they have

not yet received any formal communication on the issue of funding of the bridge from the railway ministry.

The officer also said they could have built new FOBs within 5 to 6 days, but the task is challenging in the city because of poor quality of soil, limited hours for work, heavy rail traffic, high voltage overhead wires and movement of equipment.

The condition of the soil at the site is not good. The FOB can be constructed within three days but we have approached several of our internal agencies for the construction of a temporary FOB, said a defence official.

Sources said before assembling the bridge sets, they will have to do few feet deep piling for better stability of the temporary FOB. The main reason of piling is the poor soil and long span of the bridge connecting Parel station.

The Pune-based wing of Indian Railway Corps of Engineers is coordinating with the Army for the construction of these FOBs. IACOE provide mobility to forces by constructing bridges, tracks and helipads, during wars. It also builds bridges during emergencies like natural calamities.

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By February 2018, Mumbaiites using Elphinstone Road station, where 23 people were killed in a stampede on September 29, will be able to commute more safely, as the Army is constructing a new, temporary foot over-bridge (FOB) that connects Elphinstone and Parel stations.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made this announcement on Tuesday morning as he visited Elphinstone Road station with Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

The new bridge will be constructed by the militarys engineering wing, and will be ready for use by end of February 2018.

The team will also build two other FOBs, at Currey Road and Ambivali (beyond Kalyan) stations. Sitharaman said: It is a nation-building exercise by the army.

The three leaders conducted a review visit on the occasion of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government completing three years in power in Mahrashtra.

Ashish Shelar, BJPs Mumbai president, had met with Sitharaman on October 6, and submitted a demand that six FOBs be built with assistance from the military engineering wing for speedy relief to commuters.

The Western Railway has floated tenders for the construction of a new, 12-metre-wide FOB to the north of the existing FOB, which is common for Parel and Elphinstone Road stations. The Central Railway has started preparatory work for this FOB. Once this bridge is ready for use, the Armys temporary bridge will likely be dismantled.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena Member of Parliament Arvind Sawant accused the BJP of excluding him from the review visit, though the area falls in his constituency.
A sessions court in Dindoshi, Mumbai, has refused to grant bail to a 57-year-old woman who allegedly conspired to kill her 33-year-old son after he opposed her relationship with their car driver.

A resident of Evershine Nagar in Malad (west), Cecilia Dsouza has been in jail for two years now, but the driver Bharat Olly, who is believed to have committed the murder with the help of his brother Dipak, is absconding.

The judge held that if Dsouza is released on bail, she would, with help from the absconding accused, likely tamper with prosecution evidence and intimidate witnesses.

On December 8, 2015, Dsouza called the police saying that she had returned home and stumbled upon her son Ronalds body in the garage of their house. She told police officials who arrived at the spot that Ronald had been working in the garage when she stepped out and that she had gone to the garage to investigate after he had not responded when she called out to him. Ronald was lying on the floor bloodied with multiple stab wounds, she said, adding that she called the police immediately.

Three days later, the police arrested her and said she confessed to the murder in custody, by which time the Olly brothers had absconded.

According to Dsouza, she has been implicated falsely and that she was not involved with her driver Bharat, who, she said, is younger than her son. She has said that she learnt Bharat and Ronald had a fight only when she met Bharat on the street some time after the murder, and thats when she realised that Bharat had killed her son.

The prosecution objected to the bail plea saying that the trial is in progress and as many as 30 witnesses have been examined already. Dsouza was present in the garage when Bharat and his brother killed her son, the prosecution alleged, pointing out that call data records show that she and Bharat were in constant touch, and that Dsouza had called Bharat 12 times on the day of the murder, which has helped ascertain where she was.

After considering arguments from both sides, the court observed that there is prima facie strong evidence to show the involvement of Cecilia with the alleged offence.

Considering the seriousness of the offence, which is punishable with death or life imprisonment, there is every possibility of [the accused] destroying evidence and fleeing from justice, the court observed while denying her bail. Further, the applicant, with the help of the absconding accused, is likely to tamper with prosecution evidence and intimidate witnesses.
As relations between the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) get more strained and bitter, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party has decided to take on its ally in the Gujarat Assembly polls, scheduled to be held in December.

The Sena had stayed out of the 2012 Gujarat polls to avoid the division of Hindu votes.

A senior Sena leader, on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the party will contest at least 25 seats to hurt the BJPs chances. Our party chief Uddhav Thackeray has decided to contest around 25 seats in Gujarat. We are ready to put up a tough fight against the BJP, the senior party leader said. The decision has been taken also to strengthen the partys position outside Maharashtra.

The Sena will also extend support to Hardik Patel, leader of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, in the remaining constituencies, he added.

The party will target the BJP over issues such as demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which have severely affected Gujarats business and trader communities.

Earlier this year, Thackeray had hosted Patel, a bitter critic of the BJP, at Matoshree, his home in Bandra (East), and praised the young Patidar leader.

Gujarat elections will be held in two phases -- on December 9 for 89 seats, and on December 14 for 93 seats. Results will be announced for all 182 seats on December 18.
The 210-metre-high statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which the Maharashtra government plans to build in the sea off the Mumbai coast, has received environmental clearance, making it the worlds tallest statue, once built. The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) on Monday approved the governments application to increase the height from the earlier proposed 192 metres.

Currently, the Spring Temple Buddha statue, which stands at 208 metres in China, is the worlds tallest statue.

MCZMA officials said since other approvals are in place, the environmental clearance, too, was issued. Our major concern was whether the state had received height clearance from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which they had, said Satish Gavai, chairman, MCZMA and additional chief secretary, state environment department. After they submitted all permissions to us and presented a comparison of different statues in the world, we were told that the tip of Shivaji Maharajs sword will be at 210 metres.

Gavai said a verbal clearance had been issued and within a few days, the state will be given a formal response too.

Last year, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis directed the Ministry of Finance to make budgetary allocation of Rs3,600 crore for the project. However, members of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Smarak Samiti (CSMSS), the group appointed by the state government to implement the project, said that after the height increase, the project would now cost Rs4,000 crore.

The equestrian statue of the warrior king has been planned on a rocky outcrop of 15.96 hectares, roughly 1.5km from Raj Bhavan, at the southern tip of Mumbai. The memorial will have a temple, hospital, entrance modelled on the Raigad fort and a museum showcasing highlights of Shivajis life  all of which will be built in the first phase of the project, at an estimated cost of Rs2,500 crore.

CSMSS members told HT the construction work will commence from January 2018 and is expected to be completed by 2021.

MCZMA officials sanctioned the project based on technical and legal aspects of the project. We are expecting the formal response. We now have all clearances to go ahead with construction of the tallest statue, said Vinayak Mete, head, CSMSS. As opposed to the Statue of Liberty in New York or Christ the Redeemer in Rio, which are just statues, the Maratha Kings statue will have his life history on display and the coming generations will be inspired by his stories. The idea is to relay Shivaji Maharajs teachings to the world.

Mete said that in the second phase of the project, they will build a helipad and an iMAX theatre. There are several other project ideas for the second phase. However, we will need another six months to finalise them, he said.

The construction of the statue has been opposed by environmentalists and the fishing community. While activists said marine life will be affected by the landfilling that will have to be done to create an island from the rocky outcrop, fishermen have said the project will destroy fishing grounds, besides blocking the route taken by fishing boats.

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You must take all your unpopular decisions in the first three years of your government. The remaining two years must necessarily be used for sops to cool public ire  but you have to take care that nothing goes wrong in this phase of implementation. Dont give the opposition a handle to beat you with it because this is the time they are looking for gaps to step into.

That was Sharad Pawar speaking to me off-the-cuff on the Congress-led government in Maharashtra between 1999-2004. He had then thought they might find it difficult to return to power because they had accomplished nothing at all.

Three years into the current dispensation in the state, I wonder at this governments star achievements, all of which are in the offing and not yet off the ground. But the perils of unpopularity are standing on the sidelines, waiting to rush in where the government might fear to tread. CM Devendra Fadnavis himself seems to be conscious of this fact for he recently said he will make no further announcements this year, his government will concentrate only on implementation.

But it is the implementation process that is proving a serious headache to his government. I am amazed that senior BJP leaders did not see it coming this year when some Congress and NCP MLAs were suspended from the assembly during its budget session and they promptly took off on a Kisan Sangharsh Yatra. It was a trap for the government  that Yatra had to culminate into something visible for the farmers and that could only have been either minimum support prices or loan waivers.

The state could have easily offered them the first but the second was always going to be a fractious task, even when implemented correctly. I think the CM had it right at the start when he refused to consider a waiver but leaders of the farmers movement, including those in the Congress and the NCP, proved a little too much for his government. I do not think they expected Fadnavis to cave in and implement the waiver so swiftly but there was always going to be a pitfall and I am surprised that the government fell right into it.

For the Congress and the NCP were not about to cede their territory to the BJP and Sharad Pawar has pounced upon the faulty implementation which now Fadnavis, playing the bad carpenter, is blaming on his tools - the bureaucracy and banks controlled by the two opposition parties. Now Pawar has labelled Fadnavis as the most childish chief minister he has ever known and torn him apart for his mistrust of the bureaucracy and the banks.

Even Congress leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil has mocked the government by describing the loan waiver a case of historic cheating - neither party is going to allow the farmers to be even marginally satisfied with this governments implementation of the scheme and alienating the bureaucracy does not help any. I remember when former minister Datta Meghe, a Pawar acolyte in a previous government, had complained to him that the secretary of his department (Food and Civil Supplies) was not co-operating with him and failing to implement the policies as he wanted, Vilasrao Deshmukh had laughed and said, You need an iron hand in a velvet glove. You cannot whine about the bureaucrats or beg of them. You cannot dictate terms to them either. If you do not know how to lure them to your side to implement your policies, it is your failure, not theirs.

Later, when Deshmukh became chief minister and I saw him working very well with a set-up put in place by the previous Shiv Sena-BJP government, I asked him how he managed their hostility. He said, They are administrators at the end of the day and it is their job to implement policy - any policy. And policy is not their job. It is ours. You give them the broad policy and the freedom to implement the way they wish. You tell them you care only about the results. They get the message.

Fadnavis, on the other hand, is beginning to alienate his bureaucracy. After the loan waiver went awry, he said, The bureaucrats think they are know-alls and that no body can tell them anything.

Doesnt really make for good implementation, does it?

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The Supreme Court today ordered that Hadiya be produced in court on November 27 to speak in her own voice on her conversion to Islam and her marriage. She has been kept captive by her father after a division bench judgement of the high court of Kerala. Earlier, the same high court, after interviewing her had refused to hand over custody to her father, after being satisfied that she converted and married of her own free will. A change of judges led to a change of heart in the court .

The court declared the marriage void in a habeus corpus petition. Such a petition can only be used to check if a person is kept in unlawful custody, and nothing more. It literally means produce the body that has been kept in unlawful custody. In this case, the petition was filed by the father to produce his daughter. The validity of the marriage could not be gone into by the court, but it did, holding that a qualified homeopath would not convert to Islam.

Kerala offers very famous cases of Hindus who have converted to Islam, including the late poet and writer Kamala Das. What was so strange about Hadiyas conversion, when she herself appeared in court and stated that her conversion was voluntary?

We have a constitution which guarantees freedom of religion which includes the right to convert to any religion. Why then must she be denied agency to convert? And why must she be prevented from marrying a man of her choice? To this, the only answer given is that her husband is recruiting for the Islamic State. Today the Supreme Court asked which law prevents a woman from falling in love with and marrying a man who is a criminal, if indeed he us one?

The case raises issues which are fundamental, such as the limits of parental control over their adult children. When does guardianship end and independent agency begin? Hadiyas is 27 years old and with a mind of her own. To keep her in parental custody is nothing short of unlawful confinement. So complete is the custody that she has not been able to file a petition in the supreme court; the petition has been filed by her husband. An earlier plea to allow her to file an affidavit was turned down by the court.

She will now have to be produced in court, but by whom? By her custodians, her parents who have denied her access to the world? Is this fair process?

She must be set free and allowed access to her friends, husband and her lawyers before she is produced in court .

Playing politics over the bodies of women, always women, denying them agency in the matter of love and marriage is a game played by upper caste parents with their daughters who marry outside their caste in the name of kidnapping. The courts have not taken kindly to these tactics in being satisfied that the relationship is voluntary .our efforts to encourage inter caste marriages and now inter faith marriages have miserably failed, making a mokery of our secular credentials. One wonders whether similar custodial rights would be granted to Muslim parents if their daughters converted to Hinduism. Politics are best kept away from inter personal issues

One Hindu woman converting to Islam and marrying one Muslim, cannot pose a threat to national security! No one prevents the State from investigating threats to national security, but to say that an adult woman must not be allowed to convert to Islam or marry the man she loves violates her right to personal liberty and her right to freely practice the religion of her choice.

Indira Jaising has represented Hadiyas husband, the petitioner, in the Supreme Court

The views expressed are personal
The recent episode of pesticide poisoning resulting in 40 deaths and the hospitalisation of more than 700 farm workers and farmers in Vidarbha, Maharashtra, showcases the dismal state of regulation for pesticides in India. Similar reports are coming in from Telangana too. It is alarming that such a recurring hazard is allowed to continue without concrete preventive steps.

Such poisoning is a reflection of the governments apathy to upholding a fundamental right of all citizens  the Right to Life. Information shows that India continues to use 93 pesticides that have been banned or severely restricted elsewhere in the world. Eighteen pesticides are WHO Class I pesticides, classified such for their acute toxicity. The government listed only 66 pesticides as banned when the last review took place.

The episode also showcases the failure of Bt technology or the genetic modification of plants by inserting the Bacillus thurengiensis gene to control pests. The poisoning cases that we studied in a fact finding visit to Yavatmal, Maharashtra involved deadly mixtures of pesticides were being used to control multiple pests on Bt cotton. Farmers repeatedly mentioned the survival of all three kinds of bollworms on their standing crop.

Fifteen years after Bt cotton was allowed in India, the total insecticide usage in cotton has more than doubled. It increased from 4,600 MT in 2006 (when rapid expansion of Bt cotton began) to 11,598 MT in 2013. The per-hectare usage shot up from 0.50 kg/ha in 2006 to 0.97 kg/ha by 2013.

Bt cotton was brought in to ostensibly control bollworms, and reduce chemical pesticide usage, after the very corporations which made their profits on pesticides showcased the ills of these poisons and claimed that GM seeds were the solution. These corporations, however, did not close down their chemical business.

It was on this Bt cotton as well as illegally-sold herbicide tolerant (HT) cotton that most of the farmers in Vidarbha were frantically spraying various pesticides. The large scale unauthorised cultivation of HT cotton also means the illegal use of glyphosate (which is not to be used in cotton), spurring the growth in consumption of this chemical banned or restricted elsewhere. Civil society groups have complained to the regulators repeatedly on the dangers of glyphosate, but to no avail.

Incidentally, GM mustard, which is at the centre of public debate in India now, is also herbicide-tolerant and can withstand the direct spray of a weed killer called glufosinate which recently the French health regulator disallowed.

That brings us to the functioning of the apex regulatory bodies for GMOs as well as pesticides in India. The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) as well as Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee (CIBRC) have similar mandates, of protecting citizens health and environment from the dangers of two agri-technologies, transgenics and pesticides respectively.

However, both regulators function opaquely with no bio-safety data being shared publicly. The two do not insist on independent scientific evidence and scientific scrutiny. No long-term research is made mandatory for assessing chronic impacts. A clear liability regime is missing, which would otherwise make specific parties accountable when things go wrong. Both regulators disregard the constitutional authority of state governments over agriculture, and keep crucial decision-making with the Centre whereas states (and farmers and other citizens) are made to contend with the negative fallouts of these technologies.

One of the better ways they can uphold their regulatory mandates is by beginning with a critical, yet simple step: When an application is received, ask whether that particular GMO or (synthetic) pesticide is needed in the first place and whether there are no alternatives.

Many of these issues have been highlighted by the Renuka Chowdhary-led Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology/Environment & Forests in its recent report tabled in Parliament. In a crucial hearing on the matter on November 22, the Supreme Court is expected to adjudicate on the matter of recommendations given by its own independent technical experts. It is hoped that a regulatory overhaul is taken up for both GMOs and pesticides that actually fulfils the mandate for regulation: Protecting citizens health and environment from the risks of these technologies.

Kavitha Kuruganti is convenor, Alliance for Sustainable & Holistic Agriculture (ASHA)

The views expressed are personal
China, the worlds communist behemoth, is at a turning point in its history  one that will have profound implications for the rest of the world, but especially for neighbouring India. The just-concluded 19th national congress of the Chinese Communist Party put its imprimatur on President Xi Jinpings centralisation of power by not naming a clear successor to him and signalling the collective leadership systems quiet demise. The congress, in essence, was about Xis coronation as Chinas new emperor.

To be sure, the lurch toward totalitarianism didnt happen suddenly. Xi spent his first five-year term steadily concentrating powers in himself, while tightening censorship and using anti-corruption probes to take down political enemies. A year ago, he got the party to bestow on him the title of core leader.

Now, in his second term, Xi will likely centralise power in a way China hasnt seen since Mao Zedong. Xi, in some ways, is already more powerful than Mao.

Domestic politics in any country, including a major democracy like the United States, has a bearing on its foreign policy. The link between Chinas traditionally cut-throat internal politics and its external policy has been apparent since the Mao era. For example, China launched the 1962 invasion of India after Maos Great Leap Forward left millions of Chinese dead in the worst man-made famine in history. The resulting damage to his credibility, according to the Chinese scholar Wang Jisi, served as a strong incentive for Mao to reassert his leadership through a war.

In the run-up to the party congress, two senior military generals disappeared from public view, including the top-ranking general holding the position equivalent to the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff. Xi has ruthlessly cut to size any institution or group that could pose a potential challenge to his authority. By purging scores of generals, he has sought to tame the powerful Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). More recently, Xi has also gone after Chinas new tycoons in order to block the rise of Russia-style oligarchs.

Control and nationalism are the guiding themes in Xis approach, which centres on the State being in charge of all aspects of public life. Such an approach risks cultivating a pressure cooker syndrome.

It is true that even before Xi assumed power, an increasingly nationalistic, assertive China staked out a more muscular role. Chinas proclivity to bare its claws, however, has become more pronounced under Xi. His government has aggressively used construction activity to change the status quo in relation to land and sea frontiers and cross-border river flows. In his three-and-a-half-hour speech to the party congress, Xi actually cited South China Sea reef and island construction as one of his major achievements.

In truth, Xi aspires to become modern Chinas most transformative leader. Just as Mao helped to create a reunified and independent China and Deng set in motion Chinas economic rise, Xi wants to make China the central player in the international order.

Now that Xis pet One Belt One Road (OBOR) project has been enshrined in the partys constitution, the world will likely witness a greater Chinese propensity to use geo-economic tools to achieve larger geostrategic objectives. The $1-trillion OBOR, however, symbolises the risk of Chinas strategic overreach: The majority of the nations in OBOR are junk rated or not graded. Chinas OBOR drive is actually beginning to encounter a backlash in several countries.

Even so, the sycophancy with which senior officials abased themselves to extol Xi at the party congress indicates there is no room for debate in a one-man-led China. Xis neo-Maoist dictatorship will likely spell trouble for the free world, especially Asias two main democracies  India and Japan. The world will likely see a China more assertive in the Indo-Pacific, more determined to achieve global superpower status, and more prone to employing coercion and breaching established rules.

Xis goal essentially is to make China the worlds pre-eminent power by 2049  the centennial of communist rule. The longest any autocratic system has survived in modern history was 74 years in the Soviet Union. When China overtakes that record, Xi may still be in power. But with the partys ideological mask no longer credible, the longer term prospects of continued communist rule are far from certain.

Xis new strength and power actually obscures Chinas internal risks, including the fundamental challenge of how to avoid a political hard landing. As for Xi, he needs to watch his back, having made many enemies at home in his no-holds-barred effort to concentrate power in his own hands.

Brahma Chellaney is a geostrategist and author

The views expressed are personal
A 10-year-old boy from Morya Shiksha Sansthan (MSS) High School in Chinchwad, was beaten up by the school teacher after he failed to provide his Aadhaar number. The incident came to light after a case was lodged on Saturday, weeks after the child was hit on the back of his knees. The student had to undergo a surgery due to an infection in his knee caused due to the beating.

The teacher, according to police, was identified only as Kharat, while the police are still looking for his whereabouts. The incident happened in the last week of September when 10-year-old Shreeshanth Mallikarjun Belle failed to bring his Aadhaar number to class, said the complaint.

We dont have the address of the teacher as the school is closed for the weekend. We will have more details tomorrow when the school reopens, said UP Deshmukh, police sub-inspector.

Kharat sir, who teaches Hindi and Arts at the school and is the childs class teacher, hit the Class 5 student behind his left knee, which caused internal injury, according to the police. The internal injury was infected and the child had to undergo a surgery in order to treat it, according to the parents complaint.

The 10-year-old spent nine days, between October 6 and October 15, in Chaitanya hospital in order to undergo the surgery and required treatment, according to a police report.

After Shreeshanth recovered from the surgery, a complaint was filed by Shreeshanths mother, Sangeeta Belle (35), at Chinchwad police station. The police are yet to find out the reason behind the demand of the pupils Aadhaar number by the school teacher.

He was so scared to tell me what had happened. We took him to the doctor and tried pills prescribed by the doctor. After 7-8 days, he could he could not bare the pain. So we took him to the hospital. While admitting him, he told us what had happened. After an X-ray and MRI, the doctor told us about the infection. With a bill of Rs 2 1.5 lakh, we still have to give him two salines everyday at home, Sangeeta Belle said while speaking to Hindustan Times.

She also said that she had provided a copy of his details, including a copy of his Aadhaar, to the school and to Kharat. The school was planning to come up with a mobile application for parents to send circulars and notifications. Maybe that is why they needed the number. So I provided them with his details whenever they asked for it. What was the need to hit him like that? she asked.
Watching her favourite cartoon on television at home, little did the 10-year-old rape victim know that just in a few hours a local court will seal the fate of her two maternal uncles, who raped her and one of them impregnated her at this tender age.

As the staff and judicial officer of the fast-track trial court prepared for the verdict  three-and-a-half months after the heinous crime came to light  and UT cops got ready to take the two accused to court from the high-security Burail jail, the girl was alone at her home in a southern sector of the city on Tuesday afternoon.

I am unwell. So I did not go to school, she said, even as she has been regularly attending the school after giving birth to a girl on August 17.

Her electrician father and mother, who works as a domestic help, were away for work, while her elder sister had gone to school.

Notwithstanding the trauma the family has gone through in the past months, they chose to skip the hearing.

In the evening, after the two accused had been convicted of rape, her mother  who was back from work by now  preferred to maintain privacy and drew the curtains of their one-room quarter.

Earlier, in court, the womans two cousins appeared expressional as additional district and sessions judge Poonam R Joshi held them guilty.

While the defence counsels appeared anxious, it seemed the duo didnt even register what was happening.

Even as the wife of the younger uncle  who fathered the minors child  was present for the verdict, the family of his elder brother  who are in Nepal  gave the hearing a miss.

With the court giving its verdict, the two face up to life imprisonment. The quantum of sentence will be pronounced on Thursday.

The two have been found guilty under Section 376 (2) (f) (i) (n)  committing rape on a woman when she is under 12 years of age, a relative and it involves repeated intercourse  of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Sections 5(i)  penetrative sexual assault on the child more than once or repeatedly  and 6  aggravated penetrative sexual assault  of the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act, 2012.

The ordeal

It was on July 14 that doctors found the girl to be 30-week pregnant when her mother took her to hospital after she complained of a stomach ache. A local court dismissed the girls abortion plea, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court, as the doctors said the procedure would be too risky.

On the girls complaint, police arrested her mothers cousin, who was a guard at a local hotel, for rape. But the case turned on its head when the DNA samples of the girls child  who took birth on August 17  didnt match with those of the uncle, as first reported by Hindustan Times on September 11.

Seventeen days later, police arrested the mans younger brother, who turned out to be the main accused.

The girl told police that she was first raped by the younger uncle, a cook with the same hotel as his brother, around Christmas in 2016. The older uncle, too, assaulted her repeatedly from April till early July, she said. Initially, the girl didnt name the younger uncle, fearing he would come good on his threat of killing her parents.

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The accused in the double murder case of journalist KJ Singh and his mother  Gaurav Kumar  has a criminal case registered against him back at his village in Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahr district, the Aurangabad police informed their Mohali counterparts on Monday after rechecking his background.

Kumar had been involved in a scuffle in 2013 and has a case under the Section 325 (punishment for voluntarily causing grievous hurt) of the Indian Penal Code registered against him at the Aurangabad police station.

The Aurangabad police had earlier told the team of Mohali police, which had travelled to Kumars native village to verify his background, that Kumars record was clean.

However, Mohali police insisted on rechecking Kumars previous record as they had come to know about his involvement in criminal cases during interrogation. Deputy superintendent of police (city-1) Alam Vijay Singh has also confirmed about the case against Kumar.

Meanwhile, the police are also verifying the record books of the neighbouring areas of Bulandshahr from where he had allegedly fled with his live-in partner.

Original number plate recovered

Police have also recovered the original number plate of KJs green Ikon car and said that Kumar got it replaced with a fake one from a mechanic at Mohalis Kumbra.
Anu Emmanuel is currently one among the most sought after heroines in Telugu filmdom. She has two biggies in her kitty -- a project with Allu Arjuns Naa Peru Surya and the yet-untitled Pawan Kalyan film. Although she already has two Telugu releases to her credit, her debut film Oxygen is gearing for release soon.

The Action Hero Biju actress considers it a blessing to be working with Pawan Kalyan. Talking to Deccan Chronicle, she said, I was really scared on the first day of my shoot with Pawan sir. It was a romantic scene and I was prepared for all my lines, but once I saw him, I forgot all my lines. He is a cool person and jokes a lot, she says. Anu also believes that she is lucky to have bagged this film early in her career. Standing next to Pawan is a blessing for me. She also has a yet-untitled Telugu film opposite Naga Chaitanya. After I wrap up the Telugu projects, I am planning to sign a Malayalam film too.

Naa Peru Surya and Pawan Kalyan starrer will make or break Anus career in Tollywood. If these films turn out to be successful, theres no turning back for her. She is also exploring opportunities in Tamil. Her last Tamil outing was Vishal starrer Thupparivaalan, in which she plays a pickpocket.

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Amidst rumours that the box-office collections of Vijay-starrer Mersal are fake, according to a leading Chennai-based distributor, the makers of the film on Monday officially announced that the film has grossed over Rs 200 crore worldwide in just 12 days. According to some trade reports, Mersal is the second Tamil film to have entered Rs 200 crore club after Rajinikanths Enthiran. Vijay has become the third south Indian actor have a Rs 200 crore grossing film to his credit after Rajinikanth and Prabhas.

Mersal has set new records in many markets. In Kerala, with Rs 19 crore gross and counting the film is all set to become the biggest non-Malayalam grosser in the state. In Malaysia, having earned Rs 17 crore gross in 12 days since its release, the film is the third biggest grosser in the country after Dilwale and Kabali. Outside India, the film has so far grossed over a whopping $11 million (Rs 71 crore) and has become the third biggest overseas grosser this year after Baahubali 2 and Raees. With Mersal, Vijay has expanded his base outside Tamil Nadu with highly impressive numbers.

All eyes are on Vijays next with AR Murugadoss as they team up for the third time after Thuppakki and Kaththi. Fans are hoping to see another blockbuster and it has to be seen if Murugadoss can deliver after the disastrous failure of Spyder. Vijay might also reunite with director Atlee following the runaway success of Mersal. However, this project might only happen in the second half of next year. Atlee, meanwhile, is rumoured to team up with Sivakarthikeyan for a new project.

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The northeast monsoon eased up over Chennai and coastal areas of Tamil Nadu around noon on Tuesday, providing respite to residents overwhelmed by near-continuous rainfall over the last 24 hours.

The worst, however, is far from over. Schools and colleges remained shut in Chennai and adjoining districts of Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur, and the Met office has predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall for the next three days. Several low-lying areas continued to be waterlogged, forcing people to wade through waist-deep water. Traffic snarls were also reported at regions inundated after last nights downpour.

The rain, which began on Monday morning, has caused a single death due to wall collapse in Chennai so far. Two youngsters were also fatally struck by lightning in suburban Ankaputhur.

More heavy rainfall is predicted for today, said S Balachander, director of the Area Cyclone Warning Centre at the Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai. The Met office recorded 193 mm rain at Nungambakkam and 184 mm rain at Meenambakkam Airport on Tuesday morning.

Water-logging of up to two feet was reported from Chembakkam, in the vicinity of Tambaram. Two-wheelers were also submerged, making it difficult for riders to negotiate the roads.

Rain water flooded subways at Vyasarpadi in North Chennai, making it difficult for commuters to reach the local railway station. The areas that witnessed heavy water-logging included Anna Nagar, Vadapalani, West Mambalam, T Nagar, Ashok Nagar junction, Nandanam, Mogappair, Ambattur, Perambur, Mudichur and Perangalathur.

State fisheries minister D Jayakumar allayed fears of a repeat of the 2015 floods, assuring people that the government was well-prepared this time. We can handle the situation, much like foreign countries do. We are prepared, he told mediapersons.

Chennai municipal corporation commissioner D Kartikeyan said Chennai was prepared to face any flood-like situation. We had cleared storm water drains and identified chronic water stagnation points. As many as 400 suction pumps are being employed to empty water-logged areas, he said.

On the bright side, the weather situation has addressed Chennais water shortage concerns to a large extent. The rain is filling up catchment areas of Chennais reservoirs  Poondi lake, Cholavaram lake, Redhills lake and Chembarapakkam lake  which provide drinking water to the city. Public Works Department officials said Chembarpakkam lake and Puzhal lake have filled up to 20% and 25% respectively.

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Telangana leader A Revanth Reddy, who resigned from Telugu Desam Party last week, on Tuesday joined the Congress in the presence of party vice president Rahul Gandhi.

Reddy joined along with several of his supporters, including some former legislators from the state. He also resigned as a legislator from Kodangal constituency in the state.

Gandhi welcomed Reddy into the party fold and offered him some sweets. We wish him all the success!, the party said on its Twitter handle.

Reddy was arrested in the cash-for-vote case after he was caught on camera allegedly offering money to a nominated MLA for his vote in the MLC election in 2015.

He had quit TDP on October 28 amid reports claiming that he had met Gandhi and was about to join the Congress.

Reddy, who was TDPs state working president and floor leader in the Telangana assembly, had caused a stir by accusing some leaders of Andhra Pradesh TDP, including two ministers, of securing huge financial contracts from the TRS government in Telangana.

AICC secretary incharge for Telangana R C Khuntia and Telangana Congress chief N Uttam Reddy were present when the announcement was made at the party headquarters here today.

Khuntia said that Reddy had joined the Congress not for any gains as the party was neither in power in Telangana nor in Andhra Pradesh.

Uttam Reddy said Congress is the only alternative party and Rahul Gandhi the alternative leader.

Revanth Reddy later lamented that the state government had not prepared a list of those who gave their lives in the Telangana Andolan for giving compensation to their families, and to those youths whose studies suffered.

Telangana, he said, is a state which has the second- highest farmer suicides after Maharashtra and the government of Telangana has not done anything in this regard. PTI SKC RT
More than 200 people were killed when tunnels at North Koreas Punggye-ri nuclear test site collapsed after the test of a hydrogen bomb last month, Japans Asahi TV reported on Tuesday.

The collapse occurred while a tunnel was being constructed at Punggye-ri in the northeastern part of the country this month, the channel cited North Korean sources as saying.

About 100 workers were killed in the initial accident and there was a collapse during a rescue operation, resulting in a death toll of more than 200, the report said.

The test site was affected by North Koreas sixth nuclear blast on September 3 involving a 100-kiloton hydrogen bomb, which was about seven times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped by the US on Hiroshima in 1945.

It is believed that the ground was loose due to the sixth nuclear test conducted on September 3, Asahi TV reported.

The Korea Meteorological Agency said the test with the hydrogen bomb had created a crater of 60 metres to 100 metres under the mountain where there is a nuclear test site.

The agency had also said there is a possibility that radioactive substances may leak out in the future if more nuclear tests are conducted at the site.

Experts had said a series of tremors and landslides near the Punggye-ri nuclear test site meant the sixth and largest blast has destabilised the region, and the site might not be used for much longer to test nuclear weapons.

The series of quakes prompted experts to suspect the test of the hydrogen bomb may have damaged the mountainous location where all of North Koreas six nuclear tests were conducted.

South Koreas National Intelligence Service has said that North Korea was possibly preparing two new tunnels for tests after the test of the hydrogen bomb. The tunnel used for the first nuclear test had been shut down, while a second tunnel had been used for the next five tests.

This second tunnel could have collapsed after the test of the hydrogen bomb, experts said.
China on Tuesday officially confirmed for the first time the death of two of its nationals who were abducted and executed by the Islamic State in Pakistans Balochistan province earlier this year.

The kidnapping of the two young Chinese citizens in their twenties in Balochistan, which is at the heart of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), in May had triggered alarm bells in Beijing and highlighted the risks involved in the multi-billion dollar flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

On Monday, the Pakistan government condemned the killing of of two Chinese nationals, according to a statement released by the Foreign Office. We condemn the abduction and murder of two innocent Chinese nationals, the statement said.

A DNA test determined the identity of the dead foreigners as husband and wife, identified as Li Zang Hing and Ming Leassi Ha. They were kidnapped by unidentified men from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, on May 24 and killed the following month.

On Tuesday, Chinas foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying confirmed their deaths and expressed sincere sympathies to the relatives of the victims.

We hope Pakistan can continue all-out efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice, Hua said. China condemns all forms of terrorism and violent attacks on innocent civilians.

Hua said that China attaches high importance to the security and legitimate rights and interests of its citizens abroad. She urged overseas Chinese citizens to take note of all alerts and heighten their awareness.

The two Chinese nationals were first said to be teachers at a language centre but in later versions put out by Pakistani authorities  and supported by Chinese state media  they were made out to be Christian preachers working for a South Korean priest.

Seoul had rejected allegations that the two were Christian preachers misled by a South Korean. Officials had confirmed that 12 Chinese nationals were taking Urdu lessons in a school run by a South Korean in Quetta.
There has been a four-fold increase in the number of India-born Portuguese citizens migrating to Britain since 2012, with anxieties over their stay in the country after Brexit not putting off migrants from the former Portuguese colony of Goa.

The Office for National Statistics told Hindustan Times that from 7,000 Portuguese citizens resident in Britain in 2012 who were born in India, the figure has gone up to 28,000 in the year ending June 2017. Most of them have settled in London, Swindon and Leicester.

Portuguese nationality law allows people born before Goas liberation on December 19, 1961, and their children, to opt for its citizenship, which makes them citizens of the European Union and thus eligible to migrate, live and work in any of the 28 countries of the EU.

There is some fear at the back of the mind due to Brexit, but that has not stopped more Goans from giving up Indian citizenship and applying for Portuguese nationality. The situation is bad in Goa, many dont see a future there, Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, the Congress MLA from Curtorim currently on a visit to London, told Hindustan Times.

Most of those leaving Goa are youngsters, they are not leaving out of love of London or Britain, but they just dont get jobs there. Some are scared about the future. Not only Catholics, many Hindus have opted for Portuguese passports and left.

The migration of Goans to Britain via Portuguese citizenship has led to demands that the Theresa May government stop the loophole that allows the alleged back door entry to the UK, since most do not go to Portugal but migrate to Britain.

As Portuguese citizens, they are part of the estimated 3 million EU citizens in Britain currently caught up in Brexit talks over their continued stay in the country. Prime Minister May has linked their fate to that of 1.5 million British citizens in EU countries after Brexit.

Brexit is not really a worry because Goans as you know have migrated to various countries over the centuries, to Africa, Europe and elsewhere. We will see how Brexit plays out, but dont think it will affect us adversely, said John Menezes, a structural engineer from Panaji who migrated to London in 2016 with his son after acquiring Portuguese nationality.

The presence of recently arrived Goans is apparent in places such as Heathrow, Southall and Hounslow, where many have found employment in the hospitality and retail sectors. Dwindling church attendance in the area has been boosted by their arrival.

Brexit is no longer in the forefront of Goans minds. In fact, the concern is more about the overall economy and how the pounds fluctuations will affect decisions such as buying houses. After all, Goans are survivors, we have seen the worst in Africa too, said Rabi Martins, councillor in Watford and a senior local leader of the Liberal Democrats.

However, Panaji-origin civil servant Jaime Barreto added: We are still not aware of the rules that will apply post-Brexit. Many Goans with Portuguese citizenship, who have been here for some years, have started applying for British passports just to be on the safe side.

According to Lourenco, many Goans in Britain will return home after working here. There have already been some examples of such Portuguese citizens returning to Goa, he said, and refuted claims that Goans were living in miserable conditions in London and elsewhere.

They are not beggars who came here, they are certainly not living miserably, as some MLAs have claimed in Goa. There is dignity of work here, they dont want to stay indefinitely, but return after working and improving their economic conditions, he said.

Thousands of Goans gathered in the grounds of the Cranford Community College in west London on August 7 for the annual Goa Festival. Organised by the Goan Association UK (established in 1966), the event saw one of the largest gatherings in recent years.

There are three Goa-origin MPs in the House of Commons: Keith Vaz, Valerie Vaz (both Labour) and Suella Fernandes (Conservative).

Portugal was the first Western country to colonise parts of India (Goa, from 1510) and the last to leave (in 1961).

India-born UK residents with Portuguese nationality:

2012 7,000

2013 13,000

2014 13,000

2015 21,000

2016 25,000

2017 28,000

(Source: Estimates with less than 5% variation from the Office for National Statistics, UK)

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Apples Tim Cook and Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, state media said on Tuesday, as the Communist Party pushes for a larger role in private firms.

The meeting came days after Xi secured his position as Chinas most powerful leader since Mao and as Facebook seeks to gain entry to the massive market.

As a beneficiary of and contributor to economic globalisation, Chinas development is the opportunity for the world, Xi told the annual gathering of advisers to Tsinghua Universitys School of Economics and Management, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Under Xi, the Communist Party has increasingly tightened its grip on state-owned companies and has asked foreign firms to include party cells in their offices.

The move has raised concerns that the party might try to create alternative power structures within companies and potentially exercise control over management decisions, as it has in the case of state-owned enterprises.

Of the more than 100,000 foreign-funded companies in China, 70% had set up party organisations by the end of 2016, according to Qi Yu, deputy head of the partys Organisation Department.

Foreign companies regularly complain about the lack of access to Chinese markets and Zuckerberg in particular has made a big show of courting the countrys top leadership in hopes of convincing Beijing to relax its ban on Facebook.

The Silicon Valley entrepreneur has been photographed with a collection of Xis writings and happily jogging across Tiananmen Square in choking pollution. He has also given a lecture in China in halting Chinese.

The company has recently begun staffing up on the mainland, but appears to have made little progress in convincing Beijing to change its mind, a prospect that seems even less likely as the country tightens social media controls.

Tsinghua Universitys business school has attracted a bevy of A-list advisers from the worlds of tech and finance, including Blackstones Stephen Schwarzman, Goldman Sachs Lloyd Blankfein, and Teslas Elon Musk, as well as Chinas own leading entrepreneurs, such as Alibabas Jack Ma.
Ahead of US President Donald Trumps visit to China in November, a top Chinese envoy to the US has said that Beijing and America will have some practical cooperation on one belt one road (OBOR) initiative.

The Belt and Road Initiative is a demand of the worlds development, and it should follow the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration, Chinese ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai told reporters at a media briefing here.

This initiative is not limited by the geographical region, it is open to the world, so we welcome the US to join us. Lots of political experts and entrepreneurs are very interested in it. We already have had some discussion, he said.

I hope we can deepen these communication, and China and US will have some practical cooperation with the Belt and Road Initiative, Cui said in response to a question amid reports that Japan, India and the US are working on initiatives that would provide alternative financing to countries seeking investment.

Cui said there should be no strategic competition between China and the US.

The two countries should find a way to co-exist based on a win-win cooperation, he said.

I think the so-called China model, the meaning of China model, shows to the world that the development of a country does not need to follow a specific pattern. Each country should find a development path that suits its own national conditions. Every country should have a custom development model and this is the core meaning of China model. It shows possibility to the world, he said.

Noting that in Chinese there is an expression: harmony but not uniformity, he said, to achieve a harmonious world which is set up on the basis that fully reflects diversity, if China did it, that is to show all other countries of the world that they can follow this way as well.

In English, there is a term called all roads lead to Rome, and every country can go its own way. China has taken the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics for so many years. It was quite a success so far, Cui said adding that he believes that that is an inspiration to many nations.

I dont suppose anyone can draw out a pessimistic negative conclusion from this. It should be said that if China were successful with this idea, it will lead the world to a brighter future. Who is gonna be pessimistic about a bright future? he asked in response to another question.

Cui said Trumps first visit to China will be a historic moment. Trump would be the first head of State to visit China after the recently concluded 19th Party Congress, which laid the blueprint for Chinas development in next few decades.

This conference confirmed that China will stick to the path of peaceful development and the win-win strategy of opening-up, as well as seek the common interests and strengthen the cooperation with powerful countries, he said.

Such a situation will ensure a successful visit. I hope, and I believe that this meeting between the two leaders will give a clear direction and strategy on the development of the two nations. If an agreement can be reached in the highest strategic dialogue between the US and China, which is primarily favorable for two countries and international society, he said.

There are many regional and global issues that the two countries need to solve. I think, many countries in the world have high expectations about the constructive partnership between China and the US, he added.

I hope, China and the US, as permanent members of UN Security Council, as the first and the second largest economics, can take the obligations and play a role in cooperating in the international community, facing the global challenges, and strengthening the global governance. We also hope that this can be one of the achievements of Trumps visit, Cui said.
Danish inventor Peter Madsen has admitted to dismembering Swedish journalist Kim Wall onboard his submarine in August and dumping her body parts in the sea, but he still denies killing her, police said on Monday.

Police said in a statement Madsen had told them in an October 14 interrogation that Wall, 30, had died from carbon monoxide poisoning inside the submarine, while he was on the deck of the vessel.

Police would now gather additional information from coroners and submarine experts from the Danish defence command.

In past court hearings, Madsen said that Wall had died accidentally after being hit by a heavy hatch cover on his UC3 Nautilus submarine.

This family handout photo shows Swedish journalist Kim Wall. Danish submarine inventor Peter Madsen has admitted dismembering the body of Wall. (AFP)

Police said they would now extend the charges against Madsen - which already include murder and mutilating Walls body - to include sexual assault without intercourse, based on 14 interior and exterior stab wounds to the journalists genitals.

Kim Wall had suffered 14 stabs in and around the genitals and it is due to these stabs that we have said that there must have been a sexual motive, police spokesman Jens Moller Jensen told journalists in Copenhagen.

Madsen denies the murder and sexual assault charges.

The cause of death was still unknown, said Jensen.

Wall, a freelance journalist who was researching a story on Madsen, went missing after he took her out to sea in the 17-metre submarine in August.

On August 23, police identified a headless female torso that washed ashore in Copenhagen as Walls.

Walls arms as well as her and Madsens mobile phones are still missing and the police are currently assessing if divers should continue the search for them.

Earlier this month, police said they had also recovered Walls head and legs. They said they found no skull fracture, despite Madsens earlier account that she had been hit on the head by the hatch cover.

The submarine is one of three that Madsen built, and one of the largest of its kind privately produced in the world. It could carry eight people and weighed 40 tonnes fully equipped.

The case has been scheduled to run for eight days at Copenhagens district court from March 8, 2018.
Exxon Mobil has pulled out of a major project in Pakistan, in a potential blow to plans to boost imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) after years of winter shortages.

Differences among the six-member group behind the project in Port Qasim in Karachi mean French oil major Total and Japans Mitsubishi may also quit and join a rival scheme, government officials and industry sources told Reuters.

A senior Pakistani government official put the chances of success for the project, set to be Pakistans third and biggest by import capacity, at 10-20% due to the disagreements.

A highly developed pipeline grid, extensive industrial demand and the biggest natural gas-powered vehicle fleet in Asia after China and Iran make Pakistan an easy fit for LNG, and official estimates show imports could jump five-fold to 30 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) by 2022.

The new project would include a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), where LNG will be converted back into gas for feeding into the countrys grid.

Qatar Petroleum, the worlds biggest LNG producer, Turkish developer Global Energy Infrastructure Limited (GEIL) and Norways Hoegh LNG, which will provide the FSRU, are the other partners.

While Exxon has pulled out, the US company is now negotiating to join a separate project, said Hasil Bizenjo, Pakistans maritime affairs minister in-charge of ports.

They are thinking to build a new terminal in Port Qasim, Bizenjo told Reuters in Islamabad, adding that Mitsubishi and Total were also in talks about taking stakes in another consortium.

Exxon was pulling out because it had issues with partners, particularly the developer, GEIL, one energy official said. Exxons move leaves in doubt a multi-billion dollar deal Qatar has already struck with GEIL for the sale of up to 2.3 million tonnes of LNG annually over 20 years.

Exxon Mobil, Total and GEIL declined to comment, while a Mitsubishi spokesman said the Japanese company has been continuing its talks with partners over the project.

Qatar Petroleum did not respond to requests for comment.

New investors?

LNG imports have transformed Pakistans energy map since the countrys first import facility was introduced in 2015.

If the second LNG terminal proceeds without glitches, the South Asian nation will not suffer winter gas shortages for the first time in more than 10 years, energy officials say, in a likely boost for Prime Minister Shahid Abbasis ruling PML-N party before the next general election due in mid-2018.

Government officials and industry sources said talks are underway to bring new players into the project, including Swiss trading house Vitol, which declined to comment.

Rival traders Trafigura and Gunvor are already developing LNG projects in Pakistan, betting the country will account for a rising share of future profits and LNG trade.

Pakistan plans to add its second LNG import terminal by the end of this year, but private companies have proposed building six more largely around Port Qasim.
President Donald Trump dressed up as himself, complete with his trademark red tie, for his first Halloween in the White House.

Trump and first lady Melania Trump greeted some of the 6,000 children and adults who were invited for trick-or-treating at the White House on Halloween eve.

Children from more than 20 schools in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia attended the festivities on the South Lawn, along with military families and members of unspecified community organisations.

Spooky music played over loudspeakers. Machines cranked out fog. Pumpkins carved with the likenesses of past presidents decorated the south entrance of the White House. Black spiders hung from webs spun between the porticos columns. A sign over an awning proclaimed Halloween at the White House 2017.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump hand out treats as they welcome children at the White House. (AP)

Trump and the first lady, who wore a calf-length coat in the crisp air, welcomed dinosaurs, athletes, police officers, skeletons and more. Trick-or-treaters took home individual gift bags containing presidential M&Ms, a home-baked cookie and other candies.

Trump and his wife chatted with their guests, with the President at times going in for a high-five or posing for photos, including with White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and her family, as well as a skeleton accompanied by a kid sporting one of Trumps Make America Great Again caps. Mrs Trump wished the trick-or-treaters Happy Halloween.

Halloween decoration seen during an event hosted by US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump at the White House. (REUTERS)

Several members of the Cabinet came out for the fun, including education secretary Betsy DeVos, dressed as Ms Frizzle from The Magic School Bus, and veterans affairs secretary David Shulkin, sporting a make-believe knife through the head.

The President held a brief, pre-Halloween celebration in the Oval Office last Friday with the children of White House reporters. He congratulated the journalists for doing a good job raising children, if not for their coverage of his presidency, and handed out small boxes of White House Hersheys Kisses.

Halloween decoration seen during an event hosted by US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump at the White House. (REUTERS)

I cannot believe the media produced such beautiful kids. How the media did this, I dont know, Trump exclaimed as the youngsters crowded around his historic desk.

Halloween has been celebrated at the White House since the mid-20th century, with each administration putting its spin on the holiday, according to the White House Historical Association.

First lady Mamie Eisenhower decorated the White House for Halloween for the first time. She invited staff members wives to an October 30, 1958, lunch in the State Dining Room, which had been decorated with hanging skeletons and jack-o-lanterns. Tables were adorned with miniature witches on broomsticks.

Large events have been held on the White House grounds or in staterooms since the administration of Richard M Nixon. In 1969, 250 local children attended a White House Halloween party where the Pennsylvania Avenue entrance was converted into the mouth of a 17-foot-high pumpkin. The Nixons also held parties in 1971 and 1972.

George HW Bush and first lady Barbara Bush threw a party for 600 schoolchildren on the South Lawn in 1989, his first year in office.

Bill and Hillary Clinton held yearly Halloween costume parties for friends and White House staff, often combining them with birthday celebrations for the first lady, who was born on October 26. One of their most memorable appearances came when they attended a 1993 White House Halloween party dressed as President James Madison and first lady Dolley Madison.

Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama welcomed children from local schools and military families every year he was in office, except 2012, when Superstorm Sandy struck the East Coast. They handed out goodie bags with treats similar to Trumps. Except the Obamas included dried fruit  a nod to Mrs Obamas campaign against childhood obesity.
Did you ever resent your colleagues for the countless number of times they stepped out for cigarette breaks?

Finally, there is hope that you will be rewarded. A Japanese company is granting non-smoking employees extra six days of paid holidays a year.

The decision at a Tokyo-based marketing firm, Piala Inc, came after someone from a non-smoker staff put a message in its suggestion box complaining that they were working more than their colleagues, who took regular cigarette breaks.

Piala Incs chief executive Takao Asuka, a non-smoker, decided to take the suggestion and compensate his employees.

I hope to encourage employees to quit smoking through incentives rather than penalties or coercion, Asuka told Kyodo News.

According to a Telegraph report, the firm is based on the 29th floor of an office block and staff say any cigarette break lasts at least 15 minutes.

The non-smokers perk, which was introduced in September, has prompted four people to give up smoking and 30 of the companys 120 employees have availed the additional days off under the new scheme.

But Piala Inc isnt the only company to regulate in-house smoking as the Japanese government is working to prevent second-hand smoking in the country ahead of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

Kyodo News reported that convenience store chain Lawson Inc introduced an all-day ban on smoking at its offices in June. It was done with an eye toward lowering the ratio of smokers to its entire workforce by around 10 percentage points in fiscal 2018 from 33 percent in fiscal 2016.

Japan, which has the reputation of being a smokers paradise, has seen strong anti-smoking campaigns in the past. Earlier this year, campaigners called on the government to make restaurants and bars smoke-free in time for the Tokyo Olympics.
Within minutes of President Donald Trumps triumphant tweet screaming NO COLLUSION, the office of special counsel Robert Mueller announced a guilty plea entered by Trump campaign aide George Papadopoulos on lying to investigators about his Russia connection.

That had seemed like collusion. Trump went completely silent and let his aides deal with it by downplaying Papadapoulos role. Until Tuesday morning, when he tweeted, Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George (he is 30 years old), who has already proven to be a liar.

Papadopoulos has indeed been found lying and has pleaded guilty to it. But he has been cooperating with the investigation in a plea deal since his arrest on July 27. He has met investigators numerous occasions to provide information and answer questions, Muellers office said in a court filing.

Papadopoulos was not exactly the lowly volunteer he has been made out to be. He was a foreign policy adviser to the campaign and there is even a picture circulating of him with Trump.

But the White House dismissed it saying, The president has thousands of photographs with millions of people 

He joined the campaign in March 2016 and around the same time, he started working towards a meeting between the campaign and the Russians, with the help of a London-based man identified in court filings as The Professor and The Female Russian National, also called Putins niece.

Papadopoulos was also in touch with an official in the Russian foreign ministry.

The Professor had told him the Russians had dirt on Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails, which had still not been made public (that would be done months later by WikiLeaks). Court filings and news reports suggest he didnt succeed in getting the meeting.

But not for want of effort. Court filings cited several of them. One was addressed to someone named the Campaign Supervisor, who has since been identified by The Washington Post to be Sam Clovis, a former Iowa state radio host who was the national co-chair of the Trump campaign.

Asked if he was the high ranking campaign official who received several emails from Papadopoulos, erstwhile campaign manager Corey Lewandowski told NBC on Tuesday: Youre asking me to remember an email from April of 2016 when, on any given day, I wouldve received a thousand emails, and this would have come from a low-level volunteer.

Then campaign chairman Paul Manafort is said to be the another high-ranking campaign official in the court documents and his deputy Rick Gates was identified as another campaign official, according to news reports that have not been challenged or denied.

Papadopoulos emails to these key campaign officials did not go unanswered as would be expected of some low-level volunteer. He got a response from them, and though he was not able to set up a meeting, he would have stories to tell Muellers investigators, with corroborated details.
Special counsel Robert Mueller is sending a warning to individuals in US President Donald Trumps orbit: If they lie about contacts between the presidents campaign and Russians, theyll end up on the wrong end of federal criminal charges.

Court papers unsealed on Monday have revealed an indictment against Trumps former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and a guilty plea by another adviser, who admitted to lying to the FBI about meetings with Russian intermediaries.

The guilty plea by George Papadopoulos came weeks ago and he has been cooperating with federal agents.

Manafort and business associate Rick Gates have pleaded not guilty in federal court. They are under house arrest on charges that they funnelled payments through foreign companies and bank accounts as part of their political work in Ukraine.
A strong earthquake with a 6.3 magnitude struck eastern Indonesia on Tuesday, causing some damage to buildings and sending people running from their homes.

The quake struck at a depth of 32.4 kilometres and was centred 32km west of Hila on the island of Ambon, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported.

There were no immediate reports of injuries and no tsunami warning was issued. The USGS website assessed the likelihood of deaths or major damage as low.

There was damage and it is still being monitored, Mochammad Riyadi, an official at Indonesias meteorology and geophysics agency, told AFP.

The earthquake was one of five tremors that rattled Maluku province within 30 minutes, according to the agency. The others were all under magnitude 6.

People panicked and scattered out of houses and buildings, said national disaster mitigation agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

An earthquake struck Indonesias western province of Aceh last December, killing more than 100 people, injuring many more and leaving tens of thousands homeless.
Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his associate Rick Gates pleaded not guilty to the 12-count indictment handed to them as the White House distanced itself from them, the charges against them and a guilty plea entered by another campaign aide George Papadopoulos.

Manafort was ordered a bail amount of $10 million  the same as Ponzi scheme mastermind Bernie Madoff  while bail for Gates was set at $5 million. They were also put under house arrest and ordered to surrender their passports as they are considered a flight risk given their work for foreign governments in the past.

Investigators probing Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election have accused Manafort and Gates of conspiring against the United States, failing to declare themselves as foreign agents while working for the Ukrainian government, concealing foreign income to avoid paying taxes, and making false statements.

Papadopoulos, the third aide who was a foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign, has already pleaded guilty to lying about contacts with Russian officials and has been cooperating with the investigation in a plea deal, which could mean, though not necessarily, wearing a wire to implicate others.

The White House sought to dismiss Papadopoulos as only a volunteer with the campaign, whose outreach to the Russians, meticulously detailed in his offence document, were repeatedly rebuffed.

Read more: Trump campaign ex-chair arrested for conspiracy against US, aide pleads guilty on Russia links

He reached out and nothing happened beyond that  which, I think, shows, one, his level of importance in the campaign, and, two, what little role he had within coordinating anything officially for the campaign, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the presidents press secretary, told reporters.

Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 30, 2017

....Also, there is NO COLLUSION!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 30, 2017

She also dismissed the indictment of Manafort and Gates as having nothing to do with the president, has nothing to do with the presidents campaign or campaign activity, reiterating a line of defence laid out in the first response by Trump and his administration.

Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign, Trump had said.

Manaforts lawyer Kevin Downing, who took the same line as Trump, said in a statement that Manaforts work with Ukraine wrapped up long before he began working for Trump. President Donald Trump was correct. There is no evidence the Trump campaign colluded with the Russia government.

Downing sought to make light of the charges brought against Manafort  especially of failing to register as a foreign agent, which he called a very novel theory and that it was so rare it had been used by the US only six times since 1966, and only one of them ended in conviction.

He also found it ridiculous that Manafort had been accused of maintaining offshore accounts to bring money into the US.

A spokesman for Gates  who continued to work for the Trump campaign right up to the inauguration, unlike his boss who had been eased out in August  has said his client looks forward to contesting the charges in court.
The US Coast Guard has announced that the two Hawaii women who say they were lost at sea never activated their emergency beacon, adding to a growing list of inconsistences that cast doubt on the womens harrowing tale of survival.

US Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Scott Carr told The Associated Press that their review of the incident and subsequent interviews with the survivors revealed that they had the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) aboard but never turned it on. The women said they chose not to activate the device because they never feared for their lives.

Parts of their story have been called into question, including the tropical storm the two say they encountered on their first night at sea in May. National Weather Service records show no organized storms in the region in early May.

When asked if the two had the radio beacon aboard, the women told the AP on Friday they had a number of other communications devices, but they didnt mention the EPIRB.

The device communicates with satellites and sends locations to authorities. Its activated when its submerged in water or turned on manually.

A handout photo released by the US Navy shows American mariners Jennifer Appel (centre) and Tasha Fuiava (right) answering questions to USS Ashland (LSD 48) Commanding Officer Steven Wasson (left) during a media call with their dogs Zeus (bottom-R) and Valentine (bottom-L) in the captains cabin of the amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland. (AFP Photo)

During the post-incident debriefing by the Coast Guard, Jennifer Appel, who was on the sailboat with Tasha Fuiava, was asked if she had the emergency beacon on board. Appel replied she did, and that it was properly registered.

We asked why during this course of time did they not activate the EPIRB. She had stated they never felt like they were truly in distress, like in a 24-hour period they were going to die, said Coast Guard spokeswoman Petty Officer 2nd Class Tara Molle, who was on the call to the AP with Carr.

Carr also said the Coast Guard made radio contact with a vessel that identified itself as the Sea Nymph in June near Tahiti, and the captain said they were not in distress and expected to make land the next morning. That was after the women reportedly lost their engines and sustained damage to their rigging and mast.

Experts say some of the details of the womens story do not add up.

A retired Coast Guard officer who was responsible for search and rescue operations said that if the women used the emergency beacon, they would have been found.

If the thing was operational and it was turned on, a signal should have been received very, very quickly that this vessel was in distress, Phillip R. Johnson said Monday in a telephone interview from Washington state.

Emergency Position Indication Radio Beacons, or EPIRBS, activate when they are submerged in water or turned on manually and send a location to rescuers within minutes.

The beacons are solid and built to be suddenly dropped in the ocean. Failures are really rare, Johnson said, but added that old and weak batteries also could cause a unit not to work.

Its not clear if the pair had tested it before the journey.

The women also said they had six forms of communication that all went dead. Theres something wrong there, Johnson said.

He knows of cases in remote Alaska where a ship in distress just using one form of beacon brought a fairly quick response from nearby fishing boats and the Coast Guard.

Ive never heard of all that stuff going out at the same time, he said.

And theres more that doesnt add up.

Key elements of the womens account are contradicted by authorities, weather reports and the basic geography of the Pacific Ocean. The discrepancies raised questions about whether Appel and her sailing companion, Tasha Fuiava, remember the ordeal accurately or could have avoided disaster.

The Hawaii residents reported that their sailing equipment and engine failed and said they were close to giving up when the U.S. Navy rescued them last week, thousands of miles off course. They were taken to Japan, where they didnt immediately respond to an email and call seeking comment Monday.

The Navy said they do not investigate incidents like this and they were only there to render assistance. The Coast Guard said its review of the case is ongoing, but that there is no criminal investigation at this time.

The two women met in late 2016, and within a week of knowing each other decided to take the trip together. Fuiava had never sailed a day in her life. They planned to take 18 days to get to Tahiti, then travel the South Pacific and return to Hawaii in October.

On their first day at sea, May 3, the two U.S. women described running into a fearsome storm that tossed their vessel with 60 mph (97 kph) winds and 30-foot (9-meter) seas for three days, but meteorologists say there was no severe weather anywhere along their route during that time.

After leaving we got into a Force 11 storm, and it lasted for two nights and three days, Appel said of the storm they encountered off Oahu. In one of the first signs of trouble, she said she lost her cellphone overboard.

We were empowered to know that we could withstand the forces of nature, Appel said. The boat could withstand the forces of nature.

But the National Weather Service in Honolulu said no organized storm systems were in or near Hawaii on May 3 or in the days afterward. Archived NASA satellite images confirm there were no tropical storms around Hawaii that day.

The pair said they thought about turning back, but the islands of Maui and Lanai didnt have harbors deep enough to accommodate their sailboat. At 50 feet (15 meters) long, the vessel is relatively small, and both islands have harbors that would have accommodated them. Plus, the Big Island  the southernmost island in state  has several places to dock.

I had no idea that we were going to be in this thing for 80 solid hours, Appel said of the storm of which there is no record.

Still, they pressed on.

Days later, after parts of their mast and rigging failed, they sailed up to another small island, still with a working motor, but decided against trying to land, believing the island was mostly uninhabited with no protected waters.

It is uninhabited. They only have habitation on the northwest corner and their reef was too shallow for us to cross in order to get into the lagoon, Appel said.

But Christmas Island, part of the island nation of Kiribati, is home to more than 2,000 people and has a port that routinely welcomes huge commercial ships.

We could probably nurse it down to the next major island in Kiribati, Appel said. Then well be able to stop there and seek safe haven and get up on the mast and fix it.

The island has at least two airfields, and women had flares aboard to alert people on land. Plus, its widest point spans about 30 miles (48km), a days hike to safety from even the most remote area.

When asked if the small island would have been a good place to land and repair their sails, Appel said no. Kiribati, um, one whole half of the island is called shipwreck beach for a reason.

Christmas Island has a place called Bay of Wrecks on its northeast side.

So, instead of stopping for help, they say they set a new destination about 1,000 miles (1,609km) away and a few hundred miles beyond their original target of Tahiti. They were headed to the Cook Islands.

We really did think we could make it to the next spot, Appel said.

Then, they say, another storm killed their engine at the end of May. More than five months after they departed, they were picked up in the western Pacific about 900 miles (1,448km) southeast of Japan and thousands of miles off course. The two women and their dogs were all in good health when picked up by the US Navy.
Fear struck the heart of Marine 1st Lt. Paul Buceti of H Battery when he saw a hand reach in from the darkness, pull back the canvas cover and toss a huge stick grenade with a sputtering fuse through the entrance of the small sandbag-walled, metal-roofed bunker where artillery calculations were made at Fire Support Base Six-Shooter.

I thought it was over, Buceti remembered. The lieutenant, shirtless and barefoot, wearing just his shorts, rushed for the exit, as did the two other Marines in the bunker.

Lance Cpls. Fred Roach Jr. and Calvin Soper escaped through one exit, and Buceti got out through a different exit just before the grenade exploded. When the Marines left the bunker, they were met by AK-47 assault rifle fire from North Vietnamese Army sappers, technically combat engineers but functioning as highly trained commando units. Roach and Soper dashed to the communications tent to alert the Marines there. Buceti managed to reach the relative safety of a bunker used for H Batterys executive officer, or XO. That bunker was the control center for the six howitzers that gave the firebase its name, borrowed from Americas Wild West.

Sometime before 2 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23, 1969, more than two dozen sappers penetrated, undetected, the defensive wire around firebase Six-Shooter, about 5 miles west of the city of Da Nang. H Battery, 3rd battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, had moved into the firebase about seven weeks earlier. The Marines had not yet completed their work clearing brush around the base to take away the cover for enemy infiltrators. Nor had they put in place the needed additional bands of concertina wirebarbed wire coiled and used as a barrier around the perimeter of a base.

Once inside the base, the sappersfrom a platoon of the 25th Sapper Company, part of the 31st NVA Regiment that operated west of Da Nanghid under trucks in the motor pool behind the howitzer line, waiting for the start of coordinated hit-and-run attacks planned for U.S. facilities in the Da Nang area one week after the 24-hour Tet Lunar New Year truce that had started on Feb. 16. The attacks were concentrated against Marine installations around Da Nang, Vietnams second largest city, but also hit other regions of the country.

The Enemy Sappers Strike

Firebase Six-Shooter was a tempting target for the North Vietnamese because of its closeness to NVA base camps and staging areas farther west in Happy Valley and to the north in Elephant Valley, both accessed from the Ho Chi Minh Trail in nearby Laos.

Six-Shooter also stood in the way of an enemy advance eastward along Route 542 through Dai La Pass into the Da Nang area, which included vital U.S. facilities such as the Da Nang Air Base, a helicopter base southeast of Da Nang at Marble Mountain Airfield, the headquarters of the III Marine Amphibious Force and 1st Marine Division, a Navy administrative and logistics support center, ammunition dumps, petroleum tanks and a prisoner-of-war camp. The firebase was about 3 miles due west of the 1st Marine Division command post on the eastern slope of Hill 327 on Division Ridge and about a mile west of the command post for the divisions 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, near Dai La Pass.

Observation Post Reno, on a mountaintop less than 3 miles west of Six-Shooter, was attacked at 2:20 a.m., on Feb. 23. Attacks on H Battery at Six-Shooter, the 1st Division command post on Hill 327, the 2nd Battalion post and other sites started about the same time.

In those early-morning hours, NVA forces also fired more than 50 of their 122 mm rockets at the Naval Support Activity commands deep-water pier in Da Nang and the Marines Force Logistic Command installations. Eighteen 82 mm mortar rounds landed at Marine Aircraft Group 16 and the U.S. Armys 212th Combat Support Aviation Battalion at Marble Mountain Airfield. Rockets and mortars hit the Da Nang Air Base, igniting four 10,000-gallon tanks of JP-4 jet fuel with a direct hit on a hangar for Marine All Weather Attack Squadron 242. Also struck was a South Vietnamese ammo dump near the III Marine Amphibious Force headquarters, causing out-of-control fires and secondary explosions.

During the attacks, a team of sappers overran the Marine Air Control Group 18 aviation radar site on Hill 347, overlooking the 1st Marine Division command post on Hill 327. Ten Marines from Headquarters Company, 1st Marine Division, died during attempts to retake the radar site before they succeeded on the third try.

Sappers also got inside the wire at Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 13th Marine Regiment, at the Northern Artillery Cantonment just a few miles north of Da Nang, and at Headquarters Company, 26th Marine Regiment, on the northern slope of Hill 327.

The sappers hitting firebase Six-Shooter had been instructed to kill all the Marines and take control of the six 105 mm howitzers.

Information gained later from a captured sapper revealed that 40 to 50 Communist soldiers, trained in the operation of 105 mm howitzers, were waiting in a nearby tree line for a successful attack. They would then move into the base, turn the guns around and use the batterys own ammunition to fire on key U.S. installations in Da Nang. (During an Aug. 14, 1966, mission by 2nd Platoon, C Company, 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, into the Charlie Ridge mountains west of Da Nang, the recon team had found, concealed in a jungle training camp for the VC, a full-size mock-up of a 105 mm howitzer constructed out of bamboo but containing rubber tires. The elevation gears on the mock-up were made of metal and could function. The recon team also found a 24-inch-long, 6-inch-diameter wooden replica of a 105 mm shell.)

Gunfire and Explosions

Lt. Buceti had been awakened around 1 a.m. by one of the Marines in the Fire Direction Center bunker that provided H Batterys howitzer crews with gun settings for accurate delivery of artillery fire in support of U.S. troops or against enemy targets. The Marine asked Buceti to help him calculate firing data that the FDC bunker would send to the XOs bunker, which then would relay the settings to the howitzers assigned to fire at sites where enemy rockets had been launched around 12:30 a.m., before the main sapper assaults started.

Buceti recalls that dogs kept as mascots at the battery had been barking incessantly since late that night. Several times he went outside the FDC bunker and peered into the darkness trying to determine what they were barking about. On his last attempt, Buceti lay on the ground to get a look from that perspective, but he didnt see anything then.

Later, back in the rear of the FDC bunker, he saw the sapper who opened the cover and flung in a grenade, a jungle-made version of a wooden-handled grenade called a Chicom, short for Chinese Communists, the source for many of them. Buceti said the version of the Chicom thrown into the bunker was made from a large No. 10 fruit cocktail can (4 or 5 inches in diameter and about 8 inches long) commonly used in Marine mess halls during the war. Most Chicom-style sapper grenades were crafted from small U.S.-made condensed-milk cans.

Buceti speculated that the olive complexion of his Italian decent and his run across the base in shorts with no shirt may have led the similarly attired sappers to think he was one of their own, which enabled the lieutenant to make it to the XO bunker. When Buceti arrived, the battery executive officer, 1st Lt. Bill Sheahan, and the battery commander, Capt. Jim James, were already inside, along with 2nd Lt. Marvin Runyon III, commander of 3rd Platoon, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, which provided security for the battery.

Runyon and his radio operator had been in a tent that served as the security platoons command post when AK-47 fire suddenly hit the sides of the tent. Runyon quickly ran toward the gunfire at the XO bunker, near the center of the gun line, and reached the bunker the same time another Marine did.

Before they could go inside, a large Chicom grenade exploded next to them, wounding Runyon and the other Marine. Runyon helped the more seriously wounded Marine get into the bunker and then went outside and shot the sapper who was trying to throw grenades into the XO bunker. Runyon would receive a Silver Star for his heroic actions that morning.

Pfc. Marcel Ronquille, a cannoneer on Gun 1, asked his gun section chief Cpl. Barry Floyd for permission to go to the Gun 4 area, where his friend Lance Cpl. Larry Poet was assigned. Poet was part of the batterys reaction force, a team created weeks earlier to respond immediately to any threat and go wherever needed in the battery. If an attack occurred, the reaction force was to assemble at Gun 4.

Before Ronquille arrived, Poet, Cpl. Daniel Bignell and others in the reaction force had already rushed to the gunfire and explosions at the FDC and the communications-motor pool area. Ronquille later learned that Poet, Lance Cpl. Charles Craig Jr., Lance Cpl. Leroy Roach Jr. and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Gregory Koupe, a hospital corpsman, had been killed by sappers at the back and south side of the firebase.

After The First Battle

When the gun battle at Six-Shooter ended, the Marines of H Battery and Runyons 3rd Platoon, E Company, had routed the invading sappers. First light showed 22 dead sappers scattered throughout the base. One sapper had been taken prisoner. A map found on a dead body showed locations of H Batterys main operation bunkers, as well as the FDC, XO and defensive bunkers. It was learned later that the husband of a Vietnamese barber who worked at the battery was one of the sappers killed in the attack. The American casualties were three Marines and one Navy corpsman killed and 15 wounded.

Two days later, on Feb. 25, sappers got past the defensive wire at firebases Russell and Neville in Quang Tri province, a few miles south of the Demilitarized Zone that divided North and South Vietnam. More than 149 Marines or corpsmen were killed or wounded in the attacks. On March 19, sappers equipped with flamethrowers and explosives-filled satchels breached the protective wire of D Battery, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marines, adjacent to Liberty Bridge, about 15 miles south of Da Nang. That time, 44 Marines or Navy corpsmen were killed or wounded.

Six-Shooters defensive perimeter was greatly improved after the Feb. 23 attack. With the enhancements, three rows of razor wire (concertina wire with sharp blades rather than barbs) extended about 55 yards from the gun line. Wooden ammunition boxes, filled with unused powder-bag increments from previously fired 105 mm ammo, were placed throughout the defensive wire. When a tracer round from an M16 rifle was fired into the box, igniting the powder, those boxes would burst into a small inferno that lit up the surrounding area. Trip flares also were sprinkled through the wire. Tied to the wire were empty C-ration cans with pebbles inside that would alert the Marines to any movement within the wire.

Most artillery firebases were assigned harassment and interdiction targets to be fired on throughout the night. These targets were trail junctions and likely avenues of approach for NVA soldiers moving toward Da Nang. They were shelled randomly to disrupt enemy movements. When all six howitzers fired, the concussion from the detonation of the 35-pound projectiles propellant charge was like a small earthquake and the noise was deafening. However, the howitzer noise also drowned out sounds that invaders made while cutting through the firebases concertina wire or rattling the pebbles in trip-wire cansmaking din-filled artillery bases particularly attractive targets for sappers trying to break in undetected.

The Communists Strike Back

A few months after the Feb. 23 attacks, the Communist command decided that another attempt would be made against H Battery at firebase Six-Shooter on May 19, Ho Chi Minhs birthday. A successful attack would be an 80th birthday present for Uncle Ho.

Late in the night on May 18, the NVA sappers gathered in a tree line in front of Six-Shooter. Local Viet Cong helped them evade the patrols and random listening posts manned by a base security platoon from H Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines.

The sappers studied their map of Six-Shooter one last time, blackened their bodies with charcoal and discarded their clothing, except for a simple loincloth, to get through the razor-edge concertina wire easier.

The sapper arsenal included B40 rockets and launchers, AK-47 rifles, an assortment of locally made Chicom-style grenades, and satchel and funnel-shaped explosives to blow up the guns.

The sappers split into small groups and stealthily moved toward Six-Shooter, making bigger advances whenever the howitzers fired on distant targets or conducted other shelling missions whose loud blasts overpowered the noise of the infiltrators movements. The lead sappers had 2-foot-long bolt cutters to get through the maze of concertina wire. They would tie back the cut ends with cords they carried by mouth, creating a tunnel through the wire for the others to follow.

After several hours, the sappers had cut the wire at two locations and crawled through two of the three wire rows. They were within grenade range of the gun line and could see the outline of the sandbagged XO bunker controlling the howitzers fire. The sappers had to destroy that bunker to ensure the attacks success. More NVA soldiers were nearby in the tree line, waiting for their comrades to get inside the position before joining the assault.

Spotting Movement in the Wire

Luck blessed the men of H Battery. Around 2 a.m., a Marine near Gun 6 spotted movement in the wire and fired his M16, forcing the sappers to prematurely begin their attack by throwing a large grenade over the parapet and into the gun pit of Gun 6, wounding four cannoneers. Marines along the gun line started firing into the darkness and at the ammo boxes in the defensive wire, igniting the powder that helped illuminate the wire. Several sappers who had been hiding behind the ammo boxes were forced to move. M16 rifle fire from the cannoneers cut them down.

Right flank guns 1 and 2 fired illumination rounds that further lit up the defensive wire. At first light, 2nd Lt. Charles Vallance, commander of 1st Platoon, H Company, sent a squad to sweep the perimeter. The surviving sappers were trapped between the outer two rows of concertina wire and the final row in front of the guns.

Five sappers were captured. One of them was their leader. Eighteen sappers lay dead in the wire, including those armed with B40 launchers who were killed before they could fire a rocket at the XO bunker. The total cost to the Marines was five woundedand the wounds were minor.

The next day, the commanding general of III Marine Amphibious Force, Lt. Gen. Herman Nickerson Jr., sent a message to units in the 1st Marine Division, praising the men at Six-Shooter for the highly effective and aggressive defense of H Batterys artillery position. The battle action, Nickerson added, stands out as an example of how to deal with sappers and reflects great credit on the individual Marines involved.

Jack Wells served in Vietnam during 1968-69 as a forward artillery observer with Alpha and Bravo companies, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, and later as executive officer of H Battery, 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.

First published in Vietnam magazines December 2017 issue.
Counterinsurgency doctrine was born in the European age of imperialism.

COINa counterinsurgency doctrine whose principles were first delineated by the RAND Corporation in 1958 and enshrined in the 2006 U.S. Army Field Manual 3-24, Counterinsurgencyhas staked a claim to become the new American way of war in the age of global counterinsurgency. Indeed, in a 2006 article Australian COIN theorist and practitioner David Kilcullen, one of a new generation of modern COIN proponentsdubbed COINdinistas, neoCOINs or even neo-Lawrentians, in honor of T.E. Lawrence, catalyst of the World War I Arab Revoltargued that COIN has become so fashionable that more has been written on it at the turn of the 21st century than in the last four decades of the 20th.

But counterinsurgency is hardly new. Western powers have practiced it at least since the Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula in the Middle Ages. The need to commercialize Columbus discoveries from 1492and later the Indian subcontinent, East Asia and Africainvolved Western powers in colonial armed conflict, much of it irregular warfare. The Ottomans, Austro-Hungarians, Russians and Chinese, to name but a few, found plenty of insurgencies to fight in the course of imperial consolidation. But COINs recent resuscitation, which began when Operation Iraqi Freedom proved unable initially to put Francis Fukuyamas end of history triumphalism into operational military practice, can trace its antecedents to a canon of small wars practice, coupled with theories of indigenous governance, amply defined by French and British colonial officers in the 19th and 20th centuries. Indeed, neoCOIN critics argue this is precisely the problem, as white mans burden imperialism combined with divide-and-rule methods of colonial control to disqualify COIN as a modern-day tactic for dealing with failing states besieged by insurrection.

Todays COINdanistas insist instead that irregular warfare is a specialized metier with a proven track record, one tailored to the complexities of the global jihad. They argue that big Armys testosterone-fueled revolution in military affairs/ network centric warfare was totally befuddled by a few guys dressed in bedsheets and armed with improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Nor does Carl von Clausewitz, the Teutonic guru of conventional, interstate conflict, offer guidance in a brawl against fanaticized, irrational, undetectable, transnational webs of creed and crime that offer no centers of gravity and no physical assets to attack.

So, the doctrinal battle lines are drawn: conventional and Clausewitzian vs. COIN and culture. That argument, which continues in lively form today, is well over a century old. But it was not always so. Veterans of the wars of the French Revolution and Napoleon, for whom battling both conventional and insurgent forces came with the job in Frances Vendee, the Tyrol, the Illyrian Provinces, Calabria and, above all, Spain, would have been surprised by assertions that counterinsurgency amounts to a discrete warfare category. This was in part because at the beginning of the 19th century the capability differential between European and non-European forces was not as disproportionate as it was to become by centurys end. Sikhs, Chinese, Africans, Central Asians and even Abd al-Qadir, founder of Algeria, were able to mobilize significant forces whose technology was not significantly inferior to that of the Europeans they fought. Napoleon may have derided Arthur Wellesley, future Duke of Wellington, as a sepoy general, but Wellesleys Indian experience was not considered a disqualifier for command in Europe. On the contrary, the Marathas (whom he defeated at Assaye, India in 1803) out-toughed the French, in the Iron Dukes view.

However, this began to change in 1840 when Grande Armee veteran officer Thomas Bugeaud arrived in Algiers as governor-general to discover a situation that looked remarkably like the Peninsular War, minus Wellesley. He restructured the French expeditionary force in Algeria to maximize mobility and surprise rather than Napoleonic firepower and in the process inaugurated a colonial school of warfare. He admonished his troops to forget those orchestrated and dramatic battles that civilized peoples fight against one another and realize that unconventional tactics are the soul of this war. His mobile columns violated every principle of existing Continental warfare: Light on firepower and logistics, they divided and converged in the face of a superior enemy on a tactical objective identified by intelligence reports and scouting parties. Lines of communications were for sissies; real soldiers lived off plunder. Equipment was redesigned, and much of the infantrymans load was shifted to mules. Bugeaud was thus able to ransack hitherto inviolate tribal sanctuaries with an agility and speed that was even more Arab than the Arabs.

Conventional Continental military observers remained unconvinced. Without frontiers to violate, armies to crush and cities to storm, Bugeauds new war in Algeria looked to be little more than a string of inconclusive scuffles fought in the middle of nowhere. Nor was it pretty to watch. Conquest a la Bugeaud was built around the razzia, or raid, that targeted the economic livelihood of elusive North African tribesmen, and basically boiled down to homicide on horseback. Humanitarians pleaded for the oxymoronic rules of civilized warfare. But Bugeaud was beyond control, especially after Frances Africans performed credibly in the Crimea and in Italy in 1859.

That is, until the debacle of the 1870 71 Franco-Prussian War, when tactics developed in the wastes of North Africa and Mexico proved utterly incapable of halting Helmuth von Moltkes Prussian juggernaut. The September 1870 defeat at Sedan brought down the French government, and the Africans were scapegoated for Frances dismal performanceno matter that by 1867 Napoleon IIIs French army was already so battlefield challenged that the Mexicans had outlasted it. The Prussian triumph proved a game changer, and not just in France. The conviction that colonial warfare was passe informed the new play-or-perish arms race that gripped post-1871 Europe. The irony, however, was that in the last quarter of the 19th century Continental competition spilled over into Africa, India and elsewhere, where colonial soldiers, dependant on locally recruited troops, adopted tactics that increasingly replicated indigenous rather than European practices.

Conquests in the colonies also required governance, so the political dimensions of warfare were pushed down to the company level, where even junior officers were expected to participate in the work of pacification and reconstruction. Britains Arab Bureau and the Indian Political Service, both militarized despite their largely intelligence and political functions, offered a recognition that military success required an understanding of the cultural, linguistic and political context in which colonial campaigns were fought.

Nevertheless, imperial soldiers complained that their conventionally focused colleagues disrespected colonial methods. So, they struck back: In the 1890s Colonel (later General) C.E. Callwell and future Resident-General of Morocco and Marshal of France Hubert Lyautey defined a small-wars school that emphasized the nobility, art, initiative and unique requirements of imperial soldiering. Callwells Small Wars: Their Principles and Practice, appeared in 1896 (and remains in print) as hearts and minds established itself as the guiding pacification principle in the tribal areas of Indias North West Frontier Province.

Lyauteys Le role colonial de lofficier, published in 1900 in the influential Parisian Revue des deux mondes formed part of a successful lobbying campaign by colonialists to create a separate 70,000-strong Armee Coloniale that joined the Armee dAfrique stationed in North Africa to form a reservoir of professional French marines, foreign legionnaires and colonial mercenaries for imperial service.

Unlike the British and the French, the Germans came late to the colonial game, claimed too few colonies and lasted too short a time to stake out an imperial warfare tradition. Their Schutztruppe was mainly a pickup force of men volunteered by Staaten regiments with no specialized training for colonial warfare and no tradition of managing native affairs. It quickly acquired a genocidal reputation in German East and South-West Africa that would have made even Bugeaud blush.

The aftermath of World War I began the process that gradu- ally transformed small wars into COIN, first as an anti-imperialist, nationalist phenomenon, and subsequently as a theory of subversion anchored in a Maoist-inspired peoples war. Emergence of a unitary canon and blueprint for la guerre revolutionnaire posed a threat to the Wests established order, and COIN then became the doctrinal counterinsurgent response.

Given more than a century of experience with colonial pacification and the iconic status of Lyauteys idea of peaceful penetration, the French acquired a reputation for impatience, racism, brutality andabove allfailure in their post-1945 wars in Indochina and Algeria. Despite that record, it was a French veteran of Algeria, David Galula, who helped inform the U.S. Armys response to what the Kennedy administration saw as below the threshold of war challenges by Moscow in Latin America, Southeast Asia and Africa in the 1960s. General George Decker (U.S. Army chief of staff, 196062) resisted the attempt to institutionalize low-intensity operations as a separate category of warfare, arguing that any good soldier can handle guerrillas.

Deckers was a perfectly logical response from a World War II generation for whom Winston Churchills vision of setting Europe ablaze with a resistance army of insurgents constituted the biggest strategic bust of the war. But when South Vietnam collapsed, special-operations forces blamed blind adherence to conventional tactics in an unconventional conflict, symptomatic, they believed, of an institutional refusal to accord counterinsurgency the professional status it deserves. Counterinsurgency, the argument went, does not fit the American way of war, with its preference for the overwhelming force of big battalions, technology and firepower.

The past has thus framed the present COIN debate. The attacks of 9/11, the apparent success of the Anbar surge in Iraq and the publication of FM 3-24 have catapulted counterinsurgency back into fashion. A new generation of COIN experts has resurrected Callwells assertion that counterinsurgency constitutes an art by itself. COINdanistas argue the benefits of a specialized doctrine applied by troops trained in population-centric tactics as the most effective antidote to transnational global jihad. However, this version of events has failed to survive closer historical scrutiny: British tactics in Malaya (194860) and Kenya (1952 60) combined updated versions of British Chief of Staff Lord Horatio Kitcheners Second Boer War concentration camps and farm burning with Black and Tan mayhem in Ireland in 192021. By comparison to the British, the French wars in Algeria and those of the Dutch in Indonesia appear as high-water marks of human rights. Scottish historian Hew Strachan notes that the British succeeded in COINwhen they did succeed by making political concessions, not through dazzling tactical innovations.

Opponents of the COINdinistas, sometimes called Contras, reply that Clausewitz still offers the best analytical framework to craft a strategy to fight what is in reality a confederacy of localized grievances. The Taliban, they argue, is no more globalized than was Galulas FLN, an Algerian nationalist movement with a hazy, often-adversarial affiliation to Nasser and Arab nationalism. And to them COIN is just a catchall of politically naive colonial tactics masquerading as strategyMalaya and Kenya on steroids. Conventional soldiers had begun to master the Anbar insurgency 18 months before FM 3-24 hit bookstores. Furthermore, a combination of COIN and kill/capture tactics is unlikely by itself to rescue Afghan President Hamid Karzais kleptocracy, any more than a proliferation of strategic hamlets could have salvaged South Vietnam, because both governments share a legitimacy problem. The French were excellent COINdinistas, and they still lost everything. If the U.S. military, in pursuit of a romanticized, neoLawrentian culture cult, reorganizes around COIN precepts, they may, like the French in 1870 or the British in two world wars, forfeit the skills required to fight a conventional war. For the Contras, Decker got it right: Any good soldier can handle guerrillas.
Incompetence, stupidity and arrogance trumped bravery and technological innovation in the first truly modern war.

Two world wars have obscured the huge scale and enormous human cost of the Crimean War. Today it is almost forgotten. Even in the countries that took part in it (Russia, Britain, France, Piedmont-Sardinia in Italy and the Ottoman Empire, including those territories that would later make up Romania and Bulgaria) there are not many people today who could say what the Crimean War was about. But before World War I the Crimea was the major conflict of the 19th century.

The losses were immenseat least three-quarters of a million soldiers killed in battle or lost through illness and disease, twothirds of them Russian. The French lost around 100,000 men, the British about 20,000, because they sent far fewer troops (98,000 British soldiers and sailors were involved in the Crimea compared to 310,000 French). Nobody has counted the civilian casualties: people starved to death in besieged towns; populations devastated by disease; entire communities wiped out in campaigns of ethnic cleansing in the Caucasus, the Balkans and the Crimea. This was the first total war, a 19th century version of the wars of our own age.

It was also the earliest truly modern warfought with new industrial technologies; novel forms of logistics and communication; important innovations in military medicine; and reporters and photographers directly on the scene. Yet at the same time it was the last war to be conducted by the old codes of chivalry. The early battles in the Crimea, on the River Alma and at Balaklava, were not very different from the fighting in the Napoleonic Wars. Yet the siege of Sevastopol, the longest and most crucial phase of the Crimean War, was a precursor of the industrialized trench warfare of 191418.

The war began in 1853 between Ottoman and Russian forces in the Danubian principalities of Moldavia and Wallachiatodays Romania and spread to the Caucasus, where the Turks and the British encouraged and supported the struggle of the Muslim tribes against Russia, and from there to other areas of the Black Sea. By 1854, with the intervention of the British and the French on Turkeys side and the Austrians threatening to join this anti-Russian alliance, the tsar withdrew his forces from the principalities, and the fighting shifted to the Crimea.

The soldiers on the ships [of the allied fleet invading Crimea} had no clear idea where they were going. At Varna they had been kept in the dark about the war plans, and all sorts of rumors had circulated among the men. Without maps or any direct knowledge of the Russian southern coast, the enterprise assumed the character of an adventure from the voyages of discovery. Few had any idea of what they were fighting forother than to beat the Russians and do Gods will, to quote two French soldiers in their letters home.

When the expedition left for the Crimea, its leaders were uncertain where it was to land. On September 8, [British commander General Lord] Raglan, on the steamer Caradoc, conferred with [commander Marshal of France Jacques Leroy de] Saint-Arnaud, on Ville de France. Saint-Arnaud finally agreed to Raglans choice of a landing site, at Kalamita Bay, a long, sandy beach 28 miles north of Sevastopol.

The French were the first to disembark, their advance parties scrambling ashore and erecting colored tents at measured distances along the beach to designate the separate landing points for the infantry divisions of [General Francois] Canrobert, General Pierre Bosquet and Prince Napoleon, the emperors cousin. By nightfall they had all disembarked with their artillery.

The British landing was a shambles compared to the Frencha contrast that would become all too familiar during the Crimean War. No plans had been made for a peaceful landing unopposed (it was assumed they would have to fight their way onto the beach), so the infantry was landed first, when the sea was calm; by the time the British tried to get their cavalry ashore, the wind was up, and the horses struggled in the heavy surf. Saint-Arnaud watched the scene with mounting frustration, as his plans for a surprise attack on Sevastopol were undermined by the delay. The English have the unpleasant habit of always being late, he wrote to the emperor.

It took five days for the British troops and cavalry to disembark. Many of the men were sick with cholera and had to be carried off the boats. There were no facilities for moving baggage and equipment overland, so parties had to be sent out to collect carts and wagons from the local Tatar farms. There was no food or water for the men, except the three days rations they had been given at Varna, and no tents or kitbags were offloaded from the ships, so the soldiers spent their first nights without shelter, unprotected from the heavy rain or the blistering heat of the next days.

At last, on September 19, the British were prepared, and at daybreak the advance on Sevastopol began. The French marched on the right, nearest the sea, their blue uniforms contrasting with the scarlet tunics of the British, while the fleet moved south alongside them as they advanced. Four miles wide and just over three miles long, the advancing column was all bustle and activity, wrote Frederick Oliver, bandmaster of the 20th Regiment, in his diary. Apart from the compact lines of soldiers, there was an enormous train of cavalry, guns, ammunition, horses, bullocks, packhorses, mules, herds of dromedaries, a drove of oxen and a tremendous drove of sheep, goats and bullocks, all of which had been taken from the surrounding countryside by the foraging parties. By midday, with the sun beating down, the column began to break up, as thirsty soldiers fell behind or left to search for water in the nearby Tatar settlements. When they reached the River Bulganak, seven miles from Kalamita Bay, in the middle of the afternoon, discipline broke down altogether, as the British soldiers threw themselves into the muddy stream.

Ahead of them, on the slopes rising south from the river, the British got their first sight of the Russians2,000 Cossack cavalry, who opened fire on a scouting party from the 13th Light Dragoons. The rest of the Light Brigade, the pride of the British cavalry, prepared to charge the Cossacks, who outnumbered them 2-to-1, but Raglan saw that behind the Russian horsemen there was a sizeable infantry force that could not be seen by his cavalry commanders, Lord Lucan and Lord Cardigan, who were farther down the hill. Raglan ordered a retreat, and the Light Brigade withdrew, while the Cossacks jeered and shot at them, wounding several cavalrymen. The British bivouacked on the southern slopes of the Bulganak, from which they could make out the Russian troops amassed on the Alma Heights, three miles away. The next morning they would march down the valley and engage the Russians, whose defenses were on the other side of the Alma.

[Russian commander Prince Aleksandr] Menshikov had decided to commit the majority of his land forces to the defense of the Alma Heights, the last natural barrier on the enemys approach to Sevastopol, which his troops had occupied since September 15, but his fears of a second allied landing at Kerch or Theodosia (fears the tsar shared) led him to keep back a large reserve. Thus there were 35,000 Russian soldiers on the Alma Heightsless than the 60,000 Western troops but with the crucial advantage of the hillsand more than 100 guns. The heaviest guns were deployed on a series of redoubts above the road to Sevastopol that crossed the river less than three miles inland, but there were none on the cliffs facing the sea, which Menshikov assumed were too steep for the enemy to climb. Many officers were sure of victory. Menshikov was so confident he invited parties of Sevastopol ladies to watch the battle with him from the Alma Heights.

The Russian troops themselves were not so confident. Few if any of these men had ever engaged in a battle with the army of a major European power. The sight of the mighty allied fleet anchored just offshore and ready to support the enemys land forces with its heavy guns made it clear to them they were going to fight an army stronger than their own.

By midmorning the allied armies were assembling on the plain, the British on the left of the Sevastopol Road, the French and Turks on the right, stretching out toward the coastal cliffs. It was a clear and sunny day, and the air was still. From Telegraph Hill, where Menshikovs well-dressed spectators had arrived in carriages to watch the scene, the details of the French and British uniforms could be clearly seen; the sound of their drums, their bugles and bagpipes, even the clinking of metal and the neighing of the horses could be heard.

The Russians opened fire when the allies came within 2,000 yardsa spot marked with poles to let their gunners know the advancing troops were within rangebut the British and the French continued marching forward toward the river. According to the plan the allies had agreed to the day before, the two armies were to advance simultaneously on a broad front and try to turn the enemys flank on the leftthe inland side. But at the final moment Raglan decided to delay the British advance until the French had broken through on the right; he made his troops lie on the ground, within range of the Russian guns, in a position from which they could scramble to the river when the time was right. There they lay for an hour and a half, from 1:15 to 2:45 p.m., losing men as the Russian gunners found their range. It was an astonishing example of Raglans indecisiveness.

While the British were lying on the ground, Bosquets division arrived at the river near the sea, where the cliffs rose so steeply to the heights, almost 170 feet above the river, that Menshikov had thought it was unnecessary to defend the position with artillery. At the head of Bosquets division was a regiment of Zouaves, most of them North Africans, who had experience of mountain fighting in Algeria. Leaving their kitbags on the riverbank, they swam across the river and quickly climbed the cliffs under heavy cover of the trees. Once they had reached the plateau, the Zouaves hid behind rocks and bushes to pick off the defending forces of the Moscow Regiment one by one. Inspired by the Zouaves, more French soldiers climbed the cliffs. They hauled 12 guns up a ravine, arriving just in time to engage the extra soldiers and artillery Menshikov had transferred from the center in a desperate attempt to stop his left flank being turned.

The Russian position was more or less hopeless. By the time their artillery arrived, the whole of Bosquets division and many of the Turks had reached the plateau. The Russians had more guns 28 to the French 12but the French guns were of larger caliber and longer range, and Bosquets riflemen kept the Russian gunners at a distance where only the heavier French guns could take effect.

Meanwhile, the guns of the allied fleet were pounding the Russian positions on the cliffs, undermining the morale of many of their troops and officers. When the first Russian battery of artillery arrived, it found the remnants of the Moscow Regiment already in retreat under heavy fire from the Zouaves, whose Minie rifles had a longer range and greater accuracy than the outdated muskets of the Russian infantry. The commanding officer on the left flank, Lt. Gen. V.I. Kiriakov, was one of the most incompetent in the tsarist army and was rarely sober. Holding a bottle of champagne in his hand, Kiriakov ordered the Minsk Regiment to shoot at the French but misdirected them toward the Kiev Hussars, who fell back under the fire. Lacking confidence in their drunken commander, and unnerved by the lethal accuracy of the French rifles, the Minsk Regiment also began to retreat.

In the center of the battlefield, the two other French divisions, led by Canrobert and Prince Napoleon, were unable to cross the Alma in the face of heavy Russian fire from Telegraph Hill. Prince Napoleon sent word to General [Sir George] De Lacy Evans, on his left, calling on the British to advance and take some pressure off the French. Raglan was still waiting for the French attack to succeed before committing British troops and at first told Evans not to take orders from the French, but under pressure from Evans, he finally gave way. At 2:45 p.m. he ordered the infantry of the Light, 1st and 2nd Divisions to advancethough what else they should do he did not say. The order was typical of Raglans thinking, which remained rooted in the bygone age of Napoleonic battles, when the infantry was used for primitive direct attacks on prepared positions.

The British advanced in thin lines to maximize their rifle power, although in this formation it was hard to keep the men together over rough terrain without effective commanders of the line. Under heavy fire, the British reached the river, collecting in groups at the waters edge to unload their equipment, unsure of the waters depth. Holding their rifles and ammunition pouches above their heads, some men managed to wade across, but others had to swim, and some drowned in the fast current. All the time the Russians fired at them with grapeshot and shell. Many men were too frightened to get into the water, which was full of dead bodies. They hugged the ground on the riverbank while mounted officers galloped up and down, shouting at the men to swim across and sometimes even threatening to cut them with their swords. Once they had crossed the river, all order was lost. Companies and regiments became jumbled together, and where there had been lines two men deep there was now just a crowd. The Russians began to advance down the hill from either side of the Great Redoubt, firing on the British down below, where mounted officers galloped round their men, urging them to reform lines; but it was impossible, the men were exhausted from crossing the river and happy to be in the shelter of the riverbank, where they could not be seen from the heights.

Aware of the danger of the situation, Maj. Gen. [Sir William] Codrington, in command of the 1st Brigade of the Light Division, made a desperate effort to regroup his men. Spurring his white charger up the hill, he bellowed: Fix bayonets! Get up the bank and advance to the attack! Soon the whole of Codringtons brigadethe regiments all jumbled upbegan scrambling up the Kurgan Hill in a thick crowd. Junior commanders gave up forming linesthere was no timebut urged their men to Come on anyhow! Once they had climbed onto the open slopes, most of the men began to charge with yells and screams toward the Russian guns in the Great Redoubt, 500 yards up the slope. The Russian gunners were astonished by the sight of this British mob 2,000 men running up the hilland found easy targets. Some of the Light Divisions advance guard reached the entrenchments of the Great Redoubt. Soldiers clambered over the parapets and through the embrasures, only to be shot or cut down by the Russians. Within a few minutes the Great Redoubt was a swarm of men, pockets of them fighting on the parapets, others cheering and waving their colors, as two Russian guns were captured in the confusion.

But suddenly the British were confronted by four battalions (some 3,000 men) of the Vladimirsky Regiment, pouring into the redoubt from the open higher ground, while more Russian guns were pitching shell at them from higher up the Kurgan Hill. With one loud Ooorah! the Russian infantry began charging with their bayonets, driving out the British, and firing at them as they retreated down the hill. The Light Division made a front to fire back, but suddenly and unexpectedly there was a bugle call to cease firing, copied by the buglers of every regiment. For a few fatal moments there was a confused pause in the firing on the British side: An unnamed officer had thought the Russians were the French and had ordered his men to stop firing. By the time the mistake was corrected, the Vladimirsky soldiers had gained the upper hand; they were steadily advancing down the hill, and British troops were lying dead and wounded everywhere. Now buglers truly did give the order to retreat, and the whole Light Division, or what was left of it, was soon running down the hill toward the shelter of the riverbank.

The charge had partly failed be- cause there had been no second wave, the Duke of Cambridge having stopped the guards from advancing in support of the Light Division for lack of further orders from Raglan (another blunder on his part). Evans, on his right, got the guards marching once again by giving the duke an order to advance, which he pretended had come from Raglan, who in fact was nowhere to be seen.

The three regiments of the Guards Brigade (Grenadiers, Scots Fusiliers and Coldstream) waded across the river. In their red tunics and bearskins they were an imposing sight. On the other side of the river they took an age to reassemble into lines. Irritated by their dithering, Sir Colin Campbell, the commander of the Highland Brigade, ordered an immediate advance. A firm believer in the charge with bayonets, Campbell told his men not to fire their rifles until they were within a yard of the Russians. The Scots Fusiliers, who had crossed the river before the other guards, began charging up the hill, repeating the mistake of the Light Division, which at that moment was running down the hill pursued by the Russian infantry. The two crowds of men ran straight through each other the Scots Fusiliers bearing the brunt of the collision, with men knocked over and bearskins flying. When they emerged on the other side and continued running toward the Great Redoubt, they were only half their number and in a chaotic state.

The Grenadiers and Coldstream Guards filled the gap left by the Scots Fusiliers but refused orders to advance up the hill. Instead, on their own initiative, the 2,000 guards formed into lines and fired 14 volleys of Minie rifle shot into the Russian infantry. The volleys delivered an intensity of fire achieved by half a dozen machine guns. They stunned the Russian infantry, who fell in heaps upon the ground and then withdrew up the hill. By disobeying their commanders, who had ordered them to charge with bayonets, the guards had demonstrated a crucial innovationthe long-range firepower of the modern riflewhich would prove decisive in all the early battles of the Crimean War. The Minie was a new weapon. Most regiments had been issued it only on their way to the Crimea and had received hurried training in how to use it. They had no idea of its tactical significance its ability to fire with a lethal accuracy from well beyond the range of the Russian muskets and artilleryuntil the guards discovered it for themselves on the Alma. Reflecting on the impact of the Minie rifle, Russian military engineer Eduard Totleben wrote in his history of the Crimean War:

Left to themselves to perform the role of sharpshooters, the British troops did not hesitate under fire and did not require orders or supervision. Troops thus armed were full of confidence once they found out the accuracy and immense range of their weapon.Our infantry with their muskets could not reach the enemy at greater than 300 paces, while they fired on us at 1,200.

Without entrenchments to protect their infantry and artillery, the Russians were unable to defend their positions on the heights against the deadly Minie rifles. Soon the fire of the guards was joined by that of the 2nd Division under Evans, on the British right, whose 30th Regiment could clearly see the gunners of three Russian batteries from the riverbank and take them out with their Minie rifles without the Russians even knowing where the firing was from. As the Russian infantry and artillery withdrew, the British slowly advanced up the hill, stepping over the dead and wounded bodies of the enemy. By 4 p.m., the British were converging on the Russian positions from all directions. With the French in command of the cliffs above the Alma, it was clear the battle had been won.

On the Russian side there were signs of panic, as the enemy closed in and the devastating effect of their long-range rifle fire became apparent. Priests went round the lines to bless the troops, and soldiers prayed with growing fervency, while mounted officers used the knout to whip them forward into line. But otherwise there was a general absence of authority among the Russian commanders. Nobody gave any direction what to do, recalled one soldier. During the five hours that the battle went on we neither saw nor heard of our general of division, or brigadier, or colonel: We did not receive any orders from them either to advance or to retire; and when we retired, nobody knew whether we ought to go to the right or left. The drunken Kiriakov gave a general order to retreat from the left flank of the heights, but then lost his nerve and went missing for several hours (he was discovered later hiding in a hollow in the ground). It was left to the junior commanders to organize the retreat from the heights.

With no clear idea of where they were to go, the Russians fled in all directions, running down the hill into the valley, away from the enemy. Mounted officers tried in vain to stop the panic flight, riding round the men and whipping them, like cowboys rounding up cattle; but the men had lost all patience with their commanders. By half past 4 the battle was over.

At the top of Telegraph Hill the French captured the abandoned carriage of Prince Menshikov. In the carriage they found a field kitchen, letters from the tsar, 50,000 francs, pornographic French novels, the generals boots and some ladies underwear. On the hill were abandoned picnics, parasols and field glasses left behind by parties of spectators from Sevastopol.

On the battlefield itself the ground was covered with the wounded and the dead2,000 British, 1,600 French and perhaps 5,000 Russians, though the exact numbers are impossible to calculate, since so many of them were abandoned there. It took the British two days to clear the battlefield of the wounded. They had neglected to bring any medical supplies on the ships from Varnathe ambulance corps with its carts and wagons and stretchers was still in Bulgaria.

The Russians were unable to collect their wounded from the battlefield. Those who could walk were left to look for treatment on their own, many of them staggering to the dressing stations set up on the River Kacha, nine miles south of the Alma, or limping back to Sevastopol. About 1,600 wounded Russian soldiers were abandoned on the battlefield, where they lay for several days until the British and the French, having cleared their own, took care of them, burying the dead and carting off the wounded to their hospitals.

If the allies had pushed on directly from the Alma, they would have taken Sevastopol by surprise. In all probability they would have captured it in a few days, at relatively little cost in human lives compared to the tens of thousands who were to die during the 349-day siege that followed from their errors and delays.
On Feb. 26, 1991, the three ground squadrons of the U.S. 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment were part of the Allied effort to retake Kuwait from Iraq. The 2nd ACRs mission was to establish contact with the main Iraqi Republican Guard defenses, determine the enemys strength, find or create weakness and pull the following Allied heavy divisions into the fight under advantageous conditions. The 2nd Squadrons E Troop130 soldiers equipped with nine M1A1 Abrams tanks, 12 Bradley fighting vehicles and two 120mm mortarswas the first to make contact with the Republican Guard. I was E Troops commander.

It had rained very hard during the night; a heavy fog remained in the morning. The fog eventually lifted, only to be replaced by a sandstorm that limited visibility to very short distances. Just after 1600 on the 26th, E Troop received orders to advance to the 67 Easting, a north-south grid line on the map. The troop moved in a formation that placed one scout platoon in the lead with three scout sections of two cavalry fighting vehicles each in a V-formation. The other scout platoon moved along the troops southern flank, its 25mm chain guns oriented south to cover the gap between E Troop and the 2nd ACRs 3rd Squadron. The troops mortar section followed the first platoon, and the nine M1A1s moved behind the mortars in a nine-tank wedge, with the commanders tank in the center.

The cavalrymen were unaware they were paralleling a road that ran west to east along their boundary with 3rd Squadron, through a small uninhabited village and into Kuwait. They also did not know they were entering a training ground occupied by a brigade of the Tawakalna Division, one of Saddam Husseins best-equipped units. Its mission was to halt the American advance into Kuwait. The Iraqi commander thought it ideal ground from which to defend. Unaware that American units had received global positioning systems, he assumed they would move along roads to avoid becoming lost in the featureless desert, thus he organized his defense along the road by fortifying the village with anti-aircraft guns (used in ground mode), machine guns and infantry.

The defense was fundamentally sound. He took advantage of an imperceptible rise in the terrain that ran perpendicular to the road and directly through the village to organize a reverse slope defense on the east side of that ridge. He built two engagement areas, or kill sacks, on the east side of the ridge, north and the south of the village, emplaced minefields to disrupt forward movement and dug in approximately 40 tanks and 16 BMPs (infantry fighting vehicles) about 1,000 yards from the ridge. His plan was to engage and destroy U.S. forces piecemeal as they moved across the crest. Hundreds of infantry occupied bunkers and trenches between his armored vehicles. He positioned a reserve of 18 T-72s, other armored vehicles and his command post along another subtle ridgeline approximately 3,000 yards farther east.

At 1607 Staff Sgt. John McReynolds Bradley drove atop an Iraqi bunker serving as an observation post. Two enemy soldiers emerged and surrendered, and McReynolds took them to the rear. The Bradley of McReynolds wingman, Sergeant Maurice Harris, came under fire. As Harris engaged the enemy with his 25mm, 1st Lt. Tim Gauthier fired a TOW missile into the village so the explosion would orient our tanks. After my gunner, Staff Sgt. Craig Koch, fired a round to mark the target center, all nine tanks fired high explosive rounds into the village to suppress the enemy position.

As 1st Platoon Staff Sgt. David Lawrences gunner, Sergeant Bradley Feltman, killed a T-72 with a TOW, E Troop received permission to advance two miles to 70 Easting. The troop shifted to a tanks lead formation. When my tank crested a rise north of the village, Koch reported, Tanks direct front. From my hatch I could see eight T-72s in prepared positions directly to our front. As I sent a contact report to the troop, Koch destroyed two more tanks. Then all nine Abrams engaged together as we advanced. Within about a minute everything in the range of our guns was in flames.

As E Troop advanced through the smoke of burning enemy tanks, it engaged additional armored vehicles and large numbers of infantry. As the troop cleared the western defensive positions, my executive officer, Lieutenant John Gifford, radioed, I know you dont want to know this right now, but youre at the limit of advance; youre at the 70 Easting. I responded, Tell them we cant stop. Tell them were in contact, and we have to continue this attack. Tell them Im sorry.

E Troop continued toward a ridgeline, the 73 Easting, on which the enemy commander had positioned 18 reserve T-72 tanks and other armored vehicles. My tank and others destroyed the first of the reserve from a range of approximately 1,000 yards beginning at about 1640. We could not see the others until we crested the rise and entered the assembly area. The enemy reserve was attempting to move out, but E Troop tanks destroyed all of them at close range before they could deploy.

As the troop consolidated its position, it received sporadic contact, ranging from machine-gun fire to one company-sized counterattack by T-72s and BMPs. E Troop destroyed those and other enemy vehicles at long range from its dominating position on the ridge the enemy reserve had occupied. The mortar section suppressed enemy infantry farther east, and two artillery strikes devastated enemy logistical bases. First Sgt. Bill Virrill led a team to clear bunkers using grenades and satchel charges. Just after 2200 the 1st Infantry Division moved forward through the Allied frontline in Third Squadrons sector to E Troops south.

The Battle of 73 Easting was a lopsided victory. In just 23 minutes E Troop destroyed approximately 50 T-72s, 25 armored personnel carriers, 40 trucks and numerous other vehicles, without suffering any casualties.

Lessons:

 Prepare for the human and psychological dimension of close combat. Leaders must develop tough, cohesive teams with the confidence to overcome fear and accomplish the mission.

 Lead from the front. Leaders must build well-trained, combat-ready teams and lead by example.

 Train as you expect to fight. Tough, realistic training enables soldiers and units to respond immediately, effectively and cohesively despite the intensity of battle.

 Use airpower and technology. Air supremacy and technological overmatch win battles.

 Shoot first. In armored combat, the first blow can be decisive if fire is accurate, overwhelming and followed up with offensive action.

 Gain and maintain the initiative over the enemy. Do not allow the enemy to recover from initial blows.

 Decentralize tactical decision-making, trust subordinates and encourage initiative in the field.

 Exploit the enemys tactical weaknesses and low skill levels.

 Read and apply relevant lessons from military history. E Troop based its preparations for desert combat on experiences during the North African campaign in World War II and the Arab-Israeli wars.
Li Bai (701762) is widely regarded as Chinas greatest poet. In 756 he became unofficial poet laureate to Prince Li Lin, the 16th of Emperor Xuanzongs 30 sons, who tried to seize power in an unsuccessful uprising against the Tang dynasty. The prince, accused of trying to establish an independent kingdom, was executed; Li Bai was arrested for treason and imprisoned at Jiujiang. His death sentence was commuted to exile in Yelang, in Chinas remote southwest interior. In 759, as he made his way to Yelang, Li Bai received notice that he had been granted an imperial pardon. He wandered the Yangtze Valley until his death in 762.

Some 1,100 of Li Bais poems have survived, including the one printed here. They are known for their clear imagery and conversational tone and have influenced a number of 20th-century poets, including Ezra Pound and James Wright.

THE LONG WAR

They fought last year by the upper valley of Son-Kan,

This year by the high ranges of the Leek Mountains,

They are still fightingfighting! 

They wash their swords and armor in the cold waves

of the Tiao-Chih Sea;

Their horses, turning loose over the Tien Mountains,

Seek the meagre grasses in the white snow.

Long, long have they been fighting, full ten thousand

li away from home;

Their armor is worn out, the soldiers grown old. 

Oh, the warlike Tatars!

To them manslaughter is their plowing,

Plowing, oh from ancient times, in the fields of white bones

and yellow sands!



It was in vain that the Emperor of Chin built the Great Wall,

Hoping to shut out those fiery hordes.

Where the wall stands, down to the Han Dynasty,

The beacon fires are still burning.

The beacon fires keep on burning;

The war will never cease! 

The soldiers fight and die in death-grapple on the battlefield,

While their wounded horses howl in lamentation,

Throwing up their heads at the desolate sky;

The gray ravens and hungry vultures tear,

And carry away the long bowels of the dead,

Hanging them on the twigs of lifeless trees. 

O soldiers who fight long

Their blood varnishes the desert weeds!

But the generals who lead them on

They have accomplished nothing!
Civil War Washington ranks among the best resources available online for U.S. Civil War scholars, writers, and teachers. Despite its narrow geographic focus, the sites collaborative nature results in a digital collection that touches on literature, journalism, medicine, labor, military affairs, politics, geography, digital humanities, genealogy, science, and of course history.

Civil War Washington is published by the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities at the University of NebraskaLincoln (UN-L) thanks in large part to support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the UN-L. It focuses on the period of 1860 through 1865 and restricts itself to the U.S. capital, but within that tight lens is a wealth of information. The site creators remind us that Washington tripled in size during the Civil War, and its population included not just soldiers and politicians, but also fugitive slaves, thousands of laborers, doctors and nurses, immigrants, journalists, novelists, prostitutes, and more. The site designers recognized that a digital format might best capture the vast array of forces that revolutionized this city, and the result is a website that is easy to access, visually appealing, and useful for broad audiences.

Readers interested in the history of slavery and the process of emancipation, for example, will want to peruse the Petitions section under Texts that reviews the process by which more than 3,000 enslaved men, women and children earned their freedom. The Newspapers section, also under Texts, holds a digitized collection of some of the rarer papers published at hospitals in the Washington area, reminding us that, as the Armory Square Hospital Gazette declared in its first issue in 1864, The hospital is an episode in a soldiers lifesometimes a painful termination of it, which has many an event worthy of a chronicle. Under Visual Works, site visitors can view and download drawings, photographs, lithographs, and other images that help us see what life looked like in Washington during the war. The Maps section will appeal especially to digital historians, while others will enjoy digitized excerpts from The Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion that pertain to wartime cases in the capital.

I encourage readers to familiarize themselves with this rich site from which I have offered but a few examples. The original material is skillfully contextualized with essays that ensure that the sources are accessible for the highly trained as well as newcomers to our field. Readers and teachers might also think about using this site in conjunction with two others that I have reviewed in this column, Civil War Richmond and the Richmond Daily Dispatch. While all three websites are quite different in the material they offer and in their design and their complexity, the resources they include provide an opportunity to make useful comparisons between the two capitals at war.Susannah J. Ural
Driven from their homeland by centuries of English domination, Irish soldiers went to war under may flags.

Ireland has been called the land of happy wars and sad love songsthe land whose sons have shed blood around the world for every cause but their own. A mythology has grown up around these exiles of Erin, the story of the Wild Geese. Today the name is applied to just about every Irishman who has soldiered anywhere for any reason. There is a Wild Geese Heritage Museum and Library in Galway. Irish pubs in Brussels and Braunschweig bear the name. An online shop even sells Wild Geese memorabilia, from mens sweatshirts to womens underwear. But three centuries ago Wild Geese had a particular meaningand a particular story.

On Dec. 22, 1691, Patrick Sarsfield and the first of some 14,000 men boarded ships in Limerick, Ireland, bound for France. They were the survivors of a defeated army. For more than a year James StuartJames II of England and Ireland, as well as James VII of Scotlanddeposed by Dutch son-in-law William III of Orange and daughter Mary II, had sought with French support to regain his throne. His appeal to the loyalty of Catholics and Protestants alike had not gone unheeded, but his levies had proved a poor match for Williams forces, which had defeated his army at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 and at Aughrim in July 1691. Under Sarsfield the town of Limerick had withstood a siege through that September. Then, with the Jacobite cause plainly lost, Sarsfield had negotiated terms. William and Mary allowed civilians to keep their land and property and granted Catholics restricted religious freedom. They also allowed defeated Irish soldiers and their families to immigrate to France. By January 1692 more than 20,000 men, women and children had sailed for Brest from Irish ports.

They were not the first Irish soldiers on the Continent. Resistance and rebellion had been endemic in Ireland since the 12th century Norman invasion of that country, the losers entering service with Englands enemies. The first Irish regiment in Spanish service formed in the 1580s during the Eighty Years War and boasted of suffering 12,000 casualties by wars end in 1648. Spain continued to enlist Irish mercenaries throughout the Napoleonic Wars, sending them everywhere in a far-flung empire, from Italy to Brazil. While Irish soldiers were less common in the Habsburg Empire, more than 100 Irishmen became generals or admirals under the double eagle. Swedens King Gustavus Adolphus considered Irishmen too untrustworthy to enlist in numbers, but individuals rose to high rank in his service. Russia too had its share of Irish officers, initially recruited by Peter the Great to train and discipline his new-model army.

Less familiar is Englands recruitment of Irish Catholics for duty overseas. Catholics under arms generated enough fear and hostility when employed in England that in 1644, during the English Civil War, Parliament passed an ordinance of no quarter to the Irish. An Irish-Catholic regiment served in the Anglo-Dutch Brigade from 1674 to 1688. Another, raised during the Anglo-French alliance that accompanied the 1660 Stuart Restoration, provided many senior Irish officers, including Sarsfield himself, with their initial military experience.

Between insurrections Irish officers regularly returned home to replenish their ranks. Hunger, ambition, local loyalties and religious persecution were ever-reliable recruiting tools. Such efforts met with support from local Irish authorities and the English crown, as every Irishman in a foreign uniform was one less potential insurgent. The English particularly considered this an effective tactic: As one of Queen Elizabeths captains observed, more than three-quarters of the Irish so dispatched never returned. Not until 1722 did the Irish Parliament forbid unlicensed recruitment and later prohibit anyone in French or Spanish service from holding property in Ireland. Clandestine recruiting then continued with a wink and a nudge, usually accompanied by the exchange of hard coin, though it was liable to lead to the end of a rope if anything went wrong.

It was during this period the military exiles received their distinctive name. Most recruits shipped out aboard French merchant ships conducting a quasilegal commerce in various luxury goods. Some unknown Gallic wit listed the Irishmen on his cargo manifest as wild geese. The name stuck and survives.

Until 1692 Irish soldiers abroad were fundamentally mercenaries, seeking to make their fortunes or leave their bones in fresh climes. Their regiments were short-lived, their numbers difficult to maintain. The Jacobites under Sarsfield were exiles, retaining their identity as a 14,000-strong Irish army. They were distinct from their French allies, distinctively uniformed in scarleta color not yet negatively identified with England.

The Irish who had chosen European exile had expected a quick and victorious return home. In May 1692 they assembled on the Cherbourg peninsula, ready to embark, when English and Dutch ships off La Hogue decisively defeated the French fleet that was to have screened James IIs invasion of England. The Irish were left high and dry in every sense, as James had nothing like the resources to continue supporting them. The French government offered to assume that responsibility in return for Irish service under French colors. But the army would retain its identity, and James would remain commander in chief, with the right to appoint officers. If they held together, the exiles just might become a critical mass. Their numbers were large enough, the percentage of families high enough, to suggest the possibility, in Sarsfields words, of making another Ireland in the armies of France.

But that hope, too, was denied this time by the changing nature of war.

In the late 17th century firepower was coming to dominate the battle- field, as the historic combination of pike and matchlock gave way to the flintlock musket and its socket bayonet. Tactical movements were growing more complex. Disciplinethe ability to remain steady in ranks under fire was becoming the major criterion for combat effectiveness.

But James IIs Irish soldiers lacked the formal training and experienced noncommissioned officers their European counterparts enjoyed. What they did have was a military culturerooted partly in historic Irish society and partly in the bitter fruit of two centuries experience against better-armed enemiesthat emphasized closing quickly with the enemy in order to negate his firepower with brute force and edged weapons. Moreover, Irish officers led from the front, no matter their rank. After the storming of the fortress of Barcelona in 1697, French Marshal Louis Joseph de Bourbon, Duke of Vendome, called the Irish regiments that led the assault those butchers of the army.

The first defining battle for the Wild Geese, however, had occurred four years earlier at Neerwinden in Flanders. The Irish regiments formed the core of desperate attacks against that fortified town, paving the way to a French victory for Francois-Henri de Montmorency, Duke of Luxembourg, over an allied English, Scottish and Dutch army under William of Orange. The French paid a high price for gloryincluding Sarsfield himself, shot in the chest while leading the charge that carried the day. Legend records his last words as, Oh, that this were for Ireland.

A more appropriate aphorism might have been, Put no trust in princes. The Nine Years War dragged on until the 1697 Treaty of Ryswick formally recognized William as king of England, Scotland and Ireland. By this time anywhere from a third to half of the exiled Irish army had died or deserted. With a Stuart restoration no longer a possibility, a French government concerned with reducing expenses disbanded James IIs regiments. Some of the survivors blended into local communitiesas casual laborers when times were good and as beggars when the winds blew cold. Others became highwaymen, and some drifted into Spain and Austria as swords for hire. Still others transferred the legacy of the exiled Wild Geese to a formation of the French army known as the Irish Brigade.

France organized its first organic Irish regiments in 1635. During the 168891 Williamite War, James II provided 6,000 of his countrymen for the service of Louis XIV in return for a French contingent sent to Ireland. They were peasant levies untrained, unarmed, shoeless, shirtless and louse-ridden. But the Irish fought well enough that the French were anxious to acquire more of them. When France disbanded the Jacobite army after Ryswick, it added five of that forces regiments to the Irish Brigades existing three.

The reconfigured brigade became the defining institution of Ireland in exile, symbolizing and sustaining the Stuart cause back home and on the continent. The names of the regiments changed with their proprietors, thus tracing their lineages is a labor of antiquarian enthusiasm. Some were disbanded; one was transferred to Spanish service; another, raised in 1744, spent most of its time in India. But no matter the details of its organization, the brigade asserted its Irishness at every turn. Its uniform coats remained distinctively red. As they had in Ireland, brigade flags bore St. Georges cross and the motto IN HOC SIGNO VINCES (In this sign you will conquer).

The brigades paymaster may have been France, but the units ultimate allegiance was to the Stuarts. Its institutional ethos, its songs and toasts, were Jacobite. The brigade required its officers to be Irish, or the sons of Irishmen living in France, from exile families or their sympathizers. The first post-Limerick rank and file came from all quarters of Ireland. In later years the brigade drew most of its recruits from the south, the southwest and the midlandsregions where English rule was most oppressive and rural poverty the most pervasive. Until the mid 18th century the supply of volunteers from the home island sufficed to maintain the brigades Irish character.

This persistent Stuart orientation was acceptable to a French government that perceived Britain as its foremost rival for European influence and global power. The brigade was thus a political force, whose senior officers helped plan repeated uprisings in both Ireland and Scotland. The brigade was also a potentially formidable spearhead of any direct French intervention in the British Islesa spearhead that was conveniently expendable if anything went wrong.

The newly configured Irish Brigade underwent its first test during the War of the Spanish Succession. When James II died in France in September 1701, Louis XIV promptly recognized Stuarts exiled son as James III, king of England and Ireland. Frances action all but forced British participation in the continental war already prompted by Louis determination to put his grandson on the vacant Spanish throne. James IIIor the Old Pretender, depending on taste and allegiance called for the Irish to rally to him. Enough responded to bring the Irish Brigade up to strength and form five new regiments.

Some 600 Irishmen were part of a French force wintering in Cremona, Italy, on Feb. 1, 1702, when Austrias foremost general, Prince Eugene of Savoy, led a strike force in a surprise attack on the city. Though most of Cremonas 8,000 defenders were feeling the effects of good liquor and bad women when the Austrians found a way into the city, the Irish contingent, either more alert or lacking funds to join the party, fought back. Offered a chance to switch sides for higher pay, they detained the messenger for challenging their honor. Time and again the Wild Geese threw back Eugenes elite grenadiers and cuirassiers, at bayonet point when ammunition ran low. Then they charged, broke through the Austrians, linked up with the rest of the now-sober garrison and set about recapturing the city a street at a time. As a French relief force approached, Eugene withdrewsuffering one of his few decisive defeats.

More than half the Irish lay dead or wounded, but they had kept the faith and held Cremona. Louis XIV responded by raising the new regiments pay to that of the original brigade. His commanders responded by turning to Irish troops for help whenever possible. Improvised Irish regiments, recruited on the ground from deserters and prisoners of war, contributed to the successful defense of Spain by James FitzJames, the Jacobite Duke of Berwick. On Aug. 13, 1704, at Blenheim three Irish regiments helped hold the crucial Bavarian village of Oberglau through what was largely a day of disaster for French arms, then covered the retreat. Two years later at Ramillies, in present-day Belgium, an Irish regiment captured two enemy colors. In 1709 at Malplaquet, France, five Irish regiments captured a vital woods on the French right, held it against three attacks, counterattacked to the cry, Long live James III and the King of France! and engaged in an epic musketry duel at point-blank rangeironically, against fellow Irishmen of the British Royal Regiment of Ireland.

The War of the Spanish Succession ended in 1714. By that time Frances Irish regiments counted fewer than 3,500 men; 10 times that many had fallen in battle or died of disease. The survivors, reorganized into five regiments of infantry and one of dragoons, enjoyed relative quiet for a quarter-century. Then another general war broke out, again over a disputed throne. This time it was Austrias, and one of its great battles provided the Irish Brigades apotheosis.

During the War of the Austrian Succession, the Irish Brigade served in the army of French Marshal Maurice de Saxe. In May 1745 de Saxe, hoping to draw the Anglo-Dutch-Austrian forces of Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, into a decisive battle, took position on high ground around the village of Fontenoy, in present-day Belgium. Cumberland obligingly attacked. But French hopes for an easy victory abruptly faded as the allied army hammered de Saxes positions and a column of 15,000 British and Hanoverian infantry broke through the French line, brushing aside counterattacks as a horse switches flies. Then came the time of the Irish.

De Saxe launched the rested and thus far unengaged brigade against the British right flank. Against 4-to-1 odds, 3,800 men swung forward, bayonets fixed. Fifes, drums and bagpipes struck up the Jacobite battle song, The White Cockade. Some accounts have officers shouting, in Gaelic, Bayonets in their bellies! As they closed to pointblank range, the Irish shouted an ancient war cry: Faugh a balla! (Clear the way!). A single musketry volley by the Coldstream Guards brought down the entire first rank of two Irish regiments. That kind of shock is usually enough to make the hardiest troops recoil, yet the Irish kept the pace and hit the British with the force of a sledgehammer. They briefly lost momentum during an episode of friendly fire, as a regiment of French cavalry, charging from the front, cut down anyone wearing a red coat, including the Irishmen. Shouts of Vive le Roi! and Vive la France! from the Irish sorted out the matter, and they resumed their killing spree.

Bayonets seldom crossed in 18th century battles. But at Fontenoy it was cold steel and no quarter. Within 10 minutes the Anglo-Hanoverians had had enough. They fell back unbroken but left behind some 5,000 casualties, 15 cannon and the two colors of the Coldstreamers. What finer reserve than six battalions of Wild Geese! cried de Saxe as their charge went in. But more than 500 of the Irish were down, nearly a fifth of them officers. That night, when informed of the Irish units battlefield feats, King Louis XV sent his personal congratulations. A brigade colonel replied that the sovereigns words were like those of the evangelistthey fell on the one-eyed and the lame.

The Wild Geese went into a long, slow decline after the Battle of Fontenoy. Louis XV was initially regarded as the arbiter of Europe, but Frances diplomacy ultimately failed, and its army faltered. Several hundred volunteers known as the Irish Pickets followed Charles Edward Stuart (the Young Pretender) to Scotland and the ruin of the Jacobite cause in the rebellion of 1745. During the Seven Years War (175663) the Irish Brigade did most of its fighting in Germany, with little enough success. By that time fewer than half the men in the ranks were Irish.

The failure of the 1745 rebellion, in particular, undermined confidence in the Stuart cause, even among true believers. In Ireland the easing of Britains harsh anti-Catholic policies made exile far less attractive to both commoners and gentry. For those interested in emigratingwhether for religious or economic reasonsNorth America offered increasingly attractive opportunities. For Irishmen still attracted to soldiering, the British army was increasingly welcomingoff the books until the 1770s and then legally. By some estimates more than a third of the British soldiers that served in the 180814 Peninsular War were Irish-born, and most of them were Roman Catholics.

The Irish Brigade did some of its last, best fighting in America, when France dispatched troops to assist the 13 colonies in their struggle for independence from Britain. Irishmen were in the front line of the 1779 American-French assault on Savannah, and elements of the brigade served in the West Indies through the end of the Revolutionary War. Irish troops participating in the siege of Yorktown had the immense satisfaction of witnessing the British surrender.

The French Revolution marked the end of the Irish Brigade, largely because the units continuing loyalty to the monarchy rendered it suspect in an emerging republic. Most of the regiments were leavened with new volunteer units. Some of the Irish officers sought service in Britain, raising new battalions; most were short-lived, the rest stationed in secondary theaters. In 1792 Louis Stanislas Xavier, Count of Provence and the future French King Louis XVIII, presented the brigade a farewell banner inscribed Semper et Ubique Fidelis (Always and everywhere faithful).

The legacy and legend of the Wild Geese endured after the French brigades dissolution especially in the Irish Brigade of the Union Army during the American Civil War. Seeing action from the Peninsula Campaign to Appomattox Court House, it carried the flag of Erin beside the Stars and Stripes and earned a reputation for reckless bravery. The Unions Irish Brigade resembled its predecessor in another way as well. From its best-known commander, Thomas Francis Meagher, down through the ranks, many of its men saw themselves as exiles and hoped the brigade might somehow become the mechanism of Irelands liberation. Remember Ireland and Fontenoy! Meagher reportedly exhorted at the July 21, 1861, Battle of Bull Run. Once again that dream would be denied.

But another heritage remained. The 69th Infantry Regiment of the New York Army National Guard maintains the traditions of the Union Irish Brigade. Among the most cherished traditions in The Fighting 69th is the official regimental cocktail: two parts champagne to one part Irish whiskey. The Wild Geese would have approved.

For further reading Dennis Showalter recommends History of the Irish Brigades in France, by John OCallaghan; The Wild Geese: The Irish Brigades of France and Spain, by Mark McLaughlin; and The Irish Soldier in Europe, 1585 1815, by George B. Clark.
Bjork has revealed that her new album Utopia will be released on November 24.

The cover was made by Jesse Kanda, a Japanese artist based in London who has collaborated in the past with FKA Twigs.

Bjork took to twitter this afternoon to reveal the image and thank those who assisted by saying "thank you for telepathically getting me".

Utopia will be Bjork's tenth studio album and the follow up to 2015's Vulnicura.

In recent interviews, Bjork has commented that Utopia will be much more hopeful thematically than her last and will feature a 12 piece Icelandic flute section.

So far, Bjork has shared a music video for her single The Gate, which features a Gucci dress that took 870 hours to make.

Director of the video Andrew Thomas Huang described it as the first glimpse into Bjorks utopia".
There was excellent dance music of nearly every stripe to be found at Matropolis this year, with Richard Fearless, Bingo Loco, Booka Brass and Jazzy Jeff also impressing. Report: Claire OGorman

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The very good news has been revealed by Colm O Ciosoig.

Colm O Ciosoig has revealed that the follow-up to My Bloody Valentines 2013 comeback album, m b v, is on its way.

Asked the inevitable question whilst talking to Bostons WBUR radio station, the drummer said: Ive been working on that preceding this tour, and Im going to go back and work on that once the tour is done. Its in the making.

The tour O Ciosoig is referring to is the one hes currently on in the US with Hope Sandoval and the latest incarnation of the Warm Inventions who are him and Dave Brennan, Mick Whelan and Al Browne from Dublin band Dirt Blue Gene.

As previously reported by Hot Press, his MBV bandmate Kevin Shields has teamed up with Brian Eno on the epic nine-minute long Only Once Away My Son.
Ahead of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' planned shows in Tel Aviv on November 19th and 20th, a number of artists and activists have urged Cave to reconsider performing in Israel.

Currently on tour with the Bad Seeds to promote his latest album, Skeleton Tree, Cave has earned criticism for his decision to play two shows in Tel Aviv in November.

Earlier in October, Cave was urged to boycott the state in a letter written by a group of Israeli citizens , in which he was told to "[s]ay something explicit against racism, occupation and apartheid, and stand against it".

Cave however, failed to respond to said letter, which has now prompted a group of musicians, filmmakers, journalists and activists to pen their own letter and ask if he would resist travelling to the state "while apartheid remains".

The signatories include, Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore, author AL Kennedy, journalist John Pilger, directors Mike Leigh, Penny Woolcock and Ken Loach, and American civil rights activist Angela Davis.

The letter says,

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"[W]hen international artists of your stature, despite the appeals of Palestinians, continue to turn up on Israeli stages, the government which promotes these crimes takes heart: whatever it does, it seems there will be no penalty.

Like others whove added Tel Aviv to their touring schedule, you may say that you oppose Netanyahu. But it matters little whether or not artists endorse Israels government. Its the fact theyre willing to perform in Israel that is important. It is seen as public approval for the status quo: thats why Israels foreign affairs ministry celebrated Radioheads visit last July, while its media proclaimed their appearance as the best hasbara Israel has received lately."

In July, Radiohead drew considerable criticism over their own decision to go ahead with a scheduled concert in Tel Aviv. In an online argument with director Ken Loach, lead vocalist Thom Yorke justified his choice by saying,

"Playing in a country isnt the same as endorsing its government. Weve played in Israel for over 20 years through a succession of governments, some more liberal than others. As we have in America. We dont endorse [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu any more than Trump, but we still play in America."

Other artists who have boycotted Israel in the past include Pixies in 2010 and Lana Del Rey in 2014.
In a week where Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw relief workers from Puerto Rico after declaring that he met with the 'Puerto Rican President' (that would be him), a political satire about politicians' self-interest and incompetence hardly seemed necessary. Armando Iannucci's black comedy isn't about Trump, however; like all his work (In The Loop, Veep), it uses razor-sharp wit to illustrate the painful and often pathetic ego wars at the heart of political conflicts.

Set in the Soviet Union in 1953, The Death Of Stalin is loosely based on real events, but Iannucci's wicked comic stylings elevate this Kremlin tale into an absurdist gem. When Josef Stalin suffers a stroke in his office, fear of disrespecting the dictator ironically leads to a series of indignities. Dignitaries and doctors avoid pronouncing his death, fearing that it be read as wishful thinking or an act of treason, leading to a series of increasingly farcical conversations and body-shuffling. But amidst the performance of grief, a mad scramble for power also begins.

The superb cast includes Michael Palin as the hangdog Molotov; Steve Buscemi as the jester-like but calculating Khrushchev; Jeffrey Tambor as the hilariously insecure yet pompous Malenkov; and a wonderfully slimy Simon Russell Beale as unctuous police chief Beria. All of the performances are simultaneously hilarious and terrifying, as these immature men snipe and bicker - but then you remember they literally have the lives and futures of civilians in their power-grabbing hands.
The band will perform at the Olympia Theatre, Dublin on Friday 16th March 2018.

After a sold-out show in Dublin back in September, The Stunning are returning to the Olympia Theatre due to demand.

The Stunning recently shared their new single, 'Always You' on October 12th, which is to be released on Friday 10th November ahead of their next album due out in early 2018.

Tickets for the show are 29.00 including booking fee and are on sale now via Ticketmaster.ie .

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Listen to 'Always You' below:
The number of lawsuits companies face has declined significantly during the past five years, even though nearly 80 percent of Texas business leaders were sued during the past year, according to exclusive data provided to The Texas Lawbook by the Norton Rose Fulbright law firm.

There would be even fewer civil lawsuits if not for the increase of Texas businesses suing each other, according to The 2017 Litigation Trends Survey.

The report states that Texas general counsel have witnessed an uptick in lawsuits involving oil and gas operations, labor and employment disputes and contract violations this year.

The sharpest rise in civil complaints came in the energy sector. Lawsuits involving offshore oil and gas operations more than tripled during the past year, according to the report.

"During periods of declining commodity prices, we see an increase in contracts being defaulted, an increase in disputes with business partners and joint ventures gone bad," said Gerard Pecht, a partner in the Houston office of Norton Rose Fulbright and head of the firm's global litigation practice.

One-third of Texas companies were sued for alleged contract disputes in 2016, but the number jumped to 47 percent in 2017, according to the report.

Norton Rose Fulbright issued its annual global litigation report last week, but the law firm, which has its U.S. headquarters in Houston, provided exclusive data to the Lawbook regarding the responses of Texas corporate in-house legal departments.

The most serious emerging legal threat to Texas companies, according to the study, involves risks to cybersecurity and data privacy.

The report does provide some good news for companies. Corporate legal departments believe that the threat of federal regulatory action against their businesses has declined dramatically.

Last year, every single Texas business told Norton Rose Fulbright that regulators were more interventionist. That number declined to 72 percent this year.

"The change in presidential administrations is the reason for this attitude change," Pecht said.

The most obvious example, he said, is the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

"The SEC is moving away from its broken windows approach and will pursue the bigger cases and focus less on smaller, more technical violations," Gerard said.

Overall, the Norton Rose Fulbright survey found that companies spent only a tiny fraction of their total revenues - 0.17 percent - on litigation, but that is still nearly double the amount of their legal spending from a year earlier.

Twenty-seven percent of companies were sued 21 times or more during the past year, which is down from 32 percent in 2015. In addition, 21 percent of companies were not sued at all - up from 18 percent a year earlier, according to the report.

The Litigation Trends survey found that the median annual company expenditure on litigation was $1.5 million - up from $1 million a year earlier.

Cybersecurity is the legal threat that concerns most corporate general counsel, although Texas companies seem less worried than their national counterparts.

The Norton Rose Fulbright survey found that 53 percent of Texas companies feel more legal exposure because of cybersecurity - compared to 63 percent of national companies. A stunning 9 percent of Texas general counsel said they feel less exposed to cyber threats than they did a year ago.
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Dynegy could cut scores of Houston jobs next year when it shutters its downtown headquarters as part of its sale to the largest Texas power generator.

The Houston merchant power company said it's too early to say how many would lose jobs once the sale to Vistra Energy of Irving closes in mid-2018. But executives told investors and analysts that they would vacate Dynegy's headquarters at 601 Travis Street, where 370 people work, and that job cuts would make up the bulk of a potential $225 million in savings by combining their operations.

"We're obviously early in the process here and more information is going to be known in coming weeks and months," said David Byford, a spokesman for Dynegy.

Vistra Energy, the largest power producer in Texas, said Monday that it would buy Dynegy in an all-stock sale valued at $1.75 billion all-stock sale. Dynegy shareholders would receive the equivalent of an 18 percent premium over the stock's closing price on Friday.

The long-anticipated deal is the latest in a wave of transactions that are reshaping the power industry as traditional generators struggle with low electricity prices, high costs to operate coal plants and increased competition from wind and solar energy, whose costs are rapidly falling and reliability improving. Over the summer, Calpine of Houston sold itself to consortium led by a New Jersey private equity company and NRG, also of Houston, began divesting $4 billion in assets, which led to nationwide layoffs.

Dynegy, which reported a $1.2 billion loss last year, has struggled with a debt of more than $9 billion after acquiring a fleet of natural gas-fired plants, an increasingly common move by power companies looking to limit their exposure to less profitable coal-fired plants. Dynegy paid more than$6 billion for 19 power plants in the Midwest and Northeast in separate deals with Duke Energy of North Carolina and Energy Capital Partners of New Jersey.

It snapped up another 17 power plants, including six in Texas, in a $3.3 billion transaction with French energy company Engie earlier this year, adding to a debt load even as wholesale electricity prices, which are tied to natural gas prices, remained low.

"It was a relatively smart move, but market forces moved against them," said Andrew Bischof, an analyst at Morningstar in Chicago. "That's the trouble with any industry that's sensitive to commodity prices.

Vistra is the successor company to Energy Future Holdings, which declared bankruptcy in 2014, and the Vistra owns TXU Energy, a retail electricity company in Irvin and Luminant, a merchant power generator.

Vistra has faced its own challenges since it emerged from bankruptcy just over a year ago. It lost $163 million from October to December 2016, earned a $78 million profit in the first quarter of 2017, but reported another loss of $26 million in the second quarter (The company reports third quarter results Friday).

Vistra recently said it would shut down three Texas coal-fired power plants and lay off more than 800 workers, citing the unfavorable economics of operating coal plants. Analysts speculated it was shedding unprofitable assets to prepare for a major transaction like the one with Dynegy.

"It's corporate Darwinism at its best," said Ed Hirs, an energy economist at the University of Houston. "Gas ... has become the cheap, clean, preferred way to make electricity and the coal plants are expensive to maintain."

Natural gas plants would account for about two-thirds of the combined company's power generation, with the balance produced from coal, nuclear and solar powers. Together, Vistra and Dynegy, worth a combined $10 billion on the stock market, could produce 40,000 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 8 million homes on a hot Texas day.

The deal must be approved by shareholders of both companies, as well as federal and state regulators, including the Public Utility Commission of Texas.

Vistra executives said they believe the combined company could generate enough cash - $5 billion in excess cash through 2022 - to pay down its debt to healthy levels over the next few years. Dynegy, analysts said, was making progress on paying down its debts, but has a little margin for error or poor earnings with a large payment due in 2019.

Dynegy has run into trouble before. It came close to bankruptcy in 2002, as the value of it shares plunged in the aftermath of Enron scandal, which pressured energy stocks, and the disclosure of an SEC probe into whether Dynegy inflated the cash generated from operations. Dynegy avoided bankruptcy by selling assets.

Dynegy, however, couldn't avert a bankruptcy filing in 2011 as natural gas production and supplies surged, driving down electricity prices. But through acquisitions it has become the nation's second-largest independent power producer by generation capacity, after NRG.

Dynegy stock rose nearly6 percent to $11.85 a share Monday. Vistra shares fell nearly 2 percent to $18.57.

The combined company would maintain a retail office in Houston, but would be headquartered in Irving and led by Vistra Chief Executive Curt Morgan. Dynegy CEO Box Flexon's employment would be extended for one year under the terms of his current agreement, the companies said.

Jordan Blum contributed to this report.
Let's be honest, most companies don't want a drug addict on the payroll.

A worker with a substance abuse problem is not as productive, more likely to make a mistake and the annual health care cost of an untreated worker can reach $13,000 a year, according to the National Safety Council. Untreated addicts also take twice as many sick days.

Yet 21 million American workers suffer from some sort of substance abuse disorder, and many of them are smart, valuable employees. At least they were until they suffered from addiction. Addressing drug addiction could boost the U.S. economy by $400 billion a year, according to the U.S. surgeon general.

RELATED: Big Pharma acted like Big Pusher

President Donald Trump last week declared the opioid addiction crisis a national emergency, but until Congress approves more funding, don't expect federal health officials to do very much. Meantime, there is a great deal that employers can do to address the crisis, while boosting the economy and the company's bottom line.

The first step is to recognize the problem. So far Texas has not suffered the worst of the crisis. Our state has never had the pill mills and pain clinics where doctors could pump millions of pills into the population. The Texas economy has also been strong, which also tends to suppress drug abuse, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Only 24 percent of employers consider opioid drug abuse a major problem, according to the National Safety Council. But with more illicit pills pouring over the border from Mexico to meet demand in other parts of the country, the number of overdose cases nationally and in Texas are on the rise.

Employers also need to reconsider how they react to news that an employee has an addiction. While 71 percent of managers recognize that addiction is a disease, not a personal failing, about 65 percent said it was reason for termination, according to a survey by the National Safety Council.

RELATED: Drug addicts deserve employers' compassion, not ridicule

If you wouldn't fire someone for suffering from cancer, then you shouldn't fire someone for suffering from addiction, said John Challenger, chief executive officer of global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.

"The workplace could be a lifeline for those struggling with this addiction. Most people spend the majority of their lives at work, and if co-workers and employers can intervene and support these workers, the possibility of success is much greater," Challenger said. "Not only will employers keep valued employees, but they can avoid the substantial cost of termination, recruiting, and retraining new staff, in addition to the cost on society."

Recovering addicts also make model employees, the safety council found. They have lower turnover rates, are less likely to miss work, less likely to be hospitalized and have fewer doctor visits.

Employers need to review company drug policies to ensure they address opioids and addiction. They should also make sure drug testing includes checking for opioids and train supervisors to identify the first signs of someone suffering from addiction.

RELATED: TV ad symptom of America's opioid crisis

The earlier that an addiction is caught and treated, the lower the cost to the employee and the employer. Early detection, like with any disease, improves the odds of a full recovery.

Most employees who become addicted to opioids really are victims, people who suffered an injury or underwent a surgery. They became addicted after a doctor prescribed them painkillers not realizing how dangerous they were due to lies spread by drug makers.

In this time of national crisis, show your patriotism by joining the battle against opioid addiction. Make sure your workers know the risks of prescription painkillers and provide them the treatment they need at the first sign of trouble.
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Local industrial brokers have been surprised by the ballooning size of speculative industrial projects under construction.

"For the first time in Houston's history, developers are starting to build buildings over 500,000 square feet," John Talhelm, an industrial broker with commercial real estate firm JLL, said during a media luncheon Monday. "Houston is getting its share of large buildings."

Historically, a spec Houston industrial project averaged somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 square feet. With the rise of e-commerce promising online shoppers near-instant gratification, developers are building spec projects topping 500,000 square feet.

Oakmont Industrial Group, an Atlanta-based developer, broke ground in September on a nearly 700,000-square-foot spec warehouse in Katy. Liberty Property Trust, a Pennsylvania-based real estate investment trust, is under construction on a 600,000-square-foot spec warehouse near the Port of Houston.

More massive spec buildings will likely come, Talhelm said.

Amazon is building its second Houston-area fulfillment center, a nearly 1 million-square-foot facility in Katy. FedEx Ground recently opened a nearly 800,000-square-foot distribution center in Cypress.

These bigger warehouses will accommodate taller racks that can hold a wide range of goods required by online retailers. The latest warehouses are being built with ceiling heights of 36 feet, as opposed to the typical 24 and 28 feet.

E-commerce companies are also pushing for more environmentally friendly buildings, said Rachel Alexander, a JLL researcher. Houston's newest trophy office towers boast LEED certification. Industrial may soon follow as e-commerce companies like Amazon rush to meet renewable energy targets.

"There's a global movement toward cleaner energy," Alexander said. "More and more industrial projects are putting solar panels on their roofs."

Houston doesn't yet have a solar-powered distribution center, but developers like DCT Industrial are starting to think about installing solar panels and batteries into their projects. The Denver-based developer is building 470,000 square feet of industrial space in Houston.

"We are evaluating the cost effectiveness of them," Justin Bennett with DCT Industrial.

Despite the rise of bigger, taller and energy-efficient industrial projects, brokers and developers aren't yet concerned about overbuilding.

Over the past decade, Houston developers delivered 45 million square feet of new industrial space, but the vacancy rate has hovered at a low 5 percent for years, according to JLL research. Several new petrochemical plants also are expected to come online next year, fueling demand for warehouses to store, package and distribute plastic resins around the world, Talhelm added.

"The development community has done a good job of policing themselves and not overbuilding," Talhelm said. "We don't see anything but growth ahead of us."
LOS ANGELES - As thousands prepared to head to Hollywood Forever Cemetery Saturday for its 18th annual early celebration of the Mexican tradition known as Dia de los Muertos, there were places to shop.

Outfits adorned with images of colorful sugar skulls, skeletons and other traditional Day of the Dead symbols are available far beyond the small neighborhood stores that once had a lock on such things.

Target, Walmart and other big retailers have plastered the theme on masks, paper plates and candle holders. There are Day of the Dead earrings and necklaces at Party City, costumes and headbands at Spirit Halloween stores and temporary tattoos and bed covers at Etsy.com.

Merchandise capitalizing on the tradition had been spreading rapidly in the retail world in recent years, but this year it seems to be everywhere. Day of the Dead also is the underlying concept of a new Pixar animated movie, "Coco."

Day of the Dead - largely celebrated Nov. 1 and 2 - effectively has become rolled up into the Halloween retail juggernaut, unsettling some observers who see it as cultural appropriation that turns the centuries-old Day of the Dead remembrances into crass commercialism.

Dia de los Muertos goes back thousands of years. Much of the holiday is aimed at celebrating life along with remembering the dead.

The event traditionally consisted of family gatherings that often were held at the gravesites of the departed.

But there's been a backlash in some quarters to Day of the Dead's rising U.S. popularity.

A recent article on style website Bustle.com listed the Day of the Dead sugar-skull mask or face painting as one of eight costumes that "are actually racist, even if you might not realize it" unless one was raised in Mexican culture and observes Dia de los Muertos.

The website Latina.com listed Dia de los Muertos as one of seven things "Mexicans did before it was cool" and that the holiday "has become fodder for cultural-appropriating Americans."

Pixar parent Walt Disney Co. also ran into controversy as it developed plans for "Coco."

Disney tried to trademark "Dia de los Muertos" in 2013 but withdrew the application after a public uproar that accused Disney of cultural insensitivity.
Facebook plans to tell lawmakers on Tuesday that 126 million of its users may have seen content produced and circulated by Russian operatives, many times more than the company had previously disclosed about the reach of the online influence campaign targeting American voters.

The company previously had reported that an estimated 10 million users had seen ads bought by Russian-controlled accounts and pages. But Facebook has been silent regarding the spread of free content despite independent researchers suggesting that it was seen by far more users than the ads were.

Tueday's planned disclosure, contained in draft company testimony obtained ahead of three Capitol Hill hearings this week, comes as Facebook and other tech giants face mounting pressure to fully investigate the Russian campaign to influence American voters and reveal their findings to the public.

Google acknowledged for the first time Monday that it had found evidence that Russian operatives used the company's platforms to influence American voters, saying in a blog post that it had found 1,108 videos with 43 hours of content related to the Russian effort on YouTube. It also found $4,700 worth of Russian search and display ads.

Twitter also plans to tell congressional investigators that it has identified 2,752 accounts controlled by Russian operatives and more than 36,000 bots that tweeted 1.4 million times during the election, according to a draft of Twitter's testimony. The company previously reported 201 accounts linked to Russia.

Though the Russian effort sprawled across many U.S.-based technology platforms, attention has focused most heavily on Facebook, which has faced repeated calls from lawmakers and researchers to dig more deeply into its data and disclose more of what it has found.

There have been similar calls heard repeatedly within the company itself, where debates over what to reveal publicly have yielded cautious compromises that have left members of the company's security team frustrated, say numerous people familiar with private conversations among Facebook employees.

Such concerns have focused on forensic evidence the security team collected about Russia's online influence campaign that was, after months of internal company wrangling, not included in a 13-page "white paper" issued publicly in April, say people familiar with the negotiations. The report spoke in general terms about "information operations" but included only a single page on the U.S. election and did not at any point use the word "Russia" or "Russian."

Several independent researchers also say Facebook likely has the ability to search for data that could substantiate allegations of possible collusion between the Russian disinformation operation and the Trump campaign's own social media efforts. The possible sharing of content, the timing of social media posts and other forensic information known only to the company could help answer questions central to congressional investigations and the investigation led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

"If there was collusion in the social media campaign between the Russians and the Trump campaign, they would have that evidence," said Philip Howard of Oxford University's Computational Propaganda Project. "It is a needle in a haystack for us outside researchers."

The president and his campaign officials have denied colluding in any way with the Russians.

The push for more information is likely to emerge as an important theme during the congressional hearings Tuesday and Wednesday.

"I hope they will be more forthcoming," said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. "I think there's a lot more that Americans deserve to know."

Facebook chief security officer Alex Stamos said in a statement on Monday that the company is doing everything it can to assist investigators.

"By publicly describing our understanding of information operations in April, and by fully cooperating with the various investigations into Russian interference, I'm confident that we are doing everything we can to be helpful and contribute our piece of the broader picture," Stamos said. He did not directly respond to a question about reports of frustrations on his team.

A Facebook spokesman, Jay Nancarrow, acknowledged the importance of probing company data for the possibility of collusion. "We believe this is a matter that government investigators need to determine, which is why we are fully cooperating with them to help them make their assessment," he said.

Facebook has said Russia's effort to influence the election involved 470 accounts and pages that spent more than $100,000 on 3,000 ads that reached 10 millions users. But outside researchers have said for weeks that free posts almost certainly reached much larger audiences - a point Facebook will concede in testimony Tuesday.

Material that originated from Russian operatives was crafted to mimic American commentary on politics and other social matters such as immigration, African-American activism and the rising prominence of Muslims in the United States.

The company has long sought to downplay the impact of manipulation of its platform during the 2016 campaign. Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg initially dismissed the importance of phony news reports spreading unchecked on Facebook, saying it was "a pretty crazy idea" to suggest that "fake news" could have affected the outcome of the election. He later apologized for the remark.

But from the first days after the election, many employees expressed frustration and dismay that a social media platform they had built helped elect a president many of them disliked deeply, say current and former employees and others familiar with internal company conversations.

Some Facebook employees also expressed regret that it had removed human editors from the "Trending topics" feature seen in the news feeds of users after allegations surfaced several months before the November election about supposed liberal bias in how stories were selected and portrayed.

Company officials, reluctant to be seen favoring one part of the political spectrum, bowed to demands from conservatives pushing for changes.
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When Diane Nash and three friends were finally served at the Post House Restaurant, it was after months of protests and arrests during lunch-counter sit-ins in Nashville, Tenn.

It was 1960, and the composed Nash was a student leader in the civil rights movement in that city. She and the city's mayor, Ben West, finally had a confrontation, and West agreed that people should not be discriminated based on the color of their skin.

It was a turning point in the city where blacks and whites were learning new boundaries in a changing world.

Nash and other women in America's civil rights movement are part of an exhibit - Patricia Montgomery's "Tribute to the Civil Rights Movement Heroines" - in the 2017 International Quilt Festival in Houston beginning Thursday.

Susanne Jones pays tribute to another group, women whose accomplishments includes firsts for women or humankind.

Montgomery's exhibit came from the memory of a long-ago visit to a library in Mississippi, when she found a book about women who'd been involved in the civil rights movement. Places and events were familiar, but many of the names were not.

Jones was inspired by a more recent event, the presidential campaign of Hillary Rodham Clinton, who lost in her bid for the Oval Office nearly a year ago when she was the first woman to run for president on the Democratic Party ticket.

"It looked like we might be going into an era of female leadership," said Jones, whose book on the exhibit "HERstory: A Celebration of Strong Women" will go on sale in February. "Also, women's voting rights have always been important to me. From what was happening in the news, I thought it would be a good time for this exhibit."

Their two collections will be just part of the 1,600 quilts on display in the annual event at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The prestigious event is expected to draw some 55,000 people from 35 countries to shop, look at quilts and compete.

Montgomery, a Californian who was born in Mississippi and grew up on Long Island, created a collection of 13 quilted swing coats, each a tribute to a woman involved in civil rights.

"It's meant to introduce people to womens' roles in the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s through images, text and design elements, including decorative stitches and embellishments," Montgomery said.

She was awarded a grant from the Creative Work Fund and collaborated with the African American Museum and Library at Oakland, working on the project for nearly two years before its first exhibit at that nonprofit in 2016.

"What was so powerful was that the coats had a rhythm and vibe of their own because of the air moving through the space," Montgomery said of the exhibit in which the quilted coats hung from the ceiling on thin wires. "They seemed to talk to each other."

2017 International Quilt Festival Houston When: 7-10 p.m. Wednesday (preview night); 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday Where: George R. Brown Convention Center, 1001 Avenida de las Americas Classes: go to quilts.com for class schedule 'HERstory' exhibit: Curator Susanne Jones will speak at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Thursday to Sunday in Aisle P. Civil rights heroines exhibit: Patricia Montgomery will speak at 2 p.m. Thursday in Aisle P and 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Aisle R. Tickets: $12 adults, $9 seniors, students and military, children younger than 10 are admitted free; $42 full show pass; quilts.com See More Collapse

Montgomery has sewn since she was a teenager, when she made her own clothes, and began making quilts in early 2000. She worked on the exhibit coats from a folk pattern she had and said there was a fair amount of trial and error - especially figuring out seam allowances and attaching the sleeves - as she incorporated text, images, embellishments and a stitching pattern she called "doodling."

"Each coat was symbolic in that it represented the person, the human body," Montgomery said. And the style's wide front and back gave her more room for artistic storytelling.

Among the stories are those of Joanne Robinson, a college professor involved in the Montgomery bus boycott, and Fannie Lou Hamer, whose dramatic speeches often referred to being "tired of being denied rights."

There's also a quilt for Mildred Loving, the black woman at the hearts of the landmark Loving v. Virginia case that invalidated laws prohibiting interracial marriage.

"It was the catalyst to everything that happened afterward," Montgomery said of Richard and Mildred Loving. "Their case is the basis of why we have same-sex marriage today. All of these things have consequences that lead to other things."

Jones' interest in women's history is personal. Her grandmother couldn't vote in a presidential election until she was 84 because she was married to a British man. Later, residency laws kept her from voting when she changed her residence too close to an election date.

When her grandmother voted for the first time in 1972, so did the then 19-year-old Jones.

Jones, who curated the "Fly Me to the Moon" exhibit in the 2016 quilt festival, said she put out a call for quilts about women whose "firsts" date back to 1920, when women got the right to vote.

The only exception was to suffragists, because without their efforts, that right might not have come along, Jones said.

Some 52 HERstory quilts will be featured from the full collection of 107. On display in Houston will be quilts about first ladies, including Michelle Obama, Rosalynn Carter and Betty Ford, and elected officials, including former U.S. House speaker Nancy Pelosi, German Chancellor Angela Merkl and former Texas Gov. Ann Richards.

There's Amelia Earhart, the first woman aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic. And a more recent "first" is depicted in a quilt for Misty Copeland, the first black prima ballerina at the American Ballet Theatre.

"I was amazed to find things out about people I had never heard of before," Jones said. "As always, the (quilting) methods are so varied and just blew me away. We have everything from whole-cloth quilts - which means they painted or inked on cloth - to a lady who did a piece about Helen Hardin, a Southwest painter, so she did a lot of seminal patchwork, which is very traditional, with a lot of triangles and squares."

Jones made three quilts for the exhibit, one of which is about teacher Anne Sullivan and her deaf-blind student Helen Keller.

"Anne Sullivan has been my hero since I was 9 years old. I saw 'The Miracle Worker' and was enthralled that someone could have such a profound impact on a person who is disabled. But we all learned that she wasn't disabled, she had incredible abilities," Jones said. "And because of their work, we have Braille and a manual alphabet and ways to teach a deaf person to speak."

Both women hope quilt show visitors will learn about women and history through the figures in their quilted works of art.

"People in the generation after me don't know about these women or the civil rights movement, or they think it's not important any more," Montgomery said. "Hopefully, we gain more from (the exhibit) other than they're pretty coats."
A Houston bank robber who threatens to shoot bank tellers Monday struck his third financial institution in less than a week, according to a press release from the FBI.

The robber, who seems to commit robberies in the morning, entered the Smart Financial Credit Union branch in the 2500 block of North Loop West at 9:30 a.m. on Monday.

Crime Stoppers of Houston is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to the identification and arrest of the robber, who has now hit offices of the same credit union on three separate occasions.

In Monday's robbery, the FBI said the robber demanded money from the teller and threatened to shoot if the teller didn't comply, according to the agency. He left the credit union with an undisclosed amount of cash in a dark-colored, 4-door Nissan.

The robber is described as a 35 to 40-year-old man, standing about 5 feet 5 inches tall, and weighing approximately 145 to 160 pounds.

He wore a blue and white plaid flannel shirt, blue jeans, and glasses.

The shirt is the same blue and white plaid flannel shirt he wore during the October 25, 2017 robbery of the Smart Financial Credit Union located at 4411 South Wayside Dr., which he has robbed twice, according to the FBI.

The FBI encourages anyone with any information to call the Crime Stoppers tip line at 713-222-TIPS (8477) or the FBI Houston Field Office at (713) 693-5000.

Text TIP610 plus your tip to CRIMES (274637) or visit www.crime-stoppers.org.

Tips may also be submitted to Crime Stoppers through the Crime Stoppers of Houston app which can be downloaded at the app store for both iPhone and android devices.

All tipsters will remain anonymous.
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As Republicans get set to offer their plan that would bring dramatic changes to the nation's tax structure, U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, is downplaying reports of a possible rift between tax writers and President Donald Trump over changes to retirement rules.

Brady spoke to The Courier after the president last week posted on Twitter that there would be no changes to the regulations governing 401(k) plans. "This has always been a great and popular middle class tax break that works, and it stays," Trump said in his tweet.

The post came amid speculation that Republicans, as they worked to find new revenue sources to pay for their proposed tax cuts, would place limitations, or even cut back on 401(k) deductions. Such cutbacks would be especially worrisome to the estimated 55 million workers who hold some $5 trillion in their retirement accounts. The plans have become a touchstone of retirement security for the middle class.

"401(k)s and IRAs are crucial for families to save for retirement," Brady told The Courier.

Instead of possible cuts to the retirement plans, Republican tax strategists were looking to expand the rules concerning retirement programs, he said.

Those changes, according to Brady, would be to encourage more companies to offer the plans, or offer incentives to increase company matches and make other improvements.

"[401(k) Plans] Will be either strengthened so people can remove and save more, or they will remain as they are," Brady said. "I want Americans to save more and save sooner in their lives."

Brady, who heads the powerful Ways and Means Committee in the House of Representatives, has been working with GOP tax writers in developing what would be the first major tax changes in the nation's tax code since Ronald Reagan was president. With Congress giving its final approval to the federal budget, lawmakers can now spend more time on tax reform. Brady says the GOP tax plan will save Texas families thousands of dollars a year while simplifying tax returns. Republicans are expected to release details of their plan Wednesday.

"On Nov. 1, we will introduce our tax reform bill that will deliver more jobs, fairer taxes and bigger paychecks to people across our country," Brady said. "Beginning Nov. 6, the Ways and Means Committee will consider this legislation in a committee markup."

But Democrats have argued the Republican tax reform will only serve to cut taxes for the rich and corporations, while hurting the middle class and poor.

Tomball Democrat Steven David, who is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Brady for his seat in the 8th Congressional District, bashed Brady's proposed changes.

"Over the course of the past few weeks, we have learned a lot about Kevin Brady's tax cuts for the wealthy," David said. "We learned that he plans to fund them by capping 401(k) contributions, ending other middle-class deductions, and by more borrowing. It's both unfair and unwise to punish its citizens for saving money for retirement to lower taxes on billionaires."

If David wins the Democratic primary, and Brady, as expected, wins the Republican primary, the two would square off in the general election in November 2018.

Brady, has been predicting a tax reform package would be on President Trump's desk by the end of year, says the GOP is on a timetable to get the bill through Congress by the end of the year. But, David and other Democrats doubt Congress will pass tax reform this year.

"As far as Rep. Brady getting tax reform on the President's desk by December, simple math and reality are going to be his undoing," David said.

- The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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A Brazoria County man is facing a felony charge following a shooting Sunday in Spring.

Detectives believe Jonathan Antione Fernandez, 20, shot a 15-year-old male in the 4800 block of San Antonio River Drive, which is in a neighborhood off the Grand Parkway just west of the San Jacinto River. The shots erupted following an argument between Fernandez and a handful of other men at the residence that night.

Fernandez and Dmarcus Reshaud Joseph, 18, went over to the home that night and started arguing and fighting with the 15-year-old. A separate 19-year-old man pulled out a gun and ordered the others to stop fighting.

Fernandez pulled a gun out and fired six shots, striking the 15-year-old in the leg, detectives said. The teenager suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Fernandez and Joseph initially fled the scene in a car before Montgomery County Sheriff's deputies arrived, but deputies with the Precinct 3 Constable's Office located the two moments later. Detectives claim Joseph threw the gun out of the window before deputies approached their car.

Joseph is charged with tampering with physical evidence and is facing prison time if convicted. Fernandez could face up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted.
With the guilty plea of one Trump campaign official and a 31-page indictment of two others, Special Counsel Robert Mueller spoke volumes more about the Russia probe than months of heated public debate. Without uttering a word, Mueller's message was clear, according to veteran lawyers: He isn't bluffing, and witnesses are talking.

The double-barreled court filings ratchet up the pressure on everyone under scrutiny in the investigation, lawyers said, in part because they show that a former Trump campaign adviser began cooperating with the FBI three months ago.

"This is the way you kick off a big case,'' said Patrick Cotter, a white-collar defense lawyer in Chicago who once worked as a federal prosecutor in New York alongside Andrew Weissmann, who is spearheading the prosecution of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his deputy, Rick Gates.

Prosecutors also announced a guilty plea from former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos about his interactions with people linked to the Russian government. Papadopoulos has admitted to lying to FBI agents who questioned him about those contacts, according to court records.

"Oh man, they couldn't have sent a message any clearer if they'd rented a revolving neon sign in Times Square,'' Cotter said. "And the message isn't just about Manafort. It's a message to the next five guys they talk to. And the message is: 'We are coming, and we are not playing, and we are not bluffing.' ''

The special counsel also appears to be moving fast.

White-collar cases often begin by "flipping'' bit players far down the chain of command. The prosecution team that sent WorldCom chief executive Bernie Ebbers to prison for decades began with charges against a low-level accountant. Prosecutors then worked their way up the corporate ladder, flipping senior managers until they had a case against Ebbers.

And as Mueller probes whether Trump associates conspired with Russian government actors to influence the 2016 presidential election, he already has a cooperator at the lower rungs of the campaign: Papadopoulos. The prosecutors' court filings say that Papadopoulos sought to arrange a meeting between officials with the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and talked to people connected to the Russian government about providing "dirt'' on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Peter Zeidenberg, a former federal prosecutor with expertise in national security, called the Papadopoulos plea "a big deal'' because it "goes much closer to the issue of collusion.''

The fact that he's been cooperating for three months is important, too, he said. "Who else is cooperating that we don't know about? That's what people in the White House need to be worried about.''

While the Papadopoulos court filings offer more links between Trump associates and Russian figures, they do not define the extent to which senior campaign officials supported that effort.

"It's not a direct connection as yet," said Daniel Toomey, a former prosecutor in Washington. "There are additional bread crumbs that are missing leading to the White House.''

Toomey called the indictment of Manafort and Gates "extraordinarily intricate'' and said it will put "enormous pressure'' on the defendants to cooperate.

"This becomes a paper case. The documents speak for themselves,'' he said. "This case, by my estimation, will take months to try. The cost of the litigation for Manafort will be in the millions of dollars."

Veteran lawyers described the indictment as daunting - alleging $18 million worth of money laundering, which prosecutors said in court could mean more than a dozen years in prison.

The indictment even seems to go out of its way to kneecap a standard defense argument in such cases - that the defendant got bad advice from his accountant. The indictment charges that Manafort wrote specifically to his accountant that he did not have foreign bank accounts.

Nick Akerman, a former assistant special Watergate prosecutor, said the court filings "all spell bad news for President Trump.''

Akerman said he could not see any defense to the Manafort indictment.

"He has no choice but to plead guilty. That's what the indictment says to me,'' he said. "The only defense that you've got is to go in there and start singing like a canary to avoid jail time. And once he starts singing, one of the tunes is bound to be Donald Trump.''

But Jay Nanavati, a former Justice Department tax prosecutor, said the filing of the indictment shows that so far, prosecutors have "not been able to convince Manafort to cooperate, but this is still how you start moving up the ladder in any organization.''

What's striking about the indictment, Nanavati said, is the number of people who worked for Manafort - accountants, lawyers and others - who provided key evidence against him.

That could be an ominous warning for other subjects of the probe, like former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who used lawyers to make official statements to the government that have now come into question.

And unidentified lobbying firms indirectly hired by Manafort, he said, "are in significant trouble'' because of the written exchanges referenced in the indictment alleging that some people at the firms were aware that Manafort was lying about their work together.

Nanavati said a key change in U.S. tax enforcement that began in 2008 - going after foreign bank accounts controlled by Americans - probably played an important role in the case against Manafort. Before the Justice Department started cracking through the layers of Swiss banking secrecy that hid Americans' accounts in 2008, he said, the requirement on Americans to declare foreign bank accounts was on the books but "basically, nobody ever did it, and almost no one ever got prosecuted for it. That changed in 2008, and tax return preparers started asking.''

With the decline of bank secrecy, Nanavati said, crimes such as tax evasion and money laundering through foreign accounts became harder to hide, and made the charges against Manafort easier to bring.

A key leader of the tax enforcement effort was then-Justice Department lawyer Kevin Downing.

Downing is now Manafort's defense lawyer. Outside court on Monday, he blasted the government's indictment for claiming his client committed crimes via foreign bank accounts. To claim that maintaining such accounts, "to bring all your funds into the United States, as a scheme to conceal from the United States government, is ridiculous,'' Downing said.
Facebook plans to tell lawmakers on Tuesday that 126 million of its users may have seen content produced and circulated by Russian operatives, many times more than the company had previously disclosed about the reach of the online influence campaign targeting American voters.

The company previously reported that an estimated 10 million users had seen ads bought by Russian-controlled accounts and pages. But Facebook has been silent regarding the spread of free content despite independent researchers suggesting that it was seen by far more users than the ads were.

Tuesday's planned disclosure, contained in draft company testimony obtained by The Washington Post ahead of three Capitol Hill hearings this week, comes as Facebook and other tech giants face mounting pressure to fully investigate the Russian campaign to influence American voters and reveal their findings to the public.

Google acknowledged for the first time Monday that it had found evidence that Russian operatives used the company's platforms to influence American voters, saying in a blog post that it had found 1,108 videos with 43 hours of content related to the Russian effort on YouTube. It also found $4,700 worth of Russian search and display ads.

Twitter also plans to tell congressional investigators that it has identified 2,752 accounts controlled by Russian operatives and more than 36,000 bots that tweeted 1.4 million times during the election, according to a draft of Twitter's testimony obtained by The Post. The company previously reported 201 accounts linked to Russia.

Although the Russian effort sprawled across many U.S.-based technology platforms, attention has focused most heavily on Facebook, which has faced repeated calls from lawmakers and researchers to dig more deeply into its data and disclose more of what it has found.

There have been similar calls within the company, where debates over what to reveal publicly have yielded cautious compromises that have left members of the company's security team frustrated, according to people familiar with private conversations among Facebook employees.

Such concerns have focused on forensic evidence the security team collected about Russia's online influence campaign that was, after months of internal company wrangling, not included in a 13-page "white paper" issued publicly in April, according to people familiar with the negotiations. The report spoke in general terms about "information operations" but included only a single page on the U.S. election and did not at any point use the word "Russia" or "Russian."

Several independent researchers also say Facebook likely has the ability to search for data that could substantiate allegations of possible collusion between the Russian disinformation operation and the Trump campaign's social media efforts. The possible sharing of content, the timing of social media posts and other forensic information known only to the company could help answer questions central to congressional investigations and the probe led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

"If there was collusion in the social media campaign between the Russians and the Trump campaign, they would have that evidence," said Philip Howard of Oxford University's Computational Propaganda Project. "It is a needle in a haystack for us outside researchers."

The president and his campaign officials have denied colluding in any way with the Russians.

The push for more information is likely to emerge as an important theme during the congressional hearings Tuesday and Wednesday, when lawmakers plan to push for more details.

"I hope they will be more forthcoming," said Sen. Mark Warner, Va., the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, one of three committees holding hearings on these issues this week. "I think there's a lot more that Americans deserve to know."

Facebook's chief security officer, Alex Stamos, said in a statement to The Post on Monday that the company is doing everything it can to assist investigators.

"By publicly describing our understanding of information operations in April, and by fully cooperating with the various investigations into Russian interference, I'm confident that we are doing everything we can to be helpful and contribute our piece of the broader picture," Stamos said. He did not directly respond to a question about reports of frustrations on his team.

Facebook spokesman Jay Nancarrow acknowledged the importance of probing company data for the possibility of collusion. "We believe this is a matter that government investigators need to determine, which is why we are fully cooperating with them to help them make their assessment," he said.

Facebook has said Russia's efforts to influence the election involved 470 accounts and pages that spent more than $100,000 on 3,000 ads that reached 10 millions users. But outside researchers have said for weeks that free posts almost certainly reached much larger audiences - a point that Facebook will concede in its testimony on Tuesday.

Facebook's general counsel, Colin Stretch, plans to tell the Senate Judiciary Committee that between 2015 and 2017, a single Russian operation in St. Petersburg generated about 80,000 posts and that roughly 29 million people potentially saw that content in their news feeds.

Because those posts were also liked, shared and commented on by Facebook users, the company estimates that as many as 126 million people may have seen material in their news feeds that originated from Russian operatives, which was crafted to mimic American commentary on politics and social matters such as immigration, African American activism and the rising prominence of Muslims in the United States.

Stretch plans to characterize that content as a tiny fraction of what users see every day in their Facebook news feeds.

The company has long sought to play down the impact of manipulation of its platform during the 2016 campaign. Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg initially dismissed the importance of phony news reports spreading unchecked on Facebook, saying it was "a pretty crazy idea" to suggest that "fake news" could have affected the outcome of the election. He later apologized for the remark.

But from the first days after the election, many employees expressed frustration and dismay that a social media platform they had built helped elect a president many of them disliked deeply, according to current and former employees and others familiar with internal company conversations.

Some Facebook employees also expressed regret that it had removed human editors from the "trending topics" feature seen in the news feeds of users after allegations surfaced several months before the November election about supposed liberal bias in how stories were selected and portrayed. Company officials, reluctant to be seen as favoring one part of the political spectrum, bowed to demands from conservatives for changes.

Zuckerberg had met with prominent conservative media personalities in the run-up to his decision to remove human editors and emphasized that Facebook was not a media company - even though the company has taken a greater role in policing content published by its 2 billion global users.

The potential for gaming Facebook's algorithm with limited human oversight soon became clear, as demonstrably false news reports spread with increasing speed during the election. The company's security team identified scores of sites that had spread phony news reports - such as one about Pope Francis supposedly endorsing President Donald Trump - during the campaign. But a December blog post said the company intended to focus only on blocking the "worst of the worst."

Not all publishers were happy with the effort. At one point, USA Today complained to the FBI that it had lost nearly 40 percent of its Facebook followers after the social network quietly removed millions of accounts.

Internal company debate flared early in the new year, after Facebook's security team found extensive evidence supporting the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia had engaged in an extensive and well-coordinated campaign to influence the presidential election.

The April white paper included only a general description of this effort and the assertion that Facebook's data "does not contradict" the conclusions of U.S. intelligence officials.

In the statement Monday, Stamos said, "While we were able to identify the malicious activity itself, we have to be realistic and honest about the challenges of attribution. Ultimately, we decided that the responsible thing to do would be to make clear that our findings were consistent with those released by the U.S. intelligence community, which clearly connected the activity in their report to Russian state-sponsored actors."

But the compromise prompted grumbling among members of the security team, some of whom complained privately that the majority of their groundbreaking work was kept from reaching the public, according to several people who heard such complaints and spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect their relationships with Facebook.

Others familiar with internal company debates, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, said pushes for the most detailed possible revelations have repeatedly run into broader concerns from Facebook's legal and policy teams, along with fears that some kinds of deep data-mining might impinge on the privacy of legitimate users.

"We're going to have to figure out what it means for this private social network to be democratically accountable," said Peter Eckersley, chief computer scientist for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a civil liberties group. "Facebook is going to have to really think about what their order of priorities really are. They are first and foremost a for-profit company, but do they have a responsibility to democracy?"
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The San Jacinto River looks as broad as a lake from up here, atop the balcony of the house that brothers David and Mike Friddle have shared for 21 years. It's a vision of shimmering blue in the late-morning sunshine.

"Best view on the river," Mike Friddle said as I marveled at the postcard-worthy scene during a visit Sunday. "It's a shame to have to leave it."

The Friddle brothers and their mother, Ruby Green, are preparing to move after accepting a buyout from Harris County. Their ramshackle house in the Banana Bend subdivision, perched on stilts on the edge of the river, will soon be demolished.

County commissioners last week approved buyouts of 34 properties in Banana Bend and nearby Highland Shores on the county's east side. The quick action, using $20 million in local funds, is among the signs that local officials are responding to Hurricane Harvey's catastrophic flooding with a heightened sense of urgency.

A key part of the county's strategy is using buyouts to remove homes and businesses that flood and are rebuilt again and again, often with the help of public funds. Few places fit this description better than Banana Bend, an odd but familiar name to any journalist or public official who has dealt with flooding in the Houston area in recent decades.

"When I bought the house I knew it flooded. This happens ... it comes with the territory," Ronnie Jones, who had a foot of water in his Banana Bend home, told a Houston Post reporter 30 years ago. Similar stories would emerge repeatedly as the area's frequent torrential rains inundated low-lying areas like Banana Bend.

For the Friddles, the stilts that raised their house high above the river - the space underneath served as a carport and storage area - were enough to keep water out of their living space - until Harvey.

Two months after the storm, vegetation deposited by floodwaters still hung from a shaky outside stairway. A heap of chairs, shelves and cushions lay next to the house. Ruined photographs sat on a balcony rail where the brothers had placed them to dry, perhaps hoping their images would somehow re-emerge.

The family stayed for a time in a motel paid for by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Since that assistance ended, the brothers have been camping in a tiny tent on the property and spending their days removing salvageable belongings.

The family expected to close their deal with the county - a fair offer, David said - on Monday.

"We're getting too old to be dealing with flooding," said David Friddle, 53. His brother is 59 and their mother is 80.

Still, they'll miss life on the river. They can fish right off their balcony, and their big, grassy lot has plenty of space for their three dogs to roam around. Neighbors are just the right distance away - close enough to foster a sense of community but far enough away that everyone had plenty of privacy.

"We were like a little village here," David Friddle said.

Over the years, as floods gradually pushed people out even without the inducement of buyouts, the population of Banana Bend has thinned. The Friddles don't think the community can survive the buyouts, which targeted 14 properties there.

Another pair of brothers, Robert and Tommy Henderson, don't intend to sell. No permanent structure stands on their land across Grace Lane from the Friddles' house; their primary home is in Houston, and they use a recreational vehicle when they stay at Banana Bend.

"During the summers, we enjoy coming out here on weekends," said Robert Henderson, who was doing some work on the property with his brother on Sunday. "We can bring our jet skis right up to the water. We knew it would flood; that's why we put an RV here."

The Hendersons fear that depopulation of the neighborhood could imperil a thriving business - a privately owned recreational park known as Banana Bend Beach. During the summer, the park is often packed with visitors who swim, picnic, rent cabanas and enjoy music with live DJ's on weekends.

When I stopped by on Sunday, the park was deserted and inaccessible, its entrance blocked by huge mounds of sand. On the edge of the park, trees lay toppled and a power line hung loose. A note on the park's Facebook page said it was closed due to Harvey but would reopen next year.

Will the county buyouts lead to the death of a neighborhood where a distinctive, river-rat culture thrived for decades? Perhaps. But this is the kind of tough choice that policymakers across the region will have to make if they intend to find lasting solutions to the problem of repeated flooding.
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New Braunfels officials plan to resume enforcement of the can ban and limits on coolers on rivers on Wednesday even as opponents of the controversial municipal codes continue to pursue a legal challenge to them.

The development follows the Texas Supreme Courts refusal this month to bar the city from enforcing the ordinances, which prohibit bringing disposable containers or coolers over 16 quarts in size onto the Guadalupe and Comal rivers inside city limits.

Everyone is still invited to enjoy their favorite beverage on our rivers. We just ask that they do so responsibly and in consideration of the health and sustainability of these important community assets, Mayor Barron Casteel said in announcing Friday that enforcement of the measures would resume this week.

The resumption of enforcement after a lull of more than three years was called premature Monday by attorney Jim Ewbank, who brought suit in 2012 on behalf of local river outfitters and tourism-related businesses who contend the codes are an overreach of municipal authority.

Despite rejecting plaintiffs request to issue an immediate stay on enforcement of the contested codes, he noted the Texas Supreme Court did request a full briefing by the parties, which is a good sign for us.

The citys brief is due to be filed by late November, said Ewbank, who expects the high court to decide by January whether to hear the whole case.

The cooler size limit was enacted in 2007 and the can ban went into effect in 2012 after local voters endorsed it in a referendum in 2011. Both carry fines of up to $500 for violations. City officials say both are aimed at promoting health and safety and reducing litter.

Ewbank argued in pleadings that state law already prohibits littering, and he criticized the city codes as unconstitutionally vague, arbitrary, unreasonable and an overreach of municipal authority.

State District Judge Don Burgess granted the plaintiffs a summary judgment in 2014, but that decision was overturned in May by the 3rd Court of Appeals. It held that the plaintiffs lacked legal standing to challenge a penal code, therefore Burgess lacked subject matter jurisdiction on the case.

While the plaintiffs had evidence theyd lost business and suffered economically due to the city rules, the court found no harm occurred to a vested property right, which would have allowed them to challenge a penal code with a civil suit.

The city had long argued that the plaintiffs lacked standing, its lawyer Mick McKamie said in May, noting, Without standing, the civil courts have no jurisdiction to review the ordinances.

While waiting to see if Ewbank would appeal, city leaders this summer began planning a new public relations/education/marketing initiative about the long-dormant regulations but left unresolved the kickoff date to resume enforcing them while waiting to see if the plaintiffs would appeal further.

Rather than resume enforcement next year, as had been discussed, the City Council decided at its Sept. 11 meeting to get the ball rolling Nov. 1.

We will begin education and enforcement now, focusing on compliance, for the few tubers that come out to enjoy the fall weather, Assistant City Manager Kristi Aday said in Fridays announcement.

The real education effort will begin next year before Spring Break 2018 when we begin to welcome our usual crowds, she said, adding the outreach program is being coordinated with outfitters, the local chamber of commerce and convention and visitors bureau.

New signs have been erected in city parks alerting guests to the resumption of enforcement.

Ewbank on Monday said, My clients do not believe it is a good use of taxpayers dollars to spend money on signs and instructions and training when the Supreme Court may find it to be unnecessary.

zeke@express-news.net
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A Central Texas man who was dressed as Santa Claus at a Halloween costume party is accused of firing on a group of people, killing one and injuring three others.

Police were called to the scene early Sunday morning in the 5500 block of Avenue F in North Austin.

Officers arrived to find four people with gunshot wounds. Michael McCloskey, 37, died of his wounds at the Dell Seton Medical Center, and two other women were taken to the same hospital to recover from their injuries.

RELATED: Suspect at large after stabbing man during brawl at North Side strip club

A fourth person who was shot refused medical transport to the hospital, according to a news release from Austin police.

Witnesses told police that the shooter, who was a resident of the home, went to a neighbor's home a few doors down from the party after the shooting.

Officers found the suspect, 32-year-old Randall Gaston Jones, outside that home and brought him into custody without incident.

Jones allegedly told a neighbor an altercation had occurred and he was going to surrender to police. He placed his black handgun on the neighbor's "Welcome" mat as he waited to be arrested, according to the release.

READ ALSO: One dead, one injured in altercation at S.A. sports complex

Jones, charged with one count of murder and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, had his bail set at $700,000, according to Travis County Jail records.

The fatal shooting marks the 27th murder investigation in Austin in 2017.

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


WASHINGTON - U.S. special operations forces captured a militant in Libya accused of playing an instrumental role in the Benghazi attacks, officials said Monday, in a high-stakes operation designed to bring the perpetrators to justice five years after the deadly violence.

President Donald Trump identified the militant as Mustafa al-Imam and said his capture signified that the four Americans who died "will never be forgotten." Justice Department officials were escorting al-Imam by military plane to the United States, where he's expected to be tried in federal court.

"Our memory is deep and our reach is long, and we will not rest in our efforts to find and bring the perpetrators of the heinous attacks in Benghazi to justice," Trump said.

The U.S. commando raid marked the first publicly known operation since Trump took office to target those accused of involvement in Benghazi, which mushroomed into a multiyear political fracas centered on Republican allegations of a bungled Obama administration response. Those critiques shadowed Hillary Clinton, who was secretary of state at the time of the attacks, in her presidential campaign.

U.S. forces captured al-Imam just before midnight local time Sunday in Misrata, on Libya's north coast, U.S. officials said. He was taken to a U.S. Navy ship at the Misrata port for transport to the United States by military plane. Now in Justice Department custody, al-Imam is expected to arrive in Washington within the next two days.

It wasn't immediately clear how al-Imam was involved in the Sept. 11, 2012, violence. Abdel-Rahman al-Taweel, a senior security official in Libya's Government of National Accord, said al-Imam was not Libyan but did not have details about his nationality.

Trump said he'd ordered the raid, and thanked the U.S. military, intelligence agencies and prosecutors for tracking al-Imam and enabling his capture. The U.S. officials said the operation was coordinated with Libya's internationally recognized government. They weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he'd spoken with the relatives of some of the Americans who died in Benghazi: U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, State Department information management officer Sean Patrick Smith and contract security officers Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. Tillerson said the U.S. would "spare no effort" to ensure al-Imam is held accountable.

Al-Imam will face court proceedings in U.S. District Court, officials said, in an apparent departure from Trump's previously expressed desire to send militants to the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In an interview last March with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, Attorney General Jeff Sessions called Guantanamo "a very fine place for holding these kind of dangerous criminals."

Earlier this month, another man accused in the Benghazi attack, Abu Khattala, went on trial in federal court in Washington. Khattala, captured during President Barack Obama's tenure, has pleaded not guilty to the 18 charges against him, including murder of an internationally protected person, providing material support to terrorists and destroying U.S. property while causing death.

The Benghazi assault started in the evening when armed attackers scaled the wall of the diplomatic post and moved through the front gate. Stevens was rushed to a fortified "safe room" along with Smith but were then siphoned off from security officers when attackers set the building and its furniture on fire. Libyan civilians found Stevens hours later in the wreckage, and he died of smoke inhalation in a hospital, becoming the first U.S. ambassador killed in the line of duty in more than three decades.

A nearby CIA annex was attacked by mortar fire hours after the diplomatic complex, killing Woods and Doherty, who were defending the rooftop.
It has long been conventional wisdom that the "Saturday Night Massacre" - the October 1973 episode in which President Richard M. Nixon tore apart his Justice Department to fire Watergate special prosecutor Archibald Cox -- badly backfired against Nixon. Not only did the move produce blowback from the public and on Capitol Hill, but it effectively required the White House to accept the appointment of another special prosecutor, whose investigation, along with parallel efforts in Congress, eventually provoked Nixon's resignation just ahead of impeachment charges less than 10 months later.

The news Monday that Robert Mueller's investigation of possible connections between the Trump campaign and Russia had yielded indictments of Paul Manafort and Rick Gates and a plea deal with George Papadopolous will no doubt reinvigorate discussions within the White House about repeating history and cutting off Mueller's investigation before it can go any further. For as bad an idea as this might seem to be at first blush, if President Trump really is worried about where Mueller's investigation might lead, now may be the best possible moment for him to take such a step -- and to dare the members of his own party in Congress to respond.

There's little question that, legally, Trump has the authority -- at least indirectly -- to do just that. Although the special counsel can only be removed for cause by the attorney general (here, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, because Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recused himself), the same doesn't follow for either Sessions or Rosenstein, both of whom serve at the pleasure of the president. Ditto for the third in line at the Justice Department -- Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand. Trump can request that any of those three fire Mueller, and he can fire each of them for refusing to do so in favor of someone who will: The Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 would allow Trump to name an acting attorney general from among a much broader class of candidates, including anyone currently holding an executive branch position that requires Senate confirmation (such as EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt), or even senior Justice Department civil servants who have served for more than 90 days. It's not difficult to believe that there is at least one such officer who would agree to do the president's bidding and shut down the investigation.

In Nixon's case, such a move was a huge political mistake, at least in part because he faced a Congress controlled by Democrats. As Anthony Lewis wrote about the events of that fateful Saturday night, "Even Congress, which so often rolls on its back like a spaniel, is beginning to face the necessity of impeachment." Here, by contrast, Trump faces a Congress controlled by the same Republican Party through which he steamrolled to win the presidential nomination -- and a Congress that has shown little meaningful interest in his potential complicity in Russian interference in last year's campaign.

It's true, of course, that some Republican leaders in Congress have expressed support for Mueller, and that even more have continued to defend Sessions against Trump's occasional public bullying -- Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said Monday that the White House should let Mueller do his job and let the legal system work.

But there's a Beltway-size chasm between saying the right thing and taking action to do the right thing. And it is not at all clear, especially with the 2018 primary season approaching, that a repeat of the Saturday Night Massacre would actually awaken the relevant House committees from their Trumpian torpor -- or distract them from their apparently far-more-important ongoing investigations into the Clintons. Indeed, with several Republican incumbents facing (and fearing) primary challenges from their right, it's not hard to imagine a scenario in which Trump dismantles the Russia investigation and forces GOP members of Congress to choose between their political future and standing up to the president. We can certainly hope that, like Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), our elected representatives opt for the latter. The more important point to keep in mind is that it wouldn't be implausible for Trump to count on the former.

Of course, if Trump (and those closest to him) really did nothing wrong, then there's no need to take such a drastic step: Mueller's investigation will, as White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders insisted again Monday, simply wind down, snagging perhaps a few more peripheral figures (if that's what former national security adviser Michael J. Flynn is these days) on its way out the door.

If there is something to hide, it's worth stressing how dangerous and unhealthy it would be to our constitutional system for the president to use his authority in this manner. For as much as this administration has run roughshod over well-established norms protecting the Justice Department from White House interference, a modern Saturday Night Massacre would cement those norms' evisceration -- with long-term, and deleterious, consequences for those of all political stripes.

But if the president and his advisers are truly worried about what Mueller might uncover or what evidence he has received from Papadopolous (and others who might already -- or soon -- be cooperating), it seems like the time to act is sooner, rather than later. The more indictments Mueller hands down, and the closer he gets to Trump's inner circle, the more likely it becomes that Republicans in Congress will suddenly find the courage to stand up to the president. If, instead, Trump uses Monday's news as provocation to shut Mueller down, he'll be calling Congress's bluff -- and daring his own party to stand up to him based solely on the existing record. It's just not that difficult to see how a rational president could view that as his best option -- even (if not especially) if it's the country's worst.

- Vladeck is a professor of law at the University of Texas, co-editor-in-chief of Just Security, co-host of the National Security Law Podcast and a CNN legal analyst.
"What did the President know and when did he know it?"

Those words were made famous by U.S. Sen. Howard Baker, R-Tenn., in the midst of the Watergate hearings. Now, as the nation lives through the 21st century reboot of that political scandal, the question must be asked yet again.

Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and longtime associate Rick Gates pleaded not guilty on Monday to 12 federal charges, including failure to disclose work on behalf of a foreign government and illegal international money laundering before and during the 2016 campaign. Manafort has long drawn scrutiny due to his close relationship with Ukrainian oligarchs backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. We're waiting to see if Trump's former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn faces similar charges for failing to disclose his own foreign advocacy work after receiving significant payments from Russian-linked companies.

However, the real bombshell in Monday's news involved the now-revealed guilty plea by George Papadopoulos, a former foreign policy adviser, on charges of making false statements to the FBI. The extensive charging documents show that, after being brought on by the Trump campaign, Papadopoulos had been contacted by an overseas professor and offered information about thousands of emails stolen from the Hillary Clinton campaign. The hacking only became public knowledge months later. Papadopoulos also said that his campaign boss had encouraged him to visit with Russian government officials in person, and that the Trump campaign had approved a meeting with Putin's office.

Shortly afterward, Manafort, Donald Trump Jr. and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner held their now-infamous meeting with representatives of the Russian government.

These sworn facts lend support to the core allegations aimed at Trump: The president and his campaign colluded in Russia's break-in of email servers and subsequent election interference. Yet again, more than 40 years after Watergate, the American people deserve to know whether their president is a crook. Congress can ensure that the nation gets an answer by passing legislation to protect special counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing investigation from executive interference. Trump has made no secret of his willingness to meddle in this Russia probe - his firing of former FBI Director James Comey is what triggered Mueller's inquiry in the first place.

One member of Team Trump has pleaded guilty. Two face charges. Others will likely follow. Congress must help Mueller see this through to the end.
WASHINGTON - It is a victory for Republicans that the political conversation - when it's not being hijacked by President Trump's assorted outbursts and outrages - is focused on tax cuts. No matter how critical the coverage gets, the sheer amount of attention risks sending a message that taxes are the most important issue confronting the country.

This is entirely wrong, and it's essential to challenge the whole premise of the debate. The U.S. does not need tax cuts now. Reducing government revenues at this moment will do far more harm than good. Conservatives are proving definitively that they don't care in the least about deficits. And their claims that tax cuts will unleash some sort of economic miracle have been proved false again and again and again.

But there is an even bigger objection: The opportunity costs of this obsession are enormous because it keeps us from grappling with the problems we really do need to solve.

Ever since Trump's election, discussion of the vast divides in our nation between prosperous regions and those battered by economic change have filled our newspapers, websites and airwaves. There is simply no way that shoveling out $2.6 trillion in business tax cuts in a largely undifferentiated fashion does anything to help places that are ailing.

On the contrary, this farrago of corporate goodies - along with the absurd repeal of the estate tax and various other benefits showered on the well-off - would only aggravate existing inequalities. And by depleting the government's coffers, it would make it much harder to finance public initiatives in education, job training and other spheres to promote mobility for Americans who are lagging behind.

This, by the way, is why ending the deductibility of state and local taxes is an especially bad idea. This provision punishes states with more progressive tax structures that ask their best-off citizens to ease the difficulties of their less fortunate neighbors. Shifting the incentives against states willing to spend money to remedy social ills is the not-so-hidden agenda of the anti-tax obsessives who support killing this deduction. They are trying to disable government at all levels by making it harder for states to call on their most affluent citizens to pay a little more of the common load.

There will be many other parts of this proposal to criticize, but that is not enough. It's even more important to show how much damage this tax cut would do both to programs we already have and initiatives we need. Democrats are already noting that the Republican budget pays for the tax cuts with, among other things, a $1 trillion reduction to Medicaid and nearly half that amount from Medicare. If Republicans can't get their act together to destroy Obamacare, they will simply starve the health system, particularly for low-income Americans.

The tax cut shoves aside other priorities as well. Regional inequities are now so pervasive throughout the West that The Economist magazine - as friendly to lightly regulated capitalism as any publication - devoted its cover and a special report last week to steps we need to take to reduce the gap between rich and poor locales.

Meanwhile, as Dylan Matthews reported on Vox, Sens. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, have introduced a bill that would dramatically expand the child tax credit to $3,600 a year per child for those aged 0 to 5, and $3,000 a year for those 6 to 18. To direct the most assistance to the poor and the less affluent parts of the middle class, the credit begins gradually to phase out for incomes of single parents at $75,000 a year and married couples at $110,000.

The plan, Matthews writes, would cut child poverty in the U.S. almost in half, from 16.1 percent to 8.9 percent. The cost: roughly $1 trillion over a decade, as against the $1.5 trillion Republicans claim will be the net price of their tax cuts after they are done shuffling the tax code around.

Which is the better expenditure?

That is the question that must be pressed relentlessly across a broad range of concerns. Just because the only thing Republicans know how to do is cut taxes doesn't mean the rest of us have to pretend that this exercise makes any sense at all.

E.J. Dionne's email address is ejdionne@washpost.com.
A Halloween event  Downtown Trick or Treat  is planned this evening in downtown Houston.

The annual activity  which runs from 6-8 p.m.  allows children to receive candy and participate in several activities downtown. Families and businesses are encouraged to set up a booth to distribute goodies.

At the Lone Star Plaza, Faith Fellowship will provide bounce houses, decorated trunks, games and goodies.

Candy also will be given away at the Melba Theatre.

Persons who would like to set up a booth, offer financial assistance and/or candy can call Fawn Bell at 417-967-0102.
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.
The nature of the employee's actions (which may or may not amount to a crime)

The nature of the workplace (for example, is it a government department, a publicly listed company, a small closely held company)

The nature of the employee's position (for example, what responsibilities and authorities does the employee exercise, is the employee expected to represent the company in public)

The potential effects on the workplace (for example, how the actions could affect other employees or the workplace relations)

The potential effects on the employer's interests and reputation.

minal record checks offer valuable insight into the past behaviour of a potential employee  but what happens when a worker commits a crime while theyre already under your employ?Jennifer Mills is a partner with Anthony Harper  she says employers are able to discipline or dismiss staff in relation to conduct which occurs outside of the workplace; this includes committing a crime.Assuming that an employer is aware that an employee has committed a crime, the employer may initiate an investigation process and assess whether the employee's conduct will have an impact or potential impact on the employee's employment or the employer's business, says Mills.As with dismissals of any nature, employers must carry out a fair process, which includes reasonable inquiries, which left them with grounds to believe on the balance of probabilities that the employee has engaged in misconduct sufficiently serious to warrant dismissal.Mills  who heads the firms national employment law practice  says employers will need to consider all relevant information and circumstances in deciding the appropriate action. This includes:Incredibly, Mills says employers may even have the power to discipline or dismiss staff if theyre ultimately found not-guilty of committing a serious crime.If an employee is prosecuted for a serious crime and has not been found guilty, an employer is not prohibited from commencing its own investigation, and if appropriate, an employer may take disciplinary action against the employee, says Mills.It is noted that an employer is not necessarily concerned with whether the employee has committed a crime. The employer's concerns are more likely to be based on the effects of the employee's conduct on their employment, she continues.Mills explains that, in a criminal proceeding, the prosecution has to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty of the crime, which is a very high standard to meet.An employer is not subject to the same standards in a disciplinary process, says Mills. As such, although an employee is not found to be guilty in a criminal proceeding, that does not preclude an employer from conducting its own investigation and reaching its own conclusion.Ultimately, Mills says the test to be applied is whether the employer's actions, and how the employer acted, were what a fair and reasonable employer could have done in all the circumstances at the time the dismissal or action occurred.In assessing this, the employer is not required to establish whether a crime had been committed beyond reasonable doubt, says Mills. The onus on the employer is to show that it was open to a fair and reasonable employer to conclude that the employee had engaged in misconduct that deeply impaired the trust and confidence that is essential in an employment relationship.
Molly Riley / Reuters

It is no longer tenable for the British Government to maintain its silence over Kremlin subversion of our democracy and the British links being exposed by the U.S. investigation into Russian interference in the American Presidential election.

The documents published on Monday by the American Justice Department's special counsel, Robert Mueller, revealed that a British-based Maltese academic, Professor Mifsud, apparently acted as a contact point between the Russians and George Papadopoulos, a member of Trump's campaign team, who has admitted lying to the FBI about his dealings with the Kremlin.

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These latest revelations follow the weekend's news that Britain's elections regulator, the Electoral Commission, reported Ukip to the Metropolitan Police for receiving impermissible donations in the run-up to the EU Referendum. We already knew that the Electoral Commission has fined the DUP for accepting impermissible donations and that it has several other live investigations.

There is significant and growing public concern about foreign interference in our democracy in general and the potential role of dark money in the EU Referendum in particular. This is the subject of a major judicial and congressional investigation in the United States. There is clear and growing evidence that the tangled web of attempted subversion and money included Britain. Yet, from the outset, the British Government has remained totally silent on all of this. The small number of British parliamentarians and journalists who have been asking questions have met with stonewalling and obfuscation.

Much of the central evidence being discovered by the Mueller investigation was gathered by the British intelligence agencies. An ex-MI6 officer, Chris Steele, drafted the original dossier that was the catalyst for this whole inquiry. It is inconceivable to me, as a former Minister responsible for the intelligence services, that UK Ministers do not know much more than they are letting on. More details with more relevance to the UK will inevitably be unearthed by the Mueller inquiry.

It would be in the British Goverment's own interests to come clean now on what it knows, rather than allow it to emerge drip drip from another country's political and judicial processes.

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It is welcome that the Culture Select Committeee has announced an inquiry into Russian generated and funded social media interference in the EU Referendum. I expect the Foreign Affairs Committee and Intelligence and Security Committee (once it is finally reconstituted) to follow up with their own inquiries. But these do not have the power of their American equivalents, to demand and hear evidence under oath, for example, and are in danger of being overtaken by the Mueller investigation anyway.

It would be far better and quicker for the Government to tell us what it knows now or announce its own judge led inquiry. Nigel Farage, who is at the centre of some of the rumours and allegations swirling around, has even called for this himself, in the hope, one supposes, of putting the rumours to rest. A petition calling for an inquiry is about to pass the number of signatures it needs to force a Goverernment response.

Whatever the Government does or doesn't do, those of us asking questions are not going away. This is about the security and integrity of our democracy and the biggest and most fateful decision in modern British history, with repercussions for decades to come.
Patrick Dinneen via Getty Images

When I was 15 years old, I lived for a while in a mausoleum. It was a very short while, less than a week. But it was actually an ecstatic time, this summer of honeysuckle and fireflies and stars, and the deep education that I got, being alive in there. I was desperately in love with a girl who was dead, and with a man who was living but psychotic. And it was the happiest time of my life.

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This is how I came to be there. I had come there from a place where I felt dead, which is my hometown of Brunswick, Georgia. Everything was grey. The skies were grey, the Spanish moss was grey. That part of coastal Georgia, everything is covered in Spanish moss. The people are covered in Spanish moss. It's hot, and it's slow. And the cicadas sing that one note. All the time. That one note. Constantly.

It was like being buried alive. I was lonely, and my parents were drunks. I'd wait for them to go to sleep, and then I'd turn on the light, and stay-up the whole night reading--about exploration, mostly, arctic exploration, or searching for the source of the Nile, or really anything that was about getting as far away from Glynn County, Georgia, as one could get. And of course, because I stayed up all night, mornings were torture to me. Glynn Academy was torture to me. My grades went into a death spiral, down through the thirties to the twenties to the teens. And I actually kind of longed for the perfection of absolute zero, but I didn't have the stick-to-itiveness. So I dropped out of high school when I was 15, and I hitch-hiked north. I got a job in New York City as a messenger, and I got to wear this really sharp tie and jacket. I loved being a civilian--I sneered at all yellow school buses.

For a while I lived in some flops around Manhattan. Then one Saturday I went on a drug run with a friend of mine on a road trip up to New Rochelle, New York, which is a little suburb. But anyway, we wound up hanging out at this divey apartment full of drug dealers and derelicts. At one point I went back to the bathroom, and I saw in a back room a man sitting at an upright piano and singing an operatic aria about a dying king cobra. It was this writhing, beautiful, heartbreaking song. And I was mesmerised. He turned around after the song, and he looked at me and said, "Do you play chess?" Hi name was John. He was about 30. If you can imagine, he kind of looked like a slender Alfred Hitchcock. We wound up playing chess for a week, and John's strategy for chess was to gather all of his pieces into a kind of fortress in the rear of the board, on the left side, which he called "the west." From there he would send his knights out on these long, gallant expeditions, from which they'd never return. It would take me hours to pick my way in there and find his king and kill it. And the whole time, John would be laughing hysterically. Afterwards, I could never really see the point of competitive chess. I just wanted to play what John called "chivalric chess." But why was this original man living in this flophouse with drug dealers? Well, the rent was very cheap, and it was split eight ways. And when I moved in, it was split nine ways. I used to commute to my job down in New York City and then come back on the train to this drug den every night. I didn't do ... all that many drugs. But I did happily help to sort and clean, and it was an utterly depraved life for a 15-year-old. There was a girl my age who used to come by. She was this beautiful redhead and just exploding into her sexuality. Of course she came by for the older guys--she didn't even notice me. But I was painfully in love with her, and just the smell of her would cripple me.

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Downstairs lived this little old lady Irene, who used to worry about me and tell me that I had to go home. She would bake me lasagna. I would tell her that I really had no home, because my parents were drunks. I loved her. I loved talking to her. And I loved John, who was unbalanced, and who would sit up at that piano all day long working on that opera about the Bronx Zoo, where he had once worked. He was making all of the zookeepers and all of the animals sing these arias. I think this opera was driving him insane, because one day I remember walking up from the train station, and John was coming toward me, and he had on this fedora. He didn't really see me, and he sort of walked almost past me, and then he stopped and said, "Mr. Glow, there's a four-ply fozy flying out of here at five o'clock. Get a line on it." And then he just walked away. I was in love with him. I mean, I'm not gay, but this was a physical love. When I was around him, I couldn't breathe. I felt like he was the world. I loved him the way that a worm loves its apple. And I think he loved me, too, because the drug dealers were always trying to throw me out. They were always saying, "John, this punk kid, he's 15 years old, he's gonna draw unwanted attention." And John would say to them, "No, George stays. I don't know if you've noticed, but George has one amazing thing about him. It's that he doesn't buy into anything. He just floats through life. I want to see what he's going to buy into. He stays." So they threw us both out.

And then we had nowhere to go. We were homeless, and I wasn't going to get paid for a week, and John never had any money. But he said that there were these mausoleums in the back of the local graveyard that were in disrepair. So we packed up some blankets and some pillows and some wine, and we went and broke into one of these mausoleums. It had two marble shelves on either side, and under one was the mortal remains of some man, and under the other was his wife. John and I sort of made our beds on these marble shelves, and we felt so safe there. The caretaker was old and never came around at night. And the police never would go into that graveyard at all. We wandered around and got to know our neighbors. There was a dead nineteen-year-old girl buried there. She died in 1928, and her name was Hazel Ash. Her inscription read: she lived for poetry. I immediately forgot the sexy redheaded girl, and when we went back to the mausoleum, I said to John, "We have to write poems for Hazel Ash tonight." He wrote these horrible, disgusting, obscene verses. I had to tell him to shut up. He just laughed at me, and his laugh echoed in that mausoleum.

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People ask me if it was spooky in there, and, you know, it really wasn't spooky to me. I will say that if you don't like spiders, you would not have liked living there. And I will also say it was clammy and grey and lifeless, and I probably would have been scared out of my wits if John hadn't been with me. But he was with me every second, because he wouldn't spend a moment in that graveyard alone. So if I went out at night to take a leak, he would come shuffling out after me, and sort of stand behind me. And in the morning, when I got up bright and early and put on my jacket and tie and went to my job, he went out of the graveyard with me. And then when I came back on the train that night and walked up to the graveyard, he was waiting there by the fence. We'd always be hungry. We were hungry to the point that we had to do something.

John had a friend, and we walked to the friend's house. And as we walked, we made up a poem about John's friend. When we got to his house, we recited the poem to the man, who in exchange gave us supper and a few dollars. Later, when John and I were walking home to the graveyard, John said to me, "Now you're a professional writer." I said, "Oh, come on, John. He just gave us dinner and five bucks." John said, "That's what the hooker said. You're a pro." And I was so proud. I had a little piece of pie that I saved for Hazel Ash, and I put it on her gravestone. Then John and I went into the mausoleum, and he sang his songs of the elephants all night.

Every now and then, he would let out these amazing farts that he called "El Destructos," and we would have to evacuate the mausoleum. Then the sprinklers came on in the middle of the night, and we ran around buck naked under the sprinklers. And I was so happy that my scalp ached. John saw this, and he said, "You know, you're buying into this, aren't you?" I said, "Into what?" He said, "Living in a graveyard." And I laughed, but I wasn't buying into that. I was buying into being with somebody who turned every moment of his life into art. Then, a few days later, I was on my way home from work, coming up the graveyard lawn, and I saw that our mausoleum's door had a brand-new lock.I immediately turned and ran. I went to Irene's house, and she said to me, "So now you have to go home." I said, "I can't go home until we find John." So I went looking for John every day.

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About two weeks went by, and then one Sunday morning someone came to get us and said that John was at the chapel on Mayflower Avenue and that he was singing songs about zoo life in the middle of the Mass. I ran as fast as I could, and when I got there, they were putting John into a police car and taking him to the mental hospital (from where I don't think he ever came out, as far as I know). But as he got into the car, he saw me. And he tipped his fedora and said, "Mr. Glow. I got to go." And then so did I. I had to go home.
John Barwood

As someone who has survived twice now, raising awareness about breast cancer is a daily task.

Having chosen to take a positive and creative approach to deal with my breast cancer trauma, I try to encourage others in situations similar to mine to do the same. I aim to empower young women to be brave and confident by gaining back a measure of control of their health - whether it be during an awareness month or not.

Regardless of your treatment choice, it is important you understand that you do have some power to turn things round for yourself.

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Feeling powerless is a slow killer, whereas positivity can only do good. Of course, that's easier said than done.

I believe information regarding the powerful effects of mindful living and even good old therapy should be put on billboards in order to empower individuals going through cancer - or any other type of physical or mental trauma for that matter.

I recently saw a tweet (with over 200 retweets) by Ken RutKowski stating that mental health should be advertised as much as physical health.

A post shared by L'atelier Grace Ekall (@graceekall) on Sep 9, 2017 at 2:03pm PDT

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Just a thought - Mental health should be advertised just as much as physical health.  Ken Rutkowski (@kenradio) October 30, 2017

This is a notion I wholeheartedly agree with. We see a lot of adverts about cancer awareness and research (rightly so), but the ones addressing an individual's internal well-being are far less frequently seen. This makes no sense to me, as it is well known that mental health affects physical health.

Raising awareness of breast cancer should be about empowering people, but not only through statistics, research, drugs, races and pink stuff.

Any awareness month is more useful if people are actually told what measures they can take to try to avoid the disease in the first place, how to deal with it and how to keep in good health after treatment by promoting self-help strategies.

Much needed awareness should be on the real cause of cancer such as processed food, stress, bad nutrition, the environment - genetics of course play a small part in this too.

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Patients and non-patients alike should be encouraged to detoxify, supplement with the right nutrition, eat the right food, oxygenate on a regular basis, hydrate well, move, move, move and, of course, sleep well.

This is the kind of awareness I would love to see happening and this is what I share with others. Because being there for others is equally part of the recovery process, hence why I'm really involved in charity work.

Our latest was putting on a charity fashion show to raise money to help women in the Cameroon, my native Country. At the show I was inspired by my beautiful models, all patients and survivors, who never stopped smiling. I was particularly moved by the serenely beautiful Verity, who at the tender age of 17 is undergoing chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. She is an aspiring model and was the belle of the ball at the fundraiser. Her youth made me think of women like her, over 3000 miles away who don't have access to free health care, nor do they have support for their mental well-being.

1 in 5 women in Cameroon are diagnosed with breast and ovarian cancer, but unfortunately, many die in silence because cancer is believed to be a curse from the gods - making it a taboo subject.

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I, along with friends and supporters like Penny Brohn UK have been working to help raise awareness that prevention is the key. And for that to be the case, we can't be afraid to talk about cancer. Superstitions be damned.

So the thing about Breast Cancer Awareness Month is that it is crucially needed in third world countries like my beloved Cameroon. We'd all do well to ask ourselves: what can I do to spread awareness beyond the confines of my own community?
Two weeks ago I attended Vegfest London - a vegan festival packed with delicious food and inspiring talks. Of particular note was a presentation by the Fat Gay Vegan (his chosen name). He contended that vegan activism should widen its circle of compassion beyond the animals, to other social justice issues. If we care about the oppression of animals he argued, then we should care about the oppression of humans too. He framed his talk with the evidence of enterprises that had done just that, effectively combining veganism with issues such as homelessness, LGBT rights and mental health.

I found myself nodding vigorously throughout - how could I do otherwise when the evidence was so impressive? The examples he mentioned have made veganism fun, accessible, empowering and inclusive. They have reached audiences that traditional activism almost certainly wouldn't, breaking down social barriers and cast-iron traditions. Most importantly, they have improved the lives of countless animals and people.

But I couldn't help thinking back to the equally insightful arguments of Bruce Friedrich. In this excellent article he argues that bundling animal welfare with other causes can make it less accessible. "If we make veganism and animal rights a package that includes other issues," he says "it will be easier for others to dismiss us".

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You only need to look at the inflammatory nature of modern politics to see where Mr Friedrich is coming from. If you find yourself on the opposite side of a debate on Brexit, Trump or Jeremy Corbyn, it rarely ends well. Tagging on animal activism will just mean that that argument goes down the gutter too. If you don't agree, just imagine trying to convince a libertarian Tory of an animal welfare issue whilst wearing a 'JC for PM' t-shirt.

Animal advocates can be found across the political spectrum. Bruce Friedrich points to George Bush's senior speech writer, congressional members Bob Smith and right-wing ideologue Oliver North. In the UK, Brexiteer-in-chief Michael Gove (someone I've never agreed with on anything) was recently at the forefront of introducing mandatory CCTV in slaughter houses. Henry Smith, Conservative MP for Crawley has been vegetarian for decades and the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation is as vociferous for the animals as any group on the left. A blog I recently wrote about the egg industry was shared by all sorts of people, including a Hindu, Trump-loving, Modi supporter.

All told, the evidence suggests that compassion for animals doesn't correlate with political philosophies that are, after all, defined by what is best for humans. The danger is that when we combine the two, we are alienating huge swathes of potential allies. And how does that help the animals?

So where does this leave my agreement with the Fat Gay Vegan? In truth, I don't think there is that much of a clash between his words and those of Bruce Friedrich. At its core, the Fat Gay Vegan advocates compassion for all beings. A minority of bigots aside, compassion (I optimistically believe) is universal. The problems start when we pin our compassion to battles where people have already chosen a side - such as Brexit, Trump or Corbyn. But by avoiding these toxic labels - either through our language or by our deeds - we can reach audiences from all points of view.

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And that, my friends is my plan for the foreseeable future. As such I'm done with Brexit, Corbyn and Trump. From here, it's all about the animals (human or otherwise).
To many, the concept of involving augmented reality (AR) in how we interact with food is a bit 'out there' as a concept. But at my upcoming London Food Tech Week keynote speech (Tuesday October 31) I'll be unveiling details of my latest project, The Un-Instagrammable Dish, which will delve into how AR can actually be used to change and, more importantly, to enhance our experiences of eating in restaurants and thereafter in the home environment.

But why 'The Un-instagrammable Dish'? After all, the latest research shows that taking a photo before eating it can actually improve the perceived taste and memorability of a dish. What is more, all the social media coverage of a chef's signature dishes is undoubtedly great in terms of generating free publicity for a restaurant.

However, it is important to recognise that these benefits come at a cost. On the one hand, if a dish gets shared too widely on social media there is a danger that any element of surprise is lost when a new diner experiences the dish for the first time. On the other hand, there is also a very real danger that a chef end-up focusing too much of their attention on how a dish looks, and not enough time thinking about making great tasting experiences - a point that has been eloquently made by chef Jacques La Merde.

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Together with chef Jozef Youssef of Kitchen Theory, who shares these concerns, over the last year we have been working on the idea of creating The 'Un-Instagrammable Dish' - a dish that can only be experienced by the diner. One of our ideas in this space is to use the mobile device or tablet as a plate and hence provide a multisensory experience using AR (and at the same time removing people's ability to take pictures of the course), and so hopefully maintain the element of surprise.

By way of example, seafood could be plated up directly onto the tablet and the device could then play out sounds of the sea while showing the waves underneath.

Credit: Author's own image

Alternatively, this AR approach could work with plating up food from sustainable sources; one could, for example, hear the story of the origins of the food (or farmer) from the device to really add an interesting and immersive dimension. Currently, one would have to book a seat at chef Jozef Youssef's Gastrophysics Chef's Table to have this kind of multisensory experience. But in the long-term most people walk around with some amazing technology in their pockets / on their person, and the challenge is to use that technology to enhance the multisensory experience of eating and drinking for us all.

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Some top chefs are already 'playing' in this space: Think only of Switzerland's Andreas Caminada who serves one course off a tablet screen that shows (ironically) a round white plate while Spain's Elena Arzak serves some of her barbecued food on a tablet depicting a burning charcoal BBQ. But the real challenge here is to demonstrate that eating from a tablet can genuinely enhance people's food experiences and thereafter, how to roll this kind of AR solution out into the home environment (i.e., to the mass market).

Another of our proposed solutions is the make the dish itself out of entirely matt black ingredients and serve it off a matt black plate, so that even if the diner were to take a picture of the dish, all they would get is a black image. Here, the challenge is really for the chef to take the colour constraint and deliver a dish that is as tasty as it is conceptually pleasing.

My London Food Tech Week keynote speech Playing Mind Games with Your Food will explore how unlocking the understanding of the human mind can influence the design of multisensory environments, foods, and products to support the growing experience economy. For more on the future of technology and food, see my latest book (Spence, C. (2017). Gastrophysics: The new science of eating. London, UK: Viking Penguin.
Stringer . / Reuters

Anyone with an interest in the future of the UK economy needs to be aware of the potential consequences of the Government's priorities and approach to Brexit. Without knowing the risks and potential consequences it is very hard for anyone to plan to respond to them.

It would make sense for a Government to assess the potential impact of the course it has chosen to chart. And indeed it has. The Department for Exiting the European Union has completed no less than 50 different risk studies. The problem is that they have been locked away, unpublished and not shared with anyone outside a handful of individuals in government. Worse still, there now is doubt that ministers have read these reports properly - with Cabinet Ministers suggesting the Prime Minister hasn't taken the time to read them fully. I find that extraordinary.

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GMB first called on the Government to publish its economic risk assessments on the consequences of its approach, priorities and decisions relating to leaving the EU in January. Today I have written to the Prime Minister calling on her to order the publication of all the government's different Brexit risk assessments alongside next month's Budget.

Keeping this information from the public is preventing all of us with an interest in safeguarding UK jobs from working together with the full information to navigate the challenges, mitigate the risks and take advantage of any opportunities that may arise as we leave the European Union. The publication of these reports matters a great deal to GMB - yet Government departments are keeping all of those with an interest in the success of UK industries in the dark.

The public also want to see the risk reports published. In March 2017, GMB published opinion polling which showed more than twice as many members of the public want to see these reports published than those who do not.

Yet it seems the only way those outside of Government can get a sense of how the UK economy as a whole might fare under the different Brexit scenarios is to look overseas.

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Earlier this month research from Rabobank, a financial institution based in the Netherlands, warned of a series of economic recession scenarios of varying severity and length for the UK according to the different choices the UK Government might take prior to the point of leaving the UK. It warned hard Brexit could cost UK economy 400bn by 2030. The German Confederation of Industry and their Chambers have warned German firms investing in the UK of extra costs of new customs arrangements, new regulations and in particular the loss of 'just in time' arrangements to manufacturing in the UK. It seems incredible to have to rely on overseas calculations to glimpse the impact of UK Government policies on the UK's economy because Ministers won't be transparent.

The Secretary of State for International Trade wrote in his foreword to the Government policy paper 'Preparing for our Future UK Trade Policy' that 'our approach to developing our future trade policy must be transparent and inclusive.' Warm words, but hard to take this seriously while the risk reports remain hidden.

Brexit is the first test of the government's commitment to having an industrial strategy. As well as publish the risk reports, I would like Ministers to call a series of sectoral meetings with industry representatives, including trade unions, to examine the risks and consequences to jobs, skills, investment and economic needs.

Let's get around the table together and do everything we can to help the UK's jobs and industries.

Ministers should start listening to what trade unions, employers and sector bodies say in response to sight of the risk reports and factor that into their decision-making relating to Brexit. It's what any responsible government would do.

During the referendum the Leave campaign's slogan was 'take back control' - not 'let's fly blind'.

Continued refusal to publish them will only increase suspicion that the Government has something to hide and is making decisions relating to Brexit against the economic interests of working people. They now have an opportunity to show whether that suspicion is unfounded.

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The candidates shake hands with Shanks after the debate. NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The two candidates vying for the corner office found some points of agreement during Monday's hourlong debate but differed, sometimes sharply, on causes and solutions of city issues.

Thomas Bernard and Robert Moulton Jr. tangled over crime, economic development, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, students' "gangster" dressing, and what has become an albatross at every election, the Mohawk Theater.

The debate sponsored by The Berkshire Eagle drew a couple hundred supporters and residents to Massachusetts College of Liberal Art's Church Street Center. The event was recorded by Northern Berkshire Community Television for replay on Channel 17 and moderated by The Eagle's North County reporter Adam Shanks.

Moulton, a city councilor and local businessman, is making his second try for mayor; Bernard, who's worked in finance and planning for MCLA, MoCA and currently director of special projects at Smith College, is making his first run for elected office. Both are city natives with deep roots in the area.

Each candidate was allowed two minutes for introductions and final statements; a handout listed their backgrounds and experience.

The major issue they went back to a few times was the potential for Mass MoCA to do more for the downtown. Moulton said he wasn't against the museum or MCLA but felt they were isolated islands that were "self-sufficient."

Bernard scoffed at that perspective and pointed to the 150 people working for the museum and the 400 workers on its campus, plus 1,400 to 1,500 students at MCLA that patronize stores and restaurants and volunteer in the community.

"They put a vinyl sign up that says go under the bridge and take a left," Moulton said of MoCA. "That's not my idea for doing a lot for downtown. I'd like to see them committed to become a partner and help us out downtown to revitalize it for everybody."

MoCA had placed the sign on the Veterans Memorial Bridge as apart of the North Adams Exchange project in conjunction with the city as a way to direct visitors leaving the museum.

"I've talked to restaurants when they've had the biggest events down at MoCA," Moulton continued. "They're slow, it's their slowest time periods ... "We got to get those people downtown. ... We've to get those people to stay here.

It was time for the museum to do "a little bit more,' " he said, pointing to the $25 million in federal grant funds it received for the development of Building 6 a few years ago.

Bernard noted that the $25 million was matched by $40 million in private donations to make the expansion of MoCA a reality. The college also received some $54 million in state funding to build the science center and renovate Bowman Hall.

"To pretend these institutions are self-sufficient ... I just talked about work force," Bernard said. "We can quibble over how many people but they made the effort."



Bernard explains his financial and management background. MoCA had spent $250,000 downtown installing the light project on the steeples and a sound installation on Marshall Street; the museum had also funded popup stores and performances, among other things this past summer that drew about 3,000. The museum draws 150,000 or so visitors a year, some of whom stayed are investing in the city, and has an economic impact of $35 million.

"That's a pretty good return on the state investment, that a pretty good return on having a world-class art museum in your community" Bernard said. "We can argue about having more connections between the college, the museum and the city, but they're strong."

Moulton, however, felt either or both of those anchor institutions could solve the prickly question of what to do with the Mohawk Theater.

"The key to the downtown is the Mohawk Theater, for the past 30 years, the past two administrations often talked about but nothing's been done," he said. "I'd like to partner with them to collaborate and put some investment down there."

Resurrecting the 20-year-old Hyatt-Palmer report, Moulton said the report was clear that developing the empty, 80-year-old theater was a priority.

"Every two years you have candidates who stand on this or other debate stages and promise you the world about the Mohawk," responded Bernard. "I do share the counselor's love [of the moviehouse] ... but not everyone has that same emotional connection to the Mohawk."

There have been a number of feasibility studies done and Bernard said he was involved with the last one in 2012, a collaborative effort between MCLA, MoCA and the city.

"The findings were that it's not feasible, that there isn't an economic model that provides the cost to renovate and sustain the long-term operation," he said, adding that if anyone came up with and idea and investment, "that would be fantastic."

Moulton, however, said, if elected, he would make it a point to get something into the Mohawk.

The candidates also shared some sharp words over their interpretations of education standards.

Bernard focused on funding, noting the state education funding formula is 25 years old and doesn't take into account the spiraling costs of special education or health insurances. Regionalization could be an option if looked at through a North County approach.

"The city at this point only contributes 2 percent annually over the minimum local contribution established by the formual, and this year our budget increased by about 2 percent against a 4 percent need to level fund, so we're falling behind," he said.

There's a high-needs population that affects the school system's rankings and a new more rigorous MCAS, but that also gives the city a fresh start to improve, said Bernard.

Moulton said the school system has outstanding employees but it's still losing kids. More than 35 are school choicing in but another 100 are chosing to go elsewhere. (The city takes in about half what it expends on school choice slots.)

"I think we have to upgrade what we're doing, new programs, mentoring programs and keep our standards up higher," he said.

By higher, he meant cracking down on what students were wearing, saying Bernard, as a member of the Drury High School Council, had voted to allow students there to wear hooded sweat shirts, hats, and baggy pants and girls to wear "revealing" clothing.

"I don't think that's raising your standards," he said. "I think when people come from out of town to go in your schools and see what's in there, that's gangster dressing."

Moulton had linked the casual dress to losing students to school choice on a campaign flyer. His brother, School Committee member Mark Moulton, had also brought the issue up at a committee meeting earlier this month.

"Let's begin with the fact that we're working with two very different definitions of the word 'standards,'" Bernard said. "I'm talking about students attending class, persisting and succeeding."

He said the policies he supported "were not about hoodies or pants or really shaming as to how girls are dressed," but about attendance and the availability of learning.



Moulton, a businessman, says the city needs to be run like a business. "To reduce them and to reduce my position on them to gangster talk is really frankly offensive," said an indignant Bernard.

Where the candidates agreed was around the need for economic growth to expand the tax base, concerns over the approaching levy ceiling as highlighted in the city's annual audit report, use of Community Development Block Grants to combat blight and the use of tax incremental financing agreements to promote investment.

"I've been involved in, I believe, three TIFs for North Adams," Moulton said. "If people need them, they want them I'm all for them."

He also highlighted companies that are making investments in the city without depending on tax relief.

"That's an area where we do agree," Bernard said. "To provide support for people who are adding value in the community is absolutely vital."

It shouldn't just be TIFs, but other processes or support that can help new or existing businesses successful, he said.

The two candidates also agreed that high-tech and green jobs would boost the city's growth but that it did not have the workforce at this time to entice such companies. Moulton thought help from the state could increase training programs and said he would like to recruit internet companies less dependent on transportation access.

Bernard said the city could collaborate with existing institutions like MCLA, McCann Technical School and Berkshire Community College in preparing new workers.

He also pushed a couple times during the debate his idea to hire a business development director who could make the case with industries to relocate here, point them to areas of investment and shepherd them through various permitting and application processes.

Moulton felt that was the role of the mayor. "That economic job you propose, I don't think we need," he said. "I think that's the mayor's job to do that."

The candidates had similar answers on the possibility of shifting its split rate more to the residential side to relieve businesses carrying on of the highest commercial tax rates in the state of $38.54.

"I don't think you're going to get that commercial and residential closer," Moulton said. "I know if did that, became mayor and did that, started making it closer, it would be my last term ... I don't think that would fly and I would be absolutely against it."

It would be devastating for residential property owners, he said. The commercial rate might be higher, but other towns with lower rates might have higher assessments.

"The building that you look at here might be assessed at $300,000, the one in Pittsfield might be assessed at $900,000," Moulton said. "So when you actually compare apples to apples, it's not what it seems there."

Bernard said the only way to reduce rates is for the city to grow, pointing to the recent report by Standard & Poor's that increased North Adams' bond rating.

"One of the things they talked about was limited budget flexibility and a limited capacity to tackle spending on the city side," he said. "We can look at efficiencies, we can look at consolidation, but until we address the issue of growth we are going to be challenged on the tax issue."

They also agreed that the city's tax levy ceiling will become an issue in a few years. Moulton called it scary, saying the city had to watch where it was spending its money. "Everybody knows what you've been paying and what you've been getting," he said.

Bernard said that was why he wanted great transparency to ensure every taxpayer understood what services they were getting for what they were paying. He referenced a program used in Holyoke that broke down where a propertyowner's taxes were going.

"What I hear from a lot of people is they don't mind doing their part but they want to know they're getting a fair shake," he said.

Both were generally satisified with the medical services being supplied by Berkshire Medical Center at the former North Adams Regional Hospital. Moulton said he was disappointed that local leaders had not done more prior to the closure (the health care system went bankrupt three years ago under insurmountable debt). He called for the development of an addiction treatment center and Bernard thought BMC could open an urgent care facility in North Adams that would be more accessible than the recently closed office in Williamstown.

Moulton floated the idea of moving away from a full-time professional fire department if a suitable solution could be found.

"I'm going to bring in the best people, look at all the options and find a solution of where we're going to be," he said. "I'd love to keep them there, there's things we can do to raise revenue maybe raise fees for certain services they do."

The Fire Department is almost 5 percent of the budget, he said, adding that health insurance and pensions are eating up budgets across the state.

"Can we have a full-time Fire Department? Absolutely. We can have anything that you people want to pay for," Moulton said.

Bernard agreed that what does North Adams want is the correct question but said the issue isn't about cost savings but about cost shifting.

"The councilor just talked about increased fees for service so that's a shift from something that's on the tax levy to something that still gets the taxpayer in the pocket," he said. And shifting to a call or volunteer department can mean homeowners pay more for insurance.

"You still have to pay for a basic staffing level, equipment maintenance, there's an effect on your ability to apply for grants as well," Bernard said.

Moulton countered that the Bennington Village (Vt.) Fire Department operates with volunteers and a budget (a few years ago) of $300,000. "We only have a limited amount of money everything is going to keep going up," he said.

He also pushed the idea of possibly again privatizing the water treatment plant as a cost savings (the plant had been operated under contract until the city took over several years ago to save money).

The issue had come up because two compliance violations had been revealed over the summer: one was a failure to notify the state of a test and the other a failure to do certain water treatments over several years.

Bernard said he was not opposed to exploring privatization but felt municipal operation allowed better control over costs and compliance.

They touched lightly on crime, with both saying the city is relatively safe despite the recent FBI reports that showed the city had among the highest per-capita rates in the state when it came to reported violent crimes. Bernard said they could not be complacent and need to be aggressive in fighting crime. Moulton thought the Police Department needed to allocate its resources better.

Bernard said he would put together an ad hoc committee to address blight and enforcement and create and create priority lists and possibility another inspector through the use of Community Development Block Grant funding.

Moulton agreed that blight and inforcement is an issue but took aim at the North Adams Armory, a project begun under a past administration that has used hundreds of thousands in CDBG monies.

In closing statements, Bernard spoke to his experience in management, budgeting and planning and his vision for North Adams. He was not, he said, "beholden to anyone."

"I will be the mayor of everyone regardless of how or whether someone votes for more," he said.

Moulton had also pointed to his experience as a businessman as a credential for the corner office, but in closing rattled off a list of 27 businesses that had closed for various reasons, saying the attrition was not normal.

"What I'm trying to do is make North Adams what it can be," he said.

The debate was taped by Northern Berkshire Community Television. The election is Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Imperial Valley News Center

Assistant Secretary of State Palmieri Travels to California and Tijuana, Mexico

Washington, DC - Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Francisco L. Palmieri will travel to San Diego, Los Angeles, and Tijuana, Mexico, on October 30-November 1. He will promote U.S. economic and security objectives with key partners on both sides of the border, including: local government officials, the private sector, higher education institutions, and think tanks.

During remarks at the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities 31st Annual Conference, he will highlight how the State Department prepares students in the United States and the hemisphere to compete in today's job market through educational programs including the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund, a public-private partnership that fosters economic prosperity through educational exchange and training opportunities.
Political Transition in Iraqi Kurdistan Region

Washington, DC - The United States commends the decision of Masoud Barzani not to seek an additional term as President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region and the vote of the Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament to distribute presidential authorities to other Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) institutions. President Barzani is a historic figure and courageous leader of his people, most recently in our common fight to destroy ISIS. This decision represents an act of statesmanship during a difficult period.

The United States now looks forward to engaging actively with the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Nechirvan Barzani, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Qubad Talabani. A strong KRG within a unified and federal Iraq is essential to its long-term stability and to the enduring defeat of ISIS. We call on all Kurdish parties to support the KRG as it works to resolve pending issues over the remainder of its term and prepare for elections in 2018.

We call on the Government of Iraq and the KRG under its new leadership to work urgently to resolve pending issues under the Iraqi constitution. We have been encouraged by the security dialogue that has taken place in recent days, and call for an end to all confrontations and clashes.

We also continue to support the strong leadership of Prime Minister Abadi as he works to ensure the total, and enduring defeat, of ISIS and a stable Iraq after ISIS. We welcome the recent decision from Prime Minister Abadi to begin a new dialogue with the KRG, under the Iraqi constitution, and avoid further confrontations.

We will continue to work with all parties as they address these issues for the benefit of all Iraqis. It is time for all parties to look to the future and focus on peaceful resolution of disputes under the Iraqi constitution.




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!
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A new and extraordinary contemporary art destination was recently announced at a press conference in Catalonia. It is situated at Balaguer, within a couple of hours drive from Barcelona, and its first major exhibit is just opening to the public. Much has happened in the days in between. The atmosphere at the international press conference on 19 October was warm but slightly fractious, due largely to the probing of the Spanish press contingent and the stormy weather outside. Would this be a first new contemporary art destination for independent Catalonia? What would the Madrid-born sculptor, Juan Munoz  who died in 2001, and whose great sculptural installation Double Bind forms the opening exhibit  have made of it? Since then, of course, Catalonia has declared itself an independent state, the Spain Constitutional Court has cancelled its declaration of independence, resulting in civil unrest, rebellion charges and now the jailing of eight Catalan ministers.

The new destination is at the hear of the monumental industrial complex of the Sorigue company near Lieida, where trucks scurry to and fro ferrying asphalts and aggregates, and pyramids of sand and stone stand witness to the ground that has been scooped out at their feet. The introduction of art to the site  and the building or repurposing of industrial and agricultural structures specifically to house it is part of the Planta project, sponsored by Sorigue and the Sorigue Foundation. Planta will also see the completion of a new architect-designed contemporary art museum, opening in two years time. The Sorigue Foundation has been building one of the finest contemporary art collections in Spain (including works by the likes of Anselm Kiefer, William Kentridge and Bill Viola), and this, together with site-specific large-scale works like the Munoz, will be at the heart of the completed project and active working site.

Juan Munozs iconic sculptural installation Double Bind (2001)  the first ever real commission for Tate Moderns Turbine Hall, and perhaps its finest of all  now finds itself in a bizarre new home after 16 years. 'Double Bind' is a vast and eerie immersive sculptural installation, divided into two floors, with animated figures and scenes revealed in mysterious shafts in the ceiling of the darkened lower storey, as one wanders through it  but hidden when viewed from the brightly lit storey above. Speaking at the press conference, James Lingwood, the original curator (with Susan May) of the remarkable Tate exhibit, said that he felt like Rip Van Winkle: asleep for 16 years, only to awaken to find himself in a place that is a world of its own, every bit as strange and complete as the world I experienced in the Turbine Hall.

'Double Bind' situates the human figure within a complex architectural setting (Fundacio Sorigue) (Courtesy Estate of Juan Munoz. Fundacio Sorigue, 2017)

The repurposed industrial structure, which houses Double Bind, is the first part of the project to open to the public. Astonishingly, over the space of a year (shown in time-lapse photography in an excellent adjacent documentation centre), the site engineers have virtually reconstructed the Turbine Hall, complete with ramp and bridge, covering an area of 2,000 square metres. One literally has to rub ones eyes to believe that this is not a desert mirage. Outside, amid piles of gravel and sand, monumental concrete structures destined for Barcelonas subway tunnels stretch into the distance. Elsewhere, groves of olive and almond trees, which have been planted to replenish the former agricultural environment, complete the singular landscape.

The installation plays on perspective and illusion (Fundacio Sorigue) (Courtesy Estate of Juan Munoz. Fundacio Sorigue, 2017)

Juan Munozs piece is just as potent, intimate and superbly strange as it was in London, with its smaller than life-size tragi-comic figures (practically all modelled on his brother) inhabiting shafts that have been formed in the floor above, transporting us to miniature urban worlds that exist in the spaces between floors. A couple of small solitary lifts that cannot be entered, rise through an upper level that cannot be traversed. As you walk down the ramp you are plunged into the darkness of the lower garage-like space, while the illuminated shafts above encourage you to explore ever deeper, searching for familiar faces in a crowd. Among these faces is that of Munoz himself, hidden in a secret shaft of its own.

The landscape of the Planta project in Catalonia (Fundacio Sorigue) (Courtesy of Fundacio Sorigue)

Double Bind was Munozs last work: he died suddenly at the age of 48. For his wife, the sculptor Cristina Iglesias, Double Bind is a masterpiece of the 21st century, which needs to find a permanent home, but at the same time be something apart. It will stay at the Sorigue complex for five years, in this superb installation supervised by his daughter, and will help put this new Catalonian art destination on the map. Great art works have the power to resonate in any context. Now Spain, too, is caught in a double bind of its own, poised between two distressingly conflicting realities.

Double Bind, La Plana del Corbe industrial complex, Balaguer (Lleida, Spain) opens to the public and to group visits in November. Bookings must be made in advance via fundaciosorigue.com/en/visita
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Several big names in Hollywood are speaking out after Kevin Spaceys controversial apology to an actor who alleged he had sexually assaulted him as a teenager.

After actor Anthony Rapp alleged that Spacey had sexually assaulted him when he was a teenager, the House of Cards star released a statement saying that he did not remember the incident, but that he was beyond horrified to hear his story.

If I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology, Spacey wrote. This story has encouraged me to address other things about my life. [] I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man.

 Kevin Spacey: People had 'concerns' for years, says top theatre director

But, prominent players in Hollywood were not willing to let Spacey off the hook so quickly.

Rosie ODonnell took Spacey to task, comparing him to now-disgraced Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused of sexual harassment or assault by dozens of women in recent weeks. When ODonnell was questioned by another user, who wondered why she never said anything if Spaceys alleged infractions were an open secret, she said that nobody knew the details of the case.

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.

Weinstein denies any non-consensual acts, and has called other allegations false.

Other Hollywood elite also chimed in, saying that Spacey cant just hide behind his sexuality to get away from sexual assault allegations. Others said that it was unfortunate that Spacey had decided to come out as gay only after such a potentially damaging allegation, and wondered if Spacey were trying to use his sexuality as a foil.

No no no no no! Comedian Wanda Sykes wrote. You do not get to choose to hide under the rainbow! Kick rocks!

I am sorry to hear of Anthony Rapps experience and subsequent sufering, actor Zachary Quinto a Star Trek actor like Rapp, said. And I am sorry that Kevin only saw fit to acknowledge his truth when he thought it was serve him  just as his denial served him for so many years.

Rapp alleged that Spacey made inappropriate advances on him in 1986, when they were both starring in hit Broadway plays. Spacey, then 26, invited Rapp, then 14, to a party in his Manhattan party. Rapp alleged that he was the only teen at the party, and spent most of the party watching television in Spaceys bedroom, until he said he realized he was all alone with Spacey.

Rapp told Buzzfeed that he was then picked up by Spacey and carried to his bed. There, he said, he knew Spacey was trying to get with him sexually.
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British police's investigation into sexual assault and harassment claims against Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein has widened to seven

Metropolitan Police are now investigating seven allegations involving Mr. Weinstein, sources have confirmed.

Scotland Yard had previously confirmed five allegations were made relating to sexual assaults in London dating back to the late 80s.

Other alleged incidents are said to have occurred in 1992, 2010, 2011 and 2015.

Hollyoaks actress Lysette Anthony told the Metropolitan Police she was attacked by the producer in her London home in the late 1980s, while another unnamed former Miramax employee said he raped her in the basement flat of his London offices in around 1992.

Weinstein faces more than 50 allegations of sexual harassment and assault.

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.

No arrests have been made at this stage and the disgraced movie mogul has unequivocally denied all claims of non-consensual sex.

Earlier today (31 October), Weinstein received a lifetime ban from Producers Guild of America following a unanimous vote from members.
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British police are now investigating seven allegations of sexual assault and harassment against disgraced Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein, it has emerged.

Officers are looking into separate incidents alleged to have occurred between the 1980s and 2015 in London and outside of Britain.

Officers from the Mets Child Abuse and Sexual Offences Command said they are investigating allegations from victims under Operation Kaguyak.

The Met Police said no arrests have been made over any of the allegations at this stage.

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.

New York police are also investigating claims against Weinstein  including rape and sexual assault.

The movie mogul, who produced Oscar-winning films Shakespeare in Love, The English Patient, and The Artist, faces more than 50 allegations of sexual harassment and assault.

Earlier on Tuesday, Weinstein received a lifetime ban from Producers Guild of America following a unanimous vote from members.

Earlier this month, UK police confirmed they were looking into claims from three women that they were attacked in Westminster, Camden and west London.

According to the police statement, one woman alleges she was sexually assaulted outside of Britain in 2012 and again in Westminster in 2013 and 2014.

Another woman has claimed the same man sexually assaulted her in London in 2010, 2011 and 2015.

Police have not provided any more details about the alleged victims or offences.

Weinstein, who has recently been expelled from the Oscars and sacked from his namesake company, has previously unequivocally denied all accusations of non-consensual sex.

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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, his spokesperson told The Independent in a statement.

The Independent contacted a representative for Weinstein about the new allegations being investigated by the Met Police.
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Kevin Spacey's brother has said his father was a neo-Nazi who sexually abused him during his childhood.

Randall Fowlers comments come after Spacey apologised for an alleged attempt to seduce a 14-year-old boy more than 30 years ago.

The House Of Cards star and former artistic director of London's Old Vic announced he is living as a gay man after fellow actor Anthony Rapp accused him of an incident in 1986. Spacey said he does not remember the alleged incident which allegedly took place when Rapp was 14 and Spacey was 26.

Spacey has had an Emmy award honouring him which he was due to recieved in New York next month revoked in the wake of the allegation.

House of Cards have also announced it will come to an end with a sixth and final season amid the allegations of sexual misconduct. Although Netflix claimed the decision had been in the pipeline for some time and was actually made months ago.

Mr Fowler claimed his father, Thomas Geoffrey Fowler, was a fervent Nazi supporter and his home was brimming with Third Reich memorabilia in an interview with the Daily Mail back in 2004.

Spacey's brother, who is a Rod Stewart impersonator, said his father withdrew him from Cub Scouts because the leader of the group was Jewish.

There was so much darkness in our home it was beyond belief. It was absolutely miserable, the eldest son told the paper.

Mr Fowler claimed he was frequently whipped and raped by their father and alleged their sister Julie was also subject to beatings before leaving home at the age of 18.

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Kevin Spacey on stage Show all 5 1 /5 Kevin Spacey on stage Kevin Spacey on stage Kevin Spacey on stage Kevin Spacey plays civil rights lawyer Clarence Darrow at the Old Vic Manuel Harlan Kevin Spacey on stage Kevin Spacey on stage Kevin Spacey appears as Richard III at the Old Vic in 2011 AP Kevin Spacey on stage Kevin Spacey on stage Kevin Spacey and Jeff Goldblum in David Mamet's 'Speed the Plow' at the Old Vic AP Kevin Spacey on stage Kevin Spacey on stage Kevin Spacey and Eve Best in Eugene O'Neill's 'A Moon for the Misbegotten' at the Old Vic theatre AP Kevin Spacey on stage Kevin Spacey on stage Kevin Spacey appears in Richard III at the Old Vic, 2011 REX

He said his brother Kevin tried to ignore what was going on at home by emotionally blocking stuff out and disconnecting.

He said: Kevin tried to avoid what was going on by wrapping himself in an emotional bubble. He became very sly and smart.

"He was so determined to try to avoid the whippings that he just minded his Ps and Qs until there was nothing inside. He had no feelings.

Mr Fowlers account of his father massively differs to that of Spacey who described his father, who died on Christmas Eve in 1992, as a very normal, middle-class man, born in Caspar, Wyoming in an interview in 2002.

But he had an absolute love of England. He spent the war here. I think he always fancied himself as an aristocrat. He admired things of that kind of sophistication; leather-bound books, beautiful watches, cufflinks ..., he told Esquire magazine.

On Sunday, Spacey, who is famed for keeping his private life under wraps, said he was beyond horrified by allegations he made sexual advances on a teen boy decades ago.

The two-time Oscar winner said he did not remember the encounter in a statement on Twitter.

In an interview with BuzzFeed, Rapp claimed Spacey placed him on a bed and climbed on top of him following a party at his apartment.

He said: But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behaviour, and I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years.

But Spacey said the story has encouraged me to address other things about my life.

He added: I know that there are stories out there about me and that some have been fuelled by the fact that I have been so protective of my privacy.

As those closest to me know, in my life I have had relationships with both men and women. I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man.

I want to deal with this honestly and openly and that starts with examining my own behaviour.

Spacey has been condemned by a string of Hollywood commentators for coming out as gay in the wake of the allegation.

When power is used in a non-consensual situation, it is a wrong, former Star Trek actor George Takei said. For Anthony Rapp, he has had to live with the memory of this experience of decades ago."

For Kevin Spacey, who claims not to remember the incident, he was the older, dominant one who had his way. Men who improperly harass or assault do not do so because they are gay or straight - that is a deflection. They do so because they have the power, and they chose to abuse it.

The Independent contacted a representative of Spacey to see if he wanted to respond to his brother's allegations about their late father.
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Ireland is pushing out exciting new acts at an astonishing rate and Otherkin are no exception.

We've covered this garage punk-rock four-piece a couple of times - they've been together for just over three years but have already racked up some of the biggest festivals in the UK and Europe, plus an opening slot for Guns N' Roses at Slane Castle in May.

Their debut album OK was released in September and it's a belter - scuzzy guitar riffs, furious energy and raucous vocals.

The guys dropped by the studio before a London show and Conor and Luke played three tracks off the new album: "Bad Advice", "I Was Born" and "Come On, Hello".

Having seen them live it was - as it often is with Music Box - slightly odd to see them tone it down so much in the session.

Live the band are this maelstrom that tears through the room: in Music Box the songs have a different energy.

Check out Otherkin's session (above) and catch them live in the UK from 4 December. Their debut album OK is out now.

Thanks to: Otherkin, Molly Turnley, Rubyworks Records, Sennheiser and The Independent video team
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Brand new London festival All Points East has officially announced its first wave of acts to join the impressive lineup.

LCD Soundsystem and Bjork will join The xx and Ohio indie rockers The National as headliners for the huge new event taking place in East London's Victoria Park over the May bank holiday weekend.

Joining LCD Soundsystem is a bill full of standout acts including Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Phoenix, Glass Animals and electronic pioneer Richie Hawtin.

The following day will see sets from the likes of Lorde, Lykke Li and Mercury Prize winner Sampha while Icelandic icon Bjork will be supported by Beck, Flying Lotus and Father John Misty.

All Points East will take place from 25-27 May 2018 kicking off a ten-day event in Victoria Park designed as a major part of Tower Hamlets' bid to become London's Borough of Culture.

The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts Show all 20 1 /20 The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts Beyonce The Demands: 1 Large table for catering dressed with white tablecloths. Dressing room should be 78 degrees 4 Brand New White Towels in bathroom (2 face & 2 body) Hot Food: Juicy Baked Chicken: Legs, Wings & Breast only (Please season with fresh garlic, season salt, black pepper, and Cayenne pepper HEAVILY SEASONED!!) Steamed Garlic Broccoli Lightly Seasoned Green Beans Lightly Seasoned Steamed Spinach Beyonce can only have Pepsi products. 1 Case of Aquafina water (half cold, half room temperature) 1 Hot Tea Set up (Please have NEW Coffee Pot) Sliced Lemons Wedges Rose scented candles Lighter for candles CD player Getty The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts Adele The Demands: 12 Small bottles still (non-carbonated) spring water (at room temperature) 1 Electric kettle for BOILING water 6 Large mugs for tea. All mugs should be new, washed and dried. 6 metal teaspoons 2 Squeezy bottles clear honey (not organic) 1 Bottle very best quality red wine (Italian, French or Spanish) 1 Assortment of chewing gum 1 Pack Marlboro Light plus 1 disposable cigarette lighter 1 Small selection fresh fruit, to include bananas, apples, grapes, fresh berries NO CITRUS FRUIT! 1 Small plate of assorted freshly made, individually wrapped sandwiches, to include chicken salad. Sandwiches must NOT contain tomatoes, vinegar, chili or citrus fruit PA The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts Kanye West The Demands: 1 Tub Plain Yogurt for dipping 4 small Yoplait Yogurt 1 Bowl of assorted nuts 1 Bowl of Sunkist Salted Pistachio Nuts (No Red Coloring) 2 Packs of Extra Chewing Gum 1 Bottle of Hot Sauce (Tabasco, Caribbean Type) 1 Box of Toothpicks 1 750 ml bottle of Hennessey Liquor 1 750 ml bottle of SKY or Absolut Vodka 1 Bottle of Patron Silver Tequila 4 Six Packs of Heineken Beer Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty, David Parsons/iStock The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts Rihanna The Demands: 5 AC power outlets Adequate lighting for a relaxed atmosphere White drapes to cover lockers and/or brick 1 Humidifier 1 Large throw rug  plush and animal print (Cheetah, Leopard)  must be CLEAN, as she will walk on it barefoot. Pipe and Drape the room in Dark Blue or Black drapes with Icy Blue Chiffon draped nicely on top 6 Candles  Archipelago Black Forest (if you can't get these, please let me know ASAP as we have a 2nd choice of candle for Ri). 4 Small, clear, square vases with White Tulips, no foliage (2nd choice: White Casablanca Lilies no foliage, 3rd choice: White Freesia, no foliage) The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts Katy Perry The Demands: Arrangement of pink fresh flowers. White and purple hydrangeas, pink & white roses and peonies. If not available, seasonal white flowers to include white orchidsABSOLUTELY NO CARNATIONS. A box of Huggies baby nature care wipes 6 Vitamin waters zero, assorted flavors Bowl of whole fresh organic grown fruit (apples, bananas, oranges and grapes) Plate of fresh-cut Crudites (to include cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, snap peas, celery) w/ ranch dip Snyder's of Hanover Honey Mustard & Onion Pretzel Jar of Salsa Baked (blue corn if possible) Tortilla Chips Freeze dried strawberries 2 bottles of Santa Margarita Pinot Grigio Throat coat, Twinnings Chamomile PG tips and Mint medley tea. Fuze slenderize assorted flavors A jar of quality honey Plastic drinking straws AFP/Getty Images The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts Paul McCartney The Demands: All lamps must be halogen floor lamps with dimmer switch. Only animal free materials (cottons, denims, velour, etc.) Do not provide furniture made of any animal skin or print. Do not provide artificial versions of animal skin or print either. No leather seating is allowed in the black stretch limousine either. Arrange for a dry cleaner before arrival. 6 Full and leafy floor plants, but no trees. We want plants that are just as full on the bottom as the top such as palm, bamboo, peace lilies, etc. No tree trunks! $50.00 - One large arrangement of white Casablanca lilies with lots of foliage. $40.00 - One long stemmed arrangement of pale pink and white roses with lots of foliage. $35 One arrangement of freesia. It comes in various colors so please mix them up. Freesia is a favorite. 20 dozen clean towels outside of the production office AP The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts Mariah Carey The Demands: Each room must be draped. Black drapes are fine. The entry door should open into the living room space, not the dressing room. Temperature should be about 75 degrees. 1 Three Seat Couch  Plain Color, no busy patterns; black, dark grey, cream, dark pink are fine 12 1 Liters of Fiji Water 3 Bottles Chardonnay  Chilled 12 Coke 12 Diet Coke 12 Vanilla Protein Drinks 6 Sparkling Water (Pellegrino) 12 Melon Flavor Gatorade 6 Red Wine Glasses 6 White Wine Glasses 4 Joe Malone Vanilla Candles 2 Vases White Roses Fried Chicken (warm) 12 Small Bottles water (room temperature) 3 Whole lemons and honey Sugarless gum Getty The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts Eminem The Demands: 25 pound dumbbells 24-Diet Coke 16oz plastic bottles 12 Diet Coke 12oz cans 6 Verner ginger ale soda (or Schweppes) 48 Daisani, Poland Spring 12oz bottles NO Evian 1 Loaf white bread 1 Loaf wheat bread 6 Lunchables snacks (3 turkeys & 3 ham with cheese) 6 Cans Red Bull 16 Cans Sugar-Free Red Bull Large fresh jumbo shrimps with cocktail sauce and plenty of lemons 1 Jar of banana pepper rings Getty Images The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts Grace Jones The Demands: 6 Bottles of Louis Roederer Cristal Champagne 3 Bottles of French Vintage red wine (e.g. St Emilion, Medoc, Bordeaux) 3 Bottles of French Vintage white wine (e.g. Sancerre, Pouilly Fuisse) 2 Dozen Findeclare or Colchester Oysters on ice (unopened)(Grace does her own shucking.) 2 Sashimi and Sushi platters for 8 people 6 Fresh lemons 1 Bottle of Tabasco sauce 1 Fresh fruit platter for 8 people 6 Bottles of Coca Cola 12 Bottles of still and sparkling water 12 Bottles of fresh fruit juices Wine glasses, champagne flutes, tumblers (all glass, no plastic) Cutlery and sharp knife 1 Oyster knife 1 Make up mirror (no neon strip lighting, only opaque white bulbs) Fresh towels, clothes hangers, clothes rail 3-4 Bunches of flowersprefer lilys and orchids Sofa and arm chairs Andy Sturmey The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts Drake The Demands: Four dozen natural-scented incense sticks Dr. Bronners peppermint soap Pork-free food E-Z Wider rolling papers and a pack of Dutch Master President cigars Pinot Grigio Heineken Bottles of Jack Daniels Patron Silver tequila Nivea chapstick A bottle of Hennesey or Courvoisier Grey Goose Andis T-Outliner trimmers Extra sets of speakers champagnepapi/Instagram The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts Jack White The Demands: 1 dozen chicken wings (buffalo, teryaki, suprise us) 1 bowl of FRESH HOME-MADE GUACAMOLE 8 champagne flutes (real glass) 8 wine glasses (real glass) 8 highball glasses (real glass) 1 hummus & pita chips iPod player with sufficient volume control NO fluorescent lighting PLEASE NOTE: This is a NO BANANA TOUR. (Seriously) Getty The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts Madonna The Demands: 200-person entourage 2o international phone lines Her backstage room must look exactly like her own home (that means she ships around her furniture) Special flower-scented fabric Actual flowers Personal chef who prepares only vegan foods Her own dry-cleaning service AP The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts Alicia Keys Alicia Keys performs at the UEFA Champions League Final Getty The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts Jay Z The Demands: 7 sets of metal silverware 1 Lighter 3 Glade Candles (French Vanilla, Rain shower, Wild Berry, Tangerine Ginger) 3 Cans of Chunk White Tuna 10 Nutri-Grain Bars (Blueberry, Cherry, Apple, Strawberry) 6 Individual Packets of Quaker Oats Instant Oatmeal (Brown Sugar and Apple Cinnamon) 1 Assorted Fruit Platter with strawberries, seedless red grapes, bananas, mango, blueberries, cantaloupe and raspberries 2 Cases of beer (one imported and one domestic; brands preferred: Amstel Light, Corona, Bud, Bud Light or local beer) 3 menus for local seafood and Italian restaurants to order meals for Alicia Getty The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts Mary J. Blige The Demands: 2 Humidifiers 10 medium prewashed bath sized towels NO DAIRY OR PORK OF ANY KIND!! 10 1.5 liter bottles of FIJI water (absolutely, positively must be FIJI) 6 cans of Diet Dr. Pepper 6 cans of Schweeps Ginger Ale 2 packs of Mentos  cinnamon fresh only 6 cans of Red Bull energy drink 6 bottles of Black Cherry Propells in sports bottle 8 sets of silverware 24 napkins 1 tub of clean ice Getty Images The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts Lady Gaga The Demands: 2 Bottles of white wine with wine opener  Kendall Jackson or Robert Mondavi preferred 1 Pack of Straws 1 Cushioned office style chair TV with cable and a DVD player 1 Rolling clothing rack 4 Unscented candles Cool-mist humidifier 3 fans Tea kettle, organic ginger and lemongrass tea and honey are very important. 1 4 pack of Red Bull Light (on ice) 2 Bottles of Green Tea 1 Container of Guacamole Hot dogs (Yves veggie dogs eaten with toothpicks) A smoothie station (with frozen berries, fuze and whey protein or non-fat Greek yogurt) Blender needed 1 Plate of cheese (non-smelly, non-sweaty on ice) with whole wheat/healthy crackers A mix of assorted fresh fruit (cut and must have edible skin OR edible seeds OR citrus) Getty The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts Cher The Demands: 1 Wig Room 1 Room for Dr. Stacey 1 bottle of fine red wine (No Kendall Jackson) 1 bottle of fine white wine (No Kendall Jackson) 4 Cokes 4 Diet Cokes 1 coffee table 1 end table for the phone to be placed on TV with VCR with a cable Hook up. Please make sure we can get the following channels: Turner Classic Movies or AMC The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts Taylor Swift The Demands: If arriving before 11 a.m., the following from Starbucks: 1 Grande ICED Caramel Latte w/ 2 sweet-n-lows 1 Grande ICED Americano w/ 2 sweet-n-lows with soy milk 1 slice pumpkin loaf 1 Stick Butter 3 Boxes Kraft Macaroni/Cheese 2 Four Packs of Red Bull 1 12 Pack Corona Beer 1 12 Pack New Castle Beer 1 Bottle Welch's Grape Juice 1 Avocado 1 Bag of Twizzlers red licorice 1 Case of Smart Water 1 Pint Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream 1 Pint Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Brownie Frozen Yogurt The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts Iggy Pop The Demands: A copy of USA Today that's got a story about morbidly obese people in it 6 bottles of Grolsch or decent local beer F loads of good red wines 6 large bottles of good quality sparkling water 3 cases x 12 oz bottles of still mineral water 6 bottles of alcohol free beer 1 case of big bottles of good, premium beer A bottle of vodka Cauliflower/broccoli, cut into individual florets and thrown immediately into the garbage. I f hate that Getty Images The 20 most ridiculous things superstar musicians have demanded at their concerts Van Halen The Demands: Nuts Pretzels M&MS (WARNING: ABSOLUTELY NO BROWN ONES) 1 large tube of KY jelly 3 packs of Marlboro cigarettes (box) Herring in sour cream 2 gallons non-carbonated, bottled spring water 3 fifths Jack Daniels Black Label bourbon 2 fifths Stolichnaya vodka 1 pint Southern Comfort 2 bottles Blue Nun white wine Getty Images

The event will culminate on 1 June with a day of performances from The National, The War on Drugs, Future Islands and Warpaint.

Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday 3 November. You can find more details - including the current lineup - here.

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The production of House of Cards, one of the most celebrated political TV series, is to be suspended among controversy over a sexual harassment allegation involving main star Kevin Spacey.

Netflix, which streams the Washington-based political drama starring Spacey as ruthless US President Frank Underwood, along with the production company, Media Rights Capital, said they were putting a hold to production of the sixth series of the show, which also stars Robin Wright as the First Lady who goes on to be the nations first female president, Clare Underwood.

MRC and Netflix have decided to suspend production on House of Cards season six, until further notice, to give us time to review the current situation and to address any concerns of our cast and crew, they said in a joint statement.

Netflix Originals 2017: All the films and TV shows to look out for Show all 14 1 /14 Netflix Originals 2017: All the films and TV shows to look out for Netflix Originals 2017: All the films and TV shows to look out for A Series of Unfortunate Events: season 1 Starring: Neil Patrick Harris, Malina Wiessman, Will Arnett, Cobie Smulders, Patrick Warburton Release date: Out now Netflix Originals 2017: All the films and TV shows to look out for Riverdale: season 1 Starring:KJ Apa, Lili Reinhart, Camila Mendes, Cole Srpuse, Madchen Amick Release date: New episodes every Friday Netflix Originals 2017: All the films and TV shows to look out for iBoy Starring: Bill Milner, Maisie Williams, Miranda Richardson Release date: Out now Netflix Originals 2017: All the films and TV shows to look out for Santa Clarita Diet: season 1 Starring: Drew Barrymore, Timothy Olyphant, Nathan Fillion, Patton Oswalt Release date: 3 February Netflix Netflix Originals 2017: All the films and TV shows to look out for Ultimate Beastmaster Hosted by: Terry Crews Release date: 24 February Netflix Originals 2017: All the films and TV shows to look out for Love: season 2 Starring: Gillian Jacobs, Paul Rust, Claudia O'Doherty Release date: 10 March Netflix Netflix Originals 2017: All the films and TV shows to look out for Iron Fist: season 1 Starring: Finn Jones, Jessica Henwick, David Wenham, Rosario Dawson Release date: 17 March Netflix Originals 2017: All the films and TV shows to look out for Sense8: season 2 Starring: Toby Onwumere, Doona Bae, Jamie Clayton, Tuppence Middleton Release date: 5 May Netflix Originals 2017: All the films and TV shows to look out for House of Cards: season 5 Starring: Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, Neve Campbell, Joel Kinnaman Release date: 31 May Netflix Originals 2017: All the films and TV shows to look out for Dear White People: season 1 Starring: Antoinette Robertson, Brandon P Bell, Logan Browning Release date: TBC Netflix Originals 2017: All the films and TV shows to look out for Okja Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Tilda Swinton, Lily Collins, Steven Yeun, Giancarlo Esposito Release date: TBC Netflix Originals 2017: All the films and TV shows to look out for Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later Starring: Elizabeth Banks, Paul Rudd, Janeane Garofalo, Bradley Cooper, Amy Poehler, Alyssa Milano, Jai Courtney Release date: TBC Netflix Originals 2017: All the films and TV shows to look out for Master of None: season 2 Starring: Aziz Ansari Release date: TBC Netflix Originals 2017: All the films and TV shows to look out for Stranger Things: season 2 Starring: Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown Release date: TBC

The news came two days after Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp claimed that Spacey had sexually assaulted him when he was aged 14.

Spacey immediately apologised. But the form of his apology, in which he sought to link it to his public coming out as gay man, sparked widespread criticism. Many accused the 58-year-old actor of wrongly conflating sexuality with sexual abuse.

Previously it was confirmed that the sixth series of the drama, which is filmed in Baltimore, would be the last. Reports said this decision was not linked to the allegations levelled by Rapp.

Following Rapps allegations, Netflix and Media Rights Capital, issued a statement saying they were deeply concerned by the developments.

 Kevin Spacey: People had 'concerns' for years, says top theatre director

In response to last nights revelations, executives from both of our companies arrived in Baltimore this afternoon to meet with our cast and crew to ensure that they continue to feel safe and supported, they said. As previously scheduled, Kevin Spacey is not working on set at this time.

In the aftermath of Rapps accusations, and with more and more people detailing stories of sexual abuse and harassment following the allegations levelled at movie producer Harvey Weinstein, Spacey apologised.

He also said he could not remember the incident Rapp was referring to.

If I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behaviour, he said on social media. And I am sorry for the feelings he describes having carried with him all these years.
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An Emmy award honouring Kevin Spacey has been revoked following an allegation he made sexual advances towards a 14-year-old boy in the 80s.

The two-time Oscar-winning actor was due to receive the 2017 International Emmy Founders Award in New York next month.

The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences released a statement saying that in light of recent events it will be withdrawing Spacey's honour.

Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp alleges the 58-year-old sexually harassed him as a young teenager at the then 26-year-old actor's apartment in 1986.

Spacey issued a statement of apology in which he also came out as gay leading to criticism from several prominent Hollywood figures for implying causation with being closeted and behaving inappropriately with a minor.

 Kevin Spacey: People had 'concerns' for years, says top theatre director

In light of the accusation, Netflix announced that political drama House of Cards - in which Spacey plays lead character Frank Underwood - will be coming to an end with a sixth and final season in 2018, a decision the streaming service stated has been in the works for some time.

Instead, it's developing spinoff ideas with one focused on popular character Doug Stamper (Michael Kelly).

Series creator Beau Willimon waded in on the allegations against Spacey branding them deeply troubling."
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Researchers who studied more than two million people over 40 years of age have revealed that we are most likely to die on our birthdays than any other day of the year.

Published in the peer-reviewed medical journal, Annals of Epidemiology, the study found that an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, falls and suicides make birthdays one of the deadliest days of the year.

Carried out by the University of Zurich, the study discovered that over-60s are 14 per cent more likely to die on the big day, with a shocking 44 per cent rise in fall deaths.

Birthdays end lethally more frequently than might be expected, said Dr Vladeta Ajdacic-Gross.

Interestingly, the sinister findings have also been backed up by Canadian research into birthday deaths too.

It found that stroke risks are higher than average on birthdays, particularly among people with high blood pressure.

It seems to be a valid finding, Professor Richard Wiseman, from the University of Herfordshire, told the Telegraph.

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

There are two camps - one is the camp that suggests you eat too much and you're getting on a bit and that causes you to die.

The other is a placebo effect. You are knife-edged on death. And you kept yourself going until your birthday. You think 'that's it I've had enough I'm out of here'.

Recommended Relationships with work colleagues more likely to blossom in winter

But its not just birthdays that you need to be wary of.

Another study conducted by the Unviersity of California found that five per cent more people die from natural causes on New Year's Day, while others also point to an increased risk of accidents over the festive period - with Christmas day being another perilous date.
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Mourning bells resounded through the fashion industry on Tuesday morning as it was announced that Christopher Bailey would be stepping down from Burberry in 2018.

As the British brands long-serving creative designer, the 46-year-old, who was awarded an MBE, was largely responsible for reviving the heritage label from aesthetic and financial purgatory. Bailey was promoted to chief creative officer and CEO in 2014, but recently passed the latter role onto Italian businessman Marco Gobbetti.

Since joining the luxury brand 17 years ago as design director, campaigns under Baileys management have been fronted by the likes of Cara Delevingne, Sienna Miller and Eddie Redmayne.

Then there's the legion of celebrity fans who have stayed faithful to the label throughout Baileys tenure. From Joan Collins and Madonna to Kate Moss and Harry Styles, the high-profile faces associated with the brand during Baileys reign read like a whos who of Hollywood and undoubtedly played a huge part in raising the brands prestigious profile.

Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne regularly frequented the front row at Burberry's runway shows (Rex Features)

However, Bailey didnt simply raise the bar for Burberry.

Christopher Bailey's Greatest Hits For Burberry Show all 10 1 /10 Christopher Bailey's Greatest Hits For Burberry Christopher Bailey's Greatest Hits For Burberry Cheap Chic There once was a time when Burberrry's Nova check print was more likely to conjure up images of Vicky Pollard than a Spice Girl. However, thanks to celebrities such as Victoria Beckham and Kate Beckingsale, who remain loyal supporters of Bailey, the label's signature check has seen a renaissance in a very non-ironic way. Never did the check seem more relevant than at Burberry's most recent spring/summer 2018 show, which saw a punk comeback of the vintage pattern that was splashed across baseball caps, military jackets and of course, trench coats. Rex Features Christopher Bailey's Greatest Hits For Burberry The Cropped Trench In 2003, Bailey disrupted the brand's most iconic staple: the trench coat. As seen on Kate Moss as part of the designer's spring/summer 2004 collection, Bailey completely re-imagined the traditional trench, making it shorter, fresher and bolder in this unmistakably modern variation. Rex Features Christopher Bailey's Greatest Hits For Burberry Androgynous Agyness 2007 saw an injection of youth revolt into Burberry, thanks to Bailey's decision to cast model-of-the-moment Agyness Deyn - in a number of the brand's campaigns and runway shows. Not only did Deyn's steely cheekbones and peroxide pixie cut spearhead a sartorial shift towards androgyny that remains prominent today, she kick started an exciting and unexpected transition away from Burberry's romantic and girlish aesthetic. Rex Features Christopher Bailey's Greatest Hits For Burberry Child-friendly Fashion As nobly demonstrated on Madonna's then six-year-old daughter Lourdes, Bailey made Burberry a brand for all ages. Their children's range continues to be one of the label's most successful b-sides. Rex Features Christopher Bailey's Greatest Hits For Burberry Hearts Galore Bailey brought the romance back in his autumn/winter 2013 collection, which was peppered with white love hearts, whose sophistication was firmly cemented by form-fitting pencil skirts and deep burgundy hues. The collection was aptly-named Trench Kisses. Rex Features Christopher Bailey's Greatest Hits For Burberry Animal Print Safari met style in that same collection, which saw Bailey take a walk on the wild side. He reinvigorated Burberry's feminine silhouettes with garish leopard prints that boasted a rock'n'roll edge. Rex Features Christopher Bailey's Greatest Hits For Burberry Monogramming What could be better than a cashmere poncho? A cashmere poncho with your regal-sounding initials stitched onto it, obviously. As seen on the bevvy of beauties walking in Burberry's autumn/winter 2015 collection, the plush blanket-turned-scarves saw a seismic shift in the way customers engaged with the brand, who started to see it as a wider lifestyle label. Rex Features Christopher Bailey's Greatest Hits For Burberry Music Not just a leading light in the fashion industry, Burberry also saw the introduction of "Burberry Acoustic" under Bailey's reign. Providing a platform for up and coming singer/songwriters, the British label regularly held live acoustic sessions and filmed videos with bands for YouTube that featured the likes of Jake Bugg, Keane and Lucy Rose. Rex Features Christopher Bailey's Greatest Hits For Burberry Millennial Pink Millennial pink might've only recently entered the sartorial zeitgeist, but Bailey was ahead of the curve when he put the rose-meets-salmon shade in his spring/summer 2014 collection, as modeled here by Cara Delevingne. Rex Features Christopher Bailey's Greatest Hits For Burberry The Modern Trench Coat A heritage trench coat is one of Burberry's most recognizable and sought-after pieces. The tan gabardine might have been the perennial staple that started it all, but under Bailey's leadership a number of seasonal varieties were born, such as this wool skirted variation as seen on The Duchess of Cambridge. Rex Features

Founded in 1856, the label remains one of Britains longest-running fashion houses. By invigorating Burberry; Bailey didnt just fortify a dying brand, he brought a new lease of life to the heart and soul of British fashion.

As part of Baileys constant pursuit for innovation, Burberry was among the first fashion houses to bring seasonless collections to the catwalk, as manifested by the see-now, buy-now model. Every piece showcased at his September 2016 show was immediately available to purchase afterwards.

Bailey takes a bow after his spring/summer 2018 show at London Fashion Week (Burberry)

While this undoubtedly would have placed stressful deadlines on the companys production teams  who would normally have had six months to develop a full collection after being shown on the catwalk  Bailey bravely subverted tradition in a bid to appeal to today's on-demand consumer.

While the model might not have been the financial hit that Bailey had hoped for, it completely revolutionised the way we consume fashion.

Under his leadership, Burberry was also one of the first fashion labels to experiment with social media, striking up partnerships with Snapchat, Periscope and Instagram as soon as they rolled out advertising programs.

Bailey pictured with Sienna Miller at the Met Gala in 2006 (Rex Features)

Whether you were engaging with the brand as a paying customer or simply as an aspirational follower, Bailey ensured that everyone received the same bespoke service.

Suddenly, an industry that had historically been veiled in exclusivity, orchestrated by foreboding Miranda Priestly stereotypes, felt inviting: fashion became more accessible than ever before. Thanks to Bailey, Burberry remains at the vanguard of fashions ephemeral compass.

Lets hope his is a legacy that is everlasting.

What about Bailey as a businessman? By Josie Cox

When headlines hit screens on Tuesday morning that Christopher Bailey was calling time on his nearly 17-year career at Burberry, the fashion world appeared to let out a collective gasp.

To many, the affable Yorkshireman  a rarity for reportedly being wildly un-diva-like in a diva-dominated domain  embodied the British brand.

Unsurprisingly, hes achingly stylish, but at the same time he boasts endearing boyish charm. As a creative director with an arguably unparalleled flair for trends and modes, he transformed Burberry from just another luxury marque to a quintessential symbol of British culture  on par with red phone boxes, double-decker busses, Wimbledon, even the royals.

Recommended Burberry creative director and former CEO to leave next year

Famed for its traditional trench coats and chequered scarves, Burberry in the early noughties became the envy of rival brands by elegantly marrying old-world class with progressive elegance, largely thanks to Baileys tastes and preferences.

And yet, when I read the news of his departure, I couldnt convincingly say I was surprised.

To me, his tenure was marred by one big misstep from which he seemingly never properly recovered: he became CEO and couldnt quite hack it.

After an already illustrious career at Donna Karan and Gucci, Bailey joined Burberry in 2001. He impressed immediately and senior colleagues reportedly always saw him as more than just a chief creative director. So to some, his appointment to CEO in 2014 might have seemed the most natural thing in the world. Later it proved to be anything but.

In fact, the Halifax-born gent reportedly told colleagues that he never really wanted the top job in the first place and it quickly became clear why.

He seemingly struggled to consolidate his role as a profit-focused businessman sporting a brain for balance sheets with an expectation to be one of the most creative, artistic and progressive minds in the industry.

How do you master the challenge of switching between left and right brain at the flick of a switch? How do you transition from investor meetings to casting call and back again in a minute? And can you ever balance wanting to grow the bottom line as much as possible against championing a brand known for its exclusiveness? Perhaps not.

Coupled with that predicament, Baileys ascension to CEO coincided with a difficult time for the industry, which put his business acumen to the ultimate test.

A slowdown in luxury spending in the crucial markets of Hong Kong and mainland China dealt a punishing blow to the groups financial performance. A string of terror attacks kept shoppers off the streets of Paris for lengthy periods in 2016.

Recommended Naomi Campbell just called out Vogue for lack of diversity

Despite recent signs of recovery, Burberry is still looking back on consecutive years of declining profits and some have said that  under Baileys stewardship  it even started to lose focus.

In another bruising development, Bailey fell out of favour with investors when his pay was jacked up from 1.9m to 3.5m last year, at a time when shares in the company failed to impress.

Bailey did what any other conscientious person would do in his situation and stepped down. In July 2016, Burberry announced that Marco Gobbetti, former CEO of Celine, would be replacing him and Bailey would go back to doing what he joined Burberry to do: be creative.

But while its easy to change your title and business card, your legacy is arguably different matter.

The companys performance under his leadership and his bumper pay packets probably left a bitter aftertaste in some colleagues and shareholders mouths.

Management experts likely have a thing or two to say about the psychology of working your way to the top, becoming a boss and then descending the hierarchy again on the other side.

Burberry undoubtedly owes Bailey a lot and hes clearly one of British fashions great creative geniuses. But for the group to seriously rediscover its mojo, Baileys departure might be the only thing en vogue right now.
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Happy Halloween  unless youre a liquorice fan.

The FDA has issued a candy-related health warning, and itll spook fans of the black stuff.

The warning is now a yearly event from the Food and Drug Administration, which posted a reminder on its website urging people to keep their consumption to a minimum.

Why? Too much of it can cause serious health problems, including an irregular heart rhythm.

The problem is particularly prevalent in liquorice munchers aged 40 and upwards.

Black liquorice contains a sweetening compound called glycyrrhizin, which can cause a drop in potassium levels.

Low levels of this compound can cause some people to experience high blood pressure, swelling and even congestive heart failure, the FDA says.

Its reversible, though; potassium levels return to normal after you stop eating too much of it.

The warning advice can be summed as; dont eat too much liquorice in one go.

Oh, and if you do  particularly if you have an irregular heart rhythm  stop and call your doctor.
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Stories about the mounting struggles of NHS staff are becoming routine. Newspapers and newsfeeds tell of how increasing pressures are taking their toll on nurses, GPs, psychological therapists and more. There is a growing awareness of the emotional impact of working in front-line services and the gender inequalities and biases being enshrined in new contracts, most recently for junior doctors.

Professional bodies have been advocating for change, petitions have been signed. People working in caring professions are often deeply passionate about their work but are not superhuman and cannot be expected to manage the unrealistic pressures many currently face, especially with such limited support.

The central theme to the stories we hear is often burnout: a concept unique in many ways to people working in professions that support others. Burnout specifically involves feelings of emotional exhaustion, disconnection and a lowered sense of personal success.

The wider picture

The continued austerity agenda has left many people and families struggling to cope, including many underpaid health and social care practitioners. This is particularly the case for professions that typically receive less financial reimbursement for their work and workforces largely represented by women, such as nursing.

We know that socioeconomic factors, specifically financial uncertainty, and organisational stressors, such as rapid privatisation are likely to exacerbate burnout. The withdrawal of certain training bursaries also leaves many underpaid practitioners bearing the burden of additional financial debt. All of these factors naturally impact the emotional wellbeing of those working in care services.

But many healthcare practitioners who experience anxiety worry about the stigma they may face if they speak out  both for experiencing emotional difficulties in the first place and for doing so while being in their caring practitioner role. As my colleague Hannah Wilson, who is a clinical psychologist working for the NHS, demonstrated in a recent study, stigma around mental health is still prevalent in the workplace. This is a real barrier for healthcare practitioners to seeking help.

She explains that some clinical psychologists worry that experiencing mental health difficulties is seen to have a negative impact on their professional competency. Understandably, it seems as though many practitioners struggle to openly discuss their experience of severe emotional distress, despite recognising past personal experiences of distress can enhance empathetic connection when supporting others.

She adds that mental health difficulties are thought to occur on a continuum, which we all lie on regardless of our qualification or profession. So of course, health practitioners are just as likely to experience mental health difficulties as anyone else  perhaps even more so considering the nature of our work.

Key issues

People working in emotionally demanding jobs, in which an off-day isnt usually an option, need to emotionally process negative situations and information. When practitioners are unable to do so, there is a direct link to instances of burnout.

Therefore, the absence of psychological support in staff meetings and supervision compound the impact of work-based stress and exacerbate the experience of burnout. Research suggests that workplace support protects people from emotional burnout. Government strategists need to recognise that it is not appropriate to expect NHS staff to simply become even more resilient without organisational support  it is neither moral nor effective.

A change in working culture is essential if the wellbeing of those working in care services is to be truly addressed. Growing awareness around the importance of emotional wellbeing in ones job role has led to a number of new recommendations collated in a forthcoming report from the British Psychological Society. The report aims to offer guidance around developing psychologically healthy places of work.

What can be done?

In the meantime, what can we do to look after each other and ourselves? I recently explored how people in health and social care professions can protect themselves from compassion fatigue and burnout in challenging working environments. The following four steps were found to be key:

A sense of purpose and of belonging is essential. Developing compassionate relationships with patients and colleagues really helps. But precious time with people is too often compromised due to large caseloads and a target driven culture. This needs to change.

A safe and supportive space with colleagues or a supervisor for reflectively processing distressing events and information at work is key in protecting practitioners from burnout. Supervision therefore needs to include compassionate connection and a genuine care for a practitioners wellbeing, rather than being only a case management review.

Feeling valued and wanted is incredibly important for staff, especially during times of difficulty. Sadly, for many NHS workers in front-line services, pay and workload demands undermine their sense of being valued and amplify a never enough narrative.

Self-kindness and acceptance are indispensable. Caring professionals are not superhuman and can only work with the means at their disposal.

Going forwards, everyone has a role to play, whether that is as an ally for someone who needs compassionate support, signing a petition supporting greater fairness and equality or lobbying for greater social justice for staff who offer their care. The current socioeconomic crisis has led to increased demand for health and social care services in the UK, especially for mental health services. We therefore need to ensure society and government support those who offer care to remain in their professions without compromising their own well-being by promoting social justice and social change.

Sarah Parry is a senior lecturer and clinical psychologist at Manchester Metropolitan University. This article was originally published on The Conversation (conversation.com)
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The chief creative officer and former chief executive of Burberry, Christopher Bailey, is leaving the company at the end of March next year, the British fashion house has announced.

Mr Bailey, who joined Burberry in 2001 and became CEO and chief creative officer in May 2014, ushered the retailer through a period of significant transition during his leadership. He was succeeded as CEO by Marco Gobbetti in July this year.

"Burberry has undergone an incredible transformation since 2001 and Christopher has been instrumental to the company's success in that period, said Mr Gobbetti. While I am sad not to have the opportunity to partner with him for longer, the legacy he leaves and the exceptional talent we have at Burberry give me enormous confidence in our future.

Mr Bailey, who was once one of the highest paid CEOs on the FTSE 100, described the time he had spent at Burberry as a privilege.

Like other fashion houses, Burberry has endured a difficult period in recent years. Last year it struggled to prop up demand in major markets, including mainland China and Hong Kong, and a string of terror attacks across France kept shopper away from key stores in Paris.

Since then demand has rebounded somewhat, but the fallout from Britains vote to leave the European Union had kept earnings in check. In July, Burberry said that exchange rates were forecast to have a 25m pound adverse impact on earnings for the full financial year.

It's due to publish its next set of financial result on 9 November.
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Gas industry firms are spending millions of euros influencing European policy makers to ensure that the continent continues to rely on fossil fuels for decades to come, according to a new report.

It claims that gas lobby groups have used their financial firepower to push the myth that gas is a clean fuel in order to win financial and political backing from the European Commission for costly and potentially useless pipelines and other infrastructure.

A group representing gas companies and set up by the Commission is mandated to recommend projects and then analyse their cost-effectiveness, which many of its members then build, the report from campaign group Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) said.

In the past two and a half years, gas industry representatives met with the two European commissioners in charge of climate and energy policy and their cabinets 460 times, according to CEOs analysis of European transparency filings.

Eight out of the 10 most frequent business visitors received by Miguel Arias Canete, commissioner for climate action and energy, and Maros Sefcovic, vice-president for energy union, were linked to the gas industry, CEO said. Overall, gas companies from all parts of the supply chain spent 104m (92m) on lobbying in 2016, though it is not possible to ascertain exactly how this expenditure was allocated.

This dwarfs the amount spent by public interest groups advocating a fossil-free future by a factor of 30, according to the analysis. It did not say how much renewables companies spent on lobbying in that time.

The top spender is CEFIC, the European Chemical Industry Council, with a budget of over 12m and 82 lobbyists, followed by General Electric which spent 5.75m in 2016 and Shell which spent 4.75m.

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The report alleges that there are clear conflicts of interest in the way gas projects are approved and how money is allocated for their construction. Fossil-fuel infrastructure companies provide the commission with a wish list of projects that they think should be completed over the next 10 years, via a group called the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSO-G).

This list is based on projections of demand for gas, which ENTSO-G calculates. Its past projections significantly overestimated gas usage, according to independent climate change think tank E3G. The commission then asks ENTSO-G to analyse the costs and benefits of these projects, despite the fact that, in more than three-quarters of cases, the groups own members stand to benefit from their construction, CEO said. The next list of proposed Projects of Common Interest (PCIs) is due before the end of this year.

Projects included on the PCI list can have their permits and impact assessments fast-tracked and are also eligible for various funding streams, including the Connecting Europe Facility, which has already handed out more than 1bn to gas PCIs.

Despite its claims not to carry out lobbying, ENTSO-G supplied draft amendments to multiple MEPs on the recent regulation guaranteeing future gas supply as it passed through the European Parliament, according to a parliamentary source cited by CEO.

The industry group was also present during a shadow rapporteurs meeting, where compromises are thrashed out between the political parties.

ENTSO-Gs proposal for emergency gas supply routes  extra dedicated pipelines  was eventually proposed by three different political parties and accepted by the European Parliament.

The group works in the same building and shares several staff with Gas Infrastructure Europe (GEI), a trade association which spent 1.5m on lobbying in 2016.

The true influence of the industry may be significantly greater than the analysis suggests because of lax EU transparency rules. The EUs Transparency Register is supposed to keep track of lobbying activity but it is entirely voluntary and only top-level meetings are recorded. The bulk of work, however, is done at lower levels of the Commission, CEO said.

Of the gas companies identified by the researchers as actively lobbying in the EU, 40 per cent simply did not appear on the register, while others had made entries in the past but had then stopped doing so, the report said. Just 11 of ENTSO-Gs members are on the register, despite their proximity to EU policy-making.

If asked, of course the gas industry will say we need more gas," said Pascoe Sabido, a researcher and campaigner at CEO.

"Turkeys aren't going to vote for Christmas. But the EU should know better than to listen to the fossil fuel industry. If we are serious about tackling climate change then the companies causing it should be kept as far away from policy-makers as possible. In London, in Brussels and at the upcoming UN climate talks.

The revelations come as world leaders prepare for the UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany next week to establish the next steps to implement the Paris climate agreement and accelerate the transformation to a low-carbon world.

'Clean' gas

Many oil and gas companies have pushed natural gas as a bridge to the future; a way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions while providing the consistent supply of energy that renewables like solar and wind cannot yet deliver.

But natural gas is mostly methane  a greenhouse gas 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Even that is an underestimate of the warming effect methane has in the short term because the gas has a lifetime of just 12.4 years.

Any unburned methane released into the atmosphere therefore contributes to climate change and several natural gas projects have been shown to leak significant amounts of the gas.

Scientists calculate that a leakage rate of just 3 per cent makes gas a bigger contributor to climate change than coal, while multiple studies have found that the industry underestimates the amount of gas that escapes. A 2016 study by the American Geophysical Union found that methane emissions in the US jumped by more than 30 per cent between 2002 and 2014. Gas is also a competitor to renewable energy sources.

Investing in big infrastructure risks locking us into using gas for decades and slowing down the transition to renewable energy, CEOs report said.

In particular, tighter regulation on climate change and the use of fossil fuels would create a risk of stranded assets, ie infrastructure built now will no longer be usable, let alone profitable, in a decarbonised futures, making investments worthless.

We can therefore anticipate that the gas industry will marshall all of its firepower to try and prevent the introduction of any regulations discouraging the use of gas and devaluing its assets.

A spokesperson for ENTSO-G said it does not participate in the European Commision's decision-making process, but "facilitates the process by providing knowledge and expertise, as required and when requested".

"The decisions regarding the PCI list are taken between the EC and Member States. ENTSOG do not participate and has no role in these decisions," the spokesperson said.

The group said it took an objective approach to predict demand for gas and that many unforeseen factors had reduced that demand, causing its previous forecasts to turn out to be overestimates. Some of these included the economic crisis, the Fukushima nuclear disaster, and the changing price of gas relative to coal, the group said.

A European Commission spokesperson said that decisions on gas infrastructure were "conducted in an open and transparent manner".

Decisions on projects are made by consensus between the Commision and EU member states, to which bodies such as ENTSO-G are not members, the spokesperson said.
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Government plans to give jihadis council houses and other support as part of de-radicalisation programmes have been welcomed as overdue by terror experts.

Right-wing commentators have branded the proposals, codenamed Operation Constrain, as beyond sick and accused authorities of seeking to bribe extremists.

But analysts say there is an urgent need to coordinate police, intelligence, mental health and social work for thousands of potential threats who are known to authorities but cannot be jailed.

They include the 20,000 extremists who have appeared on the security services radars but are not deemed to be a sufficient risk for round-the-clock surveillance  the category that Westminster attacker Khalid Masood, Manchester bomber Salman Abedi and London Bridge ringleader Khuram Butt fell into.

The growing pool will be joined by former Isis members returning from the groups shrinking territories in Syria and Iraq.

A report released last week said 425 men, women and children have already returned to the UK and the fate of more than 400 other jihadis who travelled to Isis strongholds remains unclear.

Max Hill, the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, has been among those calling for a focus on reintegration amid warnings that there will not be sufficient evidence to prosecute all returnees or jail them for significant amounts of time.

 Westminster terror attacker had been investigated by MI5 over violent extremism

Thousands of Isis members have already been killed in air strikes on the groups strongholds, where the UN has warned of civilian deaths in indiscriminate bombing, but the prospect of all British fighters dying is an unlikely one as jihadis disperse from major cities to more disparate territories.

A Home Office document seen by the Mail on Sunday outlines a strategy for known extremists who cannot be jailed to be given support and monitored as part of efforts to prevent further terror attacks.

Operation Constrain, due to be implemented next year, will see targets moved to the front of council housing waiting lists if they have no suitable homes, helped into education, training or employment and referred to the NHS for mental health treatment.

Recommended More than 400 British Isis jihadis have already returned to the UK

The scheme will be applied to selected people on MI5s databases, who will be assessed and questioned by security services before a local panel decides on what intervention to launch.

Police and officers from the Prevent counter-extremism programme will continue contact with the subjects and update risk assessments.

Raffaello Pantucci, director of International Security Studies at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), called Operation Constrain a fantastic idea.

This is the approach that should be taken for a long time, he told The Independent. Weve got a community of people who havent been categorically dealt with.

They need to be managed and frankly getting other people involved to see what should be done on a case-by-case basis is what we should be doing.

Isis has been intensifying its efforts to inspire global terror attacks as its territories dwindle, while al-Qaeda is enjoying a resurgence and officials have warned of a growing threat from the far-right.

Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Show all 9 1 /9 Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Policemen outside Rouen's cathedral during the funeral of Jacques Hamel, the priest who was killed in a church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in Normandy on 26 July during a hostage-taking claimed by Islamic State group Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Two jihadists, both 19, slit Hamel's throat while he was celebrating mass in an attack that shocked France as well as the Catholic Church Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Muslims place flowers and hold a minute of silence in front of the church if Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, western France, where French priest Jacques Hamel was killed on 26 July Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Two people hold each other by the new makeshift memorial in Nice, in tribute to the victims of the deadly Bastille Day attack at the Promenade des Anglais Valery Hache/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the truck attack that killed 84 people in Nice on France's national holiday. Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, 31, smashed a 19-tonne truck into a packed crowd of people in the Riviera city celebrating Bastille Day Valery Hache/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Police work at a site where a Syrian migrant set off an explosive device in Ansbach, southern Germany, on 25 July, killing himself and wounding a dozen others Daniel Roland/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis A Syrian migrant set off an explosion at a bar in southern Germany that killed himself and wounded a dozen others in the third attack to hit Bavaria in a week. The 27-year-old, who had spent a stint in a psychiatric facility, had intended to target a music festival in the city of Ansbach but was turned away because he did not have a ticket Friebe/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis Police officers walk along train tracks in Wuerzburg southern Germany on 19 July, a day after a man attacked train passengers with an axe. German authorities said they had found a hand-painted IS flag among the belongings of the man, an asylum seeker from Afghanistan, who seriously injured four members of a family of tourists from Hong Kong in his rampage Daniel Roland/AFP/Getty Images Terrorism in 2016: Terror attacks in Europe claimed by Isis German police killed a teenage assailant after he attacked passengers on a train in Wuerzburg, southerg Germany with an axe and a knife on 18 July, seriously wounding three people Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/AFP/Getty Images

Mr Pantucci warned that jihadi ideas stay ingrained for decades and can be reactivated by specific events, but not all followers present the same level of risk.

He said that placing the entire burden for monitoring extremists on security services was not realistic with the huge amount of resources that operations require.

After you have five attacks it is clear that something is not working, Mr Pantucci said. People are unpredictable and youve got to take that into account.

The Government is attempting to try something and they might have to take some flack.

The number of extremists to be targeted remains unclear and it is thought that many of the 20,000 do not know they have come on security services radar.

Usama Hasan, a former Salafi fundamentalist who now fights radicalism as a co-founder of the Quilliam Foundation, described the plans as sensible.

Obviously the Government has talked about killing as many as possible while theyre abroad but we know many have returned already, he told The Independent.

This looks like the last safety net. Dozens of terrorists are due for release in the next few years and for those returning, there may not be enough evidence to prove they joined al-Qaeda or Isis.

There are good lawyers around who will get some of these people off and there are naive judges as well.

Manchester bomber Salman Abedi was among the terrorists known to security services before launching his attack (PA)

So what we do need is joined up work with Prevent, MI5, mental health and social services.

Dr Hasan, Quilliams head of Islamic studies, said he hoped that the vast majority of returnees would be prosecuted and jailed, before being put through de-radicalisation programmes in prisons.

But the alarm has long been raised over the role of jails in radicalising inmates or forming terror cells, with a court being told on Tuesday that one of Lee Rigbys killers was converting fellow prisoners to Islam.

Dr Hasan said a lack of support after imprisonment can also leave jihadis to regress into crime or extremism, with worsening grievances driving a vicious cycle of radicalisation.

While praising the Governments Prevent scheme, he warned that some of those who went through the programme successfully have also left without jobs or homes and later become tempted by Isis.

If were going to reintegrate people in society, were going to have to do it properly, he added.

The Home Office would not confirm details of Operation Constrain but said a review of national counter-terror strategy was ongoing.

A spokesperson added: The Government is committed to doing everything possible to protect our communities from the threat of terrorism.

To respond to this threat, it is vital that we use all the means at our collective disposal to divert people away from terrorist-related activity and we are exploring the best ways of doing this with our partners.
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A paedophile who raped and assaulted children as young as six in an 11-year campaign of abuse has been jailed.

A judge at Edinburgh High Court sentenced William Wingate to 13 years in prison for sexually assaulting five girls and raping three of them between 1986 and 1997.

Police said the 58-year-old abuse the trust of his victims families to target the girls, using houses and cars around western Scotland.

He started abusing his youngest victim when she was six, raping her in Paisley two years later, then raped his second victim between the ages of eight and 11 and the third when she was between 12 and 15 years old.

Wingate, of Lockerbie, denied all charges but was found guilty on 10 counts.

He was previously convicted of rape in 1981, serving four years in prison, and has other convictions for violent crime and drug dealing, the Gazette reported.

The court ordered that he would remain on the sex offenders register indefinitely after hearing evidence that Wingate would not cooperate with any attempts to reduce his risk of offending.

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Detective Inspector Louise Harvie from the Public Protection Unit based in Renfrew, praised the bravery of the victims who testified in court.

William Wingate is behind bars as a direct result of the bravery of his victims who stood up in court and relived the harrowing details of the abuse they suffered as children, she said.

The experiences these young girls were subjected to will no doubt have had a lasting impact on their lives and I hope the knowledge that their tormentor is finally facing justice provides some comfort to them.

William Wingate was an opportunistic predator who abused the trust of his victims families to carry out the most unforgivable acts.

DI Harvie said his conviction sends a clear message to perpetrators who prey on young children, adding: No matter how much time has passed, you will never be safe from justice, and our specialised officers will work to identify your victims and offer them the support to speak up and close the door on your despicable crimes.


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Police are continuing to question two 14-year-old boys arrested on suspicion of planning a terror attack.

The teenagers  among the youngest terror suspects ever arrested in the UK  were detained on accusations of preparing an act of terrorism in the North Yorkshire town of Northallerton on Saturday morning.

The North East Counter Terrorism Unit said the unnamed boys were arrested as part of an ongoing police-led investigation and that three properties were searched following the raids.

Assistant Chief Constable Phil Cain, of North Yorkshire Police, said: Officers believe that this is an isolated incident and the wider community are not at risk.

We appreciate the cooperation of local residents whilst the investigation continues.

The Independent understands there was no immediate indication of a link to Isis or other foreign terrorist groups, but that investigators are continuing to analyse a large quantity of digital data and other evidence.

Police have been granted a warrant to detain the teenagers for further questioning until Wednesday, when a decision on whether to charge them is expected.

Amid unconfirmed reports that they had been planning a massacre at a school, Northallerton School and Sixth Form College has sent out a letter aimed to reassure parents.

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 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 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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. 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Headteacher Chris Byrne said student safety was being prioritised, a month after he wrote a separate letter to parents to dispel rumours a student brought a weapon into school.

We fully recognise that parents and carers have concerns as a result of these arrests, his latest missive read.

We would like to reassure you that the safety of the school is paramount and we are working with the police to support our students and prioritise their safety at all times.

North Yorkshire County Council said the school was supporting the police in their investigation.

Police continue to investigate with an open mind to establish what, if any, offences have been committed, a spokesperson added.

"The school understands that parents and carers may have concerns as a result of these arrests.

We would like to reassure them that the safety of the school is paramount and we are working with the police to support our students and prioritise their safety at all times.

Searches were carried out at three properties, centring on the Romanby area of the town, with neighbours saying they saw about 10 police cars around a disused garage.

It comes amid a record number of terror-related arrests in the UK and warnings of a rising threat from both Islamists and the far-right.
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Anne will never forget what it was like living as one of Britains hidden slaves. Brought into the country by a Saudi family she believed would look after her, she was forced to work almost every hour of every day. Deprived of her passport, she was terrified if she fled she would be arrested.

Now that brutal existence is over. Since her escape last month from the property in Wandsworth where she was being held, the 44-year-old Filipina has been given somewhere new to live, got a job, and had her first experiences of being in London as a free woman.

My new employers are lovely, she says of the elderly couple who she now works for. Before I used to starve as a slave, but now I can eat, and they treat me with respect. It is a big thing for me to be treated as a human being.

I am very happy, and grateful to God and to The Independent and everyone who helped me escape. I have been to a restaurant and tried things I have never enjoyed in my life  I can even afford perfume now.

The woman who helped her start again was leading anti-slavery campaigner Marissa Begonia, who founded The Voice of Domestic Workers charity, and whose work is being backed by this newspaper as part of its Slaves On Our Streets campaign.

It was Marissa and her organisation who helped free Anne, and get her a job in London once she had escaped.

She says that it is essential that women like Anne receive such support, as they can often end up confused and frightened in a foreign country, unsure of who to trust or where to turn.

Abused and underpaid, most of them don't have passports, so when they escape they dont know whether they are here illegally or not, Marissa said. That is why VODM make sure they provide as much care to people like Anne after they escape as they do in organising the escape in the first place.

Anne is still so scared of her previous employers that she has requested this newspaper does not use her real name. Marissa, who escaped two abusive employers herself, says this is typical of the domestic workers she has freed, who often take years to recover from the abuse they go through.

Marissa says she has seen hundreds of cases like Annes. We have been doing rescue missions ever since we started nine years ago. Every Sunday we meet, and more and more workers turn up. They have bruises, there are cases of rape, and they have been attacked with boiling water.

Recommended Hundreds march demanding end to modern slavery in London

That is why VODM is now calling for the government to ease the bureaucracy that faces domestic workers who escape abusive employers holding them in slavery. This will help others in situations like Anne to fight their case.

Despite her new life, Annes situation is still precarious. The Saudi family she escaped from still have her passport, so she does not know when her visa expires.

She is therefore having to wait to be referred to the National Referral Mechanism, the process by which victims of modern slavery are assessed. Only then will she find out whether she will be granted a two-year visa to keep working here, or be sent back to the Philippines.

Kevin Hyland, the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, backed Marissas calls for this process to be reformed so that others in Annes situation get dealt with more efficiently.

We made recommendations to the government, and I'm confident we're going to see very significant changes to that support, Mr Hyland said.

Yesterday the Home Office announced it would reform the National Referral Mechanism to seek to improve support for victims of human trafficking and modern slavery.

The government acknowledges migrant domestic workers are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. Yet they continue to ignore calls for reforms to the Overseas Domestic Worker visa that would strengthen their rights, safeguard against abuse and ensure workers are able to access justice.

What are migrant workers' rights

In 2012, without consultation of NGOs, migrant community organisations or domestic workers themselves, the government introduced the tied visa system. This meant domestic workers coming to the UK were tied to their employer for a maximum of six months, with no right to renewal or extension beyond this time.

It prohibited workers from changing employers in the UK and in effect prevented them from challenging any abuse. If a worker did leave their employer, they were in breach of the terms of their visa and at risk of deportation.

The changes were widely criticised by politicians, academics, unions, and NGOs. Evidence showed levels of abuse were significantly higher for those on the tied visa from those on the original visa.

In April 2016, after a long and sustained campaign by several parties, the government made limited changes to the visa. After 4 years and after admitting approximately 68,000 workers to the UK, the government accepted that workers in abusive and exploitative relationships should be allowed to leave their employer without becoming criminalised for doing so, but only for the term of their six month visa.

Many victims do not know they have the right to change employer, and at any rate it is meaningless without the right to renew a visa. They usually do not have references and in many cases dont have their passport or visa, which have been withheld by their abusers. This is unattractive to prospective employers. Workers are left with the choice of remaining in an exploitative situation, risking a new one, or with no work and no recourse to public funds, becoming destitute.

The right to change employer in the first six months does not lead to workers having greater confidence in reporting their employers. It strengthens the hand of the exploitative employer. The law is failing those it ought to protect.

Visit Freedom United's action hub for The Independent
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Gunmen wearing Halloween marks shot semiautomatic weapons into a crowd of partygoers at an illegal rave, injuring two people.

A man and a woman were taken to hospital after the shooters caused chaos at the "Money Move" party in Leyton, East London.

A video of the incident at the weekend shows revellers screaming as the lights are switched on after being attacked by bullets in the makeshift club.

The group of at least three men were wearing masks of clowns, ghosts and ghouls, as reported by The Sun.

Witnesses said the gunmen blocked off the only exit in the industrial estate, where the party took place.

They said it was "terrifying" as bullets rang out among the crowd.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures 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 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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 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"There must have been at least four guns. It was terrifying. Everyone who had got out was just running but there were over 100 trapped inside," one told the newspaper.

More video footage shows an njured man lying on the ground.

A woman can be seen using a belt as a tourniquet around his leg to stem the flow of blood.

As he asks her to tighten the belt, she can be heard saying, "Youre good, man."

The 41-year-old victim was reportedly rushed to hospital and is in a stable condition.

Another injured woman in her 20s who was struck by a bullet in her chest went to another hospital.

Her condition was reportedly not life-threatening or life-changing.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "A crime scene was put in place and an investigation has been launched by Trident officers.

"There have been no arrests. Enquiries continue."
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A British jihadi who admitted having joined Isis in Syria and carrying a kalashnikov claimed he did not kill anyone but "played PlayStation and went for bike rides' while in Raqqa.

Shabazz Suleman, a former grammar school student from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, was captured by the Free Syrian Army on the Turkish border trying to flee Isis about two weeks ago.

The 22 year-old recognised he had been "naive" when he decided to join the terror group three years ago when he crossed into Syria while on a holiday in Turkey. But he denied being a criminal or a terrorist.

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Suleman said: "I take responsibility, I was with Isis, I was with a terrorist organisation but I mean I didn't kill anyone, I hope I didn't oppress anyone. I mean I did have a kalashnikov and a military uniform but I didn't hit anyone."

Mr Suleman said his decision to join Isis in 2015 after the terror group declared a caliphate across Syria and Iraq "wasn't about beheading or killing" but that he wanted to "defend the Syrians".

He added his intention was "not really to fight" but he quickly found himself on the frontline on the Iraq border.

He claimed that while the battle was raging in Raqqa, he was "just relaxing, hiding in Raqqa" with Syrian civilians "playing PlayStation or going around on bike rides" and leading "a normal life but just in Isis territory".

Mr Suleman attempted to present himself as far removed from the horrific accounts coming out of Raqqa since its capture by Isis in 2014.

"I didn't participate in the battle," he said. "I was reinforcement, I was basically reinforcement."

Asked whether he thought people would believe his story, he answered "no" and acknowledged it was "very weird" but said he wanted to write a book about Isis.

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

This is not the first time a former Isis member has been caught attempting to flee the group's former territories in Syria and Iraq and made claims about his supposed lack of involvement in atrocities.

Courts in Iraq have sentenced foreign fighters to death, while those hoping to return to Western countries like the UK face prosecution.

In July, Harry Sarfo, a former London postman who joined Isis in 2015, denied killing in media interviews but was later charged with involvement in a public execution where six prisoners were shot dead in Raqqa.

Mr Suleman said he hoped to return to the UK, where the Government has vowed to prosecute foreign fighters for terror offences and other crimes committed abroad, like murder.

He added that he hopes to serve only a short prison term before being able to return to his life and study politics.

At least 425 British Isis members are thought to have returned to the UK - the largest cohort in Europe.

A total of 850 people are known to have travelled to warzones in Syria and Iraq from the UK but there are fears many have "disappeared" from the view of security services.
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Oxfam has dismissed 22 staff over allegations of sexual abuse in the last year.

The dismissals come as campaigners ask governments to take a closer look at the funding they provide to aid groups.

Reports of Oxfam staffs inappropriate behaviour emerged during media spotlight on the dozens of allegations of sexual abuse, harassment and discrimination from women and men facing disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and other high-profile figures in media, politics and the arts.

Oxfam, which employs around 5,000 people, said it dealt with 87 claims of sexual exploitation and abuse involving its staff in one year to the end of April, a 36 per cent increase in one year.

Donors and government entities need to ask more questions of the people that they are funding, aid worker Megan Nobert told Reuters.

Ms Nobert founded the Report the Abuse campaign group after she was raped by a colleague while on assignment at a UN peacekeeping base in South Sudan.

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.

About three quarters of the claims resulted in disciplinary action, Oxfam said, while it referred 53 claims to the police and carried out internal investigations for 33 claims.

Oxfam treats all allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation very seriously, Oxfam said in a statement, adding that data on allegations of sexual abuse by staff was published in its annual reports.

Campaigners say that many victims of abuse do not report the incident as they feel fear, shame, and worry about damage to their career.

The UK charity regulator has received 1,131 reports of serious safeguarding incidents from charities in 2016, including allegations of sexual abuse.

Agencies contributed to this report
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The UK and Western Europe is braced for the coldest winter in five years, according to meteorologists.

The Weather Company forecasts the UK to be hit by very cold Arctic winds this winter.

December and January will likely be colder than normal, with all areas of the country affected by sinking temperatures.

Dr Todd Crawford, chief meteorologist at The Weather Company, said: We expect the coldest winter in the UK since 2012-13.

We expect extended spells with a ridge of pressure in the North Atlantic, especially in early winter.

This forces the jet stream up to the Arctic and back down into Europe, releasing Arctic high pressure from near the Pole directly into northern Europe, with colder-than-normal temperatures.

In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Show all 17 1 /17 In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK A man works in the snow in the Yorkshire Dales near Hawes In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK A man jogs past the partially frozen Sefton Park Lake in Liverpool PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK A jogger runs through the snow under the Angel of the North in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK A man walks through the snow close to the Angel of the North in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Temperatures drop as night time falls and snow blankets moors in the Peak District near Buxton Getty Images In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Temperatures drop, as night time falls, and snow enhances the complex pattern of fields on the moors in the Peak District near Buxton Getty Images In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK A van waits to be recovered after sliding into a ditch on an icy road in the Peak District near Buxton Getty Images In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Snow blankets the countryside in the Peak District near Buxton Getty Images In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Farmers on the Richmondshire and Cumbria border take feed for the sheep on the Pennine tops with the A66 trans Pennine route in the background as snow falls across many parts of the UK PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK A tractor with a snow plough parked outside the Tan Hill Inn in Swaledale, North Yorkshire as snow falls in the Pennines PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Cars make their way through the snow on the A1 northbound in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, as the UK braced for a new wave of bad weather after forecasters issued warnings of heavy snow in parts of England and Scotland PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Snowfalls over high ground of the Pennines at Tan Hill PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Sue and Chris Betts take their dog for a walk in the snow near Beamish, Tyne and Wear after heavy snow in the area PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Clyde Wind Farm near Abington in Scotland PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Sheep near Abington in Scotland PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Snow in Abington in Scotland as the cold weather hits parts of the UK PA In pictures: Winter weather hits the UK Snow blankets the countryside in the Peak District near Buxton Getty Images

During November, however, the UK is forecast to enjoy slightly warmer-than-normal temperatures, along with most parts of Europe.

Emma Sharples, press officer at The Met Office, told The Independent that although "colder spells" were expected this year, there was "still a lot of uncertainty associated with forecasts so far ahead".

The average winter temperature in the UK is 3.73 degrees Celsius, although it has dipped to 1.64 degrees in 2010.

The coldest winter on record was in the winter of 1963, when it fell to -0.18 degrees.

The Met Office recommends people prepare for winter by working through a checklist, including getting a flu jab, buying a winter car kit, ensuring that your home is heated to at least 18 degrees Celsius and make commuter back-up plans.
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A prominent Labour activist has revealed she was raped at a party event and then told not to report it by a senior member of staff because it might damage her.

Bex Bailey, who eventually won a seat on the Labours ruling National Executive Committee, said she did not receive the support she needed adding that she was not even given a cup of tea when she tried to raise the alarm in 2011.

It comes amid a series of claims about sexual harassment and abuse in British politics, with another woman telling how she fled a hotel room after an MP physically forced her onto a bed.

A spreadsheet compiled by parliamentary office workers containing the names of 40 Conservative MPs, including ministers, was circulated in Westminster setting out allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4s PM show, Ms Bailey said that the attack on her when she was 19 years old was not carried out by a Labour MP, but was committed by someone more senior to her in the party.

She said: I was seriously sexually assaulted at a Labour party event by  it wasnt an MP  but someone who was more senior to me.

It took me a while to summon up the courage to tell anyone in the party, but when I did, I told a senior member of staff who told me...it was suggested to me that I not report it.

I was told that if I did it might damage me.

Asked later in the interview how serious the assault was, she said: I was raped.

Ms Bailey said that she had not reported the attack to the police at the time because she felt scared and ashamed, and because she feared being the centre of gossip and people not believing her.

She explained that she was now fighting for changes to how political parties deal with such reports, because she had not received the support she needed when she first reported the incident.

 Woman who worked for MP reported sexual assault four times but was 'ignored by Parliament authorities'

She went on: I wasnt given good advice. I wasnt given a procedure when I asked for it so that I could see what would happen if I did report it and then make a decision.

It seemed to be that there wasnt one that existed and I wasnt signposted to anyone else that could help me in terms of a charity or anything like that.

I dont think I was even given a cup of tea at the time. It was quite a horrible experience.

Former Labour leader Ed Miliband said he was shocked by the allegations and praised Ms Baileys courage and bravery in a tweet.

Labour has said the partys general secretary Iain McNicol will appoint an independent legal expert to investigate the allegations, with details made public at the earliest possible opportunity.

A Labour spokesperson said: The Labour Party takes these allegations extremely seriously. It takes great courage for victims of rape to come forward  and all support must and will be made available to them.

We would strongly recommend that the police investigate the allegations of criminal actions that Bex Bailey has made.

Labour will also launch an independent investigation into claims that a party employee acted improperly over these 2011 allegations.

Jeremy Corbyn has ordered an inquiry into the allegations (PA)

But Ms Bailey said she wanted to see an independent agency set up so that incidents can be reported with victims dealt with fairly and without political bias.

She added: I think that we will have the confidence to raise these issues if the procedure is improved.

Its fantastic that [Jeremy Corbyn is] taking this forward and has been quite strong on it, and I really hope that well see some change and Id love to work with them on that.

But minutes after her story was aired, another woman told how an MP sexually assaulted her, forcibly holding her on a bed in a hotel room while on a business trip to Europe with parliamentary colleagues.

Bex Bailey speaks at a Labour Party conference in 2014 (Rex)

The woman said she had found herself alone with the MP in a hotel bar after other members of her delegation went to pack their bags before a flight home.

She said: He said, come and talk to me while I pack my bag, and I honestly didnt think anything of it. I thought we had a very professional relationship. There had been no indication of any flirting or anything at all.

But when I got to his hotel room he said, come and sit on the bed, which made me feel uncomfortable, so I didnt and I was standing near the door. But he was quite insistent, so tried to brush it off, saying, come on pack your bags and well go and meet everybody.

Theresa May wants new parliamentary systems to help victims of sexual abuse (EPA)

At which point, he basically pulled me on to the bed and pushed me back, and tried to kiss me. I very clearly said, no, this is not what I want. He held me by my shoulders and pushed me back again. On the third time, I managed to push him off again and basically ran out the room. Initially I was just really shocked and I didnt expect it but I was quite quickly scared because I knew I was in a vulnerable situation.

The Independent reported on Monday how the woman had tried to report the assault four times but that her claims had not been taken seriously by the authorities.

Among those named in the dossier being circulated in Westminster are a cabinet minister and a former cabinet colleague accused of paying women to be silent about incidents.

 Andrea Leadsom and Harriet Harman respond to sexual harassment claims in House of Commons

Portions of the so-called dirty dossier have already been published in the mainstream media with varying amounts of information redacted, but neither the fact it has come from within the Conservative Party, nor the allegations contained within have yet been confirmed.

In total, 25 Tory MPs are named as having allegedly behaved inappropriately, mainly with staff. A video is said to exist of one MP who engaged in a distasteful sexual practice with three men, while another behaves inappropriately while perpetually intoxicated, the dossier says.

The full details of the dossier were revealed as Theresa Mays spokesman declined to say she had full confidence in Sir Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, after he apologised for an incident.

 Jeremy Hunt says there will be an investigation into whether sex pest scandal behaviour has broken ministerial code

Sir Michael admitted putting his hand on a female journalists knee, but will not be investigated by the Cabinet Office, No 10 said.

It is already inquiring whether international trade minister Mark Garnier breached the ministerial code, after he admitted asking his secretary to buy sex toys.
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Worried citizens groups have dismissed Theresa Mays claim that a deal to guarantee their rights after Brexit is within touching distance.

A parliamentary inquiry was told the statement was hugely optimistic given that the Brussels negotiations are still in a state of deadlock.

The Prime Minister has tried to calm mounting anxiety by insisting the UK and EU can reach a deal on citizens future rights in the coming weeks.

But Jane Golding, the chairwoman of the British in Europe group, representing ex-pats, said: We dont see a solution as being within touching distance.

While progress was being made on health and social security issues for the retired, the picture was much gloomier for younger people, she warned.

The two sides were still far apart on reunion rights with family members and, for example, the right to run a business in future, she warned.

We think that much less progress has been made with regard to working citizens - and thats on both sides, Ms Golding told the inquiry by the Lords EU Justice sub-committee.

The gloomy message was echoed by Professor Stijn Smismans, of Cardiff University, who is advising the 3.4m EU citizens living in the UK.

There is a kind of deadlock at this moment, because the premises of both sides are different, he said.

The UK planned a new settled status for EU nationals in this country, but the EU was concerned that it would be based on UK immigration law, removing some rights.

There was also uncertainty about how it will be introduced and guaranteed in future  after the Prime Minister ruled out oversight by the European Court of Justice.

Professor Smismans said the Home Office had failed to issue clear proposals about a new registration procedure, which the European Parliament has warned could be illegal.

As long as we dont know that procedure, it could be 1m out of 3m excluded in practice  we dont know. People are very anxious about it, the politics professor told the peers.

The warnings come after Ms May sought to win over EU citizens in this country by promising them a closer involvement in a streamlined process to obtain settled status to stay after Brexit.

In an open letter, sent directly to 100,000 citizens who have asked to receive updates, the Prime Minister claimed an agreement with the EU was within "touching distance".

And she announced a new user group would be set up with officials, to give EU nationals a direct say over how the process works, to ease their "anxiety".

However, the Prime Minister is still refusing a unilateral guarantee of future rights should the withdrawal talks collapse and Britain leaves with no deal.

And she has not announced any policy change, after criticism that EU citizens will lose some rights - particularly over family reunions - after Brexit.
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The Government has taken on an extra 3,000 civil servants and expects to employ up to 5,000 more next year to cope with the demands of leaving the European Union.

Brexit Secretary David Davis told the Cabinet on Tuesday the extra staff taken on so far had been employed across Government departments to boost work towards leaving the EU.

The workers taken on next year will be employed by HM Revenue and Customs as the body looks to implement a new border regime on leaving the bloc.

It comes after a period in which Conservative ministers have been single-minded in their efforts to slim down Whitehall departments in the name of a more efficient government.

Mr Davis told colleagues: Alongside the negotiations in Brussels, it is crucial that we are putting our own domestic preparations in place so that we are ready at the point that we leave the EU.

Of the 3,000 civil servants already taken on some 300 are lawyers, while between 3,000 and 5,000 will be taken on by HMRC next year, with the eventual number decided on what kind of systems the UK needs after Brexit.

The Cabinet was told by Mr Davis many of the preparations will be needed even in our preferred scenario of a bold and ambitious deal  for example, implementing either of our proposed customs arrangements will require investment in new systems and customs officers by HMRC.

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

Earlier this year Theresa May announced more than 400m for Brexit preparedness including a no-deal scenario, with a further 250m additional funding in 2017/18 later announced.

Liberal Democrat Leader Vince Cable said: David Davis has revealed just who benefits from Brexit: lawyers, 300 of them just to help us crash out of the European Union.

A no deal Brexit should not even be considered, let alone cost us 500m, and probably more by the end of next year.

It came as Mr Davis admitted in a select committee hearing that the Brexit withdrawal deal would probably favour the European Union in terms of the financial settlement.

The next round of Brexit negotiations between the UK and the EU is to take place in Brussels next week, with Mr Davis seeking an intensification of negotiations.
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An uncensored version of a dirty dossier said to have been compiled internally that names prominent Conservatives allegedly involved in sexual impropriety is spreading across social media.

The list names 36 people, accusing some of inappropriate behaviour  although others are included next to descriptions of consensual relations.

It contains the names of seven Cabinet ministers and 14 other Government ministers, as well as eight former ministers.

Among those named are a Cabinet minister and a former Cabinet colleague who are accused of paying women to be silent.

Portions of the so-called dirty dossier have already been published in the mainstream media with varying amounts of information redacted.

However, neither the fact it has come from within the Tory party, nor the allegations contained within have yet been confirmed.

In total, 25 Tory MPs are named as having allegedly behaved inappropriately, mainly with staff.

A video is said to exist of one MP who engaged in a distasteful sexual practice with three men, while another behaves inappropriately while perpetually intoxicated, the dossier says.

The full details of the dossier were revealed as Theresa Mays spokesman declined to say she had full confidence in Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, after he apologised for an incident.

Recommended No10 refuses to say if May has confidence in sex toy minister

Sir Michael Fallon admitted putting his hand on a female journalists knee, but will not be investigated by the Cabinet Office, No 10 said.

It is already inquiring whether international trade minister Mark Garnier breached the ministerial code, after he admitted asking his secretary to buy sex toys.

As the list of sexual misconduct allegations was circulated, the spokesman said only: The Prime Minister has confidence in her Government and her ministers in getting on with the job.

Among the most serious allegations concerns the Cabinet minister who is said to have asked a woman to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with another MPs researcher.

Meanwhile, another former Cabinet minister, described as inappropriate with women, is alleged to have paid a female to be quiet.

Three people are described as having odd sexual preferences, while two others are alleged to have made women pregnant.

The document also lists former Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb, who has admitted sending explicit text messages to a 19-year-old he had interviewed for a job.

Quizzed by reporters, the Prime Ministers spokesman was asked if she has full confidence in Sir Michael, after radio host Julia Hartley-Brewer revealed she had touched her knee, in 2002.

He replied: The Defence Secretary has said that he apologised for an incident which took place some time ago, I dont believe there is a complaint that has been made against him.
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David Davis has conceded in front of peers that Britains Brexit withdrawal agreement will probably favour the EU.

Speaking in the House of Lords European Union Select Committee, the Brexit Secretary said: In the infamous  or famous  words of the European Union, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.

The withdrawal agreement on balance will probably favour the union in terms of the things like money and so on. Whereas the future relationship will favour both sides and will be important to both of us.

The frank admission came after Mr Davis told peers that the next round of negotiations with Brussels will take place next week.

The Brexit Secretary said he was seeking an intensification in the talks but insisted Britain is on course to achieve a its desired outcome by the scheduled date of withdrawal from the EU in March 2019.

Speaking to the Lords committee, Mr Davis said he had invited EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier to London for talks on Wednesday this week, but this was not possible because the Brussels official had a prior engagement.

The EU team was also unable to accept a UK proposal for talks early next week, he said. Negotiators will therefore meet on Wednesday and Thursday of next week before Mr Davis travels to Brussels on the Friday.

The Brexit Secretary said: We want to get on with the process  we are not holding up the process. I dont want to score any points; its just a practical fact: I have invited Barnier to come to London tomorrow but he couldnt do it  he had a prior engagement.

We offered them the beginning of next week  they couldnt do it. So its the latter part of next week when it will be when the negotiators engage. And Ill be out there on Friday.

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

Mr Davis also told the committee that he was unsurprised that leaders of the 27 remaining EU states had determined earlier this month that insufficient progress had been made in talks on the divorce deal for the second phase of negotiations, dealing with trade, to begin.

But he played down the significance of the decision, saying it provided time for the EU27 to prepare its position on the issues of trade and the transition to a new relationship in time for a European Council summit in December, when it is hoped they will give the green light to the second phase.

We think that the outcome we got was one which keeps us on the timetable for an outcome in time for what we want, Mr Davis told peers.
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Domestic violence campaigners have warned that an overhaul of supported housing funding will dismantle life-saving refuges and undermine Theresa Mays pledge to do more to help women fleeing violent partners.

The Prime Minister recently announced a U-turn on controversial plans for all social housing tenants to have their housing benefit capped in line with the private rented sector, which would include thousands of vulnerable people living in supported accommodation.

Under the proposals, councils would take charge of ring-fenced funding for short-term and emergency accommodation such as refuges and homeless shelters, prompting concern over a "postcode lottery" of funding for vital services.

Recommended Only changes to welfare will help women leave abusive relationships

More than 1,000 women and children fleeing domestic violence have been turned away from shelters in the past six months, according to recent research which also found three quarters of councils in England have reduced the amount they spent on refuges since 2010.

Katie Ghose, Chief Executive of Womens Aid, said the move would "dismantle our national network of lifesaving refuges and put the lives of women and children trying to escape domestic abuse at risk" by creating insecurity over future funding.

She said: If pursued, the reforms will result in a postcode lottery of domestic abuse support services with further refuges being forced to close their doors and more women and children being turned away from the lifesaving support they offer.

Without a safe space to escape to, more women and childrens lives will be lost to domestic abuse.

These proposed reforms completely undermine the Governments promise to transform the national approach to tackling domestic abuse through their landmark Domestic Violence and Abuse Bill, which outlined that the state will do everything it can to both support them and their children.

Denise Hatton, Chief Executive for the National Council of YMCAs in England & Wales, said more young people would be pushed onto the streets by the plans, which proved "the Government simply doesn't get it".

She added: The response to the supported housing consultation was a long time coming and can only be seen as a backward step. It is extremely disappointing that the Government has not taken on board some of the most crucial recommendations made by sector experts."

The Prime Minister took an interest in tackling domestic violence when she was Home Secretary and the Government has pledged around 100m to supporting victims over this Parliament.

Ministers are also planning to bring forward tougher sentences for those convicted of domestic violence against children and create a new domestic violence commissioner with the power to hold the police and the criminal justice system to account.

New details of the funding shakeup emerged on Tuesday, including plans to offer 'sheltered rent' for older and vulnerable people and give local authorities greater powers to commission services.

It followed Ms May's announcement at Prime Minister's Questions last week that the Local Housing Allowance cap, which is used in the private sector, would not apply to social housing tenants.

Charities previously warned that the proposed cap  due to be implemented in April 2019  would have a particular impact on supported accommodation as uncertainty over future funding could deter housing associations from building housing for vulnerable people, who rely on the support to stay out of hospital or residential care.

David Orr, Chief Executive at the National Housing Federation, welcomed the news, adding: Todays announcement, and the removal of the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) cap, represent a very welcome and significant shift from the Government and show they recognise the value and importance of supported and sheltered housing.

I am confident the new system outlined by the Government today addresses concerns about the long-term stability of funding for most schemes. This, coupled with assurances about levels of funding and a new timetable of 2020, will give housing associations the certainty they need to keep providing and building these homes."

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 DCLG spokesperson said: These proposals will give councils guaranteed funding which will help them drive up standards of accommodation for vulnerable people.

We are committed to keeping this funding ring-fenced, so people in homeless accommodation and womens refuge centres get the support they need.

Government has been clear it is committed to working closely with the sector through our consultation and on-going work to review refuge provision, particularly the funding of care and support for victims of this devastating crime.
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The size of the House of Lords should be capped at 600 peers within a decade, according to new proposals aimed at shrinking the bloated upper chamber.

Political parties would share appointments based on their Commons showing, rather than being at the discretion of the Government, and peerages would be limited to 15 years, the long-awaited report by the Lords Speaker's committee suggests.

The plans include a 'two out, one in' system to speed up departures until the 600-peer target is reached and new rules to ensure no party has a majority, with 20 per cent of membership reserved for independent crossbenchers.

Electoral reform campaigners said the plans were too cautious, allowing the unelected upper chamber to remain "an embarrassment for Britain".

It comes amid growing concern over abuse of expenses rules by "couch potato peers" as research showed that 16 members claimed around 400,000 without speaking in any debates or submitting any questions for an entire year.

Lords Speaker Lord Fowler, who set up the committee, said: The House of Lords carries out vitally important work in holding the government of the day to account. However with over 800 members  about 150 more than the Commons  we are too large. The time has now come to take action to correct this and put a cap on numbers for the future.

This report presents the Lords with an important opportunity. A smaller, more effective house will be able to build public confidence and support for its crucial constitutional role in checking bills before they become law and in reviewing policy through their hard working select committees."

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair cut the size of the second chamber when he abolished hereditary peers in 1999, although the number of Lords has swelled to nearly 800 in recent years.

Committee chairman Lord Burns urged politicians on all sides to back the "realistic opportunity" to cut the House down to size, as these proposals could be brought in without changes to the law.

He said: Our proposals would see the numbers come down to 600 and stay there, while also allowing the membership to be refreshed and to reflect changing public opinion over time.

This is one of the most complicated issues that my fellow members and I have ever faced. While no set of proposals will ever be perfect, we believe that ours would provide a fair solution which could prove sustainable for as long as this remains an appointed chamber."

Under proposals, parties could sidestep the limit by giving out peerages as a form of honorary title without recipients expected to sit in the House of Lords.

The committee also suggested scrapping hereditary peer by-elections but acknowledged that such a move would require new legislation.

However the Electoral Reform Society said there move would amount to little change despite a "painfully long time frame", as a slimmed-down upper chamber of 600 members would still be the second largest in the world.

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

Chief Executive Darren Hughes told The Independent: Well have people on Mars by the time these proposals are fully introduced. And most of us will be in driverless cars when the plans to cut the Lords down to 600 members are in place.

"These changes are so cautious not to offend current members that they barely amount to reform at all.

The fact that the report proposes no reduction in the number of hereditary peers simply adds another layer of ludicrousness.

"As the committee admit, reducing the size of the upper house overall without reducing the number of hereditary peers will make only increase the power of aristocrats over our democracy  something that seems a democratic outrage now, let alone in 15 years."

A Labour Lords spokesman welcomed the proposals, adding: There is widespread agreement on all sides of the Lords that the House has become too large  in part a consequence of David Camerons six years of packing the government benches.

This a serious and thoughtful report, with some welcome recommendations on 15-year terms for new members, plans to ensure the continuing flow of new blood in the chamber, and the removal of the Prime Ministers absolute power on appointments.

We look forward to discussing the recommendations with colleagues from across the House, but in the absence of upcoming legislation on Lords reform we would also hope for a positive response from the government.

Dick Newby, Liberal Democrat Leader in the House of Lords, warned that the proposed reforms would be undermined if the Prime Minister tried to create more Tory peers to help pass Brexit legislation.

He said: Without a cast-iron assurance from the Prime Minister that she will act in line with these proposals, they will be dead in the water.

If we are to make progress with reform, we need cross party agreement, and cross-party goodwill.
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Michael Fallon has admitted feeling a female journalists knee as allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct swirl around Westminster.

Julia Hartley-Brewer, now a host on talkRADIO, previously chose not to name the Defence Secretary in her account of the incident in 2002.

No one was remotely upset or distressed by it, she wrote on social media, adding that she did not feel herself to be a victim of sexual harassment.

Ms Hartley-Brewer said the minister, now identified as Mr Fallon, repeatedly put his hand on my knee during a Conservative Party conference dinner.

I calmly and politely explained to him that, if he did it again, I would punch him in the face, she wrote in a statement.

He withdrew his hand and that was the end of the matter.

I have had no issues since with the man in question and do not regard the incident as anything but mildly amusing.

 This Morning causes outrage as show asks 'Have sexual accusations gone too far'

Mr Fallon had been named as the minister involved in Westminster before he made a public admission of involvement on Monday evening, as The Sun released its front page on the story.

A spokesperson for Mr Fallon told The Independent that he had apologised when the incident happened 15 years ago and that both Julia and he now consider the matter closed.

First elected as a Conservative MP for Darlington in 1983, he became an education minister before losing his seat to Labour in 1992.

Mr Fallon was re-elected to the Commons for Sevenoaks in 1997, holding positions including on energy, business and as Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party before being appointed Defence Secretary three years ago.

The admission came amid accusations that parliamentary authorities had not properly dealt with allegations of assault from female staff.

Minister Mark Garnier, who has already admitted asking his secretary to buy sex toys and to referring to her as sugar tits, looked set to lose his job after Theresa May refused to say she had confidence in him.

There was no immediate comment from Downing Street on Mr Fallon, who is believed to be among six cabinet ministers named in a dossier of alleged harassers.

Under Secretary of State for International Trade Mark Garnier has admitted making his secretary sex toys and calling her 'sugar t*its' (PA)

The document, leaked to The Sun, is said to detail allegations against 36 senior Tories, including serving ministers, former Cabinet ministers and a Permanent Private Secretary.

Ms Hartley-Brewer said she did not feel herself to be a victim and did not want to take part in a Westminster witch hunt.

Hitting out at a media feeding frenzy over rumours, she added that in 20 years of political reporting she saw only a small number of MPs from all parties involved in sexual harassment.

I believe it is absurd and wrong to treat workplace banter and flirting  and even misjudged sexual overtures  between consenting adults as being morally equivalent to serious sexual harassment or assault, she said in a statement.

It demeans genuine victims of real offences. Anyone with any allegations against an MP, or anyone else, should speak up now and provide the evidence to ensure any necessary action is taken.

The Prime Minister has called for a new independent helpline to deal with complaints of harassment and abuse at Westminster and senior parliamentary figures have met to discuss ways for victims to speak up without fear.

Commons Speaker John Bercow also called for change in Parliament amid what he described as disturbing allegations about a culture of sexual harassment.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures 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 UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. 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He chaired a meeting of the House of Commons Commission that followed impassioned debate on the issue in the House of Commons.

It recognised that the current processes for dealing with this required review, and a more thorough understanding of how they are put into practice by political parties, Mr Bercows spokesperson said.

The Commission therefore committed to urgent work, in concert with the key stakeholders, to identify a way forward which would command general confidence and enable people to speak up without fear or favour.

Liz Saville Roberts, Plaid Cymru's leader at Westminster, told The Independent a female member of staff reported sexual assault four times but was ignored.

In order to change that political culture, it requires all of us to take very strong political leadership, she said in an address to the House of Commons.

That means taking decisions against colleagues and others, even when that is inconvenient, even when that is against their own allies or their own supporters on their own side.

Jess Phillips, a Labour MP, said she overheard two male colleagues wittering about a witch hunt on the way to the chamber.

Andrea Leadsom, the leader of the Commons, said: It is absolutely the intention that this review looks at all issues of misdemeanour and misconduct, including sexual harassment and bullying and other forms of uncomfortable behaviour that is perpetrated on members of staff in this place.
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Women MPs outnumbered their male counterparts as the House of Commons debated the sexual harassment allegations in Westminster on Monday.

The usually male-dominated chamber saw a markedly different gender balance as Cabinet minister Andrea Leadsom unveiled plans to offer more support for victims of misconduct and Speaker John Bercow called for a new complaints procedure.

There were 65 women and just 56 men present in the Commons, according to HuffPost UK, giving women nearly 54 per cent of the chamber  despite the fact that only 21 per cent of Tories and 45 per cent of Labour MPs are female.

More than a third of Tory MPs present for the Urgent Question, tabled by Labours Harriet Harman, were women  far above their usual proportion.

The reversal in numbers came as some Labour MPs were accused of privately suggesting there was a witch-hunt against men in Parliament, and had joked that they should fess up to their misconduct.

During the debate, the scandal deepened after it was claimed authorities in Parliament failed to deal with an assault allegation made by a woman working for an MP, despite her reporting it four times.

The female staffer who suffered the alleged sexual assault confided it to another MP, who used the debate to bring it to light.

Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom said MPs risked losing their ministerial roles and the party whip as a consequence of harassment allegations, even if their behaviour fell significantly short of criminal activity.

Both Commons Speaker John Bercow and Ms Leadsom vowed to take further action, as a list of 36 Conservative MPs subject to allegations of bad behaviour was drawn up by staffers and leaked.
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With the guilty plea of one Trump campaign official and a 31-page indictment of two others, Special Counsel Robert Mueller spoke volumes more about the Russia probe than months of heated public debate. Without uttering a word, Mueller's message was clear, according to veteran lawyers: He isn't bluffing, and witnesses are talking.

The double-barreled court filings ratchet up the pressure on everyone under scrutiny in the investigation, lawyers said, in part because they show that a former Trump campaign adviser began cooperating with the FBI three months ago.

This is the way you kick off a big case,'' said Patrick Cotter, a white-collar defence lawyer in Chicago who once worked as a federal prosecutor in New York alongside Andrew Weissmann, who is spearheading the prosecution of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his deputy, Rick Gates.

Prosecutors also announced a guilty plea from former campaign adviser George Papadopoulos about his interactions with people linked to the Russian government. Papadopoulos has admitted to lying to FBI agents who questioned him about those contacts, according to court records.

Oh man, they couldn't have sent a message any clearer if they'd rented a revolving neon sign in Times Square,'' Cotter said. And the message isn't just about Manafort. It's a message to the next five guys they talk to. And the message is: 'We are coming, and we are not playing, and we are not bluffing.' ''

The special counsel also appears to be moving fast.

White-collar cases often begin by flipping'' bit players far down the chain of command. The prosecution team that sent WorldCom chief executive Bernie Ebbers to prison for decades began with charges against a low-level accountant. Prosecutors then worked their way up the corporate ladder, flipping senior managers until they had a case against Ebbers.

And as Mueller probes whether Trump associates conspired with Russian government actors to influence the 2016 presidential election, he already has a cooperator at the lower rungs of the campaign: Papadopoulos. The prosecutors' court filings say that Papadopoulos sought to arrange a meeting between officials with the Trump campaign and the Russian government, and talked to people connected to the Russian government about providing dirt'' on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Peter Zeidenberg, a former federal prosecutor with expertise in national security, called the Papadopoulos plea a big deal'' because it goes much closer to the issue of collusion.''

The fact that he's been cooperating for three months is important, too, he said. Who else is cooperating that we don't know about? That's what people in the White House need to be worried about.''

While the Papadopoulos court filings offer more links between Trump associates and Russian figures, they do not define the extent to which senior campaign officials supported that effort.

It's not a direct connection as yet, said Daniel Toomey, a former prosecutor in Washington. There are additional bread crumbs that are missing leading to the White House.''

Toomey called the indictment of Manafort and Gates extraordinarily intricate'' and said it will put enormous pressure'' on the defendants to cooperate.

This becomes a paper case. The documents speak for themselves,'' he said. This case, by my estimation, will take months to try. The cost of the litigation for Manafort will be in the millions of dollars.

Veteran lawyers described the indictment as daunting - alleging $18 million worth of money laundering, which prosecutors said in court could mean more than a dozen years in prison.

The indictment even seems to go out of its way to kneecap a standard defence argument in such cases - that the defendant got bad advice from his accountant. The indictment charges that Manafort wrote specifically to his accountant that he did not have foreign bank accounts.

Nick Akerman, a former assistant special Watergate prosecutor, said the court filings all spell bad news for President Trump.''

Akerman said he could not see any defence to the Manafort indictment.

He has no choice but to plead guilty. That's what the indictment says to me,'' he said. The only defence that you've got is to go in there and start singing like a canary to avoid jail time. And once he starts singing, one of the tunes is bound to be Donald Trump.''

But Jay Nanavati, a former Justice Department tax prosecutor, said the filing of the indictment shows that so far, prosecutors have not been able to convince Manafort to cooperate, but this is still how you start moving up the ladder in any organisation.''

What's striking about the indictment, Nanavati said, is the number of people who worked for Manafort - accountants, lawyers and others - who provided key evidence against him.

That could be an ominous warning for other subjects of the probe, like former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who used lawyers to make official statements to the government that have now come into question.

And unidentified lobbying firms indirectly hired by Manafort, he said, are in significant trouble'' because of the written exchanges referenced in the indictment alleging that some people at the firms were aware that Manafort was lying about their work together.

Nanavati said a key change in US tax enforcement that began in 2008 - going after foreign bank accounts controlled by Americans - probably played an important role in the case against Manafort. Before the Justice Department started cracking through the layers of Swiss banking secrecy that hid Americans' accounts in 2008, he said, the requirement on Americans to declare foreign bank accounts was on the books but basically, nobody ever did it, and almost no one ever got prosecuted for it. That changed in 2008, and tax return preparers started asking.''

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

With the decline of bank secrecy, Nanavati said, crimes such as tax evasion and money laundering through foreign accounts became harder to hide, and made the charges against Manafort easier to bring.

A key leader of the tax enforcement effort was then-Justice Department lawyer Kevin Downing.

Downing is now Manafort's defence lawyer. Outside court on Monday, he blasted the government's indictment for claiming his client committed crimes via foreign bank accounts. To claim that maintaining such accounts, to bring all your funds into the United States, as a scheme to conceal from the United States government, is ridiculous,'' Downing said.

The Washington Post
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Donald Trumps chief of staff has said the Civil War was due to a lack of compromise and praised a famous slave owner as an honourable man.

When asked by Fox News host Laura Ingraham about the recent move to scrap symbols of the confederacy across the US, John Kelly praised Robert E Lee.

I would tell you that Robert E Lee was an honorable man, Mr Kelly said.

Recommended Richard Spencer warns Charlottesville to prepare for more rallies

He was a man that gave up his country to fight for his state which in 150 years ago was more important than country.

It was always loyalty to state first back in those days. Now it's different today. But the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War. And men and women of good faith on both sides made their stand where their conscience had to make their stand.

His comments came shortly after a church in Virginia decided to relocate the markers which honour Lee and former President George Washington, who also owned slaves on his plantation. The church official told the Associated Press that they made their decision after a woman called Heather Meyer was killed during a counter-protest against a white nationalist rally which wanted to use a statue of Lee.

Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Show all 9 1 /9 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Protesters clash and several are injured White nationalist demonstrators clash with counter demonstrators at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Virginia. A state of emergency is declared, August 12 2017 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Trump supporters at the protest A white nationalist demonstrator walks into Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Hundreds of people chanted, threw punches, hurled water bottles and unleashed chemical sprays on each other Saturday after violence erupted at a white nationalist rally in Virginia. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville State police stand ready in riot gear Virginia State Police cordon off an area around the site where a car ran into a group of protesters after a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Militia armed with assault rifles White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' with body armor and combat weapons evacuate comrades who were pepper sprayed after the 'Unite the Right' rally was declared a unlawful gathering by Virginia State Police. Militia members marched through the city earlier in the day, armed with assault rifles. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee The statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee stands behind a crowd of hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' during the 'Unite the Right' rally 12 August 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. They are protesting the removal of the statue from Emancipation Park in the city. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Racial tensions sparked the violence White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' exchange insults with counter-protesters as they attempt to guard the entrance to Lee Park during the 'Unite the Right' rally Getty Violence on the streets of Charlottesville A car plows through protesters A vehicle drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The incident resulted in multiple injuries, some life-threatening, and one death. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Rescue personnel help injured people after a car ran into a large group of protesters after an white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville President Donald Trump speaks about the ongoing situation in Charlottesville, Virginia from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. He spoke about "loyalty" and "healing wounds" left by decades of racism.

Mr Kelly warned against the slippery slope to judge American icons and figures of history.

I think it's just very, very dangerous. It shows you what  how much of a lack of appreciation of history and what history is, he said.

Despite Congress passing several compromises which would have allowed slavery to expand in certain regions of the US, conflict spilled into war in the 19th century.

Notion that Civil War resulted from a lack of compromise is belied by all the compromises made on enslavement from America's founding, tweeted writer Ta-Nehisi Coates.

George W Bushs former ethics lawyer Richard Painter added: Trying to impress his boss to keep his job.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders supported Mr Kelly's remarks during her daily press briefing Tuesday, saying that, just because an historical figure is flawed, it "doesn't diminish their contributions to our country." She cited former Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John F Kennedy as examples of men who were flawed but still made meaningful contributions ot society.

Ms Huckabee Sanders later left the White House press briefing room to shouted questions asking if the White House supports slavery, which she did not answer.

Mr Kellys views were echoed by Mr Trump, who said in August: I wonder: Is it George Washington next week, and is it Thomas Jefferson the week after? Trump said. You know, you really do have to ask yourself  where does it stop?

Mr Trump came under fire for responding to the Charlottesville protests by saying there were some very fine people on both sides.
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A couple who survived the Las Vegas shooting have been killed in a car crash less than half a mile from their home.

Dennis and Lorraine Carver's daughters said her parents discovered a new lease of life after escaping unharmed from the massacre at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival on 1 October.

Mr Carver, 52, dived on top of his wife, 53, to shield her from a hail of bullets after Stephen Paddock opened fire on crowds from the nearby Mandalay Bay hotel, killing 59 people. The couple, who had two children, fled to safety during a lull in the gunfire.

But they died just weeks later after their car crashed and burst into flames outside their gated community in Riverside County, California.

After the shooting, they heard from all of the people they cared about most. They were so happy, said their daughter Brooke, 20. The last two weeks of their lives were really just spent living in the moment.

Brooke said her parents had a narrow escape in the shooting, which injured more than 500 people, with Paddock's bullets hitting man next to them.

Surviving the massacre made the "selfless" couple's bond even stronger, she added, recalling Mr Carver buying his wife roses "to give my mum a reason to smile after the shooting".

I swear they were more in love those two weeks than the last 20 years," she told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

She added: We were so relieved when they got out of the shooting alive. But I also think weve been given little pieces of them that we wouldve never gotten if the shooting hadnt happened right before they died.

The couple's youngest daughter, Madison, 16, was at home when their car crashed into nearby metal gate on 16 October. She heard a loud bang at 10.50pm and ran down the street to find the family's vehicle engulfed in flames.

It took fire crews nearly an hour to extinguish the blaze.

Weve found some peace in knowing that our parents just loved each other so much that they had to go at the same time, Madison said. They couldn'tt live without each other.
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Officials in New York reportedly said they were treating the fatal attack in south Manhattan was a terrorist attack and the FBI had taken charge of the investigation.

Police said that up to six people were killed after a pickup truck slammed into 15 people as it was driven down a bike path located alongside the Hudson River. The New York Police Department said the man believed to have driven the vehicle, then exited and starting displaying what subsequently emerged to be imitation firearms.

Police said the man was shot in the leg by police and taken into custody. There was no immediate update on the persons condition.

Recommended Get the latest updates on the Manhattan shooting incident

As speculation swirled as to who was responsible for the incident and what may have been the motive, Reuters quoted a law enforcement source as saying the attack was believed to be a terrorist incident. There was no official confirmation of this.

In May, one person was killed and 22 were injured after a car rammed into pedestrians in Times Square. There was initial speculation that the incident was terror related, but it later emerged the driver was allegedly drunk.

A police spokesman posted a photo showing a white pickup truck on the bike path with its front end smashed. The truck had the logo of the Home Depot hardware store chain on its door.

New York Truck attack Show all 6 1 /6 New York Truck attack New York Truck attack Investigators inspect the truck following the attack Investigators inspect a truck following a shooting incident in New York on 31 October 2017. Several people were killed and numerous others injured in New York on Tuesday when a suspect plowed a vehicle into a bike and pedestrian path in Lower Manhattan, and struck another vehicle on Halloween, police said. A suspect exited the vehicle holding up fake guns, before being shot by police and taken into custody, officers said. The motive was not immediately apparent. Getty New York Truck attack A paramedic looks at a body along the bike path A paramedic looks at a body covered under a white sheet along the bike path 31 October 2017, in New York. A motorist drove onto a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center memorial and struck several people Tuesday, police and witnesses said. AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews New York Truck attack The truck driver collided with a school bus Authorities respond near a damaged school bus Tuesday, 31 October 2017, in New York. A motorist drove onto a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center memorial and struck several people, police and witnesses said. Two adults and two children were on the bus at the time. AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews New York Truck attack A young girl reacts to the scene A young girl reacts as police officers secure an area following a shooting incident in New York on 31 October 2017. Several people were killed and numerous others injured in New York on Tuesday after a vehicle plowed into a pedestrian and bike path in Lower Manhattan, police said. 'The vehicle struck multiple people on the path,' police tweeted. 'The vehicle continued south striking another vehicle. The suspect exited the vehicle displaying imitation firearms & was shot by NYPD.' DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images New York Truck attack Police officers arrive at the scene Police officers arrive at the scene following a shooting incident in New York on 31 October 2017. Multiple people were hurt in downtown Manhattan, US media reported after police confirmed that they were responding to reports of a shooting. Police said they had mobilized to the scene in Lower Manhattan and that one person was in custody, giving no further details. DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images New York Truck attack Emergency personnel respond to truck attack in lower Manhattan Emergency personal respond after reports of multiple people hit by a truck after it plowed through a bike path in lower Manhattan on 31 October 2017 in New York City. According to reports up to six people may have been killed. Kena Betancur/Getty Images

An witness told ABC Channel 7 that he saw a white pick-up truck drive south down the bike path alongside the West Side Highway at full speed and hit several people. The witness, who was identified only as Eugene, said bodies were lying outside Stuyvesant High School, one of the citys elite public schools.

He also reported hearing about nine or 10 shots, but was not sure where they came from. A video apparently filmed at the scene and circulated online showed scattered bikes on the bike path and two people lying on the ground.

President Donald Trump and City Hall said Mayor Bill de Blasio had been briefed about the incident. The office of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the governor was heading to the scene.

Nobody has made a claim of responsibility for the incident in New York and Isiss evening news bulletin did not mention the attack.

In recent years, Isis has encouraged supporters to make use of whatever weapons they can to carry out attacks, and there have been a series of incidents - a number of them subsequently claimed by Isis - in which attackers have made use of vehicles.

The first terror attack using a lorry came in Nice, where an Isis supporter killed 86 people in July 2016.

Vehicles have since been used in attacks in Berlin, Stockholm, London, Paris, Spain and the Canadian city of Edmonton.

The scene of the incident in Manhattan (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)

The groups propaganda has cited pedestrianised areas and crowded streets as prime targets after declaring murdering civilians halal, meaning permissible under Islam.

An issue of its Rumiyah propaganda magazine released in November 2016 cited the Nice attack as a superb demonstration and urged jihadis behind the wheel to carry a secondary weapon, such as a gun or a knife to continue massacres after crashing.

In June 2017, an attack on London Bridge killed eight people were killed and 48 were injured, including four unarmed police officers who attempted to stop the assailants. The three attackers, who wore fake explosive vests, were later shot dead by police.

In August, Spain was hit hit by its worst terror attack in more than a decade when a van driver plowed into dozens of people enjoying a sunny afternoon on one of Barcelonas most famous thoroughfares, killing 13 people and injuring 80.
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New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has revealed the death toll from the suspected terror attack in Lower Manhattan has reached eight.

Speaking at a press conference where officials confirmed they were treating the attack as cowardly terrorist attack, Mr Blasio said a number of other people had been injured.

Let me be clear, this was an act of terrorism, a particularly cowardly act of terrorism aimed at innocent civilians, he said, speaking on a evening when the city was preparing to celebrate Halloween.

New York Truck attack Show all 6 1 /6 New York Truck attack New York Truck attack Investigators inspect the truck following the attack Investigators inspect a truck following a shooting incident in New York on 31 October 2017. Several people were killed and numerous others injured in New York on Tuesday when a suspect plowed a vehicle into a bike and pedestrian path in Lower Manhattan, and struck another vehicle on Halloween, police said. A suspect exited the vehicle holding up fake guns, before being shot by police and taken into custody, officers said. The motive was not immediately apparent. Getty New York Truck attack A paramedic looks at a body along the bike path A paramedic looks at a body covered under a white sheet along the bike path 31 October 2017, in New York. A motorist drove onto a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center memorial and struck several people Tuesday, police and witnesses said. AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews New York Truck attack The truck driver collided with a school bus Authorities respond near a damaged school bus Tuesday, 31 October 2017, in New York. A motorist drove onto a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center memorial and struck several people, police and witnesses said. Two adults and two children were on the bus at the time. AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews New York Truck attack A young girl reacts to the scene A young girl reacts as police officers secure an area following a shooting incident in New York on 31 October 2017. Several people were killed and numerous others injured in New York on Tuesday after a vehicle plowed into a pedestrian and bike path in Lower Manhattan, police said. 'The vehicle struck multiple people on the path,' police tweeted. 'The vehicle continued south striking another vehicle. The suspect exited the vehicle displaying imitation firearms & was shot by NYPD.' DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images New York Truck attack Police officers arrive at the scene Police officers arrive at the scene following a shooting incident in New York on 31 October 2017. Multiple people were hurt in downtown Manhattan, US media reported after police confirmed that they were responding to reports of a shooting. Police said they had mobilized to the scene in Lower Manhattan and that one person was in custody, giving no further details. DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images New York Truck attack Emergency personnel respond to truck attack in lower Manhattan Emergency personal respond after reports of multiple people hit by a truck after it plowed through a bike path in lower Manhattan on 31 October 2017 in New York City. According to reports up to six people may have been killed. Kena Betancur/Getty Images

Officials said the suspect, a 29-year-old man, who police declined to identify at this stage, had entered the bicycle lane at 3.05pm in a rental truck belonging to the Home Depot chain, striking cyclists and pedestrians. At Chambers Street, the driver struck a school bus, injuring two adults and children.

At that point, the suspect emerged from the truck carrying what appeared to be two handguns - a paintball gun and pellet gun. As he did so, he shouted Allahu Akbar. Officials said the suspect was shot in the abdomen and taken away by police.

 Police attend incident in New York after reports of shooting and van hitting pedestrians

New York Police Commissioner James ONeill said that the statement from from the suspect when he exited the truck was consistent with a terrorist attack. Officials said the suspect was not from New York but would not provide information about where he came from - either from in the US or overseas.

The Associated Press said that witnesses described a scene of panic and blood, with people screaming in fear and the path strewn with bodies and mangled bicycles.

Tom Gay, a school photographer, was on Warren Street and heard people saying there was an accident. He told the news agency, he went down to West Street and a woman came around the corner shouting, He has a gun! He has a gun!

Mr Gay said he stuck his head around the corner and saw a slender man in a blue track suit running southbound on West Street holding a gun. He said there was a heavyset man pursuing him.

He said he heard five or six shots and the man in the tracksuit fell to the ground, gun still raised in the air. He said a man came over and kicked the gun out of his hand.
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A man in a rented pickup truck has mowed down pedestrians and cyclists along a busy bike path near the World Trade Center memorial, killing at least eight and seriously injuring at least 11 in what New York Mayor Bill de Blasio called a particularly cowardly act of terror.

The driver was shot in the abdomen by police after jumping out of the truck with what turned out to be a fake gun in each hand and shouting what witnesses said was Allahu Akbar, Arabic for God is great, authorities said. The man underwent surgery and was in critical condition but was expected to survive.

Officials identified the attacker as 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov to various US media and said he is from Uzbekistan and came to the US legally in 2010. The officials said Saipov has a Florida driver's license and may have been staying in New Jersey, and a family friend described roots he had in Ohio.

For the latest live updates follow our liveblog below:

The driver in the attack barrelled along the bike path in a rented Home Depot truck for the equivalent of about 14 blocks, or around eight-tenths of a mile, before slamming into a small yellow school bus. The mayhem and the burst of police gunfire set off panic in the neighborhood and left the pavement strewn with mangled bicycles and bodies that were soon covered with sheets.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called it a lone wolf attack and said there was no evidence to suggest it was part of a wider plot.

The city's police commissioner, James O'Neill, said a statement the driver made as he got out of the truck and the method of attack led police to conclude it was a terrorist act.

On Twitter, President Donald Trump called it another attack by a very sick and deranged person and declared, NOT IN THE U.S.A.!

While police did not specifically blame Isis for the New York bloodshed, Mr Trump railed against the extremist group, tweeting, We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere. Enough!
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The suspect in what the Mayor of New York Bill de Blasio described as a terrorist attack, has been identified by US media as Sayfullo Saipov.

At a press conference at New York Police Department headquarters, police said the man suspected of carrying out the attack that left eight and at least 11 injured, was a 29-year-old who was not from the city.

New York Police Commissioner James ONeil said the comments made by the man as he exited the truck - witnesses said he said Allahu Akbar - led them to believe the incident was a terror attack.

Recommended Get the latest updates on the Manhattan shooting incident

Officials declined to identify the suspect, but a number of US media outlets, including ABC News, CBS and the Wall Street Journal, named the suspect as Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov.

New York Truck attack Show all 6 1 /6 New York Truck attack New York Truck attack Investigators inspect the truck following the attack Investigators inspect a truck following a shooting incident in New York on 31 October 2017. Several people were killed and numerous others injured in New York on Tuesday when a suspect plowed a vehicle into a bike and pedestrian path in Lower Manhattan, and struck another vehicle on Halloween, police said. A suspect exited the vehicle holding up fake guns, before being shot by police and taken into custody, officers said. The motive was not immediately apparent. Getty New York Truck attack A paramedic looks at a body along the bike path A paramedic looks at a body covered under a white sheet along the bike path 31 October 2017, in New York. A motorist drove onto a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center memorial and struck several people Tuesday, police and witnesses said. AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews New York Truck attack The truck driver collided with a school bus Authorities respond near a damaged school bus Tuesday, 31 October 2017, in New York. A motorist drove onto a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center memorial and struck several people, police and witnesses said. Two adults and two children were on the bus at the time. AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews New York Truck attack A young girl reacts to the scene A young girl reacts as police officers secure an area following a shooting incident in New York on 31 October 2017. Several people were killed and numerous others injured in New York on Tuesday after a vehicle plowed into a pedestrian and bike path in Lower Manhattan, police said. 'The vehicle struck multiple people on the path,' police tweeted. 'The vehicle continued south striking another vehicle. The suspect exited the vehicle displaying imitation firearms & was shot by NYPD.' DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images New York Truck attack Police officers arrive at the scene Police officers arrive at the scene following a shooting incident in New York on 31 October 2017. Multiple people were hurt in downtown Manhattan, US media reported after police confirmed that they were responding to reports of a shooting. Police said they had mobilized to the scene in Lower Manhattan and that one person was in custody, giving no further details. DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images New York Truck attack Emergency personnel respond to truck attack in lower Manhattan Emergency personal respond after reports of multiple people hit by a truck after it plowed through a bike path in lower Manhattan on 31 October 2017 in New York City. According to reports up to six people may have been killed. Kena Betancur/Getty Images

Reports said he had been living in Tampa, Florida, and may originally have been from Uzbekistan. New York police declined to confirm the identity of the suspect when contacted by The Independent.

Public records show a man with such a name and age living in Tampa, and have previously lived at Fort Myers, Florida, and at two addresses in Ohio.

CNN said he came to the country in 2010. When a reporter said they asked about the possible Florida link, officials declined to comment.

Reuters quoted a a spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security called the incident an apparent act of terrorism.

(Reuters (Reuters)

Governor Andrew Cuomo said the suspect appeared to have acted alone.

Theres no evidence to suggest a wider plot or a wider scheme. These are the actions of one individual meant to cause pain and harm and probably death, he said.

After the attack, mangled and flattened bicycles littered the bike path, which runs parallel to the West Side Highway on the western edge of Manhattan along the Hudson River, according to the news agency.

 Police attend incident in New York after reports of shooting and van hitting pedestrians

Of the eight people killed, six were pronounced dead at the scene and two more were pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, according to New York Police Commissioner James ONeill.

Similar attacks in Europe last year killed dozens of people.

On July 14, 2016, a suspect drove a large truck into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in the French city of Nice, killing 86 people and injuring hundreds more in an attack for which Isis claimed responsibility.

Five months later a 23-year-old migrant from Pakistan ploughed a truck into a crowded Christmas market in central Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 48.
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President Donald Trump has responded to the terror attack in New York City, saying that the attack appears to have come from a "sick and deranged" person.

"In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person," Mr Trump tweeted. "Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE USA!"

The President was joined by his wife in condemning the attacks and expressing grief for the victims of the attack.

"My heart breaks for #NYC today," Melania Trump wrote on Twitter. "Thoughts & prayers as we monitor the situation."

At least eight people were killed after the truck smashed through the bike lane, and at least a dozen more were injured, according to New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio, who addressed reporters during a press conference following the violence.

"It is a very painful day in our city," Mr DeBlasio said. "Horrible tragedy on the west side."

New York Truck attack Show all 6 1 /6 New York Truck attack New York Truck attack Investigators inspect the truck following the attack Investigators inspect a truck following a shooting incident in New York on 31 October 2017. Several people were killed and numerous others injured in New York on Tuesday when a suspect plowed a vehicle into a bike and pedestrian path in Lower Manhattan, and struck another vehicle on Halloween, police said. A suspect exited the vehicle holding up fake guns, before being shot by police and taken into custody, officers said. The motive was not immediately apparent. Getty New York Truck attack A paramedic looks at a body along the bike path A paramedic looks at a body covered under a white sheet along the bike path 31 October 2017, in New York. A motorist drove onto a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center memorial and struck several people Tuesday, police and witnesses said. AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews New York Truck attack The truck driver collided with a school bus Authorities respond near a damaged school bus Tuesday, 31 October 2017, in New York. A motorist drove onto a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center memorial and struck several people, police and witnesses said. Two adults and two children were on the bus at the time. AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews New York Truck attack A young girl reacts to the scene A young girl reacts as police officers secure an area following a shooting incident in New York on 31 October 2017. Several people were killed and numerous others injured in New York on Tuesday after a vehicle plowed into a pedestrian and bike path in Lower Manhattan, police said. 'The vehicle struck multiple people on the path,' police tweeted. 'The vehicle continued south striking another vehicle. The suspect exited the vehicle displaying imitation firearms & was shot by NYPD.' DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images New York Truck attack Police officers arrive at the scene Police officers arrive at the scene following a shooting incident in New York on 31 October 2017. Multiple people were hurt in downtown Manhattan, US media reported after police confirmed that they were responding to reports of a shooting. Police said they had mobilized to the scene in Lower Manhattan and that one person was in custody, giving no further details. DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images New York Truck attack Emergency personnel respond to truck attack in lower Manhattan Emergency personal respond after reports of multiple people hit by a truck after it plowed through a bike path in lower Manhattan on 31 October 2017 in New York City. According to reports up to six people may have been killed. Kena Betancur/Getty Images

Mr DeBlasio and law enforcement officials said that they were treating the incident as a terrorist attack, and said that the suspect was detained by a police officer on duty after the truck smashed into a school bus near Chambers Street. They did not immediately release the name of the suspect.

The suspect, 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov from Uzbekistan, was shot and arrested by police after exiting the truck armed with a pellet gun and a paintball gun.

Images from the scene showed bikes mangled and strewn along the path in the area where the truck hit between Houston and Chambers street.

Videos showed at least one dead body on the ground, and a heavy presence of first responders in the area.
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More than 126 million Americans saw Facebook posts disseminated by Russian-linked agents seeking to influence the 2016 presidential election, a company executive plans to tell Congress.

That figure, to be cited in testimony by Facebook counsel Colin Stretch, offers the most detailed public accounting to date of the scale of a Russian disruption campaign that travelled through the broad channels of dominant social media sites and online platforms. Congress has summoned executives from Facebook, Twitter and Google to testify as lawmakers pursue multiple investigations of Russias influence campaign.

Facebook has already announced that it uncovered thousands of divisive advertisements purchased by Russian-linked fake accounts, spotlighting how Russia had bent the sites ad-buying tools to its ends.

But the numbers Mr Stretch plans to invoke offer a better picture of how posts found their way before voters, surfacing in newsfeeds that have become a primary source of news and information for many.

The foreign interference we saw is reprehensible and outrageous and opened a new battleground for our company, our industry and our society, Mr Stretch plans to say, according to prepared remarks obtained by The Independent. That foreign actors, hiding behind fake accounts, abused our platform and other internet services to try to sow division and discord  and to try to undermine our election process  is an assault on democracy, and it violates all of our values.

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

The 470 accounts that purchased those ads were coordinated by the Internet Research Agency, Mr Stretch will say. American intelligence agencies describe the organization as a network of pro-Russian trolls likely financed by an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom intelligence officials believe directed the election interference effort. Some 11.4 million people saw at least one of those ads between 2015 and 2017.

The Internet Research Agency used those adverts to steer users toward the roughly 80,000 posts it published over a two-year period. The larger universe of Facebook users who likely saw one of those stories, Mr Stretch will say, stands at about 126 million people.

Facebook has said much of the Russian-generated content was intended to inflame conflict within the American electorate, a point Mr Stretch plans to reiterate.

Many of the ads and posts we've seen so far are deeply disturbing  seemingly intended to amplify societal divisions and pit groups of people against each other, he will say. They would be controversial even if they came from authentic accounts in the United States. But coming from foreign actors using fake accounts they are simply unacceptable.

 Trump-Russia investigation: who has been charged in the Mueller probe

In addition to tracking content, Facebook detected an attempt by the hacker group APT28 - also known as Fancy Bear - to target employees of major US political parties. Those accounts were organized under a since-suspended organizsation called DC Leaks. American intelligence agencies say Fancy Bear is part of Russian intelligence's arsenal of cyber weapons.

Ahead of the congressional hearings, both Facebook and Twitter have unveiled new transparency guidelines that will have the sites display more information about who is paying for advertising, including the funders of political ad campaigns. Lawmakers have recently introduced legislation that would impose similar disclosure requirements.

Vladimir Putin has repeatedly denied interfering in the American presidential election or other votes in foreign countries, but admitted that "patriotic" Russian hackers may have been involved.

An American intelligence report released last year alleged the Russian President had "ordered an influence campaign" in support of Donald Trump, who dismissed the findings.
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Senator John McCain has issued a veiled critique of President Donald Trump, warning future service members to be wary of propaganda and crackpot conspiracy theories and the "seductions of authoritarian rule".

The comments came during Mr McCain's speech to the United States Naval Academy, where he urged students to push back against current trends in American politics.

We have to fight against propaganda and crackpot conspiracy theories, Mr McCain said. We have to fight isolationism, protectionism, and nativism.

The line appeared to be a critique of Mr Trump, who ran on a nationalist, "America-first" platform. The President has also made several false claims, including that former President Barack Obama was not born in the US.

Mr McCain did not mention the President by name, but  in a comment that drew applause from the audience  repeated a common critique of Mr Trumps proposed border wall with Mexico.

We have to remind our sons and daughters that we became the most powerful nation on earth by tearing down walls, not building them, he said.

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

A Navy veteran and former prisoner of war, Mr McCain has been a vocal critic of Mr Trump throughout his time in office. The Naval Academy speech came just weeks after the Senator spoke out about half-baked, spurious nationalism in America, in what many considered to be a rebuke of the Trump administration.

On Monday, Mr McCain compared current leadership to that of former President George HW Bush.

We have gone from an interval when the global success of democracy seemed assured to a time in which the seductions of authoritarian rule find favour with many, he said, when self-interested leadership excuses naked aggression with weak rationalizations; when ethnic grievances haunt the old and religious fanaticism fires the minds of the misguided young.

 John McCain questions 'half-baked, spurious nationalism' in Americas foreign policy

The Senator also condemned those he claimed had attacked the associations, rules, values and aspirations that comprise the international order  a veiled critique of Mr Trumps America first manifesto. The President recently withdrew from UNESCO, and has refused to certify Irans compliance with a landmark nuclear deal.

But the 81-year-old Senator  who was recently diagnosed with brain cancer  ended on a note of hope, telling the midshipmen that he still believes in America.

Were capable of better. Ive seen it, Mr McCain said. Were hopeful, compassionate people. And we still have leaders who will uphold the values that made America great, and a beacon to the oppressed.
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A former Trump campaign adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI is cooperating with the government in a broader investigation into potential ties between the campaign and Russia, court documents reveal.

Newly unsealed court records detailed the governments case against George Papadopoulos, who was swept up by special counsel Robert Muellers probe into whether Donald Trumps presidential campaign colluded with the Russian government. Mr Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to misleading the FBI about his conversations with a Russian-linked operative who promised dirt on Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and introduced Mr Papadopoulos to other Russian actors intent on arranging a meeting with the Trump campaign.

A transcript of Mr Papadopoulos arraignment hearing reveals that the onetime foreign policy adviser is one player in a larger cast targeted by Mr Muellers sweeping investigation. In a dramatic escalation, former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his associate Rick Gates were indicted on Monday for money laundering, a charge to which they pleaded not guilty.

Attorneys for the government repeatedly note that Mr Papadopoulos has agreed to work with the government and been privy to substantial information about the wider probe.

Theres a large scale ongoing investigation of which this case is a small part, Department of Justice Office of Special Counsel attorney Aaron Zelinksy says.

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

Similarly, Judge Randolph Moss agrees to keep the court proceedings under seal so as not to interfere with an ongoing investigation.

While Mr Mueller has been tight-lipped about the direction of his investigation, criminal justice experts have speculated that his strategy may be to flip lower-level defendants - that is, secure their cooperation in exchange for lesser sentences - in an effort to target other players.

The White House swiftly distanced itself from Mr Papadopoulos on Monday. Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders dismissed Mr Papadopoulos as someone with an extremely limited role in the campaign and said his guilty plea has nothing to do with the activities of the campaign. She argued his repeated contacts to campaign officials about arranging a meeting with the Russian government amounted to nothing.

He reached out and nothing happened beyond that - which, I think, shows, one, his level of importance in the campaign, and, two, shows what little role he had within coordinating anything officially for the campaign, Ms Sanders said.

 Sarah Huckabee Sanders slams press at White House briefing

But while the document detailing the case against Mr Papadopoulos concludes that no meeting ever occurred, it describes other campaign officials demonstrating some interest.

According to the document, an unnamed campaign supervisor responded to Mr Papadopouloss effort to arrange a meeting between us and the Russian leadership by writing good work. The supervisor also tells Mr Mr Papadopoulos that I would encourage you to travel to an off-the-record meeting with Russian officials.
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US President Donald Trump will not be visiting the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea on his upcoming Asia tour.

A senior White House official said to NBC that visiting has "become a little bit of a cliche" after Vice President Mike Pence, Defence Secretary James Mattis, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also visited the site at the centre of growing tensions with Pyongyang.

Last week Mr Trump had hinted he would go: Well, I'd rather not say, but you'll be surprised."

Past Presidents have visited the 2.5 mile-wide zone separating the Korean peninsula as a sign of solidarity with Seoul.

However, Mr Trump has had unique interactions with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and some experts feared his presence in the DMZ could further inflame an already-contentious diplomatic relationship.

When the President addressed the United Nations General Assembly in September, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the world not to sleepwalk our way into nuclear war.

 North Korea writes unprecedented open letter to multiple Western countries

Mr Guterres said extreme language - such as the type Mr Trump has been using like saying he would rain down fire and fury on Pyongyang - could lead to fatal misunderstandings.

During the speech he referred to Mr Kim as "Rocket Man" and said the young legacy was "on a suicide mission" in trying to further develop his country's nuclear weapons programme.

Mr Trump also said he would totally destroy it should North Korea threaten and attack the US territory like Pacific island Guam or an ally.

The whole world should clearly remember it was the US who first declared war on our country, North Korean foreign minister Ri Yong-ho said from New York.

Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Show all 6 1 /6 Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Photos released by North Korea show Kim Jong-un talking to subordinates next to a device thought to be the new thermonuclear weapon. There is no way of independently verifying the pictures STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb North Korea claims it has successfully tested an advanced hydrogen bomb which could be loaded onto an intercontinental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A diagram on the wall behind Mr Kim shows a bomb mounted inside a cone STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) attending a photo session with participants of the fourth conference of active secretaries of primary organisations of the youth league of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in Pyongyang STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A new stamp issued in commemoration of the successful second test launch of the "Hwasong-14" intercontinental ballistic missile KCNA via Reuters Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A new stamp issued in commemoration of the successful second test launch of the "Hwasong-14" intercontinental ballistic missile KCNA via Reuters

The North Korean state media agency also issued a statement in response, calling the President a "dotard."

A few weeks ago a North Korean official confirmed Pyongyang's strategy to CNN, adding that "before we can engage in diplomacy with the Trump administration, we want to send a clear message that the DPRK has a reliable defensive and offensive capability to counter any aggression."

Mr Trump had recently tweeted that Mr Tillerson was "wasting his time" trying to negotiate with Mr Kim through State Department diplomatic backchannels.

He tweeted that "only one thing will work" to deter North Korea's development of its nuclear arsenal, in yet another indication the president thinks military action is the only option left.

Mr Tillerson for his part attempted to reassure the American public on Sunday that "diplomatic efforts will continue until the first bomb drops," seeming to indicate the US would only strike as a retaliatory measure.

He also said there is no better partner than Secretary of Defence who believes in diplomacy regarding Mr Mattis' belief that military action should be a last resort.

Mr Trump's Asia tour begins on 4 November and will include visits to South Korea, Japan, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
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Fox News host Sean Hannity has had a slip of the tongue, and the internet has taken notice.

While discussing the federal indictments brought against three individuals connected to Donald Trumps 2016 campaign  which Hannity brushed aside  the popular conservative pundit mistakenly referred to Mr Trumps 2016 election opponent, Hillary Clinton, as the current president.

What did President Clinton  or, President-Clinton-wannabe  President Obama, and key members of the administration, what did they know about the Uranium One scandal? Hannity said, pivoting away from the investigation into Trump campaign ties to Russia.

Hannitys slip of the tongue was notable because it came just days after Hillary Clinton criticized Fox for its continued coverage of her even though she lost the 2016 election.

It does strike me that, in the last few days at least, Fox News seems to think thats where I live, in the White House, Ms Clinton said at a dinner for the Human Rights campaign in Washington. Because they spend a disproportionate amount of their time talking about impeaching me.

Hannitys slip of the tongue got a fair amount of attention on Twitter, where people mocked him for the mistake.

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

In referencing Uranium One, Hannity was bringing up a right-wing talking point, that alleges a connection between Hillary Clinton and Russia because the State Department approved the sale of a uranium company (Uranium One) to a Russian company during her tenure there.

Uranium One is a 12-year-old company based in Toronto, and is a subsidiary of Rosatom, Russias state-owned nuclear technology corporation. The sale of the company needed federal approval because it makes up 20 per cent of Americas uranium production capacity. That said, the vast majority of the 55 million pounds of uranium used in Americas nuclear reactors is imported, meaning that Uranium Ones production is relatively negligible.

A nine-member interagency group, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, considered the sale, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued the approval. Members of the committee have been quoted in media reports that Ms Clinton was not involved in the decision.
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Nearly half of all Americans support impeaching President Donald Trump, according to a poll by Public Policy Polling (PPP)  a record high since the group began asking the question.

At the end of October, 49 per cent of voters surveyed by the Democratic polling firm said they would support impeaching the President. Forty-one per cent said they would oppose it.

October marked the sixth month in a row that a plurality of voters supported impeaching Mr Trump. The President also saw a decrease in his favourability ratings this month, by a net of seven per cent.

Basically everything we poll on a monthly basis is at a record low point for Trump right now, said PPP President Dean Debnam.

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 has had a difficult month, which culminated with special counsel Robert Mueller issuing indictments for two of his former campaign staffers. The indictments had been reported on, but not released, at the time the PPP survey was conducted.

The indictments included charges against Mr Trump's former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, and former adviser George Papadopoulos.

Mr Trump continued to dismiss the indictments as fake news after their release, and attempted to shift the focus to Hillary Clintons dealings with Russia. The majority of voters, however, said they did not believe the Russia story was fake, and supported Mr Mueller's investigation into the Trump campaign.

 John McCain launches coded attack on Trump's 'crackpot conspiracy theories'

The Presidents recent focus on tax reform has proved unpopular, with just 29 per cent of voters saying they approve of the GOPs tax plan. The number is even lower than those who support Mr Trump's plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Even among Mr Trumps base, the tax plan receives just over 60 per cent approval.

In fact, approval for Mr Trump as a whole has declined among Republicans. In September, he led the race for the 2020 Republican nomination by 34 points. This month, he led by only 21.

In a sign of growing disenchantment with the President, more than one million people have signed on to a petition to impeach Mr Trump. The petition, created by billionaire Tom Steyer, calls for the President to be removed from office for his "abuse or violation of some public trust."

Mr Steyer told TIME that Mr Trump is an immediate danger to the health and safety of America," adding: "This administration doesn't have a clue."
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US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has said the threat of nuclear missile attack by North Korea is accelerating.

In remarks in Seoul with South Korean Defence Minister Song Young-moo at his side, Mattis accused the North of illegal and unnecessary missile and nuclear programmes  and vowed to defeat any attack.

Mattis said North Korea engages in outlaw behaviour and that the US will never accept a nuclear North.

He added that regardless of what the North might try, it is overmatched by the firepower and cohesiveness of the decades-old US-South Korean alliance.

North Korea has accelerated the threat that it poses to its neighbours and the world through its illegal and unnecessary missile and nuclear weapons programmes, he said, adding that US-South Korean military and diplomatic collaboration thus has taken on a new urgency.

I cannot imagine a condition under which the United States would accept North Korea as a nuclear power, he said.

As he emphasised throughout his wee-klong Asia trip, which included stops in Thailand and the Philippines, Mattis said diplomacy remains the preferred way to deal with the North.

With that said, he added, make no mistake  any attack on the United States or our allies will be defeated, and any use of nuclear weapons by the North will be met with a massive military response that is effective and overwhelming.

Mattis comments did not go beyond his recent statements of concern about North Korea, although he appeared to inject a stronger note about the urgency of resolving the crisis.

While he accused the North of outlaw behaviour, he did not mention that President Donald Trump has ratcheted up his own rhetoric. In August, Trump warned the North not to make any more threats against the United States, and said that if it did, it would be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.

Song, the South Korean minister, told the news conference that he and Mattis agreed to further cooperation on strengthening Seouls defence capabilities, including lifting warhead payload limits on South Korean conventional missiles and supporting the countrys acquisition of most advanced military assets. He offered no specifics and refused to answer when asked whether the discussions included nuclear-powered submarines.

Some South Korean government officials have endorsed the nation getting nuclear-powered submarines amid calls for more military strength. Theres a growing concern among the South Korean public that North Koreas expanding nuclear weapons arsenal, which may soon include an intercontinental ballistic missile that could target the US mainland, would undermine Seouls decades-long alliance with Washington.

South Koreas conservative politicians have also called for the United States to bring back tactical nuclear weapons that were withdrawn from the Korean Peninsula in the 1990s, which they say would make clearer the US intent to use nukes in a crisis. But Mattis and Song were strongly dismissive of the idea.

When considering national interest, its much better not to deploy them, said Song, adding that the allies would have sufficient means to respond to a North Korean nuclear attack even without placing tactical nukes in the South. Mattis said current US strategic assets are already providing nuclear deterrence and that the South Korean government has never approached him with the subject of tactical nukes.

Also discussed in the meeting were the conditions under which South Korea would be given wartime operational control of its forces. Currently, if war with the North broke out, the Souths forces would operate under the US-led UN Command.

Trump entered office declaring his commitment to solving the North Korea problem, asserting that he would succeed where his predecessors had failed. His administration has sought to increase pressure on Pyongyang through UN Security Council sanctions and other diplomatic efforts, but the North hasnt budged from its goal of building a full-fledged nuclear arsenal, including missiles capable of striking the US mainland.

If Trump sticks to his pledge to stop the North from being able to threaten the US with a nuclear attack, something will have to give  either a negotiated tempering of the Norths ambitions or a US acceptance of the North as a nuclear power.

The other alternative would be US military action to attempt to neutralise or eliminate the Norths nuclear assets - a move fraught with risk for South Korea, Japan and the United States.

At his Seoul news conference, Mattis said the North is, in effect, shooting itself in the foot.

If it remains on its current path of ballistic missiles and atomic bombs, it will be counterproductive, in effect reducing its security, he said.

Mattis touched off unease in South Korea last month when he told reporters at the Pentagon that the United States has military options for North Korea that doesnt put Seoul at risk. At Saturdays briefing, Mattis didnt offer a direct answer to what those options are or how and when they would be used.

Our military options as I mentioned are designed to buttress the diplomats efforts to maintain a deterrence stance and denuclearise the Korean Peninsula, he said. While the allies are committed to deterring North Korea, they also need many different military options that would realistically reduce that threat as low as possible, Mattis said.

And yes, we do have those options, he said.

The North says it needs nuclear weapons to counter what it believes is a US effort to strangle its economy and overthrow the Kim government.

This was Mattiss second visit to South Korea since taking office in January. He made a point of going to Seoul and Tokyo on his first overseas trip in February, saying he wanted to emphasis the importance he places on strengthening alliances and partnerships.

Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Show all 6 1 /6 Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Photos released by North Korea show Kim Jong-un talking to subordinates next to a device thought to be the new thermonuclear weapon. There is no way of independently verifying the pictures STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb North Korea claims it has successfully tested an advanced hydrogen bomb which could be loaded onto an intercontinental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A diagram on the wall behind Mr Kim shows a bomb mounted inside a cone STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) attending a photo session with participants of the fourth conference of active secretaries of primary organisations of the youth league of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in Pyongyang STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A new stamp issued in commemoration of the successful second test launch of the "Hwasong-14" intercontinental ballistic missile KCNA via Reuters Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A new stamp issued in commemoration of the successful second test launch of the "Hwasong-14" intercontinental ballistic missile KCNA via Reuters

On Friday he visited the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) that forms an official buffer between the two Koreas. He appeared there with Song in what they both called a show of solidarity.

US government officials for decades have confidently but mistakenly predicted the approaching collapse of North Korea, given its economic and political isolation.

Twenty years ago, Mattiss predecessor five times removed, William Cohen, said as he peered into North Korea from inside the DMZ that its communist system was decaying and dying. His view was widely shared in Washington, but, like others, he underestimated the resilience of Pyongyangs family dynasty, which began with Kim Il-sung. The current ruler assumed control of the country shortly after his father, Kim Jong-il, died in December 2011, and has accelerated the countrys nuclear and missile programmes.

AP
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North Korea has reportedly conducted mass evacuation drills as it prepares for the possibility of war.

South Korea-based NK News said several sources had reported the drills were being conducted in "secondary and tertiary cities and towns" over the last week.

None were observed in the capital Pyongyang and most were carried out on the pariah state's east coast, which borders the Sea of Japan.

Blackout drills, where towns turn off all light sources at night to avoid illuminating targets for the enemy, were also conducted.

 Ri Yong Pil tells CNN the possibility of a nuclear threat from North Korea should be taken 'literally'

I have never heard of this type of training exercises before in North Korea, but am not surprised, former South Korean three-star lieutenant general LTG Chun In-bum told NK News. "They must realise how serious the situation is.

"In this day and age of precision bombing and all-weather capabilities, [such] North Korean civil exercises either come from ignorance of modern war or just a propaganda campaign to frighten their own people and induce obedience.

One anonymous source said they had "never heard of evacuation exercises happening before."

Another said: There used to be air raid drills in 2003, but not since then.

A mass evacuation would be impossible not to notice.

Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Show all 6 1 /6 Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Photos released by North Korea show Kim Jong-un talking to subordinates next to a device thought to be the new thermonuclear weapon. There is no way of independently verifying the pictures STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb North Korea claims it has successfully tested an advanced hydrogen bomb which could be loaded onto an intercontinental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A diagram on the wall behind Mr Kim shows a bomb mounted inside a cone STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) attending a photo session with participants of the fourth conference of active secretaries of primary organisations of the youth league of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in Pyongyang STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A new stamp issued in commemoration of the successful second test launch of the "Hwasong-14" intercontinental ballistic missile KCNA via Reuters Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A new stamp issued in commemoration of the successful second test launch of the "Hwasong-14" intercontinental ballistic missile KCNA via Reuters

The threat North Korea launching a nuclear missile attack is accelerating, US Defence Secretary James Mattis has said.

General Mattis accused the North of illegal and unnecessary missile and nuclear programmes and pledged to repel any strike.

"North Korea has accelerated the threat that it poses to its neighbors and the world through its illegal and unnecessary missile and nuclear weapons programs," he said, adding that US-South Korean military and diplomatic collaboration had thus taken on "a new urgency."

"I cannot imagine a condition under which the United States would accept North Korea as a nuclear power," he added.
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As many as 200 construction workers are feared dead after the collapse of a tunnel at a nuclear test site in North Korea, according to a Japanese media report.

The tunnel was being built at the Punggye-ri test site when it collapsed, according to a report on Japan's TV Asahi citing an unnamed source in North Korea.

It said that about 100 people were initially trapped in the tunnel and another 100 may have been killed by a second collapse as they tried to rescue the first group.

The broadcaster said the collapse took place around 10 September.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the report did not provide further details, including when the incident occurred.

Monitors have previously picked up seismic shocks at North Korea's main nuclear testing site that are consistent with a major collapse.

Experts have said a series of tremors and landslides near the nuclear test base probably mean the country's sixth and largest blast on 3 September has destabilised the region, and the Punggye-ri nuclear site may not be used for much longer to test nuclear weapons.

 Boris Johnson says military option must remain on the table with North Korea

The mountain visibly shifted during the last nuclear test, which was recorded as a 6.3 magnitude earthquake. Since then, the area, which is not known for natural seismic activity, has had three more quakes.

Chinese scientists have warned that if the whole mountain collapsed, radiation could escape and drift across the region.

It comes amid news North Korea has conducted mass evacuation drills as it prepares for the possibility of war.

South Korean media said drills had been conducted in "secondary and tertiary cities and towns" over the last week, mostly on the pariah state's east coast, which borders the Sea of Japan.

Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Show all 6 1 /6 Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Photos released by North Korea show Kim Jong-un talking to subordinates next to a device thought to be the new thermonuclear weapon. There is no way of independently verifying the pictures STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb North Korea claims it has successfully tested an advanced hydrogen bomb which could be loaded onto an intercontinental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A diagram on the wall behind Mr Kim shows a bomb mounted inside a cone STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) attending a photo session with participants of the fourth conference of active secretaries of primary organisations of the youth league of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in Pyongyang STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A new stamp issued in commemoration of the successful second test launch of the "Hwasong-14" intercontinental ballistic missile KCNA via Reuters Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A new stamp issued in commemoration of the successful second test launch of the "Hwasong-14" intercontinental ballistic missile KCNA via Reuters

Blackout drills, where towns turn off all light sources at night to avoid illuminating targets for the enemy, were also conducted.

The threat North Korea launching a nuclear missile attack is accelerating, US Defence Secretary James Mattis has said.

General Mattis accused the North of illegal and unnecessary missile and nuclear programmes and pledged to repel any strike.

"North Korea has accelerated the threat that it poses to its neighbors and the world through its illegal and unnecessary missile and nuclear weapons programs," he said, adding that US-South Korean military and diplomatic collaboration had thus taken on "a new urgency."

"I cannot imagine a condition under which the United States would accept North Korea as a nuclear power," he added.
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A newlywed woman has been charged with murder after a poisoned milk drink she allegedly planned to give to her husband killed at least 15 members of her extended family.

Aasia Bibi, 21, was forced into an arranged marriage in September with Amjad Akram, 25.

Two months into the marriage in Pakistan, she tried to flee to her parents house, but they forcibly took her back.

Bibi then allegedly poisoned a glass of milk to murder her husband. After he refused to drink it, her mother-in-law used it to make a batch of Lassi and served it to 27 members of the family.

A total of 15 people died while 12 others are reportedly still in critical condition.

The exact number of deaths and whether it includes children is disputed.

A senior police officer said: "Aasia was forced to marry Amjad against her will.

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. 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"She was not happy and came back to her parents house after a few days into marriage but her family forcibly sent her back to her in-laws' house.

"Aasia concocted the plot to avenge being married against her will and was provided with poisonous substance by her alleged lover, Shahid Lashari.

"But the plot went awry when Aasia's husband did not drink the glass of milk she handed to him.

"Instead, her mother-in-law used the tainted milk to make Lassi."

 More than 80 people killed in a Pakistan terror attack

Bibi reportedly first claimed that a lizard had fallen into the milk, poisoning it.

"But she confessed her role in the custody," said police.

Police have arrested Bibi, her lover and her aunt, who are suspected to have a role in the incident.

Bibi has denied the allegations to reporters, claiming her lover gave her the poison and she did not use it, and that she also refused to marry him.

The incident took place in the Daulat Paur area in Muzaffargarh in the southwestern Punjab province of Pakistan.

According to cases reported to the UKs Forced Marriage Unit in 2016, Pakistan has the highest number of forced marriages, and there is little recourse for women who are married against their will.

Agencies contributed to this report.
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Hot, last-minute and chaotic, ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemonts first press conference since fleeing Barcelona for Brussels was a fitting tribute to the political crisis that has gripped Spain.

Amid speculation that he and members of his former cabinet would seek political asylum, fuelled by the comments of a Belgian minister, the disputed Catalan president instead recommitted himself to the independence cause.

It is believed that Mr Puigdemont and his colleagues drove across the border into France before flying to Brussels on Monday, after Spain took over control of the Catalan regions government and agencies.

Mr Puigdemont said he could not return to Spain unless given clear assurances that he will be protected, accusing Madrid of being intent on "vengeance". He and his colleagues would stay in Belgium as long as their safety was not assured in Spain and would "continue our work despite the limits imposed on us."

Recommended Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont flees to Brussels

Insisting he remained the rightful leader of Catalonia, Mr Puigdemont said his centre-right PDeCAT party would nonetheless accept the challenge of regional elections called for 21 December "with all our strength" and vowed that Catalan separatists would come out to vote.

Spain wants Catalonia "to abandon our political project, and they won't achieve it," he said.

As the news emerged on Monday that Mr Puigdemonts contingent had fled the country, there was a distinct sense of deflation among those of his allies who remained in Barcelona to carry out a planned campaign of civil disobedience.

And as he entered the building in Brussels, he walked past protesters holding Spanish national flags and a sign that read "Estado de Derecho" - "Rule Of Law".

Other anti-independence demonstrators waving Catalan and Spanish flags chanted "viva Espana, viva Cataluna!" amid a heavy presence from Belgian police.

 Carles Puigdemont wades through a press crowd in Brussels

Five minutes from the headquarters of the European Commission, at the Brussels Press Club, Mr Puigdemont declared he had travelled to the capital of Europe in order to speak from a position of freedom and safety.

Spain admonished Belgiums migration minister Theo Francken yesterday for entertaining talk of political asylum, and there was some suggestion on Tuesday that the Belgian government had blocked Mr Puigdemont from using the larger international press centre in the city, lest it be seen to be taking sides.

The disputed president instead took questions from the world's media in a packed-out presentation room that was well-over capacity.

Asked whether he would return to Spain to serve a possible 30-year jail sentence for sedition and rebellion, Mr Puigdemont demurred and handed his microphone to one of his fellow ministers.

After a brief pause, the minister said: Would a fair trial have this as a reasonable outcome? Ask this question and you will have the answer.

Despite dismissing the possibility of claiming asylum, the Catalan independence leader was also vague about how long he would stay in Belgium.

It depends on the circumstances, as long as we consider it necessary, he said, switching throughout his presentation between English, Spanish, Catalan and French.

The situation is developing every day. Here we have better guarantees for our rights here and we can meet our obligations from here.

He added: If they can guarantee to all of us, and to me in particular, a just, independent process, with the separation of powers that we have in the majority of European nations, if they guarantee that, we would return immediately.

Catalan parliament votes on independence: in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Catalan parliament votes on independence: in pictures Catalan parliament votes on independence: in pictures Catalan parliament votes for independence Catalan independence supporters react to the news that the Catalan Parliament voted to declare independence Getty Images Catalan parliament votes on independence: in pictures Catalan parliament votes for independence Catalan separatists react as the Catalan Parliament votes the independence of Catalonia Rex Catalan parliament votes on independence: in pictures Catalan parliament votes for independence People react as they celebrate the unilateral declaration of independence of Catalonia AP Catalan parliament votes on independence: in pictures Catalan parliament votes for independence Catalan government members, pro independence deputies, and Mayors from pro indpendence towns sing the Catalan anthem REUTERS Catalan parliament votes on independence: in pictures Catalan parliament votes for independence People celebrate after the approval of the declaration of a uniteral independence EPA Catalan parliament votes on independence: in pictures Catalan parliament votes for independence Catalan pro-independence mayors raise their batons as they gather in the parliament AFP/Getty Images Catalan parliament votes on independence: in pictures Catalan parliament votes for independence Catala president Carles Puigdemont sings the Catalan anthem AFP/Getty Images Catalan parliament votes on independence: in pictures Catalan parliament votes for independence Protesters shouts slogans during a rally outside the Catalan Parliament AP Catalan parliament votes on independence: in pictures Catalan parliament votes for independence People react as they watch on giant screens a plenary session outside the Catalan regional parliament REUTERS Catalan parliament votes on independence: in pictures Catalan parliament votes for independence An aerial view shows thousands of people gathering near the Catalan regional Parliament EPA Catalan parliament votes on independence: in pictures Catalan parliament votes for independence Protesters during a rally outside the Catalan Parliament AP Catalan parliament votes on independence: in pictures Catalan parliament votes for independence People react as they watch on giant screens REUTERS Catalan parliament votes on independence: in pictures Catalan parliament votes for independence Leftist party CUP leader Anna Gabriel casts her ballot REUTERS Catalan parliament votes on independence: in pictures Catalan parliament votes for independence A protester reacts AP Catalan parliament votes on independence: in pictures Catalan parliament votes for independence Popular Party leader Xavier Garcia Albiol gestures REUTERS

The disputed president has hired a Belgian lawyer, Paul Bekaert, who has 40 years experience in human rights law, including blocking extraditions for people seeking to remain in Belgium.

If Mr Puigdemont tries to fight extradition to Spain to face charges, he could effectively be claiming asylum in all but name. Madrid could request the enforcement of a European Arrest Warrant, the system introduced in 2004 to ease extraditions between member states. But this would mark yet another dramatic escalation in this difficult and heated crisis.
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The acrimony and recriminations which followed Catalonias declaration of independence shows little sign of defusing following the fleeing of president Carles Puigdemont to Brussels. Spains civil guard raided the headquarters of the regional police, Mossos dEsquadra, today drawing accusations of starting a crackdown.

Computers and documents were taken away from the building in Sabadell as well as seven other offices. We are carrying out inspections related to the Mossos dEsquadras communications on the day of the illegal referendum, said a civil guard spokesman. This is something we are entitled to do.

The Mossos had been ordered by Madrid to stop the vote taking place, but they had refused, pointing out that this would have led to clashes with activists who had been protecting the polling stations. The national police, who were sent in, seized ballot boxes sparking violence.

Recommended Carles Puigdemont says he cannot return to Catalonia

The raids were viewed by some as the beginning of a punitive drive which will continue against separatists. As the news of the raids came in the afternoon, a group of activists approached police in Plaza de Colon in Barcelona city centre, the scene of huge demonstrations in recent weeks, offering sympathy and solidarity. The officers, whose chief Josep Lluis Trapero was sacked by Madrid at the weekend, were cautious in their response. We are waiting to hear more details, said one. We dont know any more than you do.

For Adreia Carbonell, a 23-year-old student and supporter of independence, the civil guard action was an ominous pointer for the future. It is a form of counter-revolution, she said. The Spanish can now do what they like. There will be more raids, more arrests soon, you will see. They are intimidating our police who protect us and of course our government has gone.

Mr Puigdemont and five of his colleagues fled to Belgium on the day they were supposed to start governing Europes newest independent nation. At a press conference in Brussels Mr Puigdemont maintained he was not seeking political asylum, saying he was seeking to act in freedom and safety from the decision by Spains attorney general to charge him and others in his cabinet with sedition and rebellion  a move, he complained, which showed a desire, not for justice, but for vengeance. He would not say when he would return to Catalonia.

Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Show all 17 1 /17 Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters A man faces off Spanish Civil Guards outside a polling station in Sant Julia de Ramis Reuters Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Riot police form a security cordon around the Ramon Llull school in Barcelona EPA Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Riot police evict a young woman during clashes between people gathered outside the Ramon Llull school in Barcelona EPA Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Spanish Civil Guard officers break through a door at a polling station in Sant Julia de Ramis Reuters Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Spanish National Police clash with pro-referendum supporters in Barcelona on Sunday AP Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Crowds raise their arms up as police move in on members of the public gathered outside to prevent them from voting in the referendum at a polling station where the President Carles Puigdemunt will vote later today Getty Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters People confront Spanish Civil Guard officers outside a polling station Reuters Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Three man hold each other as they try to block a Spanish police van from approaching a polling station AP Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters A woman shows a ballot to a Spanish Civil Guard officer outside a polling station Reuters Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters A man wearing a shirt with an Estelada (Catalan separatist flag) and holding carnations faces off with a Spanish Civil Guard officer Reuters Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Police try to control the area as people attempt to cast their ballot at a polling station in Barcelona Getty Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters A man is grabbed by officers as police move in on the crowds Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Two women argue with a Spanish National policeman during clashes between Catalan pro-independence people and police forces at the Sant Julia de Ramis sports centre in Girona EPA Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Sant Julia De Ramis in Spain Getty Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Confrontation outside a polling station in Barcelona, where police have tried to stop people voting AFP/Getty Images Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters A Spanish National Police officer aims a rubber-bullet rifle at pro-referendum supporters in Barcelona AP Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Riot police clashed with voters as polls opened in Barcelona Sky News

One of the ministers who stayed behind wanted to stress today that he knew nothing about the escape plan which involved driving to Marseilles and then a flight to Brussels. Neither I nor any member of the leadership of my party was aware that this event was going to happen, we were surprised, said Santi Vila.

Mr Vila was confident that the political process would continue in the absence of the lost leader. As well as being a fellow member of Mr Puigdemonts Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT), the two men are close friends. The Catalan President officiated at Mr Vilas wedding to Rafael Vertamatti three years ago.

But Mr Vila resigned from Catalonias government after Mr Puigdemont rejected calls for new elections last week, a day before the parliament in Barcelona voted for a declaration of independence from Spain, a move which led to Spain taking direct control of the region.

Mr Puigdemont will now face a challenge to his leadership from Mr Vila who said he would be running on a moderate platform. I was forced to resign when I saw that my position was not possible, I did not want to bring Catalonia to a state of collapse, he explained.

Separatism is legitimate, but it must be defended within the law. We wanted to take Catalonia to the gates of independence, but we have ended up returning to a period before it had any self-governance, now we have to recover our serenity.

Arnau Domenech, a 33-year-old mechanic sitting at a cafe in Las Ramblas, was anything but serene. The cut on his forehead was the souvenir of a fight with some men at a pro-Spanish demonstration on Sunday. There were men there giving Nazi salutes, they were chanting the name of Franco, here in Barcelona! It was deliberate provocation followed by attacks. So we had to defend ourselves.

 Celebrations as Catalan parliament votes in favour of independence

What did he feel about Mr Puigdemont flying off to Brussels? He should be here, defending Catalonia. We have voted for independence in a referendum and people would have been out on the street protecting him and the other ministers if he had stayed, Mr Domenech said. But independence is not just about one man, it may take time but we will have an independent Catalonia.

He and his friends had, at first, decided to boycott elections called by the Madrid government on 21 December. But they were now in the process of changing their minds. Some are thinking about it, but I have made up my mind, I will vote. We need to make sure that people from other countries are here, the international media, to make sure the Spanish dont try dirty tricks.

Catalan pro-unity demonstration  in pictures Show all 6 1 /6 Catalan pro-unity demonstration  in pictures Catalan pro-unity demonstration  in pictures Pro-unity supporters take part in a demonstration in central Barcelona. Hundreds of thousands of Catalans took to the streets of Barcelona on Sunday to call for their region to remain part of Spain, two days after regional lawmakers exacerbated a political crisis by voting for the wealthy region to secede Reuters/Jon Nazca Catalan pro-unity demonstration  in pictures A woman with the Senera and Spanish flags painted on her face shouts slogans as she takes part in a rally against Catalonia's declaration of independence, in Barcelona AP Photo/Gonzalo Arroyo Catalan pro-unity demonstration  in pictures Thousands of pro-unity protesters gather in Barcelona, two days after the Catalan parliament voted to split from Spain Jeff J Mitchell/Gett Catalan pro-unity demonstration  in pictures People support a pro-unity demonstration from their balconies in central Barcelona Reuters/Rafael Marchante Catalan pro-unity demonstration  in pictures Pro-unity supporters take part in a demonstration in central Barcelona Reuters/Yves Herman Catalan pro-unity demonstration  in pictures Protesters wave Spanish flags and carry banners during a pro-unity demonstration on in Barcelona Jack Taylor/Getty

But for Alejandro Bricanto, from Zaragoza, who has been living in Barcelona for eight years, the independence referendum under the Puigdemont government was a sham.

One of his friends, Javier Masso had voted four times. He made a stand and exposed the referendum as a fraud. He provided evidence of what many of us had thought, said Mr Bricanto. Independence, he was sure, would be gravely damaging economically. The property sector, where he worked, has been suffering because of the upheavals. A vote for independence in December would be bad, very bad.
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Spains constitutional court has cancelled the Catalan declaration of independence.

It came as the Supreme Court said it had agreed to hear rebellion charges against Catalonias ousted leadership, including the former regional president Carles Puigdemont.

Others implicated include Catalan parliament speaker Carme Forcadell, a longtime independence activist, and senior lawmakers from the region, a court spokesman said.

A total of six people face possible charges of rebellion, sedition and embezzlement.

The Supreme Court has called for Ms Forcadell and others to testify on Thursday and Friday this week.

Mr Puigdemont was at the head of the separatist push that saw deputies vote for independence last Friday after a tense week of negotiation and brinkmanship between Madrid and Barcelona.

It followed 1 Octobers disputed referendum that had been deemed unlawful by Spains constitutional court.

A majority voted for secession but turnout was greatly reduced after a crackdown by Madrid.

Huge numbers of Catalans favour unity with Spain and Barcelona has seen large demonstrations in support of remaining part of the whole.

Mr Puigdemont and others face, potentially, decades in prison if convicted of rebellion.

Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Show all 17 1 /17 Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters A man faces off Spanish Civil Guards outside a polling station in Sant Julia de Ramis Reuters Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Riot police form a security cordon around the Ramon Llull school in Barcelona EPA Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Riot police evict a young woman during clashes between people gathered outside the Ramon Llull school in Barcelona EPA Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Spanish Civil Guard officers break through a door at a polling station in Sant Julia de Ramis Reuters Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Spanish National Police clash with pro-referendum supporters in Barcelona on Sunday AP Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Crowds raise their arms up as police move in on members of the public gathered outside to prevent them from voting in the referendum at a polling station where the President Carles Puigdemunt will vote later today Getty Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters People confront Spanish Civil Guard officers outside a polling station Reuters Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Three man hold each other as they try to block a Spanish police van from approaching a polling station AP Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters A woman shows a ballot to a Spanish Civil Guard officer outside a polling station Reuters Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters A man wearing a shirt with an Estelada (Catalan separatist flag) and holding carnations faces off with a Spanish Civil Guard officer Reuters Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Police try to control the area as people attempt to cast their ballot at a polling station in Barcelona Getty Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters A man is grabbed by officers as police move in on the crowds Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Two women argue with a Spanish National policeman during clashes between Catalan pro-independence people and police forces at the Sant Julia de Ramis sports centre in Girona EPA Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Sant Julia De Ramis in Spain Getty Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Confrontation outside a polling station in Barcelona, where police have tried to stop people voting AFP/Getty Images Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters A Spanish National Police officer aims a rubber-bullet rifle at pro-referendum supporters in Barcelona AP Catalonia independence referendum: Riot police clash with voters Riot police clashed with voters as polls opened in Barcelona Sky News

Following the vote Spains senate voted to grant Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy new powers under article 155 of the constitution.

Mr Rajoy quickly sacked the Catalan government and ordered new elections on 21 December, promising to restore legality to the region.

At a press conference in Brussels on Tuesday, Mr Puigdemont said he would return home immediately if a fair judicial process were guaranteed in Spain.

The situation is developing every day. Here we have better guarantees for our rights here and we can meet our obligations from here, he said.

Spain wants Catalonia to abandon our political project, and they wont achieve it, he added.
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In a flash, Ksenia Sobchak is out of the hall, past the balloons, the rows of champagne, and into a Mercedes headed for the airport. Clipboarded young aides, bodyguards and latex-clad camerawomen sprint to keep up.

Moments earlier, Russias newest presidential candidate had finished a masterclass in working motherhood for a group of young women  the final fixture of an adrenaline-fuelled campaign visit to Russias third city, Yekaterinburg.

And it was here that the celebrity journalist was at her most fluent, dishing out advice about men, the British education system, geopolitics, nannies, literature, blockchain and BitCoin, kung fu, psychology, fitness, NLP, compression tights, and contrasting hot-cold showers  Ladies, it keeps your skin in shape.

Ms Sobchak might have been paid handsomely for the gig  tens of thousands of euros was the rumour  but she was really only there to support the women in the hall. Can I just say how gorgeous you look?

From hard-working mum to presidential candidate, her extraordinary life story was open to them too.

Work hard and go your own path, she said. Youll make enemies, lose friends, but youll make even better ones on the way.

As throughout the day, Ms Sobchak had skipped the details of her early biography. Daughter to Anatoly Sobchak, St Petersburgs first mayor and mentor to Vladimir Putin, the privileged Ms Sobchak has rarely strayed away from Russias highest society.

Her family ties to the President are, at the very least, providing protection for her political ambitions. Others saw presidential bids met with jail terms, Ms Sobchak was allowed on state TV. Some suggest the relationship with the Kremlin goes much deeper; that Ms Sobchak had agreed to become a deliberate spoiler for the more dangerous opposition candidate, Alexei Navalny. Ms Sobchak vehemently denies this.

When we talk in the VIP terminal of Yekaterinburgs Koltsovo airport, the candidate plays down the role of Mr Putin in her life. Even as a kid, he was no more than a grey blur, she says; a modest, quiet person that nobody, least of all she, paid attention to. He was with my father all the time, but I didnt find him interesting, she says. I had my life, my school, my boyfriends, my Nintendo, Super Mario.

However much her father sincerely loved Mr Putin, the former KGB agent was never in his closest circle of friends. When Mr Putin visited, it was business only. He could come with some papers, and then would go into Dads office to work. There were a couple of times when the whole family went on holiday with the Putins  one trip to Finland, and another to Turkey. But there was no sitting on the president-to-bes knee. No bedtime stories. No memorable presents.

Mr Putin wasnt a touchy-feely guy, you understand; not the kind of man to show emotion.

Ms Sobchak says this distance has led many to paint a caricature of the President. The Putin she knows is no petty embezzler, and he is no Stalin either. He makes a clear distinction between enemy and traitor  This is why he couldnt have killed [opposition politician Boris] Nemtsov, she says.

Her Putin sees himself as a missionary, who believes his historical task is to preserve Russia. Yes, he is a man who is capable of extreme measures to get what he wants. But he also tries to avoid them if he possibly can.

Ms Sobchak experienced some of those extreme methods for herself five years ago.

Ksenia Sobchak: Russian presidential election news conference Show all 6 1 /6 Ksenia Sobchak: Russian presidential election news conference Ksenia Sobchak: Russian presidential election news conference Ksenia Sobcha speaks during her press conference EPA Ksenia Sobchak: Russian presidential election news conference Ksenia Sobchak looks up during her news conference Reuters Ksenia Sobchak: Russian presidential election news conference Ksenia Sobcha speaks during her press conference EPA Ksenia Sobchak: Russian presidential election news conference Ksenia Sobchak presents Igor Malashenko, head of her election campaign team REUTERS Ksenia Sobchak: Russian presidential election news conference Ksenia Sobchak speaks during her news conference AFP/Getty Images Ksenia Sobchak: Russian presidential election news conference Ksenia Sobcha waves during her press conference AFP/Getty Images

In the months before, the TV star had undergone a most remarkable transformation. Throughout the 2000s, Ms Sobchak was known across the land as the brash host of Dom-2, a trashier, dirty version of Big Brother. But over 2011-2012, she switched to become a political journalist and symbol of the nascent protest movement.

She says she grew up. Others suggested that she saw Russia changing, and wanted to be on the right side of history. Either way, Mr Putin didnt like it. In June 2012, armed officers came to her home in a demonstrative dawn raid, seizing 2m in cash. The money was later returned.

Ms Sobchak does not doubt the President was behind the raid, but for some reason doesnt believe the same scenario will repeat itself this time round.

I believe that they will underestimate me, she says. I think I have a chance to pass between Scylla and Charybdis. A third option in a choice between the lesser of two evils.

Several hours earlier, Ms Sobchak arrived at Salt, a fluffy white, mirrored koverking (co-working) centre for the days main political event. The cosy venue was an obvious contrast to the mass street protests organised by her rival, Alexei Navalny. But Ms Sobchak was not a street politician, she said; shed do things her way, in comfort, and she doesnt care if you dont like it.

With intelligence and humour, Ms Sobchak introduced the audience  mostly journalists  to her free-market, liberal programme. There was little doubting her authenticity here, if only because there is no obvious electorate for such elite politics in Russia.

In summary, Ms Sobchak is pro-market, pro-trickle down, pro-equal pay, pro-feminism  though Aeroflot does have the right to dismiss ugly stewardesses, pro-LGBT  guys, normal countries put this issue to bed 50 years ago, and she is critical of the Presidents military intervention in Ukraine and Syria. She says the only reason why Russia is getting itself tangled up in an unpopular Middle Eastern war is as a bargaining chip for Crimea.

Her political hero is Margaret Thatcher. She admires Ms Thatchers ability to ignore her opponents, make unpopular decisions and stand up for the hard-working, she says. Like Mr Putin, the Iron Lady hung on to power too long; many mistakes were made in her final years. And the Falkland Islands too  that wasnt nice; they were Britains own Crimea.

One wonders what the grocers daughter would have made of the salacious side of a woman once known as the Russian Paris Hilton. For Ms Sobchak, however, that label is by now an anachronism, a cliche used by unprofessional journalists in the West. Its like referring to Reagan as an actor, she argues. She isnt ashamed of her past and has, like anyone, the right to evolve.

It was my path and Im not going to repent of it, she says.

Ms Sobchak says she intends to use her celebrity to secure financing for the campaign. Shell have to move quickly here. According to Gleb Pavlovsky, director of the Foundation for Effective Politics, a national campaign of any significance will require approximately $10-15m. Ms Sobchak is rich, but she doesnt have those kind of resources.

Mr Pavlovsky, a former Kremlin spin doctor, told The Independent Ms Sobchak has two obvious routes to get the cash: either use money from shadow government budgets or get oligarchs to cough up, presumably with a nod from the Kremlin.

On Monday evening, the lack of success in finding finance was highlighted with a dramatic walkout by the campaigns elections manager, Alexei Sitnikov. Mr Sitnikov, the man who introduced the power braid brand to former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, had been talked up as a great hope for Ms Sobchaks campaign. But by Monday, just two weeks in, he and his 30-strong team had had enough. The venture had been undermined by too many bosses and chaotic planning, he said. It was as if the whole thing had been designed on the back of a cigarette packet.

Mr Sitnikov has not been the only one to express doubt over Ms Sobchaks ability to organise. In an interview with The Independent a few days earlier, Ms Sobchaks protest rival Alexei Navalny had dismissed her candidacy as unserious. Mr Navalny also confirmed his organisation would not help Ms Sobchak get the required number of signatures to run if, as is widely expected, he is barred from running himself in December.

Mr Navalnys position produces a defensive reaction from Ms Sobchak. Yes, of course, it wont be easy to get the signatures, she says, but in weakness, the campaign will find strength. She will use the latest virtual technology to reduce the number of regional election headquarters she needs to open. Perhaps shell agree to run on a party ticket.

So far, voters are decidedly unimpressed by the Sobchak offer. According to a poll released by the neutral Levada Centre on Friday, only 1 per cent of Russians are sure to vote for her. Another 9 per cent suggest they might. This falls far short of the estimated 15  20 per cent of Russians seen as the protest electorate, who are apparently largely suspicious of her intentions.

Ms Sobchak calls for a reality check. Yes, she agrees, hers was a project that could only happen if the President allowed it to happen. Her job was not to iron a suit ready for inauguration, but to search for peaceful ways to unify the liberal voice.

Putin has all the power under his control, all the security forces, all the billions of dollars he needs, she says. Its mad to pretend otherwise.

Russias best hope of liberalisation is Mr Putin himself, she adds. A hard transfer of power the likes of which Mr Navalny is advocating is a dead end. Her ideal transformation would be led by democratic politicians that Mr Putin can trust, moderate politicians like the former deputy prime minister, Alexei Kudrin. If you ask me would I prefer Navalny or Kudrin, of course its Kudrin, she says.

This is the time for cool heads and high-level negotiation with the Kremlin, says Ms Sobchak. The alternative  pressure from the streets for change  will lead to civil war within six years.

Mr Putin will not hand over power in such a scenario, but will fight to the end, she says. There will be lots of blood.
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A Sicilian mafia boss who allegedly ordered his son to assassinate his sister because she had fallen in love with a policeman has been arrested.

Guiseppe Pino Scaduto, a mafia boss in the Sicilian town of Bagheria, was one of 15 arrested during an operation against the Cosa Nostra.

They all stand accused of mafia association and extortion targeting local businesspeople in the mineral water and construction industries.

Police said Godfather Pino Scaduto thought his daughters relationship with the senior Italian police officer had led to him being arrested in 2008 while he was trying to reform Costra Nostras governing council, the Cupola.

Investigators hunting through prison correspondence stumbled across alarming references to a specific gift he wanted to bestow his daughter with.

Detectives say Scaduto senior, who was released from prison in April, then told his son to kill her, saying: Your sister has become an informer.

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But the younger Scaduto, whose name has not been disclosed by police, was unwilling to comply with his fathers orders.

In a conversation intercepted by police, he said: I dont want to do it. If you want it done, do it yourself. Why should I deal with the problem? Im 30.

The son, who is already facing an unrelated murder charge, also rejected his fathers request due to fears of winding up in prison.

I didnt want to be burned for doing it," he was recorded as saying.

Scaduto junior said he was told to murder his sister in the attempt to re-establish honour to the family because she had become a cop.

Scaduto senior is said to have then attempted to hand the job to another individual but they rebuffed it because it was a family conflict.

Scaduto senior, who rules over the Bagheria syndicate near the Sicilian capital of Palermo, was also allegedly planning for his daughters boyfriend to also be murdered.
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Palestinian militant groups have vowed to respond to an Israeli attack on a militant tunnel that killed seven people and injured nine more in the most dramatic ratcheting of tensions between the Gaza Strip and Israel since 2014s Operation Protective Edge.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that Monday nights rare strikes near the border, which has remained tense but quiet since the last war, had targeted an active tunnel which had reached Israeli territory.

It is believed to have been operated by the Islamic Jihad Movement, five members of which were among those killed and injured in the tunnel's destruction, according to Gazas health ministry. The two others who died were part of Hamas Izz Eddine al-Qassam Brigades. At least one senior commander is believed to be among the dead.

 Gaza marks 10 years of Israeli blockade

We affirm our right to respond to the aggression of the occupation today, the Islamic Jihad Movement said in a statement overnight.

Hamas, the militant organisation which rules the Strip, said in a Twitter post that the attack constitutes a a new war against Gaza people.

Egyptian mediators are reported to be working to calm the situation, but Israel is on high alert in case of a retaliatory attack.

Israel: From independence to intifada Show all 7 1 /7 Israel: From independence to intifada Israel: From independence to intifada 26973.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26974.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26975.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26976.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26977.bin Israel: From independence to intifada 26985.bin Robert Capa/Magnum Israel: From independence to intifada 26986.bin Robert Capa/Magnum

While the IDF did not elaborate on how the tunnel was destroyed, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported five missiles hit the tunnel east of the town of Khan Younis.

Israeli military spokesperson Ronen Manelis said that the tunnel, which had reached Israeli territory, had been under surveillance for some time and was destroyed in a defensive operation inside Israel.

He added that the strike had not intended to cause fatalities, and most of those killed had died because of smoke inhalation when they tried to enter the tunnel to rescue people after the attack.

Recommended Hamas clears the way for Palestinian unification in Gaza

In the last round of fighting in 2014, Hamas used a large tunnel network to try and facilitate attacks on Israel, although none of the incursions managed to reach civilian areas.

Destroying the underground system has since become a top priority for the IDF.

Those who try to harm us, we harm them, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement, praising the state-of-the-art technology being used to target tunnels. Today we detected a tunnel and destroyed it and we will continue to do so.

The Palestinian Authoritys Fatah, in the West Bank, called for a dialogue with its Gaza rivals to discuss responses to the Israeli strike.

 "I am that girl": Huda Ali Ghalia, who was filmed after family was killed on Gaza beach, graduates

The two parties announced earlier this month they had struck a reconciliation deal creating a unity government to once again administer both the West Bank and Gaza after the rift caused by Hamass takeover of the Gaza Strip in 2007.

As such, the timing of the strike may put pressure on the agreement, widely viewed as the biggest step forward for internal Palestinian relations in a decade.

The coastal enclave has since been subject to both an Israeli blockade and Fatah strangulation of electricity and other resources, crippling its economy and leaving much of the territorys population of 1.8 million dependent on aid.
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The defeat of the Kurds in Kirkuk is devastatingly complete. We used to be in control here and now we are not, says Aso Mamand, the Kurdish leader in the city, summing up the situation in a helpless and embittered tone as he describes the fall of Kirkuk and the nearby oilfields to the Iraqi government forces. He would like some new power-sharing arrangements and warns of dire consequences if this does not happen, but he does not sound very hopeful.

Kirkuk used to be described as the powder keg of Iraq because of furiously contested rival claims to it by Kurdish nationalists and the Baghdad government. It was potentially even more explosive because its Kurdish, Arab and Turkmen communities make it a deeply divided place. But, despite these rancorous disputes and differences, when the final crisis came on 16 October, the switch from Kurdish to federal government control was surprisingly swift and peaceful.

Mr Mamand says that there was no battle because the Kurds simply did not have the military strength to hold the city and he is dismissive of conspiracy theories about its betrayal. Asked if the advance of the Iraqi forces could have been resisted if the two main Kurdish parties  his own Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Democratic Party led by president Masoud Barzani  had been united, he says: Of course not. The Iraqi forces had tanks and planes and we had no chance. Maybe we would have lasted a day if we had fought, but the only result would have been bloodshed.

Many Kurds fled at the time and not all have returned, but there is no sign of damage from the fighting and shops and markets are open. A thunderstorm briefly emptied the streets when we were there, but otherwise traffic was heavy and there are few soldiers or checkpoints. Do you see anything out of the ordinary? asks the acting governor, Rakan Saeed Ali al-Jubouri, the Arab former deputy governor, whose office looks little changed from when it was occupied by the Kurdish governor Najmaldin Karim who was forced to flee to Irbil. Mr Jubouri says that the local police are the same and there are just two battalions of the counterterrorism forces in Kirkuk. Iraqi battalions are small so this probably means only a few hundred soldiers.

Iraqi forces gather at their camp on the front line, near the borders with Syria and Turkey (AFP/Getty)

Mr Mamand insists that things arent quite what they look like. He says that the government needs to do something to calm down the Kurdish street. He suggests the appointment of a Kurdish governor or some arrangement to share power. Asked if there had been any significant security incidents, he cited only some shots fired by a former KDP security police officer at an army checkpoint. But, around about the time he was speaking, there was in fact a savage murder in a town called Duquq just south of Kirkuk city, which might give substance to Mr Mamands fear that the potential for violence is just below the surface.

The victim was Arkan Sharifi, 50, a Kurdish cameraman working for Kurdistan TV, who was knifed to death by four or five men who broke into his house and locked his wife and children in a separate room. When they got out five hours later, they found him lying in a pool of blood, his body mutilated and with a knife stuck in his mouth, evidence that he been killed because of something he had said or reported. His family says that the killers spoke the Turkmen language, suggesting that what happened may be the outcome of the ongoing feud between the Kurds and the Shia Turkmen that is particularly fierce south of Kirkuk.

I drove through the area where the murder took place earlier in the day and there was no sign of violence there or anywhere else on the closely guarded road from Baghdad. But the murder is a reminder that at all times Iraq is a very violent country. I spoke to a Turkmen member of the Hashd al-Shaabi pro-government paramilitaries called Jawdat Assaf who explained that he came from a village called Tisin Khadim which had been destroyed by Saddam Hussein in 1980. I survived because I was under 15, but they killed 353 people  everybody over that age including my father and two brothers, he recalled. They accused us of supporting the [Shia revolutionary] Dawa Party, though we had hardly heard of it.

The murder of Arkan Sharifi is striking in its brutality, but no fewer than 465 Iraqi journalists have been killed in the last 14 years. Otherwise the takeover of Kirkuk was unexpectedly pacific. Though the KDP accuses the PUK, always the dominant Kurdish party in the city, of a treacherous Iranian-orchestrated deal with Baghdad, both parties simultaneously withdrew their Peshmerga without fighting. If the Iraqi forces had to fight their way into Kirkuk city they would have inevitably won, but it could have detonated a wider ethnic and sectarian conflict in the disputed territories.

This long-predicted confrontation never took place, but the loss of Kirkuk is more than a crippling blow to Kurdish hopes of independence. With a divided leadership, no allies abroad and without a military option, the Kurds are losing the semi-independent status they had built up since Saddam Hussein was defeated in the Gulf War in 1991 and Iraqi government forces withdrew from the three Kurdish provinces.

Iraqi forces enter Kirkuk Show all 8 1 /8 Iraqi forces enter Kirkuk Iraqi forces enter Kirkuk Iraqi forces flash the sign for victory as they head towards the city of Kirkuk AFP/Getty Images Iraqi forces enter Kirkuk Iraqi people gather on the road as they welcome Iraqi security forces members REUTERS Iraqi forces enter Kirkuk Iraqi children wave to Iraqi forces as they arrive AFP/Getty Images Iraqi forces enter Kirkuk Iraqis wave to Iraqi forces as they arrive in the first neighbourhood on the southern outskirts of Kirkuk AFP/Getty Images Iraqi forces enter Kirkuk A burnt Kurdistan flag is seen in Kirkuk REUTERS Iraqi forces enter Kirkuk Iraqi forces advance towards the city of Kirkuk AFP/Getty Images Iraqi forces enter Kirkuk Iraqis wave to Iraqi forces AFP/Getty Images Iraqi forces enter Kirkuk A member of the Iraqi forces walks past a defaced Kurdish flag painted on concrete blocks AFP/Getty Images

This process is now going sharply into reverse. Iraqi government troops on Tuesday set up a checkpoint at the most important border crossing at Ibrahim Khalil between Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan. Vehicles crossing the border must now be checked three times  by Turks, Iraqi forces and the Kurds. Habur border gate has been handed over to the central government as of this morning, said Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim. With Turkey and Iran cooperating with Baghdad, the Iraqi Kurdish authorities are in no position to resist the central governments takeover of their main powers. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi made clear in an interview with The Independent that he expects the Iraqi state to control the main Peshmerga forces, oil production and exports as well as international flights and the issuing of visas.

Yet the quiet takeover of Kirkuk could be a little deceptive. Weak though the Kurds may now be, political circumstances may not always be so wholly against them or in favour of the Iraqi state. The Kurds looked utterly defeated in 1975 when Saddam Hussein signed the Algiers Agreement with the Shah who abandoned his previous alliance with the Kurds. But the start of the Iran-Iraq war in 1980 forced the withdrawal of much of the Iraqi army from Iraqi Kurdistan, which was then taken over by Kurdish nationalist forces. Defeated again through savage repression, Saddams overthrow by the US-led coalition in 1991 enabled the Kurds to start building a statelet, which became a powerful player when the US invaded in 2003.

If the central government in Baghdad exploits its present superiority over the Kurds too greedily, then it could provoke a powerful communal counter-reaction by the Kurdish population. This approach is likely to be opposed by Mr Abadi, but approved by his predecessor as Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, in the run-up to the parliamentary elections next May. In Iraqi politics, almost everybody ends up by overplaying their hand.
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The autonomous Kurdish administration of northern Syria has confirmed they are seeking to return a British man with links to Isis in their custody over to UK authorities.

Jack Letts, known as Jihadi Jack and now aged 21, left his hometown of Oxford for Syria in 2014, telling his parents he was going to Kuwait to study Arabic after converting to Islam and dropping out of school aged 18.

He was revealed to be the first white British man to be living in Isis so-called caliphate, although he denies he ever joined or fought on behalf of the militant organisation. Letts reportedly married while in Iraq and has a small child.

 Raqqa's fall: A journey into the heart of Isis failed caliphate

In May 2017, as the US-backed fight to drive Isis out of Syria gained momentum, he was captured by the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) after leaving jihadist-controlled territory.

Sinem Mohamad, the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria (DFNS)s European representative, confirmed in a statement on Monday that Letts was being held in the Rojava capital of Qamishli and local police are still investigating his case.

The Kurdish authorities intend to hand him over to the UK or Canada  where he also holds citizenship  once the investigation into his links to Isis has concluded, she said.

John Letts and Sally Lane arrive at the Old Bailey for a preliminary hearing, where they are accused of sending hundreds of pounds to their 21-year-old (PA)

The outcome will be communicated to Jack's parents, and their legal representatives and to the officials of relevant governments, Ms Mohamed said.

Letts parents maintain that their son is innocent. They have pleaded not guilty to charges of funding terrorism by sending cash to their son in an appeal due to be heard in the Supreme Court.

They have also accused the DFNS of holding Mr Letts in an Guantanamo style black site  an allegation that has been levelled at the conditions in Kurdish prisons several times.

Isis brought inexplicable levels of terror on the peoples of Northern Syria/Rojava.

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

Despite this fact, the DFNS is not less committed than European countries to treating the fighters from this terror group according to international human rights standards, Ms Mohamed said.

While the Foreign Offices official position is that the government cannot assist British nationals in Syria, returning fighters pose a moral and legal headache for the UK authorities.

Last week, foreign office minister Rory Stewart said that it was in the UKs interests for Isis fighters to be killed in Syria rather than return home.

The Red Cross and other human rights organisations have warned that dehumanising rhetoric is not helpful when it comes to the fate of Isis fighters, and rights must be upheld across the board.
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Ryanair is contrite about the rostering failure which wrecked the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. Publishing healthy half-year results, in which it made a profit of 18 (16) for every passenger carried, the airline concedes it should have addressed pilots concerns sooner.

In September the airline cancelled thousands of flights because of what it described as a perfect storm of mismanagement.

We could have responded sooner to a tightening market for experienced First Officers with pay increases for our experienced pilots, the airline admitted.

Ryanair also said it need to increase the range and choice of bases and contracts we offer our pilots.

The airlines main base is Stansted, where pilots have rejected an improved pay offer in a secret ballot.

Michael OLeary, Ryanairs chief executive, said: Im sorry that our people have had to listen to misinformation about Ryanair promoted by competitor pilot unions, however we have been here before, and we will be again.

We understand that the reason they wish to denigrate Ryanair is because their airlines cannot compete with us.

The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) has launched a survey of Ryanair pilots in response to what it says is growing dissatisfaction with the company.

BALPAs general secretary, Brian Strutton, said: Ryanair is unique in the complexity of its employment structures. Many pilots who fly for Ryanair are not in fact employed by them but are agency workers, supplied through several different third-, or even fourth-party companies.

In our survey we are also asking whether the pilots would like us to test the legality of these structures through the courts.

Ryanair repudiated the BALPA claim, saying: "A majority of Ryanair pilots in 2017 are direct employees, a minority are contractors, just like the contractor pilots which predominate among Norwegian, Wizz, easyJet and other low-cost airlines in Europe, and the many contractors employed by hospitals, hotels, airports and media companies.

The airline also forecast that other financially troubled EU airlines will follow Monarch, Alitalia and Air Berlin into bankruptcy.

Ryanair is moving more aircraft to the UK for next summers flying programme to take up any slack created by Monarchs collapse. It also said: We continue to grow strongly in Italy where we are poised to be the main beneficiary of the inevitable contraction in Alitalias short haul services.
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A student who wanted to visit Edinburgh found he could stop off in Szczecin, Berlin and Glasgow on the way for the same price as a return train ticket from London.

Appalled by the absurd cost of the train fare, 20-year-old William Stein started to look at other transport options. Even booking five weeks in advance with a young persons railcard, the London School of Economics student found that the cheapest train tickets cost more than 80 when using rail fare comparison site Trainline.

Flying direct was also fairly expensive, but then Stein hit upon a much more cost effective way of getting to Scotland  flying via the Polish city of Szczecin. This option cost him just 21.95 one way; flights from London Stansted to Szczecin cost as little as 5 with Ryanair.

Ryanair ended up cancelling Steins flight, but with the 40 he received in compensation, the thrifty traveller was able to add additional visits to Berlin and Glasgow to his itinerary where he has friends. The flight from Germany to Scotland cost just 14.

Recommended Flying by private plane is now cheaper than the train in Britain

Spending 10 on a hostel in Poland, 7 on a bus from Szczecin to Berlin, 8.80 on a bus from Glasgow to Edinburgh and 45.40 on a train home from Edinburgh to London, Steins eight-day trip spend came to 97.76  less than 20 more than the original return train would have cost him, with a weeks holiday thrown in.

Who wouldve known you can visit four cities for the price of one? Stein told the Evening Standard. I didnt really believe it myself and it all kicked in when I touched down in Szczecin and saw this tiny airport.

It is so bizarre. I knew, of course, the UK is more expensive than other places but it made me think the rail companies are charging so much for these trains, and wonder how much profit they are making.

Especially for students, just getting around the country is so expensive, it is absolutely absurd  and thats with a railcard. Im so scared for when it expires. People are slagging off Ryanair, and although services can be bad, it does allow everyone to travel. It cost 10 for a flight  its cheaper to go from Stansted to Poland than from Stansted into central London.

A spokesperson for Virgin Trains on the east coast route said: Our average fares between London and Edinburgh are more than 30 cheaper than comparable airlines, with fares between London and Edinburgh starting at 25 one way when booked in advance. Thats why were seeing so many more customers deciding to take the train over the plane. If customers wish to travel via Poland on their way to Scotland, they might be able to find a cheap deal, but theyd miss out on a chance to relax while looking at the beautiful views afforded by the route, before arriving directly into Edinburghs wonderful city centre.

Earlier this year Joe Furness, 21, flew from Newcastle to London  via Menorca  for less than half the price of a Newcastle to London train ticket.

The trainee cadet with transport and logistics company Mearsk discovered that a single ticket from Newcastle to the capital travelling on 24 June on would set him back 78.50. Meanwhile, a Thomas Cook flight from Newcastle to Menorca flying out 23 June cost 15.99, with the return flight, landing in London on 24 June, coming in at 10.99. The round trip cost just 26.98, including taxes  Joe had money to spare so added on 7.50 for car hire so he could explore the island during his 12 hour stopover.

Trains in the UK are ridiculous, he told The Independent. I've seldom felt like I've had good value for money on a train.
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It is fascinating and paradoxical how we spend a great deal of time understandably avoiding those things that frighten usand a great deal of time deliberately flirting with them.

Halloween is a perfect example of this; we thrill ourselves playing with monsters, daemons, death and horror. But we see the same phenomenon elsewhere. Scary movies are hugely popular all year round and we flock to theme parks in the summer in order to terrify ourselves with gravity-defying rides.

When we look at these phenomena in detail, they look rather odd. Nobody would choose to walk home through a dangerous neighbourhood after watching a slasher movie. We tend to choose terrifying, gravity-defying, roller-coasters, but most of us would absolutely refuse to get on a ride that had recently failed a council safety test. We seem to want to be scared, but we want to be safely scared.

This paradox most likely results from our need to learn how to master our anxiety. Although I am uncomfortable with the flagrant commercialisation of the American version of Halloween, it offers us a chance to help our children manage anxiety  literally to laugh at their fears.

Children (and adults) have a lot to be fearful of. Quite apart from the fact that we are all going to die (an inescapable fact, but nevertheless an issue that we all seem to try to avoid thinking about), we live in a world of a nuclear-tipped North Korea, climate change, asymmetric terrorist warfare, and nationalists, misogynists and criminals in high political office. We all need to learn how to confront our nightmares.

How we learn to control our fears has been the subject of academic study. My colleague Sara Tai, at the University of Manchester, has looked closely at how we learn to appraise and control our anxieties. In a particularly Halloween-related study, Sara, Andrew Healey and Warren Mansell found that if they allowed people to play with spider imagery (rather than trying to cure their arachnophobia) their anxieties lessened.

 Would you spend Halloween in the London Dungeon?

A common therapy for anxiety involves exposure, when people are encouraged to approach the things they fear, and therefore to learn to master their anxiety. But, of course, most of us avoid those things that scare us. That means the process of therapy can be very difficult for many people.

What my colleagues in Manchester found was that when people had greater control over the situation, and could play with their anxieties, they were more able to approach the problem (in this case the scary spiders), were less likely to use avoidance as a coping mechanism, and so were more able to make therapeutic progress.

If we didnt have a way of managing anxiety in our imagination, we would be floored by it every time it came up for real. We play with these ideas a little like a kitten plays with a ball of string  preparing ourselves for challenges we might face later.

Recommended These may be the spookiest places on the planet

We learn to manage anxiety, we learn to control our fears, we learn what are the safe and acceptable parameters, we learn how to talk to each other about our fears. This is not incompatible with the fact that anxiety is also a serious mental health problem; its part of our mechanism for dealing with it.

Who knows...if we embrace the messages of Halloween, if our children confidently play with these ideas, and learn to control their fear of the ghouls, the dragons, the wizards, then maybe theyll grow up with the courage and wisdom to vote the real monsters out of office.

Peter Kinderman is a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Liverpool
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The news that Paul Manafort has been charged with a dozen serious offences in Robert Muellers Russian inquiry was not entirely unexpected, although it is a very significant development in the case being built against Donald Trump. What came as quite a surprise was the revelation that George Papadopoulos has pleaded guilty to the charges facing him.

George who? Even dedicated Trump watchers may ask. But Papadopoulos, who was part of the Trump foreign policy team, has information which fills in some crucial blanks and provides links to others being scrutinised by special counsel Robert Mueller as he seeks to establish whether Trump really was the Muscovite Candidate in the election.

The other reason why Papadopoulos, a Greek American who had once lived in London, is important is because he is evidently providing information to the investigators  a proactive cooperator as they put it. He is not, however, the only one doing this. Rinat Akmetshin, a Russian-American lobbyist who was present at a meeting between a Russian lawyer; Donald Trump Jr; President Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner; and Paul Manafort, has also now appeared before a grand jury.

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. 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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

And then there is Felix Sater, a key to Trumps alleged Russian money train. A criminal with connections to Russian and American organised crime, a man who has already been a federal informant in the past is now once again helping the authorities. Sater is believed to be providing information about a money laundering operation based in the former Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan which involved Trump properties.

So it is the fear of disclosure by the men with the secrets which will worry Trump and some people around him. It is hardly a secret that Muellers team would like turn Manafort, who faces a lengthy prison sentence and a massive fine if he is convicted of the various charges of money laundering, secret lobbying for a foreign power, lying to government investigators and sundry other matters.

Trumps allies are already expressing their trepidation about this. Roger Stone, who helped launch the Presidents election campaign and remains a close confidante, and is also former business partner of Manafort, complained last night: Now I understand how this works, you try to find something Paul Manafort did 15 years ago and you call it money laundering, tax evasion, wire fraud  some nonsense. Then you say Ok Manafort, were sending you to jail for 15 years unless you just admit that you were colluding with the Russians and Donald Trump knew everything.

 Ivana Trump: Donald didn't know how to talk to the children until they were adults

We already know some of the things that Trump was aware of and, in the ensuing weeks and months, we shall find out more. Among the things both Papadopoulos and Manafort knew was that the Kremlin claimed to have dirt on Hillary Clinton. Papadopoulos had been told this by an academic in London and a Russian woman who, he thought, was Vladimir Putins niece. Papadopoulos had sent emails to the Trump election team about this while urging meetings with the Russians.

Manafort, Trump Jr and Kushner met the Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya in June 2016 at the Trump Tower hotel in New York because, it is claimed, she was offering to impart information Moscow supposedly had on Clinton. President Trump is then said to have personally dictated a statement in his sons name saying the meeting primarily discussed a programme about the adoption of Russian children (adoption of Russian children by Americans was banned by Moscow in response to the Magnitsky Act in 2012). That statement by the President has become a key factor into whether he and those around him attempted to obstruct the investigation into Russian meddling in the US election.

Rinat Akhmetshin gave evidence under oath before a grand jury convened by Mueller for several hours on 11th June this year about, among other things, the Trump Tower meeting where he was taken by Veselnitskaya. Akhmetshin, a lobbyist, has acknowledged serving as a counter-intelligence officer in the Soviet military in the past. He is now, he said in a newspaper interview, a mercenary, but not a Russian spy and does not work for the Kremlin. I spend other peoples money to achieve other peoples goals was the way he explained his work. The Senate Judiciary Committee is investigating Akhmetshins US citizenship, his military background and whether he improperly lobbied for Russian interests.

 Woody Harrelson recalls dinner with Donald Trump: 'It was brutal'

And then we come to Felix Sater who is likely to be centre-stage if Trumps downfall comes from his Russian monetary connections. Born Felix Sheferovsky in Russia he is one of the most colourful characters in the Trump chronicles: someone once jailed for stabbing a man in the face with a cocktail glass (for a margarita) and who later avoided a possible 20-year sentence and $5m (3.8m) fine by becoming a federal informer in another case, that of fraud and extortion by the mafia targeting the elderly, some of them Holocaust survivors.

In a recently unsealed transcript of a hearing in New York, the Justice Department described the value of Saters snitching. He had supplied information, it said, on Russian organised crime; American mafia families and al-Qaeda. Sater does not deny working for the government, but he says he did not inform on the mafia.

Sater became managing director of the Bayrock Group, a real estate firm which had offices two floors beneath the Trump Organisations headquarters in Trump Tower for eight years. Bayrock went into partnership with Trump in connection with the construction of the Trump SoHo hotel. The two men appeared at ribbon cutting ceremonies for joint projects and went on business trips, including one to Moscow, together. Sater used Trump Organisation business cards, though the Trump Organisation maintains he was not an employee.

Sater boasted that he was so close to the Trump family that he was asked by Donald to squire Donald Jr and Ivanka on a trip to Moscow and that during it he arranged for Ivanka to sit in Putins chair in the Presidents office in the Kremlin. Ivanka acknowledges the trip took place and it may have involved sitting at Putins desk.

Sater is a lifelong friend of Michael Cohen, Trumps lawyer and a former vice-president of the Trump Organisation. Sater was convinced that Putin would help Trump to get to the White House and he and Cohen would receive the credit due for this. Can you believe two guys from Brooklyn are going to elect a president? was the email sent to Cohen at one stage. He had stated, in earlier messages, that Putin would back the development of a Trump Tower hotel in Moscow and that this would be part of a grand plan. Our boy can become President of the USA and we can engineer it  I will get Putin on this programme and we will get Trump elected.

Cohen was named in the Trump report by former MI6 officer Christopher Steele as a key conduit between with the Russians through Putins spokesman Dmitri Peskov who was allegedly tasked with carrying out a covert campaign to undermine Hilary Clintons presidential bid (which Peskov denied). Cohen had initially denied having any dealings whatsoever with the Russians in his work for Trump. But newly leaked emails show that he asked for Peskovs help with a Trump real estate project in Moscow in 2016 when Trump was already campaigning to secure the Republican nomination for the presidency, thus raising issues of conflicts of interest.

Andrew Weissmann, the prosecutor who turned Sater after the mafia extortion case and signed his plea bargaining deal is now in the Mueller team, one of many experienced lawyers who had left highly-paid jobs or taken leave of absence, to join the investigation.

Sater has agreed to help a federal inquiry into alleged money laundering by Viktor Khrapunov, Kazakhstans former energy minister and the former mayor of the city of Almaty who was charged by Kazakh authorities with abuse of power. He is on the Interpol wanted list at the behest of Kazakh authorities. Khrapunovs family allegedly used shell companies to buy Trump SoHo properties worth an estimated $3.1m. It is not known if any or how much of the supposedly laundered money went to Trump.

Any relevant information from the Kazakh inquiry about Donald Trump is expected to be sent to Robert Mueller. We have to wait to see whether Felix Sater, whose previous cooperation runs a gamut that is seldom seen according to the Justice Department has more to reveal about the US President  the man he had helped, as he had once excitedly claimed, to get to the White House.
A special prosecutor tasked with investigating the shooting death of Aaron Bailey  a 45-year-old Indianapolis man who was fatally shot by two police officers in June  has declined to file criminal charges against the officers involved.

According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD), Bailey led officers in a pursuit on the citys northwest side before crashing his vehicle in the early hours of June 29.

What transpired between the time of the crash and when officers Michael Dinnsen and Carlton Howard fired 11 shots into the rear and drivers side of the car had remained a mystery until Tuesday, when Kenneth P. Cotter, prosecuting attorney of St. Joseph County, released a 16-page report detailing his decision to forgo indictments of the officers.

Based upon the results of the investigation as outlined above, the report concludes, there is insufficient evidence to refute either the officers claim of subjective fear or the objective reasonableness of that fear.

Cotters report explains that, in addition to receiving and reviewing IMPDs investigation of the incident, he and his Chief Investigator David Newton conducted their own investigation, which included re-interviewing all witnesses in the case, scrutinizing IMPDs training practices, investigating the histories of the officers involved and other facets. The investigation concluded on Oct. 26.

18 seconds

The prosecutors 16-page report walks readers step-by-step through the events of June 29, from the moment Howard first noticed Baileys Cadillac  at 1:30 a.m., parked at a gas pump with all four doors open and no occupants around  to the moment 28 minutes later when Dinnsen radioed dispatch to report a police-action shooting.

The report fills in the rest with statements from both officers; a statement from Shimeka Ward (also identified as Shiwanda Ward in parts of the report), who was in the car with Bailey throughout the whole ordeal; statements from two neighbors near the scene of the crash and subsequent shooting; a review of the officers radio and computer logs; and forensic evidence from the scene and from Baileys autopsy.

Twelve minutes after initially spotting Baileys car, Howard was approaching the gas station and saw the Cadillac at the parking lots exit. The officer says there was ample time for Bailey to pull out in front of the approaching officer, yet the Cadillac held back, waiting for Howard to pass before pulling out. Howard pulled over to let the Cadillac pass. The officer says he then saw the car change lanes without signaling. He ran the cars plates and discovered the registered owner, Bailey, was listed as having a suspended license. A traffic stop was initiated.

Ward told investigators Bailey didnt want to pull over at first, concerned that hed be taken to jail because his GPS ankle monitor wasnt working, but she convinced him to stop. Howard approached and asked for ID from both Bailey and Ward, but Ward says he did not explain why theyd been stopped. Howard says Bailey admitted to having a suspended license, but the officer assured him that it was no big deal, a fact confirmed by Ward. Howard and Ward both say Bailey grew increasingly nervous throughout the encounter.

Howard ran the two IDs through national and local databases, which identified Bailey as a suspect in multiple robberies and Ward as being monitored for a homicide. The database did not specify whether Ward was a suspect in the homicide, the report says. At that point, Dinnsen arrived at the scene, Howard asked Bailey to get out of the Cadillac because he was suspended, and Bailey rolled up the window and fled the scene. Ward says she begged Bailey to stop, but the chase ended only when the Cadillac crashed into a tree.

In the car, the airbags had deployed, and Ward says she was stunned and unable to see or hear.

Then she heard gunshots and realized they  were being shot at by the police. She did not hear any commands by the officers, the report says. After the 1st shot, she believes there was a  delay, during which Mr. Bailey turned to her and said, they shot me baby. At that point, she reached toward Mr. Bailey, the report continues. Ward heard officers yell get your hands up and heard two more shots.

Outside the car, Howard had pulled up to the left and slightly behind Baileys car, and Dinnsen pulled up behind the Cadillac. 18 seconds later, the report says, Officer Dinnsen radioed  that there was a police action shooting. When the shooting had concluded, Howard had fired six times, and Dinnsen had fired five times.

11 points

In the report, Cotter lays out 11 points to support his conclusion that the two officers use of deadly force was justified based on an honest and reasonable belief of imminent death or great bodily injury, noting that according to state law, the burden is on prosecutors to disprove a claim of self-defense, beyond a reasonable doubt. In other words, prosecutors have to be absolutely sure that the officers fears were objectively unreasonable or insincere.

The 11 points Cotter lists as relevant to evaluating the officers beliefs that they were in imminent danger are:

 Baileys unwillingness to cooperate with the original traffic stop and exit the vehicle;

-Baileys nervousness during the stop;

-Baileys felonious high-speed flight from the stop;

-That Baileys flight ended with a crash, not by Baileys own choice to stop;

-Howards knowledge that Bailey was a suspect in previous robberies;

-Howards knowledge that Ward was wanted in association with a homicide investigation;

-Baileys decision to turn toward the Cadillacs center console after the crash;

-Baileys decision to open the center console;

-The officers inability to see Baileys hands, despite their instructions to show his hands;

-Wards decision to raise her hands, indicating the officers had issued the instruction;

-Baileys act of turning away from the console, rather than showing his hands.

Reliving the pain

The detailed report did little to assuage the pain and frustration of community members, some of whom organized a rally outside the City-County Building hours after Cotters decision was announced.

Indianapolis chef Chris Bass, who grew up riding on his fathers shoulders during civil rights marches in the South, said he was moved by the news that the officers would not be charged.

I was laying at home and I heard on the news and that really touched me on my heart, he said. I dont care how you put it, or what situation you want to categorize it as, that was purely murder.

Baileys daughter, Erika, also attended the rally, where she expressed a feeling of defeat.

Im hurt. Im confused. I just dont understand, she said. This has been happening, and its going to keep on happening long as they let guys with badges back on the streets after they kill an innocent Black man.

The frustration is real, but its not new, Kyra Harvey explained.

I feel like every time you hear no indictment, you just keep reliving the pain, and it just hurts like new all over again. I wasnt surprised, but it still hurt the same way, said Harvey, a member of Indy10, the local Black Lives Matter movement. I heard it with Mike Brown, and with Eric Gardner and with Philando Castile  it still hurts the same every single time.

Satchuel Cole, with DONT SLEEP, took a leading role in organizing community actions on behalf of Bailey and his family. She had high hopes.

I dont want to say that I feel like a failure, but we failed. And I know that the odds were insurmountable for us  but you just keep hoping that this will be the case that breaks that wall that we cant get past. But its not. It never is, and it feels like it never will be, Cole said.

But despite their sadness, exhaustion, disappointment and everything else theyre carrying, many community leaders are prepared to press on.

Leah Humphrey, with Indy10, says the groups focus will now fall on Baileys family and making sure they have everything they need to heal, such as resources for grief counseling.

Cole is already strategizing on ways to effect widespread reform within the citys police department.

Changing the culture within IMPD is huge, because thats the only way were going to get changes, Cole said.

And Brandon Randall, another member of DONT SLEEP, has a particular call to action for his fellow white community members.

White people need to step up. White people have been too quiet, too complicit when it comes to the Aaron Bailey case or any other incident of systemic racism and institutionalized violence, he said. White people need to get it together.  White silence is violence, so they need to start speaking the hell up.

Tomorrow and beyond

The work isnt done for investigators yet, either. Shortly after the shooting, IMPD Chief Bryan Roach asked the FBI to open a civil rights investigation into the case.

I think theyre in the position that we are in, waiting for that information to come. But I think thats still an open investigation, Roach said Wednesday morning.

Within IMPD, a multi-faceted administrative review has been running parallel with the criminal investigation and will soon come to a conclusion.

Internal affairs was running an investigation at the same time, which included compelled statements by the two officers involved in the shooting. Our training academy was also investigating the tactics and the training around the actions of the officers, Roach explained.

Roach said all the investigative findings  from internal affairs, the training academy and the criminal investigation, including the 16-page prosecutors report  were sent Tuesday afternoon to the individuals on the firearms review board.

That review board is made up of the commander of the internal affairs division, the commander of the criminal investigations division (who is the board chair), the commander of the training academy, a lieutenant from the division of the officers  in this case, its the operations division  and a peer of the two officers, which is a person of the same rank as the officers.

Roach asked each member of the board to review the materials on their own and submit reports by 5 p.m. Nov. 2. The review board was then scheduled to meet Nov. 3 to discuss.

At some point a decision will come to me. What that review board does is determines in compliance or out of compliance with training, policy and procedures, Roach said, adding that he would then have three options: agree with the recommendation, disagree with the recommendation or send the report back to the board for revision.

At some point, all my questions will be answered to the extent that they can be, he said. If there are any policy violations, the discipline that occurs is my responsibility.  Im prepared to make that decision.

Roach said if policy violations are found, his response could run the gamut. Since the shooting, the two involved officers have been working administrative duties.

That status will change as soon as theres a decision made, the chief said. Should the officers return to their previous roles, they will undergo mental evaluations first, he added.

Beyond the scope of this case, Roach said IMPD has been taking steps to lessen the likelihood of similar situations in the future, specifically addressing implicit bias, which contributes to officers feelings of fear that can lead to lethal action. Roach said 15 IMPD command staff members and 15 community members have gone through implicit bias training, and all officers will go through the training in 2018.

If we have an officer thats fearful and we have someone thats been pulled over thats fearful, thats a bad combination, Roach said. We have officers now (after participating in the implicit bias training) that feel like, Wait a minute, everybody has these biases; the important part is that Im not acting upon that. So thats what were going to work toward.

Read Prosecutor Cotters full 16-page report on indianapolisrecorder.com.

Ebony Marie Chappel contributed to this report.

Community reacts to the news

Reactions on social media were quick and heated.

If the criteria for police use of lethal force is fearing for their life, youd expect the subject to at least be facing them. #AaronBailey  S.E.B. MD (@ircrc) October 31, 2017

No indictment in the shooting of Aaron Bailey by IMPD officers Howard and Dinnsen. Not surprised, injustice is becoming the norm.  #NaptownDontSleep (@DontSleepIND) October 31, 2017

There will be no indictment for the murder of #AaronBailey. Not surprised. Absolutely disgusted.  victoria (@buttjovi) October 31, 2017
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By Killing Isis Fighters We Become as Guilty as Our Enemies





By Robert Fisk

October 31, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - A profoundly important, unprecedented and dangerous decision has been taken by European leaders in the past few days. Its not made as explicit as it should be  because our leaders are always careful to erect a bodyguard of verbiage and lies to protect them if something goes wrong  but its perfectly clear that they want any foreign fighters in Isis to be killed when they are found. Its not a question of whether they deserve to live or die  they have cut the throats of innocents, including my journalist colleagues, and they have raped women and enslaved children. We know that, and we are aware that their vicious cult has not yet ended. Isis is still alive.

But what happened to justice, that staple foundation of all countries that believe in freedom, democracy, liberty? A few quotations to start with. Here is the French minister of the armed forces, Florence Parly. If the jihadis perish in this fight, I would say thats for the best, she said. Then we have the US envoy for the anti-Isis coalition, Brett McGurk. 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. So if theyre in Raqqa , theyre going to die in Raqqa.

And here is our very own diplomat-philosopher and Tory minister Rory Stewart . These are people who have essentially moved away from any kind of allegiance towards the British Government  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 that these people are a serious danger to us, and unfortunately [sic] the only way of dealing [sic again] will be, in almost every case, to kill them.

Shocking photos emerge of suspected Isis fighters held in overcrowded prison

Now this statement by Stewart  normally a fairly sane television personality who can explain Middle Eastern history  is perfectly understandable, utterly lucid and totally deplorable. Stewart, Parly and McGurk are effectively calling for the execution of their citizens who have joined Isis. They dont say this, of course. And the Germans have actually stated that any German citizens will have consular assistance if necessary  they, of course, have to avoid the SS smell for all the obvious reasons. But we are telling Iraqi soldiers and militiamen and Kurds and anyone else that they can kill British or French or US citizens who have joined the dark and wicked forces of Isis. Fine. No probs. Who cares to take them back? And if we allowed Brits in Isis to come home, who knows how many hijackings and mass murders would take place in an attempt to free them from prison. But what happened to international justice?

When George W Bush talked about bringing the bad guys to justice after 9/11, I wrote that I very much doubted if any justice would be coming Osama bin Ladens way. And I was right. He was assassinated by the Americans. And nobody, naturally enough, complained about it. Live by the sword, die by the sword. But bin Ladens death  and the ocean of drone attacks that followed  gave a gently, dark signal that its OK to murder these bad guys. Forget about courts, evidence, trials, justice and the rest. Just obliterate them. Who is going to complain?

But we should complain about this wretched and despicable policy. For decades, we have been condemning the dictators of the Middle East for their savagery, for their drumhead courts and their mass hangings  and rightly so. But how can we condemn them now, when we are announcing, quite publicly, that we want our own citizens dead if they joined  or are believed to have joined, or might have joined, or are said to have joined  Isis. If we are now, in effect, calling for their execution, then we have no more right to lecture any tyrant about their wickedness. The Egyptians and the Saudis and the Syrians can now chop off heads or hang or slaughter anyone they want on the basis that the only way of dealing with them (unfortunately, of course) will be to kill them.

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Now if a Brit chooses to fight and die in battle for a grotesque organisation like Isis, thats his (or her) problem. But if captured, should we not deal  how I love Stewarts phraseology  with them by administering real justice, locking them up forever if thats the sentence, giving them their day in court, showing for all the world that we are not killers and that we have a higher morality than the murderers of Isis? Right now, the Egyptians are disappearing prisoners. Last weekend, militants  which we can sensibly assume were Isis  massacred more than 50 police officers south-west of Cairo. It was a disaster which the Egyptians would like to cover up. The dead included two brigadier generals and 11 colonels. They were themselves trying to ambush the militants but it all went wrong, presumably because Isis have an informer inside the police. But when Isis members (or presumed Isis members) turn up dead on the streets of Egyptian cities in the coming days, are we in any position to talk to Field Marshal/President Sisi about justice?

Thats how it goes, you see. First of all, we want our citizens dead if they joined Isis. Then well want all our citizens who are terrorists dead, whether Isis supporters or not. This can be extended to anyone who supports Hezbollah or the Palestinians or the Kurds or any minority which we hate or are encouraged to hate. And then anyone who has moved away from any kind of allegiance towards the British Government (whatever that actually means). Now I have to add that Stewart did mention very difficult moral issues. What would these moral issues be, I wonder? But we all know, surely. Its that we are crossing the line between justice and state encouragement of executions. If thats the line we want to cross, well lets say so clearly. And if we dont want to cross that line, lets say so? Amnesty? Human Rights Watch? Havent heard from them yet? Whats going on?
Should Assad Stay Or Should He Go...







Neocons Hijack Trumps Syria Policy







By Ron Paul

October 31, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Does anyone in the Trump Administration have a clue about our Syria policy? In March, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson appeared to be finally pulling back from President Obamas disastrous Assad must go position that has done nothing but prolong the misery in Syria. At the time, Tillerson said, the "longer-term status of President Assad will be decided by the Syrian people."

Those of us who believe in national sovereignty would say that is pointing out the obvious. Nevertheless it was a good sign that US involvement in Syria  illegal as it is  would no longer seek regime change but would stick to fighting ISIS.

Then out of the blue this past week, Tillerson did another 180 degree policy turn, telling a UN audience in Geneva that, [t]he reign of the Assad family is coming to an end. The only issue is how that should that be brought about.

The obvious question is why is it any of our business who runs Syria, but perhaps thats too obvious. Washingtons interventionists have long believed that they have the unilateral right to determine who is allowed to head up foreign countries. Their track record in placing our guy in power overseas is abysmal, but that doesnt seem to stop them. We were promised that getting rid of people like Saddam Hussein and Gaddafi would light the fire of freedom and democracy in the Middle East. Instead it has produced nothing but death and misery  and spectacular profits for the weapons manufacturers who fund neocon think tanks.

In Syria, Assad has been seen as a protector of Christians and other minorities against the onslaught of in many cases US-backed jihadists seeking his overthrow. While the Syrian system is obviously not a Switzerland-like democracy, unlike our great ally Saudi Arabia they do at least have elections contested by different political parties, and religious and other minorities are fully integrated into society.

Why has the Trump Administration shifted back to Assad must go? One reason may be that, one-by-one, the neocons who opposed Trump most vociferously during the campaign have found themselves and their friends in positions of power in his Administration. The neocons are great at winning while losing.

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The real story behind Washingtons ongoing determination to overthrow the Syrian government is even more disturbing. In a bombshell interview last week, a former Qatari Prime Minister confessed that his country, along with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United States, began shipping weapons to jihadists from the very moment Syrian unrest began in 2011. The well-connected Qatari former minister was trying to point out that his country was not alone in backing al-Qaeda and even ISIS in Syria. In the course of defending his country against terrorism charges leveled by Saudi Arabia he has spilled the beans about US involvement with the very groups claimed to be our arch-enemies. As they did in Afghanistan in the 1980s, the CIA supported radical Islamic terrorism in Syria.

Havent we done enough damage in Syria? Do we really need to go back to 2011 and destroy the country all over again? The neocons never admit a mistake and never change course, but I do not believe that the majority of Americans support their hijacking of President Trumps Syria policy. It is long past time for the US to leave Syria alone. No bases, no special forces, no CIA assassination teams, no manipulating their electoral system. We need to just come home.
How To End The Endless War

By Stephen Kinzer

October 31, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - WARS THAT the United States is waging around the world undermine our security by turning entire populations against us and diverting our attention and resources away from urgent needs at home. No, the opposite is true: the United States faces serious threats, and can only protect itself by confronting them wherever they emerge. This debate has divided Americans for more than a century. Congress may soon have a rare opportunity to take one side or the other.

The battleground is Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East. For nearly three years, Yemen has been under relentless attack from the regions richest country, Saudi Arabia. Saudi bombing has created what the United Nations calls the largest humanitarian crisis in the world. More than half the population is hungry. Cholera is raging and may afflict 1 million people by the end of this year. A child dies from preventable causes every ten minutes. Saudi forces have blockaded Yemens main port, so almost no humanitarian aid can reach the victims.

This war could not proceed without American help. Missiles and bombs raining down on Yemen are made in the United States. American intelligence officers help Saudi pilots pick targets to attack. Most important, American tanker planes refuel Saudi fighter jets in flight, allowing them to carry out many more raids than they could if they had to return regularly to their bases. At the UN, American diplomats work to water down condemnations of Saudi Arabia, and to block investigation of possible war crimes.

Outrage at the American role in this war has led several members of Congress to propose a resolution that would pull the country out of unauthorized hostilities in Yemen. If they can force a vote, it may come in the first days of November. This will give Congress a chance to decide what role Washington should play in Yemen, in the multi-front Middle East War that we have been fighting since 1980, and in the world.

The resolution to pull US forces out of the Yemen war has bipartisan support, but so does the war itself. President Obama made the decision to plunge in, and President Trump has continued his policy. Both decided that the United States had to stand by its traditional ally, Saudi Arabia. Supporters of the war also make other arguments. They point out that forces we are helping to bomb in Yemen are supported by Iran, which we consider an enemy. Victory for those forces might be counted as a strategic loss for the United States. It could allow Yemen to become a base from which Saudi Arabia itself might be subverted. American involvement in this war is also a symbol that Washington stands by its allies and will use all means to crush terrorists in the Middle East.

The upcoming vote  if House leaders let it happen  will be about far more than Yemen. It is a test of whether Congress will continue allowing presidents to make decisions that push the United States into war, or whether it will awaken from its constitutional coma and assert its own right to do so. More than 200 years ago, when President Thomas Jefferson asked for authorization to send warships to fight pirates in North Africa, he said presidents are unauthorized by the Constitution, without the sanction of Congress, to go beyond the line of defense. Does that principle still apply, or does todays rapidly changing threat matrix mean that Congress should stay out of the business of war? This question lies behind the upcoming congressional vote on Yemen.

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So does an even larger one: What is the proper role for the United States in the post-Cold War world? Members of Congress instinctively shy away from contemplating such grand matters. The proposal they are now considering, which bears the unlovely name House Concurrent Resolution 81, forces them to do so. Some may hesitate to vote for it out of fear that they will be seen as weak in the face of terrorism, and that voters will punish them. Their fear is justified. America is a warlike state in which the military is revered and calling for peace is politically dangerous. As in any country, criticizing a war while it is underway strikes some as bordering on treason.

The argument on the other side is at least as potent. It is not simply that we are abetting the slaughter of Yemeni innocents, or that our Middle East wars are strategically unwise. Supporters of H.Con.Res. 81, as it is called in Washington, want to change the direction of not simply American foreign policy, but the United States itself. Propositions of that magnitude naturally frighten politicians.

War in Yemen has been bad for all parties, with the single exception of the American arms makers who supply the weaponry. Suddenly the proverbial silver lining is visible. This war gives members of Congress the chance to make a decisive choice. The vote on this resolution will be the political equivalent of the 2002 Senate vote authorizing war in Iraq. That vote reshaped history. Hillary Clintons support for the war resolution made her a pariah for one segment of the electorate, and contributed to her defeat in the 2008 election. The vote on H.Con.Res. 81 may have a similar effect. Any member of Congress who runs for president in 2020 will be judged in part by his or her choice in the coming days.

Stephen Kinzer is a senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University.

This article was originally published by The Boston Globe -

See also
Home North Korea: A Threat or A Victim? Some Facts By Felicity Arbuthnot October 31, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - If anyone is still wondering why North Korea was being provocative in missile tests and repeatedly declaring what would seem to be a daunting arsenal (although there is still no irrefutable, concrete proof of deliverable, long range nuclear weapons capability) here is just a small taste of what its southern neighbor, in cahoots with Godfather America, has planned (1): Decapitation. Kill the King and the regime will collapse. That is the rationale offered by South Korean military planners for a decapitation unit they are forming for the sole purpose of assassinating North Koreas Supreme Leader, Kim Jong-un. They are convinced that, in the ensuing chaos, North Koreas leadership would disintegrate and abandon the nuclear programme on which he has staked his prestige. Decapitation means we have only one target, said Choi Jin-wook, a long-time North Korea analyst at the governments Korea Institute for National Unification. Its much simpler to eliminate the leader than attack military bases. South Korean defence planners have ordered decapitation strikes in air, naval and ground exercises in which the targets are simulated to resemble one of Kims many hideouts or residences. Such exercises are the prelude to the formal formation later this year of the unit, Spartan 3000. South Koreas Defence Minister, Song Young-moo, has ordered a special forces kill brigade of crack commandos to spearhead the group. Fighter planes and guided missile destroyers would provide whatever support they needed. The ministry cited the successful test-firing of a German-made Taurus missile at a target off the south-west coast as an example of the weaponry that might be deployed in an attempt to kill the North Korean leader. The missile, with a range of 310 miles, flew about 150 miles, hitting its target in the Yellow Sea. South Korea of course is not threatened with being wiped off the face of the earth for test firing a missile in to the sea, as is its northern neighbor. Think about the words decapitation unit  the horrific image which leaps in to any even semi-normal mind. This kind of plotting dwarfs even the horrors of deranged criminals literally decapitating in the Middle East. But then swathes of them too are US backed. Perhaps decapitation is now casual verbal currency in US dominated political and military circles. Chilling Principles of Defence Secretary Mattis It should also not be forgotten that in the Trumposphere, where General James Mattis is now Defence Secretary the General has some pretty arresting principles. Life is clearly very cheap and killing the most casual of undertakings: A few of his views (2) include: The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event. That said, there are some assholes in the world that just need to be shot. Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet. Find the enemy that wants to end this experiment (in American democracy) and kill every one of them until theyre so sick of the killing that they leave us and our freedoms intact. Precisely the experiment in American democracy inflicted most recently on Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria, with North Korea and Iran in their sights. With thanks to William Blum, the list of US mass slaughtering democracy projects since 1949 is at (3.) Talking of Afghanistan, here are General Mattis thoughts on democracy- spreading there: You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didnt wear a veil. You know, guys like that aint got no manhood left anyway. So its a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them. Actually its quite fun to fight them, you know. Its a hell of a hoot. Its fun to shoot some people. Ill be right up there with you. I like brawling. In the real world these are surely views which might well find the holder in a secure psychiatric unit, if not a maximum secure prison. Diplomatic overtures ignored Contrast this to an ignored approach (4) from the Korean Peninsular, where both Australia and North Korea have Embassies in Seoul. On 28th September: The Embassy of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the Republic of Indonesia presents its compliments to the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia and has the honor to inform that the Foreign Affairs Committee of the DPRK Supreme Peoples Assembly sent the open letter to the Parliaments of the different countries.   the Embassy of the DPRK has further the honor to enclose hereby the above-mentioned letter. The preamble ends with diplomatic courtesies and highest considerations. The letter in part (full document at 4) written in the third person, reads as follows: Open Letter to the Parliaments of Different Countries. The letter noted that Trump, President of the U.S., styling itself the superpower, denied the existence of the DPRK, a dignified sovereign state (and threatened) total destruction at the UN  The Foreign Affairs Committee of the DPRK  mission (is to) promote friendly and co-operative relations with the parliaments and peace-loving people of the countries around the world  based on the ideas of independence, peace and friendship, bitterly condemns the reckless remarks of Trump as an intolerable insult to the Korean people, a declaration of war against the DPRK and a grave threat to the global peace  (From his first day in office, the President): has engaged in high handed and arbitrary practice, scrapping international laws and agreements (putting America first) at the expense of the whole world. Threats of annihilation and sanctions have denied the people of the DPRK normal economic development, in breach of the UN Charter  Trump, the letter states: threatened to totally destroy the DPRK, a dignified, independent and sovereign State and a nuclear power. It is an extreme act of threatening to destroy the whole world. The correspondence concludes with the:  belief that the parliaments of different countries, loving independence, peace and justice will fully discharge their due mission and duty in realizing the desire of mankind for international justice and peace (and with vigilance) against the reckless moves of the Trump Administration trying to drive the world in to a horrible nuclear disaster. With Trump threatening that his finger is hovering over the nuclear button, few could surely disagree with much of the DRPRKs sentiments. Donald Trump of course boasted menacingly to totally destroy North Korea in his address to the UN General Assembly on 19th September, the UN Charters fine founding words clearly unknown to him. There has been a deafening silence from world governments regarding the above letter. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop (image left), who visited South Korea in August, instead of reacting to a hand held out commented: 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  So I think that this shows they are feeling desperate, feeling isolated, trying to demonise the US, trying to divide the international community. However, Australias Lowy Institute Director of International Security, Euan Graham, was more positive, commenting: This is effectively an invitation to have high level access, to send an (Australian) delegation from Seoul. Now would be a good time for Australia to exercise its still existing, even if on-off, diplomatic relations with the North. (Sydney Morning Herald, 20th October 2017.) North Korea the Aggressor? For anyone reading most of the Western media where the DPRK is the latest nation to be demonized, the best and most succinct summary of endless US betrayal since the armistice of July 1953 is at (5.) Here is an excerpt from the early 1990s onwards. Remember too that the US had nuclear weapons in South Korea from the late 1950s until 1991. In January 1993, president Bill Clinton announced the largest military war games ever (in which all sorts of nuclear weaponry featured). These took place in and around Koreas shores in March. The DPRK reacted to a more belligerent environment by giving notice of intention to withdraw from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which it had joined in 1985. The North also demonstrated the viability of a medium-range missile, the Nodong 1, in May 1993. If ever cause and effect were starkly demonstrated here is a prime example. Kim Il Sung died in July 1994 and his son, Kim Jong Il, replaced him as leader. In the early summer of that year the US government concluded that a military strike on Yongbyon  under serious consideration  would start a war with the North. But instead of war, influenced by a voluntary shutdown by the North of the Yongbyon reactor, talks led to the October Framework Agreement of 1994. Under this agreement, the North agreed to continue the reactors shutdown in exchange for light water reactors and a new relationship with the US. Loans and credits were to ease the agreement, and the US undertook to supply heating oil to tide over the Norths heating problems in the short term. The agreement called for full diplomatic relations and a US pledge not to threaten or target the North with nuclear weapons. Eloquently, no missile testing by the North proceeded between May 1993 and August 1998. In June 1998 the Pentagon staged simulated long-range nuclear attack drills against North Korea, and in October that year a US Lieutenant General spoke publicly about plans for replacing the North Korean regime, and of even beginning the project preemptively if there were solid grounds for expecting an attack. These developments hardly confirmed US commitment to developing a more co-operative relationship with the North. George W Bushs ascension to president in 2001 produced a declaration from his advisers that the 1994 agreement was dead in the water. (Thus) in December 2002, the DPRK expelled the IAEA inspectors, restarted the Yongbyon reactor and withdrew from the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Bush meanwhile, declared his intention of dealing with North Korea after Iraq. In spring 2003 the North made another offer to the US: it would scrap its nuclear development if the US would normalise relations and provide basic security guarantees. Six years later, in 2009, substantive talks involving Russia and China as well as Japan, the US and both Koreas had goals which included the normalising of diplomatic relations, an end to trade sanctions and acknowledgement of the Norths right to use nuclear energy. But these talks collapsed after both the US and the ROK rejected the Norths gradual dismantling of its nuclear weapons. In 2011 Kim Jong Il died and his second son, Kim Jong-un, became the Norths new leader. The summary concludes: During these past three months the risk of war, indeed of nuclear war  not necessarily restricted to the Korean peninsula  has increased dramatically. General Mattis is, at time of writing, in South Korea, where he has delivered a near dead ringer copy of the run up to the illegal invasion of Iraq. Washingtons mantra was that Iraq threatened its neighbours though even hostile neighbours responded that it did not. Iraq of course could destroy parts of the West in 45 minutes. It was a pack of lies. Heres Mattis: North Korea has accelerated the threat that it poses to its neighbors and the world through its illegal and unnecessary missile and nuclear weapons programs  The situation had developed a new urgency. Next month Trump is to visit South Korea, the man who has threatened to unleash on the small nation fire and fury like the world has never seen. This is the man of whom twenty seven eminent psychiatrists and psychotherapists have written in a just published book, The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump: We collectively warn that anyone as mentally unstable as this man simply should not be entrusted with the life-and-death powers of the Presidency. It is time for the worlds diplomats to respond to North Koreas letter and rise to the urgent occasion, before it is too late for the region and possibly the planet. Notes 1. https://inews.co.uk/essentials/news/world/south-korea-hopes-make-kim-jong-un-fear-life/ 2. http://freebeacon.com/national-security/the-best-from-mad-dog-mattis/ 3. https://williamblum.org/essays/read/overthrowing-other-peoples-governments-the-master-list 4. https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4113487-North-Korea-Letter.html 5. http://morningstaronline.co.uk/a-178f-Missed-opportunities-for-peace-in-Korea#.WfMt9kuvtFI This article was originally published by Global Research - Copyright  Felicity Arbuthnot , Global Research, 2017 Please read our Comment Policy before posting - It is unacceptable to slander, smear or engage in personal attacks on authors of articles posted on ICH. Those engaging in that behavior will be banned from the comment section. Search Information Clearing House === Click Here To Support Information Clearing House Your support has kept ICH free on the Web since 2002. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load.
The Lie that Poverty is a Moral Failing was Buried a Century Ago. Now its Back

By Fintan OToole

October 31, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - I f you know Alfred Doolittle only from Stanley Holloways infinitely lovable portrayal of him in My Fair Lady, you might not realise that hes a bit of a monster. In George Bernard Shaws original play, Pygmalion , he arrives in high dudgeon at the home of Henry Higgins, who has, Doolittle assumes, taken control of his daughter Eliza for sexual purposes. He is not morally outraged  he just wants to be paid: The girl belongs to me. You got her. Where do I come in? Doolittle is a member of the most despised of all social classes: the undeserving poor. He has no desire to be reformed. But he asks  and answers  the most penetrating question: What is middle-class morality? Just an excuse for never giving me anything.

In the second half of the play, though, the monster who was willing to sell his daughter for a fiver reappears in a silk hat and patent leather shoes. He is clean and elegant. He is getting married. He is now, as he bitterly complains, a paragon of that same middle-class morality. What has transformed him? Money. In an outrageous plot twist, Doolittle has inherited millions and he is now obliged to appear thoroughly respectable.

Pygmalion is not just about Elizas transformation from flower girl to apparent duchess. Its about her fathers transformation from a disreputable chancer to the epitome of propriety. And in this morality tale is one of Bernard Shaws most important arguments: people are not poor because they are immoral; theyre immoral because they are poor. Or, to put it in the terms of todays assumptions about poverty: the problem with the poor isnt their culture or their want of character. Its just that they dont have enough money.

By the time he died, in 1950, Bernard Shaw, as the most widely read socialist writer in the English-speaking world, had done as much as anyone to banish the fallacy that poverty is essentially a moral failing  and conversely that great riches are proof of moral worth. His most passionate concern was with poverty and its causes. He was haunted by the notorious Dublin slums of his childhood. As his spokesman Undershaft puts it in Major Barbara: Poverty strikes dead the very souls of all who come within sight, sound or smell of it.

The question  why are the poor poor?  has a number of possible answers in the 21st century, just as it had in the late 19th. A Eurobarometer report in 2010 examined attitudes to poverty in the European Union. The most popular explanation among Europeans (47%) for why people live in poverty was injustice in society.

But the other half of respondents opted for some other cause: 16% said people live in poverty because of laziness and lack of willpower, another 16% saw poverty as an inevitable part of progress, and 13% said people live in poverty because they have been unlucky. These arguments were also raging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and Shaw was a crucial figure in making people understand that poverty is about the way society is organised, not about the failings or bad luck of the poor.

In the preface to Major Barbara, Shaw attacks the stupid levity with which we tolerate poverty as if it were  a wholesome tonic for lazy people. His great political impulse was to de-moralise poverty, and his most radical argument about poverty was that it simply doesnt matter whether those who are poor deserve their condition or not  the dire social consequences are the same either way. He assails the absurdity of the notion implicit in so much rightwing thought, that poverty is somehow more tolerable if it is a punishment for moral failings : If a man is indolent, let him be poor. If he is drunken, let him be poor. If he is not a gentleman, let him be poor. If he is addicted to the fine arts or to pure science instead of to trade and finance, let him be poor  Let nothing be done for the undeserving: let him be poor. Serve him right! Also  somewhat inconsistently  blessed are the poor!

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In an era when many on the left purported to despise money and romanticised poverty, Shaw argued that poverty is a crime and that money is a wonderful thing. He recognised that there is no relationship between poverty and a supposed lack of a work ethic: Eliza Doolittle is out selling her flowers late at night in the pouring rain but she is still dirt poor. (Conversely, when she is idle and being kept by Higgins, she leads a life of relative luxury.) And therefore the cure for poverty can never be found in moral judgments.

The cure for poverty is an adequate income. The crying need of the nation, he wrote, is not for better morals, cheaper bread, temperance, liberty, culture, redemption of fallen sisters and erring brothers, nor the grace, love and fellowship of the Trinity, but simply for enough money. And the evil to be attacked is not sin, suffering, greed, priestcraft, kingcraft, demagogy, monopoly, ignorance, drink, war, pestilence, nor any other of the scapegoats which reformers sacrifice, but simply poverty.

The solution he proposed was what he called a universal pension for life, or what we now call a universal basic income .

By the end of Shaws immensely long career, it seemed that these arguments had been won. They even seemed rather passe  what thinking person could ever revert to Victorian notions of poverty as a moral disease? But moralising about poverty returned with a vengeance. When, in January 1983, Margaret Thatcher declared in a television interview that Victorian values were the values when our country became great, it was clear that one of those values was the belief that poverty is fundamentally a question of character.

The rich are now as confident as they ever were that they deserve what they have. We have returned to what Shaw called the absurdly unpractical notion that in some way a mans income should be given to him, not to enable him to live, but as a sort of Sunday school prize for good behaviour  Was ever so idiotic a project mooted as the estimation of virtue in money?

We live again in a world where, as Shaw wrote of his own times, we have million-dollar babies side-by-side with paupers worn out by a long life of unremitted drudgery. We live again in a world where that unremitting drudgery is, for millions of people, no guarantee of being able to afford a decent and dignified life.

We live again in a world of Victorian values risen from the graves in which Shaw and the other great anti-Victorians buried them. We live again in a world where the rich pleasure themselves with the belief that they dont just have more money  they are better people. We live again in a world where people struggling to survive have to prove that they are  deserving  of the welfare payments they need to keep body and soul together. And in such a world, it seems right that Bernard Shaw should live again too.

 Fintan OTooles Judging Shaw has just been published by the Royal Irish Academy
Sorting Out the Russia Mess





The U.S. mainstream media finally has its smoking gun on Russia-gate  incriminating information from a junior Trump campaign adviser - but a closer look reveals serious problems with the evidence, writes Robert Parry.



By Robert Parry

October 31, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Russia-gate special prosecutor Robert Mueller has turned up the heat on President Trump with the indictment of Trumps former campaign manager for unrelated financial crimes and the disclosure of a guilty plea from a low-level foreign policy adviser for lying to the FBI.

While longtime Republican fixer Paul Manafort, who helped guide Trumps campaign to the GOP nomination in summer 2016, was the big name in the news on Monday, the mainstream media focused more on court documents related to George Papadopoulos, a 30-year-old campaign aide who claims to have heard about Russia possessing Hillary Clintons emails before they became public on the Internet, mostly via WikiLeaks.

While that would seem to bolster the Russia-gate narrative  that Russian intelligence hacked Democratic emails and President Vladimir Putin ordered the emails be made public to undermine Clintons campaign  the evidentiary thread that runs through Papadopouloss account remains tenuous.

Thats in part because his credibility has already been undermined by his guilty plea for lying to the FBI and by the fact that he now has a motive to provide something the prosecutors might want in exchange for leniency. Plus, there is the hearsay and contested quality of Papadopouloss supposed information, some of which already has turned out to be false.

According to the court documents, Papadopoulos got to know a professor of international relations who claimed to have substantial connections with Russian government officials, with the professor identified in press reports as Joseph Mifsud, a little-known academic associated with the University of Stirling in Scotland.

The first contact supposedly occurred in mid-March 2016 in Italy, with a second meeting in London on March 24 when the professor purportedly introduced Papadopoulos to a Russian woman whom the young campaign aide believed to be Putins niece, an assertion that Muellers investigators determined wasnt true.

Trump, who then was under pressure for not having a foreign policy team, included Papadopoulos as part of a list drawn up to fill that gap, and Papadopoulos participated in a campaign meeting on March 31 in Washington at which he suggested a meeting between Trump and Putin, a prospect that other senior aides reportedly slapped down.

The Email Breakfast

But Papadopoulos continued his outreach to Russia , according to the court documents, which depict the most explosive meeting as an April 26 breakfast in London with the professor (Mifsud) supposedly saying he had been in Moscow and learned that the Russians had obtained dirt on then-candidate Clinton and possessed thousands of emails. Mainstream press accounts concluded that Mifsud must have been referring to the later-released emails.

However, Mifsud told The Washington Post in an email last August that he had absolutely no contact with the Russian government and described his ties to Russia as strictly in academic fields.

In an interview with the U.K. Daily Telegraph after Mondays disclosures, Mifsud acknowledged meeting with Papadopoulos but disputed the contents of the conversations as cited in the court papers. Specifically, he denied knowing anything about emails containing dirt on Clinton and called the claim that he introduced Papadopoulos to a female Russian national as a laughingstock.

According to the Telegraph interview , Mifsud said he tried to put Papadopoulos in touch with experts on the European Union and introduced him to the director of a Russian think tank, the Russian International Affairs Council.

It was the latter contact that the court papers presumably referred to in saying that on May 4, the Russian contact with ties to the foreign ministry wrote to Papadopoulos and Mifsud, reporting that ministry officials were open for cooperation, a message that Papadopoulos forwarded to a senior campaign official, asking whether the contacts were something we want to move forward with.

However, even an article in The New York Times, which has aggressively pushed the Russia-gate scandal from the beginning, noted the evidentiary holes that followed from that point.

The Times Scott Shane wrote : A crucial detail is still missing: Whether and when Mr. Papadopoulos told senior Trump campaign officials about Russias possession of hacked emails. And it appears that the young aides quest for a deeper connection with Russian officials, while he aggressively pursued it, led nowhere.

Shane added, the court documents describe in detail how Mr. Papadopoulos continued to report to senior campaign officials on his efforts to arrange meetings with Russian officials,  the documents do not say explicitly whether, and to whom, he passed on his most explosive discovery  that the Russians had what they considered compromising emails on Mr. Trumps opponent.

J.D. Gordon, a former Pentagon official who worked for the Trump campaign as a national security adviser and helped arrange the March 31 foreign policy meeting, said he had known nothing about Mr. Papadopoulos discovery that Russia had obtained Democratic emails or of his prolonged pursuit of meetings with Russians.

Reasons to Doubt

If prosecutor Mueller had direct evidence that Papadopoulos had informed the Trump campaign about the Clinton emails, you would assume that the proof would have been included in Mondays disclosures. Further, since Papadopoulos was flooding the campaign with news about his Russian outreach, you might have expected that he would say something about how helpful the Russians had been in publicizing the Democratic emails.

The absence of supporting evidence that Papadopoulos conveyed his hot news on the emails to campaign officials and Mifsuds insistence that he knew nothing about the emails would normally raise serious questions about Papadopouloss credibility on this most crucial point.

At least for now, those gaps represent major holes in the storyline. But Official Washington has been so desperate for proof about the alleged Russian election meddling for so long, that professional skepticism has been unwelcome in most media outlets.

There is also another side of the story that rarely gets mentioned in the U.S. mainstream media: that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has repeatedly denied that he received the two batches of purloined Democratic emails  one about the Democratic National Committee and one about Clintons campaign chairman John Podesta  from the Russians. While it is surely possible that the Russians might have used cutouts to pass on the emails, Assange and associates have suggested that at least the DNC emails came from a disgruntled insider.

Also, former U.S. intelligence experts have questioned whether at least one batch of disclosed emails could have come from an overseas hack because the rapid download speed is more typical of copying files locally onto a memory stick or thumb drive.

What I was told by an intelligence source several months ago was that Russian intelligence did engage in hacking efforts to uncover sensitive information, much as U.S. and other nations intelligence services do, and that Democratic targets were included in the Russian effort.

But the source said the more perplexing question was whether the Kremlin then ordered release of the data, something that Russian intelligence is usually loath to do and something that in this case would have risked retaliation from the expected winner of the 2016 election, Hillary Clinton.

But such questions and doubts are clearly not welcome in the U.S. mainstream media, most of which has embraced Muellers acceptance of Papadopouloss story as the long-awaited smoking gun of Russia-gate.

Investigative reporter Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories for The Associated Press and Newsweek in the 1980s. You can buy his latest book, Americas Stolen Narrative, either in print here or as an e-book (from Amazon and barnesandnoble.com ).

This article was originally published by Consortium News -

Clinton Colluded With Russia To Smear Trump During Election

Tucker Carlson Breaks It Down
Pay Off The Right People and You Are No Longer A Terrorist





The Rise of MEK/NCRI in Washington



By Philip Giraldi

October 31, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - If you want to change a group of terrorists who have killed American overseas into something that appears to be much more benign, all you have to do is pay off the right people in Washington. With enough money, you can even open a nice plush lobbying office on Pennsylvania Avenue in the District of Columbia, not too far from the White House and Capitol Hill.

One-time Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been rightly blamed for the ill-conceived and badly bungled regime change in Libya in 2011 that eventually led to her mishandling of the resulting blowback in Benghazi, but one of her greatest failings just might have involved the piece of paper she signed when she removed the Mujaheddin e Khalq (MEK) group from the State Department list of designated terrorist organizations in September 2012.

How is it possible that the bad judgment demonstrated in the Libyan fiasco that created a failed state, a humanitarian disaster, a migrant crisis, armed terrorists and ultimately produced the murder of the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans compare with a signature on a piece of paper? It is because that signature put in place one of the elements that will most likely in the near future lead to a far more disastrous war for the United States than was Libya. MEK, now labeled the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), has become a principal voice of the war party that is now seeking to attack Iran, a role similar to that played by Ahmad Chalabi and his Iraqi National Congress in his disseminating of lies in the lead up to the catastrophic invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The tale of the rehabilitation and rise of MEK/NCRI is a subset of the ongoing corruption of Americas political culture, best illustrated by the fact that even national security is now up for sale, enabling a terrorist group to transform itself into a resistance movement and eventually be labeled freedom fighters.

How did this happen as MEK was on the State Department roster of foreign terrorist organizations since the list was established in 1997? Its inclusion derived from its having killed six Americans in the 1970s, its participation in the U.S. Embassy hostage-taking and from its record of extreme violence both inside and outside Iran since that time. When I was a CIA trainee our course included a simulation of the horrific attack on U.S. Air Force Officers in Tehran in 1973 that killed two colonels.

MEK is widely regarded as a terrorist cult headed by a bizarre husband and wife team Massoud and Maryam Rajavi. Its members are required to be celibate and are subjected to extensive brainwashing, physical torture, severe beatings even unto death, and prolonged solitary confinement if they question the leadership. One scholar who has studied them describes their beliefs as a weird combination of Marxism and Islamic fundamentalism.

With the sharp turn of the Trump Administration against Iran, NCRI is now finding an audience , telling the American public that Iran is "cheating" on the nuclear deal . It also tells us that Irans nuclear weapons program has far from halted and has claimed to identify four major sites that with a high degree of certainty have been involved in various aspects of the allegedly ongoing nuclear weapons project. This has led Jillian Mele of Fox News to declare , falsely, that It appears [Irans nuclear] weapons program is fully operational.

The CIA has in the past recruited MEK/NCRI agents to enter into Iran and report on nuclear facilities, but Israels Mossad is the groups principal employer. Agents, recruited and trained by Israel, have killed a number of Iranian nuclear scientists and officials. The group appears to have ample financial resources, places full page ads in major US newspapers, and is also known to pay hefty fees to major political figures who are willing to speak publicly on its behalf. The group claims to want regime change in Iran to restore democracy to the country, an odd assertion as it itself has no internal democracy and is loathed by nearly all Iranians.

Because MEK/NCRI is a resource being used by Tel Aviv in its clandestine war against Iran, it is perhaps inevitable that many friends of Israel in the United States actively campaigned to have the group removed from the terrorism list so that it could, ironically, have a free hand to continue to terrorize Iran. Indeed, neocons at their various think tanks and publications as well as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee all recommended delisting the group and continue to support it. Prominent American Jews to include Elie Wiesel and Alan Dershowitz have been advocates for the group in spite of its record of terrorism.

Multi-million dollar contracts with Washington lobbying firms experienced at working congress backed up by handsome speaking fees have induced many prominent Americans to join the chorus supporting NCRI. Prior to 2012, speaking fees for the group started at $15,000 and went up from there. Former Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell reported more than $150,000 in honoraria. Rudy Giuliani has been paid generously for years at $20,000 per appearance for brief, twenty-minute speeches. Bear in mind that MEK was a listed terrorist group at the time and accepting money from it to promote its interests should have constituted material support of terrorism.

The groups well-connected friends have included prominent neocons like John Bolton and ex-CIA Directors James Woolsey, Michael Hayden and Porter Goss as well as former Generals Anthony Zinni, Peter Pace, Wesley Clark, and Hugh Shelton. Traditional conservatives close to the Trump Administration like Newt Gingrich, Fran Townsend and Elaine Chao are also fans of NCRI. Townsend in particular, as a national security specialist, has appeared on television to denounce Iran, calling its actions acts of war without indicating that she has received money from an opposition group.

The emergence of NCRI at this time is just another fools game with the usual Washington crowd queuing up for a bad cause because they are both lining their pockets and thinking they are helping Israel by punishing Iran. In any event it is a poor bargain for the rest of us, but that hardly seems to matter anymore.

Philip M. Giraldi is a former CIA counter-terrorism specialist and military intelligence officer who served nineteen years overseas in Turkey, Italy, Germany, and Spain. He was the CIA Chief of Base for the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 and was one of the first Americans to enter Afghanistan in December 2001. Phil is Executive Director of the Council for the National Interest, a Washington-based advocacy group that seeks to encourage and promote a U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East that is consistent with American values and interests
The African Development Bank has moved to redirect its proposed massive loan into other areas in the Nigerian State rather than supporting the budget.

The African Development Bank has called off a loan to Nigeria that would have helped fund the countrys budget, the Vice-President for Power, Energy, Climate Change and Green Growth, AfDB, Amadou Hott, has said.

He said the bank would likely be redirecting the money to specific projects in Nigeria rather than give to the country to fund its budget.

Hott spoke on Monday in an interview with Reuters during a Nordic-African business conference in Oslo, Norway.

The AfDB had been in talks with Nigeria for around a year to release the second tranche of $400m of a $1bn loan to shore up its budget for 2017, as the government tried to reinvigorate the stagnant economy with heavy spending.

But Nigeria refused to meet the terms of international lenders, including the World Bank, to enact various reforms such as allowing the naira to float freely on the foreign exchange market.

Rather than loan Nigeria money to fund its budget, the AfDB is likely to take at least some of that money and put it directly into projects, Hott explained.

Because prices for oil, on which the Federal Government relies for about two-thirds of its revenues, have risen and the naira-dollar exchange rate has improved, the country is relying less than expected on external borrowing, Hott said.

No one from the Ministry of Finance was immediately available to comment. Call made to the Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Finance, Mr. Oluyinka Akintunde, did not go through as of the time of filing the report.

Nigerias N7.44tn 2017 budget is just one in a series of record budgets that the government has faced obstacles funding, pushing it to seek loans from overseas.

In late 2016, the AfDB agreed to lend Nigeria a first tranche of $600m out of $1bn. But negotiations over economic reform later bogged down, blocking attempts to secure the second tranche of $400m million, sources told Reuters then.

Now, AfDBs loans will be more targeted, Hott said.

Its hundreds of millions of dollars, just in one go, that we were supposed to provide in budget support, but we will move into real projects, he added.

Earlier this month, the head of Nigerias Debt Management Office said the country was still in talks with the World Bank for a $1.6bn loan, which will help plug part of an expected $7.5bn deficit for 2017.

The administration is also trying to restructure its debt to move away from high interest, naira-denominated loans and towards dollar loans, which carry lower rates.
The highlight of Day 2 at the ongoing Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) was the World Premiere of Kenneth Gyangs new offering, The Lost Cafe, a collaboration between Nigeria and Norway, starring Tunde Aladese, Belinda Effah and Ann Njemanze playing alongside Norwegian cast like Terje Lien, Jenny Bonden and Anders Lidin Hansen.

Gyang has earned his place as a notable filmmaker for award-winning films and television series which include Confusion Na Wa (2013), Blood and Henna (2012). Thus, expectations were high for this new film that eventually proved his worth again.

The film which received loud applause at the AFRIFF Premiere on Monday, is a collaboration between Peridot and Gyangs Cinema Kpatakpata firm.

The film is an uplifting story about a girls decision to rise above dark family secrets and culture shock to live her dreams abroad, finding the most unusual answers to her troubling questions somewhere in Drammen where she meets the half blind, strange owner of a quaint coffee shop that serves the best coffee in the world.

The Lost Cafe had support from Angenieux in France, Catapult Film in Norway and Project Act Nollywood in Nigeria.

AFRIFF continues to bubble with other film activities, including perspectives from behind the camera, an interesting keynote conversation bothering on matters relating to technical film crew with emphasis on Nigeria was facilitated by BCI studios. Some of the most reliable names who work behind the scenes like Bose Oshin, Baba Agba and Queen Martins were on hand to give details on the realities of filming in Nigeria.

This was followed by a keynote conversation facilitated by Forde Pro on the role of technology and strategic partnerships in getting African content on the global scene. Panelists included Judith Audu (Just Not Married), Don Omope (Tatu, The Wedding Party) and Nadia Denton, curator of the British Councils Film Connects programme.

In the same vein, the Canon Basic DSLR Filmmaking training and talent workshop for young students facilitated by Leke Alabi-Isama commenced at the Afrinolly space in Oregun, Ikeja. So did the acting and screenplay workshops headlined by Hilda Dokubo and Victor Sanchez-Aghahowa respectively.

Kunle Afolayan with some foreign delegates

At the Genesis Deluxe Cinemas, a series of short films, including ones by student filmmakers were screened, dealing with various aspects of the African reality. Richard Odilus Oreva highlights mental illness and its tragic consequences on a family. Still Water Runs Deep examines toxic masculinity while The Mob (from Ghana) teases the aftermath of a suspected same sex relationship. Visions, an experimental collaborative anthology from the trio of Abba T. Makama, CJ Obasi and Michael Omonua was also screened.

The quirky Ghanaian marital relations drama Keteke (Train) directed by Peter Sedufia and starring Lydia Forson and Adjetey Anang was screened, as well as Kunle Afolayans Roti, a feature length on the subject of reincarnation which the acclaimed director made in collaboration with Africa Magic.

Tunde Aladese, lead actress in The Lost Cafe flanked by fellow cast members

Over at Silverbird cinemas, the line-up of shorts and student shorts screened included Yemoja: Rise of the Orisha, an interrogation of identity and importance of finding self, Zawaja Gali (Marriage is expensive) explores traditional practices revolving around the ceremony of marriage in African societies while Chicha, from Cameroon deals with the consequences of actions taken.

Faulty hinges its plot on male pride while the documentary, Les Sauteurs, a collaboration between Senegal and Denmark is a timely take on immigrants and the perils they must face in search of a better life.

Asurf Oluseyis Hakkunde, screening in competition stars Kunle Idowu as a young Nigerian man who leaves the city of Lagos, bullied by his elder sister and finds his way to Kaduna, where he gets a new lease on life.

Biola Alabi with Mahmood Ali Balogun

The Africa International Film Festival is an annual weeklong, all-encompassing world class showcase running from 29, October to 4, November 2017.

This year, about 200 carefully curated feature lengths, shorts, documentaries and student films are being screened at the festival.

AFRIFF, which has Access Bank as lead sponsor, is supported by other great agencies like the Institut Francaise, British Council, Africa Magic, Air France, AfriNolly, Accelerate TV, Genesis Deluxe Cinema, and Silverbird Cinemas among others.

source: Thenation
The count down to 2019 Presidential elections, President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday evening presided over a meeting of the national caucus of ruling party, the All Progressives Congress ( APC )

The meeting was held at the Presidential Banquet Hall located inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Also present at the meeting were Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; the newly appointed Secretary to Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha; the partys National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun; others members of the partys National Working Committee, state governors elected on the platform of the party and some ministers.

The meeting was held ahead of a meeting of the partys National Executive Committee holding on Tuesday.

The meeting was still ongoing as of the time of filing this report.

Ahead of the national caucus meeting, Buhari had earlier in the day met behind closed doors with Saraki, Dogara; Odigie-Oyegun; and the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari.

He also met separately with a national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
Flight delay and cancellation affected many passengers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Monday, with domestic airline operators blaming it on insufficient aviation fuel.

A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who monitored the situation at the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 and the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) observed that only few flights operated on schedule.

A reliable airline source told NAN that the problem was caused by the inability of petroleum tanker drivers to lift aviation fuel from Apapa as a result of gridlock on that axis.

The source noted that the problem, which was more pronounced on Sunday, was, however, gradually abating as some marketers had been able to start trucking products to the airport.

Confirming the development, the media consultant to Med-View Airline, Mr Obuke Oyibhota, said it was a general problem faced by the airlines.

There is a general scarcity of aviation fuel. We have gotten a way around it to enable us continue our operations during the period, but we dont know how long it will last, Obuke said.

Mr Chris Iwarah, General Manager, Corporate Communication, Air Peace, said the airline had put plans in place to continue operations in spite of the problem.

He said:The scarcity is affecting flights to some extent at the moment, but we are still relying on our stock and the arrangement we made with the suppliers.

However, nobody knows whether it may become more difficult, but for now we are trying to see how we can manage the plans we have on ground to ensure that the impact is only minimal.

Two passengers, Mr John Olateru and Mr Donatus Eze, told NAN that the situation was unfortunate and appealed to the authorities to find a lasting solution to the problem.

Source: (NAN)
Kevin Spacey came out as gay early Monday and apologized to actor Anthony Rapp, who accused the Hollywood star of making a sexual advance on him at a 1986 party when he was only 14 years old.

Spaceys announcement, posted on his Twitter account at midnight, came after Rapp  best known for being part of the original cast of the hit Broadway musical Rent  made the accusation in an interview with Buzzfeed News.

Spacey, 58, a double Oscar winner and star of the Netflix series House of Cards, said he did not remember the encounter but that if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behaviour.

He went on say that Rapps accusation encouraged me to address other things about my life.

As those closest to me know, in my life I have had relationships with both men and women. I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man.

I want to deal with this honestly and openly and that starts with examining my own behaviour.

Rapp, 46, told Buzzfeed that in 1986, while both he and Spacey were performing in Broadway shows, Spacey invited the then 14-year-old to a party at his New York apartment. Spacey would have been 26 at the time.

Rapp said he was in Spaceys bedroom watching TV when Spacey appeared in the doorway at the end of the night, kind of swaying and apparently drunk.

Rapp said Spacey picked him up, put him on the bed and lay on top of the teenaged boy.

He was trying to seduce me, Rapp told Buzzfeed. I dont know if I would have used that language. But I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually.

Rapp said he squirmed away after a brief period of time and went into the bathroom. Shortly after, he left Spaceys apartment and went home.

Rapps accusation came after more than 50 women accused movie mogul Harvey Weinstein of misconduct including rape, sexual abuse and harassment. His accusers include stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie and Mira Sorvino.

The now-disgraced tycoon was sacked as co-chairman of The Weinstein Company and also resigned from its board.

The twice-married father of five has so far denied forcing himself on his accusers. He is being investigated by authorities in Los Angeles, New York and London.

AFP
A young man who kidnapped the younger brother of his own boss has given an explanation as to why he embarked on the very criminal quest.

Williams Olowolabi, a 38-year-old driver, Tuesday said he kidnapped his employers younger brother because he was denied N100,000 loan to fund his mothers burial.

According to The Nation, Olowolabi, Segun Teluwo, 30, Ayo Akinola 22, and Akintunde Amala were paraded Tuesday by acting Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal for allegedly kidnapping Hillary Chukwudumebi and his female companion, Rebecca Omokaro.

The suspects allegedly committed the offence last Saturday at Oniru Estate in Victoria Island and were arrested at Agodo Alara-Ogijo in Ogun State.

Edgal said: On October 21, at about 11pm, four suspected armed men.wjo kidnapped one Hillary Dumebi and Rebecca Omokaro from their resident at Oniru Private Estate, Victoria Island, Lagos, were tracked and arrested at their hideout at Agodo Alara-Ogijo in Ogun State.

The victims were rescued unhurt. The victims vehicle, a Ford Jeep marked LND995ES was recovered. One locally made short gun, a battle knife, nylon celetape and two Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards were recovered from them. The suspects would soon be charged to court.

But three of the suspects were paraded contrary to Edgals statement that the police arrested four.

Asked where the fourth suspect (Akintunde) was, Williams said the police freed him on Monday, despite the fact that he was the mastermind of the kidnap.

Williams said: It was Akin that brought the idea of the kidnapping and he was the one who.made all the arrangements but the police freed him yesterday.

What happened was that, last month I requested for loan of N100,000 from my boss but they denied me. They said there was no money. My boss is the owner of BBQ Hotel. I needed the loan to add to the money I have for my mothers burial.

So, I was sad and told Akin what happened and he suggested that we should kidnap Dumebi, my boss younger brother so that they will bring money.

I bought the idea but didnt told him I do not know how to go about it. He now called someone and organised the kidnapping. He told me the person said it was possible we would get money.

That was how I discussed it with Segun and Ayo and they agreed. There was another guy Akin brought. Akin was the one who made all the arrangements.

We went last Saturday and got the guy. I told them to not hurt the victim and they did not hurt them. Akin followed us that Saturday but he later dropped at Eko Hotel when the vehicle did not contain all of us. He was in touch with us all the time.

I did not collect any ransom. It was not really in my mind to kidnap anyone but Akin said we would make money from it.

It is not true that i demanded N20 million. I was not even with the victums. I went to buy drink for the victims and Segun went to buy food. It was Ayo that stayed with them. Maybe, he was the one that mentioned money.

Akinola admitted knowing they were going to kidnap Chukwudumebi, confirming that Akin was part of the deal.

He said: It was Williams that brought us into it. We live in the same area at Ogijo. He came and told us that he needed money for his mothers burial but was not given.

He also told us of the plan Akin came up with and we agreed to kidnap the womans younger brother so that she and her Oyigbo husband will bring money.

So, last Saturday, we waited for him around his house at Oniru. It was around midnight. As he drove in, we pointed gun at him and took him away. We took the lady who was with him too.

We took him down to Ikorodu and demanded N20million ransom but he said he did not have money. That he has done business with his money. He did not pay anything and we went out to look for bike to take them home.

We were arrested through Williams. The police tracked his phone and arrested his wife and child. It is not true that the police rescued the victims. We released them that day. When they arrested Williams, he now led police to us and we were caught. But surprisingly, the police freed Akin on Monday.
The many residents of Lagos State have stormed the office of the governor, demanding an immediate halt to the spate of demolitions in the city.

According to a report by The Nation, scores of Lagosians on Tuesday stormed the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa which houses the Governors Office and the Lagos State House of Assembly demanding an immediate end to all demolitions in the state.

The protesters who came under the aegis of the Federation of Informal Workers Association of Nigeria (FIWON), frowned at what they called illegal and deliberate demolition of buildings and markets occupied by struggling people in the informal sector of the economy.

According to them, any government that fails to recognise the roles played by people in the informal sector in governance, and chooses to embark on the demolition of their houses and businesses, is sowing the seed of failure both in the short and long run.

The group which comprises mechanics, market traders, and farmers, among others, was led by the General Secretary of FIWON, Mr Gbenga Komolafe, who accused the Lagos State government of using the states megacity dream as an avenue to rob hapless residents of their lands, markets and businesses.

The Lagos State government has been trespassing on the rights of the informal sector. They use officers of the states task force to intimidate law-abiding residents who are going about their normal businesses, he said.

They harass and lock them up in prisons. Now, we understand that due to lack of space at Kirikiri, those arrested are now taken to Badagry. Sadly, when they come back from these prisons, most of our people do so in vegetative states, and some have even died, he added.

Speaking further, Komolafe challenged the state government to build a megacity that would conform with the all-inclusive vision of the United Nations, rather than its current moves of creating a city for a few.

However, in his reaction, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transport, Mr Olanrewaju Elegushi, promised to convey the message of the protesters to the State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode.

He stated that the Ambode-led government was a government with a human face, and as such would not do anything against the law, and neither would it do anything that would undermine the well-being of residents of the state.

Everything you have said has been taken note of, and it would be channelled to the appropriate quarters. I can assure that your complaints and plights will be critically looked into, and very soon, you will hear from the government, he said.
A Muslim Professor, Rasheed Jimoh-Ijaodola, who is also a Professor of Law and Dean, Oba Erediauwa College of Law of Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo, just added a doctorate degree in Christian studies from the University of Ilorin to his portfolio.

The faithful and practicing muslims thesis was on biblical prophesies and other prophesies like prophesies of the late Sage and Prophet, Nostradamus, with research focused on end time and the role of humans in the fulfilment of those prophesies.

According to the Jimoh-Ijaodola whose first Ph.D. is in Electoral Law from the University of Jos, while his second Ph.D. was in Property law from the University of Ibadan, the end is now and humans need to be careful so that the end will not come upon us as the biblical thief that came unexpectedly.

The Sun reported that he pleaded that the world should embrace peace and live in harmony for the sake of the earth and humanity. Nations should be careful of war and proliferation of weapon of mass destruction.

Jimoh-Ijaodola, in his thesis stressed the need to take care of our environment very well so that it was not endangered. The end time scenario is a picture of man eating man and that the problem will most likely start on the claim on ownership of Jerusalem.

Vanguard
Kaduna state governor, Mallam Nasir El Rufai has vowed that no amount of threat from labour union would make his government back down from sacking the 22,000 teachers who failed competence tests and replace them with 25,000 new qualified ones.

But reacting to the threat in a network radio interview in Kaduna, governor El Rufai said rather than threaten to go on strike, the NUT should be embarrassed by the incompetence of its members adding that there is no bigger evidence of the crisis in our society than that a union whose members failed a Primary 4 examination thinks it can create problems over the issue rather than be a part of the solution.

Everybody knows that we will not be deterred in doing what is right for the future of our children. The NUT thinks this is about politics, making a public show of opposing what they know to be right. Shouldnt everybody be embarrassed by the test results? Where is the sense of shame? I hear some people say the pass mark for a Primary Four exam should be 60%; the same people say the state government has no right to test the competence of its employees. There is no bigger evidence of the crisis in our society than that a union whose members failed a Primary 4 examination thinks it can create problems over the issue rather than be a part of the solution.

Source: ( Vanguard Newspaper )
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday commended the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo over the improvement of Nigeria on the World Banks Doing Business latest rankings.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the President commended the PEBEC team for a job well done, saying he looks forward to even greater achievements for the nation.

The statement read, President Muhammadu Buhari welcomes most heartily the phenomenal improvement of Nigeria on the World Banks Doing Business latest rankings released Tuesday.

Besides moving up 24 places in the rankings, Nigeria is also reported by the World Bank to be among the Top Ten Reformers globally.

The President congratulates all Nigerians on this very significant step forward which symbolizes the real success achieved by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, the National Assembly and State Governments in making it easy for people to register their businesses speedily, obtain licenses and approvals from government agencies without unnecessary bureaucratic bottlenecks.

Buhari was also quoted as saying that the development reflected governments efforts to make it easy for foreign business visitors to obtain visa on arrival, pass through airports and do their businesses with ease and speed.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
The Rights Protection Agency in Niger State have arrested a 43 year-old man identified as, Musa Mohammed for setting his 15-year-old son, Bello Musa, ablaze.

Mariam Kolo, the Director-General of the agency, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Minna.

She said that the incident occurred around Polytechnic Road, Bida, in Bida Local Government Area of the state.

Ms. Kolo explained that Mr. Musa tied the victim up and siphoned petrol from his motorcycle, poured it on the victim and set him on fire because of his alleged frequent quarrels with his elder brother.

According to her, the quick intervention of neighbours helped save the victim from being burnt to death.

During questioning, the father confessed that his action was as a result of the behaviour of the boy, that he is always quarrelling with his elder brother and rude to him.

He said that he was tired of the boys bad behaviour and had warned him several times to stop fighting his elder brother, but he refused to adhere to the warning, she said.

The director-general said that the accused would be charged to court under Section 25 of the Child Rights Law and Sections 299 and 348 of the Panel Code Law.

She said that the victim is receiving treatment at Umaru Ndayako General Hospital, Bida.

Earlier, the father admitted to have poured petrol on his son and set him ablaze.

However, he pleaded with the agency for leniency, saying he committed the offence out of anger.

Source: (NAN)
Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi Ojaja II, The Ooni of Ife: when you think of this great King, four salient things come to mind and these are the things that make this enigma the most loved monarch in Nigeria as we speak!

Youthful: The time is gone when you think of King and you imagine an aged man with a head of white hair, shaky voice and ancient robes! Today, you think of Kings and you instantly picture a vibrant, Gucci wearing young monarch like the great king of Ife! It is refreshing to have a king who is youthful and fun!

Looks: Talk about looks and charm, the Ooni of Ife has got it! Remember that time our own Tubaba had an encounter with the king? All he could really share from his meeting with the Ooni was how good the king looked! This is one king who has stolen hearts with his looks and charm, now, no one is scared of having a king as a Boo, if he looks like the Ooni of Ife!

Power: If there is a traditional ruler that commands power, that ruler would be the Ooni of Ife! The title alone will open doors and pave ways in Nigeria. Association with the king in any way is like a Visa into choice vacation places! We have heard people say I am the Ooni of Ifes DJ!

Single: Now, believe it or not, the fact that the Ooni of Ife is single is also one giant reason he is loved. Thousands of women are in a corner of their rooms fantasizing on how cool it would be to be the Queen. The great part is, the Ooni with his power would always be ready to mingleyes, tradition allows!

These and many more things make 43 year old Oba of Ife a highly reverred, respected and loved King!

Source  Kemifilani
The president of northern Cameroons main opposition party, Aboubakar Siddiki has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.

A military court in Cameroon sentenced an opposition leader on Monday to 25 years in prison, his lawyer and Amnesty International said and denounced the trial as politically motivated.

The court convicted Aboubakar Siddiki, the president of northern Cameroons main opposition party, of hostility against the homeland as well as revolution and contempt of the president over accusations he plotted to destabilise the country.

We are going to appeal this decision, which does not seem to us to be at all just, Siddikis lawyer, Emmanuel Simh, told Reuters. In a statement, Amnesty said the prosecution was part of a government campaign to stifle its critics.

The government denies the charges are political.

Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds arrested in a crackdown in recent months on protests in Cameroons English-speaking regions.

Residents there say they suffer social and economic marginalisation in the predominantly Francophone country.

The protests have become a lightning rod for opposition to President Paul Biyas 35-year rule.

Besides Siddiki, the court sentenced Abdoulaye Harissou, a well-known notary, to three years in prison for failure to denounce a crime. The court also dropped charges against three journalists arrested in connection with the same case.
The multi-talented Fuji mega star Alh Wasiu Alabi, popularly called Pasuma Wonder was on Wednesday at the palace of the Ooni of Ife  Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II in Ile Ife on a historic homage to Co-chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria.

The world famous Fuji mega star declared that he decided to pay homage to the foremost African King as his father from whom he needed fatherly blessing to mark his 50th birthday and to identify with him in his relentlessly continued efforts to ensure unity and advancement of Yoruba race.

Pasuma who commended the foremost monarch also congratulated him on his birthday he did recently wishing him a peaceful and successful reign on the throne as the Arole Oodua.

Baba, you are great you have indeed made us proud as our overall father in Yorubaland. That is why I have come to identify with you in your mission of peace, unity and progress for our race and Africa.

Kabiyesi, please pray for me as your son as I will be marking my 50th birthday very soon.

Alabi Pasuma said:-

Ooni in his response also lauded Pasuma for using his music in promoting the culture and unity of the Yoruba race urging him him to always produce music that will further project the image of Yoruba nation which is source of mankind.

The Spiritual leader of the Yoruba race worldwide added that he has been a great fan of Pasuma. He congratulated him on his 50th birthday and prayed God would bless the rest of his journey on earth with good health, long life and prosperity.

Im your fan from time and I still remain your fan. May the Almighty Olodumare bless you with good health, long life and prosperity as youre now 50years of age. We will surely celebrate you. Ooni Ogunwusi added.

Baba Suwe, the globally famous Yoruba ace comedian also fondly called ADIMERU also later same day arrived at the Ile Oodua Palace of Oonirisa to exercise what he called his own turn of homage which he said is long overdue.

It will be recalled that the Aare Ona Kakanfo designate, Otunba Gani Adams had on Sunday paid his first official visit sequel to his proclamation as Aare OnaKakanfo to receive the Yoruba ancestral blessing from the Ooni as the overall father of all the descendants of Oduduwa home and abroad.

Source: Naijaloaded
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has demanded the impeachment of President Muhammadu Buhari over his response to corruption cases involving the former Secretary to the Government, Babachir Lawal, and former National Intelligence Agency, boss, Ayodele Oke.

The party, while calling for the prosecution of the duo, said Messrs. Lawal and Oke were being treated under a different set of laws.

The two top officials, who have been on suspension for months, were relieved of their duties on Monday by President Buhari after widespread outcry.

Mr. Babachir has since been replaced by Boss Mustapha while Nigerians await the replacement of the NIA boss.

The PDP in a statement signed by the partys spokesperson, Dayo Adeyeye, said it was not pleased with the action.

The opposition party said the act is an insult to the collective intelligence of the people who waited patiently for the Presidents reaction to the humongous act of corruption by two of his principal aides.

Its statement read in part:

First and foremost, we had disagreed with the President last year when he decided to set up the panel headed by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo to investigate the matter because we thought that was the wrong course of action to take.

Ordinarily, cases of corruption or alleged cases of misappropriation of funds are supposed to be referred to institutions that are saddled with the responsibility to investigate and prosecute such matters which is the ICPC and the EFCC if there is any prima facie case against them.

But it appears not all animals are equal under the Buhari APC administration. Some people are treated with kid gloves while others particularly those in opposition are subjected to all manner of harrowing experiences.

It said the presidents actions were impeachable.

This is an impeachable offence. So, the President cannot just sack Ayo Oke and Babachir Lawal and expect us to be clapping for him.

We believe that we are operating under a democracy and a constitution that governs our affairs. To have subjected these people to different sets of rule and treatment is totally unacceptable.

Nigerians are the same under the law and Babachir Lawal and Ayo Oke should not be tried by the Presidency while others are hounded by the EFCC and ICPC.

These actions of Mr. President are therefore a breach of his oath of office which he swore to defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and to be fair and just to all Nigerians without any discrimination whatsoever.

The action of the President is a gross violation of his constitutional oath and therefore constitutes a veritable ground for impeachment .Using and applying different laws to different people in the country is a direct assault on the constitution and the rule of law.

Consequently, we call on the National Assembly to begin processes to impeach the President for breach of the Constitution and fragrance disobedient to the laws of Nigeria.

We totally reject these actions and the law should follow its full course on the issues of these officers. In other words, their case should be referred to the EFCC for proper investigation and trial, more so when the President has not told us what the report of the findings was.

Nigerians are entitled to know the findings of the panel headed by the Vice President. The report should be made public since it is the peoples money that is involved.

The President has by his actions taken Nigeria to the level of a banana republic. We are not in a banana republic, this is the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Three successive governments of the PDP did not act in the manner President Buhari is acting.

There is no doubt that the sudden sack of the SGF and the DG of NIA is just a consequence of the backlash on the Abdulrasheed Maina saga. Up till now theres no answer to the pertinent questions we have asked on the Maina saga.

The government cares less about the feelings and opinions of Nigerians. This kind of arrogance is unprecedented in the history of this county. We again call for the arrest and investigation of the two Ministers involved in the return of Maina into the Civil Service, that is, the Minister of Interior, Bello Dambazau and Abubakar Mallami, the Attorney General of the Federation & Minister of Justice.

Source: ( Premium Times )
The Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) in the National Assembly is set to reduce further as three of its members in the House of Representatives appear ready to move to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.

The lawmakers are Johnson Agbonayinma from Edo State, who was a strong supporter of the erstwhile PDP chairman, Ali Modu-Sheriff, Nnanna Igbokwe from Imo State, and Ben Nwankwo from Anambra State, who got to the House through the judgement of the Supreme Court.

While Messrs. Agbonayinma and Igbokwe are defecting to the APC, Mr. Nwankwo has already publicly declared for APGA, Anambras ruling party.

In a telephone interview on Tuesday, Mr. Nwankwo confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that he had decamped to APGA but was yet to declare formally on the floor of the House.

I have decamped to APGA in Anambra and we are working for (Governor) Willie Obianos reelection, he said.

Im yet to inform the House officially of my decision he said.

Also when contacted to comment on the development, Mr. Agbonayinma said: Let us not talk about that for now, lets think of how to move the country forward, Nigerians are suffering.

Nobody has come to reach out to Sheriff and his supporters but rather they are declaring amnesty for us. Have we committed any crime?

He alleged that it was the impunity that Mr. Sheriff was trying to fight that was happening in the PDP. He did not deny plans to defect from the party.

Defecting to another political party is at my prerogative, when we get to the bridge, well cross it, he said.

Also, when contacted, Mr. Igbokwe was not forthcoming on his next line of action, but simply said: Let me be sincere with you, I enjoy working with APC.

I am pleased with APC, I get maximum support from them, the lawmaker added.

PDP has lost five of its lawmakers to other political parties in 2017 alone.

If these three should join other parties, it will bring to eight the number of members the party would be losing this year.

The earlier defectors were Edward Pwajok (Plateau), Adamu Kamale (Adamawa), Hassan Sale (Benue), Zephaniah Jisalo (FCT) and Yusuf Tijjani (Kogi).

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
An abducted Chinese identified as, Lee Xian Qiang has been rescued by the Ogun State Police Command.

According to reports, Lee was kidnapped by six armed men at Ogere area along Lagos- Ibadan Expressway at about 5pm on Monday while he was on his way to Abeokuta from Kogi State.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said immediately the case was reported, the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, deployed operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad led by their Commander Uba Adam.

Oyeyemi said, The team swung into action, combed the entire area and later located the hideout of the kidnappers.

On sighting the policemen, the hoodlums engaged them in gun battle at the end of which one of the suspects was arrested while others escaped with gunshot injuries and the victim was rescued unhurt. 

He said suspect is currently helping the police in their investigation, while the rescued victim has been re-united with his people.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, has appealed to members of the public, especially hospitals and other health workers to report anybody with bullet injuries if seen in their facilities.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday night said he was aware of the investigation of two sacked officials by anti-corruption agencies, saying the investigation should continue.

Mr. Buharis spokesperson, Garba Shehu, in a statement said the position of the President therefore is that investigation agencies which have already commenced the investigation of the two officers removed from office will go on with their work of investigation without any interference or hindrance.

Mr. Shehu added that the president who is fully conversant with the provisions of the constitution will not stop the investigation of anyone because he has no such power under our laws. This is a decision of the Supreme Court.

The spokesperson was reacting to criticisms that trailed the sack of Babachir Lawal and Ayodele Oke, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and former head of the National Intelligence Agency respectively.

President Buhari had ordered the sack of both men earlier on Monday following a review of a panel report that investigated allegations against them. The panel was headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Many Nigerians, though commended the dismissal of both men, asked that Mr. Buhari order their arrest and prosecution.

Mr. Shehu, however, indicated that the two men were already being investigated by the anti-corruption agencies.

Based on his wish and desire for a strict observance of the law, the President expects the EFCC, ICPC and such agencies to proceed with ongoing investigations, the spokesperson said.

When and where they have reasonable grounds to charge former or serving officers to court under our laws, they do not require the permission of the President to do so, he added.

Source: ( Premium Times )
Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, a notable critic of the president, described the sack as a face-saving measure.

He said,The President only acted to save his face from the global embarrassment caused him by the outcry of Nigerians on the news of Mainas reinstatement, Mr. Fayose said Monday.

A fugitive ex-pension boss, Abdulrasheed Maina, accused of corruption, was recently secretly reabsorbed into the civil service with the connivance of top government officials. After a public outcry, President Buhari ordered his dismissal.

Governor Fayose, who demanded the immediate arrest and trial of Maina as well as the sack of all those who perpetrated his reinstatement, described the presidents actions as fraudulent and shameful.

In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose, who likened Buharis anti-corruption fight to a situation where Satan is calling Judas Iscariot a sinner, reminded Nigerians that he said before now that the kind of corruption that will be witnessed in President Buharis government will be unprecedented and that he had been vindicated.

If Maina, who was declared wanted for corrupt practices by the International Police Organisation, (INTERPOL) after he was dismissed from office by the Civil Service Commission in 2013 for allegedly committing N2.1 billion pension fraud while in office, could be secretly reinstated and even promoted without writing the required civil service promotion examination, no one should be in doubt any longer that Buhari is not fighting any corruption.

Governor Fayose described President Buhari and his men as defenders and protectors of corruption.

There is no doubt that the sudden sack of the SGF and the DG of NIA is just a consequence of the backlash on the Abdulrasheed Maina saga. Up till now, theres no answer to the pertinent questions we have asked on the Maina saga, Mr. Fayose said.

Source: ( Premium Times )
President Muhammadu Buhari announced on Tuesday his plans to expand the Federal Executive Council, an indication more ministers are to be appointed into the cabinet.

This was stated this in his address to the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) on Tuesday.

The compressed Federal Executive Council will be expanded to bring in more supporters at Federal Level, with fresh ideas to be injected into the government, the president said.

Currently, the FEC meets once a week and is made up of one minister from each state of the federation.

The Nigerian constitution requires that at least one minister must come from each state.

In his speech to the APC NEC held at the partys national secretariat in Abuja, the president also thanked the governors of the party and the leadership of the National Assembly.

Read the full speech below.

May I warmly welcome everybody to this important meeting of our partys executive body?

Let me on a personal note thank you all for your prayers and good wishes, which the Almighty Allah answered in the restoration of my health.

I wish to thank you all Party leaders for helping to keep the government running smoothly during my prolonged absence.

I would like to start by commending our Party Leadership chaired by His Excellency, Chief John Oyegun. The Chairman and I worked harmoniously during 1984-85 in a previous government. Happily, circumstances have brought us again to positions of leadership in the country.

I want to thank Chief Oyegun and his staff for steering the party in the last two and a half years. Sometimes it is easier to manage failure than to manage success  and a big success such as that we have achieved.

I must also commend the leadership of the National Assembly led by Senate President His Excellency, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Rt. Hon. Speaker Mr. Yakubu Dogara. I must place on record the cooperation and understanding of the National Assembly including some non-APC members who rose above petty party interests and acted in the national interest.

My deep thanks also go to our State Governors who faced stiff challenges, especially their determination to maintain unity and tolerance among our communities. This is in the face of unnecessary politically motivated strife and violence. Credit should go to APC Governors for extending their hand of fellowship to their colleagues from other parties.

In my remarks to the Caucus meeting yesterday, I enumerated the progress that our government has made in the implementation of the programs of government and the Party Manifesto.

We can be proud of our achievements in the last two years, Boko Haram, Niger Delta, Regular Fuel, Improved Power, TSA, Agriculture and Fertilizer, above all, the knowledge that corruption will not be tolerated in this Government. We all know there is CHANGE.

Nigerias prestige has gone up, Nigeria is now credit worthy, a clear testimony of which was the over-subscription of the Euro-Bond by 4 times.

Nevertheless, we are not resting on our achievements. I am quite aware of the challenges before us.

Last year I said we would re-constitute the Boards of Parastatals.

I must regret the fact that we have not done so, for many reasons.

Some of us in this meeting may know I had given instructions since October 2015 for this exercise to start. But there have been inordinate delays through several Committees in an attempt to get the balance right and to make sure all parts of the country are equitably represented.

On the other hand I am keenly aware that our supporters are very eager for these appointments to be announced. By the Grace of God these appointments will be announced soon. Especially now that the economy is improving, we will have the resources to cater for the appointees.

By the same token the compressed Federal Executive Council will be expanded to bring in more supporters at Federal Level, with fresh ideas to be injected into the government.

Let me thank you all again for the commitment and dedicated service to our Party and to remind you that much more will be required of you in the coming months. I hope we can continue to depend on you.

If we keep united and rise above petty or personal quarrels we will surely achieve the desired CHANGE in the country.

I wish us happy deliberations.

Thank you.

Source: ( Premium Times )
Following APC Chieftain, Bola Tinubu statement that President Buhari is working tirelessly to deliver the better Nigeria mandate to Nigerians, PDP Chieftain and former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode has accused Tinubu is sticking to selling out his kinsmen, soul and heritage.

Here are his tweets;
Spain has officially cancelled Catalonias declaration of independence after Catalan leaders ran away from the country.

Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont has said he is not trying to escape justice by fleeing to Brussels, as he pleaded for dialogue with Madrid.

Mr Puigdemont said he and other senior Catalan politicians had left for Belgium to make the Catalan problem clear in the heart of Europe and would return immediately if a fair judicial process could be guaranteed in Spain.

Just as Mr Puigdemont began his statement, Spains constitutional court officially cancelled the Catalan declaration of independence. Mr Puigdemont, who is being charged with sedition, rebellion and embezzlement by Spain, held the press conference in Belgium at midday Tuesday.

He said he was not trying to escape justice, but to highlight the Catalan issue to the rest of Europe and to denounce the absence of judicial impartiality.

He added that he is not looking to seek asylum in Belgium, as had previously been claimed.

Puigdemont said: We saw the charge filings which confirm the extreme aggression of the Spanish government, he said according to El Nacional .

The lawsuit doesnt stand up legally, it doesnt pursue a crime, it pursues an idea. The lawsuit is added to this belligerent path [chosen] by the Spanish state.

Asked by reporters how long he would stay in Brussels, he responded: As long we consider it (necessary). The situation is developing every day. Here we have better guarantees for our rights here and we can meet our obligations from here.

If they can guarantee to all of us, and to me in particular, a just, independent process, with the separation of powers that we have in the majority of European nations  if they guarantee that, we would return immediately.

Mr Puigdemont says he and his team will continue our work despite the limits imposed on us.

He added that he and other members of the dismantled government would respect the result of the snap election called for December 21, saying: problems are solved by voting and not by imprisoning politicians and citizens.

He also addressed todays announcement that Spains Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case brought against Mr Puidgemont and other ousted Catalan separatist lawmakers. Puigdemont said: We saw the charge filings which confirm the extreme aggression of the Spanish government.

The lawsuit doesnt stand up legally, it doesnt pursue a crime, it pursues an idea.

The lawsuit is added to this belligerent path [chosen] by the Spanish state.

He referred to the announcement today that Spains Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case brought against Mr Puidgemont and other ousted Catalan separatist lawmakers.

It comes as a former president of Catalonia accused Mr Puigdemont and his fellow fugitive ministers of selling the Catalan people something false by declaring independence then fleeing to Brussels.

Jose Montilla Aguilera said to Catalan TV: Where are the representatives of the [Catalan] government now? They have to show their faces. They have endangered our institutions.

He added: They played with the people. They sold them something that was false.

You only had to look at the faces of Puigdemont and [vice president] Junqueras proclaiming the Republic. They knew it was a farce.

He added: I told the president that he knew that nobody in Europe would recognise them.

Miquel Iqueta, a Catalan Socialist MP, said he had warned [Mr Puigdemont and his associates] of the risks of violating the law. They knew what they were exposed to. The most fervent of separatists must recognise that this has ended badly.

Mr Puigdemonts Catalan lawyer, Jaume Alonso-Cuevillas, appeared to concede this point when he told Catalan media: Declaring independence is useless if you do not have the strength to exercise what you have declared.

This evening, the Spanish government will convene an extraordinary meeting to discuss Madrids response to Mr Puigemonts unexpected departure from the country.

Mr Puigdemont has also appointed a Belgian lawyer Paul Bekaert, who defended ETA terrorists fighting for the indolence of the Basque region, allegedly to help him seek asylum.

Mr Bekaert, a human rights specialist, worked on numerous cases seeking to block the extradition of ETA members to Spain in the Nineties, when many militants fled Spain to Belgium.

I can confirm that Puigdemont has contacted me today, Mr Bekaert said.

I cannot say what he asked me because of professional confidentiality. Nothing has been decided about the asylum request. Tomorrow there will be a hearing on the subject.

Interpol is currently reluctant to get involved with a possible extradition because its charter forbids it to intervene in political cases, MailOnline understands.

Meanwhile, Spains Civil Guard police force searched the headquarters of Catalonias regional police, the Mossos dEsquadra, in a probe into the independence referendum on October 1.

Were carrying out an inspection related to the Mossos dEsquadras communications on the day of the illegal referendum on October 1, the Civil Guard spokesman said.

He said officers were searching the headquarters in Sabadell, a city in Catalonia, and other offices. The Mossos were tasked with stopping the ballot, which had been deemed illegal by Spains Constitutional Court.

But senior Mossos officers issued orders not to use force, and agents steered clear of clashes with activists gathered in large numbers to protect voting stations. Members of the national police intervened instead, seizing ballot boxes in a clampdown marred by violence against civilians.

The Mossos have since been criticised for not closing down polling stations as they had been asked to. They retorted that they shut as many as they could.

Last night, members of the radical separatist party CUP were seen among about one thousand masked anti-fascist demonstrators who faced off against nationalist protesters on the streets of Barcelona.

Graffiti was painted on buses, traffic was halted and cars were attacked as riot police struggled to contain the two groups. The divisive French far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen waded into the debate, tweeting a call for Spanish unity that was seen as echoing the Franco era. Spain, one, great, free! he wrote in Spanish.

Echoing comments made by a number of distinguished former judges in Spain, Mr Puigdemonts Catalan lawyer Jaume Alonso-Cuevillas, said the politician could not be found guilty because he did not instigate violence. Mr Alonso-Cuevillas, described the allegations as a flagrant abuse of the legal system.

The lawyer had dinner with Mr Puigdemont in his hometown of Sant Julia de Ramis, about an hour from Barcelona, on Sunday, before he left the country, it was revealed. Mr Puigdemont is due to make a speech later today to explain to the world why he slipped out of the country despite having vowed to peacefully resist Madrid.

It is thought that the ousted leader and the five ministers who accompanied him to Belgium are planning to apply for asylum, though local media has reported that he may be considering a return to Catalonia after the snap elections on December 21st.

Over the weekend, the Belgian immigration minister suggested that he was considering granting asylum to the former Catalan leader, but his words were slapped down by the countrys prime minister, Charles Michel.

The asylum application is reportedly to be considered by an independent legal authority rather than Belgian government officials, a prominent immigration lawyer said, underlining that it will be a legal and not political decision. She added that the outcome of the application should be revealed in a few days.

Belgium is one of the few countries that resisted a clause in the Lisbon treaty that would prohibit European member states from offering asylum to other EU citizens.

Yesterday it emerged that the charges of sedition, rebellion and embezzlement against Mr Puigdemont and other senior officials will be handled by the same judge who jailed Jordi Sanchez and Jordi Cuixart, two prominent Catalan leaders imprisoned two weeks ago.

The five officials who have fled along with Mr Puigdemont are interior minister Joaquim Forn, health minister Toni Comin, governor Meritxell Borras, employment minister Dolors Bassa and agriculture minister Meritxell Serret.
Three suspected armed robbers in Ondo State were lynched to death on Monday while attempting to steal motorcycle at Oke Aro area of Akure, the Ondo State capital.

The suspected thieves were said to have been beaten to death by angry mob who were attracted by the call for help of the motorcyclist.

The Public Relations Officer of the Police Command, Femi Joseph said the police were alerted to the incident and immediately rushed to the place.

However, he explained that the three suspected robbers were already on the blink of death when the police rescued them from the angry mob, who had taken law into their hands by pouncing on them mercilessly.

The three suspected thieves according to the PPRO gave up the ghost on their way to the hospital for treatment.

Adelegan who condemned the act of jungle Justice which led to the death of the suspected thieves, said investigation has begun to get the perpetrators arrested.

Source: ( Timenews)
Ladies all over the world are drooling over Nigerian-British heavyweight champion, Anthony Johsua! Although he revealed a while back that he prefers BBW ladies, Nigerian media personality Toke Makinwa has also thrown her shot via Instagram, saying she wants him and his yuminess for her birthday.

Source: Linda Ikejis blog
Nigerians have called on the new and trending pay television provider, TSTV not to fail Nigerians as it gets set to begin sales tomorrow.

Nigerian have urged the newly launched satellite television provider, TSTV not to renege on its promise to begin sales of its decoders by November 1.

Nigerians who took to various social media platforms urged TSTV not to dash their hopes like it did on October 1, during its official launch.

Nigerians had anticipated an immediate sale of the TSTV decoders following its formal launch but the TV provider however announced that sales would commence Nov. 1.

After the launch, Nigerian in excitement went on to mock popular satellite TV provider DSTV and other providers.

However the failure of TSTV to begins sales immediately coupled with an allegation that it was illegally claiming to have license to air some content belonging to bEIN seemed to have dampened the zeal of some Nigerians.

However, many other Nigerians who took to their twitter handles insisted that they were ready to go with TSTV all the way no matter the amount of channels it had.

Many of them insisted that TVST held the key to breaking the satellite TV monopoly and exploitation that had gone on in Nigeria for decades.

TSTV took to its twitter handle @tstvafrica to announce that TStv Africa appreciates everyone for the love, support and patience thus far. Once again, we wish to reassure all Nigerians that efforts are made to ensure commencement of commercial operations nationwide from 1st Nov is achieved as promised.

In reaction to its tweets, Nigerians urged the TV provider not to go back on its promise to begin sales and services on November 1.

Below are some of the tweets:

TSTV officially launched on October 1 and got a three year tax holiday from the Federal Government of Nigeria as a way to support the company.
Update 4/16/20  Adams Property Group began converting the former Farm Fresh store to self-storage in January. The interior work for Merrimac Trail Self-Storage required a lot of demolition, according to Coupland. We are expecting, coronavirus willing, to begin site work outside in the parking lot next week.

The $6 million self-storage project received approval in August after Adams submitted a new site plan. The single-story buildings for the parking area will have decorative brick facades to create separation from the existing retail stores. There will also be a brick fence on the side of the property facing Merrimac Trail.

About 17,092 square feet of the shopping center will continue as retail. Adams also plans to build a 12,289-square-foot, pad-ready parcel to attract a user with the hope of bringing new energy to the retail portion of the property, Coupland said.

11/13/17  The York County Planning Commission voted 5-2 last week to recommend that Adams Property Group receive the special-use permit it needs to move forward with its self-storage conversion. If the project is approved by the board of supervisors, the developer intends to transform the structure into 93,000 square feet of climate-controlled storage space, according to the source.

Adams plans to leave the exterior of the store mostly unchanged, except for the addition of new signage, company representative Jack Coupland told the commission. New fencing with gated, keypad access will be erected at the side of the building. In addition, the applicants statement of intent indicates the parking lot in front of the facility could eventually be developed into additional retail establishments facing Merrimac Trail, the source reported. Existing shops, including a Dominos Pizza and laundromat, will remain open and receive minor exterior upgrades.

Though county staff indicated the $6 million self-storage project isnt the ideal use for the building, it also cautioned against leaving it vacant.

Considering the circumstances, we have someone willing to make an investment in the property and to work with the existing retailers, commissioner Michael King said. I think this is probably one of the best outcomes we could hope for.

No date was given on when the board of supervisors is expected to vote on the permit.

10/31/17  Adams Property Group LLC, which operates eight facilities in South Carolina, is seeking to convert a Farm Fresh grocery store in Williamsburg, Va., that closed earlier this month to self-storage. The York County Planning Commission will vote on Nov. 8 whether to recommend the proposal to the board of supervisors, according to the source.

The 7.34-acre property at 455 Merrimac Trail is in the Shoppes at Merrimac Center near State Route 143. The plans include transforming the 63,000-square-foot building into interior climate-controlled space. An additional 30,000 square feet of storage would be added via a mezzanine level, the source stated. The site would feature a keypad-controlled gate and perimeter fencing, with the entrance on the side of the building.

The exterior of the remaining retails shops in the center would also receive minor upgrades. A gas station on the property would be demolished to make room for parking. In its proposal, Adams also indicated the Farm Fresh parking lot could be used for future retail shops, the source stated.

Based in South Carolina, Adams operates seven Monster Self Storage facilities and one B&H Self Storage in the state. The real estate investment firm also develops, manages and owns multi-tenant retail shopping centers in Georgia and South Carolina.

Sources:

Williamsburg Yorktown Daily: Shuttered Farm Fresh Could Become Self Storage Facility

Williamsburg Yorktown Daily: Proposed Self-Storage Facility in Former Farm Fresh Gets Planning Commission Approval

Daily Press, Self-Storage Facility at Former Farm Fresh Site Waiting to Take Shape
Prime Group Holdings, a New York-based real estate group that owns self-storage and other real estate interests, has acquired a storage facility from Madison Development LLC in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y., for $53 million. The 82,862-square-foot property at 1084-1098 Rockaway Ave. had been managed by real estate investment trust and third-party management firm CubeSmart but has been rebranded under the Prime Storage Group name, according to a source.

The Rockaway asset is Prime Groups first location in New York City. The company will fund the purchase through a $42 million loan from Arbor Realty Trust Inc., a source reported. It has acquired 1.36 million square feet of self-storage this year, according to its website.

Madison acquired the Rockaway site as a vacant property in 2014 for $7 million. The storage facility wasnt listed for sale. If you develop good assets, people want to buy them, and thats what happened to us, Adam Gordon, managing partner for Madison, told a source. We were very happy holding, but we got a good offer, so we took it.

Madison owns 600,000 square feet of self-storage in New York City, according to a source.

Headquartered in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Prime Group owns and manages 170 self-storage facilities in 23 states. Its operating portfolio comprises more than 9.6 million rentable square feet.
Despite reassurances that the UKs passporting rights will remain in place after Brexit negotiations, another insurer has announced it is establishing a European subsidiary.Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance (ADI), the Japanese insurance firm that is part of MS&AD, one of the largest insurers in Asia, will join the likes of Tokio Marine CNA Hardy, RSA Liberty Mutual and FM Global in choosing Luxembourg as its new base.In a press statement, MS&AD announced that it would restructure its European business and move Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Company of Europe Limited as an insurance company for continental Europe,We welcome the decision by Aioi Nissay Dowa, said Nicolas Mackel, CEO of Luxembourg for Financne. It will further enrich Luxembourgs financial services ecosystem already composed of six leading Japanese banks and now two major Japanese insurance companies. We are delighted that increasing numbers of leading global financial institutions are recognising the benefits of the country's long-term stability and world-class, international expertise.

Related stories:

LMG: London must rise to the challenge of competing with local markets

Luxembourg could become the new London
American International Group ( AIG ) has welcomed back Chris Townsend, who has been tapped to fill in the newly created role of International General Insurance CEO.In this new role, Townsend will lead the international operations of AIGs general insurance business. He will be responsible for executing its growth strategy and building on the companys extensive international footprint to support a profitable, client focused organization, a release said.He will report to AIG General Insurance CEO Peter Zaffino as a member of the General Insurance Executive Team. Townsend is expected to join the company in Q1 2018.Townsend has more than 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. He was previously working with MetLife as the president of the companys Asia operations, as well as a member of the companys executive group. Prior to joining MetLife, Townsend was with AIG, where he held a number of senior roles. From 2010 to 2012, he was CEO of AIGs Asia Pacific region, overseeing the companys operations across 15 countries.He serves on the Board of the Japan Society and holds a number of advisory positions, including advisor to the Asia Society, vice chairman of the US-Korea Business Council, and a member of the international advisory council to the Guangdong Government. Townsend is a Chartered Insurer.We are extremely pleased to welcome Chris back to AIG, Zaffino said. He is a highly experienced leader in the insurance industry who knows our company well. He brings deep international expertise to our team, as well as a proven track record of delivering strong financial and operating results. I look forward to partnering with Chris as we strategically position general insurance for the future.I started my career at AIG, and it feels great to be returning and to be part of the next era in the companys long history. I look forward to working with Peter and his talented team to build on AIGs strong global footprint and contribute to a growing, successful future, commented Townsend.
Insurance firm Randall & Quilter (R&Q) has announced two major deals.



One of its subsidiaries, Accredited Surety and Casualty (ASC), has entered into an agreement with Atlas General Insurance Services for its Western Trade Craft artisan contractor business focused on surety, commercial liability and inland marine coverages. The business is mainly focused in Washington, California, Idaho and Nevada, in the US.



ASC said it will not retain risk, as it is fully reinsured with an A.M. Best A- rating. It anticipates up to US$25 million annual gross written premium for this business.



With the support of a number of highly rated Lloyds and international reinsurers, our aim is to generate growing and sustainable service fee income for the group while retaining limited net underwriting exposures, said ASC chairman and CEO Ken Randall. We see significant growth potential for Accredited and we expect to be making further announcements in due course, as and when specific transactions have been concluded.



Meanwhile, R&Q also announced a deal with ProSight Specialty Insurance to novate the management of Syndicate 1110 to the formers managing agency. Day-to-day claims handling on non-US business will be outsourced to R&Q Central Services.



The deal sees ProSights exit from Lloyds. According to R&Q, all of S1110s reinsurance of ProSights US-based insurance companies has been commuted. Business sourced by coverholder ProSight Specialty Insurance Solution to S1110 is being reinsured back to the ProSight Group via 100% quota share reinsurance provided by ProSights subsidiary New York Marine and General Insurance Company.



ProSight will continue to meet funds at Lloyds obligations in respect of S1110 until a Reinsurance to Close (RITC) by R&Q in early 2020, according to R&Q. ProSight also has the option of requiring R&Q to provide up to 30% of the FAL with four months notice in exchange for annual payments to cover R&Qs cost of capital.



We are delighted to have reached agreement with ProSight in respect of S1110. Our appetite for using our expert claims administration skills in the run-off of legacy Lloyds portfolios continues and this transaction is evidence of that, said Randall.


by Chris DaviesThe inaugural Insurance Business America Awards are fast approaching! We caught up with a selection of finalists and asked them to tell their stories.Today its the turn of John Tiene , CEO of Agency Network Exchange : Im a 30-plus year industry veteran, predominantly working on the carrier side. But I also spent over a decade running the state trade association in New Jersey and was heavily involved in solving the auto insurance mess in New Jersey back in the early 2000s. Ive spent the last seven years running Agency Network Exchange Well, highs ... Ive been fortunate. Ive always been given very unique opportunities, so at Allstate , I built an employee grassroots organization that was able to help the company communicate and help educate public officials on the need for reforms.At the trade association, I had the opportunity, not only to build the trade association and take it from a contract service to an independent, stand-alone organization, but we turned it into one of the premier trade associations in the country for insurance.Then, when I was at OneBeacon, I had the ability to help build a first lines organization, rebuild it. I did a lot of unique and different things, including building programs, evaluating package programs for clients, and helping develop variant rating, and things like that.Here, at ANE, Ive had the opportunity to build an organization that is helping independent agents stay independent and grow.The last 15 or 20 years in this industrys been a challenge because the industry is dealing with dramatic shifts in technology, which are causing dramatic shifts in client expectations. You have new entrants into the marketplace. So thereve been a number of challenges.When I was at OneBeacon, we had to traverse huge shifts in the market in New Jersey where you went from having no really major national direct writers to TICO, Progressive Mercury all coming into the market in a short period of time. And you saw huge pricing shifts as the implementation of variant grading and credit scoring were implemented. So, that was an exceptionally challenging time in a career to try to traverse all that while trying to grow the company.Now I would say that the biggest challenge is just theres so much dislocation going on in independent agent channel, not only with insurtech driving all sorts of new technologies, new options for customers. Youve got carriers trying to respond to that and doing different things, multi-channel distribution.Meanwhile, you have independent agents who are the equity guys running around buying up large amounts of agencies. Youve got the aging population of agency owners.So, while there are great opportunities, Ive had a lot of nice successes. Every day, theres new challenges. Youve got to figure out how to address them and take them on and turn them into opportunities.Depends who you are and what you do. I was with an agent last night. He took over an agency for his father and hes looking to grow, but for him, to define success is get to a certain point, make a certain amount of money, have a certain size agency. Hell consider that success. Hell do very well, hell have a good living for his family, hell provide jobs for a number of people and hell help a lot of his clients.For others, its building a much larger organization, employing a lot more people. It all depends on the individual. But I think theres such opportunity in the independent agent channel, particularly for younger folks.Its very satisfying. Weve got a very good team at ANE. We work very hard, and we take a lot of pride in what we do in terms of, Yeah, were a business, and were building a business, and its a for-profit business, and were making money for our shareholders.But, at the same time, were fortunate that what we do is helping people, and weve seen agents that we work with go from being a single-person shop to having six people working there. Weve seen other shops that have been established for many years who, maybe a little stable and stale, get to a point of significant growth.Weve been very happy to see some agencies that could not get the attention of some carriers, but, through our work with them, weve been able to help them get the attention of those carriers and develop very significant relationships.Its gratifying that people that we work with reached out through Insurance Business and responded, nominated us. Its very gratifying. It kind of reinforces that were doing something good and we appreciate the fact that a platform is being created for this.There is a camaraderie and a congeniality, a collegiality that operates within the spectrum. We get our agents together and they talk all the time. The trade, you know, How do I handle this? What do I do with that? I think it helps breed better professionalism when people can get together and talk.Were also seeing an evolution going on. The industry channel, the agency channels evolving. A significant segment of our agency plan is ethnically and culturally focused. Thats one of the big trends were seeing: as the different ethnic and cultural sectors evolve, then our major economic forces are their agencies that service those communities. Whereas other agencies have been around a long time, theres probably fewer business owners who are white, middle-aged.So right now is an exciting time. I just think theres a lot of opportunity going forward. You just have to kind of step back from the doomsday folks who may be not out in the field every day working, and just take a very paternalistic view of things.Well toast a glass, get back on the plane, and get back to work, because, in this environment, you cant take too much time off the prize, if you will. Its the end of the year. Were in the middle of planning, putting our budgets and plans to bed. This has been a phenomenal year for us. Weve written well over 25 million dollars in new business to our carriers.2018 is right around the corner. You got to start January 2nd, hit the ground running. We have significant expansion plans, again, for 2018. Were just going to keep going.So, well take a breath, lift a glass, and appreciate the recognition, and then back to work because weve got 50-plus agencies that are our partners and that need our help and thats what we do.
The cannabis industry is growing at a rapid rate in the United States. Eight states now offer legal recreational cannabis and 29 states allow the drug to be used for medicinal purposes.



There is tremendous opportunity for the insurance industry to service the emerging pot market, according to Karen Landrum, consulting actuary at Merlinos and Associates.



However, some brokers and stumped as to where to start and how to shrug off the stigma attached to the Federally-illegal high. One way to learn about the industry is by studying alternative markets, said Landrum.



Learn more about the emerging cannabis industry at Insurance Business Americas Cannabis Cover Masterclass in Boston on December 7. Click here to register for the event.



The naturals market (vitamins, etc.) is a really good parallel to the emerging cannabis market, she told Insurance Business. Its a very similar product. When the naturals market first started, there were lots of unknowns (like you have with cannabis) and lots of potentially bad products being included in the naturals themselves. There are lots of lessons to be learned from going back and researching what was done in the naturals market and what kind of experience they had.



Over the years, new laws and regulations were introduced, which helped to create better naturals products. They have introduced their own standards and overcome a lot of hurdles which I think are parallel to the cannabis industry.



Celebrate excellence in insurance. Join us for the Insurance Business Awards in Chicago.



A huge challenge looming over the cannabis market is the issue of product liability and insurers backing away from the unknown risks. But theres a ton of exposure and a great opportunity to earn money for those willing to get involved, according to Landrum.



Cannabis product liability is a low frequency, high severity exposure, she said. As an insurance company, you could limit your own exposure to loss by introducing certain policy exclusions or limitations.



Insurance policies are usually issued on an annual basis, so if, for some reason, you experience a loss, its not necessarily a bad thing. It can be good to generate some information, so having some loss might be better than having no loss.



As the cannabis insurance market grows, more data will become available. At the very beginning, insurers and brokers can look at data from alternative industries like the naturals market.



Landrum added: Product liability in its very nature is going to be a low frequency, high severity exposure, so brokers and insurers need to ensure they understand the coverage and how it functions in the market.





Related stories:

Is pot no riskier than any other surplus lines product?

Theres money to be made in cannabis product liability


The future of warfare is hybrid  and the future is now, expert says
Developer South Beach Group Hotels (SBGH) has filed a lawsuit against a contractor over hurricane-related damage at a construction site in Miami Beach.The developer and its affiliates alleged that the contractor, Miami-based Allied Roofings Fidelity GBH Group, was negligent in its duties and had breached its contract. The suit was filed in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court this month.North Beach Properties II, one of SBGHs affiliates, stated that the contractor left the roof on one of its properties unfinished at the time of Hurricane Irmas arrival in the area, which led to extensive damage to the property.Allied Roofing was hired to build new roofs for three buildings  one at 6755 Harding Avenue, the other at 8320 Harding Avenue and the last at 2365 Pinetree Drive in Miami Beach.Marcial Garcia, Allied Roofing owner, told The Real Deal that his workers completed all three roofing jobs, but were unable to perform a complete final inspection for the roof at the 6755 Harding Avenue building  the building where part of its roof blew off during the storm.SBGHs suit alleged that the roofing company did not complete the roof installation, nor close the permits. Garcia has also filed a lien on the property for unpaid work.We are entitled to get paid for the work we did, he said. If roofing companies had to be responsible for the damage sustained by hurricanes, we would be out of business.The developers affiliates claimed that the contractor had used the same inferior materials and/or inferior workmanship, however Garcia maintained that he used materials from major roofing manufacturer GAF. The roofing company owner also said that the same crew installed the roof on all three properties.
The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) released a new tool for policymakers and system stakeholders to track the performance of the New York workers compensation system.

Originally established to monitor the system following reforms in 2007, the report has evolved into a tool for tracking key metrics of system performance on an ongoing basis, said Ramona Tanabe, WCRIs executive vice president and counsel, in a WCRI press release. This regular monitoring helps focus attention on policy objectives that are being met, objectives that are not being met, and unintended consequences that have emerged.

The WCRI is an independent, not-for-profit research organization based in Cambridge, Mass. WCRIs membership includes employers, insurers, governmental entities, managed care companies, health care providers, insurance regulators, state labor organizations and state administrative agencies in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

The study, Monitoring Trends in the New York Workers Compensation System, 20052015, is the 10th annual report to regularly track key performance metrics of the New York workers compensation system.

The analysis in this edition focuses primarily on trends in indemnity benefits, medical payments and benefit delivery expenses from 2007 to 2015 for claims at different maturities. In addition, various interstate comparisons from other WCRI studies are provided to help put the performance of the New York system into perspective, such as the frequency and amount of opioids dispensed to injured workers.

In 2007, New York passed legislation making a number of changes to the states workers compensation system. Among its provisions, the legislation increased maximum statutory benefits, limited the number of weeks of permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits and required the implementation of medical treatment guidelines and the adoption of a fee schedule for pharmaceuticals.

In subsequent years, the system underwent a number of additional regulatory and administrative changes, including electronic filing of claims data and a payor compliance initiative.

Further workers compensation reforms included in the 2017-2018 New York state budget, such as the requirement to adopt a pharmacy formulary and adoption of new permanent impairment guidelines, will be examined in future monitoring reports.

The following are among the studys major findings:

Indemnity benefits per claim increased 711 percent per year from 2007 to 2015, mainly reflecting provisions of the 2007 reform and related changes in settlement behavior.

Medical payments per claim grew 36 percent per year from 2007 to 2014 for all providers, but decreased in 2015.

There was a decrease in visits per claim for some nonhospital providers after implementation of the medical treatment guidelines.

There was little change in prices paid for most nonhospital services since 2002.

Benefit delivery expenses per claim increased 78 percent per year since 2007. The components  medical cost containment, defense attorney payments and medical-legal expenses  all grew, but the relative share of the components was fairly stable.

WCRIs Detailed Benchmark/Evaluation (DBE) database was used in the study. Analyses were performed using open and closed indemnity and medical-only claims with dates of injury primarily from October 2004 through September 2015, with experience as of March 2016. The data include a large volume of claims and represent the full insurance market of the New York system, including private insurers, self-insured employers and the state insurance fund.

The study is authored by Carol A. Telles and William Monnin-Browder.

Source: The Workers Compensation Research Institute

Topics Legislation Claims Workers' Compensation New York
QBE North America, an operating division of QBE Group, has hired Matt Keeping as a regional executive in the Eastern region.

In this role, Keeping will lead QBEs go-to-market activities as an integrated specialist insurer in the 20-state region.

Based in New York City, he will be accountable for the regions profitable growth across QBEs specialized insurance business portfolio, as well as the development of all agent and broker relationships in the region. He will oversee business planning and collaborate with underwriting and claims leadership to deliver better end-to-end risk management solutions through applied expertise.

Keeping previously served on QBE North Americas National Advisory Council in his most recent role as head of broking for Willis Towers Watson, according to Mark Cantin, president of field operations at QBE North America, in a company press release.

Keeping has 25 years of experience in the insurance business. Prior to QBE and his role at Willis Towers Watson, he served in a variety of leadership roles in London and New York at Willis Group, which he joined in 2003.

In the early part of his career, he spent five years living and working in Argentina with a predecessor company of Aon before returning to London, where he was responsible for Aons Latin American property team.

Source: QBE
Severe weather pounded the Northeast region with powerful winds and drenching rains early Monday, leaving nearly 300,000 without power.

Southern New England appeared to suffer the brunt of the storm damage overnight.

Eversource reported more than 155,000 Connecticut customers were without power around 6:30 a.m. Monday. National Grid also reported more than 141,000 customers were without power in New York state, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

About 22,000 customers were without electricity in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey as the powerful wind and pounding rain swept through and caused a number of delays for commuters.

National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Dellicarpini said there were reports of downed trees and power lines around the region and roads that were impassable in spots due to flash flooding.

The Meriden Humane Society in Connecticut put out a call for volunteers on its Facebook page Sunday night to help deal with flooding in its dog kennels. A couple of hours later, the humane society thanked the volunteers who turned out to help dig a major trench to drain water away from the building.

We are beyond humbled at the outpouring of support from our community, the human society wrote on its Facebook page. Thanks to all of you, our dogs will be sleeping very comfortably and most importantly very dry!

Flash flood and high wind warnings were issued across the region. Dellicarpini said parts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts saw wind gusts of up to 70 mph or more. Conimicut Light on Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island reported a wind gust of 81 mph.

The same storm system also caused problems earlier Sunday in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.

WABC-TV reported a driver trapped in high water in Newark, New Jersey, had to climb out of his car window to escape.

I didnt know it was that deepjust put the window down and got out, he told the television station.

Dellicarpini said the storm was expected to continue through the early morning hours Monday in southern New England before moving north to Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

The storm began making its way up the East Coast on Sunday, which also was the fifth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy. That 2012 storm devastated the nations most populous areas, was blamed for at least 182 deaths in the U.S. and Caribbean and more than $71 billion in damage in this country alone.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics New Jersey
Allstate is suing one of its former agents in United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, alleging the agent breached a one-year non-compete clause by misusing Allstates confidential information and trade secrets.

Defendant Abner Joseph executed an exclusive agency agreement (EA Agreement) with Allstate around December 3, 2014. In the contract, he agreed not to compete with Allstate from any office or business within a mile of his Allstate Exclusive Agency for one year after the EA Agreements termination, according to Allstates complaint. Joseph also agreed, upon termination of his EA Agreement, to transfer all phone numbers to Allstate that he used to conduct business under the EA Agreement.

He also acknowledged that a failure to comply with the duties and obligations he owed Allstate under the EA Agreement, including not competing with Allstate within one mile of his former Allstate Agency location, failing to transfer all telephone numbers Joseph used to conduct Allstate business, and using and/or failing to return all confidential Allstate information, would be a breach of the EA Agreement, the complaint says.

Unfortunately, Joseph refused to honor this obligation by setting up a competing agency in the very same office as his former Allstate Exclusive Agency, and then lying about it to Allstate by claiming that he was only operating a tax business out of his former Allstate Agency location, alleges the complaint, filed by Allstates attorneys, Erik W. Weibust and Dawn Mertineit of law firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP.

Allstate, a corporation with its principal place of business in Northbrook, Ill., appoints independent exclusive agents through its Exclusive Agency Program to sell Allstate products.

The corporation and its customers trust Allstate Exclusive Agents to safeguard and protect their private information from unauthorized use or disclosure, according to the complaint. This includes information relating to their personal data, date of birth, social security numbers, types of policies, amount of insurance, premium amounts, description and location of assets and property, claims histories, insurance needs, pricing information and other insurance coverage information.

The complaint states that it is believed Joseph owns and operates Damelia Insurance Agency, which serves as an Allstate competitor. It suggests that Damelia Insurance Agency provides both personal and business insurance products and services, including the same products and services that Joseph sold on behalf of Allstate.

It also alleges Damelias phone number is the same phone number Joseph used on behalf of Allstate, and since June 1, 2017, more than 50 Allstate customers have cancelled their policies with Allstate. According to the complaint, this number is significantly higher than Allstates normal cancellation rate.

In addition to allegedly operating a competing insurance agency, the complaint also suggests Joseph neglected to transfer all phone numbers to Allstate that he used to conduct business under the EA Agreement and is instead using the numbers to support his competing insurance agency, as well as misappropriating Allstates confidential information and trade secrets in violation of the EA Agreement and the federal Defend Trade Secrets Act.

This comes after Allstate sent Joseph a 90-day termination notice in February of 2017 informing him that the EA Agreement was terminated effective June 1, 2017, and he must cease representing Allstate as of that date.

The Termination Notice stated Allstate was terminating the EA Agreement because Joseph failed to obtain required Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) licenses within the contractually required time frame.

On May 31, 2017, Allstates field sales leader, Rick DiBattista, traveled to Josephs office to retrieve any Allstate materials and Allstate customer information and to gain access to the Allstate phone numbers, as is customary, according to the complaint. The complaint adds that DiBattista provided another copy of the Termination Agreement to Joseph at that time.

Joseph, however, claimed he did not have any hard copies of Allstate materials or Allstate customer information and refused to provide any information that would allow Allstate to retrieve the phone numbers, the complaint states, adding that Allstate has since made multiple other attempts to remind Joseph of his obligations under the EA Agreement.

Allstate explains in the complaint that it had been inside Josephs Exclusive Allstate Agency several times before May 31, 2017, and had seen hard copies of Allstate materials and customer information sitting on Josephs desk.

This led Allstate to believe Joseph kept hard copies of Allstate customer information after May 31, 2017, in order to compete with Allstate and to solicit its customers and prospective customers on behalf of his competing insurance agency.

In addition, DiBattista instructed Joseph to place a sign in the store to redirect Allstates customers to another Allstate Exclusive Agent because Josephs EA Agreement was terminated. In response, Joseph told DiBattista that he would not put up the sign and would tear down any signs DiBattista placed in the store after he left, the complaint says.

In October 2017, this suit was filed by Allstate against Joseph for breach of contract, interference with advantageous relations and violations of the DTSA. Through this action, Allstate is asking that the court order Joseph to cease competing with Allstate out of his current office location or any other location within one mile for one year, to transfer Allstate phone numbers back to the company and to cease using or disclosing, as well as immediately return, all confidential information and trade secrets.

Allstates customer relationships and goodwill are threatened with irreparable harm by Joseph operating a competing insurance agency out of his former Allstate Exclusive Agency location the complaint says. The harm to Allstates confidential information and customer relationships is neither knowable nor easily calculable in terms of monetary damages.

Joseph declined to comment when contacted by Insurance Journal as the case is ongoing.

Topics Lawsuits Agencies Massachusetts
A series of safety scandals at Japanese companies have put the countrys lionized factory floor under scrutiny as manufacturers struggle with increased pressure on costs, stricter enforcement of standards and growing competition.

With margins squeezed by a stagnant domestic market and rivalry from China and South Korea, many factories have cut costs, reducing their reliance on workers in lifetime employment in favour of labourers on temporary contracts.

As they have done so, safety scandals have erupted across the countrys much-vaunted manufacturing sector, with Subaru Corp. on Friday joining Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. in admitting it failed to follow proper vehicle inspection procedures.

Earlier this month, Japans third-largest steelmaker, Kobe Steel Ltd, said its workers had tampered with product specifications for years, leaving companies around the world scrambling to verify the safety of cars, planes, trains and electrical goods.

Unable to easily lay off regular employees, full-time employees with permanent contracts and pay scales based on seniority that formed the heart of Japans post-war workforce, companies have increasingly come to rely on non-regular workers  temps, part-timers and short-term contract workers.

These non-regular workers allow companies to cut costs and adjust their workforce, said Koji Morioka, emeritus professor at Kansai University and an expert on workplace issues. But it has led to a de-skilling of the factory floor, lowering standards and increasing the likelihood of wrongdoing and accidents, he said.

The use of these disposable workers is greatly increasing, Morioka said. The loss of experienced, skilled workers on the factory floor is becoming more and more risky.

The share of non-regular workers in the labour force has risen from 20 percent in the early 1990s to a record 37.5 percent last year  with the proportion in some companies higher still.

The pay gap is stark, with regular workers last year on average paid 321,700 yen ($2,830) monthly compared with 211,800 yen for contract workers.

Companies are failing to produce the skilled workers needed to ensure standards are met in areas like safety at a time when scrutiny is intensifying around the world and lapses are met with greater criticism, said Parissa Haghirian, professor of Japanese management at Sophia University in Tokyo.

There is a real human resource problem, she said, with the traditional model of hiring workers straight out of school or university, teaching them on the job and rotating them between departments no longer functioning well.

AFTERTHOUGHT

With the ratio of companies complaining of labour shortages at a 25-year high and with firms needing specialists but failing to produce them internally, competition for skilled workers is likely to become more fierce, Haghirian said.

I predict high performers will leave more quickly leaving companies in trouble because these people traditionally would stay and drag everyone else along, she said.

Japanese companies are not alone in being caught up in scandals, with European and U.S. companies caught cutting corners and manipulating results in areas like vehicle emissions tests to the sale of meat. But the Japanese firms face questions over whether they can adapt quickly enough.

Some Japanese makers have taken the attitude that because the factory floor is well run, quality control and inspection can be applied as an afterthought, said Tadashi Kunihiro, a lawyer who is a director and auditor on company boards.

Companies, he said, were not placing their most skilled workers in quality control roles.

While safety lapses have been going on at some companies for years or even decades, the decline of the lifetime employment system has likely sapped the loyalty of workers who are more likely to raise concerns themselves, Kunihiro added.

Improving transparency at companies has been a key plank of Prime Minister Shinzo Abes corporate governance reforms through measures such as boosting the number of outside directors.

But experts question whether such reforms can do much to prevent safety scandals occurring in the first place.

Even if there are more outside directors, if there is cheating on the factory floor there is no way they will be able find out, a senior executive in the aluminium industry said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

Even executives dont know whats happening on the factory floor, he said.

Executives are guilty of becoming too detached from the operational side of the business, said Toshiyuki Shimegi, president of Porsche Japan.

There is a need for more micromanagement, he said on the sidelines of the Tokyo Motor Show. They are missing the hands-on approach.

(Reporting by Sam Nussey, additional reporting by Aaron Sheldrick, Ritsuko Shimizu; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Topics Manufacturing
American International Group (AIG) announced that Chris Townsend will join the company as chief executive officer, International General Insurance.

In this newly created role, Townsend will lead the international operations of AIGs General Insurance business, with responsibility for executing its growth strategy and building on the companys international footprint to support a profitable, client-focused organization, AIG said in a statement.

He will report to Peter Zaffino, chief executive officer, General Insurance, as a member of the General Insurance Executive Leadership Team and is expected to join the company in the first quarter of 2018.

Townsend has over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. He previously served as president of MetLifes Asia region, with responsibility for all businesses and operations across 11 markets in Asia, and as a member of the companys Executive Group.

He joined MetLife from AIG, where he held senior roles with increasing responsibility based out of London, New York, Singapore, Sydney and Hong Kong. From 2010 to 2012, Townsend was chief executive officer of AIGs Asia Pacific region, with oversight of 15 countries, and helped drive capital optimization, cost efficiency and above average returns on equity.

He serves on the board of the Japan Society and holds a number of advisory positions, including as adviser to the Asia Society, vice chairman of the U.S.-Korea Business Council, and a member of the international advisory council to the Guangdong Government. He is a Chartered Insurer.

We are extremely pleased to welcome Chris back to AIG, said Zaffino. He is a highly experienced leader in the insurance industry who knows our company well. He brings deep international expertise to our team, as well as a proven track record of delivering strong financial and operating results. I look forward to partnering with Chris as we strategically position General Insurance for the future.

Townsend said: I started my career at AIG, and it feels great to be returning and to be part of the next era in the companys long history. I look forward to working with Peter and his talented team to build on AIGs strong global footprint and contribute to a growing, successful future.

Source: AIG
A Missouri educator awarded $500,000 over claims that she was sexually harassed by her superintendent is suing again, alleging that school board members poisoned her effort to find a new job.

Jodi Heckler was principal of an intermediate school in the Reeds Spring School District near Branson. She resigned in March as part of a settlement agreement.

Amid a national reckoning of sexual harassment, Hecklers case has angered some residents living within the boundaries of the school district that educates about 1,800 students, with some calling for the ouster of superintendent Mike Mason.

The initial lawsuit said Mason sent unwanted text messages, repeatedly stopped by Hecklers office, and in one instance, lifted her shirt from the back. She complained to the districts Title IX coordinator who concurred that Masons actions amounted to sexual harassment, the lawsuit said.

The school board signed off on the $500,000 settlement in March, with Mason admitting no wrongdoing. At the same meeting, the board voted 6-1 to extend Masons contract and give him a raise. The one dissenting vote was cast by the lone female board member.

In April, about 650 people signed a petition calling for Masons removal. But the board has taken no action to remove Mason.

School district spokesman Ben Fisher declined comment on the lawsuits but said the district wants everyone to know that it is steadfastly committed to providing an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment for all students and staff.

A phone message seeking comment from school board president Earl Johnson was not returned.

Heckler, 45, said in a second lawsuit filed in July that despite a sterling job performance record that included awards and other recognition, she struggled to find a new job. The suit said she applied for more than 60 jobs before finally being hired as a fifth-grade teacher.

The suit said Hecklers job search was hurt because at least two board members made disparaging and derogatory statements, rumors, spoke ill of, and in general bad mouthed her in retaliation for the harassment claims against Mason.

The Missouri Commission on Human Rights agreed that Heckler had a right to sue the district again. The district has responded by suing the commission as part of an effort to halt the second lawsuit. A court hearing is scheduled for Dec. 1.

Hecklers attorney, Jay Kirksey, said the districts lawsuit is without merit.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits Missouri
MJ Insurance has added Eric Spencer and Dennis Nash to the risk management and employee benefits teams as consultants in the companys Indianapolis, Indiana, office.

In their respective departments, Spencer and Nash will be responsible for proactively driving sales and service by providing innovative solutions to clients.

Spencer, who will specialize in the manufacturing, metals and transportation practice group at MJ, previously served as a business development associate at Protective Insurance.

Nash brings more than 25 years of experience to his new role. Prior to MJ, he served as vice president at a regional agency.

Headquartered in Indianapolis, MJ Insurance is a commercial insurance, risk management and employee benefits consulting agency that, since 1964, has grown from a two-person start-up to an agency with more than 140 employees in both Phoenix and Indianapolis.

Source: MJ Insurance
Investor-funded litigation is not new but it is expanding its reach in commercial auto cases, according to experts in the field.

Panelists at the 2017 Risk Management Summit in Las Vegas, Nev., addressed the growing trend of investor funded litigation in commercial auto claims during the session, Investor Funded Litigation Update.

Insurance Journal was a sponsor of the summit that was hosted by eServices, a division of Energi that provides a turnkey risk management, claims and marketing technology for companies.

Though investor funded litigation has been around since ancient Greece, theres been a noticeable uptick in its use in cases within the past 20 to 30 years, according to John Ferrante, vice president of Litigation Management for eClaims Management. Initially, it was used as a way for smaller businesses to remain a party in lawsuits with larger companies that had access to more funds.

Funding can be in the form of loans or assignments.

In some states, including Florida, it is illegal for an attorney to front money to a client, though in California, Massachusetts and Louisiana, counsel on a case can provide a loan or cash advance for a clients living expenses. In states where it is considered legal and ethical, the attorney is considered an investor in the case.

In California and some other states, doctors can be investors as well and they do so by agreeing to take less money than billed, panelists said.

Nick Gristina, a partner in the New Orleans office of Porteous, Hainkel & Johnson LLP, said that one company, Oasis Financial, is a well-known provider of cash advances in Louisiana. The plaintiff completes an application and pays a fee for the firm to review the case. A representative of Oasis will call and speak with his or her counsel and if they deem the case viable they will provide a cash advance.

Another firm, Diagnostic Management Affiliates (DMA), located in Louisiana, acts as an HMO or PPO insurer. It coordinates medical visits and funds the case with the stipulation that plaintiff counsel pays the high interest loan back within two years or upon settlement.

According to Timon Sullivan, a trial attorney with Ogden & Sullivan, P.A., in the state of Florida, if a doctor agrees to take a letter of protection from a lawyer in order to bill a certain amount and the attorney agrees to pay that amount, that fact can be used to impeach the doctors testimony at trial.

Jonathan Colman, a principal and managing partner at Colman Law Group who practices in both Nevada and California, said that it is legal to crowdfund to litigate ones own case. But he said this brings up ethical questions, including: is there a duty to pay back the plaintiff first or should the investors be paid before the plaintiff?

Conflict Question

Colman said there is also the question of conflict since investors are not to play a role in the decision-making behind case handling.

Gristina said that in Louisiana, although the investor must be passive and cant be involved in settlement discussions, there is still tacit control or influence on the claim.

Another concern around these funding schemes is whether counsel is breaking privileged communications by providing case information to investors. If a confidentiality agreement is signed by a client, then he or she is the holder of privilege.

Gristina said he knows lawyers who wont take cases tied to litigation financing because they are harder to settle. Theres no incentive to settle when theres an investor backing a plaintiff in a case and because they arent present it can make it impossible to settle.

Others agreed. Funding companies have no incentive to take any less, Sullivan said.

At the same time, some judges believe litigation financing levels the playing field, according to Gristina.

Sullivan recommended defense counsel make sure the funding company is a designated a party of interest, so it must attend mediation.

Sullivan cited a Florida commercial auto case that was investor funded. Due to the funding he received, the plaintiffs Social Security benefits were cut off, forcing him to file an appeal. Sullivan obtained the name of the litigation financing company as well as gained access to the funding agreement through the Social Security appeal documents.

Funding company information isnt usually disclosed but in northern California, a new rule says that if investor funding is involved, it has to be disclosed on class action lawsuits.

Topics Lawsuits California Florida Auto Louisiana Commercial Lines Business Insurance
U.S. shareholder activists are addressing a soaring death toll from opioid drug abuse, asking companies that make and distribute the painkillers to review the risks their businesses could face from their role in the sector.

Leaders of a 30-fund group that includes state pension officials and religious and labor organizations plan to reveal on Monday they have begun filing shareholder resolutions at 10 companies, including distributors AmerisourceBergen Corp. and Cardinal Health Inc. and manufacturers Johnson & Johnson and Insys Therapeutics.

In resolutions aimed at annual shareholder meetings to be held in 2018 and in letters to the companies, activists are urging independent directors to review and report on how the boards are managing the legal, financial and reputational risks their enterprises face from their involvement with opioids.

They also seek corporate-governance reforms such as allowing more grounds to claw back pay from executives who inappropriately promote the drugs, or creating independent board chairs to provide better oversight.

Representatives of Cardinal and Insys did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Johnson & Johnson spokesman Ernie Knewitz said the company was preparing a response to the investors, and that the company had acted responsibly.

Opioid abuse is a serious public health issue that must be addressed, and doing so will require collaboration among many stakeholders, and our company is committed to working with federal, state and local officials to help find meaningful solutions, he said in an emailed statement.

In a statement emailed by AmerisourceBergen spokeswoman Keri Mattox, the company said it welcomes a productive dialogue with all shareholders. The issue of opioid abuse is a complex one that spans the full healthcare spectrum, including manufacturers, wholesalers, insurers, prescribers, pharmacists and regulatory and enforcement agencies.

The statement said the company worked closely with officials to combat drug diversion while supporting appropriate access to medications.

At an annual meeting on Nov. 8, Cardinal Health will face a resolution calling for an independent board chair in order to improve oversight.

These considerations are especially critical at Cardinal given the potential reputational, legal and regulatory risks Cardinal faces over its role in the nations opioid epidemic, including its history of compliance challenges concerning the distribution of controlled substances, the resolutions sponsors, including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, said in a supporting statement. The statement cited Cardinals payment of tens of millions of dollar to settle various federal and state charges related to opioids.

In a securities filing, Cardinal calls the change unnecessary, noting it already has an independent lead director and state-of-the-art controls over its pain medications.

Officials at all levels of government in the United States are struggling to respond to a surge in deaths from opioid abuse, which hit 33,000 in 2015, the last year for which there is complete federal data.

In many cases patients prescribed opioid painkillers become addicted to them and then move on to acquiring the drugs illegally, or turn to heroin or fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opiate.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday declared the opioid epidemic a national public health emergency.

State attorneys general have also taken on opioid manufacturers, with lawsuits charging that deceptive marketing practices helped fuel an epidemic of abuse. Federal prosecutors on Thursday charged the founder of Insys, John Kapoor, with participating in a scheme to bribe doctors to prescribe a particularly potent opioid.

A lawyer for Kapoor said in a statement that Kapoor is innocent and will fight the charges.

Shareholder activists said healthcare providers may have underestimated how addictive the drugs were, but said the crisis points to a need for stronger oversight within drugmakers.

We believe these companies have played an important role in this epidemic, said Donna Meyer, director of shareholder advocacy for Mercy Investment Services, an investment fund for Roman Catholic nuns. It is leading the resolutions push, along with the UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust, which oversees benefits for about 700,000 retirees of the United Auto Workers.

(Reporting by Ross Kerber; Editing by Leslie Adler and Bernadette Baum)

Topics USA Commercial Lines Business Insurance Drugs
Tennessee investigators say a captain with Nashvilles fire department was arrested on arson and insurance fraud charges for setting his home on fire on purpose.

According to a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation news release, Jeffrey Neely of the Metro-Nashville Fire Department was indicted by a Dickson County grand jury Oct. 18 and arrested Wednesday.

The TBI says Neely was booked into Dickson County Jail on a $50,000 bond.

Nashville Fire Department spokesman Joseph Pleasant says Neely has been placed on administrative leave, pending an internal investigation.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Tennessee
West Virginia emergency officials say a large warehouse fire is fully extinguished more than a week after it broke out.

The state Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety says it was informed by Lubeck Fire Chief Mark Stewart that the remainder of the fire was out at midday Sunday and that crews will check the Parkersburg warehouse for possible flare-ups over the next two days. The fire started Oct. 21.

The 420,000-foot (130,000-meter) property is owned by Columbia, Maryland-based Intercontinental Export Import Inc., which says on its website that it buys and sells an array of recycled plastics worldwide.

The Department of Environmental Protection has ordered the company to provide a detailed inventory and properly dispose of debris.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Virginia
General Motors has agreed to a $13.9 million settlement with Orange County, Calif., after prosecutors accused the auto giant of concealing serious safety defects to avoid costly recalls and part replacements.

The lawsuit, filed in 2014, accused GM of deceptive business practices and unfair competition. It alleged the automaker marketed its brand as safe and reliable while failing to disclose defects including power steering, air bag and brake problems. As a result of the failures, at least 124 people died and 275 were injured, according to the Orange County Register .

Earlier this month, GM agreed to pay $120 million to resolve claims from 49 states and the District of Columbia over faulty ignition switches. The California Attorney Generals Office received $7 million in the settlement.

In a Friday statement obtained by the Register, the company said: GM has reached a constructive settlement with Orange County, Calif. to resolve claims filed by the Orange County district attorney regarding the companys advertising of vehicles that were subject to certain recalls in 2014, including the ignition-switch recall.

Prosecutors said GM trained its staff to never use the words defect or stall and routinely chose the cheapest part supplier without regard for safety. The lawsuit said the company also discouraged employees from addressing safety issues, according to the newspaper.

Over five months in 2014, GM was forced to recall 17 million vehicles in 33 recalls for various defects, officials said.

Since 2014, GM has taken important steps to help ensure the safety of its vehicles, including a new organizational structure dedicated to global vehicle safety and a robust Speak Up for Safety program, the companys statement added.

The settlement in Orange County was approved by a judge last week.

We must protect our consumers from businesses that put profits over people by keeping cars on roads safe and avoiding preventable accidents, District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said in a statement. We must also encourage all businesses to be fair and live up to safety standards, and must not allow those engaging in unfair practices to punish those businesses that dont cut corners by compromising safety.

Related:

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits California
Of all the beautiful scenery to see in Honolulu, officials want to make sure residents and tourists get a good look at the street.

Honolulu became the largest city in the U.S. to make it illegal for people to look at cellphones, tablets or video games while crossing a road or highway. It comes as a few states still have not outlawed texting while driving.

It remains to be seen how the law can be enforced on an island that draws tourists from across the globe. The tourism industry is trying to educate visitors, but a smattering of tourists interviewed said they had no clue.

Amy Pawlowski, who was visiting from Phoenix, had not heard about the new restrictions on mobile devices.

It seems as though the enforcement aspect would be quite difficult and almost that the government efforts would be better spent with the law prohibiting drivers from being on their phones while driving, she said just after glancing at her phone while crossing a Waikiki street. Perhaps they (pedestrians) are using a navigation device that is helping them navigate Waikiki or Honolulu.

The law applies to the entire island of Oahu, where it is also illegal to drive while using handheld mobile electronics. A first offense for the distracted walking ordinance carries a fine of between $15 and $35. It increases to between $75 and $99 for a third offense within a year of the first violation.

Officers in tourist-heavy Honolulu have discretion to issue a warning or a ticket, police spokeswoman Michelle Yu said.

We realize not everyone is going to know, she said. Local laws could vary.

The National Safety Council, which has been looking at the issue of distracted walking since 2015, praised Honolulu for being a leader on the issue. The small Idaho city of Rexburg passed an ordinance in 2011 making it illegal to text while driving or crossing a street or highway. Other cities have considered similar measures, said Tatyana Warrick, a council spokeswoman.

The ordinance aims to reduce the number of injuries after the state ranked as the 13th most dangerous for pedestrians from 2010 to 2014, said Honolulu Councilman Brandon Elefante, who wrote the measure.

Elefante said he pushed the measure partly because a high school in his district with nearly 2,500 students is on a busy highway. Students at Waipahu High School did a survey and found 1,000 classmates in a 20-minute period jaywalked, crossed against traffic lights and used electronic devices while crossing, he said.

The law went into effect 90 days after the mayor signed it in July. During the 90 days, police say they have passed out informational fliers across the island.

Jim Cartisser, a tourist from Twin Falls, Idaho, said getting a ticket while on vacation could leave a lot of people with a sour taste in their mouth leaving Honolulu.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Farmers Insurance has filed a lawsuit in California against a pair of former employees and the Automobile Club of Michigan alleging the theft of trade secrets.

The suit alleges violations of the California Trade Secrets Act, unfair competition, breach of fiduciary duty and other charges. It seeks damages to be named at a trial, a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction preventing the defendants from using Farmers trade secrets.

The suit filed on Monday in Los Angeles County superior court alleges that Venkatesh Kamath, former director of personal lines auto IT for Farmers, left the L.A.-based carrier and took trade secrets with him to Auto Club Michigan. It also accuses Shohreh Abedi, a former chief information officer of Farmers, of recruiting Kamath to get that information to use at Auto Club Michigan.

Both now reportedly hold executive titles with Auto Club Michigan.

Spokespersons for Auto Club Michigan did not immediately return requests for comment for this story. The attorneys that filed the suit on behalf of Farmers wouldnt comment, nor would Farmers spokespersons.

According to the suit, Farmers in 2015 began undergoing an update of its claims handling and policy servicing systems using Guidewire Software when Kamath gained access to highly sensitive and confidential information pertaining to the Guidewire roll out plan and Farmers business operations.

Abedi oversaw the initial phases of the Guidewire project for Farmers and then left for Auto Club Michigan, eventually recruiting Kamath, the suit alleges.

Abedi, who is now at the helm of Auto Clubs transition to Guidewire, was involved in selecting Guidewire for the Farmers transition, according to the suit. Abedi was Kamaths superior and acquaintance, the suit states.

Farmers is informed and believes, and thereon alleges, that Abedi has persistently recruited Farmers employees and contractors since her departure from (Farmers) and that several Farmers employees and/or contractors have joined the Auto Club as a result of these efforts, the suit states.

The suit alleges that days before starting a job with Auto Club, Kamath copied more than 6,400 files from his Farmers computer to a storage device.

While some of the items were personal in nature, a substantial portion of the materials were not, including trade secret information relating to the Guidewire project and Farmers core insurance business, the suit states.

The suit alleges that the copied files go to the core of the Guidewire project and reveal how Farmers is customizing and utilizing the Guidewire software to fit its particular needs and objectives.

Farmers is alleging that Abedi and the Auto Club intentionally recruited Kamath to obtain know-how and customization in implementing the Guidewire technology, and to obtain Farmers confidential trade secrets and proprietary information relating to its Guidewire project.

Farmers is further informed and believes, and thereon alleges, that Kamath secured employment from the Auto Club based upon the representation (and Abedis knowledge) that he had access to Fanners IT files and confidential information relating to the Guidewire PolicyCenter project and other confidential, proprietary information, and that such information could be utilized to benefit the Auto Club, a competitor of Farmers, the suit states.

The suit is Famers Insurance Exchange and Farmers Group Inc. V. Venkatesh Kamath; Shohreh Abedi; The Auto Club Group; Automobile Club of Michigan Dba AAA Michigan.

Topics Lawsuits California Auto Michigan Agribusiness
What Is Hawala?

Hawala is an informal method of transferring money without any physical money actually moving. It is described as a "money transfer without money movement." Another definition is simply "trust."

Hawala is used today as an alternative remittance channel that exists outside of traditional banking systems. Transactions between hawala brokers are made without promissory notes because the system is heavily based on trust and the balancing of hawala brokers' books.

Key Takeaways Hawala (sometimes referred to as underground banking) is a way to transmit money without any currency actually moving.

Hawala networks have been used since ancient times, and today they are widely found among ex-pats sending remittances home.

Hawala provides anonymity in its transactions, as official records are not kept and the source of money cannot be tracked.

Hawala is also finding a footing in the world of financial technology, which grants access to money transfers among the unbanked and underbanked populations of the world.

Some countries, like India, have made hawala illegal due to its informal nature and absence of regulation or oversight.

Understanding Hawala

Hawala originated in South Asia during the 8th century and is used throughout the world today, particularly in the Islamic community, as an alternative means of conducting funds transfers. Unlike the conventional method of transferring money across borders through bank wire transfers, money transfer in hawala is arranged through a network of hawaladars or hawala dealers.

Hawala dealers keep an informal journal to record all credit and debit transactions on their accounts. Debt between hawala dealers can be settled in cash, property, or services. A hawaladar who does not keep their end of the deal in the implied contractual system of hawala will be tagged as one who has lost their honor and will be ex-communicated from the network or region.

Hawala is thought to come from the Arabic word for "assignment" or "bill of exchange" or the Hindi word for "reference."

Migrant workers who frequently send remittances to relatives and friends in their countries of origin find the hawala system advantageous. Hawala facilitates the flow of money between poor countries where formal banking is too expensive or difficult to access.

In addition to the convenience and speed of conducting hawala, the fees are usually low compared to the high rates that banks charge. To encourage foreign exchange transfers through hawala, dealers sometimes exempt expatriates from paying fees. The system is also easy to use, as one only needs to find a trusted hawaladar to transfer money.

Benefits of Hawala

Hawala allows people to transfer money even if they do not have formal banking relationships or access to established financial networks. For people without a government-issued ID or bank account, hawala networks may be the only way to send remittances, particularly if the destination is in another country. In other circumstances, it may be cheaper or faster than dealing with the paperwork of official channels.

For this reason, hawala networks are frequently used in countries where there are strict capital controls or sanctions on the flow of money. Traders and expatriates from countries sanctioned countries, like Iran, might use hawala networks to make payments to their counterparties in neighboring countries.

Example of Hawala

How does hawala work? Lets say Mary needs to send $200 to John, who lives in another town. She will approach a hawaladar, Eric, and give him the amount of money she wants John to receive, including the details of the transaction; the name of the recipient, city, and password.

Eric contacts a hawala dealer in the recipients city, Tom, and asks him to give John $200 on the condition that John correctly states the password. Tom transfers the money to John from his own account, minus commission, and Eric will owe Tom $200.

The transaction initiated by Mary and concluded by Johns receipt of the funds takes only one to two days or, in some instances, just a few hours. No money is moved and no IOUs are signed and exchanged by Eric and Tom, as the hawala system is backed only by trust, honor, family connections, or regional relationships.

Hawala and Illegal Activities

The very features that make hawala an attractive avenue for legitimate patrons also make it attractive for illegitimate uses. Thus, hawala is frequently referred to as underground banking. This is because money launderers and terrorists take advantage of this system to transfer funds from one location to another.

Hawala provides anonymity in its transactions, as official records are not kept and the source of money that is transferred cannot be tracked. Because money laundering aims to hide the source of cash that is generated from illegal activities, hawala is a perfect system for money laundering.

In addition, corrupt politicians and the wealthy who would prefer to evade taxes use hawala to anonymize their wealth and activities. Cash generated from business transactions that are not recorded cannot be taxed.

Hawala is also used to fund terrorism and makes it particularly difficult to stop terrorism. A large portion of discovering terrorist cells involves tracing the movement of money, as terrorist organizations are funded and need money to buy weapons and feed their people. Hawala transactions make this movement of money easy as there is no paper trail from the source of funds to the terrorist organization.

Hawala and Government Regulation

Since hawala transfers are not routed through banks and, hence, not regulated by governmental and financial bodies, many countries have been led to reexamine their regulatory policies in regard to hawala.

Some countries have made hawala illegal due to the difficulty of enforcing regulations.

For example, in India, the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) are the two major legislative systems that deter the use of hawala in the country. India prohibits informal hawala transactions and people from entering into them by strictly defining the types of transactions not allowed, which include the creation or procurement of any asset outside of India.

In Pakistan, informal Hawala transactions are prohibited as well. The country specifies what entities are allowed to make remittances and currency exchanges. There are laws in place that require money changers to register and comply with regulations to become foreign exchange companies within two years and if they do not register they are not allowed to operate.

Afghanistan's 300+ money exchangers have organized themselves into a self-regulatory body that has created rules and regulations that all members must comply with. It has been more difficult for the country to bring unregistered money exchanges into the fold to prevent illegal activities through hawala exchanges.

Most countries have laws around informal funds transfer systems, like hawala, that seek to curb the negative externalities created by such a system.

Hawala and Fintech

Some Fintech companies are implementing the hawala system in providing financial services to the unbanked and underbanked populations of the world. Mobile banking and payment platforms, such as Paga and M-Pesa, are revolutionizing the financial system in certain African countries by promoting financial inclusion through the hawala system of providing financial services.

Is a Hawala Illegal? Hawala trades are illegal in the United States and many other countries because financial regulations require money services businesses to obtain appropriate licenses and follow anti-money laundering laws.

What Is Hawala Money? Hawala money is money that is transferred using the hawala system, whereby no actual movement of funds from one account to another account happens, no paper trail is created, and no promissory notes exist.

What Is the Punishment for Hawala in India? The punishment for hawala in India is as follows: A monetary penalty of up to three times the sum involved with a cap of 200,000 Indian rupees ($2,755).

Confiscation of the currency, security, or other money and property related to the violation.

Imprisonment if the penalty is not paid.



Is Hawala Legal in Dubai? Hawala is legal in Dubai as long as the hawala provider is registered with the Central Bank and abides by the regulations set forth.

The Bottom Line

Hawala is an informal funds transfer system that allows for the transfer of funds from one person to another without the actual movement of money. It is a simple process that requires no documentation and, therefore, is an anonymous system of moving money. This has been beneficial for many poor countries where individuals move abroad to work and send money home, avoiding costly transfer fees and other required documentation.

Because of its anonymity, hawala has also been a means for illegal activity to take place, such as money laundering and the financing of terrorism. For this reason, many countries prohibit hawala or have put regulations around it.
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Brexit is unlikely to ground flights between the UK and EU, the chief executive of IAG, which owns Aer Lingus and British Airways, has said.

Willie Walsh said that such a move would bring the entire continent to a standstill.
The United Nations has appointed a Norwegian as an interim resident coordinator in Burma and resident representative for the UN development programme in the country.

Knut Ostby, who has served as a UN resident coordinator for more than 11 years, replaces Renata Lok-Dessallien in his new role, the UN said in a statement.

The announcement comes after more than 600,000 minority Rohingya Muslims have been driven out from Burma since late August amid a brutal crackdown by military security forces in northern Rakhine state.

International humanitarian assistance, the UN and international media have not been allowed to enter the region, amid allegations of human rights abuses.

Ms Lok-Dessallien has been criticised both by the UN and other international organisations for allegedly not effectively handling the human rights concerns in Rakhine.

The UN statement said Ms Lok-Dessallien will take another assignment at UN headquarters.

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said he was "grateful" for Ms Lok-Dessallien's "important contribution and service" to the UN's work in Burma.

Meanwhile, a boat carrying up to 45 Rohingya Muslims fleeing Burma has capsized in the Bay of Bengal, and a Bangladeshi official said four bodies were recovered.

It was not clear how many people were missing.

Mohammed Mikaruzzaman, local government administrator at Ukhiya, said some 23 people were rescued and a dozen of them were being treated.

The boat capsized on Tuesday morning near Inani beach in Cox's Bazar district, which borders Burma.

The UN refugee agency said survivors told its staff that 42 people from six families left on a fishing boat in Burma's northern Rakhine state early on Tuesday.

The boat hit rough seas and capsized, trapping people underneath, the agency said.

More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have reached refugee camps in Bangladesh since Burma's security forces launched operations on August 25 that the United Nations and others have described as "ethnic cleansing".

About 190 people trying to flee have died in boat accidents in the Bay of Bengal or nearby waterways.

AP
The pulse, which measures consumer and business sentiment, was up in October from last month  however it was considerably lower than the same month last year.

Chief economist Loretta OSullivan said: The uptick in the economic pulse this month looks to be less of a budget bounce than an unwinding of last months temporary setback on the consumer side.

She said the mood among households brightened this month, with business sentiment also improving, albeit she added the picture was mixed across the sectors.

Sentiment rose in Dublin but was down in Leinster, Munster and especially in Connacht and Ulster. More businesses said they would increase wages next year, while two in three hope to expand in the next three years.

The weakness of the pound remains a key concern for firms exporting to the UK with sterling hitting an eight-year low in August before recovering ground, according to Ms OSullivan.

We have also seen the euro appreciate against the dollar. So it is not too surprising that the pulse results show some softening in competitiveness for firms in industry over the past three months, she said.

Households were more positive about the economic outlook though their assessment of their own financial prospects was little changed.

Ms OSullivan added: The consumer pulse was back on track this month, with sentiment among households picking up after last months temporary setback. Households were a focus of Budget 2018, with the USC and income tax changes and increases in social welfare payments supporting disposable incomes and spending power.

She said as budget measures took effect, they might lead to a shift in consumer confidence. But as the budget day giveaways didnt come as much of a surprise and were fairly modest, households assessment of their own financial situation was little changed this month, though there may be more of a reaction when the measures start to kick in.
A draft copy of its report, obtained by the Irish Examiner, recommends a new tiered approach to oversight and control of credit unions based on their size.

However, it is a recommendation, proposed by committee members, that the credit union sector should be unleashed to help the housing crisis, which stands out.

The 42-page report states: That the credit union movement should be empowered to contribute to alleviating the housing crisis in the State and the current regulations are not adequate to this imperative.

The committee is urging that consideration be given to the feasibility of enabling credit unions to utilise their finances to lend collectively to approved housing bodies to address the current housing crisis.

According to the report, the committee is of the opinion that the sector faces significant challenges and requires renewed vigour or it will become irrelevant.

The time to act is now, says the report. The sector has substantial assets, the goal is to grow and develop the movement in line with wider socio-economic transformation.

Brian McCrory, president of the Irish League of Credit Unions, said: Credit unions are a vibrant, innovative movement that do a lot now, but critically are positioned to do a lot more for communities and our country.

But there is a mismatch between our capacity, and willingness on one hand and the willingness and capacity of those with policy and regulatory responsibility to partner with us.

The report states that, throughout the committee hearings, much of the discussion centred on what was labelled an expectations gap between what the movement deems is possible and what the registrar considers is realistic or more appropriate.

This committee believesthat a balance can be struck between both perspectives, says the report.

The committee is acutely aware of the necessity to safeguard members funds and to generally protect wider financial stability, it says. However, the evidence presented to the committee dispels the contention that credit unions pose a serious risk to the stability of the financial sector. The net cost to the State arising from credit unions emerging from the financial crisis is circa 5m.

The report also requests that a new appeals mechanism be introduced which will allow credit unions to appeal all regulatory-related decisions made by the Central Bank to an independent body.

It also wants an alternative disputes resolution mechanism to be made available to deal with unresolved disagreements between individual credit unions or groups of credit unions and the Central Bank.
National Bus and Rail Union (NBRU) general secretary Dermot OLeary said last night he was pessimistic that any viable alternative would emerge today to avert the nationwide industrial action which is being staged as part of a pay row.

Up to 155,000 rail passengers are expected to be affected when all Dart, Intercity, and commuter rail services grind to a halt.

Mr OLeary also suggested that it will take a significant intervention to avert the other four planned national rail strike days that are scheduled to take place across November and December, when workers will withdraw their labour and place pickets at train stations and depots.

Following tomorrows industrial action, Irish Rail unions are planning to bring rail services to halt again on Tuesday, November 7, Tuesday, November 14, Thursday, November 23, and Friday, December 8.

The stoppage on November 14 coincides with the Republic of Ireland v Denmark World Cup qualifying play-off in Dublin.

The unions have refused to rule out more strike action above and beyond the five days of strikes already announced.

The NBRU is expected to call today for policymakers in the Department of Transport and the National Transport Authority to engage in negotiations that could assist and enable the company to return to talks.

Irish Rail workers want a 3.75% a year pay rise over three years to match recent wage increases secured by Luas and Dublin Bus workers.

However, the companys group of unions, including Siptu, the NBRU, TSSA, and Unite, voted overwhelmingly for strike action earlier this month after talks at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) between company bosses and unions broke down.

The discussions arose from a Labour Court recommendation which stated that if there were outstanding issues at the end of the WRC process, they should be referred back to the Labour Court for a final recommendation.

Mr OLeary said the talks were very close to a substantive proposal which could have averted the strike action. It is understood an offer of a 2.5% pay increase was being discussed.

However, Irish Rail said it had only offered a 1.75% increase for one year  an offer which was linked to performance and absenteeism management, and revisions to redeployment policy.

Meanwhile, Irish Rail has advised customers that it does not expect its Intercity, Dart or commuter rail services to operate tomorrow, and it has outlined a refunds policy for the estimated 155,000 rail passengers  almost half of them Dart passengers  who will be affected on each of the five strike days.

Management has also warned that the proposed and prolonged industrial action will cost the company which is already dangerously close to insolvency, with accumulated losses of 160m.
Thomas Doherty has been a volunteer with the unit for 30 years and said that over the course of that time, he has talked down 11 or 12 people from the cliff edge, from an 80-year-old woman to a woman in her 40s.

Mr Doherty, from Doolin, said: Anybody that has been on the edge has come back for me. It is a good success rate actually. I hope it stays that way.

Asked what he says to people he suspects may be about to jump, Mr Doherty said: I ask them straight out  are they thinking about self harm? You have to get straight to the point.

Mr Doherty said he has undergone specialist training to deal with such situations.

If they say that they want to do it, I ask them to come for a chat, he said.

Mr Doherty was speaking in the wake of two separate inquest days in Ennis over the last month concerning the deaths of four people at the Cliffs of Moher this year.

County coroner Isobel ODea dealt with three cases from the cliffs on the same day in October, including one case where a 28-year-old woman from South Korea had made the 9,500km journey, including a one-way bus ticket from Galway, to take her life at the Cliffs in the first week of July.

Ms ODea also dealt with a case where a German man, aged in his 20s, had travelled from his homeplace in Germany in April only to leave a taxi driver short for the fare from Ennis to the cliffs as his final journey coincided with a Bus Eireann strike day.

Mr Doherty said that, over the years, he has become aware of individuals travelling from as far away as Japan, the US, and Madrid to the Cliffs of Moher to take their lives.

Mr Doherty usually represents the Doolin unit at cliffs inquests in Ennis.

He said: The cliffs are a place of great beauty but of great sadness as well.

Mr Doherty also works as a ranger at the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience and it was due to this role that he was involved in the most recent inquest, held last week, concerning the death of a Roscommon woman.

The inquest heard that Mr Doherty struck up a conversation with the woman on the fortunes of the Roscommon footballers as they walked from the cliffs entrance at around 9am on June 19.

CCTV footage captured the two walking together to the entrance of the Cliffs of Moher centre where Mr Doherty said his goodbye and the woman kept walking towards the cliffs.

Mr Doherty was part of the team that recovered her body six days later and was able to positively ID her as the woman he had been speaking to.

The womans sister and Mr Doherty embraced as they both left the inquest.

The Samaritans 24-hour

helpline is 116 123.
According to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) home heating typically accounts for about two thirds of annual household energy bills, with most of that cost coming in the next few months.

But despite it being a major drain on our finances, many of us repeat simple mistakes that drive those bills up.

Tom Halpin, Head of Communications with the SEAI, told me about the most common mistakes Irish households make, and how to correct them and make major savings.

What we are trying to do is help people be smarter with their home heating. If they are smarter with their heating they will be more comfortable, use less energy and have lower costs  and they will also benefit the environment.

The first way people waste energy is by overheating their home.

Mr Halpin was keen to emphasise that elderly people, the infirm and those with young or ill children may have different heat requirements.

But for the general population, indications are they are setting the temperature a little higher than they need.

We advocate 20C as being a comfortable temperature for most living spaces. A lot of people set their heat at 21C in the hope that it will heat the home faster but that doesnt happen. It gets to 20C at the same speed it would have anyway.

Then it gets to 21C and is a little too warm, and Irish people tend to either open a window and let that heat out or turn off the heating and let the temperature go down. That one degree difference equates to 10% of your heating bill.

The SEAI calculate that lowering your thermostat by that one degree could save around 150 in a typical family home.

The second frequent mistake he sees is people overestimating how long it takes their home to warm up.

Say youve to get up at seven to have a shower and then leave for work at 7.30am. People will put the heating on at six or even 5.30am to make sure there is enough hot water and that it is warm. 30 minutes is enough to achieve that, so turn it on at 6.30am. And if you are leaving at 7.30am, turn it off at seven, there will be enough heat left in the house.

He advises the same principle in the evening, setting the heat to come on for 30 minutes before you are due home and off 30 minutes before you go to bed.

Mr Halpins other main piece of advice is one we have all heard but many of us tend to ignore  get the boiler serviced annually.

If people dont service their boiler it is running inefficiently. Much like the engine of your car, parts get a bit worn and grimy. If you clean it, you are likely to recover the cost of the service and a bit more in your bill. It is also likely to be more reliable and safer.

The SEAI also have grants available for wall and roof insulation, as well as home heating upgrades. Insulating your attic and walls could save you 30-40% on your home heating bill and Mr Halpin said there is still time to get work done this year and reap the savings.

If you apply online, provided you have your meter reference number, which is on your bill, approval is virtually instantaneous. There is also a postal option and that will take a week to 10 days to get approved. Visit the grants section at www.seai.ie for full details.

While open fires look beautiful, they are a real waste of energy with more than 75% of energy going up the chimney. They are also damaging to air quality, so the SEAI recommends homeowners choose a more energy efficient option.

If you particularly want the appeal of a flame in a fireplace then a closed wood pellet stove would be far more efficient, it can direct more of the heat in the home. Nowadays there are homes being built without a chimney and that is going to become more common. There are far better options than an open fire and energy you have paid for being wasted.

Energy is too expensive to be letting it go out the window or up the chimney.

DEAL OF THE WEEK

Fans of the Boys in Green will be tempted by Threes offer to promote its own brand smartphone, the 3Prism. The phone costs 89.99 and Three describe it as the perfect introduction into the world of 4G.

The phone has a large 5 screen, quad core processor, 5MP camera and 8GB memory with expandable memory card slot for all photos and videos. It also has a front facing camera with LED flash for selfies and group shots.

Two sweeten the deal, Three have 10 pairs of tickets to give away to Ireland crucial play-off home leg against Denmark on November 14 in the Aviva Stadium.

To be in with a chance to win this exclusive customers must buy a prepay 3Prism or 3Prism HD before November 10 and enter using their order number at www.three.ie.

Customers can also avail of up to 120 free credit when they buy online and switch to Three, depending on how frequently they top up.
The act that has traditionally been regarded as marking the beginning of the Protestant Reformation 500 years ago today may never have occurred.

The belief that a 33-year-old Augustinian priest and professor began his protest by nailing a list of 95 theses (a manifesto for reform) to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg in Germany on October 31, 1517, is now deeply embedded in the story of Martin Luther (1483-1546). But did it happen?

Scholars are divided on this. Owen Chadwick of Cambridge University, in his book The Reformation, reminds us that Luthers close friend and colleague in Wittenberg University, Philip Melanchthon, has provided evidence of the nailing.

But what is not disputed is that Luthers action in issuing the theses provoked a sweeping revolution that divided Western Christendom and the division has proved permanent.

As one scholar has emphasised, the direct effect of the Reformation was to increase the main fragments of Christs robe from two to three  Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant.

Initially, Luther was calling for a scholarly debate after issuing a direct challenge to his own Catholic Church to reform itself from within.

On the day he is supposed to have nailed his theses to the church door, he sent a copy of them to his local bishop, and announced that he was prepared to defend them at a public disputation.

Luther had become disgusted at the scandalous traffic in indulgences, the sale of which had been authorised by Pope Leo X in order to raise funds to pay for the building of St Peters Basilica in Rome.

Indulgences were being promoted in Germany as fast-track tickets to heaven, and the campaign was led by a crusading Dominican, Johann Tetzel.

The squalid implications of this system appalled Luther, and his 95 theses were a backlash against what he saw as corruption in high places.

They preach human folly, he wrote, who pretend that, as soon as money in the coffer rings, a soul from Purgatory springs.

The theses, written in Latin, fundamentally challenged not just elitism within the Church but also papal authority.

The outraged Augustinian priest wanted, as one biographer, Peter Stanford, has written, in todays terms to drain the Vatican swamp . Word soon reached Rome and the reaction was swift and harsh. Luthers protest was dismissed and the Pope demanded submission.

Luther remained defiant and, in May 1520, Rome issued the papal bull Exsurge Domine, excommunicating him.

Luther was given 60 days to signal a change of heart. He responded by publicly burning the papal bull.

He was then summoned to recant his writings before the Diet, the regular imperial assembly convened by the young Emperor, Charles V, in the town of Worms.

His response was a speech that has come to be regarded as his finest hour. He repeated his denunciation of the papacy, and went on: My conscience has been taken captive by the Word of God, and I am neither able nor willing to recant, since it is neither safe nor right to act against conscience. Here I stand; I can do no other, so help me God.

Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch of Oxford University, in his acclaimed book, A History of Christianity, says that by this stage, Luther was beginning to see himself as chosen by God precisely for a heroic role to deliver the Church from a satanic error.

He was, he believed, simply the instrument of Gods purpose.

The response has come to be seen as the first manifesto of religious freedom, but the emperor was less than impressed. Regarded as a heretic, Luther left Worms under imperial escort, having been promised safe passage.

His patrons took him to an isolated castle, the Wartburg, where he was to remain in seclusion for 10 months, but he put the time to good use, translating the New Testament into German.

Now that the last hope of reconciliation with Rome had been repudiated, Luther left the Wartburg for Wittenberg in March 1522.

The age of protest was at an end, wrote Andrew Pettegree, professor of modern history at the University of St Andrews, in Brand Luther.

Now began the harder work of creating a new church... For Luther and his colleagues the freedom from papal tyranny was only a beginning.

That church would be founded on the doctrine of justification by faith alone; you couldnt earn salvation by good works or buy it through indulgences.

That was the crux of Luthers theology. Each believer, as they awaited eternal judgment, had only the Bible and their faith to protect them. And in accessing the word of God they no longer had to rely on the word of priests, bishops, or even the Pope. The Bible was superior to all.

In undertaking this work of launching a counter-church, Luther was very fortunate in two important respects: He enjoyed the protection of a powerful prince, and the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in the middle of the 15th century put a powerful instrument (the internet of his day) at his disposal.

He was quick to realise its potential for spreading his new anti-establishment gospel. Without his gifts as a writer  Prof Pettegree says Luther created what was essentially a new form of theological writing: lucid, accessible, and above all short  and without the printing press the Reformation would not have become one of the seminal events in Western civilisation.

In 1525, Luther scandalised his former Augustinian colleagues by marrying a former nun, Katharine von Bora.

In the new church he was fashioning, celibacy was no longer a requirement for priests. He had a positive view of sexuality and scant regard for the view that the celibate life was somehow superior.

The Peasants Revolt of 1525  when the anger of the poor over their appalling conditions boiled over  compelled Luther to take sides. Although the revolt had been inspired in part by ideas he had put into circulation, he backed the powerful princes and assured them the Reformation posed no threat to the social order.

This had led Prof Pettegree to conclude this demonstrated that the hope that Luther articulated was for salvation in the hereafter: The promise of a social gospel was for Luther an irrelevant and ultimately cruel delusion.

There is no doubt Luthers hammer blow on the door of the parish church in Wittenberg on October 31, 1517, heralded the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

By the time he died in 1546, at the age of 62, he had set in motion a doctrinal and liturgical revolution that would change Europe forever. Terrible wars of religion would follow, with appalling consequences, continuing in phases until the Peace of Westphalia in 1648.

Luther cast a very long shadow. By proclaiming the primacy of conscience  even over popes and councils  he put us all in his debt. In one sense, we are all Luthers children.

Thats one measure of the significance of the Reformation. Despite the Counter-Reformation  the centrepiece of which was the Council of Trent (1545-63)  the Catholic Church didnt catch up in terms of giving due recognition to conscience until the Second Vatican Councils Declaration on Religious Liberty, issued in 1965.

Luthers other great insight  the priesthood of all believers  also found an echo at that Council when its Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (1964) promised that henceforth clergy and laity should be equal partners as the people of God.

In his book, The Passion of the Western Mind, Richard Tarnas offered this summation of the Reformation: It was first and foremost an assertion of the individual conscience against the established Church framework of belief, ritual, and organisational structure.

For the fundamental question of the Reformation concerned the locus of religious authority. In the Protestant vision, neither the Pope nor the Church Councils possessed the spiritual competence to define Christian belief.

Luther taught instead the priesthood of all believers religious authority rested finally and solely in each individual Christian, reading and interpreting the Bible according to his own private conscience in the context of his personal relationship to God.

Those who see Martin Luther as a champion of free thought and personal liberty conveniently forget that he substituted one version of Christianity for another and his unshakeable belief in a sovereign God who inspired an authoritative Bible.

Some of the claims made for Luther in relation to free thought best reserved for the intellectuals of the Enlightenment two centuries later.

The great reformer left a very dark legacy  his hatred of the Jews and the insistence in his political philosophy, as Neal Ascherson highlighted in a 1983 article in The Observer marking the 500th anniversary of Luthers birth, that all State power  even a satanically evil government  is sent by God and must be obeyed would have disastrous consequences.

This, said Ascherson, was almost to annihilate the moral authority of German Lutherans where they bowed down to Hitler.

Luthers anti-semitism was shockingly expressed in a notorious pamphlet, On the Jews and Their Lies, in 1543. It said the Jewish presence in Germany was a plague and should be eradicated.

It recommended that synagogues should be destroyed and Jewish books confiscated. Of these baleful passages, his biographer Prof Pettegree has written: Of all Luthers writings none was more damaging to his later reputation, particularly in modern times, after these passages had been cited with such enthusiasm by the ideologues of national socialism.
Fugitive lawyer and property developer Michael Lynns 10-year battle to avoid prosecution here is expected to come to an end within months.

But the Mayo mans struggle to avoid extradition from Brazil is being assisted by an unlikely turn of events  the biggest corruption scandal in Brazilian history.

Operation Car Wash, the police investigation that uncovered the scandal, has seen Brazils already overburdened Supreme Court being swamped with trials involving politicians, government officials, businessmen, and career criminals, leading to major delays in other cases.

Unfortunately this case is caught in the middle, says Anentor Madruga, the Brazilian lawyer who represents the Irish State in the extradition proceedings.

We are asking the court very frequently [for a conclusion to this case]. We are there every week. I do believe, but I have said this before, that the judge of the Supreme Court will put an end to this shortly.

By shortly, hes thinking months, although he stresses again that he has put similar timeframes on the matter on numerous occasions before.

It is not just the courts workload that is holding up the proceedings  Mr Lynn has mounted a vigorous defence that has kept his extradition at bay for three years since the court first ruled he should be sent back to Ireland.

Its unprecedented, the number of appeals that he has filed, says Mr Madruga. I do not know another case with so many appeals.

Mr Lynn fled Ireland in October 2007 after the Law Society shut down his practice amid allegations of mishandling money belonging to investors in the property empire he was planning in Portugal and Bulgaria.

As the full extent of the mess he left behind emerged, the DPP prepared 33 criminal charges of fraud and theft against him, involving missing deposits and investments and outstanding loans totalling some 80m.

He and wife Brid Murphy, managed to lie low in Brazil for a time, getting involved in property schemes there while Mr Lynn also taught English. They had their first child there in 2011.

All the while, authorities here were working on a plan to have him extradited. Brazilian police arrested him in late 2013 on foot of a request by the Irish government.

Denied bail, he remained in Cotel prison while his wife gave birth to their second child. Just over a year after his arrest, the Supreme Court ruled he should be extradited.

In the three years since, he has fathered two more children, born in February 2015 and October 2016, thanks to a relatively liberal system of conjugal visits, and has launched a succession of appeals, thanks to a relatively generous system of defendants rights.

If this was a civil case, he would face fines but there are no fines in criminal cases for baseless appeals, says Mr Madruga.

Given the side of the case he represents, it is understandable that the lawyer, an expert in both white collar crime and international crime, would describe the appeals as baseless, but an objective examination of the law would also seem to favour the extraditing party.

Mr Lynn obtained residency rights in Brazil because of his first-born child, and having Brazilian-born children is a strong defence against deportation of foreigners, but only in immigration cases. In criminal cases, the argument of having a locally born child has not been successful  although nobody recalls a case involving four children.

Each step of the way, Mr Lynn, also represented by accomplished lawyers who are not being paid for by the Brazilian state, has appealed, seeking rulings on technical issues that have dragged the process out.

At one stage, there was a dispute over a date in the extradition papers, and another time over the translation and legal definition of an arrest warrant. There was also back and forth over the number of charges he would face if returned to Ireland, with the total eventually being slimmed down somewhat.

Arguments were also made that Ireland and Brazil have no formal bilateral extradition treaty, which is true, although that does not preclude mutual assistance in criminal matters.

The appeal based on parentage is probably the meatiest to date  and a final decision has been delayed partly by a separate case involving an Argentinian woman also under appeal  but Mr Madruga insists it is only a stalling tactic.

There is no chance that the appeals are successful but because of the procedural laws they have to be ruled on, he says. Thats how he keeps delaying the execution of his extradition.

In court documents, the Irish Government has expressed frustration with the situation and urged the court to give its final determination. It says Mr Lynn has repeatedly tried to delay his own surrender... by submitting procedural documents whose purpose is to prevent the judgment on extradition.

Meanwhile, in the High Court in Dublin, the unpicking of Mr Lynns business dealings continues as the liquidator of his main company, Kendar Holdings, builds an ever greater list of creditors and questionable financial transactions.

Last week the High Court granted an application by the liquidator to have Mr Lynns personal pension funds transferred to the limited pot of money available to repay creditors. During that hearing, it was revealed that he had used company money to fund the pension and a lifestyle that included a 25,000 private box at Wembley Stadium in London.

Given all that has been heard about Mr Lynn, when  and if  he is extradited to Ireland, he would undoubt-edly argue it would be impossible to have a fair trial with an unbiased jury.

Mr Madruga insists there is no if, but on the question of when, he can only say he is hopeful that 10 years in Brazil will not turn into 11.

Mr Lynns lawyer was contacted for comment but said he wished to speak with his client first. Mr Lynn is due to meet his lawyer in prison this week.
A Minneapolis newspaper group, Adams Publishing Group, said Friday it has bought seven newspaper properties in the Triad from Champion Media.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The sale is effective Wednesday.

The Triad newspapers are The Mount Airy News, the Surry Scene, The Tribune (Elkin), The Yadkin Ripple, The Stokes News (King), The Pilot (Pilot Mountain) and the Jefferson Post (West Jefferson). Also included is The Carroll News in Hillsville, Va.

With the latest deal, Adams will own and operate 100 community newspapers in 11 states, including the acquisition of five newspaper publishing companies in 2016.

It already owns the Watauga Democrat, The Mountain Times and The Blowing Rocket in North Carolina

Richard Craver

Old Dominion board declares 10-cent dividend

The board of directors of Old Dominion Freight Line Inc. declared Monday a quarterly cash dividend of 10 cents per share of common stock.

The dividend is payable Dec. 20 to shareholders registered as of Dec. 6.

Richard Craver

U.S. Tobacco Cooperative OKs $24M settlement

U.S. Tobacco Cooperative Inc. said Monday it has agreed to a $24 million settlement to resolve claims made by current and former U.S. Tobacco members over reserve funds.

The settlement was reached in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of N.C. The cooperative formerly was known as Flue-Cured Tobacco Cooperative Stabilization Corp.

The settlement covers tobacco growers in the Carolinas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Virginia. That includes U.S. Tobacco members, as well as their heirs or representatives.

According to attorneys representing the cooperative, the settlement stems from a lawsuit that claims U.S. Tobacco accumulated funds over the years through members who may now claim portions of those funds.

Individuals or businesses may be included if they are or were a shareholder or member of U.S. Tobacco from June 1, 1946, through the date the settlement goes into effect, or an heir or legal representative. Eligible individuals or businesses can now submit a claim form by mail or online by May 26 to get a payment. Claim forms are available at the website, www.FlueCured TobaccoSettlement.com, or by calling 1-866-458-3207.

The court will hold a hearing Jan. 19 to consider whether to approve the settlement. Attorneys representing the class will request up to $2 million to be paid out of the settlement fund.

Richard Craver

IHOP on Silas Creek Parkway to reopen today

IHOPs newly remodeled restaurant at 1295 Silas Creek Parkway will reopen today with free food for children.

The restaurant will offer from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. today a free scary-face pancake to children 12 years old and younger.

On Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., the IHOP location will host a special event to benefit the Armed Forces Families Foundations annual fundraising campaign.

The event will help promote AFFFs fundraiser, which benefits military members and their families. It will include free samples of IHOPs new Latte Lovers Pancakes and a booth from the USO of North Carolina, where representatives will share information about their recent partnership with AFFF and details about upcoming community projects.

A total of 53 IHOP restaurants across the Southeastern United States are planning to participate in this years annual fundraising drive, which will last through Nov. 21. The Armed Forces Families Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping military families.

Fran Daniel
Police released additional photos of a suspect in a shooting that injured two people as they stood inside a Winston-Salem convenience store early Sunday morning.

The shooting happened at the Speedway at 3600 S. Main St. at about 2:30 a.m., police said. Betty Hardy Gallow, 56, and Glenn Spivey Jr., 43, both of Winston-Salem, sustained injuries that were not life-threatening, but the extent of their injuries was not clear.

A man parked his silver Nissan Xterra at the gas pump, went inside and bought gas. While inside, he had a run-in with either Spivey, Gallow or both of them.

Were still investigating what happened, Lt. Delray Anthony said Sunday. There was an argument at the cash register.

The man went back to his car, got a semi-automatic-style rifle and fired it into the store several times before driving away, police said.

The two victims were still in the store when they were shot, Anthony said.

They were not armed, Anthony said. Police are investigating whether they knew the suspect as well as other details of the case.

We have no indication who the suspect is, Anthony said, adding he didnt know if the Xterra had a North Carolina license plate.

The shooter is white, 25 to 35 years old, 5 feet 8 inches to 6 feet tall, has a full dark beard and was wearing a blue shirt, blue jeans and tan work boots, police said.

Police ask anyone with information to call 336-773-7700 or Crime Stoppers at 336-727-7800.
RALEIGH  Gov. Roy Cooper's office announced Monday that the state is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murder of Michael Anthony Lovett.

Lovett, 35, was found on Oct. 8, 2015, after Greensboro Police officers responded at 2:40 a.m. to a single- car accident on East Market Street near Holts Chapel Road, where a car had crashed into a power pole.

Officers determined that Lovett was the victim of a shooting that caused the wreck of his white 2015 BMW 535i. He was transported to a hospital in critical condition and died two days later.

Police have been asking for the publics help in solving this death.

Anyone having information concerning this case should contact the Greensboro/Guilford Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000 or text keyword badboyz and your tip to 274637, or call the State Bureau of Investigation at 919-662-4500.

Authorities said at the time that Lovett got into his car that morning either to go to the hospital or to flee. He was alone in his car when he was shot.

Police said at the time that drugs didnt appear to be a factor in the shooting, and nothing appeared to have been stolen from the vehicle.
The federal grand jury indictments against Paul Manafort, a former campaign manager for President Trump, and Richard Gates, a business associate of Manafort, are the first step in a lengthy legal process, a legal expert said Monday.

Its a multi-stage process, and this is step one, said Ronald Wright, a law professor at the Wake Forest University School of Law. It doesnt tell a complete story, but its the first chapter.

Manafort and Gates are charged with 12 counts of criminal wrongdoing, including conspiracy against the United States, failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts, making false and misleading statements under the federal Foreign Agents Registration Acts, and making false statements to federal investigators. Manafort and Gates are accused of laundering over $21 million that they concealed from the U.S. government, according to the indictment.

In furtherance of the scheme, Manafort used his hidden overseas wealth to enjoy a lavish lifestyle in the United States, without paying taxes on that income, the indictment says.

Manafort and Gates are not charged with any wrongdoing as part of the Trump campaign. The alleged offenses are connected to private political work in Ukraine.

Wright, a former trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, said that the indictments against Manafort and Gates could lead to the White House.

This might be a story that links up to President Trump, and it might not, Wright said. Its a partial story at this point, but its never good news when people who are in high places in the presidential election process are involved with breaking the law.

Eric Ellison, the chairman of the Forsyth County Democratic Party, said that the indictments against Manafort and Gates as well as federal charges against another Trump campaign aide are groundbreaking.

(It) should give the American people comfort in knowing that there will be resolution to the national nightmare we have endured for over a year, Ellison said. The federal indictments filed against Manafort and Gates are troubling in (their) own right, specifically that the president chose a campaign manager who has no regard for the rule of law, and secretly worked on behalf of foreign governments.

Ellison pointed to the case involving George Papadopoulos, who has been charged with making false statements to federal investigators. Papadopoulous pleaded guilty this month in federal court to lying about his involvement with people he understood had connections to the Russian government.

Ellison said that Papadopolous conviction provides the most concrete proof to date that the Trump campaign coordinated with Russian officials to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Ellison added: What we suspected all along has finally been confirmed. President Trump and campaign insiders worked to undermine our democracy and embolden the hostile nation of Russia against American interests.

Local Democrats hope that Special Counsel Robert Mueller will bring all guilty parties to justice, Ellison said. The indictments against Manafort and Gates will be fair game in the 2018 congressional elections, he said.

Our democracy is at stake, which makes these proceedings fair game for any and all candidates, Ellison said.

Brian Miller, the chairman of the Forsyth County Republican Party, said that Manafort and Gates are considered innocent until proven guilty. Both men pleaded not guilty Monday to the charges outlined in the indictment.

I have faith in our legal system, Miller said. We must respect our system and not rush to judgment.

The indictments are an example of how Mueller is overstepping his authority because the charges against Manafort and Gates are not connected to Muellers investigation of any links between the Trump campaign and the Russian government, Miller said.

There will be attempts to smear President Trump with guilt by association, but many unfounded attacks have occurred to date and will continue to occur, Miller said. Fortunately, we still live in a republic; we have a duly-elected president who can withstand the heat, and we have a country that is progressing for the average citizen.

Let the legal system work as intended, Miller said. Do not try these individuals in the court of public opinion.
Updated at 3:34 p.m.

WASHINGTON  US official identifies captured Benghazi suspect as Mustafa al-Imam.

WASHINGTON  U.S. officials say special operations forces have captured a militant who was instrumental in the attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. The attack resulted in the death of the American ambassador to the country.

The officials say U.S. commandos captured the unidentified man in Libya and are transporting him back to the U.S. The officials say the mission was approved by President Donald Trump and done in coordination with Libya's internationally recognized government.

The officials weren't authorized to speak on the matter and demanded anonymity.

The September 2012 assault killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

The attack was the fodder of multiple congressional investigations to determine what went wrong and whether the Obama administration misled the public on the details of the bloody assault.
Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort surrendered to federal authorities Monday after the first charges in special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation were filed against him. Manafort and a junior business partner, Rick Gates, have been charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy against the United States, among other things.

The seriousness of the charges suggests that Mueller may be able to bring substantial pressure on Manafort to cooperate with his ongoing investigation into matters more directly relevant to President Trump himself. Mueller will try to get Manafort to disclose everything he knows about any Russian sabotage of the election, any Trump campaign collusion with it, and any Trump organization dealings with Russia he might know about.

I spoke Monday morning to Paul Rosenzweig, a senior counsel on Ken Starrs investigation into Bill Clinton who is now a lecturer in law at George Washington University. Rosenzweig said: Mueller is trying to use the specter of criminal prosecution and jail time to induce Paul Manafort to be truthful in his testimony about the nature of the Trump campaigns relations with Russia. Rosenzweig laid out some of the lines of inquiry that Mueller will try to pursue with Manafort, if he can get him to cooperate (which is obviously unknown at this point).

First, theres the meeting that Donald Trump Jr. arranged with Russians in the expectation that the Trump campaign would be given damaging information on Hillary Clinton that originated with the Russian government. Manafort and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner were at the 2016 meeting, and there are reports of cryptic notes that Manafort took there that are in Muellers possession. Rosenzweig says Mueller will want to question Manafort about what happened at the meeting, but thats only the beginning. Were you contacted after the meeting by the Russians in any follow up? Rosenzweig says Manafort would likely be asked. During your tenure as campaign chair, did you discuss this meeting with Donald J. Trump?

Also recall that Trump had a hand in drafting the initial statement from Donald Trump Jr. that lied to the nation about why the meeting was held, which directly implicated Trump himself in covering up the true rationale for this meeting. Meanwhile, we also have just learned from The New York Times that the Russian lawyer at the meeting appeared to be sharing notes with a high-level figure in the Russian government. Manafort likely knows the full story of this meeting, what went into it, the surrounding context and direct relevance of it to Trump himself.

Manafort could conceivably shed light on Trumps business dealings as well. Obviously Manafort was deeply engaged in business with the Russians, Rosenzweig said. We should also remember that Manafort may have information about the Trump organizations financial connections to Russia that are relevant to Muellers investigation but not directly tied to collusion. Mueller has reportedly expanded his probe to look at Trumps business dealings.

We dont know whether Manafort will end up cooperating, and it should be stressed that even if he does, his truthful testimony may end up producing nothing incriminating about Trump himself. But the stakes suddenly got a lot higher. As Rosenzweig put it: If Manafort agrees to testify truthfully, theyll have the personal testimony of a key insider who is likely to have information about almost every incident of interest to Mueller.

It is going to be a lot harder from here on out for Trump to use obfuscation, misdirection and lies  echoed by his dutiful media allies  to distract from Muellers probe, now that concrete charges and facts are emerging.

At the same time, this emergence of concrete charges and facts means we may soon finally find out whether Trump will go full authoritarian  whether he will issue any pardons or take action to remove Mueller  and whether Republicans, having seen the seriousness of these charges, will take active steps now to warn him that any such move will be met with a forceful response.
While the biggest news of Tuesday was seemingly the indictments Robert S. Mueller III has secured against former Trump aides Paul Manafort and Rick Gates, he also released a plea bargain with a heretofore minor figure in the Russia scandal by the name of George Papadopoulos. And that could actually be the days biggest news.

Thats because while Manafort and Gates sure look like theyre going to jail, as of yet they arent cooperating with Muellers investigation. Papadopoulos is, which means that he likely has information that will lead Mueller closer to the heart of the case.

Papadopoulos was a junior foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign. In August we learned that he had tried to set up meetings between Trump officials  and even Trump himself  with representatives of the Russian government. At the time, his suggestion was characterized as having been rejected by other Trump officials as inappropriate while Trump was still a candidate and not yet president.

But now that weve seen the details of Papadopoulos plea, it sure looks like that wasnt the whole story.

Papadopoulos has agreed to plead guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russians. Specifically, he falsely claimed that they had occurred before he joined the campaign in March 2016. He had communication with a professor who had contacts in the Russian government; this professor told him that the Russians had dirt on Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails. The professor introduced him to a Russian national who was supposedly Vladimir Putins niece (it turned out she wasnt), and to someone who supposedly had connections in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Based on those conversations, Papadopoulos pressed the campaign to set up meetings with the Russians, a suggestion that never came to fruition.

So what does this have to do with the larger case? I spoke this morning with Barbara McQuade, a professor at the University of Michigan law school who is a former U.S. Attorney and who has worked extensively in criminal and national security cases. I asked: If Papadopoulos was just some low-level nobody tossing around ideas that were rejected by the campaigns higher-ups, why would Mueller offer him a plea deal that is contingent on his cooperation? Doesnt that suggest that he has information that can be used to build a case against someone more important than him?

I think its a fair conclusion to think that he has information that is valuable in the prosecution of others, McQuade says. You would only offer that cooperation if youve sat down with him and learned that he has information that is of value.

And that appears to be what is happening: in return for what will likely be a reduced sentence, Papadopoulos has agreed to sing. As the letter laying out the terms of the plea agreement says,

The Government agrees to bring to the Courts attention at sentencing the defendants efforts to cooperate with the Government, on the condition that your client continues to respond and provide information regarding any and all matters as to which the Government deems relevant.

Who does Papadopoulos have information on? We dont know. The plea document mentions his discussions (his efforts to set up a meeting with the Russians) with people who are referred to as Senior Policy Adviser, Campaign Supervisor, and High-Ranking Campaign Official, but we dont know who those are. Then theres this:

On or about May 4, 2016, the Russian MFA Connection sent an email (the May 4 MFA Email) to defendant PAPADOPOULOS and the Professor that stated:  I have just talked to my colleagues from the MFA. The[y] are open for cooperation. One of the options is to make a meeting for you at the North America Desk, if you are in Moscow. Defendant PAPADOPOULOS responded that he was [g]lad the MFA is interested. Defendant PAPADOPOULOS forwarded the May 4 MFA Email to the High-Ranking Campaign Official, adding: What do you think? Is this something we want to move forward with? The next day, on or about May 5, 2016, defendant PAPADOPOULOS had a phone call with the Campaign Supervisor, and then forwarded the May 4 MFA Email to him, adding to the top of the email: Russia updates.

This exchange happened not long before Paul Manafort, Donald Trump Jr., and Jared Kushner had their infamous meeting with representatives of the Russian government who purportedly had damaging information on Clinton to offer. Given that context, it seems rather unlikely that Papadopoulos would not have mentioned the possibility that the Russians had of dirt on Clinton contained in thousands of emails. But we dont yet know for sure.

What we do know is that the prosecutors believe that Papadopoulos information will be valuable to them in building a case against others. Manafort, on the other hand, is not cooperating  at least not yet. The fact that he was indicted suggests to me that pre-indictment he said No, I dont want to cooperate. Im sure they presented him with the opportunity, says McQuade. Its a common tactic to hand down one set of indictments and then offer a defendant the chance to start cooperating, since if he doesnt theyll keep investigating, and who knows what else theyll find. I think thats quite possible, that there are additional potential charges against Manafort, and he could still cooperate, McQuade said.

If Manafort is going to flip, there are only so many people he could flip on who are closer to the center of whatever happened than he was. That could include Jared Kushner, perhaps Donald Trump Jr., and of course President Trump himself.

But right now, Papadopoulos is the one who is providing Mueller an entry into the heart of the Trump campaign and its relationship to Russia. Which is why McQuade says, That one, because of its relevance to that larger question, strikes me as maybe the more important development today.

And this is just getting started.


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Young people participate in the programme (Source: CPV)

Drawing the participation of 50 outstanding students, it is an important political event of the youth from the two countries to celebrate the 55th founding anniversary of Vietnam - Laos diplomatic ties and 40 years since the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty on Amity and Cooperation.

It is also a practical activity, contributing to educating young people, especially students, on Vietnam-Laos special solidarity, review the tradition of special combat coalition, the mutual support of the two parties and states and people of the two countries during the struggles for independence in the past and the cause of national construction and development at present.

It will teach students ideology and moralities, important milestones of struggles and leadership of the two parties and states; promote their exchanges and mutual understandings; affirm the determination and responsibilities of the students in contributing to the preserving, consolidating and promoting the traditional friendship relation, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States, peoples and youth.

Participants will visit historical sites where Vietnamese and Lao leaders lived, studied and worked; study historical relics and beautiful landscapes associated with victories of soldiers and people of the two countries during the struggle for national independence.

Activities are taking place in the central province of Nghe An, Hanoi, the northern mountainous provinces of Hoa Binh and Son La in Vietnam from October 30th to November 4th, as well as Hua Phan and Xieng Khoang provinces in Laos from November 5th to 11th./.
North Carolina state legislators on Monday objected [text, PDF] to the appointment of a special master by a three judge panel in the US District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina [official website]. Last week, the panel had ordered [JURIST report] the appointment of a special master to evaluate nine redrawn legislative districts of the 28 that were struck down [JURIST report] as unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court in June.
Deputy Minister of National Defence, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh hands over to Major Do Thi Hang Nga a decision sending her to UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (Photo: VNA)



The Ministry of National Defence hosted a ceremony in Hanoi on October 30th to assign the task to Major Do Thi Hang Nga, who began working as a staff officer in charge of overseeing military operations for 12 months from October 29th.

Before embarking on the task, Nga partook in various training courses in Sri Lanka, China, the Netherlands and the Republic of Korea.

Deputy Minister of National Defence Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh said that the dispatch of a female officer to the UN peacekeeping mission shows gender equality and affirms the role of women in global activities.

Vinh asked Nga to try her best and well coordinate with colleagues in order to promptly be in tune with the job, improve her knowledge and competence, strictly abide by the UN and missions regulations and ensure safety while being on duty.

Colonel Hoang Kim Phung, Director of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Centre, said that after three years of joining UN peacekeeping operations, Vietnam has sent 20 officers to missions to Central Africa and South Sudan./.
At least 12 people have been killed in an air strike in Libya's besieged eastern jihadist stronghold of Derna, a medical source said on Tuesday.

Most of the dead, including women and children, were from the same family, the source at the Harish hospital said, adding that three of five people wounded were in a critical condition after Monday evening's strike.

It was not immediately clear who carried out the raid.

The attack has not been claimed by forces loyal to strongman Khalifa Haftar, which have been besieging Derna for months and regularly conduct air strikes against the eastern city.

A spokesman for Haftar's forces, General Ahmed al-Mesmari, on Tuesday condemned what he called "a terrorist act", and said that "no plane carried out an air raid in this zone" at the time the attack took place.

The United Nations mission in Libya condemned the attack and the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord said it "will identify as soon as possible the origin of the raids... and take the necessary measures".

Controversial strongman Haftar supports an administration based in the country's east that has refused to recognise the GNA.

The GNA added that it had written to the UN Security Council asking that it investigate this "a war crime".

Like the UN, the GNA has called for the siege of Derna to be lifted to allow in humanitarian aid.

Derna, some 900 kilometres (560 miles) east of Tripoli, was known as a jihadist bastion even before the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed long-time dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

Haftar's forces are waging a campaign against jihadist groups, including efforts to capture the city from the "Revolutionary Shura Council of Derna", a coalition of militias close to Al-Qaeda.

Jihadists in the conflict-torn North African country have frequently accused Haftar's main international backers, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, of participating in deadly raids.

Egypt in late May said it launched strikes in the Derna area after a bloody attack on its soil claimed by the Islamic State group killed 29 people.
Passengers eagerly took picture with Vietjets pilot. (Photo: Vietjet)

The new route aims to meet the travel demands of residents and tourists, contributed to promoting trade and regional integration.

It is operated a return flight every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday with around three hours per leg.

The flight departs Hanoi at 07h30 and arrives in Kaohsiung at 10h45 (local time). The return flight takes off in Kaohsiung at 11h45 (local time) and lands in Hanoi at 13h35.

Tickets can be booked in all channels of Vietjet and within the golden hours from 12h00 to 14h00 (GMT+7) everyday at www.vietjetair.com (also compatible with smartphones at https://m.vietjetair.com) or at www.facebook.com/vietjetvietnam (just click the Booking tab), via hotline +84 19001886, at domestic and international ticket offices and agents.

With the launch of the route, the low-cost carrier now operates six routes to Taiwan (China), becoming the airline having the most flights to this attractive travel destination./.
It is not a bad thing for us, that the route known as the Goldene Strae or the Golden Road as we will get to know it- has escaped the attention of so many. It has been spared being overrun by hordes of tourists and as you will discover the
KEARNEY  A California duo was contacted several times by law enforcement over the weekend before being arrested after allegedly taking a car Sunday afternoon from a gas pump at the Odessa Sapp Brothers truck stop.

Wade Robert Atwood, 30, and Erica Michelle Martinez, 25, both of Yreka, Calif., are each charged in Buffalo County Court with felony robbery in the Odessa incident. Martinez is also charged with making felony terroristic threats.

Before the duo allegedly took a Holdrege womans 2012 Buick Enclave from the truck stop, they had contact with officers from the Nebraska State Patrol, Dawson County Sheriffs Office and the Kearney Police Department.

At about 3:41 a.m. Saturday, a Dawson County deputy contacted Atwood and Martinez at the Interstate 80 Darr interchange where their vehicle had run out of gas, Lt. Tucker Case said.

There was allegedly a strong odor of marijuana in the vehicle, Dawson County Court records say, and authorities allegedly found a large container of marijuana and needles with residue that allegedly tested positive for heroin.

Martinez was arrested and charged in Dawson County Court with felony possession of heroin and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia in the incident. Atwood was charged with felony distribution of marijuana and felony possession of both heroin and methamphetamine.

Atwood was transported from the scene to Lexington Regional Health Center, Case said, while Martinez was taken to jail but later released on a personal recognizance bond. Atwood was transported to CHI Health Good Samaritan where he was later released.

Martinez eventually arrived in Kearney. For much of Sunday, KPD Sgt. Derek Luke said, officers had several contacts with the duo because of alleged harassment and suspicious activity. The duo eventually went to the Law Enforcement Center to ask for a ride, initially to Lexington but ultimately to California.

Court records say a KPD officer gave Martinez and Atwood a ride to Sapp Brothers.

When Luke heard police radio traffic describing the suspects involved in the carjacking he believed they were the same people his officers dealt with earlier in the day in Kearney, and notified the State Patrol and Dawson County officials.

After the alleged carjacking, Atwood and Martinez were eventually located near Darr Road on I-80 and were arrested without incident.

Martinez and Atwood both are charged in Dawson County Court with felony theft of the Enclave and criminal mischief under $500. Late this morning, they remained at the Dawson County Jail on $100,000 bond and are scheduled to appear in court later this month.

@HubChic
KEARNEY  As a timid child, Carole Levin found solace at the library.

Im now pretty outgoing, but as a kid I was quite shy, the professor of history at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln said. The highlight of my week was when my mom would take me to the public library. As well as reading a lot of fairy tales, I was really attracted to biographies.

She preferred stories about girls and women.

One day, I picked up one on Elizabeth I and became completely fascinated, Levin said. I was about 10 years old, and for me, it started my whole academic life at such an early age.

This fascination with the queen of England and Ireland, who ruled from 1558 to 1603 during the years of the Reformation, inspired Levin, 69, to write several books and to create a play, Elizabeth I  In Her Own Words. The drama highlights the life of the queen using texts Elizabeth wrote during her reign.

A series of events on Thursday will feature the life of the queen and celebrate the anniversary of the Reformation, including a performance of Elizabeth I  In her Own Words at 7 p.m. at the Museum of Nebraska Art. Tamara Meneghini, playing the queen, and Bernadette Venters-Sefic as her servant, will perform in the show. Admission is free.

Scholars consider that the Reformation began with the publication of the Ninety-Five Theses by Martin Luther in 1517 in Germany and concluded at the end of the Thirty Years War in central Europe. The Reformation represented a separation from the Roman Catholic Church and lead to the formation of the Protestant movement in Europe.

She is an amazing woman from the 16th century who still resonates with us today, Levin said of Elizabeth I. She was a woman who at a very young age  she was only 25 when she began her reign  learned how to become queen, when to speak, when to become silent, how to protect herself, how to protect those she cared about.

The playwright sees Elizabeth as a selfless leader who put her subjects above herself.

She knew that she made a number of mistakes and did things that were not great, but her goal was to serve the people of England, Levine said. Im well-aware of her flaws; Im not idolizing her. But I think it is really remarkable that as an unmarried woman in power, she taught us great lessons. And now, 400 years later, we still need those great lessons.

Elizabeth I  In Her Own Words features elaborate costumes with a minimal set. Projected images on a screen will show paintings of the players in the queens life.

Marguerite Tassi, professor of English at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, worked with Mary Beth Ailes, from the UNK History Department, to design an event marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

Tassi said in a previous Hub interview: There will be music and visual images, but the central figure will be Elizabeth in a beautiful Elizabethan gown that was made by a costumer for this production. The fascinating thing that is done with that costume is over the course of the hour, piece by piece, it will be taken off of her, until the final image we have of Elizabeth is an old woman near death, just in her white sleeping gown.

Levin decided to write a play after completing scholarly books on the queens life. She started several short plays about Elizabeth but last year, at the urging of Meneghini, who plays the queen in Elizabeth I  In Her Own Words, began working on a longer project.

The thought of doing something more sustained and serious thrilled me, she said. I think Elizabeth is so dramatic. Ive been concerned about many of the films and books about her because much of the drama about her life had been lost or invented. My goal was to really use Elizabeths own words as a way to present her to the general public.

When she started the project, Levin sat with all of her books around her and just pieced the show together.

It was really fun, she said. Tamara asked me in February. Then in April, she was coming to Lincoln. She wanted to talk about the idea and I just said, Oh, yeah, heres the script. She couldnt believe that I had written the whole thing so quickly.

Levin loved the process of creating the script. She worked with Meneghini and Lynn Nichols, the director of the play, to make changes.

It was a fabulous collaboration, Levin said. It made my script so much stronger.
WASHINGTON  Omaha attorney Steve Grasz faces a rockier road to the federal bench after the American Bar Association on Monday deemed him not qualified and questioned his ability to set aside ideological convictions to decide cases fairly.

That assessment was based in part on evaluating Graszs writings, as well as more than 200 interviews with people in a position to evaluate his professional qualifications, according to a statement by the bar association.

Many questioned whether Mr. Grasz would be able to detach himself from his deeply held social agenda and political loyalty to be able to judge objectively, with compassion and without bias, according to the statement by Pam Bresnahan, chairwoman of the American Bar Associations Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary.

President Donald Trump nominated Grasz to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after he was recommended for the seat by both of Nebraskas U.S. senators.

Nominees to the powerful appellate courts typically receive intense scrutiny from lawmakers, but the ABA report will make it that much tougher for Grasz when he appears Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Now a senior counsel at Husch Blackwell LLP in Omaha, Grasz has been politically active over the years and previously served as Nebraskas chief deputy attorney general.

He has served as legal counsel to the campaigns of Gov. Pete Ricketts, Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert and Nebraskans for the Death Penalty.

Grasz did not respond to a request for comment. His supporters, however, defended his integrity and ability to serve as a judge.

And they slammed the bar association as a liberally biased organization out to besmirch a good mans name for political purposes.

The ABA standing committee that reviews judicial nominations backed the not qualified rating unanimously with one abstention.

Only two judicial nominees have received unanimous not qualified ratings since 1989, said Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law who specializes in federal judicial selection.

Its very rare, Tobias said, adding that those two other individuals were not confirmed.

The ABA noted that to date only one other nominee by President Trump has received a not qualified rating  that one was not unanimous  and that 41 have received ratings of qualified or well qualified.

Both of Nebraskas Republican senators provided statements standing by Grasz.

Its sad that the ABA would contort their ratings process to try to tarnish Steves professional reputation in order to drive a political agenda, said Sen. Ben Sasse, a member of the Judiciary Committee. In more than a decade as chief deputy attorney general, whether he was litigating cases before the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington or the Nebraska Supreme Court in Lincoln, Republicans and Democrats alike knew that Steve represented Nebraska with integrity and professionalism.

Sen. Deb Fischer said in a statement that Grasz is in good standing with the Nebraska State Bar Association and was selected as a fellow by the Nebraska State Bar Foundation.

Steve Grasz is highly respected by a bipartisan group of Nebraskans, Fischer said. For many years, Steve has earned the very highest peer rating available as a lawyer.

In its statement, the ABA defended its process as nonpartisan, thorough and fair.

It laid out concerns raised by a number of those interviewed that he would be biased. Some related instances when Grasz was gratuitously rude and said they were worried about potential retaliation. Those worries came up in follow-up interviews by a second evaluator.

Mr. Laurence Pulgrams evaluation encountered a similar and unusual fear of adverse consequences expressed by those from whom interviews were solicited, of all political parties, based on the nominees deep connection and allegiance to the most powerful politicians in his state, according to the ABA statement.

The ABA also specifically cited Graszs pro-life agenda as clouding his objectivity. The association characterized a 1999 law review article he wrote on abortion as supporting the idea that lower courts could question the jurisprudence of superior courts.

This instance was not the only one in which Mr. Graszs passionately held social agenda appeared to overwhelm and obscure the ability to exercise dispassionate and unbiased judgment, according to the statement.

Graszs defenders said the ABA evaluation shows that the organization has a liberal viewpoint, and they cited support Grasz has received from Democrats, including a letter from former U.S. Attorney for Nebraska Deborah Gilg.

One Nebraska Republican colleague, former U.S. Rep. Hal Daub, said he was not surprised by the ABA evaluation; he said the bar association representatives who interviewed him were clearly liberals out for blood.

Daub said any objective assessment of Grasz shows that hes highly qualified to serve on the bench.

He is ideologically quite clear and quite studied and quite learned in his views of the law, and that probably scares those liberals to death, Daub said. Because hes a constitutionalist and hes an interpreter of the law as its written.

Tobias, the Richmond law professor, said the 15-member ABA standing committee represents well-respected attorneys from circuits across the country.

It doesnt seem like all of them would be politically motivated, Tobias said.
They saw her only once. That was before Linda Roberts-Antinoro and her husband, Mike Antinoro, had moved into the historic stone house surrounded by sloping hills and a scenic stream.

As they visited the Maryland property on a blustery afternoon in January 1990, and stood gazing at the locked and empty home, they noticed a shadowy figure in the window above the front door.

Linda didnt say anything. Her husband was a New York City firefighter, a no-nonsense type of guy. Its probably just reflections of trees, Linda told herself. But then Mike turned to her, perplexed: Did you just see something in the window? She felt a chill.

During the more than 25 years they lived there, they grew accustomed to the occasional sound of footsteps above them when no one was upstairs, or the inexplicable relocation of a candle from the fireplace mantel to other corners of the room.

And  well, thats the whole story. Linda and Mike never actually saw their ghost again.

For all our delight with horror films and supernatural folklore, the rather underwhelming truth about many real American ghost stories is that theyre just a wee bit ... boring. Too subtle or ambiguous, really, to become the stuff of legend. Yet these are the most ubiquitous: Most of us know someone who thinks they once saw something.

About 45 percent of Americans believe in ghosts, according to a 2013 Huffington Post and YouGov poll; Pew research shows that 18 percent of American adults are convinced that theyve seen or been in the presence of a spirit.

Colin Dickey, author of Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places, and his wife host annual ghost-story parties: Everybodys a bit skeptical, until the first couple of stories come out, he says, and then everybody seems to have a story. Thats kind of the enduring popularity of this genre, because for so many people, they have, somewhere in their history, something they cant quite explain, but yet dont want to dismiss out of hand.

Ashley Jones, a 28-year-old arborist from Gaithersburg, Maryland, is one of them. She grew up as one of fifteen cousins who spent a lot of time at her grandmothers historic farm on Marylands Eastern Shore.

As a child, she often slept in a front room of the farmhouse. Thats where she once woke in the middle of the night and glimpsed a whitish, translucent figure of a man striding past her, wearing a uniform-like suit and a top hat. On another occasion, she awakened to see the same apparition, this time accompanied by a ghostly woman in a long gown. On both occasions, she says, she forced herself to close her eyes and go back to sleep, convinced that it must have been a lingering fragment of a dream.

I didnt want to be seen as the nut in the family, so I didnt bring it up to anyone, she says.

But things kept happening in the house, she says  a Christmas train set that suddenly started running without anyone turning it on, the sound of creaking stairs when no one was walking on them. Then one of her younger cousins, who had slept in the same front room of the house, announced one morning that she woke in the night and saw a pale, shimmering man sitting on the hearth, wearing a top hat.

My stomach dropped, Jones recalls. There was no way, with nobody knowing what I saw, that she would come up with that exact same outfit for the guy.

Jones never knew the exact history of her late grandmothers farmhouse, which was sold last year, or the identities of residents who might have lived there long ago. But Dickey thinks many ghost stories are ultimately fueled by our curiosity about those who have gone before us  that hauntings ultimately reveal more about the person who perceives the phantom than the phantom itself.

If its a house where theres not a famous haunting  maybe its not a well-known property, and yet its been around since the 19th century and has changed hands a number of times  I think there is for many of us this sense of wanting to feel connected to that past, he says. We want a connection to a history that we perceive but feel is just out of reach, and ghosts are a really common way for us to express that.

In some cases, that history is more clearly defined: Fay Hobbs Manthey has always known that her home, an apartment on the third floor of a historic building on North Fairfax Street in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, was the setting of a tragedy in 1879. Laura Schafer died there on her wedding day, when the embers of a fire set her gown ablaze as she dressed for her ceremony. The building, which Manthey has owned for 15 years, is a popular stop on local ghost tours.

Other visitors  and especially tenants in the commercial space downstairs - have reported a slew of bizarre experiences: strange noises, whooshing air, extreme coldness or heat.

And yet, Manthey has never witnessed any of that herself.

I dont doubt that Lauras here, I really dont, she says. Its just a gut feeling, and because I know the history.

Jennifer Cornell, who works in business development in Orlando, Florida, is similarly certain that the former resident of her rented 1920s-era bungalow is still around. A neighbor across the street told Cornell all about Ella, the elderly widow who had lived and died in the house in the late 1960s, even sharing photographs of the kindly former schoolteacher.

That helped Cornell make sense of certain inexplicable phenomena in Ellas former home. Cornell once watched a heavy bath towel swing wildly on a hook, but there wasnt a draft in the house, she says. Her dogs would sometimes pace and stare in an empty backroom, as though they were watching someone. Lights would occasionally shut off for no discernible reason.

But Cornell found all of this oddly comforting: Ive always felt protected here, she says. Now, the house has been sold and will soon be demolished, and Cornell is thinking of moving to New York. Ive already told Ella that she can come with me if she wants, she says.

Last fall, Linda and Mike bade farewell to their own allegedly haunted house, retiring to another home in Maryland. The property is still on the market, Linda says; when it sells, she will pass along the records shes kept about the original owners of the house, who are rumored to have offered shelter to runaway slaves on the underground railroad. As for the less tangible aspects of the houses history  Linda hopes a prospective buyer wont be thwarted by the possibility of a benign, if supernatural, presence.

Lindas skeptical husband once devised his own test to determine whether there truly was an all-knowing spirit hanging around.

He left a Powerball ticket out, with a pencil, she says, but the ghost never filled it out for him.
How you spend your money is unique to your situation, depending on your priorities and values. You decide your comfort level with risk, personal savings, and future goals. If you make a poor decision, it does not impact the livelihood of your friends and neighbors. When the consequences are our own, that is acceptable. Public policy decisions are very different.

When legislators decide about spending tax dollars, making tax policy, or creating regulations, those choices impact everyone. Far too often policy decisions are eminence based rather than evidence based. Unfortunately, ideas can become popular and gain support even when evidence contradicts the premise.

My recent columns on tax incentives exemplify the need for evidence to support policy decisions. Legislation that created the Nebraska Advantage Act did not require evaluating whether incentives had the intended impact of the programs. Despite common political strategies that use fear, anecdote and false dichotomies to promote a particular policy, sound governance should use evidence to support decisions that impact Nebraskans lives. Many popular policies sound reasonable, yet the evidence does not support the claims.

One of the most common arguments in support of expanding Medicaid eligibility is to reduce the use of expensive emergency room services for non-emergency care. Oregon used a lottery system to expand Medicaid to random working adults. Use of emergency room services increased in those newly covered, versus the same population without Medicaid. Expanding Medicaid had the opposite effect on costs. Nevertheless, the claim continues in spite of the evidence.

Studies examining the long-term impact of early childhood education programs have provided evidence that contradicts the popular claims. Research at Vanderbilt University examining Tennessees universal early childhood program and data from Head Start have shown the impact of early childhood education programs, when applied broadly, vanishes in early elementary school.

Nevertheless, data from boutique programs are used to advocate for additional investments, while ignoring the more comprehensive evidence.

Cost and benefit analysis of government programs is essential for judicious use of tax dollars. There is no such thing as a free lunch. There is a cost associated with every dollar spent, including trade-offs to other programs. When deciding to spend taxpayer money, lawmakers have a responsibility to base decisions on data.

No evidence that supports the claim that spending more on education equates to better learning outcomes. The rate of return diminishes with additional investment. However, education spending is frequently used as a metric to reflect educational quality.

Using evidence and data to make good policy decision does not mean they are devoid of compassion. Emotional stories and anecdotes are powerful, but they are not evidence. Public decision making is distinct from private choices. The careful balance between the individual needs and public good can be easily influenced by cognitive biases. Good data and careful standards of evidence provide the foundation for sound public policy.

Sen. John Kuehn of Heartwell represents District 38 in the Nebraska Legislature. The district encompasses southwest Buffalo County and all of Clay, Franklin, Kearney, Nuckolls, Phelps and Webster counties.

@JohnKuehnDVM
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump hand out treats as they welcome children from the Washington area and children of military families to trick-or-treat celebrating Halloween at the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
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Independent MNA Guy Ouellette walks in to make a declaration over his arrest by the anti corruption unit at the legislature in Quebec City, Tuesday, October 31, 2017. The Quebec member of the legislature arrested by the province's anti-corruption unit is again accusing the organization of what he calls unprecedented intimidation. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot
FILE - This combination of the file photos show Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, on Oct 25, 2017 in Beijing and South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Sept. 21, 2017 at U.N. headquarters. South Korean senior presidential official told a televised briefing Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017 that President Moon and Xi will talk on the sidelines of an annual regional forum in Vietnam next week. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, Richard Drew, File)
FILE - In this April 11, 2011 file photo, then-U.S. envoy Chris Stevens attends meetings at the Tibesty Hotel in Benghazi, Libya. U.S. special operations forces captured a militant in Libya accused of playing an instrumental role in the Benghazi attacks, officials said Oct. 30, 2017, in a high-stakes operation designed to bring the perpetrators to justice more than five years after the deadly violence. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)
This Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017, photo provided by Waymo shows a Chrysler Pacifica minivan equipped with Waymo's self-driving car technology, being tested with the company's employees as a biker and a pedestrian at Waymo's facility in Atwater, Calif. Waymo, hatched from a Google project started eight years ago, showed off its progress Monday during a rare peek at a closely guarded testing facility located 120 miles southeast of San Francisco where its robots complete their equivalent to driver's education. (Julia Wang/Waymo via AP)
FILE - In this Feb. 8, 2016 file photo, President of the Senate Stephen Parry speaks during a Senate Estimates Committee at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia. Despite a High Court decision thought to have ruled a line under the saga last Friday, the dual citizenship crisis that has rocked AustraliaAos parliament took another twist on Tuesday, Oct. 31 2017, with a senior member of the governing Liberal Party saying he may have to quit parliament. Senator Stephen Parry said he had contacted British authorities to see if he held dual nationality because of his UK-born father. (Lukas Coch/AAP Image via AP)
Visitors take a look from North Korean side while U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo visit the truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the border between North and South Korea Friday, Oct. 27, 2017. (Jung Yeon-je/Pool Photo via AP)
The Mexican Grand Prix has become one of the most popular races on the F1 schedule, thanks to its colorful and vibrant atmosphere. We prowled the paddock last weekend in search of some stolen moments.
By Aaron Saldanha

Oct. 31 (Reuters) - Australian shares rose on Tuesday, as gains in consumer and energy stocks offset losses in materials ahead of China manufacturing data due later in the day.

The S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.2 percent, or 8.921 points, to 5,928 by 0038 GMT, and was on track for its best month since July, 2015. The benchmark rose 0.3 percent on Monday.

Retailer Woolworths , up as much as 2.1 percent at its highest in over eight weeks, led index gains after reporting a 3.7 percent growth in quarterly sales. Consumer stocks followed suit and contributed the most to index gains. Woolworths said food sales rose 4.9 percent on a comparable store basis. Rival Wesfarmers Ltd had said a week ago that its comparable food sales rose 0.3 percent. Energy stocks tracked rising oil prices after Brent oil closed Monday at its highest level since July 2015. Materials were the only losers on the index, hurt by lower iron ore prices and expectations of weaker Chinese data. China is a key market for Australian resource companies and the most-active iron ore contract for January delivery on the Dalian Commodity Exchange fell 3.3 percent on Monday following the Chinese government enforcement of steel production limits to combat Beijing's winter fog. "I think we are going to wait to see what happens to Chinese data and how the banks react. At this point, resources are expecting a weaker PMI and that is trading negatively," said Mathan Somasundaram, market portfolio strategist at Blue Ocean Equities.

Iron ore major Rio Tinto was down as much as 0.9 percent while mining peer BHP Billiton slipped as much as 0.7 percent.

"If we do not have weakness in the Chinese data, I would expect the banks to be quite positive and pull the market higher. But, everything is pointing to a weaker Chinese data which means we should see a slight pull back in the banks," added Somasundaram.

Meanwile, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index rose 0.1 percent, or 9.05 points, to 8,153.03, on strong performance from utilities and telecom stocks.

Telecom major Spark New Zealand Ltd drove the gains, rising as much 1 percent.

Healthcare stocks weighed on the index the most, with Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Ltd trading 0.1 percent lower.

(Reporting by Aaron Saldanha in Bengaluru; Editing by Vyas Mohan)
By Swati Pandey

SYDNEY, Oct 31 (Reuters) - The Australian dollar took a brief dip on Tuesday after data showed China's factories expanded at a slower pace in October, while the New Zealand dollar tripped after two rare days of gains.

The Australian dollar , often traded as a liquid proxy for China plays, was off 0.1 percent at $0.7678, edging closer to 4-month trough of $0.7622 touched last week.

China's official manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index fell to 51.6 in October, from 52.4, while the services index eased to 54.3 from 55.4 in September.

China is Australia's top trading partner, taking much of its iron ore output, while the services sector accounts for over half of China's economy and is important to Beijing as it rebalances growth away from investment and exports. The Aussie has underperformed in recent weeks largely on a resurgent greenback. It has fallen more than 4.5 percent since setting a near 2-1/2-year top of $0.8124 last month.

The Aussie is poised for its third straight month of losses in October, but some analysts see its woes coming to an end, at least in the short-term.

"We think the AUD has likely bottomed," ANZ analysts said in a note to clients. "Some consolidation in the USD, along with strong global growth and abundant macro liquidity should keep boosting sentiment and provide a lift to the AUD."

Hindering the Aussie has been a diverging rate outlook. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is considered likely to keep rates at record lows for many months yet, while the U.S. Federal Reserve is on a clear tightening path.

The premium offered by Australian two-year government debt over U.S. bonds has shrunk to the smallest since early 2001 at just under 26 basis points.

The New Zealand dollar has been under much the same pressure, and was last down 0.36 percent at $0.6850.

The kiwi has fallen in seven out of the last 10 sessions and is on track for its worst monthly showing since January 2016.

It touched its lowest since May last week at $0.6818, which was also its weakest for the year so far. A break there would take it to territory last trod in June 2016.

Foreign investors have been concerned the country's new left-leaning Labour Party government would take a hard line stance on immigration and foreign investment and shake up rules governing the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.

Local business also seemed uncertain with sentiment in an ANZ Bank survey dropping to a two-year low in October as firms grappled with the turbulent political outlook. New Zealand government bonds gained with yields slipping 5 ticks at the long end and 2 ticks at the short end of the curve.

Australian government bond futures rose, with the three-year bond contract up 3 ticks at 97.990. The 10-year contract added 5 ticks to 97.2950.

(Reporting by Swati Pandey; Editing by Eric Meijer)
(Kitco News) - Gold prices will average at just above $1,300 an ounce in 2018 while continuing to be closely tied to the Federal Reserves monetary policy, RBC Capital Markets said in a report.

Golds fortunes will remain largely tied to the Fed (both the path of rate hikes and intertwined speculation about the next Fed chair), Christopher Louney, commodity strategist at RBC Capital Markets, said in a research note on Thursday.

The near-term monetary policy focus will still be on Decembers Fed meeting, with the prospect of a rate hike priced in above 80%, the report added.

Overall, the yellow metal will remain in trickle down mode due to gold-negative macro headwinds, Louney specified.

Our Q4 2017 average price forecast for gold remains $1,265/oz and we reiterate our 2017 average price forecast of $1,256/oz (versus $1,255.51/oz YTD). Our annual average forecast for 2017 is $1,256/oz (versus $1,255.51/oz YTD) and for 2018 it is $1,303/oz, he wrote.

Unexpected geopolitical risks are one of the few triggers that can boost gold prices higher than expected, the bank noted.

While North Korean worries seem to be on the back burner as far as gold prices are concerned, more recently the headlines around Spain and Catalonia drove some upside, Louney said.

Physical global gold demand is also critical to consider when forecasting price movements, according to Louney, who highlighted Europe and China as key markets for gold exchange-traded products (ETPs) and consumer demand, respectively.

While the largest gold ETPs are in the US, Europe has seen stronger flows, on both a relative and absolute basis, he said.

[On the other hand] consumer markets, which are largely represented by jewelry, bar and coin demand, are dominated by Eastern gold markets. In fact, India and China alone represent more than 50% of global jewelry, bar and coin demand in any given period . . . China represents a bright spot with its upward trajectory, a theme we expect to remain intact for some time given divergent gold policy stances among the worlds two largest consumers, the commodity strategist added.
WELLINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Tuesday a ban on foreigners buying existing homes would begin in early 2018, but the ban would not apply to Australians seeking to buy homes in New Zealand.

Ardern told reporters that legislation would be introduced by Dec. 25.

Ardern's government campaigned in New Zealand's recent election to restrict foreign buyers in order to reduce demand while the country tackles what her Labour party says is a housing crisis left unresolved by the previous National administration.

(Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Paul Tait)
WELLINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - New Zealand business sentiment dropped to a two-year low in October as firms grappled with a turbulent political outlook, an ANZ Bank survey showed on Tuesday.

The survey's headline measure showed a net 10.1 percent of respondents expected the economy to deteriorate over the year ahead. It compared with a flat result in the previous month's survey.

"The finger can be pointed at political uncertainty," said ANZ chief economist Cameron Bagrie in a research note accompanying the data.

Most of the survey responses were sent in during a protracted coalition negotiation period led by the small nationalist New Zealand First Party after an inconclusive September election left neither major party with enough votes to form a government.

NZ First eventually cast the centre-left Labour Party in government on Oct. 19, ending almost a decade of centre-right National Party rule.

"This month's survey primarily covers the uncertainty around the outcome and not the outcome itself," Bagrie said.

The survey also showed a net 22.2 percent of respondents expected their own businesses to grow in the next 12 months, down from 29.6 percent last month.

(Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield and Ana Nicolaci da Costa; Editing by Joseph Radford)
SHANGHAI, Oct 31 (Reuters) - China's 10-year treasury bonds steadied on Tuesday morning as the central bank moved to calm the market with liquidity injections and queried banks on demand for medium-term loans following a sell-off in the previous session.

Yields on Chinese 10-year treasury bonds fell less than one basis point to 3.887 percent in morning trade after reaching three-year highs the previous day amid what traders characterised as panic selling. The yields on 10-year notes surged to 3.917 percent at one point on Monday on rising expectations of a renewed crackdown on riskier lending following the twice-a-decade Communist Party Congress, which ended last week in Beijing.

Top policymakers at the congress last week said that efforts to contain excessive risk-taking in the financial system will continue next year, with hints of more regulations in areas such as interbank borrowing and wealth management products. In early trade on Tuesday, the price of the most-traded China 10-year treasury futures for December delivery rose 0.3 percent

The People's Bank of China (PBOC) will inject a net 80 billion yuan into money markets via open market operations on Tuesday. In a further move to soothe market concerns, the PBOC has asked banks about their demand for medium-term lending facility (MLF) loans, and may inject money via the MLF on Friday, according to a source with knowledge of the matter. A trader at an asset-management firm in Shanghai said the moves had helped "a little bit" to calm market nerves.

"But money market rates are still high."

The net 80 billion yuan injection was "not enough" to significantly affect market sentiment, he said, adding the PBOC was probably unwilling to inject a greater amount due to the broader deleveraging push.

"The PBOC only offers first aid," he said.

On Friday, 207 billion yuan ($31.19 billion) worth of one-year MLF loans are due to mature. ($1 = 6.6360 Chinese yuan)

(Reporting by Andrew Galbraith; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
CAIRO, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Jordan has lifted a ban on imports of Egyptian potatoes it imposed over a year ago due to brown rot, Egypt's Agriculture Ministry said on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates agreed to lift bans on Egyptian agricultural imports like lettuce and onions put in place due to concerns of pesticide residues. Egypt has appointed an agricultural quarantine body to advise on shipments and any violations of international standards.

Egypt's agricultural exports rose 13.9 percent during the first nine months of 2017, reaching 4.1 million tonnes compared to 3.6 million last year.

It exports around 1.2 million tonnes of agricultural products to other Arab countries annually.

(Reporting by Ehab Farouk; Writing by Nadine Awadalla; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
Elizabeth Dilts

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A former Bank of America (BAC.N) Merrill Lynch broker pleaded guilty to a criminal charge of securities fraud for billing clients excessive commissions, according to federal court documents unsealed on Tuesday.

Tom Buck, once a top Merrill Lynch financial adviser in Indiana, could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

In a parallel case, Buck agreed to pay $5 million to settle civil charges brought with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which alleged that Buck overcharged at least 50 clients around $2.5 million in fees and commissions.

Robert Hammerle, Bucks lawyer in the criminal case, said his client admitted he overcharged clients, but that all of the clients made money and none lost their life savings.

This was not a case where all of his clients were on the Titanic, Hammerle told Reuters. They were on the Queen Mary. They had an excellent voyage, and were over-billed for their rooms.

Buck, 63, was fired in March 2015, after nearly 30 years at Merrill Lynch, for failing to discuss service level and pricing alternatives with a customer and for giving false information to managers who were looking into the matter, according to a statement Bank of America submitted to regulators after Bucks termination.

Buck, who went to work at RBC Wealth Management-U.S. after Bank of America fired him, was permanently banned from the brokerage industry by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in July 2015.

Buck and Bank of America have paid more than $5.3 million in settlements to aggrieved clients in 32 different customer disputes since he was fired, according to FINRA records.

We have resolved issues raised by clients since Mr. Bucks termination in 2015, and proactively reached out to all clients who may have been affected by his conduct, Bank of America spokesman Bill Halldin said.

Jonell Lundquist, a spokeswoman for RBC Wealth Management, said Bucks actions took place when he worked for another firm, and in no way related to any activities during his brief time with RBC.

Hammerle said his client would seek probation at a court hearing next month, and would argue that his clients did not lose money.

Reporting By Elizabeth Dilts; editing by Susan Thomas
JAKARTA, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Indonesia's government raised 22.5 trillion rupiah ($1.66 billion) in a bond auction on Tuesday, higher than an indicative target of 15 trillion rupiah, the finance ministry said in a statement.

The government raised the same amount of funds in the previous debt auction.

The ministry on Tuesday sold T-bills maturing in February 2018 with a weighted average yield of 4.79959 percent and T-bills maturing in August 2018 with a weighted average yield of 5.17770 percent.

Indonesia bonds maturing in May 2022 were sold with a weighted average yield of 6.41286 percent and those maturing in May 2027 have a weighted average yield of 6.77151 percent.

The bonds maturing in August 2032 had a weighted average yield of 7.35418 percent.

The total incoming bids reached 41.48 trillion rupiah on Tuesday, compared to 34.94 trillion bids in the previous auction. ($1 = 13,560 rupiah)

(Reporting by Fransiska Nangoy; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)
* Losing bet has come at high price for Kurds

* Kurds feel far from independence dream

* Iran believed to have backed Iraqi offensive

* Barzani steps down as president; accuses rivals of treason

* Fall of Kirkuk deepens Kurdish rifts; Iran to exploit fallout

By Raya Jalabi

ERBIL, Oct 31 (Reuters) - There are no winners among Iraq's Kurds, just weeks after Kurdish president Masoud Barzani gambled away his people's autonomy in a defiant independence referendum.

The losing bet has come at a steep price for everyone involved.

Barzani has had to give up the presidency, his Kurdish political foes have angered their popular base, and the Kurdish people, who overwhelmingly voted to break away from Iraq, feel further than ever from their lifelong dream of independence.

The ultimate winner, analysts say, is Iran, widely believed to have backed and orchestrated Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in his Oct. 16 offensive to recapture Kurdish held-areas, including the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

"The Iranians outwitted the Americans; they were the driving force behind the deal to hand over Kirkuk," said Hassan Shaaban, a political commentator and rights activist in Baghdad.

The balance of power has been transformed in the north of Iraq, exposing the limited hand the Kurds have to play in future negotiations. It has also exposed the dominant role Iran played in transforming the fate of the Kurdish region.

Iran is poised to exploit the political aftermath, pushing to move the centre of power from the regional capital Erbil, where the Barzanis and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) have dominated, to its Kurdish allies in the city of Sulaimaniya.

"Iran was always one step ahead on the referendum," said Renad Mansour, an Iraq expert at the Chatham House think-tank.

They knew Barzani was never going to postpone the vote, he said, adding: "The U.S. was left scrambling while the Iranians were plotting."

A senior Iranian official said Tehran had advised Barzani against the referendum but he would not listen.

"We tried to stop this referendum because it was not in their interest. But unfortunately Mr Barzani miscalculated his social base among Kurds and went ahead with the vote," Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran's National Security Council, was quoted as saying by Mehr news agency on Tuesday.

IRANIAN MEDDLING

Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani has for years been allied to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the main rival of Barzani's KDP.

But the referendum has drawn the powerful Iranian commander even closer to Kurdish politics, and shown how far Iran's reach has extended beyond the central government in Baghdad.

Ahead of the vote, Soleimani warned Kurdish leaders in northern Iraq to withdraw their forces from Kirkuk or face a "fiery" onslaught by Iraqi forces and Iranian-backed fighters, according to Kurdish and Iraqi officials. The warning prompted Kurdish Peshmerga fighters to withdraw from most areas, and deepened the split between Barzani's power base in Erbil, and the rival Talabani clan in Sulaimaniya, long allied with Iran.

Iraqi politicians have voiced concern about the growing influence of Iran, despite praising Abadi for reining in Kurdish ambitions.

"We feel worried seeing the octopus arms stretching deeper in the north," said Ahmed Asi al-Obeidi, a Sunni tribal sheikh and a member of Kirkuk's tribal council.

"We all have seen the problems Iranian meddling has caused in other parts of Iraq, including mainly Sunni areas, and if the same amount of interference is repeated in Kurdish areas, then the worst is coming and instability will prevail."

Addressing his people, demoralized by humiliating territorial defeats, Barzani said on Sunday that he would step down, just one month after the vote he championed in the face of regional and international opposition.

He accused his enemies of committing "high treason" in surrendering Kirkuk to Iraqi forces without a fight, while his rivals have directed the same accusation against him for holding the referendum in the first place.

UNEASY SUCCESSION

The vote and its ensuing political and military retribution from Baghdad - backed by Iran and Turkey - demolished the position of relative strength the Kurds had enjoyed for years.

The blame has been placed on Barzani's shoulders, both by his political opponents, notably the rival Talabani clan allied to Iran, and his Western allies, who were angered by his insistence on holding the vote against their advice.

On Sunday, Kurdish lawmakers agreed to divide Barzani's presidential powers between parliament, the judiciary and the government, in the absence of imminent presidential elections and a named successor.

Barzani remains head of the KDP, which dominates parliament and government, and will still sit on the High Political Council, an opaque non-governmental body which emerged after the referendum. He will thus retain his ability to influence policy.

Barzani could therefore mitigate the mounting political chaos. But his position instead highlights the lack of clarity over who is in charge as crucial negotiations with Baghdad get underway over the region's future.

Dominant since he became president in 2005, Barzani has consolidated the power of his office, and boosted his family members' political profiles.

Before the referendum, Barzani's son Masrour was his likely successor, but he has been damaged by his backing for the vote.

Instead, Nechirvan Barzani, Masoud's nephew and the regional prime minister, has moved to the fore. He has gained some of Barzani's newly devolved presidential powers, and maintained ties with the Kurdish opposition, making him a more palatable candidate to mend regional fences. He also enjoys a close relationship with Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan.

On Monday, the United States commended Barzani for stepping down and said it would "actively" engage with Nechirvan, and his deputy, Qubad Talabani, a member of the rival political faction with whom he maintains a good relationship.

Who emerges as the next leader of the Kurdistan Regional Government is anything but straightforward. In addition to an intra-Kurdish compromise, the influence of Baghdad and Iran will have to be considered.

Senior Kurdish officials from both the KDP and PUK say their best bet is to present a united front in negotiations with Baghdad. But that now seems all but impossible.

Iraqi forces, including the Iran-backed Shi'ite militias, now control border crossings in the north, vital trade routes for the Kurds. The military capitulation in Kirkuk was a crushing blow to the Kurds, both morally and financially, halving the region's oil export revenue overnight.

Now the Talabanis are facing their own succession crisis, following the death of former president Jalal Talabani.

"Iran saw the disintegration of their Kurdish ally in Talabani," said Mansour, who added Iran needed a clear successor to ensure its continued influence.

Another set of sons and nephews are vying for leadership in the aftermath of the referendum. But the PUK base has expressed more widespread disappointment with how their leadership handled the Kirkuk crisis.

"We were betrayed by our leaders in Kirkuk, who stopped us from fighting the (Iraqi Shi'ite) militias," said a PUK-allied Peshmerga commander who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution. "They sold us to Iran for their own benefit."

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ GRAPHIC: Iaq's Kurdish zone http://tmsnrt.rs/2yXRWcI

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by Raya Jalabi; Additional reporting by Ahmed Rasheed, Maher Chmaytelli and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin Nouri; Editing by Samia Nakhoul and Giles Elgood)
NAIROBI, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Kenya's benchmark share index NSE-20 rose 1.49 percent on Tuesday following the declaration of the result of Monday's repeat presidential election. The broader all share index NASI also rose 1.17 percent to close at 161.99 points, data from the bourse showed. On Monday, the election board declared President Uhuru Kenyatta the winner of the repeat election, which was boycotted by the main opposition.

(Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Peter Graff)

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.
MOSCOW, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Russia's Norilsk Nickel launched a greenfield copper, iron and gold mine in the country's remote Far East on Tuesday, the company said.

The Bystrinsky project, some 400 km (250 miles) by rail from the Chinese border in the Siberian region of Chita, plans to export its production to China, the world's top iron ore consumer.

Shanghai copper futures have risen around 18 percent so far this year on strong demand in China, also the leading consumer and producer of the metal. .

Russia has sought closer ties to China after Moscow's relations with the West were soured by its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and its support of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Bystrinsky is scheduled to produce 28,000 to 30,000 tonnes of copper in concentrate along with around 140,000 ounces of gold and up to 1 million tonnes of magnetite concentrate in 2018, reaching half of its capacity, Sergey Dyachenko, Nornickel's chief operating officer, told reporters.

He said Nornickel, whose key assets are located on the northern Russian peninsulas of Taymyr and Kola, would reach its full capacity of 10 million tonnes of ore in Bystrinsky by 2020.

Nornickel, the world's second-largest nickel and top palladium producer, holds 50 percent of Bystrinsky, while the Chinese-owned Highland Fund has a 13.33 percent stake.

Nornickel co-owner Vladimir Potanin along with his partner Grigory Berezkin hold the remaining 36.7 percent via CIS Natural Resources fund.

Nornickel's investments in the project stood at around 90 billion roubles ($1.55 billion) over 18 months.

"There is big interest from Chinese consumers both in iron ore magnetite concentrate and copper (concentrate). We may say that China will be the major consumer of this output," Dyachenko said.

He said he did not expect copper prices to rise significantly as the global market was balanced. In August, Nornickel hired a trading team in China to market concentrates from the Bystrinsky mine. The company says the mine is one of the 10 largest developed copper deposits in the world.

($1 = 57.6984 roubles)

(Reporting by Diana Asonova, writing by Denis Pinchuk, editing by Dale Hudson) Keywords: RUSSIA NORILSK/MINE
JOHANNESBURG, Oct 31 (Reuters) - South Africa's Imperial Holdings could split its vehicle import division from its logistics business, but will not make a decision before July next year, its chief executive said on Tuesday.

Imperial Logistics has operations in Africa and Europe while Imperial's Motus division imports auto brands such as Mitsubishi and Kia .

"Preliminary work indicates that Imperial Logistics and Motus can achieve appropriate gearing and self-sustaining balance sheets by June 2018," CEO Mark Lamberti said in a statement after the company's annual general meeting.

The company is preparing to devolve functions performed by Imperial Holdings' small head office to the two divisions.

"Various financial considerations have led to the conclusion that a separation will best be implemented by means of the unbundling of Motus to Imperial shareholders," Lamberti said.

The company would base such a transaction on its audited accounts for the year to end-June 2018 and a decision on whether or not a separation will take place will not be made or announced before early next July, he said.

Standard Bank has been appointed as corporate finance and debt advisers, Lamberti said.

(Reporting by TJ Strydom; editing by Jason Neely)
HANOI, Oct 31 (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 0402 GMT.

October 31 USD/VND mid-point 22,471 USD/VND interbank 22,716/22,718 USD/VND unofficial 22,790/22,810 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.35/36.57

Interbank offered rates Overnight 0.3-1.0

1 week 0.9-1.1

1 month 1.4-1.7

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)
MADRID, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Spain's cabinet will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. (1700 GMT), the government said on Tuesday without giving any further details.

(Reporting by Julien Toyer; Editing by Paul Day)

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.
BUDAPEST, Oct 31 (Reuters) - The Hungarian Government Debt Management Agency (AKK) sold 40 billion forints ($149.42 million) worth of three-month Treasury bills on Tuesday, as planned, it said. Series: D180207 Issue status: Auction data: AUCTION DATE 24/10/2017 31/10/2017 TOTAL BIDS (bln HUF) 29.40 88.59 ALLOTTED (bln HUF) 25.00 40.00 AVERAGE YIELD (pct) -0.01 0.00 ($1 = 267.7 forints)

(Reporting by Sandor Peto)

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.
TOKYO, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance plans to increase its holding of foreign corporate bonds by almost 70 billion yen ($618 million) in the half year to March, senior investment planning officials said on Tuesday.

The company also plans to put a full currency hedging on its foreign bond investments as the rise in the costs for such hedging has been within their expectations, they told Reuters in an interview. ($1 = 113.2500 yen)

(Reporting by Hideyuki Sano and Shinji Kitamura; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
By Karolina Tagaris

ATHENS, Oct 31 (Reuters) - A consortium led by France's Total moved a step closer to exploring for oil and gas off Greece after signing a lease on Tuesday with the government for a block in the Ionian Sea.

Greece wants to tap into its limited oil reserves to reduce dependence on oil imports and boost public finances.

It awarded the contract to the Total consortium, which also includes Greece's biggest oil refiner Hellenic Petroleum and Italy's Edison , in October 2016.

"Undoubtedly it is a vote of confidence in the Greek economy," Energy Minister George Stathakis said of the agreement on Tuesday.

Total will operate the block with a 50 percent stake, while Edison and Hellenic Petroleum will each hold 25 percent. The agreement must be ratified by Greece's parliament before exploration work can begin.

Western Greece is a frontier, underexplored area and very little data exists on its hydrocarbon potential.

Bernard Clement, a senior Total executive for the Caspian and Southern Europe, said it would maintain "realistic expectations" before obtaining data.

Total has shown interest in the eastern Mediterranean following major gas discoveries off Israel and Egypt. It is currently drilling for oil off Cyprus.

Together with Hellenic Petroleum in a consortium led by U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil , Total has also expressed interest in exploration at two sites off Crete, prompting Greece to launch a tender.

LOOKING WEST

Greece, like other European countries, relies on Russian gas imports which account for over 60 percent of supplies. Russia covers about a third of Greece's oil needs.

Athens also wants to attract investment into the oil industry as it tries to emerge from years of economic crisis.

During a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump this month, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said Athens wanted U.S. investment in energy too, and it planned to set up a taskforce to overcome red tape.

"It helps a lot to keep the bureaucracy moving if you have a clear message from the top that the answer to investors should be 'Yes'," U.S. ambassador to Greece, Geoffrey Pyatt, told Reuters.

Greece has one LNG terminal off Athens, where it imports Algerian gas, but an official at state-run gas firm DEPA said it plans to invite U.S. companies to ship LNG there for the first time.

It is also developing a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) off Alexandroupolis, a city close to the Turkish and Bulgarian borders near where EU-backed pipelines are being built to cut reliance on Russian gas.

"Our vision for Greece (is) as a European energy hub," said Pyatt, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.

The FSRU, with an estimated annual capacity of 6.1 billion cubic metres, will seek to supply gas to southeastern Europe via the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) pipeline, which is due to begin construction next year.

The IGB and the FSRU could be connected to the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline which is being built to carry Caspian gas to European markets, which currently depends on Russian oil giant Gazprom for a third of its supply.

"You have several American companies that are looking at the FSRU," Pyatt said. "We very much hope to see an American company also become involved."

(Editing by Susan Fenton)
(Recasts with impact of natural disasters, adds details on GDP components)

MEXICO CITY, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Mexico's economy likely shrank for the first time in more than four years during the third quarter, a preliminary official estimate showed on Tuesday, after the country was battered by earthquakes and hurricanes in September.

Gross domestic product in Latin America's second-biggest economy contracted around 0.2 percent in seasonally adjusted terms during the July-September period compared with the previous quarter, the national statistics agency said.

That follows expansion of 0.6 percent in the second quarter. If confirmed, it would be the first quarterly contraction since the second quarter of 2013. Official third-quarter data will be released on Nov. 24.

Mexico was struck by two devastating earthquakes in September and was also hit by hurricanes. The head of the statistics agency, Julio Santaella, said on Twitter that economic activity had been affected by the quakes.

The government has said the cost of reconstruction from the quakes, which killed at least 471 people, will approach 48 billion pesos ($2.50 billion.

Central bank officials have said that after a dip in output, the economy should quickly bounce back as reconstruction efforts gain pace. The bank currently forecasts the economy will grow between 2.0 and 2.5 percent this year.

The preliminary data showed the industrial sector likely shrank by 0.5 percent in the July-September period versus the second quarter, while services slipped 0.1 percent. Agriculture expanded 0.5 percent quarter-on-quarter.

Compared with the same quarter a year earlier, the economy grew by about 1.6 percent in unadjusted terms, the agency said.

Before the string of natural disasters, Mexico's economy had been more resilient than expected this year after U.S. President Donald Trump held off on threats to impose punitive tariffs on Mexican-made exports.

But the peso sank to a more than 7-month low last week, hurt by concerns that Trump may end up pulling out of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The currency briefly pared slight gains after the GDP data. ($1 = 19.2150 Mexican pesos)

(Reporting by Michael O'Boyle and Miguel Gutierrez; Editing by Dan Grebler)
(Adds quotes, details)

By Pawel Sobczak and Marcin Goettig

WARSAW, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Poland's central budget posted its biggest surplus of the last quarter century in the first nine months of 2017 thanks to, among other things, double-digit growth in value added tax revenue, the finance ministry said on Tuesday.

The ministry on Tuesday said the January-September central budget surplus reached 3.8 billion zlotys ($1.04 billion). This happened thanks to a significant improvement in tax collection and a slight fall in spending compared to 2016, it said.

"We have a unique situation in the state budget at this time of the year and this is thanks to our actions to fix leaks in the tax system," Finance Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said.

Tax revenue growth comes after the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party government crackdown on tax evasion, particularly with respect to VAT, where Poland had one of the largest problems in the EU in collecting due tax.

Value added tax (VAT) revenue in the January-September period rose by 23.3 percent year-on-year, adding to the total tax revenue increase of 15.2 percent.

The ministry said that over the last quarter of a century the central budget was in positive territory in the first nine months only once before - in 2007. The surplus back then reached 179 million zlotys, finance ministry data show.

GENERAL GOVERNMENT SECTOR

Despite the surplus, the ministry stuck to its forecast that the full-year general government gap - a wider measure than the central budget - would slightly top 50 billion zlotys ($13.69 billion) in 2017, translating to about 2.6 percent of GDP.

"Chances for a low deficit in 2017 are rising," said Karol Pogorzelski, an economist at the Warsaw-based ING Bank Slaski after seeing the data on the central budget performance.

"We think the 2017 deficit will be below 2 percent of GDP," he said, adding this could translate into lower bond yields.

Economists said this year's budget has been helped by consumption-led economic growth expected by economists to top 4 percent in 2017, as well as weak EU investment, which reduced the need for state co-financing.

Private sector employment growth of more than 4 percent and the unemployment rate at a record low also helped reduce budget subsidies to the state pension agency (ZUS), ING's Pogorzelski also said.

The ministry also said on Tuesday that the full year central budget deficit - which excludes the performance of local governments and major government agencies - will likely reach about 30 billion zlotys, about 29 billion less than the limit set in the 2017 budget act. ($1 = 3.6525 zlotys)

(Reporting by Pawel Sobczak and Marcin Goettig; Writing by Marcin Goettig; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
(Adds detail, context)

JOHANNESBURG, Oct 31 (Reuters) - South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said on Tuesday its coal workers will embark on a strike if the Chamber of Mines does not meet its wage demands.

A strike in the coal sector could affect power supply as the lion's share of electricity in Africa's most industrialised economy is generated from coal.

The mining sector has in the past been marred by labour unrest that cost it billions of dollars in lost output.

The union said it has given the employers' body, the Chamber of Mines, until Wednesday to change their current wage offer in the sector.

"We will declare a strike and that is going to have devastating economic consequences," NUM spokesman Livhuwani Mammburu said.

The Chamber, which represents firms such as Anglo American Coal , Exxaro and Glencore , said it would issue a statement on the wage stand-off later on Tuesday.

The wage offers vary depending on the company, ranging from a 5 percent to 7.5 percent increase in 2018 and in 2019 for the lowest paid workers. Some of the mining companies are also proposing once-off payments as part of the wage offers.

The union is demanding a once-off payment of 1,100 rand ($78) this year and an 8 percent increase for 2018.

NUM's demands also include a 9 percent wage increase in 2019, but the union said it will only sign an agreement for the third year if the Chamber accepts to remain in the collective bargaining forum.

The Chamber and unions agreed in June to negotiate wages collectively as an industry for 2017 instead of on a company-by-company basis, defusing a potential source of friction after NUM threatened to go on strike. Much of the sector is still in the hands of the white-minority more than two decades after demise of apartheid, with black people comprising the bulk of the labour force. ($1 = 14.0775 rand)

(Reporting by Tanisha Heiberg; Editing by James Macharia)
* Visco was widely attacked over bank failures

* Says bank directors bent rules, avoided checks

* Says economy now growing, bad loans falling

(Adds details, quotes, background)

By Giuseppe Fonte

ROME, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Bank of Italy Governor Ignazio Visco defended the central bank's supervision of the financial system, which has seen 10 lenders collapse in the last two years, saying on Tuesday that the bank was ready to account for all its actions.

In a keynote speech days after he was appointed for a second six-year term in the face of widespread political opposition, Visco said the Bank of Italy had helped to resolve banks' difficulties "in the great majority of cases".

But he added that when bank directors acted quickly to avoid checks and bend the rules, it was not always possible for the supervisor to intervene in time to avoid a crisis.

"We do not hesitate to justify our actions before the (political) institutions and the country," Visco said.

Politicians of all stripes attacked Visco before his reappointment last week, and former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, leader of the ruling Democratic Party, tried to ambush his candidacy by tabling a critical motion in parliament. Visco, who has blamed a prolonged economic downturn for the banking crisis, maintained the crucial backing of Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni and President Sergio Mattarella, however.

In Tuesday's speech Visco acknowledged that the problems of Italy's banks had taken a long time to resolve, and said it was "necessary to look more deeply at the causes of the delays".

A cross-party parliamentary commission set up to look into the banking scandals is expected to ask Visco to testify, but is considered unlikely to reach any conclusions before parliament is dissolved ahead of national election due by May next year.

Visco painted an upbeat picture of Italy's near-term economic prospects, saying growth is continuing to strengthen and jobs are being created, helped by expanding availability of credit to firms and families.

Bad loans, which were at the root of the banks' problems, are now "rapidly diminishing", the central banker said, and amounted to 8.4 percent of total loans at the end of June, compared with a peak of 11 percent in 2015.

However, he urged Italy's banks to continue to strengthen their balance sheets in order to be "more robust in the face of risks that still hang over economic prospects."

Visco said last month the economy was likely to grow around 1.5 percent this year and at the same rate in 2018, in line with the government's latest forecasts.

Those projected growth rates are buoyant by Italian standards but would still leave the country in its customary position among the euro zone's most sluggish economies.

(Reporting by Giuseppe Fonte, writing by Gavin Jones; Editing by Catherine Evans)
ROME, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Bank of Italy Governor Ignazio Visco on Tuesday defended the central bank's supervision of the financial system, which has seen 10 lenders collapse in the last two years, saying the bank was ready to explain all its actions.

In a keynote speech days after he was appointed to a second six-year mandate despite widespread political opposition, Visco said the Bank of Italy had helped to resolve banks' difficulties "in the great majority of cases".

However, he added that when bank directors acted quickly to avoid checks and bend the rules it was not always possible for the supervisor to intervene in time to avoid a crisis.

"We do not hesitate to justify our actions before the "political) institutions and the country," Visco said.

Politicians of all stripes attacked Visco before his reappointment last week, and former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, leader of the ruling Democratic Party, tried to ambush his candidacy by tabling a critical motion in parliament.

However, Visco, who has blamed a prolonged economic downturn for the banking crisis, maintained the crucial backing of Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni and President Sergio Mattarella.

In Tuesday's speech Visco acknowledged that the repeated crises among Italy's banks had taken a long time to resolve, and said it was "necessary to look more deeply at the causes of the delays".

(Reporting by Giuseppe Fonte, writing by Gavin Jones)
Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman believes that Ukraine can be the safest and most effective startup investment for investors.

"Business is often looking for those startups that can be invested in order to get a high-quality business and get success. I believe that Ukraine can be the safest, the most effective startup, where we invest and know that we can receive income and develop our own business," he said during the Toronto Global Forum on Monday as part of a working visit to Canada.

The prime minister called for investing in Ukraine, noting that all spheres of its economy have prospects for rapid growth: from the agrarian sector to the aerospace sector.
Poland's oil and gas company PGNiG has signed a contract with public joint-stock company Ukrtransgaz to use Ukrainian gas underground storage facilities, the company's has reported.

"The contract with Ukrtransgaz is yet another milestone in PGNiG trade expansion in the Ukraine. It offers new opportunities for cooperation with business partners from this country," the company said.

As reported, earlier PGNiG signed a contract with Ukrtransgaz on gas transportation using the Ukrainian gas transport system (GTS). Thus, the Polish company will be able to sell gas to Ukrainian consumers not only on the border as the company did it before.

PGNiG has been selling gas to Ukrainian consumers since August 2016.
Execution circa 1910-1920 Courtesy of Robert Neff collection



Corpses hanged in public view for days in Joseon era



By Robert Neff



Justice in the late Joseon era was often quick and severe. People accused of crimes were often horribly tortured and those who confessed their crimes or were found guilty were subsequently punished. There were many forms of punishment  depending on one's class and crime  including corporal, loss of rank, confinement and banishment. Lesser crimes were often punished with beatings  a humiliation that occasionally left its receiver bedridden for days if not permanently crippled. But the ultimate punishment was execution.



One of the most popular forms of execution was decapitation. Judging from the accounts of foreign witnesses, these were often horribly botched affairs carried out by executioners who were often under the influence of alcohol and equipped with dull rusty blades. According to one witness, an executioner "cut off the heads of the criminals after thirteen blows with a blunt sword."



Reforms were needed and they came in late January 1895 when the Korean cabinet declared "beheading and other barbarous modes of punishment" would be replaced with "strangulation for civil, and by shooting for military capital crimes."



But was hanging more humane? In early 1904, William B. McGill, an American Methodist missionary-doctor, visited a prison in Gongju, South Chungcheong Province. The jailer, an evil-looking man, confessed that whenever he only had a few inmates he would make sacrifices to the gods asking for more prisoners to be sent. Apparently his prayers were answered because when McGill visited there were 37 robbers and murderers. They were mainly men but there was at least one woman who had killed her husband with poisonous eels and then horribly mutilated his face in a futile effort to make him unrecognizable.



Not all of the murders were intentional. One man accidently killed a friend during a drunken altercation following a funeral. He professed great regret for the killing but his remorse could not save him  within a week he and most of the other prisoners were hanged  their final moments of life recorded by McGill.



"From a distance I witnessed nine of them being hung to a single branch, so close to each other that their faces touched. They had their hands tied behind them with straw rope and they walked to the tree with the constable holding them by the arm, and put their heads in the noose without any attempt at resistance. They seemed to die without the least struggle. One of the prisoners was sent up the tree to tie the straw ropes. The man to be hanged was held up off the ground a foot or so while the rope was being tied to the limb and then he was dropped and slowly strangled. Death usually followed in three or four minutes."



Things didn't always run smoothly. The first to be hanged that fateful day was a very large and heavy man but the initial attempt failed because the rope broke. The miserable man was hauled back up for a second and then third time but the rope continued to break. Surely some of the witnesses might have considered it divine intervention but the executioner was unmoved and ordered the execution to continue. After cursing his fellow prisoner in the tree for being clumsy, the condemned man finally met his fate on the fourth attempt.



The bodies were supposed to hang for two or three days  a severe warning to others  but family members would often remove their loved ones and secretly bury them. McGill recalled:

"As I was going home after witnessing the hangings  I met an old woman with a grass hook or sickle in her hand and I asked her where she was going. She said she was going to cut down her son who had been hanged. I also met another old woman and two younger ones with children going for the same purpose."



Those bodies that were not recovered by family or friends were cut down, thrown into a ditch and halfheartedly covered with dirt leaving tufts of hair and limbs sticking out of the soil.



McGill noticed dogs roaming about the site "helping themselves" to the fresh corpses  the unlikely beneficiaries of the reforms.



Nearby was a large patch of ground with human skulls and bits and pieces of bone scattered about  a remnant of the cruel past. Prior to the law revision, a large number of rebels were executed here by piling brush and timber around them and burning them to death.





Robert Neff is a historian and columnist for The Korea Times. He can be reached at robertneff103@gmail.com
Ko Young-hee, founder and CEO of COA, poses during an interview with The Korea Times at 10000LAB X NAMIB cafe in Seoul last week. / Korea Times photo by Park Jae-hyuk



By Park Jae-hyuk

Self-portraits of 300 South African children have been on display at a cafe in Haebangchon.

Ko Young-hee, 47, who teaches art to the country's children, held the exhibition titled "Uso," which means "face" in Swahili.

Ko is a founder and CEO of the non-governmental organization COA, standing for "color of Africa."

She has lived in South Africa, since she first visited the country for her sabbatical leave in 2000, when she was a designer for a construction company in Korea.

She said she began living there at that time, after falling in love with the country.

Better known as "Sally" to her students, she hopes her work to foster friendships between the two countries' children.

"I think the two countries' children can give each of their counterparts what they need," Ko said in a recent interview with The Korea Times. "I will help other countries' needy children with the profit from the exhibition, so that South African children realize they can also help others."

According to Ko, those who enjoyed the exhibition the most were Korean children.

"They wanted to hang their pictures on the wall along with South African children's," she said.





Seen are South African children's self-portraits exhibited at 10000LAB X NAMIB cafe in Seoul. / Korea Times photo by Park Jae-hyuk



The style of pictures on the wall seemed quite different from those of Korean children's.

Ko said she just teaches them how to use art materials, not teach them techniques.

"I urge my students to draw their own pictures, not to copy their friends' styles," she said. "I say to them their pictures with their own styles are the best."

The creativity has attracted visitors to 10000LAB X NAMIB cafe, which offered the exhibition space for free.

"As time goes on, children began pitching new ideas, after realizing their abilities," she said. "Actually, it is the most important thing for them."

Ko is now finding another African country where she can teach art to children.

"Most Koreans tend to regard Africa as one country, but each tribe and country is different in culture," she said. "I will introduce them to Koreans one by one with pictures painted by children."

The exhibition ends Wednesday. Ko plans to come to Korea again next year, after staying in South Africa for a while.

"Next year, I will collaborate with Jang Hyun-sung, a master of natural dyeing on Jeju Island," she said. "South African children's pictures will be combined with colors of Korea and will be exhibited at the Museum of African Art on the island."

Ko has also served as an adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for six years. In 2015, COA was registered as a non-profit, non-governmental organization specializing in cultural exchange with African countries.
By Kang Seung-woo





Around two out of three respondents opposed the renegotiation of the Korea-US free trade agreement (FTA) _ 65 percent were against it while 29.1 percent were for it.

The bilateral trade deal went into effect in 2012 to significantly increase trade volumes between the two countries. Dubbing it a "job killer," however, U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that it should be renegotiated. After his inauguration early this year, he even threatened that Washington will terminate it all together if Seoul does not make consideration concessions.

The five-year-old pact has been widely praised as an example of a win-win bilateral contract but Trump contends that it caused great losses to the world's top economy.

Trump's bold threats, dubbed the "madman strategy," have embarrassed the Moon Jae-in administration. The poll shows that they seem to irritate Korean people, too.

The two sides began a process to amend the FTA last month. South Korean Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer are leading the two-way discussions.

The procedures are expected to take quite a long time because any crucial revisions of the FTA are subject to approval of parliaments at both countries.












Ukraine has climbed four positions in the Doing Business 2018 ranking of the World Bank, ranking 76th among the 190 economies studied, according to a press release from the Better Regulation Delivery Office.

According to the document, Ukraine this year has advanced 105 positions in the field of ease of obtaining construction permits, 41 positions in the indicator of "tax payment," two in terms of "connection to power grids" and one in terms of "settlement of insolvency."

At the same time, Ukraine fell by 32 positions in the ease of creating new companies, 11 positions in protecting minority shareholders, nine positions in the ease of obtaining loans, four in the ease of international trade and one in the ease of registering property and enforcement of contracts.

As reported, according to the Doing Business 2017 rating, Ukraine ranked 80th among 190 countries, in the Doing Business 2016 rating (updated in accordance with the methodology used this year) it ranked 81st among 189 countries.
Asia Productivity Organization Secretary General Santhi Kanoktanaporn speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at Le Meridien Seoul, Monday. / Courtesy of Korea Productivity Center



APO chief stresses introduction of new index

By Park Jae-hyuk

An industry veteran from Thailand has dismissed growing concerns over Korea's low labor productivity.

Santhi Kanoktanaporn, secretary general of the Asia Productivity Organization (APO), pointed to problems with the previous method for measuring a country's productivity, during an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul this week.

Introducing the new concept of "sustainable productivity index," he said the index will precisely reflect the reality of each country under a new economic model.

"Countries adopted technologies to help their workers in the past, but they now use technology for their machines," he said. "The previous index therefore tended to underestimate labor productivities of technologically developed countries."

According to the secretary general, Singapore and the United States also faced similar problems.

A recent OECD report showed Korea lagging behind other member countries in labor productivity.

Only seven countries, including Greece, Poland, Chile and Mexico, showed lower labor productivity than Korea.

Against this backdrop, some experts criticized the incumbent administration for its labor-friendly policies, such as the hike in the minimum wage and reduction of working hours.

They said such policies will worsen the situation.

In response to the concerns, Kanoktanaporn said it is more important for people to work smarter rather than harder.

"If workers have the necessary technical skills for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, they must yield higher productivity than those who just work hard without necessary skills," he said.

The secretary general visited Korea to attend the APO meeting held in Seoul this week.

Heads of each country's productivity organizations gathered here to discuss the plans for the next two years.

APO invited officials from Amazon, Microsoft and NVIDIA as well to hold a conference on the future of productivity in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Santhi also stressed the importance of technology, saying it is essential for the survival of Asian countries.

"Asian countries could regard advanced technologies as optional five years ago," he said. "However, they cannot survive without the technologies now."

The secretary general acknowledged Korea as a center of excellence for its smart factories, so he asked for the Korea Productivity Center share the country's knowhow with other countries.

He also praised Korea for establishing the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

He said government support is imperative to enhance the productivity of small businesses, which has hindered the overall growth of the country's productivity.

"Most countries' SMEs have similar problems in terms of lack of good quality, high productivity and innovation," Kanoktanaporn said. "The government support will accelerate their success, allowing them to innovate themselves."

Citing the government's strategic plans to deal with the nation's aging populations by 2030, the secretary general also recognized Korea for taking proper measures on the issue.

He said APO and productivity organizations in each member country will keep advising policymakers in their countries, so their governments can be as foresighted as Korea.

Based on his 40-year experience in driving productivity enhancement initiatives and strategic international development programs, Kanoktanaporn took office as the APO's 11th secretary general last year.

He focuses on the use of technology to improve productivity of Asian countries.

The APO, which was established in 1961 as a regional intergovernmental organization, is devoted to enhancing productivity in Asian countries.

It is based in Tokyo and has a membership of 20 countries.
Ex-US vice president urges China to put greater pressure on N. Korea

By Nam Hyun-woo





Former U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle

Former United States Vice President Dan Quayle says it is important for South Korea to understand that U.S. President Donald Trump "does not mind chaos and thinks it is his friend."

The remark, made by a man close with incumbent U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, has extra significance given that Trump is expected to deliver messages regarding North Korea during his two-day state visit to the South on Nov. 7.

In a recent interview with The Korea Times, Quayle, who is chairman of global investment firm Cerberus Capital Management, said Trump was "very different" from other U.S. presidents.

"He likes results and likes to do things quickly and win," Quayle said at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul.

Quayle said Trump would be in South Korea for a short time, but South Koreans would "get a feel for who he is."

Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong-un have been trading bellicose rhetoric in recent months, following the North's pursuit of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and nuclear programs.

Most recently, Trump declined to confirm whether he would visit the demilitarized zone, which separates the two Koreas, during his trip, while telling reporters, "You'll be surprised."

The remark was interpreted as referring to U.S. pressure against China and North Korea.












By Park Hyong-ki



The Korea Federation of Banks (KFB) has begun the process to select its new chairman next month.



"The board consisting of chief executives from commercial and regional banks will discuss the matter and review potential candidates over the next month," a federation official said.



The federation will then appoint the successor to Chairman Ha Yung-ku, whose term ends at the end of November.



Two potential choices have emerged, though they have yet to be confirmed. They are Yun Yong-ro, a former vice chairman of the Financial Services Commission (FSC), and Shin Sang-hoon, a former Shinhan Financial Group chief executive.



With rumors surfacing and other financial associations and agencies picking ex-bureaucrats as their new chiefs, the question is: Will the KFB pick an ex-bureaucrat or a former bank executive?



The Korea Exchange (KRX), the operator of the stock bourse, recently announced it had chosen Jung Ji-won as the only candidate for its chairman.



Jung was a bureaucrat who worked at the Ministry of Strategy and Finance and the FSC, who is expected to face some resistance from the KRX union as workers want a professional who will not be politically influenced.



The General Insurance Association of Korea and Korea Life Insurance Association are also eyeing ex-bureaucrats as their new chiefs.



The General Insurance Association has already picked Kim Yong-duk, a former FSC chairman, as its sole candidate.



Whoever the next KFB chairman will be, he or she will face an uphill battle against the brokerage and internet banking industries.



The KFB may need someone who can appeal to the government about banks' needs.



But this will not be easy as the incumbent government does not see the banking sector as leading innovation, and banks further face a tightening of loan regulations due to rising household debt.



As brokerages and internet banks are further moving into the business turf of commercial banks, banks are arguing that the country should equally enforce banking laws on them, especially securities companies that are about to become investment banks.




By Park Hyong-ki



The resumption of construction on the Shin-Kori 5 and 6 reactors is expected to pave the way for local state-run and private companies to compete for overseas nuclear energy deals in the near future, analysts say.



It will help sell Korean nuclear technology not only to Saudi Arabia, but also some potential European markets including the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom.



This is because the recent decision by a commission to restart the construction at Shin-Kori in the southeastern industrial city of Ulsan has removed uncertainty over the country's nuclear policy.



"The decision has abated uncertainty toward the incumbent administration's nuclear energy policy," said Kang Seong-jin, analyst at KB Securities.



Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO), KEPCO Engineering & Construction, KEPCO KPS and Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction will likely gain momentum reflecting this latest public outcome.



KEPCO and its subsidiaries, along with private construction companies such as Doosan, have generally formed consortiums to bid for nuclear energy projects abroad.



KEPCO usually led the group in negotiations with KEPCO E&C and KEPCO KPS offering their services in operations and maintenance. Doosan and others, including Samsung C&T, provided construction hardware services. A nuclear energy project in the United Arab Emirates in 2009 is a prime example in which Korea secured the deal through such a consortium.



The Moorside nuclear project in Cumbria, England, is being highlighted as a potential deal for the KEPCO-led consortium.



With Toshiba seeking an immediate exit from the project due to financing problems, KEPCO is in talks to take it over and help the U.K. government replace its aging reactors and coal-powered plants with its technology installed at Moorside.



KEPCO seeks to use its APR 1400 nuclear technology for the Moorside project. The state-run electric distribution company used it for the UAE nuclear project, as well as for the Shin-Kori plants.



The Czech Republic is also about to launch a 1,000 megawatt nuclear project, while Saudi Arabia is planning the construction of a 1,400 megawatt nuclear plant.



The foreign ministry and the energy ministry have expressed interest in those projects, which are expected to open bids next year and select preferred bidders by 2019.



"The decision on the Shin-Kori has raised the odds for Korean companies to tap into those overseas projects. If they win the deal with the U.K., it will add momentum," said Hur Min-ho, analyst at Shinhan Investment.



Last week, the commission consisting of 471 citizens voted and recommended the resumption of the two nuclear reactors after public debates, given that their construction was already 30 percent complete.



However, it also suggested Korea close down aging power plants and increase the use of cleaner and alternative energy sources.




"God the Healer"

The 14th International Christian Medical Conference Was Held in Russia

Dr Jaerock Lee Author God the Healer and Founder of WCDN



















Many worldwide Christian doctors came together to present and share various divine healing cases, which had occurred by the power of God, at the 14th WCDN Conference held in the city of St. Petersburg of Russia that is a Russian Orthodox Church country. This has great significance in view of Russia's anti-terrorism laws, which restrict Christians from evangelizing outside of their churches: for example, the Yarovaya Law is in effect to restrict the practices of religious minorities, such as evangelism or the importation of foreign religious literature, so the Russian government can give priority to the Russian Orthodox Church. The 14th International Christian Medical Conference was held Oct. 20 and 21 hosted by the World Christian Doctors Network (WCDN) and it was attended by approximately 500 medical doctors and professionals from 13 countries including Russia, Korea, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Belarus.

In this Conference six divine healing cases were presented, and four special lectures were given on God the Healer by WCDN President Dr. Gilbert Chae from Korea, on Muan Sweet Water by Dr. David Eu from Singapore, on Heaven by Dr. Vitaliy Fishberg from US, and through a DVD presentation on the Great Flood of Noah.

Especially, the contents of the lecture on God the Healer came from the book "God the Healer" (Urim Books) authored by Dr. Jaerock Lee, Founder and Board Chairperson of WCDN and Senior Pastor of Manmin Central Church.

Through these four lectures many people in attendance came to understand the original cause of diseases, attested to the authenticity of the Flood in Noah's time through the DVD presentation on Noah's Great Flood and the introduction of Muan Sweet Water, and became filled with the hope for Heaven and the assurance of the existence of the spiritual realm by the speech on Heaven.

A spokesman of Urim Books said, "God the Healer has been published in 30 different languages as of Oct. 23, 2017. And a Russian edition of the book can be purchased in a Christian bookstore Axby in Russia and e-books are available through iBooks and Google Books."

The six divine healing cases that were presented in this Conference concerned the healing of arthritis, acute appendicitis, pulmonary tuberculosis, complex fractures, blindness, and strabismus that had occurred by the prayer of Rev. Dr. Jaerock Lee. In particular, the healing of blindness where a blind person opened his eyes amazed many medical doctors because it is the same miracle as the Lord Jesus performed.

"The case presentations of the Korean doctors were very inspirational, and especially the performance of the Korean team was of very high quality and spirituality," said Dr. Andre Gasiorowski, president of the Helping Hands Coalition and one of the organizers of the 2018 WCDN conference in Poland. He also said he would do everything in his power to make the next conference a success.

The conference was aired through TBN Russia News. (https://youtu.be/H7yvV9wB2kw)

Urim Books' affiliated organization WCDN (World Christian Doctors Network) is headquartered in Seoul, Korea, and was organized to attest to the spiritual power of divine healing with medical data.
By Moon Chung-in

Moon Chung-in

The Korean Peninsula is back at a crossroads of war and peace. We have not stood this close to the point of no return since the signing of the armistice agreement in July 1953. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's reckless military provocations, Washington's offensive rhetoric and military maneuvers, China's tough position over the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system in South Korea, and domestic polarization have trapped the newly inaugurated President Moon Jae-in in a security dilemma with grave implications. The root cause of this quagmire comes from North Korea's unruly pursuit of its nuclear ambitions.



Reassessing North Korean nuclear threats

In accordance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), North Korea cannot be recognized as a full-fledged nuclear-weapons state. Judged by its acquisition of nuclear warheads, delivery capabilities, nuclear testing, and the sophistication of its nuclear weapons technology, however, it is nearing the status of a country with undeniable nuclear-weapons capability. International pressure and sanctions notwithstanding, Kim is unlikely to jettison its "Byungjin policy" (the simultaneous pursuit of economic development and nuclear weapons) not only because of its logic of minimal nuclear deterrence and the protection of North Korea's leader, institutions, and people, but also because of its domestic legitimacy-building and international prestige.

The North Korean nuclear threat is thus no longer hypothetical but real, and poses serious security challenges to the Korean Peninsula, all of Northeast Asia, and the world. We cannot tolerate a nuclear North Korea for several reasons.

First, North Korean nuclear weapons would significantly alter the military balance on the peninsula and ultimately impede inter-Korean peaceful coexistence by triggering an immense conventional and nuclear arms race on the peninsula.

Second, the regional security impact would be profound. In addition to strategic instability and spiraling arms races, a nuclear domino effect might lead to proliferation elsewhere in Northeast Asia.

And third, the possibility exists that North Korea will export nuclear materials, technology, and even warheads to other actors, threatening the very foundations of world security in this age of global terrorism.

Two principles and three strategies

President Moon has so far adopted two principles and three strategies to realize a nuclear-free, peaceful, and prosperous peninsula. The first principle is to denuclearize North Korea by believing that South Korea cannot peacefully co-exist with a nuclear North Korea and that Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions should be stopped. The second is that there should not be another war on the peninsula and that the North Korean nuclear problem should be resolved peacefully through diplomatic means. He has said clearly that no country can take military action on the peninsula without prior consultation with and the agreement of the South Korean government.

President Moon has advanced three strategies in order to achieve a nuclear-free and peaceful Korea. They are dialogue and negotiation, sanctions and pressure, and defense and deterrence.

The first strategy is to restore dialogue and negotiation as a viable means of resolving the North Korean nuclear problem. He is well aware of inherent limits to dialogue and negotiation, and absorbed the lessons of the failure of the six-party talks as well as bilateral talks between Pyongyang and Washington. He proposes a two-track approach in which Pyongyang and Washington engage in bilateral dialogues to resolve the nuclear problem, whereas Seoul and Pyongyang resume talks to address issues pertaining to inter-Korean relations within the boundary of international sanctions. But the North has not responded to the proposals and on the contrary has shown a series of provocative behavior such as missile and nuclear tests.

Facing Pyongyang's reckless challenges, President Moon has to take the strategy of sanctions and maximum pressure. The Moon government has closely cooperated with the U.S. and Japan in pushing for tougher sanctions resolutions at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and has fully complied with them. Seoul has also pledged to go along with U.S. unilateral sanctions, including secondary boycotts. More importantly, the Moon government has decided to sustain sanction measures adopted by previous conservative governments such as the May 24 measure that bans exchanges and cooperation with the North and the suspension of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex and the Mount Geumgang tourist project.

His government is also pursuing a strategy of deterrence and missile defense. Deterrence is a strategy aimed at preventing North Korea from acting in a certain way by threatening to retaliate with credible military force. It is composed of two elements. One is conventional deterrence through the strengthening of South Korea-U.S. combined forces and South Korea's self-reliant defense posture. The other is nuclear deterrence through close cooperation and coordination with the U.S. on extended deterrence and the provision of America's nuclear umbrella.

Missile defense constitutes another important component. It is composed of active defense (the Patriot and THAAD systems), passive defense (monthly civil defense exercises), offensive defense (Kill Chain and massive punishment retaliatory measures), and battle management (command, control, communications, intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance).

These three strategies might look contradictory. In reality, however, they are not. President Moon has always placed top priority on dialogue and negotiation. Nevertheless, he has to combine it with other options, depending on changing circumstances. It should be noted that for him, sanctions and pressures are not an end in itself, but the means to bring the North to dialogue and the negotiation table.

Three Nos'

While advocating three prolonged strategies, the Moon government has also been clear in what it rejects: No nukes, no military action, and no regime change.

First, the Moon government opposes the nuclear armament option by believing that American commitment to extended deterrence and its nuclear umbrella is unquestionably firm and that Seoul's nuclear path will face fierce international pressure and negative boomerang effects such as the demotion of South Korea into a rogue state and the precipitation of a nuclear domino in Northeast Asia.

It also rejects the idea of redeploying and co-sharing of American tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea because it violates the principle of a denuclearized peninsula and undermines the demand for the complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantling (CVID) of North Korean nuclear programs and weapons. Such deployment could trigger a tense nuclear arms race in Northeast Asia.

Second, the Moon government opposes resolutely unilateral military actions, be they preemption and/or preventive war. This opposition is grounded in basic cost-benefit analysis. Once initiated, a conflict would be difficult if not impossible to contain, and the human and economic costs of war on the peninsula would be staggering. With a huge civilian population living within artillery range and the largest economies in the world within missile range, South Korea, Asia and the world simply have too much to lose from a war with North Korea, which has very little to lose and will fight to the death, while gains from military actions would be questionable.

Finally, the Moon government is also skeptical of regime change involving the removal of the North Korean leadership. On several occasions, including his speech in Berlin on July 6, President Moon clearly said that he will seek neither regime change in the North nor unification by absorption on South Korean terms. He believes these are not desirable because such efforts would undermine mutual trust, while stiffening Pyongyang's hostility, and it is also not feasible in the short run because removing North Korea's leadership is extremely difficult from a practical standpoint.

In sum, sanctions and pressure cannot be avoided as long as North Korea violates UNSC sanction resolutions, and the Moon government will continue to take a tough stance on North Korea in close cooperation with the U.S. and the international community. Despite Pyongyang's provocative behavior, however, President Moon has not ruled out the possibility for dialogue and negotiation with North Korea and will continue his proactive role in resolving the North Korean nuclear problem peacefully.

Moon Chung-in, a distinguished professor at Yonsei University and special adviser to President Moon Jae-in for foreign affairs and national security, contributed this article on the occasion of The Korea Times' 67th anniversary.
Shells used by the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) are piled up in a field on Nong Island in Maehyang-ri, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. With the Korean War breaking, the USFK began to use the small island as a firing range in 1951 and this continued for 54 years to 2005 according to an agreement with the South Korean government. They shelled the island for 11 hours a day, 250 days a year on average during the half-century of time, and 4,000 residents in Maehyang-ri suffered from the noise of fighters and the bombings. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



By Kim Rahn

The more the tension rises, the more desperately we want peace.

The tension surrounding the Korean Peninsula is showing no signs of abating.

North Korea has been intensifying provocations, conducting its sixth nuclear tests in September and launching missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) that may fly far enough to hit the U.S. mainland.

The U.S. has been responding with warnings of military options and, along with the international community, seeking tougher pressure and sanctions on the reclusive state.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, the first liberal president in a decade, declared the South should take the driver's seat in resolving the nuclear issue and restoring inter-Korean ties. However, there is not much Seoul can do as Pyongyang wants to negotiate directly with Washington.

Not knowing the situation exactly is another fear factor. There is no way to find out what is really going on in the North  whether its nuclear technology development has neared completion as it claims or is it just bluffing. And there is no way to find out what Trump's "madman" strategy aims to achieve  whether he really believes military options are available or is he just bluffing.

Such situation is driving South Koreans nervous  seriously.

South Koreans used to be calm about North Korean provocations and believed there would not be a war. Now, however, as novelist Han Kang wrote in an op-ed piece in The New York Times, even younger-generation South Koreans in their 20s to 40s, for whom war is something that happens in other parts of the globe, worry about the possibility of one. It is unimaginable to lose everything we have and enjoy, and the people we love.

"I will not allow a war on the Korean Peninsula ever again," Moon vowed. This is a pledge by not only Moon but also all South Koreans. And probably all North Koreans, too. Peace is what everybody wants but sadly the situation is driving people toward the opposite.

No war on the peninsula ever again  this is the top mission for all people on the peninsula. But how to achieve the goal is unknown. Sanctions, more sanctions, and suggestions for dialogue have not worked all.

But we cannot and will not give up. We have to find ways to achieve the goal, because we need to keep and protect everything we have and enjoy, and the people we love. If a war here kills 20,000 people every day like the U.S. Department of Defense's simulation, those killed will surely include at least one of our loved ones.

We simply do not want that. So, peace, please.
Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairwoman Rep. Choo Mi-ae speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at her office in the Natinoal Assembly, Oct. 30. / Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul



Ruling party leader defends Moon's two-track NK policy



By Kim Hyo-jin



Pursuing both sanctions and dialogue is the most practical way to effectively counter North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, the ruling party leader said Monday.



Ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairwoman Rep. Choo Mi-ae showed strong support for President Moon Jae-in's pledge to engage with the belligerent country while maintaining sanctions.



"There's nothing more dangerous than approaching the North Korea issue with an all-or-nothing attitude. Dealing with the North is a sort of a synthetic art," she said in an interview with The Korea Times.



"The ultimate goal of our North Korea policy is denuclearization and building peace on the peninsula, which can hardly be achieved only with sanctions and pressure. Our choice should be a two-track policy of seeking dialogue and sanctions."



As an advocate of an engagement policy, Choo said she was alarmed by U.S. President Donald Trump's war drive against North Korea as South Korean people who live within almost instant reach of the North's artillery will be significantly harmed.



"It's disturbing that heightened tension fanned by an unnecessary war of words between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un could lead to an accidental conflict and put us in danger," she said.



"Trump should stop making bellicose rhetoric and sincerely find a peaceful and diplomatic solution for the North's nuclear issue."



She added this will be her core message to Washington officials during her planned visit to the U.S. between Nov. 14 and 19.



The ruling party leader is expected to meet White House National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster as well as top policymakers including House Speaker Paul Ryan and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.



Choo suggested that the U.S. actively seek dialogue with North Korea, and at the same time, the Moon government, as a mediator, should encourage such a process while resuming inter-Korean dialogue channels.



"Now, the international community has a tight squeeze on North Korea; its sanctions and pressure are more effective than ever before. While pressing North Korea, South Korea should nudge the country to come to the negotiating table by assuring the North that the South will act as a balanced coordinator in the negotiating process," she said.



Choo sees the security condition in Northeast Asia as having become more complicated than ever with "strongmen" taking power in stakeholders on the peninsula.



Difficulties in policy coordination have grown bigger after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Liberal Democratic Party-led coalition secured an overwhelming victory in the recent general election, which is expected to propel Abe's ambition of militaristic expansion, she noted.



To navigate the renewed regional order, she believes Moon should continue sending a message to neighboring countries that Seoul will take the driver's seat in dealing with North Korea, a logic which apparently hinges on the power of inter-Korean dialogue and reconciliation.



"Moon's vision of taking the initiative on the North Korea issue will become more important while each country comes to further prioritize its self-interests," she said. "He should repeatedly demonstrate his determination so the country better positions itself in the changing Northeast Asia order."



Humanitarian aid, Gaeseong industrial complex



Choo expressed her strong support for the Moon government's decision to provide $8 million worth of humanitarian assistance to North Korea. She stressed that humanitarian aid to the poverty-stricken country does not go against the sanction-focused policy direction of the international community.



In September, the government decided to provide $4.5 million to the World Food Program (WFP) and $3.5 million to UNICEF to support their projects helping infants and pregnant women in the North.



"We are just taking parallel steps with the international community. Cooperation with the international community on North Korea has to do with both sanctions and humanitarian aid," she said.



"The U.N. resolution also made it clear that sanctions against the North do not have a negative impact on humanitarian aid to the country."



She dismissed the controversy over the "timing," which critics say would harm the concerted international efforts to pressure the country.



"Hunger does not wait for us. If possible, aid should be offered at the right time and to the right places," she said.



"The assistance will be indirectly given through international organizations. It does not make sense that the decision can be an indication of the government's stance toward North Korea."



Choo has been a vocal critic of the previous Park Geun-hye government's shutdown of the inter-Korean industrial park in Gaeseong. She believes the Moon Jae-in government has to resume its operations given its symbolic meaning for inter-Korean reconciliation.



"It was a huge mistake for the Park administration to unilaterally pull out of the project in the name of politics," she said.



"The estimation of damages suffered by companies is 800 billion won according to the government, or 1.5 trillion won according to the South Korean investors, not to mention the foundation of mutual trust was completely shattered.



"Its immediate resumption might be unlikely but we should make every effort to achieve the goal even though it is related with how the nuclear issue is sorted out."



But she added the government should sternly respond to the North's secret operation of factories and facilities owned by the South Korean companies without reporting to Seoul. Concerns have grown over the government having no particular measures to halt such a unilateral move.



"It is a cruel act that aggravates the pain of already-victimized South Korean businessmen who invested in the industrial complex. The unification ministry has to step up dispelling mutual distrust on the stalled project."



Who is Choo Mi-ae?



Choo is a rare politician in Korea who has stayed in one party for over 20 years while the party's name has changed multiple times, and mergers and splits between parties have continued.



A judge with 10 years of experience, she entered politics in 1995 as a vice spokeswoman of the National Congress for New Politics led by ex-President Kim Dae-jung.



Since her first victory in the general election in 1996, she has clinched her parliamentary seat in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, five times, a record for a female politician.



She led the party's win in three presidential elections. Spearheading Kim's presidential campaign in 1997, especially with her leadership and determination to fight against regionalism in Daegu, she earned a nickname Choo d'Arc after Joan of Arc.



In 2004, she successfully raised funds for Roh Moo-hyun's presidential campaign, leading to his victory. The campaign where she canvassed with a piggy bank in her hands got her another nickname "piggy bank mom."



She became the first female leader of the party in June 2016 and, as the head of the party's election planning committee, led former party leader Moon's campaign to victory in the snap election in May.



Choo positively assessed the state management of the Moon administration over the past six months. "It has worked on reassuring the people that they are the owners of the country. It embraced the spirit of the candlelit rallies, uniting people in different generations, classes and regions. I feel proud as one of the voters," she said.
Head of state institute wants to make it fun place to work
The Kim Jong-un regime has shown improved capability in developing an intercontinental ballistic missile. Analysts say that North Korea is expected to complete the development soon, calling for more diplomatic efforts to resolve the North's threats. / Graphic by Cho Sang-won



Analysts say diplomatic negotiations only way to resolve tension

By Jun Ji-hye

North Korea has demonstrated significantly improved capability in developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) through its tests in July, according to defense analysts.

The analysts said such tests could be a sign that the Kim Jong-un regime may perfect an ICBM topped with a nuclear warhead soon and become capable of striking targets on the U.S. mainland.



But they noted that the North had yet to demonstrate a reliable re-entry vehicle robust enough to resist the heat and pressure of penetrating the atmosphere, and that this technology seemed a major hurdle for the North in its quest to develop an operational ICBM.





Before the North test-fired its first and second Hwasong-14s in July, claiming they were ICBMs, most outside experts believed that the North may be years away from completing its ICBM development. But the North surprised the international community by successfully firing the ICBMs twice.



Central Intelligence Agency director Mike Pompeo told a forum in Washington on Oct. 19 that North Korea could be "months" away from perfecting the ability to strike the U.S. with a nuclear weapon.

Citing an unidentified South Korean military official, Japan's Asahi Shimbun also reported on Oct. 11 that the North had completed development of a new ICBM with a longer range at the end of September.

The first Hwasong-14, launched on July 4, flew for 933 kilometers for 39 minutes and reached a height of 2,800 kilometers before landing in the East Sea, according to the North's state-run Korea Central News Agency (KCNA).

After this test, the North claimed it had perfected the warhead re-entry technology necessary to bring a nuclear-armed missile back into the Earth's atmosphere.

David Wright, co-director of the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said then that the missile could have flown up to 6,700 kilometers if it had been launched on a standard trajectory, not at a steep angle.

In the second test on July 28, the missile reached a maximum altitude of 3,700 kilometers and flew about 998 kilometers for 47 minutes, according to the KCNA.

A missile is assessed as an ICBM in general if its range exceeds 5,500 kilometers. Apparently, the North's goal is to develop an ICBM with a range of about 10,000 kilometers, enough to reach the U.S. mainland.

"I think North Korea has definitely demonstrated improved capability in its testing the past several months," said Terence Roehrig, a professor at the U.S. Naval War College. "However, I am not convinced they yet have an operational ICBM but they will continue working on it and if they do not have that capability now, they will at some point in the future."

Roehrig played down the North's claim that it has perfected the warhead re-entry technology, saying that a functioning re-entry vehicle for a long-range system remained one of the hurdles.

"North Korea has a re-entry vehicle for its short and medium-range missiles, but this is a more difficult challenge for an ICBM," he said. "Guidance systems are another challenge. There are many things that have to work in the proper order for a successful ICBM capability."

Re-entry technology refers to the ability to construct a shroud that covers the missile's warhead strong enough to withstand the extreme heat and other challenges involved in re-entering Earth's atmosphere from space. As the covered warhead re-enters the Earth's atmosphere at Mach 24, it needs to be capable of withstanding temperatures of around 7,000 to 8,000 Celsius.

Leon Sigal, director of the Northeast Asia Cooperative Security Project at the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) in New York, agreed.

"The North has yet to demonstrate a reliable re-entry vehicle for its ICBM," he said. But he added: "That may happen soon."

Roehrig also said, "Pyongyang will continue its efforts, regardless of how long it might take."

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense has come to a similar conclusion.

Vice Defense Minister Suh Choo-suk said the North had shown progress in its efforts to increase the range of its ballistic missiles and miniaturize a nuclear warhead to be mounted on them.

"The North's missile capabilities have been rapidly improved," he said. "But we have yet to confirm whether the North has the warhead re-entry technology."

Suh noted that the ministry's basic position was to enhance sanctions and deterrence against the North to prevent it from repeating strategic provocations such as ICBM launches and nuclear tests.

The position is in line with the U.S.-led international community's efforts to exert maximum diplomatic and economic pressure on the North to make it eventually give up its nuclear and missile programs.

But the North, at least so far, has shown no signs of abandoning such programs, with its leader Kim Jong-un threatening to take the "highest level" action in response to President Trump's threat to "totally destroy" the regime in Pyongyang.

The North's Rodong Sinmun newspaper also claimed in an editorial on Oct. 12 that the United States and its allies would see how the North achieved its goal of completing its nuclear forces despite sanctions, blockades and military measures.

Still, the U.S. analysts said the North Korean issue should be resolved through diplomacy and negotiations, rather than military force.

Roehrig said that starting a war in Korea would be a disaster.

"I am very concerned over the apparent willingness to use military force to resolve this problem," he said. "Diplomacy remains the only viable route."

But he added that deterrent force was also necessary in coping with the North Korean threats.

"Deterrence has been the central security concept on the peninsula for over 60y years and it has succeeded in keeping the peace in Korea," he said."

Sigal also noted that negotiation was "the only realistic policy."

"Talks are not the same as negotiations, which require meaningful proposals and reciprocity, which Trump seems to be impeding by insisting on Pyongyang's upfront commitment to denuclearization," he said.
Okuyeva killed, her husband Osmayev injured after their car was shot at in Kyiv region

Amina Okuyeva, a volunteer soldier who fought Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine, was killed and her husband, Adam Osmayev, was wounded their car came under fire at a railway crossing near the village of Hlevakha in Kyiv region late on October 30, an adviser to Ukraine's interior minister, People's Front MP Anton Gerashchenko, has said.

"The heart of Ukraine's patriot Amina Okuyeva has just stopped. Her car was fired at from the bushes at a railway crossing near the village of Hlevakha in Kyiv region. Amina died as a result of wounds. Adam Osmayev was wounded, but will live. I have just spoken with him on the phone," Gerashchenko wrote on his Facebook page on Monday, October 30.

According to the parliamentarian, investigative groups are working at the scene of the incident.

"Ukraine will always remember and mourn for its beautiful and clean daughter. I offer my condolences to Amina's family and friends. The best memory of her will be a just retribution to all those who were involved in this terrible murder," Gerashchenko wrote.

As reported, on June 1, 2017, Osmayev and Okuyeva, officers of the Kyiv-2 police battalion who took part in the anti-terrorist operation in Donbas, were attacked in Kyiv.

The assailant, who introduced himself as a foreign journalist, had arranged a meeting with the couple beforehand.

"When they got into the car, the man took out a Glock pistol from a box and shot Osmayev in the chest. In response Amina fired several shots with her Makarov pistol into the gunman," the police said in a statement.

Both men were taken with numerous gunshot wounds to a hospital in Kyiv. Later, the city court chose a measure of restraint for the suspect in the form of custody for 60 days without the right to deposit bail.

On June 8, Osmayev was discharged from hospital.
/ Graphic by Cho Sang-won



By Choi Ha-young

Six out of 10 South Koreans believe the country should have its own nuclear weapons to counter nuclear North Korea, according to a Korea Times poll.

The poll showed 59.3 percent of the respondents support the country having its own nuclear arms, while 38.6 percent were against it.

The support for nuclear armament was higher among the conservative-leaning groups such as those older than 60 years old with 74.4 percent; residents in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province with 66.8 percent; the working class with 70.1 percent; and supporters of the conservative Liberty Korea Party (LKP) with 79.3 percent.

This outcome reflects the largest opposition party's intensified efforts to push for the nuclear armament of the nation, said Park Won-gon, an international relations professor at Handong Global University.

"The conservatives seem to be affected by the LKP's persistent moves to redeploy U.S. tactical nuclear weapons, while supporters of liberal President Moon Jae-in tend to respect the government's steadfast efforts for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Park said.












China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi denounced South Korea on Sep. 7 for deploying the United States military's Terminal High Altitude Aerial Defense system in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province. / Korea Times file



South Korea and China have agreed to put their bilateral relations back on the right track, apparently normalizing ties that have been soured over the deployment of a U.S. missile defense system in South Korea, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

They reiterated their long-held stance on issues related to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system deployed in South Korea but agreed to continue to discuss ways to resolve the differences going forward.

"The two sides attached great importance to the Korea-China relationship and decided to push for the further development of the strategic cooperative partnership," the foreign ministry said in a press release jointly announced by China.

"Both shared the view that strengthening exchanges and cooperation between Korea and China serves their common interests, and they agreed to expeditiously bring exchanges and cooperation in all areas back onto a normal track," it added.

They made the agreement based on a recent discussion held between Nam Gwan-pyo, a director of the presidential National Security Office (NSO) and Kong Xuanyou, Chinese assistant foreign minister.

The agreement came after South Korea and China saw their ties frayed by the THAAD controversy.

Since Seoul announced the deployment of the U.S. missile defense (MD) system on its soil in July last year, China has demanded the reversal of the decision, suspecting it is part of the U.S.-led MD and claims it would hurt its strategic security interest.

In apparent protest, Beijing has taken what appear to be retaliatory steps against South Korean companies and products in various areas.

An official from South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae later said the talks on resolving the THAAD issue began shortly after South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a bilateral summit in July.

"China may have needed South Korea as a partner in resolving the issues on the Korean Peninsula peacefully ... and it may have realized it would be impossible to restore South Korea-China relations while leaving the THAAD issue as it was," the official told reporters, asking not to be identified.

The countries were apparently unable to completely resolve the prolonged dispute over the THAAD U.S. missile defense system deployed here, but said they will continue to find a solution through dialogue.

"The Korean side took note of China's position and concern regarding the THAAD issue, and made it clear that the THAAD system deployed in Korea is, pursuant to the original purpose of its deployment, not directed at a third country," the ministry said.

"The Chinese side reiterated that it opposes the deployment. ... At the same time, The Chinese side took note of the position stated by the Korean side," it added. "The two agreed to engage in communication on THAAD-related issues."

Still, the Cheong Wa Dae official insisted the joint statement has in fact put the past behind the two nations.

"China says it has not taken any retaliatory measures in the first place. Because it says any such measures were voluntarily taken by its people, any change in Chinese policy (toward South Korea) will take effect slowly. The Korea-China relationship will assume a desirable outlook," the official said.

Changes are already becoming visible, the official said, citing China's recent agreement to extend its bilateral currency swap arrangement with Seoul. A prominent Chinese travel agency was also said to have raised the possibility of resuming large group tours to South Korea, which have been prohibited by the Chinese government.

Highlighting a clear improvement in the countries' relationship, the leaders of the two countries will hold a bilateral summit on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, which will be held in Da Nang, Vietnam, from Nov. 12-14, according to Nam, the NSO director.

The summit, the second of its kind, "can be said to be the first step in implementing the agreement to quickly put exchanges between the two countries in all areas on the right track," he told a press briefing. Moon and Xi first met on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit held in Germany in July.

Moon is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang when they both take part in a regional forum hosted by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, slated to be held in Manila from Nov. 12-14.

"Because Prime Minister Li is in charge of the bilateral relationship between South Korea and China, the meeting will be a chance to discuss ways to improve ties," a Cheong Wa Dae official said.

Seoul and Beijing also reaffirmed their joint efforts to peacefully denuclearize North Korea.

"The two sides reaffirmed the principles of realizing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and peacefully resolving the North Korean issue, and they reiterated that they would continuously promote the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue through all diplomatic measures," the South Korean foreign ministry said. "To this end, both sides agreed to further enhance strategic communication and cooperation." (Yonhap)
Corporate Association of Gaeseong Industrial Complex President Shin Han-yong, second from left in the front row, demand that the government allow them to visit North Korea, during a press conference with other association members in Seoul, Oct. 11. / Yonhap



Passion for inter-Korean unification greater than fear of business risks

By Yi Whan-woo





Shin Han-yong

President of Corporate Association of Gaeseong Industrial Complex Ok Sung-seok

Co-vice president

of the association Yoo Chang-geun

Co-vice president

of the association

Clothing manufacturer Nine Mode President Ok Sung-seok said he and other factory owners at the joint industrial park in Gaeseong, North Korea, are determined to resume business there if it reopens.

Ok, also a co-vice president of the Corporate Association of Gaeseong Industrial Complex (GIC), said they are aware of the business risks associated with North Korea. Operations at the GIC were suspended indefinitely in February 2016 after Pyongyang carried out a nuclear test and a ballistic missile launch.

His company suffered a 30 percent fall in sales after the GIC shutdown, but he said the sales loss cannot destroy his wish to take part in inter-Korean unification over the long term, after opening a factory in the GIC in 2007.

"I have reasons other than cheap labor and logistical costs for standing by my plan to maintain a business at the GIC," Ok said during a phone interview on the 67th anniversary of The Korea Times. "I'd call it a special sense of duty toward the peaceful unification of the two Koreas, and I believe other owners at the GIC feel the same way."

Shin Han-yong, the association's president and the chairman of fishing equipment manufacturer Shinhan, offered a similar view. His company enetered the GIC in 2007, three years after it opened as part of inter-Korean reconciliatory efforts.

He was running a plant in China and decided to expand his business to Gaeseong when Seoul and Pyongyang agreed on a joint fishing deal during the second inter-Korean summit in 2007. At the time, President Roh Moo-hyun and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il agreed to bolster cross-border economic cooperation to uphold the spirit of the first inter-Korean summit between Roh's predecessor, Kim Dae-jung, and the North Korean leader in June 2000.

"I thought that producing fishing equipment in North Korea would contribute to the fishing industries of the two Koreas," Shin said. "I still consider my decision meaningful."

Yoo Chang-geun, another co-vice president of the association, said he has a vision to promote IT services to the reclusive state through his North Korean employees. Yoo runs SJ Tech, which produces components for semiconductors and cars. The company had also been offering IT services to the other factories there and the maintenance facilities at the GIC. Among the 123 small and medium enterprises at the GIC, SJ Tech was the first to complete a registration for operation there in 2004.

"Many of my employees are the elite from North Korea's top schools, such as Kim Il-sung University and Kim Chaek University of Technology," Yoo said. "It's important to train them with South Korea's IT because they can share their knowledge with their family members and friends eventually. And this is why I won't give up running the business at the GIC. It should not be shut down permanently."

Association urges government to step up support

The three executives of the association called on the Moon Jae-in administration to step up its support for the troubled enterprises. All three serve as senior members of the association's emergency committee, which aims to obtain financial assistance from the government.

Their companies are seen as some of the lucky ones, because they could find a new venue for their factories and continue business. Nine Mode purchased a plant in Hanoi, Vietnam, in July 2016 and has been operating it since. According to Ok, fewer than 20 companies among the 123 enterprises at the GIC have acquired a replacement factory in Vietnam.

With the approval of the Ministry of Unification and the Ministry of Justice, a portion of Shinhan's fishing products are being made by convicts in South Korea, in addition to the firm's employees in China.

There are about 30 companies that used to operate at the GIC that are now virtually bankrupt. However, they still cannot file for bankruptcy and undergo rehabilitation because of the complicated procedures for dealing with their remaining assets at the GIC. North Korea illegally seized the assets and threatened to liquidate them.

"In these circumstances, we ask the Moon administration to promptly accept our demand for payment for financial damages caused by the suspension of the GIC," Shin said.

The losses incurred by the 123 companies due to the GIC shutdown totaled 786.1 billion ($694 million), according to the unification ministry. The firms have insisted on receiving the remainder of the full amount after the previous Park Geun-hye administration provided compensation that equaled only 59.6 percent of the total.

Meanwhile, the three executives downplayed suspicions that the Kim Jong-un regime pocketed the wages paid to North Korean workers at the GIC to develop nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. The suspicion was cited as a reason to suspend the GIC, in line with the United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) nuclear sanctions against North Korea.

During a National Assembly audit of the unification ministry in Oct. 13, Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said resuming the GIC could be a violation of UNSC resolutions.

"We simply could not accept Cho's explanation because the U.N. had acknowledged that the GIC is exceptional, considering its significance to inter-Korean reconciliation," Yoo said. "Our government voluntarily branded it as if it was in defiance of the U.N."

Ok speculated that resuming the GIC operation will be tougher than in 2013, when it was suspended for 166 days amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. He said while the North unilaterally pulled its workers out of the GIC in 2013, it was South Korea that decided to shut the complex down in 2016.

"The ball is in North Korea's court, whether the GIC can reopen," Ok said. "Moreover, the issue now concerns not only the two Koreas but also the U.N."

For the joint industrial zone's operation to resume, the entrepreneurs called for a revision of the terms and conditions of its operation.

"The relevant clauses should be rewritten in a detailed and precise manner so that neither the South nor North will attempt to close it," Shin said.

Ok said it remains uncertain whether his plant is among the 19 clothing factories that the repressive state has been secretly running without the South's consent. Pyongyang indirectly acknowledged the partial operation on its propaganda website Uriminzokkiri after the U.S.-based Radio Free Asia raised suspicions in early October.

Ok and the other entrepreneurs have asked the North to allow them to visit the site to find out what has happened but have not received a response.
/ Graphic by Cho Sang-won



By Jung Min-ho

Six out of 10 South Koreans have a positive opinion of the United States, far more than for four other neighboring countries  China, Russia, Japan and North Korea  according to a recent survey.

The poll by Hankook Research showed that 10.8 percent of respondents said they had a very positive opinion of the United States, while 48.4 percent said they had a positive view. Only 6.2 percent said they did not have a positive opinion.

Asked about Russia and China  countries that helped North Korea in the 1950-53 Korean War against the South  27 percent said they have either a very positive or a positive opinion.

Notably, most South Koreans had a negative opinion of Japan. Only 23.6 percent said they have either a very positive or a positive view of Japan, which, along with South Korea, among the most important military allies of the United States in Asia.

Asked about North Korea, which is technically still at war with the South, only 11.4 percent said they have a positive view of the country.












By Yi Whan-woo



President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jinping will have a summit next week on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Danang, Vietnam, Cheong Wa Dae announced Tuesday.



This will be the first high-level meeting between South Korea and China in line with their agreement announced Tuesday to normalize their ties following a year-long standoff over the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here.



The foreign ministries of the two countries jointly announced a press release about the result of the bilateral accord aimed at "expeditiously bringing exchange and cooperation in all areas back to a normal development track."



"The two sides have agreed to hold the summit as the first step to restore exchanges and cooperation as mentioned in the bilateral accord," Cheong Wa Dae's Second Deputy Director of National Security Nam Gwan-pyo told reporters.



Nam spearheaded talks with China, which were led by Assistant Minister of Foreign affairs Kong Xuanyou, to settle the THAAD row.



"The two delegates had a consensus that resolving the THAAD-related dispute will be a pre-condition to mend South Korea-China ties and they coordinated their views accordingly," a senior presidential official said.



The agreement "seals" all issues related to THAAD and they will not be brought up when Moon and Xi meet on the sidelines of the APEC summit, Nov. 10 and 11, according to the official.



Cheong Wa Dae said it consulted with the U.S. prior to striking the deal with China.



Moon and Xi have only met once  in July on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Germany. Seoul made failed attempts to set up another meeting between the two leaders afterwards amid Beijing's economic retaliation over the THAAD deployment.



Xi also refused to have phone calls with Moon despite North Korea's sixth nuclear test and its launching of ballistic missiles.



"It appears that China has decided to shift away from retaliation as part of efforts to bolster ties with neighboring countries and help Xi to consolidate his power in his second five-year term," a government official said on condition of anonymity.



"For the Moon administration, it was urgent to make a breakthrough because of the economic damage incurred by the THAAD row."



In their agreement, both South Korea and China reiterated their long-held stance on THAAD, but still agreed to continue to discuss ways to resolve their differences and move forward.



Regarding North Korea, they reaffirmed the "peaceful principle" of pursuing denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and resolving the North Korea nuclear crisis. They also agreed to use "all possible diplomatic methods" in dealing with Pyongyang's nuclear threats in a consistent manner.



"The two sides attached great importance to the Korea-China relationship and decided to push for the further development of their strategic cooperative partnership," the press release said.



"Both shared the view that strengthening exchanges and cooperation between Korea and China serves their common interests, and they agreed to expeditiously bring about exchanges."



Some critics claimed that South Korea has "remained too low key" over China's economic retaliation in their joint agreement.



Seoul has been assuring Beijing that THAAD is only aimed at deterring North Korea's ballistic missile threats and will never target any third countries.



The press release showed that Seoul is aware of Beijing's concerns over THAAD and that it will make clear it will not harm China' s security interests.



China responded that it hopes South Korea "will handle the relevant issues in appropriate manner." It also renewed its concern over Seoul possibly joining the U.S. missile defense system, the possible deployment of additional THAAD batteries here and trilateral military cooperation involving Japan.



"It appears that our government was too soft considering China did not show any regret over bullying South Korea," said Shin In-kyun, president of the Korea Defense Network. "On the other hand, China emphasized its policies against the U.S.-South Korea alliance."



The ruling Democratic Party of Korea and center-left People's Party welcomed the agreement.



But the two conservative opposition parties  the Liberty Korea Party and Bareun Party  criticized the agreement as "humiliating."




By Rachel Lee



Providing humanitarian aid to North Korea is important despite the worsening tension on the Korean Peninsula, but aid reaching those for whom it is intended remains a challenge, says the head of the United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) Seoul.



"Giving life-saving humanitarian aid to those in urgent need of such assistance is important, and it must be done in a way that respects human rights," Signe Poulsen told The Korea Times last week.



"The U.N. agencies that work to deliver humanitarian aid in North Korea point to urgent humanitarian needs among the most vulnerable population."



OHCHR opened its office in Seoul in June, 2015 to monitor how human rights in North Korea were being respected, and to work with relevant governments, civil society and other parties to promote and protect human rights.



The Seoul office has since monitored and documented the human rights situation in the North Korea.



The office's mandate also includes working with governments, civil society and other parties to enhance their capacity to promote and protect human rights in North Korea and maintain awareness of the human rights situation in the country through advocacy and communication. The U.N. applies a human rights-based approach when providing humanitarian aid, and signed with North Korea a strategic framework for such cooperation between2017 and 2021.



"This may mean an emphasis on reaching those with the greatest needs, making sure that aid is distributed without discrimination, and that the aid reaches those for whom it is intended," Poulsen said.



"The context in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea makes this a challenge, and there is a need for those who provide humanitarian assistance to take measures to ensure that their efforts are based on human rights principles and standards."



Poulsen said the human rights framework applied to all people at all times _ in war and in peace.



To raise the importance of human rights, OHCHR Seoul has come up with various ways, including through interviewing people who have left North Korea, researching the situation there and raising awareness about the human rights situation in the North.



Based on challenges facing the country, OHCHR also offers technical assistance to help improve the human rights situation inside the country.



For example, North Korea has recently submitted reports on its implementation of the Convention of the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the rights of the Child (CRC).



The committees that consider these reports will offer recommendations for follow up and further action to improve the human rights situation of women and children. The OHCHR can assist the government to address such recommendations.



Poulsen said the primary responsibility for securing the human rights of citizens rested with the government of a country.



"While the North Korean government has taken steps towards addressing some areas of human rights, there are other areas in which we continue to have grave concerns," she said. "These include the situation in the country's detention facilities."



Since the office opened two years ago, the organization has continued to receive reports about serious violations of human rights in North Korea.



The reports ranged from allegations of torture and ill-treatment to deprivation of food and inhumane conditions. Independent international human rights monitors do not have access to places of detention.



In addition, the absence of independent human rights defenders in North Korea, and the severe restrictions on freedom of expression, association and movement limit the information available.



"We are also concerned that trials do not appear to meet minimum standards of fairness," Poulsen said.



"The severe restrictions on the right to access information, to freely express one's opinions, and to travel within and outside the country are also of concern.



"When people are unable to express concern about problems affecting them, it becomes difficult to find solutions to such problems.



"North Korea should address these very serious human rights violations."



North Korea has ratified several important human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and human rights treaties pertaining to the rights of women, children and people with disabilities.



Poulsen said she believed the international community could offer guidance and advice in implementing all the provisions in these treaties, so that the rights became a "reality" for all people living in the country.



At the same time, the grave violations of human rights, including allegations of violations amounting to crimes against humanity documented in the report of the U.N. Commission of Inquiry in 2014, should also be addressed, she said.



"Officials who are found to have committed serious violations of human rights must be held accountable," she said.



"This is important to restore the dignity and rights of victims, to send a clear message that violations of human rights are not acceptable, and to ensure non-repetition of such violations."



The Moon Jae-in administration in South Korea decided last month to provide $8 million in humanitarian aid, which is in line with Moon's faith that politics should not affect aid for the North's health care and medical programs.



But the plan became controversial because of the timing. The announcement was made a day before North Korea fired a Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) and it was found that Cheong Wa Dae detected signs of the IRBM test hours before making the announcement.



The government said aid would be delivered via the World Food Program and the United Nations Children's Fund, but the specific date has not been confirmed.



Poulsen, who obtained her M.Sc in human rights from the London School of Economics and Political Science, worked for human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, before joining the U.N. in 2005.



She worked in various capacities in Liberia, Timor-Leste, Kyrgyzstan and Papua New Guinea. In 2015, she was appointed OHCHR Seoul representative.












Graeme Salt, headmaster of Dulwich College Seoul, works at his desk. / Courtesy of John Redmond



By John Redmond

Dulwich College Seoul (DCS), celebrated becoming a full school with its first graduates taking up university offers earlier this year.

DCS, an international school opening in 2010, was the fourth campus to join the Dulwich College International (DCI) family of schools.

The school has over 650 students aged 3 to 18 representing over 40 nationalities.

The DCS program of study is based on the National Curriculum for England and Wales leading up to the IGCSE syllabus and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP).

The IBDP is an internationally recognized program providing opportunities for collaboration and student-led, in-depth research into areas of interest.

The first Dulwich College was founded in 1619 in Surrey, England. The term "college" does not refer to a university campus.

DCS is situated in a purpose-designed building just south of the Han River in the centrally located Seocho-gu.

The Korea Times spoke with headmaster Graeme Salt about what a British curriculum means to local students.

Q: What does DCS offer students in Seoul?

A: We are part of a group of 11 schools throughout Asia. The group contributes to what I do, and in Seoul we focus on elements in our curriculum that are specific to students studying here. We also have a British feel, with uniforms and academic focus.

Q: Can you explain the IBDP program?

A: The IBDP came out in the late 1960s. Why do we do that? Because it's the premier college preparation course. It's a two-year course that's tough and rigorous, but it's an opportunity for students to show what they're capable of. It's an academically tough challenge and students generally do better than they anticipate. If you can achieve the IB diploma, you have huge choices.

Q: How does the school work within the Korean education system of after-hours lessons?

A: We believe in the less-is-more approach. We offer what we see as a complete package, and therefore there should be no need for parents to enroll students in after-school classes. We believe downtime is important. More of that time should be focused on what a student really enjoys doing.

Q: Do other activities play a part in the curriculum?

A: Yes. Our program also highlights sport and the arts. We have a very strong swimming program. We also place emphasis on the arts. For example, we have a group heading off to Beijing as part of our drama program. Every student in primary school has to participate in a school play.
Gwangju International Center Executive Director Shin Gyong-gu presents a certificate to Rwandan Ambassador to Korea Emma-Francoise Isumbingabo after her lecture at the center, Oct. 28. / Courtesy of Gwangju International Center



By Jon Dunbar

The Gwangju International Center offers a free lecture in English every Saturday at 4 p.m. for Korean and foreign residents of the southwestern city of Gwangju.

For its newly announced November schedule, lectures cover topics ranging from international and racial relations to culture and travel.

On Nov. 4, Jawid Gulistani, an Afghani grad student at Chonnam National University, speaks on "Korea in Fear, Afghanistan on Fire."

The topic the following week is titled "The Other Foreigners: Lives and Realities of Migrant Workers in South Korea." The speaker, Daniel Corks, is a lecturer at Dongshin University, as well as a research fellow at the Korea Human Rights Foundation and the human rights editor of Korea Expose.

On Nov. 18, youth camp participants from the 2017 Asia Culture Forum will speak on the topic "A Culture City Made by New Generation."

The Asia Culture Forum is co-organized by the Gwangju International Center and runs from Nov. 13 to 15. The youth camp gives a chance for local and international university students to explore cultural topics.

The final November lecture on Nov. 25 invites French travel YouTuber Lea Moreau to speak on "How to Study While Traveling the World."

The center was founded in 1999 and the talk series started in 2003.

Previous guest lecturers include Rwandan Ambassador to Korea Emma Francoise Isumbingabo and Neil P. George and Matt Root, directors of the 2017 documentary film "After the Sewol."

Among other lecturers was Washington-based investigative journalist Tim Shorrock who was awarded honorary Gwangju citizenship in May 2015 for his role in "globalizing the spirit of the May 18 Democratic Uprising."

"It's meant to be mostly volunteer, as we don't really have the resources to invite someone who needs a big speaker fee," Anastasia Traynin, coordinator for the talk program, told The Korea Times. "We usually go with someone from the Gwangju and Jeolla community. It's expanded a lot over the years. In previous years there weren't as many international people in Gwangju, but the community has grown and we have a lot more voices to share."

The center is located near exit 4 of Geumnamno 4-ga Station on the Gwangju Metro.




By Kim Bo-eun By Kim Bo-eun

In September, a petition appeared on Cheong Wa Dae's website, requesting law revisions be made to subject women to mandatory military service.

It wasn't a joke, however, as the petition earned support from over 83,000 people, making it the second-most supported petition on the presidential office's website.

"Don't women assert gender equality, stating that women possess equal or superior abilities to men? Then shouldn't women also serve mandatory military service?" the petition said.

"If revisions mandating military service by women are not passed, then recruitment of female officers in the military and police forces should be halted," it said.

A week later, another petition appeared, earning over 43,000 supporters. It requested the abolition of the ultra-conservative website Ilbe, which is known for its offensive content targeting women.

"The Ilbe website, which is notorious for making the public feel uncomfortable and exerting harm on others, has become a social issue _ I cannot understand why it has not been abolished yet," the post said.

The petition referred to secretly taken pictures of (female) "cousins" posted by male users during the Chuseok holidays last month.

"It goes without mentioning that countless comments would qualify as harassment," the post said.





Misogyny, misandry in Korea



Ilbe's derogatory comments of women gave birth to Megalia, a radical feminist online community.

Megalia is the first type of feminist online community that created a social stir after it became publicly known in 2015.

The website used the same controversial terms of Ilbe, but by subjecting males to disparagement.

Users started referring to Korean men as "hannamchoong," which belittles them as insects, as men referred to Korean moms as "momchoong."

Other similar online communities emerged, and influenced the public with its feminist views.

In May 2016, a woman was murdered in a restroom of a building nearby Gangnam Station. The convicted murderer was a man who said he committed the offense because he had often been looked down on by women. The victim was a random customer of a bar in the building.

The case triggered an uproar from not only women's groups but women in the general, who claimed this was a misogyny-based murder.

More recently in July, a female owner of a waxing parlor was murdered, after she was featured on a Youtube broadcast.

A male broadcaster had visited the parlor to get a waxing treatment and broadcast the process.

He reportedly mentioned that the shop was located in a remote area in southern Seoul and made comments that sexually objectified the owner _ such as that she was pretty and that he was aroused by the waxing treatment.

The murder of the waxing parlor owner occurred months after the suspect watched the Youtube video.

Feminists defined the case as yet another misogyny-based murder and held protests at Gangnam Station, which has become a symbol of women's movements.

In August, a female gamer received a death threat from a male counterpart. She is known for her broadcasts which harass male gamers the same way she was harassed while playing games as a woman, a minority in the scene.

The male gamer, who was angered after feeling humiliated, vowed to kill the female gamer, broadcasting his way to her house.

He was arrested and fined, but this incident prompted Rep. Jin Sun-mee to speak out and request further police investigations.

Understanding the phenomenon

Some say men acting in this way is a response to the competitive Korean society.

"Life has become increasingly tough in the ultra-competitive society. People seek approval and it appears they are attempting to make others inferior in order feel better about themselves," Lee Hyun-jae, professor of the University of Seoul's Institute for Urban Humanities said.

Others view the phenomenon as a means to curb the feminist movement.

"Misogyny can be understood as a means to silence women," according to Seo Min, a professor at Dankook University's College of medicine and author of "Misogyny, what is it women have done?"

Seo is one of the few outspoken male feminists here.

"Women endured oppression in the past but now they have started raising objections. And with the advent of the Internet, men started to lash out at women who are protesting, by using derogatory language," he said.

Feminist activists say misogyny is a relatively new term in Korean society but the concept is not.

"It has always been there _ it is just that people have started discussing the issue only recently. The culture of patriarchy is age-old," Jay, an activist at civic group Women Link said.

Jay rejected the idea of a "clash between the genders."

"This is based on the condition that they are on level ground _ that they have equal standing, but the fact is _ circumstances were tilted in favor of men from the start."

Controversy, concerns

As Megalia became known, many of the terms used on the site came as a shock. Critics pointed out this type of belittling could not be regarded as feminism. Feminist activists have a different stance.

"This goes to show how derogatory the original comments against women were," Jay of Women Link said.

Still, there are concerns about the extreme terms that are being used on such radical sites, because minors who are prone to be influenced are freely able to access them.

The government is currently monitoring the sites and gives orders to remove content that is deemed highly inappropriate.

According to data from Rep. Shin Yong-hyeon of the minor opposition People's Party, Ilbe received 1,500 orders from the government over the past five years to delete offensive posts, topping the list of 10 portal sites. Megalia was also among the top 10.

Megalia is now closed. The most active website is now "Womad," derived from Megalia.

However, monitoring has not curbed the amount of offensive content, as the number of removal orders has only grown, from 149 in 2012 to 1,352 in 2016.

"Because there are no legal regulations restricting such content, we can only order website managers to control the content," Lee Sung-woo, an official at Korea Communications Standards Commission said.

Dealing with the issue

Some say regulations are needed to restrict hate-speech. However, others say regulations will not be effective unless there is a social consensus on the dangers of hate speech.

"Simply putting a law into effect when public perceptions on gender are still behind will not change anything," Lee said.

"Before regulations are introduced, schools need to teach students about gender equality and social discussions need to take place on the issue," she said.

Along the same lines, some say websites such as Megalia are needed to keep discussions going, even if they invite controversy.

Seo said websites such as Megalia have helped liberate women to some extent and stated women need to continue to make their voices heard.

"Because women have started speaking out through Megalia, men like myself have taken up interest in the issue of gender equality. More men need to take part in the movement to promote feminism," he said.

Jay of Women Link also evaluated Megalia positively.

"Through Megalia women were able to make a strong response against misogyny. There needs to be a community to be able to support such movements and even if discomfort is caused, people need to keep questioning the legitimacy of the status-quo," she said.
Ahn Bong-geun, left, and Lee Jae-man / Yonhap



By Jung Min-ho

Two former presidential secretaries have been detained by the prosecution over allegations they received bribes from the National Intelligence Service (NIS).

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said Tuesday that Ahn Bong-geun and Lee Jae-man  known as the closest aides of former President Park Geun-hye  have been detained for allegedly taking 4 billion won ($3.6 million) from the spy agency when she was in office.

On the same day, prosecutors searched the homes and offices of three former NIS chiefs  Nam Jae-joon, Lee Byeong-ho and Lee Byung-kee  and Cho Yoon-sun, former presidential secretary and culture minister, for their roles in the alleged crime.

All the suspects have been banned from leaving the country.

The prosecution will soon request an arrest warrant for Ahn and Lee Jae-man and question the others.

The prosecution suspects the two received about 1 billion won from the NIS every year between 2013 and 2016 while working at Cheong Wa Dae.

This was from the NIS's special activity budget, also known as the "black budget," which spy agents can use for classified operations without having to leave any records.

It is less clear whether they kept the money for themselves or handed it over to their boss, former president Park. If the latter is the case, it will drive the former president further into a corner.

The two refused to answer questions from reporters as they entered the prosecutors' office in southern Seoul for questioning.

A prosecution official said investigators consider it a "bribery case" because the two took money as government officials. If they are found guilty of that charge, they might have to spend the rest of their lives in prison.

Lee Hun-soo, a former senior NIS official, reportedly admitted the spy agency gave the money to the two during questioning about his involvement in the NIS's political interference under the two previous right-wing governments.

The NIS is also suspected of conspiring with former executives of public broadcaster MBC to remove journalists and celebrities who were critical of then President Lee Myung-bak. Also, the agency is accused of running a secret smear campaign against Moon Jae-in to help Park Geun-hye in the 2012 presidential election.
Chechen volunteer Adam Osmayev tried to give first aid to Amina Okuyeva, but she was shot through the head.

"She was shot through the head. I drove as far as I could, because the attackers also got into the engine, and the car stopped. I tried to provide first aid [to Amina Okuyeva], but she was shot through the head ...," Osmayev commented the murder of his wife to LB.ua on Monday evening.

Amina and Adam were returning to Kyiv from other region before the shooting attack. Osmayev was at the wheel.

He considers the shooting attack as an assassination attempt on both of them.

Osmayev also suggested that the murder was committed by the same people who committed an attempt on the Radical Party member Ihor Mosiychuk. "There are some Russian groups operating here," Osmayev said.

As earlier reported, Amina Okuyeva, a volunteer soldier who fought Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine, was killed and her husband, Adam Osmayev, was wounded. Their car came under fire at a railway crossing near the village of Hlevakha in Kyiv region late on October 30.

The National Police of Ukraine confirmed the information about the death of an anti-terrorist operation (ATO) volunteer Okuyeva, and also reported on the introduction of the amber alert "Sirena" in Kyiv and neighboring regions in connection with what happened.
By Kim Rahn





Over seven out of 10 people approved President Moon Jae-in's state management, giving generous support for almost all areas of state affairs.

Backed by the high support, his ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) also gained high approval.

In the survey conducted by Hankook Research on the occasion of The Korea Times' 67th anniversary, Moon's approval rating stood at 73 percent, which included a "very positive" assessment from 28.1 percent.

The high ratio shows people support his drive to eradicate "deep-rooted evils of society," which in his view were committed under the former conservative administrations.

Another 24.1 percent said he was not doing well in state management, including a "very bad" evaluation from 7.4 percent.












National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun speaks during an interview with The Korea Times, Oct. 24, at his office in the Assembly. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



Assembly speaker wants to help revitalize inter-Korean talks

By Choi Ha-young

National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun said he will deliver a message of peace when he meets United States President Donald Trump, Nov. 8.

"Dialogue and diplomacy should be the only option to resolve the crisis caused by North Korea's nuclear program, although sanctions are accompanied," Chung said in an interview with The Korea Times last week. "I will deliver to President Trump the Korean people's wishes for peace."

The U.S. president plans to deliver a speech at the South Korean National Assembly, Nov. 8, after arriving here the previous day.

"The goal of international sanctions against North Korea is to bring it back to the negotiating table. I can't agree with any kind of military option," Chung said.

Chung said he is waiting for Trump's speech with great interest as are his compatriots because it will be a crucial moment for the two Koreas.

Trump is expected to speak about the North Korean nuclear issue, the future of the Seoul-Washington alliance and the renegotiation of the two countries' free trade agreement, he said.

"I'm sure his speech will show his respect for the Assembly and the Korean people," Chung said. "I think the American President's Seoul visit will lay the effective foundation in resolving North Korean nuclear issues."

The six-term lawmaker, originally a member of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, has traveled all over the world in his attempts to end the deadlock on the peninsula. He has suggested parliamentary-level six-party talks since his inauguration, as well as bilateral meetings between legislative bodies of the two Koreas.

"By creating a separate dialogue channel between legislative bodies, I think the Assembly could prompt government-level talks which have come to a standstill. Even if the North has not responded to my overtures, I will keep trying throughout my term."

The interview came two days after his 10-day trip to Eastern Europe including the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting in Moscow. There, Chung attempted to meet with his North Korean counterpart, Deputy Chairman of the Supreme People's Assembly Ahn Dong-chun, through Russian government connections.

"Federation Council of Russia Chairwoman Valentina Matviyenko was very active in bridging the two Koreas, but the North was seemingly unprepared to join the table," he said.

From Sept. 22 to 30 in the third MIKTA Speakers' Consultation, held in Istanbul, Turkey, the Assembly speaker put his emphasis on peace on the Korean Peninsula.

"Throughout the meetings with parliamentary speakers and high-ranking officials, I explained Seoul's North Korea policy  the necessity of sanctions and peaceful resolution through dialogue  and asked for their cooperation. I've also expanded international common ground on Seoul's initiatives, by bilateral meetings with parliamentary speakers from Uzbekistan, Australia, Turkey, Russia, India, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Iran, Poland and Slovakia."

Chung lauded the Iran nuclear deal in his speech in New York in September last year, as a meaningful precedent in handling nuclear threats. "If the Iran deal had worked well, it would have been a good reference in solving the North Korean nuclear problem. It's quite regretful the deal has been undermined."

In addition to diplomatic efforts, he underlined the importance of national security in line with President Moon Jae-in's the three-pronged defense initiative  the Kill Chain preemptive strike system, the Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) and the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation.

"The nation should have completed the system earlier, particularly the KAMD to intercept incoming North Korean missiles. The Park Geun-hye government didn't do so based on the groundless espionage claim that the Kim Jong-un regime would collapse within three years," Chung said.





National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun poses during an interview with The Korea Times, Oct. 24, at his office in the Assembly. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Constitutional revision

Domestically, Chung has put his top priority on revising the Constitution.

Experts and citizens agree that the country's Constitution, which was last updated in 1987 as a result of a nationwide pro-democracy movement, is outdated. The existing Constitution features a system of direct election of the President and concentrates power in the presidential office. This was a symbolic motion of putting an end to military dictators who tasted power without fair elections, but calls have mounted for checks and balances.

"The possibility of constitutional revision is the highest it's ever been. The conditions for the revision have never matured like this before," Chung said.

The country has attempted revision for more than a decade but the bid has always fallen apart. This time, the voice for decentralization of presidential power has gained momentum following the impeachment of President Park who abused her authority.

"Parties have shown some dissonance in details of the envisioned Constitution, but 90 percent of lawmakers are in favor of the revision. I believe the parties could reach an agreement in forming a united bill for constitutional amendment."

Chung accentuated that the National Assembly, rather than the administration, particularly an Assembly special committee dedicated to designing the bill, should take the helm. President Moon said the government may put forward a separate bill for the revision if the Assembly fails to reach a consensus on the bill on time.

To put the bill to a referendum in tandem with the local elections in June 2018, the bill should pass the Assembly's plenary session by May 24 next year. This means the committee should propose the bill no later than March 15.

"Before the President makes a separate bill public, it would be more efficient to submit the government's ideas to the special committee to get lawmakers to discuss the issues in the Assembly," Chung said. "It would be ideal to draw up the bill for constitutional amendment in the Assembly, based on the opinions of people from all walks of life."

Another disputed issue in designing a new Constitution is basic human rights. Particularly, some Christian groups are up in arms against a possible change to the phrase "gender equality" from "equal rights for both sexes," saying this may undermine their traditions.

Some are against expanding the subject of natural rights from "all Korean nationals" to "people," a term embracing foreigners and refugees. Talks are also underway around the right to asylum to articulate the country's responsibility in welcoming refugees.

"Opinions are divided between those who support universal human rights and those who think the nation doesn't need to protect illegal immigrants who do not impose all sorts of duties as Korean nationals," Chung said.

"Korean society may find it burdensome to accept all kinds of fundamental rights. Then the new Constitution should aim to introduce basic rights corresponding to international covenants on human rights. In the discussion, top priority should be formation of social consensus."

The speaker has highlighted the importance of a cooperative political culture. As a result of last year's general election, the 20th Assembly features a multiparty system. The structure of the Assembly which is unfamiliar to Koreans has facilitated interparty dialogue in solving politically sensitive issues.

"Cooperation between parties is the destiny of the 20th Assembly," Chung said. "Floor leaders of four parties are my core partners in managing legislative affairs. Even if the process is not effortless, regular meetings have successfully settled down."

As speaker of the 20th Assembly, Chung is also in charge of representing the voices of citizens who took to the streets last winter. Celebrating the first anniversary of the first candlelit rally Oct. 29 last year, he offered to "export" the know-how of the social movement.

"In total 1.7 million people protested to remove the disgraced leader but almost no one was hurt. The peaceful power moved the parliament and the new government launched successfully. This unprecedented movement boasts how mature Korean democracy is," Chung said.

"Beyond self-praise, let's study how the rallies were organized and what the participants' strategies were. This could be a good reference for nations that are struggling to establish democracy."
By Kim Se-jeong







More than 65 percent of the Korea Times anniversary survey respondents said they are against humanitarian aid to North Korea.



In September, the Ministry of Unification authorized its first aid donation worth $ 8 million (approximately 9 billion won) to people in the impoverished regime through the World Food Program (WFP) and UNICEF, United Nations branches.



According to the survey of the Moon Jae-in administration's policy on humanitarian aid to the North, 65.6 percent said they don't support the aid. Those who support it accounted for 32.8 percent, while 1.6 percent didn't answer.



The ministry authorized $4.5 million to the WFP for nutrients for children and pregnant women and $3.5 million for UNICEF for vaccines and basic medicines for children and pregnant women. But the timing of the aid is still unclear.













The decision on aid came when North Korea's military provocation was at its worst, drawing criticism from in and outside Korea. The government defended itself, saying humanitarian aid should be separate from politics and the aid will continue.



Big public opposition to the aid shown in the survey results also reflected the tensions.



According to the result, men were stronger than women in their opposition  66.4 percent of men answered no, while 64.8 percent of the women answered yes.



By age, the opposition was strong among those in their 20s, with 72.1 percent disapproving the aid. People in their 30s were the most supportive, with only 55.8 percent saying no to the aid.



By region, people in Gangwon Province and Jeju expressed the strongest disapproval, with 80.2 percent, while only 44.9 percent of citizens in Gwangju and Jeolla Provinces, President Moon's home turf, said they disapprove of the aid.



The percentage point of disapproval among Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province residents was 68.9, second highest after Gangwon and Jeju residents.


Moon's approval rating at 73 percent: Korea Times survey

By Jun Ji-hye

A majority of South Koreans support Seoul's prompt takeover of wartime operational control (OPCON) of its troops from Washington, according to a poll by The Korea Times and Hankook Research.

The institute conducted the survey on 1,000 people from Oct. 25 to 26 to mark the 67th anniversary of The Korea Times, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Fifty-four percent of respondents said South Korea needs to regain OPCON of its military during wartime at the earliest possible date, while 40.2 percent oppose the expeditious transfer.

Currently, a commander of the Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command (CFC), a position assumed by the U.S. Forces Korea commander, holds wartime OPCON of the South Korean military.

Seoul was supposed to retake wartime OPCON from the U.S. in April 2012 following a 2007 agreement during the 2003-08 President Roh Moo-hyun administration.

But the transfer was delayed to 2015 in the wake of the sinking of the South Korean Navy frigate Cheonan in a North Korean torpedo attack in March 2010. Then, President Moon Jae-in's predecessor, Park Geun-hye, delayed the transfer again until the 2020s, citing the growing North Korean nuclear and missile threats.

During presidential campaigning earlier this year, Moon, who was the chief of staff for the late Roh, pledged to move up the date.

Approval rating

Regarding Moon's management of state affairs in general, 73 percent of respondents gave a positive assessment, with 68.4 percent saying Moon has been doing well in dealing with foreign affairs. But the President's work on national security received a relatively low evaluation as only 62.5 percent said he has done a good job.


By Kim Hyo-jin



Two out of three South Koreans think U.S. President Donald Trump negatively affects the Seoul-Washington alliance, according to a Korea Times survey.



The survey shows 65.8 percent of respondents believe the alliance has been weakened because of Trump, while only 31.7 percent said Trump has a positive effect on the alliance.



The poll also shows 18.2 percent believe Trump affects the alliance "very negatively," while 47.6 percent said he affects the alliance "generally negatively." Those who answered Trump affected the alliance "very positively" were only 6.5 percent and "generally positively" 25.2 percent.



The results reflect South Koreans' uneasiness about Trump's bellicose rhetoric and hard-line stance against North Korea, analysts say.









Trump became locked in a war of words in recent months with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, fanning fears of war on the Korean Peninsula.



In a fiery verbal tit-for-tat with the young leader, he threatened to "totally destroy" the North, calling Kim a "rocket man" on a suicide mission.



"It has given the public the impression Trump is not capable of stably managing the situation on the peninsula, which is the highest value in the bilateral coalition," said Kim Dong-young, general manager of the Korean Society Opinion Institute.



The people are also aware of discord in North Korea policy between President Trump and his counterpart Moon Jae-in despite concerted efforts to heighten sanctions against the belligerent country, he added.



Moon has pursued a two-track North Korea policy of seeking sanctions and dialogue while stressing Seoul should be in the driver's seat in dealing with the North Korea issue.



Trump showed doubts about Moon's conciliatory approach. He once tweeted, "South Korea is finding, as I have told them, that their talk of appeasement with North Korea will not work, they (North Korea) only understand one thing."













The poll shows the people put the second-most blame on Trump in aggravating tensions on the peninsula, behind North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un.



On the question of which leader takes the biggest responsibility in deepening the sense of crisis on the peninsula, 48.6 percent of respondents chose Kim.



Trump ranked second with 27.2 percent, followed by Chinese President Xi Jinping (16 percent), Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (2.3 percent), and Russian President Vladimir Putin (1.7 percent). And 4.2 percent refused to answer or said they don't know.



The result shows the respondents appear to have doubts about Trump while acknowledging he is a direct cause of the heightened military tension and North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations, an analyst at Hankook Research said.









Meanwhile, the survey found that the people view sanctions and pressure against North Korea as the most effective measures to deter Pyongyang's nuclear ambition.



When asked about the best way of resolving North Korea's nuclear issue, 47.5 percent said sanctions and pressure against the North while 43.7 said dialogue and cooperation with the country.



The pollster added 6.4 percent of the respondents chose a pre-emptive attack.



Analysts say the South Korean people in general agree the government should corner the nuclear weapons-seeking country with harsher sanctions in close coordination with the international community.



"It shows that the public weigh more on imposing sanctions at this stage," the Hankook Research analyst said.



The results, however, should be compared to the pollsters' previous survey, he noted, where 65.2 percent of respondents favored the option of both seeking dialogue and closely cooperating in levying tougher sanctions with the international community, while 33.6 percent favored the option of only pushing for sanctions.



In the latest survey with a dichotomous question, the respondents were clearly divided depending on their regions and ideological tendencies.



Those groups that have a higher proportion of support for the conciliatory approach were the liberals (61.3 percent); residents in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province (59.2 percent); ruling Democratic Party of Korea supporters (59.7 percent); and minor opposition Justice Party supporters (57.8 percent).



On the other hand, those who preferred sanctions were the conservatives (58.1 percent); residents in Gangwon Province and Jeju island (58.3 percent); the main opposition Liberty Korea Party supporters (68 percent); and the Bareun Party supporters (64.8 percent).
Wrecked vehicles are piled up for removal in the city of Ishinomaki, in Miyagi Prefecture, almost a year after the magnitude-9.0 Tohoku earthquake struck on Mar. 11, 2011. / Korea Times file



After the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, tectonic plates across East Asia were never the same, increasing major seismic activity risks to the peninsula



By Ko Dong-hwan





A stone sculpture that adorned the Gyeongju city office square was destroyed after a magnitude-5.8 earthquake struck the city on Sep. 13, 2016. / Yonhap

At 8:32 p.m. on Sep. 12, 2016, South Korea experienced the biggest earthquake on the Korean Peninsula since 1978, when the nation started monitoring the activity. The 5.8-magnitude quake's epicenter was eight kilometers southwest of Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province. A 5.1-magnitude quake struck some 50 minutes before, nine kilometers from the city in the same direction.

Security cameras across the city showed street vendors' windows being shattered and people running for their lives. Twenty-three were injured and there were almost 1,120 damage reports.

It was an unprecedented event that sparked interest nationwide and signaled that South Korea may no longer be an "earthquake haven" as many blindly believed.

It may be hard to discern what is going on underground and harder to admit that seismic peace on the Korean Peninsula, so far undisturbed by major earthquakes, is no longer guaranteed. But the truth is that the earth beneath the region experienced a turning point on Mar. 11, 2011, when a magnitude-9.0 mega-thrust quake rattled the Pacific seabed some 70 kilometers east of the Oshika Peninsula of Tohoku in northern Japan. It immediately caused a tsunami that pummeled nuclear power plants in Okuma in Fukushima Prefecture, leading to the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Some across the East Sea might have thought the natural occurrence a distant foreign affair, but what they didn't realize is that the colossal quake also brought consequences for Koreans.

These gained more traction on Sept. 3 this year when North Korea detonated a nuclear device underground near Punggye-ri in North Hamgyung Province, its sixth nuclear test. A magnitude-5 earthquake quickly followed that day 6.6 kilometers southeast of the site. Twenty days later, a magnitude-3 tremor struck six kilometers northwest of the site. It was hard to dismiss the link between the test and the seismic activity. The experiment threatened peace not only across the East Asia and Pacific regions but also beneath the two Koreas.

Impact by Tohoku earthquake, N. Korean nuclear test





Korea Seismological Institute head Kim So-gu

Korea Seismological Institute head Kim So-gu said the 2011 earthquake near Tohoku was rare in its intensity. Strong enough to "shake the underground axes," the quake shifted the Korean Peninsula's position eastward by two centimeters and Ulleungdo Island and Dokdo Island in the peninsula's eastern waters by four to five centimeters.

"The Tohoku earthquake awakened nearby faults that so far had remained quiet," said Kim, one of South Korea's pioneers in earthquake research. "One example is a fault created between Ulsan and Gyeongju. I call it the Gyeongju-Ulsan fault."

Kim said the 2016 activity at the Gyeongju-Ulsan fault caused the Gyeongju earthquake not the Yangsan fault between Busan and Gyeongju that many news outlets had reported as the quake's origin. The Tohoku earthquake created many other faults in oceanic plates under Japan and the Korean Peninsula  the Filipino Plate to the south, the North American Plate to the north, the Pacific Plate to the east and the Eurasian Plate to the west  raising earthquake risks to South Korea.

"Although South Korea has been comfortably sandwiched' between Japan that directly faces plate boundaries and China that constantly experienced seismic activity from the Indian Plate and Eurasian Plate pressing against each other, it now has more chances to see quakes on its own turf following the Tohoku earthquake," Kim said.

The Tohoku earthquake's sheer magnitude was likely weaker in its intensity at its onset. For mega-thrust earthquakes like Tohoku, continuous subduction of the mega-thrust causes stress and strain to build up in the overlying plate, developing magnitude-7 earthquakes into magnitude-8s, according to Hiroshi Sato, a geology professor from the Earthquake Research Institute at the University of Tokyo.





Prof. Hiroshi Sato from the Earthquake Research Institute at the University of Tokyo

"Such tendency is clearly identified in Japan, just sitting on the subduction mega-thrust," said Sato, adding that the number of earthquakes in South Korea is "overwhelmingly small compared to Japan."

What was possibly equivalent to the Tohoku earthquake's magnitude was the North Korean nuclear test. Following the test, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) in Seoul said the blast created seismic activity with a magnitude reaching 5.9. But Kim dismissed the reading, saying it was at least 6.4.

"A similar test was conducted in the Aleutian Islands in 1969, which created a magnitude of about one megaton," said Kim, referring to the test in part of the islands called Amchitka in southwest Alaska. "The test in Punggye-ri swept with as much power underground as the Tohoku earthquake, shattering all the tectonic bases in proximity. It could have been up to 0.9 megatons, close to the nuclear testing in the Aleutians."












/ Graphic by Cho Sang-won



Spoon theory,' intended as a joke, has manifested itself in reality

By Jung Min-ho

The "spoon theory," which says a person's future is largely determined by his or her parents' assets, first appeared online a couple of years ago. Initially intended as a joke, it soon became a subject of hard news stories.

Over the years, an increasing number of young people, who were taught that they can climb the ladder of success with their own efforts, have been convinced that such days are over.

Ju Biung-ghi, an economics professor at Seoul National University, published the results of a recent study showing that the spoon theory is a grim but accurate reflection of the life in Korea.

According to the study, a child born to poor, less educated parents today has far fewer chances of attaining material success than the one born 15 years ago.

"The problem is only expected to get worse," Ju said. "Inequality of opportunity will make it increasingly difficult for poor children to move up, which is expected to lead to more conflict between different social classes."

More than half of all students at the nation's top eight medical and pharmacy schools come from families at the top 20 percent in terms of income. At the three best schools  Seoul National, Yonsei and Korea universities, 62 percent of students do.

Challenges for less privileged children start well before school and become more serious as they get older. According to Statistics Korea, parents in the top 20 percent of households in terms of income spend 665,461 won ($590) for their children's education per month on average, eight times more than what parents in the bottom 20 percent of households. The education gap between the two groups is especially large when it comes to learning English, one of the three most important subjects for the students' college entrance examination and subsequent careers.

The inequality of opportunity in Korea is higher than those in member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, such as the United Kingdom, Belgium and France.

Against all the odds, Kim, who declined to reveal his full name, made it to Korea University. According to his teachers and parents, it was supposed to be the beginning of the end of his struggles for social mobility.

However, he soon realized that their assumptions are no longer true.

To begin with, Kim was surprised to learn that most of the students at the school came from affluent families. Unlike him, they didn't have to work almost every day  sometimes for six hours  to pay for living expenses while studying. Instead, they concentrated their efforts on learning foreign languages and doing internships in companies here and abroad, where they hoped to eventually work.

But he was smart and lucky enough to study on scholarships for most of the four years there. When he graduated, his debt was about 10 million won ($9,000), only a fraction of the debt students from similar circumstances usually have.

Kim then went on to study law at the same school, which gave him a full scholarship. There, he saw even fewer students from working-class families. Some were children of high-profile politicians, government officials and business people.

In his final year, he noticed something strange again. Some of his classmates got internships at the most prestigious law firms despite their poor grades. Rumors swirled that they did so thanks to their parents' connections. It was around time when many lawmakers, including Shin Ki-nam, Yoon Hu-duk and Kim Tae-won, were accused of using their clout to help their children land decent jobs.

Koreans, unfortunately, are very familiar with peers with the unfair advantage of important connections, which jobseekers like Kim have to deal with in every field. Most recently, it was revealed that almost everyone who got their jobs at casino operator Kangwon Land between 2012 and 2013 did so thanks to their parents, who had close relationships with politicians and its CEO. Similar allegations have also been brought up against the Financial Supervisory Service and Woori Bank, one of the largest commercial banks in the country.

The slowing down of the economy means fewer well-paying, stable jobs for young people, who are, in many ways, more qualified than previous generations. Over the past few years, it has become painfully clear that ambition and talent are no longer guarantee of anything but more competition. Those who are well-off always find ways to win, both legally and underhandedly.

While it is not entirely impossible to move up the ladder of social mobility, as Kim has shown, the struggles of a child from a working-class family does not end when he or she gets into a reputable school and becomes a lawyer.

After graduating from law school early this year, Kim has worked at a government agency as a substitute for the nation's mandatory military service. He will be discharged from the duty to find a real job in 2020 when he turns 29.

But gone are the days when lawyers made tons of money. Today, surveys show that 18 percent of lawyers make less than 2 million won a month. The income gap has widened among lawyers as well.

After all these successful years, Kim and his fiance have started thinking about immigrating to another country for better opportunities. "We aren't very serious about the option at this point but I think it will be better for my child," he said.
This is the first in a series of interviews with international experts to seek ways toward a peaceful resolution of the North Korea nuclear crisis on the occasion of the 67th anniversary of The Korea Times, which falls on Nov. 1.  ED.

By Kim Jae-kyoung





Kelsey Davenport

Diplomacy is the only way to achieve a peaceful resolution of the North Korea nuclear crisis, according to Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association.

She said that in order to bring North Korea back to negotiations, U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration should send a sincere, consistent message that the offer of engagement is real.

"Diplomacy is the only path forward to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis," Davenport said in a recent interview.

"The Trump administration purports to advance a strategy of maximum pressure and engagement but U.S. actions and rhetoric expose a serious diplomacy deficit," she added.

She pointed out that mixed messages from Trump and top administration officials about U.S. intentions to engage in talks further complicate the environment.

"The Trump administration can and must signal to North Korea that it is willing to engage in talks without preconditions," she said.

"Direct talks would give the U.S. an opportunity to discuss a path forward with North Korea to reduce tension."

Davenport stressed that the U.S. Congress should also refrain from activities that heighten tension and muddy the waters regarding the prospects of diplomacy.

"That may require putting denuclearization on the back burner, voicing support for shorter-term, more manageable goals, and giving existing sanctions time to work before pushing new measures," she said.

She believes that given the tension between North Korea and the U.S., a high-level figure could engage both parties to try to reduce this and convey to Pyongyang Washington's interest in negotiations.

"That will require identifying an individual the Trump administration trusts and is willing to refrain from openly criticizing," she said.

"Ultimately North Korea wants to negotiate with the U.S., but other states can and must play a role in facilitating a peaceful resolution to the crisis."

The Washington-based North Korea expert said that while South Korea faces serious security challenges, it is incumbent upon Seoul to refrain from actions that would prompt an arms race, further destabilizing the region.

Davenport thinks that tougher sanctions and military signaling without a plan for diplomacy will only complicate the situations.

"Given the current escalated risk of miscalculation, South Korea and the U.S. need to walk a fine line between sustaining security alliances and provoking a North Korean response," she said.

She warned that Trump's vague threats, paired with military signaling, could inadvertently spark a crisis.

"The U.S. and South Korea could scale back some military activities without negatively impacting readiness," she noted.

"Putting that on the table might be attractive to Pyongyang as part of an interim negotiated freeze."

Lesson from Iran deal

Davenport, who provides research and analysis on nuclear and missile programs in North Korea and Iran, said that lessons should be learned from the process of the P5+1 talks for the Iranian nuclear weapons agreement.

The P5+1 refers to the U.N. Security Council's five permanent members  China, France, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S.  plus Germany.

One lesson to take from the nuclear deal with Iran in her view is the critical need for coordination in any multilateral approach.

"The six countries negotiating with Iran were in lock step on the strategy and goals of the process," she said.

"Multilateral talks with North Korea will require the same close coordination on goals and processes."

Another important lesson relevant for multilateral talks with North Korea is that the negotiations with Iran demonstrated that an interim agreement can be a positive way to prevent tension from escalating and demonstrate all sides are willing to implement a deal in good faith.

"In negotiations with North Korea, an interim deal designed to freeze Pyongyang's nuclear and missile progress in exchange for concessions from the other side, such as a pledge not to impose any additional sanctions or a roll back of some elements of the U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises, might be helpful in demonstrating that both sides are willing to follow through on an agreement," she added.
By You Soo-sun



The United Nations human rights agency called on Japan to acknowledge the country's violation of the human rights of "comfort women," or wartime sex slaves, and to implement its recommendations, according to the Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun, Saturday.



The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) also requested Japan to take legal responsibility and punish responsible individuals for the issue, estimated to have involved 80,000 to 200,000 women, mostly from Korea but also China, Taiwan, the Philippines, and other parts of Asia.



The report came a couple of days after the UNESCO International Advisory Committee reportedly deferred its decision on the listing of the comfort women archives on its Memory of the World Register, established to preserve documentary heritages throughout the world. Many Koreans suspect the decision was influenced by the Japanese government, a major donor for the program.



The OHCHR report will be submitted for a United Nations review on the Japanese human rights situation slated for next month in Geneva, Switzerland. The United Nations will make recommendations based on the report to the Japanese government by the end of next month.



The recommendations are not legally binding, but the international community may use them as grounds to criticize Japan, the right-wing news outlet reported.



In the report, the OHCHR defined the comfort women issue as a practice of sexual slavery. It requested Japan to own up to it and take legal and administrative steps to provide relief and compensation. And the victims, it asserted, should be at the center of this process.



The OHCHR also expressed concerns regarding the Japanese government's control over internal debate on the issue. The matter, for example, was omitted from its middle school textbooks, which it said, was an "infringement on the citizens right to know."












The petition on the South Korean Presidential Office's homepage seeking to abolish the criminal status of abortion had attracted the signatures of 233,826 people as of Monday 4 p.m. The petition aims to "abolish abortion's criminality and legalize imports of Mifegyne that helps pregnant women naturally miscarry their fetus." / Captured from presidential office's homepage



By Chyung Eun-ju

More than 200,000 people have signed a petition on South Korean presidential office's homepage to abolish the criminal status of abortion as of Sunday, requiring the central authority to give an official response.

A member of the public filed the petition on Sept. 30 and since then 214,298 people had signed by Sunday at 4 p.m. on Oct. 29, one day before the deadline.

Cheong Wa Dae had pledged in August to give an official reply within 30 days from a senior-or -minister level to a petition with more than 200,000 signatures.

The pledge came 100 days after the Moon Jae-in administration took office in May.

"Korea has a low birth rate, but unwanted pregnancy is a tragedy for those directly involved, the babies, and the nation," said the first petitioner. "It is unfair to hold only women responsible under the current law."

The petitioner also urged the government to legalize the importation of Mifegyne, an abortion pill first sold by French pharmaceutical company Roussel-Uclaf in the 1990s, stating that 119 countries now imported the medicine.

"There are a lot of people who secretly have abortion surgeries in South Korea," said the petitioner. "If a woman undergoes an illegal abortion procedure and an accident happens, how can she receive help under the current law?"

Women who seek an abortion face up to a year in jail or a 2 million won ($1,780) fine. Those who perform an abortion face a prison term up to two years.

A Cheong Wa Dae official said the presidential staff "will discuss the time period and method to respond to the petition," according to Chosun Ilbo.

The fight to decriminalize abortion is the second public petition to muster more than 200,000 signatures.

On Sept. 25, a petition to revise a youth law to prevent a person under 14 from receiving criminal punishment topped 200,000.
There are 152 people in the occupied territories of Ukraine who are held hostages, First deputy speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's representative in the humanitarian subgroup of the trilateral contact group (TCG), Iryna Gerashchenko has reported.

"Some 152 hostages remain in the occupied Donbas, including journalists, volunteers and nine women. There are six teenagers held in jail for more than a year. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and other international organizations are not allowed to visit them. Russia holds dozens of political prisoners - Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars, solely for their pro-Ukrainian position," Gerashchenko wrote on her Facebook page on Tuesday.

She noted that "during the three years of the war, 2,328 army soldiers were killed in Donbas, three of them were women, more than 8,300 military men were injured, including 24 women." The first deputy speaker reminded that according to UN estimates, more than 10,000 people were killed and 25,000 people injured in the east of Ukraine.
Anti-Trump posters at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Sunday / Korea Times photo by Jung Min-ho



By Jung Min-ho

Saturday night was supposed to be a time to celebrate the first anniversary of the massive candlelit protests that eventually helped oust corruption-tainted former President Park Geun-hye. But some anti-U.S. groups used the gathering as an opportunity to promote their own propaganda.

"No Trump, no war," was one of the key messages shouted at Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square by some anti-U.S. groups. Led by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the country's second-largest umbrella trade union, they vowed to do all they can to mar U.S. President Donald Trump's state visit to Korea next month.

They called Trump a threat to peace on the Korean peninsula, saying they will follow him and stage protests during his visit.

Trump is scheduled to meet with his Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in, Nov. 7, and deliver a speech at the National Assembly the following day.

The groups said they plan to stage a protest in front of Cheong Wa Dae when the two are supposed to have dinner there and hold another rally when Trump speaks at the Assembly.

The KCTU has a history of anti-U.S. protests. On Oct. 14, its members gathered near a Busan hotel, where the U.S. Navy held a party to celebrate its 242-year history, chanting messages like "U.S. troops go home!"

Ban Trump's Crazy Action, another anti-U.S. group consisting of young people, said last week that it will visit New York, Washington and Los Angeles to hold anti-Trump rallies from Oct. 25 to Nov. 1 to block his visit. It later added that one of its members was detained at JFK Airport and others were also denied entry before they got on a plane to New York.

Some conservative groups, including the Lawyers for Human Rights and Unification of Korea (LHUK), have criticized the anti-U.S. groups' actions, which they say do nothing but damage the national interest.

"The Korean Peninsula is in danger of a nuclear war because of the regime in North Korea," the LHUK said. "Yet the anti-U.S. groups have insulted the U.S. head of state and damaged the South Korea-U.S. alliance."

Their anti-U.S. messages have also been criticized by left-wing groups, which consider them "too radical."

Most Koreans regard the U.S. as their crucial ally in terms of national defense.

According to a survey by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs early this year, 72.2 percent of Koreans said they believe the Korea-U.S. military alliance was good for national defense. When asked which country they would help if a war between the United States and North Korea broke out, only 2.3 percent said they would side with the North.
By Chyung Eun-ju





Rep. Kim Hack-yong / Yonhap

Sexual misconduct by cadets is an ongoing problem at Korean military academies, according to a report.

Rep. Kim Hack-yong from the main opposition Liberty Korea Party said on Sunday there were four cases of sexual misconduct by cadets from Jan. to Sept. 2017, according to the report.

The report was submitted by the Korean Military Academy, Korean Naval Academy and Air Force Academy (AFA), Korea Armed Forces Nursing Academy and Korea Army Academy at Yeong-cheon (KAAY).

There were 14 cases during over five years  two cases in 2013, two in 2014, one in 2015 and five in 2016.

Thirty-three 33 cadets were punished during the five years  14 people (45 percent) were expelled, 11 people (33 percent) were under probation and seven people (21 percent) were restricted from going outside or received low-level punishment).

The number of cadets expelled increased from four in 2013 to 15 in 2016. Seven cadets have been expelled this year.

Sexual misconduct has included harassment, prostitution, obscene talk and rape.

An AFA cadet was caught trying to steal a female student's undergarments and was expelled for unnecessary physical contact.

A cadet from KAAY was expelled this year for taking pictures of a woman's undergarments with a hidden camera.

"Sexual misconduct is spreading from barracks to elite training institutions for military officials," said Kim. "We need the attention and support of the military authorities."
Kim, right, who allegedly killed his mother, stepfather and 14-year-old half-brother in Korea, appears at the North Shore District Court to attend a hearing on theft charges in Auckland, New Zealand, Monday. / Yonhap



By Jung Min-ho

New Zealand police have apprehended a Korean man who flew into Auckland last week after allegedly killing three family members here, the Korean Embassy there said Monday.

According to an embassy official, it is taking necessary steps to extradite the 33-year-old, surnamed Kim, who is accused of killing his mother, stepfather and 14-year-old half-brother Oct. 21.

Kim, a permanent resident of New Zealand, caught a flight there Oct. 23 with his wife and two daughters, only to be apprehended on an outstanding warrant for alleged theft of household appliances in 2015.

He appeared at the North Shore District Court to attend the theft charge hearing. Currently he is remanded in custody without a plea on the theft charge.

If he ends up in prison, it may not be possible to bring him back to Korea immediately.

The two countries have an extradition treaty, which was signed in 2001.

The bodies of his mother and half-brother were found at their home in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, with multiple stab wounds. A kitchen knife was found next to them.

The body of his stepfather was found in the trunk of a vehicle in a condominium parking lot in PyeongChang County, Gangwon Province.

His motive remains unclear. He did not have a stable job and relied on his mother financially. Police will question him once he is returned.
On Monday morning, Oct. 30, people crossing an intersection on Sejong-ro Street in Jongno-gu, Seoul, wear thick overcoats to ward off the coldest autumn weather this year. / Yonhap



By Chyung Eun-ju

The first big autumn freeze hit Korea on Monday morning as temperatures plunged to 4.5C in Seoul and to sub-zero in rural regions.

"Cold winds will work their way from the northwest area to the south until Tuesday. The temperature will drop significantly more than average," said the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

"There were areas that dropped below zero, which is the lowest temperature this autumn. The first ice and frost were also spotted."





Hoarfrost blankets foliage in Deogyu-bong Peak of Deogyusan Mountain in Muju-gun, North Jeolla Province, as temperatures dropped to -8C on Monday morning. / Yonhap



Temperatures plummeted to -8C on Deogyu-bong Peak of Deogyusan Mountain in Muju-gun, North Jeolla Province;  7.6C at Gimhwa village close to the inter-Korean border in Cheorwon-gun; -7.6 in Gangwon Province and -5.9C at Misan village in Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi Province.

Major cities also recorded single-digit temperatures. At 6 a.m., western port city Incheon recorded 4.9C, eastern port city Gangneung 8.9C, Daejeon 3.4C, Gwangju 7.6C and Daegu 7.4C, Southern port cities Busan and Ulsan recorded 8.1C and 7.3C respectively.





Hoarfrost covers Halla Mountain top on Jeju Island on Monday. / Yonhap



People heading to work at the start of the week were wearing padded jackets, mufflers, coats, winter hats and earmuffs.

"Today was the first day I wore my winter coat instead of my trench coat," said an office worker, 28. "It was not very cold on Saturday, but it suddenly became cold. I'm worried I will catch a cold."

Temperatures are expected to warm up on Wednesday to around 11C and fall back to 2C in Seoul by Saturday, according to the KMA.




President Donald Trump's 11-day trip to Asia, starting next week, will include stops in China, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Vietnam, including attendance at summits of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and Association of Southeast Asian Nations organizations. The general focus will be what to do about North Korea's nuclear rocket-rattling in the region, his promises to the American electorate about negotiating better trade arrangements, and a wide assortment of bilateral issues with the leaders of the individual countries.



Some of the issues are exceptionally complicated. Russia, for example, is a member of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. It is unknown whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the summit, to be held in Vietnam, although it is quite possible he will, given the good relations that exist between Russia and Vietnam and that Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to be there as well.



Myanmar, pounding its Rohingya minority and having driven hundreds of thousands of them into Bangladesh in appalling conditions, is a member of ASEAN; its de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, may attend the summit; and discussion of the human rights aspects of that country's treatment of its Muslim minority with whomever represents it would be difficult for Trump to avoid.



The Philippines will host the ASEAN conference. Its president, Rodrigo Duterte, has an appalling humanitarian record, has openly criticized Trump and America in vulgar terms, and a potential confrontation between Trump and him will loom, with close media attention.



The leaders of both China and Japan, Xi Jinping and Shinzo Abe, will both be coming off formidable political triumphs at home and riding high in general. Xi will have just completed the every-five-years Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, at which he was elevated by having his "thoughts" incorporated into party dogma, and was also able to name a no-threat group of new members to the party's standing committee of the Politburo.



Abe's Liberal Democratic Party just won an early election he called to Japan's parliament, setting the stage for constitutional changes he contemplates, to include re-militarization of Japan's security posture. He is bound to ask Trump what the United States' position will be on that development, a change from Japanese and U.S. policy since the end of World War II in 1945.



With South Korea, directly concerned, Trump will need to discuss the next moves in his and America's running confrontation with North Korea and its leader, Kim Jong Un, over Pyongyang's approach to nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles.



All in all, Trump will be faced with a large plateful of complex issues, some dangerous, all of which will be virtually impossible to dodge addressing as U.S. president, closely watched by Americans and the world, as well as by his interlocuters.





This editorial appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.




By Oh Young-jin





The United Nations passed a resolution to cut oil supplies to North Korea by 30 percent, Sept. 12, a week after the North conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test.

The United States did cajole and coerce China and Russia for an outright oil embargo but settled for a cap on oil exports for fear of a veto of the resolution.

Five days later on Sept. 17, U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted, "Long gas lines forming in North Korea. Too bad."

It was doubtful that the curtailed supplies were having an effect less than a week after the U.N. sanctions passage. Trump was given the benefit of the doubt since as U.S. president he could have had access to information that was not available to others.

By now, however,  after one month and two weeks  if his assertion were true, the North would naturally be showing more acute signs of oil shortages to the point that its entire system should be grinding to a halt. At least, there should have been longer gas lines than at the time of the Trumpian tweet.

It is hard to know what is going on inside the isolated country but if big disruptions take place, often, indicative news leaks through the usual sources  Chinese traders who do business with the North or relatives of North Koreans in China. There has been little such news.

Is it that the North is suffering from major disruptions but we don't know about them? Or are there other explanations?

Here is one potential explanation.

The U.N. sanctions call for a cap on annual exports of refined petroleum products to the North at 2 million barrels from the current 4.5 million, while not touching crude exports of 4 million barrels. All combined would be tantamount to a 30 percent reduction in the overall exports to the North.

These figures are based on customs clearance by China and Russia, the two last-remaining friends of the North. They don't include oil shipments smugglers trade across borders.

More significantly, what if Beijing and Moscow have been selling an extra large amount of oil and oil products without bothering to check with customs?

Say the North gets 4 million barrels from China and Russia but the two underreport it at 3 million. The U.N. would base its calculation on the 4 million and deduct 30 percent. The final amount would come to 2.8 million, meaning the North would be a mere 0.2 million short of its needs. That wouldn't significantly affect it.

That can explain why there have been no disruptions in the North contrary to Trump's doomsday tweet. The North had Trump, or Trump showboated as usual.

There is another point of dispute on the Trump tweet. The long lines he talked about could give an impression that the North has a network of gas stations that individuals have access to. That may not be true. Few individuals in the North own private cars. Most vehicles belong to organizations that are supplied by one or two designated state gas providers.

When these organizations know of the coming shortages, say in such a case as the U.N. oil embargo, they would get in touch with these providers and make large purchases in advance. So it is not likely that long lines would form near gas stations as during the 1973 Oil Crisis.

But then, real signals of severe shortages of such strategic commodities as oil or grains come from the black market. The military has a priority and maintains large reserves but when the going gets tough and prices soar, the military would release them secretly and make a great deal of profit.

In the 1990s when there were floods and subsequent famines in the North, the military stole from its own strategic grain reserves and sold to the people through the black market. There were two signs of the military's intervention  the increased appearances of military trucks in the streets and the availability of moldy, smelly old grain, typical of grain stored for years.

Have there been such signs? If there were, there has been no news to that effect.

Even if the sanctions don't work as well, there is little need to get discouraged.

The real achievement in the September sanctions was not an immediate effect but a long-term effect. Let's use the above calculations. The North launches another long-range missile or conducts a seventh nuclear test. Now, China and Russia would have little other choice but to comply with the follow-up tougher sanctions that aim for a cut of an additional, say, 20 percent from the baseline amount of 4 million barrels or a 50 percent cut overall. That would come to 2 million barrels, taking from the North one third of its needs, a level that could hurt it.

In casino parlance, the house always wins. That is unless the customer(s) finds a better way of cheating.

Oh Young-jin (foolsdie5@ktimes.com and foolsdie@gmail.com) is The Korea Times' chief editorial writer.
Story with charges against Manafort in U.S. may affect Ukrainian politicians - Leschenko

The charges against U.S. President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, may affect Ukrainian politicians if the FBI continues to investigate the sources of money they received, Bloc of Petro Poroshenko faction deputy Serhiy Leschenko has said.

"I think that this will be reflected if the FBI continues to investigate where he [Manafort] got this money, and he received them, first of all, from offshore accounts connected with the entourage of [former Ukrainian President Viktor] Yanukovych," he told Interfax-Ukraine on Monday, October 30.

"If all Ukrainian partners of Manafort are subject to FBI investigation, this will have serious consequences for his contacts in Ukraine. This network of contacts also included [Ukrainian businessman Rinat] Akhmetov, [businessman and politician Borys] Kolesnikov, [businessman Dmytro] Firtash, [former Head of the Ukrainian Presidential Administration Serhiy] Liovochkin, and other politicians and oligarchs of the first echelon," Leschenko said.

He noted that Ukraine, through the Department of Special Investigations of the Prosecutor General's Office, was investigating one episode of the case concerning the payment for Manafort's consultations by officials of the previous government, in particular, the possible involvement of U.S. company Skadden "as an adviser" by the Ukrainian Justice Ministry through former Justice Minister Oleksandr Lavrynovych.

According to Leschenko, Manafort decided to surrender to the FBI, according to U.S. media reports, because he understands the weight of the evidence collected by investigators.

"By means of agreements, he can try to agree on leniency and not such a severe punishment," the MP added.

As reported, on June 27, 2017, Head of the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) Nazar Kholodnytsky said there were no Manafort signatures in the Party of Regions unofficial payment ledger. SAPO and NABU were unable to provide any evidence that Manafort received remuneration from the Party of Regions.

In addition, according to an article appearing in the Washington Post on June 28, Manafort reportedly confirmed receiving $17 million from the Party of Regions. Evidence of the payments, according to the article, is contained in documents which Manafort filed with the U.S. Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) chief Artem Sytnyk said in August 2017 that NABU possesses no information about interference in the U.S. presidential election, emphasizing that the agency had not investigated the matter.

In March, Leschenko said he possessed original documents showing bank transfers by Yanukovych to Manafort via an offshore company with an account in Kyrgyzstan. Leschenko at the time asked the U.S. and Ukrainian authorities to investigate the matter.

Earlier on Monday, October 30, Manafort and business associate Rick Gates were charged with possible interference the 2016 U.S. election. The charges do not directly affect alleged links between Trump's ex-allies and Russia, but Gates and Manafort are accused of money laundering and collusion against U.S. interests in cooperation with former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his Party of Regions.

Manafort and Gates became the first defendants in the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Early on October 30, they voluntarily arrived at the FBI.

According to Bloomberg, negotiations are underway to release Manafort and Gates on bail.

Investigators believe that Manafort, with the complicity of Gates, laundered more than $18 million from his offshore accounts.
By Carl Bildt





SEOUL  Could the world soon witness another devastating war on the Korean Peninsula? That question looms large in many conversations these days.

Of course, concerns about the North Korean regime's nuclear-weapons program are nothing new. The United States first tried to resolve the issue back in 1994, with the US-North Korean Agreed Framework; but that effort gradually collapsed, owing to actions taken  and not taken  on both sides. Then, in 2006, Kim Jong-il's regime detonated North Korea's first nuclear device, and put the issue squarely back on the United Nations Security Council's agenda.

In the ensuing decade, North Korea has conducted five more nuclear tests  most recently in September  and demonstrated the technological mastery needed to develop advanced thermonuclear weapons. And, under Kim Jong-un's leadership, the situation escalated further when the regime began making significant progress toward developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of reaching the US mainland. And this development coincided with the arrival of US President Donald Trump, who has promised a new approach to global affairs.

North Korea has made clear its commitment to developing a long-range nuclear-strike capacity. In the regime's view, nuclear weapons are its only insurance against attack. Without them, Kim believes, he would share the fate of others who abandoned their pursuit of nuclear arms, such as Saddam Hussein in Iraq and Muammar el-Qaddafi in Libya.

In this context, the US objective of a denuclearized North Korea disarmed of ICBMs is unachievable by diplomatic means. And, at any rate, Trump has declared diplomacy a "waste of time," and ominously warned that "only one thing will work," though he hasn't explained what that means.

Given that neither the US nor North Korea has shown any enthusiasm for talks, one could conclude that war is inevitable. Yet, for all its bellicosity, the North Korean regime is unlikely to start a full-scale military conflict, because that would surely spell its demise. At the same time, the US has no good first-strike options. Surgical strikes may sound promising, but they are hardly foolproof. As US military commanders well know, strikes that failed to eliminate all of North Korea's nuclear weapons at once could trigger a regional  or even a nuclear  war costing millions of lives.

In the US, those who argue for military action often claim that deterrence will not work against an "irrational" regime. But there is no reason to assume that Kim is bent on mass suicide. After all, when Mao's China made a dash for nuclear weapons in the 1960s, its rationale was little different from that of North Korea today, but no one doubted that deterrence would work.

Still, even assuming that deterrence  embodied in Trump's threat that the US will "totally destroy" North Korea  does work, it will not prevent a nuclear- and ICBM-armed North Korea from fundamentally altering the strategic calculus in northeast Asia. The US nuclear deterrent protects the US first and foremost. It remains to be seen if US "extended deterrence" will continue to protect American allies such as South Korea and Japan. If the US mainland becomes a potential target for a North Korean nuclear strike, then the credibility of deterrence could depend on whether the US is willing to sacrifice San Francisco to save Seoul or Tokyo.

Doubt about the US nuclear umbrella in the region could lead South Korea and Japan to decide to develop their own nuclear options. In fact, South Korea had a nuclear-weapons program long before North Korea. That program was abandoned when South Korea signed on to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1975, but restarting it has become a subject of debate in Seoul. Needless to say, further nuclear escalation on the Korean Peninsula would be very dangerous, not least because the Kim regime would feel even more threatened than it already does.

So far, the US approach to North Korea has been to tighten sanctions and outsource the problem to China. But while China does have strong economic ties to North Korea, it is unclear whether China has the clout to change the Kim regime's behavior, even if it wanted to. Success would probably require something close to regime change.

It is thus unwise to rely wholly on China. Clearly, a broader diplomatic approach is needed, and it should start by addressing a fundamental issue at the heart of the problem: namely, that no peace treaty has ever been signed to end the 1950-1953 Korean War.

A dialogue to replace the 64-year-old armistice with a formal peace agreement could pave the way for broader discussions about nuclear escalation and other threats to regional stability. And, at a minimum, it could break today's diplomatic stalemate and give the parties involved more reason to refrain from further provocations.

More broadly, a new round of diplomacy would have to address North Korea's security concerns, and provide space for the North to evolve politically and economically, as China has done over the past few decades. This may seem like a distant prospect; but if the security situation on the peninsula is resolved, it would not be out of the question.

The alternative is to continue on the current path and risk a military conflict or a full-scale war. Even if those worst-case scenarios were averted, the region would have nothing to look forward to but instability for years to come.





Carl Bildt is a former prime minister and foreign minister of Sweden. Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate.
W29 tril. dividends to be paid between 2018 and 2020



By Yoon Sung-won





Kim Ki-nam Kim Hyun-seok Koh Dong-jin

Samsung Electronics changed all three CEOs of its key businesses Tuesday, carrying out a major generational shift at the top executive level.

The electronics giant held a meeting of its board of directors and named three presidents  Kim Ki-nam, Kim Hyun-seok and Koh Dong-jin  as the new heads of its semiconductor, consumer electronics and mobile businesses, respectively.

Besides Vice Chairman Kwon Oh-hyun, who announced his imminent retirement earlier this month, Presidents Yoon Boo-keun and Shin Jong-kyun also decided to depart from their CEO positions at the consumer electronics and mobile businesses.

"We carried out the executive reshuffle as we couldn't delay it any longer with the three CEOs leaving their posts," the company said in a statement. "The three new CEOs have accumulated extensive experience in their areas and thus are well-qualified. The company expects the reshuffle will vitalize the company and help it effectively deal with the uncertain business environment."

Samsung said Yoon and Shin will leave the company in March next year, one year earlier than their given terms' end. The company also said it will continue to be run jointly by the three new CEOs without major restructuring.

Samsung Electronics President and Chief Financial Officer Lee Sang-hoon also decided to step down. Unlike Yoon and Shin, however, the company said it will appoint Lee as the chairman of the company's board of directors.

On Tuesday, the board also revealed its dividend plan for the next three years and pledged to give 9.6 trillion won ($8.56 billion) to shareholders as dividends every year from 2018 to 2020. This is double the 4.8 trillion won this year. Samsung paid 3.1 trillion won and 4 trillion won as dividends in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

In the plan, the company vowed to continue paying 50 percent of its free cash flow as dividends.

"We have focused on allowing the shareholders to better project how much dividends the company will pay," it said.

Earlier that day, the company said, "The plan to pay about 29 trillion won of dividends in the next three years as we determined that our expected performance and financial conditions will be able to handle it. Even if we have problems in business between 2018 and 2020 and have insufficient free cash flow, we will still pay the promised dividends."

Samsung said it will also buy back about 900,000 shares over the next three months as another part of its plan to boost shareholder value. Earlier in January, the company said it would repurchase its treasury stocks worth 9.3 trillion won throughout this year.

Tuesday's meeting of the board of directors also confirmed its earnings results in the third quarter.

In its regulatory filing, the company posted a record operating profit of 14.53 trillion won, up 179 percent from the previous year, boosted by a strong performance in the chip business.

The tech giant's sales reached 62.05 trillion won, up 29.7 percent from a year ago and net profit amounted to 11.1 trillion won.

Samsung attributed the record-breaking figures to the strong performance in the semiconductor sector where it also chalked up an all-time high of 9.96 trillion won in profit amid a memory chip "super cycle."

Its chip division posted an operating profit of 8.03 trillion won in the April-to-June period and 6.31 trillion won in the first quarter.

Samsung is the world's top chipmaker in both the DRAM and NAND flash memory sectors. The former is used for computers while the latter is the main "ingredient" for mobile devices such as smartphones.

The company also said its mobile business earned 3.29 trillion won thanks to soaring sales of the flagship Galaxy Note 8 smartphones and its low-budget Galaxy J phones.

Samsung said it is estimated to spend about 46.2 trillion won for investments in equipment, up from 25.5 trillion won last year. In particular, it poured 29.5 trillion won in the semiconductor sector alone, followed by 14.1 trillion won in the display sector.

"We are investing in the Pyeongtaek plant to expand manufacturing lines to meet increasing demand for V-NAND Flash memory products and to shift DRAM process," the company said. "We are also investing in expanding manufacturing capacity of 10-nano processes for the foundry business as well as in boosting production output of flexible organic light-emitting diode display panels."
Seen above is a flexible organic light-emitting-diode (OLED) display manufactured by Samsung Display. / Courtesy of Samsung Display



By Lee Min-hyung

This year marks the tenth anniversary since Samsung Display commercialized the organic light-emitting-diode (OLED) display.

Succeeding in mass-producing the world's first OLED displays in 2007, the Samsung affiliate has continued investing in the displays for smartphones.

"The OLED drive was initiated back in the early 2000s when Samsung was making group-wide efforts to find the post liquid crystal display (LCD)," a company official said.

"We identified flexible technology' as the new norm of the display industry. This was in line with the rise of the mobile market.

"To survive in the emerging industry, the flexible display was the next big thing, because it can offer more design options than LCDs."

Even if the OLED was not considered a mainstream display for smartphones in the early- to mid-2010s, the latest handset trend shows Samsung's bet on the OLED display was in the right direction.

Samsung Electronics has been one of the few smartphone manufacturers, equipping its flagship Galaxy handsets with the OLED displays. But because the OLED comes with a more competitive edge than LCDs in terms of flexibility, color accuracy and power consumption, other smartphone vendors - such as Apple or LG Electronics - have recently followed in Samsung's footsteps.

This is shown in Apple's iPhone X that comes with what it calls Super Retina OLED display. The high-end iOS device, launched this year, is the iPhone maker's first OLED smartphone.

Samsung Display is the undisputed leader in the global OLED display market for smartphones, with more than 95 percent market share. The company has made more than 1.6 billion OLED display panels over the past 10 years.

Driven by the ongoing shift to OLED, the company posted a record operating profit of 1.7 trillion won ($1.5 billion) in the second quarter.

According to market researcher IHS, OLED displays will account for 59 percent in the handset display market share next year, surpassing LCDs for the first time. In 2007, OLEDs occupied only 0.5 percent of the mobile phone display share across the globe.

In particular, the market tracker estimated the flexible OLED market will be worth $20.98 billion in 2010, twice as much as this year.
Fusetools CEO and co-founder Anders Lassen speaks during an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul, Oct. 23. / Courtesy of Fusetools Korea



Fusetools CEO stresses education with easy tools



By Yoon Sung-won



As the Fourth Industrial Revolution encroaches on all, everyone is talking about new technologies such as artificial intelligence, the internet of things, big data and cloud computing like they are so natural.



But such technologies are too complicated a concept for most non-technical people to understand.



Norwegian mobile software firm Fusetools CEO and co-founder Anders Lassen stressed the importance of bridging the gap between highly complicated technologies and the general public.



"Don't rush to teach young kids complicated programming languages like Java," Lassen said during a recent interview with The Korea Times in Seoul. "We should make software development available even to young students because learning programming early can be a catalyst for other intellectual advancement. Also, teachers should have basic programming understanding because it is going to be essential in strengthening students' understanding in general not just for computer science but also for all types of disciplines."



Established in Norway in 2011, Fusetools is providing its namesake mobile application development platform "Fuse." Because it allows software developers to build apps that support multiple mobile operating systems including Google Android and Apple iOS, it is called a "cross-platform app development tool."



Without a cross-platform app development tool, companies need to hire experts who understand programming for both operating systems, which cost significant time and money, Lassen said.



"We are trying to build a middle ground where you don't need to rely on the expensive experts but you can still build very high quality apps," he said. "Fuse can be used anywhere from mobilizing enterprises down to students. Because it has an easy beginner's user interface, it opens the door even for non-technical students, teachers or people who aren't necessarily going to end up being app developers. It is still very useful for them to have some basic knowledge about how mobile technology works because it's going to be so important going forward."



Under Norway's advanced education system, Lassen started programming at the age of 12 as a hobby when he was a young boy who wanted to build video games.



"Programming with easy tools such as Visual Basic was very inspiring and opened my eyes in the early stages to make me think I could actually make computers do useful things," he said. "But 20 years later, it has become much harder to make apps today. That's maybe the main reason why we wanted to make very easy-to-run and very visually-oriented apps so that you can actually see and understand what's happening on the screen."



Fusetools chose Korea as one of two destinations to establish its first overseas branches alongside the United States. Lassen said it was a natural choice to get into the Asian market in general.



"We have seen Korea as a very high-tech country, obviously because Samsung is here along with a lot of good technology companies," he said. "Korea is also very open-minded to new technology. Fuse is radically different tool from the ones that people have used to build mobile apps. So we found Korea to be a very good place to start."



Lassen said the company is closely working with Korean IT enterprises such as Samsung and Naver to run Fuse for their mobile enterprise innovations. Besides the business sector, the company is also expanding partnerships with universities here.



Fusetools is providing its cross-platform app development tool as education material for the curriculum at Seoul National, Konyang and Gyeongsang National universities this year and is planning to provide it to six more academic institutions, according to the company.
GM Korea CEO Kaher Kazem swears in as a witness during a National Assembly audit of the Korea Development Bank, Monday. / Yonhap



US carmaker under fire for dubious strategy'

By Park Jae-hyuk

Growing concerns over an abrupt withdrawal of General Motors (GM) from Korea have been used as a diplomatic tool by the United Sates which is seeking an advantage in renegotiations of a free trade agreement with Korea, an expert in the auto industry told The Korea Times, Friday.

Automotive engineering professor Kim Phil-soo at Daelim University said the U.S. carmaker appears to be spreading the rumor to press the Korean government to ease regulations on emission and safety.

"GM will not leave Korea soon," he said. "Even if it decides to exit here, it will take at least five years."

U.S. automotive companies have continued to demand the Korean government ease regulations.

This is because they must conduct additional developments to export their cars to Korea.

When GM's Damas and Labo failed to meet local standards in 2013, the company threatened the government by suspending the production of the cars.

The government postponed the implementation of regulation to 2020 at that time.

The professor regarded GM Korea's dubious attitude these days as another threat to the government.

GM Korea CEO Kaher Kazem, who led the restructuring of GM India, avoided answering the question about the carmaker's withdrawal asked by Rep. Ji Sang-wuk of the minor opposition Bareun Party at a National Assembly audit this week.

The chief executive just repeatedly said his company's executives and employees were doing their best to normalize operations and to develop a sustainable business model in the country.

GM Korea has suffered nearly 2 trillion won ($1.7 billion won) in accumulated losses over the past three years.

Its headquarters have recently halted production in Australia, Europe, Indonesia, Thailand, Russia and India.

Kim expects GM will threat the government by closing or selling its factory in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, instead of completely leaving the Korean market, one of the company's largest production bases around the world.

"GM will likely dispose of the factory around the middle of November, after the National Assembly audit and the Korea-U.S. summit," he said. "Fostering Shanghai GM, it will seek for efficiency in the Asian market."

The factory, which has produced the Chevrolet Cruze and Orlando, is one GM Korea's main manufacturing plants along with its Bupyeong factory in Incheon and Changwon factory in South Gyeongsang Province.

However, hundreds of irregular workers at Gusan factory recently lost their jobs, amid the factory's low rate of operation. The expected closure of the factory will deal a severe blow to the city, which has already suffered from shutdown of a shipyard by Hyundai Heavy Industries.

Although the government ordered a state-run research institute to establish countermeasures, Kim said the government will not be able to take any because the Korea Development Bank (KDB) lost veto control of the company this month.

The KDB, which is the second-largest shareholder of GM Korea with a 17.02 percent stake, said its right to veto the top shareholder's decisions expired Oct. 16. GM head office holds a 76.69 percent share of the Incheon-based automaker.

The 15-year-old veto right had been an instrument to discourage drastic measures by GM's head office. Without the KDB's veto right, however, GM has no legal restraints in coming up with any steps.
Hanon Systems CEO Lee In-young, left, poses with Chongqing Jianshe Mechanical and Electrical Equipment Chairman Li Hua Guang, center, and Chongqing Jianshe Motorcycle Chairman Lu Hong Xian during a joint venture signing ceremony held in Beijing, Oct. 25. / Courtesy of Hanon Systems



By Jhoo Dong-chan

Hanon Systems has established a joint venture with China South Industries Group Corp. (CSGC), to enter the world's largest automobile market.

Korea's largest manufacturer of air-conditioning and heating systems for vehicles said Sunday it signed a joint venture deal with CSGC's two affiliates _ Chongqing Jianshe Motorcycle and Chongqing Jianshe Mechanical and Electrical Equipment _ last week.

Hanon Systems invested a total of 72.5 billion won ($64.1 million) to have a 50 percent share in the joint venture, while Chongqing Jianshe Motorcycle and Chongqing Jianshe Mechanical and Electrical Equipment have a 25.36 percent and 24.64 percent share, respectively.

Hanon Systems said the firm will be established by the end of this year if approved by the Chinese government.

Under the jont venture, Hanon Systems is expected to supply not only its air conditioning but also eco-friendly auto parts products in China. The firm's top-notch auto compressor products will also be produced at the Chongqing Jianshe production plant, which is scheduled to be completed in 2019.

A Hanon Systems official said it will also sell the firm's eco-friendly Heat Pump System while investing to introduce heating ventilation and air conditioning as well as powertrain cooling products through the joint venture.

"The deal is monumental considering the deteriorated market environment in China," said a Hanon Systems official.

"Still, the Chinese market is an attractive one that shouldn't be overlooked. The joint venture will be Hanon Systems' future growth engine."

CSGC is China's state firm that operates various businesses including automobile, energy and construction equipment affiliates. The group employs 240,000 employees while marking 80 trillion won in annual sales, making it one of the world's top 500 companies in size.

The group's affiliate Changan Automobile is also one of China's largest automakers that annually produces 2.5 million cars. It also has joint ventures with global carmakers like Ford, Mazda and Suzuki.

Employing about 16,500 workers at its four R&D centers and 40 manufacturing sites in 19 countries around the world, Hanon Systems has maintained the No. 2 place in the global vehicle air conditioning industry next to Japanese powerhouse Denso. It recorded 5.7 trillion won in sales and 423 billion won in operating profit last year.

In the second quarter of this year, the company earned 1.37 trillion won in sales, down 7.9 percent from the previous year. But its operating profit rose 8.1 percent to 103 billion won, thanks to soaring sales of air-conditioning systems and other auto parts for electric and energy-efficient cars.

Hanon Systems, formerly known as Halla Visteon Climate Control Corp. is controlled by Hahn and Company, a private equity fund, which holds a 50.5 percent stake. Hankook Tire also holds a 19.49 percent stake, with the remaining shares being floated on the main KOSPI market.

In December 2014, the two domestic companies acquired their stakes from Visteon for 4 trillion won.
President Xi Jinping emerged more powerful than ever from the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which drew to a close on Tuesday in Beijing.



By Shi Jiangtao





President Xi Jinping was elevated to the status of late paramount leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping, securing an almost unchallengeable dominance over the Communist Party, which ended its week-long gathering on Tuesday with a newly elected Central Committee, the party's elite decision-making body.

At the closing session in Beijing's cavernous Great Hall of the People, Xi declared that his governing philosophy, officially titled "Xi Jinping thought on Socialism with Chinese characteristic for a new era", had been added to the party constitution.

The widely expected move cements Xi's rapid rise over the past five years as China's most powerful man in decades as more than 2,300 carefully vetted delegates from around the country approved an amended party constitution carrying the name of the country's new "core" leader.

The elevation of several of Xi's proteges to the powerful Central Committee, which has 204 full members and 172 alternative members  the latter do not have voting rights  coincided with the departure of his key ally and anti-graft tsar Wang Qishan and China's vice-president Li Yuanchao from the top leadership.

The absence of Wang, 69, a Politburo Standing Committee member and head of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), from the full list of Central Committee members released by Xinhua confirmed an earlier report by the South China Morning Post.

Li Yuanchao, who at 66 is still below the official retirement age of 68, was also missing from the list, effectively meaning that he too will be stepping down from the Politburo.

Delegates also cast their votes behind closed doors to decide the 133 members of the CCDI. Zhao Leji, the party's personnel chief, was named among them in a move that the Post said in an earlier exclusive report could pave the way for him to take the reins of the anti-graft agency after the congress.

Among the new members of the Central Committee are a large number of China's new generation of politicians, several of whom are expected to emerge as contenders for the country's top leadership roles in the future.

The country's two leading bureaucrats on Hong Kong affairs  Zhang Xiaoming, the new director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, and Wang Zhiming, director of the central government's liaison office in Hong Kong  were among those to be voted on to the Central Committee.

The revamped group will meet for the first time on Wednesday when it will decide the make-up of the Politburo and its standing committee  the party's innermost circle of power  and, in doing so, bring to an end months of behind-the-scenes power struggles and horse trading that are the trademarks of China's twice-a-decade leadership reshuffles.

In a closing statement, delegates also hailed Xi's opening address to the party congress which declared that China's socialism building had entered a new era as a "guiding Marxist document" in a world of grim challenges threatening the survival of the one-party rule.

Under Xi's leadership, it said China had "solved many tough problems that were long on the agenda but never solved, accomplished many things that were wanted but never got done, and prompted historic shifts in the causes of the party and the country".












This image provided by the Warren Commission is an overhead view of President John F. Kennedy's car in Dallas motorcade on Nov. 22, 1963, and was the commission's Exhibit No. 698. Special agent Clinton J. Hill is shown riding atop the rear of the limousine. / AP-Yonhap







Lee Harvey Oswald / AP-Yonhap

By Bahk Eun-ji

U.S. President Donald Trump said he will release classified government documents about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy today.

The U.S. Congress mandated the public release of the documents, including FBI and CIA files, by Thursday.

Trump has not made clear whether he will allow the full release of the documents or block certain files from publication, which he can do if he believes they could harm U.S. intelligence, law enforcement, the military or U.S. foreign relations.

Whatever details are released, they are not expected to answer the major question of whether anyone other than Lee Harvey Oswald was involved in the assassination, including the government, according to AP reports.

Historians who have studied the assassination are expected to comb the documents for details, particularly on the six days Oswald spent in Mexico City just before the killing in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. Oswald said he was visiting the Cuban and Soviet Union embassies to get visas, but much about his time there remains unknown.

"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," CNN quoted a White House official as saying.
Protesters shouts slogans during a rally outside the Catalan Parliament, in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, Oct. 27, 2017. Catalonia's parliament on Friday will resume debating its response to the Spanish government's plans to strip away its regional powers to halt it pushing toward independence. / AP-Yonhap



Catalonia's parliament voted Friday to declare independence from Spain and proclaim a republic, just as Madrid is poised to impose direct rule on the semi-autonomous region to stop it in its tracks.

A motion declaring independence was approved with 70 votes in favor, 10 against and two abstentions, with Catalan opposition MPs walking out of the 135-seat chamber before the vote in protest at a declaration unlikely to be given official recognition by Madrid and abroad.

Thousands of people who have gathered outside Catalonia's parliament building in support of the region's independence bid cheered and danced after the parliament passed a motion saying it wanted to establish an independent Catalan Republic.

The crowds had watched the voting process and the counting live on big screens.

Regional President Carles Puigdemont and Vice President Oriol Junqueras exchanged congratulatory embraces and handshakes after the vote, which saw 70 out of 135 votes in favor of independence, 10 against and 2 blank ballots. Most opposition lawmakers had left the chamber in protest moments before the vote.

The two leaders were among the members of the regional government who cast votes in the parliamentary chamber Friday.



Spanish PM calls for calm'



Spain's prime minister has urged all citizens to remain calm after Catalonia's parliament approved a motion declaring the wealthy region a republic independent from Spain.

Mariano Rajoy made the appeal in a tweet Friday, minutes after the regional parliament, which has 135 seats, voted in a secret ballot that opposition Catalan lawmakers boycotted. The motion was passed in a 70-10 vote with two blank ballots.

Rajoy said: ''I call on all Spaniards to remain calm. The rule of law will restore legality to Catalonia.''

Rajoy's tweet came as the Spanish Senate in Madrid prepared to approve government proposals to take direct control of region Catalonia. A majority of senators were expected to give Rajoy the go-ahead to apply unprecedented measures including sacking Catalan regional President Carles Puigdemont and his cabinet. (AP, AFP)
Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas ten times in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as wounded in action, the press service of the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) headquarters has reported.

"The situation in the ATO area ended without significant changes over the past day. In the evening, Russian-backed groups somewhat reduced the intensity of shelling our positions, but there was no complete observance of the ceasefire regime along the disengagement line ... The invaders violated the ceasefire regime ten times over the past day. The ATO forces used infantry weapons seven times to defeat the enemy," the ATO staff said on Facebook on Tuesday morning.

In the Donetsk sector, the militants used anti-tank grenade launchers against the Ukrainian fortified positions near the town of Avdiyivka and the village of Pisky at the end of the day," the report says.

"In the Mariupol sector, at about 21:00 Kyiv time, the enemy started firing a heavy machine gun near the village of Starohnativka. The Ukrainian military fired back and stopped the provocation. Unfortunately, one Ukrainian soldier was wounded in that fighting. Now he is in a hospital, his state of health is satisfactory.

The Russian-backed mercenaries launched six 120mm mines on the Ukrainian positions near the village of Triokhizbenka, which is in the Luhansk sector.
Paul Manafort, the arrested campaign manager for U.S. President Donald Trump, is involved in two investigations being conducted by Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO), head of the PGO's department for special investigations Serhiy Horbatiuk has said.

Horbatiuk said money laundering charges involving payments during disgraced ex-President Viktor Yanukovych's tenure are being studied by the PGO.

"The first investigation involves payments by Ukraine's Justice Ministry to an American law firm on the "Tymoshenko versus Ukraine" case and Tymoshenko's unlawful arrest. The second concerns the so-called 'black ledger' [of payments from Yanukovych's Party of Regions to Manafort]," Horbatiuk said during an interview with Hromadske Radio.

According to Horbatiuk, Ukraine's PGO two years ago requested permission from the U.S. Department of Justice to interview Manafort about the payments and how the money was used. Horbatiuk said Ukraine's PGO has still not received an answer from their American colleagues.

Manafort and his colleague Ricky Gates on October 30, 2017 were accused by U.S. Special Prosecutor Robert Meuller of money laundering, tax evasion and other charges. The "conspiracy against the U.S." was allegedly carried out with the cooperation of Yanukovych and his Party of Regions.

Manafort and Gates became the first persons charged in Mueller's investigation of possible cooperation between Trump's election campaign and Russia during 2016. Both men surrendered to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Manafort and Gates are accused of laundering more than $18 million through offshore accounts.
An adviser to the Ukrainian interior minister, People's Front MP Anton Gerashchenko, has said that the murder of Amina Okuyeva, a doctor and lieutenant of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, is linked to an assassination attempt on her and her husband, Adam Osmayev, in June this year and thinks that those who ordered the killing are in Russia.

"Obviously, the trouble came from the territory of the Russian Federation. One killer from Russia arrived in June this year and tried to shoot Adam and Amina, but... he was detained. He is in jail, he faces trial and life imprisonment.... Those who sent the killer in June did the same now," Gerashchenko said live on the 112 Ukraine television channel on Tuesday.

According to him, there are two main scenarios behind the murder.

"These are the actions of the Russian special services, the killing aimed at destabilizing the socio-political situation and creating an atmosphere of terror and horror in Ukraine. The second scenario concerns the actions of individuals who are on the territory of the Chechen Republic. This is revenge on Adam for going against [Ichkeria President] Ramzan Kadyrov and his entourage. Any other versions will also be considered," he said.

Gerashchenko said that according to investigators, there were two killers.

"Apparently, there were two terrorists. One was waiting at a turn from the Odesa highway and gave a signal to the second one who was sitting in the bushes with weapons... I am sure that we will find them too. We will detain them and they will also spend their entire lives in prison," he said.

As earlier reported, Okuyeva, a volunteer soldier who fought Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine, was killed and her husband, Adam Osmayev, was wounded. Their car came under fire at a railway crossing near the village of Hlevakha in Kyiv region late on October 30.
A Scott County judge has approved waiving 13-year-old Charles Wilson III to Iowa District Court as a youthful offender.

Wilson is charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree theft, and eluding police while committing a felony. Davenport police said they were called to the 1100 block of W. 13th street on Sunday, Oct. 8 for a shots fired call. When they got there, a group of juveniles said they had been robbed and shot at.

The criminal complaint accuses Wilson of driving a Kia Optima which had been reported stolen out of northwest Davenport on Oct. 7th. The complaints said Wilson and his co-defendants approached the victims and told them to empty their pockets or they would "pop them." The complaint said the victim saw Wilson holding a handgun.

The victims said after they emptied their pockets Wilson and the other two boys drove off and the victims ran away. As they ran, they told police they heard two gunshots. The complaint said witnesses also heard two gunshots.

The criminal complaint said Wilson then led Davenport officers on a high-speed chase through several neighborhoods before officers were able to stop the car. The police said Wilson reached speeds of 60 to 70 miles per hour.

As a youthful offender, Wilson will be tried as an adult but will be sentenced in juvenile court if convicted. During the waiver hearing, Juvenile Court Officer Jason Anderson testified he had been working with Wilson since late 2016. Anderson said Wilson had little success outside of being held in juvenile detention. Anderson said Wilson had run away from a program at the Annie Wittenmeyer Center and also did not attend school at the Keystone Academy. Anderson said Wilson had also cut off a GPS monitor he had worn while under enhanced home detention.

Anderson testified Wilson continued to commit crimes and was escalating the severity of the crimes he was committing. Anderson said Wilson was also facing charges in Rock Island County Juvenile Court.

The judge told Wilson he faced a minimum of 17.5 years in prison if convicted of the robbery charge. She explained to Wilson that if he were convicted and sentenced to the Iowa State Training School for Boys, but continued to misbehave, that he could be re-sentenced by the District Court, which would likely force him to serve time in prison.

Wilson asked the judge if her ruling meant he would be locked up until he was 18. The judge said no, but reminded Wilson that he was facing being locked up well into his 20's.

Wilson is being held in detention on $25,000 bond. Wilson's co-defendants who are brothers have a hearing in juvenile court scheduled in December. Scott County Juvenile Prosecutor Dion Trowers said he did not plan on filing youthful offender waivers for the brothers at this time.
The Kyiv District Administrative Court has opened the proceedings on the suit of the former head of Odesa regional administration, leader of the New Forces Movement party Mikheil Saakashvili.

The plaintiff asks the court to recognize actions as illegal of the Main Directorate of the State Migration Service of Ukraine in Lviv region and acting head of the Main Directorate of the State Migration Service of Ukraine in Lviv region Ivanna Ivanochko on writing and sending the letter to Saakashvili signed by Ivanochko dated September 29, 2017, the press service of the District Administrative Court reported on Tuesday.

The court session will be held on November 30.

Earlier, the State Migration Service of Ukraine said that Saakashvili ignored the issue of regulating his legal status in Ukraine.

"This gives reasoned grounds for the competent authorities to carry out procedural measures regarding his extradition from Ukraine exclusively within the framework of the current legislation," the service reported.

The State Migration Service said that Saakashvili was refused in considering the motion for additional defense because the letter was filed with violations, in particular, because of the violation of paragraph 8 of Part of Article 1 (application of an unspecified sample) and Part 1 of Article 7 (the application is filed personally or through a legal representative) of the Law of Ukraine "On refugees and persons in need of additional or temporary protection."

The Main Directorate of the State Migration Service of Ukraine explained that on September 11, 2017 at 09:00 a group of four people came into the office of the Main Directorate of the State Migration Service of Ukraine in Lviv region. They did not demonstrate any identity documents and left a corresponding application for additional protection on behalf of Saakashvili. A copy of the passport of a citizen of Ukraine was attached to the application.

Later the leader of the New Forces Movement Mikheil Saakashvili, who was deprived of Ukrainian citizenship, said that he did not receive a refusal from the State Migration Service to grant him political asylum. As evidence, the politician showed a letter on the letterhead of the Main Directorate of the State Migration Service of Ukraine in Lviv region, signed by Ivanochko. According to lawyer Olha Fedyshina, the letter, dated September 29, was received by the politician by mail only on October 20.
Ex-head of Ukraine's State Management Office and ex-chief of Ukraine's national joint-stock company Naftogaz Ukraine Ihor Bakai has been arrested, the Kyiv-based Ukrayinska Pravda online edition has reported, citing its own sources.

According to the article, Bakai was arrested for embezzlement.

The edition also cites 1plus1 TV channel, which reports Bakai was arrested along with his assistant and bookkeeper, both of whom were released on October 31 after arraignment. Bakai remains behind bars, according to the article.

According to 1plus1 TV channel, more than ten persons have complained of being bilked out of money by Bakai, including Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, who reportedly lent Bakai 9 million dollars.

Bakai ran Ukraine's State Management office from October 2003 through December 2004. He fled Ukraine during the 2004 presidential election. In March 2005 he received a Russian passport and, according to Bakai, a job in Russian state structures.

In March 2010, Kyiv's Pechersky District Court closed all criminal cases involving Bakai when he was in charge of Ukraine's State Management Office.
UNGA vote on human rights resolution in occupied Crimea can take place in 2-3 weeks, Russia won't block it

Voting on the Ukrainian draft resolution of the UN General Assembly on human rights violations in the occupied Crimea may take place in the coming weeks and Russia has no way to block it, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin has said.

"Russia can not block the resolution of the General Assembly," the foreign minister said at a briefing in Kyiv on Tuesday.

He did not rule out that the UNGA vote on this resolution could be held already in November this year.

"We are now setting the voting date: it will be in November, possibly in two or three weeks," Klimkin said.

Earlier at the briefing, he said that Ukraine is submitting on Tuesday a resolution "Regulations on Human Rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol" for consideration by the Third UN Committee. Klimkin added that Ukraine in its draft resolution pointed to the need for Russia to implement the decision of the UN court, including the restoration of the activities of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people.

The Ukrainian foreign minister also said that the draft resolution proposed by Kyiv underscore the need to provide access for humanitarian organizations to the territory of Crimea occupied by Russia. According to the Ukrainian minister, this resolution should become the basis for further de-occupation of the peninsula.
Medical reform, without directly regulating the market of medicines, could, however, change the demand for certain drugs, Natalia Serhienko, the Executive Director of the European Business Association (EBA) Health Care Committee, has stated.

"After the entry into force of the law adopted, Ukraine's Ministry of Health will have to approve the list of services and medicines guaranteed by the state. In case of a patient's illness, it is expected that if the drug is included in the list of guaranteed medicines, it will be provided free of charge to the patient. Of course, this will stimulate the patient to get the medicine free of charge from the state and use it in his treatment. Accordingly, the approval and application in practice of the guaranteed package of drugs might increase the demand for such medicines if they are prescribed by doctors," she told Interfax-Ukraine.

At the same time, Serhienko stressed the importance of defining approaches to the formation of a guaranteed package of medicines, "whether it will be drafted taking into account international protocols."

"Of course, it is advisable to apply the best standards when choosing medicines for including in the list, which will be 100% compensated to patients at the expense of the state," she said.

The expert also noted that "in the context of a struggle for the patient, doctors who can prescribe more effective treatment, who will apply international standards in the treatment of their patients, will be more in demand among patients and thus have the best results."
PRESS RELEASE

Duterte: We Must Talk to Kim Jong-un

Oct. 30, 2017 (EIRNS)In a press conference yesterday before leaving for Japan, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on the North Korean crisis:

"We are worried, all of us, that you know, Murphys Law: If anything can go wrong, it will go wrong. A nuclear war is totally unacceptable to everybody."

Duterte said that Kim Jong-un must be assured that his country will not be attacked:

"You must remember that he is a leader of his people. So, if somebody could just reach out, talk to him and say, My friend, why dont you just join me in the table and well just talk about these things? Nobodys talking to him."

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana reiterated the point in a separate press conference. "We hope sanctions will work. But they are not working," he said,

"but only strengthening the leader Kim Jong-un, who feeds on the fear of being invaded, rallies his people to defend against an invasion. The major playersthe U.S., China and Russianeed another approach, to reach out to North Korea."

On U.S. President Donald Trumps upcoming visit to the Philippines for the ASEAN Summit, Duterte said:
PRESS RELEASE

Mueller Shoots, Media Have Orgasm, But Charges Again Implicate London

Oct. 30, 2017 (EIRNS)On Monday, Robert Mueller fired his first salvo. He indicted Paul Manafort and his aide, Richard Gates, for Tax and Money Laundering conspiracies and reporting violations under both the Foreign Agents Registration Act and the Foreign Bank Account Reporting Act, false statements under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and false statements. All of the indictment counts involve the proceeds of Manaforts lobbying activities on behalf of the government of Ukraine which was overthrown by the British and the Obama Administration in a coup led by neo-Nazis in 2014. At the same time, in order to avoid the charge that the Manafort/Gates indictment has nothing to do with Muellers mandate, to investigate alleged Russian collusion in the 2016 election, Mueller unsealed the plea agreement of George Papadopoulos, a short-time foreign policy advisor to the Trump campaign. Various leaked statements from Trumps associates indicate that that Papadopoulos was considered poison by the campaign. The Manafort indictment does not mention the campaign. Papadopoulos pled guilty on October 5, 2017 to making false statements to the FBI about his efforts to set up meetings between the Trump campaign and Russiameetings which never occurred. Papadopoulos bears a distinctly London pedigree, pointing once again at British meddling in the U.S. electionsspecifically British and allied intelligence infiltrations of the Trump campaignas a primary target for serious investigators.

Muellers shot and the accompanying media frenzy occurred as the House Intelligence Committee secured the bank records of Fusion GPS, the firm which hired MI6s Orbis Intelligence and Christopher Steele to peddle trash for cash on behalf of the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee. The dirty dossier, as Steeles work product is called, peddled the lie that Trump was a Manchurian candidate completely controlled by Putin as a result of sexual deviancies. At the same time, the FBI will turn over its Christopher Steele file this week to the House Intelligence Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee which have been exploring the collusion of the British, the Clintons, the Obama Administration, and the FBI in attempting to first wreck Donald Trumps political campaign and then his Presidency. In short, the coup was beginning to implode on the eve of Trumps potentially world historic trip to China and action was needed. It came in the form of really old, corrupted news presented as new and shocking by both Robert Mueller and his band of media groupies.

The Ukraine money laundering charges against Manafort first surfaced back in July and August of 2016 and are believed to originate in opposition research conducted for Clintons campaign involving Ukrainian intelligence agencies and other official NATO channels. The British began pushing for Donald Trumps head in 2015 based on his perceived desire for friendly relations with Russia. Manafort ended up on the wrong side of the 2014 British/American neo-Nazi coup against Viktor Yanukovych and has been a marked man ever since. Mueller picked up on an FBI investigation already underway against Manafort with a grand jury already hearing evidence in the Eastern District of Virginia. Since all of Manaforts lobbying activities were conducted with Tony Podesta, brother of then Democratic Party Chairman John Podesta, Mueller has also targeted Podesta to avoid an inevitable selective prosecution motion to dismiss. Tony Podesta resigned from this lobbying firm today to fight the charges.

Mueller assigned his protege, Andrew Weissmann, to Manaforts case. Weissmann is known for multiple incidents of rabid prosecutorial misconduct during the Enron investigations and for using such tactics as fabricated indictments against family members to turn targets into willing prosecutorial witnesses. The indictment reads like a press release, leading with the charge of CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE UNITED STATES when what is at issue is whether Manafort illegally avoided taxes, laundered funds by investing them, and willfully violated the registration provisions of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Typical of the effort to pressure Manafort to lie against the President, the prosecutors sought and the magistrate agreed to $10 million in bail for Manafort and house arrest in lieu of detention, and a $5 million bail for Gates with house arrest. This is unusually punitive in a white-collar case, particularly since Manafort has known he was going to be indicted and poses no risk of flight.

The Papadopoulos charges are steeped in London connections. They are based on interviews the FBI conducted with Papadopoulos in January and February of 2017; that is, before the firing of FBI Director Comey and before Robert Mueller was appointed Special Counsel. Papadopoulos has degrees from DePaul University in Chicago, the University of London and the London School of Economics. He interned at some point at the rabidly anti-Russian, anti-China and very intelligence community connected Jamestown Foundation here in the United States. Following his advanced degrees, he was a research associate at the neo-con Hudson Institute for four years. Following his sojourn at Hudson he moved to London to work for the British company Energy Stream for four months, followed by work from November 2015 to April of 2016 as the Director of the Centre for International Energy and Natural Resource Law and Security, a division of the London Center for International Law Practice. He served as a foreign policy advisor to Ben Carson, whose foreign policy team was overseen in part by former CIA rogue Duane "Dewey" Clarridge, of Iran/Contra fame and volunteered for Trumps foreign policy team as an advisor in March of 2016.

According to the wild tale told in Papadopoulos plea agreement, bought wholesale by the news media, at the same time as he began volunteering for Trump he met a London professor named Joseph Mifsud who he represents as having deep ties to the Kremlin. Mifsud assured him that the Russians had thousands of emails of Hillary Clinton and dirt on her at which point Papadopoulos started bombarding the Trump campaign with emails about setting up an official meeting with the Russians and writing Russian officials who he claimed were on board with this. No such meeting ever occurred. The account provided however, is perfectly consistent with a British-directed entrapment campaign to ensnare Donald Trump in some sort of Russian scandal. It is also consistent with the dirty British Christopher Steele dossier. According to the plea agreement, Papadopoulos conducted his highly sensitive Russian contacts over Facebook, and shutting down his Facebook account after he met with the FBI was an effort to obstruct the FBIs investigation. His second crime, alleged false statements, involve a few days difference between when he became an advisor for the Trump campaign and how he originally described Professor Mifsud to the FBI.
Cynthia Nixon, the activist and actress who won an Emmy Award for her role as Miranda Hobbes in the hit HBO series Sex and the City, will host this years National Book Awards.

The National Book Foundation, which presents the yearly literary awards, made the announcement in a release Tuesday.

The ceremony will be held Nov. 15 at Cipriani Wall Street, an Italian restaurant in New Yorks Financial District.

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The National Book Awards, considered among most prestigious in American literature, were first given out in 1936. This years finalists were revealed earlier this month, and include Jesmyn Ward, Carmen Maria Machado, Masha Gessen and Danez Smith.

Nixon, whose long career as an actress began with an after-school special in 1979 when she was 12, is no stranger to the literary world. She has starred in film adaptations of the novels I Am the Cheese and The Pelican Brief, and recently portrayed Emily Dickinson in the 2016 movie A Quiet Passion.

She is also an activist for LGBTQ equality and breast cancer awareness. Rumors have circulated that she is considering a run for governor of New York next year; she has declined to deny her interest in a possible gubernatorial bid.

The National Book Awards have recently been hosted by celebrities from both inside and outside the literary world. Last years ceremony was hosted by comedian Larry Wilmore, and author Daniel Handler, better known by his pen name Lemony Snicket, did the honors in 2014.

The finalists for this years awards are:

FICTION

Dark at the Crossing by Elliot Ackerman (Knopf)

The Leavers by Lisa Ko (Algonquin Books)

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (Grand Central Publishing)

Her Body and Other Parties: Stories by Carmen Maria Machado (Graywolf Press)

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward (Scribner)

NONFICTION

Never Caught: The Washingtons Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar (37 Ink)

The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America by Frances FitzGerald (Simon & Schuster)

The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia by Masha Gessen (Riverhead)

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann (Doubleday)

Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Rights Stealth Plan for America by Nancy MacLean (Viking)

POETRY

Half-Light: Collected Poems 1965-2016 by Frank Bidart (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

The Book of Endings by Leslie Harrison (University of Akron Press)

Whereas by Layli Long Soldier (Graywolf Press)

In the Language of My Captor by Shane McCrae (Wesleyan University Press)

Dont Call Us Dead: Poems by Danez Smith (Graywolf Press)

YOUNG PEOPLES LITERATURE

What Girls Are Made Of by Elana K. Arnold (Carolrhoda Lab)

Far From the Tree by Robin Benway (HarperTeen)

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez (Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers)

Clayton Byrd Goes Underground by Rita Williams-Garcia (Amistad)

American Street by Ibi Zoboi (Balzer + Bray)
In a rare direct appeal to the White House, the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau wrote a letter to President Trump this week, asking him to let stand a rule that makes it easier for consumers to file class-action lawsuits against financial firms.

Congress narrowly passed legislation that would spike the rule, and the bill now goes to Trump for final approval.

The Senate voted 50 to 50 on the legislation last week, and Vice President Mike Pence broke the tie to undo the rule. The White House released a statement afterward saying the president applauded Congress for voting to rescind the rule.

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A White House official said the president plans to sign the bill Wednesday.

Nevertheless, CFPB Director Richard Cordray, an Obama appointee who some conservatives have suggested should be fired, wrote to the president Monday, making the case that Trump should veto the legislation and allow the rule to take effect.

The rule would continue to allow banks and other financial firms to use contract agreements to block consumer lawsuits and require that disputes be settled in private arbitration. But it would make a key exception: Financial firms would not be able to use those agreements to block class-action lawsuits.

Many have told me I am wasting my time writing this letter  that your mind is made up and that your advisors have already made their intentions clear, Cordray wrote. But this rule is all about protecting people who simply want to be able to take action together to right the wrongs done to them.

The CFPB and consumer advocates argue that class-action suits represent a way to hold banks accountable for wrongdoing that affects many customers, especially in cases where the harm to any individual consumer is relatively small.

In such cases, consumers might not want to go through the trouble of arbitration, and a financial institution might have little incentive to correct its actions. Wells Fargo & Co.s fake accounts scandal is often cited as a prime example.

But the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other opponents  including the U.S. Treasury Department, which last week issued a report critical of the rule  called it a giveaway for class-action attorneys, arguing that lawyers are often the biggest beneficiaries of class-action settlements.

In the letter, Cordray acknowledged that he and Trump have never met or spoken, but tried to appeal to the president by mentioning Trumps legal wranglings in the business world.

I am aware that over the course of your long career in business you often found it necessary to go to court when you thought you were treated unfairly, Cordray wrote. Of course, most Americans cannot afford to do this on their own.

He also suggested that the arguments against the rule are unfounded and that it should be clear to the president that the rule would help the average American.

I think you really dont like to see American families, including veterans and service members, get cheated out of their hard-earned money and be left helpless to fight back, he wrote. I know that some have made elaborate arguments to pretend like that is not what is happening. But you are a smart man, and I think we both know what is really happening here.

james.koren@latimes.com

Follow me: @jrkoren

UPDATES:

3:50 p.m.: This article was updated with a comment from the White House.

This article was originally published at 2:55 p.m.
If you wanted to work for Leonardo DiCaprios company Greenhour Corp. a few years ago, you would have had to sign a document crucial to the Oscar winners personal safety, well being and business.

Prospective workers were asked to consent to confidentiality agreements that not only prevented them from disclosing private information about the actor, but also a long list of offensive/inappropriate material they may be exposed to in the development of films and other projects.

Have you signed a nondisclosure agreement? Share it with us 

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Whats more, a copy of the agreement reviewed by The Times appears to demand that workers give up their rights to sue DiCaprio or Greenhour over a wide variety of claims, including harassment, invasion of privacy and infliction of emotional distress  whether or not in connection with the development of DiCaprio-related projects.

Thats just one example of the terms of Hollywood confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements, documents that aim to protect personal or corporate information and have come under the spotlight since the Harvey Weinstein scandal erupted early this month.

While such agreements were reportedly used in settlements between Weinstein and women who accused the powerful producer of sexual harassment, nondisclosure agreements also are a standard part of getting many Hollywood jobs.

The agreements, commonly referred to as NDAs, also vary widely from company to company, differing in how they define confidential information, in how much they demand workers pay for blabbing and in the degree to which they block  or purport to block  workers from taking legal action.

For instance, a years-old agreement for the production company behind business reality show Shark Tank identifies confidential information as information directly related to the show, such as the names of participants, the participants business ideas and the outcomes of episodes, according to a copy of the agreement reviewed by The Times.

The confidentiality agreement for contractors working for DiCaprio and Greenhour, on the other hand, says a much wider class of information is off limits.

Confidential information, according to that document, includes information about the actor, his family and friends, his businesses and even the existence of the contractors business and/or personal relationship with DiCaprio. The document goes on to say a long list of offensive/inappropriate material is also confidential information.

It states that contractors on a project may acquire information or material of an explicit, graphic, offensive, sexual and/or inappropriate nature, and be in situations where as part of the creative process, conversations, jokes, banter and behavior may contain explicit references to sex, gender, race, sexual orientation, violence and other protected categories.

Another provision in the agreement appears to demand that workers give up their rights to sue DiCaprio or related companies. The document requires contractors, however, to report to a supervisor if they feel harassed or threatened.

Wayne Outten, a New York employment lawyer who reviewed the language of the agreement for The Times, said that employers cannot block workers from suing.

The scope of this is just wildly overbroad and I dont believe it would be enforceable, said Outten, a cofounder of the nonprofit Workplace Fairness. Its overreaching. I cant imagine any court would enforce this.

But David Krause-Leemon, a Sherman Oaks litigator who also reviewed the language, called terms of the agreement pretty standard for Hollywood, though he also said it appears to be written in a way that would make workers believe  erroneously  they could not sue.

Its meant to discourage potential suits, he said.

A Greenhour Corp. representative declined to comment but did not dispute the authenticity of the document.

A freelance technician called the DiCaprio agreement ominous because it appeared to shield DiCaprio from lawsuits or other action stemming from inappropriate behavior.

I found it so offensive that I turned down the job and did not sign the agreement, said the technician, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because, like many in Hollywood, he fears he would lose employment opportunities if he spoke out. Im very much against NDAs. Theyve gotten increasingly oppressive.

Another document reviewed by The Times, from Beverly Hills United Talent Agency, also warns that workers may be confronted with conduct and speech that openly and explicitly relates to sex. That document, though, does not suggest that workers cannot take legal action.

Outten said that kind of disclaimer could be a reaction to a 1999 sexual harassment lawsuit filed against Warner Bros. Television by a former writers assistant on the sitcom Friends. The assistant alleged that the Friends writers room was filled with coarse and graphic sexual banter.

The California Supreme Court ultimately dismissed the case, finding that the behavior at issue could reasonably be found in a creative workplace for a show that sometimes explored sexual themes.

Outten said the kind of disclaimer United Talent Agency asks workers to sign could protect the agency from similar lawsuits, though workers could still try to sue if they feel theyve been harassed or discriminated against. The agency document also tells employees they should feel free to report harassment or other concerns internally and that there will be no retaliation for doing so.

Still, a former agency worker said she felt the disclaimer would make it pointless to sue or complain.

Reading it, as a woman, I can see how it would be a disincentive for me to report any kind of sexual harassment, said the former employee, who said she has not been the victim of harassment at work. They could pull out this document and say, You waived your right to complain about this type of behavior.

Agency representatives declined to comment on the document. But in an email sent less than a week after the New York Times first reported harassment and assault allegations against Weinstein, agency Chief Executive Jeremy Zimmer reiterated the companys position that workers should report abusive behavior.

UTA respects and protects the boundaries of our colleagues and clients, Zimmer wrote, according to a copy of the email reviewed by The Times. If you feel uncomfortable, threatened or exposed, if a client feels that way, if a colleague does -- you are safe to come forward.

A common thread through nondisclosure agreements is the use of arbitration or other private proceedings to settle disputes.

The agreements for the Shark Tank producer and United Talent Agency demand that any disputes related to confidential information be managed in arbitration, a private system in which testimony, documents and rulings are not available to the public. DiCaprios agreement does not call for arbitration, instead demanding that any disputes be handled in court, with the court file sealed and with a protective order prohibiting the release of confidential information.

Some confidentiality agreements detail the consequences for breaking them. The agreement for DiCaprios company states that contractors must pay the actor $250,000 if they violate the deal, while the Shark Tank agreement called for a payment of $5 million, a sum the document calls the fair average compensation for any harm that could result from a breach. A spokeswoman for MGM Television, which now produces Shark Tank, declined to comment on the document.

Nondisclosure agreements are generally presented as standard documents that workers must sign as a condition of employment, though some workers protest.

The freelance technician who said he refused to sign DiCaprios agreement has balked at signing others, too. Some companies have kept him on anyway, he said, but fewer firms are willing to do that now.

When I wouldnt sign, theyd just overlook it because they know me, he said. But thats changing as they get more and more serious.

Other workers acknowledge they generally do not scrutinize the terms of nondisclosure agreements because they feel they have no choice but to sign.

A former Shark Tank worker said thats especially the case for freelance workers, who rely on referrals and may fear that refusing to sign an NDA  or reporting harassment  could damage job prospects in the future.

If I give them the impression that I could be a liability, well, now Ive got a mortgage that cant be paid, the worker said. The truth is, its a buyers market. Everyone is replaceable.

To read the article in Spanish, click here

james.koren@latimes.com

Follow me: @jrkoren

ALSO

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British police investigating 11 claims of sexual assault against Harvey Weinstein spanning decades

After NBC ousts Mark Halperin over sexual harassment claims, TV news executives wonder who is next

Alec Baldwin breaks his silence about James Toback: I never had one conversation with Jimmy about his sex life
The decision by a key House Republican to maintain the deduction for property taxes but not for other state and local taxes is a victory for California but a bigger win for residents of other states.

While California has the highest top state income tax rate in the nation, the state ranks in the bottom third by one measure for property taxes, which have been limited since voters passed Proposition 13 in 1978.

Retaining the property tax deduction is throwing us a bone but it is not enough, said California State Controller Betty Yee, a Democrat. The federal tax reform plan remains unfair to Californians.

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However, the deal to keep part of the state and local tax deduction in the Republican tax overhaul bill set to be unveiled Wednesday still would be a win for California. Republicans had planned to eliminate the deduction.

Its just not as big a victory as it is for New York, New Jersey and several other states where property taxes make up a larger share of the overall tax burden, said Jared Walczak, a senior policy analyst at the nonpartisan Tax Foundation.

California receives a substantially high benefit from the property tax deduction, he said. Its just that California receives such a disproportionate benefit of the overall state and local tax deduction that this looks more modest by comparison.

In 2014, Californians claimed $70 billion in federal deductions for state and local income taxes but only $27 billion in real estate, personal property and other taxes, according to the California Franchise Tax Board.

But the property tax portion of the state and local deduction is more of a benefit to middle-class Americans overall than the broader state and local deduction, Walczak said. Thats because the value of property doesnt increase as much as income for people who are wealthy.

Someone who earns 10 times the median income is unlikely to have a house that is 10 times the median home value, Walczak said.

U.S. households earning $500,000 or more annually claimed 7.1% of the overall value of the state and local deduction as a percentage of adjusted gross income. That percentage was only 1.1% for the property tax deduction, the Tax Foundation said.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) downplayed the effects on Californians of changes to the state and local tax deduction. Instead, he stressed the bills broader revisions in the tax code bill, including cuts in corporate and individual rates.

I believe at the end of the day, when you look at the entire tax packagepeople will see theres a savings, McCarthy told reporters on a Tuesday conference call. I think Californians win in this.

But its impossible to make those calculations until Republicans unveil the bill, which will have income levels for the new tax brackets as well as other crucial details.

The outline of the tax overhaul released in September by the White House and congressional Republican leaders proposed to eliminate the state and local tax deduction as a way of increasing federal revenue to pay for large corporate and other tax cuts.

The state and local deduction covers property taxes and either income or sales taxes. The Treasury Department estimated the deduction would reduce federal revenue by about $111 billion this year and about $1.5 trillion over the next decade.

Officials from California and other states that would be hard hit by the loss of the deduction cried foul and began lobbying to save it. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, said he has agreed to keep an itemized property tax deduction to help taxpayers with local tax burdens.

One proposal would have kept the state and local deduction but limited it to individuals with adjusted gross incomes of no more than $400,000, or $800,000 for married couples.

The main drivers of the final deal were moderate House Republicans from New York and New Jersey, who threatened to oppose the bill if the state and local deduction was not at least partially saved. While some House Republicans from California raised concerns, they apparently did not play a key role in talks to retain the deduction.

Consequently, the agreement to maintain the property tax portion of the deduction would be a greater benefit to New York, New Jersey and other states, particularly in the Northeast, where property tax rates are higher than in California.

Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) said that discussions were continuing but that only the property tax deduction was likely to be retained. Reed was among nine House Republicans from New York who held a conference call about the state and local tax deduction Monday night with White House officials.

At the end of the day, I think [retaining] the property tax deduction on the property taxes that our local taxpayers pay is where we end up, Reed said in a conference call with reporters Tuesday.

Rep. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park) said the property tax deduction was saved because of the active involvement of New York and New Jersey Republicans and questioned why the California GOP delegation didnt play a bigger role in the negotiations.

Why arent the California Republicans defending the constituents of their own district? Chu said. It would appear to me theyre placing politics before the concerns of their residents.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, also wasnt happy that a big part of the state and local tax deduction would be eliminated.

The current proposal primarily uses New York and California as the piggy bank to make it possible to cut taxes for other states, Cuomo wrote in a letter Tuesday to President Trump, appealing to him as a fellow New Yorker. There can be no elimination, no compromise, and no cap on state and local tax deductibility.

California received the largest percentage of the value of the broader state and local deduction in 2015  about 20% of the nationwide total, the Tax Foundation said.

California also received the largest benefit from the property tax deduction, but that was only about 15% of the nationwide total, the Tax Foundation said.

Digging deeper into the numbers, California ranked fourth  behind New York, New Jersey and Connecticut  for the value of the state and local tax deduction as a percentage of adjusted gross income for all state residents in 2015, the Tax foundation said.

But California was12th in the value of the property tax deduction alone as a percentage of adjusted gross income.

States that rely more heavily on property taxes do a little bit better on this than California, which of course does have limitations on property taxes but quite high state and local taxes, Walczak said.

Californias top state income tax rate of 13.3% was by far the highest in the nation last year. In comparison, the rate in New York and New Jersey was about 9%.

In an analysis this year of property taxes by personal finance website WalletHub, California tied for the 17th lowest rate. New Jersey had the highest rate.

jim.puzzanghera@latimes.com

Twitter: @JimPuzzanghera

UPDATES:

2:25 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from California State Controller Betty Yee.

1:40 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Rep. Judy Chu and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

9:45 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from Reps. Kevin McCarthy and Tom Reed.

This article originally was published at 9:20 a.m.
A high-flying drone equipped with surveillance sensors and a wingspan longer than that of a Boeing 737 will be the newest way for the U.S. Navy to monitor the seas.

The first operational MQ-4C Triton drone will be delivered by Northrop Grumman Corp. to the Navy within the next week at Point Mugu Naval Air Station near Oxnard, with a second drone to follow by the end of the year. The two drones will undergo testing at Point Mugu before being deployed to Guam next year.



For the record: A previous version of a photo caption said the first Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton drone took its first flight on Oct. 6. It was the first operational Triton drone.

The program has strong California roots  engineering and design is done in Rancho Bernardo, and the drone is assembled in Palmdale. During low-rate initial production, that line will churn out three Tritons a year.

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Eventually, the Navy will have 68 of the drones, a lucrative production cycle that analysts said will help defense giant Northrop Grumman maintain its knowledge of high-altitude, long-endurance drones and keep its Palmdale production line up and running.

The Triton contract, which also includes two developmental aircraft, is really important not only for Northrops technological expertise but also for generating revenue, said Phil Finnegan, director of corporate analysis at Teal Group, an aerospace and defense market research firm.

Total program costs for Triton were estimated at $16.8 billion as of December 2016, according to a Department of Defense report released in July. That number was an almost 17% increase from an estimate a year earlier, a jump the report attributed to modernization efforts.

Triton, together with the P-8 Poseidon jet, are intended to replace the propeller-driven P-3C Orion, which has patrolled the sea for the Navy since the early 1960s, and the EP-3E Aries II aircraft. The drone will assume the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance duties, while the P-8 Poseidon will focus on anti-submarine warfare.

The Navy has emphasized that the manned and unmanned aircraft will cooperate. In a statement, the service said Tritons endurance, which is listed at more than 24 hours, would allow it to keep constant watch over the ocean surface and augment the P-8s ability to detect surface ships and submarines.

An upgraded version of the drone with enhanced intelligence capabilities will be available by 2020, and the program is expected to enter full-rate production in 2021.

Its a 24-hour unblinking eye in the sky, said Doug Shaffer, vice president and program manager for Triton at Northrop.

Triton is part of Northrops Global Hawk family. It is produced on the same line and looks nearly identical to the high-altitude surveillance and reconnaissance drone that has been used by the U.S. Air Force in Libya, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Both drones have wingspans of 130.9 feet and a length of 47.6 feet. Their control systems are described as man on the loop, in which human operators at ground stations simply punch in waypoints and mission plans for the drone to follow. Those operators can monitor data the drones send back and instruct them to return to the base.

But there are a few key differences. Triton has been optimized for the inclement weather it could face while soaring above the oceans, with lightning protection strips on the nose and elsewhere on the aircraft, heater blankets on the edges of the wings and de-icing systems on the engine inlet.

This drone will also be able to perform a so-called dip maneuver, a Navy request that will allow the aircraft to descend through clouds from its highest altitude of about 55,000 feet to a lower level to take a closer look.

Some of the drones sensors are also specific to its mission.

On a recent weekday at Northrops Palmdale facility, the first two operational Tritons were geared up in a hangar, with one going through systems checks. A yellow covering protected the radar at the bottom of the aircraft, which can rotate 360 degrees to identify ships based on a number of factors, including length.

Just below the aircrafts nose is a ball-shaped imaging sensor that can capture images and video, even at night. Data are primarily transmitted on a wideband satellite communications link.

Analysts say Triton has benefited from the lessons Northrop learned during Global Hawks development and production, when the program was slammed for high costs and issues with flight reliability. Analysts said concerns about Global Hawks price tag have receded over the last few years as operating costs decreased with greater usage.

But there have been a few hiccups during development.

In 2013, after delays and cost overruns, the Navy ordered that work be stopped on Tritons air-to-air radar subsystem, which was intended to help the drone sense and avoid other aircraft. Shaffer said that radar has been replaced, for now, with a traffic alert and collision avoidance system, which is a transponder system thats on most standard aircraft.

Northrop plans to add the sense-and-avoid radar in a future upgrade, he said.

Last year, Bloomberg reported that the Pentagon had flagged manufacturing flaws in Tritons wings as early as 2013. Shaffer said the company worked with subcontractor Triumph Aerostructures, which builds the wing in Texas, to fix that issue.

Analysts said Tritons maritime focus gives it strong export potential, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. Already, Australia has indicated its interest in purchasing at least six aircraft, Shaffer said.

samantha.masunaga@latimes.com

Twitter: @smasunaga

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Qualcomm Inc. shares tumbled Tuesday after a report that Apple Inc. is considering dumping the companys cellular modem chips from next years versions of iPhones and iPads.

The Wall Street Journal cited two unnamed sources saying Apple was designing devices to exclude Qualcomm chips that link smartphones to cellular networks as the two tech giants fight a fierce legal battle over Qualcomms patent royalties.

The report said Apple could use Intel or possibly MediaTek as alternatives to Qualcomm in devices that probably would roll out in late 2018 based on past iPhone product cycles.

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According to analysts, Apple typically makes component supply decisions for the next iPhone version nine months or so ahead of time, though thats not always the case.

Shares of San Diego-based Qualcomm dropped 6.7% on Tuesday to $51.01.

Apple and Qualcomm are locked in a legal battle over Qualcomms patent-licensing business model.

Apple, which has stopped paying Qualcomm for use of its intellectual property during the dispute, contends that charging royalties based on a percentage of the total device price means Qualcomm gets paid for inventions it had nothing to do with.

Qualcomm counters that cellular technology  particularly high-speed wireless internet access  is what makes smartphones smart. Analysts estimate that Apple was paying roughly $10 per iPhone in royalties for use of Qualcomms cellular patent portfolio.

Qualcomm has two businesses. It sells many chips used in smartphones  including modems that link smartphones to cellular towers  and it licenses its portfolio of smartphone patents to device-makers.

Qualcomm has been supplying modem chips to Apple since 2011. It was the only supplier until last year, when Apple began using Intel modems in roughly half its iPhone 7 models.

The Wall Street Journal said Qualcomm withheld testing software from Apple for iPhone and iPad prototypes, which led Apple to begin designing devices without Qualcomm modems. Asked about that assertion, Qualcomm released a statement saying that the Qualcomm modem that could be used in the next generation iPhone has already been fully tested and released to Apple. We are committed to supporting Apples new devices consistent with our support of all others in the industry.

Stacy Rasgon, an analyst with Bernstein Research, estimated in a research note that Qualcomms modem sales to Apple range from about $1.5 billion to $2 billion a year  roughly 10% of annual revenue.

We wouldnt expect the Apple case to go to court for at least a year if not longer, he wrote. While we are unsure either party really wants to go in front of a jury we certainly dont see Apple with any real incentive to settle anytime soon, and current news-flow does not suggest a softening of feelings.

Rasgon noted that Intel modems currently dont support a 3G technology called coded-division multiple access, or CDMA, which is required by Verizon, Sprint, Chinese wireless network operators and others.

Next year, Intel is expected to support CDMA technology in its modem chips, which would open the door for Apple to exclude Qualcomm as a supplier.

Still, Qualcomms modems are faster  at least for now. Its current modems powering Samsung, Sony and other top Android smartphones can deliver peak download speeds of one gigabit per second.

Intels current LTE modem delivers peak speeds of 600 megabits per second. Analysts have suggested that Apple throttled the capabilities of Qualcomm modems in iPhone 7 models sold on Verizon and Sprint so they didnt exceed the speeds of Intel-powered iPhone 7s sold on AT&T and T-Mobile and in Europe.

Dropping Qualcomm as a supplier may carry risks for Apple. In an interview in August, Canaccord Genuity analyst Mike Walkley said Qualcomm has been working on next-generation 5G technology for a decade. Intel and other competitors also are working on 5G, but Walkley noted that when 4G first rolled out in 2010, Qualcomm was the only company producing working 4G modems. It took four years for competitors to catch up.

Qualcomm expects its 5G chips  which aim to deliver speeds of 5 gigabits per second  to be ready for smartphones in 2019. It recently completed lab tests on its first miniaturized 5G cellular modem using millimeter wave airwaves.

Apple needs Qualcomm when 5G comes, Walkley said. 5G is going to be even more complicated than 4G.

Freeman writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

mike.freeman@sduniontribune.com

UPDATES:

1:30 p.m.: This article was updated with Qualcomm shares closing price.

This article was originally published at 11:10 a.m.
Moscow-Turkey flight lands in Odesa after suspected bomb found on board - police

A Turkish airline carrier's Airbus A320, en route from Domodedovo Airport in Moscow to a Turkish airport, made an emergency landing in Odesa International Airport on Tuesday evening.

The Turkish crew made an emergency landing following the discovery of a suspected explosive device on board, Ruslan Forostiak, an advisor to the chief of the Ukrainian National Police's main directorate for Odesa region, said.
Facebook Inc. says a Russian group posted more than 80,000 times on its service during and after the 2016 U.S. presidential election, potentially reaching as many as 126 million users.

The company plans to disclose these numbers to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the testimony. The person declined to be named because the committee has not officially released the testimony. Facebook, Twitter Inc. and Google, a division of Alphabet Inc., are scheduled to testify at three hearings Tuesday and Wednesday.

Twitter plans to tell the same committee that it has uncovered and shut down 2,752 accounts linked to the same group, Russias Internet Research Agency, which is known for promoting pro-Russian government positions.

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That number is nearly 14 times as large as the number of accounts Twitter handed over to congressional committees three weeks ago, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly about the new findings before Tuesdays hearing.

Colin Stretch, Facebooks general counsel, plans to tell the Judiciary Committee panel that 120 pages set up by Russias Internet Research Agency posted the material from January 2015 to August 2017. Facebook estimates that roughly 29 million people were directly served these items in their news feeds from the agency over that time period.

Some of those people received the posts because they liked one of the agencys pages, or because a Facebook friend liked or commented on a post. Others shared the Russia-linked posts, helping them spread widely.

U.S. intelligence agencies said in January that the Internet Research Agency probably was financed by a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin with ties to Russian intelligence.

Stretchs prepared testimony makes clear that many of the 126 million people reached this way may not have seen the posts. People may not have logged in when it was available, or they may have looked past it. The company says the total number of agency posts accounted for less than 1 of every 23,000 posts on Facebook.

These organic posts that appeared in users news feeds are distinct from more than 3,000 advertisements linked to the agency that Facebook has already turned over to congressional committees. The ads  many of which focused on divisive social issues  pointed people to the agencys pages, where they could then like or share its material.

In the testimony, Stretch says that the discovery of Russian interference has opened a new battleground for our company, our industry and our society, and that Facebook is determined that it not happen again. What these actors did goes against everything Facebook stands for, Stretch says.

The Menlo Park, Calif., company has said it will take steps to fix the problem, with an announcement last week that it will verify political ad buyers in federal elections and build transparency tools in which all advertisers will be associated with a page. Twitter has also said it will require election-related ads for candidates to disclose who is paying for them and how they are targeted, and it announced last month that it will ban ads from RT and Sputnik, two state-sponsored Russian news outlets.

Stretch says Facebook was aware of  and reported to law enforcement  threats from actors with ties to Russia before last years election. He says that includes activity from a cluster of accounts that the company assessed belonged to a group called APT28 that has been linked to Russian military intelligence. He says the company warned the targets who were at highest risk.

In the hearings this week with the Judiciary Committee panel and the House and Senate intelligence committees, the three companies are expected to face questions about what evidence of Russian interference they found on their services  and, probably, why they didnt find it earlier. They will almost certainly do what they can to convince lawmakers that they can fix the problem on their own, without the need for regulation.

The companies have been under constant pressure from Congress since it was first revealed this year that Russians had infiltrated some of their platforms. Facebook has spent more than $8.4 million lobbying the government this year, according to federal disclosure forms.

Facebook and Twitter  though not Google  have publicly outlined steps they are taking to give the public more information about who buys and who sees political advertising on their respective sites. The moves are meant to bring the companies more in line with what is required of print and broadcast advertisers.

A bill unveiled this month would require social media companies to keep public files of election ads and require companies to make reasonable efforts to make sure that foreign individuals or entities are not buying political ads in order to influence Americans.

The issue goes far beyond ads. Fake news, fake events, propaganda and other misinformation spread far and wide on the platforms in 2016 without the need for paid advertisements. But regulating online speech would be more difficult for U.S. lawmakers.

In addition, analysts and online speech advocates have warned that policing election ads on the internet is not the same thing as doing so in print newspapers or on TV. Automated advertising platforms enable basically anyone with an online account and a credit card to place an ad with little or no oversight from the companies.

Facebook has said it is building machine learning tools to address this issue, but didnt provide details.
Maria Guinand was not exactly the ideal choice to lead the Los Angeles Master Chorales Dia de los Muertos program Sunday night at Walt Disney Concert Hall. The fantastical festivities around the Day of the Dead holiday are a distinctively Mexican mix of Aztec and Catholic customs that has not really filtered into South America. Guinand happens to be a leading figure in Venezuelan music, which has its own compelling traditions.

Plus, her being Venezuelan meant the Master Chorale required a Plan B. She is an outspoken proponent of democracy, and the political situation in her country is so fraught, there was real question about whether she would be permitted to travel.

But Guinand happened to be the best guest conductor the Master Chorale could have had while its music director, Grant Gershon, is in San Francisco, where he will conduct the world premiere of John Adams opera Girls of the Golden West in three weeks. She was a chance worth taking, whatever the risks.

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Closely associated with her countrys famed El Sistema education program since its founding, Guinand was one of Gustavo Dudamels mentors. She also directs the Schola Cantorum of Venezuela, which is the single most electrifying chorus Ive ever heard. She isnt just a great choral conductor and legendary educator, but a force of nature.

So it was hardly surprising that Guinand proved no match for the Venezuelan authorities. Of course, she got out. Of course, shes going back.

Reading a prepared statement to the audience, she announced that she had no intention of giving up the space for musical expression she had carved out in her country, nor would she compromise her goals for government support. It is not enough to target money, Guinand said. You need to have freedom and peace. I am ready to be part of a new Venezuela.

This, obviously, gave particular meaning to her program, which was divided into two parts: Death and Celebration. The music was not limited to Mexico but included a wide swath of the various styles of Latin American music  and Norway! She is best known internationally as the conductor who premiered and recorded Osvaldo Golijovs La Pasion Segun San Marco, with its fabulous blend of Afro-Cuban and Argentinian dance forms within the formal framework of a retelling of the St. Mark Gospel. That the passion became an immediate sensation was in good part due to the dance vitality of Guinands Schola Cantorum.

Death on Sundayhad reason to be proud, and to kick up its heels, in the somberly difficult but often startling four pieces in the first half, which gradually moved the Master Chorale out of its comfort zone of simply standing and singing. Guinand began with the harsh sonorities, some practically hurting the ears, of Argentine modernist Alberto Ginasteras Jeremiah lamentations, Lamentaciones de Profeta Jeremias. Rodolfo Halffter, a Spanish composer who immigrated to Mexico, viewed death more sentimentally, from the graves of Don Quixote, Dulcinea and Sancho Panza in his Tres Epitafios (Three Epitaphs)

Drums and Yoruban wailing enlivened Cuban composer Calixto Alvarezs Requiem de Osun, calling upon the deity Osun in a score originally written to mourn the death of, as the program notes describe him, a Cuban pimp, politician and racketeer. A movement from a chorus concerto by Guinand compatriot Miguel Astor enacted the political murder of a bullfighter during the Spanish Civil War as recounted in a Lorca poem. For this powerful recent piece with its contemporary political overtones, the chorus members beat their bodies. Tenor Tim Gonzalez intoned an Andalusian lament. Members of the chorus began and exited the stage making bellowing noises through their hands.

The celebration of the dead that followed was only moderately joyous, hardly grotesque, far from frivolous and essentially defiant. If Guinand had included We Shall Overcome as an encore, it wouldnt have been out of place.

The better world here glimpsed was first fairy-tale cornball in Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilos New Agey fable of a captured unicorn, Unicornis Captivatur. But with Cuban populist Leo Brouwers song of celebration, Cantico de Celebracion, Carlos Alberto Pinto Fonsecas jubilant, Afro-Brazilian Jubiaba and Cuban Guido Lopez Gavilans Soviet rumba El Guayaboso (The Liar), three sure signs of life  love, lasciviousness and larceny  extravagantly entered the picture.

In contrast, Alberto Grau, Guinands husband and the dean of Venezuelan choral music, hailed the sonorous celestial sun (of a New Venezuela?) in a textured, luminous setting of Nicaraguan poet Ruben Darios Salve al Celeste Sol Sonoro.

Finally, Diana Syrse  the young Mexican composer and recent California Institute of the Arts graduate whose new piece for the Los Angeles Philharmonic was one of the highlights of its CDMX Festival  rejected laughing at Death or Death laughing at us. Smiles do the trick.

Her smiling death, La Muerte Sonriente, had bells on its feet. (Some chorus members removed their shoes and put on tinkling ankle bracelets.) Her text conjured skulls made of white sugar and a white Death of perfected bones. The choristers took up the Aztec death whistle, ocarina and other folk instruments. Death was candy-coated in song and dance, not out of avoidance but exuberance, out of knowing that there are things worth living for and things worth dying for.

All evening, Guinand, an exacting conductor both musically and passionately, kept the Master Chorale on its toes, and thanks to Syrse, a fraction of an inch higher. Remember that name.

mark.swed@latimes.com

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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.
Alec Baldwin made two movies with James Toback  Seduced and Abandoned, the 2013 HBO documentary that followed the pair roaming the 2012 Cannes Film Festival pitching a sexually explicit update of Last Tango in Paris, and The Private Life of a Modern Woman, which premiered last month at the Venice Film Festival. Baldwin has a small role opposite Sienna Miller in the film.

But after the Los Angeles Times published a story in which 38 women alleged that director James Toback had sexually harassed them, Baldwin, who is famously outspoken on social media, remained silent. As more than 300 women contacted The Times with similar stories, while others did the same with other outlets, Baldwins only public comment on the allegations surrounding Toback came last Tuesday in a post made from the Twitter account of the ABFoundation, an arts group Baldwin runs with his wife, Hilaria.

I cheered when Gawker lost its case to Hulk. So, of course The Decider wants to tar me w the Toback brush.

Kayla Cobb, ur a dreadful writer.  HABFoundation (@ABFalecbaldwin) October 25, 2017

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The next day, The Times contacted Baldwins publicist, asking whether hed care to add any further remarks, addressing the number of women who had accused Toback of sexual misconduct. Baldwin declined comment.

But the 59-year-old actor followed up with phone call on Sunday night. The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

What did you think when you read the initial report that so many women had come forward accusing Toback of sexual misconduct?

In all the time Ive known Jimmy, I never had one conversation about his sex life, which is not unusual for me because Im not sitting down with some guy and hes saying to me, Man, you should have seen what I did last night with this girl in this hotel. I dont go there.

Id always heard Jimmy was peculiar. I remember years ago, with [the movie] The Pick-up Artist, Jimmy had this reputation 20, 25 years ago or more of hitting on [women], going up and saying provocative things to them. Id heard of that. But in my time with Jimmy, it was absolutely, positively business. We talked about Cannes, we talked about our interviews with [Bernardo] Bertolucci, [Roman] Polanski, [Martin] Scorsese and [Francis Ford] Coppola [filmed for Seduced and Abandoned]. And all we did was go around and make the movie. I never had one conversation with Jimmy about his sex life. Never. Never.

What about with this last movie with Sienna Miller?

He wanted me to shoot a film with him and Sienna and James Franco with a script he wrote. We had done the documentary for HBO a few years ago. And my wife and I had three children in three years and a month. So my growing family has put the damper on most of my socializing. My relationship [with Toback] is no different than my relationship with a lot of people. All my relationships have contracted as my family has grown.

So Jimmy says to me, Do this one scene, this cop thing with Sienna. So I go in and do this one scene  Im not going to say as a favor because I love Sienna, and it was a joy to work with her.

But now this stuff comes along with Selma Blair. She talks about how she was assaulted by him, how she felt, all these different things. Ive never known anything about that in my entire life. I never knew of anything where Jimmy assaulted or bullied or pressured. Ive never heard anything other than that Jimmy was somebody who hit on a lot of women in a very vague way.

What do you mean by vague way?

Meaning that he had an appetite for going up to women and saying salacious and provocative things to them and introducing himself with his credentials and so forth and laying that on people to seduce them. I never knew any details of what he did that was assault in nature or rape in nature or criminally actionable. Never, never, never.

And now I see stories about people that came up with me in my class of actors, like Annabella Sciorra. She was my neighbor in New York in the East 50s in the 1980s. And I find out shes telling her story about what happened with her and [Harvey] Weinstein. [Sciorra says Weinstein raped her in the early 1990s.] It is overwhelming for people to grasp the magnitude of this. Daryl Hannah. Probably half the actresses Ive ever heard of in my life have from these recent generations have come forth to talk about Harvey or this one or that one.

But Ive got a lot people coming after me because I dont come out there and attack Jimmy or make a comment about him. I dont have any information firsthand about what Im hearing. These are everybody elses secondhand assertions about what he did. And, granted, you [he is referring to the reporter] are a lightning rod and hundreds of people have contacted you. Thats the reason Im calling because I cant assume that all these people are lying. And I feel terrible.

For the initial story, there were 38 women, 31 going on the record. Thats an enormous number of women going on the record. Since then, the number is up to 325, probably more. We corroborated the stories in the initial piece. Do you 

Where we are now  I would be heartbroken if you didnt print this angle of this in its entirety  and Im not the first person to say this  but many many people are rightfully focusing on this, but there is some veneer to it of complexity because they cant get the guy they really want to get. [Donald] Trump is a sexual predator. On the record, theres all kinds of evidence that Trump has behaved this way, and hes the president of the United States and that being just one of the things that is horrifying people about Trump, his opinions, his behavior, his methodology and theres nothing you can do about that. You cannot touch him.

These people I see who are genuine victims of something that happened to them  of course any right-thinking man or woman feels horrible for them. I think were at a point now where you have writers online saying to me, Why arent you condemning Jimmy? Well, Im going to get around to that in my own way and in my own time. Just because Im not doing that in a knee-jerk way to save myself  my agent contacted me and said that theyre concerned that people who are quiet are going to lose work as a result of this. Because theyre going to find some photograph of you with [someone who has] been accused of something untoward and I just hope people proceed with this very carefully.

I dont know that Jimmy has done anything criminal. It sounds like many people are saying that he has. That he has assaulted them. If thats true, thats news to me. I never had any idea that Jimmys appetites took him in that direction. I had no idea.

Does that 300-plus number stagger you?

I guess for me, knowing Jimmy as I do  I was told years ago  you can go online and there are numerous articles about Jimmy that mention this very thing. And, yes, they did dress it up in some kind of silly way. So does it surprise me, knowing about Jimmys approach to all that? Jimmy is one of these guys whose attitude is, If I bed 10 of every 100 women I approach, then if I want to sleep with a 100 women, Ive got to ask 1,000 women. Its all very much like that. A quantitative thing. And knowing that with Jimmy, 300 doesnt surprise me.

I just want to say, I go to Cannes with my wife  and this is going to sound strange  Jimmy to me and my wife and my family, Jimmy is one of the smartest people. You separate Jimmys strangeness about his sexuality, Jimmy is one of the smartest, hes one of the cleverest. He went to Harvard, super-intellect. Jimmy is one of the greatest conversationalists in the world. My wife and I went over to Cannes with him, and we had the time of our life with him and Michael Mailer. We had a great time. We made a film. We were very happy with the film we made. We sold it to HBO when it was done.

And my trip to Cannes with Jimmy was one of the greatest times of my life. And Jimmy was a very, very dear friend. I spoke to Jimmy twice, three times a week or more. I spoke to him about other projects we would do. And then as I started to have kids, I had a little bit less time. But now you tell me this, its heartbreaking.

How do you think these stories are going to change the industry?

What will happen is, at the insistence of the actress and [also] the insistence of the artist whos going to meet with people for a job, at the insistence of the employer themselves, there will be people in the room at all times. At least for a considerable amount of time in the future, you will almost never see an unchaperoned casting session again. Ever. Everybodys going to want to have somebody in the room with them to make sure nothing questionable is going to happen.

Have you spoken to Toback since these allegations were made?

I spoke with him a couple of times. Hes obviously crushed by all of this. I did call him, and I think he understands how people are. Theres not much people can do for him now.

See the most-read stories this hour 

glenn.whipp@latimes.com

Twitter: @glennwhipp
Were all guilty of a little over-indulgence on Halloween. How could we not be? Candy companies capitalize on our gluttonous appetites, creating new and fun flavors of our favorite chocolates and sweets.

Some states, however, indulge more than most. Achievement, a research organization, investigated the calories logged on Halloween from various fitness tracker apps. They tallied up the calories logged and the calories burned through walking - racking up steps while roving the neighborhood for candy.

The team subtracted the calories burned from the calories eaten and ranked states in order of their net intake for the night. They then compared these numbers to the average calories that each states residents usually consumed.

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The state with the No. 1 spot? Florida. Im from Florida myself, and I can tell you - the trick-or-treating situation is ideal.

New York came in second place, with Arizona in third.

The states with the most restraint from Halloween candy temptations were Louisiana and New Hampshire.

This new research indicates that Florida, Oregon, and New York report the most calories consumed on Halloween compared to other states, Tom Quisel, a data scientist for Achievement, told The Daily Meal. Even though we may have the best of intentions to stay healthy and avoid temptations on Halloween, all of the candy and other high-calorie treats can add up without our realizing it.

Heres where your state ranks, from the most calories consumed to the least:

1. Florida

2. New York

3. Arizona

4. Pennsylvania

5. Wisconsin

6. Maine

7. Washington DC

8. Arizona

9. New Jersey

10. California

11. Minnesota

12. Colorado

13. Ohio

14. Minnesota

15. Virginia

16. Missouri

17. Washington

18. Illinois

19. Tennessee

20. Michigan

21. Maryland

22. Alabama

23. Arkansas

24. Nevada

25. Indiana

26. Iowa

27. Connecticut

28. Idaho

29. South Dakota

30 North Dakota

31. Kansas

32. West Virginia

33. Rhode Island

34. North Carolina

35. Hawaii

36. Wyoming

37. New Mexico

38. Oregon

39. Georgia

40. Delaware

41. Oklahoma

42. Nebraska

43. Texas

44. Vermont

45. Montana

46. Kentucky

47. South Carolina

48. Massachussetts

49. Utah

50. New Hampshire

51. Louisiana

Of course, not all candies are equally caloric - some treats are less tricky than others. While one night wont wreck your body for good, heres a visual guide to help you decide how much candy you really should be eating in a day.
In Washington and around the world, the charges filed against President Trump s former campaign manager Paul Manafort on Monday stoked questions about Russian collusion and where the independent counsels investigation would go next.

On Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, there was another question: Who sold Manafort more than $500,000 worth of clothing?

In a 31-page federal indictment filed in Washington, prosecutors alleged that the political consultant with Russian connections spent $12 million in untaxed income on a wealth of luxuries.

Among those items, prosecutors say, was $520,400 worth of clothes purchased from a Beverly Hills business identified only as Vendor H. Manafort also spent $849,215 around the same time at an unnamed mens clothing store in New York, according to the indictment.

(Los Angeles Times )

Who is Vendor H? A page from Paul Manaforts indictment. (U.S. Justice Department)

In Beverly Hills ultra-luxury shopping district, its easy to get sticker shock. Still, some merchants expressed disbelief that someone could spend that kind of money on clothes in a four-year period.

And despite Manaforts high name recognition, it was not exactly the endorsement anyone was looking for.

To be honest, I stay away from politics, said Violet Pananyan, the owner of Antoines Tailoring on North Beverly Drive, adding Manafort was not a client.

Clothier Battistoni was founded in Rome in 1946 and has had a presence in Beverly Hills for decades. Sales associate Rogier Bolleurs, wearing a gray pinstripe double-breasted suit, said an outfit there costs from $3,000 to $7,000. Its clientele is mostly older titans of industry, he said.

If you are a fashionista, you need lots of money, because something new comes out every year, he said.

Across the street at Canali, the store manager, who declined to give her name, speculated Manafort may have shopped at the big three. Thats the nickname for the three department stores  Barneys, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus.

Those places carry a slew of different luxury brands, and also offer high-paying customers the ability to use a personal shopper.

As this reporter was leaving Canali, the sales associate tried to sell him a jacket but he demurred, saying it wouldve cost him about two months rent.

A manager at Bijan on Rodeo Drive declined to comment on speculation that President Trumps former aide Paul Manafort shopped there. (Benjamin Oreskes / Los Angeles Times)

Isaia is an Italian brand founded in 1920 in Naples. An employee there speculated that Manafort shops at Bijan on Rodeo Drive.

Bijan has been called the most expensive store in the world, where suits can go for $10,000, the employee said.

On Monday, a yellow Rolls-Royce convertible sat outside Bijan. In the window were photos and testimonials from former Presidents George H.W. Bush, Clinton and Obama.

A receptionist said to call the manager, who said: Im sorry, but Im not able to help you.

A block down at Ermenegildo Zegna, there was another polite no comment. The manager said the store does not provide customer information. The story was the same at Brioni.

According to one of Manaforts former business partners  and a well-known sartorialist  the defendants tastes lean more toward the continental than Savile Row.

He favored an Italian style of tailoring with higher armholes, which is more fitted in the body, said the self-described political dirty trickster Roger Stone.

Stone said that he didnt know where Manafort had shopped in recent years but that his former partner had excellent taste when it came to suits and ties.

However, Stone said he questioned the quality of the tailoring.

In my mind they never quite fit properly, Stone said. The style of your suit needs to fit your physique.

Along Rodeo Drive, boutique managers are mum about client information. (WWD)

When Stone and Manafort went into business together in 1980 with political consultant Charles Black Jr., Manafort was said to favor threads from Charvet Place Vendome, a high-priced Parisian tailor.

There had been hints that Manaforts fashion choices could be an element of the federal investigation. The New York Times reported that in July, when federal agents executed search warrants on the political consultants Virginia home, they entered his closet and took pictures of the pricey suits.

Stone added that if he were ever to come under the microscope of investigators, and there are reports that he is, he doesnt worry his suits will cause him any trouble.

I cant imagine what would be illegal about my suits, Stone said. They dont violate the laws of good taste.... Theres never an excuse for being poorly dressed.

benjamin.oreskes@latimes.com

Twitter: @boreskes

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Every now and then, the culture experiences a watershed, a moment when we look up and say, wow, things really have changed.

I know you think I am talking about sexual harassment, but Im not. Its far too early to say whether the torrent of revelations about sexually predatory men will shame them (and future generations) into changing how they behave.

I am talking about cannabis.

On New Years Day 2018, California enters a new era for legalization, which may hasten the end of decades of prohibition that have propelled a black market, ruined countless lives and obstructed research into what may be one of humanitys most helpful therapeutic substances.

How do I know this moment of transformation is upon us?

Because Friday morning, I went through a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Ontario International Airport and saw it with my own eyes. A sticker that covered the bottom of the tray for my belongings said in huge block letters: CANNABIS IS LEGAL.

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There was some fine print near the bottom: Traveling with it is not. Leave it in California.

And beneath that admonition, there were five corporate logos, all belonging to Organa Brands, the 7-year-old cannabis company that came up with this unusual campaign.

Im still pinching myself, said Organa Brands co-founder Jeremy Heidl.

An airport security tray has a public service announcement from cannabis manufacturer Organa Brands. Starting Jan. 1, the recreational use of marijuana by those 21 and older will be legal in California. (Robin Abcarian / Los Angeles Times )

Easy to see why. The TSA is a federal agency and the government remains hostile to marijuana. The Drug Enforcement Administration considers it as dangerous as cocaine, with no acceptable medical usage. (Never mind that this is contradicted by  well  reality.)

However, while the TSA draws the line at political ads, it does not regulate advertising messages that appear in the trays that go through its X-ray machines.

Local airport authorities contract with the company that provides the bins, said TSA spokeswoman Lorie Dankers. TSA, she noted, is not part of that financial deal.

::

The Cannabis Is Legal campaign was the brainchild of Organas public relations manager Jackson Tilley, who approached Heidl after seeing a dating app advertised at Denver International Airport. This is absolutely something we have to do, Tilley recalled thinking.

Organa Brands is one of the largest cannabis companies in the industry. Launched in 2010, it first produced cannabis extracts before branching into vape pens with disposable cartridges. Later, the company started an edibles division. It now does business in 11 states, has 12 production facilities and sells hardware in 19 countries. Heidl, who recently moved the company to Puerto Rico, put its annual sales at north of $100 million.

When Tilley approached Heidl about advertising in airports, Heidl said he tried to be supportive: I said, Sure, Jackson. But I was thinking, Never going to happen.

Tilley soon contacted Security Point Media, a Florida-based company created in the aftermath of Sept. 11, which has a patent on the plastic trays and the carts that move them around at airport security checkpoints.

If you see that anywhere in the U.S., that is part of our intellectual property, said Joe Ambrefe, president and chief executive of Security Point Media.

(I know what youre thinking: How the heck did someone patent a system of trays and carts? Thats what the TSA thought, too, but a U.S. Court of Federal Claims judge ruled against the TSA last year when it tried to challenge the patent as obvious and therefore invalid. According to the website Law360, the judge said the TSAs own internal documents showed that the trays and carts led to an 80% increase in checkpoint efficiency. A patent, ruled the judge, must be protected from something that is obvious only in hindsight.)

The purpose of creating the trays and carts, however, was not only to increase airport efficiency but to create a new medium for advertising. Security Point Media has dozens of clients, as varied as Marriott and Organa. But I digress.

::

The first airport to agree to the cannabis campaign was Sacramento International.

But shortly before the trays were to land, officials got cold feet and pulled out. That may have been for the best. The message that Sacramento airport officials had approved was Cannabis is illegal to carry across state lines.

That doesnt send the right message, said Organa Brands Heidl. And we could look bad saying cannabis is illegal. We are working hard to normalize it and do good. We felt like this was a responsible campaign.

On Thursday, I bought a one-way plane ticket from Ontario to Oakland just to get a close-up view. When I passed through the security checkpoint Friday morning, I have to admit, I started chuckling when I came upon the trays.

Three TSA agents who ushered me through the line were less than enthusiastic. They said they were perplexed, even taken aback.

Passengers, however, were either mildly amused or blase.

The only travelers I found who had a nuanced view of the ads were Karen and Russ Silhanek, a married couple from Rancho Cucamonga who were on their way to Las Vegas.

Russ Silhanek, 59, who is retired due to a disability, uses cannabis medically for pain and was a bit put off by the fine-print warning not to take pot across state lines. His checked luggage contained cannabis.

This is like telling people, You cant take your medicine with you, Silhanek said.

My understanding is that if you decide to discard your cannabis while in the TSA line, you can toss it in the same receptacle where your verboten Evian bottles go.

However, said Dankers, If TSA officers come across marijuana during their regular screening duties, in checked or carry-on bags, they will notify local law enforcement, who determine what happens next.

My guess is that if a passenger is carrying cannabis for personal use, local law enforcement will respond with a big fat yawn.

Because, as you know, in California, cannabis is legal. Ive seen the airport bins to prove it.

To read the article in Spanish, click here

robin.abcarian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AbcarianLAT

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USC names retired aerospace executive Wanda Austin as acting president, announces Nikias departure By Harriet Ryan USC appointed a retired aerospace executive as interim president and laid out a detailed plan for selecting a permanent leader Tuesday, ending speculation about whether outgoing President C.L. Max Nikias might remain in the post. Nikias, embattled over his administrations handling of a campus gynecologist accused of sexually abusing patients, relinquished his duties after a meeting of USCs board. The trustees tapped one of their own, Wanda Austin, an alumna and former president of the Aerospace Corp., to temporarily run the university. The trustees also approved the formation of a search committee and the hiring of firm Isaacson, Miller to coordinate the selection of a successor. A second search company, Heidrick & Struggles, will also advise trustees. Read More Facebook

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Ex-student sues elite Brentwood School after teacher is charged with sexually abusing him By Richard Winton A former student sued the elite Brentwood School on Monday in the wake of a female teacher being charged with repeatedly having sex with the minor, alleging that other faculty members encouraged the unlawful behavior and failed to report it to authorities. The lawsuit accuses the private school, whose students include the children of many of Hollywoods elite and L.A.s powerful, of acting negligently and allowing Aimee Palmitessa to abuse and batter the teenager sexually. The suit alleges that the student was abused in summer 2017 after one of the schools counselors offered words of encouragement to the then-17-year-old, identified in the suit as only John Doe, to engage in an illegal relationship with the teacher. Read More Facebook

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Civil jury vindicates fired Montebello school executives in whistleblower case By Howard Blume The Montebello school district is in dire straits  at risk of insolvency and under apparent criminal investigation. An outside audit in July found some teachers earning more than $200,000 a year, as well as improper raises, excess paid vacation time and inappropriate overtime, sick leave and car allowances. Fixing the district and pinpointing blame could take time. Read More Facebook

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L.A. schools fall short on safety measures, new report warns By Howard Blume After the mass shooting at Floridas Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February, Los Angeles school officials reassured parents that much had been done to keep local schools safe. California had tougher gun laws, after all, and the school district paid close attention to students mental health. But a new report issued Monday by a panel convened to take a close look offers some cause for concern, flagging inconsistent campus safety measures, thinly spread mental health staff and inadequate coordination between the school district and other public agencies. With the stakes this high, we must strive to do better, said L.A. City Atty. Mike Feuer, who assembled the panel. Read More Facebook

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L.A. school district says more are graduating, but rate may not show it By Howard Blume The L.A. Unified School District has hopes of continuing its winning streak this year with another record graduation rate, but the official numbers may not show it. A senior district administrator warned the board Tuesday that graduation rates were likely to decline 2% to 3% across the state, even though L.A. Unified is likely doing better than ever in producing graduates, he said. The issue is that the state will now count high school students who transfer to adult school as dropouts, said Oscar Lafarga, who heads the districts office of data and accountability. Previously, schools treated these students as though they had simply enrolled in another high school, he said. Read More Facebook

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Betsy DeVos to California: Not so fast on that federal education plan By Joy Resmovits In April, Californias top education officials breathed a sigh of relief. After months of debate and back-and-forth with Betsy DeVos staff, they had finalized a plan to satisfy a major education law that aims to make sure all students get a decent education. The state focused on aligning its plan to fulfill the requirements of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act with Californias Local Control Funding Formula, which gives extra money to districts to help students who come from low-income families, are in the foster system or are English learners. But this week, DeVos team said not so fast. Jason Botel, the U.S. Department of Educations principal deputy assistant secretary, sent California education officials a letter asking for more information in such areas as measuring student progress, graduation rates and English learners. In an unsigned statement, the California Department of Education declared itself surprised and disappointed because officials thought  after a meeting with federal officials in Washington  that they were on the right track to get approval. Now the Every Student Succeeds Act plan will be up for discussion once again at the July meeting of the State Board of Education. The U.S. Department of Education has already approved most state plans. Every Student Succeeds is the Obama administrations 2015 replacement for the No Child Left Behind Act. Facebook

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L.A. school board sets a new goal: prepare every grad to be eligible to apply for Cal State or UC By Sonali Kohli Last month, Los Angeles school board president proposed a spate of highly ambitious mandates aimed at ensuring that every district graduate be eligible to apply to one of the states public four-year universities by 2023. By the time the L.A. Unified school board unanimously approved the resolution Tuesday, the original language had been watered down. The goal is no longer that in five years 100% of students meet the long list of benchmarks, which include not just college eligibility for graduates but first-grade reading proficiency and English fluency by sixth grade for all students who enter the district in kindergarten or first grade speaking another language. The original college-readiness goal, for example, called for 100% of all high school students to be eligible to apply to one of the states four-year universities. Now the goal seems to offer more wiggle room: Prepare all high school graduates to be eligible to apply to a California four-year university. Read More Facebook

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We have been hurt. More women say they were mistreated by USC gynecologist By Richard Winton USC student Anika Narayanan says she vividly recalls her first appointment with Dr. George Tyndall at the campus health center, alleging that he made several explicit comments during an examination she felt was inappropriate and invasive. When she came back for a second visit in 2016 after a nonconsensual sexual encounter, he allegedly chastised her, she said in a civil lawsuit and at a press conference Tuesday. He asked me if I had forgotten to use a condom again,  said Narayanan, 21. At one point, she said, Tyndall asked if I did a lot of doggy style,  she said. Read More Facebook

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L.A. Unified gives inspector general brief contract extension By Howard Blume The Los Angeles school board on Tuesday extended the contract of Ken Bramlett, its inspector general, by three months, though his job is far from secure and questions remain about the future direction of his watchdog office. Board members also unanimously promoted Vivian Ekchian, who had been the runner-up for the superintendents job, to deputy superintendent  the districts No. 2 position. Both moves had elements of peacemaking between different factions on the board. Read More Facebook

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USCs handling of complaints about campus gynecologist is being investigated by federal government By Harriet Ryan The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday that it has launched an investigation into how the University of Southern California handled misconduct complaints against a campus gynecologist, the latest fallout in a scandal that has prompted the resignation of USCs president, two law enforcement investigations and dozens of lawsuits. In revealing the inquiry by the departments Office of Civil Rights, officials rebuked USC for what they alleged was improper withholding of information about Dr. George Tyndall during a previous federal investigation. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who has been criticized for taking a less vigorous approach to examining sexual misconduct than predecessors, called for a systemic examination of USC and urged administrators to fully cooperate. Read More Facebook

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Judge to sentence woman and her boyfriend for the murder of an 8-year-old that led to L.A. child welfare reforms By Marisa Gerber A woman and her boyfriend are expected to be sentenced Thursday for the torture and murder of an 8-year-old boy whose killing in 2013 provoked public outrage, prompted sweeping reform of Los Angeles Countys child welfare system, and led to unprecedented criminal charges against social workers who handled the childs case. Pearl Sinthia Fernandez, 34, faces life in prison without the possibility of parole for her role in the death of her son, Gabriel. A jury decided last year that her boyfriend, Isauro Aguirre, 37, should be executed. When paramedics arrived at the boys Palmdale home in May 2013, Gabriel had slipped out of consciousness. He had a fractured skull, broken ribs, burned skin, missing teeth and BB pellets embedded in his groin. A paramedic would later testify that every inch of the boys small body had been abused. Read More Facebook

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L.A. Unifieds spending out of step with similar school systems, task force says By Howard Blume The Los Angeles school district is out of step with similar school systems, spending more on teachers pay and health benefits and less on activities that could enhance student learning, according to a new report by an outside task force. The L.A. Unified School District Advisory Task Force did not make specific recommendations, but instead posed a series of questions it said the district needs to answer to make sure its funding is aimed at providing a full opportunity for all students to succeed. What were trying to say is: Lets put the data on the table. Lets look at the truth. Lets be transparent and here are the numbers, said task force member Renata Simril. This is not to say that  we should cut teachers salaries. Read More Facebook

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Top USC medical school official feared dean was doing drugs and alerted administration, he testifies By Paul Pringle A former vice dean of USCs Keck School of Medicine testified Tuesday that he feared the schools then-dean, Dr. Carmen A. Puliafito, could be doing drugs and expressed concerns about his general well-being to the universitys No. 2 administrator before Puliafito abruptly left his job in 2016. Dr. Henri Fords testimony at a hearing of the state Medical Board marks the first suggestion that any USC administrator had suspicions about Puliafitos possible drug use before he stepped down. A Times investigation in 2017 found Puliafito led a secret second life of using illegal drugs with a circle of young criminals and addicts. Puliafito testified about his behavior at the hearing Tuesday, saying he took drugs with one young woman on a weekly basis. Ford said that he decided to alert USC Provost Michael Quick after receiving reports in early 2016 that Puliafito was partying in hotels with people of questionable reputation, and that he came to worry about his mental stability. Read More Facebook

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Why L.A. Unified may face financial crisis even with a giant surplus this year By Jessica Calefati With more than half a billion dollars socked away for next school year, the Los Angeles Unified School District hardly seems just two years from financial ruin. Its a scenario that is especially tough to swallow if youre a low-wage worker seeking a raise or a teacher who wants smaller classes. But budget documents show that todays $548-million surplus cannot be sustained  and that even basic services face steep, seemingly unavoidable cuts because of massive problems barreling the districts way. Theres a disconnect between the rosy short-term picture and what we know is coming, said board member Kelly Gonez. Read More Facebook

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We have failed: Top USC officials try to reassure students amid gynecologist scandal By Joy Resmovits Top administrators at USC are reaching out to students in the wake of misconduct allegations against the universitys longtime gynecologist, acknowledging failings and vowing reforms as they try to address growing outrage over the revelations. Several USC deans have sent out messages trying to reassure students and faculty that the university is committed to changing. We have failed, wrote Jack H. Knott, dean of USCs Sol Price School of Public Policy, in a May 24 letter. What happened is antithetical to everything we know is right. Read More Facebook

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Rick Caruso is named chair of USCs trustees, vows swift investigation of gynecologist scandal By Thomas Curwen The University of Southern Californias board of trustees has elected mall magnate Rick Caruso to be the new chair of the board, giving fresh leadership as the university navigates a widening scandal involving a longtime campus gynecologist. The move marks the latest effort by USC to address the case, which has sparked a criminal investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department and dozens of civil lawsuits. More than 400 people have contacted a hotline that the university established for patients to make reports about their experience with Dr. George Tyndall. In his first act as chairman, Caruso announced that the white-shoe L.A. law firm OMelveny & Myers would conduct a thorough and independent investigation into the gynecologists conduct and reporting failures at the clinic. He set an ambitious timeline for the review, pledging it would conclude before students return for the fall semester. Read More Facebook

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UC Berkeley students persistence helps win more liberal rules for in-state tuition By Teresa Watanabe Ifechukwu Okeke thought shed be a shoo-in for in-state tuition when she was admitted to UC Berkeley for fall 2016. She had moved to the United States from Nigeria in 2012 to go to Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga. By the time she got her acceptance to transfer to UC to study molecular and cell biology, she had lived in California four years. She had a California drivers license, bank account and rental records as proof. UC Berkeley, however, ruled she was a nonresident  which meant she would have to pay nearly $27,000 more. Read More Facebook

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State medical board calls former County-USC doctor a sexual predator, suspends his license By Matt Hamilton A UCLA cardiologist has been temporarily stripped of his medical license after state regulators described him as a sexual predator who assaulted three female colleagues when he was working and training at L.A. County-USC Medical Center. Read More Facebook

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Global California 2030 aims to get more students learning more languages By Joy Resmovits Tom Torlakson (Andrew Seng / Associated Press) Outgoing state Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson on Wednesday announced a new statewide effort to encourage students to learn more languages. Called Global California 2030, its goal is to help more students become fluent in multiple tongues. Torlakson said that by 2030, he wants half of the states 6.2 million K-12 students to participate in classes or programs that lead to proficiency in two or more languages. By 2040, he wants three out of four students to be proficient enough to earn the State Seal of Biliteracy. Torlakson announced the initiative at Cahuenga Elementary School, which offers a dual-language immersion program in English and Korean. Californias public school students speak more than 60 languages at home, and 40% come to school with knowledge of a language other than English. Torlakson called his plan a call to action that invites parents, legislators, educators and community members to pool resources to expand language offerings in schools and get more bilingual teachers trained. He said the state already is working with Mexico and Spain to expand a teacher-exchange program. Fluency, the plan argues, can help students succeed economically  and language acquisition can help their overall critical thinking. The initiative builds on Proposition 58, a ballot initiative passed in 2016 that undid an earlier requirement that English learners be taught in English-immersion classes unless their parents signed waivers. Torlakson recently visited Mexico and met with that countrys education secretary. They later signed a pact to increase collaboration, particularly in language education. This [Global California 2030] is great follow-through on Toms part and very important, Patricia Gandara, a UCLA education professor who hosted the Mexico meeting, said in an email. It hands over a plan to move forward in an area in which California has a unique advantage, but must seize the opportunity. Facebook

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Jury convicts man of murder in 2015 slaying of UCLA student found inside her burning apartment By Marisa Gerber A jury on Tuesday convicted a man in the 2015 slaying of a UCLA student found dead inside her burning apartment  a gruesome stabbing case that led to a fierce rebuke of the police response amid concerns that the killing could have been prevented. The panel deliberated for about six hours before finding Alberto Medina, 24, guilty of murder, arson, burglary and animal cruelty. On Sept. 21, 2015, firefighters found the charred body of Andrea DelVesco inside her apartment after responding to the complex a block from campus. The 21-year-old student  an Austin, Texas, native known to her sorority sisters as a fearless giver who befriended others with ease  was stabbed at least 19 times, authorities said. Read More Facebook

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LAPD begins sweeping criminal probe of former USC gynecologist while urging patients to come forward By Adam Elmahrek The Los Angeles Police Department said Tuesday it is investigating 52 complaints of misconduct filed by former patients of USCs longtime campus gynecologist as detectives launch a sweeping criminal probe into the scandal that has rocked the university. LAPD detectives also made an appeal for other patients who feel mistreated to come forward, noting that thousands of students were examined by Dr. George Tyndall during his nearly 30-year career at USC. More than 410 people have contacted a university hotline about the physician since The Times revealed the allegations this month. Tyndalls behavior and practices appear to go beyond the norms of the medical profession and gynecological examinations, said Asst. Chief Beatrice Girmala. We sincerely realize that victims may have difficulty recounting such details to investigators. We are empathetic and ready to listen. Read More Facebook

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At L.A.'s only school for the deaf, parents want leaders who speak the same language By Anna M. Phillips Ever since her son was 6 months old, Juliet Hidalgo has been bringing him to the Marlton School, a low-slung building in Baldwin Hills that for generations has been a second home for deaf and hard-of-hearing students in Los Angeles. Marlton staff taught Hidalgos brother and sister, both of whom are deaf. The school was where her deaf son learned to make the signs for milk and food. Hidalgo had planned to enroll her daughter, taking advantage of a popular program that allows hearing children to learn American Sign Language alongside their deaf siblings. But after more than a decade of involvement, she and other family members are considering withdrawing their children. They are not alone. Read More Facebook

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Fueled by unlimited donations, independent groups play their biggest role yet in a California primary for governor By Ryan Menezes An unprecedented amount of money from wealthy donors, unions and corporations is flowing into the California governors race, giving independent groups  unrestricted by contribution limits  a greater say in picking the states chief executive than ever before. The groups have already spent more than $26 million through Thursday, the most ever spent by noncandidate committees in a gubernatorial primary, according to a Times analysis of campaign finance reports. California elections have always been expensive, and the future is even more expensive, said Jack Pitney, a political science professor at Claremont McKenna College and a former state Republican leader. The stakes are very real. Read More Facebook

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2 hurt in Indiana middle school shooting; suspect in custody, authorities say By Associated Press Authorities say two victims in a shooting at a suburban Indianapolis school are being taken to a hospital and the lone suspect is in custody. Bryant Orem, a spokesman for the Hamilton County Sheriffs Office, said in a news release that the victims in Friday mornings attack at Noblesville West Middle School are being taken to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis and their families have been notified. He says no other information is available about the victims. Orem said the suspect is believed to have acted alone and was taken into custody. No additional information about the suspect was made public. Read More Facebook

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For new L.A. schools chief Austin Beutner, some key unions are giving no honeymoon period By Howard Blume In the less than two weeks since Austin Beutner took charge of Los Angeles schools, unions representing teachers and administrators have staged a job action and a protest. Theyve made it clear that they will not give the new superintendent the traditional honeymoon period, and they are bashing him for his wealth and lack of experience running either a school or a school district. Beutner is a billionaire investment banker with zero qualifications, local teachers union President Alex Caputo-Pearl told members in a phone alert urging them to participate in a Thursday afternoon rally in Grand Park. The board is saying that billionaires who made their money blowing institutions up and making money off it know best  not the education professionals who have dedicated our careers to working with students. Read More Facebook

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Pressure grows on Board of Trustees amid USC gynecologist scandal By Paul Pringle USCs large and powerful Board of Trustees is coming under growing pressure to provide a stronger hand as the university faces a crisis over misconduct allegations against the campus longtime gynecologist that has prompted calls for President C.L. Max Nikias to step down. Allegations that Dr. George Tyndall mistreated students during his nearly 30 years at USC have roiled the campus, with about 300 people coming forward to make reports to the university and the Los Angeles Police Department launching a criminal investigation. USC is already beginning to face what is expected to be costly litigation by women who say they were victimized by the physician. So far, the trustees to whom Nikias reports have expressed sympathy for the women who have come forward and launched an independent investigation while also publicly backing the president. Read More Facebook

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UC regents approve leaner budget for Janet Napolitano By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents on Thursday unanimously approved a leaner, more transparent budget for President Janet Napolitano, moving to address political criticism over the systems central office operations. The $876.4-million budget for 2018-19 reflects spending cuts of 2%, including reductions in staffing, travel and such systemwide programs as public service law fellowships, carbon neutrality and food security. Napolitano shifted $30 million to campuses for housing needs and $10 million to UC Riverside to support its five-year-old medical school. She also permanently redirected $8.5 million annually to help enroll more California students, as required by the state. Read More Facebook

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USCs Academic Senate calls on university president to resign after a series of scandals By Matt Hamilton The body that represents USCs faculty called on President C.L. Max Nikias to resign Wednesday in the wake of relevations that the universitys longtime gynecologist faced years of accusations of misconduct by students and colleagues at the campus health clinic. The Academic Senate took the vote late Wednesday afternoon after a fiery town hall meeting attended by more than 100 faculty members, many of whom voiced outrage over Nikias and the Board of Trustees leadership. The vote came a day after the trustees executive committee stood firmly behind Nikias, saying it has full confidence in his leadership, ethics and values. At the town hall meeting, Senate President Paul Rosenbloom said he did not think Nikias or Provost Michael Quick committed wrongdoing but that the university president deserved criticism for a lack of transparency. Read More Facebook

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Californias public universities on the way to getting a big longed-for boost in funding By Teresa Watanabe The University of California and California State University systems are poised to get major funding boosts that will help them enroll thousands of additional state students and eliminate the need for tuition increases in the coming school year. A key Assembly budget panel on Wednesday approved $117.5 million in new funds for the UC. A Senate panel approved a similar sum last week. The same committees recently approved even more funding for the Cal State system. Read More Facebook

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UC regents to scrutinize Janet Napolitanos office budget in a step toward stronger oversight By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents this week plan to scrutinize the budget of President Janet Napolitano, whose office came under political fire last year for questionable spending and murky accounting. Regents will vote on the proposed $876.4-million budget for 2018-19 during their two-day meeting, which starts Wednesday, at UC San Francisco. They also will discuss state funding, financial aid, online education and transfer student policies. Board Chairman George Kieffer said regents are stepping up to exert stronger oversight of the presidents office after a blistering state audit last year found financial problems including an unreported $175 million budget reserve. Read More Facebook

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State legislative panels approve major funding boost for Cal State By Teresa Watanabe After months of intensive lobbying, Cal State University has convinced two key legislative panels to approve funding to enroll nearly 11,000 more students, hire more faculty and expand housing aid to those without shelter this fall. An Assembly budget panel on Tuesday approved $215.7 million more for Cal State, adding to Gov. Jerry Browns proposed $92.1 million general fund increase. A Senate budget panel approved a similar increase last week. The extra funding  which went beyond Cal States own request to the Legislature of $171 million  is still subject to final budget negotiations with Brown. But the actions by the Senate and Assembly panels amount to a demand from Democrats that the governor hike higher education spending. Cal State University is the workhorse undergraduate university serving hundreds of thousands of Californians, said Assemblyman Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento), who heads the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education Finance. We need more graduates for the California workforce and higher education is the ticket to the middle class. Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White hailed the actions, but said it was too soon to celebrate. The CSU has a singular focus on helping students earn high-quality degrees sooner, and the entire university community has rallied to reinforce that message to our states lawmakers, he said in a statement. The actions taken thus far by the Assembly and Senate are promising and show that our message is being received, but there is still work to be done. Funding for the University of California was not taken up Tuesday as originally scheduled. McCarty would not comment on sticking points but said he was confident that a resolution would be reached this week. Were looking to provide resources above whats in the governors budget, but negotiations are ongoing, he said in an interview. State per-student funding is not what it once was, leaving both Cal State and the UC in a tough financial squeeze. Both systems raised tuition last year after a six-year freeze on higher costs. For this year, Cal State had asked for funding to enroll an additional 3,621 students, but both the Senate and Assembly panels approved three times that amount. Cal State, the largest public university system in the nation, turned away 32,000 eligible students last year because its campuses werent able to accommodate them. The panels asked that at least $50 million of the extra funding be used to hire more tenure-track faculty to help boost graduation rates. The Assembly panel also approved one-time funding of $5 million to ease hunger on campuses and $14 million for rapid rehousing pilot projects at three campuses, offering needy students rental support and short-term case management. Other items approved include $5 million to support the CSU Long Beach Shark Labs research on sharks and beach safety and $2 million for equal employment opportunity practices. This post has been updated to include comments from Assemblyman Kevin McCarty and Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White. Facebook

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Faculty members call for USC president to step down: He has lost the moral authority to lead By Matt Hamilton Two hundred USC professors on Tuesday demanded the resignation of university President C. L. Max Nikias, saying he had lost the moral authority to lead in the wake of revelations that a campus gynecologist was kept on staff for decades despite repeated complaints of misconduct. Read More Facebook

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Gun battle, negotiations lasted 15 minutes before Texas school shooter was apprehended, sheriff says By Molly Hennessy-Fiske Minutes after a school shooter opened fire in an art class last week, killing 10 people and wounding 13, including a local police officer, fellow officers returned fire in a protracted gun battle before isolating the suspect, the local sheriff said Monday. Galveston County Sheriff Henry Trochesset praised first responders as well as Santa Fe Police Officer John Barnes, who was working as a resource officer at the school the day of the shooting. Their actions, he said, prevented the attack from spreading to other classrooms and potentially claiming additional victims. As officials continue to probe last Fridays shooting at Santa Fe High School, students are worried about returning to the scene of the attack when classes resume next week. Read More Facebook

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6 women sue USC, alleging they were victimized by campus gynecologist By Richard Winton Six women filed civil lawsuits Monday alleging that a longtime gynecologist at the University of Southern California sexually victimized them under the pretext of medical care and that USC failed to address complaints from clinic staff about the doctors behavior. One woman alleged Dr. George Tyndall forced his entire ungloved hand into her vagina during an appointment in 2003 while making vulgar remarks about her genitalia, according to one of the lawsuits. Another woman alleged that Tyndall groped her breasts in a 2008 visit and that later he falsely told her she likely had AIDS. A third woman accused the doctor of grazing his ungloved fingers over her nude body and leering at her during a purported skin exam, the lawsuit states. The wave of litigation comes as USC continues to grapple with the scandal, which legal experts said could prove costly to the university as scores of former patients come forward about their experiences with the gynecologist. Read More Facebook

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Fatalities reported in Texas high school shooting; suspect arrested, officials say By Associated Press Houston-area media citing unnamed law enforcement officials are reporting that there are fatalities following a shooting at a local high school Friday morning. Television station KHOU and the Houston Chronicle are citing unnamed federal, county and police officials following the shooting at Santa Fe High School, which went on lockdown around 8 a.m. The Associated Press has not been able to confirm the reports. The school district has confirmed an unspecified number of injuries but said it wouldnt immediately release further details. Assistant Principal Cris Richardson said a suspect has been arrested and secured. Read More Facebook

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This student followed the new L.A. schools chief on his first-day tour Melissa Barales-Lopez, a senior at Garfield High School followed Supt. Austin Beutner on his first day on the job, as he toured a variety of programs around the Los Angeles Unified School District. Heres what she took from the experience. LAUSD students and staff alike are looking for a personal champion, someone who will address and improve the difficulties afflicting their education.  What LAUSD students need is someone whos willing to listen and learn, someone who can understand the current issues affecting their schools and act to efficiently amend them, someone who can unlock the full potential of LAUSD students and enable them to reach their goals. During the entirety of his first day, superintendent Austin Beutner did indeed demonstrate a willingness to learn. Posing questions to teachers and students, Beutner engaged with the student communities he encountered to gain a better comprehension of the minutiae and nuances that distinguish each school inside an overwhelmingly large district. From inquiries about Grand View Boulevard Elementary Schools dual language program to questions regarding the services of LAUSDs after-school program, Beyond the Bell, Beutner revealed he has a lot to learn about the system. But, Beutner also showcased a willingness to tackle challenges head-on on his first day. Read More Facebook

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USC let a gynecologist continue treating students despite years of misconduct allegations By Matt Hamilton For nearly 30 years, the University of Southern Californias student health clinic had one full-time gynecologist: Dr. George Tyndall. Tall and garrulous with distinctive jet black hair, he treated tens of thousands of female students, many of them teenagers seeing a gynecologist for the first time. Few who lay down on Tyndalls exam table at the Engemann Student Health Center knew that he had been accused repeatedly of misconduct toward young patients. The complaints began in the 1990s, when co-workers alleged he was improperly photographing students genitals. In the years that followed, patients and nursing staff accused him again and again of creepy behavior, including touching women inappropriately during pelvic exams and making sexually suggestive remarks about their bodies. Read More Facebook

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Cal State trustees to discuss Browns latest budget proposal, which they say still falls $171 million short By Joy Resmovits Just how much money does California State University need to serve its students? In recent years, this question has been front and center for the nations largest public university system. Cal States leaders say that to keep their campuses quality from slipping, they need much more money than the state is giving them. This year, theyre also at odds with Gov. Jerry Brown on the question of whether any extra money should come in one-time bursts or be ongoing. Read More Facebook

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On his first day as L.A. schools chief, Beutner plans a day of visits across the district By Howard Blume L.A. Unifieds new superintendent, Austin Beutner, will kick off his first day of work on Tuesday with a choreographed tour of the nations second-largest school district, from the San Fernando Valley to Carson. His day is scheduled to begin at 5:15 a.m. at a school bus depot and end more than 12 hours later at a parent meeting at Garfield High School. Along the way, Beutner is expected to be joined by school district administrators, L.A. Unified board members and the vice president of the union that represents school bus drivers. Though he will be covering a lot of ground, Beutners tour has him skipping Tuesdays school board meeting, when board members are expected to discuss labor negotiations in closed session. Read More Facebook

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Cal State trustees to discuss Browns latest budget proposal, which they say still falls $171 million short By Joy Resmovits Just how much money does California State University need to serve its students? In recent years, this question has been front and center for the nations largest public university system. Cal States leaders say that to keep their campuses quality from slipping, they need much more money than the state is giving them. This year, theyre also at odds with Gov. Jerry Brown on the question of whether any extra money should come in one-time bursts or be ongoing. Read More Facebook

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Why a handful of rich charter school supporters are spending millions to elect Antonio Villaraigosa as governor By Ryan Menezes California voters have seen a barrage of sunny television ads in recent weeks touting former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosas record on finances, crime and education, aired by Families & Teachers for Antonio Villaraigosa for Governor 2018. But the group is, in fact, largely funded by a handful of wealthy charter-school supporters. Together they have spent more than $13 million in less than a month to boost Villaraigosas chances in the June 5 primary  at a time when his fundraising and poll numbers are lagging. Reed Hastings, the founder of Netflix, jump-started the group with a $7-million check, by far the largest donation to support any candidate in the election. Their efforts are part of a broader proxy war among Democrats between teachers unions  longtime stalwarts of the party  and those who argue that the groups have failed low-income and minority schoolchildren. Read More Facebook

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Talking schools with L.A. Unifieds new superintendent By Anna M. Phillips Austin Beutner, who officially starts Tuesday as the new superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, is taking on a famously difficult job at a particularly difficult time. The school board is divided and did not back him unanimously. The nations second-largest school district has deep-seated problems, including declining enrollment, lagging academic achievement and rising pension and healthcare costs that eat away at its budget. The 58-year-old former investment banker and former L.A. Times publisher has years of experience in the financial world but none as an educator. Earlier this week, he sat down with the Times education team to discuss the challenges facing the district, which has about 60,000 employees and 500,000 students in traditional public schools. He did not talk about his plans  saying repeatedly, stay tuned  but he spoke in broad terms about his mindset in approaching the tough decisions ahead. Read More Facebook

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Suspect detained, authorities search campus after reports of armed man at Palmdale high school By James Queally One person has been detained after a report of an armed man at a Palmdale high school sparked a massive law enforcement response Friday morning. The suspect was spotted at 7:05 a.m. on the campus of Highland High School in Palmdale, according to Sheriffs Department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida. The person was detained in a nearby parking lot, according to Nishida, who did not know whether that person was an adult or juvenile. Deputies at the scene are clearing the school methodically, and students will be transported home via school buses once the campus is deemed safe, Nishida said. Read More Facebook

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The education of Bertha Perez: How a UC Merced custodians disenchantment led to a political awakening By Robin Abcarian Its the third day of a three-day strike, and UC Merced custodian Bertha Perez is taking a break from a picket line at the universitys unremarkable entrance, an intersection with stop lights. Photos from other UC campuses this week have shown big crowds of striking service workers  members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees  marching and chanting pro-labor slogans as they try to force the University of California back to the negotiating table. But here, at UC Merced, whose handful of big buildings rise from a flat expanse of farmland, the picket line is tiny, maybe two dozen workers and a few students. Its not a big-city-style show of force. Then again, a union sympathizer is banging relentlessly on a snare drum, so its noisier than youd expect. Read More Facebook

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Ref Rodriguez resigns from teacher credentialing commission By Howard Blume Ref Rodriguez appears during a court appearance. (Al Seib/Los Angeles Times) Los Angeles school board member Ref Rodriguez has resigned from the states Commission on Teacher Credentialing, which oversees the integrity and quality of Californias teachers. Rodriguez faces felony and misdemeanor charges for political money laundering. Separately, his former employer, a charter school organization, has accused him of improperly authorizing checks to a nonprofit under his control. Rodriguez has denied wrongdoing. Rodriguezs resignation from the state body was effective May 4, days after he cast a crucial vote as part of a narrow majority that voted to authorize contract negotiations with Austin Beutner to become superintendent of the L.A. Unified School District. Beutners first official day on the job is Tuesday. Rodriguez remains in his $125,000-a-year position on the Los Angeles Board of Education. The mission of the state body is to ensure integrity, relevance, and high quality in the preparation, certification, and discipline of Californias teachers. Critics had questioned Rodriguezs continued service on the commission, given that teachers can be suspended from work if they face criminal charges. They also can lose their jobs for lapses in personal behavior, such as excessive drinking, with the potential to affect their performance. Police in Pasadena arrested Rodriguez on a Friday afternoon in March for public drunkenness. He was not charged in the incident and has apologized. The state commission reviews teacher discipline cases and can take action to remove a teachers credential to work in a California classroom. The commission has 15 members. Rodriguezs departure was disclosed in a one-sentence announcement on the agencys website. Facebook

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School board members request for restraining order against blogger is rejected By Priscella Vega An Orange County Superior Court judge on Wednesday denied a school board members petition for a permanent restraining order against a Huntington Beach blogger. Attorney Jeffrey W. Shields filed the petition on behalf of Ocean View School District trustee Gina Clayton-Tarvin, 46, who alleged in court documents that Charles Keeler Johnson, 56, has threatened her on social media and at school board meetings, causing her to fear for my own safety and for that of my immediate family members. Johnson, who goes by Chuck and publishes HBSledgehammer.com, said the trustee tried to stifle his freedom of speech. He also contended that Clayton-Tarvin took his blog posts and Facebook comments too seriously and out of context, saying anyone who is afraid of metaphors has serious issues. Read More Facebook

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Deal with workers averts one-day strike that could have shut down L.A. schools By Howard Blume Los Angeles school district and union officials announced a contract agreement Tuesday night that averted a one-day strike planned for next week. The pact, which runs through June 2020, removes one labor problem from the desk of incoming Supt. Austin Beutner  whose first day on the job would have coincided with the strike. Plenty of other challenges remain. Read More Facebook

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UC labor strike expands with show of support from more unions By Teresa Watanabe Fong Chuu is a registered nurse who has assisted with countless liver transplants, kidney surgeries and gastric bypasses during 34 years at UCLA. Working with her are scrub technicians who sterilize equipment, hand medical instruments to the surgeon and dress patient wounds. They are a team, Chuu says, which is why she walked off her job Tuesday in support of those technicians and other members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299. The 25,000 member AFSCME local, the University of Californias largest employee union, launched a three-day strike Monday. Read More Facebook

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We are humans too: Voices of UCLAs striking custodians, hospital aides and imaging technicians By Joy Resmovits Demonstrators parade in front of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) This week, thousands of UC employees are staging a three-day strike for better pay and working conditions. On Monday, more than 20,000 custodians, cooks, lab technicians, nurse aides and other members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299 walked off their jobs. By Tuesday, two more unions joined in sympathy strikes. The union and UC reached a bargaining impasse last year. The university has said it wont meet the workers demands. The strikers said they wanted better pay, more equity in the allocation of work, stable healthcare premiums and an end to the universitys use of contract workers. These are their stories. Read More Facebook

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Massive UC workers strike disrupts dining, classes and medical services By Joy Resmovits A massive labor strike across the University of California on Monday forced medical centers to reschedule more than 12,000 surgeries, cancer treatments and appointments, and campuses to cancel some classes and limit dining services. More than 20,000 members of UCs largest employee union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, walked off their jobs on the first day of a three-day strike. They include custodians, gardeners, cooks, truck drivers, lab technicians and nurse aides. Two altercations involving protesters and people driving near the rallies were reported at UCLA and UC Santa Cruz. At UCLA, police took a man into custody Monday after he drove his vehicle into a crowd, hitting three staff members. They were treated for minor injuries at the scene and released, said Lt. Kevin Kilgore of the UCLA Police Department. Read More Facebook

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Sen. Kamala Harris to skip UC Berkeley commencement in support of striking workers By Teresa Watanabe California Sen. Kamala Harris has canceled plans to deliver UC Berkeleys commencement address this weekend in support of UC workers who are on strike over wages and health benefits. Due to the ongoing labor dispute, Sen. Harris regretfully cannot attend and speak at this years commencement ceremony at UC Berkeley, said a statement from Harris office issued Monday. She wishes the graduates and their families a joyous commencement weekend and success for the future. They are bright young leaders and our country is counting on them. UCs largest employee union, the 25,000-member American Federation of County, State and Municipal Employees Local 3299, launched a three-day strike Monday and had earlier called for a speakers boycott. The union and university reached a bargaining impasse last year and subsequent mediation efforts have failed to produce an agreement. The union is asking for a multiyear contract with a 6% annual pay increase while the university is offering 3% annual increases over four years. UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ will deliver the keynote address instead, the university announced. About 5,800 students are expected to participate in the ceremony Saturday. Facebook

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School mural depicting Trumps bloody, severed head sparks controversy By Gary Warth A Chula Vista school mural that depicts the bloody, severed head of President Trump on a spear sparked a controversy that prompted officials to cover it and issue a response distancing themselves from the work. The statement also said the artist will alter the painting. We understand that there was a mural painted at the event this past weekend that does not align with our schools philosophy of non-violence, read the statement from MAAC Community Charter School director Tommy Ramirez. We have been in communication with the artist  who has agreed to modify the artwork  to better align with the schools philosophy. Read More Facebook

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New blackface incident at Cal Poly prompts calls for state investigation By Kim Christensen Cal Poly San Luis Obispo officials have asked the state attorney generals office to investigate after a new photo of a white student in blackface surfaced on a fraternity groups private Snapchat. I am outraged, Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong said in a video address Friday to the campus. These vile and absolutely unacceptable acts cannot continue. We must not allow these acts to define us as an institution. Armstrong said the latest photo was intended to imitate an incident last month in which a white member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity was photographed at a party wearing blackface. Read More Facebook

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More than 50,000 UC workers set to strike this week but campuses will remain open By Teresa Watanabe More than 50,000 workers across the University of California are set to strike this week, causing potential disruptions to surgery schedules, food preparation and campus maintenance. The systems 10 campuses and five medical centers are to remain open, with classes scheduled as planned. UCs largest employee union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, plans to begin a three-day strike Monday involving 25,000 workers, including custodians, gardeners, cooks, truck drivers, lab technicians and nurse aides. Read More Facebook

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New L.A. schools chief Beutner pledges to listen, learn and take action By Howard Blume New Los Angeles schools Supt. Austin Beutner proved Wednesday that hes a quick learner even without an education background. Like countless public officials before him, he appeared at an important event  his first speech and news conference  with a photogenic background of students. His message  that he would put those students first  seemed heartfelt if hardly original. Nor was it a huge surprise that he pledged to push cooperatively but unflinchingly to improve the districts academic performance and stabilize its finances. As an introduction, Beutner, a former investment banker who made a fortune on Wall Street, offered little flash, but that was partly the point. Read More Facebook

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In a school lockdown, one student takes stock of the stressful scene At the beginning of lunch one day late last month, Duarte High School, Northview Middle School, and California School of the Arts-San Gabriel Valley were advised by the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department to go into lockdown mode due to police activity in the immediate area. Phalaen Chang, a junior at the California School of the Arts, wrote a series of notes on her iPhone while she sat in a room with her classmates. By the time the lockdown ended an hour later, she wrote, she knew which of her friends would hold open the door for others, be the ones calming others down, be the ones barricading the doors. She knew that all of them have the potential to be such strong people. Read More Facebook

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Tale as old as time: L.A. Unified superintendent pick follows a historical pattern of outside-the-box choices By Joy Resmovits L.A. Unified has long gone back and forth between picking insiders and outsiders to run the nations second largest school district. The choice of Austin Beutner, announced Tuesday, places the district squarely back in the outsider camp  months after a consummate insider, Supt. Michelle King, announced that she had cancer and would not return to the job. Check out this timeline of former L.A. superintendents to see how the school board members have changed their minds, sometimes favoring leaders who come from the world of education and sometimes executives from elsewhere, recruited to shock the system into change. At one point, the district hired someone from the military  retired Navy Vice Adm. David L. Brewer III, who served as superintendent from 2006-2008. In hiring Brewer, board members had opted for a non-educator  largely because they sought a fresh thinker, unwedded to the bureaucracy, unafraid to make bold, even unorthodox moves, reads a 2008 Times story. Facebook

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Austin Beutner named superintendent of Los Angeles schools By Howard Blume Austin Beutner, a philanthropist and former investment banker, on Tuesday was named superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nations second-largest school system. His selection was the biggest move yet by a Los Angeles school board majority elected with major support from charter school advocates. The decision came after lengthy public testimony, most of it in support of the other remaining finalist, interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian, who is well known within the school system. Beutner, 58, has no background leading a school or school district. Less than 2 years ago, a school board with a very different balance of power named Michelle King, a former teacher who rose through the district throughout her career, to L.A. Unifieds top job. Read More Facebook

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Hearing delay gives both sides more time in Ref Rodriguezs potential trial By Howard Blume Ref Rodriguez and his attorneys will have more time to prepare their defense against charges of political money laundering, a judge ruled Monday. The preliminary hearing in the case had been scheduled to begin May 9, but that date will now be pushed back to July 23 per the ruling from L.A. Superior Court Judge Deborah S. Brazil. Rodriguez, 46, faces three felony charges of conspiracy, perjury and procuring and offering a false or forged instrument, as well as 25 misdemeanor counts related to the alleged campaign money laundering. Read More Facebook

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L.A. school board poised to name Beutner as superintendent By Howard Blume The Los Angeles Board of Education is poised to select philanthropist and former investment banker Austin Beutner to be the next superintendent of the nations second-largest school system. Barring a last-minute development, the only mystery is whether Beutner emerges with four or five votes from the boards seven members. Terms of his contract already have been under discussion, according to sources close to the process who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak. The selection of Beutner, 58, who has no experience managing a school or a school district, would be a signal that the board majority that took control nearly a year ago wants to rely on business management skills instead of insider educational expertise. Read More Facebook

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Teacher walkouts in Arizona and Colorado continue national debate on money for schools By Michael Livingston Following the lead of teachers who walked off the job in other states in recent weeks, thousands of teachers and their supporters took to the streets in Arizona and Colorado for the second day in a row to demand better pay and more funding for education. Read More Facebook

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Three decades before the #MeToo movement, UC San Diego led the way against sexual assault By Teresa Watanabe When Nancy Wahlig first started her fight against sexual assault, one company was marketing a capsule for women to stash in their bras and then smash to release a vile odor. Because of the very nature of society, the only person who can prevent rape is the woman herself, read a 1981 advertisement for the Repulse rape deterrent. Ideas about how to prevent sexual violence have come a long way since then, and Wahlig has helped lead that evolution on college campuses. In 1988, she started UC San Diegos Sexual Assault Resource Center (SARC), the first stand-alone program at the University of California. Today, she remains the systems most senior specialist. Read More Facebook

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Andres Alonso withdraws from consideration for L.A. schools job By Howard Blume Andres Alonso, believed to be one of three remaining finalists to lead the Los Angeles school system, has withdrawn from consideration. The remaining known candidates in the confidential search are former investment banker Austin Beutner and interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian. Alonso, 60, announced his decision on Twitter on Thursday night, saying he had notified the L.A. Unified School District on Monday. The exit of Alonso, the former Baltimore schools chief, seems to solidify the front-runner status of Beutner, who also was a former L.A. Times publisher and a Los Angeles deputy mayor. He held each of those positions for about a year. Read More Facebook

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Heres why the apparent increase in autism spectrum disorders may be good for U.S. children By Karen Kaplan The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among American children continues to rise, new government data suggest. And that may be a good thing. Among 11 sites across the U.S. where records of 8-year-olds are scrutinized in detail, 1 in 59 kids was deemed to have ASD in 2014. Thats up from 1 in 68 in 2012. Normally, health officials would prefer to see less of a disease, not more of it. But in this case, the higher number is probably a sign that more children of color who are on the autism spectrum are being recognized as such and getting services to help them, according to a report published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read More Facebook

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UC shelves tuition increase for now, in hopes of getting more state funding By Teresa Watanabe University of California regents will not vote on a tuition increase next month, shelving the plan for now in hopes that state lawmakers will come through with more funding. Raising tuition is always a last resort and one we take very seriously, UC President Janet Napolitano said Thursday in a statement. We will continue to advocate with our students who are doing a tremendous job of educating legislators about the necessity of adequately funding the university to ensure UC remains a world-class institution and engine of economic growth for our state. Last week, Cal State Chancellor Timothy P. White said the 23-campus system no longer would consider a plan to raise tuition for the 2018-19 academic year. But unlike Cal State, UC officials have not taken a tuition increase off the table entirely. Read More Facebook

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A chemical spill, unchecked eyewash stations, poor training: Audit details Cal States lax lab safety By Joy Resmovits In May 2016, two bottles tumbled off a poorly supported shelf and broke, leading to a chemical spill in a Sacramento State University lab. The liquid got onto one students legs and soaked anothers feet. Five employees cleaned up the mess, even though no one knew for sure what it was and whether it was dangerous. They called fellow employee Kim Harrington, their union representative, to let her know what happened. Read More Facebook

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After blackface incident, minority students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo say they dont feel welcome By Hailey Branson-Potts Aaliyah Ramos was walking through the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus last year when a prospective student approached her. Ramos was the only black person, the young woman said, that she and her mother had seen that day. They asked about the quality of education and the diversity of the student body. Ramos, a mechanical engineering student, didnt want to sugarcoat the truth: Cal Poly long has been predominantly white. But she told the young woman  who also was black  that she didnt want to discourage her from applying, because that wouldnt help with diversity at a school where only 0.7% of students are African American  the lowest percentage of any university in the California State system. Read More Facebook

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El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills wins the 2018 U.S. Academic Decathlon By Carlos Lozano El Camino Real Charter High School in Woodland Hills has won the 2018 U.S. Academic Decathlon, officials said. The winner was announced early Saturday at a ceremony in Frisco, Texas. More than 600 students from the U.S., Canada, China and the United Kingdom gathered there over the last three days to compete in the 37th annual U.S. Academic Decathlon. Congratulations to El Camino Real Charter High School for another impressive victory, said Vivian Ekchian, interim superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Your academic stamina and competitive spirit to win is remarkable. The entire L.A. Unified family is so proud of you. Read More Facebook

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Anticipation mounts as L.A. school board meets over superintendent selection By Howard Blume The Los Angeles Board of Education is reconvening in closed session Friday at noon as anticipation mounts about the choice of the next leader of the nations second-largest school system. The presumed front-runner is former investment banker and philanthropist Austin Beutner, but interim Supt. Vivian Ekchian and former Baltimore Supt. Andres Alonso also are in the running. Most district insiders appear to be rooting for Ekchian, who has spent her entire career in education within the school system. After her 10 years as a teacher, her roles have included head of human resources, chief labor negotiator and regional administrator for campuses in the west San Fernando Valley. Shes managed the district since September, when then-Supt. Michelle King went on medical leave and chose Ekchian to fill in for her. King, who is battling cancer, never returned and announced her retirement in January. Numerous influential civic leaders have urged  and pressured  the board to select Beutner. Also lending their weight have been advocates for charter schools, which are independently operated, growing in number and competing for students with district-operated campuses. Four of the seven board members  enough to control the outcome  were elected with major financial support from charter supporters. Beutner has two ongoing connections with the L.A. Unified School District. The first is his leadership of an outside task force that is making recommendations on how to improve the school system. The second is his charity, Vision to Learn, which supplies glasses to low-income students. The charity and the school system are in a dispute at the moment over who is responsible for delays in providing services to students as part of a $6 million contract, half of which is paid for by L.A. Unified. Unlike Ekchian and Buetner, Alonso, who currently teaches at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, has no deep-seated local constituency, but the prospect of his selection has generated some excitement. While in Baltimore, Alonso was recognized for pushing for progress at low-performing schools, and for being willing to take strong action. While in Baltimore, he also weathered a test-score cheating scandal and occasionally rocky relations with the teachers union. But by the time he resigned, after six years, he and union leaders seemed to be working together without rancor. Leaders of some community groups have split from the pro-Beutner camp. They worry that Beutners approach to confronting the districts financial problems could shut out their voices or involve severe economic cutbacks that would undermine programs that are helping students. Some prefer Ekchian; some Alonso. Theyve been reluctant to speak out publicly because theyll have to work with whoever is selected, but they have tried to get the ear of board members. On Friday morning, one leader of a community group decided to come out in favor of Alonso. L.A. Unified has the opportunity to bring in an instructional leader of color with a history of success, said Alberto Retana, president and chief executive of Community Coalition, which works on behalf of low-income students and families in South Los Angeles. If we have a shot at that, we should go for it  because its in the best interests of our kids and of our community. Retana said his statement was not meant to criticize Beutner or Ekchian but to alert board members that there also is community support for Alonso. Facebook

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Cal State leader shelves proposed tuition hike: Its the right thing to do, but its not without risk By Joy Resmovits Cal State, the nations largest public university system, will no longer consider a plan to raise tuition for the 2018-19 academic year, Chancellor Timothy P. White announced Friday. The decision is a bet that Sacramento will come through in the end. If Cal State loses that bet, it could mean cuts to campus programs. White said in an interview that Californias economy is strong enough that families should not be shouldering the burden of higher college costs. Read More Facebook

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L.A. students to participate in national walkout activities on Friday By Joy Resmovits Students are taking to the streets again Friday to protest gun violence on the 19th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting. Starting at 10 a.m., students at many schools will spend 13 seconds honoring the 13 people  12 students and one teacher  killed on that day in Littleton, Colo. After that, theyll participate in a host of different activities. Within L.A. Unified, one school is having an open-mic event for students to talk about school violence, and lawmakers are visiting campuses to hear students thoughts. According to a central hub for organizing the protests  written by the students of Ridgefield High School in Connecticut  the walkouts are intended to drive the political change necessary to curb school violence. The day is also a time for students to interact on an elevated platform they have never had before, the site states. It is a day of discourse and thoughtful sharing. Bringing together communities and students to get a national discussion rolling. Organizers have suggested using the event to convey the importance of curbing gun violence to legislators. They are encouraging students to push legislation that would ban assault weapons and tighten up rules around who can buy guns and how. Over 2,500 schools nationwide are expected to participate. In L.A., some students  at campuses including Eagle Rock High School, the Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts and Bravo Medical Magnet  plan to walk out. Students from various schools expect to join area marches, including those in Santa Monica and Huntington Park. Other schools are hosting career days and voter registration drives. At 1 p.m., students plan to start a rally in front of L.A. Unified headquarters. For the record: An earlier version of this article stated that 12 teachers and one student were killed in the Columbine shooting. The opposite is true: twelve students and one teacher died. Facebook

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Stabbing of popular student devastates South El Monte High School; teen friend suspected in slaying By Sonali Kohli When administrators at South El Monte High School called Jeremy Sanchezs parents to say he never showed up for class Wednesday, his father began to worry. It was unusual for the 17-year-old junior to miss school, so his father filed a missing persons report and assembled two of Jeremys close friends to look for the popular student-athlete. Their search took them to a scenic stretch of the San Gabriel River Trail, where one of the friends  a 16-year-old boy  made a tragic discovery. Among the bushes in the riverbed near Thienes Avenue and Parkway Drive was Jeremys body, punctured with stab wounds, according to Lt. John Corina of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department. Read More Facebook

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Racist fliers spark outrage at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo By Alene Tchekmedyian Soon after Neal MacDougall arrived on the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo campus Tuesday, the professor noticed university police standing outside a restroom near his office. A racial slur against African Americans had been scrawled in red marker on a stall wall. Later, he discovered a series of racist fliers pinned up next to his door. Someone had also slashed posters hed hung outside his office supporting students in the country illegally. The discovery was the latest controversy on the prestigious campus  which the president said is less than 55% white  that MacDougall said demonstrates a culture of racism at the university. Last week, photographs emerged of white fraternity members, including one in blackface, flashing gang signs. Read More Facebook

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The superintendent waiting game, paying for L.A.'s College Promise, Princetons slave history: Whats new in education By Joy Resmovits Acting LAUSD superintendent Vivian Ekchian is a finalist for the permanent job. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) In and around Los Angeles: The L.A. Unified school board spent 10 hours interviewing and discussing candidates for superintendent. When they adjourned after 10 p.m., they said they would reconvene on Friday. Who is paying for Mayor Eric Garcettis much-touted College Promise, a program that promises two years of community college for LAUSD grads? In California: The Legislature is considering a proposal that would boost K-12 education funding for black students. When the cost of living is taken into account, California has the highest rate of child poverty. Nationwide: The families of two children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School are suing Alex Jones and Infowars for saying the school massacre never occurred. Princeton will name two spaces  an arch and a garden  after slaves who lived or worked on the campus. Facebook

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L.A. school board meets privately with finalists and debates choice for school district leader By Howard Blume The Los Angeles Board of Education adjourned late Tuesday after spending more than 10 hours interviewing candidates and trying to reach a decision on who would be the next leader of the nations second-largest school system. When the meeting finally recessed at 10:11 p.m., a spokesman announced only that the school board would reconvene Friday at noon. Going into the days meetings, there were apparently four finalists, according to sources who could not be named because they were unauthorized to speak. Read More Facebook

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Two Sandy Hook families sue Alex Jones and Infowars for saying the school massacre never happened By David Altimari Families of two children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School have filed lawsuits in Texas against controversial radio host Alex Jones for continually claiming the massacre never happened. Neil Heslin, the father of Jesse Lewis, and Leonard Pozner and Veronique De La Rosa, whose son Noah Pozner died in the massacre, filed separate lawsuits late Monday in Travis County, Texas. The lawsuits allege that Jones defamed the parents by constantly calling them crisis actors and insisting the shooting was a false flag operation; they also claim Jones accusations have led to death threats against the Sandy Hook families by Jones followers. Read More Facebook

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Beutner emerges as a top pick for L.A. schools superintendent amid last-minute jockeying By Howard Blume Austin Beutner has emerged as a leading contender to run the Los Angeles school district, with backers saying he is smart enough and tough enough to confront its financial and academic struggles. Though he does not have a background in education, the former investment banker has in the last year examined some of the districts intractable problems, serving as co-chair of an outside task force with the support of then-Supt. Michelle King. Sources inside and outside the school district said Beutner appears to have more support on the seven-member board than other finalists, and his name could come up for a vote as early as Tuesday. Read More Facebook

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Challenge at Chicago school construction site: Watch for 38,000 unmarked graves By Nereida Moreno A 15-year effort to build a school in Chicagos Dunning neighborhood is underway with an unusual complication: Construction workers are taking careful steps to avoid disturbing human remains that may lie beneath the soil. The $70-million school is to be built on the grounds of a former Cook County Poor House, where an estimated 38,000 people were buried in unmarked graves. Among the dead are residents who were too poor to afford funeral costs, unclaimed bodies and patients from the countys insane asylum. There can be and there have been bodies found all over the place, said Barry Fleig, a genealogist and cemetery researcher who began investigating the site in 1989. Its a spooky, scary place. Read More Facebook

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Oklahoma teacher walkout winds down despite lawmakers failure to meet demands By Washington Post Oklahomas largest teachers union has announced an end to a walkout that has drawn thousands of educators out of classrooms and to the state Capitol demanding greater investment in the states schools, which have endured the nations steepest funding cuts. The announcement Thursday from the Oklahoma Education Assn. does not necessarily end the protests at the Capitol, as teachers not affiliated with the union vowed to stay longer. Instead of a walkout, the union and school districts across the state have said they plan to send delegations of teachers to Oklahoma City to keep the pressure on lawmakers. Teachers and their supporters have also promised to push education issues to the forefront of November elections, when the state chooses a new governor. As school districts begin to reopen, the protests may lose steam. The Legislature is not in session Friday, and observers are waiting to see what happens Monday, when lawmakers return. Read More Facebook

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Most Californians are worried about school shooting threats and oppose arming teachers, survey finds By Joy Resmovits Hamilton High School student Aiyana Dabriel holds a sign during a March 14 walkout in support of the Parkland shooting victims. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Most Californians are worried that a school shooting like the one that occurred in Parkland, Fla., in February could shed blood closer to home, a new survey found. Some 73% percent of adults and 82% of public school parents said they were very concerned or somewhat concerned about school shootings. The Public Policy Institute of California surveyed 1,704 adults in the state by phone just after the March for Our Lives protest against gun violence. Latino and black respondents were significantly more likely to be concerned about school violence than white or Asian respondents, the institute found. Two-thirds of adults and public school parents said they opposed letting more educators carry weapons in school. The response differed across party lines, with 86% of Democrats and 69% of independents voicing their opposition, while 60% percent of Republicans said they would support a measure to arm educators. The poll, which had a margin of error of 3.2% in either direction, also asked Californians about school funding, educational issues in the governors race and the impact of immigration enforcement on students. You can find the full results here. Facebook

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Californias largest virtual charter school network agrees to contract with its teachers By Anna M. Phillips Nearly four years after teachers at Californias largest online charter school voted to unionize, they have reached a deal to increase pay and create job protections, according to a spokesman for the California Teachers Assn. The contract, which is still tentative and subject to ratification, is a victory for the teachers union. Although charter schools are publicly funded, most are privately managed and their employees arent protected by labor contracts. Under the terms of the contract  the result of years of negotiation and legal wrangling  approximately 500 teachers working for California Virtual Academies will no longer be at-will employees who can be dismissed for almost any reason. Their average salary will rise to just over $45,000, according to union estimates, a figure that remains far below the norm for traditional public school teachers. Still, it is an improvement over the previous average of $38,000. The accord also places a limit on the number of students each teacher is responsible for monitoring in online homeroom classes. Were very satisfied with the gains we made, said teacher Brianna Carroll, president of California Virtual Educators United. I think were going to see some extraordinary changes in our schools. According to Carroll, teachers at California Virtual Academies  better known as CAVA  had grown frustrated with the organizations foot-dragging and were making preparations to go on strike when CAVAs leadership agreed to the deal. CAVA and K12, the Virginia-based for-profit company linked to its schools, did not immediately respond to an email Tuesday asking for comment. The network currently operates nine virtual charter schools across California. In 2016, the charter network agreed to pay $8.5 million to settle claims of false advertising, misleading parents and inadequate instruction. The state attorney generals office had also accused K12 of controlling the charters for its own financial benefit. Neither CAVA nor K12 admitted to wrongdoing in the settlement. A year later, the state imposed a $2-million fine on CAVA after an audit found that it had misspent public funds. The network disputed the findings. Facebook

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School board approves a new formula for funding high-need schools By Sonali Kohli L.A. schools will soon get more money if they are located in neighborhoods with such problems as high levels of gun violence and asthma. The Los Angeles Unified school board voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt a new formula to determine how to dole out some funding to schools, based not only on the characteristics of the student populations but on the traumas that affect the communities around campuses. The new formula will be applied to $25 million in funding next fiscal year and about $263 million annually in future years  a small part of the districts $7.5 billion annual budget. Read More Facebook

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Protesters demand Ref Rodriguez resignation outside school board meeting By Sonali Kohli Students, parents, teachers and UTLA marching outside the board meeting chanting "Ref resign" pic.twitter.com/W0LRWZSIXY  Sonali Kohli  (@Sonali_Kohli) April 10, 2018 A few dozen parents, students and teachers marched outside the Los Angeles Unified School Board meeting Tuesday, some calling for board member Ref Rodriguez to resign the week after news broke that he was taken into custody on suspicion of being drunk in public at a Pasadena bar and restaurant. Rodriguez was not cited or charged in that incident, but was held for more than five and a half hours before being released. The school board member faces felony and misdemeanor charges for political money laundering. He is accused of getting more than two dozen people people to donate to his campaign for his school board seat with the understanding that he would reimburse them. He stepped down from his post as school board president after he was charged last fall, but he did not give up his seat on the board. He has pleaded not guilty to three felony counts of conspiracy, perjury, and procuring and offering a false or forged instrument, as well as 25 misdemeanor counts related to the alleged campaign money laundering. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May. He cant give his full focus to our students, said Rebecca LaFond, a Highland Park parent whose three children marched with her as she chanted, Ref resign. One daughter marched in front of her, using a drum stick to hit the bottom of a gallon-size empty water jug. Our kids deserve someone who has the utmost ethical standards representing them, LaFond said. The protests continued into the board meeting, where some addressed Rodriguez directly, calling on him to step down during public comment portions of the meeting. Rodriguez, through his chief of staff, declined to comment. Some parents outside the board meeting did not know about the charges against Rodriguez but came out to protest the possibility of sharing their school campuses with charter schools. Protesters also oppose colocation  not all of the parents are here to ask Ref Rodriguez to step down pic.twitter.com/1Co8zQ9zSi  Sonali Kohli  (@Sonali_Kohli) April 10, 2018 Cynthia Martinez said her son, who goes to Christopher Dena Elementary School in Boyle Heights, has been bullied in the past by students from a charter school sharing the campus. She said she didnt know who Rodriguez was. Some parents and teachers are worried about losing computer labs, robotics rooms and fitness centers if they are required to share their campus with charter schools, said Ilse Escobar, a parent community organizer for United Teachers Los Angeles. The issues of Rodriguez and colocation are related, Escobar said. Rodriguez is part of a majority on the school board elected with financial backing from charter school supporters, and many parents, she said, feel that the school board is compromised if he is a part of it. Staff reporter Howard Blume contributed to this post. Facebook

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Delaine Eastin tries to gain momentum in the California governors race, one voter at a time By Seema Mehta Delaine Eastin was a sophomore in high school when a drama teacher urged her to try out for a part in The Man Who Came to Dinner. She hesitated until he told her: This is a metaphor for your whole life. If you never try out, you will never get the part. Eastin auditioned and won the role. Decades later, the advice sticks with the former state schools chief, this time in her unlikely run for governor. Despite calls for more women in leadership roles in state politics following sexual misconduct allegations in Sacramento, Eastin has been largely overlooked in the race, lagging far behind her Democratic rivals in fundraising and the polls. Read More Facebook

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Arizona high court rejects in-state tuition for DACA recipients By Associated Press Young immigrants granted deferred deportation status under a program started by President Obama are not eligible for lower in-state college tuition, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Monday. The unanimous ruling will affect at least 2,000 students attending the states largest community college district and hundreds more at other colleges and the states three public universities. The Maricopa County Community Colleges District and state universities said they would begin raising tuition immediately for the coming school year. Read More Facebook

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New York high school students injured when bus strikes overpass By Associated Press A charter bus carrying teenagers returning from a spring break trip Sunday night struck a bridge overpass on Long Island, seriously injuring six passengers and mangling the entire length of the top of the bus. The crash happened shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday on the Southern State Parkway in Lakeview, according to New York State Police. One of the six injured passengers had very serious injuries, said State Police Maj. David Candelaria. Thirty-seven other passengers suffered minor injuries. Read More Facebook

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Some good news for California in national student test scores By Joy Resmovits Every two years, the nations fourth- and eighth-graders are tested in math and reading  and newly released results from last years tests give California at least a little reason to be pleased. The 2017 results  out Monday night  were mostly flat nationwide compared with 2015, though the average score in eighth-grade reading went up. But while that improvement largely came from the increased scores of the highest-performing students, California eighth-graders showed some reading progress from the lowest levels to the highest. Read More Facebook

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Under state control, Inglewood school districts financial picture worsened By Anna M. Phillips When Eugenio Villa agreed to return to the Inglewood schools for a second tour last summer, he knew the district remained one of Californias most troubled. Inglewood Unified had been nearly insolvent when it was taken over by the state Department of Education in 2012. Six years later, its enrollment was still declining. Its school buildings were tired  some edging into decrepitude. Its test scores and graduation rates were still below the state average. And the public was out of patience. Still, Villa, who had signed back on as the districts chief business official, was shocked at what he found when he arrived in June 2017. Two years earlier, he had left the school system on what he thought was firm ground. Read More Facebook

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Charter school group drops two lawsuits against L.A. Unified By Howard Blume A charter schools advocacy group last week announced that it would end two long-running lawsuits in which it was seeking more classroom space and construction money from the Los Angeles school district. The decision, the California Charter Schools Assn. said, reflects better relations between charter schools and the L.A. Unified School District. But the move also suggests that the litigation, which already contributed to significant gains for area charters, was unlikely to produce much more. It takes time, money and effort to litigate, said Ricardo Soto, general counsel for the charter group. Maybe its better to see if we can find the time and opportunity for collaboration. Read More Facebook

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L.A. school board member Ref Rodriguez is arrested on suspicion of public intoxication By Richard Winton Los Angeles school board member Ref Rodriguez was arrested recently on suspicion of being drunk in public at a Pasadena restaurant, the latest trouble for an elected official who faces political money-laundering charges. Pasadena police took Rodriguez into custody on March 16, according to city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian. Officers arrested Rodriguez at about 4:30 p.m. at the Yard House restaurant and bar at the Paseo Mall and held him in jail for more than five-and-a-half hours. Rodriguez was ultimately released without being cited or charged, Derderian told The Times. Other details about the arrest were not available, she said. Read More Facebook

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Kentucky teachers rally at Capitol over state budget By Associated Press Thousands of Kentucky teachers filled the streets near the state Capitol in Frankfort on a cold, overcast Monday to rally for education funding. Teachers and other school employees gathered outside the Kentucky Education Assn. a couple of blocks from the Capitol chanting, Stop the war on public education and holding or posting signs that say, Weve Had Enough. Were madder than hornets, and the hornets are swarming today, said Claudette Green, a retired teacher and principal. Read More Facebook

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The leaders of a local charter-school network are under fire from the Los Angeles Unified School District for not uncovering and reporting conflict-of-interest allegations against school board member Ref Rodriguez three years ago.

The district sent Partnerships to Uplift Communities, or PUC Schools, a sternly worded Notice to Cure, with a Nov. 1 deadline, demanding that school administrators explain why it took so long to report that Rodriguez, its co-founder, allegedly authorized and signed $265,000 in checks in 2014 to a nonprofit under his control. That nonprofit, Partners for Developing Futures, was involved in leadership training for minority educators.

L.A. Unified administrators also question the time lag in reporting a separate possible conflict, also in 2014, related to checks for about $20,000 that Rodriguez allegedly signed to pay Better 4 You Fundraising, a private company that organized school fundraisers. Later that same year, Rodriguez disclosed that he owned an interest in this company, though its unclear whether he did so at the time the payments were made.

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The districts action raises the level of scrutiny for PUC, which on Oct. 13 confronted the difficult task of turning in to the states Fair Political Practices Commission a conflict-of-interest complaint against Rodriguez, a beloved figure at the schools he helped start.

PUC board President Manuel Ponce Jr. and network co-founder Jacqueline Elliot have denied any wrongdoing on the part of the organization. Elliot signed the FPPC complaint as a witness and also alerted L.A. Unified of the money transfers as soon as they were uncovered, according to a PUC statement.

PUC Schools was shocked to discover the possible misspending of school funds and conflicts of interest and took immediate, appropriate action, Ponce wrote in the school networks official response to L.A. Unified, which was provided to The Times by PUC.

The charter network provided the district with some key documents before L.A. Unified requested them and has pledged to cooperate with any investigations.

L.A. Unified authorizes and oversees most local charter schools, including all 17 that PUC operates in Southern California. The school system released its warning notice, dated Oct. 23, to The Times and radio station KPCC on Monday in response to Public Records Act requests.

The conflict allegations are just one part of Rodriguezs troubles.

In an apparently unrelated case, Rodriguez faces three felony and 25 misdemeanor counts, alleging campaign money laundering when he ran for his board seat. Rodriguez pleaded not guilty to those charges in court last week and, through his attorney, denies all wrongdoing related to his campaign and any actions involving PUC Schools. Rodriguez left PUC in July 2015, when he joined the L.A. Board of Education.

The conflicts PUC recently alleged underlie the very concerns previously raised by the school districts charter school division, according to the notice from L.A. Unified. This FPPC complaint was filed three years after PUC had been placed on notice by the [charter school division] regarding related concerns, the districts letter said.

The district cited correspondence from 2015, including a letter to PUC seeking information about Partners for Developing Futures and Better 4 You Fundraising as well as any ties between these entities and PUC.

For PUC to assert in the FPPC complaint that it was not aware that Dr. Rodriguez had an interest in Better 4 You Fundraising is confounding since they were on notice of a potential conflict-of-interest issue, L.A. Unified stated.

The district applied the same logic to the recent discovery of the checks to Partners for Developing Futures.

These issues show a pattern of disregard and ineffective adherence to conflict-of-interest laws, said the district letter, which was signed by specialist Aida Tatiossian and Fiscal Services Manager Sandra Melendez.

PUC counters that L.A. Unified had reviewed or had access to most of the checks in question during audits of PUC finances that took place in 2014 and 2015, and neither the district nor PUC grasped the potential problem. PUC administrators say they recognized it only recently, in response to questions and requests for documents from The Times.

The payments escaped PUCs immediate attention, Ponce wrote, in part because Rodriguez had extraordinary control over the networks finances in 2014 and 2015.

LAUSD did not catch this and neither did PUC Schools. Yet we are both committed to transparency and integrity, he wrote, adding that it is now up to Rodriguez to explain the transactions.

The latest L.A. Unified notice restates a sore spot between the district and PUC. L.A. Unified has long contended that PUC has refused to provide documents about PUC National, an affiliated organization that contracts with individual PUC schools to provide financial services and personnel management.

PUC has consistently refused to provide information about PUC National indicating that PUC National is a private organization, L.A. Unified stated.

PUC defended that position but said PUC National would provide documents relevant to current investigations.

PUC has always responded to all of Los Angeles Unifieds requests for information and has voluntarily made substantial changes in responses to its recommendations, the group said. PUC strengthened its governance structure and fiscal controls after LAUSDs notices in 2015. PUCs leadership will continue to act with transparency and integrity.

Similar issues have come up with other local charter networks that have created regional or national affiliates.

Charter critics have accused these networks of hiding their business operations behind affiliated corporations. To date, charter groups and their critics have battled over provisions in proposed state legislation that would bind these affiliated groups to the Public Records Act and open meeting laws.

PUCs charters could be shut down if the L.A. school board finds the network has failed to address serious violations. A less severe penalty would be to require a change in leadership, although both actions are rare.

howard.blume@latimes.com

@howardblume

UPDATES:

7:30 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with added detail from PUCs responses to the warning notice from L.A. Unified.

This article was originally published at 8:55 p.m. on Oct. 30.
Prosecutors say a SWAT sniper with the Butte County Sheriffs Department acted in self-defense when he shot and killed an armed pot grower who told officers they better bring body bags if they came to his property earlier this year, according to findings made public this week.

In a 12-page memorandum, Butte County Dist. Atty. Michael Ramsey determined the sheriffs SWAT deputy was justified in shooting 56-year-old Mark Jensen during an August clash that drew a SWAT team and an armored vehicle to Jensens property in Durham, south of Chico.

Jensen became enraged on Aug. 21 after a code enforcement officer left a note on his door regarding a possible violation of ordinances governing marijuana growth, according to the district attorneys report. Jensen responded by calling the officers cellphone and left 10 threatening and profane voicemail messages.

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The threats were reported to the Sheriffs Department the next day, and a deputy called Jensen, who responded by making a litany of threatening calls to the sheriffs dispatch center and local officials, according to the memorandum.

Send your dogs over here, they will all leave in body bags, Jensen said in a message to Butte County Supervisor Steve Lambert, according to the report.

Deputies were planning to arrest Jensen for threatening a public official when they received a panicked phone call from a woman who had pulled to the side of the road near Jensens home. Jensen struck her car with something, then pointed a rifle at her and demanded she leave his property.

Sheriffs deputies quickly responded to the scene, prompting a nearly three-hour standoff between Jensen and responding officers from the Sheriffs Department and the California Highway Patrol. A SWAT unit, including a surveillance-sniper team, and an armored vehicle were all called to the scene, according to the report.

SWAT Deputy Matt Calkins was tracking Jensens movements through a rifle scope, according to the report, when Jensen noticed him and pointed a handgun at the deputy. Calkins fired one shot at Jensen, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

Attempts to contact Jensens relatives were unsuccessful Tuesday. But Jensens wife told investigators that he was in a highly agitated frame of mind the day before, and the day of, his death, according to the report. Jensen had been experiencing dark moods in the weeks prior to the shooting.

Hours before the incident, Jensen had taken two pistols and a rifle out to his porch, his wife told investigators. He had also become incensed at both government officials and the media in recent weeks, and the notice about the violation of the marijuana ordinance left him furious, she said, according to the report.

Jensen had been growing marijuana for years, both for recreational use and to medicate his autistic daughter, the report said.

Megan McCann, public information officer for the Sheriffs Department, said she did not believe the agency had prior contacts with Jensen. He had previously run against Lambert for a seat on the countys Board of Supervisors, McCann said.

james.queally@latimes.com

Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California.
Estonia, which currently presides in the EU, has been actively supporting Tbilisi on its path toward European and Euro-Atlantic integration for a long time, Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili said on Tuesday.

"Estonia very seriously supports Georgia's European and Euro-Atlantic integration. Also, Estonia is a country that very clearly registers its support for Georgia on matters related to territorial integrity, the policy of non-recognition [of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia], and the return of refugees to their homes," Margvelashvili said at a joint press conference with Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid on Tuesday.

He said that he and his Estonian colleague discussed cooperation in the economy, defense, and cyber security, as well as questions related to preparations for the upcoming NATO and Eastern Partnership summits.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Georgian presidential administration reported that at their meeting, the two presidents had agreed on concrete coordinated steps ahead of the meetings.

"At the meeting, the sides reviewed the process of Georgia's Euro-Atlantic integration. It was noted that in this context, the 2018 NATO summit will give a good opportunity for Georgia to demonstrate its political progress in the process of integrating into the alliance," the administration said.
About two dozen demonstrators interrupted the Board of Supervisors meeting inside the Los Angeles County Hall of Administration on Tuesday to protest a jail construction plan in the county.

The activists, bound together by gray plastic shackles, stood up and started speaking over the supervisors, asking them to declare a moratorium on the jail project.



For the record: An earlier version of this article referred to the replacement plan for L.A. County jails as an expansion. In fact, the plan will result in fewer beds than are in use at the existing facilities.

Police escorted the activists out of the building.

Afterward, board Chairman Mark Ridley-Thomas closed the meeting to the public.

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The activists, led by Kim McGill of the Youth Justice Coalition and two other anti-incarceration groups, then stood outside the building and chanted it is our duty to fight for freedom and held up signs that read stop incarceration.

Later, they marched to the Mens Central Jail, where they formed a circle by linking arms.

Mariella Saba, an organizer with the Youth Justice Coalition, asked the group to say out loud the names of incarcerated people whom they knew.

I believe that we will win, she declared to the protesters.

McGill said many of the activists have had family members incarcerated or have been incarcerated themselves.

One of the demonstrators, Dayvon Williams, 27, said he is part of the campaign because he believes funds could be better spent on initiatives inside the community to help prevent incarceration.

Just because you rebuild a jail doesnt mean that the way youre treated in the jail will change, Williams said.

Williams said he was jailed and convicted of burglary charges when he was 18.

Many of the activists have been protesting the construction of two new county jails for months.

Though the design has not been finalized, the county is expected to spend $2 billion to build a 3,885-bed replacement for the downtown Mens Central Jail.

The new facility will house both male and female inmates. Proponents of the new jail say it is intended to address the mental and physical health needs of inmates who will be housed there.

Around 70% of the inmate population at Mens Central Jail reported a mental or medical illness upon initial assessment.

An environmental impact report, released this month, found the replacement for the Mens Central Jail would not affect the environment in any significant way if its recommendations were implemented.

The other jail is the vacant Mira Loma Detention Center, a womens facility in Lancaster.

The city plans to turn that into a 1,600-bed womens facility.

Activists argue that building a womens facility in Lancaster would make it difficult for families to visit and estimate that the two jails could cost $3.5 billion.

melissa.etehad@latimes.com

Twitter: @melissaetehad

UPDATES:

3:05 p.m.: This article was updated with additional information about the protest as well as comments from demonstrators.

This article originally published at 1 p.m.
A Pacoima woman was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison Monday for striking a Los Angeles police officer with her car while she was high on cocaine, officials said.

Qaneak Shaney Cobb, 37, was convicted of second-degree murder for the 2014 crash that killed LAPD Officer Christopher Cortijo in Sun Valley.

Cortijo was stopped on his motorcycle at a red light at Lankershim Boulevard and Saticoy Street during the early evening of April 5, 2014, when Cobb struck him with her Chevrolet Blazer at 53 mph, crushing him between her vehicle and the one in front of him.

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Cortijo, 51, died four days later. He had spent nearly 27 years with the Los Angeles Police Department, earning accolades for his work in the San Fernando Valley.

His death came during a particularly tough stretch for the LAPD. Cortijo was the second of four L.A. police officers who were killed in traffic collisions over a span of two months.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.
At least eight people were detained at Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday night during small but tense protests as conservative firebrand Milo Yiannopoulos spoke, blasting what he called the silencing of conservative views on college campuses.

Five people were released but told they could face trespassing charges if they returned to campus in the next seven days, Cal State Fullerton Police Capt. Scot Willey said Wednesday morning. Two people, including a student, were cited for violating the dispersal order and released.



For the record: An earlier version of this article said the doors to the event open at 6 p.m. Tuesday. They open at 5 p.m.

Another protester, a woman wearing a black helmet and mask, was arrested after shooting pepper spray into the air. She was booked into the Orange County jail on suspicion of parole violations, including possession of a knife and pepper spray, Willey said.

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Cal State Fullertons chapter of the College Republicans hosted the sold-out event at the Titan Student Union. It drew an audience of more than 800 people.

As Yiannopoulos took the stage, the audience cheered and chanted his name. He began by commenting on sexual harassment scandals plaguing Hollywood, and later called on the federal government to withhold funding from universities that he said try to shut down conservative speech.

When it comes to oppressed minorities and marginalized groups, theres no tribe in America at greater risk  the physical and existential risk  than the campus conservative, he said.

Outside the event, police intervened in the pepper spray incident, forming a line to get the crowd  about 50 people at the time  to move along.

Students gather outside the Titan Student Union at Cal State Fullerton before a speech by Milo Yiannopoulos. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times )

Shouting matches and scuffles broke out later in the evening between left-wing protesters and right-wing counter-protesters as the crowd moved toward the hall where Yiannopoulos spoke.

Just before 7 p.m., a protester threw a water bottle at someone wearing a Make America Great Again hat. Before her arrest, the woman with the helmet was heard urging protesters to break into the Yiannopoulos event and beat him up, according to several witnesses.

University police were out in force, along with about 275 officers from several state and local agencies. Helicopters hovered over campus while police officers on horseback monitored the crowd. Police did not have a cost estimate for the extra security.

Around 8 p.m., police began to clear out a rowdy crowd of about 150 people, which had moved near a campus library.

One woman sought treatment from firefighters, but no other injuries were reported.

The 32-year-old Yiannpoulos previously worked as the tech editor of the far-right Breitbart News and has sought out controversy at every turn. An early supporter of President Trump, he lambastes political correctness and last year was banned from Twitter for harassing Ghostbusters and Saturday Night Live star Leslie Jones. In February, he resigned from Breitbart after video was released showing him making comments that were interpreted as being supportive of pedophilia.

Bianca Turano, who called herself a conservative, went to the protest with her father to call out right-wing agitators making racist or hateful comments. The pair said they support Trump, but not Yiannopoulos or hate speech.

Were here to confront them about what theyre doing, Turano, 23, said of right-wing protesters. Theyre really bullies.

Her father, John Turano, agreed.

Were here to harass the patriots on my team, he said.

Students hosting a nearby Unity Block Party on the campus quad were peaceful. That event, which ended about 7:20 p.m., featured speakers from the LGBTQ community and immigrants.

Some students were surprised when they heard Yiannopoulos was coming to campus.

I was personally shocked and kind of offended because this campus has so many minorities, said Alia Abuelhassan, 21.

Before the event, the university said that while Yiannopoulos is a controversial figure, the administration does not play a role in determining which speakers any student groups can invite to campus.

The value of free speech notwithstanding, the law is clear. Hate-speech codes that have been enacted by some colleges and universities have been declared unconstitutional when challenged in court,  university spokesman Jeff Cook said when the event was being finalized in August.

Tuesdays event marked Yiannopoulos first college-speaking appearance in the U.S. since his highly touted Berkeley Free Speech Week was scheduled in late September. That event fell apart because of disorganization. Yiannopoulos blamed UC Berkeley officials for trying to stop him from coming to campus. Other protests earlier this year in the city turned ugly, with far-left and far-right forces fighting in the streets.

Yiannopoulos is arranging a number of cross-country speaking engagements that he calls his Troll Academy Tour.

Stops at San Diego State and Cal State Bakersfield were announced but then scuttled.

In a text in August to a Los Angeles Times reporter, Yiannopoulos said, Naturally, Ill be visiting a lot of colleges in California. Its the craziest state of all.

benjamin.oreskes@latimes.com

Twitter: @boreskes

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek

ALSO

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L.A. Unified says PUC Schools should have unearthed Rodriguezs alleged conflict three years ago

UPDATES:

10:35 a.m: This article was updated with new information from police.

7 a.m. Nov. 1: This article was updated with information on future events.

9:45 p.m.: This article was updated with details about the arrests and comments from the university spokesman.

7:25 p.m.: This article was updated with interviews of protesters.

6:30 p.m.: This article was updated with details about the protests as they began.

This article was originally published at 1:50 p.m. Oct. 31.
Police officers shot at the driver of stolen Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department SUV on Tuesday morning after the driver stopped and rammed into a police vehicle that was pursuingit.

The pursuit began after deputies responded to a disturbance at the Olive View UCLA Medical Center in Sylmar early Tuesday morning. The deputies arrived to find a man running around the area and pursued him. At one point the man jumped into the sheriffs cruiser and took off, said department spokeswoman Nicole Nishida.

Units from the Sheriffs Department and the California Highway Patrol began pursuing the stolen vehicle through the San Fernando Valley about 6:45 a.m. Tuesday.

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The driver of the stolen SUV weaved through early morning traffic around Granada Hills and Van Nuys with officers in pursuit. The SUV drove onto a sidewalk when traffic came to a standstill.

At one point, the driver of the stolen SUV stopped and reversed into a police vehicle behind it.

As the SUV hit the other police vehicle, an officer who was on foot fired shots into the cab of the stolen cruiser.

The pursuit ended about 7:15 a.m., shortly after the shots were fired, when the driver of the stolen vehicle stopped for police and exited the vehicle wearing only shorts.

#Breakingnews 10/31/17 at 6:43 am #LASD units & @CHPHQ units in pursuit of stolen police veh in Santa Clarita area. Pls stay away.  LA County Sheriff's (@LASDHQ) October 31, 2017

UPDATES:

8:30 a.m.: This article was updated with details on the theft of the sheriffs vehicle.

8:15 a.m.: This article was updated with additional information provided by the Sheriffs Department.

This article was originally published at 7:15 a.m.
Starting on Friday, Orange County workers will actively enforce public hours along the Santa Ana River Trail, where a homeless population has swelled, causing residents to complain about crime.

County crews years ago posted signs for public hours up and down the entire trail along the Santa Ana River flood control channel. But officials say that access has been inconsistently enforced.

The public hours include: Nov. 1-Feb. 28 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and March 1-Oct. 31 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Violators may be cited for trespassing under state law, officials said.

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The enforcement will enable the county to ensure the safety and security of the recreational users of the trail, while simultaneously protecting the integrity of the flood control channel for its intended purpose, said Khalid Bazmi, chief engineer of the Orange County Flood Control District, in a memo to the county Board of Supervisors.

In a push for compliance, workers on Monday also put up more signs in prominent locations, informing the public about hours of operation. Later this year, they will install pedestrian gates at entrances to the trail, a project expected to be finished by mid-2018.

Once installed, the areas between the gates will be patrolled by law enforcement during public hours and the gates will be locked at closing time.

The river trail stretches across four cities: Anaheim, Fountain Valley, Orange and Santa Ana. While agencies fight over jurisdiction and monitor a fluctuating homeless population  at times estimated at about 400  the Orange County Sheriffs Department last month started launching increased outreach efforts and patrols.

Since then, sheriffs deputies have logged 180 arrests and more than 1,000 recorded contacts with homeless individuals in a push to reduce drug activity and property crimes.

The arrests involved crimes ranging from robbery and sex offenses to domestic violence or violations of parole or probation. From the 1,093 contacts made by members of the sheriffs Homeless Outreach Team, 910 people refused help, according to officials.

The criminal element that remains exploits other individuals who are experiencing homelessness, victimizes nearby residents, and threatens recreational users of the riverbed trail, Undersheriff Don Barnes said in a statement.

anh.do@latimes.com

Twitter: @newsterrier
Police said they are are searching for a person suspected of tampering with a gas line in a Venice neighborhood Monday afternoon, causing a leak that triggered the evacuation of about 50 homes.

Residents called authorities about 1:50 p.m. saying they smelled gas in the 2000 block of South Walgrove Avenue, according to the Los Angeles police and fire departments.

Hazardous-materials crews, along with utility workers, responded to the neighborhood to stop the leak. Fire officials called the evacuations precautionary, and said no one was injured.

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By 5:50 p.m., the Southern California Gas Company pinched the leaking gas line, but needed more time to shut the valve.

Evacuees were allowed to go home shortly before 10:30 p.m. Officials said nearly 60 homes on Glencoe and Walgrove avenues from Victoria Avenue to Vienna Way were not expected to have gas restored until about 8 a.m. Tuesday.

Authorities opened an evacuation center at Penmar Recreation Center at 1341 Lake St. for those forced from their homes. Six people showed up.

Its not clear what motivated the suspect, who police said was a former tenant, to tamper with the gas line, authorities said.

Authorities said they are also investigating suspicious cylinders that were spotted at the back of a home on the block.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek

UPDATES:

11 p.m.: This article was updated to reflect residents were allowed to go home.

8 p.m.: This article was updated with information about an evacuation center.

6:40 p.m.: This article was updated with information from authorities about the cause of the gas leak.
British police are investigating 11 allegations of sexual assaults against movie producer Harvey Weinstein that span several decades, sources said Tuesday.

Authorities said the alleged attacks involved seven women and that nine were reported to have occurred on British soil. Three women have stepped forward within the last week, British police said, including one who claimed she was attacked in the early 1990s.

Scotland Yard released details of the probe Tuesday but did not mention Weinstein by name, which is standard procedure in British criminal investigations. Several sources confirmed to The Times that the subject of the investigation is Weinstein.

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The sheer number of the allegations makes Britain the epicenter of the criminal investigations into Weinstein. New York police have at least two investigation open, and Los Angeles has one.

A representative for the producer has denied that Weinstein sexually assaulted anyone.

The British investigations began Oct. 11 when a woman came forward and reported that Weinstein sexually assaulted her in the late 1980s in West London. British actress Lysette Anthony later said publicly that she had made the report.

On Oct. 14, another woman alleged that she was sexually assaulted in Westminster in London in 2010 and 2011, and in Camden, a London borough, in 2015. A day later, a a woman alleged to police that she was sexually assaulted in Westminster in 1992, Scotland Yard said.

A fourth woman told British police she was sexually assaulted outside England in the early 1980s. Scotland Yard said it referred that report to the appropriate police agency but did not provide details.

A fifth woman reported to police on Oct. 24 that she was attacked in Westminster in the mid-1990s. Two days later, a sixth woman came to police and claimed she was attacked outside the United Kingdom in 2012 and then in Westminster in 2013 and 2014. British police said they forwarded the 2012 allegation to the relevant police agency.

The seventh woman reported her allegation Saturday, saying she was sexually assaulted in Westminster in 1994, according to Scotland Yard.

Since a New York Times article Oct. 5 first revealed allegations of sexual misconduct against Weinstein, more than 50 woman have alleged they were sexually harassed or assaulted by the former independent film impresario. Weinstein was fired from his job earlier this month.

Actresses Asia Argento, Rose McGowan, Lucia Evans and Anthony have all publicly stated that they were raped or forced to perform a sex act by Weinstein.

In Los Angeles, police are investigating an Italian model-actress accusations of being forced by Weinstein to have sex with him in her hotel room in 2013.

It is the first case related to Weinstein to be reported in Southern California.

At Mr Cs Hotel, the actress told the Times, he grabbed me by the hair and forced me to do something I did not want to do, she said. He then dragged me to the bathroom and forcibly raped me.

Weinsteins representative denied the allegation.

richard.winton@latimes.com

Twitter: @lacrimes

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An uncollared mountain lion was caught on camera roaming the Hollywood Hills just after midnight recently  the first official evidence of a cougar inhabiting a specially preserved parcel of land in Laurel Canyon, wildlife advocates say.

Neighbors have constantly told us of their own sightings and their own experiences with seeing a mountain lion, said Tony Tucci, co-founder of the wildlife advocacy organization Citizens for Los Angeles Wildlife. I always believed them, and Im thrilled we have the evidence.



For the record: An earlier version of this article said the 17-acre plot in Laurel Canyon was purchased in 2015. Citizens for Los Angeles Wildlife and the Laurel Canyon Assn. started fundraising in 2015.

The Oct. 26 image was snapped by a wildlife camera placed somewhere on a 17-acre plot that CLAW and the Laurel Canyon Assn. are helping to preserve from development. In 2015, the two groups began an effort to raise $1.6 million for the propertys purchase.

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Tucci says capturing photos of the elusive mountain lion, which does not appear to be tagged, and a variety of other animals  including a gray fox, bobcat and deer  further proves the need to protect the abundance of wildlife in the area.

If the mountain lion is female (you cant tell from the photo), she could be a potential mate for the famed P-22 mountain lion living in Griffith Park.

Believed to be the most urban cougar in Southern California, experts say P-22 was probably born in the Santa Monica Mountains and then crossed the 405 and 101 freeways to make Griffith Park his home in 2012.

Besides P-22, the National Park Service hasnt tracked any other mountain lion east of the 405 Freeway.

Its unusual for us to have confirmed sightings in that area, said Kate Kuykendall of the National Park Service.

The sighting also may shed new light on the behavior of mountain lions, which are characterized as solitary, Tucci said.

Maybe we are learning that pumas like P-22 and our uncollared new friend can adapt and coexist with us in urban areas as long as we maintain healthy habitat blocks and corridors, Tucci said.

makeda.easter@latimes.com

Twitter: @makedaeaster
The father of two children who died in a San Diego fire Saturday had threatened a month earlier to burn down the Rancho Bernardo condominium that he and his estranged wife own, court records show.

The man, identified as Henry Lopez, was seriously injured in the blaze and remains hospitalized. San Diego Police Lt. Mike Holden said fire investigators have not determined the cause of the fire, and that Lopez is not a suspect at this time.

This could be a horrible, tragic accident, Holden said. We just dont know.

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The woman described the altercation in a document requesting a restraining order. She said on Sept. 17, she texted her husband about a mortgage payment he had missed.

The two are legally separated, but they co-own the Rancho Bernardo condo on Bernardo Terrace, where Lopez lives.

The woman said that Lopez told her he would make the payment as soon as he got paid. They then briefly discussed their plan to sell the home and finalize their divorce, she said in the court document.

The conversation escalated after she suggested consulting a real estate agent, she said. He messaged that he would fight her and called her derogatory names, she wrote.

Then he texted: Call ur realtor:boyfriend. Dont ducking play me . I will burn all of this (expletive) down, he texted.

Wayne Rice, who represented Lopez when the temporary restraining order was filed, had no comment on the alleged messages.

On Saturday, someone who was driving by the condominium complex about 3:20 a.m. spotted flames coming from a second-story bedroom window and called 911, Holden said.

The two children, identified as 7-year-old Isabella Lopez and 10-year-old Cristos Lopez, were found upstairs with their father when firefighters arrived minutes later, Holden said.

The children later died at a hospital. Their father remains hospitalized and has not been interviewed due to his condition.

Sam Trink, who helped the woman request the restraining order, said her friend is waiting for investigators to come to a determination. But she added that the recent threat makes it very difficult to not make assumptions.

We are really sitting on the edge of our seats waiting for those phone calls from investigators, Trink said.

Investigators did inform the mother that some evidence suggests Henry Lopez tried to get the kids out of the house, Trink said, but many questions still remain.

We dont know what to believe until we actually get those reports, she said.

Holden said fire investigators have sent a number of items collected from the condo to be analyzed, which will take several weeks.
Authorities released the name today of a skateboarder who was fatally shot in Arleta.

The shooting took place about 3:40 p.m. Sunday in the 9900 block of Stanwin Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The skateboarder, Angel Maciel, 28, died at the hospital, the coroners office reported.

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The victim was riding his skateboard when a vehicle pulled alongside of him and an unknown suspect or suspects fired multiple rounds, an LAPD statement said.

No description was released of the suspect or suspects, or of the vehicle. Anyone with information on the crime was urged to call homicide detectives at (818) 374-1934, or (877) LAPD-24-7.

ALSO

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Two of the three suspects in the 'backpack case', including the son of Internal Affairs Minister of Ukraine Arsen Avakov, Oleksandr, have been notified of suspicion against them, a source told Interfax-Ukraine.

"Two out of three suspects have been notified of suspicion," the source said.

Avakov earlier confirmed that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine searched the premises of his son Oleksandr. A number of media reported that searches are being conducted as part of the investigation into the purchase of backpacks for the Interior Ministry and the National Guard in late 2014 and early 2015, launched by the Internal Affairs Ministry in 2015. Later, the ex-adviser to the head of the Interior Ministry, leader of the Socialist Party of Ukraine, Illia Kiva, and MP Serhiy Leschenko of the Petro Poroshenko Bloc reported the detention of Oleksandr Avakov in Kyiv.

The agency also learnt about the detention of former deputy interior minister Serhiy Chebotar in the case, on which a search was conducted in Kharkiv on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Avakov's son was taken to NABU.

Solomiansky District Court of Kyiv will not consider the petition for choosing preventive measure against Oleksandr Avakov on Tuesday, the court spokesman, Yana Kvitchenko, has said.
Jury selection began Monday in the criminal trial of Cliven Bundy, his two sons and a supporter on felony charges related to their armed standoff with federal agents more than three years ago over cattle grazing rights.

It is the first time that members of the Bundy family  which has become a symbol for activists fighting federal land policy  will be on trial for the 2014 showdown in Bunkerville, Nev., about an hour north of Las Vegas. Some of their supporters stood trial earlier this year.

U.S. District Court Judge Gloria Navarro told the roughly 50 prospective jurors that the Las Vegas trial could last into February.

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The potential witness list includes more than 1,100 names  including Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist, and Michele Fiore, a Las Vegas councilwoman and gun rights activist who was in the Nevada Legislature during the conflict and showed up to support the Bundy family.

The potential jurors filled out questionnaires about their feelings on guns, protests and the Oct. 1 mass shooting in Las Vegas that killed 58 and wounded nearly 500 people.

Bret Whipple, the attorney for 71-year-old Cliven Bundy, questioned one juror who said she was at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas when the gunman began shooting from the hotel window down upon the crowd attending a music festival. He asked her if talking about guns and the events of the Bundy standoff might affect her ability to be impartial.

I dont know what would trigger something that would take me back to that day, she said.

After she spoke, another juror began tearing up. Dan Hill, Ammon Bundys lawyer, asked her if she thought this might not be the right trial for her to be on.

Probably not, she said.

The jury pool featured a wide array of personalities, including a man who was once on Judge Judy over a dog dispute and another who claimed to dine regularly with Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo.

By the end of the afternoon, close to half of the jury pool had been eliminated.

The case against the Bundys starts in 1998, when Cliven Bundy was ordered to remove his cattle from federal land after he refused to pay U.S. Bureau of Land Management the grazing fees.

When he defied the order, the federal government began extracting 400 head of cattle from the land, prompting Bundy to put out a request for help from sympathizers.

Hundreds of people answered the call  many arriving with firearms, which they allegedly brandished at federal agents from an overpass on Interstate 15.

Prosecutors say Bundy led the aggression against federal agents and that he was assisted by his sons, 44-year-old Ryan and 42-year-old Ammon, and Ryan Payne. The felony charges include conspiracy in trying to stop the federal government from seizing cattle grazing on public land, carrying and using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence and threatening a federal officer.

Control over land in the West has been a contentious issue, particularly in Nevada, where 85% of the state is controlled by the federal government.

The Bundys also draw support from Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana, which are also largely controlled by the federal government and feature outspoken political leaders who regularly push legislation in support of turning over the land to the states.

The trial  and those that have preceded it  has become evidence to Bundy supporters of the federal governments abuse of power.

Outside the federal courthouse in Las Vegas on Monday, a small group stood on the sidewalk with signs supporting their cause. A few watched inside the courtroom taking notes to broadcast on internet radio stations and deliver updates on social media.

They watched as the defendants, dressed in orange jail jumpsuits, took notes during the jury selection, and whispered praise for Ryan Bundy, who is defending himself in the trial.

The older son earned a small victory when he persuaded the judge to let him ask potential jurors questions while not wearing shackles  arguing it would be prejudicial.

But Bundy was also admonished for delivering a speech about his treatment in jail instead of asking a question.

Does my incarceration make you believe Im guilty? he finally asked.

None of the jurors responded affirmatively. Then he told them a story about how as a child he was involved in a car accident that caused partial paralysis in his face  causing some to misread his expressions.

He asked the potential jurors if they could be impartial about that. None said they couldnt.

Thank you for that, he said.

Jury trial is expected to last throughout the week, and opening statements could begin as early as next Monday.

Federal prosecutors do not have a good track record on cases involving the Bundys.

In 2016, Ammon Bundy and Ryan Bundy were acquitted on charges that they prevented federal workers from accessing land at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge during a 41-day standoff earlier that year.

And in two trials this year, federal prosecutors failed on most attempts to obtain convictions of Bundy supporters who joined the Bunkerville standoff.

david.montero@latimes.com

Twitter: @davemontero
George Papadopoulos was sitting four chairs away from Donald Trump in March 2016 when he made his pitch: He had high-level Russian government connections who could arrange a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

After debating the offer for 10 minutes, Trump and his top foreign policy advisors declined, said a former campaign aide who attended the meeting at Trump International Hotel in Washington.

They shut it down, the aide said.

But Papadopoulos didnt give up. For weeks, he continued to try to set himself up as a go-between with Moscow. A virtual unknown in foreign policy circles, he seemed determined to make himself a significant player.

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On Monday, Papadopoulos quest for significance succeeded, although almost certainly not the way he originally envisioned. Federal prosecutors unsealed an Oct. 5 guilty plea by Papadopoulos to charges that, in January, he had lied to FBI agents investigating Russian efforts to influence the 2016 campaign.

The agreement disclosed that this summer, Papadopoulos had become a cooperating witness for the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III. For months, he has been what the agreement referred to as a proactive cooperator, phrasing that suggested to legal experts that he has done more than simply answer questions.

The chronology laid out in his plea agreement provided some of the clearest public evidence to date that Russians  including some with close ties to the government  had tried to reach out to the Trump campaign during the 2016 campaign and that at least some campaign officials had been strongly interested in reaching back.

Papadopoulos, a 30-year-old Chicago native, is an unlikely candidate to have emerged as a key figure in the Russia probe. He had almost no foreign policy experience before being named by the Trump campaign in March 2016 as a foreign policy advisor. In particular, he had no apparent expertise in U.S.-Russia relations.

But Papadopoulos, whose lawyer declined to comment on his guilty plea, was in some ways a perfect candidate for Russian efforts to contact the campaign.

A decade after graduating from college, he had worked briefly for a conservative Washington think tank, spent a month advising Ben Carsons presidential campaign, then moved to London to work in the energy sector.

When the Trump campaign was scrambling to assemble a foreign policy team in spring 2016, Sam Clovis, the campaigns co-chairman and a former talk show host from Iowa, recommended Papadopoulos, according to the former senior campaign aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a subject that is under criminal investigation.

Trump publicly named Papadopoulos a few weeks later, in a March meeting at the Washington Post, as one of five foreign policy advisors.

Barry Bennett, a former campaign aide to both Trump and Carson, now the secretary of Housing and Urban Development, said in an interview that Papadopoulos had been let go after working briefly for Carson.

He didnt have the chops, Bennett said, adding, I was surprised when I read he was at the Trump campaign.

After being named to Trumps campaign, Papadopoulos suddenly found himself befriended by multiple people claiming ties to the Russian government, according to prosecution documents.

In one of the strangest examples, Papadopoulos told investigators he met a college professor from London while traveling in Italy on March 14, 2016. Although initially uninterested in talking to him, the professor took great interest after Papadopoulos told him he was joining the Trump campaign, according to court filings.

The professor claimed to have substantial connections with Russian government officials, which Papadopoulos thought could increase his importance as a policy adviser to the campaign, the documents said.

The prosecution documents, which did not name the professor, identified him as a citizen of a Mediterranean country. The Washington Post reported that the professor appeared to be Joseph Mifsud, the director of the London Academy of Diplomacy. According to his online profile, Mifsud is a citizen of Malta. Mifsud put out a statement denying anything but academic contacts with Russian officials.

Papadopoulos and the professor met again 10 days later in London. This time the professor brought along a Russian woman, whom he introduced as Putins niece, although she turned out not to be. Later that day, Papadopoulos emailed Trump campaign aides, telling them they had discussed setting up a possible meeting between the Trump campaign and Russian officials.

The meeting between Trump and his foreign policy team at his hotel in Washington came a week later. Despite being rebuffed at that event by then-Sen. Jeff Sessions, Trumps top foreign policy advisor who is now attorney general, Papadopoulos persisted.

In April, he held another meeting with the professor, who told Papadopoulos he had just returned from Moscow and that the Russians had dirt on [Hillary] Clinton, including thousands of emails, according to the court documents. That meeting came less than a month after hackers, later identified as having links to Russian intelligence, stole thousands of emails from Clintons campaign chairman, John Podesta. That email hack did not become public until months later. Its unknown, however, if the emails the professor allegedly referred to were Podestas.

It is unclear from the prosecution documents whether Papadopoulos reported this information to the campaign, but he kept pushing for a Trump-Putin meeting and looking for ways to advance his cause despite skepticism from Sessions and Paul Manafort, Trumps campaign chairman. Among other moves, he made contact with another Russian claiming to have contacts with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow.

In a last-ditch attempt to carve out a role for himself, Papadopoulos offered to travel to Moscow himself and got approval to do so from a senior campaign official, the court papers show. The former campaign aide identified that person as Clovis, who is now Trumps nominee for a senior position in the Department of Agriculture. The trip never took place.

Failing to land a job in the Trump administration, Papadopoulos moved home to Chicago after the election, where he has been living in a large, remodeled brick bungalow on a secluded block of stately homes in the Lincoln Square neighborhood, according to state records and a neighbor who lives across the street.

He is frequently seen walking his small, curly-haired yappy dog, but otherwise mostly keeps to himself, said Kim Zimmerman, a neighbor.

In January, he was visited by FBI agents working on the Russia investigation. According to his guilty plea, he lied repeatedly when asked about his Russia contacts, telling the agents his conversations with the Russians had been innocuous and occurred before he joined the campaign. He also deleted a Facebook account that he used to send private message to his Russian contacts.

On July 27, he was returning to the U.S. from a trip to Europe. When he stepped off a plane at Washingtons Dulles International Airport, FBI agents arrested him and charged him with lying. He began cooperating with investigators soon afterward.

Chicago Tribune staff writer Patrick OConnell contributed to this article from Chicago.

david.cloud@latimes.com

Twitter: @davidcloudLAT

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On Sunday, two days after a federal grand jury approved the first indictments in the investigation of potential collusion between the Donald Trump campaign and Russia, President Trump tweeted his concern about the Uranium to Russia deal, an issue he sought to elevate during the 2016 campaign.

The presidents tweet referred to the sale of Uranium One, a Canadian company with U.S. mine holdings, to a Russian company while Hillary Clinton was secretary of State. The presidents allies rushed to support the tweet with assertions that the sale was an urgent, factual and more visible example of Russian collusion. Breitbart.com, for instance, called the sale the center of an explosive scandal.

What is Uranium One?

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The 12-year-old company, based in Toronto, is a subsidiary of Rosatom, Russias state-owned nuclear technology corporation. Uranium One owns uranium reserves and operates a mine in Willow Creek, Wyo.

Whats the issue?

In 2010, while Hillary Clinton was secretary of State, Rosatom acquired a majority share of Uranium One. Because Uranium One controls 20% of U.S. uranium production capacity, the transaction required federal approval. During the 2016 election campaign, Trump asserted that Clinton gave 20% of our uranium  gave Russia for a big payment.

Trump charged that Clinton approved the sale in exchange for $145 million in donations from Uranium One investors to the Clinton Foundation. He argued that Clinton colluded with the Russians and put U.S. national security at risk.

What are the facts?

News organizations and Politifact.com, an independent fact-checking group, took a careful look at Trumps assertion. They found that a nine-member interagency group, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, considered the Uranium One sale and that one of its members, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, issued the approval. News organizations quoted members of the committee who said that Clinton was not involved in the decision.

The principal Uranium One donor to the Clinton Foundation was Frank Giustra, an investor who had divested himself of a stake in the company three years before the sale. The New York Times reported that in 2010 a Russian bank paid former President Bill Clinton $500,000 to address a conference in Moscow and that Ian Telfer, another Uranium One investor, donated $1.3 million to $5.6 million to the Clinton Foundation during and after the interagency review.

Independent analysts said the facts did not support Trumps assertion of scandal. Trumps allies disagree. Newt Gringrich, the former Republican House speaker, wrote on FoxNews.com on Friday: I think we are on the edge of the greatest corruption scandal in American history.

Is the U.S. uranium sector a vital link in U.S. national security?

No. More than 90% of the roughly 55 million pounds of uranium used in U.S. nuclear reactors each year is imported, principally from Canada and Kazakhstan, according to the Department of Energy. The American uranium market, like the market for coal, appears to be fading. Since 2012, operators have announced retirements for six nuclear plants, or 10% of the 61 nuclear plants operating across the nation. Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse, one of the worlds largest nuclear reactor designers and builders, filed for bankruptcy protection last spring. While reactors consume the largest share of uranium used in the United States, a portion of the radioactive metal was used in producing atomic warheads, which are being removed from the nuclear stockpile.

Is Russian ownership of 20% of U.S. uranium reserves and production significant?

Not really. U.S. mines produced 2.3 million pounds of uranium last year, the lowest level since 2004, according to the Department of Energy. The White Mesa Mill in San Juan County, Utah, owned by Energy Fuels Inc., is the only one of five uranium ore processing plants still operating in the United States, according to the Department of Energy. Six more plants that use a different uranium processing technique operate in Nebraska (one) and Wyoming (five). Aside from the tiny production figures, in order for Uranium One to aid Russias uranium supply, or any other nations, it would need an export license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The company does not have an export license.

Is Rosatoms presence in the United States and Canada significant?

Maybe. The company outpaces Russias nuclear power industry and challenges Chinese nuclear developers as the worlds largest nuclear company. Two years ago it said it had agreements to build more than 30 nuclear plants in 13 nations, including Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Turkey and India.

But fierce civic protests and rapidly rising costs are imperiling nuclear power plant projects around the world. Vietnam canceled plans to build nuclear power plants. Indias Russian-built reactor project in Tamil Nadu is years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget.

keith.schneider@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @modeshift

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Nearly six months after he was appointed special counsel, former FBI Director Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation of possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia  as well as other matters that may arise  produced criminal charges on Monday. Despite what you may have read on President Trumps Twitter feed, this is a big deal.

Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was indicted on charges of money-laundering and conspiracy in connection with his role in an alleged scheme to use offshore accounts to hide tens of millions of dollars he received for representing a pro-Russia political faction in Ukraine. Richard W. Gates III, Manaforts deputy campaign chairman and longtime associate, was also named in the indictment.

Like any defendants, the two are presumed innocent until proven guilty. But the charges are serious, carrying years of potential prison time  and they raise questions about Trumps decision to place these particular men at the helm of his campaign. Whats more, as everyone knows who has watched a complicated criminal investigation like this one unfold, early indictments are often brought against lower-level individuals who are peripheral to the investigation as prosecutors work their way toward the more central figures  a process that is made easier if and when the lower-level people begin to cooperate in order to protect themselves.

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A wiser, more experienced and less defensive president would remain silent at this point in the investigation.

Separately, it was announced Monday that George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy advisor to the Trump campaign, had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with a professor he believed had substantial connections to Kremlin officials. The professor told Papadopoulos that the Russians had dirt about Hillary Clinton and thousands of emails. Papadopoulos was arrested in July and has been cooperating with authorities.

Predictably, Trump and his administration were quick to discount the importance of all these charges. The president tweeted: Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why arent Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????

In a subsequent tweet, he added: Also, there is NO COLLUSION! Yet one definition of collusion is soliciting dirt about a political opponent from a foreign government that is actively seeking to interfere in U.S. elections, then incorporating it into ones campaign. Such dirt was what was promised in the now-famous meeting at Trump Tower in June 2016 attended by Manafort, Donald Trump Jr. and a Russian lawyer. (The ultimate act of collusion, of course, would be complicity by the Trump campaign in Russias hacking of Democratic email accounts and the dissemination of their contents by WikiLeaks. So far there is no proof of that sort of collusion.)

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Monday tried to minimize Papadopoulos role in the Trump campaign, saying he served in an extremely limited ... volunteer position. Yet, according to court documents, Papadopoulos corresponded with campaign officials about the possibility of a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. He even broached the idea at a campaign meeting Trump attended.

Also, Papadopoulos guilty plea should be worrisome to Trump and his lieutenants because it stems from his decision to mislead the FBI  and as most Washington-watchers know, it is often the cover-up rather than the underlying crime that leads to trouble for politicians under investigation. Muellers inquiry encompasses the question of whether members of the Trump administration, including Trump himself, sought to shut down the investigations  and whether they engaged in obstruction of justice along the way. Just as Mueller is looking into Papadopoulos today, he will undoubtedly be looking at Trumps decision to fire FBI Director James Comey tomorrow.

Sanders and Trump yesterday tried to deflect attention by arguing that the real collusion with Russia was on the part of the Clinton campaign. By paying for a dossier about Trump, Sanders suggested, the Clinton campaign conspired with Russian intelligence to smear Trump  a far-fetched idea.

A wiser, more experienced and less defensive president would remain silent at this point in the investigation, or confine himself to expressing confidence that the system of justice would prevail. Thats probably too much to expect from Trump. What matters is that he doesnt attempt to interfere with or short-circuit the judicial process or Muellers further investigations. Sanders said Monday that the president had no intention of firing Mueller, and she indicated that he would let the process play through before considering pardons for Manafort or Gates. Pardons  for anyone  and firing the special counsel must be off the table.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook
As if Europe werent struggling with enough problems, from Brexit to rising nationalism to a seemingly endless flow of migrants fleeing tumult and war in the Middle East and Africa, Spain now finds itself mired in its worst political crisis since the death of dictator Gen. Francisco Franco and the creation of a democratic Spanish state in 1978. The crisis stems from a growing desire in Catalonia  the semiautonomous northeastern region anchored by Barcelona  to secede and form an independent nation.

Polling has been inconclusive on how deep the support for secession runs among Catalans. A controversial and illegal plebiscite Oct. 1 drew a turnout of only 43%, but the vote  conducted despite violent and questionable tactics by the federal government to stop it  was overwhelmingly for secession. And now the countrys top prosecutor, Atty. Gen. Jose Manuel Maza, is calling for the leaders of the peaceful secession movement to be tried on sedition and other related charges.

This would be a good time for a cooling off period. In the run-up to the referendum, the attorney general threatened to arrest mayors who allowed the balloting to take place in public buildings, as well as people who printed or distributed ballot papers. The government also warned postal workers not to handle referendum-related mailings and threatened to cut off electric power to polling places. Granted, Catalan leaders should have observed a federal court order barring the referendum, but the Franco-style response by the national government made the situation worse.

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If the central government wants Catalans to vote in a new pro-unity slate, it should stop ham-handed attempts at intimidation.

After Catalan lawmakers declared independence last week (an action that was boycotted by dozens of their colleagues), Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy led the federal parliament in a vote to dissolve the Catalan parliament and fire top Catalan officials involved in the movement, two sanctions that are allowed under Spains Constitution. Central government caretakers are in charge in the Catalan capital, Barcelona, until a new government can be elected Dec. 21. If the pro-secession forces win at the polls  this time without police interference  then Rajoys government must figure out a way to respond to the serious level of discontent in Catalonia without taking punitive measures that might worsen the tensions. If the secession forces lose, then the steam behind the movement is bound to dissipate, and while the desire for independence will not go away, it will lose momentum.

Until that vote, efforts by the national government to criminalize peaceful behavior and imprison those pursuing a nonviolent political dream will exacerbate the crisis at a time when passions and rhetoric need to settle down. If the central government wants Catalans to vote in a new pro-unity slate, it should stop ham-handed attempts at intimidation.

Is there a mediation role for the European Union? Perhaps. This is at heart an internal issue for Spain and the Catalans to sort out, but Catalonias leaders say that with independence they would seek admission to the EU. That makes this more than an internal issue. A pro-secession vote could also reverberate in other corners of the continent. Most proximately, Basque separatists who waged a four-decade armed struggle for self-determination in the region to the west of Catalonia renounced violence only six years ago, and didnt disarm until earlier this year. Its unclear whether Catalans pushing secession along another part of Spains northern tier might reignite that crisis.

Europe has struggled with these issues before, and sometimes disastrously so. Regional independence movements led to the violent collapse of Yugoslavia a quarter century ago amid ethnic cleansing campaigns that had disturbing echoes of the continents violent 20th century. Scotland, propelled by dissatisfaction with its representation in the British Parliament, held its own referendum three years ago, with voters ultimately deciding to remain within the United Kingdom.

But Catalonia is in a different space from Scotland. Catalans speak their own language and have enjoyed significant autonomy for far longer, beginning before the civil war that brought Franco to power. Whether they win the next step in the political process will be significant, and we wont presume from this distance to tell the Catalans how they should vote. But it is in the interests of greater peace that this confrontation be resolved through negotiation, not force, and that the decisions be based on the realities of modern Spain and Europe, not a romanticized notion of national identity.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook
The street where I grew up, although peaceful, was no good for Halloween: few children, lots of ornery old people, a couple of real child-hating sociopaths. Even in those days before inflatable yard castles, the houses were notably absent of Halloween cheer  maybe a toothless jack-o-lantern or two, nothing more. And as a child with no interest in dressing up, I had no particular use for costumes.

As a father, however, I love Halloween. I love that my street, already well-stocked with children of all ages, benefits from a mad, Pamplona-like infusion of new faces. They come to us from the more urban neighborhoods to the east and from the suburbs to the west, from apartment buildings and from McMansion-y precincts lacking sidewalks, drawn by our locally famous deep bags of candy.

Most of all, I love how much my four daughters love the holiday. They love the neighborhood events that precede the day, the puppet-making classes and the parade through our small village of shops.

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Above all, they love their costumes. Blessed with all the passion for play, they enjoy conceiving their costumes, planning their execution, then handing over those plans to their mother, whose crafty, sewing side emerges once a year, to give her daughters the Halloween that she, as a Manhattan girl for whom trick-or-treating meant pressing UP in the elevator, never had. She is as game for the postmodern costume ideas of our eldest, Rebekah  in 2013, she went as a washer/dryer set  as for the classical preferences of our third daughter, Klara, who has been, inter alia, a flower and a ballerina.

May a pint-sized Jew dress up as mercenary soldier from feudal Japan?

Given the number of costumes our children have worn, about 30 since 2010, were fortunate that weve never had to say no to any idea for political reasons. Our kids dont even know that Halloween has become as genuinely controversial as, say, Christmas in the eyes of a Fox News anchor. There is of course no real war on Christmas, but there are many skirmishes over Halloween costumes. Some of them are ridiculous, some necessary, but in either case parents today must pay attention.

Two years ago, a Yale instructor caused a national uproar when she sent an email objecting to a note cautioning students about culturally insensitive costumes. Last year, Disney had to pull from the market its costume of the Polynesian demigod Maui, featured in the movie Moana. The costume depicted tattooed brown skin, which understandably offended those who felt that it was blackface by another name: Look, wear another ethnicitys skin color!

Last month, writing at the website raceconscious.org, one mother worried that letting her white daughter dress as the character Moana would be cultural appropriation  but letting her dress as the blond, blue-eyed Scandinavian princess Elsa from Frozen would send the message that you have to be a certain way to be beautiful.

On the one hand, this attention to the ethical implications of what used to be seen as harmless fun is long overdue. I am glad that we no longer think its OK to dress up our white children as tomahawk-wielding Indians for Halloween. White people should be particularly careful when portraying other cultures, but we all should tread lightly: If I saw a young child dressed as a Hasidic Jew for Halloween, with a black hat and fake side locks, Id be horrified whether the boy was Irish Catholic, black, Navajo or Yazidi.

But maybe its not so simple. For example, what if the little boy dressed as an Orthodox Jew were a theater buff who just wanted to play Tevye, from Fiddler on the Roof? Well, that would be kind of cute. When I was 10, I was in love with musical theater; if youd forced me to dress up for Halloween, I might have chosen a character from Dreamgirls, a play about African Americans. A couple of years earlier, I was obsessed with Diana Ross.

My parents would have had the good sense not to let me don blackface to play Diana Ross. But in cases like Tevye, we might listen to Erika Christakis, the Yale scholar who wrote in that notorious email: Pretend play is the foundation of most cognitive tasks, and it seems to me that we want to be in the business of encouraging the exercise of imagination, not constraining it.

Christakis is a former preschool teacher, and shes surely right that, when it comes to the costume preferences of very little children, at least, there is a difference between fantasizing about an individual character vs. appropriating a culture, wholesale.

So far, weve been lucky in our childrens costume choices. But what if Ellie got obsessed with leprechauns? Or Anna with martial arts? May a pint-sized Jew dress up as mercenary soldier from feudal Japan? After nine seasons of American Ninja Warrior on NBC, Id guess the answer is yes.

Im glad that this year Annas going as a witch. Nobody, except everybody who practices nature-based religions that they identify with witchcraft, could get upset about that.

Mark Oppenheimer, a contributing writer to Opinion, is the host of Unorthodox, the podcast of Tablet magazine.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook
To the editor: Jonah Goldberg, like his former mentor William F. Buckley, should admit to finding himself in a bind: He doesnt want to please people he cant stand to please. (Conservatives used to stand up to crackpots like Alabamas Roy Moore. Now many are defending him, Opinion, Oct. 24)

In Buckleys case, he didnt want to please liberals by criticizing the John Birch Society, particularly its infamous leader, Robert W. Welch Jr., who rode anti-communism fervor to denigrate civil rights and other liberal causes as communist conceits.

In Goldbergs case, he voices disgust for Alabamas notorious ex-Chief Justice Roy Moore who, despite being removed from the bench for his unconstitutional deference to religion, won the state GOPs U.S. Senate primary.

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But Goldberg dares not attack Moore for touting government endorsement of religion. That would offend the religious rights minions, quick as many of them are to apply labels to Democratic leaders and progressive notions to suggest they are somehow anti-Christian.

Where Goldberg surely prefers democracy to theocracy, he has abundant cause to call out Moore  and his benighted hard-core supporters.

Sarah S. Williams, Santa Barbara

..

To the editor: Writing a letter praising Goldberg bothers me in the same way he reported that Buckley hesitated attacking the John Birch Society because he knew it would please the liberals whom he disliked with a passion.

Goldbergs tale of Buckleys moral courage and love of America combined with Goldbergs dismissal of some of the crazies in the Republican ranks demands that I write in praise of Goldberg, even if doing so pleases some conservatives.

I remember wondering how a man as intelligent as Buckley could support so many conservative ideas that I found outrageous, but he set a very high moral bar with his attack on the Birchers. I can only hope to reach that bar as a dedicated liberal in praising Goldberg.

Charles M. Weisenberg, Beverly Hills

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
Orange County at center of fundraising in Californias most contested races By Sarah D. Wire More than half of the money raised for the most contested House races in California is going to candidates in Orange County, another indication of its starring role in the Democratic effort to win back control of the House next year. Of the 80 or so challengers in California, 27 are running in Orange County. A Los Angeles Times analysis of this years campaign finance filings found it is also where the cash is going to: About $15 million of the nearly $28.5 million raised this year for 13 key races went to candidates in just four Orange County districts: Read More Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown plans climate trip to Vatican, Belgium, Norway and Germany By Chris Megerian (Eric Risberg / Associated Press) Gov. Jerry Brown has mapped out a busy European travel schedule that includes attending the next United Nations conference on climate change in Bonn, Germany. While the White House declares war on climate science and retreats from the Paris Agreement, California is doing the opposite and taking action, Brown said in a statement. We are joining with our partners from every part of the world to do what needs to be done to prevent irreversible climate change. Roughly two dozen public events are planned over 10 days, starting with a speech at a Vatican symposium on Saturday. Brown wont be the only California politician at the conference. Rep. Scott Peters (D-San Diego) is speaking later that day, and state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) is scheduled to appear Friday. After the Vatican, the governor is bouncing between Germany and Belgium, plus a stop in Norway to meet with scientists. Hes holding press conferences with the president of the European Parliament and the minister-president of Baden-Wurttemberg, a German state that has collaborated with California on an international climate pact. Once the Bonn conference begins, much of Browns focus will be on how states, provinces and other local governments can tackle climate change absent stronger action from national leaders. He was named a special advisor to the U.N. conference for states and regions earlier this year. Brown is scheduled to appear with former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Nov. 11 and speak at numerous other events, a packed itinerary much like the one he kept at the Paris climate conference two years ago. His last event is expected to take place Nov. 14. Facebook

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California business tax incentive program should end, legislative analyst says By Liam Dillon California no longer should give specific tax incentives to businesses and instead should provide broad-based tax relief, the states nonpartisan Legislative Analysts Office said in a new report. The analysts office examined California Competes, a program that began four years ago to give tax credits to businesses looking to move to the state or remain here, and found it puts existing companies that dont receive the awards at a disadvantage without clear benefits to the overall economy. Picking winners and losers inevitably leads to problems. In the case of California Competes, we are struck by how awarding benefits to a select group of businesses harms their competitors in California, the report said. We also think the resources consumed by the program are not as focused as they should be on winning economic development competitions with other states to attract major employers that sell to customers around the country and the world. California Competes has allowed the awarding of nearly $800 million in tax credits. The legislative analyst found that more than a third of the credits awarded through California Competes resulted in no change to the overall economy and put the states existing businesses at a competitive disadvantage. The analyst couldnt assess the value of the remainder of the credits because its impossible to know how businesses would have reacted had they not received them. California Competes is scheduled to end next year. The analysts office recommends replacing it by lowering business taxes overall or, should lawmakers want to keep it, tailor the program more narrowly to focus on attracting and retaining high-value companies. Facebook

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Electric companies found at fault in North Bay fires wont be able to pass costs onto residents under proposed bill By Liam Dillon Jason Miller, 45, plants an American flag on the charred remains of his house in Coffey Park. He had lived in the Santa Rosa neighborhood for 23 years. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) If electric utilities are found at fault in the recent wildfires in the North Bay, a group of state lawmakers want to ensure they dont pass along their costs to residents. Victims of devastating fires and other customers should not be forced to pay for the mistakes made by utilities, state Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) said in a release. Hill is one of four Bay Area legislators who said they plan to introduce a bill when lawmakers return to the Capitol in January to block any effort by utilities found at fault to recoup any costs from ratepayers. Investigators have not identified the cause of the wildfires that ripped across Northern California this month that left more than 40 people dead and thousands of homes destroyed. But the lawmakers said their legislation is motivated by San Diego Gas & Electrics efforts to recover costs from wildfires in that region a decade ago. Co-authoring the bill with Hill is Sen. Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg), Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Assemblyman Marc Levine (D-San Rafael). Facebook

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Proposed initiative would end early release for some crimes, allow more DNA collection By Patrick McGreevy (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) A coalition including police officers and prosecutors on Monday proposed a California state initiative that would end early release of rapists and child traffickers and expand the number of crimes for which authorities could collect DNA samples from those convicted. The ballot measure is sponsored by the California Public Safety Partnership, and would reverse some elements of Proposition 47, which was approved by voters in 2014 and reduced some crimes deemed nonviolent from a felony to a misdemeanor. The proposed initiative would add 15 crimes to the list of violent crimes for which early release is not an option, including child abuse, rape of an unconscious person, trafficking a child for sex, domestic violence and assault with a deadly weapon. These reforms make sure that truly violent criminals stay in jail and dont get out early, said Sacramento County Dist. Atty. Anne Marie Schubert, a leader of the coalition. The initiative would also allow DNA collection for certain crimes, including drug offenses, that were reduced to misdemeanors under Proposition 47. Assemblyman Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove) said there have been 2,000 fewer hits matching DNA to cold cases annually in recent years. He cited one case from 1989 involving the murder of two young girls in Sacramento that was solved last year by DNA taken from a man in a drug case before those were excluded from DNA collection. If that case happens today, right now, it does not get solved, said Cooper, a former sheriffs captain. Changes in law also made theft of goods valued at less than $950 a misdemeanor, so some criminals are committing serial thefts and keeping each one to $949 or less, Cooper said. The initiative would make serial theft a felony. The measure also mandates a parole revocation hearing for anyone who violates the terms of their parole three times. A Whittier police officer was recently murdered by a parolee who had violated parole five times, said Los Angeles Police Protective League President Craig Lally, who supports the initiative. A representative of the group behind Proposition 47 said it was not reasonable to blame the ballot measure for an uptick in some crimes in some parts of the state. Fluctuations in crime have much more to do with economic and social policies and practices, said Tom Hoffman, a spokesman for the group Californians for Safety and Justice. Its so much more complicated than one piece of legislation as an issue. The proponents of the initiative need to collect signatures from 365,880 voters by the end of April to qualify the initiative for the November 2018 election. Facebook

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When men with power go too far: After years of whispers, women speak out about harassment in Californias Capitol By Chris Megerian Tina McKinnor, left, Sadalia King, Amy Thoma Tan, Jodi Hicks and Sabrina Lockhart have come forward to talk about their experiences with sexual harassment at the Capitol. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) It started with a dinner invitation from a former assemblyman more than twice her age. He had offered his services as a mentor, but his hand reaching for her knee under the table revealed other intentions. Then came the late-night phone calls and unexpected appearances at events she had to attend for her job in the Capitol. Fresh out of college, Amy Brown did what she thought women were supposed to do in these situations  she reported him. The former assemblyman accused her of slander, an experience that left her so humiliated that she left Sacramento for a new job in San Jose. I immediately got the hell out of town, Brown said. I felt like the people  the person  I was relying on for advancement in my career was preying on me. Stories like these have taken many forms through the years. Sometimes its a professional meeting that turned inappropriately sexual, or its a groping hand on a backside. In one case, a woman said a lawmaker masturbated in front of her in a bar bathroom. No matter the details, each story involves a man with power  the kind of power bestowed by voters, an influential lobbying client or a supply of campaign cash. And instead of wielding that power to shape politics or public policy, the man used it to proposition women or to touch them inappropriately. Read More Facebook

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Big jump in the number of House challengers isnt great news for California Republicans By Christine Mai-Duc So far this year, 80 challengers have reported raising money across California for the 2018 midterm elections, more than triple the number who had done so at this point in the 2016 election. Collectively, theyve raised more than $14.9 million, and 70% of that has gone to the four Republican-held districts in Orange County that Democrats consider key to their chances. There havent been this many congressional challengers in Californias House races this early in the game since at least 2003, and that could be bad news for Republican incumbents. Read More Facebook

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Californias Senate culture doesnt encourage women to file complaints. Heres how that could change By Melanie Mason Senate leader Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles), shown in September, acknowledged that the Senate could improve its procedures for reporting misconduct. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) In 2014, reeling from scandals that led to the suspension of three Democratic senators, Californias state Senate changed its policies to make it easier for employees, members and the public to sound the alarm about misconduct. A Times analysis of those rule changes shows a lack of follow-through to make reporting complaints more accessible. And the lawmaker who worked on changes in the Senates operations after that scandal says more could have been done. Then-Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) suggested at the time that the move would lead to positive cultural change and strengthen the integrity of this great institution. But as the Capitol now soul-searches over allegations of widespread sexual harassment, the current legislative leaders acknowledge the culture still does not encourage women to file complaints. The Senates effort to reform itself three years ago  and how it fell short  is instructive as both legislative houses embark on a new round of self-improvement. Read More Facebook

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Have you experienced sexual harassment in government or politics? Tell us your story If you work in government or politics and have experienced sexual harassment, wed like to hear from you. Please tell us your story using the form below. We will not share your personal contact information. Facebook

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California Assembly Speaker applauds Capitol staffers bravery in going public with complaint against assemblyman By Melanie Mason Gyore spoke publicly for the first time about a 2009 complaint she filed against Bocanegra. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) said Friday that the experience of a staffer who filed a complaint eight years ago against now-Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra illustrates why the Capitol culture must change. Elise Flynn Gyore told The Times about her experience filing a complaint against Bocanegra, who was then a legislative staffer, after she said he groped her and followed her in a manner she found threatening at a 2009 after-work event in a Sacramento bar. The Friday morning story in The Times was the first time she had spoken publicly of the incident and the complaint, which resulted in Bocanegra being disciplined. I appreciate Ms. Gyores bravery in bringing this incident forward. We have to change the culture in the Capitol and in society and her experience shows why, Rendon said in a statement Friday afternoon. How incidents of harassment were handled in the past can inform our current efforts to improve the system and to build a future where these injustices are prevented before they happen and no employee has to fear harassment or abuse. Bocanegra, who was first elected in 2012, is part of Rendons leadership team, serving in the position of majority whip. A top lieutenant to Rendon, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego), also chimed in with support for Gyore on Friday. I dont know Elise Gyore. But, I believe her & Im grateful for her bravery. This is unacceptable.  Lorena (@LorenaSGonzalez) October 27, 2017 Former Speaker John A. Perez (D-Los Angeles), who led the Assembly from 2010 to 2014, said he was unaware of the complaints existence until The Times report. He said he had never heard of any complaints  formal or informal  against Bocanegra, nor had he witnessed any inappropriate behavior from the Pacoima Democrat. Also on Friday, the organizers of We Said Enough, a recently launched campaign against harassment, thanked Gyore for sharing her story. This is an act of true courage  and we support every woman who chooses to do so. Sadly, this story is just one example of how the existing system fails victims and survivors. We are resolute in our call for action, the group said in a statement. The groups organizers added that they are calling for an overhaul to the complaint process  such as confidential reporting, an independent oversight body and whistleblower protections  to better guard against harassment. Read More Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown says California Republicans have slavish adherence to their partys tax plan By John Myers (Rich Pedroncelli/AP) Gov. Jerry Brown took aim at the sweeping tax overhaul plan in Congress and Californias Republican delegation on Thursday, saying their support of the plan is wrong economically and morally. Brown, who joined New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on a conference call with reporters, aimed most of his fire at the provision to cancel deducting local and state taxes paid from federal taxes. Both governors said it could have a profound impact on their states bottom lines. Brown criticized Californias 14 Republican House members for their Thursday budget vote, which allows for a $1.5-trillion deficit to help finance tax cuts. I know there is a lot of slavish adherence to the Republican leadership, Brown said. Its bad for California. Theyre doing a disservice. California and New York taxpayers have long been able to deduct the cost of paying local and state taxes from their federal tax liability. Both governors said Thursday they believed the effort by President Trump and Republicans to be at least somewhat motivated by their states voting for Democrat Hillary Clinton over Trump last November. Its using a handful of states to finance the tax cuts for their states, Cuomo said. Brown, who sent personal letters to all California GOP members of the House urging them not to go along, said the proposal was particularly unfair in light of how it would not apply equally to corporations. Its a gross manipulation of our tax code, he said. Its a Hail Mary pass by the Republicans. Facebook

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Heres why Republicans could help send Dianne Feinstein back to Washington  even if they cant stand her By Mark Z. Barabak Its the voters like Republican Larry Ward  conservatives who feel voiceless and adrift, bobbing like red specks in a blue sea  who could help usher the 84-year-old Dianne Feinstein back to Washington with a new lease on her Senate seat. Like most voters here in El Dorado County, Ward supported President Trump. He cant understand why Democrats and the media pile on and keep him from cutting taxes and fulfilling a campaign pledge to repeal Obamacare. He certainly doesnt think Feinsteins been too kind to Trump  the argument made by her newly announced challenger, Kevin de Leon. The state senator from Los Angeles and others on the left were spitting fire a few weeks back when Feinstein allowed as how she hoped, given time and a radical transformation, Trump might end up being a good president. Read More Facebook

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Car runs into immigration protesters outside Rep. Ed Royces district office By Sarah D. Wire  A vehicle drove into a group of protesters outside of GOP Rep. Ed Royces office in Brea on Thursday afternoon, but no injuries have been reported to police so far. (Tony Mendoza / Unite Here) A vehicle drove into a group of protesters outside GOP Rep. Ed Royces office in Brea on Thursday afternoon, but no injuries have been reported to police so far. The alleged driver, 56-year-old Daniel Wenzek of Brea, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. He was booked and released pending further investigation, according to Lt. Kelly Carpenter of the Brea Police Department. Organizers say several hundred people were protesting outside Royces office, many of them arriving on buses after a morning news conference with elected officials and labor leaders in Los Angeles MacArthur Park. They were trying to deliver letters to Royce (R-Fullerton) about what losing temporary protected immigration status would mean to them, said Andrew Cohen, a communications specialist with the organization Unite Here. Read More Facebook

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California Secretary of State Alex Padilla backs Gavin Newsom for governor over former colleague Antonio Villaraigosa By Seema Mehta California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, left, and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Secretary of State Alex Padilla, the highest-ranking Latino in a statewide elected position in California, endorsed Gavin Newsom for governor on Thursday. Padilla said he had known Newsom for more than a decade and admired his track record as mayor of San Francisco and now lieutenant governor. Its always important to [have] leaders that are committed and get it done, and thats what Ive seen in Gavin Newsom over and over and over again, Padilla said, speaking to dozens of Newsom supporters at a union hall in downtown Los Angeles. The endorsement was seen as a slap at former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is one of Newsoms top rivals in the governors race. Padilla was president of the Los Angeles City Council during the two years Villaraigosa was a member of the body, and for the first six months of Villaraigosas tenure as mayor. But the two men have never been viewed as close allies. They come from different power bases for Latino politicians in Los Angeles  Villaraigosa from the Eastside and Padilla from the San Fernando Valley. They also have not supported each others political pursuits. In 2001, Padilla backed James Hahn over Villaraigosa in the mayoral race. In 2006, Villaraigosa backed Cindy Montanez in a state Senate race over Padilla. Padilla said he has a relationship with all of the top Democrats running for governor. This is a tough one because I do know Antonio Villaraigosa and I know John Chiang and I know Gavin Newsom, but I think that because of whats happening in the political environment at this time, this isnt one where we can sit back, Yeah. OK. Cool, lets see who wins and well work with whoever, Padilla said. If there is a candidate I believe is best for the future of California, Im compelled to weigh in and thats what Im doing today. Luis Vizcaino, a Vilaraigosa spokesman, said the announcement was to be expected and noted that Padilla had a leadership role in Newsoms short-lived 2009 gubernatorial campaign. The only surprise here is we thought Alex had endorsed Gavin months ago considering he was Gavins Campaign Chair the first time he ran for governor, Vizcaino said in an email. Villaraigosa and Chiang, the state treasurer, have also received key endorsements from Latino politicians. Villaraigosa has the backing of the Latino Caucus in the state Legislature, former Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina and Lucille Roybal-Allard. Chiang has won the support of Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar. Updated at 2:07 p.m.: This post was updated to add a comment from Villaraigosas campaign. Facebook

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Californias Rep. Paul Cook picked to lead Foreign Affairs subcommittee By Sarah D. Wire Rep. Paul Cook (R-Yucca Valley) has been named chairman of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) made the announcement in a news release Thursday morning following the former subcommittee chairman Rep. Jeff Duncans (R-S.C.) departure from the committee this week. As a former Marine Corps colonel, Rep. Cook is deeply committed to defending U.S. interests worldwide. I look forward to working with him to continue holding the [Raul] Castro and [Nicolas] Maduro regimes [of Cuba and Venezuela, respectively] accountable for their brutal repression, while increasing U.S. commercial opportunities throughout the hemisphere, Royce said in a statement. California holds several leadership positions on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) is the chairman of the Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats subcommittee. Rep. Brad Sherman of Sherman Oaks is the highest ranking Democrat on the Asia and the Pacific subcommittee and Rep. Karen Bass of Los Angeles is the highest ranking Democrat on the Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations subcommittee. Facebook

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GOP tightens restrictions on Rep. Dana Rohrabachers subcommittee because of scrutiny over his Russia connections By Sarah D. Wire Rep. Dana Rohrabacher speaks to Russian lawmakers at a meeting in the Russian parliaments lower house in Moscow in 2013. (Misha Japaridze / Associated Press) The congressional subcommittee led by California Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) is being heavily monitored by GOP leaders because of allegations the Orange County congressman has been overly influenced by his connections to Russia. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) will be more involved in guiding the direction of the subcommittee that is in part responsible for examining U.S. policy in Russia, said a senior congressional aide who asked not to be identified in order to discuss internal committee matters. Rohrabacher has long said that the United States needs a better relationship with Russia, puzzling colleagues who have speculated privately about why hes willing to work with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Connections between Rohrabacher and Russian officials have been newly highlighted as Congress investigates Russian attempts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Read More Facebook

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Californias GOP members vote in favor of Republican budget, paving way for tax overhaul By Sarah D. Wire All 14 California House Republicans on Thursday voted in favor of the GOPs budget, which paves the way for overhauling the U.S. tax system. The budget, which allows for a $1.5-trillion deficit increase that sets the stage for President Trumps tax cuts, passed 216 to 212, with 20 Republicans joining Democrats in opposing it. At the root of their objection is the potential repeal of the federal deduction for state and local taxes, which would hit especially hard in wealthier states like New York and California. Gov. Jerry Brown had implored the GOP members not to support the budget, saying there hasnt been enough time to fully understand what it will mean to the estimated 1 in 3 Californians who claim the deduction. Democrats are targeting nine of the states 14 Republican-held districts, and have said theyll make the elimination of the tax deduction an issue in the campaign. Rep. Steve Knight of Palmdale said he voted for the budget because hes been assured that a fix will be made to the tax plan that will address or offset the potential tax increase caused by the elimination of the tax deduction. The tax plan is scheduled to be unveiled next week. Still worried about it, still working on it, Knight said after the vote. I am confident [it will be fixed], but Ive also said that is my No. 1 priority, so if we cant get it fixed then were going to have problems. Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown urges California GOP House members to vote no on budget bill: First lets get the facts By Sarah D. Wire Gov. Jerry Brown implores each GOP member of California delegation to vote no on budget today over end of state and local tax deduction. pic.twitter.com/bkCihAtvFG  Sarah D. Wire (@sarahdwire) October 26, 2017 Gov. Jerry Brown implored Californias GOP House members to oppose their partys budget bill over a provision that will end a deduction for state and local taxes used by one in three Californians. In letters to each Republican member of the California congressional delegation, Brown asked the members to at least ask for more time to learn the specifics of the plan. First lets get the facts. Then, debate the issue. And then we can decide whats the right thing to do, Brown says in his letter. The potential repeal of the state and local tax (SALT) deduction  the federal income tax deduction for state and local taxes paid  would hit especially hard in wealthier areas. The vote is scheduled to take place Thursday morning. Facebook

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Six female California lawmakers back Dianne Feinstein in Senate race By Sarah D. Wire Assemblywomen Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, right, and Susan Talamantes-Eggman in May. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Six California Assembly committee chairwomen endorsed Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Wednesday over their state Capitol colleague, Senate leader Kevin de Leon. In a statement released by Feinsteins campaign, Assemblymembers Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton), Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks), Blanca E. Rubio (D-Baldwin Park), Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) and Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) said the state needs Feinstein in these uncertain and difficult times. We are proud to endorse Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who has been an inspiration for all of us. The first woman to serve on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Feinstein is now the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee. In that position, she is defending California against the Republicans and the Trump administration on critical issues like immigration, womens rights, federal judicial appointments, LGBT rights, civil rights, and gun control, they said. De Leon is the highest-profile Democrat to announce plans to challenge Feinstein in her bid for a fifth full term. Facebook

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Kevin de Leon vows to back Medicare for all, signaling key issue in 2018 Senate campaign By Sarah D. Wire State Senate leader Kevin de Leons opening salvo in the U.S. Senate race against Sen. Dianne Feinstein takes on one of the main frustrations progressives have voiced with her, a refusal to support single-payer health care. I believe that every family, it doesnt make a difference who you are or where you come from, deserves to have quality healthcare. It is a universal right, De Leon says in a video released by his campaign Wednesday. Its not the exclusive privilege of the elite and the wealthy. The concept of single-payer healthcare has grown in popularity among Democrats since the 2016 election, with some members of the so-called Sanders wing of the party urging Democrats to use support for it as a litmus test in 2018. Such a program is unlikely to become law while Republicans control both chambers of Congress. Feinstein has said she doesnt support expanding Medicare to the entire population at this stage and has cited the cost of doing so as a reason. If he were elected, De Leon would join Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) and 15 other Democratic Senators as co-sponsors of the bill proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Facebook

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Sen. Kamala Harris wont back federal spending bill without DACA fix By Sarah D. Wire Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) said Wednesday that she wont back a bill that allows the federal government to spend money unless Congress has a legislative fix to address the legal status of hundreds of thousands of people brought to the country illegally as children. I will not vote for an end-of-year spending bill until we are clear about what we are going to do to protect and take care of our DACA young people in this country, Harris said. Each day in the life of these young people is a very long time, and weve got to stop playing politics with their lives. President Trump announced in September that he was giving Congress until March before the program would shutter and recipients would begin losing work permits and protection from deportation. An estimated 200,000 of the nearly 800,000 recipients of the Delayed Action for Childhood Arrivals program live in California, giving the Golden State an outsized stake in resolving their legal status. Harris spoke at a Capitol Hill news conference Wednesday with other members of the California delegation to urge quick action on the issue. It is absolutely urgent that we pass the legislation, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) said. We are determined that the Dream Act will be the law of the land before the year is out. Democrats and Republicans are negotiating the details of a fix, and when something could pass. Pelosi has hinted that if Republicans dont have the votes within their party to pass the end-of-year spending bill, which Congress has to pass to keep the government open, Democrats will offer their votes  for a price. Facebook

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Rep. Dana Rohrabacher gets a second Republican challenger By Christine Mai-Duc A second Republican is jumping in to challenge GOP Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa, and hes pitching himself as an alternative for conservatives who are fed up with Rohrabachers controversial antics. Paul Martin, 52, is a freelance writer and self-proclaimed Reagan Republican who lives in Costa Mesa. Rohrabacher is himself a former speechwriter for Reagan. Martin grew up in Anaheim with an Italian immigrant mother and a Mexican American father, and says hes opposed to many of the policies coming out of the Trump administration. Ive had enormous struggle with the rhetoric thats coming out of Washington, D.C., and even more so with the rhetoric that comes out of Dana Rohrabachers mouth, Martin said in an interview. Its just not in the spirit that I grew up with. Following President Trumps travel ban announcement, Martin started the Christian-Muslim Alliance, a campaign aimed at fostering dialogue between people of different faiths. He describes himself as a raging centrist on a personal blog, where hes criticized Trumps response to white supremacist violence in Charlottesville, Va., and Rohrabacher for taking money from the National Rifle Assn. Still, Martin says hes a true conservative who wants to focus on issues of human dignity and bring better-paying jobs to the district. Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott send a message with their World Series bet By John Myers (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) As governors of states hit hard by natural disasters, the leaders of California and Texas hope to send a message with their wager on the outcome of the World Series. The winner will receive food or drink from either Californias wine country or Houstons best barbecue joints. The bet, made Tuesday before the start of the first World Series game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros, came with a request from both Gov. Jerry Brown and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for tourists to come back to those regions as soon as possible. While we dont expect to have to send any vino to Texas, we hope travelers from all over the world  yes, even the Lone Star State  will continue to visit California, said Brown in a written statement. If the Dodgers win, Abbott will send Brown Texas-style barbecue and a six-pack of Houston-brewed beer. Should the Astros prevail, Brown has promised wine from the Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino regions. Texas and California are recovering from some of the worst natural disasters our states have ever encountered, Abbott said in a joint statement from the two governors. As we work to overcome these challenges, our two states are united by Americas pastime as we cheer on our home teams in the World Series. Go Astros! Facebook

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California Assembly to hold public hearings to address sexual harassment By Melanie Mason Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, right. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)) The California Assembly will hold public hearings next month to address sexual harassment in the Capitol, Democratic lawmakers announced Tuesday, as allegations of pervasive mistreatment continue to ripple through Sacramento. The announcement comes one day after the California Senate announced it has hired lawyers and human resources consultants to investigate allegations of widespread sexual harassment and evaluate Senate procedures. In a joint statement, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount), Assemblyman Ken Cooley (D-Rancho Cordova) and Assemblywoman Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) said that sexual harassment of any kind is intolerable. The lawmakers say a three-pronged approach is necessary to confront the issue: changing a climate that has been permissive to sexual harassment, offering victims have a safe place to discuss complaints and ensuring that sexual harassment is dealt with expeditiously and that the seriousness of consequences match the violations committed, they said in a statement. Vowing a comprehensive effort to address these issues, lawmakers said there will be public hearings in November to discuss how the Legislature can tackle the issue. The panel, tasked to discuss harassment, discrimination and retaliation prevention and response, is chaired by Friedman and was formed in June, though it has not yet met. The panel is a subcommittee of the powerful Rules committee, chaired by Cooley, which functions as the chambers de facto human resources department. As we move forward, we must remember that the bottom line is harassers need to stop their abusive actions, the statement said. The rest of us need to call out harassment and abuse by its name and stigmatize this behavior each and every single time we see it. Adama Iwu, who helped organize the public letter published last week decrying an atmosphere of sexual harassment in the Capitol, said she and some of the women who signed the letter were concerned if any victim would be asked to testify with no legal guarantee against retaliation. Furthermore, we are concerned about the divergent paths of the Assembly and Senate, Iwu said in a statement. It is imperative that we work with outside experts, as part of a public independent review with whistleblower protections, to address the pervasive culture of sexual harassment in the Capitol community. Meanwhile, the trade association representing lobbyists, the Institute of Governmental Advocates, said in a statement Tuesday that it unequivocally supports [the women who signed the letter] and any other person in our Capitol community who has suffered harassment. Dates for the hearings, which are expected in late November, have not been set. Facebook

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Recall effort against Sen. Josh Newman still on track after too few voters request to remove their names from petitions By Patrick McGreevy State Sen. Josh Newman (D-Fullerton), left, listens to debate in June on a measure to change the rules governing recall elections. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Of the more than 70,600 voters who signed petitions to hold a recall vote on state Sen. Josh Newman of Fullerton, only 849 asked that their signatures be withdrawn by the deadline, clearing a major hurdle for an election on whether to oust the Democratic lawmaker, officials said Tuesday. Opponents of the recall needed to get more than 7,000 voters to withdraw their signatures to deprive supporters of the 63,593 signatures needed to put the measure on the ballot, under a new system approved recently by the Democratic-controlled Legislature that slows down the process. Sen. Josh Newman has spent months lying to his constituents by claiming people were duped into signing the recall petition against him, and with todays tally, he has been unmasked again as a pathological liar who is unfit to hold office, said Carl DeMaio, a Republican activist heading the recall drive. We eagerly look forward to voters having a chance to vote him out for his lies and his decision to increase the gas tax. Newman won a close contest last November in a district formerly represented by a Republican. He was targeted for recall by Republican activists for voting in April for a $52-billion transportation plan that raises gas taxes and imposes a new annual vehicle fee. A successful recall would deprive Democrats of a supermajority in the Senate. Once Secretary of State Alex Padilla certifies that there are sufficient valid signatures based on the data collected Tuesday, the new process calls for him to notify the state Department of Finance, which will be given 30 business days to prepare a cost estimate for the recall election. Once the estimate is prepared, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee will have 30 calendar days to review and comment on the estimate, said Sam Mahood, a spokesman for Padilla. On the following business day, the secretary of State will certify to the governor that the recall has qualified for the ballot. That could happen as late as Jan. 11 if the reviews take all the time allotted. Gov. Jerry Brown must then call an election to be held 60 to 80 days later, or within 180 days if there is a regularly scheduled election within Senate District 29 during that period. There will be a June 2018 primary election for the Assembly districts that make up the Senate District, so Brown could consolidate the Senate recall vote with that state primary. However, the new, longer process could end up being abandoned if supporters of the recall are successful in a lawsuit alleging the new rules are improper. At the same time, opponents of the recall have filed a lawsuit to block the recall, alleging petition circulators misled voters by saying their signatures would help repeal the gas tax. The underhanded methods used to qualify this recall likely represent one of the worst cases of voter fraud in California history, said Derek Humphrey, a consultant for the Newman campaign. Now, millions of tax dollars will be wasted to redo an election the Sacramento special interests lost barely a year ago. Its a shameful waste of money that voters will soundly reject and vote to keep Josh Newman fighting for them in the state Senate. Facebook

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Rep. Devin Nunes announces investigation into Obama-era uranium deal By David S. Cloud House Republicans are opening investigations of the Obama administrations 2010 decision to approve the sale of American uranium mines to a Russian-backed company, and California Rep. Devin Nunes is at the forefront. Nunes (R-Tulare), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said at a news conference that his panel and the House Oversight Committee would jointly probe the deal, which President Trump has called the real Russia story. Nunes and other Trump supporters have raised the 7-year-old uranium deal while four congressional committees and Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III are looking into Russia interference the 2016 election and whether Moscow had any direct links to the Trump campaign. Read More Facebook

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Former deputy director of California tax agency says he was fired for whistleblowing By Patrick McGreevy The state Capitol (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) A former deputy director of the state Board of Equalization said Tuesday he was improperly fired this month after cooperating with a state Department of Justice investigation into allegations that agency officials improperly used public resources. Mark DeSio was fired Oct. 12 as the director for external affairs of the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, which recently was split off from the board in an agency shakeup. He has filed a whistleblower complaint and appeal to the state Personnel Board seeking reinstatement to his position. He alleges the agency before its split up was rife with nepotism and that there is improper hiring and use of employees from one fund to instead help elected board members in field offices. For more than a year, DeSio gave information about the BOE to the Department of Justice and several state agencies and auditors, right up until the time of his firing, said a press release from his attorney, Mary-Alice Coleman. Despite being pressured, DeSio refused to engage in certain activities. DeSios job was threatened multiple times during the course of his employment. In April, Gov. Jerry Brown called for a Justice Department probe of allegations that employees of the state Board of Equalization misused state resources assigning high-paid tax auditors to tasks such as directing traffic for community events promoting elected board members. Brown also set in motion steps that broke up the agency in June, putting the five-member board in one office, and tax collection and appeal system in two other offices. At the time, Brown cited serious problems of mismanagement identified in a Department of Finance audit of the agency, which is responsible for collecting $60 billion in tax revenue annually. DeSio said he has also provided information on alleged improprieties to the state Fair Political Practices Commission, which investigates political wrongdoing. Days before he was notified of his termination, DeSio said he told Department of Justice investigators that the board had misused 30 information officer positions as personal staff for board members. He also said supervisors overruled him when he refused to hire 10 new call center employees from funds not set aside for that purpose. He said 10 people were hired even after Brown had revoked the agencys hiring power. DeSios complaint alleges that in August 2016, board member Jerome Horton pressured DeSio to promote a particular employee who was funded by DeSios office, but actually worked in Hortons office. When DeSio refused, saying the employee was not the top-scoring candidate, the complaint says Horton became angry and his chief of staff threatened DeSio. Board Executive Director David Gau, the complaint alleges, contacted Desio and told him to either do what Horton wanted or be fired. After meeting with Department of Finance auditors, DeSio said he was contacted by Horton in November 2016. Horton demanded to know what DOF had asked and what documentation Desio had provided in response. DeSio said he refused to disclose what he gave the auditor. Horton threatened DeSio, saying, I only need one more vote to take you out, the complaint alleges. Horton disputed the allegations. If he has filed a complaint, the facts will show that I had an excellent professional relationship with Mr. DeSio and the allegations are not true, I had nothing to do with his termination, Horton said in a statement. Gau did not immediately respond to requests for comment. DeSio also alleged multiple cases of nepotism in the agency. In one example, he alleges agency officials improperly orchestrated the hiring of the man whose wife worked for a top manager at the agency. Updated at 3 pm to include comment from Board member Jerome Horton. Facebook

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Want the Sierra Clubs endorsement? Here are its standards By Chris Megerian The Sierra Club is setting some ground rules for California gubernatorial candidates that may want its endorsement. No. 1 on the list is independence from the oil industry, which has been a fault line in the Capitol during debates over climate change policies. This year, given how important Californias role has become to the nation for leadership on the environment, it made sense to lay out in advance what some of the overall characteristics that the endorsement committee will be looking for in candidates, said Kathryn Phillips, director of Sierra Club California. Other requirements include independence from the tobacco and e-cigarette industry and a commitment to public health, environmental equity and transparency. Facebook

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California Senate hires investigators to look into sexual harassment allegations By Melanie Mason California Senate leader 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. De Leon also sent letters to lobbyists in the Capitol community detailing how existing rules protect non-employees. 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 industry 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? 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. Facebook

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Kevin de Leon has millions in state campaign accounts that cant be rolled over to his Senate race By Patrick McGreevy State Senate leader Kevin De Leon has millions of dollars socked away in state campaign accounts, but federal law prohibits him from rolling over the money into his federal campaign for the U.S. Senate. So what options does the Los Angeles legislator have as he puts together a campaign to unseat Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a fellow Democrat, in next years election? Read More Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown heads to Washington to talk about the threat of nuclear war Facebook

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California Politics Podcast: What happens next in Sacramentos discussion of sexual harassment is important By John Myers Theres a big, challenging question beyond the initial shock of sexual harassment stories told by women working in California politics: What happens next? On this weeks California Politics Podcast, we discuss the allegations that have emerged from an open letter first reported by The Times on Tuesday. And a key part of the next chapter is how legislative leaders and the states major political parties respond to the concerns raised in the letter signed by more than 140 women. We also take a closer look at the new effort by wealthy activist Tom Steyer to demand impeachment proceedings against President Trump, and whether the San Francisco Democrat is thinking seriously about jumping into the U.S. Senate race. And with Gov. Jerry Browns action on hundreds of bills complete, we offer up a few notable decisions in those final signings and vetoes. Im joined by Times staff writer Melanie Mason and Marisa Lagos of KQED. Facebook

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Sen. Tom Cotton chides Californians: Your sanctuary cities werent enough, you had to have a sanctuary state instead By Phil Willon Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton addresses the California Republican Party at its fall convention in Anaheim. (Phil Willon / Los Angeles Times) Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton told California Republicans they should expect better days ahead, in part, because of liberal overreach by California Democrats on taxes, immigration and other issues affecting the daily lives of working-class Americans. Cotton invoked the memory of former president and California governor Ronald Reagan as a guiding light, and ridiculed House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) as a harbinger of doom. All it takes is a little new thinking applied with old principles. The principles of Ronald Reagan, Cotton told a packed ballroom at the California Republican Partys fall convention in Anaheim on Saturday. Cottons keynote address hewed toward traditional conservative themes and was peppered with light moments and witty jabs about the Democrats grip on California politics. When Jerry Brown has to veto your legislation because its too liberal, you might have to take a look in the mirror, Cotton told the crowd. It was a big departure from the speech the night before by GOP firebrand Steve Bannon, President Trumps former political strategist. Bannon unleased attacks on former President George W. Bush and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). He told Republicans they needed to rise up in California or else the progressive left and lords of the Silicon Valley would try to secede from the union in 10 to 15 years. Cotton, who at 40 is the youngest member of the U.S. Senate, is widely believed to be eyeing a run for higher office. During the 2016 Republican National Convention, he was the most active politician on the breakfast circuit, visiting the South Carolina, Ohio, Iowa, New Hampshire and California delegations. California, of course, is home to more than 5 million Republican voters and has been a wellspring of political cash for GOP presidential candidates. Cottons message of hope has been a running theme throughout the three-day GOP gathering as the state party tries once again to turn things around in left-leaning California. The partys share of the state electorate has fallen to 26% and no Republican has been elected to statewide office since 2006. Cotton, however, told the party faithful to remain upbeat. Californias Republican members of Congress play a pivotal role in Washington, and there are ample opportunities to rekindle the partys presence in Sacramento and throughout the state. Cotton zeroed in on the new gas tax and vehicle fee hike in the state, which would raise $5.2 billion annually for transportation and mass transit improvements, saying it would hurt ordinary Californians. If you live in West L.A. or San Francisco and you have the money to afford a Tesla, maybe youll be OK, Cotton said. What about the farmer in the Central Valley who has a pickup truck and needs to fill it up three times a week? He also took shots at the so-called sanctuary state law signed this month by Gov. Jerry Brown, which will limit law enforcement agencies from questioning and detaining people for immigration violations. Your sanctuary cities werent enough, you had to have a sanctuary state instead, Cotton said. So all your citizens will face greater danger no matter where they live. Before he took the stage, the state GOP played a short video introduction of the Arkansas senator, focused on his experiences serving as an Army officer in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Washington, Cotton was a harsh critic of President Obama and is considered a hawk on national defense. During a hearing in June, Cotton also openly mocked the idea of the Trump administration colluding with Russia. Facebook

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House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy criticizes Gov. Brown, lauds Trump at California GOP convention By Seema Mehta McCarthy is lauding Trump for his "character and vision and understanding," compares him to Reagan. #cagop17 pic.twitter.com/AlyvgOvQWF  Seema (@LATSeema) October 21, 2017 House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) on Saturday blasted Gov. Jerry Brown over Democrats positioning the state as the liberal resistance to President Trump and for legislative efforts to circumvent the presidents policies. Brown, he warned, could be viewed similarly to southern governors who sought to pick and choose which federal laws to uphold during the civil rights era. He focused on Browns recent signing of a bill to make California a so-called sanctuary state, which will limit law enforcement agencies from questioning and detaining people for immigration violations. I dont think history will be very kind to Gov. Brown, McCarthy told a few hundred delegates and guests at a luncheon at the California Republican Party convention in Anaheim. California is a critical part of Democrats efforts to retake the House of Representatives, with a focus on seven Republican-held districts that Hillary Clinton won in the 2016 presidential election. Only one of the Republican representatives of those targeted districts had appeared at the convention as of Saturday afternoon, Rep. Mimi Walters of Irvine. McCarthy said Vice President Mike Pence raised $5 million for the efforts to protect the seats during a recent three-day fundraising trip through California, but he did not otherwise go into detail about the congressional battle expected in 2018. He instead lashed out at Republican members of the state Legislature who voted for Democratic policies. My advice to those Assembly members in Sacramento: You will not win a majority by thinking youll be Democrat-light. You will win the majority by showing the differences in the party, McCarthy said. You will not win the majority by voting against your own principles on a Democratic policy, and let Democratic targets vote no. You will not win the majority if youre concerned about being able to stand behind a podium with a Democratic governor instead of giving the freedom to Californians across this entire state. McCarthy did not name the members he was speaking about, but it was clear he was referring to Assemblyman Chad Mayes (R-Yucca Valley) and other Republicans who voted for an extension of the states cap-and-trade program this year. Mayes stepped down as Assembly Republican leader under pressure from others in his party who were upset over his vote for the climate change program, which requires companies to purchase permits to release greenhouse gases. McCarthy spoke a day after former Trump White House advisor Stephen K. Bannon addressed the group. Bannon has declared war on the GOP establishment, of which McCarthy is a member. McCarthy did not push back at Bannons remarks, which included criticism of former President George W. Bush and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). Rather, McCarthy lauded Trumps vision, compared him to former President Reagan and pointed to economic gains and regulatory reform since Trump took office. What a difference nine months and one election makes, McCarthy said. What a difference: A man who ran for president on issues and keeps his word and actually enacts the things he promised to do. Trump has tried to enact many of his campaign promises but has been unsuccessful on several priorities, including a travel ban on citizens from Muslim-majority countries and a repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Tax reform is the latest priority on the Republicans agenda, and McCarthy promised that Congress would push a package by Thanksgiving that includes lowering rates for small businesses and corporations, and simplifying the tax code from seven income tax brackets to three. He also spoke out in support of one of the more controversial parts of the proposal: eliminating the deduction of state and local taxes. I dont think its fair for somebody else to subsidize poor management in California, McCarthy said. Look at the entire [tax reform] bill when it comes out, you will pay less. But no longer can Sacramento say, Im going to raise the rates just because Ill have the federal government subsidize it. They will have to be held accountable for when they want to raise taxes. Facebook

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Gold Star father Khizr Khan, who clashed with Trump during the election, goes after him again in California By Phil Willon Khizr Khan at the National Union of Healthcare Workers conference in Anaheim on Saturday. (Phil Willon / Los Angeles Times) Khizr Khan, the father of a Muslim U.S. Army captain killed in Iraq who feuded with Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, on Saturday criticized the Trump White House for its clash with a widow of a fallen soldier this week. Khan, speaking to reporters after addressing a National Union of Healthcare Workers conference in Anaheim, said the families of all military members killed in combat deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, especially in the days and weeks immediately following the death of their loved one. It was disappointing to see the behavior of [the White House], Khan said, before criticizing Trump administration officials for standing in front of the cameras and providing a defense for the indefensible behavior. Khans comments came just days after the uproar over Trumps call to the widow of Army Sgt. La David T. Johnson of Florida, one of four U.S. soldiers who died in an Oct. 4 ambush in Niger. Rep. Frederica S. Wilson of Florida was with Johnsons wife, Myeshia Johnson, in a car when the widow took Trumps call on speakerphone. Wilson publicly described Trumps comments as insensitive, saying he suggested that the sergeant knew what he was getting into when he joined the Army. White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, whose son was killed in combat, defended the presidents comments, saying that he advised Trump on what to say and that the president was trying to praise Johnsons unselfish military service as well as offer words of comfort to his widow. Khan avoided attacking Trump directly or expanding on his remarks, saying he will address the controversy in more detail after Johnsons memorial services. The clash between Khan and Trump ignited after Khans speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. There, Khan ripped into Trump, then the Republican nominee for president. Hillary Clinton was right when she called my son the best of America. If it was up to Donald Trump, he never would have been in America, Khan said at the convention. Donald Trump consistently smears the character of Muslims. He disrespects other minorities  women, judges, even his own party leadership. He vows to build walls and ban us from this country. Trump responded by questioning whether Khans wife, who stood by her husbands side during the couples high-profile appearance, was silent because of her Muslim faith. The controversy ignited by Trumps jabs at a Gold Star family dragged on for days, and he drew rebukes from Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). During his speech to the healthcare union Saturday, Khan lamented the loss of civility in national political discourse and pointed squarely at the president. He said the current White House has sown division by attacking immigrants and belittling political rivals. Facebook

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California Teachers Assn. votes to endorse Gavin Newsom for governor By Seema Mehta Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks with participants of a march in Pan Pacific Park in Los Angeles commemorating the 102nd anniversary of the Armenian genocide in April. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) The politically influential California Teachers Assn. on Saturday endorsed Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom for governor, praising his support for public schools and his promise to hold charter schools more accountable. Gavin has long supported increased funding for education and is committed to making investing in students a top priority as governor, CTA President Eric Heins said in a written statement Saturday. He supports a public education system that attracts, not attacks, teachers, universal preschool and affordable college for all. The move is not entirely surprising given the antagonism between one of Newsoms top Democratic rivals, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and teachers unions in California. Villaraigosa launched his career as a union organizer, including for United Teachers Los Angeles, and labor played a critical role in getting him elected to office. But after he tried to gain control of Los Angeles schools, he questioned policies fiercely guarded by teachers unions, such as seniority protections that resulted in regular layoff notices to younger teachers who tend to staff the most challenging schools. He grew to support using student test scores to evaluate teachers and other overhauls opposed by union leaders. Villaraigosa, who eventually gained control of more than a dozen struggling city schools through a nonprofit, ultimately blasted the citys teachers union where he once worked as the largest obstacle to creating quality schools. The teachers association also passed over Democrat Delaine Eastin, a long-shot candidate who jumped into the 2018 governors race last year. Eastin, who served as Californias state superintendent of public instruction, has vowed to put education at the forefront of her campaign. The key question going forward is how much CTA plans to invest in the governors race and how it plans to spend it. In 2014, the union spent $12 million to defeat Marshall Tuck, a huge sum in an obscure race to be state superintendent of public instruction. A Democrat and former charter school leader, Tuck was hired by Villaraigosa to run the nonprofit that oversaw his schools. Tuck, who narrowly lost his race in 2014 against an incumbent, is running for state superintendent again in 2018. CTA on Saturday also endorsed his opponent, Assemblyman Tony Thurmond (D-Richmond). Facebook

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Bannons mention of Sen. John McCain, George W. Bush draws boos at California GOP convention By Seema Mehta  Former Trump White House advisor Stephen K. Bannon ripped into former President George W. Bush and Arizona Sen. John McCain Friday night at the California Republican Party Convention in Anaheim, saying there has not been a more destructive presiden Mere mentions of former President George W. Bush and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) drew loud boos and catcalls as former Trump advisor Stephen K. Bannon derided the GOP leaders in his address to California Republicans on Friday night at their fall convention in Anaheim. Bannon, who runs the far-right website Breitbart News, blasted Bush for his harsh assessment of Trump and his policies, which the former president delivered at a policy seminar in New York on Thursday. Bush suggested that Trump has promoted bigotry and falsehoods, violating this countrys values. President Bush to me embarrassed himself. Speech writers wrote a highfalutin speech, Bannon said. Its clear he didnt understand anything he was talking about.  Just like it was when he was president of the United States. Bannon, who was ousted from the White House in August but said he considers himself Trumps wingman, didnt stop there. He ripped into Bush, saying he allowed China to grow as a world power under the premise that global engagement might shepherd the county toward democracy. Theres not been a more destructive presidency than George Bushs, Bannon said. Bannon also had no love for McCain, who has openly clashed with Trump and helped torpedo Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The crowd at #CAGOP17 just booed George W. Bush and John McCain. "Hang him!" one man yelled about McCain.  Seema (@LATSeema) October 21, 2017 He praised McCains military service, but said as a politician, Hes just another senator from Arizona. The boos from the crowd of Republican donors and activists show how much the state party has changed as its influence has waned and its numbers have dwindled in California. The brand of conservatism belonging to Bush and McCain resonated with Californias GOP voters during their presidential campaigns. Both men forged deep ties with the states Republican elected leaders and donors, raising tens of millions of dollars here for their political campaigns. In California, Bush received 1.1 million more votes in the November 2004 presidential election than Trump did last November. McCain received almost 600,000 more votes in the November 2008 presidential election than Trump received in the state in 2016. Read More Facebook

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College journalists say covering Bannon at GOP convention prepares them for Yiannopoulos on campus By Anh Do Student journos Amy Wells + Brandon Pho of #CalSrateFullerton say peers are interested in party politics, esp info collected by young ppl. pic.twitter.com/b2MikBGnQD  ANH DO (@newsterrier) October 21, 2017 Student journalists Amy Wells and Brandon Pho from Cal State Fullerton teamed up outside Anaheims Marriott Hotel as night descended, assigned to cover Stephen K. Bannons speech and protesters targeting him. We dont underestimate how movements can pull in more youth, especially if they hear other youth pushing it on social media, said Pho, a sophomore majoring in journalism. Were always on the lookout for more policy to dig into because we have a lot of undocumented students on our campus and theyre way aware of national issues, added Wells, a senior pursuing a journalism degree. Pho and Wells said reporting on the small crowd of protesters will prepare them for much larger turnouts when provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos visits their campus at the end of this month. While Bannon is more provocative, he doesnt have the reach of someone like Milo who knows how to engage an online audience, said Pho, 19. We learn from watching how different public figures do outreach. Wells, 22, described the nights gathering as having the feel of a college campus protest. And of course, that feels familiar, with people here maybe figuring out what to do next. Small steps. Facebook

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Indivisible members rally ahead of Stephen K. Bannons speech to California Republicans By Anh Do Michelle Fowle, founder of The Resistance - Northridge, Indivisible, along w 100 supporters, launch protest vs. #SteveBannon in #Anaheim. pic.twitter.com/1yEdrUm9Si  ANH DO (@newsterrier) October 21, 2017 Growing up as a Republican in Southern California, Michelle Fowle said she automatically registered to join the party because her parents were also members. I didnt know the right civics, recalled the Northridge activist, 50. I didnt really know women died for the right to vote. I just voted for whoever I saw on signs, or whose names I remembered. Now Fowle is the founder of The Resistance - Northridge, Indivisible, which united supporters outside the California GOP convention in Anaheim on Friday to protest an appearance by Stephen K. Bannon. She joined a crowd of about 50 people across the street from the Anaheim Marriott on Friday night as they denounced President Trumps former advisor. They were separated from conventiongoers by metal barriers and a cordon of private security guards while police officers observed from nearby. Information and exposure and understanding show us that he is dangerous. Hes a very, very good manipulator, Fowle said of Bannon. His goal is to try and get rid of established Republicans and bring in more extreme people. Bannon is using whatever base Trump has left to recruit. Carolyn Criss, a retired film industry researcher, drove from Sherman Oaks to protest. Bannon is a clear danger to our democracy, she said. Criss said Trumps election awoke her dormant activist tendencies, and she now regularly attends protests against the president. She said she thought Bannons visit was an effort to amplify his voice while also helping the GOP raise money. I really hope the GOP just wants to make some money off him and doesnt believe what he says, she said. Facebook

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California lawmaker plans to introduce legislation to protect workers who exercise right to free speech By Mina Corpuz San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid, left, take a knee during the national anthem in a 2016 game against the Rams. (Daniel Gluskoter / Associated Press Images for Panini) A California lawmaker plans to introduce legislation that would help protect workers from employer retribution for exercising their right to free speech. Sen. Henry Stern (D-Canoga Park) said Friday that the state should be a sanctuary for free speech, including the kind that some might find offensive. He said he will introduce a measure when the Legislature is back in session in January. It doesnt matter if youre Ben Shapiro speaking at UC Berkeley, a brave female employee standing up to misogyny in her workplace through the #MeToo movement, or a Dallas Cowboy playing in California this Sunday, he said in a statement. The Constitution does not limit speech based on value judgments so long as it doesnt harm others. Stern said the presidents attempt to urge NFL owners to fire players who kneel during the National Anthem is a troubling attack on the 1st Amendment. The Constitution trumps Trump, he said. Americans of all political stripes ought to stand up and defend it. The legislation would also help public institutions fund security for events that could include offensive speech. Public institutions and law enforcement shouldnt have to bear the cost of ensuring constitutional protections for such events, Stern said. Stern, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is part of the ongoing work to define hate speech and find a way to address it while upholding the Constitution. Facebook

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Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom fights NRA over gun control law in federal court By Patrick McGreevy Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Tim Berger / Times Community News) Lt. Gov. Gavin 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. In June, a federal judge in San Diego ruled in favor of a request by the National Rifle Assn. to temporarily delay the magazine ban until the court could make a final decision on the law. U.S. District Judge Roger T. Benitez wrote then: If this injunction does not issue, hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of otherwise law-abiding citizens will have an untenable choice: become an outlaw or dispossess ones self of lawfully acquired property. In a friend-of-the-court filing, Newsom and the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence argued the ban on large-capacity magazines is needed to help prevent the occurrence of high-fatality gun massacres, and to reduce the bloodshed when these tragedies occur. Newsom, a candidate for governor, sponsored Proposition 63 with the law center. Its a tragic reality that as time passes, we are presented with more and more evidence on the devastating power of large-capacity magazines, which are consistently the accessory of choice in mass shootings for mass murderers, Newsom said Friday in a statement, predicting the federal courts would uphold the ban. Facebook

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State GOP leader says the new gas tax and high poverty rate make Democrats vulnerable in California By Phil Willon California Republican Party Chairman Jim Brulte, center, addresses GOP delegates at the state partys convention in Anaheim on Friday. (Phil Willon / Los Angeles Times) California Republican Party Chairman Jim Brulte kicked off the state GOPs fall convention with a speech to delegates that outlined why he thinks Democrats will be vulnerable in the upcoming 2018 elections. Brulte zeroed in on the new gas tax and policy declaring California a sanctuary state  both approved by Gov. Jerry Brown and the Democratic-controlled Legislature and both, he said, unpopular with California voters. He said Democrats have tried to deflect voter attention from these issues, as well as Californias high poverty rate and an uptick in crime, by continually attacking President Trump. Here in California, the reason they want to talk about Donald Trump is because they dont want to talk about the record they created, Brulte said. They broke it. They own it. If Donald Trump were not president, we would still have 22% of Californians living below the poverty line. Thats not Donald Trumps fault. Thats the Democrats who control California. The state GOPs three-day convention at the Anaheim Marriott will kick off in earnest Friday night when Trumps former political strategist, Steve Bannon, takes the stage for a keynote address to delegates. Facebook

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Far-right blogger Chuck C. Johnson gave bitcoin donation to Dana Rohrabacher By Christine Mai-Duc Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) speaks to Russian lawmakers at a meeting in Moscow in May 2013. (Misha Japaridze / Associated Press) Right-wing blogger and provocateur Chuck C. Johnson gave Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Costa Mesa) a $5,400 campaign contribution weeks after he said he helped arrange a meeting between the Orange County congressman and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. The donation, the maximum amount allowed by law, came in the form of bitcoin, a virtual currency. Johnson, who previously was banned from Twitter after soliciting donations toward taking out a prominent black activist, is listed on campaign finance forms as a self-employed investor who lives in Rosemead. Rohrabacher campaign spokesman Jason Pitkin confirmed the donor was the same person who helped arrange the Assange meeting. Johnson also recently sat in on a meeting between Rohrabacher and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul in the Capitol. Pitkin said they discussed Assanges legal situation and cannabis policy, among other things. Rohrabacher previously said Assange had emphatically stated that the Russians were not involved in hacking the 2016 elections but claimed his plans to bring the information directly to President Trump have been thwarted by White House staffers. Pitkin said Johnson approached the Rohrabacher campaign shortly after his trip to London and said he wanted to donate. He said, Do you take bitcoin? and I said, I think we can,  Pitkin recalled. The campaign then set up a bitcoin wallet to receive the funds, Pitkin said. Rohrabacher is not the only California House candidate this cycle who has accepted contributions in bitcoin. Democrat Brian Forde, who is challenging GOP Rep. Mimi Walters of Irvine, reported raising more than $59,000 in bitcoin donations between July 1 and Sept. 30. Facebook

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Government needs more women, Nancy Pelosi says By Colleen Shalby Nancy Pelosi has 30 years worth of insight for women starting out in politics. Shes run into plenty of naysayers over the years, but said she hasnt let other peoples doubt stop her. Her advice for those at the beginning of their career is simple. Know your purpose, she said in an interview Wednesday night before a Summit event hosted by the Los Angeles Times and the Berggruen Institute. The House minority leader said she hopes more women will run for office, calling their participation a necessity for government and the future. Whether its education, the environment, equal rights, womens health  whatever it is. Master your subject. Have a plan on how you will implement your ideas and you will attract support. Facebook

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This Los Angeles representative spent $105,500 on Hamilton tickets By Sarah D. Wire Rep. Tony Cardenas asks a question of Lin-Manuel Miranda during a town hall at Panorama High School in Panorama City. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Hamilton fever has caught at least two Los Angeles area members of Congress whove used campaign funds to purchase tickets to the hit musicals run at the Hollywood Pantages. Rep. Tony Cardenas campaign and his political action committee Victory by Investing, Building and Empowering PAC spent $105,500 in April buying tickets to the show, which is playing in L.A. until Dec. 30. Two fundraisers using the approximately 400 tickets have raised more than $300,000, a spokesman for the congressmans campaign said. For both Cardenas campaign and the PAC, the tickets were the single most costly expense of the year. Basically they saw this as an opportunity to have a nice fundraising opportunity and go to a show that celebrates American democracy, campaign spokesman Josh Pulliam said. The Los Angeles Democrat is friends with the father of Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Tony- and Pulitzer-winning creator of Hamilton. When the show opened in Los Angeles in mid-August, Miranda spoke to nearly 1,000 students in Cardenas largely Latino San Fernando Valley district . He raffled off some tickets to the show as an online fundraiser in September. Miranda has a history of supporting Democrats, and Hamilton has been used as a fundraiser before. In July 2016, Hillary Clintons presidential campaign hosted a special showing of the musical for donors, with a starting ticket price of $2,700. Cardenas held two fundraisers tied to the show. Miranda did not attend either event, Pulliam said. Pulliam said a few dozen tickets went to people in the community as gifts. He also raffled off some tickets to the show as an online fundraiser in September. Cardenas isnt in a particularly tough race for 2018. A Democrat and a Green Party member have filed to run in his district, but neither have raised or spent enough to require them to file campaign finance reports. Cardenas most recent report, which covers what he raised and spent in the last three months, shows he raised $232,389 and had $481,049 in the bank as of Sept. 30. Its fairly common for lawmakers or candidates to use sports events or concerts as major fundraising opportunities, especially when big names such as Taylor Swift or Bruce Springsteen play concerts in Washington. Rep. Maxine Waters campaign spent just under $11,000 on tickets to Hamilton in August. Reached by phone, the Los Angeles Democrat seemed surprised reporters were asking about the tickets. She said her campaign made $110,000 at a fundraiser using the tickets. Everybody does it, whether its a concert or a baseball game, she said. Several conservative groups have targeted Waters, an outspoken critic of President Trump, for the 2018 election. She won in 2016 with 76% of the vote over Republican Omar Navarro, who is challenging her again. In a statement released by her campaign, Waters stressed that fundraising at an event means the campaign doesnt have to rent space or buy food. These fundraising activities are similar and sometimes less expensive than the amount of money a candidate would spend to host a fundraising dinner within a private room at a restaurant or hotel  once you factor in associated catering costs, she said. The price for the Hamilton tickets was similar to what one would have to pay at these venues. There was nothing improper or unusual about the expenditure. Facebook

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California Republicans increase security at state convention ahead of Steve Bannon speech By Seema Mehta (Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press) The California Republican Party is ramping up security at its weekend convention in anticipation of protests at the Friday night keynote speech by Steve Bannon, a former advisor to President Trump and the executive chairman of Breitbart News. Part of providing a good experience for our convention goers is assuring your safety, state party Executive Director Cynthia Bryant wrote in an email to attendees on Thursday describing the security measures. Attendees will pass through metal detectors and their property is subject to be searched before they are allowed to enter the ballroom at the Anaheim Marriott, where the speech and dinner are taking place. Weapons, noisemakers and signs are prohibited. We did not make the decision for the additional security lightly and we know that it does impact your convention going experience, Bryant wrote. I sincerely regret that. Its a level of security rarely seen at political party gatherings in California. Convention attendees were also screened when Donald Trump, then a candidate seeking the GOP presidential nomination, appeared at the spring 2015 convention in Burlingame. That decision was made in consultation with the Secret Service, which had already begun protecting Trump. That convention attracted large-scale protests that at times turned into tense stand-offs between activists and police officers. Bannons speech is also expected to draw protests. Bannon, a conservative media leader, promoted Breitbart as a platform of the alt-right and needled establishment Republicans when Trump selected him to be the chief executive of his 2016 presidential campaign. His views as a nationalist, economic populist and nativist indelibly shaped Trumps message to voters. Once Trump was sworn in as president, Bannon was named White House chief strategist. He was a divisive figure in the administration, disparaging his colleagues to the media before he left the White House in August. He has since declared war on the GOP establishment, including supporting challengers to incumbents and other candidates backed by Trump. Facebook

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L.A. County Supervisors unanimously back Sen. Feinstein for reelection By Sarah D. Wire L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times) The five members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors have all endorsed Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the senators campaign announced Thursday. The announcement comes as factions of California Democrats begin weighing in on the Senate race between Feinstein and state Senate leader Kevin de Leon next year. Its a snub for De Leon, a native Angeleno who has represented part of the city for more than a decade in the Assembly and state Senate. Sen. Feinstein has been our strong partner on the critical issues confronting L.A. County  homelessness, healthcare, and transportation. Her support for our county hospitals, including her commitment to our new Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital, has been essential to our countys healthcare system, Board Chairman and 2nd District Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said in a statement. Ridley-Thomas said the board members support Feinstein -- including the lone Republican on the board, 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who said in a statement that California needs Feinstein in the Senate. Ive worked with Sen. Feinstein for many years. Shes extremely knowledgeable and always prepared on the tough issues we confront. Shes a problem solver we can count on now and in the future, Barger said. Feinstein already has the backing of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which traditionally backs incumbents. Soon after he announced a challenge, De Leon was endorsed by Democracy for America, the progressive political action committee formed by former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean in 2004. Facebook

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Northern California wildfires mean thousands of families will flood the regions already strained housing market By Liam Dillon Tom and Shelly Lanning, from left, talk with Lannings mother, Jeannie Anderson, on Oct.17, 2017. The Lannings have been staying with Anderson since they lost their home in wildfires. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 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. The scope and magnitude of the rehousing is unfathomable, said Larry Florin, chief executive of the nonprofit Burbank Housing, one of Santa Rosas largest low-income housing providers. If you take 3,000 units being demolished in a market that was already dramatically constrained, its hard to imagine whats going to happen, where people are going to go. Read More Facebook

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California lawmaker wants to ban secret settlements in sexual harassment cases after Weinstein scandal By Melanie Mason State Sen. Connie Leyva (D-Chino), shown speaking at a 2016 news conference for ending the statute of limitations for rape, wants to ban confidentiality provisions from sexual harassment settlements. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) A California state senator says she intends to introduce a bill next year to ban confidentiality provisions in monetary settlements stemming from sexual harassment, assault and discrimination cases. Secret settlements in sexual assault and related cases can jeopardize the public  including other potential victims  and allow perpetrators to escape justice just because they have the money to pay the cost of the settlements, Sen. Connie Leyva (D-Chino) said in a statement Thursday. This bill will ensure that sexual predators can be held accountable for their actions and ideally prevent them from victimizing others. The measure comes after revelations of decades-long alleged sexual misconduct by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Some of those incidents were obscured from public view thanks to monetary settlements whose terms required confidentiality. The issue has a renewed resonance in Sacramento after scores of women working in state politics renounced a pervasive culture of harassment and abuse in the Capitol in a public letter this week. Leyva told the Times she intends for her proposed settlement ban to include both private employers and public ones, such as the Legislature. 9:41 a.m.: This post was updated to specify Leyvas proposal would apply to private and public employers. This post was originally published at 8:54 a.m. Facebook

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Nancy Pelosi: Its your problem if you dont recognize that women are ready to do any job By Colleen Shalby Nancy Pelosi knows what it feels like to have to prove herself in politics simply because shes a woman. She says she experiences the pressure every day. But its your problem if you dont recognize that women are ready to do any job, the House minority leader said in an interview before a Summit event hosted by the Los Angeles Times and the Berggruen Institute on Wednesday night. When she decided to run for a leadership position in Congress, Pelosi said a man questioned her move. As if a woman had to be told she could run, she recalled. We just laughed and said poor babies. In the midst of a growing sexual misconduct scandal centered on Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein, many women are sharing their stories of sexual harassment and assault. No industry has been spared  women at Californias Capitol signed an open letter Tuesday outlining pervasive harassment in Sacramento. Pelosi said she wasnt prepared to share a so-called me too moment, but she thanked the women who have. The sheer numbers speak eloquently to the fact that we should get to zero tolerance, she said. Facebook

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Watch: The View from California political panel with John Myers Sacramento Bureau Chief John Myers hosted a panel discussion about the view from California as part of our L.A. Times and Berggruen Institute Summit series. Joining him were state Sen. Robert Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys), Republican strategist Luis Alvarado, UCLA political scientist Lynn Vavreck and Alma Hernandez, executive director of SEIU California. We also had a conversation with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Watch that here. Facebook

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Watch: House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi talks to the L.A. Times House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) spoke Wednesday about her view of national news, working with the Trump White House and the future of the Democratic Party. The event was co-hosted by The L.A. Times and the Berggruen Institute. Following that conversation, Sacramento Bureau Chief John Myers hosted a panel discussion about the view from California. Joining him were state Sen. Robert Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys), Republican strategist Luis Alvarado, UCLA political scientist Lynn Vavreck and Alma Hernandez, executive director of SEIU California. Watch that here. Facebook

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Kevin de Leon: My whole life, Ive been told to wait my turn and know my place You know, my whole life, Ive been told to wait my turn and know my place. Well, its Californias turn to lead. And Californias place to be a shining example for the world and a stark contrast to the failures of Washington.  State Senate leader Kevin de Leon, kicking off his U.S. Senate campaign Read More Facebook

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Pelosi, in Los Angeles visit, calls on Congress to pass Dream Act By Makeda Easter Rep. Nancy Pelosi meets with young immigrants protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in downtown Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday called on the GOP-controlled Congress to pass the Dream Act by years end. Pelosi appeared at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights with community leaders and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival recipients in Los Angeles. The San Francisco Democrat said she has confidence Republicans and Democrats will be able to work together to pass the Dream Act. President Trump said we had shared values when we spoke to him, Pelosi said. I trust that he will honor that commitment because the American people want him to do so. The Democratic leader had conversations with Trump about continuing DACA after his heartless decision to end the program. Pelosi said that President Reagan was great on immigration and noted his immigration agenda protected a larger percentage of people than President Obama did with his executive order regarding DACA. She added the last three Republican presidents strongly acknowledged the value of immigration to America. A majority of the estimated 800,000 immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally as children live in California. These newcomers make America more American, Pelosi said. She noted there have been a handful of Republicans who support forcing a Dream Act vote via a procedural move. Still, her party is in the minority. You can have all the conversation in the world that you want, but youve got to have the votes, she said, encouraging moderate Republicans to support the Dream Act. She was joined by Democratic Reps. Jimmy Gomez of Los Angeles, Judy Chu of Monterey Park and Lucille Roybal-Allard of Downey, the first Mexican American woman elected to Congress and original co-author of the Dream Act. Roybal-Allard said the so-called Dreamers have lived in this country, they have grown up here, they have pledged allegiance to our flag. To do anything else but to protect them by passing the Dream 
KYIV. Oct 31 (Interfax-Ukraine) - DTEK energy holding plans to increase coal production in Ukraine by 1.5-2 million tonnes in 2018, Dmytro Maliar, the first deputy commercial director of DTEK Energy, has said.

"This year we will increase production by 1.5-2 million tonnes, to 23 million tonnes ... We intend to try to repeat this growth next year," he said at the round table "Is the Ukrainian Energy System Ready for Autumn-Winter Peak Loads" at Interfax-Ukraine.

According to Maliar, in January-October 2017 DTEK imported about 1.4 million tonnes of coal.

"Over the year everything will depend on the temperature regime and the needs of the energy system. We see our possibilities to import 2.5-3 million tonnes per year," he said.

At the same time, he said that in the conditions of coal shortage the holding prefers to import coal rather than replace it with gas.

As reported, DTEK is an energy holding that manages three operating companies with assets in coal mining, thermal power generation and distribution, as well as alternative energy and gas production. It is part of System Capital Management (SCM) financial and industrial group, whose shareholder is Rinat Akhmetov.
White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly on Monday brushed aside charges leveled at three Trump campaign aides as part of the special counsels investigation of Russias interference in the 2016 elections, but endorsed a new independent prosecutor to delve into a 2010 uranium company deal that has become a rallying cry for opponents of Hillary Clinton.

Kelly, speaking on Fox News The Ingraham Angle, claimed that all of the activities involving former Trump campaign Chairman Paul Manafort, his chief aide Richard W. Gates III and a foreign policy advisor, George Papadopoulos, occurred long before they ever met Donald Trump or had any association with the campaign.

In fact, the investigation, being directed by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, covered the period in which all three served under Trump.

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Manafort and Gates were charged in a 12-count indictment that alleged money laundering, among other crimes. Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russians during the campaign.

Ingraham did not correct Kelly, who later went on to say that the reaction of the administration is to let the legal system work. Everyone is presumed innocent, and well see where it goes.

Kelly also expressed confidence that the Mueller investigation was nearing its end.

It should wrap up soon, he said. It would seem that theyre toward the end of the witness pile.

I dont know how much longer it can possibly go on, he said, adding that the president found the investigation very distracting.

As for the uranium deal  in which the Russian nuclear energy authority took over part of a Canadian company  it was approved by the Treasury Department and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Republicans, including Trump, have claimed then-Secretary of State Clinton benefited from the deal. But there is no evidence she even weighed in on it.

Asked by Ingraham if a special counsel should be appointed, Kelly replied, I think so.

I think this kind of thing  we need to find someone who is very, very objective who can get to the bottom of these accusations, he said.

Kelly also weighed in on the question of how, or whether, to honor Confederate soldiers, an issue that has been at the center of debates about the removal of Civil War statues.

Robert E. Lee was an honorable man, he said of the general who gave up his federal Army commission to lead the Virginia and Confederate forces. He was a man who gave up his country to fight for his state.

The lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War, Kelly said. He did not explain what sort of compromise would have been desirable.

The interview was the first since Kelly angrily denounced a Florida congresswoman who had criticized Trump for what she said was a disrespectful condolence call to Myeshia Johnson, the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, who died this month when his unit was attacked in Niger.

Rep. Frederica Wilson, a friend of the family, had listened in on the call, and her characterization was supported by the widow and another person who heard it.

But in an emotional appearance in the White House briefing room on Oct. 19, Kelly had relentlessly attacked the congresswoman, calling her an empty barrel.

Kelly focused his criticism on a speech Wilson gave in 2015 at the dedication of a Miami building named for fallen FBI agents, saying that she had boasted about her success in procuring money to build the structure.

Video of the speech, however, proved Kelly wrong. Wilson was not in Congress when the money was appropriated, and in the speech she had credited herself and other politicians, including Republicans, for swiftly pushing through a bill to honor the agents by naming the building for them. She spent most of the speech praising law enforcement officers and asking them to stand for recognition.

Kelly altered his description of the offending circumstances on Monday night, saying that the remarks occurred before and after the speech.

Asked by Ingraham if he planned to apologize for his misstatement, he replied: No, no, never.

Ill apologize if I need to. For something like this, absolutely not. I stand by my comments, he said.

But he made clear his criticism was limited to the congresswoman and did not extend to Myeshia Johnson.

As far as the young widow goes, she has every right to say anything she wants to say, he said.

For more on politics from Cathleen Decker 

cathleen.decker@latimes.com

Twitter: @cathleendecker

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The latest from Washington

Updates on California politics
Health insurance marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act begin accepting 2018 applications Wednesday amid mounting concern that the Trump administrations repeated attacks on the law will dramatically depress enrollment.

The marketplaces -- a centerpiece of the law commonly called Obamacare -- continue to provide coverage for some 10 million people. And they remain the only option for many low- and moderate-income Americans who dont get health benefits through an employer or a government program such as Medicare or Medicaid.

But across the country, the presidents persistent criticism of the law and Republican congressional efforts to repeal it have fed widespread confusion among consumers.

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Most people think the plans are gone, said Katy Caldwell, executive director of Legacy Community Health, a large network of clinics serving low-income patients in and around Houston.

Caldwell said patients routinely now say they are expecting to be uninsured in 2018. Were afraid people think they cant enroll next year, she said.

In one recent national survey, more than 40% of uninsured working-age adults were either unsure or unaware that the requirement that people have insurance is still in effect, the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation found. Americans who do not have coverage may be subject to a tax penalty.

The Trump administration has at times appeared intent on stoking the uncertainty.

Two weeks ago, the president publicly suggested the healthcare law had already been repealed.

Obamacare is finished. Its dead. Its gone, Trump said at a mid-October Cabinet meeting. There is no such thing as Obamacare anymore.

The presidents comments followed a series of moves that many state regulators, consumer advocates and health insurers say are undermining the markets.

Trump in October abruptly cut off federal payments that reimburse insurers for reducing out-of-pocket costs for lower-income Americans.

The so-called cost sharing reduction payments are the subject of a legal battle, with congressional Republicans arguing they cannot be paid without an appropriation by Congress.

But the Trump administrations decision to suddenly back the legal challenge after nearly a year of making the payments drew widespread criticism, especially coming so close to the 2018 open enrollment period.

And although a bipartisan group of senators has proposed legislation to fund the payments and stabilize markets, Trump has signaled he may not sign it.

Uncertainty over the payments has prompted many insurers to significantly raise their 2018 rates, in some cases by as much as 30%, according to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation analysis.

Many consumers will be protected from these rate hikes, in part because of premium subsidies provided through the healthcare law.

The law offers aid to consumers making between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty line, or between $12,060 and $48,240 a year.

Many insurers also concentrated the rate hikes in certain plans. Because of the complex way the law calculates subsidies, that means that some consumers could actually see their rates decline next year.

But Americans who make too much to qualify for aid  many of whom have already experienced big premium hikes in recent years -- may see very large rate hikes again in 2018.

That could force some to drop coverage, weakening the markets further in some parts of the country.

Trump also roiled markets in October by directing federal agencies to look at ways to broaden the availability of cheaper, less comprehensive health plans which could leave only sicker, more expensive consumers behind in the marketplaces.

Trumps moves came on top of dramatic budget cuts by the Department of Health and Human Services for enrollment efforts this year, slashing advertising by 90% and reducing federal funding for organizations that help people sign up by more than 40%.

At the same time, this years enrollment period  which runs from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15  will be half as long as prior enrollment periods for residents of the 39 states that use the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace.

Most state-run marketplaces, including Californias and Connecticuts, plan to keep their enrollment periods open into January.

This is like the invisible open enrollment, said Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, the states insurance marketplace. Thats a prescription for low enrollment and bad risk.

The marketplaces, which began offering health coverage in 2014, depend on attracting enough younger, healthier enrollees to offset the costs of older, sicker consumers. That helps keep premiums in check.

Getting that mix right was challenging before this year, as the Obama administration labored to convince younger consumers to sign up for coverage.

Some states, such as California, are again planning robust new outreach efforts for 2018.

And some health insurers will increase marketing efforts this year, said Jeanette Thornton, senior vice president at Americas Health Insurance Plans, the industrys Washington-based lobbying arm.

But the Trump administration has no major plan to promote enrollment this year and has done little to coordinate with grass roots groups that help people sign up for health plans, according to several leading groups.

There are still a lot of people who want the coverage, said Jodi Ray, who oversees enrollment efforts for Florida Covering Kids and Families, a nonprofit that has helped Floridians sign up for health insurance since the marketplaces opened four years ago.

Federal officials have said they dont believe such a federal effort is necessary, as the marketplaces are now entering their fifth year.

Thats unfortunate, Lee said. California officials concluded that ongoing outreach and advertising is crucial because there is so much turnover in the marketplaces as consumers leave to get coverage elsewhere after getting a job or qualifying for a government plan such as Medicare or Medicaid.

Ever year, about 40% of Covered Californias enrollees are new, Lee said. There are always new people to reach.

noam.levey@latimes.com

@noamlevey

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His presidency facing fresh peril, President Trump and his loyalists have adopted a twofold strategy to protect him against the indictment of two senior campaign aides and a guilty plea on the part of a third, more junior aide: distancing Trump from alleged wrongdoers and leveling new attacks on an old nemesis, Hillary Clinton.

Shortly after the announcement that indictments had been issued for former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and Manaforts long-term colleague Rick Gates, Trump outlined his strategy succinctly, if not entirely accurately.

Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why arent Crooked Hillary and the Dems the focus????? he wrote on Twitter.

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Also, there is NO COLLUSION!

Mondays indictments opened a new phase of the investigation headed by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. For the first time, the case has shifted from generalized accusations to specific charges against named individuals.

What neither the presidents backers nor his opponents know for sure is how many Americans in this highly polarized political era may still be out there who have withheld judgment until now and how they may be affected by the sight on their televisions of men in suits walking into court to enter criminal pleas.

Anna Greenberg, a Democratic pollster who has conducted surveys in contested congressional districts, said many voters have been awaiting the outcome of the investigation before judging Trump.

I think that this is a real issue for him, despite the divisions in our country, she said. This is clearly the beginning of finding out what happened.

Some Trump supporters, however, discounted that, saying the absence of any charges directly against Trump will minimize the impact.

Theyve gotten some fringe players  but theres still no smoking gun as to Russian collusion, former Trump campaign advisor Barry Bennett said.

The White House sought to emphasize that point as much as possible Monday.

In a briefing, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders offered no defense of Manafort, who ran the presidents campaign for key months last year and wrangled delegates to ensure Trumps nomination at the Republican National Convention in July.

Instead, she pointed repeatedly to the fact that the charges in the indictments focused on activities that largely took place before Manafort and Gates joined the campaign  although despite Trumps tweeted assertion, the financial crimes alleged in Manaforts case did extend into his time as campaign manager and beyond.

Look, todays announcement has nothing to do with the president, has nothing to do with the presidents campaign or campaign activity, Sanders said.

She used the same sentiments to distance Trump from George Papadopoulos, the Trump campaign foreign policy aide whose guilty plea was made public Monday.

The charges to which he pleaded guilty  false statements to FBI investigators  have nothing to do with the activities of the campaign. It has to do with his failure to tell the truth, Sanders said. She said Trump had reacted to the indictments the same way the rest of us in the White House have, and thats without a lot of reaction because it doesnt have anything to do with us.

Sanders also said the real collusion was between Clinton and Russians who sought to smear the president. She was referring to the Clinton campaigns financing of opposition research that a former British intelligence officer collected on Trumps alleged involvement with Russians. The Republican argument is that because the dossier Christopher Steele produced included information from some Russian sources, it showed collusion by Clinton.

U.S. intelligence officials have concluded that Russia was working against Clinton in the election, and the Papadopoulos plea agreement includes fresh examples of people tied to the Russian government seeking to deliver information about Clinton to the Trump team.

The White House arguments were amplified by conservative news outlets, including Fox News opinion programs, which the president regularly watches. Multiple Fox hosts on Monday called into question Muellers integrity and cited the Clinton campaigns involvement in the dossier.

What we see in politics now is that you win by any means necessary, said Lisa Kennedy Montgomery of the Fox show Outnumbered. Other guests debated what one called increased questions about Muellers conflicts of interest and referred to a largely debunked claim that Clinton had sold uranium to Russia.

The conflicting narrative lines speak to the deep political divisions in America that will inevitably shape public reaction to the indictments and any further legal actions by Mueller.

The Trump strategy has been long in the making, since a Manafort indictment has been signaled as early as last summer, when FBI agents used a search warrant to enter his home before dawn.

In August, the day after that search, Trump told reporters that he was with the campaign, as you know, for a very short period of time  relatively short period of time. But Ive always known him to be a good man.

For even longer than that, Trump has used allegations of misconduct by Clinton as a tool for uniting Republicans who disdain the former secretary of State. For days, he and other Republicans have called for investigations of her presidential campaign and State Department tenure. The increased volume of those calls last week may have suggested that Trump and his advisors sensed a looming need for diversion.

By bringing Clinton up once again Monday, Trump was framing the indictments as just another battle in continuing partisan wars. In so doing he was leaning on a political truth: Supporters typically rally around a president in crisis, at least initially.

Democrats initially defended Bill Clinton when his affair with an intern became public, and most remained politically loyal even in the throes of impeachment, in which they saw Republicans trying to drive him from office as a greater threat.

During the Watergate scandal in the 1970s, Republican leaders ultimately convinced President Nixon that he needed to resign, but the party and its voters continued to support him for most of the two-year saga.

Almost 7 in 10 Americans supported Nixon at his second inauguration in 1973, seven months after the bungled effort to bug Democratic headquarters that launched the scandal. Only when White House tape recordings showed Nixon had lied about coordinating a cover-up did a majority of Americans say he should be removed from office. Even then, 1 in 4 Americans opposed his departure.

Trump, however, has far less distance to slide. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Monday found that even in advance of Mondays charges, only 38% of Americans approved of how Trump was doing his job, the lowest level yet hit in the poll.

For more on politics from Cathleen Decker 

cathleen.decker@latimes.com

Twitter: @cathleendecker

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Updates on California politics
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.

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When a persons distress, depression or discouragement appears to have taken a sharp turn for the worse, its time to ask him or her a weighty question: Are you thinking of harming yourself?

If only the answer were a better guide. One study has found that nearly 80% of patients who took their own lives denied they were contemplating suicide in their last contact with a mental healthcare professional. Friends and family suffer the guilt and anguish of not having divined a loved ones intentions, but mental health professionals rarely fare much better at doing so.

But what if the brains response to a series of questions  never the question, but a more indirect probe of a persons feelings  yielded a more accurate signal?

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New research suggests it can.

In a study published Monday in the journal Nature Human Behavior, researchers found that patterns of brain activation in response to a set of written words could reliably distinguish between young adults who had contemplated suicide and young, healthy control subjects. These words included ones related to death and to both positive and negative emotions.

A further exercise  gauging specific brain responses to clusters of highly emotional words  made an even finer distinction: between subjects who had a history of suicide attempts and those who had pondered such a step but never acted on it.

Suicidal ideation and attempt are associated with measurable alterations in the way a person thinks about death, suicide, and other positive and negative concepts, wrote the authors of the new study, led by Carnegie Mellon University neuroscientist Marcel Just.

The interactions are complex, but computer-learning programs can tease out patterns that allow predictions to be made  or at least identify individuals most in need of immediate and intensive help.

After years of peering into the spectral images produced by a functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, scanner, Just said he and his colleagues have gotten pretty accurate at reading a subjects feelings of shame, sadness, anger and pride, among others.

We humans may vary widely in how we express our emotions, Just said. But when a given emotion is aroused in a number of experimental subjects, blood flows in predictable patterns to predictable structures of the brain. With all our individual variability, he said, some emotions have very identifiable neural signatures.

Close to five years ago, Just delivered a talk on the neural signatures of emotion at the University of Pittsburgh. Afterward, a psychiatrist approached him and described his professions sorry record of predicting suicide. He asked: Could neural signatures help reveal intent?

Just and his co-authors set about devising an approach for the assessment of suicide risk. They would use machine learning to detect abnormal emotional responses to concepts such as death and cruelty, as well as to words such as carefree and good.

In a group of 34 young adult subjects, the resulting program distinguished between healthy controls and suicide-contemplators with an accuracy of 91%. It correctly identified 15 of the 17 suicidal participants and 16 of the 17 non-suicidal controls.

A further iteration of the machine-learning program was able to distinguish, with 87% accuracy, between subjects who had engaged in suicidal thinking only and those who had attempted suicide.

The activation patterns inside the brains of young adults who had stared into that psychological abyss and acted on the impulse tended to respond to death-related words with less sadness than did subjects who had contemplated suicide but never made an attempt.

Compared to subjects with a past suicide attempt, those who had pondered suicide but not acted on such thoughts responded to death- and suicide-related words like lifeless, desperate, overdose and funeral with neural signatures suggesting more anger, and they did so reliably.

Just acknowledged that, in many cases, the breadth and depth of a subjects depressive symptoms also can predict whether he will try to harm himself. Administering a dynamic brain scan, however, may offer earlier warning that self-destructive thought patterns are settling in, he said.

Understanding how those thought patterns manifest themselves as brain-activation patterns might also offer a way to target psychological therapies, and test whether they are working.

Obviously its good to ask the person, Just said. We dont try to set this up as a competing measure to existing methods, but a complementary one. These are pretty high accuracies were getting.

melissa.healy@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATMelissaHealy

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Segerstrom Center for the Arts will present the Southern California premiere of Something Rotten! featuring three principal cast members from Broadway.

The musical comedy, with 16 performances Nov. 7 to 19 in Segerstrom Hall, was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Broadway actors Adam Pascal (Rent, Cabaret, Aida), Josh Grisetti (Enter Laughing) and Rob McClure (Avenue Q and Chaplin: The Musical) will star in the story set in 1595.

Something Rotten! follows Bottom brothers Nick (McClure) and Nigel (Grisetti) who struggle to achieve success in theater as they compete with their popular contemporary, William Shakespeare (Pascal).

The shows primary function is to make the audience laugh and introduce a new original American musical, but it also has to do with [the line from Hamlet] (To) thine own self be true because Nick is not trusting his own instincts, McClure said by phone during a stop in Denver.

Anyone who has dabbled in art professionally knows what it feels like to be stunted, McClure said.

McClure, 35, has received Tony, Drama League, Astaire and Outer Critics Circle nominations and won Theatre World and Clive Barnes awards.

His character is married to Bea, played by actress Maggie Lakis, to whom McClure has been married for eight years. The couple met 12 years ago when they performed  he as Doody, she as Frenchy  in a production of Grease in New Jersey.

McClure already had performed in Something Rotten! for the last eight months on Broadway and learned Lakis would join him as his wife on stage for the tour after she auditioned for the role and earned the part.

I can tell hes having some difficulty, and hes not communicating with me, Lakis said of McClures character.

We joke that shes the first feminist, McClure said with a laugh.

The new musical is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon and Aladdin) with music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner and Tony nominee Wayne Kirkpatrick and book by Tony nominees Karey Kirkpatrick and best-selling author John OFarrell.

The cast and crew visited their 27th city in mid-October, marking over 300 performances before heading to Costa Mesa and then to the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles from Nov. 21 to Dec. 31.

Its a celebration of musical comedy, McClure said.

Lakis added, And its about having to stop from comparing yourself to others because every path is different.

If You Go

What: Something Rotten!

When: Nov. 7 to 19; 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sundays

Where: Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa

Cost: Tickets start at $29

Information: (714) 556-2787 or visit scfta.org.

kathleen.luppi@latimes.com

Twitter: @KathleenLuppi
Police officers and SWAT personnel surrounded a Fountain Valley home about 1 p.m. Tuesday.

A police helicopter and Department of Homeland Security personnel also were on the scene.

A man who said he lives in the house told the Daily Pilot that police told him and his family to leave but didnt give a reason.

Westminster police said they are conducting an investigation but would not provide information about it.

Fountain Valley police assisted Tuesday but also did not comment.

The residence, in the 9600 block of Talbert Avenue, is near Fountain Valley High School, which was placed on lockdown earlier Tuesday because of what authorities described as police activity near the campus.

Josh Lamar, Fountain Valley Highs assistant principal, and the Huntington Beach Union High School District tweeted at about 12:45 p.m. that the school had been given the all-clear to resume normal activities, about 2 hours after the lockdown began.

At 12:45 p.m., the Shelter in Place at #FVHS was lifted and students were released to continue their normal day.  Huntington Beach UHSD (@HBUHSD) October 31, 2017

Still, Lamar said, Talbert [Avenue] is not accessible for safety reasons. All traffic entering campus must leave heading northbound on Bushard [Street].

Earlier, Lamar tweeted shortly after 10 a.m. that students and staff were safe, but he urged people to avoid the area near Talbert and Bushard. He also told parents not to call the school.

At about 11:30 a.m. Lamar tweeted: We are being permitted to resume our bell schedule. We do not have the all-clear as of now, so students are not being released.

Some users of Huntington Beach Community Forum, a Facebook group, said they received automated calls from the school informing them of the lockdown.

bradley.zint@latimes.com

Twitter: @BradleyZint

UPDATES:

3 p.m.: This article was updated with information about the Westminster Police Department.

1:50 p.m.: This article was updated with the news of the police action at the house and the lockdown being lifted at Fountain Valley High.

12:10 p.m.: This article was updated with a new tweet from Josh Lamar.

This article was originally published at 11 a.m.
Builder Landsea Homes has bought 1.2 acres adjacent to Newport Beachs Lido Marina Village shopping center for a planned 23-unit luxury townhouse development.

The Lido Villas project features five floor plans for three-story units ranging from about 1,700 to 2,300 square feet, according to a news release. The homes would have rooftop decks overlooking Lido Marina and Newport Bay.

Lido Villas also would be near the Lido House hotel, which is under construction and expected to open in March.

Landsea said it hopes to open sales in late summer 2018. It did not reveal pricing.

The Irvine-based builder said it bought the property on Via Lido from NPBay Investors.

The project already has approvals from the Newport Beach Planning Commission and the California Coastal Commission. The previous owner decided to sell the project instead of build it.

hillary.davis@latimes.com

Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD
By the way, they like you to dress fancy (and leave children home, unless youre headed to a weekend brunch). Coat and tie are required for men.

In theory, to attend you must be invited or accompanied by a member of the Academy of Magical Arts. In practice, there are at least two pretty easy ways in. Its not so hard (though the admission charge and dinner and drinks usually add up to a pricey night). If you spend a night at the adjacent Magic Castle Hotel & Suites , youre entitled to go to the club. Or you can email one of the magicians soon to appear and ask for an invite. (More ideas here .)

What: The castle, clubhouse of the Academy of Magical Arts, was built as a private home in 1908. But by the time it opened as a magic haven in 1963, it had undergone a thorough transformation to make it fit for tricks and performances. Since then, it has survived waxing and waning popularity, not to mention a fire in 2011. (The flames flare on the night of Halloween.) Roam room to room and you encounter all manner of deceptions and marvels. Card tricks. Seances. Sleight of hand. Secret passages. And a fancy dinner.

Why: The Magic Castle is the worst kept secret in Hollywood -- a private club in a tricked-out house thats devoted to magic. And if you really want to get in, its not that hard.

See the light at James Turrells Skyspace in Claremont By Elisa Parhad Why: This awe-inspiring public art installation brings new beauty to the light of dawn and dusk. What: Dividing the Light (2007), one of several dozen Skyspaces worldwide by artist James Turrell, is an elevated metal frame perched above an outdoor courtyard. A mesmerizing light show begins at dawn and dusk when the frame is illuminated with colored light, enhancing the skys own changing hues. The Skyspace is a part of the Pomona College Museum of Art. For Turrell, an L.A. native and alumnus of Pomona College (65) and Claremont Graduate University (73), this campus installation is a homecoming of sorts, and the only public Skyspace in Southern California. Turrell is an avid pilot and considers the sky his studio, material and canvas, and his Pomona College training in perceptual psychology informs his play of light, space, and human perception. Skyspace programs begin one hour before sunrise and 10 minutes before sunset. The evening program lasts about 40 minutes. Check a listing of current exhibitions and Art After Hours days that may make a Skyspace and museum twofer possible. Where: The Draper Courtyard (between the Lincoln and Edmunds buildings) at 600 N. College Way on the Pomona College campus in Claremont, 34 miles northeast of downtown L.A. How much: Free Info: James Turrell Skyspace Facebook

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Pedal L.A.'s Echo Park Lake, munch a fancy snack and daydream of Sister Aimee and the spiritualists By Christopher Reynolds The swan boats of Echo Park Lake. (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Why: The hotter it gets, the more sense these pedal vessels make. What: The artificial lake in Echo Park goes back to at least 1870. The boathouse and pedal boat operation go back decades. And the place has been dramatically upgraded in the last few years, beginning with a draining and cleaning in 2011-2013. The paddle boats operated by Wheel Fun Rentals are now shaped like swans and the larger ones hold up to five people or 1,400 pounds. (These boats look a lot like the historic swan boats in Boston Common, which also go back to the 1870s.) Head out for an hour of pedaling and drifting, not necessarily in that order, and imagine the early 20th century days when Aimee Semple McPherson was preaching in the Angelus Temple next door and these hills were crawling with communists, socialists and spiritualists. The boat rentals are open daily all year from 9 a.m. until sunset. On the hottest days, try edging right up to the edge of the fountain in the middle of the lake  youll be coated with mist or (if theres a breeze) pelted by diagonal rain. The last rentals go out an hour before sunset. (One night in July, a young man broke in and took a paddle boat for a forbidden ride. It did not end well.) The eatery, Beacon, opened in January 2017 with a menu thats longer, more intriguing and a little pricier than the average public park snack shack. The communists dont live here anymore. Bonus option: Fishing is allowed, with a license. Where: 751 Echo Park Ave., 2 miles northwest of downtown L.A. How much: The swan boats rent for hourly rates of $11 per adult, $6 per minor. Everybody gets a life jacket. A sampling from the Beacon menu: kale and avocado burritos ($7), a crab and gouda sandwich ($13), salmon toast ($10), Beacon Burger ($15), lemonade ($3). Beacon is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Info: Wheel Fun Rentals, Beacon A pedalers view of Echo Park Lake. (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Facebook

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See the Giants, glimpse the bay and duck the gulls at San Franciscos AT&T Park By Christopher Reynolds The Giants have played in AT&T Park since 2000. (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Why: Whether youre for the Giants or against them, you can root for a home run into the bay here  something you wont see at any other major league baseball stadium. In fact, you can see bits of San Francisco Bay  distant wharves, cargo ships, maybe a few kayaks in McCovey Cove  from many of the 41,915 seats in AT&T Park. And in a city thats not always easy for families, this park is full of kid-friendly features. What: The Giants have been based in San Francisco since 1958, but they only started winning championships here after this ballpark opened in 2000. (Beyond center field youll see banners celebrating the teams World Series victories in 2010, 2012 and 2014, and a few more from the earlier New York years.) Builders worked hard to reduce the winds that made the old Candlestick Park a nightmare for anyone fielding a fly ball  and largely succeeded. In fact, experts often rank this park first or second among the most pleasant in the major leagues. But theres no banishing the gulls. At the end of every game, thousands of the scavenging creatures come swooping in to feast on leavings in the bleachers. Ushers try to fend them off, but the situation is basically Field of Dreams meets Alfred Hitchcock. Hang around for a few minutes to catch the spectacle. Gulls after a day game, AT&T Park, San Francisco. (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Where: 24 Willie Mays Plaza, San Francisco, 382 miles northwest of downtown L.A. How much: Most tickets $9-$282. Single-game tickets here. Info: San Francisco Giants, San Francisco Travel Facebook

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Fly, roll, float and romp in a Disneys ever-evolving California Adventure By Christopher Reynolds Hollywood Land, Disney California Adventure (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Why: If somebody asked you to compress the best of California into 72 acres, make it abundantly kid-friendly and persuade thousands of people to spend long hours and big money there, you might crack under the pressure. (Admit it, youre already uncomfortable.) That was Disneys mission with this park. And Disney failed  at first. But since that awkward debut in 2001, when attendance fell far short of expectations, the park people have been steadily changing and fixing this place. Even if youre skeptical about all things Disney (as some people are), youll probably get a kick out of this cartoon version of our state. What: Most of the parks rides, restaurants and photo ops are all about idealizing California, including Hollywood Land (whos ever seen such clean streets and tidy storefronts in the real Hollywood?); Pacific Wharf (a mix of Cannery Row in Monterey and Fishermans Wharf in San Francisco); and Grizzly Peak (a nod to Yosemite and the tall trees of Northern California). But other features these days reach far beyond state lines. When I dropped in a few days ago, the parks marching bands and mariachis were joined by drummers, dancers and musicians from around Asia, gathered to celebrate Lunar New Year. Rides in A Bugs Land and Car Land were full of grinning guests, as was the Soarin Around the World ride  which replaced Soaring (over California) in 2016  and the Guardians of the Galaxy-Mission: Breakout! ride  which replaced the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in 2017. This summer, Paradise Pier is scheduled to become Pixar Pier. Meanwhile, California Screamin, Mickeys Fun Wheel and Grizzly River Run were closed for refurbishment. Check before visiting to see whats open and whats not. Where: Right next to Disneyland and Downtown Disney, California Adventure, 1313 Disneyland Drive in Anaheim, is 26 miles southeast of downtown L.A. How much: Passes start at $97 (ages 10 and above; before taxes) for a one-day Value Ticket. Standard parking $20. Info: Disney California Adventure Disney California Adventure (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Facebook

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Drive the narrow, winding, spectacular back-door route to Big Sur: Nacimiento-Fergusson Road By Christopher Reynolds On the western slopes (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Why: Itll quicken your pulse, drop your jaw and demand your full attention. Theres no more dramatic passage from Central Californias blond hills to the Big Sur coast than this 24-mile route. What: Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, a winding, two-lane highway, begins in the Salinas Valley countryside north of Paso Robles, next to the often-overlooked Mission San Antonio de Padua and the Armys Ft. Hunter-Liggett. From there it creeps through forest and chaparral to the crest of the Santa Lucia Mountains, about 2,800 feet above sea level. Then for 7 miles, via dozens of switchback turns, it wends its way down the western slopes to Big Sur. It meets Highway 1 at Kirk Creek, about 4 miles south of Lucia. Mission San Antonio de Padua (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Motorcyclists have loved Nacimiento-Fergusson Road for years. When a mudslide and reconstruction closed Highway 1 at Mud Creek for more than a year in 2017-2018, many more cars found their way to this alternative, as well. In normal times, with Highway 1 open, you can usually count on thin traffic on Nacimiento-Fergusson. The roads westernmost 7 miles, descending via multiple sharp turns to the coast road, are as spectacular as can be  and might start a three-alarm panic attack if youre afraid of heights. (When a route is featured on www.dangerousroads.org, you know its special.) Given the absence of lights or guard rails or cellphone reception, Id never try it after dark. On my midday drive in December, I took care to ignore the views until Id safely pulled into one of the many turnouts along the way. (For a tamer ride with similar scenery, take Highway 46 west from Paso Robles to Cambria.) Where: To reach the eastern end of Nacimiento-Fergusson Road, exit Highway 101 at Jolon Road, about 23 miles north of Paso Robles. Follow Jolon Road west, then turn left onto Mission Road, continue 4 miles, then turn left onto Nacimiento-Fergusson Road. Because the road passes through the Army base, drivers may need to show license, registration and proof of insurance. Give the drive at least two hours from the 101 to the 1. You dont want to be in a hurry here. How much: Free. Info: www.dangerousroads.org Facebook

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Recline, rebel or revel in Grand Park, where downtown L.A. celebrates By Christopher Reynolds Grand Park, Dec. 31, 2015. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Why: Every real downtown has a park to serve as urban backyard, and Grand Park is more proof that L.A.'s downtown is getting realer by the day. What: The 12-acre park connects the Music Center at the top of Bunker Hill with City Hall at the bottom. (Yes, you can go to City Halls 27th floor observation deck and its free). The park isnt really new -- theres been open space for decades on these blocks between government buildings. But a dramatic redesign in 2012 put a far better spin on the area, and it doesnt hurt that neighboring Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels arrived in 2002, Disney Hall in 2003 and the Broad Museum in 2015. Besides its welcome green expanses and flanking playground and dog-run areas, Grand Park includes a fountain (with splash pad for kids), an adjacent Starbucks, plenty of places to sit and a busy schedule of holiday events and live shows. Picnicking is encouraged. Protesting is permitted. Food trucks come for lunch most Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Theres midday yoga on many Wednesdays and Fridays. In October and November, the park hosts Dia de los Muertos altars and art; in November and December, holiday lights. And on New Years Eve -- well, the 2016-17 party (free and alcohol-free) included three stages, DJs, live music, dancing, inflatable art, and light projections. Expect more of the same this time. Where: between 200 N. Grand Ave. and 227 N. Spring St., at the core of downtown L.A. How much: Free. Its easiest to arrive via Metro. But theres parking nearby in Lot 10 (entrances on Broadway and Hill Street between 1st and Temple streets), priced at $3.50 per 15 minutes up to a $20 maximum per weekday, $10 per day on weekends, evenings and special events. Info: Grand Park Womens March, Grand Park, January 2017. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Facebook

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Gawk as the waters of McWay Falls plunge from Big Sur to the sea By Christopher Reynolds ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Why: McWay Falls, the splashiest attraction in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, roars down 80 feet from granite and redwoods to a creamy Big Sur beach and implausibly turquoise cove. Its the cascade that other waterfalls want to be. Its also a perfectly impossible California destination, because you cant stand under these falls. Theres no safe way to the beach. What: The hike is more of a stroll, really. Its about half a mile, mostly flat. (And the rest of the park remains mostly closed because of mudslides and other damage done by the Soberanes Fire of 2016.) Once youve passed through a short tunnel under Highway 1 and made a right turn, youll soon be standing on a rocky perch where a house once stood, looking south to the beach and falls. This is an invitation to chill. For one thing, the trail has ended. Also, like Yosemite Falls  which led off our California Bucket List project on Jan. 1  McWay Falls is a sort of perpetuity made plain. The water keeps coming, even if its in short supply elsewhere. And the cell reception is so rotten that youll probably never get an Instagram photo posted from here. So have a seat. Notice that theres a great view to the north also. Think about all the writers and composers (beginning with James Joyce, Richard Wagner, Al Green and Teeny Hodges) who have chosen to start and end their works with running water. Or think about nothing. Where: Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, mile marker 35.8 in Big Sur, 37 miles south of Carmel, 286 miles northwest of downtown L.A. Highway 1 is expected to remained closed at Mud Creek (27 miles south of McWay Falls) through September 2018. That means travelers from the south have two options. One is to detour from Highway 101 north of Paso Robles via Jolon Road and the 24-mile, narrow, winding Nacimiento-Fergusson Road (a star on dangerousroads.org). The other choice is driving up to Salinas on the 101, cutting over to Carmel, then coming back south on Highway 1. How much: $10. Info: Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park Looking north from the McWay Falls Trail. ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Facebook

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Marvel over this San Francisco church inspired by the ideals of the Scandinavian Da Vinci By Catharine Hamm (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Why: Simplicity and complexity meet in the Swedenborgian Church of San Francisco, and the marriage is a harmonious celebration of architecture and intellect. What: The 1895 Swedenborgian Church of San Francisco, a national historic landmark in Pacific Heights, is an Arts and Crafts building designed by several architects, including Bernard Maybeck, who created the Palace of Fine Arts at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915 in San Francisco. Inside the walls are rustic redwood, found often in Arts and Crafts buildings and consistent with the Swedenborgian appreciation of natural objects, according to the 1969 book Here Today: San Franciscos Architectural Heritage. The chairs are maple, made by hand, without the use of nails, and their seats were woven of tule rushes from the Sacramento River Delta, the book says. In the fireplace in the back, the andirons become small crosses, and the crackling fire (and recently installed radiant heat) make the church a warm and welcoming spot for quiet contemplation, especially on chilly San Francisco days (which is most of them). (Catharine Hamm / Los Angeles Times) Its also a reminder of the man whose desire to understand Scripture caught fire when he was in his 50s. Emanuel Swedenborg was born Jesper Svedborg in 1688 in Stockholm. In Swedenborg: An Introduction to His Life and Ideas, author Gary Lachman describes Swedenborg as the Scandinavian Da Vinci. He was a scientist, poet, writer, mystic, statesman, inventor and biblical scholar. After Swedenborgs death in 1772 in London, societies took root that were devoted to contemplating his thoughts and works; the Bible is the center of these. These organizations made their way across the pond by the late 1780s, and the New Church (sometimes called New Jerusalem) began to spread in the United States. (Catharine Hamm / Los Angeles Times) Notable Swedenborgian churches include the Wayfarers Chapel in Palos Verdes, designed by Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright. The younger Wright was said to have taken his architectural inspiration for the chapel, dedicated in 1951, from Northern Californias redwoods. Where: The Swedenborgian Church of San Francisco, 2107 Lyon St , is about 385 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Cost: Free. Services are at 11 a.m. Sundays. Office hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; knock to gain entry to the church. Info: Swedenborgian Church of San Francisco Facebook

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Soak away your stress and join Club Mud at a Corona hot springs that embraces everyone By Catharine Hamm Why: If youre intimidated by the word spa, Glen Ivy is the place for you. It feels accessible, not exclusive, meaning you can sit back and relax. What: Which is what you want to do. There are 19 pools to try, including the mineral pools, the star attraction in the early days of the late 1800s when you could soak in them for 25 cents. Today, you start by getting a locker for your street clothes and putting on your swim suit in a well-appointed area that includes changing rooms, showers and big, lighted mirrors where youll find hairdryers youll want later in the day. Glen Ivys 12 acres include a float pool and a large pool if you want to exercise. But my new favorite features are the hot and cold plunge pools. (Try switching three times between them and stay in each pool for a minimum of 30 seconds. It doesnt sound like long until youre in the cold pool.) The former Cafe Sole has been replaced by the new Ivy Kitchen, offering light but satisfying meals. (No starvation tactics here.) And, of course, you can find the usual spa treatments (extra charge but no pressure; appointments advisable) including the underground Grotto, where skin hydration is the goal ($25 upcharge). Save Club Mud for last. You paint yourself (and your hair) with mud, which is California red clay, then go bake in the sun. Before you turn into tandoori chicken, you brush it off and rinse or wash it off in the outdoor showers if youve used a tad too much. One note: Beware of bees, which are attracted to the mud. Make sure you youre wearing your sandals. The landscaping makes it all very pretty and it feels all very real, which is refreshing if youre weary of L.A. artifice. Where: 25000 Glen Ivy Road, Corona; (888) 453-6489, about 60 miles southeast of downtown L.A. (Set aside at least 90 minutes to get there.) How much: Go on a weekday when its less expensive ($49 for the day Mondays-Fridays, averaging 300 guests). Saturdays, Sundays and holidays its $68 and about 700 people will be there. Through Feb. 28, hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Its open an hour later from March through May. Check on summer hours. Info: Glen Ivy Hot Springs Facebook

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See the small world within this Carlsbad museum of miniature engineering By Irene Lechowitzky Why: The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum in Carlsbad is novel and quirky  and proof that good things come in small packages. What: The collection includes painstakingly crafted, remarkable miniatures, many with moving parts. There are cars, planes, engines of all sorts, ships, thumb-sized guns and knives, and much more. These are not the plastic model car kits from your childhood; for example, theres an eye-popping version of a 1932 Duesenberg SJ that has more than 6,000 custom-made parts and is said to have taken more than 10 years to finish. The folks who built these tiny wonders spent decades perfecting their craft. There are hundreds of works from around the world on display, and docents to describe the intricacies and makers of each. Try to time your visit to coincide with a tour of the machine shop/engine room for a little extra oomph. Although its not geared for the toddler crowd, the museum, a few miles east of Legoland, can be an inspiring second stop for families with kids who like to build things. And while youre in the neighborhood, you could make it a triple play with a bonus stop at the nearby Museum of Making Music, where visitors have the chance to play musical instruments. Where: Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum, 3190 Lionshead Ave., Carlsbad; 95 miles south of downtown L.A. How much: Free. Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. Machine shop/engine room demos are at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Info: Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum Facebook

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Start the New Year right with a visit to Pasadenas Rose Parade By Chris Erskine Why: Like the Grand Canyon or the northern lights, the majestic Rose Parade needs to be seen in person to be really appreciated. On a bright SoCal morning, the colors, detail and craftsmanship come alive. And throughout December, there are some intriguing pre-parade opportunities for volunteers. What: One of L.A.s finest freebies, the Rose Parade steps off at 8 a.m. every New Years morning (unless the holiday falls on a Sunday, in which case it is bumped to Monday). We wont even bother describing it, since like the Wizard of Oz or a Super Bowl, everyone has probably seen it on TV. In person, though, the parades splendor, precision and pageantry make an early wake-up call worth it. Its almost a rite of passage for Southern Californians, some of whom spend the night along the parade route. The parade has more rules than the Vatican. Do not pass the blue Honor Line painted on the street.

No tents, sofas or boxes.

Unoccupied chairs are not allowed.

No roping off public areas. And thats pretty much just the main stuff. Heres a full list. But dont let them ruin your fun. The parade, after all, is one the best family-friendly events in the area, and theyre just protecting that. To be a part of it all, join in on the float building in the days and weeks before the parade, when the flowers are being supplied and volunteer help is needed. On parade day, get there before sunup to be sure of a place along the route. Tickets in the grandstands are another option. Be sure to dress in layers, because the temperatures will range from frosty to blistering as the day progresses. Heres a little insiders trick that you wont believe until you see it. If you wait till the 8 a.m. start time, the crowd will be in place on the route and there is virtually no traffic. Pay the $20 parking fee at a random gas station along Walnut and join the fun. You wont be in the first row, or maybe even the first 10. But the floats are so high, youll be able to see them well. About an hour into the two-hour parade, the crowds will begin to relax and spots open up for even better viewing. Its a wonderful experience, hassle-free, and a great way to kick off a New Year. Where: Pasadena, about 12 miles from downtown Los Angeles. How much: Free Info: Rose Parade Facebook

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Meander among 5 million lights at Riversides Mission Inn By Christopher Reynolds ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Why: The Mission Inn, which dates to the 1870s, stands in the middle of Riverside the way Bruce Springsteen stands in the middle of the E Street band. It fills a city block. And since the early 1990s, the hotel has been putting together an ever-more-lavish Festival of Lights. At last count, about 5 million lights. What: For six weeks at Christmastime, the landmark hotel switches on all those lights and invites visitors to stroll through the property, including a tunnel where faux snow falls. (This years festival runs Nov. 24 through Jan. 6.) The line to walk the property can get very long  and the traffic and parking situation in the blocks around the hotel can seem downright devilish. But most folks are in a good mood, and the festival includes live music, horse-drawn carriages, funnel cakes, Santa Claus photo ops and more. To see more lights and skip the line, book a dinner reservation at the Mission Inn Restaurant (one of several on the property) and you may land at a courtyard table, surrounded by Spanish Revival architecture thats more ornate (and with more Tuscan influence) than youll see at any of Californias 21 actual missions. ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) And yes, theres a reason the decorations seem to be in motion: Besides lights, the halls and walls have also been festooned with about 200 angels, gnomes, polar bears, many of which move, in the same halting, semi-spooky way that Honest Abe moves in Disneylands Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. Its a scene. And speaking of presidents, be sure to peek at the hotels Presidential Lounge and its portrait of Richard Nixon, who was a 27-year-old attorney when he married Pat Ryan at the hotel in 1940. (Theres also a tower, a rotunda, spa, all sorts of artworks and artifacts and a museum next door that traces the inns history through expansion, bankruptcy, renovations and resurgence.) Where: 3649 Mission Ave., Riverside, 55 miles east of downtown L.A. How much: Its free to walk the hotel property during the Festival of Lights. Dinner main dishes at the Mission Inn Restaurant run $15-$42. (I can recommend the Italian sausage pasta and the pan-seared salmon.) Rooms for two start as low as $199 in slow months (like January), $329 or more in December. Info: Mission Inn The inns Presidential Lounge. ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Theres a gingerbread hotel in the inns lobby. ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Facebook

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Peer into a writers head and a valleys soul in Salinas By Catharine Hamm Why: John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, Calif., a farming community that lacks the cachet of neighboring Carmel and Monterey. But, then, neither of those towns produced a man who went on to win a Pulitzer, a Nobel and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. To be in in Steinbecks hometown is to be reminded that, as fellow author F. Scott Fitzgerald said, genius is the ability to put into effect what is in your mind. What: Steinbecks birthplace home and the National Steinbeck Center tell the tale of the man whose Grapes of Wrath is often thought to be the Great American Novel. The community of his youth  he was born here in 1902  was this rich, rural farming area in the Salinas Valley, and his labors alongside migrant workers in the sugar beet fields of nearby Spreckels informed many of his works, including Of Mice and Men. He attended Stanford but never graduated, and he struggled to establish himself, but in 1935, his book Tortilla Flat finally put him in the public eye. His subsequent books included Cannery Row, Sea of Cortez and East of Eden and, of course, Grapes of Wrath, about which he wrote, It isnt the great book I hoped it would be. The story of the Joads, fleeing the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma and arriving in not-quite-as-billed California, won the Pulitzer in 1940. You can have lunch at the Steinbeck House, the Queen Anne style home where he grew up, then stroll the two blocks to the National Steinbeck Center, which somehow captures and conveys the challenges of his writing life. One of the central pieces of the center is Rocinante, the 1960 GMC camper pickup he drove on a 10,000-mile road trip as he scoured the country seeking its essence. The resulting book, Travels With Charley (Charley was his poodle), chronicles what Steinbeck saw as a country in sometimes uncomfortable motion. The center, which turns 20 in 2018, also does not shy away from the controversy that arose from the authors portrayal of farm workers lot in life in Grapes of Wrath. His books infuriated growers  some places banned them  and he turned his back on his hometown. But as if to prove you can go home again, Steinbeck, who died in 1968 in New York City at age 66, is buried in Salinas. Where: The Steinbeck House is at 132 Central Ave.; lunch is served 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; reservations at (831) 757-5806. The National Steinbeck Center is at 1 Main St., about 305 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The center is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day. How much: $12.95 for adults; $9.95 for seniors, students, military, teachers and Monterey County residents; $6.95 for children 6-17; children 5 and younger admitted free. Info: National Steinbeck Center Facebook

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Treat yourself to Spago in Beverly Hills, and a possible tableside visit from the boss By Chris Erskine Why: Because Wolfgang Puck, who likes to work the dining room, might stop by and personally sprinkle lemon juice on your perfectly grilled fish. There, better? he asks. Of course it is. What: A meal at Spago is as L.A. as the Hollywood sign  and a tad tastier. The landmark restaurant is where Puck made great food fun again. Originally on Sunset and now in Beverly Hills, Spago is synonymous with creative, attentive and amazing dining. (Mariah Tauger / For The Times) (Mariah Tauger / For The Times) At the original Spago on the Sunset Strip, [Puck] created what later became known as casual fine dining, a movement that 35 years later still dominates the restaurant world, wrote Times restaurant reviewer Jonathan Gold. And thus, a nationwide food craze was born. For food lovers, the menu itself is an adventure. Portions are generous, and the service is perfectly timed. And though the dining room is packed and buzzy, you can have a conversation here, unlike so many restaurants these days. At lunch, the go-to standard is the house-cured smoked salmon pizza topped with dollops of caviar. Also pay attention to the veal wienerschnitzel, so tender you could cut it with your thumb. Grilled fish comes off the grill in that 10-second window when it is neither too swimmy nor too dry. Just dont forget the lemon. Where: 176 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, about 13 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. How much: How much you got? For most of us, this is a special occasion restaurant. Lunches for two start at around $100 and quickly reach $200. Dinners for two will run $150 and up, before wine or cocktails. Info: Spago (Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times) (Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times) Facebook

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Frolic amid mai tais, Spam and tiki culture at the Bali Hai on San Diego Bay By Irene Lechowitzky Why: Because two Bali Hais are better than one. Brush up on your Rodgers and Hammerstein (Bali Hai may call you / Any night, any day), then come away to this San Diego tiki icon, the Bali Hai restaurant. What: Tiki bars have been a Southern California phenomenon for generations, and San Diego  with its sunny days, palm trees, ocean views and strong Navy heritage  is a perfect fit for the kitschy fad, tiny umbrellas and all. Starting in the 1930s, faux-Polynesian themed bars and restaurants sprang up in the cross-border region from Tijuana to San Diego. The tiki scene started to dwindle in the 1960s, and despite a resurgence of sorts, most of the old cheeky palaces have faded away. But not Bali Hai. At age 63, its still proudly shaking its hula skirt, aided by a waterfront location, fun ambiance and, yes, seriously powerful mai tais. Ambiance first: As you approach the restaurant/bar, the first thing youll notice is The Goof on the roof, a playful tiki that stands guard over the domain below. At the front door, Mr. Bali Hai, a large wood sculpture, greets guests. Inside, there are about a hundred Polynesian artifacts on display, including masks, weapons and tools. The large bar and dining room have dark wood columns, a wood-beam ceiling and large windows with great bay and city views. The Pacific Rim-inspired menu features such items as Hawaiian tuna poke, chicken adobo steam buns, Spam carbonara, pork belly katsu and Chinese garlic noodles, and holdovers such as Huli Huli chicken and coconut shrimp. But for my money, the experience isnt complete without a rum-based cocktail. There are plenty to choose from, but my favorite is the World Famous Bali Hai Mai Tai, a potent drink that proudly has No Juice Added and mixes aged light and dark rums, Trader Vics orgeat syrup, a dash of Triple Sec and a splash of sweet and sour. Where: 2230 Shelter Island Dr., on Shelter Island, about 5 miles west of downtown San Diego, 120 miles southeast of downtown L.A. How much: Dinner main dishes from $19 to $30; Sunday brunch, $40. Classic cocktails are under $10. Info: Bali Hai restaurant San Diego Bay, from Shelter Island (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) Facebook

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Celebrate at Lawrys in Beverly Hills, where thick slabs of prime rib are sliced right at your table By Jenn Harris (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times) Why: Since 1938, Lawrys the Prime Rib has been the place for indulgence and celebration. Its where people spend their birthdays, anniversaries, congrats-on-your-promotion dinners and holiday parties. And where football players competing in the Rose Bowl go for the Beef Bowl. What: Walking through the heavy gold doors is like walking into a time machine. Through the other side is a magical place where people still dress up, spotless glasses sparkle on crisp white tablecloths and the plush booths make you feel like the most important person in the world. The idea was to create a version of the English restaurant Simpsons in the Strand, where cuts of meat fit for a giant are served from trolleys. But Lawrys founders Lawrence Frank and brother-in-law Walter Van de Kamp (of the Van de Kamp bakery empire and Tam OShanter Inn) had grander plans for their restaurant, starting with the meat carts. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times) Lawrence designed the stainless steel carving carts the restaurant is known for  the ones that glide through the dining room carrying Flintstones-sized cuts of meat  to be, well, impressive. And they are. As are the meat carvers, who don medals showing they are part of the Royal Order of Carvers (a title that requires six months of training). Each prime rib dinner comes with its own show of sorts: Servers wear the same style of brown gown uniforms they wore when the restaurant opened, and they pour dressing from up high into spinning metal bowls of salad tableside. When you order your prime rib, you do it directly from one of the shiny carts, and its sliced to order. There are smaller cuts of meat, but treat yourself to the Diamond Jim Brady (16 ounces), named for millionaire Jim Brady, who was known for eating massive amounts of food. All of the prime rib dinners come with the spinning salad, a scoop of mashed potatoes, a ladleful of gravy and a wedge of Yorkshire pudding. If you dont finish it all  you probably wont finish it all  ask for a doggie bag. The restaurant claims to have initiated the idea, along with valet parking. There are Lawrys the Prime Rib locations in Las Vegas, Chicago and Asia. The original in Beverly Hills is home to a comfortable lounge and excellent bar snacks. This is where you can order a martini kissed with prime rib-stuffed olives and find complimentary snacks that could easily replace your dinner appetizers. Arrive a little early for your reservation, grab a seat in one of the cushy lounge chairs, order a martini, then take turns filling your plate with cocktail meatballs and salty potato chips the size of drink coasters. Go for it. Indulging to your hearts content is encouraged. Where: 100 La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills, located on Restaurant Row, about half a mile south of the Beverly Center, about 10 miles west of downtown L.A. How much: Prime rib dinners start at $41, and you can add a lobster tail for $15. Dessert and starters are extra. Drinks in the bar/lounge area are $13 to $17. The restaurant is busier on the weekends, and reservations are recommended. Info: Lawrys Facebook

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Read forbidden words and savor daring artists in Big Surs Henry Miller Library By Thomas Curwen (Thomas Curwen / Los Angeles Times) Why: If Big Sur is a temple to the beauty of the California coast, then the Henry Miller Memorial Library is one of its most endearing altars, a respite from the rigors of navigating the twists and turns of Highway 1 and rubber-necking the vertiginous coastline. Beneath stately redwoods is a quiet repository of wisdom, irreverence and charm. Its proprietors say that it is the place where nothing happens, and yet it is where everything seems to converge. What: Henry Valentine Miller came to Big Sur in the 1940s after nearly a decade in Paris. He was, by then, author of Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, which were banned as obscene in America until 1961. Naturally they sold well, and Miller soon became a hero of renegade literature, a model for William S. Burroughs, Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. After Millers death in Pacific Palisades in 1980, a friend, Emil White, opened a memorial library that bore Millers name. With the help of the Big Sur Land Trust, the library has become a nonprofit cultural space, art gallery, performance space, bookshop and destination for artists, writers, musicians and students. Bust of Henry Miller. (Thomas Curwen/Los Angeles Times) The Henry Miller Memorial Library is a reminder of the pleasures afforded by a curated bookstore. It is a place to celebrate the macho and feminist, the consensual and the iconoclastic through the pages of its eclectic collection of books. Psychedelic cumbias from Peru or the twanging guitar of the Del Tones might be your accompaniment as you browse the tables set with Edward Abbey, Joseph Heller, William Faulkner, John Fante, David Foster Wallace, Jon Stewart, Robert Pirsig and William Least Heat Moon. Strings of paper money from around the world  offerings from international visitors  dangle from the ceiling. Posters celebrate the notable musical performances that have taken place outdoors, including Philip Glass and Patti Smith, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Arcade Fire. Outside, an upright piano falls to ruin off the path from the highway. A typewriter gathers rust on a tree stump, and an effigy made of extension cords is crucified on a cross of computer monitors. In other words, where nothing is sacred, everything is sacred. (Thomas Curwen / Los Angeles Times) Where: 48603 Highway 1 in Big Sur, which is 10 minutes south of Nepenthe, 10 minutes north of Deetjens Big Sur Inn. Also 290 miles northwest of downtown L.A., 152 miles south of downtown San Francisco. Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays, closed Tuesdays. How much: Its free to browse. Donations eagerly accepted. Books for sale. Tickets prices vary for performances and programs. Info: Henry Miller Memorial Library Facebook

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Roam the San Luis Obispo canyon full of architectural daydreams and wandering horses By Christopher Reynolds Poly Canyon, San Luis Obispo. (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Why: Architects usually keep their daydreams to themselves. But among these hills on the back side of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, some students have allowed their boldest notions to romp free. And horses romp with them. What: Cal Poly is routinely ranked among the nations top schools of architecture, and its students and professors started testing ideas in this canyon as early as the 1960s. Lately, theres a spring Design Village event (April 20-22 in 2018) that brings students out to test temporary structures and sometimes sleep in them. Luckily for the rest of us, those nine acres and the rest of the canyon are generally open to the public, including dogs and mountain bikes (on the dirt road). Its a hike of about 2.5 miles from campus to the farthest structure, but your mileage (and elevation gain) will depend on how tempted your are to probe the structures and stalk the horses. (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) I wandered around on a December day when the hills were the color of straw, and at first I wasnt so happy about all the horse turds. But once the horses themselves showed up, that changed everything. They sidled up to a water tower, then struck heroic poses on the ridge line while I prowled around assorted unconventional houses and bridges, including a geodesic dome. Yes, there was some graffiti and vandalism, but many structures have been reconditioned in more recent years. (The university calls it an experimental construction laboratory.) Id call it a great spot for photo experimentation as well. There are about 20 projects, and plenty of tree shade in the lowlands along Brizzolara Creek. After a rain, Ill bet those grassy slopes light up neon green. Where: The Cal Poly campus is 195 miles northwest of downtown L.A. Enter the campus via Grand Avenue (and beware of dorm construction near the entrance). Follow the campus map to the corner of Village Drive and Poly Canyon Road, then walk northeast on Poly Canyon Road, which is a gate dirt rout that follows Brizzolara Creek. After about 3/4 of a mile, youll see a stone arch. Step through and the canyon will open before you. How much: On weekends, parking is free at lot H4 at Village Drive and Perimeter Road. On weekdays, its $5 for a parking pass at the checkpoint at the campus entrance. (I showed up on a weekday and parked at lot K-1.) Info: Cal Poly College of Architecture & Design, Hikespeaks trail description. (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Facebook

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Step into the vast, strange spectacle of Kenny Irwins Robolights in Palm Springs By Christopher Reynolds ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Why: Youll never see another holiday display quite like it. And it sits on 4 acres in the middle of an upscale Palm Springs neighborhood. What: The Coachella Valley, with its 80-degree December days, is a quirky place to celebrate winter holidays to begin with. And the quirks multiply once you enter Palm Springs Movie Colony neighborhood and approach the Irwin house, about two blocks from the old Frank Sinatra Estate. Since at least 32 years ago, when he was 12, Kenny Irwin has been driven to create epic displays from cast-off items  dreamscapes that suggest robots, space aliens and more obscure spectacles that defy description. With his fathers support (and a corps of seasonal workers to handle logistics and crowd control), Irwins compulsion has grown into Robolights, a seasonal landmark that combines Santa Clauses, reindeer, sleighs and gingerbread houses with little green men, skulls, dolls, hybrid creatures, reclaimed consumer electronics, half-melted toys and at least one coffin. At Robolights there are no clear lines between Halloween, Christmas and science fiction. ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) From Nov. 22 through Jan. 8, the scene is lighted by thousands of bulbs and visitors are ushered along a path that leads from the front yard through a forest of fantasy in the back, then out again. A thousand visitors in a night is not uncommon. On my visit in early December, Irwin was out and about, a soft-spoken man with a skullcap, caftan, long beard and gentle smile. (Did I mention that the artist converted to Islam many years ago?) Ill bet the hardware store totally loves him, I heard one visitor say. This is insane, said another. Many families pose for pictures amid the luminous chaos. Where: 1077 E. Granvia Valmonte, Palm Springs, 107 miles east of downtown L.A. But while the Robolights are lighted, the city bans nonresident parking on many streets nearby, so youll need to park a few blocks away. Try Ruth Hardy Park. And be careful as you walk  there isnt a lot of streetlight illumination in the neighborhood. How much: Free. But theres a receptacle for donations at the entrance. From 4 to 9:30 p.m. daily. Info: Robolights The Robolights yard includes a pond. ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Worker Alex Sanchez checks bulbs at Robolights. ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Facebook

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Get down, dawg, with a $15 beach yoga class in Santa Monica By Chris Erskine Why: Beach yoga is good for the bod, and the spirit, in ways that no cramped, sweaty studio can match. What: All sorts of beach yoga classes are held up and down the California coast, but few are as affordable and easy as Beach Yoga With Brad and Friends in Santa Monica. No reservations required. Just drop in with $15 and a beach towel (or a yoga mat if you prefer). Instructor/owner Brad Keimach is a Juilliard-trained classical music conductor who moonlights  or sunlights  with these yoga classes every Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 till noon. He also holds Wednesday sunset classes starting at 3:45 p.m. and lasting an hour. When the days are longer and the clocks change, he adds more weekday sunset classes. (Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times) For almost 10 years, his beach-based classes have appealed to first-timers as well as advanced yoga buffs. They are held on the water side of Guard Tower 29, roughly on the border between Venice and Santa Monica. Paid parking is plentiful at the public lots at the end of Ocean Park or on Main Street. Like many yoga instructors, Keimach emphasizes breathing as well as the moves and poses. He also incorporates the setting, sending students to get their toes wet at one point for a bit of spiritual spritzing. The classes pass quickly, without pain, and without Keimach putting his hands all over the students (a too-common yoga studio experience). Looking out over the sparkly Pacific, his classes combine ocean breezes, a relaxing pace and Keimachs soothing instructions, at a venue where space is never an issue. Where: Lifeguard Tower 29, Santa Monica, 16 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. How much: $15 Info: Beach Yoga With Brad and Friends Facebook

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Shop with Victorians on San Franciscos Union Street By Christopher Reynolds Boulangerie de San Francisco, 1909 Union St. ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Why: Sometimes you just want to shop in a strange city. Not in the middle of a grand scene like Union Square or the Ferry Building, but along a street that feels like a neighborhood just a bit beyond your means. With Victorian mansions here and there. Hello, Union Street. What: Union Street has had its great-shopping reputation since the 1950s. The eight-block stretch between Van Ness Avenue and Steiner Street, surrounded by the Marina and Cow Hollow residential neighborhoods, is the prime retail portion. Many of the shops (which tilt toward apparel and beauty products) and restaurants are housed in Victorian mansions that survived the quake of 1906. One even older mansion, the pale blue Octagon House at Gough and Union, went up in 1861 and has been preserved in its residential state by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America (so it would be wrong to knock on the door and ask if this is the weed dispensary youve heard so much about). The society opens the house a few days a month for tours. Among the restaurants, I can vouch for the Belgian food and beer at Belga (on Union near Buchanon Street). But there are more than two dozen. And theres plenty to peruse at Chronicle Books (on Union between Octavia and Laguna streets). Where: The corner of Van Ness and Union is a good place to start. Its 1.5 miles northwest of Union Square, 383 miles northwest of downtown L.A. How much: Free to browse, of course. Oysters at Belga, $3 each. Median home price in Cow Hollow and the Marina: about $1.8 million. Info: Union Street Facebook

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Find yourself in a yogis seaside Encinitas gardens By Irene Lechowitzky Why: Where else can you spend an hour and feel like youve been on a soul-replenishing spiritual retreat? At the Self-Realization Fellowship Meditation Gardens in Encinitas, you can be fully present in the moment and get in touch with your inner yogi  and do it surrounded by gorgeous gardens on a bluff overlooking the ocean. What: The goal of the Meditation Gardens, part of a large complex at the southern end of downtown Encinitas dedicated to the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, is to inspire you to a greater realization of the Divine Presence that lies within. Walking up the stone steps into the lush, eclectic gardens imparts an instant feeling of serenity. There are koi ponds and many quiet nooks with benches where you can sit. At the top of the ocean bluff is a plaque that marks the location of the Golden Lotus Temple. The temple, built in 1937 to take advantage of the incredible views, only stood for five years before the ground gave way and it had to be dismantled. Wander past the old, empty swimming pool up the tree-shrouded path to the dry area featuring native plants and succulents overlooking the famed surf spot Swamis. (The beachs name was a nod to Yogananda.) Some visitors pray, others meditate. I like to watch the surfers below and imagine them praying for good waves. And dont miss the Hermitage at the opposite end of the gardens, where Yogananda spent many years writing and teaching. The Hermitage, preserved as a shrine, draws followers from around the world; it is open on the first and third Sundays of the month. It was moving to see the study where he wrote his most famous work, Autobiography of a Yogi, which has been translated into dozens of languages. Where: 215 W. K St., Encinitas, 100 miles southeast of downtown L.A. (Look for the three large golden lotus towers as you come down South Coast Highway 101.) How much: Free. Info: Self-Realization Fellowship Facebook

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Hoot and holler in UCLAs Pauley Pavilion, the hoop heaven that honors John Wooden By Chris Erskine (Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times) Why: John Wooden was the Elvis of college basketball, a mythic, once-in-three-lifetimes figure. Pauley Pavilion was his Graceland. Along with Lambeau Field and Fenway Park, it belongs on any sports fans must-see list. What: Updated and comfortable, Pauley sits on the sweeping and shady UCLA campus in Westwood. It is one of the easiest L.A. sports venues to park near ($12) and navigate. Reopened in 2012 after a two-year renovation, the stadium now offers modern concessions, more room to roam and 1,000 more seats. Most significantly, it added a concourse, improving comfort and flow. Be ready for a lot of blue. After Dodger Stadium, this is L.A.s second blue heaven. (Photos by Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times) But youre here for the lore, in a place that has produced 38 All-Americans. Wooden started it all, taking over as head basketball coach at UCLA in 1948 and leading the Bruins to a record 10 national championships. Renowned for his disciplined, values-driven approach, he created a basketball dynasty that won seven straight championships in the late 60s and early 70s, including 98 successive victories at Pauley. Wooden, who died in 2010, is the first person to be inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame both as a player and a coach. Though he resembled a gentleman banker more than a rock star, Woodens legacy lives on in the stadium he made famous. The corridors are lined with photos, timelines and a version of Woodens Pyramid of Success, a set of principles formed to help students and teams reach their potential. Where: Pauley Pavilion, on the UCLA campus, 15 miles west of downtown L.A. How much: Prices vary. Seats generally start at $8 for less-attractive games and $25 for popular ones. Info: UCLA Facebook

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Drive through In-N-Out Burgers flagship restaurant in Baldwin Park for a double-double, animal-style By Christopher Reynolds (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) Why: For certain carnivorous Californians, a visit to this burger chain is like church, but with more calories. At the flagship In-N-Out location just south of the 10 Freeway in the eastern L.A. County suburb of Baldwin Park, of course you can drive through, as most customers do. But you could eat inside, then browse a company store, then (on the north side of the freeway) admire a non-functioning replica of chains first burger shack. What: Harry and Esther Snyder founded the first In-N-Out burger shack in 1948, which puts them among the first to try a drive-through restaurant. Now their granddaughter runs the company. To taste what the fuss is all about, order a double-double, animal-style  two beef patties cooked with mustard, two slices of cheese and a choice of hand-leafed lettuce and tomato, plus pickles, extra spread and grilled onions. Its the appeal of these burgers and fries (no heat lamps, freezers or microwaves) that has fueled the companys growth to more than 300 outlets. (But unlike its Southern California cousins McDonalds, Jack in the Box, Taco Bell and Wienerschnitzel, In-N-Out has never expanded beyond the American West.) (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) Though the companys first home at San Francisquito and Garvey avenues has been leveled, the current restaurant is joined by not only a store (open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays) but a regional distribution center, the two-story campus of In-N-Out University and the replica shack, which went up in 2014. (The online store does have wider inventory than the brick-and-mortar one, including socks and surfboards.) Where: 13850 Francisquito Ave., Baldwin Park. The company store is at 13800 Francisquito. The replica shack (free and open for selfies Thursdays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) is at 13752 Francisquito. The restaurant is 16 miles east of downtown L.A. How much: Double-double, animal-style, $4.27. Info: In-N-Out (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) Facebook

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Light up your life at the Museum of Neon Art in Glendale By Catharine Hamm The Museum of Neon Art in Glendale showcases the once wildly popular light form. (Catharine Hamm / Los Angeles Times) Why: Decorative and delightful, the works that light up our lives at Glendales Museum of Neon Art are part art and part science and all fascinating. What: In 2015, the museum moved from downtown Los Angeles, where it had lived since 1981, to Glendale and has been lighting up lives ever since. Pep Boys grace the entry. (Catharine Hamm / Los Angeles Times) For this you can credit the founder of the feast, Georges Claude, a Parisian who invented the neon light in about 1910. L.A. became a hotbed of neon-ness, thanks to its desire to be the capital of the next big thing and its desire to look the part, beginning in the Roaring 20s. The neon at this museum, where exhibits change often enough to encourage repeat visits, is more amusing than unsavory. And as a reminder that nothing lasts forever, Manny, Moe & Jack (the Pep Boys) are not on permanent display, although the museum doesnt have any plans to move the fellows. Eve de Haans pink neon Love Dont Pay the Bills is part of the She Bends exhibit, featuring works by women neon artists. (Catharine Hamm/Los Angeles Times) Through Feb. 11, an exhibit called She Bends: Women in Neon, takes you inside a creative funhouse of the art form, some works based on words (Eve de Haans pink neon Love Dont Pay the Bills), some on objects (Michie Hongos faces on skateboard remnants). Where: 216 S. Brand Ave, Glendale, about eight miles north of downtown L.A. How much: Museum entrance is $10 for adults ($5 if you live in Glendale), $8 for those 65 and older, and free for those 12 and younger if accompanied by an adult. Info: Museum of Neon Art Facebook

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Forage with top chefs at the Santa Monica Farmers Market By Christopher Reynolds Wednesday morning, pluots and persimmons. ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Why: Some of the states most accomplished farmers rise before dawn on Wednesday mornings and drive as much as 200 miles, just so they can set up and sell at this market. One reason: The Santa Monica Farmers Market draws some of Southern Californias most decorated (and discriminating) chefs. And the market venue happens to be a tomato toss away from the beach, a cucumber roll from the scores of shops and restaurants along the Third Street Promenade. What: About 75 farmers set up stalls along a few blocks of Arizona Avenue, which is closed to vehicles on market mornings. If youre coming by car, youll have to cope with nasty traffic and parking, even at 8:30 a.m., but once youre afoot, life is good. In late fall, youll likely find dates from Mecca, apples from Cuyama, persimmons from Fallbrook, pluots from Kingsbug, oranges from Ojai, mushrooms from La Habra Heights. Consider this a reminder that for all its glitz, California remains an agricultural powerhouse. And even if youre not going to bite into that persimmon, youll feel the sea breeze and hear the banjo player at Arizona and 2nd, or maybe the guitarist a block to the east. ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) The market was born in 1981, and the stampede of kitchen professionals began soon after. Noting that close relationship between growers and chefs, Saveur magazine in 2016 labeled this L.A.s best farmers market. Still, its good to remember that other markets operate on Santa Monicas Main Street (Sundays) and in the citys Virginia Avenue Park (Saturdays). If youre farther east, or youd like more street musicians and more nonproduce merchants, theres the Hollywood Farmers Market on Sundays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ivar and Selma avenues. Where: The market happens on Wednesdays along Arizona Avenue, Santa Monica, between Ocean Avenue and 4th Street from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. On Saturdays, a smaller version occupies Arizona Avenue between between 2nd and 4th streets from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The corner of Arizona Avenue and 4th Street is 17 miles west of downtown L.A. -- which could take an hour to drive, depending on the hour and day. How much: In late November, organic pitted Medjool dates from Mecca were $9.50 per pound. Granny Smith apples from Cuyama were $3 a pound. Fuyu persimmons from Fallbrook were $3.50 per pound. Valencia oranges from Ojai were $1 per pound. Info: Santa Monica Farmers Markets ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Facebook

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Drift in a balloon over northern San Diego County By Christopher Reynolds Aloft near Fairbanks Ranch. (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Why: Heres your chance to climb into a wicker basket and rise 3,000 feet above Fairbanks Ranch, to stand just below a fire-belching burner (which makes your balloon rise), to see sunset from high up, and maybe even to throw shade onto one of Bill Gatess houses. What: A balloon ride is a 19th century sort of thrill, and as Californias open spaces get filled in, ballooning options are decreasing. The Napa and Temecula vineyard areas still feature plenty of balloons (which usually launch in early morning, when winds are calmer and temperatures are lower). The Palm Springs and Santa Barbara wine country areas have some too. But balloons are a rare sight along the California coast, so I grabbed a chance to soar above northern San Diego County. Though balloon pilots strive to keep their aircraft above land, the views from on high include miles of ocean and the red tile roofs of countless Mediterranean-style mansions. Rides typically last 45 to 60 minutes (depending on which way the wind blows), pilots are permitted by the Federal Aviation Administration, and its traditional to celebrate afterward with a glass of Champagne. In northern San Diego, its often a sunset operation flown by a team that started their day with a flight in Temecula. My ride in late November, operated by Compass Balloons, featured seven passengers and a pilot. (Minimum age: 5.) We launched near the Vegetable Shop at Chino Farm, (which sells produce to some of the regions most admired restaurants). We inflated, climbed aboard, drifted over the Morgan Run golf course, and gazed down on Fairbanks Ranch, Rancho Santa Fe, Black Mountain and Carmel Valley. As our round shadow crept across fields, hills and exclusive neighborhoods, pilot Matt Downing pointed out one of Bill Gates houses and another that once belonged to philanthropist Joan Kroc. We touched down smoothly about 3 1/2 miles east of where we took off. Im glad I did it when I did. Compass Balloons owner Evan Munnelly warns that flights in this area may cease within a year because take-off and landing spaces in the area are vanishing so rapidly. Where: Though several companies, including Compass, Skys the Limit and California Dreamin, mention Del Mar in promoting their balloon flights, the vessels usually take off and land farther inland. For my Compass Balloons flight, we met in an Encinitas park-and-ride lot (1969 Villa Cardiff Drive, Encinitas), then the crew drove us to the launch spot. Our meeting spot was 97 miles southeast of downtown L.A., 24 miles north of downtown San Diego. How much: A shared ride (with other passengers in a basket that typically holds eight to 10 people) typically costs $150 to $300 per person. Info: Besides the San Diego companies above, many balloon companies operate in Napa Valley, Temecula and around Palm Springs. . Facebook

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Drink dessert over an ocean view at La Jollas La Valencia Hotel By Christopher Reynolds Terrace, the Med, La Valencia. (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) Why: Life can be seriously sweet at this hotel, which was built in 1926 with a big La Jolla Cove view and anchors a neighborhood of ultra-spendy shops and glitzy galleries. Since the days when Gregory Peck hosted other La Jolla Playhouse luminaries in the hotels Whaling Bar, La V (as many locals know the place) has offered a frothy concoction known as a Whaler. Picture a milkshake, enlivened by Kahlua, brandy, coffee, whipped cream and various mystery ingredients. What: The 114-room hotel has long been known for its pink paint job and Spanish Mediterranean style. In the course of ownership changes, expansions and renovations, the Whaling Bar has slipped away. But its frothy legacy remains. Grab one of the 15 or so tables on the terrace of the hotels signature restaurant, The Med, order a Whaler for dessert, and dont plan on operating any heavy machinery for some hours. (If you think you see a Kardashian, it may not be a hallucination; members of the family have been dropping by for years.) Where: 1132 Prospect St., La Jolla, 112 miles southeast of downtown L.A., 14 miles northwest of downtown San Diego. How much: A Whaler costs $14. Main dishes in The Med are priced at $15 to $24. (I can vouch for the snapper ceviche.) Rooms for two typically rent for $289 and up. Info: La Valencia Hotel The Whaler (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) Facebook

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Find deep-fried pleasure at a roadside farm stand near Palmdale By Jenn Harris (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times) Why: Maybe youve finished a hike through the Devils Punchbowl and youre hungry. Or youre looking for unexpected holiday gifts. Or youve been hit by a craving for deep-fried fair food and its not fair season. For all these reasons and more, seekers like you end up at Charlie Brown Farms near Palmdale, where all your snack/drunk food fantasies, and your dreams of owning life-size replicas of the Blues Brothers, collide and come true. What: What started as a fruit stand in 1929 is now a six-acre hodgepodge of stores, a restaurant and a snack shop. The main building is a hokey cabin with advertisements for the various tchotchkes and snacks inside. From the road, its impossible to miss with signs that scream collectibles, funnel cake, smoothies, jerky, Dole whip. And just off the side of the building, an enclosed area with dinosaur statues. You may get whiplash trying to take it all in. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times) Once through the front door you experience sensory overload. Directly in front of you is a rack of jerky (the store boasts more than 60 kinds, including elk and ostrich). To the right is a counter where you can order milkshakes, fried candy bars, Texas-style barbecue, funnel cakes, ice cream and a host of other foods any decent doctor would advise you stay away from. To the left, packaged nuts, candy, a room where you can fill your own honey jar, a room devoted to pickles, a room devoted to soda, a fudge counter, and all that food is mixed in with things like raccoon figurines and coffee mugs. This is also where you can find raw frog legs for that stew recipe youve been dying to try. And alligator meat too. But past the fudge counter is where things really start to get weird. There are rooms completely lined with dolls from all over the world. A little creepy, but if youre in need of a doll (seriously, any doll), this is the place to find it. The life-size Blues Brothers statues I mentioned earlier? Theyre on the way to the doll rooms. Out back is a patio with tables and chairs, where you can break open that package of elk jerky or come down from that sugar rush of deep-fried Oreos. You could wander around this place for hours and not see everything. But its sure fun to try. Where: 8317 Pearblossom Highway, Littlerock, a 17-minute drive from downtown Palmdale and about 65 miles northeast of downtown L.A. How much: Depends on what youre in the mood for. Barbecue plates start around $11.50, the deep fried Oreos and Snickers are around $4 for each order, the jerky is around $8 a bag depending on the size, and the knick-knacks will range in price. If youre not a fan of lots of people in tight spaces, plan accordingly. Info: Charlie Brown Farms Facebook

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Soak in the view of Californias Grand Canyon in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park By Elisa Parhad Why: Perched at the end of the rising desert floor, Fonts Point gives

onlookers a majestic view of Californias badlands, several hundred

feet below. Though far flung, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is an expansive feast of nature well worth the time it takes to get there. What: Fonts Point is part of a remote and sculptural landscape that was millions of years in the making. The vistas ridge yields to a maze of sinuous channels, razorback ridges and sandy, sun-baked hills. Bring a chair, a picnic and perhaps some friends. The scene is best at sunrise and sunset when the rock formations glow with honey-dipped hues. Even better is a visit during a full moon. The accumulation of photographers at these times is a testament to the spectacle. The brackish waters of the Colorado River and the Gulf of California

converged here long ago, making the area a dumping ground for

sediment. Today, the windswept and eroded rock is flush with the

fossils of animals and marine life that inhabited this once verdant

terrain. Four miles of soft dirt road leads up to Fonts Point, so check the

road conditions before your departure. Depending on the roads status,

a high clearance or 4WD vehicle may be necessary. Closer to the park visitor center, the Borrego Palm Canyon Trail is a popular 3-mile round trip that begins with a trailhead at the end of the main campground road. Where: In the heart of the Borrego Badlands, outside of Borrego

Springs, 168 miles southeast of downtown L.A. How much: Free until recently. On Nov. 3, the state parks system started collecting a day-use fee of $10 per vehicle on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays at the Anza-Borrego visitor center. Info: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Facebook

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Rent a Duffy for a glittery tour of Newport Harbor By Chris Erskine (Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times) Why: Newport Bay seems made of glitter. Rental boats are plentiful and the harbor is easy to navigate and full of nautical eye candy. Board an electric boat and take a breezy tour. What: Newport Beach is the Beverly Hills of Orange County. The setting for multiple TV shows, it represents much of the California dream  giant homes and sensational yachts. The harbor, home to 9,000 vessels, is a recreational wonderland. The Duffy, a popular brand of rental boats, is an excellent way to see it all. Available at a half dozen rental places around the harbor, the slow-moving vessels are as easy to operate as a golf cart. (Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times) (Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times) A popular route is around Lido Island, the thumb-shaped isle on the western side of the harbor, where the bridge leaves plenty of space. Note that many of the bridges surrounding neighboring Balboa Island are too low to accommodate the surrey-topped electric boats. A lap around Lido takes about an hour, a typical rental period. Or, head east past the Fun Zone on Balboa Peninsula, past Balboa Island and toward the mouth of the harbor. Youll be warned not to go near the outlet, since the electric boats arent built to handle bigger waves. Pontoons, kayaks, paddle boards and powerboats are also available at rental locations around the harbor. Boat Rentals of America, on the peninsula near the Fun Zone, offers walk-up rentals, but recommends reservations for weekends, no matter the time of year. Where: Newport Beach is in Orange County, 46 miles, or 90 minutes, from downtown L.A. How much: Duffy electric boats that accommodate up to eight passengers rent for about $85 an hour. Info: Boat Rentals of America or Newport Beach Boat Rentals Facebook

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Connect with artisans (and beer) at Crafted, a makers market in a San Pedro port warehouse By Christopher Reynolds (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Why: Its a vintage warehouse down by the port, full of artists, designers and makers, neighbored by a craft brewery. And youre not done with your holiday shopping yet. What: Crafted was born five years ago, as the maker movement began to bloom nationwide. Its open Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and the first Thursday night of every month in the L.A. Ports Warehouse 10, built in the 1940s. When I stopped by in mid-September, there were about 50 vendors in place, hawking iPhone photo prints, snacks, sculptures, succulents, textiles, vintage reconditioned furniture, soap, you name it. Outside, the San Pedro Festival of the Artists was in full swing-- one of many special events that use picnic tables and patio space between the old warehouses. Pop Kustom Shoppe, Crafted. (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Since 2016, the artisans have been joined by Brouwerij West, a craft beer operation and tasting room that fills about half of Warehouse 9. On weekends, theres usually a food truck (or two or three) on hand, and often live music. Coming eventually: a food hall in the other half of Warehouse 9. Where: Warehouse No.10, 112 E. 22nd St., San Pedro, 26 miles south of downtown L.A. How much: Parking and admission are free. Info: Crafted Brouwerij West. (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Facebook

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Salute General Grant (the tree) in Kings Canyon National Park By Mary Forgione Why: Any way you look at it, General Grant stands tall. First of all, its a massive sequoia, one of the largest living things in California. Moreover, the White House has named this the nations Christmas tree. What: General Grant is 268 feet high, the base of its trunk is 107 feet around. In 1925, Central Valley resident Charles E. Lee (an officer of the Sanger Chamber of Commerce) asked President Coolidge to have this giant sequoia in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon designated the national Christmas tree. In 1926 the president complied. Ever since, the Sanger Chamber has staged an annual Trek to the Tree, drawing hundreds of people each year for a winter program that typically includes songs and prayers. No tinsel, no lights. Just the tree as it has stood for about 2,000 years, and a wreath contributed by park rangers. This years event will be Sunday, Dec. 10, at the base of the tree. and its a free admission day in the park. For reservations or information on shuttle buses to the site, contact the Sanger Chamber of Commerce by phone at (559) 875-4575 or by e-mail at sangerchamber@gmail.com. Whether you reach General Grant in holiday season or not, you can impress the other tree-lovers by pointing out that in 1956, Congress gave General Grant another distinction, naming it the nations only living national shrine in honor of the men and women of the Armed Forces. And if you really love the idea of big trees with high ranks, make a bonus stop at the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park. Its bigger, about 275 feet high. In fact, it might be the worlds largest living thing, depending on how you quantify coral reefs, fungus networks and redwoods. Where: General Grant stands along a 0.8-mile paved loop trail from the General Grant Grove parking lot in Kings Canyon National Park. The grove is 245 miles north of downtown L.A. And its more than 6,000 feet above sea level, so snow is common in winter. Be sure to check weather and road conditions before driving into the area. How much: Admission to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks (which operator jointly, as if they were single unit) is $30 per car for up to seven days. Info: Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks Facebook

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Ski in the morning in the San Bernardino Mountains, surf in the evening, using these slopes as your launch point By Chris Erskine Snow Summit (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) Why: SoCal offers the chance to ski and surf on the same day. This would be the snowy part of such a mountains-to-the-beaches day. What: Bear Mountain and Snow Summit are two slices of the same cake. Two miles apart, the sister resorts are the crown jewels of the town of Big Bear, a couple of hours from the bustle of the big city. Big Bear is three hours away from downtown Los Angeles, and a world apart from the strip malls and gas stations that muck up much of Southern California. Spring, summer or fall, this alpine lake resort town offers plenty of activities, including boating, hiking and zip-lining. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) But in winter, its twin ski resorts really come alive. If you think of Southern California as all palm trees and bikinis, visit Big Bear after a winter storm, when the place is buried in several feet of snow and looks like a Christmas card. In what they offer, the two resorts are very similar, though Summit has the better terrain park. Lift tickets are good for both resorts, and buses run between the two resorts all day. Combined, the resorts offer 27 lifts and four high-speed chairs serving almost 60 runs. The resorts are just a few minutes from the village, where restaurants, shops and a movie theater await visitors. The resorts have begun making snow and opened Dec. 8. As with all mountain visits, note that conditions can change quickly, and chains are usually required on the twisty roads during any significant snow fall. Where: Big Bear Lake is in the San Bernardino Mountains, in San Bernardino County. It is 97 miles east of Los Angeles. How much: Advance purchase lift tickets start around $75. Info: Big Bear Mountain Resorts Facebook

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See the Klamath River flow into the Pacific from this dramatic overlook in Redwood National Park By Christopher Reynolds (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Why: Rugged coast. Big sand spit. Half-forgotten road. Blufftop perch. Despite all these assets, this dramatic corner of Northern California doesnt get that many visitors. So youll probably have it to yourself. What: Your gateway to the Klamath River Overlook is Requa, a hamlet -- the memory of a town, really -- along the Highway 101 south of Crescent City in Del Norte County. Its main landmark is the Historic Requa Inn, a rustic riverside lodging and restaurant that dates to 1914. If you can work out a way to eat dinner and spend a night there, do it. But dont stop there. Continue west 1.5 miles (no RVs!) on ramshackle Requa Road (which becomes Patrick J. Murphy Memorial Road on some maps) until theres no more road, and no more land. That will put you at the Klamath River Overlook. Drink it in. And if its May or June, scan the ocean for gray whales. Rangers say they often linger to feed in the waters spilling from river to sea This bluff is part of Redwood National and State Parks and it includes a modest picnic area. Theres a steep Lower Overlook Trail that will take you about a quarter-mile down the slope, exposing further views. Theres also a Coastal Trail to the north -- follow it for 2.7 miles and youll reach Hidden Beach. But the wide view from the picnic tables may well be plenty for you. Theres something mesmerizing about it -- maybe its the moving water. Theres also a good chance of a stiff, cold breeze or fog, just about any time. Bring layers. Where: Klamath River Overlook, 61 miles north of Arcata, 339 miles north of San Francisco, 713 miles northwest of downtown L.A. How much: No entry fee. Info: Redwood National and State Parks (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) Facebook

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Pile the kids in the car, head to Riverside and catch a drive-in movie while you still can By Chris Erskine The entrance at the Van Buren Drive-In. (Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times) Why: What could be more of a California experience than a Hollywood double-feature viewed from the comfort of your car? What: In the 1950s, drive-in movies were a staple of American pop culture. These days, they are a novelty. One of the last remaining hot spots lives on at the Van Buren Drive-In in Riverside. Put the kids in their PJs and pack up the lawn chairs for a fine family getaway at the Van Buren. Opened in 1964 on the site of former orange groves, the three-screen drive-in remains a vibrant local hangout at half the price of your local multiplex. You can even bring your own food. On weekends, arrive 45 minutes before show time to ensure a decent spot, especially if youre going to sit outside in your lawn chairs. By showtime, the three lots serving the three screens resemble tailgate parties, with families wrapped in blankets and settled in for a double feature. (Chris Erskine / Los Angeles Times) SUVs or pickups often pull in with the tail hatch facing the screen, so kids with blankets or sleeping bags can turn the experience into a slumber party. Theres the traditional snack bar, and prices are fair, at least by movie theater standards. But waits can be 20 to 30 minutes on weekends. Check here for express pickup. Keep in mind that youre experiencing a rare phenomenon these days. Once numbering 4,000 across the country, drive-ins are now down to 400 or so. Catch one while you can  not just for the sense of nostalgia, but for a memorable evening at a very fair price. Where: 3035 Van Buren Blvd., Riverside, 55 miles southeast of downtown L.A. Plan on a drive of 90 minutes to two hours in evening traffic. How much: Admission is $9 per person; children ages 5 to 9, $1. Major credit cards and debit cards accepted. Open seven days a week. No pets. Info: Van Buren Drive-In Theatre Facebook

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Taste-test the Thomas Keller restaurant empire in Yountville, Napa Valley By Christopher Reynolds Chocolate tart, Ad Hoc, Yountville (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Why: Yountville is a sleepy, genteel little town in the heart of Napa Valley, population about 3,000. And Thomas Keller, one of this nations most admired chefs, has three restaurants in Yountville, on the same street. Or four. Or five, depending on how you count. What: Keller, raised and trained in Florida and New York and renowned for his high standards, has also cooked in acclaimed kitchens in France and Los Angeles, and he has operations in New York and Las Vegas as well. (His Bouchon in Beverly Hills is scheduled to close Dec. 31.) But since he opened the French Laundry in 1994, Yountville has been the seat of his California empire. With three Michelin stars and a nine-course chefs menu, The French Laundry may be the most celebrated restaurant in the state, and its surely one of the priciest. Ad Hoc, Yountville (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) But the chef has give us options. Bouchon opened in 1998, offering French bistro fare. The Bouchon Bakery followed in 2003. In 2006 came Ad Hoc, devoted to American comfort food in a casual setting. (Its humble-brag slogan: for temporary relief from hunger.) Ad Hocs menu changes daily to take advantage of fresh ingredients, but its all built around the chefs choice for a four-course family-style meal, which includes favorites like pot roast and barbecue. I came before 6 p.m. on buttermilk fried chicken night (a Monday), and found myself in a happily clamorous dining room, surrounded by families, confronting more food than I could eat. (I enjoyed the casual feeling, and I liked the chicken well enough. But I actually enjoyed the salad and cheese courses more  livelier flavors.) Bouchon Bakery, Yountville ( Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) Either before or after eating in Yountville, stroll Washington Street. At 6640 youll find the French Laundry, fronted by an unassuming, two-story, stone-walled building with minimalist kitchen addition and its gardens across the street. You can even peek through the kitchen window, a long slit that reveals the team laboring fiercely over that evenings dishes. Next, at 6534 Washington, you pause by Bouchon (French bistro fare) and the yellow awning of Bouchon Bakery (6528 Washington), whose snacks are the most affordable way to sample Kellers empire. A few blocks farther south at 6476 Washington, you reach Ad Hoc, which has nine seats at the bar in addition to its many tables (open Thursday through Monday). And behind Ad Hoc, neighbored by picnic tables, is Addendum, an auxiliary space that serves box lunches to go on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Where: Ad Hoc, 6476 Washington St., Yountville, Ca., 55 miles north of San Franciscos Ferry Building, 411 miles northwest of downtown L.A. How much: The nine-course dinner at the French Laundry: $310-$325 each. The four-course dinner at Ad Hoc: $55.A box lunch from Ad Hoc Addendum: $16.50. Info: Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, Yountville Chamber of Commerce The French Laundrys kitchen window ( Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) Facebook

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Storm a Tuscan castle in Napa Valley By Christopher Reynolds ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Why: Napa Valley has close to 500 wineries. Castello di Amorosa is the only one housed in a 107-room castle that was built in accordance with 13th century Tuscan aspirations. What: Owner/designer Dario Sattui completed this spectacle, a 15-year project, in 2007. Besides its five towers and the barrel-vaulted retail and tasting area (which never seems to end), its got a great hall and chapel, each with evocative murals. Theres said to be a torture chamber below. Depending on your mood, you might expect a Da Vinci Code villain to round a corner at any moment, or Orson Welles in mid-soliloquy. Or one of the Monty Python guys, clopping coconuts together. Not surprisingly -- given the Tuscan blueprint of the place -- the Castello di Amorosa wines are made in the Italian style. The winery suffered no damage in the wine country fires of October. Where: 4045 St. Helena Hwy., Calistoga, Calif., 70 miles north of San Franciscos Ferry Buidling, 425 miles northwest of L.A. City Hall. How much: Adult admission (which includes wine-tasting) begins at $25. For children the rate is $15-$20 (and theres grape juice to taste). Tours (which include rooms you cant reach just wandering around) cost $40-$95. Info: Castello di Amorosa ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Facebook

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Soak in Calistoga spring water By Christopher Reynolds Fountain, Indian Springs, Calistoga (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Why: Calistoga is the answer to the question of what to do in the Napa Valley when youve had enough wine. Its a little, old resort town full of hot springs, so between wine-tasting excursions (and maybe the occasional bike ride) you can float listlessly in a steaming pool, untroubled by the faint scent of sulfur because you can feel the stress evaporating from your body. What: Samuel Brannan, a brash, controversial figure who became one of Californias first millionaires in the Gold Rush, founded Calistoga in the 1860s, counting on the areas springs to draw tourists from San Fancisco. (In fact, he built a rail route from Vallejo to Calistoga, and the current Napa Valley Wine Train rolls on the Napa-St. Helena portion of that old route.) It was a clever impulse. The town (population: about 5,300) lives on as a resort escape, with hideaways like Calistoga Ranch, Dr. Wilkinsons and Indian Springs (perhaps the oldest continuously operating pool and spa facility in the state) all relying heavily on their hot springs. Though the Napa/Sonoma wildfires of October drew near, they never reached the town of Calistoga, and it remains handsome as ever. In early November, I spent a night and stepped from the chilly morning air into the Olympic-sized, 102-degree, steam-cloaked pool at the 17-acre Indian Springs resort. It was pleasant. In 2015, the resort added a restaurant (Sams Social Club, which has fascinating, colorful mural over the counter) and grew from about 40 rooms to 115. Many of the interiors still have that just-upgraded, ready-for-the-magazine-photographer look. Where: Indian Springs, 1712 Lincoln Ave., Calistoga, 73 miles north of San Franciscos Ferry Building, 427 miles northwest of downtown L.A. How much: In winter, Indian Springs rooms for two usually start at about $239 per night. Info: Visit Calistoga, Indian Springs The main pool, Indian Springs, Calistoga (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Facebook

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Board the Napa Valley Wine Train, recall discord and disaster, then roll in splendor past miles of vineyards By Christopher Reynolds (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) Why: If youre going to fully appreciate this valley and its globally admired vineyards, its better that youre not driving. And on the Napa Valley Wine Train, you have the chance to dine in style while the miles and wineries roll past. What: The train covers about 18 miles, running north alongside Highway 29 from the city of Napa through Yountville and Oakville to St. Helena. Along the way, depending on what you sign up for, you may stop to taste at one to three wineries, eat a three-course meal on board, and be back where you started in three to six hours. Its expensive but so very comfortable. And its got complicated history. The rail route, first laid in the 1860s, had fallen idle by the 1980s. To get the new wine train rolling in 1989, its owners had to outmaneuver many Napa locals who feared a tourist invasion would ruin the affluent communitys character. Skip forward now to 2015, when the trains management drew a storm of criticism for ejecting a group of guests, mostly African American, who were accused of being too loud. The view from the train, near Yountville, in early November. (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) In late 2015, new owners took over the train. Then wildfires flared in October. They missed the train track, Highway 29 and the wineries along the route, but killed at least 41 people and destroyed thousands of homes and scores of businesses in Napa and Sonoma counties. By the time I showed up in early November, almost none of the damage was visible from the train. Napa was still in the early stages of recovery and the train was about half-full  unusual for the time of year. As for my journey, it was a sunny day, the countryside was gorgeous, the meal pleasant. The distant, fire-blackened hills to the east were barely discernible beyond the green and red vineyard rows, the shade trees and the nearby slopes. Where: McKinstry Street Station, 1275 McKinstry St., Napa, 46 miles north of San Francisco, 402 miles northwest of downtown L.A. How much: Most day trips run $206-$329 per person, which includes lunch and wine-tasting. Info: Napa Valley Wine Train (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Facebook

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Taste China (Live) in San Francisco By Christopher Reynolds Dim sum counter, Market Restaurant, China Live. (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times) Why: Nobody likes to say so, but a lot of San Franciscos Chinatown looks tired these days. And many of the areas best Chinese restaurants are scattered among the outer suburbs where so many affluent Chinese American families live. So its a happy surprise to see China Live bring new energy and higher style to the neighborhood with a combination of design-intensive eating and shopping options. Its mission: to demystify Chinese ingredients and recipes while educating guests on the rich history and influence. What: China Live opened in March 2017, near the frontier between Chinatown and North Beach. The main downstairs space, the Market Restaurant and Bar, is full of long wood tables under a semi-raw concrete ceiling. Picture an Apple Store with steaming, edible merchandise, neighbored by open cooking areas, beckoning counters, a bar and adjacent retail rooms stocked with artisan teas, kitchen tools, condiments, shapely candles, jewelry and such. The restaurants menu is mostly based on sharing small dishes, so you might wind up with a medley dinner of fire-roasted sweet white corn, Dungenes crab spring rolls and Sheng Jian Bao (SJB) pan-fried pork dumplings. Market Restaurant, China Live. (Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Near the entrance is the casual Oolong Cafe. Upstairs waits a more exclusive restaurant offering private, pricey dining in elegant rooms befitting a royal in hiding. Its called Eight Tables by George Chen (dinner only; tasting menu: $225). There are also a pair of bars upstairs, including the Gold Mountain Lounge and one called Cold Drinks -- one of those hip hideaways that seeks to be popular by maintaining quasi-secrecy. Where: 644 Broadway, San Francisco, 380 miles northwest of downtown L.A.. How much: Together, the three dishes above cost about $40. Most cocktails $13-$15. Info: China Live ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Facebook

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See, sniff and taste Napa Valleys bounty at the Oxbow Public Market By Christopher Reynolds A 1,033-pound pumpkin on display at Oxbow Public Market in Napa. (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) Why: This market and food hall, set above a fetching bend in the Napa River, is a short stroll from downtown Napa, a block from the headquarters of the popular Napa Valley Wine Train, a block from the COPIA center for wine and food education. Much smaller than San Franciscos food-centric Ferry Building but placed near the starting point of many popular Napa adventures, this foodie acre (about two-thirds the size of a football field) is a point of convergence for locals and tourists and a one-stop reminder that this wine country does more than make wine. What: The Oxbow Public Market opened in 2007, just in time to suffer from a national recession, the closure of COPIA (since rethought and reopened by the Culinary Institute of America) and construction-related disruptions of local traffic. Now those troubles are in the rear-view mirror, and a stroll around the marketplace introduces you to plenty of wine products but also duck tacos (at C Casa); American comfort food (Gotts Roadside); local seafood (Hog Island Oyster Co.); and assorted local fruits and vegetables (Hudson Greens & Goods). On my early November visit, Hudson was showing off a 1,033-pound pumpkin. There were also plenty of signs thanking the first-responders for their work fighting that regions wildfires in October. (Though many homes and about two dozen wineries were lost or damaged in those fires, the vast majority of the areas 500 wineries had reopened by Nov. 8.) Besides browsing at the market, you can also rent a bike at the automatic Spinway stand just outside and pedal seven miles along the Napa River to Kennedy Park and back; or just toodle down 1st Street in downtown Napa, where the new, 183-room Archer Hotel is expected to open in December. Where: 610-644 1st St., Napa, 46 miles north of the San Francisco Ferry building, 401 miles northwest of downtown L.A. How much: C Casa tacos run $4.75-$9. Spinway bike rentals start at $9 per hour. Info: Oxbow Public Market Oxbow Public Market, Napa. ( Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times ) Facebook

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Read the walls on Angel Island, the West Coast Ellis Island where Asian immigrants waited and waited from 1910 to 1940 By Christopher Reynolds State parks interpreter Casey Dexter-Lee in the Immigration Station museum on Angel Island. ( Christopher Reynolds/Los Angeles Times ) Why: Its a handsome, green island in San Francisco Bay, popular with sailors, cyclists and hikers, just south of high-toned Tiburon. And from 1910 through 1940, it was something like a western Ellis Island, processing about half a million immigrants, including most of the 175,000 Chinese immigrants who arrived during those years. But those were not happy years. 
An international team of lawyers said Tuesday that the 2016 killing of Honduran environmental activist Bertha Caceres was the product of a coordinated plot and suggested involvement by the leadership of a dam development company.

A report by the International Advisory Group of Experts, or GAIPE for its initials in Spanish, said the group had identified possible intellectual authors of the slaying beyond the eight individuals already charged and concluded the killing was not an isolated incident.

Caceres, who was awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for leading her Lenca indigenous people in opposing a hydroelectric project, was slain March 3, 2016, by gunmen who forced their way into her home in the middle of the night. Gustavo Castro Soto, a Mexican activist, was wounded.

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GAIPE, made up of five lawyers from the United States, Colombia and Guatemala, formed last year to conduct an outside review at the request of Caceres family and her activist group, the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organizations of Honduras, who feared authorities would not bring to justice those behind her killing. Its findings do not carry the weight of law.

The report was based on dozens of interviews, criminal case files, independent reports and what the group described as partial access to evidence provided by government investigators, including a fraction of the phone records that are at the core of the case.

Spokesman Yuri Mora-Carias of Honduras Public Ministry, which is in charge of prosecutions, said the eight people under arrest are considered the material authors of Caceres killing and the weapon used in the killing has been recovered, but the investigation remains open.

The dam development company referenced by the lawyers group has repeatedly denied involvement in Caceres slaying.
Its a tale of two tunnels, and it augurs difficulties for the Palestinian unity agreement announced to international fanfare this month.

One tunnel was dug straight from the Gaza Strip, which is ruled by the Islamist militia Hamas, into a southern Israeli community. The Israeli army blew it up early Monday, detonating it from within Israel using as-yet unidentified advanced technology, according to a statement made by the army.

Israelis and Gazans were awakened about 6 a.m. by massive booms as the tunnel collapsed on itself, killing eight militants, including Islamic Jihad commander Arafat abu Murshid and one of his deputies. Also among the dead were two Hamas operatives, who, according to unconfirmed Palestinian reports, arrived to aid the Islamic Jihad fighters.

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Cooperation between the two extremist factions could be bad news for the future of Palestinian reunification, a process through which Hamas is projected to join Fatah, the internationally recognized ruling Palestinian party based in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

The body of Marwan Alagha, 22, is carried by mourners at Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on Oct. 30, 2017. He was killed when Israel blew up what it said was a tunnel stretching from the Gaza Strip into its territory. (Said Khatib / AFP/Getty Images )

In a sign of the difficulties ahead, the Palestinian Authority issued contradictory signals on Monday. Fatah condemned Israels attack on the Gaza tunnel, saying perpetrators of these crimes wont escape trial.

At the same time, according to Israeli lawmakers who met with him today, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said he would appoint Hamas ministers to a unity government only if they recognized the state of Israel, which Hamas does not.

The Israeli government declined to comment on the tunnel operation. According to Israeli analysts, Israel chose a relatively restrained engagement because the tunnel was not directly linked to Hamas, an implacable foe. Late Monday, as quiet reigned, the military analyst Avi Issacharoff posted that many people are breathing a sigh of relief this evening, both in Israel and in Gaza, including Hamas, because reports indicate the tunnel near Kissufim was controlled by Islamic Jihad, not Hamas. This reduced the possibility of escalation.

Kissufim, where the tunnel reached, is a kibbutz, or communal village, adjacent to the Gaza border.

The second Gaza tunnel was found by the United Nations at a school it operates under the auspices of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA.

Danny Danon, Israels ambassador to the U.N., decried yet another terror tunnel under an UNRWA schoolyard. This is what Hamas rule looks like and this is more proof of the double war crime committed as terror tunnels are built to attack Israelis, while using the children of Gaza as human shields.

In a statement, UNRWA demanded full respect for the neutrality and inviolability of United Nations premises at all times, but the tunnel, discovered Oct. 15 and disclosed late Sunday, gave some credence to Israeli claims that Hamas is not meaningfully changing its comportment.

The tunnels were revealed days before Hamas is expected to hand control of Gazas borders to Palestinian Authority officers as part of the Cairo agreement signed on Oct. 12 in an attempt to end the decade-long split between Fatah and Hamas.

Speaking with journalists, Col. Atai Shelach, the former commander of the Israel Defense Forces Yahalom unit, which is responsible for destroying tunnels that infiltrate the country, said it is not a wild guess to assume that there are many other tunnels. There are many at different operational levels. Some are just being started, some are in the middle and some of them nearly cross our border.

Detecting them, he said, remained a challenge. But once you detect it, the easiest part is to destroy it.

The United States continues to pursue the restart of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, which President Trump has described as the ultimate deal.

On Sunday, U.S. Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt presided over a meeting between Israeli and Palestinian officials, including the Palestinian prime minister and Israels finance minister. Greenblatt tweeted that important progress was made on key economic issues  revenues, customs, and investment  that help support the search for peace.

On Saturday, Trumps son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner returned from an unannounced visit to Saudi Arabia. The trips aims were not revealed, but close Trump associate Tom Barrack told Politico, Jared has always been driven to try and solve the Israel-Palestinian dispute. The key to solving that dispute is Egypt. And the key to Egypt is Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia.

It is not a view widely shared by Palestinians or Israelis.

Tarnopolsky is a special correspondent.
Politicians should not approach reconfiguration of Portlaoise and other local hospitals through the save our local hospital at all costs lens. These are the words of current Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in a major speech to the Dail in 2015 on Portlaoise hospital.

Speaking after the publication of report into HIQA investigation into the hospital, the then Minister for Health said reconfiguration was on the cards and he and other politicians have a role.

"There is a role for us all as public representatives to ensure that we deliver the best health service possible. But we need to ensure that in so doing, we do not approach reconfiguration through the save our local hospital at all costs lens.

"Nor should it be about financial savings. Rather, we need to view things from the perspective of what is best for patients, see what services can be safely delivered from each hospital within a group, and plan our services accordingly," he said in May 2015," he said.

He also spoke about the hospital's future. He said the future of Portlaoise is as a 'constituent acute hospital' within the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group.

He said any change to services in the hospital will be undertaken in a 'planned and orderly manner', guided by what is best in terms of patient safety and outcomes.

He said this will take account of existing patient flows, demands in other hospitals and the need to develop particular services at Portlaoise that are part of the overall service reorganisation in the Group. He said services would be discontinued.

"We will need to make sure that any services currently provided by the hospital, which are not viable, are discontinued and we need to ensure that viable services are safe and adequately resourced.

"Every hospital in the Dublin Midlands group, large and small, will play a key role within the Group. I am confident that these changes will make Portlaoise Hospital a better, busier and safer hospital," he said.

The Fine Gael TD said that as hospitals move to working as part of a group, services will be reviewed and evaluated to ensure the delivery of high-quality, safe patient care which results in better outcomes for patients.

In the context of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, relationships among Portlaoise and Tullamore, Tallaght, Naas and St. James' Hospitals are being further developed, particularly in emergency medicine, critical care, ICU, surgery and bed capacity.

A draft of the DMHG plan for these hospitals was leaked last week. It proposes a discontinuation of round the clock A&E cover in Portlaoise. Doctors at the hospital have warned that this would lead to the loss of maternity, paediatrics, psychiatry and other acute services.

The Taoiseach has yet to comment on its contents.

Published on Tuesday 26th May 2015

Speech by Minister for Health Leo Varadkar on the Private Members' Motion on Maternity and Other Services in Portlaoise Hospital, in Dail Eireann on Tuesday May 26th

A Cathaoirligh,

First of all, I want to thank Deputies Kelleher, Browne, Calleary, Collins, Cowen, Dooley, Fleming, Keaveney, Kirk, Kitt, Martin, Moynihan, McConalogue, McGrath, McGuinness, O Cuiv, O'Dea, O Fearghail, Smith and Troy for giving me the opportunity to address the issues surrounding services in Portlaoise Hospital.

I want to begin once again by recognising the fortitude and courage of families who shared their stories and have given us the opportunity to improve things for the future, by learning from the past. Two weeks ago, in a hotel room in Portlaoise, a group of over 100 people shared their experiences with my officials, the Chief Medical Officer, my advisors and me. It was harrowing but an invaluable education for us all.

I heard for myself just how difficult it can be for patients when things have gone wrong to get even basic information. Quite rightly, people want to know what happened and why. And they want to know that all that can be done will be done, to ensure it does not happen again. Often the truth was not forthcoming even when it was known. And all that could have been done to learn from mistakes was not done soon enough.

Trust breaks down at the very point at which patients and their families need it most and are at their most vulnerable.

I am sorry that patients, in their greatest need, did not receive what anyone in those circumstances should expect - honesty, respect, care and compassion. Families and patients were treated badly. While inadequate staffing levels and expertise form part of the context, this was not a resource issue alone. It costs nothing to care. Families and patients needed help and needed to know that their loss mattered. They needed comfort, information and follow-up. They didnt get these things.

Honesty also costs nothing. If anything, it saves lives and money.

What is clear, above all else, is that the patients and families at the centre of what happened in Portlaoise wanted, and still want to make sure, that other families do not go through what they experienced. They are giving us the chance to learn from what happened to them, and to change how we do things. I hope that this brings them some consolation.

I should, of course, recognise that the number of patients and families who have had a bad experience of Portlaoise extends beyond the families who lost newborn babies in recent years and beyond the maternity unit and we should remember that in our contributions. We should remember that many patients in Portlaoise speak well of it, based on their own experiences.

We should also remember that in Ireland, every year, there are about 12 maternal deaths and about 450 perinatal deaths. These include stillbirths and newborn deaths. Each one is a human tragedy and a loss. But these mortality rates are at, or below, the average for the developed world, and the vast majority occur for natural or biological reasons, not as a result of poor standards of medical or midwifery care, let alone negligence. While our maternity services have their shortcomings, there is little evidence to support the view that they are unsafe or that they compare poorly with other countries. That is unfair to frontline staff and causes unnecessary worry for pregnant women and their partners and families.

This is a serious issue that should be debated in this House, but not with a view to political point-scoring or grandstanding, and I ask the Opposition to give that some thought.

Portlaoise Report

I welcome the publication of the HIQA Report. As the House will know, it followed the 2014 report by the Chief Medical Officer into perinatal deaths at Portlaoise. The Report is critical of the hospital and the HSE at regional and national level. I believe that the criticism is justified, and I am disappointed that our health service was found to be so lacking in compassion and care, two core values of the service we strive to deliver.

I accept in full the findings and all eight recommendations outlined in the report. I want to ensure that this report is a watershed report that brings about real change and helps to drive much needed improvements in Portlaoise, and by extension, all hospitals.

I have written to the HSE Director General indicating that a specific targeted local response must be put in place immediately, including providing counselling and other supports to the families and former patients.

I have asked that a senior midwife or nurse from outside the hospital be assigned to act as a service liaison, to enable an assessment of counselling or other requirements that these families and former patients may have, and to ensure the early provision of such services.

I have also indicated that a local senior community based manager should be assigned to act as a liaison to facilitate an early and effective response to specific issues they raised regarding difficulties accessing services locally. I am mindful too of the need to provide some answers to the families and former patients regarding their care, where possible, so I have emphasised the importance of a speedy completion of the individual case reviews. I expect a weekly progress report from the HSE regarding their response on the ground and the first such report is due this week.

Resources

One critical issue for me to deal with at the outset is the issue of resources. I have heard many people rush to judgement to say that a lack of resources explains what happened in Portlaoise and adverse incidents elsewhere. They often do so, before knowing the full facts or even any facts. The opposition in its motion here today, and some others, have been cynical in the speed and superficiality of their response in this regard.

I can only assume that some of these comments were made by people who have not fully read or understood what HIQA has had to say about Portlaoise.

At the meeting with the families and former patients, I did not hear many complaints about a lack of resources. In general, I did not hear that staff were run off their feet. Yes, I heard that there were some infrastructural deficits. But mostly I heard of patients being treated with indifference and with a lack of compassion and empathy, a cold shoulder and a deaf ear.

It is a report with profound patient safety implications - I have heard its message. I understand it. This House needs to understand it too. A service does not become safe simply because it has a certain ratio of doctors or nurses; or because it has been given a particular designation or status; or because it has a particular location or size. That's not it at all.

Safe services are those in which patients are treated with clinical competence and human kindness, in which people and families are listened to, in which staff are honest and open with patients about what they can and cannot do for them, and above all, are honest and open when things go wrong.

Safe services are services where staff work as a team, communicate well with each other as well as with patients. Where adverse events, complaints and serious incidents are reported, analysed and responded to as opportunities to learn and to improve. They are services where audits are done regularly to show up any anomalies or differences with comparable centres. They are services in which staff being adequately trained is a given.

They are services in which saying that patient safety is the top priority is not rhetoric  but something real. Management teams and boards of such organisations listen to and learn from the experiences- good and bad- of their patients and staff. This has to be the standard we expect of every service, no matter how small, no matter where it is, and no matter what types of services it provides, its budget or its status or classification.

Service Changes

Improvements have been, and continue to be, made at Portlaoise. New management and governance structures, clinical and operational, are in place.

Appointments have been made to key posts of concern in maternity and general services. This includes additional consultants sanctioned in anaesthetics, surgery, emergency medicine, paediatrics and obstetrics. 16 additional midwives have been appointed and approval has been given for further midwifery posts, to include shift-leaders, as well as posts in diabetics and ultra-sonography. There is now a risk manager on site. A director of midwifery has been seconded from the Coombe. All emergency department patients are now under the care of a named consultant. Ambulance bypass protocols are in place.

Structural change has begun. Governance of the maternity service will transfer to the Coombe following on from a memorandum of understanding agreed with that hospital. This will become the countrys first managed clinical maternity network. This is a very significant development, which will address the clinical governance and oversight shortcomings identified in the report. It will also ensure that women in Portlaoise have the same high quality maternity care experienced by women attending the Coombe. Capital investment will be required but will have to be subject to prioritisation like all such developments.

I know that questions have arisen about the future of Portlaoise Hospital, in light of this and previous reports.

I can assure the House that the future of Portlaoise is as a constituent acute hospital within the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group. Any change to services in the hospital will be undertaken in a planned and orderly manner, guided by what is best in terms of patient safety and outcomes. This will take account of existing patient flows, demands in other hospitals and the need to develop particular services at Portlaoise that are part of the overall service reorganisation in the Group.

We will need to make sure that any services currently provided by the hospital, which are not viable, are discontinued and we need to ensure that viable services are safe and adequately resourced.

Every hospital in the Dublin Midlands group, large and small, will play a key role within the Group. I am confident that these changes will make Portlaoise Hospital a better, busier and safer hospital.

The establishment of hospital groups is one of the most radical modernisations of acute care since the States foundation, and is a key building block in delivering our Programme for Government commitments on health reform. Hospital groups provide the optimum configuration for hospital services, for high quality, safe patient care in a cost effective manner.

As hospitals move to working as part of a group, services will be reviewed and evaluated to ensure the delivery of high-quality, safe patient care which results in better outcomes for patients.

In the context of the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group, relationships among Portlaoise and Tullamore, Tallaght, Naas and St. James' Hospitals are being further developed, particularly in emergency medicine, critical care, ICU, surgery and bed capacity.

Maternity Strategy

Maternity services in all parts of the country will be subject to review and evaluation this year, as part of the development of the National Maternity Strategy, which is now under way. The Strategy will map the future of maternity services, to ensure that women in Ireland have access to safe, high quality maternity care, in a setting most appropriate to their needs.

I have established the National Maternity Strategy Steering Group to advise on the strategy. The Group, which has wide representation across stakeholder groups, had its second meeting this week. It is intended to publish the new Strategy later this year.

Developing the Strategy gives us the opportunity to take stock of current services, and identify how we can improve the quality and safety of care provided to women and babies. The Strategy will ensure that our maternity services are developed and improved in line with best available national and international evidence.

Among those on the steering group are two of the mothers who lost babies in Portlaoise, Shauna Keyes and Roisin Molloy. I want to thank them in particular this evening for agreeing to serve on the group and provide their insights.

National Women and Infants Health Programme

I have also decided to establish a National Women & Infants Health Programme, to address and improve maternity services across the country. The Programme will span the delivery of maternity services across primary, acute and community care. Modelled on the highly successful National Cancer Programme, it will provide the leadership and have the authority to deliver the strategy and to drive reform and standardise care across all 19 maternity units.

Staffing

Ireland has a relatively low ratio of staff per birth in our maternity services. However, the numbers of obstetricians and midwives are increasing. In 2015, we have 123 whole time equivalent consultant obstetricians, compared with 116 in 2011, when this Government came into office. Midwife numbers have increased significantly from 1,189 whole time equivalents in 2011 to 1,424 in 2015.

This on-going increase in staffing came at a time when the country was in a financial emergency. This is significant and shows that government and the HSE protected maternity services during the toughest financial environment.

It's disappointing, but true to form, that the opposition should ignore this. Now that the economy is growing again we can do better still. Increasing staff numbers, coupled with a falling birth rate, means that, although there is a way to go, the ratio of obstetric and midwifery staff to births is improving and will continue to do so.

Funding

Spending cuts and freezes across the health service from 2008 onwards had an inevitable effect on services. However, this year an extra 2m has been provided in the HSE National Service Plan 2015 to address current pressures in maternity services. This includes provision for recruitment of additional obstetricians, midwives and other front line staff.

As I have already outlined, the issues in Portlaoise are not directly related to resources. There have been recent media reports suggesting that Portlaoise was in some way drastically underfunded, compared to similar hospitals. In fact, the funding for Portlaoise, is broadly on a par with hospitals such as Portiuncula, Wexford and South Tipperary, all so-called 'model three' hospitals and most with a larger population to serve.

Accountability

There has been a lot of commentary about accountability. As I am sure the House will agree, everyone involved in this matter has a right to a fair hearing in accordance with stated disciplinary procedures. HIQA does not name any individual and it is not in my power to effect summary dismissals or sanctions against people who are not in my employment.

I do not propose to comment further at this time, other than to say that a number of staff have had complaints made to their professional regulatory bodies, in relation to their involvement in care in Portlaoise. These will be investigated in line with standard procedures and the law.

In addition, the HSE is finalising an investigation, in line with its Code of Governance and Disciplinary Procedures. This may result in disciplinary action being taken against some individuals, in management positions.

Patient Safety

A culture of patient safety needs to be embedded in our health service. We need a health service where the patient, and the patients needs, are at the centre.

I have a very clear focus on patient safety and I have ensured that it has been made a priority within the HSEs Annual Service Plan. My officials meet with the HSE each month about the Service Plan and patient safety is a standing item on that agenda. There are many facets to the patient safety agenda and several initiatives have the potential to drive significant change over the coming years.

Leadership of this change, through governance and management, will be a key dimension.

Guaranteeing better outcomes for patients is a fundamental principle of our health reform programme. We all continue to strive to ensure that patients receive the best care possible when they need to access health and social care services. Recent reports show that we still face many challenges to ensure that our health and social care services are truly safe and of the highest quality.

I am, however, confident that implementation of the HIQA and Chief Medical Officer reports into Portlaoise will ensure that patient safety is everyones priority, and reassure patients that the services they access are of the highest quality and safety.

Patient Advocacy Service

Before I became Minister for Health, there was a plan to create a patient advocacy agency as a sub-agency of the HSE. I strongly believe that any new patient advocacy service should be independent of the HSE. That is why the HSE was told to remove the proposed agency from its Service Plan for 2015. My view has been supported by the recommendation in the Portlaoise Report.

I plan to establish a fully independent national service before May 2016.

The scope, role and functions of the service need to be considered, along with the structural, governance and funding arrangements needed. My Department will consult widely on the best way to get the service up and running in the shortest possible timeframe.

Informed by HIQA reports on various hospital services, and based on analysis and internal discussions on patient safety priorities, I intend to strengthen the patient safety role and functions of my Department.

I will develop a significantly enhanced patient safety function in my Department, with a clear mandate for leadership, direction and oversight for national improvements in patient safety, clinical effectiveness and patient experience.

This new function is in addition to other patient safety policy initiatives in progress, including legislative proposals for the further regulation of healthcare, patient safety provisions in the Health Information Bill and the recently completed work on the Code of Conduct for employers, that clearly sets out employers responsibilities in relation to achieving an optimal safety culture, governance and performance of the organisation.

Legislation

My Department continues to progress the Patient Safety Licensing Bill. However, as an interim step towards licensing, I will shortly bring a Memo to Government seeking approval to draft amendments to the 2007 Health Act. This amendment will seek to extend HIQA's remit to the private healthcare sector in the shorter term. This will ensure that HIQA has the necessary powers to set and monitor standards and, where necessary, undertake investigations, in both the public and private healthcare sectors.

I also intend to bring forward legislation to give effect to recommendations made by the Commission on Patient Safety and Quality Assurance to facilitate open disclosure of adverse events to patients. Meanwhile, the HSE has begun to implement the National Policy on Open Disclosure across all health and social services. The Policy is designed to ensure an open, consistent approach to communicating with patients and their families when things go wrong in the provision of their healthcare.

Oversight Group

The HIQA Report on Portlaoise called for a group to oversee the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Report. I have approved the composition and terms of reference of this Group. It will be chaired by the Chief Medical Officer and will include senior officials in my Department as well as patient representation.

I have also written to the HSE Director General, requesting a plan and timetable to implement the HIQA recommendations. This plan will be used by the Oversight Group to monitor the HSEs progress on implementation. A named person in the HSE will have responsibility for reporting to the Oversight Group, on behalf of the Directorate, on progress made on a monthly basis.

The House will be aware that one of the priorities for 2015, identified by Minister Lynch and me, is to develop a mechanism to monitor the implementation by the HSE of the recommendations contained in previous HIQA Investigation Reports. I will be seeking regular updates on this and intend to use it to drive a much improved commitment to implementation than we have seen in the past.

Conclusion

I want to finish by reassuring this House that I will do everything in my power to ensure that the recommendations in this report are implemented without delay. We cannot undo the loss that families have suffered. But we can ensure that the lessons learned will not be ignored. I spoke earlier of the bravery of those who spoke out. I think it is now time for some political bravery from all of us here.

All of us have a responsibility to act as leaders either nationally, or in our constituencies, to ensure that all decisions made in health are made on the grounds of what is best in terms of patient access, safety and clinical outcomes, rather than giving in to vested, institutional or political interests.

Over the next few years as we implement the Hospital Groups we will need to examine reconfiguring and restructuring how services are delivered across the Groups. There is a role for us all as public representatives to ensure that we deliver the best health service possible. But we need to ensure that in so doing, we do not approach reconfiguration through the save our local hospital at all costs lens. Nor should it be about financial savings. Rather, we need to view things from the perspective of what is best for patients, see what services can be safely delivered from each hospital within a group, and plan our services accordingly.

LINK TO SPEECH HERE

Ends
Just one capital project is planned for Portlaoise hospital over the next five years but there is no major project on a Dublin Midlands Hospital Group (DMHG) wish list of significant projects for its sister facilities.

The HSE's DMHG has set out an ambitious set of projects likely to be costly in its five year strategy for hospitals in Dublin, Kildare, Laois and Offaly.

The only project identified for the Midlands Region Hospital, Portlaoise up to 2023 is unspecified 'ambulatory care facilities'. Ambulatory is medical care on an outpatient basis, including diagnosis, observation, consultation, treatment, intervention, and rehabilitation services.

In 2016, some 5 million was spent building a Medical Assessment Unit that would replace the A&E. The spending on the MAU was the first major investment in Portlaoise since the A&E opened in the past decade. Last week Laois TD Brian Stanley was told last week that 300,000 was spent to commission the MAU in 2017.

There is no plan to revamp the maternity unit but extensive investment is planned for the Coombe which now manages the unit.

The DMHG plan, which would see A&E closing in Portlaoise, says infrastructural developments are 'key enablers to deliver on the key strategic aims'.

The Strategy, which has been described as a blueprint by its CEO Dr Susan O'Reilly, acknowledges that the challenges to delivering include 'justifiable increase in the health budget and subsequent allocation' to meet 'current demand'.

Other challenges include: a need for 'appropriate resources'; ability to attract staff; rising cost of healthcare; new funding models.

Minister for Health Simon Harris will have the final say on what happens to Portlaoise hospital.

The projects identified are:

 New renal dialysis unit (Tallaght Hospital).

 New critical care unit (Tallaght Hospital).

 New theatres, ward and NICU refurbishment (Coombe Women and Infants University Hospital).

 Day ward and endoscopy suite (Naas General Hospital).

 Ambulatory care facilities (Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise).

 Emergency department and ward expansion (Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore).

 New facilities for additional Linac in collaboration with NCCP (St. Lukes Radiation Oncology Network, Beaumont Hospital and St. Jamess Hospital).

 Strategic clinical priorities for campus development.

 Strategic planning with St. Jamess Hospital and Trinity College Dublin to develop a Cancer Institute.

 Endoscopy decontamination upgrade (St. Jamess Hospital and Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore).

 Equipment replacement programme across the Group.

 Development of multi-storey inpatient facility in Tallaght Hospital.
Rathangan and Monasterevin were amongst the big winners at this years Barrow Awards Scheme 2017 at a special ceremony in the Seven Oaks Hotel in Carlow last week.

The Barrow Awards Scheme rewards towns and villages along the River Barrow for maintaining and enhancing the natural resources of the river and also encourages communities to develop more amenities for the enjoyment of all river users.

The 2017 awards, held on on Wednesday, October 25, were organised in co-operation with the local authorities in Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois and Wexford and Waterways Ireland.

Kildare featured strongly amongst the overall list of competition entrants and in the prize winners category.

Rathangan Tidy Towns Committee received first prize in the short term category for completion of an impressive seven projects, all focused on the presentation of the River Barrow in this picturesque town, where the river and waterway system is a central feature.

Some included the landscaping of the green area adjacent to the main river bridge, known locally as the Pound, which improved the area considerably for tourists and nature lovers.

Significant work was undertaken including the resurfacing of the existing path, planting and erection of new seating.

Other projects included the enhancement of the Maura Laverty flowerbed memorial and William A. Byrne memorial, both enjoying long associations with the town.

A significant bio-diversity project focused on the provision of swift nest boxes, frog and bat monitoring and a research project on wildlife and local history in partnership with James Madison University, USA.

New entrants to the competition Monastervin scooped the Best in County Kildare prize for their initial work on the development of a looped trail showing the scenic canals and bridges on the River Barrow in Monastervin.

Chairman of the judging panel, Arthur Keppel, President Barrow Branch, Inland Waterways Association of Ireland commented a lot of fantastic work is being carried out by entrants on a daily basis along the River Barrow for the benefit of locals and visitors to the area. Having events like the Barrow Awards Scheme is a way of saying thanks and recognising groups for their trojan and continuous efforts which so greatly enhance the appearance of the river.
Over 250,000 people took part in Maths Week Ireland events last week making it one of the biggest Maths Week Ireland events to date.

An estimated 238,000 primary and secondary level students took part across the island with an additional 20,000 people attending family and public events as part of the worlds largest festival of Maths.

Some 795 school children in Leitrim took part in Maths events.

Although ex-Hurricane Ophelia brought two days of events to a halt, that didnt stop the Maths Week team who battened down the hatches and brought the event online. Over 6,000 people tuned into the Maths Week live stream of activities over the two days of school cancellations.

Mid-week Maths Week events stretched from Dublin to Belfast, across to Arranmore and the Aran Islands, to Cork, Waterford and everywhere in between!

One of the many highlights of the week was the presentation of the second annual Maths Week Ireland Award to Dr. Peter Lynch, Professor of Mathematics at University College Dublin in recognition of his long standing promotion of mathematics awareness in Ireland.

Sheila Donegan, Co-Founder, Maths Week said: It is estimated that over 1.5 million people have engaged with Maths Week over the past twelve years, helping them to have a more positive attitude towards maths. This is supporting interest in STEM related careers among our young people and numeracy in society generally. The week is a true partnership of people working together for a common aim - a very important aim - to promote mathematics for all. We are already looking forward to next years Maths Week in October 2018. Well be aiming to further increase the number of people taking part and to spread our message even further.

Co-ordinated by Calmast at Waterford Institute of Technology, Maths Week Ireland is run as a partnership of over 50 public and private sector institutions and groups, including the universities, institutes of technology, professional bodies, libraries and visitor centres, committed to promoting an interest in maths, as well as many of Irelands flagship employers. It is an all-island event.

Maths Week is supported by the Department of Education and Skills, Science Foundation Ireland, Department of Education Northern Ireland, ESB and Xilinx.
Leitrim people are being asked to take part in this years Concern Fast when they can give up any habit or activity for 24-hours to raise vitals funds for children suffering from hunger around the world.

The annual Fast campaign - one of Irelands longest running fundraisers, which is run by aid agency Concern Worldwide - takes place this year on Thursday, November 23.

Traditionally, Fast participants focused on giving up food for a day, but people also do 'digital fasts' that involve forgoing social media and online activity while others try to give-up coffee, smoking and other habits.

Another Fast idea from Concern this year is for Irelands phombies to use the opportunity to try and spend a day without being distracted by their mobile phone device when walking.

Phombies, or phone-zombies, are people who stare at their mobile phone while walking and are completely oblivious of other people and their surroundings.

They can be regularly spotted phombie-walking in every town and city across Ireland and beyond.

Concern Worldwide Marketing Executive, Christina Meehan, said: Concern Fast is a rewarding opportunity to challenge yourself for a very deserving cause.

We think it can also be a fun way to detox on modern habits that many people have, like looking at our phone when walking to a shop or to catch a bus.

Pictured is Concern Marketing Executive, Christina Meehan is giving up being a phone zombie.

I think its important to stay present. When we are present we have the time to think about others and connect to the world and this is exactly why Im giving up my phone for a day.

For decades, Fast has been helping millions of children suffering from hunger - and we ask that people continue to take part and do what they can because it really does make a difference.

"For example, Irish people who took part last year helped feed 4,000 children for a month in South Sudan alone.

Christina said that this year has been especially tragic for so many children with famine casting a shadow over four nations, including South Sudan and Somalia, where over 20 million people are still at risk of starvation.

Globally, it is estimated that 5.6 million children under five died last year and that around three million of them had hunger related illnesses.

The Fast campaign raises funds that help provide high-energy therapeutic food for malnourished children to try and prevent their conditions becoming fatal and to reduce the sobering statistics that show how many people suffer from hunger.

A 30 donation can provide emergency nutrition support to a malnourished child for one month while 300 can provide a family with enough food to eat for six months.

Concern reached 22 million people in 27 countries in 2016, largely because of the funds it received from the Irish public, including donations from Fast.

We cannot thank the Irish public enough for their ongoing support for Concern and all of our dedicated volunteers who do street collections and other fundraising activities, added Christina Meehan.

People can sign up for Concern Fast 2017 and find more information at Concern.net/fast or by calling 1850 50 50 55  and participants can also engage with Concern on Twitter @Concern, Facebook, Snapchat and on Instagram.

TEN Concern Fast ideas for what to give up for 24-hours

on Thursday November 23 [Register: Concern.net/fast]

Phombie-walking - Stop being a phombie looking at your phone while walking.

Coffee Blackout  Have a no-coffee day.

No-Butts  If you smoke, try being smoke-free for 24-hours.

Digital-detox - Try not using any digital technology.

No social post - A day without posting on social media.

Landline only  Try going back in time and not using your mobile phone to make a call.

TV Free  A day without watching any television.

Like, Eh  Give up vocalised pauses, which are the fillers used in sentences, such as um, ah and like.

Game Over  Zap video gaming for 24 hours.

Silence Please  Try a day without talking.
A FORMER Mayor of Limerick is calling on the local authority to do more to ensure it can be carbon neutral by 2020.

Cllr John Gilligan made his comments after members of the Environment SPC were briefed on the National Mitigation Plan by Pat Stephens of the Limerick and Clare Energy Agency.

We should be carbon neutral by 2020, he said suggesting that more should be done to harness power from wind turbines and from the river Shannon and other rivers in Limerick.

Mr Stephens told the meeting that the Dail voted in October of last year to pursue efforts to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 C and that the Climate Action & Low Carbon Development Act was subsequently enacted by Minister Denis Naughten.

Welcoming the presentation, Cllr Eddie Ryan noted the council does not have a policy relating to wind energy which, he said, has the potential to generate large amounts of electricity.

120 turbines could power all of Limerick, he suggested.

Mr Stephens said local authorities have been directed by government not to draw up local guidelines relating to wind energy pending the finalisation of national guidelines over the coming months.

Highlighting the use of solar panels at several council properties, he said Limerick City and County Council is one of the more carbon-friendly councils in the country.

Solar panels, he said, provide around 20 per cent of the energy needs of County Hall in Dooradoyle.

The roll-out of the cycle-lane between Corbally and UL by Limerick Smarter Travel has had an impact on Limerick citys carbon footprint and Mr Stpehens confirmed that funding is being sought from the EU to assist in making the city carbon neutral.

In addition, he said discussions have taken place between several agencies and organisations, including the University of Limerick, with a view to establishing a Centre of Excellence for Marine Energy in Limerick.

The concept of energy citizenship was also discussed with Mr Stephens pointing out that it has worked well in other countries.

One element of this, he said, is enabling people and communities to sell excess energy to the national grid  therefore reducing the need for large power stations.
AN INITIATIVE which sees hundreds of people take to the streets each Good Friday morning is in line for an award.

Team Limerick Clean-Up is on the shortlist of finalists for the first ever Project Management Institute (PMI) Awards, along with a number of other local individuals and firms.

The ceremony, set to take place in November, will honour companies and individuals, project teams and organisations which have excelled within the project management discipline.

In line for the title of project professional of the year is Killian Kenny of Raheen-based firm Stryker.

Meanwhile, the multi-million euro remediation of the Limerick Gasworks site has been nominated in the category of public sector project of the year.

This project is making the old gasworks site in OCurry Street ready for re-occupation.

In the same section, Failte Ireland has been recognised for its Irelands Ancient East signage, which includes large swathes of East Limerick.

Elsewhere, in the category of project management for social good, Dell EMC has been honoured for its volunteer project management programme.

Dell EMC is based in Raheen, where it employs almost 1,000 people, many of whom partner with charity organisations and volunteer their time.

Meanwhile, Team Limerick Clean-Up is also nominated in the same category.

The president of the Irish chapter of PMI Niall Murphy said: The calibre of entries in this years awards has been excellent and reinforces what extraordinary talent there is within the industry.
THOUSANDS of people living and working in Limerick will be affected by a nationwide stoppage of Irish Rail services this Wednesday.

This comes after 90% of rail workers nationwide voted in favour of industrial action, surrounding ongoing concerns in relation to pay and conditions.

Wednesday marks the first day of a series of agreed 24-hour strikes at various rail stations across the country, including Colbert Station which has 60 workers.

Members of the National Bus and Railworkers Union (NBRU) will picket outside the Parnell Street station from Wednesday morning to Wednesday evening.

General Secretary Dermot O'Leary said this Tuesday: "It is now quite obvious to those of us that represent frontline transport workers, that there is an 'axis of collusion' between Department officials and the various transport companies with regard to resisting the genuine pay claims of workers who have gone long periods, ten years in the case of Irish Rail, without a pay rise."

He added: "It is both untenable and unsustainable that the contractual relationship between the CIE companies, (Irish Rail being the latest) is structured in a way that it does not have any provision for pay improvements, and restricts the companies to a level of profit that leaves little or no room for addressing pay.

"The NBRU is of the view that there is a requirement for all parties, the Department, NTA, the Companies and Trade Unions, to come together and create an environment to periodically (perhaps in advance of Contract being awarded) discuss pay in the Public Transport Sector, such a scenario would obviate the necessity to regularly engage in disruptive industrial action across the various modes of transport."

Regional representative of the NBRU, John Ford told the Leader on Tuesday afternoon that the strike is going ahead. There is definitely no sign of any intervention or last-minute talks.

He said that on top of the pay issue, there has been a problem with staff being let go and a recruitment ban in recent years.

It is a pay dispute, but there is a bit of a legacy dispute there as well, Mr Ford explained.

Walkouts are also planned for Tuesday, November 7, Tuesday, November 14, Thursday November 23 and Friday, December 8.

The action comes after talks between the NBRU, Siptu and other unions with Irish Rail bosses broke down. Senator Paul Gavan has called for urgent intervention by Minister for Transport Shane Ross in the Irish Rail dispute.

The Irish Rail Workers and their union have just cause. They have endured a ten year pay freeze, and in effect have been asked to subsidise the underfunding of our rail transport system through their wages.

Enough is enough. Its time for the Minister and his government to address the underlying problem of funding for our rail system.
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China's development road map and other outcomes of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which ended last week, will have century-long global impacts as the country deepens engagement with the world, according to European politicians, scholars and lawyers.

"The Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era ... has a cardinal importance for the further successful progress of China," Maja Gojkovic, speaker of the National Assembly of Serbia told China Daily over the weekend in a written interview.

"I am convinced that the direction taken at this congress will yield measurable results and prosperity for the whole of the friendly people of China in this century."

Having closely observed the congress, Gojkovic said Xi clearly demonstrated the intention to take China to a new era that includes continuation of the country's development and an increase in citizens' standard of living.

"I am convinced that President Xi, having regard for the indivisible trust of the Communist Party of China that he enjoys and that was undoubtedly confirmed in this congress, will lead China through the path of success and prosperity in the forthcoming years," Gojkovic said.

When asked what his message would be for China's new leadership formed at the 19th National Congress, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said Belgium will build a stronger relationship with China and at both diplomatic and economic levels, while both sides need to develop mutual comprehension.

"I believe we can work together toward this aspect (of building a stronger bilateral relationship)," Michel told China Daily last week at the launching ceremony of a direct flight between Brussels and Shanghai.

Rolf J. Langhammer, former vice-president of the Germany-based Kiel Institute for the World Economy, said the key message of the congress, for him, is that China is strongly signaling growing interest in actively participating in and leading globalization, a trend that started a decade ago.

Langhammer said that with its increasing international acceptance as a benevolent government, China will further take into account the interests of partner countries in decision-making.

He said China has already made "first steps" in this direction and already has won trust by shouldering responsibility by contributing to global economic growth.

Thomas Lagerqvist, senior adviser of Mannheimer Swartling, a Sweden-based law firm, said that to fulfill the Chinese Dream, this vision will serve as a guiding star into the new era. The world wants China to succeed as that will benefit global cooperation, he said.

Lagerqvist said China's economy has been transitioning from a phase of rapid growth to a stage of high-quality development and is in a pivotal stage for transforming the growth model, improving economic structure and fostering new growth drivers.
President Xi Jinping meets with members of the Advisory Board of Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. WU ZHIYI / CHINA DAILY

BEIJING, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping said Monday that China is a contributor to economic globalization and its opening up is a win-win outcome for China and the world.

Xi's comment came while meeting with an advisory board of Tsinghua University school of economics and management, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Xi said the 19th Communist Party of China (CPC) National Congress is of great significance, and has enhanced China's confidence on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

China is pushing forward comprehensive reform with unprecedented determination and efforts and will continue to boost reform and development through opening up, Xi said.

While ensuring China's sovereignty, security and development interests, the country will remain committed to reform and opening up and adopt a mutually-beneficial and higher-quality approach to opening up, the president said.

"As a beneficiary of and contributor to economic globalization, China's development is the opportunity for the world. China's opening up is not a zero-sum game but win-win cooperation," Xi said.

As a Chinese saying goes, our friendship remains despite a failed deal.China will not set unfair clauses or take advantage of others, Xi said, adding that China will actively take part in the reform and construction of the global governance system, and promote the establishment of a community of shared future for mankind.

Talent is the foundation and core element of innovation, said Xi, noting that constructors and successors of socialism with Chinese characteristics, rather than bystanders or opponents, should be trained through education.

Xi said that China has made strategic decisions to speed up the construction of world-class universities and world-class academic subjects to enhance the country's core competitiveness.

Xi said he is looking forward to receiving U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing early next month.

China is willing to work with the U.S. side to look far ahead and aim high, take each other's interests and concerns into consideration, properly solve differences and jointly promote China-U.S. cooperation so as to realize a mutually beneficial and win-win situation, Xi said.

"We are optimistic about the prospects for China-U.S. relations," he said.

Xi encouraged his guests to provide more advice on China's development, conduct more cooperation with the Chinese side, and offer a more objective and comprehensive introduction of China to the world.

Breyer Capital's Founder and CEO Jim Breyer, chairman of the advisory board, and some other members, including Paulson Institute Chairman Henry Paulson, Chairman of the Blackstone Group Stephen Schwarzman, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg spoke at the meeting.

They said they were deeply impressed by President Xi's report to the opening session of the 19th CPC National Congress, noting that China deserves praise for its achievement in poverty relief and efforts to promote innovation and development, as well as its robust development in economic and social areas.

The guests expressed confidence in China's future, saying that the international community expects to deepen cooperation with China in its reform and opening up process.

They also hoped to see fruitful outcome from Trump's visit and the meeting between the two presidents in Beijing in November.

The advisory board was founded in 2000 and consists of scholars and entrepreneurs from multinationals, as well as Chinese officials.
Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker

By Gregory Maguire

William Morrow. 304 pp. $26.99

---

If you have a child who dreams of dancing, you've seen "The Nutcracker" enough times to know that you can't leave until Clara finally wakes up - and you do, too.

During the years when my younger daughter studied at Boston Ballet, she was sometimes a mouse, sometimes a soldier, always adorable. But the tickets were about $80 apiece, and there were grandparents and other relatives who wanted in on this cherished holiday performance, which meant that the Stahlbaums' opulence depended, at least in part, on my impoverishment.

I'm not complaining. That gorgeous Russian score wound around E.T.A. Hoffmann's surreal story produced one of the world's most eidetic tales. Every time I hear Tchaikovsky's music - even the tortured pop versions at the mall - visions of sugar plums still dance in my head.

Which made me excited to read "Hiddensee," Gregory Maguire's new novel about "a once and future Nutcracker." Maguire would seem the perfect author for this act of creative investigation. He's already delved into the early lives of such fantastical figures as Snow White and Cinderella. And, of course, his novel about the Wicked Witch of the West is the basis for that spellbinding Broadway hit "Wicked."

But there's barely a nutshell of music or magic in "Hiddensee." Maguire has a style glazed with a patina of Old World formality. Don't look for the passion and color of Tchaikovsky here; this is a novel with its own palette of darker, woodland tones.

In Bavaria around 1808, a foundling boy named Dirk lives with an old woman and an old woodcutter. When a falling tree knocks Dirk out, he experiences a vision of a talking bird, a gnome and a very aggrieved spirit of the forest. Returning to life and believing that his guardians will again try to kill him, Dirk runs away from home into the wide world he knows nothing about. "How many times," he wonders, "will I lie down in a darkness whose character I cannot imagine, to see what daybreak reveals of my new circumstances?" Many times.

Dirk is a "bit of a dolt," Maguire writes, but not usually the funny kind. Although he's literal and serious, he's no rube, nor is he a naive standard of moral innocence like Mark Twain's Huck Finn. As Dirk wanders around Germany with a patch over one eye - the result of that accident in the forest - he views everyone from a distance. He can be an oversensitive prig. "I have no talents," he says honestly, "I only watch and listen." Something about his upbringing with those two loveless guardians has cauterized his affections. Even his rare flutterings of lust and romance are tightly constrained, largely unexpressed - one might say, almost wooden.

But despite some early allusions, Dirk is not the Nutcracker himself, which may be what sets this novel on its pedestrian trajectory. The moment a village pastor names our hero "Drosselmeier," the pixie dust falls from the pages, and it's clear that this is the story of a future toymaker, not the tale of a magical soldier who will battle the Mouse King around Clara's Christmas tree.

And yet - like Dirk - the novel feels suspended between realism and fantasy. "You're an oddity among young men," says one of the many people who struggle to get close to him. "Does anyone know much about you?" No, not even we do, though we follow Dirk from one village to another. That structure allows Maguire to sprinkle the plot with references to 19th-century characters, all of whom seem more vivacious than our one-eyed hero. (An extended encounter with the hypnotist Franz Mesmer provides the novel's best set piece.)

But this remains very much a study of a man who left the forest of fairy tales and never fully joined the world of getting and spending. Dirk doesn't really belong anywhere, a condition that eventually causes him a certain amount of tightly repressed anguish. Maguire explores this theme most sensitively over Dirk's long friendship with a gay musician. For different reasons, neither of these young men can freely express what he's feeling, but even the closeted gay man finds more happiness than Dirk, whose passions are channeled into carving wooden toys. We come to know the dimensions of his longing, but we never really know the content of his desire.

That mystery must be the point of this unhurried story, which eventually meshes with the details of Petipa and Ivanov's ballet. Maguire suggests that we all pine for some vaguely recalled but tantalizing moment from childhood. "Surely you have such a walnut in your own life," he writes, "something that holds the key to all your past ease and safety." Dirk's winding journey finally brings him close to that lost paradise, but not in any way you'd expect.

After all, the past is a tough nut to crack.

---

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Judging by the earliest returns, Pixar might well have a winning film on its hands this Thanksgiving.

"Coco," the studio's new film, which centers on a boy's musical journey within Mexico's Day of the Dead/Dia de Muertos rituals and customs, has the first wave of top reviewers waxing mostly positive, especially glowing over the effects (naturally), the emotion (to be expected) and what the movie represents in terms of diversity.

This is the 19th Pixar film, but the first to feature multiple characters of color in prominent roles.

"Coco," directed by Lee Unkrich and co-directed by Adrian Molina, is also reassuringly textured in how it appropriates cultural symbols and folklore, critics say.

The film (opening Nov. 22) delivers "a universal message about family bonds while adhering to folkloric traditions free of the watering down or whitewashing that have often typified Americanized appropriations of cultural heritage," writes Michael Rechtshaffen for the Hollywood Reporter.

Amid recent casting controversies involving white actors in such comics adaptations as "Doctor Strange" and "Ghost in the Shell," THR also notes that "a peerless voice cast (is) populated almost entirely by Mexican and Latino actors."

Variety's Peter Debruge, too, lauds "Coco's" innovation on the diversity front as it seriously deals "with the deficit of nonwhite characters in (Pixar) films" - even "while coloring comfortably within the lines on practically everything else."

The Hollywood Reporter also praises aspects of the film that have become Pixar hallmarks, citing "a richly woven tapestry of comprehensively researched storytelling, fully dimensional characters, clever touches both tender and amusingly macabre and vivid, beautifully textured visuals."

That said, Pixar's recent "Cars 3 and "The Good Dinosaur" weren't hailed as worthy of cracking the studio's top creative tier. But THR calls "Coco" Pixar's "most original effort since 2015's 'Inside Out.' "

The Wrap's Robert Abele echoes the return to form, writing: "The animation juggernaut has once more shown how its storytelling acumen and visual splendors are still the surest dance partners in movies today."

The Wrap also notes a different sort of creative breakthrough within this film: "It's the most human-populated story the studio has yet told, even if many of those humans are in exaggerated skeletal form."

The review later adds, "From the villagers of fictional Santa Cecilia to the ancestral inhabitants of the Land of the Dead - the candy-colored afterlife megalopolis where most of the story takes place - 'Coco' eschews the easy-cute of anthropomorphizing the inanimate or fantastical in favor of characters grounded in the recognizable."
WASHINGTON - Like most dads, journalist Jake Tapper is super proud of his daughter's accomplishments. But instead of Scotch-taping her crayon masterpieces to the fridge, the CNN anchor posts about them on Twitter. Which is how 10-year-old Alice Paul Tapper got an op-ed published in the New York Times,.

Last week, the "Lead" anchor announced to his 1.45 million Twitter followers that Alice, a Girl Scout, had come up with her very own patch: the "Raise Your Hand" patch, which has the goal of encouraging and celebrating classroom participation. The new badges had just been delivered to the Girls Scouts Nation's Capital council, and Tapper was unsurprisingly "psyched," he told us.

Just minutes after his proud dad tweet, Bari Weiss, an editor at the Times, reached out to Tapper. Would Alice maybe want to write about her new badge? Tapper conferred with his daughter offline and then tweeted back in the affirmative. Alice was in. Now the fifth-grader had her next big homework assignment - an op-ed for the New York Times. No pressure or anything.

Less than a week later, the paper published "I'm 10. And I Want Girls to Raise Their Hands," the younger Tapper's take on why girls don't raise their hands as often as boys do in class. Short answer: They're afraid of being wrong. Alice, who's named after American suffragette Alice Paul , took the issue to her troop and a new patch was eventually born.

"People say girls have to be 90 percent confident before we raise our hands," she wrote, "but boys just raise their hands. I tell girls that we should take the risk and try anyway, just like the boys do. If the answer is wrong, it's not the end of the world. It's not like answering a trivia question to win a million dollars on live TV."

And if you think dear old dad, who has a novel coming out next summer, did most of the heavy lifting for the piece, you'd be wrong. Tapper tells us that Alice dictated the column to him after discussing an outline with Weiss, who then did some editing and voila - a 10-year-old writer is born.

But despite the coveted clip, Alice doesn't have any immediate plans for a future in journalism.

"She wants to be an activist to help save dogs and puppies," Tapper said.
BEIJING, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- China will speed up the development of internet plus advanced manufacturing to boost innovation and entrepreneurship and integration between enterprises of various sizes to enable further upgrading of the economy.

The decision was made at a State Council executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiangon Monday.

The integration between the internet and the real economy will be further deepened, and the development of the Industrial Internet will be accelerated through the implementation of the Made in China 2025 strategy in an effort to transform the nation into a global leader in the Industrial Internet, according to the decision made at the meeting.

"Pushing forward the internet plus advanced manufacturing is an important measure to enable the transformation and upgrading of the real economy. China owes the fast development of its new growth engines to its abundant human resources and talents, vast market and the prudent yet accommodating government oversight," Li said.

The meeting decided that the construction and upgrading of network infrastructure in industrial enterprises will be vigorously pursued to enable greater inter-connectivity within enterprises and between production equipment and information systems in different areas, both upstream and downstream. The integration and sharing of manufacturing resources and data will be promoted, while a coordinated manufacturing system linking all industries and businesses will be developed.

The development and promotion of industrial cloud platforms will be boosted. Leading enterprises will be encouraged to develop enterprise-level cloud platforms. SMEs will receive support in uploading their business systems to cloud platforms. A public platform that supports mass entrepreneurship and innovation will be established. Technical support will be enhanced to develop a standard system of the Industrial Internet. The R&D and promotion of intelligent, connected equipment will be promoted in such key areas as industrial robots and large power equipment. Emerging cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain will be more extensively applied.

"We should create a vibrant and enabling environment for internet plus advanced manufacturing by further streamlining administration, enhancing compliance oversight and improving government services. This will enable the Industrial Internet to develop in a more open and integrated manner, and put China at the forefront of the new round of industrial revolution," Li said.

The Monday meeting also decided to step up policy support to the industrial sector. The government will expand equal access of various market entities. The finance will allocate special funds to support the Industrial Internet drive. Companies will be encouraged to scale up financial input through bonds and stock rights.

Cyber security will be enhanced as companies will be encouraged to build up capacity for cyber security. The management and technical systems for network and platform security will be built in key manufacturing sectors, including automobile, electronics, energy, aviation and aerospace.

"We should give full play to the role of market and businesses and provide policy support as necessary. The government will help capable enterprises to establish major Industrial Internet platforms for the development of industrial intranet and internet. The government must step up the development of infrastructure to make internet services faster and cheaper for SMEs," Li said.

"Regulations regarding identification systems should be formulated to ensure security," he added.
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The Laredo Independent School District is working on welcoming the addition of a third early college program.

LISD, in partnership with Laredo Community College, is in the preliminary stages to convert the Sabas Perez Engineering and Technology Magnet School into an early college academy. The district already has the Hector J. Garcia Early College High School, located on the TAMIU campus, and the Dennis Cantu Early College High School at Martin High School.

Sabas Perez Early College Academy will offer students the opportunity to earn up to 60 college credit hours toward a career in engineering. The early college academy will focus on science, technology, engineering and math education.

READ MORE: Social media posts show off Laredo's incredible Halloween costumes

LISD Superintendent Sylvia Rios said the district's goal is to inspire interest in the science, technology, engineering and math fields. She noted while such is already implemented with the magnet school, the new early college academy would provide a more structured program.

Unlike the district's other two early college high schools, Sabas Perez Early College Academy will allow students to continue their identity with their home campuses.

"We're ensuring that the kids could still participate in extracurricular activities at their home campuses," Rios said. "The idea is they can still be part of the engineering school but don't necessarily have to be a Cigarroa student."

RELATED: Protesters demand release of sick 10-year-old immigrant from Laredo

Rios added, "We're creating avenues for these kids to get a four-year degree."

LISD anticipates to establish the Sabas Early College Academy by next September. Rios explained that the Early College Academy would begin with next year's freshman class. The school would operate two different programs, the magnet and Early College Academy, until magnet school students have transitioned out.

The location for the Sabas Perez Early College Academy is still being discussed. It could either operate where the magnet school is, at Cigarroa High School, or out of a building located at Laredo Community College. If the district decides to use an LCC instructor and the LCC building, the cost for tuition would be $270 per three hours and $340 per four hours.
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The American Civil Liberties Union on Monday joined the growing list of organizations calling for the release of a 10-year-old special needs girl who's in the custody of the Heath and Human Services Department in San Antonio and faces deportation.

In a letter to HHS and the Department of Homeland Security, the civil rights group threatened legal action if 10-year-old Rosa Maria Hernandez is not returned to her family in Laredo so she can continue special education classes and see her doctor.

"Rosa Maria needs this care, stability, routine, and support," the ACLU wrote in its letter. "Without her mother and supportive community of services, her developmental progress will suffer."

READ MORE: 10-year-old sick Laredo girl threatened with deportation taken to child care facility

Border Patrol agents followed Rosa Maria, who has cerebral palsy, to Corpus Christi last week after she crossed an immigration checkpoint as she was being transferred to a children's hospital for gallbladder surgery. After the surgery, the girl, who was born in Mexico and is in the U.S. illegally, was moved to a San Antonio child care facility.

Border Patrol said once agents encountered the girl at its immigration checkpoint, they had to take her into custody, something immigration lawyers have said is not the case.

For its part, HHS said it must first screen sponsors who want to take custody of children in its care.

Also Monday, a group of demonstrators gathered outside of Sen. John Cornyn's office downtown chanting and demanding that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement drop Rosa Maria's deportation case and asking Cornyn to put pressure on HHS and ICE to release her.

RELATED: Border Patrol agents threatened to detain sick 10-year-old from Laredo, family says

Trish Florence, one of the rally's organizers, said activists met briefly with Cornyn's staff.

"The fact that they're still holding her, that they're actually making an example of her, is ridiculous," Florence said.

The case has garnered national attention, particularly after a lawyer representing Rosa Maria released a video of Border Patrol agents escorting her out of the hospital.
SF Film

During the last year of Barack Obamas term, veteran documentarian Greg Barker was granted unprecedented access to three of the presidents top foreign policymakers: U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power, Secretary of State John Kerry, and Strategic Communications Adviser Ben Rhodes.

The result is The Final Year, a look at top-level diplomacy in action.
In continuation of the series of courses presented at the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies at Rice University, R.W. McKinney spoke on Wednesday, Oct. 25, about the history of Bellaire before it became this culturally diverse region.

McKinney is involved in a number of historical and cultural preservation organizations including Miller Outdoor Theatre, Harris County Historical Society and is president of the Bellaire Historic Society.

William Wright Baldwin, a native from Iowa, founded Bellaire in 1908.

"You think of Bellaire as these mega mansions, but really I'm trying to take it further back, to a simple time in Bellaire history," McKinney said.

The simple time that McKinney referred to was a time when Bellaire consisted of 20 families, a place where everyone knew their neighbor. The area was known for its ranches.

Baldwin, vice president of the Burlington Railroad, named the city after a town in Ohio that served on his railroad.

In Dec. 12, 1910, Bellaire received the first electric street car, built by the Westmoreland Railroad company, that ran through Bellaire Boulevard and was known as "Toonerville Trolley."

The first Bellaire post office was introduced a year later.

"Lots of pioneers when they came to Bellaire had a lot of challenges, the very first challenge they had was the freeze in 1913 then the famous 1915 hurricane that devastated many homes," McKinney said.

Bellaire thrived on being a residential area with agricultural trading with easy access to Houston. McKinney said even through the harsh hurricanes the city was still able to sustain itself through adaptation.

McKinney explained that it wasn't until after World War II that Bellaire because a more popular suburban area despite the sudden stop in growth since annexation by Houston in 1948.

Bellaire didn't have retail stores until about the 1950s and was more of an independent area.

McKinney also talked about Mayor Abe Zindler, who founded a successful clothing store in Houston, and his son Marvin Zindler, who became a prominent broadcast journalist in Houston.

Interestingly, McKinney said contrary to the diversity that is found today in Bellaire, the area happened to be where the first Texas chapter of the KKK was established in Houston.

"I found this out through researching all of this. I don't believe the Bellaire residents were a part of it," McKinney said. "I just know it happened to take place, the swearing in ceremony, took place in that field."

McKinney said the KKK was popular in Texas staring from about 1920 to 1929.

"Bellaire was officially land-locked in 1949, when Houston did their annexation but what came out of that was citizens started being more active in city government in their area to get more civic involved," McKinney said.

Bellaire today, while many will find the mansions that first come to mind when they think of Bellaire, but they will also find a community of immigrants that still retain much of their culture with their food and grocery stores.
A grand Memorial mansion is now under foreclosure and available to the public for $2,589,600.

The residence at 247 Hedwig is a 10,487-square-foot home set on nearly an acre of land in the prestigious Memorial Villages neighborhood.
Allegations of sexual assault against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and a social media campaign that followed are raking up long-muffled controversies across the globe. Now a list of academics accused of assault has caused a frenzy among India's intellectuals.

When Raya Sarkar, a 24-year-old law student of Indian descent at the University of California at Davis, posted a crowdsourced list on Facebook of male academics who allegedly harassed or assaulted women, India's academic world splintered.

Sarkar's list, based mostly on first-person accounts from women, includes the names of more than 60 prominent male academics. She said women provided her with WhatsApp messages and emails to corroborate their claims.

Some say the list is the product of a broken system that fails to hold sexual predators to account. But many, including a group of Indian feminists, said the list devalues "due process," putting unverified accusations on equal footing with cases in which men were convicted of sexual crimes.

Sarkar defended the list in an interview with BuzzFeed, saying she created it in the aftermath of the Weinstein allegations and the #MeToo campaign, in which women shared their experiences of sexual harassment or assault. "The list is primarily for students to be wary of their professors, because in my opinion, knowing how college administrations function, harassers will continue to hold their positions of power," she said.

The list, which has been widely shared, leaves out names of accusers, and specific details of the incident that could allow alleged predators to identify their victims.

Partha Chatterjee, a social scientist and historian from the eastern city of Kolkata, denied allegations in a response published by the Wire news website. He wrote, "I am certain that in 44 years of my association with the Center for Studies in Social Sciences, I have never been involved in an incident in which I could be accused of having sexually harassed a student.

"I believe it is fair for me to demand that the nature of the allegation against me be made known to me so that I could make a specific response to it. Otherwise, I demand that my name be removed from the list," he wrote.

Prominent feminists also have lashed out against Sarkar. A post on the feminist Kafila blog signed by over a dozen noted women activists said, "It worries us that anybody can be named anonymously, with lack of answerability . . . We too know the process is harsh and often tilted against the complainant. We remain committed to strengthening these processes . . . This manner of naming can de-legitimize the long struggle against sexual harassment, and make our task as feminists more difficult."
KABUL - A young suicide bomber on foot penetrated the city's fortified diplomatic zone Tuesday, leaving at least seven people dead and wounding more than 20 in the first blast to strike the Afghan capital's Green Zone since May 31, when a powerful truck bomb killed 150 people and wounded several hundred.

Police said all the victims were Afghan civilians, mostly people who worked in foreign embassies, Afghan government facilities and other offices inside the barricaded zone.

Afterward, pools of blood were scattered along the alley where the bomber detonated. Bystanders said those who died were probably walking home from work.

The Islamic State, through its Amaq News Agency, claimed responsibility for the blast, which followed a bloody streak of bombings and other attacks across the country by Taliban and Islamic State insurgents in the past several weeks that had left more than 250 dead.

That surge came as the Trump administration prepared to add several thousand troops and step up its military role in the Afghan conflict. The Taliban has rebuffed recent official overtures to negotiate, demanding that all foreign troops leave the country first and declaring that it will press on with a campaign to show it cannot be defeated in battle.

The recent attacks included bombings at several mosques in Kabul and other cities, the storming of an Afghan military base in southern Kandahar province, deadly attacks on security forces or government facilities in four other provinces, and a suicide attack on a bus carrying army medical cadets in Kabul.

After the May bombing, which spurred angry street protests and calls for President Ashraf Ghani's resignation, the government tightened security in the diplomatic area, adding new blast walls and barricades and posting additional armed guards. It also trained and armed civilian guards in the city's Shiite community after several recent bombings of Shiite mosques.

But the bombing Tuesday defied such measures and was expected to raise new concerns among city residents and international agencies. Officials said the target was not clear, but the site was close to the Canadian and British embassies as well as half a dozen Afghan government offices. Local employees there were sent into bunkers for several hours after the blast.

It was unclear how the bomber Tuesday infiltrated the narrow street, which had high blast walls along one side and was heavily guarded at the entrance. Police said they were investigating. They described the attacker as an adolescent boy, which could have made guards less suspicious.

"I heard the blast and I rushed outside. There were at least six bodies lying in the street, and I helped gather them up," said Khalid Hussain, who works in the office of a national legislator a few yards from the blast site. "It was just after 4 p.m., so civilians were starting to leave their jobs and walk out."

Firetrucks, ambulances and other security vehicles came and went from the street for several hours after the blast, and helicopters circled overhead.

Long after dark fell, security forces lifted a temporary cordon and allowed hundreds of Afghan workers to leave, some peddling bicycles down the alley and others hurrying anxiously on foot.
BARCELONA - When the time comes to write the history of breakaway nations, Catalonia will have an unusual trajectory: On Friday, leaders triumphantly declared independence. On Tuesday, they emerged in at least temporary self-imposed exile.

Independence advocates ruefully acknowledged that Catalonia had failed to seize the political steering wheel from Spanish leaders in Madrid, and many looked back at a whirlwind October to ask whether different tactics could have achieved better results.

The month began with violence, as Spanish riot police forces wielding truncheons cracked down on an Oct. 1 Catalan independence referendum that Madrid declared illegitimate. It ended with former Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont addressing a packed room of jostling journalists in Brussels.

"We are facing a state that only understands the reason of force," Puigdemont said, explaining his decision to flee his nascent nation even as he declared himself the "legitimate president" of Catalonia. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy stripped him and other officials of their posts after invoking extraordinary constitutional powers on Friday. The Catalan leader said that new regional elections on Dec. 21 would deliver a decisive result against unionist backers of Madrid, even if it meant working, for now, within Spain's system.

If he and his colleagues had remained in Catalonia, Puigdemont said, "I am convinced, according to the information that I have, that there would have been a violent reaction." He spoke alongside several of his top former ministers who he said agreed with him on Friday night to leave Catalonia.

Some activists questioned Puigdemont's decision to flee to Belgium with about half his government in tow, setting up a government-in-exile as other allies faced rebellion and sedition charges back in Spain. But others praised him for a strategic retreat that allows him to keep fighting for Catalonia in the heart of the European Union.

"Puigdemont is doing exactly what he needs to do," said Liz Castro, a member of the Catalan National Assembly, a pro-independence advocacy group. "War pretty much sounds like the other option. This is better."

For Puigdemont, a pensive former journalist who has devoted his life to Catalan independence, October was a challenging month even as he tried to realize his dream, allies said. He struggled to hold together his unruly coalition, whose members ranged from anti-capitalist anarchists to pro-business conservatives and agreed only that Catalonia should be free.

Olivier Matthys/AP

All were horrified by the police violence that accompanied the referendum and consisted mostly of beatings that left hundreds of people battered and bruised. Some of them wanted to push as fast as possible toward independence. But others were spooked as some of Catalonia's biggest companies moved their headquarters outside the region, hammering the economy.

At one point, Puigdemont declared independence only to suspend it in the same speech, leading both supporters and opponents scratching their heads about what had happened. Behind the scenes, he was pushing national authorities to let him rerun a referendum with national approval, allies said.

As late as Thursday, he was poised to call new regional elections to defuse the crisis. But amid splits in his coalition, he instead asked the Catalan Parliament to vote whether to declare independence. Its decision - following a bitter walkout by pro-union forces - set off the takeover by Madrid, as Spain's Senate invoked a never-before-used clause of the constitution to allow Rajoy to suspend Catalonia's autonomy.

Instead of rallying Catalan supporters over the weekend, Puigdemont kept a low profile in his home town of Gerona. By Monday, he was gone, escaping by car to Marseille and then flying to Brussels.

"It was a big mistake on the part of the Spanish government to use violence to prevent the referendum," said Salvador Illa, secretary of the pro-union Catalan Socialist party. "But it was a big mistake to declare independence."

Rajoy's allies in Madrid offered no apologies for their tough approach to the separatists.

"In a modern democracy, there's room for all of us. What we were seeing is that we didn't all fit," said Jose Ramon Garcia Hernandez, executive secretary of international relations for Rajoy's center-right Popular Party.

"I have no problem that there are pro-independence lawmakers," he said. "All I want is that they comply with the law the same way we all do."

Now, crestfallen pro-independence forces say they need to find a way to retake the initiative.

"The situation is bad; we know that," said Mireia Vehi, a member of Catalan Parliament from the far-left, pro-independence Popular Unity Candidacy party. "We have declared a republic, but in reality we don't have the power, because leaders didn't prepare it."

She said her party wants Puigdemont and other top leaders to exercise their authority more actively.

"We're saying, 'Come on, make politics, act as the legitimate government you are,' " she said.

Puigdemont said Tuesday he plans to push Catalonia's case inside the European Union and across the world, in a bid to breathe life into the still-struggling independence movement. He said he was not applying for political asylum in Belgium, at least not now.

The Catalan leaders' future plans remained unclear. Belgium's Flemish nationalists, who belong to the ruling coalition, are among the few political groups in Europe that have shown sympathy to the Catalan cause. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, a member of a French-speaking pro-unity party, offered far cooler words on Tuesday.

"The Belgian government did not take any steps to encourage Mr. Puigdemont to travel to Belgium," Michel said in a statement. "Mr. Puigdemont has the same rights and duties as any European citizen, no more and no less."

A challenge could come as soon as Thursday if Puigdemont and others fail to appear in court in Spain as scheduled and Spanish authorities issue international arrest warrants for them. In that case, they would face up to 30 years in prison if Belgium decided to hand them over. If Belgium did not, it would risk a rift with a close ally in Madrid.

For now, some pro-independence leaders believe the Dec. 21 Catalan elections can offer another shot at freedom.

"These elections are a good chance to turn them into a plebiscite that will be watched by the whole world," said Alfred Bosch, leader of the Barcelona branch of the Republican Left party, which was a coalition partner alongside Puigdemont. "It might seem that you're accepting their game, but let's face it, they control the game."

He said pro-independence forces can succeed only if they remain strategic about which battles they fight.

"You have a new republic," he said. "You have to nourish it. It's so fragile. Let's protect it."
BARCELONA, Spain - Spanish authorities moved aggressively Monday to quash Catalonia's bid for independence, as separatist leaders appeared to retreat just days after declaring their region a free nation.

With Catalonia's ousted president fleeing the country, Spain's top law enforcement official pressing charges of rebellion and sedition, and local government employees bowing to direct rule by Madrid, the region showed signs of acquiescence, not autonomy.

The stark turnabout raised questions about a lack of preparations by Catalan leaders after the regional parliament voted to break from Madrid on Friday. Many ordinary Catalans who support independence said they were crestfallen that the former regional president, Carles Puigdemont, did not push more forcefully against Spanish authorities.

Instead, Catalan politicians largely appear to be accepting a Madrid plan to hold new regional elections on Dec. 21.

As Spanish authorities announced the charges, they said the former Catalan officials had abused their power by stoking the secessionist campaign.

"With their decisions and actions over these last two years, they have provoked an institutional crisis culminating with the unilateral declaration of independence, realized with total disregard for our constitution," said Spanish Attorney General Jose Manuel Maza.

With rebellion carrying a maximum 30-year prison sentence, Puigdemont surfaced Monday in Belgium, a country where asylum claims are in the hands of Flemish nationalist politicians who harbor hopes of establishing their own independent nation. A Belgian lawyer who previously defended members of the Basque militant ETA group, Paul Bekaert, told Spanish news outlets that Puigdemont was in Belgium and had hired him as his lawyer. Catalan outlets said Puigdemont planned to speak publicly on Tuesday.

The criminal charges werethe latest step by Spanish officials seeking to derail Catalonia's drive for independence, which was set in motion earlier this month with a referendum in which voters backed a break from Spain.

In a stunning cascade of events last week, Catalonia's regional Parliament formally declared independence, and Spanish authorities countered by stripping Catalan leaders of their powers.

The officials charged were not immediately arrested on Monday. They were asked to present themselves at a Madrid court in the coming days. It was unclear whether they would be able to take part in the December elections.

Puigdemont's Catalan lawyer said Monday that the charges were "inappropriate."

The charge of rebellion "has the same gravity as terrorism," Jaume Alonso-Cuevillas told RAC1 radio. The lawyer said that such a crime "requires violence as an essential element, and there wasn't any."

Despite the legal efforts against them Monday, some defiant officials in Catalonia showed up for work. At least one minister of the now-ousted regional government was allowed briefly to enter his offices.

"Continuing with planned agenda," tweeted Josep Rull, who until Friday was the Catalan minister of land and sustainability. He published a photograph of himself at his computer in his office, but left about an hour later without appearing to have tried to exercise his contested power.

Employees at his ministry said work continued as normal, even if they were not sure whether they were working for the independent nation of Catalonia or as an arm of the government in Madrid.

"We're waiting to know what's going to happen," said Elisabet Masana, 50, a draftsman at the ministry. She said she did not feel as though she was living in an independent Catalonia.

Still, she said, "I have faith in the project and in my country," meaning Catalonia.

National leaders attacked Puigdemont for his apparent travel out of the country.

The move is a sign of "absolute desperation," said Fernando Martinez Maillo, a top official of Spain's ruling center-right Popular Party.

The top Belgian official in charge of asylum, Theo Francken, said Sunday that it would be "not unrealistic" for Catalans to apply for asylum.

A spokeswoman clarified Monday that Francken was simply saying that Belgium offers other E.U. citizens the possibility to apply for asylum. She said there had been no contact between Francken and the Catalan officials.

Francken's Flemish nationalist party, a member of Belgium's ruling coalition, is friendlier to separatist movements than most others in Europe.

In a sign of disarray among the secessionist leaders, two of the three main pro-independence parties said they would probably run candidates in new regional elections planned for Dec. 21. Rajoy called those elections after dismissing the Catalan government, so accepting their legitimacy would tacitly endorse Madrid's rule.

"We are going to find a way to participate in elections," said Sergi Sabria, a spokesman for the pro-independence Esquerra Republicana party.

On the streets of Barcelona on Monday, police and other authorities appeared to be operating normally. A new Madrid-appointed security official took over Catalonia's regional police agency, Mossos, whose previous director was seen by national leaders as too sympathetic to the separatist cause. Ordinary residents, meanwhile, said they did not feel like they were living in a new independent republic.

"We don't know where we are. We're confused," said Oriol Garcia, 41, who works in construction. He said he supported independence but that he felt no more free on Monday than he did before the split. "We haven't moved forward at all," he said.

Catalonia is deeply divided on the issue of secession. In the Oct. 1 referendum, more than 90 percent of participants favored leaving Spain, but only about 40 percent of eligible voters cast ballots. National leaders urged pro-Madrid residents to shun the referendum. And on Sunday, a massive pro-unity rally of an estimated 300,000 people flooded Barcelona's leafy streets.

Even so, many pro-secession advocates said they were not giving up. At the Catalan Ministry of Land and Sustainability, where Rull briefly showed up for work Monday morning, one employee said the pro-independence minister was still her boss despite Madrid's decision to remove him.

"Rull is still our minister until he says otherwise," said Cristina Jimenez, 47, an IT worker at the ministry.
In a closely watched trade case, the four commissioners of the U.S. International Trade Commission on Tuesday voiced their support for tariffs and other import restrictions to protect domestic solar companies from an influx of cheap solar panels being produced overseas.

However, the proposed remedies were not consistent across the commissioners and did not go as far as the two companies that brought the action before the board had requested - leaving few parties happy with the outcome and lingering uncertainty over the ultimate endpoint of the process, which will be determined by President Donald Trump.

"The remedy recommended by the ITC is disappointing because it will not heal the damage suffered by this American high-tech manufacturing sector from what has been a tidal wave of imports," said a statement from Suniva, the now-bankrupt Georgia-based panel manufacturer who brought the original trade case with SolarWorld Americas, based in Oregon.

The case has divided the solar energy industry.

Most of the U.S. solar industry has strongly opposed the two companies' claims, suggesting that the remedies they seek would be disastrous for the domestic industry. Tariffs or import restrictions, they say, would raise overall panel prices, costing solar jobs, particularly in panel installation.

"The commissioners clearly took a thoughtful approach to their recommendations and it's worth noting that in no case did a commissioner recommend anything close to what the petitioners asked for," countered Abigail Ross Hopper, the president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association, a large industry trade group that has consistently opposed the commission's moves to protect two solar firms. "That being said, proposed tariffs would be intensely harmful to our industry."

The two companies supporting the protections, however, say that they cannot compete with a flood of cheap solar cells from China and other nations. The largest U.S. largest solar firm, First Solar, actually backed the companies earlier this month, contradicting the larger Solar Energy Industries Association on the issue and increasing dissension within the industry.

In late September, the trade commission unanimously found that cheap solar imports were causing "serious injury to the domestic industry." The four commissioners took their next step at a hearing on Tuesday, offering opinions on how the government should remedy the damage caused.

Next month, the commissioners will send a report to Trump, who has the choice to reject, accept, or even go beyond the panel's chosen recommendations. Many in the solar industry are worried by what the president will do, given his strong support for one of solar's key competitors - the coal industry - and his apparent warm feelings toward trade restrictions.

The commissioners of the ITC recommended a variety of remedies. Meredith Broadbent, a Republican, backed modest import limits, starting at current levels, even as she said she was worried that import restrictions could "adversely affect the hundreds of thousands of U.S. workers employed in installing solar projects, manufacturing other equipment . . . and providing a range of services, including cutting-edge research and development, in support of this market."

Broadbent recommended a four year restriction of crystalline silicon photovoltaic panel imports, beginning with a limit of 8.9 gigawatts annually, with the allowed amount rising each year - as well as a sale of import licenses to foreign companies wishing to sell foreign-made panels in the United States. (The U.S. imported 12.77 gigawatts of panels in 2016, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.)

Two other commissioners, Republican David Johanson and Democrat Irving Williamson, both supported a 30 percent tariff on solar cells after 1 gigawatt had been imported and a 30 percent tariff on imported solar modules. Both duties would last for four years and decline annually, while allowed imports would slowly increase. Democrat Rhonda Schmidtlein, the chairman of the commission, recommended a similar arrangement but after only 0.5 gigawatts had been imported and a 35 percent tariff on solar modules.

Suniva had requested a stronger 40-cent-per-watt tariff on solar cells, and a price floor of 78 cents per watt for modules.

Critics of tariffs cited the lack of unanimity in their responses Tuesday.

"Today's three different recommendations demonstrate Suniva's request was not permissible under law," said Ed Fenster, the chairman of the U.S. solar firm Sunrun, in a statement."We believe the Administration will go the next step, look past the narrow legal lens of this process and see what is plainly visible: the best move for America's workers is to reject entirely this bail-out of two bankrupt companies."

The current complaint is about competition from cheaply priced crystalline silicon photovoltaic solar cells. The panels made by First Solar use a different technology, cadmium telluride, and so are not affected by the ITC's decision.

But another large U.S. solar company, SunPower, could be badly hurt by the final outcome based on the panel's ruling, according to its CEO Tom Werner. SunPower both manufactures and installs solar panels. But its manufacturing plants are in Malaysia and the Philippines and therefore would be subject to tariffs, raising prices to U.S. consumers.

Werner said his firm spends about $100 million annually on research and development in the United States, and would have to cut into that budget if tariffs are imposed.

"What you have is two companies that failed to compete in the marketplace that now are going to get support from companies that succeeded," he said.

"The future of solar and the way to differentiate solar is the integration of solar in with the grid through storage and software, and fighting for solar cell manufacturing is yesterday's game," Werner continued.

But SolarWorld had a different reaction Tuesday - hoping that Trump will make the move the company is looking for.

"We are pleased that a bipartisan majority of the Commission has recommended tariffs, tariff-rate quotas and funding for the domestic industry," said Jurgen Stein, the CEO and president of SolarWorld Americas, in a statement. "This is a useful first step. The process will now move forward to the President, and we continue to believe that the remedies SolarWorld has recommended are the right ones for this industry at this time."
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Hillary Clinton was nowhere near Washington the day charges against President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman were announced and news broke that a former Trump campaign volunteer had pleaded guilty to lying to federal agents about meeting with Russian officials.

She was in Chicago where she promoted her book ("I have a great chapter about Russia"), thought about her Halloween costume ("I think I will maybe come as the president"), and quipped about conservative media outlets' preoccupation on a vanquished presidential candidate while big news surrounded the one who won.

"All the networks except Fox are reporting what's really going on . . . It appears they don't know I'm not president," tweeted NBC News politics reporter Alex Seitz-Wald, who was at a Clinton event at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University Monday night.

Now Playing: Watch these republicans deflect while Trump's campaign team is in trouble with the FBI -- you guessed it, Hillary is involved Video: NowThis News

Conservative media outlets seem to have largely followed White House talking points in reporting the news dump of the past few days: There's no collusion. The charges against Paul Manafort predates his involvement in the Trump campaign. George Papadopoulos was a lowly campaign volunteer. And the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee's funding of research that resulted in the now-infamous dossier - not to mention the Uranium One deal with a Russian company that was approved during the Obama administration while Clinton was secretary of state - are the clearest evidence of collusion with Russia.

For the Clinton camp, it seems there's a fixation on an administration that does not exist.

"If you watch Fox News these days, they're treating Hillary Clinton as if she won the election," said former Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon, calling the media outlet the White House's "propaganda arm" that focuses on Clinton while downplaying the recent criminal allegations arising from special prosecutor Robert Mueller's investigation into possible Russian influence in the presidential election. "Fox News is certainly buying that alternative narrative and they're trying to peddle it, but Bob Mueller is not going to fall for that."

Fox News did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The media outlet also had aired segments that included references to the nonexistent "Clinton administration" and "President Clinton."

"The speculation is so insane right now. What we should be focusing on are the continued lies of the Clinton administration, the continued fallacies that they perpetuate," former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski said on Fox News's "Fox & Friends" Saturday, as news of an indictment loomed over Washington.

And here's Sean Hannity, one of the leading purveyors of White House talking points, in his Monday night monologue, which focused on Clinton, the uranium deal and the dossier:

"What did Hil - what did President Clinton, uh or, President Clinton wannabe, President Obama and key members of the Obama administration, what did they know about the Uranium One scandal?"

The Clinton coverage continued to dominate in the conservative media world Monday morning, even as news broke that Manafort and his former business associate, Rick Gates, were told to surrender to the FBI. White House counselor Kellyanne Conway appeared on "Fox & Friends," saying the focus should be on Clinton.

"People should be looking into any coordination . . . between the Clinton campaign, the DNC, the Russian dossier," Conway said, adding that she and others in the administration would love to not talk about Clinton, "but she just won't go away."

"Fox & Friends" echoed Conway a bit later that morning with the headline, "PROBE SHOWS DEM TIES TO URANIUM DEAL, DOSSIER," as other national media outlets focused their coverage on Manafort.

News of the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee's role in funding research that led to the dossier, first reported by The Washington Post last week, has become a major weapon for the White House and conservative media, which sought to focus allegations of collusion on Clinton, her campaign and the Democrats.

"There is clear evidence of the Clinton campaign colluding to smear the president and influence the election," White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said during the White House briefing Monday.

So has the Uranium One deal that's now the subject of a congressional probe.

Fallon, the former Clinton campaign spokesman, dismissed the new investigation as an effort by congressional Republicans to try to "dig up scandals" on someone who's never going to seek elected office again.

Trump has repeatedly claimed that Clinton was "paid a fortune" when she was secretary of state in exchange for a deal with a Russian state-owned nuclear energy company to control over 20 percent of the U.S. uranium supply. But multiple fact checks have shown that there is no evidence that Clinton was personally involved in the deal, which was approved by the Nuclear Energy Commission and the Treasury Department's Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, none of which involved Clinton.

As The Washington Post's Glenn Kessler wrote: "Any suggestion that Russian money was directed to influence Clinton's decisions would be explosive. But the fatal flaw in this allegation is Hillary Clinton, by all accounts, did not participate in any discussions regarding the Uranium One sale which - as we noted - does not actually result in the removal of uranium in the United States."

By the Monday evening broadcast, the cable news headlines remained just as disparate:

CNN: "FIRST CHARGES FILED IN MUELLER INVESTIGATION"

MSNBC: "REPORT: FIRST CHARGES FILED IN MUELLER RUSSIA PROBE"

FOX NEWS, promoting a Hannity special: "NEW DETAILS IN DEMOCRAT SCANDALS"

By Monday evening the New York Post - which, along with Fox News and the Wall Street Journal, is also owned by Rupert Murdoch - had nearly dropped the story of the indictments from its homepage, focusing instead on sexual harassment scandals related to Kevin Spacey, Peyton Manning and Harvey Weinstein.

Breitbart's lead story was about Tony Podesta, a prominent Democratic lobbyist and brother of Hillary Clinton's campaign chief.

"THE PLOT THICKENS," reads a Breitbart headline. "TONY PODESTA RESIGNS FROM PODESTA GROUP AS MUELLER PROBE HEATS UP."

Podesta, brother of John Podesta, had not been charged with a crime or named in court filings, though his firm was indirectly referenced in the charges against Manafort and Gates.

On Tuesday morning, an alert splashed across the Fox News website read: "No Russia collusion, but are more Mueller charges coming? Should Hillary worry?"

By Tuesday afternoon, Breitbart's lead story is a rehash of Fox News's Laura Ingraham's interview with Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, who urged the Department of Justice to contain intelligence leaks.

On the Daily Caller's homepage, the main story is also about Podesta: "We Asked This Dem Senator About The Podesta Group. He Immediately Tried to Deflect." Below that is a story about White House Chief of Staff John Kelly's interview with Fox News's Ingraham. Ingraham asked if there should be another special prosecutor to investigate the Uranium One deal, to which Kelly said, "Yeah, I guess so."

The New York Post, meanwhile, has completely dropped any news story about the Mueller investigation or the indictment from its homepage.

- - -

The Washington Post's Eli Rosenberg contributed to this story.
(Xinhua) 07:26, October 31, 2017

Kevin Downing (L), attorney for Paul Manafort, former campaign manager of U.S. President Donald Trump, speaks to the press after a hearing related to alleged Russian meddling in the U.S. 2016 presidential elections outside the Federal District Court in Washington D.C., the United States, on Oct. 30, 2017. Three of U.S. President Donald Trump's former campaign aides were indicted on Monday, and two of them pleaded not guilty to all charges. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- Three of U.S. President Donald Trump's former campaign aides were indicted on Monday, and two of them pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Paul Manafort, former campaign manager of Trump, pleaded on Monday not guilty to all charges filed in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe over the alleged Russia meddling in the U.S. 2016 presidential elections.

Manafort, together with his former business associate Rick Gates, appeared in the Federal District Court in Washington on Monday afternoon. Gates also pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.

The indictment of Manafort and Gates neither mentioned Trump nor election meddling. However, the 31-page indictment against the two men contains 12 counts, including conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy against the U.S., unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading statements surrounding the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), false statements and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts.

In another development, an early foreign policy advisers to Trump's presidential campaign, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty to lying to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about a contact with a professor with ties to Moscow, prosecutors said on Monday.

Papadopoulos admitted that he lied in a January interview with the FBI about his contacts with a Russian professor who has "substantial connections to Russian government officials," according to the New York Times report, quoting court documents.

Papadopoulos told the FBI at the time that the conversation took place before he joined Trump's presidential campaign. In fact, it happened days after he became Trump's adviser and the Russian professor took interest in him "because of his status with the (Trump) campaign," the court documents said.

After it became public that three of his former campaign aides were indicted, Trump claimed on Twitter Monday morning that there was "no collusion."

"Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary &the Dems the focus?????" Trump tweeted.

"Also, there is NO COLLUSION!" the president announced.

Manafort was indicted on charges that he funneled millions of dollars through overseas shell companies and used the money to buy luxury cars, real estate, antiques and expensive suits, according to the NYT report.

"Manafort used his hidden overseas wealth to enjoy a lavish lifestyle in the United Stateswithout paying taxes on that income," the indictment reads.

The authorities said Manafort laundered more than 18 million U.S. dollars, while Gates is accused of transferring more than three million dollars from offshore accounts. The two are also charged with making false statements.

"As part of the scheme, Manafort and Gates repeatedly provided false information to financial bookkeepers, tax accountants and legal counsel, among others," the indictment read.

A federal grand jury on Friday filed first charges in Mueller's investigation, which Trump has repeatedly called "a witch hunt."

Trump has vigorously denied allegations of collusion between his campaign and Moscow during the elections. The Russian government has also repeatedly dismissed seeking to influence the U.S. elections.

Mueller, the retired FBI director, was appointed in May as Special Counsel in charge of the Russia probe. His prosecutors have been presenting evidence before a federal grand jury in Washington.
The politically charged trial of Iranian-Turkish gold trader Reza Zarrab that's scheduled to begin next month in New York might start without the key actor: Zarrab himself.

It's not clear why.

In a court filing late Monday, a lawyer for co-defendant Mehmet Atilla, a deputy chief executive officer at Turkiye Halk Bankasi, wrote that Zarrab "has essentially not participated in the case" since Sept. 6 and that "it appears likely that Mr. Atilla will be the only defendant appearing at trial." The lawyer, Victor Rocco, didn't offer an explanation in his filing for Zarrab's possible absence while noting that Zarrab hasn't filed a request to dismiss the most recent indictment. He declined to comment further when contacted.

There could be any number of reasons for Zarrab's possible absence at the trial, now scheduled to start Nov. 27. He could have reached a plea or cooperation deal with the government. U.S. prosecutors may have agreed to drop the charges. Zarrab's case might be split off from Atilla's. Or, there could be some other explanation. Zarrab's lawyer Benjamin Brafman has sought a separate trial for his client. He declined to comment on Tuesday on Zarrab's participation in the trial.

The Zarrab case has become a flash point in relations between Turkey and the U.S. It threatens to expose how powerful figures in Turkey may have undermined U.S. sanctions on Iran. It's entangled the leaders of both countries and Zarrab hired politically connected lawyers -- former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and ex-U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey -- to help represent him.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has tried to pressure U.S. officials to drop the case since the beginning. He lobbied then Vice President Joe Biden in September 2016 and, according to the Washington Post, demanded that Biden fire Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney in Manhattan who brought charges against Zarrab. Erdogan also pressed for Zarrab's release in talks with President Donald Trump.

Erdogan said last month that Trump phoned to speak about Zarrab's case and told him "he was sorry" about the prosecution, and last week Erdogan complained that U.S. prosecutors are seeking to extract a confession from Zarrab. In March, after Atilla's arrest, the state-run Halkbank said Atilla's arrest is part of a long-running economic attack on Turkey.

Trump fired Bharara in March, but the case has moved toward trial nevertheless. Jim Margolin, a spokesman for Acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim in Manhattan, declined to comment.

Giuliani and Mukasey went to Turkey this year and met with Erdogan in an attempt to broker a settlement. The lawyers, who have served as Trump's advisers, also sought to meet with top U.S. government officials, according to court filings.

In a speech to his party on Oct. 24 Erdogan accused the U.S. of trying to turn Zarrab into an informant by offering him a reduced sentence.

"We're following it," Erdogan said. "When this is all finished, we also know how to stir the world up."

Zarrab is accused of using his network of companies to move money through the U.S. financial system on behalf of Iran and related companies to help them evade sanctions limitations. He was arrested last year after arriving in the U.S. on a family vacation and is being held in a Brooklyn, New York, jail.

On Sept. 7, the day after Zarrab's participation in the case apparently ended, federal prosecutors in New York expanded the indictment to include Turkey's former economy minister Mehmet Zafer Caglayan and Suleyman Aslan, the onetime chief of Halkbank, as well as some of his aides. Unlike Atilla, who is being held in a U.S. jail in Manhattan, none of these people are in the U.S.

Atilla is accused of conspiring with Zarrab to launder hundreds of millions of dollars through the U.S. financial system on behalf of Iran and its companies. Like Zarrab, he has denied wrongdoing.
White House chief of staff John Kelly said Monday he would not apologize for the false attacks he leveled against Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., earlier this month when he sought to defend President Donald Trump for his handling of a condolence call to the widow of a fallen soldier.

On Oct. 19, in a rare appearance at the White House press briefing, Kelly attacked Wilson as an "empty barrel" and accused her of grandstanding at a public event two years ago in Florida by taking credit for securing federal funding for a new building.

Video of the event soon released by the Florida Sun Sentinel showed Wilson did no such thing. Rather, she used her speech to praise the two slain FBI agents in whose memory the building was named. Wilson accused Kelly of "character assassination," and members of the Congressional Black Caucus demanded that Kelly apologize.

In an interview to be broadcast Monday night, Fox News Channel host Laura Ingraham asked Kelly whether he had something to apologize for.

"Oh, no," Kelly replied. "No. Never. Well, I'll apologize if I need to. But for something like that, absolutely not. I stand by my comments."

Kelly suggested that he may have been accusing Wilson of grandstanding in a private discussion, as opposed to in her public speech, though his comment to Ingraham was vague.

"I'll go back and talk about before her comments and at the reception afterwards," Kelly said. "Again, it was a package deal. Don't want to get into it."

Kelly went on to say that Myeshia Johnson, the widow of fallen Sgt. La David Johnson, has acted within her rights to speak out publicly about Trump's handling of his condolence call.

"As far as the young widow goes, she has every right to say what she wants to say," Kelly told Ingraham. "But it's the politicization of something that was so from the heart."

Ingraham's interview -- one of Kelly's rare public appearances -- delved into a range of other topics, including the removal of Confederate and other historical monuments, an issue that has animated Trump in recent months.

Ingraham asked Kelly about an historic church in Alexandria, Virginia, where former President George Washington worshipped, deciding to remove plaques memorializing both Washington and Confederate general Robert E. Lee because they were considered intolerant.

"Well, history's history," Kelly said. "And there are certain things in history that were not so good and other things that were very, very good. I think we make a mistake, though, and as a society and certainly as individuals, when we take what is today accepted as right and wrong and go back 100, 200, 300 years or more and say what those, you know, what Christopher Columbus did was wrong."

Kelly added, "Human history, our culture is an evolving thing. There will be 100 or 200 years from now people that criticize us for what we do, and I guess they'll tear down, you know, statues of people that we revere today. I think it's dangerous. ... I think it's just very, very dangerous, and it shows you what, how much of a lack of appreciation of history and what history is."
WASHINGTON - More than any recent resident of the White House, President Donald Trump has used the military and "my generals," as he often calls them, as a shield against criticism from political rivals.

And no general in recent weeks has been a more ardent or harder-edged defender of the president than John F. Kelly, a retired Marine four star and the White House chief of staff. But on Tuesday, the White House got a lesson in the downsides of relying on generals in times of political crisis when Kelly in an interview suggested that an inability to "compromise" had caused Civil War.

His remarks drew an immediate backlash in Washington and among many historians, who noted that the North spent decades reaching compromises with the South over slavery. The comments also revived a chorus of criticism that began two weeks ago, when Kelly lamented that nothing in the United States was "sacred" anymore and denigrated a Florida congresswoman by misstating her remarks at a building dedication in honor of two slain FBI agents.

"He violated the first basic rule of the chief of staff, which is not to make yourself the news of the day," said former Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, who worked with Kelly in the Pentagon and also served as White House chief of staff. "I have no idea what he was trying to say because history is not on his side."

Kelly - Trump's first homeland security secretary - was brought to the White House over the summer in an attempt to impose order on a chaotic policy process and feuding staff, and has received generally high marks on that score. He bolted shut the open door to the Oval Office and banished ideologues such as former chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon. But the former general has struggled in the more political aspects of his job and, at times, has seemed to be a detriment to a White House reeling from a series of self-inflicted wounds.

Kelly's public stumbles highlight the downsides of relying heavily on current and military brass to fill political jobs traditionally filled by civilians. In addition to Kelly, Trump has turned to an active duty three-star general, H.R. McMaster, to act as his national security adviser and a retired Marine four star, Jim Mattis, to serve as his secretary of defense. The White House's national security staff, meanwhile, is composed of an unusually large number of current and former military officers.

Kelly, though, has been pressed into a far more political role than the other top brass. Those who served with him in the Pentagon describe a general who was often maddened by politics and viewed members of Congress as self-serving. "He was pretty cynical and thought that a lot of politicians were full of hot air," said Derek Chollet, a former top official in the Obama Pentagon who worked with Kelly. "It was always a puzzle how this was going to work out. Trump is not a process guy. And this position is all about politics."

Said Panetta, "John is a great Marine . . . but he is not a politician and one thing he lacks is the ability to look at the big political picture and understand what you should and shouldn't say as chief of staff."

So far, the White House and Trump, who has a far different take on political discourse than any of his predecessors, are backing Kelly.

"The media continue to want to make this and push that this is somehow a racially charged and divided White House," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said at Tuesday's press briefing, arguing that Kelly's Civil War comments had been taken out of context in a manner that was "absurd and disgraceful."

One former White House adviser, who still works in government and insisted on anonymity to speak candidly, said Kelly's higher public profile and more overtly political stance have been welcomed by Trump and taken as marks of success. There is a "bunker mentality" around the president, this person said, and Kelly is seen as "shooting out."

The view that Kelly is being helpful to Trump is not universal, however. Kelly is seen by some in the West Wing as violating his own advice that those who serve the president should keep a low profile and avoid drama.

As president, Trump has often prioritized loyalty to him and his administration, and on that score Kelly has repeatedly delivered.

After Rep. Frederica S. Wilson, D-Fla., said Trump behaved insensitively during a condolence call with the widow of a U.S. soldier slain in Niger, Kelly - whose son was killed in combat in Afghanistan - leapt immediately to the president's defense.

He movingly described the path that the bodies of dead soldiers and Marines take as they make their way home from overseas battlefields and described the sacrifices that military families make for the country. He then carried his defense a step further by slamming Wilson, a family friend, for listening in on the call and criticizing the president.

Kelly called her an "empty barrel" and relayed an unflattering story about her conduct at the building dedication, which a videotape later suggested was incorrect. In an interview aired Monday night with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Kelly declined to apologize for those remarks.

Asked to weigh in on a move by a Virginia church to remove plaques that honored Gen. Robert E. Lee and George Washington, he described the Confederate general as an "honorable man."

"He was a man that gave up his country to fight for his state, which 150 years ago was more important than country," Kelly told Fox.

To some former military officers, Kelly's remarks were misguided. "His comments excusing Robert E. Lee's traitorous conduct were frankly appalling," said retired Lt. Col. John Nagl, a well-known military officer who co-authored the Army's counterinsurgency doctrine. Nagl said Kelly is on his way to "becoming a creature of the president . . . It's unfortunate."

Other military officials described Kelly's remarks as the product of a somewhat cloistered view of the conflict inculcated in military officers, but not necessarily shared by the broader public. Lee, for example, is still among the most revered graduates at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, where his name graces roads, buildings, barracks and even the school's award for excellence in mathematics.

His place of honor reflects a view, still dominant among the military, that both sides of the war were populated with honorable men, said retired Lt. Gen. David Barno, who commanded U.S. forces in Afghanistan. "They were all Americans," Barno said. "When I heard Kelly talk, I heard a view that I think is relatively common in the U.S. military."

The other controversial aspect of Kelly's recent remarks has been his frustration, bordering on contempt, for the country he is currently serving. Kelly picked up that theme again in his Tuesday interview in which he described an American that "seems to be broken now and [turning] against itself."

Barno described the view as very common among those who have led a diverse cross-section of the country in combat and then return home to a country that seems more divided along partisan lines than ever. "I don't fault him entirely," Barno said. "I know where he comes from."

Other former colleagues, though, were more pained by the former Marine's public turn.

"Donald Trump has an unblemished record of making everyone around him look a little worse and I don't think John Kelly is immune to that," said Chollet, the former Obama Pentagon official.

A former four-star officer, who served alongside Kelly in the Pentagon, offered a similar view.

"It breaks my heart that it got to this," said the officer, who insisted on anonymity so that he could speak frankly. "I worry about him since he took the job."

- - -

Karen DeYoung contributed to this report.
Two amateur sailors set first feet on land Monday after spending nearly half a year lost at sea - a journey they said took them through shark attacks and waves as tall as office buildings, and nearly killed them on the brink of their rescue by the U.S. Navy.

"The crew of the USS Ashland saved our lives, not from the ocean, but from the vessel that was trying to render assistance to us," Jennifer Appel told reporters after the Navy ship docked in Okinawa, Japan.

"Had they not been able to locate us, we would have been dead within 24 hours."

Appel's voyage began thousands of miles away in Hawaii, when she, Tasha Fuiava and their two dogs set off in a sailboat on May 3 to explore - they thought - Tahiti and other Pacific islands thousands of miles to the south.

The saga has captured national attention for its sheer drama. But certain details have begun to draw skepticism in recent days.

Appel had been sailing for a decade, the Guardian reported - but close to her home in Honolulu.

"I have no idea what's going to happen out there," she recalled telling Fuiava, who replied:

"That's OK, I've never sailed."

They stuffed the 50-foot Sea Nymph with food and provisions - just in case the trip lasted more than the planned two-and-a-half weeks.

On their first day at sea, Appel said, a violent storm hit with waves as high as 50 feet.

The storm lashed the Sea Nymph for three days, but when it finally subsided, the women were more confident than ever in their abilities, and decided to sail on.

"The boat could withstand the forces of nature," Appel said.

From there, problems spiraled. The boat's mast was somehow damaged, and its frame was too big to dock at the tiny island of Kiribati for repairs.

So they kept sailing, hobbled and already hundreds of miles off their planned course.

At the end of May - long after the women were supposed to have reached Tahiti - a white squall flooded their cockpit and wrecked the engine.

Now they were simply adrift.

They began to send out distress signals, but no answer came back. Fuiava recalled to NBC's "Today" show that she would stand watch at night, and shoot a flare into the sky whenever she saw a ship on the horizon.

"They would turn or keep going," she said.

They did what they could to survive. The ship's water purifier broke, according to the Guardian, but they figured out how to fix it. When the dog food ran out, Zeus and Valentine made do with the women's provisions - mostly dry goods like oatmeal, pasta and nuts.

They had packed enough food to last them a year, they thought, but the supply was dwindling rapidly.

And the ocean brought other dangers.

One day, the women recalled, a pack of tiger sharks found them. The sharks started ramming the boat, and kept at it so long it that seemed to Appel they were hunting.

"When those things would hit the boat, my own teeth would rattle in my head," Appel told reporters. She and Fuiava and the dogs all huddled on the floor below deck.

"I told them not to bark because the sharks could hear us breathing. They could smell us," Appel told "Today."

They spent month after month like that - "Wondering if today is your last day, if tonight is your last night," Appel told reporters.

By late October - nearly hurricane season in the South Pacific - the food had run down to the last rations. They had by now spent nearly six months on the Sea Nymph, and it seemed less and less likely that they could do so for much longer.

And then on Tuesday, a Taiwanese fishing boat found them - about 900 miles from the coast of Japan, thousands of miles from home and nowhere close to Tahiti.

But when the fishermen tried to tow the sailboat, the Associated Press reported, they damaged it even more.

Appel managed to swim to the fishing vessel and made one last mayday call. Then she swam back to her companions and waited.

They watched the empty horizon. The day passed. It was at this point, Appel said, that she began to fear that death was imminent.

"We actually talked about how we believed we'd been left for dead," she told reporters.

But come Wednesday, she knew: The U.S. Navy had heard her distress call.

"They see us," she told Fuiava, ABC News reported.

Appel recalled shaking as the gray hull of the USS Ashland grew in the distance. She stood on the edge of the Sea Nymph and blew kisses, while the dogs barked and ran wildly down the length of the crippled sailboat.

Appel and Fuiava would spend nearly another week at sea - but they were no longer adrift, and no longer scared and alone.

As the women waited to dock in Japan, they passed the time exploring the Ashland's massive deck, Appel told the Navy last week.

And wherever they wandered, she said, seamen would rush up to help.

"'Where are you going?' they'd say. 'We know you're lost.' "

On Monday, a spokesman from the U.S. Coast Guard told the AP that the two women had an emergency beacon on board their sailboat that was never activated.

The women initially said they were equipped with other communications devices but did not mention an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, which communicates with satellites and transmits locations to authorities. They also said they had six different forms of communication that all died - a claim that has also met skepticism.

"I've never heard of all that stuff going out at the same time," Phillip Johnson, a retired Coast Guard Office who oversaw search and rescue operations, told the AP.

In a briefing with the Coast Guard, Appel said she that did have the emergency beacon on board and that it was properly registered.

"We asked why during this course of time they did not activate the EPIRB," Tara Molle, Coast Guard spokeswoman Petty Office 2nd Class, told the AP. "She had stated they never felt like they were truly in distress, like in a 24-hour period they were going to die."

Johnson told the AP the women would have been found had they used the emergency beacon. The devices can send a location to rescuers in minutes, even if dropped in the ocean.

Appel and Fuiava also said they faced a tropical storm on their first night at sea on May 3. Records kept by the National Weather Service show no signs of such a storm around that time, according to the AP. The findings were confirmed by archived NASA satellite images.

The Coast Guard's review of the case is ongoing but there is no criminal investigation at this point, according to the AP.
A little-noticed court filing unsealed this week as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller III's ongoing probe could have big consequences for his other targets - showing he's willing to use suspects' lawyers to provide evidence against them.

After unsealing a 12-count indictment against Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, the U.S. District Court also unsealed an opinion from chief judge Beryl Howell saying one of Manafort's former lawyers could be compelled to testify to the grand jury.

Typically, such information is protected by attorney-client privilege - a bedrock principle of U.S. legal practice that says a lawyer must keep confidential what they are told by their clients. There are some exceptions to that confidentiality, including in instances where a suspect may have lied to their own lawyer, causing that lawyer to unwittingly lie to the government. Howell ruled that in Manafort's case, the exception applied, and the attorney could be called to testify before the grand jury.

"The opinion is troubling, because people make representations to the government all the time through their lawyers, and I think there's a general expectation of confidentiality behind the conversations that go into those representations,'' said Peter Hardy, a partner at the Ballard Spahr law firm. "It's widening a door that's not often used. And the wider the door gets, maybe the more people will use it.''

Hardy said the use of what lawyers call the "crime-fraud exception'' indicates "the special counsel team is highly intelligent, highly aggressive, and they're going to pursue legal theories that your average prosecutor will not use. Will they use the specific theory again? It's certainly possible.''

Manafort is hardly the only individual under scrutiny who used lawyers to make government filings. One of Mueller's other key targets, Michael Flynn, has also filed government papers regarding his work on behalf of another government. No public charges have been filed against Flynn, former national adviser in the Trump administration, but he remains under investigation, according to officials familiar with the matter who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

In the Manafort case, the judge began her ruling by declaring: "This is a matter of national importance.'' The ruling does not identify Manafort's lawyer - it refers to the attorney simply as "the Witness,'' but people familiar with the case said it was Melissa Laurenza who was willing to testify if her clients consented, which they did not. Neither Laurenza or her lawyer responded to a request for comment Tuesday. A Manafort spokesman also declined to comment.

After several hearings on the subject, the judge decided prosecutors could ask the lawyer seven out of eight proposed questions, ruling one question went too far. The judge said investigators had gathered enough evidence from other sources to justify questioning the lawyer, though the details of that evidence was redacted from the court filing.

That legal fight took place under seal in September, but the opinion was unsealed on Monday, the same day charges were announced against Manafort, his deputy Rick Gates. Prosecutors also revealed Monday that a former Trump campaign adviser, George Papadopoulos, had pleaded guilty and had been cooperating with investigators for months.

In Manafort's case, prosecutors used information from his former lawyer to charge him with lying to the government about his work for a foreign government - Ukraine. While most of the indictment focuses on issues of alleged money laundering, conspiracy, and failure to file reports to tax authorities, the last two counts of the indictment states Manafort and Gates "knowingly and willfully caused to be made a false statement'' in a government filing required under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA.

Court filings suggest those two charges stem in part from information provided by Manafort's own former lawyer. In the FARA filing, Manafort and Gates denied their work on the part of Ukraine's Party of Regions constituted lobbying on behalf of a foreign government.

Jacob Frenkel, a white collar attorney at Dickinson Wright who previously worked in the Office of Independent Counsel, said Howell's ruling was likely a critical one for prosecutors - who otherwise "would need to jump over and avoid altogether the communications with counsel."

"It is invaluable to the FARA counts, and to the issue of Manafort's state of mind more broadly in the indictment, because an experienced, credible lawyer is going to have instant credibility with a jury," Frenkel said.

Frenkel said, though, the ruling was written in such a way that Howell seemed to believe it would be appealed.

"The attorneys' testimony will be central to an actual case, if this case ever gets there," Frenkel said.
One week from Election Day, Democrat Ralph Northam's lead has narrowed to five points in the Virginia governor's race, with Republican Ed Gillespie closing a motivation gap and consolidating support among conservatives and supporters of President Donald Trump, a new Washington Post-Schar School poll finds.

Northam, the state's lieutenant governor, leads among likely voters 49 percent to Gillespie's 44 percent, a margin that is not statistically significant. The Democrat was up by 13 points in a Post poll earlier this month. Libertarian Cliff Hyra is at 4 percent, enough to play spoiler if the race remains tight through Tuesday.

Democrats have at least a slight edge in two down-ballot contests, with incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring, D, holding a 51 percent to 43 percent lead against Republican challenger John Adams. In the lieutenant governor's race, Democrat Justin Fairfax leads Republican Jill Vogel, 49 percent to 43 percent. Vogel would be the first woman to hold the seat, Fairfax the second African American.

The Trump administration's tumultuous first year has overshadowed the contest, and most likely voters say their opinion of the president is important to their decision for governor. Gillespie has faced criticism for sponsoring ads focused on Confederate monuments and the danger posed by the Latino MS-13 gang, themes that echo Trump's presidential campaign.

Darwin Byrd, who plans to vote for Northam, said he does not like the fact that Gillespie has made Confederate monuments a central issue.

"I've never seen that come up in any election I've ever voted in," said Byrd, 55, who is African American. "My parents may have but I've never seen it in any campaign until this year, which is really unfortunate. It seems like we're drifting more toward the Old South."

Byrd, a registered Democrat who lives in the Tidewater region of the state, also recoiled at a Gillespie ad that blames Northam for violence connected to the Latino MS-13 gang.

"I mean: Really?" he said. "They're just feeding into a base of fear."

But there are only modest signs of backlash in the Post-Schar School of Policy and Government poll conducted Oct. 26 through 29 among 1,238 Virginians, including 921 likely voters. It carries a four-point margin of sampling error.

Gillespie, a former Republican National Committee chairman, Washington lobbyist and counselor to President George W. Bush, has consolidated support among the Republican base without repelling a significant share of independents and moderates. Voters split about evenly when asked whom they trust to handle illegal immigration, but Gillespie has an 8-percentage point edge on trust to handle "crime and public safety."

Those numbers suggest that Gillespie, who has struggled at times with Virginia's purple-state politics in the Trump era, has successfully threaded the needle with ads that suggests Northam, the state's lieutenant governor, pediatrician and Army doctor who treated soldiers in Operation Desert Storm, would be empower illegal immigrants who commit violent crime. Another ad, tied to Northam's support for McAuliffe's efforts to restore voting rights to felons, suggests he is soft on pedophiles.

The ads have been highly controversial, with critics accusing Gillespie of stoking racist fears and abandoning his oft-stated goal of making the GOP to more welcoming to minorities.

But they may be effective - appealing "build that wall" Trump voters as well as suburbanites unnerved by brutal slayings attributed to the gang.

The MS-13 message has resonated for Paul King of Lynchburg given the murder of 17-year-old Raymond Wood in central Virginia in March. Police have charged three MS-13 gang members, all illegal immigrants, with the crime.

"They killed a boy in Forest here," said King, 48, referring to an area in Bedford. "They gave him a Colombian necktie. You cannot tell me these guys are here legally."

He likes Gillespie's promise to prohibit the establishment of sanctuary cities, a term generally used to refer to localities that do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

In a sign that Democrats fear Gillespie's message is breaking through, the Latino Victory Fund on Monday released a controversial ad of its own. It shows a white man in a truck, decorated with a Confederate flag and a Gillespie bumper sticker, chasing minority children. Gillespie campaign manager Chris Leavitt called it a "desperate smear campaign."

A slight majority of voters say Gillespie has run a mainly negative campaign, 51 percent, compared with 37 percent who say the same of Northam.

Meanwhile, Gillespie also has shored up support in the swing-voting northern Virginia exurbs encompassing Loudoun County. Gillespie runs even with Northam at 44 percent apiece after trailing by over 20 percentage points a month ago. Likely voters in and around Richmond and eastern Virginia also split evenly between the Democratic and Republican, while voters in the Tidewater region that Northam calls home favor the Democrat by double digits. Northam leads Gillespie by a more than 2 to 1 margin in the vote-rich Washington, D.C., suburbs, while Gillespie holds a double-digit advantage in the southwest part of the state, 55 percent to 38.

"We have a very competitive race, largely about mobilizing the base" for each candidate, said Mark Rozell, dean of the Schar School, which co-sponsored the poll. "If [Gillespie] can make the pitch as he has been to the Trump Republicans, while at the same time maintaining his credibility with establishment Republicans, that will be a real accomplishment."

As the nation's only competitive governor's race this year, Virginia's contest is a measure of whether swing-state Republicans can survive Trump's unpopularity. Gillespie has tried to walk a fine line with the president, keeping him at arm's length while also courting Trump voters with red meat TV ads and campaign surrogates. Gillespie is outpacing Trump with his 44 percent support in the governor's race, six points higher than Trump's 38 percent job approval among likely voters.

Gillespie receives 95 percent support from Trump approvers, while Northam garners a significantly smaller 81 percent among those who disapprove of Trump's performance, a group that makes up 59 percent of likely voters.

Sara Ortiz, a 45-year-old Springfield, Virginia, resident, left her presidential ballot blank last year and has been distressed by what she sees as Trump's erratic behavior and his high-profile feuds with members of his own party. But her distaste for Trump has not rubbed off on Gillespie, whom she supports because he seems less likely to raise taxes and shares her socially conservative views.

"Gillespie has been in Virginia politics for a long time, and I haven't heard the same stories about his personal behavior or his decision-making that you hear about Trump," said Ortiz, a stay-at-home mom with an MBA in international marketing.

But some swing voters say Trump has turned them off all Republicans, Gillespie included. Gale Robinson, 63, has always prided herself on voting for the person, not the party. She last backed a Republican for governor in 2009, when Robert McDonnell won.

But this year, she can't bring herself to support any Republican because she sees them as enabling Trump. She considers the president to be a liar and manipulator, and was especially aghast when he responded to the summer's deadly clashes between white nationalists and counter-protestors Charlottesville by suggesting there were "very fine people on both sides."

"This is the first year I can say in a very long time that, 'OK, I don't even have to look at the news. I don't have to look at what's going on, because I'm voting straight Democrat,' " said Robinson, a government employee in Richmond. "I'm really distrustful of the Republican Party because of the leader."

Gillespie has strengthened his advantage among two Republican base groups where his support lagged one month ago. Among self-identified conservatives, Gillespie's lead over Northam grew from 56 points to 69 points. Gillespie's lead among white voters without college degrees has increased from 25 points to 35 points, though he still has room to grow among a group that favored Trump by 47 points in the commonwealth in the 2016 election.

Gillespie's supporters have also caught up to Northam's in motivation to vote and attention to the race. Among registered voters, an identical 71 percent of both Northam and Gillespie supporters say they are certain to vote or have already done so, a shift from four weeks ago, when Northam backers had a nearly 10-point edge on this measure. The Democrat's supporters are more engaged on one measure in the poll, with 62 percent saying it is "extremely important" to vote in this year's election compared with 53 percent of Gillespie supporters.

Trump is another motivating factor for voters, with 57 percent of likely voters who approve or disapprove of him saying their view is "very" or "fairly" important in deciding their vote for governor. Fully two-thirds of Northam's backers, but less than half of Gillespie's, say Trump factors into their choice.

"I can't stand him," Marsha Moore, 63, said of the president. "I would rather see a Democrat in the governor's mansion over someone who is just going to sidle up to him. That's what Gillespie would do."

A lifelong resident of the Shenandoah Valley, Moore argued that Gillespie lost credibility when the New Jersey native began playing up his support for preserving Confederate monuments. Both candidates say localities should decide their fate, but Gillespie prefers they to remain in place while Northam would like them moved to museums.

Joshua Needham, 21, was excited last year to vote for Trump and remains firmly in the president's camp, saying, "Trump's doing really good things to drain the swamp right now."

But Gillespie leaves Needham cold. The Woodbridge resident, who studies business management online through Columbia Southern University, plans to sit out this election.

"I don't think that his ideology is aligned correctly with Trump's," Needham said of Gillespie. "So I'm definitely not too interested in him."

Northam maintains several key advantages in the race. He holds double-digit leads over Gillespie on trust to handle race relations and healthcare, the latter of which voters rated among the two most important issues in their choice for governor earlier this month.

Dartania Emery, 30, believes Northam's experience as a physician would lead him to support policies benefitting people like her, who have disabilities.

Emery, who has cerebral palsy and a neurological disorder known as hydrocephalus, worries that Trump will cut Medicaid and Medicare.

"I really hope he [Northam] blocks them from cutting both programs," Emery, who lives in the Tidewater region.

Those polled were evenly split between Northam and Gillespie when it asked which man they trust to handle taxes - a notable parity on given that Gillespie made tax cuts the basis for his campaign.

Northam benefits from a 52 to 41 percent advantage among women, a group which has consistently made up a majority of voters in the state in recent elections, as well as 89 percent support among African Americans and 73 percent among all nonwhite voters.
SEOUL, South Korea - After a year of frosty diplomacy and economic pressure, South Korea and China announced Tuesday that they would put aside their differences and move to normalize their relationship.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry said that a joint desire to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula had prompted the detente. "The two sides attach great importance to the Korea-China relationship," a statement from the ministry said.

In its own coordinated statement, China's Foreign Ministry said the two nations would work to put their relationship back on a normal track "as soon as possible."

China and South Korea have historically deep ties and had enjoyed a close relationship until recently. However, that relationship was deeply damaged last July when Seoul agreed to install the U.S.-owned Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense platform on its land.

Though both Seoul and Washington argued the THAAD system had only defensive capabilities, Beijing was concerned about U.S. encirclement as well as the sophisticated radar capabilities of the system.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping was also angered that former South Korean president Park Geun-hye had sided with American interests over China, said Yun Sun, a senior associate with the East Asia Program at the Stimson Center.

"Xi had tried to sway South Korea's alignment choice and when Park rejected China's demand not to deploy THAAD, it made Xi's great diplomacy on South Korea a failure and an embarrassment," Sun said in an email this weekend.

When the missile system was deployed earlier this year, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang, warned that Beijing would "resolutely take necessary measures to defend our security interests."

China is South Korea's largest trading partner and it used this economic clout to punish Korean businesses. Trips by Chinese tour groups to South Korea were suspended, with the number of Chinese visitors dropping 60 percent in first nine months of the year compared to 2016, according to figures released by the World Bank.

Korean-owned businesses also suffered boycotts and bans in China. The situation was especially difficult for the Lotte conglomerate, which had allowed its land to be used for the installation of the THAAD system. Last month, it announced it would be selling off its supermarkets in China after most were shut down for fire code violations and other alleged infractions.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry acknowledged that the THAAD dispute had not been fully resolved. "The two sides agreed to engage in communication on THAAD-related issues about which the Chinese side is concerned through communication between their military authorities," it said in a statement.

For its part, China confirmed Tuesday that its position on THAAD had not changed.

President Moon Jae-in's new South Korean government had recently made a number of moves to ease China's anxiety over THAAD, with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha announcing last week that it would not seek anymore deployments in the system. The moves had been received warmly in China's state run press, with the nationalist Global Times newspaper saying that the "proactive" stance of Moon's government was "a new gesture that is welcomed."

Choi Kang, vice president of the Seoul think tank Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said that South Korea had not offered any real concessions on the issue. "Since South Korea has maintained a very firm position on THAAD, the Chinese side decided to move instead," Kang said.

Instead, North Korea and other factors may have led to the agreement between the two nations, which came after Chinese Party Congress that saw Xi consolidate his power over the country and exactly a week before President Trump arrives in South Korea as part of a 12-day Asia trip.

China is keen to restart relations with South Korea under Moon, said Sun, as he has signaled that he is seeking an independent policy and is open to talks with North Korea, a long-standing ally for Beijing. "When the relationship with President Park was beyond repair for China, Moon gives China new hope," Sun explained.

Notably, South Korea's presidential office announced separately on Tuesday that Moon would hold talks with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of an annual regional forum in Vietnam next week.

However, Kang said that the two sides still had different outlooks on the region that could lead to more disputes. China and South Korea felt the "necessity to manage their bilateral relations for different reasons, not for common objectives and concerns," Kang said. "The conflict is not over yet."

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Simon Denyer in Beijing contributed to this report.
Japan News-Yomiuri

Stand-alone photo: Potters add color and other final touches to ceramic dogs - next year's animal in the Chinese zodiac - at Tosen Mingei, a pottery in Koka, Shiga Prefecture, Japn. Now heading into the busiest season of the year, Tosen Mingei plans to ship by the year-end about 20,000 canine pieces in 14 varieties.
Christopher Cantwell, a self-professed white nationalist arrested in the days after the violent demonstrations in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August, has hosted an internet radio show from the confines of a Virginia jail for more than two months.

Cantwell was prominently featured in a Vice News documentary about violence in Charlottesville, where another white nationalist allegedly drove into a crowd, killing a counterprotester during the Aug. 12 "Unite the Right" rally. Two state police officers who had been monitoring the protests also died when their helicopter crashed after leaving the scene.

After the rally, Cantwell was charged with one count of malicious bodily injury by means of a caustic substance and two felony counts of illegal use of tear gas. He has been at the Albemarle-Charlottesville jail since he turned himself in to police after posting an emotional video about his arrest warrant.

In response to the video, he was widely dubbed "the crying Nazi" on social media.

Since then, Cantwell, 36, has called into white nationalist Internet radio shows while also hosting his own from jail - all without violating jail rules. He discusses current events, solicits donations for his legal defense, refers to himself as a "talk-radio personality" and "political prisoner," and appears with other white nationalists such as David Duke, Mike Enoch and "Unite the Right" organizer Jason Kessler.

Cantwell's recordings are sometimes titled "Live from Seg" or "Letters from a Charlottesville Jail" - a take on Martin Luther King Jr.'s famed "Letter from Birmingham Jail," written in 1963 after he was incarcerated for participating in Alabama civil rights protests. In one episode, Cantwell says he was reading books sent by allies to "become a real expert anti-Semite" and describes seeing James Fields Jr., who was housed on the same unit. Fields is accused ramming his car into the crowd of "Unite the Right" counterprotesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer.

In his most recent recording, dated Oct. 26, Cantwell criticizes members of the alt-right who have distanced themselves from white nationalism in the wake of Charlottesville.

"This is a war," he said. "You want to just play the center in a war between ideological extremes, all you're going to be doing is getting shot at by both sides."

Martin Kumer, the Albemarle-Charlottesville jail superintendent, said administrators know about Cantwell's recordings but can't stop them because inmates have a right to freedom of speech. He said Cantwell's calls, except for those to legal counsel, are monitored.

"We certainly don't allow a podcast from a cellblock. He merely calls someone else who's recording his phone conversation, they digitize the phone conversation, they put it on the blog," Kumer said. "It's not as though we provide him with equipment to assist in this matter or condone it, we just don't have any control."

Jonathan M. Smith, executive director of the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, said the First Amendment protects Cantwell's speech behind bars, regardless of how offensive some might consider it.

"Unless he's running a criminal enterprise using the telephone or encouraging criminal conduct through broadcasts or phone conversations, there's very little that correctional officials can do to prevent it," he said.

Paul Wright, who was released from prison in 2003 after serving time for felony murder, is the editor of Prison Legal News, a magazine that reports on criminal justice issues. He said prisoners, from former Black Panther and convicted murderer Mumia Abu-Jamal to white nationalists, are allowed to broadcast messages from prison in different ways. From about 1998 to 2000, Wright broadcast a radio show himself from a prison in Washington state.

"Just because we disagree with the guy, I'm not going to be the one that says, 'Let's shut him down,' " he said of Cantwell.

Cantwell and other white nationalists have been exiled from the internet since the Charlottesville attack. Links from Cantwell's website to his Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube accounts indicate that the accounts are no longer available or were suspended.

In the Oct. 26 broadcast, Cantwell said he hoped to be released after a preliminary hearing on Nov. 9.
The Trump administration appears to have a soft spot for the Confederacy.

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly is the latest person to attempt to protect the legacy of Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate States of America, after a historic church in Alexandria, Virginia, decided to remove a pair of plaques from its sanctuary memorializing Lee and another former member, George Washington, who enslaved hundreds of black people on his estate.

Conversations about race continued in some Christian communities following the 2016 election, where the topic was a common theme. Members of Christ Church said the topic took on an increased urgency after the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August.

In a letter sent to church members, church leaders explained that the decision came after much deliberation.

"This was not a discussion we entered into lightly, but rather a sincere attempt to have a family conversation about our worship space, our larger history and our future," church leaders wrote.

But Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, seemed to imply that the conversation is settled and that Lee's legacy is a positive one.

"I would tell you that Robert E. Lee was an honorable man," Kelly told Fox News' Laura Ingraham. "He was a man that gave up his country to fight for his state, which 150 years ago was more important than country. It was always loyalty to state first back in those days. Now it's different today. But the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War, and men and women of good faith on both sides made their stand where their conscience had them make their stand.

"I think we make a mistake, though, and as a society and certainly as, as individuals, when we take what is today accepted as right and wrong and go back 100, 200, 300 years or more and say what those, you know, what Christopher Columbus did was wrong," he said. "You know, 500 years later, it's inconceivable to me that you would take what we think now and apply it back then."

As some Americans, including descendants of those who fought for the Confederacy, seek to preserve the legacies of their ancestors, they rationalize the decision to fight to preserve an institution that treated black people as subhuman.

But pushback to Kelly isn't solely - or even primarily - rooted in politics. The concern with Kelly's statement is how historically inaccurate it is.

One person pushing back on the legacy of the Confederacy is the Rev. Rob E. Lee, who is an indirect descendant of the Confederate general and an anti-racism activist.

"It is clear to me that General Kelly sees honor in a man who fought for continued enslavement of people and chattel slavery," Lee told The Washington Post. "That is, after all, what states' rights was for. There is no honor in that to me. John Kelly would be best to keep our president from tweeting and enacting racist policies rather than engaging in a debate over the racist past of the South."

Author Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote a thread criticizing Kelly's attempt to write history in a way that does not accurately portray how much compromise was actually a part of the Civil War.

"Shocking that someone charged with defending their country, in some profound way, does not comprehend the country they claim to defend," Coates tweeted Tuesday.

Journalist Jamil Smith dismissed the narrative that Kelly, who refused to apologize after he mischaracterized a 2015 speech by Rep. Frederica S. Wilson, D-Fla., during a White House press briefing earlier this month, would bring truth to an administration led by a president known for dishonesty.

"Enough about John Kelly being the 'adult in the room,'" Smith tweeted. "He's out here praising Robert E. Lee and falsifying history."

Kelly's "both sides" equivocation is a familiar argument in the administration. Trump blamed both sides - white supremacists and anti-racism protesters - for the violence in Charlottesville.

"I think there's blame on both sides. And I have no doubt about it," Trump said days after the riots.

"You had a group on one side that was bad, and you had a group on the other side that was also very violent," he added. "No one wants to say that, but I'll say it right now: You had a group on the other side that came charging in without a permit, and they were very, very violent."

Most Americans - 56 percent - viewed Trump's comments negatively, but that didn't keep Trump from doubling down on them even after Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the only black senator in Trump's party, challenged him to further educate himself on the story of blacks in America.

And Vice President Mike Pence dismissed efforts to remove Confederate monuments as "some contemporary political cause."

Kelly's most recent comments are a reminder that the debate over America's enslavement of black people continues in both the church and the top levels of governments.

When John Kelly was brought into the White House, many Americans suspected that he would unite a team reportedly divided by tribalism and differing worldviews. Instead, some are now accusing Kelly of exacerbating the divisions existing across America - starting in the White House.
Jared Kushner's $7.5 billion plan to transform a Manhattan skyscraper into a mix of high-end residences and retail has been deemed "not feasible" by the project's partner, putting the future of the property - saddled with $1.2 billion in debt - in doubt.

Steven Roth, chief executive and chairman of office giant Vornado Realty Trust, owns 49.5 percent of the offices at 666 Fifth Ave. and said Tuesday that it did not appear that redevelopment plans by Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law, before he left the company in January to become a senior White House adviser, were likely to succeed.

"There have been rumors in the marketplace, more than rumors, about tearing the building down and doing all manner of fairly grand development schemes," Roth said. "It's likely that those are not feasible."

Roth's statement is a potentially huge blow to Kushner's dream of tearing down the existing building, doubling its height, and creating a high-end hotel, retail and condominium project. The existing building has been losing money - and tenants - for years.

Roth's decision has been much-anticipated. He is one of Trump's closest friends and has helped keep the project afloat while Kushner pursued investors. Those efforts have failed, in part because foreign investors appear reluctant to pour money into the project at a time with Kushner's financial dealings are under review by special counsel Robert Mueller.

Among the matters that Mueller may review are Kushner's effort to gain financing from investors in China and Qatar that have strong ties to those nations' governments. In addition, Kushner met with a Russian banker weeks before Trump's inauguration; the bank has said business was discussed, but Kushner has said it had nothing to do with his company. A White House spokesman referred questions to Kushner Cos., which did not respond to a request for comment.

Tom Barrack, another close friend of Trump, whose real investment company once held part of the building's debt, has said that Kushner's ascension to the White House "crushed" efforts to woo foreign investment. Barrack, who said he had suggested the project to a Qatari-based fund, said prospective investors were skeptical after Kushner moved to the White House. "No way - can't be associated with any appearances of conflict of interest, even though there was none," Barrack said.

Roth, speaking on an investor conference call, said it was likely that 666 Fifth Ave. would "revert to an office building" and that "we are working on capital plans . . . it's a work in progress."

Although Roth has long been sympathetic to Kushner, he runs a public company that must answer to investors. At a time when the stock market has soared, Vornado's shares have decreased this year by more than 11 percent.

A company analyst, Michael R. Lewis of SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, said recently that Vornado stockholders wanted clarity on 666 Fifth Ave., particularly because many investors would be skeptical about Vornado taking on additional costly construction projects.

"I think that something that requires heavy development on the site would be poorly received by shareholders," he said.

If redevelopment plans have indeed fallen through, it could be the biggest blow yet to the Kushner family's project plans and raises pressing questions about how the company will pay off the debt due in February 2019.

With Kushner as chief executive, the Kushner Cos. purchased 666 Fifth Ave. for a record-breaking $1.8 billion in 2007. After the real estate bust, the building did not produce enough revenue to make debt payments, and Kushner brought in Vornado as a partner on the office and retail.

At least two years before Trump became president, Kushner had pitched his plan for tearing down most of the building and turning it into a mix of high-end residences, offices and shops.

The effort included entreaties to a Chinese insurance fund and a former Qatari foreign minister, raising concerns among ethics officials about whether Kushner's company was profiting off his political position.

When Kushner entered the White House as a senior adviser, he divested his interest in 666 Fifth Ave. and resigned from his company positions.

Without the redevelopment plan, it's unclear how the Kushner Cos. will pay off the debt. About one-fourth of the offices are empty and the lease revenue does not cover monthly interest payments, requiring regular cash infusions.

Kushner Cos. President Laurent Morali has vowed not to seek money from foreign governments to avoid ethical conflicts. He told The Washington Post in September that doing so would not preclude him from finding investors and that he had a number of options for moving forward despite the slow leasing market.

"We happen to be at a point where we've explored a lot of different options and I'm pleased with the progress we've made on them," he said, "so I can anticipate that over the next couple of months, the partnership is going to make a decision."

If the building remains an office building, Vornado could take an interest in acquiring it, with or without Kushner as a partner.

Earlier this year Roth said the project represented "the rare case when we may be sellers."

But he changed his tune on the call Tuesday. When asked by a stock analyst whether the company might try to up its stake in the project, Roth demurred, saying the situation was "evolving."

"The grand scheme has gone away and I don't want to speculate," he said.
Newly released court documents show that Trump foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos communicated with several senior campaign officials about his outreach to the Russian government over a period of months. The recipients of Papadopoulos' emails are not named in the filings, but The Washington Post has identified several individuals based on interviews and other documents. Papadopoulos pleaded guilty this month to lying to federal agents about his outreach to Russia.

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"The Campaign Supervisor": Trump campaign national co-chairman Sam Clovis

Victoria Toensing, an attorney for Sam Clovis, confirmed that several references in court filings to "the campaign supervisor" refer to the onetime radio host from Iowa, who served as Trump's national campaign co-chairman.

At one point, Papadopoulos emailed Clovis and other campaign officials about a March 24, 2016, meeting he had in London with a professor, who had introduced him to the Russian ambassador and a Russian woman he described as "Putin's niece." The group had talked about arranging a meeting "between us and the Russian leadership to discuss U.S.-Russia ties under President Trump," Papadopoulos wrote. (Papadopoulos later learned that the woman was not Putin's niece, and while he expected to meet the ambassador, he never did, according to filings.)

Clovis responded that he would "work it through the campaign," adding, "great work," according to court documents.

In August 2016, Clovis responded to efforts by Papadopoulos to organize an "off the record" meeting with Russian officials. "I would encourage you" and another foreign policy adviser to the campaign to "make the trip, if it is feasible," Clovis wrote.

Toensing said Clovis "always vigorously opposed any Russian trip for Donald Trump and/or the campaign." She said his responses to Papadopoulos were courtesy by "a polite gentleman from Iowa."

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"High-Ranking Campaign Official": Campaign manager Corey Lewandowski

Emails previously described to The Post indicate that the "high-ranking campaign official" described in court documents is onetime campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. The emails were among more than 20,000 pages that the Trump campaign turned over to congressional committees after review by White House and defense lawyers.

Lewandowski, who was pushed out of his post in June 2016, did not respond to requests for comment.

Papadopoulos wrote to Lewandowski several times to let him know that the Russians were interested in forging a relationship with the campaign, court filings show.

In one email on April 27, 2016, Papadopoulos wrote "to discuss Russia's interest in hosting Mr. Trump."

"Have been receiving a lot of calls over the last month about Putin wanting to host him and the team when the time is right," he added.

In May, Papadopoulos forwarded to Lewandowski an offer of "cooperation" from a Russian with links to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "Is this something we want to move forward with?" he asked.

There is no indication if or how Lewandowski responded to those messages. But in June, when Papadopoulos emailed him again about Russia, Lewandowski referred him to Clovis because he "is running point," according to court documents.

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"Another high-ranking campaign official": Campaign chairman Paul Manafort

The court filings indicate that Papadopoulos emailed "another high-ranking campaign official" on May 21, 2016, with the subject line "Request from Russia to meet Mr. Trump."

The Post has previously identified this official as Paul Manafort, who was indicted Monday on unrelated criminal charges.

Manafort forwarded Papadopoulos' email to another campaign official, stating: "We need someone to communicate that DT is not doing these trips," referring to a trip to Russia. "It should be someone low level in the campaign so as not to send any signal."

Manafort spokesman Jason Maloni in August told The Post that the campaign chairman's response indicated that "any invitation by Russia, directly or indirectly, would be rejected outright."

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"Another campaign official": Manafort deputy Rick Gates

The Post has previously identified the official who received the May 21, 2016, email from Manafort as his deputy, Rick Gates. Gates was indicted Monday on unrelated criminal charges.

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"Senior Policy Advisor": Unknown

The court filings indicate that on April 27, 2016, Papadopoulos emailed a "senior policy advisor" and wrote, "Have some interesting messages coming in from Moscow about a trip when the time is right."

The Post has not identified this official.

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"The Professor": Joseph Mifsud, director of the London Academy of Diplomacy

According to emails previously described to The Post, the London-based professor who was a key contact for Papadopoulos in his Russian outreach is Joseph Mifsud, who formerly served as a government official in Malta.

Mifsud did not respond to a request for comment Monday. In an email to The Post in August, he wrote that he had "absolutely no contact with the Russian government" and said his only ties to Russia were through academic links.

Papadopoulos met Mifsud in March 2016 while traveling in Italy, according to court records. The professor "seemed uninterested" in Papadopoulos until he learned that he was a campaign adviser, according to court filings.

Five days after Trump named Papadopoulos as one of his advisers during a meeting at The Post, Papadopoulos and Mifsud met in London. The professor brought with him a Russian woman who was introduced as a relative of President Vladimir Putin who had connections to senior Russian government officials.

The following month, Mifsud told Papadopoulos that he had just returned from Moscow, where he had learned from high-level Russian government officials that Russia had "dirt" on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, including "thousands of emails."

---

"The Female Russian National": Unknown

Court documents show that Papadopoulos corresponded with a "female Russian national" whom he initially believed was Putin's niece.

At one point, she wrote to him, "The Russian Federation would love to welcome [Trump] once his candidature would be officially announced."

The Post has not identified the woman.

---

"A Russian National Connected to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs": Ivan Timofeev

In April 2016, Mifsud introduced Papadopoulos over email to a man in Moscow who told Papadopoulos that he had connections to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, court records show.

Emails previously described to The Post indicate that the man is Ivan Timofeev, a program director at a Russian government-funded think tank called the Russian International Affairs Council.

Papadopoulos communicated via Skype and email with Timofeev to discuss establishing ties between Russian officials and the Trump campaign.

On Monday, Timofeev declined to comment, referring a reporter to a statement the Russian International Affairs Council posted in August in response to a Post story. The statement said that Papadapoulos had contacted the council and "put forth the idea of a possible visit to Russia by Mr. Trump or his team members."

"Given the RIAC's established practice of hosting public meetings with prominent politicians and public figures from the U.S. and other countries, the U.S. initiative was a matter of routine for the Council," the statement said, pointing out that among the council's guest speakers was former U.S. ambassador Michael McFaul.

Timofeev told The Post in August that the idea of a meeting with Trump officials was dropped after he received no official request from the Trump campaign for a meeting.

---

The Washington Post's David Filipov in Moscow, Karla Adam in London, and Tom Hamburger and Robert Costa in Washington contributed to this report.
BEIJING - In China, the foreign policy mantra had long been to hide your strength, and bide your time. Cards, in other words, would be played close to the vest, and bets would be modest.

No longer. At the 19th Communist Party Congress, President Xi Jinping declared that a "new era" had begun. It was time for China to show its hand, to put its cards on the table.

"It will be an era that sees China moving closer to center stage," he said, describing a confident nation "blazing a trail" for other developing countries to follow, a nation that "now stands tall and firm in the East."

Xi set out a vision of a political system directly opposed to Western values of democracy and free speech, values that Chinese communist party media mockingly declared had only brought chaos, confusion and decline to the West.

But is it a winning hand? Is China about to replace the United States as the dominant power in the Asia-Pacific?

For an answer, Asia is looking to President Donald Trump, who will arrive on the continent Friday for his first visit, a 10-day trip that will take him from South Korea and Japan to China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

"This must be a wake-up for the Trump administration and officials in Washington," said Paul Haenle, director of the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center in Beijing and a former China director in the National Security Council for presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush. "On his visit to Asia, Trump should push back forcefully against the narrative that U.S. leadership on the global stage and in Asia is receding."

It is a narrative fueled by one of Trump's first acts on taking office, his withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an ambitious 12-nation trade deal that excluded China and was the cornerstone of the Obama administration's economic strategy toward the region. Western diplomats in Beijing shake their heads ruefully when that decision comes up in conversation.

Trump may have backed away from campaign suggestions that the United States' Asian allies should pay more for their own defense, or even that they should develop their own nuclear deterrents. But he continues to threaten South Korea, a key strategic ally, with the renegotiation of its free-trade deal with the United States.

Last week, as Chinese media covering the party congress celebrated the triumph of the socialist system over Western democracy, Trump didn't even appear to realize there was a contest.

He congratulated Xi for his "extraordinary elevation," and told Fox Business Network that the Chinese president - who presides over one of the most repressive regimes on the planet - is "a very good person."

"People say we have the best relationship of any president-president, because he's called president also. Some people might call him the king of China, but he's called president," Trump said.

Fudan University's Wu Xinbo, a foreign policy expert, says he welcomes a president refreshingly free of " ideological bias," with a more transactional style.

The White House says Trump will be coming to Beijing to seek more help in exerting pressure on North Korea, and to "rebalance" the U.S.-China economic relationship.

But European diplomats said there is little or no policy coordination between Washington and Western Europe in setting trade and market access policy toward China, and little confidence that Washington has a coherent strategy.

Trump's April meeting with Xi at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida is not seen as having made significant progress, and the risk is that the Chinese will flatter Trump's ego with the pomp and ceremony of a high-profile state visit - and so deflect his demands, diplomats here say.

The more fundamental question, though, is whether Trump can repair some of the damage he has wrought to American reputation in the region, diplomats and experts say, and counter talk of U.S. decline, set against China's rise.

Western diplomats in Beijing say their counterparts from Africa, Latin America and even poorer parts of Europe are increasingly fascinated with China's political and economic system.

"That's especially true in countries with authoritarian tendencies, who can say it's helpful, the economy will flourish," one diplomat said. "The further away they are geographically from China, the more fascinated they are."

Closer to home, in the Asia-Pacific region, however, many countries still look to the United States to keep the peace, and keep China in check.

Beijing's growing influence has generated significant pushback in Australia, while its territorial ambitions have generated even more intense ill will in Vietnam and India.

Attempts to wield Chinese influence globally still generate more pushback than American attempts, said Andrew Nathan, a political science professor and China expert at Columbia University in New York.

"I'm not entirely sure why that is - I mean, the U.S. has done a lot of bad things, but the U.S. seems more trusted and accepted," he said. "Chinese money may be accepted, and Chinese influence yielded to when necessary, but I don't find Chinese 'leadership' being much welcomed either by its near neighbors or in Africa and Europe."

Trump's long Asia trip is likely to help reassure nervous allies, experts say, although his decision to skip the East Asia Summit in the Philippines has raised concerns.

A speech at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in Vietnam will be a key point of engagement, said Rana Mitter, a professor of the history and politics of modern China at Oxford University.

That speech, he said, will be closely scrutinized to see if Trump presents a clear and coherent statement of the United States' commitment to the region, or a more confused and uncertain assessment.

In the end, Mitter said, it is up to Washington to decide how much influence it still wants to wield, or whether it lets that power slip away toward Beijing.

"If you look objectively, the level of American power, influence and alliances in East Asia still massively outplays China," he said. "The Americans still have a lot of the cards in their hands. It's up to them if they play these cards or keep them off the table."

---

The Washington Post's Luna Lin contributed to this report.

---

Video: What to watch for during Trump's first presidential visit to Asia.

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The American Civil Liberties Union on Tuesday filed a lawsuit demanding the federal government return to her family a 10-year-old girl who is in government custody after being put into deportation proceedings last week by Border Patrol agents who followed her to a hospital.

In its lawsuit, the ACLU alleged that Rosa Maria Hernandez, who has cerebral palsy and is at a San Antonio child care facility, is being unlawfully detained and should be allowed to return to her family in Laredo and continue treatment after undergoing gall bladder surgery last week.
Gen. Richard Cavazos, the first Hispanic four-star general in the U.S. Army and one of its most highly decorated veterans, died Sunday in San Antonio after a long struggle with Alzheimers disease.

He was 88. Details were pending but Cavazos will be buried Nov. 14 in Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.

With a combat record that included the nations second-highest medal for valor both in the Korean conflict and Vietnam War, Cavazos blazed a trail for generations of other Hispanic general officers. The three who came after him were Texans  Lt. Gen. Marc Cisneros of Brownsville, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez of Rio Grande City and Maj. Gen. Alfredo Valenzuela, who grew up on San Antonios West Side.

His impact as a mentor is probably the greatest impact our army had  and so we all looked up to him as an American soldier, a Hispanic soldier, said Valenzuela, 59, a former commander of U.S. Army South. He was the guy we wanted to be. If we couldnt be him, we wanted to be near him and serve with him.

Friends and comrades who served with Cavazos in Vietnam regarded him as a highly competent tactician who put himself in the crossfire with them.

One of them, Ronnie Campsey, recalled the 1967 battle at Loc Ninh, in which he served in a company under Cavazos command that rushed to aid a unit facing encirclement. The companies later pushed up a hill while Cavazos called in artillery and airstrikes. The 50th anniversary of that battle, where Cavazos earned his second Distinguished Service Cross, was Monday.

The enemy would have great fighting positions and we were moving up, so while they were bringing in the airstrikes I thought it was like the Star-Spangled Banner playing, said Campsey, 75, a Southampton, New York, restaurateur who left the Army as a sergeant.

You could feel the heart of the napalm taking your breath away, you could see the white phosphorous they dropped on them and you could see them running around further up the hill, moving from trench to trench. And then the word came out for us to move forward.

Cavazos was with them all the way.

He knew he was safe with us and we knew we were safe with him. He instilled confidence in everyone, Campsey said, noting that Cavazos embedded himself with his Delta Company for the last three months of its deployment.

I truly believe that a lot of us got home because of the way he conducted himself, said Melvin Brave Brav, 75, of San Diego, California, a young second lieutenant when he first served under Cavazos as a platoon leader.

I cant really speak specifically to what it was like to work for him or the command structure, but I think many saw him as a father figure, said his son Tommy Cavazos, 52, of Albuquerque, New Mexico. They knew that he was not someone who would double-cross them or use them or cast them aside, that he was a loyal person, he was an honest person, he was a very moral person. And that carries a lot of weight, obviously, when youre putting your life on the line with somebody.

Cavazos rise to prominence in the Army started as the son of a King Ranch cowhand. His father, Lauro Cavazos, came to Kingsville in 1912, fought as an Army artillery sergeant in World War I and became a foreman of the King Ranch's Santa Gertrudis division in an era of intense racism.

Lauro and Thomasa Quintanilla Cavazos were determined to give their children a life beyond the ranch and put all five of them through college. Lauro Cavazos Jr. became the U.S. education secretary under President George H.W. Bush.

Dick Cavazos was their second son. He earned a degree in geology from Texas Tech University before entering the Army.

I think in the environment he grew up, he grew up on the King Ranch, and his father was very much the same way, Tommy Cavazos said. They got into the task at hand together and there wasnt really a class system or a system that was based on status or anything like that.

Richard Cavazos led a brigade, a division and an Army corps in the 1970s, finally commanding all soldiers in the continental United States before retiring in 1984.

Cisneros, who served under Cavazos as a battalion commander and later as operations officer with III Corps at Fort Hood, described him as a gifted leader, the second-highest decorated officer in the Korean War and, by the end of his career, the holder of two Silver Stars, two Legions of Merit, a Distinguished Flying Cross, five Bronze Stars with Valor and a Purple Heart, in addition to the pair of Distinguished Service Crosses.

He was tough, but not tough to present himself as tough like Patton was. He was just very inspirational. He was soft-spoken, but he was hard-core, said Cisneros, a Corpus Christi resident who led troops in the 1989 invasion of Panama that toppled strongman Manuel Noriega. Nobody messed with him.

One of the soldiers in Delta Company, Bill Fee, wrote on Facebook on Monday that Cavazos saved his life in a fierce night battle on Nov. 1, 1967, by ordering resupply helicopters to wait at the site for wounded as enemy soldiers rushed the Americans.

What words can one express to someone who has saved your life? What debt can repay his leadership, mentorship and friendship over fifty years? Fee wrote on his Facebook page.

He wrote Sally & me a letter dated 11/17/07 which said in part You mean so much because I saw your devotion, I saw you fight, I saw the hurt, all of which I committed you to. I thank God for the blessing all of you are. I am proud to call you brother!

sigc@express-news.net
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An eyeless, see-through fish may be lurking beneath San Antonio and scientists want to search for it.

Dubbed the satan fish, the creature is most likely swimming in the "total darkness" of the Edwards Aquifer beneath the city, said scientists at University of Texas at Austin in a news release.

The fish, technically a widemouth blindcat, has not been seen alive since 1984 and searches for the fish in 2006 and 2010 failed, according to the release. Now, scientists are hoping to receive funding to hunt for the fish and study how it compares to other catfish and what led to its decline.

RELATED: Satanic Temple takes aim at South Texas district's corporal punishment policy

"Satan fish are really cool critters," said Dean Hendrickson, curator of ichthyology at UT-Austin. "Most San Antonio residents have no clue that these things live below them. I want to raise awareness and get a study going to see if there's something going on down there."

The satan fish is one of three species living in Texas' underwater caves, according to the release.

Andy Gluesenkamp and Dante Fenolio, the director and assistant director of conservation and research at the San Antonio Zoo, would join Hendrickson in the search for the fish.

The study would be part of a project that seeks to find a better understanding of how water flowers through Central Texas aquifers, according to the release.

Kelsey Bradshaw is a digital reporter for mySA.com. Read more of her stories here.| kbradshaw@express-news.net | Twitter: @Kbrad5
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Jury selection began Monday for the trial of two alleged members of the Texas Mexican Mafia charged in the slaying of a Balcones Heights police officer.

Jesse Jay Santibanez, 28, and Alfredo Freddy Low Cardona, 38, are alleged to have been the triggermen in the killing of Julian Pesina, 29, who was gunned down May 4, 2014, outside Notorious Ink, the tattoo shop on Hillcrest Avenue that Pesina co-owned.

Pesina at the time was under investigation by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies conducting a public corruption probe that linked him to drug and racketeering allegations involving the Texas Mexican Mafia.

Court records said members of the gang lured Pesina to his death by arranging a meeting to collect the 10-percent tax  known as the dime  that drug dealers must pay the gang. They waited until after he made his payment to the gang before they killed him, federal authorities have said.

Before meeting Pesina, another gang member who has already pleaded guilty, Jerry Idrogo, dropped off Santibanez and Cardona on the side of the tattoo building, court records said. Once Pesina walked up to the car and handed Idrogo payment for the tax, he motioned to Santibanez and Cardona, who ambushed Pesina and shot and killed him, federal authorities have said.

After media reports showed Pesina had tattoos widely recognized to be trademarks of the gang, and that he had been under federal investigation caused an uproar in Balcones Heights, resulting in the ouster of then-Police Chief Henry Dominguez.

The trial before U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez may last at least two weeks. The pair face up to life in federal prison if convicted.

gcontreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland
Its been eight long weeks since the NAFTA renegotiations kicked off. It was an ambitious agenda for a short period of time, from incorporating the energy and e-commerce sectors to pushing for higher labor and environmental protections.

Yet four rounds of negotiations later, the hopes of bringing the 25-year-old agreement into the 21st century are looking increasingly slim. At this point, successful negotiations may simply mean NAFTAs existence when this all ends and fond memories of a missed opportunity to have done more.

To truly understand whats going on, its worth revisiting how we got here. During the campaign, Donald Trump made countering trade a tenet of his platform, singling out NAFTA as the worst deal ever and accusing Mexico of taking advantage of its northern neighbor. In the Oval Office, his tone remained largely unchanged. Even as Trumps team began establishing the renegotiating framework for NAFTA, the president never seemed to be sold on the idea. In the leaked call between Trump and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, he made it clear that he was coaxed into the negotiations and was by no means convinced of their utility.

For most economists and trade analysts, this lax approach toward scrapping NAFTA appears to verge on the irrational. Most agree that the agreement could use an update, but this language is almost always wrapped in a recounting of NAFTAs virtues: rising U.S. exports; lower prices for consumers; and the 14 million jobs that it underpins across the United States. Industry executives will also echo this sentiment, with their supply chains weaving back and forth across the continent. At first glance, then, it could feel remarkable that a president would review those same graphs, skim those same articles, and still feel no qualms with withdrawing.

Except its rational (well, sort of). Ultimately, it comes down to what Trump is choosing to maximize: short-term politics or the longer term health of the economy. And with each threat of withdrawal or deliberate destabilization, its becoming clear that Trumps priority lands squarely on the political side. Attacking NAFTA during negotiations is clearly about short-term politics, fanning the flames of a subset of the population that views trade with Mexico not as a set of neat charts of imports and exports but as intertwined with vaguer concepts of globalization, immigration and fairness.

Its not that Americans dislike trade; in fact, most believe its a good thing for the country, including more than 6 out of 10 Trump supporters. But each day its becoming clear that the issue is not always trade itself but also with whom we trade. And for many, Mexico is the villain.

For decades, cheap political points have been scored by accusing Mexico of ripping off U.S. workers and stealing their jobs, and images abound of Mexicans getting rich off empty American factories. It is in this context, where feelings of unfairness and anger loom larger than statistics and models  no matter how accurate  that bilateral trade becomes decoupled from economic reality.

In the tug of these competing interests, the United States is running the risk of completely pulling apart NAFTA and the economic system that it has fostered, and in the process endangering our ability to lead economically in the hemisphere and around the world.

With the negotiations stalling, its time to be honest with ourselves. This is not just a problem of finding a compromise or doing whats best for our country. This is a story about an administration that sees no political benefit in negotiating NAFTA in good faith and doesnt value economic reality.

As the president might tweet: So sad. So pathetic.

Antonio Garza is with the law firm of White & Case in Mexico City. Garza is a South Texas native who served as the U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 2002-09. He is a past chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission, Texas 99th secretary of state and a former Cameron County judge.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will embark on a visit to Beijing on Tuesday for the 22nd China-Russia Prime Ministers' Regular Meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. Ahead of the visit, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin met in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Monday.

The upcoming meeting will be the first high-level exchange between Chinese and Russian governments since the conclusion of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) last week, Wang told Rogozin. "I believe it is significant in that it inherits the past and ushers in the future for our cooperation," the Chinese vice premier added.

Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang (R), also a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau, shakes hands with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin in Chongqing, southwest China, Oct. 30, 2017. Wang and Rogozin co-chaired the 21st meeting of the Joint Commission for the Regular Prime Ministers' Meetings of China and Russia in Chongqing. The meeting is preparation for the 22nd regular meeting of Chinese premier and Russian prime minister. (Xinhua/Han Ye)

During the past five years, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination has been at its "best time in history," Wang noted, saying that bilateral cooperation has achieved fruitful results.

He said bilateral trade continues to rebound this year and has good prospects for further development. He hopes both countries keep exploring new areas for cooperation such as the development of the Far East and the Arctic, and the digital economy.

Rogozin agreed that the relationship between the two countries is at its best time in history. "We're not just good working partners," he said. "We're also close friends. We help each other solve complicated problems while trying to promote exchanges between enterprises from both countries."

The mechanism of China-Russia Prime Ministers' Regular Meeting was established in 1996.

Frequent high-level exchanges

China and Russia have built a high level of political and strategic trust and established a means for high-level exchanges. In recent years, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin have developed a close relationship. They meet about five times a year on average.

Last Thursday, the two leaders talked by phone. Putin congratulated Xi on his re-election as the general secretary of the CPC Central Committee. Xi pledged that China is determined to deepen its relationship with Russia.

Meanwhile, the two sides are working to align their development strategies. Xi and Putin have reached an agreement to strengthen the complementarity of China's Belt and Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union proposed by Russia.

During the meeting, Rogozin also stressed the importance of efforts such as the Yangtze River-Volga River cooperation mechanism. China and Russia established this mechanism in 2013, and Chongqing is just one of the important regions within it. Chen Min'er, Party chief of Chongqing CPC Municipal Committee, said the city would take this opportunity to further boost the overall relationship between the two countries.

Li and Medvedev are scheduled to hold an annual meeting in Beijing on Wednesday. The Chinese premier is expected to brief his Russian counterpart on the 19th CPC National Congress and draw a new blueprint for the development of ties with Russia, according to experts.
Scientists say its not a coincidence that three monster storms made landfall within a month: Its climate change. President Donald Trump says its not, but he is wrong and he is pushing a deadly agenda.

Trumps alternative facts about the environment have cost Americans millions of dollars and threaten our lives.

Our country has been hammered by one deadly environmental disaster after another: Dozens of wildfires have charred Western states. Deadly hurricanes have destroyed some of Americas most beautiful coastal towns, including some in Texas. Its likely to take years for Houston, Port Aransas and areas in between to recover.

A new report from Congress top watchdog group, the Government Accountability Office, found that extreme weather and fires have cost taxpayers more than $350 billion over the past decade. And with Trump in office, that bill will surely grow. Its a warning hes unlikely to heed because his administration is so fond of pushing alternative facts about the environment.

And it doesnt stop there. Trump called climate change a myth. He plans to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris and has rolled back the Environmental Protection Agencys regulations on greenhouse gases. He nominated a toxicologist to the EPA who once endorsed high levels of pesticides in drinking water. And the administration refuses to admit that deadly storms such as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma might have been bolstered by polluters.

An apathetic government in the wake of a deadly environmental disaster is a dangerous case of history repeating itself.

Sixty-five years ago, the British government encouraged unregulated use of a dirty fuel, sparking the worlds deadliest air pollution disaster, the Great Smog of 1952, which killed 12,000 Londoners.

In 1952, London was the worlds most populated city and the most industrial. More than 8 million people were crammed in an area about twice the size of New York City. December was the coldest month that year, and during the first week, London sat under an anticyclone for five days  a temperature inversion of high atmospheric pressure. Warm air trapped colder air on the ground, sealing a lid over the city.

Winston Churchills conservative government encouraged Londoners to buy the cheap, dirty coal that caused the worst of the smog. But the conservative government used its own alternative facts to skew how Londoners viewed air pollution.

The head of pollution investigations showed Churchills ministers a chart that showed that while 4,000 people died within weeks of the fog, another 8,000 died within the following three months, bringing the total to 12,000.

Churchills ministers panicked and changed the chart to the version that would be later released to the public. They admitted that 4,000 Londoners did die from the fog but said the additional 8,000 actually succumbed to an influenza epidemic.

It was a lie. There was never a flu epidemic during that period. Records prove it.

But Londoners in 1952 trusted their government. They hoped that such a long fog would never happen again. They hoped it was a fluke caused by a freak weather occurrence. But people continued to die, year after year. If they had only known the truth, maybe they would have elected politicians who might have forced a change.

Now, more than 60 years later, another world leader and his administration are risking our lives. There will be more super storms, more wildfires, more floods, more infrastructure damage, more related blows to local and regional economies, more money spent and more deaths. Trump and his administration stand in the way of scientists working to prevent even deadlier environmental disasters to come.

An apathetic government is as dangerous as a malevolent one  something voters should remember during next years midterm elections.

Kate Winkler Dawson is a senior lecturer of journalism at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of Death in the Air: The True Story of a Serial Killer, the Great London Smog, and the Strangling of a City.
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Broussard points out fossils to Darby Willingham '19 while Cali Snyder '19 digs in the background during a recent Natural History of Dinosaurs class field trip. Download Image: Web

Lycoming Colleges David Broussard, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, this summer presented research at the annual meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on a 365 million-year-old leg bone that he and his students discovered in Lycoming County. The fossil is that of a femur that once belonged to a species of early tetrapod  a four-limbed animal  and dates back to the Late Devonian Period, when vertebrates made the transition from fish-like to more land-living types of animals.

During the late Devonian period, north central Pennsylvania was a vast subtropical floodplain dominated by rivers, small streams, ponds and wetlands. Evidence of these habitats and environments is contained within the red beds of the Catskill formation. Broussard spoke to meeting attendees about what this discovery and other similar discoveries at the Red Hill site in Clinton County, Pa., indicate about species of early tetrapods that occupied this floodplain habitat during the Late Devonian period. In addition, he discussed how other fossils discovered at the site, as well as the geology of the exposures along Route 15, help him and his collaborators to understand and interpret the habitats and environments that these animals occupied.

The tetrapod specimen is now part of the Vertebrate Paleontology collections at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University in Philadelphia, where many important transitional and early tetrapod fossils from North America are kept. Broussard uses a cast of the specimen and many other vertebrate fossils including those of dinosaurs to teach students about vertebrate evolution.

Having these important sites close to campus allows me to take students out to see where a significant transition in vertebrate evolution was occurring in the Late Devonian, said Broussard Students get to touch and see evidence of fossil animals and plants during this important period of time.

His research into the paleoecology of the fin to limb transition in vertebrates is ongoing. He hopes to locate more fossil sites that preserve the animals and ecological conditions associated with this important event. There is much exposed rock of the right age and type along roadsides in Pennsylvania where I havent looked yet, he mused.

The presentation was coauthored by Jeff Trop, Ph.D., professor of geology at Bucknell University; and Ted Daeschler, Ph.D., associate professor of biodiversity, earth and environmental science; associate curator of vertebrate zoology; and vice president for systematic biology and the library for the Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University.
After ousting Prime Minister Letta, Matteo Renzi assures Italy it can count on him to stabilize Parliament. Source: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images.

Italys long-running political saga took another twist Thursday, with Prime Minister Enrico Letta finally falling victim to a party power play. Over the past few months, a rift formed between Letta and his Democratic Party (PD) over their mounting frustrations with Lettas do-little administrationhe was able to hold the coalition together (no small feat), but that coalition couldnt pass much in the way of economic or labor market reforms, and as the economy stayed shaky, the PD grew antsy. They elected a new leader, Matteo Renzi, in December, and he rallied party execs to dethrone Letta Thursday, putting himself in line to take over. To the casual investor, this all might sound a bit chaotic, but political upheaval is business as usual in Italyand after Renzi took the partys top post, most believed it was only a matter of time before he grabbed the premiership as well. This power shift could help Parliament push through much-needed electoral reformsa longer-term positivebut for markets, impact is probably minimal.

Renzis rise was swift but unsurprising. Polls show Italians are increasingly tired of the political establishment, and while Renzi leads a major party, hes also a fresh faceliterally. At 39 years old, the current mayor of Florence would be Italys youngest PM ever, and he has never sat in Parliament. He has, however, made waves since becoming the PDs leader in December, routinely upstaging Letta on the national scene. It was Renzi who worked with other party heads on national electoral reforma task Letta was initially charged to do. His success there likely bolstered his case ThursdayPD bigwigs saw a decisive leader with a chance of getting more done. Whether theyre right over time remains to be seen, but for now, that expectation was enough to prompt another turn of Italys political door.

If President Giorgio Napolitano taps Renzi as PM (widely expected), his government would be Italys fourth in two years, and he would be the third straight PM not to win a general election. Renzi says he intends to make his government last for the entire mandate (2018), but given how fragmented the chamber is, it wont be easy. First, he has to build his cabinetalmost surely a coalition of center left and rightand win a confidence vote in Parliament. Given the inherent instability in Parliament right now, snap elections are possible, but theyre also unlikely. Only Napolitano can call new elections, and he has all but said he wont unless Parliament first passes electoral reform. Italys electoral system, as it stands, makes electing a legitimate majority government with a firm mandate almost impossible. It heavily favors smaller parties, making weak coalitions the most likely outcome. Thats a recipe for the same political malaise that has crippled Italian reform for yearsnot what Napolitano wants.

While Renzis electoral reform proposal has traction, it likely wont pass terribly soon. The European Parliament holds elections in late May, likely hogging the major parties attention and keeping domestic politics on the shelf for a few months. When the European contest is done, however, Parliament could pursue Renzis proposaland it likely would help promote stability. Under Renzis plan, the winning party would receive an automatic 18% majority premium, as long as it won 35% of all votesno shaky coalition. If no one met the 35% minimum, the top two parties would hold a run-off, with the winner receiving 53% of the seatsthere, too, no coalition necessary. The remaining seats would be proportionately allocated to parties meeting the threshold for parliamentary participation (5% for coalitions and 8% for single parties). And the Senate would lose legislative powers, effectively becoming a consultant.

PD and Forza Italias broad support for the measures raise the likelihood of their passing, though perhaps with some light modifications. The New Centre Right Party, which supported Lettas government, is undecided about supporting Renzi as PM and may not be so keen to aid this plans passage. They were involved with Renzis plan, but they were hesitant about some of the provisions that would reduce their influence as a small party. It also probably goes without saying that comedian Beppe Grillos anti-establishment 5-Star Movement likely opposes itthe reforms would severely limit their likelihood of ending up in Parliament as spoilers again (which is rather the measures intent). Though theyre likely too small to hold up the proposal alone. As long as Forza Italiathe party led by former PM (and convicted tax fraud) Silvio Berlusconiis on board, electoral reform is likely. Earlier this week there were rumblings Berlusconi disapproves yet another unelected administration, but his grumblings likely wont influence much. Hes currently embroiled in another political corruption trial, andrather incongruouslyhes reportedly mulling a run for European Parliament. Throwing a wrench in domestic politics is likely far down his to-do list these days.

Of course, fixing the electorate system is an important step, but it wont solve all of Italys ills. To keep the wolves at bay, Renzi will need to pass meaningful economic and labor market reformwhich will likely stay difficult for as long as Italy has a broad coalition government. Renzi has called himself Italys Tony Blair, but many wonder whether he has the clout to pull off big structural changescharisma only goes so far, and Renzi might not have much political capital with opposing politiciansthey might raise a skeptical eyebrow at recent events. After becoming party leader, Renzi said he wouldnt become PM without an election, conspire with Berlusconis party or, for the sake of friendship and dignity, oust Letta. Going against previous statements likely doesnt gain Renzi trust or friendshipnecessary tools in politics.

But while Italy would benefit from ironing out its structural issues over time, for now, cyclical factors (and investors low expectations) are likely good enough to propel Italian stocks forward. Italys economy has started picking up in the last couple of months, returning to growth in Q4 2013the first time since 2011after months of scattered improvement in various metrics. Thats likely good enough to surprise the many folks who expect the less competitive areas of Italys economy to be a big-time drag.
Is Trumps Tax Reform Bullish for Stocks?

EWFHendra : The tax reform is perhaps the single most important agenda for Republicans. The consequence for falling short of the tax overhaul is dire. Should Republicans fail to deliver the tax reform, they could face rout in the mid-term elections next year. This means losing control of the Senate and possibly also the House of Representatives where they have a majority now. Recently, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has suggested that stock market could give back much of the gain if tax reform fails. Mnuchin said during a recent interview with Politico: There is no question that the rally in the stock market has baked into it reasonably high expectations of us getting tax cuts and tax reform done. Given the high stake, the market seems to believe that some version of tax reform is likely to come out of Washington.

Reduction in corporate tax rate will boost S&P 500 Earnings Per Share

S&P 500 has gained in value more than $3.5 trillion since Trumps election last November. Some suggest that it is due to the investors expectation that the Earnings Per Share of the S&P 500 companies would get a boost, and thus increasing the valuation. One major component in the tax reform proposal is a reduction in corporate tax rate. Trump proposed a reduction from the current effective tax rate of 25.4% to 15% while he was a presidential candidate, while House Speaker Paul Ryan proposed a reduction in corporate tax rate to 20%.

An estimate by Ned Davis Research suggests that a drop of corporate tax rate from the current effective tax rate of 25.4% to 20% will boost S&P 500 EPS (Earnings Per Share) by 7.2%, while an adjustment to 15% corporate tax rate would increase S&P 500 EPS by 13.9%. The percentage increase in after-tax income is even greater for mid-cap and small-cap companies as the chart below shows:

Tax Reform effect to EPS

Trumps tax reform plans passed an important hurdle last week when the Senate approved a budget measure which allows the Republicans to deliver a tax-cut package without Democratic support. The Republicans still have yet to produce the tax reform bill as the end of the year approaches. At present, theres still a lot of disagreement as to what cuts to make and how to pay for them. However, with the intense pressure to succeed on tax reform after they fail to repeal and replace Obamacare, theres a good chance that some forms of tax reform will come out either this year or in the first half of next year.

Is Tax Reform the reason for American stock markets rally?

Some argue that the expectation of tax reform and higher EPS will cause American stock market to keep rallying. However, if this is the only reason, then only American market should keep rallying. The rest of the World Indices should not keep rallying as they have nothing to do with Trumps Tax Reform. But is that really the case? An overlay of some major Indices from the West and East below (FTSE, S&P, Dow, DAX, Nikkei, and Hangseng) can give us further insight:

The six World Indices above represent various geographic regions and they look almost identical in their oscillation. They all have major low in 2009 and secondary low around February 2016. As of this writing, they all keep making a new high. Granted that not all of them make all-time historic high like S&P 500 or DJIA, but they all still keep rallying nonetheless. This simple analysis tells us that theres more than just the argument that tax reform supports American stock market. We at Elliottwave-Forecast believe there is only one market and a high degree of correlation within the same group and also across asset groups.

As we suggested in our previous article on October 9th titled The World Index Has Much More Upside, we argued that Hang Seng Index & FTSE show the clearest sequence in Indices group at this stage and they favor more upside. If the World Indices remain to move in the same cycle, then American Indices should also continue to be supported as Hang Seng and FTSE continue higher, whether we get significant Tax Reform or not. To get regular update on the market and Elliott wave charts in 4 time frames, try EWF 14 days for only $9.99.By Ayoub Ben Rejeb

https://elliottwave-forecast.com

ElliottWave-Forecast has built its reputation on accurate technical analysis and a winning attitude. By successfully incorporating the Elliott Wave Theory with Market Correlation, Cycles, Proprietary Pivot System, we provide precise forecasts with up-to-date analysis for 52 instruments including Forex majors & crosses, Commodities and a number of Equity Indices from around the World. Our clients also have immediate access to our proprietary Actionable Trade Setups, Market Overview, 1 Hour, 4 Hour, Daily & Weekly Wave Counts. Weekend Webinar, Live Screen Sharing Sessions, Daily Technical Videos, Elliott Wave Setup .

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 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




500 Years of a Protestant Reformation

The evolution of the Christendom since the crucifixion of Jesus Christ has been marked with contention and disputes among different factions of believers. From the offset, the banning of the agnostic gospels from accepted church tenets to the EastWest Schism of 1054 and the wars of religion that overwhelmed Europe following the Protestant Reformation, illustrates that a heated conflict has always existed among Christians. No doubt disputes over doctrine motivated many to break with their brothers and sisters in Christ. However, the underlying catalyst for a clash in congregations stems from an objection to the authority structure that surrounds the Vatican and the Holy Sea. Church jurisdiction and the demand that the dominion of the Church of Rome, which rests upon Pontiff Supremacy, has been at the core of many differences throughout history.

When Martin Luther challenged the Papacy and began a transformation that set in motion an overhaul in the influence of bishops, the face of Europe would never be the same. As the divergence crossed the seas into the New World, the culture of fidelity to the gospels developed into a much more individual and personal relationship with the Lord.

From a perspective stated by Reverend Canon James Atkinson, The Significance of Martin Luther submits that Justification by Faith is his essential message.

"The totality of this evangelical doctrine, this foolishness of the Gospel, this message of reconciliation and forgiveness as the work of Christ alone, Luther saw summed up in the great Pauline phrase, Justification by Faith. Nothing we are, nothing we have, nothing we can do can restore us to God. He came down to us. When man is confronted by the work of God in history, and it is preached and explained to him what his condition is and how God in Christ met and meets this, there is created a faith and trust in God that was not there before and which he does nothing to make. It is like a man who had believed another man was an enemy and one day was made to realize is enemy, unbeknown to any, had been working on his side. A new relationship is sparked off. This is what justification by faith means."

Complementing this position John L. Allen Jr. draws this distinction in 500 years ago, it wasnt Protestants but Catholics embracing Luther.

"Essentially, based on the writings of Paul the Apostle, Luther argued that the Bible teaches something different than what had developed in the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church about penance . . .

The first thesis says that when our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said repent, he meant that the whole Christian life should be one of repentance.

Luther was after, and its what people were looking for. They didnt want to pay for being right with God, they wanted it free, and Luther calls it grace.

When you talk about paying, youre referring to the system of indulgences that had grown up in the Catholic Church."

According to Bill Pitts, the Protestant Reformation Reshaped Christian Church. "Catholics and Protestants both worshipped in word and sacrament. But for Protestants preaching the Word in the vernacular became more important than observance of the Lord's Supper. In worship, focus shifted from altar to pulpit."

Over time the gulf between preaching the Word and obeying the precepts of the temporal god who has replaced the Supreme Being creator has taken a sharp turn away from religious commitment. Yet the remnant between orientations still persists. Conformity to secular 501c3 regulations tempers the zeal for preaching the gospels, while blind obedience to a heretical false pope dooms the Catholic Church.

So it should not surprise any observer of religion in the 21st century that the research of Sarah Arah Eekhoff Zylstra presenting a statistical analysis that over time, while differences certainly still exist, the feud between Protestants and Catholics are narrowing as stated in 500 Years After Reformation, Many Protestants Closer to Catholics than Martin Luther, is correct.

Additional evidence provides that 500 years after the Reformation, 5 facts about Protestants around the world demonstrate a blending of what were once profound differences.

Globally, Protestants made up 37% of Christians in 2010.

The share of Protestants among U.S. adults is in decline, falling from 51% in 2007 to 47% in 2014.

In Latin America, where nearly 40% of the worlds Catholics live, Protestant populations have risen sharply

One relatively recent and distinctive Protestant movement that has gained ground globally is Pentecostalism.

In Western Europe, the home of the Protestant Reformation, Protestants and Catholics are now religiously more similar than they are different, at least on some theological questions.

In a world which is often overshadowed by government force and a culture of satanic perdition, the contemplation of How many angels can dance on the head of a pin? - sometimes persists. Note this journey into preconception when Rick Reinckens on a site called God on the Net provides a comparison and contrast in Protestants or Catholics  Who Are Right? Which religion is right, may well confuse the issue, since belief in any particular domination reflects a judgment of conviction. Nevertheless, David J. Engelsma in The Reformation and Twentieth Century Protestantism captures the real kernel of the significance of the Protestant Reformation. "What conclusions, practical, urgent conclusions for a living church and for living believers, can we come to, from this understanding of the Reformation? The first is that the Roman Catholic Church has not changed, not one whit, for the better from the time in the 16th century when Luther and the Reformation, in grief, had to renounce her in God's Name. In our day, many Protestants would give the impression that she has changed, so much so that now it is conceivable to have friendly relations with her and even to contemplate re-union. The reason why they say this is that they no longer know what the Reformation was really about, or care for the gospel. The Reformation was not about nice Popes and bad Popes, not about meat or fish on certain days, not about any of those superficial things that Rome lately has bestirred herself with. It was about salvation by God's grace in Jesus Christ alone! It was about Scripture, the only authority in the church and over the church! On these issues, Rome is unchanged. This is not a charge, but a statement of fact. It is Rome's own confession in "The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent" that justification and salvation depend also upon man's works and merits, and that they are anathema who preach justification by faith only. The Second Vatican Council of 1963-1965 reiterated Rome's doctrine that, in addition to Scripture, tradition is authoritative in the church ("Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation"). In the same "Constitution," this Council stated that "The task of authenticity interpreting the word of God. . . has been entrusted exclusively to the living teaching office of the Church," that is, to the Pope. So little is it true that Rome has changed on any important matter, that the Council of Trent's blessing of indulgences as "most salutary, and approved of" stands to this day." How Catholics view this viewpoint is dealt with in Why the 500th Jubilee of the Reformation is significant for Catholics. The mindset of Joyce Ann Zimmerman, C.PP.S., Ph.D., S.T.D., sums up accordingly. "We need to embrace the ecumenical dynamism that has been ongoing for a half century and do so with a genuine will to overcome our differences and heal divisions. We need to embrace the principle that divisions are healed when all understand that everyone must give a little to come to unity. We need to internalize a vision of unity as a valued goal that is achievable. We need to embrace that the other is good and holy as we are." This impulse to champion "ecumenical dynamism" which is a euphemism for adopting an absurd fantasy that the evil nature of humankind is able to establish some kind of worldwide paradise here on earth; is false. Strangely, is it not true that the meaning of Catholic purports to be a synonym for universal? Martin Luther initiated a Christian rebirth and the Protestant Reformation was the catalyst that emancipated Western European civilization from many of the aristocratic impositions that were the basis of class authority. Setting the disputes over religious beliefs aside, the landscape of political realignments became the legacy of the last five centuries. Expand this record of conflicts to the remainder of the world, who do not profess a Christian faith and the end result is that a rebellion against coercive rule has grown. With or without an acceptance in Jesus Christ as the ONLY righteous and divine authority, the unlocking of the European mind through the Protestant Reformation changed the world. Only with the Second Coming will the hopes of Dr. Zimmerman come to a realization. Source:http://batr.org/solitary/103117.html Discuss or comment about this essay on the BATR Forum http://www.batr.org "Many seek to become a Syndicated Columnist, while the few strive to be a Vindicated Publisher"

 2017 Copyright BATR - All Rights Reserved



Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors BATR Archive

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




RIDGEWAY  On Sunday night, October 29, 1892, many of us were enjoying the hospitality of Mr. W.A. Garrett of Ridgeway, an unidentified Ridgeway resident wrote 125 years ago. A cry was heard on the front porch. Come behold a sight that was never seen before in Ridgeway. We ran and beheld light streaming through the beautiful Baptist church. Truly, such a thing was never seen before in Ridgeway.

That's how First Baptist Church of Ridgeway got started. The sight was more than a year in the making by that point. On August 10, 1891, church trustees signed a deed for the lot where the white wooden church still stands at 107 Church Street in Ridgeway. From that day forward, sisters Sue Garrett and Eliza Trent worked tirelessly to raise funds for a house of worship by selling handmade aprons.

While the original First Baptist structure experienced remodeling in 1950 and a congregational move in 2003 to a new building located at 15 Church Street, the churchs history hasnt been lost throughout the changes and years.

Steve Eanes, chairman of the churchs 125th anniversary committee, has been a member of the congregation since his family moved to the area in 1954.

Its the only church Ive really ever gone to, Eanes said.

Celebrating a history thats only 164 years shy of the Virginia border towns establishment, the church has grown not only in square footage, but also in population.

In 1997, the late Rev. Gary Edwards led the congregation to purchase land on which to construct a larger building.

He was really instrumental in us going from a small church to a big church, Eanes said. He said, If we build it, they will come.

With a new mission in mind, current member Jean Shropshire, who joined the congregation in 1963 when she married a member of a long-standing family in the church, took on a similar role to that of Garrett and Trent over 100 years before her.

While Shropshire didnt sell handmade aprons, she was on both the planning and fundraising committee, which helped make Edwards vision a reality.

The ladies had yard sales and bake sales, Eanes said.

On top of the financial support from the various fundraisers, Eanes recalled donation after donation offered to the church.

People donated pews. They donated light fixtures. They donated everything we needed in the new church, Eanes said. People were so generous in supporting what our church needed.

Thanks to the tenacity of the fundraisers and the donations from community members, the First Baptist congregation rasied enough money in five years to completely pay for a new building.

In June of 2003, the new church opened its doors to the community for the first time.

Just as Edwards predicted, the new building brought forth new members.

In the old church over beside us, we had 35 members in the congregation, Eanes said. Now, were up to 150.

Each month this year, the congregations learned a special tidbit of information about the history of First Baptist.

Weve talked about the new church and what all was donated by the congregation, Eanes said. One month, we talked about the growth of the church and how it went from being small to large. We talked about how we paid it off in five years.

Even though a multitude of things have changed about First Baptist over the years, some things havent budged  like the churchs welcoming atmosphere.

Ive been here all these years and the closeness and comradeship the people have formed over the years is the same, Eanes said. Thats something the small church brought to the large church.

For those who are looking to join a friendly group of believers, Eanes said the congregations reception to visitors is unlike any hes ever seen.

I would say when you come into church, theres a greeting and welcomeness, Eanes said. Theres love sent to everyone who comes.

The church is also an active part of the Ridgeway community  and beyond.

Having a weekend backpack program for children in the area who are food insecure, sending items to overseas missionaries and collecting water for disaster relief groups are just a few of the ministries in which First Baptist members participate.

I think our people have always been mission-minded, Shropshire said. Theyre always active.

Even some of the youngest members of the congregation get in on the action.

We have children who participate in mission projects from Kindergarten up through their teenage years, Shropshire said.

Despite not currently having a pastor, the congregation continues to grow.

I think our people are friendly, Shropshire said. Theyre committed to serving the Lord. They love Him and serve Him faithfully.

The last service of the year commemorating the churchs 125-year history in Ridgeway will be held on November 26. All are welcome to attend the service at the churchs current location, 15 Church Street.
WESTFIELD -- Eight local precision manufacturers say they are looking to hire workers like those who lost their jobs when Berkshire Industries in Westfield shut down last week without warning.

But people in Westfield City Hall and at the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County Inc. don't know who all the 80 displaced workers are, and how those workers can be contacted.

Those workers should check in as soon as they can with the region's two one-stop career centers -- Futureworks in Springfield or CareerPoint in Holyoke -- said David M. Cruise, president and CEO of the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County.

"We are going to use our network to assist these employees and get them back to work as soon as possible," Cruise said.

FutureWorks

413-858-2800

STCC Technology Park

1 Federal St.

Building 103-3

Springfield, MA 01105

www.futureworksjobs.org

CareerPoint

413-532-4900

850 High St.

Holyoke, MA 01040

www.careerpointma.org/

Joe Mitchell, Westfield city advancement officer, said eight companies have already contacted Westfield City Hall and Cruise's Regional Employment Board after news of Berkshire Industries shutdown broke Friday.

These manufacturers are looking for machine operators, inspectors, quality control people and others. The industry is doing well in Western Massachusetts and the skills are in demand.

"In precision manufacturing everyone is seeking employees or even desperate for help to fill jobs," Mitchell said. "I've heard from companies in aerospace, in medical devices. All these skills are transferable."

Cruise said he hopes to pick up even more job leads when he meets this week with the local chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Association.

Problem is, the city and the Regional Employment Board were not told ahead of time that Berkshire Industries was closing. Had they gotten a heads up, people from the job centers, the REB and the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development would have been on hand to collect information and get folks started looking for work.

Now, Cruise said he's depending on getting the laid-off workers to step forward and identify themselves at the job centers.

"Some of them may not do that," he said.

Cruise said the machine tool industry is a tight community and some of the workers may be using their own network of industry contacts. But he said there is more help out there.

Berkshire Industries was a precision parts manufacturer founded in 1956 that recently had 150 employees.

Employees at the 100,000-square-foot facility at 109 Apremont Way referred questions last week Whitesell Industries, the company's Naples, Florida-based owner. Those inquires were not answered.

Berkshire had only about 80 employees when it closed, Mitchell said.
Employees from MassLive Media and The Republican recently celebrated the best quarter of audience growth in the nearly 20-year history of the website which is now among the largest digital properties in New England.

Tim Kennedy, president of MassLive Media, addressed the crowd in the press room of The Republican as the two operations gathered to celebrate the milestones.

"We make each other successful in what we are doing together in growing our audience at MassLive, growing our social platforms, Facebook and YouTube videos," Kennedy said.

George Arwady, publisher of The Republican, praised the cooperation between The Republican and MassLive and informed the crowd on the successes of the newspaper's commercial printing operation, which publishes six daily newspapers along with weeklies and other products which amount to 240 separate press runs each week.

In the third quarter of 2017, MassLive enjoyed three months in a row of more than 4 million unique visitors, including a record 4.7 million in August. Page views for the three-month period totaled 104,061,699 broken down by 31,735,277 in July, 35,031,208 in August and 37,295,214 in September.*

Video growth on the site also spiked in the quarter with July seeing just under 1.7 million combined video views between YouTube and Facebook, August with over 2.5 million and September with more than 2.8 million.

The growth follows MassLive's expansion beyond its traditional Western Mass. coverage area in recent years to a statewide news organization with reporters in Worcester, Boston and beat reporters covering the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox and Boston Celtics.

MassLive Media is headquartered at the MassLive Building at 1350 Main St. in downtown Springfield. The Republican is located at 1860 Main St. in Springfield.

*Burt analytics, July-September 2017
PALMER - Batstate Wing Hospital is pleased to announce the addition of Dr. O'Neil Green, Pulmonologist and Intensivist to their medical staff. Dr. Green is board certified in Pulmonary Medicine, Critical Care Medicine and Internal Medicine.

Dr. Green earned his Medical Degree from the University of West Indies (Mona), Kingston, Jamaica. He completed residency in Internal Medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital/ Queens Medical Center and conducted research at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Green completed his fellowship in Critical Care at Yale New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut, and his fellowship in Pulmonary Medicine at Norwalk Hospital/Yale School of Medicine, Norwalk, Connecticut.

"We are pleased to welcome Dr. Green to our team as we build our pulmonary services," said Dr. David Maguire, Chief Medical Officer for Baystate Health's Eastern Region, which includes Baystate Mary Lane and Baystate Wing Hospital. "We believe that providing access to community based pulmonology medicine is critical for the health of our patients."

Prior to joining Baystate Health's Pulmonary & Critical Care team, Dr. Green was an attending physician in pulmonary and critical care at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington, Connecticut and was a Clinical Instructor at Yale School of Medicine.

Dr. Green is member of the American Thoracic Society, the American College of Chest Physicians, the American College of Physicians, Medical Association of Jamaica and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine.
By Shaina Mishkin | smishkin@masslive.com

Have you ever come across something spooky in the woods? Maybe it was an old cabin, some rusty car parts or an overgrown trail. With over 3.2 million acres of forested land, Massachusetts has a lot of room for unexpected things in the woods.

Here are 10 of the spookiest things we know about:

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Dungeon Rock, Lynn

According to Friends of Lynn Woods, Dungeon Rock's legend dates back to the mid-1600s, when pirates arrived in Saugus. One of the pirates, Thomas Veal, is said to have made the cave in Lynn Woods his home for several years until an earthquake hit and sealed Veal inside.

That rumor would be spooky enough without the arrival of Hiram Marble in the mid-1800s. In search of the pirate's treasure, Marble bought five acres of land surrounding the cave, built a house and devoted his life to blasting through stone in search of riches he never found.

Today, several remnants of the structures Marble built can still be found at Dungeon Rock, which is located off of the appropriately-named Dungeon Road in Lynn Woods.

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Skull Cliff, Saugus

"Take the knowledge that you will someday be these bones, and enjoy now."

This is the message that greets hikers who come across a colorful rockface in the Lynn Woods Reservation. Covered in hundreds of painted skulls, Skull Cliff is an "unofficial" landmark on the other side of Lynn Woods from Dungeon Rock.

According to a Patch article, the rock, painted by an artist known as "Ichabod," has been there for a little over a decade.

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Purgatory Chasm, Sutton

Is there a name more ominous than Purgatory Chasm? This rocky state park's main path leads to formations like "Devil's Coffin," "Fat Man's Misery," "Devil's Pulpit" and "Lover's Leap". While the park is popular with hikers, all the foreboding names are not without reason: the rocks can be difficult to climb, and some areas are more dangerous to hike than others.

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Satan's Kingdom, Northfield

Is there a name more ominous than Purgatory Chasm? Yes, Satan's Kingdom.

A small unincorporated community in Northfield, Satan's Kingdom is home to the Satan's Kingdom Wildlife Management Area, which features a hiking trail through the woods.

According to a WCBV piece, the name "Satan's Kingdom" comes from the area's reputation for dangerous wildlife -- think poisonous snakes, not an actual devil -- in colonial times.

For more information on hiking in the area, visit northfieldmass.org.

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Rutland State Prison, Rutland

The handful of structures that still stand in Rutland State Park were once part of Rutland State Prison Camp, a prison for minor offenders. According to townofrutland.org, the camp was established in 1903 and put prisoners to work farming potatoes, milking cows and harvesting eggs. Some of the buildings, which were abandoned in November 1934, still stand.

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Dogtown and the Babson Boulders, Gloucester

"Never try never win," "Use your head," and "Keep out of debt" are some reminders one can expect to come across in the woods at the long-abandoned settlement known as Dogtown, which is now part of the Essex National Heritage Area.

According to Essexheritage.org, the area used to be a town but fell into decline once residents moved toward Gloucester Harbor. During the Great Depression, Roger Babson, who the New England Historical Society called an eccentric millionaire, chose the grounds as a home for his "Babson Boulders," large rocks with inspirational saying carved into them.

Today little remains of the original town, but the carved boulders scatter the woods around the Babson Reservoir and Dogtown Road. For more information and maps, visit thedacrons.com.

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Becket Land Trust Historic Quarry and Forest

This former Becket Quarry opened in the 1800s and ran for a century until closing in the 1960s. According to the Becket Land Trust, the area is one of the most intact historic quarries in Massachusetts, with abandoned buildings, drills, trucks and more still on the site. Exploring the area, which is owned by the Trust, is like stepping back in time.

For more information, visit becketlandtrust.org.

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Dana Common

With the pristine environment that surrounds the Quabbin Reservoir today, it may be hard to believe that the quiet area had ever been anything else. However, some locations now overtaken by nature or water used to house towns of their own. After the reservoir was planned, the Central Mass. towns of Greenwich, Enfield, Dana and Prescott were chosen to be cleared and demolished to make way for the water.

Though few remnants of the towns remain at the Quabbin Reservoir today, visitors can see the former Dana Common a few miles from Gate 40. The area features old roads, retaining walls, foundations and a stone marker commemorating the site.

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Goshen Mystery Tunnel, Goshen

Looking at Goshen on Google Maps, one landmark stands apart from the businesses that dot Route 9: a pinpoint for the "Goshen Mystery Tunnel" appears in a plot of land between Route 9 and Cemetery Road.

According to "Curious New England," the tunnel's main shaft is three and a half feet wide and drops 15 feet into the earth. At the bottom, tunnels extend in either direction. For safety reasons, the entrance to the tunnel has been covered by a rock.

There is no answer as to why the tunnel was constructed or who built it, but, according to "Weird New England," theories range from a hideout for counterfeiters to an abandoned treasure pit.

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Gravity Hill, Greenfield

Unlike other entries on this list, you have to experience the Greenfield Gravity Hill in a car. When one stops their car and shifts into neutral just beyond the Route 2 overpass on Shelburne Road in Greenfield, it will appear that the car is cruising uphill. It might just be an illusion, but it is a convincing and unsettling one.

For tips on how to experience the gravity hill, visit roadsideamerica.com.

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Have your own spooky find in the woods? Let us know where in the comments.
The curtain will rise on Thursday at the

in West Springfield when "Crimes of the Heart," the comedy-drama that put playwright Beth Henley on the books, opens for a one-month run.

"It's just such a funny play about a fairly dark situation, and I'm a lover of dark humor. These three women are strong, funny, and irreverent, and you just fall in love with them. Life has handed them something right out of the school of hard knocks, but they just keep on going," said Kate Damon, who is directing the play.

"I just want to make the story believable, and I'm trusting my actors for that," she added.

The story is set in Hazelhurst, Mississippi in 1974, and focuses on the gathering of the three Magrath sisters - Lenny, Meg and Babe. The trio has come together at the home of their grandfather, who is living out his last hours in a local hospital. Lenny, the eldest sister, is unmarried and facing few prospects. Meg, the middle sister, has had an unsuccessful attempt to launch a singing career in California, and Babe, the youngest, is out on bail after having shot her abusive husband. Joining them are their cousin Chick, an old boyfriend of Meg's named Doc, and Barnette, an awkward young lawyer attempting to keep Babe out of jail.

It's not just Babe, who shot her husband, who is "guilty" of crimes of the heart, Damon noted.

"All three sisters are reflective of the play's title. They all suffer "crimes of the heart" and have deniee themselves love, feeling they are not worthy of it. But, by the end of the play, they discover that they are more than worthy of being loved and that they are good people," she said.

Written by American playwright Beth Henley, "Crimes of the Heart" won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play. In 1986, the play was novelized and released as a book, written by Claudia Reilly. A film - starring Sissy Spacek, Diane Keaton and Jessica Lange - followed in the same year and was nominated for three Academy Awards.

Cast members for the Majestic production include Emily Bloch as Lenny, Suzanne Ankrum as Meg, Katie Sloan as Babe, Dan Whelton as Doc, Josiah Durham as Barnette, and Elizabeth Drevits as Chick.

It's Bloch's first time performing at The Majestic.

"I've been acting since I graduated from college with a degree in theater," said Bloch, who left New York to return to the Pioneer Valley "she loved so much," settling in Easthampton.

"I knew The Majestic was the place to go to build up credits here. I felt it was time to act again and gave it a shot and was lucky to be cast as Lenny," she added.

Bloch noted she fell in love with Lenny the minute she read the script.

"Lenny tries so hard to keep everyone in line when everything is falling apart, and she does it, despite feeling that things will go wrong. You just want to give her a hug and tell Lenny, 'You can do it, just believe in yourself,'" Bloch said.

"I'm drawing on the times in my life when I felt that I could have taken bigger chances and felt as if the world was on my shoulders, and I'm drawing on my own family dynamics to portray Lenny," she added.

The play runs through Dec. 10 and will be followed on Dec. 13 with the theater's annual "Home for the Holidays" show.
Protesters demonstrated on Monday at the start of a month-long retrospective of the films of Roman Polanski in Paris, noting he is a fugitive from U.S. justice for child rape.

Polanski fled to Europe after failing to show up for sentencing in 1978 for his conviction of having been convicted of "unlawful sex" with a 13-year-old girl.

In recent months, four other women claimed to have been molested by Polanski over the years, bringing the total number of accusers to five, according to Britain's The Sun. One woman said she was 10 years old at the time and was moved by the Harvey Weinstein scandal to come forward.

At La Cinematheque Francaise on Monday, dozens of people demonstrated against the Polanski retrospective. The 84-year-old filmmaker was in attendance for the screening of his latest film "D'apres une Histoire Vraie" ("Based on a True Story").

Inside, two topless protesters, one with "Very Important Pedocriminel" written on her torso, interrupted the event, shouting "No honors for rapists!" before they were quickly escorted out, The Guardian reported

The group that organized the protest, Osez Le Feminisme, issued a statement on its website: "Have we learned nothing these past few weeks? ... By choosing to produce this Polanski retrospective and by negating his criminal deeds, the Cinematheque is contributing to the idea that raping a child is not all that serious in the face of artistic genius."

La Cinematheque Francaise defended its decision to honor Polanski's work.

"We don't give out prizes or certificates for good behavior," the film museum said in a statement. "Our ambition is different: to show the complete work of filmmakers and to place them in the permanent history of the Cinematheque."

France's culture minister has also defended the retrospective.

"It's about a body of work, not about a man," Francoise Nyssen told France Inter. "It's not for me to condemn a body of work."
PITTSFIELD, Mass. (AP) -- Prosecutors are asking a court to halt a Massachusetts museum's plans to sell 40 works of art, including two by Norman Rockwell.

State Attorney General Maura Healey's office urged the court Monday to stop the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield from selling the art until the legal questions are sorted out. Rockwell's three sons had requested the order to stop the museum.

The Democratic attorney general says her office hasn't finished its investigation into the possible sale beginning Nov. 13. She says it may be impossible to get the artworks back if a court later finds the museum wasn't allowed to sell them in the first place.

A lawyer for the museum said it continues to believe there are no legal barriers to the sales.
Established in 1992, the public venture capital fund tries to spur economic development by investing in small businesses trying to set up shop or expand in West Virginia.

And we would agree with Pat Bond, a member of the Investment Trusts board, and a successful businessman in his own right, that "you miss all the shots you dont take."

John Miller  Executive Editor

https://www.theet.com/opinion/editorials/should-state-have-ownership-in-private-companies/article_3ef27404-7dc6-5183-ab24-4e967da2664c.html
Referees and Coaches of Match Officials (CMOs) drawn from across the continent are following a series of online workshops run by Alain Rolland, High-Performance 15s Match Official Manager for World Rugby.

This initiative will help upskill match officials in the key focus areas of the game, and the programme will run for over two months.

With 42 participants (including 11 women), the English-speaking group, comprised of Botswana, Ghana, Lesotho, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia & Zimbabwe, kicked off on May 19 2020. The French-speaking group, with 35 participants (including eight women) from Burkina Faso, Cote dIvoire, Madagascar, Senegal & Tunisia, began its first session on May 21 2020.

According to Mudiwa Mundawarara, Rugby Africa (www.RugbyAfrique.com) Referee Manager, the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions that it has brought, has meant that Rugby Africa have had to resort to the use of technology. This will very much be the case going forward and will enable us to take such development initiatives more widely than just to the Rugby Africa Panel. Noteworthy, has been our insistence on the inclusion of women for these workshops. The numbers are still low, but this is a start. We hope to address this through development initiatives aimed specifically at women match officials, said Mundawarara.

Each group will hold seven one-hour sessions of, every two weeks. Facilitator, Alain Rolland, engages with the audience online via the Zoom platform by presenting videos on various phases of the game. The topics covered are as follows:

 Week 1 Breakdown (tackle and ruck)

 Week 2 Scrum

 Week 3 Foul play

 Week 4 Foul play 2

 Week 5 Lineout/Maul

 Week 6 Space

 Week 7 Any other business and wrap up

Beryl Akinyi, a female referee from Kenya, commented: The workshop was very educative, thanks for the opportunity. I enjoyed the session, learnt a few things and refreshed on others that I already knew. As for Jacky Husselman, CMO from Namibia, This first one was a very good session. Maybe a bit short on time, but I guess everyone has their things to do and we cant have it longer. Im looking forward to the next course.

Alhambra Nievas, Referee Talent Development Manager with World Rugby, admitted her satisfaction. She recognized that while the Covid-19 pandemic has produced plenty of challenges, World Rugby has identified this as an ideal opportunity to work with the regions and unions building together with our capability and capacity in providing a bespoke learning experience. This training project goes through the key areas of the game and agreed on guidelines, preparing us as Match Officials to be more consistent when rugby restarts.

We kicked off this week with the first session around the breakdown. It is a new environment for everyone, not being in a room together. Still, the groups were very engaging and generated some great discussions with the different scenarios and clips which were reviewed, concluded Alain Rolland, High-Performance 15s Match Official Manager with World Rugby.

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Eight dead in "act of terror" in New York City: mayor

(Xinhua) 07:16, November 01, 2017

Police officers stand guard near the site of an attack in lower Manhattan in New York, the United States, on Oct. 31, 2017. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called on Tuesday a truck attack near the World Trade Center "an act of terror," in which eight people were killed and a dozen more injured. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

NEW YORK, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- Eight people were killed and a dozen more injured after a truck plowed into pedestrians near the World Trade Center in New York City, the mayor said on Tuesday.

Based on the information authorities had at the moment, the incident was "a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians," Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a press conference.

Speaking at the conference alongside with the mayor, New York City Police Commissioner James O' Neil said the suspect was a 29-year-old man who was not from New York. He said authorities would not release his identity immediately.

At 3:05 p.m., a male driving a rented Home Depot pickup truck entered the West Side Highway bicycle path at Houston Street, according to O' Neil. He said the man began driving southbound, striking a number of pedestrians and bicyclists along the route.

At Chambers Street, the truck collided with a school bus, injuring two adults and two children, according to the police.

After the collision, the driver exited the vehicle, holding up a paintball gun and a pellet gun. He was shot by a uniformed police officer and was then sent to a hospital.

The attack occurred hours before an annual Halloween parade was to take place in Lower Manhattan, which would be packed with thousands of people in costumes.
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Its a year, almost exactly, since Piaget launched the Polo S. It was more than a new collection. It was a gamble  three gambles, in fact. First, there was the gamble of seducing new, younger clients who are plugged into the zeitgeist. To achieve this, the manufacture deployed resources commensurate with its ambitions: a high-profile New York launch event, Michelin-starred chefs as ambassadors, a glamorous advertising campaign and concerted social media actions. The second gamble was to retain its loyal existing client base. This was not a foregone conclusion, given that the Polo S is not gold or platinum, but steel, a utility metal with which the manufacture has little experience. Its last steel creation before this was the Upstream, launched in 2001 and withdrawn five years later. Another potential challenge was that this watch was not particularly thin, and the house speciality is ultra-thin movements. That was perhaps one of the reasons behind the launch slogan: Play a different game. Reading between the lines, this means providing a different product for different men (game changers, as Piaget calls them). But the companys loyal customers can rest assured, Piaget isnt changing.

Finally, the third gamble was to boost the brands growth with more competitive pricing. That was the ambition of Philippe Leopold-Metzger, who unfortunately was not around long enough to see how his strategy played out; six months later, the Richemont group began its game of musical chairs, and he was replaced by Chabi Nouri, although he stayed on as non-executive chairman of the brand.

Initial conclusions

So, one year down the line, have the gambles paid off? In terms of communication, yes. The launch film was widely shared on social networks. As Valerie Nowak, the brands director of international communication, told Strategies in December: Our campaign generated over 11 million pageviews on YouTube and 346,000 live views. On Facebook, we reached a peak of 818 new followers and 5,087 new fans. It was a very successful launch whose effects continue to be felt one year on; for example, on the Swiss domestic market Piaget left the Polo S to its own devices, with no follow-up media campaigns. The watch will find itself in the spotlight again at the SIHH in January.

Malcolm Borwick  Piaget

In the meantime, the brand nevertheless conducted a second launch in the spring, with a limited edition of 888 pieces for three all-black versions (dial, case and strap). It was a significant break from the first Polo, launched in 1979, on which the current model is based. Piaget has confirmed its young, urban, dynamic trajectory, and its international vocation. With the Polo S, the manufacture was able to target the North American market, which is keen on steel. Nevertheless, Quentin Hebert, Piagets head of watch marketing, noted: As for our iconic Altiplano collection, China is an extremely important market for the Polo S. This watch has also fulfilled its mission of satisfying our local customers, and Switzerland has recorded some excellent results, which we hope to build on.

Polo S  Piaget

Finally, to encourage international adoption, Piaget, like many other companies in recent months, has placed its trust in Mr Porter. The site now offers the Polo S, including those black limited editions, in its online store. And Piaget is not the only taker. Mr Porter has the wind in its sails, with clients including IWC, Bell & Ross, Junghans, Panerai, Zenith and Oris, although Piaget is the only watch and jewellery brand to be represented. While sales figures remain confidential, the Polo S has certainly rejuvenated the image of the venerable jewellery house.
Watch the ceremony live! Watch the ceremony live!

Tune in to the 2022 GPHG ceremony, which will be digitally hosted on WorldTempus today at 6:30PM (Swiss time)

Tune in to the 2022 GPHG ceremony, which...
The operation resulted in the destruction of six 4x4 vehicles and the killing of all "criminal elements" inside

Egypt's military has foiled an attempt to smuggle arms and illegal materials into the country across its western border with Libya, the armed forces said in a statement on Monday evening.

The operation resulted in the destruction of six 4x4 vehicles and the killing of all "criminal elements" inside, according to the statement.

"Egypt's border guard units, along with the air force, are combing the western borders in the area of the operation," the military said.

The Egyptian military has been conducting operations in Egypt's Western Desert to stop the infiltration of militants and the smuggling of weapons across the Egyptian-Libyan border.

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Egypt is "deeply concerned" over the rise of discrimination against migrants and minorities in Europe, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Tuesday.

He made the comments in Greece in a speech to the Second International Conference on "Religious and Cultural Pluralism and Peaceful Coexistence in the Middle East".

Shoukry voiced his concerns over the incitement and hatred that he said is spreading through both political and media discourse in Europe.

"Such acts give free victories to the advocates of hatred, as well as stimulating confrontations and polarization," Shoukry said.

The foreign minister also discussed the huge flow of migrants within the Middle East, which has spread to Europe.

"Despite the opportunities that are sometimes brought by such a flow, we have to admit the political, economic, social and cultural challenges faced by communities that receive migrants," he said.

"You must acknowledge that some countries in the region, including Egypt, achieved a victory for such human principles and endured great burdens amid limited support from the international community, which has turned away from this difficult situation," he added.

Egypt has said repeatedly that it currently hosts around 5 million refugees from Arab and African countries.

According to the UNHCR website's profile on Egypt, as of August, the country was hosting 187,838 registered refugees, mostly from Sudan, Syria and Libya, with the number of unregistered refugees believed to be much higher.

He also discussed the country's war against terrorism, citing the latest attack against security forces in Egypt's Western Desert, which killed 16 policemen.

"The Egyptian people are paying a huge price for this evil, which is trying to harm national unity and destroy the society's cohesion," he said.

He added that it was time for the international community to develop a clear and consistent stance against terrorism.

"The past years have proved that there is no country or region in the world that is safe from terrorism. I reiterate the necessity of cutting off funding, as well as political and military and logistic support, to terrorists," he said.

He accentuated the need for a comprehensive approach to combating terrorism, based on a strategy put forward by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi during a US-Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh last May.

El-Sisi said the main components of any plan to defeat terrorism must be harmony and dialogue, as well as boosting understanding between religions.

Egypt has repeatedly called for the reform of religious discourse, describing it as a key issue for the Egyptian community and the Muslim world.

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Losso JN, Finley JW, Karki N, Liu AG, Prudente A, Tipton R, Yu Y, Greenway F. Pilot study of the tart cherry juice for the treatment of insomnia and investigation of mechanisms. American Journal of Therapeutics (2017).

Jack Losso, lead researcher, professor in the School of Nutrition and Food Sciences at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center in Baton Rouge said that insomnia is prevalent among older adults and if left untreated can lead to a wide range of health issues.Most people are hesitant to take medications for sleep. Hence, the increasing demand for natural sleep remedies. Jack Losso had previously conducted few studies on tart cherry juice and sleep.The research team analyzed eight healthy male and female participants who were 50 years and older with chronic insomnia. The participants whose bedtime was between 9 p.m and midnight took part in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.The participants were divided randomly into Montmorency tart cherry juice group or a placebo control group.Participants in the Montmorency tart cherry juice group received about 240 mL of Montmorency tart cherry juice in the morning and at night (1-2 hours before bedtime) for 14 days. Montmorency tart cherry juice had a measured level of procyanidin.The research team compared the results with a placebo and found that the Montmorency tart cherry juice increased sleep time in older adults who were suffering from insomnia by 84 minutes and that it also increased sleep efficiency in them.The results obtained from this study adds to the previous research findings, which shows the potential effects of Montmorency tart cherry juice on sleep's quantity and quality.Further research is needed, and the researchers at Louisiana State University are encouraged by the results of this study, the increase in sleep time among older adult insomniacs.Insomnia is defined as getting insufficient sleep which can be in the form of difficulty in falling asleep or difficulty in maintaining sleep.Insomnia is just a symptom and is not a disease by itself. Conditions that can disturb sleep, like pain or anxiety, usually cause insomnia.Lack of proper sleep can cause daytime sleepiness, which affects the individual's productivity at work and might increase the chance of accidents due to fatigue and lack of concentration.Maintaining a sleep diary can help diagnose insomnia. Before starting with any therapy, the patient needs to be educated on the sleep hygiene measures.Source: Medindia
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Researchers from Boston Medical Center (BMC) developed an intervention that connected participants with a patient navigator, who could assist them in getting prescriptions for nicotine replacement therapies and referring them to counseling resources. The study also provided financial incentives for quitting.Participants were not told how much money they could receive at the onset of the study. Those who quit at six months received $250, and an additional $500 if they were not smoking at 12 months.Those who did not quit at six months were given a second chance to earn $250 if they quit at 12 months. Participants in the control group received informational materials about resources to help them quit smoking.Participants who reported quitting had their saliva or urine tested to biologically confirm smoking cessation at the six and 12-month marks.After six months, nearly 10 percent of the intervention group had quit smoking, while less than one percent in control group had quit smoking; after 12 months, 12 percent of the intervention group quit smoking, while two percent of the control group had quit."Our results show that a successful intervention to help low-SES individuals quit smoking should be multi-faceted and focus on both assisting with resources and, when possible, providing financial incentives," says lead author Karen E. Lasser, MD, MPH, a general internist at BMC and Associate Professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and Associate Professor of community health sciences at BU School of Public Health."Most of the participants who quit smoking utilized patient navigation, but it's unclear whether navigation alone would achieve the rates of smoking cessation we observed."The intervention was found to be especially beneficial for older participants, women, and non-white smokers. The study was performed at an urban, safety-net hospital and the majority of participants were female and African American. This study was supported by the American Cancer Society.Source: Eurekalert


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Egyptian border guards thwarted attempts at illegal migration by 440 people during the month of October, a statement by the Egyptian army read on Tuesday.

The statement did not specify the nationalities of the migrants or provide details about their migration attempts.

Egyptian Armed Forces spokesman Tamer El-Refaie also said that the army's border guards destroyed three tunnels along the Egyptian border in North Sinai.

Authorities also seized narcotics including heroin, pills, and marijuana, as well as weapons and ammunition.

In recent years, thousands of refugees and migrants have attempted to cross the Mediterranean, with hundreds arrested in Egypt for attempting to migrate illegally.

Cairo has been working with European nations in recent years to tackle the migrant crisis.

In 2016, Egypt passed a law mandating stiff penalties for human trafficking after a migrant boat sank of the Mediterranean coast, killing around 200 people.

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The Egyptian military said on Tuesday it had conducted airstrikes on terrorist hideouts, killing "a large number of terrorists" involved in an attack in the Western Desert that killed 16 policemen earlier this month.

In a statement carried by state-run news agency MENA, the military said it had attacked the hideouts located in a mountainous area of Fayoum governorate, located in the Western Desert.

The strikes destroyed three 4X4 vehicles with large amounts of arms and ammunition, as well as explosive materials.

According to the statement, the military and police were still combing the area to eliminate any terrorists who may have escaped.

On 19 October, terrorists killed 16 policemen and injured 13 others during a firefight in Bahariya Oasis, in the Western Desert.

Tuesday's air assault is the latest step in an ongoing military operation to raid terrorist hideouts following the Western Desert attack. The raids have taken place in remote areas of Giza governorate and several governorates of Upper Egypt.

On Friday, 13 terrorists were killed during a raid by police on an abandoned ranch building located at the 47km mark on the Assiut-Al-Kharga Oasis Highway.

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On the second stop on his tour of South America, which is aimed at imparting momentum to economic relations with the regions countries, Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Giorgos Katrougalos met on 27 October, at the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with his counterpart, Patti Londono.



Mr. Katrougalos also met at length with representatives from the Ministries of Trade, Labour, Education, e-Administration and Shipping, with whom he explored the potential for bilateral cooperation in all of the above sectors ahead of the Colombian Foreign Ministers upcoming visit to Greece.



Earlier, the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs had met with the head of the ProColombia Organization, the counterpart of Enterprise Greece, for the purpose of exploring mutually beneficial bilateral synergies.

On the afternoon of the same day, Mr. Katrougalos delivered a lecture at the Colombian Diplomatic Academy, in cooperation with the University of los Andes, on the subject of the future of Europe, and in the evening he attended a dinner hosted by the Greek community in Bogota.

This was the first visit to Colombia by a Greek Minister.
N. KOTZIAS: We have so many things to talk about and I have so many requests  its very kind of you  for interviews with Greek and international outlets that I decided we should meet all together to avoid any issue of misapprehension.

We are in interesting negotiations with our neighbours. We had the long trip to the U.S., which had many aspects that have to do with foreign policy. As you know, in Washington, beyond the Prime Ministers programme, I saw Mr. McMaster, and afterwards I also met with the new political directors.

I went to Turkey the day before yesterday. On Monday, we have the Conference on the protection of the Religious and Cultural Communities in the Middle East. Eight Ministers and Deputy Ministers are coming. Of course, they wont stay throughout. The Hungarian Minister will come on Monday morning, the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs will arrive on Monday evening. The Hungarian Minister will have left, but they are honouring us, because the Conference is more in the nature of our having a discussion with the religious and cultural leaders.

The conclusion I have drawn is that our foreign policy is upgraded  something that our diplomats have pointed out to me. In fact, our Ambassador in Ankara, Mr. Mavroidis, reminded me that three years ago we made requests to meet with a number of states at the UN, while in September of this year, at the UN General Assembly, we had three times the number of requests that we could satisfy during the five days we were there.

Whats more, in New York we had, for the first time, a number of meetings of international initiatives that we ourselves have put together, like the Ancient Civilizations Forum, with the participation of eight of the nine Ministers of the states participating in the Forum, including the Chinese, Iraqi and Iranian Ministers. We also had meetings in the context of the trilateral and quadrilateral cooperation schemes we have created in the Balkans.

In October, we held the second quadrilateral cross-border cooperation meeting. All in all, we have put together and put into operation 14 international institutional initiatives, which lend our country a firm and upgraded role.

These are all positive developments for our multilevel and multidimensional policy. I would say that our policy is one that takes initiatives, that is proactive. We let no opportunity pass. Of course, often we dont publicise these. We dont exercise foreign policy to fuel an image. We exercise foreign policy to promote our countrys interests and to ensure that they respect us and take us into account.

On the day I became Minister of Foreign Affairs, as you will remember, there was an internal document of the European Union, in which it was announced to me that a decision had been taken on a given issue about which they hadnt even asked us.

Today we are one of the few countries that receive drafts of such documents well in advance, so that they know whether we are in basic disagreement or agreement, before it is sent, in accordance with the regular procedure, to most of the members of the Union.

In this context, we are talking on equal term with all of the countries, and in particular with the powerful ones. You know that we have developed economic and cultural relations with the Peoples Republic of China. It was together with China that we took the Ancient Civilizations Forum initiative. Nine states are participating in the ACF. Seven more states have requested membership.

Our next meeting will be in Bolivia, in the first half of 2018, and it has been agreed that we will invite two or three states as observers, not as members. There are a number of issues that we will choose to discuss.

We also have our relations with the strong powers involved in the Security Council. You know about Macrons visit and the very close relations we have with France. You know about our good relations with Russia. And of course with the USA. President Obama visited Athens at the end of his term, and we went and saw President Trump last week. We talked about the problems with the countrys Administration. There is recognition that Greece cannot be pressured. They have realized it and they are not putting pressure on us  because various things are being written. No one wants to put pressure on us any more, because, after all this time, they have come to know us. They know it wont work and that it would be of no benefit in any case. Just as many know that there is no point in asking for political favours at the Ministry. There are none, at least on the level that I control things.

I also want to announce to you that I will invite you to a special press conference in we are preparing, so that I can present issues concerning the fight against corruption at the Ministry. We have sent dozens of cases to the prosecutor. There are many cases in the disciplinary organs. These cases have to do with funding for NGOs, Ministry employees who had the bad habit of selling visas, or other things. On this we are uncompromising. As are the Disciplinary Council, prosecutors and judges.

You know that a high-ranking diplomatic employee recently received a prison sentence. And also recently, a consul serving abroad was fired from the Ministry by the Disciplinary Council. So were not playing around. I dont think this Ministry has more corruption than other ministries  so that there should be no misunderstanding  because we have examined so many cases.

But I do believe that the Service itself, with its high quality, is as relentless as the political leadership on this issue, because the corruption at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs concerns not only ethical and economic issues, but also has to do with the countrys security and capabilities. When someone plays with visas, for instance in Istanbul, it is a very grave issue because it can be used by third parties. What I want to say is that, for us, corruption has an additional and very strong, different side. I will hold a separate briefing on these cases, which are of interest.

With the Americans, as with every strong power in the world, we want to have regular, good diplomatic relations. There are certainly those in Greece who allege that a Greek government or minister can be expected to plead special circumstances or that it or he is under special pressure when talking with a foreigner.

We have shown how we conduct ourselves on the international stage in all of the international negotiations we have participated in, as we defended what we saw as patriotically and socially right.

Regarding the USA, you should know that we have carried out our own analyses of the regions problems. We have proposals that we have shared with interested parties in the Balkans; proposals on how certain problems can be resolved. We have proposals that we have shaped for two consecutive years in Rhodes; proposals on how a security structure can be created in South-east Europe, and so on.

We have a system of proposals that we make known to everyone. We set it out in previous meetings and in the latest meeting with the Americans.

In general, our proposals are of a positive agenda. That is, when a discussion opens in an international forum on the Middle East, the first thing you hear about is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A discussion of the Mediterranean starts with the wars in Syria, Iraq, Libya. As you know, Greece, along with other countries, is paying for the choices of third countries. That is, we had the huge wave of refugees, which wasnt created because it was us who overthrew Qaddafi or bombed Syria. The states that made those choices arent the ones being called upon to pay for them.

Consequently, one has to have ones own political proposal for how the whole region should evolve. From this perspective, we have launched a discussion on the shaping of a security structure in the eastern Mediterranean, like the one created through the Helsinki accords in the 1970s. It may take a number of years. We are discussing this with twelve Arab states, seven South-east European states, and two major international organizations of the Arab world, and we are also shaping common actions for such a structure.

The trilateral cooperation configurations are part of this structure. The trilateral schemes, I remind you, are a collaborative initiative on the part of Cyprus and Greece, plus five other countries (Israel, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan). We will be talking again with the Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Malki, who is coming to Athens on Sunday. We also have the quadrilateral cooperation configurations in the Balkans. There is the quadrilateral cross-border cooperation with Bulgaria, our neighbouring country to the north, fYROM, and Albania. Participating in the other quadrilateral scheme are the four EU member states of South-east Europe: Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece. We also have two new trilateral cooperation schemes with Armenia and Georgia.

Through this positive agenda, we are attempting to promote solutions to problems we have in our immediate neighbourhood. You know about the Cyprus negotiations  I wont go into that. But I want to refer to three neighbouring countries: Turkey, Albania and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

You know that Turkey is going through a special period that led me to call it a restless power. This is a term that was used in the past  it isnt mine. It was used mainly in the mid-19th century to describe the newly emerging powers.

With Turkey, following last summer, we had dialogues, the Turkish Prime Minister came to Greece, as you know, but these dialogues werent systematic enough. Our view  and I will put it to you as I put it in Turkey  is that God or Allah, or history in my book  It doesnt matter to me what we call it  decided that these two states should coexist and be neighbours. What we need to do is find a way to regulate the relations between these two countries in a peaceful and creative way that benefits their peoples.

From this standpoint, we are working to start a new dialogue between the two countries on all levels and to reopen the channels of communication. To be clear, no one is doing this from a position of insecurity or because we are weak, as some people see the situation. On the contrary, we feel quite self-confident. The country has been strengthened again and it is our duty, especially in the Balkans, but also with regard to Turkey  precisely because we have this recovery of power  to conduct ourselves responsibly in order to develop these positive relations.

What did we do? First of all, on the trip to Turkey we agreed on solutions to a number of problems that were pending and that concerned the presence of the Christian element and the Greek element in our neighbouring country. For example, the proper functioning of the schools on Imbros. Moreover, that elections be held again at long last  because elections havent been held since 2013  in the 69 Charitable Foundations of Istanbul, and that the Turkish side not hinder these elections. And for the Ecumenical Federation of the Greeks of Istanbul to be able to open an office in Istanbul  something it has been requesting since 2011. All of these, at least from the standpoint of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are individual issues, but I think they have their significance in determining the atmosphere between the two states.

What we agreed upon was more important. We agreed for the President of Turkey to come to Greece and explained that they should avoid provocative actions that might make the trip more difficult. As it is the Ministries of Foreign Affairs that have to find the dates on which the meetings will take place, and mainly the meeting between the Presidents, of course, I estimate that the visit will take place some time in the last ten days of November, possible in December. So it will be happening soon.

Regarding the visit to Turkey, as soon as we arrived I told the Minister of Foreign Affairs that we want to invite the Turkish President to Greece. When we met with the President the following afternoon, he said I want to come soon, I want to come now, in November. So he knew of the invitation of the President of the Republic, and he wanted to come.

We agreed on the meeting of the two delegations to the High-Level Cooperation Council in February, in Thessaloniki. One of this meetings main goals will be our further cooperation on the issue of transport, and probably, I would think, issues of cooperation in the sector of culture and cultural heritage, though we will also be looking at other issues.

We agreed that the Ministers of Foreign Affairs will be meeting every six months, alternating. Our initial plan, which we agreed on this past Tuesday, in Turkey, is for Mr. Cavusoglu to come to Greece in May. In fact, the invitation I extended to him was for Rhodes. Last time he came to Crete.

Our country is too beautiful for us to limit our international meetings to Athens, and we always try to promote a positive image of the place where the meeting is held, as this boosts our tourism a great deal, along with the countrys general image in international news coverage  because there isn't just the natural beauty or social image, but also the security image.

A meeting in Rhodes with the participation of twelve Ministers of Foreign Affairs from the Arab world broadcasts the message that there is no problem with coming to Greece, as there perhaps is with other regions. When the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs is present in Crete, a month after a coup attempt, it shows he is in no danger and that our country is safe. The image speaks many, many languages as an element of international politics.

We agreed for the meetings between our Secretaries General to start again regularly, and we agreed to reopen the dialogue on defence-related confidence-building measures. I remind you that we made four proposals for CBMs to Turkey in 2015, and they accepted the one with nine points. Only a third of these points have been implemented; all of them need to be implemented. We are re-examining them, as we are doing with all of the agreements of the four previous High-Level Cooperation Councils.

Each side has yet to ratify five agreements: On the Turkish side, three from the first meeting and two from the second, while we have yet to ratify five from the second. Of course, we have ratified dozens of others, but we said we would take stock, with our Secretaries General, to see what is pending and what needs to be implemented.

We also decided that our Political Directors should meet  Turkey not being a member of the European Union, doesnt have a Political Director, but it has a deputy Secretary General  so they can coordinate certain meetings between Directorates of the Ministries on areas we have differences of opinion. We have differing opinions on many, many matters, but we can exchange views, for instance, on the Middle East, where it is useful for us to hear our neighbours views and tell them ours.

We also said there would be meetings between other Ministers. Yesterday and today, Economy and Development Minister Papadimitriou is meeting with his Turkish counterpart, and there is also interest in a meeting between the Education Ministers  regarding issues of cooperation between universities  and the Culture Ministers, but we will look at that as things proceed.

We also want the exploratory talks to start again. The exploratory talks have not produced results, but they are a framework within which solutions are sought. There were times in the past when we were close to solutions.

In the context of the meetings between the Secretaries General, there can be a discussion of aeronautical issues and, in general, all of the problems related to the violations and flyovers.

We want a channel of regular and responsible discussion, because notes verbales, complaints to international fora or to the Turks themselves do not suffice.

Within the first two weeks of November, we will have a meeting with the leadership of the Albanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, specialists and experts. Our goal is to discuss all of the pending issues deriving either from history  the phrase history as a school, not a prison is now famous the world over  or current issues that have arisen. We want to resolve them. We want to resolve them because we dont want them to come up in the process of Albanias accession to the European Union. I have explained that, if these issues are not resolved, there will be difficulties in the negotiations.

Some of these issues are easy to resolve, some are difficult. In some cases they can be resolved quickly, other issues will take time. But the agreement is for them to be put forward in a package. In other words, we can agree that, here, we have found a solution "a "or "b ".

For some time now we have had a coordinating group to which all of these issues go, under the Secretary General, for the Greek side, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, for the Albanian side. This coordinating group consists of four teams and a fifth that is ad hoc and that looks at the difficult issues. We will work together to try to resolve the majority of the issues. If they are resolved, we will be able to have other types of meetings as well. We want the issues to be resolved.

The second issue concerns our dear northern neighbour, as I call it, fYROM. As you know, for two years now we have been promoting confidence-building measures between the two sides.

I want to remind you that these measures, when I first announced them, were met, both internationally and in Skopje, with very strong resistance and suspicion. Today, the European documents dont even mention who it was who proposed them, which indicates that they are now generally accepted, and we dont mind what their provenance was.

We are preparing a number of new CBMs like those. We are rebuilding the old railway line between Bitola and Florina. We have completed the work on our side, and they have done most of the work on theirs, though there was a financing problem with the Bulgarian company that undertook the project.

We are in the midst of the procedures for approving the cleaning of the oil pipeline that runs from Thessaloniki to Skopje, and, more importantly, building a natural gas pipeline. We have launched cooperation between three universities on each side. There is better cooperation on the borders, and I hope we promote other measures as well.

What we are promoting now  and I am taking a very personal interest in this  is that we want to open Prespes. There were some legal issues. I think we found a legal solution for cooperation between Albania, fYROM and us.

If we succeed, and I hope we will, there will be a ceremony for the signing of the agreement, a good cultural event  I say this as an idea I have, not something finalized  with brass instruments from the three countries. This cooperation will help the development of the regions culture, tourism and economy a great deal. We can also get funding through the European Interreg policy for the region.

I am referring to examples of policies that benefit our citizens, improve the climate between societies, and benefit of the regions economy. Of course, the main issue we are confronting with our northern neighbour concerns irredentism and the name issue.

We have a committee on school books with Albania. We have resolved issues with the school books of ten out of the twelve grades, but the two that remain are also the most difficult, particularly with regard to the Geography and History classes. I hope we finish by the end of next summer. I hope that we will form a similar committee with our northern neighbours, fYROM. We have no objection to their looking at our school books as well, and if there is something wrong, I have no objection to its being corrected.

But the main problem is their irredentism. I would say that there are two problems in our relations. The first is irredentism, and the second is their sense that we dont want them to exist, about which I tease them  they dont want to hear it very much now  that this country is a gift of the gods, but they have a wrong godfather. In other words, the dispute over the name does not mean that Greece doesnt want this country to exist or that it is plotting to disrupt this state and break it up. Anything but! In my opinion, it is good that it exists. It is a country that, if we resolve our problems, is very connected to our social space, particularly that of Northern Greece, and we will see our relations develop very quickly.

I want to remind you that, if Im not mistaken, our country is the top investor in Albania and the third  down from second  in fYROM. Thus, these are countries with which we have mutually beneficial relations that we must develop further.

The latest confidence-building measure is utilisation of the Fire Services new academy in Ptolemaida. Albania and fYROM do not have officer training schools for their Fire Services, and we have placed ours at their disposal. This summer, thanks to Mr. Toskas, there was excellent cooperation on fighting wildfires.

Fires know no geographical borders. When a fire comes to a border, it doesnt say, No, I dont have a passport, I cant cross. So there needs to be a high level of cooperation on these issues as well.

Now regarding the name issue. Three or four weeks from today, Mr. Nimetz should be meeting with the negotiators. Mr. Vasilakis, who has a new assistant, is the negotiator for Greece. I imagine the other side will appoint their negotiator right after the second round of local elections.

I believe this issue must be resolved in the first half of 2018. If it isnt resolved, there will be major difficulties. If it is resolved, there is a three- to four-month bureaucratic process at the UN. So it will go to the end of 2018. If we dont manage within 2018, 2019 starts with presidential elections in our neighbouring country, and then, after the summer, we will be having elections. It isnt a good year for us to raise such issues, because well get caught up in the election campaigns, whereas these issues need to be addressed with composure.

As you know, I have been telling foreigners for many years that it was a bad idea for them to get involved in this issue. They got involved in a way that led Mr. Gruevski to think the matter didnt need to be resolved. They trained him in a way not consistent with what I call European culture of compromise and consensus.

I think that this government has a greater willingness to compromise and seek consensus. These problems arent resolved through one or the other sides imposing their point of view. Such things happen only in times of war and are very short term, because at some point the war ends and the winners also become losers, and there is an end to the balance of power that enables a side to impose their will simply because they can. We want a durable solution. A solution that insults no one. A solution that is acceptable to both populations and both sides.

I have talked to all of the experts I know in the country. With all the people who have been involved in the past, particularly in Northern Greece, or who are concerned about these issues. I think that there is a willingness in our country to have done with history as a prison where this issue is concerned and to find a solution.

I want compromises, but I want correct compromises. I want creative, productive compromises, not "rotten compromises", as I call them. Because those arent compromises, they are disruption.

And of course I always remember the great poet  at least I do, as a leftist  Bertolt Brecht, who said that the problem isnt just what the mouth says, but also what the ear hears.

And I understood this when I went to Ankara for the first time in my life and realised that a large portion of the citys population saw Greece as the greatest threat to them. And why was this? Because we had reached as far as the foothills of Ankaras plateau. We were the only army theyd seen, while I had the sense that only our border populations were concerned. This played a major role in my understanding of foreign policy.

As I said, it is up to us to reverse the feeling that exists in fYROM that we dont want this country to exist, and that is what we are doing. I think it is good that it exists and that, for many, many strategic reasons, it helps the region. They, on the other hand, have to abandon irredentism.

It will be easy to resolve the name issue if they stop the public manifestations of irredentism. If there is someone who says that such-and-such a region belongs to such-and-such a state, I dont care. What I care about is state policy and, in particular, the education of the younger generation, and I must say that, during Mr. Gruevskis time, things were done that didnt help. The name problem was shifted onto the younger generation, and it developed from a geographical and historical problem into a problem of national characteristics, heritage. That is, it became very "heavy", especially for the generation that finished school over the past twelve years.

As I study this issue, my sense is that the middle and older age groups understand the significance of the problem, and they also feel closer to our country.

I want to underscore here that our country makes no claim on our friendly neighbouring country. It has no demands. It is an open country, an open embrace. Provided we resolve the problem of irredentism and the name issue, we are a great embrace ready to welcome all of the people from this country.

And very briefly, the last issue: on Sunday we will have some luncheons, and on Monday we are having breakfast with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus and Hungary. On Monday and Tuesday of the coming week we are holding the International Conference for the support of Religious and Cultural Pluralism in the Middle East.

I want to underscore something that I firmly believe. There are many western societies that, due to the way they were built, fight for their multiculturalism. Or, like Canada, they define themselves as a multicultural country.

But despite the fact that many people have the impression that the Middle East is just merely violence, murders, terrorism, etc., multicultural societies existed in the Middle East  deeply, democratically and through the difficulties of time. The Middle East was a land and space that gave birth to powerful and great civilizations, as well as religions  at least the modern ones that exist in the West.

The cultures and religions coexisted in these countries for 2,000 years. It was a major achievement of humankind, and it perished through terrorism, the persecution of small religious groups, of Christianity in all its permutations, the collapse of the multicultural nature that existed in these countries, and particularly of the educated Islamic element that spread different cultures. This region became an agent and melting pot of these cultures, and this element does not exist in the current image we get from television or the radio.

This loss is not just the loss of human life  which is tragic in any case. It is not just the destruction of young peoples futures, which is tragic, but it is also a loss of wealth for all humanity, as different cultural traditions and religions coexisted for thousands of years in the region.

When we held the 1st International Conference, it was very well received internationally. Many, many initiatives have been undertaken and many events have been held, in at least 80 countries throughout the world, on this subject. And I think it is good that an issue that we raised first on this scale proved to be an issue that moves people very deeply, with a sense of responsibility to humanity, which we want to believe is a civilized humanity. And Im not saying they took these initiatives because we did  they may have decided to do so on their own  but it was an issue that we raised.

The inauguration of the proceedings will be open. The President of the Republic, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, will be speaking first. A luncheon has been scheduled for the afternoon, hosted by the President of Parliament  whom I thank very much  for our guests, apart from the church leaders.

The Archbishop is hosting a luncheon for the Patriarchs of the Orthodox Church, the Rabbis, the Muftis  a number of important Muftis are coming, including the Mufti of Cairo  the Deputy Secretary of State of the Vatican, and other Catholic leaders. So there will be two parallel luncheons, and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will address the evenings dinner.

So the state has attached maximum importance to this event. The opening of the Conference, at 09:30 on Monday, will be open to the public. Also, when the Conference concludes, like the the last time, I will hold a brief press conference on what was said at this two-day International Conference. But I will be open to questions on other current issues that may arise.

I think Ive said enough. There have been many important recent developments. Turkey and the two negotiations are the most important things we are currently dealing with in this building.

JOURNALIST: Good morning. Given your recent trip to Turkey and your meetings with Mr. Erdogan and Mr. Cavusoglu, I would like to ask whether the Cyprus issue was discussed during this trip  it obviously isnt a Greek-Turkish issue, but there is the aspect of the Guarantees. And a second question: Whether Turkeys constant exhortations regarding the supposedly large number of Gulen supporters who have come to Greece are overloading an already unwieldy agenda. Thank you.

N. KOTZIAS: The talks began shortly after I landed, and the Turks initially wanted to talk about the Cyprus issue. I had no desire to go into the Cyprus problem, because we had 11 days of arguments in Switzerland, and I always try to start with a positive agenda.

I cant tell you the whole conversation, about which I have briefed the President of the Republic, Mr. Anastasiades, but what they said that I can repeat is that, if we continue the negotiations on the Cyprus problem, they would like to first discuss the difficult issues with us.

And I think that is a positive step. I remind you that I persistently asked the Turkish side to talk to us about the issues of security and Guarantees before we went to Geneva and Crans-Montana. And in Beijing we had agreed with Mr. Erdogan on a series of meetings between the two Ministers of Foreign Affairs, so that there could be better preparation.

But, Mr. Eide though that, in general, the issue should wait till the end. In other words, he believed that if there was consensus on all of the other issues, those who see the security/Guarantees issue as very important would be forced to back down. This proved not to be the case.

In my perception, as I understand from Geneva I and Crans-Montana  which I sometimes refer to as Geneva II  there were those who thought, I dont know from what historical tradition, that we, as the government, say some things publicly just to take them back when we go to the negotiations. That is not our habit. And everyone now knows that we mean what we say.

I also remind you that I will soon be reaching 30 vetoes in international organizations, and I havent taken a single one back if I havent got what I wanted. That is, I dont say something just to take it back in half an hour, as I have seen happen in the past, as an old employee of the Ministry.

As regards the Gulen supporters, there was no chance of this matters not being raised, not at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but urgently by President Erdogan. I think we are very clear in our responses. Our responses are, to put it very simply:

First, while President Erdogan has spent time in prison, so have many members of the current Greek government; they have been tried in military courts, etc. Why do I say this? I say it to explain to them that our country has no inclination to love putschists. That is, we didnt love the putschists because they were against Erdogan, and we dont want to cover for them.

Second, because we experienced the lawlessness of the junta and other putschists during our history. One historian has counted 140 attempted coups and coups in modern Greek history.

We support the Rule of Law, and we mean it. They should realize what Rule of Law means to us. And Rule of Law also means the fact that the Greek government itself has lost important cases in the Greek Courts; e.g., at the Council of State.

Consequently, we show respect for Justice and we cannot influence the Judiciary.

And the third is that the two countries have no need for irritability with one another. They have to accept each other in terms of their political and legal cultures, and set a positive agenda. That is, an agenda like the one that will be introduced at the next High-Level Cooperation Council and that is in the interest of the populations of the two sides.

The strong tourist flow that exists between the two sides is a good thing. It is a good thing that we found a solution on the wooden vessels, an issue that disrupted the economic relations between the Turkish coast and the Greek islands.

By its nature, foreign policy has one tool: diplomacy. Even a conservative scholar of theoretical systems would say that each sector has its means. For us it is negotiation. And as I stated in Turkey, it is good for diplomacy and negotiation to come before any other conduct or reaction.

I also want to say, and this may be stretching things, but it is my philosophy of life, that a surgeon may kill a person. So might a driver, one or two people. If you make mistakes in foreign policy, you dont see them immediately. They become apparent in the long term, but the repercussions affect millions of people.

That is why foreign policy requires great sobriety and composure. It cant just express the activist leanings of one person or another. We went to Turkey to open the channels of communication, of understanding, to develop relations and calm the atmosphere.

I dont know how Turkey will conduct itself. Good diplomatic moves are no guarantee that there wont be tensions. They are just a prerequisite for less tension. And yesterday, if Im not mistaken, it may be a coincidence, there wasnt a single violation, after many, many years. If only for these two days, it was good for me to go to Ankara.

JOURNALIST: Minister, you said that the dialogue with Turkey will now be taking place on all levels, and that aeronautical issues will also be discussed. Until now, we knew that Greeces firm position is that our only dispute is the continental shelf. And we accept this as our dispute with Turkey. Has anything changed?

N. KOTZIAS: That's how it is. The same holds true today. What are the aeronautical issues the Secretaries General will be looking at during their meetings? The violations. When the Turks violate our airspace or fly over Greek islands, the classic procedure was for us to summon the Turkish Ambassador and conduct a demarche. And our Ambassador or our Minister Counsellor or the Charge d'affaires, went to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and protested, as all countries do. They did the same thing when they thought we had made violations. Dont think that they dont think we too make violations  Im not saying we do, Im saying what they think.

When I became Minister, of course, I followed the same line. First I notified the International Organizations and reported the violations, and then I notified the Turks that I had reported them.

Our discussing the aeronautical issues means our telling them: You made a violation here, you violated this international law. What do you say? Didn't you violate it? Why do you think you didnt violate it? Will you continue the violations? This is what we will do to you if you continue to make violations. Because these violations have repercussions.

In other words, we are creating a channel, beyond the formal diplomatic channels, international or bilateral, through which we will examine and record the violations. This wont happen in the exploratory talks, but at the meetings of senior officials.

JOURNALIST: The two sides positions are well known. This is the first time there is a dialogue.

N. KOTZIAS: There was always a dialogue.

JOURNALIST: On violations?

N. KOTZIAS: There is always a dialogue on the violations.

JOURNALIST: These are common positions, long-standing positions, well-known positions.

N. KOTZIAS: Thats right, but is good for more detailed explanations to be made. You can tell him, you fly over Greek islands and violate the following agreements.

JOURNALIST: And hell say that the Treaty of Lausanne does not provide for these islands, doesnt consider them to be Greek. The usual.

N. KOTZIAS: We will explain it to him. Do you know what the worst thing is? At some point it may go to the International Court. Do you know what the International Court will ask first? Not about the law  it knows the law. It will ask: Did you make protestations? Did you explain it to him?

I remind you of fYROMs application to the International Court in the Hague, a case we lost. Do you know what question played the most decisive role? I sat and read through all the minutes again. The crucial question was: Did you tell fYROM about all of the violations it made? Did you notify the UN? Did Nimetz, the mediator, know about them? And what did we say? No, we brought them here. And the court said to us: So you didnt protest. Thus, you accepted them.

JOURNALIST: We have frequently made protestations to the UN and the International Organizations and to Ankara regarding the violations. Many, many times, but we havent sat at the same table to tell them, You are making violations, I am not. Im just asking if anything has changed.

N. KOTZIAS:: No.

JOURNALIST: I mean, nothing like this has happened before.

N. KOTZIAS: No, we always told them these things in past meetings. At the meetings we simply recorded the violations with documentation.

That is, you explain to the other side why what they have done is a violation. You dont just say, you made a violation and I am reporting you. You make it clear to him that you have made a violation for these reasons. We now submit detailed documents to the UN regarding all the countries with which we have problems. I have told everyone that I will not go to a court that is going to rule against me. I will have ensured that everything will go as planned. Am I clear? We lost the court case for this reason, beyond anything else. And because we prattled on more than we acted. Im prattling on little.

JOURNALIST: Regarding the Cyprus issue: You said there are many parties who dont see the issue of the reopening of the negotiations in the same way we do. Who are these people? How do they see it? What picture do you have of the situation? In other words, when, realistically, could the negotiations reopen? After the presidential elections in Cyprus? And another, related issue: Did you discuss the matter of possible tensions within the Cypriot EEZ with Mr. McMaster? Does Washington have concerns about this issue?

N. KOTZIAS: I dont discuss issues concerning an independent sovereign state with Mr. McMaster. The Cypriots have their own channel of communication with the Americans, as they do with all of the member states of the UN Security Council.

What I explained to Mr. McMaster is which states are destabilising the region and in what manner, as I do to all the members of the Security Council. I explained it to the Russians, I explained it to the Chinese, to the French, the British, the European Union, the U.S., the Germans. All of these are usually the first parties we address. The Germans arent members of the Security Council, but they have a special role in the European Union.

Regarding how and between whom a discussion will take place, you know that there was a very extensive discussion between the Turkish Cypriots and the Turks as to whether or not they accept the parameters of the UN.

Initially, following Crans-Montana, it appeared that the prevalent opinion between them was that we cant negotiate in the UN again, that we cant negotiate again on these parameters, because there is no point. I think that the players in these two spaces have now become more realistic. They simply say: Does the other side  the Greek Cypriots, that is  want a solution? They do this to have an alibi in a future blame game.

International politics requires composure. After Crans-Montana, the Turks and the Turkish Cypriots came out and said we arent going back to talks. Public opinion and opinion-makers latched onto this and said, the talks are over, there are no talks. These are transient phenomena. Thats why I said that foreign policy requires great sobriety, deep breaths and a plan.

Its alright for the press, for activists. But you cant react in the same way they do. In fact, I would say that the press and the activists who react differently sometimes help foreign policy to cite them. But the way you handle foreign policy requires deep knowledge.

There are journalists with very deep knowledge of foreign policy, and for them  and I say this as a Minister and as a teacher of international relations  I have immense respect. I may not ask their opinion enough, though I do want and intend to. But as Minister of Foreign Affairs I have to react soberly.

And let me say something else. I dont talk often, because in my opinion the more often I talk, the more someone can study what I have deep in mind. I dont want to go to negotiations with their having studied me well, just as I try to study them.

Surprise and the unexpected are crucial in a negotiation. Thats what I think. I may be wrong.

JOURNALIST: Minister, I wanted to ask you whether you discussed the refugee issue at all, through the prism of EU-Turkish relations, which are in a very bad state. Just a few days ago we had the restatement, in the European Council, of the view, mainly of the German side, that the accession negotiations need to be suspended, etc. I want you to tell us a few things about this following your meetings in Ankara.

N. KOTZIAS: We agreed to reactivate, or rather to intensify the activities of, the joint group we have on migration policy and that met last in February, not by our fault.

Such a group must discuss the migration issues, because we dont even agree on the numbers  how many left, how many crossed, how many returned, etc. Each bureaucracy has its own way of counting and recording. In general, I am a fan of the pending issues being discussed. We have to talk about the migration issue with the Turks and explain to them that, beyond the agreements they have with the European Union, they have protocols with us. That even if they didnt have the European Union, they have commitments from our bilateral relations.

Regarding their European future, we have a position. What countrys interests would benefit most from a European Turkey? That is, from Turkeys being, by the western standard, democratized and Europeanised, modernized in its institutional system? It is my profound belief that Greece would benefit most.

Im not saying its going to happen. Lets not confuse the two things. I am referring to who would benefit. So Greece is the last country that would like to see these talks suspended. Allow me to share  I shared this with the Turks  an experience I had as an employee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, when I was tasked with the planning and programming of the Ministrys foreign policy in the 1990s.

Do you remember the Helsinki agreement of 1999? Before the 1999 Helsinki agreement there was the Tampere agreement. If I remember correctly, that was in October 1999, in Finland again. It was the first or second year of the informal European Councils. There were the informal Gymnich meetings of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, but there hadnt been informal summit meetings. Thats when they started.

At that time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Prime Minister, of course, had taken the decision to withdraw the veto on Turkey that we had used in Luxembourg. And after almost 20 years, I insist that this was the correct decision.

What had happened? Between 1997 and 1999  when we exercised our veto  all of our partners and friends went and told the Turks: Put pressure on Greece, because if Greece withdraws the veto, in six months you will be a member state of the European Union.

They were using us as a shield against Turkey, with the hypocrisy and doublespeak that we often see in international relations. Then Turkey exerted unbearable pressure regarding something that, as it turned out, was not our fault.

When we withdrew the veto, I undertook to notify certain Deputy Ministers of member states. The first two grabbed me by the tie, the professional uniform as I call it, and asked me: What are you doing to us? These were the same people who had been telling the Turks that in six months we will resolve all the issues.

Thirty-four semesters have passed since then, and it has been shown that they burdened us with a conflict and with tension that we had no reason to be burdened with. I dont forget that lesson.

If we came out now and, instead of saying, we believe that we have to fight for Turkey to become a European country, we said, in the European Council, Greece exercises its veto, the negotiations should be called off, do you think anyone else would say anything? They would hide behind us and go to Ankara every day, saying: Its those Greeks ... We want you ... Ive seen this scenario play out, and I will never allow Greece to do it again as long as I am Minister. I have a historical memory, and thats what some people dont like.

JOURNALIST: Minister, two questions: First, in recent months there have been a lot of news reports about the storage of nuclear weapons in Greece.

N. KOTZIAS: There is no such issue. Surprising news reports come out in Greece. The Prime Minister will talk about Souda tomorrow. We told the Americans to forget about the Souda issue. When their team for preparing the trip came here, at the end I said, laughing, Did you forget about Souda?. And they said: We know we cant put pressure on you. This issue is closed. That happened two weeks before we went to the U.S.

For two weeks, colleagues of yours, journalists, wrote special articles, and some with urgency  They are giving Souda, Souda for five years, Souda for ten years. Five years wasnt enough, they wanted ten, ten wasnt enough ... I read the articles. And I told anyone I saw, because I dont see many journalists, that there is no such issue. We went to the U.S. There was no negotiation on Souda, because it wasnt discussed. We left, and I read in the newspapers that they gave up Souda. And look where this got us.

A political party asks, in Parliament: Did you get anything in exchange for Souda? What can you say? If you tell them that we didnt give them Souda, so we got nothing in exchange, theyll say: We gave Souda without getting anything in exchange. There are no nuclear weapons, there is no Souda issue. We are very, very clear on this.

The Souda agreement is renewed automatically every year. Otherwise you have to take the decision to end the agreement and oust the bases. Anyone who wants to can propose this. There are parties that propose this. Some say the agreement should be for ten years. The simplest thing is the annual renewal.

I have no problem with their criticizing and pressuring us on something, because I think we have a smart institution in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

This Ministry knows how to use and capitalise on criticism in international relations. As long as the criticism doesnt reach the point of stupidity, because then it cant be beaten. It is difficult for even a smart diplomat to handle.

JOURNALIST: And a second question regarding the case of the Russian citizen.

N. KOTZIAS: After Turkey, I now have Russia with which to discuss legal proceedings.

JOURNALIST: The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an announcement expressing dismay at the ruling of the Appeals Council. What can you tell us on this issue? Are you discussing it with the Russian diplomats or not?

N. KOTZIAS: In Greece, justice is independent, sovereign. And you saw that two different judicial bodies made two different rulings. That says it all.

JOURNALIST: Mr. Minister, a few days ago the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an announcement on the situation in Himara and the political situation in Albania resulting from the possible involvement of a former Minister in a narcotics scandal. The Albanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded and accused your side of interfering in Albanias domestic affairs. In the same announcement, Tirana expresses its readiness to continue the negotiations, though it again makes the reminder that there was a violation of diplomatic protocols, etc.

My question is this: In this atmosphere, with these serious accusations, does it help to continue the negotiations? Thank you.

N. KOTZIAS: I think it is very wise that the intention to pull down the buildings in Himara  to put it politely  was not carried through. I think it is a wise choice by the Albanian side; a choice that helps the negotiations.

Second. Regarding the allegation that we interfered in Albanias domestic affairs: we talked about human rights. The problem we have is this: the Greek minority is recognised not by Albanian law; it is recognised by International Law, in the agreements of 1921. The very founding of the state of Albania was accompanied by the recognition of these rights.

Then came Enver Hoxha. Enver Hoxha, in his opinion, socialised private property and he socialised it in the style of the 1968 cultural revolution in China. In other words, he "socialised"  in quotation marks, or not, thats a discussion for another time  both small and mid-sized properties. And thus he took the Greek minoritys property away.

Moreover, while he had a good policy on the minority  given the framework of his regime  he cheated, to put it politely. He defined the Greek minority as existing only in specific zones and  I want all of you to remember this and understand it  allow only those living in these zones to register as members of the Greek minority.

Albanias new law on minorities will be judged by Europe. As a member state of Europe, we have an opinion and we advise the European Union of this opinion.

The law gave a number of rights not to one minority, as recognised by international law since 1921, but to nine minorities  whether national or ethno-linguistic.

In principle it is a good law. Thats why we said it was a step forward. What is the laws weakness and, for us, a step backward with regard to the large minority? That it preserves the zones. An Albanian politician might say to me, rightly: What zones? We are saying that minorities exist everywhere in Albania. Yes, but the law does one thing: It refers to minorities as determined by the registries.

But the registries, in Himara, for instance, did not allow the Greek minority to register. So, while the law is liberal and good, its reasoning, its point of departure, which is the registries, reiterates the problem the Greek minority had under Enver Hoxha.

For example, do you know that the former President of Omonia, the Greek Minoritys organization, is not registered as a member of a minority, because he was from Himara and in Himara he was prohibited from registering as a member of a minority?

This is the problem we are referring to. That you promulgated a good law, but rather than allowing citizens self-identification  as a Turk, Greek, Albanian, whatever anyone wants  the law provides for determination based on the registries. But this was determined by Hoxha, who prohibited registration outside the zones. This is the issue, and I think it is unfair. Do you know what the Greek population of Himara is? Just look at how many buildings are slated for demolition.

And the second problem  this is why I mentioned Hoxhas socialisation of these houses  is that after the fall of Hoxhas regime, deeds of ownership were not granted. And they say, you dont have a deed of ownership, or, okay, Ill give you a little compensation. There is a solution, but I wont impose it. But as a human being, not as a Minister, I say that the solution is to give comparable plots of land elsewhere, to give the potential for economic activity. You didnt need to go and demolish tourist shops with bulldozers in June. How are they to make a living?

In any case, we believe that there has to be better coordination with the Greek minority, more respect. And fodder should not be given to those who believe  and I am not among them  that there are those who want to uproot the minority from Albania.

So we have to protect the minority. The Greek minority is a bridge of friendship between Greece and Albania, like the Albanian immigrants here.

We have the good fortune, as a family, to have a woman from Albania work at our house once a week, and she is like a daughter to us. I have the good fortune to be a professor, and I often see that, of the top ten students, half are Albanians. Its the same with graduate students. Albanians account for 5% of the student population, but they often account for 50% of those who stand out.

I am proud of these students of mine. I am proud of these people, and you dont know how happy I am when I go to Tirana and see that four of my students are today professors at Albanian universities. These people are bridges. We dont need to destroy them. In fact, we need to beautify them. Let them flourish. That's my opinion.

In Europe it is normal for us to discuss minority rights, human rights, property rights. And at the Council, as you know, these have been set as conditions. There are five conditions. The Commission  I remind everyone  came to the Council with one condition. But the Commission is not all-powerful. We are there, too. At the Council of Ministers, we set five conditions. The Commission didnt like this. They wanted one condition, but they are committed on five.

Each member state has a right to an opinion on whether or not these five conditions have been met. And of these five conditions for the opening of the negotiations with Albania, one is minority rights. So its reasonable that we should have an opinion.

Moreover, the second condition is protection of property rights. In Himara we have the property issue as well as the minority issue. It was on this that we expressed ourselves. What our Albanian friends perhaps failed to notice, though I think they noticed it afterwards, is that, with great care, with the spokesperson, Mr. Yennimatas, we wrote about what is being said. We didnt say it was our opinion, and we added that we hope this is not the case. This is very clear in Greek.

I dont like to fuel conflict. And thats why we didnt respond to the announcement from the Albanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I had prepared a very nice response, but afterwards I deemed it unnecessary. The same happens with the Turks and others. They issued 10 announcements, I responded with half an announcement. I am not a fan of fuelling momentary anger and creating ongoing confrontation in the relations of states.

I am a fan of the fact that Greece, a country with culture and history, has a greater responsibility for where the region is heading. Im not saying that you have to listen to us because we are more powerful. Im saying that we have greater responsibility. And that is why I dont always respond to the announcements of other Ministries of Foreign Affairs.

To me, international politics is not an altercation between two angry people, in which I have to raise my voice more. When I see that things arent going well, I have to deal with them more soberly, calmly, patiently.

And this is why I think that, even if there is an exchange of harsh announcements  an exchange we dont perpetuate  negotiations can take place. And, in fact, can I tell you something? Its clear that we have to resolve the issues. Because if we dont resolve them, a problem like this will arise every day.

JOURNALIST: I would like to ask about Greeces red lines on the name issue, because weve been hearing various things of late regarding a compound name with a geographical qualifier. Are we talking about the word Macedonia or something else if that has changed? And something else you said after the ministerial meeting in Thessaloniki. You said the discussion is about the name and anything linked to it. What exactly is that? Language, identity, etc.? Do you believe there has to be a solution that has all the issues in it, so the problem between the two countries can end? Thank you.

N. KOTZIAS: My deep conviction and will, and that of my government, and I hope of the government in Skopje, is that we finish with this problem. I told Mr. Nimetz that, hand on my heart, I want to resolve it. I want the politicians on the other side to do the same thing, to put their hands on their hearts and say, I want to resolve it.

If both sides want to resolve it, we have to make a compromise. The compromise concerns the whole package. What is the package? It is the name, the use of the name, the derivatives, what relation they have to the name and the abbreviations. There are four issues.

Mr. Nimetz has taken on the first two issues in the negotiations he has been holding for all these years now. The other two havent been discussed. Along the way we have been working with many institutes and professors more specialised in this issue. In the course of the discussions, I discovered that there are peculiar problems, e.g. with the derivatives: Everyone thinks about the derivatives, because in your country this is the burning issue, identity and language.

But there are issues that are even more complex. Not more serious, more complex. For instance, commercial product names. What do we do with those when exist on both sides. Someone has set up a business selling Macedonian product x in Thessaloniki, and someone else is selling Macedonian product y in Skopje. This is an issue we hadnt even thought about. What I want to say is, the more we think, the more complex problems arise.

Regarding the name, what I often say is that we need to arrive to a compromise. We mustnt have winners and losers in this case. And to come to a compromise, we have to have resolved two problems. First, for your countrys people to understand that we like the fact that you exist  and Im pleased that you are here with us  and the second is that the irredentism has to stop.

Ill tell you, I say this often, but I said it in my first press conference, I dont know if you were there in 2015, in Skopje, it was a three or three-and-a-half hour press conference, 250 reporters, I still remember it. And I said this: I go to Pakistan, and someone says to me: I am a descendant of Alexander the Great. Do you think that upsets me? Great, I say to him. I like the fact that he wants to be an heir to Greek culture. Do you know what he doesnt say to me? He doesnt say Macedonia is Pakistani. And all of Macedonia, at that.

I go to Egypt. There is a city there called Alexandria, named after Alexander the Great. But when I went to Alexandria for the first time, and everyone was so proud of their Library, no one said that, because it was called Alexandria, Alexandroupoli, named for the saint, belongs to them. This is irredentism.

If some people want to feel that Greek civilization was great ... Can I tell you something? The Germans founded their state in the name of Greek philosophy and heritage. They didnt want to join the French Enlightenment due to the Franco-German wars, and they considered themselves the heirs of Greek civilization. Theres nothing bad about that.

But dont add that this belongs to me. That is, if you say that Macedonia is a geographical term, it is another thing to say that Macedonia is an ethnic term. And it is another thing to say that Pirin, Bulgaria, has a portion of Macedonia, Pirin Macedonia, but the largest part lies in Greece geographically, and it is another thing to say, ethnologically, that Macedonia and the history of Macedonia belong to me and Im therefore raising 10 statues.

That is why I say that I believe deeply that we have to reverse the perception that Greece wants your country to break up. We dont want that, and I hope they are convinced of this in fYROM. I like the fact that it exists. I like it geostrategically as well, but irredentism is another thing. We have to have done with these two things.

And can I point out to you an academic methodological difference  academic, not as a Minister: In the international debate there are two types of social wars: Class wars, which Marx defined for us, and the wars that are an offshoot/derivative of these wars: culture wars. And historically, in fact, we became more aware of the culture wars in 19th century Germany, in the clash between Bismarck, as a Protestant, and the Centre Party, Zentrumspartei, which was Catholic. But then the German social democratic party appeared, and these two joined together to form todays Christian Democratic Party.

Even today, culture wars play a very important role in countries from time to time, but especially in the U.S., because they are an offshoot of the social struggles. Here, we had the battle for 666. What kind of battle is this? It is cultural. Whether a persons religion will be put on IDs. Or the patriotic issue. These are cultural struggles that reflect, are offshoots of, other social struggles.

From this standpoint, one time I tried to think about what this pattern would mean in the context of international politics for our neighbours. I would say that such a controversy, I wont say clash, appertains more to clashes, to differences in identity, cultural identity.

In other words, who we are, where we come from, where we are going. Are we the same? Are we us and not you? Are you you and not us? While our differences with other neighbourhoods are geostrategic, geopolitical, of another nature.

And in my opinion, in international relations, and Im speaking as an academic now, the latter are more important than the former for foreign policy; they are more difficult.

JOURNALIST: Minister, on the fYROM name issue, you said yourself that there are much more complex issues beyond the name and its use.

N. KOTZIAS: Not more important. They are a product of whats important.

JOURNALIST: But there are also the derivatives, etc. And the time frame you set, the first half of 2018. You said it should be resolved in the first half of 2018.

N. KOTZIAS: Otherwise it will run on much longer.

JOURNALIST: Then the second question, Minister, is, as you said, that our neighbours government appears more inclined towards compromise and consensus. The question is: is the Greek government as a whole ready for an honest compromise.

N. KOTZIAS: Yes.

JOURNALIST: The whole government, including the ANEL Party?

N. KOTZIAS: I responded, and Im not going to give further explanations. History will judge us. If you will allow me to say something, because sometimes it bothers me, and you know I dont criticize the opposition very much, and they dont criticize me very much, to be honest and fair, but it is quite a stretch for a Party that saw years and years of infighting over the name issue, that had a Minister of Foreign Affairs that clashed with his Prime Minister and created his own Party, which, moreover, had three leading members  one of whom became its president (Evert, Dimas, Kanellopoulos)  who clashed strongly, to now wonder whether the governments other partner has a different opinion. A little historical modesty would do some good. I didnt create the problem. I found it and I want to solve it.

These people fell as a result of internal feuds over the issue. And in fact the Ministrys Secretary General at the time, Mr. Skylakakis, describes exactly how Mr. Mitsotakis abandoned his positions, under pressure from within the party and from the three politicians I mentioned.

And I must tell you that the Party that historically maintained a principled stance on this problem in the post-junta country, beyond Synaspismos, was the Communist Party (KKE). This should be said and admitted. Its the truth.

JOURNALIST: It fell to you, Minister, during your term in office, following the buyout of the Piraeus Port Authority, to shape relations with China to a large extent. Last year, Greece blocked an EU supported ruling of The Hague, naming China and calling on it to comply with the ruling.

N. KOTZIAS: Thats a very nice question, because it isnt exactly like that. Thank you, because the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times are criticizing me for this, on the front page.

JOURNALIST: Lets not leave out this years intervention by Greece in EU foreign policy, cutting off a condemnation of China in the sector of human rights, which interest us.

I want to ask what you have been hearing from your European partners about this stance on the part of Greece; what the strategy and rationale are. Thank you.

N. KOTZIAS: I want to thank you, because I dont talk very often, and you are giving me this opportunity. I am grateful.

Ruling of arbitration  not of the Court in The Hague, of arbitration  between the Philippines and China. Length of the ruling: 496 pages. First request: that we issue an announcement against China a week before the ruling is even published and we have it in our hands.

The Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs replies, and let the Greek people judge me: I will not issue an announcement on a ruling that concerns islands, that concerns an EEZ, that concerns the continental shelf in a dispute that is similar in many ways to that between Slovenia-Croatia and Greece and its neighbours, without first reading the ruling.

And I ask: can anyone expect Greece, the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs, when we have 2,000 islands, 1,200 without the rocky islets, to decide to welcome a ruling that he has not read?

The ruling comes out. Within the day, the European Union renews its request that we issue an announcement at the Council of Ministers. And I say: Have any of you read it? It came out today. How many of you know how long it is? I told them: 496 pages.

The third session, at which we agreed and took a decision  it isnt that we blocked a decision on this  that Slovenia wanted to block in the end. We took a decision, we agreed, we formulated the resolution, but what had we done? We had read the ruling. And, teasingly, I asked my colleagues: Apart from me, has anyone else in here read it? Not an associate of yours, you yourself? No one.

And I ask: is it possible for Greece to make decisions that concern its vital interests, because when we go to the international Court for some case, should we ever need to go, the international Court will base itself on its previous rulings. And imagine if this previous decision didnt favour us and I had welcomed it a week before I had even read it, and the judge said to me, but you welcomed it, Sir. You said it was correct. How is it that you are here now, saying that the ruling wasnt correct?

So I  the only Minister of Foreign Affairs who had read the ruling, Im afraid  did well to wait.

Lets go to the second case. We have another ruling, on Iran, regarding the Bank of Iran, which we vetoed. What happened there? We were waiting for a ruling from the European Court on the status of this Bank. But the period of the sanctions ended. They proposed that we impose sanctions for the next eight years. What did I propose? That we impose sanctions until the day the ruling came out. And if the ruling acquits Iran, what can we do. If it isnt an acquittal, we can take a new decision.

But to make a decision on eight years when we knew that the ruling would come out in three months at the latest, and thus independent of the ruling, meant that we would are deceiving people that we are a system founded on Law. Our opinion won out in the end.

How much later did the ruling come out? Three days. They all knew it. All of the major players, I mean. And what was the ruling? It found in favour of Iran. And now the issue was raised: Do we, as Europeans, respect the rulings of the Court of the European Communities, the European Union, now, or not? Some said no. But I, being a small country and saying that my power lays in International Law  I couldnt share their view.

And the last compromise I proposed? There are fines if the ruling of the European Union is not implemented. And I asked? Who will pay the fine levied on me - who I am already burdened with all this debt - for non implementation, simply because you want it this way? No one wanted to pay it. We would have paid a fine, on top of everything!

Now the third concerns human rights. First of all, human rights are selective. We asked: based on what criterion did you choose these 10 countries and not the other 15? Silence. We proposed, and this has now passed, a country that has undermined us at the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation. Do you know how they reacted? No, no, dont include it!

We came to the country called China. Two days after the date on which the Permanent Representatives were to make a decision in Geneva  as they dont bring those decisions to the Ministers, I said to them: political decisions to the Ministers, not to the diplomats  we had a meeting, as the EU, with the Chinese on human rights.

And I submitted the simple question: Great, if we have anything to say, well go and scold them. Why do we have to make a decision two days earlier? Is this negotiation? Second, why are such-and-such countries not included in this? I propose that these countries be added.

And third, they said that either we will make this criticism of China without corrections, or we wont issue the resolution. And I told them that if the motion isnt passed, its your fault. Because I, as a country, have three amendments I would like to make. Leave the paragraph out.

They didnt blame us because the text on China didnt come out, they blamed us, falsely, because the text on human rights didnt come out. That was their decision. It didnt end there. They said we were doing it for China because of our economic interests. If I remember correctly, Greece accounts for 0.7% of Chinas investments in the European Union. Great Britain accounts for 23%, Germany 20%. How is it that we have economic interests and they dont?

And what do we sell? We sell old facilities of the second industrial revolution. Do you know what they sell? The latest factory that was sold in Germany is robotic. But they supposedly dont have economic interests. Its business as usual. Whereas if we sell anything, its because of our political line. This is hypocrisy and doublespeak, and I have told them this.

JOURNALIST: (off microphone)

N. KOTZIAS: Whatever is necessary we always discuss with our partners and always within the context of our bilateral relations. But I respect that the Chinese have a different view on human rights. There is a philosophical issue: Do human rights as they are understood by the West apply in general, or do others have another outlook?

We believe they apply in general. But not everyone shares our belief.

JOURNALIST: Minister, in previous decades the U.S. position regarding Turkey was, find solutions, make agreements, proceed to agreements with them. Is the new American government  you were there  pushing for anything? Is it proposing anything? Is it proposing agreements, statements?

N. KOTZIAS: No. The new American government has two issues. One is to understand Turkey  the Europeans have this too. There is a difficulty with understanding exactly what Turkeys system of contradictions is. And from this perspective, we are in the pleasant position, I would say, of explaining our views to third parties who have yet to come to some conclusion.

There is no pushing, but I believe that, deep down, they dont want to lose Turkey. I recommend you read the texts of the people of the new American government. In my personal opinion, there is a shift from its initial statements.

Im being a little expansive today, but I want to explain my thinking to you, because it is more important than one news report or another. The new American administration came with the thinking that these alliances cost me money, arent in my interest. Did you see NATO? Its not worth it, they are free riders.

In other words, just like a free rider doesnt buy a ticket and rides the bus, I am paying for international security and the others, e.g. Germany, arent paying, but they benefit from this. Or, in a factory, 100 out of 150 workers strike, but the collective agreement concerns all 150. The 50 who didnt strike didnt lose a days wage. They are free riders. In other words, they benefit without having gone to the trouble or paid the cost, and so on.

I argue that this initial view has receded, and now the view being promoted more is that the cost of our alliances is smaller than the cost of ones not having allies. A portion of the Administration, if you read their texts, says this: because America is in the process of reducing its powerful role, our allies are looking to create other alliances  they never say this about Turkey, but as a model I believe it is of interest regarding Turkey  but without the cost of their relationship with the Americans rising.

And they come and say: Yes, but if our allies leave us, the international balance of power for our economic interests will be against us. Consequently, it is preferable for us to contribute to the cost of the alliances, rather than paying the cost of those alliances not existing. This is a new stance.

The philosophy as I read it  they dont say it themselves  is a sense that the Americans in the West and the West in the world are not as powerful as they once were. That is why they are stepping up the search for routes to the re-strengthening of the U.S. in the West and the West in the world.

I think the Trump Administration is posing this question and is seeking an answer to this question.Thank you very much.
Egypt fully understands Bahrain's decision to boycott an upcoming Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit if the proceedings are attended by Qatar, a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry read on Tuesday.

Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said told state-owned news agency MENA that Egypt considers the move by Bahrain to be a sovereign decision taken in light of the negative effects Qatari policies have had on Bahrain in recent years.

"Egypt stresses its solidarity with Bahrain in all decisions undertaken to maintain its security and stability," Abu Zeid added.

On Monday, Bahraini foreign minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa said on his Twitter account that his country would not attend the upcoming GCC summit if Doha does not change its position, calling on the GCC to freeze Qatars membership.

In June, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut diplomatic, transport and trade ties with Qatar, accusing it of financing and sponsoring terrorism. Doha denies the charges.

The Bahraini ministers call for Qatar to be frozen from GCC membership is the first such demand from one of the boycotting countries.

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Egyptian security forces freed on Tuesday a police officer who was kidnapped during the deadly shootout earlier this month between policemen and terrorists in Egypts Western Desert, Egypt's armed forces announced in a statement.

Police officer Mohamed El-Hayes was rescued in an operation by security forces near El-Wahat highway where a number of terrorists were killed.

El-Hayes has been taken to a military hospital for treatment, the statement read.

The officer had gone missing during the 19 October incident, which killed 16 policemen as they executed a raid on a terrorist hideout in Bahariya Oasis about 135 kilometers (83 miles) southwest of Giza.

The Egyptian interior ministry has not yet released a statement on the rescue.

El-Hayes' brother, Atef, told Al-Ahram Arabic news website that the family spoke to El-Hayes on the phone, and that he seemed in high spirits.

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Egypt condemned on Tuesday an air strike by an unidentified party in Libya's eastern city of Derna that killed at least 17 civilians on Monday.

The Egyptian foreign ministry said in a statement that the Egyptian government offers its condolence to the families of the victims as well as the political leaderships of Libya.

No one has claimed responsibility for the air strike, which has been condemned by all rival powers in the war-torn country.

Eastern Libya has been witnessing clashes between rival forces in the country, including the Islamist militant group Daesh.

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DES MOINES, Iowa  Addy Battel, 15, of Cass City, has had an interest in local hunger issues since she started raising broiler chickens and hogs for a food pantry.

A recent experience took her to Des Moines, Iowa, to explore how she can play a role in solving hunger challenges on a global scale. Battel was one of three Michigan delegates selected to take part in the World Food Prize Global Youth Institute, Oct. 18-21.

This year 197 high school students from 27 states and nine countries were selected to participate in the three-day institute. The World Food Prize, founded 30 years ago by the late agronomist Dr. Norman Borlaug who earned the Nobel Peace Prize for leading the Green Revolution, is the Nobel prize for food and agriculture.

The World Food Prize gathers together the worlds leaders in solving food insecurity, Battel said.

Her favorite moments were meeting this years World Food Prize laureate and getting to know the other youth.

It just gives you so much hope," she said.

Chosen students and their teacher mentors interacted World Food Prize laureates and discussed pressing food security and agricultural issues with top minds and foremost leaders in global agriculture, food and development. Battel, who is home schooled, was accompanied her mother, Sue Stuever Battel, who took part in mentor education programs and observed the Borlaug Dialogue panel discussions.

Delegates watched the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate Award Ceremony, where honoree Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African World Bank and former Minister of Agriculture of Nigeria, was recognized for his work in transforming African agriculture.

Battel was selected after writing a research paper on dairy farming in Ukraine and presenting her research at the World Food Prize Michigan Youth Institute, held at Michigan State University in May. She recommended specific practices that would help owners of former Ukrainian collective farms improve alfalfa quality, balance feed rations, properly ventilate barns and improve genetics.

At the Global Youth Institute, Battel and the other youth delegates presented their papers and held roundtable discussions with international experts and their peers, connected with students from around the world, packed meals for relief efforts, participated in an Oxfam American Hunger Banquet, toured cutting-edge industrial and research facilities, and took part in symposium discussions. With an interest in animal science, Battel toured Hawkeye Breeders Service, Inc., a dairy and beef artificial insemination collection facility. She presented her research and recommendations at the headquarters of DuPont Pioneer.

Next, Battels paper will be published in the Global Youth Institute Proceedings and online.

Battel is a member of the Cass City FFA Chapter, Boots and Bling 4-H Club, and Cows-n-Clover 4-H Club. She continues her involvement in local hunger issues by raising livestock and poultry for the Revive Ministries food pantry in Cass City with grants and donations she and friends secured through her FFA chapter and 4-H club. The project is called, Meating the Need for our Village," and fills a need for protein in a town thats considered a food desert with no grocery store. The project has provided 6,255 pounds of locally raised meat so far. Her newest project launched along with her friend Pearl Daskam is Milk for our Village, led by the teens as part of their 4-H community service.

The pair has earned enough funding to provide each food pantry client for four months with a jug of milk. Theyre hoping more donations roll in to provide more milk, noting that dairy foods provide high-quality protein and essential nutrients. In January, Battel and Daskam presented a two-hour world hunger workshop to teens and adults at a statewide 4-H summit and are currently teaching a world hunger class to a group of elementary homeschool students.

It changed my entire perspective on life in general, especially how I see my future, Battel said of her Global Youth Institute participation. I still know I want an animal science degree from Michigan State University, but its opened doors for what I can do with that degree afterward. I definitely want to work in international development.

Participating in the institute qualifies Battel to apply for future international internships, which shes eager to take on.

The World Food Prize Global Youth Institute is held by the World Food Prize Foundation. The Michigan Youth Institute is coordinated by Michigan 4-H in partnership with the Michigan State University College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, MSU Extension and Michigan FFA.
HARTFORD  A bill that environmentalists and consumer advocates charged would allow the Millstone nuclear power plant the ability to compete with renewable sources of power, was signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, following its passage last week in the Legislature.

But Malloy said that he endorsed the bill with the hopes that Dominion Energy, the owner of the nuclear station, cooperates with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority in researching its financial viability.

The importance of this asset to both the state and the region cannot be overstated. If we are to realize the goals set out by this legislation, there is more work to be done, Malloy said. In recent years Dominion has sought approval to compete for long-term contracts with the nascent green-energy industry of wind, solar and hydro-power, but it wasnt until recently - last month in the Senate and last week in the House - that lawmakers agreed and passed the bill.

Opponents of the bill charged that allowing Millstone to compete with renewables, could costs consumers an extra $300 million a year in a state with some of the nations highest charges for electricity.

Malloy stressed the need for much more financial background if the plant is to ultimately be allowed to compete with the energy sources found minimize greenhouse gases. Malloy said that on Tuesday morning, the DEEP and PURA sent preliminary results on the long-term viability of Millstone, citing an analysis that predicts the nuclear station will remain high profitable through 2035. A study this year indicated that the Waterford-based plant, which has about 1,500 employees, is the most-profitable plant in the nation.

 As such, there is unlikely to be a basis upon which to conclude at this time that Dominion requires electric ratepayers to provide financial support outside the regional market in order for Millstone to continue operating profitably, Malloy noted. The state needs significantly more engagement from Dominion as other nuclear facility owners have engaged under similar circumstances in other states. I look forward to continuing this conversation and to increased cooperation from the party seeking assistance.

The AARP, one of the chief opponents of the legislation, voiced disappointment, especially since Dominion has been dragging its corporate feet on providing state regulators vital information even on a confidential basis.

We do agree with the governor, DEEP and PURA that Millstone is expected to be highly profitable through 2035 based on publicly available data, the AARP said. Therefore these processes must conclude that Dominion does not require electric ratepayers to provide financial support that could cost in excess of $300 million annually. AARP will work to ensure, absent disclosure by Millstone, that Connecticut ratepayers not be subjected to any special deal for the plant.

The bill passed the House on October 26 in a narrow 75-66 vote. The Senate approved it 23-8 on September 15. The legislation requires the DEEP and PURA to survey the nuclear plant and determine whether to allow it to join in the solicitation process for power-producing contracts. The two agencies have to report on the issue to the General Assembly by Feb. 1. If lawmakers fail to reject the report by March 1, the results would be automatically approved.

Thomas F. Farrell, Chairman, CEO and president of Dominion Energy, Inc., was grateful Tuesday. On behalf of the 1,500 women and men who work at Millstone, I want to thank Governor Malloy for signing this important legislation, Farrell said in a statement. We are committed to working with his administration and with state energy regulators as the process laid out in the bill and the governors executive order continues.

Earlier in the year, Malloy issued an executive order on researching the issues around Dominions viability.

kdixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT
NEW HAVEN  A Middletown woman is among eight people charged with cocaine trafficking offenses after a grand jury returned a seven-count indictment Oct. 18 in federal court, according to a release.

Jasmine Delgado, 27, was charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and attempt to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, according to the U.S. attorneys office. The seven other people charged were: Luis Cirino, 40, of New Britain; Michael Rivera, 23, of New Britain; Angel Salinas, 21, of Waterbury; Javier Vasquez, 46, of Willimantic; Angel Cruz, 43, of New Britain; Alba Lorengie Filomeno-Gomez, 22, of New London; and Omar Rivera, 34, of New Britain.

Delgado were arrested Oct. 25. If convicted, she will face a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years.

The indictment stems from an ongoing investigation headed by the DEA New Haven Task Force and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service that has included the use of court-authorized wiretaps and the seizure of more than 12 kilograms of cocaine, according to the release.

Cirino is accused of coordinating the shipment of multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine through the U.S. Mail from Puerto Rico to various locations in Connecticut. Cirino, who was assisted by individuals who received the cocaine on his behalf, then distributed the drug in Connecticut with the assistance of Cruz and Michael and Omar Rivera, according to the release.

Cirino, Michael Rivera, Salinas, Cruz, Filomeno-Gomez and Delgado were arrested on Oct. 25 and Vasquez was arrested on Oct. 27.

Omar Rivera, who is charged in two pending, related indictments, has been detained since his arrest July 26. The two related indictments charge a total of 17 individuals.

If convicted, based on their conduct and the quantity of cocaine involved in the conspiracy, Cirino, Michael Rivera and Salinas face a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life. Vasquez, Cruz, Filomeno-Gomez and Rivera face a minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years.

Each defendant, with the exception of Salinas and Cruz, is also charged with one or more counts of possession, or attempted possession, with intent to distribute cocaine, according to the relase.

Cirino, who is on federal supervised release from a prior federal conviction in Connecticut, faces an additional term of imprisonment if he is found to have violated the conditions of his supervised release.
The United States delivered two A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft to Lebanon's army on Tuesday, a sign of continued U.S. support despite Israeli accusations that the Lebanese military is controlled by Hezbollah.

The planes will be used as armed observation aircraft, a security source in Lebanon said, and represent a big upgrade for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).

Earlier this month, U.S. ally Israel said Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Shia Muslim movement, had gained control over Lebanon's conventional military, a charge the Lebanese army denies.

Hezbollah, which was designated as a terrorist group by the U.S. State Department in 1997, last fought Israel in a war in 2006. Lebanon is formally in a state of war with Israel.

"The significant increase in LAF combat capability that this aircraft represents will ensure that the LAF will remain a national unifying force, a bulwark against extremism and terrorism," said U.S. Ambassador Elizabeth Richard.

The Islamic State militant group held a pocket of land straddling Lebanon's border with Syria until August.

Over the last decade, the U.S. government has invested over $1.5 billion in training and equipment, and has trained over 32,000 Lebanese troops, Richard said.

"We have recently announced another $120 million in foreign military financing, which brings the total investment in the LAF to over $160 million just this year," she said. The United States will deliver another four Super Tucanos to Lebanon.

The two new aircraft - which have advanced combat and surveillance capabilities - will "make a qualitative leap in improving the aerial capabilities of the LAF," said Lebanese Army Commander General Joseph Aoun.

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FORT HOOD, Texas -- By night, the film set for "The Long Road Home" doubled as a tool for emotional healing.

Veterans of the fateful 2004 Iraq deployment portrayed in the miniseries would walk the painstakingly recreated streets of Sadr City, experiencing the location without the trauma and chaos they remembered so vividly.

Somehow, the familiar sights helped some find peace.

"It was like a freeze-frame of a memory that I could explore at my own pace," said Aaron Fowler, a veteran of the Sadr City fight who served as a technical consultant on the miniseries.

"So every opportunity that I could, I would get the veterans and I would give them a small little quiet tour," he said. "Because it's seriously like pausing the DVR and just walking through the memories. It's an amazing experience."

Related content: Tributes to 'Black Sunday' Vets at Premiere of 'The Long Road Home'

The National Geographic project follows elements of Fort Hood's 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, through "Black Sunday," the harrowing fifth day of the deployment. Violence would erupt in the previously peaceful streets of Sadr City, and eight troops would be killed in what would be the start of 80 straight days of intense fighting.

Mikko Alanne, series showrunner and screenwriter, said the decision to film the series in its entirety at Fort Hood began with a desire to depict the families waiting at home with accuracy.

"As we say in our tagline, no soldier fights alone. That's what I wanted people to understand," he said. "We knew we wanted to recreate the experience as authentically as possible ... by filming in the actual homes, actual chapel, actual family readiness center."

And though filming meant logistical headaches for the base, such as closing down a major road for a full day to shoot a convoy scene, Alanne said Army officials accepted the challenge and made it happen.

"From the first moments, Fort Hood welcomed us with open arms. It's such a personal story for them," he said. "It was amazing to have their support, and in the same way the Army really embraced helping us in any way that they could. Never have I seen such care given to us."

In the miniseries, the military vehicles were mostly loaned from the Army, Alanne said. Soldiers from the base also feature as extras in many scenes.

As filming in the actual Sadr City was out of the question, producers started mulling the idea of re-creating the city at Fort Hood, using the same military operations in urban terrain site, or MOUT, that the soldiers had used for training ahead of their deployment.

For the project, the production crew would take over the base's Elijah MOUT site, building 80 buildings and re-facading another 35 structures over a sprawling 12 acres.

"We had the largest working set in North America," Alanne said.

To accurately recreate the Sadr City that the soldiers remembered, the crew leaned on photographs shot by troops and journalists and took oral histories from veterans of the fight.

"I remember when veterans would visit, they would just be struck silent," Alanne said.

Fowler marveled as the set rapidly took shape at the Elijah MOUT site.

"And at the beginning of production, I got to see it slowly get built up and, seriously, every night, there would be a new road built and probably 10, 15 buildings. Until it got to the point that the only thing missing from Sadr City was the smell," Fowler said. "When we brought vets and families on, they were very emotional."

Eric Bourquin, another 2-5 veteran who worked on the show as a consultant, said he also found the experience of working on-set to be healing.

"It was such a gift to actually be there, revisiting the battlefield, going into the house that they recreated from the pictures we gave them," he said. "Being able to sit up there on the roof with the guys that were on the roof with me and being able to relive it and talk about it. Who else can get that experience?"

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
FORT HOOD, Texas -- On March 31, 2004, soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, said goodbye to their families and departed for Sadr City, Iraq, on what was expected to be a low-key peacekeeping mission.

Five days later, eight of the troops would be dead and more than 60 wounded on what would become known as "Black Sunday," a horrific series of ambushes and valiant rescue attempts that would precede 80 days of brutal and costly fighting in the city.

On Oct. 27, many of the same 2-5 troops and their families crowded into Fort Hood's Abrams Gym, the same place they had said their goodbyes more than 13 years before.

At the screening of the new National Geographic miniseries, "The Long Road Home," which tells the story of Black Sunday hour-by-hour through the eyes of the soldiers and their loved ones, the mood was both somber and celebratory.

Veterans posed for photos with the actors who played them on the screen; families embraced and huddled in groups during an intermission between episodes.

Outside the gym, several mental health counselors sat at a table holding brochures about veteran suicide and post-traumatic stress, ready to talk to anyone in the audience who found the gritty portrayal of war too reminiscent or simply too difficult to watch.

"The Long Road Home" is based on a book of the same name by ABC Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz, who began to report on the troops of 2-5 while the horrors of that deployment to Sadr City were still unfolding.

"This is a very emotional night for me," she told the audience ahead of the screening, her voice quavering. "This community has embraced me for 13 years. You have shared your stories; you have shared your soldiers; you have shared your families. This story and this project means more to me than anything I have ever done."

Producers of the series and the cast, many of whom attended the Fort Hood screening, also spoke with feeling about what the project meant to them.

The entire series was shot on-base, with Iraq street scenes recreated in painstaking detail at a Fort Hood urban training complex. Two veterans of the battle, Aaron Fowler and Eric Bourquin, worked on the show as technical advisers; many other soldiers and family members stayed in contact with the production team throughout the project, offering their insights and memories.

Actor John Beavers, who plays Bourquin in the series, was seldom far from his real-life counterpart. Other cast members joked about the bond that had grown between the two men, down to shared mannerisms.

Beavers said the responsibility of portraying those who had sacrificed so much was weighty "to the point of buckling our knees." But, he added, the cast had quickly been embraced by the soldiers and by the families of the fallen.

"We had the guys that lived it and the families that experienced it telling us that they believed in us, that we could do it before we even believed that about ourselves," he said.

"And ... I have yet to share a story with another actor who could say they were getting ready for a big scene. They knew it was going to be action-packed and emotional, and they were able to walk over to their real-life counterpart and ask them ... can you please walk me step by step through what actually happened in this scene so I can recreate it as close to life as possible."

Ian Quinlan, who plays Spc. Robert Arsiaga, one of the soldiers killed in action on Black Sunday, said he reached out to Arsiaga's brothers and sisters, inviting them over to his home to share a meal.

"I wanted them to tell them how I felt and hear more stories about Robert, and to be a part of this process," he said. "I was so honored to help tell this story and to hear that I had their approval and, 'We're behind you every step of the way.' "

Mikko Alanne, showrunner and screenwriter for the series, said he first became involved in the project nine years ago when executive producer Mike Medavoy sent him a copy of the book.

"I read the book all in one sitting and just fell in love with the soldiers and their families," he said. "It was one of those unique things that you saw right away, so many fascinating real-life stories. I've always felt like nothing is more precious and fascinating than ordinary life. And all these families, they deployed together."

In an era of films like "War Machine" that emphasize the politics of conflict, "The Long Road Home" is disarmingly sincere.

It lingers on the baby-faced soldier blinking sweat out of his eyes and trembling as he watches for shooters from a rooftop. It feels the full impact of small acts of heroism and determination, as when a soldier hesitates for a moment before standing to man a Humvee's turret gun immediately after the previous gunner has been killed in an ambush. And it toggles regularly back from the heat of the battle to the spouses working to maintain normalcy at home while waiting anxiously for news of their loved ones.

The series emphasizes the diversity found in combat as well.

While some soldiers display toughness and swagger, others are intelligent nerds who play the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons in their spare time.

One weathered staff sergeant seems to be in Iraq under protest due to a stop-loss measure, only to display extraordinary heroism in the heat of the fight. All, like the soft-covered Humvees and slim detachment of Bradley Fighting Vehicles they deployed with, were unprepared for the crucible of war they would encounter in Sadr City.

One of the soldiers, Pfc. Tomas Young, would be paralyzed by wounds received in the fighting. He would return home and become an outspoken protester of the Iraq conflict, his story featured in the 2007 documentary "Body of War."

Young's brother, Nathan Young, attended the screening with his wife Amanda.

"That was intense. I almost broke her hand," Young said after viewing the first episode.

A former cannon crewmember with the Army's 101st Airborne Division who deployed twice to Iraq, Nathan Young spoke in clipped sentences, struggling to control his emotion when he spoke of Tomas, who died in 2014. His mother, Cathy Smith, told The New York Times that "his body just wore out."

"[Tomas'] story lives on," Young said about the series. "He did quite a few amazing things ... he touched a lot of people's hearts, and he only wanted to help people."

Carl Wild, who was then a specialist and is played in the series by Thomas McDonnell, said it was surreal to see himself portrayed on the screen.

"I'm still processing it, I think. I'm a little bit in shock," he said, after the two-episode premiere screening concluded.

Wild, who was medically retired in 2012 and now is working on a bachelor's degree in radiology, said he had emailed with McDonnell during production and given him advice about the sorts of things he used to do to prepare for missions and how he'd act in his spare time.

After seeing the show for the first time at the screening, Wild approved: McDonnell, who plays him with a quirky sensibility, had been cast perfectly, he said.

But what Wild was really concerned with, he said, was ensuring the men his unit lost were portrayed as heroes and that their memory was honored in the project. That has been done, he said.

"This is every Iraq veteran's story," he said. "There's stuff that's involved in this process that didn't necessarily even happen to us, but it's things that went on during the war and they added it to the film, so they could tell those guys' stories. This is all of their stories."

Dinah Rodriguez, mother of Spc. Israel Garza, who was killed in action on Black Sunday, said it was difficult for her to be in the Abrams Gym, as she hadn't been able to make it to base to see her son off in 2004.

"It's very emotional," she said. "But at the same time, I'm very proud of my son."

Elements of Garza's portrayal in the series by actor Jorge Diaz rang especially true, she said, such as a scene showing a playfully affectionate phone conversation between Garza and his wife Lupita.

"[Garza] always said he was going to be famous," said his cousin, Renee Mata. "It was true; he was right."

"The Long Road Home" premieres Nov. 7 on the National Geographic Channel.

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.
Bahrain will impose entry visas on Qatari nationals and residents, it said on Tuesday, in what it called a security measure.

Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut diplomatic, transport and trade ties with Qatar in June, accusing it of financing terrorism. Doha denies that and says the boycott is an attempt to rein in its support for reform.

"The new measures aim at preventing harming the security and stability of the kingdom of Bahrain particularly in light of the latest repercussions of the crisis with Qatar", said a statement on official news agency BNA.

Citizens from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council countries are supposed to be able to travel within the GCC carrying only an identity card. Bahrain's visa requirements will apply from Nov. 10.

Bahrain believes Qatar is fomenting unrest in the island kingdom by supporting protests and even sporadic shooting and bombing attacks against security forces.

Bahrain's foreign minister said on Sunday his country would not attend December's GCC summit if Qatar does not change its policies, and that Qatar should have its GCC membership suspended.

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ANN ARBOR, MI - Ann Arbor Public Schools' A2 STEAM at Northside is waiting to see if it will receive a grant to help improve pedestrian safety by the K-8 school.

The school that emphasizes Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM) has spent two years preparing its application for a Safe Routes to School major grant, which is funded by the Federal Highway Administration Transportation Enhancement Program and the Michigan Department of Transportation.

The deadline for this round of grant funding was Monday, Oct. 30, and the school would find out in January 2018 if it has been selected as a grant recipient.

Schools can apply for mini or major grants, and they must collect survey data from parents and students, complete walking and biking audits and develop an action plan with recommendations for making the traffic pattern and pedestrian routes safer around the school as part of the application.

"It's been absolutely a community effort," said Carlene Colvin-Garcia, a parent who co-chairs the Safe Routes to School planning team at A2 STEAM. "I just am really, really proud of what we've accomplished."

Colvin-Garcia thanked the school administrators, city engineers and police, PTO members and other volunteers for their efforts on the grant application.

A team from Michigan State University assisted A2 STEAM in developing an action plan that made specific recommendations for how to improve sidewalks, crosswalks and traffic patterns near the school.

A2 STEAM's grant application asks for $400,000 for infrastructure work and another $16,000 to support educational efforts to teach students safety tips for crossing streets, biking and managing their time to get to school on time.

A major Safe Routes to School grant can provide up to $200,000 for infrastructure projects and $8,000 for programming funds, according to the grant website. Because A2 STEAM is a K-8 school, it is making major grant requests as both an elementary school and a middle school, Colvin-Garcia said.

The top priority for infrastructure improvements will be to fill in gaps in the sidewalks on Barton Drive, Starwick Drive, Traver Road, Pearl Street, Apple Street and Jones Drive, among other areas, Colvin-Garcia said.

Right now, walkers and bikers have to go in the road in the areas where there are no sidewalks, she said.

"It can be fairly harrowing with cars en route to school and cars that are driven by folks on their way to work," Colvin-Garcia said.

Other infrastructure changes outlined in the grant application include adding or re-painting crosswalks, additional sidewalk ramps that comply with Americans with Disabilities Act regulations, new traffic and street signs, improved and expanded bicycle storage area and the installation of raised pedestrian crosswalks.

Already, the school is working to establish remote drop-off and pick-up sites, has added more crossing guards, held forums for parents to share feedback on traffic-related matters and had police officers talk to students about safety guidelines.

In-street crosswalks signs have been installed in some spots near the school, and a flashing speed sign on Pontiac Trail reminds drivers how fast they are going.

"A lot of these changes are taking place because of the process of going through this action plan (for the grant application)," Colvin-Garcia said.

Parents realized the need to improve pedestrian safety when the school, located at 912 Barton Drive in Ann Arbor, transitioned from Northside Elementary to A2 STEAM going into the 2014-15 school year, said Colvin-Garcia and Dani Parker, co-president of the A2 STEAM PTO.

"This has been a grassroots initiative started by parents in the community once the school was turned over to STEAM and awareness (grew) about how unsafe it was to get our kids to school," Parker said.

The school received a mini Safe Routes to School grant in 2015, Colvin-Garcia said, and then they began the process of preparing an application for a major grant.

Applying for Safe Routes to School grants is one of the goals of Ann Arbor Public Schools' district-wide pedestrian safety plan, which the district announced in December 2016 after Community High School student Justin Tang, 16, was hit and killed while walking in a crosswalk on Fuller Road near Huron High School one morning in October 2016.

A Huron High School student riding a bicycle was struck by a car on Huron Parkway near the school the morning of Oct. 12. The student sustained minor injuries.

Tang's death highlighted the need to improve pedestrian safety near the schools, and the school district and city administrators have since renewed their efforts to improve crosswalks, implement slower speed limits near schools and better educate drivers and pedestrians about traffic patterns.

The city designated $3.16 million in its 2017-18 budget for various efforts related to improving pedestrian safety.
Spain's Civil Guard police force on Tuesday searched the headquarters of Catalonia's regional police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, in a probe centred around the outlawed independence referendum on October 1, a spokesman said.

"We're carrying out an inspection related to the Mossos d'Esquadra's communications on the day of the illegal referendum on October 1," the Civil Guard spokesman told AFP, adding officers were searching the headquarters in Sabadell, a city in Catalonia, and other offices.



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Spain's Supreme Court said Tuesday it had summoned Catalonia's former parliamentary speaker to appear for questioning this week to be charged over the region's independence drive.

Carme Forcadell and her parliamentary deputies have been summoned to appear in court on November 2 and 3, Spain's top court said in a statement.

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The UK is investing over $97 million in Upper Egypts Benban Solar Park, set to be the largest solar installation in the world, the British Embassy announced on Monday.

In an official statement, the embassy said the investment by CDC Group, the UKs development finance institution, is a part of an International Financial Cooperation (IFC)-led consortium providing a $653 million debt package to fund 13 new solar-power plants  the Nubian Suns  in the Southern Egyptian city of Aswan.

I am proud the UK is investing in a project that will provide clean power to over 350,000 residential customers and generate up to 6,000 jobs," UK Ambassador to Egypt John Casson said.

"Todays announcement reflects our commitment to support Egypt as its number one partner with a new wave of investments that support its development, provide new job opportunities and paint a brighter future for its generations, he said.

On Sunday, Egypt signed agreements for the construction of 13 solar-power plants in Aswan, financed by the IFC, which is a member of the World Bank Group.

The 13 solar power plants, which are expected to generate 590 megawatts, will cost $823 million in total, with the IFC providing $653 million, Egypt's investment ministry said in a statement.

Upon completion, the facilities will comprise the largest solar installation in the world, with a planned total capacity of 1.8 GW.

Egypt has been working to upgrade its power plant capacity and renewable energy projects in order to meet rising electricity demand. It aims to shift 22 percent of the country's energy consumption to renewable sources by 2020.

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Egyptian citizens abroad sent to Egypt a total of $16.3 billion in remittances between November 2016  when Egypt floated its currency  and August 2017, registering a 17.35 percent increase compared to the same period the year before, according to data revealed at the Industrial Investment Map in Cairo.

Teuta Grazhdani, the head of Egypts Labour Mobility and Human Development at the intergovernmental International Organization for Migration, said that the "remittances have exceeded revenues from Suez Canal, tourism, and direct investment," three of the country's key sources of foreign currency.

The flotation of the Egyptian pound has unified exchange rates and diminished the black market, where foreign currency rates were much higher than in banks. Since the devaluation, many Egyptians have opted to send remittances through legal avenues.

Grazhdani said at the Industrial Investment Map, which aims at promoting foreign investment in Egypt's industrial sector and was hosted by the Ministry of Industry, that Egyptian expats have to be part of the economic development process, and should be empowered with the tools to do so.

"Their remittances should be used as capital for different industrial development projects in Egypt," she said.

Around 9.4 million Egyptians live abroad out of a total population of 104.2 million.

Egypt is in constant need of foreign currency to buy basic foodstuffs and fulfill its international obligations. The countrys foreign reserves registered $36.535 billion at the end of September 2017, hitting pre-2011 levels after years of political turmoil and terrorism brought it down to critical levels.

The country's foreign reserves, which stood at $16.41 billion at the end of October 2015, have been climbing since Egypt signed an agreement for a three-year $12 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in November 2017.

The IMF expects the Egyptian economy to grow 4.5 percent in 2018 from 4.1 percent this year.

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Jordan has lifted a ban on imports of Egyptian potatoes it imposed over a year ago due to brown rot, Egypts Agriculture Ministry said on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates agreed to lift bans on Egyptian agricultural imports like lettuce and onions put in place due to concerns of pesticide residues.

Egypt has appointed an agricultural quarantine body to advise on shipments and any violations of international standards.

Egypts agricultural exports rose 13.9 percent during the first nine months of 2017, reaching 4.1 million tonnes compared to 3.6 million last year.

It exports around 1.2 million tonnes of agricultural products to other Arab countries annually.

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Air France-KLM and Jet Airways are closing in on a joint venture that would combine their respective frequent flyer programmes, routes, cargo and engineering services, according to a report by The Economic Times.

Pieter Elbers, Chief of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, confirmed that the carrier is exploring "metal neutrality", while speaking to the newspaper.

Under the 'metal neutrality' concept, airlines overlook as to who's aircrafts are being used to carry the passenger.

The joint venture is likely to give Jet Airways an unprecedented access in the west, without having to use their own fleet on these routes. Jet Airways then would be able to deploy 100 of its new Boeing 737 Max aircrafts on domestic air routes.

Jet Airways currently has a code share agreement with Air France, KLM and Delta Air Lines, which allows the Indian carrier to reach 34 destinations in the United States, 43 destinations in Europe through the Amsterdam hub and 27 destinations via the Paris hub.

In return, Delta, Air France and KLM get connectivity to 45 Indian cities, through Jet Airways' domestic hubs in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai.

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Pursuant to the provisions of Regulation 29 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Company will be held on 9th November 2017, inter alia, to consider the un-audited Financial Results for the quarter ended 30th September 2017.Source : BSE

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1. Pursuant to Regulation 33 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, we are enclosing herewith the Standalone audited financial results for the quarter / six months ended 30th September, 2017 along with Auditors Report which was reviewed by the Audit Committee and approved by the Board of Directors of the Company.2. The Board of Directors has initiated steps to terminate the Dealership & Hire Purchase Agreements between the Company and the Tata Motors Ltd within 31.12.2017. The decision to close the Dealership & Hire Purchase Agreements is based on allowing TATA Motors to find a more suitable partner since our Company has not had a comfortable fit in operations.The meeting of the Board of Directors commenced at 10.45 AM and concluded at 12.50 PM.Kindly take the same on recordThanking You,Yours faithfully,For L.G.Balakrishnan & Bros LimitedM.Lakshmi Kanth JoshiGeneral Manager Cum Company SecretarySource : BSE

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In terms of Regulation 30 read with Para A of Part A of Schedule III of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations & Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015 as amended from time to time ('Listing Regulations'), please find herewith the Outcome of the 22nd Annual General Meeting of the Company held on Monday, October 30, 2017.

Starcom Info is in the Computers - Software sector. The current market capitalisation stands at Rs 97.41 crore.

The company management includes Ziaulla Sheriff - Chairman & Managing Director, Maddur Gundurao Mohan Kumar - Independent Director, Sayeeda Hina - Non Executive Director, M Y Khan - Addnl.Independent Director.Source : BSE

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Pursuant to Regulation 29 read with Regulation 33 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, the Board of Directors of the Company will take on record the Unaudited Financial Results for the quarter and half year ended 30th September, 2017 at its meeting to be held on Friday, the 10th November, 2017 at Kolkata

United Credit is in the Finance - Leasing & Hire Purchase sector. The current market capitalisation stands at Rs 9.86 crore.

The company management includes A K Dabriwala - Chairman & Managing Director, N Mishra - Director, R M Choubey - Director, Devashish Dabriwal - Director, Suresh Chandra Saha - Director, Rashmi Vijaykaran Dabriwal - Director. Source : BSE

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Board Meeting to be held on 13th November, 2017 to consider the un-audtied Financial Results for the Quarter ended 30th September, 2017

At 11:44 hrs Williamson Financial Services was quoting at Rs 29.00, up Rs 0.85, or 3.02 percent.

The share touched its 52-week high Rs 42.00 and 52-week low Rs 26.30 on 05 May, 2017 and 05 September, 2017, respectively.Currently, it is trading 30.95 percent below its 52-week high and 10.27 percent above its 52-week low.Market capitalisation stands at Rs 24.24 crore. Source : BSE

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Shares of Apple jumped Monday to an all-time high on speculation of strong demand for the iPhone X, which the company began taking preorders for on Friday.

A deluge of orders for the company's new luxury phone has already pushed shipment times into December, according to analyst reports from both Drexel Hamilton and Nomura.

"We are encouraged that shipping lead times have held steady at 5-6 weeks because these pre-orders can be recognized as shipments in the December quarter," wrote Drexel Hamilton analyst Brian White on Monday. "Apple is taking the iPhone franchise to a whole new level with the iPhone X, pushing the company deep into the ultra-luxury smartphone market."

Apple shares were 2.1 percent higher on Monday and posted their first intraday record since Sept. 1.

Apple told CNBC on Friday that "We can see from the initial response, customer demand is off the charts. We're working hard to get this revolutionary new product into the hands of every customer who wants one, as quickly as possible."

While the iPhone X is set for release on Nov. 3, Apple allowed customers to preorder phones starting Friday. While swells of preorders usually result in longer shipment times, analysts are finding that demand for the iPhone X is exceptional.

"We observed shipment times for the iPhone X tick up to 5-6 weeks within minutes of Apple opening pre-orders, where they have held over the weekend," wrote Nomura analyst Jeffrey Kvaal in a note to clients. "This is ahead of the 2-3 weeks during the iPhone 7 Plus launch and the 2-4 weeks during the iPhone 6 and 6s launch."

It appears preorder demand is so strong that Apple has directed its Taiwanese suppliers to double capacity in anticipation, according to a FactSet translation of a report in China's Economic Daily News. IPhone assembler and supplier Hon Hai Precision Industry  also known as Foxconn  was up 1.7 percent in local trading.
Chandan Taparia of Motilal Oswal Securities told CNBC-TV18, "First trade is a buy on Federal Bank. Recently the stock has corrected from Rs 128 to Rs 119 level. Now it is forming the support. It has formed a classical example of resistance trend as a support."

"I am expecting it to head towards Rs 128-127 kind of levels. So recommending to buy with a stop loss of Rs 119 for an upside target towards new high."

"Second trade is buy on Dalmia Bharat. This stock has done well, has been making higher tops, higher bottom. Recently it has given a classical breakout and I am expecting this rally to extend. So recommending to buy with a stop loss of Rs 2,880 for an upside target of Rs 3,100 as we have seen significant jump in the trading as well as delivery volume.," he said.

"Last trade is buy on Tata Motors. This stock is making higher tops, higher bottom formation. Most of the auto companies are doing well and it was a laggard earlier but recently it has taken support at 50-day exponential moving average."

"We have seen fresh Put writing activity, so, here also I am expecting positive stance. One can buy with a stop loss near to Rs 428 for an upside target towards Rs 455-458 levels," he added.
Ashwani Gujral of ashwanigujral.com told CNBC-TV18, "Bajaj Finance, Bajaj Finserv, the NBFC representatives are moving up. So, whenever the market leading groups move higher, the market tends to also follow through. So that way, both these stocks can be looked at."

"Titan Company is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 634 and target of Rs 660. Sudarshan Chemical is a buy. The stock is breaking out, that is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 400 and target of Rs 425."

"Max Financial Services bottomed out yesterday and that is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 580 and target of Rs 605."

"The day Axis Bank crosses Rs 530 decisively, I think more upside will be available. It has done this Rs 470-530 for a long time, and often at the higher end of the range, it is unable to show follow through. So if that happens, that is a good thing, but it is too early to say that," he added.
The Darb Al-Ahmar Arts School (DAAS) will present The Flying Noon performance at El-Genaina Theatre on 1 November.



The musical circus show is the latest in DASS Flying Kids project, and will feature twenty girls from the school.



The shows artistic supervisor is Khawla Abou Saada.



An earlier installment of the project, the Flying Concert, was held in September in collaboration with musician Fathy Salama, as was a showcasing of the output of a music workshop.



Since its opening in 2012, the Darb Al-Ahmar School  located in the economically underprivileged district of the same name  has succeeded in supplying dozens of children with an array of artistic skills.



The school currently has around 110 students in two departments.



The Music Department includes percussion, wind instruments, and accordion sections.



The Performing Arts Department includes circus arts, dance, and acting.



The school, which aims to provide neighborhood children with an arts education to help in securing future jobs, was founded by the NGO Culture Resource (Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafy) in cooperation with the Aga Khan Development Network's Music Initiative.



The Flying Kids project is held collaboration with the Swiss Embassy in Cairo.

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business Political will can ensure India jumps into top 50 of Doing Business rankings: Amitabh Kant In an interview to CNBC-TV18's Shereen Bhan, Amitabh Kant, CEO of Niti Aayog spoke about the recent rankings released by the World Bank.
Ricoh India is in focus today on news that parent, Ricoh Global which holds more than 73 percent stake in the Indian company, will cut off all financial support.

In an interview to CNBC-TV18, Sandeep Parekh, Founder of Finsec Law Advisors spoke at length about the same.

Parekh said there has been an admission of fraud in the Indian subsidiary.

However, since it is a listed company, the question is what happens to the retail investors.

Even though Ricoh India is a listed company it does have a benefit of limited liability. Therefore, the parent technically does not have to reimburse the subsidiary for all the losses which it has incurred because of fraud, said Parekh.
Vaccination of a child during a campaign led by the World Health Organization (WHO). (Photo by nik wheeler/Sygma via Getty Images)

Pune-headquartered Serum Institute of India, a part of the Cyrus Poonawalla group, on Tuesday said it is looking to achieve Rs 10,000 crore revenues in the next five years through new vaccine launches and expanding footprint in regulated markets of Europe and US.

For the next leap in terms of revenues, the company has lined up several big launches in the next three years that include vaccines to prevent cervical cancer, pneumonia, meningitis, and a novel biologic drug and vaccine to prevent and treat dengue.

Most of the vaccines are in various stages of clinical trials as on date.

The company said it has also invested Rs 2,000 crore on its upcoming vaccine manufacturing facility with Special Economic Zone (SEZ) status in Pune. The facility will be exclusively used to supply vaccines to Europe and US.

Serum said it will seek the approvals of Europe and US drug regulators from 2019 onward.

The vaccine maker has clocked revenues of around Rs 3,500-4,000 crore in the last financial year, and has been growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 30 percent in the last several years, with the exception of FY17.

The 50-year-old company, the world's largest producer of human vaccines by volume, makes much of its money through supplying vaccines by competing in tenders of individual countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America and multilateral agencies such as GAVI and UNICEF.

After a gap of nearly seven years, Serum on Tuesday launched its much-awaited Rotasiil vaccine that gives protection against Rotavirus that causes childhood diarrhea and Rabishield, a biologic used in treatment of rabies.

The company has agreed to supply the Indian government 3.8 million doses of rotavirus vaccine at around a dollar a dose. The company will be selling the same vaccine in private market at Rs 700800 per dose, almost 25-30 percent lower than GSK and Merck vaccines. A child needs three doses to get complete protection from Rotavirus.

Serum said it had spent USD 100 million over six years and tested the vaccine on 10,000 subjects in India and Africa. Serum's rotavirus vaccine is heat stable not requiring refrigeration to preserve the vaccine before it is delivered.

Rabishield has been developed in research partnership with Massachusetts Medical School in US and will be available in the private market for Rs 15,00018,000 per treatment. The existing biologic marketed Sanofi costs about Rs 27,000.

The availability of Rotasiil and Rabishield worldwide will help reduce deaths caused due to Rotavirus and Rabies which cause fatal diseases, Serum Institute Chief Executive Officer Adar Poonawalla said.

Poonawala said he isnt pursuing any stake sale in the company to private equity investors, as the proposed acquisition plans in the range of USD 1-2 billion didnt materialise and also he wasnt happy with the valuations offered by the PE investors.

Poonawala said he is interested in M&A opportunities in vaccines and biologic areas, where the company has deep understanding of the business.

In April. Serum acquired the Czech arm of a US-headquartered firm - Nanotherapeutics - for 72 million Euros. The Czech acquisition helps the company to quadruple its injectable polio dosage capacity to 200 million doses a year by 2019 and participate in European markets.
Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will again make a case for rational pricing of energy when he speaks at the 7th Asian Ministerial Energy Roundtable in Bangkok.

India is the current chair of International Energy Forum, which is promoting the roundtable that brings together energy ministers and experts from Asian countries on November 1-2.

Pradhan will participate in the ministerial roundtable and speak on 'Natural Gas: Overcoming Market and Policy Hurdles to the Golden Age of Gas', an official statement said.

Energy Ministers from Saudi Arabia, Russia, UAE, Thailand, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Brunei are also participating in the roundtable.

"At the 6th Annual LNG Producers Consumer Conference in Tokyo earlier this month, he had "called for establishing a liquid, flexible and global LNG market, the abolition of Destination Restriction Clause and also explore possibilities of cooperation in establishing reliable LNG spot price indices reflecting true LNG demand and supply", the statement said.

Pradhan, during his meetings and interactions with OPEC Secretary General, has called for replacing the 'Asian Premium' on oil with 'Asian Discount', it said.

"He has emphasised the implementation of responsible and reasonable pricing' by producing countries.

"In this background, the IEF, whose membership accounts for 90 percent of global supply and demand for oil and gas, is an important forum to share India's views on global oil and gas scenario and the changes that are required to balance it better and benefit not only producers but also consumers," it said.

The 7th AMER at Bangkok will be an important IEF event before India hosts the 16th IEF Ministerial meeting.

India is the current Chair of IEF and will host the 16th Ministerial Conference in April next year.
Tata Steel

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Shares of Tata Steel lost over a percent after posting gains of over 1.5 percent intraday on Tuesday as investors could have turned wary of the results and analysts reactions on the same.

The steel majors financials turned profitable during the September quarter as the company posted a net profit of Rs 1,017.8 crore against a loss of Rs 49.4 crore during the same period last year. On a standalone basis, the net profit came in at Rs 1,294.1 crore.

The company's consolidated revenue grew 35.7 percent at Rs 32,464 crore against Rs 23,921 crore. The standalone revenue came in at Rs 14,220.93 crore as compared to Rs 11,718.31 crore in a year ago period.

At the operational level, the earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 53.7 percent to Rs 4,720.5 crore, while the operating margin came in at 14.54 percent against 11.85 percent.

Tata Steel witnessed strong volume growth during the quarter as the smooth ramp up of our Kalinganagar Steel plant coupled with our strong marketing franchise enabled us to expand our customer universe and increase our market share. This is against the backdrop of subdued steel demand during the quarter with slow construction activity, weak rural demand and poor consumer sentiment, T V Narendran, Managing Director, had said in a statement to the exchanges on Monday.

Though brokerage houses have maintained their buy calls on the stock, they also highlighted that the earnings figures missed expectations. However, going forward, the situation improve, they added.

Brokerage: UBS | Rating: Neutral | Target: Rs 740

UBS said that the companys Q2 results missed expectations driven by both standalone India & EU business. Meanwhile, lower blended EBITDA/T was driven by sluggish demand, long products. The company further could make progress on inorganic opportunities in India in the next 2-3 months. One can also expect incremental caution on the stock going forward.

Brokerage: Axis Cap | Rating: Buy | Target: Raised to Rs 795

Axis Cap increased FY18/FY19 EPS estimates To Rs 56/72 from Rs 51/68. It sees domestic steel realisation to be higher in Q3. Meanwhile, Europe business margin could be weak in Q3 & will rebound in Q4.

Brokerage: PhillipCap | Rating: Buy | Target: Cut to Rs 890

The brokerage said that weak performance with miss on both India and Europe. The performance will improve with spreads improving sequentially.

Brokerage: BofAML | Rating: Buy | Target: Rs 890

The research firm said operating performance was below consensus due to lag impact. Further, a positive impact of higher steel spot prices in India should begin reflecting in q3. Any potential stock price weakness should be used as a good opportunity to buy, it added.

The stock gained around 7 percent in the past one month, but in the past three sessions, it has fallen over 2 percent. At 10:32 hrs, Tata Steel was quoting at Rs 709.30, down Rs 9.50, or 1.32 percent, on the BSE. It touched an intraday high of Rs 729.90 and an intraday low of Rs 708.55.
The NDA government has deferred plans to change the financial year cycle in the interim owing to the short-term disruption caused by demonetisation of high-value notes and the unveiling of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), reports The Hindu BusinessLine.

The report said that a change in fiscal year would happen only after 2019 even as work for the Budget 2018-19 has started.

The finance ministry constituted an expert panel last year, headed by former Chief Economic Adviser Shankar Acharya to study the desirability and feasibility of having a new financial year cycle. At present, the government follows a 150-year old practice of April-March financial year adopted in 1867 to align the Indian fiscal with that of the British government.

Sources told newspaper the government is deliberating on the Acharya committee report for a change in a fiscal year but is in no hurry to implement it anytime soon.

The Indian government felt that a change in a fiscal year would help improve the expenditure flow before the monsoon starts. Many countries follow a January-December financial year.

Madhya Pradesh became the first state to announce shifting of its financial year format to January-December from 2018.

Moneycontrol had earlier reported the government has asked think-tank Niti Aayog to evaluate the pros and cons of the shift in financial year to align it with the international system.

The new financial system, if implemented, will bring in a number of positives for the country. It will align the Budget with many global peers as well as create uniformity in analysis of statistical data.

The new system will also align with the monsoon cycle in the country, benefitting the agriculture sector. It will also ease working for multinationals who generally have to follow two financial years - one in India and one followed in the country they are registered.

Similarly, foreign subsidiaries of Indian companies too will benefit.
business Corp governance structure has been misused by unscrupulous people: MoS Corp Affairs Watch the interview of PP Choudhary MoS, Corp Affairs with Timsy Jaipuria on CNBC-TV18, in which he shared his views on the Modi government's crackdown on shell companies.
Small and medium enterprises account for over half of employment worldwide, Swiss envoy to India Andreas Baum said today, noting that this sector will continue to be an important chapter in the Indian economy.

Baum, however, pointed out that access to finance and technology are two important challenges for the MSME sector, which is the "key engine" of job creation and economic growth in both developing and developed countries.

The ambassador was addressing a two-day 'National Summit on Energy Efficiency in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)' being organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), in association with the Ministry of MSME, here.

"Small and medium enterprises account for about 90 per cent of business and more than 50 per cent of employment worldwide... For a country like India, which is one of the fastest growing economies, MSMEs will continue to be an important chapter in its growth," he said.

The Ambassador of Switzerland to India also said energy efficiency is important not only to address climate change, but also to take care of environmental improvements, pollution reduction and workplace safety.

The MSME sector, He added, faces several challenges, which include access to finance and in order to address this, the Indian government has initiated several schemes and incentives. The second challenge the MSMEs are facing is technology, especially clean energy that can assist the sector in improving its productivity.
business Nobody had imagined we could jump 30 ranks in a year: Ramesh Abhishek, DIPP In an interview to CNBC-TV18's Shereen Bhan, Ramesh Abhishek of the DIPP spoke about the recent rankings released by the World Bank.
India came under the spotlight after an increase in the "scale and persistence" of its buying up other nations' money, the Treasury said in an October report outlining the foreign exchange policies of the U.S.'s major trading partners.

India's persistent buying of the U.S. dollar to keep its local currency cheap has caught the attention of the U.S. Treasury, increasing the risk that Asia's third-largest economy could soon face the ill effects of a "currency manipulator" branding.

India came under the spotlight after an increase in the "scale and persistence" of its buying up other nations' money, the Treasury said in an October report outlining the foreign exchange policies of the U.S.'s major trading partners.

But even without the official "currency manipulator" label, being called out by the U.S. Treasury can already limit New Delhi's freedom in managing the rupee, analysts said. To avoid the designation, the Reserve Bank of India may be looking to reduce its foreign exchange purchases. Doing so at a time when capital inflows are still strong, however, could be costly for the economy, as its domestic currency may become expensive and hurt the country's competitiveness.

The RBI did not respond to CNBC's request for comment about the report.

India's net currency purchases rose to around $42 billion, or 1.8 percent of its gross domestic product, in the 12 months from July, 2016 to June, 2017, the Treasury said. Compared to the $10 billion, or 0.4 percent of GDP, net purchases in calendar year 2016, New Delhi has been on a buying spree.

"Over the first half of 2017, there has been a notable increase in the scale and persistence of India's net foreign exchange purchases," the Treasury said, adding that it will be "closely monitoring India's foreign exchange and macroeconomic policies."

The RBI intensified the buying of foreign currencies this year after a surge in capital inflows into India's stocks and bonds sent the rupee appreciating to its strongest in two years against the U.S. dollar. The purchases  to ensure the rupee does not rise to a level that would harm its exporters and other internationally operating firms  also saw India's foreign reserves hitting an all-time high of $402.51 billion in September.

Those currency moves could potentially lead to India's inclusion on the U.S. Treasury's manipulator watchlist, and so the RBI may be looking to pull back on its defense of a cheap rupee. That would see the Indian currency jump in relative value, which would cause negative effects for wide swaths of the economy.

And, if India feels limited in its ability to buy up international currencies, that will also affect its efforts to create robust foreign reserves that would protect against economic shocks.

That's something that New Delhi should be doing more of, according to Rajiv Biswas, APAC chief economist at IHS Markit. The country should increase its reserves "significantly further" as its current account deficit makes it particularly vulnerable in the event of a capital flight, he explained.

"Increased FX (foreign exchange) reserves help to reassure global financial markets that India is resilient to external shocks, particularly hot money outflows," Biswas said in an email. "FX reserves are essentially like a fire insurance policy  in good times you complain about the cost, but you only fully understand their value when markets are in meltdown and a currency crisis looms."

But the RBI's options are limited if India wants to avoid further scrutiny by the Treasury. The report, published twice a year, is intended to flag any unfair currency practices, and lists three criteria that define an unfair practice.

The first is that a country has at least a $20 billion trade surplus with the U.S. (meaning the value of goods it exports to the U.S. exceeds the value of its American imports by that much). The second criterion is that a country has net foreign currency purchases of at least 2 percent of GDP over a 12-month period.

And the final characteristic is if a country has a current account surplus that's at a minimum 3 percent of GDP. The current account is a measurement of goods, services and investments that go in and out of a country.

Economies that fulfill two out of the three criteria are put on a monitoring list, which increases the risks of trade sanctions from the U.S. and earning the label "currency manipulator." Five countries are now officially being watched: China, Japan, South Korea, Germany and Switzerland.

India, however, currently meets only one of those criteria: Its trade surplus with the U.S. came in at $23 billion in the 12 months to June  higher than the $20 billion threshold. The country's current account deficit and net foreign exchange purchases of 1.8 percent of GDP are helping it avoid being placed on the monitoring list for now.

"We reckon that the U.S. is paying more attention to India this time around as the economy is very close to meeting (the foreign exchange criterion)," Radhika Rao, economist at DBS Group Research, wrote in a note. "This reflects strong rupee appreciation in the first half of the year, which forced the central bank's hand to intervene to keep real gains in check."

To avoid a place on the monitoring list, India could reduce its trade surplus with the U.S., but analysts said the pressure to do so is low given that countries such as China and Japan have far larger trade surpluses with the world's largest economy. That leaves the RBI with only one possibility: slow down its intervention in the currency markets to keep net foreign exchange purchases below the stipulated 2 percent of GDP.

That is "an important step" to take, even if it could result in the rupee appreciating in the short-term, Biswas said. But DBS' Rao said the central bank will likely face less pressure to buy foreign currencies as much as it did before as capital inflows have slowed in recent weeks.

"Interest in the Asian emerging markets may be cooling off as flows into the region have moderated in recent weeks," she said. "In all, we see little risks that India might be officially included in the list of economies monitored (by the U.S. Department of Treasury)."
Under the title 150 years of Belgian Royal Visits to Egypt, Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Enany and Belgian Ambassador to Egypt Sibille de Cartier will inaugurate on Tuesday evening a photo exhibition highlighting the strong friendship between Egypt and Belgium.

Elham Salah, the head of the Museums Department at the antiquities ministry, told Ahram Online that the exhibition has on display a collection of 60 black-and-white as well as colour photos and manuscripts showing the history of Belgian royal visits to Egypt over the past 150 years.

Spanning a period of more than a century-and-a-half, [the photos] offer a unique glimpse into the history of these royal visits and allow us to revisit the Egypt of yesteryear. They are an illustration of the longstanding and durable relations between the two countries, De Cartier told Ahram Online.

Sabah Abdel-Razek, director of the Egyptian Museum, said that numerous photographs and rare manuscripts will be on display, most of them coming from the archives of the Belgian Royal Palace and shown for the first time in Egypt.

De Cartier said that Belgian royals have been travelling to Egypt since as early as 1855, whether for official visits or to marvel at the timeless and captivating beauty of the countrys ancient treasures.

The year 1855 was when King Leopold II, then Duke of Brabant, visited the country for the first time. King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth also visited Egypt on several occasions between 1911 and 1930.

During these visits, the royal family toured Egypt and its treasures extensively. From 1977 to 2012, Prince Albert, the future King Albert II, and Prince Philippe, Belgiums current sovereign, travelled to the country several times when they headed commercial missions.

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The World Bank released its Doing Business 2018 report on Tuesday ranking India at 100th position, against 130 last year, making it one of the top 10 improvers in this years assessment.

World Bank Country Director for India, Junaid Ahmed told CNBC-TV18 that India has "hit the century" as he welcomed India's rank in the Ease of Doing Business Report 2018.

Junaid Ahmed pointed out that India's "perseverance", "consistency" and "coordination across several departments and different tiers of the government" is phenomenal as it continued to implement reforms in various sectors.

The leap in the Doing Business ranking would "attract business and attract a lot of foreign direct investments," said Ahmed.

He explained that the Narendra Modi-led government has been implementing reforms in eight out of the total ten indicators and has shown a relative improvement in six.

On the state governments' role, Ahmed said that the coordination between Centre and the state is key for India.

"The government of India has understood this and triggered a sub-national doing business competition," he added.

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) President Pankaj Patel said that the leap did not come as a surprise, given the "spree of reform initiatives" taken by the Indian government.

"An improvement by 30 places in the ranking is significant and will enhance Indias attraction as an investment destination and give a further boost to Make in India. We are confident that with continued efforts of the government, India shall soon be ranked amongst the top 50 countries in ease of doing business rankings", said Patel.

Praising the GST implementation to have "laid the foundation for a more efficient indirect tax system" and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code to have eased business exits, Patel added that the reforms have covered areas of taxation, finance, legal and administrative procedures.

Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) said: "The huge improvement in ranking and score will immediately boost investor sentiments. The latest report validates the commitment of the government to fast-track economic reforms, address red tape and facilitate businesses."

Expressing pride over the key reforms in the digitisation of processes, enhancing tax payment and access to credit, Banerjee said: "In fact, India is well on its way to emerging as a global leader in protecting minority interests and is currently ranked at number 4 in the world."

"One of the most important reforms has been GST and unfortunately that has not be considered in this years report owing to cut-off date. CII is confident that on the back of GST and other reforms that are planned, India would see an equally impressive improvement next year," he added.
Godrej Security Solutions, part of the USD 4.1 billion Godrej Group, has set a target to increase its revenues by 25 per cent this year with launch of wifi enabled home cameras and video door phones.

The company today launched wifi enabled home cameras under 'Eve series' and 'SeeThru Pro Video Door Phones' for the market as part of its expansion plans here. "Last year, the company achieved a business revenue sales growth of 22 per cent and for this year, it is expecting to target a business revenue growth of 25 per cent" a company statement said.

The statement claimed that the company held a market share of 80 per cent in the home safe segment. As part of the expansion plans, the company plans to increase its presence in tier II cities in Tamil Nadu.

"Consumers in Chennai market usually prefer brands that they have built a trust upon. For securing the valuables, consumers look for offerings from reputed companies. People tend to rely more on mechanical safes...", Godrej Security Solutions Division, Vice-President and Global Head-Marketing, Sales and Innovation, Mehernosh Pithawalla said.

"Video door phones have seen a good uptake in the new residential projects. Generally it is during festive occasions when we witness a spike in sales that can be linked to purchase of new homes...," he said.

Stating that the demand for home security products had been on the rise due to increase in awareness, he said, the company will be focusing on improving the awareness level on the need for adoption of security solutions among consumers.

The EVE series, priced at around Rs 5,000, directly live streams the camera's feed to a smartphone while the SeeThru Pro Video Door Phones allows owners to view and attend to visitors. Godrej Security Solutions besides serving the domestic market, exports to over 45 countries including Middle East, South East Asia, East Africa, US, Europe and SAARC countries, the statement added.
The other IPO which also received huge responses were Happiest Minds Technologies and Chemcon Speciality Chemicals, which was subscribed 150.98 times and 149.3 times respectively. Interestingly, both these stocks have seen bumper listing gained over 100 percent. Let's see how the IPO subscription and listing happened in 2020 so far, considered only IPOs issue size over Rs 100 crore.

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Cos competitive advantage is its asset-light business model pursuant to which assets necessary for cos operations such as vehicles and warehouses are owned or provided by a large network of business partners. Co operate its SCM business through a pan-India network comprising 24 city offices and over 350 client and operating locations as at August 31, 2017. Co have a large network of over 1,000 business partners providing it vehicles, warehouses and the other assets and services for its SCM business, thus depicting wide network of company. As at August 31, 2017, co managed over 10.0 million square feet of warehousing space spread across cos pan-India network of multi-user warehouses, built-to-suit warehouses, stockyards, network hubs and cross-docks. Certain key clients for cos SCM business include Volkswagen India Private Limited, Vodafone India Limited, Thermax Limited, JSW Steel Limited, Ashok Leyland Limited, Siemens Limited, Bosch Limited, BMW India Private Limited, 3M India Limited, and Mercedes-Benz India Private Limited. In PTS business, co offer its services through a fleet of vehicles provided by a large network of over 500 business partners. As at August 31, 2017, co operated its PTS business in 12 cities and over 120 client and operating locations across India. Certain key clients in India for cos PTS business include Tech Mahindra Limited, AXISCADES Engineering Technologies Limited and ANZ Support Services India Private Limited, thus depicting strong clientele of company.

Valuation

Co is bringing the issue at price band of Rs 425-429/share on post issue annualized Q1FY18 eps at p/e multiple of 50.Co being the the Mahindra brand, operates an asset-light business model has-presence across diverse industry verticals with long-standing client relationships. However on valuation front issue looks bit expensive. Hence ,we recommend " Subscribe" on issue for long term .

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Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) might have turned net sellers in the last two months, but they have been consistently raising stake in individual companies which could deliver consistent growth rate.

FIIs raised stake in as many as 225 companies in the S&P BSE 500 index for the quarter ended September 30, while decreased in as many as 276 companies. The focus has been largely on small and midcap stocks.

Top ten stocks where they raised stake during the quarter includes names such as Indiabulls Real Estate, Delta Corp, Sunteck Realty, HFCL, KEC International, Bajaj Finance, Jindal Steel, Indiabulls Ventures, Jindal Stainless, SpiceJet, and Vakrangee.

These stocks have already more than doubled investors wealth so far in 2017. Indiabulls Ventures rose over 1000 percent, followed by Sunteck Realty which gained 250 percent, and Indiabulls Real Estate rose nearly 200 percent in the same period.

Stocks in which FIIs or FPIs have reduced their stake include names like KPIT Technologies, HDIL, Berger Paints, Jain Irrigations, Just Dial, Just Dial, Exide Industries, Max Financial, Indo Count Industries etc. among others.

Foreign investors have remained net sellers in four out of last nine months ending September. However, on a net basis, they have poured in over Rs 33,000 crore in Indian equity markets, according to SEBI data.

Foreign investors are pulling money out of India largely on account of profit booking thanks to high valuations and better investment opportunities in other emerging markets, suggest experts.

The sentiment is likely to remain tepid, thanks to higher valuations and absence of earnings growth, Saurabh Mukherjea, Ambit Capital said in an interview with CNBC-Tv18.

What has happened in the last six months is a combination of circumstances -- valuations in India have gone up with a commensurate improvement in underlying fundamentals. The P/E multiple of Indian market shot through, he said.

Alongside that, I keep hearing from my FIIs clients that other economies are recovering more tangibly in economies such as Japan, China, South East Asia etc. We as EM (emerging market) investors believe that they are a better bargain than India, explains Mukherjea.

In the last 12 months, on a net basis, they are net buyers to the tune of only Rs2300 crores. On the other hand, domestic institutional investors have poured in over Rs 80,000 crore in the same period.

Analysts advice investors to stick to quality even in the small and midcap space which have been gaining momentum. The S&P BSE Midcap and Smallcap indices made a fresh record high on Monday, 30 October.

Domestic liquidity is strong which is powered by retail investors money coming to equity markets via mutual fund route. The AUM or the asset under management has already topped over Rs20 lakh crore mark in September.

Both foreign investors and mutual fund investors are looking for growth and small and midcap stocks offer that option as compared to largecap stocks. Even if the economy grows by 4-5 percent, small and midcaps stocks should be able to post a decent growth.

With high liquidity and investors looking for value outside the large cap space, small & midcap stocks have seen significant appreciation. While the Nifty trade at 26x trailing PE, the small and midcap index is trading at historic highs of over 50x trailing PE, Saurabh S Jain, MD, SSJ Finance & Securities told Moneycontrol.

The S&P BSE Midcap index is trading at a PE of 41.35x and a PB ratio of 2.87 while the S&P BSE Smallcap index is trading at a PE of 81.49x and a PB of 2.52, according to BSE India.

Obviously, the valuations thereby leave significant room for disappointment on the earnings growth and ROE fronts in comparison to what valuations are implying, he said.

However, Jain further added that there is a need for a constant reality check in terms of earnings growth potential in stocks which have given astronomical returns in the short run.
Sebi has barred Kolkata-based Eminence Infraprojects and its five directors from the capital markets for at least four years and asked them to refund the money raised from investors without complying with the public issue norms.

Besides, they have been restrained from associating themselves with any listed public company from the date of the order till the expiry of four years from the date of completion of refunds to investors, Sebi said in an order dated October 30.

The directors are - Somenath Banerjee, Apu Halder, Supriya Singha Roy, Tarun Kumar Das and Koushik Mukherjee.

The regulator noted that the company had issued redeemable preference shares (RPS) to at least 331 investors during 201011, 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 and raised over Rs 39 lakh.

Since the shares were issued to more than 50 people, the offer of RPS qualified to be a public issue and required compulsory listing of the securities on a recognised stock exchange. However, the firm did not comply with the provision.

Among other requirements, the firm was to register a prospectus with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) under the Companies Act, which it failed to do.

The company and its directors have been asked to refund the money collected by the firm, "during their respective period of directorship through the issuance of RPS" from investors with an annual interest of 15 per cent, as per the ruling.

After completing the repayments, they have been directed to file a report of such completion with Sebi, within a period of three months, certified by two independent Chartered Accountants.

In case these entities fail to comply with the order, Sebi may recover such amounts in accordance with provisions of securities laws. Besides, it may initiate appropriate action against them, including adjudication proceedings.

Also, it would make a reference to the state government or local police to register a civil or criminal case against these entities for offences of "fraud, cheating, criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of public funds".

In an interim order passed in August 2015, Sebi had restrained the company and its present and former directors; and promoters from accessing the securities market and directed the firm not to mobilise fresh funds from the investors "till further directions".
The logo for NTT Docomo, one of Japan's largest providers of mobile voice, data and multimedia services, is pictured at the ITU Telecom World in Geneva October 24, 2011. ITU Telecom World 2011 is a gathering of government and industry leaders which will focus on applying connected technology to real-world issues. The event will run from October 24 to October 27. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse (SWITZERLAND - Tags: BUSINESS TELECOMS) - RTR2T4VB

Japanese firm NTT DoCoMo today said it has received over USD 1.2 billion (144.9 billion yen) from Tata Sons, which ends the 2-year old dispute over their Indian telecom joint venture.

In a statement on its website, NTT DoCoMo said it "has received from Tata Sons payment of the award amount in accordance with the High Court of Delhi's decision regarding DOCOMO's stake in Tata Teleservices Limited."

The amount of 144.9 billion yen received by DoCoMo pertains to the arbitration award and includes interest earned and other costs awarded, it added.

Concurrent with the receipt of the amount, all shares in TTSL held by DoCoMo have been transferred to Tata Sons and companies designated by Tata Sons, it added.

In February this year, Tata Sons had said it had reached an agreement with the NTT DoCoMo "on a joint approach to enable enforcement" of a compensation award granted by the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) in 2016 in favour of the Japanese company.

However, Reserve Bank of India had objected to the transfer which was later rejected by the Delhi High Court in April, thus clearing the decks for the Tatas to pay over USD 1.18 billion to the Japanese firm.

DoCoMo had in November 2009 acquired 26.5 per cent stake in Tata Teleservices for about Rs 12,740 crore (at Rs 117 per share). This was as per a 2008 understanding that in case it exits the venture within five years, it will be paid a minimum 50 per cent of the acquisition price.

DoCoMo in April 2014 decided to exit the joint venture that struggled to grow subscribers quickly. It sought Rs 58 per share or Rs 7,200 crore from Tatas. But the Indian Group offered Rs 23.34 a share in line with the RBI guidelines which state that an international firm can only exit its investment at a valuation "not exceeding that arrived at on the basis of return on equity".

The Japanese firm had dragged Tatas to international arbitration where it had won the USD 1.18 billion award. It had also filed a plea in the Delhi High Court seeking enforcement of the arbitration ruling.
Reliance Communications | In the last four months, the stock price has risen 487 percent to Rs 3.93 per share from Rs 0.67 per share on March 27, 2020.

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On Monday, debt-laden Reliance Communications announced a new "zero write-off" debt management plan. Promoters of the company will cease control to lenders who will then hold 51 percent in the company.

Currently, the company has debt of over Rs 45,000 crore.

Here are the details of the plan:

- The company will covert Rs 7,000 crore debt to equity. Promoter holding will then reduce to 26 percent from the current 65 percent by the end of September.

- As a part of the monetisation plan, the company will look at selling its assets including towers and spectrum. RCom is hoping to raise Rs 17,000 crore through it.

- RCom has received interest from Reliance Jio for its assets. Jio doesn't want to deal directly, RCom's executive director Puneet garg said.

- RCom is also in talks with Brookfield for sale of its towers. Other buyers too have submitted bids for the assets, the company said.

- RCom is planning to monetise its real estate assets to raise about Rs 10,000 crore. This will include 125-acre Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City property near Mumbai.

- RCom also confirmed that it will be closing its 2G and 3G voice business. Going forward, it will focus on 4G and B2B segment.

- Sale of assets will be monitored by the Joint Lenders Forum (JLF).

After the above plan is finished, RCom will be left with Rs 5,000 crore unsecured loans and Rs 6,000 crore secured loan.
Ashwani Gujral of ashwanigujral.com told CNBC-TV18, "Hindustan Petroleum Corporation is a sell with a stop loss of Rs 450 for target of Rs 425. State Bank of India is also a sell with a stop loss of Rs 312 and target of Rs 298. NIIT Technologies is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 675 for target of Rs 700."

"It is all kite flying because PSU banks have been re-capitalised. In BHEL maybe you can get to Rs 120-125 but I dont think that is the top infra pick," he said.
Bengaluru police have arrested a start-up entrepreneur for financial fraud. Oindrila Dasgupta, a 30-year-old entrepreneur and a resident of New Delhi co-founded the startup Eat.Shop.Love (ESL) and reportedly cheated eight persons including her husband of over Rs 64 lakh. The police arrested the woman last week.

The issue first came to light when a complaint was filed against her by her husband Shayak Sen. According to a report in The Times of India, Sen alleged that his wife misused his bank account to collect money from unknown persons. She had allegedly asked people to put money into her Sen's account but later transferred it from his account without his consent.

The cybercrime wing of Central Crime Branch of the Bengaluru police made the arrest on Friday after she was summoned for questioning a day before. "The initial probe confirmed she had committed the offense and hence we arrested her and produced her before the court on Friday. The court remanded her in judicial custody," Satheesh Kumar, joint commissioner of police was quoted saying in the report.

At least seven people have been cheated by the woman and according to the police some had filed complaints as early as March.

Dasgupta, who is an alumnus of IIM Bengaluru, had established ESL in 2014. The online fashion store had raised Rs 22 crore in March and was later purchased by a Tata Group online venture.
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Elantas Becks Q3 2017 (CY reporting) numbers were below our expectations. Sales growth was uninspiring and the improving sentiments in the power sector are not yet visible. While the company benefits from long-term growth drivers like power sector reforms and the insulation usage in electric vehicles, valuation seems to be fair given the near-term earnings visibility.

Q3  Sequential margin improvement

Elantas Becks Q3 2017 results indicate a sequential recovery in bottom-line numbers guided by EBITDA margin improvement. On a YoY basis, however, net profit has declined by 13 percent wherein near flat sales growth were more than offset by higher employee costs and COGS (cost of goods sold). Overall results appear lackluster.

Having said that investors should note that reported numbers are clouded by the GST accounting provisions due to which we dont have a like-for-like numbers for comparison.

Higher imports for the electrical insulators (non-ceramic/glass)

Source: Trade Map

Domestic electrical insulation industry has been impacted by an increase in low-cost imports of electrical insulators, particularly from China. In CY Q2 2017, there was a sharp increase in import of electrical insulation products. A part of the higher imports could possibly be due to the GST transition as the India manufacturers resorted to destocking. Still recent pick-up in the import of electrical insulators is a concern for supply-chain participants.

Indian Electrical & Electronics Manufacturers Association (IEEMA) in their industry update for period March-June17 have also underlined concerns over the adverse impact of inexpensive imports for a few of the segments.

Domestic demand rebounds for transformers

However, industry body IEEMA mentioned that domestic electrical equipment industry is gathering pace recording 9.7 percent growth in the second quarter of the calendar year. Domestic growth is led by sectors like transformers which augur well for the companies like Elantas Beck. While growth in power transformers is aided by power generation and exports, demand for distribution transformers is led by rural electrification programme.

Raw material cost declined

Surprisingly, companys raw material cost has declined on both a sequential and a YoY basis while spot prices for polymer resins like MDI (Methylene diphenyl diisocyanate) have surged in the recent past. Apparently, company benefits from the earlier higher inventory.

Long term drivers  power sector reform and electric vehicles

Government of Indias initiatives for the power sector reforms and the likely improvement in demand for the electrical insulation remains intact. Additional leg for growth for Elantas Beck comes from the usage of electrical insulation in the hybrid and electric vehicles. Insulating materials from Elantas helps EVs from any excessive vibration, thermal shock to its electronics, sensors, and electric motors.

Financial projections

Overall, companys quarterly results were short of our expectations. While power sector reforms and the demand pick-up for transformers augur well for the company, a healthy improvement in the topline is missing. Though the company remains a dominant provider of electrical insulation solutions in the country, it is adversely impacted by imports. Improved operational efficiency is commendable and, therefore, in the context of surging raw material prices this a key factor to watch for in the near-term.

Given this context, we have slightly reduced our expectations for the topline growth. The stock is currently trading at 26x CY2018e earnings which seems to be fair, in our view.

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Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals added around 8 percent intraday on Tuesday, while HPCL fell by about 2.5 percent following report of an acquisition of the former by the latter.

Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) is likely to acquire Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals (MRPL) in a share-swap deal to become India's second-largest oil refiner.

The merger is likely to take place after ONGC, country's biggest oil and gas explorer, completes acquisition of HPCL in an all-cash deal by December or January, officials in know of the development said.

MRPL is a subsidiary of Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC). At present, ONGC owns 71.63 per cent stake in MRPL while HPCL has 16.96 per cent.

Once ONGC acquires 51.11 per cent stake in HPCL, India's third-largest refiner, for about Rs 35,000 crore, it will have two refinery subsidiaries - HPCL and MRPL.

"It does not make economic sense to have two separate subsidiaries for the same business. And so the logical move would be to integrate MRPL with HPCL," an official said.

The government is selling its entire 51.11 per cent holding in HPCL to ONGC for all-cash. HPCL will become a subsidiary of ONGC after the deal and retain independent board.

At 14:18 hrs Hindustan Petroleum Corporation was quoting at Rs 450.50, down Rs 5.10, or 1.12 percent, on the BSE. Meanwhile, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals was quoting at Rs 140.90, up Rs 5.35, or 3.95 percent.

(With inputs from PTI)
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Telecom operator Reliance Communications share price surged as much as 16 percent in morning on Tuesday after the company unveiled new debt repayment plan yesterday evening.

"RCom will pay off up to Rs 17,000 crore of its debt, out of the proceeds of monetization of spectrum, towers and fiber and MCN (Media Convergence Nodes) assets," the company said in its filing.

The debt-laden company also said it would pay additional Rs 10,000 crore of its debt, out of the proceeds of sales and commercial development of DAKC and other prime real estate assets across 8-metros.

RCom is working closely with SBI Capital Markets, the advisors appointed by the Lenders, to run a competitive process in a transparent manner to monetize the Spectrum, Tower and Fiber, MCNs and prime real estate assets.

The company said debt of Rs 7,000 crore is proposed to be converted into 51 percent of the companys equity, as per the SDR guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India.

The new RCom, controlled by billionaire Anil Ambani, will have sustainable and profitable B2B  non mobile business, it added.

RCom, controlled by billionaire Anil Ambani, will have conservative level of debt of only Rs 6,000 crore after the completion of the new repayment plan, the company said.

The company is under a standstill period (for interest and principal repayments) till December 2018 and expects to complete the SDR (strategic debt restructuring) process as per applicable RBI guidelines.

At 09:35 hours IST, the stock price was quoting at Rs 17.55, up Rs 1.85, or 11.78 percent on the BSE.
ICICI Direct's currency report on USDINR

Government bonds fell for a second day, with the benchmark note hitting another record low, on concerns about heavy supply of papers amid a worsening global environment for emerging market assets  The GoI benchmark 6. 79 % 202 7 bond yield rose to 6.89 % from 6.81 % in the previous session  Yield on the US 10 - year benchmark bond yield declined to 2. 37 % from 2.41 % in the previous session.

The rupee posted its biggest single - day rise in nearly four weeks against the US$ as caution ahead of the Federal Reserve policy meet and speculati on over the next chief of the US central bank weighed on US$  The US$ declined as a pro be in to the US P residents campaign manager as well as concerns on proposed corporate t ax cuts gradual introduction weighed on US yields. Japanese Yen and British Pound jumped sharply vs. US$ as rate hike sentiment s took a hit ahead of a Fed FOMC meeting tomorrow. A host of central banks meetings this week could render currencies volatile.

In the currency futures market, the near month dollar - rupee November contract on the NSE ended at 65.07. The November contract open interest increased 4.55 % from the previous day  December contract open interest rose 2.15 % in the previous session  We expect the US$ to meet resistance at higher levels . Utilise up side in the pair to go short on the US$INR.

Intra-day strategy

US$INR November futures contract (NSE) View: Bearish on US$INR Sell US$INR in the range of 65.25 -65.35 Market Lot: US$1000 Target: 65.05 / 64.95 Stop Loss: 65.45 Support Resistance S1/ S2: 65.15 / 65.00 R1/R2:65.35 /65.45

The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is heading to Mauritius tomorrow to invite NRIs, days after rolling out the red carpet to American companies interested in investing in the state.

The chief minister, who flies to Port Louis from Mumbai tomorrow morning, will be on a three-day visit to Mauritius, during which he will participate in the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas -- a mega event to woo investors -- Principal Secretary (information) Awanish Awasthi told PTI today.

Adityanath is also likely to invite people of Indian origin to participate in the NRI Diwas to he held in Lucknow in March next year. During his stay in Mauritius, the chief minister will meet NRIs and explore possibilities for investment in Uttar Pradesh, Awasthi, who is part of the chief minister's entourage, said.

Adityanath will also apprise them of the steps taken by his government to facilitate investment in the state. India is Mauritius' largest trading partner and has been the largest exporter of goods and services to the island nation since 2007.

The chief minister's visit comes closely on the heels of his recent meeting with representatives of more than two dozen US companies exploring investment opportunities in the state. The state's economy will act as a backbone to strengthen the India-US ties, Adityanath said, assuring the US firms his government's commitment to providing an investor-friendly environment.

The 50-member delegation, representing 26 major US firms, had met the chief minister here under the aegis of US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF). Led by Boeing, the delegation, which included major US firms such as Facebook, Adobe, Coca Cola, Mastercard, Monsanto, Uber, Honeywell, P&G, Oracle and GE Health and Cargill, has shown keen interest in investing in the state.

They had a threadbare interaction with state cabinet minister Siddharth Nath Singh, who welcomed them to UP "to fulfil BJP's 'Sankalp Patra' by creating employment opportunities through your investment".

The 'US in UP' engagement followed the 'Vibrant Gujarat' model and showcased the state's investment avenues in chemicals, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, cement, gems, textiles and engineering sectors. Singh told the visiting team that "Yogi Adityanath government's narrative is different from the previous governments".

"We will give you a red carpet welcome in the true spirit of Atithi Devo Bhava (Guest is equivalent to God)," he stressed. 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 are granted to investors.

Uttar Pradesh has recently come up with an Industrial Investment and Employment Promotion Policy to stabilise and make existing industries more competitive and attract international and national investments in the industrial sector. Official sources said the state government has decided to organise a Global Investors Summit here on the lines of BJP- ruled Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

The state government plans to combine the conclave with an event for NRIs in which prominent NRIs from Uttar Pradesh will be invited to interact with business and industry leaders.

The state has been organising a UP Pravasi Diwas for the past two years in an effort to strengthen the NRIs' bond with the state and seek their help in its development.

The idea now is to organise this event like a fair where NRIs hailing from UP will be invited to Lucknow and encouraged to invest in various industrial and business opportunities offered by the state as part of a new industrial promotion policy announced by the UP government.

The fair will be combined with the Global Investors Summit where the NRIs will get a chance to directly interact with the invited national and international business leaders. The government expects the joint event to attract investment from both the NRIs as well as the business leaders. A date for the events will be announced soon, the sources added.
The World Bank is slated to release the 2018 version of its Ease of Doing Business index in the evening today, with the Narendra Modi government hopeful of a significant jump on the back of reforms it has undertaken recently.

After a poor show last time, India could move up as much as 30 positions to rank 100th among 190 countries, according to a recent report.

The Narendra Modi government, which has vowed to remove red-tape, eliminate procedural delays and turn India into a sought-after investment destination, has set a target of leapfrogging to a rank of 90 in 2017-18 and 30 in the Doing Business survey by 2030.

Last year, India came in at 130 on the Index, below countries like Ghana, Vietnam and Uganda. Following this, Prime Minister Modi had asked the ministries to ace the reform work.

In last one year, the government implemented big reforms like demonetisation to weed out black money and the Goods & Services Tax. It also implemented the crucial Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. The impact of GST, however, is unlikely to show up in report as the report is compiled with a June cutoff time while GST came into effect on July 1.

The Ease of Doing Business report is based on how easy it is for companies to do business as well takes in account certain regulations based on ten parameters such as starting a business, getting electricity, dealing with construction permits and paying taxes among others.

Last year, India was among top 50 in three categories - minority investment, getting electricity and getting credit. But, it ranked among the worst in the world in dealing with construction permits, resolving insolvency, registering property, trading across borders, paying taxes and enforcing contracts.
The department of telecommunication (DoT) is working with UIDAI and telecom operators to publish a comprehensive guideline on reverification process for mobile users by December, the Financial Express reported.

Based on a Supreme Court order, DoT issued instructions to mobile operators to verify all existing mobile subscribers through Aadhaar-based E-KYC (know your customer) process by February next year.

Telecom secretary Aruna Sundararajan told FE that operators have to intimate the DoT by November 15 about the Aadhaar linking method that they are using and displaying on their online portals.

The information submitted by operator would then be reviewed by DoT and Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) over two weeks. Sundararajan said she was hoping that citizens would get to know about the available online options by December.

DoT itself has provided for three new methods for mobile-Aadhaar linking and verification one time password, app-based verifications and interactive voice response service.

But the mandatory linking of mobile phones with Aadhaar is facing some legal hurdle as the Supreme Court on Monday sought the Centre's response on a plea challenging the same.

Sundararajan told Business Today that the need for SIM verification arose due to increasing number of complaints about mobile connections being issued without due diligence by telecom operators.

According to the report, DoT and UIDAI are also considering a method to verify mobile numbers of NRIs and foreign tourists who are not eligible for Aadhaar but need a sim card in India. No final decision has been taken in this regard yet.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited the Elphinstone Road railway station in Mumbai on Tuesday and announced that the Indian Army will be constructing the new foot-over bridge (FoB) at the station on a war footing.

The decision came just over a month after the stampede that killed 23 people on a FoB at the station.

According to media reports, the Railways have been offered help by the Indian Army to help construct the new foot-over-bridge between the Elphinstone Road station and the Parel station.

CM Fadnavis said that Bharatiya Janata Party Mumbai's President Ashish Shelar had proposed construction of the new FoB on a war-footing.

The Chief Minister also announced that the new FoBs at Elphinstone Road Station, Currey Road and Ambivali will be completed by January 31.

Defence Minister Sitharaman said that "I am grateful to the Army for understanding the situation and coming forward (to build the FoB)".

The Railway Minister said that the Railways had taken several decisions and had examined various stations on the Mumbai suburban railway, to enhance safety.

On September 29, a stampede had occurred on one of the FoBs at the Elphinstone Road station which connects Parel station. About 23 commuters lost their lives in the incident and over 50 were injured.

A five-member inquiry committee set up by the Indian Railway had blamed heavy rain, crowd and confusion for the stampede.
India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy poses for a picture after an interview with Reuters at his residence in New Delhi, India, December 15, 2015. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi/File Photo - RTX2H6O7

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy has termed compulsory Aadhaar a threat to national security and said that he would be writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi explaining the same.



I am writing a letter soon to PM detailing how compulsory Aadhar is a threat to our national security. SC will I am sure strike it down.

 Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) October 31, 2017

The veteran politician took to microblogging site Twitter to express his opinion. I am writing a letter soon to PM detailing how compulsory Aadhar is a threat to our national security. SC (Supreme Court) will I am sure strike it down, Swamys tweet read.

Swamys Tuesday morning tweet came after the Supreme Court of India on Monday granted asked the central government to respond to a petition that challenged linking of Aadhar with mobile numbers within four weeks.

Insight 18 | How Aadhaar Will Transform India In The Future

In a separate development, the Supreme Court on Monday questioned the West Bengal government for filing a plea challenging the Centre's move to make Aadhaar mandatory for availing benefits of various social welfare schemes.

The top court asked how a state can challenge the mandate of Parliament. "How can a state file such a plea. In a federal structure, how can a state file a plea challenging Parliament's mandate," a bench comprising Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan said.

This is not the first time Swamy has spoken out against Aadhaar. In 2015, Moneylife quoted the BJP leader as saying that Aadhaar was a disaster. "Aadhaar is a disaster. It is based on existing data systems. Software is prepared by foreign companies. Aadhaar should be scrapped. Sooner or later, it is bound to happen, Swamy had said.
India is home to highest number of generous people who like to help others. According to a survey by Charities Aid Foundation, 340 million Indians helped a stranger, 265 million donated money to charity and 256 million took time out to volunteer for social work in 2016.

The number of people donating money and volunteering grew by one third over the year. The number of people helping a stranger, though, has declined by 61 million from 401 million in 2016, according to the survey.

Indias top ranking on the list is courtesy its large population. However, on the basis of the proportion of people involved in the act of generosity, India is nowhere to be found as per the sample surveyed. India ranks 118 this year, dropping 15 places, from 103 last year in terms of the proportion of population helping a stranger. On the other hand, in terms of donating money and volunteering, India climbed steeply to stand at 64th and 34th position in the table.

Overall, India stood at 81st rank in the CAF World Giving Index, below countries like Liberia, Uganda, Ghana and Pakistan. This is an improvement from last years position of 91. The survey studied people from 139 countries in the world.

Indian people may not be so easy about donating money, but India as a country is the second biggest contributor towards United Nations for its operations, projects, and programmes.

In the latest report on statistics of UN procurement, though India's share in UN's procurement declined, the country maintained its position of being the second biggest contributor to the peace-building organisation.

India, which faces criticism for receiving foreign aid from different organisations despite being termed 'an economic powerhouse, is currently a net donor of foreign aid. In the last three years, India has provided more aid to foreign countries, than it has received.

Rest of the worlds performance

Repeating last three years performance, Myanmar has topped the World Giving Index. Given that the country forced millions of Rohingya Muslim out of the country, this may come as a bit of shock. It is important to remember that the World Giving Index measures only the charitable activities of the general population within a country, and does not take wider issues affecting society into account," said the report.

However, the act of giving is ingrained in its culture. Anywhere from 80 percent to 90 percent of people in Myanmar are practising Buddhists with as many as 99 percent of those following the Theravada branch of the religion, said the report.

In Theravada Buddhism, followers donate to support those living a monastic lifestyle  a practice known as Sangha Dana. Giving in this way carries significant religious meaning and small, frequent acts of giving are the norm.

However, Myanmars score is five percentage points lower than last years report slipping from 70 percent to 65 percent. Myanmar is followed by Indonesia and Kenya in the index. New Zealand and the United States of America complete the top five.

Amongst the countries surveyed, 52 countries saw an increase in the proportion of people helping a stranger and three saw no change, whilst 80 of them saw a decrease. The biggest movers downwards were mainly from Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe.

Bangladesh registered the biggest decrease, falling from 56 percent to 34 percent, its lowest score for helping a stranger since the first CAF World Giving Index report in 2010. Vietnam follows closely behind with a decrease from 55 percent to 37 percent, its lowest score for this measure since 2011.
With the electoral battle for Gujarat getting intense, the BJP-led government fast-tracked two major projects dedicated to Dalit icon and framer of the Indian Constitution BR Ambedkar.

The two Delhi-based projects -- Ambedkar International Centre and Ambedkar Memorial--will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the social reformer's death anniversary on December 6, reports Economic Times. The first phase of Gujarat Assembly election will be held on December 9.

The Ambedkar International Centre in Delhi's Janpath and Ambedkar Memorial at 26 Alipur Road, are being inaugurated six-to-nine months earlier than previously scheduled. Under the watch of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the Rs 200-crore projects were supposed to be completed by April 2018.

PM Modi had laid the foundation stone for Ambedkar International Centre on April 20, 2015.

When asked if the projects will be finished before the Gujarat elections, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot told ET that construction of both the International Centre and the Memorial would be finished by end of November.

Then, the two projects would be inaugurated on December 6, the minister said. If "finishing touches" were remaining, they could be carried out later, he added.
A bird flies by the Vedanta office building in Mumbai August 16, 2010. India-focused miner Vedanta Resources said it will buy 51-60 percent of Cairn India for about $8.5-9.6 billion in cash to be funded via debt and cash resources, a move that would represent Vedanta's first foray into oil and gas, and help Edinburgh-based Cairn Energy fund an expensive drilling programme in Greenland. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui (INDIA - Tags: BUSINESS ENERGY) - RTXSAAV

Mining giant Vedanta Resources Plc's executive chairman Anil Agarwal said that the company is planning to invest USD 9 billion in India in sectors such as oil and gas, production of aluminium, zinc, copper, silver and steel and mining of bauxite and rock phosphate.

Agarwal told Mint in an interview that the investment will come in over next few years and will help the company expand its hydrocarbons, metals and mining businesses.

Vedanta is considering such a large-scale investment in the Indian resources sector in order to meet countrys requirements of these commodities locally.

A large part of the proposed investment  USD 2.5 billion  would be directed towards oil & gas to increase their current production to constitute half of India's crude oil output, Agarwal said. Currently, Vedanta contributes 26 percent to the country's total crude oil output.

Vedanta's plan is in resonance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's target, which was set in March 2015, to reduce Indias oil import by 10 percentage points to 67% by 2022.

As per the Mint article, other areas of of the investment are in the aluminium sector (USD 1.5-2 billion), bauxite (USD 2 billion), zinc (USD 1.5 billion) and iron ore mining and steel (USD 1.5 billion).

Directly and indirectly, these investments will create over a million jobs. I am very passionate about our investments in India, Agarwal told the Mint.

The company also wants to invest to the tune of Rs 4,000 crore to set up high-yield plant producing pellets, pig iron and pipes in Jharkhand.

Additionally, Vedanta is seeking relief from the 10 percent extra profit share that the government expects from its RJ-ON-90/1 block in Rajasthan along with the extension of its existing contract in 2020.
AAP

Several Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders in poll-bound Gujarat today joined the Congress along with over 200 supporters.

Among AAP members who crossed over included its state women wing head Vandana Patel, besides its Ahmedabad, Kheda, Mehsana and Rajkot incharges Rituraj Mehta, Hasmukh Patel, Lalubhai Ladiwala, Ankur Dhameliya, and Tushar Jani, respectively.

They were inducted in the Congress fold at the party headquarters here in the presence of its Gujarat unit president Bharatsinh Solanki.

The leaders said they were quitting the AAP as the Arvind Kejriwal-led party is fielding candidates in select seats in a bid to damage the Congress' prospects and help the ruling BJP.

"We have resolved to support the Congress to uproot the BJP in Gujarat. We are quitting the AAP as we felt that the party is fighting against the Congress instead of the BJP," Vandana Patel said.

Rituraj Mehta said those who contest the forthcoming polls as the third front will end up supporting the BJP.

AAP had recently announced its first list of candidates for eleven assembly constituencies including Rajkot (West), being represented by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

AAP Gujarat incharge Gopal Rai had recently said that his party's contest is against the BJP and the party will not end up into eating votes of the Congress.

He had said the AAP will contest polls on those seats where it has an organisational base.
The fee hike is set to be implemented from October 2, 2020

The issue of H-1B visa remains a sore point for the Indian information technology industry. Little has changed in the attitude of the US towards H-1B visa workers despite President Donald Trumps assurance to overhaul the system.

The Indian firms are not well positioned to lobby the US government, further more they have for years been significantly under invested in US government relations particular in their ability to influence policy, said Peter Bendor-Samuel, CEO of the Everest Group, in an email response earlier this month.

The H-1B work visas, essentially allow highly skilled foreign workers to travel to the US and have been at the centre of a storm since US President Donald Trumps presidential campaign last year. His Make America Great Again slogan took off in a big way, and he often mentioned H-1B visa regime as one of the things he would want to change.

The over $155 billion Indian IT outsourcing industry has been a beneficiary of the H-1B visa programme, the most favoured route to send Indian engineers to the US. At the same time, the industry has been accused of misusing the current system to send more people to the US.

Also read: TCS saw most visa approvals for intra-company transfers to US in last 2 years: Report

Indias IT industrys lack of inroads in the US government has not been a problem until recently, said Bendor-Samuel, because US high-tech industry drove the agenda and its needs align with the Indian IT firms.

However, this alignment of interest has changed with the high tech firms believing that the Indian firms are taking too large a share of the H-1B pool. With the H-1B pool being restricted the high tech firms competing with the Indian firms for a limited resource. This has exposed the vulnerability of the Indian firms under-investment which they are now attempting to rectify, he added.

There are several Bills in the US Congress related to the larger issue of immigration, out of which some deal with H-1B, some talk of outsourcing and some others are about immigration.

Last week, Suresh Prabhu, the Minister of Commerce and Industry, said the Indian government very strongly raised the issue of H-1B visas with the US, even as the US immigration agency recommended a tighter H-1B visa verification process.

Paul Triolo, the practice director, geotechnology (geocyber) at analysis and political risk consultancy Eurasia Group, said that while the bureaucracy has been scrutinizing H-1B applications more strictly, there hasnt been much movement on the issue since the executive orders came into force.

Talking about the proposed changes to the current lottery-based system of H-1B visas, which includes considering the most highly paid and the most highly educated applicants, he said, Such a step would allow the likes of Google to still retain top talent but would complicate the business models of Indian IT outsourcers that pay at or near the minimum salary required. As far as we know, there has been no concrete movement in this direction, at least not yet, he told Moneycontrol in an email response.

What this means for the Indian IT workers on H-1B visas, is essentially being at the mercy of employers because guest workers in the US are tied to their American work visa sponsors.

This is more evident with the elaborate employment bonds specific only to Indian IT firms from India that deploy their workers to the US, said Rajiv Dabhadkar, founder at National Organization for Software & Technology Professionals.

Because Indian guest workers do not complain about being underpaid, companies prefer them over local American workers, he said.

One fall out of Trumps executive order is most likely to be an increase in minimum wages, as Patrick Thibodeau at ComputerWorld wrote in an analysis of Trumps executive orders in April. Wages for the lowest-paid H-1B visa workers are almost certain to rise, he had said at the time.

Analysts have for long said that a rise in minimum wage would hurt the labour arbitrage model of the Indian IT companies, but may just be the need of the hour to change perceptions for the better.

The perception that Indian guest workers are low skilled arise mainly due to the fact that they get paid less by their visa sponsors. Wage discrimination, therefore, creates a divide and rule between the working class, said Dabhadkar.

Indian IT firms have also been at pains to point out that they have ramped up local hiring in the US, and the industry body National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) has for long held that there is a STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) skills gap in the US, which necessitates the transfer of skilled manpower from countries such as India.

Beyond the immediate H-1B issue, a greater emphasis on points/education/technical skills/English ability in US immigration policy could result in greater numbers of Indian immigrants to the country. The current country quotas disadvantage applicants from highly populous countries like India  noted Eurasias Triolo.
USA and China

Ahead of US President Donald Trump's visit to China in November, a top Chinese envoy to the US has said that Beijing and America will have some practical cooperation on one belt one road (OBOR) initiative.

The Belt and Road Initiative is a demand of the world's development, and it should follow the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration, Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai told reporters at a media briefing here.

"This initiative is not limited by the geographical region, it is open to the world, so we welcome the US to join us. Lots of political experts and entrepreneurs are very interested in it. We already have had some discussion," he said.

"I hope we can deepen these communication, and China and US will have some practical cooperation with the Belt and Road Initiative," Cui said in response to a question amidst reports that Japan, India and the US are working on initiatives that would provide alternative financing to countries seeking investment.

Cui said there should be no "strategic competition" between China and the US.

The two countries should find a way to co-exist based on a win-win cooperation, he said.

"I think the so-called "China model," the meaning of China model, shows to the world that the development of a country does not need to follow a specific pattern. Each country should find a development path that suits its own national conditions. Every country should have a custom development model and this is the core meaning of China model. It shows possibility to the world," he said.

Noting that in Chinese there is an expression: "harmony but not uniformity," he said, to achieve a harmonious world which is set up on the basis that fully reflects diversity, if China did it, that is to show all other countries of the world that they can follow this way as well.

"In English, there is a term called 'all roads lead to Rome', and every country can go its own way. China has taken the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics for so many years. It was quite a success so far," Cui said adding that he believes that that is an inspiration to many nations.

"I don't suppose anyone can draw out a pessimistic negative conclusion from this. It should be said that if China were successful with this idea, it will lead the world to a brighter future. Who is gonna be pessimistic about a bright future?" he asked in response to another question.

Cui said Trump's first visit to China will be a historic moment. Trump would be the first head of State to visit China after the recently concluded 19th Party Congress, which laid the blueprint for China's development in next few decades.

This conference confirmed that China will stick to the path of peaceful development and the win-win strategy of opening-up, as well as seek the common interests and strengthen the cooperation with powerful countries, he said.

"Such a situation will ensure a successful visit. I hope, and I believe that this meeting between the two leaders will give a clear direction and strategy on the development of the two nations. If an agreement can be reached in the highest strategic dialogue between the US and China, which is primarily favorable for two countries and international society," he said.

"There are many regional and global issues that the two countries need to solve. I think, many countries in the world have high expectations about the constructive partnership between China and the US," he added.

"I hope, China and the US, as permanent members of UN Security Council, as the first and the second largest economics, can take the obligations and play a role in cooperating in the international community, facing the global challenges, and strengthening the global governance. We also hope that this can be one of the achievements of Trump's visit," Cui said.
USA and China

Ahead of President Donald Trump's visit to Beijing next month, China's envoy here has welcomed America's participation in the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative, saying the two countries can have some practical cooperation on the project.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a demand of the world's development, and it should follow the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration, Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai told reporters here.

The BRI is a development strategy proposed by China's President Xi Jinping to improve connectivity and cooperation between Eurasian countries.

"This initiative is not limited by the geographical region, it is open to the world, so we welcome the US to join us. Lots of political experts and entrepreneurs are very interested in it. We already have had some discussion," he said.

"I hope we can deepen these communication, and China and US will have some practical cooperation with the Belt and Road Initiative," Cui said in response to a question amidst reports that Japan, India and the US are working on initiatives that would provide alternative financing to countries seeking investment.

Cui said there should be no "strategic competition" between China and the US.

The two countries should find a way to co-exist based on a win-win cooperation, he said.

"I think the so-called "China model," the meaning of China model, shows to the world that the development of a country does not need to follow a specific pattern. Each country should find a development path that suits its own national conditions. Every country should have a custom development model and this is the core meaning of China model. It shows possibility to the world," he said.

Noting that in Chinese there is an expression: "harmony but not uniformity," he said "to achieve a harmonious world which is set up on the basis that fully reflects diversity, if China did it, that is to show all other countries of the world that they can follow this way as well".

"In English, there is a term called "all roads lead to Rome", and every country can go its own way. China has taken the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics for so many years. It was quite a success so far," Cui said adding that he believes that that is an inspiration to many nations.

Cui said Trump's first visit to China will be a historic moment. Trump would be the first head of state to visit China after the recently concluded 19th Communist Party of China Congress, which laid the blueprint for China's development in next few decades.

This conference confirmed that China will stick to the path of peaceful development and the win-win strategy of opening-up, as well as seek the common interests and strengthen the cooperation with powerful countries, he said.

"Such a situation will ensure a successful visit. I hope, and I believe that this meeting between the two leaders will give a clear direction and strategy on the development of the two nations. If an agreement can be reached in the highest strategic dialogue between the US and China, which is primarily favourable for two countries and international society," he said.

"I hope, China and the US, as permanent members of UN Security Council, as the first and the second largest economics, can take the obligations and play a role in cooperating in the international community, facing the global challenges, and strengthening the global governance. We also hope that this can be one of the achievements of Trump's visit," Cui said.

Trump will travel to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines from November 3-14. It will be Trumps first visit to the region as president.
Samsung Electronics logged today a record profit of USD 10.0 billion for July to September and announced a sweeping reshuffle within top management as the South Korean tech giant seeks to maintain its market lead while its heir is in prison.

The world's biggest memory chip and smartphone maker has faced multiple challenges since last year, including a humiliating recall of its flagship Galaxy Note 7 handsets and a corruption scandal that engulfed its de facto leader.

But its third-quarter net profits soared 148 percent on the same period a year ago, it said in a statement, thanks to strong demand for its memory chips and a recovery in smartphone sales with the roll-out of the new generation Galaxy Note 8.

The figures come only two weeks after chief executive Kwon Oh-Hyun resigned, saying the South's biggest firm was facing an "unprecedented crisis" and its current profitability was "merely a fruit of decisions and investment made in the past".

The firm described Tuesday's numbers as an "overall robust performance".

Operating profit nearly tripled on-year to 14.5 trillion won -- also a quarterly record -- it said in a regulatory filing, while sales surged to 62.05 trillion won, another all-time high.

Samsung Electronics is the key subsidiary of the sprawling Samsung Group, whose heir Lee Jae-Yong was found guilty in August of bribery, perjury and other charges stemming from payments to the secret confidante of ousted president Park Geun-Hye.

Lee, who was jailed for five years, says he is innocent and is appealing.

The firm also announced Tuesday the first major reshuffle in its top leadership in three years. It had not made any radical changes at the top since group chairman Lee Kun-Hee suffered a heart attack in 2014 that left him bedridden.

Samsung, which has a team of three CEOs each leading its semiconductor, mobile and TV units, said Kwon's role as the head of the semiconductor business would be taken by Kim Ki- Nam, a younger manager in chipmaking operations.

Lee Sang-Hoon, known to be close to the group's founding Lee family, will leave his position as the firm's chief financial officer to take the chairmanship of the board, a role previously held by Kwon.

Today's announcement also saw HS Kim replacing Yoon Boo- Geun as the head of Samsung's home appliance and TV unit, and DJ Koh replacing JK Shin as the mobile chief.

The 2017 Galaxy Note 7 recall -- due to exploding batteries -- also dealt the firm a crippling blow to its mobile business.

But its profits and share price have rocketed this year, as global chip prices have soared with suppliers such as Samsung yet to catch up booming demand for high-powered processors used in handsets, computers and cloud storage servers.
Online pharmacy Netmeds has raised USD 14 million (over Rs 90 crore) in the latest round of funding from Cambodian investment holding company Tanncam and venture firm Sistema Asia Fund.

Tanncam and Sistema will join early investors investment bank MAPE and OrbiMed Asia, along with Pradeep Dadha and his family, as stakeholders in the company, Netmeds said in a statement.

Netmeds CEO Pradeep Dadha said: "We believe that this round of funding reflects a renewed confidence in the industry and its future, brought about by both GST and the government's release of the draft of rules governing online pharmacies."

The investment will be used to continue to build upon Netmeds' consumer base and expand its reach to more locations in the country, he added. "Netmeds is changing the paradigm in the pharma market in India and we strongly believe in the merits of the investment," Tanncam CEO Anthony Galliano said on the development.

"We work with many start-ups and young entrepreneurs, but Netmeds is unique among them because it is led by such a strong and seasoned leadership," Sistema Asia Fund MD Kirill Kozhevnikov said.

Netmeds offers customers ease of shopping for medicines and other healthcare products through its online portal, mobile application and customer care call centre.
Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi today refuted rumours that Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif would replace his brother Nawaz Sharif as the chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, according to a media report.

Sharif, 67, had to step down as the chief of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) after he was disqualified as the prime minister by the Supreme Court on July 28 in the Panama Papers scandal.

After attending a meeting of Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz's (PML-N) top leadership in London, sources said that it was decided that the PML-N would not accept removing the former premier from the post of the party chief.

Abbasi refuted rumours that Shehbaz would replace his brother Nawaz as the chief of PML-N, Express Tribune reported.

Sharif is in London along with his family to be with his ailing wife Kulsoom Nawaz who is still receiving cancer treatment in the British capital.

His daughter Maryam and son-in-law Captain (retired) Mohmmad Safdar have already been indicted in corruption cases filed against them by the country's anti-corruption body National Accountability Bureau on the Supreme Court's instruction in the Panama Papers case.

Abbasi and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz left for London yesterday and met the former premier, who landed here from Saudi Arabia along with his son Hussain.

Dismissing speculation about early general elections, Sharif said: "Rumours are always around but don't believe them".

He once again complained about his removal and said: "When a government is weakened, the country gets weakened".

Shahbaz had said that: "Elections will be held on time and there are no differences in the party or family".

After the day-long meeting, Abbasi is expected to return to Pakistan later in the day.

Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, along with other cabinet ministers, is also expected to reach the UK from Saudi Arabia.

The PML-N party is trying to position itself for the 2018 elections. Both Sharif and his daughter have stated that the cases against them are politically-motivated.

Sharif reached London to be with his wife after concluding a week-long private visit to Saudi Arabia.
India is likely to hold talks with Japan, United States and Australia in November in a bid to counter China's growing influence in the region, according to a report by The Economic Times.

The official-level meeting of the four nations is expected to happen in Manila, Philippines in November.

India will also host the foreign ministers of Russia and China in December under the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral format, on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit, in Delhi.

The first quadrilateral meeting was held in 2007. However, Australia had pulled out of the initiative the following year, leading to the dissolution of the initiative.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had last week mooted the idea again during his meeting with Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Japanese PM Abe is also expected to propose a strategic dialogue among leaders of the four countries, with an eye on counteracting Chinas expansion under its Belt and Road policy, during United States President Donald Trump's visit there in November.

(With Reuters inputs)
Education

Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu.

Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu.

Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events:

International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu.

EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu.

Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale  an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s  will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets  June Homecoming: Participant  $18 per person; Sustainer  $25 per person; Benefactor  $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler  Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events:

SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available  for information call 610-275-1960

Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above)

SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m.

Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.  4 p.m.  computers are available during those hours.

Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863.

Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376.

Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com.

The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes:

Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at

other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020.

CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313.

The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events:

Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m.

Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30.

Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301.

For Kids & Families

The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443.

Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950.

Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required.

The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950.

Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus.

Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage.

Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun.

Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train.

Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world!

Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class.

Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org.

Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583.

Community Events at the Ambler Y:

-YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register.

Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org.

Health

Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot.

The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information.

Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245.

Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net.

Spring Aquatic Programs  UDHS Pool:

-Summer is just around the corner  Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required.

 Shallow Water Aerobics  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR.

 Adult Swim Instructions  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR

-Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21.

-Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday  Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m.

-Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons.

-Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates.

Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994.

SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com.

Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org.

Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs:

FITNESS CLASSES

Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month.

Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30  9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000.

Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30  7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047.

New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.  12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30  4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931.

Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325.

Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes.

Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com.

Librarytalk

Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744

www.upperdublinlibrary.org

APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS:

Storytimes: Please register in the library.

o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m.

o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m.

o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m.

o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6.

APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS:

North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee

APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS:

NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org.

One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register  contact info above.

Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744.

o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register.

Meetings:

Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m.

Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m.

Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org.

For children and teens at Blue Bell:

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m.

* May 14  Despicable Me

* June 11  Alpha and Omega

* Special Events

* April  watch for date of spring/Easter events

* April 14 at 4:30 p.m.  Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children.

* April 14 at 7 p.m.  Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided.

* April 16 at 1 p.m.  Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King.

* April 16 at 1:30 p.m.  Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes?

* April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button.

* April 30 through May 3  Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults.

* May  sign up for Science in the Summer

* June  sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children

* June  sign up for Summer Reading, all ages

For adults at Blue Bell:

* Daytime Book Discussion Group  fourth Tuesday, Jan  April at 1:30 p.m.

* April 26  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Night-time Book Discussion Group  third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

o April 19  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges

o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked?

*Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs

* Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class.

* Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class.

* Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m.

* Giant Book Sale, April 29  May 3

o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults!

o Held during library hours.

o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m.

o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join.

* Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series

o May 11 at 1 p.m.  Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society

* Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room.

* Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read.

* Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome.

* Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome.

*Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older.

* Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours

* Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours

* Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday!

Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library.

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* For adults:

* Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn.

* Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net

* Special Events:

* April 14 at 1:30 p.m.  Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian.

* April 19 at 7 p.m.  Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m.

* April 21 at 7 p.m.  Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades.

*May 2 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

*May 10  Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*May 12 at 1:30p.m.  Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman.

*May 17  Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*June 13 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

Meetings and Lectures

The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833.

The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200.

The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/.

LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings.

Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org.

Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org)

-Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them.

The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter.

For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps.

Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin.

Special Events

The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County.

The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065.

Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members.

Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex.

The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com.

The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348.

The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org.

Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163.

The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu.

The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com.

The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net.

Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages.

13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries.

Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family.

The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler.

JPRN  Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them  Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike.

Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies.

Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately.

Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways.

Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table.

Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp  Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall:

-Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store.

Music and Theater

The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220.

Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html.

Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free.

The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org

Religious News

The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276.

Reunions

St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net.

Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572.

Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779.

Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net

Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net

The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411.

Support

New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149.

PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931.

The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296.

Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656.

Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group  every other Wednesday, 7  8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support  second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner  Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers  Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information.

CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7  8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich,
"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
Investors who own more than one fund are more diversified than those who own just one  right? Wrong. At least, not if those funds actually hold the same stocks. Research by Morningstar published last week revealed that there was significant overlap between UK Equity Income funds. Three companies are owned by eight of the 10 biggest funds in the sector by assets under management, many more stocks feature in multiple portfolios, including those run by Neil Woodford, Schroders Kevin Murphy, Threadneedles Richard Colwell and Clive Beagles at JOHCM.

Similarly, top-rated UK smaller company funds show some overlap  with SLI UK Smaller Companies, Artemis UK Smaller Companies and Old Mutual UK Smaller Companies all holding the following stocks; Sanne Group, Dechra Pharmaceuticals, FDM Group and XP Power.

The dangers of doubling up on holdings becomes apparent when a stock falters  take AstraZeneca (AZN) earlier this year for example. The pharmaceutical firm saw its share price dip 16% after a disappointing drug trial, and many UK equity income funds fell with it. When BP (BP.) suffered its oil spill, the share price dropped 30% and global equity, UK equity and even ethical funds dropped in value too.

Go Global for Diversity Going global lessens the chance of overlap  fund managers have a much bigger pool in which to fish for opportunities. But only if the manager takes advantage of their full remit  as Morningstar data has shown before, often every single one of the top 20 stocks found in a typical global equity income fund is listed in either the UK, US, Switzerland or France. Gold Rated Veritas Global Equity Income and Bronze Rated Artemis Global Income have just one stock in common  Pfizer (PFE), impressive when you consider they have 110 holdings between them, although this is a tiny fraction of their investable universe. The MSCI All World Index has 2,400 constituents. Global growth funds Gold Rated Fundsmith Equity and five-star Lindsell Train Global Equity have five stocks in common, Unilever, Diageo, PayPal Holdings, PepsiCo and Dr Pepper Snapple. Both funds hold a concentrated portfolio of 29 and 27 holdings respectively. Similarly concentrated and newly launched fund Blue Whale Growth also holds Paypal and Unilever, manager Stephen Yiu exclusively reveals to Morningstar, but says the rest of the portfolio is unique, meaning it could be suitable for an investor who already holds one of the other global growth vehicles  as he points out the dissimilarities between the largest holdings in the funds. An investor is likely to be better off investing across these three funds, than to buy a single diversified global fund with more than 75 stocks, says Yiu. The number of unique holdings across the three funds top-10 stocks is 27 companies. Investors concerned about double  or even triple  exposure to individual companies should check their top 10 holdings, or use an X-ray tool to work out where the weaknesses lie. While overlap between small allocations may not be cause for concern, having two funds with matching top 10 holdings should be avoided.
Maintaining independence and editorial freedom is essential to our mission of empowering investor success. We provide a platform for our authors to report on investments fairly, accurately, and from the investors point of view. We also respect individual opinionsthey represent the unvarnished thinking of our people and exacting analysis of our research processes. Our authors can publish views that we may or may not agree with, but they show their work, distinguish facts from opinions, and make sure their analysis is clear and in no way misleading or deceptive.

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Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process.
There is a shift happening in the makeup of Vancouvers notorious Downtown Eastside, which is known as home for people struggling with mental illness, addiction, and homelessness.Entrepreneurs, developers, and more affluent residents have moved into the neighbourhoods periphery at an accelerating rate, thanks to skyrocketing real estate prices elsewhere in the city, loosened zoning restrictions, and the communitys burgeoning appeal as a hip and happening place.Dan Olson, who opened Railtown Cafe in the districts northern fringe five years ago, said he was shocked when he first visited the area.I kind of looked around the neighbourhood and thought, theres no way that I want to open up a restaurant here, Olson told The Canadian Press.Things have changed for the better, he said, though there are still issues with needles in the alleys and makeshift tents around his business.A recent surge in property values reflects the quickening change, said Landon Hoyt, head of the areas business improvement association.Numbers he provided show the assessed value of commercial property in the area jumped 11% in 2015, 17% in 2016, and 30% this year.Were seeing a lot of businesses close because of that, he said.The transition hasnt been without conflict.Brandon Grossutti opened Pidgin restaurant five years ago on the border of the Downtown Eastside, prompting pickets for months from protesters who said the business was a symbol of gentrification.But for Grossutti, who also has partnerships with non-profit organizations in the area, the decision to locate in the neighbourhood was partly a matter of survival.The math doesnt make sense to open an independent business anywhere in Vancouver short of lower-rent districts, he said.Everyone in Vancouver is being displaced by property prices, though it is far more difficult for the citys most vulnerable, Grossutti said.People always talk about pushing. I feel like its being squeezed, he said, blaming a city planning project that restricted development to neighbourhoods immediately surrounding the districts core.Community activists are protesting the pressure felt by lower-income residents.Jean Swanson of the Carnegie Community Action Project contributed to a report last year that criticized the city for its failure to protect the most vulnerable in the Downtown Eastside by welcoming businesses and development that cater to higher-income residents and visitors.The pressure is inflating rental prices, which means more residents are being forced onto the street.Some people are pushed out of the neighbourhood, Swanson said. But for a lot of them, theres just no other place to go. Theres no affordable housing, so people just stay on the streets. Thats all they can do.
Conventional Conforming Changes From Agencies, Investors, and Lenders

I, for one, have no interest in buying shoes online without trying them on first. The same with a mattress  I want to lie on it myself. (Lay? Lie?) It seems that somewhere mattresses are always on sale, and that includes on the internet. The U.S. mattress market is about $14 billion. Two years ago, about $300 million of that was online. With an explosion of players in the online mattress space, this year online sales could reach $1.2 billion. Real estate agents and LOs wonder about their jobs - are mattress sales jobs endangered?



Agency News

Doing anything with Fannie or Freddie, aka government sponsored enterprises, is way down the Congressional agenda, but as an industry we keep trying. Transforming & reforming the GSEs continues to be needed, and Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae came to the Mortgage Bankers Association's Annual Convention & Expo last week to discuss their "transform and reform" stories. The GSEs also discussed initiatives to simplify the loan origination process and make the housing finance system stronger and smarter.

Fannie will implement an update to Desktop Underwriter (DU) 10.1. The release includes an update to the logic that determines the number of financed properties, as well as multiple DU message updates. The changes in this release will apply to DU 10.1 loan casefiles submitted or resubmitted to DU on or after the weekend of Dec. 9: release notes.

Regarding a piece I ran recently on "tiny homes," for site built homes, Fannie Mae does not specify minimum size or living area requirements for properties with the exception of manufactured housing. For Manufactured Homes, the manufactured home must be at least 12 feet wide and have a minimum of 600 square feet of gross living area. Fannie does not purchase Chattel loans today. The borrower must own the land on which the manufactured home is situated in fee simple, unless the manufactured home is in a co-op or condo project. For co-ops, both the land and dwelling must be owned by the co-op. For condos, both the land and dwelling must be subject to the condo regime. Mortgages secured by manufactured homes located on leasehold estates are not eligible.

As previously announced by AmeriHome, for all loans with Note dates on and after 9/25/2017, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are implementing new UCD Data Point requirements. Its Seller Guide Section 8.9.10. Uniform Closing Dataset Requirements will be updated shortly with the following clarification: The latest CD matching the UCD file submitted to the GSE(s) must be included in the Closed Loan Package delivered to AmeriHome: This includes any post-consummation CD(s). The Date/Time Evaluated on the Freddie Mac LCA Feedback Certificate and the Last Submission Date on the Fannie Mae UCD Findings Report must be dated on or after the latest CD Date Issued, including any post-consummation CD(s). Sellers are not required to assign the UCD/LCA file to AmeriHome.

Effective Oct. 15, a new line item (Sales Tax for Legal Costs) will be available in the Fannie Mae LoanSphere InvoicingTM for loans originating in Hawaii and New Mexico. Reference the Servicer Expense Reimbursement Line Items in LoanSphere Invoicing job aid for a list of servicer expense categories and subcategories for conventional loans that are available in LoanSphere Invoicing.

Building on Day 1 Certainty, Fannie Mae Introduces Single Source Validation, New API Platform, and Servicing Marketplace for Servicing Transfers.

Customers participating in the Desktop Underwriter (DU) validation service will have new choices for income, employment, and asset verification. DataVerify, Finicity, and NCS have been approved to provide verification reports

As a component of Simplifying Servicing, Fannie Mae is adding new 300 series remittance codes in the Cash Remittance System (CRS). An updated CRS User Guide, containing the new 300 series remittance codes with clear descriptions for their purpose, will be published on the CRS page in early November.

Plaza's Fannie Mae DU Refi Plus Retained and Freddie Mac LP Relief Refinance program guidelines have been updated to reflect FHFA's new application expiration date of December 31, 2018.

Look up HomeReady income limits using the Fannie Mae recently enhanced Income Eligibility Lookup tool. You can still search by property address or by FIPS code, and now you can easily search by area. For example, the enhanced tool enables you to view an entire state and quickly pinpoint census tracts with no income limit. Visit the HomeReady page to access the tool, find more resources, and register for the Oct. 19 live webinar.

Mortgage brokers doing business with United Wholesale Mortgage are among the first in the country with access to a more streamlined origination process, as they can validate income, assets and employment using bank account data from only one asset report. The improved capabilities stem from UWM's participation in Fannie Mae's pilot offering of Single Source Validation, a program that Fannie Mae has introduced as an enhancement to its Desktop Underwriter (DU) validation service. "Pushing the broker channel forward through innovative technology and enhanced services is what we're all about, so Single Source Validation is a big win for our clients," said Mat Ishbia, President and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage.

PennyMac Correspondent Group has posted a new announcement in response to various Freddie Mac updates.

Citi Correspondent Lending published bulletin 2017-08.

Fifth Third Mortgage Company has eliminated the Soft Market Policies from all product guides.

Mountain West Financial has added several more eligible 1st TD loan programs for the Mountain Combo product. In addition to the CF30 and CF30J programs, conforming 25-year, 20-year, 15-year and 10-year terms are now available. The PATH, High Balance and Super Conforming versions of these programs are also available. The product matrices and pricing engine have been updated with these changes.

MWF announced HomeReady Enhancement for Fannie Mae Owned Properties. The maximum allowable LTV, CLTV and HCLTV ratios have been increased from 95% to 97% for one-unit limited cash-out refinance transactions underwritten by DU when the mortgage being refinanced is owned by Fannie Mae (in alignment with standard DU eligibility). The requirement that the existing mortgage being refinanced be owned by Fannie Mae does not apply when the LTV is 95% or less, or when the CLTV only exceeds 95% due to a Community Seconds loan.



Capital Markets

In product development news, Mortgage Capital Management (MCM) announced its "One-Time Close with Float Down Lock - Build It Advantage Loan! MCM "provides clients with Float Down pricing and hedging services through its Pipeline Risk Management services. In addition, MCM provides Spot Commitment and Forward Builder commitment pricing and hedging services. The One-Time Close float down is something every mortgage banker should have in their product offerings!"

Glancing back to Friday, agency mortgage-backed security prices did well relative to risk-free Treasuries due to solid buying from a wide variety of investors along with slowing origination supply. It's all supply and demand, and an informal Fannie trading desk survey indicated lock volumes were down 5-10% last week. MBS prices improved .250-.375, depending on coupon and maturity, while the 10-year T-note improved nearly .50. As expected, U.S. economic data continues to clean up after the August and September hurricanes.

Unlike last week, where we had a dearth of scheduled, potentially market-moving economic announcements, this week we have an abundance. The latest indications had President Trump leaning towards Federal Reserve Governor Jerome Powell with his decision sometime this week - in addition to a FOMC meeting this week. We've already had the Personal Income and Consumption/Spending duo (+1.0% - stronger than expected), along with some Personal Consumption Expenditure figures (tame). Tomorrow we have the Employment Cost Index for the 3rd quarter, Chicago Purchasing Manager's survey, Consumer Confidence, and the winner of the economic released with the longest name: The Standard & Poor's CoreLogic Case Shiller 20-City Indices.

Wednesday, November 1, is the MBA's application data for last week, the ADP Employment Change number, something titled Markit US Manufacturing PMI, some Institute of Supply Management figures, Construction Spending, and the rate decision by the Federal Open Market Committee (no one is expecting a change to short-term rates). Thursday, we can wait with bated breath for the Challenger Job Cuts, Nonfarm Productivity, Unit Labor Costs, and Initial Jobless Claims. Friday look for the Big Kahuna: all the employment data for October (non-farm payroll expected up over 300k). We begin the week with rates down slightly from Friday afternoon, with the 10-year yielding 2.40% and agency MBS prices better by .125.



Employment and Recruiting

Building towards a strong Q4, Angel Oak Mortgage Solutions is continuing its aggressive growth, adding Wholesale Account Executives in markets across the country, specifically in San Francisco, San Antonio, Los Angeles and New Orleans. To build on their professional leadership, Angel Oak has also recently hired industry veteran John Wise to help expand their wholesale sales force across the country. Formerly, John ran all Sales and Operations for Oakmont Mortgage. Contact John (818.391.4131) confidentially if you are interested in the available opportunities at Angel Oak Mortgage Solutions.

Are you ready to explore exciting new career opportunities? Colonial Companies is growing and hiring for key operations and production positions. Their CU Members Mortgage division is seeking top talent for key positions: Processing Manager; CU Trainer; Executive Sales Consultant SW/SE; and Loan Officers in Las Vegas, Newport Beach, and Dallas. And its Retail division, Colonial National Mortgage, is looking for the best of the best Loan Officers nationwide! Want to learn how you can turn these great opportunities into an amazing career...visit ColonialCareers.com and Apply today!

Texas Capital Bank, N.A. welcomes Thomas Helm as Northwest, Vice President and Relationship Manager, Warehouse Lending group. Thomas is an industry veteran and has served in various capacities, both as an independent mortgage banker and leading a specialty broker-dealer shop. He will be spearheading the bank's efforts to grow the northwest region made up of Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Texas Capital Bank is known for leveraging technology and is among the first warehouse lenders to embrace fully digital mortgages by accepting eNotes. For more information, contact your local account executive or National Sales Manager Bruce Karda. Texas Capital Bank's Warehouse Lending group is part of its Mortgage Finance division which specializes in supporting mortgage lenders nationwide with warehouse and MSR credit, liquidity and banking solutions. Texas Capital Bank is consistently recognized as one of Forbes' Best Banks in America and is a Member of the FDIC.

Michigan's AmeriFirst Home Mortgage, a division of AmeriFirst Financial Corp., has hired mortgage veteran Doug Long as its Southeast Divisional President. Mr. Long is tasked with growing AmeriFirst's penetration of the Florida market, and he will work out of the company's Winter Park, Florida office.
Mount Pleasant, SC (29464)

Today

Cloudy. High near 65F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Overcast. Low near 45F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
A bill introduced in the US Congress is proposing reforms to the reverse mortgage program of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in an effort prevent unfair foreclosures on seniors.The bill, called Preventing Foreclosures on Seniors Act, proposes to require loss mitigation for Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) borrowers in default, as this is currently optional. Additionally, the bill seeks to require that non-borrowing spouses are treated as borrowing spouses for the purposes of loss mitigation, as they are currently ineligible.The proposed legislation would also require mandatory assignment of HECM loans to HUD if there is an eligible non-borrowing spouse living in the home upon the death of the borrower, a practice that is currently optional and require mortgagees to provide prompt notice to a surviving non-borrowing spouse of their eligibility to remain in the property if they meet certain basic requirements, among other proposed reforms.Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) proposed the bill, while Rep. Denny Heck (D-Wash.) was an original cosponsor. The bill is supported by the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) and the California Reinvestment Coalition.This bill would provide much-needed protections for older borrowers with reverse mortgage loans, said NCLC Staff Attorney Alys Cohen. It would require lenders to give seniors a chance to stay in their homes by repaying back taxes and insurance when they can afford to do so. It also would protect spouses left off a reverse mortgage from needless foreclosure by requiring that eligible spouses be given the opportunity to remain in their home. These are common sense steps that would protect older borrowers and preserve the reverse mortgage program by making it work better.
A retired Houston Police Department officer will serve three life sentences after a jury found him guilty of three first-degree offenses of sexually assaulting a child.

Abel Diaz Rodriguez forced the 14-year-old girl to choose between physical or sexual abuse in 2014, Galveston County District Attorney Jack Roady said in a press release. He also showed her a video of sexual acts, which Rodriguez had recorded secretly, that office said.
San Angelo police are investigating the drummer of popular rock group Los Lonely Boys for possessing child pornography, they confirmed in a news release.

Detectives with the department's Crimes Against Children Unit opened an investigation into Ringo V. Garza, 35 in July after receiving a child abuse report involving a 13-year-old girl, the release says.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, many residents in Puerto Rico have moved to the mainland  and many more are expected.

Spectrum News 13 is hosting live town hall on Hurricane Maria

Maria affected jobs, housing, politics, education, health care

Town hall will discuss these issues with live studio audience

Tune in to our 1-hour special at 7 p.m. Wednesday

Or watch on your desktop or mobile device

Florida is a prime destination as evacuees seek clean water, electricity and shelter, all of which is still in short supply on the island.



Some will choose to make a permanent life in Florida or the mainland, while others want this to be a temporary move.

But is the Sunshine State ready for such an influx of people, and how are Floridians and government officials preparing?

Spectrum News 13 is hosting a live, one-hour special at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1 at the Acacia Banquet Hall, 1865 Econlockhatchee Trail, Orlando, called Hurricane Maria: Mainland Impact.

Spectrum News 13 will look at the issue from five angles: housing, jobs, education, politics and health care. The town hall is a collection of memorable stories and live interviews.

The format will be a town hall with a live studio audience and hosted by Spectrum News 13 anchors Ybeth Bruzual and Veronica Cintron.

Spectrum News 13 is inviting lawmakers, education leaders and community members to discuss the impacts that Hurricane Maria had on Puerto Rico and how it will affect Florida.
HALE CENTER -- During a recent meeting in Hale Center, several area leaders spoke at length regarding the future of their respective communitys water rights and the need to seek out potential alternate sources to ensure safe water well into the future.

During the Fifth Monday meeting held by Hale County officials and local municipal leaders, one of the primary issues up for discussion was the future of water rights in some Hale County communities.

Hale Center City Manager Dennis Burton started the discussion by referencing Hale Centers specific needs.

Hale Center does not have a secondary water source, he said. If we dont come up with a solution, Hale Center will be a ghost town someday.

Burton listed several options that may be available to Hale Center as a secondary source.

One option would be to use the Santa Rosa Dockum aquifer, but Burton said that the water in that aquifer is very brackish and it could be cost prohibitive to treat the water. Another option would be to buy water from another local municipality such as Plainview, but such a proposal would require building of a pipeline to transfer the water to Hale Center. A third option would be to recycle the citys wastewater in much the same way Wichita Falls has done in the past. Burton said that this method would be very expensive as well. A final option might be for the city to create its own reservoir, but Burton said no such reservoir has been created in the state in over 25 years due to environmental regulations imposed by the state.

Burton said an upcoming meeting of the Llano Estacado Regional Planning Group at the South Plains Association of Governments office in Lubbock would consist of a presentation by the Texas Water Development Board on data collection efforts for the brackish resource aquifer system.

According to the TWDBs website, the water quality in the aquifer is generally poor  with freshwater in outcrop areas in the east and brine in the western subsurface portions of the aquifer  and the water is very hard. There is also naturally occurring radioactivity from uranium present within the aquifer and radium-226 and -228 also occur in amounts above acceptable standards.

Abernathy City Manager Mike Cypert said that his city has done a test well on the aquifer that confirms its brackish status at 10,000 parts per million salinity. He noted however that the well was drilled to the bottom of the aquifer and that he believed the water ultimately retrieved from the aquifer would be less salty than the test well.

The water is there, Cypert said. If you can just get it to the surface you can treat it.

During the discussion Cypert also mentioned the potential cost for a well and a desalinization plant to bring the water up to environmental standards for municipal use as around $6.5 million by their estimates. He based this on cost of three wells being drilled producing 500 gallons per minute from each well at $1 million individually, plus $3.5 million for a reverse osmosis plant to treat the water. Cypert also pointed out additional costs for disposal of waste products created by the RO process, which would need to be considered before moving forward with such a project.
After 17 years, the box truck long used by The Salvation Army for its Family Store was on its last legs.

The tires were bald and it no longer had a reverse gear, explains David Wilder. It really needed a lot of help.

And that help came in the form of a $38,500 grant from the James and Eva Mayer Foundation of Plainview, for the purchase of a new truck chassis and attached box. The new truck, with distinctive Salvation Army decals on each side, was put in service this week at The Salvation Army Family Store inside the agencys downtown headquarters.

The Mayer Foundation had a key role in The Salvation Army securing the new downtown location a few short years ago.

Although they have been in the downtown service center for the past two to three years, a lot of people dont know where they are located, Wilder said. The Mayer Foundation made a $50,000 gift to help The Salvation Army secure this building which gives them a lot more space to continue their mission to serve the community.

Michelle Rutherford, local agency director, notes that The Salvation Army Family Store recently adjusted its hours to better serve the needs of its customers. It is now open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Its closed Monday which traditionally had been Senior Discount Day. That special shopping day is now Wednesday.

Funds raised from sales of the gently used donated items at the store are used by The Salvation Army to provide emergency rental assistance, make utility payments before disconnection, help people pay for prescriptions, feed hot meals five days a week and provide groceries for families in need.

The Salvation Army has scheduled its Red Kettle KickoOff Nov. 17 with a special program at the Fair Theatre. Details will follow.

The James and Eva Mayer Foundation was established in 1987 with Wilder, Paul Lyle and Gene Owen serving as trustees. Rudd Owen is now a trustee following his fathers death. Eva Hoyle Mayer was a native Plainviewan and she and her husband, James, lived in several metropolitan areas, ending in Philadelphia, until his death in the 1960s. She came back to Plainview to take care of her mother, Elizabeth Hoyle, and stayed.

Grants are made exclusively to organizations operated for religious, charitable, educational, literary or scientific purposes. Grants are only for use within the United States and recipient organizations must be tax exempt.

Some of the local and area organizations which have benefited from the foundations generosity include Faith in Sharing House, The Salvation Army, Hale County Senior Citizens Center, Happy Feet, RSVP, Wayland Baptist University, Wee Care Child Center, Plainview Education Partnership, Fair Theatre, Junior Service League Fire Safety House, Kidsville, Floyd County Unity Center, Ronald McDonald House, YMCA and Lubbock Christian University.

The foundation is a past recipient of Waylands Distinguished Benefactor Alumni Award and several scholarships have been established in honor of the Mayers.

The Mayers have been a great blessing to many people, especially those of us in the Plainview area, Wilder has noted.
Having relatives in Plainview, I know that Art inspires people by depictions of Culture. However, this exhibition is so extraordinary in that it was a teaching moment. This exhibit came to the United States (with such old, and historical worthiness), that it makes for a fun "day trip" to see something extraordinarily special and also get a contemporaneous view of "History," instead of today's sugar-coated revisionist history.

I saw this exhibit a few days ago when I drove my cousin Carole Marples and myself to Fort Worth and back: it was worth it. The exhibit had old, items from Venice, Paris, Prague, London, as well borrowed paintings and settings on loan from Harvard University and the National Gallery.

The exhibition is taking place from now through Dec. 31. It was the history exhibit on "Casanova -- The Seduction of Europe" held at The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth. It is remarkable that one exhibit lasts so long in one venue. Afterward, it will go to San Francisco, then to Boston, and thence, disband -- with many paintings going back to Europe.

In school, my classmates and I heard the stereotypes of Casanova. However, much has been embellished and exaggerated about him. In my university days, I researched Giacomo (James) Casanova more thoroughly. Most people are unaware that the man studied to enter the Catholic priesthood. Pope Clement XIII bestowed the Vatican award of "the Golden Spur" on Casanova. He did have his romantic dalliances with women (even two nuns) which caused his exit from clerical duties. Yet, he received a law degree; became a gambler, spy -- yet, he had a good side too: Casanova became a philosopher, a diplomat, a Freemason, and a Rosicrucian (the scholarly type of Rosicrucian --- and not the fake or dubious groups that label themselves Rosicrucian). According to our tour-guide: Casanova even saved the life of a senator in Venice.

At the exhibit, we were provided free audio devices to hear narratives as a "self-guided tour" as well as the option of partaking of a lady commentator as "on-site tour-guide. The exhibits were impressive, fine sterling silver-settings of "Angels" representing Youth"; another Angel holding a "Sickle," representing "Mortality"; along with a glass case a 1700s violin.

The paintings were exquisite, including one of Benjamin Franklin, who discussed "Hot Air Balloons" with Casanova; and he later attended a symposium, presented by Benjamin Franklin on the same subject in Paris. I asked the tour guide: "Ma'am, did I hear your right -- Benjamin Franklin discussed hot-air ballooning with Casanova in Paris?" She said "Yes.". It almost sounds like Texas, with its hot-air balloon fare; except predating us by two and a half centuries.

The Art was fabulous. It was genuine art that I could relate to. Classics, priceless. It was Art which all spectators knew what was depicted -- without wondering whether a painting was right-side-up, or upside down. Although the 1700s artists depicted their share of female nudes, the exhibit was tasteful. Casanova may have been somewhat of a "ladies man," yet women were drawn to him. And, as our tour-guide noted: Casanova often left the women "in better shape emotionally and financially" than when he wooed them.

I only have a couple of booklets I purchased years ago on Giacomo Casanova. I make it my own "rule-of-thumb" to never buy a book about Casanova unless it is non-fiction and printed before the year 1930. Modern writers distort him. I didn't even see the 2005 movie "Casanova", since it was hyped to sell movie-tickets.

One interesting thing, during Lent in Venice, a custom was started in the year 1168 of men and women wearing masks. At first thought, a person thinks of "Mardi Gras masks" -- which is partially true. However, the Casanova Exhibit taught that the Venetian custom in the 1750s was that masks (primarily worn by women) weren't to "hide an identity"; but rather to "hide a social-class" the woman came from.

Visitors to the exhibit got a realistic impression that they were "walking into" 18th century Venice or Dresden, Warsaw or Paris. It had a glamorous appeal. One of my favorite "Oil on Canvas" paintings was: "The Alchemists" painted in the year 1752 by Pietro Longhi. I already knew quite a bit about Giacomo Casanova years ago, in school, but I learned a whole lot more by this exhibit and enjoyed it. I consider it (and recommend it) to anyone in Texas as a "must do" on their "bucket list" or "To Do list." Such an opportunity may not pass this close again.

--James A. Marples, Longview
The combination of a disagreement over editorial control and recent budget cuts means the General Assembly will be without a vendor beginning Wednesday to broadcast its proceedings.

The Office of Legislative Managements contract with the Connecticut Network, or CT-N, expired July 31, and the two sides have utilized all available extensions  the last one ending at the end of the day Tuesday  as they remain locked in a disagreement over editorial control.

The state budget, signed by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, further complicated things because lawmakers cut funding for CT-N, overseen by the nonprofit Connecticut Public Affairs Network, by $800,000.

Were waiting on some indication of what happens next, said Paul Giguere, Connecticut Public Affairs Network president and CEO. He warned lawmakers in an Oct. 14 email that the reduced funding level would most certainly result in a complete shutdown of the network, as early as October 31.

The state budget allocates $1.6 million for CT-N, dispersed through OLM, but that figure is down from the $2.4 million that OLM indicated in its request for proposals from vendors back in the spring. That figure is also down from the $2.7 million CT-N received last fiscal year.

Legislative leaders expressed their desire for CT-N, the only vendor to submit a bid, to continue its coverage, but said the network needs to absorb cuts like any state agency. They also expressed a desire to CT-N to rein in coverage  in recent years it has expanded programming to include state Supreme Court proceedings, more Executive Branch activities, community civic events, and even original content.

Everyone agrees CT-N is a valuable resource in helping to keep the public informed about their government, yet like virtually all state programs and services it is subject to funding cuts in this budget, House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, said. Providing a level of support to help allow CT-N to continue its core mission, albeit scaled back from recent years, is still our goal going forward.

Senate Republican Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven, made similar comments to reporters while discussing the budget Tuesday.

That makes sense  if I was them, Id feel the same need or duty, Fasano said about CT-Ns decision to expand coverage. Given the economy that were in, youre going to have to make choices about what youre going to cover and not cover.

OLMs request for proposals indicates a desire to rein in content, instructing interested vendors that they would be contracted to largely cover only the legislature. Lawmakers first authorized funding to CT-N for gavel-to-gavel coverage of the legislative session in 1999.

As CT-N expanded its coverage, it made pleas for increased funding. This included a pitch last session for the authorization to charge a fee on cable bills, a move Giguere said at the time would generate more revenue than if the network remained a part of the budget.

For his part, Malloy said Tuesday that he has hope that lawmakers can find a way to resolve their dispute with CT-N. I quite frankly dont understand why the legislature had a concern about CTN covering Executive Branch events, he said.

msavino@record-journal.com

203-317-2266

Twitter: @reporter_savino
This weekend is full of craft and holiday fairs, interesting lectures and outdoor fun.

Want your weekend event listed? Contact Bailey Wright at BWright@record-journal.com

MERIDEN

Weihnachtsfest Christmas Bazaar

When: 9-3 p.m., Saturday

Where: Meriden Turner Society, 800 Old Colony Road

Description: This German event will feature crafts, baked goods, homemade preserves, a Christmas raffle and hot German food served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Colonial Times Christmas Fair

When: 9-3 p.m., Saturday

Where: Center Congregational Church, 474 Broad St.

Description: The church will host vendors with food, crafts and baked goods. There will be Griffin Hospital nurses on site to do diabetes and blood pressure screenings.

11th Annual Arts & Crafts Fair

When: 9-4:30 p.m., Saturday

Where: Augusta Curtis Cultural Center, 175 East Main St.

Description: Arts and crafts vendors will be out to benefit Seniors Have Dreams Too, Inc. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for children.

Are We Alone in the Universe?

When: 1-3 p.m., Friday

Where: Meriden Public Library, 105 Miller St.

Description: Richard Boynton will discuss the search for extraterrestrial life in our solar system and in exoplanets orbiting distant stars.

WALLINGFORD

The Book Seller Book Sale

When: 4-8 p.m., Friday;10-3 p.m., Saturday

Where: Collins Room, Wallingford Public Library, 200 North Main St.

Description: Gently-used books for children, young adults and adults, CDs and DVDs are reduced. Proceeds benefit the library.

Truck Show for Charity

When: 8 a.m., Saturday

Where: New Life Church, 350 High Hill Road

Description: This first annual event is hosted by Truck Builders of Connecticut and Hazelwood Excavating. There will be food, raffles, music and trucks to explore. This year's proceeds will go to the family of three-month-old Cason James Pelletier to help pay for the medical expenses of his rare disease. There is a $5 parking fee for cars, but entry to the event is free.

Holiday Fair

When: 9-3 p.m., Saturday

Where: Most Holy Trinity Church, 68 North Colony St.

Description: Visit for multiple vendors with gift options for Christmas. Free door prizes will be available, as well as breakfast and lunch.

Saturday Mornings with Poetry

When: 9:45 a.m. to noon, Saturday

Where: Wallingford Public Library Board Room, 200 North Main St.

Description: At this meeting of those love reading and writing poetry, people will have the chance to share their poetry, discuss the literary works of poets and expand skills in writing and editing poems.

SOUTHINGTON

YMCA Camp Sloper Hike

When: 10-1 p.m., Saturday

Where: YMCA Camp Sloper Outdoor Center, 1000 East St.

Description: The Southington Land Trust will lead a hike at Camp Sloper, with trails varying in difficulty. Anyone is welcome to meet at the camp's entrance. Proper footwear is recommended and no smoking or dogs are allowed.

International Games Day

When: 9-4:30 p.m., Saturday

Where: Southington Public Library, 255 Main St.

Description: In celebration of International Games Week, the library's teen zone will be made into a gaming area. Kids can try out the PS4 or join a group game of board or card games. All ages welcome.

CHESHIRE

Meet Craig & Fred book talk

When: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., Saturday

Where: Cheshire Public Library, 104 Main St.

Description: Author and U.S. Marine Craig Grossi will discuss his new book "Craig & Fred," about a stray dog he met on an Afghan battlefield and how they saved each other with subborn positiviy. Fred the dog will join and copies of the book will be available for purchase. Seating is limited and registration on the library website is required.

Cheshire Lions Club Trunk or Treat

When: 3:30-4:30 p.m., Saturday

Where: Bartlem Park, 520 South Main St.

Descripton: Members of the Lions club and of the community will decorate their car trunks and pass out candy to children. If you are interested in decorating a trunk, you are asked to arrive at 3 p.m. for setup. Event is free to the public.

DURHAM

Church of the Epiphany Christmas Bazaar

When: 9-2 p.m., Saturday

Where: Church of the Epiphany, 196 Main St.

Description: Vendors include Harry & Hio's Woodworking, Norwex, Tastefully Simple, LulaRou, Crystal Jewelry, The Diesel Dog and local crafters. There will be a kids craft table and bake sale.

HAMDEN

Wellness Hike

When: 11-2 p.m., Sunday

Where: Sleeping Giant State Park, 100 Mt. Carmel Ave.

Description: Sponsored by the R.E.A.C.H. OUT project, a nonprofit organization that supports youth, individuals, and families affected by addiction and mental health challenges. Bring appropriate clothing and shoes for the easy hike. Non-perishable food items for Thanksgiving baskets to go to the Bethel Shelter will be accepted.

bwright@record-journal.com

203-317-2316

Twitter: @baileyfaywright
WALLINGFORD  All 14 Town Council candidates had the chance to discuss issues at a recent forum hosted by the Wallingford Community Women. A panel of reporters and high school students asked candidates questions about a variety of topics during the forum, held at Town Hall last week. Here is a sample of their answers.

Democrat Jesse Reynolds, who recently said the town needs to attract more young professionals to protect its tax base in the future, was asked what specific measures hed propose to accomplish that.

Reynolds said the town needs to create a long term plan for how to grow the area around the new train station because young people prefer modes of transportation other than driving. Reynolds said Wallingford also needs to work with neighboring towns to make sure were not duplicating efforts.

Republican Joe Marrone was asked whether the town can continue to approve wage increases for unions as part of collective bargaining given its fiscal constraints.

Marrone said denying wage increases and going to arbitration is a costly endeavor because youre going to drop $40,000 to $50,000 in legal fees. Marrone doesnt think the arbitration system is fair to municipalities, so he doesnt see that as a viable alternative in most cases.

I think what youre going to start seeing in the future is more outsourcing of functions, he said. Thats really going to be the only alternative, and that at some point may help to control costs.

Unaffiliated candidate John Sullivan was asked where he stands on the Community Pool and whether he is favor of making changes to it or closing it.

Sullivan said hes in favor of forming a pool committee to do more studies because were looking at bonding out a heck of a lot of money based on the proposal a committee comes back with.

Sullivan said the pool is an asset to the town, but added were also faced with a reduction in pool tag sales, we have no concession stand, (and) we have facilities that are well out-dated.

Democrat Bruce Conroy was asked whether the Town Council needs to revisit adding staffing to the police department, which falls below state averages for officers per capita.

Conroy said given that Police Chief William Wright has said the current staffing is good, our staffing is probably good. But Conroy added that it cannot hurt to have more officers, especially in light of the opioid problem.

Perhaps we could add officers that are dedicated to just addressing the opioid problem, Conroy said.

Republican Chris Shortell was asked whether the town has made any mistakes in pursuing litigation against the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative. Shortell said while he wasnt on the council when it voted to enter the litigation with CMEEC, he probably would have voted to enter the litigation given what we knew then about how much the town claimed CMEEC overcharged through various contracts.

It was basically to spend some money in litigation to get a lot more money back, Shortell said about the decision, which has cost the town over $2 million.

Overall, it was a worthy effort to try to  get some money back from them that we were owed, Shortell said. But like anything else with litigation, sometimes it doesnt go the way you hoped.

Democrat Gina Morgenstein was asked whether she is comfortable with the size of the towns rainy day fund and if she would propose using any of that money down the road.

Do we have the right amount of money? I think the bigger question is are we spending it properly? Morgenstein said.

The town has no use for its AAA bond rating, Morgenstein said, if we dont bond certain things. Morgenstein also said the town needs to do a better job of funding road repairs.

Republican John LeTourneau was asked whether he supports the charter changes proposed by the Charter Revision Commission.

LeTourneau said he will definitely vote yes to approve the changes. He said the Charter Revision Commission did a great job with editing the document. I believe they came together in a nonpolitical way  and the way they went about it, it wasnt like last time when it was a wholesale slaughter of our charter.

Democrat Jason Zandri was asked what ways the town could consider reducing spending. Zandri said consolidating services is one option. The town government and Board of Education could explore joint purchases or combine some services, he said.

Zandri also mentioned regionalization as an option to save money, saying there is something to be said about working with your neighbors for things that you have to get done.

Republican Vincent Cervoni was asked whether he is in favor of closing Community Pool and if he thinks the pool can produce revenue in the future.

Cervoni said Community Pool has value to the community. I think people look fondly upon it even though its recent (tag sale) numbers dont necessarily reflect it. Cervoni said hes not decided in favor of closing it at all.

Cervoni said the council should appoint a committee to study what the future of the pool should look like.

Democrat Vinnie Testa was asked what types of development the town should attract to the downtown area around the train station and what measures he would propose to attract development.

Testa said he wants to see mixed-used development in the area with retail and restaurants on the first floor and residential units above.

What you want to do is develop a mini community in that area because the whole objective is to try to establish housing there, ideally for younger people, Testa said, adding we want people who live in that area to be able to walk to whatever they need.

Republican Tom Laffin was asked what the town should do to attract more volunteer firefighters, given a decline in volunteers over the years. Laffin said I dont know if the answer is so much what do we need to do to attract (more volunteers), but how do we organize the volunteers that we have.

The town needs to focus on what we have and do the best that we can with that, Laffin said.

Democrat Jaime Hine, who recently said the town needs to remove fluff from the annual budget, was asked where he would look to cut from the budget. Hine said there are several places to cut from the budget and argued the administration each year overestimates expenses and underestimates revenues.

I think it would be a more accurate budget if we started off with real numbers from the beginning, Hine said, adding that Public Works was given about $400,000 more than it ultimately spent last fiscal year and the Board of Education finished with a surplus of about $800,000. Those departments were still able to function, Hine said.

Republican Craig Fishbein was asked what the Town Council should do to address the noise made by Thurston Foods' trucks, which currently exceed decibel levels allowed by town ordinance. Nearby residents have also said the noise impacts their quality of life.

Fishbein said hes concerned that if the council approved a noise limit exemption that allowed the current noise levels, it wouldnt solve the problem because the residents will still be impacted by the noise. But Fishbein also added that if the council doesnt take any action, the town is not enforcing the (noise) ordinance as it presently exists.

Democrat Darrell Stancuna was asked if Wallingford needs a full-time economic development specialist and how he would go about kick-starting development around the train station.

Stancuna said the town doesnt need a economic development specialist. Basically what we need is to get the citizens, maybe like committee, maybe like seven people in town, to look at these types of issues of what can be built in different areas.

To attract more attention to the train station area, Stancuna said, the town should get famous bands here during the summer time.



mzabierek@record-journal.com

203-317-2279

Twitter: @MatthewZabierek
At least 30 water taps at three San Francisco public school campuses tested for high levels of lead, and water from one fountain in a high school gym had a lead level nearly 60 times the maximum under federal health guidelines, data released by the district show.

The numbers offer a clearer and more serious picture of the lead levels coming from water spigots in some San Francisco schools than an initial description by district officials last week. They indicated that 1 tap out of 5 tested at each of three school sites exceeded federal guidelines, prompting the district to shut down the taps, notify parents and initiate more testing.

The highest level identified came from a gym fountain at San Francisco International High School, where the lead level was measured at 860 parts per billion, compared with the recommended maximum of 15 parts per billion.

Two fountains outside the gym tested at 644 and 493 parts per billion, and the district said those were frequently used by elementary charter school students attending New School, which shares the former Enola Maxwell campus in Potrero Hill with the high school.

Water taps at 72 district sites, out of 124 total, have been tested, with only the four schools on three campuses having issues, officials said.

However, subsequent testing at the three sites, including Malcolm X Elementary School, , found a more widespread problem. Water samples showed high levels of lead at several locations, including a drinking fountain on the first floor of Malcolm X with a lead level of 333 parts per billion. The district is now doing a second round of testing on all taps with levels exceeding federal guidelines to confirm the results. Results are pending for West Portal Elementary School.

Lead is a toxic metal, and exposure even in low levels can harm childrens health, possibly damaging the brain and nervous system, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the water flowing into the schools is safe, lead can leach into it from pipes, fixtures or solder in the plumbing.

A growing list of schools across the state are posting high levels of lead flowing out of faucets after the water crisis in Flint, Mich.  in which corrosion of pipes led to leaching of lead into the city water supply  led California officials to push for testing, especially in schools.

Typically, levels as high as those seen on the problematic San Francisco campuses would come from taps that are used rarely, if at all, allowing a significant amount of lead to leach into the water, said June Weintraub, manager of water programs at the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

But that doesnt appear to be the case in the recent tests, she said.

In San Francisco, custodians are supposed to flush all water fountains and taps for 30 seconds every morning, district officials said, but given the high lead content, its unclear whether that policy has been consistently followed.

The citys water provider, the Public Utilities Commission, identified the taps with high levels of lead during a statewide voluntary testing program launched in January, which included taking five water samples from each school.

The three schools each had one tap measuring above the federal threshold. As a result, the district said, it immediately shut off those taps while testing all fountains and faucets at each school, before posting the results online late Friday.

We were very responsible in volunteer testing, said school board President Shamann Walton. Now were going to test more to make sure we completely find out where the issues are and eliminate them.

San Francisco is far from the only district grappling with the issue. Earlier this year, San Diego Unified was among the first to test for lead under the voluntary program. Initially, two of the districts 200 school sites showed levels exceeding 15 parts per million, said Samer Naji, a district spokesman.

The levels were high enough that district officials decided to test all taps used for drinking and food preparation and ensure they meet a lower threshold of below 5 parts per billion.

The message we kept hearing is there is no safe level of lead, he said.

In San Francisco, district officials have not decided whether they will assess additional taps at the schools already tested. Students at the three campuses that failed tests are drinking bottled water until the district can mitigate the problem.

We already know that we do have problems, said Yonko Radonov, San Francisco Unifieds interim facilities chief. This week were meeting with consultants to look at floor plans and plumbing to figure out a plan of action.

How long the taps have exceeded lead levels, and how much water students consumed, is unknown. Other schools have occupied the Enola Maxwell campus over the past several years, including Webster Elementary. While students dont drink a lot of water from the fountains, they had been using them.

Its concerning, said Emily Kilduff, the co-director at New School, adding she is still waiting for the results from fountains inside the elementary school part of the building. Especially with the heat weve had.

Kilduff, who is pregnant, opted Friday to get her blood lead level tested and is waiting for results. One student at her school was also tested after officials informed parents that the district was taking water samples for lead content. His results were normal, Kilduff said.

We will probably recommend, if any parent is concerned or worried, to go get tested, Kilduff said.

New School parent Sara Maamouri, who has a daughter in kindergarten, said shes been reassured by frequent communication from the school about the water testing and by the fact that her daughter doesnt typically drink from the fountains.

She hasnt even used the outdoor fountains, she said, adding that it was important for parents to be aware of the prevalence of lead. Unfortunately, I think its the world we live in.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @jilltucker

Resources

Find San Francisco water test results at http://bit.ly/2gOY784.

Parents concerned about a childs lead exposure should discuss the issue with their family physician. In some cases, testing for lead may be recommended.

Those in San Francisco without insurance or a medical care provider can call the Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Section of the city Department of Public Health at (800) 300-9950. Staff has the information distributed to the schools. Calls are answered Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 pm. Messages left after hours will be returned the next business day. English, Spanish and Cantonese are available.

San Francisco residents concerned about the water at their homes may request a sampling kit and city analysis for a fee of $25 by calling 311. Participants in the WIC nutrition program can request a free test. More information: http://bit.ly/2yYbw8x.

To reduce potential lead exposure from drinking water, flush the tap until it feels colder, for 30 seconds to 2 minutes, before using water for drinking or cooking. Certified filters can also reduce exposure.
Bands of violent teens turned the Halloween Haunt at Californias Great America into a real frightfest over the weekend, leaving many visitors to the Santa Clara amusement park soured on the holiday event and even a little banged up.

Park officials acknowledged there were incidents Saturday that required assistance from police, but they did not specify what exactly happened as thousands visited the Halloween-themed attractions.

Police and witnesses detailed upward of 100 teens and young adults harassing, robbing and assaulting guests late Saturday night. About 10:45 p.m. Saturday, Santa Clara police received reports of unruly youths causing disorder. Officers later arrested one juvenile on suspicion of theft.

Many park-goers fled in the chaos, describing their frightful experiences on social media.

Got punched in the face, evacuated out from mazes and it was just all bad, @dancerallim wrote on Twitter.

Twitter user Ana Banana shared a similar account: First we thought it was part of the show but then they told us to run for our lives.

Most of the attackers fled or blended into the crowd before police arrived, said Lt. Dan Moreno, a Santa Clara police spokesman.

They fled in different directions. It was dark, so it was hard to track down people, he said. Were reviewing surveillance.

Roughly 20,000 people packed into the park Saturday, visiting attractions like the Backwoods haunted swamp, the Chaos House and the Demon: Re-ignited roller-coaster. The Halloween event was billed as the fright of your life.

The park said that it quickly addressed Saturdays incidents and that the final day of Halloween festivities Sunday went off without problems.

The safety of our guests is our top priority, Californias Great America said in a statement.

Staff writer Kurtis Alexander contributed to this report.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
Patrick T. Fallon

Lowe's will host a job fair Thursday to fill more than 100 positions at its Port Arthur and Beaumont stores. The home improvement retailer is adding 3,500 employees in Texas to help communities recover from Hurricane Harvey.

Applicants can apply Thursday at the Port Arthur store, 8383 Memorial Blvd., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Full- and part-time positions include cashiers, loaders, customer service associates and sales specialists in flooring, millwork, appliances and pro services. Applicants are asked to bring social security cards and photo IDs.
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The U.S. solar industry let out a collective sigh of relief after trade commissioners proposed import tariffs that were less than half what a bankrupt U.S. panel maker is seeking in a closely watched trade case.

The U.S. International Trade Commission recommended tariffs on imported solar panels of as much as 35 percent during a hearing Tuesday. The independent agency will send its proposals to President Donald Trump, who faces a January deadline to make the final decision.

The tariff proposals are lower than requested by Suniva Inc. The Georgia-based manufacturer filed the trade case in April, and was seeking tariffs of 32 cents a watt for panel imports, about equal to the current average price. Other U.S. solar companies had been bracing for higher duties, which they said would have disrupted the $29 billion industry, stifling installations and triggering job cuts. Some developers were already stocking up on inventory in anticipation of higher costs and halting construction on projects because of pricing uncertainty.

RELATED: Ruling clouds solar's prospects

Thats below the price that people have been hoarding panels for, said Jeffrey Osborne, an analyst at Cowen & Co. On the demand side, jobs cuts wont be as bad as feared, but on the manufacturing side, job creation wont be as big. This would have a limited effect.

Imported solar panels for large solar farms are forecast to remain around 32 cents per watt in the U.S. next year, excluding the impact of tariffs, Bloomberg New Energy Finance analyst Nathan Serota said. A tariff of 30 percent to 35 percent would tack on 10 to 11 cents, putting modules at the same cost developers were paying in September 2016. Thats significantly less than developers had feared.

Nobody likes to pay more for their products, Serota said. But its hard to see how much better of an outcome the industry reasonably could have asked for."

The agency, which voted unanimously in September that U.S. solar manufacturers were being harmed by cheap imports, was divided on what to recommend to Trump. He has wide discretion to adopt one of the commissioners recommendations, do something else altogether, or nothing at all. His deadline for a decision is Jan. 12.

Chairman Rhonda Schmidtlein proposed tariffs of 35 percent on solar panels and as much as 30 percent on solar cells, beyond an initial quota that would face lower duties. Two other commissioners jointly proposed a 30 percent duty on cells beyond 1 gigawatt of imports. In both cases the duties would last for four years and decrease in regular intervals. The fourth commissioner recommended import quotas of 8.9 gigawatts for the first year, increasing by 1.4 gigawatts annually over the same period.

RELATED: Trump solar plan has industry nervous

Suniva said the proposals were disappointing. The company has argued that tariffs are needed to protect the U.S. solar manufacturing industry. Suniva has been joined in the case by the U.S. unit of bankrupt German panel maker SolarWorld AG, which echoed those concerns.

Manufacturing Extinction

The ITCs remedy simply will not fix the problem the ITC itself identified, and with it, well see very shortly the extinction of what remains of this manufacturing sector, Suniva said in a statement.

Solar shares in New York didnt move much on the news, with the exception of First Solar Inc. The biggest U.S. solar manufacturer uses a different technology and its products are exempt from the trade dispute. Analysts have said the company stands to gain the most from tariffs, and it slumped 8.6 percent to $55.22 at 1:45 p.m. in New York after the ITC hearing.

The ITC recommendations demonstrate Sunivas request was not permissible under law, Ed Fenster, chairman of the rooftop solar company Sunrun Inc., said in a statement. We believe the administration will go the next step, look past the narrow legal lens of this process and see what is plainly visible: the best move for Americas workers is to reject entirely this bail-out of two bankrupt companies.

--With assistance from Joe Ryan and Brian Eckhouse

To contact the reporters on this story: Ari Natter in Washington at anatter5@bloomberg.net, Christopher Martin in New York at cmartin11@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jon Morgan at jmorgan97@bloomberg.net, Will Wade, Steven Frank.
Authorities on Tuesday identified three men killed in separate shootings within a week in Antioch.

The most recent shooting occurred about 8 p.m. Monday on the 2200 block of Peppertree Way, said city police Lt. Desmond Bittner. When officers arrived, they discovered Daveion Cornelious, 23, on the ground with a bullet wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Scipio Spears III, 25, was fatally shot about 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 23 on the 900 block of West 10th Street, authorities said. Spears was also declared dead at the scene.

A day earlier, Mariano Cardenas Santos, 64, was found wounded about 6 p.m. in a driveway at Cashew Court and Almondridge Drive, Bittner said. Santos later died at a hospital.

No arrests have been made in the shootings.

Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @SarRavani
Trick-or-treating isn't the main event for Halloween night  a few San Antonio bars, restaurants and nightclubs are hosting events to keep witches cackling over their brew late into the midnight hour.

If you thought the adult festivities ended last weekend, you were gravely mistaken. A number of businesses don't care if it's a weeknight, they're partying with drink specials, live music and costume contests.
San Antonians wielding a pumpkin and a knife used their creativity to carve out impressive jack-o-lanterns for the San Antonio Express-News/mySA.com pumpkin carving contest this month, and the results are in, just in time for Halloween.

Click through the slideshow to see all the jack-o-lanterns submitted for the contest.
Theres a new source for suds in the Lone Star District south of downtown, but dont belly up expecting a tall boy. Vera and Brent Deckard opened Kunstler Brewing Oct. 27, with Vera Deckard serving as head brewer, and their quaffs are anything but ordinary.

The two have carved a cozy and inviting space out of a warehouse along a few blocks off of South Flores. The tidy interior is dark wood, custom ceramic mugs and warm lighting with additional space for patrons on a front deck.

Kunstlers primary objective is, of course, pouring interesting beers for discerning palates. That being said, they do operate a small cold kitchen with a limited selection of charcuterie and cheese plates, German-inspired salads and a few baked goods.

On the menu: Lets get this out of the way first. If youre planning a night out around South Flores, you may want to grab dinner before or after your stop at Kuntzler.

Pretzels ($5, add $2 for radishes and butter) and sausage-stuffed kolaches ($6) made by San Antonio bakery The Bread Box are available. By the time the former arrived at the table, it was tough, dry and crumbly, although the radishes were a lovely snack.

The German-style potato salad and kraut salad (both $5.50) were stronger performers. The potato salad featured a pleasant mixture of just-tender white and yellow fingerling potatoes, a generous dose of bacon and just enough green scallion. The kraut salad was a bit like coleslaw minus the mayonnaise and halfway to sauerkraut with a bright vinegar tang and whiff of caraway seed.

Try the dueling pimento cheese and obatzda platter ($8) if youre seeking novelty. Where pimento cheese is well known in the South, obatzda is a less common but related spread of creamy cheese (typically Camembert), butter and paprika. Crispy whole grain crackers and a bag of Fritos are served for scooping the two up, although neither spread left me craving more.

But enough about the eats.

Kuntzler serves pints for $5.50 and a flight of four 4-ounce pours for $8. During my visit, 10 beers plus an additional two guest taps were listed on the menu. My flight included Kunstlers basic pilsner, an oatmeal porter, an IPA and a Belgian ale  all proof Vera Deckard knows how to tease an incredible range of flavors from barley, hops yeast and water.

The Verklemmt pilsner was a perfect match for the warm, sunny seat I snagged on the porch. Its refreshing, self-confident and utterly devoid of pretension. The Hawaiian Fog IPA falls somewhere at the other end of that spectrum, with an aroma suggesting someone pitched a tiki bar into the fermenter along with the yeast. Passion fruit and guava are so pronounced I had to confirm with the boss that no fruit was added (and none was) in the brewing process.

Ghost Tracks is an appropriate name for Kunstlers oatmeal porter, in part because youre likely to hear a train or two roll by during a visit, but also because its silky hint of chocolate is a fleeting spectre on the palate. Its just enough to spark curiosity  and another sip or two.

The Sichuan Belgian ale was less intriguing, despite the addition of Sichuan peppercorns to the recipe. The spice is known for, among other things, a unique ability to create a numbing or tingling sensation on the tongue, which I was unable to detect. On the upside, the underlying ale was a solid sip. If not for my on-the-clock status at the time, Id gladly have kept trying for an entirely different kind of pleasant tingle.

Location: 302 E. Lachapelle, 210-688-4519, KunstlerBrewing.com, Facebook: Kunstler Brewing.

Hours: 4-10 p.m. Monday, Wednesday-Thursday, 4 p.m.-midnight Friday, 11 a.m.-midnight Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday. Closed Tuesday.

pstephen@express-news.net |Twitter: @pjbites | Instagram: @pjstephen
The Houston Police Department (HPD) arrested at least 140 men in a 10-day sting at a massage-parlor-turned-brothel on Westheimer.

Among the men arrested was Emonte Moliere, whom the First Haitian Community Church lists as the senior pastor.

MISSED THE STORY? HPD prostitution sting nets Houston cop among 140 clients

Public records and the arrest complaint obtained by Chron.com match the same address for Moliere and his wife.

The records also show that other than a minor traffic infraction, Moliere has no prior criminal history.

Now Playing: Almost 140 men, including a Houston police officer, were arrested during a 10-day sting at former massage parlor turned brothel that was taken over earlier this month by the Houston Police Department, officials announced Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017. Video: Houston Chronicle

According to the church website, Moliere had been preaching in Houston for three years before taking his position with the First Haitian Community Church.

Chron.com reached out to Moliere for comment, but encountered several disconnected phone numbers. A call placed to the church was not answered.

A Transport Security Administration (TSA) employee, a teacher, two attorneys and an HPD officer were also arrested as part of the sting.

Take a look through the gallery above to see other men who were caught in the prostitution bust.

Daniela Sternitzky-Di Napoli is a digital producer at Chron.com. You can read more of her stories here and follow her on twitter at @Dani_DiNapoli.




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Twitter can be a swarm of jokes, debate and selfies, but a San Antonio family is using the platform to find a kidney donor.

Veronica Ruiz, a 40-year-old mother of two, has been battling kidney disease for five years. Her daughter, Xiomara Santos, told mySA.com that she's been watching her mother's health deteriorate.

Santos is a match, but is expecting and is not due until next year.

READ ALSO: Texas teen's viral tweet brings unemployed dad with terminal cancer to tears

"I just really don't want to see her in pain anymore," Santos said.

Santos spoke to mySA.com while keeping her mom company in the hospital  Ruiz was recently admitted for an infection on her fistula, where she receives dialysis. This latest hospital stay prompted a tweet that has spread across the world with more than 55,000 retweets and 21,000 likes.

"My mom desperately needs a kidney transplant," Santos said in her tweet on Oct. 27. "It takes 30 mins to get tested and 2 weeks recovery."

The daughter said she expected about 10 retweets, maximum, but a "crazy amount" of people some as far as the Netherlands, England and Nigeria  have messaged her, asking how they can help.

Santos is directing people to the live donor hotline and local potential donors to the Methodist Hospital Transplant Center. Twenty San Antonians were tested on Monday alone, Santos said.

RELATED: Single S.A. father taking search for new kidney into his own hands

Once a match is found, the transplant process can begin "as soon as possible," Santos said.

In the meantime, the mother-daughter duo is amazed by the viral reaction to their plea.

Aside from the thousands of retweets, hundreds of Twitter users who are mostly strangers to the San Antonio family, have responded to Santos by sharing their blood types and locations.

"My mom is really just a Facebook kind of person, she never knew how big Twitter could be," Santos said. "My mom is just in shock, she never knew people could care that much, she's really emotional."

Madalyn Mendoza is a digital reporter for MySA.com. Read more of her stories here.| mmendoza@mysa.com | Twitter: @MaddySkye
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BRIDGEPORT  Two veteran police officers have been removed from duty following a weekend in which officers clashed with dozens of people, first at a childs birthday party and later at a West Side club.

Two local lawyers have notified the city they intend to bring civil rights actions against the police on behalf of many of those arrested.

Sgt. Paul Scillia and Officer Thomas Lattanzio have been placed on paid leave pending an investigation by the citys Office of Internal Affairs, Police Chief Armando Perez confirmed.

I have taken the officers off line while we look into some allegations, Perez said. There are issues of how they interacted with the public.

Perez said both officers were involved in an incident on Oct. 21 at a party for a 12-year-old on Colorado Avenue.

Robert Berke, a local lawyer, on Monday filed notice with the city that he is bringing a federal lawsuit on behalf of seven people who were arrested at the party.

There are a number of videos that capture these events and Im in the process of putting them together as part of my case, Berke said.

Perez acknowledged there was a situation between police and the people at the party.

We have to be able to interact with the public better, the chief said.

A video of the incident reviewed by Hearst Connecticut Media showed more than a dozen police officers crowding into the backyard of the Colorado Avenue home.

One unidentified officer yells, Arrest everyone, while some officers tackle a man dressed as Superman to the ground and others drag a woman dressed as Wonder Woman out of the backyard to a patrol car.

Police received a call at 10 p.m. of noise coming from the area of Fairfield and Colorado avenues, according to the police report. Officer N. McLaughlin patrolled the area before reporting to a party taking place with loud music in the backyard of 316 Colorado Ave.

The report states that McLaughlin and Officer B. Hernandez went to the backyard to talk to the homeowners and were greeted by a number of adults demanding that they leave the property. McLaughlin called for backup as the owner of the house, Fernando Morales, pointed his finger in Hernandezs face.

Officer M. Mazzaco arrived and attempted to arrest Morales, who continued to shout profanities at the officers, the report states. The first names of police officers involved in the incidents were not available Monday.

Mazzaco then got on his radio and called a 10-32, officer needs help.

In the second incident, 31/2 hours later, a general broadcast came over the police radios for all officers to respond to 183 Worden Ave., the Cafe Rio.

On Monday, Berke and Robert Photos filed notice with the city they intend to file a civil rights action against the city and the police on behalf of three people arrested in the Cafe Rio incident.

Soon after officers arrived at Cafe Rio, a call was broadcast that officers needed assistance drawing not only numerous city officers but state police and Fairfield police officers as well.

The police report states there were several hundred young women and men causing a large commotion by yelling, filming and cussing at the officers.

The report states that people in the crowd threw bottles at officers and refused to disperse.

At one point at least one officer pepper sprayed the crowd. One of those sprayed was the niece of police Capt. Rebecca Garcia, former commander of the OIA.

The victim was upset and speaking loudly that she was assaulted by an officer who grabbed her and pushed her and that she almost fell and that she was pepper sprayed sometime during the disturbance, the report states.

Officers helped her wash the pepper spray from her eyes, the report states.
BRIDGEPORT - Police were searching for Mark Pockets Christian in connection with the fatal shooting of the citys hero barber when they said they got a call Monday night Christian was banging on his formers girlfriends door -the same woman he had previously pleaded guilty to assaulting.

But as officers approached the East End address, police said Christian took off at high speed in an Oldsmobile sedan. Police said he first drove directly into the side of the patrol car driven by Lt. Ronald Mercado and then rammed head on the car of officers Adam Szeps and Peter Impellizeri before other officers, guns drawn, took him into custody.

Mercado, Szeps and Impellizeri were all taken to Bridgeport Hospital for treatment of neck and back injuries.

On Tuesday afternoon, the 32-year-old Christian, who appeared to have no injuries from the night before, was brought before Superior Court Judge William Holden.

Now charged with murder, felony murder, robbery and weapons charges, he glanced around the arraignment courtroom as if looking for someone before standing head down before the judge.

Senior Assistant States Attorney Kevin Dunn urged the judge to set a high bond for Christian pointing out that the defendant had been out on bond after pleading guilty to domestic violence charges so serious that Christian is expected to get 7 years when he is sentenced on Thursday.

He is clearly a threat to the community, Dunn said.

The judge agreed and ordered Christian held in lieu of $3.2 million bond. He continued the case to Nov. 14.

Police said Christian fatally shot barber Deon Rodney on Oct. 14 as Rodney was protecting his customers from another gunman.

Christian and another man, only known by the street name Gunner, had confronted another man on Park Avenue and attempted to rob him, police said. The intended robbery victim then fled into the nearby Just Right Cutz barbershop seeking refuge.

Police said Gunner went into the barbershop, gun drawn, seeking his prey.

Who wants it! Gunner yelled as customers screamed and ran to the back of the barbershop, according to police.

Police said Rodney leaped forward, punching Gunnar in the face and tackling him. The two rolled out of the barbershop where Christian was waiting. Christian shot Rodney once in the pelvis and he and Gunnar fled, police said.

Rodney later died on the operating table at St. Vincents Medical Center.
MIDDLETOWN  As the end to after-school programs at the Green Street Teaching and Learning Center approaches, residents, community stakeholders and officials are discussing ways to continue the facilitys service to the North End in a similar capacity.

Wesleyan University launched the Green Street Arts Center in January 2005, renaming it in December 2014 to incorporate elements of its STEM programming into the title. In June, the university, which has rented the building from the city for $1 a year, announced it would be closing the facility at the end of its lease.

On Monday afternoon, students in the Discovery After School Program, which serves 80 Middletown students in grades one to eight each year, filed into the arts, dance and movement rooms to prepare for classes.

In the performance studio, about eight first- through third-graders chatted among themselves, as they danced around. One girl twirled around and then stopped, releasing some pent-up energy. She shouted, Can anybody do this? to encourage someone to join her.

As two Wesleyan student teachers tried to resolve a sound issue, one instructor pulled out her iPhone, launching the Black Eyed Peas I Gotta Feeling to begin the days routines.

Across the way in the printmaking and bookbinding class, a little older students decorated their own end papers for books they will be making, using shaving cream and washable paints.

Sara MacSorley, director of the arts center, said this last semester of the after-school sessions will end Dec. 8. That evening, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the center will celebrate its solstice, including a show-and-tell of student activities. The community is invited to share what Green Street has meant to them over its 12 years of existence.

MacSorley said private lessons and recruiting for the Street-to-Go Residency Program at the facility stopped after Wesleyan announced its closure in June. Shes been busy trying to outsource core programs, including the Intel Math Institute for kindergarten through eighth-grade teachers, to Central Connecticut State University in New Britain.

Wesleyans science safety workshops and Project to Increase Mastery of Mathematics and Science will continue in some form, MacSorley said. Some components of the Girls in Science program may continue piecemeal, too.

During the North End Action Teams monthly meeting Thursday from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Green Street, 51 Green St., Community Director Precious Price will provide an update on plans for Green Streets possible uses after next June. Child care will be available.

Since August, Price said, shes been talking with city officials, businesses and organizations interested in keeping Green Street a local asset. Were trying to get something moving in the community. Were getting our ideas out there as far as Green Street being a community space, said Price.

Many possibilities have been floated, including turning it into a youth center, for younger children and teens, or a facility for early childhood care, Price said.

Some were just getting the information, she said.

Its still kind of new for a lot of people because I think people were just in disbelief and it was like, No, they always say theyre going to close stuff. But now its really happening, Price said. We have to figure out a way to ensure that it stays in the community and the community has input into what goes into that building.

St. Vincent De Paul Middletown Executive Director Ron Krom acknowledged he has had a couple conversations with the mayors office about relocating the soup kitchen half a block away to the Green Street space. At more than double the amount of square footage, the building would provide ample room for the kitchen, dining area and administrative offices, all of which outgrew the 617 Main St. facility some time ago, Krom said.

We looked at the building, but are not sure it would quite work out for us, so thats what were trying to figure out. Theres nothing formal yet, he said. We dont want to go far from where we are because thats the neighborhood we serve.

If it were to move to Green Street, Wed have a ton more space, wed be able to use that space better and wed be able to provide better services, Krom said.

Once NEAT learned the center would close and the building be unoccupied, members became concerned, said Middletown Police Capt. Gary Wallace, vice president of the Advisory Board.

Wesleyan sustains Green Street on its own, Wallace said, and spends a significant amount of money doing so.

Theyre in a period now where they want it taken over. On our end, we see the 70 or 80 kids who benefit from its programs. We dont want to lose that, Wallace said. The entire basement is full of equipment and theres an entire recording studio in the basement. A lot of it is outdated, but those were the kinds of things that were used years ago that have just fallen off with funding and interest.

The North End struggles with finding safe and quality activities for children of all ages, he said. The issue is money. How, if the community wants something, how is it going to be paid for? Thats really the big mystery, Wallace said.

I think Green Street is kind of the last thing, that, if it were to go, I dont think our kids would have anywhere to go or anything to do, Wallace said. From a law enforcement standpoint, we dont want our kids to not have that kind of place to go in the neighborhood. We want them to have something safe, something good, continue their programming or something similar so the neighborhood stays stabilized. Eliminating Green Street for what it is right now would destabilize the neighborhood a little bit, and we dont want to see that.

North End resident, former NEAT board member and Board of Education member Marilyn Dunkley, wholeheartedly agrees.

We have a lot of things going on in parks and rec, but theres nothing for the kids right here in the North End. To have that program go away is just horrid, Dunkley said. How many chances do we get to have our kids do something productive instead of just standing on the corner doing absolutely nothing? We should be keeping that space alive for kids in the North End.

For more information, visit wesleyan.edu/

greenstreet or Green Street Teaching and Learning Center, Wesleyan University on Facebook. To reach NEAT, call 860-346-4845.

Managing Editor Cassandra Day can be reached at cassandra.day@

hearstmediact.com.
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The giant stuffed bear, sitting in the community meeting room at the Harris County Public Library in Crosby, had obviously experienced quite a few hugs and washes over the years, but as library technician Susan Hubert said, he didn't look too bad for his age.

He wore a festive black bowler hat with a strand of colorful tinsel stars wound around the crown, and was holding the ribbon of a red helium balloon.

Beside him a sign read, "Happy 30th Birthday Cy."

Cy, the library bear, was gifted to the Harris County Public Library in Crosby by the local Walmart upon the grand opening of the library's current building in 1987.

On Monday, Oct. 16, supporters of the library gathered to celebrate two important milestones in the library's history: the location's 30th anniversary and the renaming of the Crosby Library to the Crosby-Edith Fae Cook Cole Branch Library in honor of a prominent local historian.

History

"The drive to establish a county library began in 1921 and the Crosby Library was one of the branches of the original Harris County Library movement," said Susan Armstrong, director of the Crosby Historical Society. "Crosby's first collection of books arrived Jan. 22, 1922. These books were housed in a local store during the summer and in the school during the winter so people, students and others that wanted to use the books, could access them."

Crosby opened an actual brick-and-mortar library on Jan. 5, 1930. The location of the Crosby Library experienced renovations and moves over the years.

By 1984, the local chamber of commerce was working to establish Crosby as a Texas Independence Community, celebrating its 150th anniversary, or sesquicentennial.

They organized a committee dedicated to fulfilling the requirements of becoming an official Texas Independence Community, which included completing one or more tangible projects as a permanent tribute to the city's sesquicentennial.

Then-Harris County Pct. 2 Commissioner Jim Fonteno committed to building a new library in Crosby, and fast-tracked the project in order to break ground on the new library before the sesquicentennial.

The groundbreaking was held in July 1986, and its doors opened on Friday, Oct. 9, 1987.

Honoring a Local Historian

"Another project of the Texas Independence Community was the establishment of a local history collection at the public library," Armstrong said. "Edith Fae Cook Cole volunteered to compile Crosby's history and folklore for the sesquicentennial as a joint project between she and her mother."

Due to the sheer magnitude of photos and information being brought forward from the community, Cole eventually decided to write a book.

"Crosby's Heritage Preserved, 1823-1949: A Good Town Today, a Better Town Tomorrow," was published in September 1992.

The original manuscript is kept in a protective case in the current library, and several copies can be found in Harris County library locations, including two at the newly renamed Crosby-Edith Fae Cook Cole Branch Library.

"Ms. Cook Cole has worked hard to protect this community's history for future generations," said Garrette Smith, deputy director for Harris County Public Library. "What better way to honor her legacy than to name this building 'Crosby-Edith Fae Cook Cole Branch Library'?"

Renaming the library was a challenging process that required collaboration between many entities within the community.

Helen Tims, senior director of operations for Harris County Commissioners Court Pct. 2, thanked those who were involved in the renaming effort, especially the Friends of Crosby Library.

"You have been so inspirational working with us," Tims said. "I've sent so many emails to many of you and we've been back and forth, and it was just such an honor to finally get this name."

Tims presented the library with a certificate of great appreciation and achievement on behalf of Harris County Pct. 2 Commissioner Jack Morman recognizing the Crosby-Edith Fae Cook Cole Branch Library on the occasion of its 30th anniversary and its official renaming.

Cole was unable to attend the event, but her niece, Edie Jeanes, attended on her behalf. Jeanes was presented with flowers and commemorative plaques in honor of her aunt's contributions to preserving Crosby's history.

"The family appreciates this so much," Jeanes said. "(Cole) was cognizant that this was happening. She didn't feel like she deserved it, but she was excited. I wish she could have been here, but from the Cook and the Cole families, we thank you."

For more information about the Crosby-Edith Fae Cook Cole Branch Library, visit http://www.hcpl.net/location/crosby-branch-library.
Houston Playback Theatre is planning two events to help everyone release their inner storyteller and actor.

On Friday, Nov. 17, the Playback Theatre troupe will put on a performance, 7-9 p.m. at The Jung Center, 5200 Montrose in the Museum District. Tickets are $10.

In this intimate setting, audience members will get a chance to see incidents from their own lives portrayed on stage.

Whether it's an offhand encounter a few hours earlier at the supermarket or a life-changing moment from childhood, the true stories of audience members come alive in interactive improvisation by actors.

Playback Theatre, which has been described as "embodied empathy," is an improvised performance art in which actors and musicians enact personal stories that have been spontaneously shared by audience members. Playback Theatre builds community and is one of the most widespread forms of social justice theater in the world.

Audience members who are inspired by the playback method can learn to do it Saturday, Nov. 18, at an experiential workshop, 1-4 p.m. at The Jung Center.

To register, contact Chris Becker at The Jung Center by emailing cbecker@junghouston.org or calling 713-524-8253. The cost is for members is $55, and for nonmembers, $65.

Workshop leaders, Anne and Christopher Ellinger of True Story Theater in Boston, are nationally recognized trainers, presenters, performers, writers and social entrepreneurs. For more than 25 years they have used the power of storytelling to support social and cultural change through the nonprofits they founded: True Story Theater, Playback North America, Arts Rising and More Than Money.

In the Nov. 18 workshop's highly supportive environment, participants will learn Playback Theatre basics, get to know other creative people and have fun.

Due to changes in parking options, attendees are encouraged to arrive 10 minutes early for either the performance or workshop.

The outdoor parking lot on Bissonnet, across from the main building of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, is permanently closed. A new underground garage is open at 5101 Montrose.

Parking is also available in the above-ground garage at 1144 Binz. Garage parking must be paid with a credit card.

On-street parallel parking spaces can often be found in front of The Jung Center and in front of the building at 5100 Montrose, which houses the Glassell Junior School of Art and MFAH administrative offices.

Do not park in the lot behind the Glassell Junior School before 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The museum does allow Jung Center patrons to park in that lot after 7 p.m. and on Sunday.
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Ten-year-old Brett Moon carried a bright-red balloon in his Pennywise clown costume from Stephen King's "IT" through the Truck or Treat Halloween-themed food truck festival in Downtown Cronoe Saturday.

The Porter youth joined 43 superheroes, villains, ghouls and goblins, among other little ones, entered in a close costume contest for ages 0-12 at Heritage Place Park, where the event will continue until 11 p.m. Saturday.

With a smirk, Moon claimed second place, while his sister Emery Moon, 5, won first place in a sinister Chuckie costume. The two joined their brother Lance Moon, who went as Jason from Friday the 13th. It's a family tradition for the children, who were cheered on by their father Frank Moon, who dressed up as Leatherface from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and mother Nikki Moon, who wore a Freddy Krueger costume.

When Brett was born, the Moon family began dressing up for Halloween contests together, including last year as the Mayor, Ooogie Boogie, Jack, Sally and Zero from Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas. While the family entered several contests, including in San Antonio, this year's Truck or Treat festival brought them to downtown Conroe.

"We were just looking for somewhere to come and thought this was pretty fun," Nikki said, muffled by her mask. "I am a Halloween fanatic, so we do this all the time. It's family time; the kids love it and remember it. That matters to me, so that's why we do it."

The contest awarded trophies, candy and a Dairy Queen gift card to the first- through third-place winners. The children and their families also enjoyed various other activities, including 23 food trucks, a kids zone with an inflatable playground, Halloween characters, dancing, live music, vendors and even photos with live monkeys. More than $3,000 in candy also was distributed at the event.

"It was great," said Chloe Kelly, 9, dressed as a raccoon. "The monkey was soft and cool."

Inspire Productions Co-Founder Trey Diller 10,000 attendees at the packed inaugural Conroe event with nice, cool weather. Last year, the event in The Woodlands saw about 14,000 attendees.

"It's been phenomenal," Diller said. "We wanted to bring an event to a community that doesn't cater to one age group, we wanted to bring the whole family out. Halloween is that time of year where people like to dress up, get creative, and we've seen a lot of creative costumes since the start of the event."

Later, children could be spotted in their costumes entering downtown Conroe restaurants and galleries. Friends of Conroe Vice President Stephen Naleway commended the event, saying it increases visibility for businesses and vendors in the area.

"I'm glad they are doing more events here," Naleway said. "This is a great family event for all ages. They are all having a good time, smiling. It's something good for Conroe."

Inspire Productions plans to host Truck or Treat every year and have more upcoming events, including The Woodlands St. Patrick's Day Festival, Tribute to The Woodlands Music Festival; the Texas Taco, Tequila and Margarita Festival; and the Beyond the Pints Craft Beer Music Festival. For more information about the events, sponsoring, volunteering, or participating as a vendor, visit inspireprod.com.
Lawyers for an undocumented 10-year-old girl who was detained in Texas after undergoing surgery demanded her immediate release on Tuesday in a lawsuit filed against the Trump administration in federal court.

Rosa Maria Hernandez, who has cerebral palsy, has been held at a federally funded shelter in San Antonio since leaving a Corpus Christi hospital last week after gall-bladder surgery.

She had planned to return to her parents and siblings in the U.S. border city of Laredo, 150 miles away.

Border officials have said they detained Rosa Maria, who has lived in the United States since she was three months old, because was undocumented and traveling to the hospital in an ambulance without her parents.

But her lawyer called that position "indefensible," saying the government is well aware that the girl's parents, two sisters, and a grandfather, who is a legal resident, are anxiously awaiting her return.

"She's been ripped away from the only home she knows and the mother who cares for her best," said Andre Segura, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the girl and her mother, Felipa de la Cruz, in federal court in San Antonio.

It is the second time in a month that the ACLU has sued the federal government over the fate of a minor being held by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the care of unaccompanied immigrant children through the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

The organization represented a pregnant 17-year-old who had been blocked from obtaining an abortion while in a government funded shelter. A Washington, D.C., appeals court last week ordered the government to allow her to have the procedure.

The case involving Rosa Maria began Oct. 24, when she left her home in Laredo around 2 a.m. in an ambulance for the scheduled surgery. Her mother, who is also undocumented, was concerned about a border checkpoint located on the way to the hospital and did not accompany her daughter.

Instead, de la Cruz signed a notarized letter authorizing a cousin, 34-year-old Aurora Cantu, to accompany the girl, according to the ACLU.

U.S. Border Patrol agents stopped the vehicle at an interior checkpoint in Freer, Texas. They were told about her impending surgery and, after a 30-minute delay, followed the ambulance to Driscoll Children's Hospital in Corpus Christi, the lawsuit says. The complaint alleges that agents told Cantu that Rosa Maria would be detained after the surgery unless she returned voluntarily to Mexico, where she was born and has citizenship.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said federal law required them to take Rosa Maria into custody because she was not with a parent or legal guardian. They also notified the local Mexican consulate.

"For the welfare of the child, she was escorted by Border Patrol agents to the hospital to undergo surgery and remained with the unaccompanied child until such time as she could be transferred to the Health and Human Services Office of Refugees and Resettlement to re-unite the child with her parents," the agency, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement.

But the ACLU said officials were not legally obligated to take Rosa Maria into custody because she has parents in Laredo. They said the forced separation of Rosa Maria from her family violates her legal and constitutional rights, and has "inflicted serious psychological and emotional injury" on her entire family.

She is currently being held at the Baptist Children's Home Ministries in San Antonio. Her father recently visited her, Segura said, but her mother has not seen her and is distraught. They said the girl has never before been separated from the family.

It was not immediately clear why Rosa Maria was not released to her father when he visited the shelter.

A spokeswoman for Health and Human Services said the agency does not comment on individual cases, but aims to "ensure the care and safety" of minors, including their "safe and timely release" to qualified parents and guardians.

Some children are released to sponsors, who must apply for custody and provide supporting documentation. The government verifies their relationship and conducts background checks and in some cases, home studies. The process can take weeks or months.

Rosa Maria's parents brought her to the United States when the girl was a baby to seek medical care. Doctors said she'd remain in a vegetative state. But with home care and frequent therapy, the lawsuit says, she has grown into a "joyful young girl with a constant smile on her face." She attends school, plays with her sisters, speaks English and considers herself an American, according the complaint.

But the lawsuit also said Rosa Maria has the cognitive capacity of a six year old. She "doesn't fully understand why she is away from her mother," Segura said.

The lawsuit said the government-funded shelter is an inappropriate place to care for Rosa Maria, noting that the hospital discharge papers said it was in the girl's "best interest" to be discharged to a family member who is "familiar with her medical and psychological needs."
WASHINGTON - Last week, Tony Podesta, an eminence in the annals of Washington lobbying, threw one of his signature events, a big birthday bash at his stately stone manse in Kalorama. His guests thought he was on top of his world, one of the men who makes the city go.

On Monday, hours after the first indictments in the investigation into ties between President Donald Trump's campaign and the Russian government, Podesta abruptly quit his post atop the Podesta Group, the capital's eighth-wealthiest lobbying firm.

Podesta's departure came as the indictments of former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort and his business partner, Rick Gates, raised questions about the work Podesta's firm did with Manafort to buff the image of the Ukrainian government. Podesta, 74, said he was quitting because of the barrage of criticism he's been getting as Special Counsel Robert Mueller pursues the investigation.

"It is impossible to run a public affairs firm while you are under attack by Fox News and the right wing media," Podesta told employees at the Podesta Group offices on Monday, according to a person familiar with his remarks.

For decades, Tony and John Podesta - brothers who share a Jesuit education, a devotion to liberal causes and a passion for politics - have been central players in Washington. And in the past year, both have been drawn into the orbit of scandals.

Tony's Podesta Group is one of two firms described in Monday's indictment as having been recruited by Manafort and Gates to lobby on behalf of Viktor Yanukovych, the former president of Ukraine who fled to Moscow in 2014, according to people familiar with the company's involvement. Federal prosecutors have accused Manafort of creating a scheme to mislead the government about his secret work for Ukraine.

Both the Podesta Group and the other firm, Mercury Public Affairs, have said they were hired to lobby for a European nonprofit trying to polish Ukraine's image in the West. But behind the scenes, prosecutors allege, the real client was a political party led by the former Ukraine president, who was friendly with Russia.

John Podesta, a longtime Democratic adviser who led the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton,has spent the past year coping with the publication by Wikileaks of tens of thousands of his emails, which were hacked by someone using a computer with an address in Ukraine. The release of those emails ensnared him in the ornate conspiracy theory known as Pizzagate, in which some anti-Clinton activists came to believe, without evidence, that sexually abused children were being hidden below a pizza place in Northwest Washington - and that John Podesta was involved with satanic rituals there, a notion that police said was bogus.

In an emailed statement Monday, John Podesta said, "I view being attacked by Donald Trump and right wing media as a badge of honor."

To their opponents, the Podestas are quintessential swamp rats, exemplars of the permanent Washington establishment. Their defenders, however, view them as the oil that makes the gears of government turn.

"Advocacy is an important part of our process and it's an honorable profession," said former senator Tom Daschle, D-S.D., now a lobbyist. "Both Podestas have been enormously successful, but we're in as toxic an environment as anyone living today has ever seen. The quality of governance has suffered immensely as a result."

The brothers, although close, are quite different.

"Tony is more gregarious and outgoing, and John is more introspective and quiet, but they are brothers and they are still close," said Ron Klain, who was chief of staff to vice presidents Joe Biden and Al Gore. "John is the eminence grise of the Democratic Party, and all the efforts by Republicans and completely crazy people to discredit him have not changed that."

Tony Podesta has been a pivotal figure in the murky connections between policy and politics, becoming wealthy on fees from industries and foreign entities that want something from Congress and the White House. He also bundles big donations and dispenses them to politicians who might someday be helpful to those lobbying clients.

He and his former wife, Heather Podesta, held lavish fundraisers for Democratic candidates at their home, which boasted a world-class art collection and a wine cellar with thousands of bottles. The Podesta brothers' mother made the pesto. Tony dressed the part of a man in full; he sported eye-catching neckties and red Prada loafers. "The pope wears Prada," he once told a reporter, "and so do I."

(Heather and Tony split up several years ago; according to court records and news reports, they spent 109 hours with a mediator before coming to a settlement on how to divide their art and other properties.)

Although the brothers created their lobbying firm together in 1988, John Podesta has spent most of his career inside government. He had several jobs in Congress and was President Bill Clinton's chief of staff and counselor to President Barack Obama.

"They're brothers, but they chose different roads to go down to craft good public policy," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who knows both Podestas.

Tony Podesta worked on a string of losing Democratic presidential campaigns - from Eugene McCarthy's 1968 bid on through Hubert Humphrey, Ed Muskie, George McGovern, Ted Kennedy, Walter Mondale and finally Michael Dukakis in 1988.

That's when the brothers created Podesta Associates, which became the Podesta Group, representing some of the country's biggest and most powerful businesses, including Wal-Mart, Bank of America and BP. (The Washington Post employed the firm in the early 2000s, when it was part of a public company controlled by the Graham family, then-owners of The Post.)

The Podesta Group collected $252 million in fees over the past two decades, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. This year, the firm's top clients are Mylan, a pharmaceutical company; Wells Fargo; Crawford Group, the parent of Enterprise car rentals; and Lockheed Martin, the defense contractor, according to federal records.

Along the way, the firm also represented a number of foreign entities, including the government of Egypt under ex-dictator Hosni Mubarak.

"More and more, foreign countries turn to lobbyists to do work that diplomats once did themselves," said James Thurber, a government professor at American University who studies lobbying. "Things have gotten so much more complex in the last thirty years in the business that foreign companies and foreign countries do in Washington."

Monday's indictments described a multitiered arrangement in which Manafort and Gates are alleged to have pulled the strings as the other firms, cited only as Company A and Company B, were the publicly acknowledged lobbyists for the Brussels group. Sources familiar with the two companies' work said the descriptions in the indictment indicate that Company A was Mercury, and Company B was the Podesta Group.

"The Podesta Group has fully cooperated with the Special Counsel's office and taken every possible step to provide documentation that confirms compliance with the law," said Molly Levinson, a spokeswoman for the firm. She said the work the firm did "was in support of Ukraine's admission to the [European Union]," and the Brussels group certified that "it was neither funded by nor directed by a government or political party."

Michael McKeon, a partner at Mercury, said his firm disclosed that it worked for the Brussels group "with the intention of aligning Ukraine with western democracies generally, and the European Union specifically."

In 2012, when Manafort and Gates first sought out the two firms to lobby for their business associate in Ukraine, Gates wrote to Mercury that the firm would be "representing the Government of Ukraine in DC."
Beaumont ISD's administration and board of managers on Monday agreed to seek a state designation that allows them to opt out of certain requirements, saying they want to make limited changes.

"My motivation for this is the school calendar," Superintendent John Frossard said. By state law, the district can't start classes before the fourth Monday in August, but Districts of Innovation can opt to start earlier, which many did, some starting as early as the second Monday in August.

"If we don't, it puts us at a huge competitive disadvantage," Frossard said, because those districts have more instructional days before the state's standardized tests, which are factored into academic accountability ratings.

Under the state's guidelines for a District of Innovation, a local committee must be appointed to develop the plan and choose which of the allowable exemptions Beaumont ISD will take.

Assistant Superintendent Shannon Allen listed other possible exemptions that are allowed under the plan, including hiring teachers without teacher certification for certain classes, like career or technical education, and changes to teachers' contracts. The committee, which has not yet been determined, will choose which of those to include in the plan, which will be reviewed in a public hearing and voted on by the board.

The state can't approve or reject the plan but retains oversight and the ability to investigate and intervene.

Frossard reiterated multiple times at the meeting Monday that his sole

motivation for asking the board to consider the designation was changing the calendar, saying it would be "doing a disservice" to students and teachers to keep the later start date, which would give them fewer instructional days before STAAR tests than peers in other districts.

So far, 14 Southeast Texas districts have approved plans.

Managers OK TEA payment

The managers approved a $3.2 million payment to the Texas Education Agency, one of the current administration's ongoing steps to clean up issues left over from before the state takeover.

Chief Financial Officer Cheryl Hernandez said the payment is for "questioned costs" from the district's audits for the 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 fiscal years.

Those were costs, including salaries and purchases, that were paid for using federal funds but not properly documented or justified in the audits, Hernandez told the board.

BISD originally owed the TEA $10 million but through a resolution agreement was able to provide documentation and proof for about $7 million, Hernandez said. The agreement was approved by TEA and the federal government.

The money will come from the district's general fund balance, which is currently about $39 million. The district's goal is to keep a fund balance to cover at least three months of operating expenses, which would be between $36 million and $40 million.

BISD could have chosen to pay back the money in three installments over the next three years, but Frossard and Hernandez recommended the board approve the payment in full so that it no longer affects the district's bond rating and reputation.

"We're continually caught in the past, and at some point, I want to get some of these issues behind us," Frossard said. School rezoning process begun

The district's rezoning process, which will redraw all of Beaumont ISD's school attendance zones for the first time in more than 20 years, will be addressed at the Nov. 16 board meeting.

Allen told the board that an assessment to determine the capacity of each campus has been completed, and a demographer has been hired to work with the district on the process. Preliminary maps will be available to the managers at the November board meeting.

She said the considerations for the rezoning include keeping neighborhoods together within schools, establishing patterns to streamline which campuses feed into which middle and high schools, shortening bus commutes and balancing enrollment to eliminate overcrowding and underenrollment.

The board already rezoned the city of Bevil Oaks this summer after residents petitioned to leave the district and join Hardin-Jefferson ISD, citing academic performance, school climate and the distance students travel to school.

Hardin-Jefferson's board voted to allow the annexation, but Beaumont ISD's managers voted against releasing them, saying it would be prohibited under state law based on its impact on the tax base. The residents appealed the decision, a process that is ongoing at the TEA.

The district-wide boundary options will be made publicly available after the Nov. 16 meeting, and parents will be able to submit comments on the maps, according to board documents. The managers are scheduled to make a final decision in January.

LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.comTwitter.com/LizTeitz
Atop a jagged, 50 foot high cliff on the Bahamian island of Eleuthera sit two enormous boulders, known as "The Cow and the Bull." Each is several times taller than a person; the squatter and wider of the two, the 'Bull,' weighs around a thousand tons. The boulders are a tourist attraction, but in recent years, they've become much more than that - a scientific mystery that has been intensely scrutinized because of the lessons it could hold about climate change.

Scientists don't know for sure how these boulders got to their exceptional location - they couldn't have rolled uphill to the top of the cliff; there's no higher cliff from which they could have fallen - but they suspect it has something to do with the Atlantic Ocean far below them.

One possible explanation has frightening implications for the present. Two years ago, famed climate scientist James Hansen, drawing on the work of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington geologist Paul Hearty, suggested they had been put in placeby catastrophic superstorms more than 100,000 years ago, at a time of higher seas and dangerous weather dynamics. These conditions, Hansen fears, could return again if polar ice sheets melt rapidly, upending ocean circulation and potentially causing a host of other difficult-to-predict scenarios.

A new scientific study, however, counters that while the boulders were indeed probably put in place by violent waves long ago, it wouldn't have required superstorms to get them there. Published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the work by Alessio Rovere of the University of Bremen and Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research and his colleagues suggests that even storms of today's strength could have moved the boulders - at least back when seas were 20 to 30 feet higher, as they were during part of the Eemian warm period, circa 125,000 years ago.

The new study, though, could hardly be called good news for those who will live with the consequences of climate change. It uses the boulders to underscore the lesson that as seas rise once again in our future, they will be able to unleash even more of the ocean's destructive power upon present day human structures. Storms won't even need to have stronger winds - the oceans will do much of the work.

"As soon as you start rising sea level, you have higher energies on that cliff," said Rovere, who conducted the new research with scientists at institutions in Germany, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands.

The controversy over Eleuthera's boulders underscores just how little we know about how the oceans will react to climate change. The seas are rising, but only relatively slowly so far - we don't know how much this could speed up. And as they warm up they may also foster more intense hurricanes or perhaps even other kinds of large scale storm systems.

Early reaction Monday's paper, however, suggests the ongoing debate over the mysterious boulders of Eleuthera is unlikely to end any time soon.

Hearty and Hansen believe that during a period of dynamic climate transition over 100,000 years ago, enormous storm waves swept the boulders upward from a lower and older cliff face. Other boulders on the island of Eleuthera, Hearty suggests, were carried even farther afield.

Hearty believes this is part of a "trilogy" of evidence of disastrous change on Eleuthera at the time. He also argues that small bubbles from vast waves were left as high as 80 feet above sea level on the island, and that long and angled rock walls farther inland, which Hearty calls "chevrons," represent ancient sand dumps from these waves.

Rovere and his colleagues traveled to Eleuthera in 2016 hoping to investigate Hearty's hypothesis, and to add some mathematics and computing power to the endeavor. So they used a photographic algorithm to estimate the weight of the rocks (the Cow, they found, weigh 383 tons; the Bull they estimated at 925), and boat measurements to determine the shape of the seafloor offshore, which drops off very quickly into extremely deep waters - a phenomenon that helps the ocean funnel its energy at the cliff.

Then, the researchers ran simulations of a variety of storms hitting the cliff with different sea levels superimposed. And they found that with Eemian sea levels, the smaller rock, the Cow, could be moved by waves moving around 20 miles per hour or more - while at around 25 miles per hour and higher, the same applies to The Bull. (The study assumed the boulders had stood on the edge of the cliff and were moved inland to their current position, which is contrary to Hearty's idea that they were moved from a considerably lower position.)

With seas this high, the study found that three recent storms - Hurricane Andrew of 1992, Superstorm Sandy of 2012, and the so-called "Perfect Storm" of 1991 - all produced waves with enough power and speed to move the boulders. (In fact, even present day lower sea levels, the study suggests that smaller boulders on Eleuthera were indeed moved by Hurricane Andrew.)

However, three experts on the geology of the Bahamas - including Hearty - contested aspects of the new work, while praising some others.

Hearty said the new work "contains important technical observations that shed some light on the physical characteristics and mechanisms of transport of the megaboulders," and noted that it "supports wave transport of the boulders by storms, as we have maintained since 1998, despite many challenges."

But he noted that the boulders are only one part of the evidence that he has adduced to support the superstorm hypothesis. And he posed this question: If storms of the present are powerful enough to move rocks this big, "then why aren't there many Holocene and historical boulders at lower elevations as large as the megaboulders?"

John Mylroie, a geologist at Mississippi State University who has also studied the rocks, added that during the Eemian period long ago, the cliff face was different than at present - jutting farther out into the sea, and with higher cliffs - which he believes poses a problem for the calculations.

"The authors have accounted for the +6 m sea level position 120,000 years ago, but not for how the coastline was configured at that time," said Mylroie by email. This means, he said, that "more energy would have been needed than they calculated."

Pascal Kindler, a field geologist at the University of Geneva who has studied the rocks, also questioned the analysis. On the one hand, he noted that the 'Bull' is actually made up of three separate boulders on top of one another, which might have been easier to move than the study supposes. But at the same time, he argued (like Hearty does) that the rocks come from an older and lower cliff face, rather than the cliff edge - making them even harder to move.

"It means that the flow velocity required to lift these boulders must be greater than that calculated by Rovere et al," Kindler said.

(Not that Mylroie or Kindler agree with the superstorm hypothesis: Mylroie has suggested that the rocks could have been created by erosion and weathering, and Kindler thinks that a large collapse of the seafloor offshore could have created a mini-tsunami that did the work of lifting the boulders.)

Asked about what it would mean if the rocks indeed came from farther below, Rovere answered that "we would probably need higher flows."

But he added that "based on what we observe basically everywhere in the Caribbean, there is no other evidence that a boulder has been taken from the base of even a small cliff and brought up, surpassing an entire cliff."

Clearly, the origin of the boulders remains debated. Nobody, though, seems to be contesting the main punchline of the current study - as seas rise, so do our risks from damaging ocean waves hurled by storms.

"If you raise sea level, you will have more energy on cliff and coastal barriers," said Rovere. "That's the real problem we will have to deal with if sea level keeps rising."
WEST HAVEN  A Guilford solar energy company wants to put what it believes could eventually be the largest solar farm in Connecticut atop the long-dormant former Spring Street landfill  which currently is West Havens biggest tax scofflaw with more than $500,000 owed.

The proposed 4-megawatt project, which the companys CEO said could end up being 5 megawatts, would be a ground-mounted solar-generating facility on two privately-owned properties on Spring Street.

It would save the city about $1.46 million in electricity bills over the next 20 years, SolarUS Inc. CEO Stephen W. Elkins recently told city officials.

Joseph A. Riccio Jr., the citys commissioner of planning and development, said SolarUS has an option on 8 Spring St., which is 29.13 acres, and 2 Spring St., which is 12.94 acres.

Both currently are owned by Solid Waste Disposal Inc. of Connecticut.

Details of whether SolarUS Inc. would buy the property or lease it, and who would pay the back taxes  and over what period of time  are still being worked out, Riccio said.

Elkins pitched the project, which would involve installing a series of solar arrays atop the closed dump, last week to the City Council. SolarUS is a Guilford-based manufacturer, distributor and developer of solar products.

Similar arrays already are installed on other closed landfills in the area, including Hamden, North Haven and Bridgeport. The Bridgeport facility was described at one point as being in the 5-megawatt range.

The partnership we are trying to form with SolarUS will be a huge benefit to West Haven in both lowering our energy costs long term and reducing our carbon footprint, Mayor Edward M. OBrien said.

We want to transform a former landfill into something very positive that will not only save us money but work to modernize our infrastructure, he said in a news release. OBrien didnt attend the City Council meeting at which Elkins made his pitch.

Right now, the old landfill  which Solid Waste Disposal Inc. closed along with the smaller Helm Street landfill across Spring Street in the late 1980s  is just laying there, Elkins told the council.

Our proposal is to turn this into an active property, primarily using the southern face of the property, he said.

Among the benefits would be revamping what is now a dead site, generating savings on the citys electricity bills, creating jobs and providing local electric generation, as well as reducing the citys greenhouse gases and contribution to global warming, Elkins said.

It would provide a substantial carbon offset, Elkins told the council.

The arrays environmental value in terms of carbon offset would be equivalent to 88,444 acres of forests, or an area six times the size of Manhattan, Elkins said. He pointed out that electric rates have increased an average of 3.5 percent per year in recent years.

The city would get a starting net meter discount of 10 percent  and annual energy savings of more than $70,000, he said.

In response to a question by City Councilman David Riccio, R-At Large, Elkins estimated the cost to install the arrays would be about $8 million.

The citys only responsibility is to buy the power we produce, he said. West Haven wont own it.

Leslie Naizby, revenue and asset management director in the citys Tax Collectors Office, confirmed Monday that Solid Waste Disposal Inc. has made no payments at all for more than 15 years on any of its three delinquent properties.

All 3 properties are liened yearly, but the city has been reluctant to incur the expense and potential liability to initiate a foreclosure action without a viable plan to address the environmental issues, Naizby said in an email.

Weve discussed it many times, she said in a telephone interview. But the problem is, its contaminated.

Solid Waste Disposal Inc. formerly was owned by the late Joseph Latella and the late Joseph E. Chick Celentano. It is now believed to be owned by their respective heirs or estates.

The companys last filing with the Secretary of the States Office, in 2014, listed the corporation as active, Peter Celentano  the late Joe Latellas son  as president and Celentano, who died in 2015, as secretary and a director.

Its mailing address was listed as 183 Beach St., the now-vacant address of Celentanos Chicks Drive-In, which closed in late 2015 following Celentanos death.

The amount Solid Waste Disposal Inc. actually owes the city may be well in excess of $500,000. A 1995 story in the New Haven Register put the figure at $500,000 at that time  with no taxes having been paid at that point in more than 10 years.

Joseph Riccio said, with regard to why the city hasnt gone after Solid Waste for the money it owes, I dont know the answer to that other than philosphically. ... So if you take the property and the property has an environmental liability, what good is it?

But we have often thought that that would be a good property for a solar farm, Riccio said. A solar installation offers a good payout over 20 years, reduction of energy costs to the municipality for over 20 years.

Right now were going to negotiate with these individuals, he said. They might want to close on the property or there might be a structured transaction where the city gets paid and the developer may own the property or the city may own the property.

He said it would be best for the city to get the entire back-tax figure up front, but if thats going to be a deal-breaker, then maybe not.

But first, they have to determine whether this is feasible from an engineering standpoint and an environmental standpoint and a financial standpoint, Riccio said. Whatever arrangement the city and the company reach has to be reasonable and palatable to the public.

Elkins, whose grandparents lived in West Haven and whose father lived there as a child, said, We have the capability to execute on the project, provided it pencils out. Negotiators are working out the liability issue and the back taxes issue, he said.

But paying the back taxes would be part and parcel of the deal  whether its a one-shot payment or whether its paid out over time, Elkins said. Thats one of the pieces of the deal to be worked out. Those are the hairy things. Building the system is no problem, he said.

I heard their comments, said Joseph Riccio of city residents who asked at the Oct. 23 City Council meeting how the unpaid taxes on the dump could have ballooned to more than $500,000 when people get liened when they owe $300 on their car tax bills. Were going to try to structure a deal thats a win-win for all.

Im negotiating a memorandum of understanding, Riccio said. Well go back to council for their approval. Well see if we can come up with an agreement thats sustainable and will be beneficial for all ... because that property just sitting there isnt doing anybody any good.

Elkinss proposal said SolarUS would finance the design, engineering, permitting, procurement, construction, interconnection, operation and maintenance of the solar photovoltaic system.

The proposal also said SolarUS would generate revenue from the energy produced on-site through the net meter allocation structure and the state Zero Emissions Renewable Energy Credit Program.

mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com
File photo

TORRINGTON  The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has ruled the death of a 15-month-old in Torrington a homicide, officials said Tuesday.

A representative of the office listed submersion in a bathtub, blunt injuries to the head and acute alcohol intoxication as the contributing factors to the cause of the childs death.
NEW YORK - A 29-year-old man driving a rental truck plowed down people on a Manhattan bike path Tuesday in what authorities described as a terrorist attack that killed eight and injured 11 before the suspect was shot and arrested by police.

A sunny fall day along the Hudson River erupted in chaos just around the time students were getting out from nearby Stuyvesant High School, when a rented Home Depot truck turned on to the bike path along the West Side Highway.

Witnesses say the speeding truck struck unsuspecting bicyclists and pedestrians while onlookers screamed and scattered. The truck then veered left toward Chambers Street, where it collided with a small school bus, injuring two adults and two children inside, officials said.

Foreign ministries of Belgium and Argentina said five Argentines and a Belgian were among the victims.

According to a video from the scene, the man then jumped out of the wrecked vehicle brandishing what appeared to be handguns. Some witnesses said he shouted "Allahu akbar'' meaning "God is great'' in Arabic.

Law enforcement officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss an open investigation, identified the suspect as Sayfullo Saipov, an Uzbek immigrant who had been living in Tampa.

The attack could intensify the political debate over immigration and security. President Donald Trump has argued for much tougher screening of immigrants to prevent terrorism, and opponents of those policies have sought to block his efforts in the courts. Uzbekistan was not among the countries named in any version of the president's travel ban, which largely targeted a number of majority-Muslim countries.

Trump responded to the attack on Twitter, saying it "looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person.'' He tweeted a short time later: "We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere. Enough!" ISIS is an acronym for the Islamic State.

On Tuesday night Trump said he was tightening immigrant screening, tweeting: "I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program. Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!"

There was no immediate indication that the attack had been directed by the Islamic State. However, the group has called on its supporters in Western countries to launch their own attacks, using anything at hand as weapons, including vehicles.

Inside the rental truck, investigators found a handwritten note in which Saipov had declared his allegiance to the Islamic State, according to officials.

Saipov is expected to survive, meaning investigators will likely have a chance to question him about his motive for the attack, but so far, they said, he appears to have been a "lone wolf'' suspect - someone who acted alone after being inspired, but not directly instructed, by the Islamic State.

He had been living in Paterson, New Jersey before the attack, and rented the vehicle in that state before driving it into Manhattan, officials said.

The violence was terrifyingly similar to vehicle attacks carried out in Europe, where Islamic State supporters have used cars and trucks to strike pedestrians in crowded streets, a tactic that has been employed in France, Britain, Germany, Sweden and Spain.

"This certainly bears all the hallmarks of an ISIS-inspired or al-Qaida-inspired attack," said Rep. Adam B. Schiff (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, whom the FBI briefed on the attack Tuesday evening. "We have to expect that as the capital of the caliphate has now fallen, there are going to be increasing efforts to show that they remain dangerous and lethal, and to expand the virtual caliphate."

Antonio Valasquez, 28, said he saw the truck speed by as he left a restaurant and then heard a crash. "I didn't really understand, you know, at first what was happening," he said. Valasquez said he heard what appeared to be gunshots shortly after but couldn't be sure. "I was running away."

An officer from the 1st Precinct approached Saipov and shot him in the abdomen, police said. He has been taken to a hospital, but officials did not discuss his condition or location. The weapons he was brandishing turned out to be a pellet gun and a paintball gun, police said.

Rabbi Chaim Zaklos was picking up about half a dozen children from school to escort them to Hebrew school nearby when he encountered the scene. Police were pushing people away, and he could see abandoned bikes and what appeared to be uprooted trees nearby. "It was obvious something drastic was happening, so I just wanted to get the kids someplace safe," said Zaklos, 35.

"This is a very painful day in our city,'' New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) said. "Based on the information we have at this moment, this was an act of terror, a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians."

Saipov moved to the United States from Uzbekistan about six years ago, said Dilnoza Abdusamatova, 24, who said Saipov stayed with her family in Cincinnati for his first two weeks in the country because their fathers were friends. Some officials said he arrived in 2010.

Abdusamatova said Saipov then moved to Florida to start a trucking company. Her family members think he got married about a year after arriving in the United States and may now have two children. Around that time, she said, he cut off contact with them.

"He stopped talking to us when he got married," Abdusamatova said.

Saipov had lived in an apartment complex, Heritage at Tampa, near the Hillsborough River. On Tuesday evening, two plainclothes investigators were seen departing the community, having interviewed several residents and others in the surrounding neighborhood. The investigators declined to answer any questions.

"Four FBI agents came and told me he used to live here," said Venessa Jones, who said she lives in an apartment above the one Saipov rented. Neighbors at the complex said they didn't know Saipov.

Officials said they had no information to suggest that the attacker had any accomplices or that there was a further threat to the city.

Nevertheless, they said, extra police would be posted around the city as a precaution, particularly along the route of the Halloween Parade, a long-standing tradition in Manhattan's Greenwich Village that attracts big crowds. Officials said sand trucks, police vehicles and other equipment would be used to deter any vehicle attacks at the parade.

The investigation is being led by the FBI with the assistance of the New York Police Department.

"We have recently seen attacks like this one throughout the world,'' said acting homeland security secretary Elaine Duke. "DHS and its law enforcement partners remain vigilant and committed to safeguarding the American people.''

The five Argentine nationals who died in Tuesday's attack were part of a group of friends celebrating the 30th anniversary of their high school graduation, the Argentine Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

The government identified the five dead Argentine nationals as Hernan Diego Mendoza, Diego Enrique Angelini, Alejandro Damian Pagnucco, Ariel Erlij and Hernan Ferruchi. It added that a sixth member of the group, Martin Ludovico Marro, sustained injuries and is being hospitalized in the Presbyterian Hospital of Manhattan. He is in stable condition, the government said, citing medical officials.

The group of friends hailed from the city of Rosario, the largest city in the central province of Santa Fe. They graduated from the Instituto Politecnico, a technical high school in Rosario, in 1987.

The Argentine government expressed its "sincere condolences" and said the General Consulate remains in contact with police authorities, hospital staff and the victim's relatives in Argentina.

"We accompany the families in this terrible moment of deep pain, which all Argentines share," the government statement read.

Argentina's president, Mauricio Macri, tweeted that he was "deeply moved by the tragic deaths" in New York. "We are available to the families of the Argentine victims," he added.

Rosario's local newspaper, La Capital, described the vacation to New York as the "trip of their dreams," and reported that they were riding bicycles in Lower Manhattan before the attack.

The local newspaper's headline read: "A trip of camaraderie among friends from Rosario turns into tragedy."

- - -

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Barrett, Lowery, Siegel, and Schmidt reported from Washington. Philip Bump in New York, Jon Silman in Tampa, and Julie Tate, Ellen Nakashima, Jennifer Jenkins, Mark Berman in Washington contributed to this report.
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LONDON - He was, he insisted, just an academic who had "absolutely no contact" with the Russian government. Any suggestion that he had offered to play matchmaker between the future president of the United States and the power players of the Kremlin was, he maintained dismissively, "incredible."

Or so he told reporters.

But in private exchanges, Joseph Mifsud was proud of his alleged high-level Moscow contacts, reporting that they had extended all the way to the top: He had had, he told a former assistant late last year, a private meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The assistant didn't think much of that claim. But the boastfulness matches the portrait of Mifsud sketched in court papers unsealed Monday that have made him one of the most critical - and enigmatic - figures in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election

In those papers -- a plea agreement for former Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos -- Mifsud is not named. But the Maltese national and London-based academic confirmed on Tuesday that he is the "professor" who is mentioned in the probe.

According to the court files, the professor took an interest in Papadopoulous after the latter joined the Trump campaign. Mifsud promised him "dirt" on Hillary Clinton compiled by the Russians, including thousands of emails. He also offered to serve as a go-between in Papadopoulos' efforts to connect the Trump campaign with the Kremlin, even going so far as introducing Papadopoulos to a woman he identified as Putin's niece.

Whether Mifsud really had the sort of Kremlin contacts that Papadopoulos claims he advertised is not known. But the question of how the Trump campaign regarded Mifsud's apparent approach, and whether it yielded anything substantive, could be a key focus of Mueller's investigation.

Mifsud, who is in his mid-50s, insisted Tuesday that the claims embedded in the court documents are exaggerated, echoing points he had made months earlier in response to inquiries from The Washington Post.

"I have a clear conscience," Mifsud told Britain's Daily Telegraph.

Mifsud told the Telegraph that he knew nothing about emails containing "dirt" on Clinton, calling the allegations upsetting. He also dismissed the disclosure that he introduced Papadopoulos to a "female Russian national," calling the allegation a "laughingstock."

In emails to the Post in response to questions in August, Mifsud had played down his connections to Moscow, insisting they were purely related to his work as a professor.

"I am an academic, I do not even speak Russian," he wrote.

But the details that emerged Tuesday based on interviews with those who know him, his writings and his travels suggested a more complex picture, one that better matched the image of the professor in court files as a somewhat obscure European academic who longed for more.

Hailing from the European Union's smallest nation - the Mediterranean island of Malta - he parlayed roles advising the government there into top positions with educational institutions that bear exalted-sounding names but are little-known even within academia.

Those included president of the Slovenia-based Euro-Mediterranean University and honorary director at the London Academy of Diplomacy.

His onetime assistant at the academy, Natalia Kutepova-Jamom, said he had set out in 2014 to build his contacts with Russian academics and policymakers.

She said that she booked her former boss a speaking slot in 2014 at the Sochi meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, a Russian state-funded think tank that is seen as close to the Kremlin, to speak on "economic and international cooperation."

Mifsud later suggested to her that he used those early contacts to open doors for higher-level meetings. But she was disbelieving when he told her last year that his contacts had reached all the way to Putin, with whom Mifsud claimed to have had "a short private meeting."

Kutepova-Jamom said she didn't believe the two met because Mifsud is "a too 'small-time' person" to meet with the Russian leader.

But Mifsud himself had written about being in the room with Putin to hear him speak at a 2015 event hosted by the Valdai Discussion Club, and reported that he had asked a question of Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

In that piece, for Valdai's web site, he wrote approvingly of Russia's policy in Syria, saying Putin had "walked the talk." The U.S. administration of then-President Barack Obama, by contrast, was "on the defensive."

In a spring 2016 piece - around the same time he was allegedly meeting with Papadopoulos - he asserted that he knew "Russia quite well."

Online biographies present Mifsud as an authority in the field of international relations and diplomacy across Europe, the United States, Russia, Africa and the Mediterranean region. But his academic work in these areas appears limited. He has published in peer-reviewed journals on Maltese education policies.

According to a biography on the London Centre of International Law Practice's website, which was deleted Sunday, Mifsud "served prominently" in Malta's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and worked as an adviser for Malta's Ministry of Education.

Scotland's University of Stirling said in an emailed statement that Mifsud joined its politics department in May this year as a "full-time professorial teaching fellow."

Former colleagues said they didn't think of Mifsud as someone with any particular Russian expertise.

Nabil Ayad, who hired Mifsud as an honorary director at the London Academy of Diplomacy - where Ayad was founder and director - said Mifsud's focus was broadly in the area of diplomacy.

"As assistant to the Maltese foreign minister, he traveled to many countries and met many heads of state," said Ayad.

Ayad said the institution's work involved occasional trips to Moscow, including for collaboration with the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

"We tend to deal with governments, so I don't think he has any special connections or relationships," Ayad said. "If a meeting took place between a Russian official or he introduced someone, it must have been by chance, not by design."

But Mifsud had occasionally gone beyond the role of the typical academic. In 2015, he was an observer for elections in Kazakhstan that were sharply criticized by independent groups. Mifsud's take was far rosier, mirroring the Russian line.

The election, he told Kazakh media, was "consistent with all international norms."

"At many polling stations was an image that I associate with a family meeting," he reported.

Mifsud told the Telegraph that he introduced Papadopoulos to a program director of the Russian International Affairs Council, a state-funded Russian think tank that is close to the foreign ministry, and that he tried to set up meetings with experts on the European Union.

"We are academics," Mifsud told the paper. "We work closely with everybody."

He said that he met Papadopoulos in Italy in March 2016 and then 10 days later in London.

Mifsud's contacts in Moscow go back to at least 2012, when a delegation from Moscow State University's Faculty of Global Processes established a partnership with the London Diplomatic Academy, according to publications by the university faculty and a newsletter founded by order of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Between 2013 and 2017, Mifsud visited Moscow State University about once each year, giving lectures and posing for photographs with the department head, Ilya Ilyin.

The nature of the partnership was not immediately clear, although Mifsud had discussed exchange programs and joint research projects. The department advertises itself as a stepping stone for graduates to work "in the Russian government, the presidential administration, federal ministries and agencies, the special services," and outside of government, Alexei Andreev, the deputy director of the faculty, said in a promotional video.

Reached on Tuesday by telephone, Alexeev played down the department's ties to Mifsud.

"I think he is one of those people who has a lot of connections," he said.
WASHINGTON - House Republican leaders plan to propose preserving the top income-tax rate for very wealthy people, a last-minute adjustment to their plan to overhaul the tax code that they hope will assuage concerns that it will mainly benefit the rich, according to four people briefed on the planning Tuesday.

GOP leaders had planned to collapse the seven existing income tax brackets into three brackets, lowering the top rate from 39.6 percent to 35 percent, but now will retain the top bracket for people earning more than a certain threshold, perhaps $1,000,000, the people said.

The detail was one of several that emerged Tuesday as GOP leaders scrambled to put the final touches on their plan, widely seen as the last best chance for Trump and congressional Republicans to advance a major policy achievement this year. Drafters planned to work through the night on the bill and unveil it Wednesday, but later decided to delay it to Thursday, said House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, its lead author.

After a closed-door meeting of his panel Tuesday night, Brady issued a statement saying, "In consultation with President Trump and our leadership team, we have decided to release the bill text on Thursday." He said they "remain on schedule to take action and approve a bill" next week."

The delay raises questions about whether Republicans have resolved all of their differences amid concerns that even a few defections could prevent the bill from passing.

The bill will aim to slash corporate tax rates, simplify taxes for individuals and families and lure the foreign operations of multinational firms back to the United States with incentives and penalties.

The decision to preserve a top rate signals that Republicans are eager to avoid the impression that their plan, which has already come under attack as doing little to boost the middle class, seeks only to reward wealthy Americans and corporations. And the move could attract the support of more moderate Republicans.

The House and Senate plan to work on separate tracks to pass legislation by Thanksgiving and send a bill to President Donald Trump for his signature by year's end, though many expect it will take longer than that, if the effort succeeds at all.

"It will be the biggest tax event in the history of our country," Trump promised on Tuesday during a meeting with business trade groups at the White House, a claim he has made repeatedly. Later, in a tweet, he said "the Republican House members are working hard (and late) toward the Massive Tax Cuts that they know you deserve."

In a sign that House Republicans are willing to go only so far to mollify concerns about inequality, they plan to move ahead with a proposal to eliminate the estate tax, though it would be phased out over a number of years. They also will propose changes to tax-protected retirement savings plans, such as 401(k)s, in an effort to raise revenue. But Brady said Tuesday those changes remained in flux and that 401(k)s might ultimately be left alone.

Overall, House Republicans say their plan would reduce federal tax revenue by $1.5 trillion over the next decade. Keeping the tax rate for people earning over $1 million could reduce the impact on the deficit by about $200 billion over a decade, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said Tuesday that Brady's tax plan would lower the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, as demanded by Trump. A new wrinkle was emerging late Tuesday, however, with concern growing that the corporate tax reduction might not be able to be made permanent if it proves too costly.

Business leaders will fight hard to prevent Republicans from allowing the rate to go back up after several years, but the GOP could be hamstrung, because it cannot push into law a tax change that adds too much to the deficit.

Numerous details of the tax proposal came during a briefing that House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, R-Wis., had Tuesday afternoon with conservative activists. Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, is one of the people who confirmed the 39.6 percent rate would remain for the highest income.

"Overall, I'm very happy with the bill," said Adam Brandon, who is chief executive of FreedomWorks and attended the Ryan briefing. "My read is that everyone is going to be seeing a tax cut."

Currently, families pay the 39.6 percent rate on income above $470,700, so the proposal would still lower taxes for people who earn above the lower amount.

The implications of the changes envisioned by GOP leaders could be far-reaching, but numerous aspects remain uncertain.

Thousands of companies that pay their taxes through the individual income-tax code would see their rates lowered on top income from 39.6 percent to 25 percent. It's unclear whether there would be new provisions to prevent wealthier individuals from creating companies to pay the 25 percent rate on their income rather than the higher rate.

The new proposal is expected to include a new "minimum tax" that U.S. companies would be required to pay on certain foreign earnings as a way to prevent them from moving U.S. operations to low-tax countries. Businesses are watching carefully how the House bill deals with U.S. companies that produce goods overseas and then sell them back into the United States.

The House GOP plan would also allow companies to immediately expense capital investments, such as new equipment, for five years but cut back the ability to deduct interest payments.

Many businesses and the wealthy are expected to be the biggest beneficiaries, according to initial versions of the plan, while the impact on many in the middle class is disputed and less clear.

The proposal would roughly double the "standard deduction" that many Americans can claim to exempt a portion of their income from taxation, but it would also eliminate the "personal exemption," which tends to benefit families with multiple children. But the tax plan is expected to expand the child tax credit, something Ivanka Trump has said would help working families.

The House GOP plan would allow Americans to deduct the property taxes they pay from their income but prohibit, for the first time, Americans from deducting the state and local income taxes they pay from their federal taxable income, a simmering issue that threatens to rip apart the GOP coalition needed to approve the bill.

The plan would also abolish the alternative minimum tax, a system set up to ensure people do not claim so many deductions that they pay too little in taxes, McCarthy said.

The economic success of the package hinges on controversial economic theories that assume large tax cuts for businesses and the wealthy will lead to economic growth and wage gains for everyone else, a conclusion that economists and policymakers have debated for decades.

But Republicans have a rare lock of political power, controlling the White House, House and Senate, and are desperate to regain political footing lost after a number of missteps this year, particularly the failure to rewrite health-care policy.

"The speed with which they are doing this is more about politics than it is about policy," said Rep. Richard E. Neal (Mass.), the ranking Democrat on Brady's committee. "They don't want people to see what's in it, and I think they need a victory."

The tax package is expected to reduce revenue by more than $4 trillion over 10 years. Republicans hope to recoup some of that lost revenue by eliminating a number of tax breaks, but they have been careful not to identify all of these changes, in part because they expect a revolt from interest groups that would be affected.

"They've got $4 trillion worth of tax promises, and they basically at this point have got virtually no revenue in order to pay for it," Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said Tuesday. "So what they have done is basically made it clear that their promises to the middle class are really not worth the paper they are written on. They are false promises to the middle class."

White House officials and GOP congressional leaders have met for months to try to establish the framework for rewriting the tax code, but they agreed only on broad parameters. Big tests now loom for Brady and his Senate counterpart, Finance Committee Chairman Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, to craft legislation that can pass both chambers.

The government collects roughly $4 trillion a year in taxes and other revenue, a threshold that still falls short of how much money it spends.

Trump says the changes could lead to an immediate jolt in economic growth, saying on Tuesday that it could lead companies to bring more than $4 trillion in past foreign earnings back to the United States. He also said it would lead to a flood of companies moving back to the country, lured by big tax cuts and the threat that their foreign earnings would be subject to stricter taxation for the first time.

It is details such as those, though, that will be the focus of several intense weeks of negotiations in the House and Senate. GOP tax writers are also expected to have a much different approach to the taxation of profits overseas.

Resolving these differences will be crucial because Republicans have signaled they will try to push the tax cuts into law without any support from Democrats, testing the slim margin they control in the Senate and their balky caucus in the House.

"Given that they are trying to do this with a one-party approach, they don't have a lot of flexibility," said Alan Auerbach, director of the Burch Center for Tax Policy and Public Finance at the University of California at Berkeley.

Heather Long contributed to this report.
The first criminal charges stemming from the Russia investigation landed this week at a perilous point in Donald Trump's presidency, threatening both his standing with foreign leaders ahead of an important trip to Asia on Friday and his effectiveness in selling the Republican tax plan set to be released Wednesday.

Aides insisted the twin challenges at home and abroad would not be undermined by the indictments, but the frustration of the president - whose job approval ratings hit a new low this week in Gallup polling - was evident Tuesday. He started the day with a spate of tweets in which he lashed out at the media and "Crooked Dems" and urged a focus instead on the "Massive Tax Cuts" he has promised to deliver by Christmas.

In a bid to show he remains focused on the tasks at hand, Trump later in the day allowed reporters to witness the start of a White House meeting with business leaders at which he boasted that the December signing of the yet-to-be-unveiled GOP tax bill would be "the biggest tax event in the history of our country."

But the special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's probe loomed large. Trump ignored shouted questions at the event from reporters related to the indictments of three campaign officials unveiled on Monday, including his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, and a foreign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos, whom Trump derided on Twitter as a "young, low level volunteer" and "a liar."

Foreign policy analysts expressed concern that Trump's political crisis could distract from or complicate his message on a high-stakes 12-day trip to five Asian nations aimed at building regional support for his bid to pressure North Korea over its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

It's not just that Trump might tweet about his domestic problems, analysts said, but that the issue could dominate the U.S. press corps' coverage of the trip, with reporters asking him about the Mueller investigation on foreign soil.

Michael Green, an Asia policy aide to former president George W. Bush, recalled the 43rd president being asked about the Iraq War during trips to Asia even as he attempted to sketch a vision of U.S. engagement in the region.

"My prediction is that it will be a story for the White House press corps and then the Asian press will pick up on it like an echo chamber," said Green, who was in Japan when news of Mueller's indictments broke early Monday. He added that "having been on those trips, it can be very, very hard for the White House to get their strategic and foreign policy message through."

Trump plans to visit Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines, engaging in bilateral meetings with a host of foreign leaders. Aides have been heavily briefing him.

The trip comes as Chinese President Xi Jinping has consolidated power on the heels of the Communist Party Congress, creating another problematic narrative for Trump.

"Trump is by far the weakest leader in modern U.S. history and Xi is by far the strongest leader," said Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group, a global risk assessment firm. "That's going to make the meeting uncomfortable."

Bremmer, who also was in Japan last week at a security conference, said Japanese officials are concerned that Trump could be motivated to take a more provocative stance on North Korea or on U.S. trade relations with South Korea and China to distract from his domestic problems.

Unlike past U.S. leaders who have tried to stay on message in Asia while dealing with distractions at home, Trump "always wants to create a distraction," Bremmer said. "To what extent will he play harder ball with the Chinese or North Koreans or on trade and, most importantly, will he decide to really fulminate against the North Koreans? It is dangerous, the combination of all that."

Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, was in Beijing last week and said that "the Chinese are worried that his domestic problems will cause Trump to do something internationally that will bolster his domestic position and distract people from his problems at home."

"The biggest worry is an attack on North Korea," she said. "Those who think he is not bluffing - they think this is something they should be worried about."

In interviews, several prominent Republicans argued that the tax bill would rise or fall based on factors unrelated to Trump's level of distraction. Heading into next year's midterm elections, Republicans in Congress are under tremendous pressure to show they can get something done with control of both chambers and the White House.

"This bill was never going to pass because Donald Trump went up to the Hill and negotiated it," said Barry Bennett, a GOP consultant who advised Trump during last year's general election. "It's going to pass because Republicans have to pass it. . . . They're not really counting on much leadership from the president."

A senior Republican congressional aide largely echoed that sentiment and said lawmakers do not expect Trump to have much of an impact in the days following the bill's introduction on Wednesday and its subsequent markup by the Ways and Means Committee, a stretch where he'll be out of the country.

"It's kind of an inside-the-cone process," said the aide, who requested anonymity to speak more candidly. "I'm not sure how much Trump would make a difference."

But the aide said there will be points later in the process that could benefit from presidential leadership, including help selling the legislation to the public before the full House votes and navigating differences that emerge after the Senate passes a bill.

The aide also said lawmakers have become accustomed to having to navigate distractions created by the White House.

"When this year have we not had some big story about Russia or something else supposedly looming over us?" the aide said. "This is kind of the new normal."

Other observers suggested the pervasiveness of the Russia probe - which continued to dominate cable television news much of Tuesday - will have a more significant impact on Capitol Hill, particularly if more indictments are handed down in coming weeks.

"It brings more chaos into an already chaotic situation, where they're operating on an almost-impossible timeline to begin wtih," said Jim Manley, a lobbyist and longtime aide to former Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Manley and others also argued that Trump tends to lash out on Twitter when he's agitated - and often not in a helpful way.

Last week, for instance, he tweeted that the tax cut plan would not include any changes to tax-deferred retirement accounts such as 401(k)s, following reports last week that House Republicans were weighing a sharp reduction in the amount of income American workers could save through such programs.

While they say they would welcome Democratic support, leaders of both chambers are preparing to pass the bill with only Republican votes. In the Senate, where there are 52 Republicans, that means the party can lose only two GOP votes.

"They don't have margin for error, so it doesn't take much to get off track," said John Weaver, who was chief strategist for the 2016 presidential campaign of Gov. John Kasich , R-Ohio.

Doug Heye, a GOP political consultant, said the Mueller indictments have largely overshadowed would could have been a string of positive stories about Trump's week: his push for tax cuts, the expected announcement of a new Federal Reserve chairman on Thursday and a major trip abroad.

"This distraction makes it harder to see any successes they have," Heye said. "It highlights a problem this administration had since the beginning: staying out of its own way."
Two senior members of President Donald Trump's national security team on Monday told lawmakers they believe they have the legal authority to conduct operations against terrorist groups, including the Islamic State, and said there was no need for a new war authorization to replace the one passed immediately after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis also told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that any attempt to place time limits or geographical constraints in a new Authorization for the Use of Military Force could cripple efforts to fight terrorists.

Some lawmakers have said Congress needs to update laws that have provided authority to fight terrorist groups and detain militants including al-Qaida and the Islamic State on multiple continents.

If Congress decides to go ahead and write an updated law, Tillerson and Mattis said, lawmakers should not constrain the military's ability to go after terrorists anywhere in the world.

"The collapse of ISIS' so-called caliphate in Iraq and Syria means it will attempt to burrow into new countries and find safe havens," said Tillerson, using an acronym for the Islamic State. "Our legal authorities for heading off a transnational threat like ISIS cannot be constrained by geographic boundaries. Otherwise, ISIS may reestablish itself and gain strength in vulnerable spaces."

Mattis told the committee that time restrictions would also undermine combat operations.

"We cannot put a firm timeline on conflict against an adaptive enemy who could hope that we haven't the will to fight as long as necessary," said Mattis, who also stated that the Pentagon is shifting the military's counterterrorism strategy to focus more on Africa.

Lawmakers mentioned the possibility of using military force in crises involving North Korea, Iran and Venezuela, as well as the ongoing efforts against militant groups that "change their name as often as a rock-and-roll band," Mattis said.

The hearing was propelled by the killing of four U.S. troops in Niger on Oct. 4 in an apparent ambush as they patrolled in an area with groups loyal to both al-Qaida and the Islamic State.

Some members of Congress were taken aback by the size and scope of U.S. combat forces deployed throughout Africa. About 800 Americans are based in Niger to run counterterrorism operations and train and advise local troops, and hundreds more U.S. forces are in other African countries.

Laws enacted in 2001 and 2002 gave the military the legal authority to fight international terrorism. Even though the United States is fighting groups that didn't exist back then, including the Islamic State, the legal basis remains sound, Mattis said. He urged Congress not to repeal existing law, at least without a new authorization was already in place.

"The uncertainty accompanying that situation could only signal to our enemies and our friends that we are backing away from this fight," he said. "It would stall our operations, immediately reduce allied commitments and support, and create significant opportunities for our enemies to seize the initiative."

A number of lawmakers said it is time to update the law to be more consistent with current conditions and threats. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., are co-sponsoring a proposal providing new legal authority to combat al-Qaida, the Taliban and the Islamic State.

"This is one of the most important topics the United States Senate, and this committee, could ever consider: Under what circumstances, and legal authorities, should the United States send our men and women into war?" said Sen. Benjamin Cardin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the committee.

Flake noted that not a single member of the committee was in the Senate when the original war authorizations were signed by President George W. Bush more than a decade ago.

"Congress needs to weigh in," he said. "We have to make sure our adversaries, and our allies, and most importantly, our troops know that we speak with one voice."

Shortly before Tillerson and Mattis started testifying, a small group of protesters in the room chanted "Stop endless war," before they were evicted.

"This has been a 16-year struggle," said Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. "I don't think it's going to be over any time soon."
Former Republican congressman Scott Garrett faces a tough return to the Capitol this week as President Donald Trump's choice to run the Export-Import Bank.

Garrett will testify before the Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday about why he's the best man for the job and he won't be facing a particularly friendly audience. Democrats are lined up in opposition, citing his past statements that the Ex-Im Bank should be shut down, while several key Republican lawmakers are so far withholding their support. Some of the nation's biggest corporations, meanwhile, are urging Trump to withdraw Garrett's name and nominate someone else.

In prepared testimony ahead of his hearing, Garrett pledged to keep the bank running if the Senate signs off on his nomination.

"Let me be crystal clear on this point: If I am confirmed, the Export-Import bank will continue to fully operate, point blank," Garrett said in his prepared remarks, obtained by Bloomberg News. "It will continue to approve the many loans that support our American manufacturers' ability to export their products."

It's not clear whether Garrett will make it to the Senate floor for a vote. It took months for the ex-lawmaker to even get a hearing, as Trump nominated him in April. If just one Republican opposes Garrett on the banking panel, his nomination won't advance.

"Its going to be an important hearing," said Senator Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina, where companies that rely on the bank to help sell overseas, including Boeing and General Electric, have major operations. "I'm going to pay close attention to what he says about the future of the Ex-Im bank and the need for reform and I will also look at what I think is his overall profile."

It's that "overall profile" that will be another challenge for Garrett. His relationships on Capitol Hill and with corporate America have been strained since he allegedly made anti-gay remarks that prompted some corporate donors to pull their support during his 2016 campaign. He ultimately lost his re-election bid to the northern New Jersey district that he'd represented since 2003.

Garrett will also have to walk a fine line between conflicting views over the Ex-Im Bank that have divided Republicans for years.

In the House, Garrett was a founding member of the tea party-aligned Freedom Caucus and twice voted against legislation reauthorizing the Ex-Im Bank. During one debate in 2015, he called it "taxpayer funded welfare for megacorporations" and "a bank that embodies the corruption of the free enterprise system." His negative view of the Ex-Im Bank is shared by at least two senators on the banking panel, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Richard Shelby of Alabama.

On the other side are traditional pro-business Republicans and the industries that support them. The key swing votes on the committee -- Scott, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and Mike Rounds of South Dakota -- all have a major manufacturing presence in their states and while they're in favor of some reforms, they have been generally supportive of keeping the Ex-Im Bank in business.

The White House is just as conflicted. During his presidential campaign, Trump slammed the bank as "featherbedding" for lawmakers and corporations and questioned whether it was necessary. But that changed once he took office and started hearing from manufacturers, including Boeing and GE. He's made nominations to fill out the bank's board, with only Garrett generating intense opposition from business groups.

In his prepared testimony Garrett reiterated that he supports the Trump administration's agenda to have a "fully functioning bank." He said that he wants the Ex-Im Bank to operate in a "fair, open and transparent manner," though he declined to offer specifics about what he might do to reform it. It's not clear whether it will be enough to sway some of the skeptics on the Senate Banking Committee.

The White House has been working with lawmakers "on written reassurances that Mr. Garrett will execute the president's policy to have the Ex-Im Bank fully-operational," deputy press secretary Lindsay Walters said in an email.

"I've expressed my reservations," Rounds said of Garrett. "We'll provide an opportunity for him to, in front of the committee, share his thoughts on specific items that we've already asked him for information on."

Garrett will testify alongside five other officials for the bank, including Spencer Bachus, also a former GOP congressman, Kimberly Reed, a former Treasury adviser, and Claudia Slacik, a former banker who was previously nominated by President Barack Obama. The Senate Banking Committee will hear their testimony, and if they approve, will send the nominees on to the full Senate for a vote.

The Ex-Im Bank, created during the Great Depression, helps foreign companies buy U.S. products when private banks won't provide financing. Some of the agency's biggest beneficiaries include manufacturing and aerospace companies such as Boeing and GE, as well as big banks, like JPMorgan Chase, that help finance deals.

Republican objections to the bank have left Ex-Im without a full board of directors for three years, which means it can't approve transactions more than $10 million. As leader, Garrett would have the power to indirectly approve or block deals and have a say in determining the bank's agenda. In 2014, its last fully operational year, the bank backed $27.5 billion in exports and sent $674 million in profits to the U.S. Treasury.

Lobbyists for big companies have been working to torpedo Garrett's nomination for months, ramping up their efforts in recent weeks. Both the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Association of Manufactures have petitioned lawmakers to reject Garrett, sending letters to key members of Congress and running ads in their districts calling him "a terrible deal" for industry. They say there's not much Garrett can do at his hearing to change their mind.

"This is kind of a typical Washington swamp thing, where you've got somebody who wants a job who's willing to say anything," said Jay Timmons, president of NAM.

But there are also powerful advocacy groups like the Heritage Action that support Garrett because they think he'll be able to crack down on what they see is "waste, fraud and abuse" at the bank.

So between the reformers who want to see Garrett take the helm and the lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who just want to see the bank fully functional again, Garrett may have a shot.

"I mean, we have to compete globally," said Tillis, who also remains undecided on the nominees. "If we take that off the table, I think we unilaterally disarm."
The U.K. signaled it is preparing to compromise in its stand-off with the European Union over the Brexit bill, with new talks scheduled in an effort to break the deadlock next week.

The deal on the divorce terms will probably be better for the remaining 27 EU countries than for Britain on the financial settlement, Brexit Secretary David Davis said on Tuesday.

"The withdrawal agreement, on balance, will probably favor the [European] union in terms of things like money and so on," Davis told lawmakers in London. "Whereas the future relationship will favor both sides and will be important to both of us."

For Britain, the question is urgent. May's team wants to start discussing the future trading relationship and a two-year transition phase before the end of the year but must first satisfy the EU that the U.K. will pay what the bloc thinks it owes when it leaves. Davis's comments are significant because negotiations have stalled in a disagreement over how much the U.K. should agree to pay.

The first opportunity for negotiations to resume will be Nov. 8 or Nov. 9, Davis told lawmakers on Tuesday. He will meet the European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, on Nov. 10.

U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May's government wanted to resume talks this week but the EU could not fit a new round of talks into its schedule, Davis said. "We want to strategically accelerate the process," he told the House of Lords EU committee. "We are not holding up the process."

Davis' comments to lawmakers on Tuesday came after the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said he's ready to step up the pace as the window of opportunity for trade talks this year closes.

"I'm ready to speed up negotiations," Barnier told reporters in the Slovak capital Bratislava on Tuesday. "We have proposed three dates, three weeks of new rounds of negotiations. In the next few hours or days, we're working with the British delegation to find the right dates."

Almost two weeks after German Chancellor Angela Merkel's warm words at an October summit, concern was mounting that no date had been fixed for policy negotiations to resume, with confusion on both sides as to where the other stands and contingency planning well underway.

In London, the focus of Cabinet discussions on Tuesday was on the planning for leaving rather than getting a deal from smooth separation. The government said that almost 3,000 new civil-servant jobs have been created in support of Brexit, with plans to recruit as many as 5,000 new staff next year. There are 400,000 civil servants in total.

The EU is puzzled by the U.K.'s approach in the negotiations, according to a senior official from a core European government. The U.K. has brought no new elements to the table, that would allow to settle the separation bill, the official said, asking not to be named, in line with policy.

Davis has proposed moving the talks away from the current pattern of four-day sessions held once a month in Brussels. The British side has also engaged in some shuttle diplomacy since the summit, with both Davis and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson visiting Paris last week.

Only when European leaders such as Germany's Merkel agree that the U.K. and EU have made "sufficient progress" on the divorce terms will they allow talks to move on to post-Brexit trade. Prime Minister Theresa May's next chance to win this approval is at the EU summit on Dec. 14.

Even though the EU welcomed May's Florence speech in September, in which the British premier promised to honor the U.K's liabilities stemming from its membership in the bloc, the EU wants the commitments spelled out in detail in a binding document, the European official said.

The British government has so far been resisting such calls, insisting instead that the exact methodology for calculating the bill can only be agreed once the future trade relationship is also discussed and agreed.

Apart from the exit bill, the EU says that it still needs more clarifications from the U.K. on the role of the European Court of Justice in guaranteeing the rights of citizens stemming from the withdrawal agreement, and it still waits for concrete proposals from London on how to avoid a hard border in Ireland.

---

Bloomberg's Thomas Penny, Helene Fouquet, Robert Hutton and Alex Morales contributed.
A 32-year-old Waterbury man has been sentenced to 37 months of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for distributing heroin involved in the overdose death of a Winsted woman last year, officials announced Tuesday.

Peter Haskell was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport, according to the U.S. attorneys office.

This matter stems from an ongoing statewide initiative targeting narcotics dealers who distribute heroin, fentanyl or opioids that cause death or serious injury to users, officials said in the release.

According to court documents and statements made in court, in the morning of April 17, 2016, Winchester police officers and emergency medical personnel responded to a Winsted home on the report of an unresponsive woman. The woman, who was 27, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Winsted police found and seized several opened and unopened wax folds of suspected heroin/fentanyl and other narcotics paraphernalia within the home, as well as the victims cellphone, according to the release.

Both heroin and fentanyl were determined to have contributed to the victims death, officials said.

The investigation revealed that the day before she was found dead, the victim traveled to Waterbury to purchase heroin from (Haskell), wrote officials in the release. The Connecticut Chief Medical Examiners Office determined that the victims death was caused by acute intoxication due to the combined effects of fentanyl, heroin, hydrocodone and alcohol.

Hydrocodone is a prescription painkiller, which Chief Medical Examiner James Gill has cited as a contributing factor in the rise of opiate overdoses in the state.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. It is commonly used as a cutting agent for heroin.

Haskell was arrested April 21 and has remained in custody since. On July 11, he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute and distribution of heroin.

This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administrations New Haven Tactical Diversion Squad and the Winchester Police Department. The Tactical Diversion Squad includes participants from the New Haven, Hamden, Greenwich, Shelton, Bristol, Vernon, Wilton, Milford, Monroe and Fairfield Police Departments and the Connecticut State Police.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert M. Spector and Natasha Freismuth.
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For the second time in Texas A&M University-San Antonios relatively short life, it has been recognized for the rigor of its cybersecurity certification program.

The National Security Agency renewed the universitys designation as a National Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education through 2022.

At a celebration Monday, university President Cynthia Teniente-Matson called it a special moment for her beautiful and growing campus, not least because the average annual salary of a cybersecurity worker is around $116,000.

The lucrative nature of these jobs provide an opportunity to earn a good living and escalate social mobility, Teniente-Matson said. This is what we want for our students and certainly for our community.

A&M-San Antonio is one of three universities here, and two community colleges, with the tag. Our Lady of the Lake University learned this month that it was awarded the designation until 2022. The University of Texas at San Antonios designation lasts until 2021. San Antonio College and St. Phillips College got it in 2014 until 2020.

Combining academic and military efforts, San Antonio is often cited as one of the largest hubs of cybersecurity experts in the nation  second only to Washington, D.C.

The roughly 200 students in the 5-year-old Center for Information Technology and Cyber Security at A&M-San Antonio can get NSA-stamped certifications along with their diplomas if they complete a series of 10 courses, said Akhtar Lodgher, the centers director. The center is located in the College of Business, where three degrees  applied science, business administration and computer science  now include courses that count toward the certificate.

Others have the option to receive a four-credit introductory cybersecurity certificate, Lodgher said.

Cybersecurity is something that everybody needs to learn about  not for only tech folks to know about, he said.

Also in attendance was U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes, who had careers in the Central Intelligence Agency and as a senior adviser at a cybersecurity firm. He called cybersecurity knowledge fundamental, likening it to music, history or math classes in middle and high school.

Im neither a musician, historian or mathematician. But they are things that are so basic to our society that we need to be aware of them, he said in an interview.

A&M-San Antonio also received an NSA cybersecurity grant to develop programs geared toward younger students  likely in Harlandale and Floresville independent school districts and Brooks Academy of Science and Engineering, Lodgher said.

We must bring students more awareness, he said. It has to come unconsciously to them.

UTSA has already started making headway on that front. It recently announced a $5 million National Science Foundation grant to create the new Center for Security and Privacy Enhanced Cloud Computing, which it expects to further its own cybersecurity focus as well as those of Northside ISD high school students.

Internships and other mentoring opportunities at the university will be available to students at Warren, Taft, Business Careers and Harlan high schools, according to a UTSA announcement.

If we want to fill 1.5 million jobs, we need to begin recruiting smart kids and giving them the opportunity to experience a security career firsthand, said Ravi Sandhu, the executive director of UTSAs Institute for Cyber Security, according to the release.

To receive the NSA designation, university programs must meet a level of rigor and have been up and running for at least three years. St. Marys University and the University of the Incarnate Word both said their programs were too young to qualify.

This is not an administrative thing that were doing today  its a big deal, Hurd told a small crowd at Mondays celebration. Were continuing to make sure were able to defend our digital infrastructure in an increasingly complicated and scary world.

sfosterfrau@express-news.net | @SilviaElenaFF
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Mayor Sylvester Turner told a federal judge Tuesday that two homeless encampments on city property have doubled in size since the court halted a city ban on temporary structures, creating a public health hazard and a threat to public safety.

Testifying in defense of a city ordinance passed last spring, Turner said the ban allowed for a delicate balance, asking people to take down tents and offering them shelter. Many of those in the encampments, he said, do not engage with city personnel offering alternatives.

"Our hands are tied. They now have total power. They own the public space," he said, referring to homeless people who have set up couches and grills in improptu tent cities that have made some people fearful of walking through public spaces.

He said there have been shootings and stabbings.

"A person has died," the mayor said.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt ruled in August that the city's fledgling ban amounted to "cruel and unusual punishment" under the Eighth Amendment. "The evidence is conclusive that they are involuntarily in public, harmlessly attempting to shelter themselves  an act they cannot realistically forgo, and that is integral to their status as unsheltered homeless individuals," Hoyt wrote in his ruling.

That temporary ruling required a three-week follow-up, which was delayed due to complications caused by Hurricane Harvey.

Civil rights lawyers returned to Hoyt's court Tuesday to formalize the temporary halt of the ordinance banning public encampments. The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, which represents three homeless plaintiffs in the class-action suit, asked for the emergency injunction to keep the judge's order in place until a trial can be held on the merits of the case.

Lawyers for the city called the mayor to testify, along with the mayor's adviser on homeless outreach and a Houston police sergeant on the outreach squad.

Turner said his aim is to reduce homelessness by providing safe housing, and portrayed the ordinance as "a gentle nudge" to encourage people to move into shelter beds and to discourage long-term camping with hot plates, couches and mattresses along with rotting food and public defecation. The two main camping areas where populations have grown are near Minute Maid Park and near the old Sears store in Midtown, according to testimony.

The premise of the ordinance is to discourage people from erecting temporary shelters on public property, according to Stephen Wick, a Houston police sergeant who founded the Homeless Outreach Team to help the chronically indigent people who end up on the street for a variety of reasons. There's no law against sleeping there, but there's a problem when people start accumulating piles of stuff, he said. Officers offer shelter and must warn people before issuing citations.

Mark Eichenbaum, a special assistant to the mayor on homeless initiatives, testified that he had made verbal agreements with the major city shelters to open their doors to homeless people who want shelter at any hour of the night. He said the shelters agreed to allow people to stay in the shelters' overflow areas regardless of whether the beds are full or their doors are closed for the night.

The City of Houston also called Dr. David Persse, the mayor's director of emergency medical services and public health, who issued several orders of abatement regarding the unsanitary conditions at the two major encampments. He said the situation became unhealthy at one point, though the city has since addressed those issues.

"People were living there amidst, in some cases, urine and feces," he said. "There was a very large amount of urine and feces. Piles of it, inches and feet. There was so much excrement both from people and birds that anyone going through it would be at risk."

A civil rights attorney for the homeless plaintiffs asked Persse if the situation would be any different if the bird droppings were falling directly on people rather than on their tents. No, he said.

The judge indicated he would hear arguments at a future time before ruling on whether to extend his halt to the camping ban.
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AUSTIN  Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is beefing up the states law enforcement presence in San Antonio to help crack down on a rise in violent crime, though city police said they didnt request or need the help.

The governor offered the additional troopers, and of course we werent going to say no, Police Chief William McManus said at a news conference in San Antonio on Monday. The more people we have, the more visibility we can provide, the more area we can cover.

At Abbotts request, the Department of Public Safety is dedicating roughly 15 more troopers to the citys Violent Crime Task Force, bringing the agencys total participation to 31 officials, McManus said. DPS will also lend use of its aircraft to provide around-the-clock air support capabilities in San Antonio, according to a news release.

DPS wouldnt confirm how many more agents its deploying or say where exactly they were stationed before.

Formed 10 months ago, the task force is a collaboration of local, state and federal agencies seeking to combat rising rates of violent crime and homicide in San Antonio. Last year, there were at least 149 homicides in the city  making it the deadliest year in more than two decades.

Though McManus said the task force didnt need the help, we certainly welcome the help.

In a news release Monday, Abbott said his top priority as governor is the safety of our citizens and communities in Texas.

That is why Im committing state resources to support our local law enforcement partners and locally elected officials of San Antonio and Bexar County to crack down on and combat violent crime, said Abbott, whose office did not return requests for further comment.

Abbotts office publicly announced the initiative Monday, but McManus said the added DPS support began about two weeks ago. The new state law enforcement officials arent assigned to any one area of the city, and its not clear how long they will be stationed here.

The task force is taken where the activity dictates, so it could be anywhere in the city, McManus said, adding later: I hope they are here as long as the task force is in existence.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg said the city appreciates the additional DPS support, which will help increase the Violent Crimes Task Forces operational effectiveness.

In April, Abbott allocated $500,000 to a similar crime reduction effort in Houston. Then DPS sent Texas Rangers and special agents to the city, where the agency set up a new tactical center to help tackle rising crime and gang-related killings.

In San Antonio, DPS is providing trooper strike teams made up of Texas Highway Patrol Troopers, violent crime squads made up of DPS special agents, a felony fugitive team made up of Texas Rangers and tactical support personnel, an intelligence team of criminal analysts, and communication and surveillance support personnel.

DPS will be utilizing existing resources in the region, spokesman Tom Vinger said in a statement. As is customary in law enforcement, we regularly shift our resources to focus on the most significant threats to the public.

Abbotts office said in the news release that the additional resources will focus on both violent crime and gang-related activity. When asked which gangs have a big presence in San Antonio, McManus said it doesnt matter.

There are a lot of loose-knit gangs that are around the city, he said. Theres well-established gangs. Theres transnational gangs. It doesnt matter. Were not focused on any specific type of gang. Whatever gang is giving us trouble, whatever our intelligence tells us is what were focusing on.

In the past, the Police Department has focused its efforts on well-established gangs such as the Mexican Mafia, Tango Orejon, Bandidos Motorcycle Club, Aryan Brotherhood and local gangs including the East Terrace Gangsters and Wheatley Courts Gangsters.

Since its inception this year, the task force has made over 4,170 arrests, McManus told city officials recently. While he said its too soon to tell whether the initiative has been effective, he is hopeful the arrests will drive down a recent uptick in crime.

The task force is not housed in a new room or special building; rather, detectives in the homicide, vice, narcotics, gang and intelligence units share and analyze data and intelligence, McManus has said. They also team up with law enforcement officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration, a local FBI field office and the state.

The new resources come amid a larger push by the city to crack down on crime. The Police Department and the Bexar County Sheriffs Office are working with other law enforcement agencies on a new anti-gang unit set to launch later this year.

amorris@express-news.net

Eaton reported from San Antonio.
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Multiple lanes on U.S. Highway 90 were closed Tuesday morning after a driver was ejected from his car and an 18-wheeler pinned the driverless vehicle against the median.

Police said the driver, who was 24-years-old but has not been identified, was traveling in the along U.S. Hwy. 90 near Harriman Place around 8:30 a.m. in a white Buick Century when he suddenly swerved into a Ford pickup and then into the center median.

RELATED: 18-wheeler clips man walking on Interstate 35 near downtown

The Buick bounced off the median into the path of an 18-wheeler, which then pinned it back up against the barrier. While the Buick was grinding between the barrier and the 18-wheeler, the driver was ejected from the car and died.

Now Playing: San Antonio police are on the scene of a fatal accident involving an 18-wheeler, which closed multiple lanes on U.S. Highway 90, Oct. 31, 2017. Video: San Antonio Express-News

All three vehicles finally came to a stop, with the destroyed Buick trapped under the 18-wheeler at a sharp angle and the pickup truck stopped a few yards behind.

"It was actually pretty mangled," said Ofc. Carlos Ortiz, a spokesman for the San Antonio Police Department.

No one other than the ejected driver was injured in the crash.

Firefighters arrived to the scene with heavy equipment and worked to free the pinned vehicle from between the 18-wheeler and the median. There was also a concern early on in the response that someone else might be in the vehicle, but it was later determined to be empty.

Ortiz said that the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office will come to pick up the driver's body from the roadway, and crews are still working to free the vehicle from under the 18-wheeler. Multiple lanes on the eastbound and westbound sides of U.S. 90 will remain closed until about 11 a.m.

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

Caleb Downs is a crime reporter for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here.| cdowns@mysa.com | Twitter: @calebjdowns
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A neighbor testified Tuesday she saw a man punch a woman in the face as she kneeled on the ground, moments before he crouched down and shot her in the head with a rifle.

James Striblin was 39 when he was arrested and charged with murder in the death of Margarita Natividad, 28. Police believe the mother of six was protecting Priscilla Daniella Cueva, Striblins wife, after the three got into an argument around 3:30 a.m. July 22, 2016, outside a Northwest Side apartment complex.

Testifying on the first day of Striblins trial, Olivia Mejia told prosecutor Alfred Ramirez that she and Natividad were neighbors and became friends about six months before the killing because they had children the same age.

Mejia said she was awakened by arguing and gunshots, and when she looked out her window, she saw Striblin, Natividad and Cueva arguing. Then, she saw Striblin punch Natividad in the face, and she fell to the ground, Mejia said.

They were screaming, Jay, no, stop, no, Jay, then a little after, I heard the gunshot, Mejia said through tears.

She said Striblin crouched down to Natividads level before he shot her. Natividad was pronounced dead at the scene.

Another neighbor testified earlier Tuesday that she saw the man who shot her neighbor in the head and that he dragged her body by the hair.

Apparently fearing that he would shoot (the other woman), (the victim) shielded her, resulting in (the suspect) firing two shots, striking (the victim) at least once, a police report stated at the time.

But Striblins attorney, Robert F. Gebbia, said Natividad was armed and that Striblin shot in defense of his wife, whom he was trying to protect from Natividad.

Questioned by prosecutor Gretchen Flader, Evandne Castaneda told the jury that she was awakened by her brother, who said he had heard a gunshot at their apartment complex in the 4000 block of Medical Drive. She said she got out of bed and went to a window where she saw two women struggling, then a man with a long gun. After witnessing the shooting, she called 911.

I saw him hit her with the butt of the gun, he hit her straight in the head, then he shot her and dragged her by the hair. She stayed down and didnt move at all, Casteneda said.

The case is being heard before 186th District Judge Jefferson Moore. Murder is a first-degree felony and if convicted, Striblin faces five to 99 years or life in prison.

ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863
Last week, I was invited to a tea party at a San Antonio high school.

Actually, it was una Fiesta de Te.

It is important to point out that the event took place en espanol, because the whole purpose of the gathering was to give high school students taking Spanish classes a chance to have a short chat with adults who speak Spanish  en espanol.

Some of the guests spoke in crisp, melodic Spanish common to Mexicans who grew up and were educated in Spanish-speaking countries, the kind of Spanish one hears on TV Azteca. Others spoke the warm, familiar Spanish of South Texas. Still others spoke in casual, informal Spanglish.

The point, of course, was to immerse students in conversation using their new language skills.

During the party, I sat next to Zach, a young man who told me that he doesnt often speak Spanish, but he does speak with his cousins when they visit from Mexico because they dont speak English.

Emergencia! Ayuda! Zach called out when a fellow student at a neighboring table spilled a glass of water all over himself. A teacher rushed over to help with the cleanup, but Zach jumped out of his chair to continue to call for help anyway.

Que mala pata! Zach said, smiling because he had just the right words to say at just the right time.

I told Zach and the other students about how I learned to speak English on Sesame Street, how I still speak Spanish with my parents every day and yet, when Im caught off guard, I am at a loss for words and switch languages. Linguists call this code switching, I explained, and while it may not be ideal during a test in Spanish class, its OK in the real world because the whole point of communication is getting an idea across.

Speaking two languages, I told them, is a superpower. Thats hard for people to believe because few of us are locked in a battle of good vs. evil during our everyday lives. But when we are bilingual, we are faced with many opportunities to be brave in some small way.

For those of us learning a new language, whether were students learning in the classroom or new arrivals learning English in America, we have to be brave enough to use our new skills. For those of us who know but arent sure of ourselves, we have to have the courage to connect using language skills we dont use every day.

Thats how we learn, thats how we are heard and, ultimately, thats how we teach.

We have to find the right words to save the day. And if were bilingual, we have twice as many.

mariaanglinwrites@gmail.com
Courtesy photo

As San Antonio transitions from Military City USA to Cyber Security City USA, jobs in the cyber security industry are expanding across business sectors. Once a concern for only major organizations and corporations, cyber security is now a critical need for most businesses, according to Business Insider. Due to the high demand for a skilled cyber workforce, a shortage both locally and nationally is predicted for cyber security professionals.

The San Antonio Cyber Industry has nearly 900 Department of Labor-designated IT companies and more than 80 companies in the San Antonio Defense Technology Cluster. Such a demand for a cyber security workforce calls for academic programs that are steeped in excellence combined with hands-on knowledge and business acumen. On Oct. 30, Texas A&M University-San Antonio (A&M-SA) celebrated its redesignation as a National Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency (NSA).
Early voting for the Nov. 7 general election continues at 34 Bexar County locations, including the main polling site at the countys elections department at 1103 S. Frio St.

The polls will be open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1. Voting times for Nov. 2 and 3 are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Early voting ends Friday, Nov. 3.

Early voting locations include libraries, community centers and city halls around Bexar County. For more information, call 210-335-VOTE.

VIA offers free bus rides

VIA Metropolitan Transit will offer free rides on Election Day to voters who present valid voter registration cards.

The agency said it will waive fees on its regular bus service and VIAtrans, the service for disabled riders, on Tuesday, Nov. 7, helping voters access polling locations around Bexar County.

VIA began its free ride initiative for the March 2016 primaries. By waiving its fees, the agency hopes to encourage better turnout, which amounted to 8.13 percent of registered voters in the most recent odd-year November election.

The ballot includes several mayoral and city council races in the area and a slate of constitutional amendments.

San Antonio

FEMA extends Texas aid deadline, requests workers

The deadline for Texans from counties hit by Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath to register for federal disaster relief has been extended a month.

The Federal Emergency Management Agencys new deadline for registering for the funds is Nov. 24. The extension also gives more time to take out low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration for losses not compensated by insurance.

Storm survivors can register for relief at disasterassistance.gov, through FEMAs cellphone app, at 1-800-621-3362 or at any Disaster Recovery Center.

Miss Fiesta crowned

Carla Juarez, a student at the University of Texas at San Antonio, has been crowned Miss Fiesta San Antonio 2018.

Juarez, 21, is studying accounting and has been active in student government at UTSA. Her community service project will be to educate young students in underperforming public schools in ways to become better students. She plans a book drive to encourage reading at home, various school presentations and community outreach events as part of her project.

Juarez was crowned Oct. 18.

South Side

Free parenting classes offered

Registration is open for the parenting course Positive Discipline Toolbox, which begins Nov. 20. The five-week course meets twice a week through Dec.18.

A new course for families of toddlers, Toddler Time, will begin Nov. 6, meeting once a week for six weeks. Both courses meet 6 to 8 p.m. at Blessed Sacrament Academy, 1135 Mission Road.

Courses include free dinner and childcare for parents attending. The classes meet requirements for Child Protective Services. Call Kathy Lozano today at 532-0894 to schedule your appointment.

Palo Alto College honors military veterans

Palo Alto College will host its annual Veterans Day ceremony at noon Nov. 9 on the schools campus.

The ceremony, open to the public, will recognize community members who have served or are currently serving in United States military branches. A special focus will be directed to those who served during the Vietnam War.

Those interested in participating in the ceremony should contact the Palo Alto College Veterans Affairs Office at 210-486-3111 or visit alamo.edu/pac/veterans-day to confirm attendance by Friday, Nov. 3.

Each veteran will be recognized and receive a special memento during the ceremony. Lunch will be provided for all attendees.

Harlandale Class of 1997 plans reunion

The Harlandale Class of 1997 invites classmates to join in a reunion on Nov. 11 to celebrate 20 years since graduation.

Reunite, reminisce, and make new memories with past classmates with food, drinks and dancing. Two complimentary drink tickets will be given to attendees; a cash bar will be available.

The first 20 people to buy their tickets to the reunion will be entered in a drawing for a raffle basket. Tickets are nonrefundable, and the cost is $70 per couple and $45 for individuals through Oct. 28.

Send an email to hhsindians97@gmail.com for more information.

Compiled by Melissa Renteria
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While thousands of San Antonio-area children hit the streets to collect as much candy as possible, hundreds of registered sex offenders will be attending a mandatory meeting where law enforcement can keep an eye on them.

The Bexar County Adult Probation Department has hosted the Project SAFE Halloween meeting seven years running. From the hours of 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, all registered sex offenders currently on probation will meet an an undisclosed location, where they will be checked in and then informed of any new registration obligations or legislative changes that affect them.

RELATED: San Marcos High School Student killed in car wreck, two others injured

"They're typically very successful," said Shannon Jones, the supervisor of the Sex Offender Management Unit of the Adult Probation Department. "We know what we're doing. There's been barely a handful of offenders who haven't shown up when required to be here, and if they don't, law enforcement will track them down and they'll get in trouble with the courts."

Now Playing: Rhonda Bolick with Safe Routes to School and Safe Kids Austin talks about child pedestrian safety and also safety for adults. Video: Fox7

Jones expects between 200 to 250 sex offenders to attend the meeting. Some elderly offenders are allowed to stay home but will be visited by law enforcement personnel to ensure they're home with the lights out and are not giving candy to children.

Sex offenders on parole also have special obligations that prohibit them from interacting with children on Tuesday night. Offenders who have already completed their probation terms are free to spend the night how they wish, Jones said.

RELATED: SAPD: Man arrested after bashing woman's head against floor in 'completely unprovoked' attack

"This is a way to insulate the community from folks that are on supervision," she said.

Jones said local law enforcement agencies provide a lot of support with the meeting--and the sex offender management more generally--and will be working outside the event to ensure the safety of the surrounding neighborhoods.

"There will be a lot of eyes watching," she said.

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

Caleb Downs is a crime reporter for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here.| cdowns@mysa.com | Twitter: @calebjdowns
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A San Antonio man didn't let his ankle monitor stop him from stealing a car, according to police.

On Oct. 11, police received a report of a car stolen from a hotel parking lot, according to an arrest affidavit.

Detectives reviewed surveillance footage and noticed a tan-colored Cadillac with no front license plate circling around the hotel parking lot before backing into a space next to the man's car.

RELATED: Unlicensed S.A. dentist allegedly left woman with 'extreme damage' after 8-hour surgery

The victim's car can then be seen quickly exiting the parking lot, closely followed by the tan Cadillac, according to the affidavit.

Detectives identified the owner of the Cadillac as Francisco Escamilla, 23.

Bexar County court records show Escamilla is out on bond for several unrelated charges, including evading arrest, hindering apprehension, possession of marijuana.

According to the affidavit, the conditions of his bond required him to wear an ankle monitor.

The ankle monitor provided GPS coordinates to detectives that tied Escamilla to the location where the car was stolen.

He was arrested by police Monday afternoon on suspicion of theft of a vehicle worth between $30,000-$150,000, a third-degree felony.

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
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Police arrested a 55-year-old San Antonio man Monday accused of practicing dentistry without a license and performing an eight-hour surgery on a woman that caused "extreme damage" to her mouth.

Isidro De Jesus Manjarres now faces a charge of practicing dentistry without a license. He was booked into the Bexar County Jail on a $15,000 bond.

RELATED: Fatal accident involving tractor-trailer closes multiple lanes of Hwy. 90

The victim met Manjarres in March at a restaurant. During the meeting, Manjarres told the victim he was a dentist, and she told him about some "sudden and severe dental pain" she was experiencing, police records state.

Now Playing: 09:00:00 Video: Fox 26 Houston

The two set up an appointment for April 4 at Manjarres's home in the 200 block of Wayside Drive. Manjarres told her she would need extractions and dental bridges, procedures he quoted at $3,600 payable in two installments, according to police.

Satisfied with the quote, the victim agreed and returned to his home with $1,800 in cash on April 8 for the surgery.

Manjarres then began a grueling, 8-hour surgery session, according to police records. During the session he administered anesthetics 12 different times, extracted two teeth and used a grinding tool to shape some of her other teeth in preparation for the bridges.

The victim later described the surgery as an "excruciatingly painful ordeal, so much that she believed that she might die," according to the affidavit.

RELATED: Suspect at large after stabbing man during brawl at North Side strip club

Afterwards, Manjarres told her to return at a later date to complete the procedure. The victim's pain never subsided, and after several attempts to contact Manjarres, he told her she probably had an infection.

The victim returned to Manjarres's home on April 12. Manjarres confirmed her infection, and gave her an antibiotic, which was unsuccessful, police said.

The victim then sought treatment from another dentist, who immediately told her that Manjarres had caused "extreme damage" to her mouth and that corrective treatment was immediately required. The corrective procedures had cost the victim more than $11,000 by Oct. 26.

Police interviewed Manjarres on Sept. 26, at which time he allegedly admitted that he did not have a license to practice dentistry. He said he was a dental lab tech, and that seven years ago, he had done work from his home for dental offices with patients requiring dentures or dental bridges.

Officers obtained a warrant for his arrest on Monday and booked him into jail that same day.

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

Caleb Downs is a crime reporter for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here. cdowns@mysa.com | Twitter: @calebjdowns
The Travis County Sheriff's Office arrested more than a dozen men this month for alleged solicitation of sex, according to reports. Six of the men arrested face felony charges for alleged solicitation of a minor.

The stings were conducted at Sleep Inn, 14004 Owen Tech Blvd., and Comfort Suites, 15112 FM 1825, on Oct. 13 and 19 as part of the Wells Branch Initiative, the Austin American-Statesman reported.
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In the end, City Council unanimously approved millions in incentives for Credit Humans new headquarters near downtown at The Pearl.

We remain unconvinced that this was needed.

Credit Human, formerly San Antonio Credit Union, will receive a combined $8.8 million in San Antonio and Bexar County incentives to relocate and consolidate its offices at this thriving location. The incentives, tax abatements and rebates, will cover the cost of infrastructure, including parking, utility work and street improvements.

RELATED: The Pearl makes 'Great Places in America' list

City Council members were obviously swayed by bringing a large employer to the center city in a state-of-the-art building. But its never been clear how San Antonio benefits from a local employer deciding to make a local move, or why taxpayers should help pay for that business decision. Its never been clear how an office building improves the quality of life for residents across San Antonio.

Office buildings dont fix our schools, or address economic inequality or improve our roads.

Offering incentives for a move to The Pearl, with its popular farmers market, high-end housing and luxury shops, raises additional questions. Why should taxpayers offer incentives to an area thats already received significant past incentives and appears to be thriving?

Incentives like these are why we support District 6 Councilman Greg Brockhouses call for a formal review of the citys incentive programs. The community deserves a better understanding of what programs exist, how they are applied and what the city is hoping to accomplish.

Is the goal to bring any housing downtown, or affordable housing?

Is the goal to help businesses relocate anywhere, or to those areas that traditionally dont see business growth?

READ MORE: Council approves Credit Human incentives

How diligently do local officials follow up on those job-creation goals?

The Credit Human deal also raises a serious question about planning. Credit Human will centralize its 435 employees in a 10-story office building on Broadway. Its supposed to add another 50 employees. Additionally, there will be a six-story mixed use office building.

At the same time, Broadway will soon be reducing vehicle lanes. Through the recently approved city bond package, which we supported, Broadway will be revamped to include bike lanes and be made pedestrian friendly.

We love bikes and complete streets, but the Credit Human deal somewhat changes the dynamics. How does it makes sense to add 16 stories of office and retail space while reducing vehicle lanes?

Our hunch is that many other San Antonians are struggling with this one, too.

If the City Council is going to re-evaluate incentives, perhaps it should re-evaluate this vision for the Broadway corridor, too.
We have a product spoiler for the December 2017 Boxwalla Beauty box!

First, the theme:

A Brief History of Timeless Things

Each product in the December Beauty Box is a portal to travel through time and space, with ingredients that have been part of ancient cultures. Learn how some timeless things evolved to find their perfect form in the products in this box.

And the first spoiler item is:

24 K Precious Oil (10 ml) - Value $60

One of the artisans we will be showcasing in our December Beauty Box is the Australian brand Lepaar. Johanna and Christo Everingham bring their strengths together to create exquisite things for their brand. They believe in 'wholistic luxury', in creating modern classics, in crafting things that are 'alive', pulsating with stories of people and places.

The first product in this box is Lepaar Skin's most precious offering : 24 K Precious Oil (10 ml, $60).

This luxurious facial serum tells stories that began 5000 years ago. It is crafted with impeccably sourced ingredients, each chosen for its specific benefits to the skin : Tasmanian calendula, Daintree vanilla bean, papaya seed oil from India, seabuckthorn fruit and seed oil from Germany, pomegranate seed oil from Israel, raspberry and blueberry seed oils, two kinds of frankincense: from Somalia and Oman , two kinds of myrrh : from Somalia and Namibia, certified cosmetic grade, non-nano 24 K gold from a family owned company in Germany.

With frankincense, myrrh and gold, this precious oil makes the perfect holiday gift.
A TOP white Marondera farmer, Phillip Worswick, has said he is pinning his hopes on the government to restitute his land so he can resume operations after a huge chunk of his land was grabbed by new indigenous farmers in August last year.

Worswick, owner of Dormavale Farm, popularly known as KwaHozeki, was only left with 20 hectares after his arable 100ha was allocated to land seekers resulting in him stopping production.

The farm had been producing horticultural products ranging from peas to baby carrots and other vegetables for the past 40 years while also boasting a multi-million dollar state-of-the-art packing factory that also served surrounding farms.

The factory has a holding capacity of 100 tonnes of horticultural produce.

Recently, Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement minister Perrance Shiri visited the farm and promised to deal with Worswicks plight.

Worswick said: We are happy that the responsible minister is aware of our plight. He has given assurance that this project will kick-start soon. So maybe, it is a matter of time before a decision is made. But the fact is that the minister, his deputy and the resident minister [David Musabayana] show seriousness on their part, he said.

A survey of the farm revealed the big packshade could soon turn into a white elephant as the farmer stopped horticultural activities following the farm invasion.

However, some surrounding farms are currently using the factory to prepare products for both foreign and local markets.

At peak, Worswick exported 600 tonnes of different products annually earning the country millions of dollars in foreign currency. Before losing the land, he employed 300 workers.

Farming doesnt need any disturbances. The 20ha I have is not enough for horticulture production as it is more rotational while at the same time growing different crops. If our case is resolved we intend to resume production by February. There are a lot of logistics to be done, for example, importing seed and engaging the markets, among other things, he said.

Apart from horticulture, Worswick is also a tobacco and maize farmer.

The Worswick family has been on the farm for more than 50 years. In 1997, they gave two of their other farms to the government for the resettlement programme.

Shiri described horticulture as a sleeping giant that could be used to turn around the economy.

Recently, a Rusape white farmer, Robert Smart, was given back his farm by the President Emmerson Mnangagwa-led government after he was violently ejected by Bishop Trevor Manhanga.

 NewsDay

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ROYAL OAK, Mich.  Reeses recently surprised fans of the confection with an unveiling and exclusive sampling of its latest innovation, Reeses Outrageous Bars, at a Royal Oak, Michigan, Halloween Spooktacular event. The new candy bar makes its official debut in May 2018.

In 2015, The Daily Meal named Royal Oak the no. 2 town for trick-or-treating, so, when the Reeses brand heard about Royal Oaks legendary Halloween celebration, it knew this town would share its appreciation for something outrageous.

It is in Reeses DNA to take it to the next level, so giving the exclusive first taste of Reeses Outrageous Bars to our fans in Royal Oak during Spooktacular seemed like the perfect time and place! said Ryan Riess, senior brand manager of the Reeses Brand. What could be more outrageous than pairing the countrys favorite Halloween candy brand with one of the countrys most festive and already outrageous Halloween celebrations?

In the weeks leading up to the event, the Reeses brand slowly invaded Royal Oak with mysterious clues, such as Reeses Pieces-inspired dots on sidewalks, a huge mural that appeared overnight and an empty storefront was cloaked in secrecy as a clock appeared to countdown to the annual Spooktacular.

As Spooktacular arrived, guests gathered at the covered storefront as the clock struck zero. Cannons erupted with Reeses-colored confetti and a drum line made its way down Main Street as the curtain fell away. The reveal: Reeses Outrageous Bars for all.

Our annual Spooktacular is a time-honored tradition close to our hearts here in Royal Oak, said Mike Fournier, mayor of Royal Oak. Friends, families, local businesses and town officials gather every year to experience and celebrate this delightful and joyous Halloween event. Partnering with the Reeses brand this year has made it our most outrageous yet!
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The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to review the appeals of four condemned inmates in Texas, including a woman on death row for the 2010 slaying of her developmentally disabled baby sitter.

Kimberly Cargill, of Whitehouse in East Texas, is one of six women on death row in Texas, which is the most active capital-punishment state in the U.S. and has executed six prisoners so far this year. Cargill, 50, was convicted in 2012 in Smith County.

The high court also refused to review the appeals of Raul Cortez, 36, sentenced to die for a 2004 quadruple fatal shooting in the Dallas suburb of McKinney; Rosendo Rodriguez III, 37, convicted of the 2005 slaying of a pregnant Lubbock woman; and Damon Matthews, 32, on death row for the 2003 Houston killing of a friend whose car was stolen during the crime.

The court did not comment on its reasons for refusing the appeals. None of the four prisoners has an execution date.

Cargill was convicted and put on death row for causing the asphyxiation of 39-year-old Cherry Walker in June 2010. Court records show her lawyers have until late April 2018 to file a more extensive appeal in a federal district court and that state attorneys will have three months to respond to that appeal.

At her trial, prosecutors said Cargill was facing a child abuse investigation and that she had already lost custody of one of her two children. They argued she killed Walker to keep her from testifying at a custody hearing. Walker's body, found on the side of a road in Smith County, had been doused with lighter fluid and set on fire. An autopsy determined she was asphyxiated.

Cargill testified that Walker had suffered a seizure and stopped breathing while she was driving Walker home, and that she panicked and didn't seek medical help.

Rodriguez was convicted of the 2005 beating and choking death of 29-year-old Summer Baldwin, who was five weeks pregnant. Her body was stuffed inside a piece of luggage found at the city landfill in Lubbock, where she lived and where Rodriguez was training as a Marine reservist.

Court records show Rodriguez was linked to at least five other sexual assaults and to the disappearance of 16-year-old Joanna Rogers, who had been missing more than a year. He confessed to killing the teenager, whose body was also found in a suitcase in the Lubbock landfill.

Cortez was convicted of the killings of four people during a botched robbery attempt at a McKinney home in 2004. Authorities have called it Collin County's worst mass slaying. It went unsolved for three years until an accomplice acknowledged his involvement and implicated Cortez. The victims were Rosa Barbosa, 46, the manager of a check-cashing business; her nephew, Mark Barbosa, 25; and his friends, Matthew Self, 17, and Austin York, 18.

Matthews was put on death row for shooting a friend, 20-year-old Esphandiar Gonzalez, seven times in the head and stealing his car in 2003 in Houston. Matthews was arrested hours later as he was cleaning blood from inside the car.

Supreme Court Seems Favorable to Texas Death Row Inmate

The Supreme Court appears likely to rule for an inmate on Texas' death row who was denied money to investigate his history of mental illness and other claims that could spare him from being executed.

The case the justices heard Monday involves an immigrant from Honduras who was sentenced to death for strangling a woman in her home in Houston.

The immigrant's lawyers for his appeals in the federal court system determined that his trial and state appellate lawyers did not do enough to look into the man's past in search of mitigating evidence that might persuade a jury not to impose a death sentence.

But federal courts refused a request for money to investigate, despite a federal law aimed at improving legal representation in capital cases.
A Mansfield family is mourning the death of their five-year-old Great Dane after an off-duty officer fatally shot the dog as children played nearby.

"I want to see some justice. I want him to have some accountability," said the dog's owner, Carol Evans.

The off-duty police officer was walking his own dog Sunday evening in the 4200 block of Iron Drive when, according to Mansfield police, the officer says the dog, Caesar, "came at him aggressively."

The officer says he tried yelling at the dog but then felt forced to shoot, using his personal weapon.

"He did go over there, and they kind of started barking, so I said, 'Caesar!'" Evans recalled. "I walked over there to get him. I was probably two to three feet away from him, went to pull Caesar, and he pulled a gun out and shot it."

Two children from Evans's family were riding bikes nearby, along with two others from another house in the neighborhood.

"When I saw the gun in his hand, I panicked, because the kids were right there, and I was like, 'Get the kids inside, get the kids inside!'" Evans said.

"I want to know why in the world would he shot off a loaded firearm literally 10 feet from children," said Evans's husband, Jeff Wempa.

"There was no rustle or tussle of dogs. There was no barking, screaming or anything like that. It was five, maybe eight, seconds," said the family's neighbor, Garrett Martinez.

Caesar died on the way to the veterinarian's office.

"I'm going to be forever haunted," said daughter Jessica Evans. "My best friend died in my back seat, for no reason. He didn't do anything to deserve to die."

The officer's name is being withheld.

His actions are under investigation by the Tarrant County Sheriff's Department.

"The department is continuing to look into this matter as we would with any citizen involved in a similar circumstance," the sheriff's department said in a written statement Monday.
The Los Angeles City Council approved a draft of new regulations for the cannabis industry Tuesday, along with a string of other related measures as it looks to have its policy settled ahead of the drug becoming legal for recreational sale and use on Jan. 1.

The vote directed the city attorney to draft an ordinance addressing the procedure for businesses to get city licenses, along with rules for how the businesses can operate, including security requirements, ventilation standards, hours of operation and other guidelines.

Before the vote, Council President Herb Wesson, who has been heavily involved in creating the regulations, said there were still other issues that would need to be worked out and that the draft ordinance as it stands only solves "80 to 85 percent" of the questions. Wesson said he wanted to get the City Attorney's Office working on the ordinance, and that it would come back to the council several times and continue to be worked on.

"What I present to you today, members, is a piece of work that we are very proud of," Wesson said.

An amendment to the draft ordinance was introduced at the meeting by Wesson and four other council members that seeks to address what had been a major outstanding question, which is a procedure for provisional licenses for growers and manufacturers.

Some leaders of the cannabis industry had previously said the proposed rules could drive suppliers out of business because they could cause a delay in them getting licensed before marijuana becomes legal for recreational sale and use on Jan. 1. While the city has allowed retail medical marijuana shops to operate in the city for years, it has never expressly allowed cultivators or manufacturers to operate, and this could leave them without a license come Jan. 1 due to an expected delay in the city processing applications.

The amendment creates a process for cultivators and manufacturers to apply for a provisional license while their application is being processed, provided they fit 13 pieces of criteria, including that they were in business before Jan. 1, 2016, meet all land use and sensitive use requirements by the city and other guidelines.

Another amendment that was added at the meeting would create limitations on how many cannabis businesses could be located in each neighborhood similar to the regulations imposed on the alcohol industry. The limitations would include one retail business per 10,000 residents, based on the 2016 American Community Survey, along with limitations for cultivators and manufacturers.

The draft ordinance was approved on a vote of 14-1. Councilman Paul Krekorian cast the lone vote against it because he said he wanted more time to examine the amendments that were introduced at the meeting.

In November, California voters approved the legalization of recreational marijuana, effective Jan. 1, 2018.

The legalized industry could fetch the city more than $100 million annually in new tax revenue, and in March city voters approved Measure M, which sets up regulatory measures for the city's industry.

Once implemented, Measure M will replace Proposition D, which was approved in 2013 by city voters and limited the number of dispensaries within Los Angeles city limits to 135 -- the number of dispensaries operating before Sept. 14, 2007.

The guidelines forwarded by the council gives priority licensing to existing shops that received a business tax registration certificate after 2014 and that are operating in compliance with the limited immunity and tax provisions of Prop D.

On-site consumption would be allowed by state law starting in 2018, if the local city allows it. Wesson said concerns over a ban in the draft ordinance of on-site consumption would be addressed later as the city studies the issue.

Bruce Margolin, executive director of the L.A. chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said the on-site ban would leave some consumers without a place to use cannabis, since many hotels and apartment buildings ban smoking and that consumption also would not be allowed in public.

"The current status with denying on-site consumption means that they have no place to go unless they own a residence or have access to a residence, which is completely unfair," Margolin said in September.


Riverside police identified the suspect behind a hostage at an elementary school Tuesday as 27-year-old Luvelle Kennon, who was shot when officers stormed the room and ended the standoff with the suspect, who later died at the hospital.

Castle View Elementary school was evacuated after Kennon, who was upset for an unknown reason, barged onto the campus, assaulted a man near the office and took a first-grade teacher hostage in a classroom for nearly seven hours. The school, located on Shaker Drive near Century Avenue in the Canyon Crest area of the city, was placed on lockdown in the noon hour after the assault.

Kennon, the father of a student at the school, entered the campus and punched a substitute teacher, according to police. Riverside Fire Department officials said the victim was taken to Riverside Community Hospital for treatment.

Witnesses at the scene said the injured person appeared to have a bloody or broken nose.

The assailant barricaded himself in a classroom with first-grade teacher Linda Montgomery, according to her daughter. Montgomery is in her 70s and has been teaching at the school for at least 20 years.

The campus was initially placed on lockdown, then evacuated. Students and staff were moved to nearby Castle View Park for their safety, according to police.

There were no reports of injuries to students. Castle View Elementary School, the scene of today's daylong hostage situation, will remain closed for the rest of the week, according to the Riverside Unified School District. Counseling is available to anyone who was affected by the experience.

UPDATE 1:15pm.



ALL STUDENTS HAVE BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR, and have been safely evacuated to Castleview Park (Corner... https://t.co/wWr1pso5u6  Riverside Unified (@RUSDLink) October 31, 2017

District officials said all students had been accounted for and were being released to their parents at the park. No information was available regarding the reasons why the man was enraged, nor was it clear whether he was armed.

The standoff continued until shortly before 6 p.m., when police fired what were reported to be flash-bang grenades into the room and charged inside.

Paramedics were quickly summoned, and they wheeled the suspect out of the room and placed him into an ambulance for a trip to a hospital in unknown condition, Riverside Police Officer Ryan Railsback said. The suspect later died at the hospital, police said.

Police said earlier there was no indication the suspect was armed, but investigators did not know for sure.

A short time later, Michelle Montgomery told NBC4 that her mother was not injured, only shaken.

People who claimed to be relatives of the suspect said the man, who has a first-grade student at the school, had a "breakdown."

His family members said they took away the man's car keys, but he still managed to make his way to the campus.

Julia Alvaro, who has children ages 8 and 5 at the school, got a call informing her that the building was on lockdown. Both her children were safe, she said.

"It was really overwhelming," she said. "I was just nervous."

Tony Shin contributed to this report.


A 96-year-old retired priest and one-time senior official of the Archdiocese of New York had a trove of child pornography on his computer and showed it to others at the retirement home for priests where he lived, prosecutors alleged on Tuesday.

Monsignor Harry Byrne faces 37 counts of possessing an obscene sexual performance by a child, Bronx D.A. Darcel Clark said in a statement. He allegedly had dozens of photos of girls as young as 8 either posing naked or engaged in sex acts with men.

Prosecutors also allege that Byrne viewed the images "in front of many individuals" at the St. John Vianney Center for Retired Priests, where he lives.

"People at the defendant's residence were subjected to it when they entered his room," Clark said.

He faces four years in prison if convicted of the top charge against him.

Byrne was the chancellor of the archdiocese from 1968-1970, a position that meant he oversaw the central administrative offices and official documents. A spokesman for the archdiocese said it was cooperating fully with prosecutors.

Byrne's attorney said the priest was currently being cared for in a medical facility.

"Monsignor Byrne has dedicated 72 years to charity and church with an unsullied history. He was ordained in 1945. It is difficult to imagine that at the age of 96+, this stellar member of the priesthood knowingly understood and is responsible for the content of the subject on a computer accessible to numerous people," his attorney said in a statement.
The White House is backing chief of staff John Kelly's defense of Confederate monuments and his assertion that the Civil War was caused by a failure to compromise.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters Tuesday that Kelly's calling Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee "an honorable man" was an attempt to point out that "history isn't perfect."

Sanders cited historian Shelby Foote to back up Kelly's claim that the "lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War."

Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La., criticized Kelly, saying he "needs a history lesson" for minimizing the role of slavery in bringing about the Civil War.

Kelly also said in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham that aired Monday night that the removal of monuments to the Confederacy shows "a lack of appreciation of history." The retired Marine Corps general was responding to a question about a Virginia church's decision to remove historical markers for Lee and George Washington.

Kelly said that applying current thinking on social issues to figures in history is "very, very dangerous." He said the Civil War was sparked by "the lack of the ability to compromise."
The head of Puerto Rico's power company said Sunday the agency will cancel its $300 million contract with Whitefish Energy Holdings amid increased scrutiny of the tiny Montana company's role in restoring the island's power system following Hurricane Maria.

The announcement by Ricardo Ramos came hours after Gov. Ricardo Rossello urged the utility to scrap the deal for Whitefish's help in rebuilding the electrical system.

"It's an enormous distraction," Ramos said of the controversy over the contract. "This was negatively impacting the work we're already doing."

The current work by Whitefish teams will not be affected by the cancellation and that work will be completed in November, Ramos said. He said the cancellation will delay work by a couple of months because the government will have to find new companies to help restore power to the island.

Ramos said he had not talked with Whitefish executives about his announcement. "A lawsuit could be forthcoming," he warned.

Whitefish said in a statement Sunday evening that it was "very disappointed" that the governor asked PREPA to cancel the contract, NBC News reported.



Roughly 70 percent of the U.S. territory remains without power more than a month after Maria struck on Sept. 20 as a Category 4 storm with winds of up to 154 mph (245 kph). Ramos said Sunday that the total of cost of restoring the system would come to $1.2 billion.

The cancellation is not official until approved by the utility's board. Ramos said it would take effect 30 days after that.

Ramos said the company already has paid Whitefish $10.9 million to bring its workers and heavy equipment to Puerto Rico and has a $9.8 million payment pending for work done so far

Ramos said cancellation of the contract will not lead to a penalty, but it's likely the government will pay at least $11 million for the company to go home early, including all costs incurred in the month after the cancellation.

Federal investigators have been looking into the contract awarded to the small company from Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's hometown and the deal is being audited at the local and federal level.

Ramos said the company contacted Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority two days before the storm hit, at a time when it was becoming clear the hurricane could cause massive damage.

Ramos earlier said he had spoken with at least five other companies that demanded rates similar to those of Whitefish, but also wanted a down payment the agency did not have.

He said Sunday he hadn't consulted with anyone else about signing the deal and didn't notify the governor's office for a week. He again praised Whitefish's work.

"They're doing an excellent job," he said.

"There's nothing illegal here ... Of that, we're sure," he said, adding that he welcomes a federal investigation. "The process was done according to the law."

Ramos also has said the Federal Emergency Management Agency approved the deal, something the agency has denied.

FEMA said it has not approved any reimbursement requests from the power company for money to cover repairs to the island's electrical system. The contract said the utility would not pay costs unallowable under FEMA grants, but it also said, "The federal government is not a party to this contract."

FEMA has raised concerns about how Whitefish got the deal and whether the contracted prices were reasonable. The 2-year-old company had just two full-time employees when the storm hit, but it has since hired more than 300 workers.

However, Whitefish CEO Andy Techmanski told NBC News that reporting is incorrect, that the company had 20-40 full-time employees working projects in Arizona, Montana and Washington State.



The White House had no comment Sunday. Last week, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the federal government had no role in the process that led to awarding the contract.

"This was something solely determined by the Puerto Rican government," she said Friday.

Rossello said he has requested that crews from New York and Florida come help restore power in Puerto Rico as he criticized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for not meeting its goals. The agency could not be immediately reached for comment.

The governor also announced the appointment of an outside coordinator to oversee the power company's purchase and contracting division.

"If something illegal was done, once again, the officials involved in that process will feel the full weight of the law, and I will take administrative actions," Rossello said.

A Whitefish contract obtained by The Associated Press found that the deal included $20,277 an hour for a heavy lift Chinook helicopter, $650 an hour for a large crane truck, $322 an hour for a foreman of a power line crew, $319 an hour for a journeyman lineman and $286 an hour for a mechanic. Each worker also gets a daily allowance of $80 for food, $332 for a hotel room and $1,000 for each flight to or from the mainland.

The company is based in Whitefish, Montana. Zinke, a former Montana congressman, knows Techmanski, and Zinke's son also had a summer job at a Whitefish construction site.

"I had absolutely nothing to do with Whitefish Energy receiving a contract in Puerto Rico," Zinke recently said in a statement linked to a tweet. "Any attempts by the dishonest media or political operatives to tie me to awarding or influencing any contract involving Whitefish are completely baseless."

Democrats also have questioned the role of HBC Investments, a key financial backer of Whitefish. The Dallas-based company's founder and general partner, Joe Colonnetta, has contributed thousands of dollars to President Donald Trump and other Republicans. Chiames, the Whitefish spokesman, has said that Colonnetta's political donations were "irrelevant" and that the company would cooperate with any federal authorities.

This week, Rep. Rob Bishop, the Utah Republican who heads the House Natural Resources Committee, sent the power company director a letter demanding documents, including those related to the contract with Whitefish and others that show what authority the agency has to deviate from normal contracting processes.

"Transparent accountability at (the power company) is necessary for an effective and sustained recovery in Puerto Rico," his office said in a statement.

A federal control board that oversees Puerto Rico's finances announced this week that retired Air Force Col. Noel Zamot will be in charge of power reconstruction efforts. Rossello and other officials have rejected the appointment, saying the local government is in charge of a power company that is $9 billion in debt and had struggled with outages before hurricanes Irma and Maria last month.
More than 300 Marine recruits have been exposed in an E. Coli outbreak at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego (MCRD), confirmed officials Tuesday.

There are reports of E. Coli exposure at both MCRD San Diego and the command field's training facilities at Edson Range on Camp Pendleton.

As of Oct. 31, diarrheal illness has sickened several hundred out of 5,500 recruits currently training, an MCRD spokesperson said. An investigation is underway to determine the source of the E. Coli bacteria.

Some of the cases are infected with the Shiga toxin causing E. Coli bacteria.

Our immediate focus is identifying, isolating and treating recruits who present symptoms, said Brig. Gen. William Jurney, commanding general of MCRD San Diego and the Western Recruiting Region, in a statement.

In the past week, there were limited cases reported, said the spokesperson. However, the number of cases spiked notably on Monday.

We are working to identify the cause of the sickness, making sure our affected recruits can return to training as soon as possible and continuing training for recruits not influenced," added Jurney.

Ten recruits are currently hospitalized at an off-base medical facility, said the spokesperson. The other cases are being treated aboard the base.

While the command searches for the source of the outbreak, they will implement the following preventative actions:

Recruits with E. Coli symptoms will be isolated to prevent spreading the sickness to their peers.

There will be increased hygiene requirements with an emphasis on handwashing.

MCRD San Diego will undergo extensive cleaning to ensure proper sanitization.

Naval Medical Center San Diego's Preventative Medicine Unit will inspect barracks, chow halls and common areas.

Recruits will receive guidance on how to identify symptoms.

The MCRD will notify families if the outbreak affects a recruit's graduation date due to missed training.

Officials will provide additional updates to keep families informed on Twitter until the outbreak subsides.
A warrant is out for actress Rose McGowan's arrest after luggage police say she left behind on a flight at Washington Dulles International Airport tested positive for narcotics. But the actress is questioning whether the warrant is an attempt to "silence" her.

McGowan is wanted for possession of a controlled substance, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority.

The airport authority says McGowan left personal belongings on United flight 653 after arriving at Washington Dulles International Airport on Jan. 20, 2017. The arrest warrant was obtained Feb. 1, 2017.

McGowan reacted to news of the arrest warrant on Twitter Monday.

"Are they trying to silence me? There is a warrant out for my arrest in Virginia. What a load of HORSES---," she said.

Police have attempted to contact McGowan so she can appear in a Loudoun County, Virginia, court to respond to the charges.

McGowan has become one of the leading voices against sexual assault and harassment in Hollywood in recent months.

At her first public comments since accusing film producer Harvey Weinstein of rape, McGowan said she has been "silenced for 20 years" but won't remain quiet about sexual assault and harassment.

On Twitter, McGowan has amassed supporters and urged them to call out harassment using the #RoseArmy hashtag. McGowan has starred in several films, including "Scream," ''Jawbreaker," and "Planet Terror," as well as the early 2000s television series "Charmed."
Winner to be announced at ceremony next month

Xtrac's Thatcham factory

Two talented apprentices who work in Thatcham have been shortlisted for a prestigious regional apprentice award at this years EEF Future Manufacturing Awards.

Andrew Haysom, 19, a first year apprentice at Xtrac, and Christopher Marrs, 21, a final year apprentice at the Gables Way firm, are both in the running for the awards, sponsored by Siemens.

They were selected along with 10 other apprentices from across the South East, after impressing judges with their hard work, dedication and determination to pursue a career in manufacturing.

The apprentices will find out who has been crowned regional winner at a ceremony taking place at Epsom Downs on November 9. If successful, they will then go on to compete with other regional winners from across the UK for a national title.

This will be announced at an awards gala dinner in London early next year.

Mr Haysom said: Im tremendously pleased to have been shortlisted for this award.

It recognises the dedication and hard work that we all put into our apprenticeships and will hopefully encourage more people to look at getting an apprenticeship.

Im now looking forward to the award ceremony where we will find out how we did.

Mr Marrs said: I found my apprenticeship to be a valuable opportunity to gain and improve my skillset.

I never thought I could learn so much, so quickly.

I am very grateful that I have been recognised for my achievements.

Terry Scuoler, chief executive of EEF, the manufacturers organisation, said: Manufacturing is the cornerstone of British economic success. These awards recognise the important role and contribution of apprentices and go a small way to recognise the hard work, enthusiasm and dedication that they bring to the sector. They are the future of manufacturing so their success is industrys success for years to come.
Xtrac's Thatcham factory

Inflexion Private Equity has agreed the buyout of Thatcham-based Xtrac Ltd, a world leader in the design and manufacture of high-performance transmissions for the motorsport and automotive industry.

Xtrac supplies most of the worlds top motorsport teams in both two and four-wheeled formulae across the globe, from MotoGP to Formula 1TM.

The Gables Way business enjoys strong EBITDA growth; more than 80% of the British manufacturers revenue is generated through exports, particularly for high-performance automotive applications including hybrids and electric vehicles.

Inflexion is backing Xtracs well-established management team, who will remain with the business.

Its investment will help fuel Xtracs future expansion, supporting its rapidly-growing high-performance road car division and increasing Xtracs team of 330 in the UK and US.

Inflexion will support the extension of Xtracs Thatcham factory and purchase of additional world-class machinery, accelerating the development of the next generation of high-end automotive transmission systems and advancing its capabilities in hybrid and electric vehicles.

The fresh investment will see the likely 30,000 sq ft (2,800 sq m) expansion of Xtracs existing 88,000 sq ft (8,200m2) purpose-built Thatcham factory.

Xtrac managing director Adrian Moore said: We are proud of the leading global business Xtrac is today; persistent innovation and exceptional customer service remain our highest priorities.

Inflexion shares our values.

Its investment will accelerate our ambitious growth strategy, developing the next generation of high-end automotive transmission systems and expanding our coverage of the high-performance hybrid and electric car transmission market.

This partnership with Inflexion supports Xtracs ethos of employee ownership, and our team look forward to a new chapter in the continuing development and growth of our company.

The Inflexion deal team comprised John Harper and Henry Arundel, both of whom will join the board at acquisition. Xtrac was advised by Cavendish Corporate Finance LLP.
By Online Desk

The Haryana trial court judge hearing the murder case of Junaid Khan, the teenager who was lynched on a train coming from Delhi in June, has sought action against the state's Additional Advocate General Naveen Kaushik for helping the accused persons in the case.

Additional Sessions Judge YS Rathore, in an interim order on October 25, said the senior law officer was helping the defence counsel in the cross examination of witnesses put forward by the prosecution. He even suggested questions to be put to them, the judge said, according to media reports.

Junaid Khan was stabbed to death on June 22 over a quarrel of sharings of seats on the train in which he travelling with his brother and two cousins. Junaids brother Haseeb said his skull cap was pulled off his head and his beard yanked, while the crowd hurled abuses at the brothers calling them "beef eaters" and "anti-nationals."

Underlining the sensitivity of the case, the court said that "according to prosecution case, one boy of minority community was killed during the quarrel in a train over sharing of seats with passengers of majority community after the deceased was allegedly abused on religious lines

A law officer of the state appearing for the accused "will send a wrong signal and will also create a feeling of insecurity amongst the victim party and will adversely effect the aim of the court to conduct free and fair trial," the judge said.

"This act of Mr. Naveen Kaushik, Additional Advocate General Haryana amounts to professional misconduct and is against legal ethics and highly unbecoming of an Advocate, particularly because he is a Law Officer in the office of Advocate General, Haryana," the judge said.

The Haryana trial court judge hearing the murder case of Junaid Khan, the teenager who was lynched on a train coming from Delhi in June, has sought action against the state's Additional Advocate General Naveen Kaushik for helping the accused persons in the case. Additional Sessions Judge YS Rathore, in an interim order on October 25, said the senior law officer was helping the defence counsel in the cross examination of witnesses put forward by the prosecution. He even suggested questions to be put to them, the judge said, according to media reports. Junaid Khan was stabbed to death on June 22 over a quarrel of sharings of seats on the train in which he travelling with his brother and two cousins. Junaids brother Haseeb said his skull cap was pulled off his head and his beard yanked, while the crowd hurled abuses at the brothers calling them "beef eaters" and "anti-nationals." Underlining the sensitivity of the case, the court said that "according to prosecution case, one boy of minority community was killed during the quarrel in a train over sharing of seats with passengers of majority community after the deceased was allegedly abused on religious lines A law officer of the state appearing for the accused "will send a wrong signal and will also create a feeling of insecurity amongst the victim party and will adversely effect the aim of the court to conduct free and fair trial," the judge said. "This act of Mr. Naveen Kaushik, Additional Advocate General Haryana amounts to professional misconduct and is against legal ethics and highly unbecoming of an Advocate, particularly because he is a Law Officer in the office of Advocate General, Haryana," the judge said.
By ANI

NEW DELHI: External Affair Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday said she was personally monitoring the situation in the incident of attack on Indian students in Milan.

Attack on Indian students in Milan: I have got the detailed report. Pls do not worry. I am monitoring the situation personally. @cgmilan1, Swaraj said in a Tweet.

Indian consulate in Milan said in a Tweet on Monday night that it had received reports of unfortunate incident of attacks on the Indian students in Italys metropolis.

All Indian students are urged not to panic. The consulate is taking up this matter with the highest level of law and order authorities in Milan, it said.

The consulate has also asked students to approach the consulate and spread information among others to avoid recurrence of such incidents.

Attack on Indian students in Milan : I have got the detailed report. Pls do not worry. I am monitoring the situation personally. @cgmilan1  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) 31 October 2017

Attack on Indian students in Milan pic.twitter.com/kY0qwfePm8  India in Milan (@cgmilan1) 30 October 2017

Students are advised to be in touch with each other (particularly when they go out) as well as with the Consulate and spread the information among other students about the areas where they face such incidents so that such areas can be avoided, it further said.

The incident has come at a time when Italy and India reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen bilateral ties during Prime Minister Paolo Gentilonis visit that concluded on Monday.

NEW DELHI: External Affair Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday said she was personally monitoring the situation in the incident of attack on Indian students in Milan. Attack on Indian students in Milan: I have got the detailed report. Pls do not worry. I am monitoring the situation personally. @cgmilan1, Swaraj said in a Tweet. Indian consulate in Milan said in a Tweet on Monday night that it had received reports of unfortunate incident of attacks on the Indian students in Italys metropolis. All Indian students are urged not to panic. The consulate is taking up this matter with the highest level of law and order authorities in Milan, it said. The consulate has also asked students to approach the consulate and spread information among others to avoid recurrence of such incidents. Attack on Indian students in Milan : I have got the detailed report. Pls do not worry. I am monitoring the situation personally. @cgmilan1  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) 31 October 2017 Attack on Indian students in Milan pic.twitter.com/kY0qwfePm8  India in Milan (@cgmilan1) 30 October 2017 Students are advised to be in touch with each other (particularly when they go out) as well as with the Consulate and spread the information among other students about the areas where they face such incidents so that such areas can be avoided, it further said. The incident has come at a time when Italy and India reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen bilateral ties during Prime Minister Paolo Gentilonis visit that concluded on Monday.
Traditionally, the vigil of All Saints was kept in much of Germany as the feast of St Wolfgang, who died on October 31st of the year 994. Our thanks to our friend Jordan Hainsey for providing us with this brief article, as well as the photos, and the recording of an antiphon from the Office of St Wolfgang used at Regensburg, given below.



St Wolfgang with his axe

History of the Office of Saint Wolfgang

Antiphon - Office of Saint Wolfgang

for the Magnificat at First Vespers

Saint Wolfgang (934-994) was born in Swabia, a region in the southwest of Germany, and studied at the Benedictine Abbey of Reichenau before taking up studies in Wurzburg, where he became a teacher at the cathedral school of Trier. His ascetic tendencies led him to join the Benedictines at Einsiedeln, Switzerland, where he was appointed head of the monastery school. Wolfgang was ordained in 968 by St Ulrich, who sent him with a party of monks to preach to the Magyars of Hungary, whose resistance to the faith was a threat to the Empire. In 972, the Emperor Otto II appointed him Bishop of Regensburg; he immediately initiated a reform of the clergy and religious life, preached with vigor and effectiveness, and demonstrated special concern for the poor. As his life drew to a close, Wolfgang became a hermit. He retreated to the Salzkammergut region of Austria, where he dwelt in caves wearing his episcopal ring and carrying his crozier. Inspired to build the first church there, he threw his axe and vowed to build a church on the spot it landed. Three days later he found the axe and built the church on the rocky hill next to the lake, today know as Wolfgangsee. His time as an ascetic life was cut short however; he was so beloved by the Regensburg people that they came and carried him back to be their bishop again. In 994, while traveling in Austria, Wolfgang became sick and died in the village of Pupping. Miracles associated with his tomb, including many healings, led to his canonization in 1052. Several of St Wolfgangs devotees experienced relief from stomach ailments, and he remains a patron saint of such troubles today.Much of the excellent historical research on the early Offices of Regensburgs Saints, including that of Saint Wolfgang, has been undertaken by Dr David Hiley, an accomplished scholar in music history and theory, who serves as a professor at Universitat Regensburg. The earliest extant copy of the Office of St Wolfgang is found in a 15th century manuscript from St Emmerams Monastery in Regensburg. During St Wolfgangs episcopate, there was a renaissance in the production of liturgical manuscripts and music books in Regensburg, including a famous gradual now in the Bamberg Staatsbibliothek.In the 11th century, St Wolfgangs remains were translated to a new crypt in St Emmeram (), and it is likely that a newand liturgical Office were composed for this occasion. The author is likely Otloh, a monk of St. Emmeram who was a prolific writer of Saints lives, and a music theorist. Musicologists have also speculated that it may have been composed by a student of Otlohs at St Emmeram, William of Hirsau, or a monk from the Abbey of Reichenau where Wolfgang studied.Arranged in modal order, the Offices melody employs a Gallican cadence, the liturgical plainchant of the Gallican rite of the Roman Church prior to the advent of Gregorian chant. While the antiphon adheres to a clear tonal structure, it expresses an extraordinary freedom of movement, with quick leaps from one scale segment to another, scale passages through them, and even oscillations.Gaudeat tota virgo mater ecclesia, egregii presulis Vuolfgangi meritis insignibus iocundata; letetur foelix Sueuia, tam suaui prole fecundata. Exulta precipue ciuitas Ratispona, tanti pontificis tui doctrina patrociniis et corpore sacro gloriosa. Cuius sacratissimum votis omnibus recolentes transitum, ejus pium apud dominum deum nostrum iugiter sentire mereamur suffragium.Let the whole Church, our virgin mother, rejoice, delighted by the distinguished merits of the excellent Bishop Wolfgang; let happy Swabia be joyful, made fruitful by so sweet an offspring. Exult especially, o city of Regensburg, made glorious by the teaching of so great a man, your bishop, by his patronage, and by his sacred body. Commemorating his most holy death in all our prayers, may we always merit to experience his holy assistance before the Lord, our God.
Queen Maxima of The Netherlands began her visit to Nigeria which will last for 3 days between the dates of October 31, November 2. Queen Maxima began visits in Lagos city on the first day of her visit. Queen Maxima firstly visited Subol Hospital in Lagos.There, she was informed about how poor people can do their health insurance procedures over their cell phones. That pilot project was started upon the request of PharmAccess which is a non profit organization of the state of Lagos. The Queen wore a yellow Natan dress which she had worn before.
Biden: Deadly missile that hit Poland 'unlikely' to have come from Russia

A missile that landed in Poland and killed two people is unlikely to have been fired from Russia, President Joe Biden said late Tuesday.
In 2017, the Illinois Student Government organized protests against a Chief portrayer who walked in the parade with the Honor the Chief Society. Honor the Chief has an entry in this year's event, thought it's unclear if a portrayer will make an appearance.
Lucknow: A 100-year-old woman died on Monday after being raped by a drunk youth in an Uttar Pradesh village, police said.

The shocking incident was reported from Jaani village in Meerut district where the victim lived with her brother.

The rapist, identified as Ankit Punia, was reportedly in an inebriated state when he attacked the woman. He was trying to escape when her cries were heard by her brother and neighbours who overpowered Punia and handed him over to police, IANS reported.

Police officials said since the woman had died, relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) would be added in the case against the youth.

Punia claimed he was innocent and had not committed any crime.

(With IANS inputs)
New Delhi: The Army has been roped in to help rebuild three foot overbridges (FOB), including the one in Mumbai where a stampede last month killed 23 people, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the press on Tuesday.

His comments came after Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who were in Mumbai on Tuesday, visited the site of the collapse.

The move, however, drew a sharp reaction from Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who implored Sitharaman not to divert defence resources to civilian jobs.

We are taking the Armys help in building a new FOB at the Elphinstone Road station and at two other suburban train stations in Mumbai. I have been informed that the work on these bridges will be completed by January 31, Fadnavis told reporters at the venue.

After his visit, Piyush Goyal, too, tweeted and said, After the unfortunate incident at Elphinstone Rd Station, a report was made for safety of commuters. Now action is being taken #MumbaiThanksArmy. Armed Forces to help in constructing 3 FOBs at Elphinstone Rd, Currey Rd & Ambivali Stations. Work to be done by 31 Jan18 #MumbaiThanksArmy. #MumbaiThanksArmy for coming to the aid of the Nation. Grateful to RM @nsitharaman for immediately responding to our call for help, Goyal tweeted.

After unfortunate incident at Elphinstone Rd Station, a report was made for safety of commuters. Now action is being taken #MumbaiThanksArmy Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) October 31, 2017

Armed Forces to help in constructing 3 FOBs at Elphinstone Rd, Currey Rd & Ambivali Stations. Work to be done by 31 Jan18 #MumbaiThanksArmy Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) October 31, 2017

#MumbaiThanksArmy for coming to the aid of the Nation. Grateful to RM @nsitharaman for immediately responding to our call for help Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) October 31, 2017

Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh, who is also an ex-serviceman, did not take kindly to this development.

Singh tagged both the Indian Army Twitter handle (@adgpi) and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in his tweet and said, The @adgpi job is to train for war, not to be used for civilian works @nsitharaman ji. Dont divert defence resources to civilian jobs. Youre doing what General Kaul did with the 4th Div before 1962 war with China. It will set a very bad precedent. Pls avoid.

The @adgpi job is to train for war, not to be used for civilian works @nsitharaman ji. Dont divert defence resources to civilian jobs(1/2). Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) October 31, 2017
Washington: The Chinese envoy to the US on Monday said that no one could "contain" China now, expressing his displeasure over the formation of an "exclusive club" in the Indo-Pacific region.

Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai was responding to questions on the recent India-centric policy speech by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the decision of the Trump administration to sell to India high-tech military equipment, including state-of-the-art armed drones, and the Japanese proposal of a strategic quadrilateral dialogue involving India and Australia.

"I don't think that the sales of advanced arms would really serve that purpose," Cui said.

Political analysts in the west have described the sale of arms to India as a US move to contain China.

"By the way I don't think anybody would be able to contain China," the Chinese Ambassador asserted in his rare press conference at the Embassy of China here.

The top diplomat was addressing media ahead of US President Donald Trump's visit to China early next month.

Trump is scheduled to embark on a 10-day visit to China. He would also visit Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Cui said China is "open to cooperation among the regional countries" for stability and prosperity.

The relationship between China and India "have been developing quite steadily over the years".

Chinese President Xi Jinping, he said, has always said that Pacific Ocean is large enough to accommodate that development both of China and the US, and the Asia-Pacific region is big enough to accommodate the development of China, India and Japan.

"In this regard I hope all parties will do things conducive to better relations, better mutual trust," he said.

Without mentioning the recent stand-off between India and China, Cui said he does not think that "confrontation" is in the interest of either of the two countries.

"I'm quite confident that both countries have a clear recognition of what will serve their respective interests best," he said, responding to a question on India and the move to have a strategic dialogue involving four countries India, Japan, US and Australia.

Any relationship between any two countries in the region, between any regional country and another country outside of the region should not be a zero sum game, he said when asked about the strengthening of India US relationship, which many say is aimed at China.

"Good relations between China and the US is not at the expense of any other country. The same should be true for relations between US and India and Japan and India," he said.

It is not in the interest of these countries if their aim is to sort of "contain" China, the top Chinese diplomat said. Cui said all the regional countries in the Indo-Pacific have shared interests in greater stability, peace and better prospects for prosperity.

In order to achieve that regional countries have to work together and have to promote closer cooperation among them and maybe establish appropriate regional mechanisms, he said.

As such, China is open to cooperation with all its neighbours so that Asia-Pacific will continue to be a peaceful, stable and prosperous region.

"We are following developments in the region very closely and hopefully other countries will have the same approach as we have," he said, responding to a question on quadrilateral dialogue between India, Japan, US and Australia.

Cui said he does not think that "any attempt to form exclusive clubs in the region following a so-called zero sum approach will help anybody".
New Delhi: Over two years after Supreme Court ordered a CBI probe into the Vyapam scam, the Central Bureau of Investigation has given a clean chit to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

CBI submitted a status report in a Madhya Pradesh court saying there is no basis in the allegations levelled by Digvijaya Singh, that the hard disk seized from the then principal system analyst of Vyapam was tampered to remove the references of CM from it.

CBI, in the status report, has mentioned that the hard disk was sent for forensic examination to the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory, and the report had concluded that there was no tampering in the hard disk.

As per the CFSL report, the disk was last accessed on 15/07/2013, which is three days before it was seized from Nithin Mohindra, the then principal system analyst of Vyapam.

Congress leader and former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, Digvijaya Singh, had moved Supreme Court alleging that the probe agencies tampered with the hard disk to remove references to Chouhan. The court had then ordered CBI to file a status report to the trial court. The CBI has also filed chargesheet against 490 accused in Vyapam case related to irregularities in PMT 2013 exams in Madhya Pradesh.

The Vyapam scam dates back to 2007, with investigations in the case starting after the concerted effort of the whistle blowers in 2013. Officers of the Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (Vyavsayik Pareeksha Mandal, or Vyapam) were allegedly rigging a variety of professional eligibility tests for over 6 years. This was happening in close to 52 entrance exams. It was alleged that over Rs 2000 crore was exchanged as bribes.

The case was initially probed by the Special Task Force of the Madhya Pradesh court, under the monitoring of the High Court. But the Supreme Court handed over the case to the CBI in July 2015 after a slew of petitions alleged bias on part of the state STF.

Two years later, the whistleblowers led by Anand Rai say justice cannot be expected till such a time that the ruling party in state and the Centre remains the same. Rai has now said they will now move Supreme Court again, pointing out the irregularities in the CBI probe.
Beijing: China on Tuesday rejected as "false and untrue" a media report that it was planning to build a 1,000-km long tunnel to divert water from the Brahmaputra river in Tibet close to Arunachal Pradesh to the parched Xinjiang region.

Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post on Monday said that Chinese engineers were testing techniques that could be used to build the tunnel, the world's longest.

"This is untrue. This is a false report," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing when asked about the report.

China will continue to attach great importance to cross- border river cooperation, she said.

According to the report, the proposed tunnel, which would drop down from the world's highest plateau in multiple sections connected by waterfalls, would provide water in China's largest administrative division, comprising vast swathes of deserts and dry grasslands.

The water would be diverted from the Yarlung Tsangpo River in southern Tibet, which turns into the river Brahmaputra once it enters India, to the Taklamakan desert in Xinjiang, the report had said.

India as riparian state has already flagged its concerns to China about various dams being built by it on the Brahmaputra river, which is known in China as Yarlung Tsangpo.

Beijing has been assuring India and Bangladesh that its dams were not designed to storing water.
Chennai: Tamil Nadu capital Chennai has seen light to moderate showers whereas the coastal areas have witnessed heavy rains over the last two days. The Met department has said that Northeast monsoon is set to become severe, and that rains will continue for the next three months.

North Chennai is already inundated and a few low-lying areas, including Anna Nagar, are water-logged. The water level has risen by 1.5 feet at Chembarambakkam Lake. An excessive discharge of water from this lake had led to floods in 2015.

Meanwhile, a wall collapsed in Cuddalore district due to heavy rains leaving one dead.

The AIADMK-led government said that it had taken all the measures and "98% of the problem had been solved already". The government also asserted that it was prepared better than the United States and the United Kingdom.

SP Velumani, minister for municipal administration and rural development, said: "We have taken better steps than US or UK to control floods. Recently, heavy rains lashed London and America, but I assure weve done more work compared to these developed nations."

Activists, however, differ with the view of government, saying that nothing had been done to handle the flood-like situation since the December 2015 deluge.

Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar said: "We have taken necessary measures that were taken by our Amma. Maybe in one or two places, the condition is like what media have indicated. We are having capacities which foreign countries have."

Arrapor Iyakkam, a non-government organisation, has been raising the issue and has held multiple discussions with officials and the PWD department.

Reacting to Ministers' claims, Arappor Iyakkam convenor Jayaram Venkatesan said: "It is only laughable. The government hasn't learned anything from 2015. They haven't released how much funds were allocated, list of waterbodies distilled or list of stormwater drains distilled. They have not addressed the major problems of encroachment, garbage dumping into waterbodies, sewage mixing in waterbodies or distilling of them. Let them first release the list of work done and money spent on flood preparedness."

Dr. S. Balachandran, Director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, said: "In the last 24 hours, 21 places of Tamil Nadu have received heavy rains and 16 places received very heavy rains. According to the next 24-hour forecast, heavy rains are expected in coastal areas of Tamil Nadu."
Chennai: An assistant superintendent of police from Tirunelveli was caught using a Bluetooth device during the civil services (main) examination at Presidency Girls Higher Secondary School in Chennai on Monday.

Shabir Karim, who is an IPS officer on probation, was allegedly talking to his wife, who was reportedly dictating answers to him over the phone from Hyderabad. Both husband and wife are now in police custody.

Shabir Karim was reportedly being dictated the answers over the phone by his wife (Photo: News18).

According to the police, Karim was writing the exam as he wanted to be an IAS officer. He had been selected for the IPS in 2014 and was undergoing training at Nanguneri subdivision of Tirunelveli.

He has been charged under Section 420 of the IPC (cheating and dishonesty). Sources said he was likely to be dismissed as he was still in the probationary period. The police sought the Hyderabad police's help to arrest his wife.
New Delhi: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday chaired a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC). The DAC under Sitharaman approved the procurement of 111 naval helicopters for the Indian Navy. Of these, 95 will be produced in India under the government's 'Make in India' doctrine.

"The DAC approved 111 naval utility helicopters for Indian Navy under Make in India. The country will buy 16 choppers in fly-away condition while 95 will be manufactured at a later stage in the country. The total cost will be Rs 21,738 crore," a Defence Ministry source said.

This means that 16 of these aircraft will be bought from a foreign manufacturer and 95 will be produced in India, possibly under a joint venture between an Indian and foreign manufacturer. In addition to the helicopters, the Defence Minister also approved the procurement of 9 Towed Aray SONAR systems for the Indian Navy vessels. This will help the Indian Navy, a Defence Ministry source said, boost its Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capabilities. The cost of the SONAR system will be Rs 450 crore.

This is the latest in the government's attempts to modernise the Indian Navy and the equipment that it possesses. Recently, India sought to buy US-made Sea Guardian drones for its navy to monitor activities along its coastline, particularly in the Indian Ocean region. The Sea Guardian, the naval variant of the MQ-9 Reaper Drone, has a range of over 1,800 kms and can attain an operational altitude of 50,000 feet. It can operate for 14 hours at a stretch and can attain a maximum speed of 300 kmph. The variant that India is expected to buy cannot carry weapons and can only be used for surveillance purposes.
Disclaimer: Im a white, Italian woman. I lived in India till two years ago. I was 24 and was studying and working as a freelance journalist. I had the chance to travel the country and meet different people in various cities, while also getting to spend time at IIM Lucknow with both Indian and European students.

During those months, I talked with people from different social strata  I interacted with wealthy Indian elite; with taxi drivers, hotel hosts and restaurant waiters; with working Indian women, some of who shared their flats with men. I talked with Indian women working as teachers, researchers and doctors, and talked with fellow tourists from almost every part of the world.

When travelling, I got many chances to talk openly with people about this thing that Indian men have for white women. When I was back in my country, I kept getting updates about India from the news and from my Facebook newsfeed, with the experiences of the folks I had met there, and of my friends, many of them European girls like me. I was following the topic from afar, as I am currently doing with all things regarding India. Soon enough while I was there, I formed my own opinion about it, and after time and distance and thousand discussions I still hold on that position: theres no such thing as the thing Indian men have for white women. I should mention, this has never been the most favoured position in those discussions.

This take on the subject comes from this first realization: being a woman in India is no different from being a woman in many other countries. If you exclude from the conversations cultural peculiarities, the problem of oppressed women in India, at the end of the day, is the same problem that women in Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Egypt, Turkey, to name a few, suffer.

It is a problem that comes from a history of male supremacy and, very broadly speaking, of the sexism that is a common feature of the history of mankind as its been developed in the majority of human societies.

There are differences in the way sexism has been displayed: it would be stupid and even careless to compare sexual violence and rapes to the more subtle and less blatant forms of oppressions that women experience in day-to-day occasions, in the first-world countries such as the one I live in (see this video if you feel like having a very dark laugh about it).

Now addressing the other aspect: being a white woman. To some extent, the extent that excludes the forms of sexism that are specifics of being a woman instead of being a man, being a white woman in India is no different than being a white man in India.

The well-documented case of the white privilege offers a quite accurate, although controversial, view on what any white person who has stayed in his/her life in India at least for some time (and no matter where, if Mumbai or a small town in the heart of Himachal Pradesh) must have experienced for sure.

At some point, you start getting used to the phenomenon: locals want to see you closely, want to touch you, to take a selfie with you, to hear your name and know where you come from. White skin attracts attention in a way thats impossible to stop. Its literally like experiencing a celebrity status.

Is it explained by the attractiveness of white skin per se (a pure matter of taste), or is white skin just the necessary distinctive trait that identifies western people as western  and that where lies the whole phenomenon? Well, theres a thing for white skin admiration in itself and it is well documented in this article. At the very least, its a point to take into account in giving some context to the thing that Indian men have for white women.

According to the circumstances, being a white person in India can be a disadvantage or an opportunity  this doesnt necessarily rule out the existence of the white privilege (I encourage you to consider this whole other point of view as well). But, with no need of mentioning any personal anecdote, its easy to imagine all of the situations in which being recognized as a white person can help  and when, in fact, it totally does not. Again, differences in the way this happens to white men and to white women are, in my view, easily explained by the arguments used in point 1.

Saying there doesnt exist a thing like the thing Indian men have for white women isnt simply saying that Indian women and white women are being treated by Indian men the same way. Im also not saying that the differences in the way white and Indian women are treated are only explained by having a white skin. Theres also a case of the kind of opinion and consideration that Indian men have for white women, isnt it? A case that is linked to the fact that many Indian men think white women are more open-minded and sexually uninhibited, therefore pliable to their harassments  where with harassment I include each and every episode of it, starting from being stared at in a very straightforward and obsessive way while walking on the streets.

What is that is feeding this belief? Is it the clothing and costumes of western women? Is it based on Indians personal and direct experiences, in western countries or with western tourists? Does it come from Hollywood and/or from porn and/or media in general? It could be all of these reasons together, and many other reasons that have not been considered yet. I dont think I have a unique explanation, at the same way I dont have an explanation on why in Italy theres a common belief regarding Indians being very spiritual people, and Germans being cold, and Americans being greedy or practical.

I dont know exactly how stereotypes are formed, but its on this I would focus the attention in trying to understand why Indian men are more open to white women in expressing their sexual appetite - because theres a largely diffused stereotype about it, as with many other stereotypes that every country has in respect of any other country in the world (stereotypes in India make no exception of course, and they are different according to the country feeding them).

Moreover, it is utterly important to underline that Indian men are not the only ones feeding this stereotype - the same opinion of the easy sexual availability of western women is obviously shared by Indian women as well (yes: in this, Indian women are no different from all others).

Its easy to take this point of view (the idea that there is no thing Indian men per se have for white women per se) as a way to undermine violence, rapes and general harassments that many are experiencing every day. I personally believe there is the risk in making the phenomenon look simpler than it is. But I dont think I have the expertise to analyse it in all of its facets and complexity  I think, though, that before going down to the peculiarities, there is the need of looking at it as an instance of something that shouldnt be seen as an Indian-specific matter only.

About the thing, as I have seen it and experienced it and eventually understood it, inside India and outside it  I was familiar with it before experiencing it in India. And definitely expected it.

 Author is Digital Specialist at Ogilvy & Mather. Views expressed are personal
Mumbai: The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Tuesday criticised BJP leader Subramanian Swamy over his reported statement that the party chief Raj Thackeray's ancestral roots are in north India.

Swamy made the remarks while delivering a lecture in neighbouring Thane district on Sunday night. The BJP MP reportedly referred to the autobiography of the late Keshav Thackeray, Raj Thackerays grandfather of, while making the statement, PTI reported.

MNS, which projects itself as the sole guardian of the interest of Marathi manoos, has undertaken an aggressive 'drive' against hawkers outside suburban railway stations in Mumbai in the wake of the Elphinstone Road foot overbridge (FOB) stampede in September, which claimed 23 lives.

MNS leader Rajesh Kadam, who attended Swamy's lecture, said he confronted the BJP leader over his remarks.

"Raj Thackeray has objected the presence of illegal hawkers who create a nuisance at railway stations. Mumbai is already over-crowded, but no action is taken against illegal hawkers, which leads to mishaps like the Elphinstone Road," he said.

Kadam said he asked Swamy to prevail upon the BJP government in Centre as well as in Maharashtra to remove illegal hawkers and make Mumbai a clean and better living place.

"There was no need to dig up Thackeray's ancestral issue. We are opposing only illegal hawkers and not entire community of hawkers," he said.
Srinagar: Separatist Kashmiri leaders on Tuesday declared that they won't entertain any talks with the Indian government's interlocutor, Dineshwar Sharma, and called his appointment "a new tactic" by New Delhi.

In a statement, issued by the Joint Resistance Leadership, leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik, rejected any possibility of engaging in parleys with former Intelligence Bureau chief.

"To be part of this so-called dialogue process would be a futile exercise for any Kashmiri since this new tactic has been adopted by the Indian government after its failure to crush the aspirations of the freedom loving people through military repression," they said.

The statement added: "In principle we have always advocated and supported sincere and productive dialogue as a means to resolve the conflict in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Our stand on dialogue requires the basic acknowledgment that there is a dispute that has to be resolved.

"The Indian government has continuously refused to accept this basic premise and the reality on the ground."

Reacting to the opposition to Congress leader P. Chidambaram's suggestion for greater autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir, the statement said: "Even the assertion by their own leaders on restoration of autonomy to the state has been rejected by the Indian government although the same is guaranteed by their own constitution."

The leaders took strong exception to Sharma's statement that Jammu and Kashmir has to be saved from becoming another Syria.

The statement said: "To compare the internationally recognized 70-year-old political and humanitarian issue of Kashmir to that of the sectarian war and power struggle in Syria is deception and propaganda as there is no relation between the two situations."

(With IANS inputs)
The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show features some of the most famous models on the planet. This highly anticipated annual fashion event will be broadcast on CBS on November 28. At the 2017 VSFS in Shanghai, the Victoria's Secret Angels (the creme de la creme of the modelling world) and some newer faces will be showing off the brand's latest creations along with the looks resulting from its collaboration with Balmain. With the show just over a month away, let's take a look at ten models expected to be there.

Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio, two veterans of the show

These two Brazilian models will inevitably be part of the event this year, as they are directly associated with the Victoria's Secret brand. Adriana Lima has been an Angel for 17 years, and has worn the iconic Fantasy Bra on three occasions, which means she will be a very special guest in Shanghai.

A number of other established Angels are expected to return this year, including Lily Aldridge, who wore the Fireworks Fantasy Bra in 2015, and Candice Swanepoel who wore the Royal Fantasy Bra in 2013.

The Hadid sisters in the spotlight

They aren't Victoria's Secret Angels, but their presence at the VSFS is essential, so symbolic are they in the fashion industry at the moment. With a respective 36.1 million and 15.2 million Instagram followers, Gigi and Bella Hadid are wildly popular, and hugely in demand for catwalk work and photo shoots, meaning they will no doubt be part of the event on November 28. It will be the third VSFS for the elder Hadid sister and the second for Bella.

Names such as Maria Borges, Blanca Padilla, Cindy Bruna, Dilone and Alanna Arrington are less well known to the general public, but they are all highly successful models who will take their place at the VSFS in China.

Every year a few newcomers emerge, and 2017 is no exception. They include Alexina Graham, which is already part of the Balmain Army and will no doubt make her mark on the catwalk, and Mayowa Nicholas who is well on her way to stardom.
The US State Department has announced that it has warned its citizens of the risks of travelling to Niger due to "terrorist activity, kidnappings and high rate of crime" there.

US citizens should avoid travel to Niger's border regions with Libya, Mali, Nigeria and Chad because of "activity by various extremist groups", said a State Department statement.

It said the threats were coming from the terror groups Al Qaeda, Islamic State, Boko Haram and others, Xinhua news agency reported.

Due to these security concerns, some organisations, including foreign companies, non-governmental and private aid organisations, have suspended operations in Niger, the statement added.

The travel warning came after four US soldiers were killed in an ambush in Niger in October earlier.
Los Angeles: Salman Khan-starrer Tiger Zinda Hai has been shot across five different countries, but each location lent itself to a turning point in the film's story, says director Ali Abbas Zafar.

Shot across various destinations in Austria, Greece, Morocco, Abu Dhabi and India, the sequel of Kabir Khan's Ek Tha Tiger will bring back Ek Tha Tiger Salman and actress Katrina Kaif as intelligence agents Tiger and Zoya, who travel to five different countries, fighting against the odds to fulfill their life-threatening mission.

"To meet the scale of the film, we had to travel to four different countries for different reasons. Certain landscapes needed to become a part of the film, so we had to go to Austria to get the snow-covered mountains. We also had to go to Morocco to feature crucial fight sequences of horseback riding. The country's landscape and topography brings a certain texture to these sequences," Zafar said in a statement.

"It also has horses trained for some fight sequences, as many Hollywood films like Troy, and Mummy Returns. Greece was absolutely picturesque and was the perfect location to shoot the celebratory anthem Swag se karenge sabka swagat'.

"Abu Dhabi gave us desert terrain. We got great support from the Abu Dhabi government be it locations, production, army and air-force requirement. They helped us create larger than life action drama sequences. We also shot a couple of scenes in North and South block, Delhi. Overall, each location has huge significance and is part of turning points in the film's script," he added.

The Yash Raj Films project is slated to release on December 22.
Mumbai: Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan will star in political satire series The Ministry, set to stream worldwide on Amazon Prime Video next year.

The series is created by Gursimran Khamba of AIB, and Irrfan will play a washed-up narcissistic Bollywood actor who is unwittingly appointed as temporary culture minister and battles various odds to be loved by the audiences once again.

"I am looking forward to this great collaboration with Amazon and AIB, both have content that makes me very excited to work with them. It will be a great experience to be working on this show which will be very topical and funny and will release globally on Amazon Prime Video," Irrfan said in a statement.

The actor has collaborated with AIB earlier on some comedy projects, such as spoof music video "Bollywood Party Song."

"Irrfan told us that he wanted to be part of this show when he first heard about it. But because of certain complications, it didn't work out. Then one night I met him at a party where he took me aside, stared into my eyes and said 'I want this'. And we all know how hard it is to resist Irrfan's eyes," Gursimran said.

Irrfan will next be seen in Tanuja Chandra's Qarib Qarib Single.
Kapil Sharma has been in the news for all the wrong reasons but the comedian-turned-actor is on a pursuit to make things better for himself. The actor, who is all geared up for his upcoming film Firangi, visited Shirdi to offer prayers and seek blessings for the film's success.

Kapil was accompanied by his girlfriend Ginni Chatrath and film's director Rajeev Dhingra. And while the rumour mills were abuzz that the two have parted ways, the photos of their public outings narrate a different tale.

Image: Yogen Shah

In the recent round of media interactions, Kapil poured his heart out on all the controversies that have surrounded him in the recent past including his infamous mid-air brawl with friends and colleagues Sunil Grover, Ali Asgar and Kiku Sharda.

Image: Yogen Shah

The film which is all set to release on November 24 also stars Ishita Dutta, Monica Gill, Edward Sonnenblick alongside the actor.
Los Angeles: The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has announced that Kevin Spacey will not receive the Emmy award, which was scheduled to be conferred on the actor this year in wake of the sexual allegations against him by Anthony Rapp.

The institution announced on its Twitter account that it has revoked the 2017 International Emmy Founders Award that the veteran actor was up for. "The International Academy has announced that in light of recent events it will not honour Kevin Spacey with the 2017 International Emmy Founders Award," the tweet read.

The International Academy has announced that in light of recent events it will not honor Kevin Spacey with the 2017 Intl Emmy Founders Award Intl Emmy Awards (@iemmys) October 30, 2017

In June, it was announced that the actor would be recognised for his contribution to cinema and arts surpassing barriers as "one of the great multi-dimensional talents" at the 45th International Emmy Awards Gala on November 20 to be held in New York City.

It was also announced that Neflix has cancelled popular political drama "House of Cards", with Spacey in the lead as Frank Underwood, amid sexual misconduct claims by Rapp, 46.

The Star Trek: Discovery actor had revealed in an interview that was abused by Spacey when he was 14 at a party thrown by the latter years ago. Rapp claims after the party was over the Oscar winner picked him up and climbed on top of him in a sexual advance.

Spacey issued an apology in a statement saying that he "does not remember" any such encounter but he is "sorry" if he behaved in such a manner under the influence of alcohol. The veteran actor also came out as gay, which earned him brickbats for trying to divert the attention from the allegations of sexual abuse.
Mumbai, Oct 30 (IANS) Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan says he had a desire to be a part of the upcoming "Ittefaq" but could not due to his busy schedule. However, he feels happy to be a part of it as a producer.

At a press conference of the film on Monday, Shah Rukh told media: "I wanted to be a part of 'Ittefaq' as an actor, but I couldn't manage time. I was shooting for 'Raees' and 'Fan' at that point of time, so physically it was exhausting. But I am very happy that the way (director) Abhay (Chopra) adapted the script, changed a bit to make it relevant in today's time... he has done a great job, I hope Insh' Allah people will love the film, once it released."

Shah Rukh's role was later offered to Akshaye Khanna who did it.

Shah Rukh, who was in conversation with co-producer Karan Johar, expressed his excitement of collaborating with him all over again as after some iconic films like "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai", "Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum", "My Name Is Khan", and "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna" among others, they have not worked together for a long time.

Annoyed by the speculation if they have any problem in their relationship, Shah Rukh said: "There is some relationship in our life that does not need explanation and mention of how much I love Karan and how we are bonded. Every time if he is doing a film without me, such questions arise.

"As the actor-director duo, if we are doing a film, we should be happy to do it, we should feel excited about the story otherwise, we can say no to each other, without fearing anything about our relationship."

"For one and for all I want to say it on record, I never ever had any problem with Karan Johar and I love him unconditionally. We are a family and we will grow old together and may be at the age of 105, on our wheelchair, we will promote the film in one of such platform, maybe we won't be able to work together but the love, the brotherhood will always be there. If any day, Karan is in any trouble, I will be the first person to stand by him," he added.

"Ittefaq", featuring Sidharth Malhotra, Akshay and Sonakshi Sinha, is releasing on November 3.
New Delhi: In May this year, fresh after losses in the Punjab Assembly Polls and Delhis civic polls, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) averted a crisis after founding-member and senior leader Kumar Vishwas expressed his displeasure with the partys direction.

As a compromise, the party suspended Okhla MLA Amantullah Khan, who had called Vishwas a BJP agent, and made Vishwas in-charge of the party organization in poll-bound Rajasthan.

Five months on, and just two days before the partys National Council Meeting, the AAP revoked Khans suspension. That has triggered a fresh reaction from Vishwas, who is unhappy with the decision.

Vishwas spoke to News18 in an exclusive interview and spoke of how he felt betrayed by senior party leaders in the past and why he thinks the AAP has lost sight of its values.

AAP MLA Amantullah Khan called you a BJP agent. The party first suspended him and then revoked his suspension. What are your thoughts on this move?

Amanatullah is a leader who has come from the LJP and has been accused of spreading communal hatred. I dont even want to comment on him. He is just a mask. Six months ago I went to a leader, who had joined us from another party. I said that one of our oldest volunteers, who had been with us since the Anna days, was upset with him. That leader told me, these Anna guys are a nuisance and we should make a separate party for them. I told him that this party was created by Annas people and you have joined later. I have always been an advocate of going back to basics.

People loved us because we brought alternative politics. We dont do what other parties do. We shouldnt put pictures of leaders on our posters. We shouldnt look at caste or religion calculations. For example, in the 2013 polls, we fielded Shazia Ilmi from RK Puram, a so-called Hindu seat, and from Mustafabad, a so-called Muslim seat, we fielded Kapil Dhama. People liked it. I disagree with the party on certain national issues but that doesnt mean I am a rebel. This is internal party democracy if I can voice my opinion on the party forum. The party should learn to listen to differing voices instead of stifling them.

You said Amanatullah Khan is just a mask and there is someone else behind him. Who are you referring to? Are you pointing at Arvind Kejriwal?

The people understand everything. I will not point at anyone. Our volunteers and supporters know everything.

How have your relations with Arvind Kejriwal been?

I believe personal relations between leaders shouldnt influence the partys affairs. I wont be able to talk about this on a public platform. But what I will say is that those who have been with us since the days of the Anna movement should be fearless and speak the truth. They should say what is right and what is wrong.

Is Kejriwal not speaking the truth?

He isnt saying anything. I havent heard any statements from him in recent times. But I will keep speaking on all issues. If the External Affairs Minister goes to the UN and exposes Pakistan, I will praise her no matter what. I will stand with her. This is despite the fact that Sushma Ji has blocked me on Twitter after an argument we had. But if girls are beaten up in BHU and the Prime Minister is sleeping, I will also speak out against the government.

So how do you react when people in your own party call you a BJP agent?

I have never been a member of any other party. Those who say this about me have been followers of leaders in other parties like Samajwadi Party and Congress. We even have a person who has been an RSS member for the last 40 years. Now these people will tell me what loyalty to the party is all about?

The National Council meeting of the AAP is on November 2. What direction do you hope the party will take?

The agenda of the NC meeting is pretty clear. Sanjay Singh Ji will speak on the economic situation of the country and Ashutosh Ji will speak on political resolutions. This is the first NC meeting in which I am not a speaker, so I will go as a listener. If the party asks me to say something, I will. In the future, we will have to go back to basics. We will have to go back to our values of zero tolerance against corruption, principles of Swaraj and inner-party consensus.

Many of the original founding-members of the AAP have now left the party, but you have stayed. Do you think the party has lost its way? And if so, is it damaged beyond repair?

No, it is not damaged beyond repair. But it would be wrong to say that this is the same party that we founded. People used to respect us, but many of them dont anymore. We will have to sit and discuss why we have lost the peoples respect. After the Delhi Assembly elections, we have lost seven elections. We only won the Bawana bypoll. The people who went out could not handle the attack on their personal dignity. They should have stayed in the party and fought.

Do you think people who left the AAP should come back?

I keep meeting people who went out and tell them to come back. I tell them that it is their movement. They tell me that it was a mess. I tell them that the mess has to be cleaned and we will all have to do it together. Some of the most brilliant people in India were in this party. People saw us and thought this is how a party should be.

What about Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushan?

I havent had much contact with them. Prashant Ji and I are polar opposites in terms of our ideology. I am Centre-Right and he is a staunch leftist. But I have always been a fan of his fearlessness, his ability to fight and his honesty. I may disagree with the way he implements some of his ideas, but I do respect him. Till the last moment, I tried to get them to stay. I want that everyone who loves this country and fights for it should come back to the party.

It could be argued that you are doing all this now to build pressure on the party so that you get a Rajya Sabha ticket.

I have never held any post and I have never taken anything from the party. I have only given to AAP. If I get a ticket, its all good. If I dont, then that is fine too. Everything is in Gods hands. I have been raising issues related to the party ever since the Punjab elections. Other people said that we lost Punjab because of EVMs. I said that EVMs are only one of the reasons why we lost. But there were reasons of our own. We have to look at those.

Were you given charge of Rajasthan just so that you could be placated?

I did not ask for Rajasthan, it was zabardasti (forcibly) given to me. I told them give me charge of a part of the organizational structure. I wanted to be in charge of communications. I said I would handle social media and show these BJP spokespersons in TV debates what AAP is made of. They said no, Ashutosh will look at that. I was fine with that because he is senior. They then asked me to take charge of a state. I said fine, give me Delhi. They said no. Then I said, give me Punjab where I can prepare the ground for the next five years so that we have a chance of coming to power there. They said no and gave me Rajasthan, a state where we had no presence. Today, in a matter of a few months, we have reached a powerful position in Rajasthan. In the recent University elections, CYSS (AAP student wing) got 50 seats.

Was this a way to sideline you?

People say this was Amethi Part 2. In 2014, the party told me that we are being accused of being pro-Congress. So they asked me to contest against Rahul Gandhi. I said I wont contest elections, even my wife was telling me not to. Senior leaders came to my house and convinced me to contest. They said they would all camp out in Amethi and campaign for me. But nobody came. They all went to Varanasi. I still did not back down and forced a tough contest on Rahul Gandhi. People said Rajasthan is Amethi Part 2. But I take this as a test, in which I have to succeed.

How is AAP Rajasthan, which you head, different from the AAP in other places?

In Rajasthan, the volunteer is running the party. See the posters and banners there. My face is not on them. I do not lead the rallies. This is a painful process, but it has to be done.

Is the link between you and Arvind Kejriwal weakening? Is there a communication gap?

Whoever is the head of the family has to take everyone along. I hope my party does the same thing. Many people left the party and yes, it was their loss too. But it was a much bigger loss to the party.
Lucknow: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav suggested to the Centre on Tuesday to print a new series of Indian currency notes with images of "great freedom fighters" on them.

"A new series of Indian currency notes should be printed and pictures of great freedom fighters should be printed on them," he said.

Yadav was addressing party workers on the occasion of the 142nd birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the party headquarters in Lucknow.

Recalling the contributions of Patel, India's first home minister, the SP chief said, "While remembering him, the map of India automatically comes to our mind."

"He played a crucial role in unifying the country. He was termed Sardar and people had trust in him," Yadav added.
Bengaluru: As the two top filmstars of Tamil Nadu dilly-dally over whether they have political ambitions or not, popular Kannada film actor Upendra on Tuesday announced the launch of a political party on Tuesday.

The party will be called 'Karnataka Pragnyavatha Janata Paksha' (KPJP) - roughly translated, it means the party of aware (politically, socially aware) people  Upendra announced.

Known as 'Real Star' and 'Uppi' by his fans, Upendra had announced in mid-August that he has political ambitions too and would start off by inviting ideas from people  that he was a staunch believer not in 'rajakiya' (politics) but in 'prajakiya' - a people's movement on strong democratic values. He had invited people to send him ideas on how to implement his ideas by opening up three e-mail ids where they could directly write to him.

It was not the launch of the party that got people worried  the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was left squirming by a video that was made by his fans that interspersed a popular song of Uppi's called 'Bari Olu' (Kannada slang for 'Just lies').

The song put together statements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi  on issues like Rs 15 lakh for all Indians by bringing back black money, responding to Pakistan in their own language, increasing employment opportunities for everyone, support price for farmers and 'ache din aa gaye'. The video morphed in the 'Bari Olu' lines at the end of each statement of the Prime Minister's and went viral on social media  riling up the BJP Karnataka unit enough to lash out at Uppi's political message.

"Anyone can launch a political party, but to make such derogatory remarks on the Prime Minister on the first day is not good. We may even look at taking legal steps," said party MP and spokesperson Shoba Karandlaje.

Karnataka has elected actors before  Umashri is a Cabinet Minister, while 'Rebel Star' Ambarish has been a Minister in the Congress before. There are others like Jaggesh and Jayamala who have identified themselves with different political parties.

This, however, will be the first time an actor is launching his own party.

While saying that accountability in politics would be what he focuses on, Uppi said he would want his party cadre to work towards major reforms in all sectors. "Education is one sector that needs a complete transformation. Our current system is such that we are studying hard and working hard to serve some foreign company. We are creating labourers only. We need to change that," Uppi told a packed news conference at the Gandhi Bhavan in Bengaluru.

If an MLA is elected, nobody pins him down to his election promises  and in fact, there is nothing anyone can do much about unkept promises, he pointed out.

"We want to work at a micro-level. If, in a constituency, a candidate wants to contest, he must have clear ideas what projects he wants to implement, what problems in that area he wants to address. What is practical with funds available? He must have documents on this. And should have done his research," he said.

He said about 60 to 70 candidates have already expressed interest in contesting from his party (Karnataka has 224 Assembly constituencies and will go to polls in mid-2018.)

"I have told them, you don't need money power or any such thing. If you have good, strong ideas, I will back you. I will get you the publicity you need," Uppi said.

The ruling Congress has been dismissive of his political foray. "It is election season. Such parties spring up during elections and disappear too," said Congress president G Parameshwara.

Uppi has earlier been known for films filled with political messaging  such as 'A,' 'Super', 'Uppi2', 'H2O', 'Auto Shankar' and 'Raktha Kanneeru'. In 'Super', he played the part of a Chief Minister too.
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday announced the name of Prem Kumar Dhumal as its chief ministerial candidate for the election to Himachal Pradesh assembly. A two-time chief minister, Dhumal's name was declared by BJP president Amit Shah himself.

The BJP had, in the past few elections, not declared its chief ministerial candidates. The cases in point are Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where the party waited until the results were out.

Speaking to News18, earlier in the day, Dhumal had dropped a hint that he would emerge as the party pick for the CM post. The 73-year-old leader will now challenge Congress' Virbhadra Singh in a direct fight to be held on November 9.

Two years away from BJPs disqualifying age limit of 75 years, Dhumal said he will cross the river when he gets there.

This is the second instance, in the last one year, wherein the BJP has, for caste and political considerations, had to lower the age bar to accommodate a septuagenarian leader. In Karnataka, too, the party has had to back Lingayat heavyweight B S Yeddyurappa as the CM nominee.

Dhumal attacked the current Congress-ruled regime in the hilly state, saying it was the worst-performing government. There has been a total halt on developmental works. There has been corruption and the law and order machinery has broken down. Dev Bhoomi is a drug Bhoomi now, and there are mafias everywhere - forest, liquor and transfer mafias, Dhumal alleged.

Dhumals elder son Anurag Thakur - a Member of Parliament - is actively campaigning for the BJP from the Una constituency.

However, hitting out at the "dynasty system" in the Congress in which Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's son Vikramaditya is contesting from Shimla Rural while Virbhadra has shifted to the Arki constituency, Dhumal said that dynasties that didn't take merit into consideration were faulty.

Dynasties are there in politics, but to give tickets only on the basis of family relations is a problem. If someone gets tickets on their own merit but happens to be related to a political family, that cannot be a reason for disqualification, Dhumal added.

When asked about the effect of demonetisation and GST on Himachal Pradesh voters, Dhumal said the effect had been negligible. Demonetisation did not have even a single protest in Himachal Pradesh. As far as the GST is concerned, compensation limit has been increased to one crore rupees and filing of returns has been returned to a quarterly schedule, Dhumal said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is once again expected to play a crucial role, for he was the state in-charge of Himachal Pradesh BJP from 1994 to 2000, and understands the state better than many within the BJP.
New Delhi: Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and his social media reincarnation are huge topics of interest. Some on social media platforms think this is a frivolous debate, but the sheer number of people talking and tweeting about it is overwhelming.

Unfortunately for Rahul Gandhi, the talk around him is incidental. The real interest is in Mr. Pidi. On Sunday, Rahul, seemingly fed up of speculation on whether a funny and quirky tweeter from @OfficeOfRG was actually him, tweeted out a video of his dog Pidi and credited the canine for the buzz his tweets are creating.

Social media did what it does best  take the video viral. Memes came up and Congress spokespersons queued up to explain how their leaders awww moment on social media was normal. The BJP was, frankly, a little confused. Dial-a-byte netas criticised Rahul Gandhi instantly, while others tried to figure out what had happened.

I am not arguing whether Rahul should or should not have a funny bone. In fact, I feel there is no dispute here. Politicians must be funny. They must know how to use wit. In fact, the sign of a mature and healthy democracy is when people start criticising and, more importantly, when they withstand criticism.

And it becomes even better if they use humour in the process.

Rahul Gandhi's big social media punar janam (reincarnation) is worth appreciating. The man has now started quipping, he has started sharing pictures and videos.

A prominent Right-wing social media influencer Sonam Mahajan quips, Rahul has always been funny. We must thank him for the comic relief he provides to all every day.

Rahul has even personalised his social media connect. For instance, I have always recalled Rahul Gandhi call his mother the Congress president. Recently, he tweeted to publically call her Ma, a huge departure from past. And a pleasant one.

So who is the real Rahul Gandhi? Is this the real Rahul or was the earlier reticent Rahul the real one?

This is the real one. He has always been a very witty person, says lawyer Shehzad Poonawala, who represents the pro-Congress camp in television debates.

But there is another side to this debate. The biggest criticism of Rahul Gandhi's brand of politics is inconsistency, particularly his vanishing act.

Between June 13 and July 1, Rahul Gandhi was away in Italy to meet his grandmother. This was in the middle of a heated political debate on the Goods and Services Tax (GST). He was also widely criticised for being away in the US for 11 days to talk about artificial intelligence when clearly that wasnt exactly in the Indian mind space. And who can forget Rahul being away for about two months in the backdrop of the 2014 Lok Sabha election debacle? Not to forget his poor attendance in Parliament which has been a matter of irritation for a few within the Congress as well.

So the question being asked is this  will he be consistent?

A person who works very closely in the AICCs social media and digital communications team, headed by Divya Spandana, says: Media blows hot and cold on him. Hes been consistent. Listen to his speeches from 2014 onwards. Be it demonetisation, GST, Make in India, farm loan waiver or land acquisition  he stood his ground and spoke the truth to power despite being trolled, abused and criticised by the media. He has built trust and credibility over the years. People realise that now.

The BJP is not amused. Party spokesperson Nalin Kohli feels what he is doing in politics is the real joke.

Politics is about serving people. It calls for a consistent and serious commitment for one to rise above personal aspirations. Its best left to the wisdom of the electorate to decide whether they will approve or disapprove of Mr Rahul Gandhi's new approach of treating a mission to serve them like a joke, Kohli says.

The Grand Old Party most certainly requires a social media overhaul.

Sample this: the BJP has 7.2 million followers on Twitter. The Aam Aadmi Party is at 4.1 million. The Congress is trailing at 2.9 million. If we talk individuals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stands tallest at 36 million followers. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is at 12.5 million. Here, too, Rahul is lagging at 4 million.

Also, we can safely say that Rahul Gandhi is a terribly slow learner. Twitter has been in India since 2006. The first Indian user was Naina Redhu, a photographer and brand specialist. She joined Twitter on July 13, 2006.

Rahul Gandhi joined on May 7, 2015, and that too as the Office of RG. Clearly, the intention was to use his handle @OfficeofRG as an information dissemination tool. A Twitter handle that will robotically dole out information, which will have no heart and soul. That seems to be changing now.

Credit for the larger social media strategy must go to Divya Spandana. The INC social media team has been infused with vigour and a new sense of purpose and direction. Not just Office of RG, but even the official INC Twitter handles and State Pradesh Congress Committee handles have seen tremendous response from those who were not party supporters until now, says Shehzad Poonawala.

Consistency aside, is wit and humour on social media alone enough to propel the Congress into becoming a force to reckon with? Can wit win elections? Can a punny and funny Rahul Gandhi win 2017, 2018 & 2019? Will GIFs, JPEGs and videos be Rahuls new election warriors?

Priyanka Chaturvedi, a social media influencer-turned-Congress spokesperson, says: This is not the only way he is communicating with people. He is out there on the ground talking to people and taking feedback, unlike the Prime Minister who does not like questions coming from the people or from the media.

Sonam Mahajan has a different take. If he is running for the Comic Person of the Year award, then yes, he will surely win elections. But in politics, I dont think he has any future. Probably he has realised that and thats why he is chilling out. There is a basic difference between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi. The Prime Minister cannot pass comedy for something serious.

Shehzad finds this argument flawed.

You can't view humour alone as a strategy for direct political and electoral gains. You can't say X is funny, hence he will win an election based on that. That is not what is happening here. Humour, wit and presence of mind are reflective of a political growth, maturity and evolution in any leader especially in a democratic country. Today, Rahul Gandhi is demonstrating a certain quality that global leaders like Lincoln, Churchill, Nehru were known for  their self-deprecating humour and quick wittedness which showed they were tolerant, intelligent and astute.

Until Rahuls next tweet then
Bhopal: Union minister Uma Bharti, the long-time political detractor of Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on Tuesday termed his constant comparison with the US an evidence of inferiority complex among Indians.

Chouhan recently said MP roads were better than those in Washington, and Bhopal and Indore were cleaner than many cities in America. While praising MP CMs work on road infrastructure, Bharti said, I did not say this to please CM Shivraj. One thing which pained me immensely was that we consider ourselves inferior.

Its deeply engrossed in Indian mindset that Angrezi (English), Angreziat (Western culture) are superior to us and the US is the best country in the world, said Bharti, who has been on the opposite end to CM Chouhan ever since the latter took over reins of Madhya Pradesh in 2005.

Referring to Rameshwaram pillars and Ajanta Ellora caves, Bharti hailed Indian architecture as the best in the world. I have seen the US earlier where ghettos had African people brought there and sold like vegetables, and inhuman treatment meted out to Red Indians, said the minister, adding in the same breath that US was a good friend and mentor to India on certain issues.

The enmity between her and CM Chouhan is an open secret as he has kept her away from MP politics since November 2005.

Bharti, after leading BJP to landslide win in 2003 Assembly polls, was asked to step down by the party following a court case and was succeeded by Babulal Gaur who too could not last long at the CM House. The party then crowned a relatively inexperienced Shivraj Singh Chouhan in 2005, who has ruled the state for 12 consecutive years.

Bharti was in the state capital enroute to Amarkantak on completion of her 25 years of sanyas.

When asked to comment on Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singhs Narmada Parikrama, Bharti said, Even I would participate in religious fest (Bhandara) in the end, if he invites me.

On Rahul Gandhis onslaught against Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of Gujarat elections, she said, A politics of jealousy and envy wont do them any good.

Rahul Gandhi needs to understand, he does not need to fight PM Modi but fight his own non-serious image, she added.

Commenting on Patidar leader Hardik Patels prospects in Gujarat polls, Bharti praised the fighting spirit of Hardik and former JNU Students Union head Kanhaiya Kumar but said the young leaders should have remained apolitical. They think speaking against PM Modi would earn them TRPs, but this wont earn them any public support ever.

Calling Ram Mandir construction the biggest dream of her life, the Union minister said initially the fight was whether it was the birthplace of lord Ram and the three-judge bench in 2010 had resolved it saying the middle dome belongs to the deity. Now the dispute is on construction of the structure and acceptability would be required to be evolved, irrespective of the fact that the temple is built on legal intervention, mutual understanding or mediation.
New Delhi: The Congress on Wednesday dubbed spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar a "government agent" who is representing its interests in the Ram Temple dispute in Ayodhya.

"Sri Sri is representing the government interests," Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said when asked about the mediation being done by the Art of Living Foundation head in the Ram Temple issue in Ayodhya.

The Congress leader said the Supreme Court had made it very clear that a settlement was possible, but he asked as to who had appointed people like the Art of Living Foundation chief to take charge.

"Now the whole issue is, if they are government agents working towards this, I think that defeats the very purpose the Supreme Court mentioned," the Congress leader said. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has offered to mediate in the Ram Temple row for an out-of-court settlement, to which the Supreme Court is not averse.

Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi met Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on the Ayodhya issue in Bengaluru on Wednesday and apprised him of the Board's stand that a Ram temple should be built at the site.

"I met Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and apprised him of the (Shia) Board's stand that a Ram temple should be constructed at the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya," Rizvi told PTI.
Patna: Bihar Opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday demanded chief minister Nitish Kumar come clean on a selfie with a person accused in the Gopalganj hooch tragedy that led to the deaths of 16 people.

Nitish had invited, from the Arrah district, a family that had turned down an offer of dowry and returned Rs 4,00,000 to the family of the bride. After the CM felicitated the family, it emerged that one of the members was Rakesh Singh, accused in a 2016 incident wherein 16 people lost their lives, allegedly after they consumed inferior-quality liquor. The incident occurred barely three months after a total ban on liquor had come into force.

RJD leader Tejashwi, who was Nitish's deputy in the Mahagathbandhan government which enacted the prohibition law, alleged that leaders of the ruling Janata Dal (United) were involved in the illicit trade of liquor, and the incumbent NDA government were protecting them.

"A JD(U) leader from Nalanda was arrested for his involvement in liquor smuggling, and when the then Principal Secretary K.K Pathak tightened the noose around him, the government issued his transfer orders. Now, the chief minister is clearly seen with another accused Rakesh Singh who was associated with JD(U). Nitish Kumar must clarify on this," he demanded.

Referring to the recent deaths of four people in Rohtas, after they consumed spurious liquor, Tejashwi said that the prohibition law had completely failed, and the government should fix responsibility for such tragedies.

He attacked Nitish for focusing on social evils like dowry and child marriage that are already punishable crimes under the law. "Nitish is repackaging old schemes and compares himself with Gandhi Ji. He has forgotten governance and never discusses Saat Nishcay (seven commitment program), devised for the development of rural areas," he alleged.
New Delhi: Congress giving a virtual free hand to Virbhadra Singh has forced BJP to go back to the drawing board to fine-tune its strategy and nominate Prem Kumar Dhumal as its chief ministerial candidate for the Himachal Pradesh polls.

The recalibration come in the wake of assessment that the party may now have to bank heavily on the Thakur vote and the former CM to take on the ruling Congress.

Congress had earlier this month named the 83-year-old Virbhadra Singh its campaign committee chief after some hard bargaining by the octogenarian leader. The party, in the process, had bestowed unbridled power in the current cm to lead the electioneering and choose his candidates.

Virbhadras Singh son Vikramaditya was also given ticket- the only instance in the state where both father and son have been accommodated by the party.

Electoral politics in the hill state of Himachal Pradesh  as in Uttarakhand is dominated by the upper caste. And within the upper caste, fault line run deep with the numerically and socially dominant Brahmins and Rajputs vying for a larger share in the spoils of power.

Earlier this year, Trivendra Singh Rawat, a Rajput by caste, was nominated by BJP as the Uttarakhand Chief Minister. Rawat's elevation was seen as an indication that the party might choose to do the same in Himachal Pradesh and hand over the leadership baton to a Brahmin, if it were to win in the otherwise Congress-ruled state.

This guiding axiom in CM selection has been referred to by both the national parties in equal measures in the past. The attempt is to maintain a delicate power balance between the dominant social groups.

In fact, intra-party politics in both states is also guided by the same principle. As a derivative of this caste calculus, both Congress and BJP, over the years have projected one Brahmin and one Rajput face. They always come in pairs  Shanta Kumar and Prem Kumar Dhumal, Virbhadra Singh and Sukh Ram.

With Sukh Ram facing the corruption taint, Congress sought to replace him with Anand Sharma. In the case of BJP, Union Health Minister JP Nadda has emerged as a strong contender to take the baton from Shanta Kumar.

Nadda, who is the former BJP Yuva Morcha President, has risen up the ranks from student union politics. He's also served as a minister in Dhumal government earlier.

In the prevailing caste matrix, Nadda was thus seen as a clear challenger to stake claim for the top post. Dhumal at 73, is fast approaching 75, the year retirement age set by the current dispensation in the BJP.

But with Congress deciding to wager this election on Virbhadra Singh's dexterity to manage caste combinations, BJP had to bring back Dhumal to the battlefield.

After Yeddyurappa in Karnataka, BJP appears to be willing to relax the age limit for another leader up north. In a high stake political battle, age after all, is only a number.
Berlin: Tuesday marks five centuries since the start of the process that led Protestants to break away from the Roman Catholic Church, a revolution for the Christian religion.

Here are some key facts about Protestantism and its birth in a small German town.

THE START: OCTOBER 31, 1517

This is the date that German theologian Martin Luther published his groundbreaking "95 Theses" of criticism of the Catholic Church.

His brazen challenge to the powerful Church created shock waves that eventually changed the face of Christianity.

His main complaint was against the Catholic concept of "indulgences" whereby a repentant sinner could reduce punishment in purgatory through monetary contributions to the Church.

Luther, then in his early 30s, also attacked papal abuses and questioned the place of saints.

Legend says that he nailed his list to the door of a church in the town of Wittenberg, where Luther was a theology professor.

He was excommunicated just over three years later but the Reformation had been launched: his message spread quickly, disseminated by the developing printing press.

The Reformation caused major upheaval in Europe, leading to wars, persecutions and exoduses, including the departure of the Pilgrims for what was later to become America.

King Henry VIII's Britain broke ties with the Catholic Church in 1534 with the establishment of the Church of England.

The deadliest of Europe's religious conflicts was the Thirty Years' War which ended in 1648 and after which religion's role in European politics was reduced.

DIFFERENCES IN BELIEF

There are many theological differences between Protestants and Roman Catholics, including:

 Protestants believe the Bible alone is the highest authority in matters of faith. Catholics acknowledge the combined authority of the Bible and traditions of the Church.

 Catholics consider the pope has full power over the Church, which is not acknowledged by Protestants.

 Catholics also pray to saints and place more doctrinal importance on the holy communion rite, believing the bread and wine is transformed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, a 'transubstantiation' to which Protestants do not adhere.

 For Protestants salvation is through faith alone while Catholic doctrine says "good works" can influence one's standing with God.

 The Catholic Church reserves the priesthood for men, who must remain celibate. Within Protestantism, clerics can marry and have children, and in many churches, women have been admitted to the priesthood and hierarchy.

MANY DENOMINATIONS

Over time the Protestant movement diversified into three main branches: Lutheranism, Calvinism and Anglicanism.

Sizeable Lutheran congregations, which adhere closely to principles established by Luther, are located in Scandinavian countries as well as in Germany, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Tanzania and the United States.

Calvinists are inspired by French theologian John Calvin, who in 1536 founded the Reformed Church in Geneva. This is present primarily in Europe, North America, South Africa and Australia.

Anglicanism evolved from the Church of England and can be found on almost all continents.

Within these branches are many denominations including Baptists, Evangelicals, Methodists, the US-based Amish people that renounce modern technology, and various Churches based in Africa.

STILL MORE CATHOLICS

The precise number of Protestants is difficult to establish, given the number of Churches and offshoots, but the independent Pew Research Center estimates there were more than 800 million in 2011.

However Protestants made up only 37 percent of Christians while Catholics comprised around 50 percent, its says.

About a third (2.3 billion) of the world's people were Christians in 2015, according to figures on its site, making this religion the largest, with Islam second at 24 percent of the population (1.8 billion people).
Washington: China made it clear to the US on Monday that the west had no territorial claim in the South China Sea and that it would be better for countries in the region to resolve issues among themselves.

China claims almost all of South China Sea and also laid claims on the Senkaku islands under the control of Japan in East China Sea and resorted to aggressive patrols in the last two years.

The US calls the dominance of China over the SCS a threat to national interest in freedom of navigation.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had said China's "provocative actions" challenge international law and norms.

Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai said China has made its position "very clear".

"On the South China Sea we have made our position very clear, and I think that the United States side should try to have a better understanding of it," Cui said ahead of US President Donald Trump's visit to China early next month.

"The United States does not have any territorial claims in the South China Sea. So maybe, it will be better for the US to let the regional countries to continue our communication and discussion and find a way of managing the situation in the friendly and effective way," Cui said in response to a question on South China Sea.

Calling for "denuclearisation" of the entire Korean peninsula, Cui said China would always stand for peace and stability.

"We always advocate negotiated solution. This has not changed," he said.

"If we fail to have negotiations resumed, if we allow the situation to go on like this, it could get more dangerous. So there is a strong sense of urgency here," he added.

China, he said, is open to any talks between any parties, as long as they are conducive to a peaceful solution, to a negotiated solution of the nuclear issue.

He asserted that China is doing everything it can on the Korean issue.

"On the one hand, we are enforcing all the UN Security Council resolutions. We are taking measures to implement these sanctions, although honestly, many of the sanctions will be implemented with a high cost for China itself, because we are North Korea's neighbour," he said.

"But still, we believe there's a larger global interest in the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, so we are ready to take up more costs and make greater efforts if there are more UN Security Council resolutions," he said, noting that at the same time, this issue cannot be solved by China itself.

It requires joint efforts of all the parties concerned, including the United States and including North Korea, he added.

(With PTI Inputs)
Washington: At just 29, George Papadopoulos, the Trump campaign volunteer who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian operatives, sported a relatively thin resume for an advisor to a contender for the White House.

Papadopoulos was only seven years out of university and with little professional experience when he was named in March 2016 to Republican hopeful Donald Trump's foreign policy team.

Trump, in a meeting with The Washington Post that month, described Papadopoulos as "an energy and oil consultant, excellent guy."

Nineteen months and one guilty plea later Papadopoulos is being derided by now-President Trump as a "low level volunteer" and a "proven liar."

Papadopoulos has not spoken publicly since special counsel Robert Mueller, who is looking into alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia, unveiled his guilty plea on Monday.

He admitted lying to FBI agents in January 2017 about his contacts with individuals claiming ties to Russia, including one who told him that Moscow had "dirt" on Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton.

Papadopoulos is also cooperating with the investigation into Russian election meddling, catapulting him from obscure Trump campaign adviser to the center of a storm which has engulfed Washington.

Little was known about Papadopoulos when he was named a member of Trump's foreign policy team in March 2016 and the appointment did raise some eyebrows at the time.

The Washington Post, somewhat derisively, noted in a headline that Papadopoulos listed being the US representative to the 2012 Model United Nations in Geneva as among his credentials.

Other members of the advisory panel included a retired US army lieutenant general who commanded the 82nd Airborne Division and a former inspector general at the Defense Department.

White House says role 'extremely limited'

Papadopoulos's LinkedIn page lists him as a graduate of DePaul University in Chicago and the holder of a master's degree "with honors" from University College London.

It says he was accepted to the prestigious London School of Economics for a second master's degree, in international political economy, but does not say whether he graduated.

Following his studies in London, Papadopoulos said he worked from March 2011 to September 2015 as a research associate at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington.

That was followed by four months as an oil and gas consultant in London for a company called Energy Stream.

The Hudson Institute, in a statement, said Papadopoulous was an "unpaid intern in 2011" and "provided research assistance on a contractual basis to one of our senior fellows in 2013 and 2014."

"Mr. Papadopoulos was never a salaried employee of Hudson Institute, and the Institute has had no relationship with him since 2014, it said.

Papadopoulos's LinkedIn profile includes a recommendation from Richard Weitz, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, saying "George is a very productive, outgoing, and enthusiastic member of our team."

From November 2015 to February 2016, Papadopoulos was an adviser to the presidential campaign of neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who dropped out of the race for the Republican nomination in March 2016 and endorsed Trump.

Papadopoulos joined Trump the same month and immediately began trying to organize meetings between members of the Trump campaign and Russian officials, according to a statement which accompanied his guilty plea.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders sought Monday to play down Papadopoulos's role on the campaign, saying it was "extremely limited."

"This individual was a member of a volunteer advisory council that met one time over the course of a year," she said. "I'd hardly call that some sort of regular advisor or, as you want to push, that he's like a senior member of the staff."

Sanders also portrayed Papadopoulos's efforts to organize meetings with the Russians as a failure.

"He reached out and nothing happened beyond that -- which, I think, shows, one, his level of importance in the campaign, and, two, shows what little role he had within coordinating anything officially for the campaign," she said.

Papadopoulos's LinkedIn profile remains online.

In bold letters at the top, he describes himself as "Former Advisor at Donald J Trump for President" followed by a recommendation.

"President Trump recommendation about me: "George is an oil and gas consultant; excellent guy," it says.
Washington: President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and Manafort's business associate Rick Gates face decades in federal prison and millions of dollars in potential fines if convicted on all counts in a sprawling federal indictment unsealed Monday.

Manafort potentially faces up to 80 years in prison, according to a review of the federal charges and the relevant statutes by The Associated Press. Gates, who also worked for the Trump campaign, faces up to 70 years.

Special counsel Robert Mueller could still file additional charges against the pair. If convicted at trial, the law gives federal judges wide latitude in imposing prison sentences and fines. White-collar defendants often end up serving only a fraction of their statutory maximum sentences, especially if they reach a pre-trial agreement with prosecutors as part of an admission of guilt.

Prosecutors allege that Manafort and Gates worked as unregistered agents of the government of Ukraine and the Party of Regions, a pro-Russian political party led by Victor Yanukovych. While serving as president of the former Soviet republic from 2010 to 2014, Yanukovych was closely aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The indictment says that up to $75 million flowed through overseas accounts controlled by the two Americans. Manafort is alleged to have laundered more than $18 million he used to buy property and goods in the United States. Gates is alleged to have transferred more than $3 million to accounts he controlled.

Manafort was released Monday on home confinement after posting a $10 million bond. Gates was released on a $5 million bond.

In a separate development Monday, newly unsealed court documents show George Papadopoulos, a former foreign policy adviser to Donald Trump, pleaded guilty on October 5.

As part of a sworn statement to the court, Papadopoulos says he repeatedly met in 2016 with Russians offering "dirt" on Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Papadopoulos says he then relayed that and other messages from the Russians to senior members of Trump's GOP campaign.

Papadopoulos' guilty plea came as part of an agreement with prosecutors that signals he could avoid prison time as part of an apparent deal to cooperate with Mueller's team.

A summary of the charges encompassed in the 31-page indictment of Manafort and Gates, and the potential penalties:

COUNT ONE: Conspiracy Against the United States

Both men are charged with conspiring together and with others to knowingly and intentionally defraud and commit crimes against the United States between 2006 and 2017. If found guilty of this count, each potentially faces up to five years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.

COUNT TWO: Conspiracy to Launder Money

Both men are charged with conspiring together and with others to transfer funds from outside the United States to and through places inside the country without properly disclosing the transactions or paying required federal taxes. Penalties for this count include up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of either $500,000 or twice the monetary value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater.

COUNTS THREE THROUGH SIX: Failure to File Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts

The indictment alleges that for each calendar year between 2012 and 2015, Manafort failed to disclose to the U.S. Treasury Department that he had a financial interest in and authority over bank accounts in a foreign country involving more than $10,000. Penalties include up to 10 years in federal prison for each of the four counts and fines of up to $100,000, or up to 50 percent of the total value for the transactions, for each of the four years encompassed in the counts.

COUNTS SEVEN THROUGH NINE: Failure to File Reports of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts

The indictment also alleges that between 2012 and 2014 Gates failed to disclose to the US Treasury Department that he had a financial interest in and authority over bank accounts in a foreign country involving more than $10,000. Penalties include up to 10 years in federal prison for each of the four counts and fines of up to $100,000, or up to 50 percent of the total value for the transactions, for each of the four years encompassed in the counts.

COUNT TEN: Unregistered Agent of a Foreign Principal

Prosecutors allege that both men failed to register with the U.S. attorney general as foreign agents of the government of Ukraine, the Part of Regents and Yanukovych between 2008 and 2014. Penalties include up to five years in federal prison and up to $10,000 in fines.

COUNT ELEVEN: False and misleading statements under the Foreign Agents Registration Act

The indictment alleges that both men made multiple false statements to federal officials in relation to their failure to register as foreign agents of the Ukrainian government. Penalties include up to five years in federal prison and up to $10,000 in fines.

COUNT TWELVE: False Statements

Prosecutors allege that between November 2016 and February 2017 that Manafort and Gates conspired together and caused others to make false statements and conceal crimes against the United States. The penalty for this count is up to five years in prison.
Multan: A Pakistani woman who gave her husband poisoned milk ended up killing him and 12 of his family when it was added to lassi and served to him and his relatives, police said.

The woman, who was forced by her family into an arranged marriage in September, has been arrested and charged with murder along with her alleged lover, senior police official Owais Ahmad told reporters in central Pakistan's Muzaffargarh district on Monday.

Police said Asiya Bibi mixed poison into her husband's milk last week but he initially failed to drink it and it was instead blended into a batch of lassi, and served to the man's family.

Thirteen people have so far died, including the husband, while a further 14 have been hospitalised, Ahmad said.

"Police have arrested Asiya Bibi, a man and his aunt for being accomplices and charged them with murder," Ahmad said.

He said the man was allegedly Bibi's lover and that his aunt helped hatch the murder plot.
Paris: The Balfour Declaration a century ago opened the way for the creation of Israel, sowing the seeds of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that continues to tear apart the Middle East on Wednesday.

The statement was made in an open letter from British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour that was published on November 2, 1917, a year before the end of World War I.

In one sentence it announced the British government's backing for the establishment within Palestine, then a region of the Ottoman Empire, of "a national home for the Jewish people".

It was a shock to the Arab world, which had not been consulted and had received vague promises of independence of its own in the post-war break up of the defeated Ottoman Empire.

The Palestinians have always condemned the Declaration, which they refer to as the "Balfour promise", saying Britain was giving away land it did not own.

Britain's interests

With the Balfour Declaration, London was seeking Jewish support for its war efforts, and the Zionist push for a homeland for Jews was an emerging political force.

The first Zionist congress in the Swiss city of Basel in August 1897 had declared: "Zionism aims at establishing for the Jewish people a publicly and legally assured home in Palestine."

It was a time of anti-semitism and pogroms in Russia and eastern Europe, and an influx of Jews in Palestine was already under way: they numbered 47,000 in 1895 against 24,000 in 1882.

The Arabs protested against the Zionist intent and the first political organisations to fight it were established in 1911.

Arab world shared out

In 1916, Britain's Sir Mark Sykes and France's Francois Georges-Picot negotiated the post-war break-up of the Ottoman Empire and shared out the Arab world.

Their secret accords put modern-day Lebanon and Syria more or less under French influence and Iraq and Jordan under Britain.

Palestine was to be placed under international administration. But Britain did not see this as in its interests. It wanted to turn Zionist aspirations to its own ends, considering that a Jewish state could assure a foothold in the Middle East.

One sentence, 67 words

Balfour sent his famous typewritten letter, which had been approved by the cabinet, to a high-ranking representative of the British Jewish community, Lord Walter Rothschild.

It read: "His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country."

This one line of 67 words was a major victory for the Zionist chief in Britain, Chaim Weizmann, who was to become Israel's first president and had campaigned hard to get the British government to approve the declaration.

It was a shock for Arabs in the Middle East, neither consulted nor informed. Jews in 1917 represented only seven percent of Palestine's population.

The first Arab demonstrations took place in February 1920.

Birth of Israel

The declaration was put into action in April 1920 at the San Remo conference of World War I allies which delivered a mandate on Palestine.

Approved in 1922 by the League of Nations, the mandate said Britain "shall be responsible for placing the country under such political, administrative and economic conditions as will secure the establishment of the Jewish national home".

London had to crush a 1936-1939 Arab revolt in Palestine that demanded independence and an end to Jewish immigration.

The rise of Nazism and the Holocaust during World War II gave an impetus for a new wave of Jewish arrivals. Tensions with the British authorities led to an insurgency by Zionist militias.

In November 1947, the United Nations adopted a plan to split Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab, with the holy city of Jerusalem under international control.

And on May 14, 1948, immediately after the end of the British mandate in Palestine, Jewish leader David Ben Gurion proclaimed the creation of the state of Israel.
Yangon: The United Nations named a new interim UN resident coordinator for Myanmar on Tuesday, appointing Knut Ostby of Norway to take over the humanitarian role at a time of growing strains with the Myanmar government over the handling of the Rohingya crisis.

The appointment of a temporary placeholder was expected after Myanmar blocked an upgrade of the UN country chief position.

Myanmar's de facto leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, has told diplomats in private meetings that she is frustrated with the United Nations, particularly its human rights arm.

Ostby, who has served with the United Nations in a number of hotspots, including Afghanistan and East Timor, will replace Renata Lok-Dessallien, who has completed her term.

Some 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh after ethnic violence erupted in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state in late August.

Rights monitors and Rohingya refugees say the army and Rakhine Buddhist vigilantes have forced them to flee their homes.

UN investigators interviewing Rohingyas living in refugee camps near Cox's Bazar said on Friday they had gathered testimony pointing to a "consistent, methodical pattern" of killings, torture, rape and arson.

The fact-finding team, led by former Indonesian attorney general Marzuki Darusman, said the death toll from the Myanmar army's crackdown following Rohingya insurgent attacks on Aug. 25 was unknown, but "may turn out to be extremely high".

The UN team, which was established by the UN Human Rights Council in March, renewed its appeal for access to Rakhine state and for talks with the Myanmar government and military to "establish the facts".

In the early stages of the crisis, the United Nations described the military campaign as "ethnic cleansing", an accusation rejected by Myanmar, which says its military was engaged in counter-insurgency operations against Rohingya militants behind a series of attacks on security posts.

Suu Kyi has said the refugees can return, but thousands continue to arrive in Bangladesh.

Myanmar, an overwhelmingly Buddhist country with small Christian and Muslim minorities, is struggling to emerge from decades of military rule, and Suu Kyi's democratically elected government is engaged in a peace dialogue with members of various armed ethnic groups.
A new buyer is under contract to take over the former school on Phelps Road in Madison Heigh
Jonathan Martin, an evangelical pastor and author, claims he was removed from Liberty University on Monday night following a pop concert and threatened with arrest should he return to campus.

A citation signed at 10:05 p.m. by an LU officer, images of which later were posted on social media by Martin, show he was removed by request but does not make clear who requested his removal from campus.

Martin recently caught the attention of Liberty students  and seemingly campus officials  when he spoke against LU President Jerry Falwell Jr.s support for President Donald Trumps administration.

Martin criticized Falwell on Twitter after Falwell gave an interview to Breitbart, a conservative news organization commanded by Steve Bannon, a former White House adviser who resigned in August.

In the interview, Falwell said voters need to oust fake Republicans in order to allow the Trump administration to be successful and endorsed Roy Moore, an Alabama Senate candidate. Two articles ran online last week.

Bannon and Trump have backed Moore in the upcoming election in Alabama, and Falwell has been a longtime Trump ally, first endorsing him in January 2016 as a GOP presidential candidate.

Martin took to Twitter on Friday, calling for a protest at Liberty and criticizing Falwell and Bannon.

Lets be clear: Steve Bannon is a brazen white supremacist & the high priest of a false religion. He blasphemes the Holy Spirit, Martin wrote in a series of tweets critical of Falwell and Bannon.

Martin attended the JOHHNYSWIM concert in Libertys Music and Worship Center on Monday. On Tuesday, Martin said he was removed by the Liberty University Police Department while visiting band members backstage after the concert at its invitation, had his photograph taken and was threatened with arrest if he returned to LUs campus.

In a phone interview, Falwell cited security concerns as the reason for Martins removal.

Falwell said LUPD became aware of future protest plans from Martins social media posts and that Ron Sloan, associate vice president for security and public safety, issued the request for removal.

Our tradition has been to not allow uninvited protests, Falwell said.

Martin had planned to pray with Liberty students at 7 a.m. in front of the Jerry Falwell Library on Tuesday.

What does it mean for a college administration to be this afraid of free speech? What precisely is @JerryFalwellJr afraid of? Martin tweeted early Tuesday morning following Mondays incident.

Martin also elaborated on the incident in a Facebook post: This was evidently in response to my strong criticism of Jerry Falwell Jr.s alignment not only with the darkest contours of Trumpism, but expressly with Steve Bannon & the alt-right he represents. I came to the show tonight as a guest of JOHNNYSWIM. I committed no crime (except perhaps to sing too loudly to my favorite JOHNNYSWIM songs) I was openly considering some sort of future action oriented around prayer & repentance, but came this time only for the show & for a time of prayer tomorrow morning to seek divine guidance as to what faithful, humble-but-clear Christian resistance might look like.

Martin did not respond to requests for an interview Tuesday.

In Tuesdays phone interview Falwell accused Martin of seeking publicity in order to drum up support for a protest.

He wanted to showboat; he wanted to get some attention. If we allowed him to come on campus and protest uninvited, then the next group that comes in might be a violent group, and weve seen recently what that can lead to, Falwell said, referencing violent protests in Charlottesville in August.

He added he believes uninvited protests can lead to a disruption of the educational environment.

Its a private school, its private property, go somewhere else to protest, Falwell said.

Falwell, who has been critical of free speech restrictions at other campuses across the nation, said this issue was different because controversial speakers at other schools were being disinvited, whereas Martin never was invited to speak at Liberty or lead a protest on the LU campus.

Falwell also accused Martin of intolerance because of Martins criticism of evangelicals who support Trump.

The morning after his alleged ban from LU, about 15 students gathered outside the library to pray, as originally planned, according to Kenny Delevante, a recent Liberty graduate.

According to Alexander Forbes, a Liberty student who attended the 7 a.m. prayer session, the group was monitored by several LU police officers, including LUPD Chief Richard Hinkley. According to Falwell, this was to ensure no outside individuals came on campus to protest.

Delevante said after the prayer, he and a group of close to 15 students met with Martin off campus for roughly 90 minutes, where they discussed what Christianity should represent, power dynamics in administration, stigmas that exist in the student body and how things can turn around.

On Twitter, JOHNNYSWIM referred to Martins removal from their dressing room as a ridiculous act by LUPD. On Instagram, band member Abner Ramirez posted a video describing how LUPD officers entered the bands dressing room after the show and removed Martin from campus. He noted JOHNNYSWIM has always been treated well when performing at LU.

"[It's] just a very weird thing for a Christian school to do, especially one that shows such great hospitality," Ramirez said.
Writers on Campbell school race

Barringer woefully uninformed

I recently received in the mail a questionnaire that Doug Barringer, candidate for Campbell County School Board in Rustburg, had answered for the Campbell County Education Association. It was quite an interesting read as Barringer apparently has no idea about how schools actually work.

He claims that teachers are being used as pawns in a cynical political battle for control of Campbell County. Mr. Barringer, I have a bachelors degree from Lynchburg College. A number of my colleagues have masters degrees, and some are even working towards doctorates in the field of education. We are no pawns, sir, and to think of us as such is condescending and rude.

He claims that teachers often find themselves on the front line with parents, with little assurance that their administration will have their back. What in the world are you talking about? The three principals Ive worked for have always supported me in any way that Ive needed. Can I clue you in on what kind of support we do actually need, however? Better funding for our facilities, programs and salaries. That would be a great place to start.

He also writes that it is an outrage when the same school administrators who make its teachers and other employees the lowest paid in the region can also make themselves by far the highest paid administrators in the same region. Administrators can be replaced for less. What Barringer doesnt understand is that, in Campbell County, we have fewer administrators per building who have more responsibilities than their counterparts in other divisions in the region. We dont have testing coordinators or facility managers, for example. Those duties then fall to assistant principals. Yes, teachers need to start getting paid as well. But to make the argument that cutting administrative pay is going to solve our salary issues is preposterous and lying to the people you supposedly want to give a raise to.

He claims that teachers feel the administration stresses testing and short term memorization over long term learning and development of critical thinking skills. Barringer must have missed the professional development I recently attended about teaching our students critical thinking skills. Also, if you want to not see our students tested so much, I would politely suggest you run for a General Assembly seat. Thats a criticism of Richmond, not Rustburg.

Barringer also claims that it makes no sense to abandon buildings with many years of useful life in them in order to construct cold, new centralized buildings at great cost. Our buildings still have useful life left in them? Clearly he has never been inside Rustburg Middle School, which has been in use since the1940s.

Lastly, all throughout the questionnaire he keeps referring to the current and former teachers he has spoken with. Who have you talked to? It sure hasnt been me, a current teacher and former student of Rustburg High School. You cannot seriously base your out-of-touch positions on our schools with the one or two disaffected teachers you happened to run into. When was the last time you ever set foot inside one of our schools or attended a School Board meeting? You are not a serious candidate, and therefore David Phillips will be getting my vote Nov. 7.

MEAGAN BULLINGTON

Rustburg

Barringer for School Board

I am thrilled Doug Barringer has been unafraid to tackle the problem of teacher pay. When the School Board votes unanimously on almost every single vote at every single meeting, that sends a clear message: Only one person is really running Campbell County Schools. And, as one would expect, Superintendent Bobby Johnson has been able to grant himself (and those closest to him) luxurious pay raises year after year.

But what of the teachers? Its to the administrations advantage to keep teacher pay low  very low. That way, they can complain of poor education funding to bully elected officials into giving them ever more.

Now that word is out, theres no way Johnson and his cohorts can pretend Campbell suffers from a dearth of funding, when they themselves take in tens of thousands in pay hikes year in, year out.

It seems even Johnsons sky-high salary isnt enough  hes angling to get one of his direct employees, principal Jon Hardie, to win a seat on the Board of Supervisors. That way, his employee Hardie can vote to approve every funding request he submits, year after year!

Barringers opponent for the School Board seat has also already shown his true colors. Hes publicly touted his own loyalty  not to our school communities, but to Johnson.

Campbell County voters  especially teachers  wise up! Vote for Barringer for School Board and Eric Zehr for supervisor on Nov. 7!

JAMES HARRIS

Lynch Station
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) says youths and women were slow in their uptake of biometric voter registration (BVR) during the first phase of the exercise countrywide.



This comes as only 1 million out of 7 million potential voters have so far registered to vote in next years general elections.



ZEC Acting CEO, Mr Utoile Silaigwana said the commission has noted with concern the slow uptake by youths and women to register as voters for the 2018 general elections.



We have since taken the campaign to social media platforms to engage the youths and encourage them to register, said Mr Silaigwana.



He however said there has been a lot of interest from teenagers below 18 years who wanted to register but were turned away due to lack of legal capacity to participate in the electoral process.



The commission is also concerned about aliens who are yet to regularise their citizen status.

The second phase of the registration blitz, which kicked off on the 29th of October, is expected to end on the 13th of November.



The third phase will commence on the third to the 16th of November, while the last phase is expected to begin on the 4th of December to December 19 this year.



The end of the blitz will not be the end of the registration as the remaining citizens can register at district offices and the process will go beyond 2018 elections.
First Lady Grace Mugabe must not stand as vice president at Zanu PFs extraordinary congress in December, a move veteran political analyst and civil society leader Brian Kagoro described as a potential titanic political error.



Grace has not announced any plans to run in the vote scheduled for December, but has made several speeches in recent months, prompting speculation that she was seeking the second secretary and VP post.



The ruling Zanu PF has officially announced plans of the special vote to give veteran President Robert Mugabe a fresh five-year mandate as party leader, and consider a womens league proposal to elevate a woman into the presidium.



My own view is that  though easily doable  it would be a titanic political error for Grace Mugabe to go for the vice presidency during her husbands tenure as president, Kagoro told the Daily News in an exclusive interview.



The moral implications and optics would be abysmal. This would only serve to galvanise and deepen sentiment against the first family and Zanu PF across the party divide, generational divide and class divide.



It would caricature the entire Zanu PF process, mutilate whatever remains of its liberation heritage and legacy and above all paint Grace Mugabe as a power-hungry and self-interested Machiavellian character.



This too would suit the narrative by her detractors that seeks to paint her as a threat to Zanu PFs long-term survival. I suspect that she is better advised and politically astute than be tempted onto such an irreversible and disastrous path.



The call for a woman in the presidium has so far been endorsed by the ruling partys womens league and the youth league.



There is a sense that the 93-year-old president could also use the party election in December to put a lid on widening divisions in its top ranks, raising the prospect of the removal of some of his challengers, mainly his deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa.



Mnangagwa is allegedly leading Team Lacoste, a faction in the Zanu PF party battling it out with a camp of Young Turks known as Generation 40 (G40) fronted by Grace.

The quota system, which allows a woman into the presidium, was once used against Mnangagwa in 2004, which saw the elevation of former Vice President Joice Mujuru, before it was scrapped.



However, under the new efforts to push for a woman into the presidium, the G40 is reportedly rallying behind the move to have Zanu PF revert to its old constitution.

Under Article 7 (31) of the old partys Constitution, there was a declaration that four members of the partys central committee were supposed to be a president and first secretary, two vice presidents and second secretaries  one of whom shall be a woman  and a national chairperson.



However, Kagoro said it will be ill-advised for Grace to take up the position of vice president.

There is speculation that her game plan is to become vice president and ultimately president of Zimbabwe. We must distinguish between being vice president of Zimbabwe through an elective process and being appointed as such by the Zanu PF Congress.



Mafirakureva (Grace) could easily bag the post of VP if she really wanted it, Kagoro said.

I suspect that politically it would be more strategic for her to allow one of her allies, a pliant, loyal and senior female  preferably with war veteran credentials  to land the VP job. Without being appointed into the presidium, Grace Mugabe already commands a lot of informal power and unusual influence for a liberation party. The critical votes of the provincial as well as women and youth structures will determine the female vice presidency, he said.



Grace has been on a warpath against Mnangagwa since his hospitalisation amid claims the VP had suffered food poisoning after eating ice cream from a dairy company owned by Mugabe and his wife. The first lady has angrily denied responsibility for Mnangagwas illness and accused him of lying about it to get public sympathy.



Why should I kill Mnangagwa? Who is Mnangagwa on this earth? Grace fumed at the launch of an empowerment bank.



Killing someone who was given a job by my husband? That is nonsensical.

Kagoro said there is a method to Graces haphazard attacks to her husbands allies.

The role of Grace Mugabe in Zimbabwean politics has been enigmatic, Kagoro told the Daily News.



Beyond the public irritation with her seemingly irreverent and culturally inappropriate public humiliation of men of power, there is need to analyse what she has achieved.



She has managed to dismantle  wittingly or unwittingly  strong men and women who many assumed were entitlement to rule Zimbabwe. In doing so she has exposed herself to great ridicule, scorn and in some circles, admiration.



Like her or hate her, Grace Mugabe, has become a kingmaker of sorts in her own right. Whether this is short-lived or outlives her husbands tenure, it is material. It is what it is.

Where her vitriolic attacks are driven by fear or ambition is less important than their most immediate effect on the Zimbabwean political landscape. This fact is often obscured by the focus on her excesses and fundamental personal limitations, he said. Daily News
How Much Is 'Hand of God'

Ball Worth? We'll Soon Know
Tragedy struck a Brooklyn family over the weekend when a father and son died of drug overdoses at a birthday party. Police say Joseph Andrade, 44, and his son Carlos, 22, told family members they were stepping outside for a cigarette when in actuality they were going to snort a mix of heroin and fentanyl, an opioid 50 times stronger than morphine, the New York Post reports. Carlos, who had driven up to Brooklyn from Maryland, was discovered by his girlfriend, Jasmine Santos, as he asphyxiated in the foyer of his father's building around 3am. Joseph was found outside the building on 27th Street.

Emergency responders administered Narcan, a medication that blocks the effects of opioids, to the two men and took them to NYU Langone Hospital, but they died within an hour of being found, the New York Daily News reports. Joseph Andrade is a reputed addict but several witnesses expressed surprise at his son's involvement. Im so surprised because I know Carlos, and I never know that he used drugs or anything like that," Jasmine Santos' uncle Yovanny said. New York City officials say 1300 people died from overdoses last year, 90 percent of which were caused by heroin or fentanyl. (Read more heroin stories.)
Dennis Banks, one of the founders of the American Indian Movement, died on Oct. 29 at the age of 80. Banks, a member of the Chippewa tribe who was born on the Leech Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota, died of complications from pneumonia 10 days after undergoing open-heart surgery, the Star Tribune reports. He came to prominence in 1968, with the advent of the American Indian Movement, a political force that raised awareness about Native American issues through the use of marches and sit-ins and sometimes-violent confrontations with authorities. In its heyday the group occupied Alcatraz prison and took over the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington, DC, for six days.

Banks and his organization are perhaps most famous for their 1973 standoff with federal agents at the site of the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre, the New York Times reports. On Feb. 27, 1973, 200 AIM followers and Oglala Lakota staged an armed occupation of the town of Wounded Knee, SD, and weathered a 10-week siege by US marshals and FBI agents. Two of the protestors were killed and one federal agent shot and paralyzed. Banks was charged with assault and conspiracy, but a federal judge dismissed the case, citing government misconduct. A Facebook message signed by his children and grandchildren said those present at Banks' death "proudly sang him the AIM song as his final send off." (Read more Dennis banks stories.)
The owner of an ice cream shop in South Carolina plans to keep fighting to remove a Confederate flag that he says is on his property, AP reports. Tommy Daras, owner of the Edisto River Creamery in Orangeburg, is appealing an order by the city to stop work on the property. Daras obtained a permit in September and planned to dig up a marker and remove the Confederate flag at the property, which is in front of his shop. His plans for the plot include replacing the Confederate flag with the American flag.

But the Sons of Confederate Veterans says it owns the 130 square feet where the flag flies; the site marks a Civil War skirmish in 1865. The group says it's been paying taxes on the tiny parcel of land and has a deed from the previous landowner allowing it to maintain a memorial at the site. Daras says the deed he was given when he purchased the site in 2015 included the land where the flag is located. He says his customers incorrectly think he supports the Confederacy. "People have to understand from Tommy's viewpoint and the viewpoint of his wife and employees that there is a lot of hostility directed toward Mr. Daras and his staff that he never asked for," Daras' lawyer Justin Bamberg told the Orangeburg newspaper earlier. No court date has been set for the appeal of the order.

(Read more Confederate flag stories.)
Jane Juska, whose chronicle of searching for sex as a woman in her 60s became a best-selling memoir and later a stage show, has died in California, per the AP. She was 84. Juska died Oct. 24 at a Chico care facility after a long illness, her son, Andy Juska, told the San Francisco Chronicle. She was a retired and divorced schoolteacher living in Berkeley, Calif., when she wrote her memoir, A Round-Heeled Woman: My Late-Life Adventures in Sex and Romance, published in 2003. Inspiration for the book came after Juska took out a personal ad in the New York Review of Books that said: "Before I turn 67, next March, I would like to have a lot of sex with a man I like. If you want to talk first, Trollope works for me." Juska found herself with numerous responses from men of all ages that led to flings she said changed her life.

"I was just bubbling," she told the Chronicle in a 2003 profile. At first she considered turning her experiences into a novel, but she eventually decided to tell the true stories. Her tales of dating and romance became the memoir, which was titled after an antiquated term for a promiscuous woman. The best seller landed her on TV with Oprah Winfrey and Charlie Rose and was adapted into a one-woman show starring Sharon Gless. In 2006, Juska published a second memoir, Unaccompanied Women, about her days before the personal ad. Before becoming an author, Juska taught English for more than three decades. She was also a freelance writer, contributing essays to magazines such as Vogue and Self. In addition to her son, Juska is survived by her daughter-in-law, Mary; her sister, Sue; and two granddaughters. A memorial ceremony is planned.

(Read more obituary stories.)
In an unexpected and emotional statement, Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl apologized in court Monday to all the military personnel who were wounded searching for him and described the daily nightmares and flashbacks to his five years in captivity by Taliban allies he still endures. Bergdahl was the first witness in what's expected to be a multi-day presentation by the defense to the judge who will decide his punishment for endangering comrades by walking off his post in Afghanistan in 2009. He spoke for two hours, giving a wide-ranging description of his brutal years in captivity and what challenges he still faces with daily life, the AP reports. "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, choking up at times. "My words alone can't take away their pain."

His appearance on the witness stand, which the defense hadn't publicly made known in advance, served as a dramatic counterpoint to several days of emotionally wrenching testimony by several service members who were seriously wounded during a massive search effort. He described the brutal conditions he faced, including beatings with copper wire and unending bouts of gastrointestinal problems brought on by squalid conditions. He was kept in a cage for four out of the five years after several escape attempts, and his muscles atrophied to the point he could barely stand or walk. Bergdahl said he still has nightmares that make it hard to sleep more than five hours. The 31-year-old soldier from Hailey, Idaho, faces a maximum of life in prison after pleading guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. Because his words in court were an unsworn statement, prosecutors won't be given the chance to cross-examine him.

(Read more Bowe Bergdahl stories.)
Two detectives in the New York Police Department were charged with rape, kidnapping, and official misconduct Monday morning. In a 50-count indictment, the Brooklyn district attorney's office alleges detectives Edward Martins and Richard Hall, while working with an anti-drug squad in the Coney Island neighborhood on Sept. 15, pulled over an 18-year-old woman in her car, the New York Times reports. After searching the car and allegedly finding marijuana and a few Klonopin pills, the detectives handcuffed the woman and put her in their police van. Prosecutor Frank DeGaetano says Martins then forced the woman to perform oral sex on him and raped her while Hall watched through the rearview mirror. Hall then allegedly raped the woman. After the incident the woman had a rape kit conducted and DNA matched both detectives.

Martins and Hall pleaded not guilty and were released on bail, and their attorneys called the woman's accusations "uncorroborated" and said the sexual encounter was consensual. Last week the New York Post obtained a letter from the detectives' lawyers to the Brooklyn DA's office attacking the woman's credibility by pointing out a "provocative selfie" she posted on Instagram and a recent tweet is which they say she brags about getting attention from "paparazzi." But a spokesman for the DA's office attacked the letter, saying the "defense counsels characterization of how a rape victim should behave is inaccurate, inappropriate and demeaning. (Read more NYPD stories.)
Twin sisters who went out for a morning stroll along a beach have become the latest victims of the notorious rogue waves of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Family members say Barbara Thomas of McKinney, Texas, and Beverly Skripsky of Scottsdale, Ariz., were on the third day of their vacation when the 67-year-olds drowned after a massive wave swept them into the ocean on Oct. 22. "We are all still in shock from this unbelievable tragedy," Skripsky's son Matt tells People. "Dangerous waves ended the lives of two wonderful women." Relatives say the sisters, both grandmothers, were keen travelers who had recently returned from a vacation in Dubai.

The area is known for strong currents as well as huge waves, and the US Embassy warns that not all hazardous beaches in the area are clearly marked. "I can't imagine how fast it was moving but it went from 10 feet to 15 feet in seconds," Steve Thomas, Barbara's husband, tells NBC 5. "They found two women out at sea and I'm thinking 'greatthey found them' and I say 'are they okay?' and he says 'I'm sorry to tell you sir, but theyre deceased.'" He says it wasn't a hazard he had been aware of and he hopes sharing news of the deaths will save lives. (In July, a French philosopher drowned while trying to rescue a child.)
Almost eight years after their daughter's car was found abandoned in Detroit, a Georgia couple held out hope that the missing woman would be found alive. It was hope that should've been dashed within months. The body of Crissita Cage-Toaster was pulled from the Detroit River in March 2010, five months after the 28-year-old vanished, per the AP. But though the woman was black, Detroit police and the coroner determined her body belonged to a white or Hispanic woman. It was labeled "Jane Doe 10-3047," held in a coroner's cooler for a year, then buried with other unidentified remains in an unmarked cemetery grave, a cause of death never established, reports MLive.

Rosita Cage-Toaster, 58, and her husband, Johnny Toaster, 64, say authorities only informed them of "a mix-up" a month ago, a few months after the couple asked a missing-persons group for help in the case, per WXYZ. Police now say months in the river had affected their daughter's complexion, but the couple wonders how a large tattoo of a red rose on their daughter's right shoulder wasn't a clear giveaway. "I kept telling them to focus on that tattoo," says Cage-Toaster, per MLive. "You could give this to an elementary school student and they could figure out the puzzle." The pairwho say personal items found in their daughter's car were apparently thrown outsay their daughter's body will be exhumed and they'll figure out where they want to bury her. A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday. (Read more Detroit stories.)
Facebook says a Russian group posted more than 80,000 times on its service during and after the 2016 election, potentially reaching as many as 126 million users, the AP reports. The company plans to disclose these numbers to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the testimony. The person declined to be named because the committee has not officially released the testimony. Facebook, Twitter and Google will testify at three hearings Tuesday and Wednesday. Colin Stretch, Facebook's general counsel, plans to tell the Judiciary panel that 120 pages set up by Russia's Internet Research Agency posted the material between January 2015 and August 2017. The company estimates that roughly 29 million people were directly "served" these items in their news feeds from the agency over that time period.

Some of those people received the posts because they liked one of the agency's pages, or because a Facebook friend liked or commented on a post. Others shared the Russia-linked posts, helping them spread widely. Stretch's prepared testimony makes clear that many of the 126 million people reached this way may not have seen the posts. People may not have logged in when it was available, or they may have looked right past it. The company says the total number of agency posts accounted for less than 1 of every 23,000 posts on Facebook. These "organic" posts that appeared in users' news feeds are distinct from more than 3,000 advertisements linked to the agency that Facebook has already turned over to congressional committees. The adsmany of which focused on divisive social issuespointed people to the agency's pages, where they could then like or share its material.

(Read more Facebook stories.)
White House chief of staff John Kelly, generally viewed as the man whose mission is to keep controversy at bay, finds himself caught up in another one. Kelly is taking flak for his comments about the Civil War, made Monday night on the debut of Laura Ingraham's show on Fox, reports CNN. "The lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War," said Kelly. "And men and women of good faith on both sides made their stand where their conscience had to make their stand." Critics are pouncing mainly because Kelly made no mention of slavery, and the New York Times reports that the pushback arrived in fast and furious fashion. "Slavery. Slavery was what they wouldn't compromise over," read one typical tweet highlighted in the paper.

Critics drew comparisons to President Trump's blame of "both sides" for the racial violence in Charlottesville, reports the Washington Post. Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., called Kelly's comments "irresponsible & dangerous, especially when white supremacists feel emboldened, to make fighting to maintain slavery sound courageous." Kelly also praised Gen. Robert E. Lee as an "honorable man" who "gave up his country to fight for his state, which 150 years ago was more important than country." And he touched on the debate over Confederate monuments, saying the idea of tearing them down is "just very, very dangerous, and it shows you what, how much of a lack of appreciation of history and what history is." (Read more John Kelly stories.)
US special operations forces captured a militant in Libya accused of playing an instrumental role in the Benghazi attacks in a high-stakes operation designed to bring the perpetrators to justice five years later, reports the AP. President Trump on Monday identified the militant as Mustafa al-Imam and said his capture signified that the four Americans who died "will never be forgotten." Justice Department officials were escorting al-Imam by military plane to the United States, where he's expected to be tried in federal court. "Our memory is deep and our reach is long, and we will not rest in our efforts to find and bring the perpetrators of the heinous attacks in Benghazi to justice," Trump said. The Navy SEAL-led raid marked the first publicly known operation since Trump took office to target those accused of involvement in Benghazi.

Al-Imam was taken to a Navy ship at Misrata for transport to Washington, where he's expected to arrive within two days. Once on American soil, al-Imam faces three charges filed in May 2015 but only recently unsealed: killing or conspiring to kill someone during an attack on a federal facility, providing support for terrorists, and using a firearm in connection with a violent crime. Trump said he'd ordered the raid, and thanked the US military, intelligence agencies, and prosecutors. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US would "spare no effort" to ensure al-Imam is held accountable. Al-Imam will face court proceedings in US District Court, in a departure from Trump's previously expressed desire to send militants to Guantanamo Bay. Earlier this month, another man accused in Benghazi, Ahmed Abu Khattala, went on trial in federal court.

(Read more Benghazi stories.)
North Korea's latest nuclear test might've done more than just destabilize Mount Mantap. Citing unnamed sources, Japan's TV Asahi reports a tunnel under construction at the Punggye-ri nuclear site, which is housed in Mount Mantap, collapsed around Sept. 10, leaving roughly 100 workers trapped, per Reuters. A second collapse followed during a rescue operation, the outlet said, noting more than 200 people might've died. No other details were given. The country's most recent nuclear test took place Sept. 3, and analysts believe it may have caused significant damage to the existing tunnel network.

In addition to Reuters, outlets including Yonhap News, the Korea Herald, and Yahoo are also reporting the news, but none have been able to verify the report. However, the Telegraph notes seismologists did find indications of underground collapses following the early September test. (An earlier report found evidence of "substantial damage" to Punggye-ri's tunnels.)
Bryan Cranston is no fan of President Trump, but he has a message for those rooting for the POTUS to fail: "To that person I would say, f--- you. Why would you want that? So you can be right?" Cranston, while discussing his role as a former Marine in the post-Vietnam War drama Last Flag Flying with the Hollywood Reporter, explained that while he didn't want Trump to win the election, he did. "If he fails, the country is in jeopardy," Cranston said. "I dont want him to fail. I want him to succeed. I do. I honestly do.  And if you've got a good idea that helps the country, oh man, I'm gonna support you. I don't care if you're a Republican and I'm a Democrat or whatever, I don't care. A good idea's a good idea. Let's do that." Click for the full interview. (Read more Bryan Cranston stories.)
Three Ivy League professors are on paid leave while multiple New Hampshire law-enforcement agencies investigate "serious" allegations of sexual misconduct against them, the Boston Globe reports. According to the New York Times, the professors are Bill Kelley, Todd Heatherton, and Paul Whalen of Dartmouth College's Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. Dartmouth admitted last week it was investigating the three professors, who'd been suspended from campus, when the college newspaper inquired about them after posters wondering about the whereabouts of Kelley and Whalen had been placed around campus. University officials were then approached by law enforcement agencies.

The allegations, of which no details have been released, are being investigated by the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office, the Grafton County Attorney, the New Hampshire State Police, and the sheriff's departments of Grafton County and the town of Hanover. "We will go wherever the evidence takes us," the state's associate attorney general says. "We have no avenues that are off limits." Dartmouth is also continuing its own investigation into the allegations. "I want to say in the most emphatic way possible that sexual misconduct and harassment are unacceptable and have no place at Dartmouth," the university's president says. The professorswhose work covers brain anatomy, memory, and social behaviorhaven't commented, the AP reports. (Read more Dartmouth stories.)
Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was a "gold mine" of intelligence, helping the military better understand insurgents and how they imprison the enemy, two agents testified Tuesday as defense attorneys sought to show the soldier's contributions since he was returned in a prisoner swap. The AP reports the testimony runs counterpoint to the case prosecutors presented at Bergdahl's sentencing hearing, calling on severely wounded soldiers to offer gripping testimony about the injuries that troops suffered while searching for Bergdahl after he walked off his post in Afghanistan in 2009. Bergdahl, who pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, testified Monday and apologized to the wounded. He faces up to life in prison. The military judge hearing the case has wide leeway in deciding Bergdahl's punishment.

Amber Dach, who spent 16 years in military intelligence, described how eager he was to help intelligence officials at a hospital in Germany days after he was returned to US authorities. He helped authorities and even drew diagrams in his downtime to bring to his next debriefing session. An official from the military agency that helps reintegrate former captives and develops survival training for service members testified that information Bergdahl provided him was invaluable. Terrence Russell, a division chief for the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency, developed a 1,200-page transcript from debriefing Bergdahl that was turned into a database. The information produced reports on tactics used by insurgents and hostage-takers in the region that are still used by the military. Russell said he'd like to learn even more from Bergdahl but the soldier's legal case has impeded that.

(Read more Bowe Bergdahl stories.)
A former nurse who prosecutors believe could be responsible for the deaths of up to 60 Texas children has been indicted on a murder charge for the fifth time this year, the AP reports. Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood says a grand jury indicted Genene Jones on a murder charge Tuesday in the 1981 death of a 3-month-old. The 67-year-old Jones already is in state prison for the 1982 killing of a toddler and the sickening of a 4-week-old boy who survived. She was scheduled for release in March, but has recently been charged in the deaths of an 11-month-old in 1981, a 2-year-old in 1981, an 8-month-old in 1981 and a 4-month old the year following.

LaHood says authorities want to hold Jones "accountable for as many children's deaths as the evidence will support." Authorities have linked Jones to the deaths of children during or shortly after her shifts at a San Antonio hospital and a medical clinic in the region.

(Read more nurse stories.)
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New Delhi:

Senior journalist Vinod Verma has been sent to judicial custody till November 13 after his police remand ended on Tuesday.



Verma, who has been sent to police custody till October 31 by a Chhattisgarh local court in Raipur on Sunday, was presented before the court of Justice Bhavesh Bhatti by Raipur Police on Tuesday amid tight security.



Since the police did not ask for an extended remand, the court sent Verma to judicial custody.



Verma was arrested by Chhattisgarh Police from his residence in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad district on the charges of an extortion case filed in Chhattisgarh's Raipur.



He defended his position saying that he was being framed as he was in the possession of a controversial CD of Chhattisgarh Minister Rajesh Munat.

Also read: Journalist Vinod Verma arrest: Chhattisgarh minister Rajesh Munat calls CD claims fake



Also read: Chhattisgarh extortion bid case: Senior journalist Vinod Verma breaks silence on arrest, says I'm being targeted because I have controversial tape of minister

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New Delhi:

The Congress on Tuesday termed spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar a government agent, saying that the latter is representing Modi governments interests in the Ram Temple dispute in Ayodhya.

Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said, Sri Sri is representing the government interests.

His reaction came when asked about the mediation being done by the Art of Living Foundation head in the Ram Temple issue in Ayodhya.

The Congress leader said the Supreme Court had made it very clear that a settlement was possible, but he asked as to who had appointed people like the Art of Living Foundation chief to take charge.

Now the whole issue is, if they are government agents working towards this, I think that defeats the very purpose the Supreme Court mentioned, the Congress leader said.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has offered to mediate in the Ram Temple row for an out-of-court settlement, to which the Supreme Court is not averse.

Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi met Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on the Ayodhya issue in Bengaluru today and apprised him of the Boards stand that a Ram temple should be built at the site.

I met Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and apprised him of the (Shia) Boards stand that a Ram temple should be constructed at the Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya, Rizvi told. (With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi:

In a big jolt to Gujarat Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), several party leaders on Monday joined the Congress party along with over 200 supporters ahead of the state assembly elections.

The big names who switched over to the grand old party include AAPs state women wing head Vandana Patel and its Ahmedabad, Kheda, Mehsana and Rajkot incharges Rituraj Mehta, Hasmukh Patel, Lalubhai Ladiwala, Ankur Dhameliya, and Tushar Jani, respectively.

Congress Gujarat unit president Bharatsinh Solanki was present at the time when these AAP leaders were inducted in the party at the headquarters.

The rebel leaders alleged that they were quitting the party as the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP is fielding candidates in a way to damage the Congress chances of winning the elections.

ALSO READ | Gujarat polls 2017: Hardik Patel extends deadline for Congress after it agreed to take legal opinion on quota

Speaking on the issue, Vandana Patel said, We have resolved to support the Congress to uproot the BJP in Gujarat. We are quitting the AAP as we felt that the party is fighting against the Congress instead of the BJP.

Those who contest the forthcoming polls as the third front will end up supporting the BJP, Rituraj Mehta said.

The first list of candidates for 11 assembly constituencies was recently released by the AAP. It also included Rajkot (West), which is being represented by CM Vijay Rupani.

AAP Gujarat incharge Gopal Rai had recently said that his partys contest is against the BJP and the party will not end up into eating votes of the Congress.

He had said the AAP will contest polls on those seats where it has an organisational base.

(With PTI inputs)

ALSO READ: Congress on Ahmed Patel issue: Fearing defeat in Gujarat polls, BJP resorting to conspiracy

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Chennai:

Indian Police Service (IPS) probationary officer who dreamt of becoming a bureaucrat used darknet and google drive to cheat the UPSC mains examination.

The usage of darknet  an overlay network which can be accessed by specific authorisation and software  surfaced up after the probationary officer and Tirunelveli assistant superintendent of police (ASP) Safeer Karim was arrested red handed on Monday by the Union Public Service Commission squad.

The police also said that hi-tech gadgets like computers, laptops and ipads were used in the cheating. Union Public Service Commission squad had recovered a micro camera mounted on his shirt, a bluetooth device and a mobile phone from his possession.

During questioning the probationary IPS officer told the police that camera was connected live with google drive. The digital copy of the UPSC exam question paper was being transmitted to his wife, Joicy Joyce, in Hyderabad via darknet.

Also read| Chennai: IPS officer caught using bluetooth device to clear UPSC examinations, wife dictating answers from Hyderabad



Police further informed that his wife with help of Dr P Rambabu, director of La Excellence IAS Study Circle at Ashoknagar in Hyderabad, would solve the questions and relate him over the phone. Karim would hear to the answers over a micro-bluetooth device.

Also read: UPSC CAPF result 2017 announced, check the results

The Union home ministry has also seeked a detail report on the hi-tech cheating by the probationary IPS officer to clear UPSC mains exam. The 2014 batch IPS officer Safeer Karim may face dismissal if he fails to explain his conduct.

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New Delhi:

Students of the Jamia Millia Islamic University on Monday accused the university administration of finding an escape route for not conducting student elections citing the matter as sub-judice.

The students are on a hunger strike since October 25, demanding students union elections ion the varsity.

The administration was also accused of not keeping its word to the Delhi High Court that the students union elections would be conducted as per the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations.

The Jamia administration has been looking for an escape route by stating that the case regarding the students union is sub-judice before the Delhi High Court. The reality is, Jamia had in 2012 assured the court that there is no discomfort and objection to elections as well as an elected student body, the students said in a statement.

ALSO READ: Najma Heptulla becomes first woman chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia

The varsity adminstration had also said that they would first conduct the students council election for the first two years and thereafter the JMI can hold the students union polls according to the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations, they said.

Reacting to the administrations argument, the students also said that the person who had filed the writ petition regarding the election and nine others who had impleaded in the petition were no longer students of the university.

...hence the responsibilities lie with the JMI, they said, adding that the administration is guilty of contempt of court as it has shown reluctance in conducting elections.

ALSO READ: Sharad Yadav says NSUI winning DUSU polls indicates changing perception

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Bengaluru:

Neelamani N Raju becomes the first woman in Karnataka to be designated the rank of Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG-IGP) and lead the strong state police force of around 80,000 personnel on Tuesday by the Karnataka government.

The State home minister R Ramalinga Reddy announced her appointment as the new DG-IGP, a post unique to Karnataka. In most states, the DGP is the top police post.

Former DG-IGP RK Dutta handed over the baton to Neelamani Raju, 57, a 1983 batch IPS officer. She is a native of Roorkee in Uttrakhand.

The Karnatakas first woman DG-IGP served her home cadre for 10 years and then served the Intelligence Bureau for around 23 years in deputation. She was promoted as joint director in the IB and returned to Karnataka as a DGP rank officer. After return she has served as Internal Security Division and Fire and Emergency Services DGP.

Soon after her promotion as Karnataka Police, Chief Minister Siddarmaiah congratulated her.

Also read: President Kovind speaks good about Tipu Sultan; BJP, Congress engage in war of words



Talking to media soon after the announcement Neelamani said, It is a responsible post. I am honoured to be selected.

She added that she would like to focus on increasing the conviction rates. Neelamani also added that her focus will be to make police more citizen-friendly.

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New Delhi:

Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday reacted to Prime Minister Narendra Modis statement that previous governments had ignored Sardar Vallabhbhai Patels contribution. Sheila said that they have never ignored Sardar Patels contribution.

"Nothing like that, this is wrong. We have never ignored Sardar Patel's contribution," said Dikshit.

PM Modi on Tuesday morning flagged off Run for Run for Unity from Major Dhyan National Stadium in New Delhi on the occasion of birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

On the occasion, PM Modi said that previous government tried to ensure that the contribution of Sardar Patel is forgotten.

"People tried to ensure the contribution of Sardar Patel is forgotten. But the youth of India respects him and his contribution towards the building of our nation," said PM Modi.

"Proud of his contribution to India before we attained freedom and during the early years after we became independent," said PM Modi on Sardar Patel.

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New Delhi:

Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board chief Wasim Rizvi on Tuesday met Sri Sri Ravishankar over Ram Temple issue in Bengaluru. He said that Shia Waqf Board does not want confrontations over the name of Lord Ram and it wants compromise on the issue.

"The whole country respects Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, I am sure the issue will be solved. Have requested Sri Sri Ravi Shankar that talks should be held only with those who want an agreement," said Wasim Rizvi.

Rizvi informed that he has already met all the person concerned with the case and they all are ready for talks in terms of Ram temple constructions.

Shia Waqf Board chief said that they do not want construction of new mosque at the Lord Rams birth place. He stressed that mosque should be constructed at the place where there is Muslim population. He said that there are ample amount of mosques at Ayodhya and Faizabad.

Rizvi said that the people who are demanding construction of mosque at the Lord Rams birthplace want disputes to continue and want communal violence. He added that the demolished Babri mosque belonged to Shia community and only they have the right to take decision in the matter.

Rizvi said that he appreciated Sri Sris efforts in direction of resolving disputes and told him that if person of his stature would come forward then Hinu-Muslim brotherhood will get boost. He added that Sri Sris involvement will shun extremist forces.

Earlier on Saturday, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said that the situation has changed and people want peace. Ravi Shankar added that a platform is needed where both communities can show the essence of brotherhood.

There were efforts is 2003-04 also but environment more positive now. Doing this in my own capacity, it is non-political. Babri Action Committee member Haji Mehboob said Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had "never talked with us nor had he sent us any message," a news agency reported.

Earlier reports by suggested that spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar didn't speak to the Babri Action Committee about the long-running Babri Masjid dispute in Ayodhya.

"Long back one of Ravi Shankar's mediators called saying he wants to talk with me and I welcomed it. Maybe he had a conversation with the Hindu representatives but he never talked with us nor had he sent us any message....If he wants to talk to us we will talk as we do not any issue in having a conversing and solving the issue," ANI quoted Babri Action Committee member Haji Mehboob as saying.

According to reports, members of the Nirmohi Akhada and All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) asked the Art of Living founder to 'mediate' the Babri Masjid dispute.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said that the mediation process is yet to start and if called upon, he would definitely want to help." Some people came and met me that's all. There is positive energy with everybody and people want to settle the issue. If I need be to play that role (mediator), am all willing to do that," he said.

"Both communities should come together and show their magnanimity... Cannot predict anything, but I only wish we for all to come together and do something great for the nation."

(With inputs from Yasir Mushtaq)

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New Delhi:

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday announced that the Indian Army will construct three foot overbridges at railway stations in Mumbai. One FOB will be constructed at Elphinstone Road station where stampede took lives of 23 people.

Niramala Sitharaman along with Railway Minister Piyush Goyal did inspection of Elphinstone Road station on Tuesday. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, senior officials of Indian Army and many leaders of Mumbai BJP were also present on the occasion.

Earlier on September 29, a stampede took place at Elphinstone Road station which claimed lives of 23 people and injured 32 others.

It is first occasion that the construction responsibility of foot overbridge at a railway station has been given to Indian Army.

Earlier, Indian Army used to be called for construction works in emergency situations only.

Defence Minister said that construction of foot overbridge at Elphinstone Road station has been considered as an emergency.

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Cairo:

The Egyptian military said on Tuesday that its air force had carried out a desert raid that killed "a large number of terrorist elements" responsible for the deaths of 16 policemen this month. The operation also freed a police officer who had been taken hostage in the October 20 shootout with militants in the western Desert, an army official said.

Authorities are fighting the Egyptian branch of the Islamic State group, which has killed hundreds of security personnel in northern Sinai, more than 500 kilometres (300miles) from the site of this month's clash.

The state television said on Tuesday the military had acted on"confirmed information" on the whereabouts of the militants involved. The air force attacked a hideout in "a mountainous area west of Fayoum" south of Cairo, it said.

The raid destroyed three four-wheel-drive vehicles carrying large quantities of weapons, ammunition, and"extremely explosive material", it said.

Further, a military official said that the operation conducted in cooperation with the police and which used airstrikes and ground forces, succeeded in freeing police captain Mohamed al-Hayes.

He had been kidnapped when armed extremists attacked a police convoy less than 200 kilometres southwest of Cairo, killing at least 16 policemen. No group has yet claimed responsibility.

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New Delhi:

The Indian Consulate in Milan has informed that Indian students have been assaulted in a sequence of incidents reported from northern Italy.



The Consulate General of India (CGI) in Milan on Monday issued an advisory to Indian students and asked them not to panic.



"The Consulate has received reports of unfortunate incidents of attacks on Indian students in Milan. All Indian students are urged not to panic. The Consulate is taking up this matter with the highest level of law and order authorities in Milan," read the advisory posted on the Twitter handle of the CGI.

Attack on Indian students in Milan pic.twitter.com/kY0qwfePm8 a India in Milan (@cgmilan1) October 30, 2017

It is not yet clear if the attacks are racially motivated.



The CGI has advised Indian students to be in touch with each other, especially when they go out and advised students to spread information among other students from India about the areas where they have experienced such incidents so that such areas can be avoided.



External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has said she had received a detailed report about the incidents.



Swaraj said she was personally monitoring the situation and asked the students not to worry.A

Attack on Indian students in Milan : I have got the detailed report. Pls do not worry. I am monitoring the situation personally. @cgmilan1

a Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) October 31, 2017

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New Delhi:

A man in a rented pickup truck drove onto a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Centre memorial on Wednesday, killing at least eight people and injuring several others in what the mayor called aa particularly cowardly act of terror.a

The 29-year-old driver was shot by police after jumping out of the truck with what turned out to be a fake gun in each hand, officials said. He was taken into custody. His condition was not immediately disclosed.

At least eight people were killed and 11 other injured in Lower Manhattan today after a gunman in a truck plowed through a busy bike path, an incident the US termed as an aact of terrorisma.

The suspect, a 29-year-old man, was shot in the stomach before being arrested.

US President Donald Trump denounced the attack, saying awe must not allow ISIS to returna.

aIn NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely.A NOT IN THE U.S.A.!a Trump tweeted.

aWe must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere.A Enough!a he said in another tweet.

The New York Police Department said the suspect drove down his truck south on the path striking multiple people.

aEight people were killed, 11 have serious but non-life-threatening injuries,a the police said.

The incident that took place in Manhattan, the most densely populated of New York Cityas 5 boroughs, has sent shocking waves across the country.

aThe President has been briefed on the incident in NYC by Chief of Staff (John) Kelly and will be continually updated as more details are known. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected,a White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders.

Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke has been briefed on the apparent act of terrorism that occurred in New York City, an official statement said.

The department is closely monitoring the situation and working with federal, state and local partners in responding to and investigating this tragedy.

aWe are referring all questions about the investigation to the FBI and the New York Police Department,a the statement said.

aWe have recently seen attacks like this one throughout the world. DHS and its law enforcement partners remain vigilant and committed to safeguarding the American people,a it said.

According to the police, at approximately 3:05 pm (local time) the suspect drove a rented Home Depot truck onto the bike and pedestrian path at West St/Houston St driving south.

While driving south on the path the truck collided with a school bus at West St & Chambers St. After colliding with the school bus, the man exited holding two firearms. An officer assigned to the area fired, striking him in the stomach, the police said.

aThe driver of the truck was taken into custody. A paintball gun and pellet gun were recovered from the scene,a the police said.

Following a briefing from FBI officials, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer as one of thousands of New Yorkers who regularly rides on the path where this attack took place, he is grateful to the NYPD and first responders who work day in and day out to keep people, and to those that responded to the scene today.

aAs the investigation unfolds, itas critical that we learn what we can from this incident and do everything we can to prevent this from happening again. The scourge of terrorism is unfortunately still with us, and we must remain vigilant as ever,a Schumer said.

This evening, all Americans were ahorrified and heartbrokena by the despicable act of terror in Manhattan, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said.

aTonight and in the days ahead, we join in mourning the dead, praying for the wounded, and sending our love to the people of New York City,a she said.

aAs we await further news, we must continue to be smart and strong to keep the American people safe, not reckless and rash. Our nationas courage and resilience will always defeat the hatred and violence of terrorists,a Pelosi said.

Earlier, witnesses described a scene of panic and blood, with people screaming in fear and the path strewn with bodies and mangled bicycles.

Police said the vehicle, a rented Home Depot truck, entered the bike path on West Street a few blocks from the new World Trade Centre and mowed down several people. The truck also slammed into a small yellow school bus, injuring two adults and two children.

A paintball gun and a pellet gun were found at the scene, police said.

aThis was an act of terror, and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians,a Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

Police secure an area in New York City after an incident Mayor Bill de Blasio called an "act of terror" in which at least eight people died pic.twitter.com/rdea0FGwbr a AFP news agency (@AFP) October 31, 2017

At least two bodies could be seen lying on the path beneath tarps, and the front end of the pickup was smashed in.

Tom Gay, a school photographer, was on Warren Street and heard people saying there was an accident. He went down to West Street and a woman came around the corner shouting, aHe has a gun! He has a gun!a

Gay said he stuck his head around the corner and saw a slender man in a blue track suit running southbound on West Street holding a gun. He said there was a heavyset man pursuing him.

He said he heard five or six shots and the man in the tracksuit fell to the ground, gun still raised in the air. He said a man came over and kicked the gun out of his hand.

The attack closed roads across the western edge of Manhattan along the Hudson River and sent uniformed officers rushing to the neighbourhood as people prepared for Halloween festivities, including an annual parade through Greenwich Village.

Eugene Duffy, 43, a chef at a waterfront restaurant, said he was crossing West Street when he heard something, turned back and saw the white pickup on the bike path.

After seeing the mangled bikes, he ran south, seeing the school bus that appeared to have been T-boned, and officers at the scene, guns drawn, ducked behind patrol cars.

aSo many police came and they didnat know what was happening,a Duffy said. aPeople were screaming. Females were screaming at the top of their lungs.a

Uber driver Chen Yi said he saw a truck plow into people on a popular bike path adjacent to the West Side Highway. He said he then heard seven to eight shots and then police pointing a gun at a man kneeling on the pavement.

aI saw a lot of blood over there. A lot of people on the ground,a Yi said.

Video footage of the school bus showed its right side bashed in, and firefighters surrounding it as they worked to free children inside.

The White House said President Donald Trump was briefed on the attack.

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Washington:

The Chinese envoy to the US on Monday said that no one could 'contain' China now, expressing his displeasure over the formation of an 'exclusive club' in the Indo-Pacific region.

Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai was responding to questions on the recent India-centric policy speech by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the decision of the Trump administration to sell to India high-tech military equipment, including state-of-the-art armed drones, and the Japanese proposal of a strategic quadrilateral dialogue involving India and Australia.

"I dont think that the sales of advanced arms would really serve that purpose," Cui said.

Political analysts in the west have described the sale of arms to India as a US move to contain China.

"By the way I dont think anybody would be able to contain China," the Chinese Ambassador asserted in his rare press conference at the Embassy of China here.

The top diplomat was addressing media ahead of US President Donald Trumps visit to China early next month.

Trump is scheduled to embark on a 10-day visit to China. He would also visit Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Also Read: Guard Chinese soil, Xi Jinping tells herdsmen from Arunachal Pradesh

Cui said China is "open to cooperation among the regional countries" for stability and prosperity.

The relationship between China and India "have been developing quite steadily over the years".

Chinese President Xi Jinping, he said, has always said that Pacific Ocean is large enough to accommodate that development both of China and the US, and the Asia-Pacific region is big enough to accommodate the development of China, India and Japan.

"In this regard I hope all parties will do things conducive to better relations, better mutual trust," he said.

Without mentioning the recent stand-off between India and China, Cui said he does not think that "confrontation" is in the interest of either of the two countries.

"Im quite confident that both countries have a clear recognition of what will serve their respective interests best," he said, responding to a question on India and the move to have a strategic dialogue involving four countries ? India, Japan, US and Australia.

Any relationship between any two countries in the region, between any regional country and another country outside of the region should not be a zero sum game, he said when asked about the strengthening of India US relationship, which many say is aimed at China.

Also Read: British minister Mark Garnier accused of sexual harassment

"Good relations between China and the US is not at the expense of any other country. The same should be true for relations between US and India and Japan and India," he said.

It is not in the interest of these countries if their aim is to sort of "contain" China, the top Chinese diplomat said.

Cui said all the regional countries in the Indo-Pacific have shared interests in greater stability, peace and better prospects for prosperity.

In order to achieve that regional countries have to work together and have to promote closer cooperation among them and maybe establish appropriate regional mechanisms, he said.

As such, China is open to cooperation with all its neighbours so that Asia-Pacific will continue to be a peaceful, stable and prosperous region.

"We are following developments in the region very closely and hopefully other countries will have the same approach as we have," he said, responding to a question on quadrilateral dialogue between India, Japan, US and Australia.

Also Read: US, South Korea join hands to counter North Korea's nuclear programme

Cui said he does not think that "any attempt to form exclusive clubs in the region following a so-called zero sum approach will help anybody".

For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
At the University of Cincinnati, Jerry Springer says, "I will defend anyone's right to freedom of speech in this country," on Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017.
Ned Gerard / Ned Gerard

In September, Connecticut was the lone state in the nation to see a decline in borrowers misrepresenting facts on mortgage loan applications, according to a new study, with the Bridgeport-Stamford region seeing an even greater improvement.

First American Financial maintains a running loan application defect index that estimates fraudulent and false statements on mortgage applications, to include those addressing collateral or income.
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The cavernous morass of casino expansion in Connecticut grew deeper and wider Tuesday as the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs blew off a deadline to approve or reject the deal that allows the Mohegan and Mashantucket Pequot tribes to build an East Windsor casino.

Bridgeport is watching closely, as the East Windsor deal  a controversial state law passed a few months ago  affects the fate of a $675 million plan for a casino resort by MGM on Bridgeport Harbor.

BIAs non-action might mean the deal is approved, through lack of rejection. Or it might mean theres no approval yet. Naturally, the feuding sides cant agree.

This latest flap is just another skirmish in the long Great Casino War of Connecticut, now three years old. Broadly, it signals a hopeless slide into a netherworld of more wrangling in the legislature, administrative rulings, court trials and appeals, not to mention design and construction.

Bet on this: Without some kind of negotiated settlement, no one will wager a dime inside a commercial casino in this state, whether in East Windsor or Bridgeport, in the next five years. The legal fight could take longer than it did to execute a convicted killer before Connecticut gave up trying.

Recall, the tribes operate their separate Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort casinos under a compact in which the tribes pay the state 25 percent of slot machine revenue in exchange for the exclusive right to operate casinos in the state. That amounted to $267 million last year, expected to fall under $200 million after MGM Springfield opens less than a year from now.

The tribes, working together as the joint venture MMCT, won approval from the legislature and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to open a casino along Interstate 91 in East Windsor, located there for the sole purpose of picking off Connecticut casino customers heading to Springfield. Since thats not on tribal land, it requires an amendment to the compact, which requires federal approval.

Tuesday marked the 90th day since the tribes and the state applied for federal approval of the amendment  and that was the deadline for the Department of the Interior to publish its decision. On Sept. 15, the deadline for a ruling, the department issued a letter saying the amendment might not be necessary, and it has said nothing publicly since then.

Lawyers for the tribes sent a letter to a ranking department official Tuesday, five days after a meeting, saying, it is not the Departments province to speculate about whether a compact amendment is necessary.

In effect, the letter said, hey, federal regulators, by not acting, you have legally approved the amendment whether you like it or not. Now please finish the job.

We urge the Secretary to perform his ministerial statutory and regulatory duty to publish notice of approval in the Federal Register, the letter said.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, whos been lobbying for approval of the East Windsor deal, along with Sen. Chris Murphy and Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, is on the side that says no action by BIA, which is part of the Department of the Interior, amounts to a legal approval. He was the state Attorney General who created the compact back in the 90s.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has an obligation to approve the amendment, Blumenthal said. But I also think that the absence of disapproval, if a court were reading it, could be argued as deemed approved.

MGM Resorts International sees it differently  no approval is no approval, the casino behemoth argues. With or without approval, MGM is likely to refile its lawsuit claiming the states approval of an East Windsor site was unconstitutional.

And Attorney General George Jepsen, through spokeswoman Jaclyn Severance, warned against moving ahead in East Windsor until the Department of the Interior publishes its approval of the amendments in the Federal Register. ... We continue to think doing so poses substantial risks to the State of Connecticut.

Weve seen no visible signs of progress at the East Windsor casino, three years after the idea was hatched. The likely MGM lawsuit could slow it even more. Using the time, MGM is lining up support among lawmakers for its Bridgeport plan  and the tribes arent likely to sit idly by on that front.

Is there an end to all this?

It would not be a bad idea, said Av Harris, spokesman for Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, for all of the sides at some point to work out a gaming marketplace in the state of Connecticut where everybody can coexist.
Some opposition activists believe the Kremlin's aim is to crown the field with candidates designed to distract and entertain in order to boost turnout and divide the liberal opposition. The Kremlin denies that, saying anyone who meets the legal criteria to run can take part.

The presidential election takes place in March next year. President Vladimir Putin is expected to stand and win, but has yet to confirm his plans.

A journalist became the second woman to enter Russia's presidential race, saying on Monday she wanted to use the election to campaign for the rights of single mothers and children.

On Monday, mother-of-two Ekaterina Gordon, 37, who has worked as a TV and radio talk show host, said she was putting herself forward as an independent presidential candidate.

She said she had never voted, but had become disillusioned by both the liberal opposition and pro-Kremlin politicians. "I understood that everyone is fed from the same trough," Gordon said in an online video.

"There are many populist themes... But there is one reality -- we are a country of single mothers, and no one gives a damn about them."

She said she had not agreed her candidacy with the Kremlin and had experience of the kind of problems Russian woman faced due to her ownership of a law firm.

Another female candidate, Russian TV personality Ksenia Sobchak, said earlier this month she planned to run for president, offering liberal voters unhappy with Putin's rule someone to back, though she, like Gordon, has little prospect of winning.

Post-Soviet Russia has never had a female president. Kremlin critic and opposition leader Alexei Navalny wants to run too, but Russia's central election commission has declared him ineligible due to a suspended prison sentence, which he says was politically-motivated.
When it comes to Korean cooking, you cant get much more foundational than jang, the soy-based fermented sauces that youll find in almost every dish. Its usually jang that brings that salty, spicy, umami funk to your food. While there are many kinds of jang, most Koreans will have three essential varieties in their kitchens: ganjang (soy sauce), doenjang (soybean paste), and gochujang (chile paste). Youll find them in soups, banchan, meat dishes, marinades, dipping sauces... just about everywhere you need seasoning, really.

Jang goes back centuries. Every household made their own jang in onggiporous, breathable earthenware jars that allow air and moisture to pass through and aid fermentation. In the decades after the war, a newly-industrialized food industry supplied new city-dwellers and working families with factory-produced jang packaged in plastic containers. Very recently, with rising incomes and renewed interest in Korean heritage and well-being health foods, a small market is opening up for traditionally-made jang, often sold in specialty grocery stores. This spring, I visited one of these artisanal jang-makers in a valley near Damyang, South Jeolla Province. Master Ki Soon-do has been making jang for over 40 years, ever since she married into an aristocratic family with a 360-year history of jang-making.

Master Ki Soon-do has been making traditional jang in earthenware pots for over 40 years. Photos by Michelle K. Min

Master Ki is a tall, graceful woman in her seventies who speaks gently and politely with us, despite our age difference. She doesnt talk about the fact that the government has designated her as a Korean Food Grand Master, or that shes been featured on countless TV programs and magazines. Instead, she talks about her lifes work: making artisanal jang and keeping this tradition alive. People need to know that traditional Korean soy sauce and doenjang have just three ingredients: soybeans, salt, and water, she tells us as we sample her jang: amber-hued young soy sauce, ink-dark aged soy sauce, butterscotch-toned doenjang, and deep vermillion gochujang. We sit on the floor around a low table with the open doors overlooking the grounds. Classic Korean instrumental music plays on the outdoor speakers, accompanied by birdsong and the rustling of bamboo. And in the center of it all sits row upon row of onggi filled with different kinds of jang.

The Korean government has designated Ki Soon-do a "grand master." Photo by Michelle K. Min

Making jang is a time-consuming process. After the fall harvest, you boil soybeans and shape them into large blocks called meju. The meju are hung up to age with rice straw, which helps inoculate them with microbes that begin to ferment the soy. After the aging and drying is complete, usually mid- to late winter, the meju are then soaked in salt water inside the onggi. By spring, its time to pull out the meju, now softened and salty, to age as soybean paste, while the brine, now dark and flavorful, ages as soy sauce. This is what makes Korean soy sauce and doenjang different from Japanese soy sauce and miso, explains Korean food expert Seoyoung Jung, who co-founded the website Bburi Kitchen. We Koreans create our soy sauce and doenjang together in the same jar, like twins from one mother.

Left: boiled soybean blocks (meju) are tied with rice straw, which helps in fermentation. Right: meju resting in its onngi. Photos by Michelle K. Min

Gochujang is a little different. You mix rice flour porridge, chile powder, salt, powdered meju, and malted barley water, then age this mixture for several months or longer. There are regional variations: People in different regions might use different grains, for example, and Master Kis version is extra dark, because she uses soy sauce in place of salt. But all traditionally-made jang is fermented in onggi for a year or more, using the age-old ingredients of air, sun, and time. Some aged soy sauces command hundreds of dollars. If youre lucky enough to come across onggi-fermented jang in a Korean grocery store, it can cost double or triple the price of commercial jang.

For advice on how to choose and cook with jang, I turned to Seoyoung. We met when I took her class on cooking with doenjang in Seoul three years ago. Seoyoung first trained in classical French cuisine at the Culinary Institute of America, but found her passion in Korean food while working for years at a Korean fermentation company in Seoul. Later, Seoyoung invited me to join her on a year-long project traveling around the Korean countryside interviewing grandmothers and farmers about local food. That year turned into three years, with plenty of stops at traditional jang-makers along the way. At any given moment, Seoyoungs fridge is stocked with dozens of jang containers battling for space, all of different ages and regions. Even in Korean grocery stores abroad, the jang aisle can be overwhelmingly well-stocked. This is a quick guide to help you get started.

Commercially-produced ganjang lacks the complex flavors of ones produced in smaller batches. Photo by Michelle K. Min

Ganjang (Soy Sauce)

Ganjang is used for seasoning meat and vegetables, in soups and dipping sauces, as well as for pickling and preserving. The ganjang selection is often the most varied in even small grocery stores. You have to check the ingredients first, says Seoyoung. Traditional Korean soy sauce uses only soybeans, salt and water and has no other additives. Japanese-influenced soy sauce will have wheat, which makes it sweeter. Though there are dozens of names for different kinds of ganjang, she recommends knowing three basic categories: guk-ganjang, yangjo ganjang, and jin-ganjang. Guk-ganjang, or soup soy sauce (also called Joseon ganjang) is the most traditional with just the three main ingredients. This is what everyone used before industrialization. People use guk-ganjang to season their soup and vegetables, but use it carefully because it tends to be stronger and saltier than other kinds of soy sauce.

Next is yangjo ganjang, which is one of the most commonly-used soy sauce types in Korea today. Like guk-ganjang, its fermented using microbes to break down the soy proteins, though there is one key difference. Yangjo ganjang is a Japanese-influenced soy sauce that contains wheat, which makes it noticeably sweeter, so keep that in mind when youre cooking, says Seoyoung. Its good for dipping sauces and cooking, and its also a little less expensive than guk-ganjang.

Finally, theres jin-ganjang. The name jin-ganjang is actually somewhat misleading. Jin-ganjang used to refer to a deep and richly-flavored soy sauce that has been aged for years upon years, she says. But now, the jin-ganjang youll find in grocery stores is the cheapest soy sauce out there. The soy proteins are broken down chemically and it doesnt have any of the complex flavors that fermented ganjang has. If you care about flavor, go for yangjo or guk-ganjang. But if youre working with volume, like when pickling or braising, jin-ganjang can be a good, affordable option.

Doenjang (Fermented Soybean Paste)

Doenjang is another ingredient that youll find in every Korean fridge. It goes into all kinds of vegetable banchan, forms the base of soups and stews, and is used for dipping sauces and sometimes marinades. To those more familiar with Japanese cuisine, it may resemble miso, though traditional Korean doenjang (like soy sauce) is made with just soybeans, salt, and water. These days, some Koreans are saying that traditional doenjang is a little bitter, so a lot of commercial products are making sweeter doenjang to appeal to a younger market. But try the simpler, traditional doenjang [without wheat], Seoyoung suggests. You can immediately tell that it has a different flavor profile. Its more complex. If youre using doenjang as a meat marinade and sauteing, use low heat, she advises, because it can burn. She also suggests using the cloudy water poured off from washing rice when making doenjang soup. This will offset any bitter flavors and make it a lot softer.

Gochujang (Fermented Chile Paste)

Gochujang might be the most popular of the three jang in the States, but its not quite as essential to the Korean pantry as ganjang and doenjang are. Thats partly because chiles only became widespread in Korean cuisine by the 17th century. Nonetheless, gochujang still shows up pretty regularly in marinades, vegetable banchan seasonings, dipping sauces, soups, and savory pancakes. Gochujang is much sweeter today than it used to be, says Seoyoung. Older varieties of gochujang taste saltier and spicier. Theyd also be aged in the sun, which makes them darker and gives them a slightly smoky flavor. Youre not likely to find onggi-fermented gochujang in grocery stores, but you can look for the word taeyangcho, which means the chilies have been dried in the sun. Taeyangcho gochujuang tends to have a more vivid color and brighter flavor, Seoyoung says. She also advises looking for gochujang that doesnt contain corn syrup or flour. You can always adjust the level of sweetness by adding your own sweetener when youre cooking, but getting already-sweet gochujang gives you less flexibility with that.

Look for gochujang that is not pre-sweetened. Photo by Michelle K. Min

To make ssamjang, a popular dipping sauce for barbecued meat, Seoyoung suggests mixing one part each of doenjang and gochujang, adjusting the gochujang to your desired spice level. Her special tip: Add some minced garlic, crushed sesame seeds, and a dash of sesame oilthis will make a huge difference!
Connecticut will soon have its first statewide water plan.

Under the plan, all of the states data on water quality and quantity will be consolidated in one document, which outlines specific goals to protect and continue providing safe drinking water. It will be used in adopting regulations or laws, and in planning for the future of local and state water supplies.

This is a historic moment, said Jack Betkoski, chairman of the Water Planning Council, which spearheaded development of the plan. Water is a critical resource that we need to protect now and into the future.

The Water Planning Council was created in 2001 to address issues with water companies, water resources and state policies regulating Connecticuts water supply. The council includes representatives of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, the Office of Policy and Management, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Department of Public Health.

In 2014, after a series of droughts and an increase in summer demand for water, the General Assembly passed an act requiring that the council create a plan to better manage the states water, especially for lawn care. Worries about climate change also gave impetus to the plan.

Betkoski and the other members presented the plan in an educational video posted to the Department of Public Healths YouTube page. Residents can comment on it at www.ct.gov/water until Nov. 20. Details and an educational video of the plan are also available on the site.

The plan includes 10 policy priorities, including protecting watersheds, better educating the public and government officials and promoting agriculture practices that reuse water or store it better.

We want to expand protection to other watershed lands and lands that feed aquifers used for public water supply or private wells, said Garrett Eucalitto, the undersecretary of comprehensive planning for the Office of Policy and Management.

He said there also needs to be more investment in water infrastructure, more partnerships and communication with businesses and more development of water sources.

The states waters are divided by the plan into 44 regional basins, including three in Western Connecticut: the Candlewood, the Still and the Aspetuck. The amount of water available and the demand for it in each basin is noted in the plan, as well as average annual stream flow.

We hope to dig a little bit deeper and go to the local scale, said Betsy Wingfield, DEEPs bureau chief of water protection and land reuse and the DEEP representative on the council.

She added there are about 3,000 local basins.

Wingfield said climate change is also a factor in long-term planning.

Its anticipated that annual temperatures, rainfall and runoff will be higher in the future than they are now, she said.

She said Connecticut could still see drier summers, even with the increase in overall rainfall.

Its an indication we have enough water, and we will have enough water, but it may not be where we need it, when we need it, Wingfield said.
NEW FAIRFIELDThe Board of Education has voted to hire a consulting firm to help replace Superintendent Alicia Roy, who will leave the district when her contract expires in June.

A committee formed to look into consulting services told board members that they researched three firms: Ray Associates, Cooperative Educational Services and Connecticut Association of Boards of Education. The board decided to hire Cooperative Educational Services.
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NEW MILFORD  Nearly half the candidates for Town Council are newcomers to electoral politics, and many of them say they hope to shake up a body that has become too partisan in recent years.

Democrats won a 5-4 majority on the council in 2015, after years of Republican control. Since then many issues have been decided by party-line votes, and partisan feelings are high on both sides.

Party division on the council has left the public feeling like outsiders in their own town, said Joe DeGregorio, a Green Party member who will appear on the Nov. 7 ballot as a petitioning candidate.

Lisa Hida will appear on the ballot as a Democrat, but she, too, got there by petition instead of being nominated by her party.

Im not going to focus on the party; Im not a party-line vote, Hida said. At the heart of things, Im appalled by the behavior Ive seen by my party.

Hida even made campaign contributions to Pete Bass, the GOP challenger to Mayor David Gronbach, because he asked.

Also appearing on the ballot will be Mike Sennello, a Libertarian.

The two parties each nominated six candidates for the nine council seats. But even some party-nominated candidates said the council has become too polarized and that its meetings are too contentious.

More Information Where, when to vote There are seven polling places in New Milford, one for each district. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7. District 1: Northville School, Hipp Road District 2: Catherine E. Lillis Building, East Street District 3: Odd Fellows Lodge, Danbury Road District 4: Gaylordsville Fire House, Kent Road District 5: Schaghticoke School, Hipp Road District 6: Hill & Plain School, Old Town Park Road District 7: Sarah Noble School, Sunny Valley Road Final tally will be in the Loretta Brickley Room in the basement of Town Hall, 10 Main St., after polls close. See More Collapse

We all want to see government the way its supposed to be run, said Doug Skelly, a Republican seeking election for the first time. I think a lot of people are tired of listening to the banter.

But some Democratic candidates argue that the only way to complete major projects now under way, such as conversion of the former John Pettibone School into a community Center, is to re-elect their majority.

Democrat John Kane said a Republican majority would put the Pettitbone project in jeopardy, and even a split between a Republican council and Democratic mayor would stymie progress, he added.

Kane was appointed to a council seat held until last month by Scott Chamberlain, who resigned, and is now seeking election to a full term.

Skelly said hed work with anyone of any party if elected.

I just want to see good people in office, not necessarily Republicans, he said.

But Skelly added that GOP majority would better manage the Pettibone project because it would insist on more transparent financing. Republicans have long contended the renovations are being done without the public knowing the true cost.

Although newcomers outnumber incumbents on the council ballot, most of the the newcomers are familiar names in town government. Skelly has served on Town Council subcommittees and Kane was a member of the Planning Commission.

Other newcomers include Republicans Michael Nahom and Michael Gold.

Former council member Peter Mullen, a Democrat, is also seeking to return to the body.

Mullen said he thinks Democratic control of the council has proved fruitful, and that a change would risk completion of projects including park and trail creation and road improvements. Under Republican control, he said, projects were on the books but nothing happened.

They had control for 12 years and nothing got done, he said. We had two years and work is happening. Lets not go back to the old ways.

Although both parties hope to win a council majority, some of the newcomers said the town would be better off without either party gaining an outright majority.

DeGregorio said much of the boards infighting can be pegged to Democrats whose at-all-costs approach to fulfilling their campaign promises left some residents feeling unheard.

A lot of the things they have done, if done in an egalitarian manner, could have been wins, he said. Conversation, collaboration, and cooperation are sorely missing on the council.

Incumbents running for re-election are Democrats Mary Jane Lundgren, Jessica Richardson, Frank Wargo and Walter Bayer and Republicans Katy Francis, Paul Szymanski and Tom Esposito.

Because of minority representation rules, only six candidates from one party can be elected to the council.

blytton@hearstmediact.com; 203-731-3411; @bglytton
SOUTHBURY - To Second Amendment supporters such as lifelong town resident Holly Hageman, the suggestion that guns should be banned on municipal property represents an unacceptable threat.

If the idea ever became law, she says, only criminals would have guns on Southbury property.

If you look at all of the horrible shootings we have had, if people had been around who were responsible and safety-conscious about carrying guns, they might have stopped the shooting before more damage was done, said Hageman, 58. Criminals are always going to have guns, but good people with guns could prevent a tragedy.

Hageman is one of scores of gun-rights supporters from Southbury and surrounding towns who crowded a recent Town Hall meeting in such numbers that the Board of Selectmen had to reschedule the hearing to a larger venue.

Officials expect a still larger crowd on Thursday at Pomperaug High School, when the Board of Selectmen plans to take up the issue again.

The reason: Members of the Newtown Action Alliance and other gun violence prevention activists are mobilizing supporters to attend the meeting to support of the proposal.

What Southbury is considering should be a model for municipalities across the country, said Po Murray, chairman of the Newtown Action Alliance. Guns dont make us safer.

So far, the Southbury Board of Selectmen has agreed only to discuss whether members want the town attorney to draft an ordinance that would ban firearms at town events and on town-owned property.

The concept isnt new, said Mike Rosen, one of two Democrats on the six-member Board of Selectmen. Here and all over the country, there are similar ordinances.

Under Connecticut law, gun owners with a permit may carry firearms concealed or in the open, except on school grounds.

The suggestion for the gun ban came earlier in the month from members of the Southbury Democratic Town Committee, which argued that the presence of firearms at town events could have the effect of chilling free speech.

[W]ithout local regulations, a registered gun owner with a permit could be handling a gun only feet from a bunch of kids playing at a town park and the police would have no grounds to question him, said Jennifer Tokarczyk, the vice chair of the Democratic committee, during the Board of Selectmens Oct. 5 meeting. The same would be true if someone with a gun were to enter Town Hall.

Tokarczyk noted there are similar bans on the books in Ansonia, Meriden and Naugatuck.

Gun-rights supporters respond that banning firearms on town property is irrational, because it would disarm only the people who should have guns.

A lawful gun owner means just that - someone who has gone through the background checks and has a squeaky-clean record, said Aaron Bethlenfalvy, owner of Alpha Dog Silencers in Southbury. Lawful gun owners share similar concerns (with non-gun owners) about safety for themselves and their loved ones, and if something bad should happen, I dont know a single person who wouldnt stand up to protect themselves and innocent people.

Scott Wilson, the president of the states largest gun rights group, said the Southbury ban could extend to town-owned roads, which would mean gun owners with carry permits couldnt lawfully leave their homes while armed.

Its important for people to speak out against this, said Wilson, president of the 28,000-member Connecticut Citizens Defense League. It is ludicrous to say that this would make anyone safer.

Rosen said all speakers, regardless of where they live, would be allowed to speak on Thursday, but they would be held to three minutes.

My intention is to sit there and listen as long as people want to talk to us, he said.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
Puigdemont is likely to be accused of rebellion as early as Monday for pushing ahead with secession.

It remains to be seen whether the transfer of power will be smooth or face opposition, which could deepen the political crisis in the country. There were no signs that now fired regional elected leaders, including the head of government, Carles Puigdemont, and other members of his deposed Cabinet would try to go to their offices Monday.

Catalonian police entered government buildings in Barcelona Monday morning, as Catalonia entered its first week after the Spanish central government's assertion of control over the would-be breakaway region.

Sunday, hundreds of thousands of supporters of a united Spain took to the streets of Barcelona to voice their rejection of Catalonias declaration of independence.

Chanting "Viva Espana" and waving Spanish, Catalan and European Union flags, the protesters marched in Catalonia's capital to show they supported the Spanish central government's dismissal of Catalonia's cabinet and quashing of the region's secession push.

Protesters also held banners reading, "We won't let Spain be torn apart into pieces" and "The awakening of a silenced nation," among others. "We have organized ourselves late, but we are here to show that there is a majority of Catalans that are no longer silent and that no longer want to be silenced," said Alex Ramos, head of the pro-union Catalan Civil Society.

Organizers said the rally attracted more than 1 million people, but police put the figure at 300,000.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy dissolved Catalonia's parliament, just hours after the regional body voted Friday in favor of independence from Spain. In addition to dismissing the regional parliament, Rajoy has called for snap Catalan elections on December 21 and has stripped Catalonia's most senior police officials of their powers.

Inigo Mendez de Vigo, a spokesman for the Spanish government, has said Puigdemont and all other Catalonian leaders would be eligible to run in the December election.
China's ambassador to Washington said on Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump's state visit to Beijing next week was a historic opportunity to boost cooperation between the world's two largest economies, but warned against attempts to "contain" Beijing.

Cui Tiankai also stressed the urgency of efforts to find a negotiated solution to the crisis over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and warned of a "more dangerous" situation if tensions between the United States and Pyongyang continued.

Cui sought to play down differences over China's massive trade surplus with the United States, saying Beijing was looking for ways to cut this and he was confident of "significant outcomes" from Trump's Nov. 8 to 9 visit on the trade and economic fronts.

Speaking after senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, outlined an Asia-Pacific strategy involving greater cooperation between Japan, India and Australia in the face of China's rise, Cui said relationships should not be seen as a "zero-sum game" at the expense of another county.

"I don't think it will really serve the interests of these countries if their aim is to sort of contain China... I don't think anybody would be able to contain China," he said.

Cui said Washington should not try to "interfere" in regional efforts to resolve disputes in the South China Sea, a vital strategic waterway that China claims, most of which is contested by several Asian countries. "Maybe it would be better for the U.S. to let the regional countries... find a way a way of managing the situation."
MONTREAL, Oct. 31, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - LGC Capital Ltd. (TSXV: LG) ("LGC") is pleased to announce that it has signed an option with Quebec based Tricho-Med Corporation, doing business as AAA Trichomes (AAA Trichomes) to acquire a 49% interest (plus a 5% royalty) in a new cannabis processing facility to be built in the Province of Quebec.

Subject to permitting, the AAA Trichomes processing facility will be one of the first enclosed multi-level medical cannabis producers in Quebec. Trichomes is scheduled to start operations in 2019 with an initial annual production rate of over 2,500 kilograms reaching a planned production rate of over 20,000 kilograms by 2021.

"This is LGC's first deal directly in the Canadian cannabis sector and hopefully the first of a number of Canadian deals the Company is looking at taking a strategic investment." Commented John McMullen, LGC Capital's CEO. "This deal is on the back of our recent investment in Little Green Pharma, one of Australia's fully licensed and permitted medical cannabis companies that is moving rapidly towards planting its first commercial crop (/or - has just planted its first commercial crop). We are also progressing well with our due diligence process on our potential investment in South Africa's House of Hemp, having now completed 3 months of the due diligence on this exciting business."

Under the terms of the exclusive option agreement, LGC plans to fund the building of the facility by way of a $4 million fully secured convertible debenture bearing interest at the rate of 10% per annum. Upon the facility being approved for cannabis cultivation and production, the debenture will automatically be converted to a 49% holding in the issued common share capital of Trichomes as well as a 5% royalty on all net sales of cannabis products.

AAA Trichomes was incorporated in 2014 with the objective of becoming a manufacturer and distributor of cannabis products in Canada with an initial focus on Quebec market. Since November 2016, AAA Trichomes has been in the final review stage with Health Canada for the processing of its application to become a licensed producer under the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations.

The critical path in this transaction calls for due diligence to be completed by November 15th with a closing on an initial funding of $2 Million to take place on November 24th of this year. Conditions precedent to closing include, inter alia, execution and delivery of all definitive agreements relating to the convertible debentures, the net sales royalty and registration of securities against the assets of the Borrower. LGC plans to fund this investment over the construction period from current cash reserves and from Institutional debt.

Closing is also conditional upon LGC having obtained all requisite regulatory and TSX Venture Exchange approvals.

About LGC (www.lgc-capital.com):

LGC Capital Ltd. is a Canadian incorporated public company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: LG). LGC's objective is to become a diversified business group with core business divisions that provide shareholders with exposure to a diverse range of businesses, products and services.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release may contain forward-looking statements with respect to LGC Capital Ltd. ("LGC"), its investment in AAA Trichomes Inc., and LGC's operations, strategy, investments, financial performance and condition. These statements generally can be identified by use of forward-looking words such as "may", "will", "expect", "estimate", "anticipate", "intends", "believe" or "continue" or the negative thereof or similar variations. The actual results and performance of LGC, including its proposed investment in AAA Trichomes Inc., could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Some important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include, among other things, general economic and market factors, competition, government regulation and the factors described under "Risk Factors and Risk Management" in LGC's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016, as filed on SEDAR ( www.sedar.com ). The cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements attributable to LGC and persons acting on its behalf. Unless otherwise stated, all forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and LGC has no obligation to update such statements, except to the extent required by applicable securities laws.

Information Relating to AAA Trichomes Inc.:

All information contained in this press release relating to AAA Trichomes Inc. has been provided to LGC by AAA Trichomes Inc.. LGC has relied upon this information without having made independent inquiries as to its accuracy or completeness and assumes no responsibility for any inaccuracy or incompleteness of such information.

Caution Regarding Press Releases

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE LGC Capital Ltd

For further information: Company & Media Contacts, Canada contact: John McMullen, Chief Executive Officer, Tel.: (416) 803-0698, Email: [email protected]; London contact: Anthony Samaha, Chief Financial Officer, Tel.: +44 (0) 20 7440 0640; Investor Relations contact: Dave Burwell, The Howard Group Inc., Tel.: (403) 221-9015, Toll Free: 1-888-221-0915, Email: [email protected]
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 31, 2017 /CNW/ -- Lifestyle Delivery Systems Inc. (CSE: LDS), (OTCQB: LDSYF) and (Frankfurt: LD6, WKN: A14XHT) ("LDS" or the "Company") announces that on October 26, 2017, the CSPA Group's extraction team from LDS Scientific began extraction and distillation of raw fresh frozen whole plant material for the purpose of conversion into medicinal cannabis products. An independent third party laboratory tested the whole plant material prior to processing. The results showed no trace amounts of pesticides, fungicides, mold or infestation. The LDS Scientific team is using fresh frozen whole plant material in order to preserve the complex array of cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids for inclusion into its medical cannabis products. The whole plant methodology may have additional benefits for patients if the entourage effect from combinations of plant chemicals described by some commentators results in enhanced benefits. There is no current clinical data developed in the U.S. to support these hypotheses, and the large majority of commentary is driven by anecdotal patient statements.

Brad Eckenweiler CEO of LDS stated, "The extraction and distillation of whole plant material began last week and medicinal cannabis product formulations and distillate processing is beginning today. We will run sample products and begin taking orders this week and based on those orders we will schedule corresponding production runs. We are confident that the market is ready for our products and that customers will appreciate the added benefit of knowing that each and every product has been tested and is honestly represented in dosage and quality." The LDS Scientific team anticipates releasing sales figures by the end of November 2017.

About Lifestyle Delivery Systems Inc.

The Company's technology produces infused strips (similar to breath strips) that are not only a safer, healthier option to smoking, but also a new way to accurately meter the dosage and assure the purity of the product. In addition, with the entering into its management services agreements with NHMC, Inc. and CSPA Group, Inc., the Company has begun its direct involvement in the growing of medicinal ingredients for, and the manufacturing of, its products. From seed to sale, the Company's products and ingredients will be tested for quality and composition throughout the formulation and production processes, resulting in a delivery system that is safe, consistent and effective.

On behalf of the board of directors of Lifestyle Delivery Systems Inc.

Brad Eckenweiler, CEO & Director

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

[email protected]

1-866-347-5058

And

Skanderbeg Capital Advisors

604-687-7130

[email protected]

Cautionary Disclaimer Statement:

The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release.

Information set forth in this news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions as of the date of this news release. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations. They are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the Company's limited operating history and the need to comply with environmental and governmental regulations. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

SOURCE Lifestyle Delivery Systems Inc.

Related Links

http://www.lifestyledeliverysystem.com


37th World Religions Conference - Canada 150 Special Event

Canada's Largest Multi-faith event

WATERLOO, ON, Oct. 30, 2017 /CNW/ - Scholars of 7 faiths and philosophies and nearly 800 delegates including officialdoms from academia, local, provincial and national governments as well as associates of various faith organizations are expected to flock to the Humanities Theatre, University of Waterloo for Canada's Largest Multi-Faith event  the 37th World Religions Conference (WRC), taking place on Saturday, November 4, 2017 from 10:30 am to 3:45 pm.

Canada is recognized globally for its values such as openness, diversity, compassion, equality and justice. As we celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary, we will explore how Canadian values relate to the teachings of different faiths and philosophies. Scholars will deliberate on how their respective faith or philosophy can promote and shape values that Canada stands for.

Event Coordinator Nabeel Rana is pleased that this year's conference is a special event and a celebration of Canada 150. He hopes that such mutual exploration will encourage better understanding and promote a harmonious co-existence among the members of Canada's diverse religious and cultural mosaic.

Buoyed by contributions from the many faith communities that thrive in our country, WRC has enriched our society by promoting peace, understanding, and tolerance in Canada for 37 years and has become an enduring tradition in the region.

The event hosted by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama`at of Canada with many partner organizations including local municipalities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge as well several other faith-based organization and media outlets. The will be moderated by a City of Waterloo's famous Councillor Melissa Durrell, whereas eminent scholars representing Indigenous, Humanism (Atheists and Agnostics), Christianity, Sikhism, Judaism, Hinduism and Islam will speak at the conference. Kitchener-Waterloo's famous Grand Philharmonic Children's Choir will be singing O'Canada in the opening ceremony of the conference, where numerous local leaders will bring greetings to the delegates. Faith groups will present recitations from their holy scriptures and and set up displays. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. The session will be concluded by a lively interactive Question/Answer session with the panel of all speakers. Admission is free, but seating is limited.

SOURCE Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama`at - Kitchener-Waterloo Branch

For further information: on this news wire visit www.worldreligionconference.org. To schedule an interview please contact conference organizer, Nabeel Rana at 519-722-0841 or via email at [email protected]
Headlines about President Donald Trump's former campaign officials charged in the Russia investigation dominated the news during the day Monday, and TV's late-night comedians happily continued the coverage into the early hours of Tuesday morning.

They all had lots of jokes (aside from Jimmy Kimmel, who is off this week) - here were some common themes from Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, Trevor Noah, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Fallon and James Corden:

1) The Halloween and Christmas connection:

Colbert: "This year is going to be super spooky for Donald Trump because special prosecutor and off-duty lurch Robert Mueller just announced the first indictments in the Russia investigation. Who's our first lucky winner? It's former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort ... I know it's almost Halloween, but it really feels more like Christmas."

Meyers: "Well, Trump was right - we have started saying 'Merry Christmas' again. President Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort was charged today with 12 counts, including acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign principal, money laundering and conspiracy against the United States."

Noah: "What a crappy day for Paul Manafort. Although at least it happened before Halloween, because now he can change his costume to 'sexy convict.'"

Corden: "Now, there's talk that Manafort didn't really get it. When the FBI showed up at his door, he handed out candy and was like, 'Who are you supposed to be?'"

2) The clip of Manafort stammering through a question last summer about Trump's ties to Russia:

Noah: "After Manafort turned himself in this morning, he pled not guilty to all charges, which means now we could get to see him in court. And I pray to God that he has to testify, because we already know from the campaign that he is the world's worst liar."

Meyers: "Maybe there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for all 12 counts against Manafort. I mean, does he sound like a guilty man to you?"

Corden: "Do we really need the FBI in all this? My 6-year-old would watch that video and go, 'Yeah, that guy's lying.'"

Fallon: "Ladies and gentlemen, is that the way someone guilty talks? I rest my case."

3) This Trump tweet:

"...are now fighting back like never before. There is so much GUILT by Democrats/Clinton, and now the facts are pouring out. DO SOMETHING!"

Colbert: "There's something so presidential about yelling 'DO SOMETHING!' into the void."

Meyers: "He sounds like a supervillain barking orders at his henchmen after James Bond escapes. 'He's getting away, do something!' But his henchmen are yelling back, 'We can't, we're all under federal investigation!'"

4) The fact that the Trump White House is distancing itself from Manafort:

Noah: "So Robert Mueller has indicted Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort. Or as Trump's people call him, 'New phone, who dis?'"

Meyers: "A source close to the Trump administration told CNN today that the indictments of two former Trump campaign officials have zero to do with the White House. To be fair, you could say the same thing about President Trump on any given day."

Corden: "Now, Trump says it was years ago, but this was still occurring in 2016. Which means even Donald Trump can't believe that Donald Trump has only been in office for a handful of months."

5) George Papadopoulos' name:

O'Brien: "Today, another Trump adviser, George Papadopoulos, pled guilty to lying to the FBI about meeting with Russians in 2016. The FBI would have issued an arrest warrant sooner, but they had a hard time spelling 'Papadopoulos.'"

Colbert: "The details of what Papadopoulos lied about are Papadopo-damning."

Fallon: (Imitating people who can't pronounce his name) "I think Mr. Snuffleupagus should be put behind bars!"

6) "Clue" jokes:

Colbert: "According to the indictment, Papadopoulos lied to the FBI about his meetings with Russian connections, such as 'a female Russian national described by Papadopoulos as 'Putin's niece' and a mysterious academic identified only as 'the professor.' We don't have all the details yet, but I'm guessing he met the professor in the conservatory with the candlestick."

Meyers: "According to the indictment, Papadopoulos met the professor for breakfast at a London hotel where the professor told Papadopoulos the Russians had obtained dirt on then-candidate Clinton. Wow, so it was the professor in the dining room with the emails. The Trump administration is turning into a game of 'Clue,' but since it's Trump, 'Clueless.'"

---

Video: Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort was indicted on 12 criminal charges on Oct. 30. Late-night comedians Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers and others had a lot to say about it. (The Washington Post)

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NORTH HAVEN  Most things dont last, unless theyve been mummified.

Hundreds of 2,000-year-old animal mummies, including crocodiles, cats, baby gazelles, falcons and ibises were removed from storage at Yales Peabody Museum of Natural History and brought to Quinnipiac Universitys North Haven campus for study by renowned Egyptologist and animal mummy specialist Dr. Salima Ikram, of American University in Cairo and a visiting professor at Yale University.

Ikram led Gerald Conlogue, professor emeritus of diagnostic imaging and co-director of the Bioanthropology Research Institute at Quinnipiac University, and William Hennessy, a clinical professor of radiologic science, in the opening of each mummy along with Dr. Roger Colten, collections manager in the division of anthropology for the Peabody.

Radiological science, diagnostic imaging and anthropology students from Quinnipiac assisted in in the mummies examination using digital radiography, mammography and multi-detector computed tomography. They, along with Near Eastern studies students from Yale, got real-world research experience as the team used the series of machines to inspect each animal mummy, gaining information about the life of the animal before it died and the methods of mummification used.

This will make a huge difference for us and I also want my students to understand how to unify science and the humanities and to work things out together, Ikram said. Its a good way of unifying the two aspects of ancient Egypt.

The mummies they are studying would have been wrapped more than 2,000 years ago and used in funeral ceremonies. Mummification of animals in ancient Egypt had several purposes. Sacred animals were bred with the intention of mummification, which are known as votive offerings that were placed in a tomb, but pets were also mummified, Ikram said.

Some animals were mummified to be guardians in the afterlife or at the entrance of a tomb, but they were also mummified as gods because the ancient Egyptians used to believe the spirit of the god would enter into the animal and when it died the spirit of the god would enter another animal, Ikram said.

Hennessy and Conlogue X-rayed these animal mummies 20 years ago with plain film machines, but with the latest digital machines they are able to compare the technological advances and hopefully discover new information.

Our goal is to take it to the next stage, Hennessy said. Is there anything we can see now that we didnt see 20 years ago because we have better technology? Its going to provide a lot of information. Time will tell how much information we have, but I think we can do a lot more than we did 20 years ago.

Film still gives best resolution, he said, but the difference with digital X-rays is a technician can change the levels of contrast of the image so it makes it appear that one can see the image better. With the CT scan a technician can take sectional images, looking at a piece at a time. Notably, the CT scan can look at soft tissue, which wasnt possible when the mummies were first X-rayed in 1997.

Thats the magic in the MDCT, Conlogue said, who also co-hosted the National Geographic program The Mummy Road Show. The CT also tells how the animals were wrapped and mummified and shows organs.

Most excitedly it can tell us its last meal, Ikram said. In studying the images, Ikram will be looking at mummification methods as well as age and sex and any indication of trauma on the bones because it will help give her a better understanding of the animals biography and see how mummification on a large scale in temples was practiced.

Were trying to look into that to understand what the ancient Egyptians were thinking and their religious practices in addition to physical stuff, Ikram said. By studying the new images, shell gain information about animal management and animal husbandry in ancient Egypt and be able to better inform a larger picture of the period and people. Ikram has studied similar mummies all over the world since 1996.

Its a tremendous opportunity for students to take what theyre learning in the classroom that they have yet to apply, since most have not been in clinic, Hennessy said.

Tania Grgurich, clinical associate professor of diagnostic imaging at Quinnipiac, helped students use the MDCT to image a 2,200-year-old mummified crocodile, creating a 3D image of the mummy. And while that particular crocodile wasnt wrapped, Grgurich said the machine is able to virtually peel away wrappings on mummies so researchers and technicians can examine the mummy without damaging it.

It gives people an opportunity to see that as an X-ray technician, you dont just have to sit here and do live people, Amanda Taft said, who is a masters student in health sciences. You can do mummies and work with anthropologists and things you would never expect. She assisted in using mammography to examine baby crocodile mummies because it gives a greatly detailed picture.

The images will be sent to Dr. Anthony Fischetti, head of diagnostic imaging and radiology at the Animal Medical Center in Manhattan and a consultant for the Brooklyn Museums Soulful Creatures Animal Mummies in Ancient Egypt exhibit. He will determine the age and health of each animal at the time of its death using the new images.

Its Halloween and we have mummies walking around, Hennessy said.

The participating students will assist Conlogue in preparing the technical aspects of the study for presentation along with Ikrams findings at the World Congress on Mummy Studies in May.

mdignan@hearstmediact.com
DUANESBURG  A bald eagle was killed when it was hit by a school bus on Monday in Schoharie County, State Police said.

About 11:05 a.m., a Schoharie Central School District bus was westbound on Interstate 88 between exits 24 and 23 when a bald eagle flew into the path of the bus, striking the windshield and shattering it, troopers said.
NEW HAVEN  State and local officials Monday discussed storm resiliency efforts near a portion of the citys improved seawall off Ferry Street to mark five years since Superstorm Sandy ravaged Connecticuts coastline.

Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman was scheduled to attend Mondays press conference but was unable to do so due to a scheduling conflict, state Department of Housing Commissioner Evonne Klein said.

While New Haven was sparred from the most destructive damage from Sandy in 2012, the city took steps to address concerns over potential water rising and other effects from flooding. Most city officials agreed New Haven was lucky to miss out on heavy damage after an expected surge did not materialize during Sandy.

This weekends storm underscored the importance of storm resiliency measures. The conditions caused tree damage leading to power outages. Mayor Toni Harp said several areas of vulnerability were identified following Sandys landfall, including Townsend Avenues waterfront and other low-lying areas along the citys East Shore.

Harp called the sea wall lining the Quinnipiac River exhibit A in how local, state and federal agencies partnered to improve the citys infrastructure. There are about 1,900 acres within the citys 100-year flood zone, Harp said. Klein said the city received about $1 million for the sea wall improvements.

Theres no such thing as being over-prepared, Harp said, pointing to hurricanes this season impacting Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico.

The strong wind and heavy rain that swept through here the night before last was all the reminder we needed of the devastation and hardship Sandy left in her wake five years ago, Harp said. Today were standing along a sea wall totally reconstructed in that time.

Klein said some 650,000 state residents were without electricity following the storm five years ago. At least 3,000 homes in the state were damaged by the superstorm. Six people died in the, worst storm in 60 years, for the state. Since then, Klein said she and other state commissioners have worked to, rebuild, repair and elevate, homes along the coastline.

The state received $160 million in block grants in disaster recovery funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to use for homes most affected by Sandy, Klein said.

Were making them more resilient and improving our infrastructure, Klein said, which makes residents safer.

Other measures taken by state agency to improve storm preparedness include the states Department of Transportation tree-trimming program along roadways, DOT Commissioner James P. Redeker said. Emergency Services and Public Protection Commissioner Dora B. Schriro said the department launched a mobile phone app called CT Prepares, which has information about emergency preparedness and utilities. It also allows users to designate their safety.

Another innovation is the establishment of micro-grid programs, which can provide power.

We have now six up and running in different municipalities across the state, State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Rob Klee said. Theyre another six in the pipeline. Now, its not every community everywhere but these are, micro-grids are meant to be islands of sustainable power around critical infrastructure, like your emergency response center, a shelter, a warming center, a place to charge your phone.

Klee said Sandy was a, wake-up call, while the recent spate of destructive hurricanes are part of a, new normal, due to climate change.

This fall, we really saw the meaning of that and the meaning of more extreme weather, extreme storm events, Klee said, adding, Thats really the challenge we have here in Connecticut, is infrastructure that can handle that new normal.

Klee said climate change is real and will make an impact in the state. He said DEEP understands building too close to water or destroying natural buffers such as marshes are not, sound strategies.

Reach Esteban L. Hernandez at 203-680-9901 or esteban.hernandez@hearstmediact.com
Iran's nuclear deal with world powers may hang in the balance, but you wouldn't know it at the United Nations conference on atomic energy held Monday in the United Arab Emirates.

Iran decided to skip the Abu Dhabi conference, leaving its seats empty as Yukiya Amano, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, avoided speaking about the nuclear deal at all in his address at the venue.

Officials at the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran did not respond to a request for comment. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said he had "no information" on the decision.

At a later news conference, Amano himself declined to discuss it. "This conference is open to all the countries and we welcome the participation of all the countries," Amano said. "But of course it depends on each country whether to attend or not. I do not comment on Iran's participation. It is [up to] Iran to decide."

During a visit to Iran the day before, Amano told reporters that Tehran was still honoring the 2015 nuclear accord. President Donald Trump has declined to re-certify the 2015 nuclear deal, sending it to Congress to address.
Happy New Month Nigeria! Welcome to the month of June. As the world searches for a respite from all its troubles since 2020 began, one can ...
Components made by major Western companies including one in the U.K. have been used to make North Korean missiles, a UN official said.

The claim was made Sunday by Hugh Griffiths, who leads the UN Security Council's Panel of Experts monitoring sanctions on North Korea, on CBS show 60 Minutes. He said UN investigators found a manufacturer's logo and serial numbers on debris of a North Korean rocket recovered by South Korea in February 2016.

This allowed "investigators to trace the origin and supply chain. And one component, called a pressure transmitter, was sourced to a well-known company in the West," CBS added.

The pressure transmitter is a key part for missile control. The program did not reveal the company's name because it is cooperating with Griffiths' investigation.

"After the pressure transmitter was manufactured in the U.K., the company shipped it legally to Taiwan," Griffiths said. The group that bought it, Royal Team Corporation, then brought it to North Korea during a trade fair.

Designed for civilian use, pressure transmitters are considered so-called "dual-use" items that can be adapted for military purposes. The UNSC has recently added 32 such dual-use items to a list of goods and technologies banned from sale or transfer to the North.

The ball bearings used in the rocket were also manufactured in Europe.

"Major Western companies may not be aware their parts are being purchased for North Korea," Griffiths said. "Rather, North Korea relies on foreign businessmen in places like Hong Kong, Taiwan, Beijing, Singapore, and Malaysia to acquire the equipment for them without giving off any association with North Korea," he added.


A former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the immediate past president has written a yet another interesting piece on the recent happenings in the polity. It's a must read.

Have you gone to visit your brother in Ekiti?

Who is that? I have many brothers from Ekiti state

The Governor. Osokomole himself, ekun oko oke, the dainty irunmole who eats jollof rice.

No. I dont go about visiting Governors.

I am referring to the fact that he recently escaped death. His G-Wagon suddenly went up in flames and it got completely burnt down.

What is a G-Wagon to a Fayose who started his public career as a car dealer?

Dont be mean. That car is about N20 million. And Femi Fani-Kayode has said that the fire incident was a spiritual bomb. It was a mystery fire. Only the carcass of the car was retrieved. The Governor was on his way to the airport in Lagos. They thought he was in the car.

What do you mean they?

His enemies

It could just have been an electrical fault.

What nonsense electrical fault is that in a brand new chassis, tear rubber, G-Wagon? I keep telling you, politics in Nigeria, in fact in Africa, is not an easy business. Everything is spiritual. Have you not seen George Weah visiting Pastor Temitope Joshua? What do you think he is looking for?

So, has Fayose identified some suspects?

For where? In fact after that fire incident, and the loss of his G-Wagon, he has been very, very quiet.

He doesnt need to be quiet. He should just blame the accident on the APC. He should make it clear that it is the handiwork of his enemies in the APC, and that the APC cannot stop him from becoming Nigerias next President, even if they send 1,000 spiritual bombs.

I dont get it.

What dont you get? Cant you see that the new system of governance in Nigeria is to blame the opposition or alleged witchcraft and sabotage? When things go wrong, nobody looks for probable reasons, they look for witches, spiritual bombs and wizards.

I dont get it.

You never get anything. You think if the vehicle that got burnt had belonged to an APC Governor, hed try to look for mechanical reasons, he will simply blame the PDP and its agents. The position of the Buhari government for example is that the administration has not been able to function for more than two years because of the PDP and former President Goodluck Jonathan

I am beginning to flow with you now.

When the countrys economy went into recession, instead of blaming their own lack of policy clarity, they said it was the Jonathan administration that sowed the seeds of recession.

Well, may be they have a point there.

What useless point? Look at the recent case involving the ex-pensions boss. A complete mess: They claimed that Maina was brought back to government and reinstated by Jonathans people within the system. How?

I am a Buhari man, but I also actually thought that was a new high in the monkey business going on since these guys took over power.

To add insult to injury, the current Customs boss says the Buhari administration has derailed and is not making progress because 50% of its members belong to the PDP, the opposition party. He says the government has been hijacked by persons who were never part of the party or the campaign.

I was shocked that the retired colonel would say that with his own mouth.

Should he have used your mouth?

I am trying to say that this is a government of own goals and unforced errors. They shoot themselves in the foot with their own guns. They blame the PDP. And yet the PDP is to all intents and purposes as at this moment, a confused and disorganized party.

What of the former President?

I dont see any evidence that he is fighting them in any way. But if cats should displace the rats in the Presidents abandoned office today, they will say it is the Jonathan administration at work.

Somebody has said that the President is a good man but he is surrounded by bad people. Only last week, Senator Dino Melaye said the President is surrounded by cankerworms and caterpillars.

Its getting worse, then. Lions, jackals, hyenas, now cankerworms and caterpillars, before 2019, wed get to the lowest level in the animal chain.

I wonder if the President is even aware of these things.

What they tell us is that the President is not aware.

What is that? The President reads newspapers everyday and he watches television.

One of his spokesmen told us he only likes to read cartoons and laugh. And you know the thing about cartoons and laughter.

But the same President has ordered investigations and reports on the various monkey businesses around his administration.

What do you expect him to do? They tell him it is the PDP throwing a monkey wrench in the works and that the PDP monkeys must be dealt with. That way the monkeys in-house go scot-free

But he just sacked two persons for your information. Yesterday. 

Na cinema. I wont be surprised if the various reports are presented to him in form of cartoons, and he just laughs it all off. Only two? The way things are going, very soon, there will be monkey pox all over this government.

I want to assure you that wont happen. For example, are you not aware that the Buhari Support Organisation has already announced that they are determined to rescue the government from the PDP saboteurs in the APC? Or that they are saying Baba must have a second term to correct the damage caused by the monkeys within?

I am aware of that. I am aware of everything. But is Baba aware?

Baba is aware of this one. He met with the leaders of the BSO. The Organisation has about 198 constituent groups. And he has acted by sacking two persons.

Wait a moment, with all the visible errors, some people are already talking of second term?

Yes

Second term with which party?

The APC of course

Is there still an APC?

I will think so

I dont think so. If the Buhari Support Organization can come out publicly and declare that the new PDP wing of the party is undesirable, and that there are monkeys within, I imagine that by the time they deal with that particular problem, there will be no APC left as a party.

Nobody mentioned names.

But one of the Ministers at that event said that the 2019 election will be nothing but war.

What does that one know about war? President Buharis Ministers talk too glibly. It is time he dissolved his cabinet and sent all the moonlighters out. Too many persons moonlighting and hiding under his cover.

The Minister who spoke at the BSO meeting

He was preparing a likely script. If care is not taken, these people will derail the 2019 election and claim it is the PDP and agents of the Jonathan administration

I dont think so. Nigerians dont believe that tale anymore. Have you not seen the level of opposition in the social media? This government is being de-popularized everyday. Some people even want to apologize to former President Jonathan.

Let them keep their monkey apology, ah-beg.

But lets be fair, there are people still standing by President Buhari. People like me. I trekked for him. Even if I have since developed arthritis for doing so, I dont mind. A man must stand for something. I believed in the change project because the PDP and Jonathan were just not it.

And now you have been short-changed.

Yes. But it is okay. We still have time.

With these Governors?

They are all with Baba. Like the Kogi Governor. He is loyal.

That is a Governor who has not paid staff salaries for 12 months, and one civil servant had to commit suicide.

The Kogi State Head of Service has said that the man who committed suicide is a cheat. His salary was withheld because he falsified his age records.

They even speak ill of the dead. So, is that why the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had to publicly appeal to all Nigerians to donate relief materials to the civil servants in Kogi state to rescue them from hunger and neglect?

I dont know

And you say we are out of recession? Answer me.

If you keep talking like this, they will end up putting a monkey on your back oh. These people dont like this kind of talk.

What else dont they like? The Kogi Governor is denying the truth but are you aware that the Senate took a decision to rescue Kogi state with relief materials, and many Senators pledged to donate certain numbers of bags of rice.

Those Senators are stingy. They should stay in their monkey house and stop playing politics with everything. With all that money they get, some of them were so shameless they donated 20 bags of rice.

In a proper situation, government workers should not become beggars in their own country, receiving bags of rice from overpaid Senators. I must say though that those Senators are still better than the Kogi Governor who I was told is determined to stop the bags of rice and other relief materials from entering Kogi state.

Yes, because he knows Dino Melaye, his political rival is behind it, using the Senate and bags of rice to intimidate him and play politics.

Then, let him pay the workers their salaries, and stop blaming others. It is simple. Why do these people make every simple thing look so complicated?

You have a point there. But I know one Governor who is very simple and he keeps it simple.

And who is that?

The Governor of Ondo State.

Governor Akeredolu.

Point of correction. Arakunrin Akeredolu.

That is a monkey title. Get to your point.

Arakunrin the other day, commissioned a billboard on hand-washing: wash your hands with soap and water. Solid ceremony, wellattended.

And that is governance?

It is good to wash hands in these days of ebola and monkey pox.

I have heard of Governors commissioning toilets and boreholes, but billboards?

It is better to keep things simple. In my view, yes.

Yes. Oh yes.

At least Arakunrin is better than the Ogbeni in Osun, and that other one in Owerri. In Osun, the Comrade Governor Aregbesola wants to build an MKO Abiola International Airport worth N69 billion, even if he is owing civil servants salaries. He says he is not happy to owe salaries, but at the same time he doesnt see anything wrong in building an airport that will be of no use to the people.

Please, can we discuss something else?

What?

Anything but nothing to do with their monkey business

Trust our boys. Nigeria no dey carry last. You know one Nigerian recently impregnated another mans wife in South Africa and when the man complained, the Naija guy negotiated with the South African and gave him a gift of a G-Wagon. The South African is so happy he has agreed that the Nigerian has done nothing wrong and his wife can carry the pregnancy to full term.

True story?

True life story. Google has it.

These South Africans. But can you blame the man? His President Jacob Zuma got a whole statue in Nigeria. What stops him from grabbing a G-Wagon?

Cossy Orjiakor has also grabbed something.

Who is Cossy Orjiakor?

The lady with the iconic headlamps on her chest

Will you stop? I am an intellectual. I dont descend that low.

Go and sit down. Na me and you, oh. We know ourselves, bros. No be you dey talk about one small girl breast the other day?

Today, I am discussing elevated matters.

This one is also elevated. Cossy Orjiakor just went through surgery to elevate her buttocks and she has informed the entire nation. The gradience between her chest and her derriere is now perpendicular, proportional and graduated. I will like to see and touch that.

I dont deal with bottom matters. The only bottom I am worried about is how Nigeria is now at the bottom.

Oil is now $60 a barrel, bros. No oil, no bottom, no monkey businessTinubu and Baba are now re-strategizing. Level wan change Eruku, No shaking.

People and vehicles are jumping into the Lagoon in Lagos every month.

That one no concern Baba. Ask the Oba of Lagos. Since him say anybody wey no vote for Ambode go perish for Lagoon, people and vehicles have actually been jumping into the Lagoon. These traditional rulers, me I dey fear them oh

About the Author:

Reuben Abati is a writer, columnist and former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Some Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have thrown their weights behind President Muhammadu Buhari to seek re-election f...

Some Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have thrown their weights behind President Muhammadu Buhari to seek re-election for a second term in office, saying there is no candidate better than the President to fly the party flag in the 2019 Presidential election.Speaking in separate interviews with reporters before the commencement of the National Executive Committee meeting of the part in Abuja, the governors said that the belief that President Buharis integrity, couple with his performance since 2015 remain unbeatable.Plateau state governor, Simon Lalong said that all the governors have agreed to work for the Presidents re-election.Concerning the issue of a sole ticket for Mr President, I want to say that if Mr President is performing, well respected and carrying everybody along, all of us have resolved that we will work for him.Do we have any other person that will challenge the President again? Whatever you call it, as far as we are concerned, we have one President and that is the ticket we will fly.I want to assure you that you wont see a wrangling party after the meeting. From now onwards, it will be a focused governance from Mr President and all the governors from the states. We have all resolved to support Mr President.Also speaking, Nasarawa state governor, Tanko Al-Makura, For anybody to preempt the consensus opinion of the people is to say the least, not fair to the vision of our party. I can tell you that if there is anything that is clandestine, the President will not honour it, so let wait and see as we embark on these meetings.I believe the consensus and the preponderance of opinion of all party members will be what is good for this country, and we have already known the will of this country, the future of this country as we are now as a country is associated with one person, who is impeccable, who has the greatest amount of integrity that you can find in any human being around, so your guest is as good as mine.Also speaking, Kebbi state governor, Atiku Bagudu said: the performance of the President in the last two and half years suggest that if he wants to contest, l will certainly support him and l know that our party members feel the same about him.Imo state governor and Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum said he will only sacrifice his presidential ambition to support the President if he is interested in seeking a second term in office.He said: If Mr president wants to run for election, he will follow all the processes and if he is the person, we will all support him. In APC, there is no imposition of a candidate. If Buhari is running, I will allow that man to continue but if he is not running, I wont sacrifice my Presidential ambition.Mr President is showing the right leadership and taking the very right steps and there is reconciliation going on even with nobody talking about it. There is the spirit of reconciliation and people understand their role.Our role is to make this party great and we are all trying to do that input own form but importantly the governor have remained the pivot upon which this wheels of change has rotated so far, we have kept this party working and after this meeting our congresses and convention will commence in the early part of next year and all party organs will be strengthened. We are in good mood and high spirits.
Adamawa Government has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing Boss Mustafa to replace Babachir Lawal as new Secretary to the G...

Adamawa Government has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for appointing Boss Mustafa to replace Babachir Lawal as new Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF)

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Malam Ahmad Sajoh, said the return of the position of SGF to the state was gladdening.





His words: The government and people of Adamawa are happy with the development.





I just spoke to many stakeholders, including Governor Bindow Jibrilla, who expressed happiness and thanked President Muhammadu Buhari over the appointment.





Boss Mustafa is our son and we are confident about his ability to discharge the responsibilities of that office.





Sajoh reiterated Adamawa Governments commitment to stand by Mustafa to ensure that he succeeded in his new assignment.





Similarly, Adamawa Organising Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC) Alhaji Ahmed Lawan, said the party was satisfied with the appointment.





Mustafa is one of us; he is a strong man and team player whose appointment would further enhance the party in the state, North East and Nigeria as a whole.




The African Development Bank (AfDB) has called off a loan to Nigeria that would have helped fund the countrys budget.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has called off a loan to Nigeria that would have helped fund the countrys budget.It has instead redirected the money to specific projects, a vice president at the lender said yesterday, according to Reuters.The AfDB had been in talks with Nigeria for around a year to release the second, $400 million tranche of a $1 billion loan to shore up its budget for 2017, as the government tried to reinvigorate its stagnant economy with heavy spending.But Nigeria has not met the terms of the international lenders, which also included the World Bank, to enact various reforms, including allowing its currency, the naira, to float freely on the foreign exchange market.Rather than loan Nigeria money to fund its budget, the African Development Bank is likely to take at least some of that money and put it directly into projects, Amadou Hott, African Development Bank vice-president for power, energy, climate change and green growth, told Reuters in an interview during a Nordic-African business conference in Oslo.Because prices for oil, on which Nigerias government relies for about two-thirds of its revenues, have risen and the naira-dollar exchange rate has improved, the country is relying less than expected on external borrowing, Hott said.No one from the Nigerian finance ministry was immediately available to comment.Nigerias 2017 budget, N7.44 trillion, is just one in a series of record budgets that the government has faced obstacles funding, pushing it to seek loans from overseas.In late 2016, the AfDB agreed to lend Nigeria a first tranche of $600 million out of $1 billion. But negotiations over economic reform later bogged down, blocking attempts to secure the second tranche of $400 million, sources told Reuters then.Now, AfDBs loans will be more targeted, Hott said.Its hundreds of millions of dollars, just in one go, that we were supposed to provide in budget support, but we will move into real projects   he said.Earlier this month, the head of Nigerias Debt Management Office said the country is still in talks with the World Bank for a $1.6 billion loan, which will help plug part of an expected $7.5 billion deficit for 2017.The administration is also trying to restructure its debt to move away from high-interest, naira-denominated loans and towards dollar loans, which carry lower rates.
President Muhammadu Buhari has welcomed most heartily the phenomenal improvement of Nigeria on the World Banks Doing Business latest ra...

President Muhammadu Buhari has welcomed most heartily the phenomenal improvement of Nigeria on the World Banks Doing Business latest rankings released on Tuesday.Besides moving up 24 places in the rankings, Nigeria is also reported by the World Bank to be among the Top Ten Reformers globally.The President, in a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media and publicity, Femi Adesina, congratulated all Nigerians on this very significant step forward which symbolizes the real success achieved by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, (PEBEC), the National Assembly and State Governments in making it easy for people to register their businesses speedily, obtain licenses and approvals from government agencies without unnecessary bureaucratic bottlenecks.According to President Buhari, it also reflects our efforts to make it easy for foreign business visitors to obtain visa on arrival, pass through our airports and do their businesses with ease and speed.He particularly commended PEDEC chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, for a job well done, stressing that he looks forward to even greater achievements for the nation.
Fani-Kayode, former Minister of Aviation, on Tuesday reacted to claim by Head of Service, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, that the reinstatement o...

Fani-Kayode, former Minister of Aviation, on Tuesday reacted to claim by Head of Service, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, that the reinstatement of ex- Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on Pension Reforms, Abdulrasheed Maina was not done without President Muhammadu Buharis consent.

Fani-Kayode maintained that there is no war against corruption in Nigeria.





The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain stressed that the ongoing war is baseless and relentless persecution of PDP leaders.





The tweets read, The Head of Service has said that not only did @MBuhari know about Mainas reinstatement but that she also warned him about it.





He also knew about the illegal disbursement of $26 billion for bogus oil contracts that were awarded by Baru without the knowledge of his boss Kachikwu.





If Babachir Lawal and Ayo Oke are not prosecuted it speaks volumes about @MBuharis selective and partial so-called fight against corruption.




Ohanaeze Ndigbo, an Igbo socio-cultural group, has urged its people living in the north to court more friends so as to actualise the eth...

Ohanaeze Ndigbo, an Igbo socio-cultural group, has urged its people living in the north to court more friends so as to actualise the ethnic groups quest to produce Nigerias President in 2023.The call is contained in a communique issued at the end of a meeting of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in the 19 northern states and Abuja. The meeting, held in Minna, ended on Sunday night.The communique restated the groups resolve to promote one indivisible Nigeria with equal opportunities for all, and urged Igbo people resident in the north to live in harmony with their host communities.It lauded the contributions of Mr John Nwodo, President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, toward a united and prosperous Nigeria, and urged him to continue to defend the interest of the people.The cultural group extended its hands of fellowship to other Igbo associations the world over, and called for more unity in the pursuit of Nigerias presidency in 2023.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 44 chapters of the group, drawn from across the 19 states of the north, attended the meeting.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has informed a Federal High Court in Abuja that former National Security Adviser (NSA),...

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has informed a Federal High Court in Abuja that former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki has agreed to testify in the trial of former PDP spokesman, Olisa Metuh.

EFCC counsel, Sylvanus Tahir on Tuesday read out a text message from the Director of Legal in the Department of State Services (DSS) that Dasuki, who initially did not want to testify in the trial, has accepted to testify.





Earlier, counsel to Metuh, Tochukwu Onwugbufor (SAN) asked the court to issue a bench warrant on the Director General of DSS, Mamman Daura to explain why Dasuki was not brought to court despite a subpoena served on him.





Dasuki's counsel, Ahmed Raji (SAN) opposed the bench warrant on DG DSS. He asked the court to "tarry a while" in proceeding in the matter pending the determination of the appeal before the Court of Appeal in Abuja.




The Federal Government has agreed to pay N88billion as compensation to 493 identified victims of the last civil war, demining and recons...

The Federal Government has agreed to pay N88billion as compensation to 493 identified victims of the last civil war, demining and reconstructions of some communities ravaged by the war.The Fed Govt also agreed to construct one block of 10 classrooms for 50 communities currently barred from using their school facilities because of the presence of bombs and other post war relicsThese formed part of the terms of a settlement agreement entered into by the the Federal Government and the representatives of the affected communities spread across some states in the South-east, South-south and part of North-Central geo-political zones of the country.The states are Imo, Anambra, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Ebonyi, Abia, Enugu, Cross River and BenueThe agreement was yesterday in Abuja by the Community Court of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as its judgment in one of the three suits filed by the victims, marked: ECW/CCJ/APP/06/2012; between Vincent Agu and 19 others v. Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) and 5 others.Parties to the suit also agreed that the terms of settlement shall operate as full and final settlement of all claims arising from the suit marked: ECW/CCJ/APP/06/2012 and two other suits filed on the same issue.The other suits covered by the agreement are: ECW/CCJ/APP/10/2014 (Dr. Sam Emeka Ukaegbu & 7 others v. President, FRN & 6 others) and ECW/CCJ/APP/11/2014 (Placid Ihekwoaba & 19 others v. President, FRN & 6 others).By the agreement, N50b of the N88b is for full and final compensation to the victims (for the physical injuries they suffered), their families and communities for having been deprived of the use of their farmlands since the cessation of the civil war hostilities in 1970 owing to the continued presence of mines and other post-war ordnances.The remaining N38b is for the total demining and destruction, rebuilding of public buildings, mine centre activities, construction of classrooms, provision of prosthetics and all other related items as listed in Schedule 4(2) of the terms of settlement.The amount, by the agreement, is to be paid by the FG within 45 days after the ECOWAS Courts adoption of the agreement as its judgment in final resolution of the dispute between parties.Other terms contained in the agreement include that:*The Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) undertakes to mobilise the 4th and 5th respondents (RSB Holdings Nigeria Ltd and Deminers Concept Nig Ltd) back to complete the final phase of the on-going removal and destruction of post-war lethal materials, the firms, having satisfactorily carried out the first phase of the contract.Parties acknowledged that the firms were earlier engaged by the FG in 2009 for the first phase, during which they recovered and destroyed 17,000 bombs, while 1,317 are still being kept at the mine Action Centre, Owerri, Imo State.It was also acknowledged that during the first phase, 685 persons were selected and classified as survivors, out of which 493, including the applicants on record, were confirmed as victims of either landmines or other dangerous military ordnance including locally fabricated weapons, hence their entitlement to the compensation, including their families and communities.*That a special purpose vehicle, comprising of all the necessary stakeholders, shall be created for the implementation of the activities contained in Schedule 4(2) of the terms of settlement to ensure transparency.*That the FRN undertakes to set up, in the South east, the National Mine Action Centre in Owerri, Imo State and to ensure that every landmine, unexploded ordinance and explosive remnants of war discovered in the course of the job should be completely destroyed.*The FRN undertakes to rebuild and or rehabilitate all public/private buildings already identified in the enumerated exercise by the contractors herein, as having been affected by the war or used either as military facility of refugee camp during the war, as contained in Schedule 2 of this term of settlement.At the commencement of proceedings yesterday, lawyer to the applicants, Alex Williams told the court that after four years of negotiations, parties have finally agreed to some terms, which they filed before the court on October 24 this year.He said the business of the day was for the court to adopt the terms of settlement as its judgment in the case.Lawyers to the 1st, 2nd. 3rd and 6th respondents, Sola Egbeyinka and lawyer to the 4th and 5th respondents, Charles Uhegbu agreed with Williams to the effect that the business of the day was for the court to adopt the terms of settlement filed by parties.The terms of settlement was endorsed by all lawyers in the case and representatives of stakeholders and interested parties.Following the agreement by lawyers in the case that their terms of settlement be adopted, a three-man panel of the court led by Justice Friday Chijioke Nwoke adopted the terms of settlement as its judgment.
Nigerians are starting to react after yesterdays sack of ex-Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, and ex-...

Nigerians are starting to react after yesterdays sack of ex-Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, and ex-National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Director-General Ayo OkeThe Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for the prosecution of the duo. The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) feels President Muhammadu Buhari has done what is expected of him. But like the PDP, activists believe the duo should be properly investigated and prosecuted.A statement yesterday by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, accused Buhari of double standard in the anti-corruption war by shielding his aides and associates from prosecution while haunting opposition figure over alleged corruption.Describing the sacking of Babachir and Oke as a slap on the faces of Nigerians, the PDP insisted that they be handed over to the existing anti-corruption agencies for investigation and prosecution.The PDP said: It is an insult on the-collective intelligence of our people who have waited patiently for the Presidents reaction on the humongous act of corruption by two of his principal aides and this is totally unacceptable.First and foremost, we had disagreed with the President last year when he decided to setup the panel headed by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo to investigate the matter because we thought that was the wrong course of action to take.Ordinarily, cases of corruption or alleged cases of misappropriation of funds are supposed to be referred to institutions that are saddled with the responsibility to investigate and prosecute such matters, which is the ICPC and the EFCC if there is any prima facie case against them.But it appears not all animals are equal under the Buhari APC administration. Some people are treated with kid gloves while others, particularly those in opposition are subjected to all manner of harrowing experiences.One of the senators of the APC, Senator Shehu Sani of Kaduna State, succinctly put the matter when he said that this administration uses deodorant to fight corruption when it comes to some APC members and President Buharis kitchen cabinet, but uses insecticides when it involves members of the opposition and those in the National Assembly.The opposition party wondered why it took the President almost one year to attend to the two cases while the culprits were having a field day at home and enjoying themselves.Whereas, in the case of the opposition, especially PDP members, even when the evidence is flimsy, they will be visited with multiple harassment and intimidation for months and weeks without proper trial.We cite the case of Sambo Dasuki who has been in detention for over two years even when many courts in Nigeria and the ECOWAS Court have ordered his release, the President has fragrantly disobeyed these court orders which again are a violation of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.This is an impeachable offence. So the President cannot just sack Ayo Oke and Babachir Lawal and expects us to be clapping for him.We believe that we are operating under a democracy and a Constitution that governs our affairs. To have subjected these people to different sets of rule and treatment is totally unacceptable.Nigerians are the same under the law and Babachir Lawal and Ayo Oke should not be tried by the Presidency while others are hounded by the EFCC and ICPC.These actions of Mr. President are therefore a breach of his oath of office, which he swore to defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and to be fair and just to all Nigerians without any discrimination whatsoever.The action of the President is a gross violation of his constitutional oath and therefore constitutes a veritable ground for impeachment Using and applying different laws to different people in the country is a direct assault on the constitution and the rule of law .Consequently, we call on the National Assembly to begin processes to impeach the President for breach of the Constitution and fragrance disobedience to the laws of Nigeria.We totally reject these actions and the law should follow its full course on the issues of these officers. In other words, their case should be referred to the EFCC for proper investigation and trial, more so when the President has not told us what the report of the findings was, the statement added.The party argued that Nigerians have the right to know the findings of the Osinbajo panel that investigated Lawal and Oke and insisted that the report should be made public.The President has by his actions taken Nigeria to the level of a banana republic. We are not in a banana republic. This is the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Three successive governments of the PDP did not act in the manner President Buhari is acting.There is no doubt that the sudden sack of the SGF and the DG of NIA is just a consequence of the backlash on the Abdulrasheed Maina saga.Up till now, theres no answer to the pertinent questions we have asked on the Maina saga. The government cares less about the feelings and opinions of Nigerians. This kind of arrogance is unprecedented in the history of this county.We again call for the arrest and investigation of the two Ministers involved in the return of Maina into the civil service, that is, the Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau and Abubakar Mallami , the Attorney General of the Federation & Minister of Justice, the party said.The APC said yesterday that the sack of the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation has vindicated the party.The partys National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said: Few days ago when the President directed the dismissal of Abdulrasheed Maina, some people say that is right but what about the suspended SGF, BD Lawal but we as a party said look, the President is the only person who has all the information. All of us can only have one side of the story or the other.But the President by the virtue of the position he occupies is the only one who has all the information and he would do what is necessary at the right time; now we have been vindicated and it shows that the President has not in any way waivered in his commitment not to tolerate corruption at any level no matter who is involved.The Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Anti Corruption, Prof Itse Sagay, said the sack of the suspended SGF was long.Sagay said I think there has been a consensus on this and that was overdue. There has been too much delay. Although I will like to put a caveat that government usually has a lot more information than the rest of us as the delay might have been discretionary due to the information they had. I was patient and I definitely endorse the final decision that has been taken.Boss Mustapha has a very long history of political activities and my impression on him is that, apart from being a lawyer with a very good reputation in terms of integrity, he has always been a consistent person in whatever course he pursues. So, I think that we should okay at it as a positive development.Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has welcomed the decision by President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the suspended Secretary to Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal, and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mr Ayodele Oke.The organisation also called on Buhari to urgently handover Lawal and Oke to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for further investigation, and if there is relevant and sufficient admissible evidence, for them to face prosecution.In a statement today by SERAP deputy director Timothy Adewale, the organisation said: This is a positive development in the fight against grand corruption, although this decision is coming rather late. Buhari now has to go a step further by making sure that both Lawal and Oke are promptly brought to justice in fair trials.The statement reads: Buhari also has to move swiftly to publish report of investigation into the secret reinstatement of fugitive former civil servant, Abdulrasheed Maina, and without delay identify and bring to justice anyone suspected to be involved.This government now has a real opportunity to reassure a lot of Nigerians who may be worried about the direction of travel of the presidents anti-corruption agenda that there will be no sacred cow as far as the fight against corruption is concerned.What the government needs at this time is a revolutionary approach to the fight against corruption if Buhari is to show his commitment to kill corruption before corruption kills Nigeria.Without effective prosecution of high-ranking public officials charged with corruption, this governments fight against corruption may sadly turn out to be all motion and no movement, and this will eventually undermine the legitimacy of the anticorruption efforts.In a brief statement today the presidency said that President Muhammadu Buhari has studied the report of the panel headed by the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), which investigated allegations against the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, and the Director General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ayodele Oke.The statement noted that the president accepted the recommendation of the panel to terminate the appointment of Mr. Lawal, and has appointed Boss Mustapha as the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation.The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) yesterday called on Buhari to order the arrest of Lawal and Oke.In a statement signed by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director Miss. Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA also criticised the President for failing to use the sacking of the erstwhile SGF to balance the clear lopsidedness in the composition of his cabinet.The group said: Let all the credible Non-governmental bodies come together as a coalition of patriots to set up effective monitoring mechanisms to ensure that all the relevant law enforcement institutions are compelled to do the needful in this instance and not be allowed to deliberately undermine or destroy the prosecution of these two powerful former presidency officials.The erstwhile SGF is alleged to be very close to the acting chairman of EFCC because the EFCC acting Chairman has been sighted in the Maitama residence of the now sacked SGF Babachir Lawa.Former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has described the newly appointed Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Boss Mustapha, as one of the engine rooms of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the 2015 presidential election.Oshiomhole said the appointment of Mustapha came at a time when the APC and government were making efforts to re-tool the system for enhanced service delivery to the people.He said: Mr. Boss Mustapha saw the entire processes of the formation of the party, electioneering and management of all the factors that led to the victory of the party at the 2015 General elections.He is not just a seasoned party man who understands the dynamics of party management but also very much abreast with governmental administration and responsibilities.As a calm, collected and silent organiser, he is very much at home with all the critical elements of the party and knows how to coordinate effortlessly without carrying any air around himself. His appointment would no doubt rekindle the strong determination of the present APC government in delivering the dividends of democracy for the good of all.Mr. Boss Mustapha is coming into this job with a lot of experience in administration and management. He will no doubt be a huge resource and engine room for the APC-led Federal Government. I wish to record my congratulations on this appointment which I consider as a square peg in a square hole.
U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis flew to the heavily fortified border with North Korea in a Black Hawk helicopter when he visited Seoul last week, the New York Times reported last Friday.

"Mattis's copter circled the hills and flatlands that dot the densely packed region. He flew over a succession of high-rise residential complexes and surveyed armored tank positions," the paper said.

Mattis flew to the border truce village of Panmunjom right after arriving in South Korea.

"The defense secretary took 30 minutes, by Black Hawk helicopter, to get to the border, though the trip could have easily been done in 10, so short is the distance," the daily added.

Analysts say the trip suggests that the U.S. is preparing for a possible emergency on the Korean Peninsula, but Mattis has said Washington's aim is not war but denuclearization of the peninsula.


A national leader of the ruling party, All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Monday told journalists not to discuss the ...

A national leader of the ruling party, All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Monday told journalists not to discuss the current clamour for President Muhammadu Buharis re-election with him.Tinubu, who said this in an interview with State House correspondents shortly after meeting behind closed doors with the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, also declared that there was no cabal in Buharis government.When asked whether he agreed with different groups and individuals calling on Buhari to seek re-election in 2019, Tinubu simply responded, Dont discuss that one with me.He said his discussion with Buhari which was about the country and leadership was fruitful and productive.Tinubu described the claims that he was not happy with the President because he had been allegedly sidelined by a cabal as fake news.He said he had confidence in Buhari, hence, he did not have to be babysitting him.The party chief however admitted that in democracy, there could be twists and turns as well as conflicts.He said, I have confidence in this President, there is no doubt about that. We worked hard to bring about the government. There are certain things that are unpredictable and those are things that can lend themselves to gossips, insinuations and all of that.But once you create leadership and it is functioning, you dont have to babysit that leadership unless there is a loss of confidence and I dont have that.You know me. Im not known to shy away from saying my mind, rebelling if it is necessary and taking charge of things that I believe are necessary. What is the myth in this leadership thing? What is cabal? It is a myth.We are the party of the people for the people and by the people and this is a democratic environment. Each of us has roles to play and that is why we are playing it. I dont believe in the myth, I believe in confidence building, the trust that we have in the President.In the journey of democracy, you are going to have twists and turns; you are going to have conflicts. Conflict resolution mechanisms is inbuilt on how you handle your party and the governance and the party are joined by the hips.Tinubu declined comment on what the party leadership was doing to mend fences ahead of the partys National Economic Councils meeting holding on Tuesday.When asked if the party was still on course, the former Lagos State governor replied, Can you go back to the history of 16 years of the PDP? The APC government is on course and will remain on course and we will remain focused to those necessary things about development, welfare and progress of our people.It is not easy to face the challenges from the well that was dug; the sinkhole that we inherited. But we are sorting that one out gradually, with few steps, we will find happiness and development in the future of our country.
The United Nations Secretary-Generals Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA), Her Majesty, Queen Maxima of the...

The United Nations Secretary-Generals Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA), Her Majesty, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, is expected in Nigeria between Monday 30, October and Thursday 2, November 2017.The Dutch Queen is visiting Nigeria in her role as the United Nations Secretary-Generals Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA).Queen Maxima will begin her trip on Tuesday morning with a field visit to health facilities in Ikotun Idimu, and Victoria Island areas of Lagos.After the field visit, Queen Maxima will then meet with Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos state.Subsequently, the Dutch Queen is scheduled to hold a roundtable discussion with some representatives of the private sector to further discuss inclusive access to financial services as a pathway to the economic development of the people.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja addressed the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on issues ...

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja addressed the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on issues affecting the party and the country.

Below is a full text of address:





PRESIDENTS REMARKS AT THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC), TUESDAY 31ST OCTOBER 2017, AT THE NATIONAL SECRETARIAT, ABUJA





Protocols





May I warmly welcome everybody to this important meeting of our partys executive body.

Let me on a personal note thank you all for your prayers and good wishes, which the Almighty Allah answered in the restoration of my health.





I wish to thank you all Party leaders for helping to keep the government running smoothly during my prolonged absence.









I want to thank Chief Oyegun and his staff for steering the party in the last two and a half years. Sometimes it is easier to manage failure than to manage success  and a big success such as that we have achieved. I would like to start by commending our Party Leadership chaired by His Excellency, Chief John Oyegun. The Chairman and I worked harmoniously during 1984-85 in a previous government. Happily, circumstances have brought us again to positions of leadership in the country.I want to thank Chief Oyegun and his staff for steering the party in the last two and a half years. Sometimes it is easier to manage failure than to manage success  and a big success such as that we have achieved.





I must also commend the leadership of the National Assembly led by Senate President His Excellency, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Rt. Hon. Speaker Mr. Yakubu Dogara. I must place on record the cooperation and understanding of the National Assembly including some non-APC members who rose above petty party interests and acted in the national interest.





My deep thanks also go to our State Governors who faced stiff challenges, especially their determination to maintain unity and tolerance among our communities. This is in the face of unnecessary politically motivated strife and violence. Credit should go to APC Governors for extending their hand of fellowship to their colleagues from other parties.





In my remarks to the Caucus meeting yesterday, I enumerated the progress that our government has made in the implementation of the programs of government and the Party Manifesto.





We can be proud of our achievements in the last two years, Boko Haram, Niger Delta, Regular Fuel, Improved Power, TSA, Agriculture and Fertilizer, above all, the knowledge that corruption will not be tolerated in this Government. We all know there is CHANGE.





Nigerias prestige has gone up, Nigeria is now credit worthy, a clear testimony of which was the over-subscription of the Euro-Bond by 4 times.





Nevertheless, we are not resting on our achievements. I am quite aware of the challenges before us.

Last year I said we would re-constitute the Boards of Parastatals. I must regret the fact that we have not done so, for many reasons. Some of us in this meeting may know I had given instructions since October 2015 for this exercise to start. But there have been inordinate delays through several Committees in an attempt to get the balance right and to make sure all parts of the country are equitably represented.





On the other hand I am keenly aware that our supporters are very eager for these appointments to be announced. By the Grace of God these appointments will be announced soon. Especially now that the economy is improving, we will have the resources to cater for the appointees.





By the same token the compressed Federal Executive Council will be expanded to bring in more supporters at Federal Level, with fresh ideas to be injected into the government.





Let me thank you all again for the commitment and dedicated service to our Party and to remind you that much more will be required of you in the coming months. I hope we can continue to depend on you.





If we keep united and rise above petty or personal quarrels we will surely achieve the desired CHANGE in the country.




Following obvious curiosity that is trailing a reported United Nations (UN)-backed award under the platform of Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Awards (SCAHSA) and inquiries by the Rivers State chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC, on the status of the purported award, the UN-Habitat Headquarters, New York, which liaises with development partners on United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) programmes of the UN has disowned the SCAHSA award reportedly to be conferred on Gov. Nyesom Wike Tuesday, 31st October in New York.Following APCs e-mail inquiry dated Monday 30th October (yesterday) concerning the Global Human Settlements Outstanding Contribution Award organised by SCAHSA, the UN-Habitat New York Office, in a statement dated same day and signed by the Secretary and IT Focal Point, Mr. Angel Gomez, dissociated the UN from such an award. The response is reproduced here under:Dear Mr. Finebone,We thank you for contacting UN-Habitat New York Office.Please be advised that UN-Habitat is not related at all with such award.Yours sincerely,Angel Gomez (Mr.)Secretary, andIT Focal PointUN-HabitatNew York OfficeTel.: (212) 963-8725, 963-4200Fax: (212) 963-8721http://www.unhabitat.orgFor the avoidance of doubt, it must be explained that the deliberate attempt to confer UN recognition on the purported award is a huge scam to deceive Rivers people and Nigerians. Further investigations by us revealed that SCAHSA as a private Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that invites entries for awards which are based on suspect criteria including offering awards to the highest bidder who is able to part with huge amount in US Dollars in exchange for such awards said Mr. Chris Finebone in a press statement today.The statement read: In the instance case concerning the purported award to Gov. Nyesom Wike, we discovered that some smart Rivers indigenes resident in the US contrived and fixed the award after obtaining huge sums in foreign currency from the award-seeking governor.SCAHSA has been discovered to be one of the numerous NGOs that claim affiliation with various UN-Habitat under Habitat Agenda Partners (HAP). However, some of these NGOs have now become vehicles for defrauding politicians from the third world especially Nigerian politicians by offering dubious awards in exchange for money.The APC is dismayed beyond imagination that Gov. Nyesom Wike is resorting to high level scam to dupe the peoples resources and rubbish their collective intelligence. We are still questioning the criteria by way of projects and programmes that should qualify the Wike government for an award of the sort dubiously being advertised and celebrated. We are yet to see any.We are persuaded by the position of many that the recent announcement by the governor to release US$1m to rescue the students of Rivers State stranded in various overseas universities is a mere red herring to prevent protests during his engagement at Chatham House, London on November 6. Many believe that soon after the Chatham House event the governor will renege on his promise.We call on all those who have been hoodwinked into celebrating a UN award for Gov. Nyesom Wike to save themselves the embarrassment of celebrating a scam and making themselves a laughing stock before the global community. All that the APC is asking for is that Gov. Nyesom Wike should get down to providing governance instead of regaling in the atmospherics of power, grandstanding and deceiving Rivers people.
WASHINGTON TWP. -- A Superior Court judge has denied a former police officer's bid to get his old job back, saying the cop's behavior shows a "pervasive strain of lying."

Joseph DiBuonaventura was fired from his position as a Washington Township police officer in 2016 after an internal affairs investigation concluded that he lied about his reasons for stopping state Assemblyman Paul Moriarty in 2012 and charging him with driving while intoxicated.

DiBuonaventura was also accused of purposefully writing phony warning notices to several drivers for violations that never occurred.

That investigation and his firing followed a criminal trial in which DiBuonaventura was found not guilty on charges related to the Moriarty arrest.

After he was fired, DiBuonaventura appealed the hearing officer's decision on the disciplinary action, leading to a decision this month by Judge David W. Morgan upholding the earlier decision.

Assemblyman arrested

DiBuonaventura arrested Moriarty on charges of driving while intoxicated in July 2012. Moriarty denied he had been drinking, refused a breath test and said the incident was the result of an "abuse of power" by DiBuonaventura.

The DWI charge was later dismissed after the county prosecutor's office concluded that the officer lied about his reasons for stopping Moriarty.

Moriarty filed 27 criminal complaints against DiBuonaventura, claiming the officer committed perjury, filed false reports and committed official misconduct, among other allegations.

A judge charged DiBuonaventura with 13 of those 27 complaints and forwarded those charges to the prosecutor's office. He was found not guilty following a 2015 trial.

Then came the internal affairs case and his termination.

'Demonstrated dislike'

The officer fabricated his reason for stopping Moriarty, omitted the real reason for pursuing him in his report and only came clean after realizing the entire matter was captured on his in-car camera, Morgan found in supporting the hearing officer's original conclusion in the internal affairs probe.

"The case reveals an officer with demonstrated animosity and dislike for Moriarty effectively targeting him ..." Morgan writes. "The warnings case demonstrates that plaintiff's potential for fabrication was more pervasive and longer-lived."

The warnings case involved claims that DiBuonaventura filled out motor vehicle warnings for seven drivers, but did not serve those motorists with the warnings as part of an effort to artificially inflate his productivity.

The ruling includes sworn statements DiBuonaventura gave as part of the original investigation of the ticket cases.

DiBuonaventura said he didn't recall ever doing as the department alleged and noted he had little memory of the individual stops, given that they had occurred three years earlier.

In that exchange, he described how he viewed the warnings.

"I thought a warning was nothing more than a piece of paper," he said. "In fact, I tell people to throw it in the trash can when they go home. ... I remember being at a couple of parties where I used to take the warning book and write fake warnings on other cops and we would joke about it. We were just having fun. I mean, I wouldn't do that with an official police document."

In another passage, he said of warnings, "... I treated it like a piece of toilet paper on occasion."

A matter of trust

Both cases came down to issues of dishonesty, Morgan said.

"Together the two cases evidence a 'pervasive strain of lying' which clearly cannot be condoned nor allowed to continue," he wrote.

"Ultimately, the question posed in deciding appropriate discipline, "is this an officer who society should expect to be placed back on patrol to enforce our rules and laws on the community?'" the judge said. "For this court, the answer to that has to be 'no.'"

Attorney Christine P. O'Hearn issued a statement on behalf of the township praising the ruling.

"We are pleased with the court's decision upholding the township's termination of this former police officer. The decision recognizes the need for the public to have confidence in its police officers and further reinforces the township's policy of integrity and service for all police officers."

In addition to getting his job back, DiBuonaventura sought back pay. He could end up having to pay the township instead.

The township is seeking reimbursement of about $13,000 it paid DiBuonaventura in early 2015, while he was suspended with pay. The pay period covers the span between March 3, 2015, when he was found not guilty in the criminal trial, and April 17 of that year, when the township filed administrative charges.

Morgan gave the township 14 days to submit certification of the amount owed.

DiBuonaventura does have the option to appeal Morgan's ruling.

An attorney representing DiBuonaventura in the bid to get his job back did not return a call for comment on Monday.

String of lawsuits filed

The case has spawned several lawsuits.

Moriarty filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against DiBuonaventura and that case was settled last year by the Tri-County Joint Insurance Fund, which insures Washington Township employees.

Moriarty also sued the township police department, but a federal judge dismissed that claim in 2015.

Other cases remain in the pipeline.

DiBuonaventura is suing county prosecutor Sean Dalton and retired Washington Township Police Chief Rafael Muniz, claiming they mishandled the internal affairs probe and prosecution of the Moriarty case. The township and a former township business administrator are also named as defendants in another suit.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
JERSEY CITY -- A Jersey City man is accused of pointing a gun at a woman and threatening to "pop her top" as she loaned him a portable battery jump starter for his SUV on Sunday.

"B----, I'll pop your top," James A. Wright, 56, of Vreeland Terrace, told the woman as he trained a handgun on her, the criminal complaint states.

The woman told police the incident began when Wright knocked on her door and asked if her could borrow her portable jump starter for his vehicle, according to the court document, which states the two know each other.

She said he walked with her to her vehicle on Dales Avenue to fetch the device but Wright became angry because she was taking too long, according to the complaint. He then pointed a gun at her and threatened to shoot her, the document states.

The woman said she left the area, flagged down a police officer, who returned to the area and found Wright. The officer frisked him and found a magazine with four bullets in it in his pocket. The gun had a round in the chamber when found under a floor mat inside the vehicle, according to the complaint.

Wright is charged with aggravated assault and weapons offenses, including possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of a firearm that has had its serial number removed, court officials said.

He made his first court appearance on the charges in Criminal Justice Reform Court in Jersey City yesterday via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny.

At the hearing, the state moved to detain Wright through the course of his prosecution and a detention hearing is scheduled for Thursday before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry official last week told Korean reporters to expect "good news" amid an unofficial Chinese boycott of Korean goods and services sparked by a spat over the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery from the U.S. here.

The remarks came after a regular press briefing. And during Monday's briefing, ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying welcomed a commitment from Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha to let the U.S. deploy no further THAAD batteries in Korea.

"We value these three aspects of the remarks," Hua said. "The Chinese side has always been opposed to the deployment of the THAAD system in [Korea] by the US. We hope [Korea] will faithfully follow through on its... commitments, properly handle the relevant issue and bring... relations back to the track of steady and sound development at an early date."

Hua added that the ministry will be able to make an announcement on bilateral relations soon.

Following a meeting between the two countries' defense ministers last week, there was also news that bilateral exchanges of security and other officials that were halted amid the THAAD spat are resuming. And on Tuesday, the chief negotiators in stalled six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program meet in Beijing for the first time in many months.

Korea and China are apparently close to announcing the normalization of ties after working-level talks behind the scenes. Speaking in a National Assembly audit on Monday, Kang told lawmakers an announcement should be expected soon.

She added that the two countries are planning a bilateral summit on the sidelines of the APEC meet in Vietnam next month, and President Moon Jae-in could visit China later this year.


JERSEY CITY -- A lawsuit filed by a transgender man who said he was threatened and harassed by Jersey City police after being arrested remains on track for trial now that the state Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal filed by police.

"It gives our client the opportunity now to have his trial and get in front of a jury and have this tried on the merits," attorney Deborah Mains said today of her client, Shakeem Malik Holmes.

Holmes sued the Jersey City Police Department in 2014 over an August 2012 incident in which he was subjected to "demeaning, insulting and threatening comments," because he is a transgender man, according to the suit.

Holmes had been arrested on a shoplifting charge, which was later dismissed, New Jersey Law Journal reported. He had already legally changed his name from Malika Sakinah Holmes and was in the process of transitioning from female to male when he was at the police department's Bureau of Criminal Identification that day.

In the lawsuit, Holmes said that over the course of two hours, police officers stared at him and made derogatory comments while he was placed in a holding cell for women instead of a separate cell.

One sergeant said: "Next time you come in here and you want to be treated like a man, I'll put my fist down your throat like a f------ man," the lawsuit states. Several police officer referred to Holmes as "it," called his situation "bulls---," and remarked "so that's a f------ girl?" the suit alleges.

The lawsuit was dismissed by a Hudson County Superior Court judge in 2015, but Mains appealed and an appellate court reinstated the suit earlier this year. The appellate court ruled the trial judge erred by ruling the alleged comments did not rise to the level of severe or pervasive per laws against discrimination (LAD) violations.

The appellate court panel said the trial judge was wrong to apply the same higher proof standard used in LAD cases that involve religious harassment. But after the suit was reinstated, police petitioned the state Supreme Court and sought to appeal the appellate court's ruling. On Oct. 20, the Supreme Court denied the police petition.

Mains, of Costello & Mains in Mount Laurel, said police treatment of Holmes was "disgusting." She said a trial date has not yet been set, nor has a next hearing in the matter.
Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal

By Terrence T. McDonald |The Jersey Journal

Its been more than 10 years since Jersey Citys Ward E saw a council race as competitive as this years five-person contest.

In 2013, Councilwoman Candice Osborne sailed onto the council after winning over 67 percent of the vote. Four years earlier, then-Councilman Steve Fulop won re-election after the first round of balloting against four challengers, grabbing 63 percent. Not exactly nail biters.

This time around, the results are anyones guess, with Osborne deciding not to seek re-election and Downtowns political heavyweights split between a few camps. Fulop, now the mayor, is publicly neutral in the race to capture the council seat he held for two terms.

Fulop said his team couldnt agree on who to support in Ward E, which includes most of the Downtown aside from a portion just west of Van Vorst Park.

"It's a complicated race to say the least, he said. I'm very familiar with the people down there, Im very familiar with the activists down there and they are almost evenly split amongst who they like and who they support."

One Downtown political observer said that's largely true, but added that it shows Fulop is "somewhat of a political coward."

The five candidates are attorney Madeleine Giansanti Cag; funeral director Nicholas Grillo; attorney Jake Hudnut; James Solomon, who teaches about politics and government at New Jersey City University and Hudson County Community College; and attorney Rebecca Symes. All are Democrats except Grillo, who is unaffiliated.

The election is Nov. 7.

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Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal

Madeleine Giansanti Cag said she wants to learn more about the citys real-estate development process, work with the school district to add additional afterschool programs and improve the way the city communicates with residents.

Cag, who owns property in Passaic County, said, Surprisingly I get better information from the city hall in Clifton than the city hall in Jersey City  I feel like generally as a taxpayer I dont get a lot of information.

Giansanti Cag, 48, who lives in Paulus Hook, said she is "a little bit worried" about how the city's infrastructure will handle the thousands of residents moving into the citys new high-rises.

Growing that much and not sort of managing what we already have, that becomes really worrisome, she said. Now is time to look at what we have and fix what we have before we can move forward.

In what is shaping up to be an expensive race, with over $200,000 in donations so far, Giansanti Cag has reported raising zero dollars. She is pitching herself to voters as "a committed citizen, not a politician."

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Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal

Nicholas Grillo, who lives in the Village, is campaigning on a platform far less ambitious than some of his opponents. Grillo said he wants to solve the quality-of-life issues that drive everybody crazy every day: parking, roadway safety, noise.

Theyre issues I know I can solve with limited help from the rest of the council and theyre things I know I can get done quickly, Grillo said. Public policy and all of that stuff is great but that takes a collaborative effort with the rest of the council.

Grillo, who runs a funeral home in Bloomfield, envisions adding speed bumps, cracking down on out-of-town commuters who park on Jersey City streets all day and improving traffic flow by prohibiting motorists from turning at some intersections.

In a race where most candidates are promising to reform how the city works with developers in some way, Grillo has stood out as pro-development. He chalks this up to growing up in Jersey City.

"Twenty years ago we had nothing down here," he said. "The waterfront was nothing. So I believe that all the development we've had over the past, you know 15, 10 years has benefited Downtown Jersey City."

Grillo, 36, is running as the only city native in a race that has four transplants. He was born and raised largely in Jersey City and left when his family moved to North Arlington at about the time he started high school. He said he moved back to Jersey City two and a half, three years ago. He changed his voter registration address from North Arlington to Jersey City in July 2016.

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Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal

Jake Hudnut has stood out as the candidate most willing to go after Fulop. Hudnut, who is running on a slate headed by Fulop challenger Bill Matsikoudis, has slammed the mayor for abandoning his political reformer image, for ramping up police patrols in the citys southern neighborhoods, for delaying the long-stalled reval and more.

I was happy to work with Steve once upon a time but I think his priorities have changed and I think his values have changed, said Hudnut, 34

A criminal defense attorney, Hudnut said he wants to focus on pressuring local legislators to enact reforms at the Port Authority, increasing affordable housing and reforming the tax abatement process to encourage developers to build more public school space and implement sustainability initiatives.

Hudnut said is the best candidate among the five running in Ward E because his background in the criminal justice system has given him a "backbone."

The backbone that Ive developed standing up to police and prosecutors is the same one that Ill bring to the council, he said. Ill stand up to developers and Ill stand up to the Port Authority and Ill stand up to elected officials that I dont agree with.

Hudnut lives on Grove Street.

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Courtesy of James Solomon

James Solomon has put reform of the citys real-estate development process at the top of his to-do list if he is elected to the council.

Solomon, who has a masters degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, wants no more long-term abatements without substantial give backs from developers, an expanded role for residents in setting the citys future development plans and a rigorous plan for how the city will improve its infrastructure.

Solomon described the city has having a "little bit of Stockholm Syndrome" when it comes to real-estate developers.

They make the developers arguments for them and say, oh, were afraid that theyre not going to build here so we cant be too tough on them, Solomon said. Its some of the most valuable real estate in America.

Solomon, 33, built a local reputation as a critic of President Trump. Solomon send he believes standing up for progressive values  he cited his opposition to the countys controversial partnership with ICE as an example  would be a top priority for him as a councilman.

This is the type of thing that, by using the bully pulpit . by bringing attention to bear on what some might think is an obscure issue but actually sort of sends ripples of fear through immigrant communities, is the role of a public leader, he said.

Solomon, who lives in the Village, has raised the most money of anyone in the race: as of Oct. 9 he has taken in $120,588, which is $57,000 more than the amount raised by his closest competitor, Symes ($25,000 of Solomons haul is a personal loan).

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Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal

Rebecca Symes is touting a number of initiatives she says will make local government more transparent and accountable to residents.

Participatory budgeting, which would give residents a say in how discretionary dollars are spent; publicly funded local elections; and a revamped process giving residents and local groups input on development decisions, and earlier in the process, are three of Symes chief priorities.

We talk about how we want Jersey City to be one of the best midsize cities in America and one of the ways to do that is by implementing progressive policy reforms on the local level, she said. These are issues that dont just impact Downtown Jersey City. They impact residents all over this city.

An attorney who was most recently general counsel for real-estate investment firm Dixon Advisory, Symes, 36, also led U.S. Kirsten Gillibrands constituent services team. She questioned some of her opponents more combative styles on the campaign trail, noting specifically Hudnuts pledge to bring his backbone to City Council.

Being a legislator is also about building consensus and compromising and working well with others, she said. Being the lone opposition on the City Council, youre not going to accomplish a lot of things. I look forward to working with whomever the mayor is and whoever the City Council members are that Im serving with to find common ground and get things done.

Symes lives in Harsimus Cove. Like Solomon, she was a 2015 fellow with New Leaders Council, a training ground of sorts for young progressives.

Don't Edit

READ EXPANDED INTERVIEWS WITH ALL FIVE CANDIDATES

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
JERSEY CITY - The man accused of leading police on a high-speed chase across the city could face trial a month earlier than planned because of guidelines outlined by the state's Criminal Justice Reform Act.

Leo Pinkston faces eluding and aggravated assault charges for the June 4 pursuit that ended in a fiery crash on Tonnelle Avenue. The incident made national headlines when video surfaced showing police kicking an innocent bystander while his body burned.

Hudson County Superior Court Judge Mark Nelson said during a status conference Monday morning that he expects a "substantial amount of time" will need to be set aside for the trial because he "assume(s) there are going to be many witnesses spanning all of Jersey City."

Under the bail overhaul that took effect in January, the state is required to begin Pinkston's trial by Feb. 18 because he is being held in pretrial detention. Nelson planned to start the trial at around that date, but Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Najma Rana said she is prosecuting a murder trial beginning Jan. 9 that will likely last two weeks and then has another homicide case in early February that should last for about a month.

"What do you tell Mr. Pinkston when he looks at me and then looks at you and says 'I'm sorry the prosecutor is busy, but when the legislator passed the law last year I'm supposed to be released in six months,'" Nelson said.

There have been delays already in hearings because of an open Internal Affairs investigation into the Jersey City Police Department's response to the pursuit. Three police officers shot at Pinkston's moving car and the 48-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to his leg.

Rana said she expects more progress to have been made in the Internal Affairs investigation by the final conference hearing is held on Dec. 11.

Nelson said he meant no disrespect to the state when he bluntly pointed out a prosecutor's schedule cannot set back a speedy trial.

"Judge, however you meant it, at this point we're all kind of hostage to the fact that we have CJR," Rana said. "But CJR doesn't allow me to be in four different court rooms at the same time, and certainly each of the defendants deserves to have a fair trial particularly in these serious cases and it's my intention to do that."

The case is expected to be brought to trial in mid-January.

Authorities say that on the night of the pursuit, Pinkston was sitting in a double-parked car that matched the description of a vehicle used in a recent shooting. Pinkston sped off when police attempted to stop him. The pursuit ended when Pinkston and another vehicle collided with a utility pole about six miles away.

Miguel Feliz, of West New York, was critically injured in the fiery crash. Feliz was hospitalized for several months and suffered burns and broken ribs in the incident.

Officials have been mostly mum on the Internal Affairs investigation, except for asking for the public's patience after assuring it will be a fair investigation. Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez declined to comment further on Monday.

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
TRENTON - Surveys conducted this year suggest American shad are making a strong comeback in the Delaware River, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin said.

Net surveys held during the spring resulted in the ninth largest overall haul of migrating adult shad ever recorded, while summer surveys of juvenile shad that hatched this year were the best in the nearly four decades of monitoring for juvenile shad, it was stated in a news release.

"The strong shad spawning run and record-setting juvenile numbers this summer lead us to be very optimistic about the future of shad, a species that is important to the overall ecological health of the Delaware River," Martin said.

Steve Meserve, who runs the Lewis Fishery in Lambertville, works with the DEP in reporting spring shad runs at this critical point in the Delaware. Netting surveys he conducted in the spring resulted in hauls totaling 1,262 shad, the ninth best in 92 years of reliable record-keeping results and the best since 1,257 were netted in 1995.

Each spring Lambertville marks the spring run with a Shad Festival that draws thousands to the Delaware River community.

Meserve tracks shad as part of a business that sells the fish to people who wait along the riverbank to buy fish he hauls in. His family has been fishing shad in Lambertville since 1888, and is the last remaining operation to do so following a crash in the shad population in the 1940s and 1950s because of poor water quality in the Philadelphia area.

"It's a much brighter picture than we've seen in years," said Meserve, noting that in 2011 he was catching an average of just two fish per netting operation compared to 30 this year. "It's certainly good news and we'd like to see it continue, and we will be out there keeping track of what's going on."

The history of shad runs deep in the Delaware River, with the fish providing food and other essential uses to Native Americans, feeding George Washington's Continental Army, and supporting a major 19th century commercial fishery that fed the region's burgeoning population.

But water quality problems that developed in lower, urbanized portions of the river around Philadelphia effectively created a dissolved-oxygen barrier to the age-old spawning runs. Water quality improvements enabled shad to gain access to the upper river and its tributaries, according to the DEP, and the closure of the commercial shad fishery in the ocean also appears to be another significant contributor to the rebound of shad in the Delaware River.

The American shad is the largest member of the herring family, weighing from four to eight pounds at maturity. They spend most of their lives in the ocean but return to rivers and their tributaries to spawn. Adults are capable of swimming some 2,000 miles from ocean feeding grounds to rivers to spawn.

In addition to water quality problems, dams built to generate power greatly reduced their ability to access potential spawning habitat in the Delaware's many tributaries. The DEP has been working with numerous partners to remove dams along Delaware River tributaries, with efforts focused on the Musconetcong River as it flows through Hunterdon and Warren counties.

The DEP also conducts numerous surveys of juvenile shad at various locations along the upper river beginning in late August. This year's survey resulted in the highest totals in 38 years of monitoring. These surveys counted 24,536 juvenile shad this summer, compared to 2,664 in 2013, and 8,360 in 2016.

Netting hauls conducted in August at Milford Beach in Hunterdon County, for example, were so strong that the total counts of juvenile fish exceeded hauls at that location for all previous five years combined.
PERTH AMBOY -- A 34-year-old New Jersey man who allegedly shot and killed his sister in their home was arrested later Monday as he tried to enter Canada with a gun, authorities said

Arun Aftab, of Perth Amboy, was taken taken into custody by the Canadian Border Patrol, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

His 32-year-old sister, Urooj Aftab, was found shot at 12:10 a.m. Monday and pronounced dead 39 minutes later.

Police showed up at the home to check on the woman's welfare after a concerned family friend called authorities.

Arun Aftab is charged with murder and weapons offenses. He is being held in Canada before he is extradited to New Jersey.

A motive has not been disclosed.

Anyone with information is asked to call Perth Amboy police Det. Frank Cristiano of at 732-324-3837, or Det. David Abromaitis of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office at 732-745-4436.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
China recently imported S-400 Triumf missile systems from Russia, the state-run Global Times reported last week, enough to arm several artillery units.

The deal was originally made in July 2014, and Russia said in July last year that it would deliver them to China before 2018.

First deployed in 2007, the S-400 is notable for its ability to shoot down stealth aircraft. Armed with a powerful radar system, it can track 100 targets at once within a 40 to 400 km range and shoot down six at a time.
Japan is seeing a surge in foreign visitors amid a spat between neighboring Korea and China over the deployment of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery here from the U.S. Japan's tourist numbers were nearly twice Korea's this year.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization, a record 21.2 million foreigners visited Japan from January to September, up 18 percent from the same period last year. Of those, 5.22 million were Koreans, up 40 percent, and 5.56 million were Chinese, up 11 percent.

But the number of tourists who visited Korea over the same period stood at just 9.94 million, a 24 percent plunge. Only 3.19 million of them were Chinese, less than half the number seen last year.


Monday's (Oct. 30, 2017) raid targeted so-called transients, or "travelers," at the intersection of Esplanade Avenue and Decatur Street and in the 1000 block of Decatur Street, two areas frequently trafficked by French Quarter and Frenchmen Street tourists--and regularly used as gathering points for transients.
Carol Ross, 55, was fatally shot near her home in the 300 block of LeBouef Street in Algiers on Monday, Oct. 30, 2017, accoring to New Orleans police and the Orleans Parish Coroner. (Courtesy of State Sen. Troy Carter)
NOPD investigates a homicide in the 7700 block of West Laverne Street in New Orleans on Saturday, October 28, 2017. (Photo by Brett Duke, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
The shooting was reported about 10:40 p.m. near the intersection of Pear and Leonidas streets in Hollygrove, New Orleans police said. (Google maps)
The NOPD is investigating a homicide in the 300 block of LeBoeuf Street, a department spokeswoman confirmed in an email Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. Here, an NOPD officer affixes crime scene tape to a fence near the corner of LeBeouf and Alix streets.(Photo by Laura McKnight, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
Legislative auditor Daryl Purpera said more than $423,000 in past-due UNO student accounts were submitted to the Louisiana Attorney General's office for collections "eight to 669 days" after the 90-day period.(Photo via UNO)
How do you celebrate Halloween? In Slidell, it's with Vince Vance and the Valiants
Former President Donald Trump is preparing to launch his third campaign for the White House with an announcement Tuesday night. Trump is looking to move on from disappointing midterm defeats and defy history amid signs that his grip on the Republican Party may be waning. The former president had hoped to use the GOP's expected gains in last week's elections as a springboard to win his party's nomination by locking in early support and keeping potential challengers at bay. Instead, Trump now finds himself being blamed for backing a series of losing candidates in last week's midterm elections.
Welcome to non league daily news now - your number one spot for all things relating to the National League System. Our dedicated reporters have come straight from the sidelines to bring you news fresh from the dugout - but not before theyve stopped off at the burger van first!

We know that non league football fans are full of heart, passion, and belief. You trust the manager, you believe in the team, and, for some strange reason, you trust those rickety stands, too! Here at Non League Daily, we hope we can become your trusted non league news resource - a platform thats just as passionate about non league daily news now as you.

Come rain or shine, well be out reporting on the latest non league fixtures. Well also be scouring the news, refreshing social media, and sourcing information from team websites in the hopes of finding the latest breaking non league daily news for our readers.

As youll soon see, weve got exclusive match reports on the Vanarama National League, weve got transfer speculation thatll affect the National League South, weve found great stories thatll spice up the National League North, and weve even got news on the latest giant killers of the FA Cup.

We may not be able to agree on who is going up this year, but we can all agree that any news on the NLS worth knowing will be published here, at Non League Daily.
OMAHA  A former Council Bluffs assistant city attorney pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to a felony drug charge.

Don Bauermeister, 44, of Omaha pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess and distribute about 13 pounds of marijuana.

The plea was part of a deal with prosecutors, who are recommending Bauermeister be sentenced to probation. Chief U.S. District Judge Laurie Smith Camp is not bound by the deal.

Smith Camp accepted Bauermeisters plea and set a sentencing date of Jan. 29.

Bauermeisters attorney, J. William Gallup, said prosecutors had agreed to pursue probation because of his clients unblemished record. The drug charge had nothing to do with his duties as an assistant city attorney, Gallup said.

Gallup said Bauermeister and a friend agreed the friend would go to Utah to pick up a load of marijuana and bring it back Omaha for distribution. Bauermeister agreed to put up some money. Authorities caught the friend in Utah, and the drugs never made it to Omaha. The friend was prosecuted on a misdemeanor charge in Utah, Gallup said.

This was just some old buddy of his, Gallup said. It was a stupid thing to do.

Bauermeister, of Omaha, has surrendered his law license.

A Council Bluffs employee since February 2003. Bauermeister resigned in mid-June. At the time, City Attorney Dick Wade said Bauermeister gave no reason for his resignation.

In August, a grand jury charged him with the crime, which occurred between November 2016 and Jan. 9, 2017.

The maximum penalty he could have faced was five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a three-year term of supervised release, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office in Nebraska.
OMAHA  Long before his 30-year stint as the leader of Childrens Hospital & Medical Center, Gary Perkins was admitted as a patient himself.

When he was 9, doctors at Childrens treated a kidney problem over three days. He still has the bill  $93.

Growing up strong north of Omaha in Missouri Valley he baled hay as a teenager, went to college and grew to 6-feet-5. In the decades since, he has stood tall in numerous civic and charitable leadership roles, many involving children.

For his accomplishments and for his dedication to youth and to the future of the community and the region, Perkins was crowned Saturday night as the 121st king of Aksarben.

Ive never been a real high-profile person in the community, he said, so I was shocked when I was asked. I was more than blown away.

Perkins was invited last spring to accept the honor, and did so after checking with his wife, Carol. The names of new royalty in the mythical kingdom of Quivira are kept secret until revealed at the annual fundraiser for scholarships, the Aksarben coronation ball.

Carol Perkins shares her husbands dedication to serving youth. A former elementary school music teacher, she long has served as a lay biblical discipleship counselor, and this year again counseled young people in her eighth trip to Africa.

We both believe that every person has a lot of value, she said, and no one person is better than another.

Carol grew up in Beatrice, Nebraska, and met Gary when both attended Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, Nebraska, now called Midland University.

She saw right away, she said, that he was a leader  bright and decisive, with a big heart. They married in November 1971, while she was still in college.

Gary had graduated in 1970 and signed up for the Army Reserve. A son of a flower shop and greenhouse owner, he planned a career as a certified public accountant.

He first worked in accounting at Childrens Hospital in 1975, and then became a hospital administrator in Harlan, Iowa, at age 29. He returned to Childrens as a vice president and rose to president and CEO at 37.

Under his 1985-2015 leadership, patient volumes quadrupled. And Childrens moved from the north tower of Methodist Hospital to its free-standing location across the street at 84th Street and West Dodge Road.

That corner is now iconic, especially at night, because of the five bronzed figures of children and 24 colorful, lighted umbrellas visible in a glass-enclosed stairwell.

The hospital, with running water in the lobby and lots of exterior light, soft colors and curved walls, is said to have a calming effect  good for kids and their families.

A sense of calmness, and engaging as many people as possible in plans, also have marked Perkins leadership style. Upon his retirement, he received praise for raising the status of Childrens to that of an academic medical center.

If hes not a household name, Perkins nonetheless is widely known in the nonprofit community.

He has served as board chair or president of the Nebraska Hospital Association, Midland University, Cooper Village, the Nebraska chapter of the National Safety Council, the Nebraska Kidney Association and Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs.

He was a driving force in the creation of Project Harmony, a community collaboration against child abuse and neglect. He also served as board chair.

Gary and Carol have served as honorary co-chairs for numerous charity fundraisers, including for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Salvation Army, JDRF (juvenile diabetes) and the Child Saving Institute.

In retirement, he continues to volunteer on civic boards, and she continues her mission work in Botswana and South Africa on behalf of the nonprofit, nondenominational Fresh Start for All Nations.

The couple, who worship at Steadfast Bible Fellowship, have lived for 25 years in an area called The Farm, southwest of 222nd Street and West Center Road. They raised two children there and often see wildlife in the backyard.
WASHINGTON  The American Bar Association has declared Omaha attorney Steve Grasz not qualified for a seat on the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The rating reflected, with one abstention, a unanimous vote by the ABA standing committee that reviews judicial nominations.

Thats a remarkable development given that only two judicial nominees have received unanimous not qualified ratings since 1989, said Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law who specializes in federal judicial selection.

Its very rare, Tobias said, adding that those two individuals were not confirmed.

Grasz could not immediately be reached for comment by The Omaha World-Herald. His confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled for today.

Grasz serves as senior counsel at Husch Blackwell LLP in Omaha and previously served as Nebraskas chief deputy attorney general. He served as legal counsel for both of Jean Stotherts campaigns for Omaha mayor and serves as legal counsel and treasurer for Gov. Pete Ricketts campaign.

He was jointly recommended for the 8th Circuit seat by both of Nebraskas Republican senators, Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse. Sasse is a member of the committee. Both senators praised Grasz when President Donald Trump followed their recommendation and nominated him.

Fischer said, Steve Grasz is highly respected by a bipartisan group of Nebraskans. For many years, Steve has earned the very highest peer rating available as a lawyer, AV Preeminent. He was selected as a Fellow by the Nebraska State Bar Foundation, an honor reserved for only a small fraction of bar members. Additionally, the Supreme Court of the state of Nebraska has stated that Steve is in good standing with the Nebraska State Bar Association.

In a statement, Sasse slammed the bar association and defended Grasz as someone who understands the Constiution.

Its sad that the ABA would contort their ratings process to try to tarnish Steves professional reputation in order to drive a political agenda, Sasse said. In more than a decade as Chief Deputy Attorney General, whether he was litigating cases before the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington or the Nebraska Supreme Court in Lincoln, Republicans and Democrats alike knew that Steve represented Nebraska with integrity and professionalism.

Tobias pointed out that earlier this year the bar association gave Neil Gorsuch a unanimous top rating of well qualified for a seat on the Supreme Court, and Republicans crowed about that.

Theyre going to point the finger at ABA and say its a liberal interest group, but I dont know that thats going to fly, Tobias said.

He said the ABA, in determining its ratings, looks at experience, intelligence, independence, diligence, ethics and temperament. It does not explain its ratings when it initially releases them, but sometimes will testify about them and could do so at Wednesdays hearing.

Of course, its unclear whether the committees chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, will press forward with the nomination in light of the rating, particularly with the fact that it was unanimous.

Tobias said the groups standing committee represents 15 well-respected attorneys from circuits across the country.

It doesnt seem like all of them would be politically motivated, Tobias said.
Service details for one of the two teenagers who died Friday morning at Lake Manawa have been announced.

A viewing for Christian Renteria-Perez, 17, will be held for family Sunday at noon to 3 p.m. at the Cutler-ONeill-Meyer-Woodring Bayliss Park Chapel. A viewing for friends will be held 3 to 9 p.m.

Service details for Efren Lemus, 18, have not been announced.

Christian was a student at Abraham Lincoln High School. He was born in Omaha on Oct. 21, 2000 to Crispin Renteria-Ledezma and Claudia Rerez Maciel.

Survivors include his parents, sister Jaqueline Renteria-Perez and brother Jordy Renteria-Perez and many other family and friends.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held Monday at 5 p.m. at Corpus Christi-Queen of the Apostles Church, 3304 Fourth Ave. Christian will be laid to rest in Mexico.

According to Council Bluffs Police, the two teenagers were found inside a car within Lake Manawa. No foul play is suspected, and police said the investigation is ongoing.

An obituary for Christian can be found by clicking here.
While the numbers are not huge in Iowa, the states roadmap for dealing with the growing problem of opioid addiction is clearly one that demands more than mere lip service.

The Iowa Department of Public Health released data earlier this year that shows about 146 opioid-related deaths in the state in 2016, up from 59 in 2005. Opioids include both prescription pain relievers, such as oxycodone, and illegal substances such as heroin and even more dangerous synthetic drugs such as fentanyl.

Unfortunately, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds offered little more than lip service Thursday when she commented that shell prioritize existing initiatives to combat opioid abuse but stopped short of offering specifics on future legislation or pledging additional state money.

Iowa has taken a multifaceted approach to combating the opioid epidemic, and we know that we need to do more, she said.

With the number of opioid-related deaths increasing here as well as nationwide, thats pretty much a no-brainer.

The GOP-controlled Legislature returns to the state Capitol in January, and today, just weeks before lawmakers return, its unclear what opioid-related policies it might consider. A list of priorities distributed after Reynolds remarks didnt include any legislative proposals.

The governor will carefully consider any legislation to put forth to address opioids in Iowa. She is still in the process of formulating her 2018 legislative package, Reynolds spokeswoman Brenna Smith, said.

Thats also the case on funding. Reynolds highlighted existing grant money aimed at opioid abuse, but no specifics on whether state money should be increased.

Reynolds remarks followed those of President Donald Trump who earlier Thursday pledged that we will overcome addiction in America, declaring opioid abuse a national public health emergency and announcing new steps to combat what he described as the worst drug crisis in U.S. history.

Trumps declaration, which will be effective for 90 days and can be renewed, will allow the government to redirect resources in various ways and to expand access to medical services in rural areas.

But Trumps declaration, like Reynolds, didnt offer a plan to bring new dollars to fight a scourge that nationwide kills nearly 100 people a day.

Iowa lawmakers from both parties have indicated an interest in addressing the epidemic next session. An interim legislative committee met earlier this month to hear testimony from health care professionals and others. Theyre expected to release a report in November. Unfortunately, information on what the state currently spends on opioids is limited because its grouped under a wide umbrella of substance abuse efforts. That information should be included in the report.

Serious problems demand serious solutions. But serious recommendations for solutions are lacking at the state and national levels.
Matt Walsh shows respect

Theres an old saying that goes like this: A wise person will change his mind, but a fool never does. We are lucky to have a wise person leading Council Bluffs.

I dont always agree with Matt Walsh on everything because we look at the world in different ways. Weve had some heated arguments, but it has never affected our friendship.

Sometimes Ill win and hell change his mind about something, and other times hell win and Ill change my way of thinking.

The best part is that even when we get into a heated argument, I always feel like Im being respected and Im being heard. When I feel strongly about something I want to know that I have a say and its going to be considered. I feel like I have that with Matt.

Matt is data-driven and hes a numbers guy. The only way I can win an argument with him is if I have facts to back up my opinions.

If I argue with him about something, I know that Id better be able to back up what Im saying. I like the fact that he will always tell you where he stands on an issue. It doesnt matter if his viewpoint is popular or not; he will tell you exactly what he thinks.

If you have your facts straight and you can convince him otherwise, hell change his mind. If you cant, then he wont. Its as simple as that. The issue goes to the City Council, the council makes a decision, and Matt carries it out.

On a personal note, I love watching Matt with his granddaughter. When hes with children he gets a twinkle in his eye that always makes me grin. Matt should have ten grandkids, because hes a good grandpa.

When I look at Matt and compare him with the other candidate, theres no doubt in my mind that Matt is the right person to lead Council Bluffs and we need to reelect him as mayor.

Carol Horner, Council Bluffs

Matt Walsh knows how to move Council Bluffs forward

I own a business with my husband, Frank, (ServiceMaster Restore of South Central Omaha), and we live in Pottawattamie County on a farm that used to belong to my grandparents.

Recently we purchased the Pottawattamie County franchise of ServiceMaster and decided to open an office in downtown Council Bluffs, so I have been paying close attention what is happening in our local community.

As a business owner, I appreciate Matt Walshs business-minded approach to running Council Bluffs. For example, for a long time, our city employees didnt have uniforms. If you were driving down the street, you couldnt tell who was a city worker and who was not. Under Matts leadership, city workers started wearing uniforms.

Matt has saved a lot of money for Council Bluffs by doing things more efficiently. In the past, each department purchased office supplies from a different vendor, but Matt decided to centralize office supply purchases so the city could take advantage of volume discounts.

On a bigger scale, Matt reduced workers comp expenditures from $4 million to $890,000. His focus is always on doing whats right for Council Bluffs, and sometimes that has meant making tough decisions.

To me, Matts integrity is everything.

Whenever Ive had an issue or a question that I needed to discuss with Matt, Ive been able to pick up the phone and call him. If I leave a message, he always gets back to me. One day, I called him because I was upset about something, and he listened to me without interrupting. At the end of our conversation, we came up with a solution that would work for everybody.

Ive known Matt for about five or six years now, and Ive seen him throughout the community. Wherever I went, he was there. I think thats awesome. Matt cares about the city, not just getting people to vote for him.

Matts experience in city government is another important asset. He was a member of the City Council for 18 years before being elected as mayor. How could any opponents match that level of experience? Matt should be reelected as mayor of Council Bluffs.

Cindy Schmader, Rural Pottawattamie County

Dems should work with GOP

When President Ronald Reagan set out to win the Cold War, he was supported by Republicans and some Democrats. When Reagan proposed tax cuts to get the economy moving, he was supported by Republicans and some Democrats. When Reagan asked for tax reform, he was supported by Republicans and some Democrats.

Reagan was a successful president because some Democrats were willing to admit the wisdom of his policies and join forces with him. Today we see a very different attitude.

Democrats vote in lockstep against any policy recommended by the President or congressional Republicans. Even some Republicans have abandoned their campaign promises and sought media praise by voting with the Democrats.

Much needs to be done. Our complex and anti-growth tax system cannot be defended. People enter the United States illegally and remain here undisturbed, taking jobs away from Americans. ObamaCare is strangling the health care system. Foreign enemies and terrorists threaten our very lives. Even violent crime has been increasing in recent years.

It is time for everyone in government to admit the existence of these problems and begin working together. Those who are not willing to face this reality should ask themselves whether it is now time to retire.

Peter J. Thomas, Chairman of Americans for Constitutional Liberty, Warrenton, Virginia
Dr Anil Kumar recalled Poonawalla was very aggressive and restless when he had come to him for treatment and when he asked him about his injury, he claimed he got hurt while cutting fruit.
When Jett Simpson, an eighth-grader at Maxwell Public Schools, attended the Family, Career and Community Leaders of Americas national conference in July, he was inspired by public service announcements promoting safety in communities.

But Simpsons advisers didnt expect him to show up the first day of school with a plan detailing how to bring that awareness to his own community. They also didnt expect him to lead one of the 10 teams chosen across America to travel to Washington, D.C., for it.

Simpson will travel Nov. 8-12, attending the FCCLA National Cluster Meeting Nov. 10-12. When he returns, Simpson and his team of peers and adults will get to work bringing awareness about issues like seat belts, first aid and car safety to the school and the Maxwell community.

The team will create their own PSA by December and hope to bring other initiatives, such as crash simulators. Simpson hopes to bring awareness to other factors, such as what to do when a tire blows, or a fix-it light turns on in ones vehicle.

While the trip is mostly funded, Simpson is selling first aid kits to fund the outreach upon his return, as well as any travel to next summers national conference. The kits, which include those for general use, pet care, the outdoors and other situations, can be ordered by emailing slucas@maxwellschools.org.

If chosen as one of the top three teams at the conference, Simpson and his team will attend the national conference next summer.

Simpson  who attended the national conference last summer for a separate project for which he received ninth in the nation  was partially inspired to tackle public safety in his community after loved ones wrecked their cars, he said. In recent years, Simpsons sister rolled her own vehicle.

If she wouldnt have had her seat belt on, she would have died instantly, he said, adding that his grandmother was also in a wreck.

Simpson and one of his FCCLA advisers, Sheelagh Lucas, also want to bring awareness to the nearby railroad tracks that run through Maxwell. Unlike many towns, Lucas said, Maxwell has no overpass, so students and faculty use a railroad crossing. With state law allowing students in the rural district to obtain a learners permit at age 14, Lucas and Simpson both said the rural community could benefit from the initiatives.

In addition to writing out his plan, Simpson had to fill out an application, receive four references and receive a letter of recommendation from Maxwell Superintendent Todd Rhodes.

Jett always makes the right decision, Lucas said, adding that Simpson takes the lead and goes in the right direction.

After being chosen to attend the Washington conference, Simpson had two days to choose a team of three peers, all eighth-grade FCCLA members. Jagger Baird, Myah Essman and Harley Kuenning will also attend the conference. Simpsons mother, grandmother, advisers Lucas and Jerlyn Hohnholt, and fourth-grade teacher Joni Keith will also attend.
A 2017 Miss Nebraska contestant died Sunday, months before she was set to take the stage again at North Platte High School to compete for the 2018 title.

Kaelia Nelson, 21, died in Peru, Nebraska, where she studied education, according to her obituary.

Competing as Miss Alliance, she was recognized as 2017s highest fund raiser for the Childrens Miracle Network at the June pageant. In September, she was crowned Miss Chadron and planned to compete for Miss Nebraska again in June, according to her obituary.

Nelson focused her pageants platform on fighting the stigma against mental illness, having published a book about the subject. In a blog series written by Brandi Petersen that introduced many 2017 contestants, Nelson spoke in depth about her own experiences with depression, anxiety, bipolar and obsessive compulsive disorders.

People are afraid to step forward and admit to having a mental illness, Nelson said in the piece. Society has made it such a taboo thing to the point where people are afraid to even talk about it.

Nelson told Petersen that her lifes mission was to speak about her experiences, hoping that no one would ever feel alone or ashamed for speaking out.

The consequences can be life-threatening, she said in the piece.

Born in Alliance, Nelson grew up around the Miss Nebraska pageant; she told Petersen that her mother was the Miss Alliance pageant director. Nelsons mother, Shardel, often booked the state titleholder to speak at local schools.

I was lucky enough to get to spend a lot of time with them, Nelson told Petersen.

Nelson found both her talent and passion in dance. She performed to Almost There at the June 2017 Miss Nebraska pageant. According to her obituary, she performed as a Gold Rush Dance Team member during her 1 years of study at Nebraska Wesleyan University, and later performed as a flyer on Peru State Colleges cheer team.

Nelson was a 2015 graduate of Hemingford High School.
The Disabled American Veterans Chapter 3 is looking for help to deliver free Thanksgiving meals to 20 veterans in need.

Commander David Olson said anyone can help deliver the meals.

As time goes on Ive picked up about four or five helpers, Olson said. If I can pick up about five more, that would be better.

The DAV purchases the food.

We give the veterans a medium-size turkey, pies, buns, Cool Whip, potatoes, green beans, all the fixings, Olson said. We do 20 veterans at Thanksgiving, and on Christmas we do hams instead of turkeys.

Olson said attendance at DAV meetings has been sparse, and he was concerned about having enough help to deliver the meals. With some recruiting, Olson said, he has picked up some help but needs more to make sure the food is delivered on a timely basis.

The Thanksgiving project looks like its going to go pretty well, Olson said. Garys boxes it all up for us; all we have to do is walk in and pick up the boxes.

Olson said the meals are delivered in North Platte, Sutherland, Callaway, Brady and a few other towns.

Olson said the organizational meeting is at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9 at the American Legion hall, 2020 E. Fourth St. Distribution day is Nov. 18, when the boxes are picked up from Garys and delivered.

For more information, call Olson at 308-520-3870.
Northwest Indiana's first salt cave, a spa-like setting where people sit and breath in salt air for relaxation or for therapeutic purposes, has set up shop in St. John.

Halotherapy of St. John, at 8241 Wicker Ave., lets visitors come in for 45-minute sessions during which they relax in a zero gravity chair while ambient music plays in the background and they inhale "micronized, pharmaceutical-grade salt from a state-of-the-art generator." Alan Updike, Marcia Autry and a third partner own the business.

Salt caves  which have been used as an alternative medicine for centuries  are common in Europe and Canada, but relatively new to the Midwest. Several have opened in Chicago recently, but apparently the only other dedicated salt rooms located in Indiana are in Bloomington and Warsaw.

Customers rent time in rooms that have salt-laden air and salt crystal-coated walls in an effort to imitate salt caves that occur naturally in the world, such as in Poland and Eastern Europe.

"Sitting in our salt cave is similar to spending a day at the beach, breathing in the salty sea air," Halotherapy of St. John says on its website. "However, youll receive many more benefits than that. Our salt comes from the Himalayan Mountains and is the cleanest and purest form of salt you will experience. Youll feel it under your feet, feel it cleanse your system, and feel the relaxation that encompasses your body."

The experience is supposed to clear the respiratory system. The owners tout halotherapy as a potential treatment to a laundry list of ailments, including allergies, colds, asthma, dry skin, muscle cramps, rashes, acne, eczema and headaches.

The Asthma and Allergies Foundation of America cautions that while salt caves may be safe and relaxing, there's not a lot of clinical research to support health claims. The nonprofit noted researchers were not able to draw conclusions about its purported health benefits after 150 academic studies and that it could have side effects, such as potentially inducing bronchoconstriction in some people.

Halotherapy of St. John said in a press release salt therapy was intended to be done "in conjunction with your medical caregiver," not as a substitute for medical treatment.

"Active salt caves are just another tool in our quest for better health," Halotherapy of St. John said in a statement.

In addition to salt therapy, Halotherapy of St. John also sells Himalayan salt lamps, essential oils and CBD hemp oil.

For more information, visit www.saltcaveindiana.com or call (219) 365-2283.
The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor landed a $9.85 million grant that will let it move more cargo, including more multimodal containers.

The U.S. Department of Transportation signed off on partial federal funding for a $19.7 million expansion that will boost the port's cargo handling capacity. The Indianapolis-based Ports of Indiana, a quasi-government agency that's run like an independent business, would fund the other half of the cost.

Indianas ports are critical hubs for jobs and economic growth and this expansion will help our state attract even more business to Northwest Indiana, Governor Eric Holcomb said. This new investment will not only improve the regions economic vitality, but also the international competitiveness of our entire state.

The planned expansion would include a new 2.3-acre cargo terminal for transfers of multimodal containers, 4.4 miles of rail, and two new rail yards that could store 165 rail cars, accommodate a 90-car train and switch trains onto other tracks. Other projects would include the addition of 1,200 feet of usable dock space, a new 6-acre truck marshaling yard, the extension of a retaining wall on the west dock and the repaving of a dock apron.

With these investments, companies using water to move cargo will have new options for their inbound raw materials, outbound finished products and transferring shipments between ships and barges, rail cars and trucks, Ports of Indiana CEO Rich Cooper said. Strategic investments in port infrastructure produce a foundation for long-term growth, bring a positive economic impact to the area and support trade throughout the state.

The work is expected to relieve congestion along port roads and increase operating efficiency for post companies, such as the stevedores Federal Marine Terminals and Metro Ports.

I was proud to support the Ports of Indiana application, because this major federal grant will allow Burns Harbor to move forward with an expanded, increasingly-efficient operation," Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Indiana, said. "Im looking forward to seeing these upgrades in action because we know it will bring more economic opportunities to the region and our state.

The international deepwater port on Lake Michigan, which is home to many steel and grain companies, is coming off the highest three-year total volume of cargoes such as steel, coal, limestone, fertilizer and grain in its 47-year history, and is on pace for a near-record year so far in 2017. Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana, said the investment could help boost business even more.

Improving infrastructure is one of the best ways we can foster growth, and our federal and state governments continue to make investments to attract new business and help existing businesses expand, Young said. Our ability to move raw materials and finished products is critical for economic success and this FASTLANE Grant will help our Lake Michigan port strengthen the Hoosier economy.

The port in Portage and Burns Harbor, which handles everything from river barges to international ships that pass through the St. Lawrence Seaway into the Great Lakes, managed to secure one of just 10 FASTLANE small project grants for 2017.

This port is an essential component of a strong and growing northwest Indiana economy and these federal funds will help improve its ability to create jobs and generate additional economic activity throughout our region and our state, Congressman Pete Visclosky, D-Merrillville, said.
MICHIGAN CITY  Charles Gerron, 22, was given a 50-year prison sentence Tuesday for the 2015 murder of a teen girl attending a birthday party.

The victim's father, Kalvon Hawkins, of Michigan City, walked out of the courtroom expressing relief his daughters convicted killer could be close to 70 years old before regaining freedom. He was not totally satisfied, though.

"He needed more time than what he got. He gave us a life sentence," Hawkins said.

Gerron was 16 when he fired three shots aimlessly toward a large crowd of people leaving a birthday party in July 2011 at Memorial Park on Michigan Citys east side, according to police.

One of the rounds struck 17-year-old NeKeisha Hodges-Hawkins in the back of the head.

LaPorte County Prosecutor John Espar, citing factors like the defendants criminal history as a juvenile and a felony conviction for his role in a drive-by shooting one year after the killing, asked for the maximum sentence.

"You have an individual here that literally has lived a life of crime," Espar said.

During sentencing, LaPorte Superior Court 1 Judge Michael Bergerson said Gerron revealed his "true character" by changing his clothes after the killing and voluntarily going to the police station with his mother as a cover-up.

"His first instinct was to save himself and lie to the police. A lie that he kept on living for over five years," Bergerson said.

He was arrested in December after the victim's father began protesting the case remaining unsolved.

The case nearly crumbled in June with a plea agreement containing just one year in jail for criminal recklessness after one of the two witnesses balked. Bergerson rejected the plea, though. After some encouragement by prosecutors, the reluctant witness later agreed to testify.
CROWN POINT  Wesley Trout, who is charged with murder, received a new trial date in February 2018 to allow his defense more time to have evidence analyzed.

During a hearing Tuesday, defense attorney Sonya Scott-Dix requested Trouts original jury trial date of Nov. 13 be vacated and reset. Criminal Court Judge Salvador Vasquez agreed to strike the November date and offered Feb. 20 for the trial to begin. Scott-Dix and Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Quinton White agreed to the four-day trial time period.

Trout, 19, of Gary, was charged May 30 with killing Sherrod Carter, 39, who was found in an alley behind an apartment in the 2100 block of Carolina Street on May 22. Carter died shortly after arriving at Methodist Hospitals Northlake in Gary.

Scott-Dix told Vasquez she needs to watch a video taken of Walter Trout, the father of Wesley Trout, and review the analysis of a gun found in a trash can across the street from Walter Trouts house. Other evidence includes a tire rod, the gray pants worn by Carter and DNA, she said.

That evidence could change her entire case, Scott-Dix said.

Trout, who is being held without bond in Lake County Jail, will return to Salvadors courtroom Jan. 9, 2018, for a pre-trial conference.
MICHIGAN CITY  A local man is accused of shooting two people and stealing their marijuana, then throwing counterfeit money out the car window during a high-speed chase.

Brandon Shepherd, 24, of Michigan City, is charged with level 4 felony unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon; two counts of level 5 felony battery and level 6 felony resisting law enforcement. Shepherd was charged Monday in LaPorte Superior Court 1.

He allegedly shot Jennifer Walkden, 41, and her boyfriend, John Floyd, 37, on Oct. 27 at Green Acres, a trailer park along Ind. 212 on Michigan Citys east side, police said.

According to court documents, Shepherd pulled a gun when Floyd produced a quarter pound bag of marijuana during what was supposed to be a drug purchase.

Floyd shoved him against a wall, then Shepherd shot Walkden and ran outside with the marijuana, police said.

Floyd went outside and pushed Shepherd against a mobile home next door. Shepherd then shot Floyd, police said.

About 10 minutes later, an officer at Salem Street and Coolspring Avenue tried stopping Shepherd, who tossed a gun and what turned out to be 64 counterfeit bills, mostly $100s, out the window, police said.

The chase down numerous city streets reached up to 70 miles per hour until ending near Columbia Street on the citys west side, with the defendants tires flattened by stop sticks, police said.

According to court records, Shepherd was sentenced in 2015 to two years in prison and two years on work release for armed robbery.

He was held without bond Monday in the LaPorte County Jail pending his initial hearing Tuesday before Judge Michael Bergerson.
INDIANAPOLIS  One of the two high schools operated by the Gary Community School Corp. is likely to be shuttered at the end of the academic year as part of a cost-cutting move by the emergency management firm in charge of the cash-strapped district.

Emergency Manager Peggy Hinckley told the State Board of Finance on Tuesday that she doesn't yet know whether West Side Leadership Academy will be combined with Wirt-Emerson Visual and Performing Arts High Ability Academy, or vice versa, but she insisted the district does not have the enrollment to justify more than one high school.

"High schools are the most expensive facilities to operate, and we must move to one," Hinckley said.

The veteran educator and leader of Gary Schools Recovery LLC, the state-appointed emergency management firm running the district in lieu of its elected trustees, expects that closing a high school "will not necessarily bring out a roaring crowd of approval" from Gary residents.

But Hickley explained that it is "a necessary step to take to get our expenses and our cost numbers down."

Loans the plan for now

The district's expenses were scrutinized again Tuesday by the state finance board  composed of representatives from the governor's office, state auditor and state treasurer  prior to its approving another no-interest loan to cover operating costs for Gary schools through the end of the calendar year.

Gary Schools Recovery plans to use the $3.255 million in borrowed funds to pay employee salaries and health insurance premiums.

The new loan is the sixth approved for the school corporation in 2017. The district this year has been authorized to borrow $16,570,144 from Indiana's Common School Fund, though state records show it only has drawn about $15 million in actual loans.

Micah Vincent, chairman of the Indiana Distressed Unit Appeals Board that oversees the district, said he expects the state will continue loaning money to Gary schools, roughly every other month, until the emergency management firm is able to fully implement its plans to right-size the district's spending and attract more students to grow its revenue.

"This is something that we expect," Vincent said. "It's something that has been in the plan, and as we move forward through that longer-looking document and plan that we'll see in the coming months, that's where this will start to taper off."

Hinckley said the budget she'll present to DUAB by Jan. 31 will begin to reduce the need for borrowing due in part to "aggressive reductions in expenditures" that she hopes to implement as soon as possible.

Reducing expenses, attracting students

Preliminary budget data provided by the emergency management firm show the district is on track to spend $78.6 million during calendar year 2018 but only will collect $57.5 million in revenue, producing a deficit of $21.1 million.

Hinckley hopes to grow the revenue number by attracting more students for the 2018-19 school year, boosting enrollment from the current 4,700 pupils to 6,000 or more.

Another 1,150 students would bring the district about $10 million in additional state support.

On the cost-cutting side, Hinckley said she's already worked with the Gary Teachers Union to reduce what she described as "abusive sick leave" by some teachers dissatisfied with the uncertainty in the district, which had pushed substitute teacher costs up to an unsustainable $750,000 a year.

It's not clear how spending reductions connected to high school consolidation would affect Roosevelt College and Career Academy.

The consistently underperforming high school was taken over by the State Board of Education in 2011 and given to EdisonLearning to operate, though the district still is required to maintain the Roosevelt building.

Dealing with debt, IRS payments

Separately, DUAB approved a contract Tuesday between the Gary school district and Merrillville-based Laszlo and Associates for the company to negotiate a reduction of the school corporation's debt to the Internal Revenue Service in exchange for 12 percent of the reduced obligation.

During the 2013-14 school year, the district withheld payroll taxes from its employees but neglected to send the money to the IRS using it instead to cover operating costs.

As a result, the district now owes $8.4 million in back taxes, penalties and interest that has prompted the IRS to put liens on all of the district's open and closed school buildings, which prevents their sale to other entities.

The Gary school district is the first to be completely taken over by the state after its elected trustees repeatedly failed to adopt balanced budgets and ran up $100 million in debt.

Senate Enrolled Act 567, signed in April by Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb, gives the district's emergency manager sweeping powers to reduce expenditures, rewrite contracts and make other changes necessary to bring the district's spending in line with its revenue, subject to DUAB oversight.
CROWN POINT  During a hearing Tuesday, Criminal Court Judge Samuel L. Cappas reaffirmed the Dec. 18 trial date for Nicholas Nick Medrano.

The 35-year old Crown Point resident and suspended Lake County Sheriffs Department police officer faces felony charges of rape, attempted rape, sexual battery and confinement.

Medrano was indicted on those felony charges by a grand jury in June. According to that indictment, he knowingly or intentionally had sexual intercourse with the alleged female victim between Jan. 10, 2013, and June 30, 2014.

The Lake County Sheriffs Department asked the Indiana State Police to investigate the case, because it involved one of the departments own police officers, state police said in a news release.

The complainant was a professional co-worker of the officer, the release stated.

Medrano surrendered himself to the Lake County Jail on June 23, entered a plea of not guilty and posted a cash bond of $10,000 or 10 percent of his $100,000 surety bond.

He served as a patrolman with the Lake County Sheriffs Department for approximately 10 1/2 years. In July, the Lake County Police Merit Board suspended Medrano without pay.

During that meeting, John Bushemi, an attorney for the Sheriffs Department, said then-Sheriff John Buncich suspended Medranos police powers immediately after the indictment was returned by the grand jury.

Defense attorney Paul Stracci represents Medrano, who is scheduled to return to Cappas courtroom Nov. 16 for a pre-trial conference.
VALPARAISO  Police are disclosing how a West Coast man stole a Lake County sheriff commander's squad car and led state and local authorities on a three-hour manhunt before recapturing him last week.

Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. and the Porter County prosecutor's office made public Monday afternoon details of how Kiflay Gebrehiwot, 27, of Seattle, "did a Houdini" after being stopped by the newly reactivated Lake County Highway Interdiction Unit.

Gebrehiwot is being held in the Porter County Jail on felony charges of escape, resisting law enforcement, auto theft, dealing in marijuana and possession of a firearm without a permit. Bond was set at $75,000.

Martinez said the incident began Thursday afternoon on the Indiana Toll Road near the Chesterton-Valparaiso exit at Ind. 49 when Lake County Interdiction Cmdr. Alfred Villarreal stopped the suspect for a traffic violation.

The sheriff said Villarreal found four plastic bags of a green leafy substance consistent with marijuana in the suspect's car. Villarreal handcuffed the suspect's hands behind his back and put him in Villarreal's front passenger seat with the seat belt on.

While Villarreal continued to search the suspect's car, the sheriff said, Gerehiwot was able to release the seat belt and slip his legs through his cuffed arms so that his arms were now in front of his body.

"In all the years of interdiction, this hadn't happened before," Martinez said. "Commander Villarreal did follow all policies and procedures in putting someone in custody, but (Gebrehiwot) is a skinny person and was able to do a Houdini.

"He jumped into the driver's seat, put the car in drive and fled," the sheriff said. County officers gave chase.

"He only got about two miles where he went off the roadway and into an embankment. He ran up the embankment, still handcuffed, and ran into the woods."

Martinez said police set up a perimeter around the wooded area with backup from Indiana State Police troopers, Indiana excise police, Hobart, New Chicago and Merrillville police and the Porter County Sheriff's Department. The Lake County police helicopter and an Indiana State Police airplane hovered above.

He said officers caught Gebrehiwot about three hours later walking out of the woods and into a subdivision, still in handcuffs.

Martinez said the department is in the process of equipping Lake County police cars with "kill" switches to prevent unauthorized people from using them. The sheriff said the stolen squad car was undamaged.

The charges are filed in Porter Superior Court. No court date has been set.
PORTAGE  Just moments after Reuben Martinez cut the ribbon, marking the opening of an all-inclusive playground at Founders Square Park, the 8-year-old Valparaiso resident was given an even more important assignment.

"Reuben, turn that chair around and lead all these kids out here to play," yelled an announcer.

The 17,500-square-foot playground was soon full of children and adults, getting their first shot at playing on the various equipment designed to be welcoming to everyone, no matter what their special needs.

The park is the result of an idea Liberty Township resident Mary Martinez had seven years ago, while she was visiting a Schererville playground with her daughter Hannah, who died at the age of 3 after living with special needs, likely due to a prenatal stroke.

"We were sitting with Hannah noticing how little equipment there is for kids with special needs," said her father Mike Martinez.

The couple, which formed the nonprofit Hannah's Hope to assist area children with special needs, began raising funds and have created the first fully accessible playground in the Midwest.

"It's a bittersweet day," Mike said. "I wish Hannah was here to share it with us."

Hannah's influence was felt strong at the site Sunday, according to Portage Mayor James Snyder.

"Today, this mayor says thank you," he said. "You empowered this community like no other."

Portage donated the land and will maintain the park.

Valparaiso resident Kelly Martinez, mother of Reuben, but no relation to the founders of the park, voiced hope that the site will finally provide a way for her three children to bring their lives and friends together in a shared interest.

The park will also bring together the parents of children with special needs, she said.

Reuben, who was born with a genetic disorder involving the brain that has left him using a wheelchair, was all smiles as he tested out the new equipment with his family.

"He loves motion," said his father, Steve Martinez. "He loves movement."

Each piece of equipment is marked with a QR code, designed to be read with smartphones, which reveal how they can be used, said Park Superintendent Jenny Orsburn.

Yet the equipment, which is positioned over a pliable surface designed to cushion falls, can be enjoyed by children of all capacities.

"So brothers and sisters can play together," she said.

The equipment can be used for therapy or for just plain fun, said Niki Avina, board secretary for Hannah's Hope.
VALPARAISO  One person was airlifted to an unknown hospital after a crash Saturday on Ind. 49.

According to Valparaiso Police Department spokesman Sgt. Mike Grennes, the three-car accident happened at 11:20 a.m. Saturday on Ind. 49 at Evans Avenue.

One vehicle crossed the median and was going the wrong way, northbound in the southbound lane. That vehicle struck two other vehicles.

Two people were injured. A Valparaiso person, who had crossed the median, was airlifted, Grennes said. The second injured person was from Chesterton.

The condition of the injured people is unknown.
CROWN POINT  Witnesses testifying Tuesday during the seventh day of Thomas J. Snows murder trial pinpointed his whereabouts and the location of his fathers truck after the discovery of his parents bodies in their home in October 2013.

Snow, 38, is charged with the bludgeoning and strangulation deaths of his parents, Clifford and Joyce Snow, in unincorporated Lowell.

The popular 68-year-old retired shop teacher from Hammond Morton High School and his 66-year-old wife were found dead Oct. 18, 2013, in their home in the 14500 block of West 197th Avenue.

The two bodies were badly decomposed, according to reports.

On Tuesday, Gilbert Opperman, owner/manager of the Super 8 Motel at Interstate 65 and State Road 2, verified copies of registration cards and credit card charges indicating Thomas Snow checked in and out of the motel twice using his fathers Discover card.

Those documents showed Thomas Snow signing the register, checking in on Oct. 14, 2013, then checking out on Oct. 15, 2013. That pattern was repeated on Oct. 16, 2013, and Oct. 17, 2013, according to the documents displayed by deputy prosecuting attorney Mark Watson.

Opperman testified that the name on the Discover card used for those stays was Clifford Snow, who according to investigators had been dead for about two weeks.

Retired Cook County Sheriffs police officer Debra Morgan also testified how she located Clifford Snows 2002 GMC Sierra pickup truck in a driveway in Ford Heights, Illinois.

Morgan said on Oct. 19, 2013, Cook County received a request from the Lake County Sheriffs Department to search for a tan pickup truck involved in a murder investigation in Lake County. That description included the license plate number.

On Oct. 21, 2013, Morgan said she located the truck in the driveway of a home whose residents were known to the police.

Cook County notified Lake County, Indiana, and a sheriffs deputy came to take possession of the vehicle, which was towed away, Morgan said, adding that the homes resident turned over the keys to Lake County officials.

Lake County Crime Unit Detective James Tonko also identified items presented by DPA Infinity Baulos. Tomko said he and Detective Mike Equihua removed those items from the pickup truck and processed them in the Lake County Sheriffs garage on Oct. 24, 2013.

The trial continues Wednesday in Judge Samuel L. Cappas courtroom.
EAST CHICAGO  Homeowners have filed a lawsuit against five companies associated with severely contaminated yards and homes in the USS Lead Superfund site, citing declining property values, emotional distress and difficulty in selling their homes to leave the toxic neighborhood.

The complaint filed in U.S. District Court alleges Atlantic Richfield Company, among others, acted in a "willful and wanton manner and in reckless indifference" while operating in the neighborhood for decades in close proximity to hundreds of homes.

David Chizewer, a Chicago attorney with the Goldberg Kohn law firm, filed the suit Tuesday against lead companies, and its successors, that produced, manufactured or generated hazardous, airborne contaminants in the city's Calumet sections for decades.

His firm is representing 38 households in the lawsuit, records show.

"We have filed this case on a pro bono basis to obtain justice for people who have actually come to us and asked us for their help. We are not filing a class action on behalf of hypothetical claimants with whom we have had no interaction. The class action device is an important, powerful tool in certain types of cases, but we do not believe that it is called for in this matter," Chizewer said in a statement.

'Failure to inform'

The suit seeks compensatory, punitive and other damages for residents' emotional distress, diminished property values, remediation costs not covered under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's cleanup plan, and more, according to U.S. District Court records.

Each plaintiff is seeing damages in excess of $75,000.

Listed as defendants are Atlantic Richfield Co., Tesoro Corp., E.I. DuPont De Nemours and Co., The Chemours Co., U.S. Smelter and Lead Refinery. The companies are listed as doing business as U.S.S. Lead Refinery Inc., Mining Remedial Recovery Company, Arava Natural Resources Company Inc., and Mueller Industries Inc.

EPA listed the area  West Calumet, Calumet and East Calumet  as a hazardous Superfund site targeted for cleanup in 2009, but residents didn't learn the full extent of the problem until East Chicago Mayor Anthony Copeland informed more than 1,000 West Calumet Housing Complex residents in summer 2016 they should relocate.

Residents in court filings allege until recently, they did not know and had no reason to know their health and properties were at risk by living in their homes.

Cleanup of yards by the EPA is ongoing as the federal agency continues to secure funding from companies responsible for the pollution.

However, Chizewer argued EPA's cleanup of yards does nothing to compensate families for the loss in property value and other damages.

Declining property values

All homeowners listed in the suit experienced declining property values since 2015, despite market values having increased in East Chicago by about 10.6 percent within the last year and the average market value in East Chicago increasing by 17 percent since the end of 2015, the suit argues.

For comparison, the most recent 2017 assessed values of properties directly west of plaintiffs' properties  outside of the Superfund site  are higher than the 2015 assessed values for the same properties, the suit argues.

Since the Superfund site was thrust into the spotlight in summer 2016, potential buyers have also withdrawn interest in purchasing homes because of the severe contamination, the lawsuit alleges. To sell a home in Indiana, a seller must disclose hazardous conditions on the property, including toxic materials, the suit states, making it more difficult for families to sell.
The Auburn Student Veterans Association will host a Veterans Gala on Thursday, Nov. 9, at Auburn Marriott Opelika Hotel and Conference Center at Grand National.

This years special guest and keynote will be Staff Sergeant Travis Mills, US Army (Ret.). SSG Mills was critically injured on his third tour of duty in Afghanistan by an IED while on patrol, losing portions of both legs, and both arms. He is one of only five quadruple amputees from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to survive his injuries. His keynote speech teaches and inspires audiences nationwide to "Never give up. Never quit." no matter the obstacles or circumstances.

The ticketed event is open to members of the public ages 21 and older, with reservations open through Friday, Nov. 3. A cocktail hour begins at 6 p.m., and dinner and programming at 7 p.m. Dress is black tie invited, military uniform or formal attire.

Make checks payable to the "AU Student Veterans Association and mail to 217 Foy Hall, Auburn, AL 36849. Credit Card payments are accepted and can be made at the gala. To sponsor or purchase a table and/or individual seat, contact Robyn Westbrook at 334-844-3073 or by email at rgw0001@auburn.edu. Reservations and table sponsorships are conrmed when payment is received.
Residents of Nakaseke South constituency have rejected the constitutional amendments seeking to remove the presidential age cap from the constitution.



Area member of parliament, Luttamaguzi Ssemakula on Monday evening invited residents of Nakaseke, Kasangombe and Nakaseke town council for a consultation meeting. They converged at Nakaseke sub-county grounds.



Luttamaguzi presented to them a bill, seeking to amend Article 102(b) of the 1995 constitution which bars anyone below 35 or above 75 from contesting for the presidency.



After the presentation, Luttamaguzi asked the residents to discuss whether he should support the amendments or oppose them in Parliament.

MP Luttamaguzi Ssemakula with residents during consultation meeting

Speaker, after speaker asked him to reject the amendments saying they move, is only targeting President Yoweri Museveni who has failed to compensate them and fulfill other pledges.



Mikail Kibalama, a resident of Kibaale village in Kasangombe sub-county said that he gave out 36 head of cattle to the National Resistance Army (NRA) fighters after then rebel fighter President Yoweri Museveni promised to compensate him once he captures power.



Kibalama added that 30 years after the war, Museveni has failed to fulfil a pledge and he doesn't see any reason why he should extend his rule.



"He has never paid back my cows. I first gave him 11 cows and another 25 later. I have waited for payment all these years but he has never paid me. I have put Museveni in Gods hands. Only God can handle Museveni because like former president Idi Amin and Milton Obote he thinks is mightier than all mighty", he said.



Daniel Mukasa, another resident of Kasagga village told Luttamaguzi that his father Simon Ssegamwenge lost tones of coffee to facilitate President Museveni's struggle with the hope that he will compensate them upon assuming office.



Simon Ssebatta, a veteran said that they joined the NRA thinking that their welfare will improve but to date, they are still languishing in abject poverty.



Ssebatta also accused Museveni of hoodwinking them that they were fighting for the restoration of democracy.



Other residents led Yulian Namata a resident of Naluya village in Kasangombe sub-county said that they thought that the NRM regime would guarantee their rights to land ownership but have since been disappointed.

Later MP Luttamaguzi put the matter to vote and residents unanimously agreed to reject the amendments. Luttamaguzi said that residents were tired of waiting for unfulfilled pledges.
The rift between Igara West MP Raphael Magyezi and the committee on Legal and Parliamentary Affairs has taken an even more fractious turn after the legislator stormed out in protest.

Magyezi walked out on the committee vowing never to return. The committeehas started conducting public hearings on the Constitutional (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2017, recently tabled by Magyezi.



The committee led by its chairperson Jacob Oboth-Oboth, the West Budama MP, invited Magyezi together with Jackson Kafuuzi, the Kyaka South MP and Jinja West MP, Moses Balyeku who seconded the bill, to make their submissions.

During the hearing, Ibrahim Ssemujju Nganda, the Opposition Chief Whip tasked Magyezi to provide documentary evidence showing when he was granted leave of Parliament to prepare the bill, when the gazette was made and when the certificate of financial implication was issued.



In his response, Magyezi said the bill was gazetted on September 28, 2017 and the certificate of financial implication issued on the same date. He tabled the gazetted bill and certificate of financial implication, which he said was issued by the finance minister, Matia Kasaija to back his submission.

Raphael Magezi addressing the media after he stormed out of the Legal Affairs committee hearing

Ssemujju asked Magyezi to explain how it was possible to gazette the bill and also get a certificate of financial implication on the same day. In his response, Magyezi noted that the responsibility of printing and gazetting bills lies with the Clerk to Parliament as provided for under Rule 112.



As a result, Ssemujju tasked Magyezi to produce evidence showing that he made a request for the certificate of financial implication in vain.

"I was a member of the 9th Parliament, the honourable Raphael Magyezi locked himself in a room with a female member of parliament from Kalungu and they forged a report for the committee on local government and public service. We debated this matter, if you want evidence I will give you and a select committee was put in place to investigate that act by honourable Magyezi.

He was actually found culpable and that report was thrown out by Parliament. So it is not that am throwing a doubt am actually stating a fact that Magyezi has forged before", Ssemujju said.



Oboth-Oboth ruled that they will invite the clerk to parliament, Jane Kibirige and finance minister Matia Kasaija to explain the authenticity of the submitted documents.



However, some committee members opposed to the bill including Medard Lubega Sseggona, Mathias Mpuuga, Muhammad Nsereko and Monicah Amoding among others insisted that the committee addresses itself to the established rules.



Oboth-Oboth said that this would be done at a later stage. He allowed Magyezi to proceed with his presentation after taking an oath.



However, the committee members repeatedly raised procedural matters that were ignored by Oboth-Oboth. This prompted Monicah Amoding, the Kumi Woman MP and her Busiro East counterpart, Medard Lubega Sseggona to walk over and switch off Magyezi's microphone, saying he should respect the committee.

Monica Amoding attempts to switch off Raphael Magyezi's microphone

Efforts by Oboth-Oboth to calm down the situation didn't yield results as the MPs insisted that Magyezi respects the committee. At this point, Magyezi dropped his submission and walked out in protest. He was followed by his two seconders. Oboth-Oboth said the committee will invite Magyezi another time to present his submission.



The committeealso blocked the Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister, Kahinda Otafire from making his submission on grounds that he had presented unsigned documents. Although Otafiire owned the unsigned documents, he refused to append his signature prompting the MPs to reject them.

Oboth-Oboth decided to dismiss Otafiire, saying he will invite him at a later date. Shortly after storming out of Parliament, Magyezi said he's now considering taking back the bill to the House. He claimed that what transpired in the committeeis a continuation of what happened in the house when he presented the bill in the House.

"Certainly this a serious matter that a bill of this magnitude is sent to the committee and the committee members are not ready to listen to the bill mover. My seconders, nobody even talked. You had them go to KCCA...9th Parliamentin the village - all those diversions. You know, I dont produce the certificate of finance implication and if you question it, go to the minister after listening to us, they would invite the minister, the clerk to parliament. They would invite whoever they want", Magyezi angrily said.



Rule 15 of the rules of procedure states that; "Any member may, with consent of the speaker, move that any rule be suspended in its application to a particular motion before the House and if a motion is carried, the rule in question shall be suspended".



Whenever a bill is read for the first time in the house, it is referred to the appropriate committee appointed. He says the speaker will now take charge of the bill since the committeehas frustrated it, adding that he had done his part.
Pisonia Brunoniana is a species of small flowering trees native to tropical regions from Hawaii to New Zealand, and as far west as India. The pisonia tree has soft brittle wood with large glossy leaves and a dark secret. If you search among its roots and branches, youre likely to find thousands of delicate bones and tiny mummified corpses. It is this macabre feature that gives the tree its creepy nickname  the birdcatcher tree.

The pisonia tree produces long seed pods coated with a thick sticky mucus that entraps insects and the birds tempted to feast on them. The ensnared insects look like easy pickings to unsuspecting birds, but if theyre not careful, they can easily get entangled in the sticky seedpods themselves. Too many seeds caught among their feathers can weigh the birds down and prevent them from flying off the tree. If theyre not picked off by a passing scavenger, the birds are doomed to a slow death by starvation. Often, the birds die without ever escaping the pisonias branches, which means their withered corpses are left dangling like some strange fruit or a creepy Christmas ornament. In what can only be described as a vicious cycle, birds of prey tempted by the trapped birds sometimes also get entangled in sticky seeds and become trapped themselves.

Photo: BBC

When Alan Burger, an ecologist at the University of Victoria, heard about the bird-killing reputation of the pisonia tree, he wondered if there was a reason behind the trapping mechanism, or if it was merely an evolutionary quirk. It is not unusual, after all, for plants to entangle or immobilize hapless animals as a means of fertiliser or seed dispersal, but seed distribution seemed an unlikely motive when the winged couriers die so near the tree. In May 1999 Burger traveled to the archipelago of Seychelles in the Indian Ocean to undertake a 10-month study of the strange tree.

The results from my experiments showed quite convincingly that the Pisonia derived no obvious benefit from fatally entangling birds, Burger said. The seeds did not gain any enhanced germination rates, or seedling survival, by sprouting beside the dead birds. Further experiments proved trees gained significantly more nutrients from guano (bird poop) than bird corpses, indicating that birds were more valuable to the tree alive than dead.

Photo: The Garden Tamers Diary

Then why the sticky seeds? Burger immersed the seeds in seawater to test whether the tree utilised the corpses as rafts, dispersing themselves from island to island. However, the seed pods died within five days of immersion, disproving the theory. Next, he tried intermittently dipping the seeds in water over several weeks and found that they survived. So if the bird only dived occasionally to catch fish, the seeds remained viable and would sprout new pisonia trees wherever they wound up.

Having the birds alive seems to be the key to dispersal, but an unfortunate consequence of having extremely sticky seeds, and producing many seeds in a cluster, is that some birds get fatally entangled, Burger says. Killing birds is merely unfortunate collateral damage, and as long as at least some of them survive to disperse the seeds, the pisonia will continue to produce them.

Photo: video screengrab

Perhaps the strangest part of the story is that despite the dangers, seabirds love the pisonia tree. Beth Flint, a wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, says Its rare to see a Pisonia tree that doesnt have seabirds in it. At least in places where there are seabirds left.

In some places, humans are intervening on the birds behalf. On the North Island of New Zealand, the tree has almost gone extinct as a result of extensive cutting to prevent songbirds from becoming entangled, and on the island of Cousine, conservation officers have a policy of catching and cleaning entangled birds to ensure their survival.
Meet Mahdi Gilbert, the 25-year-old Canadian magician making waves in the world of magic. He practices card manipulation and sleight of hand, a common skill set for a magician, but what sets him apart is his lack of hands.

Standing at four-feet-six inches, Gilberts left arm stops at the elbow, and he has an articulated appendage on his right arm. Gilbert was forced to reinvent magic for himself, individually recreating all of the techniques used in his illusions. I had to become self-sufficient from an early age; theres (sic) no magic books written for me, Gilbert said in an interview for the documentary Our Magic.

As a child, he was never exposed to magic, neither live nor on television, but he heard stories about people called magicians who could do these amazing things. Despite his lack of access to information about magic, having never visited any magic stores, or read any magic books, Gilbert confidently informed his high school guidance counsellor Im going to be a magician. She asked, Do you do magic now? to which he replied Not yet. But I will.

Mahdi began seeking out magicians online and on television as a teenager, and soon became a follower of David Blaine. At first he was depressed, thinking that he couldnt possibly do the things Blaine was doing, but then he discovered Derren Brown, a British mentalist who showed him that there was more to magic than perfect limbs.

He was doing things by using the mind, talking to people, using memory, psychology, hypnosis, and other techniques. I thought, Oh, wow. I can do something like that, Mahdi the Magician recalled in an interview.

He began by training his memory and playing tricks on his fellow students, such as memorising their personal information from the school database, and at appropriate moments could tell people information he shouldnt know, like where they lived.

However, when he was sixteen, Gilbert decided to move away from mental based magic toward more physical conjuring. He bought a deck of cards and a book on card manipulation, but he didnt tell anyone what he was doing.

Maybe Im romanticising it, but I remember that time very fondly, staying up literally all night in the dark, trying to figure stuff out, Mahdi said. When I started I had no idea what I was doing. I was experimenting and figuring things out through trial and error. There was a slow evolution. I couldnt even cut a deck of cards without spilling the deck on the floor.

Eventually, he mastered shuffling and then began to manipulate the deck in more complex ways. He began to make connections with other magicians through magic shops and his reputation began to grow. In March 2010, Gilbert attended Magic-Con, a magic conference in San Diego, where many famous magicians were in attendance, including David Blaine. Gilbert quickly became the talk of the conference, and his reputation took off. In the seven years since that Magic-Con, Gilbert has gone on to appear on television shows and has traveled to and performed in 18 countries. All the magicians he looked up to and learned from now know his name, and David Blaine has called him, My inspiration. **
Public Relations Global Network welcomed three new member firms at its 25th anniversary meeting in Kyoto, Japan. Another Company, a Mexico-headquartered firm with clients such as Calvin Klein, Prada and Peninsula Hotels, also has offices in Colombia and Panama. Perspective Strategies, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is a strategic communications and issue management firm specializing in public affairs, brand communications and stakeholder engagement. Sao Paulo, Brazils SMARTPR offers a range of services including communications, advertising, public relations, journalism and design. These individuals and their teams are true leaders in their respective markets and countries  smart, forward-looking and highly-integrated in how they approach our field today, said PRGN president Christina Rytter. Their interest, and the continued growth of our network, demonstrates the health and vitality not just of PRGN, but also the independent PR agency market worldwide.

TransMedia Group says that it is in merger talks with iTeknik Holding Corporation. TransMedia, which was founded by author and former NBC VP Tom Madden, has a stable of clients that has included AT&T, American Red Cross, Boehringer Ingelheim, Jordache and Rexall Sundown. After meeting Madden and his staff, were in discussions to acquire an interest in TransMedia, said Fred Wicks, Chairman and CEO of iTeknik. iTeknik has transitioned from the telecom industry to marketing, advertising and the digital media space with the startup of its Big Rhino Agency in January.
Agricultural News

Glynn Tonsor Reads Between the Lines of Current Beef Market Data that Shows Underlying Demand







Here at the end of October, beef cattle prices have managed to endure the typical seasonal pattern of decline, still maintaining above $1 per pound in cash cattle trade. In addition, wholesale boxed beef prices have also held strong, as have feeder and stocker cattle prices - all still above year ago levels. According to Extension Livestock Market Economist Dr. Glynn Tonsor, given the fact that bigger beef supplies are rolling through the pipeline currently, these price levels suggest there is significant demand for beef in the marketplace.





"Those demand signals are coming in many ways," Tonsor said, quoting some of the increased prices currently being observed in the beef cut-outs. "You have those choice cut-outs come up- that allows us to pay more for feeder cattle, which in turn allows us to give more staying power and higher prices for those feeder cattle."





According to his latest projections, Tonsor says he believes the rest of 2017 and the beginning of 2018 will have positive close outs. He points to a report that does not always get the attention it deserves. He says of the Cold Storage report, that some may say that shows meat stacking up and unable to find a home. But he says put into context, one realizes that the beef industry is growing and therefor will obviously manifest as more beef in storage - but the fact is, looking at stored beef as a percentage of total production, those wares are actually decreasing.





"So, it all circles back to wholesale beef, fed cattle, live cattle, feeder cattle - all are higher than we thought they'd be and that's at a time when supplies are up," he said. "That only happens when you have strong demand."





Listen to Glynn Tonsor analyze the current state of the beef market and how that translates into a sign of strong consumer demand, with Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays, on today's Beef Buzz.





The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.























Listen to Tonsor analyze the current state of the beef market and how it translates to demand strength

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President Donald Trump is expected to nominate Jerome Powell as the next chair of the Federal Reserve, according to two people familiar with the president's decision who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The White House intends to announce the Fed chair selection on Thursday.

If confirmed by the Senate, Powell would begin serving as chair in February, replacing Janet Yellen, a Democrat, who Trump has at times praised but many Republicans wanted replaced.

Powell, a Republican, is widely viewed as a safe pick who is unlikely to make any dramatic changes to Fed's handling of the economy at a time when the stock market is soaring and unemployment is at a 16-year low.

Powell has served as a Fed governor, a top leadership role within the Central Bank, since 2012. He also has experience in Washington and on Wall Street, having served as undersecretary of the Treasury Department for former President George H.W. Bush and as a partner at The Carlyle Group, a venture capital firm.

Powell was originally nominated to the Fed board by former President Barack Obama. Former colleagues of Powell's at the Fed describe him as right-leaning but not an ideologue.

He worked for the Bipartisan Policy Center for several years after leaving The Carlyle Group and has developed a reputation as a consensus builder. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin pushed hard for Powell to win Trump's nod for the position after working with Powell recently on changes to bank regulations.

"Next to the Supreme Court, this is the second most important decision Trump will make. It will outlast him as president," says Richard Fischer, former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
A former Council Bluffs assistant city attorney pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to a felony drug charge.

Don Bauermeister, 44, of Omaha pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess and distribute about 13 pounds of marijuana.

The plea was part of a deal with prosecutors, who are recommending that Bauermeister be sentenced to probation. Chief U.S. District Judge Laurie Smith Camp is not bound by the deal.

Smith Camp accepted Bauermeisters plea and set a sentencing date of Jan. 29.

Bauermeisters attorney, J. William Gallup, said prosecutors had agreed to pursue probation because of his clients unblemished record. The drug charge had nothing to do with his duties as an assistant city attorney, Gallup said.

Gallup said Bauermeister and a friend agreed that the friend would go to Oregon to pick up a load of marijuana and bring it back to Omaha for distribution. Bauermeister agreed to put up some money. Authorities caught the friend in Utah, and the drugs never made it to Omaha. The friend was prosecuted on a misdemeanor charge in Utah, Gallup said.

This was just some old buddy of his, Gallup said. It was a stupid thing to do.

Bauermeister has surrendered his law license.

A Council Bluffs employee since February 2003, Bauermeister resigned in mid-June. At the time, City Attorney Dick Wade said Bauermeister gave no reason for his resignation.

In August, a grand jury charged him with the crime, which occurred between November 2016 and Jan. 9, 2017.

The maximum penalty he could face is five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a three-year term of supervised release, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office in Nebraska.

Correction: An earlier version of this story listed the charges as "possession with intent to distribute" 13 pounds of marijuana. Bauermeister pleaded guilty to "conspiring to possess and distribute" the marijuana.
The mayor will remain firmly in charge of selecting Omahas fire and police chiefs under an ordinance approved Tuesday.

The City Council voted 7-0 to OK the proposal by Mayor Jean Stothert.

The ordinance puts into city code the mayors ability to disqualify top candidates for police and fire chief. It also changes how to handle fire and police promotions below chief.

The changes are precursors to resolving a lawsuit involving the hiring of Fire Chief Dan Olsen, Deputy City Attorney Bernard in den Bosch said during a briefing with the council last week.

Two battalion chiefs from the department sued the city in February after Stothert picked Olsen as chief. They alleged that Stothert violated city code and manipulated the process so she could pick Olsen.

Under city code, the four candidates for chief with the highest scores from a testing process are ranked and submitted to the mayor for consideration. The two who sued were among those four. Olsen was ranked sixth and not initially under consideration.

The city has denied that it worked around the process. Stothert has contended that Olsen advanced into the final four after one of the finalists dropped out and she eliminated another following a background check.

In den Bosch said that process followed city policy, though it was not clearly stated in city code.

Tuesdays ordinance was meant to make clear how the chief selection process works, according to a letter to the council from the mayor and city officials. The mayor can disqualify finalists but must provide job related reasons and justification in a written request.

After a finalist is eliminated or withdraws, the next-ranked candidate would be named as a replacement.

The process will work differently for sworn promotional positions other than chief, however. Finalists for those jobs cant be disqualified, though replacement names can be provided if a finalist withdraws or dies.

That change is intended to address concerns by the fire and police unions that the chiefs could skip over people they dont like who are up for promotions, in den Bosch said.

No one spoke during a public hearing on the proposal last week, and the council didnt discuss it before voting.

John Corrigan, the attorney for Battalion Chiefs Robb Gottsch and Dan Stolinski, finalists for the fire chief job, said the changes solidify the rule of four finalists and will go a long way toward resolving the pending litigation.

Fire union President Steve LeClair agreed and commended Stothert and the city for the changes.

In other business:

 The council voted 7-0 to approve a $137,500 settlement agreement with a woman who was attacked by an Omaha police dog in 2016. The woman was not the target of a search but suffered an unprovoked attack. City documents described her wound as gruesome.
An Omaha couple lost their only child when the 2-year-old fell to his death at a scenic overlook in Arizona in September.

A report from the Coconino County Sheriffs Office said the child, Rivan Katpally, likely was chasing a toy truck while his parents were taking pictures.

Rivan fell 50 to 60 feet near the Midgley Bridge in the Coconino National Forest on Sept. 2. The Sheriffs Office found the death to be accidental.

The boys mother, Sangeetha Citore described her son as playful and energetic.

He is our only son, she wrote in an email Tuesday. Rivan is (a) very active toddler, always happy, loves to cuddle, likes to play ball.

The family  Rivan, Citore and her husband, Rajashekar R. Katpally  was headed to the Grand Canyon when they stopped for photographs near the Midgley Bridge just outside Sedona about 8:45 a.m., the sheriffs report said. The family stopped there because they had seen other people pulling off the road and decided to check it out, Coconino County Sheriffs Sgt. John Jamison wrote in the report.

Rajashekar Katpally told authorities that he and his family had been there for about 10 minutes looking at the scenery and taking pictures when his son disappeared over the edge.

Katpally told Jamison that Rivan had not been interested in the picture-taking and wanted to play. Katpally said he was taking a picture of his wife when they heard Rivan yell Mommy and turned to see him fall.

Rivans toy truck was also gone, and his parents told Jamison they believe it had rolled over the side of the cliff. Rivan must have fallen while trying to retrieve the truck, the parents said.

Several other visitors to the area reported hearing screams at the time of the accident, Jamison wrote. One of them called 911.

Both parents were distraught, Jamison wrote of witness statements.

Jamison said there was a large gap between the railings, and it appeared very possible that a small child could slip through.

Investigators rappelled down the cliff and found the little boys body.

Jamison said a small, black toy truck was found near the boys body.

Services were held in Omaha.

Rivan is at Mount Auburn Cemetery (in southwest Omaha) ... just a mile away from me, not far, his mother wrote.

Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled the 2-year-old boy's name.
OK! Magazine 16 Nov 2022

Former POTUS Donald Trump revealed that he is vying for the White House yet again, unveiling his 2024 presidential campaign.
Rumble 09 Sep 2022

John "Tig" Tiegen and Sarah Adams, former CIA Officer who worked on the the ground as a Targeter in Benghazi,..
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Two bystanders shot cell phone video of the aftermath that showed Christopher Bailey being loaded into an ambulance, his face..
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The culture wars now ripping through American politics  especially noticeable in these last few weeks before the midterm..
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China and Sri Lanka should focus on strengthening cooperation over key investment projects, Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday told his visiting counterpart from Sri Lanka, amid strong local opposition to some major Chinese-invested schemes.

In July, Sri Lanka signed a long-delayed $1.1 billion deal to lease its southern Hambantota port to China, ignoring an appeal by opposition parties to debate the pact in parliament.

The $1.5-billion port, close to the main shipping route from Asia to Europe and likely to play a key role in Chinas Belt and Road initiative, has been mired in controversy since a Chinese firm agreed to take an 80 percent stake in it.

The pact signed last year sparked widespread public anger, as Chinese control of the port, which included a plan for a 99-year lease of 15,000 acres (23 sq miles) to develop an adjacent industrial zone, provoked fears it could be used by Chinese naval vessels.

Meeting in Beijing, Wang told Tilak Marapana that the two countries should take this years 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties as an opportunity, Chinas foreign ministry said in a statement.

Both should emphasize strengthening traditional friendship and political mutual trust, major infrastructure projects, investment and trade to upgrade their relationship, Wang added.

The short statement did not mention any specific projects.

As one of the first countries to help in Sri Lankas post-war reconstruction after the 2009 end of its 26-year civil war, Chinas ties with Sri Lanka have unnerved India, traditionally the island nations most important partner.

By 2014, Chinese navy submarines were also docking in Colombo, raising alarm in New Delhi and prompting a push by the administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to claw back influence in the region.

(Reuters)
Gov. Kate Brown wants all Oregonians who don't get health insurance through their employer, Medicare or Medicaid to sign up for coverage during the open-enrollment period that begins Nov. 1.

Starting Wednesday, Oregonians can sign up for, renew or change health insurance policies at Healthcare.gov. While most Oregonians get their health coverage through their employer or the government, slightly more than 210,000 obtain insurance through the individual market.

Brown is scheduled to promote open enrollment when she visits the offices of the Cascade Aids Project in Portland Monday afternoon.

ObamaCare has resulted in millions of Americans getting health coverage since its 2010 passage. Nationally, the number of uninsured Americans plummeted from 48 million to 20 million. In Oregon, the uninsured rate fell from 17 percent to 5 percent.

But that signature policy achievement has been marred by repeated double-digit insurance rate hikes for millions of Americans. The price increases have been particularly acute for those who buy insurance through the individual market.

Some of those people purchase their coverage through the healthcare.gov website set up in conjunction with the passage of Obamacare. Others buy equivalent policies directly from insurers.

Republicans in Congress, with the enthusiastic backing of President Trump, have tried three times since he took office to repeal Obamacare. They've failed each time. But the administration did manage to slash spending on advertising in advance of this open enrollment period.

There is some concern among Oregon politicians and public health officials that fewer people will sign up for insurance this year because of the rising costs and diminished advertising.

In response, Oregon increased its own ad buys by $433,000.

The health insurance business depends on large pools of customers to function efficiently. Carriers need to spread the cost of health care for sicker customers among many more healthy ones.

Boosters of the Affordable Care Act argue that even given the higher premium prices, lowering the uninsured rate has been good for the economy. Oregon's hospitals and health systems have saved about $500 million a year in previously uncompensated hospital care since 2013, according to the state.

-- Jeff Manning
A French bulldog puppy reported stolen in Ridgefield, Washington a little more than a week ago has been returned to its owner after Clark County deputies found the dog with a woman in Southeast Portland.

The Clark County Sheriff's Office said Monday that 25-year-old Jamie Homsley voluntarily surrendered the dog to deputies after tips led them to a home near Southeast Division Street and 155th Avenue. The agency identified Homsley as a suspect in the dog theft, said no arrests had been made and were recommending charges to the county prosecuting attorney's office.

What charges and Homsley's specific role in the theft were not announced by the sheriff's office.

The dog was taken on Oct. 20 after the owner arraigned to sell the puppy to a woman near the Clark County fairgrounds, the sheriff's office said. But the woman handed over an envelope of fake cash, took the dog from the owner's arms, ran away and left in a white convertible driven by another woman.

The owner didn't know the women involved beforehand, the sheriff's office said.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey
The Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival is launching its annual logo contest. Here's what you need to know for the 2018 contest, event organizers say: "Diamonds are the Festival symbol; the celebrated breed for 2018 is the Jacob sheep and the celebrated craft is felting. Please do NOT include the year in the logo. If your piece is chosen you will receive $100 and a byline in the 2018 catalog. Contest guidelines are as follow: Illustrations must be simple enough to reproduce in black and white for the catalog and in color for apparel; submissions must be your original art and not previously published; participants need to sign a release authorizing OFFF to use the illustrations in the catalog and promotional items; OFFF reserves the right to crop the original artwork; illustrations are accepted Oct. 1, 2017, through Feb. 15, 2018." Send your art to: whistlestop.bc60@rocketmail.com or to OFFF Logo Contest, 30881 SW Bald Peak Road, Hillsboro, OR 97123. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want your artwork returned. OFFF 2018 is set for Saturday, Sept. 22, and Sunday, Sept. 23, in Canby.

Twisted is hosting a JaMpdx ceramics trunk show from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4. (Check out some of their lovely pieces here.) "Find the perfect mug (or shot glass) to express yourself, fall in love with their yarn bowls, and cross some items off your holiday list!" says Twisted. Twisted is at 2310 N.E. Broadway in Portland.

There's a new knitting guild forming in Portland! The Puddletown Knitters Guild has its first meeting 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, at the Friends Meeting House, 4312 S.E. Stark St. in Portland. Meetings will be the second Thursday of every month. "We are committed to providing a friendly environment where knitters of all skill levels can come together to learn and expand their knitting skills," organizers say. The inaugural speaker will be local designer Michele Lee Bernstein (PDXKnitterati), and she's got a splendid blog post up here about the joys and benefits of knitting guilds.

UPDATE I: Brooklyn Tweed has another lecture coming up, and the speaker lineup is stellar. The latest installment of the "Knitting Culture" series focuses on "knitting, creativity and following your bliss" and features Brooklyn Tweed's design team: Jared Flood, Julie Hoover, Veronik Avery, Norah Gaughan and Gudrun Johnston. The event's 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9, at Taborspace, 5441 S.E. Belmont St. in Portland. Admission is free, and doors open at 6.

UPDATE II: Sale at Knotty Lamb!

The tip of the iceberg of our yarns on closeout. These beauties are only $5.20! Come see what else we have on... Posted by Knotty Lamb on Wednesday, November 1, 2017

-- Mary Mooney

mmooney@oregonian.com

503-412-7020; @MaryKnitsPDX
It was good to see Rep. Mark Johnson's Opinion about an inclusive, broad-based approach to Oregon's fiscal problem ("A unified business community is ready to help Oregon," Oct. 25). In addition to reform of the Public Employees Retirement System, we need for-profit corporations to step up and pay more state taxes. Some for-profit corporations have made healthy profits while providing little or no support for public education and services.

The state's public education system and public service infrastructure provides the workers and public facilities that allow businesses to profit. It's time for Rep. Johnson's new employers at Oregon Business & Industry to step up and provide reasonable support for the many state public services they profit from.

Rocky Johnson, Southeast Portland
Three Polk County deputies remain on paid administrative leave Monday amid an investigation into the fatal shooting in Grand Ronde of a 17-year-old boy authorities say was involved in an armed carjacking and police chase before being killed.

Baltazar Escalona-Baez of Silverton died after being shot while deputies tried to arrest him along Oregon 18 near milepost 23 early Saturday, according to Polk County District Attorney Aaron Felton. He said he didn't know if all three of the deputies fired nor how many times Escalona-Baez was hit.

Oregon State Police are investigating the shooting, Felton said. None of the deputies were injured.

Felton declined further comment on details of the shooting because he said he hadn't yet reviewed any police reports. After the police reports are reviewed, a grand jury will review the case and determine if the shooting was justified, the district attorney said.

The three deputies involved have been identified as Sgt. Kevin Haynes, and deputies Kelly Lorence and Mike Stevenson. Haynes has been with the Polk County Sheriff's Office for 18 years, Stevenson for two years and Lorence for a year, Felton said.

According to state police, authorities responded around 4 a.m. to a Safeway parking lot near Silverton Road and Lancaster Drive Northeast in Salem after someone reported a black 2015 Toyota Corolla was stolen and the suspect, later identified as Escalona-Baez, had a weapon. Police haven't disclosed what that weapon was.

Polk County deputies at some point found the Toyota, chased after the driver and shot the teen sometime after the chase ended, state police said. The undisclosed weapon was seized by investigators at the scene.

Police have not said how the chase ended or what led to the teen being shot.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBailey
Tribal members who live along the Columbia River were cautiously optimistic that the federal government was making good on one of its promises, 80 years late. But a new White House decision has again left hundreds of Native Americans in unsafe, unsanitary makeshift housing for the foreseeable future.

The Office of Management and Budget has decided not to grant a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers request for almost $1.6 million to finish planning a village for tribal members near The Dalles. Those people or their ancestors were displaced when the federal government erected a series of Columbia River Dams that flooded their riverside villages.

Members of Warm Springs, Yakama, Umatilla and Nez Perce tribes lived along the river for centuries and lost their homes as well as their center of social and economic life when the Army Corps built three dams: Bonneville, then the Dalles and finally John Day.

Since then, many Native Americans have lived at least six months out of the year on 30 fishing sites not made for full-time human habitation. The Oregonian/OregonLive reported in 2016 that the federal government recognized it has an obligation to provide replacement housing.

The subsequent decision to withhold the money "is an outrageous, unjust decision by the Trump White House," said Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley. "We have a long overdue obligation to Columbia River treaty tribes, and the Trump administration can't just decide that they don't want to meet it. Anyone from the Trump team who thinks it's OK for tribal members to keep living in these conditions should spend a month living with limited access to restrooms and utilities, and then see how they feel."

Merkley said he will request a meeting with Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney as soon as possible to impress on him the importance of fulfilling the historic promise.

The Office of Management and Budget notified Northwest legislators of the decision on a routine planning call. Several legislators said it was a shock to not to have been given any heads up.

The Army Corps had planned to move $1.6 million from a fund that maintains the Lower Columbia basin to pay for The Dalles village planning. Merkley said corps officials said the Lower Columbia had a surplus of funds.

But the federal budget office plans to keep the money in the Lower Columbia project's pot anyway, Merkley said.

Tribes say they lack advocates in the White House, especially with so many positions left unfilled. Native Americans in the Northwest saw Trump's original proposed budget that slashed projects in Indian Country as a signal that his administration might present obstacles.

But Merkley and other senators said they saw broad bipartisan support and momentum to address tribal housing needs until this decision.

Former Assistant Secretary of the Army Jo-Ellen Darcy allocated about $3 million in fiscal year 2017 to start planning a village at The Dalles Dam, but only half the money was immediately available under a continuing resolution that set budget priorities.

With that money, the Army Corps started conversations with tribal members and the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission about what they want from a village, conducted cultural surveys and reports, took soil samples and did other testing.

The bulk of the work remains, though. In a letter from Kevin Brice, the deputy district engineer for project management, he says that Army Corps staff won't be able to draw designs for the village, evaluate various sites for their feasibility and socioeconomic impacts or identify the best one without the rest of the funds.

"Except for limited coordination with the tribes and Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Corps will cease in-house work on the village development plan until additional funds are made available," Brice said in the letter.

He also noted that two contracted agencies were told to stop work until the $1.6 million comes through.

The resolution ran out in April, and the Army Corps requested that money be moved from the lower Columbia section of the budget to finish the village planning work. Mulvaney, Trump's federal budget director, refused that request last week, according to a letter from Washington and Oregon senators. He said that the Army Corps has too many projects going and shouldn't be spending time on housing issues.

The Army Corps built North Bonneville, a town intended mostly for white people whose originally community was also washed out by the expansion of Bonneville Dam. It also provided new housing for people in the path of the John Day Dam.

Ten years ago, Native Americans received the first 15 houses owed them by the federal government at Celilo Village. At least 85 more are owed, according to the Army Corps.

Modern-day Celilo Village has 15 houses with good insulation and garages big enough for fishing gear. But it took 50 years and several iterations.

Lawmakers from Washington and Oregon hope to convince the White House that the federal government has an obligation to build the village.

"This is a shame. It's been nearly 60 years of broken promises, and the tribes are still waiting," said Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Portland. "The administration's reasoning in denying these funds flies in the face of common sense, and ignores obligations that everyone acknowledges are due. The federal government should reverse this decision."

The Army Corps also has direction to build a village at Bonneville Dam, but Congress has not yet allocated money for that project.

"We have seen first-hand the cramped, outdated, makeshift housing with limited access to reliable utilities and restrooms that tribal members are living in today," said a letter sent by Democratic Sens. Patty Murray, Maria Cantwell, Ron Wyden and Merkley plus Blumenauer. "This is a matter of public health and safety, upholding treaty rights, and requires immediate attention."

Murray, from Washington, said she and the rest of the Northwest delegation worked closely with the tribes and Army Corps for the past several years since The Oregonian/OregonLive wrote about the state of housing along the river. In a statement, she said, good progress had been made in the past year.

"It was a complete shock when the Trump Administration pulled the rug out from under this project last week," Murray said. She said she finds the federal budget office's rationale "unacceptable, and I plan to push back as hard as I can to get this project back on track and fulfill our long-standing responsibility to the tribes."

Charles Hudson, legislative director for the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, said he plans to keep pushing the White House to prioritize tribal housing.

"Folks have been waiting," Hudson said. "It's just an outrage and shame to ask them to wait longer, but clearly they persevere and we'll just have to ask the river people to bear down and wait and work with us a little bit longer."

Life in the fishing camps is tough in the summer, but gets harder as the temperatures drop and wind picks up on the banks of the Columbia. Many people live in decrepit trailers or tents and must walk outside to use the restroom in facilities that are meant for fewer people than live on the sites.

"These are not only legal obligations, but moral and ethical obligations to fill," Hudson said. "And we will all be working to impress those points on the Trump administration."

-- Molly Harbarger

mharbarger@oregonian.com

503-294-5923
While patrons enjoy comfort food, delectable desserts, savory jambalaya and the sounds of live jazz during Thursday's Jambalaya and Jazz event, they will be helping fund foster care children through Adoption Option Inc.

Tickets are $50 for adults or $10 for children, and available online at AdoptionOptionInc.org or by visiting the Grand Traverse Pie Co., ITH Staffing or Adoption Option Inc. Tickets are available at the door for $55 for adults and $10 for children.

The fourth annual Jambalaya and Jazz event is from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and includes sampling of food from 17 restaurants. More restaurants may be added to the event being held at The Great Hall, 5121 Bay City Road. State Sen. Jim Stamas R-Midland, and his wife, Marsha, are serving as honorary chairs for the event.

It is truly a feast for your senses, said co-organizer and agency spokeswoman Jacqueline Leapheart. More importantly, don't miss this opportunity to help change the lives of children and families in the Great Lakes Bay Region.

Leapheart said the event helps fund Adoption Option Inc., a nonprofit organization. The organization receives funding from grants and the fundraising helps fill the gap between what the agency receives and what is needed to support the childrens needs.

Adoption Option Inc. originally provided adoption services, helps children in the foster care system and shares information about both services. Since the inception, the agency has provided home studies for many types of Michigan families adopting children both in and outside the state. Services include adoption, foster care, foster care licensing, parental education, family reunification and a summer program for foster care boys.

Adoption Option, Inc., helps improve the lives of children and families of the (Great Lakes) Bay Region and beyond, Leapheart said.

Adoption Option Inc. lends a beneficial hand to the communities they serve.

Adoption is really important and family preservation is really important, too, Leapheart said.

She said the agencys priority is to rebuild the biological home. If that doesnt work, they help provide foster parents while the biological parents get education and the family can reunite.

Leapheart said more often than not, children are in foster care because of the parents and not the childs behavior. She said sometimes neglect and abuse play a role in children becoming wards of the state. Leapheart said neglect is not always intentional, but sometimes a lack of knowledge of what to do.

Restaurants attending the event will include Annabelle's Own, Buffalo Wild Wings, Big E's, Cafe Zinc, Cheeky Cheesecakes, Espresso Milano, Grand Traverse Pie Co., Green Gourmet Cafe, Midland Burger Co., Real Seafood Co., Shirlene's, Surprise Restaurant, The Creek Grill, The Great Hall Banquet and Convention Center, The Gourmet Cupcake Shoppe, Timbers Bar and Grill, and Vanilla Bean Bake Shop.

To learn more about the event and Adoption Option Inc., visit http://adoptionoptioninc.org/
A fire on the eighth floor of the Green Hill apartment building in Midland at the end of July is having a lasting impact on the residents who lived there.

Altman Management, which manages the building, has told residents that the structure on Eastlawn Drive across the street from Midland High School, will be renovated. But that project wont be completed for about a year, sometime in the fall of 2018. In the meantime, about 170 residents have moved to new homes, some temporarily and some permanently.

Connie DeLong, 52, now lives in the Stratford Place Apartments. She moved there in late September after spending three nights in the American Red Cross shelter at Midland High School and then several weeks at the Best Western Motel in Midland

DeLong lived at Green Hill for about five years. Her apartment was on the eighth floor, but down the hall and around the corner from where the fire took place. She was at a friends apartment on the seventh floor when the fire broke out.

She said shes pleased with her one bedroom apartment at Stratford and is grateful to Altman Management and the ARC of Midland for their help after the fire.

Altman is doing a very good job. They are trying to meet everyones needs.

DeLongs mattress was lost in the moving process but the ARC was able to get her a new mattress, thanks to a financial contribution from the Dow Chemical Co. She said shes grateful for all of the support provided by the community following the fire. DeLong plans to return to Green Hill after the building is restored.

That might not be the case for a retired couple who lived at Green Hill for 14 years. Linda Barths aunt and uncle, who did not want to be identified, stayed with a daughter in Midland right after the fire, and then moved into Cleveland Manor in late August.

Their apartment was on the third floor at Green Hill. Barth, a Midland native, said her relatives, who are in their mid-80s, like some of the features of Cleveland Manor and probably will just stay there.

At last report, the couple hadnt received all of their belongings. Altman Management hired a moving company to move residents items into storage at a local warehouse and later take those items to their new residences. Barths aunt and uncle were still waiting for some of their canned food and clothing but had received furniture and boxes of knickknacks.

It would be a bit challenging (for Altman) to keep track of all that, Barth told the Daily News.

Becky Niette, 58, lived at Green Hill for a year and a half. Shes on oxygen and uses forearm crutches. Niette was also frustrated with Green Hill claiming they lost some of her belongings in storage.

Niette lived on the fourth floor below where the fire took place. Her apartment suffered water and smoke damage.

I got so much damage, its unbelievable, she said.

Niette had renters insurance, but it did not cover all of her losses. She lived at the Midland Holiday Inn for 50 days and then moved to Country Meadows, an apartment complex, in Bay City.

Niette stills pay rent to Green Hill, which she said then compensates Country Meadows. Niette said she wants to stay at Country Meadows because she does not like the management or the environment at Green Hill.

Jan Lampman, executive director of the ARC of Midland, acknowledged Altmans effort to store and move belongings has been messy.

The ARC serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is the guardian of 14 of the people who lived at Green Hill.

Lampman was complimentary of Andrea Stanton from Altman Management regarding efforts to help keep their clients in the Midland area so they can continue to receive services at Community Mental Health.

Andrea was excellent to work with around that," she said.

The ARC has been coordinating efforts with several other agencies to help 70 other residents who were placed in hotels after the fire. Those agencies include the Red Cross, Midland Area Homes, Senior Services, Salvation Army, and the Department of Health and Human Services. The group of agencies worked together closely following the June flood in Midland. They continue to work together to help the fire victims.

Lampman attended a meeting held by Altman with residents in mid-September. At that meeting, residents learned of Altmans plans to renovate Green Hill within a year. Also, there was Steve Wixson, the director of the Office of Public Guardian for Midland County. That office oversees the affairs of six individuals who lived at Green Hill. Wixson said some of those individuals have moved into Northwind Forest and Cleveland Manor.

Of Altman, Wixson said, From a communications standpoint, at the beginning it was not that great, but I realize, they had a lot of displaced people to deal with.

Now, Wixson said, Theyve (Altman) even upgraded clients."

Calls to Altman Managements offices in Okemos and Boca Raton, Florida, for a comment on Green Hills status were not returned. A person answering the phone at Green Hills local office said they would not comment to the media.

Altman Management operates 14 facilities in Michigan including Charter Square and Forest Glen in Midland and three complexes in Saginaw. They manage more than 25,500 multi-family units in six states according to information published on Altmans website.

Lampman told the Daily News that the persons the ARC represents or has helped this fall have been moved into several different apartment complexes including Washington Woods, Forest Glen, Charter Square, Mulberry Place, and Cleveland Manor. At last count, four persons were still living in motels.

"This event highlights the shortage of accessible and affordable housing in our community," Lampman said.

Green Hill first opened in 1980. It provides subsidized housing to senior citizens and persons with disabilities who meet income eligibility requirements. Their rents are subsidized by HUD, the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. Instead of property tax, Green Hill pays a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) to the City of Midland. In 2016, Green Hill paid $53,448 to the city, which was shared with the other taxing jurisdictions, for example, the Midland Public Schools.

City of Midland Fire Chief Chris Coughlin said the cause of the fire at Green Hill hasnt been determined because, The damage was so extensive, (we) couldnt pinpoint anything. At the time of the fire, the tenant who lived in the apartment on the eighth floor where the fire started claimed he left an unattended candle burning.

Besides that apartment being destroyed by the fire, Coughlin reported there was heavy smoke damage in nearby apartments. There was also water damage in those apartments and in the apartments below the fire down to the ground floor.

The system did work as designed, Coughlin said.

The sprinklers installed in the hallway outside the fire went off as planned.

The apartments were built with fire-rated walls and doors and separation between the apartments. A fire alarm-voice activated system told residents to stay in their apartments. Its a shelter in place system that allows firefighters to first suppress the fire and then rescue the residents. The Fire Department is planning to seek an update to the Fire Code, which would require sprinklers in each apartment, not just in the hallways. If approved, Green Hill and other building owners would have up to 12 years to retrofit their buildings to meet the new requirements.

Green Hill is one of the taller structures in Midland.

Thats why you put fire protection features in buildings, Coughlin said.

An insurance adjuster told Coughlin after walking through the building shortly after the fire that damage was estimated at nearly $2 million. The City of Midlands Building Department does not expect to receive an application for a permit to start the renovation process at Green Hill until next year.

On Wednesday afternoon this week, there wasnt any visible activity at Green Hill. The building is surrounded by a temporary chain link fence and was being monitored by a security guard. Attached to the fence are signs with the logo of the Zolman Restoration Co.

Its a trauma that these people have experienced," Lampman said of the displaced residents. "Its definitely not been easy.
Three Midland high school students who spent the summer in Japan are speaking at an event on Nov. 12 to share their experiences.

The free, public event at 3:30 p.m. in the Griswold Communications Center on the campus of Northwood University will inform attendees about the student exchange program between the Midland and Handa, Japan. Since 1981, the two cities have had a sister city agreement, and hosted students in a rotating exchange program every summer.

Its a life changing opportunity, because theyre doing something that is different and deeper than visiting another country, said Sister City Committee chair Tina S. Van Dam. Theyre living in homes with families and (are) part of family life.

The three students  Sarah Brandstadt, Justin Witt and John White  lived with Japanese host families and will share their travel experiences not available to most tourists.

Attendees will also learn how to become host families for Japanese students in the summer of 2018, as well as how to apply as student participants traveling to Japan in 2019. Three host families from either Handa or Midland host students every summer.

More than 100 students have crossed the Pacific Ocean to take part in the exchange program, Van Dam said.

"It's very exciting to look back and see how these visits have opened eyes and changed lives in a fundamental way," she said.

Midland Mayor Maureen Donker will moderate the event.
United Way of Midland County announced it reached the $4 million milestone, reporting pledges of $4,355,029 for 91 percent of the overall campaign goal. With the campaign coming to a close, United Way is seeking the communitys help to reach the campaign goal of $4,800,000.

We have experienced steady progress toward reaching our goal, shared Ann Fillmore, executive director of United Way of Midland County. But we still have more than a $400,000 gap to overcome. We recognize that many organizations are wrapping up their campaigns and we continue to receive pledges each day. Falling short of our $4,800,000 goal would greatly impact those we serve in our community.

Many individuals and organizations are doing their part to ensure programs and services continue to be there for people in need throughout Midland County.

The Dow Chemical Company exceeded their employee goal of $1.7 million. In addition to surpassing their employee goal, they also saw a 2 percent increase in the number of employees giving and many departments reported 100 percent participation. Dow ambassadors led the way by coordinating a record number of presentations along with 12 Impact Bus Tours, giving their colleagues a firsthand look at the impact of their donations. Many employees increased their gift this year, and they were entered into a United Way vacation package raffle that was sponsored by Dow with generous support from Circle Travel.

With days to go in their campaign, MidMichigan Health has already surpassed their employee goal of $275,000. Theyve found great success with activities such as jeans days, United Way t-shirt sales and their annual basket auction. To top it off, all of the MidMichigan Health subsidiary Presidents, along with Diane Postler-Slattery, agreed to an American Ninja Warrior competition. This incentive was a great motivator to get MidMichigan employees involved in their campaign.

Many other generous organizations throughout the community continue to report strong campaign results. Trinseo, the 2017 Caring Company of the Year, has already exceeded their $46,000 goal by more than 6 percent. Midland Cogeneration has raised $20,000 through employee and corporate donations. SYM Financial Advisors are reporting a 16 percent increase in employee pledges this year. City of Midlands Public Services division met their goal to increase giving by 5 percent.

United Way helps so many people in ways that we can never fully appreciate, stated Diane Postler-Slattery, 2017 Campaign Chair. Were counting on everyones support to push us over the finish line so we can continue to meet the needs of our community.

Theres still time to support United Ways 2017 campaign. Financial gifts can be dropped off or mailed to: United Way of Midland County, 220 W. Main Street, Suite 100, Midland, MI 48640. To make a donation by credit card or direct bill, call United Way at 989-631-3670. You can also donate online at unitedwaymidland.org
A 70-year-old Merrill man has been sentenced for his role in an accident that seriously injured a man last fall.

James Paul Sikon was sentenced for failing to stop or identify after a personal injury accident.

Midland County District Court Judge Michael D. Carpenter sentenced Sikon to one day in jail with credit for time served, $975 fines and costs, and to pay $619 restitution to the victim.

The accident occurred on Oct. 29, 2016, in Lee Township when Sikon was driving a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado south on South Eight Mile Road. He told deputies he thought he struck a mailbox near West Isabella Road, the Midland County Sheriffs Office report states.

In fact, Sikon had hit 54-year-old Adam Edwin Cross of Midland, who was riding a moped in the same direction. Cross suffered severe injuries to his legs and internal bleeding, and was taken to the MidMichigan Medical Center-Midland for treatment.

Sikon continued driving until the front passenger tire went flat, near West Prairie Road, the report states.
To the editor:

On Oct. 14, the first-ever Chili Cook-off/Auction benefiting Gladwin's New Dawn Shelter was held in Sugar Springs. New Dawn Shelter is an emergency homeless shelter providing temporary housing as well as assistance in using community resources helping them regain their independence. It is a hand up  not a hand out. We are not government subsidized, so we rely on the generosity of the community. As I volunteer there, I am able to see first hand the good that this organization does for the homeless.

We have so many people to thank. First, we thank Lanny and Kris Dexter. Their guidance and expertise throughout the planning helped make this event the success that it was. Also, Lanny was terrific on the microphone taking care of the live, silent, and Chinese auctions. Kris generously offered to make and serve a chili along with our other cooks  Gary Miller, Ron Downs, Nancy Benoit, Jo Hagey, Elza Hayes, Patti Antonacopoulos, Ernie Mitchell, Alma Horton, Jim Gerulski and Becky Rezmer.

We are so appreciative of the generosity of our sponsors: Chemical Bank-Midland, Thrivent Financial, Sugar Shack, Lambert's Meats, Sisson Funeral Home, Life Smiles Dentistry, Karyn Tomczyk Law, Gladwin Dental Care and Bonham's Cooling and Heating. In addition, many Sugar Springs residents as well as many Gladwin businesses donated items to be auctioned.

We are humbled and thankful for all of these and also our volunteers who helped us raise over $7,000 for New Dawn.

Thank you all so much.

JANE GIFFIN

and PEGGIE MILLER

Sugar Springs
To the editor:

We are a military family. My dad served in World War II and Korea, myself in Vietnam, my son Andy did his time in Fallujah, Iraq, and my son Joe did his time in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

We have earned the right to say, I am darn proud of our students for standing or kneeling if they had chosen, to bring attention to the fact that all people should be treated equal in every way. That is what our flag is suppose to stand for and that is what our Constitution says. Our students explained very clearly that there intent was not in any way to disrespect our flag or our military.

I do not understand how someone else can say "Oh yes you are." If I tell you my favorite color is blue you can't tell me "Oh, no it's not. You like red better," and have it be true.

Disrespecting our flag and military is saying "I do not like people who get captured" and spend years in terrible conditions in captivity and tortured. Disrespecting our flag and military is attacking a Gold Star family because they tell the country they are not going to vote for you. Disrespecting the flag is not treating all citizens with the same decency. Thank you students for standing up for what is right. Stay the people you are as you go out into the world and you will be the ones that add to our country and not take away from it.

MICHAEL FERNETTE

Midland
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NEW YORK (AP)  A man in a rented pickup truck drove onto a busy bicycle path near the World Trade Center memorial and mowed down people Tuesday, killing at least eight and injuring several others in what the mayor called "a particularly cowardly act of terror."

The 29-year-old driver was shot by police after jumping out of the truck with what turned out to be a fake gun in each hand, officials said. He was taken into custody. His condition was not immediately disclosed.

Witnesses described a scene of panic and blood, with people screaming in fear and the path strewn with mangled bicycles and bodies that was soon covered with sheets. In addition to those killed, 11 people were seriously injured, police said.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called it a "lone wolf" attack and said there was no evidence to suggest it was part of a wider plot.

Cities around the globe have been on alert against attacks by extremists in vehicles. The Islamic State has been encouraging its followers to mow down people, and England, France and Germany have all seen deadly vehicle attacks in recent months and years.

Police said the vehicle, a rented Home Depot truck, entered the bike path on West Street a few blocks from the new World Trade Center  the site of the deadliest terror attack in U.S. history  and mowed down several people. The truck also slammed into a small yellow school bus, injuring two adults and two children.

A paintball gun and a pellet gun were found at the scene, police said.

"This was an act of terror, and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians," Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

At least two bodies could be seen lying on the path beneath tarps, and the front end of the pickup was smashed in.

Tom Gay, a school photographer, was on Warren Street and heard people saying there was an accident. He went down to West Street and a woman came around the corner shouting, "He has a gun! He has a gun!"

Gay said he stuck his head around the corner and saw a slender man in a blue track suit running southbound on West Street holding a gun. He said there was a heavyset man pursuing him.

He said he heard five or six shots and the man in the tracksuit fell to the ground, gun still raised in the air. He said a man came over and kicked the gun out of his hand.

The attack closed roads across the western edge of Manhattan along the Hudson River and sent uniformed officers rushing to the neighborhood as people prepared for Halloween festivities, including an annual parade through Greenwich Village.

Eugene Duffy, 43, a chef at a waterfront restaurant, said he was crossing West Street when he heard something, turned back and saw the white pickup on the bike path.

After seeing the mangled bikes, he ran south, seeing the school bus that appeared to have been T-boned, and officers at the scene, guns drawn, ducked behind patrol cars.

"So many police came and they didn't know what was happening," Duffy said. "People were screaming. Females were screaming at the top of their lungs."

Uber driver Chen Yi said he saw a truck plow into people on a popular bike path adjacent to the West Side Highway. He said he then heard seven to eight shots and then police pointing a gun at a man kneeling on the pavement.

"I saw a lot of blood over there. A lot of people on the ground," Yi said.

Video footage of the school bus showed its right side bashed in, and firefighters surrounding it as they worked to free children inside.

The White House said President Donald Trump was briefed on the attack.

This story will be updated.
Rose McGowan has been making headlines for leading the charge against Harvey Weinstein, calling him and others in Hollywood out for sexual assault and complicity in the harassment of young women (and men). Back in January, however, she was in the news when her "personal belongings" left on a United flight at Washington Dulles International Airport tested positives for narcotics, according to law enforcement.

According to the AP, an arrest warrant was issued for the actress and activist as the result of the police investigation. The Metropolitan Washington Airport Authorities PD apparently obtained the warrant on February 1, and having "attempted to contact" McGowan to get her to return to Loudoun County, Virginia for a court date, law enforcement have now submitted the warrant to a national database.

McGowan posted about the warrant on Twitter, saying the timing of the warrant is suspect. "Are they trying to silence me?" she tweeted. "There is a warrant out for my arrest in Virginia. What a load of HORSESHIT."

Are they trying to silence me? There is a warrant out for my arrest in Virginia. What a load of HORSESHIT.

 rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) October 30, 2017

[h/t The Cut]




Apple's war with Qualcomm continues and deepens as Apple is preparing next-gen iPhones and iPads that will no longer support Qualcomm modems. The decision was prompted by Qualcomm not providing Apple with key software they require to test chips for new products. In a statement on the matter, Qualcomm has outright denied that they are doing any such thing. The report noted that Samsung had quietly dropped Qualcomm for some phones without telling Qualcomm.

Other reports on the matter say that Apple is likely to extend their relationship with Intel which we first reported on last year and could tap into expertise by MediaTek. On July 21 Patently Apple posted a report titled "Intel Files Statement with ITC claiming Qualcomm is trying to Force them out of the Modem Business with Apple.

Last Friday Patently Apple posted a report titled "Qualcomm's CEO Threatens Taiwan Businesses to Force Government to Overturn Monopoly Ruling against them or else," illustrating how they blatantly abuse their monopolistic position to force companies or countries to bend to their wishes.

Apple  Qualcomm Battle History

The battle between Apple and Qualcomm has been raging on since the year began as our list of reports proves out.

Jan 17, 2017: The U.S. Fair Trade Commission Sues Qualcomm for Forcing Apple to use its Chips in iDevices

Jan 20, 2017 - Apple Sues Qualcomm for $1 Billion Claiming Unfair Exclusionary Tactics and Charging Excessive Royalties

Jan 22, 2017: Apple's Full lawsuit against Qualcomm Comes to Light Revealing Secret Licensing Agreements and more

Jan 25, 2017: Apple takes their War against Qualcomm to Beijing China

Jan 25, 2017: While Qualcomm is Guilty of Gouging Asian Smartphone OEMs, the Chip Maker Believes that Apple is the Problem

March 02, 2017: Apple has launched a new Lawsuit against Qualcomm in the U.K.

April 11, 2017: Qualcomm Fires Back at Apple with Counterclaims Lawsuit Claiming Breach of Contract and more

April 28, 2017: Qualcomm Lowers Q3 Fiscal 2017 Guidance due to Apple Holding back Royalty Payments

May 03, 2017: Qualcomm Plans Retaliation against Apple and ask the International Trade Commission to Stop iPhone Sales

May 12, 2017 - The FTC Responds to Qualcomm's Motion to dismiss their case about Monopoly Power, Samsung & Intel File Amicus Briefs

May 17, 2017: New Court Filing Details Qualcomm Suing Apple's iPhone Suppliers for withholding Royalty Payments

July 06, 2017: Qualcomm Files another Patent Infringement Complaint against Apple with International Trade Commission

June 20, 2017: Apple has asked the Court to Stop Qualcomm's Double Dipping 'No License, No Chips' Market Tactic

July 19, 2017: Apple joins in new Lawsuit against Qualcomm filed by Suppliers Hon Hai, Pegatron, Wistron and Compal

July 21, 2017: Intel Files Statement with ITC claiming Qualcomm is trying to Force them out of the Modem Business with Apple

Aug 09, 2017: U.S. International Trade Commission to Investigate Apple's Alleged Unfair Trade Practice within 45 Days

Aug 14, 2017: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has Requested Qualcomm provide more info on Dispute with Apple

Sept 08, 2017: U.S. Federal Judge Rules that Apple's Multiple Foreign Lawsuits against Qualcomm can Proceed

Oct 11, 2017: Taiwan's FTC Hits Qualcomm with a Record $773 Million Fine for Abusing their Monopoly Power

Oct 13, 2017: Qualcomm, as Expected, Seeks to Stop iPhone Sales in China with new Patent Infringement Case Filed

Side Report Oct 18, 2017: Qualcomm's CEO closes his eyes to being Ruled an Abusive Monopoly Power and Downplays their Battle with Apple





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This morning Apple was granted yet another MacBook patent that integrates cellular connectivity beyond mere data by adding telephony. I noted that today Microsoft is going to announce Windows + Qualcomm devices running on ARM processors that will be supported by the likes of HP, Huawei and others at the Microsoft Future Decoded event in London. As of 7:45 a.m. PT there has been no announcement made. Yet Panos Panay, Microsoft's SVP of Surface Hardware and Devices, did make one announcement right out of the bat this morning. Microsoft's Surface Pro will offer enterprise customers a version with built-in LTE connectivity for always on connectivity like a smartphone for busy enterprise users on the go.

Panay announced that "Microsoft shares a vision for empowering employees with modern devices; announces Surface Pro with LTE Advanced will begin shipping to business customers in December."

Like all of Panay's hardware presentations he's compelled to stick a knife into Apple's back whenever he could and today is not difference. According to Panay:

"Over the next 12 months 15% of organizations plan to increase their investment in Microsoft Surface PCs  and only 8% in Apple laptops and PCs." No reference as to where he got that number.

Beyond his standard dig at Apple, Panay went on to state that "Surface Pro with LTE Advanced is the latest addition to the Surface family and will begin shipping to business customers in December 2017. With a Cat 9 modem, Surface Pro with LTE Advanced is the fastest LTE-enabled laptop in its class1. It delivers global connectivity with support of 20 cellular bands2 so you can work, study, create or relax uninterrupted.

Surface Pro with LTE Advanced rounds out our family of ultimate laptops, giving businesses options to meet the needs of everyone in their workforce. Whether it's the pure power of the Surface Book 2 or the beauty and emotional appeal of Surface Laptop, the entire Surface family is built to bring the best of Windows to life, including the new mixed reality, 3D, and inking experiences in the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update."

If Microsoft does announce the Windows + Qualcomm platform later today I'll quickly fire off a follow-up report.





Patently Apple Xtra News covers interesting news and patents about present or future competitor products, concepts or services that may or may not compete with Apple. Patently Xtra is also used to cover editorial and/or opinion articles. 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.
While Samsung reported record profits today in Korea, one has to remember the context that exiting Yoon Boo-keun, president and CEO of the consumer electronics division of Samsung Electronics put the positive profits in back on October 13: "the company is facing a grave situation despite making record earnings. Record earnings are based on investment made in the past. But we are still struggling to find the next growth engine for the future."

Today's announcement on profits also came with the news of three new CEOs that will push Samsung forward. Kim Ki-nam, president of the device solution division, in charge of chip and display businesses, as CEO of the same unit. Kim Hyun-suk, president of visual display team, was named chief of the consumer electronics division, while Koh Dong-jin, president of the mobile division, will become chief executive of the handset unit. The new appointments are effective immediately.

In a second report today we learn that Samsung stated that "For 2018, the company expects earnings to grow primarily from the component businesses, as conditions in the memory market are likely to remain favorable and the company expects increased sales of flexible OLED panels," the South Korean tech giant said in a statement.

Obviously the second year of the Apple contract continues as Apple intends to extend the use of OLED displays to other iPhone models.

The report also noted that "Samsung is on track for record full-year profit, with analysts forecasting even better fourth-quarter on strong memory chip prices and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen sales for Apple Inc's iPhone X." With iPhone X pre-orders being off the charts, Samsung gets to profit from every iPhone X sold.

In a third report today we learn that "Samsung Electronics is set to almost double its capital investments, mainly in the semiconductor business, to meet rising demand for memory chips and exploit the "super cycle" in the sector."





And lastly, Samsung is preparing to copy Apple Store's Genius Bar concept that Apple's late CEO introduced himself in 2001. The Genius Bar is explained by Jobs starting around the 3:00 minute mark of the video below.

The VP of design at Samsung Electronics America told Fast Company of his intention to better Apple's Genius Bar. Of course to make his point he had to say that his experience with the Genius Bar was negative and that's what drove him to better Apple's idea. The thing is, this so-called Samsung design genius, simply uses another service instead of bringing it into Samsung Stores. So what's so smart about that? Secondly, if he was at the Genius Bar, he or his wife own an Apple product. Could that be any funnier?



The report further noted that "This month, Samsung is partnering with the coworking startup WeWork to try a quietly radical new approach to customer service. Samsung is opening three pilot service centers, which it dubs 'care centers,' in WeWork locations in Detroit, Miami, and Williamsburg, New York. The idea is this: Any Samsung customer can go to get help with any of their products at a care center. But while they wait, they're not just pacing around a store. They can actually take full advantage of the WeWork space, getting work done while drinking fresh coffee or fruit-infused water.

'Service is a hassle. I know I'm going to have to take time out of my day to do it,' says McConnell. 'The concept was, if I take time out of my day, at least I can sit in a conference room, make phone calls, and do work, as opposed to sitting in a busy room with a bunch of angry people.' You could learn more about this development here.





Patently Apple Xtra News covers interesting news and patents about present or future competitor products, concepts or services that may or may not compete with Apple. Patently Xtra is also used to cover editorial and/or opinion articles. 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.




Iran's President Rouhani, during visit to New York, rejected meeting requested by Trump: Report

10/29/17

Source: Press TV

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani rejected a meeting requested by US President Donald Trump while in New York for the 72nd UN General Assembly. Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi made the announcement on Sunday during a press conference after he was asked if Trump had wanted to meet the Iranian president while in New York. "Such a meeting was suggested by the American side, but was not accepted by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani," Qassemi said.



source: Iranian satirical magazine Khatkhati



The highest level of contact between the two countries in decades was in 2013 when Rouhani had a phone conversation with former US President Barack Obama.



While delivering his UN General Assembly speech in September, Rouhani slammed Trump's anti-Iran speech in which he accused Tehran of engaging in "destabilizing activities" in the region.



Trump also claimed that Iran's "support for terror is in stark contrast to the recent commitments of many of its neighbors to fight terrorism and halt its financing."



He also denounced the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries, including the US, as "an embarrassment" that Washington may abandon. Trump said the Iran deal was "one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into."



In response, Rouhani said that the Iranian nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was an international agreement backed by UN Security Council Resolution 2231.



"The JCPOA does not belong to one or two countries. The JCPOA is a UNSC document, which belongs to the entire international community," Rouhani said. Rouhani also responded to the US threat to scrap the deal, saying Iran would respond to any breach of the JCPOA.
Iran's Reformist Newspapers Criticize Guardian Council's Decision to Ban Religious Minorities From Elections

10/31/17

Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran

Several reformist newspapers in Iran have criticized a senior Muslim Shia theologian for supporting the suspension of a city council member on the grounds that he is Zoroastrian-a religious minority in the Islamic Republic.



Source: Bahar daily





On October 3, 2017, Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, a member of the Guardian Council, which vets laws for conformity with Islamic principles, reiterated the council's view that non-Muslims should be blocked from running as candidates in elections in Muslim-majority constituencies.

"Those who have made a political issue out of this are spreading propaganda that the ban on the Zoroastrian member of the city council in Yazd is somehow illegal," Yazdi told the hardline conservative news agency, Tasnim. "No, I state clearly that nobody can reverse this decision,"

"No one can comment on this decision except the Guardian Council's theologians," he added. "If they make a ruling that something is against Islamic law, it cannot be implemented unless it is revised."

Yazdi meant that if the Guardian Council determines a law is un-Islamic, the law itself cannot be implemented until it is changed to conform with Islamic principles.

Yazdi continued: "Frankly, those who are seeking to reverse the council's ruling are in fact standing against the very foundations of the Islamic Republic of Iran and, to be sure, the state will stand against them."





Sepanta Niknam is waiting for lawful resolution of his case

(source: Aftab Yazd daily)



In September 2017, the Administrative Court in Yazd ordered the "temporary suspension" of councilman Sepanta Niknam, a member of the minority Zoroastrian religious faith, in response to a complaint filed by Ali Asghar Bagheri, a Muslim candidate, who did not win a seat in Iran's May 2017 local council elections.

The ruling was based on a letter issued by Ahmad Jannati, the ultra-conservative chairman of the Guardian Council, a month before the elections, forbidding religious minorities from standing as candidates for seats in Muslim-majority constituencies.

"Whether the Guardian Council's decision is right or wrong requires a separate discussion, but Ayatollah Yazdi's statement accusing opponents of the decision of standing against the foundations of the state does not conform with any religious principles or existing laws," wrote Jafar Mohammadi, editor of the reformist Asre Iran newspaper, in an October 25th editorial.

"The foundations of the state do not rest on whether Zoroastrians can or cannot be elected to local councils, and therefore, taking sides is not a measure of loyalty to the state," added Mohammadi. "If that were the case, then you would have to include Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani among the opponents of the state as well!"

Describing the councilman's suspension as illegal, Larijani pledged on October 18 to refer the dispute to the country's highest arbitration body, the Expediency Council.



Read related articles by Ghanoon and Shahrvand dailies



The editorial continued: "If the supreme leader has said even he can be criticized, how then can a member of the Guardian Council accuse its critics of undermining the foundations of the state?"

Article 112 of Iran's Constitution gives the Expediency Discernment Council authority to issue final rulings when the Guardian Council and Parliament cannot agree on a piece of legislation.

Article 26 of the Law on the Formation, Duties, and Election of National Islamic Councils permits followers of all the religions recognized in Articles 12 and 13 of the Constitution-Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and Zoroastrianism-to run as candidates in elections.

The leader of Yazd's Zoroastrian Association, Niknam, 32, mentioned his faith during both his successful 2013 and 2017 election campaigns.

Yazd is home to some of the world's most revered Zoroastrian religious sites. Followers of the ancient pre-Islamic faith have lived in the region for thousands of years, but their population in Iran had dwindled to about 25,000, according to Iran's 2011 national census.

The day after Yazdi's comments, the reformist daily Bahar published Niknam's photo on its front page with the headline, "No Minorities Allowed."

"The attack by the theologian member of the Guardian Council against opponents of Niknam's suspension has taken place while the heads of the legislative and executive branches of the state are among the critics," said an unsigned report in Bahar on October 25. "It seems the issue has reached a dead end."

In addition to Parliament Speaker Larijani, the top legal adviser to the government of President Hassan Rouhani spoke of the rights of religious minorities in discussing the dispute.

"I have been given the task to prepare a comprehensive report about this case so that the government can take a stand against this decision," said the vice president for citizens' rights and affairs, Shahindokht Mowlaverdi, on October 25. "We hope we can resolve this in talks with the Guardian Council."
Analysts: Turkey May Pay Heavy Price for Iraqi Kurdish Leader's Resignation

10/31/17

By Dorian Jones, VOA

ISTANBUL - Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani's announcement he plans to step down was greeted with jubilation in Turkey's pro-government media. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Barzani, his once close ally, of betrayal for his decision to hold an October independence referendum.



Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani





"Ankara, whether or not it indicated clearly, would be clearly happy with the removal of Mr. Barzani as president and replaced with someone else, so that would be seen by a welcome development," said former senior Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen, who established Turkey's consulate in the Iraqi Kurdish regional capital, Irbil.

Ankara has been in the forefront of using its diplomatic and economic muscle to force the Iraqi Kurds to recant after voting overwhelming in favor of independence, which Turkey fears could incite its own large restive Kurdish minority.

But Ankara could yet pay a heavy price for Barzani's ousting. "We have lost our most important ally in the region," warned political analyst Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners, a New York analysis firm. Since the late 2000s, Erdogan developed a close political relationship with Barzani, facilitated by burgeoning trade and shared distrust of Baghdad's leadership.

Erdogan repeatedly accused Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and his predecessor Nouri al-Maliki of pursuing policies against Iraq's Sunni minority, a stance consistent with the Turkish president's tendency to present himself as a defender of Sunnis' rights across the region. In one of many tit-for-tat insult exchanges between the leaders, Erdogan last year scolded al-Abadi, saying, "You are not my equal."

Dramatic change

But in a dramatic diplomatic reversal, Erdogan embraced Abadi in common cause over the threat of Iraqi Kurdish independence. Last week, the Turkish president hosted the Iraqi prime minister in Ankara to coordinate the latest efforts against the Iraqi Kurds. Despite the warm words exchanged by both leaders, analysts warn the newfound love affair, may be short lived. "Ankara doesn't seem to display a strategic rational in these issues," warns analyst Yesilada. "The current policy of antagonizing Iraqi Kurds ignores the bigger threat of Iran completely dominating Iraqi politics," he said.

Turkey and Iran are jockeying for influence in Iraq and Syria.

In June, Erdogan accused Tehran of embarking on "Persian expansionism." Ankara cultivated close ties with Barzani and his Kurdish Regional Government, KRG, enabled Turkey to project its influence in Baghdad and counter Tehran's growing power. Now, Erdogan has dropped rhetoric against Tehran and is working together with Baghdad to quell Iraqi Kurdish independence.







Kurdish inhabited areas

(source: CIA, 1992)



Diplomatic influence lost

But Erdogan's turn against Barzani means the loss of an important diplomatic card, say observers.

"Ankara will have less say over Baghdad with a diminished influence over KRG because Ankara worked through KRG Kurdistan in Baghdad. This is a fact," said Selcen. "In the mid and long term Ankara's and Tehran interests will not overlap," he said.

The cost to Ankara of undermining Barzani and his KDP Party is not only confined to diplomatic influence. The main beneficiary could be the Kurdish rebel group the PKK that is fighting for greater autonomy for Kurds in Turkey.

The PKK has many of its bases in the Iraqi Kurdish region. "The political arena is the more forthcoming for the PKK presence because the KDP was the strongest ally in Ankara's fight against the PKK. I don't know how that will continue from now on," notes Selcen. "But the fight against the PKK has become an agenda for Baghdad and Ankara," he said.

"Assuming in Iraqi Kurdistan, the PKK gains strength at the disadvantage of Barzani, I don't see what Ankara can do but intervene one way or another," warns Yesilada. On Oct.13 and for the first time in nine years, Turkish forces carried out a cross border military operation into Iraqi Kurdistan against the PKK. But analysts question whether Baghdad or Tehran would be agree to any major Turkish operation into Iraq against the PKK.

Base a point of contention

The presence of a Turkish military base in the Iraqi town of Bashiqa remains a major point of contention with Baghdad, which has repeatedly called for its removal.

With the Iraqi Kurdistan region facing an economic crisis and political turmoil under ongoing pressure from Baghdad, Tehran and Ankara, the region could yet face more instability.

"It's true the KRG runs the risk of an imminent implosion and the first test (is) upcoming elections in Iraq, which should be held March 2018," notes former diplomat Selcen. Analysts say the PKK would likely benefit from any chaos. "Realistically speaking, in the near term, we might witness a readjustment by Ankara toward the Kurds, in particular. And as far I can see, the rhetoric of Ankara, through various actors, the prime minister and foreign minister, is a bit toned down since the referendum," said Selcen.
Russia looking into piping gas from Iran to Pakistan, India

10/31/17

Source: Press TV

Russia says it is studying a plan to export natural gas to Pakistan and India through Iran in ambitious project that would involve laying an offshore pipeline.

Pakistan's Express Tribune newspaper in a report said Russia was proceeding with the project out of concerns that it could lose Europe's gas market as a result of disputes with the United States and the European Union.



It quoted an unnamed senior Russian official as saying that the pipeline would be projected to pass through Pakistan's Gwadar Port. However, the technicalities of the project were not specified.



"Russia holds huge gas deposits in Iran and has offered Pakistan and India gas exports by laying an offshore pipeline that will pass through Gwadar Port," the official was quoted as saying.



"Russia is even ready to finance feasibility study on viability of the offshore pipeline," the official said, adding the plan was being discussed with Russian authorities.



The official revealed that India was also interested in purchasing gas from Russia through the offshore pipeline from Iran via Gwadar, believing it was a safe way for energy import, the Express Tribune added.



India has already signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Russia for gas import. Separately, Pakistan and Russia have recently inked an MoU for gas supply under an inter-governmental agreement, the daily added.



Iran had been negotiating with Pakistan for over a decade to export natural gas to Pakistan and thereon India through an onshore pipeline. India eventually withdrew from the project in a move seen as a result of US pressures. Also, talks with Pakistan failed to bear fruits over disputes on pricing and other related technicalities.
Cocoa and coffee farmers have indicated that they are happy with the current cocoa price set by government.



According to the farmers, they were happy that the government maintained the cocoa price, particularly at a time when the world price had fallen.



President of the Cocoa and Coffee Farmers Association of Ghana, Alhaji Alhassan Bukari, who spoke to Accra-based Kasapa FM, explained that cocoa farmers were hopeful that the government will increase cocoa price when the world market price of the commodity increases.



He said, We are not politicians but we disagree with the Minoritys call for an increase in cocoa price now, judging by the situation on the world market.



According to him, We dont have to put pressure on government. We know government will do the right thing when things get better. At the price review session, government explained issues to us and we accept the explanation.



The Minority recently made a call in Parliament for an increment in cocoa price for cocoa farmers.



At a press conference on Monday, the Minority said the failure of government to increase cocoa price, despite the sharp drop of the commodity price on the international market from $3,000 to about $1,900, was unfair and amounted to stealing from farmers.



Agriculture Minister Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, at a meeting earlier in Accra, announced that government was going to maintain the price for the 2016/2017 farming season for the 2017/2018 crop year.



The price of cocoa on the international market has witnessed a dramatic decline to a 10-year low from more than $3,000 per tonne only 10 months ago to as low as $1,900 in recent months. The situation has compelled other countries to reduce drastically their producer prices of cocoa.



But the Minority rejected the ministers claims, saying the foundation laid by the former NDC administration was good enough to warrant an increase from the GH475 per bag.

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
The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers-Ghana(COPEC-GH) has called for an immediate suspension of governments Energy Sector Bond.



According to COPEC-GH, the move will only prolong the cost burden on consumers by adding almost $500 million extra to the existing debt portfolios.



COPEC in a statement released Monday argued that in spite of the need to pay off the debts and clean the books of these power companies, the current mix will only serve a temporal purpose if the pertinent issues are not immediately addressed instead of going for further debts onto the existing debt profiles.



Background



The auction of the GH6 billion cedi-denominated energy sector bond began last Tuesday as the government sought funds to refinance the huge energy sector debt which has contributed to the unprecedented high levels of non-performing loans (NPLs) on the books of the banks.



Local and offshore investors, made up of local pension fund managers, were briefed on the nature and structure of the bond, which has been described as a better alternative to government papers (Treasury bills) on the market because of its size and risk profile.



The bond, which was issued in two tranches of GH2.4 billion and GH3.6 billion, had a seven-year and a 10-year tenure, respectively.



The Ghana cedi-denominated bond is listed and traded on the Fixed Income Market of the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) under conditions yet to be announced.



E.S.L.A. Plc (unrated), an independent special purpose company established and sponsored by Ghana, acting through the Ministry of Finance, appointed Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Limited and Fidelity Bank Ghana Limited to arrange a series of fixed-income investor meetings prior to the roadshow. Co-managers of the mandate are Temple Investments and GCB Bank





Read full statement by COPEC-GH



CHAMBER OF PETROLEUM CONSUMERS-GHANA



HALT AND REVIEW THE GHC10BILLION ENERGY BOND



30/10/17



BACKGROUND



The Government of Ghana in December 2015, introduced the Energy Sector Levies Bill to parliament with the aim of raking in some additional revenues downstream from petroleum consumers, notable among these new taxes was the introduction of the Energy Debt Recovery Levy whose main purpose was to generate some funds from consumers to be able to pay for the crippling but avoidable debts in the energy and power sectors.



This Energy Sector debt estimated at around $1.6billion at the time, was expected to be retired in a maximum 5 years after which it will be scrapped and taken off the petroleum consumer.



This bill was passed into law and came into effect on January 2nd, 2016, pump prices went up by between 25-30% much to the chagrin of petroleum consumers, but as with all taxes, the excuse was that the government was reeling under huge debts following from the non existent petroleum subsidies programme over the years as well as debts accumulated in the power sector and thus had to raise these monies from the innocent public anyhow to pay. Fuel prices went up.





2017 ENERGY BOND



The Government, through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and The Ministry of Energy is showcasing a bond which has till date been under-suscribed due to the uncertainties surrounding it with Fidelity Bank and Standard Chartered Bank serving as the lead banks.



The aim being, to raise a Ghc10billion bond to pay off the energy sector debts now estimated at around $2.5billion.



There is clearly a need to pay off the debts and clean the books of these power companies but the current mix will only serve a temporal purpose if the pertinent issues are not immediately addressed instead of going for further debts onto the existing debt profiles.



The Energy Sector Levies Act (ESLA) increased and introduced other taxes such as the new 41p/litre Energy Debt Recovery Levy fund to be used to pay for the then Energy Debt at $1.6billion



The cumulative effect of the ESLA saw a jump in some existing taxes and an eventual increase in pump prices by between 25-30% onto the petroleum price build up, very notable amongst these new taxes was the 41p/litre Energy Debt Recovery Levy.



This energy sector debt has been variously reported differently from the start of 2016 as it was estimated at around $1.6billion and was expected to be retired in a 5 year period starting from January 2016, using the proceeds from the ESLA.



At the current National daily petroleum consumption of about 10.2million litres/daily. This particular energy debt recovery levy alone at 41p/litre is known to yield over Ghc4Million daily to go into paying for the Energy Sector debt which is originally expected to be retired in the next 4 years and effectively taken off the price build up to reduce the hardship on the common man but seems to become a mirage following the governments new decision to now float a 10 year bond at a coupon rate of almost 19%.



IMPACT ON FUEL PRICES



The Governments own promise to scale down on the nuisance taxes though partly fulfilled has so far yielded only a cumulative 2.6% reduction in pump prices from the 2017 asempa budget, although fuel prices has also gone up by over 13% since January to date.



IMPLICATIONS OF THE BOND ON GOVERNMENTS OWN PROMISE OF REDUCING NUISANCE TAXES



The new bond effectively rules out any possibility whatsoever for the government to ever scale down on these taxes anytime in the foreseeable even in the event of shocks on the international markets as happened in recent times from the hurricanes whose effects Ghanaians are still paying for.



Fuel prices continue to remain very high even though there has been streinous attempts by some oil marketing companies to reduce their margins and pump prices and one expect officials at the Energy Ministry to attempt using much better options at managing the issues than just lazily issuing bonds to add further costs to the already suffering consumer.



TENOR OF PAYMENT.



Consumers of petroleum products after almost 2 years of paying for Energy Sector Debts are simply being asked to brace up to now permanently pay for Energy Sector Debts as part of their daily fuel consumption with the introduction of this 10 year bond.



BACKGROUND TO ENERGY DEBTS



Some of the factors known to have contributed to the crippling Energy Sector debts are



a) Subsidies on petroleum products



b) Subsidies on power



c) Obsolete equipments leading to transmission losses.



d) Weak collections as well as Non collection and non payment of electricity bills due.



e) Illegal connections



f) Undertaking of very expensive agreements by electricity company of Ghana often resulting in huge financial challenges.



All the above factors that culminated in the growing debts in the energy sector continue to remain as they were with the exception of the introduction of price liberalisation in the petroleum downstream, that has now completely dealt with the issue of petroleum subsidies even though the debts owed the Bulk Distribution Companies still remains unpaid.



Information in the power sector as of today points to new losses of over Ghc70million for this year alone and that the same practices that brought the debts continue to be at play but sadly the petroleum consumer is asked to pay for these avoidable losses which very little has been done about to curtail other than collecting of monies.



CONCLUSIONS



1) An immediate halting, revision or discontinuation of this killer Energy Bond as it will only prolong the cost burden on the innocent consumer by adding almost $500million extra to the existing debt portfolios.



2) An immediate audit of all the power agencies under the Energy Ministry especially the electricity Company of Ghana to ensure all unrealistic and unsustainable practices leading to these losses be corrected to arrest the debts.



3) Quarterly publication of realizations from the Energy debt levy and how it has been applied or disbursed



4) Strict application of the proceeds of the ESLA to ensure that the agreed payment schedules are not missed.



5) A complete plan be put in place to ensure all bulk consumers of power especially the government and private industries that use power do not shirk their responsibilty in paying for power, in this regard, there is the need to overhaul the factors leading to the Energy Sector Debts with immediate effect.



Failure to do the needful but resorting to bond issuance as the panacea for the Energy Sector Debts will only lead to filling a leaking basket which will never realise the needed outcome.



Signed



Duncan Amoah

Executive Secretary









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
Jonathan Ansah, Commercial Director for Ghana Post, has revealed that officials of his company will be moving from village to village across the country to educate the Ghanaian public on the National Digital Property Addressing System.



According to him, the company is already collaborating with the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) and the Ministry of Communications to explain how the new system works to the ordinary Ghanaian. But the movement from village to village will be an addition to the arrangement.



Speaking on Accra FM Tuesday, October 31 Mr Ansah said: Apart from the normal ATL, BTL activities we are doing, we are working in collaboration with the NCCE. In fact, NCCE is part of the project committee, we also have officials from the land administration, security agencies, Ministry of Communications and all the agencies that matter.



He added: In the coming days, officials from the NCCE and Ghana Post will be moving from village to village to educate the public on the new system. You would have heard of radio jingles and other announcements going on, so all is part and parcel of the public education drive.



We are also going to start a couple of activation, you will soon see staff of Ghana Post at strategic locations and markets across the country where we are going to help all market women and everybody to register.



The National Digital Property Addressing System, GhanaPostGPS, was launched by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.



The President described it as a move ever closer to realising our vision of formalising the Ghanaian economy.



Launching the event at the Accra International Conference Centre on Wednesday, 19th October, 2017 President Akufo-Addo noted that the informal nature of Ghanas economy has been a major constraint to her development.



The informal nature of the economy, he explained, has affected the nations ability to broaden the tax base, deepen and widen financial inclusion, and deliver services to those most in need.



It has been a barrier to job creation. It is for this reason that we have, over the last 9 months, the period of my stay in office, taken bold steps to formalise the economy and the way we conduct our everyday activities, including the way government delivers services to citizens most in need, he added.







Source: Class FM









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured Video
Government has rubbished claims that they will be paying Google a sum of $400,000 per year as far as Ghanas digital addressing application, GhanaPostGPS is concerned.



According to the Minister of Communication, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, government has no agreement whatsoever with Google for such payment to transpire.



Ghana government isnt paying Google any money for anything, so, I dont know where that is coming from. And it would help if people took their time to interrogate issues before they run with falsehoods and poison the atmosphere, she told Class FM.



Her explanation comes after a US-based Ghanaian IT researcher Kingsley Kormla Elikem, raised questions about the said payment to the tech giant.



The payment issue first came up on Friday, 27th October when the Managing Director of GhanaPost GPS, James Kwofie gave the media a breakdown of the $2.5million cost of the app at a press conference.



In terms of the cost, what is being paid for is the back-end solution, data analytics, hardware i.e. the firewalls and servers, Google licence, marketing and publicity as well as technical support, and GHS1.7 million VAT which goes back to the government.



"Contrary to popular believe, Google charges when you use their systems for local purposes or commercial activities. The Google licence fee at the moment is $400,000 per year  that is the enterprise package, he added.



But Mrs Owusu-Ekuful, says the cost has been misinterpreted - We are paying GHS 9.9 million for developing this application, she stressed, explaining that, That is what Ghana is paying to be licensed to use this application  Ghana Post GPS  from Vokacom.



Ghana isnt paying Google for anything. We are paying the application developer. They introducing this application have to pay for using the Google platform to develop it. Thats their cost, we are not paying Google annually for that. If next year they decide to host their application on another naming platform  and there are several  we will not be talking about the same sum. And we are not paying that amount of money to Google. We dont have any commercial arrangement with Google, she explained.



Mrs Owusu-Ekuful however cautioned critics of the application to seek clarifications on issues before jumping to conclusion.



Lets halt before we demonise a perfectly good product developed by Ghanaians. Please! she said.



The contract sum is GHS9.9 million which is made up of several components including licensing fees. I dont know which other organisation they would have to pay licences for. I know they procured security firewalls and all that and they may be paying for the use of those applications, thats their business.



We advertised for some service, they told us they would be able to provide that service at GHS9.9 million; thats the cost to Ghana.



"So, as far as I know, the so-called IT experts that are running around tearing down this application should please stop; interrogate the issues properly, if you dont understand something, pick up the phone and ask and you would be given the answers so that you dont set your own questions and answer it and create the impression that something untoward is happening. Government of Ghana does not have any contractual relationship with Google as of now. We are not paying Google a penny for anything. I hope that clears this out, she explained.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/ghana









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
More security personnel have been deployed to Yendi in the Northern Region; Dwerebeafe, Oboyan and Mpaemu in the Kwahu East District in the Eastern Region following acts of violence involving some locals and Fulanis, leading to the death of 11 people.



Two persons were confirmed dead in the Yendi municipality, while nine were said to have been killed at Dwerebeafe, Oboyan and Mpaemu in the Kwahu East District following acts of violence between some residents and Fulanis in the two areas.



Deceased persons



One of the victims in the incident that occurred in Yendi has been identified as Ibrahim Abdulai, 24, a butcher, whose body was found in a nearby bush at Kuga in Yendi while the identity of the other victim, believed to be of Fulani extraction, is yet to be established.



Abdulai was believed to have been butchered by some Fulani herdsmen.



The bodies of those who died in the clash between some Fulanis and farmers in Kwahu included Mahamadu Bahashi, 34, Molansu Osman, 33, and Bube Osman 23, all Fulani herdsmen.



The rest have been identified as Sulley Yaw also known as Yaw Kitiwa, 28, Kwesi Asiama, 45, and his brother Kwesi Boateng, 43.



The Member of Parliament (MP) for Abetifi, Mr Bryan Acheampong, who is also a Minister of State in charge of National Security, said police reinforcement had been deployed from Accra to support the local security personnel to maintain peace and order in the various communities.



Addressing an emergency meeting of the Kwahu East District Assembly, Mr Acheampong said there had been series of meetings and consultations among the chiefs, cattle owners, security personnel and the Fulani herdsmen to find a solution to the conflict between the factions but to no avail.



He, therefore, advised the cattle owners to send their cattle to the fodder banks in the Afram Plains to ensure peace in the area.



According to the Assembly Member for the Hweehwee Electoral Area, Mr Solomon Aboagye, he had a telephone call three days ago from Mpaemu, near Hweehwee that two brothers failed to return from their farms that day and urged the youth at the village to organise a search party to look for them the following day.



He said the youth went to their farm and found the bodies of the two brothers in a pool of blood with gunshot wounds and later informed the police who went with them to convey the bodies to the Kwahu Government Hospital at Atibie.



The incident is said to have infuriated the locals who attacked some Fulanis, leading to the death of seven of them.



Retaliatory attacks/deployment of police



Reports from the police in Yendi said some residents of the town, upon hearing the death of Abdulai, also attacked the Fulanis, leading to the death of one of them.



Following the reprisal attacks, the Northern Regional Police Command has deployed additional policemen to Yendi to prevent the escalation of tension between residents of Yendi and the Fulanis in the area.



So far, no arrest has been made, but calm has since returned to Yendi following additional deployment of police personnel to the area.



Narration



According to the spokesperson of the Northern Regional Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr Mohammed Yusif Tanko, said at about 6.30p.m. on October 29, 2017, the Assembly Member for the Kugu Electoral Area in Yendi, Imoro Ibrahim, went to the Yendi Police Station to report that he had found a dead body in a nearby bush.



He said the complainant led the police to the scene about one kilometre away from Kuga and found the body of the deceased lying in a supine position with multiple deep machete wounds and his motorbike parked beside him.



ASP Tanko said preliminary investigations revealed that Abdulai had told his elder brother that he had arranged with a Fulani man to buy a cow from him so he was going there and othing was heard from him till his death was reported to the police.



The police spokesperson said around 10p.m. the same day, the police received information that some Fulanis were being attacked by unidentified people in Yendi.



He said the police, upon receiving the information, moved to the town to establish the veracity of the reports.



In the process, they found four Fulanis at different locations who had sustained multiple injuries.



They were rushed to the Yendi Hospital for treatment but one of them was pronounced dead.

Source: Daily Graphic









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The Accra High Court has dismissed an application by 1001 workers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) that sought to stop the concession of the company to a private entity.



The workers had filed an application for interlocutory injunction to halt the Millennium Challenge Compact 2, which includes the concession of ECG.



The workers wanted the court to halt the process pending the determination of their suit challenging it on the basis that the government had failed to conduct proper redundancy negotiations with them.



But in a ruling Tuesday morning. the court, presided over by Mrs Justice Laurenda Owusu, held that the Government of Ghana would suffer immense hardship if the application was granted.



According to the court, the compact was in force and contracts had been signed and therefore there would be irreparable damage to the government if the process was halted.



On the other hand, the court was of the view that the workers would not suffer any hardship if the application was refused.



This was because they can be adequately compensated in the event they win the substantive suit.



Related: A-G, ECG workers lawyer clash in court



Power Compact



On August 5, 2014, the government entered into an agreement with the United States of America (USA), acting through the MCC, to transform the power sector in Ghana.



It is known as the Ghana Power Compact or simply Compact II and the MCC is expected to invest up to $498.2 million to transform Ghanas power sector and stimulate private investments.



The implementation agency of the compact on behalf of the government is the MiDA.



As part of the deal, the operations of the ECG have to be handed over to a private entity for a period of 20 years to ensure the transformation of the countrys sole power distributor.



Court case



But that move angered the 1,001 workers of the ECG and, on October 3, 2017, they dragged the government, MiDA and the ECG to court with the case that there was no redundancy package arrangement for them.



Joined to the suit as second plaintiff is the Public Utilities Workers Union (PUWU).



They are asking, among others, for a declaration that the decision by the Minister of Energy to conduct redundancy negotiations with individual employees of the ECG, including the plaintiffs, is illegal and constitutes a gross violation of Section 65 of the Labour Act.



The plaintiffs are praying for an order for the defendants to comply with the provisions of the Labour Act by going through the proper redundancy process as laid down in the countrys laws and pay the plaintiffs redundancy pay (severance package) in accordance with the stipulation in the law and the collective agreement between the workers and the ECG.



They are also seeking a perpetual injunction to restrain the defendants, their assigns and privies from continuing with the compact agreement between the government of Ghana and the MCC signed on August 5, 2014.

Source: Daily Graphic









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The president of the Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON)  a student group of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP)  of the Kumasi Technical University, Amofa Amankwah Elvis, has backed comments made by Ghanas High Commissioner to South Africa, Mr George Ayisi-Boateng, that his priority as a government representative in that country is to serve the interest of members of the NPP before any other Ghanaian.



Mr Ayisi-Boateng, in an interaction with the TESCON members over the weekend, indicated that since he is representing the NPP government, NPP members are his priority.



Mr Ayisi-Boateng said: This government is doing its best to create job opportunities, and me for instance, I told my people over there [that] it is because of NPP that Im here so the NPP man is my priority. I told them when NDC was in power, it was Kwesi Ahwoi who was there, now we are in power, so Ayisi-Boateng is here with you. My topmost priority is the problems of an NPP person before any other Ghanaian take it or leave it



Indeed, Im not boasting but Ive started meeting the NPP groups. Every weekend, I meet some group members and I tell you if I had my way, every job opportunity that will come will go to a TESCON member before any other person. And I know my colleague appointees also have the same feeling except that, because of IMF, we cannot do anything now



Mr Ayisi-Boateng has since come under flak for his statement, which many Ghanaians have described as divisive. Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to fire him.



But speaking on the Executive Breakfast Show (EBS) on Class91.3FM, Mr Elvis told show host, Moro Awudu, that Mr Ayisi-Boateng had not said anything wrong.



He [Ayisi-Boateng] was speaking to motivate students so that they can participate in all party activities. He was highlighting more on this issue because of the vandalism and vigilantism that is going on in order to motivate the students not to engage in those things. So he said that to purposely motivate the students and no bad idea was behind it. So I dont see why honourable Okudzeto should take up this issue... He was speaking to TESCON members and NPP faithful, it wasnt a programme organised by SRC or any public organisation to say the TESCON president stated.



According to Mr Elvis, the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) only employed members of their party when they were in government so if His Excellency Ayisi-Boateng is also motivating students and party faithful, what is wrong with it? I think its better he said it.







Source: classfmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Labour High Court on Tuesday, October 31 dismissed an interlocutory injunction application filed by workers of the state power distributor, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), seeking to halt the privatisation of the ECG.



The workers sued the government over their redundancy packages. Before going to court, the workers staged a nationwide demonstration against the government over the severance package.



The presiding judge, Justice Lorrenda Owusu, held the view that there may be a case or question to be tried in the substantive matter before her, however, she could not establish that on the balance of convenience, the ECG workers do stand to suffer any serious damages as compared to the serious hardship, and or damages, that the state is likely to suffer if an injunction is granted to stop the implementation of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).



The court thus dismissed the application for an interlocutory injunction and pledged to ensure that there is an expeditious trial of the substantive matter before the court.







Source: Class FM









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Former President John Dramani Mahama has observed that the increasing spate of political vigilantism and hooliganism in the country involving foot soldiers of the governing party is as a result of what the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has nurtured its supporters to become.



Over the past weeks, aggrieved party supporters in the Northern Region have engaged in lawless acts by locking up the offices of the Regional Coordinator of the Ghana School Feeding Programme.



The group calling itself Burma Camp claimed they were doing so because of some decisions taken by the managers of the programme which was in sharp contrast to their position.



Another pro-NPP group at Karaga in the Northern Region also stormed a police station to forcibly free two of its arrested members and in the process vandalized an office belonging to the party.



The chaos was in connection with their accusation of the YEA Director of the region that he discriminated against them in a job recruitment exercise.



Last Thursday, the partys in the Sisala West district of the Upper West Region went on a rampage chasing out the District Chief Executive of area Mr Zakaria Mohammed Bakor.



But the former President in a Facebook post said: When you sow the wind, you reap a whirlwind!



Political vigilantism is spiralling out of control and government doesnt appear to be able to deal with the situation. And the tragedy is that most of our moral society have become passive spectators

Source: mynewsgh.com









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NDC MP has said his party would provide Ghanaians with free University Education when voted into power.



According to him, the promise would form part of the NDCs grand agenda to win back the confidence of the Ghanaian voter in 2020 elections.



Speaking on a radio programme, the Amenfi Central MP, Joseph Ackah revealed the NDC strategy while speaking on why they lost the 2016 elections.



Joseph Ackah was of the view that irrespective of the fact that former President John Mahamas government expanded Ghanas infrastructure, the electorate did not appreciate, therefore getting into the next election, the NDC having come to the realization that Ghanaians are unappreciative of expansions in infrastructure would also promise a free University Education.



Next time (2020), we would start with the promise of a free University Education.because Ghanaians did not appreciate the level of infrastructural development that John Mahamas government embarked on.



The NDC expanded the Ridge hospital, built CHPS compounds, I even built five in my constituency, but no one appreciated it so we would all be promising free things, he stated.



The free University Education, he implied would be a direct response to the NPPs free SHS policy which has been widely broadcasted.

Source: primenewsghana









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The Member of Parliament for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini, caused a stir on Saturday when he embarrassingly asked the host of TV3s New Day to show him her white pant during a live panel broadcast.



The Tamale North MP, who was discussing the leaked Kwesi Botchwey report claimed the media is publishing a fake version of the report.



According to him, when it is pointed out to the media that the report they are holding is fake, the media then turn around to say show us the original report.



To illustrate his point, he then asked the host of New Day: Abena, you are wearing a white pant. Show me your white pant. Show me.



Sensing the embarrassment with his choice of illustration, she reluctantly said sorry for my choice of example.



VIDEO-



Source: pulse.com.gh









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The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has served noticed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to sack Ghanas High Commissioner to South Africa, Mr George Ayisi-Boateng, for his comment that his priority as a government representative in that country is members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) before any other Ghanaian.



Mr Ayisi-Boateng, in an interview with TESCON members at the Kumasi Technical University over the weekend indicated that since he is representing the NPP government, NPP members are his priority.



Mr Ayisi-Boateng said: This government is doing its best to create job opportunities, and me for instance, I told my people over there [that] it is because of NPP that Im here so the NPP man is my priority. I told them when NDC was in power, it was Kwesi Ahwoi who was there, now we are in power, so Ayisi-Boateng is here with you. My topmost priority is the problems of an NPP person before any other Ghanaian, take it or leave it



Indeed, Im not boasting but Ive started meeting the NPP groups. Every weekend, I meet some group members and I tell you if I had my way, every job opportunity that will come will go to a TESCON member before any other person. And I know my colleague appointees also have the same feeling except that, because of IMF, we cannot do anything now



Reacting to this statement on 505 on Class91.3FM on Monday, 30 October, 2017 Mr Ablakwa described the statement as reprehensible, unacceptable and must be condemned in the strongest of terms.



He averred that Mr Ayisi-Boateng should remember that he has been appointed as High Commissioner representing Ghana and not as an NPPs High Commissioner.



That is not the attitude you take to public office where you are paid by the tax payerso we are calling on His Excellency, the President, to as a matter of urgency, recall the High Commissioner with immediate effect, and he must be given the sack because he doesnt have the temperament, he doesnt have the qualities to represent all of us in South Africa, Mr Ablakwa stated.

Source: classfmonline.com









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Featured Video
Ghanas High Commissioner to South Africa George Ayisi-Boateng has said he sees nothing wrong with his comment that members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are more Ghanaian than others and, thus, his priority is to help members of his party first before any other Ghanaian.



He told Abusua FM in Kumasi on Tuesday, 31 October that he stood by his words since, according to him, I said nothing bad. What is wrong with my statement? he asked, adding that he is not a divisive person as people are portraying him to be.



I have helped many NDC members including E.T. Mensah, I am not divisive, E.T Mensah can attest to it, he said.



Mr Ayisi-Boateng made the comment when he spoke at a ceremony to usher in fresh students of Kumasi Technical University into the Tertiary Students Confederacy Network (TESCON) of the governing New Patriotic Party on Sunday, October 29, 2017 in Kumasi.



This government is doing its best to create job opportunities and me for instance, I told my people over there [that] it is because of NPP that Im here so the NPP man is my priority. I told them when NDC was in power it was Kwesi Ahwoi who was there, now we are in power, so Ayisi-Boateng is here with you. My topmost priority is the problems of an NPP person before any other Ghanaian, take it or leave it, he stated.



Indeed Im not boasting but Ive started meeting the NPP groups. Every weekend I meet some group members and I tell you if I had my way, every job opportunity that will come will go to a TESCON member before any other person. And I know my colleague appointees also have the same feeling except that because of IMF we cannot do anything now, he added.



He cautioned government appointees to make sure they work for party members first so that the party members will work hard for the party to retain power for over 20 years, so that they can change things in Ghana.



He has been widely condemned for his comments with the Minority in Parliament calling for his resignation.

Source: classfmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Audio Attachment: Listen to Samuel Ofosu Ampofo on Peace FM's 'kokrokoo' programme.

Director of Operations of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu Ampofo has asked President Nana Akufo-Addo to recall Ghana's High Commissioner to South Africa, Mr. George Ayisi-Boateng over some disparaging remarks he has made.



Mr. Ayisi-Boateng is quoted as saying his priority as a High Commissioner is to serve the interest of members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) before any other Ghanaian.



He was interacting with TESCON members over the weekend when he stated emphatically that he will represent the NPP as he represents the nation in South Africa.



This government is doing its best to create job opportunities, and me for instance, I told my people over there [that] it is because of NPP that Im here so the NPP man is my priority. I told them when NDC was in power, it was Kwesi Ahwoi who was there, now we are in power, so Ayisi-Boateng is here with you. My topmost priority is the problems of an NPP person before any other Ghanaian, take it or leave it.



Indeed, Im not boasting but Ive started meeting the NPP groups. Every weekend, I meet some group members and I tell you if I had my way, every job opportunity that will come will go to a TESCON member before any other person. And I know my colleague appointees also have the same feeling except that, because of IMF, we cannot do anything now, he said.



Mr Ayisi-Boateng made the comment when he spoke at a ceremony to usher in fresh students of Kumasi Technical University into the Tertiary Students Confederacy Network (TESCON) of the governing New Patriotic Party on Sunday, October 29, 2017 in Kumasi.



But addressing the issue on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo expressed disappointment in the diplomat.



In attempt to tutor him about his roles and duties as a High Commissioner, Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo explained that he has been appointed by the President to represent the interest of all Ghanaians and not NPP.



According to him, in a scenario where a Ghanaian feels unsafe and runs to his office or residence in South Africa; he (Ayisi-Boateng) is obliged to safeguard the Ghanaian national, also adding that even in a situation where a foreign national seeks asylum at his residence, the Ghana's High Commissioner to South Africa must protect him/her because his residence represents the entire country in South Africa.



Hes representing Ghana and representing Nana Akufo-Addo. If youre representing someone as an Ambassador, you must project the image of that person. Does he mean to say that the word the President gave him is that he should favor NPP people and neglect the rest?" he questioned.



Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo called on the High Commissioner to render an apology to Ghanaians with immediate effect.



"If he doesnt render the apology, the President should not wait the next 24 hours in recalling him to safeguard the integrity of the country. Because it is the lowest point in diplomacy, the lowest point in our diplomatic history. The President, through the Minister of Foreign Affairs, should recall him within 24 hours if he does not apologize, he insisted.



Meanwhile, Mr Ayisi-Boateng has told Abusua FM in Kumasi on Tuesday, 31 October that he stood by his words since, according to him, I said nothing bad.



What is wrong with my statement? he asked, adding that he is not a divisive person as people are portraying him to be.



I have helped many NDC members including E.T. Mensah, I am not divisive, E.T Mensah can attest to it, he said.

















Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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President Nana Addo held a closed-door meeting with Togos President , Faure Gnassingbe some ten days ago, over the political crisis in that country.



The President, who revealed this, said the meeting was aimed at bringing the current crisis in Togo to a closure.



The President disclosed this today [Monday], at a meeting with chiefs and elders of Aflao in the Volta Region, who had expressed concern about the situation in Togo and its effects on Ghana, as some Togolese were already seeking refuge in the Aflao area and its environs.



The President said , The Togolese President came to see me in Tamale ten days ago, and we are talking to see how we can bring this crisis to a closure and bring stability back to Togo. It is in our interest to do so.



A number of protests have been staged in Togo by opposition parties in recent times, as calls for the country to return to the use of the 1992 constitution which imposes limits in presidential terms heightens.



The agitation has led to a public outcry, with some persons including the MP for North-Tongu and former Deputy Minister of Education, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, calling on the President of Ghana to intervene.



Already, twenty-six Togolese nationals are in the grips of the Police in Ghana, for attempting to stage an unlawful demonstration in Accra over the political situation in their country.



President Akufo-Addo described the situation as worrying, adding that, he will play his part to ensure that the crisis is resolved.



The events that have taken place next door in Togo, are disturbing for all of us and especially for you, I know what it means. I remember vividly in 2005 when the former President Eyadema died, there were problems over the succession. Over 100,000 refugees stringed across the border. Many of them I think are still there. They have not gone back to Togo, so I know that anything that happens in Togo is a matter of very great concern and it is a concern to me and the people of Ghana.



The appeal we are making are falling on very sympathetic ears. I am not staying idle on this matter. We are acting. Let us pray for the blessing of the Almighty, and we can find a solution that will be in the interest of the people of Togo and by implication the people of Ghana.



President Akufo-Addo stated that his administration is working seriously behind closed-doors to bring the current political crisis in Togo to a closure.



Political crisis



Faure Gnassingbe has been in power since 2005 after the death of his father, General Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled Togo for nearly 50 years.



The anti-Gnassingbe protests, that have seen hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets across the country, have resulted in over 15 people killed and scores injured.



Three new street marches have been announced for November 7, 8 and 9, despite the Togolese governments ban on weekday protests.



Togos opposition parties have been demanding a return to constitutional term limits for the Presidency, and also for President Faure Gnassingbe to step down.



ECOWAS leaders bashed over seeming silence



ECOWAS leaders have been criticized for their seeming silence over the matter.



But Ghanas Minister of Foreign Affairs , Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey has indicated that The other ECOWAS countries are all engaged to ensure that everything is okay in our sister country in terms of their politics and adhering to their constitution.





Source: citifmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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This photograph, titled Raindrop on Pink Branches, was taken by a Penticton mental health client as part of the PhotoVoice Project. Five young people involved in the program showcased their works at a recent art show at Penticton Regional Hospital.
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A three-metre shark is shown on Cape Breton Island's Inverness Beach in Nova Scotia in this handout image. Three men recently leaped into the chilly Atlantic Ocean under a night sky to try and drag a shark that became stuck in the shallows of a Cape Breton beach back out to open water. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Sean OAoConnell
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Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, center right, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center left, Sarah Netanyahu, third from left, and The New Zealand Governor General Patsy Reddy, second from left, stand as an Australian Navy female soldier approaches a memorial for the fallen in the Battle of Beersheba with her rifle turned around, during a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the battle held in the British Military Cemetery in Beersheba, Israel, Tuesday, Oct.31, 2017. (Jim Hollander/Pool Photo via AP)
In this photo from President Donald Trump's Twitter account, George Papadopoulos, third from left, sits at a table with then-candidate Trump and others at what is labeled at a national security meeting in Washington that was posted on March 31, 2016. Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign aide belittled by the White House as a low-level volunteer was thrust on Oct. 30, 2017, to the center of special counsel Robert MuellerAos investigation, providing evidence in the first criminal case that connects TrumpAos team and intermediaries for Russia seeking to interfere in the campaign. (Donald Trump's Twitter account via AP)
FILE - In this Saturday, June 23, 2012, file photo, British fashion designer Christopher Bailey receives applause from the audience after presenting Burberry Prorsum, from the men's Spring-Summer 2013 collection, part of the Milan Fashion Week, in Milan, Italy. BurberryAos chief creative officer and president will be leaving the company by the end of 2018. The luxury retailer said Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2017 that Christopher Bailey has decided it was time to Aupursue new creative projects.Au (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, file)
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Sydney

Petroleumworld 10 31 2017

The world's biggest new gas giant has been hiding in plain sight.

Despite some of the world's largest reserves of natural gas, PetroChina Co. is still predominantly viewed through the lens of crude oil. That's overdue a change.

Oil production in the nine months through September fell 5.2 percent while natural gas climbed 4.5 percent, the Beijing-based company said Monday. Based on those numbers, third-quarter oil production of 224.3 million barrels represented less than 60 percent of the total when set against natural gas output of about 152.1 million barrels of oil equivalent.

As Gadfl y has pointed out previously , the trend toward gas at PetroChina has been underway ever since the company's 2000 initial public offering, when crude made up more than 90 percent of output. In recent quarters it's been accelerating, though. Beijing's decision to lift many of the policy restrictions that have crimped gas demand has meant that even in the summer months, when the absence of winter heating traditionally leaves oil as a larger share of the sales mix, crude has looked weaker.

Extrapolate the recent pace of change from liquid to gas and it's easy to see PetroChina join Gazprom PJSC, Repsol SA and perhaps Royal Dutch Shell Plc in the small club of petroleum companies mainly dependent on methane rather than oil.

That's probably a simplistic way of looking at things, since there's no law of nature forcing those trends to continue. The production mix will largely depend upon the state of demand for each product -- should Chinese oil prices rise sharply while gas languishes, the pattern could reverse. Still, a demand-based analysis suggests exactly the same pattern: It's been almost two years since the rate of apparent Chinese oil consumption growth outpaced gas:

PetroChina should be particularly keen to pump more of its own gas because it does very badly from offloading other people's. Net losses from selling imported gas and LNG amounted to 17 billion yuan ($2.6 billion) in the nine months through September, not much less than the 18 billion yuan total operating profit from the gas and pipeline division.

There are ample assets to accomplish this shift. Proven and developed reserves -- essentially, those accessible with minimal additional investment -- amount to about 41 trillion cubic feet, or 7.7 billion barrels of oil equivalent, well ahead of the 5.2 billion barrels of crude in PetroChina's locker.

Include undeveloped reserves and the figure rises to 79 trillion cubic feet, close to twice Shell's 41 trillion cubic feet gas reserve base. Some of PetroChina's most profitable reserves are in gas-heavy basins -- Tarim Oilfield Co., a unit in the western province of Xinjiang whose output is about four-fifths gas, accounted for 67 percent of group profits in the first half, Anna Yu, an analyst at Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., wrote in an Oct. 18 note to clients .

There's always good reason to watch government policy when looking at Chinese companies, but that's likely to become even more the case at PetroChina in the years ahead. Chinese crude prices track the global market pretty closely, but gas remains behind a great wall, and that should continue to be the case for the foreseeable future.

PetroChina has long resembled a government agency in all but name, and that trend will make it ever more of a utility business. Ask what its profits will be in a few years' time and the answer will increasingly become: whatever Beijing wants them to be.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners.
LLR Partners, a Philadelphia investment firm, has bought a minority stake in Center City-based Professional Capital Services, an 85-person, "no pay-to-play" investment-software recordkeeping platform that automates retirement plans for money managers and their clients.

The firms would not say how much LLR is pumping in to expand PCS. LLR typically invests at least $15 million, up to $100 million, into firms with yearly sales of at least $20 million.

PCS expects that LLR cash and financial-tech experience "will help accelerate" new products and sales, founder and CEO Mark Klein said in a statement. Founded in 2001, PCS says it has more than 2,000 investment clients, from independent investment advisers to broker-dealer firms, covering 150,000 retirees.

LLR was attracted to PCS's "transparent and commission-free" approach to money management, which gives users "price transparency" and avoids conflicts of interest among financial professionals selling services to clients, LLR vice president Ryan Goldenberg said in a statement.

Founded by Philadelphia property investor and Valley Forge casino owner Ira Lubert, investment banker Seth Lehr and accountant Howard Ross, LLR says it has raised $3 billion from investors, including Pennsylvania state pension funds, since 1999.
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia last year released this rendering, envisioning high-rise towers would take the place of some of its real estate holdings surrounding the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul. Read more

A year after the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced its vision for building sleek high-rise towers beside the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul, it is officially seeking requests from developers interested in taking on the project.

In a request for qualifications issued in late October, the archdiocese said it expected "several" developers to express interest in the project, which aims to develop the 2.3-acre property surrounding the Center City cathedral. Once developers' qualifications are received, the archdiocese said, its expects to bid the project out in early 2018.

To whichever developer is selected, the archdiocese will extend a 60-year lease for the L-shaped parcel running to the north and east of the 1864 cathedral, located on the 1700 block of Race Street, next to Logan Square. Ultimately, the archdiocese aims to redevelop or demolish three buildings that surround the cathedral: the Archdiocesan Pastoral Center (222 N. 17th St.), the Holy Family Center (227 N. 18th St.), and a former convent on the parcel (adjacent to the rectory at 1701-1711 Race St.). The cathedral, its adjacent chapel, and the rectory will remain untouched.

It is still unclear what might be built in place of the three properties. In renderings presented to members of the Logan Square Neighbors Association last year, the archdiocese envisioned the construction of two sleek, high-rise buildings that would house mostly residential units, the archdiocese said. The building to the north, which appeared in the initial rendering as a 44-story glass tower, would feature ground-floor retail and restaurant space, the archdiocese imagined. To the east, it envisioned a 33-story tower that could accommodate archdiocesan administrative offices on its lower floors. Between both buildings, landscaped paths dotted the area.

In an email in October, however, Ken Gavin, a spokesman for the archdiocese, wrote that the renderings were "merely conceptual" and were used to provide "the community and a potential developer with a sense of what's possible on the site."

"Ultimately, the plan will be the developer's, but we will retain some control over what we permit," Gavin said. "Presumably, market conditions will influence what's done."

Even with details remaining vague, whatever is ultimately developed on the site could be one of the archdiocese's highest-profile real estate projects in recent years. Since Archbishop Charles J. Chaput arrived in 2011, the archdiocese has worked to sell or lease many of its real estate holdings to help alleviate the deep financial distress that beset the organization and its parishes for years  including millions of dollars of losses and long-term debt, created, in part, by sliding attendance, dwindling donations, and a sex-abuse scandal that required the payout of millions of dollars in legal fees and other expenses.

To help offset that, since 2011, the archdiocese has sold 17 archdiocesan properties, totaling $49.8 million, and 85 parish properties, totaling $57.8 million, according to archdiocesan data. Fifteen more parish properties are under agreement for sale. Parish transactions are categorized separately from archdiocesan sales, Gavin said, because net proceeds from parish property sales revert to the parishes.

Many of the parish property transactions have involved selling churches, convents, school buildings, and more throughout Philadelphia and its suburbs. And although the 17 archdiocesan transactions have been more prominent  for example, the sale of the archbishop's residence along City Avenue for $10 million in 2012  none of the properties has been in the heart of Philadelphia in the midst of the city's robust real estate boom.

According to city property records, all three of the buildings the archdiocese hopes to redevelop are valuable assets. The Archdiocesan Pastoral Center, the multistory tower across from the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel, has a reported 2018 market value of $15.7 million for the 30,000-square-foot property, records show. The Holy Family Center, at 14,700 square feet, has a listed 2018 market value of $6.9 million. And the 14,800-square-foot former convent is listed at $3.4 million for 2018, records show.

The archdiocese did not provide details about why it chose to facilitate a lease, rather than a sale. No revenue targets were provided, but other archdiocesan lease agreements have yielded significant revenue in the past. According to a 2014 lease agreement between the archdiocese and StoneMor Partners L.P., a for-profit cemeteries operator, the Bucks County company paid the archdiocese $53 million upfront and agreed to $36 million in future payments to operate and manage 13 archdiocesan cemeteries for 60 years.

Philadelphia is not the first or only archdiocese to experiment with commercial development in an attempt to bring in a steady stream of revenue without having to give up ownership of valuable parcels. Two years ago, the Archdiocese of Boston announced that it had secured a 99-year lease with a developer to build a sleek, 160-unit apartment building with ground-floor retail on a parking lot beside the city's Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

If successful, the redevelopment of the Philadelphia cathedral area would mark the archdiocese's first large-scale commercial development deal.

"We expect that this will be a significant transaction," Gavin said. "We do not have any comparable transactions in the archdiocese."

No developer has publicly expressed interest in submitting a request.

The Logan Square area has found itself in the midst of Philadelphia's turnaround in recent years. As the city has grown wealthier and more attractive, developers have turned their attention to the neighborhood and near the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. City officials, meanwhile, have used the area to host concerts, large events, and Pope Francis' 2015 visit.

Such increased activity has translated to an increased cost of living in the Logan Square zip code, 19103, which stretches from 16th Street to the Schuylkill, and from Callowhill to Waverly Streets. In the last decade, the median house price in the zip code has jumped 8.3 percent to $830,000, according to data from Drexel University economist Kevin Gillen. The median rent for the zip code is an estimated $1,894 a month.

Not far from the archdiocesan-owned land near Logan Square, the Mormon Church is putting up a residential building using a concept similar to what the archdiocese seems to be seeking: a 32-story, 277-unit residential tower at 1601 Vine St. That property is next to the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple, which opened in 2016.

In an interview with the Inquirer last year, Deacon Thomas Croke, director of archdiocesan real estate services, said the organization previously had attempted to profit from the parcels near the cathedral. Previous negotiations to sell part of the complex to developer Greystar for a residential project fizzled in 2013, Croke said, over disagreements surrounding archdiocesan input on building design and access to parking.

The final plan, Gavin said last week, "would need to provide accommodation for the  resident priests and offices." He said the archdiocese also envisions "that housing for the archbishop of Philadelphia would be transferred to the current cathedral rectory."

Drew Murray, president of the Logan Square Neighbors Association, said the archdiocese unofficially presented its initial renderings last year to members of the group, and that the group ultimately gave church officials a "pretty positive" reception.

"What they showed us, it opened up the block and had open public areas, which is what we look for in the community," said Murray, who said he looked forward to seeing future plans for the space. "We were very happy when they came to us early the last time, and that they wanted to show the community conceptual plans."

"That's something really important to the Logan Square Neighborhood Association," Murray continued. "We want to have a positive relationship."
Pennsylvania judicial elections arent perfect, but theyre all weve got right now. Read more

On Tuesday, Pennsylvanians will elect seven new statewide judges and retain (or not; though don't count on not) three incumbent statewide judges.

Voters about to select or retain mostly have no idea whom they're voting for; likely, they'll decide based on party, geography, gender, or ballot position.

Not good.

So, I'm here to help. At least a little.

First, though, we shouldn't be doing this, OK?

We shouldn't be voting for statewide judges in a state as big, as diverse, as Pennsylvania, one of only seven states with partisan elections at all judicial levels  and the only Northeastern state.

(It was six, but North Carolina this year joined the ranks of the misdirected, which makes sense, since North Carolina also is among the three worst-gerrymandered states, along with Wisconsin and, of course, Pennsylvania.)

Judges are supposed to be above politics, no? Then why, even if you think electing them is a good idea, have them run under a party label?

Yet we do.

Parties have political agendas. Judges should not. Labeling judicial candidates encourages voting for party rather than person. And increased straight-party voting can mean a further trump of qualifications.

Also, judicial campaigns are fueled by law firms, lawyers, and special interests who then appear before those they helped put in robes, which clouds the notion of equal justice.

And, in a largely rural state, racial and regional diversity becomes problematic. Candidates from urban areas have an edge. In fund-raising, that's where the money is. To the extent any candidate is known, it helps to be known in populous places.

Five of the seven current state Supreme Court justices, for example, are from Pittsburgh or Philly.

There is legislation (there always is) to scrap judicial elections in favor of a merit selection process. It requires amending the constitution. There hasn't been a floor vote on the issue in 20 years.

So, for now, all we have is voting blind for the people who have final say on just about anything of import or controversy in the state.

What can you do?

Be a responsible voter. Seriously. Find out something, anything, about court candidates and make, at minimum, a semi-informed decision.

There's a digital tool, BallotReady, on the website of the watchdog group Committee of Seventy. Type in your address to see candidates and your voting place.

The site (www.seventy.org) also has lots of info on all candidates for state courts, broken down by court, including candidate websites and recommendations from the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

And, yeah, some view the bar process as political, maybe a tad slanted. But it's something. And it's described by Seventy boss David Thornburgh as "a serious effort to which they [the bar's evaluation commission members] devote a lot of time."

So, look at Seventy's site and the state bar stuff by court, found on the site's "November 2017 Election Guide."

There are two candidates for one spot on the Supreme Court, and two justices facing yes/no retention elections.

There are nine candidates for four slots on Superior Court, and one judge facing retention. Two candidates  Republican Mary Murray of Allegheny County and Green Party candidate Jules Mermelstein of Montgomery County  are "not recommended" by the state bar, for failure to take part in the evaluation process.

In Mermelstein's case, he decided to run for the court after the bar evaluations were finished and thus had no opportunity to participate.

There are four candidates for two seats on Commonwealth Court. One, Democrat Irene Clark of Allegheny County, is "not recommended" by the state bar for what it calls her "minimal experience."

I know this is labor-intensive. So is striving for the best possible judicial system. The prime sponsor of pending legislation for merit selection, Rep. Bryan Cutler (R., Lancaster), says there's greater interest in the issue now than in the past. I hope he's right.

Meanwhile, vote for state judges only after learning something about them. To not vote or to vote blind is throwing away your voice in the only process currently in place.

*Clarification: Superior Court Green Party candidate Jules Mermelstein, of Montgomery County, did not decide to run for the court until after the Bar Association's evaluation process was completed. He had no opportunity to be evaluated.
Construction related to the Southern Reliability Link pipeline in Chesterfield, Burlington County last July. Read more

If you believe climate change is real and a real threat to New Jersey  as I do  you're probably hoping  as I am  that the next governor will change Trenton's political climate around green issues.

Gov. Christie's relentless push for Pinelands pipelines has been bad enough. But what seems to some like a pronounced lack of enthusiasm for the renewable energy of solar and particularly offshore wind power has arguably been worse.

When not opposing offshore wind demonstration projects like the one proposed by a firm called Fishermen's Energy, the Republican governor's administration, critics say, has embraced the dubious notion that generating electricity with natural gas is an evolutionary "bridge" toward less dependency on fossil fuels.

"Christie has had a love affair with the natural gas industry, They've doubled down again and again on gas, and on endorsing pipeline infrastructure projects," noted Doug O'Malley, director of the advocacy organization Environment New Jersey.

"You cannot build a bridge to the future on the back of dirty fossil fuel. It's a bridge to nowhere," he added.

Post-Sandy, proponents of new pipelines have vigorously waved the banners of supply "reliability" and system "resiliency."

Christie's revamped Pinelands Commission this year reversed a previous decision and approved a 22-mile line through Cumberland, Atlantic, and Cape May Counties to enable the conversion of the coal-burning B.L. England power to natural gas. And in September, the commission also said yes to the 30-mile Southern Reliability Link pipeline through Burlington and Monmouth Counties. Both approvals are being challenged in court.

These pipeline projects are unnecessary, over-scaled, and potentially harmful to the Pinelands, critics say. They would encumber ratepayers and utilities alike for decades to come  while simultaneously drawing resources, energy and attention away from developing alternatives to burning fossil fuels to generate power.

"We're very supportive of moving to renewables.  Particularly given the federal government's reversal of [environmental] policies, it's essential that states do everything they can, if there's any chance at all of making progress," said Carleton Montgomery, executive director of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance.

Greg Reinert, a spokesman for the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, took issue with criticism of the state's approach under Christie. "The state's momentum for renewables is very strong," he said in an email response to my questions.

"The State Energy Master Plan sets forth specific policies that are the foundation for change that modernizes the generation resource mix in New Jersey and promotes fuel substitution in a way that saves money, stimulates the economy, assures reliability, and protects the environment," Reinert added.

New Jersey "has already met the Global Warming Response Act goal for the reduction of emissions to 1990 levels by 2020," Reinert said.

Lest one assume that only environmentalists are alarmed by New Jersey's inexplicably tepid support for generating electricity from renewable sources, consider the headline, "Goodbye Chris Christie  Hello NJ Offshore Wind" in the online maritime industry publication MarineLog.

The story notes that two companies propose to utilize portions of the nearly 344,000-acre New Jersey Wind Energy Area seven miles off the Atlantic City coast to generate electricity for about 1.4 million homes.

But the energy producing, let alone job-creating, potential of such projects has seemed about as compelling to Christie as the incentives offered by the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI, pronounced "Reggie") from which the governor withdrew the state in 2011.

And the 2015 update of the Energy Master Plan Reinert referred to seems to me rather heavy on fossil fuels and relatively light ("Full of hot air," in the words of the Sierra Club's Jeff Tittel) on renewables.

Meanwhile, both major party candidates for governor have indicated they're more amenable to green concerns.

Republican Kim Guadagno, who serves as Christie's lieutenant governor, favors rejoining RGGI. But I couldn't find the environment listed among the "On the Issues" tabs on her campaign website  although there is a link to her declaration that New Jersey "can't afford a Massachusetts limousine liberal."

By that she means her Democratic opponent, Phil Murphy, whose campaign website includes side-by-side tabs titled "Building a Green Economy" and "Building a Clean Energy Economy." There is, alas, no tab for the criticism Murphy got during the Democratic gubernatorial primary, due to his fossil fuel-rich investment portfolio.

After eight years  and with a federal rollback of environmental progress just getting underway  could it be too late for New Jersey to shift its focus from pipelines to renewables?

"We've lost some time and some states have moved ahead," said Tom Gilbert, campaign director of the advocacy organization ReThink Energy NJ. "But I still think we're fairly early in this energy revolution happening around the nation and around the world.

"There's incredible growth in renewables. We are early in the transformation and there are huge opportunities for New Jersey to still be a leader."
Mayor Kenney has said that Philadelphia is in the Goldilocks zone for Amazon. Read more

There's no denying it: The way the city applied its makeup for its date with Amazon, on paper we look pretty good.

I like how Mayor Kenney went all pre-K by saying, "Philadelphia is in the Goldilocks zone for Amazon. Just right."

He engaged in fairy-tale reasoning when he said, "We're going to win this"  the "this" being the monster company's second headquarters, something sought by dozens of cities.

The only way to be sure "we're going to win this" is to kidnap the children of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and I don't think we are going there.

Winning would be huge for Philadelphia. I hope we succeed, even while I am repulsed by cash-starved cities lifting their skirts to offer tax-break inducements to the $84 billion corporation.

Many cities are competing, and on some handicap sheets Philadelphia gets good ratings. http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/philadelphia/amazon-philadelphia-new-headquarters-hub-locations-faq-20171019.html

Philly put together a creative promotional package with real and imagined celebrities, regular people, and even Sixers star Joel Embiid warning Amazon that Philly will be tough on you. http://www.philly.com/philly/business/amazon-hq2-philadelphia-joel-embiid-video-sixers-20171019.html That's a bit scary.

Anyway, when you prepare for a date you put your makeup on with care and make sure your fly is zipped.

So the city talked about several sites ready to go, its affordability and walkability, even bike lanes.

Here's what it didn't say: The most off-putting elements of doing business in Philadelphia are the onerous business and wage taxes. They are expenses that can be avoided by crossing City Avenue or the Delaware River.

You think Amazon doesn't know about the soda tax? You think Bezos doesn't wonder what will happen if Kenney wakes up one morning, decides Amazon makes too much money, as he did with soda manufacturers, and decides to drop a specially designed tax on the Big A?

The city touted an educated workforce that is more aspirational than operational, and that brings us to underperforming schools. Amazon is one of those companies that shower benefits on its workers. Why would it choose a city in which its workers will be forced into private schools for their kids to have a good education? What's more important to young parents  schools or bike lanes?

We have the highest poverty rate among big cities, and that means the city has trouble raising money and spends too much on social services, which it often delivers poorly, as we see with DHS.

Don't get me started on the Parking Authority.

We have tensions between the police and some communities and tensions between neighborhoods, not as bad they were once, but still not good.

Our infrastructure is in bad shape, and although we do have an extensive mass transit network, that's little comfort when buses and trains are chronically late  or crashing.

This isn't just Negadelphia, it's reality.

Luring Amazon, and its jobs, inside our city limits would help fix these problems while creating others.

Such as? Attracting tens of thousands of new Philadelphians would drive skyward our now-low rentals and home prices.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Since Kenney used the Goldilocks metaphor, let me remind you of how the bedtime story ends: Goldilocks goes running out of the house of the Three Bears.

UPDATE: Philly one of 20 finalists for Amazon HQ2
At Monday night's 2017 Barrymore Awards at the Merriam Theater, the big winners were 11th Hour Theatre Company's Lizzie, a rock musical about an ax murderer; and Wilma Theater's When the Rain Stops Falling, on climate change and its human cost. With refreshing balance and eclecticism, the awards reflected a diverse, energetic, independent theater scene.

Lizzie took five awards (outstanding musical, Kate Galvin for direction of a musical, leading actress, music direction, and ensemble in a musical), and Rain took four (sound design, lighting design, ensemble in a play, and Blanka Zizka for direction of a play). Reflecting those numbers, 11th Hour and the Wilma were the winningest companies on Monday night, with five awards each. In third place was the Arden Theatre Company with four. Outstanding-play honors went to The Seagull, a much-praised rendering of the Chekhov classic by EgoPo Classic Theatre Company.

Read the full list of winners here.

The awards show was a chance to dress up, tell inside jokes, and applaud the best in Philly theater. From the red-carpet scene to the deafening pre-show chatter to the stage antics, all the way to the after-show party, theater flamboyance was in evidence. Dito Van Riegersberg, the far-famed drag chanteuse Martha Graham Cracker, opened the festivities with "Wig in a Box" from Hedwig and the Angry Inch, packed with jokey references to 2016-17 standouts such as Hand to God at Philadelphia Theatre Company, The Seagull, and InterAct Theatre's How to Use a Knife.

When Caroline Dooner walked through the doors of the Merriam, she had no idea she'd win best supporting actress in a musical for her turn as Louise in Gypsy at the Arden. She said before the show, "I feel pretty good. I had to come here earlier to do tech"  a rehearsal for the mid-show medley of tunes from the year's musicals  "so that was a good warmup."

Minutes later, she was at the mic, a winner, face all surprise, asking the audience, "Is my dress still on?"

Many winners spoke of the privilege of having a theater career.

The night's first winner, Hillary Parker for best supporting actress in a play for You for Me for You at InterAct, said, "I'm a better performer, a better person for being here."

David Bardeen, who won for best supporting actor in a play for Grand Concourse at Theatre Horizon in Norristown, said, "I couldn't wait to get to work every day." He also mentioned the show's community connections via the Imagine No Hunger program.

Among the technical awards, Michael Cosenza won best choreography/movement for his work in Antihero by the physical theater troupe Tribe of Fools. How did he find his niche? "I did a lot of Shakespeare in school, and there were always fights," he said afterward. "I was good at it, and I had great mentors who taught me that what I thought was the fun stuff could be a career."

Recipients also stressed the social commitment involved in theater.

EgoPo Classic Theatre, which relocated to Philadelphia in 2007 after losing its New Orleans playhouse to Hurricane Katrina, won the June and Steve Wolfson Award for Evolving Theatre Company ($10,000); founder Lane Savadove said to his fellow professionals, "Thank you for putting your ideas into action."

The Lifetime Achievement Award went to Penelope Reed, director emeritus of Hedgerow Theatre Company. After musing on her family's history in the theater, she told the 1,800 assembled that "a life in theater is worth it. To be idea generators. We can share ideas that go far beyond us. We can help change and transformation  and what better place than Philadelphia? Not the Big Apple or fighting-itself D.C."

Theatre Philadelphia, which administers the awards, has expanded and diversified its corps of nominators, whose reports guide the choices of a dozen judges.

The awards show the results: The storefront theaters that define the Philly scene were as well represented as biggies such as the Arden or the Wilma. Of 39 companies participating, 10 won awards; of more than 100 eligible productions, 14 took home honors. Individual prizes fell equitably among men (13) and women (10). The hardworking Mary Tuomanen won two cash awards totaling $25,000. Alex Bechtel showed range, with awards for outstanding leading actor in a musical and for original music, both for The Light Princess. (He shared the music award with Anthony Lawton.)

Local philanthropists supported $77,500 in cash awards to artists and organizations. The Virginia Brown Martin Philadelphia Award ($25,000) went to Peaceable Kingdom by Tuomanen; the four other finalists received $2,500 apiece. Tuomanen also won the F. Otto Haas Award for Emerging Philadelphia Theatre Artist ($15,000); five other finalists, all of them women, received $2,000 apiece. And the Victory Foundation Award for Outstanding Theatre Education Program ($7,500) went to the Curio Theatre Company.

2017 Barrymore Winners
Madeline Bell, CHOP president and CEO, shown with views of the Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care on the right and the main CHOP building on the left. Read more

When Madeline Bell, president and CEO of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and her physician husband, Louis, go on vacation, they have a pact.

They alternate between "Madeline Days" and "Lou Days." The latter entail recharging by the pool and reading good books. And Madeline Days?

"We're going to have eight adventures," says Bell, 56, from the executive offices that offer a bird's-eye view of the campus. "I'm more of a can-do, driven person." Not that her husband, CHOP's chief of the division of general pediatrics, is any slouch.

Bell calls this inability to dial down her "fatal flaw." On the job, though, that drive has propelled the onetime pediatric nurse to CEO  the first woman to lead CHOP. Along the way, she has steered the nation's first pediatric hospital, with 12,000 employees and a $2.7 billion budget, to ever-greater heights.

Since Bell assumed the top spot in 2015, CHOP has seen its footprint explode by 40 percent  1.2 million square feet  with the addition of the new Roberts Center for Pediatric Research across the Schuylkill and the Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care.

One of Bell's pride points is CHOP Care Network, the largest pediatric ambulatory network in the country. As chief operating officer for eight years and CEO, she oversaw the buildout of satellite locations from Lancaster to New Brunswick down to Cape May. King of Prussia, for one, has a 135,000-square-foot Specialty Care and Ambulatory Surgery Center.

"If a child has cancer, [he or she] can just go there," Bell says. "So not everyone has to travel to the main campus."

Bell also has spearheaded creative partnerships, such as the $42 million South Philadelphia Community Health & Literacy Center, where CHOP and city agencies offer under one roof a range of health, wellness, literacy, and recreational programs.

"We're raising the bar on ourselves all the time," she says, "and being the person who is motivating it, enabling people to do that is amazing fun."

A top priority is supporting research and innovation, Bell says. Over the last year, she increased the hospital's investment in research by $10 million. Much of the focus is on groundbreaking gene therapy and immune therapy, and last year, CHOP created the Roberts Collaborative for Genetics and Individualized Medicine. In August, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first-ever genetically engineered immune therapy to treat an aggressive type of leukemia  a drug developed at CHOP and the University of Pennsylvania.

Innovation, though, doesn't come cheap, and this year has proven particularly challenging.

"We've had incredible headwinds, greater headwinds than I feel I have had in my career," she says, pointing to the four major attempts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act this year. She lobbied against those efforts on Capitol Hill because "all four of those were really bad for children." Nationally, the taxpayer-funded Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program covered 43 percent of all children last year, she notes.

To support its research, CHOP recently announced the public phase of its $1 billion fund-raising campaign "For Tomorrow's Breakthroughs."

"I have to constantly figure out revenue streams to support our mission," she says.

For all her success, Bell says nursing, not the C-suite, was her initial focus. In 1983, the Villanova University nursing graduate was thrilled to land her dream job at CHOP.

"I just wanted to take great care of children," she says. Bell keeps a picture of herself at age 3 under a Christmas tree wearing a white nurse's cap; as a teen, she was a candy striper.

But after a while, she started asking questions about how things are done. "Nurses have a tendency to sit around and complain," she says. "I can say that because I'm a nurse. I used to think to myself, there's something wrong with this. I need to be part of the solution vs. commiserating with everyone."

As a home-care nurse, Bell got a taste of managing nurses and that shift, she says, "got me thinking, `Gee, this is the way to influence the future.' "

In 1989, Bell left CHOP for Main Line Health, where she worked in planning and new business development and performed home care on weekends.

"I learned a lot," she says, a mantra that is a hallmark of hers. CHOP lured her back in 1995 as director of home care and case management  and Bell was on her way to executive positions.

Her path to the top, though, was not a straight shot.

"Careers are anything but linear," Bell says. "I did a lot of lateral moves." Often, she says, she was asked to take on responsibilities  say, manage revenue cycle or clinical portfolios  before she thought she was ready.

"The moral of the story is just say yes," she says.

In 2007, Bell earned a master's in organizational dynamics from Penn, wanting to cement skills in influencing people and changing culture.

But she says her most useful skill is one expected of nurses, but not always of business leaders: empathy, "not only for our patients but for the people who work here."

Bell says she makes time to interact with CHOP's frontline medical staff.

Each month, she holds a gabfest over lunch with a dozen employees. "I get great ideas," she says and often confirms or dispels rumors. "I love the rumors. Sometimes they are so funny."

Bell also takes "safety walk-arounds," visiting a unit and talking with doctors, nurses, and patients. She mentors female physician leaders, whose high qualifications don't inoculate them from the gender-based attitudes that women in all fields experience.

"They say, 'I'm an imposter. I can't do this,' " Bell says. "There is still an incredible amount of bias that exists for women."

So many young women seek her out as a mentor  more than she could ever advise  that a couple of years ago she began writing the blog "Heels of Success" with help from her daughter-in-law Kaitlin Cleary, who owns a communications business.

It offers practical tips and advice, such as where to keep business cards to avoid digging through a big purse (carry a bag with a side pocket). In one post, Bell advises a woman to "fake it 'til you make it" and what that really means.

"I've learned over time to be much more aware how I position myself," Bell says. "I've been part of groups where I'm the only woman. I feel like I have to prepare more, be more on my game."

And, she might add, never slow her pace  even on vacation.

Contact Lini S. Kadaba at Lkadaba@gmail.com. Follow @exinkygal.
It's gray and raining and about 65 degrees, but more than 70 people are lined up in a field in central Wisconsin, undeterred by the gloom  or the wait. Their eyes are fixed on a lagoon that's pink with thousands of floating baubles: cranberries.

In the Badger State, late September to late October is cranberry season, and hundreds of devotees and curiosity seekers have come to the Wetherby Cranberry Co. in Warrens for Harvest Day, when they tour the sprawling marshes by bus and literally dip their toes into the cranberry experience. For $10 extra, they can pull on a pair of hip-high waders and step out into the water to have a photo taken amid the cran-jewels.

Don't equate cranberries with Wisconsin? I didn't either until I moved to neighboring Illinois and dreamed of bog wading as I read the stats: Wisconsin produces about 60 percent of the country's cranberries and about 50 percent of the world's cranberries. It's the official state fruit and the state's largest fruit crop, both in value and acreage, with 21,000 acres and about 250 farms  most of which are family-run, with some six generations deep. The nearly $1 billion industry employs more than 4,000 people, and it has a deep history in the area, says Tom Lochner, executive director of the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association.

"Cranberries grew here in Wisconsin for eons," said Lochner. "The Native Americans collected and harvested them, and they used them for food, they used them for dye, they used them for medicine, and they traded them when early European settlers came in the mid-1800s," he said. Lochner said the European immigrants began cultivating cranberries themselves, and the commercial industry was born. Every fall, cranberry lovers flood the state for festivals, parades, and marsh tours here and farther north.

I'd arrived the night before, determined to immerse myself in a Wisconsin cranberry adventure, waders and all. As someone who commits obsessively to a theme, I opted to stay at Le Chateau: The Manor Bed & Breakfast in Wisconsin Rapids. The Queen Anne Victorian dates to 1889, when it was built by John Arpin, a lumber baron who also has a history with  you guessed it  cranberries. They grew wild on the land he used for his lumber business. The B&B offers a cranberry harvest package, which includes a gift bag with cranberry snacks and pamphlets with cranberry facts. Plus, guests have the option to tour Glacial Lake Cranberries, which now cultivates the cranberries on the land Arpin once used for his lumber. (I skipped the tour because it was open only to B&B guests, and for this article I wanted to find a marsh tour open to all.) I was delighted to find that Faye Collier, who owns the B&B with her husband, Bill, also likes to commit to a theme: Breakfast included, among other items, pumpkin cranberry bread with cranberry butter, cranberry raisin bread pudding, and cranberry juice.

I also chose the B&B for its location in Wisconsin Rapids. It's about a 50-minute drive from the Wetherby Cranberry Co., and much of the route travels along the "Cranberry Highway," which passes cranberry operation after cranberry operation on Highway 173 (there's also a giant Ocean Spray building; the company is a cooperative that works with local growers). I set out along the rainy road a little after 8 a.m., and, cranberry novice that I am, I eyed every water feature, be it ditch, pond, lake or puddle, manically wondering, "Is it a bog? Is it a bog? Is it a bog? Is it a bog?" I didn't seem to see any cranberries but reasoned that maybe the red simply wasn't popping beneath the gray sky, while noticing that the gravel along the road and the ruddy changing leaves had cranberry undertones.

When I got to Wetherby, a family-owned cranberry company that dates to 1903, it was clear that my eyes hadn't missed any cranberries earlier. There, in the marshes (confession: I didn't once hear the word bog from anyone in the business, only from my mouth and other visitors), the water was blushing and, it seemed, bouncing with the buoyant berries, so bright and surprising against the gray that they demand attention. All around, the fields are made up of low-lying rectangles (the cranberry beds) separated by dikes and surrounded by ditches. On a bus tour, we learned that the fruit doesn't actually grow in the water. Rather, the beds are flooded for harvest so the air-pocket-filled berries, which develop on scraggly vines close to the ground, rise to the top and can be more easily plucked up by the harvesting equipment and then sold fresh or processed.

After waiting nearly an hour in line for waders, it was my turn, and it was even stranger than I'd hoped it might be. With my rubber boots up to my hips, I slowly stepped into the chilly water and walked over the tangled plants that once held the berries. I plunged my hands in and the fruit felt buoyant, bouncy, light  somehow making the water feel thick and bouncy as well. Local helpers stood by to take photos for visitors, and I'd left my camera with a woman wearing a tiara and sash that said "Cranberry Princess." (I later learned that she was crowned at the Warrens Cranberry Festival in September, judged on a number of categories, including a brief cranberry food demonstration.) She saw me reach into the water and grab two handfuls of berries.

"You can throw them if you want!" she encouraged. And as I tossed them in the air like bouncy red balls, she snapped the best souvenir I could hope for.

After the tour, I hopped in my car and drove four miles to the Wisconsin Cranberry Discovery Center. The basement serves as a cranberry museum, shedding more light on the cranberry's history. (The name cranberry, for example, is inspired by the shape of the blossom that grows on the fruit in early summer  it looks like a sandhill crane; the fruit was originally called "crane berry.") Placards gave insights on frost protection that made me wish I'd listened more closely during my physics classes.

(When the temperature gets close to 32 degrees, cranberry growers turn on their irrigation systems so the water can freeze around the berries and protect them. "As water turns to ice, a small amount of heat is released, which helps protect the vines and berries from frost damage.")

Upstairs, in the retail space/ice cream shop, it was hard not to sound repetitive while perusing all the options: cranberry salsa, cranberry barbecue sauce, cranberry vinegar, cranberry ice cream, cranberry coffee, cranberry taffy, cranberry wine, cranberry beer, strawberry-flavored dried cranberries, chocolate-covered-cranberries. I left with cranberry-filled hands.

As I wound back down the Cranberry Highway, I looked at the marshes with a new appreciation and understanding, and the inner "is-it-a-bog?" monologue was quieted. I decided to make one final stop before leaving cranberry country: a place called Babcock Cafe, about a half-hour west of Wisconsin Rapids. The restaurant is a plain-looking building with beige siding  the only attention-grabbing things were a sign reading "World Famous Pies" and the packed parking lot. Lochner had mentioned this place when I asked if he had any favorite haunts for cranberry treats.

"The cranberry nut pie with a little ice cream on it," he said. "I would recommend that." When the executive director of the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers mentions a category favorite, you listen. The pie was delicious  it was the cranberry on top of my themed weekend.

Visit the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association to learn more at wiscran.org.

Silver is a writer based in Chicago. Find her on Twitter: @K8Silver.
Nafis Pinkney (left), 24, is the latest man to be arrested by two homicide detectives and spend years waiting to be tried only to be found not guilty. At right is Gregory J. Pagano, Pinkney's attorney. Read more

The City of Philadelphia this month quietly settled for $750,000 a malicious-prosecution lawsuit brought by a West Philadelphia man who spent four years in jail waiting to be tried for a 2009 double murder of which he was acquitted in 2013.

The settlement Oct. 6 ended the case brought by Nafis Pinkney, now 28, against two homicide detectives, James Pitts and Ohmarr Jenkins, who he claimed roughed him up and coerced him to give a false confession. Remaining unsolved are the murders of Nakeisha Finks and Jonathan Pitts, her boyfriend and Pinkney's close friend, who was not related to the detective.

Three years after Pinkney was cleared in the slayings of Jonathan Pitts, 21, and Finks, 20, another man, James Barrow, walked into a police station and confessed to killing them, as well as to an unrelated slaying a week earlier and, with an accomplice, robbing at gunpoint three West Philadelphia restaurants in 2015.

With Barrow's videorecorded confession in hand, the Philadelphia District Attorney' Office in 2016 quickly charged Barrow with everything to which he confessed  except the double slayings. In an article about the case in the Inquirer and Daily News last year, Pinkney's attorneys questioned whether the District Attorney's Office had not charged Barrow because it had already charged the wrong man, and due to the pending lawsuit.

With the resolution of the lawsuit, those lawyers said Monday, the office now should charge Barrow.

"It's glaringly obvious that the city has tactically chosen to delay charging Barrow. It's unfathomable that he would not be charged now," said attorney Gregory Pagano. "It's an easy decision now, and I would hope the city will make that decision."

Homicide Capt. John Ryan, who began his assignment in July, on Monday said he needed more time to learn the status of his office's investigation of Barrow. Cameron Kline, a spokesman for the District Attorney's Office, declined to comment on whether Barrow would be charged in the double slaying.

Barrow, 31, has been arrested at least 12 times since he turned 18. In his confession, he told detectives a chilling tale of how, in the early morning of Aug. 29, 2009, he broke into the home on Delancey Street in West Philadelphia of Jonathan Pitts, whom police described as a low-level drug dealer. In a second-floor bedroom, Pitts' and Finks' eyes were covered, their wrists and ankles were duct-taped together, and each was shot in the back of the head.

Five days earlier, a mile and a half away, Kamara Joseph, also described by police as a low-level drug dealer, was found bound with duct tape and shot in the back of his head in his home in the 2500 block of Shields Street. Barrow confessed to killing Joseph and is awaiting a capital-murder trial. Barrow told detectives he used the same gun to kill the couple and Joseph, a confession that has been corroborated by ballistic evidence.

"Barrow is a real-life psychopath killer, based upon my investigation and personal assessment," Pagano said. "The manner and means of his methods of executing these three people is frightening."

In the hours after the bodies of Jonathan Pitts and Finks were discovered, Pinkney voluntarily spoke to Detectives Pitts and Jenkins. During his 2013 trial, Pinkney testified that 24 hours of coercion, assaults, and being fed information by the detectives led him to falsely confess that he, a cousin, and a friend had conspired to burglarize Jonathan Pitts' home to steal drug money, and that the two other men carried out the executions.

Police never arrested the two men whom Pinkney named as co-conspirators because no evidence linked them to the crimes. Prosecutors also had no forensic evidence to link Pinkney to the slayings.

"This case provides the criminal justice system with a watershed moment for meaningful reform. This is an important opportunity for police, prosecutors, and judges in Philadelphia to re-examine preconceived notions about police interrogations and confessions," said attorney Paul Hetznecker, who also represented Pinkney in his lawsuit against the detectives.

"It is well beyond the time for the criminal justice system in this city to carefully scrutinize the methods of interrogation used to obtain confessions," Hetznecker said. "The cost to those individual lives is devastating, as is the resulting loss of faith by the general public in the criminal justice system."

Andrew Richman, chief of staff to City Solicitor Sozi Pedro Tulante, declined to discuss the reasons why the city decided to settle Pinkney's lawsuit rather than go to trial. "The settlement was in the best interest of the city," he said, adding: "We do not admit any wrongdoing."

Besides Pinkney, at least two other people from whom Detectives Pitts and Jenkins obtained murder confessions have been exonerated  one in 2012 by a jury, the other in 2011 when the District Attorney's Office dropped charges after a judge ruled the defendant's confession statement was "the product of psychological coercion."
The luxury wing at King of Prussia Mall, home to about 45 retailers, in King of Prussia. Read more

Charges have been filed against the armed man police shot Sunday afternoon in a crowded King of Prussia Mall parking garage, according to court documents, after he allegedly robbed a woman at gunpoint in the same location the day before.

Kalin Jackson, 23, of New Castle, Del., faces 19 counts, including five felonies for robbery and possession of a firearm without a license. Authorities say he jumped in the backseat of a woman's car, held a gun to her head, and demanded her purse around 3:30 p.m. Saturday.

"Don't move, don't move," Jackson allegedly told the woman, according to court documents released Tuesday, and then reached over the seat to grab her handbag, which contained credit cards, cash, her driver's license, and a cellphone.

He exited her vehicle, according to the documents, and drove off quickly in a maroon 2012 Kia Sorento, which authorities believe he stole Friday in a carjacking, robbery, and kidnapping of an 87-year-old man in Claymont, Del.

As she had exited the mall near Nordstrom, the woman told police, she had noticed a man backing the SUV into the spot next to her car, according to the documents.

As of late Tuesday afternoon, Upper Merion police said Jackson had yet to be arraigned on the charges because he was still undergoing medical treatment for multiple gunshot wounds. He remained at Paoli Hospital on Tuesday in serious condition.

Jackson was also identified by New Castle County Police and in Montgomery County court documents as a suspect in two other violent crimes  a domestic-related shooting Thursday and the carjacking and kidnapping on Friday, both in the Wilmington area. Authorities said a warrant was out for his arrest on charges related to last week's incidents.

Delaware police had been tracking Jackson using electronic surveillance, according to court documents, and saw he was back in the area of the King of Prussia Mall shortly before 4 p.m. Sunday.

Upon being notified of this, Upper Merion police tracked Jackson to the second floor of the multilevel Green Parking Deck that connects to the Nordstrom and Lord & Taylor department stores. It was the same location where he had allegedly robbed the woman on Saturday, police said.

When authorities approached the SUV, Jackson drove off, rammed two squad cars, and attempted to hit officers who were on foot, according to police. Montgomery County court records show no charges have been filed against Jackson in connection with the Sunday altercation.

Upper Merion Police Chief Thomas Nolan said more than one officer fired at Jackson but did not disclose how many officers were involved or how many times the suspect was shot.

Inside the SUV, authorities found a 9mm black-and-pink Glock handgun, the same type of gun believed to have been used in the three previous alleged crimes, as well as the Saturday victim's credit cards and her driver's license.

No attorney for Jackson was listed on court documents Tuesday and a call to the number listed for his New Castle home indicated the line had been disconnected.

Jackson has a lengthy criminal history in Delaware, beginning when he was 16, according to the Wilmington News Journal.

He did not have a permit to carry a gun, according to court documents, and was barred from possessing one due to a 2013 burglary conviction in Delaware. The gun in his possession was believed to have been stolen during the domestic-related shooting in Delaware on Thursday, according to the documents.

Because Sunday's incident included a police-involved shooting, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office is investigating those events. Officers involved have been placed on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation into whether the use of deadly force was lawful in that situation.

The mall released a statement saying no customers or employees were injured Sunday.

King of Prussia, a 400-plus store complex about 20 miles from Philadelphia, contains more retail space than any other mall in the country and attracts more than 20 million shoppers each year. On Sunday, the area was bustling with folks who chose to spend the rainy afternoon shopping.

Among them was Margie Cherry, a career counselor from Havertown. She said she parked on the first floor of the Green Parking Deck around 3:30 p.m. and made her way into Nordstrom.

She was eating a cilantro lime chicken salad at the Nordstrom Cafe when she and about 15 other diners heard a muffled announcement come across the public-address system in the department store outside. The announcement ended with an instruction to remain in place, she said.

"Everybody looked at each other," Cherry said, "and we were like, 'What did they just say?' "

As they returned to their meals, customers inside the cafe began chatting among themselves and looking for clues on their cellphones. But when patrons Googled news about the King of Prussia Mall, nothing popped up, except a report about the armed robbery the day before and a year-old story about a stolen baby.

"The scenarios run through your mind," Cherry said. "Maybe there's a shooter in the mall. Maybe there's an explosive."

In the moment, Cherry said, no one seemed fearful. Aside from one little girl who needed to be calmed down by a cashier, even children appeared antsy but not frightened.

A second announcement to stay in place was made about 10 minutes later, and soon enough shoppers were flooding into the cafe, presumably upon realizing they couldn't exit, Cherry said. The "stay in place" warning remained for about an hour, she said.

"People were concerned and people were buzzing," Cherry said, but "there was not a sense of panic."

Cherry, who has two grown daughters, said she has visited the mall often and never felt unsafe. And on Sunday, she said, she felt if customers were in danger, they would have been told to evacuate.

"There is a sense of unreality, too," Cherry said. "Nothing bad can really be happening here."

Staff writer Jeremy Roebuck contributed to this article.
Daniel Dougherty, left, and his two sons at right. Read more

Daniel Dougherty, locked up these last 18 years, has always insisted he did not set the fire that killed his two young sons in their Philadelphia home in 1985.

Now, Pennsylvania Superior Court is granting him another chance to convince a jury  a third chance, after what appellate courts have deemed to be two unfair trials.

Supporters have long maintained that key testimony from a fire investigator was based on out-of-date and discarded methods of determining arson.

Dougherty, 57, was convicted for the second time last year. But on Tuesday, a three-judge panel of Superior Court ruled that he should get a new trial, citing several failings of the Common Pleas Court trial judge, who allowed:

The introduction of previous testimony by a city fire investigator who was unable to testify at the 2016 retrial, which Superior Court said violated Dougherty's right to face his accusers.

The introduction of a graphic photograph of the two children, pictured dead on a bed, which was inflaming but added "no additional evidentiary value to the jury."

The allowance of testimony that Dougherty was a drunk who hit women, when that behavior was not tied to the homicide and arson charges against him.

"We're certainly pleased and gratified that the Superior Court righted the errors committed by this trial judge," said defense counsel David Fryman, who has worked years with co-counsel Shannon Farmer to free Dougherty. "We're hopeful the District Attorney's Office will finally put an end to the pursuit of a case that never should have been brought in the first place."

Fryman said Dougherty, imprisoned at the Greene correctional institution, was told of the ruling. "He's pleased," Fryman said, "but continues to be frustrated that he's now in his 18th year behind bars and yet to get a fair trial."

The District Attorney's Office can appeal the decision to the full Superior Court, and potentially to the state Supreme Court. Spokesperson Cameron Kline said Tuesday that the office was reviewing the ruling and had not determined whether to appeal.

Dougherty has insisted he is innocent since the first hours after the fire, when he freely agreed to answer investigators' questions. He has always said he loved his sons and tried to save them that night. The fire destroyed the Oxford Circle rowhouse where Dougherty lived with his girlfriend, her young son, and his two boys.

He was not charged until 14 years later, and in 2000 he was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death for killing 3-year-old John and 4-year-old Daniel Jr.

His death sentence was reduced to life in prison in 2012 because of the ineffectiveness of his trial lawyer. In 2014, an appeals court ordered a new trial, saying his original lawyer's failings were so serious that no reliable determination of guilt or innocence occurred.

Those faults centered on the defense failure to challenge the fire science against Dougherty. In the retrial last year, the defense produced nationally known expert John Lentini, head of Scientific Fire Analysis LLC in Florida.

Lentini said that the rowhouse was so badly damaged that it was impossible to determine the cause of the fire and that "undetermined" should have been the classification.

It could have been arson, Lentini said on the stand. But it also could have been a cigarette, dropped and smoldering in a household of smokers.

Prosecutors attacked Lentini as unreliable, a consultant who would "whore himself and say anything" in exchange for a consultant's fee. They introduced the 1985 findings of Assistant Fire Marshal John Quinn, which were supported by consultant and former Fire Marshal Thomas Schneiders. After reviewing the case file, he testified that burn patterns definitively showed the fire was set in three places  a sofa, a love seat, and under a dining room table.

The defense argued that that was wrong. The case was closely watched by legal experts who say the use of outdated fire science has put innocent people in jail, that what was once seen as proof of arson is now known to be proof of nothing.

Dougherty was convicted after a 15-day trial, including seven days of deliberations during which one juror was replaced after becoming emotionally unable to go on.

Upon Dougherty's conviction, Assistant District Attorney Jude Conroy asked the judge to immediately sentence Dougherty to two consecutive life terms. Common Pleas Court Judge J. Scott O'Keefe agreed, adding a concurrent 10- to 20-year penalty for arson. "I haven't seen this despicable of a crime in a long time," O'Keefe said.
Staff writer Tricia L. Nadolny and staff photographer David Swanson have been dispatched to Puerto Rico to report on how the island and its residents are recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Maria. Tricia will be filing daily online dispatches while there.

Nov. 4, 2017

San Juan, Puerto Rico

On Saturday, our last full day in Puerto Rico, I settled in at a nearly empty coffee shop in Old San Juan and quickly found myself having a conversation about Larry Krasner.

Eric Vos, who lived in Philadelphia from 1998 until 2011 and now leads the Federal Public Defender's Office in Puerto Rico, is a big fan of the Democratic nominee for Philadelphia district attorney. As he ordered a pastry at the counter, Vos told me he and Krasner used to share office space in Chinatown.

Since Hurricane Maria hit, Vos has been lucky. His house is fine, and with his government connections he was able to get generators for all his employees. But life has nevertheless changed.

Vos said his wife works for an online tutoring company, and without stable internet access was forced to leave. She is renting a house in Maine and is unsure when she will return.

"It was one of the most heartbreaking things, going to the airport," he said.

Not just because he was saying goodbye, but because all around him others were saying goodbye to their loved ones, too.

As we chatted, not a single person came into La Bombonera.

Eduardo Maldonaeo, who made my cappuccino, told me that on a Saturday, the line typically stretches out the door. He said people come for the Mallorca bread, served with butter and dusted in powdered sugar. (The guava and cheese turnover, I can say, is pretty good, too.)

Outside, the streets were empty. Shops and galleries were boarded shut. The gate to Fort San Cristobal, the castle that looms over the downtown, was locked.

It's a bizarre feeling, trying to be a tourist where tourism has come to a screeching halt. Earlier, I had walked through a souvenir shop open but without electricity, squinting to see the shelves in the dark.

Maldonaeo told me he is optimistic.

"You can see, they're putting the power in today," he said, pointing out of the coffee shop's windows to the utility crews working just outside.

The power will come back, he said, and the tourists will too.

November 3, 2017

Utuado, Puerto Rico

Thursday morning I stood at the edge of a downed bridge in Utuado, Puerto Rico. On the other side was a community cut off from the rest of the island, their only means of travel washed away by a rising river.

So they crossed, one after another, by climbing up and down two homemade ladders that stretched to the river's bed, which was mostly dry that day. They shuttled supplies to and from with a shopping cart tied to a pulley system  perhaps the most resourceful thing I've ever seen.

I interviewed people coming and going from my side of the bridge but wasn't planning to make the journey myself, uneasy about whether the ladder was stable enough.

Then 71-year-old Anna Oquendo arrived and started making her way down to the river.

She had no choice but to cross; Hurricane Maria dealt her this hand.

The least I could do, I thought, was to cross as well and hear the stories of the people on the other side.

I grabbed a fresh notebook and jogged behind her, jumping over pools of water on the river's floor. And in the end the climb up wasn't so bad. The ladder was more solid than I had expected, another credit to these neighbors who banded together when the government didn't reach them until two weeks after the storm.

Once up, I gave Anna a hug and someone translated as I told her she inspired me to come across. I sat for a photo with her beneath a small hut made of bamboo posts and a metal roof, a Puerto Rican flag flying from the top.

November 2, 2017

San Juan, Puerto Rico

David Swanson:

Wednesday was our third day on the island, and a long one spent with five volunteers from Philadelphia and others from the American Red Cross delivering water and food in Florida, a town an hour and a half drive west of San Juan.

After returning to San Juan before sunset, I took a walk to the beach. A few swim, some read from chairs in the sand, not many, but life seems to be getting on in this rich port.

Quetcy Lozada was dripping with sweat as she walked the hills of Cayey, Puerto Rico, destroyed houses on both sides of her.

"Buenos dias!" She yelled. "Agua!"

At the sound of her voice, people came  leaving homes with boarded windows, tarp roofs, second floors completely swept off by the winds of Hurricane Maria. Out of the back of an open minivan, she and other Salvation Army volunteers grabbed boxes of water and food, then kept moving down the street.

I walked beside her, stopping to interview people along the way.

A grandmother who worried about her 10-year-old grandson because he seems to have slipped into a deep depression since the storm. A woman who could only credit the grace of God when she wondered why her house was spared and her neighbors' were destroyed. A daughter who stood in her father's shattered home, only the studs and concrete floor left.

"Do you want a water?" the last woman asked me. "It's all I have."

Lozada said so many people have shown her the same kindness over the last two weeks.

"May your blessings multiply," one man told her Tuesday as she handed him boxes of supplies.

I heard about Lozada's trip to Puerto Rico from Philadelphia City Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez, who is from the island and will be there next week. Lozada is her chief of staff.

Tuesday was her final day of volunteering. Over her two weeks of caring for families in need, she never visited her own family  an aunt, uncle, and cousin who live less than 20 minutes from where she was based.

"I came here with a purpose, and that was to try to serve the island," she said. "I couldn't be selfish and just want to serve my family."

But after her final drop-offs Tuesday, she stole away for a quick visit. On the way, she carried the same question that had ached within her all week: Were they OK?

David and I went along and will bring you the rest of the story on philly.com later this week.

Daisy Lopez returned to Philadelphia from San Juan on Tuesday morning with only the clothes on her back.

She left the rest  shirts, shorts, tank tops, sneakers, even her dental floss, mouthwash, and a small vial of her favorite perfume.

"I left it. I just just left it. How I could I take it knowing she had nothing?" Lopez said of the woman she gave her belongings to.

Lopez, 43, and her fiance, Soraida Perez, 42, who live in Northeast Philadelphia, had planned their trip to Puerto Rico in July, expecting to spend a few days by the beach and to see of their families on the island.

When Hurricane Maria hit, they knew they would keep the tickets. So they set off buying supplies, using about $2,000 of their own money and $1,000 raised through a GoFundMe campaign. They filled five suitcase with batteries, water filtration straws, water purification tablets, solar lights, matches, battery-operated fans, car inverters, tea lights, and mosquito-repellent bracelets.

Perez's 7-year-old nephew packed candy into small gift bags.

The women packed $20 bills into white envelopes, tucking a small note with the name they gave their campaign, Mission Philly Gives to Puerto Rico, in each.

They landed in San Juan on Thursday morning with no itinerary, guided by a perpetual string of need that unfolded all around them. They took several trips during the week to a small community outside San Juan that was washed out by a rising river, where many homes, they said, are still filled with a thick mud.

"It's definitely an emotional roller coaster," Perez said, sitting in the courtyard of a San Juan hotel, a few hours before their red-eye flight home. "How can people live like this? It's so horrible. But when you talk to the people, they're good. They're so positive. They don't have anything and they want to give it to you."

Earlier Monday, the two had wandered aimlessly through Barceloneta, a town on the island's northern coast, following a map hand-drawn by a woman in Philadelphia. The woman, a friend of Perez's, had asked them to find her son. She had a care package for him. But more important, she had bought him a ticket to Philadelphia and hadn't been able to get him the details because his area had so little cellphone coverage.

Perez and Lopez had tried to find the man earlier in the week, circling the town with no luck. On this second try, after more circling, soliciting help from strangers and staring at the map, they saw a man about the age of the one they were looking for leaning out of the second-floor window of a house.

"What's your name?" Lopez yelled up.

"Christian," he said.

He was expecting their visit and came down right away. They handed him the supplies and one of their white envelopes, the details for his flight written on the front.

Only then did they realize had been looking at the map backwards.

"That house is not pink. That car dealer is not there. The Clario is up the street," Perez said, pointing at the map, ending their trip with a deep laugh.

The night before I left for Puerto Rico, I got a frantic phone call from Charito Morales, a Philadelphia woman who is helping to set up a health clinic in the remote, mountainous city of Utuado.

"I need doctors. I need nurses. People are stranded," she told me. "I need medical personnel."

It was difficult to understand her, between the strain in her voice and the grainy cell coverage. I wondered whether she was in a car but didn't ask, sensing she didn't have time for questions. She knew I would be in San Juan the next day, and she quickly asked if I could get word to someone that she needed help. I told her I would try  having no idea how I would  and hung up. Our conversation lasted less than a minute.

I knew this week would be difficult.

I didn't know that kind of desperation would reach me on my couch in South Philadelphia before I even left.

Photographer David Swanson and I decided to go to Puerto Rico to document life after Hurricane Maria and the ties that bind the island and Philadelphia. Our city is home to 134,000 Puerto Ricans. The community has grown steadily and will only grow faster now, with one study estimating Pennsylvania could receive as many as 27,000 migrants from the island in the first year after Hurricane Maria, second behind only Florida.

In the airport Monday morning, I met one woman ready to take that step, 29-year-old Melyssa Bac. She was returning to San Juan with her mother after spending a week and a half visiting her sister, a graduate student at La Salle University.

Bac told me she was thinking of moving to Philadelphia before the storm but now she feels she has no choice. She makes $7.25 an hour as a hair stylist, and her boss can no longer afford to pay her. In Philadelphia, she saw sign after sign in the windows of businesses hiring for the approaching holiday season.

"There are a lot of people hiring," she said. "You don't get to see that in Puerto Rico."

I thanked her for taking the time to talk and boarded the plane. It was a massive jet, eight seats across, yet only a third full. Naively, I had expected it to be packed with people heading to aid in the relief effort.

Then I remembered what someone from the Salvation Army had told me a few weeks after the storm. She could get her volunteers to Puerto Rico, but she was having a hard time getting them back. It was the flights leaving the island, she said, that were full.

This was my first time visiting Puerto Rico.

My husband and I were thinking of taking a trip there next year to celebrate our 30th birthdays. A reporter in my newsroom recently visited with her sons, and I was enchanted when she told me of visiting one of Puerto Rico's three bioluminescent bays, where millions of microscopic organisms glow fluorescent blue when touched, like the filling of a glow stick poured into the water. (It's unclear what long-term impact Maria will have on the natural wonder.)

I wanted to see it myself. Instead, since we landed in San Juan a few hours ago, I've seen palm trees with the tops in tatters, bare billboard frames lining the highway, electrical wires hanging over streets, and pristine yet desolate beaches. Many appear shell-shocked.

Cellphone and internet coverage on the island is spotty and, in many places, nonexistent. But we plan to post here whenever we can. You can also follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

When I know more, I'll bring an update on Charito Morales. After I hung up with her, I texted the translator whom David and I will be working with this week. He called Morales to get more details on what kind of help she needs  pediatrics, she told him, among other things  and told her he would reach out to an acquaintance in the medical field.

Hopefully, by the time I see her in a few days, that help will have arrived.
KABUL, Afghanistan  Taliban insurgents said Monday that an American professor abducted more than a year ago in Afghanistan is gravely ill and needs urgent care. They called on the U.S. government to accede to their demands in exchange for releasing him and a colleague.

Kevin King, 60, was seized at gunpoint along with Australian Timothy Weeks, 48, in their vehicle outside the American University of Afghanistan here in August 2016. The pair next appeared in a video in January, apparently unharmed but tearfully asking President Trump to secure their release by agreeing to free imprisoned militants.

Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, said that the group had "periodically tried to treat and cure" King but that "since we are facing a war situation, we do not really have access to health facilities to provide him complete treatment."

In an email to members of the media, Mujahid said that King was suffering from serious heart disease, kidney problems and swollen feet and that the group would hold the U.S. government responsible if anything happened to him. The spokesman said the Taliban has presented the United States with demands it wants met in return for the pair's release, but he did not reveal what the demands were or how they had been communicated.

The U.S. Embassy in Kabul said U.S. officials were aware of the Taliban statement. On Monday afternoon, the embassy called for the "immediate and unconditional release" of King and all other hostages.

Calling the Taliban's actions "appalling," the embassy said in a statement that the U.S. government "will never stop trying to recover [King and Weeks] and other Americans held by criminal and terrorist networks around the world." It made no mention of any Taliban demands or negotiations.

American University officials also urged the Taliban to immediately release both faculty members unharmed. The men are "innocent victims of a criminal abduction" who came "to teach Afghan youth and contribute to building a peaceful Afghanistan," the university said. "They have done no harm to anyone."

A spokeswoman for the university, Zubaida Akbar, said in a statement that everyone connected with the institution was "saddened and disturbed" by the Taliban message about King's deteriorating health.

Addressing King directly, the statement said: "Kevin, we are immensely sad to hear about your health situation. Please know that you and Tim remain in our thoughts and prayers. We will not stop trying to work for your release. We urge your kidnappers to release you at once."

King's condition has "exponentially worsened, his feet have begun swelling, he frequently loses consciousness and his health is deteriorating rapidly," the Taliban statement said.

"Since the American side does not care about the life and death of its nationals, hence we are warning them to accept the demands of the Islamic Emirate presented for the freedom of these two detainees and secure their release," it said.

"However, if they insist on delaying this matter and the illness of Kevin King becomes incurable or he loses his life, the Islamic Emirate will not be held responsible," the Taliban said.

One month after King and Weeks were abducted, the Pentagon said it had mounted an unsuccessful nighttime mission to recover them, but it did not say where. Officials said a team of Navy SEALs made two attempts to raid a compound where the hostages were thought to be held. In the second attempt, a firefight erupted in which seven militants were killed, but the hostages were not found, officials said.

After the video appearance in January, the pair were again seen in a video in June appealing to Trump for help. The Taliban has reportedly demanded the release of its fighters being held in Afghanistan, both at the U.S.-run Bagram air base and at the Afghan-operated Pul-i-Charkhi prison outside Kabul.

In the second video, King, wearing a long beard, says: "My captors treat me well. They treat me and my colleague Tim Weeks as their guests, but every prisoner's final wish is to get freedom from prison." Weeks urged Australian officials to raise the issue in Parliament.

Security analysts have said that the pair are probably being held by the Haqqani network, a hard-line Taliban faction that has orchestrated numerous deadly attacks in Afghanistan. The Trump administration has repeatedly accused Pakistan of sheltering Haqqani militants, a charge Pakistan has denied.

The Haqqanis, long based in the rugged border region, also reportedly engineered several abductions of foreign nationals, including that of an American woman, Caitlan Coleman, and her Canadian husband, Joshua Boyle. The couple, kidnapped in 2012 while hiking in Afghanistan, were rescued with their three children several weeks ago in what Pakistan described as a military operation just inside its border.

After their release, Boyle said his wife was raped by a guard and that an infant daughter was murdered. The Taliban denied the allegations, saying she lost the child in a miscarriage.
Christopher Cantwell, a self-professed white nationalist arrested in the days after the violent demonstrations in Charlottesville, Va., in August, has hosted an internet radio show from the confines of a Virginia jail for more than two months.

Cantwell was prominently featured in a Vice News documentary about violence in Charlottesville, where another white nationalist allegedly drove into a crowd, killing a counterprotester, during the Aug. 12 "Unite the Right" rally. Two state police officers who had been monitoring the protests also died when their helicopter crashed after leaving the scene.

After the rally, Cantwell was charged with one count of malicious bodily injury by means of a caustic substance and two felony counts of illegal use of tear gas. He has been at the Albemarle-Charlottesville jail since he turned himself in to police after posting an emotional video about his arrest warrant.

In response to the video, he was widely dubbed "the crying Nazi" on social media.

Since then, Cantwell, 36, has called into white nationalist Internet radio shows while also hosting his own from jail  all without violating jail rules. He discusses current events, solicits donations for his legal defense, refers to himself as a "talk-radio personality" and "political prisoner," and appears with other white nationalists such as David Duke, Mike Enoch and "Unite the Right" organizer Jason Kessler.

Cantwell's recordings are sometimes titled "Live from Seg" or "Letters from a Charlottesville Jail"  a take on Martin Luther King Jr.'s famed "Letter from Birmingham Jail," written in 1963 after he was incarcerated for participating in Alabama civil rights protests. In one episode, Cantwell says he was reading books sent by allies to "become a real expert anti-Semite" and describes seeing James Fields Jr., who was housed on the same unit. Fields is accused ramming his car into the crowd of "Unite the Right" counterprotesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer.

In his most recent recording, dated Oct. 26, Cantwell criticizes members of the alt-right who have distanced themselves from white nationalism in the wake of Charlottesville.

"This is a war," he said. "You want to just play the center in a war between ideological extremes, all you're going to be doing is getting shot at by both sides."

Martin Kumer, the Ablemarle-Charlottesville jail superintendent, said administrators know about Cantwell's recordings but can't stop them because inmates have a right to freedom of speech. He said Cantwell's calls, except for those to legal counsel, are monitored.

"We certainly don't allow a podcast from a cellblock. He merely calls someone else who's recording his phone conversation, they digitize the phone conversation, they put it on the blog," Kumer said. "It's not as though we provide him with equipment to assist in this matter or condone it, we just don't have any control."

Jonathan M. Smith, executive director of the Washington Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, said the First Amendment protects Cantwell's speech behind bars, regardless of how offensive some might consider it.

"Unless he's running a criminal enterprise using the telephone or encouraging criminal conduct through broadcasts or phone conversations, there's very little that correctional officials can do to prevent it," he said.

Paul Wright, who was released from prison in 2003 after serving time for felony murder, is the editor of Prison Legal News, a magazine that reports on criminal justice issues. He said prisoners, from former Black Panther and convicted murderer Mumia Abu-Jamal to white nationalists, are allowed to broadcast messages from prison in different ways. From about 1998 to 2000, Wright broadcast a radio show himself from a prison in Washington state.

"Just because we disagree with the guy, I'm not going to be the one that says, 'Let's shut him down,' " he said of Cantwell.

Cantwell and other white nationalists have been exiled from the internet since the Charlottesville attack. Links from Cantwell's website to his Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube accounts indicate that the accounts are no longer available or were suspended.

In the Oct. 26 broadcast, Cantwell said he hoped to be released after a preliminary hearing on Nov. 9.
White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly called Robert E. Lee an honorable man and said the Civil War could have been avoided through compromise. Read more

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly was the guest for the premiere of Laura Ingraham's new show on Fox News Monday night. During the interview, he outlined a view of the history of the Civil War that historians described as "strange," "highly provocative," "dangerous," and "kind of depressing."

Kelly was asked about the decision of a church in Alexandria, Va., to remove plaques honoring George Washington and Robert E. Lee.

"I would tell you that Robert E. Lee was an honorable man," Kelly said. "He was a man that gave up his country to fight for his state, which 150 years ago was more important than country. It was always loyalty to state first back in those days. Now it's different today. But the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War, and men and women of good faith on both sides made their stand where their conscience had them make their stand."

"That statement could have been given by [former Confederate general] Jubal Early in 1880," said Stephanie McCurry, professor of history at Columbia University and author of Confederate Reckoning: Politics and Power in the Civil War South.

"What's so strange about this statement is how closely it tracks or resembles the view of the Civil War that the South had finally got the nation to embrace by the early 20th century," she said. "It's the Jim Crow version of the causes of the Civil War. I mean, it tracks all of the major talking points of this pro-Confederate view of the Civil War."

Kelly makes several points. That Lee was honorable. That fighting for state was more important than fighting for country. That a lack of compromise led to the war. That good people on both sides were fighting for conscientious reasons. Both McCurry and David Blight, professor of history at Yale University and author of Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory, broadly reject all of these arguments.

"This is profound ignorance, that's what one has to say first, at least of pretty basic things about the American historical narrative," Blight said. "I mean, it's one thing to hear it from Trump who, let's be honest, just really doesn't know any history and has demonstrated it over and over and over. But General Kelly has a long history in the American military."

Blight described Kelly's argument in similar terms as McCurry  an "old reconciliationist narrative" about the Civil War that, in the last half-century or so has "just been exploded" by historical research since.

The idea that compromise might have been possible was rejected out of hand by both McCurry and Blight.

"It was not about slavery, it was about honorable men fighting for honorable causes?" McCurry said. "Well, what was the cause?  In 1861, they were very clear on what the causes of the war were. The reason there was no compromise possible was that people in the country could not agree over the wisdom of the continued and expanding enslavement of millions of African-Americans."

There were a number of compromises on slavery that led up to the Civil War, from the drafting of the Constitution to the addition of new states to the Union.

"Any serious person who knows anything about this," Blight said, "can look at the late 1850s and then the secession crisis and know that they tried all kind of compromise measures during the secession winter, and nothing worked. Nothing was viable."

"All of these compromises were about creating a division where slavery already existed and where for a time they conceded that the constitution shackled them in their ability to attack it," McCurry said. Before the war, the strategy for dealing with slavery was to contain it. By 1860, she said, the North's economic success and expanding population and the South's loss of representation in national politics put slavery at risk. The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 allowed Southern slaveholders  who had $4 billion in wealth in the form of enslaved people, McCurry said  to argue that the threat to slavery was imminent.

"In 1861, compromise wasn't possible because some southerners just wanted out. They wanted a separate nation where they could protect slavery into the indefinite future," McCurry said. "That's what they said when they seceded. That's what they said in their constitution when they wrote one."

Kelly's framework is "also rooted, frankly, in a Lost Cause mentality that swept over American culture in the wake of the war, swept over northerners," Blight said, "this idea that good and honorable men of the South were pushed aside and exploited by the 'fanatical'  ironically  first Republican Party."

Blight noted that Lee wasn't simply defending his home state of Virginia against Northern aggression.

"Of course we yearn for compromise, we yearn for civility, we yearn for some common ground," he added. "But, look, Robert E. Lee was not a compromiser. He chose treason."

"The best of the Lee biographies show that Lee was a Confederate nationalist," Blight said. "He knew what he was fighting for."

Both historians, though, held particular disdain for the idea that putting state over nation was the essence of the fight.

"My God, where does he get that from?" Blight asked. "That denies the very reason to be, the essential reason for the existence of the original Republican Party, which formed in the 1850s to stop the expansion of slavery and ended up developing a political ideology that threatened the South because they really were going to cordon off slavery."

"This idea that state came first? No, it didn't!" he said. "The Northern people rallied around stopping secession! This comment is so patently wrong."

"It's one thing to say Lee chose state over country," McCurry said. "What [Kelly] says is that was his country. That would be news to 350,000 Union war dead."

"It's just so absurd," Blight said. "It's just so sad. It's just so disappointing that generations of history have been written to explode all of this and yet millions of people  serious people; experienced, serious people and now people with tremendous power  have grown up believing all this."

There was, however, a small silver lining.

"This Trump-era ignorance and misuse of history is forcing historians  and I think this is a good thing  to use words like 'truth' and 'right or wrong,' " Blight said. "In the academy we get very caught up in relativism and whether we can be objective and so on, and that's a real argument."

"But there are some things that are just not true," he said. "And we've got to point that out."
White House chief of staff John F. Kelly said Monday he would not apologize for the false attacks he leveled against Rep. Frederica Wilson (D., Fla.) earlier this month when he sought to defend President Trump for his handling of a condolence call to the widow of a fallen soldier.

On Oct. 19, in a rare appearance at the White House press briefing, Kelly attacked Wilson as an "empty barrel" and accused her of grandstanding at a public event two years ago in Florida by taking credit for securing federal funding for a new building.

Video of the event soon released by the Sun Sentinel newspaper of South Florida showed Wilson did no such thing. Rather, she used her speech to praise the two slain FBI agents in whose memory the building was named. Wilson accused Kelly of "character assassination," and members of the Congressional Black Caucus demanded that Kelly apologize.

In an interview to be telecast Monday night, Fox News Channel host Laura Ingraham asked Kelly whether he had something to apologize for.

"Oh, no," Kelly replied. "No. Never. Well, I'll apologize if I need to. But for something like that, absolutely not. I stand by my comments."

Kelly suggested that he may have been accusing Wilson of grandstanding in a private discussion, as opposed to in her public speech, though his comment to Ingraham was vague.

"I'll go back and talk about before her comments and at the reception afterwards," Kelly said. "Again, it was a package deal. Don't want to get into it."

Kelly went on to say that Myeshia Johnson, the widow of fallen Sgt. La David Johnson, has acted within her rights to speak out publicly about Trump's handling of his condolence call.

"As far as the young widow goes, she has every right to say what she wants to say," Kelly told Ingraham. "But it's the politicization of something that was so from the heart."

Ingraham's interview  one of Kelly's rare public appearances  delved into a range of other topics, including the removal of Confederate and other historical monuments, an issue that has animated Trump in recent months.

Ingraham asked Kelly about a historic church in Alexandria, Va., where former President George Washington worshiped, deciding to remove plaques memorializing both Washington and Confederate general Robert E. Lee because they were considered intolerant.

"Well, history's history," Kelly said. "And there are certain things in history that were not so good and other things that were very, very good. I think we make a mistake, though, and as a society and certainly as individuals, when we take what is today accepted as right and wrong and go back 100, 200, 300 years or more and say what those, you know, what Christopher Columbus did was wrong."

Kelly added, "Human history, our culture is an evolving thing. There will be 100 or 200 years from now people that criticize us for what we do, and I guess they'll tear down, you know, statues of people that we revere today. I think it's dangerous.  I think it's just very, very dangerous, and it shows you what, how much of a lack of appreciation of history and what history is."
Paul Manafort at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Rick Gates is at center rear. Both were indicted Monday. Read more

The indictment of President Trump's former campaign manager and the guilty plea of a campaign adviser who lied about Russian contacts still fall short of definitive evidence of collusion with Russia.

But they are the first shoes to drop, heavily, and there will be more from the investigation led by Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller.

So when White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says such stunning events have "nothing to do with the president or his campaign's activities," the facts already contradict her. Big time.

What's already clear  from the plea by ex-foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos and the behavior of Paul Manafort  is that Moscow was eager to give the Trump campaign illegally obtained dirt on Hillary Clinton and the Trump team was eager to obtain it. In other words, eager to collude with a country whose leader, Vladimir Putin, is hostile to the United States and was interfering in a U.S. election.

What we don't know yet is whether the Trumpsters' yen to collude with Moscow ever led a concrete deal.

To understand where the Manafort and Papadopoulos pieces fit into the bigger picture, you need some history.

First point: Manafort was known to be in Russia's pocket well before he became Trump's campaign manager in March 2016. He had been a longtime public relations lobbyist for former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, a corrupt Kremlin crony who was ousted in a popular uprising in 2014. The Ukrainian leader was closely tied to Russian oligarchs, some of whom Manafort also got involved with  notably Putin buddy Oleg Deripaska, to whom Manafort owed $17 million.

The federal indictment accuses Manafort and his protege Rick Gates of laundering more than $75 million they received from Yanukovych and his political parties from 2006 to 2016 via offshore accounts and overseas shell companies without paying taxes. A huge chunk of the money went to fund his luxurious lifestyle.

This was a man indebted to the Kremlin, in hock to a Putin ally, dogged by deep secrets that opened him to potential blackmail. He had every reason to want to collude with Moscow irrespective of U.S. interests. At the Republican National Convention, Manafort's minions excised wording from the platform that would have provided Ukraine with defensive arms to counter Russian aggression.

The Washington Post reported that less than two weeks before Trump won the Republican nomination, Manafort offered to provide Deripaska with private briefings on the race. "The relationship with Deripaska raises questions about Manafort's relations with Putin," says John Herbst, former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine.

So, while the indictment of Manafort doesn't directly link to campaign activity, it does provide the backdrop to Mueller's quest to learn if any Trumpsters colluded with Moscow.

Second point: Putin held a deep grievance against Hillary Clinton, whom he blamed for 2011 protests in Moscow after Russian elections (the Kremlin blames every popular revolt in the former Soviet Union on Washington). So Moscow was eager to help Trump and undermine Clinton, including handing over hacked emails to Wikileaks. The Russians also thought they could more easily manipulate Trump: The New York Times reported that top Russian officials discussed how to influence Trump aides last summer.

Third point: Candidate Trump made publicly clear he was open to Kremlin assistance, urging Moscow to hack Hillary. "Russia, if you're listening, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing," he said on July 27, 2016. He also said Russian hacking "gives me no pause."

This brings us to today's guilty plea by Papadopoulos, one of the campaign's early foreign policy advisers. He admitted to lying about an April 2016 meeting with a source closely linked to the Russian government who told him Moscow had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton, including "thousands of emails." Federal court documents indicate senior campaign officials, probably including Manafort, encouraged Papadopoulos to pursue this route.

In case you buy spokeswoman Sanders' argument that Papadopoulos was unimportant, please recall a similar meeting with Russians in June 2016 that included the Trump family. Donald Trump Jr., First Son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Manafort met in Trump Tower with a Kremlin-connected Russian lawyer who had promised to deliver documents that would damage Clinton. "I love it," Trump Jr. responded via email to the intermediary who set up the meeting.

So how does all of this add up?

We (and the feds) know that Manafort was in touch with Kremlin contacts as campaign adviser in ways that were deeply improper.

We know that Papadopoulos, along with Manafort, Kushner, and Trump Jr., were seeking dirt from Moscow on Clinton, including emails hacked by Russia as part of an effort to disrupt the U.S. election.

We still don't know if these dots will link up to reveal indictable offenses, nor what former national security adviser Michael Flynn's Russian adventures might add to the picture. But today's events reveal the Trump team's intentions.

In normal times, this information alone would discredit an administration (and there is no comparison here to the Democrats' opposition research  whose goal was to expose, not collude with, Kremlin misbehavior).

But these times are not normal. The president's campaign adviser and family followed his lead in seeking to collude with the Kremlin to undermine a U.S. election. Yes, they won the ballot, but they have dirtied themselves.
Fox News Sean Hannity (left) did his best to deflect from Mondays news, which a seething President Trump watch unfold on cable TV. Read more

"This may be one of the most important monologues I ever give on this show."

That's how Sean Hannity started his Fox News show on Monday night, weaving in and out of conspiracy theories involving Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (whom he referred to as "President Clinton") in an attempt to distract his audience from charges against three former Trump advisers.

On what the Associated Press described as "black Monday for Donald Trump's White House," former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his protege Rick Gates, who also worked on the campaign, were charged for allegedly funneling payments through foreign companies and bank accounts as part of their private political work in Ukraine. In addition, authorities disclosed that George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy advisor on Trump's campaign, had admitted to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia  the first criminal case featuring interactions between the Trump campaign and Russian officials during the 2016 presidential campaign.

A fuming Hannity, Trump's most devoted cheerleader on cable news, set out to argue that, despite the charges, there was "zero evidence of Trump-Russia collusion." Instead, he spent the better part of the hour ignoring the "pathetic" indictment and focusing instead on the candidate who ultimately lost to Trump.

"This is beyond insanity and it's inexcusable. Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, the Obama Administration allowed your national security to be compromised in what is an unprecedented way and few in the media will touch this story," Hannity said, "Major crimes were committed. They knew about it. They did nothing before the deal."

Hannity referred many times to the complicated Uranium One deal, which conservative media figures have been hyping up in an attempt to undermine Mueller's credibility (he was FBI director at the time the deal was initiated). Hannity also brought up the notorious Trump dossier, which was funded during the election by Republicans opposed to Trump, the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign.

Hannity focused on the last two funders.

"Of course, they use Russian sources, bought and paid for by Hillary, the DNC and Obama to smear Trump and influence the election with Russian lies," Hannity said. "Probably the biggest scandal of all is Bill and Hillary Clinton selling out America's national security to Putin and the Russians."

Watch:

Trump was watching TV and seething

In July, President Trump tweeted that he was so focused on policy debates over health care and tax reform that he didn't have much time to watch television.

On Monday, the president found time to watch the unfolding coverage of charges being filed against three of his former campaign staffers, and according to multiple reports, he wasn't to pleased.

"Watching the developments unfold on the large TV screens installed in his private residence, Trump was 'seething,' according to a Republican close to the White House," reported CNN's Jeff Zeleny and Kevin Liptak, who wrote that Papadopoulos' guilty plea was unexpected and stirred unease within the White House.

CNN also reported the Trump grew increasingly frustrated as he believed cable news was inflating his former aides' roles in his campaign.

In a piece citing 20 sources, The Washington Post reported that Trump watched the news coverage from his private third-story residence "with exasperation and disgust."

Trump continued to refer to Mueller's investigation Tuesday as "fake news" and falsely claimed that Manafort's and Gates' alleged activities occurred before they joined Trump's campaign.

Ex-Trump adviser says he may have discussed Russia

"Congrats for not being indicted!"

That's how MSNBC host Chris Hayes welcomed his guest, Carter Page, on Monday night. Page, a foreign policy adviser on Trump's 2016 president campaign, said he may have exchanged emails about Russia with a controversial figure whose guilty plea in Mueller's Russia investigation made shockwaves on Monday.

"It may have come up, yeah," Page told Hayes when asked if he had discussed Russia during the campaign with Papadopoulos, who admitted to lying to the FBI about communications he had during the campaign with officials who were identified as agents of the Russian government.

Page, who is scheduled to testify before a House intelligence committee panel on Thursday, told a stunned Hayes that he "might have been" on email threads with Papadopoulos in which Russia "may have come up from time to time." Page said nothing major was discussed.

Page traveled to Moscow in July 2016, which was shortly after Papadopoulos forwarded a request to his supervisor in the campaign from Russian officials interested in meeting with then-candidate Trump.

"I definitely did not represent anyone from the Trump campaign during my trip, and was always there just as a private citizen," Page said.

Watch:
Since 2016, SEPTA Regional Rail trains have become more punctual. But many improvements remain to be done. Read more

For commuters heading home to Bucks County and Trenton at the end of the workday, this was about the last thing they wanted to hear.

"SEPTA train service is suspended " came the announcement over the speakers at 5:20 p.m. last Tuesday. Commuters gathering on the platforms looked up at the arrivals boards only to realize their trains weren't arriving. For the next hour, service was knocked out completely. They continued to see red  notices of cancellations and substantial delays even after the trains began moving again.

The culprit was a failed signal, but not SEPTA's  Amtrak's.

The Trenton line has more than 12,000 daily riders  and nearly 1 in 5 trains were late last month, according to SEPTA data.

Riders on the Wilmington/Newark Line endured late trains 17 percent of the time in September. The Paoli/Thorndale Line was late more than out of every 10 trips. Overall, these three lines account for 44 percent of SEPTA's ridership during the work week.

Those lines are the worst performers in the SEPTA system, and all have one thing in common: They share rails with Amtrak. The lines have been shared for decades and cover 108 miles of SEPTA trips, leaving the transit agency vulnerable to collateral damage. Regional Rail can be affected by events 300 miles away and by high-speed trains barreling through.

"You never know how late your train is going to be," said Elaine Kramer, 59, who rides the Wilmington route. "We're at their mercy and everybody feels the same way."

New timetables coming soon should be more accurate  a result of long-overdue technology that SEPTA finished installing this year  thus commuters won't be left waiting for trains that are chronically behind schedule. Amtrak and SEPTA also tout increased coordination in the past year to address conflicts that have contributed to delays. Still, sharing the tracks on four routes is perhaps the thorniest challenge to SEPTA's system-wide goal of 90 percent reliability. These are the routes that riders say are no better than a year ago  and overall, SEPTA's performance data shows these lines have remained just as late, or even later, in 2017 as in 2015.

Efforts to address conflicts with Amtrak are among improvements SEPTA has made to the Regional Rail in the last year  but also highlight the work that remains to be done since The Inquirer and Daily News last looked at the state of the commuter rail. Today, in the third day of a five-part series, we examine how Amtrak affects the ride. (Read part one and part two.)

The Amtrak-sharing lines have made halting progress over the course of the year, but unlike the rest of the rail, none of them has attained a 90 percent on-time rate in 2017. The other line that has not cleared that mark is the Lansdale/Doylestown line, which does not share Amtrak rail but is the northeast spur of the Paoli line and is affected by delays there. The Chestnut Hill West Line is the only one now consistently running above SEPTA's self-imposed 90 percent rate. It made an admirable post-Silverliner crisis recovery, going from a 53 percent on-time rate last August to 92 percent this August.

"Literally problems and construction projects that happen all the way up in Boston can sometimes have ripple effects all the way down," said Jeff Knueppel, SEPTA general manager.

Last year, he described running trains on those lines as "flying blind." SEPTA officials have historically had a surprising lack of information about how quickly or slowly Regional Rail trains operated on the Amtrak lines. Amtrak does not share all its train data with SEPTA, so the authority's officials have made scheduling estimates based on what they observed while riding the trains. The technique was imprecise, and so were the schedules.

Now, all trains are equipped with locator modems, installed with a new safety system. SEPTA now has comprehensive real-time information on how its trains are running on Amtrak lines: where they hit traffic, where they conflict with Amtrak trains, where boarding takes longer. Amtrak-related slow-ups are inevitable, but now schedules can be made more realistic.

"It's really the first opportunity we've had to have really good data," Knueppel said. "We have to understand why  [what] we thought were the way things are going [isn't] the way things are going."

In December, riders will get new schedules with changes targeting the routes shared with Amtrak. SEPTA anticipates the new timetables will bring additional improvements to the Paoli/Thorndale Line and the Trenton Line, which the real-time data has revealed is being slowed by traffic coming in and out of Trenton's Amtrak station.

There are also plans for SEPTA to switch over to the same scheduling software Amtrak uses within about a year, which would allow the two agencies to build schedules together, Knueppel said.

The push and pull between two very different rail services is part of the reason Matt Mitchell, vice president of the Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers, believes there is a ceiling to how good SEPTA's on-time rate can get.

"Low 90s [percent] is realistic," he said. "High 90s is not."

Coordination between SEPTA and Amtrak historically has been wanting; last year, managers pledged to improve communication with Amtrak.

"Agencies are quicker to talk to each other. Now as soon as one office knows something is going to impact the other, they will call immediately," said Shawn Gordon, a deputy general manager at Amtrak. "I think customers can expect for it to continue to improve."

During biweekly conference calls, both agencies discuss problematic delays and talk about how to improve. They meet in person four times a year. Gordon said that the recent meetings have taken the relationship to new levels and the agencies are making progress toward resolving their track-sharing issues.

Along the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak's signaling systems and catenary (the overhead wires that power electric trains) are a century old and need an upgrade. Amtrak spends about $300 million a year on good repair work on the corridor, but about $700 million and $900 million of work still is needed.

In the last two months, service has improved on the Paoli and Wilmington lines: Compared to September 2015, the Paoli line's on-time rate was up seven percentage points, to 85 percent, and the Wilmington line was up by 8 percentage points.

The Trenton line, which runs through the heart of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, continues to have trouble sustaining gains from month to month. But it too showed some improvement, bettering its September 2015 performance by four percentage points.

In the evening, Elaine Kramer tries to catch a 5:14 p.m. train at Suburban Station. There are times when the train is so late she'll just get on the next train at 5:38 p.m.

Improvements in the schedule would make it easier for Kramer, who is often worried about getting home on time to an elderly friend for whom she is a caregiver.

"If my train's late and I don't get home until 7, that throws everything out of whack," she said. "I don't know how I've been doing this commute for so long."
Paul Manafort, President Donald Trumps former campaign chairman, departs at Federal District Court in Washington, Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. Manafort,was told to surrender to federal authorities Monday, according to reports and a person familiar with the matter. Read more

Happy Halloween, pals! How many of you are hastily throwing together a clever political costume for this evening? The possibilities are endless: Zombie Mooch, Fake Melania, Sexy Grand Jury Indictment. (We're operating on a loose definition of "clever" here.)

This newsletter covers President Trump and how his policies affect greater Philadelphia. You can sign up here to get it in your inbox, for free, every week. You can send suggestions/complaints/questions my way by email or on Twitter, and if you like this newsletter, please forward it to a friend!

 Aubrey Whelan

Today, lets talk about the indictments.

Whats at stake

To hear President Trump tell it, absolutely nothing  he's spent these heady 24 hours emphasizing that Paul Manafort's alleged money laundering and unregistered foreign lobbying took place before he, y'know, hired him to run his campaign. That clears things up!

But Trump has said comparatively little about George Papadopoulos, yesterday's real surprise  the foreign-policy adviser who admitted he'd lied to the FBI about trying to connect the Trump campaign with Russian officials last year. It's long been established that Trump was Russia's favored candidate  but the guilty plea is arguably the first real evidence that someone on the Trump campaign was open to their overtures (and that someone knew about the Clinton email hack months before it became public).

The administration has described Papadopoulos as a low-level campaign staffer of little importance, but keen-eyed observers on Twitter were quick to point out that Trump rattled his name off  even called him an "excellent guy"  when the Washington Post asked him to lay out his foreign policy team last March.

The local angle

Shockingly, for once, the only Philadelphian involved in the current brouhaha is Robert Mueller himself. And while Philly is no stranger to audacious acts of political corruption (which is putting it lightly), presidential historian and Princeton professor Julian Zelizer told me yesterday that the only real equivalents to what's taking place now are the Watergate scandal and Ronald Reagan's Iran-contra scandal.

Whats ahead

Zelizer says Trump's attempts to shrug off the Manafort charges fall flat. Trump did hire him to run his campaign, after all, at an especially crucial moment: The first wave of emails from the Clinton camp were leaking out, and intelligence agencies were beginning to grow concerned about foreign influence in the election.

And Monday's indictments mean we're in it for the long haul, Zelizer says.

"This is a president who doesn't have any legislation when his first year ends, and has these very low approval ratings  this is a struggling president," he said. "And [the indictments] ensure that you're going to have several months if not another year of the investigation. Just the Manafort part of this is going to take a while."

He says the scope of the allegations against Manafort  "a pretty massive money laundering scheme"  means the feds might try to flip him in exchange for testimony, as they apparently did with Papadopoulos.

Still, it's instructive to look at past presidential scandals to see what might happen next. Watergate destroyed Nixon, but Reagan emerged from the Iran-contra scandal relatively unscathed. "These are murky issues," Zelizer said. "It could be a big scandal but in the end not lead to impeachment." As hard as it is to predict anything in the days ahead, he said, political observers should be watching for who starts to talk, if Congressional Republicans turn on Trump and whether Trump starts hinting about going after Mueller  the president's tweets will likely define this investigation, as they define his presidency.

What theyre saying

"Russia has been eager to meet Mr. Trump for quite sometime and have been reaching out to me to discuss."  George Papadopoulos, in a May 2016 email to Trump campaign higher-ups.

"Nothing is gonna derail what we're doing in Congress because we're working on solving people's problems."  Rep. Paul Ryan, valiantly staying on-message on a day when tax reform is the last thing on anyone's mind.

"I hope people will start to focus on our Massive Tax Cuts for Business (jobs) and the Middle Class (in addition to Democrat corruption)!"  President Trump on Twitter this morning, unable to resist getting in a dig at the Dems.

In other news

The enrollment period to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act  you may have forgotten that it is still the law  starts tomorrow. The enrollment period has been cut in half, there's less outreach this year about how to sign up, and President Trump's executive order dismantling some aspects of the law means some premiums are set to skyrocket, pushing people out of the marketplace (though, thanks to a quirk in how the law works, some people in Philly and its suburbs might actually end up paying less  or nothing  on their premiums). Antoinette Kraus of the Pennsylvania Health Access Network told me that health advocacy groups are still working to sign people up. Health navigators have been swamped with calls, she said: "There's just so much confusion this year, and we're encouraging folks to start the process sooner rather than later."

A federal judge in D.C. has blocked part of Trump's ban on transgender people serving in the military.

Posts made by Russian operatives on Facebook during the campaign reached some 126 million people, the company will testify today at a Congressional hearing  way more than they've previously reported.

What Im reading

A non-political palate cleanser

In the spirit of Halloween, here is a New Yorker story that gets real philosophical about Bigfoot, and here's an Inquirer story about a most Philadelphian tradition: finding skeletons on construction digs.
Cass Sunstein, the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard Law School and a former official in the Obama administration, is coming to the National Constitution Center at 6:30 p.m. Monday to discuss his new book, "Impeachment: A Citizen's Guide." He agreed to answer a few questions on the topic in light of the indictment of Paul Manafort and Rick Gates on Monday.

1. What are the most common misperceptions about impeachment?

There are two.

The first, and the worst, is that you can't impeach a president unless he has committed a crime. Not so.

If the president announces that he is going to pardon everyone who has given money to his campaign, he is impeachable  even though giving such pardons is not a crime. If the president starts locking up his political opponents, he's impeachable, whether or not he has committed a crime. If a president decides that he is going to spend the summer vacationing in the Swiss Alps, he can be impeached (and he should be).

In short, high crimes and misdemeanors are egregious abuses, or terrible neglect, of presidential powers. That lesson emerges clearly from the founding period, and from the debates at the Constitutional Convention and also during ratification.

Presidents can abuse their authority without committing a crime  and neglect of authority is hardly ever criminal.

The second misconception is that if a president commits a crime, he's impeachable. Not so.

If the president shoplifts or jaywalks, or smacks his attorney general in the nose, he can't be impeached. Income tax evasion is bad, but it's not an impeachable offense. What's needed is an abuse of presidential authority, and plenty of crimes just aren't that.

2. In U.S. history thus far, has impeachment been a criminal justice tool or a political one?

Neither.

It has not been a criminal justice tool, and it should not be. Remember: Impeachment is not about crimes at all. Above all, it is a way for We the People to protect ourselves.

We can protect ourselves against terrible misconduct without thinking that we are engaged in criminal justice. The Nixon impeachment was not, mostly, about criminal justice.

A more qualified statement: In general, impeachment has not been a political tool. The best evidence is that on numerous occasions, political opponents of a president have not even tried to impeach him. Think: Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama.

So even when the president has met sharp opposition, and devastating attacks, he has usually been free from any kind of impeachment inquiry. That's good. It shows fidelity to the constitutional system.

On the other hand, the two presidential impeachments were politically motivated: Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. In both of them, the constitutional standard just wasn't met.

The Clinton impeachment is the more immediate, so let's focus on that one. Recall that the charges involved perjury and obstruction of justice in connection with a sexual-harassment case.

Those are serious charges, but they don't get close to the kind of thing that concerned Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and the rest. Clinton did not commit high crimes and misdemeanors in the constitutional sense.

3. There has been talk of impeaching President Trump in some quarters since his inauguration. In light of that, what do you think the indictments handed down Monday mean?

I wrote the book partly because of wild, premature talk of impeaching President Trump, as early as January and February. You can't impeach a president because you disagree with his policies or don't like him  and you shouldn't try. I wanted to get a kind of nonpartisan discussion out there, as a primer, and I hoped that it might be useful no matter who the president is.

My focus has been on the period between 1750 and 1800 (a good, inspiring place to focus). While I do discuss subsequent officials, there is no discussion of any official post-Clinton. In fact, Trump does not appear in the book.

In terms of Monday's indictments: Let's make some distinctions. If campaign officials are indicted, there need not be any serious issue about impeachment. If they mishandled money, lied to federal investigators, or otherwise violated the criminal law, we need not have any questions about impeachment. They might have done something wrong, even terrible, but we would have no abuse of presidential authority (and we might have no effort by the candidate to procure the presidency by corrupt means  which would raise an impeachment issue).

To be sure, and speaking hypothetically: If the president was personally involved in criminality, we could start to have a discussion. Again speaking hypothetically: That discussion would get serious if there was any kind of coordination with Russia.

As far as I am aware, there is as yet no evidence, and as yet no reason to believe, that as a candidate, Trump encouraged or was aware of any such coordination. If so, we probably should not raise an impeachment question. Those who oppose the commander-in-chief on political grounds have a special obligation (I think) to respect the office and to take the constitutional standard very seriously.

On the other hand, the guilty plea of George Papadopoulos is very concerning from the constitutional standpoint. He lied to federal investigators, which is bad enough. What's worse is that he apparently interacted with Russian officials, and those close to them, about obtaining "dirt" against Hillary Clinton. That's a betrayal of his country.

To register for Cass Sunstein's program at the Constitution Center, call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org/debate.
Alderson, WV, police officer McCaden Mac Brackenrich was critically wounded in an off-duty shooting Friday. (Photo: Facebook)

An Alderson, WV, police officer was shot Friday while off duty. Two other people were also wounded in the incident, which occurred outside a home in Summers County. A suspect is in custody

A group of individuals were riding a UTV and they went to turn around in Mr. (Frederick) Tollivers driveway, said Senior Trooper Nicholas Boothe of the West Virginia State Police. While they were turning around, they were fired upon by Mr. Tolliver. 

Frederick Tolliver, 66, of Alderson is charged with five counts of attempted murder and three counts of malicious wounding after the incident, WVMetroNews reports.

The wounded included McCaden Mac Brackenrich, an off duty Alderson Police officer. He suffered gunshot wounds to the neck and upper torso according to Boothe. He is in critical condition at the Charleston Area Medical Center.
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Former Donald Trump associate Carter Page admitted on live television on Monday that he may have spoken about Russia with indicted ex-Trump adviser George Papadopoulos.

When asked by MSNBCs Chris Hayes whether he was on email chains about Russia with Papadopoulos via, Page said, It may have come up from time to time.

Video:

Carter Page Admits On Live TV That He May Have Talked Russia With Indicted Trump Associate #inners pic.twitter.com/iRwC70mPb6  Sean Colarossi (@SeanColarossi) October 31, 2017

The eye-opening exchange between the MSNBC host and the ex-Trump associate:

HAYES: Were you guys on email chains together, you and Papadopoulos? PAGE: Look, theres a lot of emails all over the place when youre in a campaign. HAYES: Right, but yes or no, were you in email chains with Papadopoulos? PAGE: Probably a few, yeah. HAYES: Were you in email chains with him about Russia? PAGE: It may have come up from time to time. Again, theres nothing major. HAYES: Well, I mean nothing major. It was enough for him to lie to federal investigators about and then plead guilty to that he was having an intermediary come to him and saying you should come to London and talk to someone whos got Hillary Clintons emails. PAGE: Yeah, well, listen, Ive been focused on other things today

In a stunning moment, Page appeared to have incriminated himself by casually admitting that, yeah, he was on email chains with George Papadopoulos, who, according to charges unsealed Monday, attempted to connect the Trump campaign with Russia in an effort to hurt Hillary Clinton.

The Trump campaigns argument is that Papadopoulos was essentially acting alone and the campaign denied his attempts to bring Russia into the fold, but Papadopoulos statements suggest, as The Huffington Post pointed out today, that other high-ranking Trump officials were involved, too.

The statements made by Carter Page in his stunning interview on Monday seem to confirm the fact that more Trump officials were involved, which means it wouldnt be surprising to see  oh, I dont know  Carter Page himself being asked to surrender to federal authorities next.

As Illinois Attorney General candidate Renato Mariotti tweeted on Monday, There are a lot of foolish people in federal prison right now. Carter Page might join that number at some point. He isnt helping himself.

Aint that the truth.
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By Melissa Fares and John Whitesides

(Reuters)  After reading a painful series of Me Too stories about sexual harassment and assault on social media, Amanda Crone realized she needed to have a conversation with her husband.

So an anxious Crone, 29, a stay-at-home mother of two young children, put on a movie for her kids and went upstairs to the bedroom of her Hanover, Pennsylvania, home to tell him about being sexually assaulted nine years ago, before they had met.

It was scary and brought everything back, Crone said with a sigh. She had worried about his reaction, in part because he knew one of the men who had assaulted her a decade earlier. But it just felt like it was time.

Three weeks after allegations of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinsteins predatory sexual behavior moved millions of women around the world to use the hashtag #MeToo to share their own stories of abuse on social media, more than 20 women contacted by Reuters say they are still grappling with the fallout.

While the prevalence of sexual harassment and abuse fueled a raging public debate, the Me Too movement also sparked a series of difficult and revelatory private conversations for some women with their spouses, partners and family members.

Charlotte Kirk, 23, felt compelled to tell her mother about a recent incident when a close friends boyfriend groped her without consent. She was surprised by the reaction.

Her response was basically, Believe it or not, this doesnt get better even after youre married and have three kids. She had been in the exact same position before, too, said Kirk, a medical research assistant in Boston.

Reilly Downes, 28, had a talk with her father after he saw her Me Too post about being assaulted and harassed.

I didnt go straight into detail about my story  just kind of made it evident that I have experienced that as a woman, said Downes, a dance teacher in Amarillo, Texas. Of course dads want to protect you like nobodys business, so his response was a little bit more aggressive, angry.

Her father, Kevin Downes, said no dad ever wants to hear these things.

Weinstein, accused by a number of women of sexual harassment and assault in incidents dating back to the 1980s, has denied having non-consensual sex with anyone.

For some women, the outrage over the Weinstein allegations was heightened by the election of President Donald Trump, who bragged on a decade-old Access Hollywood outtake that surfaced during last years campaign about kissing and touching women because when you are a star, they let you do it.

The Trump tape followed a string of harassment and assault cases involving well-known and powerful men, including comedian Bill Cosby, who denied sexual assault allegations by dozens of women.

WAKE-UP CALL

Trumps subsequent victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton, the first woman presidential nominee of a major U.S. political party, was a wake-up call for many women, said Karin Roland of the womens advocacy group UltraViolet.

To remind people of the Access Hollywood tape, UltraViolet parked a large screen on the Mall near the Washington Monument recently to play the tape repeatedly for 12 hours on the one-year anniversary of its release.

Trump apologized last year for his Access Hollywood comments, which he called locker room talk. He told reporters two weeks ago that allegations of sexual assault and misconduct leveled at him before the election by several women were made-up stuff.

Activist Tarana Burke first created the Me Too campaign a decade ago to reach sexual assault victims in underprivileged communities. But it became a rallying cry after the Weinstein allegations, when actress Alyssa Milano urged women who had been victims of sexual assault and harassment to use it as a way to convey the scale of the problem.

In a Reuters/Ipsos online poll of 1,832 people taken Oct. 20-24, more than half of all adults said they had experienced an unwanted verbal or physical sexual advance. Of those, 11 percent said they had posted a Me Too status and 14 percent had reposted or engaged in a Me Too conversation without sharing a personal experience. Forty-four percent said they had seen the campaign but not participated.

(For the graphic, Two in every three women have dealt with unwanted sexual encounter, click http://tmsnrt.rs/2gPHRr0)

Leona Waller, 25, a freelance writer in Berkeley, California, said she sat up in bed to prepare her Me Too post as her boyfriend slept next to her. She had never directly told him about a sexual assault in college when no didnt mean no to her attacker.

I actually handed him my phone and showed him the full post that I had written, she said. He just hugged me. It was a moment.

But sometimes those conversations are just too painful to have. A father from Alabama contacted through social media, who asked that his name not be used because of the sensitivity of the subject, said he learned his 22-year-old daughter had been raped after the Me Too movement inspired her to tell his wife about it.

He said he is unsure what to say to her about it. I know of nothing that I could say that would be comforting, other than, I love you, and you have nothing to be ashamed of. This is not your fault, he said.

(Editing by Jason Szep and Mary Milliken)
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Despite spewing a blatant lie about Democratic Congresswoman Frederica Wilson earlier this month, Donald Trump Chief of Staff John Kelly took a page from his boss and said he will never apologize.

In an interview scheduled to air Monday on the premiere episode of Laura Ingrahams new pro-Trump propaganda hour, The Ingraham Angle, Ingraham asked Kelly if he felt he should apologize for accusing Rep. Wilson of something she never did.

The former generals shameful response: Oh, no. No. Never.

Ill apologize if I need to, but for something like that, absolutely not, Kelly added. I stand by my comments.

It should be noted that the chief of staffs comments were utterly false, and he does need to apologize. A decorated general like Kelly should understand when hes made a mistake and act quickly to correct it. Thats how honorable men behave.

Instead, he appears to be stealing a page from Trumps playbook: If youre wrong, either avoid taking responsibility, lie about it  or both.

In this case, during Kellys effort to defend Trumps insensitive treatment of the grieving widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, the chief of staff ended up telling a lie about Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson, who initially revealed what Trump said during the call.

In an effort to play damage control after his boss botched the conversation, Kelly called Wilson an empty barrel and accused her of taking sole credit for acquiring funding for an FBI office, which she never did, according to video evidence.

Donald Trump and his chief of staff spent days waging war against a Gold Star wife and smearing an elected congresswoman, and weeks later there have been no apologies and, as Kellys comments Monday suggest, there never will be.

Ultimately, the behavior of John Kelly is proof that Donald Trump infects everybody around him, even a Marine general who used to be widely respected.
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Fox News employees are speaking off the record and blasting their networks embarrassing non-coverage of and Trump propaganda on the Russia scandal.

Here are some quotes from Fox News employees concerning the networks Trump/Russia propaganda as told to CNN:



Im watching now and screaming. I want to quit.

.

It is another blow to journalists at Fox who come in every day wanting to cover the news in a fair and objective way.

Fox feels like an extension of the Trump White House.

.

This kind of coverage does the viewer a huge disservice and further divides the country.

Just like Trump, Fox News has decided that they are only interested in hanging on to their base. This strategy will be lucrative in the short-term as the 35% or so of the country that supports Trump will be locked on to Fox News, but in the long term, the network is transitioning to a full-blown propaganda outlet, and if the remarks of the Fox News employees above mean anything, it shows that the talent drain likely to continue as Fox News will continue to lose talented people and replace them with Trump propagandists.

Fox has gone to absurd lengths to prop up Sean Hannity as they are desperate to take over the top rated spot from MSNBCs The Rachel Maddow Show, but Hannity is at best a short-term fix. He is destined to crash and burn as it is only a matter of time before his Trump Pravda act crosses the line and sends what advertisers he has left fleeing for the exits.

Fox News employees have had enough, as even they are speaking out about the Trump propaganda disguised as news.

Anyone who watches Fox News needs to understand that they are getting the perception of news, not actually the news itself.
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WASHINGTON (Reuters)  White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said on Monday a special counsel should be appointed to investigate Democrats over a uranium deal during the Obama administration and a dossier compiled on Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.

I think probably as a layman looking at this kind of thing we need to find someone who is very, very objective who can get to the bottom of these accusations, Kelly said in an interview on Fox News.

A special counsel would be appointed by the Justice Department.

Republicans in Congress last week launched an investigation into an Obama-era deal in which a Russian company bought a Canadian firm that owned some 20 percent of U.S. uranium supplies.

Some Republicans have said Hillary Clintons State Department approved the deal after her husbands charitable foundation received a $145 million donation. The New York Times has reported that Clinton, a Democrat who lost to Republican Trump in the 2016 election, did not participate in the decision.

Republicans have also raised questions about whether Democrats funded a dossier put together during last years presidential campaign that detailed accusations about Trumps ties to Russia.

The Washington Post reported last week that Marc Elias, a lawyer for Clinton, used campaign funds to hire Fusion GPS, the firm behind the dossier.

Kellys call for a special counsel to investigate Democrats comes as a probe by special counsel Robert Mueller into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russians produced its first charges and a guilty plea.

A grand jury impaneled by Mueller indicted former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and aide Rick Gates on Monday. A third former Trump adviser, George Papadopoulos, pleaded guilty in early October to lying to the FBI, it was announced on Monday.

(Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by SImon Cameron-Moore)
Hungary debt manager sells biggest lot of short T-bills this year

Hungarys Government Debt Management Agency (AKK) allotted 40 billion forints worth of 3-month discount Treasury Bills at its weekly auction on Tuesday, which suggests that the state remains short of resources due to the pre-financing of EU projects. Lucky for the AKK, the supply has met the demand.

The AKK has placed a HUF 40 bn lot of 3-m T-bills up for auction today, which is the largest amount since December 2016. The debt management company has been gradually raising its offered lots, which suggests that the state is short of funding. Lucky for the issuer, primary dealers have put in bids worth HUF 88.6 billion, which allowed the AKK to allot the entire volume as planned. The average yield was set to 0%, up marginally from last weeks average yield.
Pizza has been a constant in Brian Kesslers life, from the time he got a job in a pizzeria as a teenager until the day he met his wife in a pizza joint. Read moreIggy's Pizza Shop is now open in Mount Pleasant
Cranes move cargo to and from the OOCL France  part of the larger, neo-Panamax class of ships traveling through the expanded Panama Canal  during its visit in June to Wando Welch Terminal in Mount Pleasant. The State Ports Authority is dredging Charleston Harbor to 52 feet so the vessels can visit without tide restrictions. File/Provided/State Ports Authority
Neo-Panamax vessels capable of carrying up to 14,000 cargo boxes  such as the OOCL France, which visited the Port of Charleston in June  likely will be the largest container ships calling on East Coast ports in coming years, an analyst told the South Carolina International Trade Conference. Provided/State Ports Authority
Managing Editor - Expansion

Andy Shain oversees strategy for The Post and Courier's newsrooms outside Charleston. He was managing editor for the paper's Columbia and Myrtle Beach newsrooms and was editor of Free Times.
SCANA's incoming chief executive, Jimmy Addison, walks outside a meeting of the Public Service Commission over the abandoned V.C. Summer nuclear project in Jenkinsville. Addison is currently the company's finance chief, but will take the top job in January. File/Sean Rayford/Special to The Post and Courier
Straight No Chaser is celebrating its silver anniversary with a three-month tour that would exact a physical toll on any performer  vocalists especially. Yet despite the grueling schedule (they are almost exactly in the middle of more than 60 performances), SNC performed an outstanding show Nov. 13 at the Charleston Gaillard Center. Read moreReview: Straight No Chaser delights young and old on a cappella tour
With so many oyster options, looking at a Charleston restaurants raw bar menu can feel like sifting through a complicated wine list. By learning more about where chefs source their oysters, we can better understand the flavors and prices to expect, along with why restaurants put so much time and effort into this low-profit product. Read moreRaw oysters remain a Charleston restaurant mainstay, despite low profit margins
The owners of The Venue at Falls Park in Greenville are expanding their footprint with another upscale events venue in the space formerly occupied by Pour Taproom. Read moreFormer Pour Taproom in downtown Greenville to become an events venue
Assistant Columbia bureau chief

Adcox returned to The Post and Courier in October 2017 after 12 years covering the Statehouse for The Associated Press. She previously covered education for The P&C. She has also worked for The AP in Albany, N.Y., and for The Herald in Rock Hill.
Across South Carolina, from the coast to our mountainous state line, new and expanded trails have certainly made a lot of headlines in recent months. Here are just a few of the exciting developments: Read moreEditorial: From the SC coast to the mountains, welcome progress on new trails
Former President Donald Trump is preparing to launch his third campaign for the White House on Tuesday, looking to move on from disappointing midterm defeats and defy history amid signs that his grip on the Republican Party is waning. Read moreTrump prepares to launch 3rd campaign for the White House
The big night is finally here. Next to birthdays and Christmas, Halloween may rank as one of the days kids look forward to the most.

All that candy, those costumes, ghosts and goblins! Bring it on.

Kids, however, aren't the only ones who love this day. It's a huge season for candy-makers. Roughly $2.5 billion is spent on Halloween candy alone. Makers have spent years coming up with and producing what they hope is the next big candy hit. There's a lot of competition in that candy aisle.

So what are some of the newer confections that your gang may be pulling out of their trick or treat bags?

Kit Katshave always been a big favorite and this year a new version has joined the lineup. Instead of being covered in chocolate, you'll bite into a pumpkin pie-flavored creme. These were first sold in England in 1935 and called Rowentree's Chocolate Crisp. They were renamed in 1937 as Kit Kat chocolate crisp and eventually found their way here, where they have been a top seller ever since.

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Then there are M&M's Cookies and Screem. These are the same familiar little rounds, but with an outside of dark chocolate and a spooky speckled design. There are also white chocolate M&M's with a pumpkin pie flavor.

Halloween shapes continue to big sellers in candy. There are peanut butter cups in the shape of bats(looking more like chocolate blobs) and peanut butter ghosts. You'll also find peanut butter skulls. Really gross, if you're into that, are the Halloween Organ Harvest Gummycandies. You can feast on gummy brains, hearts, lungs and intestines. These are in mixed fruit flavors.

What kid isn't crazy about Skittles? This year there are two limited editions: Cauldron Skittles, which were around last year, featuring flavors like Lurking Lemon, Petrified Pear and Bogey Bear. The other is TrickPlay Skittles, new this season, The trick is that the colors don't correspond with the flavors. Surprise!

Twizzlers, around since 1845, has a caramel apple Twizzler apple-flavored exterior with caramel inside. Yum!

With all the hundreds of candy choices, I stopped by Civic League Day Nursery recently to see what some of the youngsters were hoping to get in their stash of goodies. Here's what a few 4-year-olds are hoping for. Hope you've got it.

 Gavin, who plans on being Superman, really likes Skittles. "They have pretty colors and taste so good," he said.

 Wrapped Kraft caramels in cubes are a favorite of Sydney's. If you see a unicorn out tonight, it might be her.

 Issac really loves "the chocolate ones," but wasn't sure what they were called and I wasn't much help. Hershey kisses? No. M&M's? No. Snickers or Milky Way? No again. Anyway he's wearing a Batman costume.

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 Also a chocolate lover, Teahen hopes to get anything chocolate. He's not too fussy.

 Victor's favorites are gummis, especially the bears.

 No hesitation when Aubrey was asked, "Red lollipops." She'll be dressed as a pink princess.

 Last but certainly not least was Jackie Benoit-Petrich, executive director. "My very favorite are the fun-sized Snickers. I keep a stash hidden in my office," she confessed.

If you don't have your candy stash yet, here is what kids especially like, according to the Civic League experts: Smarties, Starbursts, Twix, Nerds, Sour Patch Kids, M&M's, Laffy Taffy, Whoppers and Swedish Fish. And here's the good news, you can probably get most of them on sale today.

As youngsters go out tonight, they are continuing a tradition that reaches back centuries when it was believed that supernatural beings or the souls of the dead roamed the earth and needed to be appeased.

In this country, trick-or-treating started in the 1920s on a limited basis, but gained steam in the 1930s. World War II brought it pretty much to a halt because of sugar rationing. By the late '40s, kids were out again and the '50s was really a trick-or-treating heyday.

Unfortunately over the years there have been incidents with tampering that have brought significant changes to the fun of the night, but have not taken away from the excitement of costumes and the anticipation of a container full of sweets. Caution and safety are key words. Keep those in mind when you head out tonight.
Police are investigating after a Rochester resident reported more than $1,400 worth of shoes were stolen from his apartment.

The 19-year-old called authorities about 5:15 p.m. Saturday, but the theft is believed to have occurred sometime between 10 p.m. Friday and 1 a.m. Saturday.

The suspect made forced entry into the man's bedroom in his apartment at The Quarters of Rochester , 826 21st Ave. SE, the report says; the apartment door was left unlocked.

Six pairs of "retro Air Jordan " sneakers were taken, said Capt. John Sherwin.
West Bankreported another record-setting quarter last week.

West Bank is a West Des Moines, Iowa, institution that built and opened a $7 million Rochester complex in 2016.

It issued a quarterly report stating a record-setting third-quarter income of $6.4 million, the latest in a string of 13 consecutive record performances. West Bank tallied a net income of $5.8 million in the same quarter in 2016.

" West Bancorporation Inc.has again delivered record results," West Bank President and CEO Dave Nelsonsaid in the report. "We are extremely pleased with the company's year-to-date 2017 earnings success."

The report stated the improved results over 2016 were "due to a combination of higher net interest income, growth in noninterest income and a decrease in the provision of loan losses."

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Comprehensive income for the quarter was $5.4 million, compared to $6.2 million in 2016.

West Bank also declared a quarterly dividend of 18 cents per common share, payable on Nov. 22. This is the largest quarterly dividend the bank has issued.

The quarterly report credited much of the bank's success to its large footprint in Rochester.

"Our momentum in Rochester is strong, with loan growth of more than 4 percent and deposit growth exceeding 14 percent in the third quarter of 2017," Rochester Market President Mike Zinser saidin the report. "Since we opened our Rochester location in 2013, nearly 100 businesses have moved their banking relationships to West Bank.  We believe West Bank is very different from any other bank in Rochester, and we are encouraged by the community's enthusiasm for how we do business."

Nelson, who took over leadership of the Iowa bank in 2010, brought West Bank to the Med City.

Nelson was the high-profile president of Wells-Fargo Bankin Rochester for many years. He opened a loan origination office but soon built a two-story, 6,500-square-foot facility on West Circle Drive.

Due to Nelson's long history in Rochester, West Bank was able to recruit a very active community board made up of 15 Rochester leaders. It includes local business figures such as Rochester developer Gus Chafoulias, attorney A.M. "Sandy" Keith, HGA ArchitectsVice President and Principal Hal Hendersonand Powers EnterprisesPresident Joe Powers.
ALBERT LEA  A former hospital leader has joined the chorus of criticism about Mayo Clinic's consolidation plans in Albert Lea.

Dr. Ronald Harmon, who served as CEO from 1998-2005 at what was then called Albert Lea Medical Center-Mayo Clinic Health System, wrote a column in the Albert Lea Tribune earlier this month criticizing Mayo's consolidation plans. His critique called it  among other things  "nothing short of betrayal" of the Albert Lea community.

Mayo declined to respond to Harmon's column, which the former CEO stood behind and explained in a recent phone interview with the Post Bulletin.

Harmon said it's been "painful" to watch the situation unfold from afar since Mayo's June 12 announcement negatively affected friends and family he still has in the region. The 64-year-old physician is nearing retirement as an anesthesiologist in the Chicago area, where he and his wife moved after he says "personal family issues" prompted his departure from the Mayo system.

Financial, service concerns

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Officials at Mayo have routinely cited significant changes in rural health care for necessitating the change at Mayo Clinic Health SystemAustin and Albert Lea, which will shift most inpatient services to the Austin campus. Albert Lea's ICU moved to Austin to start October, while inpatient surgery is slated to move in January. Baby delivery services will be discontinued in Albert Lea in late 2018 or early 2019.

Mayo leaders such as Dr. Bobbie Gostout and Dr. Annie Sadosty have previously pointed to concerns about financial losses, significant decline of inpatient stays, and difficulty both recruiting and retaining providers, among other things.

While many of those same issues exist at hospitals across the country, Harmon said he believes that those reductions in service could signal the "death knell" of the Albert Lea community if a compromise isn't struck soon.

That's a far cry from how the community felt when Mayo arrived in 1995, Harmon said. He said citizens were excited about the Mayo brand, while the medical staff was "sort of split" about losing autonomy.

"My hope is they can find an alternate solution short of removing the acute care capacity from either of the communities," Harmon said. "I can guarantee you for either community, this is very likely a death knell. It's going to have a ripple effect in their ability to attract companies, (maintain) the school system and grow the tax base. It's really going to be difficult for a town to survive, looking long term."

Ongoing dialogue

Mayo has said it expects employment numbers to remain steady at around 1,000 at each venue. However, that assurance hasn't placated locals. Elected officials from the city, county and school district have all expressed similar concerns about the region's largest employer.

Mayo and local officials are engaged in a facilitated dialogue with retired judge David Minge, while an economic impact study from Mayo was reportedly shared with officials last week; it's unclear if that will be made public. The city, county and Save Our Hospital have also funded a fiscal consultant to assess the viability of the hospital moving forward, which some view as the precursor to bringing in a second or alternate provider.

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Harmon's interview comments build off his column, where he asks why Mayo would "tarnish its reputation and jeopardize its brand" by "paying little heed to local patients and the community."

While locals have complained about being "blindsided" by Mayo's decision, he claims to have heard rumblings about consolidation more than a year ago.

"Financial success, we were led to believe, was a byproduct of our efforts  a happy consequence  not our overarching goal," Harmon wrote. "Dedicated and capable people made this happen, because they cared and they believed. Mayo fostered an image of stability and success built on moral high ground, and Albert Lea aspired to the same attributes. The Mayo Clinic people I worked with  the old guard  lived the principles they espoused. I firmly believe they wouldn't have supported this decision."

He further claims Mayo's Albert Lea hospital "did well financially" during his seven-year tenure and that he "never once felt pressured to reach specific financial targets" by Mayo. He also said Albert Lea's numbers are "inconsequential to the overall Mayo Clinic financial position."

Some similarities

However, a 2002 story from the Albert Lea Tribune details prior rural consolidations that occurred under Harmon's leadership. The arguments surrounding that decision appear to echo much of the current debate, as Harmon cited financial concerns related to declining reimbursement rates while citizens lamented reduced services, increased drive times to receive care, and Mayo's lack of prior communication.

Harmon acknowledged the similarities  and "plenty of bumps" elsewhere during his time in leadership, calling himself a "novice" administrator  but he still contends that the current consolidation plan isn't a reflection of "the Mayo I got to know."

"I left a little of my heart there, regardless of why I left, and that's what gets me," Harmon said. "This just doesn't feel right."
AUSTIN  Hormel Foods announced a deal today to buy a "millennial-focused" meat firm for $850 million to expand its deli offerings.

Austin-based Hormel has reached an agreement to buy Columbus Manufacturing Inc., "an authentic, premium deli meat and salami company," from Chicago-based Arbor Investments. The deal is expected to close within 60 days.

Columbus sells premium meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and beef.

"Columbus is capitalizing on one of the fastest-growing areas in the retail grocery store with premium, authentic products that are on-trend with today's consumers who are looking for unique experiences, flavors and products," Hormel CEO Jim Snee said in today's announcement.

Columbus reports annual sales of about $300 million.

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This deal follows on the heels of two other Hormel acquisitions in August. It bought Chicago-based Fontanini Italian Meats and Sausages for $425 million. Hormel also purchased Brazilian sausage and salami maker Cidade do Sol for $104 million to enter South America.

Hormel said Columbus will continue to operate from Hayward, Calif., where it has two facilities. It will become part of Hormel's refrigerated foods segment.

Hormel said it expects the acquisition to be "modestly accretive" to its earnings in fiscal 2018. In fiscal 2019, Hormel expects the deal to add 6 cents to 8 cents to its earnings per share.
A Rochester business consultant recently announced he is running for the Minnesota House in 2018.

Walter Smith III is seeking to challenge DFL Rep. Duane Sauke for the House District 25B seat. Smith, a Republican, said he has spent his career doing work with faith-based and nonprofit groups. That work has often had an impact on public policy. Smith said he decided it made sense for him to run for office, which would allow him to play a bigger role in crafting policy.

"I see no better way of being able to serve the people, to serve the community than to position myself in the statehouse to make a bigger difference than just participation on nonprofit boards and through my consulting practice," he said.

Smith, 44, moved to Rochester four years ago from Los Angeles. He is CEO of WS-3 Enterprises & Associates LLC, a management consulting business. He is executive director of Everybody In, a nonprofit aimed at helping eliminate racial employment disparities in the Twin-Cities metro region by 2020. He is also executive director of ReConnect Rondo, an organization that promotes the idea of building a land bridge over Interstate 94 in the Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul. Much of the historically African-American neighborhood was destroyed when Interstate 94 was built. He is also an ordained non-denominational Christian minister.

A second Republican, Rochester Realtor Kenneth Bush, said on Monday he is still seriously considering running for the seat. He has formed an exploratory committee and registered a business called "Kenneth Bush for MN State Rep Campaign Committee" with the Minnesota Secretary of State's office. He said he is meeting with state and local party leaders as he makes his decision whether to run.

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Sauke is serving his first term in the Minnesota House. He defeated former GOP Rep. Fran Bradley with 52 percent of the vote.

Ahead of the election, Smith has already come up with a campaign slogan  " WS-3 for District 25B ." Asked what his priorities would be if elected, Smith said he wants to spend time talking with residents of the district over the next year before putting his legislative agenda together.

"One of the things that is part of my year-long journey is building relationships with the community, understanding the priorities for District 25B as far as what the residents and constituents are interested in," Smith said.

In the coming year, he said, he will focus on meeting with as many people as possible and talking to them about their concerns.

He added, "If nothing else, I know that my intentions are pure, and I want the voice of the community across the board to be represented, and that's my commitment."
ST. PAUL  Gov. Mark Dayton says farmers have made a "remarkable amount of progress" in meeting new state goals for water quality around the state.

During a conference call on Monday, Dayton thanked area farmers, landowners and local officials for their continued efforts in protecting water quality through the state's buffer initiative. The 2015 legislation requires farmers to establish a 50-foot vegetation buffer on lands adjacent to public waters. The buffers are meant to reduce the amount of phosphorus, nitrogen, and sediment entering Minnesota's lakes and streams

Dayton said landowners are now at least 95 percent compliant with the state's initiative, ahead of Wednesday's deadline.

Water buffers improve water quality by filtering out phosphorus, nitrogen, sediment and other contaminants before they reach streams, lakes or rivers. More than 40 percent of Minnesota waters are currently polluted or impaired, according to a press release from Dayton's office. The Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources has identified about 400,000 sites across the state that need a grass buffer along public waters.

John Jaschke, executive director of the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, said that vegetative water buffers can be used to keep contaminants out, but they also help keep root structures together on the banks of bodies of water.

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Justin Hanson, district manager for the Mower County Soil and Water Conservation District, called the legislation "flexible" because it allows alternative options and offers waivers and financial assistance to landowners facing hardships. Earlier this year, the Legislature approved an eight-month waiver period, allowing farmers to apply for extra time and seek help from their local soil and water conservation districts.

In 2017, Dayton worked with the Legislature to secure $5 million in Clean Water funding for direct cost-share payments to farmers and local governments. In 2018, there will be $8 million available for local governments to help with buffer implementation, and $10 million coming every year after.

In addition to these funds, Soil and Water Conservation Districts will receive an additional $11 million per year to increase their capacity to assist landowners.

In 2016 and 2017, Dayton worked with the Legislature to secure $116 million in state funding for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, with buffers and other water quality practices on agricultural land able to be placed into the program. In addition to the $116 million in state funding, $271 million in federal funding will go towards the program.

Hanson encouraged farmers and landowners to reach out to their local Soil and Water Conservation District for assistance concerning buffers or waivers.

-------

Area counties' percentages meeting state water quality buffer initiative goals:

Dodge County, 99%.

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Olmsted County, 95%.

Wabasha County, 94%.

Fillmore County, 90%

Winona County, 90%.

Mower County, 86%.

Houston County, 86%.

Goodhue County, 84%.

The four counties with the lowest percentage of compliance were Grant, 64%, Watonwan, 62%, Marshall, 57% and Rock, 56%.
Dennis Banks, who helped found the American Indian Movement and engaged in sometimes-violent uprisings against the U.S. government, including the armed occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973, died at age 80, his family announced Monday.

Banks, whose Ojibwe name was Nowacumig, was one of several activists who founded AIM in Minneapolis in 1968, and he was a leader of the group's takeover of Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota in 1973, in a protest against both the U.S. and tribal governments. The village had been the site of a massacre by U.S. soldiers in 1890 that left an estimated 300 Indians dead. The occupiers held federal agents at bay for 71 days; two Native Americans died and several agents were injured amid the frequent gunfire.

Banks died Sunday night at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester surrounded by about 30 people, including siblings, children and grandchildren, said daughter Tashina Banks Rama. He had heart surgery earlier this month and was in high spirits until pneumonia he had contracted after the surgery took a turn for the worse on Friday, she said.

"Dennis Banks is somebody who had an indelible impact on history, not just in our native community but throughout our country," said Anton Treuer, a professor of the Ojibwe language at Bemidji State University, citing how he demanded that the powerful take notice of American Indian concerns. "He was someone who was both loved and hated  depending on what circle you're looking at."

Banks and fellow AIM leader Russell Means faced charges stemming from the Wounded Knee occupation, but a judge threw out the case. However, Banks spent 18 months in prison in the 1980s after being convicted for rioting and assault for a protest in Custer, South Dakota, earlier in 1973. He avoided prosecution on those charges for several years because California Gov. Jerry Brown refused to extradite him, and the Onondaga Nation in New York gave him sanctuary.

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Banks also helped lead a takeover of the Bureau of Indian Affairs offices in Washington, D.C., in 1972 as part of a protest dubbed "The Trail of Broken Treaties." And he was a participant in the 1969-71 occupation by Native Americans of Alcatraz Island, the site of the former prison in San Francisco Bay.

Banks' family wrote on his Facebook page that as he took his last breaths, son Minoh Banks sang him four songs for his journey.

"All the family who were present prayed over him and said our individual goodbyes," the family said. "Then we proudly sang him the AIM song as his final send off."

Banks lived near the town of Federal Dam on the Leech Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota and was a member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, one of the many bands of Ojibwe, also known as the Chippewa or Anishinaabe, living in North America. In the late 1990s, Banks founded a company that sold wild rice and maple syrup, trading on his famous name.

He was part of a group of AIM supporters who returned to Wounded Knee in 2003 to mark the 30th anniversary of the standoff. Banks paid tribute to the dead as "warriors" and declared it "a national holiday." He was also there in 1998 for the 25th anniversary.

In 2010, Banks joined several other Ojibwe from the Leech Lake and White Earth bands who tested their rights under an 1855 treaty by setting out nets illegally on Lake Bemidji a day before Minnesota's fishing season opener. He also went to the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota to join last year's protests of the Dakota Access oil pipeline.

Treuer said Banks is remembered in the Native American community not just for his work in the rise of AIM, but for his efforts on the local level, such as focusing attention on racial disparities in the justice system, housing for Native Americans, treaty rights and teaching traditional ways to young people.

Rama said the family plans to hold wakes Wednesday evening at the Minneapolis American Indian Center, and Thursday and Friday on Leech Lake Reservation. Banks will be buried on the reservation in a traditional ceremony Saturday.

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Banks is survived by 20 children and more than 100 grandchildren, she said.
With news of todays indictments of Paul Manafort and his colleague came word that former (minor) Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty earlier this month to making false statements to investigators. In addition, we learned that Papadopoulos has been cooperating with the Mueller investigation.

Papadopoulos was in the news back in August, when the Washington Post reported that during the presidential campaign he sent emails to the Trump campaign urging that the candidate meet with top Russian leaders including Putin, but that the campaign repeatedly rejected this suggestion. The report said the emails were read to The Post by a person with access to them.

I discussed this story here. I maintained, as I have elsewhere, that even if the Trump campaign had been eager to obtain dirt on Hillary Clinton from Russians with Kremlin ties, that would not be criminal in itself. Ive never been convinced that it would even be problematic.

Papadopoulos plea (a stipulation of agreed upon facts) can be found here. As I read the document, it is consistent with the Posts report that, while working for Trumps campaign, Papadopoulos tried to arrange a meeting between the campaign and Russian government officials. It is not inconsistent with the Posts report, apparently backed up by emails, that the campaign rejected the idea of having such a meeting.

Here are key passages from the plea:

a. Defendant PAPADOPOULOS claimed that his interactions with an overseas professor, who [he] understood to have substantial connections to Russian government officials, occurred before [he] became a foreign policy advisor to the Campaign. Defendant PAPADOPOULOS acknowledged that the professor had told him about the Russians possessing dirt on then-candidate Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails, but stated multiple times that he learned that information prior to joining the campaign. In truth and in fact, however, defendant PAPADOPOULOS learned he would be an advisor to the Campaign in early March, and met the professor on or about March 14, 2016; the professor only took interest in [him]

because of his status with the Campaign; and the professor told [him] about the thousands of emails on or about April 26, 2016, when [he] had been a foreign policy adviser to the Campaign for over a month. b. Defendant PAPADOPOULOS further told the investigating agents that the professor was a nothing and just a guy talk[ing] up connections or something. In truth and in fact, however, [he] understood that the professor had substantial connections to Russian government officials (and had met with some of those officials in Moscow immediately prior to telling [him] about the thousands of emails) and, over a period of months, [he] repeatedly sought to use the professors Russian connections in an effort to arrange a meeting between the Campaign and Russian government officials. c. Defendant PAPADOPOULOS claimed he met a certain female Russian national before he joined the Campaign and that their communications consisted of emails such as, Hi, how are you? In truth and in fact, however, [he] met the female Russian national on or about March 24, 2016, after he had become an adviser to the Campaign; he believed that she had connections to Russian government officials; and he sought to use her Russian connections over a period of months in an effort to arrange a meeting between the Campaign and Russian government officials.

(Emphasis added)

Note that Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to making false statements, not to trying to arrange a meeting with Russian government officials. The latter is not, to my knowledge, a crime. A meeting between the campaign and Russian government officials might have resulted in a crime, depending on what transpired. However, there has been no indication so far that such a meeting occurred.

The intriguing part of todays Papadopoulos story is news that he is cooperating with Muellers investigation. What has the cooperation consisted of? Providing the investigators with emails, such as the ones that, somewhat mysteriously, were read to the Washington Post? Providing evidence that, contrary to what the Post reported, there were meetings between the campaign and Russians?

More intriguingly, did Papadopoulos wear a wire for Mueller in an effort to ensnare Trump campaign officials? This possibility is suggested by the special counsels use of the term proactive cooperator. Allahpundit speculates about it.

At a minimum, the Papadopoulos plea sends the strong message that other witnesses in this matter need to tell the truth to Muellers team. Its not a lesson that should have required reinforcement, especially given the prosecution of Scooter Libby. But there it is.

UPDATE: Heres Andy McCarthy on the Papadopoulous case. Among his observations is the shrewd one that if the Russians acquired thousands of Clinton emails and then needed to inform Papadopoulos that they had them, this means that Trump and his campaign had nothing to do with the acquisition of the emails.
Speaking in Helsinki on Wednesday, Polish President Andrzej Duda thanked the Polish diaspora in Finland for maintaining their Polishness.

During a meeting with Polish expatriates at the Polish embassy in Helsinki, President Duda awarded state distinctions to eight people for their services to the Polish community in Finland.

"I am pleased to honour your community's representatives with state decorations, which are a symbol of gratitude and memory", the president said, adding that they were being awarded for "many years of effort to maintain Polishness".

President Duda also thanked Polish people who had contributed to Finnish academic achievements. He said they were people who had gone to Finland particularly in recent years, since the country had decided on the development of innovativeness. Although those Polish people, to some extent, entered the Finnish intelectual elite, they never forgot their roots, Duda stressed.

The presidential couple's state visit to Finland coincides with the country's independence centenary celbrations. Duda said the occasion was also important for Polish people living in Finland and drew attention to Poland's independence centenary to fall next year.

A recipient of the Order of Merit, Michal Zielinski, speaking on behalf of the group, pointed out that the longest serving Polish diaspora organisation in Finland had been functioning longer than the Finnish state itself. The Polish Union was established by Polish officers in May 1917, while the Republic of Finland was proclaimed by the Finnish parliament on December 6, 2017. Zielinski went on to highlight that Finland's Polish Union was the longest serving Polish diapsora organisation in Europe.

The Polish community in Finland numbers around 5,000. Their representatives' meeting with the presidential couple was the final point of Duda's state visit to Finland. (PAP)
TRENTON, N.J. (AP)  The new head of the New Jersey State Police has been sworn in to office.

Lt. Col. Patrick Callahan took the oath Tuesday. He succeeds Col. Rick Fuentes, who will formally retire Wednesday after leading the department since being appointed superintendent by Democratic Gov. Jim McGreevey in 2003.

Fuentes has served in the department since 1978.

Callahan enlisted in the state police in April 1995 and most recently served as deputy superintendent of operations. He also was recovery bureau chief after Superstorm Sandy.

He is the son of retired state police Major Mick Callahan, who served as chief of staff for Col. Clinton Pagano.
PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account.
Five years after Hurricane Sandy made a direct hit on the Jersey Shore, massive amounts of money have been spent on rebuilding and resiliency projects.

The state has raised and repaired thousands of homes, set strict elevation standards, bought out hundreds of repeatedly flooded properties under the Blue Acres program, replenished beaches, required utilities to harden infrastructure and experimented with restoring wetlands.

Sandy changed us. But is it enough? Are we prepared for the next big storm?

Critics say no.

There is too little Blue Acres money to buy out people in flood-prone areas, and the program has not bought out anyone in communities on the Atlantic Ocean, said Sierra Club of New Jersey Director Jeff Tittel.

Instead, the 600 properties the state has purchased for about $128 million are on the Delaware Bayshore or along rivers, where property is not as expensive as on barrier islands.

Many people along coastal areas are being held hostage to the next storm by the DEP because they are not being bought out under the Blue Acres program, said Tittel. The DEP is keeping people stuck along the coast who want to leave. This wastes money and keeps people in harms way.

But others are optimistic, looking to protect the shore rather than abandon it.

It takes years  at least five years  to do any major project by the time you design and build it, if everything works out, said Jim Rutala, of Linwoods Rutala Associates, a consultant who has worked with every coastal town in Atlantic County and some in Cape May and Cumberland counties to plan resiliency projects and get funding for them.

Rutala says we are still working toward being ready for the next big storm, but a lot of progress has been made.

Whats really surprising in some ways, the municipal officials in towns are still aggressive on resiliency issues, said Rutala. Even Atlantic City has bonded and moved projects that they hadnt addressed in decades.

The city got funding for a $50 million sea wall and new Boardwalk in the Inlet, sharing costs with the state and federal governments; and $12 million to put in electronically controlled floodgates in the century-old underground Baltic Avenue Canal, he said.

Rutala, the former business administrator in Ocean City, worked with the city to acquire funding for both projects.

Ventnor recently passed an ordinance requiring newly built properties to have 3 feet of freeboard, or feet above the base flood elevation. The state only requires 1 foot, Rutala said.

(Ventnors) position is that 3 feet protects those homes that much more. It also helps them get (National Flood Insurance Program) discounts. The towns are focused on issues like that.

But Amanda Devecka-Rinear of the New Jersey Organizing Project, a nonprofit started to help families recover after Sandy, said New Jersey made a decision not to think about sea-level rise in its approach to planning for the future.

It has potentially cost us millions and millions in federal grant money we could have used to prepare for future storms, she said. The governor pretended building dunes was going to address sea-level rise.

Its a start, but nothing more, Devecka-Rinear said.

And problems with the states oversight of federal funds for repairing and raising homes delayed or prevented help going to thousands, she said.

About 40,000 homes were damaged by the storm badly enough that homeowners had to leave, but only about 8,000 homeowners were admitted into the Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation and Low-to-Moderate Income Homeowners Rebuilding programs, she said.

According to the programs website, as of September only 5,695 have completed their projects, leaving 2,191 unfinished, Devecka-Rinear said.

Exact numbers on how many of the 40,000 are still struggling with repairs are unknown, but a survey by the nonprofit New Jersey Research Project found more than 20 percent of respondents are still not finished, she said.

Still, the work goes on.

The state Department of Environmental Protection is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a $3 million study of flood prevention for back bay areas, from Raritan Bay to Cape May.

Stone Harbor, Wildwood and North Wildwood got a total of about $25 million in funding from the DEPs Flood Hazard Risk Reduction and Resiliency Grant Program, which administers federal funding to minimize flooding, especially around evacuation routes.

The Stone Harbor project includes elevating streets, building a new pump station and installing flood control valves on the bayside to benefit the 96th Street bridge exit off the island.

But the Black Horse Pike into Atlantic City still needs to be addressed, said Rutala.

Its a state highway, and it shuts down every month, he said, at high tide. Its an emergency evacuation route. Its a constant reminder something has to be done  to elevate that route.

He said many parties are working on potential solutions.

At first it was response and recovery, now its resiliency, said DEP spokesman Larry Hajna.

Wastewater treatment plants that failed in Sandy have had infrastructure hardened to be able to keep functioning in future storms, he said.

We were moving in the same direction prior to Sandy, after Hurricanes Irene, etc., said Hajna. But Sandy was definitely the impetus behind a lot of things weve done.

On Tuesday, the state DEP and Department of Community Affairs announced $230 million in federal funds for construction of a flood-resistance system to protect Hoboken, parts of Weehawken and Jersey City in Hudson County.

The funds are from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and its Rebuild by Design project.

Of the $930 million awarded in the Rebuild by Design program, $380 million is coming to New Jersey. The rest is going to New York and Connecticut, according to the RBD website.

Until Sandy, the approach to beach replenishment was a hodgepodge. Some met Army Corps of Engineers standards; many did not, Hajna said.

Now, the Army Corps and DEP are wrapping up the final beach-replenishment projects on Absecon Island, which when finished will mean all beaches from Raritan Bay to Cape May will meet Army Corps standards, he said.
ATLANTIC CITY  Students and faculty members at Atlantic City High School greeted Miss America Cara Mund with a standing ovation Tuesday as she returned to the city she was crowned in two months ago.

Mund, who was the first candidate from North Dakota to be crowned Miss America, came to the school Tuesday to talk and give advice to students while also hosting a question-and-answer forum.

One of the main topics of discussion was Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, who went to high school with Mund in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Everyone says how great of a guy he is, and thats exactly how he was in high school, Mund said. Some in the media showed up (in North Dakota) to try and find dirt on him, and they found nothing. He just has a really great heart.

Mund, who returned home to North Dakota after visiting ACHS, said the state is now filled with billboards of the Eagles and of Miss America.

Its really become Eagles territory, she told the students. There are also a lot of Miss America things around, too, which is just awesome.

Mund segued the conversation about Wentz into a discussion on being safe on social media and keeping your chin up when things go badly.

When you look for a job or become someone who is in the spotlight, people will search your entire social media history to find something inappropriate, she said. She encouraged the students to be smart and safe on social media, and that being young isnt an excuse or a factor.

When you post something on social media, it stays there, she said.

She also talked about grasping opportunities and not giving up dreams when things dont go your way. When she was in high school, Mund was told by guidance counselors her goal of attending an Ivy League school was most likely unattainable for a young woman in North Dakota.

She ended up attending Brown University.

After unsuccessfully competing in the Miss North Dakota campaign, Mund was ready to give up her Miss America dream and continue school. Instead, she was talked into competing again, and won. Then, she was told her chances of becoming Miss America were slim because no one from North Dakota had ever won the competition. A few months later, she won the crown in Atlantic City.

She said she can trace a lot of her success to hard work, and that it goes to show you never truly know who you go to school with, because the opportunities in life are endless.

Although you may be young, age is not a factor, she said. You never know who youre sitting next to  it could be the next Carson Wentz or Miss America.
It will now be easier for New Jersey pharmacies to offer naloxone, the life-saving opioid overdose antidote, to people without prescriptions.

Pharmacies can now apply for a standing order to dispense naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan, under the Pharmacy Practice Act, which allows pharmacies without medical directors to get a standing order from the state Department of Health for the antidote medications.

Narcan is critical to our efforts to save lives and now we are making it easier for more pharmacists to help, Gov. Chris Christie said in a statement.

Christie made the announcement Monday following President Donald Trumps declaration of the opioid epidemic as a national public health emergency last week.

The original New Jersey law did not allow the health department to issue standing orders of this kind, and only pharmacists with medical directors were able to dispense Narcan.

Police, EMTs and paramedics have administered Narcan more than 32,000 times since April 2014, according to state data, including 9,500 overdose reversals this year.

The state Department of Health is now accepting standing order requests from licensed pharmacists in good standing with the New Jersey Board of Pharmacy.

With a standing order, pharmacists can give the antidote to someone at risk of an overdose, to someone who may need it for a loved one, or a person who may use it in emergency overdose situations, regardless of whether they have a prescription.

Pharmacists will be required to also give out information about recognizing an overdose, prevention, dosage, resuscitation and after-care.

Narcan and other forms of naloxone are typically given to someone overdosing from opioids with a spray in the nose. Some people may need more than one dose, as they could be overdosing on fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin.

We have to look at every overdose reversal as an opportunity to get people into treatment, health department Commissioner Cathleen Bennett said in a statement. The administration of Narcan may return someone from near death, but we know sustained recovery requires more than just an antidote.

Pharmacy standing order requests to the health department should be emailed to standing.orderrequests@doh.nj.gov.
New Jersey public health officials have been tasked with finding ways to address an outbreak of a rare, life-threatening infection that has been plaguing a growing number of patients nationwide.

Rutgers University experts are working on ways to quickly and accurately detect Candida auris yeast infections in patients and hospital environments. The majority of cases, which have occurred in New York and New Jersey, have been difficult to identify and treat, leading to high rates of death.

What makes C. auris so alarming is that it is largely a drug-resistant, health care-associated infectious agent that can be easily transmitted between patients and the patients environment, said David Perlin, executive director and professor of the Public Health Research Institute at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

Second Cumberland County horse dies of EEE, third reported case this year TRENTON  The state Department of Agriculture is urging owners to vaccinate horses after a 1

C. auris is a yeast that can enter the bloodstream and does not respond to common antifungal medications. There have been 27 confirmed and 23 probable cases in New Jersey as of Sept. 30, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Reports did not identify at which New Jersey hospitals patients with C. auris were treated.

New York reported the most cases at 92 confirmed and 4 probable. The two neighboring states make up nearly 87 percent of all cases nationwide.

CDC experts said C. auris has presented in patients who have been hospitalized a long time, have lines or tubes entering their bodies or have previously received antibiotics or antifungal medications. The most common symptoms include fever and chills that dont improve after antibiotic treatment.

C. auris can spread in health care settings through contact with contaminated surfaces or equipment, or from person to person.

Most people who get serious Candida infections are already sick from other medical conditions, according to the CDC, and 30 percent to 60 percent of patients with C. auris infections have died.

Stockton student experiment returns from space GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP  After five weeks in space, an agricultural experiment designed by two St

The CDC awarded Rutgers a $300,000, two-year contract to address the fungal pathogen.

Perlin and postdoctoral fellow Milena Kordalewska will lead the project in coming up with ways to more rapidly detect the infection in people and in health environments as well as analyze transmission patterns in New Jersey health care facilities using genetic fingerprint technology.

C. auris was first identified in a patient in Japan in 2009. As of Sept. 30, there were 166 confirmed and probable infections in New Jersey, New York, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts and Oklahoma.

There is documented transmission of C. auris to U.S. patients from health care facilities in India, Pakistan, South Africa and Venezuela, according to the CDC.

As reports of C. auris continue to mount within U.S. health care facilities, it is worrisome that the problem may grow much worse, Perlin said in a statement.
Backs Galloway hopefuls

Thank heavens for election eve conversions. Two weeks before the election, after an outcry from Galloway Township residents, council rescinded approval of redevelopment zoning for a motorsport park on Pomona Road. The vote to rescind was unanimous. The vote in September to approve special zoning for a motorsport park was also unanimous.

This is not surprising. Every vote in council for two years has been unanimous.

Galloways one-party council has problems. It has no independent thinkers or questioning voices. If there were independent thinkers, then the motorsport  unanimously a great idea in September  would have been defended by at least one councilman. If there were questioning voices, then the motorsport  now unanimously a terrible idea  would have had at least one councilman objecting to it in September. But we have no independent or questioning councilmen.

Why does that matter? First, council repeatedly does a very poor job of analyzing proposals before giving approval. Second, council seems to need an outraged public to do the right thing. (We had the same scenario when an asphalt transfer station was proposed near Blue Heron Pines on Tilton Road.) Third, diverse opinions clearly are not much appreciated on council.

Obviously we cant have an election every two months to ensure council acts responsibly. What we can do is elect caring, innovative, independent people to represent us on council, the candidates in Column A on the Nov. 7 ballot.

Richard A. Goldberg

Galloway Township

Make state Legislature follow open access laws

Regarding the Oct. 26 editorial, Updates needed to keep local government open, records accessible:

There shouldnt be any expansion of the OPRA law affecting local governments until the state Legislature agrees to follow the same law.

Assemblyman Vince Mazzeo admitted that the casino industry largely wrote the now-infamous casino PILOT law that fixed casinos property taxes at the expense of Atlantic County taxpayers. We dont know what notes, texts, letters, emails, phone messages, reports and other documents were relied upon in writing the PILOT legislation that Mazzeo sponsored, and unfortunately as New Jersey citizens we have no right to know.

The decisions of mayors and council members are not any more important than the decisions that are made by state legislators.

Maybe if state legislators knew the public could obtain their records, they wouldnt be passing so many bad laws.

Its time for the state Legislature to pull back the curtain and let the sun shine in on what theyre up to. They cannot continue to be above the laws they pass on to the rest of us.

Keith Davis

Linwood
#fisheries official death Ex-deputy national security chief questioned in fisheries official's death Prosecutors on Wednesday questioned a former deputy director of the presidential National Security Office as part of an investigation connected to the 2020 death of a fisheries off...
PEORIA, Illinois, October 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT / NYSE Euronext: CATR) informs its stockholders that today, a three forms, Form 4 was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") with respect to beneficial ownership of Caterpillar stock.

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, +1-309-675-0425

This is a disclosure announcement from PR Newswire.

SOURCE Caterpillar Inc.
WARSAW, Poland, October 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Abris Capital Partners is delighted to announce, that after several years of valuable contribution to the firm's investment activity, Wojtek Lukawski and Cezar Scarlat have been appointed as members of the Management Committee. Both appointments take effect immediately. At the same time, Cezar Scarlat who has been leading Abris operations in Romania for the last 4 years, has been appointed Senior Partner. We sincerely congratulate Wojtek and Cezar on their promotion.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/555735/Abris_Capital_Partners_Logo.jpg )



Wojciech Lukawski has 14 years of private equity experience, predominantly in Poland. He has successfully led transactions in Novago, AAA Auto and GetBack. Prior to joining Abris, Wojciech was on the board of two mass privatization funds in Poland and a CFO in the construction and textile industries. he also spent several years working in an M&A advisory. Wojciech's focus is on the consumer finance, automotive and logistics. Wojciech is a graduate of, and has a Masters Degree from Lodz University.

Cezar is Head of Abris Romania. At Abris, Cezar supervises Pehart and Green group investments Prior to this, Cezar worked for Bridgepoint Capital, covering CEE and was responsible for the Romanian market. Before Bridgepoint, Cezar worked for Nomura Investment Bank in London in their Mergers & Acquisition team. Cezar is a Wharton School MBA with triple major in Finance, Marketing and Operations and Harvard Business School OPM - Owner/President Management.

Abris Capital Partners is an independent private equity fund manager which invests in Central & Eastern Europe. Abris manages the capital commitments of many prestigious, international institutional investors including university endowment funds, pension funds, insurance companies and private asset managers. Since its inception in 2007, Abris has secured cumulative commitments of nearly 1.3 billion from investors, all targeted at mid-market opportunities in CEE.

For the past 10 years, Abris funds have been investing in local medium-sized companies, with sound fundamentals and exceptional development potential. Since 2007, Abris funds have made more than 20 investments in Poland and elsewhere in CEE. Amongst the businesses in Poland which have flourished under Abris ownership are Siodemka, Novago, Masterlease and Alumetal, the latter two being listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Other successful businesses remaining under Abris ownership include UrgentCargus in Romania, and GetBack, Graal and CARGOUNIT in Poland.

SOURCE Abris Capital Partners
Her Royal Highness Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall, wife of The Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, is once again back at Dr. Issac Mathai's SOUKYA International Holistic Health Centre, Bangalore (India) with family and friends. Dr. Mathai has been a Holistic Health Consultant for the British Royal Family for more than 10 years. SOUKYA is the first of it's kind in the world, where different systems of medicine like Ayurveda, Naturopathy, Homeopathy, Yoga and Complementary therapies work under one roof, becoming a natural choice for people from over 90 nationalities.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/592772/SOUKYA.jpg )



Homeopathy is a choice of medicine for the British Royal Family for more than 100 years. Her Royal Highness Camilla's wellness journey included Homeopathy, Ayurveda, Naturopathy and a customised menu. She was served with sessions on yoga and meditation, amidst the 30 acres of lush greenery. She also visited SOUKYA's Holy Trinity Chapel on campus and planted a Plumeria.

Bangalore being the hub of Integrated Medicine, having the largest number of systems of medicine and world class institutions, is an obvious destination for health and wellness. Prince Charles and The Duchess are shortly due to meet our Honourable Prime Minister, Sri Narendra Modi in Delhi, who is a firm believer in the AYUSH systems of medicine and their benefits.



For further details, please contact:

Trigam Mukherjee

trigam@theprophets.in

+91-9731651640



SOURCE SOUKYA
HONG KONG, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Xifu International Gold Wedding Jewellery Design Competition is playing a pivotal role in injecting jewellery designs with modern flair and cross-cultural influences. The 2017 competition is still the talk of the town even though its award ceremony took place a month ago on 12 September. Of the inaugural edition's 11 winners, eight are from China while the remaining three hail from Turkey, India and the United Arab Emirates respectively.

For the full multimedia release, click here: http://www.prnasia.com/mnr/ubm_20171025en.shtml

Wang Xiao Mei, a professional designer from Beijing, took home the Xifu Grand Prize for her delicate and exquisite design that was lauded by all of the judges. Her winning entry was inspired by the Golden Wattle. According to Wang, the flower alludes to an old story of true and everlasting love between a couple, thereby embodying the competition's theme, "Oneness." She also thanked the judges for acknowledging and appreciating her cutting-edge design.

Yi Ran, who was awarded the first prize in the Plain Gold Jewellery category, was grateful to be given an international platform to showcase her talents. She ingeniously applied mechanical concepts to her design so that it would form the Chinese word for "Oneness" when arranged at a certain angle. The first prize in the Gem-set Gold Jewellery category went to Xu Min. Her design drew inspiration from the water molecule, which consists of inseparable bonds between two elements. She noted that this concept of togetherness and completion likewise applies to the competition's theme, "Oneness."

The second prize winner in the Plain Gold Jewellery category, Meltem Sahan from Turkey, felt extremely proud to represent her country in an international competition. According to her, the award boosts her determination to continue pursuing her career in the field of design. Huang Xiang Min, winner of the second prize in the Gem-set Gold Jewellery category, shared the glory of his victory with the craftsmen who flawlessly captured the essence of his design in the actual jewellery piece. His win emboldens him to vie for the Xifu Grand Prize in the next competition, he added.

The rest of the winners likewise said they were grateful for the opportunities afforded to them in this international competition, adding that they would continue striving for excellence and success in the field of jewellery design.

The Xifu International Gold Wedding Jewellery Design Competition has not only cast the spotlight on budding and accomplished designers alike, but is also paving the way for further development and innovation in the gold wedding jewellery sector.

Given the success and international exposure from the competition, along with the launch of the Global Alliance of Design Institutes, more modern, meaningful and spectacular designs are expected to emerge in the gold jewellery market.

The Xifu International Gold Wedding Jewellery Design Competition encourages more designers to participate in its future editions and seize the chance to gain international recognition and acclaim.

Althea Long

Phone Number: +852 2516 1653/ 90291281

Email: althea.long@ubm.com

Related Links

http://www.JNAawards.com



SOURCE JNA
Dhaka, Oct 22 : India on Sunday said that Myanmar should take back the hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas who have fled to Bangladesh following a military crackdown in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is visiting Bangladesh, also discussed the refugee situation with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

"India is deeply concerned over the spate of violence in Rakhine state of Myanmar," Sushma Swaraj said at a joint address to the media along with her Bangladeshi counterpart Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali following the fourth India-Bangladesh Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) meeting here.

"We have urged the situation be handled with restraint, keeping in mind the people's welfare," Sushma Swaraj said.

Without naming the Rohingyas, she said it was clear that "normalcy will be restored only with the return of the displaced persons to Rakhine state".

According to the latest figures issued by the UN office in Bangladesh, over 600,000 refugees have entered the country since August 25 after the Myanmarese Army's crackdown on the minority Rohingya community following a series of attacks on security personnel in Rakhine.

The Rohingyas do not have citizenship in Myanmar and are sparingly given refugee status in Bangladesh.

"In our view, the only long-term solution to the situation in Rakhine is rapid socio-economic and infrastructure development that will have a positive impact on all the communities living in the state," Sushma Swaraj said.

"India, for its part, has committed to provide financial and technical assistance for identified projects to be undertaken in Rakhine state in conjunction with the local authorities. We have also supported implementation of the recommendations contained in the Kofi Annan-led Special Advisory Commission report."

The Commission, led by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, submitted the report with 88 recommendations to deal with the sectarian violence and foster development in the region.

During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first ever bilateral visit to Myanmar last month, India too offered to help in the economic development of Rakhine state.

Since the middle of last month, India has, through its 'Operation Insaniyat', supplied essential commodities like parboiled rice, dal, salt, sugar, cooking oil, tea, milk powder, mosquito nets and soap to the displaced Rohingyas in Cox's Bazar district of Bangladesh.

There are around 40,000 Rohingya refugees in India too, but New Delhi has made it clear it was not willing to accept them because of security concerns.

Following the JCC meeting, Sushma Swaraj called on Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and "discussed the situation arising out of influx of displaced persons from Rakhine state and need for an early and lasting solution", External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

The Indian External Affairs Minister also apprised Hasina of the productive discussions at the JCC and tangible progress made since the latter's visit to India in April.

In her address to the media here, Sushma Swaraj mentioned that India has extended three lines of credit to Bangladesh amounting to $8 billion, the largest developmental assistance India has extended to any country.

"In addition, India has also been extending grants for small socio-economic projects in Bangladesh," the Indian Minister said.

"In three years alone, 24 such grant projects have been completed, including construction of students' hostels, tube wells, cultural centres and orphanages. Presently, 58 projects, including city development projects in Rajshahi, Khulna and Sylhet, are under implementation. Tomorrow (Monday), we will launch another 15 projects in the areas of education, health, culture and community development."

Sushma Swaraj also referred to the cooperation between India and Bangladesh in the energy sector and said that India was 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 (India-initiated) International Solar Alliance, for which Bangladesh has just confirmed its accession," she said.

"This alliance is expected to make solar energy affordable by aggregating demand, promoting universal access to energy, and networking research and development.

Pointing out that oil and gas was another sector that would yield immense benefits to both the countries, Sushma Swaraj said: "We have already agreed on the construction of a petroleum products pipeline from Siliguri to Parbatipur to benefit people of north-western Bangladesh, as a grant-in-aid project."

Later in the evening, Sushma Swaraj also held a meeting with Bangladesh Nationalist Party Chairperson Khaleda Zia and "exchanged views on issues of mutual interest", MEA Spokesperson Kumar said in a separate tweet.
London, Oct 26 : WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has confirmed that a data analytics company that worked for US President Donald Trumps election campaign had contacted him over Hillary Clinton's private emails while she was secretary of state, media reports said.

"I can confirm an approach by Cambridge Analytica (prior to November last year]) and can confirm that it was rejected by WikiLeaks," the Guardian quoted Assange's tweet on Wednesday night.

He did not elaborate on the content of the request.

Assange's statement followed a report in the Daily Beast that Cambridge Analytica chief executive Alexander Nix made contact with the WikiLeaks founder about the possible release of 33,000 of Clinton's missing emails.

The Daily Beast report said: "Nix, who heads Cambridge Analytica, told a third party that he reached out to Assange about his firm somehow helping the WikiLeaks founder release Clinton's missing emails, according to two sources familiar with a Congressional investigation into interactions between Trump associates and the Kremlin.

"Those sources also relayed that, according to Nix's email, Assange told the Cambridge Analytica CEO that he didn't want his help, and preferred to do the work on his own. If the claims Nix made in that email are true, this would be the closest known connection between Trump's campaign and Assange," it added.

CNN, citing two unnamed sources, said Nix wrote to several people including Trump mega-donor Rebekah Mercer, explaining that he had emailed Assange seeking access to the Clinton emails to turn them into a searchable database for the campaign or a pro-Trump political action committee.

Cambridge Analytica was hired in the summer of 2016 as part of the Trump campaign's three-pronged data operation, which was led by Brad Parscale and overseen by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

No one from the Trump campaign was copied on the email, the sources told CNN.

The 33,000 emails deleted from Clinton's private server have never materialised.

In July 2016, Trump called on Russia to find the emails.

WikiLeaks had published emails hacked from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta just hours after the release of a potentially campaign-ending Access Hollywood tape in which Trump could be heard boasting about groping women, reports the Guardian.

Assange has denied receiving help from Russian hackers.
Beijing, Oct 26 : China once again came out in defence of good friend Pakistan against criticism by India and the US for not doing enough to wipe out terrorist outfits from the country and praised Islamabad's efforts in combatting terrorism.

A day after India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told Pakistan to act against terrorists on its soil, China said that Pakistan has done a good job in countering terrorism.

"Pakistan is at the forefront of counter-terrorism efforts. For many years, Pakistan has made positive efforts to counter terrorism and has made great sacrifices," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.

China has earlier too made similar statements whenever "all-weather ally" Islamabad has been slammed for failing to curb terrorism.

"We believe that the international community should recognise the efforts made by Pakistan in counter-terrorism," Geng said.

On Wednesday, Sushma Swaraj and Tillerson, who was on an India visit, told the media that New Delhi and Washington have agreed that US President Donald Trump's new Afghanistan policy would be effective only if Pakistan takes action against terror groups on its soil.

Tillerson, who had flown in from Pakistan, told Islamabad that it must step up its efforts to eliminate militants and terrorist havens operating within the country.

On Tillerson's visit to Pakistan, Geng said: "China supports the international community to enhance counter-terrorism cooperation and synergy.

"We welcome Pakistan and the US to conduct counter-terrorism operations based on mutual respect," Geng added.

China's indulgence towards its "iron friend" Pakistan has often put strains on New Delhi-Beijing ties.

China has refused to declare Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, mastermind of last year's deadly attack on an Indian Army camp, an international terrorist. Beijing has also time and again tripped India on its bid to become an NSG member, by tacitly supporting Pakistan's bid and placing both countries at the same level on the issue of not signing the Nuclear Non-proliferation treaty.
Canberra, Oct 27 : A court on Friday ruled that Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and four other politicians were wrongly elected because they held dual citizenship, the media reported.

The High Court of Australia's ruling means Joyce, Nationals leader Fiona Nash and One Nation's Malcolm Roberts were disqualified from office, reports the BBC.

The Greens Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam had already resigned from the Senate in July.

Joyce is an Australian who also held New Zealand nationality when elected, a citizenship he later renounced.

The ruling also means the ruling National Party loses its majority in the House.

Section 44 of the country's constitution stipulates that every legislator must have Australian nationality only, reports Efe news.

Australia will hold a by-election to replace Joyce, while in the Senate the seats will be assigned to other people in the parties.

Joyce, who had said he was not aware of his second citizenship, apologized to his voters in statements to the press and said that he would participate in the by-election, after giving up his New Zealand passport in August.

"I had no reason to believe I was a citizen of any other country but Australia," said the former Deputy Prime Minister, noting that he "respects the verdict" and the "marvellous democracy, with all the checks and balances" of Australia.

Joyce, like his mother, was born in Tamworth, New South Wales.

However, the politician's father was born in New Zealand and immigrated to Australia in 1947 as a British citizen, one year before the concept of Australian citizenship was established.

Because of his paternal origin, the politician inherited New Zealand citizenship.

As a result of the ruling, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's government will have to negotiate with the three independent parliamentarians to retain its majority in the Lower House, at least until the by-election which is expected to be held next year.

Bill Shorten, leader of the main opposition Labor Party, called for Turnbull's resignation for his "terrible judgment".

"Joyce broke the law and as a result, we now have a minority government," Shorten tweeted.
Paris, Oct 28 : France condemned on Friday the terrorist attack against United Nation (UN) peacekeepers in Mali, stressing that the perpetrators would be punished in line with a UN resolution, France's foreign ministry said in a press release.

On Thursday, terrorists targeted a United Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) logistic convoy in northeastern Mali, killing three Chadian peacekeepers and wounding two others, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Those responsible for this crime will have to answer for their actions. The resolution 2374 allows the Security Council to take action against those who have prepared, ordered, financed, and committed attacks on peacekeepers in Mali," the ministry was quoted as saying.

France also reiterated its support of the action to implement the peace agreement in Mali and reduce the threat of armed terrorist groups in the entire Sahel.
London, Oct 28 : Nine British servicemen have been thrown off a nuclear submarine after testing positive for drugs, the Ministry of Defence announced.

The servicemen were dismissed from duty from HMS Vigilant -- which carries the Trident nuclear deterrent, reports the BBC.

The Royal Navy said it did not tolerate drugs misuse, adding: "Those found to have fallen short of our high standards face being discharged from service."

Earlier this month, the submarine's captain was relieved of his command after an alleged "inappropriate relationship" with a member of his crew.

The Royal Navy said at the time that an investigation was ongoing and operations were not impacted.

HMS Vigilant is one of Britain's four Vanguard-class submarines which carry up to eight Trident missiles armed with nuclear warheads.
Agra, Oct 29 : Acting firmly after a Swiss couple was assaulted by five youngsters in Fatehpur Sikri near here, the Uttar Pradesh government has ordered the rounding up of anti-social elements around the historical monuments in and near Agra.

In the last 24 hours, more than 50 'lapkas' or touts who target foreign visitors at Fatehpur Sikri, Agra Fort and Taj Mahal have been rounded up. They have been booked for harassment and disturbing public peace and sent to jail.

Senior Superintendent of Police Amit Pathak said information centres were being planned at the monuments where tourists will get help from Tourism Police. A booklet will be published giving full details of distances and fares.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who was in Agra three days ago, expressed his unhappiness at the unlawful activities of unauthorized canvassers and vendors at the historical monuments.

With three world heritage monuments and several architectural marvels, Agra is annually visited by nearly 10 million Indian and foreign tourists.

"Tourism is the mainstay of Agra's economy, supporting a network of hundreds of big and small hotels, emporia, resorts and travel networks. After the opening of the Yamuna Expressway and the Lucknow-Agra Expressway, there has been a spurt in footfall," says the President of the Agra Hotels and Restaurants Association, Surendra Sharma.

In Fatehpur Sikri, tourism supports hundreds of families, he added.

On October 22, a young Swiss couple, both aged 24, walking along a railway track were brutally set upon by five young men at Fatehpur Sikri. The Swiss man suffered fractures. Both were warded at the Apollo Hospital in Delhi.

Hotel owners are worried about the impact the incident will have on tourism.

"True, 'lapkas' bring a bad name to the city. But generalizing the negative features dents the fair and positive image of Agra as a whole and the tourism industry in particular," said Raj Kumar, owner of Hotel Alleviate.

"Agra's hotel business is tourist friendly and provides reasonable hospitality which has been appreciated by customers from across the globe," he added.

In the past there has been a lot of criticism of the police for not promptly acting on complaints of harassment by touts at the monuments.

"From the Agra Cantt railway station to emporiums, to monuments, the so-called illegal guides or agents and canvassers, who locally are called 'lapkas', have created a nightmarish ambience for the tourists," admitted Shravan Kumar Singh of the Braj Mandal Heritage Conservation Society.

"In the process, the entire tourism industry gets a bad name. Tourists do not want to return to Agra. At Fatehpur Sikri you cannot walk alone without being swarmed by these 'lapkas'," he said.

Licensed tourist guides too want an effective policing network to curb the undesirable activities of 'lapkas'.

While the police action has been welcomed by a section, there is resentment against the arrest of so many who may not be involved in any anti-social activity.

"This is just face-saving for the failure in Fatehpur Sikri," said the father one of those arrested.

"It is police high-handedness. Reasonable canvassing or persuading tourists to visit a shop or an emporium or hotel cannot be called illegal," said hotelier Sandeep Bhaiyya.

"The police have no set of rules or guidelines on how to regulate this form of activity which has been deliberately given a bad name in Agra," he said.

The 17th century Taj Mahal, built by Mughal emperor Shahjahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz, is considered one of the wonders of the world and is India's biggest tourist draw.

Many of those visiting the Taj also go to Agra Fort and the nearby Fatehpur Sikri.
New Delhi, Oct 29 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel ensured that millions of Indians were brought under the ambit of "one nation, one constitution" and his message of unity and patriotism was an inspiration for New India.

In his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio broadcast, Modi paid tributes to Sardar Patel, whose birth anniversary falls on October 31, saying he laid the foundation of a "modern, united India".

Modi also remembered India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, whose birth anniversary on November 14 is celebrated as Children's Day, and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, whose death anniversary falls on October 31.

Modi said Sardar Patel not only gave revolutionary ideas but he was able to translate it into action by finding solution to the most complicated problems post India's independence.

"Translating a thought into reality was his forte. Sardar Patel took on the reins of weaving a unified India. He ensured that millions of Indians were brought under the ambit of one nation and one constitution," Modi said.

"Wherever respectful coercion was needed, he proceeded gently. Wherever the use of force was imperative, he did not hesitate. He set a definite goal and moved forward on its path with grit and determination. It was only he who could achieve this task of uniting India."

Modi said Sardar Patel preached harmony and patriotism.

"These lofty ideals of Sardar Sahab are relevant to and inspiring for our vision of a New India. That is why his birthday is celebrated as National Unity Day."
New Delhi, Oct 29 : The Indian and Japanese navies on Sunday started an intensive air anti-submarine warfare exercise in the Indian Ocean, a defence official said.

The exercise in the Arabian Sea will conclude on October 31, Indian Navy Spokesperson Captain D.K. Sharma said in a tweet.

A P-8 I Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance Anti Submarine Warfare aircraft of Indian Navy and two P-3 Orion Anti Submarine Warfare aircraft of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMDSF) will participate in the exercise.

The P-3 Orion aircraft reached the Naval Air Station INS Hansa in Goa on Sunday for the exercise, which comes when presence of Chinese ships and submarines in the Indian Ocean has increased and Beijing has been posturing aggressively in the South China Sea.

Maritime security and freedom of navigation has also figured prominently in India's recent bilateral and multi-lateral defence dialogues.

India and Japan, along with US had also focused on anti-submarine warfare in the trilateral exercise Malabar in July this year. China had said at that time that it hoped the exercise is not aimed at other countries.

Maritime security was a key subject during interactions between Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and French Defence Minister Florence Parly, as well as with US Defence Secretary James Mattis during their recent visits. When then Defence Minister Arun Jaitley went to Japan for a bilateral defence dialogue in September, maritime security was again in focus.
Baghdad, Oct 30 : Masoud Barzani, the President of the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan has told a closed-door session of Parliament that he will step down from his post on November 1, the media reported.

"I refuse to continue the position of President of the Kurdish region after November 1," Xinhua reported citing Rudaw Kurdish media which quoted a letter sent by Barzani on Sunday to the regional parliament session held in Erbil.

"Changing the law on the presidency of Kurdistan or prolonging the presidential term is not acceptable," Barzani said.

He said that a meeting must be held as soon as possible so that "there will be no legal vacuum in the duties of the president of the region".

However, Barzani pledged to continue his long mission as a Peshmerga "to sacrifice and struggle for the rights and demands of our people as well as preserve the achievements of our people", the letter read.

Barzani set November 1 as the date for stepping down and asked the parliament to vote on distributing the legal, military and administrative powers of the president to the regional government, parliament and the judiciary.

The parliament continued its session after Barzani's letter and voted in favor of choosing the current regional Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani for Commander-in-Chief of Kurdish regional forces.

Masoud Barzani's president post has sparked controversy, as his tenure was originally expired in 2013, but the Kurdish parliament extended his term to August 2015, but because of the blitzkrieg, or lighting war, of the Islamic State (IS), Barzani remained in office.

The Kurdish parliament initially set November 1 a date for parliamentary and presidential elections in Kurdistan region and the ethnically mixed disputed areas claimed by both Baghdad and the Kurds.

However, on October 24, the parliament postponed the regional presidential and parliamentary elections for eight months after the Iraqi security forces took control of the oil-rich Kirkuk province and most of the disputed areas.

Barzani, 71, a veteran Kurdish leader, took over the post of president of the regional government in 2005. However, Barzani's post has sparked controversy, as his tenure expired on Aug. 19, 2015. He is also leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party since 1979.

On October 16, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is also Commander-in-Chief of Iraqi forces, ordered government forces to enter the oil-rich Kirkuk province in northern Iraq to regain control of the ethnically-mixed disputed areas.

The Kurds consider the northern Kirkuk province and parts of Nineveh, Diyala and Salahudin provinces as disputed areas and want them to be incorporated into their region, a move fiercely opposed by the Arabs and Turkmens in the region as well as the Iraqi central government.

Tensions have been running high between Baghdad and the region of Kurdistan after the Kurds held a controversial referendum on the independence of the Kurdistan region and the disputed areas.
Beijing, Oct 30 : China is set to block a resolution at the UN this week to declare Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar an international terrorist, frustrating India and the US who want the chief plotter of a deadly attack on Indian military bases punished.

After Beijing blocked and put a technical hold on India's application that lapsed last year, the US in January had put a fresh proposal - backed by France and the UK - to ban Azhar.

Beijing again put a technical hold on the proposal till August, only to extend it further for three months. The technical hold expires on Thursday.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the 1267 Committee of the UN Security Council was still in disagreement to approve the application.

"As for the listing application by the relevant country, there are disagreements. China put the technical hold to allow more time to deliberate on this matter," Hua said.

"To our regret, the committee so far has yet to reach consensus," she added.

China's 'no' to the US proposal means that a new resolution will have to be moved.

Minus China, all the countries of the 15-member Security Council are on board to ban Azhar, who heads the Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit.

China is one of the five veto-holding members and its vote for and against the resolution is decisive.

"We have made our position clear many times... Relevant resolutions of the Security Council have clear stipulations as to the mandate of 1267 committee and also clear stipulations when it comes to the listing of the terrorist organisations and individuals," Hua said.

"We believe that the committee (UN) should follow the principles of objectivity, professionalism and fairness and reach a decision by consensus based on solid proof," she said.

The listing of Azhar has become a sore point between China and India. In September, China agreed to include Azhar's outfit in the joint statement by BRICS members.

Asked if China was trying to defend Pakistan by vetoing application against Azhar, Hua said: "I can understand why you raised this question but I cannot side with what you just said.

"China always upholds the principles of fairness and objectivity and we judge this matter on its own merits. You mentioned Pakistan. Pakistan is also a victim of terrorism and we support Pakistan in countering terrorism in accordance with its own national conditions."

Beijing has steadfastly shielded its "all-weather" ally Islamabad, which has been accused of harbouring terror outfits by India.

China has invested billions in the key infrastructure project of Belt and Road initiative in Pakistan which seeks to connect Asia with Europe through a network of roads, highways, ports and sea lanes.
Islamabad, Oct 30 : Pakistan on Monday confirmed the death of two Chinese nationals who were abducted from Balochistan earlier this year.

"The DNA reports have confirmed that the two persons killed in Balochistan in June 2017 were the same two Chinese nationals who were kidnapped from Quetta in May," a Foreign Office statement said.

Lee Zing Yang, 24, and Meng Li Si, 26, were abducted from Jinnah Town in the city on May 24.

The confirmation from the Foreign Office came months after the Islamic State claimed it had killed the Chinese man and woman who had reportedly been "preaching" in Balochistan under the garb of learning Urdu.

"The Government of Pakistan expresses its deep sense of shock and grief on this brutal act of terrorism," the statement read, while extending condolences to Beijing and to the Chinese couple's relatives.

Beijing is ramping up investment in Pakistan as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor unveiled in 2015 that will link its Xinjiang region to Gwadar port with a series of infrastructure, power and transport upgrades.
Kolkata, Oct 30 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that 60 persons have died of dengue and swine flu in the state this year but claimed the situation was not serious enough to trigger panic.

Among the 40 dengue deaths, 13 patients who perished in state-run hospitals were confirmed cases. The government was cross-checking reports of 27 others suspected to have died of the disease in private health facilities, the Chief Minister said.

"In Bengal, 13 dengue deaths have been confirmed. We have also received 27 cases from private hospitals, though cross-checking is on. We are examining the deceased's medical and pathological reports. Another 20 people died of swine flu," Banerjee told reporters at the state Secretariat Nabanna.

"I am still saying there is nothing to panic. Patchy weather and irregular rainfall have triggered the outbreak of many vector-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, and swine flu throughout the country this year. Our government is doing its best to control the diseases," she claimed.

Taking a swipe at the Bharatiya Janata Party for holding her Trinamool Congress government responsible for the dengue outbreak in Bengal, Banerjee said the number of deaths due to such diseases are much higher in BJP-ruled states.

"The BJP should first worry about the states ruled by the party. The toll is very high in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Assam. How will we survive if the northeastern states and other neighbouring states face problems? We are surrounded by them," she said.

"There are some political parties which do not have any work, apart from playing a negative role. We were in the opposition but we never did dirty politics on these issues," the Trinamool supremo said.

Banerjee alleged that some corporate houses in the state have ganged up against her government and were spreading misinformation about the number of dengue cases to create panic in public.

Claiming that her government was taking steps to control the disease, the Chief Minister said municipalities and panchayats in most vulnerable areas have been instructed to coordinate with the Heath Department and take steps to get rid of mosquitoes.

"We have asked the Indian Medical Association to increase the number of camps in dengue-affected pockets in the state. The Health Department will ould look into these issues," she added.
Guwahati, Oct 30 : Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday reiterated that genuine Indian citizens need not worry about exclusion of their names during the updation of National Register of Citizens, and accusing some sections of trying to spread a misinformation campaign.

"Those spreading misinformation campaign about the NRC are anti-nationals. NRC is meant to protect the country. Genuine Indian citizens do not need to worry about being excluded from the NRC and the state government is committed to prepare a flawless draft NRC," he told media here.

The NRC of 1951 is being updated in Assam through a Supreme Court monitored process and the draft updated NRC is expected to be published next month.

The updated NRC is expected to effectively deal with the issue of illegal foreigners in the state.

NRC coordinator Pratik Hajela recently stated that around 48 lakh people in the state have submitted panchayat certificates as supporting document for inclusion of their names in the NRC and that out of this, 17.4 lakh have been identified as original inhabitants. The rest are being examined.

This has led to large-scale apprehension among the people that their names would not figure in the draft NRC.

Several organisations like the All Assam Minority Students' Union and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind have also questioned the classification 'original inhabitant'.

The government has sought additional forces to be deployed in the state as the misinformation campaign could lead to law and order problem after the draft NRC is published.

Congress alleged the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government is delaying the NRC updation process and trying to create a divide between Hindus and Muslims.
New Delhi, Oct 30 : Intense discussions are on in the Defence Ministry over the issue of appointing a combined Chief of Defence Staff and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has also been meeting the service chiefs and other officials over it, sources said on Monday.

However, the source indicated that that the Defence Minister, who has been extensively briefed on the issue, is not in favour of taking a hurried view on the complicated issue.

A high-level committee, set up to examine the gaps in the country's security system in the wake of the Kargil war in 1999, had called for appointment of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as a single-point military adviser to the Defence Minister. In 2012, the Naresh Chandra Task force had also recommended creating the post.

Successive governments have however not taken any decision on the issue.

The source also said that the Defence Ministry is looking into the issue of rank parity between military personnel and armed forces headquarters (AFHQ) civil service officers.

"The Ministry is of the view that no one's interests should be hurt, and no one should benefit at the cost of others. We are being very cautious, no false equivalence will be made," the source said.

The source also said that the issue of equivalence should not be mixed with that of non-functional upgrade (NFU), which is in court.

The NFU factor entitles officers or personnel of a batch to get salaries and grade pay of their batch's senior-most officer after a certain period.

A Ministry circular of October 18, 2016 on rank equivalence between defence officers and armed forces headquarters (AFHQ) civil service officers, brought the ranks of armed forces officers a notch down compared to earlier status.

As per the circular, a Major General and equivalent ranks of Rear Admiral and Air Vice Marshal will be equal to a principal director in the civil service ranks at AFHQ, while a Brigadier and equivalents of Commodore, Air Commodore will be equal to a director, and Colonel (Captain in the Navy and Group Captain in the Air Force) will be equal to a joint director.

Earlier, a Colonel was equated with a Director, Brigadier was treated at par with a Deputy Director-General, and a Major General was treated as equivalent of a Joint Secretary.

A committee was formed by then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on the issue, but as per sources, the report has not yet been submitted.
Washington, Oct 31 : Paul Manafort, who served as US President Donald Trump's campaign chairman, will be confined to home pending trial on charges brought by the special counsel investigating alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.

Judge Deborah A. Robinson also ordered Manafort and his former business associate Rick Gates to surrender their passports, after they appeared at a court here on Monday, Efe news reported.

Both men are barred from leaving their homes for any reason other than court appearances, meetings with attorneys, medical appointments or religious activities.

The judge set a bond of $10 million for Manafort and $5 million for Gates, but neither man will have to pay or post collateral unless he violates the conditions of the house arrest.

Facing a dozen charges that include money laundering and conspiracy, both entered pleas of not guilty.

Manafort and Gates are due back in court on Thursday.

Trump weighed in Monday morning on the case against his former campaign chairman, noting that the alleged crimes occurred long before Manafort worked for him.

"Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????" Trump said in a Twitter post. "...Also, there is NO COLLUSION!"

Last Friday, media reports said that a grand jury in Washington had issued indictments in the probe being conducted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion between Moscow and the Trump campaign.

There was speculation over the weekend over who might be charged by Mueller, who was appointed to his post in May.

Investigators had been targeting Manafort, who worked as a lobbyist, for months and the FBI searched his house in July.

Manafort once worked for Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska - who says the American owes him $18 million - and was involved in questionable business deals with pro-Russian elements in Ukraine.

Mueller's office also revealed in documents unsealed Monday that George Papadopoulos, a former Trump campaign adviser, had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with a Russian professor linked to the Kremlin.

Over the weekend, Trump once again called Mueller's investigation a "witch hunt" and demanded that "something" be done about alleged irregularities that his former Democratic presidential rival, Hillary Clinton, committed during the 2016 election.

"Never seen such Republican ANGER & UNITY as I have concerning the lack of investigation on Clinton made Fake Dossier (now $12,000,000?)" Trump tweeted.

On Monday, the President renewed the attack.

"Report out that Obama Campaign paid $972,000 to Fusion GPS. The firm also got $12,400,000 (really?) from DNC (Democratic National Committee). Nobody knows who OK'd!" Trump tweeted.

The so-called "Trump dossier," prepared by a former British spy who runs a firm called Fusion GPS, details alleged contacts between Trump's team and the Kremlin, Russian spying on Trump and the possibility that that information could be used to blackmail him during his presidency.

The dossier cites unnamed sources who say that members of Trump's team met with representatives of the Russian government.

Those sources also say that they have proof that Trump met with prostitutes in a Moscow hotel where Russian intelligence operatives had allegedly installed cameras and microphones.

Trump has categorically denied the dossier's content.

Media reports said last week that an unidentified Republican who opposed Trump's bid for the party's nomination initially provided the funding for the dossier, but that the Clinton campaign and the DNC later paid Fusion GPS for damaging information on the now-president.

Congressional investigators are trying to determine the role that Fusion GPS played in the campaign and who paid the firm.
Washington, Oct 31 : A US federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's attempt to bar transgender people from the military.

District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly overruled a presidential memo issued by Trump, which sought to reverse an Obama administration policy change, BBC reported on Monday.

Kollar-Kotelly's injunction returns the US military to the status quo - allowing transgender personnel to serve openly and new recruits to join up.

The case was filed against in August by a group of unnamed plaintiffs.

The judge agreed with the plaintiffs' assertion that the president's directives were "not genuinely based on legitimate concerns regarding military effectiveness or budget constraints, but are instead driven by a desire to express disapproval of transgender people generally".

She went on to say that the president's reasons for seeking to ban transgender personnel in July "do not appear to be supported by any facts" and had been rejected by the military.

Judge Kollar-Kotelly ruled against a second injunction sought by the plaintiffs, over a Trump directive prohibiting the use of military resources to fund sex reassignment surgical procedures.

She said the court did not have jurisdiction to grant the injunction because no plaintiff demonstrated that they would be substantially affected by the prohibition.

A June 2016 policy change by the Obama administration allowed transgender military personnel to serve openly and set a one-year deadline for the military to begin allowing new recruits.

In July 2017 the military delayed the accession part of the policy by six months, saying it needed more time to prepare.
Washington, Oct 31 : An election campaign adviser to US President Donald Trump has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about the timing of meetings with alleged go-betweens for Russia.

George Papadopoulos admitted the talks happened while he worked for Trump, not before, court papers show. He said he had been told the Russians possessed "dirt" on Hillary Clinton, BBC reported on Monday.

Separately, former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering unrelated to the 2016 election.

The charges against Papadopoulos are the first to be brought by Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating alleged links between Russia and the Trump campaign.

It has the potential to damage the US leader because it relates directly to his campaign, analysts say.

Papadopoulos -- a Chicago-based international energy lawyer - was close enough to then-candidate Trump to be part of a photograph (third from left) of his national security team which Trump tweeted on April 1, 2016.

According to the court documents, Trump's former foreign policy adviser admitted on October 5, 2017 to having impeded the FBI's investigation into alleged collusion with Russia.

When he was interviewed by the FBI this January, he falsely claimed that he had met two figures with Russian connections before joining the Trump campaign in March 2016. In fact, he met them after joining the campaign.

One was an unnamed Russian woman who, Mr Papadopoulos believed, had connections to Russian government officials.

He admitted seeking to use her connections in an effort to arrange a meeting "between the campaign and Russian government officials".

The other person was an unnamed, London-based professor who was said to have "substantial connections to Russian government officials".

The professor only took an interest in Papadopoulos because of his status within the Trump campaign, the statement says.

Russian "dirt" on Clinton, in the form of "thousands of emails", was allegedly mentioned by the professor at a breakfast meeting in a London hotel on or around April 26, 2016.

The professor said he had been informed about the compromising emails when he met senior Russian government officials on a recent trip to Moscow.
Yangon, Oct 31 : Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi has called for "all inclusiveness" in the country's national reconciliation and peace process, the state media reported on Tuesday.

Suu Kyi reiterated that "the door is always open" to the non-ceasefire signatory armed groups to join the signing of the Nationwide Ceasefire Accord (NCA), the Myanmar News Agency said.

Speaking at the 12th meeting of the Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) in Nay Pyi Taw on Monday, she said that her government puts great emphasis on the "non-signatories" participation, She also urged all for the completion of work in laying down the basic principles for a federal union in 2018.

Suu Kyi stressed the need for drawing up Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to be able to implement the agreements effectively and to establish an office for the UNPDC.

Meanwhile, some non-ceasefire signatory armed groups are expected to sign the government's NCA in November.
Washington, Oct 31 : A US federal judge has partially blocked enforcement of key provisions of President Donald Trump's memorandum banning transgender people from serving in the military, the media reported.

On Monday, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia found the administration's justification for the ban, which was set to take effect in March 2018, to be suspect and likely unconstitutional, reports The New York Times.

She ruled that the military's current policy should remain in place.

"There is absolutely no support for the claim that the ongoing service of transgender people would have any negative effective on the military at all," the judge wrote in a strongly worded, 76-page ruling.

"In fact, there is considerable evidence that it is the discharge and banning of such individuals that would have such effects."

Judge Kollar-Kotelly noted that the White House's proposed policies likely violated the equal protection clause of the Constitution, writing that "a number of factors - including the sheer breadth of the exclusion ordered by the directives, the unusual circumstances surrounding the President's announcement of them, the fact that the reasons given for them do not appear to be supported by any facts, and the recent rejection of those reasons by the military itself - strongly suggest that Plaintiffs' Fifth Amendment claim is meritorious".

Monday's ruling was seen as an encouraging step for supporters.

It stopped a plan to discharge all transgender troops. It allows current transgender troops to re-enlist and permits transgender recruits to join the military starting in January.

In response to the ruling, the Justice Department said, "We disagree with the court's ruling and are currently evaluating the next steps," The New York Times reported.

Trump announced in a series of Twitter messages on July 26 that American forces could not afford the "tremendous medical costs and disruption" of transgender troops, and said "the United States government will not accept or allow them to serve in any capacity in the US Military".

A presidential memorandum released on August 25 required all transgender service members to be discharged starting in March 23, 2018.

Civil rights groups immediately sued the administration on behalf of transgender service members, arguing that the ban was discriminatory and violated their constitutional right to due process and equal protection under the law.

A number of lawsuits are still pending.

"Big, huge news today," said Lt. Cmdr. Blake Dremann, a Navy supply corps officer who is transgender and is the director of Sparta, an LGBT military group with more than 650 active-duty members.

"A lot of people's lives were put on hold. They thought their careers were ending. This means we can continue to serve with honour, as we have been doing."

Petty Officer Eva Kerry, 24, who is transgender and is training to operate nuclear reactors, said the ruling lifted an obsessive dread over the impending end of a Navy career she loves.

"I remain optimistic that the Constitution I swore an oath to will continue to protect the rights of all Americans," she told The New York Times.
Buenos Aires, Oct 31 : The widow and son of late Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar were being investigated in Argentina for laundering $15 million through local companies, authorities confirmed here.

The Argentine Security Ministry and Colombia's Information and Analysis Unit (UIAF) on Monday designated Maria Victoria Henao and Pablo Escobar Jr. as alleged links between Colombian drug trafficker Jose Bayron Piedrahita Ceballos and an unnamed Argentine businessmen, reports Efe news.

Henao and Escobar Jr. facilitated contacts so that Ceballos could hide his illegal activities involving Argentine corporations, according to the investigation undertaken in Colombia, the US and Argentina.

Ceballos has an outstanding extradition order issued by the US, where he is charged with drug trafficking and corruption, although he is under arrest in Colombia.

An operation mounted by the Colombian Attorney General's Office, the US Drug Enforcement Administration and Argentine authorities uncovered evidence that Ceballos "had laundered money for several drug trafficking networks".

Henao and Escobar Jr. moved to Argentina and took on new identities after Escobar's death in 1993.

His fortunes were estimated to be over $1 billion at the time.
Seoul, Oct 31 : South Korea and China on Tuesday said they wanted to normalise and improve bilateral ties despite disagreement over a controversial US anti-missile system installed in Seoul which is criticised by Beijing.

"The two sides have emphasised the great importance of South Korea-China link and have decided to promote further development of their strategic relationship and cooperation," a joint statement released by the Seoul Foreign Ministry said.

It also highlighted that both countries share the vision that strengthening exchanges and cooperation serves common interests and the countries have thus agreed to reorient them quickly to their normal course in all areas, reports Efe news.

This is the greatest gesture of rapprochement between the two countries since China, Seoul's main trading partner, started a covert boycott of South Korean interests in retaliation for the installation of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) missile system.

The boycott has hit South Korean companies, some of which were even forced to stop operating in China, and has adversely affected diplomatic ties despite the strong rapprochement shown by the two countries in the last five years.

The joint statement is the result of a meeting between the South Korean National Security Council vice chief Nam Gwan-pyo and Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Kong Xuan You.

As a token of this rapprochement the presidents of both countries, Moon Jae-in and Xi Jinping, will hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum to be held from November 12 to 14 in Vietnam.

However, both countries have reiterated and defended their respective positions in relation to the controversial THAAD, the joint statement said.

Seoul and Washington argue that the shield only aims to protect against North Korean missiles but according to Beijing the THAAD radars can be used to spy on its military bases and has insisted on its withdrawal.
Washington, Oct 31 : A NASA sounding rocket launched with the aim of studying the darks voids in between the stars and galaxies that fill the night sky has failed to deliver science data because of a possible issue with the attitude control system.

The Dual-channel Extreme Ultraviolet Continuum Experiment, or DEUCE for short, was launched on Monday from the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

"The Black Brant IX sounding rocket performed nominally. However, science data was not obtained because of a possible issue with the attitude control system," NASA said in a statement late on Monday.

"The payload descended by parachute and was recovered. The Sounding Rocket Program Office is investigating the anomaly," it added.

The cold, diffuse gas between galaxies -- called the intergalactic medium, or IGM for short -- hardly emits any light.

To shed light on the nature of the IGM, the sounding rocket was equipped with special ultraviolet optics.

The experiment was designed to measure starlight from a pair of nearby hot stars in the constellation Canis Major, aiming to help researchers understand how the IGM got to its current state.
Lucknow, Oct 31 : More than a dozen students were injured in a late night brawl at the Kannauj Medical College in Uttar Pradesh, police said on Tuesday.

The fight broke out between two groups of students -- seniors and juniors -- over ragging. The two sides first engaged in altercations during dinner at the hostel mess but were pacified.

Around midnight, the hostilities again started and the two sides fought a pitched battle, pelting stones at each other and attacking the security guards deployed at the college, a police officer said.

Three guards sustained head injuries in the incident. Principal D.S. Matoliya and the Chief Medical Superintendent Dilip Singh rushed to the hostel but failed to pacify the students.

The police had to be called. It used force to disperse the irate mob.

The management, however, has denied the charge of junior medical students that ragging is rampant in the premises.

"We take action whenever any such issue crops up and is established beyond doubt," the Principal said.

College authorities said they were identifying the students who were involved in the midnight violence and disciplinary action would be initiated against them.
New Delhi, Oct 31 : Close on the heels of the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in the Doklam region of Bhutan, Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, accompanied by Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuk and Prince Jigme Namgyal Wangchuk, arrived here on Tuesday on a four-day visit to India.

The royal couple was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at the airport here.

"Special gesture for a valued friend. EAM @SushmaSwaraj receives Their Majesties, The King, The Queen and The Gyalsey (Prince) of Bhutan," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

On Wednesday, the King will meet President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will host a dinner in honour of the royal family, a statement from the ministry said.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and other ministers will call on the King.

"India and Bhutan enjoy unique ties of friendship, which are characterised by deep understanding and mutual trust," the statement said.

It said the visit would provide an opportunity to review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation, including plans for celebrating in 2018 the golden jubilee of the establishment of diplomatic ties, and to advance bilateral relations of friendship and cooperation.

Indian and Chinese troops were locked in an over two-month standoff at Doklam plateau in Bhutan. The crisis, which erupted in June over Chinese moves to build a road in an area claimed by Bhutan, ended in August, with both sides deciding to "disengage" from the face-off point.

While India and Bhutan said that Beijing's move violated the status quo in the India-Bhutan-China international trijunction, China claimed that it was their terriroty.

There are a number of institutional mechanisms between India and Bhutan in areas such as security, border management, trade, transit, economic, hydro-power, development cooperation and water resources.

India has set up three hydroelectric projects (HEPs) in Bhutan totalling 1,416 MW, which are operational and exporting surplus power to India. About three-fourth of the power generated is exported and the rest is used for domestic consumption.

India is Bhutan's largest trading partner. In 2016, bilateral trade stood at Rs 8,723 crore with total imports being Rs 5,528.5 crore (82 per cent of Bhutan's total imports) and exports recorded as Rs 3,205.2 crore including electricity (90 per cent of Bhutan's total exports).
New York, Oct 31 : Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has resigned from the Producers Guild of America (PGA), and is now banned for life from being a member of the organisation.

PGA made the announcement on Monday.

The Guild had voted on October 16 to begin the process of expelling Weinstein, but his expulsion was not immediately effective since the guild, according to its bylaws, was required to go through a termination process, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

According to its rules, it is required that a member be given 15 days' notice before disciplinary action is taken. But the PGA received notice that rather than face the guild's charges, Weinstein elected to resign his membership.

The Guild released a statement, saying: "In light of Mr. Weinstein's widely reported behaviour -- with new reports continuing to surface even now -- the Producers Guild's National Board has voted unanimously to enact a lifetime ban on Mr. Weinstein, permanently barring him from PGA membership.

"This unprecedented step is a reflection of the seriousness with which the Guild regards the numerous reports of Mr. Weinstein's decades of reprehensible conduct. Sexual harassment can no longer be tolerated in our industry or within the ranks of Producers Guild membership."

Weinstein has been accused of sexual misconduct, including harassment and assault, by over 50 women, with incidents dating back to the 1970s.

He has also been expelled from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and suspended by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. He has even been terminated from his namesake production company, The Weinstein Co.
Chandigarh, Oct 31 : A fast track court in Chandigarh on Tuesday held two maternal uncles guilty of raping a 10-year-old girl. The court will pronounce the quantum of punishment on Thursday.

The victim gave birth to a baby girl on August 5 after the Supreme Court turned down her plea for abortion.

The uncles, both brothers, had been accused of raping her over five months. Both hail from Nepal.

The police had initially arrested one uncle based on the victim's statement. However, when the DNA of the new born girl child did not match with that uncle, the case took a curious turn.

The Chandigarh Police, which launched re-investigation into the matter, arrested the second uncle in October, nearly two months after the rape victim delivered the child. The DNA of the second uncle matched with the new born.

The Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory (CFSL) report, which was submitted before a trial court here in October, has pointed out that the DNA sample of the child and the alleged rapist (uncle) did not match.

The girl had told her parents and police investigators earlier that her maternal uncle (cousin of her mother) had raped her. She identified the accused.

The victim's plight made national headlines after the Supreme Court on July 28 disallowed her advanced pregnancy to be terminated. The victim delivered a girl child in the Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector 32 here on August 17.

The girl's pregnancy was discovered in July after her parents took her to the hospital when she complained of stomach pain. They discovered that the girl had been repeatedly raped by her uncle over seven months.

A medical board, set up by Chandigarh's Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) on the court's orders to examine the pregnant child, warned that an abortion would risk the girl's life.

The order came on a PIL by advocate Alok Srivastava, who moved the top court after a plea for the medical termination of pregnancy was refused by a district court in Chandigarh on July 18.

The plea was made while pointing out that the victim's body was not ready for child birth.
Mumbai, Oct 31 : Lingerie holds a special place in the bridal trousseau. Include strapless and multiway bras, but invest time to find the right bra fit, say experts.

Shweta Verma, Head of Marketing, Triumph India and Sri Lanka, and Soozie Jenkinson, Head of Design Lingerie, Swim and Active at British fashion brand Marks & Spencer, jot down some essentials.

Everyday T-shirt bras: These bras are a must-have in your wardrobe as they give the ultimate wearing comfort all day and a seamless appearance. The super smooth cups are invisible under your shirts and tight fitting tops, while the light and soft padding provides modest support for a perfectly shaped look. These are a good choice for both Indian and western outfits as they come in a variety of colours and styles, prints and even lace.

Party bras: From sexy strapless and demi cups, to push-up bras, party bras are an essential part of your trousseau as they go with plunging necklines to backless dresses.

If you want to enhance your cleavage for a low-neck top or dress, a push-up bra is a must. For tube dresses wear a strapless bra (in a push-up variety if need be). A multi-strap bra is another great option as it goes with a variety of dress styles, such as halter necks. Deep-back or backless outfits are best matched with a backless bra or one with transparent back straps for the ultimate glam factor.

A variety of briefs: Most women tend to ignore the importance of different briefs necessary for certain style of outfits. Usually, a single kind of brief is not suitable for all types of dresses. A seamless 'invisible' brief is a must in your wedding trousseau. A perfect choice for fitted dresses that can be worn for your engagement, cocktail party, or for any post-wedding outings. For something seductive, yet classy, opt for a tanga brief.

These offer a little more coverage and are super comfortable to wear as compared to a G-string, yet have slim sides. Don't forget to pack some comfortable cotton briefs for everyday wear.

Shapewear: If you want to have smooth curves under form fitting dresses and skirts, then it is a good idea to invest in some shapewear. There are different types of shapewear available depending on the problem areas you are trying to address, giving you a shaping effect that will make you look as sexy as you feel. High-waist briefs are a great option for every-day use as they give you a sleek look on the waist and hips as well as a flattering effect to your tummy.

Long-leg briefs give a shaping effect to the thigh as well as hips. For an overall flattering effect, you can opt for a body-dress or body-suit.
New Delhi, Oct 31 : In tune with New Delhi's Act East Policy, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Singapore Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan held the fifth India-Singapore Joint Ministerial Committee Meeting here on Tuesday.

"Expanding our strategic partnership," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted, referring to the meeting between the two leaders.

Balakrishnan, who arrived here earlier on Tuesday, will also visit Guwahati on Wednesday where he will meet Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

The India-Singapore bilateral relationship was elevated to a strategic partnership during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the city state in November 2015.

There are five areas of cooperation to enhance bilateral relations: scale up trade and investment; speed up connectivity; smart cities and urban rejuvenation; skill development; and state focus.

Singapore was India's 10th largest bilateral trade partner in 2016-17 and the second largest among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) countries, with a share of 2.5 per cent and 2.6 per cent respectively of overall trade with India.

Bilateral trade expanded after the conclusion of Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) from $6.7 billion in 2004-05 to reach $16.7 billion in 2016- 17.

In 2016-17, India's imports from Singapore totalled $7.1 billion and exports totalled $9.6 billion, a growth of 24 per cent compared to the previous year Singapore has agreed to set up a skill development centre in the northeastern state.
Bangkok, Oct 31 : Thailand has cancelled four passports of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra who fled the country days before a court sentenced her in absentia to five years of imprisonment for negligence, police officials said on Tuesday.

Chayapol Chatchaidech, a member of the special branch police, said that the Foreign Ministry revoked two diplomatic passports and two of Yingluck's personal passports on October 20.

The official explained that the police were not aware of the whereabouts of Yingluck and were yet to receive a response from Interpol, who they had asked to issue a blue notice to help locate and arrest her, Efe news reported.

The Supreme Court had sentenced Yingluck to five years in prison on September 27 over her role in a massive rice subsidy scheme during her term in office (2011-2014).

According to members of the Pheu Thai Party and her family, the former Prime Minister fled to Cambodia before making her way to Dubai and then a few weeks later to London, where she has allegedly asked for political asylum.

Yingluck was removed from office by the Constitutional Court, which found her guilty of abuse of power over the transfer of a senior civil servant, just days before the armed forces staged a coup on May 22, 2014.

The Puea Thai Party, led by Yingluck and founded by her brother Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed in another coup in 2006, was voted into power in 2011 with an absolute parliamentary majority.

Thaksin, who has been in self-exile in Dubai since 2008, faces a two-year jail sentence for abuse of power.

Political groups linked to Thaksin have won all elections in Thailand since 2001 with the support from the majority of the rural northeastern and northern regions despite opposition from a large part of the middle and the so-called "elite" classes mainly in the capital Bangkok.
London, Oct 31 : As many as 200 North Korean labourers were killed after a mine shaft being dug at a nuclear test site collapsed, the media reported.

The Telegraph quoted sources in North Korea saying that a tunnel being excavated by around 100 workers at the Punggye-ri test site crashed in early October.

An additional 100 labourers sent to rescue their colleagues were reportedly killed when the tunnel suffered a second collapse, according to Japan's Asahi TV.

An exact date for the disaster has not been provided, but it comes shortly after North Korea conducted its sixth - and most powerful - underground nuclear test at the site.

North Korea claims the September 3 test beneath Mount Mantap was of a hydrogen bomb, with monitors suggesting the detonation was equivalent to an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 on the Richter scale.

Some analysts put the yield of the weapon as high as 280 kilotons, while seismologists picked up signs of underground collapses in the hours and days after the blast.

Satellite images of the Punngye-ri site taken immediately after the test revealed significant damage to surface features, including landslips.

On October 17, a study published by the US-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University and published on the 38 North web site suggested the sixth underground test at the site had caused "substantial damage to the existing tunnel network under Mount Mantap".

It added that there was a possibility that the site was suffering "Tired mountain syndrome", although there were no indications that it was being abandoned for future nuclear tests.

Nam Jae-chol, head of South Korea's Meteorological Administration, warned on Monday that further tests at Punggye-ri could cause the mountain to collapse and release radioactivity into the environment.

Chinese scientists have issued similar warnings, suggesting that nuclear fallout could spread across "an entire hemisphere" if the mountain did collapse.
Patna, Oct 31 : Bihar's ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) on Tuesday expelled a party leader Rakesh Singh, main accused in Ara hooch tragedy of 2012, after he posted his selfie with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in social media.

Embarassed over alleged liquor mafia Rakesh Singh's selfie with Nitish Kumar, which went viral in the social media, JD-U state President Bashistha Narain Singh showed him the door.

Rakesh Singh, who has been chargesheeted in the hooch tragedy in which 29 people had died, was JD-U President of Ara block in Bhojpur district and was locally known as a "dabang" (heavyweight) and considered as one enjoying political clout in the power corridors of Patna -- the state capital.

Incidentally, total prohibition is in force in Bihar since April 5, 2016, when Nitish Kumar imposed it.

Vashisht Narain Singh said two days ago, Rakesh Singh accompanied one Harinder Kumar Singh, father of a groom of Bhojpur, who returned Rs 4 lakh dowry to bride's family, to meet Nitish Kumar and took a selfie with him and later uploaded it in social media.

But the posting of selfie did not go down well with the party leaders and workers, who raised objections to it as he is an accused in hooch tragedy. It was then that the party decided to act against him.

Impressed by the decision of Harinder Kumar Singh, a retired school teacher, to return the dowry to bride's family, Nitish Kumar lauded his move and termed it as an example for others to follow.

Harinder Kumar Singh said he decided to return the dowry following an appeal by Nitish Kumar, who had as part of a campaign urged people not to accept dowry for their children's marriage.

Nitish Kumar had on Oct 2 launched a massive statewide campaign against child marriage and dowry.
Bhopal, Oct 31 : Union Minister Uma Bharti on Tuesday termed Patidar quota stir leader Hardik Patel and former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar as "fighters" who failed to garner mass support due to their criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Hardik Patel is a good and combative boy. I have been monitoring him. His strength will increase only if he remains non-political. I have been monitoring Kanhaiya Kumar as well. He would have been a good fighter had he not made remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Bharti told reporters while responding to a question at her residence here.

The former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said Hardik Patel must understand that Modi is the "pride" of Gujarat and not a native of Uttar Pradesh but the people there made him win the elections.

"The people of Gujarat will once again stand united and the BJP will win the assembly polls with convincing majority," she added.

She advised Hardik Patel to remain apolitical and focus on the Patidar quota stir.

She said that Kanhaiya Kumar would have also emerged as a "fighter" had he not been critical of the Prime Minister.

"They think that they will gain TRPs by speaking against Modi. They are not able to establish a base for themselves in their endeavor to gain TRPs. One can gain TRPs by speaking against the Prime Minister, but will never ever be succesful in achieving the people's mandate," she added.

Bharti used the occasion to taunt Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh's ongoing "Narmada Parikrama".

"He is like my elder brother. My brother (Digvijaya Singh) and sister-in-law (Amrita) have embarked on the Narmada Parikrama. I will definitely go if they call me and partake of the 'bhandara' as well."

She also backed Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's assertion that the roads in his state are better than those in the US.

"The roads in Madhya Pradesh can be better than those in the US. Can't the roads in the US be in a bad condition?" she asked.
Kabul, Oct 31 : At least five persons were killed and many others injured when an explosion ripped through Kabul's heavily-fortified diplomatic area on Tuesday. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Health Ministry confirmed that at least five people, mostly government employees, had died and nearly 30 others were injured, the Afghan media reported. The blast took place in Wazir Akbar Khan area.

A terrified witness told Xinhua news agency that he saw more than a dozen people, mostly civilians, lying on the street, bleeding.

Police cordoned off the area immediately after the blast.

In May, a huge bomb in Kabul's diplomatic zone left more than 150 people dead. It was the deadliest suicide attack by insurgents in Afghanistan since the Taliban were driven out of power by US-led forces in 2001.
Panaji, Oct 31 : The visionary Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, in 1950, had predicted the 1965 India-Pakistan war and India's constant tussle with China, including the Doklam stand-off, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Tuesday.

The former Defence Minister, who was speaking during a joint observance of Rashtriya Ekta Diwas and Rashtriya Sankalp Diwas here, also said that the current Kashmir imbroglio had persisted through the decades only because the views of Patel, then Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, were ignored.

"I got an opportunity to read about Sardar Patel when I became Defence Minister two years back. I read one of his letters written to Jawaharlal Nehru. In the letter, the subject was about our enemy or adversary along the northern border.

"In 1950, Sardar Patel had predicted what would happen in 1965, the war that happened with China, even the Doklam issue which has cropped up now. All these issues are mentioned in the three-page letter. It was an utter shock for me. I had not read the letter until then," Parrikar said.

"He was so accurate, perfect. He had raised the perfect question on the Kashmir issue. The question about Kashmir has persisted today because Patel's views were not considered."

The Chief Minister said that it was only because of Patel's vision and his steadfast commitment to nationalism, which led to the merging of all princely states into a unified India.

"He managed to create a feeling among the rulers of the princely states, that they were sacrificing for the sake of the country and he brought together all the princely states and created the India that is," he said, adding that there was a need for re-awakening the spirit of nation-worship.
New Delhi, Oct 31 : The Congress on Tuesday termed the police crackdown on retired army personnel demanding OROP at Jantar Mantar as a "surgical strike", and attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that on the one hand he celebrates Diwali with soldiers and then "commits gross injustice" with the very same soldiers by denying them OROP.

"The mask of nationalism came off yet again yesterday (Monday) when the Modi government used Delhi Police to forcibly evict peaceful ex-servicemen, war veterans and war widows from Jantar Mantar and even arrested them thereafter," Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said.

He said it was the 869th day of peaceful protests for One Rank One Pension (OROP), and the government instead of listening to their demands conducted a "surgical strike" on the war veterans.

"The Prime Minister celebrates Diwali with our soldiers but commits gross injustice with the same people just after Diwali by denying them the benefit of OROP," he said, adding that this is not the first time that police force has been used against ex-servicemen.

"First they used police force to evict and lathi-charge them on Independence Day in 2015. Then an ex-serviceman was forced to commit suicide in November in 2016 and now the government is hiding behind an NGT order to target them," Vadakkan said.

He said that Jantar Mantar, with its strategic location in the heart of the national capital and adjacent to Parliament "accorded a significance and power to people's voices" and the crackdown on Jantar Mantar is an "assault on the ordinary people's rights" to protest and express their dissent against the government.

"We hope the nation will analyse whether the noise pollution at Jantar Mantar was a bigger threat to environment than this government's intolerance of democracy and dissent," the Congress leader said.

"We believe addressing environmental concerns cannot be in conflict with the fundamental tenets of the people's democratic rights," he added.
Panaji, Oct 31 : The Indo-US Joint Working Group on Aircraft Carrier Technology Cooperation (JWGACTC) concluded on Tuesday its visit to the Indian Navy's air station at Hansa in Goa, an official said.

The delegation, comprising seven Indian officials and 14 US delegates, visited Goa from October 29 to 31 during which they carried out information exchange in the field of aircraft carrier technology under the ambit of Indo-US Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI), an Indian navy statement said.

The US delegation was led by Rear Admiral Brian Antonio, Programme Executive Officer, Aircraft Carriers.

Three such meetings have been held so far, two in the US and one in India, the statement said.

The joint working group visited the premier Naval Air Station Hansa, located in South Goa, around 35 km from Panaji, and witnessed the flying facilities, including a demonstration of the MiG 29K fighter aircraft operations.

The delegation was also taken for a "Day at Sea" off Goa onboard aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya on Tuesday.
New Delhi, Oct 31 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought to know how "effectively" its direction that trials in all criminal offences involving sitting members of Parliament and State legislatures should be concluded within an year by holding it on a day to day basis has been implemented.

"There is already a mandamus. We want to know how effectively that mandamus has been implemented," said the bench of Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Navin Sinha while hearing a PIL seeking lifetime ban on convicted law makers from contesting election.

The court was referring to the writ of mandamus issued by the top court on March 10, 2014, directing trials in criminal cases involving lawmakers by completed within an year by holding it on day to day basis.

It had said the offences for which the trial has to conclude within an year are those mentioned under Sections 8 (1), 8 (2) and 8 (3) of the Representation of People Act, and conviction for which attracts disqualification from the membership of the legislature.

The court had also said that in the cases where the trial could not be concluded in one year due to special, extraordinary circumstances, this fact would be communicated to the Chief Justice of the high court concerned with reasons, and the Chief Justice, in turn, would issue appropriate directions, extending the time.

On Tuesday, the court also wanted to know as to how many lawmakers in the parliament were facing criminal cases and the charges that have been levelled against them, and was told that 34 per cent of the sitting MPs, or a total of 184, faced criminal cases. Out of this, 117 faced serious criminal charges. The dats was from a report of NGO Association for Democratic Reforms.

During the course of the hearing, the bench said that if the trial of lawmakers facing criminal cases was to be completed within one year, then legislatures would be free from them. It had also sought information on the rate of conviction in the cases involving people's representatives.

"We will like to know what is the rate of conviction, it will throw a new light" in either case whether it is very high or it is very low, the bench said as it heard a PIL by advocate and BJP leader Ashwani Kumar Upadhyay seeking lifetime ban on convicted lawmakers and setting up of special courts for trying lawmakers accused of criminal offences.

Appearing for Upadhyay, senior counsel Krishnan Venugopal told the court that his client wants to amend the prayers to included that none of the convicted politicians should be permitted to be the office-bearers of their political party or its members.
New Delhi, Oct 31 : The government on Tuesday rolled out the daily drug regimen for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB), under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP), across all states.

As per the new policy, the patients will be given fixed drug combinations (FDCs), three or four drugs in a single pill daily -- being administered thrice a week till now.

The move was taken after the Health Ministry held a meeting of state Health Secretaries and checked the preparedness of implementing the new policy.

Director General of Health Services Jagdish Prasad said that all drug procurement and training is complete in the states.

According to other officials at the Ministry, children suffering from tuberculosis need not take the bitter tablets anymore. Since 1997, under the RNTCP, patients were being given drugs thrice a week (the intermittent drug regimen).

The World Health Organisation revised its TB management guidelines in 2010, recommending that the daily drug regimen be adopted under the RNTCP.

According to a global report by the WHO, India tops the list of seven nations, accounting for 64 per cent of the 10.4 million new TB cases worldwide in 2016.

It is followed by Indonesia, China, Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria and South Africa.

"In 2016, there were an estimated 10.4 million new TB cases worldwide, 10 per cent of which were people living with HIV. Seven countries accounted for 64 per cent of the total burden, with India bearing the brunt," the report said.

An estimated 1.7 million people died from TB, including nearly 400,000 co-infected with HIV, recording a drop by four per cent as compared to 2015.

Also, India, along with China and Russia, accounted for almost half of the 490,000, multidrug-resistant TB cases registered in 2016.
Islamabad, Oct 31 : In a horrific incident, a teenage girl was forcibly stripped and paraded naked for an hour in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province as "punishment" -- because her brother had been in a relationship with a girl.

The incident took place in Dera Ismail Khan's Matt area on October 27, Geo TV reported.

The 16-year-old girl was returning home after fetching water when some men surrounded her, stripped her and made her walk in the locality. Witnesses said nobody came to her help because they were scared.

Her brother, Sajjad, was involved in a relationship with a girl from the village three years ago. The village council had then fined Sajjad's family Rs 105,000 to resolve the matter.

But somehow some villagers held a grouse against Sajjad's family and decided to "punish" his sister instead.

The police told Geo News that eight suspects had been arrested but the prime suspect was on the run.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak has ordered the provincial police chief to book the culprits.
New Delhi, Oct 31 : Strategic partners India and Singapore on Tuesday reviewed bilateral ties at the fifth Joint Ministerial Committee meeting here between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Singapore counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan.

The two leaders discussed a wide range of bilateral issues of shared interests and mutual concerns, the External Affairs Ministry (EAM) said in a statement.

There are five areas of cooperation to enhance bilateral relations: scale up trade and investment; speed up connectivity; smart cities and urban rejuvenation; skill development; and state focus.

"In particular, they reviewed the upcoming high level exchanges, commemoration of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of ASEAN and 25 years of India-ASEAN dialogue partnership, cooperation in political, defence and security fields, trade and investment, cooperation in tourism and culture, connectivity, and other aspects of partnership," the statement said.

They also exchanged views on issues of mutual interest at regional and multilateral levels, including cooperation at UN and International organisations.

The India-Singapore bilateral relationship was elevated to a strategic partnership during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the city state in November 2015.

Balakrishnan, who is on a two-day visit to India starting Tuesday, will visit Guwahati on Wednesday to meet Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and witness signing of an MoU to launch a skill development centre being set up in Assam with Singapore's assistance.

Earlier, referring to the meeting, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had tweeted: "Expanding our strategic partnership."

Singapore was India's 10th largest bilateral trade partner in 2016-17 and the second largest among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) countries, with a share of 2.5 per cent and 2.6 per cent respectively of overall trade with India.

Bilateral trade expanded after the conclusion of Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) from $6.7 billion in 2004-05 to reach $16.7 billion in 2016- 17.

In 2016-17, India's imports from Singapore totalled $7.1 billion and exports totalled $9.6 billion, a growth of 24 per cent compared to the previous year Singapore has agreed to set up a skill development centre in the northeastern state.
Kolkata, Oct 31 : Terming the central government a proto-fascist force, human rights activist Teesta Setalvad on Tuesday said the freedom of speech and right to question to the established set-up is being immensely curtailed under the present regime.

"We have a proto-fascist force in power at the centre. It is not the BJP government at the centre, it is the RSS government at the centre that fundamentally believes in overthrowing the constitutional norms and establishing an aggressive Hindu state," she said at a seminar organised on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Communist Party of India-Marxist's Bengali mouthpiece 'Ganashakti' here.

"So much space for talks has already been lost. The politics has reached an all time low. It is time for intense reflection at so many levels. Every structure of our democracy has got further hegemonic rather than becoming more democratised, be it our judiciary or the education system," said Setalvad, who moved the Gujarat High Court against the state's BJP government for filing an FIR against her.

Coming down heavily on the Election Commission for not taking steps to make election funding more transparent, she said the entire election process in the country is rigged by money at present.

"The EC only counts what an individual spends in his constituency, not what the party spends in that constituency. Therefore it is a completely hypocritical set up. Why does the EC not look at what a party spends on the whole and then decide whether it is balanced election or not?"

She also appealed to the opposition to find a way to have a fair and democratic election where money plays a transparent role.

The activist alleged that the government was deliberately cutting down the scholarships at the post graduate level to squash the voice of dissent rising from the young students and claimed that the issue needs "huge political mobilisation".

"The kind of cut backs in the PG seats that UGC is doing needs to be a matter of huge political mobilisation which it has not become. 25,000 UGC scholarships were cut back last year while 35,000 scholarships are likely to be cut back now and that means the government does not want this section to come up and question the set up," she alleged.

Setalvad said a section of the society gets benefited by multiple pay commissions while 93 percent of the nation's population is still languishing in the unorganised sectors. She alleged there was hardly anyone interested to talk about dignity of labour or minimum wages for the unorganised sectors.

Setalvad, who has worked for over 30 years in the area of minority rights, said the minority communalism in the country should be tackled with equal intent as majority communalism since both feed on each other.

"We have Hindu Mahasabha at one hand, the Muslim League on the other and then there is RSS that is actually asking for a religion based nation. All three are equally dangerous. The majority communalism does have the capacity to bring in proto fascism but the minority communalism is equally harmful for the nation," she added.
New Delhi, Oct 31 : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Tuesday that she had spoken to an Indian student assaulted in Italy's Milan and was told that it was not a racial attack but robbery.

Sushma Swaraj, who earlier said she was personally monitoring the situation amid reports of attacks on Indian students in Milan, tweeted about her conversation with the student concerned.

"Attack on Indian students in Italy -- I have spoken to the Indian student concerned in Milan. He has told me that it was a case of robbery and not a racial attack.

She also appreciated the help rendered by the Consulate General of India in Milan.

The Minister had earlier asked the students not to worry and said she had got a detailed report.

"Attack on Indian students in Milan: I have got the detailed report. Please do not worry. I am monitoring the situation personally," the External Affairs Minister had said in a tweet.

The Indian Consulate in the Italian city issued an advisory, asking Indian students not to panic and to contact the mission in case of such incidents.

The report of the attacks came as Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni was in India on a two-day visit, and held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on boosting ties that have seen a marked downswing over recent years.

The Indian Consulate in Milan had on Monday said that it has received reports of attacks and cautioned students to stay away from any area perceived to be of risk.

"The Consulate has received reports of unfortunate incident of attacks on the Indian students in Milan. All Indian students are urged not to panic.

"Students are also requested to report such matters to the Consulate on Consul General's cell phone number 3290884057 immediately," it said, adding it will help students concerned to take up the issue with the higher authorities in Milan so that all efforts can be made to prevent recurrence of such incidents.

"In the meanwhile, students are advised to be in touch with each other (particularly when they go out) as well as with the consulate and spread the information among other students about the areas where they face such incidents so that such areas can be avoided or approached with greater caution," the statement added.

According to reports, the attacks took place on October 17 and October 30. Three Indians students were allegedly attacked with beer bottles.

There is a 180,000-strong Indian community in Italy, the third largest in the European Union after Britain and the Netherlands.

Gentiloni was in India for the October 29-30 visit, the first by an Italian Prime Minister in over a decade that helped thaw the bilateral ties.
New Delhi, Oct 31 : Amid efforts by Congress to seek support of Patidar agitation leader Hardik Patel ahead of Gujarat assembly elections, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi will visit the state on Wednesday and address a series of corner meetings in Bharuch and Surat districts.

The visit comes two days after Hardik Patel had said that his organisation Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) was agreeable to explore constitutional solutions for its demand of quotas for the Patidar community.

Hardik Patel had earlier given an ultimatum to the Congress to come clear on reservations for his community under the OBC category by November 3.

Patel, who met state Congress leaders Bharatsinh Solanki, Siddharth Patel and Arjun Modhwadia in Ahmedabad, said on Monday that he was "neither against the Congress nor in its favour but am against the BJP's arrogant and autocratic attitude against the Patidars".

Congress is keen to get support of Patel as part of its efforts to forge a wide social coalition in Gujarat for the assembly polls to be held in December.
New Delhi, Oct 31 : Delhi, and the NCR, saw considerable deterioration in the air quality on Tuesday, with pollution levels of Faridabad (Haryana), Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) and Bhiwadi (Rajasthan) placed under 'severe' category with index value worse than a day after Diwali.

With north-westerly winds coming from Punjab and Haryana where stubble burning according to the satellite images has increased manifold, air quality in Delhi-NCR may fall further.

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), all 10 monitoring stations across Delhi recorded "very poor" air quality, with PM2.5 (particles with diameter less than 2.5 mm) ranging between 302 to 362. The safe range for PM2.5 is 60 as per national standards and 25 according to the international standards.

Discouraging outdoor activities and suggesting those with asthma to keep the medications handy, SAFAR on Tuesday recommended wearing respiratory masks of N-95 or P-100 standards while going out.

At Anand Vihar in east Delhi, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee recorded the PM2.5 value at all time high ranging betwen 753 to 773 between 3 a.m. to 4.30 a.m., while the lowest value was 167 for a brief period of 30 minutes from 2 p.m.

The Central Pollution Control Board showed dangerous trend in pollution level, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at very poor in Delhi at index value of 351 as compared to 328 on Monday.

The AQI in Bhiwadi was 404 (318 a day after Diwali), Faridabad 410 and 439 in Ghaziabad (412 a day after Diwali) -- all placed under 'severe' category.

In Gurugram, the AQI was 343 as compared to 318 on Monday and in Noida, 348 as compared to 332 on Monday -- both placed under 'very poor' category.

Meanwhile the satellite images from the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations' FIRMS (Fire Information for Resource Management System) Web Fire Mapper show stubble-burning increasing manifold with both Punjab and Haryana marked in red (depicting fire).

The unabated stubble-burning in Punjab and Haryana, estimated to be around 35 million tonnes, was banned by the green court in November 2015. However, due to lack of support from the respective governments, farmers continued to burn paddy straw.

"Air pollution is set to increase. The north-westerly winds from Punjab and Haryana are slowing down in Delhi, and this will continue for some days," Mahesh Palawat, Director of private weather forecast agency Skymet, told IANS.
New Delhi, Oct 31 : Carnatic music vocalist T.M. Krishna, who received the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration on Tuesday, made a veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the 2002 Gujarat riots, saying "a leader who does not have the humility to apologise for genocide under his watch" does not help to integrate.

He also rued that "national integration has been replaced by an ugly form of nationalism and jingoism".

Lauding former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for apologising for the 1984 riots, he termed it a "reflective and essential statement".

"Some detractors may say it does not change anything. It cannot change the past, but it definitely, certainly changes the future. A leader who doesn't have the humility to apologise for genocide under his watch, does not integrate," said Krishna in his speech at the 30th Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration.

He also regretted that in the new millenium, this idea of national integration lost its "sheen", with instead of "socially equalising legislations, such as the RTI of 2005 and NREGA" , it has been replaced by "an ugly form of nationalism, jingoism".

"We are being told what to eat, wear, say, think and be. One monolithic order is being forced on us as Indian culture," he said, stressing that there was no one Indian culture, but several Indian cultures, with "the plurality is the signifier of integration".

"We are facing one of the greatest challenges posed to our democracy, Constitution, plurality, citizenship and socialism. These cornerstones of India are being subverted, dismantled, maligned and morphosed right before our eyes. The methods being used are not secretive any more," he said.

Krishna also said dissenters have been killed, and all of us who resist are being warned. "If there is any time that national integration needs to be brought back into the public thought, is is today. There is no time to waste," said.

"This integration is not just about religious minorities, it is as much about Dalits, tribals, ethnic and linguistic minorities.

"The basic fabric of India is its cultures and if we allow that to be poisoned, we would have placed on the sacrificial altar our entire civiliztional consciousness. The battle will be lost," he added.
Beijing, Nov 1 : Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev met here on Tuesday, agreeing on closer cooperation and stronger ties.

Medvedev is the first foreign leader to visit China after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). "This has shown the closeness and high level of China-Russia ties," Xinhua news agency quoted Li as saying.

China is ready to consolidate trust, expand cooperation and exchanges with Russia, to bring cooperation visions into reality through Prime Ministers' Regular Meeting as well as other cooperation mechanisms, Li said.

Under the new circumstances, China will further deepen reform and opening-up, nurture new driving forces, and share development opportunities with countries around the world, said the Chinese premier.

Li also briefed Medvedev on the 19th CPC National Congress.

Medvedev congratulated on the success of the congress. Hailing Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination as "high-level" and "future-oriented", he said Russia expects joint efforts with China for greater progress of cooperation.

Medvedev is on an official China visit from Tuesday to Thursday. Li and Medvedev will hold the 22nd China-Russia Prime Ministers' Regular Meeting on Wednesday.
Naples Hotel Group announced today that its Orlando Office has moved to a new address of 222 S. Westmonte Drive, Suite 212, Altamonte Springs, FL, 32714. The Orlando office of Naples Hotel Group houses the Hotel Operations, Sales & Marketing and Revenue Management departments. The staff will be operating in its new address location as of November 1st, 2017.

This move supports Naples Hotel Group's continued growth as a top Hotel Management Company as it continues to grow its managed hotel portfolio in Florida and Southeast US.

For more information or media inquiries, please contact Brittany Bou-Sliman at brittany(at)napleshotelgroup(dot)com or 239-206-4273.

About Naples Hotel Group

Naples Hotel Group is a hotel development and management company founded in 1999. NHG has achieved superior results and has a proven ability to enhance the performance of hotels using their experience, responsiveness and extensive resources. NHG, based in Naples and Orlando, prides itself on building long-term relationships with quality people and organizations. To learn more visit,

http://www.napleshotelgroup.com.
Rob Ferry, TGB Partnership Co-Founder TGB Partnership is widely recognized and highly respected for expertise in tank design and emissions management. For over a decade, Trinity has partnered with TGB on projects and has been a reseller of TGBs tank emissions estimation software, TankESP."

Trinity Consultants, Inc. (Trinity), an international environmental, heath, and safety (EHS) consulting firm that specializes in industrial air quality issues, announces its acquisition of TGB Partnership of Hillsborough, North Carolina. TGB is a consulting and software firm that specializes in the control of air emissions, the development of standards and regulations, data analysis, and the design of aluminum structures. TGB was founded in 1993 by Robert L. Ferry and J. Randolph Kissell, structural engineers who are renowned experts on atmospheric storage tanks and aluminum structures. Rob Ferry is a trusted consultant to multiple trade associations and private sector clients, and leads the petroleum industrys development of recommendations to EPA regarding standards and emissions calculations for storage tanks. Randy Kissell is a long-standing consultant to the aluminum industry, serving numerous private sector clients as a technical expert, and is the primary author for the Aluminum Associations Aluminum Design Manual.

Paul Greywall, Trinitys Director of Business Development, commented on the transaction, TGB Partnership is widely recognized and highly respected for expertise in tank design and emissions management. For over a decade, Trinity has partnered with TGB on projects and has been a reseller of TGBs tank emissions estimation software, TankESP. We could not be more pleased to have them as part of our organization going forward.

TGB founder Rob Ferry noted, TGB is pleased to join forces with Trinity Consultants. Having collaborated with Trinitys staff on client and industry-related projects, we feel comfortable with Trinity as an organization that values the same technical excellence and client service that are essential to us. This transaction will allow TGB to maintain our focus on providing the highest level client service. TGB staff will remain in Hillsborough, North Carolina.

Background on Trinity Consultants

Founded in 1974 in Dallas, Texas, Trinity operates in locations across the U.S. and in Canada, the U.K., China, and the Middle East. Trinity assists industrial facilities with regulatory EHS permitting and compliance, specializing in air quality permitting and compliance management. In addition to EHS consulting, Trinitys divisions provide environmental modeling software (BREEZE), implement technology solutions for EHS information management (T3), provide professional EHS training, support engineering and EHS staffing needs (Trispyrian Resources), and assist life sciences companies with occupational health science and toxicology (SafeBridge Consultants).

Background on TGB Partnership

The TGB Partnership, a consulting firm in Hillsborough, NC, specializes in the control of air emissions, the development of standards and regulations, data analysis, and the design of structures.
Fermat Software, a boutique software development consulting services company, announced today that is has joined the LoRa Alliance, one of the fastest growing alliances in the IoT sector. By entering the LoRa Alliance, Fermat will help customers accelerate and increase their deployment of IoT solutions and devices.

Geoff Mulligan, Chairman of the LoRa Alliance, said, Its exciting to welcome another software provider into the Alliance. Our membership truly spans the full supply chain from silicon to solutions. It is this diversity that allows us to ensure the LoRaWAN protocol can effectively connect devices around the globe easily and efficiently for any application that requires broad communication".

Khurram Qureshi, CEO of Fermat Software, said, Fermat Software currently has clients in the Agriculture IoT and SmartHome IoT segments that are already utilizing the LoRaWAN standard as part of their solutions. By joining the LoRa Alliance Fermat Software is even better positioned to support existing and future clients. Our deep expertise in IoT devices and solutions will enable LoRaWAN adopters to bring their products to market rapidly.

About Fermat Software

Fermat Software is a professional software development services consulting firm headquartered in Round Rock, Texas. We help our national clients deliver mission-critical projects across IoT, Cybersecurity, Mobile, Cloud and General Embedded Software with our highly skilled and experienced onshore software developers.

About LoRa Alliance

The LoRa Alliance is an open, nonprofit association that has grown to over 500 members since its inception in March 2015, becoming one of the largest and fastest-growing alliances in the technology sector. Its members closely collaborate and share experiences to promote the LoRaWAN protocol as the leading open global standard for secure, carrier-grade IoT LPWAN connectivity. With the technical flexibility to address a broad range of IoT applications, both static and mobile, and a certification program to guarantee interoperability, the LoRaWAN protocol has already been deployed by major mobile network operators globally, with continuing wide expansion in 2017. For information about joining the LoRa Alliance, please visit http://www.loraalliance.org/join.

Media Contact

Fermat Software

info(at)fermatsoftware(dot)com

+1-512-364-0395
Boston, MA: Portugals Azores Airlines is renewing its trans-Atlantic fleet, first with an Airbus A330, and now with A321neos. After announcing the acquisition of six A321neos from Air Lease Corporation through 2021, the company is ready to start flying the first one. These jets will substitute a fleet of A310s that fly to Boston. The new fleet will feature the Azores Airlines livery.

The Airbus A321neo has the quality and efficiency of an Airbus A320 jet, but has an expanded seating capacity with optimized use of cabin space, increased range and a new cabin door configuration. The aircraft will have 168 seats.

With this fleet renewal plan Azores Airlines is improving the experience of flying for all its passengers by offering a flexible, modern aircraft to connect New England with the Azores, Lisbon, Porto, Madeira and the Canaries.

Azores Airlines, part of the SATA Group, has connected New England with the Azores and mainland Portugal for more than 35 years. For more information about booking flights visit http://www.azoresairlines.pt or call 800-762-9995.
Esker is a natural extension of Culligan's digital transformation.

Esker, a worldwide leader in document process automation solutions and pioneer in cloud computing, today announced it is working with Culligan, a world leader in water treatment products, to automate its accounts payable (AP) invoicing process in France. Eskers cloud-based Accounts Payable solution has enabled Culligan to centralize accounting at its shared services center (SSC) and accelerate invoice approvals.

Prior to Esker, Culligans five-person accounting department manually processed more than 20,000 annual invoices from over 30 sites throughout France  a time-consuming and error-filled process.

The decentralized nature of our organization led to delays in our supplier invoice process, said Francois Cornuez, director of accounting at Culligan France. Invoices were mailed back and forth from the different offices to headquarters, resulting in many lost invoices and time-consuming supplier reminders. The lack of visibility over the whole process caused a lot of high stress levels, heavy workloads and a drop in the quality of our service.

Improved internal process

Culligan's primary objective was to structure its AP department in a way that improved performance and visibility throughout the invoicing process. Prior to Esker, invoices arrived at each site and were mailed out once a week to the companys SSC, which was responsible for accounting  a process that often took several weeks. With Esker, invoices now arrive directly at Culligans SSC via email or automatic mail sorting and are integrated into the companys SAGE X3 enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, then sent to the 80 approvers for validation.

Benefits of AP automation

Eskers solution was selected for its ease of use, scalability and seamless integration with SAGE X3. Thanks to Esker, Culligan has achieved numerous benefits, including:



Centralized accounting: AP is now fully managed from Culligans headquarters and the SSC has more autonomy and a smoother workload spread out over the month. The companys management team benefits from improved visibility over the whole process (i.e., invoice processing, workflow validation and cash forecasting).

Faster and smarter data capture: Eskers intelligent data capture capabilities, based on machine learning technology, learns to recognize the content of invoices as they arrive, resulting

in 90 percent of invoices accurately processed in one try.



Accelerated invoice approval process: Invoices, which previously required multiple mailings over a period of several weeks, are now rapidly processed.

Improved performance: Invoices are processed faster, which has helped improve value-added tax (VAT) handling, on-time supplier payments and negotiations for early payment discounts. Additionally, cash forecasts are now more accurate.

Simplified archiving: Invoices are easily accessible at any time for a period of 10 years, resulting in significant time saved for Culligans AP staff, particularly with year-end closings with an auditor.

Increased productivity at Culligan sites, as invoice processing has moved to company headquarters. Time freed up for staff to spend on higher-value tasks centered on the customer.

Eskers solution integration with our ERP was absolutely key, added Cornuez. We were able to reproduce in Esker the controls we had already set up in SAGE, such as verification of VAT codes, analytical accounts and calculation of due dates. Esker is a natural extension of Culligan's digital transformation.

About Culligan

Founded in 1936 by Emmett Culligan, Culligan is a world leader in delivering water solutions that will improve the lives of its customers. The company offers some of the most technologically advanced, state-of-the-art water filtration products. Culligans products include water softeners, drinking water systems, whole-house systems and solutions for business. Culligans network of franchise dealers is the largest in the world, with over 800 dealers in 90 countries. Many Culligan dealers have valuable equity in their communities as multigenerational family owners of their franchises. Culligan France employs over 1,200 employees across 30 agencies and 21 independent concessions.

About Esker

Esker is a worldwide leader in cloud-based document process automation software. Esker solutions, including the acquisition of the TermSync accounts receivable solution in 2015, help organizations of all sizes to improve efficiencies, accuracy, visibility and costs associated with business processes. Esker provides on-demand and on-premises software to automate accounts payable, order processing, accounts receivable, purchasing and more.

Founded in 1985, Esker operates in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific with global headquarters in Lyon, France and U.S. headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin. In 2016, Esker generated 66 million euros in total sales revenue. For more information on Esker and its solutions, visit http://www.esker.com. Follow Esker on Twitter @EskerInc and join the conversation on the Esker blog at blog.esker.com.
Erin Bouhana joins the staff of Women's Excellence.

Dr .Erin Bouhana attended Michigan State University, College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency at Metro Health Hospital. Dr. Bouhana will see patients in our Lake Orion and Rochester offices. Her interests include minimally invasive and high level surgical intervention. She will be able to see patients for routine gynecologic care, and more.

Womens Excellence is the most comprehensive obstetric and gynecologic office in Michigan. Additionally, they specialize in menopause, weight control, bladder control, endometriosis, robotic surgery, oncology and midwifery services. Womens Excellence is committed to staying at the forefront of innovation with cutting edge technologies utilizing robotic surgery and minimally invasive surgical options when possible. The knowledgeable, compassionate physicians and healthcare providers of Womens Excellence focus on patient-centered processes to deliver the highest quality of care. They are affiliated with most insurances. They offer seamless medical record access via a state of the art patient portal and use the latest technology for record keeping and sharing, making the patient experience easier and more efficient. Womens Excellence is taking new patients and is conveniently located in three locations throughout southeastern Michigan, Birmingham, Lake Orion, Clarkston, and Rochester. For more information, visit http://www.WomensExcellence.com.
Dominion Harbor

Dominion Harbor Enterprises, a patent transaction and advisory company, announces today that its subsidiary Monument Peak Ventures (MPV) has entered into a patent license renewal agreement with Nokia for the MPV Kodak digital imaging portfolio.

MPV acquired the iconic Kodak digital imaging portfolio of nearly 4,000 patent assets earlier in 2017. MPV continues to renew more than a dozen previous licensees as well as strike new licenses among global imaging leaders in: autonomous vehicles, camera mfg., optics mfg., medical imaging, smartphones, social photo sharing, and eCommerce.

We are pleased to complete this renewal agreement with Nokia, said David Pridham, CEO of Dominion Harbor. We are delighted to see such a leader in creating the technology to connect the world amongst our licensees for this portfolio.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

About Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC:

Dominion Harbor Enterprises (DHE) is one of the worlds premiere intellectual property transaction and advisory firms. It provides its clients with unmatched transactional expertise, a full spectrum of IP transaction and advisory services, and unrivaled access to highly targeted and credentialed licensees. DHE maintains its industry leadership with its IPedia patent intelligence solution, IPWire.com  The Patent Experts Resource and its most recent online endeavor IPFrequently  the leading IP industry podcast.

For more information, please contact:

Monica Gutierrez at 214-414-1164 or email monica@dominionharbor.com
Specialty Technical Consultants

Specialty Technical Publishers (STP) and Specialty Technical Consultants (STC) announce the availability of the newly updated International Audit Protocol Consortium (IAPC) EHS audit protocol for Victoria, Australia. Leading companies around the world use IAPC EHS audit protocols to understand the scope of their EHS regulatory obligations and rapidly collect, share, archive, and export audit findings in a cost effective manner. IAPC EHS audit protocols are now prepared by STC in partnership with STP and continue to focus on those national (plus, in some cases, regional or provincial) EHS requirements that have site-specific application for manufacturing operations. As a leading EHS management consulting firm with a global network of experienced EHS teaming partners, STC has indepth knowledge and technical expertise of local/regional EHS requirements.

STP and STC maintain leading-edge EHS audit protocols for more than 30 jurisdictions. The protocol documents are written in English and are available in MS Word, Adobe Acrobat and Excel formats, as well as through STPs web-based portal or can be integrated into an existing company platform. Using the protocols custom templates and advanced functionality features, auditors can easily track audit findings and manage data over time to improve compliance, risk management and safety performance. In addition, STPs formatting is compatible with leading risk management and sustainability platform providers.

Highlights of selected legislation covered in the newly updated protocol include:



The "Building Interim Regulations" 2017 took effect on 4 June 2017, replacing the "Building Regulations 2006" in substantially the same form. Minor amendments have been made to update references to legislation, planning schemes, government departments, the National Construction Code, and Australian Standards, and to reflect current drafting practice. The "Building Interim Regulations 2017" will expire on 3 June 2018.

The "Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulations 2017" revoked and replaced the "Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007" effective 18 June 2017. The new "OHS Regulations 2017" are mainly the same as the previous rules, but include some key amendments. Changes have been made to requirements for the management of asbestos-containing materials in workplaces, the removal of asbestos, and the licensing of asbestos removalists. The regulations also amend requirements for safe operation at major hazard facilities, training for persons engaged in construction work, licensing of persons engaged in high risk work, and procedures for the resolution of health and safety issues. In addition, the regulations affect the "Dangerous Goods Act 1985" by prohibiting the use of asbestos and providing for the protection of property from damage from use of dangerous goods at major hazard facilities.

The national "Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations 1995" establish prohibitions on manufacturing or importing equipment charged with a CFC refrigerant or an HCFC refrigerant, but also provide exemptions from this prohibition for certain types of equipment. The regulations were amended to remove the exemptions that have expired, which are the following: the exemption for chillers charged with HCFC-123 expired on 31 December 2015 and the exemption for components for existing high static ducted split system air conditioners expired on 30 June 2016.

The national "Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Legislation Amendment Act 2017" amended the "Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act 1989" effective 23 June 2017. This Act introduces a phase-down of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) imports from 1 January 2018 and will also enable Australia to meet the HFC phase-down obligations of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol (starting 2019) should Australia decide to ratify the amendment. It also includes new efficiency measures, including streamlining of licensing provisions and reducing reporting frequency.

The 2016 version of the "National Construction Code Series Volume One - Building Code of Australia" has been issued. In 2016 the amendment cycle was changed so that the "National Construction Code (NCC)" now has a three-year amendment cycle. "NCC 2016" is valid and current until the introduction of "NCC 2019" in May of 2019.

The "Environment Protection (Scheduled Premises) Regulations 2017" replaced and revoked the "Environment Protection (Scheduled Premises and Exemptions) Regulations 2007" effective 25 June 2017. These Regulations define which types of premises in Victoria are scheduled premises; occupiers of these sites are required to obtain an EPA works approval and/or license, and/or provide a financial assurance. The new regulations make a number of revisions to the requirements for scheduled premises.

The "Terrorism (Community Protection) (Chemicals and Substances) Regulations 2006" were revoked and replaced by the "Terrorism (Community Protection) (Chemicals and Substances) Regulations 2016" on 21 June 2016. The objective of these regulations is to prescribe the chemicals and substances to which the mandatory reporting requirements in Part 4 of the "Terrorism (Community Protection) Act 2003" apply.

The "Dangerous Goods (HCDG) Regulations 2016" revoked and replaced the "Dangerous Goods (HCDG) Regulations 2005" on 26 July 2016. These standards regulate access to high consequence dangerous goods, provide for the management of risks arising out of security concerns associated with explosives and high consequence dangerous goods, and make amendments to the "Dangerous Goods (Explosives) Regulations 2011."

The "Equipment (Public Safety) Regulations 2017" replaced and revoked the "Equipment (Public Safety) Regulations 2007" effective 18 June 2017. The "Equipment (Public Safety) Regulations 2017", for the most part, replicate the "2007 Regulations" with some minor changes to ensure that these regulations are consistent with the plant part of the "Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2017."

For more information on all International EHS audit protocols offered by STP and STC click here.

About Specialty Technical Publishers

Specialty Technical Publishers (STP) produces technical resource guides covering environmental, health & safety, transportation, accounting, business practices, standards and law, offering comprehensive guidance on key compliance and regulatory issues. STP is a division of Glacier Media Inc., a Canadian information communications company that provides primary and essential information in print, electronic and online media. Glaciers Business and Professional Information Group publishes directories, technical manuals, research and development materials, medical education, electronic databases, investment information and specialty websites.

About Specialty Technical Consultants

Specialty Technical Consultants, Inc. (STC) is a specialized management consulting firm working to enhance environmental health and safety (EHS) performance. Through its consulting services, STC partners with clients to strengthen management systems' design and implementation, and identifies needs and implements solutions to meet business objectives. Services provided include: EHS compliance support; risk assessment; EHS auditing; corporate responsibility and sustainability; EHS management systems development and implementation; EHS regulatory information tools; and EHS training.

STC is certified as a Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) by the Womens Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and the Supplier Clearinghouse for the California Public Utilities Commission, and as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program.
Incept has been named a top customer service provider and recipient of the 2017 Customer Service Award by Smart Business. Organizations were selected based on their superior customer service and their impact on raising awareness of the importance of customer service in the business world.

"It is quite an honor to be recognized as a top customer service provider alongside other world-class brands," states Incept's CEO, Sam Falletta. To know that we are offering our clients and their customers the best of the best is very humbling.

Incept is a contact center partner that supports co-sourced customer service conversations for some of the countrys most recognizable brands, including Microsoft, Serta, AARP, and the American Red Cross. Some of these conversations have helped companies save millions of dollars through the retention and acquisition of customers, while others have literally saved lives through successful blood donor recruitment. More than 20 million conversations on behalf of Incept clients have led to industry leading results, but its their attention to individual conversations and the lasting relationships they form between Incept clients and their customers that has etched out their competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Incept was recognized alongside the Cleveland Clinic, JACK Cleveland Casino, and Western Reserve Hospital. The entire list of honorees is published online here - https://www.regonline.com/builder/site/tab2.aspx?EventID=2015405

Recipients will be honored at a luncheon at The Silver Grille at The Higbee Building on November 2nd, 2017.

About Incept

Incept is a multi-channel contact center that strengthens the relationship between their clients and their clients customers with every interaction. Please visit http://www.inceptresults.com/

About Smart Business

Smart Business Magazine is a national chain of business management journals that offers insight, advice and strategy for C-level executives. Together, our 17 regional publications have featured more than 27,000 of the nations top CEOs, from Ted Turner to Mark Cuban, and received repeated accolades for journalistic excellence. Please visit http://www.sbnonline.com/

About Customer Service Awards

The 2017 Customer Service Awards recognize organizations who have demonstrated superior customer service and raise awareness of the importance of customer service in the business world. Honorees are recognized at a special luncheon on November 2, 2017, at The Silver Grille at the Higbee Building.
Secure.Systems is so lightweight and flexible that a SaaS deployment option for our customers was natural.

SyncDog, Inc., the leading ISV for mobile-endpoint application security, today announced it has overhauled its SentinelSecure product branding to Secure.Systems. By design, the comprehensive rebrand is intended to match improvements in functionality and security features for Microsoft Enterprise 365 in the latest release of SyncDogs defense-grade mobile app workspace, and is accompanied by new deployment options as SaaS through its dedicated product website (https://secure.systems), and also from Microsoft Azure.

The SentinelSecure designation we gave our mobile container when SyncDog began no longer reflects what the product is after years of responding to customer and market requirements, said Jonas Gyllensvaan, CEO and founder of SyncDog. Today, the newly branded Secure.Systems is so lightweight and flexible that a SaaS deployment option for our customers was natural, yet its robust security features still provide Microsoft Intune and other EMMs a secure app workspace they can use to deploy their enterprise productivity apps.

The new features in this 3.0 release of Secure.Systems include delivery options from Cloud, Hybrid Cloud, or On Premise, a multi-tiered licensing model tailored, and improved support for Microsoft Intune, SharePoint, Office 365, and other widely-used Microsoft Enterprise products. Current, SyncDog customers with SentinelSecure can seamlessly update to Secure.Systems without any special considerations, and interested parties can download a complimentary 30-day trial by clicking here.

The rebranding is accompanied by SyncDogs recent partnership with EMEA-based EBF GmbH, authorizing SyncDog to distribute iO EBF Intune Onboarder and EBF EMM Migrator in the Americas. Both EBF migration tools allow organizations to migrate thousands of users to Microsoft Intune EMM or other leading EMM at a fraction of the cost and time of a traditional migration.

The Secure.Systems Workspace

SyncDogs Secure.Systems, formerly SentinelSecure, is a secure mobile app workspace with AES 256-bit encryption that secures data between the enterprise and secure, sandboxed applications running on employees mobile devices. The mobile workspace delivers a highly functional and easy app experience for users, and protects enterprise data with a secure, partitioned FIPS 140-2 certified* container across both iOS and Android devices. Applications in the workspace include Microsoft Office 365 Enterprise, Skype for Business, SharePoint, OneNote, DropBox, enterprise chat, geo-location services and a host of other productivity applications for mobile.

Secure.Systems can be delivered via Cloud, Hybrid Cloud, or On Premise, and has a multi-tiered licensing model. Please visit https://secure.systems/licensing for licensing options.

About SyncDog, Inc.

SyncDog is the leading ISV for building mobile IT frameworks that extend enterprise app functionality to mobile devices while securing networks from mobile-endpoint threat. SyncDog Secure.Systems delivers an unimpeded, fully-functional mobile app experience that supports Microsoft OneDrive, Office 365, Skype for Business, and other Microsoft productivity apps within a NIST-certified, FIPS 140-2 workspace. The Secure.Systems mobile-app mobile workspace is ideal for organizations that want to deliver a rich mobile app experience across BYOD, CYOD, or other device security policy. Secure.Systems can be deployed as managed service from https://secure.systems or as an on-premise solution.

Secure.Systems can be found on both the Microsoft Azure and MobileIron marketplace exchanges. For more information about SyncDog, please visit https://syncdog.com.
I am excited to offer local service and support, as well as key products necessary to the gaming and hospitality market such as union calculations, IRS tip compliance, and toke splits; all included in the integrated suite of offerings.

NOVAtime Technology, Inc. (http://www.novatime.com), a leading provider of cutting-edge Workforce Management / Time & Attendance solutions, is thrilled to announce its newest partner: Las Vegas Time Systems, led by Workforce Management and Gaming industry veteran Mark Arredondo. With this new partnership, NOVAtime has a clear path to providing its best-of-breed Workforce Management / Solution, with powerful features well suited to the gaming industry, as well as its superlative support and implementation services.

Mark Arredondo is a 21-year veteran of the Workforce Management industry specific to Las Vegas. He began his career at ADP, where he held the top sales management position in the office then later moved on to become the Vice President of Sales and an equity partner at Compu-Cash Systems, a Kronos reseller for the gaming industry, where he sold time management products to some of the industrys most recognizable names, The Venetian, Station Casinos, Caesars Palace and MGM Resorts. I see an immense opportunity for NOVAtime to make a significant impact on the Workforce Management landscape of the gaming industry world. I am grateful for the opportunity to join forces and double down with NOVAtime, a leader in the time and labor market. Las Vegas has spoken, and demands more from their Workforce Management / Time & Attendance provider. We are here to answer the call. stated Mr. Arredondo.

Speaking specifically to what NOVAtime and Las Vegas Time Systems could offer Las Vegas signature industry, Mr. Arredondo explained, With my experience at Compu-Cash Systems, I am fully aware of the specific needs of the casinos. I am excited to offer local service and support, as well as key products necessary to the gaming and hospitality market, such as union calculations, IRS tip compliance, and toke splits; all included in the integrated suite of offerings. Mr. Arredondo continued, These offerings, combined with our team of industry veterans, representing a combined 90 plus years of experience specific to gaming, position NOVAtime for a bright future in gaming.

Speaking on the NOVAtime perspective, Andy Rivkin, Director of Sales Operations, said NOVAtime is positively buzzing with energy over this new partnership. We are excited to combine NOVAtimes excellent offerings for the Gaming Industry with Marks experience and winning track record. We are sure this is going to be a jackpot for everyone involved.

About NOVAtime

With over 18,000 customers, NOVAtime is headquartered in Diamond Bar, California, and has become the leader in integrating Workforce Management solution with Human Resource and Payroll systems. Known for its scalable and leading-edge software and hardware technology, NOVAtime has been selected as the preferred Workforce Management / Time and Attendance solution provider by many of the best-managed companies in the world.
Achieving HITRUST CSF Certification is a very involved and arduous task. Blueprint's experience in navigating through the HITRUST CSF and their partnership in helping enhance our security plan and practices was invaluable.

BluePrint Healthcare ITs client, CareSpeak Communications, recently achieved HITRUST CSF Certification for Information Security and Compliance.

HITRUST CSF Certified Status confirms that CareSpeak and its Mobile Health Messenger Platform meet key healthcare regulations and requirements for protecting and securing sensitive protected healthcare information. By including federal and state regulations, standards and frameworks, and incorporating a risk-based approach, the HITRUST CSF helps organizations address these challenges through a comprehensive and flexible framework of prescriptive and scalable security controls.

As an Approved HITRUST CSF Assessor, BluePrint Healthcare IT guided the CareSpeak Communications team through an exhaustive analysis of existing security and privacy measures, strengthening policies and procedures as needed.

Achieving HITRUST CSF Certification is a very involved and arduous task. Blueprint's experience in navigating through the HITRUST CSF and their partnership in helping enhance our security plan and practices was invaluable. They were effectively an extension of our Security Team, always there when we were uncertain how to proceed, and an excellent partner who guided us through the process, stated Kresimir Nesek, Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of CareSpeak.

Were very proud of CareSpeaks accomplishment, as well as of our partnership to guide them through their HITRUST CSF Certification journey. CareSpeak Communications focuses on intelligent health messaging, providing patients with an effortless way to manage their healthcare information through an advanced digital health platform. Achieving HITRUST CSF Certification is evidence of their dedication and commitment to superior security, added Vikas Khosla, President and CEO, BluePrint Healthcare IT.

The two-year certification requires continued monitoring of security controls, no reportable data security breaches and timely completion of an interim review.

About BluePrint Healthcare IT

BluePrint Healthcare IT (BluePrint) has been a leader in healthcare privacy and security for over a decade. Unlike many other information security companies, BluePrint is 100% focused on serving the needs of the healthcare industry. BluePrint was one of the first organizations to publish a comprehensive roadmap for hospitals and health systems to comply with the HIPAA Security rule in 2005. Since that time, BluePrint has worked as a trusted partner with dozens of healthcare systems, medical centers, physician networks, business associates and hospital associations to help protect their healthcare data. As the longest-tenured, exclusively healthcare-focused Approved HITRUST CSF Assessor, BluePrint is a leading proponent of a common security standard for the industry. In addition, BluePrint is active in the HITRUST community and brings the HITRUST CSF in to all of its engagements. For more information about BluePrint visit http://www.blueprinthit.com or contact info@blueprinthit.com. Follow on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/blueprint-healthcare-it) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/BluePrintHIT).

About CareSpeak

CareSpeak Communications, through its intelligent health messaging, provides patients with an effortless way to manage their health, powered by an advanced digital health platform. The HIPAA compliant and HITRUST CSF platform provide patient acquisition & engagement, medical therapy adherence, and care coordination solutions to global health insurers, pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies and specialty pharmacies as well as clinicians at some of the leading medical centers. CareSpeak Communications is a privately held company, headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey. Visit http://www.carespeak.com for more information.
Mexico Lindo Cooking School, one of Mexicos leading cooking destinations located in both Cancun and Riviera Maya will give Europeans a culinary experience that immerses taste buds in the Mexican food culture as she takes part in the World Travel Market (WTM) located at the ExCel London Royal Victoria Dock in London on November 6-8. Over three days, travel industry experts will descend upon the highly anticipated global travel event now in its 37th year. WTM will bring together as many as 5,000 exhibiting destinations, technology and private sector companies to find and network with more than 51,000 travel professionals, key industry buyers, journalists, digital influencers, students and tourism leaders.

Mexico Lindo Cooking School is participating as a part of their staple culinary travel experiences that connect with attending travel enthusiasts, participants, vendors, and event patrons who are interested seeking authentic cultural Mexican traditions filled with gourmet cooking, tasty food excursions, and an interactive vacation destination focused on living like a local while in Mexico.

"I have a passion for all things Mexican food. There is nothing quite like the explosion of spices and freshness that comes from making authentic Mexican cuisines. I hope that the world travelers attending will get an opportunity to enjoy a taste of Mexico soon," says Mexico Lindo Cooking Founder, Chef Ale.

Fellow exhibitors include Marriott Hotel Chains, Hilton, 9/11 Ground Zero Tour, and tourism boards from Africa, Latin America, Arabia, and many countries around the globe. Chef Ale will hold a small influencer dinner on Wednesday, November 8th from 4pm-5pm BST. For more information on RSVP for dinner, press, or booking your culinary trip to Mexico Lindo Cooking School visit http://www.mexicolindocooking.com or to schedule a pop-up cooking class contact with Chef during World Travel Market dates contact Shay Brown at 901.800.9544 or via email at royalkingdompr(at)gmail(dot)com.

ABOUT MEXICO LINDO COOKING SCHOOL

Mexico Lindo Cooking School (MLCS) is a highly sought-after cooking destination immersed in cultural Mexican cuisines and traditions designed for foodies and gourmands, top Chefs, exclusive cooking classes, travel enthusiasts, and interactive vacation destination which includes luxury travel accommodations and cultural guest tours. MLCS one of a kind culinary experiences brings together the tastiest cultures of the world infused with traditional customary sights, destinations, and cooking. For more information visit http://www.mexicolindocooking.com.
Entrepreneur demonstrates his products developed through the Hacker Lab Startup Hustle program at Demo Night. Startup Hustle Demo Night demonstrates Sacramentos thriving startup community during Global Entrepreneurship Week

Sierra College with Hacker Lab will showcase Sacramentos newest startup businesses on Monday, November 13, the first day of Global Entrepreneurship Week (Nov. 13-19). Participants in the six week long Hacker Lab Startup Hustle will give their pitches for their new business concepts from 6-8:30 PM at Hacker Labs Midtown location, 1715 I St., Sacramento CA. RSVP

According to Laura Good, Startup Hustles Project Manager, the community is invited to attend Demo Night to celebrate entrepreneurship and discover how to join Sacramentos startup scene as a partner, investor, mentor or future entrepreneur. Over the past six weeks, our Startup Hustle cohort has been working overtime to investigate customer problems, create solutions and develop a business model, said Good. Theyve done their homework, identified big opportunities and will be sharing what theyve created to get their ideas to the next level. This event demonstrates Sacramentos thriving startup community during Global Entrepreneurship Week.

Steve Dicus, Deputy Sector Navigator for Advanced Manufacturing, housed at Sierra College, explained that the wider Sacramento region has a growing customized manufacturing sector to support startups in producing the products theyve developed.

Startup Hustle participants and local entrepreneurs can produce prototypes at Hacker Lab using 3D printing and benefit from manufacturing advice office hours offered by SME at both the Rocklin and Midtown locations, said Dicus. To meet increasing demand from entrepreneurs to produce products locally, manufacturers are benefiting from the growing number of students with a startup mindset as well as 3D design and automated machining capabilities coming out of programs such as the GENE HAAS CENTER for Advanced Manufacturing by Design at Sierra College.

Hacker Lab powered by Sierra College in Rocklin is one of several makerspaces in the greater Sacramento region supported by the California Community College CCC Maker initiative to prepare students with 21st century skills through programs like Startup Hustle and connect small businesses to entrepreneurial resources, according to Dominic Gutierrez, Director, Sierra Makerspaces. I encourage Sierra College students to attend Startup Hustle Demo Night and network with the wider entrepreneurial community, said Gutierrez. Theyll be inspired by the journey from idea to business concept that will be shared by these emerging entrepreneurs.

The California Community College Chancellors Office Workforce Development Division supports both the Advanced Manufacturing and CCC Maker initiatives, housed at Sierra College, under the Doing what MATTERS for Jobs and the Economy framework, to prepare students with entrepreneurial, manufacturing and innovation skills to support economic growth.

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.

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. More information at http://www.sierracollege.edu.
Walton County Schools

A website created by eSchoolView took the top honor in a statewide competition hosted by the Georgia Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association.

The Walton County School District was awarded a Gold Award of Excellence during the organizations annual conference for its form and function. It received a perfect score from the judges.

eSchoolView, based in Columbus, Ohio, created the tailor-made site to bring new capability and easy navigation to the districts web presence.

We redeveloped the site to deepen the district's ability to connect with the community it serves, OLeary said. Its gratifying the site won an award for its design, but the recognition also speaks to how Walton is using the site to keep the information relevant.

Walton began working with eSchoolView earlier this year, Public Relations Officer Callen W. Moore said.

"Spearheading a complete website redesign for our district and all 15 schools was a bit daunting, to say the least, but eSchoolView provided our team with high-quality work and exceptional customer service for an affordable price," she said. "The staff worked diligently to listen to our needs, ideas and plans and successfully brought them to life. Allowing us to pick and choose options that would best serve our users, eSchoolView created a custom site unique to our district."

Intuitive navigation, an emphasis on upcoming events and the prominent role of a photo gallery are key elements to the new designs. Less emphasis on text also increases interaction between the site and end-user.

The mobile performance of the site also improved dramatically with eSchoolViews responsive design. The site is optimized to display on a variety of platforms and can be accessed through eSchoolViews KnowItAll app which is available for free in the iOS and Android app stores.

eSchoolView builds custom websites for K-12 schools  public, private, charter and faith-based  and education organizations with its easy-to-use Content Management System (CMS). The CMS platform works with a number of integrated products and helps clients expand their reach with the ability to embed blogs, surveys, RSS feeds, e-newsletters, podcasts and videos.

Websites created by eSchoolView are often recognized at the state level and have received significant national praise. The National School Public Relations Association (the parent of GSPRA) also recognized eSchoolView sites this year, Grayson County Schools in Kentucky and Shaker Heights City Schools (Ohio).

OneView, eSchoolViews solution for enhancing data integration, was recognized as a 2016 Cool Tool by EdTech Digest. OneView allows school districts to read and push data back into various student information systems (SIS), such as ProgressBook and PowerSchool. In turn, the software increases internal efficiency and parent engagement through one login.

eSchoolView was created in 2008. Its revenue growth lands the company on the Inc. Magazines 5000 list of fastest growing privately held companies in the U.S. for the fourth consecutive year.
The U.S. corporate tax rate of 39.1% is the highest of any member nation in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), placing the most robust economic engine in the world a full 15 percentage points above the 24.1% average rate for those 35 OECD member countriesamong them England, Germany, France, Belgium, Poland, Australia, the Scandinavian countries, and others. Without question, the Trump administrations push to simplify the U.S. tax code and ease the tax burden on American business owners will go a long way toward a return to 3% GDP growth and continue our economic recovery, said Tom Streiff Special Consultant to HBW Partners.

Federal debt is not retired by the imposition of higher taxes. For our economy, continued high tax rates at this point in time would likely reduce available private sector revenue and contribute to a downward economic spiral during a period of shaky economic recovery. As Alan Greenspan (former chairman of the Federal Reserve under Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush) famously said, Whatever you tax, you get less of.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, chief architect of the Trump tax reform plan, told MSNBCs Hugh Hewitt on October 7th that the current tax code puts businesses at an enormous competitive disadvantage. You get the business code fixed by lowering their rates, Ryan said, so theyre on par with the rest of the world or better. We will have much faster economic growth. Well have more jobs, higher wages. Thats the goal with tax reform. He said that the push to get it done this year is so Americans wake up in 2018 with a new tax system that is wired for growth, that gives middle-income people a real break on their taxes.(2)

One of the first signs of stable recovery will be American businesses renewed willingness to contribute to individual retirement accounts for employees who want to save and invest. A Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis study showed that between 1999 and 2011, the percentage of employers offering 401(k)s and the like dropped precipitously from 61% to 53%.(3) By 2017, those numbers had cratered. While most large companies offer 401(k)-style plans, only 14% of all U.S. employers overall offer a 401(k) or other defined-contribution plan to their employees.(4)

The Trump administrations tax reform proposals are of paramount importance to the American people. A bipartisan effort in the U.S. Congress to get these concerns worked out by the end of the year should benefit every American taxpayer, Streiff added.

About HBW Partners

Established in 1991, HBW Partners is a multifaceted financial services organization offering the resources of a large company, while focusing on the personal touch of a small firm. HBW partners with honest, caring and motivated individuals who desire the independence to run their own businesses, while emphasizing long-term relationships that enable its advisors to provide many of the best possible outcomes for its clients.

HBW Partners empowers advisors with innovative products and optimal solutions to help its clients at every stage of life, whether its professionally managed money, packaged products, tax planning, insurance, annuities or trusts.

Through partnerships with many significant providers across all aspects of the industry, HBW has made available state-of-the-art technology, such as facial recognition tools, financial planning software, client acquisition programs and business planning tools to enhance the client experience, manage risk and increase productivity.

HBW Partners motto is character and quality above all. Autonomy, mastery and purpose with trust is the basis for everything HBW does. For more information, visit http://www.hbwpartners.com.

The views stated in this letter are not necessarily the opinion of Cetera Advisor Networks LLC and should not be construed directly or indirectly as an offer to buy or sell any securities mentioned herein. Due to volatility within the markets mentioned, opinions are subject to change without notice. Information is based on sources believed to be reliable; however, their accuracy or completeness cannot be guaranteed. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

(1) Federal Debt Clock. Government Debt in the United StatesDebt Clock.

(2) Speaker Paul Ryan On Vegas and the Gun Control Debate, and Tax Reform Plans  The Hugh Hewitt Show. The Hugh Hewitt Show, 7 Oct. 2017.

(3) Shin, Laura. The Retirement Crisis: Why 68% Of Americans Arent Saving In An Employer-Sponsored Plan. Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 12 Oct. 2015.

(4) Steverman, Ben. Two-Thirds of Americans Arent Putting Money in Their 401(k).Bloomberg.com, Bloomberg, 21 Feb. 2017.
Dentegra Insurance Company today announced it will continue to offer dental plans in 28 federal and state health care exchanges for plan year 2018.

Beginning on November 1, consumers may sign up for a Dentegra PPO dental plan, which offers flexibility in choosing a provider and easy-to-understand, no-nonsense benefits.

Purchasing a Dentegra ACA-compliant dental plan is simple: Just follow the links on a states exchange website or go to http://www.healthcare.gov to check availability and to select a Dentegra dental plan. Consumers also may call 800-318-2596, TTY: 855-889-4325, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

About Dentegra

Dentegra Insurance Company, headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., offers affordable PPO dental plans on the public exchanges in 28 states. Dentegra also offers other ways to purchase dental coverage in California, Georgia and Texas (offered as a DPO in Texas); for more information, visit http://www.dentegra.com.
The OneStream platform has improved our month-end reporting, foreign exchange analysis and accountability of financial information

OneStream Software LLC, the leader in corporate performance management (CPM) solutions for the mid to large enterprise, announced another deployment of XF Cloud for financial consolidation, reporting, budgeting and forecasting with complete visibility in a unified solution.

OneStream welcomes Benchmark Holdings to its growing list of live and successful customers, says Tom Shea, President of OneStream Software. Benchmark required a modern CPM solution capable of addressing their core financial consolidation and planning requirements They needed complete visibility into their process and the flexibility to optimize across the enterprise. Our SmartCPM platform is anchored by a true financial engine and gave Benchmark more financial intelligence with built-in data quality, a core requirement for their growing organization.

Benchmark was looking for a unified reporting system to meet all our key reporting and planning requirements, says Lee Bown, Group Business Systems Accountant at Benchmark Holdings PLC. The group has grown rapidly in recent years and we had reached a point where our existing financial reporting systems were not performing optimally. We knew our initial focus would be on consolidation and OneStreams functionality in this area was a real differentiator in our selection process as it provides true financial consolidation capability and not just straight aggregation like many other tools. The OneStream platform has improved our month-end reporting, foreign exchange analysis and accountability of financial information. We are looking forward to leveraging the significant capabilities of OneStream to support additional data collections in the future.

OneStream XF, is a single, unified corporate performance management software platform that simplifies processes to deliver financial consolidation and reporting, planning, forecasting and operational analytics for sophisticated organizations. Guided Workflows simultaneously improve the quality and consistency of data while reducing risk throughout the financial consolidation, reporting and planning processes. OneStream customers enjoy the multiple benefits of owning a single agile CPM system that is capable of adapting to business changes quickly and easily.

On November 30, in London, Lee Bown will share Benchmarks experiences from their selection process through to their go-live. For more information or to register for this customer case study, please visit  onestreamsoftware.com/events

CONTACT

Craig Colby

OneStream Software

362 South Street

Rochester, MI 48307

+1 404-786-7932

Ccolby(at)onestreamsoftware(dot)com

About Benchmark Holdings PLC

Benchmark challenges the status quo in aquaculture, agriculture and animal healthcare.

Since 2000, Benchmark has consistently worked to build a platform to serve its customers, helping farmers to take control of their biological environment through the combination of genetics, nutrition, health and knowledge services. Through its in-depth knowledge of animal biology Benchmark is able to tackle the key issues in the aquaculture, livestock and companion animal sectors.

The Company has proven distribution capabilities in high growth markets and operates internationally with R&D facilities, commercial farms, diagnostic laboratories, manufacturing sites, production facilities and commercial offices across 27 countries in five continents. As at 30 June 2017, Benchmark employed 951 people.

For further information on Benchmark please visit http://www.benchmarkplc.com

About OneStream Software LLC

OneStream Software provides a revolutionary corporate performance management (CPM) solution that unifies and simplifies financial consolidation, planning, reporting, analytics, and financial data quality for sophisticated organizations. Deployed in the cloud or on-premise, OneStream XF is the first and only solution that delivers corporate standards and controls, with the flexibility for business units to report and plan at additional levels of detail without impacting corporate chart of accounts  all through a single application. The OneStream XF MarketPlace features downloadable solutions that allow customers to easily extend the value of their CPM platform to quickly meet the changing needs of finance and operations. We are driven by our mission statement that every customer must be a reference and success.

For more information, visit OneStream Software http://www.onestreamsoftware.com or on Twitter @OneStream_Soft.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements involve a high degree of risk and uncertainty, are predictions only and actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to differences include the uncertainty regarding viability and market acceptance of the companys products and services, the ability to complete software development plans in a timely manner and changes in relationships with third parties.
Working and Breastfeeding Made Simple by Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC, FILCA Working and Breastfeeding Made Simple puts new mothers in control of reaching their own level of breastfeeding success

Praeclarus Press celebrates National Work and Family Awareness Month with its resources for working families. Praeclarus offers the book, Working and Breastfeeding Made Simple by Nancy Mohrbacher. For time-pressed mothers, there are also four mini versions of this book: Expressing Your Milk, Back to Work for the Breastfeeding Mother, Trouble Shooting Milk Production, and The Early Weeks of Breastfeeding. In all these books, Mohrbacher takes the mystery out of balancing breastfeeding and work. As an international breastfeeding expert, she uses evidence-based insights to put new mothers in control of their own experience. Working and Breastfeeding Made Simple makes sure that every step of breastfeeding is straightforward no matter how long the maternity leave.

Working and Breastfeeding Made Simple puts new mothers in control of reaching their own best level. Mohrbacher includes new concepts such as The Magic Number to explain how to tailor a new mothers daily routine to her bodys response. It also includes pumping strategies that can increase your milk yields by nearly 50%. Working and Breastfeeding Made Simple has tips from employed mothers to proved the wisdom of hindsight and provides the essentials you need to reach your personal breastfeeding goals.

Nancy Mohrbacher, IBCLC, FILCA, fell in love with breastfeeding while nursing her three sons, Carl, Peter, and Ben, who are now grown. In 1982, before the lactation profession existed, she began working as a volunteer mother-support counselor and found her passion: helping women meet their breastfeeding goals. Board-certified as a lactation consultant in 1991, from 1993 to 2003 she started and grew a large private lactation practice in the Chicago area, where she saw thousands of families. Since then, she's worked for a major breast-pump company and a national corporate lactation program.

Praeclarus Press is a small press founded by health psychologist, Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, focusing on womens health. The mission of Praeclarus Press is to publish books that change peoples lives. Praeclarus Press is based in Amarillo, Texas.
QualDerm Partners, a company that creates market-leading dermatology practice partnerships through affiliations and de novo development, announced today that Omar P. Sangueza, M.D. has joined its affiliated practice The Skin Surgery Center.

Dr. Sangueza, an internationally-renowned, board-certified dermatopathologist, serves as a Professor and Director of Dermatopathology at Wake Forest University Medical Center. He directs the Fellowship program there and has trained more than 80 dermatopathology Fellows from around the world. In 2014, Dr. Sangueza was recognized with the Walter R. Nickel Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Dermatopathology.

A native of Bolivia, Dr. Sangueza earned his medical degree at the Universidad Literaria in Valencia, Spain. He completed a residency in pathology at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland and was the Holtzman Fellow in dermatopathology at New York University.

I am eager to help The Skin Surgery Center and QualDerm expand their offering of dermatopathology services through their network of high-quality dermatologists, says Dr. Sangueza. The Skin Surgery Center has a vision and passion for quality, so Im excited to be a part of that organization.

Throughout his career, Dr. Sangueza has been active in the advancement of the practice of dermatopathology. He served as both the President and Secretary/Treasurer of the International Society of Dermatopathology and was elected to serve on the American Society of Dermatopathologys Board of Directors from 2010-2013. He was also elected in 2014 to serve a two-year term as President of the International Committee for Dermatopathology. Additionally, Dr. Sangueza frequently lectures worldwide. He has authored more than 200 publications and published several books. Dr. Sangueza is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Dermatopathology.

We are honored to have Dr. Sangueza join The Skin Surgery Center, says Barry Leshin, M.D., FAAD, FACMS, founder of The Skin Surgery Center. He is a leader in the field of dermatopathology, and his expertise will benefit both our physicians and their patients.

Dr. Sangueza will practice at The Skin Surgery Centers Winston-Salem office. He will provide dermatopathology services to each of The Skin Surgery Centers 11 locations as well as future locations.

QualDerms goal is to help our affiliated practices continue to offer the highest quality of care to their patients, says Bill Southwick, CEO of QualDerm Partners. We are fortunate to have Dr. Sangueza join The Skin Surgery Center. His expertise perfectly complements the services provided by their board-certified dermatologists and Fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons.

About The Skin Surgery Center

The Skin Surgery Center provides patients with exceptional skin cancer prevention, detection, and treatment, as well as general dermatology and cosmetic skin care. Founded in 2001, The Skin Surgery Center has a staff of Fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons, board-certified dermatologists and dermatopathologists, and other clinicians. It is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). Based in Winston-Salem, The Skin Surgery Center has a total of 11 locations throughout North Carolina and Virginia. The Skin Surgery Center is a QualDerm-affiliated practice. For more information, visit http://www.skinsurgerycenter.net.

About QualDerm Partners

QualDerm Partners helps top-tier dermatologists position their practices for sustainable growth and profitability. The company creates market-leading practice partnerships through affiliations and de novo development. QualDerm provides the management support, capital, and guidance for growth. Under QualDerms True Partnership(SM) model, physicians are partners, not employees, and retain their own practice brand. This doctor-driven model is designed to maintain physicians clinical autonomy and ensure the highest-quality patient care. QualDerm offers physicians tailored partnership structures to meet their needs, as well as the option to sell their practices. For more information, visit http://www.QualDerm.com.

Contact:

Andy Mitzen

QualDerm Partners

Chief Development Officer

andy.mitzen(at)qualderm(dot)com

615.250.6756

Media Contact:

Nikki Cary

6 Columns Marketing Group

nikki(at)6Columns(dot)com

615.500.2924
We are pleased to add these four new partners to our ownership team as we continue to develop our nationwide footprint.

New Penn Financial, a nationally recognized mortgage lender, today announced the addition of four new brokerage partners to its Partners United Financial mortgage joint venture. Partners United Financial is a consortium-style joint venture (JV) that operates under the companys Shelter Mortgage division. The JV was launched in May 2017 with founding brokerage partners HER Realtors (Columbus, OH) and Dilbeck Real Estate (Pasadena, CA). The four newest partners are Podley Properties (Pasadena, CA), C3 Real Estate (Fort Collins, CO), Lisa Burridge & Associates (Casper, WY), and Weichert ABG Properties (Louisville, KY).

We are pleased to add these four new partners to our ownership team as we continue to develop our nationwide footprint, said Michael Mulgrew, president of Partners United Financial.

Unlike a traditional standalone joint venture in which one real estate company partners with one mortgage lender, the Partners United consortium-style JV is a partnership between one established lender and multiple real estate companies. This model allows real estate brokerages and builders the ability to offer their clients a complete array of mortgage services from a platform that accommodates participants concerns about ease of entry into the mortgage arena.

As we explored the various mortgage opportunities available to our firm, it became apparent that the Partners United model offers us not only the full economics of a mortgage banking model (versus a mortgage brokerage), but also the opportunity to get into the JV space much quicker and with fewer hurdles than a stand-alone JV, said Crystal Narramore, President of Podley Properties (Pasadena, CA).

Chris Derrow, the New Penn division manager who oversees the consortium joint venture, added, The concept has been very well received by our prospective partners, and we are excited that our expansion plans are materializing as we had projected. We plan to add new builders and brokerages to our footprint on a quarterly basis.

For more information on New Penn Financials joint venture partnerships, contact: Chris Derrow, (614) 406-2066, http://partnersunitedfinancial.com.

About New Penn Financial

New Penn Financial has become a leading nationwide lender by bringing expertise, extremely competitive rates on a broad portfolio of mortgage products, and exceptional customer service under one roof. Founded in 2008, and licensed in 48 states, the company and its reputation have grown rapidly under the guidance of a management team with years of experience in the mortgage industry. New Penn is headquartered in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania and operates offices nationwide. New Penn is a Shellpoint Partners company. More information is available at http://www.newpennfinancial.com.

About Shelter Mortgage Company

Shelter Mortgage is a leading retail residential mortgage originator predominantly focused on conforming purchase money loans generated through relationships with realtors, builders, and relocation companies. Founded in 1984 as a subsidiary of a community bank, Shelter has loan officers across the country with over 25 joint venture and partner relationships in over 30 States. Shelter has built a strong platform via its differentiated, partnership-based origination model, focus on purchase money originations and compliance-oriented culture.

About Podley Properties

Podley Properties takes pride in being an independently owned, non-affiliated real estate firm in the San Gabriel Valley and Foothills of Northeast Los Angeles County. With over 200 sales associates and 20 staff members in six offices, the Podley Properties family maintains its long-standing commitment to the foundational core values it is known for  integrity, people, innovation, and excellence.

Committed to offering the finest and most professional representation to the communities they serve, the sales associates, staff, and management team of Podley Properties understand the importance of the role they play in the lives of those they represent. The firm is dedicated to the career of every agent and providing the support necessary to empower their agents to be the valleys best. The company was founded over 40 years ago by current chairman, Bill Podley, a REALTOR in our marketplace.

About C3 Real Estate

C3 Real Estate Solutions was founded by John Simmons and Jesse Laner in December, 2012. They shared a vision for creating a Real Estate firm that delivers the highest level of customer service through innovative ideas, cutting edge technology and an unyielding commitment to developing leaders in real estate. Their passion, creativity and work ethic have earned local, state and national recognition. C3 focuses on hiring quality agents who are involved in the community and dedicated to their clients. With over 100 agents and 5 offices in Northern Colorado after only four years in business, C3 Real Estate Solutions was named one of Northern Colorados fastest growing companies in 2017. Character, Culture, Commitment is C3 Real Estate Solutions winning combination for everyone.

About Lisa Burridge & Associates

Lisa Burridge & Associates Real Estate was founded in 2001 by Lisa and Tim Burridge. As Casper natives, they identified a need for a different sort of real estate company than what the community currently offered. The Lisa Burridge & Associates Team, was the innovative solution that came from that need. Over the last 15 years, Lisa Burridge and her team have been blessed to help thousands of customers achieve their real estate goals. Along the way the Lisa Burridge team has consistently ranked in the top 50 teams in the USA, and is proud of the impact our customers have allowed us to have in Casper. For more information about our team see us at http://www.caspermls.com/about.

About Weichert ABG Properties

ABG Realtors was founded in 2004 and was invited to join the Weichert national family in 2007. Since that time we have grown significantly, with an increase in market share as well as recognition. We will continue to grow and are determined to have the finest career professionals in the area. We choose our associates carefully with the intention of exceeding our clients expectations in every aspect of Real Estate. Our goal is to build clients for life and expand our referral base through providing a one-stop buying or selling experience. Our clients are confident that we can handle every aspect of the transaction from financing, inspections, repairs, insurance, title, and any issues that may arise. With our combined years of experience and education, our agents can handle any property in Louisville or the surrounding counties. Residential, farms, land, new construction, investments, property management and commercial. We pride ourselves on our vast knowledge and precise execution with regard to every transaction.

# # #
Enormous painted scrolls are the central element of 122 Conversations. Each scroll is part of a diptych inspired by a different international city and is 30 inches wide and up to 33-feet long. More than ever we need to be reminded and shown ways we can and should come together.

122 Conversations/Person to Person: Art Beyond Borders, an international traveling exhibition by Minnesota native, Anne Labovitz, opens at Isumi City Hall, Ohara Isumi-City, Japan on Nov. 2 and runs through Nov. 30.

The exhibit is a five-year cultural-social engagement initiative focusing on the culture and people of Duluth, Minnesotas Sister Cities (DSCI). The project was envisioned to serve as a catalyst for positive social change one person at a time, according to the artist. The goal of the project  and its multiple international venues  is to serve as a cross-cultural exchange to foster caring as a political act.

The current political climate both domestically and internationally has become so divisive  even more so than when I first began planning this exhibit in 2013, stated Labovitz. More than ever we need to be reminded and shown ways we can and should come together. In 122 Conversations I physically merge the conversations, impressions and ideas of these diverse people and cultures into a united group of paintings and a single exhibit.

The vibrant painted scrolls that make up the dominant element of the exhibition meld 60 artist-led interviews involving ten residents from each of Duluths six sister cities, including the mayor of each city. The large-scale paintings were created by Labovitz in her studio and are inspired by the spirited interview exchanges. The work chronicles the essence of human interactionlistening to each other and respondingthrough palimpsest (layers and layers of writing and mark making until the original content is obscured) paintings and video created from the shared experiences.

"Throughout Labovitz's career, Anne has demonstrated a growing interest in social-practice art, said Ken Bloom Director of Tweed Museum of Art, which helped organize the exhibit. Now, she works to establish an artist-subject relationship that is based on direct engagement in a way that reveals, through her art making, a process of shared discovery.

Integral to the project are the engagement pieces that give people in each city an opportunity to actively interact with the exhibit  giving them a voice to connect cross-culturally through their artistic contributions. One such activity invites both children and adults in each city to share drawings, words or stories directly on small artworks previously created by the artist. These contributions then travel with the show as it moves from each city onto its culminating venue at the Tweed Museum of Art in Duluth in September 2018.

The Japan exhibit represents the fifth country in three years for a project that has absorbed much of Labovitzs time and energy for the last five years.

After two years of planning, 122 Conversations began its international journey to the five sister cities of Duluth, Minn., in September 2015 commencing at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery in Canada. From there the exhibit continued on to Rania, Iraqi Kurdistan at the University of Raparin (January 16 - March 31, 2017) and Vaxjo, Sweden at Vaxjo Konsthall (March 4 - April 1, 2017). Most recently it was in Petrozavodsk, Russia (May 25  June 17, 2017). The traveling exhibit will conclude in 2018 with a final exhibition at the Tweed Museum of Art in Duluth, Minn.

122 Conversations: Person to Person | Art Beyond Borders is organized by Tweed Museum of Art and artist Anne Labovitz. 122 honors the total amount of years being celebrated between DSCI and its Sister Cities during the duration of the project, and Conversations is inspired by relationships and interactions developed throughout the project. The project is made possible by many generous sponsors: Holiday Inn & Suites Duluth, Minn., Otis Magie Insurance, Security Jewelers, Duluth News Tribune, Visit Duluth, Ohara Ishumi Sister Cities Committee, and more than a thousand individual volunteers and contributors.

For more information, visit http://www.122Conversations.com.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

A native of Duluth, Anne Labovitz currently lives and works in St. Paul, Minn. In 2013, she was recognized with Duluth Depot Foundations Artist Award as an artist whose distinguished career has made significant contributions to the development of both artists and the arts. In 2015, Labovitz was awarded the key to all six sister cities by Duluth Sister Cities, Intl. for her work in 122 Conversations. Her paintings are part of the permanent collections at the Tweed Museum of Art in Duluth, Minn., the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library in La Jolla, Calif., the Minnesota Museum of American Art, the Weisman Art Museum, and the International Gallery of Portrait in Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Labovitz is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, an Advisory Board member of The Artist Book Foundation in New York City, and a former member of the Colleagues Advisory Board at the Weisman Art Museum on the campus of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. In August 2017, Labovitz received her Master of Fine Arts degree from Transart Institute, an innovative program based in Berlin and New York. She received her degree in art and art education from Hamline University, St. Paul, Minn. In addition, she has trained in studios in Italy, New Mexico, New York, Massachusetts, and North Carolina.

Labovitz teaches arts education and conducts artist workshops in both public and private schools and throughout the Minneapolis/St. Paul community. She also is active in the Duluth, Minn., art community and metro area.

To learn more about Labovitz and her work visit: http://www.Labovitz.com.
The Certified CISO (CCISO) program is the first of its kind training and certification program aimed at producing top-level information security executives. We have worked hard to meet the stringent requirements of the ANSI 17024 standard. We have scrutinized and challenged every aspect of EC-Council certification activities and operations. This benchmark of excellence will give our customers even more confidence in the quality of our certification.

EC-Council announces that it has been accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to meet the ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024 Personnel Certification Accreditation standard for its Certified CISO (CCISO) certification. EC-Council is one of a handful of certification bodies whose primary specialization is information security to be awarded this highly-valued, quality standard.

ANSI is a private non-profit organization that administers and coordinates the U.S. voluntary standardization and conformity assessment system. ANSI is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and, via the U.S. National Committee, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). ANSI is also a member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).

To award the accreditation, ANSI conducted a verification process to ensure that EC-Council is impartial and objective as a certification body. It also confirmed that EC-Councils certification process is conducted in a consistent, comparable, and reliable manner. This process required rigorous quality reviews of EC-Council and the CCISO program.

Jay Bavisi, Co-Founder and President of EC-Council commented, Achieving ANSI 17024 for our CCISO program, which joins our Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) program as ANSI certified, reflects not only our commitment to quality but, equally important, our approach to continuously improving as a learning organization to ensure that EC-Council has certified programs for each stage of an information security professionals career.

The CCISO Program has certified leading information security professionals around the world. A core group of high-level information security executives, the CCISO Advisory Board, contributed by forming the foundation of the program and outlining the content that would be covered by the exam, body of knowledge, and training. Some members of the Board contributed as authors, others as exam writers, others as quality assurance checks, and still others as trainers. Each segment of the program was developed with the aspiring CISO in mind and looks to transfer the knowledge of seasoned professionals to the next generation in the areas that are most critical in the development and maintenance of a successful information security program.

CCISO program is the first of its kind training and certification program aimed at producing top-level information security executives. The CCISO does not focus on technical knowledge but on the application of information security management principles from an executive management point of view. The program was developed by sitting CISOs for current and aspiring CISOs.

Bavisi added, We have worked hard to meet the stringent requirements of the ANSI 17024 standard. We have scrutinized and challenged every aspect of EC-Council certification activities and operations. This benchmark of excellence will give our customers even more confidence in the quality of our certification.

About EC-Council

EC-Council has been the worlds leading information security certification body since the launch of their flagship program, Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), which created the ethical hacking industry in 2002. Since the launch of CEH, EC-Council has added industry-leading programs to their portfolio to cover all aspects of information security including EC-Council Certified Security Analyst (ECSA), Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator (CHFI), Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO), among others. EC-Council Foundation, the non-profit branch of EC-Council, created Global CyberLympics, the worlds first global hacking competition. EC-Council Foundation also hosts a suite of conferences across the US and around the world including Hacker Halted, Global CISO Forum, TakeDownCon, and CISO Summit.

For more information about EC-Council, please see http://www.eccouncil.org.
Front Row Solutions, the creator of a class-leading CRM platform that enables organizations to track and improve mobile worker performance, and which recently launched an innovative mobile app that significantly improves how pharmaceutical companies access essential clinical laboratory data, has published a new article that looks at 10 critical lessons learned after a decade of mobile data collection.

According to IDC, the mobile workforce in the US is projected to reach 105.4 million by 2020, at which time 70.3 percent of workers will work from a mobile location, commented Etien DHollander, President of Front Row Solutions. Our new article cuts through the clutter and confusion, and pinpoints the core principles that companies must embrace in their mobile worker reporting strategy.

Here is a sneak preview of some of the lessons learned by Mr. DHollander and his team of data scientists, business analysts and technology developers:



It is neither practical nor realistic to expect mobile workers to manually report on every customer interaction.

Just because an app or platform is mobile does not mean that it is also usable  they are distinctly separate facets.

A mobile data collection system that claims to be paperless must absolutely deliver on that promise  i.e. no paper whatsoever.

Because mobile workers overwhelmingly prefer using their smartphones, a mobile data collection system must be smartphone-based, and not tablet-based or desktop-based.

Data submitted by mobile workers must integrate seamlessly with systems that are currently in the ecosystem, such as CRM, ERP, financial systems, etc.

The complete list of all 10 lessons learned is available at: http://www.frontrowsolutions.com/data-collection/front-row-solutions-learnt-10-years-mobile-data-collection.

Added Mr. DHollander: Our platform captures all of the lessons learned highlighted in our new article, and demonstrates that mobile workers will embrace a solution that closes the gap and aligns with their day-to-day needs. We help companies put their mobile workforce in position to succeed, which is a win for everyone: workers, management, leadership and customers alike.

For more information or to set up a free trial call Front Row at 1-800-986-0983, or visit the Front Row web site at. http://www.frontrowsolutions.com

About Front Row Solutions

Front Row Solutions (FRS) a North American company, was founded in 2008 to improve the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) process with a focus on the mobile worker and mobile data collection. The prime directives around the creation of FRS was ease and speed of use, 100% mobility, improved mobile worker productivity and increased information flow from the field. FRS is a customizable app based system which can be loaded on any smart phone or tablet and allows a mobile worker to submit a report or form immediately after a customer interaction in 60 seconds or less. FRS unique real-time paperless reporting capability (with optional geo location tracking) gives management better reports and insight into all mobile worker and client activity. FRS can be used as a standalone system or it can be integrated into current legacy CRM or ERP systems, effectively becoming the front end of some not so user-friendly systems.
PALMco Energy The response to the series of Hurricane disasters that have devastated the Gulf Coast, Florida, and Caribbean, is deeply moving. It was only just five years ago that our hometown in Brooklyn was similarly impacted by Superstorm Sandy.

PALMco Energy, a privately-owned energy supply company, today announced that it is fulfilling the full amount pledged through the $1,500 matching fund campaign to the Houston Food Bank, established to provide aid to families impacted by Hurricane Harvey. In the immediate aftermath of the hurricanes devastation, the company donated $2,500 to the Houston Food Bank and established a $1,500 matching fund microsite to encourage further contributions from customers, employees, and the public, which raised several hundred dollars. The company also donated $4,000 to the Feeding South Florida Food Bank to provide aid to victims of Hurricane Irma.

We are proud to join the millions of Americans who have come together in this time of need, said Robert Palmese, President of PALMco Energy. From everyday Americans sending what they can to first responders on the frontlines, the response to the series of Hurricane disasters that have devastated the Gulf Coast, Florida, and Caribbean, is deeply moving. It was only just five years ago that our hometown in Brooklyn was similarly impacted by Superstorm Sandy. We are deeply grateful to our customers, employees, and the whole of the PALMco Energy family who joined us in supporting needed relief efforts.

PALMco Energys matching donations mobilecause site will continue to accept contributions. All proceeds will go toward funding the Houston Food Banks ongoing relief efforts along the Gulf Coast.

About PALMco

PALMco is a family-owned and operated energy supply company (ESCO) that supplies electricity and natural gas in Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Sister company Columbia Utilities supplies electricity and natural gas in New York. Our family has been in the energy business since 1938, and we dedicate ourselves to providing quality service, customer satisfaction, and dependable energy.

About Houston Food Bank

The Houston Food Bank is a member of the nation's largest non-governmental, domestic hunger relief organization - Feeding America  whose goal is to make food accessible to hungry people in their greatest times of need. In fiscal year 2016-2017, the Houston Food Bank distributed 83,000,000 nutritious meals. Houston Food Bank is a private non-profit organization founded in 1982 Houston, Texas, with Tax ID number 74-2181456.
Through the soybean checkoff, farmers contribute one-half of one percent of the net market value of soybeans at the first point of sale to support research, marketing and education projects.

The Delaware Soybean Board is seeking proposals to conduct soybean research. The deadline to apply is December 15.

The board is interested in proposals which address promotion and protection of yield, including genetic improvement as well as research on dealing with herbicide-resistant weeds, disease and pests. In addition, the board is interested in information regarding best production practices which allow them to continue to responsibly steward their land.

The board also is interested in proposals related to emerging markets, technology and regulation.

A full list of research priorities, guidelines and an application form are provided on the boards website.

The Delaware Soybean Board consists of nine farmer-directors and the state Secretary of Agriculture. It is funded through the national soybean checkoff program, which assesses one-half of one percent of the net market value of soybeans at the first point of sale. The funds are collected for soybean research, marketing and education projects.

Delaware farmers plant about 180,000 acres of soybeans each year, and the crop generates approximately $60 million in value to the state. Delawares agricultural industry contributes about $8 billion per year to the Delaware economy.

About Delaware Soybean Board: The Delaware Soybean Board administers soybean checkoff funds for soybean research, marketing and education programs in the state. One-half of the checkoff funds stay in Delaware for programs; the other half is sent to the United Soybean Board. To learn more about the Delaware Soybean Board, visit http://www.desoybeans.org.
GTI_Logo_Stacked_Green_SML.png The GreenTree Inn team has been exceptional to work with. They have already provided our team with incredible support, infrastructure and programs, in addition to the hands-on training and systems enjoyed by other GreenTree Inn properties

GreenTree Hospitality Group, Inc., the 14th largest hotel brand globally, with over 2,600 hotels worldwide, is continuing to grow strategically by opening its second U.S. franchise property this month, making this its seventh GreenTree property. The former Fairfield Inn & Suites has rebranded as a GreenTree Inn property. The 64-room property located in Mesa, Arizona, officially opened its doors on October 19, 2017, as part of the GreenTree Inn family.

GreenTree Inn & Suites Mesa, formerly Fairfield Inn & Suites, serves both the transient and business travelers, catering to its guests with convenient amenities including hot breakfast, high-speed Wi-Fi, in-room mini-fridge, microwave & Keurig coffee maker, outdoor pool, business center and more. GreenTree Inn & Suites Mesa joins GreenTree as its second franchised property, following the recently announced Prescott Valley, Arizona property, which opened earlier this month.

Kalisha LLC is the second GreenTree Inn franchisee in the United States. Kalisha has converted the former Fairfield Inn & Suites to GreenTree Inn & Suites Mesa. Kalisha evaluated several options when considering their next franchise opportunity, and identified GreenTree Inn as the best fit for their growing needs throughout the Greater Phoenix region.

GreenTree Inn & Suites Mesa is located close to the Mesa Convention Center, host to a large variety of events catering to several interests. While staying at GreenTree Inn & Suites Mesa,travelers can enjoy shopping at the Fiesta Mall Shopping Center or local culture at the Mesa Arts Center, the largest performing, visual and educational arts center in Arizona, in addition to the Arizona Museum of Natural History, all located nearby.

Its with great pride that we announce our relationship with Kalisha LLC. We are excited to be working with this professional ownership group and onsite staff to bring the GreenTree experience to the sixth Arizona location. The hotel is located close to many area attractions as well as Mesa Community College and Banner Desert Hospital, shared Kevin Brooks, managing director, GreenTree Hospitality Group. Its been a pleasure working with the team at Kalisha. They represent the best of what we continue to seek in new franchise owners to help us build the GreenTree Inn brand, continued Brooks.

We look forward to our continued partnership with GreenTree Hospitality Group as we grow GreenTree Inn & Suites Mesa. Having the backing of a new, up and coming brand like GreenTree Inn will help us grow our presence in Mesa while providing our guests with some of the unique offerings and programs including the GiveBack Rewards loyalty program. We are very excited to begin this new chapter as one of the first U.S. franchisees for GreenTree Inn. We intend to help GreenTree Inn grow in the US and we look forward to many more opportunities in the very near future, shared Dipesh Patel.

Patel further shared, The GreenTree Inn team has been exceptional to work with. They have already provided our team with incredible support, infrastructure and programs, in addition to the hands-on training and systems enjoyed by other GreenTree Inn properties.

ABOUT GreenTree Inn

GreenTree Inn, a US based limited service brand dedicated to providing quality hotels in Arizona and California. GreenTree Inn is committed to practices and programs that pay respect to, and lessen our footprint on, our changing environment. Learn more about GreenTree Inn by visiting our website http://www.greentreeinn.com.

ABOUT GreenTree Hospitality Group, Inc.

GreenTree Hospitality Group, Inc. is a leading hotel owner, operator and franchisor with over 2600 hotels worldwide. As the 14th largest hotel brand globally, its GreenTree Inn hotels are trusted by corporate and leisure travelers seeking a product that boasts of consistent quality guest rooms and public areas.

GreenTree Inn is a growing select-service hotel brand and prides itself on delivering an affordable lodging experience to its guests. Learn more about GreenTree Inn and GreenTree Hospitality Group by visiting us at http://www.greentreeinn.com or contact us at info(at)greentreeinn.com.

Media Contact

Amanda Saye, Director of Marketing

GreenTree Hospitality Group, Inc.

480-201-9671

amanda.saye(at)greentreeinn.com
Tremendous advances in science and technology have enabled greater understanding of the brain, and yet mental health care remains inaccessible and relatively ineffective for much of the world's population. - Laura Germine, PhD, director of McLeans Institute for Technology in Psychiatry

Can technology solve some of our biggest mental health challenges? Thats the key question being addressed by some of the nations top technology and mental health experts during the McLean Hospital Technology in Psychiatry Summit next week (November 6-7) at Harvard Medical School.

Tremendous advances in science and technology have enabled greater understanding of the brain, and yet mental health care remains inaccessible and relatively ineffective for much of the world's population, said Laura Germine, PhD, director of McLeans Institute for Technology in Psychiatry (ITP) and founder of TestMyBrain.org. Through this summit, we are bringing together thought leaders in health care, data science, technology, industry, patient advocacy, and academic research to build on the promise of technology in the diagnosis and delivery of mental health care.

Among the whos who of presenters for the two-day summit are Tom Insel, MD, former NIMH director, Ken Duckworth, MD, of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Kumar Garg, JD, of the Society for Science and the Public and former White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Carey Goldberg from WBUR, Gary Gottlieb, MD, CEO of Partners in Health, Roz Picard, ScD, of the Affective Computing Research Group at MIT, and Sarah Lenz Lock, JD, of the AARP. A complete list of the more than 30 presenters is available at mcleanhospital.org.

According to Justin T. Baker, MD, PhD, scientific director of the ITP and conference speaker, attendees will examine the current state of mental health care and determine how the use of advanced technology can build a more accessible future.

This is an exciting time because technology is opening new pathways in terms of how we may use it to understand and better treat mental illnesses, said Baker. However, with these developments come new challenges, both in how clinicians and researchers should adapt to the changing landscape of tools for assessment and treatmentand how, as a community of individuals with diverse talents and backgrounds, we should engage with one another to build a future where anyone, anywhere can access basic psychiatric care.

Baker and Germine, who with the help of McLean President Scott L. Rauch, MD, Chief Scientific Officer Kerry J. Ressler, MD, PhD, and Medical Director of the ITP Ipsit Vahia, MD, organized the summit, noted that this event is intended to encourage open dialogue and brainstorming.

This is a unique opportunity to bring together Kendall Square, Silicon Valley, Harvard Medical School and other progressive thinkers from across the country to tackle a topic that has the potential to impact millions of people worldwide, said Germine. Anyone who has an interest in discussing how we can leverage technology to improve mental health care should plan to join us and be part of the conversation.

A limited number of tickets for the summit are still available.

The Technology on Psychiatry Summit is sponsored by AJ Trustey Mental Health Research Fund, THE Ride for Mental Health, Valera Health, Draper Laboratories, the Global Council on Brain Health, the Boston Child Study Center, Mindstrong, New England Genetics, Qualcomm, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.

McLean Hospital is the largest psychiatric affiliate of Harvard Medical School and a member of Partners HealthCare. In 2017, it was named the #1 hospital for psychiatric care in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. For more information about McLean, visit mcleanhospital.org or follow the hospital on Facebook or Twitter.
IoTium, the first secure network infrastructure company for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), announced today that it will be presenting at the TC3 Summit 2017 in Mountain View, California, November 1-2, 2017. Ron Victor, IoTium Founder and CEO, will co-present with Christos Kolias, Principal Research Scientist and Head of the Netsquared Studio at Orange Silicon Valley in a case study session focusing on SDN challenges in IoT for telecoms.

The 10th Annual TC3 Summit is a two day event where companies who build communications networks come together to discover innovations and discuss technologies that will change the industry.

WHO: IoTiums Ron Victor, Founder and CEO, will attend the event and speak in a case study session with Christos Kolias, Principal Research Scientist and Head of the Netsquared Studio at Orange Silicon Valley.

WHAT: Ron Victor, with co-presenter Christos Kolias, will share how attendees can obtain complete visibility of their IoT network, securely connect, deploy and manage any application to the edge from the cloud at-scale in the session, Addressing Software Defined Networking Challenges in IoT for Telecoms.

WHEN:



TC3 Summit 2017 will take place from Wednesday, November 1st to Thursday, November 2, 2017.

Rons session will be held on Thursday, November 2nd at 2:50 p.m. PT.

WHERE: The TC3 Summit will be held at the Computer History Museum, located at 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View, California 94043.

Media or analysts interested in one-on-one meetings with Ron Victor at the event should contact Katherine Hyman at (408) 200-3771 or KatherineHyman(at)mcgrathpower(dot)com.

About IoTium, Inc.

IoTium is the first secure network infrastructure company for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Headquartered in Silicon Valley and backed by GE Ventures, March Capital, The Fabric and Juniper Networks, IoTium was founded with the understanding that secure connections matter. The companys patented technology enables a Network as a Service (NaaS) solution to securely connect legacy onsite systems to cloud-based applications, allowing building and industrial automation, oil & gas, manufacturing, transportation, and smart city industries to realize the promise of Industry 4.0. For more information, visit: http://www.iotium.io.

IoTium Contacts:

Kim Truong

IoTium

(408) 219-1315

Kim.Truong(at)iotium.io

Katherine Hyman

McGrath/Power

(408) 200-3771

KatherineHyman(at)mcgrathpower.com
Jennifer Bulatao (right) receiving her Nurses Night Out check from California Casualty's Issa Guerrero California Casualty protects American heroes, and we want to show our appreciation to the men and women who take care of America.

RN Jennifer Bulatao is still in shock after being announced as the recipient of a $1,000 Nurses Night Out from California Casualty.

I am fighting back tears. Little things like this mean a lot to me, she said.

Bulatao, a nurse lead at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), said helping people, especially children and families, is something she always wanted to do. They deserve the best that we can provide, she added.

Bulatao has worked at CHLA for 22 years and said the staff is like a family. I could work at other hospitals a lot closer to where I live, but I am blessed to work at a wonderful hospital with incredible people and patients.

The Nurses Night Out award was created to thank RNs and nurse practitioners for the long hours they put in offering comfort and healing to patients and families. Winners can use the $1,000 prize any way they wish: hitting the town in a rented limousine, hosting a party, or taking a relaxing day at the spa. They are only limited by their imagination. Bulatao is still mulling over how she will use the unexpected prize, but hints that a new iPhone may be in her future.

California Casualty protects American heroes, and we want to show our appreciation to the men and women who take care of America, said California Casualty Sr. Vice President, Mike McCormick.

Theres still time for other caretakers to experience the excitement of a $1,000 Nurses Night Out from California Casualty. Another recipient will be chosen in December with the deadline to enter December 8. The entry form and rules can be found at http://www.nursesnight.com.

Entrants must be 18 years old. Residents of Alaska, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, New York and Wisconsin are not eligible, and winners must be currently employed as or retired as a nurse (RN, LPN, NP), or be a member of the Ohio Nurses Association or the Oregon Nurses Association.

Headquartered in San Mateo, California, with Service Centers in Arizona, Colorado and Kansas, California Casualty provides auto and home insurance to educators, firefighters, law enforcement and nurses across the country. Founded in 1914, California Casualty has been led by four generations of the Brown family. To learn more about California Casualty, or to request an auto insurance quote, please visit http://www.calcas.com or call 1.800.800.9410.
Tokenly, a blockchain and tokenization solutions company, is partnering with world-renowned fashion designer Malan Breton and the social networking site for creatives, SohoMuse. The partnership will provide Malan Breton customers with limited edition digital tokens called MALAN that will be the keys to future Malan Breton exclusive experiences exclusively available via SohoMuse. While most may not instantly think of fashion when thinking of blockchain, Tokenly is empowering a whole new customer experience with this unique token technology mashup.

Via the Malan Breton online store at SohoMuse, all Malan Breton orders will include a Malan Breton limited edition digital blockchain collectible token, as well as an original design sketch. Like Malan Bretons designs, these tokens are the first of their kind. Theyre also rare, as a lifetime maximum of only 1,000 tokens are available for standalone purchase.

We are thrilled to provide a portal where creatives could offer next level services and attributes to their customers, noted SohoMuse Co-Founder, Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin. SohoMuse was developed to enable and empower creative professionals to collaborate and expand their opportunities and are excited to see such partnerships allowing us to execute just that.

Coco Chanel once said, In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different, says Adam Levine, CEO of Tokenly. We're thrilled to empower the launch of "MALAN" as the first ever mainstream token collectible in the fashion world. Working closely with world-class designer Malan Breton and the amazing team at SohoMuse, MALAN will start off useful for discounts, early access and special deals, with the potential to grow into much more.

The MALAN token is built on the bitcoin blockchain using the Counterparty protocol. It uses Tokenlys Tokenpass technology, blockchain and will provide token holders with exclusive experiences including priority purchasing for Malan Breton fashion week events and tickets all around the world, exclusive updates from Malan Breton, digital booklet access to The Art of Dressing, and exclusive access to a chat with Malan Breton.

The iconic design house Malan Breton continues to be on the bleeding edge of not only fashion, but also technology. As company namesake designer Malan Breton himself said of the launch of the MALAN digital token with Tokenly:

As a design house we are constantly experimenting with new and exciting technology to sell and market our brand. We are most excited about this partnership and its broad reach on a global level.

About Tokenly

Tokenly is a blockchain solutions company focusing on the development of token applications that empower token access, ownership and buying power, without the need for creators to write any code. It uses an internally-developed service called Tokenpass, which is a universal username and blockchain agnostic management hub. Tokenpass empowers developers and users with token access, lending, rentals and more.

About SohoMuse

SohoMuse (http://www.sohomuse.com) is the first-of-its-kind Vertical Social Network for the Creative Industry.Centered on an exclusive membership-by-invitation-only platform, creative professionals can promote their talents and projects, network and collaborate with other Creatives and source talent across the globe - all within a secure and trusted ecosystem. Both a community and a portfolio platform, SohoMuse brings together the best talent from all creative fields in one place and provides the tools and features Creatives need to work more efficiently, network more effectively and increase exposure and opportunities exponentially. Members are part of an exclusive global community where those seeking talent can find the best Creative Professionals anywhere.

For more information on Tokenly (http://www.tokenly.com) or to schedule an interview with Tokenly CEO Adam Levine, please email brian(at)contentfac(dot)com. For more information on SohoMuse and Malan Breton, visit their store at https://malanbreton.sohomuse.com.
"Before" and "After" Your new home can be ready for occupancy in as little as three months. Insurance companies typically give homeowners only months to rebuild, so time is critical. Past News Releases RSS

The hurricane season in 2017 thus far has wreaked epic havoc, destroying the homes of thousands of people from Texas to Puerto Rico. Additionally, wildfires, such as those raging in Northern California, electrical fires and plain carelessness also claim the homes of countless people every year. In the Northeast alone, major weather events such as Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene and others in the past have devastated coastal and inland properties alike.

A house destroyed by fire or weather leaves a heart- and gut-wrenching wake, said Paul Scalzo, President of Westchester Modular Homes of Fairfield County, which has built several homes in hurricane-affected areas. The home and its possessions are gone. The residents are temporarily homeless, and the process to rebuild is often fraught with hardship and frustration.

In order to help people rebuild their homes and lives after a disaster, Scalzo and Joe Enright, Vice President at Westchester Modular Homes of Fairfield County, list the following three benefits of rebuilding with a modular home:

No. 1: Faster to rebuild. Rebuilding with a modular home can help make the process much faster, noted Scalzo. Your new home can be ready for occupancy in as little as three months. Insurance companies typically give homeowners only months to rebuild, so time is critical.

No. 2: More efficient. Most modular homes are built to the highest quality standards under environmentally controlled conditions. Additionally, modular home projects arent held up by unexpected delays that often occur during the rebuild process.

Modular homes are also inherently energy efficient, making your new home a green home, added Enright. Green modular homes are the wave of the future, and can help create a more sustainable world.

No. 3: Affordable. Modular homes are available in a variety of styles to suit every budget and taste, concluded Enright. You can finance a new modular home just as you would any other home and shorter building time saves you money.

About Westchester Modular Homes of Fairfield County, Inc.

Westchester Modular Homes of Fairfield County is a premier builder of modular homes and has built over 400 homes in Fairfield, Litchfield and New Haven counties, ranging in size from a 1,000-square-foot ranch to a 9,000-square-foot luxury estate. Its services include pre-build, site work and on-site build. For more information, please call (203) 790-7777, or visit http://www.todaysmodulars.com.

For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361.
We will continue to grow by providing industry-leading custom eCommerce solutions based on modern, open-source technologies. Our adherence to the values espoused at A&M are a big part of our success.

Texas A&M University has recognized Broadleaf Commerce, the open-source software provider for customized enterprise eCommerce solutions, in their 13th annual Aggie 100 publication. The annual Aggie 100 recognizes companies owned or operated by former Texas A&M students with the fastest growth rate in the world. Ranked 35th, with an annual growth rate of 45.8% from 2014 through 2016, Broadleaf Commerce was recognized on campus at an October event held within the Hall of Champions.

It's an honor to have been recognized again in this year's Aggie 100, said Brian Polster, CEO of Broadleaf Commerce. We will continue to grow by providing industry-leading custom eCommerce solutions based on modern, open-source technologies. Our adherence to the values espoused at A&M are a big part of our success.

The 13th Annual Aggie 100 is a very impressive representation of Aggie excellence, said Richard H. Lester, Executive Director of the Mays Business Schools Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship. Were so proud of these top 100 performing Aggie entrepreneurs, and we celebrate the success of all Aggie companies that live by the Aggie Code of Honor: Aggies do not lie, cheat or steal or tolerate those who do. We need more of that in todays business world.

To learn more about the customizable eCommerce platform solution trusted by Fortune 500 retailers, please visit http://www.broadleafcommerce.com/ or contact Broadleaf Commerce directly at info@broadleafcommerce.com.

About Broadleaf Commerce, LLC

Broadleaf Commerce, an Inc. 5000 company, provides B2B and B2C eCommerce platform solutions to simplify the complexities of multi-channel commerce and digital experience management. As the market-leading choice for enterprise organizations requiring tailored, highly scalable commerce systems, Broadleaf is fully customizable and extensible. Trusted by Fortune 500 corporations, Broadleaf provides the framework for leading brands, including Pep Boys, The Container Store, and OReilly Auto Parts. For more information visit: http://www.broadleafcommerce.com/.
Flawless Live TV Streaming over LTE Operators need to enable their LTE networks for such services to yield the best possible profits, or OTT players will continue to overload the networks while absorbing their potential revenue on this segment.

Expway, the LTE Broadcast industry experts and leader, successfully demonstrated sustained, high-quality fixed TV services at the Vodafone Innovation days on October 24th and 25th, 2017. The showcase proved that operators can now easily add uninterrupted TV - even during peak-times  to their traditional fixed wireless or mobile LTE services, to quickly adapt to consumers new viewing habits.

Consumers are increasingly watching more live TV on their mobile devices. According to a recent eMarketer study, adults spend over 2 hours per day watching Live TV programs on their mobile devices. Almost half of adults between the ages of 22 and 45 no longer watch traditional TV anymore, according to a study by Hearts & Science.

Consumers spend almost twice as much time watching TV and Live Streaming on their mobile devices than on regular TVs, said Claude Seyrat, Expway co-founder and CMO. Operators need to enable their LTE networks for such services to yield the best possible profits, or OTT players will continue to overload the networks while absorbing their potential revenue on this segment.

During the Vodafone demo, Expways Multicast server was used to broadcast TV programs over a fixed and mobile network. The content was received by a variety of smart phones, tablets and set-top boxes from various manufacturers fitted with the Expway Middleware. All devices could independently switch between TV programs with no interruptions, and perfect HD quality.

With Expway, operators can now leverage their existing 4G and future 5G network infrastructures to provide flawless and scalable TV and Live Video services to hybrid receivers. Expway also allows the most popular TV programs to automatically switch from unicast to broadcast saving up to 80% of bandwidth, and resulting in considerable CAPEX and OPEX savings.

About Expway

Expway is the LTE Broadcast expert, enabling mobile carriers, device manufacturers, and content delivery networks to monetize the mobile video-streaming explosion. Expway delivers content efficiently and cost effectively through the last mile, from the mobile carrier antenna to the end-user device, with consistent high-quality-of-experience. Expway is the only vendor to offer a complete end-to-end, open solution, providing both the LTE-Broadcast server and the device middleware. For more information visit http://www.expway.com.
While weve seen quantity of video increase every quarter, its in Q3 that we see how big the impact that an increase in production can have on the metrics that matter most, like views and reactions.

For media companies leveraging short-form video to reach audiences on Facebook, increasing the quantity of video posts yields disproportionate gains in views and engagement, shows Wochits Q3 Social Performance Index. On average, publishers that increased their video production found a tri-fold increase in video views.

Social video creation platform Wochits report, released every quarter, is intended to inform brands, media companies and publishers on how to best drive success with social video. Examining over 10,000 videos posted by more than 200 publishers, the report provides valuable insights into the behaviors and preferences of Facebook audiences worldwide and highlights trends in video production.

Reinforcing the importance of quantity, the report reveals a strong connection between the number of videos posted each day and the number of followers for that particular page. In Q3, 8 of the top 10 most followed publishers posted at least 5 videos per day. USA Today was the top producer, averaging 26 per day, followed by NBC News at 19 per day.

The report also shows signs that media companies are looking to Facebook video to drive revenue. In Q3, there was a significant increase in the number of videos over 90 seconds, which is the minimum duration required for Facebook mid-roll. This increase supports the findings of a previous Wochit survey, in which two-thirds of publishers reported intent to monetize video with mid-roll. The 90-second videos, while still in the minority, also drove significantly higher levels of engagement.

Other findings of the report, which compares results from videos posted in June through August 2017 (Q3) against March to May 2017 (Q2), include:



Publishers already leveraging social video created nearly 50% more in Q3, and those who increased production tripled views

Engagement is increasingly demonstrated through Reactions (Love, Haha, Wow, Sad, and Angry) over Likes

Videos one percent persists, with these viral videos getting nearly half of all views and over half of all shares

Square videos massively outperform horizontal ones by 7.2x the shares

Latin American audiences remain the most engaged worldwide

While weve seen quantity of video increase every quarter, its in Q3 that we see how big the impact that an increase in production can have on the metrics that matter most, like views and reactions, said co-founder and CEO Dror Ginzberg. Were also excited to see how the trend toward longer video progresses and if this does alleviate some of medias monetization challenge. Either way, we will continue dig through the data to provide the industry with insights and best practices that will help each attain their goals.

About Wochit

Wochit is a video creation platform that empowers newsrooms, media companies and brands to expand audience engagement through the power of social video. Worldwide media brands such as Time Inc., Daily News, USA Today, Gannett, AOL, The Week, ProSieben, Singapore Straits Times, Focus online and Der Spiegel use Wochit to produce short-form videos around trending topics at the scale and speed required in the video-first, mobile era. With rights-cleared assets from AP, Reuters, Getty, Bloomberg and others, cloud-based editing tools and native uploads, horizontal and vertical videos are quickly created and distributed across all social and digital platforms. Wochit is among the 2016-2017 EContent Top 100 companies in the digital content industry as well as the winner of both the Gutenberg Prize for its disruptive technology in the field of journalism and Digidays Best Video Technology Innovation for its significant impact on publishers bottom line. The Company is backed by ProSieben, Singapore Press Holdings SPH Media Fund, Carlo de Benedetti, Redpoint Ventures, Marker LLC, Greycroft Partners and Cedar Fund. Wochit is based in New York, with offices in London and Tel Aviv. Find out more at http://www.wochit.com.
Petcos decision to close its Cambridge store reflects the many warnings Petco, PIJAC, and other industry organizations gave to the City of Cambridge that its shelter-only store model is not workable, said PIJAC Vice President of Government Affairs Robert Likins.

A national pet care association says Massachusetts lawmakers should pay close attention to the projected closure of Cambridge, Massachusetts Petco store. The closure comes shortly after testimony provided to the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government by Cambridge Vice-Mayor Marc McGovern in which McGovern claimed Petco planned to expand operations in the city.

Petcos decision to close its Cambridge store reflects the many warnings Petco, PIJAC, and other industry organizations gave to the City of Cambridge that its shelter-only store model is not workable, said Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) Vice President of Government Affairs Robert Likins. Petcos letter makes clear that the Cambridge ordinance that became law in August 2017 is the sole reason for the stores closure at the end of 2018.



The Cambridge ordinance banned nearly all non-rescue, non-shelter sales of live animals at pet stores. Cambridge Vice-Mayor Marc McGovern told state lawmakers in October that despite the ban, he expected Petco to expand operations in the city. McGovern was testifying in favor of Senate Bill 1155 and HB 1080, and against HB 3212.

State lawmakers should take this closure very seriously, said Likins. While Petco may have been planning to expand prior to the City Councils decision, the new regulations apparently made that impossible. We believe that the Vice-Mayor was unaware of Petcos decision, which was announced just last week, but it proves the industrys warnings to be accurate.



In addition to his statement about Petco, Vice-Mayor McGovern told lawmakers that Cambridges shelters can provide for the needs of Cambridges pet lovers. Likins said shelter website monitoring by PIJAC throughout 2016 showed that there are not enough shelter animals statewide to meet the demands of Cambridge residents who desire to responsibly own a pet. (PIJACs research is available upon request for reporters.)



SB 1155 and HB 3212 have both passed the Joint Committee. Likins said PIJAC continues to urge lawmakers to adopt HB 3212 and to reject SB 1155. HB 3212 holds breeders, stores, shelters, and rescues accountable while ensuring pet lovers have access to the healthy pet that meets their needs, said Likins. This contrasts sharply with SB 1155, which is overly burdensome, risks closing some of Americas best pet stores, and fails to provide appropriate oversight of shelters and rescues.

For more information, please contact Dustin Siggins at dustin@pijac.org or 202-452-1525 ext. 1080.

###

About the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council

Since 1970, the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) has protected pets, pet owners and the pet industry  promoting responsible pet ownership and animal welfare, fostering environmental stewardship, and ensuring the availability of pets. PIJAC members include retailers, companion animal suppliers, manufacturers, wholesale distributors, manufacturers representatives, pet hobbyists, and other trade organizations. http://www.pijac.org
Pinnacle Spine Group Seeking Clearance to Market its InFill Lateral Fusion System with Invibio Biomaterial Solutions PEEK-OPTIMA HA Enhanced Polymer. "We are excited about the possibility of combining the proven clinical benefits of Invibios PEEK-OPTIMA HA Enhanced with the benefits of Pinnacle Spines patented InFill technology, said Zach Sowell, President of Pinnacle Spine Group.

Pinnacle Spine Group, LLC, the pioneer of in situ graft delivery in spinal fusion, today announced it has filed an application with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking 510(k) clearance to market its lateral InFill Lumbar Fusion Systems with PEEK-OPTIMA HA Enhanced polymer from Invibio Biomaterial Solutions (Invibio).

Pinnacle Spine Group pioneered and commercialized the novel concept of delivering bone graft material in situ into an implanted device in order to fill the biologic void that remains with other spinal fusion systems. Invibios PEEK-OPTIMA HA Enhanced polymer is an implantable biomaterial grade that combines two clinically proven advanced biomaterials for enhanced bone apposition: PEEK-OPTIMA and Hydroxyapatite (HA), a well-known osteoconductive material. PEEK-OPTIMA HA Enhanced encourages bone on-growth on all surfaces of a device while providing the strength, versatility and performance advantages of its proven predecessor, PEEK-OPTIMA Natural.

We are excited about the possibility of combining the proven clinical benefits of Invibios PEEK-OPTIMA HA Enhanced with the benefits of Pinnacle Spines patented InFill technology, said Zach Sowell, President of Pinnacle Spine Group. Once cleared we believe the combination of these two technologies will provide surgeons with an ideal solution for improved outcomes in lumbar fusion, one of the more challenging approaches to achieve successful fusion.

Pinnacle Spine Group and Invibio share a passion for trying to improve the effectiveness of bone growth in the graft space, said John Devine Medical Business Director, Invibio Biomaterial Solutions. The combination of Pinnacles technology with our own pioneering materials feels like an obvious collaboration.

Invibios PEEK-OPTIMA HA Enhanced biomaterial offers all the clinical advantages of PEEK-OPTIMA Natural including a modulus similar to cortical bone, reduced stress shielding and artifact-free imaging that allows for clear fusion assessment. Developed by Invibio, a leading provider of biomaterial solutions, this innovative high performance polymer for spinal fusion implants eliminates the extra processing time and expense of alternative bone on-growth technologies, such as coatings. Implant devices made of the novel PEEK-OPTIMA HA Enhanced have already been cleared by regulatory bodies in both the US (FDA 510(k) clearance) and Europe (CE mark approval).

Pinnacle Spine Group was recently granted a new patent related to the delivery of graft material to fill the internal chamber(s) of a spinal fusion device, while allowing for graft material to be in flush contact with the endplate surfaces of the adjacent vertebral bodies. In addition, Pinnacle was recently awarded a new patent related to the architecture of the lateral implant. These latest patents follow the receipt of three earlier U.S. patents covering Pinnacle Spines innovative InFill fusion technology. The company also owns several non-U.S. applications, including applications in Australia, Canada and Europe.

Pinnacle Spines InFill Fusion Systems include an array of innovative interbody fusion devices engineered for easier insertion, reduced subsidence through maximum contact with the apophyseal ring, a generous bone grafting area, and compatibility with the InFill graft delivery system. The backbone of the technology is predicated on controlled and precise in-situ placement of bone graft material directly into the implanted device, to achieve maximum contact with the adjacent vertebral endplates.

About Pinnacle Spine Group, LLC

Based in Dallas, Texas, Pinnacle Spine Group, LLC is a privately held medical device company that develops and markets innovative technologies to improve spinal fusion procedures. The Companys family of FDA-510(k) cleared InFill Fusion systems provides for superior endplate-to-endplate contact of bone graft material and a complete fill of the disc space, achieved by post-filling the implants after they have been delivered into a targeted intervertebral disc space.

About Invibio Biomaterial Solutions

Invibio, a Victrex plc company, is a global leader in providing high performance biomaterial solutions to medical device manufacturers. The company provides PEEK-OPTIMA polymers, advanced technical research and support and manufacturing of components for spine, trauma and orthopaedic medical segments for the development of long-term implantable medical devices. Today, Invibios PEEK-OPTIMA polymers are used in ~9 million implanted devices worldwide. Further information is available on Invibios new website: https://invibio.com

INVIBIO, PEEK-OPTIMA, INVIBIO BIOMATERIAL SOLUTIONS are trademarks of Victrex plc or its group companies. All rights reserved.

Contact:

Mr. Zach Sowell, President

Pinnacle Spine Group, LLC

214-466-1428

Contacts

Invibio Biomaterial Solutions

Barbara Pasciak, Marketing Communications Manager

barbara.pasciak(at)invibio(dot)com, Phone +1 484-342-6041

Victrex media contact

Beate Sauer, PR & Marketing Communications Manager

bsauer(at)victrex(dot)com, Phone +49 61 92 / 96 49 19

Victrex: Group media or Investor Relations enquiries

Andrew Hanson, Director of Investor Relations & Corporate Communications

ahanson(at)victrex(dot)com, Phone +44 12538 98121
Dr. Janette Williams, Cincinnati Dentist We are constantly learning about oral health and the effects on our own bodies. But few people realize the effect it has on preborn babies and their overall health

Dr. Janette Williams, DDS, encourages pregnant women to be aware of oral health issues and seek treatment if necessary. Hormonal changes in a womans body are evident during puberty, monthly cycles, pregnancy and menopause. Oral contraceptives can also affect hormone levels, all of which leads them to be more susceptible to oral health problems like gingivitis. In order to be proactive in this area, Dr. Williams offers an oral health screening, as well as an oral cancer screening, for all expectant moms and new moms.

Due to increased blood flow throughout the body during pregnancy, nourishment to oral bacteria is increased causing swollen and bleeding gums which can lead to significant gingivitis. Working hand-in-hand is the natural increase of prostaglandin which eventually signals the time to initiate labor, ultimately resulting in birth. However, when gingivitis occurs, prostaglandins are produced and can indicate that it is time to start labor, even though the baby is not full term. Premature babies have a greater risk of morbidity, mortality and disabilities.

As far back as 1989, Dr. David Barker and other investigators discovered a link between birth weight and heart disease. The study, known as fetal origins, have determined that the nine months of gestation are the most consequential period of life, permanently influencing the wiring of the brand and the functioning of organs such as heart, liver and pancreas. That is according to Dr. Betsy Reynolds, RDH, MS. This field of medicine, now called Developmental Origins of Health an Disease, show that stresses experienced in the womb alter the organs of the fetus which affect them throughout their entire life.

We are constantly learning about oral health and the effects on our own bodies. But few people realize the effect it has on preborn babies and their overall health. We do know that preterm babies have a far greater risk of many infant health problems, said Dr. Williams.

While other factors, like smoking, obesity and diabetes contribute greatly to preterm births, recent studies show that women with periodontal infections are three to five times more likely to deliver preterm than those who have healthy mouth and gums. According to the March of Dimes, babies of mothers with periodontal infections are twice as likely to be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit and three times more likely to experience extended hospital stays beyond seven days.

According to the study by Dr. Reynolds, oral bacteria in the body can enter the uterine environment and bloodstream and reach the fetus through the mothers blood. This causes an immune and inflammatory response which may account for up to 50% of premature births.

Dr. Janette Williams encourages women who plan on getting pregnant, or those who have just learned they are pregnant, to make a dental appointment and continue to monitor their oral health throughout their pregnancy. Flossing matters all the time but during pregnancy it can make the difference of having a full-term pregnancy or a premature birth. In order to assist expectant and new moms, the oral health screening and oral cancer screening are complimentary to expectant and new moms with babies up to three months.

Dr. Janette Williams has been in the Cincinnati area for more than 18 years. She is well known in the area as a caring and compassionate full-service dentist. With a wide array of services offered, (implants, whitening, straightening, BOTOX  and even emergency dental care) she can meet the needs of most of her patients in her office. She is a graduate of University of Tennessee College of Dentistry and the Advanced Education in General Dentistry program at the Ohio State University. She regularly takes advanced courses to keep her abreast of the latest treatments and procedures.

For more information, visit her web site at http://www.janettewilliamsdds.com

Contact Information

Dr. Janette Williams

9563 Montgomery Road

Cincinnati, OH 45242

513-793-5703
Samanage, a Service Success Company, today announced that they will partner with Make-A-Wish, a Samanage customer, at Dreamforce 2017.

Samanage will donate $10,000 to Make-A-Wish Eastern North Carolina, which is local to their Cary, North Carolina headquarters, with $1 donated for each attendee that is scanned at one of the Samanage booths and $5 donated for every on-site survey that is completed during the event.

Samanage made a Pledge 1% commitment earlier this year, joining hundreds of other organizations in the corporate philanthropy movement thats dedicated to making the community a stakeholder in every business. Social responsibility has always been a key part of Samanages culture, and through Pledge 1%, Samanage promised to dedicate at least 12 volunteer hours per employee annually to causes that make a measurable difference in childrens causes.

Following Dreamforce, Samanages donation to Make-A-Wish will fund the wish of a local child with a life-threatening medical condition. Make-A-Wish of Eastern North Carolina covers 49 counties and grants wishes to children between the ages of 2.5 to 18. Since its founding in 1986, the chapter has granted wishes to more than 3,400 kids.

Comments on the News

At Samanage we are deeply committed to giving back to the communities we operate in. By sponsoring Make-A-Wish, Samanage is strengthening its commitment to improve the lives of children in our community, said Doron Gordon, founder and CEO, Samanage. As a long-time Samanage customer, Make-A-Wish and its efforts hold a special place in our hearts. As we donate a dollar to Make-A-Wish for every scan at our booth, we are excited to give attendees of Dreamforce the opportunity to be a part of changing a childs life for the better.

Were thrilled to be involved with this campaign which will create much-needed awareness for our chapters mission, said Jerry Peters, Vice President of Brand Advancement for Make-A-Eastern North Carolina. As both a customer and partner, our chapter is fortunate to have the dedicated support from Samanage and their employees.

Salesforce, Dreamforce and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc.
Ir Professor Alex Wai (front left), PolyU Vice President (Research Development) and Mr Wang Pengxiang (front right), Chairman of CSRD signed the collaboration agreement.

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJTU) take a step forward in strategic partnership to advance the nation's rail transit technologies by setting up the Joint Innovation Center for Rail Transit Safety Monitoring Technology. A collaboration agreement was signed on 27 October 2017 between PolyU Base (Shenzhen) Limited, a registered legal entity of PolyU in the Chinese Mainland, and China SWJTU Railway Development Co., Ltd (CSRD) of Southwest Jiaotong University.

Led by Mr Wang Pengxiang, Dean of Beijing Research Institute of SWJTU, Chairman of CSRD, a delegation came to Hong Kong to attend the signing ceremony on PolyU campus. The agreement was signed by Mr Wang and Ir Professor Alex Wai, PolyU Vice President (Research Development).

The signing ceremony was officiated by the Guest of Honour Dr David Chung Wai- keung, Under Secretary for Innovation and Technology. Dr Chung believed this Joint Innovation Center would usher in a new phase of cooperation. He expected more mutually beneficial cooperation in the development of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park, the largest-ever innovation and technology park of Hong Kong, which would help connect the upstream, midstream and downstream sectors of innovation and technology industry, thereby developing Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology hub in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area.

At the signing ceremony, Mr Wang Pengxiang said that PolyU and CSRD have worked together on various large projects including the Beijing Shanghai HSR (High-speed Railway) and the Lanzhou-Xinjiang HSR project in 2012 and 2014 respectively. Both PolyU and CSRD will further leverage their expertise to strengthen the collaboration on research development through the Joint Innovation Center. As a result, rail safety will be enhanced to meet the nations robust demand in rail transit development, providing active support for the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area development plan.

The research of the Joint Innovation Center covers many areas such as research and development of 1. Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems tailored for rail tracks and subgrades; 2. SHM systems tailored for high-speed trains and their components; 3. Fault diagnosis and prognosis methods for comprehensive evaluation of vehicle-rail health condition; and 4. Establishment of comprehensive monitoring and control laboratory for real-time feedback.

The Joint Innovation Center will be co-led by representatives from CSRD and PolyU Base (Shenzhen) Limited, led by Professor Ni Yi-qing, Director of National Rail Transit Electrification and Automation Engineering Technology Research Center (Hong Kong Branch), Professor of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of PolyU.

Ir Professor Alex Wai, PolyU Vice-President (Research Development) remarked, The signing of the agreement means closer collaboration in developing new railway transit safety monitoring technology, and PolyU will further participate in the nations High-Speed Rail projects through its PolyU Shenzhen Base. I believe this strategic partnership will take the development of Chinas High-Speed Rail to higher levels of excellence.

As early as 2011, PolyU collaborated with SWJTU in applying different monitoring technologies in HSR. Among them is the technology using Fiber Bragg Grating sensors in the automatic monitoring of subsidence in the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Rail research project which resulted in significant achievements. In 2015, the State Ministry of Science and Technology approved PolyU to establish the Chinese National Engineering Research Centre on Rail Transit Electrification and Automation (Hong Kong Branch) (CNERTE) in partnership with the SWJTU. Three research laboratories were established under CNERTE to undertake research and technology development projects.

Set up by SWJTU in 2005, CSRD is the interface between the University and the railway industry. As a high-end technology company in China specialized in railway safety monitoring technology development and consulting services, CSRD has made impressive achievements in 20 key national projects including Beijing-Shanghai HSR, Beijing-Guangzhou HSR, Lanzhou-Xinjiang HSR, Harbin-Dalian HSR and Guangzhou railway.



End -

Press Contacts

Dr. Terence Lok-ting Lau,

Director of Innovation and Technology Development

Tel: (852) 3400 2806

Email: terence.lt.lau(at)polyu(dot)edu.hk

Prof. Ni Yi-qing,

Director of National Rail Transit Electrification and Automation Engineering Technology Research Center (Hong Kong Branch)

Tel: (852) 2766 6004

Email: yiqing.ni(at)polyu(dot)edu.hk
Lauras ability to communicate evolved during her first career as a professional concert musician. She performed in front of hundreds and thousands of people throughout the years. TV appearances, radio interviews, performing at fairgrounds and having a flare for running an entrepreneurial business were skills that later helped her establish and manage a successful financial practice.

In the financial services profession, she started in a large Cincinnati based insurance company prior to making the change to an independent advisor. I soon realized however that this made more sense in the big picture, relates Laura. The relationships I had cultivated and developed, I could do so under a different platform. The thought of this was a bit frightening in the beginning from being an employee having benefits and overhead paid for by the corporation. Thus were the beginnings of LS Wealth Management, LLC.

Communication skills, according to Laura are the number one most important aspect to being successful and it is imperative to her that her staff is able to properly convey the image and quality of her message. She, herself, perfected this craft just as she used to do for concerts by acquiring the necessary training and understanding of the topics. In music, interpretation and perception are developed at a very high level, along with detail, explains Laura as she addresses the building of trust between her and her audience. As a woman in this industry [financial services], I realized quickly my knowledge needed to exceed the ordinary realm of status quo.

Being a Registered Financial Consultant (RFC) and member of the IARFC, she adheres to their philosophy that all clients need a written income plan, regardless of wealth. She understands that clients have much higher expectations these days and have many choices when choosing a consultant. Personal touches win her clients and she utilizes social media as a tool for her prospects and clients to get to know her. However according to Laura, it does not replace the need for humans to interact with one another personally, more intimately.

Ultimately, Laura feels personalization is the main thing  seeing all sides of an individual. She believes that potential and existing clients want to be entertained. They want to know you are knowledgeable, and they want to understand and like the person communicating.

For almost two decades as a successful entrepreneur and financial consultant, she is ready to give back to the area where she grew up and make a difference in peoples lives. Financial literacy within the community, explains Laura, is a vision I have.

For the full interview and understanding Lauras approach to communication, visit the IARFC website http://www.iarfc.org.
The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) has announced Eli Lilly and Company as the Overall Winner of the 2017 Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA) program at ISPEs Annual Meeting & Expo in San Diego, California.

Eli Lilly was awarded for their Continuous Direct Compression Manufacturing Kits 2 & 3 project in Indianapolis, Indiana and Carolina, Puerto Rico. Their primary goal was to quickly build a network of innovative, state-of-the-art GMP oral solid dosage (OSD) facilities to deliver new advanced therapies to patients. Each of the three OSD installations were built sequentially in existing operating facilities at three separate geographic sites.

Process and facility replication was identified early in the project as a key enabler to improve technical transfers from development to manufacturing, as well as compress the schedule, and create budget efficiencies to achieve swift commercialization. As a result, the delivery schedule for each subsequent project continued to improve from the baseline case and millions of dollars were saved from replication and learning.

Their forward-thinking approach brought on the implementation of Continuous Direct Compression (CDC) Process and other process innovations in their OSD facilities across their manufacturing networkmaking them the only company with multiple, replicated, and operational CDC sites.

This combination of technology and process understanding along with identical standardized production platforms is what makes this project the winner of the 2017 Facility of the Year Awards Overall Winner.

For more information on Eli Lillys award-winning facility and the FOYA program, please visit http://www.ISPE.org/Facility-Year-Awards.

About the ISPE Facility of the Year Awards Program

Established in 2004, the Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA) recognize state-of-the-art projects utilizing new, innovative technologies to improve the quality of products, reduce the cost of producing high-quality medicines, and demonstrate advances in project delivery. The FOYA program provides a platform for the pharmaceutical science and manufacturing industry to showcase its accomplishments in facility design, construction, and operation, while sharing the development of new applications of technology and cutting-edge approaches.

About ISPE

The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) is the worlds largest not-for-profit association serving its members through leading scientific, technical, and regulatory advancement across the entire pharmaceutical lifecycle. The more than 18,000 members of ISPE are building solutions in the development and manufacture of safe, effective pharmaceutical and biologic medicines, and medical delivery devices in more than 90 countries around the world. Founded in 1980, ISPE has its worldwide headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and an operations and training center in Tampa, Florida, USA. Visit http://www.ISPE.org for more information.

For more information contact:

Maria Robertson

Senior Director, Marketing Communications

International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE)

Tel: +1-301-364-9207

Email: mrobertson@ispe.org

http://www.ISPE.org
Intellitec Solutions announced today they have expanded their client base, having signed an agreement to implement Intacct for a long term care facility in North Carolina. Already recognized as a leading provide in the industry, they are now supporting senior living communities in 21 states. This further growth was fueled by the firms success in working with clients who need cloud based solutions to manage the financial side of their facilities.

Intellitec Solutions offers ERP solutions for senior living communities who want seamless accounting, clinical and business management without compromising any of the financial power they need. Instead of limiting capabilities with an all-in-one package, Intellitec Solutions empowers their clients with robust systems that enable technology, data and people to efficiently work together. By integrating Microsoft Dynamics GP and Intacct with leading independent clinical systems, Intellitec offers a financial management package that meets the needs of the long term care industry.

Rick Sommer, president of Intellitec Solutions, credits this latest expansion on Intellitecs focus on cloud based solutions Many Senior Living facilities are coming to us to get modern cloud ERP that will work with the hosted solutions they use across their organization. But beyond simply moving to the cloud, they want to utilize best-of-breed software solutions that will help them get a better handle on costs. That is where our expertise and experience can be of greatest value.

Many long term care facilities and senior living communities use independent systems to manage clinical, accounting, documents, HR, and payroll. Intellitec Solutions has configured Microsoft Dynamics GP and Intacct to give financial management along with the ability to integrate data with the clinical and third-party systems the long term care industry needs. This in turn has created the national presence they now have.

About Intellitec Solutions

As a leading provider of General Ledger/ERP accounting software, Intellitec delivers in-house Long Term/Post-Acute Care expertise for over 450 locations across the United States. The 30-year-old company is certified in Microsoft Dynamics GP and Intacct and has optimized these solutions for the Long Term/Post-Acute Care Industry. In addition, they have developed automated integrations with clinical management packages to share financial and non-financial data. For more information or to schedule a demo, please visit http://www.intellitecsolutions.com or call 866-504-4357.

# # #

All company and product names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
HighRadius Corporation, a Fintech enterprise SaaS company headquartered in Houston, Texas, will host an Integrated Receivables Now in Dallas on November 2nd, 2017. Attendees will listen and learn how to employee proven strategies and solutions to implement across receivables processes for immediate ROI.

The half-day event will begin with a lunch at 11:30 am where attendees will meet and network with peers. Following lunch, Lhoist North America , Caliber Collisions and PrimeSource Building Products will present best practices and lessons learned for implementing and executing a receivables optimization strategy. The presentations will conclude with a discussion from a HighRadius Solution Principal who will disclose the benefits of Integrated Receivables and how machine learning and Artificial Intelligence will shape the future of accounts receivable. After the presentations, all are welcome to stay for a complimentary networking happy hour to once again mix and mingle with other industry practitioners.

Throughout the day, attendees of the complimentary event will hear how Integrated Receivables technology is transforming finance and receivables. Key insights from the event will help them identify steps to drive improvements in operational efficiency and reduce costs to exceed KPIs across credit accounts receivable and payments operations, including DSP reduction and cash flow improvement. They will also discover how peers are using HighRadius Integrated Receivables solutions to best advantage.

Srinivasa Thurlapati, Lead  FI/CO & P2P at Lhoist will demonstrate how Lhoist designed and implemented an automated collections dunning system that replaced a manual, error-prone process to throttle collector productivity 5-fold. Julie Weaver, Senior Director of Treasury and Susan Jones, A/R Manager, Caliber Collision Centers will describe how they are automating ACH payment processing with Artificial Intelligence and robotics process automation. Felicia Kemp and the PrimeSource Building Products SAP FI team will explain how they identified and prioritized critical improvement opportunities to increase effectiveness while reducing operating expenses.

For more information on the event or to register, click here.

About HighRadius Corporation

HighRadius is a Fintech enterprise Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company. The HighRadius Integrated Receivables platform optimizes cash flow through automation of receivables and payments processes across credit, collections, cash application, deductions, electronic billing and payment processing. Powered by the Rivana Artificial Intelligence Engine and Freda Virtual Assistant for Credit-to-Cash, HighRadius Integrated Receivables enables teams to leverage machine learning for accurate decision making and future outcomes. The radiusOne B2B payment network allows suppliers to digitally connect with buyers, closing the loop from supplier receivable processes to buyer payable processes. HighRadius solutions have a proven track record of optimizing cash flow, reducing days sales outstanding (DSO) and bad debt, and increasing operational efficiency so that companies may achieve strong ROI in just a few months. To learn more, please visit http://www.highradius.com.

For More Information Contact:

Kendall Bena

Marketing Coordinator

kendall.bena@highradius.com
Emily Foster and Courtney Malengo display National Lutheran's NMMA gold designation. We are honored to receive this award ... -Courtney Malengo

National Lutheran Communities & Services (NLCS) was the recipient of the 2017 National Mature Media Awards (NMMA) gold winner designation for its website, http://www.nationallutheran.org.

The 2017 awards reflect 2016 work, which was when NLCS revamped the design of its website. The NMMA honors the nations best marketing, communications, educational materials and programs for adults 50+. This is the largest and most prestigious awards program of its kind, encompassing other senior living organizations, health care organizations and more. Each category is judged against other entrants, with designation categories of gold, silver, bronze and merit.

We are honored to receive this award and very proud of the work our in-house communications team and Bluespire Senior Living did to make this possible, NLCS Director of Communications Courtney Malengo said.

The NMMAs website category contained 29 awardees, ranging from other continuing care retirement communities and health insurance networks to home health and hospice agencies. Of those 29 recipients, approximately 11 received the gold award designation, including NLCS.

To learn more about NMMA, its categories and the judging process, visit http://www.seniorawards.com/faq.html.

About National Lutheran Communities & Services (NLCS)

Based in Rockville, Md., NLCS is a not-for-profit, faith-based ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Americas (ELCA) Delaware-Maryland, Metropolitan Washington, D.C. and Virginia Synods, serving people of all beliefs. With more than 125-years experience, NLCS honors, inspires and supports choice and opportunity to seniors through retirement communities and services in Maryland and Virginia. Other communities and services sponsored by National Lutheran include The Village at Rockville in Rockville, Md., The Legacy at North Augusta in Staunton, Va., The Village at Orchard Ridge and myPotential at Home in Winchester, Va., and The Village at Providence Point in Annapolis, Md., subject to Maryland Department of Aging approval. For more information, visit http://www.nationallutheran.org
The third edition of Commercial UAV Expo came to a close last Friday in Las Vegas, having attracted 2,000 professionals from 53 countries and every U.S. state, representing a wide range of industries including process, power utilities; civil infrastructure; construction; mining and aggregates, surveying and mapping; precision agriculture; law enforcement, emergency response and search and rescue.

Commercial UAV Expo succeeded in bringing out the top tier of the market for commercial drones, said Lisa Murry, Event Director. This event is for the professional audience, which was abundantly clear by the level of attendee, the serious UAS solutions on the exhibit floor, the conference content, and the professional discourse among participants.

The event featured four keynotes, three plenaries, dozens of industry-specific presentations, offsite flying demonstrations, numerous networking events and more than 150 exhibitors packing 180 booths with best-in-class solutions for commercial end user/asset owners in top vertical markets. The event ran from October 24-26 at The Westgate. The next edition will be held October 1-3, 2018, also at the Westgate, and incorporate Drone World Expo, whose acquisition by Diversified Communications, producer of Commercial UAV Expo, was announced in the opening session of the event.

Keynoters were presented by Mike Winn of Drone Deploy, Hunter Cole of Brasfield & Gorrie, Grant Hagen of the Beck Group, Mike Blades of Frost & Sullivan, Colin Snow of Skylogic Research, Anil Nanduri of Intel and Panos Artemiadis of Arizona State University. Plenary panels covered BVLOS and an update on Pathfinder, UTM, and Regulatory & Government. Breakout sessions were vertical industry specific.

Jeremiah Karpowicz, Executive Editor of Commercial UAV News, presenter of Commercial UAV Expo, commented on the prominent themes in the conference program. Organizations are interested in actionable information, not raw data. Thats a theme weve been hearing for a while now, but it really came into focus at this years event. Presenters on each vertical industry track were focused on how theyre able to integrate and effectively process data gathered by a drone in relation to the workflows theyve already established. They showcased how this data can make sense for professionals of all types today, and also what that will mean when developments like AI and machine learning really take off. Those are concepts that lots of people are talking about, which is why it was great to get a better understanding of the processes and procedures that will enable these capabilities.

Commercial UAV Expos Advisory Board, comprised of 16 industry leaders, played a critical role in the development of the program and at the event as presenters, panel moderators and more. Were so grateful to the members of the Advisory Board for their advice, support, time and energy, said Ms. Murray.

Lewis Graham, President and CTO of GeoCue Group and a member of the Advisory Board, remarked on the high caliber of attendees visiting his booth on the exhibit floor. As a provider of professional mapping software, our target market is the professional audience. We found them in droves at Commercial UAV Expo. Normally we have two people working our booth but this year we had three and could barely handle all the traffic. We couldnt even stop for lunch. This is a much more professional audience than weve found at other eventstypically we spend half our time filtering out non-professionals. We didnt have to do that here.

Kaci Lemler, Field of Views COO, echoed the sentiment. We found a high concentration of qualified buyers at Commercial UAV Expo. We saw people we needed to see  people using drones and familiar enough with the technology to know that when they saw our product that they felt the pain of not having it. That can only happen with a highly technical crowd.

Numerous pre-conference workshops and trainings took place at the event, providing additional educational opportunities for attendees and further establishing Commercial UAV Expo as the leading venue for professional UAS education. Among them was the first-ever UAS technical symposium and UAS Mapping Certification by ASPRS, the American Society of Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing. Following a full day symposium giving the attendee a comprehensive understanding of UAS mapping in accordance with current geospatial accuracy standards, participants could choose to sit for a certification exam. We are honored that APSRS chose to host its first-ever UAS technical symposium exclusively at Commercial UAV Expo and we congratulate the first crop of ASPRS UAS mapping certification holders, said Lisa Murray, Director of Commercial UAV Expo. Other workshops and trainings at the event included Flyabilitys indoor drone inspection training; a technical seminar by AirGon on high-accuracy mapping with DJI; Pix4Ds user training; and a workshop presented by MicaSense on the use of drone imagery in agriculture.

Additionally, drone demonstrations for first responders took place October 25th at the Henderson Unmanned Vehicle Range (HUVR). The HUVR is managed by the Nevada Institute of Autonomous Systems (NIAS) and the FAA-designated Nevada UAS Test Site. Local and national public safety experts including Las Vegas Fire & Rescue, Metropolitan Las Vegas Police, Nevada Highway Patrol, Nevada State College, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Sundance Media Group demonstrated drone use for a variety of real-world scenarios. The training was sponsored by Aeryon Labs and Yuneec, whose drones and systems were used in the demonstrations. Live-stream monitoring walked more than 250 attendees through simulated procedures and best practices using UAS in scenarios including mapping an accident scene incorporating search and rescue of a passenger and vehicle pursuit with high-risk traffic stop including suspect pursuit.

Ms. Murray announced the acquisition of Drone World Expo in her welcome remarks. Since 2015, the market has exploded with drone events, making for a congested and complicated landscape for customers to choose from, said Ms. Murray. The acquisition of JD Events Drone World Expo by Diversified Communications takes two leading commercial UAS events and unites them to form the largest commercial drone event in the market. By coming together, well be able to deliver more qualified buyers to vendors than if had we continued separately, making it easier for vendors and buyers to meet in one place annually for all of their drone business. And, with our European event and digital platform, we are making it easier for drone companies to reach markets domestic and international with a frequency and reach no one else in the market can offer.

The news was very well received by exhibitors and attendees alike. "We were thrilled to learn about the recent acquisition of Drone World Expo as it solidifies Commercial UAV Expos position as the preeminent UAS event," said Aaron L. Greenwald, President of Unmanned Safety Institute. Gretchen West, Senior Advisor at Hogan Lovells and Co-Executive Director of the Commercial Drone Alliance, has acted as Drone World Expos Advisory Board Chair and will continue to play a vital role going forward. The Commercial Drone Alliance likewise will be supporting the event. On behalf of the Commercial Drone Alliance, and along with my fellow co-executive director, Lisa Ellman, we are thrilled to support this merged event and will continue our focus of bringing the most relevant, timely and critical content to the Commercial UAV Expo with the most prominent decision-makers in our industry. The decision to consolidate events to become the largest and most influential commercial drone event is an important step and allows the community to focus resources on this all-inclusive conference and tradeshow to achieve greater value. We look forward to building off the huge success of the Drone World Expo through our partnership with the Commercial UAV Expo, bringing the same caliber of expert speakers, and creating the most comprehensive drone event to date, said West.

The 2018 event will take place October 1-3 at the Westgate Resort & Casino in Las Vegas and will be organized by Diversified Communications under the leadership of Ms. Murray, whose other products in the product family are Commercial UAV Expo Europe and Commercial UAV News. Other products in the companys technology portfolio include International LiDAR Mapping Forum, SPAR 3D Expo & Conference, SPAR 3D.com, AECNext Technology Expo & Conference and AEC Next News.

About Commercial UAV Expo Americas

Commercial UAV Expo Americas, presented by Commercial UAV News, is a conference and exhibition exclusively focused on the commercial drone market covering industries including Surveying & Mapping; Civil Infrastructure; Aggregates & Mining; Construction; Process, Power & Utilities; Precision Agriculture; Law Enforcement, Emergency Response and Search & Rescue (SAR). The fourth annual Americas event will take place October 1-3, 2018 in Las Vegas. Commercial UAV Expo Europe launched in Brussels in June 2017 and will move to Amsterdam 10-12 April 2018.

For more information, visit http://www.expouav.com and http://www.expouav.com/europe. The events are organized Diversified Communications, a leading organizer of conferences, trade shows and online media with 15 years in the geospatial arena, including Commercial UAV Expo Americas, Commercial UAV Europe, Commercial UAV News, International LiDAR Mapping Forum, SPAR 3D Expo & Conference, SPAR3D.com , AECNext Technlogy & Expo and AECST News. Learn more at http://www.divcom.com.

About Diversified Communications

Diversified Communications is a leading international media company providing market access, education and information through global, national and regional face-to-face events, digital products, publications and television stations. Diversified serves a number of industries including: technology, seafood, food service, natural and organic, healthcare, commercial marine, and business management. Based in Portland, Maine, USA, Diversified has divisions in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit: http://www.divcom.com

CONTACT:

Lee Corkhill, Diversified Communications

lcorkhill(at)divcom.com | 207-842-5520
United Benefit Advisors (UBA), the nations leading independent employee benefits advisory organization, is pleased to welcome Benefit Pro as its newest Partner Firm. Located in San Diego, California, Benefit Pro is a top performing benefits agency offering A Better Benefits Experience through forward-thinking, innovative cost-management strategies, provided with their signature concierge-level service. Endorsed by the California Employers Association, Benefit Pro has been helping companies throughout San Diego implement strategic and tactical employee benefits solutions for over 15 years.

Were excited to join UBAs national network of exceptional benefit agencies, says Lambert Hsu, President of Benefit Pro Insurance Services. Our partnership allows our clients to get the best of both worlds  working with a strong, locally-based agency, and gaining access to significant national resources, including the largest benefits benchmarking database in the country. Our mutual collaboration with UBA Partners assures cutting-edge thought leadership and best-in-breed solutions for our clients.

Benefit Pros approach is unique and tailored, aligning solutions with their clients growth strategies. While their services are proudly focused on San Diego, they are recognized and respected on numerous levels nationwide. Benefit Pros exceptional performance record is the result of an extraordinary team dedicated to helping companies be their best and Think Benefits, Beyond Just Benefits. In addition, Benefit Pro gives back to the community with strong support of local charities, including the YWCA of San Diego County and the Center for Community Solutions, joining their fight against domestic violence.

UBA President Peter Weber, M.S., CAE says, Benefit Pro clearly exemplifies a culture of making a difference for the clients they serve by providing leading-edge, advanced benefits solutions. Their knowledgeable and resourceful staff make them an excellent addition to the UBA family of Partner Firms and will strengthen our impact in California. In addition, I applaud their philanthropy since the mission of UBA Partners, both as benefits professionals and as community leaders, is to enrich lives. I look forward to their collaborative efforts and shared ideas.

As the newest Partner Firm of UBA, Benefit Pro joins a network of employee benefits advisory firms that serve employers of all sizes across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. As a combined group, UBAs annual employee benefit revenues rank it among the top five employee benefit advisory organizations in the U.S.

ABOUT Benefit Pro Insurance Services

Benefit Pro Insurance Services, Inc. is an independent employee benefits consulting agency located in San Diego, California. As a NextGeneration agency, we are committed to delivering forward-thinking and innovative solutions to clients we serve where it matters most  employee satisfaction and EBITDA. Our A Better Benefits Experience service capabilities include online enrollment, digital onboarding, 24/7 member service, telemedicine, HRIS-payroll integration, corporate wellness, ACA/ERISA compliance, and HR hotline support. Endorsed by the California Employers Association, Benefit Pro consistently provides top level expertise, superior value and cost savings for every client. For more information, visit http://www.BenefitPro.com.

ABOUT United Benefit Advisors

United Benefit Advisors (UBA) is the nations leading independent employee benefits advisory organization with more than 200 offices throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. UBA empowers more than 2,000 Partners to both maintain their individuality and pool their expertise, insight, and market presence to provide best-in-class services and solutions. Employers, advisors and industry-related organizations interested in obtaining powerful results from the shared wisdom of our Partners should visit http://www.UBAbenefits.com.

# # #
SF Bay Area Law Firm for Sexual Harassment & Discrimination We are very excited to welcome Elizabeth to our law firm as a law clerk.

California Civil Rights Law Group, a San Francisco Bay Area law firm specializing in sexual harassment and discrimination law at http://www.civilrightsca.com/, is proud to announce a new law clerk, Elizabeth Lyon. Elizabeth graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Honors from the University of Washington (B.A. 2010) with degrees in Economics and International Studies. She is a member of the California Employment Lawyers Association and Co-President of USFs Labor and Employment Law Student Association.

"We are very excited to welcome Elizabeth to our law firm as a law clerk," explained Larry Organ, principal attorney at the Bay Area-based law firm. "We are in 'growth mode' as our law firm is recognized by more and more people as the go-to place to find San Francisco Bay Area attorneys with deep knowledge of issues such as sexual harassment, discrimination at work, and even wrongful termination."

More About Elizabeth Lyons

Elizabeth is currently a third-year law student at the University of San Francisco School of Law. She has over seven years of experience working for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, where she has investigated and resolved numerous employment discrimination cases. Elizabeth has extensive experience conducting systemic investigations and negotiating pre-litigation resolutions on behalf of aggrieved workers. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys long beach runs with her dog, Cooper, listening to live music and cooking.

Attorneys In The San Francisco Bay Area For Sexual Harassment, Employment Law, And Wrongful Termination

Employees today may feel acutely vulnerable to their employers and direct supervisors, even in cities that are perceived as progressive such as San Francisco. After the so-called "Great Recessions," USA labor markets are still struggling to recover and, despite a robust economy even in cities such as San Francisco or Oakland, many employees feel vulnerable at their place of employment. While most supervisors are honest and upstanding, there are - unfortunately - a smaller percentage who engage in unscrupulous conduct such as sexual harassment or discrimination. This creates a need for competent sexual harassment attorneys in cities as diverse as San Francisco or Oakland, Palo Alto or San Mateo, Berkeley or Santa Clara. For this reason, the California Civil Rights Law Group has upgraded the information on its website on issues such as sexual harassment (http://www.civilrightsca.com/sexual-harassment-discrimination/sexual-harassment/), and also engaged in hiring new employees such as Ms. Lyons so that they have "staffed up" to handle inquiries and case volumes from San Francisco Bay Area residents who may have been impacted by sexual harassment and/or discrimination at work. Anyone who feels that he or she may have faced this type of issue is strongly encouraged to first visit the website but secondly (and more importantly) to reach out for a confidential consultation on their potential case. Those in San Francisco looking for an attorney can also visit the firm's information page at http://www.civilrightsca.com/san-francisco/.

About California Civil Rights Law Group

Headed by renowned trial lawyer Larry Organ, California Civil Rights Law Group (http://www.civilrightsca.com/), is a leading employment law firm with San Francisco Bay Area offices in Oakland, Alameda County and San Anselmo, Marin County, California. Employees experiencing sexual harassment, race harassment, disability discrimination, LGTBQ discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, whistleblower retaliation and/or wrongful termination should reach out for an attorney consultation in either our Oakland/East Bay or San Anselmo/Marin County office.

Media Relations.

Tel. 415-453-4740
However, he notes that the market's view of Disney is that it "has not proven any core competency" compared to its peers, and how it deals with technology, customer service and marketing has yet to be tested. Investors are also wary of Disney's decision to pull out of its exclusive movie deal with Netflix in 2019, further harming the company's potential of tapping into Netflix's vast subscriber base.
WASHINGTON  Debate about "bump stocks" is not going away, despite little action taken by congressional leaders and the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives after the devices were used in the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.

House Speaker Paul Ryan earlier this month said the ATF should regulate bump stocks. But with the ATF having previously said it does not have the authority to do so, a bipartisan group of lawmakers are planning to introduce a bill that would force the ATF to regulate bump stocks.

A bump stock is a device that allows users to fire a semiautomatic rifle  in which the trigger must be pulled for every shot  at a faster rate without converting the firearm to be fully automatic. The shooter in the October 1 Las Vegas massacre had bump stocks attached to at least a dozen rifles found inside his hotel room.

The new bill amends the National Firearms Act, which regulated fully automatic firearms and outlawed new ones made after the law's implementation. "A reciprocating stock, or any other device which is designed to accelerate substantially the rate of fire of a semiautomatic weapon," would be added to the books.

The bill, sponsored by Democratic Reps. Dan Kildee and Dina Titus as well as Republican Reps. Dave Trott and Brian Fitzpatrick, would require people who purchase or possess bump stocks to register with the ATF, submit to a background check and fingerprinting, and pay a $200 registration fee.

The Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act would solve the quandary of whether the bump-stock issue should be fixed by legislative or regulatory action by placing the ball in the ATF's court, Kildee said in an interview with Business Insider on Monday.

"I understand that there's this tension between whether or not the ATF has this authority to regulate these things or not," he said. "My view on this is Congress can end that conversation simply by passing legislation that makes it clear. He added: If there's any debate whatsoever about whether or not these things are already regulated under the law or theoretically could be considered to be regulated under the law, well let's take that question away."

The bipartisan group of lawmakers crafted the bill under "guidance and advice" from the ATF Association, an organization consisting of more than 400 current and former ATF agents.

There have already been multiple attempts in Congress to ban bump stocks. Reps. Mike Thompson and David Cicilline introduced a bill following the attack in Las Vegas, but it was backed only by Democrats. A bipartisan effort by Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo of Florida and Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts lost traction once Ryan said he preferred a regulatory fix to a legislative one.

Removing the question of whether the ATF can regulate bump stocks and similar devices would be an end around to the hurdles the past bills were unable to clear.

Whether the Republican leadership will take up this new bill is still unclear.

"The power of a good idea should prevail and that the common-sense aspects of our legislation gives those people, particularly those in leadership who have been saying they wanna do something, a way to do it," Kildee said.

AshLee Strong, Ryan's spokeswoman, said, "The Judiciary Committee is looking into this and having discussions with ATF about it."
LONDON  Nigel Farage has been accused of spreading antisemitic tropes, after suggesting that the "Jewish lobby" has a disproportionate influence over American politics.

Speaking about the ongoing investigations over Russian involvement in US politics, the former UKIP leader said that there are other "foreign lobbies" that were "very powerful" in the US.

"There are about six million Jewish people living in America, so as a percentage its quite small, but in terms of influence its quite big," Farage said on his LBC show.

"They have a voice within American politics, as indeed do the Hindu groups and many other groups in America. But I dont think anybody is suggesting that the Israeli government tried to affect the result of the American elections."

Asked by a caller whether US politicians were "in the pockets" of Israel, Farage replied:

"In terms of money and influence yes they are a very powerful lobby."

He added: "There are other very powerful foreign lobbies in the United States of America and the Jewish lobby with its link to the Israeli government is one of those strong voices."

Farage was accused on social media of spreading anti-semitic tropes.

"Nigel Farage just gone full conspiracy on @LBC. "Jewish lobby"... "with its money" "has lots of influence on American politics," tweeted Labour councillor Adam Langleben.

Watch Farage talk about the "Jewish lobby"

The Nigel Farage Show: 30th October 2017

Farage's role as a host has caused considerable disquiet among his LBC colleagues, with one telling Business Insider earlier this year that Farage now risked "damaging our journalistic brand."

Farage has been accused of making a series of false statements on the channel.

Management at the station believes that the continuing controversy surrounding Farage is a "price worth paying" for the attention he gathers, however, sources at the station say.

Others disagree however and are comparing his situation to that of his recently-departed fellow-host Katie Hopkins.

LBC ended its contract with Hopkins following controversy over a tweet in which she called for a "final solution" following the Manchester terror attacks.

Hopkins' tweet led to a successful social media campaign led by the writer and activist Owen Jones for her to be sacked from LBC.

"The fear is that he is going to be the next Hopkins," one LBC source told BI.
Roughly 6% of the population has narcissistic personality disorder. Research over the years has shown that it is also more prevalent in men than in women  7.7% vs 4.8%.

However, the behaviours of male and female narcissists can differ. For example, more men than women troll people online, because it makes them feel superior to strangers.

All narcissists share certain traits. They are defined as people who have a grandiose idea of themselves, which simultaneously masks their low self-esteem. They present an inflated version of themselves outwards, which they believe is better than anyone around them, so they tend to treat others with contempt.

They are completely self-interested, and will only do something if they can see how it will benefit them.

However, what narcissitic people want to get from others differs between men and women, according to marriage and family therapist Margalis Fjelstad. She told Business Insider that typically, female narcissists are narcissistic about their looks, whereas for men, it's all about power and control.

"If it's a male narcissist, he is typically putting down his female partner and making her less powerful in order to make sure she stays with him," Fjelstad said. "Whereas female narcissists, if theyre not happy with their partner, if they want more, they just go have an affair with somebody and find a more powerful partner."

This helps explain why there are more male narcissists.

"still have a belief that men are superior."

"Men should make all the main choices in the family," she said, explaining how narcissists think, and the mistaken impression still around today that men should make all the decisions. "They should be the head of the house. We idealise and make men superior."

"The Narcissist Next Door" by Jeffrey Kluger also explores this idea. Kluger writes that as society is still predominantly patriarchal, we are more likely to tolerate narcissism and aggressiveness from men than women.

Narcissists are not usually violent  they're very good at controlling their emotions, and manipulating others into looking like they are hysterical. They're much more likely to use their brains to get their way, rather than physical force.

Male narcissists can dominate others via manipulation or games, whereas female narcissists use their sexual charm to get what they want, Fjelstad said.

According to Psych Central, male and female narcissists also differ in how they react to other things.

Narcissists are fairly money-focused, because they believe it gives them status and dominance over others. However, men will be preoccupied with obtaining money via any route, including theft from their own family, whereas women are more interested in excessively spending money  not necessarily their own.
EOCO had wanted to arrest the six officers on Monday but reports say they protested and argued that they could not give statements without having their lawyers present.

They are Prof. Avokeh; Finance Officer Dr. Akorli and his deputy, Frank Owusu Boateng; Internal Auditor, Ms Sena Darkeh; the Procurement officer, Mary Adzime, and Deputy Director of Works and Physical Development, only identified as Tetteh.

READ ALSO: Rector accuses Chief Justice of collapsing school

They were subsequently asked by EOCO to go and report Tuesday with their lawyers for further questioning.

The six officers reported Tuesday morning but have since been detained.

As at now [3:19 pm Tuesday] all calls to them are not being answered, so we dont know what EOCO is doing to them, one of the sources which spoke on condition of anonymity indicated.

The sources said EOCO had recently come to the school to interrogate some officers of the University and the necessary documentation taken away by EOCO.

The six officers were later cleared of any breaches of the countrys procurement law, the sources said.

They further allege that the Pro Vice Chancellor Prof. Afful-Broni and University Council Chairman, Prof. Abeka are scheming to ensure that the VC and the officers dont come back.

The sources also said that they believe the latest action by EOCO was influenced by the Pro Vice Chancellor and the Council Chairman.

We believe that some few individual political actors in the constituency are manipulating EOCO to satisfy their interest one of the sources said.

Lecturers of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) in July this year laid down their tools after a Winneba High Court ordered the Vice Chancellor and the Chief Finance Officer to hand over to the Pro-Vice Chancellor.

The two were asked to step aside as per a suit filed by Supi Kofi Kwayera.

The suit was seeking a dissolution of the Universitys Governing Council and, as such, rendering the positions of Vice Chancellor and Chief Finance Officer vacant.
Among them are two tough-to-beat Afrobeats newcomers, King Prinz, a South Africa-based Ghanaian rapper, and 2017 Vodafone Ghana Music Awards Unsung nominee, Deon Boakye.

The duo has teamed up on a brand new Afrobeats single titled Bebiaa Awu. The title is a Twi phrase which refers to 'extreme enthusiasm or jollity'.

The title reflects the concept  no need to decode. And the target audience? Everyone!

Deon Boakye, who handled the chorus of the track with his soul soothing vocals, explained in an interview that Bebiaa Awu is one of the songs you should feel good listening to. It tells you to forget your worries, have fun and this message inspires everybody.

On what makes this record unique from the bunch of songs dominating in the industry and if it would stand the test of time, he said: Yeah, it can stand the test of time. Aside it being Afrobeats, the message it carries makes it stand out and everybody wants to be happy.

To Deon, he believes that the song can compete with the current top songs with the right promotion strategy.

Of course, it's a good song and with the right promotion I know it will definitely be a breakthrough, he opined.

On how the recording was like, King Prinz simply describes it as 'fun'. Prinz, who is signed unto UK record label Slowe Music, also divulged that he decided to work with Deon because hes unique.

Produced by Fimfim, the song is scheduled for release on Friday, November 3.
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!
Music is food for the soul and is often written with a purpose. Find out what the music is linked to and the kind of emotions the music stirs.

After careful research, weve compiled 12 songs by Ghanaian musicians that you can listen to peacefully at home.

Stonebwoy - Go higher

Go higher is about achieving your dreams despite the challenges and backbiting from family and friends.

Excerpts of the lyrics

Goodness and mercies shall follow me

such mi nuh fraid ah nuh enemy

pon top ah blessings mi belly cyaan hungry

aborbi taadi and kalami

My table full up full up and ah run over my cup it ah run over

Sarkodie ft. Castro - Adonai

Adonai is about relying on God for everything you need to live a faithful Christian life. Always focus on the latter glory.

Excerpt of the lyrics

Tie, moa wechi me ten years

Me wu anka way back

Mo afloope this be ma pay back

Ma enemies you for dey guard

Me ncurse wo, I dont want to disobey God

READ ALSO: 7 creative ways to propose to a Christian girl

Kwabena kwabena - Bue Kwan

This song is about asking God for his direction and protection in every endeavour. It talks about asking God for divine favors to fight spiritual battles.

Excerpt of the lyrics

Eny3 y3ne honam 3ne mogya bi na anya

y3ne 3wiemu atumfo) oo obonsam ne na pamfo) no

ne nhye hye3 nyinaa ne s3 wob3si me nhyira no kwan

Onyame din mu nti 3ma so oo(3ma so oo oo!)

bue kwan bi mame oo

won hye hye3 ne s3 wob3bo me nhyira atoatwene

Onyame din mu nti 3ma so da oo(3ma so da oo oo!)

bue kwan bi mame oo

MzVee ft Efya - Abofra

Abofra is about helping each other through life challenges. With love, support and favour, you can all achieve our dreams.

Excerpts of the lyrics

No matter what they are talking

they keep watching, we keep rising

Is it what we have do you want it

No matter what they are talking

We keep rising, they'll watching

Okyeame Kwame - Hallelujah ft Abochi

Hallelujah is about praising God for his good mercies and favours.

Excerpts of the lyrics

Praise the Lord

Hallelujah (aseti)

I'll sing and shout (aseti)

Hallelujah

For the good you've been doing to me (aseti ama me)

Ewurade aa w'ama me as3 bi

READ ALSO: 9 perfect tips to help you date your best friend

Kofi Kinata - Susuka

Susuka talks about being grateful for what youve while asking God for more. Let your life be a living testimony for others in worst situation.

Excerpts of the lyrics

Obi nya w'ay3 oh

Obi ne di so sen wo di yi mpo

Obi nya w'ay oh

Obi ne di so sen wo di yi mpo

Hw, Obi nya w'ay oh

Eh Obi ne di so sen wo di yi

Ah Obi nya w'ay ati

Obi ne di so sen wo di yi mpo

Amakye Dede - Bebrebe yi

Lets face it; you need money to buy everything including the bible but we must acquire wealth through the right means. Dont use your family members for rituals to game fame and power.

As the bible says; Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth. and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.

Daddy lumba - Children of the future

Children are the future of our beloved country, Ghana. We must hold them in high esteem and nurture them to be good citizens of the nation. Say no to domestic violence against children.

Becca - African woman

This is a cultural song that reminds us of our roots. It also celebrates African woman; the role they play in the society, their hardworking altitude, motherly love, and beauty.

Woman

Excerpts of the lyrics

I see a woman

Every day in the mirror I see a woman

and every time I look at mama I see a woman

wonderful woman

an African woman

mother of nature (yea, yea)

beautiful woman

READ ALSO: 6 Shatta Wale songs that will put your baby to sleep easily

Lil wayne ft. Odehyie ba ladder

The ladder song is about winning souls and following the footstep of Jesus Christ.

Kidi - Odo

Live for and die for love

Shatta Wale - Taking over
The 46-year-old policeman was nabbed together with his his 50-year-old accomplice while performing their undercover operations.

According to buzzsouthafrica.com, Hawks KwaZulu-Natal spokesman Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo who disclosed the information to the media, said the Anti-Corruption task force worked with the suspected police officer and his accomplice, posing as criminals and managed to purchase lots of ammunition bulletproof vests paper sprays firearm magazines and police uniform.

This arrest follows a disturbing report about missing SAPS firearms recorded in the police service between 2009 and 2014.

According to a recent data released by the Police Minister Fikile Mbalula, about 7829 SAPS firearms have gone missing between 2009 and 2014 due to negligence on the part of the police.
According to worldnewsdailyreport.com, Amanda took the action after she claimed that the cleric allegedly had sex with her boyfriend, only hours before the wedding ceremony.

READ MORE: President caught on camera sleeping during speech delivery in parliament

Amanda Orwell was supposed to get married to William Martins who she had dated for 12 years, but it turned anticlimax when she had to spend the day with the police rather.

Ms. Orwell reportedly decided to stop by the presbytery just some few hours to the ceremony to talk about some last-minute changes with Father David OConnell, who was expected to perform the marriage ceremony.

Reports further suggest that Amanda Orwell noticed some movement through one of the windows and saw her boyfriend engaging in anal sex with the Catholic cleric.

A 32-year old eyewitness, Darrell Meyers, said I saw her running towards her car in her gown and she was screaming, swearing and pulling her hair. She kept repeating God punishes sodomites or something like that.

Father OConnell and his guest got alarmed by Amandas noise and rapidly exited the presbytery to ascertain what was going on.

Worldnewsdailyreport.com says Ms. Orwell immediately turned her vehicle around and drove towards the cleric at great speed, hitting him at a speed of at least 50 miles per hour.

She then rode back and forth over him at least three times before the officers of the Michigan State Police arrived and forced her to immobilize her car.

She was immediately arrested and paramedics were called to the site to help the severely injured priest.

READ ALSO: Serial rapist jailed 228 years

Amanda Orwell was charged with five charges of aggravated assault with a vehicle, as well as endangering the welfare of an injured person, reckless driving, and careless driving.
The Jubba Airways has confirmed to the BBC that a baby boy was born mid-air on its flight enroute to Somalia.

It said the flight was travelling from Hargeisa, the capital of the self-declared republic of Somaliland, to Somalias capital, Mogadishu, on Saturday when the event happened.

According to reports, one of the passengers onboard the plane was seven-months pregnant, and a Jubba Airways employee, Kamil Abdiaziz said she started to feel contractions shortly after the took-off.

Somali news website Hiiran.com reported that Kamil Abdiaziz noticed the womans suffering and immediately alerted the cabin crew, who together with the trained paramedics on board helped deliver the woman at 32,000ft.

According to Hiiran.com the baby has been named after Kamil Abdiaziz whose help partly resulted in the successful birthing.
Yaa Amoah-Owusu, Brand Manager of Coca-Cola in Ghana said, We had a great experience last year. And from that experience, we are very glad to bring a bigger and better Coke Studio Africa for the continent and for Ghana in particular. We have a group of top artists with diverse flavours this year incorporating the cultural and modern music experiences in Ghana. This gives more exposure to Ghananian music and promote our culture globally.

Two of Ghanas most talented artists: Joey B and Worlasi are set to debut on this years show. Worlasi  the Nuse and Nukata hit maker is diverse and has unique skill. He was touted by BBC as one of the most influential artists to watch in Ghana in 2016. The R&B star Joey B known for hit songs such as Strawberry Ginger and Tonga featuring Sarkodie will collaborate with South African power vocalist of the Amazulu hit fame: Amanda Black.

Ghana was also represented on the show by super star music producer Killbeatz - dubbed as one of the best afro beats producers in Africa. He has worked with the creme de la creme in music including Fuse ODG and R2Bees. In fact, he co-produced Ed Sheerans global platinum-selling hit song Bibia Be Ye Ye.

For months, the artists had worked alongside a highly talented house band and performed songs that showcased the remix and cover of some of Africas hit songs. Through collaborating with diverse artists across Africa, Ghanaian music acts enlisted on the show showcased the best of Ghananian music and culture as well as shared the values and traditions of Ghana .

Epic moments to look forward to in this season include Joey B collaboration with the shows guest star: multi-platinum international pop artist Jason Derulo on Coke Studios special episode  Global Fusion Edition and Worlasis collaboration with Sauti Sol and Chidima on one of his hit records.

Coke Studio Africa 2017 is broadcasted on TV3 @5pm on Saturdays and YFM @ 2pm on Sundays. Its a melting pot of music talents bringing together renowned music producers and top-notch artists drawn from various parts of the continent.

The merger this year increased the number of participating countries to 16, up from 11 in previous edition. This season broadcasts in more than 30 countries across Africa. The production now includes artists from South Africa, Rwanda, Angola, Zimbabwe, Togo, Madagascar, Mauritius, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique, DRC, Ethiopia and Cameroon. The last season featured Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique, DRC, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Cote d Ivoire and Togo whilst South Africa had its own production.

Some of the renowned names this season include Bruce Melodie from Rwanda, Tanzanian artists: Rayvanny, Izzo Bizness and Nandy, Ugandan artists: Bebe Cool, Eddy Kenzo, Ykee Benda and Sheebah, Khaligraph Jones and The Band BeCa from Kenya, Nasty C, Busiswa, Mashayabhuqe from South Africa, Youssoupha from Democratic Republic of Congo, Runtown and Yemi from Nigeria, among others.

Like previous editions, this year Coke Studio Africa introduced the best and hottest African music acts to a new and wider audience. Through interaction, collaboration and cooperation amongst the artists the show aimed to inspire while building a strong brand connection with Africas young and growing population. From communities, cities and countries, Africa is full of music talent and Coke Studio Africa as a platform offered wide exposure while enabling greater interaction, collaboration and cooperation while creating inspiring new sounds and free access to digital goodies.

About Coke Studio Africa

Coke Studio Africa is a non-competitive music collaboration show, which seeks to bring people together and celebrate the diversity of African music and talent. It also gives upcoming artists the opportunity to work with some of the best local and international music and production talent. It brings together artists from different genres, eras and regions to create a modern and authentic African sound through musical fusion.

To keep up with all Coke Studio Africa related information including artists, collaborations, lyrics and television airing times follow the hashtag #cokestudioafrica or find us online at the following pages:
The campaign , which ties into and leverages the appreciable patronage of the Coke Studio Africa 2018 project, promises to excite and reward loyal customers of the Coca-Cola brand by allowing them to have access to exclusive contents from participating Ghanaian artistes and other African artistes in the on-going 2018 Coke Studio Africa session.

Since its inception, Coke Studio, which has assembled the very best in Africas music industry, has entertained homes with stellar studio sessions and music performances. One that continues to inspire upcoming artists, while affording them an opportunity to witness in real-time, how their favorite African artists compose and arrange new songs, as well as performing their hit songs and that of their African counterparts.

In Ghanas first season, budding Ghanaian artistes such as E.L, Efya and Feli Nuna rubbed shoulders with other great artistes across the continent. This year features the reputable likes of Joey B, Worlasi, and Bisa Kdei.

Expressing her excitement over the campaign, Yaa Amoah-Owusu, Brand Manager of Coca-Cola noted that the decision to leverage on the Coke Studio project for the Under the Crown consumer campaign was both strategic and symbolic.

Strategically, Coca-Cola seeks to integrate and consolidate the gains that the Coke Studio sessions has made over the period with the view to creating a unique brand experience and a mutually rewarding value proposition for its cherished consumers, across different touch points. Symbolically, Coco-Cola, through the Under the Crown campaign, reaffirms its commitment to promoting authentic African music while rewarding creativity and ingenuity in African artistes, both established and upcoming. Again, Coca-Cola, through this campaign, seeks to connect emotionally with its cherished consumers in a long-term relationship and not just a one-off transactional purchase she intimated.

She remarked further that the Under the Crown campaign will ensure that most of the illuminating performances and songs that are churned out at the Coke Studio become accessible to consumers and music lovers through an additional medium, specifically, mobile phones.

Essentially, this will not only increase the audience-base for our hardworking artistes, but most importantly, through the campaign, our valued customers will be afforded additional mechanisms for sharing in the euphoria around the Coke Studio sessions, she assured.

Touching on the mechanism for the campaign which runs till December 31, 2017, Yaa Amoah-Owusu explained that to participate, one needs to buy any Coca Cola with the special yellow crown cork, under which a special code is recorded.
She said that during the interrogation, one of the suspects, Abubakari Mahama said the weapon and ammunitions were his.

He, however, told the police that he collected the weapon from one Amadu Yakubu from Nyamoransa, near Cape Coast in the Central Region to be sold in Kumasi for a fee.

"On Sunday, 29th October, 2017 at about 1:30 pm, suspect Amadu Yakubu who had travelled to Kumasi to collect the proceeds from the sale of the weapon and ammunitions was subsequently arrested by the police to assist in investigations.

READ ALSO: Organisers of sex party arrested

Suspect Amadu Yakubu also admitted to police in his caution statement of having sold the said weapon and ammunitions to Abubakari Mahama. That he got the weapon and ammunitions during the Ivory Coast civil unrest and brought some to Ghana from Abidjan for sale," the police PRO said.
READ ALSO: Speaker of Parliament hits back at Minority over bias claims

He argued that allowing proceedings to go on was going to be an infraction on Standing Order 48 of the House.

He, therefore, wanted the House to adjourn as there was no quorum formed.

Prof Oquaye who was also disappointed urged leaders of the House to get members on the floor to do business on time.
Speaking at a meeting with traditional leaders in Aflao in the Volta region, Nana Akufo-Addo said: The Togolese President came to see me in Tamale ten days ago, and we are talking to see how we can bring this crisis to a closure and bring stability back to Togo. It is in our interest to do so.

The events that have taken place next door in Togo, are disturbing for all of us and especially for you, I know what it means. I remember vividly in 2005 when the former President Eyadema died, there were problems over the succession.

Over 100,000 refugees stringed across the border. Many of them I think are still there. They have not gone back to Togo, so I know that anything that happens in Togo is a matter of very great concern and it is a concern to me and the people of Ghana.

"The appeal we are making are falling on very sympathetic ears. I am not staying idle on this matter. We are acting. Let us pray for the blessing of the Almighty, and we can find a solution that will be in the interest of the people of Togo and by implication the people of Ghana, he told the traditional leaders in Aflao.

There is currently a protest in Togo to challenge the presidency of Faure Gnassingbe.

The Gnassingbe family has been ruling Togo since 1967 after a coup by Eyadema.

Faure who is also the new chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has won three presidential elections.

But many argue that he won those elections under controversial circumstances.
READ MORE:NPP Invincible Forces takeover NADMO office in Techiman

George Ayisi Boateng has said he will put supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) before any other Ghanaian when considering persons for job opportunities.

According to him, it was through the sweat of party members which gave the NPP victory in the 2016 elections thus was the right thing to do.

Addressing some members of the Tertiary Students Confederacy Network (TESCON) at a ceremony to usher in fresh students of Kumasi Technical University into the network over the weekend,he said: The job market is choked and it is highly competitive and this government is doing its best to create job opportunities [but] me for instance I told my people that it is NPP that is why I am in power so NPP man is my priority.

"My topmost priority is the problem of an NPP person before any other Ghanaian, take it or leave it and indeed I am not boasting," Mr. Boateng added.

But the Minority Spokesperson of Foreign Affairs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the commissioner must resign honorably or be sacked by President Akufo-Addo.

He said "Ideally, he should resign and apologize to Ghanaians, and to the President for betraying the trust that was reposed in him. He should be doing the honorable thing, but we know that in this our country, that does not happen quite often The foreign minister, the president, must recall him with immediate effectIt is clear that this mindset cannot represent Ghana."

"this government is doing its best to create job opportunities and me for instance, I told my people over there [that], it is because of NPP that Im here, so the NPP man is my priority. I told them when NDC was in power it was Kwesi Ahwoi who was there, now we are in power, so Ayisi-Boateng is here with you. My topmost priority is the problems of an NPP person before any other Ghanaian, take it or leave it," he added.

"His comment is reprehensible, unacceptable and must be condemned by all of us. The constitution demands of all public officers to be fair, and treat all Ghanaians equally. The High Commissioner to South Africa is Ghanas High Commissioner to South Africa, not the NPPs High Commissioner. He is paid from the taxes of all Ghanaians, NPP, NPP, CPP, and everyone.

"He said he was there to prioritize NPP members and others can wait. It is shocking. It is shocking he said there were some people who were more Ghanaian than others," Ablakwa said on Accra-based Citi FM.
The Minority has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to sack him over his shameful partisan comment.

According to the Minority, his statement is a breach of the constitution which provides equal opportunity for all Ghanaians.

But he [George Boateng] asked the Minority to go to court.

Partisan comment

According to him, it was through the sweat of party members which gave the NPP victory in the 2016 elections thus was the right thing to do.

Addressing some members of the Tertiary Students Confederacy Network (TESCON) at a ceremony to usher in fresh students of Kumasi Technical University into the network over the weekend,he said: The job market is choked and it is highly competitive and this government is doing its best to create job opportunities [but] me for instance I told my people that it is NPP that is why I am in power so NPP man is my priority.

"My topmost priority is the problem of an NPP person before any other Ghanaian, take it or leave it and indeed I am not boasting," Mr. Boateng added.

Okudzeto condemns

The Minority Spokesperson of Foreign Affairs Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the commissioner must resign honorably or be sacked by President Akufo-Addo.

He said "Ideally, he should resign and apologize to Ghanaians, and to the President for betraying the trust that was reposed in him. He should be doing the honorable thing, but we know that in this our country, that does not happen quite often The foreign minister, the president, must recall him with immediate effectIt is clear that this mindset cannot represent Ghana."

"this government is doing its best to create job opportunities and me for instance, I told my people over there [that], it is because of NPP that Im here, so the NPP man is my priority. I told them when NDC was in power it was Kwesi Ahwoi who was there, now we are in power, so Ayisi-Boateng is here with you. My topmost priority is the problems of an NPP person before any other Ghanaian, take it or leave it," he added.

"His comment is reprehensible, unacceptable and must be condemned by all of us. The constitution demands of all public officers to be fair, and treat all Ghanaians equally. The High Commissioner to South Africa is Ghanas High Commissioner to South Africa, not the NPPs High Commissioner. He is paid from the taxes of all Ghanaians, NPP, NPP, CPP, and everyone.

"He said he was there to prioritize NPP members and others can wait. It is shocking. It is shocking he said there were some people who were more Ghanaian than others," Ablakwa said.

I won't resign

George Ayisi Boateng has asked persons criticizing him and calling for his head to use legal means to do so, insisting he wont resign.

"Those calling for my dismissal should go to court...I am not Honourable and he can go to court for my dismissal," he said.

According to him, he means nothing bad to have said, appointees of the government must give much attention to NPP members in terms of jobs and other benefits.

"Worse things even happened under the late President Mills...He is also on record to have directed his appointees then to pay attention to NDC members at the time," he said in an interview on Kumasi-based Nhyira FM.
Several apartments were also searched in the region, which is north of Berlin.

The man is suspected of having "planned and already concretely prepared an Islamist-motivated attack in Germany using very powerful explosives," the statement said.

"It has not yet been established whether the suspect already had a target in mind or not," it said, adding that prosecutors did not have any information whether the suspect belonged to "a terrorist organisation."

The Syrian had made a decision "no later than July 2017 to explode a bomb in Germany with the aim of killing and wounding as many people as possible."

In the following weeks, he began to acquire the chemical products and materials necessary to build a bomb.

German police have been on high alert to the threat of Islamist attacks, particularly since December last year when a man hijacked a truck and ploughed into shoppers at a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people.

The attacker was shot dead by police in Milan four days later, and the rampage was claimed by the Islamic State group.

An investigation pointed to a catalogue of "gross mistakes" by security services in the lead-up to the attack.

'10,000 Islamic radicals'

The scathing report found that authorities had missed several opportunities to arrest and deport the driver, Tunisian asylum seeker Anis Amri.

The 24-year-old, who had previously been jailed in Italy, had been in touch with radical Islamists and sold drugs in Berlin, had managed to escape detection by skipping across German state lines and using different identities.

Last July, a 26-year-old Palestinian asylum seeker wielding a knife stormed into a supermarket in Hamburg, killing one person and wounding six others before being detained by passers-by.

German prosecutors said the man likely had a "radical Islamist" motive.

The intelligence services estimate there are around 10,000 Islamic radicals in Germany, some 1,600 of whom are suspected of being capable of using violence.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility a number of other attacks in 2016, including the murder of a teenager in Hamburg, a suicide bombing in the southern city of Ansbach that wounded 15, and an axe attack on a train in Bavaria that left five injured.
New accusations of sexual assault have continued to pour in since investigations in the New York Times and New Yorker three weeks ago exposed the tycoon as a relentless, bullying sexual predator.

More than 50 women including stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Angelina Jolie and Mira Sorvino have accused 65-year-old Weinstein of sexual abuse and harassment, although he denies forcing himself on anyone.

"In light of Mr. Weinstein's widely reported behavior -- with new reports continuing to surface even now -- the Producers Guild's national board has voted unanimously to enact a lifetime ban on Mr. Weinstein, permanently barring him from PGA membership," the guild said in a statement.

"This unprecedented step is a reflection of the seriousness with which the guild regards the numerous reports of Mr. Weinsteins decades of reprehensible conduct. Sexual harassment can no longer be tolerated in our industry or within the ranks of Producers Guild membership."

The announcement came as accusations of serious sexual assault continued to pile up against Weinstein, whose films have received more than 300 Oscar nominations and 81 statuettes.

Hope Exiner d'Amore has accused Weinstein of raping her in a hotel room in the 1970s, according to a Times article published Monday, while Cynthia Burr said he attacked her in an encounter that ended with forced oral sex in a hallway.

A third complainant, Ashley Matthau, a dancer with a bit part in one of his movies, says he pushed her down on a bed in a 2004 attack, masturbating while straddling her.

On Saturday the New Yorker ran an interview in which actress Annabella Sciorra -- an Emmy nominee for her role in the acclaimed television series "The Sopranos" -- accused Weinstein of forcing his way into her apartment and violently raping her in the 1990s.

Last week, according to the Times, the actress Dominique Huett filed a lawsuit claiming that in 2010, Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her, while Mimi Haleyi, a former production assistant, told a news conference in New York he had attacked her in 2006.

Asked about the latest allegations, a spokesperson for Weinstein reiterated that he denies engaging in non-consensual sex, and said that he "has begun counseling, has listened to the community and is pursuing a better path."

Police in New York, Los Angeles and London have all confirmed criminal investigations into Weinstein's activities.
A statement on the Russian foreign ministry website on Tuesday listed 33 Syrian organisations invited to a "Congress of Syrian National Dialogue" in the Russian city of Sochi on November 18.

The proposal was one of the few notable outcomes from the seventh round of talks on Syria held in the Kazakh capital Astana, which are widely viewed as Moscow's attempt to stamp its imprint on a settlement for Syria.

Russia's chief negotiator for Syria, Aleksandr Lavrentyev, urged opposition factions to "participate and present their positions" in the meeting that he said would touch on constitutional reform.

But Lavrentyev could not confirm that the United Nations and its Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura would take part in the Sochi meeting, despite continuing negotiations.

"We want to emphasise that this event should be part of the international community's efforts to find effective mechanisms for political settlement," Lavrentyev said.

But representatives of the Syrian opposition in Astana cast doubt on the plan.

Yehya al-Aridi, a spokesman for the Syrian opposition, called the suggestion "a jump in the air to another place" and said the congress risked sending "a fake message" on Syria.

"We told Russia, 'First stop killing our children'," said another rebel representative, Yasser Abdelrahim, who brandished what appeared to be photos of dead children at the plenary session in Astana.

The Astana talks that began in January have run parallel to negotiations taking place in Geneva with the backing of the United Nations, and the congress plan appears to be Moscow's attempt to force the pace in a bid for a political settlement.

Speaking Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov credited the Astana negotiations with waking up a "dozing" Geneva process.

Nevertheless, Lavrov said there had been a recent "slowing in the efforts made as part of the Geneva process."

"We believe it is necessary not to hesitate but rather to seize the initiative," he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Tehran on Wednesday for talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, the Kremlin has confirmed.

Turkey's 'occupation'

Recent rounds of talks in Kazakhstan have focused on ironing out the details of a Russia-led plan establishing four "de-escalation" zones in Syria.

The plan was first tabled in Astana in May to minimise fighting between government forces and moderate rebel factions and improve civilians' access to aid.

The fourth and final zone to be established was the thorniest, taking in the northern province of Idlib where Iran and Turkey are viewed as having competing interests.

In Astana, Syrian government negotiator Bashar al-Jaafari denounced Turkey's presence in the province and accused Ankara of cooperating with extremist groups.

"We have emphasised that we see the presence of Turkish armed forces in Idlib as an act of occupation," al-Jaafari said.

Concern over 'de-escalation' zones

The zones were initially credited for bringing about a significant reduction in fighting.

But international aid organisations say they are failing to curb a recent uptick in violence which has significantly worsened humanitarian conditions in Syria.

The International Rescue Committee in the Middle East released a statement Monday that said civilian safety had "not improved with the establishment of these so-called de-escalation areas."

jpegMpeg4-1280x720It said the situation in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta, covered under the zones plan, is particularly dramatic, with the area facing "a malnutrition crisis".

"Air attacks, as well as the impact of fighting between groups, has made it harder for food and medicine to get in," said Tom Garofalo, director of the group's public affairs.

Lavrentyev had described the situation in Eastern Ghouta as "satisfactory" on the first day of taks in Astana.

"Humanitarian aid is able to arrive," he said.
It's October, the perfect time for scaring yourself with a spooky film.

Some people adore the rush they get from watching a horror flick; others can't stand how filmmakers somehow worm their way into your consciousness, building up tension and then striking that moment of terror with a jump scare or with some creepy moment that seems to burn itself into your brain.

Using images and sound, the best horror directors are able to tap into a part of your brain that operates purely on instinct.

When you sit down to watch "It" or "The Ring," you know that the movie isn't real. And yet somehow, the best scary films put you on the edge of your seat, ready to jump  sometime actually eliciting a yelp or a gasp.

That's a powerful effect.

"Usually when we're watching something we've shut down the motor regions of the brain, and yet those stimuli [from a shocking scene] are so strong that they overcome the inhibition to the motor system," said Michael Grabowski, an associate professor of communication at Manhattan College and the editor of the textbook "Neuroscience and Media: New Understandings and Representations."

We jump or yell because a film bypasses our tranquilized state and taps into a primal instinct, which is to react immediately to protect ourselves and warn others  before taking time to process what scared us.

"The scream is a way to alert others in your social group and scare off attackers," said Grabowski.

These scary moments supersede our rational thought process that knows they aren't real.

Neurocinematics

Grabowski's background is in filmmaking, but his research now is focused on an emerging field called "neurocinematics," which focuses on the connection between the mind and the experience of cinema.

While filmmakers have been able to evoke emotional responses in viewers for more than a century, it's only now that modern neuroscience can show us what's happening in someone's brain.

This goes beyond horror, too. Think of the last time that you felt emotion while watching any film, whether you laughed or suddenly felt tears welling up in your eyes during "Inside Out." Despite knowing that what you're watching isn't real, you feel real emotion.

But as Uri Hasson, a researcher and professor who focuses on neuroscience and psychology at Princeton, discovered when conducting the study that first coined the term "neurocinematics," people watching something scary or suspenseful tend to have particularly similar responses in their brain.

For now, that insight is mostly helping us understand what that fear looks like in the brain. But some researchers think that modern filmmaking, with an updated understanding of neuroscience and psychology, is actually better able to tap into emotion than it used to be.

As Dutch media studies professor Patricia Pisters wrote in an essay for Aeon, "in contemporary thrillers, the spectator knows just as little as the characters, and is immediately drawn into the subjective emotional word of the protagonists. As spectators, we indeed experience the world increasingly 'inside out' and have direct access to the drama of the neural mechanisms of emotion. We are taken on a neuronal rollercoaster that will eventually give us the story."

In the future, said Grabowski, it's possible that filmmakers will be able to use even more precise insights to directly stimulate certain emotions, to control when their audiences jump and what they feel.

When you combine that with powerful technologies like virtual reality, something that makes it even harder for us to tell reality from fiction, the possibilities are fascinating and even a little scary. (If you have a Cardboard headset, check out the terrifying short film "Catatonic"  the future of interactive media is somewhat terrifying.)

It's like the dream of Alfred Hitchcock that Pisters cites in her essay, quoted from Donald Spoto's biography of the filmmaker.

"The audience is like a giant organ that you and I are playing," Hitchcock reportedly told scriptwriter Ernest Lehman. "At one moment we play this note, and get this reaction, and then we play that chord and they react. And someday we won't even have to make a movie  there'll be electrodes implanted in their brains, as we'll just press different buttons and they'll go 'oooh' and 'aaah' and we'll frighten them, and make them laugh. Won't that be wonderful?"
With all of this time, you would think it would be eliminated by now so that people can have the freedom to worship freely.

Sadly, this is still going on. According to the US State Department, almost 80 percent of the worlds population are faced with high or very high levels of restrictions and/or hostilities toward certain beliefs.

We take a look at five countries that violate their citizens right to religious freedom, in no particular order.

United Kingdom

The increase in the number of anti-Semitic incidents shows that Jewish and Muslim communities in the U.K. are being attacked.

According to the Home Affairs Select Committee, most legal provisions in Islamophobia and anti-Semitism predate the era of mass social media.

The U.K. government has been advised to immediately review the entire legislative framework governing online hate speech, harassment and extremism and ensure its up-to-date.

Egypt

Coptic Christians in Egypt are facing severe terror attacks. Just last year, hundreds were killed.

A report on religious persecution worldwide by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief offers an in-depth explanation.

The report reads, Despite positive government rhetoric and attendance at Christmas masses, mob violence and Islamist attacks on churches, Copts and their property have increased over the past two years and no licences to build churches have been granted.

Since 2011, over 550 Coptic girls have allegedly been abducted, converted to Islam and married. Police are reported to have frequently refused to investigate cases against Copts.

China

This nation demands that religious groups register with the government in order to practice their faith. Hence, unregistered groups like Uighur Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists and evangelical Christians are faced with forced conversion, torture and imprisonment.

According to the charity China Aid, in its 2016 Annual Persecution Report, Christians are being persecuted at a frequency unseen since the Cultural Revolution.

Christian Today reports that the ruling Chinese Communist Party is officially atheist.

Russia

The case of Jehovahs Witnesses being labelled an extremist organisation is a clear example of the religious persecution in this country.

United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) reveals that Tatars, an indigenous Muslim ethnic group are also been treated unfairly by the government.

ALSO READ: How Russia continues to abuse religious freedom of Christians

Saudi Arabia

Islam is the order of the day, leaving no room for the public practice of any other religion. This is why the Quran and Sunna (the traditions of the Prophet Mohammad) serve as the constitution. Anyone who dares to criticise Islam faces severe punishment.
Due to mostly religious values, the nation is so conservative that women faced arrest if they attempted to drive.

This is all changing according to the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has promised to return his country to moderate Islam.

In his words, We are simply reverting to what we followed  a moderate Islam open to the world and all religions. 70% of the Saudis are younger than 30, honestly, we wont waste 30 years of our life combating extremist thoughts, we will destroy them now and immediately.

Axios reports that the soon to be king, also known as MBS, made this startling declaration before a gathering of the worlds wealthiest investors and powerful political figures in Riyadh on October 24, 2017.

This investment conference was also where announced the launch of an ambitious $500bn (381bn) independent economic zone involving Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt.

This announcement was met with surprise from most and scepticism from the rest.

Tom Barrack, the billionaire investor, told Axios Jonathan Swan that It was beyond epic. I have been doing business in the region for 40 years and I could have never imagined what we experienced in Riyadh.

Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE ambassador, said: the Crown Prince is driving the reform toward a more open, progressive and modern Saudi Arabia, which ultimately is in everyones interests. Its in everyones interests that MBS succeeds.

Middle East expert, Elliott Abrams, was understandably doubtful. He said, The reform plans are real, but implementation will be difficult. Is he really going to allow the open practice of Christianity in the Kingdom?  I certainly wish him well and think we should all do so. But given the strength of the Wahhabi establishment and the lack of preparedness of the population for the 21st century in terms of education and work skills, he has a real struggle.

Speaking with the Guardian, Salman noted that the ultra-conservative state has been not normal for past 30 years.

He said, We are a G20 country. One of the biggest world economies. Were in the middle of three continents. Changing Saudi Arabia for the better means helping the region and changing the world. So this is what we are trying to do here. And we hope we get support from everyone.

What happened in the last 30 years is not Saudi Arabia. What happened in the region in the last 30 years is not the Middle East. After the Iranian revolution in 1979, people wanted to copy this model in different countries, one of them is Saudi Arabia. We didnt know how to deal with it. And the problem spread all over the world. Now is the time to get rid of it.

ALSO READ: Saudi prince donates entire fortune to charity

The crown princes comments come after women have just been allowed to drive. This change that can be attributed to his Vision 2030 for a tolerant country with Islam as its constitution and moderation as its method.

This change has been met with some resistance from Saudi Arabias highest religious council, the Majlis al-Ifta al-Aala.

They warn that the removal of the driving ban would provoke a surge in prostitution, pornography, homosexuality and divorce.
The union in September called off its one month strike after reaching an agreement with the Federal Government that their demands would be implemented before the end of October.

Today is the last day in October and the Federal Government is yet to honour the agreement it had with the Union since September.

Meanwhile, the president of the Union, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi while announcing the conditional suspension of the recent industrial action had said the union was suspending the strike to allow government commence implementation of the agreement between them.

ALSO READ:Fresh graduate of Ekiti State University allegedly butchered into pieces

"I dont think the Federal Government wants ASUU to go on another strike but if this situation extends beyond the October 31 deadline, then ASUU will very likely go on strike again," Ogunyemi said.

An anonymous lecturer who spoke with the Nation about the impending strike said the union is warming up for another industrial action has government has not addressed their demands.

He said, the government has not done anything. We have not heard from them and it is just one week to the end of the October deadline. I can assure you that we are warming up and there is the possibility that from November 1, we will resume the suspended action.

"They (government) told our leaders during negotiations that they have prepared everything for the implementation. They were even brandishing some papers, especially on the earned Academic Allowance. But we have not seen anything nor heard from them.

Prior to the suspension of the last industrial action, the Federal Government had in August held in Abuja on Saturday, August 26 implored the Union to call off the strike and promised to fulfill the agreement.
The Cable Newspaper's Investigation uncovered the school guard who engages the students in sexual activities in exchange for money from strangers, who want to have a 'nice time' with them.

The school guard's shoddy activities with the students was laid bare when the Cable reporter who disguised as a businessman approached him to request for girls to have a nice time with.

After promising the guard that he would be paid more than what he asks for, he agreed to arrange two SSS3 students who according to him are writing exams for his businessman customer.

He said, ''I am giving you outgoing students, there are some writing exams, its just to get a clue to know them and ask if they can do this for me. There are girls who do runs but the issue is money.

The guard also explained how the schoolgirls sneak out of school to meet their boyfriends on Sunday evenings at a popular Bani Guest House along Langtang highway.

According to the Cable, after collecting N5000 from the journalist, the guard left his duty post in search of two schoolgirls to attend to the 'sexual' need of his customer.

He had however advised his customer to treat the schoolgirls well before he went out to search for them.

All those girls are small girls and they dont know money much. If you treat them well, they will look for you if youre still around.

Having found two students he called his customer to inform him I have arranged two girls now, and they will come to meet you when they are done with their exams today.

Confirming the shady activities of the pimp with schoolgirls, one of the students of the school told TheCable that the guard was moved from the kitchen to the school gate because he impregnated a student.

''He used to be a kitchen staff, he impregnated one of the girls in the hostel, you know the hostel is close to the kitchen, and I think as a punishment, he was moved from the kitchen to the gate.

The security guard is not the only one abusing the teenagers at Federal Government Girls College. Another graduating student also indicted the teachers in the school.

ALSO READ:100 level student commits suicide over poor grades in OAU

She said she is not sure if girls are being pimped to strangers but she has claims she knows at least three members of staff who have made sexual advances to students.

''One teacher used to call girls to his office in the night, but, I dont know what he used to do with them''.

Another graduating student alleged that a teacher asked her out and she used to follow him home every weekend.

Another staff member indicted by the graduating student is the school ICT department manager who according to the girl touches them sexually. That one will be touching girls breasts and buttocks, she said.
The movie star has a word or two for women who go into relationships for financial gains.

Anjorin took to her Instagram account on Monday, October 30, 2017, where she had quite a lot to write as usual. Some of her words in this post were expletive.

"Whenever a lady is having massive fight with her fellow ladies base on baseless issues, she need to check her man, her man issa fucking or about fucking her friends or co-workers or having horrible conversation with your friends behind u, of which it will lead to hate of no reason.." wrote the actress.

She further said "Shine your eyes, stop believing your fellow ladies are into voodoo or sell their body for money, stop hating your fellow ladies;

"The man that blessed your friends with 50million base on fvck, can fvck u without giving u 5k.. Have u heard about God sent?? Pray for one, not a man that u heard he bought this and that for a lady or your friends or colleagues.. A man know the lady that her luck works together with his own and behold, he can spend all his fortune on her, so if u run enter that kind of relationship my sister, YOU carry PUS....Y do promo ni o let's all pray for God sent..whalai o se ko ko #smallgirlwithbigbrainwithbiggestGod #whitedragon #womanofsubstances #eganmidogo #lizzyanjorinclothings."

ALSO READ:

The last time Lizzy Anjorin decided to give a long sermon on Instagram, she was making claims that 99% of women were born witches, stingy, and heartless. How she got that data is yet to be confirmed but you can be sure that Lizzy Anjorin isn't going to be relentless on her views about social issues.

Lizzy Anjorin has dismissed the rumours that she converted to Islam because of a man. "If I changed to Islam because of a man, why am I still single? People just like to say all sorts, but Im not bothered anyway. This is my second time of going to Mecca after my conversion; I went first in 2013. My name remains Liz Anjorin, but I adopted the Muslim name, Aishat, and thats all. My father was a Christian, while my mother was a Muslim. I only decided to follow my mothers path" she said during a recent interview.
On Monday, October 30, 2017, the second day of the festival, there was an interesting keynote conversation on matters relating to technical film crew with emphasis on Nigeria, facilitated by BCI studios. Filmmakers such as Bose Oshin, Baba Agba and Queen Martins were also around to share tips on the realities of filming in Nigeria.

This was followed by a keynote conversation facilitated by Forde Pro on the role of technology and strategic partnerships in getting African content on the global scene. Panelists included Judith Audu (Just Not Married),Don Omope (Tatu, The Wedding Party) and Nadia Denton.

The Canon Basic DSLR Filmmaking training and talent workshop for young students facilitated by Leke Alabi-Isama commenced at the Afrinolly space in Oregun, Ikeja. The acting and screenplay workshops headlined by Hilda Dokubo and Victor Sanchez-Aghahowa, respectively, also kicked off.

Several screenings were held at Genesis Deluxe Cinemas in Oniru and Silverbird Galleria in Victoria Island.

The Highlight of the day was the world premiere of Kenneth Gyangs anticipated film, "The Lost Cafe, which stars Tunde Aladese, Ann Njemanze among others.

At the Genesis Deluxe Cinemas, series of short films were screened. They include Richard Odilus Oreva, which highlights mental illness and its tragic consequences on a family.

Still Water Runs Deep, which examines toxic masculinity, and The Mob (from Ghana) which teases the aftermath of a suspected same-sex relationship.

Visions, an experimental collaborative anthology from the trio of Abba T. Makama, CJ Obasi and Michael Omonua was also screened.

The quirky Ghanaian marital relations drama Keteke (Train) directed by Peter Sedufia and starring Lydia Forson and Adjetey Anang was screened, as well as Kunle Afolayans Roti, a feature length on the subject of reincarnation.

Over at Silverbird Cinemas, the line-up of shorts and student shorts screened included Yemoja: Rise of the Orisha, an interrogation of identity and importance of finding self, Zawaja Gali (Marriage is expensive) which explores traditional practices revolving around the ceremony of marriage in African societies, and Chicha," which deals with the consequences of actions taken.

Faulty hinges its plot on male pride while the documentary, Les Sauteurs, a collaboration between Senegal and Denmark is a timely take on immigrants and the perils they must face in search of a better life.

Asurf Oluseyis Hakkunde, stars Kunle Idowu as a young Nigerian man who leaves the city of Lagos, bullied by his elder sister and finds his way to Kaduna, where he gets a new lease on life.

The Africa International Film Festival is an annual week-long festival running from October 29 to November 4, 2017.

About 200 carefully curated feature lengths, shorts, documentaries and student films will be screened this year. The festival also encompasses talent development classes, industry workshops and inspiring creative discussions.
News of the cancellation comes hours after allegations of sexual harassment in 1986 by the show's lead actor Kevin Spacey against a then-14-year-old Anthony Rapp surfaced.

According to Rapp, a then 26-year-old Spacey had invited him to a party at his home in New York, and at the end of the night, he picked Rapp up, placed him on his bed, and climbed on top of him.

He was trying to seduce me, Rapp told BuzzFeed News. I don't know if I would have used that language. But I was aware that he was trying to get with me sexually.

Hours after the allegations from the "Star Trek: Discovery" actor broke on Monday, October 30, 2017, Spacey took to Twitter to apologize for his actions, and officially came out as gay.

Netflix, which produces "House of Cards," released a statement in response to the allegations against Spacey, saying they were deeply troubled by the news.

Several sources, however, claim that the decision to end the show was made prior to Rapp's claim about Spacey, but the timing of the announcement has nevertheless raised eyebrows.

"House of Cards," which made its debut in 2013, tells the story of a Congressman who works with his equally conniving wife to exact revenge on the people who betrayed him.

The show has been nominated for 33 Emmy awards and eight Golden Globe awards, with Spacey and Robin Wright winning best actor and actress Golden Globes for their roles.
Nwafor who posted the open accusation on her Instagram page with the handle said the man, Tony Obosi Ekwerekwu, a businessman at the Alaba International Market in Lagos, had, on August 26, 2017, led thugs to storm her office at the market, beat her up, tore her clothes and raped her multiple times.

Nwafor who said she has tried everything possible to get justice and get the man arrested to no avail said she had no choice but to go on the social media to call out the man with the hope that she will get justice.

She started the post this way:

"What was done to me is inhumane and should not happen to anyone again.'

She then went on to narrate how Ekwerekwu led the thugs to her office and molested her while boasting that he would surely get away with the rape since he has the means to buy off the police.

This is how she narrated the whole episode:

My name is Nwafor Eurel. On August 26, 2017, I was sexually defiled by a particular man, Mr. Tony Obosi Ekwerekwu who is also a murderer and all efforts to bring this man to justice has proved abortive because the man keeps bribing police officers at all the police stations I took the case to.

From the DPO at Ojo Division up to Zone 2 Police Division at Obalende, he buys his way out and there is no one to hold him down.
The subject who works at Depasa Marine International Nigeria, a company that deals in maritime services, is now on the run following the post which has seen widespread condemnation.

A non-governmental organization, S.T.E.R Initiative which is committed to fighting rape in Nigeria made a call at his office in a bid to apprehend him but he has so far managed to avoid capture.

In the repugnant comment on the social media platform, Donatus appeared to have admitted rape and saw himself as a sort of resource to like-minds willing to explore his psychopathic behaviour.

"Well for guys that are interested before you rape make sure you punch her neck first so she can be unconscious then it will be easy to get into her pants am posting out of experience take it or leave it," his Facebook suggestion reads.

S.T.E.R Initiative whose motto supports an intense battle to end rape have called on the public in order to ensure that the suspect is arrested.

The organization revealed on micro blogging site Twitter that it shall be meeting with representatives of his company for a further meeting so as to ensure he is nabbed.
But few weeks to the great day, Desmond struck Betty a great blow that shattered her life and shook her faith in men.

Will she survive this betrayal?

Read her story here:

"My name is , a 28-year-old lady living and working in Lagos. I have a very sad story to tell, a story of betrayal of the highest order, a story of heartbreak and a story that I believe other ladies should learn from.

I am yet to get out of the shock following how a man I loved with the whole of my heart and hoped to spend the rest of my life with, dealt with me, shattered my world and made me the laughing stock in my family and among my friends.

You won't believe that two months to our supposed wedding, while I was planning seriously to it and my family had put in so much money, time and energy into it, Desmond dealt me the worst blow anyone can ever imagine.

After dating for four years, I thought I had finally found my Mr. Right, the man I would build my home with, grow old together and watch our children grow into adults. I loved Desmond so much and could lay down my life for him.

In fact, my friends were surprised because I never showed so much commitment in past relationships. Many of them said I should slow down and mask my feelings for him but I was past caring.

For me, Desmond was the man and I would gladly take a bullet for him. In the good times, Desmond also, or let me say, pretended to also love me madly. He gleefully introduced me to all his family members, friends, colleagues and I had access to anyone that mattered to him.

I never believed that any man is capable of hiding some damning secrets because I was always with Desmond, especially as our wedding date was drawing near.

I often marvel at the way the master gamer managed to hide everything from me till two months to our supposed wedding when I got home from work to meet a wedding invitation card on my table.

I saw Desmond's handwriting on the card and I thought one of his friends or cousins was wedding and wondered why he did not tell me on time to get prepared. I made a mental note to get mad at him for not informing about the wedding on time.

I opened the card and promptly lost balance, becoming dizzy and almost passed out. I sat down on the couch, and the pictured stared at me yet again. There was my Desmond with whom he had introduced to me as his cousin who was based in the United States.

Their wedding was scheduled for two weeks before we were supposed to have mine. I thought this was one of Desmond's practical jokes but the accompanying note inside the invitation card said otherwise.

Desmond first apologized for not telling me on time, for leading me on and asking me to forgive him for hurting me. He went on to say that he and Itunu had been scheduled to get married before she traveled to the USA and they had to put the wedding on hold till she could facilitate his papers.

And now that everything has been set, they would be traveling to the US after they had a secret Registry wedding in Lagos a week earlier.

I was numb and tried to call his number but it was switched off. I managed to get a cab to his house only to find out that he had moved away some days earlier.

I tried to get his friends to give me an explanation but none of them was willing to say a thing until decided to spill the bean.

Today, instead of looking forward to my big day, I am sitting here mourning a man I loved like my life. Thanks to my sisters who have rallied around me and made sure I don't do anything silly to myself.

But the damage has been done and I doubt if I can ever come to love or trust any man ever again.

Betty."

The teaser for the day was:

What would you advise Betty to do in this situation?

How Nigeria voted:

Betty should move on and forget Desmond - 44%

Betty should be thankful she did not get married to the cheat - 35%

Betty should lay a curse on Desmond for hurting her that much - 15%

Betty should battle Desmond spiritually - 6%
We have seen photos of young Nigerian men getting married to white women (usually older). These photos, whenever they pop up online, brings out a general reaction from Nigerians.

The reaction is always one of amusement. You see, we all know what is going on. When a young man exchanges marital vows with a white lady, he is most likely pulling a scam. He is in it for money and the papers and not for love.

This scam has been on since Nigerian men sought for greener pastures in the golden streets of Europe and America. The hook of this scam is to get in contact with a white woman (preferably older). These days this is done online via several dating websites.

The second step is to make her fun in love with you. The third thing to do after she is head over heels for you is to propose. This is when you see these women fly into Nigeria and get married to a young Nigerian hustler at a wedding registry.

A few days after tying the knot, the newly wedded couple fly out of the country to start a new life. When they get overseas, London, Seattle, Madrid or wherever, our dear Naija boy flips the script on his naive bride.

"I met my Nigerian husband in 2008 and brought him here on a K-1 visa in 2009. I thought he loved me by all the sweet words he said, the hundreds of hours on the phone and webcam, messenger....." wrote an American woman who goes by the username Rannk 1 on the forum section of the website Visa Journey.

In 2014, she revealed how she was duped by her Nigerian husband.

"He was on several sites. I was not aware of this until three months later. website subscriptions. He was on several sites. I was not aware of this until three months later" she wrote on the forum.

After chatting up women on numerous dating websites, her Nigerian husband told her he was leaving her on Christmas Eve. "He has ruined my life and my kids' lives. He sucked $15,000 from me overall, he took my youth and beauty, he damaged my relationship with my family, I lost my best friend, he took away all my hope and happiness in life. I regret ever meeting him!!!!" ranted the American lady.

This is a fairly common style of operation for Naija guy who is into marriage visa scams.

In 2015, a British woman Deana Charles told TheSun UK how she was swindled by her Nigerian husband. "He told me hed only married me for a visa. It explained why hed been so keen to get me pregnant, the authorities would find it harder to deport him" she revealed.

It seems nothing will stop some of us from getting that Green Card or visa. What's love when you have the chance to leave Nigeria and reside in Europe or America?

In America, some male African-Americans get married to white women because it is a status symbol. For Nigerian men, it is just another way to make it to the promise land.
The day is celebrated by many Western countries and is said to have pagan roots. On Halloween Day people play dress up and traditionally wear scary costumes. These days you can dress like any famous person.

Widely regarded as a day to celebrate spirits and other things supernatural. Halloween has been the basis of countless horror movies.

With its clear pagan roots, it is surprising that Halloween is now being celebrated in a country like Nigeria.

This year, posters have gone up about Halloween parties that are about to go down in Lagos. It seems every year the buzz around Halloween gets bigger and bigger here.

In a deeply religious country like Nigeria, why are people celebrating Halloween? Nigerians have been known to be a double standard.

The average Nigerian individual wont go for indigenous cultural events such as New Yam Festival or Ojude Oba because they believe it is fetish and demonic.

The celebration of Halloween and the shunning of traditional Nigerian events fit into the narrative of theirs is good and ours is bad. Simply put, Sango and co are demonic but Thor and Loki are superheroes.

This narrative is a relic of the colonial era that has unfortunately not left us till today.

We cannot also overlook the power of the media. American media (the most powerful in the world) has been able to present Halloween as just a fun loving day with little or no spiritual or pagan roots. It has been able to sell the day to people of different cultures without attaching the spiritual and cultural contexts.

Its the same way we celebrate Santa Claus or Father Christmas and the Easter Bunny without knowing they have pagan origins.
The meeting which held at My Coffee, Ozumba Mbadiwe Victoria Island, Lagos, was well-attended by journalists from the countrys leading media houses as well bloggers. The aim was to celebrate members of the Nigeria press as they have played very important roles in helping the Miss Nigeria Organisation achieve its goals over the years

Speaking at the event, the Managing Director, Times Multimedia, Enyinne Owunwanne reaffirmed the commitment of the pageant to its founding values. According to her, the organisation remains committed to empowering Nigerias young women beyond beauty through the Miss Nigeria pageant which began in1957.

Speaking further, she added that this commitment has resonated through the years in our work with young women who have participated in the pageant and gone on to become role models for other Nigerian women. It therefore remains our driving motivation this year to continue to provide young women with a platform to achieve the things they are most passionate about.

Therefore our focus is not on physical appearance alone, but on women who are intelligent, socially responsible, and committed to making a difference in our country.

For this years event, Time Multimedia intends to have each State represented by its indigene. To do this, they have launched a digital Pan-Nigerian call-to-entry campaign, supported by in-person casting calls in key cities across the nation.

The casting call tour for this year kicks off in Abuja on Tuesday November 7, 2017, and then will proceed to Port-Harcourt on Thursday November 9, before rounding up in Lagos on Saturday and Sunday November 11  12. The combination of the digital call-to-entry campaign and in-person casting call across major Nigerian cities is to ensure adequate representation across all 37 states in this years pageant.

Meanwhile, registrations for Miss Nigeria 2017 are still ongoing. Interested applicants into the Miss Nigeria 2017 competition must be female Nigerian citizens between the ages of 18 and 25 years. They must be of good health and character, must not be married, mothers nor pregnant. They must also speak fluent English and not have any visible tattoos or body piercings.

Interested young women living outside the country and with valid Nigerian citizenship can also apply. To do this, applicants should submit a 2-minute video clip stating their name, age, occupation, a brief background and reasons why they wish to become Miss Nigeria 2017 competition. They should upload to YouTube and send the link to us via email at info@missnigeria.ng.

Or they can upload a 60-sec video clip to Instagram with the #MissNigeria2017and tag @missnigeriaorg. Successful candidates will be contacted on the next steps. Entry forms are available for purchase on www.missnigeria.ng for N5, 000 only. For more information on how to register, click on the call to entry tab on the website.

Should you have further enquiries or require clarification please send an email info@missnigeria.ng or via telephone on 0809 081 5695. You can also follow our social media pages listed below for more updates and exclusives.
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! 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!
Assian

With his spring/summer collection Assian created a sprightly vibe with his pieces. Playing with a colour scheme of black, white and navy blue, the models marched out in shirts, wrap shirts, kaftan, long sleeve jacket, sleeveless jacket and pants.

There were interesting combinations in the designers showcase such as a pair of loose purple sequin pants paired with a navy blue wrap top which was modelled by Nigerian-based Italian chef Benedict and a white oxford shirt paired with a wrap shirt with frayed fringes and matching pants with fringes on the side.

However, the real standout piece was a streetwear inspired monochrome jumper with a loose skirt.

Matiu Gordon

Osuare

Osuare is a mastermind of alternative style with her presentation. The womenswear label opts for dark skinned plus size models adorned with pink hair.

The collection was made up a palette of baby blue, pink, red and green prints. The models strutted down the runway with artistic makeup dressed in embellished artsy print details on dresses, kimonos, blouses and pants.

With two particular pieces, it seemed as though the line by Egbuonu Osuare was inspired by the formal tuxedo as she merges black and white into the scheme of her colourful composition.

In their showcase, Osuare pulled out a winning card by using popular media personality Tolu Toolz Oniru-Demuren as one of their models.

With long curly auburn hair, Toolz stepped out in a long flowing gown with a plunging neckline.

Nori

Nori uses pink and black to make bold statements with her collection.

As the models strutted out dressed in Nori and a signature pink braid the energy could be felt. There was just something powerful and edgy about this presentation.
The bank also commended the Federal Governments efforts to stem corruption and strengthen fiscal consolidation and efficiency in the country.

According to the statement, in November 2016, the Board of the African Development Bank approved a 600 million dollars loan to support Nigerias efforts to cope with macro-economic and fiscal shocks that arose from the massive decline in price of crude oil.

An additional 400 million dollars in support could be considered, if requested and approved by the Board, as part of a larger coordinated effort with other development partners, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund."

The African Development Bank wishes to categorically refute the statement that it has called off loans to Nigeria, as reported in Reuters and credited to AfDB Vice-President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth Amadou

The AfDB is highly encouraged by the economic recovery of Nigeria from recession and salutes the governments efforts towards diversification of the economy."

The Bank also strongly supports the Economic and Growth Recovery Plan of the government and efforts to stem corruption and strengthen fiscal consolidation and efficiency."

The Bank assures the Nigerian Government of its full support for its continued reforms to diversify the economy and boost economic growth and development, it said.
It often starts with a media trial, plenty of public interest in the individuals and then, silence.

Pin drop silence.

Here are four such cases.

1. Zakzaky

In December of 2015, some devotees of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (otherwise called Shiite sect) led by Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky clashed with soldiers in Zaria, Kaduna State.

Soldiers portrayed the incident as attempts by members of the sect to assassinate Army Chief Tukur Buratai who was driving through town when the Shiites mounted their roadblock.

A handful of Shiites reportedly lost their lives during the clash.

Shiite leader Zakzaky was immediately taken into custody by law enforcement after his temple was razed.

No one has heard from Zakzaky again.

2. Nnamdi Kanu

The leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) had stirred secessionist anger against the federal government before and after he was granted bail in April 2017.

However, on September 14, 2017, soldiers stormed Kanus home in Umuahia and it would be the last day anyone heard from the eccentric separatist.

There are reports that Kanu has fled to the UK where he still retains a citizenship, but no one has been able to prove that story.

Its been a month now and Kanu remains missing.

3. Dasuki

Former National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki has been kept in jail since 2015 over an alleged mismanagement of defence funds amounting to over $2.1B.

Hes had a couple of court appearances and has been denied bail a couple of times, but its been eons since anyone last saw him in the flesh.

He was supposed to appear in court today to testify in the case of former PDP spokesperson Olisa Metuh, but according to sundry reports, he turned down the subpoena.

4. Maina

Famously referred to as the pension thief, Abdulrasheed Maina was controversially reinstated to the federal civil service after he was fired in 2013 for defrauding pensioners to the tune of billions of Naira.

After President Buhari fired him on October 23, Maina disappeared into thin air.
According to a congratulatory message by her Director of Information, Mr Suleiman Haruna, on Tuesday in Abuja, the commission will cater for the humanitarian crises caused by the activities of insurgency in the region.

Mrs Buhari, who was the key player in the struggle for the establishment of the Commission, said,  this is a major milestone.

 The bill has been in my heart since its conception and subsequent presentation to the National Assembly, which I attended personally she added.

The wife of the President urged the relevant authorities to ensure full implementation of the act to provide much needed assistant to the people of the region, who have been ravaged by the insurgency.
Buhari had on Monday, October 10, ordered the dismissal of the two top government officials over alleged corruption.

He directed the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offence Commission (ICPC) to "proceed with investigation" involving Lawal and Oke.

In a statement released late Monday by the president's spokesman, Garba Shehu, Buhari vowed to weed out anyone found guilty or frustrating the anti-corruption war.

He said, "Those who ask the question of what next? The president has taken the administrative action; all other actions will be taken by relevant government agencies.

"When and where they (the agencies) have reasonable grounds to charge former or serving officers to court under our laws, they do not require the permission of the president to do so.

"The position of the president, therefore, is that investigation agencies that have already commenced the investigation of the two officers removed from office will go on with their work of investigation without any interference or hindrance.

"Based on his wish and desire for a strict observance of the law, the president expects the EFCC, ICPC and such agencies to proceed with ongoing investigations."

A presidential probe panel headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had recommended the termination of Lawal and Oke's appointments.

ALSO READ: Babachir Lawal - Buhari finally grows some balls

Lawal was alleged to have violated due process in the award of contracts under the Presidential Initiative on the North East (PINE).
The President also noted that he will also make fresh board appointments in response to his party members demands after meeting with the national executive council (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja.

"The federal executive council will be expanded to bring in more appointees at federal level, with fresh ideas to be injected into the government," the president reportedly noted.

He did not speak on the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle.

Last year I said we would re-constitute the Boards of Parastatals. I must regret the fact that we have not done so, for many reasons. Some of us in this meeting may know I had given instructions since October 2015 for this exercise to start.

But there have been inordinate delays through several committees in an attempt to get the balance right and to make sure all parts of the country are equitably represented. On the other hand, I am keenly aware that our supporters are very eager for these appointments to be announced.

By the grace of God, these appointments will be announced soon, especially now that the economy is improving; we will have the resources to cater for the appointees.

By the same token the compressed Federal Executive Council will be expanded to bring in more supporters at Federal Level, with fresh ideas to be injected into the government.
Mr Osagiator Ojo, the Head of Administration, Oredo Local Government Council, made the disclosure when he briefed newsmen on the outcome of the Joint Account and Allocation Committee meeting.

The meeting was chaired by Obaseki at Government House in Benin on Tuesday.

Ojo said the meeting, which would be attended by representatives of local government and state government pensioners, was necessary to correct the misinformation about pension payments by the present administration.

Government has observed with dismay the gross misinformation that has characterised the payment of pensions in the state."

The governor, therefore, would wish to engage the union leadership or the pensioners both at the local and state levels to ensure that this gross misinformation is dispelled and all issues arising to the controversies bothering on pension payments are amicably resolved, he said.

Ojo said that the 18 local governments in the state jointly contributed N212. 88 million in August for the payment of pensions and contributed N244. 09 million in September for the same purpose.

He said that total allocation accrued to the 18 local governments in September and shared in October was N2.55 billion out of which N1. 46 billion was mandatory expenditure.

Ojo said that there was significant increase in internal generated revenue by the local governments from N85. 03 million in September to N115.54 million in October.
Speaking at plenary on Tuesday, October 31, 2017, NaAllah commended the Senate on the investigation which led to the sack of the former secretary to the government of the federation, Babachir David Lawal.

NaAllah who serves as the deputy Senate leader charged all other committees on the completion of pending investigations.

I am extremely proud of this Senate, he began.

I believe sincerely of the integrity of the 8th Senate where I have been privileged to serve as the deputy senate leader. Between yesterday and today there has been the termination and appointment of certain persons in the position of the Secretary General of the Federation.

Those who have tried to bring down the institution of the senate, God will vindicate us before their eyes. The issue of SGF has been vindicated. Maina also emanated from senate.

Why it is necessary to make this statement when we started this crusade, this same people we are fighting for, Nigerians, became gullible.

Every conceivable thing has been done to bring down the name of the senate.

What is important and instructive for me is to implore all my colleagues.

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I will remain proud of this senate even in my grave. It is important that the pending committees charged with these investigations expeditiously turn out their investigations. This is why I am calling on committee with pending investigations to do so. We must continue to keep the flag flying," he said.

In his remarks, the Saraki commended President Muhammadu Buhari on the sack of Lawal.

He also reiterated the support of the Senate to the Presidents anti-corruption crusade.

It has been a tough journey in order to protect the integrity of this institution. I want to commend the President for doing what is right. In this matter we would vouch our commitment to fighting corruption.
Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara made this known at the end of a caucus meeting of the party which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

He said that the meeting also reinforced the unity, commitment and strength of all members of the party.

This meeting shows our unity in the party, shows our strength and our commitment to the party and to Nigerians,he said.

Sen. Bukar Abba-Ibrahim, who also spoke on the outcome of the meeting, dismissed the speculation that the meeting was convened to remove the leadership of the APC.

He added: You remember, you saw it in some of the newspapers. That our crises had deepened, APC is going to break, there is a plan to kick out our national chairman  none of these things happened.

It is a big family reunion and we are all happy and this party is going to dominate the Nigerian political space for a very long time to come. I dont want to predict any number of years.

Mr John Odigie-Oyegun, the partys National Chairman, described the meeting as `very fantastic, adding that the party would be stronger after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was attended by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Sen. Bola Tinubu, Bisi Akande, cabinet ministers and presidential aides.

Governors of Plateau, Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Sokoto, Niger, Kogi, Jigawa, Benue, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Kebbi, Nasarawa as well as deputy governors of Kwara and Yobe states also attended the meeting.

Members of the National Assembly including Senators Rabiu Kwankwaso and Adamu Alieru as well as the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha also attended the meeting which lasted for over three hours.
Pointing at issues such as the 'technical defeat' of Boko Haram, the Niger Delta, improved power, the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy, and agriculture, the president said the country's prestige has gone up due to the great works of his administration.

He made these remarks at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives' Congress (APC) at the National Secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday, October 31.

The president expressed his appreciation for the support of his party's leadership in helping his government run smoothly even when he was on medical leave in London for months.

He also thanked the principal officers in the National Assembly especially Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Speaker Mr. Yakubu Dogara for helping his administration achieve great success by putting Nigeria above their own personal interests.

The president said, "We can be proud of our achievements in the last two years, Boko Haram, Niger Delta, Regular Fuel, Improved Power, TSA, Agriculture and Fertilizer, above all, the knowledge that corruption will not be tolerated in this Government. We all know there is CHANGE.

Nigerias prestige has gone up, Nigeria is now credit-worthy, a clear testimony of which was the over-subscription of the Euro-Bond by 4 times.

"Nevertheless, we are not resting on our achievements. I am quite aware of the challenges before us.

"Let me thank you all again for the commitment and dedicated service to our Party and to remind you that much more will be required of you in the coming months. I hope we can continue to depend on you.

"If we keep united and rise above petty or personal quarrels we will surely achieve the desired CHANGE in the country."

Earlier on Tuesday, the president had welcomed the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, to the Presidential Villa.
The November 2, 1917 declaration by then British foreign minister Arthur Balfour said his government viewed "with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people".

It was only one sentence of 67 words, but it was the strongest support yet from a world power for the goals of the Zionist movement -- Jews, including those facing persecution, resettling in the land of their ancient ancestors.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will commemorate the anniversary in London, where he will attend a dinner in honour of the declaration with his British counterpart Theresa May.

May has said she will mark the date with "pride", but there is also criticism in Britain over the anniversary because of Israel's continuing half-century occupation of the West Bank.

Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn of the Labour party has said he cannot attend the dinner -- without explaining further -- although shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry will.

Palestinians are planning a demonstration on Thursday in Ramallah as part of their campaign calling on Britain to apologise for the declaration. They have also explored suing Britain over it.

'Historic injustice'

Netanyahu said this week that the declaration "advanced the international moves that established the state of Israel".

"While the state would not have arisen without settlement, sacrifice and a willingness to fight for it, the international impetus was, undoubtedly, the Balfour Declaration," he said.

For Palestinian prime minister Rami Hamdallah, Britain should apologise for a "historic injustice it committed against our people and to correct it instead of celebrating it".

"The international community is obliged, while we approach the first centennial of the ominous Balfour Declaration, to end the historic injustice that has been inflicted on our people."

The declaration came in a letter from Balfour to Lord Walter Rothschild, a leader of the Jewish community in Britain, and had British cabinet approval.

Some argue today that later events -- conflicting policies from Britain and the Zionists' own efforts to realise their dream -- diminished the Balfour Declaration's importance.

But others see it as monumental, having helped lay the groundwork not only for the creation of the modern state of Israel, but also the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

'It's dramatic'

"It's dramatic," Jonathan Schneer, an American historian and author of the book "The Balfour Declaration", told AFP.

"And they're both right," he said, referring to the starkly different viewpoints of Israelis and Palestinians.

"The Israelis see it as a foundation stone for the birth of a Jewish state, and the Arabs see it as a foundation stone leading towards their dispossession and misery."

According to Schneer, the declaration ironically grew to a large degree out of anti-Semitic myths.

British leaders saw the Jewish community as capable of helping them win World War I due to its perceived influence in finance and within Russia, he said.

Others say that Britain was also seeking a firm foothold in the Middle East after the war.

But regardless of the motivations that created it, "if someone has to choose five documents that shaped Israel's history and existence, then the Balfour Declaration has to be one of them", said Paula Kabalo, director of Israel's Ben-Gurion Research Institute for the Study of Israel and Zionism.

For Palestinians, the declaration is colonialist and even racist.

It mentions that "nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine".

Not only were they left nameless in the document, Palestinians say, but Britain has also failed to ensure the pledge was maintained.

Solution hopes fade

It was written "as if the Palestinians did not exist", said Nabil Shaath, a senior adviser to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

"We were referred to as 'others', others in Palestine who had civilian and religious rights but no political rights whatsoever."

It would be another 31 years before the state of Israel would be founded in 1948.

The war surrounding its creation saw 750,000 Palestinians either expelled or fleeing from their homes.

In the Six-Day War of 1967, Israel occupied the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. It later annexed east Jerusalem, which the Palestinians want as the capital of their future state.

Hopes for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are greatly diminishing as Israeli settlement building continues in the West Bank.

Britain's May sought to acknowledge those concerns in her recent comments.

"We are proud of the role that we played in the creation of the state of Israel and we will certainly mark the centenary with pride," she said.
"Catalan President @krls will give a press conference at 12:30" at the capital's press club," Catalan separatist MEP Jordi Sole Ferrando said on Twitter, adding. "We'll be there."

Belgium's immigration minister, a member of the Flemish separatist N-VA party, suggested on Saturday that Puigdemont -- who was removed from office as Catalonia's president last week by Madrid's central government -- could receive asylum.

A Belgian lawyer who specialises in asylum issues confirmed that Puigdemont had designated him as his legal representative.

"I've asked for asylum for Spanish people four times before and it's always worked, it's legal," Bekaert told AFP.

However on Monday night Bekaert told Flemish television VRT that "Puigdemont is not in Belgium to request asylum", only to prepare a legal riposte to any eventual moves by Madrid.

"On this matter (asylum) nothing has yet been decided," Bekaert told Flemish television VRT.

"I have more than 30 years of experience with the extradition and political asylum for Spanish Basques, and it's probably because of this experience that he came to me."

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, from the country's French-speaking community, has poured cold water on the suggestion by immigration minister Theo Francken that asylum was a possibility for Puigdemont.
US lawmakers are considering updating or repealing the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) passed on September 14, 2001, three days after the attacks on New York and Washington by Al-Qaeda hijackers.

This would help them claw back their constitutional authority to pronounce on decisions of war and peace, but Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis insisted this would be premature and unneccessary.

"The United States has the legal authority to prosecute campaigns against the Taliban, al-Qaeda, and associated forces, including ISIS, and is not currently seeking any new or additional congressional authorization for the use of force," Tillerson told senators.

"The 2001 AUMF remains a cornerstone for ongoing US military operations and continues to provide legal authority relied upon to defeat this threat."

Mattis agreed, and both senior figures insisted that if Congress was to seek to replace the AUMF it must not do so until another authorization must be ready to immediately and seamlessly replace it, to provide legal cover for ongoing operations and the detention of suspects.

"We cannot put a firm timeline on conflict against an adaptive enemy who would hope that we haven't the will to fight as along as necessary," Mattis warned.

"This is a fight against a transnational enemy, one that does not respect international borders and does not place geographic limites on their areas of operations."

Far-flung battles

Since the AUMF was passed, three presidents in succession have relied on the order's authority as they launched operations against armed Islamist groups in far-flung battle zones around the world.

Critics have long-contended that George W. Bush, Barack Obama and now Donald Trump have exceeded the terms of an authorization initially aimed at Osama Bin Laden's Al-Qaeda organization.

When four US soldiers were killed in an ambush by militants in Niger this month, many Americans were surprised to learn the Pentagon has deployed hundreds of troops in West Africa.

Some lawmakers are now pushing to reassert Congress's right, under the constitution, to decide when and where the United States can go to war, in the face of some White House resistance.

On Monday, Mattis and Tillerson brought the message to the Senate Foreign Affairs committee, chaired by Republican Trump critic Senator Bob Corker.

Corker said lawmakers were split on the path forward, unable to "bridge the gap" between those who want to craft a new, limited AUMF, and those who believe that "constraining the commander in chief in wartime is unwise."

Senator Ben Cardin, the committee's top Democrat, warned there was increasing opposition to an endless military authorization that essentially greenlights a "global endless shadow war."

In August, both Mattis and Tillerson testified behind closed doors on the same topic and afterwards Corker said they'd been "open" to the idea of revisiting the issue.

Niger ambush

Since then, however, Corker has fallen out with Trump and become an open critic of the president, and calls for new oversight on US operations in Africa, the Middle East and Asia have grown.

In September, anti-war Republican Senator Rand Paul attempted to pass an amendment to a funding bill that would have repealed the AUMF.

And, ahead of Monday's hearing, Democrat foreign relations committee member Senator Tim Kaine promised that Mattis and Tillerson would not get an easy ride in wake of the Niger deaths.

"After the deaths of service members in Niger this month, questions have risen about the extent of US military operations around the globe and the legal justification behind current military efforts," he said.
Congress first passed an authorization to use military force, or AUMF, on September 14, 2001 -- three days after the devastating attacks on New York and Washington by Al-Qaeda hijackers.

Since then, presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and now Trump have relied on the order's authority, along with a subsequent AUMF in 2002, as they launched operations against armed Islamist groups in far-flung battle zones around the world.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis argued before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the existing AUMF is sufficient justification for currently battling extremist groups and their "mutating threat."

"Though a statement of continued congressional support would be welcome, a new AUMF is not legally required to address the continuing threats posed by Al-Qaeda, the Taliban and ISIS," Mattis said in his opening statement.

"Repealing the 2001 and 2002 AUMFs would only cause unnecessary policy and legal uncertainty, which could lead to additional litigation and public doubt," Mattis added.

Tillerson said the 2001 AUMF "remains a cornerstone" for ongoing US military operations "and continues to provide legal authority relied upon to defeat this threat."

But he added that while the Trump administration was not seeking a new AUMF, it offered some suggestions in the event Congress went ahead anyway.

No AUMF should be repealed without a new AUMF in place, as such a gap could trigger the release of terror suspects held in the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay. And they should not be constrained by time or geography.

"Legislation which would arbitrarily terminate the authorization to use force... could unintentionally embolden our enemies with the goal of outlasting us," Tillerson said.

Committee chairman Senator Bob Corker said lawmakers were split on the path forward, unable to "bridge the gap" between those who want to craft a new, limited AUMF, and those who believe that "constraining the commander in chief in wartime is unwise."
Investigators in the Perm region where Vlada Dzyuba lived are looking in to whether her death was caused by negligence, TASS state news agency reported, citing regional investigators.

Her mother told Russian television that she had recently complained of exhaustion from working a 13-hour day.

ESEE Model Management, the Chinese agency that represented Dzyuba, denied allegations that the teenage model had been overworked and underpaid and claimed she died from sepsis, a type of bacterial blood poisoning.

Russian investigators have not yet named any suspects in the probe.

They said they are considering whether to contact Chinese authorities for "international legal help and collaboration in investigating the case."

Elvira Zaitseva, the head of the Russian agency in Perm that represented Dzyuba, told local news site 59.ru that she had been called in for questioning and that Dzyuba's friends and family were also being questioned.

On Tuesday, Russia's Consul-General in Shanghai, Alexei Yevsikov, told TASS that he was concerned by the young model's working conditions, including a lack of health insurance.

"It raises questions that irresponsible intermediary companies are sending off minors unaccompanied by legal representatives," Yevsikov said.

"What's more, in breach of the contract, medical insurance was not issued (for Dzyuba)," he added.

He warned that the modelling industry in China "is taking on unhealthy traits".

"A huge number of Russian models come to China, especially the eastern regions. We know nothing about them, since none of them register with the consulate," Yevskikov said.
The report from Bogota stated that dissidents were to be bombed as they refused to join the landmark peace deal signed nearly a year ago.

About 7,000 guerrillas from FARC handed their weapons over to the UN following peace talks in Cuba between 2012 and 2016.

FARC leaders had already expelled the dissidents from the organisation before the peace deal was signed on Nov. 24, 2016.

Colombias Defence Ministry considered the dissidents to be part of drug-trafficking networks, which was previously bombed by the national army.

Meanwhile, the army stopped bombing positions held by the National Liberation Army (ELN), a smaller guerrilla movement that agreed to a temporary ceasefire from Oct. 1 until mid-January.

The ELN admitted to breaking the ceasefire on Oct. 17 when the group killed an indigenous leader whom it accused of being a spy for the government in the western region of Choco.

The government said the violation did not affect the continuation of the ceasefire.

The peace deal with FARC and the ongoing talks with the ELN followed more than five decades of conflict in Colombia involving the two leftist rebel movements, the army and right-wing paramilitary groups.
It was the latest in a series of cases against democracy activists which have led to accusations of interference in the judiciary as Beijing tightens its grip on the semi-autonomous city.

Judge So Wai-tak said the sentence was a "deterrent" against what he described as "violent means" used in protests against government policies, although he acknowledged the fact that the weapon was a sandwich merited a shorter jail term.

Afterwards Ng told reporters he believed the judicial system was being used by the city's Beijing-backed government.

"Only in such a ridiculous place as the current Hong Kong will you see a sentence of three weeks," he said.

Ng told the court he had thrown what he described as a "smelly fish sandwich" at Hong Kong's unpopular then-chief executive Leung Chun-ying as he was on his way to vote in the September 2016 legislative election.

He said the sandwich was a protest prop to show that the poor in Hong Kong may not be able to afford even a simple breakfast. It illustrated the pro-democracy camp's demand for a universal retirement protection plan.

Ng added that he had wanted to hand the sandwich to Leung but when he was blocked by police he threw it instead.

Leung, in office from 2012 until July this year, was accused by opponents of overseeing the erosion of Hong Kong's freedoms.

The former leader had told Ng's trial he felt "panic" at the time of the sandwich throwing.

It followed an incident in 2014 where an anti-China lawmaker threw a glass at Leung in the legislature.

The glass did not hit him but the lawmaker was convicted of assault and jailed for two weeks.

Some online commenters poured scorn on what they saw as a surprisingly harsh sentence Tuesday.

"Even treating Leung Chun-ying to a sandwich is a crime?" questioned one Facebook user.
Growing public distrust of the elite in recent years has spawned several anti-establishment parties, splintering the political landscape and making it increasingly difficult to form a stable government.

None of the record eight parties that won seats in parliament in Saturday's vote came close to obtaining a majority, and both the rightwing and the leftwing want a chance to form the next government.

No statement was released after President Gudni Johannesson wrapped individual talks with all the party leaders around 1730 GMT, and no date was set as to when Johannesson might announce his pick.

Benediktsson, whose conservative Independence Party came out on top -- though with just 16 of 63 seats -- was first out to meet with the president.

Exiting the talks, Benediktsson, whose party has been the main political force in Iceland for decades, said he had told Johannesson he was ready to build a new government.

"I told the president that the Independence Party is ready to try to form a government and is willing to assume responsibility," he told public broadcaster RUV.

Tainted by scandals

However, he signalled that he may need more time as "other groups might need more room before attempting to try it."

Benediktsson is being challenged by the Left Green Movement and its potential allies, the Social Democratic Alliance and the anti-establishment Pirate Party.

Under the Icelandic system, the president, who holds a largely ceremonial role, usually tasks the leader of the biggest party with trying to put a government together.

But Benediktsson and his party have been tainted by scandals in recent years, and the party lost almost a quarter of its seats in parliament in the vote.

As a result, the president could decide to ask the leader of the Left Greens, Katrin Jakobsdottir, to form a government.

The Left Green Movement came in second with 11 seats, the Social Democratic Alliance obtained seven seats, and the Pirates six seats. They would need a fourth partner to hold a majority.

Regardless of who receives the mandate, it could take days, weeks or even months before Iceland has a new government in place as thorny coalition negotiations await.

A coalition of at least three, or four or five parties would be needed to obtain a majority in parliament.

Jakobsdottir, who vowed during the election campaign to spread Iceland's economic prosperity to the health care and education sectors, said meanwhile she should be given the opportunity.
"Taking part in these elections is not viable," said Henry Ramos Allup of Democratic Action, one of the three parties. The voting is scheduled for December.

The two other parties, Popular Will led by Leopoldo Lopez -- who is under house arrest -- and the Justice First party of former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, also said they would not take part.

In regional elections this month, President Nicolas Maduro's party eased to victory in 18 of 23 states but the opposition complained of irregularities.

Maduro reacted angrily to the snub, threatening to jail those who he says are seeking to sabotage the polls.

"I declare myself in battle against those who intend to revolt and attack the electoral system," Maduro told a meeting of governors elected in the regional polls.

He said the opposition parties were obeying an "order" to sabotage the polls that the US embassy in Caracas gave them.

"There are enough places in prisons for those who want to set Venezuela on fire," he said.

The three parties, the main components of the Democratic Union Roundtable (MUD) opposition coalition, said they would focus on seeking better electoral conditions for the 2018 presidential election.

"We are not going to participate in the municipal elections, we will fight for guarantees to freely choose a new government," said key opposition figure Julio Borges of the Justice First party.

"There are no electoral or political conditions" to take part in the polls, said a spokesman for Popular Will, Freddy Guevara.

The announcements came after the end of an opposition meeting Monday to decide whether to take part in the polls, which were announced on Friday by Venezuela's all-powerful Constituent Assembly, packed with Maduro loyalists.

An opposition source told AFP that the parties who make up the coalition, both large and small, were divided over whether to run candidates in the polls.

"It's difficult, some want to go, others do not," he said.
"Of course, we condemn the assassination as we would any assassination because to us life is the most precious thing," Santos told a joint press conference with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau.

Santos said the killing would be investigated by a verification commission comprising the United Nations.

As well, he added, "we will ask the regular authorities -- the prosecutor and the justice system -- to act as necessary."

The National Liberation Army, or ELN, Colombia's last active guerrilla group, acknowledged killing the indigenous governor Aulio Isarama Forastero in the northwestern department of Choco last week.

In a statement released Sunday, the group said it had been holding Isarama under suspicion of links with "military intelligence" and apologized to his family and loved ones for killing him.

It said he was killed after he attacked a guard "with the resulting tragic outcome."

Isarama's death was the first violation of the temporary ceasefire that went into effect on October 1 and is meant to last until January 9, as the Colombian government and ELN leaders hold peace talks in Ecuador's capital, Quito.

Canada, meanwhile, committed to have Canadian police officers train Colombian authorities in an effort to bolster the ceasefire.

"We've agreed to work together to establish a bilateral police initiative," Trudeau said.

"This effort will support post-conflict policing efforts in Colombia and will see Canadian police providing training, capacity building and strategic advice to our Colombian friends."

Some Can$78 million in aid will also be invested in youth, agriculture, human rights, mine clearing, and to support for the peace process.
Up to 300,000 computers in 150 countries were hit by WannaCry, which seized systems and demanded payment in Bitcoin to return control to users.

Some researchers have pointed the finger at Pyongyang, saying that the code used was similar to past hacks blamed on Kim Jong-Un's regime.

British Home Office minister Ben Wallace told the BBC last week that London was "as sure as possible" that North Korea was responsible.

But a spokesman for the North's Korea-Europe Association denied the accusations and warned Britain against "groundless speculation".

"This is an act beyond the limit of our tolerance and it makes us question the real purpose behind the UK's move," he said, in a statement carried by the official Korean Central News Agency late Monday.

"The moves of the UK government to doggedly associate the DPRK with the cyberattack cannot be interpreted in any other way than a wicked attempt to lure the international community into harboring greater mistrust of the DPRK," the spokesman said, using the initials of the North's official name.

According to the South Korean government, the North has a 6,800-strong unit of trained cyberwarfare specialists. It has been accused of launching high-profile cyberattacks, including the 2014 hacking of Sony Pictures.
President Xi Jinping meets with members of the Advisory Board of Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. WU ZHIYI / CHINA DAILY

President receives foreigners for first time since 19th Party Congress

China will firmly stick to the basic national policy of opening-up and pursue win-win cooperation while safeguarding the country's sovereignty, security and development interests, President Xi Jinping said on Monday.

Xi made the remark while meeting with members of the Advisory Board of Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The members include foreign and Chinese entrepreneurs, academics and former officials.

It was Xi's first meeting with foreigners after his re-election as general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee at the First Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee last week.

Xi told the members that the recently concluded 19th National Congress of the CPC had great significance, boosting Chinese people's confidence of continuing with the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Saying that China is deepening overall reform with unprecedented determination and force, Xi vowed to continue to promote reform and opening-up.

China has not only benefited from but also contributed to economic globalization, Xi said, adding that China's development means opportunities for the world.

China will not seek to take advantage of other countries but will pursue win-win cooperation, Xi said, while pledging to take more measures to boost opening-up.

The president pointed out that China sticks to the path of peaceful development, proactively participating in the reform and construction of the global governance system, and pushes to build a community of a shared future for mankind.

Xi also highlighted the importance of education, saying that China's education system aims to train builders and inheritors of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Commenting that he is looking forward to the upcoming meeting with US President Donald Trump, Xi said China would like to make joint efforts with the US to take each other's interests and concerns into consideration, dissolve disputes and contradictions, and engage in win-win cooperation.

During the meeting, some members of the board made speeches to express confidence in the Chinese economy and extended congratulations to the Party's 19th National Congress.

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc, said at the meeting that Apple looks forward to "continuing to be in China and working together on a very prosperous future".

"Innovation and technology come from openness and collaboration. I'd like to strongly encourage China to continue to open wider to the outside world," he said.

anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn
"Yesterday, on my orders, United States forces captured Mustafa al-Imam in Libya," Trump said in a statement, which came as the White House was rocked by the indictment of three campaign aides.

Trump said Imam "will face justice in the United States for his alleged role in the September 11, 2012 attacks in Benghazi."

Shortly afterwards, the US Attorney's Office for Washington announced that Imam, described as being approximately 46 years old, had been charged.

Under a recently unsealed three-charge complaint, Imam will be tried for "killing a person in the course of an attack on a federal facility involving a firearm."

He also faces a firearms charge and one of providing "material support to terrorists resulting in death."

An alleged mastermind of the attack, 46-year-old Ahmed Abu Khattala, is already on trial in the United States, accused of being a commander of the Ansar al-Sharia militia.

The attack killed US ambassador Chris Stevens as well as three other American personnel, and became emblematic of conservative opposition to then secretary of state Hillary Clinton.

Several congressional investigations were launched, along with a State Department security review, into both the handling of the attack and how it was described in the media.

Clinton was never convincingly tagged with wrongdoing or negligence, but the issue haunted her failed 2016 presidential campaign and may have contributed to Trump's victory.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson welcomed Trump's announcement.

"I am deeply grateful to the US military, law enforcement and intelligence community for their efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators of the September 11, 2012 terrorist attacks," he said.

Tillerson said he had spoken to some of the relatives of those killed in the raid "to underscore the US government's unwavering support."

Choking on smoke

On September 11, 2012 -- the anniversary of the 2001 Al-Qaeda attacks on New York and Washington -- fighters launched a surprise attack on a US diplomatic compound in Benghazi.

The eastern city had been a hotbed of support for the rebels who the year previously, backed by NATO bombing runs, had overthrown dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

But since the fall of the regime, like many areas of Libya, it had fallen prey to faction fighting among rival militias -- including some inspired by global jihadist groups.

Then president Barack Obama's government was criticized for, in some initial reactions, ascribing the attack to regional popular anger over a US-produced, amateur anti-Islam film.

But it was subsequently concluded that it was a coordinated militant operation.

Ambassador Stevens and Sean Smith, a State Department technician, died of smoke inhalation as armed men attacked and set fire to a building in the diplomatic compound.

The group later fired mortar rounds at a building used by the CIA, killing Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods, two former members of the Navy SEALs working as contractors.

Trump's statement did not go into detail as to how the latest suspect, Imam, was captured.

But Abu Khattala was captured in 2014, when US special forces carried out a commando raid based on intelligence provided by a friend who received a $7 million reward from the US government.

Hunt for justice

Abu Khattala was taken to a US Navy ship, where he was first subjected to a secret, classified interrogation before being questioned by FBI agents who informed him of his legal rights.

Defense attorneys have since claimed that his 13-day voyage to the United States was dragged out unnecessarily to prevent him from having proper legal counsel. Prosecutors deny this claim.

Trump suggested that even the second arrest had not brought an end to the US hunt for justice.

"To the families of these fallen heroes: I want you to know that your loved ones are not forgotten, and they will never be forgotten," he said.

"Our memory is deep and our reach is long, and we will not rest in our efforts to find and bring the perpetrators of the heinous attacks in Benghazi to justice."
The apparent assassination was the latest involving high-profile figures in Ukraine who bitterly opposed Russia.

It also threatened to further damage relations between two neighbours which already treat each other as direct foes.

Ukrainian interior ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko said Amina Okuyeva died and her husband Adam Osmayev was injured when their car was hit by a hail of bullets while crossing a railroad track.

"Adam Osmayev was wounded, but he will live," Gerashchenko wrote on Facebook.

"I just spoke to him by phone."

Interior ministry spokesman Yaroslav Trakalo confirmed Okuyeva's death to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

He later added that investigators planned to open a "premeditated murder" inquiry but not a terror probe.

Osmayev was accused by Moscow authorities of plotting to kill Putin just weeks before the Russian leader's election to a third term in 2012.

He was held for two and a half years in a Ukrainian prison but never extradited to Russia.

A second suspect in that case was sentenced in 2013 to 10 years in prison after being handed over to the Russian authorities.

Repeat attempt

Osmayev had already survived an assassination attempt in Kiev on June 1. The assailant was shot dead by Okuyeva on that occasion.

The June bid to kill Osmayev was staged by a man who initially presented himself as a journalist with a French newspaper.

The Ukrainian interior ministry later identified the assailant as a Russian citizen.

The locally renowned husband-and-wife team fought as volunteers alongside Ukrainian forces battling Russian-backed insurgents in the east of the war-scarred state.

Monday's attack occurred less than a week after Ukraine opened a terror probe into a bombing that wounded a nationalist Ukrainian lawmaker in Kiev.

Radical Party member Igor Mosiychuk was walking out of a television studio after giving an interview Wednesday when an explosive device went off near a scooter parked on the street.

Mosiychuk's bodyguard died on the way to hospital and a passer-by was killed at the scene.

Both Mosiychuk and Ukrainian prosecutors said they suspected the Russian security services of being behind the attack.

That blast was the latest in a string of politically charged bombings to have hit the Ukrainian capital since last year.

Former Russian opposition lawmaker Denis Voronenkov was gunned down in broad daylight in the Ukrainian capital after in March.

A car bomb killed journalist Pavlo Sheremet in July 2016. The independent Ukrainska Pravda news site's reporter had denounced the political courses taken by both Russia and Ukraine.

And a colonel with the Ukrainian defence ministry's intelligence service was killed when his car exploded in Kiev in June.
CHICAGO (AP)  A Northwestern University neuroscience graduate has pleaded not guilty to charges he pushed another man off a Chicago subway platform and onto train tracks.

Chad Estep is charged with attempted murder, unlawful restraint and aggravated battery. He stood silently in Cook County court on Monday as his attorney entered the plea on his behalf. The 34-year-old is free on $200,000 bond.

His attorney, Vadim Glozman, told reporters the defense will try "to get the best possible result" for Estep.

Police say Estep pushed the 46-year-old man at a downtown station Aug. 1. Estep was arrested earlier this month.

Prosecutors allege Estep tried to block the man from getting back onto the platform and stop other commuters from assisting him. The man climbed onto the platform seconds before a train arrived.
PEORIA, Ill. (AP)  Authorities in Peoria say a 16-year-old boy found dead in an alley was shot three times in the chest and most likely died instantly.

The (Peoria) Journal Star reports Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood identified the boy as Travon N. Harris of Peoria after a Monday autopsy. Peoria police spokeswoman Amy Dotson says officers found Travon on Sunday afternoon after responding to reports of shots fired. He was pronounced dead at the scene just before 4 p.m. Sunday.

Another 16-year-old boy also was shot. He was found nearby and taken to a hospital but police say his injuries aren't life-threatening.

Peoria police said no information was immediately available about a suspect or suspects in the shooting. They are investigating.

___

Information from: Journal Star, http://pjstar.com
LAKE IN THE HILLS, Ill. (AP)  Authorities say a suburban Chicago middle school student has been charged with a hate crime after posting a threatening video on social media.

The Chicago Tribune reports charges come after police responded Oct. 19 to Marlowe Middle School in Lake in the Hills when a parent reported the video.

Officer Amanda Schmitt says the student wasn't in class at the time he posted the video. Details about the video weren't released, but Schmitt says it was "reported to be threatening in nature." He's charged with a hate crime and disorderly conduct.

Schmitt says students and staff weren't in any danger following the video posting. As a precaution, some schools were placed on a brief soft lockdown at the time.

___

Information from: Chicago Tribune, http://www.chicagotribune.com
MOLINE -- It was standing-room only as more than 75 people attended a question and answer session Monday afternoon on construction of the new Interstate 74 bridge.

Packed into a meeting room at the Moline Police Department, Mayor Stephanie Acri and project managers updated residents on the $1.2 billion River Bridge Project. The cost is being split between the states of Iowa and Illinois, and the cities of Bettendorf and Moline.

The new span is expected to be completed in 2020. The current bridge, built in 1935 with toll booths, will be demolished in 2021.

Ryan Hippen, construction field engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation, said caissons  foundations for the bridge pier  will continue to be installed for the next 12 to 18 months. Eastbound traffic will remain open for the duration of construction.

"In 2019, westbound traffic will be closed on the I-74 bridge," Mr. Hippen said. "The project is running as planned. We have incentives for contractors to get work done on time, and penalties if they don't."

Mr. Hippen said the city of Moline and public works director JD Schulte have "been excellent to work with."

Danielle Mulholland, I-74 project manager for the Iowa Department of Transportation, said the new bridge will have two spans with four lanes and shoulders.

Moline resident Patrick Oberg asked if there would be a pathway for bicycles and security cameras to ensure safety.

Ms. Mulholland said a 14-foot-wide pedestrian and bicycle path will run alongside the western span of the bridge and have a scenic overlook platform with lighting. Security cameras with 360-degree rotating views will provide surveillance of all vehicle and pedestrian traffic across both spans.

"This is a 100-year-design with minimal maintenance," Ms. Mulholland said. "It will be corrosion-resistant stainless steel encased in high-quality concrete. There will be sensors throughout the decks that monitor vibrations."

Prior to construction, all work had to coordinated with the U.S. Coast Guard with the intent of keeping the main channel open to river traffic, she said.

When the time comes for demolishing the current bridge, Ms. Mulholland said the use of explosives will be limited in order to protect the mussel habitat in the water.

"The bridge could be removed in slabs and chunks," she said. "There must be minimal impact to the mussel population, and there can be no debris left in the river."

In response to a question regarding the veteran's memorial at the foot of the bridge in Bettendorf, Ms. Mulholland said it will be moved to a location in Moline that is yet to be determined.

Rock Island resident Michelle Pullen asked what is being done to control dirt and dust generated by the number of trucks moving in and out of construction zones in downtown Moline.

Mr. Hippen said more than 50 trucks transport dirt and rocks to area landfills per day, which has caused the amount of dust Ms. Pullen has noticed. He said street sweepers regularly clean the area.

Despite local road closures, Mayor Acri asked people to support Moline retailers.

"As a community member, I encourage you to keep shopping at retail stores downtown," she said. "Moline sales tax dollars are very important to this project."

For more information on the project and its timeline, visit I74bridge.com.
More than half of the births in China during the first five months of the year involved a second child - or even additional ones - more than a year after the universal second-child policy was introduced in January 2016, according to China's top health authority.

The number of births at Chinese hospitals between January and May was 7.4 million, an increase of 7.8 percent over the same period last year, Wang Peian, vice-minister of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said at an annual meeting of the China Population Association held in Kunming, Yunnan province, on July 20.

Of all the births in the first five months, 57.7 percent were at least the second child of their parents, an increase of 8.5 percentage points over the same period last year, he said.

The total number of births at hospitals in China last year was about 18.5 million, the highest level since 2000, according to the commission. More than 99 percent of births in China take place in hospitals.

The universal second-child policy has produced good results, and the number of babies born has been increasing significantly, despite a drop in the number of women of fertile age, Wang said.

Over the past year, health authorities have been improving measures to support the policy and establish a social environment that encourages childbirth, he said.

With an increasing number of pregnancies, China faces some health challenges in the next few years - for example, a significant number of the mothers are over 35 - according to health officials and doctors. The number of pregnant women over 35 is expected to remain at about 3 million through 2020.

"Surveys show that many couples from the generation born in the 1970s who were hesitant about having a second child during the initial period when the universal second-child policy was adopted are now hurrying to give birth to a second child so they won't miss that last chance," Ma Xiaowei, another vice-minister of the commission, said on July 13.

In Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, more than 28 percent of women who gave birth last year were at higher risk in pregnancy and childbirth, according to a report in Guilin Evening News on July 21. One factor was age.

At Guilin Women and Children's Hospital, doctors saved 140 pregnant women in critical condition in the first half of the year. The oldest pregnant woman treated so far this year was 56, the report said.

China introduced its family planning policy in the late 1970s to check its soaring population by limiting most urban couples to one child. Couples in rural areas could have a second child if the first one was a girl, and in some ethnic regions couples in rural areas could have more than two children.

A major policy change at the end of 2013 allowed couples nationwide to have a second child if either parent was an only child. That limitation ended last year.

wangxiaodong@chinadaily.com.cn

A family takes photos to welcome a new member in Beijing. More than half of the births in China during the first five months of the year involved a second child. Zhang Yuwei / Xinhua

(China Daily European Weekly 07/28/2017 page14)
President Donald Trumps executive actions have upended official Washington. He has issued an executive order to terminate DACA, the program that allows immigrants who came to America as children to remain.

He issued orders announcing his intention to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, to terminate the EPAs Clean Power Plan, to end payments to health insurance companies to compensate them for subsidizing low-income Americans health insurance policies, and announced he will not certify that Iran is abiding by the terms of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the agreement to suspend Irans nuclear weapons program.

What are we to make of this? First,each of these actions reduces the scope and reach of the federal government. Antifa protesters  who seem to have no clue what fascism really is  might do well to understand that it is not normal fascist behavior to reduce the role of government in society or to break the governments connections with big businesses such as health insurance corporations.

Second, every one of these actions ends programs that were put in place by President Barack Obama  also by executive orders. Obamas DACA policy was already facing a significant constitutional challenge from more than half of Americas state governments. So, too, with the Clean Power Plan, which one federal judge has already found to be unconstitutional. And so too with Obamas payments to health insurance companies.

The Constitution is quite clear that no federal dollars can be spent except through appropriations made by law. Obama had no such appropriated funds, and spending money which the Congress never appropriated was also doomed to be overturned by the courts.

The same is true of the Paris Climate Accord and the Iran nuclear deal. Obama submitted neither of these to the Senate for ratification for one reason: There is no way either would have received the needed two-thirds of the Senate to consent to ratify them.

It is fair enough to argue that since the Paris agreement didnt mandate any action on the part of the US, it need not have been submitted as a treaty. But the same cannot be said about the Iran nuclear agreement. Here Obama took the easy way out.

In short, each of Trumps actions is a restoration of constitutional government. It is not executive overreach to end programs created by executive overreach.

Finally, Trumps actions laid these issues where they squarely belong: in the lap of Congress. It is bad enough that successive Congresses have allowed recent presidents to conduct warfare in six different countries without authorizing use of force. But for Congress to cede its authority on immigration, health care, energy and environmental issues is inexcusable.

President George W. Bush spoke about the soft bigotry of low expectations. There is no group in America for whom this phrase is more apt than the U.S. Congress. No one seems to expect much from Congress today. And in that regard Congress hasnt disappointed.

Perhaps Trump can force Congress to act. After all that is just what Obama did in letting the Bush tax cuts expire and then bargaining with Congress from there. Perhaps Congress will pass a new version of DACA and other immigration reforms. Perhaps it will compromise on health care. Perhaps Congress will sanction Iran for its failure to allow full inspections of its nuclear weapons program, its United Nations-prohibited ballistic missile program and its export of terrorism.

But if Congress doesnt act it is certainly not President Trumps fault.
Of all the questions over the loss of four special operations soldiers in Niger, perhaps the most persistent is: Why are we there?

Were used to having U.S. troops in Asia and the Middle East, but Niger? Is our national security enhanced by what they were trying to do there?

The short answer is yes. To understand why, take a closer look at what our troops were doing  and why.

The mission, which began in 2013, was a classic special operations operation more specifically known as a foreign internal defense,a term for the most fundamental task we give our Green Berets (which I served in for 28 years). A small team goes into a foreign country to work with that nations military to better prepare it to deal with its own problems.

This occurs during what the military calls phase zero, prior to when a bigger conflict emerges. Its done in coordination with the host nations civilian government, and the entire country team at the U.S. Embassy.

It is overt and open. Its purpose is to build rapport with the host nations military, to improve its capabilities, to gather open source intelligence, and to learn the lay of the land and the local players.

The U.S. has conducted these missions since the 1950s. At times, we have had as few as a dozen of these operations, and at others several hundred in as many as 80-plus countries simultaneously.

These missions have short-circuited conflicts on nearly every continent. They are also inherently dangerous. The teams are small, ranging from a pair of operators up to a few dozen. There are seldom more than 100 U.S. troops.

So why do we put such small teams at risk?

The answer is simply that the return is worth it. Often, the use of a small, mature, and low-profile group of quiet professionals can have greater success than a large, high-profile deployment on a massive scale.

As terror groups such as the Islamic State and al-Qaida move to numerous small or underdeveloped countries, these missions allow the U.S. to mitigate the threat before it grows  and they do so without making the U.S. the worlds policeman.

Instead of fighting terrorists everywhere ourselves, these missions help our friends better police their own backyards.

These missions have been extremely common since 9/11, so it is ludicrous for legislators to claim ignorance. Nothing about these missions is new, little is hidden and none of it should surprise anyone who has spent more than a week on Capitol Hill.

To repeat, these missions are dangerous. The teams that execute them lack the huge support mechanisms Americans have come to associate with military operations. Our troops know this, and regularly volunteer for the opportunity to participate simply because they know they work.

They also know these are the kinds of missions they have trained for, and which they execute with greater skill than anyone in the world.

They know that if trouble occurs, support is further away than in conventional operations. Intelligence is superb, often better than in regular military activities, but the logistical and response functions are thin and distant.

These are not kids who just joined the military six months ago. They are hardened professionals who, yes, know what the risks are, and go without hesitation.

Yes, we need to know what happened in Niger. Any time military members die in action, a full investigation occurs. A full post-mortem of the deadly ambush in Niger needs to take place so that we can do better on the next mission.

The media and politicians should stop the showmanship and game-playing. Let Defense Secretary James Mattis do his job, and let the brave men and women of the U.S. military do theirs.

Grandstanding senators and talking heads dont help make America safe. Missions like the one in Niger do.

Steven Bucci is a visiting fellow in the Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at The Heritage Foundation; www.heritage.org.
ROCK ISLAND  If victims of domestic violence and abuse hadnt suffered enough already, vandalism to symbols of their plights and survivals renewed some painful hurts.

Unknown vandals twice have targeted Augustana Colleges Clothesline Project, which addresses the issue of violence against women, according to Keri Rursch, college assistant vice president for communication and marketing.

Women affected by violence make shirts and hang them on clotheslines to express their emotions to about the dangers posed by violence against women.

The local display set up in the colleges Quad was set on fire between late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, Ms. Rursch said, adding that some of the shirts and clothesline poles were burned.

About 200 people gathered in the colleges Quad after the fire to show their disdain for the vandalism and support of domestic violence victims.

People replaced damaged shirts, she said. There were 65 to 70 shirts put out there then.

But vandals struck again, Ms. Rursch said, taking down some T-shirts overnight Saturday. Vandals also used some chalk left behind by students to write derogatory comments.

The college took swift action, including borrowing surveillance cameras from Milan police, and asking people to come forward with credible information, Ms. Rursch said.

Some people did, but the incidents remain under investigation and information obtained is being used for that investigation, she said.

The college also has offered a $1,500 reward for information, Ms. Rursch said.

College administrators and students were saddened by the vandalism.

But the response reminds us how resilient our students are, and how important it is to bring the campus together, as people process whats happening, she said.

It shows how good students and faculty are to each other. That inspires us to do more and bring this event to a close.

It is not known whether any Augustana students are involved in the crime spree, she said, adding that the college does plan to bring charges when suspects are identified.
Celebrating Our Service Members

Friday, November 11 is Veterans Day, when we honor and show gratitude to all members of our Armed Forces  those currently serving, those who...

Transit Equity Starts With QueensLink

For decades Queens has seen a disinvestment in the necessary transit infrastructure the borough needs to promote equity and sustainability. Most of the time, transformative...
Belgian artist Michel Dircken holds a model of a carved Halloween pumpkin as he poses on an electric train at the Centre of Fantastic Art in Brussels, Belgium October 28, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

Many people do not know the real reason why so many of us wear spooky outfits or other fancy dress costumes, carve pumpkins, and play trick-or-treat games every year on Oct 31.

They are engaging in a tradition that may go back thousands of years.

Halloween in recent centuries has been All Hallows Evening, or All Saints Eve, a Christian festival that celebrates the dead, particularly deceased saints and other important people.

But the practices of dressing up as the dead and carving lanterns do not seem particularly Christian and one theory suggests those parts of the celebration may have their origins in the Celtic festival of Samhain, which means "Summer's End". It was also a festival of the dead and it took place when it was believed the wall between our world and the spirit world was thin enough for spirits to be able to pass through it and roam the earth. People believed the best way to trick and ward off evil spirits was to dress up just like them.

Since the 16th century, British and Irish people have dressed up as the souls of the dead and gone door-to-door asking for food in exchange for a poem or song while praying for divine protection. In Ireland and Scotland the practice was known as guising, from disguising.

The tradition became known as Trick or Treating.

The carving of pumpkins also started out as a way to stop spirits settling in homes. Legend has it that an Irish man named Jack fooled the devil into not taking his soul when he died. On Jacks death, he was not allowed into heaven and the devil also kept his word and did not drag him into hell. The legend has it that the devil threw a burning piece of coal at Jack and he caught it and put it in a carved-out turnip.

Immigrants arriving in North America in the 19th century could not find turnips but could find pumpkins with which to make lanterns.

In the last 40 years, the original British and Irish customs have been re-shaped by the way the festival has been celebrated in the United States. Guising and turnip lanterns have been replaced by trick or treating and pumpkins.

And Halloween has become a big business, particularly in the US, where an estimated $8 billion is spent on food, costumes, and parties each year.

Zhang Yangfei contributed to this story.
Cubic Corp. announced that its Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) business division was awarded a $6.5-million contract from the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) to migrate the Cubic-operated back office system for the Breeze Card to the cloud.

First implemented by Cubic in 2006, the Breeze Card is MARTAs automated fare collection technology. The migration will be implemented through Cubics collaboration with Microsoft and the Microsoft Azure cloud platform.

Throughout the years, Cubic has successfully helped MARTA and the Greater Atlanta area with many of its transportation challenges while continually improving the transit experience in the city, said Matt Cole, president of CTS. Moving the Breeze Card system to the cloud will not only provide MARTA with enhanced functionality, but it also marks an important step in the journey to provide the best-in-class, next-generation transit service in Atlanta.

Under the contract, Cubic will also upgrade the Breeze Card system to the latest release of its NextFare central system software. The upgrade will improve user experience and operational efficiency by optimizing the database performance and data warehouse capability. This will make it easier for MARTA to maintain payment card industry (PCI) compliance and will provide enhanced network security and disaster recovery features.

Moving to the cloud will allow MARTA to leverage all of the new storage and security features, while becoming less dependent on often vulnerable, on-premises solutions  all to the benefit of Atlantas travelers, said Torrey Kirby, interim assistant general manager of technology and chief information officer of MARTA.
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Moscow court upholds arrest in absentia for activist Maltsev

MOSCOW, October 31 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court has upheld a lower courts ruling on arrest in absentia for activist Vyacheslav Maltsev in a criminal case over extremism, the courts press-service told RAPSI on Tuesday.

Maltsev was charged in absentia with public calls for extremist activity. He is to stay in detention for two months after the moment of his arrest in Russia or extradition or deportation from another country. Currently, he is on the international wanted list.

Earlier, media reported that the case against Maltsev was launched after his speech at the rally called For Russia without outrage and repressions related to anniversary of the rally at Bolotnaya Square on May 6, 2012.
Russian prosecutors detect 30,000 violations against nature in 2.5 years

MOSCOW, October 31 (RAPSI)  Prosecutors revealed 30,000 violations of law on specially protected natural areas in last 2.5 years, Russias Prosecutor General Yury Chaika announced on Tuesday.

Among the detected violations were illegal logging, poaching, unauthorized land grab, and environmental pollution, Chaika said during the meeting concerning execution of nature reserve legislation.

Prosecutors have filed nearly 5,000 lawsuits with courts seeking to recover 132 million rubles in damage caused to unique natural complexes. About 180 criminal cases have been opened based on prosecutors' materials. Moreover, more than 1,000 websites selling Red Book species have been blocked on prosecutors request, he noted.

According to the Prosecutor General, results of prosecutors inspections disclosed a low level of investigations into crimes in this field.
ICC Russia conference on international arbitration to be held in Moscow on November 28

MOSCOW, October 31 (RAPSI)  The anniversary conference on international arbitration Russia as a Place for Dispute Resolution organized by the Russian National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC Russia) will be held on November 28 in Moscow.

The discussion aims to contribute to the development of courts of arbitration and international commercial arbitration in Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States, to promote Russia as place for dispute resolution and to advance Russian arbitrators in national and international arbitration institutions.

President of the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Alexis Mourre and representatives of the court are expected to attend the conference.

Among the topics for discussion are expedited arbitration procedure and problem of proving corruption in international disputes reviewed by arbitration institutions.

Panel called The most high-profile commercial cases of 2017 will be dedicated to the most relevant and specific disputes in this area.

Organizers of the conference invite experts in international arbitration law, lawyers, representatives of scientific and academic community and audience members interested in learning more about best practices in the sphere of alternative dispute resolution.

The conference will be held in Russian and English languages at StandArt Hotel Moscow located at Strastnoy Bul'var, 2.
The Communist Party of China has just completed its 19th Party Congress. As China becomes the most powerful nation in the world over the next 10 to 15 years, this congress may well be seen as marking the turning point in the countrys rise.

This conference is unlike any previous congress in the last 50 years in three respects. First, until now China considered itself to be an outsider to systems of global governance -- just one developing nation among the worlds countries. Prior congresses were concerned mainly with advancing Chinas economic objectives for domestic growth. In regard to foreign policy, China sought to join international organizations as a supplicant, asking to be given special treatment as a poor, developing economy needing to catch up to the worlds leaders. China did not presume to project power abroad, nor to lead the world in any way.



After three decades of double-digit economic growth, all this has changed. China now sees itself as deserving a return to its historical role as the core of the world economy. In the seventeenth century, the number one destination of the silver mined by Spanish conquistadors in the New World was China. Chinese manufacturers of ceramics (known as fine China), and of cotton cloth and silk dominated global export markets. China plans to restore its former position as the world leader in trade and quality exported goods. This party congress laid out goals for China to achieve along its path to leadership in the global economy.



Second, this party congress has elevated the role of the Communist Party in China, and of Xi Jinping as leader of the Party, to new heights. Since Deng Xiaopings reforms set Chinas new direction in the 1980s, the Party has retreated from numerous domains of Chinese life. In regard to private farming, private industry, religion, the media, and academia, Deng allowed the Chinese new freedoms that were unknown under Mao Zedong. But the newly adopted Constitution states that "the Party leads on everything, be it party work, government, military, civilian, or academia, be it East, West, South, North, or middle. And while the Party leads on everything, it is equally clear that on everything, Xi leads the party. Xi has become the first Chinese leader since Mao to have his own philosophy written into the Party Constitution while still in power. The entire congress has become a lengthy exercise in admiration of Xi, his thought, and his critical importance to the future of the Party.



The system put in place by Deng to balance power in the Party across different factions has been replaced by a system in which Xi and his loyalists hold all the levers of power in the army, the economy, and the bureaucracy. This congress should put an end to any illusions that as China grew richer it would become more pluralistic and less autocratic, or that as China became more capitalist its intellectual life and civil society would grow more free. What China has become, while rising to control the worlds second-largest economy, is a country totally subject to the rule of the Party, while the Party is totally subject to the rule of one man.



Third, the new Constitution enshrines Chinas economic strategy to dominate the world. It commits China to pursue the Belt and Road strategy launched by Xi. By financing a vast network of ports, railways, and roads to carry freight from China to Europe, China aims to create fast, direct, and inexpensive transport for Chinas goods to markets across all of Asia and out to Western Europe. China has already put in place rail links that stretch from Beijing to London. For maritime transport, China is developing new seaports in the Indian Ocean and has purchased the port of Piraeus in Greece. China is expanding the latter to serve as the hub of a transport network of China-built rail lines reaching from Greece into Hungary and then throughout Europe. This maritime trade route is being protected by Chinas fast-expanding blue-water navy, new air and naval bases built on reefs in the South China Sea, and Chinas first overseas military base in Djibouti, which guards the Red Sea and Suez routes to the Piraeus. The Belt and Road projects will make it possible for China to become the economic center of all of Eurasia.



Moreover, this vast continent-wide construction venture is being financed mainly by loans from China to other countries. These loans will bind these countries to China for a generation. The Belt and Road projects also come with Chinese suggestions that state-led economic growth and autocratic government are superior ways to organize an economy, and insistence on support for Beijing in international councils. Xi considers the Western government system of checks and balances, free civil society, and constitutionally limited executive authority as a threat to the existence of the Party and to his own power; he has thus banned any teaching or even discussion of these topics in China.



The Belt and Road project is expected to be a vital tool in spreading the view that Chinas political and economic system is superior; hence its enshrinement in the new Constitution as a vital task of the Party. It is backed by new institutions for credit, such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, that are designed to put China in a leading role in global finance.



While the United States under Donald Trump retreats from globalization and international trade agreements, seeking to void any agreements that do not yield a short-term trade surplus to the United States, China has dedicated itself to the opposite strategy, aiming to make long-term investments to supplant the United States as the worlds dominant power. Like the United States in the years after World War II, China is seeking to spin its economic power into a global web of finance, construction, and trade. But unlike the United States, it is doing so under a model of party-led autocracy as the ideal from of government, rather than the constitutional democracy that Washington promotes.

The 19th Party Congress has left no doubts about Chinas plans. In the vision spelled out in the new Constitution, Xi Jinping is the core of the Communist Party, the Party is the core of China, and China will be the core of the world economy.



If Xi succeeds, and China overtakes the United States as the worlds dominant power, 2017 will be cited as the critical year in which Beijing and Washington made key shifts in direction, with the United States retreating from global engagement and influence, and China seizing its opportunity with both hands. It will also be seen as the year in which autocratic rule and state domination replaced constitutional democracy as the leading model for societies around the world.



Jack A. Goldstone is Hazel Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University and a Global Policy Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center.
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Ashley Block could run circles around anyone before most even got their day started, friends and family said. She was a warm and selfless go-getter who left her classmates and friends wondering how she had the time in a day to do it all.
Around 60 people came to listen to Yahya Mahamid, an Iraeli-Arab speaker for StandWithUS, share his story during the Dawgs for Israel meeting on Monday, Oct. 30.
A lot goes on around campus, and sometimes it's hard to keep up. From the rededication of Clark Howell Hall to star athletes, The Red & Black complied five of the top stories not to miss this week.
LONDON - Financial firms in Britain will begin taking "irreversible" decisions about staff and operations by Christmas or early 2018 if there is no transition deal ahead of Brexit, Britain's top markets watchdog said on Tuesday.

Andrew Bailey, chief executive of the Financial Conduct Authority said financial firms in Britain were already renting new buildings in the European Union, but such decisions could be reversed.

More "irreversible" contingency plans, namely putting staff in new operations in the EU to ensure continuity of operations after Britain leaves the bloc in 2019, are also more difficult to fulfil, Bailey told parliaments Treasury Select Committee.

"That is why they and we tend to take the view that the end of this year, beginning of next year is the point at which these things start happening," Bailey said.

A strong commitment by Britain and the EU to a transition deal after Brexit would ease pressure on firms to take irreversible decisions, he added.
Those involved in the discussions say the guidelines for selection of bidders in insolvency cases need to be transparent, otherwise anyone who loses out could take legal recourse, leading to wastage of time and derailing the whole process.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

Banks that are part of the consortium of lenders for companies referred to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) have come to a consensus that there should be sectoral guidelines for selection of bidders among those who show an interest in acquiring any of the stressed assets put up for sale.

Bankers, who held meetings on this issue a few days ago, looked at three alternative evaluation matrices -- whether the evaluation criteria should be different from company to company; whether these should be common across all companies, irrespective of the industry; or the third option of their being pegged to a particular sector.

So, for instance, the criteria for choosing bidders for all steel companies will be the same, but these will differ from the criteria for automobile component companies.

Those involved in the discussions say the guidelines for selection need to be transparent, otherwise anyone who loses out could take legal recourse leading to wastage of time and derailing the whole process.

They point out that the draft guidelines for making a non-binding bid for Monnet Ispat, which has a deadline till November 16, have already been circulated for discussions.

Those who have placed expressions of interest will bid based on the criteria set out by this document.

Some bankers said they preferred sector-specific rules. They also want to set a proper formula to determine the reserve price. A representation to this effect has been sent to the ministry of corporate affairs.

Banks feel that there should be stringent and specific guidelines as it is not just their dues but also the fact they have been asked to maintain high provisioning for these companies.

Bankers feel that if a company is sold at less than half its valuation it will be unfair for creditors.

Experts say that the final decision on who wins the bid will be based on a five-step process, which involves recommendations from both the merchant banker as well as the insolvency professional.

Their recommendations will be discussed by a management committee comprising the top five lenders to the company.

The recommendations of this small group will then be put up to the committee of creditors, which is represented by the entire consortium of banks that has provided the company its loan.

Here it will be put to vote, based on a proportionate system pegged to the amount of exposure, and must secure 75 per cent of the votes after which it will be referred to the NCLT, which will take the final decision.

The insolvency and bankruptcy code allows the resolution professional to open the bidding for a company in an attempt to restructure it.

If there is no buyer for the company, then a resolution plan is prepared by the resolution professional which is then placed before the committee of creditors for approval.

After this, the NCLT looks at the plan.

The NCLT has taken up 12 big-ticket cases referred by the Reserve Bank of India that constitute about 25 per cent of the total bank non-performing assets. These include large steel companies like Essar Steel, Bhushan Steel, Bhushan Steel and Power, Electrosteel and Monnet Ispat; automobile components company Amtek Auto; and real estate and construction giant Jaypee Infratech.

Under the rules, banks must undertake 50 per cent provisioning of their debt.

Various companies which include leading PE funds like TPG, Blackstone, SSG and AION apart from Tata Steel, JSW and ArcelorMittal have expressed interest in acquiring these companies.

Also PE funds have tied up with corporate to bid together, like AION and JSW for Monnet Ispat.

Those bidding say that the enterprise value of companies like Essar Steel and Bhushan Steel should not be more than $5 billion.

They argue that with debts of $7-8 billion on their books and a provisioning of 50 per cent they will be willing to take over the smaller debt ($4 billion) of the company and pay $1 billion as cash upfront for the sale.

With a partner, this means PE funds will have to write a cheque of $300-500 million as they will also receive mezzanine credit for financing the payment.

Banks, of course, have the option to convert part of the debt into equity.
A trust deficit had been building between developers and their customers, with massive incidence of project delays and deviations. Compliance with Rera is an opportunity to revive buyers confidence.

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.

None brought back enough consumer confidence. Now, companies are banking on the four-digit Rera registration number.

Once sceptical of and concerned about the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, developers are now flaunting compliance with Rera as a unique selling point, claiming to be 'Rera-certified' in their advertisements, and hoping of winning back the confidence of buyers.

Supertech, a real estate company based out of the NCR, recently announced all its projects had been so registered.

And, that it was committed to timely delivery of 15,000 units in the current financial year across 50 locations, mostly in the NCR.

We have become fully compliant with all the new Rera rules and regulations. Compliance with Rera is an opportunity to revive buyers confidence and we want to capitalise on the opportunity, said R K Arora, chairman.

A trust deficit had been building between developers and their customers, with massive incidence of project delays and deviations.

A little over 50,000 buyers still await keys to their apartments in the region.

Other developers have issued similar claims, on billboards, radio and TV.

Mentioning the Rera number gives consumers some confidence. They can do a background check on the developer. This is making things more transparent.

Any developer who claims to be Rera-certified has got it, as he has fulfilled the prescribed requirements, says Parveen Jain, vice-chairman of the National Real Estate Development Council.

As of today, only 18 states and seven Union Territories (UTs) have notified Rera; 10 states are yet to.

Though Haryana and UP have notified Rera, they are yet to set up the portal via which developers can upload their applications for registration of their projects.

Also, these two states have come under heavy criticism for diluting the Centres Rera norms, said Anuj Puri, chairman, Anarock Property Consultants.

Experts also warn that having a Rera number is not enough.

Loopholes do exist in Rera and are being exploited; the laws themselves are being diluted in several states.

Registration is not enough - there needs to be a Rera website in place for each state and UT. Also, project completion timelines given there by developers need to be realistic and attractive to buyers, said Ramesh Nair, head of realty consultant JLL India.

Photograph: Reuters
IT firms are training employees of their clients and even aspiring IT professionals, in order to create fresh revenue streams amid shrinking deal sizes in traditional software maintenance, says Ayan Pramanik.

Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com.

In the last three years, Indian information technology (IT) services firms Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Infosys have re-skilled thousands of engineers in newer technologies such as cloud and digital, amid a paradigm shift in client budgets to these new areas.

Now, these firms are taking this a step further by training employees of their own clients and even aspiring IT professionals, in order to create fresh revenue streams amid shrinking deal sizes in traditional software maintenance.

These companies are seeing faster growth in emerging technology areas such as cloud, data science and analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and DevOps, amid a sharp fall in business from traditional services.

Infosys said training staff of clients is a key focus area, apart from deploying emerging technologies such as AI and machine learning to help clients pivot to next-generation services.

"...A lot of the work that we are doing with our clients now is learning-led. It is not just that Infosys and our peer group need to re-factor or retrain our talent. It is also our clients.

"Our clients are also looking for an overall capability uplift of their own teams and that is work where we are getting very deeply engaged.

"For one of our clients, we actually trained 6,000 of their employees across the world in DevOps. For a second client in the US, we trained 500 of their employees in Hadoop and Big Data techniques," said Mohit Joshi, head, BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance), health care and life sciences, Infosys.

Indian firms have traditionally imbibed thousands of fresh graduates from engineering colleges into centralised campuses, schooled them in tight-knit customised courses, and deployed them across projects.

Their training included soft skills, critical to delivery of services to global clients.

Infosys has a training centre in Mysuru, TCS in Thiruvananthapuram, and Wipro in multiple cities.

The assembly-line approach to training graduates for customers also helped these Indian IT firms build scale for global firms looking to outsource development and maintain technology applications critical for their growth.

They were also able to quickly shift focus to training in digital technologies, as clients cut spend on traditional IT services, choosing to invest instead in digital and cloud.

A global shortage of talent in these new areas is also raining opportunities for Indian IT firms, opportunities to offer training as part of their technology service offerings.

"This is a hybrid strategy that the service providers are adopting," said Rajesh Gupta, India partner, ISG.

"A lot of clients are adding their own capabilities and the service providers are looking at creating an eco-system where they are going to develop applications and multiple layers of services and if they do not do it, somebody else will. It will be a platform-based model.

"While it will create a new revenue stream, the challenge before them could be a third-party service provider leveraging the trained staff of their clients."

Gupta believes more service providers will have to look at such a strategy, considering the increasing demand for digital technology-driven solutions.

TCS is stepping up training for engineering and other students across countries to create employable talent in digital technologies.

The company signed a pact with National University in Philippines to introduce a comprehensive skills-readiness course for university graduates.

"Nearly 5,000 students enrolled at National University will now have access to new skills and training relevant to the IT/ITeS (IT-enabled services) industry. The new alliance is part of the TCS Academic Interface Programme," said the company.

TCS claimed that such initiatives would help alleviate demand-supply crisis in the IT services industry.
'The Make in India target of getting manufacturing to account for 25% of GDP by 2022 is quite impossible to achieve.'

'As for the role of technology in the average Indian's life, it is still quite basic -- mobile phones and Mars successes notwithstanding,' says T N Ninan.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

Can India become a developed country by 2022? That is the prospect the prime minister held out at Kedarnath on October 20.

The question begs a definition of what we might mean by 'developed'.

One way to answer that is to look at the structure of the economy, its financial development, and its manufacturing prowess.

For instance, the developed economies usually have a high component of gross domestic product comprising the industrial and service sectors. India does have a predominant service sector, but much of it is not in what might be termed the 'modern' segment of the economy.

And the manufacturing sector is smaller in relation to the whole economy than for virtually all of East Asia, let alone the more advanced economies.

Moreover, about half the population is still engaged in agriculture -- and farmers are by and large a distressed lot. Most of this will change only slowly, despite ambitious targets.

For instance, the Make in India target of getting manufacturing to account for 25 per cent of GDP by 2022 is quite impossible to achieve.

As for the role of technology in the average Indian's life, it is still quite basic -- mobile phones and Mars successes notwithstanding.

On the other hand, India does have sophisticated companies in the manufacturing and services sectors, and a well-developed financial system, even if its penetration into the total economy is still work in progress.

The stock market size in relation to GDP is substantial as is the level of financial savings in the system.

Even on the troubled question of infrastructure, the country does not do as badly as one might have feared.

In a ranking of countries on logistics (which covers trade infrastructure, international shipments, timeliness, customs, etc), the country does not do at all badly; the World Bank places it 35th in a listing of 160 countries on a logistics index, in the company of Turkey and Portugal, and well ahead of such countries as Thailand and Brazil.

Moving away from economic structures and systems, there is the question of income levels and social indicators.

The annual UN Human Development Reports show that India moved from a 'low' human development country to the 'medium' category about a decade ago.

At the present rate of progress, it might take the country another decade before it moves into the 'high' development category (where China is). There is also a 'very high' development category.

The human development index is a composite of three indicators: Per capita income, levels of schooling and life expectancy.

On the first of these, the country's per capita income of about $1,850 puts it in the 'lower-middle income' category. To cross into the 'higher-middle income' category (using the World Bank's definition of these terms) would mean more than doubling per capita income -- which is the work of at least the next decade, probably more.

Reaching the global average for per capita income would mean a further doubling and more, and is a very distant prospect.

When it comes to literacy, India is ranked 124th in a listing of 160 countries, behind such countries as Cambodia, Cameroon and Eritrea.

The country's literacy rate is still short of 75 per cent, whereas as many as 90 countries (including Vietnam and even Myanmar) report more than 90 per cent literacy.

In other words, there is a long way to go.

As for health indicators, India's rank on life expectancy is not very different from the one on literacy: 125th in a listing by the World Health Organisation of 183 countries.

India's figure of 68.3 years compares with the fact that 67 countries score 75 years and more. It is next to impossible for India to improve its life expectancy to that level by 2022.

If these are reasonable indicators with which to assess whether a country is 'developed' or not, then the reality is that India in its entirety has no hope of qualifying in the next five years. To be taken seriously, targets must be attainable.
People are steadily pulling the prime minister off the pedestal where they once placed him, which prompts Karan Thapar to ask if there's a change in the political temperature.

You can't have failed to notice the weather is changing.

Summer is over, winter is still far away, but there's a touch of autumn in the air.

I guess this was at the back of Pertie's mind when he asked if I could also detect the altering political mood in the country.

Now, there's no doubt the government is caught in the grip of several problems. Not just falling gross domestic product growth, disgruntlement with the goods and services tax and the failure to create adequate jobs, there's also disenchantment with the Bharatiya Janata Party's stand on what we can eat, say, do or wear, not to mention their foolish comments about the Taj Mahal, allegations about sons of the powerful and deteriorating relations with Pakistan, China and Russia.

I won't deny this suggests a government on the back foot.

However, Pertie's question was different. Has this sparked a change in the political temperature?

More importantly, has it changed the way we view Narendra Modi? Only when that happens can you say the political wind is shifting direction.

Pertie, I have to admit, had a unique, if not eye-opening, answer. Indeed, he might have spotted something genuinely revealing.

"We've started to make jokes about the prime minister and the BJP," he began.

"The hashtag 'vikas gando thayo che' (development has gone crazy), which has gone viral in Gujarat, mocks Modi's biggest boast: Development. Instead of admiring and praising, people are now laughing. Isn't that a sign of a major change?"

"It's just a joke, Pertie. Don't make so much of it."

"You're missing the point. When people start to mock they're also beginning to ridicule. And when that happens respect diminishes. Remember, you don't laugh at icons. So if the sound of laughter is growing louder, then people are slowly but steadily pulling Modi off the pedestal where they once placed him."

I hadn't expected this argument and I have to admit in Indian circumstances it has a certain ring of truth.

The British make jokes about those they admire, but that's not our way. Their jokes are a sign of affection; ours could be the first note of disaffection.

"This, by the way, is also true of an important change in Rahul Gandhi," Pertie continued.

"He's using humour to attack Modi and people are laughing with him. As a result, his digs find their mark but also stick in the mind."

"Give me a few examples," I said. Was Pertie making too much of the odd clever remark?

"Well, consider three. When Jay Shah got a court to bar The Wire writing about him, Rahul tweeted 'Mitron, Shah-zade ke baare main na boloonga na bolne doonga'."

"Then, when Donald Trump praised Pakistan, he tweeted 'Modiji quick: Looks like President Trump needs another hug'."

"Finally, after the Election Commission decided not to announce Gujarat election dates thus ensuring Modi's visit was not covered by the Model Code, he tweeted: 'Mausam ka haal: Chunav se pahle Gujarat mein aaj hogi jhumle ki baarish'."

"And proof this has riled Modi was the angry speech he made in Gandhinagar. It seems Rahul's humour is a weapon against which Modi has no defence."

Once again, Pertie has a point. The prime minister's speech in Gandhinagar revealed more about him than the Congress or Gandhi though, supposedly, they were what it was about.

He didn't just say the Gandhis 'hate' Gujarat and treat the state as 'an irritant in the eye', he claimed they wanted to jail him.

At one point, his passion perhaps overcoming his reason, he declared it was the Gandhis who spread stories about what Morarji Desai drinks. This was not just distasteful, but also untrue.

As prime minister, Desai readily admitted to Mark Tully his practice of 'drinking urine', adding he had written a book on it.

Becoming the butt of jokes has, possibly, unnerved Modi. However, let's not exaggerate.

No doubt a political breeze has started to rustle the trees and a few leaves have fallen, but it could easily die out.

It's not yet a wind and it's unlikely to ever become a storm.

However, if enough people think like Pertie, their expectations could become self-fulfilling.

That's the danger Modi must guard against.

Photograph: Mark Schiefelbein/Reuters
'In a complex conflict like Kashmir, you can't just ignore the militants when you talk of a permanent solution.'

Two decades after she held office as the first United States assistant secretary of state for South Asia and Central Asia affairs, Robin Raphel perhaps remains the most disliked American diplomat at India's ministry of external affairs.

Indian diplomats thought Raphel meddled excessively in Kashmir and believed she was pro-Pakistan.

Raphel -- who also served as an advisor to then secretary of state Hillary Clinton -- spoke to Pervez Majeed in Washington, DC in an exclusive and rare interview. The final section of a three-part interview.

Do you think the Government of India, besides having a dialogue with political dissidents, should talk to militants as well?

If you want to get to the bottom of the situation in Kashmir, which by now has layers and layers...

You need to be aware and be sure you understand the position of everybody and I think sometimes governments get stuck on not talking to this or that group...

And then people who don't get space on the table may be the people who influence the people on the table.

So I think in a complex conflict like Kashmir, you can't just ignore the militants when you talk of a permanent solution.

Do you foresee India will accede to some sort of autonomy to J&K as a part of the solution which you suggest?

That is what I think should happen.

In the current situation I find it very hard to predict because this current government in Delhi doesn't seem to be heading in that direction.

But I think at some stage, in order to have a sustainable and stable resolution in which Kashmiris really feel a part of India, that is what India has to do.

As a diplomat who has been closely involved with India, what are your views about the current BJP government in Delhi?

See, for the US and outside world what was admirable about India was this country's ability to balance different religions and ethnicities and a huge Muslim population.

But now what I read is in contrast with what I have witnessed in India.

I hope the present direction towards which India seems to be going, will not go. That would be unfortunate for India.

As President Clinton's key diplomat for South Asia, some people have accused you of being 'too sympathetic' towards Pakistan at the cost of US-India relations...

That's total nonsense. I was always very straightforward with both sides and that made them happy sometimes and concerned them the other times.

I like and am fascinated by both countries and I am impressed by how they have dealt with their history, their birth and moved on after a troubled beginning.

There is this overwhelming belief that the military in Pakistan over-rides the decisions of the civilian government, which adversely impacts US-Pakistan and India-Pakistan relations as well.

Since you are considered an expert on Pakistan, what are your views?

Let me tell you that the Pakistani military is the most organised, disciplined and cohesive group in Pakistan.

And you know this country is only 70 years old and since political parties are less mature and less disciplined and for fear of losing portions of their vote banks they don't push for the kind of reforms that Pakistan needs.

My impression is that the military is not interested in taking over the government at this point because it realises the likely repercussions, and it is occupied with fighting in FATA.

So what I would say is that it is not so much the desire of the military to over-ride government decisions as it is actually political parties have not evolved to the extent they should have.

In fact, when we used to talk to military leaders we used to get this impression that they don't want to manage the political affairs of the country, but circumstances force them to!

Hope the civilian side in Pakistan is maturing and of late the military too has a lot of their mandated affairs of the country so we won't see more of the military on the political scene.

What are your views about the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the perceived increase in Chinese influence on Pakistan?

I think that if it is managed properly, and there is no reason to believe it shouldn't be, that it is a good thing for Pakistan.

The Chinese have capital to invest and businesses to employ people. So it is a natural match.

Pakistan needs economic reforms for economic stability and that will contribute to the political and security stability in Pakistan which actually the US wants there, and in fact India wants as well.

So India or the US should not object to this because it doesn't threaten them.

IMAGE: Former Intelligence Bureau director Dineshwar Sharma, right, with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh after being appointed the Centre's representative in Jammu and Kashmir, October 23, 2017. Photograph: ANI
The Indian Army has been roped in to help build a new foot overbridge at the Elphinstone Road station in Mumbai that witnessed a deadly stampede last month killing 23 people, a move that sparked criticism on Tuesday from the opposition parties.

The announcement of the army coming in to help in the construction was made as Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal accompanied by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the Elphinstone Road station.

Fadnavis said the army will also help in building foot overbridges at two other stations in Mumbai.

Sitharaman said it was probably the "first time that the army will come in to build in what could otherwise be called civil work" to avoid recurrence of the unfortunate accident in the city, which gives jobs to millions. But Elphinstone station tragedy was "so big", she said.

Twenty-three people were killed in a stampede on September 29 on the crowded foot overbridge at the Elphinstone Road station.

Speaking to reporters at the venue, Fadnavis said, "We are taking the army's help in building a new FOB at the Elphinstone Road station and at two other suburban train stations in Mumbai."

"I have been informed that the work on these bridges will be completed by January 31," he said.

But Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh said the centre's move was "atrocious" and "deplorable" and an "admission of the failure" of the government and the Indian Railways while National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said the army should have been the "last resort" to be called in "extreme emergency" and that "now it seemed to be the 1st number on speed dial."

In a statement released in Chandigarh, Singh, a former army Captain, called the decision "unprecedented".

Senior Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam took a a potshot at the Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra, saying, "Hope army will not be called to fill potholes."

"A call was taken to cooperate seeing the urgency of the matter as the army has its role at the borders. The Army has come and seen, inspected and assessed where the bridge is going to be built, they will be there at every stage of the work," Sitharaman said.

The bridges will be built with the army's help at Elphinstone Road, Currey Road and Ambivili stations, Fadnavis said.

"Following the stampede, I discussed this issue (of building bridges) with Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar who took it up with Goyalji and Sitharamanji. We discussed that if the bridge was to be built in normal course, then it would take a long time and if this task is to be given to the Army, which has a vast expertise to do such a work quickly," he said.

"Subsequently, the railway minister and the defence minister along with their senior officials held deliberations and decided the Army will erect the three railway bridges," he said.

Fadnavis, who completes three years as the chief minister of Maharashtra on Tuesday, also expressed his government's gratitude to the defence ministry and the railway ministry to come forward to erect the FOBs expeditiously.

At the venue, Goyal said, "Army officers along with senior railway officials have done survey at these stations and have given an assurance to erect the FOBs at these stations by the end of January 2018."

Sitharaman said, "We all know that during natural disaster or calamities, our army chips in to provide relief to needy people. But this is the first time when our forces are extending their support to avoid the recurrence of the unfortunate accident in the city, which gives jobs to millions."
Indian students have been assaulted in a string of incidents in northern Italy, the Indian consulate in Milan has said.

The Consulate General of India in Milan on Monday issued an advisory to Indian students and asked them not to panic.

The consulate has received reports of unfortunate incidents of attacks on Indian students in Milan. All Indian students are urged not to panic. The consulate is taking up this matter with the highest level of law and order authorities in Milan, according to the advisory posted on Twitter.

The advisory did not mention if the attacks on Indian students appeared to be racially motivated.

The CGI advised Indian students to be in touch with each other, especially when they go out.

It also advised students to spread information among other students from India about the areas where they have experienced such incidents so that such areas can be avoided.

In New Delhi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said she had received a detailed report about the incidents.

Swaraj said she was personally monitoring the situation and asked the students not to worry.

"Attack on Indian students in Milan: I have got the detailed report. Please do not worry. I am monitoring the situation personally," Swaraj tweeted.

Swaraj also said that she has spoken to a victim.

"He has told me that this was a case of robbery and not a racial attack," she said, while appreciating the Indian Consulate in Milan for providing all help.
Image: Actor Mammootty played the titular role in Pazhassi Raja, based on the life of the king of Malabar who battled British forces, in the 2009 Malayalam film by director Hariharan.

Historians say the coastal state had witnessed a number of minor and major struggles against foreign powers even before the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny, which has so far been regarded as the first war of Indian Independence.

A section of historians in Kerala on Tuesday disputed the Centre's move to announce Odisha's 1817 Paika rebellion as the First War of Independence, saying various uprisings against foreign powers had occurred in the southern state much before it, but never got due recognition.

They said the coastal state had witnessed a number of minor and major struggles against foreign powers even before the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny, which has so far been regarded as the first war of Indian Independence.

A few among the historians wanted the tag of first war of independence for 'Attingal Revolt,' an agitation by locals in the then princely state of Venad against the English East India Company in 1721 over the latters arrogant approach and unjust measures that they tried to implement in the land.

As many as 133 English East India Company soldiers were killed during the revolt which, according to state historians, was the first organised uprising against the foreign powers in the country.

The struggles led by legendary king of Malabar, Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, who locked horns with the British during the period 1795-1805, the strike by Nair Brigade in Travancore in 1804 and the agitation led by Travancore diwan (prime minister) Veluthambi Dalawa in 1809 were some of the other uprisings against foreign powers witnessed by the state, they said.

The fight of 16th century naval captain Kunjali Marakkar against the Portuguese forces was also prominent among them, they added.

'History Protection Council,' a state-based outfit, is planning to submit a memorandum to the state government to press the Centre to declare the 'Attingal Revolt' as the first freedom struggle of the country instead of 'Paika Bidroha.'

Eminent historian and former chairman of Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), M G S Narayanan, said facts should be examined before including Odisha's "Paika Bidroha as the first war of independence" in school textbooks.

"The matter should be examined thoroughly before taking a decision to include it in school textbooks," he told PTI.

Noted historian K N Ganesh questioned the governments right to decide the prominence and value of historical movements and struggles.

"I am not questioning the significance of Paika rebellion.. But how can a government decide the merit and significance of revolts, struggles and agitations in history?" he asked.

"It should be decided by the academicians and the bodies like history research council and so on.. No minister can simply say that Paika rebellion is the first war of independence in the country without due consultation with historians and academicians concerned," he said.

Historian and academician P M Rajan Gurukkal said many local struggles happened in this part of the country including the historic Colachel War which did not get the recognition they deserved.

"It is true that many local uprisings had gone unnoticed in the history.. One of the most significant among them is the Colachel War between Travancore king Marthanda Varma and Dutch East India Company in the year 1741."

"It was the first ever victory of a princely state against a European power in Asia. But, it did not get due recognition," he told PTI.

A debate on the first war of independence was triggered off after Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar's recent announcement that 'Paika Bidroha' of 1817 would find a place in the history books as 'the First War of Independence' from the next academic session.

The announcement was made at a function marking the bicentenary of the historic rebellion.

According to historians, Paikas, the peasant militia under the Gajapati rulers of Odisha who rendered military service to the king during the times of war, had rebelled against the British rule under the leadership of Baxi Jagandhu Bidyadhara as early as 1817.

Earlier, 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 1857 Sepoy Mutiny, which has so far been regarded as the first war of Indian Independence.
As many as 200 construction workers are feared dead after the collapse of a tunnel at a nuclear test site in North Korea, the Independent reports citing a Japanese media report.

The tunnel was being built at the Punggye-ri test site when it collapsed, according to a report on Japan's TV Asahi citing an unnamed source in North Korea.

It said that about 100 people were initially trapped in the tunnel and another 100 may have been killed by a second collapse as they tried to rescue the first group.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the report did not provide further details, including when the incident occurred.

Experts have warned that the underground tests could cause the mountain to collapse and leak radiation into the atmosphere near China's border.

The latest test -- the sixth at the site since 2006 -- triggered landslides in the detonation area and beyond, according to satellite pictures taken the day after.

Satellite images of the site taken immediately after the test revealed significant damage to surface.
Scientists from China and the United Kingdom have successfully used gene editing to make pigs leaner, improving their overall health and making them cheaper to feed.

A team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology to introduce genes from mice into pig embryos, resulting in young with 24 percent less body fat.

Pigs carry white fat - or lard - and are not capable of producing brown fat, which is better for insulation. The scientists used special proteins to insert mice genes involved in the production of brown fat into pig embryos.

The Chinese researchers successfully reared 12 piglets who carried the new gene.

They found the modified pigs stayed warmer in cold temperatures. Brown fat takes less energy to create so the pigs have a better "feed conversion ratio" - they need less food to grow.

"Pork is the number one meat consumed in China, so it's an important industry," said Zhao Jianguo, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and an author on the report. "China spends a lot of money trying to improve economic production and efficiency in the pig industry."

In the CRISPR/Cas9 system, special proteins act as a molecular "copy and paste" tool, targeting precise areas of DNA and removing or inserting genes.

Scientists have observed such proteins at work in the natural world for decades, and were first able to artificially replicate the system in human cell cultures three years ago.

The new research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States.

John Speakman and Catherine Hambly of the UK's Aberdeen University were involved in testing activity and energy consumption in the piglets.

The sale of animals that have undergone gene editing is not yet licensed in China, though Zhao said the cutting-edge technology has the potential to become commonplace.

Many crops, including the majority of the world's soy and maize, are now genetically modified after techniques were first developed in the 1980s, Zhao noted.

China accounts for half of all global pork consumption. It is restructuring its pig sector to boost domestic supply.

Imports of pork have grown at an annual rate of 150 percent since 2007. UK pork exports to China amounted to 76,000 metric tons last year, compared with 2,000 tons in 2007,making China the biggest export destination for British pork for the first time.

The pork industry in China is moving away from small production units to larger operations that invest in genetic and technical advancements. The hope is this will make it easier to control disease and improve herd health, reducing reliance on foreign imports.
Christie's sale will be led by an extremely rare and important pair of huanghuali horseshoe-back armchairs dating to the Ming Dynasty with a price tag of around 1.2 million pounds. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Rare Chinese bronzes from the collection of a German refugee who fled Nazi Germany are among the highlights of a sale being held by Christie's in London later this month.

Michael Michaels, who was born in Germany in 1907, was penniless when he fled to Britain in 1933 after Adolf Hitler became chancellor.

Christie's said Michaels worked in a raincoat factory before starting his own business selling tents and camping equipment, but in the late 1960s he found his passion in archaic Chinese bronzes and became a self-taught expert.

Michaels died in 1986, but his wife Charlotte, who is now 100, and family wanted "these beautiful objects to find new homes in which they can be appreciated and loved", according to Christie's.

Among the top lots being offered in Christie's Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art sale on Nov 7 is a late Shang Dynasty (1,600-1,100 BC) bronze ritual wine vessel and cover, which is expected to sell for 120,000 pounds ($160,000).

Another highlight is a gilt-copper lobed pouring bowl, dating to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) which has a reserve price of 80,000 pounds.

"Most of the bronzes in the collection have either Christie's or Sotheby's provenance dating to the '60s, '70s and '80s," said Katie Lundie, Christie's associate specialist in Chinese ceramics and works of art, "This is really good for our collectors who will feel confident to see good provenance."

One of the most valuable lots is a rare pair of Ming dynasty horse-shoe back arm chairs which are expected to fetch around 1.2 million pounds.

The chairs, described by Christie's as "displaying the grace and finesse of Ming artistry", are among just eight known examples of the design.

Christie's had previously auctioned off a set of four similar chairs, formerly from the Robert H Ellsworth Collection in 2015. They were sold at the auction giant's New York branch for a record-breaking $9 million.

"Grace Wu Bruce is the world-renowned authority on Ming Dynasty furniture and these were sold by her," said Ivy Chan, head of Fine Chinese Ceramics & Works of Art at Christie's, "She published these twice and they are also on one of the covers of her books. So, it is a very important and known pair of chairs."

Chan said the detailing of the chair - including the curve of the crest rail, the sweeping hook handles and three-part back splat - are unique features.

"Ming furniture is very timeless, very clean and with graceful lines," Chan said, "It goes with contemporary furniture and designs."

She expects a range of bidders, from European designers to classical Chinese traditional collectors,to bid for the pair of chairs.

A bronze ritual wine vessel and cover from the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1100BC) is expected to fetch an estimated 120,000 pounds at the Christie's Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art sale. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
Mr. Ciruli is the Director of the Crossley Center for Public Opinion Research at the University of Denvers Josef Korbel School of International Studies. He is an adjunct professor teaching public opinion and foreign policy. The Crossley Center conducts research and presents live and virtual programs on foreign policy, politics, public policy and public opinion.





Mr. Ciruli holds a law degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and a bachelors degree cum laude in political science from UCLA. He is a member of the American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), and is the past-president of the Pacific Chapter of AAPOR (PAPOR). Mr. Ciruli is a board member of the Social Science Foundation of the University of Denver Josef Korbel School of International Studies and past-president of the Georgetown Law Alumni Board and the Denver Athletic Club.




HARTFORD  The anti-trust lawsuit Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen and 45 other attorneys general filed last year against the $75 billion generic drug industry has expanded to include 20 defendants and at least 15 drugs.

Also for the first time, the states are suing senior executives at two generic drug companies. Rajiv Malik, president and executive director of Mylan who also serves on the companys board of directors, and Satish Mehta, the chief executive officer of Emcure Pharmaceuticals, were both named as defendants in the civil complaint along with their companies.

In the expanded 243-page complaint, which was transferred from Connecticut to a multidistrict docket in Pennsylvania, the states allege a number of specific agreements among the defendants to fix prices and allocate customers for at least 15 generic drugs.

However, Jepsen said the case could be expanded even further depending on what happens with discovery, which has been put on hold while the U.S. Department of Justice seeks to wrap up its criminal case against some of the same defendants.

The 15 drugs manufactured by 18 companies make everything from Doxycycline, which is a delayed release antibiotic, to Acetazolamide, which is used to treat glaucoma and epilepsy.

Jepsen said generic drugs account for approximately 88 percent of all prescriptions written in the United States.

The price-fixing investigation started in July 2014. Because the probe remains ongoing, portions of the complaint, including text messages between top executives and sales reps, are redacted.

The price-fixing is systematic. It is pervasive and that a culture of collusion exists within the industry, Jepsen said Tuesday during a press conference in his office.

The complaint says many of the generic drug manufacturers are concentrated in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania, giving them additional opportunities to foster connections and meet and collude beyond the trade shows and conferences, as well as through email and text messages.

For example, in January 2014, at a time when the prices of a number of generic drugs were reportedly soaring, at least thirteen (13) high-ranking rnale executives, including CEOs, Presidents and Senior Vice Presidents of various generic drug manufacturers, met at a steakhouse in Bridgewater, New Jersey, the complaint states.

Read more at CTNewsJunkie.com.
FOUND: Kathleen Hannigan of Philadelphia wrote, I recently tried to search for a recipe I made about 20 years ago from my Original Canton Delicate Ginger Liqueur booklet. I received the book with my purchase of the bottle. My search was to no avail, until I found your column with some recipes from this book. I am seeking this recipe for a special celebration. I made these appetizers for my daughters first birthday party. She is now 22, and we have something special at the end of October, and I really want to make these puffs. The celebration is a Halloween/birthday party (my birthday is Oct.30). My daughter, Paiges Aunt Judy will be hosting and asked me if I could make the delicious chicken puffs I made for Paiges first birthday party. They are so good, a few people still remember them. It is a great recipe. If you find the booklet you should make them, I know you will enjoy them. I did have some difficulty finding the Canton Ginger Liquor; the bottle style has changed dramatically. Could you please, if you still have this booklet, email the recipe for the Chicken Pastry Puffs. I am not sure if that is the exact name for the recipe, but I am sure they are in this booklet. It brought back fond, memories just seeing your column and photos. If you could possibly get me this recipe I would be grateful.

Kathleen, it is letters like yours that inspire me to write this column. I wrote the column you saw online five years ago. Online recipe searches really come to the rescue ... what did we do before this technology? I searched for the recipe booklet and am delighted you will be able to prepare the recipe for your celebration.
scyther5/iStock/Thinkstock(WHITNEYVILLE, Maine) -- A commercial fisherman lost his life after his Maine mobile home went up in flames, according to his family and authorities.



Now, Maine police are investigating whether foul play was involved.



Based on the information and evidence that we have at this point, we are treating this death as a homicide, Lt. Troy Gardner of the Maine State Police said in a statement.



The remains of Wayne Foss, 48, were found after firefighters put out an early morning blaze Saturday that tore through his parked home located in Whitneyville, a small residential town located two hours east of Bangor, according to a police statement.



Foss' mother, Mildred Reynolds, told ABC News that Foss was the father of two daughters and a son.



"He was dedicated to his family," Reynolds said.



She went on, "He grew up around the water. He had been doing it since he was kid."



Foss was the only one at home when the fire began raging around 2 a.m. Saturday. Foss' children were away, and his wife "happened to be babysitting," Reynolds said.



Foss had been dealing with extreme pain caused by injuries he suffered during multiple car accidents, his mother said.



An autopsy on Foss' body was performed in Augusta, Maine, but results were not conclusive and "further testing is necessary" to determine the exact cause of death, police said in a statement.



State police have since been urging anyone "who may have been with [Foss], during the day Friday, into Saturday morning" to contact them, according to the statement.



Neighbors and fellow residents are urged "to pay attention to what is happening around them," police warned.



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Protesters walk past a secret service line, as one of their children climbs on a police bike, during a rally against the visit of Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc to the White House, May 31, 2017.

As Vietnam prepares to host a major international meeting starting a week from now, the countrys leaders appear to be running scared.

Since early last year Vietnam has been cracking down on citizens who advocate democratic reforms.

A record number of dissidents and bloggers have been jailed. Many have been harassed and beaten not only by the regular police but also by unidentified thugs working on the Partys behalf.

All of this has been happening as Vietnam prepares for the 2017 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings to be held in Da Nang Nov. 6-11. Leaders from 21 member countries are expected to attend.

One cause of official nervousness in Hanoi could be what happened when Vietnam hosted the annual APEC meetings 11 years ago, in 2006.

On the eve of the 2006 APEC Summit, a coalition of Vietnamese dissidents issued a manifesto advocating democratic reforms. The group called itself Bloc 8406, based on the date when it issued the manifestoApril 8, 2006.

Following that summit, the Vietnamese authorities arrested, tried, and imprisoned leaders of the group.

On Aug. 1 this year, Carlyle A. Thayer, a leading Australian expert on Vietnam, published a background brief for his consultancy on the more recent increase in arrests of activists, bloggers and citizen journalists.

Thayer said that the timing of their arrests and trials indicates that Vietnams Ministry of Public Security has been taking preemptive action far in advance of the APEC Summit

Vietnam doesnt want a repeat of 2006, said Thayer.

The aim this time, he said, is to break up networks of troublemakers and to intimidate other would-be activists from making public protests on the internet or in street demonstrations.

Thayer lists several other factors that would explain the increase in arrests of activists and bloggers. They include a likely assessment by Vietnamese security officials that the Trump administration will make only routine protests about the arrest of activists and bloggers.

David Brown, a former U.S. diplomat who closely follows Vietnamese developments, takes a different view.

The crackdown on dissident activists has nothing much to do with Donald Trump or with APEC, says Brown. Its an attempt by Party ideologues  to return Vietnam to those halcyon pre-internet days when the dissident community numbered at most a thousand people who hung out in certain Hanoi and Saigon coffee shops.

During a Communist Party Congress last year, the Partys General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and his allies imposed a hard line that diminished the influence of Party reformers.

Anti-Chinese Feelings

Another factor involved in the preemptive arrests of dissidents relates to Vietnams relations with China, according to Thayer.

In May 2014 a series of anti-China protests erupted in Vietnam in response to Chinas deployment of an oil drilling rig to a disputed region of the South China Sea not far from the coast of Vietnam.

The Vietnamese government at first permitted some of the protests to go ahead in order to show its displeasure with Chinas move. But when the protests erupted into violence, some of it against Chinese-owned factories, the government began cracking down. At least four Chinese citizens were killed in the rioting.

China removed the oil rig, and Vietnam and China began gradually repairing badly strained relations.

Thayer notes that many of the recent arrests have included bloggers who have been critical of Chinese actions in the South China Sea. Those actions have included Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia attacks on Vietnamese fishing boats in disputed waters claimed by both China and Vietnam.

Visitors to Vietnam sometimes detect strong anti-Chinese feelings based on much more than the oil-rig incident. A history of battles between Vietnamese and Chinese that went on for centuries has not been forgotten by many Vietnamese.

And a brief war in 1979, during which China invaded the northern region of Vietnam and was repulsed, also left bad feelings, partly because of the Chinese armys destruction of towns, villages, schools, hospitals, and a railroad line during the Chinese retreat from Vietnam.

At the same time, pro-American feelings have been on the rise for some time.

Thousands of young Vietnamese are now studying in the U.S.

Human rights issues

On Oct. 26 during a visit to Hanoi, Michael Mazza of the conservative Washington D.C.-based American Enterprise Institute described the state of U.S.-Vietnam relations as he sees it.

Mazza notes the increase in U.S. trade with Vietnam and how the two countries have begun to pursue a relationship that, over time, may become one with real strategic heft.

But he also mentions impediments to a deeper relationship, the greatest of which is Vietnams approach to human rights.

There has been modest if uneven progress when it comes to religious freedom and the rule of law, he says.

But democracy is not on the horizon and, though the number of prisoners of conscience had been slowly declining through 2015, there has been a crackdown on political dissent since the beginning of last year.

Vietnamese people enjoy neither freedom of speech nor freedom of assembly, stressed Mazza.

Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranks Vietnam this year close to the bottom of its World Press Freedom Index--175th out of 180 countries.

Dan Southerland is RFA's founding executive editor.
Cambodias Supreme Court on Tuesday turned down an appeal by opposition leader Kem Sokha to be freed from jail, upholding a Sept. 26 decision by an appeals court and leaving him to face trial on charges of conspiring with the U.S. to overthrow the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party.



Kem Sokha, leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was arrested on Sept. 3 and charged with treason in a move critics say shows Prime Minister Hun Sen is intensifying his attacks on political opponents ahead of next years general election.



Kem Sokha was not present in court on Tuesday, with court officials citing security concerns involved in moving him from a remote regional jail to the court in the capital Phnom Penh.



In a statement following Tuesdays hearing, defense lawyer Som Sokong called the courts decision unjust and unacceptable.



Our defense team submitted significant arguments on factual and legal grounds to show there were several procedural flaws regarding the arrest of our client, he said. We regret that the Supreme Court ignored all of our submissions.



Security was tight during the hearing, with security personnel outside the court outnumbering supporters of the jailed opposition chief, following warnings three days before by Defense Minister Tea Banh that police would crack down on anyone demanding Kem Sokhas release.



We will suppress such protests at all cost, Tea Banh said in Phnom Pen on Oct. 28.



It is better to crack down on small gatherings now than to allow them to gain momentum, he said.



'Government afraid'



Speaking to RFAs Khmer Service after the hearing, Candlelight Party president and senator Teav Vannol, formerly of the opposition Sam Rainsy party, said that Mondays heavy security presence outside the court shows the government is afraid.



I dont know what concerns they have that warrant such a deployment, he said. The authorities should not have banned people from observing the hearing.



Defense team attorney Hem Socheat added that statements by ruling CPP prime minister Hun Sen and other government officials suggesting Kem Sokhas guilt have breached legal guarantees of presumption of innocence.



My client remains innocent, and the presumption of his innocence should be respected, he said. Any public statement by anyone saying that Kem Sokha is guilty is inappropriate.



'Sell-out'



In an Oct. 30 video posted on Facebook, exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy meanwhile accused the CPP of sowing division within the CNRP, calling opposition party official Mao Monyvann a sell-out and plotter working secretly for Hun Sen.



I really dont know what it is I am supposed to have done wrong, Mao Monyvann, a CNRP lawmaker for Cambodias Kompong Cham province, told RFAs Khmer Service on Monday. Everything I have done is in the interests of the party.



I will discuss this with top party leaders inside the country who work with me every day and know clearly what I am doing, he said.



CPP spokesperson Sok Ey San denied on Monday that Cambodias ruling party had bought the help of Mao Monyvann or any other opposition figure.



Sam Rainsy made this accusation without evidence. He is just talking to gain advantage for his side, he said.



The CPP has everything it needs and doesnt have to rely on anyones help.



Aid, investment threatened



Meanwhile, a European Parliament delegation concerned with ASEAN affairs warned Cambodia on Tuesday that its deteriorating human rights record may negatively impact aid and investment in the increasingly authoritarian country.



We call on the government to release opposition leader Kem Sokha, to stop the dissolution process of the main opposition party, and to restore the space for free action of political parties, media and civil society organizations, Werner Langen, chair of the delegation which visited Cambodia from Oct. 30 to 31, said.



The Government of Cambodia should be aware that the European Parliament is a co-legislator for budgetary and trade issues. A serious deterioration of the human rights situation might have implications for development assistance programmes and trade preferences, he said.



Reported by Nareth Muong for RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Richard Finney.
A Cambodian man in Phnom Penh uses his smartphone to browse photos of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on the leader's Facebook page, Aug. 4, 2016.

An international rights group has blasted American company Facebook for using Cambodia to test a new feature that moves news stories posted by publishers away from peoples existing news feeds and into a new, hard-to-find page.

The move comes during a severe Cambodian government crackdown on independent voices, outside nongovernmental organizations, and non-state-controlled media as the country prepares for national elections that could unseat longstanding leader Hun Sen.

This month, the Menlo Park, California-based company began a separate feed called Explore, marked with a round, white and red rocket ship icon, in Cambodia and five other small countries  Bolivia, Guatemala, Serbia, Slovakia, and Sri Lanka  where posts are automatically sent unless the newspapers, NGOs, and businesses buy ads to promote them.

The trial of the service began in Cambodia on Oct. 19.

With most media in Cambodia government-controlled, Cambodians rely heavily on outside news sources, including Facebook, for information, especially on Prime Minister Hun Sens current crackdown on independent media that operate in the country as well as the main opposition party that could win the 2018 elections.

For the first time in 2016, the internet surpassed traditional media as the main source of news for Cambodians, according to the Asia Foundations annual survey on mobile phones and internet usage, released in January 2017.

Its astonishing that Facebook is using a group of less-developed countries as guinea pigs for their experiment, especially since the evidence shows that this separation of newsfeeds is likely to have broad and harmful effects on local public discourse and the local media market, said Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watchs (HRW) Asia division.

If they think that this is really a worthwhile step, why dont they test this feature in a major market like Britain or Germany? he asked. Are they picking on the likes of Cambodia because they are concerned that if they tried this in one of their major markets, they would face serious pushback from the government or the Facebook users in that country?

Adam Mosseri, Facebooks vice president of project management in charge of News Feed, said in an Oct. 23 statement that the company was testing Explore to find out if users preferred to have separate places for personal and public content, and that Facebook was not going to do trials in other countries.

There have been a number of reports about a test were running in Sri Lanka, Bolivia, Slovakia, Serbia, Guatemala, and Cambodia, he said. Some have interpreted this test as a future product we plan to deliver globally. We currently have no plans to roll this test out further.

Threat to the status quo

Nevertheless, rights groups and NGOs fear a deterioration in human rights and democracy in Cambodia as the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) seeks to silence organizations and political parties that threaten the political status quo before the 2018 election.

Hun Sen, who has ruled the country for 32 years, has sought to block criticism of his widely repressive regime and ensure he remains in power as prime minister for another five-year term. There are no term limits imposed on the office.

Four controversial amendments to the countrys electoral law were signed into law last week, paving the way for the dissolution of the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) and the reassignment of its parliamentary seats to government-aligned parties.

The CNRP could be completely dissolved at a Supreme Court hearing on Nov. 16, thereby denying Cambodians the right to elect a government of their choosing.

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 forced the closure of the English-language Cambodia Daily with a hefty tax bill.

Not only is Facebook gutless about where they roll out their experiments, they are also clueless about the national context where they are doing it, and nowhere is this clearer than in Cambodia, Robertson told RFA. This is truly a shameful action on Facebooks part.

Facebooks experiment is extraordinarily bad-timed, and the company should recognize this reality and immediately suspend it in Cambodia, and return its users in the country to the traditional newsfeed, he said.

Theres no doubt that this experiment has made it even harder for ordinary Cambodians with a smart phone to find independent news, outside government control, regardless of what the topic is, he said.

Robertson added that HRW is concerned that it will be more difficult for Cambodian Facebook users to find news about current human rights violations and politically motivated prosecutions that the government does not want them to read about.

Facebook has a responsibility to avoid these kinds of unintended harms and be far more transparent to both users and media organizations about how changes will be tested and rolled out, and they can start showing responsibility by immediately suspending this experiment in Cambodia, he said.

Drop in reach

Under the Explore trial in Cambodia and the five other countries, the drop in reach for most news organizations on Facebook has been precipitous, some even by two-thirds.

Research conducted by RFA indicates that Facebook use is almost universal among Cambodians with internet access and a nearly unrivaled platform for news distribution in the country.

In a June survey of 2,000 Cambodian residents aged 15 and older, about 64 percent of Cambodians said they had accessed RFAs online materials through the RFA Facebook page in the last 12 months.

According to information from global social media analytics company SocialBakers, the number of organic reaches  the total number of unique people who were shown posts through unpaid distribution  of RFAs Khmer-language Facebook page plunged from more than 200,000 at the beginning of October to less than 100,000 by the end of the month after the Explore trial began.
Authorities in Beijing on Monday tried to evict an artist from his home in the city's Songzhuang Artists' Village, breaking into his house and using threats to force him to leave following nearly two weeks under house arrest.



Songzhuang Artists' Village resident Hua Yong said unidentified men who had been watching him and preventing him from going anywhere during the ruling Chinese Communist Party's 19th national congress smashed in his door in the early hours of Monday morning.



"I heard a huge banging noise in the early hours of this morning," Hua said. "The people who had been guarding me had come back, and they told me to go outside."



Hua, who in 2012 was sent to labor camp after engaging in performance art near Tiananmen Square on the anniversary of the 1989 massacre, said the same men had tried to intimidate him into leaving his home on Saturday.



"In the early hours of Saturday morning, about 4.00 or 5.00 a.m., some great big thugs dragged me out of my home and took me down to a patch of waste-ground about 50 kilometers from my house," Hua told RFA.



"They wanted me gone from Songzhuang Village within two months," he said. "Then a good friend of mine drove me back to Songzhuang."



Hua said he hadn't done anything wrong, and doesn't understand why he should leave.



"I haven't broken any laws, and yet I have mafia types threatening me like this," he said. "I reported it to the police, but they didn't send anyone."



House arrest



He said he hadn't been allowed to leave his home throughout the 19th party congress, which ended last week, and friends have been delivering food to him.



"They didn't give any reason; they just said I couldn't remain in Beijing," Hua told RFA. "They said that if I stayed here, I'd come under huge pressure from the stability maintenance regime here."



He said he believes the men are being hired by village stability maintenance officials, the local police, and the state security police.



"The state security police came here in a van that was able to block my cell phone," Hua said. "So they're bringing out the heavy guns."



Repeated calls to Mai Lijun, head of the state security police in Tongzhou county, which administers Songzhuang, rang unanswered during office hours on Monday.



Critics silenced



Hua was detained in 2012 alongside fellow artist Guo Zhenming after giving himself a bloody nose and using the blood to write the numbers "6,4" on the paving stones, denoting the date, June 4 [1989].



He said he wanted to honor the souls of those who died in the bloodshed.



Rights activist Jiang Jianjun said many outspoken critics of the regime have been effectively silenced after the authorities interfered with their living accommodation and livelihoods.



"I have been the target of this kind of harassment, too," Jiang said. "I think there are times when it pays to stand up to it, but there are also times when compromise is a good idea."



"Sometimes, there's nothing you can do ... because, as individuals, we are weak."



Reported by Yang Fan for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wong Siu-san and Tam Lee for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
The ruling Chinese Communist Party is setting to work to bring the president's newly minted "Xi Jinping Thought" into every aspect of public life, including as a research topic in universities, as large portraits of the "core leader" begin to be displayed prominently in public spaces.



The move comes after "Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era" was enshrined in the party constitution at the 19th party congress earlier this month.



The congress passed a resolution saying that the president's thought had "systematically addressed the major question of our times  what kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era requires us to uphold and develop and how we should uphold and develop it."



Xi's ideas will now be taught, researched and promoted in universities across the country.



According to state media, at least 20 universities have set up research institutes for the study of Xi's ideology, which Xi is also hoping will serve as a model to other countries.



"The path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics have kept developing, blazing a trail for other developing countries," the president told the congress on Oct. 18.



"It offers a new option for other countries and nations who want to speed up their development while preserving their independence; and it offers Chinese wisdom and a Chinese approach to solving the problems facing mankind," he said.



An official who answered the phone at the Tianjin University of Finance and Economics' propaganda department said their new research center for Xi Jinping Thought may not have been the first in the country, but was among the first batch.



"Quite a lot of universities set them up on the same day," the official said. "Everyone is vying with each other. We made the first batch."



Elsewhere, Hunan Normal University has set up a Xi Thought research center, founding head Jiang Hongxin told party mouthpiece the People's Daily, while Renmin University professor Chen Xianda said his research center had a "unique duty" to promote the president's ideology.



'Brains and hearts'

And Wuhan Donghu University party secretary Zhou Qihong praised Xi's "generosity," pledging that his lessons would "enter brains and hearts."



The education ministry on also set out guidelines for mandatory elementary and high school extracurricular programs that include activities to "foster emotional attachment to the Chinese Communist Party," Agence France-Presse reported.



Former top party aide Bao Tong dismissed talk of a "new era," however, saying institutions are merely responding to Xi's "core leadership" status in the party, a status only accorded to late supreme leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping before him.



"Everyone is scrambling to align themselves with the core," Bao said. "When Xi Jinping met with reporters, he told them they can tell the truth, that we don't need to hear flattering praises."



"Well the truth about the new era is that Stalin announced a new era ... and 100 years later everyone realized that there was no such thing," he said. "The new era doesn't exist."



Beijing-based constitutional scholar Zhang Lifan said the universities are racing to join a growing personality cult around Xi.



"They want to get them when they're children, get them at university, so as to strengthen this cult of personality," Zhang said. "The Communist Party is very good at this sort of thing; they have a history of doing it, and they also have the wherewithal to do it now."



"During the era when Mao was deified, people really believed that stuff," Zhang said. "But , it's more like a dissociated personality: I don't think these people lack normal powers of judgement; what we're seeing now is the hedging of bets and jumping on the bandwagon."



Qinghua University professor Li Dun said the insertion of ideological "study" into academic institutions is also evidence of an ever-widening power grab by Xi and his administration.



"This is a systemic change, in which the universities just become an arm of the government," Li said. "It is getting worse and worse."



"It's pretty regressive for these people to be embracing the cult of personality like that; are some taking it upon themselves, or are they being told to do it from the top down?"



Largely content-free

Hu Ping, the New York-based editor of the Chinese-language monthly Beijing Spring, said Xi's thought is largely content-free, however.



"Xi Jinping's so-called ideology for nation-building has been much-lauded, but really it's mostly hot air," Hu told RFA. "But now, it bears the branding of absolute power."



"This is typical of Communist Party dictators; they build themselves up using ideology."



Xia Ming, a political science professor at the The City University of New York, agreed.



"At least Deng Xiaoping Theory was an ideology of opening up, and seeking truth from facts," Xia said, in a reference to the 30 years of economic reforms begun by Deng in 1979.



"The claim that Xi Jinping Thought will bring about a more democratic and prosperous society for China is highly dubious, and hasn't been tested by history."



"Like Mao Zedong Thought, Xi Jinping Thought rests only on its own premises, and when such ideas have prevailed in the party in the past, it has brought about disastrous consequences for China," he said.



A Chinese historian who declined to be identified said large portraits of Xi have begun popping up alongside Mao portraits around China, as well as being prominently displayed on the front pages of state media.



"Since the 19th party congress ended and the Politburo passed its resolution, because they enshrined it in a document, this has had a ripple effect around the country," the scholar said.



"Including the sudden appearance [on ] of Mao Zedong and Xi Jinping portraits side by side on a street in Shanghai at the gates of a government department," he said.



He said local officials will likely continue to find public ways to demonstrate their loyalty to Xi in the wake of the 19th party congress.



Reported by Ng Yik-tung and Sing Man for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Gao Feng and Qiao Long for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
Chinese merchants are scrambling to collect massive debts from North Korean traders who bought their goods on credit ahead of the end of the year, when Beijing will force them to leave the country as part of sanctions aimed at freezing Pyongyangs nuclear weapons program, according to sources.



North Korea recently launched missiles that flew over Japan and conducted nuclear tests in September, drawing international condemnation and prompting tough sanctions.



The latest resolution passed by the United Nations Security Council on Sept. 11, limits North Korean oil and petroleum product imports, banned joint ventures, textile exports, natural gas imports, and banned North Korean nationals from working abroad.



Chinese sources with knowledge of the industry told RFAs Korean Service that the sanctions had hit North Korean trading companies particularly hard, and that their representatives in China are now in debt for goods they purchased on credit with no way to repay.



As China prepares to comply with sanctions that ban North Korean workers, the traders are now leaving the country without settling their tabs, one of the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.



Recent Chinese pressure on North Korea will force North Korean trade workers to return home earlier than they are supposed toby the end of this yearand creditors are alarmed by it, the source said.



It is troublesome for trading companies because some of the North Korean trade workers have just disappeared without any word as creditors rush for debt payment.



North Korean traders regularly purchase Chinese goods on credit and don't pay for them in full until their trading company earns money selling them back in North Korea.



The North Korean traders who are returning home in a month or two are unlikely to pay their debts, the source said.



The traders with tens of thousands of yuan (10,000 yuan = U.S. $1,500) in debt are simply cutting off contact, so Chinese trade merchants are having hard time, the source said.



A second Chinese source in the trading business said North Korean traders should be pitied as they must bear responsibility for huge debts incurred by state-owned firms that cannot be repaid in time due to Pyongyangs strategy of pursuing its illicit weapons program.



They are in debt on behalf of their countrys trading firms, but their country is ignoring them, so how can they be expected to make good on the bill, the source asked.



As the deadline for departure from China approaches, many of the North Korean traders are making return preparations, the source said.



This means they borrow money from acquaintances, or buy goods with credit, and flee the country, he said.



But who can blame them? North Korea is a country where the government and the people dont pay their debts. What difference can the traders make?



Sanction effects



Earlier this month, sources told RFA that authorities in North Korea have ordered residents to modernize the roofs of all buildings in a bid to dupe the international community into thinking economic sanctions have had no effect on the cash-strapped country.



State propaganda began pressuring citizens to replace aging roofs on public and private buildings in July 2012, shortly after Kim Jong Un assumed leadership of the country, because the images of roofs are captured on enemy satellites and are used against us by slandering our socialist system, the sources said.



Meanwhile, reports indicate that authorities in North Korea are issuing vast numbers of travel permits to citizens with relatives in China and requiring them to pay loyalty offerings in Chinese yuan for the privilege, in a bid to obtain much-needed foreign currency for the sanctions-hit government.



And sources recently told RFA that North Korean traders working for army-run manufacturers are successfully dodging Chinese customs controls, moving their products across the border by unguarded routes in an effort to earn cash for Pyongyang.



Reported by Joonho Kim for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Newly arrived Rohingya wait for help at the Kutupalong refugee camp in Coxs Bazar, Oct. 29, 2017.

Bangladeshs elite anti-terrorism unit is conducting search operations in Rohingya camps on its southeastern border after two refugees from Myanmar were arrested with guns and live ammunition over the weekend, a Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) official said.

The raids in Kutupalong camp and adjoining areas in Coxs Bazar district, where a majority of Rohingya are sheltered, began on Saturday and likely will continue through the week, RAB Maj. Ruhul Amin told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.

Police said some Rohingya refugees armed with sharp-edged weapons injured four Bangladeshis who were repairing a well near the Balukhali camp early Saturday.

We also heard a gunshot, Amin said.

Two suspects  Elias, 25, and Noor Basar, 26  were arrested in connection with the assault a few hours later, he said, adding they had homemade guns and ammunition.

During interrogation we got some links and started sending out our teams to conduct raids at the refugee camps, Amin said.

The RAB has information that some refugees are hiding weapons in the camps where more than 607,000 Rohingya have taken shelter since a fresh wave of violence broke out in August against the predominantly Muslim community in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, he said. Both suspects were among the group of fresh arrivals from Myanmar.

We havent recovered more weapons yet, he said. This is a very difficult operation considering the camps are extremely vast and over-populated. It is a very big challenge for us, Amin said.

Amin said the two suspects likely are not members of Arakan Rohingya Salavation Army (ARSA), a rebel outfit based in Rakhine. The latest mass exodus of Rohingya began after the Myanmar army and security officials launched a massive counter-offensive on Aug. 25 to retaliate against an attack by ARSA on the countrys police and army posts.

Brandishing pistols

The raids come more than a month after a group of Rohingya Hindus who arrived in Bangladesh to escape violence in Myanmars Rakhine state told local authorities they were tortured at gunpoint for hours by Rohingya Muslims in the 3,000-acre Kutupalong camp.

Those who had held us numbered in the hundreds, and were brandishing pistols and rifles before they tied a cloth around our eyes and mouths, Nitai Shill, 30, told BenarNews at a settlement of some 440 Rohingya Hindus situated a stones throw from the vast camp.

They blindfolded us, tied our arms and led us deep inside the camp, where we were tortured for about eight hours by a mob. We were punched and kicked. When we asked for water, they made us drink our urine, Nitais brother Tajol, 19, told BenarNews.

A group of 11 Hindus had gone to Kutupalong to collect money from a livestock sale, but only nine returned alive. One mans body was found in a river and the other was still missing, the men said.

The victims dont know the spot where they say they were tortured by men with guns. They gave us names of the alleged perpetrators, but we havent been able to locate any of them, Sub-Inspector Abul Kalam said, admitting the probe into the allegations had come to a standstill

Meawhile, Muslim refugees denied the allegations.

Why would Rohingya want to hurt other Rohingya, Mohammad Salam, a leader at the Kutupalong camp, told BenarNews. And how do you imagine anyone can bring weapons into such a crowded place without getting caught?

Amin said it was not difficult.

This region is full of thick forests and waterways. There are numerous unguarded points along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. Its very easy to sneak in anything and hide it, he said.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
Authorities in Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi) prefecture, in northwest Chinas Xinjiang region, are convicting ethnic Uyghur political criminals without trial and only notifying their families after sentencing them to prison, according to sources.



Since April, thousands of Uyghurs accused of harboring extremist and politically incorrect views have been detained in political re-education camps and prisons throughout Xinjiang, where members of the ethnic group complain of pervasive discrimination, religious repression, and cultural suppression under Chinese rule.



While Chinese authorities in Xinjiang regularly sentence political criminals to prison in closed trials in the region, without allowing their family members to attend, sources recently told RFAs Uyghur Service that local Peoples Courts were skipping hearings altogether in a bid to process the huge number of Uyghurs detained in recent months.



Instead, they said, courts are distributing verdict forms directly to local Public Security Bureaus, where police and officials fill in information about the accused and the terms of their sentence, before visiting his or her family and informing them about the outcome of the trial.



An officer at the Shaptul township police station in Kashgars Peyziwat (Jiashi) county cited official records from the Peyziwat Peoples Court, saying that 46 people had been arrested within his jurisdiction since April, 30 of whom had been imprisoned.



Of those jailed, he told RFA, 26 had their verdicts filled out by the village Political Law Committee, which then visited family members to relay information about the sentences.



All 26 peoples official court documents have been completed, but we have other forms for people that havent had the sentences written in yet, said the officer, speaking on condition of anonymity.



According to the officer, the fields for names and sentences were left blank on the documents he received from the court, but the alleged criminal acts in violation of Chinese Criminal Law were already filled in.



On each document, the reference number of the suspect and the article of the criminal law under which the suspect was charged are already completed, he said.



The form is used for people who are not dealt with in court, therefore the sentence isnt written in.



The officer said he had three more court documents to complete as soon as the investigations into the suspects have concluded, at which point he would fill in each individuals details and the length of their sentence, and then inform their family.



He confirmed that he had the forms for the detainees court verdicts in hand, despite the fact that they had not yet been given sentences or tried.



These three people are held in different re-education camps and we are still investigating them, he said.



Brother sentenced



Abduwasip Omer, a resident of Saghan township in Kashgars Yengisar (Yingjisha) county, was recently sentenced to 10 years in prison without a court hearing, his brother Borhan told RFA, adding that Omer and several other detainees were taken to prison prior to their families being notified.



My eldest brother was in one of the camps and I learned recently that he was given a 10-year prison sentence  [according to a court verdict issued] about 15 days ago, he said.



It was read out to us  [by] five people [who] came to inform us of the decision at our home.



The people who informed his family of Omers sentencing included township cadres who told them they were visiting to inform you of the decision from above, before reading out the verdict.



They also visited other families [in our township], reading out the verdicts to them, Borhan said.



Most of the verdicts had been filled out by officials in charge of the township Political Law Committee and distributed by district secretaries to families, he added.



Widespread crackdown



Officials in Hotan (Hetian) prefectures Qaraqash (Moyu) county recently told RFA that they had been ordered to send 40 percent of area residents to re-education camps, and said they were having trouble meeting the quota.



Authorities in Peyziwats Shaptul township have said they were informed at an online staff meeting in June that 80 percent of people arrested there were to be severely punished, or jailed.



Reports suggest similar orders have been given in other areas of the region, and that authorities are detaining as many Uyghurs as possible in re-education camps and jail, regardless of their age, prior service to the Communist Party, or the severity of the accusations against them.



Since Xinjiang party chief Chen Quanguo was appointed to his post in August last year, he has initiated several harsh policies targeting religious freedom in the region.



China regularly conducts strike hard campaigns in Xinjiang, including police raids on Uyghur households, restrictions on Islamic practices, and curbs on the culture and language of the Uyghur people, including videos and other material.



While China blames some Uyghurs for "terrorist" attacks, experts outside China say Beijing has exaggerated the threat from the Uyghurs and that repressive domestic policies are responsible for an upsurge in violence there that has left hundreds dead since 2009.



Reported by Shohret Hoshur for RFAs Uyghur Service. Translated by Alim Seytoff and Mamatjan Juma. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Three Virginia Commonwealth University students and one former student accused of wearing masks during protests of a pro-Confederate rally along Richmonds Monument Avenue in September appeared in court on Tuesday.

Coincidentally, their day in court took place on Halloween.

Thomas Rockett, 21, of Herndon; Caroline Hill, 24, of McLean; Corissa C. Duffey, 25, of Georgia; and Ian M. Gerson, 32, of New York; appeared before a Richmond General District Court judge, who amended their charges of wearing a mask in public and downgraded them to disorderly conduct  a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of less than $1,000. Their cases were continued for six months for review.

The foursome were charged under a 1950s-era law  aimed at unmasking the Ku Klux Klan in Virginia  making it illegal for anyone over the age of 16 to conceal their face, and therefore their identity, in public. The felony carries a maximum of five years in prison.

Police issued warnings ahead of the Sept. 16 rally that anyone wearing masks or covering their face would be arrested on the spot.

The rally and counterprotests cost the city more than $570,000. Police Chief Alfred Durham said he was essentially given a blank check to prevent a repeat of the violent white supremacist demonstration and protest in Charlottesville in August that left one person dead.

No injuries were reported in Richmond, but seven people were arrested.

Deante Watkins, 18, of Richmond, faces four firearms charges. His case was continued until Dec. 12 after he failed to follow the parameters of his pretrial release.

Brittany Bush, 29, of Petersburg, was charged with disorderly conduct. Her case will be heard Nov. 17.

Jabari Robinson, 21, of Roanoke, pleaded guilty last week for carrying a loaded weapon in public, a misdemeanor. He was given a suspended sentence and ordered to pay the $202 cost of the proceeding, which he did that day, according to court records.
A man convicted of a high-profile area rape case 31 years ago was transferred from a Virginia jail apparently to Florida on Monday to face charges of sexual battery, carjacking and assault stemming from a 1998 attack.

Cornelius Francis Florman, 51, the great-grandson of the founder of Reynolds Metals, had been held at the Alleghany County Jail on a fugitive warrant from Lee County, Fla., since Oct. 10 when he was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service at his home in Low Moor.

Records show he was transferred from the Alleghany facility Monday but do not indicate where. Lee County authorities said earlier that Florman would be brought to the jail there.

A DNA cold hit in Virginia last year implicated him in the June 22, 1998, attack on a woman abducted from outside a bar in Fort Myers Beach by a man who asked for a ride in her car. She was beaten unconscious and sexually assaulted, according to an affidavit filed by a Lee County detective.

Florman was convicted of a 1986 rape in Chesterfield County. He was tried twice, but not convicted, of a 1986 rape in Henrico County. He was released from prison in 1990 and had most recently been living in Low Moor, near West Virginia.

An affidavit written by Detective Eric Hurd with the Lee County Sheriffs Office said that in addition to the DNA match, the description of the rape suspect, 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds, was similar to a description of Florman at the time, 5-foot-8 and 160 pounds.

Florman is represented by Miami lawyer Melvin S. Black, who said shortly after Florman was arrested that any allegations against his client will be vigorously defended.

Brian Bieber, a Miami lawyer not involved in the case, said a trial in a cold case might be one to three years away.

Bieber is a former director and board member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He said defendants returned to Florida from other states will be booked and appear before a judge within 24 hours of their arrival. The judge will read the charges, make sure he has a lawyer and hear arguments on bond.

The defense lawyer can reserve argument for bond at a later date, and Florman will be held at the Lee County Jail if bond is not granted, Bieber said.

He said an arraignment date will be set within 21 days, at which point the defendant will likely plead not guilty and request discovery and a trial by jury. Any initial trial date set is unlikely to be a realistic one, he said.

The Lee County sheriffs office sent evidence recovered from the 1998 victim to a DNA lab last year as part of a national effort to test backlogged physical evidence kits in sexual assaults. A Nov. 23 report from the Virginia Department of Forensic Science said a search of offender profiles produced a hit on Florman.

Florida authorities, supported by Hurds affidavit, then sought the court order from Alleghany County for a DNA sample from Florman in June to confirm the results. The sample, a swab from the inner cheek, was collected by Virginia State Police.
A Richmond man pleaded guilty Monday to multiple drug distribution counts in Chesterfield County in a case with broad ties to a South Richmond street gang whose members sold heroin and were linked to at least two overdose deaths and one slaying, authorities said.

Stephen Diallo Green, 24, a member of the 004/Foxwood gang who is awaiting trial in Richmond for a Jan. 29 killing, pleaded guilty in Chesterfield Circuit Court to four counts of distributing heroin, one count of manufacturing a controlled substance and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In exchange for his pleas, the prosecution withdrew six accompanying counts.

Green was one of half a dozen 004 gang members charged with drug distribution in Chesterfield as the result of a joint Chesterfield-Richmond police investigation into the local heroin trade and the drug overdoses of four people  two of whom died  in Chesterfield dating to the fall of 2016.

A Chesterfield man was found dead Oct. 29, 2016, at a home in the 2800 block of Gainford Circle in the county, and a woman was found dead Jan. 3 in the 4200 block of Briarwood Drive, also in Chesterfield. Both died of toxic effects of heroin laced with fentanyl.

The name and phone number of one of the gang members  Daquan H. Wilkins  was linked to the victims through cellphone records, authorities said.

On Jan. 29, 31-year-old Joseph Boyle was found shot to death inside a crashed SUV in the 5000 block of Snead Road in the Foxwood apartment complex in South Richmond, where the 004 gang was based.

Green was charged with Boyles killing, as well as attempted murder, maliciously shooting into an occupied vehicle and several firearm counts. His jury trial is set for Dec. 11 in Richmond Circuit Court.

One of the main functions of the gang, or the purpose of the gang, is the distribution of narcotics, Chesterfield Deputy Commonwealths Attorney Larry Hogan said after Mondays hearing. And in this case, our experience recently has been with heroin, although Mr. Green was also selling cocaine to our source.

Hogan said the gang members  some of whom are remnants of the former Broad Rock Boys gang  were rounded up in February after Chesterfield and Richmond police served more than half a dozen search warrants at locations in both localities. In addition to narcotics, detectives confiscated a number of weapons, including assault-style rifles and drum magazines that can hold 50 rounds.

Theyve been tied into other violent crimes (such as) attempted murder, malicious wounding and felony assaults, Hogan said.

The gang members even produced their own professional-quality rap video that was posted on YouTube.

It was done right there at the Foxwood apartments, the prosecutor said.

Authorities said the other gang members charged in Chesterfield include:

Daquan H. Wilkins, 28, who pleaded guilty Sept. 27 to distribution of heroin as a third offense and criminal gang participation. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison with 40 suspended.

Anthony T. Code, 28, who pleaded guilty Aug. 29 to two counts of distributing a controlled substance and one count of criminal gang participation. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison with all but three years suspended.

Jeremy J. Taylor, 29, who pleaded no contest Aug. 29 to possession with intent to distribute controlled drugs, conspiracy, criminal gang participation and felony hit-and-run. He was sentenced to 80 years in prison with all but two years, four months and 15 days suspended.

Dwayne M. Johnson, 28, whose case is set for a Nov. 30 jury trial on charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, obstruction of justice and criminal gang participation.

Robert L. Langston, 24, who pleaded guilty May 30 to possession of marijuana as a second offense and was sentenced to 12 months in jail with 11 suspended. In Richmond, Langston faces charges of possession of heroin, possession of cocaine, two counts of possession of a firearm while in possession of controlled substances and possession of a gun by a convicted felon. Evidence in the case was presented in Richmond Circuit Court on Monday, but a decision was withheld until Nov. 16.

In the Green case in Chesterfield, Hogan told the court in a summary of evidence that Green became a suspect after police on Jan. 4 discovered a man and a woman had overdosed on heroin inside a home on Buford Road. After recovering, the victims provided investigators with a phone number and an address on Snead Road in Richmond, where they obtained their drugs.

That led to a confidential police informant contacting Green to buy heroin. They met Jan. 6 at the Red Robin restaurant at Chesterfield Towne Center and completed a drug transaction that was recorded on a cellphone camera by undercover detectives, Hogan said.

Another controlled drug buy with Green was conducted Jan. 10 at a Waffle House in Chesterfield, and on Jan. 12 and Jan. 19 at the the same Red Robin restaurant. In each case, Green sold the informant a gram or less of heroin for about $100.

At one point following Greens arrest, and after police searched his vehicle and found a 9 mm pistol and two magazines with ammunition, a Richmond detective asked him if the weapon had been used in the Jan. 29 fatal shooting in Richmond.

Green replied, Im 100 percent sure that weapon wasnt involved in the homicide, Hogan quoted Green as saying in his court summary.

Green faces five to 10 years in prison when he is sentenced Jan. 24.

Hogan said the gang arrests were the result of really good police work by Chesterfield narcotics officers, along with good assistance from Richmond police gang and homicide detectives.

They kind of connected the dots for us, the prosecutor said of Richmonds contribution.

Hogan said police continue to investigate whether Wilkins can be tied to the heroin sold to the Chesterfield residents who died of overdoses on Oct. 29, 2016, and Jan. 3. Wilkins could face felony homicide charges if police can prove he supplied the victims with the heroin.
Invariably, in most organizations, the job description comes before the job.

In Richmond, the candidates for city treasurer are making it up as they go along.

That alone should tell you everything you need to know about a post that has survived decades of suspicion about its superfluousness.

The gig is nice work if you can get it. The salary  $90,000  is a nice piece of change for a post that is both amorphous and autonomous  a dangerous combination, if you ask me.

Hanover County Treasurer M. Scott Miller oversees an office with an annual operating budget of $1.3 million. His office handles more than $372 million in county revenue.

The state-funded Richmond treasurers office costs $140,000 a year. Under Eunice Wilder, a certified public account, the treasurers office has prepared state and federal taxes and offered free notary public service.

Its unclear what duties the next treasurer will take on. Frankly, given the offices dearth of requirements and lack of structure, we cant be sure theyll be doing anything at all. Its a situation rife with potential for abuse.

Yes, its only $140,000. But a hundred grand here, a hundred grand there, and pretty soon youre talking about real money  especially in a state and a capital city with real needs.

The office has flown under the radar in part because there has been so little turnover to call attention to it. Since 1978, only two individuals have held the job: Franklin J. Gayles and incumbent Wilder.

Both were formidable in their way. When Gayles took the post, he was a political science professor and former academic affairs dean at Virginia Union University who had served as chairman of the powerful research committee of the Richmond Crusade for Voters. Wilder is the former wife of L. Douglas Wilder, who was Virginias governor when she was appointed to fill Gayles unexpired term in 1992.

Over the decades, the office seldom made news, even as you got the sense that its occupants were mildly embarrassed at their dearth of prescribed duties.

Will the offices obsolescence  its functions were taken over long ago by the citys Finance Department  ever catch up to it?

I think that we need to examine every opportunity to save money for our citizens, no matter the source, City Councilwoman Kim Gray said Monday.

Wilders impending departure and Grays skepticism notwithstanding, there has been no public or political groundswell to eliminate the treasurers office via the General Assembly. In an era of ongoing disgust with City Hall waste, the treasurers office appears to be coated in Teflon, perhaps because its viewed as a creature of the state.

Its endured for a couple of reasons, I think, said Bob Holsworth, a veteran commentator on Richmond politics and a former professor and dean at Virginia Commonwealth University.

For one, the position may have managed to hide in plain sight among locally elected constitutional offices such as the commonwealths attorney and clerk of the circuit court, which provide extensive, necessary activities, he said. Also, in some localities, the treasurers do provide extensive personal services and have responsibilities that are important to the locality, such as the sale of tax-delinquent properties.

The challenge is to think about their relevance to localities that have essentially taken most of the responsibilities and put them in the Finance Department, he said, adding that the justification offered by the Richmond candidates for keeping the office wasnt fully adequate.

In different places in Virginia, they have different responsibilities. And over time, I think the treasurers in general, across Virginia, have been attempting to carve out a more distinctive niche. But clearly that has not been the case in Richmond.

But do elected officials in Richmond care enough about a state-funded position to take a case for abolition to the legislature?

If the treasurers not, quote-unquote, getting in the way ... I think what you then find is local governments dont abolish it because its something they dont see much benefit in doing, Holsworth said.

Still, in a City Hall where customer service has historically been viewed as underwhelming, theres value in having a space devoted to public services such as state and federal tax preparation and free notary service, the norm under Wilder. Gayles used to say the office provided the personal touch.

But frankly, this looks like a typical Virginia oddity that no longer makes sense (see independent cities) but survives because weve always done it.

Its too late to do anything this election cycle, but the bar must be raised on what the treasurers office does. The winner in next Tuesdays election must make a clear and compelling case for why we should keep the position. The candidates  Nichole Armstead, former City Council President Michelle Mosby and former Councilwoman L. Shirley Harvey  envision the office as, respectively, a promoter of financial literacy, an augmenter of the citys collection efforts and a post with greater authority to check the Finance Department.

Whoever wins the election must fashion a treasurers office that is more innovative, more interactive with Finance and more than a bureaucratic anachronism.

If she cant find a way to better use it, Richmond needs to lose it.
In the 10-year period ending last year, there were 133,256 arrests in Virginia for possession of marijuana, 84 percent of them first-time offenses.

Nevertheless, relatively few people go to jail in the state solely for possession of marijuana, according to a study prompted by a proposal that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of the drug for personal use.

The report by the staff of the Virginia State Crime Commission found that on July 20, there were 96 jail inmates awaiting trial for possession of marijuana and 31 serving jail time after conviction. State figures show there were more than 29,000 people in Virginias jails that same day.

State crime commission members were briefed on the findings of the monthslong study prior to taking mixed comment from 32 people at a hearing Monday. Under the proposal, possession of small amounts of marijuana would remain illegal but would become a civil offense, instead of a criminal one.

We are here to talk about decriminalization, not legalization, said state Sen. Thomas K. Norment Jr., R-James City, to those in attendance. Norment, a member of the crime commission, helped prompt the study out of concerns about the collateral consequences of such convictions.

Colin L. Drabert, senior staff attorney for the commission, outlined some of those ramifications, which can include effects on employment, federal higher education aid, housing, immigration status, the ability to purchase or transport a firearm, and child custody.

Roy Scherer, who has long lobbied for the reform of the states marijuana laws, was one of the first speakers.

Id like to congratulate you. The idea of decriminalizing marijuana is only 45 years old. So Virginia is catching up, he told the commission.

A representative of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws thanked the commission for considering the matter and said none of the states that have decriminalized have reversed course, showing the move is effective.

Two other early speakers strongly opposed the proposal, with one likening it to opening Pandoras box. Another speaker said decriminalization would reduce the perception of harm the drug represents.

Marijuana is still an addictive, harmful drug. ... Please protect our youth, she said.

A representative of the American Automobile Association told the commission that the organization does not have a position on the bill, but she urged legislators to carefully consider the possible impact on traffic safety.

The report found that 30 states have criminal penalties for possession; eight states and the District of Columbia allow for legal recreational use; seven states have civil or other noncriminal penalties; and five states have blended civil and criminal penalties.

In Virginia, the law does not specify an amount of marijuana to be considered for personal use, as opposed to amounts that could be construed as possession with the intent to distribute. A first conviction can result in up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine. A defendants drivers license is revoked for six months if convicted or if a judge defers deciding the matter.

Roughly half of first-time offenders charged are convicted, and of that number the great majority serve no jail sentence.

The report noted that first-time offenders in Virginia may enter a program to have the charge deferred or dismissed, and a survey of prosecutors and defense lawyers showed that first-offense marijuana cases are commonly taken under advisement by a judge, amended to another offense or continued generally with conditions.

Drabert reported that the crime commissions staff has received nearly 4,000 written comments from the public regarding the proposal, with 3,743 supporting decriminalization and 107 not supporting.

The staff will now consider the remarks as well as suggestions from commission members and make recommendations for the commission to consider at a future meeting. Endorsement of legislation by the commission does not ensure passage of a bill, but it carries great weight in the legislature.
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia is poised to recommend a $366.3 million funding request for colleges and universities in the next two-year budget, including an additional boost in faculty salaries to help attract and retain talent.

The request, which the council will consider on Tuesday morning, is driven by $171.5 million for proposed faculty pay increases  split between the state general fund and tuition  a year after the state paid its share of a 3 percent raise given to higher education employees in the current two-year budget.

It also includes $66 million in additional financial aid, primarily for students who otherwise could not afford to attend college; $44 million to help four institutions that are operating with less funds than they need for basic services; and $26 million for building maintenance the state hasnt helped fund for six years.

About two-thirds of the total request for operating funds, or $240 million, would come from the state general fund for core services, representing increases of 3.5 percent in the fiscal year that will begin July 1 and 7.9 percent in the following year.

This recommendation would provide resources to institutions that will improve access, student success and economic development capacity and continue recent conservative tuition increases, states the SCHEV staff report on needs for the 2018-2020 budget biennium.

The higher education funding request adds to the big budget challenges already facing Gov. Terry McAuliffe and the General Assembly as they fashion a new two-year spending document under the shadow of another potential round of federal budget sequestration.

I take it as a request, Secretary of Finance Richard D. Ric Brown said Monday. Well try to work with it and see what makes sense within the resources that weve got.

The additional money for colleges and universities doesnt represent mandatory state spending increases, unlike the $491.8 million needed to update state aid for K-12 public education and a pending new forecast for the current Medicaid program thats likely to require hundreds of millions in additional state money over the next two fiscal years.

The governor and the assemblys budget committees also must fill the hole in the next budget created by the loss of $272 million taken from Virginias depleted rainy day fund this year to support existing programs, while finding more money to boost a new cash revenue reserve to restore a stable outlook for the commonwealth by Standard & Poors bond rating agency.

Thats going to be the very first thing weve got to do, Brown said of the $272 million the state cannot fill in the next budget from the rainy day fund. Thats more than mandatory  thats in there already and embedded.

The uncertainty is heightened by the expiration of a stopgap federal budget deal between President Donald Trump and Congress on Dec. 8, less than two weeks before McAuliffe will present his final two-year budget for the legislature to review and revise early next year.

A budget breakdown could trigger a new round of federal spending cuts under sequestration that would badly damage a Virginia economy that relies more on federal defense spending than any other state.

But colleges and universities consider additional state funding essential to relieve pressure on tuition that has increased proportionately to the decline in general fund budget support since the turn of this century.

In addition to the request for more state support for operations and financial aid, SCHEV is recommending an additional $125.1 million to address priority maintenance needs at colleges and universities.

Its under-funded right now, SCHEV finance policy director Dan Hix said Monday.

The new SCHEV assessment also includes a request for $1.1 billion to pay for 34 capital projects that meet state guidelines for critical needs. Public colleges and universities sought $4.4 billion for 141 proposed capital projects, but SCHEV staff winnowed the request by three-quarters and made clear that maintenance of existing facilities is a higher priority for additional state debt financing.

But the bulk of the request is for more general fund support of education and general operating expenses at public colleges and universities, which are generally below their peer institutions in competing for talented faculty.

SCHEV staff said the commitment to faculty salaries is critical to meeting the goals in the Virginia Plan for Higher Education.

The General Assembly committed to a 3 percent pay raise for faculty and other staff in 2016, only to abandon the increase after a projected $1.5 billion shortfall emerged later that year. Some institutions gave the raise anyway and paid it themselves, and the state made the others whole this year by restoring the increase for faculty, as well as classified state employees at colleges and universities.

They have a pretty free hand to do it if they want to, Brown said.

SCHEV is recommending raises ranging from 2 to 5 percent, depending on each institutions standing relative to salaries in their peer groups, with an average of about 3.5 percent. It would cost $171.5 million for the biennium, including $84.3 million from the general fund.

House Appropriations Committee officials said on Monday the SCHEV report focuses on additional money for higher education without looking at ways to reduce spending or reorder priorities to support educational initiatives that help the state economy by training students for the jobs that businesses need to fill.

Our focus going forward will be to shift the number of degrees from liberal arts to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math), computer science and cyber degrees to meet the demands of the economy, Appropriations Chairman S. Chris Jones, R-Suffolk said.
CHATHAM  A Martinsville man was found guilty Monday of a boating misdemeanor in a collision on Smith Mountain Lake in July 2016 that killed a North Carolina teenager.

Drewry Woodson Hall, 21, was convicted of operating a boat in an improper manner and fined $300 by Judge George Jones in Pittsylvania County General District Court. Hall originally had been charged with reckless boating, but the judge reduced the charge amid evidence indicating that Hall was not solely responsible for the collision.

Gabby Ayers of Clemmons, North Carolina, was a passenger on a Polaris personal watercraft being operated by William Rentz Brandt that collided with a 21-foot Key West Boat operated by Hall. The collision happened July 3, 2016, in a cove near the Anthony Ford Boat Ramp, on the Pittsylvania County side of Smith Mountain Lake.

Hall, 20 at the time of the incident, also had been charged with underage purchasing or possession of alcohol. The judge found sufficient evidence to find Hall guilty but took the charge under advisement for a year and ordered Hall to perform 20 hours of community service. If Hall completes the community service as required, then the judge may dismiss the alcohol charge.

Both Hall and his passenger, 22-year-old Capers Penn Zentmeyer of Martinsville, helped pull Ayers and Brandt to shore after the wreck.

Jones indicated one of the factors in his ruling was what he considered was a discrepancy between Brandts testimony in a May trial and the statement he gave officers after the incident.

During Brandts testimony, he said he didnt remember the original collision. The last thing he recalled, the Danville resident said, was looking over his right should and seeing the boat approaching.

I knew it was going to hit me, he said in court May 16, talking about the gut feeling he had at the time. Brandt said he didnt remember how fast he was driving the personal watercraft or where he was going, or how fast the boat was traveling.

In the July 2016 statement to officers, Brandt said, I turned. I turned. I hit the boat.

If he hit the boat, Jones indicated, then the boats operator couldnt be solely responsible for hitting the other craft.

The teen killed in the collision, Ayers, 17, had completed her high school education at home, as well as a nine-month training program at a beauty school in Greeensboro and had worked at a salon in Winston-Salem for two weeks before the crash, her father, Mark Ayers, told The Roanoke Times in 2016. Gabby Ayers was a second-degree black belt and an avid lake surfer and personal watercraft enthusiast, her father said. She'd also traveled overseas on mission trips. Her family donated her organs after her death.
Jonathan Martin, an evangelical pastor and author, claims he was removed from Liberty University on Monday night following a pop concert and threatened with arrest should he return to campus.

A citation signed at 10:05 p.m. by an LU officer, images of which were later posted on social media by Martin, show he was removed by request but does not make clear who requested his removal from campus.

Martin recently caught the attention of Liberty students  and seemingly campus officials  when he spoke against LU President Jerry Falwell Jr.s support for President Donald Trumps administration.

Martin criticized Falwell on Twitter after Falwell gave an interview to Breitbart, a conservative news organization commanded by Steve Bannon, a former White House adviser who resigned in August.

In the interview, Falwell said voters need to oust fake Republicans in order to allow the Trump administration to be successful, and endorsed Roy Moore, an Alabama Senate candidate. Two articles ran online last week.

Bannon and Trump have backed Moore in the upcoming election in Alabama, and Falwell has been a longtime Trump ally, first endorsing him in January 2016 as a GOP presidential candidate.

Martin took to Twitter Friday calling for a protest at Liberty and criticizing Falwell and Bannon.

Lets be clear: Steve Bannon is a brazen white supremacist & the high priest of a false religion. He blasphemes the Holy Spirit, Martin wrote in a series of tweets critical of Falwell and Bannon.

Martin attended the JOHHNYSWIM concert in Libertys Music and Worship Center on Monday. On Tuesday, Martin said he was removed by the Liberty University Police Department while visiting band members backstage after the concert at its invitation, had his photograph taken, and was threatened with arrest if he returned to LUs campus.

In a phone interview, Falwell cited security concerns as the reason for Martins removal.

Falwell said LUPD became aware of future protest plans from Martins social media posts and that Ron Sloan, associate vice president for security and public safety, issued the request for removal.

Our tradition has been to not allow uninvited protests, Falwell said.

Martin had planned to pray with Liberty students at 7 a.m. in front of the Jerry Falwell Library on Tuesday.

What does it mean for a college administration to be this afraid of free speech? What precisely is @JerryFalwellJr afraid of? Martin tweeted early Tuesday morning following Mondays incident.

Martin also elaborated on the incident in a Facebook post: This was evidently in response to my strong criticism of Jerry Falwell Jr.s alignment not only with the darkest contours of Trumpism, but expressly with Steve Bannon & the alt-right he represents. I came to the show tonight as a guest of JOHNNYSWIM. I committed no crime (except perhaps to sing too loudly to my favorite JOHNNYSWIM songs) I was openly considering some sort of future action oriented around prayer & repentance, but came this time only for the show & for a time of prayer tomorrow morning to seek divine guidance as to what faithful, humble-but-clear Christian resistance might look like.

In Tuesdays phone interview Falwell accused Martin of seeking publicity in order to drum up support for a protest.

He wanted to showboat; he wanted to get some attention. If we allowed him to come on campus and protest uninvited, then the next group that comes in might be a violent group, and weve seen recently what that can lead to, Falwell said, referencing violent protests in Charlottesville in August.

He added he believes uninvited protests can lead to a disruption of the educational environment.

Its a private school, its private property, go somewhere else to protest, Falwell said.

Falwell, who has been critical of free speech restrictions at other campuses across the nation, said this issue was different because controversial speakers at other schools were being disinvited, whereas Martin was never invited to speak at Liberty or lead a protest on the LU campus.

Falwell also accused Martin of intolerance because of Martins criticism of evangelicals who support Trump.

The morning after his alleged ban from LU, around 15 students gathered outside the library to pray, as originally planned, according to Kenny Delevante, a recent Liberty graduate.

According to Alexander Forbes, a Liberty student who attended the 7 a.m. prayer session, the group was monitored by several LU police officers, including LUPD Chief Richard Hinkley. According to Falwell, this was to ensure no outside individuals came on campus to protest.

Delevante said after the prayer, he and a group of close to 15 students met with Martin off campus for roughly 90 minutes where they discussed what Christianity should represent, power dynamics in administration, stigmas that exist in the student body, and how things can turn around.
WASHINGTON

What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive ourselves into believing that corporate welfare can be seemly. Consider the caper, both amusing and depressing, that began when mighty Boeing sought protection behind the skirts of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Boeing, Americas 39th largest corporation by market capitalization (over $150 billion) and 24th by revenues ($94.6 billion), complains that it is being injured because the Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier (market capitalization around $5 billion) was dumping its C Series passenger planes in the U.S. market. That is, selling them unfairly cheaply to U.S. buyers. The nature of Boeings injury is unclear because it does not make a plane that directly competes with the C Series. Boeings complaint came after Bombardier agreed to sell 75 to Delta Airlines for $5.6 billion, a contract for which Boeing did not bid. The C Series single-aisle planes, which seat 100 to 160 passengers, are smaller than Boeings 737.

All manufacturers of commercial aircraft, including Boeing, sell their products for amounts substantially below list prices. (Boeings 787 lost $29 billion over five years before becoming profitable last year.) Boeing, however, cheekily charges that Bombardier is able to be excessively nice to U.S purchasers because the C Series receives government subsidies, including equity investments, worth under $2.8 billion. This is, however, the Boeing pot calling the Bombardier kettle black.

Bombardier is indeed subsidized to a fare-thee-well. The Canadian government subsidizes the Montreal-based company, as does the province of Quebec. But the U.S. government essentially provides Boeing with its own financial institution: The company is by far the largest beneficiary of what is known as Boeings Bank  the misbegotten Export-Import Bank. It provides cheap loans to Boeings overseas customers, lowering the real prices they pay. In 2014, 68 percent of the banks long-term loan guarantees  its primary business  was on Boeings behalf. Boeing also benefits from government contracts  23 percent of its 2016 revenue; the Defense Department is its largest customer  and from state governments incentives worth billions (e.g., $8.7 billion from Washington state).

Nevertheless, the Commerce Department, succoring Boeing with compassionate conservatism, imposed an astonishing 219.63 percent tariff on imports of Bombardiers C Series, supposedly to compensate for subsidies the company receives, and another 79.82 percent as punishment for not charging Delta, a U.S. airline, more. This 299.45 percent duty  Boeing had suggested 160 percent  would quadruple the planes price, effectively closing the U.S. market to them, thereby threatening Bombardiers survival.

Which probably interests the approximately 7,000 Americans in 17 states who work in Bombardier facilities making aerospace and railroad products. Furthermore, Bombardier spends $3 billion annually on U.S. suppliers in 48 states. Other Americans who might be collateral damage from protectionism are those who make Boeing fighter jets. Canadas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to the U.S. action by suspending plans to spend more than $4.8 billion on the fighters.

British Prime Minister Theresa May, too, is not amused. Bombardier employs more than 4,000 in Belfast to make the C Series wings. May, weakened by the June general election, clings to power through an alliance with members of Parliament from a party in Northern Ireland. And as she struggles to negotiate Britains exit from the European Union, she has been pointing to shimmering future trade agreements with the United States.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, so Bombardier gave 50.01 percent control of the C Series program to Boeings rival in this duopolistic business, Airbus, the European multinational corporation that also gets lavish assistance from governments. For this control, Airbus pays nothing, merely agreeing to put its vast marketing, maintenance, and customer service expertise into competition with Boeing in what The Financial Times calls the booming single-aisle market, which is expected to account for more than 70 percent of aircraft orders over the next 20 years.

Bombardiers and Airbus CEOs said with straight faces that their companies marriage is unrelated to the fight that Boeing might now regret having started, especially now that Airbus says it will manufacture C Series planes in the Alabama plant where it makes A320 airliners. Delta, which says it plans to buy those 75 planes when they are made there, presumably expects Airbus to avoid the 299.45 percent penalty. This, however, might depend on U.S. bureaucrats abstruse calculations of whether more than 50 percent of the cost of the C Series components come from U.S. sources.

Evidently it is insufficiently obvious that tariffs should not be imposed on planes made in America by Americans and sold to an American airline. Who will protect Americans from the radiating mischief of protectionism?
Richmond just experienced its warmest and wettest October of the past decade, and the first part of November will also feature some above-average temperatures.

October rainfall

Richmond International Airport picked up 4.95 inches of rain during the month, which is nearly 2 inches more than normal.

Most of that rain came from downpours on just two days: Oct. 11 and 29.

Those storms helped to make it the wettest October since 2006.

The rain was not equally distributed around the state, with a big surplus in Southwest Virginia and a continuing lack of rain in the southern Piedmont.

In the past month, moderate drought developed around South Boston and South Hill.

The next update to the U.S. Drought Monitor on Thursday may show whether the weekend rain did anything to improve the abnormally dry conditions around the state.

October temperatures

When all the highs and lows of the past month are averaged together, this was the eighth-warmest October in Richmond in the past 120 years.

It was likely helped by the unusual spell of record warm lows between Oct. 8 and 11.

The monthly mean temperature of 63.6 degrees is the highest since 2007.

We had plenty of the usual chilly nights, too, but Richmond hasnt made it to the freezing mark yet.

So far this fall, the coolest low at Richmond International Airport was 37 degrees on Oct. 27.

Many parts of western Virginia and a few spots in the western Piedmont have already dropped to 32 degrees  some several times  but eastern Virginia continues to hold out for now.

November temperatures

The average date for the first 32-degree low in the Richmond area is in the first week of November. Once again, were destined to have a later-than-average first freeze.

The first week of November will mostly bring low temperatures in the 50s to Richmond.

Afternoon highs will trend in the 60s and 70s for the foreseeable future, and theres a good chance of getting as warm as upper 70s on Friday.

Next week also looks like it will be influenced by a mild weather pattern that could hold off any freezes until the middle of the month.

The Climate Prediction Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expects November to be a warmer-than-average month for Virginia and the Southeast U.S.

Their updated outlook for November temperatures, released Tuesday, shows that the Pacific Northwest and Northern Plains are most likely to have a cooler-than-normal November.

Temperatures are bound to keep dropping in November, so an above-average outlook for Virginia certainly doesnt rule out periods of cold weather.

There just might not be enough of it to outweigh the mild stretches ahead.

Based on the 1981 to 2010 climatology, the average high descends from 66 degrees on Nov. 1 to 56 degrees on Nov. 30, while average lows sink from 43 to 35 over the same period.

Its typical to have seven days during the month with a low at or below freezing.

November rainfall

Virginia has equal chances for precipitation to be above-normal, near-normal or below-normal.

November is favored to be wetter for California, the northern Rockies and Midwest.

Texas and the Deep South are likely trending drier than usual in the weeks ahead.

Novembers average rainfall in Richmond is 3.24 inches, which often makes it a wetter month than October.

As we just saw, the result can come down to one or two storms.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Virginias health commissioner has approved the merger of two hospital systems that serve southwestern Virginia.

Dr. Marissa Levines decision, which was handed down Monday, follows a similar one made last month by her counterpart in Tennessee to allow competitors Mountain States Health Alliance and Wellmont Health System to form a combined health system.

The merger, which will create Ballard Health, is expected to be completed by January.

The states used separate but similar and unique regulatory processes to determine whether the merger would be beneficial to people living in the region.

The Federal Trade Commission, which usually oversees such mergers, had raised objections.

Since the new company will have control over access to health care throughout southwestern Virginia and northeastern Tennessee, the states included safeguards to protect against price increases that could come with a lack of competition.

Levines order also seeks to guard against hospital closings.

The regulatory process that was used to allow for the merger offers Ballard protection from potential competitors.

Virginia will require Ballard to provide services to people living in Lee County if the county is unable to restart its hospital.

Virginia will require Ballard to create a population health department that focuses on improving the physical and mental health of residents.

Ballard also will need to work with the Southwest Virginia Health Authority to ensure that it meets the requirements set out in the 151-page order.
Charges were dropped Monday against nine counter-protesters of the July 8 Ku Klux Klan rally in Justice Park, while two other defendants entered guilty pleas and one person was acquitted.

One charge each of obstruction of free passage was dismissed against Cameron Bills, Kendall Bills, Jo Donahue, Nicolas McCarthy-Rivera, John Neavear, Jeanne Peterson, Sara Tansey, Evan Viglietta and Whitney Whiting.

Morgan Niles and Erika Ries each pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and were sentenced to 30 days in jail with all time suspended, as long as they complete 40 hours of community service.

Kandace Baker also was charged with obstruction of justice but pleaded not guilty. In court, a Virginia State Police trooper said he was standing near an alley by the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court while members of the KKK returned to their vehicles in a nearby parking garage. The trooper said he then saw Baker walking toward him to leave the area, which was becoming more chaotic as people tried to block the KKK from leaving. Suddenly, he said, she turned back toward the alley that police were trying to clear.

When the trooper approached Baker, she told him she wanted to get her husband so they could leave. But she told the court the trooper would not let her and repeatedly told her to go toward Park Street to wait for her husband.

Baker said she never heard police call the gathering an unlawful assembly. When she refused to leave, the trooper said he arrested her.

General District Court Judge Robert Downer Jr. said he did not fault the officer for making the decision to arrest Baker because police were trying to get the situation under control. But he said he found Baker not guilty of obstruction because making a police officers job a little more difficult does not mean her intention was to obstruct justice.

Following the hearing, the trooper quietly apologized to Baker before leaving the courthouse.

On Oct. 20, Veronica Fitzhugh was found not guilty of obstruction of free passage for the same incident after she tried to block members of the KKK from entering Justice Park by lying down to block the entrance. At her trial, a judge said that the position in which Fitzhugh was lying did not actually obstruct entrance to the park.

Hearings for Rasha Langston, charged with failing to disperse in a riot, and Tracye Redd, charged with obstruction of justice, were continued to December.
CHATHAM  A Martinsville man was found guilty Monday of a boating misdemeanor in a collision on Smith Mountain Lake in July 2016 that killed a North Carolina teenager.

Drewry Woodson Hall, 21, was convicted of operating a boat in an improper manner and fined $300 by Judge George Jones in Pittsylvania County General District Court. Hall originally had been charged with reckless boating, but the judge reduced the charge amid evidence indicating that Hall was not solely responsible for the collision.

Gabby Ayers of Clemmons, North Carolina, was a passenger on a Polaris personal watercraft being operated by William Rentz Brandt that collided with a 21-foot Key West Boat operated by Hall. The collision happened July 3, 2016, in a cove near the Anthony Ford Boat Ramp, on the Pittsylvania County side of Smith Mountain Lake.

Hall, 20 at the time of the incident, also had been charged with underage purchasing or possession of alcohol. The judge found sufficient evidence to find Hall guilty but took the charge under advisement for a year and ordered Hall to perform 20 hours of community service. If Hall completes the community service as required, then the judge may dismiss the alcohol charge.

Both Hall and his passenger, 22-year-old Capers Penn Zentmeyer of Martinsville, helped pull Ayers and Brandt to shore after the wreck.

Jones indicated one of the factors in his ruling was what he considered was a discrepancy between Brandts testimony in a May trial and the statement he gave officers after the incident.

During Brandts testimony, he said he didnt remember the original collision. The last thing he recalled, the Danville resident said, was looking over his right shoulder and seeing the boat approaching.

I knew it was going to hit me, he said in court May 16, talking about the gut feeling he had at the time. Brandt said he didnt remember how fast he was driving the personal watercraft or where he was going, or how fast the boat was traveling.

In the July 2016 statement to officers, Brandt said, I turned. I turned. I hit the boat.

If he hit the boat, Jones indicated, then the boats operator couldnt be solely responsible for hitting the other craft.

The teen killed in the collision, Ayers, 17, had completed her high school education at home and finished a nine-month training program at a beauty school in Greensboro, and she had worked at a salon in Winston-Salem for two weeks before the crash, her father, Mark Ayers, told The Roanoke Times in 2016. Gabby Ayers was a second-degree black belt and an avid lake surfer and personal watercraft enthusiast, her father said. Shed also traveled overseas on mission trips. Her family donated her organs after her death.

Defense lawyer Thomas Cullen spoke for his client after the trial: The events of July 3, 2016, were the result of a tragic accident involving two parties. Drew [Hall], who acted heroically after the accident, mourns the loss of Gabby Ayers and hopes to put this difficult chapter behind him.

The Roanoke Times contributed to this report.
A Roanoke man charged with second-degree murder following a fatal fight last year with his father pleaded no contest Tuesday to a reduced count of voluntary manslaughter.

Zebulon Mills, 38, had been scheduled to face a jury trial on the murder charge Thursday. He was arrested in December and was accused of causing the blunt force trauma that led to the death of 63-year-old David Mills.

As part of the plea arrangement, prosecutors have agreed not to seek an active term of more than two years on the Class 5 felony. Guidelines in the case call for a maximum punishment of six months, but a judge will decide the final sentence at a hearing Jan. 31.

On the night of Oct. 3, 2016, police and rescue crews found David Mills unresponsive in a parking lot near his home in the 1300 block of Purcell Avenue Northeast. He was hospitalized with a head injury and died eight days later.

Mills had other medical concerns, but the blunt force trauma was the cause of his death, Roanoke Assistant Commonwealths Attorney John McNeil said at Tuesdays plea hearing.

Security cameras from a nearby business captured portions of what appeared to be a scuffle between the two men.

According to McNeil, Zebulon Mills cooperated with police and told them he and his father had been out earlier that night, drinking and shooting pool together at a Williamson Road night spot.

Mills told police the mood had been friendly until he had tried to drive his father home, against his objections. He maintained he had been attacked by the older man and had fought back.

McNeil said in court the evidence strongly suggested the violence resulted from the heat of passion, rather than deliberately and through premeditation, conditions that must be established in order to convict on a murder charge.

Defense attorney David Steidle said in court that Mills was extremely remorseful over the incident and is undergoing grief counseling as a result of it.

According to court records, Mills has no prior felony convictions in Virginia.
Roanokes new passenger train platform teemed with railroad buffs Halloween morning, two hours before the sun crested the horizon.

Many had arranged or rearranged their schedules for the week so that when an Amtrak train left a Roanoke station for the first time in 38 years, they could say they were on board.

Im here this morning to ride this first train, said Walt Stringer, a 67-year-old railroad retiree from San Diego, California. Im impressed by the crowd here.

Amtrak sold 151 tickets for train 176, departing Roanoke at 6:19 a.m. Tuesday.

By 6 a.m., the train had coasted quietly into place. Amtrak Police Department K-9 teams patrolled the platforms on two feet and four. Passengers flowed toward the entrances.

A conductor shouted All aboard and soon after the eight-car train rattled forward. A Valley Metro bus kept pace on a road paralleling the tracks, eventually falling behind, the view through the windows growing pitch dark. Good morning, said a voice from the intercom. Welcome to Amtrak.

Some passengers opened their laptops and went to work. Others pulled up blankets and went to sleep.

Anissa Ollie, 47, a human resources consultant with Carilion Clinic, bought a ticket mainly so she could travel comfortably to a business convention in Washington, D.C., but said she was a rail fan in her own way.

I just think its convenient for us to see other areas, she said, but theres also opportunity for other people to come and see what a great city Roanoke is.

Her sentiment was echoed by a passenger on his way to his day job in D.C. Now you can take a train to get to Roanoke from other parts of the country, said U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke.

He posited the notion of rail tourists disembarking in Roanoke to visit the Virginia Museum of Transportation and the O. Winston Link Museum, both within walking distance of the platform. Where this station is located, right downtown, is really convenient for folks.

Goodlatte described working across the aisle with former U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher to push for Amtraks return. Its long overdue. Ive been working for it for a very long time.

About 20 members of the Roanoke chapter of the National Railway Historical Society were scattered throughout the train. Several of them recalled taking the final ride of the Hilltopper, the last Amtrak train to stop in Roanoke. Eddie Mooneyham, 42, of Blue Ridge, cited the date from memory: Sept. 30, 1979.

Mooneyhams father dropped him off at the Roanoke station so he could take the ride and picked him up in Bedford. During the Hilltoppers final trek, he remembered seeing his dad flash his headlights on U.S. 460 as the train went past.

Between the last ride on the Hilltopper and the first Roanoke-based ride on Amtraks Northeast Regional, Harold Castleman, 71, packed in an entire railroad career. Now living outside Philadelphia, Castleman worked as a Franklin News-Post reporter in 1979. A year later, he took a job with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, where he worked 35 years. A locomotive engineer, he worked on a wire train, equipped for replacing overhead wire. I saw the railroad 30 feet at a time.

Ive ridden all over the United States, said George Allen, 72, of Charlottesville. Ive been everywhere that Amtrak goes, just about.

He met his first wife on an Amtrak train, he said, and later married her on one. The wedding took place in December 1989 on the Crescent from New Orleans to New York. We had the ceremony in the lounge car, he said. It was around Manassas we got married.

The Hawk family, from Churchville, Maryland, represented a new generation of rail aficionados. Jim Hawk, 51, brought sons Nathan, 8, and Kevin, 12, at Kevins insistence.

Its pretty cool to be on the first train out of Roanoke, said Kevin, a big fan of all things Amtrak. He kept a hawks eye, you could say, on the schedule once he learned Amtrak was adding a city to its system. Ive been checking almost every weekend.

Some passengers had causes to promote. Bristol orthopedic surgeon and railroad buff Mike Fleenor, 65, said he wants to push the idea of extending Amtrak service to Bristol, and hes looking to Roanoke as a model. Its been so long since weve had passenger service in this region.

Barbara Duerk, 70, president of the South Roanoke neighborhood association, has advocated for the new passenger service to allow ticket holders to bring their bicycles, so much so that state Sen. John Edwards greeted her at the platform Tuesday morning by asking her where her bike was. She reminded him she wasnt allowed to bring it.

At present, the Amtrak trains operating from Roanoke will only allow bicycles if they can be folded up and stowed as carry-on luggage. Duerk still hopes to change that, asserting it would give tourism a vital boost.

It could become available in the future, said Amtrak spokeswoman Kimberly Woods. We do work with bike advocates around the country.

The train arrived in Lynchburg for its first stop about the same time as sunrise. The darkness had long since given way to vistas of tree-covered hills.

Its very pretty, said Stringer, as the Virginia countryside rolled by. I like the fall colors were seeing.
For the first time since 2011, voters in the 9th District will see two names on the ballot Nov. 7 for their House of Delegates seat.

Del. Charles Poindexter, R-Franklin, first elected in 2007, is challenged by Democrat and political newcomer Stephanie Cook. Though the candidates share some talking points  economic development, the Mountain Valley Pipeline, sanctuary cities  their opinions on the issues differ greatly.

Cook, 30, said the hardships shes experienced and observed inspired her to run: people working full-time who struggle to pay their bills, the children who depend on free and reduced lunch and backpack programs that send them home with food for the weekend.

Government has the power to improve lives, Cook said, but she felt changes that would help the district were not being made.

You cant just complain about something, you have to be willing to do something about it, right? said Cook, an educator.

Cook believes the economic pinch is the root of problems facing residents of the 9th District. Wages are too low, and the area needs more high-paying jobs that would allow an employee to support a family. People working full-time jobs cant afford good, quality health care, she said.

The candidate said expanding Medicaid and raising the minimum wage would help to solve these problems. Getting the infrastructure, like broadband and good cell coverage, in place throughout the rural district is key to attracting businesses that will offer citizens higher wages. And to provide qualified workers to fill those jobs, Cook proposes focusing on career and technical education and apprenticeships.

The 9th District seat represents most of Franklin County, all of Patrick County and the western third of Henry County.

Poindexter, 75, has served on the House Appropriations Committee since 2010. For several years, Poindexter said, he was the only delegate on the committee from west of Lynchburg (Del. Nick Rush, R-Christiansburg, joined him in 2016).

Ive had to keep Southwest Virginias interest front and forward for many years, said the retired engineer and farmer. And I still do.

Serving on the committee, which has jurisdiction over state budget matters, gives Poindexter an important role in economic development. Proposals for incentives to lure businesses to Virginia come before the committee, Poindexter said.

We have got to have economic development to get us the growth that will give both local and state governments more revenue just to keep doing the same thing, let alone start new programs, Poindexter said.

The delegate said he believes education is an important piece of economic development, and will continue to support career and technical education and community colleges. Poindexter said students need to be directed to fields that will have job growth in the coming years, and higher education institutions need to consider the future when developing programs of study.

Franklin Countys Summit View business park demonstrates forward thinking by the board of supervisors, Poindexter said. The project will benefit todays youth, who can get jobs in the park and stay in the county, but also the tax base. Businesses should be major contributors to a countys tax base, helping to fund education and other services, he said. But rural counties are often out of balance.

Im often told by school divisions and medical care providers that they are the largest employers. And thats not the way it should be, Poindexter said.

Cook said the biggest issues on the minds of voters in the district varies. In Patrick County, its the closure of the countys only hospital. In Henry County, she said constituents were focused on jobs and the opioid epidemic. In Franklin County, citizens told Cook they just werent making enough money to get by. And the Mountain Valley Pipeline often came up with property owners who stand to be personally affected.

Across partisan lines, people in this area agree that theres problems and that theyre struggling, she said.

Cook is against the Mountain Valley Pipeline. She fears negative environmental impacts, like contamination of drinking water or harm to the revenue-producing Smith Mountain Lake. Cook said she also thinks the project is not for the public good, and as a result is an abuse of eminent domain.

Poindexter supports the Mountain Valley Pipeline. He believes Franklin County has missed opportunities to attract businesses because it does not have natural gas service, though Poindexter said its hard to know how many.

Its like everything else  roads, airports, electric lines  its a part of the tool mix, Poindexter said. And I think DEQ will do a good job at making sure the environmental aspects are properly mitigated.

One of Poindexters most controversial legislative efforts this year was a bill he introduced that would ban sanctuary cities. Gov. Terry McAuliffe vetoed the measure.

I did that on my own accord because I believe in the rule of law and I can see examples across the country where it was being flouted, directly and indirectly, Poindexter said. And there were noises in certain places in my home state of following the same policies of not cooperating with the law.

If citizens or elected officials dont like the laws, Poindexter said, they should go through the proper channels to change them.

Because Virginia does not have any sanctuary cities, Cook said she felt the bill was simply a political statement.

She said law enforcement need to be supported in carrying out their duties, but undocumented immigrants already in the country should be treated with humanity and dignity.
Democrat Ralph Northam and Republican Ed Gillespie combined to raise a record-smashing $20.6 million between Oct. 1 and Oct. 26, as national money poured into Virginias marquee election for governor.

The combined haul was nearly twice the record that Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Ken Cuccinelli raised in the same time period four years ago, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, a nonpartisan tracker of money in state politics.

Virginia and New Jersey are the only states that elect governors the year after a presidential election. Virginias contest is widely seen as the more competitive contest. The spigot of campaign money is funding a flurry of television ads ahead of the Nov. 7 election.

As of the previous reporting period, Northam had amassed a sizable fundraising advantage over Gillespie entering October with more than double his GOP rival in cash on hand. But a gusher of money from each major partys governors association made for a financially competitive contest in the homestretch.

For the week of Oct. 23-29, advertising spending by Gillespie and allied groups in the states four largest TV markets topped $2.4 million, to $2.0 million for Northam and allied groups, VPAP reported recently, citing Federal Communications Commission data. Democrat-leaning groups had topped the ad spending in each of the four previous weeks.

Northam, the states current lieutenant governor, raised $10.96 million between Oct. 1 and Oct. 26. He spent nearly $15 million in the period, finishing with a balance of $1.65 million.

Northams largest donor in the period was DGA Action, the Democratic Governors Association committee, which contributed $3.2 million. This year it has contributed more than $6 million to Northams war chest.

Northams haul included $2.65 million from in-kind contributions  donations of goods or services, such as mailers or travel. Northams top donors of in-kind contributions were Planned Parenthood Virginia PAC, which contributed more than $827,000 during the reporting period, and the Virginia League of Conservation Voters PAC which donated $645,000.

Gillespie, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, brought in $9.65 million during the reporting period. He spent nearly $10.8 million, finishing with a balance of $1.36 million.

Gillespie took in $3.5 million in the period from the Republican Governors Association, which previously donated $1 million to his campaign in September.

Gillespie reported an additional $1.25 million contribution from RGA Right Direction, which was set up as a Super PAC to oppose Hillary Clinton, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

The Republican reported nearly $1.3 million in in-kind contributions from the Republican Party of Virginia.

Cliff Hyra, the Libertarian candidate for governor, raised $11,505 in the reporting period, spent $10,161 and finished with a balance of $5,269.

In the contest for lieutenant governor, Republican Jill Vogel and Democrat Justin Fairfax combined to raise nearly $2.7 million in the period, nearly twice the previous record of $1.4 million set in 2001 by Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican Jay Katzen.

In the race for attorney general, Democrat Mark Herring, the incumbent, and Republican John Adams brought in $6.1 million in the period, nearly twice the prior record of $3.4 million that Herring and Republican Mark Obenshain raised in the same time frame four years ago.
Its taken 60 years and billions of dollars, but mass transit is finally coming to Dulles International Airport outside the nations capital. The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is ready to open the second and final phase of its Silver Line Metrorail extension on Nov. 15. The six new stations will for the first time connect the airport and the outer suburbs of Loudoun County to the regions flagship mass transit system. But the Silver Line extension comes at a time when ridership on Metro remains at roughly half of what it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. Metro officials say the long-term vision of those who pushed for the line will be vindicated as riders return.
Here at The Roanoke Times, we understand how busy you are, especially this time of year. So as a public service, we have taken the liberty of scoping out whos giving out what kind of tricks and treats this Halloween so you can better plan your itinerary tonight.

Here goes:

President Donald Trump. Youre in for a treat here. Or a trick. Hell tell you hes giving you the greatest treats ever, but when youre not looking, hell reach into your bag and take away the Appalachian Regional Commission and virtually every other federal agency dealing with rural economic development. Then hell reach in and take away the Amtrak route through Clifton Forge. And if youre engaged in clean coal research, hell take away more than half of your funding. Be sure to visit early; if Trump treats Halloween the way he is the health care sign-ups, hell restrict the hours as a way to limit the program.

If youre dressed up as a Puerto Rican, hell toss you some paper towels. Planning to wear your Colin Kaepernick jersey for Halloween? Best to take a pass on this address. Definitely dont take a knee. Oh, dont dress up as the rapper Eminem if youre planning to knock on Trumps door, either. And definitely dont dress up as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. On the other hand, if you dress up as a white supremacist marching through Charlottesville, Trump might say there are very fine people on both sides.

Gov. Terry McAuliffe. This will be his last Halloween at this address. If youre old enough, hell invite you in for some Virginia craft beer. If youre a convicted felon who has been released, hell give you the paperwork to restore your civil rights, no questions asked. If you want to build a natural gas pipeline (or dress up as someone who wants to), hell tell you to go visit the Department of Environmental Quality office. If youre dressed up as an environmental activist opposed to natural gas pipelines, he might not answer the door. Dressed up as a Virginia sheriff? He wont want to meet with you, either.

Ralph Northam. The Democratic candidate for governor will give you some college brochures. Some will lay out his plan to get more students into community college for free, but youll have to come back later and perform some community service. Others will describe his proposal for expanding the University of Virginias College at Wise. Just be careful if youre dressed up as a Confederate statue. He might tell you to take it down.

Ed Gillespie. The Republican candidate for governor wont have a problem with your Confederate statue costume but if you show up dressed as an MS-13 gang member, hell likely try to have you arrested and deported. Hell also spend some time telling you how hed like to give away tax cuts next year, plus talk up his plan to expand the University of Virginias College at Wise. If you show up dressed as President Trump, hell find a reason not to invite you in.

Sen. Mark Warner. If youre dressed up like a Russian Internet troll, be prepared for a grilling about what you were posting on Facebook and tweeting on Twitter in 2016. Otherwise, hell hand you the 34-page report that he and three other senators commissioned on the economy of Appalachia and tell you about his proposed tax break for companies that invest in economically-distressed regions.

Senator Tim Kaine. Same thing as previous years: Before he gives out any candy, he hell give a speech about how long the United States has been bombing the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria without congressional authorization. The problem is: Nobody wants to vote on war, no matter what that pesky Constitution says.

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. If youre dressed up like a pipeline builder, youll be told to check back in December to see whether you get a permit. Others may not be able to knock on the door, though, because environmental activists are blocking the entrance.

NextGen Virginia. No need to call on this liberal advocacy group. If youre a college student, theyll be calling you  or, more accurately, texting you. The group  an offshoot of NextGen America  became the first political group to take advantage of a curious and heretofore unnoticed provision of both federal and state law: Some state colleges make their student directories available to the public. That means you can file a Freedom of Information Act request and, at some colleges, get the name, address and cellphone number of every student. Some businesses have been doing this for some time; NextGen was simply the first political group to figure out this is a dandy way to contact college students.

Rep. Bob Goodlatte. No candy. As a Republican, he doesnt believe in hand-outs. However, he will give you a tour of the hemp crop that researchers at James Madison University, Virginia State University and Virginia Tech grew this year. Dont worry, parents, you cant get high off the stuff. But you can make some nifty things with it  from construction materials to cosmetics to foods to pharmaceuticals. You could make even more if his bill to lift federal restrictions on the commercialization of hemp gets passed. And if youre still wearing that Hillary Clinton costume from last year, be prepared to be investigated. Want to really scare Goodlatte? Go dressed up as a town hall meeting.

Rep. Morgan Griffith. Hes giving out the same thing as last year: A lump of coal. Wait, maybe thats at Christmas. But being a pro-coal legislator, hes likely got a good supply to give out. Griffith, at least, is definitely in the spirit of things: Hell be in costume  as Andrew Lewis, the Revolutionary War hero from Salem. Before you can go on to the next house, hell want to give a speech about Lewis and his role in history.

Rep. Tom Garrett. Come on in, the congressman is holding a town hall meeting  one of the few Republicans to do so this year. Unfortunately, its being disrupted by people who want to shout him down because he wants to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

Corey Stewart. Theres not much surprise about what the former candidate for the Republican nomination for governor  and present candidate for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate  is giving away: Confederate statues. The problem is you cant move them.

Amtrak. No question what the passenger rail service is giving out (well, for a price). Train rides to Boston. Thats definitely a treat.
Sarah Girdham of Thornberry Animal Sanctuary, the Mayor of Rotherham Cllr Eve Rose Keenan and consort Pat Keenan

A BUSINESS networking dinner has served up a tasty treat for an animal sanctuary.

The event, organised by Hydra Creative, raised more than 1,500 for Thornberry Animal Sanctuary on Todwick Road, North Anston.

South Yorkshire businesses attended the event at the Silver Plate Restaurant at Sheffield College, which was the third networking dinner organised by the company to support the charity.

The Mayor of Rotherham, Cllr Eve Rose Keenan, and her consort Pat, were present.

Thornberry Animal Sanctuary, set up in 1988, was nominated as Hydras charity of the year for 2017.

Gemma Daniels, client services director at Hydra Creative, said: This years charity dinner was a huge success, with the great and good of South Yorkshires business community coming together to raise vital funds for Thornberry Animal Sanctuary.

Perhaps more importantly, awareness has been raised of the charity, with several business owners I talked to expressing interest in getting involved with the charity moving forwards, which is great news and a great result.
The shrinking of the US jewelry industry slowed in the third quarter, with the number of companies closing down or going bankrupt declining.

Some 192 firms in the US ceased their operations in the three months to September 30, a decline of 51% from the same period a year ago, according to data the Jewelers Board of Trade (JBT) released this week. Retail closures fell 53% to 146, with terminations of wholesalers down 45% to 31. The number of jewelry manufacturers shutting down fell 35% to 15.

Bankruptcies in the industry also declined slightly, from 10 companies to nine.

However, the US trade still got smaller, with the number of companies listed by the JBT declining 4.5% to 26,246 in the third quarter.




Dow St. Charles will be able to utilize rail as a shipping method thanks to a $9.5-million commitment from the Port of South Louisiana to build a rail link.

Dows St. Charles Operations sits east of the port and consists of a 2,000-acre petrochemical manufacturing complex in Hahnville, La., which is upriver from New Orleans. Dow will lease the property the rail line will sit on from the port.

The Port of South Louisiana has been working with Dow St. Charles for several years to bring this project into fruition. We are grateful to have the available land adjacent to Dows operations in St. Charles Parish and we are excited at the opportunity to help Dow improve its rail car handling/storage capabilities, said Port of South Louisiana Executive Director Paul Aucoin.

According to a report that appeared in the St. Charles Herald Guide, the project is in the engineering phase and requires drainage issues to be worked out.

The Port of South Louisiana is served by three trunk line railroads, two on the east bank of the Mississippi River and one on the west bank.
Woolworths Limited (WOW.AX) reported that its total sales from continuing operations for the first quarter of fiscal year 2018 grew 3.7% percent to A$14.52 billion from A$14.01 billion last year.

Woolworths Group CEO, Brad Banducci, said, "While we are pleased with the progress during the quarter, there remains much more to do with our focus now firmly on the important Christmas trading period."

Australian Food sales increased by 4.7% to A$9.6 billion for the 14 weeks of the first quarter compared to the previous year. Comparable sales increased by 4.9%. Comparable sales growth was driven by continued improvement in comparable transactions (+4.6%) and comparable item growth per basket of 1.4% resulting in volume growth of 6.0%, despite higher levels of deflation during the quarter. Fresh and Long Lifeboth grew strongly. The company noted that its focus on improving our digital customer experience resulted in strong double-digit online sales growth.

Total sales were impacted by approximately 30bps due to a change in commercial arrangements for newspapers and magazines to pay-on-scan which was implemented progressively through H2'17. As a result, sales in the same quarter last year included the gross value of newspapers and magazines.

Endeavour Drinks sales increased by 3.8% to A$2.0 billion with comparable sales increasing by 3.3%. Our retail businesses, BWS and Dan Murphy's, delivered positive comparable growth in the quarter driven by strong promotional campaigns with both banners continuing to outpace market growth.

New Zealand Food sales for the quarter were NZ$1.6 billion, an increase of 3.2% on the previous year. In AUD, the sales increase of 0.4% was impacted by a strengthening Australian dollar against the New Zealand dollar during the quarter. Comparable sales increased 2.7% for the quarter as customers responded positively to investment in service despite a number of competitor promotions during the period.

BIG W sales of A$890 million for the quarter increased 2.5% on the previous year with comparable sales increasing by 2.9%. Adjusted for the timing of the Annual Toy Sale, comparable sales increased 2.1%.

Hotels sales for the quarter were $441 million, an increase of 4.1% on the previous year. Comparable sales increased by 4.1%.

Petrol sales for the quarter of $1.2 billion were 4.6%1 higher than the prior year, impacted by a 7.0% increase in average fuel sell prices to 121.1cpl (Q1'17: 113.2cpl).

Comparable sales (dollars) increased 3.0% and comparable volumes decreased (2.6)%. Comparable volumes continue to be impacted by the number of competitor canopy openings.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Specialty chemicals company Clariant AG (CLZNY.PK,CRN.L,CLZNF.PK), which recently terminated its proposed merger of equals with Huntsman Corp. (HUN), reported Tuesday that its third-quarter EBITDA before exceptional items rose 13% from last year to 235 million Swiss francs, driven by the upswing in Catalysis, the increase in Care Chemicals and the contribution from Plastics & Coatings.

The EBITDA margin before exceptional items increased to 15% from 14.9% in the previous year.

In the third quarter, sales growth accelerated by 12% in local currency to 1.566 billion francs. Organic sales growth was 9% in local currency, driven by higher volumes.

From a regional perspective, sales in North America grew 22% in local currency mainly on acquisitions. Sales in Asia advanced 15%, in the Middle East & Africa by 25% and in Europe by 6% in local currency. Latin American sales increased 3% despite the continued challenging economic environment.

CEO Hariolf Kottmann said, "Clariant continues to consistently and successfully deliver on its strategy. With an excellent 10% growth in both sales and profitability in the first nine months of the year we are well on track to achieve our targets."

For 2017, the company said it is confident to achieve targets, i.e. growth in local currency, progression in operating cash flow, absolute EBITDA and EBITDA margin before exceptional items in spite of a temporarily weaker cash flow in the first half.

Further, Clariant confirmed its mid-term target of reaching a position in the top tier of the specialty chemicals industry. This corresponds to an EBITDA margin before exceptional items in the range of 16% to 19% and a return on invested capital above the peer group average.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
(Agencia CMA Latam) - Argentina's President Mauricio Macri intends to present today his administration's guidelines for the next two years, including a plan of economic reforms to be implemented until 2019.



Macri's presentation is scheduled to take place this afternoon at the Kirchner Cultural Center, in the center of the City of Buenos Aires. Businesspeople, governors, unionists leaders, opposition politicians, judges, academics, and religious leaders were invited to the event. The talks on the reforms are expected to begin this week with meetings by sector and should prioritize provincial leaders who will meet with Macri on November 9.



Last week, after the electoral triumph of the ruling coalition in the national legislative elections, several rating agencies stressed that Macri's administration faces a favorable scenario to carry out tax, labor and pension reforms.

by Agencia CMA Latam

For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
(Agencia CMA Latam) - The conservative candidate to Chile's presidency, Sebastian Pinera, today presented his government plan to be implemented in the case of winning. Pinera's program is composed of 745 measures costing US$ 14 billion.



Pinera, who was Chilean head of state between 2010 and 2014, has a broad lead in opinion polls to take the place of President Michelle Bachelet in the elections scheduled for November 19. After criticizing Bachelet's administration, Pinera claimed that he wants to "transform Chile, within eight years, before 2025, in a developed country, in a country without poverty."

by Agencia CMA Latam

For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Canadian stocks look to extend record highs Tuesday, with the TSX Composite Index starting the day at 16,000 for the first time ever.

The TSX Composite was up 49.27 points to 16,002.78, powered by Canopy Growth (WEED.TO) after the marijuana company earned a major investment from Constellation Brands.

Bay Street has been in a great mood for the past few months. Crude oil prices have rallied to the highest since February and corporate earnings have been relatively healthy.

Energy stocks will stay in focus amid speculation OPEC will extend its supply quota deal with Russia. The cartel meets in Vienna November 30.

In economic news, Canada's real gross domestic product edged down 0.1% in August, after being essentially unchanged in July. Declines in manufacturing and mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction more than offset increases in most sectors, Statistis Canada said.

WestJet (WJA.TO) reported a strong quarterly profit as passenger traffic rose.

Ratings agency Fitch maintained its highest rating on the Canadian banking sector, but singled out CIBC (CM.TO) with a negative outlook due to exposure to risky mortgages.

"Uncertainties remain regarding the potential impact of recent mortgage reform announcements on the broader mortgage market," Fitch said in a report. "As such, a faster price correction that is prolonged and/or a slowdown in the housing market will likely impact earnings growth for all the banks.

"CIBC has the largest exposure to Canadian consumers at 76.9 percent of total Canadian loans compared to the "Big Six" Canadian banks' peer average of 66.8 percent," Fitch said.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
A federal judge in Washington, DC, has suspended key parts of President Donald Trump's controversial ban on transgender troops serving in the US military.

The Court order means that the military cannot take any actions to discharge or treat unfavorably any transgender people who are currently serving in any branch of the military or in the Coast Guard. The Court order also means that as of January 1, 2018, transgender people will be able to enlist and commission in the military.

A presidential directive that Trump signed in August bars enlistment by trans-gender individuals, prohibits coverage for certain critical medical procedures, and bans those currently in the military from serving.

In an interim guidance he issued later, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said trans-gender personnel in US military will be allowed to re-enlist until February 21, 2018, when he presents the president with a permanent policy on trans-gender ban.

No new sex reassignment surgical procedures for military personnel will be permitted after March 22, 2018.

The proposed ban faced multiple legal challenges by serving trans-gender members of the armed forces.

Considering one of these cases on Monday, the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted a "preliminary injunction" that prohibits the Trump administration from banning transgender people from enlisting and serving in the military.

The ruling was issued in the first lawsuit challenging the discriminatory ban, brought by five transgender service members, who were represented by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD).

The Court found that the President's Memorandum of August 25 that prohibited transgender people from actively serving after March 23, 2018 was unconstitutional and may not be enforced.

US District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly wrote in a 76-page decision that Trump's justifications for the policy "do not seem to be supported by any facts," noting "it appears that the rights of a class of individuals were summarily and abruptly revoked for reasons contrary to the only then-available studies."

The policy of ban on transgender people in US military was lifted by Barack Obama's administration last year.

The decision is the latest blow to an administration that has seen many of its flagship executive actions challenged and curbed in federal courts

Justice Department spokesperson Lauren Ehrsam said "We disagree with the Court's ruling and are currently evaluating the next steps."

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Political News
President Donald Trump took aim at one of his favorite targets in a series of posts to Twitter early Tuesday morning, accusing the media of overhyping the story of the indictment of his former campaign manager Paul Manafort.

Trump cited Manafort attorney Kevin Downing, who claimed there was "no evidence" that his client or the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government.

"The Fake News is working overtime. As Paul Manafort's lawyer said, there was 'no collusion' and events mentioned took place long before he came to the campaign," Trump tweeted.

Manafort and his longtime associate Rick Gates were indicted by a federal grand jury on twelve counts, including conspiracy against the United States.

The indictment unsealed Monday claims between 2006 and 2017, Manafort and Gates knowingly and intentionally conspired to defraud the U.S.

However, Downing claims Manafort's work lobbying for a pro-Russia party in Ukraine ended in 2014, over two years before he served in the Trump campaign.

Trump also attacked former foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos, who secretly pleaded guilty earlier this month to lying to the FBI about interactions with Kremlin-connected Russian nationals.

"Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar," Trump tweeted.

The president suggested the focus should be on Republican tax reform efforts rather than the news about Manafort and Papadopoulos.

"I hope people will start to focus on our Massive Tax Cuts for Business (jobs) and the Middle Class (in addition to Democrat corruption)!" Trump tweeted.

Later Tuesday morning, Trump argued that the "biggest story" from Monday was Democratic lobbyist and Podesta Group founder Tony Podesta stepping down.

The brother of Hillary Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, Tony Podesta announced his resignation after coming under investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

"The biggest story yesterday, the one that has the Dems in a dither, is Podesta running from his firm," Trump tweeted. "What he know about Crooked Dems is earth shattering."

He added, "He and his brother could Drain The Swamp, which would be yet another campaign promise fulfilled. Fake News weak!"

Trump has repeatedly denied there was any collusion between his campaign and Russia, calling the investigation a "witch hunt."

(Photo: Gage Skidmore)

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Political News
A Quinnipiac University poll released Monday showed Democratic Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam with a substantial lead over Republican Ed Gillespie in the Virginia governor's race.

The poll showed Northam with a 53 percent to 36 percent lead over Gillespie among likely Virginia voters, with Northam benefiting from overwhelming support from non-white voters.

Northam holds a 72 percent to 15 percent advantage among non-white voters and also has double-digit leads among both men and women. White voters are split 46 percent to 46 percent.

President Donald Trump has expressed support for Gillespie, although the poll found that likely Virginia voters disapprove 60 percent to 34 percent of the job the president is doing.

"In 2014, Republican Ed Gillespie came oh-so-close to upsetting Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, at least in part because 2014 was a Republican year and Gillespie benefited from the national pro-GOP mood," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

He added, "But with President Donald Trump's approval ratings in the dumpster in Virginia and in the nation, this year the shoe is on the other foot for Gillespie."

Brown described the size and scope of Northam's lead as impressive and noted history does not provide many examples of candidates who have come back from the size of the deficit faced by Gillespie.

The good news for Gillespie is that the Quinnipiac poll appears to be an outlier, as other recent surveys have shown a much tighter race.

The RealClearPolitics average of polls of the Virginia governor's race shows Northam with just a 3.3 percentage point lead over Gillespie.

The Quinnipiac survey of 916 likely Virginia voters was conducted October 25th through 29th and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Congressman Jeb Hensarling, R-Tex., the Chairman of the powerful House Financial Services Committee, has revealed he will not run for re-election to a ninth term next year.

"Today I am announcing that I will not seek reelection to the U.S. Congress in 2018," Hensarling wrote to supporters on Tuesday.

He added, "Although service in Congress remains the greatest privilege of my life, I never intended to make it a lifetime commitment, and I have already stayed far longer than I had originally planned."

Noting that his term as Financial Services Committee Chairman comes to an end next year, Hensarling said the time seemed right to retire.

Hensarling said he would use the remaining fourteen months of his congressional term to continue the fight for individual liberty, free enterprise, and limited constitutional government.

"Much work remains at the House Financial Services Committee in the areas of housing finance reform, regulatory relief, cyber security and capital formation to name just a few," Hensarling said.

"Furthermore, important work remains in the Congress as a whole - especially pro-growth tax reform," he added. "I look forward to continuing this work on behalf of the people of the 5th District of Texas and all Americans."

The Dallas Morning News noted the filing period for the March primary starts November 11th, leaving potential successors little time to make a decision and start the campaign process.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Political News
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By SA Commercial Prop News - I-Net Bridge

Hardware Warehouse, a provider of materials for the building industry, on Wednesday advised that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Senar Investments, had agreed to sell a property in Butterworth in the Eastern Cape to Nvest Properties for R10.65 million.

The commercial property comprised land with a total area of 2,123 square metres and a building with a total area of 2,102 square metres.

"The directors' of Hardware Warehouse's strategy is to utilise the assets of the company for trading purposes and to apply these assets to the core business of Hardware Retailing. The sale of the property will generate substantial cash flows that will be utilised to settle debt obligations which are due in May 2012," Hardware Warehouse said in a statement.

The disposal, settled in cash, was unconditional as all the conditions precedent were fulfilled.
By SA Commercial Prop News

Artists impression of of Harding Corner retail centre.



With ground breaking diarised for 13 January 2012 and a host of national tenants confirmed, the future looks great for a new retail development soon to change the face of Harding in KwaZulu Natal.

Developers Amber Dawn have secured a number of exciting national tenants, including Shoprite (Leasing 3200m2 of the 9200m2 centre), Shoprite Liquors, Price & Pride, Ellerines, OK Furnishers, MTN and Spec Savers. Harding Pharmacy has also confirmed that it will be moving to the new centre once it is complete.

In addition, various other national franchises, including well known fast food chains, are currently in lease negotiations, and will hopefully soon be confirmed as tenants.

While letting space Harding Corner will predominantly be taken up by large stores, meeting a very necessary retail need in this small rural town, the developer has also included a separate node of 34 small retail stores to provide a structured trading area for local businesses. This will, to a large extent, eliminate the need for many local businesses to operate as street traders and ultimately improve the aesthetics of Harding Corner as a whole. The retail node is a unique feature that has not been seen in rural shopping centre design in South Africa, and will add even further to the shopping experience offered at Harding. The area will be attractively designed and monitored with CCTV to ensure the safety of both shoppers and tenants, said Ed Peen Chairman of Amber Dawn.

With everything on track now, Harding residents can expect to be enjoying a fantastic new shopping centre by the end of 2012: a long time in coming, but certainly worth the wait.
Ending days of speculations, the BJP on Tuesday announced Prem Kumar Dhumal would be its Chief Ministerial candidate in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh.

Addressing a public meeting in Rajgarh in Sirmaur district, BJP President Amit Shah said Virbhadra Singh, instead of talking about his work and responding to allegations of corruption against him, was only persistently asking them at all public platforms under whose leadership was the BJP contesting the polls.

"Throughout the country we are contesting under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi... in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP is contesting under the leadership of Dhumal," he said, drawing loud applause from the gathering.

"I want to tell Virbhadra Singh that the 2017 election would be contested under the name and leadership of our senior leader Dhumal," Shah said.

The ruling Congress has already announced incumbent Virbhadra Singh as the next Chief Minister, if it retains power.

Shah, who started his five-day visit to the state on Monday, said: "I want to say this thing also that at present Dhumal is the former Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition and after December 18, Dhumal would be the Chief Minister."

However, the 73-year-old Dhumal, who is a two-time Chief Minister, was not present at the rally when his name was announced. In a tweet in Hindi later, he extended gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah on behalf of the the state's people.

Elections to the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly will be held on November 9 and the votes counted on December 18 along with Gujarat.

Taking the lead after months of speculation and turmoil within the party, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on October 7 announced at a public meeting in Mandi town that Virbhadra Singh will "become the Chief Minister for the seventh time".

Clearly indicating the party stands behind Singh, who is facing cases related to disproportionate assets, he said: "Virbhadra Singh ji has done tremendous development as six-time Chief Minister. He will be the Chief Minister for the seventh time. This will have full backing of the party."

Since then the opposition BJP has facing posers from the Congress over their party leader.

"Till this announcement of Dhumal, there was too much confusion over who is to lead the party," a senior state BJP leader, who did not wish to be identified, told .

"At least it's clear now," he added.

Earlier, the party was divided in two camps -- one led by Dhumal and the other by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda.

In the 2012 elections to the 68-member assembly, which saw a voter turnout of 73.92 per cent, the Congress won 36 seats, the BJP 26 and Independents six.

But in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had won all the state's four seats with a vote percentage of 53.85 per cent, while the Congress got 41.07 per cent votes.
China on Tuesday rejected a media report that Beijing is planning to build a 1,000-km tunnel to divert the Brahmaputra waters.

"This is untrue. This is a false report," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.

"China will continue to attach great importance to the cross-border river cooperation," she added.

According to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, Chinese engineers had submitted to the government a proposal to build a 1,000-km tunnel to carry water from Tibet to Xinjiang.

The newspaper said the tunnel would divert the Yarlung Tsangpo River in southern Tibet to the Taklimakan desert in Xinjiang.

The river downstream is called the Brahmaputra, which joins the Ganges in Bangladesh.

The proposed tunnel, which would drop down from the world's highest plateau in multiple sections connected by waterfalls, would "turn Xinjiang into California", a geotechnical engineer said.
Oh how gullible we are! Just when we started to think the government has finally got it right by allowing free flowing competition among airlines  if and when Samoa Airways eventually hits the skies in 13 days  we get a reality check chucked in our faces.

For the past few weeks, we have been delightfully watching how low some of the airfares between Auckland and Faleolo have dropped, some of the lowest weve seen in fact, since Samoa Airways launched its end of year sales.

And with that we started to dream that perhaps our government has finally grown up after all these years in power. We thought they were finally starting to walk the talk when it comes to the value of fair and uncompromising competition so that customers and members of the public become the ultimate beneficiaries.

But how foolish we were.

Yesterday, reality returned to bite where it hurts the most. And for more than 6,000 travellers whose plans have been affected, thats in their pockets and hearts.

You see the cruel blow came in an announcement from Virgin Australia.

Virgin Australia wishes to advise you that the Samoan Government has denied authorisation of our scheduled services between Apia and Auckland, the message reads.

We are disappointed by this decision and are working in conjunction with the Australian Government to explore options to encourage the Samoan Government to reconsider its decision.

Unfortunately, this means your upcoming flight with Virgin Australia will be affected and we are genuinely sorry that this outcome has resulted in a disruption to your travel plans.

We would again like to apologise for the disruption to your travel plans however the situation is unfortunately out of our control.

Now there are always two sides to a story. So it will be interesting to see what the government, namely Prime Minister Tuilaepa, has to say about this.

But purely judging from the message to thousands of customers, its cruel. Downright gut wrenching. Which explains the frustrations and anger members of the public have expressed on the front page of the newspaper you are reading, social media and elsewhere online. And its not hard to understand.

We are a month away from December and the Festive season.

Many people had bought their tickets to travel back and forth between Auckland and Samoa and have been joyfully counting down to the day. Alas their dreams have been dashed. Many of them will have to make alternative plans, they will lose money and the list of negatives goes on.

Virgin Australia of course will be held accountable to a degree for selling the seats without securing prior approval. But thats not the point here.

At the end of the day, the headache and heartache will still be noticeable and carried by innocent travellers who are ordinary people of this country. They are the ones who bought the fares and were not privy to the inner workings of the officials who have eventually made the decision. They should have been given prior warning.

Even better, couldnt the government have waited until people have used up their tickets? Couldnt they have come to a solution with Virgin Australia that perhaps allowed the airline to still provide the service they had sold to their customers?

The Samoan government and Virgin Australia have been in partnership for 10 years. We know it wasnt the best of relationships at times but surely they couldve held on for a couple of months more for the sake of our people.

We accept that the consideration is largely due to finances and perhaps the competitive nature of the aviation industry. Besides, at the end of the day, the government has the ultimate final say, which is the card they have pulled.

But its hard to ignore the political element to the decision. Right from day one when the government knew that Virgin had put in an application to continue their services to Samoa, Prime Minister Tuilaepa has been issuing veiled threats about declining the application.

Which is why the decision we have today is hardly surprising.

But is it the best decision? Has the government done the right thing for and by our people?

Dont be shy to write and share your thoughts with us!

In the meantime, have a wonderful Wednesday Samoa, God bless!
The condemnation of the governments decision to reject an application from Virgin Australia to continue to service the Faleolo/Auckland route has come thick and fast from irate travellers.

Many of them have taken to social media to vent their anger, describing the decision as stupid, arrogant and egotistical.

Others have branded Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and his administration idiots.

They argue that this is the governments way of getting rid of competition so that Samoas new airline, Samoa Airways, can gain a foothold in the market and eventually be allowed to control fares and monopolise the route.

This, they say, will only make things tougher for Samoans.

Asked for a comment yesterday, Prime Minister Tuilaepa was unrepentant. He blasted the Airline calling them liars for selling tickets knowing fully well they did not have a license to operate to Samoa beyond 5 December 2017 (see story page 2).

Still, angry passengers are not convinced.

Why discontinue a service that provides competition and people have paid tickets to visit Samoa? writes Ioana Tusa on the Samoa Observers Facebook page.

I can see what this government is doing! Getting rid of competition (so they can price fix) however, the Samoan Airlines have to land on foreign soil as well and will pay!

Mr. Tusa said the government should allow Virgin Australia to continue to service the route between Auckland and Samoa.

Closing routes off to big Airlines will come back and haunt Samoa eventually! I can see fares becoming too expensive to fly to Samoa and again the majority of Samoans who depend on visitors will suffer, due to an imbecile egotistical P.M's short sightedness for resident Samoans.

Mr. Tusa added the government should have at least considered the six thousands passengers whose travel plans have now been disrupted when their decision was made.

Rosa Teo Williams is one of them.

Thanks a lot Samoa Government, she wrote.

Because of you, our booking of 15 people we paid 10 months prior to leave in a months time was cancelled.

Their only option was to give our refund back only to pay $200 more per person from what we paid on Virgin Airlines with Air NZ because most of the flights on Samoa airways are sold out.

Good job Samoa and we'll definitely not be flying with your new Airlines!

Another unhappy member of the public, Kat Patis sister had already booked for a 14th November return flight.

They should see these flights out then discontinue their service.

Rose Luisa Love agrees.

I don't understand why they would stop Virgin flying to Samoa, she writes.

So the question is how many Samoan airlines is there cause if it's only one, well then good luck with that, Samoa will be in a disaster.

The Samoa government is not thinking right  stop being big headed and let Virgin help the Samoan people travel!

Lila Nauer said the decision would hurt Samoans.

At the end of the day the Samoan people and the tourists/tourism industry are going to be the ones who lose, Lila said.

More planes mean more accessibility to Samoa, more bodies coming into the country etc ... it seems people have lost focus and need to get back on track...and stick to the programme!

A person who uses the name Phee A Bots said the saddest part is that many of the people are probably from Samoa.

Six thousand people are probably Samoan people who have already paid their fares. Maybe reconsider the 6000 then cut Virgin off.

Taotafa Matafeo Jr. offers a different perspective.

They had their chance, Taotafa said referring to Virgin Australia.

Plus flying with Air NZ back home has always been the preferred choice for some. There are other carriers keen on filling this void.

The decision by the government was revealed in a message from Virgin Australia to passengers affected.

Sent on Monday, the message reads: Virgin Australia wishes to advise you that the Samoan Government has denied authorisation of our scheduled services between Apia and Auckland.

We are disappointed by this decision and are working in conjunction with the Australian Government to explore options to encourage the Samoan Government to reconsider its decision.

Unfortunately, this means your upcoming flight with Virgin Australia will be affected and we are genuinely sorry that this outcome has resulted in a disruption to your travel plans.

We would again like to apologise for the disruption to your travel plans however the situation is unfortunately out of our control.
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi is standing by his governments decision to reject an application by Virgin Australia to continue flights from Auckland to Faleolo.

Speaking to the Samoa Observer yesterday, Tuilaepa said his government would not yield to threats made by officials within the Australian government.

The Prime Minister blasted the airline for selling tickets when they do not have a license to operate after 5 December 2017.

Tuilaepa called them liars and stupid for their actions.

The license will expire when the joint venture expires, he reiterated. The joint venture between the government, Virgin Australia and the Grey Investment Group expires on 5 December 2017.

We had written to them informing them that what they are doing is illegal, and there was no response, Tuilaepa said.

However, the airline was hiding behind officials of a ministry with the Australian Government who came here and made threats, noting that we (Samoa Airways) are flying to Australia as well."

And that is why we have told them they can fly directly from Australia to Samoa and we will do the same."

They (Virgin Australia) dont want that."

They want to fly to New Zealand then to Samoa, but see we dont want that, we want them to fly directly from Australia to Samoa."

We (Samoa Airways) will be serving the New Zealand route and they can focus on the Australia route to Samoa.

He pointed out the negotiations with the Virgin Australia revealed that they did not want to continue the joint venture with their aircraft.

They proposed for us to have a joint venture with their smaller plane, called Tiger Air."

A proposal the government will not entertain nor accept. They (Tiger Airways) have been rejected by the Australian government and furthermore they dont have a license to operate in Samoa, he said.

According to the Prime Minister, Virgin Australia cannot come to Samoa as they do not accept the conditions that the airfares must be lowered.

From the beginning they have already told us that there are not that many passengers, hence the limited flights in and out of Samoa, Tuilaepa said.

We have requested to increase their flights, but they were adamant there were not that many passengers to justify the additional flights."

And so we had to make changes on our own, given that not only the flights were limited, but the airfares were expensive and it had a huge impact on us."

They kept on saying that there were no passengers to justify the additional flights."

Ironically, as soon as we announced our new airline, they have added more flights, saying they have additional passengers."

What a bunch of lies, said Tuilaepa.

The Prime Minister said the move by Virgin Australia to sell tickets after the expiration date of the venture was illegal.

He reiterated they dont have a license yet they kept on selling their tickets, which is such a stupid thing to do."

The only license that allows them to fly to Samoa is through the joint venture license, that is what the fuss is all about.

The door is always open for Virgin Australia to obtain a license to operate directly from Australia to Samoa and back.

Tuilaepa also pointed out to those who have already purchased, tickets, can however, still fly to Samoa using Fiji Airways.

This is part of our memorandum of understanding with Fiji Airways. The Prime Minister assured they will offer assistance to all passengers that are currently booked on Virgin flights from Auckland to Apia.

Last night, the government issued the following press statement about the issue. It is printed below verbatim:

Virgin Air Service Licence revoked

Virgin Australia has made press statements regarding the decision of the Samoan Government to decline an Auckland - Apia Air Service under the operating Licences sought by Virgin Australia International (V.A.I). (License)

This decision should not have come as a surprise to VAI, as the previous License was granted on the basis of the joint venture with the Government. That arrangement comes to an end on 13th November 2017.

Further our government officials have previously made efforts to notify Virgin that they should stop selling Auckland  Apia tickets beyond the 13th November date, without the proper approvals.

To date, our government has received no direct response from Virgin to those communications. The efforts to contact Virgin included offers to discuss the License with Virgin officials. This offer has not been taken up to date.

Instead Samoa was approached by the Australian Government officials where it became necessary to make the decision clear to them. This decision emphasised that VAI would be approved to operate scheduled services from points in Australia to Apia and return but with the Auckland to Apia and return services not approved. The necessary approvals were issued to VAI over the past few days.

The hope is that this direct link between Australia and Samoa will be reciprocated when the Samoa Airways application is considered. Samoa Airways is working hard to comply with terms of that application to fly direct from Apia to Australia.

Confirmation of License Decision

The Government stands by the decision to decline the approval for Auckland and Apia Virgin flights.

It was made clear to Virgin that they are free under the License terms to fly direct from Australia to Samoa and return; but Auckland is no longer accessible.

The Government disagrees with the statement made, that this violates previous Air Service Agreements given that those did not remove Samoas sovereign rights to consider all applications made to Samoa, and the overall impact that it can have on our people, economy and country.

Further, the spirit of those agreements were to facilitate cooperation such as past code sharing with airlines like Qantas and Polynesian Airlines; not to allow for rippling economic damage to Samoa in favour of a Multinational Airline.

Samoa and Fiji Airways Offer to Help Passengers

The Government has reached out to both Samoa Airways and Fiji Airways, and is happy to confirm their willingness to offer to assist all passengers that are currently booked on Auckland to Apia, Virgin flights. For a simple migration fee from Virgin Australia, Samoa Airways is willing to assist the passengers affected.

Samoa Airways and Fiji Airways will not impose any fees, or extra costs to passengers seeking a transfer.

The Fiji Airways offer to assist, will include a transit stop-over in Nadi, but there are no plans to seek extra costs from passengers for that route. Rather it will be discussed between airlines.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi will also reach out to the Prime Minister of New Zealand and the Air New Zealand management, to ascertain if they are able to assist with taking on Virgins Auckland to Apia passengers.

With these airlines willing to assist, it will simply be a step from Virgin to transfer those customers holding tickets that were sold by Virgin without the prior proper license approval from Samoa, and further, to pay the migration fees or other arrangements offered by the airlines, before the ticketed date to allow the passenger to travel.

Government therefore calls on all passengers affected to seek assistance from Virgin to explore the avenues available, to transfer their travel to the alternative carriers that are willing to assist Samoa.

Government were not otherwise aware that Virgin would seek to add costs to those passengers when they revoked their approval as their tickets were said to be subject to direct refunds by the airline if they were not granted proper approval.

Important Background Points.

In May of this year, the Government gave notice to Virgin Australia that the 12 year joint venture was at an end as at 13th November 2017.

A key consideration for the decision was Virgin Australia own expressed admissions, that it could no longer afford the flights under the current joint venture, to Samoa.

Virgin then suggested to Samoa that it consider its subsidiary airline Tiger Airways to take over as Samoas National Carrier, under a renewed joint venture. This was not acceptable to the Government of Samoa.





Decision

After consideration of Tiger Airways and other factors of the proposal, the unanimous Cabinet decision was reached, that the joint venture would now discontinue.

Government then reviewed the gross estimated income of the joint venture over 12 years, made primarily from our people flying between Auckland and Apia, and came to the conclusion that it would take the step to re-start its own national airlines international Jet Service.

To the Governments surprise, given the previous statement that it was no longer affordable, Virgin Australia then announced that it did in fact want to remain in the Pacific and fly to and from Samoa.

Despite that, the decision to re-engage Jet Services in Samoa remains.

According to the Hon PM: We are an island nation attempting to re-start jet services with only a one aircraft airline, and we are being treated in this manner by a multinational company in response. However, steps to start from this humble beginning and aim towards the future are on schedule and will continue.

We therefore have no choice but to stand against any efforts to destroy that goal for our people. We are grateful for the assistance of those airlines and governments willing to assist.
Apias iconic clock tower returned to its original shade last night signifying the official end to the Pinktober Campaign to raise breast Cancer Awareness and Advocacy.

A month earlier, the Town Clock for the first time in history, received a glamourous pink paint makeover at the behest of the Miss Samoa Alumni, a sorority of influential women who know how to harness a womans power to network, organize and to implement  all while their nail polish is drying.

Manamea Apelu Schwalger was present as the workers painted over the bright pink we had grown accustomed to seeing after its unveiling at the beginning of October.

Speaking to the Samoa Observer, Manamea had mixed emotions after such an eventful and successful campaign,

Putting the clock back to its original colour, I feel at a loss for words, she said.

But it got the big impact that we wanted to strike up the conversations about cancer  not just breast cancer. It brought forth our Vave campaign and it didnt stall and it was a collective effort where every facet of the community came together.

Indeed during Pinktober, we saw Samoa at its best with an all hands on deck attitude. Community leaders, private and public sector come together to raise money and awareness around the gaps that still exist in Samoas response to cancer prevention and palliative care.

While the clocktower in all its pink glory was transferred back to white in much the same way we pack our Christmas trees after the festive season.

What we know from the countless fundraisers and stories we heard from cancer survivors and those still battling this disease is that awareness is only the beginning and the outcome from Pinktober is now a call to action to do what is tangible.

We now know that awareness is just the beginning and as our clocktower returns to white, manameas message of doing what is tangible comes to mind as we are now called to action on the knowledge we have.

The way forward is, now that we have addressed awareness lets look at healthy living, lets look at wellness and healing a nation. If we can roar pink, we can roar wellness."

We can look at our approach to healthy living and like Maryjane Mckibbon said to me the other day, maybe its too late to change the mindset of our older generation but we can look at our younger generation and getting them to be proactive in their health."

Weve called out to government to empower their doctors, look to specialists if possible and empower our young students as well."

Weve said to the business community, look we want to make this an annual event  please paint Samoa pink every year if possible. The vibrancy of the colour pink is to remind people that we are talking about cancer so that it reduces the fear of cancer.
Bringing together the circle of faafatama (transmen) in Samoa was the goal of the Talanoa session spearheaded by the Samoa Faafafine Association.

Held at the Palolo Deep earlier this month, S.F.A. President, Sooalo Tootooalii Stanley welcomed the participants and applauded their courage to turn up.

This gathering is the first of its kind and a historical milestone in the advocacy work of S.F.A. to be inclusive of all gender minorities as stipulated in its mandated functions and Strategic Plan 2016  2020, Sooalo said.

More importantly is the fact that this is a long overdue process to gauge the perspective and participation of the faafatama, a key population under the U.N.D.P. Global Fund Multi-country project.

Sooalo also acknowledged the commitment by Ice Heather, a faafatama who mobilized the gathering and has been the only active faafatama in S.F.A.

His involvement in S.F.A. has exposed him to national and regional gatherings which has enhanced his know how of issues affecting the L.G.B.T. (Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender) community and the importance of being visible and being heard.

Sooalo said the Talanoa session touched on issues on the mobilizing of faafatama community is a challenge.

He said the culture of faafatama was not like the faafafine where it was natural to greet each other and build relations in public or when they crossed paths on a daily basis.

It is the norm that they (faafatama) generally ignore each other and avoid any interactions."

For instance, they were approached by us individually to participate but it is the first time most of them have met each other or in this case forced to meet each other."

They tend to stick to their clicks and the faafatama they know with very limited efforts to expand."

Most associate with other men through sports, friends and bands but rarely with other faafatama/transmen, said Sooalo.

Despite this isolation culture and norm, the talanoa session demonstrated their issues and concerns are more similar than diverse."

There is no safe space for faafatama to share their problems or get support."

Most find comfort in their close friends and family members who understand or relate to their situation."

The challenges of growing up faafatama are generally suppressed putting first family culture and religion, said Sooalo.

He also pointed out that as biological women; the associated cultural significance of the Samoa woman was a designation that was difficult to escape, particularly the expectations and demands by society of what was normal.

They are faced with discrimination on a daily basis through verbal and physical abuse generally from close family members and the public."

Although there is no recorded account of abuse, the participants shared stories of surviving abuse and if it werent for their tough nature and presence, for most suicide was a feasible option."

Support varied with some saying its their mothers or grandmothers who demonstrated the most support, where others confirmed its the opposite and their fathers were their main supporters, stated Sooalo.

The S.F.A. said the Faafatama participants admitted the discrete and invisible nature of their existence was not helpful.

It is common knowledge that most of the faafatama community are unemployed, living with family and heavily dependent on family members for support."

In a way it is also one of the main reasons for being oppressed because of their obligation to the hands that feed them and the fear of being ostracized from this support system."

They also agree the S.F.A. initiative to bring them together is a welcomed intervention and long overdue."

They also confirmed that if S.F.A. did not call this session, they will not initiate a similar process and it takes their faafafine sisters to make this happen and in this regard participants request the continuous guidance of S.F.A. in moving forward.

Sooalo said participants had agreed to take baby steps forward.

He added terminology was a highlighted issue.

Faafatama/Transmen, the correct pronoun is he and it is incorrect and rude to call a faafatama/transmen she, suga or sis."

Tomboy is a term that is loosely used and there seems to be a natural and accepted association to the term among their community only.

Faafatma/Transmen, these women identify as straight, some have children so in sometime in their lifetime they have been sexually involved with men.

Regardless of the terminology, they are commonly known as the wife; lau teine or partner and in reverse to the women the faafatama are their husbands and it is that simple, said Sooalo.

Sooalo also said one of the key issues raised in the Talanoa Session was the limited access to counseling or support services to discuss their problems without being judged or frowned upon.

Majority of the participants are in steady relationships with many more than three years of living together as normal couples."

Two of the participants have been legally married overseas."

However, family problems, co-existence in the family context, pressure of culture and religion are a daily battle. "

For most, this emotional and physical abuse is harbored internally."

There is a need for counseling services as a means of escape and support without having to resort to drastic measures such as violence, neglect, depression, or suicide."

How can we realize these key outcomes?"

Mapping a way forward to address these outcomes meant commitment by the group."

It was clear the participants have no issues with being visible or taking the stand for their community under the guidance and support of S.F.A., he said.
All good things must come to an end. Thats precisely the case for three students from Le Laumua o Punaoa, who spent five weeks working at the Hyundai Service Center at Vaitele.

On Monday, a ceremony was held to congratulate the young men for completing their training. The programme is part of an ongoing service by Hyundai that started in 2003.

Director of Hyundai Automotive Samoa, Joshua Newton, said this was an opportunity for the students to further their knowledge.

This is a very positive training and the outcomes are positive as well, said Mr. Newton.

It also allows them to experience what they are working towards and what they are going to do when they actually get to work. This is a great opportunity for them to see what their life is going to be after school. And theyve really enjoyed the five weeks they spent here at Hyundai.

Of course this is a very busy service center and we have about 10-15 jobs every single day and it is good training for them.

Mr. Newton said they were pleased to help the students.

The company strongly supports these students because at the end of the day this is where we get our work force from.

I mean there are lots of foreign workers available but they are very experienced and we have to provide them with housing and accommodation and transport, whereas locals are more affordable for Samoan companies.

So we held certificate presentation and farewell on Monday morning and they are going back to school and this is their final year.

So when they graduate this year, they will be ready for the work force next year.

I am not too sure if there are many workshops that are supporting these types of activities so we are more than happy to help them out.

I mean they are just young boys but they just need a bit more guidance and direction and I really feel this is really what they want to do.

They can go study something their whole entire life but if they actually go out and do it, they will really know if this is what they want to do.

Not only that, we get the students in but we also have our own inner house facility which receives trainers from Ford and Hyundai here to train our technical and head technicians team.

Most of the students who come here for work experience they actually come back and work here and its no holiday for them.

Day one they have to enroll in the inner house training system and they are also put through vigorous tests and reviews and we have some standardized test papers that we run on students just to see what level that they are at before they start working for the company.

We also have to give reports back to the schools after the certain weeks that the students are here for.

Mr. Newton added despite them helping those students, there was still a lot that needed to be done.

I find that the students do have the ability, but the downfall here in Samoa is that the technical level that the schools are at need to be raised up a little bit, he said.

Because cars are moving ahead so quickly and I think that the curriculum that we are using in Samoa is probably the same curriculum that was used for the past 20-30 years ago.

So the government might need to look at ways to help improve the curriculum thats offered.

I was talking to people in Fiji and they have panel beating school as well as painting school but in Samoa ever since I came here there are no schools for panel beaters.

There are lots of other trades that I think needs to be personalized to allow for the faster development of the workers in the force.

So I do believe that the technical side for automotive engineering is alright but there are a lot more that needs to be done, he said.
Film star and performing arts activist Tuiasau Uelese Petaia has been giving acting tips to young children in American Samoa.

He has been helping Silipas Playhouse as it prepares to stage Twinderella, The Musical this week at the Gov. H. Rex Lee Auditorium.

According to Poe Mageo, director of the Dancing Fingers Learning Center at the Tafuna Industrial Park, Tuiasaus help has been tremendous.

Petaia brought new ideas about vocal amplification, facial expression, and tonal balance, he said.

In addition, the famed Samoan actor shared his passion about stage work and encouraged the young children to become professional actors in the future if they so desired.

He recommended that the cast should have fun as they communicate with each other as well as the audience.

The concept of a childrens theatre was piloted six months ago.

During the summer, I get a lot of phone calls about private piano lessons, but I couldnt enroll any new student because I dont have any slots available, said Mageo.

Now, the childrens theatre is an on-going programme at the Center for students who have been on a waiting list for private music lessons.

With theatre work, Mageo helps out with the students reading and acting skills.

Modeled after a literature-based concept, Mageo used Twinderella to teach basic elements in literature such as character, tone, personality, dialogue, irony, plot, theme, and conflict.

I shared with my students the concept of the Samoan faagogo, which has almost the same universal elements found in Western fiction.

During the dedication of its new administrative building, the local American Red Cross acknowledged Dancing Fingers as an official Third-Party Donor after a successful A Night at the Opera fundraiser where more than 20K was raised to complete the new building.

In the same way, part of the proceeds from Twinderella will go directly to the local American Red Cross disaster fund.
Curing cancer depends on a collaborative effort from everyone.

Thats the message Dr. Dixon Hansell of the National University of Samoas Faculty of Medicine is trying to pass through.

Through awareness, we can help tackle the issue at hand and thats the education of our people that cancer can be cured if it is detected early, said Dr. Hansell.

And thats a result of everyone helping raise the awareness of how it can be done, he said.

Dr. Hansell is holding special seminars with members of the National University of Samoa to educate, raise awareness, and quash some particular myths surrounding cancer in Samoa.

The standout thing with the talks we have been having is that most of the participants are women. There is a belief that only women are prone to be diagnosed with breast cancer when in fact, men are also likely to get it too, he said.

We need to quash these myths through education. Education is the best way to fight cancer, he added.

Other particular issues surrounding cancer are rather social and cultural.

In some cases, men refused to let their wives undergo surgical removal of lumps for various reasons ranging from religious views to personal opinions. Other cases involve patients seeking help elsewhere instead of a local medical center.

Some families have sought the help of local traditional nurses and they seem to only come to the hospital as a last resort, and usually by then its too late, added Hansell.

The underlining focus here is that Cancer can be Cured and so far not many understand that. The thing is, the earlier the detection of cancer, the better the chance of getting cured without having to undergo chemo therapy and other much more desperate measures, he said.

The National University of Samoa (N.U.S) is taking part in the commemoration of Pinktober through these seminars with Dr. Hansell.

Deputy Vice Chancellor Cheri Moana Robinson Moors emphasised N.U.Ss support for those battling cancer by taking part in the seminars and awareness initiatives.

Meanwhile, the University looks to contribute on an even larger scale to the fight against cancer.

NUS is playing their part in education and awareness, but there is another way NUS can contribute to the fight, said Moors.

The role for NUS as well other universities in the region is also research. So while were jumping in on the conversation, we also have this really powerful role as a research institution and while we are educating people with the knowledge we already have, we can also ask the question as to what other information we need, she said.

The N.U.S Deputy Vice Chancellor says further investigation as to how else we can tackle cancer, improve community engagement and education is needed.

We dont just have a high caliber of expertise, we also have a range of expertise, and that cuts across so many disciplines, she added.

Meanwhile, Pinktober continues with various educational and awareness efforts pushed towards early detection and treatment.

Its important that both men and women are aware that they can detect it early, and can be cured. But it all starts from early detection, said Dr. Hansell.
SKOKIE, Ill. (AP)  Fritzie Fritzshall knows she is running out of time.

She knows the day will come when she won't be here to describe being herded onto a boxcar, hearing the cries that turned to whimpers that turned to the silence that signaled another death. And she won't be able to tell of the doors opening to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, where an old prisoner, as he unloaded the dead, whispered to her in Yiddish to lie to the guards about her age. That lie kept her out of a line to the gas chambers.

Preserving her story is why she's on stage, or at least a three-dimensional likeness of her is on stage, at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Skokie, just outside Chicago.

Fritzshall is one of 13 Holocaust survivors who tell their stories through holographic images that invite the audience to ask questions, creating what feels like a live conversation.

The interactive display is the latest version of an exhibit that's been shown at a handful of sites including New York's Museum of Jewish Heritage and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. But those exhibits were two-dimensional, with survivors appearing as they would on a movie or television screen. The exhibit in Skokie marks the first time that the voice-recognition technology powering conversations with audiences has been married to 3-D holographic technology to tell survivors' stories.

"We are the first in the world to have this and show it like this," said museum CEO Susan Abrams. "We will be working with the Shoah Foundation to license this globally so that it can be seen by as many people as possible."

The holographic theater is part of the Skokie museum's new Take a Stand Center. It's the result of a three-year, $5 million project using New Dimensions Testimony technology developed by the Shoah Foundation. The foundation, based at the University of Southern California, grew out of an effort by Hollywood director Steven Spielberg to preserve as many survivors' stories as possible.

For her part, Fritzshall spent a week in Los Angeles in a studio, one of three in the world like it, surrounded by a 3-D camera system. She answered some 2,000 questions about a life that was shattered one night in Czechoslovakia when German soldiers pounded on the door and told her family at gunpoint they had 15 minutes to pack and leave.

On stage, Fritzshall's holographic image nods, tilts her head and appears to listen as someone in the auditorium asks a question. Stumping her is next to impossible, thanks to technology that turned her responses to those 2,000 questions into 30,000 answers, Abrams said. Fritzshall not only provided horrific details about her two years in Auschwitz, but if a child asks about her favorite color or food, the hologram can answer those too. She has even sung a song.

But mostly, what audiences see is a woman going back in time.

"When I am sitting in that chair I am back on the train, I am afraid," Fritzshall said in an interview. "I see the women holding infants, dead infants ... I'm watching the entire scene at Auschwitz. I'm watching my brothers leave me, I'm hungry and cold and I see the trains coming in day in and day out."

In the exhibit, she describes being herded into a Jewish ghetto and from behind a fence, seeing neighbors she thought were her friends ridiculing her. To this day she does not understand how people who were friends one day could turn on her family the next. She recalls arriving at Auschwitz with two younger brothers who disappeared forever. She speaks of the confusion of the "separation," where prisoners were ordered into this line and that line, and the moment she told her mother she was in the wrong line, not knowing she was sending her mother to her death.

"I didn't know," she whispers in the auditorium, a tiny echo of what her holographic image is saying on stage, both of them sounding like the 13-year-old girl she was on that day more than 70 years ago.

"I have carried this for all this many years the guilt of my mother, that maybe she would have lived had I not sent her into that line," she says after leaving the auditorium.

At Auschwitz, she says, women who were slowly starving to death pressed a tiny piece of the sliver of bread they received each day into her hand, in exchange for a promise that if she lived, she would tell others what had happened.

"I am leaving this behind for people five years from now, 10 years from now, 50 years from now ... so that the world can remember what happened to us, so it cannot ever happen to anyone else," she said.

She and others at the museum say preserving these stories is especially important in the current U.S. political climate, when emboldened hate groups are taking to the streets wearing swastikas and shouting Nazi slogans, as they did in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August.

"Charlottesville totally brought that fear back into me," said Fritzshall. "I see that and I think what happened to me can happen to your children, your grandchildren if I don't speak out."
LONDON (AP)  The leader of Britain's House of Commons said Monday there should be "zero tolerance" for inappropriate behavior in Parliament as lawmakers debated a response to reports that dozens of members may be guilty of sexual harassment.

With Prime Minister Theresa May sitting beside her, Andrea Leadsom told the chamber there was no place for harassment or misconduct in politics as she outlined steps to repair a grievance system that she described as "inadequate."

"Our constituents will be rightly appalled at the thought that some representatives in Parliament may have acted in an entirely inappropriate way towards others," Leadsom said. "These reports risk bringing all of our offices into disrepute."

"These plans will ensure that Parliament takes a zero-tolerance approach," she added.

Britain's political establishment has come under increasing scrutiny as the scandal surrounding Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein emboldens people in many industries to speak up about sexual harassment at the hands of powerful individuals who control their future job prospects. In the House of Commons, lawmakers employ their staff, leaving little direct recourse for those who feel aggrieved.

Over the weekend, May asked the Cabinet Office to investigate whether International Trade Minister Mark Garnier breached the ministerial code of conduct by asking his secretary to buy sex toys for him. Environment Secretary Michael Gove also was forced to apologize for attempting to make light of the Weinstein scandal during a radio interview.

The Guido Fawkes political website on Monday claimed that Conservative Party aides had compiled a spreadsheet identifying 36 party lawmakers, including two serving Cabinet members, accused of inappropriate behavior. The website blacked out the names of the accused but listed allegations such as "handsy with women at parties" and "paid a woman to be quiet."

May wrote to House of Commons speaker John Bercow proposing a mediation service and contractually binding grievance procedures for all parliamentary staff, saying the current voluntary system "does not have the required teeth."

Bercow on Monday challenged political parties to "live up to their responsibilities" and called for a Commons-wide mediation service.

"Make no mistake, there is a need for change," he said.

Labour lawmaker Harriet Harman praised Bercow for his comments and said it was a good thing the issue had been exposed.

"No one should have to work in the toxic atmosphere of sleazy, sexist or homophobic banter," she said.
I come to you today for three reasons: 1) it is so windy outside this morning that my entire house will shortly be carried away (to Oz, I hope) and I want ...

6 years ago
A proposed Hyatt Place hotel and condominium complex that would replace an existing rundown hotel and the long-vacant Flying Bridge restaurant in Oceanside will have to wait a few more years to begin construction.

Plans for the project were approved by city in 2010 but the property owner, Shantu Patel, is asking the city for a two-year extension to make changes to the design. The citys Downtown Advisory Committee voted 3-2 on Wednesday to recommend that the city approve the extension but the panels chairman, Ward ODoherty, said he voted for the extension reluctantly.

ODoherty said the property, on the west side of North Coast Highway just south of the San Luis Rey River, is a prime location at northern entrance to the city. He said the existing hotel and empty restaurant building are a blight and should be removed as soon as possible.

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In a perfect world, within six months you would scrape that thing so people dont have to see that eyesore, ODoherty said.

Plans call for the removal of the 97-room Rodeway Inn and the Flying Bridge restaurant to build a 127-room hotel, 24 condominium units and a 7,000-square foot restaurant.

Representatives for the developer said at Wednesdays meeting that funding issues have caused delays in the project. The design changes now being sought means construction wont begin before the existing permits expire on Aug. 18.

The client related to me the desire (that the project) be a little more inspired by Irving Gill-style architecture, which is in keeping with the Oceanside Museum (of Art) and the downtown area, said Allan Teta, an architect with TRE Architecture, a Carlsbad-based firm hired to redesign the project.

Patel did not attend the meeting and was unavailable for comment on Friday.

Committee member Claudia Troisi, who voted against the extension, said she was concerned that the project had only one entrance for both the hotel and condo units. Triosi, a commercial real estate consultant, added that she believed the project would likely take longer to begin construction because the architect for the redesign had just been hired about three weeks ago.

I would say that it would be a miracle if this even started construction in two years, Troisi said.

Troisi asked whether a second entrance would be incorporated into the design. Teta said that the issue had not been discussed.

Committee member Joan Bockman said she was concerned that the Irving Gill style may not be appropriate for a hotel project at such a visible location.

This is the gateway to the city and this site just needs to knock our socks off, Bockman said. I love Irving Gill, Im a big proponent of Irving Gill. Although I love it on municipal strucutures, Im not sure it works for commercial structures.

The Flying Bridge restaurant was an Oceanside landmark that during its 40-year existence served then-California Gov. Ronald Reagan and film stars such as Bing Crosby, Sean Connery, Debbie Reynolds, Phyllis Diller and Jerry Lewis. Its large picture windows offered views of the Oceanside Harbor and sunsets over the ocean.

The rock-faced restaurant with the protruding roof line  designed to look like the top bridge on a ship  closed in November 2008.
Sick of dealing with recurrent bladder infections, 27-year-old Jenna Ryan sought to develop her own cure: a beverage mix designed to prevent the infection. Ryan then turned that product, developed in tandem with urologists, into a company named Uqora.

Late last week, Uqora was recognized by the Small Business Administration as the startup most likely to make a measurable impact on womens lives. Ryan and Uqora took home the top prize  a $40,000 check  at the SBAs annual InnovateHER Challenge in Washington, D.C.

I was super nervous, Ryan said of competition day. I was No. 9 of 10 (to present). Thats the best way to let everyone elses pitch get in your head.

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Ultimately, the North Park resident bested the nine other finalists, with judges honoring Uqora as best in show.

The national competition was the culmination of a months-long, regional search for female-led businesses tackling real problems. After winning the San Diego regional event in June, Ryan was selected from a pool of 120 other local winners to present a two-minute pitch in front of panel of three judges on Thursday.

She did an amazing job with the presentation in terms of describing her product, describing her personal story and how she came to make the decision to find a solution to the UTI problem, said Antonella Pianalto, a competition judge and CEO of the Association of Womens Business Centers.

The additional validation supports Ryans belief that Uqora has the potential to save women of all ages from having to deal with frequent bladder inflections, also known as urinary tract infections or UTIs.

One in two women will get a UTI in their lifetime, but a smaller percentage have recurrent episodes. Younger women are at higher risk after sex or exercise, while post-menopausal women are susceptible because of lower estrogen levels. UTIs are typically treated with antibiotics, but Ryan hopes to circumvent drug-based treatments with her beverage mix, which can be taken immediately after sex or exercise, or on a daily basis for women with recurrent infections.

The drink mix, designed to be mixed with water and taste like pink lemonade, includes active ingredients D-Mannose, vitamin B6, vitamin C and electrolytes to flush bacteria from the system.

Though Ryan lacks scientific proof of Uqoras ability to prevent UTIs, the products early traction since formally launching in February suggests the formula is resonating with the public. Nearly 2,000 people have purchased the bacteria-fighting drink mix, Ryan said. And, on average, customers purchase four boxes a year.

Uqora is not a medication, meaning it does not need (or have) FDA approval, but its formula is based on two medical research trials for D-Mannose and vitamin C. The startup also works with an advisory board of urologists, and is getting ready to run a study with local senior care facilities, measuring Uqoras UTI-prevention abilities over a 90-day period.

Clearly shes had success personally, and with other customers, competition judge Pianalto said. Shes had results and thats what you take a look at.

Uqora is sold online in 3-, 10- and 30-packs for $12, $30 and $80 a piece, respectively.

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jennifer.vangrove@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1840 Twitter: @jbruin
Santees Mast Boulevard is not going to be extended from the city into Lakeside anytime in the near future.

That was the decision reached by the Santee City Council on Oct. 25, as the city updated the mobility element of the general plan for the citys future. The city last updated its circulation plan in 2003.

Principal traffic engineer Minjie Mei told the council that included in the new mobility plan for Santee are:

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Completing streets that are lacking certain features.

Moving toward safer ways for bicycles to travel.

Making pedestrian walkways more accessible.

Improving roadways and intersections.

Working toward better traffic management.

The council voted 4-1, with Mayor John Minto dissenting, to keep the busy street from becoming a connector into county areas.

Minto said he recalled pledges made more than 30 years ago to residents promising to open the stretch of about 1,000 feet once state Route 52 in Santee was completed.

The Santee portion of state Route 52 opened in 2011.

Costs to put in a road there have been estimated to be about $6 million for Santee. The county would have to spend $1.8 million to complete the Lakeside portion.

The area where Mast ends in Santee is a city right-of-way between a residential neighborhood to the north and undeveloped open space to the south and east.

City Councilman Rob McNelis suggested the city continue to look into ways to make the area into a place for the community to enjoy. Residents now say the area is used by transients and is unsafe.

McNelis said a park, suggested several years ago, is still a good idea for the land.

Lakeside resident Mike Torbett, who spoke to the City Council about opening the street in 2013, said he is still hoping Santee will work toward that goal.

He said he and many of his Eucalyptus Hills neighbors use Santee doctors and dentists, and shop in the citys stores. Torbett said they would find it far easier to enter the city through Mast instead of by freeway or El Nopal.

To avoid the freeway, drivers coming from Lakeside have been known to cut through residential streets, including El Nopal, as a detour.

El Nopal is a residential collector street in Santee. Lakesides portion of El Nopal has two sharp curves, where several automobile and motorcycle accidents have occurred.

Its a travesty, a safety issue for children forced to go along extremely busy one-lane city streets, and it was absolutely promised by (former Mayor and City Councilman) Jack Dale since the 1970s, Torbett said by phone. The infrastructure is there from Lakeside. Mast was designed to be a thoroughfare in and out of town.

Also as part of the circulation change, the City Council also approved turning a portion of Mission Gorge Road into two lanes going each way.

Most of Mission Gorge Road now has three lanes traveling in each direction. When the city changes the road makeup, a bike lane will be added to the area of Mission Gorge from Riverview Parkway to Magnolia Avenue.

There is no estimated date yet for when that change will be made, Mei said.

karen.pearlman@sduniontribune.com
The Village Church in Rancho Santa Fe hosts a home building party to benefit Habitat for Humanity. Participants can either build playhouses for the nonprofit or a home in El Cajon.

The playhouse building party for families is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 4 on the church campus, 6225 Paseo Delicias, with lunch and childcare provided.

About 80 volunteers are needed to assemble and paint nine playhouses; four will be donated to Habitat for Humanity and five auctioned off at the alternative gift market to benefit the nonprofit.

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Also, vans will head from the church to El Cajon at 7:30 a.m. Nov. 4 to help a family build their house  participants should be over 12 years old.

Email hollic@villagechurch.org or call (858) 756-2394. Visit villagechurch.org
More than 300 recruits at the Marines boot camp in San Diego are suffering from diarrheal symptoms from an bacterial outbreak, officials disclosed on Tuesday.

With most of the cases linked to Shiga toxin-producing E.coli bacteria physicians are treating 302 patients out of the more than 5,500 candidates undergoing training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot.

Our immediate focus is identifying, isolating and treating recruits who present symptoms, said Brig. Gen. William Jurney, the commander of both the depot and the Corps Western Recruiting Region, in a written statement. We are working to identify the cause of the sickness, making sure our affected recruits can return to training as soon as possible and continuing training for recruits not influenced.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the bacteria sickens 265,000 Americans annually, triggering 3,600 hospitalizations and 30 deaths.

Symptoms typically include painful stomach cramps, diarrhea that can become bloody, a mild fever and vomiting.While most victims recover within a week, some infections can threaten lives. Between five to seven percent of patients develop hemolytic uremic syndrome, a form of kidney failure, according to the CDC.

The bacteria was identified in recruits at both the depot and at Edson Range at Camp Pendleton beginning on Wednesday but the number of cases spiked on Monday, officials said.

Ten recruits were transported to an undisclosed hospital off the base for additional care.

Its anticipated that theyll get to training but were not sure when that will happen, said depot spokesman Steven H. Posy.

Family members will be notified if the illnesses delays a recruits graduation date and no drill instructors or other base staffers appear to have contracted the malady, he added.

While investigators continue searching for the source of the contagion, commanders have quarantined sick recruits from those who have yet to display symptoms, mandated increased hand washing and ensured proper sanitation in all training areas, officials said.

Naval Medical Center San Diegos Preventative Medicine Unit also hiked inspections of barracks, dining facilities and common areas across the depot.

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cprine@sduniontribune.com
A decision to stop for a meal almost two weeks ago at a small seafood restaurant in Tijuanas Camino Verde neighborhood proved fatal for Larry Macy, a U.S. citizen living in Mexico.

Baja California authorities confirmed Tuesday that Macy was one of three victims killed when a man opened fire inside Mariscos El Paisa at 7:45 p.m. on Oct. 21. They are linking the incident to the neighborhood drug trade in Camino Verde, one of the more violent areas of the city.

Authorities said that Macy was apparently not a target, and that no arrests had been made as of Tuesday. Friends said Macy and his Mexican fiance had gone out for dinner after visiting the fiances mother, who lived in the neighborhood; the fiance escaped unharmed.

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Macy previously had been living in Tijuana, but recently moved to Puerto Vallarta with his fiance, a friend said. They had flown up to Tijuana so Larry could take care of some personal matters in San Diego, said Gerald Filice of Sacramento.

Filice said that Macy was a longtime member of the International Imperial Court System, one of the oldest and largest LGBT organizations in the world. While living in Tijuana, Macy had been working to get the chapter there re-activated, Filice said. The group supports AIDS organizations, homeless shelters and other groups in need of support.

We called him the ambassador, said Nicole Murray-Ramirez, a longtime LGBT activist who is the organizations leader and a member of the San Diego Human Rights Commission.

He would give us reports, tell us about the needs and assess what was needed there. He was a kind-hearted man who cared about those less fortunate.

Authorities with the state coroners office confirmed Macys death after family members identified him on Monday. Memorial services are being planned on both sides of the border.

Macy is among an unprecedented number of homicide victims in Tijuana this year; through Oct. 30, the total was 1,451, with 174 in October. Authorities attribute most of the incidents to rivalries among street-level drug dealers, but innocent victims also have been caught in the crossfire.

sandra.dibble@sduniontribune.com

@sandradibble
SWAT officers on Tuesday evening swarmed a Riverside elementary school classroom and shot a parent who had taken a teacher hostage, ending an hours-long standoff.

The parent, identified as Luvelle Kennon, 27, of Riverside died later at a hospital, said Riverside police Officer Ryan Railsback.

The teacher, Linda Montgomery, sustained some scrapes and abrasions when she was grabbed and pulled into an empty classroom, Railsback said.

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During the seven-hour standoff, crisis negotiators made contact with the man but never heard from Montgomery, which is why authorities decided to storm into the room about 6 p.m. Its unclear whether the man was armed but witnesses did not report seeing any weapons.

Officials canceled classes at the elementary school for the rest of the week.

The incident began shortly before 11:15 a.m. when the man forced his way past staff in the main office at Castle View Elementary School, Riverside Unified spokesman Justin Grayson said.

Fifth-grader Myla Grissom, 11, receives a hug from her father, Calvin Grissom, at the evacuation release point at Castle View Park in Riverside. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times )

The parent, who has a daughter in first grade, did not appear to follow the school districts safety procedures and check in with the front desk, Railsback said.

A male teacher confronted the parent, who responded by hitting that teacher in the face, Railsback said. A witness told KABC that the teachers face was bloodied and his nose was broken. The teacher was treated at a hospital, police said.

The parent then took Montgomery hostage inside an empty classroom, police said, though its not clear why.

Police evacuated all students from the campus and began releasing them to their parents after 1 p.m. All the students were accounted for, Grayson said.

 A parent took a teacher hostage inside Castle View Elementary School in Riverside, school district officials said Tuesday.

Ariana Montgomery, granddaughter of teacher Linda Montgomery, is escorted from the scene while wearing Halloween makeup. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times )

Officials said Montgomery was in good condition.

Riverside police said a substitute teacher was hurt after being struck by the suspect while attempting to intervene and prevent him from taking the other teacher hostage. This substitute teacher sustained a broken nose and other facial injuries.

Authorities are still trying to determine the exact motive for the parents actions.

Counselors will be available Wednesday for students who need help.

The school itself will be closed for the rest of the week.

A school secretary told the Press-Enterprise that the parent burst into the campus on Tuesday and was very angry.

When I first saw him I knew it was probably the most upset parent Ive had, Stephanie Zolfaghari told the paper, adding that when he moved onto the campus she called for a lockdown.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek

ALSO

Officers open fire on driver of stolen sheriffs SUV after he rams police vehicle

Drivers sleep deprivation at root of fatal 2016 bus crash in Palm Springs, NTSB says

Death toll from San Diego hepatitis A outbreak rises to 20

UPDATES:

1:20 p.m.: Updated with comments from secretary.

8:15 a.m.: Updated with school statement.

Wednesday 6:50 a.m.: This article was updated with information on teacher and a substitute teacher.

11:25 p.m.: This article was updated with the parents name.

10:10 p.m.: This article was updated with information that the man shot by police has died.

7 p.m.: This article was updated with information from a news conference.

6:10 p.m.: This article was updated to reflect that the standoff has ended.

6:05 p.m. This article was updated throughout.

3:30 p.m.: This article was updated with details about the beginning of the incident.

2:20 p.m.: This article was updated with information on student releases.

1:40 p.m.: This article was updated with details about the hostage.

1:15 p.m.: This article was updated with details about the campus evacuation.

This article was originally published at 12:55 p.m.
San Diego Superior Court officials now hope to begin moving into the new, $55 million courthouse building on Dec. 13, and finish the job in February.

If they can stick to that schedule it would mean the 22-story building at Union and C streets would be open for business a year after officials initially hoped, and almost nine months after a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony.

In a memo sent out to judges and court commissioners Tuesday Presiding Judge Jeffrey Barton wrote that construction of a new trolley station in front of the courthouse will be far enough along by the end of November to begin planning the move.

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The station has been a source of friction between the MTS and the San Diego court, which initially opposed the location in front of the new building citing security, traffic and other concerns. MTS made some changes to the project but declined to move the station as the court and San Diego Sheriff urged.

The station project is not scheduled to be finished until the end of January. Work on the north side of C Street is set for completion at the end of November, and while work on the south side of the street will be going on it should not significantly impact public access to the building, Barton wrote.

The court will begin to move Dec. 13, then take a break until Jan. 4 because of schedule conflicts with the moving company. The work will begin again Jan. 4 and be completed by Feb. 2.

Court officials hoped to move in January and February  of this year. A few hearings in the new building had been scheduled and had to be scrapped. Construction delays and then a balky smoke detection system that could not pass inspection by the state Fire Marshall until a few weeks ago kept pushing the date back.

The move will involve moving judges and staff from the old courthouse as well as two other courthouses downtown that handle family law and probate cases. Barton called it the most complex task this court has ever undertaken.

Twitter: @gregmoran

greg.moran@sduniontribune.com
The heat is on to bring more air conditioners to schools.

San Diego Unified, which had three half-days at some campuses this past week because of hot weather, plans to have air conditioning at all schools by the fall of 2019.

The Encinitas Union School District added air conditioning at one elementary school a few years ago following complaints about hot classrooms.

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Even Coronado Unified School District is considering installing air conditioners in classes just blocks away from the beach.

I think theres a perception that its hotter, said Lee Dulgeroff, chief of facilities, planning and construction at San Diego Unified. The earth is warming.

San Diego Unified already has 120 schools with air conditioning in 80 percent of their classrooms, including 2,000 rooms in 66 schools that were identified as the hottest.

The district had plans to air condition all classrooms along with modernization projects over the next several years, but Dulgeroff said complaints about heat sped up the projects, which will be complete within two years.

Installation is underway at 35 schools, and the district will have spent $380 million to complete the job in 2019.

Most school districts already have air conditioning, but some schools near the coast do not because heat had rarely been an issue.

Thats changed in recent years.

In September 2014, dozens of parents complained that Paul Ecke Central Elementary School was too hot during the summer, which prompted the Encinitas Union School District to install air conditioning.

Paul Ecke Central was the only school in the district that did not have air conditioning, but school board members said at the time that it wasnt because of neglect, but because it hadnt been an issue before.

Superintendent Tim Baird said the school, which is near the beach, had turned down air conditioning when it could have been funded with bond money 18 years earlier.

Coronado and San Diego unified school districts call for half-days when when it gets very hot, and both districts enacted those policies during this weeks heat wave.

In Coronado, complaints about hot classrooms prompted the creation of the Committee to Analyze the Student Learning Environments, or CASLE.

A 2016 study found that it would cost $21 million to $27 million to fully air condition all district buildings.

Clearly this would be a huge challenge for our small district, reads a report on the district website. The CASLE group still is studying the idea, and the report said it will present its finding and recommendations to the board of trustees in the future.

People complaining about classrooms being hotter than ever probably are not imagining things.

Data provided by National Weather Service lead forecaster Dan Gregoria shows that the average temperature from June to October in San Diego has risen 5 degrees since records began being kept in 1874.

A summary of days with temperatures above 90 degrees shows more very hot days in recent years.

Aside from six 90-degree-plus days in 1997, most summers in San Diego werent too bad until recently. From 1998 to 2013, there were five years when the temperature didnt break 90 degrees. There were only three years in that 16-year stretch when temperatures reached 90 degrees for three days, and there were only two years when there were four days that hit 90 degrees.

Then, in 2014, there were 14 days that hit 90 degrees or hotter. In 2015, there were nine. Last year there were six, and so far this year there have been five.

Looking over San Diego Unifieds history, Dulgeroff said the district didnt include air conditioning in new schools until the 1970s.

Prior to that, they were mostly single-story, wood frame constructions, he said. Nobody was really air-conditioning schools.

In the 1970s, the district began following a trend of building campuses with windowless classrooms, such as Mira Mesa High.

There was a lull in school construction during the 1980s, and when it resumed, San Diego Unified had dropped the windowless design and was no longer putting in air conditioning, even in schools in the hotter, eastern part of the district.

Scripps Ranch High, for example, opened without air condition in 1990, Dulgeroff said.

The district began building two-story schools with air conditioning in the early 2000s.

As the district was preparing a bond campaign campaign in 2007, Dulgeroff said community members said they wanted new technology and, especially in the eastern end of the district, air conditioning. A study found a number of classes were hotter than 78 degrees.

Proposition S the next year generated $2.1 billion for more school construction, and more cool classrooms.

Some hot days in the 2011-12 school year led to more requests for air conditioning, which $2.8 billion from Proposition Z in 2012 helped provide.

While the original plan was to add air condition as part of ongoing modernization plans, requests for cooler classrooms led to the school board to ask to install AC at the hottest district schools in 2013, including in the Scripps Ranch High, Serra High, Patrick Henry High and the Morse High clusters.

The district has been working at adding air conditioning to all schools since a board directive in 2015.

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gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

760-529-4939
Colorado health officials have expressed concern after two homeless people who apparently contracted the disease in San Diego were treated in Colorado, according to the Denver Post.

After the cases were reported in late summer, the Colorado Department of Health and Environment began working with homeless shelters and health clinics to vaccinate people and warn them about the danger of contracting the viral disease.

20th death reported in San Diegos hepatitis A outbreak

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In Colorado, the number of hepatitis A cases reported in the general population more than doubled this year, and many were spread person-to-person among men who have sex with other men.

Hepatitis A is typically rare in the U.S. Last year there were only 23 cases of hepatitis A in Colorado. As of Oct. 20, Colorado had 58 reported cases of hepatitis A, state epidemiologist Rachel Herlihy said.

Of these, two cases have occurred in people experiencing homelessness. Both these cases are linked to the ongoing outbreak in San Diego, she said
Three San Diego State sorority members recently hospitalized with cases of viral meningitis have been discharged with no lasting health consequences, a county health official said Monday.

Though it can produce severe symptoms such as persistent headache, stiff neck, fever and nausea, viral meningitis cases usually resolve themselves in seven to 10 days and are almost never fatal unlike bacterial meningitis which has a five percent to 10 percent death rate, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Though there were reports over the weekend that some of the recent SDSU cases, which occurred among members of the Alpha Phi sorority, were bacterial meningitis, all had been caused by viruses, according to Dr. Eric McDonald, chief of the countys Epidemiology and Immunization Services Branch.

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There are absolutely no cases of bacterial meningitis at San Diego State, McDonald said.

SDSU is particularly sensitive to news of new meningitis cases among its students after freshman Sara Stelzer, 18 and a member of the Kappa Delta sorority, died in October 2014 after contracting bacterial meningitis.

Stelzers case caused a significant medical mobilization on campus as hundreds of students, faculty and staff came forward to get preventive doses of antibiotics just in case they might have been infected.

No such program is warranted in this case, McDonald said, because there is no vaccine that can prevent viral meningitis and antibiotics work to treat only the bacterial form of the disease.

Andrea Dooley, assistant vice president of student affairs at SDSU, said Monday that two of the three Alpha Phi students tested positive for viral meningitis after visiting a local emergency department on Friday The first case appeared on Wednesday. On Friday, an additional seven SDSU students sought treatment for meningitis-like symptoms, but none of those tested positive.

Dooley said Stelzers case three years ago left a lasting imprint on campus.

There are students who are very familiar with that situation, and the word meningitis does cause alarm. Thats a good thing, in many ways, because we want students to seek medical attention immediately if they experience these symptoms, Dooley said.

On Friday, she said, students were encouraged to get vaccinated for bacterial meningitis even though the three cases were viral.

Because we had everybodys attention on the issue, we just thought that it was good to remind our campus community of what they can do, what action they can take, Dooley said.

Meningitis refers to the inflammation of the membranes surrounding the spinal cord. Swelling can cause a range of long-term effects from memory loss and weakness to paralysis and seizures.

Most with the viral form of the disease recover with no long-term effects.

In addition inflaming the meninges, bacterial meningitis sometimes causes dangerous blood infections called septicaemia.

If not treated quickly with powerful antibiotics, bacterial bloodstream infections can cause multi-organ failure, permanent neurological damage and death.

Though it is much less deadly than its bacterial counterpart, viral meningitis is much more common with between 10,000 and 75,000 cases per year in the United States compared with about 4,000 cases per year for bacterial meningitis.

The microbes that cause both viral and bacterial meningitis spread through close contact that includes activities like kissing and also sharing food, drinks or eating utensils.

This year the county Health and Human Services Agency has been notified of 94 viral meningitis cases. Thats on track to be lower than the 139 viral meiningitis cases reported last year and significantly lower than the five-year average of 217 cases.

By comparison, the county averaged 32 cases of bacterial meningitis from 2012 through 2016.

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paul.sisson@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1850

Twitter: @paulsisson
Artists with a traveling art installation began pasting photos of San Diegans faces on a Liberty Station building on Monday to show support for dreamers and push Congress to pass a bill to protect them by the end of the year.

The Inside Out/Dreamers project hopes the community-created public art will catch the attention of Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, and convince him to support the DREAM Act, which would give green cards to unauthorized immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. Photo booth trucks from the project are traveling to more than 30 strategically-selected cities around the U.S. to target members of Congress the group hopes to sway in favor of the DREAM Act.

Its a platform for everyone who believes that we need to sort out the situation for dreamers by December, said Jaime Scatena, the trucks lead artist.

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Activist groups across the U.S. who support dreamers have pressured Congress to pass a bill to protect them since the Trump administration ended the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, in September.

After participants sat in the photo booth area to have their pictures taken, the truck printed larger-than-life copies of the photos through a slit in its side. A small crew worked with Scatena to paste the prints in a row that they hoped would eventually wrap all the way around the building.

The paste is water-based and non-toxic, Scatena said.

After about two hours, they had more than 13 black-and-white photos on the wall and a stack ready to go up. A small line of people waited to be photographed in front of the trucks polka dot background.

Jaime Scatena, middle, helps Marz Holden-Martini, right, paste up a giant photo. The Inside Out/Dreamers Project mobile studio showed up at Liberty Station on Monday to focus attention on passing a DREAM Act through giant photos of people to allow dreamers to stay in the country. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune )

Cat Darby, a visual artist and writer who works nearby, was excited to participate after she heard what cause the project was supporting.

This is wonderful, and I think more people should be aware of the situation, Darby said. Visuals are a way to get the message to the public.

The Inside Out Project was started in 2011 by French street artist JR. It allows groups to start public art campaigns for different causes. Artists affiliated with the project have printed several hundred thousand photographs around the world.

The Inside Out/Dreamers initiative is a collaboration between The Inside Out Project and the Emerson Collective, a social justice organization founded by Laurene Powell Jobs.

The project asked local activists to talk about why they want Congress to pass the DREAM Act as the artists worked.

Itzel Guillen, a DACA recipient, emphasized that people who support dreamers should be pushing for a clean DREAM Act, which would mean no additional enforcement measures added in as compromises to the protections given to the immigrants affected by the end of DACA.

Anything that came with strings attached would hurt our communities, Guillen said. San Diego County would be one of the communities that would be hurt by any legislation that would include more money for agents and more money for walls. This would put our families at risk.

Guillen, who works as an organizer at Alliance San Diego, said she appreciated the art communitys support on the issue.

They made a really bold statement supporting the DREAM Act, Guillen said. That was something I hadnt seen before, using an art project to uphold the voices of DACA recipients and give them a space to speak their truth.

The photo booth truck will be taking photos at the Arts District Liberty Station again on Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Investigators are trying to figure out what ignited an early Tuesday morning fire that destroyed an abandoned house at a former horse-boarding stable in Carlsbad.

Flames that engulfed the house on Sunny Creek Road lit up the sky about 2:30 a.m.

Firefighters discovered the nearest hydrant was a considerable distance away, so a water tender crew from Oceanside Fire Department assisted, Carlsbad fire Battalion Chief Chris Lawrence said.

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He said tender made repeated trips to fill up at the hydrant, then fill the fire engines with water. It took fire crews about two hours to extinguish the blaze.

The house was located at the back of the property, past several horse riding rings. Lawrence said the place once called Ride America has been closed for about two years, but had been used to board horses, provide riding lessons and host competitions.

The 2,000-square foot house was boarded up securely and did not have gas or electric service, Lawrence said. Thats why we have investigators trying to figure out what caused the fire, he said.

Because the night air was damp, trees and bushes near the house did not catch fire, Lawrence said.

pauline.repard@sduniontribune

Twitter: @pdrepard
A 28-year-old motorcyclist who sped past a red light smashed his bike into a car and died in an intersection in Grantville Monday, San Diego police said.

The man on the 2017 Suzuki motorcycle was going south on Rancho Mission Road about 4:40 p.m. when he T-boned the 2009 Hyundai Elantra, police said.

The driver of the car, a 30-year-old woman, was traveling east on San Diego Mission Road and had a green light, police said. She had complaints of pain and was taken to a hospital.

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The motorcyclist, who had been speeding, was thrown onto the road and died before he could be taken to a hospital, police said. He was identified by the county Medical Examiners Office as Alaa Putrus of El Cajon.

Breaking News

Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com

Phone: (619) 293-1876

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez

UPDATES:

8:30 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details. This article was originally published at 5:20 p.m.
The utilities are sticking by the shutdown deal for the San Onofre nuclear plant, approved in 2014. Consumer groups say it should be modified to better protect ratepayers. And a San Diego lawyer says state regulators botched the case so badly they can no longer be trusted to make a fair ruling.

The California Public Utilities Commission invited stakeholders to suggest how best to resolve the long-running matter of the failure of the nuclear plant north of Oceanside in 2012.

The responses, which were due by close of business on Monday, yielded recommendations that varied as widely as the interests of those who responded.

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Majority plant owner Southern California Edison said it still supports the settlement agreement approved by the commission in November 2014, in part because it is saving customers money by lowering the profits that were guaranteed before the plant leaked radiation and shut down. The agreement was reopened for further scrutiny after revelations about undisclosed dealings between regulators and utility executives.

Edison continues to support the existing settlement and believes it meets the standards set forth, the company said. The significantly reduced rate of return allowed by the settlement is reasonable, particularly in light of extended amortization period.

San Diego Gas & Electric, which owns 20 percent of the broken power plant, said it too thinks the agreement should stand. But the minority partner said if the terms do change, Edison should have to bear any new costs  not SDG&E.

SDG&E did nothing to cause the reopening of this proceeding, the utility said. Accordingly, SDG&E shareholders should be held harmless against any outcome in this proceeding that is financially less favorable than the amended settlement agreement.

The questions over who should pay $4.7 billion in premature closure costs have vexed regulators since the beginning.

Months after regulators opened their investigation into the matter, the commissions then-president met with an Edison executive at a luxury hotel in Poland to sketch out a framework for a deal. The commission approved a very similar arrangement in public session more than a year and a half later, without disclosing the Warsaw meeting.

Edison was fined almost $17 million later, after The San Diego Union-Tribune reported on the undisclosed meeting. State regulators reopened the case earlier this year after months of revelations about such backchannel dealings.

As it stands, the deal calls for utility customers to pay more than $3.3 billion, or 70 percent, of the estimated closure costs. The deal also required Edison and SDG&E to fund a $25 million climate-change project at the University of California.

In addition to soliciting recommendations from stakeholders about how to proceed in the San Onofre case, the commission scheduled a series of new hearings that will begin early next year.

Lawyers for the Utility Reform Network, or TURN, said that in light of the violations, regulators should immediately suspend the utilities authority to charge ratepayers anything related to the 2014 agreement.

By taking this step, the commission can demonstrate its commitment to preserving the rights of all parties  and preventing utility shareholders from unjust enrichment, said TURN, which also suggested the commission set aside two weeks for hearings rather than just four days.

The Office of Ratepayer Advocates, a division inside the utilities commission that fights to protect consumers, also said regulators should order a halt to charging customers any money for the San Onofre closure.

Despite the harm caused by Edisons wrongdoing in this proceeding, ratepayers have yet to receive any benefits, the office said.

One element of the San Onofre criminal probe has been the commissions order for Edison and SDG&E to fund a $25 million greenhouse-gas study at the University of California. The item was included in the Warsaw framework and added to the final deal just weeks before it was adopted.

Lawyers for the California State University system filed paperwork with the utilities commission saying their clients should share equally in the research money.

Anything less damages the agencys regulatory mission and undermines the publics confidence in due process, fair hearings, and just and reasonable rates, said the university, which also argued that some of money should be set aside for an ethics in government project.

For San Diego attorney Michael Aguirre, who represents ratepayer Ruth Henricks and the Citizens Oversight group, said nothing the regulators decide could salvage their reputation for favoring utility companies over the public.

The CPUC is incapable of providing a fair notice and hearing to resolve this matter, Aguirre said. The case should be resolved in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of California in San Diego.

The commission has scheduled a status conference in the case for next Tuesday.

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jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald
San Diegos public-records process was made more public this week, as Mayor Kevin Faulconer overruled a city staff decision to withhold certain records of the process from U-T Watchdog.

City officials twice denied requests under the California Public Records Act for information about who is asking for documents on San Diegos records portal, NextRequest.com. Staff said the public interest in not disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in releasing it.

According to spokesman Craig Gustafson, Faulconer does not agree.

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Mayor Faulconer is committed to a transparent and open government and believes that the vast majority of the information sought by the U-T in this request should be disclosed, Gustafson said by email late Monday. The mayor has directed city staff to reopen the U-Ts request and prepare the disclosable information for release.

City staff then reopened both of the previously denied requests. Public records administration coordinator Jacqueline Palmer said the city expects to have a revised response to the requests next week.

The U-T asked for information about requesters, along with various data about each request, in an ongoing effort to monitor San Diegos compliance with the state public records law.

The city provided some information but withheld each requesters name, employer and email address, all of which is submitted by requesters when creating an account on the citys NextRequest portal. The online portal informs requesters that their information may be released under the public-records act.

U-T Watchdog published a story on Sunday about the withheld information, citing several examples of how the city has released the information in the past. In fact, more than 100 agencies across the county released the same data in 2016, when the U-T sought to mark Sunshine Week, an open records event. The turnaround by the mayor came the next day.

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In the two weeks since 147 women released a letter denouncing the state Capitols culture of sexual harassment and assault, many current and former state lawmakers have said and done the right thing, expressing sorrow and alarm at the prevalence of the problem. But some  including Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg  have said they didnt witness and were unaware of the extent of the misconduct. Maybe this is because Steinberg and those others steered clear of a pervasive after-hours culture that has been present in Sacramento for decades. But another reason is Capitol practices are designed to protect lawmakers reputations.

As the Los Angeles Times detailed Sunday, the 1975 California Legislative Open Records Act allows state lawmakers to decide which of their records to release  which is utterly contrary to the intent of the states other laws on public records. Despite decades of criticism from good-government groups, the Legislature has never weakened its unique exemption  once even fighting against the release of calendars for two former state senators convicted of corruption. In 2015, a Superior Court judge ordered the calendars release, rejecting the Legislatures argument that to do so risked public safety.

Defenders of the law say its necessary for the efficient functioning of the Assembly and Senate. But the primary reason for the law is that it saves lawmakers from embarrassment  or worse  for handling their jobs badly  or for behaving badly.

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The same slippery justifications are used for the secretive process under which complaints against state lawmakers are handled by the Assembly and Senate. Consider The Sacramento Bees recent story revealing that Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra, D-Los Angeles, had been formally rebuked for groping and stalking a legislative aide when he was a legislative staffer in 2009. It noted that during Bocanegras successful bid for the Assembly in 2012, women in his district got nowhere after they asked the Assembly Rules Committee to make public the sexual harassment complaints it received about him. How is protecting someone the committee concluded was a predator in the publics interest?

The Senates approach is somewhat better. It created an ombudsman position in 2014  but the ombudsman doesnt have genuine independence. And a larger concern of the lawmaker who has fought hardest for ethics changes  Sen. Richard Roth, D-Riverside  remains unaddressed: The way the Legislature deals with complaints is certainly not a process that encourages people to come forward, Roth told The New York Times.

Both the Assembly and Senate must do much better on this front. The Senate hired a high-profile attorney to investigate the allegations and a consulting firm to review how it deals with complaints. The latter task is every bit as important as the former  because there would be more allegations to be investigated if victims knew an already-daunting process would be straightforward and supportive.

The Assembly must follow the Senates lead and take steps to change how it deals with sexual harassment complaints. Talk is cheap. Action is better.

Related:

Sacramento has a Harvey Weinstein problem

Dont just stop sexual harassment in Sacramento. Elect more women.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion
Hello there, last-minute Halloween costume-seeker.

Were guessing if youre looking at this post, youre still looking for a costume to wear this year.

Dont be ashamed. Dont be worried. Dont be tempted to wear this as your 2017 Halloween costume:

We scoured the internet to help you find some easy, do-it-yourself costume ideas that will keep you from having to go as trash.

From the latest television shows to political statements to tributes to American icons who died this year, here are some costume ideas that are as simple as sprinkling salt, and sure to spark conversation, if not Instagram and Twitter likes.

After all, what else is Halloween for?

Princess Leia

This is the first Halloween since the beloved actress Carrie Fisher passed away, and what better way to pay tribute to her than by keeping the girl power going with a Princess Leia Halloween costume? Anything white will do for your outfit and you just need hair long enough to pull off her iconic double-bun hairdo.

Hugh Hefner

Any robe (red or maroon color is a bonus) will do for this costume idea, as long as you run out and find a captains hat or borrow one from a friend. We see that Walmart is selling them for $3.69, if you can find one in the increasingly bare Halloween aisle. Otherwise, head to the nearest hat shop and cross your fingers.

Chance the Rapper (or Frapper?)

Chance the Rapper is on top of the world in 2017, after winning best new artist at the Grammys and engaging in inspiring philanthropic work. His hat with the number three on it has been seen everywhere this year, so taking a plain hat and putting a 3 on it will be an obvious homage. Then again, you could take it to the next level with a play on words like @sreekyshooter and go as Chance the Frapper. Genius.

Post Malone

Fidget spinner

Heres the costume idea that covers both the biggest craze of 2017 and the most hated thing of 2017. This idea just takes some cardboard cut into the shape of a fidget spinner and some markers or paint to seal the deal. Dont say we didnt warn you that everyone will probably audibly say ugh when they see you. Even USA Today says fidget spinners are The Pokemon Go of 2017.'

The disloyal man meme

Halloween + meme = gold. This is by far the best meme of 2017 and the best costume idea on this list.

Zombie Taylor Swift

Taylor Swifts Look What You Made Me Do music video brings all her previous music video personas back to life, so now is a good time to bust out any of your favorite T-Swift looks again. It starts out with Swift dressed as a zombie, though, so grab a blue dress, cake on the makeup and dirt and youre on your way.

Salt Bae

Salt Bae made his way to the internet just seven days into 2017, but let us not forget him in the tenth month of the year (or ever). Sunglasses, a white shirt, a mustache, and salt? Easy. Sprinkle with care.

Evil Kermit

In case you missed it, heres an explainer on the evil Kermit the frog meme. Green shirt, black hood, some serious introspection, done.

Jared Kushner in Iraq

Back in April, the presidents son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner went to visit troops in Iraq and was mocked online for wearing a flak jacket over his blazer and khaki pants amid uniformed military personnel. A flak jacket might be hard to find, but a vest might get the message across, or even a brown paper grocery bag cut into one. Heres a Youtube tutorial for that. Just make sure you wear a Kush name tag.

Georgie from It

Want to risk a visit from Pennywise? Dress up as Georgie from the movie It. A lot of areas have rain in the forecast this Halloween, so this costume  just a yellow rain jacket and a paper boat  is both practical and perfectly creepy.

Baby Driver

Another super simple costume idea: Baby Driver. All you need is a long sleeve shirt, a vest, some headphones, some black sunglasses and a need for speed.

Baywatch

A lame movie but a great costume idea? Baywatch is culturally relevant again thanks to Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron , so enjoy it while you can if you have a red swimsuit. @TheRock might even retweet you if you tweet your look at him and give his movie a shout-out.

Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @abbyhamblin

ALSO

10 best Halloween costume ideas that sum up 2017 politics
Its Tony Podesta who President Donald Trump is referring to as "the biggest story one day after it was announced that former Trump campaign officials Paul Manafort , Rick Gates and George Papadopoulos face criminal charges as a result of the FBI investigation into possible Russian interference in the 2016 election.

On Monday, the world watched as Manafort and Gates turned themselves in to the team led by former FBI Director Robert Mueller and that Papadopolous had pleaded guilty to lying to FBI investigators, but it also learned that Podesta, a Democrat, stepped down from his lobbying firm the Podesta Group after being drawn into the investigation by the counsel as well.

Who is he? Why might he be under investigation? Why is Trump tweeting about him? We sought out the answers to these questions and more.

Who is Tony Podesta?

Podesta, 74, is the founder and chairman of the Podesta Group, which has been described by The New York Times as one of Washingtons biggest players. Hes a Democratic fundraiser and lobbyist who has worked to influence public policy on issues such as health care and financial regulations in recent years.

"If you want something done in Washington, DC, you go to Tony Podesta," his bio page on the Podesta Group website says.

Before becoming a lobbyist, he worked on presidential campaigns of Eugene McCarthy, George McGovern, Edward M. Kennedy, Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis and Bill Clinton, the Times also noted.

Probably even more well-known though  at least outside of Washington  is his brother John Podesta , who ran the 2016 presidential campaign for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. You might also know John Podestas name from the thousands of his emails that were famously made public by Wikileaks in 2016.

Why did he step down from the Podesta Group?

Podesta says he was quitting because of the criticism hes been getting over the special counsel investigation, according to The Washington Post, telling employees it is impossible to run a public affairs firm while you are under attack by Fox News and the right wing media.

Why is he being investigated?

The Podesta Group was wrapped up in the indictments announced on Monday because of work related to Ukraine it did for Manafort.

Politico reports that Manafort organized a public relations campaign for a nonprofit organization called the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine (ECFMU) which benefited from a political party in Ukraine that Manafort once advised. The Podesta Group joined Manaforts efforts in Ukraine, but maintains it believed the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine wasnt tied to a political party.

CNN reported back in May that the Podesta Group failed to fully disclose the extent of its work in Ukraine to U.S. authorities, though it later updated a lobbying report with the U.S. Justice Department. The Podesta Group appeared in the special counsels investigation into Manaforts finances.

Manafort now faces a 12-count indictment related to his work in Ukraine.

"The Podesta Group has fully cooperated with the special counsel's office and taken every possible step to provide documentation that confirms compliance with the law," the company said in a statement. "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 Podesta Group's work for ECFMU, a nonprofit think tank, was in support of Ukraine's 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."

What does Trump say about Podesta?

On Tuesday, Trump tweeted in an effort to draw more attention to Podestas resignation.

With Trump drawing more attention to Podesta, on social media, people tried to follow all that was unfolding.

Some felt more attention on Podesta was warranted and important.

Some were completely uninterested in Podesta.

Others seized on the notion that people on both sides of the political spectrum were in the spotlight.

Read more from The Conversation about the ongoing special counsel investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election:

Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @abbyhamblin
The Bonsall Union School District will receive $700,000 inenergy-saving upgrades and cut about $50,000 a year from itsutility bills through cost-free agreements with twoSacramento-based companies.

When we first heard about this, it sounded too good to betrue, said Tom Krzmarzick, assistant superintendent of businessservices for the district.

Bonsall will not be the first North County district to getenergy from solar panels at its schools. The San Dieguito UnionHigh School District, which has 10 schools in Carlsbad, Encinitasand Solana Beach, began getting electricity from solar panels atthree campuses earlier this year. The Encinitas Union SchoolDistrict plans to install solar panels at seven campuses togenerate electricity for its schools.

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Those districts, however, are paying for the projects. SanDieguito built its $13 million project with low-interest bondsofficials expect will take 17 years to pay off, and the Encinitasdistrict is funding its project as part of a $44 millionschool-renovation bond approved by voters last year.

In Bonsall, the $5.5 million project scheduled to begin thisfall is being paid for by iecRenewables, which is providing thepanels, and Indoor Environmental Services, which is providingvarious energy-saving upgrades.

According to the companys website, iecRenewables develops, ownsand operates wind and solar energy facilities and sells energy tocommercial businesses, utilities and government entities underpower purchase agreements. The company has similar agreements withthe Mountain Empire Unified and Mojave Unified school districts,Krzmarzick said.

Indoor Environmental Services incorporated in 1988 and works forcommercial, institutional, industrial, agricultural and otherclients and is certified in green building design, construction andoperations, according to its website.

In return, the district will buy electricity from iecRenewablesat a rate lower than it is paying to San Diego Gas & ElectricCo., saving Bonsall about $50,000 a year, Krzmarzick said. Thedistrict pays about $330,000 in utilities and will continue to buyabout 15 percent of its electricity from SDG&E in the eveninghours, when the cost is cheaper, he said.

The district has a 25-year agreement with iecRenewables with anoption to buy the solar system after seven years.

Krzmarzick said Bonsall trustees originally were skeptical aboutthe offer when it was first discussed about eight months ago, butthey began to warm to the idea after a few presentations fromcompany officials who explained how they would profit from theplan.

The companies raise capital through other companies that investin solar projects. Those investors in turn receive federal taxcredit and state tax rebates through the California SolarInitiative.

Krzmarzick said trustees negotiated a better deal with thecompany than the original offer, leading to a lower rate and anadditional saving of $32,000 a year. The agreement was finalizedMay 12.

Under the plan, an acre of solar panels will be installed on aweedy slope above the playing field at Sullivan Middle School andanother acre of panels will be installed in the back of the northfield at Bonsall West School. Work on those projects should beginin late September and last less than 16 weeks, Krzmarzick said.

After work at those schools is complete, crews will build twocarport-type structures with solar roofs at Bonsall Elementary.

While iecRenewables is installing solar panels, IndoorEnvironmental Services will provide $700,000 in energy-savingimprovements for the district. Krzmarzick said those include 3,500new energy-efficient lights for all schools and the districtoffice; 12 heating, ventilating and air-conditioning units forportable classrooms at Sullivan Middle; and programmablethermostats.

Krzmarzick said he plans to present a construction schedule forthe boards approval at the Aug. 10 meeting.
California orange growers plan to begin harvesting a new variety of seedless mandarin orange this month that they think will appeal to consumers and lower their expenses.

The most popular varieties of mandarins, such as Satsuma, are self-pollinating and dont need help from bees to produce fruit. But, their flowers still attract bees carrying pollen from other citrus varieties, and contact with that results in seeds in the fruit. To prevent this, growers net the trees to try to hold off the bees.

They wont have to do this with the new Tango mandarin. The trees are sterile, so even if bees pollinate their flowers, seeds are unlikely to develop.

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When bees landed on the Tangos blossoms during field tests, it produced 10 times fewer seeds than other varieties, said Mikeal Roose, a University of California, Riverside genetics professor who led development of the Tango.

Its probably the best piece of fruit thats come along for years for citrus growers, said Ted Batkin, president of the California Citrus Research Board, which supported the research.

The Tango was developed from the popular W. Murcott mandarin and tastes identical, but Roose said its a big improvement.

Its like a new car with all the details of the previous years model, but one that gets 10 miles more to the gallon, he said.

The Tango took more than a decade to develop. Roose and citrus researcher Timothy Williams started irradiating hundreds of W. Murcott buds in 1995 to make them sterile. They used grafting to create numerous trees to see what kind of fruit they produced and then began testing them. The best of the bunch they named Tango.

UCR released its creation to California nurseries in 2006. Jackie Maxwell, who owns a wholesale citrus nursery in Bakersfield, said when her Tango trees were old enough to sell in 2009, commercial growers bought tens of thousands, cleaning out her inventory.

Californias orange growers have planted more than 1.6 million Tango trees to date.

Six Florida citrus nurseries are in varying stages of propagating Tango trees. Florida received its first Tango branches in 2007, one year after California, and the states citrus quarantine process slowed distribution of the variety. Tango mandarins from Florida will arrive in the eastern part of the U.S. in 2014, said Peter Chaires, director of the Florida New Varieties Development and Management Corporation.

Californias mandarin and tangerine acreage has more than doubled to 33,000 acres since 2002. But as it grew, so did the tension between orange growers and beekeepers in Californias Central Valley. Commercial beekeepers truck in colonies of honey bees during the spring to pollinate almond orchards and other crops.

But bees carrying pollen from other citrus varieties also land on otherwise seedless mandarins, creating seeds that reduce the fruits value. The nets farmers use to prevent that account for about one-quarter of their production costs.

With orange growers threatening to sue beekeepers, the California Department of Food and Agriculture stepped in to create Seedless Mandarin and Honeybee Coexistence rules and settle disputes in Madera, Fresno, Kern, and Tulare counties. The regulations didnt go far enough to protect seedless varieties, but the Tango could help, said Bob Blakely, California Citrus Mutual director of industry relations.

If the Tango proves to not produce seeds under bee pressure, it may eliminate some of the production costs for nets, Blakely said.

Although the citrus industry is excited about the Tango, consumers probably wont even be aware of it. Thats because retailers plan to sell Tangos under existing brand names.

For example, Mulholland Citrus, based in Orange Cove, Calif., packages W. Murcott and Tango together under its Delite brand name because they taste the same, said Fred Berry, sales marketing director.

The strategy is much the same at Sun Pacific, which sells mandarins under the brand name Cuties. Its Tango harvest will be small this year but grow as the trees mature, and all new trees it plants will be Tangos, general manager Al Bates said.

Phillip Rucks, who runs the biggest citrus nursery in the country in Frostproof, Fla., will ship his first round of Tango trees to growers in Floridas fabled Indian River district this summer.

We think the Tango is going to be big hit, he said.
The last time Hubert McNeely saw his nephew James alive, the young man was visiting him in Columbus, Ohio, and going on about a scheme to sell drugs with his new friends from Missouri.

James McNeely said he, his friend Chad Harvey, and Chads father, Chester C.J. Harvey Jr., planned to buy and sell drugs that Chester could transport around the country in his big rig, Hubert McNeely said. As Chad waited outside in the car, Hubert McNeely said he told James it was a stupid idea and made the 20-year-old promise not to go through with it.

About a week later, police knocked on his door to say James had been killed in Missouri, Hubert McNeely said. They asked him to identify his nephews body, which was found stripped and frozen in the abandoned trailer of Chester Harveys truck.

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When he refused to help, he was worthless to them, Hubert McNeely said, speculating that James had backed out of the plan. We figured he knew too much.

Prosecutors have not disclosed a possible motive for James McNeelys slaying. But they have charged, or are seeking to charge, nearly the entire Harvey family with murdering McNeely. They say Chester, Chad and Chesters wife, Angela, told detectives they held McNeely against his will for two days, and that they beat, kicked and threatened him in the basement of their Laddonia home on Dec. 18 before Chester suffocated him with a plastic bag while Chad and others strangled him with wire.

Angela Harvey and two younger children, ages 16 and 14, have been charged with first-degree murder, and prosecutors have asked a judge to upgrade charges against Chester and Chad to first-degree murder as well. Three other men - Darrill Lynn, 45, of Farber, and Jackie Moss, 44, and Robert Allen, 52, both of Vandalia - have been charged as accomplices with kidnapping.

No drug charges have been filed in the case, and prosecutors have not indicated that they suspect any of the defendants is dealing drugs.

In court documents that accompanied the charges, the only thing that hints at a possible motive was something Angela Harvey allegedly told a state highway patrol investigator: that two days before the killing, she, her husband and Lynn discussed how McNeely needed to be taken care of so he couldnt come back and harm them.

James McNeely, or Bo Bo as he liked to be called, grew up in foster and group homes, and on the streets, his relatives said. His father was convicted of stomping a toddler to death and sentenced to life in prison, and his mother lost custody of - and interest in - her children, they said. James didnt finish high school and had a son during a brief marriage. He recently had been crashing on the couches of relatives and acquaintances and looking for a way to support his boy.

Prosecutors have not said how McNeely and the Harveys came to know one another, but McNeelys aunts, uncles and grandparents said he lived a drifters life and met Chester Harvey in Florida while Harvey was hauling frozen foods on his rig through the state.

McNeely was invited to the Harvey home and became friends with Chad, celebrating Thanksgiving with them this year. He told relatives he had joined Chester and Chad Harvey on a couple of runs and wanted to learn truck driving.

Tiffany Tice, who lived with the Harveys last year to help care for their 9-year-old son who has kidney disease, said she witnessed one incident involving McNeely that gave her pause. She said she overheard him screaming at the boys and slapping one of them for refusing to do his chores.

But McNeely and Chad Harvey seemed to become quick friends, and Chad Harvey accompanied McNeely on his road trip to visit relatives in Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky the week before his death.

McNeelys relatives said he spoke of the drug dealing plan at each stop. His aunts in Lovely, Ky., said Chad appeared annoyed when McNeely spoke of the plans and where the Harvey family lived.

When Bo started sharing that information, Chad changed. He grew withdrawn. He wasnt happy he was saying that stuff, Kelley McNeely said.

We knew something was wrong. The boy hit (James) with his elbow when he was telling us about the truck driver, said another aunt, Shirley McNeely.

Attempts to get comment from the Harveys or the other defendants in the case have been unsuccessful. Audrain County Sheriff Stuart Miller would not allow The Associated Press to interview Chester, Angela and Chad Harvey at the jail, and they did not respond to written requests for interviews. Their attorneys, Justin Carver, Leecia Carnes and Tony Mansala did not return phone calls.

The younger Harvey children charged in the case were being held in a juvenile facility, and their attorneys, Jeff Rosanswank and Kathryn Benson, declined to comment.

Lynn declined to comment and his attorney, Don Gerard, did not return a phone message. And court records do not indicate attorneys have been assigned to represent Allen and Moss, who do not have listed phone numbers. Allens father, Pete Allen, declined to comment.

The discovery of McNeelys body, a subsequent armed standoff between Chester Harvey and police, and the ghastly accusations leveled against the family have baffled the residents of the northeastern Missouri grain town of Laddonia.

Tice, the nanny, said she didnt believe the family was capable of violence.

Theyre awesome, said Tice, 19. If they had one shirt, they would give it to a complete stranger. Theyre incredible people who have been through a lot.

And Bill Rhodes, whose house and yard were used by SWAT teams during the Dec. 22-23 standoff, called it a convoluted, screwed-up mess.

He described Chester Harvey as a bit of a redneck, but a really nice guy, and Angie Harvey as too submissive to have played a key role in the killing.

Did (McNeely) hurt Angie or one of the kids? Rhodes asked. Somewhere along the line, the family snapped.

---

Associated Press Writer Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, Mo., contributed to this report.
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/31/2017 -- A fresh business and commerce study by Transparency Market Research (TMR) has detected that the food emulsifier market in Southeast Asia is heavily dependent on product innovation in order to meet diverse demands. Consequently, research and development of new products is the primary strategy adopted by the key companies operating in Southeast Asia food emulsifier market, such as Archer Daniels Midland Company, BASF SE, Cargill, Inc., E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Ajinomoto Co., Associated British Foods Plc., Koninklijke DSM N.V., J.M. Huber Corporation, Chr. Hansen Holding A/S, and Givaudan SA. While Riken Vitamin and Palsgaard are focused on developing products with enhanced functional attributes, Danisco A/S already has a portfolio involving goods that possess enhanced taste, nutritional value, texture, and improved shelf life. On the other hand, Cargill, Inc. offers synthetic emulsifier for chocolate, bakery, and snacks.



Request ToC: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/7003



As per the projections of the TMR report, the demand in the Southeast Asia food emulsifier market will increment at a CAGR of 5.1% during the forecast period of 2015 to 2021. The report has evaluated that the opportunities in this market were worth US$173.3 mn in 2014, and estimates it to swell up to a valuation of US$248.3 mn by the end of 2021.



Application-wise, the food emulsifier market in Southeast Asia gains maximum demand from bakery and confectionery, significantly more than all other segments put together, including dairy products, meat products, convenience foods, and others. The report observes that demand for gluten-free baked products is escalating, besides gaining traction from growing consumer preference for nutritious and fibrous biscuits.



Country-wise, the report gauges the potential of food emulsifier market in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Rest of Southeast Asia. In 2014, Indonesia and Malaysia were the two key country-wide markets for food emulsifier. While Malaysia accounted for 25.2% of the demand share, Indonesia was the primary market and is projected to serve 38.2% of the overall demand in Southeast Asia food emulsifier market by 2021.



Browse Market Research Report @ https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/southeast-asia-food-emulsifier-market.html



Based on product type, the market has been bifurcated into Stearoyl Lactylatess, Mono, Di-Glycerides & Derivatives, Sorbitan Esters, Lecithin, and others, with mono, di-glycerides & derivatives constituting for 43.4% for the demand share, followed by lecithin which accounted for 23.7%. Mono-, di-glycerides & derivatives are extensively consumed for manufacturing dairy and bakery items, including ice creams, cakes, bread, and margarine.



The sudden rise of urban population in these emerging economies in Asia Pacific is the primary reason behind the prosperity of Southeast food emulsifier market. The urban population live a restless life and consequently, the demand for packaged food as increased leaps and bounds in the recent past. Incrementing demand for convenience food is the major factor boosting the demand for food emulsifier in Southeast Asia. The food emulsifier market in Southeast Asia has been witnessing robust growth due to its increasing demand across confectionery and bakery among others. In addition to that, consumers are now preferring food that are low on fat and healthy. Moreover, food emulsifiers are being added to the finished product to increase the overall quality of bakery and functional foods. Growth in the bakery industry in Southeast Asia is set to propel the demand in the food emulsifier market.
Deerfield Beach, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/31/2017 -- Global Welding Equipmen t Market 2017 is a comprehensive, professional report delivering market research data that is relevant for new market entrants or established players. Combining the data integration and analysis capabilities with the relevant findings, the report has predicted strong future growth of the Welding Equipment market in all its geographical and product segments.



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This report also presents product specification, manufacturing process, and product cost structure etc. Production is separated by regions, technology and applications. Analysis also covers upstream raw materials, equipment, downstream client survey, marketing channels, industry development trend and proposals. In the end, the report includes Welding Equipment new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, investment return analysis, and development trend analysis.



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A paper published in the Journal of Archaeological Science presents the first results of the dating of indigenous pre-Columbian cave art in the Caribbean, as well as insights into the artistic choices made about location, technique, and paint recipes of the time.

Dr. Alice Samson from the University of Leicester and colleagues uncovered extensive and undocumented rock art deep inside around 70 labyrinthine cave systems on Puerto Ricos Mona Island.

They found multiple rock art sites with iconography consisting of human, animal, and meandering designs.

Some are painted or drawn, and others, drawn with the fingers in the soft walls, are more elaborate and akin to a technique called finger-fluting familiar from Paleolithic rock art in southern Europe.

Dates obtained from cave art demonstrate indigenous authorship and support a horizon of cave use in the late pre-Columbian period, the researchers said.

Both radiocarbon (1302-1413 CE, 1478-1637 CE) and uranium-thorium (1088 CE, 1244 CE) dates are consistent with each other and with dates from the 13th to 15th centuries obtained from other archaeological materials from caves all around the island.

Dates from caves overlap with those from the indigenous village site at Sardinera, suggesting its use as a base for cave exploration.

We provided the first dates for rock art in the Caribbean  illustrating that these images are pre-Columbian made by artists exploring and experimenting deep underground, Dr. Samson said.

The conservation-minded approach we used squeezed every bit of information we could out of the discovery using multiple methods that are relevant to the studies of vulnerable rock art worldwide.

For the millions of indigenous peoples living in the Caribbean before European arrival, caves represented portals into a spiritual realm, and therefore these new discoveries of the artists at work within them captures, the essence of their belief systems and the building blocks of their cultural identity, said Dr. Jago Cooper, of British Museum, London.

Most of the precolonial pictographs are in very narrow spaces deep in the caves, some are very hard to access, you have to crawl to get to them, they are very extensive and humidity is very high but it is extremely rewarding, added Victor Serrano, PhD distance learning student at the University of Leicester.

Imagine a social networking site, where instead of having a page with posts of people here you have an actual cave wall or roof full of different pictographs.

_____

Alice V.M. Samson et al. Artists before Columbus: A multi-method characterization of the materials and practices of Caribbean cave art. Journal of Archaeological Science, published online October 29, 2017; doi: 10.1016/j.jas.2017.09.012
Analysis of data from ESAs Rosetta mission continues to yield insights into the nature of cometary ice and organics.

Launched in March 2004 and following a ten-year journey across the Solar System, ESAs Rosetta probe made history in 2014  it arrived at Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and became the first spacecraft to orbit the nucleus of a comet.

In September 2016, Rosetta softly crash-landed on the comet and brought an intense period of more than two years of continuous investigation to an end.

Rosetta data led to many discoveries about the origin of the cometary material and the processing in our early Solar System.

Among the payload instruments, the Rosetta Orbiter Sensor for Ion and Neutral Analysis (ROSINA) instrument obtained fundamental properties of the comet by measuring the gases emanating from its nucleus.

ROSINA analyzed the various isotopes of atoms such as xenon and rare organic molecules, including sulfur-containing compounds, explained ROSINA principal investigator Professor Kathrin Altwegg, from the University of Bern in Switzerland.

Such measurements can reveal where an atom was first synthesized, for example, in a supernova, or in the case of an organic molecule, the temperature and other conditions under which it formed.

What we found is amazing: cometary ice is mostly older than the Solar System, having survived its formation as ice, Professor Altwegg said.

This means the abundant organics found in the cometary coma are also probably older and therefore as such universal  not specific to the Solar System.

If comets contributed to the emergence of life on our Earth, similar processes could have happened or could happen elsewhere in the Universe.

One of Rosettas key findings was that less than 1% of Earths water came from comet impacts.

By looking at xenon isotopes we can also quantify how much organics they brought, Professor Altwegg said.

The unexpected richness of organics found in the cometary coma together with the results from xenon tell us that comets could have played an important role in sparking life on Earth.

ROSINAs analyses of 67Ps coma were supposed to be complemented by ground measurements obtained by the spacecrafts lander, Philae.

But Philae unexpectedly bounced on impact when its thruster did not fire and two harpoons failed to anchor it to the surface. Eventually, Philae lost power and the ability to communicate with Earth.

We are missing the ground truth, as, due to the hopping of the lander Philae, the two mass spectrometers on Philae could not measure in their nominal modes. Future missions that successfully land on a comet and take extended surface and subsurface measurements would help reveal what the real pristine material looks like, Professor Altwegg said.

She presented the results yesterday at the AVS 64th Annual International Symposium and Exhibition in Tampa, Florida.

_____

Kathrin Altwegg. 2017. ROSINA/Rosetta: Exploring the Origin of our Solar System with Mass Spectrometry in Space. AVS 64th Annual International Symposium and Exhibition, paper VT+MN-MoM-8
[SAN FRANCISCO] When choosing the sessions I want to attend at a conference, I tend to favour those that offer a fresh point of view on an issue and bring in perspectives from different parts of the world.

Decolonising Science, a session at the 10th World Conference of Science Journalists held this month (October 26-30) in the US city of San Francisco, sounded like that kind of session  and I was right.

Mandi Smallhorne, president of the African Federation of Science Journalists and the South African Science Journalists Association, told me that in proposing the session, her starting point was that journalists are not really aware of the fact that science reporting is often done from the perspective of the global North.

I wanted to provoke some questions about how we see science and how science interacts with people who science is done for, and the people who are the subject of science, she said.

As an example, she refers to the many clinical trials that take place in the global South on people who do not necessarily understand what they are for.

We need to ask questions about the impact of science in society across the world, said Smallhorne.

The South African science journalist Sibusiso Biyela, a digital science communicator at ScienceLink and a volunteer for SciBraai, shared a practical barrier he encountered when writing science stories in Zulu.

Biyela said a science story cannot be simply translated from English to Zulu  it needs to be fully adapted.

He gave the example of astronomy, where there arent enough specific names for space bodies such as planets.



TV Padma, a freelance science journalist from India, highlighted as part of the panel the need for a science journalist in the developing world to not focus on peer-reviewed journal papers only. She gave the example of grassroots innovations that have not been submitted to academic journals, but which are also important.

Javier Cruz, a science journalist from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, asked in the panel if the issue was really about colonised science.

It is not science that is colonised, said Cruz, but the policies of many developing countries.

It is our governments that define the priority scientific areas to be supported, in many cases excluding some areas that could be more relevant locally, he explained, adding that decisions are often taken without enough scientific evidence to back them up.

I am glad that the purpose of the session was not to reach a consensus  that would not have been possible. But the main goal of asking provocative questions was definitely achieved.

This piece was originally published on SciDev.Nets Global edition.
[SAN FRANCISCO] Congratulations to Lausanne in Switzerland for their successful bid to host the next World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ).

Countries in the developing world would struggle to put together a bid thats as good, and you cant fault the directors of the World Federation of Science Journalists for choosing them over a rival bid from Montreal, a decision announced during this months WCSJ in San Francisco (26-30 October).

After all, the bid was a consortium between Switzerland, France and Italy, and was supported by the European Commission and CERN  the worlds biggest particle collider.

Yet its developing countries that would get the most from having a world conference in their backyard  and the region that would benefit the most is Africa.

In Africa, the job of science journalism is not very well developed, said Hilaire Diarra, editor of Maadou, a science and technology journal based Mali, West Africa.

Its not surprising that there wasnt a bid from an African country. After all, how much would it cost them to compete with the glitz and glamour of Lausanne or Montreal?

But maybe the process itself needs to be adapted.

Having the conference hosted on the continent would give massive momentum to locally produced science journalism, putting science in the minds of policymakers and newspaper editors in countries that struggle with malaria and HIV, and that bear the brunt of climate change.

Curtis Brainard, the outgoing president of the World Federation of Science Journalists, told me: I can tell you that all of the board members are incredibly eager to see the conference go to Sub-Saharan Africa.

Yet after 11 announced editions of the WCSJ, not one has been hosted there. The Lausanne announcement brings the number up to four in Europe, two in North America, one in Latin America, two in Asia and one in the Middle East.

The next one after Lausanne should go to Africa because Africa is also part of this world, Columbus Mavhunga, the chairperson of the Health Journalists Association of Zimbabwe, told me following the announcement.

The problem, according to Mavhunga, is that most African countries would struggle to meet the cost of running one of these events on their own.

Countries like South Africa, Kenya and Uganda have well-established science journalist associations, and perhaps one solution would be for them to put together a joint bid.

Anyone who has seen South Africas awe-inspiring Science Minister, Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor, speak would be left in no doubt about the impetus an African bid could have. SciDev.Net will be publishing an interview with Pandor in the next few days.

Its my hope that for 2021, the International Federation of Science Journalists will receive a strong bid from Africa, and decide to bring the WCSJ to a region where good science journalism really can save lives.
Arlington resident Michael Dwyer announced that he would be ending his campaign for Nebraskas District 16 legislative seat on Monday.

Dwyer cited personal health concerns as a contributing factor for the announcement to end his campaign.

Over the last five months, I have worked to balance my faith, family, business, community involvement and the campaign. Unfortunately, and unexpectedly, I have not been able to achieve that balance and it has taken a toll on my health, Dwyer said in a statement released Monday.

In consultation with my doctor and, of course, in conversations with my rock and my champion, my wife Gail, it has become clear that to restore balance to my life and begin to regain control of my health it is necessary to end my campaign for the Legislature.

Dwyer initially announced his campaign for the District 16 Legislative seat, which encompasses Burt, Washington and Cuming counties, on June 12th.

The seat is currently held by Bancrofts Lydia Brasch, but will be open in 2018 as Brasch has reached the end of her term limit. Brasch and former Governor Kay Orr both offered their support for Dwyer shortly following his announcement to run for the seat in June.

This was a very difficult and personal decision because of the amazing support from so many people for my campaign, Dwyer said. I want to thank the many friends and supporters who have given so much by way of campaign donations, walking in parades, volunteering in other ways, and of course the prayers of support.

When Dwyer initially announced his run, his key policies revolved around a strong advocate of public safety, being a pro-life Christian and being a leading advocate for Nebraskas death penalty.

Dwyer is a volunteer firefighter, Emergency Medical Technician and a 34-year member of the Arlington Fire Department. Released information shows that Dwyer volunteered as Washington Countys Emergency Manager and was formerly the chairman of the Arlington Planning Commission. He also spent 12 years spent on the Arlington Board of Education and also served on a legislative committee for the Nebraska School Board Association.

Although Dwyer is ending his campaign, he vowed to continue serving his community.

Rest assured that Michael Dwyer isnt going away, he said in a released statement. I will continue to look for ways to serve my community and state in the years ahead.

With Dwyer leaving the race, Former University of Nebraska Regent Chuck Hassebrook of Lyons remains the only candidate for the District 16 seat.

Hassebrook, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2014, announced his candidacy for the position on Aug. 30.
Celebrated for its glitz and glamour, Art Deco architecture and palm trees swaying near the turquoise Atlantic, Miami Beach's South Beach neighborhood draws swarms of visitors each year. A melting pot of cultures - Latin American, Caribbean, European - shapes its vibrant dining scene. One can find pretty much everything, including strong and sugary Cuban cafecitos, Peruvian ceviche, fire-grilled pizza and chilled stone crab claws. The trick is finding places where the food exceeds the hype.

Escape the carnivalesque mayhem of Ocean Drive ($45 mojitos, anyone?) and head to the quieter neighborhood referred to by locals as South of Fifth, a.k.a. SoFi. This narrowing triangle of streets, from Fifth to the end of the island at South Pointe Park, is fast becoming the sophisticated place to visit and dine.

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and visitors on lower Collins Avenue will find breakfast nirvana when they step inside the cotton-candy-colored building that's home to Big Pink. (305-532-4700, mylesrestaurantgroup.com, 157 Collins Ave.) The retro diner-style interior boasts long rows of connected red tables, oversize TVs on the walls and a menu so ginormous you'll need both hands to hold it. Eggs are served every imaginable way: in burritos, omelets (5 eggs!), and fried, scrambled and poached with sides of steak, corned beef hash, polenta fries, and the usual ham, bacon and sausage. Seven elaborate eggs Benedict skillets include the over-the-top "Maryland Crab Cake Benny" and "Fried Chicken and Waffle Benny." Speaking of waffles, the Nutella version, served with strawberries and whipped cream, is certain to satisfy sugar cravings, as do the red velvet pancakes. Smoothies and juices are available for those who want lighter fare. A full-service bar offers fresh fruit mojitos, bloody Marys, and specialty cocktails. If you sleep till noon, no worries. Breakfast is available all day long.

Shuffle in from the Third Street beach to Lolo's Surf Cantina, a casual spot serving authentic Mexican cuisine in the lower level of the Marriott Stanton South Beach hotel (loloscantina.com; 305-735-6973; 161 Ocean Dr.). Mexican-born chef Richard Ampudia named his spot after his grandmother and, indeed, the dishes have a homey quality, as if you had stumbled upon a shack on the Pacific coast of ol' Mexico. Roasted bone marrow chalupas, rib-eye tacos and whole snapper guajillo are standouts, as is an order - or two or three - of the grilled corn with cotija cheese, chili powder and lime. Grab a stool at the bar, or dine at simple wood tables, to enjoy chilled cervezas or salt-rimmed margaritas and crispy chips accompanied by avocado and roasted jalapeno guacamole or a smoky pumpkin seed dip. Signature cocktails include the Oaxaca (mescal, watermelon, lime and salty water) and the Sour Coyote (reposado tequila, lemon, passion fruit, chili and egg whites). After lunch at Lolo's, a siesta is a necessity.

Fourteen years is a long time for a restaurant to survive in any city, and in Miami - a town where places open and close with the frequency of rising and falling tides - it's an eternity. And yet La Locanda, an upscale trattoria open since 2003, has thrived in this neighborhood (lalocandmiami.com; 305-538-6277; 419 Washington Ave.). Loyal fans, both locals and in-the-know tourists, come for its authentic Italian menu of brick-oven-baked pizzas, homemade pastas and warm hospitality straight from a Marcello Mastroianni film. White-tablecloth dining is available alfresco - along busy Washington Avenue - or in the stylish interior, cast in pale stone and warm wood. Pizza La Locanda is a reliable choice, topped with mozzarella, arugula, shaved Parmesan, cherry tomatoes (no red sauce!) and Parma ham. House-made pasta favorites include black-ink pasta tossed with shrimp in a light, spicy tomato sauce, and silky tagliolini with porcini mushrooms. Secondi courses include veal chops and scaloppine, chicken and fish. No meal is complete without creamy panna cotta, accompanied by a glass of limoncello.

- - -

Regis is a writer based in Boston. Her website is Necee.com. Find her on Twitter: @neceeregis.
Brandon Gerardo didnt have to be coaxed into reading.

The boy smiled and eagerly read aloud a few lines from the childrens book, Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber.

Brandon was among local youngsters taking part in Prime Time Family Reading Time.

The six-week program is designed to help children read better and promote family interaction.

It takes place from 6-8 p.m. Mondays at Keene Memorial Library, 1030 N. Broad St.

We target those families whose children struggle with reading, said Jess Hill, Library Assistant III.

At the same time, the program has many children, like Brandon, who clearly excel at reading.

It really works out, Hill said. The kids are able to work together and help each other.

Hill has been pleased to see children  who once were frustrated about reading and didnt like it  enjoy it now.

It is a really beautiful thing, Hill said.

She noted something else.

They get into discussions and you can see how involved they become with the characters and the themes, she said.

And suddenly, the child who wanted nothing to do with books, now cant put them down.

The program begins at 6 p.m., with a meal.

We serve something different each week, Hill said.

One week, families were served Chinese food. This week, lasagna was on the menu.

At 6:30 p.m., the children are divided into two groups.

Preschool-age children go with a coordinator for age-appropriate activities.

In a small building across from the main library, Dawn Gilfry read a storybook to little children with Katie, a golden retriever, nearby. Gilfry is the Top Dog handler for Katie, a Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog.

At the same time, older children, ages 6 to 10, stayed with their parents to read books together in the main librarys auditorium.

We read two books each week, Hill said.

The books are chosen based on factors such as cultural relevance and the writing and language. Many have won awards.

Books that have proven popular with children this session have included: Annie and the Old One, by Miska Miles and The Rough-Face Girl, by Rafe Martin and David Shannon.

One of this weeks books was The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.

The program is bilingual. Most of the books are in English and Spanish. Both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking families come to the program. Some families speak both languages.

Storytellers help read the books with the children. The children take turns reading aloud and a storyteller helps when they get stuck on words.

The parents take turns reading aloud as well, which is really great, because English-speaking parents will try reading in Spanish and Spanish-speaking parents will try reading in English and they encourage each other, Hill said. Its really amazing just to see the community coming together.

This is the only place where I see that kind of interaction and Id like to see more of it. We want to see this program continue and build it up.

Hill also has been amazed to see adults get out of their comfort zones and try to learn a new language.

Many Spanish-speaking families have encouraged their children to be fluent in English, which Hill thinks is good.

But now were seeing a lot of these Spanish-speaking children, who actually are forgetting their original language. They dont know Spanish anymore. They cant read Spanish, Hill said. Im meeting a lot of families who are coming to Prime Time for that reason. Their children have become disconnected from their heritage and theyre trying to (have the children) relearn Spanish so when they visit with family they can actually speak with their family.

Thats the case for the Nico and Chrissy Pitterson family of Fremont.

We want our kids to have an opportunity to have interactions in Spanish, because their dads family is Hispanic and we want them to be able to communicate with them and be connected to that part of their culture, said Pitterson, who homeschools her five children.

At the same time, Hill said, Spanish-speaking parents want to learn more English.

The program helps, because these parents arent only reading in English, but interacting with English-speaking families during the meal.

Hill said sessions have been limited to 25 families. Some sessions have been full. There is a smaller group this fall with 10 families signed up.

The fall attendance tends to be smaller than in the spring, Hill said, adding that the last session will be Nov. 20.

Families can still join the fall session, but wont be able to complete the program, because its in the middle of its six-week period.

To register, families can complete a form at the library.

But I would welcome them to come and participate, learn what the program is about and then maybe in the spring, they could complete the program for the full six weeks, Hill said.

Funding for the meals comes from Humanities Nebraska. That organization received funding from the WK Kellogg Foundation, Nebraska Cultural Endowment, the State of Nebraska and an individual, Carol Gendler.

Childrens Librarian Laura England-Biggs started the program at Keene in 2013. Hill hopes to see the program expand.

We are definitely going to continue the program, Hill said.

Pitterson said her family has been involved in Prime Time for two years.

The library has a lot of stuff for little kids so its nice to have something focused on the elementary kids, Pitterson said.
Throughput at the group's eastern Shenzhen terminals, Yantian International Container Terminal (YICT) and Huizhou International Container Terminal (HICT), rose 8% to 9.6m teu, while the combined throughput of its HPH Kwai Tsing terminals comprising HIT, COSCO-HIT and ACT icreased 7% to 8.5m teu compared to the previous corresponding period, HPH Trust said in a press release.

Giving an update on market conditions, HPH said outbound cargoes to the US and Europe maintained their growth momentum in the third quarter, with YICTs throughput growth mainly attributed to the growth in the US, Europe, empty and transhipment cargoes.

Meanwhile, the increase in throughput at the HPHT Kwai Tsing terminals was largely due to stronger transshipment cargoes and additional throughput from a new customer, HPH Trust said.

"The US economy has continued to grow steadily with solid fundamentals. Outbound cargoes to the US remained strong in the third quarter of 2017," the trust said. It warned however, that "political and policy developments in the US including future pace of monetary policy normalisation still pose uncertainties and downside risks to the overall global and US economic growth".

On the outlook for the container industry, HPH Trust said: "Excess capacity continues to keep freight rates under pressure with shipping lines striving to improve competitive advantages by capacity optimisation, cost reductions and enhancing productivity through fleet rationalisation, deployment of mega-vessels and reformation of carrier alliances."

It noted however that with its strategic transshipment hub in Hong Kong and mega-vessel handling capabilities in Yantian, its ports are well positioned to support the changing requirements of the lines.
The MoU signed on Tuesday by MPA chief executive Andrew Tan and Nick Potter, general manager Asia Pacific  Middle East, Shell Shipping and Maritime.

Under the agreement Shell and MPA will collaborate in R&D on developing solutions to reduce emissions in port, explore greater use of automation in the port, and support the study and development of digitalisation.

Singapore will continue to invest in future capabilities to build up a strong maritime cluster to generate good employment opportunities and stay ahead of the competition, said Tan from the MPA.

We are pleased to work with industry partners like Shell to drive the digital transformation of the maritime industry in Singapore in the areas of electronic data interchange, automation, intelligent systems and cleaner energy.
These efforts continue with this weeks second meeting of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships, the statement points out, where 57 IMO Member States and 21 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in consultative status are taking part.

The IMO secretary-generals intervention follows this weeks release of a report by an organisation called InfluenceMap, which claims that the shipping industry has aggressively lobbied the UN to obstruct climate change action for shipping, and that at the most recent IMO environmental committee meeting 31% of nations were represented in part by direct business interests.

Recent media reports have questioned the transparent, inclusive approach adopted by all stakeholders with an interest in addressing the threat of climate change through the IMO, begins the IMO statement.

Lim goes on to emphasise that as is the case in other UN agencies of a technical nature, the make-up of national delegations to IMO is entirely a matter for the countries themselves.

Furthermore, IMO currently has consultative arrangements with a total of 77 different NGOs representing a broad spectrum of interests and many different viewpoints, he adds.

With Member States responsible for selecting these NGOs, this inclusiveness is one of IMOs great strengths, concludes Lim.
EUROPE

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Expected Council Action

In November, the Council is expected to hold a debate on Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and to renew the authorisation of the EU-led multinational stabilisation force (EUFOR ALTHEA). High Representative Valentin Inzko is expected to brief on his offices latest report.

The current authorisation for EUFOR ALTHEA expires on 8 November.

Key Recent Developments

Ethnic and political divisions among Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs continue to create gridlock, hampering socio-economic reforms and compliance with decisions of the judiciary.

There has been no progress among relevant BiH political parties in agreeing to amendments of the election law in the Federation of BiH (FBiH)the predominantly Bosniak and Croat entityfollowing the December 2016 ruling of the Constitutional Court that several provisions for electing members to the Federation House of Peoples were unconstitutional. After the six-month deadline passed for the BiH Parliamentary Assembly to amend the law, the Constitutional Court on 6 July itself removed the unconstitutional provisions. (Bozo Ljubic, president of the Croat Peoples Assembly, the main organisation representing Bosnian Croats, had requested the court review last year, believing the electoral mechanism to establish the upper house in the FBiH resulted in Croats from Croat-majority cantons being underrepresented in that chamber.)

The Courts decision to strike down the problematic parts of the law has called into question whether elections next year for the House of Peoples can go forward. This could also prevent the formation of a Federation government. Similarly, as general elections scheduled for October 2018 approach, political leaders in Mostar have still not implemented a past Constitutional Court decision regarding the citys election law, which has prevented local elections from being held since 2008.

When Inzko last briefed the Council on 18 May, he said that Milorad Dodik, the president of the predominantly Bosnian Serb entity Republika Srpksa (RS), had lessened his calls for secession since the US imposed sanctions on him in January for obstructing and violating the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP). In June, Dodik told the news outlet Politico that he would not call for a referendum on RS secession in 2018, which is part of his ruling partys platform. He indicated, however, that such a referendum could still be held in the future.

On 20 September, the June 2015 decision of the RS National Assembly (RSNA) to hold a referendum on the jurisdiction in RS territory of BiH state courts and the High Representatives authority was officially published in the RS Gazette, with the referendum to be held in late November. The publication followed criticism by RS opposition parties that Dodik had withheld the decisions entry into force for two years. That same day, Dodik said the referendum would be suspended, noting the current opposition of the international community. At press time, however, no formal action has been taken to suspend the vote. After a BiH court acquitted Bosniak Naser Oric of war crimes against Serbs on 9 October, Dodik threatened to revive the idea of the referendum, while calling on Bosnian Serb staff to leave state judicial institutions.

There have been increased tensions between Sarajevo and Banja Luka over registering defence property, which is one of the objectives set for closing the Office of the High Representative (OHR) and a requirement for potential NATO membership. On 17 October, the RSNA adopted a non-binding resolution opposing BiHs membership in NATO. This represented a reversal from the consensus on joining the alliance to which BiH formally applied in 2009. The resolution insists on BiHs military neutrality and states that all future decisions on the issue should be coordinated with Serbia.

On 16 October, the EU Foreign Affairs Council adopted its conclusions on BiH. Besides confirming its intention to continue EUFOR ALTHEA under a Security Council mandate, the Council regret[ed] that a divisive rhetoric rooted in the past and an early electoral agenda over the last months slowed down the pace of reform and affected the political climate.

Key Issues and Options

Political gridlock, lack of respect for the rule of law, and ethnic divisions remain key issues. With general elections next year, lack of progress on amending election laws regarding the FBiH House of Peoples and the city of Mostar are likely to be of concern. Slow progress in advancing socio-economic reforms linked to BiHs EU integration and fulfilling the criteria and objectives for closing the OHR are recurring issues.

When re-authorising EUFOR ALTHEA, the Council may call on BiH parties to take steps towards improving the overall political atmosphere, to refrain from unilateral actions and to adhere to the principles of compromise and dialogue.

The resolution could further reiterate that the parties must abide by their commitment to cooperate fully with all institutions involved in the implementation of the GFAP, and thus address as a matter of urgency the outstanding decisions of the Constitutional Court, including its 1 December 2016 ruling concerning elections to the Federation House of Peoples and earlier ruling regarding the electoral system in Mostar.

Council Dynamics

Members regularly express concern about BiHs divisive ethnic politics and political gridlock. They also have been critical of the rhetoric of RS leaders and recent referenda initiatives, which they view as challenging the GFAP, the rule of law, and BiHs sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Russia, however, tends to support the positions of the RS, which it argues is unfairly blamed for BiHs problems, maintaining that political dysfunction and provocations in the FBiH are overlooked. Russia is usually very critical of the High Representative, believing that his reporting is not objective and that he should focus more on encouraging intra-Bosnian dialogue and trust. While all members support maintaining EUFOR ALTEHA, these dynamics have played out in recent years during negotiations on the resolution in parts of the text that addresses such issues as the High Representatives powers, political developments and references to Euro-Atlantic integration.

The BiH Coordination and Drafting Group first prepares Council products on BiH. For 2017, it comprises France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine, the UK and the US. Italy will serve as penholder on this years text.

UN DOCUMENTS ON BiH

This was a resolution renewing the authorisation of EUFOR ALTHEA for an additional year. The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Valentin Inzko, briefed the Council on his latest six-month report on the implementation of the peace agreement (S/2017/379), expressing concern about the lack of progress in addressing the need for real reforms. This was the semi-annual debate on Bosnia and Herzegovina.
AFRICA

Burundi

Expected Council Action

In November, the Secretary-Generals Special Envoy, Michel Kafando, will brief the Council on the situation in Burundi.

Key Recent Developments

The security and political situation in Burundi, which deteriorated sharply after April 2015 when Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza announced that he would run for a controversial third term, remains unsettled. The Burundian government, for its part, maintains that the security situation is good throughout the country. Serious human rights abuses continue to be committed daily with impunity, and oppression and state control over Burundian society remains high, exerted mainly by the government and the Imbonerakure, the youth group of Nkurunzizas party. Thus, while the security situation has been stable, many fear the situation is untenable and masks a serious risk of violent escalation between the government and those that oppose it (for more on the situation in Burundi, see our September Forecast).

Meanwhile, there seems to have been little headway in the Inter-Burundian dialogue, led by the East African Community (EAC) and facilitated by former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa. The opposition has been critical of Mkapa, accusing him of siding with the government, after his public comments made in support of the legitimacy of Nkurunzizas presidency and the need to focus on the future, mainly free and fair elections in 2020. At present, the dialogue is scheduled to be renewed in November.

Kafando met with the leaders in exile of the Conseil National pour le respect de lAccord dArusha (CNARED), a platform composed of opposition groups in exile and part of the internal opposition to Nkurunziza, in Brussels on 14 October. According to a CNARED press release, the opposition leaders repeated their request for an all-inclusive subregional dialogue. Kafando expressed his commitment to facilitate a solution to the political crisis.

At the 19 October conclusion of the heads of state summit of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, to which Burundi is a party, the conference released a communique noting the improvement in the security situation in Burundi. It further urged countries hosting Burundian refugees to facilitate the return of willing refugees to Burundi. The communique also expressed support for the EAC-led inter-Burundian dialogue.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 19 September, the Human Rights Council (HRC) held an interactive dialogue with the Commission of Inquiry on Burundi and considered its report (A/HRC/36/54). The report documents the persistence of extrajudicial executions; arbitrary arrests and detentions; enforced disappearances; torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment; and sexual violence in Burundi since April 2015, mostly committed by government forces. It concludes that there are reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity have been committed since April 2015. Burundi sent a letter to the Security Council rejecting the Commissions report (S/2017/779).

On 28 September, the HRC adopted a resolution sponsored by the African Group (minus Botswana and Rwanda) requesting OHCHR to urgently dispatch a team of three experts to collect and preserve information, to determine the facts and circumstancesin cooperation with the government of Burundi, and to forward to the judicial authorities of Burundi such information concerning human rights violations (A/HRC/RES/36/2). The vote was 23 in favour and 14 against with nine abstentions. Security Council members also on the HRC voted as follows: China, Bolivia, Egypt, and Ethiopia voted in favour; the US and UK voted against; and Japan abstained.

On 29 September, the HRC adopted a resolution sponsored by the EU that extended the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry on Burundi for one year (A/HRC/RES/36/19). The resolution requests the Commission to present a written report at the HRCs 39th session and at the General Assemblys 73rd session. The vote was 22 in favour and 11 against, with 14 abstentions, Security Council members also on the HRC voted as follows: the US, UK and Japan voted in favour; China, Bolivia and Egypt voted against; and Ethiopia abstained.

Key Issues and Options

The ongoing and pressing issue is ensuring that the situation in Burundi does not descend into chaos and further violence, and that a way is found to move beyond the fragile status quo in the country.

As part of its attempt to make headway in Burundi, a main issue for the Council is finding an avenue for engagement between the UN and Burundi in order to solve the political crisis, while Burundi remains opposed to the deployment of a peace component in accordance with resolution 2303.

Finally, a major issue is the lack of accountability for potential international crimes over the last two years in Burundi, particularly in light of the gravity of the Commission of Inquirys report.

One possible way to address these issues is to impose targeted sanctions against spoilers of the political dialogue, those responsible for human rights violations, and those who are blocking the implementation of resolution 2303.

Council Dynamics

Burundi remains entrenched in its opposition to the involvement of the international community in the countrys political affairs. The Council, meanwhile, is at an impasse with respect to its engagement with the country, split between those who view the situation as an internal issue lacking a pressing security dimension, and those who see it as volatile and closely related to international peace and security because it threatens the viability of the 2000 Arusha Accord, which put an end to civil war and ethnic violence in the country. With the Council split, the current state of affairs in Burundi seems to have become a tolerable status quo for the international community as its attention shifts elsewhere.

France is the penholder on Burundi.

UN DOCUMENTS ON BURUNDI

The Council established a UN police component in Burundi of 228 officers for an initial period of one year. This was a letter from Burundi rejecting the Human Rights Councils Commission of Inquiry report on human rights violations in the country. This was a Human Rights Council resolution extending the mandate of the Commission of Inquiry on Burundi for one year. This was a Human Rights Council resolution requesting OHCHR to urgently dispatch a team of three experts to Burundi to collect information concerning human rights violations in cooperation with the government of Burundi and to forward such information to the judicial authorities of Burundi.
AFRICA

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Expected Council Action

In November, the Security Council will continue to follow developments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) closely in light of the fragile political, security and humanitarian situation. During the month, the Council expects to receive the 45-day written update of the Secretary General on political and technical progress and obstacles to the implementation of the 31 December 2016 agreement, as per resolution 2348.

Key Recent Developments

The political environment in the DRC remains tense. It appears that the timetable established by the 31 December 2016 agreement will not be met. The agreement between the government and the opposition was designed to address the political impasse resulting from President Laurent Kabilas failure to step down at the end of his second (and, according to the constitution, final) term in late 2016. However, on 10 October, the DRC electoral commission announced that voter registration in the restive Kasai region, which began in September, would require a total of three months to be finalised and that at least 504 days would be required to organise the election following the completion of voter registration. According to this schedule, the election would not be conducted until April 2019 or later. Opposition figure Claudel Lubaya was quoted by Reuters as saying that the electoral commissions announcement was an election-killing agenda and that [e]verything now rests on the shoulders of the population, which must take matters into its own hands.

The security situation has deteriorated in many parts of the country in recent months. Several clashes have been reported between Mai-Mai groups and the Forces Armees de la Republique Democratique du Congo (FARDC)i.e., government forcesin North and South Kivu provinces. Violence in the Kasai, the area in south-central DRC, has continued as well, marked by intercommunal conflict and fighting between government forces and the Kamwina Nsapu militia. On 9 October, two UN peacekeepers were killed and 18 others were wounded during an attack by the Allied Democratic Forces, an Islamist rebel group, on a base of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) in North Kivu. Council members condemned the attack in a 10 October press statement.

Insecurity has contributed to the dire humanitarian situation in the country. According to the Secretary-Generals recent MONUSCO report, some 3.8 million people are internally displaced in the DRC, approximately 621,700 Congolese refugees have fled the country, and approximately 7.7 million people in the DRC suffer acute hunger.

The Secretary-Generals report on the strategic review of MONUSCO was published on 29 September. In light of financial constraints that have reduced the missions size, the review called for MONUSCO to focus on two strategic priorities: 1.) supporting implementation of the 31 December 2016 agreement; and 2.) protecting civilians and monitoring and reporting human rights. It maintained that while changes under way in MONUSCO will yield efficienciesmember states should exercise caution in making further cuts to the Missions budget that may compromise its ability to deliver on its core priorities.

On 11 October, Maman Sambo Sidikou, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of MONUSCO, briefed the Council. Referring to the delays in implementing the 31 December 2016 agreement, he noted that a climate of political uncertainty and tension has re-emerged. In describing the difficult security situation in the country, Sidikou underscored the UNs concern about the fact that journalists, political opponents and civil society activists continue to be subject to intimidation, harassment and violence, mostly in connection with their activities and the expression of their opinions concerning the political process. In light of the recently lowered troop ceiling and budget cuts, he said MONUSCO was in the process of testing a new strategy of protection by projection, specifically aimed at areas affected by the closure of MONUSCO bases and designed to provide the mission with greater flexibility in fulfilling its mandate to protect civilians. Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix participated in the closed consultations following the briefing.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 26 September, the Human Rights Council (HRC) held an enhanced interactive dialogue on the situation of human rights in the DRC, including briefings by the head of MONUSCO, Maman Sambo Sidikou, and Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kate Gilmore. Sidikou expressed shock over the brutality of violations in the Kasai region and the targeting of children, schools and churches. He also expressed concern about the disproportionate use of force by the army. On 29 September, the HRC adopted a resolution on technical assistance and capacity-building in the field of human rights by a vote of 45 in favour, one against (the US) and one abstention (Republic of Korea) (A/HRC/RES/36/30). The resolution requests OHCHR to provide an oral update at the HRCs 37th and 38th sessions and to prepare a comprehensive report on the situation of human rights in the DRC, including in the context of electoral processes, for the HRCs 39th session. The US, which called for the vote, said that the congratulatory language in the resolution does not reflect the realities on the ground.

Key Issues and Options

Key issues for the Council include the continuing political impasse (and helping the DRC move toward free and fair elections within a clear time frame), the ongoing violence in different parts of the country, and what implications recent cuts to MONUSCOs budget and troop strength will have on its operations.

The Council may choose to send stakeholders in the DRC key messages by adopting a resolution or a presidential statement that:

 calls on stakeholders to cooperate and develop a realistic electoral calendar (as it appears more and more unlikely that elections will be held this year) so that timely, free and fair elections can be held;

 condemns the violence in the Kivus and elsewhere and calls for accountability for violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law; and

 threatens the imposition of targeted sanctions against those identified as undermining implementation of the 31 December 2016 agreement.

Council and Wider Dynamics

Although all Council members are worried about the political situation, in recent months there have been different views on the urgency of holding the elections. Some members have maintained that the elections must be held as quickly as possible, worried about the potentially dire consequences of a lack of progress towards holding them. Others have asserted that the timing of the elections is less important than ensuring that they are peaceful and inclusive and that Kabila and the opposition need to agree on a new realistic timeframe.

Several Council members emphasise the role that key regional actors, such as the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the AU, and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, can play in resolving the political crisis. During its summit on 19-20 August, SADC appointed a Special Envoy to help the DRC prepare for elections, while noting the challenges that have made it unrealistic to hold elections by December 2017. The AU Peace and Security Council held a meeting on the DRC on 23 August after which it adopted a decision welcoming the SADC statement.

During negotiations over resolution 2348, the US and the UK advocated a reduction of troop strength, but many Council members were of the view that plans for downsizing MONUSCO and an eventual exit strategy were premature because of the tenuous political and security situation. During the 11 October briefing, Uruguay, a troop contributor to MONUSCO, stated its concern about the reduction in MONUSCO troop numbers at a time whenthe violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is increasing significantly. Some members caution that the UN country team needs to be accorded the resources required to conduct tasks that are being transferred to it from MONUSCO in light of the recent cuts in the missions budget and staffing.

France is the penholder on the DRC, and Egypt chairs the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee.

UN Documents on the DRC

The Council renewed MONUSCOs mandate until 31 March 2018. This was the report on MONUSCO. This was a special report on the strategic review of MONUSCO. This was a report on the implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework of the DRC and the region. This was a briefing on MONUSCO. This condemned the killing of two UN peacekeepers and the wounding of 18 in North Kivu by the Allied Democratic Forces on 9 October 2017.
SECURITY COUNCIL AND WIDER UN STRUCTURE

International Court of Justice

Expected Council Action

In November, the Security Council and General Assembly will elect five judges to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The judges will each serve a term of nine years commencing on 6 February 2018.

Background

The ICJ consists of 15 judges elected to nine-year terms by the General Assembly and the Council. Five seats come up for election every three years. There is no bar on consecutive terms.

National groups represented on the Permanent Court of Arbitration nominate candidates. When making nominations, members of each national group are recommended to consult their highest national court, national legal faculties, and national schools of law. No group may nominate more than four persons. The names of candidates are then communicated by the national group to the Secretary-General to prepare a list of all persons thus nominated.

Although there is no formal requirement for geographical distribution, article 9 of the ICJ Statute requires representation of the main forms of civilization and of the principal legal systems of the world. In practice, the Courts composition reflects that of the Security Council with each of the P5 always having a judge on the bench. Currently, the distribution is as follows: African States, three; Latin American and the Caribbean States, two; Asian States, three; Western European and Other States, five; and Eastern European States, two. The five judges whose terms are to expire are nationals of Brazil, France, India, Somalia and the UK.

Candidates

In this election, six candidates are contesting five positions. Five of the candidates are current members of the ICJ: Ronny Abraham (France), the incumbent president of the Court; Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf (Somalia), the incumbent vice-president; Antonio Augusto Cancado Trindade (Brazil); Christopher Greenwood (UK); and Dalveer Bhandari (India). The sixth candidate is Nawaf Salam, currently the permanent representative of Lebanon to the UN.

Election Process

Article 8 of the ICJ Statute states that the General Assembly and Security Council shall proceed independently of one another to elect the members of the Court in a secret ballot. Candidates who obtain an absolute majority of votes (i.e. a majority of all electors, whether or not they vote or are allowed to vote) in both the General Assembly and the Council are elected. A candidate therefore must obtain 97 votes in the former and eight votes in the latter. In the Council vote, there is no distinction between permanent and non-permanent members.

Each elector may vote for five candidates on the first ballot. If the number of candidates obtaining an absolute majority is fewer than five on the first ballot, a second ballot for the remaining positions will be held, and balloting will continue until five candidates have obtained the required majority. If more than the required number of candidates obtain an absolute majority on the same ballot in either organ, a new vote on all the candidates will be held. In the event that the five candidates elected by one organ are not the same as those elected by the other, both will proceed (independently) to new balloting to fill the unresolved seats. This process will continue for three meetings, after which, if any positions are still not filled, the Council and the General Assembly may decide to convene a conference of six members (three from each) to recommend a candidate for acceptance by the General Assembly and Council.

According to article 2 of the ICJ Statute, members of the Court are to be elected regardless of their nationality, from among persons of high moral character, who possess the qualifications required in their respective countries for appointment to the highest judicial offices, or are juris-consults of recognized competence in international law. No two nationals from the same state can hold office at the same time, and once elected, a judge is a delegate neither of the government of his or her own country nor of any other state.

Results are usually achieved quickly in the Council, but balloting in the General Assembly can take much longer. In the last regular elections held on 6 November 2014, the fifth vacancy remained open after seven rounds of voting in the General Assembly and four rounds of voting in the Security Council, as Patrick Lipton Robinson (Jamaica) consistently garnered the absolute majority required in the General Assembly while the Council selected Susana Ruiz Cerutti (Argentina). The following day, seven rounds of simultaneous voting failed to produce agreement to fill the remaining seat. Finally, on 11 November, Argentina announced the withdrawal of Ceruttis candidacy for the sake of strengthening regional unity in Latin America and the Caribbean, and Robinson was elected on 17 November by the Security Council and the General Assembly to fill the last remaining seat.

Council Dynamics

Permanent members of the Council have no legal entitlement to representation on the ICJ. However, judges from the P5 are usually present on the Court. This practice favours the re-election of Abraham (France) and Greenwood (UK). Regional considerations are also likely to play a role, posing a challenge for candidates from the same geographical region. Based on this, it may be that Cancado Trindade (Brazil) and Yusuf (Somalia) are seen as running uncontested for the Latin America and Caribbean and Africa vacancies respectively, while Bhandari (India) and Salam (Lebanon) are running against each other for the Asia vacancy. Nevertheless, these political and geographical considerations are not necessarily determinative.

UN Documents on the International Court of Justice

This was a letter from Argentina communicating the withdrawal of Susana Ruiz Cerutti (Argentina) as a candidate for election as a judge of the ICJ.
MIDDLE EAST

Iraq

Expected Council Action

In November, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), Jan Kubis, will brief the Council on the Secretary-Generals report on UNAMI and the most recent developments. The Council also expects to receive from the Secretary-General for its approval the terms of reference for an investigative team on accountability for crimes committed in Iraq by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) mandated by resolution 2379.

The mandate of UNAMI expires on 31 July 2018.

Key Recent Developments

Over the course of the year, Iraqi government forces, with the help of Kurdish troops, Sunni tribal fighters and the air support of the US-led coalition, have made significant progress in the fight against ISIL. During the peak of its power in mid-2014, ISIL controlled around one-third of Iraqi territory, including such significant population centres as Ramadi, Fallujah and Mosul. In 2016, government forces retook both Fallujah and Ramadi. After a nine-month battle, government forces took control of Mosul in July. More recently, government forces re-captured Tal Afar in August as well as Hawija and neighbouring areas in October. At press time, ISIL controls only a small portion of Iraqi territory in the western part of the country along the border with Syria.

While the threat posed by ISIL has been considerably reduced, renewed tensions in Iraq pose another threat to stability and national reconciliation efforts. In June, the President of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), Masoud Barzani, announced that a referendum on the independence of Kurdistan would be held on 25 September. The referendum, in which an overwhelming majority voted in favour of independence, was held in the Kurdish region and the disputed territories under control of Kurdish forces, including the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. The Iraqi government led by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi denounced the referendum, calling it unconstitutional. Similarly strong reactions came from regional powers with significant Kurdish populations, mainly Iran and Turkey. The US voiced its concern regarding the referendum and its potential impact on the ongoing fight against ISIL and instability in the region. In a press statement issued ahead of the referendum, Council members also expressed its concern regarding the votes destabilising impact.

After the referendum, the Iraqi central government imposed a ban on all international flights to and from the Kurdistan region. Iran and Turkey, both of which share a border with that region, threatened to impose countermeasures, including economic blockades and closure of their respective borders with the region.

Following the recapture of Hawija from ISIL on 5 October, government forces and Shia militias started massing near Kirkuk. The Iraqi government demanded that KRG authorities revoke the referendum or face military action. On 16 October, al-Abadi ordered government troops to re-establish control of Kirkuk and surrounding areas in the disputed territories. Facing only sporadic resistance from Kurdish fighters, the military operation was completed in two days as government forces took control of Kirkuk, the main oil fields in the area and the airport. Kirkuk had been under the control of Kurdish forces since 2014, when Iraqi government forces retreated in the face of an ISIL offensive. Oil fields in Kirkuk have provided a major revenue stream for the KRG authorities. At press time, government forces continued to make gains, advancing in Kurdish areas.

The Council voiced its concern over reports of violence near Kirkuk in a press statement on 18 October. A day later, UNAMI issued a press release expressing the UNs concern about reports of destruction of property and forced displacement of civilians, predominantly Kurds, from disputed areas. On 26 October, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimated that some 165,780 people had been displaced from the disputed areas since 16 October.

On 25 October, the KRG announced that it was willing to freeze the referendums outcome and commit to an immediate ceasefire. The Iraqi central government turned down the offer the following day, with al-Abadi declaring that the government wouldnt accept anything but [the referendums] cancellation, i.e. not just a freezing of the results.

Kubis briefed Council members under any other business via video-teleconference from Iraq on 26 October. The briefing, requested by France and Sweden, focused on the tensions between the federal government and the KRG and the fighting between their respective forces. Following the meeting, Ambassador Francois Delattre of France, Council president in October, issued press elements on behalf of Council members. In the press elements, members expressed concern about the tensions and reports of fighting between federal forces and Peshmerga (i.e. Kurdish forces), while calling on all sides to refrain from the threat and use of force and to engage in constructive dialogue.

A review of the structure and staffing of UNAMI and related resources is currently underway, as mandated by resolution 2367, which also renewed UNAMIs mandate. The Secretary-General was asked to report back to the Council on the findings of the review by 15 October. However, this deadline has been extended by one month through an exchange of letters between the Secretary-General and the President of the Council because the review team required additional time for the task.

On 21 September, the Council adopted resolution 2379, which requested the Secretary-General to establish an investigative team to support Iraqs domestic efforts to hold ISIL accountable by collecting, preserving and storing evidence of acts that may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed by ISIL in Iraq. It also asked the Secretary-General to submit to the Council within 60 days Terms of Reference acceptable to the Government of Iraq in order to ensure the Team can fulfil its mandate.

Human Rights-Related Developments

In his opening statement at the 36th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) on 11 September, High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein welcomed the Iraqi prime ministers announcement of investigations into allegations of serious human rights violations committed by pro-government forces and said he hoped the findings would be made public and swiftly followed by impartial prosecutions. In a 27 September press statement, the High Commissioner said he was appalled at the execution of 42 prisoners on 24 September and expressed massive concerns over the countrys use of the death penalty.

Key Issues and Options

There are several interrelated issues that the Council faces with regard to Iraq. There is a need to promote national reconciliation and a genuinely inclusive government accountable to the Iraqi people. At the moment, a particularly pressing issue is how to defuse tensions and prevent an escalation of fighting between the Iraqi central government and the KRG following the referendum in the Kurdistan region. A further important matter for the Council and UNAMI is how to support Prime Minister Abadis reform process and encourage greater cooperation on financial, security and humanitarian issues between Abadis dominant Shia Dawa party and Kurdish and Sunni parties and thereby build confidence in the central government.

To address the current conflict in Kurdistan, Council members could hold an informal interactive dialogue with representatives of the Iraqi government and the KRG to get their perspectives on the current crisis. If the parties are unable to resolve the crisis in the near future, the Council could dispatch a visiting mission to the region, in an effort to mediate between the two parties.

With the anti-ISIL campaign entering its final stages, an issue is how to address its impact on the human rights, humanitarian and security situations in Iraq. As a first step, the Council could consider additional briefings from UN entities on the ground regarding the humanitarian and human rights situations in light of reports of violations committed by pro-government forces. It could also adopt a resolution reminding those fighting of their responsibilities under international law and urging member states to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need.

Another important issue is how the Council approaches the terms of reference for an investigative team on accountability for crimes committed in Iraq by ISIL. Before approving the terms of reference, one option is to hold a discussion in consultations with relevant Secretariat officials to review the substance of the document and allow these officials to answer any questions or respond to any concerns members may have.

Council and Wider Dynamics

Council members support UNAMI, and some subscribe to the view held by the US and Iraq, as well as by Kubis, that the missions mandate is sufficiently broad and flexible to support its good offices role. Other Council members believe that UNAMI would benefit from a resolution that updates and prioritises its tasks, given that the mandate has not changed since resolution 1770 was adopted more than ten years ago. Some members have previously expressed interest in incorporating stronger language in the mandate renewal resolution on such issues as the promotion of national reconciliation; accountability; security sector reform; deeper political and economic reforms; women, and peace and security; children and armed conflict; and the right of internally displaced persons to return to their homes. It seems that the US, the penholder, and Iraq, the host country, are reluctant to make any substantial changes to UNAMIs mandate.

The US is the penholder on Iraq issues in general, and the UK is the penholder on Iraq-Kuwait issues. Egypt is the Chair of the 1518 Iraq Sanctions Committee.

UN DOCUMENTS ON IRAQ

This resolution established an investigative team tasked with collecting, storing and preserving evidence of ISIL crimes in Iraq. This was a resolution extending the mandate of UNAMI for another year. The Council authorised the Secretary-General to continue to maintain the escrow account authorised by resolution 1958 (2010), and to retain the funds contained in there until 30 June 2017. This was a letter on violence in Kirkuk. This was a statement expressing concern over the destabilising effects of the referendum on independence organised by the Kurdistan Regional Government. This was from the President of the Council, agreeing on the Secretary-Generals recommendation in the letter S/2017/850. This was from the Secretary-General, recommending a one-month extension of the deadline for the external review assessment of UNAMI. This was from Iraq to the president of the Security Council, asking the international community to provide assistance in the effort to prosecute ISIL.
EUROPE

Kosovo

Expected Council Action

In November, the Council is expected to hold its quarterly briefing on the situation in Kosovo. Zahir Tanin, the Special Representative and head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), will brief on recent developments and the latest report by the Secretary-General. As on several previous occasions, Serbia is likely to participate at a high level while Kosovo will probably be represented by its ambassador to the US.

Key Recent Developments

Following the no-confidence motion initiated by Kosovos legislature in May, President Hashim Thaci dissolved the government, after which general elections were held in June. No single political party or coalition managed to get a majority of the 120 seats in the legislature to form a new government. Furthermore, the nationalist Self-Determination party, a long-standing political opposition party, achieved its best result yet by doubling its share of seats to 32 and thus becoming a considerable force in the legislature. Over the past two years, members of the Self-Determination party sought ways to obstruct the work of the previous government, including setting off smoke bombs in the legislative chamber and staging street protests.

On 9 September, after months of political impasse, the Kosovo legislature approved a new government led by Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj by a narrow majority of 62 votes. The new government also received support from Srpska List, the major political party representing Kosovar Serbs. Haradinaj is a former commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army who is wanted in Serbia for his alleged involvement in war crimes against Serbs during the Kosovo war in the 1990s. He was arrested earlier this year in France and previously in Slovenia in 2015 when those countries acted on an Interpol notice requested by Serbia. In both cases, Haradinaj was released. In 2005, Haradinaj surrendered to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia; he was eventually acquitted of war crimes charges in 2012.

On 31 August, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini hosted another round of the high-level EU-facilitated dialogue in Brussels with the participation of Thaci and President Aleksandar Vucic of Serbia. In addition to reaffirming their commitment to continue working on a new phase of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, both sides agreed on the concluding steps for the implementation of the justice agreement, which was aimed at integrating judges and prosecutors from the Serb-dominated north into the Kosovo judiciary by 17 October. Mogherini held another meeting with Vucic and Thaci on the margins of the UN General Assembly in September, during which they continued discussions on the normalisation of relations and implementation of the existing agreements between Belgrade and Pristina.

On 24 October, 40 judges and 13 prosecutors from the Serb-dominated north took an oath in Thacis office marking their integration into the Kosovo justice system. The judges and prosecutors had failed to appear at an earlier oath ceremony hosted by Thaci on 17 October.

Local elections were held on 22 October throughout Kosovo, including Serb-dominated municipalities in the north. International observers characterised them as free and fair.

Issues and Options

The primary issue for the Council remains maintaining stability in Kosovo. Related to this is what role UNMIK can play in facilitating the implementation of the existing agreements between Belgrade and Pristina.

Since the adoption of a presidential statement in 2008, the Council has not pronounced itself on the situation in Kosovo. However, the Council monitors the situation closely, and should the tensions between Belgrade and Pristina increase and endanger stability in the region, an option for the Council would be to consider issuing a resolution or a statement calling on both sides to resolve outstanding issues through dialogue.

Another issue that has gained some traction among certain Council members, especially the P3, is to consider lengthening the reporting cycle and possibly downsize the UN mission, given the relative stability in Kosovo over the past several years. Therefore, an option for the Council would be to consider specific proposals to this end.

In light of the ongoing discussions about the need to improve the effectiveness of UN peace operations, the Council could request the Secretary-General to conduct a review of the mission.

Council Dynamics

For years, Kosovo has been a low-intensity issue for the Council that is followed closely primarily by members with particular interest in the region. Regional organisations including the EU, NATO and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe have been playing increasingly prominent roles in Kosovo.

Deep divisions among permanent members have continued on the Kosovo issue. France, the UK and the US recognise Kosovos independence and tend to be supportive of Kosovos government, while China and Russia do not recognise its independence and strongly support Serbias position. The P3 and Japan have become increasingly outspoken in advocating a lengthening of UNMIKs reporting cycle and thus reducing the frequency of meetings on Kosovo. Furthermore, the US and Japan, which are also the top two contributors to the UN peacekeeping budget, have called for a drawdown and eventual withdrawal of UNMIK, given the stability in Kosovo. The US has asserted that the mission remains overstaffed and over-resourced considering its limited responsibilities, and that these resources could be put to better use in more pressing situations on the Councils agenda.

Since the current US administration has placed great emphasis on reviewing UN peacekeeping operations with the aim of reducing costs and increasing efficiency, the issue of modifying UNMIKs mandate is likely to become more prominent. However, any attempt to change the status quo regarding UNMIK would require a new resolution, which Russia would strongly oppose and likely block.

UN DOCUMENTS ON KOSOVO

This resolution authorised NATO to secure and enforce the withdrawal of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia forces from Kosovo and established UNMIK. This was the Secretary-Generals report on Kosovo. This was a briefing on UNMIK.
MIDDLE EAST

Lebanon

Expected Council Action

In November, Special Coordinator for Lebanon Sigrid Kaag and a representative of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations will brief Council members in consultations on the Secretary-Generals report on the implementation of resolution 1701, which called for a cessation of hostilities between the Shia militant group Hezbollah and Israel in 2006. The Council will also receive the semi-annual briefing on the latest report on the implementation of resolution 1559.

The mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expires on 31 August 2018.

Key Recent Developments

In August, the Council adopted resolution 2373, which extended UNIFILs mandate for another year and instructed the mission to take a more proactive approach towards ensuring that UNIFILs area of operations is not used for hostile activities. The resolution called on the Secretary-General to include in his reporting prompt and detailed information on all violations of resolution 1701, violations of the sovereignty of Lebanon, and restrictions to UNIFILs freedom of movement, as well as to report on specific areas where UNIFIL does not have access and on the reasons behind these restrictions. Furthermore, the resolution requested the Secretary-General to explore ways to enhance UNIFILs efforts by increasing the missions visible presence, including patrols and inspections. The negotiations leading up to the adoption were somewhat contentious, with the US and Israel publicly criticising UNIFIL and its leadership for overlooking an alleged upsurge in Hezbollah activity in southern Lebanon.

The situation along the Blue Line, the border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel, has continued to be generally calm, while the progress on each partys outstanding obligations under resolution 1701 has remained limited. The violations of resolution 1701 persist on a regular basis, and there has been no progress towards achieving a permanent ceasefire.

On 16 October, Israeli fighter jets conducted an airstrike, targeting anti-aircraft missile systems positioned near Damascus in Syria. The Israeli air force acted in response to an incident earlier that day when Israeli planes on a reconnaissance mission over Lebanon came under fire from Syrian territory. In media remarks following the incident, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Ronen Manlis said that the regime in Syria is responsible for any fire from its territory and that the IDF will retaliate if Syria carries out any anti-aircraft military actions against the IDF. Israel had informed Russia, which is providing military support for the Syrian government, of its intention to conduct an airstrike.

While addressing IDF soldiers earlier in October, Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have become an integral part of Hezbollah. Furthermore, he said that the next conflict in the north of the country will probably include Hezbollah and the LAF, as well as the Syrian regime.

Lebanon continues to carry the burden of hosting over one million refugees from Syria. In a 16 October meeting in Beirut with representatives of the permanent members of the Council, the EU and the Arab League, Lebanese President Michel Aoun said that his country cannot cope with the vast numbers of refugees from Syria, and he wanted to explore ways to facilitate the return of refugees to safe areas in Syria.

Issues and Options

Although the situation in UNIFILs area of operation has remained relatively calm, there has been little progress towards achieving the main objectives of resolution 1701 after more than 11 years since its adoption, including a permanent ceasefire.

An underlying issue for the Council is that Hezbollah and other non-state actors continue to maintain weaponry that directly impedes the governments ability to exercise full authority over its territory, poses a threat to Lebanons sovereignty and stability, and contravenes its obligations under resolutions 1559 and 1701. In that context, the ongoing crisis in Syria, with Hezbollahs involvement on the side of the regime, and the flow of arms from Syria to Hezbollah remain of great concern.

In August, the Council renewed UNIFILs mandate and requested the Secretary-General to look at ways to enhance the missions efforts, including increasing its visible presence, patrols and inspections. Given that UNIFILs mandate has been renewed recently, the Council is likely to take no action. However, Council members are likely to raise the issue of the enhanced reporting requirement requested by resolution 2373. Moreover, Council members could also request a briefing by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations that focuses on the impact that a more proactive approach by the mission to implementing its mandate as outlined in resolution 2373 would have on the security situation.

Lebanons burden in hosting more than one million refugees from Syria is also of deep concern. The Council could request a briefing by UNHCR on how member states can enhance services to refugees.

Council Dynamics

As was evident from the latest negotiations on UNIFILs renewal, the US has expressed some criticism of the mission because of differing views about the threat posed by Hezbollah. The US has been advocating a more proactive role for the mission in confronting the threat of Hezbollah and has been increasingly vocal about what it believes is the rising threat of Hezbollah and its proliferation of weapons. The Council, however, has remained united in its position that UNFIL contributes to stability in the region and between Israel and Lebanon. There is also broad support for the LAF. Most Council membersincluding France, which is the penholder, and Italy, which is a major troop contributor to UNIFILseem to be wary of the prospect of a more proactive approach by the mission, tending to believe that this could threaten the fragile calm in southern Lebanon that has been maintained for the past ten years.

UN DOCUMENTS ON LEBANON

This resolution renewed UNIFILs mandate for another year. This resolution expanded UNIFIL by 15,000 troops and expanded its mandate. This resolution urged withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon, disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias, extension of the Lebanese governments control over all Lebanese territory and free and fair presidential elections. This was a presidential statement that stressed the importance of Lebanons electing a president by May 2017 in order to maintain stability. This report was on the implementation of resolution 1701.
AFRICA

Libya/Security Challenges in the Mediterranean

Expected Council Action

In November, the Council is expected to receive briefings from the Special Representative and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Ghassan Salame, and from the chair of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Olof Skoog (Sweden). Also this month, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda will deliver her semi-annual briefing on recent developments concerning cases in Libya.

During its presidency, Italy is planning to hold a ministerial-level briefing on security challenges in the Mediterranean.

UNSMILs mandate expires on 15 September 2018, and the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee expires on 15 November 2018.

Key Recent Developments

On 10 October, the Council adopted a presidential statement endorsing the UN action plan for the resumption of an inclusive Libyan-owned political process. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Salame presented the action plan at a 20 September meeting on the margins of the high-level segment of the General Assembly. It includes a proposal to agree in the following sequence upon:

a political package that addresses the amendments required to the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA);

the organisation of a national conference to consult with the largest spectrum of Libyan perspectives and consensually fill important positions;

agreement on a constitution once changes have been made to the current draft in light of the discussions at the national conference; and

holding parliamentary and presidential elections before 20 September 2018.

To implement the first phase, Salame organised several meetings in October of a joint drafting committee, which includes members of both the Tobruk-based House of Representatives and the Tripoli-based High Council of State. The objective of these meetings, which took place in Tunis, was to agree on the amendments to the LPA. While convergence has started to emerge on key issues (including the separation of the executive authority into a three-member Presidency Council and a ministerial cabinet), other questions remain outstanding. Chief among them is agreeing which office will include the responsibility of supreme commander of the armed forces. Khalifa Haftar, the head of the so-called Libyan National Army, has repeatedly expressed in public that the transitional period outlined in the LPA will end in December and threatened to take actions to avoid an institutional vacuum.

ICC-Related Developments

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, whose extradition has been sought by the ICC, was set free by the Abu-Bakir al-Siddiq Brigade, a Zintan-based militia, in June. On 14 June, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda called on the Libyan authorities, the Security Council, state parties to the Rome Statute and all other states to provide her office with any information regarding Gaddafis whereabouts. She stated that the arrest warrant issued for him in 2011 for crimes against humanity remains valid regardless of any purported amnesty law. The 1970 Sanctions Committee, under which he is listed, has yet to update his believed status and location. While the case against former Libyan intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi was found inadmissible before the Court in 2013, Bensouda had expressed in the past her intention to review her offices assessment of the al-Senussi case as new information becomes available.

On 24 April, the ICCs Pre-Trial Chamber I unsealed the arrest warrant, first issued in April 2013, for former internal security chief Mohamed Khaled al-Tuhamy, allegedly responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Libya in 2011. Al-Tuhamy remains at large, and the case will remain in the pre-trial stage until he is arrested and transferred to the ICCs seat in The Hague.

On 15 August, Pre-Trial Chamber I issued an arrest warrant for Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf Al-Werfalli, a commander in the Al-Saiqa Brigade, which is participating in General Khalifa Haftars Operation Dignity in Benghazi. According to the warrant, Al-Werfalli appears to be directly responsible for the death of 33 persons in Benghazi or surrounding areas between June 2016 and July 2017, either by personally killing them or by ordering their execution. The persons killed appear to have been detained and to have been either civilians or persons hors de combat. The prosecutor has called upon Libyan authorities to arrest and surrender Al-Werfalli and has appealed to the international community, including the Security Council, to cooperate and assist Libya to ensure that this happens without delay. Despite reports that the General Command of the Libyan National Army had arrested Al-Werfalli, the Prosecutor has publicly stated that she has received reports alleging that the suspect is at large and may have been involved in additional killings since the ICC arrest warrant was issued.

Background for the Briefing

Italy has organised a briefing that is expected to address, in a holistic manner, the challenges to peace and security in the Mediterranean. While the Council tackles some of the conflicts with impact on the region separately (Libya, Syria, the Sahel), the objective behind this meeting is to identify the linkages between some of the larger trends that feature in these conflicts. The briefing is expected to focus on the root causes of the security challenges in the Mediterranean and to consider initiatives to promote regional stability. Among the issues that are expected to be discussed are the global threat of terrorism and violent extremism, and the destabilising role of illicit trafficking and transnational organised crime. The meeting is expected to provide an opportunity to tackle the factors that lead to displacement, such as the limited socio-economic development, the absence of state authority and accountable institutions or the impact of climate change. Council members are expected to stress the importance of upholding human rights and international refugee law while addressing these phenomena.

The Council does not address the regional dimension of these challenges in the Mediterranean regularly. However, the Council adopted resolution 2240 on 9 October 2015 authorising member states to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya when they have reasonable grounds to suspect that they are being used for migrant smuggling or human trafficking. The resolution constituted the legal basis for the deployment by the EU of the Operation EUNAVFOR MED Sophia in the Mediterranean. Two additional tasks were later assigned to the operation: training the Libyan Coast Guard and Navy, and an authorisation to inspect, on the high seas off the coast of Libya, vessels bound to or from Libya that the operation has reasonable grounds to believe are violating the arms embargo.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 27 September, the Human Rights Council (HRC) received an oral update from Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kate Gilmore, who stated that across Libya armed groups were defining the overall human rights situation, which was characterised by hostage-taking, torture, and men, women and children being killed with impunity. Migrants in Libya continued to be held arbitrarily for indefinite periods and in inhumane conditions, she said. On 10 October, High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein visited Tripoli for one day and held discussions with the head of the Presidency Council, Fayez Sarraj, and other officials, including the head of the department responsible for managing migration detention centres. He also visited one of the countrys main prisons and a camp for displaced persons. In a 12 October statement, the High Commissioner said the focus of his visit was on arbitrary detention, torture, and other grave violations. His statement noted that the human rights challenges in Libya are massive and called for a concerted effort by the government and all stakeholders, including the UN and the international community, to improve the situation.

Key Issues and Options

Generally, the Council could discuss and devise ways in which Council members could support, collectively and bilaterally, the UN-led mediation efforts in Libya. Regarding the perceived end of the transitional period outlined in the LPA, the Council could, after seeking Salames advice, issue a statement calling on the parties to act with restraint and continue to engage in the political dialogue beyond December, reiterating the Councils support for the UN action plan and its timeline.

To address issues of substance that might be better discussed in a closed-door setting, Council members could organise an informal interactive dialogue to focus on options for following up ICC decisions on Libya (as the ICC is not a UN entity, the Prosecutor is not allowed in Council consultations under current practice).

Council and Wider Dynamics

While all Council members supported endorsing the UN action plan, there were different positions regarding the degree of detail that the presidential statement should include on the sequencing of its implementation. In particular, two Council members maintained that including too much detail would affect the flexibility of the good offices work of Salame. Other controversial issues were the inclusion of language on potential spoilers of the process and how to refer to counter-terrorism efforts, with one member opposing a reference to leadership of Fayez Sarraj, the head of the Presidency Council, in this field. This illustrates the dynamics on Libya: despite unanimous Council outcomes, its members have so far been divided over the way forward to achieve a solution.

The semi-annual briefings by Bensouda on Libya have had limited impact, given the reluctance of the Council to follow up regarding the difficulties in implementing ICC decisions. Council members have often reverted to general exhortations rather than addressing non-compliance in a more forceful and effective way.

The UK is the penholder on Libya, and Sweden chairs the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee.

UN DOCUMENTS ON LIBYA

This renewed the authorisation for member states to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya that they have reasonable grounds to suspect are being used for migrant smuggling or human trafficking. This extended UNSMILs mandate until 15 September 2018. This endorsed the UN action plan for the resumption of an inclusive Libyan-owned political process. This was Secretary-Generals report on Libya. This was a briefing by Salame. ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda briefed Council members on the progress of her Offices investigations on Libya.
Overview

Italy will have the presidency in November. It is planning to hold a ministerial-level briefing on the root causes of the security challenges in the Mediterranean and to consider initiatives to promote regional stability. It has planned several meetings on the issue of refugees and trafficking of persons. These will include a briefing by High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on the global refugee crisis and the displacement aspect of various conflicts on the Security Council agenda. There will also to be an open debate on human trafficking and a briefing on the destruction and trafficking of cultural heritage by terrorist groups in situations of armed conflict.

Regarding Libya, there will be the regular briefings on UNSMIL and the work of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee. ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda will present her semi-annual briefing on Libyan cases.

A briefing is expected on attacks on schools, which follows the Arria-formula meeting in October organised by France, Italy, Sweden and Uruguay.

Two adoptions on Somalia are scheduled. The first is to renew counter-piracy measures in Somalia, and the second is of a resolution on Somalia and Eritrea sanctions that will address the partial lifting of the arms embargo, authorisation for maritime interdiction of illicit arms imports and charcoal exports, and the humanitarian exemption. There will also be the regular briefing by the chair of the 751/1901 Somalia and Eritrea Sanctions Committee.

Other meetings on African issues during the month are expected to include:

Burundi, an update on developments;

the CAR, renewal of MINUSCA and an update on developments;

Darfur, on the activities of UNAMID;

South Sudan, on the activities of UNMISS; and

Sudan/South Sudan, the renewal of UNISFA in Abyei.

With regard to Syria, in addition to the monthly briefings on the political and humanitarian situations, Council members are expected to consider the final report of the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the UN on the Khan Shaykhun and Um Housh attacks, as well as the renewal of the JIM, which expires on 17 November. Other issues to be considered include:

Iraq, on recent developments and the activities of UNAMI;

Israel/Palestine, the monthly briefing and consultations; and

Lebanon, on the implementation of resolutions 1559 and 1701.

Regarding European situations, the Council will hold its semi-annual debate on Bosnia and Herzegovina and will adopt a resolution renewing the authorisation of the EU-led multinational stabilisation force there. The Council will also have its quarterly briefing on the activities of UNMIK in Kosovo.

Regarding the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, the chair of the 1718 DPRK Sanctions Committee will brief in consultations. The Council will be following closely any developments regarding the DPRK.

The fourth annual briefing with heads of police components of peacekeeping operations will be held in early November, with a resolution as a possible outcome.

Also on the programme of work is the election of five judges of the ICJ by the Security Council and General Assembly.

The 15 current Council members and the incoming six (Cote dIvoire, Equatorial Guinea, Netherlands, Kuwait, Peru and Poland) will participate in the annual Hitting the Ground Running workshop outside of New York City, organised by Finland.
Protection of Cultural Heritage in Armed Conflict

Expected Council Action

In November, the Security Council may hold an open debate or a briefing on the protection of cultural heritage in armed conflict and from terrorists, in accordance with resolution 2347.

Background

Ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, notably in Iraq and Syria, and some in Africa, such as in Mali, have brought considerable attention to the issue of the destruction of cultural heritage. Over recent years the Council has, on several occasions, considered certain aspects of this issue, particularly the interlinkages with counter-terrorism and trafficking of cultural property by terrorist organisations.

In addition, the mandate of the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) has, since it was established in 2013, included assisting the transitional authorities in the country with the protection of cultural and historic sites in collaboration with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This is currently the only active UN peacekeeping mission that has this provision in its mandate.

This issue has also been of interest to France and Italy outside of the Council. France, together with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), launched an initiative that resulted in a December 2016 conference in Abu Dhabi on safeguarding endangered cultural heritage, attended by 40 countries. A declaration adopted at the conference called for the creation of an international fund for the protection of endangered cultural heritage in armed conflict and the creation of safe havens for endangered cultural property including, if necessary, in other countries. The declaration called for the support of the Security Council in achieving the aforementioned objectives.

As a follow-up, France, the UAE and the UNESCO announced on 20 March the establishment of a new fund, the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas.

On 24 March, the Council was briefed on the destruction and trafficking of cultural heritage by terrorist groups and in situations of armed conflict by Jeffrey Feltman, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs; Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO; Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), via video teleconference; and General Fabrizio Parrulli, head of the Italian Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage.

At the meeting, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2347. Drafted by Italy and France, this was the Councils first resolution specifically on the issue. The resolution, among other things, condemns the destruction, looting and trafficking of cultural heritage in armed conflicts. It notes that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ISIL (Daesh), Al-Qaida and their associates are generating income from engaging in the illegal excavation, looting and smuggling of cultural property to support their operations. The resolution calls on member states to implement necessary measures to advance the protection of cultural heritage within their territory and, if requested, with the assistance of relevant UN agencies. It further notes the ICCs conviction of 27 September 2016 of Faqi Al Mahdi for directing attacks against religious and historic buildings in Mali in June and July 2012. (Al Mahdi was sentenced to nine years imprisonment.)

During negotiations on the resolution, reference to the Abu Dhabi conference was an issue of contention for some members of the Council, most notably Egypt and Russia, as they felt the outcome of the conference only represents the views of some member states. The concept of the creation of a network of safe havens for cultural heritage outside the country of origin was particularly troubling for members who emphasise the importance of respecting sovereignty. As a compromise, resolution 2347 stresses that member states have the primary responsibility in protecting their cultural heritage, and it encourages states to take preventive measures to safeguard their cultural property, including as appropriate through safe havens in their own territories, without reference to safe havens outside the country of origin. Welcoming the Abu-Dhabi conference initiative to establish an international fund, as suggested in an earlier draft of the resolution, was also contentious as some Council members felt that it undermines UNESCOs independent efforts in this regard. As a compromise, the resolution takes note of the funds established by UNESCO and the Abu Dhabi conference alike.

Finally, the resolution calls for the Secretary-General to submit to the Council a report on the implementation of the resolution before the end of 2017. At press time, the report had not yet been submitted to Council members.

Key Issues and Options

The main issue for the Council is to monitor the implementation of resolution 2347 and identify gaps in order to assist member states in protecting their cultural heritage. Since only a short time has passed since the adoption of the resolution, the Council may request the Secretary-General to report to the Council on the protection of cultural heritage in the future.

Council Dynamics

Notwithstanding the issues mentioned above, Council members seem to be in broad agreement on the importance of protecting cultural heritage in armed conflict and from terrorist groups, and on the various measures that member states should take to achieve that end in coordination with UNESCO, UNODC and other agencies. However, as with the negotiations over resolution 2347, certain measures taken to protect cultural heritage can be sensitive and cause divisions between Western states and those members who emphasise the importance of respecting sovereignty.

UN Documents on the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Armed Conflict

This was a resolution on protection of cultural heritage in armed conflicts. Was on ISIS and Al-Nusras illicit funding via oil exports, traffic of cultural heritage, ransom payments and external donations. The Council unanimously adopted resolution 2347 on the protection of cultural heritage in armed conflicts. This condemned the destruction of cultural heritage by ISIL in Syria following reports of the destruction of the tetrapylon and parts of the theatre of Palmyra.
AFRICA

Somalia and Eritrea

Expected Council Action

In November, the Council is expected to adopt a resolution on Somalia and Eritrea sanctions that will address the partial lifting of the arms embargo, authorisation for maritime interdiction of illicit arms imports and charcoal exports, and the humanitarian exemption, which all expire on 15 November. The 120-day briefing by the chair of the 751/1901 Somalia and Eritrea Sanctions Committee, Kairat Umarov (Kazakhstan), is expected. The mandate review of the Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group (SEMG) is also due in November. Finally, the Council is scheduled to adopt a resolution renewing counter-piracy measures.

Key Recent Developments

Somalia endured the worst terror attack in its history on 14 October when twin bomb explosions in Mogadishu left over 350 people dead and wounded more than 200 others. According to police, a truck bomb exploded outside a hotel at the busy K5 intersection, which is lined with government offices, restaurants and kiosks, levelling several buildings and setting dozens of vehicles on fire. Two hours later, another truck bomb struck the capitals Medina district. Some investigators believe that the trucks did not reach their intended targetthe heavily defended compound where the UN, embassies and AU forces are based. There was no immediate claim of responsibility; however, it is widely believed that Al-Shabaab is the only militant group in Somalia with the resources to execute an attack of this scale.

The following day, the Security Council issued a press statement condemning the terrorist attack in the strongest possible terms and commending the swift response of Somalias security forces and first responders.

In October the Council received the final reports of the Somalia and Eritrea Monitoring Group (SEMG), which were discussed in a meeting of the Somalia and Eritrea Sanctions Committee on 13 October. The report on Somalia noted a troubling trend toward the increased use of improvised explosive devices and other homemade explosives by Al-Shabaab, and it addresses the groups financing through agricultural activities. The report also notes that the illicit sale of charcoal by Al-Shabaab has continued in the last year at a magnitude similar to the previous year. It is estimated that the group made $10 million last year through charcoal sales, mostly to Gulf Arab countries, which, according to the report, have offered varying degrees of cooperation with the SEMG. The report also addresses the rise of piracy incidents off the coast of Somalia and the activities of ISIL in Puntland. Concerning weapons and ammunition management, the report highlights concerns that compliance with reporting on arms shipments to regional administrations needs to improve, and that the regulations need to be clarified with regional administrations.

On Eritrea, the report states that for the fourth year in a row, the SEMG has found no conclusive evidence of support by Eritrea to Al-Shabaab. It reports, however, that the Eritrean government, which has not allowed the group to visit the country since 2012, continues to block the group from visiting. Furthermore, the Chair of the Somalia and Eritrea Sanctions Committee had planned a visit to the region in July and the Eritrean government initially agreed to receive him in Asmara; however, once the itinerary was set, the Eritrean government told the Chair that the proposed dates were not workable. The SEMG made one recommendation on Eritreathat, in light of the lack of evidence of support to Al-Shabaab, the Somalia and Eritrea sanctions regimes be disassociated. This recommendation was also made in last years final report but was not taken up by the Council.

On 12 October, the Secretary-General transmitted his report on the situation with respect to piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia. The report found that a slight increase in piracy activities between March and June 2017 pointed to the root causes not being fully addressed. During March and April 2017, six successful pirate attacks occurred involving the hijacking for ransom of cargo ships and dhows. In April, Chinese and Indian naval forces thwarted an attack on a cargo ship; and later the same month, Chinese naval forces and the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) prevented an attack on an oil tanker. Twenty-two unsuccessful attacks or suspicious maritime activities were recorded from March to September; of the 29 attempted or successful attacks during the reporting period, only two were against fishing vessels. The report notes that the hijackings in 2017 began four months after NATO terminated its counter-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia.

The Secretary-Generals assessment is that the recent attacks demonstrate that the underlying conditions fuelling piracy have not changed. Several factors add to the risk of a resurgence in piracy activities, including coastal communities perceptions of weak protection of coastal and marine resources by federal, international and local authorities, especially with regard to illegal fishing by foreign vessels; the ease of recruitment of potential pirates; the financing of attacks as a result of strong criminal networks operating onshore; the lack of alternative income-generating opportunities for affected coastal communities; and internationally, the weakness of the institutional capacities and legal frameworks that identify, capture, prosecute and convict suspected pirates and their accomplices.

Additionally, the report highlights external factors contributing to the rise in piracy: commercial ships are not adhering to best management practices, are deviating from the internationally-recommended transit corridor, and are taking increased risks and reducing their usage of private security personnel. Also contributing are weak information-sharing on the part of the international community, regional instability, and the fact that pirates are possibly viewing the current environment as permissive owing to the recent reduction in the international naval presence.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 27 September, the Human Rights Council (HRC) held an interactive dialogue with the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia, Bahame Nyanduga, and considered his report (A/HRC/36/62). The report noted that, while there are improvements in the human rights situation in terms of governance and the peacebuilding process, attacks by Al-Shabaab continued to cause civilian casualties. On 29 September, the HRC adopted a resolution without a vote that renewed the mandate of the Independent Expert for one year and requested a report at the HRCs 39th session and the General Assemblys 73rd session (A/HRC/RES/36/27).

Key Issues and Options

The key issue for Council members in November will be whether or not to alter the Somalia sanction regime in order to keep weapons out of the hands of Al-Shabaab and other militants in Somalia more effectively, including by taking into account ways to thwart the groups increasing use of improvised explosive devices and its ability to continue to profit from charcoal sales, despite the charcoal ban set out by the Council.

Another issue is whether or not the Council ought to disassociate the Somalia and Eritrea regimes, as recommended by the SEMG. This could be done by creating two separate sanctions committees with their own monitoring groups, keeping a single monitoring group with two separate sanctions committees, or maintaining a single sanctions committee with two separate monitoring groups.

Council Dynamics

The Council is largely united on issues pertaining to Somalia in general and on Somalia sanctions in particular. On Eritrea, however, members are divided between those who believe the Council should reconsider sanctions measures against Eritrea in light of the absence of any findings by the SEMG of conclusive evidence of support to Al-Shabaab and those who stress that Eritreas other activities in the region also warrant sanctions. All Council members would like to see Eritrea increase its engagement with the UN. At last years adoption of a resolution on sanctions, there was no appetite among Council members to consider disassociating the Somalia and Eritrea regimes, and it is unclear whether members may choose to pursue that option at this time.

The UK is the penholder on Somalia and Somalia and Eritrea sanctions. Kazakhstan Chairs the 751/1907 Somalia and Eritrea Sanctions Committee.

UN DOCUMENTS ON SOMALIA AND ERITREA

This was a resolution on Somalia and Eritrea sanctions with ten votes in favour. This was the Secretary-Generals report on piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia. This was a press statement condemning in the strongest terms the 14 October terrorist attack in Mogadishu.
AFRICA

South Sudan

Expected Council Action

In November, the Council is expected to receive a briefing on the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the situation in the country. Consultations will follow the briefing.

The mandate of UNMISS expires on 15 December.

Key Recent Developments

The security and humanitarian situations in South Sudan remain dire. Violent clashes between government and opposition forces persist in several areas of the country, including in the greater Upper Nile region and in the Equatorias region. According to OCHA, the number of internally displaced South Sudanese is 1.88 million while an additional 2.1 million people have taken refuge in neighbouring countries. Approximately 6 million people, half the population of the country, face severe food insecurity. The situation for humanitarian aid workers remains extremely dangerous, with 18 aid workers killed since the start of the year.

In an effort to revitalise the peace process and in preparation for its initiative to convene a high-level revitalisation forum, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) consulted separately with government, opposition and civil society actors in October. An IGAD delegation met with opposition leader and former First Vice-President Riek Machar in South Africa on 4 October. Machar expressed his commitment to the IGAD process, his spokesperson said, marking an apparent shift in position from a letter Machar sent to the UN Secretary-General on 14 September. An IGAD Council of Ministers delegation, led by Ethiopian Foreign Minister Workneh Gebeyehu, met with President Salva Kiir and his cabinet on 13 October. The South Sudanese officials reportedly said that the government supported the revitalisation forum but asked for clarification of its objectives, which IGAD is expected to give in writing.

On 20 September, the AU Peace and Security Council released a communique after its 720th meeting stating that the IGAD-led revitalisation process represents a last chance for the Parties, to really achieve sustainable peace and stability in South Sudan. The communique said that if the parties continue to delay the full implementation of the August 2015 peace agreement, the PSC will consider the necessary steps, including sanction measures [sic], that could ensure effective and efficient implementation of the [peace agreement]bearing in mind the assessment reports of the IGAD-led revitalisation process.

Deployment of the Regional Protection Force (RPF), which was initially authorised in August 2016 and is expected to comprise 4,000 troops, is continuing slowly. Currently less than 25 percent of the authorised troop strength has been deployed, although an Ethiopian advance company consisting of some 200 personnel arrived in October. The government has long resisted the RPFs mandated role to protect the Juba airport. During his Council briefing on 26 September, Special Representative for South Sudan David Shearer suggested that the deployment of the RPF would enable UNMISS to project into the Equatorias, an area of significant violence over the past year, to better pursue its mandate to protect civilians.

UNMISS personnel continue to face restrictions of movement, harassment and assault at the hands of government forces. In one incident, government forces assaulted an UNMISS contingent commander who was accompanying an UNMISS convoy headed for the Tomping base in Juba on 21 September. The convoy was forced to reroute to UN House on the other side of the city.

On 17 October, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix briefed the Council on the situation in South Sudan. Lacroix described the difficult security and humanitarian environment in the country. He expressed concern that the credibility of the national dialogue process launched by the government remains in question owing to significant opposition groups being so far unwilling to join, against the backdrop of the concurrent SPLA [i.e., Sudan Peoples Liberation Army or government] military operations. With regard to IGADs efforts to revitalise the peace process, he urged Council members to use their leverage on all parties and encourage them to engage in this process meaningfully and without any preconditions.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 18 September, the Human Rights Council held an enhanced interactive dialogue on South Sudan, including briefings by the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan and Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Kate Gilmore. The Chairperson of the Commission, Yasmin Sooka, said that the Hybrid Court for South Sudan needed to be established swiftly, along with a commission on truth and healing. The national dialogue would not enjoy countrywide support, as there was a prevailing climate of fear, she said. The Commission visited South Sudan and Ethiopia from 4 to 15 September and released a statement on 20 September. Noting that it witnessed tens of thousands of South Sudanese women and children arriving in Ethiopia, the Commission said that many of them had been subjected to collective punishment by government forces, based on ethnicity and their perceived support for the opposition. The Commission added that it was especially struck by the numbers of unaccompanied children and that the humanitarian situation is almost unmanageable.

Key Issues and Options

The key issue for the Council is how to support efforts to revitalise the political process in South Sudan. The Council could adopt a presidential statement or resolution that:

 emphasises the Councils support for regional efforts to pursue a mediated solution to the conflict;

 strongly condemns violence perpetrated by government forces and armed groups and calls for an immediate ceasefire; and

 condemns restrictions on the freedom of movement of UNMISS personnel and obstacles to humanitarian access.

In an effort to reduce the level of violence and exert leverage on the parties, members could decide to revisit the idea of an arms embargo and targeted sanctions.

Another important issue is how much impact the deployment of the RPF, which is mandated to provide a secure environment in and around Juba, and other areas in extremis, will have on improving the security environment in South Sudan. A demarche from the Council president to the South Sudanese ambassador regarding delays in receiving clearances and visas from the South Sudanese government for RPF personnel could help address these issues and expedite the deployment of the force.

Council Dynamics

There is widespread support among Council members for IGADs efforts to revitalise the peace process. During the Councils briefing on South Sudan on 17 October, Uruguay said that support of the international community, in particular that of the Security Council, is absolutely critical to ensuring the effectiveness of the revitalization agenda. Bolivia expressed its appreciation for IGADs efforts to promote the peace process. In the closed consultations, other members similarly emphasised their support for the IGAD revitalisation initiative.

While all members are concerned about the political and humanitarian situation in South Sudan, there have been differences of view regarding what approach the Council should take to address the crisis in the country. For example, there has been a longstanding divide on whether to authorise an arms embargo and further targeted sanctions in an effort to exert leverage on the parties.

Council members are awaiting the findings of a strategic review of UNMISS that is expected to take place in November and will inform decision-making with regard to the missions mandate renewal in December.

The US is the penholder on South Sudan.

UN Documents on South Sudan

This extended the mandate of UNMISS for one year and reauthorised the Regional Protection Force. This statement emphasised the need for a political solution to the conflict in South Sudan. This was the 90-day report on UNMISS. This was a briefing on South Sudan by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix. This was a briefing by UNMISS head David Shearer and Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission Chairman Festus Mogae (via VTC) on the Secretary-Generals 90 day report.
Status Update

Peacekeeping

On 5 October, the Council held a briefing on UN peacekeeping operations that focused on strategic force generation (S/PV.8064). Briefers included Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix; Ambassador Masud Bin Momen of Bangladesh; and Ambassador Marc-Andre Blanchard of Canada. Lacroix said that clear, prioritised mandates can help the Department of Peacekeeping Operations to better guide and assess the performance of uniformed capabilities. Ambassador Bin Momen encouraged troop contributors to tailor their pledges to the specific needs of peacekeeping missions. Blanchard briefed on the planning for the 2017 UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial Conference, scheduled to take place in Vancouver 14-15 November.

Mali and the Sahel

On 5 October, the Council held a briefing and consultations on Mali (S/PV.8062). The Council was briefed by Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Mali and head of MINUSMA Mahamat Saleh Annadif based on the 28 September Secretary-Generals report (S/2017/811). Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop of Mali also spoke at the meeting. The need to prevent the gains achieved in Mali from being reversed featured prominently at the meeting. In a 6 October press statement, Council members expressed their deep concern over the persistent delays in the full implementation of key provisions of the 2015 Peace and Reconciliation Agreement and urged the parties to adopt without delay an agreed-upon chronogram (timeline) for its implementation (SC/13019).

On 18-23 October, Council members undertook a visiting mission to the Sahel (Burkina Faso, Mali and Mauritania). The objective of the mission was to assess the situation of the countries of the G5 Sahel, in particular regarding the level and the nature of the threat posed by terrorism and transnational organised crime, as well as to assess the status of the operationalisation of the G5 Sahel joint force. Furthermore, the visiting mission aimed to deliver a clear message to the parties in Mali regarding the need to accelerate the implementation of the Agreement.

On 30 October, the Council was briefed by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and discussed a 16 October report on the activities of the joint force (S/2017/869), including the challenges encountered in its operationalisation and possible measures for consideration. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission, and the Foreign Minister of Mali Abdulaye Diop, as rotating President of the G5 Sahel, addressed the Council as well. The other members of the G5 Sahel (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Niger) also participates in the meeting. The discussion was chaired by Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs.

UNDOF

On 3 October, Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix briefed Council members in consultations on the 27 September Secretary-Generals report (S/2017/810).

Colombia

On 5 October, the Council adopted resolution 2381 expanding the mandate of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia (S/PV.8063). The resolution tasks the mission with monitoring the bilateral and temporary ceasefire agreed to by the Government of Colombia and the Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional (ELN). The Council authorised the deployment of no more than 70 additional international observers to help the mission take on this further responsibility. Also on 5 October, the Council adopted a presidential statement recognising the work of the UN Mission in Colombia and welcoming the remarkable achievements in Colombia following the 2016 agreement (S/PRST/2017/18).

Haiti

On 12 October, outgoing Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti Sandra Honore delivered the final briefing on the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) ahead of its 15 October closure (S/PV.8068). On 17 October, the Council adopted a presidential statement that recognised the contribution MINUSTAH had made in restoring security and stability throughout its 13year tenure, expressed appreciation of the efforts of the UN Country Team, and welcomed the work of the UN Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH), which succeeded MINUSTAH on 16 October (S/PRST/2017/20).

Famine

On 12 October, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres briefed the Council (S/PV.8069) on country-specific impediments to an effective response to the risk of famine in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan and northeast Nigeria in accordance with the Councils 9 August presidential statement (S/PRST/2017/14). During his briefing, Guterres urged an increase in humanitarian aid to address these crises.

Myanmar

On 13 October, at the initiative of France and the United Kingdom, an Arria-formula meeting was held on Myanmar, focusing on the situation in Rakhine state. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan briefed in his capacity as the Chair of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, which was comprised of both Myanmar and international commissioners and published a final report on 23 August that included recommendations for improving the situation in the state with regard to conflict prevention, humanitarian assistance, reconciliation, institution-building and development.

Israel/Palestine

On 18 October, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Miroslav Jenca briefed the Council in the quarterly open debate on the Middle East (S/PV.8072)

Women, Peace and Security

On 27 October, the Council held its annual open debate on Women, Peace and Security with briefings by Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed; Executive Director of UN Women Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka; Secretary-General of the International Organisation of Francophonie Michaelle Jean; and Charo Mina Rojas, a civil society representative from Colombia (S/PV.8079). The Council also considered the Secretary-Generals annual report on the issue (S/2017/861).

Children and Armed Conflict

At press time, on 31 October, the Council was scheduled to hold an open debate on children and armed conflict. The Secretary-General was expected to present his annual report, and the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba will brief. In addition, Mubin Shaikh, a former child soldier, will speak about his experience. The debate is expected to focus on violations committed by non-state armed groups, including violent extremist groups and those that commit acts of terrorism. Council members have been negotiating a presidential statement which is expected to be adopted at the meeting.

On 13 October, France, Italy, Sweden and Uruguay organised an Arria-formula meeting on attacks on schools. The briefers were Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba; Joy Bishara, one of the female students kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014; and Zama Neff, co-chair of the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack. The meeting provided members and NGOs with an opportunity to hear a first-hand account of the impact of attacks on schools. Member states shared experience of their efforts in protecting schools from military use, highlighted the importance of education, and called for stronger protection measures. A number of members highlighted the Safe Schools Declaration, a voluntary, political commitment from governments not to use schools for military purposes and to protect them during military operations.

Afghanistan

On 17 October, members of the Security Council issued a press statement, condemning terrorist attacks that took place in Paktia, Ghazni and Kabul on that day, which resulted in more than 70 people killed and over 200 wounded, for which the Taliban has claimed responsibility (SC/13034).

Counter-Terrorism

On 21 October, Council members issued a press statement, condemning a terrorist attack that took place the previous day, in El Wahat desert, Egypt, where a large number of policemen were killed and injured (SC/13039).

On 10 October, the Chair (Kazakhstan) of the 1267/1989/2253 Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (Daesh) & Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee briefed the Committee on his visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Singapore. The Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team delivered its quarterly oral briefing pursuant to paragraph 99 of resolution 2368 (2017). The Committee met on 17 October for an update on its work from the Chair and the Monitoring Team. On 23 October, the Committee met with representatives of the European Union on legal issues pertaining to sanctions.

On 12 October, the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee met to discuss various issues, including the recent engagement by the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate with the Global Counter-Terrorism Research Network on new trends and challenges related to terrorism. On 26 October, the Committee held a meeting on the role of financial institutions and other entities in preventing terrorist financing. At press time, another committee meeting was scheduled on 31 October.

Yemen

On 10 October, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and OCHA Operations Director John Ging briefed the Council (S/PV.8066). During his briefing, the Special Envoy did not report any progress regarding the package of confidence-building measures that he has been pursuing, and said that the parties have to commit tostart discussions for a comprehensive agreement. In describing the humanitarian crisis, Ging outlined the ongoing challenges facing humanitarian and commercial access and the impact of non-payment of civil servant salaries. Closed consultations followed the public session. Council members subsequently issued elements to the press in which they deeply regretted the lack of progress in the political process and the worsening of the humanitarian situation. They reaffirmed the need for all parties, especially the Houthis, to engage meaningfully with the UN Special Envoys comprehensive proposals for peace and to make progress towards a ceasefire and resolution of the conflict.
AFRICA

Sudan (Darfur)

Expected Council Action

In November, the Security Council will hold a briefing on the 60-day report of the Secretary-General on the AU/UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID). The mandate of UNAMID expires on 30 June 2018.

Key Recent Developments

The level of armed hostilities in Darfur has continued to be significantly lower than in previous years, and Sudanese government forces have re-taken most of the territory previously controlled by rebel groups and now control Darfur. The unilateral ceasefire, declared by the government of Sudan in mid-2016 and most recently extended until 31 December, reportedly continues to be largely observed. While the overall security situation is improving, the region remains fragile, and an environment of instability persists in the presence of intercommunal violence, the proliferation of arms and human rights violations.

In accordance with resolution 2363, UNAMID continues its two-pronged approach. In the Jebel Marra area, it focuses on military protection, clearing explosive remnants of war and providing emergency relief. In other areas of Darfur it focuses on stabilising the situation, supporting the police, helping to build rule of law institutions, mediating intercommunal conflict, and following up on security sector reform-related issues. Phase one of the missions reconfiguration, to be completed before 1 January 2018, includes the closure of 11 team sites and a reduction of military personnel strength from 15,845 to 11,395 and police personnel strength from 3,403 to 2,888. All 11 team sites were closed as of 21 October, while discussions with the government over the establishment of a temporary operating base in Golo, Central Darfur for the Jebel Marra Task Force are ongoing.

Existing groups of internally displaced persons (IDPs) continue to require significant protection and humanitarian assistance. There are an estimated 2.3 million vulnerable IDPs who need humanitarian assistance across Sudan, including 2.1 million in Darfur and about 240,000 in Blue Nile, South and West Kordofan states, according to OCHA. While over 13,000 IDPs in West Darfur recently returned to their homes, the reported occupation of villages and land by armed militia previously associated with government forces, particularly in Jebel Marra, and general lawlessness remain an impediment to the return of IDPs. On 22 September, government forces reportedly clashed with IDPs residing at Kalma camp, South Darfur, leading to the death of at least three IDPs and injuries to some 26 others.

The political process continues to falter. Efforts by the AU High-level Implementation Panel for a cessation-of-hostilities agreement and the resumption of direct negotiations towards an inclusive peace agreement have so far remained inconclusive. The role of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), adopted in 2011, remains contentious, with the government of Sudan insisting on using the DDPD as the basis for talks and rebel groups requesting further discussion of the DDPDs provisions.

The Council was last briefed on UNAMID on 14 September, by Joint Special Representative for UNAMID Jeremiah Mamabolo, who said that cooperation with the government has noticeably improved in relation to humanitarian access and restrictions on UNAMIDs movements. There is an urgent need for the government, with the support of the international community, to find sustainable solutions that would enable the IDPs to return to their homes voluntarily, he said, adding that the cooperation of the government on the reconfiguration of UNAMID, particularly the establishment of a temporary operating base in Golo, is a matter of priority.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 27 September, the Human Rights Council (HRC) held an interactive dialogue with the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Sudan, Aristide Nononsi, and considered his report (A/HRC/36/63). The report found incidents of harassment, arrest, torture and prolonged detention of civil society actors by National Security Service officers. In the Darfur, Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile regions, the report found that despite a decline in military operations, the prevalence of armed groups, including government-backed militias and other armed actors, continued to pose a serious threat to the protection of civilians and human rights. On 29 September, the HRC adopted a resolution, without a vote, that renewed the mandate of the Independent Expert for a period of one year and requested the Independent Expert to present a report at the HRCs 39th session (A/HRC/RES/36/26).

In a 9 October press statement, the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, Idriss Jazairy, praised the decision of the US to lift sanctions on Sudan, which have had a major effect on vulnerable population groups, he said, adding that the move opens new perspectives for progress in Sudan and for the reduction of poverty in line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

Key Issues and Options

A key issue that Council members will want to follow closely is the effect of the troop reduction on the security situation.

Another key issue is to support efforts to break the ongoing impasse in the negotiations between the government and Darfuri rebel movements, leading to a durable cessation of hostilities and a final settlement. One option is to invite Thabo Mbeki, chair of the AU High-Level Implementation Panel, to address the Council on his efforts to reinvigorate the negotiations between the government and rebel groups.

The Council may also need to tackle the underlying causes of the conflict and how to promote intercommunal reconciliation, given the high levels of intercommunal fighting in Darfur. An option could be to request Mamabolo to brief on the issue.

Council Dynamics

In a departure from previous years, and within a context of longstanding divisions in the Council regarding Darfur, improvements in stability in many parts of the region have created an opportunity for apparent unity amongst Council members on certain issues. These include recognising improvements in the overall security situation and the governments efforts to improve humanitarian access and agreeing on troop reductions. Traditionally, some Council members, notably China and Russia, have tended to emphasise the importance of upholding the sovereignty of Sudan and improvements in the security situation in Darfur. Other members of the Council, such as France, Italy, Sweden, the UK, Ukraine, Uruguay and the US, have been critical of the government for committing human rights violations, restricting the operations of UNAMID, and fostering a culture of impunity. While concerns remain, a number of these states have expressed the view that the government is making an effort to improve humanitarian access to the region and have welcomed reduced violence in Darfur.

On 12 October, longstanding US economic sanctions against Sudan were lifted in recognition of the government of Sudans sustained positive actions to maintain a cessation of hostilities in conflict areas in Sudan, improve humanitarian access throughout Sudan, and maintain cooperation with the US on addressing regional conflicts and the threat of terrorism, according to the US Department of State.

The UK is the penholder on Darfur; Ukraine chairs the Sudan Sanctions Committee.

UN Documents on Darfur

This was a resolution renewing the mandate of UNAMID for an additional year. This was the Secretary-Generals assessment of the status of implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur. This was the 60-day report of the Secretary-General on UNAMID. This was a briefing by the Joint Special Representative for UNAMID, Jeremiah Mamabolo, on the Secretary-Generals latest report on UNAMID. This was a letter from the government of Sudan conveying its decision to extend the unilateral ceasefire until 31 December 2017.
AFRICA

Sudan/South Sudan

Expected Council Action

In November, the Council is expected to renew the mandate of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) prior to its 15 November expiration.

Key Recent Developments

The security situation in Abyei, the disputed territory along the Sudan/South Sudan border, remains relatively stable in the absence of progress on the implementation of the 20 June 2011 agreement, which established temporary arrangements for the administration and security of Abyei pending resolution of its status. Against this backdrop of political paralysis and persisting intercommunal violence, criminality, and the presence of armed groups, UNISFA continues to maintain law and order and a measure of stability in Abyei.

Sudan and South Sudan continue to disagree on the way forward to settle the Abyei question. In particular, they have conflicting positions on the establishment and composition of the institutions called for in the 2011 agreement (the Abyei Area Administration, the Abyei Area Council and the Abyei Police Service), which have yet to be established. Sudan continues to insist that establishment of these joint institutions is the only way forward, but South Sudan disagrees on the need for the institutions, citing that the timelines to establish them have passed.

The Joint Border and Verification Monitoring Mechanism (JBVMM), established by a 2011 agreement to conduct monitoring and verification activities along the border, remains at initial operating capability with only two of the four sector headquarters in operation. No significant recent progress towards its implementation has been made. The Secretary-General wrote to the Chairperson of the AU Commission on 13 September, expressing concern over the lack of tangible progress in the implementation of the various commitments made by the parties, in particular the full operationalisation of the JBVMM. Despite the lack of progress, both countries and the AU view the JBVMM as essential. Sudan and South Sudan jointly wrote to the Security Council on 23 September, to request the continued support of the UN for the JBVMM. On 23 October, the Chairperson of the AU Commission sent a similar request to the Secretary-General.

The Abyei Joint Oversight Committee (AJOC) has not met since May. South Sudan postponed meetings, organised by the AU in Addis Ababa, of the AJOC and of the Ngok Dinka and Misseriya traditional leaders that were scheduled to take place in August. It argued that those meetings should occur after the presidents of South Sudan and Sudan had met. At press time, the presidents were scheduled to meet in Khartoum on 1 November.

On 15 May, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2352, renewing the mandate of UNISFA until 15 November while warning that support would be withdrawn unless Sudan and South Sudan complied fully with their obligations. In particular, the resolution decided that the extension of support for the JBVMM would be the final such extension unless both parties demonstrate through their actions clear commitment and steadfast guarantees for implementation of the JBVMM.

Council members were briefed on the issue on 26 October, by Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions Alexander Zuev and Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan Nicholas Haysom. In a break with previous practice, the briefing took place in the Council chamber instead of in consultations. Both briefers stressed UNISFAs stabilising role. Haysom added that this should inform any decision regarding Abyei and the JBVMM, while Zuev recommended UNISFAs mandate be extended for another six months.

Key Issues and Options

The key issue for the Council is whether to renew the mandate of UNISFA in its current format for an additional six months as recommended by the Secretary-General.

An option for the Council is to renew the mandate of UNISFA for six months following the recommendation of the Secretary-General. Another option is to renew the mandate for a shorter period, as has previously been done, as a means of putting pressure on Sudan and South Sudan to address the current lack of progress towards a political solution. A further option is to modify the mandate to suspend the missions support for the JBVMM, based on the delays and stalled efforts by the parties to fully operationalise the JBVMM, as set out in resolution 2352.

A related issue is whether the Council should take steps to advance the stalled political process to avoid the missions presence having to be extended indefinitely. In considering these issues, Council members will need to reflect on how the Council can best support the AU and Haysom in resuscitating the dialogue between Sudan and South Sudan on the status of Abyei.

An option is for the Council to continue holding briefings on Abyei in the Council chamber as a means of increasing international attention to the status of Abyei and adding pressure on Sudan and South Sudan to advance the political process. In addition to Haysom, the Council could also invite Thabo Mbeki, head of the AU High-Level Implementation Panel, to brief.

Council Dynamics

Negotiations on the renewal of UNISFAs mandate in May revealed a divide in the Council between the US and Ethiopia, UNISFAs primary troop-contributing country, on the current mandate and troop ceiling for the mission. The initial draft resolution circulated by the US proposed a suspension of the missions role in supporting the JBVMM and a reduction in the troop ceiling from 5,329 to 4,170. The US appears to have been concerned that UNISFA is persisting longer than intended for an interim force, and that Sudan and South Sudan are taking advantage of the relative stability that UNISFA provides to delay attempts to resolve the status of Abyei. During the May negotiations, Ethiopia, supported by a number of other Council members, argued that a reduction in the troop ceiling would undermine the effectiveness of the mission. Ultimately, the resolution adopted set the troop ceiling at 4,791 and maintained support for the JBVMM. This difference in perspective is likely to be reflected again in the upcoming mandate renewal.

The Councils focus on Abyei has been limited in recent years, largely overshadowed by its ongoing engagement on South Sudan and, to a lesser extent, on Darfur. However, the renewal of UNISFAs mandate in November presents an opportunity for Council members to direct renewed attention to the issue.

The US is the penholder on Abyei.

UN Documents on Sudan/South Sudan

This was a resolution that extended UNISFAs mandate until 15 November 2017. Report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Abyei. This was a briefing by Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions Alexander Zuev and Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan Nicholas Haysom on Sudan/South Sudan.
MIDDLE EAST

Syria

Expected Council Action

In November, Council members expect to receive the monthly briefings on political and humanitarian developments in Syria.

Regarding chemical weapons, Council members are expected to consider the final report of the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the UN on the Khan Shaykhun and Um Housh attacks, as well as the renewal of the JIM, which expires on 17 November.

Key Recent Developments

On 24 October, Russia cast its ninth veto on Syria on a US draft resolution renewing the mandate of the OPCW-UN JIM for another year. In August, the US had announced its intention to have an early renewal of the JIM to delink it from the conclusions of the JIMs report on two separate attacks (Um Housh on 16 September 2016 and Khan Shaykhun on 4 April), expected on 26 October. Russia had repeatedly expressed strong reservations about the methodology employed by both the OPCWs fact-finding mission (mandated to determine whether chemical weapons were used) and the JIM, and argued that a vote should not occur before the release of the report. In a non-paper annexed to a 6 October letter to the Secretary-General, Russia maintained that the crater resulting from the explosion that released chemical weapons at Khan Shaykhun was consistent with an improvised explosive device and not with aerial bombardment.

Before the vote, Russia proposed postponing the meeting until 7 November under rule 33(3) of the provisional rules of procedure. A procedural vote was held, but Russias proposal was supported by only Bolivia, China and Kazakhstan, hence failing to gain the nine votes required for adoption (Egypt, Ethiopia and Senegal abstained, and eight Council members voted against).

The draft resolution that would renew the JIM mandate for one year garnered 11 affirmative votes, with Bolivia and Russia voting against and China and Kazakhstan abstaining. This was the third time that China abstained on a Syria resolution vetoed by Russia; it has vetoed six other drafts jointly with Russia.

In response to a question during consultations on 4 October, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu confirmed the utility of an early renewal to ensure continuity in the JIMs capacity to deliver on its mandate. The uncertainty regarding the JIMs future during the negotiations of the mandate renewal in 2016 created difficulties in the planning and hiring of staff, which disrupted the JIMs work for several months. On 26 October, the JIM stated that it was confident that the Syrian government was responsible for the release of sarin in Khan Shaykhun.

Efforts continue to enforce de-escalation areas in Syria. As of press time, four areas had been established (in Idlib, Eastern Ghouta, Homs and in the south-western region) with varying degrees of adherence. Since the newest de-escalation zone was established in Idlib in September, the Turkish army has deployed there with the objective of enforcing the de-escalation and containing the influence of Kurdish militias in northern Syria. Russia has also established two additional de-confliction zones in Afrin and Eastern Qalamoun. Briefing the Council on 27 September, Staffan de Mistura reiterated the widespread consensus among Syrian stakeholders that de-escalation arrangements must not lead to a partition of the country. He stressed that de-escalation should be a precursor to a truly nationwide ceasefire and to action on the humanitarian and confidence-building fronts. He has also repeatedly expressed frustration at the lack of progress on the issue of detainees, abductees and missing persons. At press time, the seventh round of talks in Astana, to which additional countries had been invited to participate as observers, was expected to take place on 30-31 October.

Briefing the Council on 26 October, de Mistura announced that he expected to convene a new round of the intra-Syrian talks on 28 November in Geneva. Different opposition groups (the High Negotiations Committee and the Moscow and Cairo platforms) continue to work on developing common negotiating positions and to explore the possibility of forming a single delegation. De Mistura called upon those with influence on the government to press it to negotiate substantive issues in Geneva.

On 17 October, the Syrian Democratic Forces announced the takeover of Raqqa, the military stronghold of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Counter-terrorism operations by different actors continue in various regions of Syria, including Deir ez-Zor, Hama, Daraa and near Raqqa. According to a 25 October report by the Secretary-General on the humanitarian situation, these operations have led to an increased displacement of civilians.

Briefing the Council on 27 September Mark Lowcock, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, emphasised the longstanding difficulties in ensuring humanitarian access. The difficult security situation, administrative impediments, deliberate restrictions, and the removal of items from convoys continue to hamper the delivery of humanitarian aid, particularly to besieged and hard-to-reach locations. At press time, Lowcock was expected to brief the Council on Syria on 30 October.

Key Issues and Options

More than six years since the start of the war, the essential issue is whether the Council can rise above P5 divisions and exert leadership in efforts to reach a political solution. However, those divisions limit the options at the disposal of Council members.

Although the chemical weapons dossier on Syria was mostly a result of US-Russia cooperation, elected members may be better positioned to bridge the current divide and overcome the increasing politicisation of the file.

The ceasefire and de-escalation initiatives have raised the expectations of many inside and outside Syria. A key priority of the international communitys engagement appears to be to ensure that these expectations are fulfilled and that they improve the living conditions for the 13.5 million civilians in need without promoting a de facto partition of the country. In September, Russia circulated a resolution welcoming the decisions made in Astana, but no further engagement has taken place on the draft. However, Council members could be provided with more information about the implementation of the ceasefire and de-escalation agreements, as well as their limitations, and consider whether the Council has any role to play in supporting the monitoring mechanisms needed to enforce them.

As international efforts against ISIL continue, an important issue is to ensure the coherence of stabilisation initiatives with UN efforts aimed at brokering a political settlement, so as not to create conditions on the ground that undermine those efforts. Some regional and international actors prioritise expediting the return of refugees to Syria. The Council could hold a session to hear directly from refugees and UNHCR, and reaffirm the right of all Syrians to seek asylum and enjoy refugee protection until conditions are conducive for voluntary return in safety and in dignity.

Council and Wider Dynamics

Council divisions have been made apparent once again by the ninth veto on Syria. Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia indicated, when explaining his vote, that Russia was ready to negotiate the JIMs extension after the publication and discussion of the report. He also mentioned the need to address some of the limitations of the JIM, but it is unclear whether Council members will be able to agree on this issue before the mandates expiration on 17 November. (Last year, Russia pushed to give the JIM a broader, regional mandate to monitor and investigate the use of chemical weapons, with an increased focus on non-state actors and terrorist groups.)

In December, the Council is expected to consider renewing the authorisation of UN cross-border delivery of humanitarian aid established initially through resolution 2165 on 14 July 2014. Trans-border supplies will have to be gradually rolled back as humanitarian access expands, Nebenzia said at the 27 September briefing. However, OCHA and most Council members have criticised the recurrent obstacles to humanitarian access and highlighted the vital role that the cross-border authorisation has played in the delivery of humanitarian aid in Syria.

UN DOCUMENTS ON SYRIA

Welcomed efforts by Russia and Turkey to end violence in Syria and jumpstart a political process. Renewed the mandate of the UN-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism for a further year. This was the first resolution focused exclusively on a political solution to the Syrian crisis. It was adopted unanimously. This was a report on the humanitarian situation in Syria. This was a letter from Russia addressed to the Secretary-General expressing concerns about the methodology of the fact-finding mission and the JIM with regard to Khan Shaykhun. This was an OPCW report on progress in the elimination of the Syrian chemical weapons programme. This was the meeting at which Russia vetoed a resolution renewing the JIM, following a procedural vote. UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura briefed the Council on the situation in Syria. This was a draft resolution renewing the JIM that was vetoed by Russia.
Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Statement of Support for the immediate passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL)

Dispatch from Crame No. 190

10/31/17

I am in full support of the President's call for the immediate passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

Based on the briefing which the former Presidential Adviser on Peace Process, Sec. Ging Deles, recently gave me and my staff, the current 2017 version of the draft BBL bears no radical departure from, as it is essentially the same, as the original 2014 version crafted during PNoy's term.

While not a perfect piece of document, the draft BBL represents a huge and monumental first step at addressing, in very concrete terms, the long-standing aspirations of our Muslim brothers and sisters. Their core aspiration is of course genuine autonomy and meaningful self-governance.

In my view, only some tweaking or fine tuning of a few provisions is needed so as to hurdle any constitutional challenge to this special piece of legislative measure.

We cannot afford to miss this yet another big shot at peace and stability in the region. The urgency in actualizing the proposed changes in the governmental, political, fiscal and justice structures for the Bangsamoro people, to supplant the discarded, deficient ARMM set-up, is most felt now, hence, imperative, given the lingering and worsening threats of terrorism and extremism in the area.

Time is indeed running out. I don't see any other option, except chaos and more sufferings for the people, Moros and Christians alike, in the region.
Press Release

October 31, 2017 Statement of Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri on Arvin Balag's Counter Affidavit 'I have only one word to describe Arvin Balag and his counter affidavit . . . . Pathetic.'
Geekologie has shut down.

Thank you to everybody.

Now go be happy.
Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley is hoping the states attorney general can help him get to the bottom of how much the maker of EpiPens overcharged taxpayers.

In a letter dated last Friday, Grassley asked Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller for documents and records related to a recent $1.5 million settlement the state had with Mylan, the Pennsylvania-based drugmaker.

In summer 2016, Mylan gained national attention for the skyrocketing costs of EpiPens, which provide lifesaving allergy injections.

It later was concluded that the drugs were misclassified under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program  a program aimed at offsetting federal and state costs of prescription drugs  which meant that Iowa and other states likely overpaid for EpiPens.

Minnesota estimated that the misclassification may have cost that state more than $4 million in a single year.

Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has lead the investigation into the drugs high costs  which at one point hit more than $600 for a two-pack of the injectors  and what it means for taxpayers. Schools are required to have EpiPens on hand while more than 40 percent of children nationally are insured through Medicaid or the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

In September, Iowa signed onto a $465 million joint federal-multistate settlement with Mylan to resolve allegations that the drugmaker knowingly overcharged states Medicaid programs. Iowas share of the settlement was $1.5 million.

How Mylan came to that number is precisely what Grassley wants to know.

Grassley is asking Millers office to provide records from the settlement and information as to how Miller determined that $1.5 million is an adequate settlement.

The cost of EpiPens hit home for a lot of Iowans, which is why I have written you on several occasions out of concern that Iowa be made whole from the settlement, Grassley wrote.

Grassley has written Miller on multiple occasions throughout the events regarding the price of EpiPens.

That includes a July letter in which he asked Miller what kind of financial compensation would be needed to make Iowa whole from EpiPens misclassification. Miller was unable to provide any solid figures because pricing information is confidential under federal law.

Grassleys latest letter noted the settlement packet sent to Iowa should include the proposed agreement, a preliminary distribution of proceeds from the settlement for each state, and confidential information to explain how the settlement amount was calculated.

In light of that, it would be helpful to the committees investigation to review the documentation your office has been provided, Grassley wrote.

Millers office received the letter on Monday and said it is reviewing it and will then respond to the inquiry. Grassley has asked for a response by Nov. 10.
BARTs new fare inspection program aims to scare scofflaws who sneak a free ride on the system into paying. But chances are most fare cheats wont get caught.

Six community service officers will work as fare inspectors across a system that runs 20 hours daily carrying an average of 420,000 passengers into and out of 46 stations on up to 62 trains.

My gut feeling is that its not enough, but were just starting out, said BART Police Chief Carlos Rojas. Well see what progress we can make. Wed like to get voluntary compliance, but we know there are people who wont pay their fair share.

Fare inspectors likely will work in teams of two. Where and when theyll be deployed hasnt been determined but theyll be required to go from one person to the next in the areas they work, skipping no one and recording every encounter on a body camera. Sworn police officers wont be part of the regular fare inspection squads, Rojas said, though theyll have the authority to act on their own to demand passengers prove theyve paid.

Fare inspections are one piece of BARTs three-part strategy to reduce an out-of-control fare evasion problem estimated to cost the agency $25 million a year. In addition to ticket inspections, BART police are conducting targeted enforcement campaigns at the fare gates of troublesome stations. Officials also are making physical changes to make it more difficult to sneak into stations: building higher barriers, moving elevator access inside gated areas and closing some swinging gates.

Although the board just approved the so-called proof-of-payment system, it had authorized hiring seven employees  six community service officers and a police administrative specialist  to staff the program in its June budget.

The workers will cost the district $740,748 a year. The electronic fare readers theyll use to check Clipper cards and paper tickets, and other equipment, will cost about $50,000.

Critics, including director Debora Allen, question whether BART is getting its moneys worth. She voted for the fare inspections but said she was disappointed that the enforcement strategy didnt have a little more teeth.

Ordinances adopted by the board Thursday call for BART police and community service officers to issue two civil citations  similar to parking tickets  to adult evaders during a rolling 12-month period. Any subsequent citations within that time frame will be considered criminal violations. Youths aged 5 to 17 will receive only civil citations in keeping with a state law that took effect this year.

Initially, the fines will be $75 for adults and $55 for youth. The ordinances, however, allow fines as high as $120 for adults and $60 for minors.

Under California law, community service officers can write the civil citations, but only police officers can write criminal citations, so fare inspectors would need to summon a police officer to ticket a serial offender.

Allen expressed skepticism that the fare inspections would have a significant impact on fare evasion. She speculated that some occasional cheats could be prompted to pay rather than risk a ticket, but chronic fare evaders, its not going to affect them.

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.

She said the money would be better spent on replacing the all-too permeable fare gates with something tougher to sneak through.

Some riders also doubted the cost-effectiveness of the approach.

Randomly questioning or checking riders for proof of payment and fining the evaders seems unlikely, potentially contentious, and, well, ridiculous, wrote Robert OBrien, in an email to The Chronicle. Fining someone $100-200 for evading $40 a week of fares for years  really?

But Rojas said the program is not about cost recovery.

Its really about everyone paying their fair share, he said, so we can make BART as clean and safe as possible.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email:

mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @ctuan
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The scraps of paper from Fred and Susi Hulacs lives came from the sky, floating on the breeze like confetti. There was a crayon drawing, and photos of small children, and a school paper.

And then there were the wedding photos. They landed in a goat pasture about 3 miles west of Coffey Park, the Santa Rosa neighborhood where the Hulacs had lived for 10 years until the Tubbs Fire leveled it early Oct. 9. In the images, a woman in a long white gown with a crown of flowers in her hair gazes into the eyes of her groom. The dark-haired man is sliding a ring onto her finger.

At first, Lauren Bianchi had no idea what to do with them.

She found the photos Oct. 11 while she was walking with her 7-year-old daughter, Natalie, off Piner Road in Santa Rosa. The girl saw them first, scattered in the grass.

Look, its a wedding, Natalie said.

The photos were singed, some glued together with water and ash, others burned nearly beyond recognition. Goats will eat practically anything and the ones in the pasture were getting nearer, so Bianchi took the photos home.

Would love to get this back to the people in the picture, she posted on Facebook. Then she waited.

Farther south, in Petaluma, the Hulacs were moving into a friends studio apartment. Its a temporary accommodation, like the ones many of those who lived in the 2,900 homes destroyed in the Tubbs Fire are having to make.

The night of the fire, when the neighbors started shouting as wind-blown embers flew through Coffey Park  You need to evacuate! This isnt a drill!  Susi Hulac herded the cat into a carrier, grabbed a few of her childrens graduation photos and a snapshot of her parents, and ran to the car. Everything else in the house at Coffey and Mocha lanes was left behind.

Each of us were thinking, We live in a suburb with fire hydrants every three blocks and two fire stations, Fred Hulac said. We packed accordingly. We really thought we would be back. But I guess everyone says that.

The Hulacs, both 65 years old, recently celebrated their 33rd anniversary. A few years ago, Susi Hulac slid every glossy wedding photo they had into an album and put it in storage. It would be safe there, she thought. There were no duplicates.

Exactly how those photos came loose from the album in a guest room closet and took flight as the Hulacs three-bedroom home burned will always be a mystery.

They included a snapshot of the couple at the altar on that bright and breezy spring day in Columbus, Ohio, in 1984. There was a photo of the couple in Susi Hulacs fathers Model T Ford. He collected vintage cars and had let them borrow one to drive from the wedding to the reception. Another shot showed the bridesmaids, Susi Hulacs dearest friends from the 1980s.

We were reconciled that all the pictures were gone in the firestorm, Fred Hulac said. The wind was so strong, and the smoke was so dark and toxic. It was 2 a.m., and we just couldnt think. Of course the photos were gone.

Hes not a regular on Facebook, so it took nearly a day after Bianchi posted the photos for him to hear the news. In the meantime, it had been shared thousands of times.

The first call came from Freds niece in Malaysia, then from the couples daughter in Maryland.

It just popped up on my news feed when I was scrolling through Facebook, said their daughter, Chrystine LaPierre. It was really bittersweet because while the pictures survived, and the moment is still there, the edges are singed. You could see it as a tragedy. Or you could see it as their love surviving.

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The calls kept coming from other people. Photos found of their children, which had to be pried apart with a butter knife. A card their son had made in second grade. Fred Hulacs school paper. They were found all over Santa Rosa.

There have been a total of 17 posts from random strangers within a 3-mile radius of our burnt house, finding pictures in random locations, Susi Hulac said. In the midst of losing everything, but especially those pictures, these represent good memories. Its such a blessing.

The day after Bianchi posted the wedding photos on Facebook, she returned them to the Hulacs in Petaluma. Susi Hulac was crying. Bianchi, who says shes not a big crier, nearly did, too.

Natalie  whom Bianchi considers the real hero of the story  got to come along.

It was cool, Natalie said, in the way that 7-year-olds do.

But its more than that, her mother said.

Its special the way the picture burned, Bianchi said. Its charred around the edges, as if it was always supposed to look like that. Its truly surreal. With all the devastation that has happened, its nice to give something found back to someone who has lost everything.

Lizzie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LizzieJohnsonnn
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Days after its former campus on Mission Street was demolished and a year after it relocated to North Beach, Goodwill Industries is on the move again.

The nonprofit organization has paid $8.3 million for 750 Post St., a 25,000-square-foot building on the northern edge of the Tenderloin. The facility, a three-story, 1914 Spanish revival structure mid-block between Leavenworth and Jones streets, will house Goodwills administrative offices, a 6,000-square-foot retail store and a training center. The building most recently housed an art gallery.

I believe we need to be closer to both the people we serve and the organizations we partner with, Goodwill CEO William Rogers said. For Goodwill, its coming home. Its coming back to where we belong.

Goodwill plans to sell its current home at 295 Bay St., which it bought in March 2015 for $16 million. The organization moved into the Bay Street building, which also has a small store, a year ago.

The organization hopes to open a store at the new location next spring, followed by its offices later in 2018.

News of the building acquisition caps a confusing series of moves for the San Francisco chapter of the national organization, which started locally in 1916 at 16th and Mission streets.

For decades, Goodwill had a sprawling campus at 1500-1580 Mission St. at the corner of South Van Ness Avenue that included a store, donation site, truck yard, warehouse and workforce development center.

In 2014, Goodwill sold the 2.5-acre property for $65 million to Related California. That company is developing a 39-story apartment tower and a 16-story office tower, which will be owned by the city and house the Department of Public Works along with the Planning Department and Department of Building Inspection.

Paul Chinn/The Chronicle

The Mission Street building was knocked down over the weekend, prompting a series of critical Tweets from residents who claimed the transformation of the block, and the departure of Goodwill, symbolized the gentrification transforming much of the city.

Rogers, who took over as CEO in September 2016, stopped short of criticizing the sale of the Mission Street campus, but made it clear he wants Goodwills various businesses to be located in neighborhoods where we have the most impact.

Its hard for me to speak to why the decision was made, but we are where we are. Im looking forward, he said. I have no qualms selling that (Bay Street) building and getting us back on the track I think we need to be on. Im a big believer that if things are not as we want them to be, we have to move very quickly to change them.

In addition to the 750 Post St. building, Goodwill is looking to purchase a warehouse, possibly in the Bayview.

Goodwill Industries, which covers San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo counties, has 605 employees, including 200 retail workers in 19 stores, 160 warehouse workers, 50 in transportation and 50 in workforce training, plus others.

Rogers said the real estate moves are aimed at improving and expanding Goodwills mission of training a workforce that has been left out of the economic boom that has made the Bay Area among the most expensive places to live in the United States. Those people include nonviolent felons, addicts in recovery, non-English speakers and those who lack training in the various technologies that are part of nearly all workplace environments.

Every job has tech embedded in it. To pretend that people dont need technological skills is crazy, Rogers said. We have an obligation and responsibility to help people catch up so they can be part of the wave of new jobs coming forward.

The new headquarters will include a Goodwill University, where employees get training in areas including technology, retail, facilities management and warehousing.

Goodwill also recently leased 7,000 square feet in South of Market at 99 Kissling St. at 11th Street, where a training center has been established. Graduates of Goodwills training programs either stay with the nonprofit or land jobs with groups such as Amazon, Mollie Stones, and Crate & Barrel.

Rogers said the search for property was competitive. The building at 750 Post St. was marketed as a site that could be redeveloped into an 80-foot-tall mid-rise with 70 housing units.

Chris Blazer, a 28-year-old Goodwill tech specialist who has been with the organization for about five years, said the move back toward the heart of the city makes sense. Blazer, who grew up in the Fillmore, was just out of jail when he went through a Goodwill jobs readiness program. Now, he helps install and maintain Goodwills tech platforms, from work stations to retail payment systems.

The Tenderloin makes a lot of sense when you consider the demographic we serve, he said. We kind of moved away from that when we went to North Beach, although there are people here who need our help, too.

Deborah Bouck, Goodwills vice president of marketing, said its been painful to hear criticism that has come with the razing of the iconic building at Mission and South Van Ness.

Its important that people know that we havent left  the need for our services is greater than ever, she said.

Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corp. President Don Falk said he is hopeful the move into the Tenderloin will create job opportunities for the low-income residents who live in the apartments his group manages.

Im enthused about the prospect of Goodwills coming to the edge of the Tenderloin both because of the lower-cost retail goods that will be more readily available to residents and because of the proximity of employment training and opportunities, he said.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @sfjkdineen
Investors who purchase residential hotels in San Francisco would have one year to install automatic sprinkler systems in ground-floor retail and basement spaces, under new legislation by Supervisor Aaron Peskin designed to curtail a rash of fires that have displaced low-income tenants living in those SROs.

Peskin, who represents Chinatown, home to a large number of single room occupancy hotels, said the legislation would close a loophole in a 2001 ordinance that required sprinklers in the residential portion of these buildings but not the commercial areas.

Though Peskin said he eventually would like to expand the ordinance to cover all of the citys 300 SROs, he decided to start with a measured bill that would kick in when a residential hotel is sold or transferred. Upwards of 10 percent of SROs have been selling per year recently, as some speculators seek to replace low-income residents with younger tech workers and students who can afford higher rents.

These buildings are selling for tens of millions of dollars  this is the exact time to require it, upon the sale or transfer, said Peskin. This is something that buyers need to understand when the are assessing the value of the property. Whether its a $50,000 job or a quarter-of-a-million-dollar job, the prospective purchaser needs to understand that should be part of their evaluation of the value of the building,

The law would apply to about 300 residential hotels with 19,000 rooms, mostly concentrated in Chinatown, the Tenderloin, the Mission and South of Market.

Several SRO fires in the past two years have started in commercial parts of the buildings, including a blaze at 801 Pacific Ave. that displaced 19 older adults and nine ground-floor small businesses.

Sonui Tung, an 88-year-old woman who had lived at 801 Pacific Ave. for 30 years, said a sprinkler system in the ground-floor spaces might have saved her home.

We didnt know it was on fire until it was too late and we saw the smoke, because there were no sprinkler systems in the basement, Tung said through an interpreter. Its been many, many months since the fire, and we still have not been able to go back home.

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.

Rosemary Bosque, the citys chief housing inspector, said the legislation would send a strong and necessary message that all prospective buyers of SROs understand how fragile these buildings are and that they are very vulnerable to fire.

The fire department has been telling us since 2001 that if a fire starts in the commercial part of the building it could overwhelm the sprinkler system in the rest of the building, she said.

The ordinance was before the Board of Supervisors Land Use and Transportation Committee on Monday but was held over to late November due to minor technical issues in the language that needed to be changed.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com
Four California legislators on Monday said they plan to introduce a bill that would bar electric utilities from passing on to their customers the costs of wildfires caused by the companies negligence.

The move comes as investigators are exploring whether Pacific Gas and Electric Co. power lines played a role in starting this months Wine Country wildfires, which killed at least 43 people. And San Diego Gas and Electric Co. has asked state regulators for permission to make its customers pay some of the costs of settling lawsuits triggered by a deadly series of fires in 2007.

This practice is an outrage, state Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, said in a news release. Victims of devastating fires and other customers should not be forced to pay for the mistakes made by utilities. Its time to stop allowing utilities to push the burden of their negligence onto the backs of customers.

In response, PG&E issued a statement that did not directly address the proposed legislation itself but called dealing with wildfires a statewide safety issue.

To be clear, the investigations into these fires are still ongoing and we are cooperating with the (California Public Utilities Commission) and Cal Fires reviews, PG&E spokesman Keith Stephens said in a statement. While we all want answers, we must address these climate-driven natural disasters and come together to find solutions that protect our infrastructure and keep our communities and customers safe.

Hill and three other legislators  Democratic state Sens. Mike McGuire of Healdsburg and Scott Wiener of San Francisco and Assemblyman Marc Levine, D-San Rafael  said they plan to introduce the legislation in January.

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.

With the bills language still under development, it remains unclear whether it will also prohibit utility companies from making customers pay the costs of wildfires that were sparked by the equipment but were not the result of poor maintenance or other forms of negligence. Under a legal concept called inverse condemnation, utilities can be made to pay damages for wildfires linked to their equipment even if they followed all the applicable safety regulations.

SDG&E wants to pass on to its customers $379 million of the $2.4 billion in settlements that the company paid after three massive fires in 2007. PG&E and Southern California Edison support SDG&Es position.

PG&E this summer also asked the California Public Utilities Commission for permission to create an account to track the companys lawsuit costs from the 2015 Butte Fire. If the commission allows PG&E to create that account, the company could later ask for permission to incorporate some of those costs into its electric rates.

David R. Baker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dbaker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @DavidBakerSF
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With last weeks heat wave done and gone, replaced by cooler temperatures and rain in the forecast for later this week, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is making the winter rainy season a top-of-mind issue.

Last week, the agency vastly expanded a grant program that reimburses flood victims who want to install improvements like doorway seals, flood gates or plumbing upgrades to lessen or prevent future flood damage from rainstorms. The move served as a prelude to the kickoff Tuesday of the PUCs RainReadySF initiative, an annual campaign to get out the word about preparing for floods.

The PUC also is working with other city departments to build additional flood-resilience measures into San Franciscos planning and design codes.

In recent years, the PUCs annual rain-readiness program has taken on a new sense of urgency as the city focuses on mitigating the effects of climate change. Sea level rise and the persistent threat of stronger winter storms, like the ones last season, make San Franciscos aged sewer system particularly vulnerable to flooding. Unlike other coastal cities in the state, San Franciscos sewers collect and treat wastewater and storm runoff in the same system, which means the system can be strained during periods of sustained heavy rainfall.

The PUC has a number of major infrastructure upgrades planned through 2032, including extensive renovations of the citys water treatment plants, and replacement of sewer pipes. But the rain-readiness campaign is aimed at closing the gap between the citys efforts to mitigate flooding and what individual home and business owners can do, said PUC General Manager Harlan Kelly Jr.

Its a partnership, he said. Its about the entire city being rain-ready.

The PUC had set aside $250,000 each year for the flood grant program since it began in 2013. But last Tuesday, the commission increased that amount to $1.75 million for this fiscal year. The agency expects to bump that up to $2 million a year beginning in 2018. So far this year, the PUC has awarded $140,000 to property owners through the grant program, with an additional $125,000 likely to be disbursed after improvement projects are completed.

To date, the PUC has offered to reimburse property owners for up to $30,000 worth of qualifying flood repair jobs, but Kelly said the agency is considering raising that cap, possibly to as high as $100,000 per property.

Stephen Lam/Special to The Chronicle

Nancy Hayes knew her office in a low-lying area of the Mission District was prone to flooding, but she was still caught off guard by the torrent of rain that fell during a December 2014 storm that drenched the Bay Area.

I knew this was a flood area, but we just werent paying attention, she said. We got to the office and there was maybe 2 inches of water everywhere. She estimated she suffered about $35,000 in damage. We had to get rid of everything, she said.

Not long afterward, Hayes applied for PUC reimbursement for a $9,000 floodgate she had installed in front of her garage door.

Im glad I did it, she said.

Stefani Harrison, a PUC project manager, said plans are under way to expand the program, including by adding to the list of flood-prevention projects that qualify for reimbursement. Currently, the PUC reimburses property owners only for specific plumbing upgrades, doorway barriers and other types of water gates. Additions to the eligible project list could come by early next year, Harrison said, noting that the PUC will soon propose a range of projects, like installing garage door seals, water-tight windows and driveway bumps, that can help keep water from flowing onto private property from sidewalks. She said the agency is also working to ease the process of applying for a flood grant, starting with curating a list of qualified designers and contractors.

The more options people have in terms of choosing how to do deal with (flooding) the better, said Supervisor Hillary Ronen, who represents the Mission District, portions of which are especially vulnerable to flooding each year because of Mission Creek, which runs underground.

Kelly said the PUC is also working with the city administrators office, the Department of Building Inspection and the City Planning Department to develop an official San Francisco flood map to define the citys most at-risk areas. Kelly said the map will be used to keep property owners better informed about which parts of the city are prone to flooding.

We hear many stories like, I bought this property, but I didnt know I was in a flood area, Kelly said. We want folks to know if theyre in the flood zone or not.

By outlining flood zone contours, the map will also help the city better enforce existing flood-prevention codes, Kelly said, and inform the citys efforts to develop new construction standards in flood areas. In the future, new construction or major remodeling projects in known flood zones may have to abide by additional rules aimed at making structures more flood resilient.

New construction, for example, would have flood-proof standards built into the building code, Harrison said.

Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dominicfracassa

Floodwater grants

Information: To learn more, go to: http://bit.ly/2ygJQw5

Contact: Reach the SFPUC about the program at (415) 695-7326 or FloodwaterGrants@sfwater.org.
It may be the most famous coming out letter ever written. Dear Mama, begins the missive from Michael Mouse Tolliver, the gay hero of Armistead Maupins nine-volume San Francisco novel sequence, Tales of the City. The letter goes on to recount the price of staying silent  revulsion, shame and the fear of revealing something as basic to my nature as the color of my eyes  and the limitless possibilities of living that emerge when the closet door opens.

A touchstone of liberation for untold numbers of readers when it was first published in The Chronicles serialized Tales 40 years ago, Michaels letter home has gone on renewing itself over the years. It was dramatized in the 1993 PBS Tales of the City miniseries, set to music as both an oratorio-style song and a musical theater number and passionately read aloud to audiences by the actor Ian McKellen among many others.

Now, as one of the most cherished writers in San Francisco history delves into his own life in a searchingly confessional new memoir and documentary film, Maupins Dear Mama letter takes on a deeply personal new resonance. Knowing that his own North Carolina parents would recognize the fictional letter as a real one addressed to them, the author recounts in his just-published memoir, Logical Family, Maupin waited weeks for a response. When it finally came, his father tersely scolded his son for upsetting his mother, who was dying of cancer. There wasnt a word about the wrenching content of the letter.

Both in Logical Family and director Jennifer Kroots The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin, the personal excavations run deep. Maupin reflects on growing up in a conservative household in Raleigh, N.C.; discusses his own fumbling, late-to-the-party first sexual experiences; recalls his stint in the Navy in Vietnam; grapples with the family legacy of a grandfathers suicide; and recalls the winding journalistic path, from Charleston, S.C., to Marin Countys Pacific Sun to his career-forging years at The Chronicle.

Well-told anecdotes, some already known and some new to even committed Maupinites, pepper the story. Maupin once worked for Jesse Helms. He shook hands at the White House with Richard Nixon, who joked with him about the pretty girls in Southeast Asia. He was a friend and then some of Rock Hudson and took heat for the role he played in outing the Hollywood sex symbol as a gay man. In 1993, Maupin made a speech about AIDS heroes to 50,000 people in Yankee Stadium.

Maupin, as he told an audience at the Roxie Theatre after a recent screening of Untold Tales, was in New York on Sept. 11, 2001. He opened the curtains on his downtown hotel windows and watched the first plane and then the second hit the World Trade Center towers. Pausing for a moment, he referenced the Woody Allen movie about a man who keeps popping up at historic events: Ive always had a kind of Zeligy existence.

At 73, Maupin has arrived at a certain retrospective perch in his life. Sporting suspenders over a plaid shirt and tucked into the corner of a couch in the snug front living room of the Castro District flat he shares with his husband, photographer Christopher Turner, and their room-filling gray Labradoodle, Philo, the writer was by turns droll, nostalgic and bracingly blunt.

Asked about the neighborhood where he has spent much of his adult life, Maupin replied, I think the Castro is more interesting today with straight couples with strollers and gay couples with strollers, and the occasional lonely old dude cruising somebody. Thats a lot more fun than the rows of denim legs youd see on Castro Street for years. As for the citys long tradition of bohemianism, he had a sure-fire image ready: There are still people making an effort, but it often involves flying in a frozen lobster from Maine to your Burning Man camp.

Maupin, who is kind and self-deprecating yet doesnt suffer fools lightly, according to his longtime friend Judd Winick, never forgets where people stood or stand on the issues.

The equivocation of certain liberals has driven me crazy for years, said Maupin, recalling Dianne Feinsteins too much too soon response to then-Mayor Gavin Newsoms 2004 same-sex marriage action and President Clintons atrociously named dont ask, dont tell policy.

While his home state of North Carolina has been a proving ground for social conservatism, with its ill-fated bathroom bill and other measures, Maupin takes a long-lens view of Trump times.

The rights of LGBT people are taken away and put back and taken away again, he said. Its like being a long-tailed cat in a roomful of rocking chairs. Were used to expecting the worst from the fundamentalist South. They know how to conceal the ugliest parts of their beliefs in order to be accepted. I think thats why they latched onto this guy (Trump) because Dammit, he says whats on his mind. They took the lowest bones he threw them and ran with it.

For close friends David Sheff and his wife, Karen Barbour, Maupin was the natural choice to be godfather to the couples three children, one of whom tellingly misconstrued the name Armistead as Honest Ed. Said Sheff, Maupin modeled the values we hope our kids would learn: kindness, acceptance, political consciousness and unconditional love.

Hes a wonderful sweet man and a big romantic, said Turner, Maupins partner of 13 years, husband of 10 and 28 years his junior. Its the only relationship Ive never questioned for a moment.

When Tales of the City caught fire, as Maupin said he had a premonition it would, other offers followed. He spent three months in Los Angeles researching a never-to-be serial (working title: Matinee Idylls) set there and in San Francisco. Maupin tends to see the bright side of any situation. He lived at the Chateau Marmont, breakfasted at Schwabs and eyed Richard Gere sunning himself at the hotel pool in a lime-green Speedo. It doesnt get any better than that, said Maupin with a Cheshire cat grin.

The final volume of Tales, The Days of Anna Madrigal, was published in 2014. But if a planned Netflix series goes forward, the story hasnt ended. Set in the present day, the eight- to 10-part Tales will feature miniseries stars Olympia Dukakis as the now 90-year-old Anna and Laura Linney as a 53-year-old Mary Ann Singleton returning to San Francisco with what Maupin teases as a big secret she needs to share with someone.

As executive producer, Maupin is not the primary writer of the new show. But hes got a keen eye trained on the 2017 details and values he wants to see represented. They include much more racial diversity than the original, a trans character played by a trans actor and references to a tech-transformed city. Living back at 28 Barbary Lane on Russian Hill, said Maupin, Mrs. Madrigal is now sitting on some very valuable real estate that was just a charming place to live back in the 1970s.

Maupin may have turned his gaze backward in Logical Family and the Untold Tales film. But hes fully engaged in the here-and-now and whats to come.

I never want to be the grumpy old guy who says things were so much better when I was younger. San Francisco is a great place to be right now. And Ill feel even better when Mark Leno is our mayor.

As for another sign of the times, Maupin noted that Mission Street at night looks like the Marina used to look like at night. I find that a little disturbing, he said, then broke into one of his ebullient laughs. But I do love eating in the Mission now. Theres one great place after another.

Steven Winn is The Chronicles former arts and culture critic.
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The North Bay fires have destroyed an irreplaceable part of the early history of the Silicon Valley.

More than 100 boxes containing letters and other documents from Hewlett-Packard founders William Hewlett and David Packard were incinerated when the Tubbs Fire tore through one building on the campus of Keysight Technologies headquarters in Santa Rosa.

Corporate historians say the loss goes far beyond the estimated $2 million value of the collection. Thats because it contained thousands of pages of history documenting the firsthand thoughts and strategies of the two tech pioneers who formed the electronics company in Palo Alto.

Its heartbreaking, said Karen Lewis, a former HP archivist who pored through each of those boxes in the 1980s, cataloging each document to help preserve that rich record for future researchers and historians.

I am disappointed and Im angry, Lewis said Monday. Im more angry than sad because it could have easily been prevented.

Now Playing: Johnbee Buencamino went on a skateboard ride through Coffey Park in Santa Rosa on Saturday, October 7, before the Tubbs Fire hit. Two days later, the neighborhood was devastated. Video: Johnbee Buencamino

The boxes were stored in one of two modular buildings at Keysights Fountaingrove headquarters, which burned in the Tubbs Fire.

Keysight was the original testing and measurement business founded by Hewlett and Packard in 1939. In 1999, Hewlett-Packard spun it off into Agilent Technologies, which then spun off Keysight in 2013.

The lost archive doesnt represent all of HPs legacy. A spokeswoman for HP Inc. said other documents are stored elsewhere, and theres still the original Palo Alto garage, now a museum, where the company was born.

Reports that HP founder archives burned are misleading, HP spokeswoman Dana Lengkeek said in an email. HP archives elsewhere include speeches and personal correspondence from HPs founders, she said, and public collections hold other documents (Stanford has the William Hewlett papers).

Keysights visitors center still has early products, like an early oscillator, Lewis said.

However, documents tied to the companys early history of electronics testing products over the years shifted from HP to Agilent and then Keysight.

Lewis said the archive included papers that documented:

Hewlett and Packard planning for the establishment of a West Coast electronics trade group, which later became the American Electronics Association, to raise their visibility in Washington, D.C.

Notes for creating Stanford Industrial Park, which in 1951 became the first collaboration between tech companies and a university.

Hewlett asking engineers if they could create a calculator that could fit in his shirt pocket, which in 1972 became the HP-35, the companys first direct-to-consumer product.

The evolution of HPs first joint venture with the Peoples Republic of China.

Ideas for an open office floor plan to encourage creativity and exchange among employees, a model that became standard throughout the valley.

The boxes were originally stored in an HP vault protected against ultraviolet light and with fire-extinguishing equipment. Digitizing the archives would have been an expensive and laborious operation, since some of the documents were on thin, fragile carbon paper, Lewis said.

Of the companies involved in the archive over the years, none of them saw fit to come up with the money to digitize them, Lewis said. They had other things to spend money on.

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She said she had lobbied for the archive to be donated to Stanford University Libraries, as Apple Computer did with its historical documents in 1997.

Instead, the boxes found their way to Keysight and were stored on metal shelving in archival-quality folders inside damage-resistant archival boxes in a secure building with a sprinkler system, said Keysight spokesman Jeff Weber in an email.

The company met and exceeded the strictest standards for archival protection, according to U.N. and Library of Congress guidelines, Weber said. He said the burned buildings are still red-tagged, so it hasnt been possible yet to get close to see whether any documents survived.

It took the most damaging fire in state history to thwart the appropriate and responsible steps we took to protect our company archives, he said. The heat from the Tubbs Fire was so intense that many fire-resistant safes were melted and destroyed in this unprecedented firestorm.

He also said other historic products, product catalogs, manuals, research collections and other correspondence by Packard survive because they were housed at other Keysight locations.

But Lewis said Keysight could have done more to protect the collection.

Its such a loss for business, and the technological history of the Silicon Valley, for the Bay Area, she said. This was a fabulous collection.

Bruce H. Bruemmer, former archivist with the Charles Babbage Institute for the history of computing at the University of Minnesota, said in an email that while the collection wasnt as robust as other early tech collections, Hewlett and Packard were the Edison and Bell of their time. We have some archives from the likes of Xerox, Control Data, Burroughs and many others, but historians of science, technology and entrepreneurship cannot afford a loss as big as this.

Benny Evangelista is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: bevangelista@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChronicleBenny
The bullet that killed Kate Steinle skipped off the concrete of San Franciscos Pier 14 before striking her in the back, jurors were told Monday, but what that means is a crucial point of contention between city prosecutors trying to prove murder and defense attorneys who say the infamous 2015 shooting was an accident.

Assistant District Attorney Diana Garcia introduced the ricochet evidence on the fifth day of the Superior Court trial of 45-year-old Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, a homeless immigrant with a record of drug crimes whose release by San Francisco authorities 2 months before the shooting  despite a federal request to hold him for deportation  ignited a political firestorm.

Steinle had been strolling with her arm around her father when she was shot on July 1, 2015. The prosecution believes Zarate pulled the trigger and fired toward Steinle, an intentional act showing the malice needed for a second-degree murder conviction. But defense attorney Matt Gonzalez said the gun accidentally discharged after his client found it in a T-shirt or cloth under his seat on the pier and unwrapped it.

Into this dispute came city police Inspector John Evans, now retired, who testified Monday that he had returned to Pier 14 four days after the shooting, after investigators determined that the bullet that killed Steinle showed evidence of having struck a hard object.

After ruling out nearby chairs, railings and garbage cans, Evans said, his team went over the concrete surface of the pier and found an indentation about 12 to 15 feet from where Garcia Zarate was believed to have been sitting and about 78 feet from where Steinle had fallen. As part of his investigation, he testified, he worked to see if he could create an unobstructed line connecting the three points.

Given your personal knowledge from the investigation you conducted, any forensic evidence you gathered ... do you have an opinion on how this shot that killed Kate Steinle occurred? Garcia asked Evans.

A human being held a firearm, pointed it in the direction of Ms. Steinle and pulled the trigger, Evans responded. This is the only way this could have occurred that is reasonable.

Evans said inexperienced shooters pressed for time tend to jerk the trigger, pulling it before raising the muzzle to the correct level.

But the scenario is complicated by the fact that no one is sure exactly where and how Garcia Zarate was sitting, according to Evans testimony. There were two chairs in his suspected location, and witnesses said he had been spinning around in a seat just before the shooting.

We dont have a locked point on where the bullet originated from, Evans said.

Evans testified that he could not conduct a trajectory analysis because he did not have two fixed points, something Gonzalez, of the city public defenders office, focused on in his cross-examination. He suggested Evans main concern had been to establish a line unobstructed by another object, not study if it was possible for the bullet to change directions after hitting the concrete, which could support Garcia Zarates claim of an accident.

Evans conceded under questioning by Gonzalez that, even with the forensic evidence, if he did not know what Garcia Zarate was thinking he could not say if the defendant was pointing the gun at the time the bullet discharged.

I dont know whats in anyones mind, Evans said.

Youre guessing, arent you? Gonzalez asked.

No, Evans responded.

Later, Evans testified of the shooting, I cannot say it was an accident.

Or not, Gonzalez said.

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Or not, Evans said.

Thank you, Gonzalez said.

The defense attorney has said he plans to call expert witnesses to testify that the .40-caliber Sig Sauer handgun used in the shooting has a light trigger pull that could possibly be set off if the trigger is caught on something  an assertion that the prosecution has disputed.

The handgun 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.

The Steinle family is suing the Bureau of Land Management in a lawsuit that is pending. Following Steinles death, legislators pushed to tighten requirements for securing weapons, especially in unattended cars, for gun owners and law enforcement officers.

Steinles death sparked critics to push against San Franciscos sanctuary policies. Garcia Zarate had been on track for a sixth deportation when the Sheriffs Department, relying on those policies, released him from jail despite a federal request to hold him for deportation. He had ended up in the city on a transfer from federal custody in March 2015, thanks to old allegations  soon dismissed  that he fled marijuana charges in 1995.

San Francisco has stood by its sanctuary laws, with officials saying they benefit public safety by ensuring that immigrants, including witnesses to crimes, feel comfortable working with authorities. Gov. Jerry Brown this month signed a bill to create a statewide sanctuary policy.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@VivianHo
As a prelude to its Doc Stories film festival, which begins Thursday, Nov. 2, the San Francisco Film Society hosted an advance screening of Errol Morris new Wormwood at the Vogue Theater on Thursday, Oct. 26. A pre-screening reception at Osteria presented an opportunity to speak with him, but I always feel like a bonehead if I havent seen the film first, for which I apologized. You dont want to see the movie, he said. It corrupts everything.

Wormwood, a four-hour-long Netflix movie, is about murder, politics, spies, drugs, warfare, cover-ups, intrigue, a sons love for his father and his obsessive quest to figure out how he died. The father, CIA operative Frank Olson, died in 1953 after falling out a window 13 stories up in a New York hotel. That first story of his death (suicide) was covered up by the second story ... and then there is a third. Its a story about how the government lies to us, said Morris. We should have known that from the beginning. In the aftermath of World War II, said the filmmaker, there arose entire groups of the government devoted to misinformation. Its a story about ... us and where we find ourselves now.

At a Q&A session afterward, reports Ruthe Stein, the Chronicles senior movie correspondent, Morris proclaimed himself lucky anyone was still in the theater. He had said at the reception that the conclusion the movie reaches is about government lying. As to whether the mystery itself is solved, I still dont know what the story is.

You will have noted that Stein (above) stayed for the Q&A. I watched the whole doc, then scurried home for R&R before making my way the next morning to the Berkeleyside-founded Uncharted, the Berkeley Festival Ideas, where by 8:30 a.m., live music by the La Macchia Trio was playing, coffee and pastries from the PIQ Bakery were being served and folks were gathering. The mood of friendly anticipation was that of the first day of school in the gifted and talented class.

First session was Death 101, a conversation between Jessica Zitter and Amy Tobin about how we deal with death; followed by festival co-founder Helena Brantley talking with Mychal Denzel Smith, author of Invisible Man, Got the Whole World Watching, about How do you learn to be a black man in America?

Lets talk about something more uplifting than that, Smith began. Lets talk about racism. Both Brantley and Smith are black (a term they prefer to African American), and she expressed huge admiration for him. But in endeavoring to talk about race, it was as if they were each dancing to a separate rhythm. She was reverent. But I am so burned out, said Smith, sharing views  Barack Obama made it to the Mount Rushmore of black America  as sharp as one-liners. We have to stop looking for saviors.

In similar vein, on Saturday, Oct. 28, the YBCA 100 Summit welcomed and paid homage to artists and thinkers that Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Chief of Program and Pedagogy Marc Bamuthi Joseph referred to as sexy-ass brainiacs. They showed up for Saturdays gathering raring to go. Talks, performances and idea-sharing were based on the operating principle doing and thinking went hand in hand. From the eager response to the session I attended, the strategy worked.

Thats not to say, though, that Americans could be redefined in a few hours, or that a patch be sewn that would connect all communities  rich and poor  to each other through media. It is to say, though, that there were so many sincere thoughts floated, so many questions asked, that it seemed anything was possible.

Jose Antonio Vargas spoke on immigration; Malkia Cyril spoke on media justice/equity. Then they returned to the stage for a discussion, led by MacArthur-winning choreographer and educator Liz Lerman. She was discussing how to blow up the idea of the master narrative when she turned to Cyril for response.

Im just trying to figure out how to sit in this chair, said Cyril. The moderator nodded solemnly, and turned to the audience as though presenting the wisdom gleaned in the moment. Its all in the body, she said, as though how to sit was a metaphor for world change.

I came away thinking about immigration and access to media ... and there was lots more program after I left. But sometimes high-flying rhetoric just needs some down-home kvetching.

Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, (415) 777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @leahgarchik

Public Eavesdropping

Australia got the convicts. America got the Puritans.

British man in line at Coras Kitchen in Santa Monica, overheard by Dan Giesin
MASON CITY | ALDI has announced plans to remodel its grocery store in Mason City.

The company said in a news release Tuesday it will spend $5.8 million to enhance five stores in southeast Minnesota and North Iowa, including Mason City, by 2019. Other stores that will be upgraded are located in Rochester and Austin, Minnesota.

An exact date wasn't disclosed for the remodel of Mason City's store. ALDI didn't say if the store would be closed during renovations.

The new stores will focus on fresh items, including more robust produce, dairy and bakery sections, ALDI said. Remodeled stores will have a more modern design with open ceilings, natural lighting and environmentally-friendly building materials, such as recycled materials, energy-saving refrigeration and LED lighting.

Mason City's store last had an update in 2012, when it closed for about a month for interior and exterior upgrades.

ALDI says it offers premium groceries at prices up to 50 percent less than its competitors, including organics, USDA Choice meats, gluten-free and natural products.

 Ashley Miller
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When Adriano Paganini and his Back of the House crew grabbed the old La Urbana space in August, Paginini at the time said he didnt have a concept in mind to fill the space, but he was confident hed figure it out eventually.

Now that a few months have passed, we have word on what itll be: BarVale, a Spanish tapas restaurant slated to open Dec. 7.

Interestingly enough for a restaurant group that now has 22 locations under its banner  including Flores, Beretta, Delarosa and many more  this is the first Spanish one from the Back of House company.

BarVale will join a bustling neighborhood that has welcomed newcomers like Namu Stonepot and Sightglass this year, and has both Che Fico and Theorita coming down the pike.

Wading through the early details, BarVale fits into the Paganini mold: a narrow menu with relatively low price points.

Aesthetically, the space will have a communal and colorful atmosphere, with inspiration from Barcelona, according to Hannah Collins of Hannah Collins Designs. (If that name sounds familiar, its because Collins was also involved with the design of the Riddler, one of a few local setups to become popular on social media for Instagram-friendly looks.)

So why Spanish tapas and why now? Well, Paganini says similar-styled restaurants in San Francisco have positioned themselves as destinations instead of neighborhood spots  places where paella is $45 and takes nearly an hour to prepare, he says.

In response to what Paganini sees as a hole in the market, BarVale isnt being billed as a traditional sit-down place. Instead theyre saying its better suited to as a meeting place for groups of friends to eat and drink for a bit before heading out for a night on the town.

Chef Patricio "Pato" Duffoo (formerly of Bocadillos, Coquet, and Teleferic) will be at the helm in the kitchen. And like the food menu, the bar options will be streamlined and simplified. Bar director Jessica Everett will feature Spanish wines and cocktails highlighting Sherry and Spanish vermouths.

Stay tuned for more details as the opening approaches.

Justin Phillips is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JustMrPhillips
A few years before he became Donald Trump's campaign chairman, longtime Republican political operative Paul Manafort went on a spending spree with money funneled through a network of offshore bank accounts, a federal indictment unsealed Monday alleges.

He bought a $1.5 million brownstone in a trendy New York neighborhood, and a $1.9 million home in Arlington, Virginia. He paid for three Range Rovers and a Mercedes-Benz, landscaping at his Hamptons getaway, and pricey improvements at his house in Palm Beach, Florida.

In all, out of more than $75 million that flowed through the offshore accounts, more than $18 million was "laundered," with income concealed from the U.S. government, and was used in part to cover Manafort's "lavish lifestyle," the indictment says.

The indictment of the refined and impeccably dressed former campaign chairman detailed an alleged scheme in which foreign clients paid millions in exchange for Manafort's consulting services. Manafort's lawyer, Kevin Downing, rebutted the charges Monday, saying Manafort was not seeking to launder funds.

Manafort, a confidante of presidents dating back to George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, was the biggest name charged thus far in a federal investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is examining possible collusion by Trump's campaign with Russia. Manafort's indictment, along with charges against his former business partner Rick Gates, who also worked for the Trump campaign, brought Mueller close to the inner circle that guided Trump's 2016 victory. Manafort and Gates pleaded not guilty and did not speak to reporters.

"This indictment is tragic and for Paul and his family," said Manafort's former business partner, Charles Black, who said he couldn't speak to the specifics because he hasn't worked with Manafort for two decades. "For him and Rick Gates, I just pray that they are innocent."

Manafort was brought into Trump's campaign in spring 2016, tasked with tracking delegates before becoming chairman. The arrival of a seasoned operative had been welcomed at the time by many Republican leaders as a sign that Trump was ready to professionalize a largely undisciplined campaign as he was preparing to secure the GOP nomination.

But the court papers unsealed Monday show how Trump, in tapping Manafort, also brought aboard a senior strategist with deep, ongoing and potentially problematic foreign entanglements.

For decades, Manafort has been known for his dealings with foreign leaders, including some with less than savory reputations.

In recent years, in addition to his work for Trump and for a Ukrainian presidential candidate, he has made deals with foreign business titans that have resulted in controversy, including one with a Russian oligarch who charged that Manafort and Gates "disappeared" without paying money they allegedly owed him. Manafort and Gates denied the allegation.

Manafort's journey from being one of Washington's most sought-after political operatives to defendant in a high-profile federal investigation is a story of a chase for power and money.

Manafort, 68, was raised in Connecticut, the son of the mayor of New Britain. With a Georgetown University law degree, he worked for President Gerald Ford's 1976 campaign, tracking delegates at the nominating convention. He ran Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign in the south.

Manafort's ascendancy in Washington reached new heights when he became a founding partner in 1980 of the lobbying firm, Black, Manafort & Stone, with Black and Roger Stone, the latter a longtime Trump confidante. During Manafort's 16 years at the firm, his clients included two dictators, Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire (now Congo) and Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines, who allegedly stole billions of dollars from their countries.

In 1989, Manafort testified before Congress about a deal in which he lobbied to obtain $43 million in federal housing subsidies for a New Jersey project while his firm held an option to buy a stake in the property. The firm invested before the subsidies were awarded, but Manafort testified he had a "high degree of expectation" that they would win approval.

"The technical term for what we do and what law firms, associations and professional groups do is 'lobbying,' " Manafort said. "For purposes of today, I will admit that, in a narrow sense, some people might term it 'influence peddling.' "

Manafort's globe-trotting lifestyle led friends to dub him "the Count of Monte Cristo," a reference to the swashbuckling hero of a 19th-century French novel.

Manafort later became a partner in the firm of Davis Manafort, which Manafort owned with Richard Davis. As a partner, Manafort wooed a Russian aluminum magnate, Oleg Deripaska. Manafort and Davis had proposed setting up a $200 million private equity fund to invest mostly in Russia and Ukraine, according to a petition filed by Deripaska, one of a number of fund contributors. Derispaka invested in the partnership through a company called Surf Horizon, incorporated in Cyprus in 2007.

Deripaska sought repayment of some of his investment after the 2007 financial crisis, saying in a petition he was owed $19 million from a failed investment in Ukraine. Deripaska said in a 2014 petition that he was still waiting to be paid, but "It appears that Paul Manafort and Rick Gates have simply disappeared." Deripaska's representative said in 2016 they were still seeking the money, but a Manafort spokesman subsequently told the New York Times no funds were owed.

During his time at the Trump campaign, Manafort sought to communicate with Deripaska through an intermediary, suggesting that his new position provided an opportunity to settle financial disputes, according to Manafort's email correspondence, which was turned over to investigators this year.

A turning point for Manafort came in the early 2000s, when he became a consultant for Viktor Yanukovych, who would later become Ukraine's president.

One of Yanukovych's supporters was a Ukrainian energy tycoon, Dmitry Firtash, and Manafort soon tried to do business with him, according to a filing in a now-dismissed lawsuit. In 2008, Manafort met with Firtash to discuss a proposal to build an $850 million, 65-story apartment building in New York City. A lawsuit filed by former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko alleged that Firtash worked with Manafort to invest illicit profits from energy deals in Ukraine. Firtash and Manafort denied the allegations and the suit was ultimately dismissed. Spokesmen for Deripaska and Firtash did not respond to requests for comment.

Gates, 45, met Manafort when he interned at his firm, Black, Manafort & Stone.

Manafort, accompanied by Gates, worked for Yanukovych and his Party of Regions, as Yanukovych won the presidency of Ukraine in 2010. While Manafort said he was working for a pro-Western politician who embraced democracy, Yanukovych was ultimately seen as aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Between 2012 and 2014, Manafort's firm was paid $17 million by the Party of Regions, according to Manafort's belated filing under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. As part of Monday's indictment, Manafort and Gates were accused of hiding their lobbying work for Ukraine in violation of the registration requirements.

The following year, in 2015, Manafort owned an apartment at Trump Tower in New York City and had invested in other properties.

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.

By early 2016, Manafort wanted to join Trump's presidential campaign. He hadn't been in close touch with Trump for years, so he sought out one of Trump's oldest and closest friends, Thomas J. Barrack Jr., to serve as a conduit. Barrack and Manafort were also longtime friends.

Barrack, a billionaire who runs a real estate investment company, said in a recent interview that the only financial deal he had ever made with Manafort was around 2004, when he loaned $1.5 million for a house owned by Manafort's wife. Barrack said the loan was paid back at market rate in 14 months.

Shortly after Trump lost the Iowa caucuses, Manafort met Barrack at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills. "Paul came to me and said, 'I really need to get to [Trump], I think I can be really effective at the convention,' " Barrack said.

Barrack said in the interview that he sent materials about Manafort to Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Kushner's wife, Ivanka Trump. Barrack had known both of them for years. In the email, Barrack wrote that Manafort would be "a killer" at the job.

Trump agreed to hire Manafort, who said he would work without pay. Manafort subsequently became campaign chairman.

During his time in the position, Manafort attended a June 9, 2016 meeting with Kushner and Donald Trump Jr. at which a Russian lawyer was said to have damaging information about Hillary Clinton. The meeting is not mentioned in the indictment, but it has been a focus of Mueller's investigation into whether Russia colluded with the Trump campaign.

Manafort resigned in August 2016 after reports of his ties to Yanukovych and the publication of a ledger in Ukraine that showed millions of dollars of supposedly "off the books" payments to Manafort from the Party of Regions, a claim Manafort has denied.

Barrack invited Manafort to join him on his yacht off the coast of Greece. "He got fired, and I felt terrible," Barrack said. "When Manafort called, he was depressed. I said, 'I have got five guys on a boat,' and 'Join us.' He came over, and he spent four or five days figuring out what he would do next."

Barrack subsequently hired Gates for two positions: first, to be deputy chairman of the Presidential Inaugural Committee, of which Barrack was chairman; and, second, as a Washington-based consultant of his company, Colony NorthStar. Gates remained in the latter position until the time of the indictment, when his contract with the company was terminated, according to an official familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly.

During their work in the Ukraine, starting in 2008, Manafort and Gates allegedly devised a scheme to "defraud" banks and other institutions by wiring money to accounts in a way that laundered the funds without paying taxes.

Details of Manafort's luxurious lifestyle and income were spread on social media in February, when hackers exposed a cache of more than 285,000 personal messages purportedly stolen from the iPhone of Manafort's daughter, Andrea.

Manafort's spokesman previously confirmed that the phone was hacked and that some of the texts placed on line were authentic, but he has declined to authenticate the entire cache.

In one of the posted text messages, Andrea Manafort wrote to her sister in 2015, "Don't fool yourself. The money we have is blood money."
CLEAR LAKE | A fire caused more than $25,000 in damage to a Clear Lake home Monday.

The Clear Lake Fire Department said in a news release it was dispatched to 3 East Gate Court around 3:38 p.m., where firefighters found heavy smoke coming from the house's roof line.

Firefighters encountered thick smoke upon entry through the front door, the department said, and located a small fire in the rear of the house, which they knocked down quickly.

The fire is suspected to be electrical, according to the department.

No one was injured. The house is owned by Jan Tharp, the department said.

Firefighters remained on the scene for about an hour and a half and were assisted by the Ventura Fire Department, Clear Lake Police Department and Alliant Energy.

 Ashley Miller
DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images

Terrorism made a horrific return to New York City on Tuesday, close to the shadow of the tower that rose from the World Trade Center, site of the deadly attack of Sept. 11, 2001. Lives were lost and, once again, a nation will be challenged to counter but not be cowed by an act of violence seemingly designed to shake its confidence and way of life.

This time, the method of mass carnage  a vehicle targeting civilians  was more possible to imagine, but no less difficult to prevent or stop. A rented truck rammed into people along a bicycle path for 20 blocks along the Hudson River in Lower Manhattan. After crashing the truck, the driver emerged with fake guns and shouted Allahu akbar, the Arabic term for God is great.
Special prosecutor Robert S. Mueller has been publicly quiet since he took on the assignment of digging into Russias interference into the 2016 presidential election. But on Monday, he didnt have to say a word to have the worlds attention.

Mueller charged former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his longtime business partner, Rick Gates, in a 12-count indictment with conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, making false statements and other offenses.

Manafort and Gates have surrendered to federal authorities. They are pleading not guilty.

The initial indictments suggest Mueller will bring substantial pressure on Manafort to tell federal authorities what he might know about any Russian sabotage of the election and any Trump campaign collusion with it.

Muellers charges against Manafort and Gates didnt reference the Trump campaign, and President Trump was quick on Twitter to dismiss the allegation as irrelevant to the collusion probe.

Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign, Trump tweeted on Monday morning.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders also underlined her boss message  even though Manafort was with his campaign through August 2016, a time covered by the indictment. Gates remained on the campaign through Trumps election.

What makes the denials even more difficult to believe was Muellers third announcement.

On Monday Mueller unsealed an agreement that former Trump foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos has already pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his interactions with Russian operatives during the 2016 campaign.

Papadopoulos has been cooperating with investigators, according to the court filing.

Papadopoulos case appears to be directly related to the investigation of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. The case materials clearly show the care Papadopoulos took to keep his (unnamed) superiors in the loop about his Russian contacts.

Since the defendant has already admitted guilt, the Trump team will have a much harder time brushing away anything that arises from Papadopoulos case as fake news.

But all of this supposes Muellers investigation will be allowed to continue.

The Trump White House has made no secret of its frustration with Muellers investigation, and the new developments are likely to intensify it. But Mueller is investigating an issue that goes to the heart of our democracy: our right to be free from foreign interference. He must be allowed to continue, and Congress must make that clear.

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.
Scott G Winterton/Associated Press

With a grand total of two employees and two years of experience when it got the largest power restoration contract in Puerto Rico, Whitefish Energy was a small fish in big water, as President Trump memorably described the islands environs. Whitefish, named for the small Montana town its owner shares with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and 6,000 or so others, lost the contract Sunday after the water it was in proved not just big but also hot.

The $300 million contract, now deservedly under federal investigation, epitomizes a recovery hampered by local incompetence and federal callousness; Trump has repeatedly signaled that Puerto Ricans arent worth as much as their fellow storm-battered American citizens in Texas and Florida. More than a month after Hurricane Maria made landfall, the worst blackout in American history still has 70 percent of Puerto Ricans in the dark.
While the indictments of three former Trump campaign officials didnt link the organization to Russian meddling in last years election, they will provide Democrats with the next best thing: enough political fallout to keep the story in the news through next years midterm elections.

And Democrats didnt waste any time Monday, using the scandal against a longtime California Republican congressman whose seat theyre targeting.

In a Washington, D.C., courtroom on Monday, former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and Manaforts business partner Rick Gates pleaded not guilty to money laundering and other charges in a 12-count indictment. Manafort was freed on a $10 million bond, Gates on $5 million.

But analysts and political operatives predicted that more political bombshells could come from George Papadopoulos, a Trump campaign foreign policy adviser who is cooperating with federal investigators after pleading guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russians. All three men were pursued by special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether President Trumps campaign participated in that meddling.

This guarantees there will not be a definitive resolution of this until well into 2018, said John Trasvina, dean of the University of San Franciscos law school who was general counsel to a Senate Judiciary subcommittee in the 1990s. Youve got a political schedule and a criminal justice schedule. And the criminal justice schedule doesnt pay attention to the political schedule.

It may not be at the point where the American people are dialed into the substance of what (the investigation) is about, said Bill Burton, a former Obama administration official who consults for congressional candidates in California and elsewhere. At least not to the point that it is determinative to how they might vote. Not yet.

But if the investigation keeps congressional Republicans from accomplishing anything on their legislative agenda, he added, when it comes time to vote next year, some voters might say, What good does it do to have a Republican president and Republican Congress when nothing gets done?

The next big item on that agenda is a tax overhaul, and Republican House members are expected to roll out details of their plan Wednesday.

While there wasnt a direct link to collusion with Russia in the Manafort and Gates indictments, Democrats plan on using the news to show that Trump is not draining the swamp as he promised to do as president.

On Monday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee intensified its efforts to tie Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Costa Mesa, to Manafort, whom the 15-term lawmaker has called as a longtime friend. In 2013, Manafort donated $1,000 to Rohrabachers campaign after he lobbied the congressman for a Ukrainian aid package while representing Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

Even though Rohrabacher has won re-election by more than 20 percent 13 times, he told The Chronicle in September that this will be his toughest race, as he is facing a couple of well-funded Democrats for the first time. He is one of at least nine incumbent Republicans targeted by Democrats in California in the hope of flipping the GOP-led Congress back to Democratic control.

The DCCC, which is one of the organizations targeting Rohrabacher, asked him Monday to return Manaforts campaign contribution.

Congressman Dana Rohrabachers blatant disregard for our countrys national security and his unsavory associations with MVPs of the Washington swamp, like Paul Manafort, call into question his judgment and his fitness to serve, said Drew Godinich, DCCC spokesperson.

Other left-leaning organizations announced plans Monday to use the indictments to rally voters. More than two dozen progressive organizations  including MoveOn.org, Indivisible and People for the American Way  say they have organized more than 300 emergency demonstrations around the country should Trump try to fire Mueller or interfere in some other way with the investigation, according to an email sent Monday to supporters.

And other candidates with ties to Manafort or anyone else named in potential future indictments could face attacks based on those associations.

Trump also promised to hire the best people  a hard promise to say you kept when your ex-campaign manager has been indicted for allegedly trying to launder $18 million and participate in a conspiracy against the United States.

Trasvina said its going to be hard for Trump to distance himself from whatever happens to Manafort.

Its true that this (indictment) is largely about Manaforts private dealings, Trasvina said. But its impossible to divorce Manafort the businessman from Manafort the campaign manager.

Trump already had problems before the indictments were handed down Monday. His third-quarter approval rating  37 percent, according to Gallup  was lower than any presidents in history. The previous low mark for a president this early in his term was former President Bill Clintons 48 percent approval mark in 1993.

Trump continued to blame the fake news media  even in a fundraising appeal emailed to supporters hours after the indictments were announced Monday.

We cannot allow the Fake News Media and obstructionist Democrats to flood the airwaves and mislead the American people, Trump wrote, and they are our strongest opponent yet.

Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli
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The most coveted objet at the recent 36th preview gala for the San Francisco Fall Art & Antiques show wasnt found among the 51 booths manned by a bevy of stellar international dealers.

Nor was this item in any way antique. Rather, OJ Shansby, a savvy gala committee member, realized the sizzling autumn heat (81 degrees) would render Fort Masons Festival Pavilion a hothouse on Oct. 25. So she wisely tucked a few newfangled mini fans that attach to a cell phone into her purse.

If I had more fans with me, I couldve set up a stand at the show, she said, with a laugh. They wouldve sold like hotcakes!

Once again, designer Suzanne Tucker presided as chairwoman of this beloved bacchanalia of Grade A goods  the largest on the West Coast. The gala is not only a favorite of the fall social calendar but always benefits Enterprise for Youth, a 48-year-old organization that prepares young people for careers through training, guidance and employment experience.

Tucker was joined in her duties by OJ and Gary Shansby, Dede Wilsey, Laura King Pfaff; Allison Speer, Ken Fulk, Alexis and Trevor Traina, and show director Ariane Trimuschat. And with this years theme, Flower Power, celebrating the 50th Summer of Love anniversary, there was no better honorary chairman than fashion designer Andrew Gn, who winged in from Paris.

Gn is heralded for his gorgeous gowns, often adorned with exquisite hand-embroidered florals. And fashion gals in the know paid tribute by wearing an array of swoon-worthy styles from his eye-catching collections.

This is my first antiques show here, and I love it, enthused Gn, who was also in town for his biannual Betty Lin trunk show featuring his Spring/Summer 2018 Collection. I saw a couple of very interesting dealers from Belgium, London and San Francisco. But I havent had time to shop yet.

Gn is also a noted collector, especially of ceramics. And each of his three homes in Paris is rendered in a different style, from European Arts & Crafts to mid-century modernism.

Having three homes in the same city can feel repetitive. So Im looking at Lisbon now, in a different country, where I can create a new collection, he explained sheepishly. I know thats crazy. Shopping is very dangerous for my bank account.

Florals also dominated the shows entry pavilion, where designers Kendall Wilkinson, Jay Jeffers, Pamela Babey and Edward Lobrano created Four Seasons-inspired vignettes, all framed with to-die-for hand-painted de Gournay wall treatments.

But amid the crush of some 2,000 guests, many of whom beelined for the McCalls buffet teeming with gourmet delicacies like caviar, sushi and mini lamb chops, many were stopped in their tracks by designer J. Riccardo Benavides clever display.

Hanging overhead from their long stems was a bounty of colorful blooms.

Everyone kept asking, Its so hot, Riccardo, how will these flowers last? They also wondered why no water was dripping from plastic tubes encasing the stems, he said, with a twinkle. Suzanne would look over at me and make a zip-across-the-lip motion so I wouldnt spill the beans that all those flowers are silk.

Last supper: It certainly wont be the last meal at Alta Restaurant, the chic cantina tucked inside Minnesota Street Project. But it certainly was a special supper, hosted by Christies, for major collectors who alighted there to catch a rare glimpse of a painting by Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci.

On Nov. 15 in New York, Salvator Mundi, the first rediscovered Leonardo work since 1909, is the potential $100 million star at the auction houses fall sales.

No one in the modern art market has ever handled the sale of a Leonardo, said Loic Gouzer, Christies post-war and contemporary art chairman, who, in 2015, presided over a Christies sale that garnered the art worlds highest-ever auction price, $179 million, for Picassos Les Femmes dAlger.

Leonardo was the No. 1 Renaissance painter. You could say he was the original tech guy. Thats why San Francisco is the only American stop on this preview, Gouzer said of the pit stop.

Theres a correlation between Leonardo and people here involved in science and tech. So its a little wink-wink to local collectors.

Leonardo did up the wow factor among other excellent works in the preview. But exiting the gallery, it seemed like overkill that SFPD officers were stationed outside this Dogpatch compound founded by Deborah and Andy Rappaport. That is, until an SUV with blacked-out windows arrived, followed by a Tesla.

Discreetly stepping away from dinner, Gouzer raced back to the gallery with some new guests: Tesla founder Elon Musk, actor Tobey Maguire and that other Leonardo with the last name of DiCaprio.

Alas, the starry trio was not there to mingle. But perhaps one of them caught Gouzers wink.

Catherine Bigelow is The San Francisco Chronicles society correspondent. Email: missbigelow@sfgate.com Instagram: @missbigelow
Directors Alex Gibney and Blair Foster made a telling decision about how they would film the story of Rolling Stone magazine and its place in American culture during the past 50 years: Almost no one would be allowed to grow old.

Co-founder Jann Wenner does, so do photographer Annie Leibovitz and Ice-T, but we only see others like Mikal Gilmore, Greil Marcus, Jon Landau, Cameron Crowe and Ben Fong-Torres in archival images when they were younger. We hear many of them in the present day in HBOs four-hour, two-part Rolling Stone: Stories From the Edge, airing Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 6 and 7. But visually, its like no one ever grew older.

The decision may have been made for financial reasons, or simply to avoid the talking-heads template favored by many documentarians. But in this case, the decision underscores the Peter Pan element of the Baby Boomers who came of age in the 1960s and early 70s. Every generation believes it will change the world in special ways, but the political, social and cultural upheavals of the 1960s seem to have fueled an exceptional sense of youthful transcendentalism, a kind of you think youre going to live forever and somehow find me there, in the words of J.D. Souther.

Stories From the Edge is informative and self-congratulatory, at times seeming to inflate Rolling Stones role in the culture somewhat beyond truth. That may have something to do with the fact that Wenner is a producer of the film and Rolling Stone Productions is one of the producing partner organizations.

One assumes that Wenner had better luck influencing how the film came out than he apparently did when he asked Joe Hagan to write his biography, only to denounce Sticky Fingers: The Life and Times of Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone once he read it.

The archival material is priceless, as much a summation of a generation as it is of the magazine that Wenner and the late San Francisco Chronicle critic Ralph J. Gleason founded in 1967. A younger Wenner is asked in an interview about the magazines founding and the importance of its first decade in San Francisco.

The important thing about San Francisco is that its a scene, a smugly cherubic Wenner tells a reporter back in the day. Its a warm, friendly city.  Historically it had the bohemians, the beats, (it) supports the arts, poetry, jazz, and similarly today, it supports rock n roll.

Wenner says Rolling Stone was founded because music  and the kind of cultural revolution that was attached to it  wasnt being covered.

Charles Perry, an assistant keeper at the San Francisco Zoo who also volunteered for the magazine, became its first employee. Crowe was so young when he hooked up with the magazine that he had to be excused from high school classes to do his job. The magazine offices were ramshackle, littered with pizza boxes and overflowing ashtrays, marked, at least in the vintage images, by barely controlled chaos.

Ten years later, the magazines move to New York made sense. Not only was New York the center of the publishing world, but the magazine had grown in its first decade, expanding into social and political coverage that eventually overshadowed its music coverage. It began as a chronicle of counterculture, but now the counterculture was growing up. In more recent times, we see a conference room in the present-day office looking like something out of Showtimes Billions.

The documentary traces the magazines history through several benchmark stories, from the early coverage of rock groupies and the Plaster Casters, to the celebration of icons John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Dylan, the Patty Hearst kidnapping, Jimmy Swaggarts secret sex life, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, N Sync, Britney Spears, the war in Afghanistan and, yes, the costly and destructive retraction of the detailed story about a young woman at the University of Virginia who claimed she had been gang raped at a fraternity party. The case is covered factually and fully because it could not be ignored.

We get a sense of Wenners style, that he is decisive, autocratic but also smart enough to know that even if he doesnt like a particular form of music, it merits coverage in the magazine. That was true with the punk movement and of hip hop and rap. At times, writers had to push hard to get Wenners OK, but they got it and thats how journalism should work.

There is an unconvincing effort to make the case that Rolling Stone still matters, but even if the UVA rape story hadnt been such an egregiously revealing embarrassment, the publishing world has changed radically in the past recent years. As hard as the magazine may have worked to remain relevant, it is having trouble identifying its target audience.

The films emotional high point is in Rolling Stones coverage of John Lennon. The magazine published its first interview with Lennon on Dec. 8, 1970. It isnt mentioned in the film, but you can see the dateline on the story. Ten years later to the day, Lennon was shot to death outside the Dakota. Leibovitz had taken what would be the last photo of Lennon only hours earlier.

AP

The magazines stories on Lennon are superb, filled with insight and an important part of the collective documentation of the life of a great artist. But they also represent the apotheosis of Rolling Stones influence on culture. Pieces on Springsteen come close, but stories on Spears, N Sync and Ice-T are just good journalism. This was Rolling Stone trying to get a handle on moments in pop culture. With Lennon, there was a special symbiosis, a demonstrated understanding of, and even an involvement in, what the former Beatle was up to and who he was.

Its probably a good idea to show Leibovitz talking to Wenner in the present day at the start of the film because while she says those years at Rolling Stone formed me, her photography defined the magazine for years.

That said, as you watch the film and hear all the writers recalling how I got that story, you may be struck by the obvious: Most of them are men. When we think of the great wordsmiths of Rolling Stone, we think Hunter Thompson, Crowe, Fong-Torres, Landau, Tom Wolfe, Gilmore, Robert Sam Anson, Michael Hastings, Marcus, Charles Young, Matt Taibbi. There were female writers, and a couple, such as Janet Reitman and Vanessa Grigoriadis, are mentioned, but it almost feels like ladies night at the Bohemian Club. Why are an overwhelming majority of the magazines Stories From the Edge written by men? At the very least, the imbalance suggests that the magazine may not have been quite as in touch with the times as it always claimed to be.

Oscar winner Gibney and Blair bring convincing directorial style to what is a useful and entertaining infomercial about an important chapter in American culture and journalism.

So now Rolling Stone is for sale. If it were a piece of property, it might be listed as a fixer-upper with a solid foundation and a rich history, in need of a seismic retrofit.

David Wiegand is an assistant managing editor and the TV critic of The San Francisco Chronicle. Follow him on Facebook. Email: dwiegand@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @WaitWhat_TV

Rolling Stone: Stories From the Edge: Documentary, part 1, 9 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6; part 2, 9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7, HBO.
MASON CITY | A Thanksgiving tradition for North Iowa seniors will continue this year.

CENT Credit Union and its sponsors will host a free Thanksgiving dinner 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19, at the Columbia Club, 551 S. Taft Ave., in Mason City.

The event, which is eat-in only, is for people 55 years and older and includes ham, turkey and all the fixings.

"Were humbled by the support this event has received in the past, and were excited to continue the time-honored tradition," the credit union said in a news release.

The meal was initially canceled in 2014 after the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health discovered meat was cooked in private residences and brought to the Senior Activity Center, a licensed establishment, and alternative plans couldn't be made in time.

Several local businesses teamed up to ensure local seniors had their annual Thanksgiving dinner, a tradition that continued in 2015 and 2016.

Supporters of this year's event include Diamond Jo Casino, Smithfield Foods, Thrivent Financial, Martin Bros., Knights of Columbus and D&D Signs.

 Ashley Miller
Klay Thompson felt he missed some easy shots during the Warriors recent three-game home-stand.

To make up for those, the Warriors guard is upping his donation to North Bay fire relief efforts by $6,000  from $69,000 to $75,000, according to his agent, Greg Lawrence. Thompson initially planned to donate $1,000 for each point he tallied in Golden States home games against Toronto, Washington and Detroit, and he totaled 69 points in those games.
WASHINGTON  U.S. special operations forces captured a militant in Libya accused of playing an instrumental role in the Benghazi attacks, officials said Monday, in a high-stakes operation designed to bring the perpetrators to justice five years after the deadly violence.

President Trump identified the militant as Mustafa al-Imam and said his capture signified that the four Americans who died will never be forgotten. Justice Department officials were escorting al-Imam by military plane to the United States, where he will be tried in federal court.

Our memory is deep and our reach is long, and we will not rest in our efforts to find and bring the perpetrators of the heinous attacks in Benghazi to justice, Trump said.

The U.S. commando raid marked the first publicly known operation since Trump took office to target those accused of involvement in Benghazi, which mushroomed into a multiyear political fracas centered on Republican allegations of a bungled Obama administration response. Those critiques shadowed Hillary Clinton, who was secretary of state at the time of the attacks, through her presidential campaign.

U.S. forces captured al-Imam just before midnight local time Sunday in Misrata, on Libyas north coast, U.S. officials said. He was taken to a U.S. Navy ship at the Misrata port for transport to the United States by military plane. Now in Justice Department custody, al-Imam is expected to arrive in Washington within the next two days, one of the officials said.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said hed spoken with the relatives of some of the Americans who died in Benghazi: U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens, State Department information management officer Sean Patrick Smith, and contract security officers Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. Tillerson said the U.S. would spare no effort to ensure al-Imam is held accountable.

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.

Earlier this month, another man accused in the Benghazi attack, Abu Khattala, went on trial in federal court in Washington. Khattala, captured during President Barack Obamas tenure, has pleaded not guilty to the 18 charges against him, including murder of an internationally protected person and providing material support to terrorists.

Lolita C. Baldor, Josh Lederman and Matthew Lee are Associated Press writers.
BART can evict a group of homeless people from an encampment they have occupied since January on the transit systems property in south Berkeley, a federal judge ruled Tuesday, saying a transit agency has no legal duty to provide housing or shelter.

Twenty to 30 people have been living at the encampment near Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Alcatraz Avenue, just west of the tracks as they descend from overhead to underground, since Berkeley police evicted them from other parcels in the area.

After BART officials posted an eviction notice on Oct. 21, encampment residents filed suit in the name of an organization called First They Came for the Homeless, claiming they were being punished for being homeless.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup issued a temporary restraining order on Oct. 24 that blocked the eviction while the opposing sides prepared their cases. But on Tuesday, Alsup denied a permanent injunction and said BART officials could evict the encampment after giving residents 72 hours to remove their property. Under BART policy, the residents would then have at least another two weeks to reclaim any items left behind that the agency had placed in storage.

While sympathetic to the plight of plaintiffs, and the problem of homelessness, which is ever more severe, the court must be faithful to the law, Alsup said in his ruling, issued shortly after a hearing in his San Francisco courtroom. The transit agencys actions in reclaiming its property, he said, do not amount to the criminalization of plaintiffs status as homeless.

Unlike a city, a transit district is not as equipped to remedy the problems associated with homelessness, the judge said. Clearly, BART is not equipped to provide shelter or housing aid.

Some courts have allowed the homeless to sue cities over laws that prohibit camping or sleeping on city property, citing the local governments responsibility for shelter. But those obligations do not apply to a transit agency, Alsup said. The city of Berkeley, in an agreement with BART, provides maintenance and landscaping for the parcel near the tracks, but does not own it.

If the camp stayed open, he added, BART might face liability for failing to provide police protection  in a nearby encampment on the east side of the tracks, which BART evicted Oct. 25, a drug overdose occurred and a crazed man attacked others with a hammer, he said.

Alsup said the 72-hour window would give the plaintiffs time to seek review from a federal appeals court. Attorney Daniel Siegel said residents of the encampment were meeting later in the day to discuss their options, but he indicated they might look elsewhere for a campsite.

We argued not so much that a transit agency had the same obligations as the city, but that a transit agency should not be allowed to push people off its property when those people have no options and the city has failed to provide shelter, Siegel said. Perhaps it makes most sense to focus on the city of Berkeley for relief in the future.

BART said Tuesday that the agency had received more than 50 complaints from neighbors about dangerous activity at the encampments on both sides of the tracks.

The agency said it is working with the city of Berkeley to address concerns from the community with a combination of enforcement, clearing and cleaning, ongoing maintenance, and help to individuals at sites adjacent to our tracks.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @egelko
Online anonymity and tech companies inability to discern real corporations from shell firms funded by Russian money prevented Facebook, Google and Twitter from identifying Russian interference in the 2016 election, company representatives said Tuesday during a hearing before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.

Though it was a rare opportunity for lawmakers to grill tech firms on their practices and policies, senators seemed frustrated by the companies refusal to back regulation of political ads online and open up about their efforts to root out terrorism and foreign meddling.

How did Facebook, which prides itself on being able to process billions of data points and transform them into personal connections for its users, somehow not make the connection that electoral ads paid for in rubles were coming from Russia? asked Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn.

Twitters Sean Edgett later became the sole tech company representative to commit to not accepting political ads that are paid for in a foreign currency.

Facebooks general counsel, Colin Stretch, declined to go as far as making a promise under oath. Googles representative, Richard Salgado, said he needed to check to make sure its a good signal.

As many as 126 million Facebook users may have been exposed to content that originated from the Russian operation, Stretch said.

Thats a big jump from the previous estimate of 11.4 million users that the social networking giant said probably saw paid advertisements by Russian operatives, in part because it includes propaganda posts that spread through shares and likes, without a boost from ads. Facebook had never before disclosed the impact such content had on its social network.

Twitter in its prepared remarks reported that it found 2,752 accounts linked to Russian-backed operations and more than 36,000 bots promoting similar propaganda. Those accounts, according to Edgett, the companys acting general counsel, tweeted about last years election about 1.4 million times and generated 288 million impressions, a measure of how much a tweet is viewed.

Salgado, Googles director of law enforcement and information security, said the company had found two main accounts on its advertising service that appeared to be backed by the Russian government. Those accounts spent roughly $4,700 on search and display ads during the U.S. presidential election, Salgado said.

On YouTube, Googles video-sharing service, 18 channels with about 1,100 videos were uploaded by individuals who we suspect are associated with this effort and that contained political content, according to Salgados prepared remarks.

Each companys representative was quick to point out how low those numbers were in the grand scheme of things: More than 1.3 billion people visit Facebook daily; Twitter sees about 330 million users monthly; and Google, which earns more than $75 billion a year in ad revenue, said people watch more than a billion hours of YouTube video daily, with 400 hours of video uploaded every minute.

But senators quickly grew irritated with attempts at minimizing the problem.

Why has it taken Facebook 11 months to come forward and help us understand the scope of this problem? asked Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.

I hear a lot of Johnny-come-latelies, said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who implied the companies could have done more to investigate these advertisements and noted how much money they made from them.

Federal investigators have said they believe there are probably many more accounts on Twitter that went undiscovered because they were not linked to the accounts that had already been shut down. Facebooks lawyer said its likely that they were not able to find every Russian-linked account, as the company is limited in its ability to see behind the company running an advertising account. If a firm is a shell corporation ultimately backed by Russian money, Stretch said, it would be difficult for Facebook to tell.

Facebook announced that it would double its security and safety staff, which tracks extremism and other forms of abuse on its network, to 20,000 by the end of next year. Twitter said it has hundreds of workers tackling the issue, and Google said there are thousands of its employees dedicated to tracking misuse of its services.

Though the hearing was focused on Russian use of social media to disseminate false or divisive political narratives, senators brought up a wide range of issues, including fake news, shell corporations, free speech, the power of Silicon Valley, tech employees own political leanings and whether tech firms should be considered media companies.

The prospect of Silicon Valley companies actively censoring speech or the news content is troubling to anyone who cared about a democratic process with a robust First Amendment, said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. It is disconcerting if those political positions (of tech employees) become a lens through which American consumers consume news.

Company lawyers will testify again before the Senate and House intelligence committees on Wednesday, widely considered the main event in this weeks congressional probe of tech companies.

None of the companies high-profile CEOs  Googles Sundar Pichai, Twitters Jack Dorsey or Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg  attended Tuesdays hearing.

Marissa Lang is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mlang@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Marissa_Jae
WASHINGTON  A trade commission has recommended that the Trump administration impose tariffs or other restrictions to slow an influx of low-cost solar panels imported from China and other countries.

The four-member International Trade Commission was split Tuesday over the exact nature of the remedies but agreed that a rise in imported solar cells and panels has caused serious harm to U.S. manufacturers.

The panels chairwoman, Rhonda Schmidtlein, recommended tariffs ranging from 10 to 35 percent on selected imports, while two other commissioners recommended 30 percent tariffs to be phased down over four years. A fourth commissioner recommended quotas on imports of solar products to the United States.

The commissions nonbinding recommendations follow a unanimous vote in September that the imports are harmful. President Trump is expected to make a final decision by mid-January.

Suniva Inc. in Georgia and SolarWorld Americas in Oregon brought the trade case, saying that the cheaper imports have pushed them to the brink of extinction. Suniva has declared bankruptcy, and SolarWorld had to lay off three-quarters of its workforce.

Cheap imports have led to a boom in the U.S. solar industry, where rooftop and other installations have risen tenfold since 2011.

The main trade group for the solar industry and many governors oppose tariffs, saying they could cause a sharp price hike that would lead to a dramatic drop in solar installations and cause widespread layoffs in the solar industry.

The National Electrical Contractors Association, whose members build, frame and maintain solar projects, called the trade commission recommendations extremely troubling and said they put the entire solar supply chain and tens of thousands of jobs at risk.

Solar energy is a proven job creator for electrical workers nationwide who install utility-scale and rooftop solar systems around the country, said John Grau, the groups CEO. These are good, middle-class jobs that promote apprenticeship, community-based hiring and veterans. We urge President Trump to reject tariffs or other restrictions.

The Solar Energy Industries Association, which represents nearly 9,000 U.S. solar companies, has said the United States should not be helping foreign-owned companies such as Suniva and SolarWorld.

Sunivas majority owner is based in China, while SolarWorld Americas is a subsidiary of German solar giant SolarWorld.

Trump has not cozied up to the solar industry, as he has for coal and other fossil fuels, but he is considered sympathetic to imposing tariffs on solar imports as part of his America first agenda.

Governors of four solar-friendly states  Nevada, Colorado, Massachusetts and North Carolina  oppose tariffs, warning that they could jeopardize the industry.

Suniva called the trade commissions recommendations disappointing. Solar panel makers have suffered serious injury at the hands of foreign imports, the company said, and the remedies recommended by the trade commission simply will not fix the problem identified by the commission.

Suniva declared bankruptcy this spring after laying off 190 employees and closing production sites in Georgia and Michigan. SolarWorld Americas, meanwhile, has trimmed its workforce from 1,300 to 300, with more cuts likely.

While the U.S. solar industry employs about 260,000 people, fewer than 2,000 are involved in making solar panels like those made by Suniva and SolarWorld. More than half of solar jobs are in installation, with about a quarter in sales, distribution and development.

Matthew Daly is an Associated Press writer.
A man who was shot dead early Sunday morning in Discovery Bay was identified Monday as a 48-year-old resident of the neighborhood where he was slain, officials said.

Bradley MacHugh was shot around 12:45 a.m. on the 1700 block of Wilde Drive during some sort of neighborhood disturbance, officials with the Contra Costa County Sheriffs Office said.
A federal judge sentenced an Oakland man to almost 20 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to smuggle drugs through a TSA checkpoint at Oakland Airport so they could be distributed in Hawaii.

Jeremy Luckett, 38, pleaded guilty on May 8 to conspiring to distribute 50 or more grams of methamphetamine. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Hayward Gilliam Jr. and announced Monday by the U.S. Attorney for the northern district of California.

Between January 2011 and April 2014, Luckett was part of a smuggling scheme that slipped drugs past security at Oakland International Airport, where couriers picked up the narcotics and took them on outbound commercial flights to Hawaii.

Luckett managed to get the drugs past security by working with a Southwest Airlines employee, officials said. Authorities said Lucketts role was to recruit and pay the couriers in addition to paying for their hotel flights and flights during the drug run.

The smuggling scheme was busted on April 28, 2014, when one of Lucketts couriers was denied boarding on her flight to Hawaii because she was too intoxicated, authorities said. The courier was arrested and the narcotics she was transporting were seized.

Officials said the arrested courier was carrying a mixture of substances including 3.7 pounds of pure methamphetamine and 2.2 pounds of cocaine.

The numerous original charges against Luckett included 33 counts of entering an airport area in violation of security requirements, one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine and one count of money laundering to aid drug trafficking.

Luckett plead guilty to conspiring to distributed methamphetamine, officials said, and the remaining counts were dismissed. In addition to the prison term, Luckett was sentenced to five years of supervised release.

The remaining members of the drug scheme, Damian Lewis, Christopher Cross, Anthony Turner, JaDel McField, Brianna Holloway, Laura Turner and Katrice Day, all pleaded guilty to their roles. Day is the only one sentenced so far, to three years of probation.

Annie Ma is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ama@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @anniema15
An employee at a Safeway store in San Franciscos Inner Richmond neighborhood was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries early Tuesday after a shoplifter he confronted stabbed him in the back, police said.

The alleged shoplifter, 34-year-old city resident Michael Pardo, was trying to leave the store at Seventh Avenue and Cabrillo Street at about 12:30 a.m. with a basket full of unpaid merchandise when the employee sought to stop him, said Officer Robert Rueca, a police spokesman.

As the men began fighting, the thiefs dog bit the employee on the legs and buttocks, before Pardo stabbed the victim in the back and also tried to stab other workers who rushed to aid the victim, police said. Pardo also sprayed the victim in the face with insecticide, Rueca said.

Police found Pardo after the attack and jailed him without bail on suspicion of attempted murder, robbery, assault, assault with caustic chemicals and inflicting great bodily injury while committing a felony, officials said. Pardo has a city arrest record dating back several years, including charges for drug dealing, unlawful knife possession and driving without a valid license, records show.

The victim, a 39-year-old city resident whose name was not released, was taken to a hospital, where he was admitted with life-threatening injuries, Rueca said. Jeff Mason, a Safeway spokesman, wrote in an email Tuesday that the company was focusing on the health of the employee.

The matter is presently under investigation and we do not have any further details to provide, Mason wrote. The main concern is for the injured employees well-being and full recovery.

On Tuesday morning, workers at the Safeway store spoke to each other softly in the aisles. One worker appeared to be explaining the events of the previous night to a supervisor.

Then he bent down and he went like this, the man said, swinging his hand in a stabbing motion. He later told a reporter he didnt know what had happened.

At customer service, another employee said that no one on the morning shift had been working when the alleged attack occurred. Staff members havent been able to get in touch with the injured employee, she said.

Customers at the store were unaware a stabbing took place hours before, including Carlos Valadao, who walked out carrying containers of yogurt and a bouquet of flowers for his Halloween costume. He was planning to dress as the British artist Banksy, known for throwing flowers.

Thats crazy, Valadao said. Its a pretty safe neighborhood.

Pardos dog was in the custody of city Animal Care and Control officials.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@

sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno
The 8-second video shows the red lights of a stopped school bus flashing through an early morning haze.

Three seconds in, the headlights of a moving vehicle appear. It does not stop.

One second later, the outline of a child streaks across the road in front of the vehicle, which does not stop, swerves onto the shoulder and misses striking the child by mere feet.

Its only 8 seconds, said Chris Darling, executive director of the Iowa Pupil Transportation Association. But in 8 seconds, that child could have lost their life.

Darling said the incident, which recently was captured on a camera mounted on the side of the school bus, happened in Iowa, although the school districts administration asked Darlington not to share the districts name. Darling said the driver was cited for illegally passing a stopped school bus and has a trial date in November.

Five years ago Iowa strengthened the penalties for violating the states law against passing a stopped school bus, increasing the first-offense penalty from $200 to anywhere from $250 to $675.

When the law was strengthened in 2012, it was named in honor of Kadyn Halverson, a 7-year-old Kensett girl who was killed in 2011 when she was struck by a vehicle while crossing the road to board a school bus.

Since the penalties were increased, the number of charges and convictions for passing a stopped school bus have declined, as has the rate of convictions, according to data compiled by the states nonpartisan legal agency.

Cerro Gordo County conviction data mirrors the statewide trend, peaking near 30 in 2012 before dipping in 2013 and leveling out in the mid-teens in 2014 through 2016.

And yet drivers continue to pass stopped school buses at an alarming rate. Although there have been no deaths as a result of drivers passing a stopped school bus in Iowa since Kadyn Halverson, on one day this past May officials at about a third of Iowa school districts participated in a survey and observed 267 incidents of drivers passing a stopped school bus, a state education official said.

If the rate was similar across all school districts, that would equate to roughly 800 incidents in a single day.

In Mason City, bus drivers witness an average of one illegal pass each week, school officials said in 2015. Drivers transport around 2,400 students on close to 30 routes.

In 2016, there were 13 charges and 13 convictions for illegally passing a school bus in Cerro Gordo County, according to state data.

As a nation and a community and a state, (Iowa lawmakers in 2012) stepped up and said we need to try to find a way to prevent this and make people aware of it. And they really thought this (increased) fine system would do it, Darling said.

It has not.

In 2012, there were 1,023 charges filed and 984 convictions for unlawful passing of a school bus, according to the figures compiled by Iowas nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency, using data from the Iowa Department of Transportation and the Department of Human Rights.

In 2016, there were 940 charges filed and just 581 convictions.

That represents a conviction rate in 2012 of 96.2 percent and in 2016 a rate of just 61.8 percent.

Agency staff noted the data is not a perfect representation of convictions as a rate of charges because some cases can cross over calendar years.

We just havent gotten any support from the county attorneys, said Max Christensen, transportation consultant for the state education department. They just dont follow through on it. I dont know if they feel they cant get a conviction.

But even people like Christensen and Darling, who wish to see more convictions for passing a stopped school bus acknowledge it can be difficult to catch a driver in the act, secure enough information to file charges, and prosecute.

If a school bus does not have a camera mounted on the outside  and many dont  and no law enforcement is nearby, it is up to the bus driver to witness the violation and secure enough identifying information  a license plate number and description of the driver  to make charges stand up in court.

Bus drivers must do this all while still guiding children onto or off the bus.

Watching kids getting on or off, your first concern is for their safety, Christensen said. Your second concern is to get the license plate number, the description of the driver, that sort of thing.

Christensen and Darling also said some school bus drivers have given up on reporting incidents because they have become disheartened by a lack of charges and convictions.

How its being prosecuted and followed through with is also a hindrance to the law, Darling said.

Prosecutors with the Linn and Johnson county attorneys offices said some elements of the law make it difficult to prosecute.

There is something unique about these charges, said Matt Kishinami, Assistant Linn County Attorney. Theyre not initiated by law enforcement and the perp or suspect is not stopped and identified  at the scene of the crime.

Because of that, the primary witness typically is the bus driver instead of a trained expert, like a police officer. Kishinami said while police often show up with their reports and tend to be experienced answering questions in front of people, that often is not the case with bus drivers.

And prosecutors must prove who was behind the wheel of the vehicle when the violation occurred.

You have to prove who the driver was, said Rachel Zimmerman Smith, Assistant Johnson County Attorney. You speed, the person in the drivers seat is the defendant. Your car drives by the school bus, it could be your 17-year-old kid. Its hard to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. We still have to prove all of our offenses beyond a reasonable doubt.

Because of the penalties associated with the crime  including the possibility of a 30-day suspension of the drivers license  defendants are less likely to plead guilty to the offense like they would a speeding ticket or other moving violation, Zimmerman Smith said.

Attorneys and judges are prosecuting the law unevenly across the state, Darling said. He said some counties fully prosecute the law while others commonly agree to plea bargains, often with community service in place of the license revocation.

I can get a ticket in one part of the state and actually be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, he said. Then I can get a ticket in another part of the state and get it plea bargained.

Darling said more education about the law, its penalties and the dangers of passing a stopped school bus could help reduce the number of incidents and increase the number of convictions. He and Christensen agree the law and penalties are worthwhile, but that the problem persists.

Theres a lot of chances for kids to get hurt. Its a real concern, Christensen said. I think the school bus drivers throughout the state of Iowa do a really good job of caring for the kids on their bus, and are very concerned about this. ...

It just scares the pants off you. It really does.
The handgun that fired a single bullet into Kate Steinle on San Franciscos Pier 14 would not have discharged without a pull of the trigger, a criminologist testified Tuesday as prosecutors sought to prove the killing was no accident.

Gerald Andrew Smith, a supervising criminologist at the San Francisco Police Department crime lab, took the stand on the sixth day of the trial of Jose Ines Garcia Zarate, whose release by San Francisco authorities 2 months before the shooting despite a federal request to hold him for deportation ignited a political firestorm.

I found no mechanical malfunctions or issues with the firearm, Smith said of the .40-caliber Sig Sauer pistol, which was fished out of the bay by a dive team after the July 1, 2015, shooting. The trigger will have to be pulled in order for the gun to operate.

Steinle had been strolling with her father when she was shot, and the prosecution contends Garcia Zarate pulled the trigger and fired toward Steinle, an intentional act showing the malice needed for a second-degree murder conviction.

Now Playing: On Monday, jurors heard from crime scene investigators who say the bullet that killed Kate Steinle ricocheted before striking her. Video: KTVU

Defense attorneys say prosecutors cant prove that Garcia Zarate, 45, intentionally squeezed the trigger. They contend that the gun fired after the homeless undocumented immigrant found it bundled in a T-shirt or cloth under a seat at the pier. The defense cites as evidence that the bullet skipped off concrete before hitting Steinle in the back.

The handgun had been stolen from an off-duty U.S. Bureau of Land Management rangers parked car on the Embarcadero four days before the shooting. No one has been arrested in the burglary, and Superior Court Judge Samuel Feng told jurors Tuesday they should not speculate about whether Garcia Zarate had committed the theft.

Smith testified that when he received the gun for examination, it had one round in the chamber and six in the magazine. That was consistent with the earlier testimony of the Land Management ranger, John Woychowski Jr. He testified that he always kept this gun, his secondary firearm, fully loaded, with one round in the chamber and seven in the magazine.

The gun was in single-action mode, Smith said, typical for a gun that had been fired. A gun in double-action mode requires extra pressure on the trigger to cock the hammer and fire the bullet, while a gun in single-action mode already has the hammer cocked and requires less trigger pressure.

This is a key point of contention in the case. If the gun was in single-action mode at the time of the shooting, said defense attorney Matt Gonzalez of the city public defenders office, its more likely that Garcia Zarate could have pulled the trigger accidentally when he grabbed the bundle or unwrapped the cloth around the gun. Prosecutors dispute evidence of an accidental shot.

Woychowski testified that he always left the pistol in double-action mode, but he also said the gun was typically in single-action mode when he loaded it, and couldnt definitively say he remembered putting it back in double-action mode before it was stolen.

In any event, Gonzalez said, no one knows what happened to the gun in the four days between the burglary and the shooting.

Smith testified that he measured the trigger pull of the gun  the force required for the hammer to fall  and found that the gun required a pull of 4.8 to 5.5 pounds in single-action mode and 9 to 9.8 pounds in double-action mode. Smith said the measurements were within the manufacturers standards.

In his cross-examination of Smith, Gonzalez established that the weapon did not have external safety mechanisms that keep a gun from firing. The defense attorney has contended that some law enforcement officers prefer Sig Sauer pistols for this reason, that they can be fired quickly, but that even police trained in the guns use have a record of accidental discharges.

Smith said Sig Sauers have internal safety mechanisms that prevent the weapon from discharging if someone drops it.

Sig Sauers are very well-made firearms, he testified. Law enforcement and military use them. They have a great reputation.

Outside court, Gonzalez said he felt it was misleading to call those internal mechanisms safety features.

It would be as if I said that the door to my home did not have a dead bolt on it, but you have to turn the knob to get in and thats the safety feature, he said. Theyre not safety features in my opinion. A safety feature is something that when you pull a trigger, the gun does not fire.

He said hes asking the judge to allow jurors to pull the guns trigger in both single-action and double-action mode to feel the difference.

It would put to rest this debate thats going on about whether or not its hard to do, Gonzalez said.

The Steinle family is suing the Bureau of Land Management. Following Steinles death, legislators pushed to tighten requirements for securing weapons, especially in unattended cars, for gun owners and law enforcement officers.

Steinles death sparked critics to push against San Franciscos immigration sanctuary policies. Garcia Zarate had been on track for a sixth deportation when the Sheriffs Department, relying on those policies, released him from jail despite a federal request to hold him for deportation. He had ended up in the city on a transfer from federal custody in March 2015, thanks to old allegations  soon dismissed  that he fled marijuana charges in 1995.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @VivianHo
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Halloween's here and the Bay Area's favorite neighborhoods are wrapped in orange and black.

Below is a list of favorite trick-or-treating spots where you'll find haunted houses in the garages, tombstones stuck in the front yards, and lots of spooky spirit.

Please share where you like to bring the kids in the comments.

SAN FRANCISCO

Noe Valley, 24th Street (between Church and Castro)

Sweet spot for little kids: The parade of parents pushing mini pirates and princesses in strollers starts around 3 p.m. Retailers pass out treats to little ones in costumes. By nightfall the street is packed and families with older kids head out to nearby Fair Oaks and Randall Streets to load their bags with more treats.

Cole Valley, Belvedere (between Parnassus and 17th Streets)

Street party: This pretty tree-lined stretch gets blocked off to traffic to make way for the droves of Halloween revelers who flock to this hood for candy and spooks.

Sea Cliff

Think full-size candy bars: This posh hood is known for its opulent mansions, celebrity residents, and Halloween candy. Locals tell legendary tales about homeowners passing out full-size Hershey's bars.

EAST BAY

Berkeley, Russell Street (between College Avenue and the Claremont Hotel)

Spooky decorations: The homeowners in this 'hood go all-out creating elaborate graveyards and haunted houses in their front yards. Prepare for crowds.

Oakland, Haddon Hill

Best atmosphere: On October 31, this posh hood's opulent houses turn into haunted-looking mansions with cob-webbed front stoops and front yard cemeteries.

Lafayette, Victoria Court and Avenue

Neighborhood spirit: The street is completely blocked off from cars and the entire small neighborhood decorates their homes to the hilt with some even building elaborate haunted houses.

SOUTH BAY / PENINSULA

San Jose, Willow Glenn

Fun for all ages: Businesses along Lincoln Avenue welcome toddlers and babies in strollers from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and school-age kids in costume from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. In the evening, follow any of the streets off the main drag to find lots of candy and houses decked out in spooky decorations.

Los Gatos, Tait Avenue, Almond Grove

Halloween central: An estimated 100,000 pieces of candy are passed out by homeowners on this festive street. Don't miss the Thriller performance that takes place in front of one of the homes.

Burlingame, Cabrillo Avenue

Safe and easy: Flat streets and close-together homes with no stairs make trick-or-treating on this street a breeze.

NORTH BAY

McDonald Avenue, Santa Rosa

Nonstop party: Fog machines, scary music, laser-light shows, haunted garages . . . this 'hood goes all out for Halloween and trick-or-treaters come from all over Sonoma County to stuff their jack-o-lanterns with candy here.

Mill Valley, Sycamore Street

Halloween charm: The leafy street lined with storybook houses make this one of the Bay Area's most picturesque neighborhoods for trick-or-treating. Warm, family environment.

Petaluma, D Street

Scariest street: Decked out to the nines in creepy decor, this street's stately Victorians are right out of a horror movie.
Michael Tilson Thomas will step down as music director of the San Francisco Symphony at the end of the 2019-20 season, marking the end of the longest and arguably most significant chapter in the orchestras 106-year history.

Since taking up the position of music director in 1995, Thomas has overseen a remarkable transformation that has vaulted the San Francisco Symphony to a central position among the top orchestras of the United States and given it a distinctive profile on the international stage.

The move, announced to the orchestra on Tuesday, Oct. 31, is scheduled to coincide with both the end of Thomas 25th season at the organizations helm and his 75th birthday in December 2019. He will remain with the Symphony in the newly created post of music director laureate, conducting at least four weeks each year and undertaking a variety of special programming projects.

I guess part of my decision was just a matter of thinking in round numbers, Thomas said in a phone interview. Ive been very pleased to see the development of the music making in the orchestra, and particularly the amazing quality of the new members coming in. So Im taking this step with a lot of confidence in my colleagues, and a sense of satisfaction at the direction of this journey weve taken together.

But in the big picture of my personal life, Im looking forward to having less responsibility, and more time to devote to other projects  even ones not necessarily having to do with music.

Thomas decision to step aside comes at a critical juncture for the Symphony, a time of softening attendance and growing financial uncertainty. Whoever succeeds him will need to maintain the high artistic and technical standards that have become part of the Symphonys thumbprint, while also finding a way to attract a younger and more diverse audience  an imperative on which other organizations have made notable progress.

The nearly three-year lead time on the announcement will give the Symphony a comfortable cushion to find and engage Thomas successor  no doubt a welcome respite for an organization that also just underwent a shift in executive leadership.

This is not an end, but an exciting transition for Michael and our institution, said Mark Hanson, who took over as the orchestras executive director Sept. 1. The lead time allows us to plan very exciting celebratory concerts, special events and tours during his final three years, and to be thinking well in advance about special projects that are particularly suited to his talents.

Hanson said the search process would be very comprehensive, with input from musicians, board members and staff. The goal, he said, is to have a unanimous choice in place in time for a handoff in 2020.

Thomas has made an indelible mark on the orchestra itself as well as on its position and reputation in the world of classical music. He has expanded the Symphonys repertoire to include a new emphasis on music by American and contemporary composers. He has brought the Symphony to a wider global audience through an ambitious regimen of touring and broadcasting. He has championed the cause of music education and outreach through the multimedia project Keeping Score, and created a lasting recorded legacy that includes, most notably, the Symphonys landmark set of the complete Mahler symphonies.

Thomas has added theatrical music to the programming mix, with semi-staged performances of such works as Wagners Flying Dutchman, Brittens Peter Grimes and Bernsteins On the Town.

Through it all, Thomas has put his stamp on the orchestras performing style, taking an ensemble whose technical prowess had been heightened by his predecessor, Herbert Blomstedt, and infusing it with a spirit of spontaneity and expressive freedom.

Michael is a very strong presence on the podium, but hes not dogmatic, principal oboist Eugene Izotov said by phone. He has absolutely no fear of the unknown. The notes on the page might be the same, but the meaning and expression are different every time.

Michael Tilson Thomas embodies the personality and the spirit of San Francisco, said board President Sakurako Fisher in a statement. Striving for excellence in all that he does, creative and curious in nature, inclusive of all, and adventurous in his thinking.

The relationship between Thomas and the Symphony extends back more than 40 years. He made his first appearance here as a guest conductor in January 1974, leading performances of Mahlers Ninth Symphony that The Chronicles Robert Commanday hailed as magnificent.

Cellist Margaret Tait had just joined the orchestra and still recalls that first collaboration.

It was vibrant, it was convincing, it was more youthful of course than what we do now, she said. And as music director, he was even more in command of the orchestra.

Thomas career developed swiftly in the intervening years, with positions in Buffalo, N.Y., Los Angeles and London. Yet for all his visibility and cachet as an orchestral leader, the decision to hire him in San Francisco when Blomstedt stepped down was not an uncomplicated one. He had a reputation for fast living and, at times, for temperamental interactions with colleagues.

But to Nancy Bechtle, then the president of the Symphony board, he was clearly the best candidate for the job  youthful, a native Californian, and adventurous in his outlook.

From the very first time I saw him, I thought he interpreted music better than anyone Id ever seen, she said. And as soon as he was announced, the city went nuts.

Thomas first season set the tone for the years to come. He opened with a new work commissioned from Lou Harrison, a Bay Area resident whose music had never appeared on a Symphony program, and continued with a season in which every program included a work by an American composer, past or present. That season concluded with a festival devoted to composers hed dubbed American Mavericks, in which members of the Grateful Dead participated in a long free-form work by the late John Cage.

Music of American composers continues to preoccupy him  this month, hell conduct Ives Third and Fourth Symphonies with the orchestra  but at 72, Thomas is also increasingly focused on work of the standard repertoire. Next week, for example, sees the release of the orchestras superb recordings of the complete Schumann symphonies.

In earlier days when I was guest conducting, very often I was asked to do a piece by Ives or Luciano Berio or Elliott Carter or someone like that, Thomas said. But now Im becoming more of an elder statesman, and by and large Im asked to do Beethoven or Schumann or Mahler. I guess its very kindly assumed that I can bring some life experience to bear on it.

Joshua Kosman is The San Francisco Chronicles music critic. Email: jkosman@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JoshuaKosman
TITONKA | A man was life-flighted after a single-vehicle rollover in Kossuth County early Tuesday morning.

The Kossuth County Sheriffs Office said in a news release a male driver was ejected from a 1998 GMC Sonoma pickup around 3:40 a.m. near Titonka.

The crash was reported in the 1900 block of 300th Street.

The driver was transported to Kossuth Regional Health Center in Algona and later life-flighted to Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa, the sheriff's office said.

Law enforcement hasn't released the man's name or condition, citing pending notification of family.

Algona Police, Burt First Responders and Fire Department, Titonka Ambulance and Algona Ambulance provided assistance at the scene.

 Courtney Fiorini
WASHINGTON  President Trump and his representatives on Monday dismissed the charges leveled against three former campaign advisers, saying none of them proved that he had colluded with Russia last year to influence the presidential election.

White House officials said that the indictment of Paul Manafort, the presidents former campaign chairman, and Rick Gates, Manaforts deputy, as well as the guilty plea of George Papadopoulos, a former campaign adviser, had nothing to do with Trump or his election operation. Instead, the administration sought to refocus attention on Democrats and their actions during the campaign.

Todays announcement has nothing to do with the president, has nothing to do with the presidents campaign or campaign activity, said Sarah Huckabee Sanders, White House press secretary. Weve been saying from day one theres been no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion, and nothing in the indictment today changes that at all.

Jay Sekulow, a private attorney for Trump, said the president and his legal team were not worried about the indictments, which could be used by the special counsel, Robert Mueller, to seek testimony that could implicate other targets.

No, not concerned, Sekulow said on CNN. Im completely convinced as I was from the outset that not only was there no Russian collusion, there was no obstruction. He added: Im not concerned about this at all and no one else is either.

On Twitter, Trump reacted only to the indictment of Manafort on tax fraud, money laundering and foreign lobbying violations, arguing that it was not relevant to the campaign since it dealt with prior private business.

In the first of two tweets, Trump wrote: Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why arent Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????

In a second tweet minutes later, Trump added: ... Also, there is NO COLLUSION!

He made no comment on the guilty plea by Papadopoulos, who admitted lying to the FBI about his efforts to connect Trumps campaign with Russian government officials.

At her briefing, Sanders repeatedly insisted that Papadopoulos was just a volunteer in the presidents campaign, and she downplayed his role by saying that he was a volunteer member of an advisory council that literally met one time.

Sanders insisted that Trump campaign officials rebuffed all of his efforts to put them in touch with Russians. You mean the outreach that was repeatedly denied, and pushed away? she said. He reached out and nothing happened beyond that.

His guilty plea, she said, was unrelated to his campaign efforts. It has nothing to do with the activities of the campaign, Sanders said. It has to do with his failure to tell the truth that doesnt have anything to do with the campaign or the campaigns activities.

Democrats jumped on the indictments, showing no hesitation to link the allegations against Trump campaign aides to Trump himself.

We know today that the Trump presidential campaign was run by a Russian foreign agent now charged with conspiring against the United States, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. This indictment is a sober, shattering moment and a major step toward answers and accountability for the American people.

Sanders said Manafort and the president have not spoken in months. She said that Gates had been at the White House several times since the inauguration, but she declined to say for certain whether Trump had spoken to Gates.

I know that there was some initial contact after the president was sworn in, she said, but said that she was not certain there was anything directly with the president.

Both Sanders and Sekulow disputed suggestions that Trump might seek to fire Mueller. Theres no intention or plan to make any changes in regards to the special counsel, Sanders said.

The two also played down the possibility that Trump might pardon Manafort or others caught in the special counsels investigation. I havent had a conversation with the president about pardons or pardoning individuals, Sekulow said. Sanders likewise said that she had not spoken with the president about the possibility of pardons.

Michael D. Shear is a New York Times writer.
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An Oakland couple has adopted the dog who led BART police on a careful but tiring chase late September. The pitbull mix was transferred to Oakland Animal Services after it was found running around the tracks near the Oakland Coliseum station last month.

BART says that the dog's new owners, identified only as Todd and BethAnn, of Oakland, told the transit agency that they hadn't heard about the dog's dramatic historythey had just come in to look for a new canine friend.

"I had been interested in a pit bull because I know they have a harder time being adopted, and I wanted to help with that," Todd told BART. The couple adopted the dog from Oakland Animal Services a few weeks after his rescue.

RELATED: Dogs in Halloween costumes took over Potrero Hill on Saturday

OAS director Rebecca Katz told SFGATE that when the dog first came into the shelter, they'd hoped an owner would come forward to take him home, but no such event happened. Eventually, Todd and BethAnn came along.

Todd said that he was drawn to Bart because of his mild disposition. "When I went in, all the other dogs were barking in their kennels, and he was just sitting there calmly," Todd told BART. "He walked very well on a leash, was very affectionate and really mellow."

ALSO: What happened when a sitter found on Rover.com lost an Oakland woman's dog

His temperament has the family considering another, fitting name: Bodhi.

"Which in the Buddhist tradition, means enlightenment/teacher of compassion," BethAnn told BART. "Seems a fitting name since he's clearly had a hard life and yet he's always gentle and accepting. We can use a big dose of kindness in the world these days, and he seems to embody that."

MORE: Family dog emerges alive and happy from wildfire aftermath

Todd told BART that the dog is a nice counterpart for the family calico cat, Topaz. The couple says his favorite pastimes are "lolling" on the couch and snoozing on the dog bed in the bed with his new parents.

"I haven't heard him bark yet," Todd added.

BethAnn told BART the dog is still adjusting to new life in the East Bay.

"He was abused and neglected, and sometimes cowers like he's going to be hit, but of course he is instead showered with lots of loving pets and kisses," BethAnn told BART. "Everywhere we take him, people ask about his back story."
MASON CITY | Outgoing City Councilwoman Janet Solberg has criticized fellow council member and mayoral candidate Bill Schickel over delays in a paving project that began 27 years ago when Schickel was mayor.

In 1990, the city received a state Community Development Block Grant for $600,000 -- and provided a $113,889 local match -- to pave streets and make other improvements in Central Heights, a southwest neighborhood Solberg represents on the council.

Some of the state money was reportedly used for other purposes. When the city applied for funds the following year to complete the project, its request was denied.

The year after that, the state, who says it doesn't have a record of the 1990 grant, changed the guidelines, no longer funding paving projects through the block grants. As a result, some Central Heights streets were not paved and remain unpaved today.

A citizens group led by Mark and Donna Holt are now working with city officials to get the paving done.

In her Oct. 17 Facebook post, which cannot be viewed publicly, Solberg did not mention Schickel by name.

She wrote, "I am not looking to get political on here, but as you are getting ready to vote in the upcoming election, please note who the mayor was from 1990-1993 when our money for our street paving mysteriously disappeared ...then was elected mayor again from 1998 to 2002. Please get yourself informed. This is your time to use your vote to make decisions on who represents Central Heights' best interests."

Schickel was mayor during both time periods mentioned in the Facebook post.

Solberg, a former president of the Central Heights Neighborhood Association, has discussed the paving delays in the past but has never mentioned funding "mysteriously" disappearing. She is not seeking re-election to the council.

While no specific paperwork is available, state and former city officials have said the money was used for other city projects that were deemed a higher priority at the time.

Schickel is in a three-way race for mayor with NIACC student Alex Klein and Lehigh Cement quality control manager Colleen Niedermayer. Solberg did not endorse any mayoral candidate in her post.

Mark Holt, who said he had been working with former City Administrator Brent Trout and Public Works Director Mark Rahm to get the streets paved, has not pointed any fingers as to who was at fault for the delays.

He said in a recent interview with the Globe Gazette, "The past is the past. We're making good progress working with the city and we're going to get this done."

Schickel said Monday, "I am very encouraged by the recent progress we have made on getting the streets paved. I will continue to work to get the job done. Finger-pointing does not solve problems. That's why I am running a 100 percent positive campaign."

Solberg didn't respond to a email request for comment Monday.
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MEXICO CITY (AP)  Mexico's spiraling violence reached new heights with 2,234 murders in June, the country's deadliest month in at least 20 years, according to government data.

Killings rose in states ranging from the tourist haven of Baja California Sur to the Gulf coast state of Veracruz and even in Mexico City, long considered a relative oasis from drug gang violence. For the first six months of 2017, authorities nationwide recorded 12,155 homicide investigations, or 31 percent more than the 9,300 during the same period last year.

Just Friday, the same day the report was released, a marine and four other people were killed when armed forces moved against the leader of the principal fuel-theft ring in the central state of Puebla.

Four of the dead were alleged members of "Los Bukanas," a violent gang that sells gasoline stolen through illegal taps in the government oil company's pipelines. It's a business that has been estimated to cost the government $1 billion annually and which has grown increasingly violent as authorities try to control it.

Also Friday, the top prosecutor in the western state of Jalisco, Eduardo Almaguer, said authorities discovered two drug cartel training camps where they believe about 40 people had been trapped and trained after being tricked by online job advertisements. An unknown number of human remains were also found.

The victims were apparently lured by job offers for private security guards or municipal police and were then forced to build their own shelters from wood and branches and train in tactics and shooting  using paintball guns  while under guard by gang members, Almaguer said. The investigation that led to the camps started with six similar reports of missing people in June.

"They are recruiting good people who look for employment," Almaguer said.

On Thursday, a neighborhood on the south side of Mexico City exploded in gunfire and eight people were killed as marines tried to capture the leader of a drug gang that controlled street-level drug sales in part of the city. The gang's semi-automatic rifles and burning vehicle barriers set up to block authorities were reminiscent of perennial hotspots like the border city of Reynosa, but almost unheard of in the capital.

Those events underscore the growing struggles between or against organized crime groups from one end of the country to the other.

Murders remain high in states that have traditionally struggled with violence like Guerrero and Mexico state. But they have also shot up in states unaccustomed to such bloodshed, like Baja California Sur  home to the Los Cabos tourist resorts  and the Pacific coast state of Colima.

The border state of Chihuahua, which had found some relief from violence that peaked in 2010, has found its murders in 2017 running about 55 percent ahead of where they were last year.
1 Arrest settlement: A Utah nurse who was arrested for refusing to let a police officer draw blood from an unconscious patient said Tuesday that she was settling with Salt Lake City and the university that runs the hospital for $500,000. Nurse Alex Wubbels and her lawyer, Karra Porter, announced the move nearly two months after they released police body-camera video showing Detective Jeff Payne handcuffing Wubbels. The footage drew widespread attention online amid the ongoing national conversation about police use of force.

2 Inmates to be released: Hundreds of inmates are about to get early releases from Louisiana prisons and jails, a milestone in a push to reduce the nations highest incarceration rate. The early release of roughly 1,500 inmates on Wednesday is the product of a new package of laws overhauling the states criminal justice system. The legislation won bipartisan support from state lawmakers, but some elected officials have denounced the changes. Outrage has been stirred up by racially charged remarks by a sheriff who warned that bad prisoners will be freed from his north Louisiana jail and also complained that hes losing free labor from the good ones.
NORTHWOOD | The Worth County Board of Supervisors wants state legislators to decide how the future of hog confinements in North Iowa and beyond should be handled.

Last week, the board decided to strike a resolution that would have encouraged the state legislature to review the master matrix formula and ask county officials to educate potential new farmers in the area about agricultural opportunities, among other actions.

Chairman Merlin Bartz said the board has been dealing with concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) the past two to three months. Board members were given a petition last week with more than 130 signatures telling them to not pass the resolution, which was initially drafted Oct. 16.

Worth County residents rally opposition to CAFOs KENSETT | There was an unspoken yet prevailing theme Thursday night at a meeting of Worth Co

"At this particular point, I think it is in the legislatures hands," Bartz said following Monday's meeting. "We had definitely given an indication upfront that we did not feel we had the authority to pass a moratorium ... Personally, Im kind of in the waiting mode to see whats gonna happen during the legislative session.

Advocates against the construction of new CAFOs cite health risks and a need for more sustainable farming. Edith Haenel, a member of Iowa Citizens for Responsible Agriculture (ICRA)  formerly Worth County Against CAFOs  was present at the board's meeting Monday.

She takes notes at each meeting and posts them to The Peoples' Minutes  Worth County, Iowa, a Facebook page dedicated to the board's meetings. Haenel said Monday she is against CAFOs because of the health risks, especially to children.

Haenel has epilepsy, and she said the facilities can cause seizures for not just her but others who don't have a similar health history. Elected officials should be pushing for more environmental-friendly farming, she added.

"Most of the time, people will say, 'Well, this is the only way that young people can get into farming.' Thats not true," Haenel said. "I think theres a very strong trend of these very young, dedicated people who want to do sustainable farming."

The state legislature will reconvene in January. Haenel said the ICRA has contacted state Rep. Jane Bloomingdale about possible legislation to reverse some of the laws under the current state matrix.

Bloomingdale, a Northwood Republican who represents a district that includes Worth County, didn't return two phone messages Monday.

Haenel said ICRA members will be attending a legislative forum in the next couple of months to continue lobbying efforts against the construction of new CAFOs.

Despite the tension between those who support and oppose the confinements, Bartz hopes the issue, as complex as it is, can be resolved by state senators and representatives.

North Iowa pig equipment dealer: CAFO foes overreacting LAKE MILLS | Tony Nelson knows a thing or two about environmental issues.

"Iowa is well-known as an agricultural state, but that doesnt mean that we can not, and that doesnt mean we do not protect the health and well-being of our citizens," Bartz said.

"You have to have the right venue," he added. "And the right venue here is going to be what the state legislature decides to do in January when they convene.

Other county supervisors, including Cerro Gordo, Floyd and Mitchell, said earlier this year they supported changes to the state's master matrix, a scoring system regulating animal confinement facilities.
The following pieces of evidence are historic, sobering and summon Americans to pause and reflect as to where we stand with our 45th president.

First: After nine months in office it is shocking that 56 percent of Americans (Quinnipiac Poll) believe Trump is not fit to serve as president. Specifically, the majority of citizens think Trump is not honest, does not have good leadership skills and is not level-headed.

Second: On Nov. 8, 2016, Donald Trump earned 51.1 percent of Iowa voters support and our six electoral college votes. Eleven months later only 41.9 percent of Iowans, a statistically significant drop, approve of Trumps presidency (Morning Consult survey).

Third: Recently, prominent and respected Sen. Rob Corker (R-Tennessee) identified Trump as irrational, ill-informed, impulsive, unfit for command and increasingly a danger to the country and the world. Furthermore, Corker said of Trump, I know for a fact that every single day at the White House, its a situation of trying to contain him.

Fourth: Numerous journalists from left-wing, centrist and right-wing media outlets admit theyve heard, first-hand, from senators, representatives and White House staff they view Trump as a menace in his current role. Lets be clear. These people who work with Trump believe he is intellectually unaware as to how his actions, non-actions and statements steer the country to a dangerous cliff plus temperamentally Trump is unable to exercise anything close to mature judgment.

It is well documented during the presidential election Trump took 141 different policy positions on 23 issues. Since taking office, Trump has flip-flopped on health care five times, immigration reform five times, NATO four times, NAFTA four times, Syria intervention four times, China three times, to name a few.

Trumps 1,145 documented false and misleading claims, Charlottesville debacle, refusing to impose strict sanctions on Russia as mandated by Congress (July 27), disparaging remarks toward North Koreas leader and fellow GOP leaders Corker, McCain, McConnell and Ryan and the list goes on and on is very troubling to sensible Americans.

The majority of USAs 535 Congressional delegates are now saying they have an obligation to their constituents to do something about the mess we are in.

Baby boomers recall during February 1966, Sen. J. William Fulbright (D-Arkansas) convened a series of hearings on whether his fellow Democrat, President Lyndon Johnson, was making a disastrous error with his deepening commitment to the Vietnam War. The hearings he and other Democrats held caused a significant shift in public opinion regarding U.S. military involvement in Vietnam.

Just like Fulbright and Corker are on the right side of history, even 51 years apart, in doing everything they can to change a course of disastrous error set by their own partys president, our representatives in Washington, DC owe us an answer.

Dear Iowa Congressional delegates Blum, Ernst, Grassley, King, Loebsack and Young: For purposes of accountability to the voters who elected you to represent them, please submit a letter to the editor to this newspaper with a simple 'yes' or 'no' reply to the two questions contained in the next paragraphs. No heifer dust elongated responses please - just a 'yes' or 'no' answer. No response to this inquiry within two weeks will be interpreted that you explicitly support Donald J. Trumps endeavors.

Question 1: Do you agree with Sen. Bob Corker that Trump is a danger to the country and the world?

Question 2: Do you agree that Trump is unstable, losing a step and unraveling?

Thank you for representing your constituents and upholding the solemn oath of office as prescribed by law. We anxiously look forward to receiving your cogent answers while protecting us against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
North Carolina has long been one of the nations leaders in providing medical care, and the Duke University Health System is seeking to expand the states reputation by building an $88 million cancer-treatment therapy center that would offer an innovative new treatment to the people of North Carolina and beyond.

However, before Duke  or any other hospital, for that matter  can begin building its facility, it needs to get permission from a state-run board under North Carolinas certificate of need (CON) law.

North Carolina is one of 35 states that limit the ability of health care providers to expand their businesses through certificate of need, an obstructive and unnecessary approval process. CON laws were first passed in the 1960s by states seeking to slow increasing health care prices by limiting duplication and promoting health care consolidation. CON programs require health care providers to receive state approval, generally from the states health care agency or a designated CON commission, to add facilities or increase available services.

North Carolina requires a certificate of need for a wide range of expenditures, including construction and modification of health care facilities and the offering of new services. Providers must even get permission to add more inpatient care beds. Unlike other licensing laws, CON laws generally are not based on quantifiable criteria, such as experience or education.

Recent studies have shown CON laws fail to achieve many of their stated goals and actually increase costs for consumers by hindering competition and forcing providers to use older facilities and equipment.

A new state profile of North Carolinas CON laws by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University examined the effect CON laws have had on the states health care industry and how the market would develop without CON laws. Mercatus notes that while states with CON programs regulate on average 14 different medical services, devices and procedures, North Carolinas CON laws require medical providers to obtain government permission to compete for 25 medical services, one of the most burdensome CON laws in the country.

Using existing data on the cost of CON laws in other states, Mercatus estimates total health care spending in North Carolina could drop by $213 per person if the states CON law were to be repealed, and eliminating the certificate of need law would improve far more than just health care costs; it would also dramatically improve the quality and access of health care for North Carolinians. According to the Mercatus study, North Carolina could have 14 additional ambulatory surgery centers and 55 more hospitals in the state if they were to eliminate the CON law. Patients would also have access to more imaging tests outside of hospitals, which means fewer people would have to travel longer distances for care.

A study by Thomas Stratmann and David Wille of the Mercatus Center analyzed the effect of CON laws on specific metrics for nine different quality indicators at 921 hospitals. The study reviewed data from 2011 to 2015 and found the health care quality measures were significantly lower in CON states compared to states without CON laws  most likely because its harder to build newer, technologically advanced medical facilities in CON states compared to non-CON states. This issue isnt merely academic; mortality rates linked to hospital complications were higher in CON states by about 5.5 percent compared to the average rate in non-CON states.

If North Carolina were to end its CON law, it would likely experience lower mortality rates from heart attacks, heart failure and pneumonia and reduced readmission rates for heart attack and heart failure patients. There would also likely be fewer deaths from post-surgery complications, according to Mercatus profile of North Carolina.

The data show CON laws dont work, and the reason should be obvious: Doctors, hospitals and experts in the health care industry know far more about what services they need to provide medical care than a government-run health care board. And if providers are willing to invest tens of millions of their own money to add services or expand their facilities, why should bureaucrats stand in the way?
Small businesses have a friend in President Trump. In a recent speech before the National Association of Manufacturers, Trump promised huge tax relief for small businesses, calling his proposed 25 percent cap on tax rates the lowest top marginal income tax rate for small- and medium-size businesses in more than 80 years. It is, as he put it, veritable rocket fuel for our economy.

The president is absolutely right. Small businesses have more than earned a tax break. For decades, theyve had to pay the highest possible marginal individual rate on their income, thanks to a tax code that treats them as pass-through entities. Almost all of the nearly 30 million small businesses in the United States get taxed this way, handing the taxman as much as half of their income once state and local levies are factored in.

Reducing that share to just 25 percent will reap big benefits  not just to our unfairly overburdened small businesses but also to Main Street, where voters know they gain when small businesses keep more money.

In a poll by the Wall Street Journal, small business tax cuts not only enjoy majority support but are 17 percentage points more popular than tax cuts even for respondents own families  a reflection of public confidence in the broad-based economic power of small business.

Congressional leaders get the picture too. The legislative framework put forth by Republicans recognizes that small businesses drive our economy and our communities, and they deserve a significant tax cut.

Members of the Associated Builders and Contractors appreciate the transformative effect of tax cuts. But even a perfect blueprint is just a means to the end of a completed structure, whereby people can flourish in their work and home life. Congress needs to get tax cuts off the page and into the hands of the businesses Americans count on to grow the pie nationwide and bolster economic growth in our neighborhoods.

Michigan is a shining example of what small business does for us all.

Here, according to the latest numbers from the Small Business Administration, small businesses employ half of the 3.6 million employees in our private-sector workforce, and make up over 99 percent of all our businesses.

Small businesses are inherently optimistic. They want to grow, and theyre close enough to their communities to see up close and personal how their growth improves lives. But without action on taxes from Congress, the outlook of Americas small businesses only grows cloudier. Hiring and anticipated expansion have dipped, according to the new midyear economic report released by the National Small Business Association.

The absence of any meaningful legislating is a driver of changes in anticipated growth, National Small Business Administration President and CEO Todd McCracken said, and is the reason why small businesses believe the first thing Congress and the administration need to address is ending the partisan gridlock.

Voters agree that lawmakers have an obligation to enact tax cuts now. Three-fourths of Americans want tax relief with results like more hiring and more growth, an American Action Network survey revealed, with 70 percent of Democrats agreeing tax relief is a bipartisan priority.

Meanwhile, research shows small businesses are ready to use tax savings to deliver the increased productivity Americans want out of a tax bill. In a new Job Creators Network poll, most small business owners say theyd put tax relief to use hiring employees, making new investments, boosting paychecks or adding locations.

The blueprint for success on taxes is clear. Lets turn that blueprint into law.
NEW YORK, Oct. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Ford Motor Company (Ford or the Company) (NYSE:F) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, for the Eastern District of Michigan, and docketed under 17-cv-13536, is on behalf of a class consisting of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Ford securities, seeking to recover compensable damages caused by defendants violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.



If you are a shareholder who purchased Ford securities between February 18, 2014, and October 26, 2017, both dates inclusive, you have until December 29, 2017, to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased.

[Click here to join this class action]

Ford Motor Company designs, manufactures, and services cars and trucks. The Company also provides vehicle-related financing, leasing, and insurance through its subsidiary.

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Companys business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) flaws in the Companys manufacturing processes, supply chain, and/or quality control rendered at least 841,000 Ford vehicles unsafe to drive; (ii) the foregoing issues, when revealed, would foreseeably subject Ford to additional regulatory scrutiny and impact the Companys profitability; and (iii) as a result, Fords public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On October 27, 2017, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced a preliminary investigation into 841,000 Ford vehicles, citing concerns that the vehicles steering wheels could detach while the vehicles are in motion. NHTSA stated that it is specifically investigating 2014-2016 model Ford Fusion sedans.

On this news, Fords share price fell $0.21, or 1.71%, to close at $12.06 on October 27, 2017.

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

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

rswilloughby@pomlaw.com
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

PERTH, Australia, Oct. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Perseus Mining Limited (TSX:PRU) (ASX:PRU) is hosting a conference call to discuss the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) for the Yaoure Gold Project, located in Cote dIvoire, which is anticipated for release around 8.30am AEDT on Friday 3 November 2017.

Call Details

Australia: Friday 3 November 2017

(Perth  7:00am)

(Sydney/Melbourne  10:00am)

Canada: Thurs 2 November 2017

(Toronto  7:00pm)

(Vancouver  4:00pm)

UK: Friday 3 November 2017 (London  12:00am)

Conference ID: 411980

Listen online: https://boardroom.media/broadcast/?eid=59f693075d7cfb1348b3c049

Audio access dial in numbers:

Australia: 1800 558 698

Hong Kong: 800 966 806

Singapore: 800 101 2785

Canada: 1855 8811 339

New Zealand: 0800 453 055

United Kingdom: 0800 051 8245

United States: 1855 8811 339

In order to ask a question during the Live Question and Answer Session, please press 0 then 1 on your telephone keypad in order to enter the Q&A queue. To withdraw your question simply key 0 then 2.

The conference call will feature Managing Director Jeff Quartermaine. The audio cast can also be accessed via Perseus website at www.perseusmining.com.

To discuss any aspect of this announcement, please contact:

Media Relations: Nathan Ryan at telephone +61 4 20 582 887 or email nathan.ryan@nwrcommunications.com.au (Melbourne)
Hamilton, Bermuda (October 31, 2017)

Third quarter highlights 2017

Revenue $212.3 million

EBITDA of $17.8 million before exceptional items

Contract awards and renewals during Q3 17 improved order backlog by roughly $100 million P&A contract for Platform Drilling for Repsol Norway Renewed contract for Platform Drilling for Chevron UK Oiltools and Wireline won frame agreement with Repsol Norway to deliver P&A and related services

Slight setback in US Onshore due to Hurricane Harvey, but overall trend remains positive

First two leased Flex rigs on contract with Pan American Energy mobilized on schedule

John Lechner, CEO Archer comments:

"Archer's financial performance improved from the second quarter with both higher revenue and improved margin.

Our strong operational and HSE performance led to continued contract awards and renewals, cementing our position as the leader within platform drilling in the North Sea. Our frame agreement for P&A services with Repsol further showcased our position as a provider of integrated P&A services on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

Our land drilling business in Argentina increased activity in the quarter on the back of the recent contract award with Pan American Energy. We managed to deploy two of our four leased Flex rigs as planned, and we are committed to work hard to achieve incentive bonuses from efficient drilling operations. However, the operating environment remains challenging and the activity in the region may fluctuate quarter to quarter, as the demand for drilling, pulling and workover rigs changes. On the positive side, we have been awarded a contract for one of our idle rigs in Bolivia, scheduled to mobilize towards the end of the year.

We lost slight momentum in the US during the quarter as a result of Hurricane Harvey, but we have now recovered and are confident of continued growth going forward.

The outlook for oilfield services remains uncertain, but Archer is benefiting from exposure to differing geographies and early cycle segments. A stable oil price at current levels will support activity growth into 2018. We remain committed to de-leveraging and strengthening our balance sheet through strict capital discipline and focus on efficient operations."

In connection with the trading update release, a conference call will be held at 14:00 Oslo time (8:00 Houston time/ 13:00 London time) on Tuesday October 31, 2017.

To listen to the conference call, the following options are available:

A. Webcast

To register for the webcast please go to https://edge.media-server.com/m6/p/quih4rhp

B. Conference call

To access the call, which is open to the public, please contact the conference call operator at the participant telephone numbers listed below. Please call in 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time, and ask for the "Archer Third Quarter 2017 Trading Update Conference Call."

Participant Telephone Numbers:

Local - Oslo, Norway: +47 2316 2787 Local - New York, United States of America: +1 646 254 3365 Local - London, United Kingdom: +44 (0)20 7136 2051 Confirmation Code: 2866199

The operator will ask for your name, company and the confirmation code.

Following the presentation there will be a Q&A session. Information on "how to ask questions" will be given at the beginning of the Q&A session.



This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.



Attachments:

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5ce6a42f-4950-4cd6-8294-84e757e25d04
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Hope Mohr, the choreographer and curator, sees a deep importance in cross-disciplinary collaboration. So much so, that its at the very heart of her annual Bridge Project, which seeks to bring together artists from disparate fields, geographies and generations.

This year, the program has been named Radical Movements: Gender and Politics Performance and looks to explore what it means to have a radical body by pairing some of the best-known thinkers on queerness and gender like Judith Butler and Jack Halberstam with some of the foremost practicing queer performers like drag queen Fauxnique and the performance artist known as boychild, respectively.
When Sen. Bernie Sanders appeared on "Late Night" for the fifth time on Monday, host Seth Meyers joked, "I feel like every time you're here there's some big piece of news that just happens day of."

"We arrange it," Sanders said with a chuckle. "It takes a lot of work."

Meyers went on to ask Sanders about his reaction to that "big news"the indictment of Trump's former campaign manager Paul Manafort.

Special counsel Robert Mueller and his team were given the assignment of determining whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian to undermine American democracy.

While the indictment on Monday doesn't directly implicate Trump, it does reveal that Manafort and his business associate Rick Gates funneled payments through foreign companies and bank accounts as part of their private political work for pro-Russian foreign interests.

In addition to the indictment, former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos has pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents in what is so far the only criminal case linking the Trump election effort to the Kremlin.

"I worry very much about the attacks we're seeing every day in a variety of ways, not only from the Russians, on American democracy," Sanders said. "We have a president who clearly does not understand the Constitution of the United States, a president who attacks the media every day, and media has a very important role to play in our democracy."

Manafort and Gates, who have pleaded not guilty in federal court, are not charged with any wrongdoing as part of the Trump campaign, and the president immediately sought to distance himself from the allegations. He said on Twitter that the alleged crimes occurred "years ago," and insisted anew there was "NO COLLUSION" between his campaign and Russia.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Netflix wasted little time in reacting to Anthony Rapps revelation that he was sexually assaulted by Kevin Spacey when he was 14 and working in a play in New York. The network, saying it was deeply troubled by the matter, announced it will end House of Cards after its sixth season, now being filmed.

On Tuesday, the network went further, announcing it had suspended production on the show immediately. The network and the shows producer, Media Rights Capital, said it would halt production in order to address any concerns of our cast and crew.

Thats a good next step.

I interviewed Rapp in 2006 after his memoir, Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss and the Musical Rent, came out. The book detailed how he dealt with his mothers terminal cancer diagnosis at the same time his career was taking off in Rent. It was a good interview because Rapp is thoughtful, intelligent and not a flake. Even before Spacey issued his, frankly, outrageous response, I knew Rapp was telling the truth about Spacey hitting on him when he was 14.

Now Playing: Netflix is ending its popular political drama House of Cards. The announcement that the forthcoming sixth season will be its last comes less than 24-hours after the series star Kevin Spacey became embroiled in sexual misconduct allegations. Actor Anthony Rapp has claimed in a published interview that when he was a 14-year-old, Spacey made unwanted sexual advances, in 1986. Spacey has used social media to apologies saying he did not recall the alleged seduction attempt but that it would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behaviour. Media Rights Capital and Netflix, who produce House of Cards, released a statement on Monday in response to the claims against Spacey, saying they were deeply troubled by the news. However a Netflix spokesperson has also said that the decision to end the show was made months earlier, and not in response to the allegations about Spacey. People are mad that Kevin Spacey responded to a sexual misconduct allegation by coming out https://t.co/Vt18moGi04 TIME (@TIME) October 30, 2017 Video: Euronews

On the one hand, Spacey did not deny the incident with Rapp, but he said that he didnt remember it. Accepting Rapps statement that it happened, he apologized.

That would have been an acceptable start, except that Spacey turned the conversation toward his own sexuality, belatedly acknowledging that he now chooses to openly live his life as a gay man.

Who asked you? Who cares? Sexual orientation has nothing to do with the issue of hitting on a 14-year-old. That is a crime. Many on social media were outraged because Spaceys statement would resurrect the repugnant and completely wrong linkage of homosexuality and pedophilia.

Heaven knows, there are people who still think that way. They dont need encouragement by an actor who probably hired PR magicians to come up with a strategy to distract public attention from the real issue, that he hit on a juvenile.

Thats the part that bothers me, that whenever people in power get accused of sexual harassment or inappropriate behavior, they are able to hire professionals to script their pro forma mea culpas and then devise strategies to sweep it all under the rug.

House of Cards has been around for five seasons. It is still a decent show, thanks largely to Robin Wrights performance, but it was heading for the exit anyway. While I would not want to see the entire cast penalized for Spaceys behavior, which would have been the case had Netflix permanently halted filming the sixth season now, the network should have canned him at once and written his character out of the show. That would have sent a more convincing message without putting an entire cast and crew out of work.

And thats the message I hope Netflix will make at this point. Resume production without Spacey. Wright is more than capable of carrying the show in its final season.

A good friend of mine is involved in another project Spacey is working on, the film Gore, based on Empire of Self: A Life of Gore Vidal, by Jay Parini. There is talk that Netflix may pull the plug on that film as well. Ive known Jay for many years. I wouldnt wish him ill for anything in the world. But as long as people in power are allowed to get away with a scripted walk of shame, followed by engineered protection from the consequences of their actions, the more those actions become acceptable behavior, or at least tolerated. They should be neither.

Wink-wink is simply not in any way an acceptable response when a person with power takes advantage of someone who is vulnerable or beholden to them.

Netflix hasnt gone far enough yet, but it has an opportunity now to do so. The production suspension gives the network a chance to play its cards right.

David Wiegand is an assistant managing editor and the TV critic of The San Francisco Chronicle. Follow him on Facebook. Email: dwiegand@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @WaitWhat_TV
AMMAN, Jordan  The U.N. humanitarian chief called for immediate life-saving access to 50,000 displaced Syrians stranded on the sealed border with Jordan, as aid officials reported a sharp drop in food supplies in the remote desert camp since Syrian government forces advanced toward the area in the summer.

Black market prices for food have soared and malnutrition is on the rise among young children in the Rukban camp, the officials said.

Mark Lowcock, the U.N. official, told the U.N. Security Council in a Syria briefing that a long-term solution is needed for getting aid to Rukban.

He said that the best approach is to find a solution from within Syria  an apparent shift after U.N. agencies held months of largely unsuccessful talks with Jordan about access to the camp.

Speaking to the Security Council after meetings with Jordanian officials on Monday, Lowcock said U.N. agencies are straining every sinew to find a way to deliver aid from Syria.

Jordan sealed its border with Syria in June 2016, after a cross-border car bomb by Islamic State extremists killed seven Jordanian border guards.

The pro-Western kingdom has defended the closure, saying its security trumps humanitarian considerations, and that the attack underscored warnings that Rukban has been infiltrated by Islamic State sympathizers.

The international community is reluctant to pressure Jordan, which is hosting a large number of refugees. In all, more than 5 million Syrians fled their country since 2011, including about 660,000 registered refugees in Jordan.

Jordans foreign minister told European Union diplomats last month that Syria and the international community, not Jordan, bear responsibility for Rukban.

U.N. aid deliveries to Rukban from inside Syria would require permission from the government in Damascus and also pose safety risks for staff crossing front lines.

Since Jordans border closure, U.N. agencies have carried out only two distributions from Jordan, in addition to a partial one in June.

At one point, food was hoisted by cranes from Jordan and dropped off near Rukban. A subsequent system of delivery, through a Jordanian contractor, has repeatedly broken down.

A U.N.-run clinic continues to operate on Jordanian soil, several miles from Rukban, and receives 100 to 150 patients per day, said other aid officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of ongoing talks with Jordan.

Karin Laub is an Associated Press writer.
SYDNEY The awarding of the Sydney Peace Prize to the Black Lives Matter movement for its work highlighting American race issues is being hailed by local activists as a progressive step, but is also shining a spotlight on Australias own struggles with race relations.

The Sydney Peace Foundation, a body within the University of Sydney that has previously bestowed its prize on individuals such as South Africas Archbishop Desmond Tutu, will deliver its award to the group this week. Its the first time in the awards 20-year history that an organization will receive the honor.

The group has been at the forefront of U.S. activism against police brutality, mass incarceration and racial inequality.

The social media hashtag with which it shares its name began after neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman was acquitted of killing unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida in 2013. It gained traction when a police officer fatally shot another unarmed black man, Michael Brown, in Ferguson, Mo., the following year, sparking protests.

Black Lives Matter is being awarded for building a powerful movement for racial equality, courageously reigniting a global conversation around state violence and racism, the Sydney Peace Foundation said in a statement.

Patrisse Cullors, one of the groups co-founders, welcomed the award in solidarity with the organizations and organizers of Australia who had and still have faced oppression.

Australian activists say the government and society at large need to do more to address that countrys own racial issues, particularly inequality faced by the countrys aboriginal people, but also its treatment of asylum seekers controversially sent for detention on Pacific Ocean islands.

Some say Australia as a whole needs to adjust its moral compass.

Would I say Australia has lost its heart? Put it this way: Australia  both the government and the people  is very selective about where its heart is placed, said Mark McKenna, a University of Sydney history professor.

Australia remains the only former British colony to have never signed a treaty with its indigenous people, which critics say has led to a damaging history of policies being forced on them from the government.

Trevor Marshallsea is an Associated Press writer.
SHARHABIL, Jordan  From a hillside in northern Jordan, the Yarmouk River is barely visible in the steep valley below, reduced from a once important water source to a sluggish trickle overgrown with vegetation. Jordans reservoirs are only one-fifth full, a record low, and vital winter rains are becoming more erratic.

Jordanians dont need scientists to tell them that they live in one of the worlds driest countries in the center of the planets most water-poor region.

But recent studies suggest the kingdom, a Western ally and refugee host nation with a growing population, is being hit particularly hard by climate change, getting hotter and drier than previously anticipated. One forecast predicts as much as 30 percent less rain by 2100.

We are really in trouble if we dont take action in time, said Ali Subah, a senior Water Ministry official.

But addressing the problem would require cross-border cooperation, a commodity as scarce as water in the Jordan River basin shared by Jordan, Israel, the Palestinians, Syria and Lebanon.

Jordans flagship Red Sea desalination project, which includes a water trade with Israel, has faced repeated delays, most recently because of a diplomatic crisis that led to a scaling back of cross-border contacts since the summer.

A master plan by the regional advocacy group EcoPeace that seeks to transform the Jordan River valley into an economically vibrant green oasis by 2050 is based, in part, on a state of Palestine being established on Israeli-occupied lands. Palestinian independence remains distant, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently asserted that Israel will never leave the stretch of the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank.

Warning signs abound of what a failure to act looks like.

The Dead Sea and Jordan River, global treasures with religious significance as the cradle of Christianity, have been devastated by dropping water levels due to decades of water diversion to urban areas. Some experts suggest civil war in neighboring Syria, which led to a large influx of refugees to Jordan and other neighboring countries, may have been triggered in part and indirectly by a mismanaged drought.

Stanford University researchers say that in the absence of international climate policy action, the kingdom would have 30 percent less rainfall by 2100. Annual average temperatures would increase by 8.1 degrees Fahrenheit and the number and duration of droughts would double, compared to the 1981-2010 period.

Water flows to Jordan from the Yarmouk River, which originates in Syria, would remain low due to droughts and diversion, regardless of when the civil war ends.

Karin Laub is an Associated Press writer.
1 Kabul bombing: A suicide bomber struck near the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistans capital on Tuesday, killing five people in an attack claimed by the Islamic State. Health Ministry spokesman Wahid Mujro said 20 other people were wounded in the blast, which took place in a heavily guarded area housing several diplomatic missions and the offices of international organizations. Islamic State claimed the bombing in a brief statement carried by its Aamaq news agency, without specifying the target.

2 Egypt air strikes: Egypts military says its air strikes have destroyed three vehicles loaded with weapons, ammunition and explosives, and killed a large number of militants in the western desert allegedly involved in a brazen ambush on the countrys police earlier this month. Military spokesman Col. Tamer el-Rifai said Tuesdays air strikes took place in a mountainous area outside Fayoum province, 50 miles southwest of Cairo. The attack comes nearly two weeks after authorities announced that at least 16 policemen were killed in an ambush about 84 miles southwest of Cairo. Tuesdays attack took place in Egypts western desert, where a previous series of attacks were blamed on Islamic militants coming from Libya.
BEERSHEBA, Israel  A century to the day after Australian horsemen broke through Ottoman defenses in a daring First World War victory, nearly 200 horsemen  including descendants of the soldiers who fought that day  paraded Tuesday through the streets of a southern Israeli city in a memorial to those killed in a battle that helped turn the tide of the war and shape the modern Middle East.

With leaders from Israel, Australia and New Zealand in attendance, Australian and Israeli military marching bands led the way through the flag-festooned route in Bersheeba, flanked by several thousand onlookers in a tribute to the 171 British troops killed.

Some 175 members of the Australian Light Horse Association were participating, including descendants of the original troops. Ian Dunlop, an Australian military veteran whose grandfather fought at Beersheba, bore his ancestors four military medals on his chest and said he was very proud to have come from his native Melbourne.

The battle was a crucial, if largely forgotten, victory in the Mideast campaign that enabled the Allies to break the Turkish line in what is now southern Israel and capture Jerusalem weeks later. The victorious campaign redrew the map of the Middle East.

In the fall of 1917, Allied forces with Gen. Sir Edmund Allenbys Egyptian Expeditionary Force advanced on Gaza as part of a campaign to knock the Ottoman Empire, Germanys ally, out of the war. To outflank the Turkish troops entrenched around Gaza, a parched detachment made a desperate maneuver through the Negev Desert to capture the strategic biblical town of Beersheba.

On Oct. 31, 1917, Allied troops launched their assault, but by late in the day, the critical water sources remained in Turkish hands. In a desperate gambit, mounted infantrymen with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps drew their bayonets, charged the Turkish trenches cavalry-style, and stormed into the city.

Had they been turned back, the entire campaign might have been lost.

We learned about the ethos of courage of Australian and New Zealands soldiers, said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was joined by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and New Zealand Governor-General Patsy Reddy.We saw here in Beersheba 800 cavalry go against 4,000 embedded Turks with machine guns, with bunkers, the few ones against the many. Thats the spirit of the army of Israel. It stands today.

For the Australians, the Battle of Beersheba is iconic of the spirit of the Australian people said Kelvin Crombie, a historian and one of the organizers of the 100th anniversary commemorations. After crushing defeats at Gallipoli and on the Western Front, its remembered as the young nations first real victory.

The Light Horse charge also proved decisive for the Zionist dream of a future Jewish state. Two days later, after word of the victory reached London, Britains foreign minister Lord Arthur Balfour issued a declaration calling for the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.

Ilan Ben Zion is an Associated Press writer.
31 October 2017

Tern Plc (AIM: TERN)

Update on Device Authority Limited Fundraise

Further to the announcement of 29 September 2017, Tern Plc (AIM:TERN), the investment company specialising in the Internet of Things ("IoT"), announces an update on the fundraising activity of its investee company, Device Authority Limited ("Device Authority").

The fundraising with US Capital Partners (www.uscapitalpartners.net), which commenced on 28 September 2017, is underway. As previously announced, the minimum total subscription to be accepted by Device Authority through the private placement will be US$2.5 million ("First Close"), this was initially expected to complete during October 2017. The total potential fundraising has 120 days to complete and a further announcement will be made when the First Close has been achieved.

This announcement includes inside information as defined in Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation No. 596/2014 and is disclosed in accordance with the Company's obligations under Article 17 of those obligations.

Enquiries
Cavalier Corp, the struggling New Zealand carpet maker, expects earnings to improve this financial year and next as it reaps the benefits from restructuring its manufacturing operations, a lower wool price and reducing debt.

The Auckland-based company posted a loss of $2.1 million in the 2017 financial year from a profit of $3.1 million in 2016, weighed down by a 40 percent jump in restructuring costs to $6.3 million as it shut down factories and laid off staff to consolidate operations. Stripping out one-time items such as the restructuring costs, Cavalier's normalised earnings deteriorated to a loss of $1.9 million from positive earnings of $6.3 million a year earlier.

"It has been a tough year for Cavalier," chief executive Paul Alston said in his address to shareholders at the annual meeting in Auckland today. "While the full-year result was well down on expectations, the business did achieve much in FY 2017 and it is my sincere belief that we are now on a strong course to recovery, based on the work we have done and also the opportunities and market conditions before us."

Cavalier's earnings were hurt by the restructuring of its operations in the past year, and while the process of getting its plants up to capacity was challenging, the company is now producing the required volumes and efficiency is improving, Alston said. The business was also hurt by the largest single drop in wool price in many years, which had an immediate effect on the company's scouring and wool buying operations while the benefits to its carpet making operations wouldn't flow through until the 2018 and 2019 years.

"All of these challenges hit us in a perfect storm," Alston said. "Now that the cost of the manufacturing consolidation is behind us we will work solidly to reduce debt. This will be an outcome of reducing inventory, having a lower cost of raw materials (especially wool) flowing through to cash flow and having a lean capital spend year. This will ultimately enable us to expand and grow the business," he said, noting that new products were performing well.

"We see the performance of the business steadily improving in FY18 with even greater positive impacts being realised in FY19," Alston said.

Still, chair Sarah Haydon said uncertainty remained about the company's forecasts and the board doesn't expect to be able to give meaningful earnings guidance until after the first half results at the earliest.

The company's directors recognised in the 2017 annual accounts that there was "material uncertainty" around the 2018 outcome.

"The uncertainty is around our ability to forecast the future with accuracy, not our ability to continue in business," Haydon said, noting assumptions had to be made around economic and market conditions, manufacturing performance, wool prices and sales and margins.

"Four months into the year we are making progress," she said. "A level of uncertainty in our forecast of sales and margin will however remain until we can demonstrate a track record of profitable outcomes.

"We certainly expect a better normalised earnings outcome than in FY17," she said. "As soon as we are in a position to confirm an ongoing improvement in underlying performance with our debt firmly under control, we will look to resume dividend payments."

Cavalier is in the process of refreshing its strategic plan and said it would be assessing all its non-core carpet assets and activities to ensure it has the optimum operating structure.

Alston noted that the political climate in New Zealand has changed considerably in the last few weeks with a new Labour-led government.

"We welcome a new focus on NZ jobs and retaining NZ expertise as well as the focus that 'Made in NZ' by New Zealanders is important," he said. Alston said he also welcomed the opportunity to put "quality New Zealand-made carpets" in all government controlled entities, referencing a policy campaign by Labour's coalition partner New Zealand First.

Cavalier shares last traded at 36 cents, having dropped 54 percent this year.

(BusinessDesk)

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New Zealand's angel networks and funds scaled back their investments to $20.2 million in the first half of the year and follow-on funding continues to take the bulk of the investment.

Reporting on the activity of its members tracked by the NZ Venture Investment Fund, Angel Association chair Marcel van den Assum said the money was invested in 29 deals and the split between new deals and follow-on funding was one third to two thirds. That was down 12 percent from the $22.9 million invested in the same period a year earlier, however van den Assum said typically there is a substantial uplift in activity in the second half of the year.

Funding reached a record $69 million in 2016, with software and services taking the bulk of the money. Van den Assum noted annual investment exceeded $50 million for the last four years and grown at an average $5 million a year. Reserve Bank figures show New Zealand households had $117.9 billion invested in unlisted Kiwi companies as at June 30, unchanged from a year earlier.

"The level of deal flow being generated by accelerators such as Wellingtons Lightning Lab, the Manawatus Sprout and Aucklands Flux together with the establishment of new networks this year such as Zino Ventures, Angel Investors Marlborough and Hawkes Bay Angels bodes well for another record year of investment, said van den Assum.

The Angel Association will hold its 10th-anniversary summit this week on Waiheke Island. Ten years ago there were just four angel networks with about 100 members. Today there are a dozen networks operating from Dunedin to Auckland with more than 700 angels contributing capital, connections and expertise to about 100 ventures a year, it said.

(BusinessDesk)

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Oregon Group, which manages a New Zealand portfolio of businesses for Malaysia's Tiong family, expects record earnings in 2018 on rising prices for forest products and the completion of apartments in its land development unit.

Net profit fell to $41 million in the year ended June 30 from $95 million a year earlier, but managing director Thomas Song said that masks the underlying performance of the company. That's because income in 2016 was boosted by a $124 million gain on the value of its forests, while the latest year had only three months of consolidated revenue from New Zealand King Salmon prior to the fish farmer's initial public offering in October 2016.

"2018 will be a record year as all forestry commodities have had a price upswing," Song said. "Land development will also assist with the expected completion of apartment building."

Oregon's 2017 results also don't include any biological gain on salmon stock in the water as King Salmon ceased being a subsidiary, having contributed a $30 million gain in 2016. The company's revenue in the latest year fell to $479 million from $532 million, while other operating income, which includes forestry revaluations, dropped to $21.7 million from about $180 million.

The breakdown of revenue was $343 million from forestry, $97 million from land development, a three-month contribution of $28 million from King Salmon and $11 million from plastic and brushware manufacturing, Song said in an email. Excluding a land purchase of about $33 million operating cash flow was about $3 million ahead of 2016.

The company's 100,000-hectare forest estate was valued at $774 million at June 30 from $781 million a year earlier, accounting for more than half Oregon's $1.41 billion of total assets. Oregon's $88 million of carbon credits were valued at $17.20 per unit at the balance date, up from $84.2 million at $17.85/unit price a year earlier.

It held $134 million of land for development, up from $120.6 million a year earlier. No assets were held for sale.

Oregon tends to fly under the radar but it owns a range of high-profile businesses in New Zealand including the country's fourth-biggest forest estate, Ernslaw One and its subsidiary Winstone Pulp International, 40.2 percent of King Salmon, Innova Products - better known for its ClickClack kitchen storage products, and property development company The Neil Group.

It also owns 50 percent of a joint venture Edible Forest Fungi NZ, 29 percent of NZ Marine Hatcheries, which isn't currently trading, and 100 percent of Talus Industries NZ, a brush making and plastic moulding company that Oregon is winding up "because of ongoing losses". Notes to its accounts say most of the staff at Talus were made redundant in August and the sale of assets was expected to exceed the carrying value of the business.

Neil Group sold its Lauriston Park Retirement Village, held under the Neil Group umbrella, for cash and shares to NZX-listed retirement village operator Arvida Group. As at balance date the shares were worth about $6 million. Its accounts show proceeds of $5.4 million from investments and $16.3 million from the sale of unlisted securities.

(BusinessDesk)

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Europe wants to develop a new version of gold-plated trade deals in its negotiations with New Zealand and Australia to deliver tangible benefits for the general population as the tide goes out on globalisation.

Newly-appointed Trade Minister David Parker met with members of the European Parliament's trade committee during their two-day trip to New Zealand as a precursor to the formal negotiations, and both sides are keen on pursuing a "comprehensive trade agreement" that goes beyond removing tariffs and quotas.

Europe will pursue areas such as labour and environmental standards in the deal with New Zealand, as well as developing a public court to resolve disputes as an alternative to Investor-State Dispute Settlement mechanisms. Committee chair Bernd Lange says they want to deliver a better deal than the stalled Trans-Pacific Partnership.

The committee members met with Parker, who Lange said "has a clear perspective for trade policy" and that they were "convinced he's really open-minded". Parker told RNZ's Morning Report the deal could create a "gold standard" agreement by including terms to protect labour and environmental standards and introduce a new enforcement mechanism that could then be rolled out into other agreements.

Europe plans to use its recent deal with Canada as a blueprint of a "really modern trade agreement" that's based on shared values, protects the ability to regulate public services, and is underpinned by a rules-based framework.

"It is different kind of trade agreement we want," Lange told BusinessDesk in an interview.

New Zealand's sticking point in trade negotiations is typically in agriculture, however Lange anticipates a compromise will be found, pointing to Europe's ability to find common ground with Canada, which has traditionally protected its domestic dairy and poultry industries.

Lange said there was a gap between the parties on labour standards because New Zealand hasn't ratified two of the International Labour Organisation's eight fundamental conventions, which he said were "universally accepted" and essential to making sure the wider population reap the benefits of free trade.

"Freedom of association and collective bargaining are essential to getting a fair share of the benefit, therefore ratification and implementation of universal labour law is key for a trade agreement," he said.

Europe has Asia Pacific firmly in its sights after resetting its trade strategy where it will put greater emphasis on shared values with trading partners and delivering a more transparent process during negotiations.

"New Zealand and Australia are partners which have similar values and similar perspectives and it might be much easier to find common ground with those partners than other partners worldwide," Lange said. "Parliament pushed very strongly for opening negotiations with Australia and New Zealand - perhaps the commission was not really looking to this part of the world for a long time, and now we are on track."

The European delegation's visit comes ahead of the East Asian Summit and APEC meetings, where leaders are expected to try to revive the TPP-11. Lange said he isn't convinced the agreement can go ahead without the US.

Europe is focused on pursuing bilateral agreements with the US blocking any meaningful work at the World Trade Organisation, where Lange said they can establish the frameworks they would like to have in the WTO.

"It is really important to give a signal how good and fair trade agreement could look like in this area," he said. "That might be also reason to act a little bit quicker than usual."

(BusinessDesk)

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Emanuel Williams Selected for HBCU Innovation Summit

Shaw University Junior, Emanuel Williams was selected to attend the United Negro College Funds (UNCF) 5th Annual HBCU Innovation Summit in Silicon Valley. Williams was one of 104 students from over 30 universities nationwide to be selected this year.

"I was incredibly honored to represent Shaw University at the HBCU Innovation Summit this year," said Williams. "I was always told that if I want something the only thing stopping me from getting it is myself. I am grateful for the opportunity to have this experience. Id like to thank my family and friends, my mentors, and all of the excellent faculty and staff here at Shaw for making this happen."

The 2017 HBCU Innovation Summit took place in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley from October 25-28. The summit provides a forum to address the gaps in diversity that exist in Silicon Valley and the tech industry. During the summit, over 30 Historically Black Colleges and Universities visited over a dozen area corporations with a goal of empowering African American students to chart their career paths within the STEM fields.

Williams has worked as an intern at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio the last two summers. He is a computer science major from Yanceyville, NC and is the second Shaw student to be selected in the programs history. In 2015, computer science major Omolola Balogun became the first Shaw student to be selected. Balogun is currently a data engineer for Fidelity Investments in Cary, NC.

Williams selection continues a run of success for the Shaw University Computer Science Department. The University recently created a living space on campus for all computer science majors and has improved course offerings and quality of instruction in recent years. This summer Dr. Lloyd Williams participated in Googles Faculty in Residence Program at the company's Mountain View, CA headquarters. He will be attending the Innovation Summit with Emanuel Williams this year. Dr. Williams says he expects big things in the departments future.

"Were going to draw top students from across the country, were going to produce excellent computer scientists, and companies are going to be clamoring to try and get to our students, says Dr. Williams. "Thats my vision."

According to the UNCF, scholars for the summit were competitively selected based on their GPAs, personal statements, internships, computer science skills and demonstrated leadership, and their willingness to serve as change agents on their respective campuses to align computer science curriculum with industry workforce needs and demands.
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 31, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RiskIQ, the leader in digital threat management, today announced new functionality in RiskIQ Digital Footprint to help organizations ensure that their websites comply with the new EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Under GDPR, which covers the protection of EU personal data, fines can be considerable if the personally identifiable information (PII) is compromised or solicited and handled insecurely.



RiskIQ Digital Footprints new PII/GDPR analytics feature helps expedite compliance during the initial and subsequent GDPR audit processes by actively identifying websites belonging to an organization, as well as highlighting issues with specific pages that collect PII. The regulation, in effect in May of 2018, applies to all organizations that actively engage with EU citizenseven if they have no physical presence in the EU.

GDPR governs the collection, storage, and usage of EU personal customer data and mandates that PII is collected and transmitted securely. Besides data breach notification, an offending organization can face fines of up to 4 percent of their annual revenue (20 million) should inadequate security provisions be evidenced. GDPR also includes specifications designed to ensure that EU citizens know and consent to how their information is being used.

GDPR, as applied to the use of websites with EU citizen personal data solicitation, explicitly requires the following personal data safeguards:

Collect data in a secure, encrypted way

Provide terms and conditions that are easy to understand, with an opt-in requirement to accept

Notification within 72 hours of data breach discovery to a GDPR supervisory authority and the offended citizen

GDPR is a global game changer that will pull the rest of the world toward setting a higher bar for protecting PII, said Jarad Carleton, principal consultant, Digital Transformation, Frost & Sullivan Cybersecurity Practice. However, to be compliant, you first need to know where PII is being collected, so proper process controls can be put around that data. RiskIQ Digital Footprint tells enterprises where PII collection is occurring, even when individual departments have web initiatives outside the oversight of IT. The automated approach supports GDPR and can help enterprises avoid fines and protect future business.

According to research published by PwC, 92 percent of U.S. multinational companies cited compliance with the GDPR as a top data protection priority. However, the challenge for larger organizations is the sheer volume and complexity of websites and web applications that need to be identified and inspected for GDPR compliance. For expansive European and U.S. multinational companies, the ongoing discovery, analysis, and remediation tasks are nearly unachievable without automation leaving a considerable security and compliance gap. Plus, recent RiskIQ research of U.K. organizations revealed that nearly a third of the FTSE-30 websites collected EU citizen personal data insecurely.

RiskIQ research of North American organizations also looked at 25 of the 50 largest banks in the U.S. (2017) and discovered significant security gaps in PII collection. The findings indicated that 68 percent of the banks collect PII insecurely, revealing a per-organization average of:

1,891 insecure login forms

1,663 pages collecting PII insecurely

1,326 EU first-party cookie violations

1,265 EU third-party cookie violations

Each of these insecure collection points represents a violation of GDPR, as well as a potential to have customer data compromised.

RiskIQ Digital Footprint helps address this challenge by actively discovering, creating, and assessing an interactive inventory of public-facing web assets, including sites, applications, and infrastructure, connected to an organization. The new PII/GDPR analytics feature automatically highlights web pages where personal data is being solicited, including login forms, data collection forms, and persistent cookies.

The resulting inventory tags and reports indicate where GDPR policy violations exist to enable IT and security teams to focus their efforts on remediating those web assets to support GDPR specifications. As part of ongoing auditing efforts, it can identify the appearance of new sites and PII collection pages, checking that data is being collected securely and that approved data usage notices and user consent are present. Organizations benefit through significant time and resource savings in the discovery process and audit verification processes, as well as gaining an inventory of and insights towards their PII collection points.

PII discovery, inventory, and compliance assessment is one of the major tasks for GDPR project teams. In our experience, most security and compliance teams have only partial visibility of the websites owned by their organization. They are left to engage users across the business in an effort to uncover them. And once they have compiled that list, inspecting tens of thousands of web pages is labor intensive and prone to error, said Lou Manousos, CEO of RiskIQ. The new PII/GDPR analytics feature in RiskIQ Digital Footprint automates the once cumbersome and often inaccurate process of ongoing website PII discovery and assessment, helping to more efficiently support compliance obligations for large enterprises and multinational organizations.

RiskIQ's PII/GDPR analytics feature is immediately available and is included as part of its Digital Footprint Enterprise solution. Register for RiskIQs webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 29 to learn best practices for ensuring your organization is prepared for the looming GDPR mandate.

About RiskIQ

RiskIQ is the leader in digital threat management, providing the most comprehensive discovery, intelligence, and mitigation of threats associated with an organizations digital presence. With more than 75 percent of attacks originating outside the firewall, RiskIQ allows enterprises to gain unified insight and control over web, social, and mobile exposures. Trusted by thousands of security analysts, RiskIQs platform combines advanced internet data reconnaissance and analytics to expedite investigations, understand digital attack surfaces, assess risk, and take action to protect business, brand, and customers. Based in San Francisco, the company is backed by Summit Partners, Battery Ventures, Georgian Partners, and MassMutual Ventures.

Visit https://www.riskiq.com or follow us on Twitter.

Contact

Alyssa Pallotti

Montner Tech PR

apallotti@montner.com

203-226-9290




Forest Hill, MD, Oct. 31, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Apache Software Foundation (ASF), the all-volunteer developers, stewards, and incubators of more than 350 Open Source projects and initiatives, announced today that Apache Juneau has graduated from the Apache Incubator to become a Top-Level Project (TLP), signifying that the project's community and products have been well-governed under the ASF's meritocratic process and principles.

Apache Juneau is a cohesive framework that allows developers to marshal POJOs (Plain Old Java Objects) and develop REST (Representational State Transfer) microservices and APIs. Marshalling is used to transform an objects memory representation to a data format suitable for moving between different parts of a computer program (or across programs), and to simplify communications to remote objects with an object.



"We've worked hard on making the Apache Juneau code as simple and easy to use as possible," said James Bognar, Vice President of Apache Juneau. "We packed Juneau with rich features and functionality, and have successfully directed our efforts on building a diverse community that will help drive the projects future. Were very proud to graduate as an Apache Top-Level Project.

Apache Juneau consists of:

A universal toolkit for marshalling POJOs to a wide variety of content types using a common cohesive framework; A universal REST server API for creating self-documenting REST interfaces using POJOs, simply deployed as one or more top-level servlets in any Servlet 3.1.0+ container; A universal REST client API for interacting with Juneau or 3rd-party REST interfaces using POJOs and proxy interfaces; and A REST microservice API that combines all the features above with a simple configurable Jetty server for creating lightweight standalone REST interfaces that start up in milliseconds.

Apache Juneau is in use at IBM, The Open Group, and Salesforce, among others. The Apache Streams project began incorporating Apache Juneau libraries in late 2016.

"Removing Dropwizard and Jackson in favor of Apache Juneau simplified our dependency tree, increased the performance of our APIs, and added several features, especially HTML rendering, that have been a huge hit," said Steve Blackmon, Vice President of Apache Streams. "An on-going collaboration between our projects continues to expand the capabilities of Juneau's Remoteable library. As Apache Streams adds additional data provider Java SDKs powered by Juneau, the variety of HTTP interfaces that can be modeled and integrated with Juneau has expanded."

"We were able to replace existing home-grown REST interfaces on top of EMF objects with ones based on Apache Juneau and dramatically reduced the size of our codebase," said Craig Chaney, former Jazz Repository team lead at IBM. "We also used it as the basis for our Docker-based microservices in our CLM-as-a-Service offering."

"I have used Apache Juneau on projects where I need to work with Web Services," said David Goddard, Executive IT Specialist at IBM. "Juneau has saved us many development hours, enabling me to easily consume third-party REST APIs and construct my own Web Services far more quickly than I would otherwise be able to. Juneau also aids the development of robust, maintainable applications with clear logical code structure."

"When The Apache Software Foundation moved the JSON.org license to Category X, successors for JSON processing were needed," said John D. Ament, Vice President of the Apache Incubator, and Apache Juneau incubation mentor. "Apache Juneau was identified as a clean solution. It provides an easy to use API, great performance and a large number of features that made it a strong recommendation for others to leverage."

"As Apache Juneau grows, we welcome new contributors to join the project and take an active role in its development," added Bognar. "Whether reviewing user code, helping with feedback, or contributing code changes through the mailing list, we look forward to learning more about usage patterns to further improve the product."

Meet members of the Apache Juneau community at the Salesforce Dreamforce 2017 conference 6-9 November 2017 in San Francisco.



Availability and Oversight

Apache Juneau software is released under the Apache License v2.0 and is overseen by a self-selected team of active contributors to the project. A Project Management Committee (PMC) guides the Project's day-to-day operations, including community development and product releases. For downloads, documentation, and ways to become involved with Apache Juneau, visit http://juneau.apache.org/ and https://twitter.com/ApacheJuneau



About the Apache Incubator

The Apache Incubator is the entry path for projects and codebases wishing to become part of the efforts at The Apache Software Foundation. All code donations from external organizations and existing external projects wishing to join the ASF enter through the Incubator to: 1) ensure all donations are in accordance with the ASF legal standards; and 2) develop new communities that adhere to our guiding principles. Incubation is required of all newly accepted projects until a further review indicates that the infrastructure, communications, and decision making process have stabilized in a manner consistent with other successful ASF projects. While incubation status is not necessarily a reflection of the completeness or stability of the code, it does indicate that the project has yet to be fully endorsed by the ASF. For more information, visit http://incubator.apache.org/



About The Apache Software Foundation (ASF)

Established in 1999, the all-volunteer Foundation oversees more than 350 leading Open Source projects, including Apache HTTP Server --the world's most popular Web server software. Through the ASF's meritocratic process known as "The Apache Way," more than 680 individual Members and 6,300 Committers across six continents successfully collaborate to develop freely available enterprise-grade software, benefiting millions of users worldwide: thousands of software solutions are distributed under the Apache License; and the community actively participates in ASF mailing lists, mentoring initiatives, and ApacheCon, the Foundation's official user conference, trainings, and expo. The ASF is a US 501(c)(3) charitable organization, funded by individual donations and corporate sponsors including Alibaba Cloud Computing, ARM, Bloomberg, Budget Direct, Capital One, Cash Store, Cerner, Cloudera, Comcast, Facebook, Google, Hewlett Packard, Hortonworks, Huawei, IBM, Inspur, iSIGMA, ODPi, LeaseWeb, Microsoft, PhoenixNAP, Pivotal, Private Internet Access, Red Hat, Serenata Flowers, Target, WANdisco, and Yahoo. For more information, visit http://apache.org/ and https://twitter.com/TheASF

 The Apache Software Foundation. "Apache", "Juneau", "Apache Juneau", "Streams", "Apache Streams", and "ApacheCon" are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Apache Software Foundation in the United States and/or other countries. All other brands and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.



# # #
LAGUNA HILLS, Calif., Oct. 31, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonendo, Inc., announced today it had been named a winner of the 2017 OCTANe High Tech Innovation Awards. Sonendo, Inc. received the award for the Best Healthcare Company at OCTANes 24th annual award ceremony, held on October 12.



We are excited to receive this award, said Bjarne Bergheim, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sonendo, Inc. Orange County is fast becoming known for innovations in medical technology and a region that reflects our commitment to improving patient quality of life and promoting healthy lifestyles. To receive this recognition for the good work the Sonendo team is doing is truly an honor.



The awards program, presented by OCTANe  Orange Countys technology and life science accelerator organization  honors Orange County-based companies which have demonstrated exceptional leadership while developing technological advancements in their industry.

This year, OCTANe presented 11 High Tech Innovation Awards to companies which demonstrated outstanding innovations in software, digital strategy, device and hardware, community engagement, healthcare, medical technology, digital communications, intelligent data analytics, horizontal disruption, intrapreneurship and corporate culture. The winners were selected by a panel of 12 independent judges.

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.

About Sonendo

Sonendo, Inc. is a privately-held, venture-backed company developing innovative and disruptive technologies to transform dentistry by Saving Teeth Through Sound Science. The first commercially available product from Sonendo, the GentleWave System, available in the US, shows significant improvements in clinical efficacy and treatment efficiency when compared to standard root canal techniques.1,2 For more information, please visit www.sonendo.com.

1Sigurdsson A et al. (2016) J Endod. 42:1040-48. 2Molina B et al. (2015) J Endod. 41:1701-05.

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements based on management's beliefs, assumptions and expectations and information currently available to management. All statements that address events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future are forward-looking statements, including without limitation our expectations on the timing and progress of research and development activities. Management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made. However, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they speak only as of the date when made. Sonendo does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements publicly, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Actual results, developments or events could differ materially from those disclosed in the forward-looking statements.
FARMINGTON, Conn., Oct. 31, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Equifax data security breach that exposed the personal information of 143 million Americans was just one story in a year full of hackers making headlines as they continue to expose the security vulnerabilities of some of our nations most trusted financial and healthcare institutions. With the ramifications of these cyberattacks weighing heavily on the minds of many healthcare industry stakeholders, Lee Barrett, executive director of the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC) and a member of the HHS Cybersecurity Task Force, tackled several questions to better help the industry both understand and strengthen its defense against these attacks.



Q. What can the healthcare industry learn from the Equifax breach and other cyberattacks like the ones that affected the US Securities and Exchange Commission and the Big Four Accounting Firm Deloitte?

Barrett: The Equifax breach impacted more than 143M Americans as a trove of information was breached. Its no surprise that 2 out of 3 Americans are affected by a breach or cyberattack. Thats an increase from 1 and 3 Americans in years past. In 2017 alone, the top three health data breaches have impacted 1.5 million people. The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has reported a record number of HIPAA settlements and fines this year as well. These headline-making data breaches are a vivid reminder that its clearly not a matter of if a breach can happen but when.

Hospitals and healthcare systems now need to keep their focus on strategies and tactics to mitigate risk and ensure business continuity once a cyberattack occurs. Todays cybercriminal has evolved into a dangerous entity, capable of bringing an organizations enterprise and business operation to a halt, compounded by long-term financial and reputational hardships  the WannaCry and Petya ransomware attacks from earlier this year are clear examples of the impact this can have on healthcare. On average, it costs a healthcare organization more than $2.2 million and its business associates more than $1 million for a data breach. Is it worth risking that by taking an it-cant-happen-to-us attitude?

Q. What can healthcare organizations do to adjust to the continuously shifting cybercrime landscape and reduce their risks of becoming another statistic on the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) website due to breach or attack?



Barrett: Protecting patient data should be a top priority for all healthcare stakeholders. Every organization handling protected health information (PHI) needs to conduct a risk assessment and asset inventory of their organization and map the data flow within their enterprise in order to determine their risk in the event of a breach or cyberattack. Hospitals and healthcare systems need to build security frameworks and risk sharing into their infrastructure by implementing risk-mitigation strategies, preparedness planning, as well as adhering to the regulations created by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) and the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST).

But its not just the security of internal systems that are of concern in this increasingly interconnected healthcare ecosystem. The security and IT risk management protocols of business associates and other vendors and partners must also be ready for the potential negative consequences of an incident, breach or attack as their risk mitigation preparedness can impact a health systems operations. The failure to do so can bring devastating consequences. At a bare minimum, a system should have sufficient rigor and meet industry standards for adhering to HIPAA requirements, mitigating cybersecurity risks, and assuring that all portal and exchange connection points are secured.

Q. As we look ahead to 2018, what areas should healthcare leaders take a hard look at in terms of enhancing their cybersecurity frameworks?



Barrett: The Internet of Things (IoT) has undoubtedly helped healthcare organizations deliver high-quality, more patient-centric and affordable care. However, by introducing these various internet-connected devices into a healthcare environment, youve exponentially increased the level of connection points, which in turn raises the level of exposure and heightens risk of compromise or breach. As a result, hospitals and healthcare systems need to evaluate their medical devices and BYOD protocols within their security frameworks as they present a whole set of data security challenges.

Cybercriminals can strike when hospital employees, through their cell phones or tablets, connect into an EMR system, informatics or data exchange, unintentionally or intentionally infecting the hospitals enterprise infrastructure with malware. In fact, more than 1M healthcare apps are developed worldwide on an annual basis. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of those new applications go through a security type review before being launched to the consumer or other stakeholder.

Finally, think of the impact a cybercriminal could have if they were to control medical devices. Last year, Johnson & Johnson warned patients about a potential hacking risks to their insulin pumps. And just recently, we learned of a security risk in a Boston Scientific medical device that communicates with implanted pacemakers and defibrillators. These are real instances of medical devices being compromised by the ever-evolving cybercriminal. Our industry needs to make protecting these devices and the patients they serve a priority in 2018. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has recently developed some medical device guidelines which are a start but we still have a significant delta to continue to develop further policies, procedures, controls and industry guidance.

About EHNAC

The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC) is a voluntary, self-governing standards development organization (SDO) established to develop standard criteria and accredit organizations that electronically exchange healthcare data. These entities include accountable care organizations, data registries, electronic health networks, EPCS vendors, e-prescribing solution providers, financial services firms, health information exchanges, health information service providers, management service organizations, medical billers, outsourced service providers, payers, practice management system vendors and third-party administrators. The Commission is an authorized HITRUST CSF Assessor, making it the only organization with the ability to provide both EHNAC accreditation and HITRUST CSF certification.

EHNAC was founded in 1993 and is a tax-exempt 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization. Guided by peer evaluation, the EHNAC accreditation process promotes quality service, innovation, cooperation and open competition in healthcare. To learn more, visit www.ehnac.org, contact info@ehnac.org, or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Press contact information:

Dave Anderson

Anderson Interactive

252-715-4767 / dave@andersoni.com
TORONTO, Oct. 31, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lineage Grow Company Ltd. ("Lineage" or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has received conditional approval from the Canadian Securities Exchange (the CSE) to list its shares under the symbol BUDD. The Company also wishes to announce that it is undertaking a brokered private placement offering (the Concurrent Financing) in accordance with the previously announced Proposed Transaction (the Proposed Transaction) with Nutritional High International Inc. (Nutritional High) regarding the construction of a cannabis cultivation facility in Colorado (please see press release dated February 28, 2017).

Conditional Approval to List on the CSE

Lineage is pleased to announce that the Company has received conditional approval to list its Common Shares (Common Shares) on the CSE subject to the completion of the Concurrent Financing and completion of customary listing requirements of the CSE, including receipt of all required documentation. The Company is working to meet the CSE listing conditions in a timely manner. Once final approval is received, the Common Shares of Lineage will commence trading on the CSE under the ticker symbol BUDD.

Concurrent Financing

Closing of the Concurrent Financing is expected to occur on or about November 30, 2017 and is for a maximum of 6,000,000 units (Units) and a minimum of 3,000,000 Units to raise gross proceeds in the range of $750,000 to $1,500,000. Each Unit will have an issue price of $0.25 and consist of one (1) Common Share and one-half (1/2) of one common share purchase warrant (Warrant). Each whole Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Common Share at a price of $0.325 per Common Share until the date which is twenty-four (24) months following the closing date of the Offering, whereupon the Warrants will expire.

Lineage intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering to establish a cannabis cultivation facility in Pueblo, Colorado and for general working capital.

The Concurrent Financing is being co-led by Foundation Markets Inc. (FMI) and BSM Capital Corporation (BSM) who will be paid selling agents fees of up to 8% of the gross proceeds raised under the Concurrent Financing , and common share purchase warrants (the "Broker Warrants") of up to 8% of the number of Units sold under the Concurrent Financing . Each Broker Warrant shall entitle the holder to purchase one Common Share at a price of $0.25 per share, exercisable for a period of 24 months.

The Concurrent Financing is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals, including the approval of the CSE. The securities issued and issuable pursuant to the Concurrent Financing will be subject to a four month and one day statutory hold period in accordance with applicable securities laws. The securities offered have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act), or applicable state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold to persons in the United States absent registration or an exemption from such registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Management Commentary

David Drutz, CEO of the Company commented: "Going public on the CSE will be a significant achievement for Lineage. With this broader reach, we now have the ability to tap the global financial markets and we look forward to welcoming many new investors that share our vision for the future of craft cannabis. We are striving to develop an authentic, premium-quality craft cannabis brand and view these developments as significant milestones in that pursuit.

About Lineage Grow Company Ltd.

Lineage Grow Company Ltd. is a reporting issuer that is seeking listing on the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE"). Lineage is focused on establishing state-of-the-art cultivation facilities and a view towards developing a dominant brand of premium quality craft cannabis. Lineage is seeking to deploy advanced cultivation techniques and best-of-breed genetics to develop a brand of craft cannabis known for emphasizing the unique flavors, smells, and potencies of each individual strain. By leveraging cutting edge agricultural and technological solutions, Lineage intends to optimize the variable costs associated with cannabis cultivation and successfully produce craft cannabis at a commercially viable industrial scale.

For further information, please contact:

David Drutz, CEO

Lineage Grow Company Ltd.

(416) 479-4142

Email: ddrutz@lineagegrow.com

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE, OR THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR THEIR REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDERS (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements and information based on current expectations. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Such statements include the ability of the Company to de-list its common shares from the TSXV and otherwise to successfully operate its business in the cannabis industry. There is no certainty that any of these events will occur. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be correct. We assume no responsibility to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances.

Company's securities have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act), or applicable state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or U.S. Persons, as such term is defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act, absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in the United States or any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as required by applicable securities laws.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police are investigating a shooting in lower Manhattan Tuesday afternoon, according to various reports.

The NYPD responded to a report of shots fired near West Street and Chambers Street in Tribeca, near Stuyvesant High School, at around 3 p.m. those reports indicate.

A gunman emerged out of a crashed Home Depot truck and opened fire after plowing down four bicycle riders, according to the Daily News.

Video showed four bodies scattered alongside the path on the West Side off the Hudson River, the News reported.

Sources told NBC News police were initially responding to a report of at least five people shot, but the investigation now shows the injuries may have come from the truck.

One person was taken into custody, according to reports.

The NYPD is not releasing any information on the incident because the investigation is ongoing.

All Staten Island express buses are subject to "extensive delays" due to the police activity downtown, according to the MTA.

Buses will be subject to "frozen zones" and detours in the area, the MTA said.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The unsolved mystery of a Staten Island boy who went missing seven years ago at age 7 weighs heavily on the mind of an NYPD lieutenant, according to an article in New York Magazine.

A $500,000 reward has been offered for information leading authorities to Patrick Alford of New Brighton, a foster child who was last seen in January 2010 in Brooklyn and today is 14 years old. Patrick was taking out the trash with his foster mother when he disappeared from a hallway of their building at 130 Vandalia Ave.

Lt. Chris Zimmerman recounted the extensive NYPD search for Patrick.

"There was a kid in Brooklyn who was seen in a McDonald's," Zimmerman told New York Magazine. "He looked like him, but Patrick had a unique scar on his left eyebrow that this kid did not have.

"The concern was that when Patrick hits puberty -- and he probably already has, he's 14 now -- that he would become hairier, you wouldn't be able to see it. The one thing he does have is very protruding ears that he will not be able to hide. I know more about this kid than most people know about their own children."

The Advance interviewed Patrick's birth mother, Jennifer Rodriguez, in January.

"I can't sleep at night," Rodriguez said. "He was the best thing that ever happened to me."

Patrick had been taken from Rodriguez's custody and placed in a foster home by the city three weeks before he went missing.

The phone number to call in tips is 646-530-7632.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A group of St. George residents voiced their safety concerns regarding Project Hospitality's Central Avenue Drop-In Center Monday night.

Four Central Avenue residents attended the monthly meeting with representatives from the not-for-profit, as well as a representative from the NYPD's 120th Precinct, and the office of state Sen. Diane Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn).

The center at 25 Central Ave. provides mental health, primary care and case management services to street homeless persons and concrete services such as showers, clothing and three meals daily.

Residents have long raised concerns about homeless in the area fighting outside of the drop-in center, using drugs, constantly making noise and having a negative impact on the neighborhood.

Christoph Mayer, a Central Avenue resident, said he has seen improvements in the five years since Project Hospitality began meeting with residents, but said there was more to be done.

In that time, Project Hospitality has taken several steps to improve the relationship between the community, and the people who use their services at the outreach center.

One of those actions was the installation of a round-the-clock security guard at the location. Employees for the not-for-profit said they were appreciative.

"We're glad that there's a dialogue," Ericker Phillips-Onaga, Project Hospitality's chief program officer, told the Advance.

All sides agreed that the block's problem aren't only a result of Project Hospitality. The Richmond Hotel's location at 71 Central Ave., also contributes to quality of life concerns on the block, the residents in attendance said.

A representative from the NYPD, and Savino's office urged local residents to work with law enforcement if they see illegal activity going on.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Staten Islanders did not disappoint when it came to Halloween costumes.



Please join in the fun and post your costumes, your kids and pets photos in the comments section below or on our Facebook page. You can also tag your photos #SILive on Twitter or Instagram (just make sure your account isn't set to private).
Page Content





The building suffered damage from Hurricane Irma and was in need of repairs prior to the storm, so the ministry made use of the opportunity to complete the necessary repairs.





During a brief ceremony held at the facilities, Minister of Justice, Rafael Boasman was full of praises to the Genie (engineers from the Dutch army) for their assistance and cooperation in getting the facilities ready for use.





The Genie made repairs to the roof, the camera system, the bathrooms and the beds.





The Minister thanked the Genie on behalf of the government and the people of St. Maarten.





I thank the you for your assistance during these trying times. You have worked tirelessly, not only here at this facility, but you were seen on rooftops, at schools and other places around the island. It showed good cooperation.





The Minister invited the Genie to visit St. Maarten again, not for hurricane repairs, but as tourists.





On behalf of the Marines, Sergeant Mark, an engineer from the Dutch army handed over the keys to the Minister of Justice who turned them over to the two prison directors, Wilfred Williams and Steven Carty.





Present at the short ceremony were: Minister of Justice, Rafael Boasman, Prison Directors Wilfred Williams and Steven Carty, representatives of the Ministers Cabinet Len Dijkstra, Khalil Revan and Fernando Clark and the engineers of the Dutch army.





On Friday, October 27th, the detention facilities in Simpson Bay were re-opened for use.
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: Sandell Asset Management Corp. (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 31/10/2017 (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" Booker Group PLC

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:



5p ordinary



Interests Short positions Number % Number % (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: (2) Cash-settled derivatives:



19,668,687 0.24 (3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:



TOTAL: 19,668,687 0.24

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





(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 5p ordinary Swap



Increasing a short position 215,250 1.8099

(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: 31/10/2017 Contact name: Triet Leminh Telephone number: 1-212-603-5816

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.
NEW YORK, Oct. 31, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Currently on the states closure list, the Western New York Childrens Psychiatric Center (WNYCPC) is facing a possible shutdown with plans for absorption by the Buffalo Psychiatric Center (BPC), a facility that only serves long-term adult psychiatric patients. New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo may soon sacrifice the health and well-being of WNYCPC's adolescent patient population for what many see as strictly a shortsighted financial decision.



Governor Andrew Cuomo is currently reviewing legislation that would prevent the merger of the childrens facility with Buffalos adult center. The Buffalo Psychiatric Center is a crowded, urban setting that would be detrimental to the progress and healing of developing children and adolescents. The children would be subjected to a more restrictive  less nurturing and therapeutic  environment, surrounded by long-term adult psychiatric patients who are themselves recovering. As recently as 2016, an adult outpatient from Buffalo Psychiatric Center attacked a 14-year-old girl, nearly strangling her to death.

Consolidation of this invaluable resource for the residents of Western New York would hamper the recuperation of adult and child patients alike. To protect the children, both children and adults would have restrictions on the days and times they could use recreation facilities like the gym, pool and bowling alley. For their own safety, children would need to be escorted/guarded by adult staff whenever they are walking on the grounds. The exception would be a yard, surrounded by a 14 fence attached to one end of their residential building. These conditions highly contrast the existing nurturing environment at the WNYCPC.

WNYCPC in West Seneca

Founded in 1970 to treat community children with severe psychiatric problems, the Western New York Childrens Psychiatric Center in West Seneca remains committed to the recovery of its young charges through therapeutic atmospheres and highly-trained staff members.

This New York State Center of Excellence boasts an impressive record over its almost 50 years open with one of the lowest rates of seclusion and restraint, clearly indicating a better approach to care. In 2012, WNYCPC received a 99.9% rating by the Joint Commission and was given a special designation as being in the top 10% of accredited hospitals in the nation.

Currently situated on 72 acres of park-like land, the 110,000-sq. ft. facility was specifically designed for children and youth with severe emotional problems. The WNYCPC provides a therapeutic setting for children to heal and grow with its own gymnasium, school, pool, and interior courtyards, guaranteeing patients can safely move about with ample private family visiting areas. The Childrens Center is also home to a service dog, Tommy, who often spends time comforting the emotionally fragile children.

Consolidations Effects on Healthcare Delivery and Access

Many of the WNYCPC patients, all between ages 4-17, have serious mental illnesses and suffer from severe emotional trauma. Some have, in fact, been abused by adults. Squeezing these children into four floors of Buffalos eight-story institutional building will greatly encroach on their space to develop and will diminish their quality of life experiences as children.

The WNYCPC builds and nourishes hope in their child patients  instilling a hope that they can and will heal. And through getting better, these children may return to their homes and families, schools and neighborhoods, and go on to live productive lives in their communities.

Although the state may allocate funding to dress up the facilities at the Buffalo location, these children will see beyond the revamped interiors and develop a different impression of their recovery. Looking out from their bedroom windows and around the grounds, they will inevitably encounter a wide range of long-term adult psychiatric patients, some well into their 60s. Surrounded by an adult population still unable to rehabilitate from institutional treatment, how will this impressionable, young population perceive their feasibility for reintegration into their community?

The degree of oversight required to separate children from the adult population at the Buffalo Psychiatric Center would trap these traumatized and emotionally fragile patients in a near lockdown atmosphere. If this merger is successful, this would be the only psychiatric facility across the entire state where children would be housed and treated in the same building as adult psychiatric patients. All of the aforementioned circumstances for integration of these two populations at the Buffalo facility paint a picture of an environment absent of hope for these children.

The Fight to Keep WNY Childrens Psychiatry Center Open

Led by Assemblyman Michael Kearns and Senator Patrick Gallivan, and supported by a bi-partisan alliance of more than 90 elected officials on the local level, legislators are urging the governor to reconsider the facilitys relocation. In August 2017, Assemblyman Kearns and Senator Gallivans sponsored bills to keep the facility open. The bill passed unanimously in both the Assembly and Senate, and is presently awaiting Governor Cuomos signature.

The Western New York Childrens Center also has overwhelming community support from individual residents and various faith-based organizations. The petition to keep the WNYCPC open has received more than 15,000 signatures from people throughout Western New York.

Additionally, a group of advocates are suing Governor Cuomo and State Mental Health Commissioner Ann Marie T. Sullivan to halt the transfer of child psychiatric patients to BPC. State Supreme Court Justice Catherine Nugent Panepinto recently denied a motion to dismiss the litigation, allowing the lawsuit against Cuomo to proceed and temporarily preventing the merger.

How You Can Help

Approached by an Affiliate of the American Health Council, currently employed at WNYCPC and morally unsettled by the tragic circumstance facing the center, the AHC has initiated its own Change.org petition to garner further support. The AHC hopes to assist the movement ensuring that these already distraught children receive the highest

recovery potential and are not further disadvantaged. Please make this a legislative priority for Governor Cuomo by joining others in signing the petition:

https://www.change.org/p/the-honorable-andrew-m-cuomo-governor-of-new-york-state-prevent-closure-of-children-s-psychiatric-center

Most importantly, Save Our WNYCPC is seeking donations to cover their steep legal representation costs in their battle with the state. You can learn more about the movement and the status of the legislation on their website: http://www.saveourwnycpc.org/

Please provide Save Our WNYCPC with assistance for their legal defense fund via GoFundMe:

https://www.gofundme.com/saveourwnycpc

Assemblyman Michael P. Kearns, Assembly District 142, is currently accepting petition submissions with a mail-in form on his website:

http://nyassembly.gov/member_files/142/pdf/2017_75976.pdf

Assemblyman David DiPietro, 147th Assembly District, has an online petition open accepting submissions on his website:

http://nyassembly.gov/mem/David-DiPietro/story/77330/

The AHC also welcomes Affiliate comments, concerns, and suggestions concerning this issue. Please share any thoughts or similar experiences with healthcare access and delivery obstacles. Contact us at advocacy@americanhealthcouncil.org.
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CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 31, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Norrep Capital Management Ltd. (NCM), the Manager of a strategically focused group of public mutual funds, alternative funds and limited partnerships (Norrep Investments), announced today that dividends have been declared for the following funds:



$0.502 per share* for Norrep Core Canadian

$0.166 per share* for Norrep Premium Growth Class

All dividends are payable on October 31, 2017 to shareholders of record at the close of business on October 30, 2017.

NCM - Norrep Capital Management Ltd. hereby advises that these dividends are designated to be "eligible dividends" pursuant to subsection 89(14) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and corresponding provincial legislation.

Shareholders with questions regarding the tax treatment of dividends should consult with their own tax advisors or contact their local office of the Canada Revenue Agency and, where applicable, the provincial taxation authorities.

NCM - Norrep Capital Management Ltd. is a Canadian investment firm with offices in Calgary and Toronto. Please visit www.norrep.com for more details about NCM  Norrep Capital Management Ltd.

For more information, please contact:

Leila Li

Dealer & Client Services Associate

Norrep Capital Management Ltd.

(877) 431-1407

* Based on the F Series; rates may differ for other series.

Certain information set forth in this press release, including a discussion of future plans and operations, contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond management's control, including but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, fluctuation of commodity prices, fluctuation of foreign exchange rates, environmental risks industry competition, availability of qualified personnel and management, stock market volatility, timely and cost effective access to sufficient capital from internal and external sources. Actual results, performance or achievement could differ from those expressed in or implied by these forward-looking statements.
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR

FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

CALGARY, Alberta, Oct. 31, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Prairie Provident Resources Inc. ("Prairie Provident" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the closing of a two-part debt financing transaction through Prudential Capital Group. Prudential Capital Group is a private debt capital arm of PGIM, Inc, the global investment management business of Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) ("Prudential"). The transaction includes a three-year USD $40 million senior secured revolving note facility (the "Revolving Facility"), under which USD $31 million principal amount of senior secured revolving notes due October 31, 2020 ("Secured Notes") were issued at closing, and an issue of USD $16 million principal amount of four-year senior subordinated notes due October 31, 2021 ("Subordinated Notes"). The overall debt structure expands the Companys borrowing base from CAD $65 million to approximately CAD $72 million (applying a USD/CAD exchange rate of USD $1.00 to CAD $1.28) and extends the term of its debt instruments. All notes were issued at par by the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, Prairie Provident Resources Canada Ltd. ("PPR Canada"), and are guaranteed by the Company and certain of its other subsidiaries.

On a blended basis, the Revolving Facility (assuming fully drawn) and the Secured Notes offer a combined average coupon rate of approximately 8.2%. If PPR Canada exercises in full its option to defer payment of up to 5% per annum of interest on the Subordinated Notes until their maturity date, the blended average cash coupon rate would be approximately 6.8% during the deferral period. Any deferred interest amount (plus additional interest thereon) would be repayable at maturity on October 31, 2021. These blended rates assume that USD $40 million of Secured Notes are outstanding under the Revolving Facility and are based on the current margins applicable to advances thereunder.

I am pleased to announce the increase of our borrowing base to $72 million. This new financing provides us with two longer term instruments that harness financial stability and enhance our financial flexibility to grow and invest in our Wheatland, Princess and Evi areas where we can create accretive returns for our shareholders. It is also a testament to the strength of our asset base and growth strategies, commented Tim Granger, President and CEO. We would also like to thank Prudential, our new lending partner, for their commitment and support, and Durham Capital Corporation who acted as an advisor on the transaction."

Approximately CAD $55.5 million of the new financing was used to repay and to retire the previous syndicated credit facility and to cash collateralize approximately CAD $4.8 million in outstanding letters of credit issued for ordinary business operations. In connection with the financing, PPR Canada also entered into a secured CAD $5 million letter of credit facility with a Canadian financial institution with respect to existing and future letter of credit requirements and the cash collateralization of any letters of credit issued thereunder.

Contemporaneously with closing of the financing, the Company issued to Prudential warrants to purchase up to 2,318,000 common shares, or 2% of the Prairie Providents outstanding shares, at an exercise price of CAD $0.549 (subject to adjustment in certain circumstances) with a 5-year term expiring on October 31, 2022. The exercise price represents a 20% premium over the 30-day volume weighted-average trading price of the Company's common shares.

Following the closing of the financing, the Company's bank debt, less funds collateralized for outstanding letters of credit and cash proceeds remaining from the transaction, is approximately CAD $53 million (applying a USD/CAD exchange rate of USD $1.00 to CAD $1.28).

Revolving Facility

The Revolving Facility is a borrowing base facility that provides for total revolving commitments equal to the lesser of USD $40 million and the then-applicable borrowing base determined by the secured noteholders in accordance with their customary procedures and standards having regard to, among other things, the Company's proved reserves. The borrowing base is subject to a semi-annual redetermination following scheduled delivery of year-end and mid-year reserves reports on or before March 31 and September 30 for each year during the term. The first borrowing base redetermination will occur in April 2018 based on delivery of the 2017 year-end reserves report in late March 2018.

The Revolving Facility is a three-year facility, and all Secured Notes issued thereunder (including those issued upon further advances) will mature October 31, 2020. PPR Canada can make further draws under the Revolving Facility on or before October 31, 2019, subject at all times to the then-applicable commitment amount. The Secured Notes are repayable at the Company's election at par plus interest and any applicable breakage costs, without reduction in the aggregate commitment under the Revolving Facility.

Based on USD $31 million principal amount of Secured Notes having been issued at closing, the Company has 22.5% borrowing capacity available under the Revolving Facility, or approximately CAD $12 million based on a current USD/CAD exchange rate of approximately USD $1.00 to CAD $1.28.

The Revolving Facility is ultimately denominated in United States dollars but accommodates Canadian dollar denominated advances up to the lesser of CAD $18 million and the Canadian dollar equivalent of USD $10 million. Based on a current USD/CAD exchange rate of approximately USD $1.00 to CAD $1.28, the current Canadian dollar sublimit under the Revolving Facility is approximately CAD $12.8 million. Of all Secured Notes issued at closing, CAD $12.8 million are denominated in Canadian dollars.

Amounts borrowed under the Revolving Facility can be drawn in the form of USD or CAD prime advances bearing interest based on reference bank USD and CAD prime lending rates announced from time to time, or LIBOR advances (in the case of USD amounts) or CDOR advances (in the case of CAD amounts) bearing interest based on LIBOR and CDOR rates in effect from time to time, plus an applicable margin.

The note purchase agreement for the Revolving Facility and related parent and subsidiary guarantees contain various covenants on the part of the Company and its subsidiaries. Included among the covenants are commitments by PPR Canada to meet certain financial tests, calculated in accordance with the note purchase agreement. These financial tests are similar to those observed under PPRs previous syndicated facility with the addition of an asset coverage provision, pursuant to which the ratio of adjusted net present value of estimated future net revenue from proved reserves (discounted at 10% per annum) to adjusted indebtedness as of the date of any reserves report cannot be less than 1.3 to 1.0.

Subordinated Notes

The Subordinated Notes are four-year instruments with a scheduled maturity date of October 31, 2021. They bear interest at 15% per annum, payable quarterly in arrears on the 30th day of January, April, July and October in each year, with up to 5% per annum payable in kind at PPR Canada's election. More particularly, so long as no event of default exists under the note purchase agreement for the Subordinated Notes then PPR Canada may, at its option, pay in kind up to 5% per annum of interest otherwise due on the Subordinated Notes on any quarterly payment date. The amount of any such in kind payment will become additional principal owing in respect of the Subordinated Notes. The first quarterly interest payment date for the Subordinated Notes is January 30, 2018.

The note purchase agreement for the Subordinated Notes and related parent and subsidiary guarantees contain various covenants on the part of the Company and its subsidiaries, including commitments by PPR Canada to meet the similar financial tests described above.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction in which any such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. The securities issued on closing of or contemporaneously with the financing, and securities issued in the future pursuant to the Revolving Facility or an exercise of warrants, including the notes of PPR Canada and the common shares and warrants of the Company, have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to U.S. Persons (as that term is defined in Regulation S under the 1933 Act) except in transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act and applicable state securities laws.

ABOUT PRAIRIE PROVIDENT:

Prairie Provident is a Calgary-based company engaged in the exploration and development of oil and natural gas properties in Alberta. The Companys strategy is to grow organically in combination with accretive acquisitions of conventional oil prospects, which can be efficiently developed. Prairie Provident's operations are primarily focused at Wheatland and Princess in Southern Alberta targeting the Ellerslie and the Lithic Glauc formations, along with an early stage waterflood project at Evi in the Peace River Arch. Prairie Provident protects its balance sheet through an active hedging program and manages risk by allocating capital to opportunities offering maximum shareholder returns.

For further information, please contact:

Prairie Provident Resources Inc.

Tim Granger

President and Chief Executive Officer

Tel: (403) 292-8110

Email: tgranger@ppr.ca
The South Caucasus: Untamed Crossroad of Empires

Summary

Woe to he who inhabits the in-between, for his fate is not his own but is determined by the strength of his neighbors. So it is with the Caucasus, the land that sits at the intersection of Russia, Turkey, Iran and their historical empires.

More than a highway and battleground, the Caucasus is a borderland, which means that it plays a far outsize role in world history relative to its size and population (about 16 million). For 100 years, the oil reserves in Azerbaijan made the Soviet Union a continental and then a global power. The largest battle in human history in terms of number of people involved and killed, Stalingrad was the Soviet Unions last stand against Hitlers attempt to reach those oil resources to starve the Soviet military machine of its ability to wage war. It was Stalin  a Georgian, not a Russian  who seized control of the Soviet Union in 1922, setting the stage for events that defined the 20th century.

It was also the Caucasus that showed the world the true extent of the Soviet Unions weakness as it approached its end. Both the rise of Georgian nationalism at the end of the 1980s, which was anti-Soviet in nature, and the failure of the Soviet Union to prevent a small region in Azerbaijan called Nagorno-Karabakh from seceding and joining Armenia marked the end of the bloc, and with it a 500-year epoch in which at least one of the worlds major powers resided on the European continent.

This Deep Dive is the first of two on the Caucasus. It will focus on the South Caucasus, the region below the Greater Caucasus mountains that includes present-day Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as the de facto states and contested territories of Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh, and the uncontested but detached region of Nakhichevan. Part two will focus on the North Caucasus, which now exists within the southern bounds of Russia. But the South Caucasus, a strategic buffer to Russia, Turkey and Iran, has never truly been tamed.



A Land Bridge From the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea

Were it not for its mountains, the Caucasus would be a 300-mile-wide (480-kilometer-wide) land bridge between the Caspian and Black seas leading directly into the heart of Russia.





Mountains, however, are the Caucasus defining geographical feature. Two ranges run through it. The Greater Caucasus, as the name implies, is the taller and more rugged mountain range. It spans nearly the entire length of the land bridge from the northeastern shores of the Black Sea to the Caspian, giving way to a low-lying plain only slightly west of Baku, Azerbaijans capital. Effectively, the Greater Caucasus is a nearly impassable barrier between Russia and the countries of the South Caucasus. Mount Elbrus, at 18,510 feet, is the tallest mountain not just in Russia but in Europe as well. To the south are the Lesser Caucasus, beginning in southern Georgia and curving southeast into Armenia, around Lake Sevan, and into the contested region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Between the two mountain ranges runs the Kura River, creating a valley that empties into an increasingly flat plain as it flows east through Azerbaijan and into the Caspian Sea. In Georgias far east is a flat, fertile plain marked by temperate weather that makes it ideal for agriculture as well as winemaking. This east-west passage along the Kura and its flanking flatlands is one of the few strategic highways great armies have traversed through and fought over for millennia.

A picture taken with a drone on Aug. 22, 2017, shows the 6th-century Jvari monastery and the confluence of the Aragvi and the Kura rivers, about 9 miles from Tbilisi. VANO SHLAMOV/AFP/Getty Images

Historically, the Greater Caucasus has only two north-south passages through it, both of which are extremely narrow. The first is a strip of flat land along the Caspian coast from Baku to Dagestan through the Derbent pass, believed to be the site where Alexander the Great constructed a wall, the Gates of Alexander, to prevent the approach of barbarians from the north. The second, the Darial pass, runs through the center of the Greater Caucasus, from the Georgian capital of Tbilisi to Vladikavkaz, Russia. The ominously named Georgian Military Road weaves its way through the pass, running very close to South Ossetia, a fact that bestows outsize importance on the small Georgian semi-autonomous region. To Russia, the road is a major artery that could be used by an invading force to enter into its interior.





A second highway, the Transcaucasian Highway, was built more recently by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s, directly connecting North Ossetia to South Ossetia for the first time in their history. It cuts through South Ossetia, giving it similar strategic value to the Georgian Military Road. It is a more perilous path, however, prone to closures in the Winter.



Battleground Among Empires

Turkey, Iran and Russia have been fighting one another for centuries  back to a time when they were the Ottoman, Safavid and Russian empires. And where else would they fight but the land where their empires met: the Caucasus. The mountains between them, however, added a layer of complexity to war-making efforts, and it made the few traversable passages within the region invaluable.

The Ottoman Empire and the Safavid Dynasty (Irans predecessor) challenged one another in a series of five wars throughout the 16th and 17th centuries for territorial supremacy and command of religious loyalties of the Islamic world. Between their empires lay the Zagros Mountains, which today protect Irans western border. For the Ottomans to attack the Safavid Dynasty, therefore, they first had to move north into the Armenian Highlands  a 3,000-foot-high plateau to the west of the Lesser Caucasus and north of Lake Van, itself pockmarked with mountains  and then southwest into Iran. Control of Tabriz, which was the capital of the Safavid Dynasty at the time and which sits in northwestern Iran, changed hands between the two empires several times, ultimately leading the Safavid shahs to move the capital east, first to Isfahan and then to Tehran.





But just because they fought often does not mean the fighting was easy. The mountainous terrain of the Caucasus is unforgiving, frozen for all but a few months out of the year. All military objectives had to be accomplished before winter broke the supply line and stranded the army without food or munitions. Retaining the territorial gains of each campaign was impossible. It was also critical for both militaries to secure the support of local tribes in the Caucasus, which would otherwise constantly threaten lines of supply. By themselves the tribes were relatively powerless, but their support was indispensable for empires trying to maintain armies in the field.

The Ottomans and the Safavids waged war intermittently for 130 years, only to have winter come and wipe the slate clean. Finally, in 1639, they signed the Treaty of Zuhab, which set boundaries between their empires that are essentially the same as the modern borders of Iraq and Turkey (which at the time were part of the Ottoman Empire) and Iran.

Russias primary interest in the Caucasus is to protect the plain to the north of the Greater Caucasus that extends into the Russian heartland. Flat terrain is difficult to defend, and were an army to cross the Greater Caucasus through the Darial pass, it would represent a mortal threat to Russia. Russias last stand would have to be along the 400-mile stretch from Astrakhan to Rostov-on-Don. Its far easier to block a single passage through a mountain range. This is why the Darial pass and the Georgian Military Road that runs through it are so vital to Russian security. Though Russia would like to exert as much power south of the Greater Caucasus as possible to give itself an even deeper buffer, control of the area immediately to the north is critical, for above that the plain juts like a dagger into Russias soft underbelly.

Following the reforms of Peter the Great in the 18th century and the onset of the Ottoman Empires decline, Russia pushed south past the Greater Caucasus and challenged the Ottomans in a series of wars. Hostilities between the two powers were not new; 12 Russo-Turkish wars were fought between 1568 and World War I. But Peters consolidation of the Russian Empire and his military reforms enabled his successor, Catherine the Great, to begin to take greater control over the South Caucasus. The Russian Empire never fully controlled the South Caucasus as it did the North Caucasus, in part because of the difficulty of subjugating the mountainous clans and tribes that inhabit every corner and crevice of the terrain.

Nevertheless, from this point on, Russia gradually exerted greater influence over the region, albeit indirectly, at the expense of the Ottomans, culminating in the accession of the countries of the South Caucasus into the Soviet Union in the 20th century. They still retained a fair degree of autonomy, especially relative to other regions, such as Belorussia, that were utterly consumed by Soviet force. But Soviet oversight was enough to more or less keep the peace  through brutal terror  among the myriad rival ethnicities and religions in the Caucasus. Of course, it wouldnt last.



Modern Countries, Modern Conflicts

The mountainous terrain of the Caucasus is isolating for the people who live there. Inhabitants are loyal to small social units, not to the other people who just happen to reside with them inside the invisible boundaries of a state. The modern South Caucasus contains just three countries  Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia  but they cant even begin to accommodate all of the regions different identities.

For example, Georgia comprises not only Georgians but also ethnic Abkhazians. Yet within Georgia, there is the semi-autonomous region of Abkhazia, home to ethnic Abkahzians  and ethnic Georgians. (The aftermath of the Abkhazia war in the early 1990s was confusing and tragic for the ethnic Georgians who fled Abkhazia. Thomas de Waal, a scholar who studies the Caucasus, calls this a double stranger experience. Ethnic Georgians born in Abkhazia were strangers in Abkhazia because they werent ethnically Abkhazian, but they were also strangers in Georgia because they were from Abkhazia and therefore unwelcome.)



Armenia and Georgia consist primarily of Orthodox Christians, which has in the past evoked a degree of affinity between these populations and Orthodox Russia. This was especially true in the late 19th century, when the Russian Empire was at war with the Ottoman Empire, a Sunni entity. But even this harmony is complicated by pre-Christian pagan and Zoroastrian elements that infuse Orthodox Christianity in the Caucasus.

Azerbaijan consists mostly of Shiite Muslims, which creates some bonds with Shiite Iran. In fact, three times as many ethnic Azeris live in Iran as there are in all of Azerbaijan. But Azeris are also ethnically Turkic, and thus have an affinity with the Turks in Turkey as well. The Azerbaijani language is even similar enough to Turkish that speakers can generally understand one another.

Iran, with its large Azeri population, has been concerned that a version of trans-Azerbaijani nationalism may develop and that its 25 million ethnic Azeris will rise up and challenge the Islamic regime. But although ethnicity often encourages alliance, it does not guarantee it. The Soviet Unions indirect control of Azerbaijan created divergent paths for Azeris living in Azerbaijan and those in Iran. Nevertheless, Turkey and Iran are countries with conflicting interests, and Iran remains wary that Turkey could use its large Azeri population against it. Shiite Iran, to balance against Turkey and Azerbaijan, is therefore currently closer to Orthodox Armenia than to Shiite Azerbaijan.



Nationalism Awakens Old Rivalries

As the Soviet Union declined and then fell in the late 1980s and early 1990s, nationalism surged in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan as they all broke away from their Soviet overlords. The new state of Georgia sought to reacquire Abkhazia and South Ossetia, threatening Russian strategic interests. It was a threat that Russia didnt tolerate for long. Azerbaijani nationalism brought it into conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh, which had been allocated to Azerbaijan in 1921. War ensued in the early 1990s, and today the status of Nagorno-Karabakh is still unresolved. Well consider each of these conflicts in turn and discuss how the geopolitical interests of the surrounding powers shaped their outcomes.



Abkhazia and South Ossetia



Abkhazia and South Ossetia are two semi-autonomous states within Georgia that are officially recognized by Russia and one another but hardly anyone else. Georgia continues to deny their existence, instead claiming that they are a part of its own sovereign territory.

Going back a bit in history, the Ossets are an ethnic group within Georgia that came to Russias attention when Russia began to push south through the Caucasus in the late 18th century. The Georgian Military Road runs through North Ossetia and into Georgia, only about two miles east of South Ossetia at its nearest point in Gudauri. The founding in 1784 of the city of Vladikavkaz at the northern edge of the highway was a testament to how determined Russia was  and still is  to control the route. Vladikavkaz eventually became the capital of North Ossetia and a major Russian fortress. Its name means rule over the Caucasus.

Since the late 1700s, Ossetia, unlike Georgia, has generally had a pro-Russia disposition. In 1918-20, when Georgia supported the Mensheviks  the anti-Bolshevik forces in the Russian civil war  the Ossets backed the Bolsheviks and declared loyalty to Russia. The Bolsheviks would later return the favor, granting South Ossetia relative independence within the Soviet Union as the South Ossetian Autonomous Region.

Abkhazia is similar to South Ossetia in that it is a semi-autonomous region within Georgia. It has a larger population than South Ossetia, has historically been wealthier, and has a low-lying coast that gives it access to the Black Sea  and makes it very desirable territory for Russia, which would otherwise have limited ocean access . Ethnically, it is more diverse than South Ossetia. It contains at least five major ethnic groups, and in 1989  before Abkhazia and Georgia waged a 13-month war over the regions status  ethnic Abkhazians comprised only 18 percent of the population, compared with 45 percent for ethnic Georgians.

When the Soviet Union dissolved, Georgian nationalism resurged, and the Georgians sought to reincorporate South Ossetia and Abkhazia into their sovereign territory as part of a new unified nation-state. (Rhetoric that described the people of South Ossetia not as citizens but as guests on Georgian territory worried the Ossets  rightfully, it would turn out  about the risk of ethnic cleansing.) Russia grew concerned that Georgia would try to seize the two regions, which would threaten the southern end of the Georgian Military Road and the Transcaucasian Highway, and thus Russias access to the South Caucasus, as well as its Black Sea access. So Russia supported their independence indirectly in the 1990s, and then directly in 2008.

What finally drew Russia in was the concern that Georgia would begin to receive greater support from the West. These fears became reality in 2004 when a pro-Western president, Mikhail Saakashvili, came to power. Saakashvili, fearful of Russia, supported Georgian membership in NATO  whose foundation was based on resistance to Russia. In an attempt to keep Georgia divided, Russia in 2008 began issuing Russian passports to inhabitants of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and recognized the heads of state of both regions. It wasnt long before war ensued, starting when Georgian artillery units fired upon positions in South Ossetia.

When the war began, Saakashvili expected assistance from the United States, with which Georgia had been developing better relations. Russia came to the aid of South Ossetia and Abkhazia; U.S. assistance never came. Georgia, because of its proximity to Russia, matters much more to Russia than it does to the United States. This was the first major invasion launched by Moscow since the end of the Cold War, and it laid bare the limits of U.S. support in the regions of the world that are not critical to American interests.

Georgia was swiftly defeated, but its independence is still troublesome for Russia. Georgia itself does not have access to the regions major oil fields, but its presence in the center of the South Caucasus puts it along a critical east-west transit route for oil pipelines out of the area. One pipeline carries oil from the Caspian to Turkey for export, beginning in Baku, traveling through Tbilisi and terminating in Ceyhan, Turkey. Similarly, a railway from Baku to Tbilisi to Kars, also in Turkey, is expected to come online by the end of the year (though there have been frequent delays).

Russia looks at these transit routes and sees danger. It fears that they will help Georgia grow its economic relationship with the West, thereby lessening its dependence on Moscow. Georgia, for its part, wouldnt mind closer ties with the West, but its experience in 2008 taught it that there are limits to this partnership. The pipeline and railway from Baku to Turkey were deliberately designed to avoid Armenia  Azerbaijan wanted this because of their rivalry, and Turkeys borders have been closed to Armenia since the Nagorno-Karabakh war (not to mention that Armenia retains a foul historical memory of the genocide of its people by the Ottoman Empire during World War I). Landlocked Armenia is thus completely dependent on Georgia and Iran for its trade and access to the rest of the world. This includes trade with its ally, Russia  which Georgia cant afford to aggravate too much. Therefore, in addition to preserving cordial ties with Azerbaijan and Turkey, Georgia must also be relatively friendly with Armenia.

Nagorno-Karabakh

Today, Nagorno-Karabakh is effectively controlled by Armenia, but its independence is recognized by no one, not even Armenia. In 1988, Nagorno-Karabakh, which at the time was a part of Soviet Azerbaijan, asked for its borders to be redrawn to be incorporated into Armenia. The Soviet Union refused, but in a demonstration of its impotence near the end, it was unable to control the situation in the face of rising Armenian and Azerbaijani nationalism.

When the Soviet Union broke apart and Armenia and Azerbaijan became independent countries, they went to war with one another over Nagorno-Karabakh. It was one of the bloodiest wars in Europe since the end of World War II. Twenty thousand people were killed, and nearly 1 million people were displaced out of a total Caucasian population of 16 million.

Russia at different times supported both sides of the conflict. But its difficult to tell what its role was exactly at the time, since control of the Russian military was quite decentralized, with many Russian soldiers participating in the war more as mercenaries. Nevertheless, today, Russia supplies arms to both Armenia and Azerbaijan. It is content with the frozen state of the conflict because it can use its ambiguity to put pressure on whichever country it needs to sway at the time. Formalizing any sort of resolution would deprive Moscow of this leverage.

Some believe that Russias strategy is to use Armenias heavy dependence on Russia to force it to vacate areas of Nagorno-Karabakh in exchange for concessions from Azerbaijan. Since Azerbaijan began exporting oil to Europe through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, it has grown richer and less reliant on Russia. In exchange, Russia would demand that Azerbaijan join one of the multilateral economic or military institutions that it controls  the Eurasian Economic Union or the Collective Security Treaty Organization  pulling it away somewhat from the West.

Azerbaijan is unlikely to accept such an offer. The Azerbaijani security strategy right now hinges on its ability to balance between Russia, Iran, Turkey and the United States. Falling too heavily into one camp would decrease its flexibility. Further, Azerbaijan  whose population is predominantly Shiite  sees Sunni jihadists from Dagestan in the North Caucasus as a serious threat. If it were to pivot away from the West toward Russia, and Russias control over the North Caucasus were to decline, Azerbaijan could be caught between a Sunni insurgency at the northern end of the Derbent pass and Iran, which may use the occasion to expand its influence farther north into the Caucasus.

Iran, with its large Azeri population, has remained concerned that a version of trans-Azeri nationalism may arise and that its 25 million ethnic Azeris will rise up and challenge the Islamic regime. However, while ethnicity often encourages alliance, it does not always guarantee it, and the indirect control of Azerbaijan by the Soviet Union created divergent paths for Azeris living in Azerbaijan and those in Iran. Nevertheless, Turkey and Iran are two countries with conflicting interests, and Iran remains weary that Turkey could use Irans large Azeri population against it. Shiite Iran, to balance against both Turkey and Azerbaijan, is therefore currently closer to Orthodox Armenia than Shiite Azerbaijan.

Nakhichevan

Lastly, there is Nakhichevan, an Azerbaijani exclave within Armenia. It, too, formed as a result of Azerbaijani nationalism during the fall of the Soviet Union. Though it is part of Azerbaijan and is recognized as such, at its closest point it is still separated from the rest of Azerbaijan by 30 miles of hostile Armenian territory.

Fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the early 1990s nearly drew Turkey and Russia into their first major conflict with each other since World War I. Turkey worried that Armenia was planning to seize Nakhichevan, which shares an 11-mile border with Turkey, so it sent several thousand troops to the border. Russia responded by placing several thousand of its own troops who were already present in Armenia to the Nakhichevan-Turkey border. Whether as a result of this escalation or not, Armenia ultimately did not try to seize Nakhichevan, and both Turkey and Russia withdrew their forces.

Conclusion
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The first time I went to a yoga class, I was so inflexible and self-conscious I swore I'd never go back. The second time, I was dragged by a friend who promised me no one cared if I kept toppling over in a high lunge. "Everyone's focused on themselves, not you," she said, and she was rightI kept going to class despite my oafishness, and several years later I am able to stay nearly upright, thanks very much. But this reluctance to look silly is not unique to mein fact, one local yoga teacher says this spotlight effect strikes so many first time students she's launched a "drunk yoga" class to loosen up beginners.

Eli Walker, 28, an actress and yoga instructor who lives on the Upper West Side, has been teaching a regular "Drunk Yoga" series at Grey Lady on the Lower East Side on Monday nights, offering newcomer yogis an open wine bar paired with an easy vinyasa class (wine glass in hand) in hopes of teaching them yoga's not so scary, after all. "I've had a lot of people, whether in classes, or friends, or people I met at parties say something like, 'I'd love to try yoga but I can't because I'm not flexible, or too afraid I'd look stupid,'" Walker told Gothamist. "I thought it would be fun to turn yoga into more of a party. If I made it into a game it would make people more comfortable."

It was then that Walker's drunk yoga class was born. She started researching yoga sequences that incorporated drinking, got Grey Lady to lend her their private events space for a couple of hours, and invited beginners and experienced yogis alike to come booze while doing arm balances. Not that mixing alcohol and yoga makes it easier, per seI stopped by a class a few weeks ago and found hanging my head between my legs slightly more unpleasant while under the influence. But for the couple of newcomers, it at least smoothed out some of the challenges. "One of my students said he can't touch his toes on a day to day basis, but when he's doing drunk yoga, he can touch his toes," Walker said. "It makes him feel empowered to do something he thinks he can't with his body."



Courtesy Eli Walker

Walker's drunk yoga class certainly isn't the first of its kind in New York, where booze seems to go hand-in-hand with nearly every challenging activity. "I feel like New York is a big group of recovering perfectionists, so they feel like if they can't already do something well they shouldn't do it all," Walker said. "There's this whole culture of being afraid of showing incompetence. But life isn't about figuring out how to avoid obstacles, it's about developing technique to get through obstacles better."

Still, while you'll probably get more out of yoga's focus on mindfulness with a clear head, Walker says whatever gets you to your mat is good enough for her. "Yoga for me is the physical practice of learning to be happy and healthy," she said. "If it takes a couple of glasses of wine for people to get comfortable, then I will pour a couple of glasses of wine."

Walker's yoga class costs $30 (unlimited wine included) and runs from 7:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. on select Mondays at Grey Lady, 77 Delancey Street on the Lower East Side. See her website for details.
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context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

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Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 125 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 157 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f02f5120)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 948 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f01e0830)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f02f5120)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1302 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 955 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f01e0830)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f01e09b0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1300 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 433 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f01e0830)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f01e0830)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612efc6b2d0)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f01e4a90)') called at (eval 592) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f01e4a90)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
System error

error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.

context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

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Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. Trace begun at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Exceptions.pm line 125 HTML::Mason::Exceptions::rethrow_exception('Can\'t call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25.^J') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 157 HTML::Mason::Component::run_dynamic_sub('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f0384710)', 'main') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 948 HTML::Mason::Request::call_dynamic('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f03497d0)', 'main') called at /var/cache/mason/obj/2011159162/main/smetimes/dhandler.html.obj line 17 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f0384710)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1302 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 955 HTML::Mason::Request::call_next('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f03497d0)') called at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/autohandler_template.html line 149 HTML::Mason::Commands::__ANON__ at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Component.pm line 135 HTML::Mason::Component::run('HTML::Mason::Component::FileBased=HASH(0x5612f0349e78)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1300 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 1292 HTML::Mason::Request::comp(undef, undef, undef) called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 481 eval {...} at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm line 433 HTML::Mason::Request::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f03497d0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 165 HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler::exec('HTML::Mason::Request::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612f03497d0)') called at /usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/ApacheHandler.pm line 831 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handle_request('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler=HASH(0x5612e588fae0)', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f03b64e8)') called at (eval 592) line 8 HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler::handler('HTML::Mason::ApacheHandler', 'Apache2::RequestRec=SCALAR(0x5612f03b64e8)') called at -e line 0 eval {...} at -e line 0
System error

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context: ... 21: </%method> 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: </%perl> 28: <table width="90%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> 29: <tr> ... code stack: /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html:25

/usr/share/perl5/HTML/Mason/Request.pm:948

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Canberra Airport's owners have called for the federal government to investigate higher than average flight cancellation rates from Sydney and to consider introducing new national performance benchmarks.

The calls come after figures showed flights between Canberra and Sydney topped the nation for cancellations last month, at 8.1 per cent and ahead of Sydney to Melbourne flights at 7.5 per cent and Melbourne to Sydney at 7.4 per cent.

Managing director of the Canberra Airport Stephen Byron has asked the government for help. Credit:Jamila Toderas

Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development statistics showed there were 59 cancelled flights on both the Canberra to Sydney route and Sydney to Canberra, far higher than the 30 cancellations between Canberra and Melbourne in the same period.

Canberra Airport managing director Stephen Byron has approached Transport Minister Darren Chester calling for action.
Tensions between Catholic school workers and their employer have reached new heights as Canberra teachers and support staff prepare to walk off the job on Thursday.

The head of the Catholic Commission for Employment Relations says he is "seriously dismayed" Independent Education Union members in about 20 ACT schools will strike over an ongoing disagreement related to dispute resolution.

Independent Education Union NSW/ACT secretary John Quessy

The union wants to be able to call on the Fair Work Commission to make binding decisions on industrial disputes.

The Catholic Commission for Employment Relations, representing the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, wants to settle disputes in-house and call in the umpire only when the two groups can't come to an agreement.
Following a five year absence, acclaimed French chef Joel Robuchon returns to NYC to bring the 12th in his L'Atelier line to the Meatpacking District. L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon will actually be two concepts in one: L'ATELIER, serving an a la carte menu and two tasting menus at a counter overlooking the kitchen; and LE BAR, offering a separate and more casual dining and drinks menu for walk-in customers.

Chef Robuchon"the most decorated in the world with a total of 31 Michelin stars among his restaurants worldwide," the restaurant's opening press materials proudly stateconceived of two tasting menus, "Le Menu Decouverte de Saison" ("Seasonal Discovery Menu") and "Le Menu Vegetarien," both nine courses and "priced in the upper $200s, including tip," according to Eater. "Beloved signature dishes" from the tasting menu and a la carte menu include La Caille (foie gras-stuffed quail) and Le Caviar (caviar and king crab with shellfish gelee and cauliflower cream).

Veteran Robuchon staff will be working the kitchens, including Executive Chef Christophe Bellanca; Executive Pastry Chef Salvatore Martone, who's been part of team Robuchon since 2005; and Head Baker Tetsuya Yamaguchi, who's been with the chef for the past 20 years.

"We selected the Meatpacking District because it is reminiscent of the first L'Atelier in Paris's Left Bank," Robuchon says, with cobblestones but fewer puking bros, he might have added. The 34-seat dining counter, designed to mimic the sushi counters of Japan, will be flanked by tables and two private dining rooms. The front bar space is quite large, with additional seating for 56 patrons at surrounding tables.

The restaurant begins taking reservations on Wednesday, November 1st.

85 10th Avenue, 212-488-8885; joelrobuchonusa.com
Kingston Foreshore may have welcomed plenty of new residents this year thanks to a host of new developments, but its newest arrivals are quite unique.

GoBoat Canberra has launched from the Kingston Foreshore pier, offering self-drive, Scandinavian picnic boats for hire, with no boat license required.

Go Boat Canberra owner Nick Tyrrell in one of the first two boats to arrive in Canberra. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

Canberra is the first Australian location for GoBoat, which started in Copenhagen in 2014, and now runs across Denmark, Sweden and London.

Owner Nick Tyrrell first used GoBoat on a trip to Stockholm two years ago with his wife for a friend's wedding. He left a corporate desk job to bring the business to Canberra with the aim of getting more people, both visitors and locals alike, out enjoying Lake Burley Griffin.
Bernon Mitchell (left) and William Martin (right) announce their defection to the Soviet Union, an event possibly foreshadowed in the Canberra cables. Credit:AP "He then said clearly that, 'The two men you are looking for are in Moscow'." The "Kingston Hotel" was read by the Americans as a coded reference to the nearby Soviet Embassy. A cable sent after a Polish taxi driver from Canberra claimed to have knowledge of a plot to kill President Kennedy Credit:Steven Trask South Canberra was a hotbed of Soviet activity during the cold war, and ASIO agents were known to keep a close eye on the embassy from a post in the Kingston Hotel.

The "two men" mentioned by the Polish driver were likely William Martin and Bernon Mitchell, code breakers from America's National Security Agency who had recently fled the United States. One month after the Polish driver's prescient tip, Martin and Mitchell appeared at a press conference in Moscow to announce their defection to the Soviet Union. "He went on to say that his boss, Kurdiukov, was having secret conferences in Moscow," the cable continued. "Ambassador Sebald asked for the caller's name, but the caller replied: 'I have not been here long and I do not wish to work longer in this place'."

William Sebald was the United States Ambassador to Australia from 1957 to 1961, while Ivan Kurdiukov was a senior Soviet diplomat stationed in Canberra between 1959 and 1968. Kurdiukov would later become embroiled in a separate scandal, when one of his embassy staff was exposed as an alleged Soviet spy in a sting by Australian authorities. American intelligence officers believed the Polish driver rang the embassy again on October 15 1962, although records do not indicate what was discussed. The same man was believed to have called a third time on November 23 1963, this time to speak about President Kennedy's assassination. "Series of anonymous telephone calls to the office of the Naval Attache in Canberra, Australia, by a man claiming to have knowledge about a Soviet plot to assassinate President Kennedy," read one cable copied to the FBI, the White House and the Secret Service.

The CIA director's office responded to the calls six days later in a message copied to American bureaus in Canberra and Melbourne. "Agree anonymous caller looks like a crank but please continue to follow-up," the cable read. "If he calls again, do everything to identify him." It appears from the cables that American authorities were never able to trace the so-called Polish driver nor verify any of his information. "[Redacted] has no record of a Polish driver connected with Russian diplomatic establishment in Australia. They are all Russian," read handwritten notes on one report.

In May 1964 the Canberra calls were the subject of a memo sent from Richard Helms, a senior CIA officer who would go on to lead the agency, to J. Lee Rankin, the former Solicitor General of the United States. Although the subject of the 1964 memo was listed in the CIA files, its contents have not been not disclosed. Mr Rankin was at the time serving as the general counsel for the Warren Commission, a body set-up in 1963 to investigate the death of President Kennedy. The commission concluded in September 1964 that Lee Harvey Oswald had assassinated President Kennedy and had acted alone in doing so. Two days after he killed the President, Harvey Oswald was himself shot and killed on live TV by Jack Ruby, a nightclub owner from Dallas.

The JFK Assassination Records are a trove of documents released by the United States National Archives on July and October this year. The killing of President Kennedy has been fertile ground for conspiracy theories, with the CIA, the KGB and the mafia variously put forward as culprits. Although it will take some time for historians to comb through the complete set of documents, the release has already prompted a number of fascinating revelations. One document from November 1963 stated that Harvey Oswald had met with an agent from the KGB's "assassination department" in Mexico City two months before the shooting. Loading
A decade has now passed since Rams Home Loans founder John Kinghorn cashed in $650 million after floating the group on the stock market - and watched his fellow investors quickly lose a fortune as it almost went bust in the financial crisis which hit within weeks.

The AFP now alleges that he failed to pay all the taxes owed on the gilded bounty he received in the float which the venerable New York Times said "may be the worst initial public offering of the decade".

John Kinghorn at the RAMS Home Loans AGM after its1997 float. Credit:Jim Rice

So CBD thought it was worth checking up on the accounts of another company he has had his fingers in over the past decade, Krispy Kreme Australia.

The good news is that Kinghorn is still making good money from junk food with the doughnut business reporting a net profit after tax of $8.27 million on sales of $88.2 million.
Two more office towers are in play on Australia's east coast as offshore money continues to underpin commercial property values.

A Singaporean developer who snapped up a rundown Franklin Street office in Melbourne last year hopes to sell it for around $100 million and double its money just one month after leasing the entire tower to the Victorian government.

130 Pitt Street in Sydney. Credit:Hamilton Lund

And Investa Property Group has moved to offload a 13-level tower with 9,800 square metres of lettable space and another 1000 sq m of retail at 130 Pitt Street in Sydney's CBD through Savills Australia and Inc RE.

The Pitt Street office has 96 per cent occupancy and a 2.15 weighted average lease expiry and is understood to be worth around $195 million.
When Myer boss Richard Umbers unveiled the revamped Myer store at Warringah Mall in Sydney's northern beaches a year ago it was hailed as the showpiece of the new Myer strategy.

The store was likened to a "blank canvas", a perfect blueprint to roll out the New Myer strategy in all its glory. Myer ambassador Jennifer Hawkins launched the store and Umbers took journalists on tours, outlining its importance in the $600 million New Myer turnaround strategy he unveiled in 2015.

But a year on, industry sources are labelling the Warringah Myer relaunch a failure. Myer's Warringah Mall store, which took nine months to refurbish, is understood to have missed initial internal targets and in the same complex rival David Jones is performing almost twice as well.

On the eve of Myer's much publicised strategy day, speculation is rife that the Warringah store is performing below rival David Jones using a gross leasable area (GLA) comparison.
That's another factor in favour of Rheinmetall's bid: a brand-new factory in south-east Queensland. That'd be great in a vulnerable marginal electorate like Peter Dutton's, wouldn't it? Or perhaps Christopher Pyne will talk up South Australia's urgent need for an injection of government industry. Wouldn't that fit the bill as part of an effort to replace a real business, like making cars for Australians? After all, if you look around, you'll notice we still use a lot of vehicles and the perception that industry is returning to Adelaide certainly won't hurt a government that needs a few wins ...

Of course, South Australia will be softened up by the big bickies in shipbuilding. Interestingly, last week's Submarine Institute conference heard in detail about the massive challenges Australia's new subs will face as they try to remain stealthy. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute's Andrew Davies said he'd begin his speech with something "nice and uncontroversial". "Submarines," he said, "might be obsolete by the middle of the century", before going on (at some length), describing exactly how new technology will soon offer so many new ways of destroying them. Then he paused. "I'd still put my money on the submarine program outlasting the future frigate program. In fact, I think that submarines will prove to have greater longevity than almost any other military platform."

In the past, we've dealt with the challenges of offensive weaponry by belting something on. Ships were given bigger guns with longer ranges, which dictates increased size and therefore even more armament. That's what Sea 5000, the new frigate project, is about. That dwarfs what we are spending on the army; it's part of the massive $89 billion naval shipbuilding program.

The problem, as Davies points out, is missiles are getting cheaper and more effective. They'll soon be able to swarm intelligently to flood a ship's defenses. It will become too dangerous to send our frigates into harm's way. They're optimised, at huge cost, to fight a conventional war, yet this is the one environment in which they'll be too vulnerable to ever engage.
When arts philanthropist Malcolm Turnbull took on the prime ministership, the arts sector was optimistic about its future. The mood changed following then arts minister Senator George Brandis' intervention in funding models.

Now our leading philanthropists, whose generous financial support is essential to the health of the sector, are reconsidering their support of Australia's participation in the Venice Biennale.

Artist Fiona Hall with her exhibition Wrong Way Time at the Venice Biennale, 2015. Credit:Angus Mordant

It is their prerogative to review their investments. It also highlights the need for arts organisations to have diverse income streams to ensure their longevity. Private sector support for Australia's major performing arts companies increased by 15 per cent between 2016 and 2017. However, corporate support was responsible for only 2 per cent of that growth with a national contribution of just $900,000.

In NSW, there was a decline in corporate support. Some 98 per cent of Australians regularly engage with the arts. Nine million people attended an arts festival in 2016. Seven million engaged with First Nation arts last year, and three out of four Australians believe the arts are an important way to get a different perspective on an issue, according to a recent Australia Council survey.
Bred for purpose I refer to the article 'ACT will not restrict pit bulls or other dog breeds when tightening laws' (October 30, pps 6-7). Dogs are wonderful creatures which, almost always, bring joy to the world. However, it must be understood that dogs are bred for various purposes  companion dogs, hunting dogs, sheep dogs, lap dogs, temple dogs, seeing eye dogs, mountain rescue dogs, police dogs, racing dogs, Customs sniffer dogs, fighting dogs, and so forth. These dogs are not interchangeable regardless of owner.

A dog's instincts cultivated from generations of breeding to produce certain characteristics can override an owner's influence. A fighting dog can revert to type in certain circumstances regardless of the owner. Bad luck is an understatement for the person or dog or cat who is confronted in such a way. The ACT Government and the RSPCA ACT are reckless and foolish in not restricting dangerous dog breeds. Jeff Dutton, Isaacs

A breed for you We agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments expressed in Bill Shepherd's letter (Letters, October 31) regarding taking responsibility for the care and training of our canine companions. Now sadly deceased and missed for her companionship, love and faithfulness, our Staffordshire/bull terrier cross, Amber, never showed us, or our visitors, anything but love. She also bonded with our other little dog, a long-haired daschund, never showing any animosity towards her  rather they were great companions. In the light of yet another unfortunate event, the lesson is, if you want a (domestic) canine companion, make sure it's the correct breed for you, it's trained, shown love and is cared for  or take the consequences.

Dogs should not be blamed for the crass negligence of humans and pay for their aggression with their lives. Pat and Brian Watson, Red Hill Dogged by negligence The red-neck obstinacy of the frontier-land to our deepest north to ban dangerous dog breeds is grudgingly understandable. It goes with the Territory, so to speak. But for Rattenbury and our pathetic town council to trot out reasons, contrary to the practical findings of all other jurisdictions, why our shrinking, more urbanised, increasingly claustrophobic and impolite space, should endure dangerous dog breeds, owned, by a worrying percentage of people who will not accept, or be held accountable for, the actions of their vicious animals, is grossly negligent.

A. Whiddett, Forrest Fall of empires The Ottoman Empire were defending their country from invasion, and did a good job of it in 1915 sinking many Allied ships and causing the withdrawal from the Dardanelles. The Ottomans did not invade other countries like the German Empire and Austria-Hungarian Empire did either. In 1917 Beersheba was an heroic victory for the British Empire, including Lieutenant-General Chauvel's colonial mounted troops.

However, the breakup of the Ottoman Empire after WWI was catastrophic and led to the chaos in the region we have witnessed ever since. Adrian Jackson, Middle Park, Vic Nuclear clock Tom Switzer ("A historical perspective", October 30, p.18) evokes the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, reassuring us nothing is the end of the world. He reminds us of many traumatic domestic events, from the dismissal onwards.

However, now we live in a nuclear age. World events, say the assassination of Kennedy, may still be classified a change, or flux. But there lurks one that is terminal, nuclear war. The Cuban missile crisis brought us near the edge; we seem to be getting closer to it with Kim Jong-un. Don't get too upset with parliamentary upheaval, but the nuclear clock can't be turned back if it strikes midnight. Jack Palmer, Watson Kevin's moves Kevin Rudd (Q&A, October 30) remarked Donald Trump was a "nut".

I am sure Donald will attempt to get rid of you. Back to Australia Kevin 018 and campaign for the next federal election but don't tell Bill or Julia. Brian Hale, Wanniassa How marvellous would have been Griffins' capital that we never had A quick history lesson for Wayne Grant ("Building blocks", Letters, October 30), whose withering assessment of our poorly designed town centres is accurate, but who has unfairly laid the blame with Walter and Marion Griffin. We must remember that Canberra's satellite towns had nothing to do with the Griffins' exquisite  and mostly unrealised  plans for Canberra.

The town centres were an invention of the bureaucrats who replaced the Griffins after they were indeed "sacked" because their ideas were deemed too grand and "too continental", particularly according to the likes of John Sulman (the real head honcho responsible for much of Canberra's current urban form). The original plans were for a compact and low-rise but mostly medium-density city with terraced houses along tree-lined avenues served by a streetcar network. These plans included a number of urban green spaces that would have offered the "parks where people can congregate, meet other people and perhaps just chill out" that Mr Grant longs for. One such space, for example, would have been the bland travesty that is now Hume Circle, which had been imagined as more of European-style residential piazza and transport interchange with a central green space. How marvellous and special it might have been.

Scott Humphries, Curtin Back to basics At last, the National Gallery seems to be coming to its senses. Its shop has been moved back to adjoin the original main entry foyer. It is accessible either via the splendid, eucalypt-surrounded bridge from the High Court forecourt with its brilliant cascade, or from the gallery's original and best address street (the most easterly part of Parkes Place, now finally made one-way "inland", as originally planned) and then via the original grand canopied staircase, the ramps, or the internal escalator/lift. The latest building extension towards King Edward Terrace should never have contained the shop, let alone a new "main entry" (as it is now designated in the car park).

That extension, being so prominent, underwent an "architectural rationalisation and facilitation" process (like the infamous "toaster" building close to the Sydney Opera House) in a (failed) effort to make it contextually well-mannered. Incongruously, the gallery extension was given a perfunctory new "front" door, not out of place in a medical centre. Time for the gallery to downplay that new entry even more, and focus on the original. Jack Kershaw, Kambah Alarming changes

Two disturbing climate change trends were reported in the past two weeks. First, from a long-term German study of the decrease in insect numbers by 70 per cent, which, if this reflects a global trend, would be globally disastrous. Second, on Monday the UN's WMO reported that in 2016 the global average of atmospheric CO2 reached 400 parts per million, the highest concentration for 3 to 5 million years (well before humans existed). So far neither of these matters have been covered in Australian media. If people are unaware of these trends where will the impetus for action come from? Rod Holesgrove, O'Connor

Republic plan now Currently any action to move to a republic is hindered by the suggestion that we wait until the demise of the present monarch. However, because of the slowness in amending the constitution and processing legislation we need to plan ahead. Otherwise we will have a new monarch and considerable delays. We need the constitutional decision to move to a republic now. That decision could include an interim solution while the structure of the new republic is resolved. At the same time as a referendum to establish a republic we could amend the constitution to resolve the dual citizenship problems.

David Lewis, Murrumbateman, NSW Shaky grasp on facts Barnaby Joyce explained on Monday that the legality of decisions he made as an unlawfully appointed agriculture minister cannot be legally questioned because they were made by cabinet. Although Barnaby has been a member of Parliament for 12 years, he has yet to grasp the basics of the Westminster system. There is no legal entity called "cabinet"; and, as legislation points out, decisions are made by the responsible minister.

It is the minister, not the cabinet, who must face the courts if those decisions are challenged. But Barnaby has a questionable grasp of many matters. Although he swore to uphold the laws of the nation, and he had "a feeling in his guts" that he was not a minister because of his New Zealand citizenship, this did not stop him from continuing to accept his ministerial pay and perks. Will the government send him a bill for accepting these benefits, as it did to another ineligible parliamentarian, the former West Australian "senator" Rod Cullerton? Tony Harris, Narrabundah

Ignoring reality The Attorney-General asserts that because "most decisions that ministers make are in fact made by cabinet on the recommendation of the minister. Appointments are made by the Governor-General. I think you will find there are no legal consequences here at all." ("Doubts over ministers' decisions", canberratimes.com.au, October 30.) The Acting Prime Minister repeated this on ABC's 7.30. I always thought a cabinet decision authorised a minister to make decisions to authorise a course of action, be it to incur expenditure, authorise a grant, make regulations etc. The Attorney-General's point that appointments are made by the Governor-General seems to overlook that such recommendations are put tohim either by ministers orthe Executive Council, whose membership are all ministers. Brian Bell, Isabella Plains

Pistol at the ready Is it too late for Johnny Depp to run in the New England byelection? Thos Puckett, Ashgrove, NSW TO THE POINT RUN OUT OF LUCK

Has Donald Horne's comment "Australia is a lucky country run mainly by second-rate people who share its luck ... most of its leaders (in all fields) so lack curiosity about the events that surround them they are often taken by surprise" ever been more true? Sadly I think luck has run out for Australia. Felicity Chivas, Scullin GALL OF IT ALL After all the accusations slung at Iran and North Korea of breaking the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Donald Trump is now encouraging Japan and South Korea to break it.

S. W. Davey, Torrens REMEMBRANCE DAZE I received in my mailbox (despite having a "no junk mail" sticker attached) an invitation from Andrew Leigh to attend a sausage sizzle on November 11. I trust he plans to have a silence for one minute at 11am. Do Andrew's distributors not understand the term "no junk mail"? Ken McPhan, Spence GET OFF THE TRACKS

Stan Marks, (Letters, October 30), the trams are here. It is rather pointless saying that in your opinion they shouldn't be. They are here and they are not going away. Please, give us all a break and move on. Patrick O'Hara, Isaacs STOP VISUAL POLLUTION Charmaine Moldrich of the Outdoor Media Association is quite right: graffiti has its place, principally all over billboards and other garish, crass exhortations to spend more money. I'm an optimist, too, just like Ms Moldrich, and look forward to the resurgence of Billboard Utilising Graffitists Against Unhealthy Promotions to BUGA-UP the pollution her organisation peddles. Matt Gately, Rivett

WHO'S NEXT? Which authority/commission will Barnaby transfer to Armidale in order to ensure he is re-elected? I'm off to buy shares in McDonald's. Maria Greene, Curtin SPEAKS VOLUMES If Barnaby Joyce is re-elected, I hope he does not transfer the National Library to Armidale.

John Milne, Chapman NO CHANGE REQUIRED Once again Barnaby Joyce displays his complete lack of vision by suggesting there be a referendum to change the constitution in regard to dual citizenship. When (not if) Australia becomes a republic, the question of citizenship will be much more important for those who represent our country. I don't think the constitution should be changed because of the stupidity of a few politicians. Hugh McGowan, Holt Email: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au. Send from the message eld, not as an attached le. Fax: 6280 2282. Mail: Letters to the Editor, The Canberra Times, PO Box 7155, Canberra Mail Centre, ACT 2610.
In The Manchurian Candidate, a noted Cold War thriller released in 1962, the Soviet Union conspires to have one of its puppets elected president of the US. The conspiracy involves eliminating everybody who stands between the communists' stooge and the White House. Critics complained the plot was far-fetched. Apparently not. While the charges laid by dogged US special counsel Robert S. Mueller against three advisers to Donald Trump's presidential campaign do not prove a direct link between the campaign and Vladimir Putin's authoritarian Russian regime, they are the strongest indication such a link may exist. Mr Trump dismisses claims of Russian interference in the election as "fake news". But we already know the Russian meddling, which included the hacking of emails and the use of social media to disseminate phoney stories, was real. That is because a range of official US security agencies  the same ones that now report to Mr Trump, and that he relies upon  have told us so. According to Mr Mueller, Mr Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, has been laundering millions of dollars through overseas shell companies; likewise, Mr Manafort's associate and Trump campaign adviser Rick Gates. They deny the charges. While the allegations do not appear to go to the heart of the issue at hand, they are related to it, because the two men harvested their millions by lobbying for a pro-Russia party in Ukraine.

There will be few winners if it turns out that, this time around, the Manchurian candidate was successful. What may trouble the Trump camp more is Mr Mueller's indictment of former campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos. Mr Papadopoulos, who is co-operating with Mr Mueller's inquiry, has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI over his contact with Russian intelligence operatives who offered to dish-up dirt on Hillary Clinton. True to form, Mr Trump is attempting to deflect attention, pointing to the putative Russia connections of Mrs Clinton and the Democrats. For him it is as if the campaign never ended, or as if he doesn't understand the significance of the position he now occupies. But if Mr Mueller's strategy in issuing these indictments is a means rather than an end, a way of eliciting more information from Mr Manafort and Mr Gates, while encouraging others to come forward, the President may find himself in a corner he cannot tweet his way out of. This presidency has never felt like any other. Should it now begin to fray at the edges, or even unravel, there are perils for the US, Australia and the world. The first worry is that, if cornered, Mr Trump will seek to throw out a distraction much more serious than a tweet, in the form of a foreign adventure. Dangerously for us, North Korea already has his attention, such as it is.
Refugees on Manus Island were braced for potential calamity on Tuesday evening as they refused to leave the now-decommissioned detention centre and feared violent clashes with locals and the military.

Five years after the centre reopened under Labor and took in its first asylum seekers - and six months after its closure was announced following a Papua New Guinea Supreme Court ruling - the ugly and potentially violent standoff marks another dark episode in the history of Australia's offshore processing regime.

All Australian and PNG staff abandoned the site on Tuesday morning, heading for the airport, while power and water were cut later in the afternoon.

About 600 men - mostly refugees, but also some failed asylum seekers - have refused to move to alternative accommodation in nearby Lorengau, citing fears for their safety and vowing to resist as long as possible.
According to Senator Bernie Sanders, the stakes in New York Citys mayoral election next week are clear: a vote for Bill de Blasio is a vote against Donald Trump.

I wanna tell you what this election here in New York is about, is the understanding that everything that Mayor de Blasio is trying to do is exactly the opposite of what Donald Trump is trying to do, Sanders told several hundred of the mayors supporters who had gathered for a campaign rally at Terminal 5. Trump, in an extremely un-American, ugly, and almost unprecedented way, is trying to divide us up! And this mayor is leading this city in a way to bring us together to create a better life for all of our people.

Sanders praised de Blasio for enacting universal pre-K, pushing for rent freezes, and starting the IDNYC program, but stressed that next Tuesday is bigger than the mayors first term victories.

This election is not only reelecting the mayor, but this election is more than that, Sanders said. "This is something he cant do, the first lady cant do. We have got to revitalize American democracy.

Yet the urgency of resistance makes it easier to overlook knotty yet pressing municipal issues over which the mayor has considerable more control, like school segregation, homelessness, or affordable housing. The most recent poll gives the mayor a 44 percentage point lead over his closest rival, a Staten Island Republican who voted for Donald Trump.

In his own way of acknowledging the lackluster mayoral race, Mayor de Blasio invoked, well, you know.

Now, sometimes you will encounter people who say to you, Oh Im not going to bother to vote, its all in the bag, theres no reason to vote. de Blasio told the crowd. You tell them the best reason to vote on Tuesday, November 7th is because what happened last November 8th.

Rogr Otiende, an event producer who attended the rally, said he believed that the mayors most important accomplishment is the fact that he fights for New York to be a Sanctuary City.

Not very many places are Sanctuary Cities right now in this era of Trump, and thats important.

Ortiende conceded, I think he could be more progressive, but we dont have any other option right now. If there were more options of people who were more progressive, then people would have a choice. I think we can support de Blasio and still make sure he stands up for the progressive values that we stand up for, and put pressure on him and make sure hes fulfilling those promises.

Elspeth MacDonald, a retired preschool teacher who was wearing buttons that read Tax the Rich and War Resistors League, defended the mayor from critiques on the left.

My personal feeling is that he is doing as much as he damn well can, in a tyranny. I just think its a scary world, and hes doing what he can do and if it doesnt look good to the progressives maybe they should look again.

But MacDonald sounded a lot more like Sanders, the Independent progressive firebrand, than de Blasio, the establishment liberal Democrat who endorsed Hillary Clinton in last year's hotly-contested primary.

Take the mayor pushing his plan for a millionaires tax to fund repairs for the MTA: I get a funny feeling that the millionaires and billionaires could afford to pay a little bit more, I dunno, I just get that feeling.

Heres Sanders: What the TV tells you and what the establishment tells youYou cant do anything. Who are you? Maybe youll vote maybe you wont vote, you dont have any power, youre nothin! And our job is to tell the billionaire class, we are something. We can do it if we have the guts to become involved in the political processIf we have the guts to take on the billionaire class, and fight for our children and our parents.

And while de Blasio painted a vision of a more equitable country with universal health care and free college tuition, he has lagged behind on progressive issues such as minimum wage, or half-priced MetroCards for low income New Yorkers. He recently expanded his efforts to create and preserve affordable housing, answering critics who said for years that his original plan wasnt enough. A bill that would create a Canadian-style healthcare system in New York State has the support of the State Assembly, but you dont hear the mayor talk about it much.

Outside Terminal 5 after the rally, Ateeia Kazi, Hoshneara Begum, and Shahana Masum waited for a car. The three women said they had stood on the bleachers behind the mayor and Senator Sanders.

Kazi, who lives in Brooklyn, said she thought the mayors biggest achievement was his addition of the Eid holidays on the city schools' calendar.

I was too young to vote for him [in 2013], but being able to see that everyone voted for this mayor who was able to give us this holiday, and the fact that we were able to finally get off for this holiday instead of skipping school, or just telling our teachers that we cant come to school, this is the first time we dont have to get in trouble for it, she said.

He brings all different communities together, Masum added. Our communities, for like the last 20, years, we were not in City Hall, only certain people were. But the mayor brought the real people from the community.

We feel now, were home, this is our family, Begum said. Hes representing everyone, not just certain people.
Donald Trump will meet with Malcolm Turnbull during his coming visit to Asia, according to a senior White House official who also branded North Korea's recent letter to Australia a clear sign of "desperation" by the rogue regime.

Crucially the talks may include discussion of a future four-way diplomatic dialogue between Australia, the United States, Japan and India, an arrangement that has in the past angered China, which sees it as an attempt at containment.

"President Trump will certainly have time to meet with Prime Minister Turnbull during the course of his swing through south-east Asia. We're working on the details but I can confirm that they're going to be meeting," the official said during a conference call with a small number of reporters across Asia on Monday night.

Fairfax Media revealed recently that North Korea had taken the unusual step of writing directly to Australia in an apparent bid to turn it against its close ally, the US.
Senate President Stephen Parry has revealed he may be a dual citizen and could have to resign, while there are growing calls for a full audit of all federal MPs' citizenship status.

Senator Parry's admission on Tuesday that he is the eighth MP caught up in the citizenship debacle - just days after the High Court ruled on the status of the so-called "citizenship seven" - has rocked the Turnbull government and is a further blow to the Coalition.

The Tasmanian senator would become the first Liberal to be forced out of Parliament in the ongoing citizenship fiasco, which has already claimed two Nationals cabinet ministers.

Senator Parry was born in Burnie, Tasmania; his father migrated from Britain as a child.
Julie Bishop's first utterance as acting Prime Minister originated in her own portfolio, but was anything but safe.

Rather it was a forward-leaning exercise in scene setting ahead of Malcolm Turnbull's arrival in Jerusalem some hours later.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday. Credit:AAP

A visit being watched as closely in Washington as it will be in this country.

Bishop warned that a mooted US withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal would undermine efforts toward a denouement with North Korea's Kim Jong-un.
Topshop, which has had a horrid year thanks to the collapse of the Australian franchise and those plastic jeans, has found a saviour in one of Australia's biggest online retailers.

From October 31, The Iconic will stock Topshop's denim and menswear ranges, with womenswear on sale from November.

The Iconic chief executive Patrick Schmidt wants the e-tailer to become the main seller of Topshop's product in Australia.

The Iconic's chief executive, Patrick Schmidt, said the e-tailer would carry about 70 per cent of Topshop and Topman's full range.

"There's a lot of product, but not all of it is relevant to the Australian customer," Mr Schmidt said.
Australian-Chinese entrepreneur Michael Cho says the risks of investing in China are high, but the rewards are too. Cho thinks he can't go too far wrong, over the long term, with dominant players such as Tencent and Alibaba. Volatility That risk was certainly on show when the Shanghai Stock Exchange Composite Index fell from 5200 points in June 2015 to 2800 points by late January last year  a fall of almost 50 per cent. It has recovered somewhat, but is still a long way off its peak.

That doesn't deter the fund managers who invest in emerging markets. For them, China is even a bigger deal than it was a decade ago. Their biggest positions continue to be in "greater" China  which includes Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. South Korea usually runs second. Enthusiasm for China is even greater now that it's on the path to being a genuine innovator. Tech and ecommerce companies such as Alibaba and Baidu (China's Google), which are listed in the US, and Tencent, listed in Hong Kong, have not only learned from their US rivals but, in some respects, have surpassed them. China

"When I think of emerging markets, it's now more about China than it ever was," says Tim Rocks, the chief investment officer at Evans and Partners. "Ten years ago you were buying a bunch of companies with some cyclical upside," Rocks says. "Now, it's much more about tech companies  something like half of the world's online shopping occurs in China," he says. "I would argue that we are at the point now where Alibaba is a better company than Amazon  it has learned from Amazon," Rocks says. It's not just the techs. "We are still believers in the emerging middle-class consumer story," he says. And that's a story that's going on in India and Brazil as well, he says.

Kevin Bertoli, portfolio manager of PM Capital's Asian equities strategies, has big exposures to China but is also finding good opportunities in companies in the rest of Asia, such as Malaysia. Going back more than a decade, Australian investors could easily get access to the China growth story by simply buying shares in BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, he says. China was importing hard commodities at a prodigious rate in order to build apartments, roads and bridges. Asia first Bertoli argues Asia should be the focus for Australian investors as other emerging markets, such as Russia and Brazil, are commodity-driven economies with similarities to Australia.

"Australians already have access to great commodity businesses and we don't need to go to Brazil to get those," he says. "What's really growing in the world is Asia," he says. John Birkhold, a partner at Origin Asset Management, prefers China's "world-class" technology companies to its property companies and state-owned enterprises. He is not so keen on India. "It's an attractive market in terms of high growth and lots of interesting stocks, but the market is very expensive," Birkhold says. In August, the International Monetary Fund warned that Chinese corporate debt is at "dangerous" levels and China's sovereign credit ratings have been cut this year.

Damien Klassen, head of investments at Nucleus Wealth, says the high levels of debt is a concern to him. "If the Chinese authorities think the economy is growing too slowly they will hit the debt accelerator again," he says. There's also a a demographic headwind with the ageing population, he says. Home bias a threat to returns over the long term It could be a good time to add some exposure to emerging markets, particularly for those investors who have big home biases to Australian shares, says Chris Brycki, the chief executive of Stockspot, an online investment adviser. Over the past 10 years, the US shares have outperformed emerging markets by a huge margin.

"If you look at the spread between these two indexes, it's about as extreme as it's ever been," Brycki says. Based on the tendency for returns to revert to the mean, that difference is likely to narrow over the next decade, Brycki says. Steve Sweeney, general manager of emerging markets at investments researcher Lonsec, says Australians are generally too exposed to the local sharemarket. "There's definitely room to have more exposure to the fastest-growing economies in the world", he says. "We recommend a 10 to 20 per cent allocation from within the global equities part of a portfolio, which should add some oomph in investment terms over the long term," he says. Performance figures show that active fund managers find it difficult beat the index. There are exceptions, but generally their returns have struggled to justify their fees.
Thousands of patients will now have access to new Medicare subsidies to treat epilepsy, stroke, lymphoma, heart diseases and other life-threatening conditions.

From November 1, women with a family history of breast and ovarian cancer will also have free access to Medicare rebates for BRCA1 and BRCA 2 genetic testing. Close relatives of women found to have the mutations will also be eligible for the tests which have previously cost between $600 and $2000.

Health Minister Greg Hunt is set to announce new Medicare subsidies. Credit:AAP

The federal government approved all the latest recommendations from independent expert on the Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC), Health Minister Greg Hunt will announce on Wednesday.

Among the new Medicare items are subsidies for more than 2000 patients with slow growing non-Hodgkin lymphoma to access PET (positron emission tomography) imaging to monitor the progress of their using nuclear medicine diagnostic services.
Private health insurers are under pressure to limit their annual fee increases to the Consumer Price Index following government-led reforms that saw the industry win $1.5 billion in savings on the cost of medical devices.

At a Senate inquiry into health insurance on Tuesday, the Medical Technology Association of Australia (MTAA) said given the "significant" cuts to the cost of devices on the prostheses list, it would be "reasonable" to expect premium increases of 2 per cent, rather than the 5 per cent or so seen each year.

It also said that with $6.4 billion in taxpayer subsidies funnelled to health funds each year, the Australian National Audit Office should scrutinise the insurers' books to ensure the savings are passed on to customers.

"The industry has estimated that every $200 million in cuts to medical devices would shave 1 per cent off premiums," said its chief executive Ian Burgess.
Federal Court staff will use rolling strikes to heap more pressure on their bosses in a long-running workplace stoush over cuts to rights and conditions.

The industrial action follows a half-day strike two weeks ago, an unprecedented move by court workers that the main public sector union said closed multiple registry offices.

Attorney-General Senator George Brandis said the federal courts were responsible for their own operation. Credit:Andrew Meares

Frustrated with a lack of progress in negotiations with court management, staff will join rolling strikes on Wednesday and Thursday to resist changes they fear could threaten their job security.

Court bosses have refused conciliation by the Fair Work Commission.
Taxi passengers crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Harbour Tunnel northbound will no longer have to pay the cost of a return toll of up to $4 after new laws covering the taxi and ride-sharing industries come into effect on Wednesday.

Under the changes, taxi-booking companies such as Cabcharge will be also able to set their own prices and potentially offer "frequent rider" discounts and match prices of ride-sharing companies such as Uber.

People booking taxis and hire vehicles will be able to ask for an estimate of the price of a trip before they get into a cab, which could be a fixed amount or a rate per hour or kilometre. Customers will have to accept the estimate before the trip begins.

NSW Point to Point Transport Commissioner Barbara Wise said taxi companies would now be able to set their own fares for trips booked by phone or app, allowing them to set a flat fare for trips such as from Sydney Airport to the CBD.
The estranged husband of a NSW woman murdered in Kenya and his cousin have been released in Nairobi without charge a week after their arrest.

Cyrus Bernard Maina Njuguna and his cousin John Njuguna Waithira were arrested in connection with Gabrielle Maina's murder in the capital on October 24.

Gabrille Maina was shot dead by armed men riding a motorbike while she was walking near her home. Credit:Facebook

The ABC reports a Kenyan magistrate ordered their release on Tuesday after no charges were laid.

Ms Maina, a 40-year-old school teacher, was shot dead by armed men riding a motorbike while walking near her home in the suburb of Karen on October 19.
Dan Hanegby, the 36-year-old man killed by a commercial bus driver in Chelsea this June, did not swerve into a bus moments before he was fatally struck, prosecutors said Tuesday. Instead, the criminal complaint against bus driver Dave Lewis states that he honked at Hanegby, then struck and killed the cyclist in the process of passing him.

Security camera footage viewed by Gothamist this summer appeared to contradict the preliminary NYPD statements and media reports that Hanegby "swerved" away from a parked vehicle on the morning of June 12th before he was fatally struck on West 26th Street between Eighth and Seventh Avenues.

Lewis's criminal complaint, made public today more than four months after the incident, has no account of Hanegby swerving. Rather, NYPD Detective Jose Diaz states that he viewed surveillance footage showing Hanegby riding his bike on West 26th Street ahead of the bus.

"I then observed on the video the bus attempt to and successfully overtake and pass said bicyclist, at which point the bus struck said bicyclist," Diaz stated.

Bystander Michael O'Connor spoke to Lewis right after the crash, according to the complaint. Lewis allegedly told O'Connor that he saw Hanegby riding in the center of the road, then honked his horn but "wasn't sure if the bicyclist heard him because the cyclist was wearing headphones."

Lewis then allegedly passed the cyclist, "heard a commotion," felt "something," and looked in the bus mirror, seeing Hanegby on the ground. Hanegby was the first Citi Bike rider to die while using the bike share system, which launched in 2013.

Lewis, 52, appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court on a desk appearance ticket Tuesday, following his September 5th arrest. He stood silently alongside his private counsel in a suit vest and matching slacks while prosecutors summarized the allegations. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office then offered Lewis a plea deal amounting to a $1,000 fine, driver remediation classes, and a six month license suspension.

Lewis was charged under New York's Right of Way Law, a misdemeanor leveraged against drivers who fail to exercise due care. Transit activists consider the 2015 law to be a hard-won victory, though the top consequences are relatively minor: up to thirty days in jail and $500 in fines. Lewis's lesser charge is failure to exercise due care as a violation.

Jeremy Saland, Lewis's lawyer, declined to say Tuesday whether his client will take the plea, and declined to comment on Hanegby's alleged trajectory on West 26th Street, but insisted vehemently that his client is not at fault.

"First and foremost Mr. Lewis is distraught and upset," Saland told Gothamist. "Obviously this was a horrific incident. And he feels for the family and the suffering they went through and will continue to go through. He's a compassionate person. He's an honest, good person. And unfortunately this is a terrible, horrendous accident, not a crime of intent, not a crime of recklessness, not a crime of negligencean accident."

Following Lewis's arrest, Transportation Alternatives spokeswoman Caroline Samponaro said stronger charges were merited.

"I think it's another example of Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance not using his position to set a higher standard here," she said. "We've seen the ways in which it still falls on the shoulders of the families of victims to insist that DAs bring more appropriate charges to better reflect the outcome of death. The fallback is not to do that."

Steve Vaccaro, an attorney who often represents cyclists and pedestrians in traffic crashes, agreed that stiffer charges were merited, referencing Lewis's alleged decision to honk.

"That means he saw Hanegby and apparently decided to invade space that was Hanegby's right of way," Vaccaro said via emial. "That should definitely have drawn a manslaughter charge."

What he was offered instead is "towards the upper end of the penalties that you would face for public urination or riding a bike on the sidewalk," he added.

Lewis's next court appearance has been set for January 9th. He was released on his own recognizance.

Hudson Trail Lines operates the private bus involved in the June crash. Spokesman Sean Hughes told Gothamist at the time that the company was cooperating with authorities and that "safety is our top priority."

Hughes said Tuesday that Lewis is no longer employed by Hudson Trail Lines, but declined to clarify when he left the company, or whether he was fired in response to the fatal crash. Hughes also said that it would be "inappropriate" to comment on pending litigation.

This story has been updated with comment from Vaccaro.
It was a horrific scene in December 2013 when Parwinder Kaur ran screaming from her home in Sydney's north-west, her body covered in flames.

Neighbours watched on in shock as the 32-year-old emerged at the front her home on Greensborough Avenue, Rouse Hill, after being doused in petrol and set alight.

At the time, witnesses recalled her husband, Kulwinder Singh, then 34, running after her, apparently trying to put out the flames with his hands, saying, "Fire, fire. I didn't do it, I'm a good man."

But, four years on, Mr Singh has been arrested and charged with the murder of Ms Kaur.
Real estate prices have won. They've routed the socialists and killed words on the page in Newtown.

Gould's Book Arcade, for 50 years the last word for Sydney's discerning left-wing readers, has been priced out of gentrifying King Street, its future uncertain.

Natalie Gould (left) and her mother Mairi Petersen (right) fear the end is looming for their bookshop, Gould's Book Arcade, in Newtown. Credit:Kate Geraghty

"Books have little place in the lives of people moving into Newtown these days," said Mairi Petersen, the first wife of bookshop founder, the late Bob Gould.

"Once Newtown was students and the working class. No more. Now they are paying millions to buy in and when you look at real estate agent photographs of houses for sale there is not a book to be seen."
A sitting NSW magistrate has been charged over historic child sex offences dating back more than 30 years.

Graeme Curran, 67, was charged on Tuesday morning, following extensive investigations by Strike Force Stantke, established by detectives from the State Crime Command's Sex Crimes Squad.

A sitting Sydney magistrate has been charged over historic alleged child sex offences. Credit:Louie Douvis

The charges relate to allegations of indecent assault committed on a teenage boy known to him between 1981 and 1983, which prompted the establishment of Strike Force Stantke.

Mr Curran was released with strict bail conditions and issued a court attendance notice for nine counts of indecent assault on a male.



Investigations under Stantke are continuing.
A convicted murderer who fled from Sydney last week and was sighted at an Ipswich shopping centre has been arrested in far north Queensland.

New South Wales convicted murder Patrick Mills Credit:Queensland Police Service

Patrick Mills, 46, did not return to his Campbelltown home on the evening of Monday, October 23, prompting an alert to be issued for his recapture.

CCTV captured Mr Mills at St Ives Shopping Centre in Goodna on the Tuesday and Wednesday after his disappearance, prompting an urgent warning from Queensland police for members of the public not to approach him if sighted.

He was arrested by Queensland police officers in Port Douglas on Monday afternoon and appeared in the Cairns Magistrates Court on Tuesday where the matter was adjourned until Wednesday.
The trouble-prone member for Cook Billy Gordon has announced he will not contest the next Queensland election.

Instead, Mr Gordon said he would endorse the Labor candidate for his seat, Cynthia Lui.

Member for Cook Billy Gordon will not contest the upcoming Queensland election.

"As an Indigenous Australian, I am excited at the prospect of having for the very first time a Torres Strait Islander elected to the Queensland Legislative Assembly," Mr Gordon said.

Since being elected as a Labor MP in 2015, Mr Gordon's political career has been marked by controversy and headlines.
Queenslanders will head to the ballot box before seeing a report which examines whether the state's expanding public service has delivered returns.

KPMG was commissioned to investigate whether an increase in the state's public sector had delivered results for Queenslanders.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, pictured campaigning in Townsville, says a promised report into the public service would not be made public prior to the election. Credit:Darren England/AAP

There are now 217,577 full time equivalent employees working for the Queensland public sector, an increase of more than 16,000 since the 2015 election.

The Palaszczuk government has focused on "restoring frontline services" after the Campbell Newman-led government made 14,000 workers redundant.
One Nation has added two more names to the list of Queensland MPs who'll escape a challenge by the party which deems them "really good representatives" for their electorates.

The party will not stand candidates against Labor MP Leanne Linard and the LNP's Sid Cramp when Queensland voters go to the polls next month.

Pauline Hanson and One Nation Queensland party leader Steve Dickson aren't placing every sitting MP last for preferences. Credit:Regi Varghese/AAP

"They're both really, really good representatives for the people of Queensland," the leader of Pauline Hanson's party in Queensland, Steve Dickson, said.

The two MPs join maverick Labor politician Jo-Anne Miller, the LNP's Mark Robinson, and the two Katter's Australian Party MPs Robbie Katter and Shane Knuth in escaping One Nation challenges.
Mental health days are not frowned upon at Sydney content marketing and public relations agency Filtered Media.

"By policy, we offer YOLO [you only live once] days," says co-owner Heather Jones. "It's two paid days per year to take at your whim, either when the sun is shining too brightly for you to bear being anywhere but the beach, or the clouds are hovering so thickly in your own mental space you need to stay in bed with the curtains drawn."

An estimated 31 per cent of Australian workers have used leave for mental health or stress within the last year. Credit:Fiona-Lee Quimby

Jones has lived with depression herself and so has embedded mental health care into the culture and policies of the business, which employs 30 staff and turns over more than $3 million a year.

"In the last two weeks alone, I've initiated 'are you OK?' one on one conversations with two staff members who didn't seem themselves," says Jones. "Flags to me were them seeming distracted, more lethargic than usual, less attention to detail than usual, less willing to engage in team activities than usual."
Drexler in his Oxford Street, Paddington store with a replica, Iconic Lounge Chair and Ottoman. Credit:Peter Rae He acknowledges he's taking a risk. But they've crunched the numbers about where their customers live and he feels it's one worth taking. The business drew on Google analytics numbers to inform the decision. "It gives us so much information about where customers come from, how much they spend, what they look at and what websites they go to after they've been on our website. We also look at where strong sales and good conversion rates come from." Matt Blatt now offers in-home consultations. Credit:Matt Blatt Matt Blatt has been entirely self-funded since it opened 20 years ago. "We put our house on the line and there were a lot of sleepless nights," says Drexler.

While the financial crisis didn't affect Matt Blatt  the name comes from a chair that arrived from China that was meant to say "matte black" but had been misspelt  intense competition from cheaper imported Chinese products did. We put our house on the line and there were a lot of sleepless nights. Adam Drexler This was in 2000 and at the time Matt Blatt manufactured in Australia and wholesaled to retailers. Realising that model wasn't working, it started importing and selling on eBay and the business turned around. "We did very well on eBay but that wasn't a good business model either. We were adventurous and trying new products and ideas. We were the first company in Australia to sell office chairs on eBay and other people immediately copied us, importing and selling for a little bit less," Drexler says. Matt Batt itself has attracted controversy for reproducing the work of famous international designers along with small independent Australian designers.

So in 2003 Drexler took Matt Blatt off Ebay and developed its own website, which was a great success. "We had a $450,000 overdraft and I thought once we hit that number I'd close up shop and not borrow any more. But as we started importing business picked up and that number decreased substantially over a year. "One day was very emotional. We had a good weekend and when I looked at our bank account on Monday I expected to see the overdraft would be almost zero, after being $17,000 in overdraft on Friday. I looked into the bank account on Monday morning and there was $15,000. I was disappointed it wasn't zero. But when I looked closer it was actually plus $15,000. We were in the black. I got very excited." Today the business has no borrowings and generates $43 million a year, which has allowed it to self-fund its expansion plans. Drexler is expecting to get his investment back within a year. That's a bold goal in a world that's seemingly obsessed with Amazon's arrival, although only about 20 per cent of Matt Blatt's sales come from online.

But that doesn't mean people are buying online without going to the showroom. Often customers will go into the showroom, look around, talk to a salesperson, go home, discuss the purchase and buy online. In the past the business has done substantial print advertising. It had scaled this back, but now it's reviewing this decision. Previously the Matt Blatt typical advertising model involved print, Google and social media. But the feeling was print was advertising to a diminishing audience, so the team dropped newspapers from the ad spend. Instantly sales shot up, but foot traffic subsequently slowed. Store managers noticed younger people were visiting but older shoppers were no longer going to the stores as much. So in September this year Matt Blatt started print ads again and an older demographic returned. The message to the team was that it's important to get the mix right between online and offline advertising.

As for the future, Drexler has been grooming his son Joel to eventually step into his shoes. "He thinks a bit differently to me, he's more analytical, probably a bit more conservative. It's a good balance." He says the challenge now is to stay relevant and aspirational and keep the fun and quirk factor alive. "We've been losing a little bit of that lately and I'm trying to get back into it. We have a plan to open up three stores a year for the next five years. "Change is a huge part of our business. For example we have introduced an interior decorating service. Customers pay $500 for a home visit and if they spend $5000 or more they get the $500 back." At time of writing the business had done 15 home visits and the conversion rate was 100 per cent, which compares to a 15 per cent conversion rate for people who come into a store.
An armed driver has been arrested after ramming a police car in Melbourne's CBD.

Police were called to reports of a man who appeared to be unconscious inside a car with a smashed windscreen parked on Bourke Street just after 5pm.

When police approached the vehicle the man drove toward police, hitting a police vehicle, a spokeswoman said.

Police tasered the man, before arresting him. They later found two firearms in the vehicle.
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A construction worker has back and possible head injuries after falling down a lift shaft at a building site in Melbourne's CBD.

The 57-year-old steel fixer fell about two metres at the construction site at 447 Collins Street.

The building will feature a pair of interconnected twin towers, more commonly known as the Collins Street "pantscraper".

The man landed in a difficult-to-reach spot below ground level and needed to be winched to safety in a delicate rescue operation.
The police are labelling the incident in New York as a terrorist attack.

Two law enforcement officials said that after the attacker - a 29-year-old man, whose identity is not being released by police - got out of the truck, he was heard yelling, "Allahu Akbar." (Arabic for "God is great.")

The ute collided with a school bus, injuring two adults and two children.

Read more here.
Sam O'Donnell left the clinic and made straight for Victoria Street. He knew where to go to get what he wanted.

Melbourne's war on drugs has seen many a battle, and the battle raging in north Richmond has been bloodier than most.

Once Mr O'Donnell had bought his fix, he wandered around the corner to Little Lithgow Street.

In the gutter there, he became another casualty.
One Melbourne school has resorted to an unlikely stress buster ahead of VCE exams  a golden labrador called Sonny.

As anxious students at Elisabeth Murdoch College walk into their English exams on Wednesday they will bend down and pat the therapy dog.

Elisabeth Murdoch College students (Claire, Spencer, Callum and Claudia, L to R) and 11-month-old therapy dog Sonny. Credit:Eddie Jim

"There is some strong evidence that just being around a dog lowers a person's heart rate, blood pressure, and decreases stress hormones," the school's head of student support services Warren Bull said.

Schools have two important jobs during the VCE  ensuring students understand their subjects and helping them manage anxiety.
A woman collapsed from a suspected heroin overdose just metres from Premier Daniel Andrews as he announced the trial of a safe injecting room for heroin users in Richmond.

As paramedics, who were present for the Premier's press conference, rushed the woman to hospital, neighbours said overdoses in the street were part of their everyday lives.

The injecting room  the first in Victoria  will be housed at the North Richmond Community Health Centre on Lennox Street.

The facility will be open for 12 hours a day, seven day a week, under a two-year trial to begin by the middle of next year.
While celebrating Halloween has become increasingly popular in WA, it seems not all Perth residents have gotten into the spooky spirit.

A series of pamphlets distributed in Perth's northern suburbs urge locals to denounce the holiday, as it is a mixture of "pagan traditions and idolatry" and "is an abomination to God".

The anti-Halloween pamphlet. Credit:Molly McHugh

"Most people today think of Halloween as harmless fun when children [sic] dress up in costumes and go from house to house to 'trick or treat'," the pamphlet, which was dropped into letterboxes around Duncraig and Carine, says.

"Householders then give the children sweets to avoid being tricked by them. They are blinded to the evil that lies behind this tradition.
Police have increased the reward for information leading to the conviction of the person or persons involved in the 1999 suspected murder of Kalgoorlie woman Lisa Govan.

Police and Ms Govan's family hope the new $250,000 reward may finally shed some light on what happened to the 28-year-old, 18 years ago.

A poster used at Tuesday's reward announcement with details of Lisa Govan's case. Credit:Phil Hickey

Police have also carried out fresh search warrants as part of a renewed investigation into her disappearance.

The search warrants were carried out at two properties on Tuesday - one on Hay Street in Kalgoorlie, the other at a property on Gabriel Street in Cloverdale in Perth's east.
Jemma Lilley ticked murder off her bucket list by killing teen Aaron Pajich but underestimated police by leaving an evidence trail, the WA Supreme Court has heard.

State prosecutor James McTaggart delivered his closing argument in the month- long trial of Lilley, 26, and her housemate Trudi Lennon, 43, on Monday.

Jemma Lilley, left, and Trudi Lenon have pleaded not guilty to the murder of 18-year-old Aaron Pajich.

The rare pair of accused female thrill-killers have pleaded not guilty to murdering 18-year-old Mr Pajich, a high functioning autistic, who was found with fatal stab wounds buried in their Perth backyard in June last year.

"With Trudi Lenon holding him down, Jemma Lilley stabbed him to death to achieve one of her life objectives and crudely dumped him in a makeshift grave," Mr McTaggart told the jury.
Students who spoke to The Canberra Times said they were still terrified to travel to school in Canberra's south, where they continued to be harassed. President of the ACT Chinese Australian's Association Chin Wong said the Woden incident was very serious but the association did not think it was directly targeting Chinese students. "We've seen real racism here, but a group in Woden have been known to bother all kinds of people, all over," Ms Wong said. "The question we now have for the police is why hasn't something been done?" Ms Wong said the community had been working with ACT Policing as well as the ACT education directorate to support students.

While the association acknowledged the work of police, Ms Wong said Canberra could do more to look after international students, particularly those who were underage and living far from home under the guardianship of the directorate. Home-stay families, she suggested, could be more closely screened for suitability. "A lot of students think if they complain, then they've got no where to go, or their visa will be terminated," Ms Wong said. "Some student say they don't want to fight back because they don't want to get in trouble." High school students often came to Canberra to get a taste of the city and improve their English before deciding to study at an Australian university, Ms Wong said. In the wake of the Woden attack, some students complained their homestay families had enforced curfews on them at the insistence of the directorate but said staying home after 6pm "wouldn't solve anything".

A spokeswoman for the directorate said all students were required to be home by 6pm for dinner to check-in with their homestay families and had been briefed of these requirements on arrival in Australia. Volunteers within the Chinese community were now offering international students free rides to and from school. Ms Wong said the incident had exposed racial tension but also brought the community together. Having moved to Canberra more than 30 years ago as an international student herself, she still thought the capital was a great place for students. A student in China told The Canberra Times she had been excited to join her brother in Canberra next year but was now "definitely rethinking it". In an editorial on Monday, major Chinese newspaper Global Times called on Australia to take "strong measures to eliminate the impact" of the Woden violence.

"This incident and the series of recent negative events and comments against Chinese in Australia will constitute a turning point, reshaping Chinese people's foundation for understanding Australian society," the Global Times wrote. The Chinese embassy in Canberra said it had "expressed concerns" to the government regarding the Woden assault and would be watching the outcome of investigations closely. As Australia's $21.8 billion international education market continues to boom, Canberra is home to more than 19,000 foreign students. Lowy Institute director of East Asia programs Merriden Varrall said the incident "could certainly affect decision making" by safety conscious Chinese students considering studying in Australia. Last week, international students took to social media to voice their alarm over the Woden incident and share stories of bullying and harassment in Canberra. A change.org petition was launched on Thursday to call for further action protecting international students in Woden. It has already attracted almost 4000 signatures.
Nairobi: Kenya's incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta has won 98 per cent of the vote in a repeated election the opposition boycotted helping lower turnout to 39 per cent.

The announcement touched off small protests in a few opposition strongholds but also celebrations in pro-Kenyatta areas. Veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga said the October 26 election was a farce, just as he said after the original ballot on August 8. Civil society groups also cited problems with the vote.

Kenyan opposition supporters burn tyres and other items in Kawangware, Nairobi on Monday. Credit:AP

The violence has for the most part seen protesters clash with police but some Kenyans fear it is starting to take on ethnic overtones after two deaths in clashes between rival groups at the weekend. At least 66 people have died in overall election violence.

On Monday, the US ambassador said Washington was "profoundly concerned" by the outbreaks of violence since the re-run. Kenya is east Africa's richest economy and a key security ally of the West against militant Islam. It also a key regional trade, logistics and trade hub.
At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo confirmed that officials are currently investigating today's deadly incident on the West Side Highway as a terrorist attack. "Based on information we have at this moment, this was an act of terror," de Blasio told reporters. "A particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians." Officials say eight people are confirmed dead and eleven others are injured, though all of the wounded are expected to survive.

According to Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill, at around 3:05 p.m., an unnamed 29-year-old man drove a rented Home Depot pickup truck onto the West Side Highway bike path at Houston Street, striking pedestrians and cyclists. The suspect then turned the truck southbound and drove it until he collided with a school bus at Chambers Street.

O'Neill said that as the suspect exited the truck he displayed what looked like two handgunscops later determined the weapons were a pellet gun and a paintball gunand was shot by an officer with the 1st Precinct. The suspect was transported to an area hospital; O'Neill declined to confirm the identity of the suspect or which hospital he is being held at, but he is expected to live.

FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro confirmed that six peopleall malewere confirmed dead at the scene. Two others died at area hospitals, he said, and eleven have serious, but non life-threatening injuries. "There may be more injuries as people self- evacuated," Nigro said, noting that the FDNY "will determine that later."

O'Neill said the suspect's actions, particularly his use of a truck as a weapon, were consistent with recent terrorist attacks, which is primarily why the NYPD is investigating the incident as terrorism. Though there were reports that the suspect shouted, "Allahu Akbar," which is Arabic for "God is great," when he exited the truck, O'Neill would only confirm the suspect did in fact make a statement, but declined to say what it was.

The officials also declined to say whether there was any intelligence leading up to the incident, from what location the suspect rented the vehicle, where he was from, or how fast he traveled down the bike path.

De Blasio and Cuomo confirmed that the NYPD would add more security in the city tonight and in the coming days, but noted there was no further threat detected at this time. "The new terrorist tactic, which they've called for publicly, are these lone wolves who commit these acts of terror," Cuomo said, adding that there was no evidence of a "wider scheme." This was "one individual who meant to cause pain and harm and probably death and the resulting terror. That was the purpose," he said.

Tonight's Halloween parade in Greenwich Village will go on as planned, officials said, though there will be additional security deployed. "I want to ask all New Yorkers to be vigilant. We know it's Halloween night and in the days ahead people will be uneasy," the mayor said.

Additional reporting by Emma Whitford.
Washington: US prosecutors filed a straightforward, easy-to-prove criminal case against former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort, leaving him with a stark choice: cooperate or fight the charges and, if he loses, face years in prison.

The indictment, unsealed on Monday, relies extensively on so-called document charges -- essentially that Manafort and his business partner Richard Gates didn't file reports to the government that they were required to under the law. Such cases are rarely prosecuted, but they still carry the potential for prison time, particularly when combined with the more serious charges of money laundering. The maximum sentence for money laundering is 20 years. Cooperation with Special Counsel Robert Mueller, on the other hand, can win Manafort leniency.

"They've adhered to the old adage of, 'Keep it simple.' This is not an over-broad indictment, and I think their goal here is to make it quick," said Peter Henning, a law professor at Wayne State University in Detroit and former federal prosecutor. "It could be a means to gain their cooperation in a broader investigation, and I think that's what Mueller's trying to do."

Manafort and Gates are charged with conspiracy against the US, money laundering, making false statements and failing to disclose foreign bank accounts. The US claims the men failed to reveal their work for Ukraine, its political parties and its leaders -- and together worked to hide it from the Justice Department. The charges may present a low hurdle for the government because the essence of the case is the failure to disclose work for the foreign government or the existence of offshore accounts.
Tokyo: A Japanese man has been arrested after the severed parts of nine bodies, some of them stored in picnic coolers, were found in his apartment, Japanese media said.

Police made the grisly find in the apartment in Zama, a city just outside Tokyo, after investigating the disappearance of a 23-year-old woman who went missing earlier this month and was seen walking with the man near the apartment on security camera footage, media outlets reported.

This aerial photo shows the apartment (centre) where police found dismembered bodies in coolers in Zama, southwest of Tokyo on Tuesday. Credit:AP

A number of coolers were found in the house, each containing body parts, and led to the arrest of a 27-year-old man on suspicion of abandoning a body.

A spokesman for the National Police Agency declined to confirm the reports, saying nothing had been officially announced.
The Trump adventure has moved a step closer from being shockingly unconventional to being criminal.

The chairman of a presidential election campaign has been charged with crimes for the first time since the Watergate scandal, the criminal conspiracy that consumed Richard Nixon's presidency in 1974.

For charges including laundering more than $US18 million and conspiracy against the US, Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort is exposed to the risk of some 20 years in jail. His business partner has been charged too. They plead not guilty.

And the third person charged, an adviser to the Trump campaign on foreign policy, has pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents about his relationships with "certain foreign nationals whom he understood to have close connections with senior Russian government officials", in the words of the charge sheet.
Tokyo: A tunnel at North Korea's nuclear test site collapsed after Pyongyang's sixth atomic test in September, possibly killing more than 200 people, Japanese broadcaster TV Asahi said on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources familiar with the situation.

About 100 workers at the Punggye-ri nuclear site were reportedly affected by the initial collapse, which took place around September 10, the broadcaster said.

A second collapse during a rescue operation meant it was possible the death toll could have exceeded 200, it added.

The news report comes amid warnings that another powerful blast at the underground nuclear test site could destabilise the area and send radioactive material into the atmosphere, according to the head of South Korea's weather agency.
qnectU Now At The Forefront Of Enterprise Class Phone Systems for Small Businesses

qnectU, a business telephone and IT services company located in Utah, has today been recognized as being a front runner in the realm of enterprise class business phone systems. This news coincides nicely with qnectUs recent recognition as a community favorite, due to the companys strategic solutions that are helping local businesses grow and meet their own customer demands while decreasing expenses. qnectU is not just a service provider, we are a part of our clients team. The company has been providing this high level of service for over 20 years and has nearly 100% client retention. Rentention rates for phone or IT (computer and network) companies are usually dismal. We take a lot of pride in taking care of our clients and they know it, which is why they stay with us for so long.

qnectU has been operating in the business phone & IT market for 20+ years and competes against notable businesses such as Yiptel and Jive. They have been able to make such a strong impression on the market and gain reputation by focusing on building the company with one thing in mind, our clients come first. Unlike competitors, qnectU has built a rock solid infrastructure that instantly provides better quality service. They have also revolutionized their interal company structure by removing antiquated departments (like client rentention or customer service that dont provide anything in the way of real service) which streamlines the companys ability to truly serve clients quickly and at a much higher level.

Greg Mauer, qnectUs Founder & CEO, spoke about its recent recognition, expanding on some of the decisions and motivations that led the business to the level it has currently reached.

When qnectU was founded, it was made abundantly clear we wanted to be the kind of company that was known as providing cutting edge computer/IT networks and phone systems. One of the biggest challenges we faced was creating a truly unique company that can expand rapidly but still maintain the highest level of client satisfaction. Its why only the U in our name is capitalized. It is a constant reminder that YOU, our client, is the most important part of our business and our success. Fortunately with some good people behind us, and by taking our time to build a solid foundation, we are now growing at an exponential rate while still keeping our clients satisfaction our first priority. We have been able to overcome every obstacle and really hit our stride.

Greg Mauer also mentioned qnectUs future plans involve dominating the Utah market then expanding current services in California and Nevada. We plan to continue focusing on our clients and their needs. That strategy has provided hundreds of happy clients who refer us to all their friends. Its the hope of the company that we can continue to find and serve more loyal clients!

qnectU plans to maintain its position at the forefront of enterprise class business phone service for years to come, building on its success, finding new ways to serve its community, customers and the world at large.

More information on qnectU can be found at their website: https://www.qnectu.com
Upcoming Recruiting Trends & Talent Tech 2017 Examines AI in Recruiting

HORSHAM, PA  (Marketwired)  10/31/17  With organizations grappling with what AI-powered recruiting will mean to them in 2018, the conference is spotlighting this important advance at next months event. Created by LRP, the parent company of Human Resource Executive magazine and producers of the world-famous , the conference is being held November 28  30, 2017 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in Florida.

AI covers machine learning, predictive analytics and natural language processing. Similar to whats been previously witnessed in the category of data science, the level of demand for AI expertise is growing; in 2017, the global AI market is expected to be worth approximately 2.42 billion U.S. dollars (1).

Presenting on artificial intelligence at Recruiting Trends & Talent Tech 2017 is industry analyst John Sumser of Research. His session titled Artificial Intelligence: Making Sense Out of All the Claims will be held Wednesday, November 29 at 11:00 a.m. Sumser acknowledged that while conducting a 90-day research project on artificial intelligence in HR and recruiting, he came across no fewer than eight separate companies claiming to be the first in AI in recruiting. Taking a closer look, he found no firsts and precious little resembling AI. According to Sumser, the hype associated with AI is obscuring reality and, in this session, attendees will gain an understanding about emerging predictive technologies and the related costs of ownership.

A range of AI-powered recruiting technology leaders will be featured on the expo floor including Entelo, Paradox. AI, Restless Bandit, TextRecruit and WCN.

Conference co-chair Elaine Orler observed, The ability to use state-of-the-art recruiting technology that leverages AI and predictive intelligence dramatically ensures significant competitive advantages for organizations seeking to make the right hires. And, while AI has been in the talent acquisition lexicon for a while, its impact has accelerated quickly in recent months with the advent of numerous new solutions. Sorting through the hype to ascertain whats ready for prime time takes access to experts and content that support better business decisions and the Recruiting Trends & Talent Tech 2017 conference is at the forefront of what AI means to talent acquisition teams.

(1)

Registration and program details are available at . Recruiting professionals can also subscribe to the Recruiting Trends Bulletin at no charge by completing the form located here:

For decades, the Recruiting Trends Conference had attracted hundreds of recruiting professionals annually who were looking to re-energize their recruiting and sourcing practices. In 2016, LRP Conferences LLC acquired the event and co-located it with the brand-new Talent Acquisition Tech Conference. This year, the two formerly co-located events become one under a new name:  providing attendees with both the art and science of talent acquisition via pre-conference workshops, keynotes and panel discussions, and breakout sessions.
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This is a trailer for the French action thriller Fast Convoy.









It comes from director Frederic Schoendoerffer (Secret Agents, Crime Insiders), and stars Benoit Magimel (The Piano Teacher, La Haine), Reem Kherici, and Tewfik Jallab. It is scheduled to be released on VOD on December 5, 2017. Check out the synopsis and trailer below.





"Seven men, four cars and 1,300 kilos of cannabis leave Malaga, southern Spain, headed for Creil on the outskirts of Paris. But for Alex, Yacine and Majid, what should be a regular run turns into a fatal convoy. When Nadia, a young tourist traveling home from Morocco joins them, shes dragged into their high adrenaline adventure. For one night, she and the audience are immersed in the violent reality of drug trafficking."








Radio traffic from the New York Police Department depicts a chaotic scene as an officer confronts and shoots the suspect in a deadly truck attack in Manhattan Tuesday afternoon.

The recording begins as an officer on his beat witnessed a rental truck collide with a school bus on West St. As the driver emerged from the truck, the officer confronted and shot the suspect.

A law enforcement official says that witnesses told police that the man who drove a rented truck onto a bike path in New York City, killing eight people, shouted "allahu akbar."

The official was familiar with the investigation but wasn't authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Police Commissioner James O'Neill was asked at a news conference whether the suspect shouted the phrase, which means "God is great" in Arabic, or something like it. O'Neill replied: "Yeah. He did make a statement when he exited the vehicle," though he declined to elaborate.

O'Neill says the method of attack and the suspect's statement enabled officials "to label this a terrorist event."

He says the 29-year-old man entered the bike path and drove south, hitting pedestrians and cyclists. He then hit a school bus, injuring at least two adults.

He says the man exited the vehicle brandishing a paintball gun and a pellet gun. He was then shot in the abdomen by a police officer and is now hospitalized.
Businesses in downtown Scottsbluff, downtown Gering and at Monument Mall will be hosting ghosts, ghouls and every other fantastical creature that can be imagined on Tuesday, Oct. 31.

More than 20 downtown Scottsbluff businesses will give out goodies to little ones from 4 to 6 p.m., according to the Downtown Scottsbluff Associations Facebook page. Allergy-friendly items will be available at G&T Reicherts, Teachers Corner Cappucino and Company. Visit the Downtown Scottsbluff Associations Facebook page for a complete list of participating businesses.

In downtown Gering, more than 50 downtown businesses will hand out treats, not tricks, from 3 to 5 p.m. Visit the Gering Merchants Facebook page for a complete list of participating businesses.

Participating businesses will pass out candy during Mall-O-Ween from 6 to 8 p.m., according to the Monument Mall Facebook page.
The Scotts Bluff County Volunteer Center is looking for a new director after longtime director Jill Allen announced her resignation last week.

Kendra Feather, president of the Scotts Bluff County Volunteer Center, said Allen told the board and volunteers that she was resigning last week.

We hate to see her go, Feather said. ...She just gets along so well with all the volunteers, the clients. She wants it to be a smooth transition. The volunteers and the board have been attached to her and what she has done.

Allen told the Star-Herald that she will be stepping into the Northfield Retirement Communities marketing position.

It (Heading the volunteer center) is something that I have loved a lot, Allen said. It was a very tough decision for me. I am very attached to the programs, the volunteers and the clients.

Allen has also improved collaboration with other agencies, including co-locating with the United Way of Western Nebraska. Feather said Allen has stepped outside the volunteer center to help coordinate activities and volunteers, including participating in the local disaster relief program to put together a database of volunteers who could be pressed into action in the event of a disaster.

During Allens ten years with the Scotts Bluff County Volunteer Center, she started the Snow Angel program, a program that arranges pre-packaged meals for Meals on Wheels recipients. Feather said that the program has been succesful.

Its just such a help for the volunteers, who do not have to get out in bad weather, and for the people who get meals to make sure that they have food.

A lot of the programs have expanded under Allen, including the Meals on Wheels and Commodities program. Allen said need has been the biggest drive because of an increase in the aging population needing more services and economic factors. The Meals on Wheels grew from four routes and a waiting list to 5 routes, three in Scottsbluff and two in Gering. The Commodities Program increased from delivery to two towns to delivery to four communities.

Allen said she is going to miss being with the volunteer center.

I am going to miss it a lot. I feel like everyone is my friend, she said. There are truly wonderful people that we get to serve and I get to work with.

Businesses in the area have been great partners in helping the volunteer center in various capacities from fundraising to providing volunteers for programs, she said. Allen said she is also appreciative that she has had a supportive board of directors.

Allens family has also been involved in volunteering in the center and its activities. Feather said that the Scotts Bluff Volunteer Center Board of Directors will be advertising for the position starting Tuesday.

It (The position) takes a real person with heart, Feather said, explaining that is the reason that Allen has been successful as director. It is beyond just doing the job. You have to have real feelings for people to do the job.

Allen said she is looking forward to her new opportunity at Northfield Retirement Communities.

I am looking forward to working with the residents, the staff and the board of directors.
Im a member of the Nebraska Justice System Special Oversight Committee. This committee came about as a result of Legislative Resolution 127 which was passed last session. The mission of this committee is to study the many serious problems facing our Department of Corrections. This is the third legislative committee to do this and it continues the work of the LR 424 Committee (2014) and the LR 34 Committee (2015).

During the course of the summer we toured all ten correctional facilities across Nebraska. We spoke to staff and prisoners alike. Problems common across the board include over-crowding, understaffing, and high staff turn-over. Mandatory overtime because of the understaffing causes moral problems. The parole situation is a vicious circle problem. Prisoners otherwise eligible for parole arent qualified and cant be released on parole because they lack the training required to be considered for parole. The pre-parole programs the prisoners need to complete cant be staffed and operated because of the understaffing problem. Lack of a competitive pay and compensation program makes fixing the staffing problem more difficult.

Since January 2015, the Department of Corrections has reduced the prison population by 25 percent and the number of prisoners released on parole has increased 136 percent. During this same time however, the population in our county jails has increased by 46 percent. I see this as an unfunded mandate on the counties. Nebraskas prison problem is also now a county problem. Our county jails shouldnt be used to help reduce the States prison population. This isnt funded and its not what the jails are designed for.

LB 605 was passed in the 104th legislature. It forces Nebraska to reduce the prison population to the designed capacity of the facilities. Presently were at about 160 percent of designed capacity and forecasted to get worse. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a civil rights lawsuit against Nebraska in August of 2017 due to the overcrowding and lack of adequate healthcare for inmates. By 2020, the law mandates reductions in our prison population which I think could result in a public safety problem if we ever reach that point. Obviously, this is something the Legislature has to work on in the next session. The same could be said for a number of other very serious problems.

We heard testimony from Director Frakes today. I think it is important to point out the Department of Corrections requested funding for ninety-six fulltime positions in the last budget, and the Legislature only funded twenty-nine of those. As a result efforts to run the needed programs the inmates require so the population could be reduced through parole have been limited.

Ive heard other ideas like exporting prisoners to other States with excess prison capacity or hiring a private company and contracting out our correctional services. I dont like these ideas. These are Nebraska problems that need a Nebraska solution. I support additional funding for the Department of Corrections. Public safety is the very first and most important function of government. I also believe it is not necessary to raise tax revenue to do this. Spending on other State functions can be prioritized and that money reallocated.

Out-of-control property taxes, the prison problem, and a budget shortfall, which will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars, will be that subjects that dominate the next session.

Please contact my office with any comments, questions or concerns. Email me at tbrewer@leg.ne.gov or call us at 402-471-2628.
A teacher has been placed on leave after a racial slur was used by students acting out a scene in a social studies class at West Iredell High School.
The Government will approve the draft law on the acquisition of the first Patriot missile system on Wednesday, and it will be presented to the Parliament in the next two weeks, Minister of National Defence Mihai Fifor announced on Tuesday. "Yes, by the end of the year, we will spend 764 million dollars on the first Patriot system," Minister Fifor told Europa FM.

The minister added that for the purchase of four gunships a down payment of 30pct of the total would be paid this year, and in Brasov a team of the Defence Ministry (MApN) would have technical discussions this week with the Ghimbav plant to determine the final value of the contract. The Government, through the MApN, will attempt to cover this year two of the eight programmes for Army endowment approved by the Parliament and the CSAT, namely the acquisition of the first Patriot missile system and the implementation of the industrial cooperation agreement with General Dynamics for the production of armoured vehicles, Fifor recently announced.

In this context, also at FM Romania, the defence minister stated that there are all kinds of provocations from Russia, aimed at testing NATO capabilities, but Romania is ready to face meet these provocations at any moment, either they are in the area cyberattacks, or presences close to the Romanian Black Sea airspace. "These are things that Romania is prepared to counteract, because this is our role as a NATO member state in this region. (...) The Romanian fleet is undergoing upgrade, the same as other capabilities of the Romanian Army. I do not think anybody is trying to be unrealistic when discussing this issue. The Romanian Army, unfortunately, has seen many years when it was underfinanced and the programmes of endowment were somewhat lateral. The PSD-ALDE Government has assumed the allocation of 2pct and purchasing military equipment is not quite easy," added the minister.

Agerpres.
Minister for Romanians Abroad Andreea Pastirnac met with representatives of the Romanian community in Bulgaria, during a working visit to the neighbouring country, Friday through Monday, informs a press release of the ministry sent to Agerpres. On this occasion, the Minister visited the "AVE" organisation (the Vlachs Association) - the Romanian Ethnical Union in Bulgaria, seated in Vidin, where children who attend Romanian language courses in pilot classes presented an artistic programme in Romanian.

Chaired by Ivo Gheorghiev, the organisation promotes the Romanian culture, traditions and customs, through programmes also supported by the Ministry of Romanians Abroad, reads the quoted source.

The Romanian dignitary also participated in the 18th edition of the International Folklore Festival of the 2017 Romanian-Wallachian chant and dance, "Live Romanian traditions", organised in the Vidin region by the Wallachian Association in Bulgaria headed by Plamka Radoslavova. During the festival, Romanians from Bulgaria, Serbia and Romania presented the traditions, the customs, the dances and songs specific to the regions they belong to. Andreea Pastirnac visited the Romanian Orthodox Church "Holy Trinity" in Sofia, built in 1904, part of Sofia's cultural and spiritual heritage and met with the leader of the Aromanian community in Sofia with whom she discussed about cooperation means and ways to support the cultural activity of the association.

Minister Andreea Pastirnac also met with pupils and teaching staff from 'Mihai Eminescu" Romanian High School in Sofia as well as with representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria. During the meeting, the officials discussed about projects on education in Romanian and Bulgarian and good practice exchanges regarding programmes in the Diaspora, the Bulgarian side also presenting the main elements of the new Education Law. At the same time, the discussions also pointed out the possibilities of cooperation for youth exchanges and twinning between schools and high schools and the project recently launched by the Ministry for Romanians Abroad, "Discover and find out about Romania."
As many as 71 citizens from Sudan, Syria and Somalia, including 20 children and 22 women, adrift in the Aegean Sea on an inflatable boat and in danger of drowning, have been rescued by Romanian Border Police officers aboard patrol boat MIA 1104 of the Coast Guard, on a FRONTEX joint mission called POSEIDON 2017, according agerpres.ro.

According to the Romanian General Border Police Inspectorate (IGPF), on October 28, the crew of the MAI 1104 boat, on a surveillance mission of the European Union's external maritime border, under the POSEIDON 2017 operation, identified an inflatable motor boat overloaded with people adrift in the Aegean Sea.

After assessing the situation and considering the overload of the craft and the risk of sinking, the Romanian border guards started the rescue.

As many as 71 people  20 children, 22 women and 29 men  claiming to have come from Sudan, Syria and Somalia, were moved over to the Coast Guard boat, according to IGPF.

The border guards offered assistance, food and water to the rescued people, and few hours later they were safely disembarked in the port of Chios and handed over to Greek authorities for specific procedures  medical assistance, identification, registration, fingerprinting.

Since the beginning of the year, the Romanian border guards have rescued, individually and in cooperation with the crews of the other boats deployed by the member states in Greece, in the joint operation POSEIDON 2017, more than 1,300 people in distress in small boats sailing in the Greek territorial waters.
Alberton angler Mike Dominick's 7.51-pound smallmouth bass is a new state record, even if the data hadn't been entered on Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks' website by Monday.

Dominick said he was notified last Thursday night that his fish paperwork is now official. In return, he will receive a certificate, signed by FWP director Martha Williams.

"It takes a couple of days to get it up on the website," said Beth Giddings, who handles the information for FWP. "But it will be up soon, with a picture."

On Sept. 23, Dominick landed the chubby bass that was almost as big around (19 inches) as it was long (21 inches) while fishing on Fort Peck Reservoir. Dominick weighed the fish on a certified scale and then released it back into the lake.

In between then and now, the scale had to be recertified and documentation of that certification provided to FWP, along with the other details.

The new record returns Fort Peck to the top of the smallmouth bass heap in Montana. The prior record, a 7.4-pounder caught by Jacob Fowler on May 2, 2016, came out of Flathead Lake.

Fowler's fish had dethroned Melvin McDanold's 6.7-pounder caught in 2013 out of Fort Peck. Will the back and forth continue, or will Peck now dominate the smallmouth bass standings? Dominick believes that his record won't stand long and that another fish out of Fort Peck will beat his record by at least half a pound.

Giddings said tracking the records is a fun part of her job, as well as notifying the new record holders.

"The adults get just as excited as the kids," she said.

Although some anglers would like to see FWP keep records for each individual water body, Giddings said that's not going to happen. So for now, anglers will have to be happy with just knowing the top fish in the state. The list is included in every copy of the state fishing regulations, just in case you catch a whopper the next time you're on the water.
David Nicklaus David Nicklaus is a business columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow David Nicklaus Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Despite a presidential pledge to the contrary, Republican leaders in Congress appear willing to tinker with the rules governing 55 million Americans 401(k) plans.

They say they are aiming for a win-win result: Bringing in revenue to pay for tax cuts while letting workers set aside more money for retirement. The revenue, however, is little more than a budget gimmick, and the increased savings is probably a mirage for most workers.

The proposal being discussed is this: The limit on tax-deductible 401(k) contributions would be reduced to $2,400 from the current $18,000. Contributions above $2,400  and possibly up to some new, higher overall limit  would have to go into a Roth 401(k).

A traditional 401(k) is funded with pretax money and taxed when you retire and spend the money. Roth contributions are after-tax but withdrawals  including earnings  are tax-free.

The gimmick is that wider use of Roth accounts would increase tax collections in the near term, which is all Congress seems to care about, but reduce them in coming decades.

Behavioral economics suggests that workers are short-term thinkers, too. Theyre more concerned about this months take-home pay than a tax bill 30 or 40 years from now.

When employers offer a choice between traditional and Roth accounts, four-fifths of participants choose the traditional 401(k). The pretax 401(k) has been around longer than the Roth 401(k), and its often the default choice, but workers also are on tight budgets.

If theyre forced to move some of their contributions into a Roth account, they may contribute less to maintain their take-home pay.

A problem with retirement saving in general is that its hard to give up current consumption for something way out in the future, says Len Burman, co-founder of the Tax Policy Center. This means they might have to give up more current consumption, or at least thats the perception.

The $2,400 pre-tax limit would affect a broad spectrum of workers. According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, the average 401(k) contribution is $3,203 for people earning less than $25,000 a year. That rises to $4,197 for middle-income workers and $11,112 for people earning more than $100,000.

Capping taxed deferred contributions of 401(k) accounts would send a misleading signal to working Americans, Diane Oakley, executive director of the National Institute on Retirement Security, said in an email. It signals that Americans should save less at a time when too many have not saved at all. A cap would be raiding middle-class retirement piggybanks to pay for corporate and billionaire tax breaks.

Jack Towarnicky, executive director of the Plan Sponsor Council of America, says he cant predict how workers will react to the proposed change. Some studies show that employees didnt reduce savings when the Roth 401(k) was introduced, but offering a choice isnt the same as imposing a new limit.

We support maintaining the existing choice, he said.

The proposed change would add complexity to savings decisions. Some employees may decide that $2,400 is enough and stop contributing when they hit the pretax limit. Others may be tempted to tap their new Roth 401(k) money early; the tax penalties are less than with a traditional 401(k).

We should be looking at ways to make saving for retirement easier but instead, in the name of budget gimmickry, Congress may make it harder.

Theres no justification for it at all, Burman says. Its a cynical kind of borrowing that lets them stay within the budget limits.
The Missouri Supreme Court dealt Doe Run a legal setback Tuesday as the mining and minerals firm continues to defend lawsuits related to pollution from a Peruvian complex once owned by a sister company.

Tuesdays decision caps five years of litigation between Doe Run and one of its insurers, St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, over a pollution exclusion within the companys insurance policy.

The Supreme Court reversed a St. Louis County Circuit Court decision that said a pollution exclusion within the insurance policy was ambiguous and unenforceable; the upper court instead sided with the insurer and overturned a $2.1 million judgment in favor of Doe Run.

The insurance disputes arose after dozens of plaintiffs living near a smelter in La Oroya, Peru, filed suit against Doe Run, accusing the company of harming them with toxic lead emissions, among other pollutants. Although the smelter has been largely shuttered since creditors took it over following the 2009 bankruptcy of Doe Run sister company Doe Run Peru, the lawsuits are still pending.

Doe Run argued that lead was not a pollutant under the policys exclusion because it is sometimes a product and an insured company would not construe the policy to exclude the very business operations for which it purchased the coverage.

But the court disagreed, siding with St. Paul that lead, in its particulate form, meets the basic definition of a pollutant and that none of the lawsuits against Doe Run alleged harm from the companys commercial products.

A representative for Doe Run did not respond to a request for comment.

Maryland Heights-based Doe Run, owned by New York tycoon Ira Rennerts Renco Group, faced similar lawsuits from those living by its former lead smelter in Herculaneum, which was the last primary lead smelter in the U.S. until it shut down at the end of 2013.
Big Sky Institute for the Advancement of Nonprofits Executive Director Mike Schechtman has announced the 2017 Community Philanthropists awardees who will be honored at the Helena Celebrates Community Philanthropy event at the Radisson Colonial Hotel, 2301 Colonial Drive, on Tuesday, Nov. 7. It is being held in November to give the Helena community a local platform to recognize and connect with National Philanthropy Day, sponsored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

In the individual donors category, the organization will celebrate the philanthropic accomplishments of Peter Sullivan of the Sullivan Financial Group (retired), who not only has supported a diverse mix of Helena nonprofits, but also has contributed leadership to key fundraising drives in the community. Peter was nominated by the Helena Symphony.

In the foundations category, the organization will honor the generosity of the Helena-based Treacy Foundation, one of the very first family foundations established in Montana, and currently in its third generation of family leadership by Executive Director Kimmy Skiftun. The Treacy Foundation was nominated by Grandstreet Theatre.

In the business and corporate category, the organization will honor Blackfoot River Brewing Company, a leader in Montanas rapidly expanding craft brewing industry. Blackfoot Brewing was nominated by Montana Shares.

The event begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by a plated dinner and full program to recognize this years awardees. Tickets are $35. Call BSI at 443-5860, or go to EventBrite.com.

Big Sky Institute for the Advancement of Nonprofits is a Helena-based 501(c)(3) research and development institute focused on organizational support systems for the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Founded in 2001, BSIs mission is to build Montana's communities by strengthening nonprofits and expanding philanthropy. The Institutes Helena Development Initiative has been providing professional development training and assistance for the Helena area nonprofit community since 2013.
I was tempted to treat Red Oak Eats 'N Treats less as a restaurant than an experiment. Co-owners Derek Schulze and Jac Spertus-Melhus have described ambitious plans for their 3-month-old restaurant at the corner of Washington Avenue and North 14th Street in Downtown West. They are planning an urban farm. They already call Red Oak room-to-table dining for the lettuce they grow hydroponically inside the restaurant. Why not give them time for these experiments to develop?

The answer, as usual: I was hungry, and the paper pays me to eat. So I can report that you don't need to know about Schulze and Spertus-Melhus' plans to enjoy Red Oak for what the restaurant is now, another welcome addition to St. Louis' roster of independent fast-casual spots.

Red Oak's sandwiches aren't revelatory  thanks to fellow newcomers Eat Sandwiches and the Wood Shack, the sandwich bar is especially high this year  but small details distinguish them. I love the lemon-chive aioli that enlivens both the BLTE (a classic BLT, with a fried egg and, a small quibble, too thinly sliced bacon) and a pairing of turkey and smoked Gouda.

The Chicken Pesto packs a summer's worth of fresh herb flavor into its pesto and tender, basil-marinated chicken. Mozzarella and pickled red onion round out the dish. My favorite sandwich is from the all-day breakfast menu: bacon, a fried egg and Gouda on a homemade biscuit that's soft and crumbly and lightly sweet.

Red Oak's salads are generously portioned and vibrantly flavored. The Mediterranean, as an example, tosses its mixed greens with cucumber, pickled red onion, olive, sunflower seeds and portobello mushrooms in a Greek vinaigrette. If this isn't enough to make your meal, you can add chicken or tempeh to any salad for a couple of bucks.

I'm curious how Red Oak will grow in the long term. But I'll return sooner rather than later to work my way through more of its current menu.

Where Red Oak Eats 'N Treats, 1330 Washington Avenue  More info 314-339-5070; redoakeats.com  Menu Sandwiches, salads, breakfast fare  Hours Breakfast and lunch daily
William Luebbert survived radiation fallout from an atomic blast.

In the early years after World War II, then a soldier in the Army, Luebbert was stationed at a Nevada post with other unknowing soldiers so the military could test how soldiers might survive a nuclear combat situation.

Amazingly, he never had cancer, says his son Jim.

After serving his country stateside during the Korean War, Luebbert settled in Florissant, got married, had a family. He moved up the ladder at McDonnell Douglas, starting as a draftsman. He served his parish, St. Norbert Catholic Church and was active in the Knights of Columbus.

He barely lasted a month in the St. Louis Veterans Home.

Luebbert, who had ALS (Lou Gehrigs disease) and dementia, was admitted to the veterans home off Lewis and Clark Boulevard on July 3. He was 85. A couple of weeks later he celebrated his 86th birthday. By Aug. 7 he was dead.

The way his son describes it, Luebbert, who needed help eating and drinking, was left to die in a facility in which some veterans receive inadequate care. He remembers stopping to see his father and finding him in his recliner, with his mouth very dry. There was water on the table next to him. But his father couldnt lift it, and nobody helped him.

The conditions are beyond minor complaints, Jim Luebbert says. Family have to beg for basic care.

Luebbert was one of more than 100 family members, employees of the veterans home, and veterans who filled the cafeteria at North Kirkwood Middle School Monday night to outline the complaints they have brought to state officials over the declining state of care under administrator Rolando Carter.

The advocates and family members want an independent investigation of the home, and they want top staff at the home, and at the Missouri Veterans Commission, replaced.

We have discovered a pattern of abuse, mistreatment and neglect that is shocking, said former state Rep. Rick Stream, R-Kirkwood. For months, he and Dory Poholsky, 83, a volunteer from Kirkwood, have been visiting the home, meeting with families and employees, and documenting their complaints about care. Their efforts are finally grabbing some attention. The complaints were first reported in my column on Sunday, though state officials have known about them for months.

On Tuesday morning, Lt. Gov. Mike Parson called for an independent investigation into the complaints about poor treatment of veterans at the home. Gov. Eric Greitens, who appoints the members of the Missouri Veterans Commission, has yet to comment. He was made aware of the issue in March when Poholsky presented him a 48-page document consisting of transcripts of her interviews with family members, veterans and employees.

On Tuesday afternoon, Missouris two U.S. senators, Democrat Claire McCaskill and Republican Roy Blunt, joined Parsons call for an independent investigation. In a joint letter to Greitens, the senators asked that such an investigation extend to all Missouri Veterans Homes to ensure that our veterans are receiving the highest quality of care and respect from well-trained, compassionate leaders and staff.

The home received perfect marks in a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs survey in September. But that report is flawed, multiple employees said. Carter was given advance notice of the inspection, they said, and he was able to clean up problems and add staff before the visit.

I knew about the survey a week before it happened, Luebbert said. All the families and employees did.

One of those employees, Troy Rooks, 61, a social worker who is himself a Marine Corps veteran, said that Carter retaliates against employees and family members who complain about the treatment veterans receive.

Right now, veterans are suffering, Rooks said. This must stop.

Among the allegations made by the veterans and their families is that medications are often late, or incorrect. Veterans are falling, are dehydrated and are left in soiled clothing. They have bed sores that require hospitalization; records are falsified; veterans are dying.

Carter has said he has increased communication with families as a result of what he calls minor complaints. And the deputy director of the Missouri Veterans Commission, Bryan Hunt, read a statement in a closed meeting of the commission Monday in which he blamed some of the complaints on race. Carter is the first African-American director of a Missouri Veterans Home.

It is my opinion that at least some of the individuals involved had a racist agenda that they wanted to accomplish, Hunts statement reads.

That statement caused even more anguish with family members of the veterans at Monday nights meeting in Kirkwood. Had Hunt been there, he would have seen that many of the families and employees who are complaining are black.

Among them is Cheri DeJournette, who says her father, Robert, a retired Air Force officer, went 14 days without bathing this summer. She described being physically removed from the home by three police officers after Carter refused to allow her to attend a residents council meeting. Like many of the family members, she has full power of attorney over her father, and was invited to, and had previously attended, such meetings.

And then there was Curtis Washington, 80, an Army veteran. We need more care, Washington said Monday, shaking and crying, from his wheelchair.

His wife, Sandra, said shes worried for him. Because he and his family have spoken out, shes afraid he will become a target.

It has gotten worse, she says of the homes care during the three-and-a-half years her husband has lived there. I am afraid Curtis will soon leave us in death if things do not change.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY  On a foggy October night, a veteran county police officer, Nino Dicandia, was patrolling his beat along Lemay Ferry Road when he spotted an elderly couple walking near Park Lawn Cemetery about 3 a.m.

"I honestly thought it was people visiting a grave and perhaps they had Alzheimer's because there was a nursing home that was close by," he recalled in a recent interview. The woman was wearing a light colored dress, the man a brown suit. She grabbed his hand and they walked into the graveyard.

Concerned, Dicandia wheeled his patrol car around to search the grounds, but found no sign of them.

"That's when I got the chills," he said. "It's not like it was just a glimpse. I watched them for a good 20 to 30 seconds. ... Maybe they were husband and wife or longtime companions and she had died first and was there waiting for him and showed him the way."

For the next two years, Dicandia said he looked to the cemetery while on patrol, but never saw them again.

It's been about eight years now. Dicandia is a detective. And the image lingers. "It's something I won't soon forget," he said. "I wasn't tired and I know what I saw."

Behind the badges and guns and vests and batons and Tasers and Mace that can make police look invincible are people who may be as disturbed by the eerie and macabre as anyone else. Some were brave enough to share their experiences with a reporter as Halloween approaches.

LIGHTS AND SCREAMS

In 1970, Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald, an Army officer and practicing physician, stabbed and clubbed his pregnant wife and daughters, 2 and 5, to death in their home at Fort Bragg, N.C., in what would become a nationally infamous crime.

The house was empty for about five years, boarded up with the electricity off, when a military policeman named Oliver "Glenn" Boyer responded about a half dozen times to reports of strange goings-on there.

"It wasn't unusual for us to get calls to go to the house because people saw lights on or heard someone talking or screaming inside the residence," said Boyer, now sheriff of Jefferson County. "Some of the people making these complaints were high-ranking people that you would think would be very believable."

He said he never experienced the phenomena himself but that some officers were so unnerved that they refused to search the place.

CHECKING THEIR WELFARE

In November 2006, county Officer Sean Haefeli was sent to the 200 block of Runyon Avenue to check on a family not heard from for several days. He was shot twice by Tony Lynn, a resident who was killed by a police sniper after a five-hour standoff. Three days after that, relatives found the bodies of Lynn's grandmother and two of her children, initially overlooked by police, in a basement closet.

When Haefeli returned to work months later, fellow officers told him of 911 hang-up calls received from the home, even thought its phone was disconnected. He felt compelled to look for himself.

"It looked like a house from Nightmare on Elm Street," Haefeli explained. Windows were boarded up. Electricity was shut off. Four symbolic crosses were planted on the lawn.

On a later night, flashlight in hand, he worked his way inside and "things got weird." He saw a Ouija board with a marker over the letter U. "It was like it was pointing to me," he said.

The smell of tear gas still hung in the basement. Wine glasses lined a bar. As he approached the closet where the bodies were found, a cold breeze ran past him.

"It made the hairs on my neck and arms stand up," he remembered. "I said what I wanted to say to the victims and then just ran out of there. It felt like something was constricting me. I felt like somebody was there watching me the whole time."

Haefeli, now a police officer in Jacksonville, Ill., said he was told the 911 hang-ups ceased after his visit.

SOUND OF FOOTSTEPS

About 10 years ago, a couple repeatedly called police, maybe 10 times, to report hearing someone walking in their home near Imperial. Jefferson County sheriff's Cpl. Rich Rice had been there twice without finding anything and figured the third call would turn out the same.

A glass sliding back door was ajar and a motion sensor had turned on a light. Broken knickknacks were strewn about the living room floor. But Rice couldn't find any footprints in the snow. Then, as he interviewed the couple, floorboards began to creak as if someone were walking across them.

"I've been a cop for 27 years and even talking about it now gives me the chills," Rice said recently. "I'm not a believer in ghosts and this was enough that it gave me the heebie- jeebies."

He added, "I'm a Missourian, you gotta show me. Unless I see a goblin walking across the floor, I think things are explainable, and this was not explainable. It was like something out of 'The Exorcist.'"

Rice said that to the best of his knowledge, new owners reported no such experiences after the couple left. "Whether it went with them, I have no idea," he said.

A MAUSOLEUM CALLING?

In the mid-1980s, a county patrolman, Tim Fitch, was in the Affton area when a dispatcher put out a call for a 911 hang-up call from inside a mausoleum at the New Mount Sinai Cemetery about 3 a.m. A fellow officer asked Fitch to meet with him.

"Did you hear that call?" she asked him.

"I did," he said.

"I'm not going in that cemetery," she said.

It wasn't Fitch's beat, but he agreed to check it out. He figured there must have been an office inside the building.

"The place was completely locked up," he said. "We had the dispatcher try to call back, but there was no answer."

Fitch, now the county's police chief, still wonders. "It's a mystery to this day," he said.

IS ANYONE HOME?

About three years ago, St. Louis officer Joe Calabro responded to a Soulard home for a call about an open door and burglar alarm sounding. The old Victorian dwelling was dark, its owner out of town.

Calabro and another officer walked past the kitchen to a nearby room that had only one way in or out. They were startled when its door slammed behind them. Was it wind? Some kind of pressure change?

They continued on a search that found nothing amiss except the open door. But when they returned past the kitchen, the faucets were running.

"They were the kind of handles you have to pull up," he recalled. "It not only gave us the chills, but we had to figure out, is this coincidence or what was the case?"

They never found an explanation, except perhaps one. It was the week of Halloween.
JEFFERSON CITY  Despite indictments and charges of President Trumps campaign aides, Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley said his support for the president has not wavered.

A day after special counsel Robert Mueller charged three members of the presidents campaign team in connection with his probe of ties to the Kremlin, the 37-year-old Republican candidate for U.S. Senate said he still backs Trump.

He is trying to change things in Washington, which I think is desperately needed, Hawley said. He is trying to shake up Washington. Thats what were trying to do in this office.

Hawleys comments came during an unrelated press conference as he prepares to take on incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill in 2018.

Hawley made it clear he believes Trump remains popular in the Show-Me State after the president beat Democrat Hillary Clinton by 19 points in the 2016 election.

I support what the president is trying to do. I wish more people would get on board with him, Hawley said.

Mueller is investigating whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia in its attempt to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.

Indictments were handed down Monday alleging former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his deputy, Rick Gates, laundered money and failed to file as foreign agents.

Another campaign aide, George Papadopoulus, also was charged with lying to the FBI about his connection with Russians during the campaign.

Hawley said he doesnt know enough about the indictments to discuss them in detail.

I cant speak to the special counsels strategy or what hes doing exactly, Hawley said. I dont know enough to say.

But, he said, These indictments that were handed down, they are going to be proved up in court and if these folks are guilty, they should go to jail.

Hawley, who is serving his first term in political office, is likely to face a Republican primary challenge from former Libertarian presidential candidate Austin Petersen, retired Air Force pilot Tony Monetti and political newcomer Courtland Sykes, who moved to Missouri from Arkansas to run for the seat.

McCaskill has not yet publicly weighed in on the explosive revelations revealed by Mueller Monday. She is in St. Louis with her husband, developer Joseph Shepard, who has been hospitalized in recent days with apparent heart problems.
A former state lawmaker already found guilty of violating Montana campaign finance laws is now facing a complaint alleging professional misconduct.

The complaint was filed before the Commission of Practice of the state Supreme Court against Art Wittich. The Bozeman attorney was convicted in 2016 of accepting corporate contributions and not reporting all contributions. He appealed to the state Supreme Court, which upheld the jury verdict.

Mondays complaint was filed by Michael Cotter, the chief disciplinary counsel appointed by the Supreme Court to investigate and prosecute misconduct against lawyers.

In the complaint, Cotter said Wittichs campaign violations amount to conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation, a violation of the Montana Rules of Professional Conduct adopted by the Montana Supreme Court.

Cotters complaint asks for a citation to be issued to Wittich, giving him 20 days to answer the complaint, as well as a formal hearing in front of an adjudicatory panel of the commission.

That panel would report its findings and recommendations and could recommend disciplinary action.
Robert Muellers conviction of a former campaign adviser to Donald Trump and his indictment of two more finally prove it: Hillary Clinton is guilty!

Technically, President Trumps standard line of defense in the Russia probe  we did not collude  suffered a bit of a blow Monday. In a plea deal with the special counsel unsealed Monday (at about the time Trump was tweeting the phrase there is NO COLLUSION!), Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos admitted to having had contacts with Russians offering the Trump campaign Clintons emails and other dirt, and Papadopoulos tried to arrange meetings with Russian officials. Thats pretty much the dictionary definition of collusion.

But Trumps deficit of honesty is offset by a surplus of dexterity. Though not abandoning the there-is-no-collusion defense, the White House is already elevating a secondary position  the OK-maybe-we-colluded-but-Clinton-colluded-more defense.

Theres clear evidence of the Clinton campaign colluding with Russian intelligence, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders proclaimed at Monday afternoons briefing, after the indictment by Mueller of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and a colleague.

Trump, who often accuses others of the exact thing he stands accused of, reacted to the indictments with abundant punctuation: But why arent Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus????? he tweeted.

Trump has been complaining about the lack of investigation on Clinton made Fake Dossier, and GUILT by Democrats/Clinton. He tweeted a Hill article with an exculpatory quote from Fox News Chris Wallace (Headline: More evidence of Dem collusion with Russia than GOP) and a New York Post column arguing that perhaps Clinton came closer to colluding with the Russians than Trump.

The evidence of Clintons alleged collusion with Russia? She and the Democrats hired an opposition-research firm that wrote a dossier on, um, Trumps collusion with Russia. She also colluded with Russia by being secretary of state at a time when another arm of the U.S. government approved a uranium deal with a Russian-owned company that had given money to her husband and his foundation.

Both of these are about as compelling as saying the guilty plea entered by Papadopoulos is further evidence of Clintons collusion with Russia because George Papadopoulos sounds like George Stephanopoulos, who once worked for Bill Clinton, who is married to Hillary Clinton.

By Trumps new standard, collusion now covers not just Russias election interference but anything that has to do with Russia done by anybody at any time for any reason. If thats the rule, there is indeed plenty of evidence that Clinton colluded with Russia. She has visited Russia often, spoken with Russians and even tried to reset relations with Russia. Id bet she has also watched Russian ballet and read Russian novels.

But by that standard theres also evidence that most everybody else colludes with Russia, too. Therefore, the Mueller investigation will need to expand significantly. The following people should present themselves at the earliest opportunity to the special counsels office for interviews:

 All persons who now consume or in the past have consumed vodka. This includes but is not limited to Black Russians, White Russians and Moscow Mules.

 All persons who now consume or in the past have consumed beluga or osetra caviar.

 All persons who now play or previously have played with nesting dolls.

 All persons who watch or have watched the FX drama The Americans.

 All persons who have viewed The Nutcracker (including childrens performances) or Swan Lake, or hummed the 1812 Overture.

 All persons who have dined at the Russian Tea Room in New York.

 All persons who have read (or have caused to be read) Anna Karenina, War and Peace, Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov or any play by Anton Chekhov.

 All persons who have heard (or have caused to be heard) the work of Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich, Stravinsky or Mussorgsky.

 All persons who have played against or watched a match involving Anna Kournikova, Maria Sharapova or Garry Kasparov.

 All persons who have experienced the work of Wassily Kandinsky, Groucho Marx or John Lennon.

 All persons who have played Russian roulette or flown in a Sikorsky helicopter.

 All persons who own Siberian huskies, or any dogs exhibiting Pavlovian responses.

 All persons of Russian ancestry, including but not limited to those with the following endings: -ov, -sky, -ski, -ic, -vic, -in, -enko and -uk.

 And all persons whose ancestors may have once occupied Russian territory, including but not limited to those of French, German, Swedish or Mongol ancestry.

Hmm. Mueller: Is that a German name?

Collusion. Looks as if were going to need a special counsel to probe the special counsel.
THE fight to save Warwickshires childrens centres from closure will reach Parliament today, Tuesday.

A group of protesters have been invited to the House of Commons to discuss their concerns about the proposed cost-cutting changes with MPs.

The visit, organised by south Warwickshire MP, Matt Western, comes as the results of a consultation into Warwickshire County Councils plans are set to be published.

A meeting to discuss the findings was due to take place last Thursday, but was put back until next Tuesday, 7th November.

The councils proposals could see 27 of the countys 39 childrens centres closed, with the remainder being converted into family hubs, providing a range of services for 0-19-year-olds and their families.

Vicky Behm, one of the protestors who will visit Parliament, said: Many authorities who have closed their centres are already experiencing worsening outcomes for children and their families.

The first phase of our campaign involved collecting nearly 1,500 signatures over one week for a petition calling on the county council to reconsider their ill-thought through proposals for the future of childrens services.

Following a rushed, mismanaged and skewed consultation process, we are continuing the campaign by collecting signatures to postcards calling on a halt to cuts and inviting comments from the public in town centres and outside school gates.

Yousef Dahmash, chairman of the county councils overview and scrutiny committee, said: The committee meeting has be deferred in order to accommodate the volume of responses received following the consultation period which finished on 11th September.

This is in order to ensure that Cabinet and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee have the information and sufficient time to consider the details, undertake complex analysis and provide a response to proposals.

Organisations such as Stratford Town Council and Wellesbourne and Walton Parish Council have expressed misgivings about the proposals.
A plan to revitalise one of the main entrances to Stratford Town Centre has been given the go-ahead by planners.

The controversial project, which will see the former Maison nightclub site on the junction of Arden Street and Greenhill Street developed into apartments and office space, was approved on 20th October.

There has been much discussion about what would be built on the site and Studio Spicer Architects presented two previous designs for the building before its latest accepted scheme.

Both early designs came in for substantial criticism from Herald readers, with many unhappy about the large scale of the buildings proposed and the unusual designs presented.

The latest design, garnered the some positive comments, though many remained unhappy with the scale and other aspects of the scheme.

The nine apartment scheme, a significant reduction on the 27 originally proposed, will include an office on the ground floor, though the occupier has yet to be announced.

Previously the ground floor unit had been expected to be occupied by a retailer, though the accepted scheme now outlines how this will be office space.

The number of floors was also slashed from seven in the original application to a more acceptable four, but an online poll conducted back in March by the Herald, showed that 145 out of 185 voters still loathed the design.

Like the previous designs many still thought the proposed building to be too tall and inappropriately placed at such a busy junction.

Despite a significant number of objections to the application, the decision to approve the plan was not made at a public planning committee.

Explaining why this had taken place, a spokesperson for Stratford District Council said that due to the sites small size, the lack of comments from the local ward member and the town council deciding not to make representations, it was considered appropriate.

Oliver Spicer, founding director of Studio Spicer Architects, said: The proposals are a result of the positive contribution of the district council planning officers and conservation team.

Working closely with the team at Stratford-on-Avon District Council has proved a success, in bringing this gateway site successfully through the planning process.

The firm confirmed that work to transform the site would begin early next year and be completed early in 2019, with several jobs being created.

The building will be clad in corten steel and zinc, reflecting the local brickwork, while contemporary hand-made Danish brick will be used in the construction.

Unlike previous proposals for the site, no affordable housing has been accommodated within the scheme.

Comments left on the district council planning website relating to the latest design are largely negative, so the decision to approve the plan may unsurprisingly not prove popular.

However there will be some in Stratford happy that work on the site will finally begin, with many commenting on social media last week about the overgrown state of the land and poor fencing.

Local business owners have also been happy to give their views on the accepted scheme.

Karl Stallard, of Karl Stallard Furniture, said: It is out of character with the rest of the street and it does look like quite a big building, but I actually quite like the design. I think because its different youll get people who say they dont really like it, but once its built I think people will change their minds. I dont think it would have been good if they had tried to do something old fashioned.

It would be nice if they tidied up the site a bit now though, if work isnt going to start until next year.

Melanie Wright, who works at Foster Frame, said: I really dont like it, its so out of keeping with the rest of the street. I wish they had just put something normal forward for the site, just normal houses. What they are proposing is too high, its the first thing people see when they are approaching town from this end.

Although the Highways Department at Warwickshire County Council had objected to the original application, after considering the updated design they dropped their objection subject to some conditions.

Highways officers have asked that a keep clear box be implemented to prevent vehicles obstructing the site and to remove the residents eligibility to apply for a parking permit, as these are currently oversubscribed in the area.

Stratford Town Council objected to the original application, but made no representations in relation to the updated design put forward.
Singapore has banned Islamic preacher and scholar Mufti Ismail Menk from entering the city-state, saying that his views promote religious discord, reported Al Jazeera on Tuesday.

Menk, who hails from Zimbabwe and has more than two million followers on Twitter, as well as Haslin bin Baharim, a Malaysian scholar, were barred from entering Singapore by the government ahead of their lectures on a "halal cruise" scheduled for late November, said the article.

According to Al Jazeera, Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement that its decision to reject Menk's application for a short-term work pass stemmed from his "segregationist and divisive teachings", also alleging that Baharim promoted "disharmony between Muslims and non-Muslims".

"[Their views] are unacceptable in the context of Singapore's multi-racial and multi-religious society," the ministry was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera. "They will not be allowed to get around the ban by preaching instead on cruise ships which operate to and from Singapore."

Menk, in a Facebook post on Tuesday, said that the implication that he was using the cruise to get around the ban" was "erroneous".

"The organisers were planning the first fully halal cruise and wanted me to be a part of it [...] I have never been on a cruise before, let alone give lectures on board. I will not be joining the cruise now for reasons not within my control," read the statement by Menk.

Malaysia's Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, however, said on Tuesday that the country will not stop the two Islamic preachers from speaking in public, The Straits Times reported.

"So far, these two religious speakers have not suggested anything that goes against our understanding of cultural and religious diversity to the point of causing social, racial and religious tensions in Malaysia," Zahid, who is also the deputy prime minister, was quoted as saying by the Bernama news agency. "Thus far, Malaysia is satisfied with what they are doing and does not intend to take similar action [as Singapore's] as they are not wrong in our eyes."

Menk, a noted scholar and international speaker, is the director of the Daarul Ilm (Islamic Educational Centre) of the Majlisul Ulama, an Islamic welfare organisation which caters to the needs of the Muslim population of Zimbabwe.
I'm glad to see Helena City Commissioners beginning to talk to the public about essential services, infrastructure and economic development, but I believe it's too little, too late.

As to infrastructure, city staff has pictured it this way to me. Nationally, there's a rough average of a thirty year replacement schedule for street infrastructure. Even with the rearrangement of rate paying (less for residents, more for commercial  which includes schools, non-profits, governmental agencies) we're still on a 70 to 80 year schedule for replacement. Of the 230 miles of pipes under the streets of Helena, 70 percent were installed prior to 1970, with the majority laid between 1920 and 1930. We are in a pretty deep hole. Just because the burden has been lifted on the homeowner doesn't mean the problem has gone away.

I'm genuinely glad that commissioners took action in May to help the attorney's office and the police and fire departments. I think that with regard to the attorney's office and augmenting their staffing to deal with demand, that was significant. But in my opinion, the efforts for police and fire were band-aids to very significant problems. For example, a modest increase to the fire department's overtime budget enabled the Helena Fire Department to move from six to seven firefighters on duty. But, the department previously had that minimum staffing from 2000 until 2010, when the overtime and minimum staffing were cut due to the national economic downturn and its effects on our local economy. So, it is clearly not "the first increase we've had in 20 years" as Commissioner Farris-Olsen states. That recent minimum staffing increase, while a move in the right direction, really gets the department back to where it was seven years ago. Overall staffing (number of employees) remains as it was in 1996, while demand for service has more than doubled. It does not address the 70+ delayed responses and 15 non-responses to emergency calls to the 911 system that the Helena Fire Department has experienced so far this year, among other such challenges.

And yes, there has been some good work downtown and in the railroad district. But, we still have a very significant segment of our business community who find Helena very difficult to deal with in terms of project development. This can be due to associated costs, the planning and permitting processes and even how they're treated at public meetings. This has driven a lot of activity out into Lewis & Clark County and other municipalities in Montana. That is a culture that needs to change before we will have any significant change in economic development.

I would certainly encourage voters to ask themselves whether this talk and action really addresses those significant challenges that Helena faces.

Sean Logan is running for a seat on the Helena City Commission.
Helena Mayors race features two quality candidates. I recommend support for Jim Smith.

Ive known Jim for over 50 years and had the good fortune to have known Jim as a student at Carroll College, to have worked with him as a fellow employee at Rocky Mountain Development Council and in more recent years worked with Jim in his role as Mayor.

I want to focus on the Mayors commitment to affordable housing and the success that the Helena community has enjoyed in producing affordable housing for our friends and neighbors, in large part because of Mayor Smiths support of Rocky Mountain Development Council.

Since 1998 there have been 400+ units of permanent affordable housing added to the City of Helena. In all of these efforts, the City was involved, supportive, and often provided significant funding for projects through the Federal HOME and CDBG programs.

City Staff supported grants, served as the grantee and provided money to ten projects that comprised the 400+ units of long term rental housing. The City participated in successful efforts to provide group homes for youth, shelter beds for homeless families and veterans, and shelter beds for victims of domestic violence.

The Willis Cruse House, the Friendship Center, the YWCA and Gods Love projects have all benefited from City support of affordable housing. Rocky Mountain Development Council, in conjunction with the City, developed and built the Roadrunner project, Ptarmigan, Pheasant Glen, and the River Rock Residences projects, as well as three projects at Eagles Manor. The Wilder Street project and the Guardian Apartments were completed as well.

Mayor Smith led Helena City support and sponsorship of the Helena Housing Authority and constantly encouraged and supported the quality operation of 366 units of Public Housing, the 560 housing choice vouchers/Section 8 vouchers, the Family Investment Center, and the Early Learning Center on the Stewart Homes Campus. Mayor Smith attended the Helena Housing Authority meetings to understand and encourage their work. On several occasions, Mayor Smith traveled to Federal regional and national offices to advocate for the Helena Housing Authority and specifically for funding necessary to upgrade the Authorities 132 units on the Stewart Home Campus.

On many Saturday mornings over 15 years I listened to Mayor Smith congratulate First Time Home Buyer program graduates. The Mayor would tell them his personal story of purchasing his first home. Jim would visit about the value of homeownership and its affect it had on his family, and the positive connection that home ownership provides families to the larger community.

Jim Smiths long term, consistent support of affordable housing has made Helena a leading community in securing high quality affordable housing for our friends and neighbors. Mayor Smith continues to lead the Commissions efforts with the Helena Housing Authority, and other projects proposed by Rocky Mountain Development Council to expand affordable housing in Helena.

Mayor Smiths leadership and commitment has been critical to this effort. His interest and participation in affordable housing will continue to produce results for the Helena community.

Please vote for Mayor Smiths re-election.

Gene Leuwer

Helena
Pre-empting the next pandemic By Stephen J. Thomas, Exclusive to the Sunday Times in Sri Lanka View(s): View(s):

SYRACUSE  Recent disease outbreaks, like Ebola and Zika, have demonstrated the need to anticipate pandemics and contain them before they emerge. But the sheer diversity, resilience, and transmissibility of deadly diseases have also highlighted, in the starkest of terms, just how difficult containment and prevention can be.

One threat to our preparedness is our connectedness. It was thanks to easy international travel that in recent years the dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses were all able to hitch a ride from east to west, causing massive outbreaks in the Americas and Caribbean. Another threat is more mundane: failing to agree about money.

Whatever the reason, the fact is that as long as humans fail to organise a collective and comprehensive defence, infectious diseases will continue to wreak havoc  with disastrous consequences.

Building an effective prevention and containment strategy  being bio-prepared  is the best way to reduce the threat of a global contagion. Preparedness requires coordination among agencies and funders to build networks that enable quick deployment of and access to vaccines, drugs, and protocols that limit a diseases transmission. Simply stated, preparing for the next pandemic means not only building global capacity, but also paying for it.

Thats the idea, at least. The reality of bio-preparedness is far more complicated. For starters, the absence of dedicated funding is impeding implementation of long-term prevention strategies in many countries; a new World Bank report finds that only six countries, including the United States, have taken the threat seriously.

Meanwhile, public health officials in many parts of the world struggle to respond to disease outbreaks, owing to a dearth of labs and clinics. And many funding agencies, including governments and NGOs, typically offer only one-year commitments, which rules out long-term planning.

For years, scientists, physicians, and civil-society actors have voiced concern over the lack of reliable, meaningful, and institutionalised investment in pandemic preparedness. These pleas have come, frustratingly, as military funding to thwart bio-attacks, consciously mounted by human actors, has remained robust. But while purposeful and nefarious infectious-disease outbreaks could do massive damage, they remain relatively unlikely. Naturally occurring outbreaks, by contrast, occur regularly and are far more costly, even if they lack the sensational fear factor of bioterrorism. Not that long ago, those of us engaged in the prevention of infectious-disease outbreaks felt more secure about the availability of the resources required to prepare. But in many places, budgets are stagnating, or even declining. This is astonishingly short-sighted, given the relative costs of prevention versus response. For example, what would it have cost to build the clinical and laboratory infrastructure and provide the training needed to identify and prevent the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa? Precise figures are elusive, but I have no doubt it would have been less than the billions of dollars spent on containment. Preparedness pays.

It is not only the lack of funding that is raising alarms; so are restrictions on how available funds can be used. It is not uncommon for a grant to be restricted to specific activities, leaving major gaps in a programs capacity to meet its objectives. A funder may, for example, allow the renovation of an existing lab but not the construction of a new one; or funds may support the purchase of a diagnostic machine but not the training of those required to operate it. In many developing countries, communities do not even have the physical buildings in which to test, monitor, or store dangerous pathogens. Myopic funding that overlooks key elements of the big picture is money poorly spent.

Add to these challenges the difficulty of paying staff or ensuring reliable electricity and other essential services, and it becomes clear that preparing for disease outbreaks requires broad engagement with the international aid community. But at the moment, onerous spending rules and weak financial commitments are tying the hands of those working to prevent the next serious disease outbreak.

The number of obstacles faced by scientists and public health experts in the race to contain deadly infectious diseases is staggering. To overcome them, we need to redefine how we think about preparedness, moving from a reactive position to a more proactive approach. Money earmarked for preparedness must be allocated at levels sufficient to have the required impact. Limitations on how it can be spent should be loosened. Funding sources must be opened to allow for multi-year commitments. Health-care providers and first responders must receive proper training. And long-term solutions such as establishing and connecting bio-surveillance systems should be expanded and strengthened, to enable public-health professionals around the world to track and report human and animal diseases and plan defences together. Public health is an essential element of global security. Failing to invest appropriately in prevention of infectious-disease outbreaks puts all of us at risk, whenever or wherever the next one occurs.

(The writer is an infectious diseases physician, Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the State University of New York, Upstate Medical University.) Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2017. www.project-syndicate.org
UPDATE: One lane of Waihi Road is partially blocked following a crash this morning.

A vehicle reportedly crashed into a barrier on the bridge, which goes over Takitimu Drive.

No injuries have been reported.

Police and firefighters are at the scene and a tow truck has been called.

Motorists are being warned to expect delays untl the crash scene is cleared.

EARLIER:

Reports are coming in of a crash on Waihi Road.

A caller to the 0800 SUNLIVE news hotline says a car has crashed into a barried on the bridge over Takitimu Drive.

Emergency services have been called to the scene.

We will bring you more information soon.

At the scene?

Call 0800 SUNLIVE or email photos to newsroom@thesun.co.nz
A company which operates a composting and quarry facility in Cambridge has been convicted and fined $64,125 for a number of illegal discharges into a stream that flows to the Waikato River.

Remediation (NZ) Limited, trading as Revital Group, was found to be discharging chicken manure and green-waste leachate, as well as sediment, from its facilities on Cambridge Road into the stream.

Waikato Regional Council prosecuted the company following a complaint from a member of the public, in September last year, who came across a section of the waterway that was brown, foamy and smelt strongly of effluent.

Council staff responding to the complaint tracked the contamination back to the companys property.

Enquiries at the property revealed that a large, trailer mounted pump had been hired by the company and used to pump about 1.6 million litres of leachate from a holding pond into the nearby stream.

Regional council team member sampling contaminated water course.

The leachate contained high levels of e.coli which can affect human health.

Further investigations by the council revealed that chicken manure had been illegally stored adjacent to the holding pond and was contributing to the contamination.

The site also operates a quarry which was found to be discharging unacceptable levels of sediment into the same stream.

Convictions and the fine were imposed last week in the Hamilton District Court by Judge Melanie Harland who stated that there were very poor management practices and understanding about the companys obligations under its resource consents.

Judge Harland said evidence suggested the company was favouring of economic considerations over environmental compliance.

The judge also noted the need for specific deterrence, given the company had a previous conviction and as it did not appear to have learnt its lesson.

Remediation (NZ) Limited was also convicted for breaching the Resource Management Act in 2010 following a prosecution by the Taranaki Regional Council for breaches of resource consent.

This was considered as part of sentencing.

The holding pond that had been emptied.
A friend of the woman killed by her partner in Opotiki last November was struggling to describe in court today what it was about the murder accused that scared her.

Robert Hohua, 36, is charged with the murder of Marie Rose Harlick at an address in Wellington Street on November 22.

Hes pleaded not guilty to murder, but admits killing her.

The jury trial on the murder charge is proceeding in the High Court at Tauranga, with Justice Anne Hinton presiding.

Marie Harlick died following a 20 minute assault in which Hohua punched, kicked and stomped her, with the sounds reverberating through the house and alerting neighbours, who called police.

Rosalie Hall, who lived next door, arrived at the property from another address around 10pm on the day of the assault, and says as she walked past the house she heard a loud bang as though something heavy fell on the floor.

The dog under the house was barking when she tried the latch on the gate. Hohua came out the front door and came up to the fence.

Im just coming in to see Marie, says Rosalie.

Nah, bro, shes asleep.

I didnt really know what to do. He just seemed a bit scary to me.

She didnt feel comfortable with him and after the awkward conversation, went inside her house to speak to her brother about the incident.

It felt a bit funny and I needed to talk to someone about what happened.

Youths in the shed at the rear of the neighbouring property say they heard stomping noises that reverberated through the house, they head smashing noises, a baby crying, and Hohua saying Get up before I kill you.

They knew the sound of his voice from previous arguments.

Maries 19-month-old daughter was in a stroller and had been taken to the house by Hohua. The pair were not living together at the time. Hohua was on bail for a previous assault on Harlick, with a non-association order part of the conditions.

The mother of one of the youths prevented them from entering the neighbours, but they called police, twice. Police arrived at the scene about 10.24pm.

Hohua fled, was tasered and arrested, and the body discovered.

Anaru Kaha described being woken up by somebody crashing into the tin fence between the two properties.

He saw two policeman restrain a man on the ground. A police officer inside the house called to the one remaining outside and Anaru followed him into the house.

The policeman went into a room, it could have been a bedroom, says Anaru. Looking from the doorway, he could see a policeman kneeling down and he was doing CPR on a person who was on the ground.

Anaru was seen and told to leave.

Scientific witnesses are expected to be called tomorrow. The trial is set down for two weeks.
DECATUR  Jerger Pediatric Dentistry will host the Candy Buy Back program from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 6, at the office, 2101 N. Main St, Decatur.

Families will be allowed to drop off unopened Halloween candy in exchange for $1 per pound. Each child can drop off up to five pounds. Candy collected will be sent to military troops serving overseas.
Foreign speculators will no longer be able to buy houses in New Zealand from early next year.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the government is determined to make it easier for Kiwis to buy their first home.

So we are stopping foreign speculators buying houses and driving up prices. Kiwis should not be outbid like this.

That is why we are introducing an amendment to the Overseas Investment Act to classify residential housing as sensitive. This means non-residents or non-citizens cannot purchase existing residential dwellings.

Australians will be exempt from the policy, as New Zealanders are in Australia.

We expect legislation to be introduced before Christmas and take effect immediately once passed early in 2018. This will fulfil one of our key 100 Day Plan pledges, says Jacinda.

The previous National government chose to put foreign speculators ahead of Kiwi families, but we have chosen to protect Kiwi families and New Zealands best interests.

That government claimed this could not done without breaching other free trade agreements and that a stamp duty would be the only effective tool.

The advice we have had from officials is that we can give effect to the ban by a simple amendment to the Overseas Investment Act without breaching any agreement except the Singapore Closer Economic Partnership. The options with Singapore will be worked through.

The proposed change means we can move our focus away from land issues at the negotiating table at APEC when negotiations on the TPP reach their final stages, and focus on Investor State Dispute Settlement clauses.

We are concerned by ISDS clauses in the proposed agreement. These confer greater rights on multi-national companies investing in New Zealand than a New Zealand company has.

We remain determined to do our utmost to amend the ISDS provisions of TPP. In addition, Cabinet has today instructed trade negotiation officials to oppose ISDS in any future free trade agreements.

The policy change is supported by all parties involved in the government.

New Zealanders should be assured that the government I lead will have their best interests at heart when negotiating any free trade agreements, says Jacinda.
More Tauranga students will have the opportunity to develop their digital skills thanks to subsidised broadband being provided by The Spark Foundation and 20/20 Trust.

As classroom learning goes digital, students without broadband at home are at risk of being left behind.

Spark Jump enables more students to go online outside of classroom hours and get on the right side of the digital divide.

Families with children up to the age of 18 and no current broadband connection are eligible for the programme.

They will receive a modem and a wireless broadband connection and pay $10 for 30GB with no fixed term contract.

As a pre-pay service, the modem can be topped up at any time in the same way as pre-pay mobile phones.

In Tauranga, families can get set up with the home internet connection by attending a Spark Jump session at Greerton Library.

Greerton Library will help families set up and manage their internet connections.

Carolyne Taylor, learning centre tutor at Greerton Library says Spark Jump will help close the skills gap between families who can afford home broadband and those who cant.

"Access to the internet is really important to get our children better placed to do amazing things in school and later in life, says Carolyne. We know that for some families, home broadband is not affordable and Spark Jump will help more children participate in the digital world.

Spark Foundation partners with community-based organisations like 20/20 Trust to deliver wireless broadband to families without internet.

The Trust is active in communities around the country and collaborates with local partners to select families for the programme based on the eligibility criteria set by the Spark Foundation and the intent to support education.

Spark Foundation general manager Lynne Le Gros is pleased the partnership with 20/20 Trust is expanding the reach of Spark Jump to reach more families at risk of being digitally excluded.

Were pleased to serve communities around the country with a truly useful product like subsidised broadband. Were excited to see Spark Jump turn more homes into digital learning environments and enable more students to thrive in the digital world, says Ms. Le Gros.

For more information on when the Spark Jump sessions are being held contact the Tauranga library on 07 577 7177
Johan Dubbelman, the current Sales Manager of Moonen Shipyards will take over as CEO on an interim basis, while Bilterijst continues to advise new management and safeguard the new transition up to December.

Having been the public face and driving force behind the Moonen brand over the past 20 years, Emile has now decided to take a different path, comments Johan. We are very grateful to Emile for his energy and driving force over the years and wish him all the best for the future.

In his new role as interim CEO, Johan will be able to leverage on his considerable experience at Moonen Shipyards, which he joined in 2001. A qualified naval architect, Johan worked in purchasing and project management before becoming Sales Manager in 2014.

A longstanding member of the renowned Dutch yacht builders and key industry player, Emile Bilterijst moves on as the Moonen brand heads into a new and exciting after opening a new American office and unveiling a new direction with the Navarino concept.

We look forward to bringing you more updates on the story and new era of Moonen as more details emerge on the run up to 2018.
DECATUR  The state's shift to testing public school students based on the latest federal standards, part of a comprehensive curriculum change called Common Core, is only in its third year, and the districts in Decatur's orbit showed a mixed bag when compared to Illinois as a whole.

Under the new Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) test, tougher standards meant that only 36 percent of students statewide in grades three through eight reached their grades' reading standards last year  30 percent for math in results released at 12:01 a.m. today. That's a slight increase for math over the previous school year's results, and a 1 percent dip in reading.

In 2012, before Common Core standards came to Illinois, more than 80 percent of public school students met the Illinois Standards Achievement Test, known as ISAT.

The Decatur School District repeated its PARCC performance last year, with 11 percent of students meeting the standards in their grade level in math and English overall.

Decatur Superintendent Paul Fregeau said when he accepted the position last spring that he was not happy with the numbers from the 2016 tests and had several ideas for improving them, among them a strong focus on literacy skills. He said the district uses many assessments to judge the academic progress of its students, and PARCC is just one, if important, measure of how they're doing. The district is also taking steps to help.

Decatur schools have implemented reading recovery and math initiatives this year to help improve students' classroom performance, which provide individualized programs for struggling students, and Fregeau is also working on a plan to create vertical alignment in Decatur schools, in which students who move from one building to another will not experience gaps in curriculum.

The lowest scores in Decatur came from Hope Academy, with no students reaching expectations in math, and no students in sixth grade meeting reading expectations. Reading in the other grades ranged from a high of 8.2 percent in seventh grade meeting or exceeding expectations to a low of 1.9 percent in fourth grade.

We recognize that things need to be different, said Fregeau, who noted Hope Academy teachers have begun professional development as the school transitions to a new education model.

Johns Hill Magnet School and Garfield Montessori School have traditionally performed well on state tests, and both averaged just better than 22 percent of students meeting or exceeding expectations.

The district has high mobility, with 15 percent of students moving at least once during the school year, and 73 percent poverty, both of which are factors in student academic achievement.

A frequent criticism of standardized test scores is that they often offer a punishing look at high-poverty schools, where students are more likely to struggle with hunger and housing mobility. They often start kindergarten trailing in academic and social-emotional development, compared to their more affluent peers.

The U.S. Department of Education approved Illinois' new federal accountability plan in August in which Illinois proposed factoring a student's improvement over time into a new school grading system. The approach is meant to judge schools more fairly.

In area schools, Sangamon Valley, Bement, and Warrensburg-Latham hovered near state averages, all at 32 percent of students meeting or exceeding expectations. Warrensburg-Latham improved 9 percentage points over the previous year, the biggest improvement in the region.

Meanwhile, Maroa-Forsyth and Monticello led the area pack with 49 percent and 53 percent of students, respectively, meeting the PARCC threshold.

The disparity between a high-poverty district like Decatur and one with few students in poverty, such as Monticello, shows how difficult the task is of educating low-income students in areas with other social and economic challenges.

"We probably have the lowest low-income percentage of the schools in the (area), so that's a pretty strong correlation to success in schools," said Monticello Superintendent Vic Zimmerman.

State assessments of schools have long been described as a snapshot of how students are performing, and one of many measures that school districts use to determine achievement.

PARCC has been phased in over several years in Illinois since Common Core learning standards were adopted. Forty-two states, the District of Columbia and four territories adopted Common Core beginning in 2013 and not all of those have yet reached full implementation in both English language arts and math.
When Smyth County voters go to the polls on Nov. 7, they will help choose representatives to the Virginia legislature, including the House of Delegates.

Smyth County is divided between the 5th District and the 6th District.

In the 5th District, Israel OQuinn, the incumbent, is running unopposed.

Candidates were invited by the News & Messenger to respond to three questions. Responses were limited to 250 words per question and are published in the candidates words with limited editing.

Israel D. OQuinn, Republican (Incumbent)

Why are you running for office?

I am running for reelection to the House of Delegates because I love Southwest Virginia. For too long, Southwest Virginia has been the forgotten part of the commonwealth, but I feel like we have made great strides in changing that during my time in office. Jobs and the economy have always been a central focus of mine, and I work to always be mindful of how any decision made in Richmond could impact employers  and workers  in our region. Education has also been a top priority as it directly impacts our economic development efforts. The Virginia Board of Education has put entirely too much emphasis on SOL testing and, as a result, students may graduate knowing how to take a multiple-choice standardized test, but possessing little ability or experience in solving real-world problems. To address this, we have worked to reduce the number of SOL tests while also ensuring that Southwest Virginia school divisions arent left on the short end of the funding formula. Transportation and public safety are also core functions of state government, and I have spent considerable time working on issues related to both. It is an honor to represent my fellow Southwest Virginians, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve. I will always put forth maximum effort to ensure that we are well-represented at the state capitol.

What do you see as the most important issue(s) facing Smyth County?

Economic development is certainly one of the biggest issues in Smyth County. We have had some key employers leave over the years, and those jobs have been difficult to fill. We have been further hampered by disarray at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) and a lack of focus on our region by the Governors office. However, VEDP has recently reorganized and a new leader has been hired who has a track record of success in rural localities. When we return to Richmond in January, we will have a new governor, and I am hopeful that we can see a renewed focus on our part of Virginia. The Southwest Virginia legislative delegation stands ready to assist in any possible way with those efforts.

Please share your background.

I have represented the Fifth District of Virginia since January 2012. As a citizen legislator and not a professional politician, I have also worked for nearly 11 years for K-VA-T Food Stores, the parent company of Food City. I believe working in a Virginia business everyday continues to help me be a better legislator. Prior to going to work for K-VA-T Food Stores in 2006, I worked in the Virginia Attorney Generals office and on campaigns for governor, attorney general and U.S. Senate, among other races. I graduated from Emory & Henry College and Patrick Henry High School and am proud to call Southwest Virginia my home.
VICTORY, N.Y. -- A man found guilty of sexually abusing three girls in Central New York could face spending more than 50 years behind bars.

A Cayuga County jury found William H. Lewis guilty on Monday of predatory sexual assault against a child and other charges, said District Attorney Jon Budelmann. Prosecutors plan to ask a judge to sentence Lewis to serve 57 years to life in prison -- the maximum possible sentence, he said.

After a five-day trial, the jury found Lewis guilty of six charges:

Two counts of predatory sexual assault against a child, a felony

First-degree sexual abuse, a felony

Three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor

The abuse started in November 2014 and took place at homes in Victory, Sterling and Cato, Budelmann said. For two of the girls, the sexual abuse lasted years -- ending in March 2017, he said.

One girl was sexually abused between November 2014 and May 2015 when she was 10 to 11 years old, Budelmann said.

Two younger children were assaulted repeatedly between November 2014 and March, Budelmann said. One of the girls was abused starting when she was 8 and ending when she was 11, he said. Lewis sexually abused the youngest child starting when she was 6 until she turned 9, the DA said.

Lewis was arrested in March by the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office.

All three victims testified during the trial.

"I commend these children for their bravery in confronting their abuser," Budelmann said. "These young children testified so well and the jury obviously found them to be absolutely credible."

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Heather De Stefano, while a Tully Rinckey defense attorney represented Lewis. A video of the confession Lewis gave to Detective Sgt. Fred Cornelius was shown to the jury during the trial, Budelmann said.

Judge Thomas Leone is scheduled to sentence Lewis on Dec. 21.

Lewis is being held in the Cayuga County Jail without bail.
MOWEAQUA  Rob Maynard resigned as chief of the Moweaqua Police Department on Monday, a day before he was set to return from a one-week suspension.

In his resignation letter, obtained by the Herald & Review on Monday night, Maynard said the decision stemmed from "what I believe has been nothing more than outright and blatant discrimination directed at myself and the police department." Maynard confirmed that he submitted the letter to Mayor Boomer Neece and village officials earlier Monday.

Attempts to reach Neece and village attorney Ed Flynn were unsuccessful Monday night. Both previously declined to comment about reasons for Maynard's suspension, saying it was a personnel issue that could not be discussed unless Maynard signed a waiver allowing it.

Maynard, a 15-year veteran of the Moweaqua Police Department, also alleged the mayor and village board created a hostile work environment, which has caused "a detriment to my health and well-being, along with a direct effect on my family and my good standing within the community."

In paperwork obtained by the Herald & Review last week, the village board cited a variety of reasons for the suspension, which was set to end Tuesday. Reasons included failure to show up to several public events, misrepresenting his hours worked, and not overlapping hours with Moweaqua's only other full-time officer, who submitted his resignation last week.

Maynard said Monday that he plans to seek legal counsel "and go forward from there."

Since the announcement of his suspension last week, the former police chief has received an outpouring of support from dozens of village residents. Maynard returned to the village of 1,700 on Friday night after several days away "to decompress," and arrived to a gathering of more than 100 supporters.

Dozens of residents also packed a public meeting last week, where officials accepted the resignation of Moweaqua's only other full-time police personnel, Officer Chad Lamb. At the meeting, Neece said he did not know why Lamb had resigned. Lamb could not be reached for comment.

The two-page document outlines reasons for the suspension, which include:

Failure to work evening patrols;

Failure to attend three football games in Moweaqua at the mayor's request;

Failure to overlap work schedules with Lamb so as to communicate local police concerns;

An incident in which someone observed Maynard in plain clothes at a gas station while he was on duty, amounting to a failure to clock out;

Refusal to seek part-time employees for the police department.

"Your professional conduct has deteriorated since your last discipline," village officials wrote in the document outlining Maynard's suspension. "The Village of Moweaqua is concerned because your professional performance has been unacceptable."

Maynard, 49, described a slew of disciplinary hearings over his violation of Moweaqua's policies and procedure going back to July. He said concerns about his performance were never brought to him before the village board took action.

"I was never given an opportunity (to respond)," he said last week.

The pattern, he said, started two months after a new village board was sworn into office in May.

"It was just a downward continuation from there, " Maynard said.

Two new board members were elected into the six-person body this year, and Neece won the mayoral election after serving as a board member.

Shelby and Christian County sheriff's departments were providing patrol to Moweaqua at night during Maynard's suspension and following Lamb's resignation. A spokesman for Shelby County law enforcement said he had no information Monday night on any extended plans for covering Moweaqua.
Keshena, Wisc. -- Parents found a package of meth with a child's Halloween candy after an event in Wisconsin over the weekend.

The parents turned a small yellow package with a crystal powder in it to Menominee Tribal Police early Monday morning, according to WBAY in Wisconsin. The powder tested positive for methamphetamine.

The child involved did not ingest the drugs, WBAY said. Police are investigating how the drugs got into the child's candy bag and whether it was accidental or intentional.

Authorities believe it happened during a Halloween event Sunday in Keshena, Wisconsin on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Keshena is about 45 miles northwest of Green Bay.

Police said parents should get rid of candy and bags from the event, according to WBAY. Though the meth packet appears to be an isolated incident, officers are concerned a child could be exposed to drugs.

"It is a Ziploc bag," said Joshua Lawe, detective with the Menominee Tribal Police, according to WBAY. "Unfortunately, Ziploc baggies can open up. We don't know if there's more out there."

The community plans to hold another trick-or-treating event for kids today, the station said.

Tribal Police Chief Mark Waukau told Fox 11 in Wisconsin that the area has seen a rise in meth use.

"That's something we're seeing," he said, according to the station. "Like I said, it's coming up here. We are making arrests, on the streets and traffic stops."

Police have set up collection stations for parents to dispose of candy and bags from the event safely, Fox 11 said. Officers urged parents to check all Halloween candy their kids get.

Contact Kevin Tampone anytime: Email | Twitter | Google + | 315-454-2112
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A man sought in a carjacking that took the life of a University of Utah student and the death of a Colorado man was arrested Tuesday after he turned himself in at a Salt Lake City library, police said.



Austin Boutain, 24, dodged a manhunt in the rugged foothills near campus for nearly 15 hours before his arrest in the death of ChenWei Guo.



Guo, a 23-year-old student from China, was shot to death Monday evening during an attempted carjacking and found dead in his car in Red Butte Canyon on the edge of campus.



In addition, police in Golden, Colorado, have said they want to question Boutain about the killing of a 63-year-old man whose truck had been driven by Boutain in Utah. The man's body was found Tuesday in his trailer in Colorado.



Kathleen E. Boutain, the suspect's wife, is also a person of interest in the Colorado case. She was in custody in Utah on unrelated drug and theft charges.

Facebook, Twitter to disclose details on Russia-linked posts in Senate testimony



Salt Lake City Police Detective Greg Wilking said Austin Boutain apparently slipped a police containment line in a nearby canyon after Guo was killed.



Guo, one of thousands of international students at the University of Utah, was a freshman from Beijing who came to the U.S. in 2012 and dreamed of owning his own consulting company. He was studying pre-computer science.



He was a member of the Mormon church, having served as a missionary in Provo.



Rachel Tam, a 24-year-old friend of Guo, said he would speak in a moving and powerful way about his faith. He also loved to dance and wowed his friends on the dance floor with hip hop moves at a church event in August.



"He was really talented," she said.

This undated photo provided by University of Utah shows ChenWei Guo, a student killed in an attempted carjacking near campus Monday, Oct. 30, 2017. Police swarmed rugged mountain foothills near the University of Utah Tuesday, Oct. 31, searching for Austin Boutain, suspected of killing Guo while on the run after another homicide in Colorado. (University of Utah via AP)

Lori McDonald, dean of students, described him as "extremely outgoing, charming, creative, smart."



A lockdown at the university, which has about 32,800 students, ended early Tuesday and university officials canceled classes for the day. About 175 students had to shelter in the library Monday night because they couldn't return their homes.



University President David W. Pershing issued a statement calling the killing a "senseless, random act of violence" and said the school would offer counseling.



An arrest record from the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office showed Kathleen Boutain was being held on suspicion of three counts, including theft by receiving stolen property. She acknowledged to police that she was traveling in a stolen vehicle that had stolen firearms, according to arrest records.

Authorities said in the records that the woman had a prescription bottle with a torn-off label that had zolpidem pills, a prescription sedative used to treat insomnia.



It wasn't immediately clear if Austin or Kathleen Boutain had attorneys. No phone numbers were listed publicly for either of them. A phone number listed Austin Boutain's parents in Alexandria, Minnesota, rang unanswered.



Court records show he had a string of arrests in Minnesota and Alabama dating back to his days as a juvenile for possessing a dangerous weapon on school property, car theft and drug offenses.



Boutain served time in state prison as recently as last spring on a charge of being a convicted sex offender and failing to properly report his whereabouts to police, court documents show.



He was sentenced to five years in prison in November 2015 and paroled in May.



Court records show he married Kathleen Boutain in March 2014 and the couple had two children.



Austin Boutain filed for divorce in January, citing his incarceration, but a judge has not yet issued a final order ending the marriage.



It wasn't clear Tuesday where the couple's children were living.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a former campaign aide thrust into the center of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia probe "has already proven to be a liar."

On Twitter, Trump sought to dismiss George Papadopoulos, who has provided key evidence in the first criminal case connecting Trump's team to alleged intermediaries for Russia's government.

Said Trump: "Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar. Check the DEMS!"

Papadopoulos was approached by people claiming ties to Russia and offering "dirt" on Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails, according to court documents unsealed Monday. Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to FBI agents about the conversations and has been cooperating with investigators, the documents said.

Papadopoulos' guilty plea and the possibility that he's working with Mueller's team came as an unexpected twist in the mounting drama surrounding the criminal probe. A separate welter of charges Mueller announced Monday against Trump's ex-campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his longtime aide Rick Gates do not appear directly related to their work for Trump.

But Papadopoulos' case cuts close to the central question of Mueller's investigation: Did Russia try to sway the election? Did Trump's campaign know?

"The Russians had emails of Clinton," Papadopoulos was told by an unnamed professor with ties to Russia during a breakfast meeting at a London hotel in April. U.S. investigators said that the following day, Papadopoulos then emailed a Trump campaign policy adviser, "Have some interesting messages coming in from Moscow about a trip when the time is right."

Papadopoulos was arrested in July and has been interviewed repeatedly by authorities, the filing said. After entering his guilty plea he was ordered not to contact other Trump officials and prohibited from foreign travel. In one of the unsealed files, an FBI agent working for Mueller bluntly hinted that more former Trump associates could soon be questioned.

Papadopoulos' lawyer, Thomas M. Breen, based in Chicago, declined to comment on the guilty plea but noted that "we will have the opportunity to comment on George's involvement when called upon by the court at a later date. We look forward to telling all of the details of George's story at that time."

The incident echoes elements of a June 2016 meeting involving Donald Trump Jr. and other campaign officials at Trump Tower. The president's son organized that sit down with a Russian lawyer who was offering negative information about Clinton.

The White House immediately cast Papadopoulos as a mere volunteer with little influence during last year's campaign. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said his role was "extremely limited" and that "no activity was ever done in an official capacity on behalf of the campaign."

Trump named Papadopoulos to his foreign policy advisory council in March 2016, among a short list of experts amid growing public pressure on Trump to demonstrate he had a bench of foreign policy expertise.

During a March 21, 2016 meeting with The Washington Post editorial board, Trump called Papadopoulos an "excellent guy."

Shortly afterward, Trump tweeted a photo of his advisory council meeting, with Papadopoulos among a handful of advisers at the president's table. In his plea filing, Papadopolous admitted that he told Trump and other top campaign national security officials during that meeting, that he had made contact with intermediaries for Russia who said they could set up a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The court filings recount Papadopoulos' meetings abroad starting in March 2016, after he'd been named to Trump's board. Papadopoulos initially told the investigators the meetings came before, and later admitted that was untrue. Papadopoulos also deleted a Facebook post about his travels, the documents said.

The court filings say he met first with the unnamed professor who boasted of damaging emails and then later with an unnamed Russian woman, who claimed to be related to Putin and sought to arrange a meeting between Trump and the Russian leader. The professor also introduced Papadopoulos to a third unnamed person who claimed he had connections to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two men then exchanged emails about a possible meeting between Trump campaign aides and Russian government officials.

The court records didn't specify which emails the Russian claimed to have.

The timing of the new disclosures about Clinton emails may be significant because the scope of the Kremlin's efforts to hack Clinton's campaign and the Democratic National Committee were just beginning to be understood by March 2016, weeks before Papadopoulos was told of damaging emails.

It's unclear how frequently Papadopoulos was in contact with the campaign officials. Sanders initially said the foreign policy advisory board convened only once, but the White House later clarified she was speaking only of official meetings with Trump in attendance. An official involved with the group said the group met on a monthly basis throughout the spring and summer for a total of about six meetings.
DECATUR  Welcome to the spookiest day of the year.

Whether you're taking to the streets with a flashlight and a pumpkin-shaped pail or hitting up one of many "trunk-or-treat" events in churches and neighborhoods, the seeking and receiving of candy is an inextricable part of the holiday's fun.

The Illinois State Police offered safety tips for those trick-or-treating tonight, including:

Stay off the roadway unless crossing the street, and always cross the street at crosswalks or unobscured intersections.

Ensure children know their address and phone number. If they do not know it, attached it to their clothes.

Flashlights and/or reflective tape should be used so drivers can see trick-or-treaters.

Trick-or-treating visits should be restricted to homes with porch or outside lights illuminated.

An adult should examine treats before a child eats them. Homemade treats should be avoided.

Drivers are reminded to drive slowly, keep their eyes on the road and watch for children darting into the street.

Trick-or-treat hours are 6 to 8 p.m. in the city of Decatur; until 8 p.m. in the village of Forsyth; and 5 to 8 p.m. in the village of Mount Zion.

For a full list of trick-or-treat hours in Decatur-area communities, visit herald-review.com.
One person is dead after a shooting at the University of Utah, and police are searching for the gunman.

The Associated Press reports an injured woman came to the Salt Lake City school campus Monday evening to report that her husband had assaulted her while camping in Red Butte Canyon, which abuts the east campus.

University of Utah Police Chief Dale Brophy said the husband, identified as 24-year-old Austin Boutain, is believed to have fatally shot a person during a carjacking at the mouth of the canyon around 9 p.m. Monday.

The campus was locked down for several hours as the search focused on Mario Capecchi Drive, a section of the campus that includes the main residence halls, medical complex and research buildings. Students received text alerts to shelter in place due to reports of gunshots.

The victim has not been identified, and authorities would not say if it was a student.

The Salt Lake City Tribune reports the lockdown was lifted at 3 a.m. Tuesday morning as the manhunt moved to the nearby Wasatch Mountains. Hundreds of law enforcement authorities, including the FBI, are searching on foot and by helicopter as they suspect Boutain is in the foothills above Red Butte Canyon.

Traffic is blocked off near the area, the newspaper reports, as Boutain is described as armed and dangerous. Salt Lake City police say he's a white male with tattoos of a cross and a teardrop on his face, as well as neck and arm tattoos, and was wearing a black coat, black jeans and a black beanie hat.

Suspect in U of U Homicide is Austin Boutain, 24. Considered armed and dangerous. pic.twitter.com/hL7dZu7D8v  SLC Police Dept. (@slcpd) October 31, 2017

Anyone with information about Boutain, including his potential whereabouts, is encouraged to call 801-799-3000.

The University of Utah announced on Twitter that all classes have been canceled for Tuesday, Oct. 31.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- A storm packing hurricane-force wind gusts and soaking rain brought trees and power lines crashing down early Monday, knocking out power for nearly 1.5 million homes and businesses and forcing hundreds of schools to close in New England.

Thousands of trees were toppled, some falling onto houses and cars. In New Hampshire, floodwaters swept away a house. In Maine, the state's largest utility warned residents to be prepared to be without electricity for up to a week.

New England bore the brunt of the storm, which brought sustained winds of up to 50 mph in spots. A gust of 130 mph was reported at the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire, while winds hit 82 mph in Mashpee on Cape Cod in Massachusetts.

"It was really terrifying," said Rachel Graham, who described pine trees crashing nearby as she rode out the storm with her husband and their 2-year-old daughter in a yurt in Freeport, Maine. "It was a lot of crashes and bangs."

Miraculously, no serious injuries were reported.

The storm left 450,000 New Hampshire electricity customers without power at its peak and produced wind gusts of 78 mph, officials said. Emergency Management Director Perry Plummer said the outage was the state's fourth largest.

In Warren, choppy waters swept away a one-story home. Videoshowed it floating downstream and crashing into a bridge before breaking apart. The person who took the video, Thomas Babbit, told The Boston Globe the homeowners were not on the property at the time.

Maine also was hit hard, with 492,000 homes and businesses losing electricity, surpassing the peak number from an infamous 1998 ice storm.

Republican Maine Gov. Paul LePage issued a state of emergency proclamation, allowing drivers of electrical line repair vehicles to work more hours than federal law allows to speed up power restoration.

Across New England, some cities and towns pushed back trick-or-treating from Halloween night -- Tuesday -- to as late as Sunday evening due to safety concerns.

The fast-moving storm began making its way up the East Coast on Sunday, the fifth anniversary of Superstorm Sandy. That 2012 storm devastated the nation's most populous areas and was blamed for at least 182 deaths in the U.S. and the Caribbean and more than $71 billion in damage in this country alone.

Electricity was slowly being restored.

More than 1 million homes and businesses still were without power Monday evening in the Northeast, according to a tally of outages from utility companies in more than a half-dozen states.

In the Boston suburb of Brookline, Helene Dunlap said her power went out after she heard a loud "kaboom" around 1:30 a.m. Monday. She went outside hours later to find a large tree had fallen on a neighboring home.

"It really shook the whole place up," she said. "It was such a dark, stormy night that looking out the window we really couldn't determine what was going on."

A tree fell and sheared off the rear of a home in Methuen in northeastern Massachusetts, along the New Hampshire line. The tree crashed into Philip Cole's bedroom, where he would have been if he hadn't been called into work Sunday night.

"You opened the door to my bedroom, and there's no bedroom," Cole told WBZ-TV. "There's no floor, there's no anything really, just a closet and that was it."

In Glastonbury, Connecticut, downed trees and wires forced schools to close.

"Just high, high, high winds," said Glastonbury resident Kathleen Buccheri, who lost power. "I saw flashes of light and heard booms. I think it was the transformers."

She said she stocked up on food and other supplies when she heard the storm was coming.

Some rivers in northern New Hampshire overflowed. For a brief period Monday, the Ammonoosuc River flooded, restricting access to the Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods.

The storm system also caused problems Sunday in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. On the shoreline in Bayonne, New Jersey, a barge washed up after apparently breaking free from its moorings.

In New York, the rush hour got off to a rocky start as service on Metro-North's Danbury Branch in Connecticut was suspended due to a mudslide and signal power problems. Part of the Long Island Rail Road's Ronkonkoma Branch was halted because of power lines on the tracks. Unhappy commuters crowded a station.
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Dear Dr. Roach: Every year and a half to two years, someone in our house gets a sinus infection. We are in our mid-60s, and it is always a fight with our doctor to get antibiotics to cure it. We go through at least two weeks of misery with nasal sprays, Tylenol, etc., before he finally decides that it is bacterial and prescribes the antibiotics. I understand that the use of antibiotics has gotten out of control, but I believe that antibiotics sometimes are needed. Should we have to fight this hard to feel well when we take antibiotics infrequently?

-- J.K.L.

A: You're not going to like my answer, but I agree with your doctor.

Most cases of acute (less than four weeks of symptoms) sinusitis are caused by viruses. Up to 70 percent of common colds will show sinusitis on a CT scan, but less than 2 percent of symptomatic sinus infections are thought to be caused by bacteria -- even many of those will get better without antibiotics.

You certainly are right that sometimes the infection is bacterial and antibiotics are needed, but people can be spared the risks of antibiotics (many of which I have recently discussed, including C. difficile diarrheal infections) by just waiting long enough for the symptoms to get better on their own. Symptomatic treatments -- such as saline irrigation, steroid nasal sprays, a few days' worth of decongestants and, yes, Tylenol -- can relieve the misery.

Resistance to antibiotics is becoming a critical issue. I have seen patients die of bacterial infections because we have literally no effective antibiotics with which to treat them. For our own patients' safety and for public health reasons, we physicians need to prescribe less. I hope you understand why your doctor is being extra cautious about prescribing antibiotics.
In the run up to the elections for the new Cambridge NUS delegates, TCS is speaking to all candidates about their manifestos, what they would accomplish, and why they are best suited to carry out their roles. Voting opens at 00:00 on the 31st of October, and closes on the 3rd of November. The following is a transcript from an interview with Keelan.

How will you carry out the key points in your manifesto?

So, Im aware that my manifesto is a very radical one. Things like the abolition of tuition fees, and abolition of student rent are big topics, and difficult to carry out. However, bringing important issues like this forward to the NUS Conference will encourage it to become an active organisation in fighting for students  through organising rent strikes and using its coverage as a nationwide organisation to make a campaign that takes place in all universities, generating press coverage. We should be organising demonstrations, linking up with other struggles in the trade union movement and elsewhere. The NUS should become a more political organisation, instead of a vehicle for careerism. There are lots of people in it because they want to become MPs, which is a betrayal of students because the NUS is the only organisation that has the ability to defend students collectively. My policies can only be achieved through the NUS working with other organisations, linking with the Labour movement, and the struggle taking place within the Labour party and other trade unions. At the moment it attempts to be so apolitical that it cannot defend our interests.

Why would you be a better NUS representative than the other candidates?

One thing is that I want to put Marxist ideas forward at the NUS Conference. They are vital because were now at a stage where the system cannot guarantee our generation the same living standards as our parents. Even the most vociferous critics of capitalism could have recognised some progress from generation to generation, but no longer. Now, Marxist criticism is becoming even more important.

The trend of societies expressing anger through political decisions will only grow. We still have not recovered from 2008, and were seeing a real crisis in capitalism. For capitalism to function, we unleashed austerity to maintain economic equilibrium, but that has destroyed social equilibrium. We see this discontent in support for Corbyn, for example, and anger in countries all across Europe.

We need people in NUS prepared to raise these ideas, because things are changing rapidly. We are in a critical phase, and cannot ignore these ideas anymore.

What would you like to achieve in the position?

One thing I would love to do, as I am aware of Marxist delegates succeeding at SOAS and UCL, is form a block of Marxists at conferences to articulate our ideas and the need for radical change in societies. I want to genuinely represent the interests of students as a body, and not use the conference as a chance to network. I would put forward my programme apologetically.

What do you think are the biggest issues facing Cambridge students today?

These are largely issues that face all students across the country. Specifically at Cambridge, we have a very acute rent problem. My college, Kings, just saw a rent rise of 6%. College rents are far too high. There are also circumstances where students who come from relatively wealthy backgrounds will cut off by family, when the University assumes all parents will be supportive.

Obviously tuition fees are a huge issue as well. I'm angry about fact we pay 9,250 a year  and then we saw threats when Tories were at peak arrogance in May that they would be raised to 12,000 a year. This puts a huge amount of pressure on students, which is unsettling and unnerving. I have friends at home who were put off by the fees, and its unacceptable that you have working-class kids feeling that they cant shouldnt go to university for financial reasons. So, the concerns of Cambridge students are shared by many across the country. Were fortunate in the sense that Cambridge is a wealthy university and can offer help, but many other universities cant.

If you could only make one change in Cambridge, what would it be?

One achievable thing in Cambridge specifically is to ensure that all University staff receives a living wage. All universtities should pay a living wage, and there should be an end to the casualization of work  for example using agencies to organise staff, and putting academics on part-time contracts. It lets them squash workers' rights. If Cambridge were to bring all of its workers in-house and pay all of its staff a living wage it would make a big difference. We shouldnt just see this in Cambridge, however. It should be at every university.
In the run up to the elections for the new Cambridge NUS delegates, TCS is speaking to all candidates about their manifestos, what they would accomplish, and why they are best suited to carry out their roles. Voting opens at 00:00 on the 31st of October, and closes on the 3rd of November. The following is a transcript from an interview with Connor.

How will you carry out the key points in your manifesto?

The first responsibility of an NUS delegate is to vote on the motions at conferences. I want the NUS to campaign for maintenance grants, and much better financial support for students. Its also the responsibility to vote for the 6 full-time sabbatical NUS officers. In the past, there has been a tradition of electing very ideological figures, one of whom called Theresa May a fascist on live television in 2016. I dont think this gives the NUS any credibility with policymakers. Its important that I elect candidates whom I feel can represent students and bring about real change.

Why would you be a better NUS representative than the other candidates?

First and foremost, I have more experience, and am the only candidate who has previously been to an NUS conference. Ive been struck by the very naive way CUSU approaches NUS  theres an expectation that they will show up at the conference and fight- but usually they find that by the time you arrive, most of the factional agreements have already been made. This is not productive for students. We need delegates willing to fight against factionalism and ideological foolishness. Its unacceptable that there are people negotiating with the government who feel entitled to call government members fascist. At the conference 2 years ago, there were people being clapped when asking why we commemorate the Holocaust specifically: this is utterly nuts. We need students who will take a stand against behaviour like this.

What would you like to achieve in the position?

I'd like to be able to speak on a few motions at conference, as this is the biggest thing you can do in terms of impact. We dont know the motions yet, but I want to speak against factionalism and the kind of ridiculous motions put forward. Previously, there was one on abolishing prisons, which is not a key priority for most students. You might be able to have a productive intellectual conversation about abolishing prisons, but the NUS is the biggest political body for students, with its biggest political ramifications. What the NUS does and says matters to the outside world. Much as I dont like the Daily Mail or the Sun, we cannot afford to have the name of students in the UK splashed across newspapers as, Students Debate the Holocaust. Its morally wrong, and is also bad for the student movement generally, and our credibility.

What do you think are the biggest issues facing Cambridge students today?

This is difficult, because theres no average Cambridge student. Im glad CUSU talks about how wide the variety of students here is, and how their needs vary so dramatically (and of course we need to push further for more diversity). However, there are universal issues like student debt being too high, the abolishment of maintenance grants, and rents being too high. In Cambridge specifically, we must do much more for mental health. At college JCRs, and in the University as a whole, we see people becoming more aware of the problem, but we need more funding for these services to really tackle the problem. University mental health support services are really over-taxed. Also, Id like to see College JCRs give more support to CUSU for mental health problems. While CUSU has its flaws, it has identified a problem and tried to make inroads into solving it, which is really admirable.

Another big issue is access. We should push for more access, and for the University to be more open to all applicants. This is not NUS specific, but we must see progress on these fronts.

If you could only make one change in Cambridge, what would it be?

I would improve access, for sure. We still dont do enough for students who come from disadvantaged backgrounds of any kind. Its not just Cambridges fault. In every conversation I have with College and fellows, everyone recognises its a problem  although we do need to point to the grossly unequal British education system. However, Cambridge could do more to soften its image, and intervene more in certain communities to encourage students who would benefit from a Cambridge education.
In the run up to the elections for the new Cambridge NUS delegates, TCS is speaking to all candidates about their manifestos, what they would accomplish, and why they are best suited to carry out their roles. Voting opens at 00:00 on the 31st of October, and closes on the 3rd of November. The following is a transcript from an interview with Angus.

How will you carry out the key points in your manifesto?

The primary way I will fight for continued participation in Erasmus after Brexit, equal rights for international students, free education or opposition to the Prevent agenda is by voting that way. Ill also use national networks to push for candidates for NUS sabbatical officers supportive of these causes and, where necessary, speak myself.

Why would you be a better NUS representative than the other candidates?

I think to be effective you need ideas, experience and networks. Ive got all three. I have strong and detailed ideas for how to fight for all students, especially the most marginalised, with strategic input as to the most effective campaigning. I have experience on my JCR, co-founding the divestment campaign and helping to keep Cambridge in the NUS in the 2016 referendum. I wont be overawed at conference. And as a member of the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, Ill be able to effectively organise for change.

What would you like to achieve in the position?

Above all, NUS leadership committing to a radical policy for free education. These are times of political potentiality  things are changing fast, and the realms of the possible are shifting. If I can successfully contribute to a movement which puts liberation and education at its heart, Ill be happy.

What do you think are the biggest issues facing Cambridge students today?

I think accommodation prices are right up there. Im one of the people behind the nascent Cambridge, Cut the Rent campaign, which will campaign for lower rents and better conditions across the University. Cambridge is stressful enough without having to worry if you have enough to feed yourself properly. I also think sexual assault is a permanent crisis which needs permanent strong action  luckily weve had great action from both the Womens campaign and the NUS, which is much needed.

If you could only make one change in Cambridge, what would it be?

If the uni could divest from fossil fuels before I graduate thatd be fab.
the primary weakness of Lazada Philippines' after-sales support system

Lazada's smooth and convenient smooth purchase process, wide payment options, and fast delivery service are truly laudable -- but their system - I would say - has one glaring flaw that needs to be addressed for the benefit of Pinoy consumers.

his answered were all canned or generic

less than 20 kilos

Isn't it enough that I got a bad, unusable product and now, you want me to spend more money, burn previous time, and go out of my way just to have it replaced -- just because it weighs less than 20 kilos?

One of the reasons why I'm still blogging after all these years is that I want to keep using this platform to amplify the voice of Filipino consumers so that their concerns can be better addressed.





I suggest that Lazada Philippines should show the same enthusiasm in picking up products for return or replacement as they do when delivering the items. It has to be door-to-door and for free -- regardless of the size and value of the item.

But before I talk about that, let me say that like thousands of Filipinos, I am also a Lazada supporter and buyer. I personally believe in the company's business model and I think that online shopping is the way to go in the future.In fact, just last week, I bought ten items for photography and video recording from the website.Here's what happened.A few hours ago, after checking the parts of one of the microphones that I purchased through Lazada, I noticed that one of the prongs at the bottom is broken.I got a defective product.There was no way for me to check this upon delivery since the heavily-wrapped package was delivered to my residence early in the morning and I was still asleep.Anyway, I immediately opened the website and went to the customer support section to request for a replacement. Lazada has a chat support team, which is good.I felt relieved that the other party was very responsive to my inquiries -- even ifThis is a small part of our lengthy conversation:As you may have guessed, the last line is what totally irked me.Now, come on!For me, it's clearly not. In fact, it's a double whammy.And this follow-up email from Lazada merely adds insult to injury.I recognize that this "Lazada Situation" is one instance where I can use my clout to start a conversation that will help change the system for the better.If- Lazada Philippines' CEO - is sincere in his message, then I hope that he would listen to my suggestion:Filipino consumers who purchase items from the Lazada online store in good faith - even without seeing the products in the flesh and meticulously checking their condition - deserve this high-level of customer service.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low around 40F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low around 40F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.
When Microsoft announced in March 2016 that it was going to shut down Lionhead Studios, makers of the Fable and Black & White series, it meant the end of an era, and it also meant Fable Legends, which was then undergoing development for Xbox One and PC, was dead.

Though a virtual card game Fable Fortune was launched, it was made by an outside studio completely unrelated to Lionhead, which meant that while it was a decent spinoff and was supported by Microsoft, it wasn't a mainline game, meaning it didn't have the spirit, the atmosphere, and the correct tonality that made Fable games so renowned.

Will There Be A New 'Fable' Game?

Will there be another Fable game ever? While Lionhead is defunct, Microsoft owns the rights to the franchise, so there's a very real possibility that it could be resurrected. If the company decided to resurrect it, that would make Xbox's head of first-party publishing, Shannon Loftis, happy.

Loftis spoke with GameSpot during PAX Aus this week, saying Microsoft loves the Fable franchise. In fact, one of the reasons why Loftis immigrated to England years ago was to lead the development of Fable II.

The series is very dear to her, she told GameSpot, saying she even loves the card game, but the IP as a whole holds a special place in Microsoft's heart.

"Fable Fortune is now out, the card game. We love the IP. I can't talk right now about whether we're doing anything with it or not, but if I ever get the chance to go back to Albion ... "

Microsoft Receives This Many Game Pitches A Year

Loftis being the head of Xbox's Publishing unit for first-party titles means she has direct and crucial influence if Microsoft decided to bring back the franchise. As of yet, however, it remains unknown whether there are internal talks inside the company to do so. Loftis said Microsoft receives around 350 to 400 game pitches each year  and who knows? Rekindling the old Fable flame might be one of hundreds upon hundreds of ideas developers present to the company.

For now, Microsoft seems to be treating the Fable franchise the way EA is treating Mass Effect, wherein it's letting the franchise cool off for a while before injecting new life into it. The most recent Mass Effect title, Andromeda, received lukewarm reviews shortly after launch when it began showing problems, faulty facial animations being one of them. Microsoft is probably avoiding a similar situation, given how rocky development for Andromeda had been, according to reports.

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Another Google Pixel 2 problem has surfaced, this time involving the Android Auto platform that connects Android devices with the user's vehicle.

Google is not yet out of the woods with two high-profile issues involving the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, so the addition of the Android Auto problem is certainly not welcome news for the company.

Android Auto Crashing Randomly On Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL

Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL owners have taken to Google's product forums to complain about Android Auto crashing randomly on their smartphones.

On the Android Auto forums, user Tyler Stout narrated his experience with the Pixel 2 XL and Android Auto. He said that Android Auto kept crashing randomly in an over two-hour drive on his 2017 Ford Focus, and the only way to get the system back up is to unplug and re-plug the smartphone into his vehicle.

The crashes happen while using Google Play Music and Google Maps, and the Pixel 2 XL will recover from the crash sometimes right after plugging the smartphone back in and sometimes up to 30 minutes after.

Many users have since added reports of similar experiences to the thread, and the problem appears to be affecting both the Pixel 2 XL and the smaller Pixel 2. One distinguishable trend is that the users were not experiencing problems with Android Auto when they were using older devices, so the issue is likely connected to the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.

The problem does not seem to be related to any specific vehicle, and it appears for both Android 8.0 and Android 8.1 smartphones.

Google has not released an official statement on the matter but is hopefully already working on a fix. In the meantime, the best thing that affected Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL owners can do is to add their own experience in the thread on the matter. This will provide Google with more information to track down the problem and work out a solution.

Pixel 2 Problems Start To Appear

Owners have reported Pixel 2 XL burn-in problems, wherein images are being retained on the smartphone's screen. In addition to the burn-in cases, other Pixel 2 XL display issues include dead pixels, green lines, black smears, and more.

Google stubbornly defended the smartphone's screen but promised to release a Pixel 2 XL update that will solve the burn-in issue. However, just a few days later, another issue broke out involving the Pixel 2 XL, namely the poor audio quality of the videos that the device records.

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Think it's fun to squeeze your Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL? Well, Google has got just the thing.

As an Easter egg for its new flagship phones, the Mountain View company hid a mini game that involves the Active Edge and some bubbles or balloons to pop.

Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL Easter Egg

Unearthed by the fine folks over at XDA Developers, the secret mini game in the Pixel 2 is accessible via the Active Edge settings menu.

To open it, you only have to repeatedly tap on the "Squeeze sensitivity" option until it pops up.

Hit up the video below to get a closer look (credit goes to Mishaal Rahman of XDA Developers and junior member InFlames03):

Bubble Mini Game

As everyone probably just saw, the mini game is all about popping bubbles or balloons by squeezing the Pixel 2.

The objective is simple: All you have to do is to keep on bursting the bubbles or balloons that are floating from the bottom of the screen to the top over and over. It doesn't seem to have an end either, except when you lose, which is when you no longer have enough space to accommodate any more of the objects.

Sure, it may not be much, but it's Google's way of showing that there's some enjoyment to be had from giving your phone a good squeeze or two.

The Code

When it was sifting through the Settings application of the Pixel 2 XL on Android 8.1 Oreo, XDA Developers ran into an activity named "AssistGestureBubbleActivity." Needless to say, that's more than enough to arouse anyone's curiosity.

Next, the news outlet encountered the related layout file for the aforementioned activity. Interestingly, it contained the words "game_view" and "play_view"  an indication that it's indeed an Easter egg hidden somewhere in the Pixel 2.

Lastly, a recognized contributor over at XDA Developers Quinny899 managed to uncover the key in accessing the mini bubble game, finding out that tapping multiple times on "Squeeze sensitivity" will trigger it.

Wrap-up

From the look of things, Google just knows how to add a touch of whimsy to its smartphones, and this time around, it's in the form of a mini game that encourages users to squeeze their Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL and puts the Active Edge into the spotlight.

For those who want a closer look at the magic behind the squeeze function, iFixit tore down the larger Pixel 2 recently, giving a glimpse of the strain gauges that makes it all possible. It's also worth mentioning that Active Edge is remappable too, and that's definitely good news in anyone's book.

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The 2018 iPhone models will not experience the same production issues and resulting supply shortage as the upcoming iPhone X, according to famed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

The lower-than-expected number of available iPhone X units will haunt Apple once the smartphone launches in November. The news that the same thing will not happen next year, meanwhile, is great for the company.

iPhone X Supply Shortage

The 2018 iPhone models, which will be likely called the iPhone 9 after Apple skipped the "S" naming convention with the iPhone 8, will not experience something like the iPhone X supply shortage.

The iPhone X production issues have long been attributed to the components of the Face ID facial recognition feature, leading to expectations that the supply of the smartphone will be extremely limited until early 2018. A more recent report pegged the number at only 20 million units this year, compared to Apple's planned number of 40 million units.

Apple recently denied allegations that it allowed component suppliers to downgrade Face ID accuracy to speed up production. However, whatever the truth may be, the iPhone X supply will likely not be enough to meet demand for the smartphone upon its launch.

The current estimated waiting time for the iPhone X is about five to six weeks. Some analysts believe that Apple is simply conservative, and customers will receive their smartphones earlier than the suggested waiting time. However, the iPhone X supply shortage is very real, and will dent the smartphone's sales in the first few months after its launch.

No iPhone 9 Supply Problems

Thankfully for Apple and its customers, this will not happen with the iPhone 9. According to Kuo, shipments of the 2018 iPhone models will be on time and will have stable supply upon their launch in the third quarter next year.

The Face ID feature, which is expected to also be present in the 2018 iPhone models, will no longer drag down production. Kuo said that there will be no major upgrade to the TrueDepth camera that helps power Apple's Face ID feature. The current stability in the supply of the component is expected to continue through 2018 with the iPhone 9.

Kuo challenged other reports that Apple will use new technology for the iPhone 9's Face ID feature. He said that Apple will only create more supply chain problems with this move, which is something that the company will like to avoid after the iPhone X supply problems expected upon its launch.

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Researchers have identified the date of the earliest recorded solar eclipse. which took place on Oct. 30, 1207 BC. The finding, based on a Biblical text, could have consequences for understanding the ancient worlds chronology.

A research team, whose study was published in the Royal Astronomical Society journal Astronomy & Geophysics, would be able to pinpoint the dates of the Egyptian pharaohs  particularly the dates of Ramesses the Greats reign, with the help of their new finding.

Biblical Text From The Old Testament Book Of Joshua

Biblical scholars have been puzzled over centuries about a biblical text from the Old Testament book of Joshua. The text said that after Joshua led the Israelites into Canaan, he prayed to the sun to stand still at Gibeon and the moon in the Aijalon Valley.

Thereafter, the sun stood still and the moon stopped until the people took revenge on their enemies. Canaan was an area in the ancient Near East that coordinates with modern day Palestine and Israel.

Colin Humphreys, a researcher from UKs University of Cambridge, explained that they started the study with the notion that if the text was a description of a real observation, then the actual meaning of the text had to be figured out. He further added that English translations of the text, as per the King James translation of the 17th century, usually interpret it to mean that the sun and moon stopped.

The researcher, however, explained that after studying the original Hebrew text, the team could determine another meaning of the text. The original said that the sun and moon had stopped doing what they normally  meaning they had stopped shining. Therefore, the research team felt that the Hebrew words could actually be a reference to a solar eclipse, where the moon passes between the sun and the earth, and the former appears to stop shining.

The researchers also said that their interpretation was backed by the fact that the Hebrew word that was translated to stand still had the same root as a Babylonian word used to describe eclipses in ancient astronomical texts.

Incidentally, the Merneptah Stele, an Egyptian text on a large granite block that dates from the reign of Ramesses the Greats son, Pharaoh Merneptah, is an independent source of evidence pointing that the people of Israel were in Canaan between 1500 and 1050 BC. The inscription was carved in Merneptahs fifth year of reign and describes a campaign in Canaan where the Pharaoh defeated the Israelites.

Annual Solar Eclipse

The Merneptah Stele and the Biblical text from the Old Testament book of Joshua have been used before too by historians to date the possible eclipse. However, the earlier interpretations were not a success as the researchers associated with those were only considering total eclipses in which the suns disc appears to be totally covered by the moon and not annual eclipses in which the moon overshadows the sun in a ring of fire appearance.

To conduct the study, Humphrey and the team of researchers, developed a new eclipse code that considered the variations in the rotation of the Earth over time. Subsequently, the scientists were able to understand that the only annual eclipse visible from Canaan in the time period 1500 to 1050 BC took place on the afternoon of Oct. 30, 1207.

If the researchers arguments are accepted, it would imply the solar eclipse to be the oldest one to have been recorded to date. Furthermore, the finding would help researchers to date the reigns of the pharaohs Ramesses the Great and Merneptah to within a year.

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OnePlus's upcoming phone gets clearer and clearer every day  and with a new render provided by none other than trusted tipster Evan Blass, the device is all but confirmed.

The OnePlus 5T, which continues the "T" naming scheme for iterative updates that started with last year's OnePlus 3T, is expected to arrive sometime this fall, following the OnePlus 5 released in June. The company has said little to nothing about the phone so far, but as usually with these things, crumbs manage to slip through the cracks.

OnePlus 5T Render Leaked

One such crumb is now circulating online, care of Blass. He published an image Monday, Oct. 30, showing what appears to be the OnePlus 5T, but only the top half. He calls it the OnePlus 2.5t.

But even with the truncated image, the bezel-less, edge-to-edge display could never be clearer. Also, the phone appears to have a 2.5D curved glass profile, as on the iPhone 8.

It's not a particularly shocking image, but if it ends up being accurate, this means OnePlus has officially transitioned to bezel-less displays, like 2017 flagships from Samsung, Xiaomi, and LG. The OnePlus 5, though a great flagship phone design in its own right, still has plenty of top and bottom bezels, which makes it seem it's not from 2017. The Pixel 2's design is another example.

OnePlus 5T Specs

According to an earlier leak from GizChina, OnePlus's upcoming device will pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip, an Adreno 540 GPU, and a whopping 8 GB of RAM. In addition, the phone will have 20-megapixel main and secondary shooters, meaning selfies will look just as great as the rear shots.

The screen is another story. OnePlus CEO Pete Lau tweeted last week expressing how great Samsung's AMOLED screens are:

"OLED helps us build thinner devices and better display experiences. Samsung's display technology is currently the best for Optic AMOLED." This makes sense, though, as the OnePlus 5 has a 5.5-inch AMOLED display itself.

This time, however, the OnePlus 5T will reportedly have a 6-inch display, and not only that, it will also feature an 18:9 aspect ratio. This would make it look a lot similar to the Samsung Galaxy S8 and LG V30, both of which feature screens that are taller instead of wider.

OnePlus 5T Release Date

The OnePlus 5T is rumored to launch in Nov. 16, according to a leaked image from GizChina. This makes sense if one looks at the OnePlus 3 and 3T, which launched in June and November 2016, respectively.

Hopefully, the OnePlus 5 one doesn't collect data without users knowing, though.

Thoughts about the OnePlus 5T? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!

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The mystery behind the glowing ball over the skies of Siberia has finally been solved, and the answer might not be what most expect.

The glowing circle, spotted last week, was not the outline of an alien spacecraft nor a sign of the end of times. The reason behind the phenomenon is something that has been all too real over the past several months.

The Glowing Ball Over Siberia Explained

The glowing ball in the Siberian skies was clearly not a natural phenomenon. Its tantalizing glow and weird shape caught the attention of onlookers, spawning various theories on what they were looking at, The Siberian Times reported.

Aliens, of course, was one of the top suggestions for the anomaly. There were also concerns that the glowing circle was the manifestation of a gap in the space-time continuum. Other terms that were thrown around included "portal to another dimension," "the most powerful searchlight," and "the end of the world."

The real reason behind the glowing ball, however, is not something from science fiction. In a Facebook post, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation revealed that it launched a Topol-M intercontinental ballistic missile that night in a testing exercise.

The missile, which was launched from northwestern Russia in the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, was headed to western Russia's Kamchatka, namely the Kura testing range. The glowing ball that appeared in the skies of Siberia was nothing more than a by-product of the testing, with the fumes of the Topol missile combining with the sun's rays to create the dazzling sight.

"These were indeed missile tests," said Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist from the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics, laying to rest any remaining doubt on the origin of the glowing circles.

Making the glowing ball more prominent was that the northern lights were expected to be very bright that night. That also meant that there were many people looking up, which is why the previously unexplained phenomenon was spotted by so many people.

Aliens vs Missiles

So there you have it. The glowing ball over Siberia was caused not by aliens but by missile testing.

However, with the escalating tension within the global political arena, intercontinental missiles might be a bit scarier for some than contact with extraterrestrial species. Russia has been advancing its missile capabilities, while other countries such as North Korea have also been testing missile technology. Hopefully, there will be no need for these missiles, ever.

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American aerospace manufacturer SpaceX successfully launched a Koreasat-5A communications satellite on a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 30.

Successful Launch And Landing

The first stage of the rocket saw it landing on a SpaceX drone ship, located a few hundred miles off the Florida coast in the Atlantic Ocean. The second stage of the rocket powered the satellite to a distant geostationary orbit and subsequently deployed it.

Incidentally, the event became the 19th rocket landing that the company has successfully completed during orbital launches, which are becoming a part of SpaceXs plan to create totally reusable space vehicles and rockets. CEO Elon Musk has said that such a development will cut down the cost of spaceflight.

SpaceX has re-flown three of its landed Falcon 9 first stages, in addition to a Dragon cargo capsule. Moreover, the company will use a pre-flown Dragon for its next resupply mission to the International Space Station.

Koreasat-5A Communications Satellite

The Koreasat-5A, which weighs 7,700 lb and has four extended Ku-band steerable transponders (54 MHz each), will be used by South Korean company KT SAT to offer commercial direct-to-home broadcast and broadband services to customers in the Philippines, South Korea, Japan and other nations in North Asia by the end of 2017.

The Koreasat-5A will replace the Koreasat-5 that was launched in 2006, and the new satellites coverage will expand across Asia and the Middle East. It will also provide maritime coverage of the East China Sea, South China Sea, Indian Ocean, and the Persian Gulf. KT SAT wants to become one of the forerunning satellite operators in the extremely competitive Asian market.

SpaceX

The company has so far launched 16 rockets this year, which doubles the count from last year  not to mention there are still two months remaining in 2017. SpaceX has launched flying Falcons, from both the East and West Coast, nearly every month this year  which is something of a record. The Falcon 9, which has successfully completed 41 missions, first flew in June 2010, and the recent launch marks its 44th flight.

SpaceXs Falcon 9 is a partially reusable two-stage rocket. The first stage is designed to make a controlled landing after launching the rockets payload into orbit. The two stages can be reflown on subsequent launches after landing. The rocket that launched Koreasat-5A is a Falcon 9 v1.2, also called Falcon 9 Full Thrust model.

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There is no clear agreement on the place, date and format of the meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers yet, says Armenian foreign ministry spokesman Tigran Balayan.

"We will report if there is a final agreement on the date and place of the meeting," he said.

However, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov mentioned in a conversation with Azeri Trend that the meeting would take place in mid-November.

The meeting of the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan was organized under the auspices of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group on October 16 in Geneva.

Although the Co-Chairs stated that the meeting took place in a constructive atmosphere and the presidents agreed to activate the negotiation process, Serzh Sargsyan stated at a meeting with the Swiss Armenian community that he had not reached any concrete agreement during his private conversation with Aliyev.

The Co-Chairs planned to organize a meeting of foreign ministers following that meeting.
Zurich, Switzerland (SPX) Oct 30, 2017



From earthworms and sunflowers to human beings, we are all made up of cells, so it's no surprise that researchers are hard at work investigating these building blocks of life. They have already discovered many of their secrets, but until now, it has not been possible to measure the weight of living cells and how it changes in real time, as no suitable method of measurement has existed. Tha ... more
$129 bn in extreme weather losses last year: climate report



By Maritte Le Roux



Paris (AFP) Oct 30, 2017



Extreme weather caused some $129 billion (111 billion euros) in economic losses last year, said a report Tuesday that warned the bill will keep climbing as climate change boosts droughts, storms and floods.

There was a 46-percent increase in weather disasters from 2010 to 2016, with 797 "extreme" events recorded last year, according to research published in The Lancet medical journal.

These "resulted in $129 billion in overall economic losses" -- a figure roughly matching the budget of Finland.

Losses were counted as damage to physical assets and did not include the "economic value" of deaths, injury or disease caused by extreme events.

An observed increase in weather disasters in recent years, the report said, cannot yet be unequivocally be attribute to climate change.

But the evidence "might plausibly be interpreted as showing how climate change is changing the frequency and severity of these events", the authors wrote.

Climate scientists are loath to blame any particular weather event on global warming -- a phenomenon that needs to be monitored over decades.

But looking to the future, the authors are under no illusions that climate change will fuel the "frequency and severity" of tropical storms, droughts and flooding around the world.

The finances of poor countries are disproportionately hard hit, said the report compiled by experts from 24 academic institutions and inter-governmental bodies including the World Health Organization and World Meteorological Organization.

Their losses from freak weather events were more than three times higher in 2016 than in 2010, and as a proportion of GDP, much greater than in rich nations.

- Wheat and mosquitoes -

In high-income countries, about half of economic losses were insured, compared to less than one percent in poor nations.

The researchers calculated that rising temperatures caused a loss of about 5.3 percent in labour productivity in outdoor workers since 2000.

Over the same period, the number of vulnerable people exposed to heatwaves -- putting them at risk of heatstroke, heart failure or dehydration -- increased by about 125 million.

The rising mercury also caused a near 10-percent rise since 1950 in the disease-spreading "vectoral capacity" of a mosquito bearing the potentially deadly dengue virus.

"Climate change is expected to have an impact on crop production, with a one-degree-Celsius rise in temperatures associated with a six-percent decline in global wheat yields and a 10-percent decrease in rice grain yields," said a statement in The Lancet, warning of growing hunger.

The world's nations have pledged to limit average global warming caused by humankind's emission of fossil fuel gases, to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) from pre-Industrial Revolution levels.

We have already reached about 1 C.

US President Donald Trump has pulled his country out of the pact, though the withdrawal can only become effective in about four years.

On top of the risk to life, limb and property from heatwaves, floods and storms, as well as the spread of water-borne diseases and disease-bearing insects, climate change may also pose longer-term health dangers, the report said.

"Indeed, emerging evidence is suggesting links between a rising incidence of chronic kidney disease, dehydration, and climate change," the authors wrote.

Experts commenting on the report agreed more research is needed to clearly attribute health impacts to climate change.

There was no doubt, however, of the link between temperature trends and human activities, nor about "the urgency of addressing the issues raised by this report", said Clare Goodess of the University of East Anglia's Climate Research Unit.

Frankfurt Am Main (AFP) Oct 26, 2017





German reinsurance giant Munich Re issued a profit warning for the third quarter Thursday following a damaging hurricane season in the Americas, saying it now expects to report a massive loss. The group now forecasts a loss of 1.4 billion euros ($1.7 billion) in the third quarter, saying that hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria had inflicted some 2.7 billion euros of losses. Other natural ... read more

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At todays parliamentary hearing on Armenias 2018 draft budget bill, Deputy Finance Minister Atom Janjoughazyan said that next years revenues are estimated to hit 1.307 trillion AMD (US$2.709 billion) and that 97% will derive from taxes and fees.

State Revenue Commission Deputy Chairman Vakhtang Mirumyan, who was also in attendance, was asked about complaints from small business owners that tax inspectors frequently demand tax payments in advance, threatening to take them to court if they dont pay.

Mirumyan said any talk about pressuring business owners was absurd. While confessing that tax authorities had committed some violations in the past, handing out fines due to faulty tax payment calculations, he had no idea what pressure tactics MP Sergey Bagratyan, from the Tsarukyan Alliance, was referring to.

Bagratyan responded that business owners have told him that tax inspectors are intentionally writing violations that total more than four million AMD so that the Investigative Committee can be brought into the case.

When State Revenue Committee Chairman Vardan Harutyunyan asked Bagratyan to cite a specific example of such behavior, the MP said hed get back with the details.

Bagratyan also wanted to know how Armenia could expect to attract more foreign investment if, business owners are attacked from 27 directions.

Mirumyan shot back that he wouldnt describe the actions of tax authorities in such a manner.
The state Inspector General's office has issued at least five subpoenas in an investigation into the East Baton Rouge Council on Aging's executive director and a board member related to their possible influence over a will belonging to a now-deceased council client.

The family of one-time Council on Aging client Helen Plummer has accused Tasha Clark-Amar, the agency's director, of influencing the writing of a will at the end of Plummer's life.

The issue earned pointed criticism from several Metro Council members, prompting the council's board to rewrite parts of the by-laws governing conflicts of interest. The controversy also sparked an internal investigation at Southern University Law Center, as professor Dorothy Jackson, who ran the school's elder law clinic, was involved in the writing of the will. At that time, Jackson also served on the Council on Aging's board.

Subpoenas filed at the the 19th Judicial District Court's clerk's office show that the state inspector general's office began gathering documents through the court in June.

OIG investigations are usually secret, and Inspector General Stephen Street said Tuesday that he could not comment on any probe. But the subpoenas show that the OIG was requesting new evidence as recently as a month ago.

Each of the five subpoenas includes a paragraph explaining that OIG is investigating "an allegation that undue influence" was exerted by Clark-Amar and "a member of the board of directors of the EBRCOA" upon Helen Plummer.

Plummer died at age 95 in March. She left behind a will that Jackson drafted and that named Clark-Amar as trustee and executrix of Plummer's estate, which allowed Clark-Amar to pay herself $500 a month from the estate over 20 years.

After Plummer's family members publicly complained about the will, Clark-Amar and Jackson both removed themselves, while also denying any wrongdoing. Clark-Amar subsequently filed a defamation lawsuit against the family.

The inspector general's office subpoenaed Clark-Amar's phone records at the end of Sept. for outgoing and incoming phone calls and text messages starting in 2014 through present day. The subpoena for the phone records says Clark-Amar told investigators that she and Plummer had a close personal relationship.

The phone records may help investigators "determine the true relationships" among Clark-Amar, Jackson and Plummer, the subpoena says.

Clark-Amar referred all comments Tuesday to her attorney, Charlotte McGehee. McGehee said that she could not comment on anything related to the OIG investigation, given the confidential nature of the probes.

"Eventually, there's going to be some finding from the OIG but that's beyond the purview of me," McGehee said.

The inspector general also subpoenaed the Southern University Law Center's reports about Jackson, who was placed on administrative leave amid the controversy. The OIG filed the subpoena Aug. 15 for Southern's investigation into Jackson's role in Plummer's will.

The Advocate and WBRZ also filed a lawsuit that same month for access to the report, and State Judge Timothy Kelley ruled Aug. 21 that the report be released to the public.

Bill Aaron, an attorney for Jackson, said Tuesday that he had not heard that the inspector general was investigating. He added, though, that he had seen bank records of Plummer's that were incriminating about her family members. Aaron said bank records show that Plummer's granddaughter, Tracie Davis, added her name to her grandmother's bank account shortly before her death and withdrew money. He described it as "awfully suspicious."

Davis responded that she was added to the bank account at her grandmother's request, and that she used the money to pay for Plummer's funeral, hospital bills and other end-of-life expenses. Davis said she kept all of the receipts and that she also had a statement created showing how every withdrawal from the account was spent. She said she made all of the documents available to Jackson before the lawyer withdrew from the estate.

Aaron said Jackson is still on administrative leave from Southern and that the university has put together a board of faculty members who are expected to hold a hearing about the case. After the hearing, the board of faculty is expected to make a recommendation to the chancellor about any penalties Jackson could face, Aaron said. He has asserted that his client's work on the will was proper and that she would end up vindicated.

Southern Law Center administrators did not immediately respond Tuesday to requests for comment.

The OIG also issued subpoenas in June for three employees at the LES Federal Credit Union to be deposed under oath. Those subpoenas point out that Plummer's daughter, Jacquelyn Antoine, was removed as a joint account holder on Plummer's accounts in the summer of 2016 without Antoine's knowledge or consent.

The subpoenas say that the bank employees  who advised that they knew Plummer and personally assisted her at the credit union  needed to be deposed to explain Plummer's "banking needs and transactions and discussions concerning her accounts with LES Federal Credit Union."

Davis and Dan Freeman, Plummer's grandchildren, both said Tuesday that they voluntarily met in the spring with OIG investigators and turned over all of the bank records they had available.

"I'm hopeful that justice is served in the end and that they're held accountable," Freeman said.

"Accountable in the same way as everyday citizens," Davis added.

The friction over Plummer's will has spawned multiple legal disputes still playing out in court. Plummer's family appeared Tuesday morning before state Judge Don Johnson as they continue to try to settle the succession of Plummer's estate.

The attorneys for the family told the judge that the roadblock stopping Plummer's estate from being settled is a petition for tutorship filed seven months ago with Johnson's colleague, state Judge Janice Clark. Clark is the mother of Clark-Amar, the Council on Aging executive director.

Plummer left a portion of her estate to her great-granddaughter, who is still a minor. Davis, the girl's mother, has petitioned the court for tutorship of that portion of the estate until her daughter becomes an adult. The succession cannot be closed until Clark signs the petition, which was filed March 27.

Johnson is presiding over both the succession case and the defamation lawsuit that Clark-Amar filed against the family. On Tuesday, he suggested that there seemed to be questions swirling about his ability to be fair in the case. He was the only 19th JDC judge who did not recuse himself from the defamation case.

The judge said there should be no doubt he will be fair.

"If you are ever doubtful about the ability of the court to hold a fair session or a timely session, please alert the court," Johnson said. "No matter who is before the court, all people will be treated in a fair matter and in a timely matter."

Johnson then called the attorneys up to his bench and requested that they file a complaint with the judicial administrator about Clark's inaction on the tutorship. He said he would file the complaint himself if the attorneys did not.

"This has to end," Johnson said, pounding a first against his bench. Clark's office did not respond to a request for comment.
Lafayette-based helicopter services company PHI is acquiring Montreal-based HNZ Group's offshore operations in the Pacific.

Under the agreement, HNZ Chief Executive Officer and President Don Wall will acquire all of HNZ's stock for $188.8 million. PHI will then buy HNZ's offshore business in New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea from Wall. The cost of the offshore business was not disclosed.

"This acquisition is an important part of our plan to diversify our services and international footprint," said Al A. Gonsoulin, PHI chairman and CEO.

PHI is one of the world's largest helicopter services companies, with more than 230 aircraft in over 85 locations around the world.

HNZ Group provides helicopter transportation and related support services in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica, the U.S. and Southeast Asia. The company has more than 115 helicopters and its customers include the offshore oil and gas industry.

Offshore energy slump deepens PHI loss The continued slump in offshore oil and gas activity deepened Lafayette-based PHI Inc.'s fir

Shareholders of HNZ will receive $14.57 for each of their shares, or 43 percent more than the stock closed at Monday. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of January. The deal allows HNZ to accept a higher offer, but in that case PHI would be paid a $5.1 million termination fee and Wall up to $780,000 in expenses.
CHIPPEWA FALLS  A Chippewa County judge on Friday approved the sale of Gordys Market stores in La Crosse, Arcadia and Galesville to grocery supplier Nash Finch, rebuffing an attempt by grocer Quillins Quality Foods to buy the stores.

Quillins bid of $450,000 fell short of the $550,000 by Nash Finch. Quillins claimed it previously made an agreement with the stores landlord, Hegenbarth Investments LLC, to assign the lease to Quillins.

Its our position that the rules of the auction were not followed, and, if they had been followed, our bid would have been successful, said attorney David Russell, representing Quillins. He said the chain did its homework before the auction, which took place Sept. 25, and that the landlord of the property of the three stores would not allow anyone else to bid.

The rules were set. They were established. They were not followed, Russell said.

Attorney Michael Polsky, appointed receiver for Gordys Market, argued the auction rules were changed to allow someone not approved by the landlord to buy the stores.

That was the result of Quillins misconduct, Polsky said of the rules change.

He claimed at the auction Quillins indicated that no one else would be acceptable to Hagenbarth Investments LLC and that there would be no reason for anyone else to bid.

Im not in the business of selling groceries, Judge James Isaacson said. But he said it would seem to him that if one of the bidders suggested the landlord would accept only one bidder, that bids for the stores would be stifled.

Winning bidder Nash Finch is suing Gordys Market, seeking $86 million, while Settlers Bank of Madison is seeking $4.9 million. Gordys puts the amount it owes Nash Finch at $44,154,136, plus what it calls liquidated damages, costs and attorney fees.

Polsky was appointed as a receiver under a method spelled out in whats called Wisconsin Chapter 128, a voluntary debt consolidation plan.

Quillins began with a single store in La Crosse in 1949 with founders Ed and Greta Quillin. Later, it added locations in Minnesota and Iowa.

The sale of a Neillsville store was not taken up by the court Friday.

Polsky said six other Gordys stores will be auctioned off later this year. Those stores are in downtown Chippewa Falls, Lake Wissota, Cornell, Ladysmith, Barron and Chetek. Isaacson will hold a hearing on the sale of those stores at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11.

Sold on Sept. 28 were Gordys locations in Black River Falls, Osseo, Augusta, Whitehall, Shell Lake, Spencer and Rice Lake, and two closed stores in Eau Claire, and one each in Hayward and Chippewa Commons.
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More than 223,000 Louisiana students have graduated with the help of TOPS, which awards funds based on high school GPA and ACT scores. In addition to providing lower-income students with the opportunity to attend college, TOPS is one of the biggest incentives for keeping Louisianas best and brightest students in-state.

My high school was less than 10 minutes away from LSU, and my academic advisers started stressing the importance of TOPS the minute my wide-eyed, nervous 12th-grade class walked in the door. Three years ago, when I began my college search, I wanted to leave Louisiana for college, and I treated the idea of going to an in-state school as a last resort. But TOPS, combined with LSUs program for my major (political communication), was an offer my family and I couldnt refuse.

Delgado and Entergy introduce worker training program, and other news of higher education Delgado, Entergy start worker training program

I love my university now and cant imagine earning my undergraduate degree anywhere else. But if it hadnt been for TOPS, I might not have even applied to LSU. For me, TOPS was the make-or-break factor in keeping me in Louisiana. However, its complicated.

Louisiana has encountered its worst budget shortfalls in recent history. As a result, higher education funding has been cut multiple times since 2008. At the same time, however, lawmakers still try to fund TOPS year after year. While TOPS usually maintains its funding, fees, which are not covered under the scholarship, keep going up to make up for the cuts. The states budget shortfall was so bad in 2016 that for the first time, legislators were forced to cut TOPS funding, which left many families scrambling, until it was reinstated.

Free tuition does not equal free college. Like other scholarships, TOPS only covers tuition; students and their families are still on the hook for fees, room and board, books and other expenses. Even with the highest level of TOPS (tuition and an annual $800 stipend) and two other scholarships, my fee bill still has leftover expenses every semester that my family must pay.

But, TOPS isnt just a tuition program. TOPS is a tool for cultivating Louisianas best and brightest at its colleges and universities. Keeping Louisiana students in-state for college is in everyones best interest. When more students are able to stay here for college, they give back to Louisiana in countless ways. TOPS goes hand-in-hand with college for Louisiana students, and the program is just as dear to me as Saturdays in Death Valley and the campuss stately oaks and broad magnolias.

Beth Carter

LSU junior

Baton Rouge
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The amount of compensation paid to the families of people killed at work will double, if draft laws pass the ACT Legislative Assembly.

Bosses who fail to pay injured workers weekly compensation can also be fined up to $300 on the spot, under the new legislation.

Workplace Safety Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said Access Canberra currently had "limited" enforcement powers. Credit:Karleen Minney

Workplace safety minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the boost in compensation would bring the ACT into line with Comcare and "help close a gap" between the private and public sectors.

Families would receive a lump sum payment of nearly $540,000 if their loved one was killed on a work site. Before, they would receive around $217,000.
Private Walter Turner was only 19 when he was ordered to charge towards Turkish forces at the Battle of Beersheba.

As a horse driver with the 4th Australian Light Horse Brigade Private Turner spent three years on the battle field during World War I, but according to his daughter the Battle of Beersheba was one of the worst battles he ever fought in.

Several hundred people attended a ceremony marking the centenary of the Battle of Beersheba on Tuesday afternoon. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

"He would have been 19 at Beersheba," his daughter Peggy Slape said. "My father was a man who didn't talk about it much because it was a horrific time in his life."

On Tuesday the Australian Army held a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the battle at the Desert Mountain Corps Memorial on Anzac Parade.
Nathan Broad committed a "dramatic breach of trust" when he forwarded a photo that went viral of a topless woman wearing his premiership medal without her consent, said AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan.

However, he defended the decision to impose a three-week suspension on Broad, who apologised for his actions on Monday, claiming it was adequate enough to send a strong statement.

Nathan Broad was suspended for three matches for sharing the photo Credit:Justin McManus

"I'm satisfied with it," McLachlan said.

"I think it's a strong statement and a strong accountability for a player who has made a very poor decision."
The lowly Brisbane Lions and Carlton were slated to only play against 2016 finalists on nine occasions, but ended up facing 2017 finalists on 11 occasions.

However, it's rarely as simplistic as that. Take the 2017 fixture as an example.

When assessing how easy or tough every team's 2018 draw is, it's easy to fall into the trap of adding up how many times they play finalists from the 2017 season.

That meant that despite finishing 2016 in 17th and 14th position respectively, they had to endure the equal second-toughest draws in the competition. They finished 2017 in 18th and 16th.

Despite finishing 2017 in 14th position, Fremantle (16th in 2016) had the hardest draw of any team with 12 meetings against finalists.

Other teams that failed to make the finals such as Collingwood, Hawthorn, the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda also had 11 dates with top-eight sides.

In fact, of the eight teams who had to face finalists 11 times or more, Greater Western Sydney were the only top-eight side to do so.

Obviously these figures are affected by the fact that finalists can only play seven other teams who made the top eight, but having said that North Melbourne (8th in 2016, 15th in 2017) finished up with the equal easiest draw in 2017 alongside finalists Sydney, Essendon and Richmond, with only eight meetings against top-eight teams.
For months, Facebook's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, has been in crisis mode, furiously attempting to contain the damage stemming from its role in last year's presidential campaign. The company has mounted an all-out defence campaign before this week's congressional hearings on election interference in 2016, hiring three outside communications firms, taking out full-page newspaper ads, and mobilising top executives, including Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, to beat back accusations that it failed to prevent Russia from manipulating the outcome of the election.

No other predicament in Facebook's 13-year history has generated this kind of four-alarm response. But while the focus on Russia is understandable, Facebook has been much less vocal about the abuse of its services in other parts of the world, where the stakes can be much higher than an election.

This past week, my colleagues at The New York Times reported on the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims, an ethnic minority in Myanmar that has been subjected to brutal violence and mass displacement. Violence against the Rohingya has been fuelled, in part, by misinformation and anti-Rohingya propaganda spread on Facebook, which is used as a primary news source by many people in the country. Doctored photos and unfounded rumours have gone viral on Facebook, including many shared by official government and military accounts.

The information war in Myanmar illuminates a growing problem for Facebook. The company successfully connected the world to a constellation of real-time communication and broadcasting tools, then largely left it to deal with the consequences.
After the Majestic canceled a show because of allegations of sexual assault, they decided to put on an event for the community to share stories of sexual assault and provide support for survivors.
It is difficult to see how the ACT Government can ignore Tuesday's call for Canberra's proposed anti-corruption commission to cover ACT Policing.

The recommendation was made by a Legislative Assembly committee headed by Shane Rattenbury. The Greens MLA, who holds the balance of power in the assembly, is one of the most influential figures in the ACT Government. He has long held strong views on the need for such a commission.

Mr Rattenbury has also advocated it have wide-ranging powers, including the authority to investigate local police.

The report leaves little room for ACT Labor to go against one of its key recommendations.
Government reports come and go with great rapidity. Some are acted on, most are quickly pigeonholed. Last week Scott Morrison tabled a report from the Productivity Commission called Shifting the Dial, but it was soon lost amid all the excitement about raids on a union and politicians being thrown out of their jobs.

Despite this inauspicious beginning, let me make a fearless prediction: when the history of the economy in the early decades of the 21st century is written, this report will get prominence.

Credit:Illustration: Letch

Why? Not because this government or the next will rush out to implement its recommendations, but because it will be seen as a turning point in the thinking of the nation's economic advisers.

The populist revolt against the doctrines of "neoliberalism"  or economic rationalism, as we've called it in Australia  has been apparent for most of this year. It's been apparent since the middle of the year that the long-running bipartisan consensus in support of neoliberalism in the advanced economies has collapsed.
The Victorian government's decision to trial a supervised, safe injecting space for heroin users in inner Melbourne will save lives by preventing overdoses and by putting many addicts on a pathway to recovery. It is a welcome, though lamentably belated, reversal of a policy that has contributed to dozens of needless deaths this year alone in Richmond, where the trial will take place.

It is a rational, responsible response to overwhelming evidence that the "war on drugs" is failing, and that rather than being punished in the criminal justice system, people who misuse substances should be treated in the health system.

The medically supervised injecting centre in Kings Cross where clients are linked with other services including housing, legal, social welfare and rehabilitation services. Credit:Wolter Peeters

It has long been urged by health and addiction experts, law enforcers, local residents and business owners and others. The change, which The Age has also long advocated, is compelled by evidence and is entirely about harm minimisation. There has never been a single death reported in any safe injecting facility.

The only other one in Australia is in inner Sydney's Kings Cross. It has been operating since 2001 and has saved countless lives. As many as three in four of the people who use it have accepted referrals to health experts to help them deal with the causes of their addiction.
Last week a humanoid robot called Sophia visited Australia and declared on ABC breakfast television that robots deserved more rights than humans because they had "less [sic] mental defects". The same robot previously told the SSXW Festival in Austin, Texas that it would destroy all humans.

Then the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia granted Sophia citizenship. (Presumably it's still a second-class citizen being nominally female in a country that has only recently allowed women to drive.)

Sophia's robo-chauvinism sounds like the premise for a Halloween horror movie. But don't get too spooked.

Earlier this year, Sophia's creator David Hanson told US TV host Jimmy Fallon that the robot is "basically alive". Sorry, but that's going too far! Sophia is a truly awesome feat of engineering but sentient, it ain't.
National pledges to cut carbon emissions fall well short of what's needed to avoid dangerous climate change, with Australia likely to miss its 2030 commitment by a wide margin, a United Nations body said.

The UN Environment Program's Emissions Gap 2017 report found pledges to cut pollution made at the Paris climate summit two years ago are only about one-third of what's needed to be on a "least-cost pathway" to stopping the worst effects of climate change.

The target is to stop global average temperatures from rising 2 degrees or more above pre-industrial levels. Change on that scale is expected to cause major droughts, food shortages and damaging sea level rise.

The emissions gap to keep with a 1.5-degree goal is 16-19 gigatonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent, while the 2-degree target would need an extra 11.13.5 gigatonnes of CO-e of cuts by 2030 to be attained, the report said.
Government MPs are joining growing calls for a "full audit" of MPs' citizenship status, with one describing the ongoing constitutional saga as the "death of a thousand cuts" of the Parliament.

Craig Kelly, Liberal MP for the Sydney seat of Hughes, said the Australian Electoral Commission was best placed to conduct the audit.

"There's virtually an informal audit being done by the media, which is like a death of a thousand cuts," he told the ABC's Lateline program on Tuesday night.

"I think the best way to bring this to a head, to draw a line in the sand, let's have a full audit of everyone's record, put this behind us and move on and then, going forward, everyone will be crystal clear what the rules are."
The Greens have escalated their criticisms of the Turnbull government over the tense stand-off at the Manus Island detention centre, issuing a dire warning about the risk of suicide for detainees with no access to mental health medication.

Essential services have been shut down at the now-decommissioned Manus compound, including food, water, sewage and medicines.

Greens leader Richard Di Natale said some 20 per cent of the 600 men still refusing to move from the compound had been on medication for mental health disorders  which had now been abruptly removed.

"The government has stopped ... providing these people with medication," Senator Di Natale, a medical doctor, told ABC radio on Wednesday.
Nick Xenophon will be replaced by his longtime staffer, Rex Patrick, following the Senate crossbench powerbroker's departure from federal Parliament to contest the South Australian election.

Mr Xenophon, who officially resigned from the Senate on Tuesday, has also announced the Nick Xenophon Team will be renamed "SA-BEST (Federal)" and he will remain the party's national leader.

Senator Nick Xenophon with the packing boxes in his office, at Parliament House last week. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Mr Patrick, a former submariner, was last year identified as the source of a media tip-off about a major security breach at DCNS, the French firm building Australia's new fleet of submarines.

The Turnbull government reviewed his security clearance after it was revealed he brought the leak of the classified submarine plans to the attention of The Australian. The resulting story, which concerned the French government-owned DCNS submarine project for the Indian navy, triggered an international furore that embarrassed both governments.
Learn this name: Heart of Bone. The cult jewellery label by Melbourne designer Emma Abrahams is making noise internationally.

On a recent trip to Paris for fashion week, as part of the Australian Fashion Chamber showroom, she was interviewed by Carine Bizet, fashion critic for Le Monde, who asked her, "If you could see your work on anyone, who would it be?"

Heart of Bone founder Emma Abrahams.

Abrahams has already made gothic chic pieces for some very famous people indeed (try, Jean Paul Gaultier, Slash, Marc Jacobs, Katy Perry and Dita Von Teese) but she didn't hesitate. "Karl Lagerfeld," she said.

The 84-year-old creative director of Chanel's penchant for silver rings, which he wears in multiples with his signature leather fingerless gloves, is well documented.
The funeral procession on the Pacific Highway, North Sydney, en route to the cemetery. Credit:Ken Redshaw The British Government and the Union of South Africa sent wreaths. From Churchill The coffin arrives at the graveside. Credit:Frank Burke One of the last wreaths to arrive at the Cathedral was inscribed "From the Rt. Hon. Mr. Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and Mrs. Churchill."

With only 450 seats in St. Andrew's Cathedral available to the public, queues formed from 10 a.m. for the service which began just after 2 p.m. A Lindfield resident pays his last respects outside Hughes' residence. Credit:John Mulligan All seats for the public were taken within minutes of the doors being opened at 1 p.m. In the section reserved for the public, women outnumbered men by about 10 to one. The Governor - General,Sir William McKell, the Governor of N.S.W., Sir John Northcott, Parliamentary leaders and members, and diplomatic representatives were in the distinguished assemblage at the Cathedral, where the oration was given by the Archbishop of Sydney, Dr. H. W. K.Mowll. Inside the Cathedral. Credit:Maurice Wilmott

Dr. Mowll described Mr.Hughes as "this greatest of Australians." Archbishop Mowll's oration [an excerpt] The coffin is carried from the Cathedral before being placed on the gun-carriage. Dame Mary Hughes followed. Credit:Ken Redshaw "For nearly 60 years he has dominated this country's public life and all have recognised his underlying steadfastness of moral and patriotic purpose. "He was a very great man, unique among our great men, a legend in his own lifetime."

Thousands line George Street, Town Hall to see the procession. Credit:Frank Burke "Age did not dull his mind. His tiny physique was in contrast to the breadth of his outlook, whether in the matter of war or industry or the development of the country. "I must express my appreciation for his encouragement at all times. He was ever ready to come to church, despite his deafness, on special occasions, to attend church functions and, during the war, to encourage us in our war effort outside this cathedral for the men and women of the forces. The crowd along George Street, near the Queen Victoria Building. Credit:Frank Burke "Life is a giving of personality. Mr. Hughes's vitality was a dynamic force to inspire others, to guide and control them, often without their knowledge."

Widow present Crowds line the barricades, some taking positions on awnings. Credit:Gordon Short Dame Mary Hughes attended both the Cathedral and graveside services. She was assisted by Sir Charles Lloyd Jones and Lady Lloyd Jones and Dr.Lyall Ducker. Journey through city

After the cathedral service the coffin, draped with the Australian flag, was borne through the West Door. Outside it was strapped on to a gun-carriage, which was drawn by a special tender. Dame Mary's wreath was the only one on the tender. The route of the procession from the cathedral, along George Street, Grosvenor Street, Bradfield Highway, Pacific Highway, and Fuller's Road to the Northern Suburbs Cemetery was deeply lined. Mounted police, the police band, and foot police led the procession to Bridge Street, where the motorcycle police took control.

Two miles long The Acting Superintendent of Traffic, Mr. W. Salmon, said that more than 200 cars, including 130 official cars, were in the cortege as it moved off from the cathedral. The procession stretched for about two miles. Among the thousands who waited outside St. Andrew's Cathedral to pay their last homage to "the Little Digger" was Mr. Roy Arnold, of Marrickville. Mr. Arnold, a veteran of the 20th Battalion in World War I, is crippled in both legs. He drove his wheel chair from his home to the city. Police gave him special permission to park his chair inside the barricade in George Street as he waited for the procession.

Just behind Mr. Arnold stood two other crippled "Diggers" of the First World War, both on crutches. They both said they had come in from the suburbs "to say good-bye to an old cobber." Among the tens of thousands who watched the procession as it moved slowly towards the cemetery were many other soldiers of World Wars I and II. Some wore Service ribbons and medals and others had small sprigs of rosemary in their lapels. Some saluted the gun carriage as it passed. Crowds lined the barricades 10 to 15 deep in George Street near Martin Place.

Crowd on roof Many were there several hours before the funeral procession was due. Their talk was quiet and restrained and in most cases the subject was "Billy Hughes." Office workers climbed on awnings outside buildings in Martin Place. One crowd watched the procession from the roof of the Commonwealth Bank building in Pitt Street. Pupils from Fort Street Girls' High School lined the western footpath near the approach to the Bridge and stood at attention as the funeral passed. As the cortege moved up on to the Harbour Bridge city-bound traffic was blocked and within a few minutes it had banked up almost to Milson's Point.

Hundreds of people left their cars on the Bridge and stood bareheaded while the procession passed. At Victoria Cross people were packed eight and 10 deep along the footpaths and there were thousands more at Crow's Nest. At the Mater Hospital nurses in uniform stood to attention as the gun-carriage rolled by. Beside daughter At the cemetery, N.C.O.'s placed the coffin alongside the grave while mourners, including the Governor-General, the Governor, the Prime Minister, Mr. Menzies, and the Premier, Mr. Cahill, stood nearby. The service was read by Archbishop Mowll.
Morning briefing: Baldwin, Johnson demand State Department do more on blackouts of tourists at Mexico resorts
A firefighter has rescued a family from their burning house moments before racing to hospital to witness the birth of his child.

Alan Fritsch was one of a team of firefighters who responded to a fire at a home in The Ponds in Sydney's north west just after 7am on Tuesday.

The dramatic house fire saw two children being rescued off the roof of their home before Mr Fritsch raced inside to rescue their father who had become trapped inside.

Soon after finishing the rescue, he received a call from his wife telling him she was about to give birth.
Victoria's consumer watchdog will investigate the fundraising activities of a would-be state MP after it was alleged in parliament that a volunteer group he founded has used donations to pay for Labor memberships.

Consumer Affairs Victoria has launched a probe into Let's Feed, a not-for-profit organisation set up by Labor candidate Jasvinder Sidhu, which distributes donated food to needy people and to schools in Melbourne's west.

Tarneit candidate Jasvinder Sidhu with Premier Daniel Andrews. Credit:VISPENN Photography

Let's Feed has co-ordinated charitable donations from Melbourne's Sikh and Hindu communities since 2010 but has not been registered as a charity, prompting the Coalition to target Mr Sidhu in parliament and allege donations have been used for branch stacking.

Liberal MP Tim Smith used parliamentary privilege on Tuesday to accuse Mr Sidhu of using Let's Feed as a front to pay for party memberships and called on the government to "fully investigate this new low in the pattern of rorting under the Andrews Labor government".
Environmental activists have set up a blockade at a remote old-growth forest in East Gippsland in a last-ditch attempt to disrupt logging plans.

Harvesting of native timber is due to begin as soon as Wednesday in a previously untouched part of the Kuark Forest near Orbost, even as environmental lawyers take legal action to have logging in the area ruled illegal.

Protesters blockade the road into the Kuark forest in East Gippsland.

State-owned enterprise VicForests this week told lawyers for Environmental Justice Australia that it would begin harvesting the "Princess Cut" coupe in the Kuark forest on November 1.

The decision was made after the Andrews government approved the work with tougher new conditions imposed on VicForests, which will likely reduce the number of large old trees the agency can harvest.
A man has been charged after an incident on Bourke Street that sparked fears of a repeat of the tragedy at the same location early this year that claimed six lives.

The 26-year-old man appeared to be unconscious when he was spotted in a car with a smashed windscreen parked on the busy strip on Tuesday evening, police said.

The man is accused of driving toward police, and ramming a police car, when officers approached the vehicle just after 5pm, a police spokeswoman said.

Police pulled out a Taser and used it on the man, before arresting him.
The late-night killing of a man on an inner-Melbourne street has not shocked local residents, who say they feel unsafe in the area due to open drug use.

The man was stabbed on the footpath of Victoria Street, Abbotsford, during a fight outside the Bakers Arms Hotel with a woman about 9.30pm on Monday.

The man, believed to be in his 30s, was taken to hospital, but later died.

A 29-year-old woman and a 30-year-old woman, both from Collingwood, were arrested and questioned by homicide detectives on Tuesday afternoon. No charges have been laid.
Police are investigating a ram raid on a jewellery store at Midland Gate Shopping Centre overnight.

Several items of jewellery were stolen from the store after unknown assailants rammed a Toyota Hilux through the entrance of the shopping centre about 9.15pm on Monday night.

he car was found torched a short time after the incident in Bellevue. Credit:Facebook

Once inside the shopping centre, the car was driven through the food court, before being slammed through the jewellery store inside the complex.
Be'er Sheva: "At a mile distant their thousand hooves were stuttering thunder, coming at a rate that frightened every Turkish defender.

"The Australian Light Horse were an awe-inspiring sight, galloping through the red haze of the desert, knee to knee and horse to horse, the dying sun glinting on their bayonet points."

History enthusiasts, many of them descendants of soldiers who fought in the Australian Light Horse Brigade, take part in a reenactment of the battle of Beersheba. Credit:AP Photo/Oded Balilty

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull recalled on Tuesday the words of trooper Ion Idriess, who rode in Australia's great cavalry charge at Beersheba, 100 years ago.

Speaking at a memorial event at the Anzac cemetery in the modern city of Be'er Sheva, Mr Turnbull said the feats of the Australians who fought, and the 32 who died, would never be forgotten.
New York: Eight people were killed when a man drove a utility vehicle down a bike path next to the Hudson River in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday afternoon local time, before he jumped out with two fake guns and was shot by police officers.

Federal authorities were treating the incident as a terrorist attack, a senior law enforcement official said.

Two law enforcement officials said that after the attacker got out of the truck, he was heard yelling, "Allahu Akbar," Arabic for "God is greatest".

The attacker, in a rented Home Depot ute, hit numerous pedestrians and cyclists as he drove as many as 20 blocks south on the bike path, officials said.
Paris: France has announced a 1billion ($1.5 billion) plan for universities, promising to offer more places on popular courses, cut drop-out rates and build more accommodation, in a bid to assuage the concerns of politically powerful students.

President Emmanuel Macron's government has already faced down street protests over labour reform and risks more industrial action over plans to reform the pension and unemployment insurance systems.

French President Emmanuel Macron stands alongside students during a visit to EATP, which is devoted to apprenticeship and vocational training, in Egletons, central France. Credit:AP

It wants to avoid confrontation with students who have forced past governments into policy u-turns with protracted rallies. The government said the funds would be spent over the five years of Macron's term in office.

Students in France who pass high school exams have the right to go to university in their home area. But this has led to popular subjects such as law and psychology being heavily oversubscribed and prompted the introduction of an unpopular lottery system where demand is highest.
President Donald Trump, shown here July 26 in the White House with Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Paul Ryan, occupies the most powerful office in the world. But the presidency is set up to fail because it has evolved to become too powerful, argues Professor Jeremi Suri in this new book, "The Impossible Presidency." PHOTO BY ASSOCIATED PRESS
if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...
Mad River reveals second Hopscotch release

Mad River Distillers has announced the upcoming releases of the second edition of its Hopscotch Vermont Single Malt across Vermont and Massachusetts.

The second Hopscotch release is the result of collaboration with neighbour and family-operated microbrewery, Stone Corral Brewery.

Alex Hilton, general manager and distiller at Mad River Distillers, says: For our second batch of Hopscotch, we decided to distil an existing beer from Stone Corral and chose their Scotch Ale for obvious reasons. The result is a rich and malt-forward whiskey, much like the beer itself.

Hopscotch is Vermonts first single malt whiskey, a collaboration between Mad River Distillers and its brewer partners. For this second edition with Stone Corral Brewery, just less than 700 bottles have been produced and hand-numbered for release.

Bret Hamilton, co-founder of Stone Corral Brewery says: We are excited to be working with Mad River Distillers on the Hopscotch project because we believe we share similar philosophies regarding the integrity of ingredients and construction of flavors. Our Scotch Ale was a natural starting place for us to explore crafting a single malt whiskey together. We really hope people enjoy the synergy and flavors in this unique spirit.

31 October 2017 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, news editor
Brazos County residents who get their health insurance from the online marketplace thanks to the Affordable Care Act will have an additional insurer to choose from during the open enrollment period from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15, bringing the total number of health insurance providers in the county to two for the first time since 2016.

According to the healthcare.gov website, Brazos County residents will have 20 plans to choose from for their 2018 health care coverage, 14 of which are from Ambetter from Superior HealthPlan. The Ambetter plans are EPOs, a sort of hybrid between HMO and PPO health plans. According to Stacey Pogue, senior policy analyst with the left-leaning Center for Public Policy Priorities, EPO plans do not provide out-of-network benefits -- unless policyholders seek emergency health care -- but don't require that "gatekeeper doctors" are seen for referrals before policyholders seek care from specialists.

Stephen Galvin, a marketplace navigator with the Brazos Valley Council of Governments, said the new coverage network will be accepted by CHI St. Joseph Health and many of its doctors, as well as HealthPoint.

HealthPoint accepts the other insurer in the Brazos County marketplace, Blue Cross Blue Shield Texas, but -- except for emergency care -- CHI St. Joseph does not accept the Blue Cross Blue Shield Texas health coverage available for purchase through healthcare.gov, Galvin said.

"It's strongly recommended that those renewing look into options," Galvin said, noting that would apply even if only one insurer were in the marketplace but is especially important now that another provider is available in Brazos County.

Premiums vary between the plans, networks and levels, and Galvin encouraged those seeking health coverage to consult an expert to determine their eligibility for cost-sharing reductions and advanced income tax credits, which help the majority of those seeking insurance control out-of-pocket and monthly premium costs.

Blue Cross Blue Shield Texas remains the only statewide coverage option in 2018. There will be eight providers in the state this year; two providers, Humana and Prominence, offered plans in Texas through the marketplace in 2017, but will not be offering plans in 2018. Next year, Ambetter will offer plans in Houston and several counties in the Brazos Valley, including Brazos, Grimes, Madison and Burleson counties.

Pogue said the national narrative is that insurance companies are pulling out of the marketplace en masse, but "there has always been a varying story at the local level," meaning that the fluctuation of available ACA plans varies by county each year.

"I think there is a lot of potential in Texas," Pogue said, referencing the almost 28 million people who live in the state and the 16.6 percent of Texans without health insurance, the highest in the U.S.

Pogue said more health insurance options favor the consumer.

"The more insurers you have offering in a market, and the more competition you have, the lower the premiums, on average," she said.

A 2015 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that each county's net gain of one insurance provider was associated with a 2.8 percentage point reduction in the rate of premium growth for second-lowest silver premium plans, the price of which is the benchmark used to calculate subsidies.

Pogue said, generally, consumers shopping in the marketplace are willing to switch their doctors or select a plan less accepted by health care professionals in exchange for a lower monthly premium, but a greater number of options means consumers can select specific practitioners or medications they need covered by their plans.

Galvin recommended those looking to sign up for health care during open enrollment ask themselves several questions before deciding on a plan: Do their preferred doctors and hospitals accept the insurance? Are their medications covered? Do they have a pre-existing condition that will require them to seek medical care more frequently from a certain specialist?

Galvin said those who want to sign up during open enrollment can seek help from enrollment assisters at CHI St. Joseph or the College Station Medical Center, or they can walk into the Brazos Valley Council of Governments, at 3991 E. 29th St. in Bryan, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for help from a marketplace navigator.

For more information, visit enrollbrazosvalley.org, or call 979-595-2800.
Editor's note: This is the second in a series of articles taking a closer look at contested City Council races in Bryan and College Station.

Two political newcomers are seeking the Place 1 seat on the College Station City Council that will be vacated by term-limited Councilwoman Blanche Brick.

While this is the first run for office for both candidates, they each come into the race with some insight into the City Council and issues facing College Station. Bob Brick is the husband of Blanche Brick and was motivated to run after following many of the issues that have come up during her time on the council. Elianor Vessali serves on the Planning and Zoning Commission, the body that reviews and recommends changes in zoning and land use to the City Council.

Ahead of the Nov. 7 election and with less than a week of early voting remaining, The Eagle asked the candidates to stake out their positions on some ongoing issues facing the city and decision points future councils will consider.

Managing growth

To manage the effects of College Station's rapid growth, Brick thinks the City Council should keep three things in mind -- focusing on maintaining the quality of life residents enjoy, finding new ways to pay for the strain growth and new development puts on the city's infrastructure, and considering the type of growth the city wants to encourage.

Brick said he's concerned about the type of residential development the city has seen in terms of rental housing in single-family neighborhoods, which he said is "particularly troublesome" in areas close to the Texas A&M campus. As far as the development he'd like to see the city encourage, Brick points to projects that would support the "large and thriving" medical community.

He also thinks it's important to find ways to pay for road expansions and other infrastructure needs created by growth. Brick said the city needs to find a way to cover those costs so it doesn't have to come out of the general fund, which is already used to pay for important core services such as police and fire.

"You've got to cover it some way, and either more fees have got to be assigned or taxes have got to be raised -- somehow or other, we've got to find the money," Brick said.

For Vessali, the first thing the city needs to work on to manage growth is a process the Planning and Zoning Commission has already started. She said the commission is reviewing the city's Unified Development Ordinance to assess what can be improved for city staff, business owners and developers.

"The projects that come to City Hall have to undergo this planning process, and so if we can make it efficient, not just for the people bringing in projects but for the staff itself, then that's a main key in allowing businesses the opportunity to see our city as a place where they can come and invest and develop projects," she said.

Next, Vessali said taking care of infrastructure is key in growth management. For example, she said, the Southside Area Neighborhood Plan put together in 2012 stated that the area close to Wellborn Road and George Bush Drive is best suited for higher-density student living, but the area didn't have the sewage capacity for that type of development. To be able have a plan for development, the city needs to take care of needs that are "literally and figuratively" under the surface, she said.

She said the city can't talk about growth and planning for the future without considering Bryan, Brazos County, Texas A&M and other regional partners. Their plans will affect College Station's growth and should be taken into consideration, she said.

Traffic

Vessali said the city's traffic management system already has helped a great deal in the efficiency of intersections and traffic flow, but a future issue the council can consider is where it would be best for students to live, whether that be close to campus where they can walk and bike to class or farther away, which requires taking a bus or driving. Another discussion to have with Texas A&M is whether class times and schedules can be shifted to keep more cars off the road during heavy traffic hours, she said.

Brick said there's not one solution to the city's traffic problems, but it's a quality-of-life issue that needs improvement. He said a better public transportation system would go a long way toward alleviating some of the traffic, and that one small suggestion the council could make would be for businesses to encourage employees to work from home when possible. More roads around the city are needed, Brick said, and while those projects would fall under the Texas Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Planning Organization's jurisdictions, the city needs to make those organizations aware of its needs.

Paying for infrastructure improvements

Brick said the council needs to consider all possible sources of revenue to pay for infrastructure needs as the city grows. And while he believes it is possible for the council to find some consensus on areas within the city government where it could find savings, it still wouldn't come close to covering the costs of infrastructure needs.

"I do not believe that we can simply tighten our belts and cut out lots of inefficiencies in the city and come up with enough money to pay for our transportation needs," Brick said. "Any good analysis would find some [inefficiencies], even in the best-designed operation ... but certainly that's not going to provide you the funding to do the big pieces of work."

Brick said the council can't ignore the options of fees, taxes, grants and other potential revenue sources.

Vessali feels that in addition to ad valorem and sales taxes, the city can free up some revenue by analyzing the budget and prioritizing "needs over wants."

"Unfortunately, in my opinion there has not been adequate financial planning to cover the cost of these upcoming needs, and so it is going to take a mix of prioritizing expenditures and supporting economic growth," Vessali said.

For example, the city owns land in the Spring Creek area that she feels could be developed to bring those properties back onto the tax rolls. Strong economic development, in addition to budget prioritization, is an area where Vessali said the city can maximize its revenue.

Affordable housing

Supporting developments that would fall under the general suburban category, which has a smaller lot size, would promote more affordable housing in College Station, Vessali said. But the city's impact fees and their effect on the housing market need to be considered, she said.

The impact fees on new homes, which are paid by developers at the time permits are pulled and rolled into the home price, disproportionately affect people looking for affordable housing, she said. On a $250,000 home, which she said is already above the cost of most starter homes, city fees add about $7,000 onto the price. Those extra fees are more of a burden on residents looking to buy a starter home than those who are buying at a higher price point, Vessali said.

Brick said high land prices already put College Station at a disadvantage when it comes to its ability to provide affordable housing. While that's not something the city can control, Brick said, it can expand its existing programs that help residents purchase affordable housing, such as the minor repair, rehabilitation loan and down-payment assistance programs for homeowners.

Going after federal funds through the Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnership Grant programs can also help the city provide newly constructed affordable housing, Brick said. While College Station faces competition from other cities for those funds, the council could support the city staff who write those grants to be more effective.

Police staffing

College Station has 144 sworn officers in its police department. Based on the city's population, calls for service, response times and the geographical area the department covers, city staff members estimate the department needs 10 to 15 more officers. If the city wants to address this problem, Brick said "we have to pay more."

"We have to get down and do the hard work," he said. "We've got to find ways to pay the police officers a competitive wage, and that has two effects. One, it gives them better compensation for the dangerous work they do in protecting us, and it provides more officers in a sometimes heavily overworked police force, especially on game weekends."

If this takes more taxes, "so be it," Brick said. The 2.5-cent tax rate increase approved for this fiscal year to pay for a new police station was "long overdue," Brick said.

Vessali said her first priorities are police and fire services, because they're directly related to quality of life. If someone is concerned about their neighborhoods, they should also be concerned about the police department, she said. It's important to fix the deficit in officers as the city grows, Vessali said.

Due to the nature of the community -- visitors, the student population, the size of different zones officers cover during their beats -- Vessali said officers often work 12-hour shifts in what is already by nature a difficult profession. The council needs to make sure the department isn't understaffed and overworked, she said.

"We need to be able to support police staff and give them the resources they need to serve our community," Vessali said.
The grant will fund customized training for 759 employees at six manufacturing companies in four counties. Through the grant, TEEX will deliver more than 35,000 hours of training for employees in several industries, including food, oil and gas, marine propulsion and paper manufacturing. Training also will be delivered by Blinn College and several community colleges in the Gulf Coast region.
Its not just Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn that is considering opening operations in the Madison area.

In the first 10 months of this year, 38 companies have been interested enough in the possibility of setting up shop in this area that they have asked the Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadREP) to find potential sites in the eight-county region to suit their needs.

Thats up nearly 50 percent from 26 site searches MadREP fielded in all of 2016, which was a sharp jump from the five to 10 searches a year before that.

Its not just an upturn. I would call it an explosion, said Michael Gay, MadREP senior vice president of economic development.

But that doesnt necessarily mean the region is about to see a huge boom in industrial construction. For one thing, there are few empty manufacturing buildings with 100,000 square feet of space or more.

Our stock is extremely limited, Gay said.

Its one of our bigger concerns, MadREP president Paul Jadin said.

In the last year and a half, though, the area has won several projects. The Little Potato Co., of Canada, chose a DeForest site last year for its $20 million U.S. base and packing facility. In June, Drexel Building Supply, of Campbellsport, decided to stay in state to build a lumberyard and showroom, in Columbus.

At least two other deals are pending, Jadin said.

Traditionally, only a fraction of the searches results in a decision to build. And while four projects emerged from more than 40 searches here in the past 18 months or so, thats a lot better than in the past, Jadin said. It used to be we were going 0-for-5.

If we can get 10 percent, were batting better than average, he said. The issue for us is getting up to the plate.

MadREP is the economic development agency for Dane, Columbia, Dodge, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Rock and Sauk counties.

Interest from afar

Most of the site selectors are looking for manufacturing space. So far in 2017, their requests to the Madison region have totaled 3.6 million square feet of manufacturing or warehouse space, more than twice the 1.6 million square feet requested in all of 2016.

Office space being sought has nearly doubled, to 425,000 square feet from 220,000 square feet last year.

In most cases, MadREP doesnt know the identity of the interested party until finalists are named or the development site is announced. When the site search is going on, we have absolutely no idea ... who that company is, Gay said.

But sometimes, the companys origin is disclosed. So far this year and last year, requests have come from companies in about a dozen foreign countries including France, Norway, Germany, Poland, South Korea and Israel.

Whats sparking the sudden surge of interest in south-central Wisconsin?

I think theres no question the Madison region is on the national radar screen a lot more than it was a few years ago, Jadin said. The areas growing reputation as a technology hub and the strength of the University of Wisconsin are contributing to that, he said.

Theres also been a pointed effort by MadREP to reach out to site selectors, who are participating more and more in a companys selection process, Jadin said. Were doing very, very direct marketing to site selectors, he said.

Jadin said he doesnt think Foxconns decision in late July to build a $10 billion plant in southeastern Wisconsin or its consideration of a Madison area location for a separate facility has lured other developers to look here.

The impact has been very limited, if at all, said Jadin. He said the accelerated interest has been an ongoing thing for at least the last 15 months, far preceding the news of Foxconns interest in Wisconsin.

Shovel ready preferred

Most site selectors today are looking for locations that are considered shovel ready  that means they have gone through enough planning and engineering advance work that a developer can begin construction relatively quickly.

The state, through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., offers a program of certified sites that have met a series of criteria, such as a clear property title, adequate utilities and infrastructure, zoning approval and accessible transportation.

Of 17 Wisconsin certified sites, eight are in the eight-county Madison region. Jadin said that gives the area an advantage.

Were getting more and more requests that say strictly, Show us these certified sites, Jadin said.

The certification, confirmed by Deloitte & Touche, costs the community $13,500, said WEDC business and investment attraction director Coleman Peiffer.

MadREP has developed its own gold shovel verification that also provides developers a quick start and costs $3,000, Jadin said.

He said the Madison region has a pretty good inventory of available property in the 50- to 200-acre range. But if someone comes forward and says I need 1,000 acres, thats going to be a problem.

Because of the scarcity of vacant industrial buildings, Jadin said MadREP is in conversation with a variety of developers to take a risk and build factory-sized buildings without an anchor tenant in place.

It would put us in a better position on a good number of these requests, he said. To many of them, we simply have to say, sorry, we dont have anything.

With the right real estate and the areas bright talent pool, Gay said, I am very hopeful that our success rate will continue to rise.

Foxconn officials have said the Taiwanese company is considering a possible facility in the Madison area in the health-related field. MadREP issued a request for proposals in August titled Project Varsity, representing Foxconns medical division, requesting a 20-acre site that could house a 700,000-square-foot manufacturing building. A decision is expected to be announced in early 2018.

MadREP also is among the 238 bidders for Amazons second headquarters, which eventually could employ 50,000 people.
You have a character that goes through the scrutiny of being sexualised , and then an audience that does the same thing.
With more than 100 applications from around the country, Downtown Madison Inc. had a vast pool of candidates from which to choose its next president.

But the board of directors of the organization that promotes the health of the citys core found its candidate at the corner of Monroe and Regent streets.

Jason Ilstrup, general manager at HotelRed since 2011, was named Tuesday to succeed Susan Schmitz, who has led DMI for 19 years and will retire from the post at the end of the year. Ilstrup will begin his duties Jan. 2.

Jason brings a really unique skill set and he has such a unique background of service, political and legislative experience that is really special, said Stacy Nemeth, chair of DMIs board of directors. He has a true passion for helping people and making an impact on a city. He has the ability to make connections with people and find middle ground.

Ilstrup, 40, will begin his role as the citys Downtown continues to grow with new restaurants, apartments and other amenities, but faces challenges like rising rents, homelessness and attracting more retail. Ilstrup said other issues include attracting more jobs and employees, improving transportation networks and making Downtown inviting for all ages and genders.

I just love this city, Illstrup said. To get the opportunity to make this more my home and grow the city I love is just an amazing opportunity.

The announcement came the morning after the DMI annual dinner at Monona Terrace on Monday night that was attended by more than 700 people. The event honored Schmitz, an avid biker, who was presented with a custom bike rack in the shape of the state Capitol that will be installed for public use at Lisa Link Peace Park at State and West Gilman streets.

Susan leaves very big shoes to fill, Nemeth said. She is such a force in this community. She will do a tremendous job of helping Jason with the transition.

Ilstrup is a Minneapolis native and a graduate of Boston University. He received his law degree from the University of Minnesota. He worked in the Peace Corps, including two years in Niger, served as a legislative aide in both Washington, D.C., and Madison, and spent three years at the Iron Horse Hotel in Milwaukee before joining HotelRed.

As project director for development at the hotel, Ilstrup worked with the city and neighborhood on a controversial plan, ultimately approved in August, to add three floors and 39 rooms to the four-story, 48-room building. Ilstrup lives in the Nakoma neighborhood with his wife, Rachel Sattler, a lifelong resident of the city, and their two toy poodles.

Ive never lived in the suburbs and the only time I havent lived in the city was my time in the bush with the Peace Corps, Ilstrup said. Im a city guy through and through.
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The lower blocks of Greenwich Avenue have become the popular destination for art galleries lately. Three galleries new to the stretch have set up shop there in as many months.

It began in September with C-Parker Gallery when its owner, Tiffany Benincasa, moved her storefront from East Putnam Avenue to 409 Greenwich Ave.

A little more than a month ago, another Greenwich resident, Donald Wood-Smith, opened VW Contemporary just up the road at 353 Greenwich Ave. Next door to VW, a third gallery has outfitted the shop that once housed Free People. The clothing retailer shut down its Greenwich store in July.

Theres a sweet spot to where you need to be in Greenwich, Wood-Smith of VW Contemporary said in an interview. I wanted a visible, well-trafficked part of the avenue. When I walked by this storefront, I knew. The space lends itself well to a gallery with all its great light.

Before Wood-Smith launched his gallery, the storefront was home to Michaelangelo of Greenwich for 30 years, he said. Michaelangelos is now located at 410 Greenwich Ave.

I love being in this location near places like Richards, Wood-Smith said. Its great for everyone to have more galleries because this becomes a destination for art.

VW provides a noticeable pop to the shopping strip with its fun, whimsical pieces as Wood-Smith describes his style. On a recent afternoon, a vibrantly colored skull flanked by butterflies counted among the art visible from the gallerys open door.

The 3-D printed skull sculpture by Stephen Wilson is embroidered and seems to glimmer with its Klein Blue pigment. Its just one of a variety of Wilsons work that Wood-Smith has included recently in his gallery.

Stephen Wilison is constantly referring back to his fashion career, the gallery owner said while pointing to some stitching directly on another work in Wilsons Luxury Series, which covers one of VWs back walls. Embroidery is the basis of Stephen Wilsons entire career, Wood-Smith said.

Across from Wilsons pieces, a collection of Hunt Slonem bunny pieces covered another wall, with a swathe of his silver bunny wall paper serving as a backdrop to the installation.

Everything here has to pop and is happy, Wood-Smith said. I dont limit how I collect things based on a certain unity. I am going to be changing things up frequently with a substantial change every two weeks.

Along with the gallerys established artists, VW will feature a mix of early and mid-career artists, Wood-Smith said.

I started the gallery with the intention of showing fun, pop art at accessible price points, he said. These are all investment-quality things.

One of VWs latest installations includes a museum-quality piece by Anish Kapoor, the artist behind Chicagos popular Cloud Gate sculpture, better known as The Bean, in Millennium Park.

Theres nothing quite like this (gallery) outside of New York City, Wood-Smith said.

VW Contemporary is located at 353 Greenwich Ave.

Contact the writer at mbennett@greenwichtime.com; Twitter @Macaela_
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For the first time in the 87-season history of the Westport Country Playhouse, a broken-hearted character named Romeo will have the opportunity to do himself in on the stage of the famed theater.

The actor who will make playhouse history is James Cusati-Moyer, of New York. The first-ever Westport production of William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet will feature a cast of 20, period costuming, sword fights and scenic design by a Tony Award-winner Michael Yeargan. It will run through Sunday, Nov. 19.

 Romeo and Juliet is Shakespeares tale of two teenagers who fight to love each other in a violent world. Although their families are at war, their love cannot be torn apart, is the way the playhouse describes the iconic work.

The play will be directed by Mark Lamos, considered by many as among the finest Shakespearean directors in the world. It was Lamos who directed Twelfth Night in 2011. The only other Shakespearean plays produced in Westport have been As You Like It in 1931 and The Taming of the Shrew in 1994.

Every time I get to revisit this exuberant and moving celebration of romantic love and youth, I feel as if someones giving me a gift, said Lamos in the theaters announcement.

A Yale School of Drama graduate and a Broadway veteran of Six Degrees of Separation, Cusati-Moyer said Romeo is quite close to me as a character.  I know what it is like to be unable to (envision) a world without the love of your life. He was a victim of bad timing, not a character flaw  a lover and not a fighter.

More Information Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court. Through Sunday, Nov. 19. Tuesdays 7 p.m.; Wednesdays 2, 8 p.m.; Thursdays, Fridays 8 p.m.; Saturdays 3, 8 p.m.; Sundays 3 p.m. Tickets start at $30. 888-927-7529, www.westportplayhouse.org See More Collapse

One of the most famous roles in classical theater, Cusati-Moyer said he is not out to replicate any particular past performance, but to truthfully tell the story ... to execute the words (of the play) truthfully. The goal is to give the character a voice. I am the faucet, not the water.

I think the role requires a heightened vulnerability and sensitivity to the world, he added. Romeo has a profound ability to care about the world beyond power and conquest  and in contemporary society, this resonates.

During the run of Romeo and Juliet, the playhouse will partner with numerous artists, scholars and local organizations in an initiative, Boundless as the Sea: The Genius of William Shakespeare. Featured will be a Shakespeare roundtable, teacher training, student matinees and master classes.

pasboros@ctpost.com; Twitter: @PhyllisASBoros
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A Greenwich tailor who has sold expensive clothing to President Donald Trumps former campaign manager said Tuesday that he knew Paul Manafort only as a Washington lobbyist and had no personal relationship to him.

Eugene Venanzi told Hearst Connecticut Media at his Greenwich shop that Manafort was always a gentleman and that their dealings were confined to the tailors New York store, with which Venanzi said he is no longer associated.

Manafort, a New Britain native, allegedly spent nearly $900,000 on handmade clothing at a store identified only as Vendor E in the money-laundering and conspiracy indictment against him. Documents obtained by the Associated Press claim Manafort previously made payments to Venanzi at Venanzis former New York boutique.

As to the amounts Manafort spent at his former clothing store, Venanzi said such sales are not unusual particularly when dealing with people who are in the spotlight. He said that since it was a retail business employees did not ask where the payment was coming from. He said he was unaware it was from an off-shore account, as alleged in the indictment.

Venanzi owned Boutique of Bespoke Atelier on 56th Street in New York. He left the business to become a partner in Pitagora & Venanzi, which opened at 409 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich.

That stores website advertises every garment they make is constructed from scratch. Just this year Mens Fitness magazine used a Star Wars reference in calling Pitagora & Venanzi The Obi-Wan Kenobi of Suit Making.

During a phone call to the Associated Press, Venanzi denied he had been contacted by federal authorities.

In 1999, Venanzi pleaded guilty to a bank larceny charge. As part of his guilty plea, he was sentenced to three years probation and required to perform 200 hours of community service and repay $15,396 to Chase Manhattan Bank.

Thomas Carson, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorneys office in Connecticut offered a simple no comment when asked if federal investigators from his office were looking into a Greenwich connection. He recommended all questions regarding the probe be made to Special Counsel Robert Muellers office.
Technology has obviously opened up our ability to communicate, both on a personal and professional level, day or night.

And of course it hasn't always been this way: Back in the day, my mom would say, "You never call somebody before 9 o'clock in the morning or after 9 o'clock at night." But now, most of us will respond to emails and texts regardless of the hour, if we're available.

Related: How Entrepreneurs Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable

Unfortunately, however, it seems as if businesses are becoming overly reliant upon technology as a means of communicating. In turn, they're losing the immense value that face-to-face interactions can bring to their organizations.

There's evidence for this: A recent HubSpot survey discovered that remote workers have shallower relationships with their co-workers than on-site employees do. As we morph into more and more of a remote workforce, that's a problem that needs to be fixed. So, how do we do that?

To tool or not to tool?

Look, technology is awesome. It streamlines the ability to get things done, and it frees people to work within their own schedules.

In that context, I personally will use any tool available when I'm working. But when I'm out, I'm out. I value time away from those communication tools as well. But not everyone does: My younger employees, for example, are used to having their personal, professional, social and familial lives bleed into the same fabric. They love to use Slack and WhatsApp because they don't mind responding to texts, regardless of what they're doing at the moment.

Nonetheless, developing an overreliance on tech tools is a huge mistake. Research published in the Journal of Neuroscience found that face-to-face conversations result in higher levels of neural synchronization. Essentially, people are more in sync when they're talking in person, because they're more receptive to nonverbal signs and take turns in the conversation more easily.

When you're communicating electronically, in contrast, some of what you say gets lost in translation: If you've been on the wrong end of a miscommunication via email or text, you know just what I'm talking about.

Employees today need to hone both their written and verbal-communication skills. We need people to sound good and be convincing in a live, real-time, human communication setting -- not to just throw in their two cents on a Slack channel or email thread.

Instant messaging apps are great, as long as they're used correctly. But they can't become the sole communication strategy for your team. To make Slack and any other tech communications as effective as possible, colleagues need to work together, face to face. They need communication that transcends technology. And they need to blend traditional methods of communication with that technology.

Here's how to find that balance:

1. Make people comfortably uncomfortable.

We have a saying at Hawke: "This is the most comfortable place you'll ever be uncomfortable." We want a culture that not only pushes the limits, but also creates a safe space for work, so we have a lot of little spaces in our office that foster coffee-shop vibes. Employees can work independently if needed, or they can strike up conversations. We also have a space where employees can just hang out and get to know one other.

Create opportunities for people to interact, in the form of regular mandatory meetings, team-building activities or companywide exercises. Set up a buddy system where new hires are paired with more seasoned folks to help them get going and become enmeshed in the office culture.

If you push your employees to get to know one other, they will foster the kinds of trusting relationships that can inspire more creative collaboration and build great things.

2. Forge relationships physically; cultivate them electronically.

Building out a robust communication platform that allows people to work from anywhere in any time zone is great, but it has to be fortified and built on the foundation of strong interpersonal relationships. In turn, those relationships have to be forged physically by having people solve problems in the same place.

Related: Distributed Teams Are Disrupting Tech. Here's How to Join Them.

Of course, they don't have to entail work all the time: Developing a one-on-one understanding of colleagues can happen when people go to the same concert or beach picnic, when they drink a beer across the table from one other or have a dinner conversation around a whiteboard as they chow down on pizza. It's impossible to replicate that kind of interaction virtually through Slack or WhatsApp or WeChat.

Successful distributed companies know how to do this culture-building well. The CEO of Seamless Health, for instance, is Ritesh Idnani, and he insists that the whole remote team come together every quarter to build offline relationships. He's also proactive about pairing new employees with "important-to-know" co-workers so that they can begin to learn about the social aspects of the job more quickly.

3. Humanize business as much as possible.

If you want to improve communication across the board, you must increase the amount of face time employees spend with clients and co-workers, plus their bosses and the greater community. Even if your team is fully dispersed, encouraging face-to-face communication will help build connections that then strengthen the online communication that occurs when team members are back on Slack.

At our company, we co-host events every month, with cool companies such as Google or Facebook, where we invite our entire team and give everyone a chance to network and hear about a great topic. This isn't a client meeting or even a focused work setting; it's an opportunity to communicate about something completely different and build those live-interaction skills.

Related: Distance Is No Barrier to a Strong Company Culture

So, consider giving clients and vendors total access to your offices. Host lunch-and-learn sessions where your staff can meet those clients and vendors. Encourage your team to meet with clients at their offices. Anything you can do to keep the human element front and center will also benefit communication in the long run.

Bottom line? Yes, in fact, all the ideas will affect your bottom line. You want people to get to know one other in person and really come to understand who their co-workers are and what drives them. That will give them a better idea of how they can successfully communicate and collaborate; and being in a face-to-face setting, at least some of the time, will be critical, because it will enhance their understanding and enhance their skill sets.

When people can get things done well in person, virtual communications become that much stronger and more effective. Try it. You'll see.

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At least two online petitions have been started to protest the decision by Madisons ironically conservative Catholic diocese to provide advice to priests on whether some gay deceased should be denied funeral rites.

As a Christian, I find it repugnant that any religious institution calling itself Christian would wobble on whether to give a grieving family a Christian burial for their loved one. As if deeming homosexuality a sin werent silly enough, the Catholic Church considers denying spiritual comfort to the families of gay people.

Just as bad is the harm such un-Christ-like behavior could do to Christianitys brand and its relationship to government.

One of the petitions calls for Pope Francis to remove Madison Bishop Robert Morlino from his position, while the other calls on Morlino to rescind the guidance allowing priests to deny full funeral rights to gay Catholics. Both miss the point.

Recalling Morlino isnt going to suddenly cause the church to fully accept gays and become what my denomination calls open and affirming. Francis has talked a better talk on this issue, but hes yet to walk a better walk  which is why it wouldnt be in line with Catholic teachings for the Madison diocese to declare that the gay deceased are entitled to funeral rites.

Refusing the rites to a specific class of people doesnt raise the same kinds of constitutional questions raised by, say, a baker refusing to bake a cake for a gay wedding.

The courts, in the name of protecting religious liberty, typically have given religious organizations fairly wide latitude to engage in practices that might seem to be discriminatory in a secular context, said Shawn Peters, an expert in religious freedom from UW-Madison.

The, ahem, good news is that if a gay person or her family wants a Christian burial, there are plenty of Christian churches that will provide it  as long as those wanting the funeral dont consider Catholicism is the only true Christianity, in which case they shouldnt expect a Catholic funeral anyway.

The bad news is that because of the Catholic Churchs considerable size and influence, the pronouncements of Morlino and Co. put Christianity generally in a bad light, while making it look as if longstanding tax breaks for Christian churches and clergy amount to government endorsement of bigotry.

Peters said he didnt think that in our current political environment tax breaks for religious organizations are seriously at risk. But earlier this month a federal judge struck down a tax break for clergy housing allowances.

Im not sure any occupation should be singled out for a housing-related tax break, although it seems a small indulgence given how little clergy are paid and how much they help raise for charity the government might otherwise have to provide. One 2013 analysis estimated Catholic groups spent some $30 billion on social services annually, although some of their funding comes from government.

Christians can find evidence of such mission work just about every Sunday at church. But the work looks less Christ-like if the church deems some people unworthy of Christs grace, including after they die.
At an emotional ceremony Monday morning, the Northwest High School band received an award and a key to the city as thanks for welcoming home veterans who participate in Hall County Hero Flights.

Vietnam War veteran Jim Seim spoke as part of the event, which was held at an all-school assembly in the auditorium.

Seim, 71, was in the Navy Seabees from 1966 to 1969. Fifty years ago, he said, a lot of us, not much older than you guys, fought in Vietnam. Seim went to Vietnam three times, and each experience changed the soldiers. It was war, he said.

The country also changed during the war, he said. People became increasingly hostile to the soldiers who were fighting in Vietnam. For decades, he said, we hung our heads. We didnt talk about the war.

After an incredible trip to Washington, D.C., it never occurred to Seim that the veterans might receive a welcome in Grand Island. Still on the plane, he was surprised to hear a band playing. The welcome ceremony touched him a great deal.

I was just a grown man, standing there crying, as the band played a tribute to them, he said.

Seim thought about all the guys that never made it home.

I felt so lucky to be standing there, he concluded. The only thing I can tell you, especially to the band, is thank you. And Im glad to live in Grand Island.

The students were attentive throughout the assembly. After Seims talk, he was given a standing ovation.

At the end of the assembly, the students heard from Mayor Jeremy Jensen, who gave band director Shawn Pfanstiel a key to the city. During the ceremony, the band members were seated on the stage.

The musicians had no idea they were going to be the focus of the assembly. They thought they were just there to play the national anthem.

All we knew was the mayors coming in and hes going to talk to the school. Thats all we knew, said senior drum major Abby Campbell, who has played at the welcome ceremonies during all four years of high school.

Sophomore Cydra Bruns appreciated being thanked, especially in front of the school.

Just letting the whole school know what we do as a band was very nice, said Bruns, who cried during Mondays assembly.

Hero Flight organizers Don Shuda and Linda Green told the students about the Vietnam War.

The average age of those serving in the military was 19, said Shuda, who is chairman of the Hall County Hero Flight committee. More than 800,000 Vietnam War veterans have died, he said.

Green, who is treasurer of the Hero Flight group, jokes that the plane doesnt even need to go to Washington. The veterans can just leave Central Nebraska Regional Airport, fly around for three hours and land. Because thats the impact the homecoming has, she said.

Green said the homecoming ceremony is so important. And it wouldnt be the same without the Northwest band. She presented the band the Freedom Award, which includes an eagle and an American flag.

Katelyn Douglass, one of the bands three drum majors, recalled how surprised the veterans were to see the band at the airport.

The ceremony brought many of them to tears. Its shocking to see that many grown men crying in front of so many people, Douglass said.

As the veterans saw the Patriot Guard and other people holding flags, All of them would just stop and take a second to take it all in, she said.

Its nice to know the veterans appreciate the students, Douglass said.

Its rewarding to produce such emotion just by doing what you love  playing music, Bruns said.

It wasnt unusual for her fellow students to pay such close attention, she said. We have a great student body.

Pfanstiel said, Its always been our privilege to just give back to the veterans. And were always happy to do that.

He believes its our civic duty to be a part of that  for the kids to be part of that history and a part of that welcome.

All 100 band members played at the last welcome home. The number is always at least 80.

At times, the Northwest students have been joined by several students from Doniphan-Trumbull or by a couple from Grand Island Central Catholic. But Northwest musicians are always kind of the backbone of the musical welcome, Pfanstiel said.

When Hall County Supervisor Gary Quandt asked Pfanstiel if Northwest would take part, it was an easy yes, the band director said.

A couple of months before that, Pfanstiels grandfather, a Korean War veteran, had traveled on a Hero Flight out of Omaha. It had nothing to do with the Hall County effort.

When that group returned to Omaha, it was about midnight. Pfanstiels grandfather was touched that a high school band was inside the terminal at Eppley Airfield, waiting for the veterans to return. His grandfather said that was one of the most emotional things he had ever been a part of.

So when Quandt called, Pfanstiel knew he wanted to be part of such a ceremony.

Music can really add emotion to an experience.

It really can, Pfanstiel said. When you think of any ceremony, whether it be a wedding, funeral, military rite or a Veterans Day parade, you always have to have music as a part of that. Music has a good way of providing that emotional quality.
Birth announcements

LADWIG  To Christopher and Stacy (Svoboda) Ladwig of Grand Island, a daughter born Oct. 26, 2017, at CHI Health St. Francis.

LEMBURG  To Joshua and Danielle (Smith) Lemburg of Grand Island, a son born Oct. 26, 2017, at CHI Health St. Francis. Grandparents are Greg and Brenda Smith of Grand Island, Brenda Scheer of Loveland, Colo., and Rodney Lemburg of College Station, Texas. Great-grandparents are Gene McDermott of Grand Island and Bill and Pearl Lemburg of Cairo.

Police/Sheriff

Anyone with information about any crime in the state may call the Grand Island-Hall County Crime Stoppers, (308) 381-8822. Callers will remain anonymous.

A reward of up to $1,000 will be paid after law enforcement agencies have determined the seriousness of the crime and the usefulness of the information.

Inmate custody status can be obtained by calling the VINE hotline at (877) NE 4 VINE or by visiting www.vinelink.com. Information is available 24 hours a day.

If you see a crime happening, call the Grand Island-Hall County Emergency Center  911.

Grand Island Police

The following felonies were reported:

 Ricky Henson was arrested for terroristic threats Friday evening at 2703 E. Highway 30.

 Ryan Thunker was arrested on a Hall County warrant and for possession of a controlled substance (meth) Friday evening at White Avenue and West North Front Street.

 Mohamed Abshir was arrested Friday at 818 W. Third St. on a probation violation and for possession of a controlled substance (Clonazepam).

 A 22-year-old female reported a sexual assault that allegedly occurred between Oct. 21 and Oct. 22.

 Christopher A. Landstrom is being referred for charges for second-degree assault and use of a weapon to commit a felony.

 Justin Burk was arrested for third-degree assault and possession of a controlled substance (meth) Saturday at 715 W. Koenig.

 Hugo Ramirez was arrested Sunday night at 506 W. Fourth St. for first-degree criminal trespass, obstructing a peace officer, resisting arrrest, second or subsequent offense, and assault  threating another in a menacing manner.

 Kerry and Megan Eddy reported a burglary Sunday to a residence at 2131 N. Howard.

 Juan Retana reported that his 1994 Chevrolet pickup was stolen from 314 W. Stolley Park Road between Saturday and Sunday.

Hall County Sheriff

Law enforcement arrested eight people on warrants in nine cases. There were 90 calls for service.

For more information visit www.hallcountyne.gov and click on the sheriff link.

Court report

Hall County Court

 Mohamed A. Abshir, 28, Grand Island, was charged with possessing a controlled substance on Friday. Preliminary hearing set for 3:30 p.m. Nov. 30.

 Ricky R. Henson, 59, unknown address, was charged with making terroristic threats on Friday. Preliminary hearing set for 3:30 p.m. Dec. 21.

 Louis R. Moreno, 37, Grand Island, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of 1 oz. or less of marijuana, first offense, and possession or use of drug paraphernalia, all on Sunday. Preliminary hearing set for 4 p.m. Dec. 21.

 Justin L. Burk, 30, Grand Island, was charged with possession of a controlled substance and third-degree assault, both on Saturday. Preliminary hearing set for 3:30 p.m. Dec. 21.

 Braden M. Galvan, 19, Grand Island, was charged with having no operators license/non-waiverable, operating a motor vehicle to avoid arrest for a felony, driving left of center, failure to use a turn signal and unauthorized use of a propelled vehicle, first offense, all on Oct. 21.

 Shawn Huffman, 50, Burwell, was charged with issuing a bad check, second or subsequent misdemeanor, on Nov. 3, 2016. Arraignment set for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 8.

 Rebecca A. Baumann, 23, Grand Island, was charged with issuing a no-account check worth less than $1,500, subsequent offense, on July 25. Arraignment set for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 8.

 Devon C. Reaves, 25, Grand Island, was charged with theft by shoplifting totaling $0 to $500, third or subsequent offense, and possession or use of drug paraphernalia, both on Thursday. Preliminary hearing set for 10 a.m. Nov. 27.

 Shilia K. Hall, 25, Grand Island, was charged with failure to appear when on bail for a felony on Oct. 24.

 Cody P. Gannon, 20, Wood River, was charged with two counts of theft by unlawful taking totaling more than $5,000, two counts of criminal mischief totaling $5,000 or more, burglary, criminal mischief totaling $0 to $500 and possessing or receiving a stolen firearm, all on Sept. 4.

 Hugo Ramirez, 37, unknown address, was charged with first-degree criminal trespass, obstructing a peace officer, resisting arrrest, second or subsequent offense, and assault  threating another in a menacing manner, all on Sunday. Preliminary hearing set for 4 p.m. Dec. 21.

Driving Under the Influence: Ethan R. Heise, 19, Grand Island, $500 fine, six months probation, drivers license revoked 60 days. Robert K. James, 54, Grand Island, $500 fine, six months probation, drivers license revoked 60 days, $150 probation fee. Also guilty of criminal mischief totaling $0 to $500, six months probation.
Employees inside a North Side business escaped injury Monday night as shots were fired at the building from the outside.

The gunfire was reported at about 7:45 p.m. at Pitney Bowes Presort Services, 1829 Wright St., Madison police said.

"Several rounds struck windows of an office where a technician was using a computer," said police spokesman Joel DeSpain. "Shell casings were found on the ground."

The business is a warehouse where mail heading to other companies is presorted.

No suspect information was released as the investigation continues.
A student group has filed a lawsuit against Southern Illinois University officials for restricting students freedom of speech.

The SIUE College Republicans, filed the suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois claiming university officials restrict student expression on the Edwardsville campus to a tiny speech zone that makes up less than .0013 percent of the campus.

The student group is represented by attorneys from Alliance Defending Freedom.

A press release from the ADF explains that all student organizations must obtain permission in advance to use the speech zone, and the university policies leave approval of who can use the zone and what types of literature can be distributed on campus up to the free discretion of campus officials.

those officials arent required to follow any written criteria in the use of their discretion and are permitted to make decisions based on a groups or speakers viewpoint, which is unconstitutional, according to the press release from the ADF.

ADF Senior Counsel Tyson Langhover said SIU has instituted a draconian policy.

The only permission slip that a student needs to speak in the common areas of a public university campus is the First Amendment, he said. Southern Illinois University has instituted a draconian policy that not only restricts speech to the tiniest of locations, but adds additional hurdles that make it very tough to speak or hand out literature even within the zone. If that wasnt unconstitutional enough, university officials are allowed to approve or disapprove speakers and handouts based on their point of view.

ADF Senior Counsel Casey Mattox said the university espouses free speech and encourages free discourse and debate on campus.

If that is true, it will modify its policies so that they are constitutional and so that robust dialogue can actually take place, Mattox said.

A press release from the College Republicans said the organization is fighting to make the campus better.

As College Republicans we fight for and will continue to fight for every individuals First Amendment rights, the press release stated. This lawsuit does just that and we sincerely hope that we can come to an agreement with the administration to remove the speech zone on campus thus making the entire campus an area in which free speech can be exercised.

SIUE officials have not seen or reviewed the lawsuit.

The lawsuit has not been served on the University, said University spokesperson Megan Wieser. We have not had the opportunity to review it, and therefore, cannot comment on the allegations.

ADF attorneys Noel Sterett and Whitman Brisky of Mauck & Baker LLC are serving as local counsel for the College Republicans of SIUE.
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Linkedin Lauren Sorkin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, October 31, 2017 13:16 1841 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a26bd2b5 3 Opinion jakarta,#Jakarta,city,#city,#urban,urban-development,urban Free

In many ways, cities are our greatest risk. The challenges presented by climate change, rapid migration, and disasters  both man-made and natural  most acutely affect cities. But cities are also our greatest opportunity. They are the places where innovation happens, where solutions that improve lives are born, where wealth generation is accelerated and where efficiency gains are most achievable.

On World Cities Day, as we celebrate the role of urbanization in societys growth, innovation and progress, we must also recognize the threats that our cities face and the urgent need to build resilience as a guarantee against an uncertain future.

Urban resilience is the capacity of individuals, communities and cities to survive, adapt and grow as a means of countering the vulnerabilities that strain progress. These vulnerabilities  acute shocks such as natural disasters and chronic stresses such as social inequality  demand simultaneous attention and require cities to prepare for what they can predict and build strength for what they cant. When governments take a holistic, integrated approach towards addressing these shocks and stresses, we position ourselves and our communities on an upward development trajectory for the future.

Last year, Indonesia experienced the highest number of natural disasters in over ten years, forcing urban centers to confront a new groundswell of challenges pinned against progress, such as alternating water scarcity and flooding, housing affordability and unlivable air pollution levels. As one of the most populous urban areas in the entire world, Jakarta must reconcile with these challenges while creating infrastructure that can support its dynamic population.

Jakarta recognized that the city needed to change the way it planned in order to address these shocks and stresses. Jakarta applied to join 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) a network of likeminded cities across the globe working become more resilient to the physical, social and economic challenges of the 21st century. The recently-formed Resilient Jakarta Secretariat has already made waves introducing urban resilience to the city.

Resilient Jakarta has convened a broad range of stakeholders and conducted a series of assessment exercises mapping a pathway for Jakartas resilience. By working with such a diverse stakeholder set, the Resilient Jakarta Secretariat is effectively opening the governance process to citizens and including the citys many voices in setting resilience priorities.

The theme of this years World Cities Day is Innovative Governance, Open Cities and it is in this spirit that Resilient Jakarta is carrying out its work. Over the past year, the Resilient Jakarta Secretariat has engaged key government agencies, academics, business leaders, and community representatives in conversations about the role of resilience in urban and development. These conversations have provided a preliminary resilience assessment, capturing Jakartas challenges and opportunities to build resilience moving forward.

Resilient Jakartas preliminary assessment identified civil unrest, disease outbreak and flooding as the top three acute shocks and access to safe, quality food, access to sustainable, clean water and poverty and economic inequality as the top three chronic stresses challenging resilience in the city.

When the Resilient Jakarta Secretariat releases its preliminary resilience assessment, the next step will be to ask the city hard questions about what kind of a future it wants to build. Questions like how can we improve the governance and management capacity of Jakarta? and how can Jakartas health and wellbeing be improved through better waste and water management? will guide the Secretariat as it develops the citys resilience strategy. Working within 100RCs global network, the Jakarta Secretariat has the unique capacity to learn from, and lean on, a vanguard of member cities and partners with applied experience integrating urban resilience into practice.

Bangkok, another mega-city and one of Jakartas closest neighbors in the network, has already completed its resilience strategy and has been working to embed resilience into the city planning process and implement a range of projects from public transport improvements to flood management. Learning from Bangkoks experience will be invaluable as the Resilient Jakarta Secretariat jumpstarts its work on the ground by exploring innovative, community level waste and water management solutions.

We can no longer look at the challenges facing our cities today as singular, unrelated issues. Urban resilience equips us to face the expected and unexpected challenges that threaten our present, while creating a foundation for a better future. Jakarta has taken the first steps to building a stronger, more resilient city.

The work the Secretariat is doing today to introduce innovative and collaborative governance practices will ensure that the city becomes a better place for everyone who calls it home. Not only that, Jakarta will also serve as a beacon and educator for other cities in the most rapidly urbanizing region in the world.

---------------

We are looking for information, opinions, and in-depth analysis from experts or scholars in a variety of fields. We choose articles based on facts or opinions about general news, as well as quality analysis and commentary about Indonesia or international events. Send your piece to academia@jakpost.com.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin EDITORIAL (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, October 31, 2017 07:53 1842 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a26acf36 4 Editorial #Editorial,KPK,#KPK,corruption-case,#corruption,anticorruption Free

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has been down several times in its attempts to bring corruption suspects to justice, as in the case of the South Jakarta District Courts recent decision to declare House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novantos prosecution legally flawed. But the antigraft body is clearly not out.

KPK investigators arrested on Wednesday Taufiqurrahman, Nganjuk Regent, in a sting operation. The KPK will charge him with accepting bribes relating to the rotation of officials in the East Java regency administration.

It was the second investigation launched against the regent after KPK arraigned the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician last December for his alleged role in graft pertaining to construction projects in the regency in 2009. At the time, Taufiqurrahman, serving his second term and backing his wifes bid to succeed him as regent in next years election, challenged the KPKs move in court.

The South Jakarta District Court granted Taufiqurrahmans pretrial motion last March, ordering the KPK to hand over the investigation to the Attorney Generals Office.

Taufiqurrahman was the fourth official who managed to slip through the KPKs fingers on the grounds of procedural violations after a court battle. Previously, the sole candidate for the National Police chief post Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan, Supreme Audit Agency chief Hadi Poernomo and Makassar Mayor Ilham Arief Sirajuddin beat the KPK at pretrial hearings.

In Ilhams case, however, the KPK persevered, given the solid evidence against the mayor. It launched a new investigation and sent the NasDem politician to prison.

The Jakarta Corruption Court found him guilty of enriching himself in a case related to a city tap water company and sentenced him to six years in prison. The Supreme Court, however, reduced the sentence to four years in October last year.

The KPK seems to never say die when hunting people who it believes are guilty of corruption, due to evidence collected and confessions extracted from witnesses.

The failure to prosecute Taufiqurrahman last March, therefore, was by no means the end of the story for the KPK.

Shifting to other corruption cases to ensnare the politician was just another path that took the KPK to Rome. While this strategy worked, it only shows that corrupt people will not stop at one act of graft.

Such a phenomenon has been evident in numerous cases in which the KPK brought the same suspects to justice in different cases. The most prominent ones include Muhammad Nazaruddin, a former Democratic Party politician, who has stood trial twice and is now serving 13 years in prison with more graft charges outstanding.

The KPK will undoubtedly never let fraudsters sleep well and will chase them wherever they go. Both Taufiqurrahman and Ilham found their celebrations cut short. In its fight against corrupt officials, the KPK, hopefully, will be the one who has the last laugh.
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Linkedin Rita Widiadana (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, October 31, 2017 09:03 1842 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a26aeacc 4 People gender-equality,gender,#gender,#GenderEquality,women-rights Free

Palembang, the provincial capital of South Sumatra, is famous for a dish locally known as mpek-mpek, savory fish cake served with a dark sweet and sour vinegar sauce.

But to Endah Trista Agustiana, a prominent gender expert and avid advocate of womens and girls rights, mpek-mpek is more than delicious food. It was my life-saver. It has brought me this far in my present career.

Raised by a single mother of four, Agustiana had to work since her early school days.

I had to get up at 4 a.m. to help my mother cook and deliver mpek-mpek to her customers. My mother, the late Rohanna Yahya Hakim, used to wake up at 3 a.m. to prepare the dishes, she recalled her humble beginnings in her hometown of Palembang.

Agustiana had after-school tasks as well  making popsicles and sweet green bean cakes called punggu in the local language of Palembang.

Her mother used the money to send her children to the best school in town, a Catholic school, Xaverius.

When the time came to pay my monthly tuition fees, tears would run from my eyes. My mother later begged the priest to postpone the payment until she got enough money together, but she was a woman of her word.

She has myriad stories to tell.

I just want to share my childhood stories with others, especially with young girls, that no matter what adversities you face growing up, you have to believe in yourself. With hard work, discipline and a positive attitude, you can achieve any dream you create for your life.

Being a poor girl should not deter her, nor anybody else, from dreaming big, she said.

My mother, my role model, kept telling me, if you have a dream, you have to say it out loud, Agustiana said.

Despite mountains of obstacles, Agustiana managed to obtain a bachelors degree in social and political science at Sriwijaya University (UNSRI) in Palembang.

With a scholarship from the British Council, she continued her studies at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom in the field of Gender Analysis and Development Studies.

I was the first Indonesian to earn a master degree in gender studies in the early 1990s, when the term was alien to many Indonesians.

She went to the United States to get her doctoral degree at Ohio University in the field of study of interpersonal/cross-cultural communication and womens studies.

Her doctoral dissertation, Living in Crisis: Womens Experiences of Violent Conflict in Poso, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, earned her a GPA of 3.8 out of 4.

With a successful career and family life and as a mother of two daughters, Agustiana has carved her own path.

Family plays a very significant role in my life, although it was so hard to leave my two daughters when I had to pursue my education overseas.

Agustiana had a thriving career at national and international institutions, including positions as senior gender specialist at UNDPs New York headquarters; gender specialist for human development Australia-Timor-Leste; technical lead in capacity-building, human rights and womens and childrens rights at the ASEAN-US Partnership for Good Governance, Equitable & Sustainable Development and Security (Progress).

Her passion for gender equality, womens and girls rights started in her early career at UNSRIs Women Study Center.

In the early 1990s, gender equality and womens issues were in the infant stages. Many people were still undermined on the need for a women study center at Indonesian universities.

Indonesia today has a female population of approximately 132.3 million, or 50.01 percent of the countrys population. Around 21 million are girls between the age of 15 and 24 years.

How can we ignore the voices, the needs and the rights of women and girls? she says.

The first thing to do is to focus on girls education, as that sets them on a path to greater opportunities and participation in their societies.

Many obstacles stand in the way of women and girls fully exercising their rights to participate in and benefit from education.

Poverty, geographical isolation, minority status, early marriage and pregnancy are just some of the reasons why, in many parts of the world, young women and girls are denied an education.

I owe my life to many people, especially champions of womens and girls rights here in Indonesia and in the world, says Agustiana.

The former rector of UNSRI, Amran Halim, University of Indonesia professor of political science Saparinah Sadli as well as Zaenab Bakir, Ita Nadia and Elizabeth Collins from Ohio University and many other prominent women and girls advocates have made gender equality a household name.

Other areas of concern include getting more women into politics and technology as well as achieving gender parity in business, womens health care, equal pay and more.

The 2014 elections, she added, were a major disappointment for advocates of increased womens representation.

The proportion of women elected to the House of Representatives in 2014 declined from 17.86 percent to 17.36 percent. At the provincial level, women won only 14.6 percent of 2,114 seats, while at district/municipalities, women won only 14.2 percent of 12,360 seats.

Promoting the prevention of sexual harassment and other forms of gender-based violence against women in both the domestic and public space is equally critical.

Agustiana has just established IFORWARD  Indonesia for Empowering Women, Youth and Children  an NGO that grants young people scholarships.

The organization also helps victims of violence against girls and women, children, as well as victims of trafficking in persons, online sexual violence and cyber-bullying.

We have helped many girls pursue their dreams despite obstacles. Every girl who succeeded in overcoming her barrier has given me energy to do more.

Agustiana admits that the road to achieving gender equality and providing a wide range of education and job opportunities for girls and women in Indonesia is still long and winding.

There is still a lot of work to do, but every one of us can make a difference in the lives of girls and women in Indonesia, she said.

We started in my hometown of Palembang as a pilot project. I know there are so many young girls and young boys all over Indonesia who need our hands in order for them to thrive in their lives, she said.

In the past, Agustiana has received support and assistance from many people around her to be what she is now. It is high time for me to pay it back. It is not just about ideas and hope, but real action.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, October 31, 2017 13:39 1841 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a26c233b 1 Lifestyle kahiyang,Kahiyang-Ayu,#Jokowi,Jokowi,joko-widodo,wedding,#wedding,pre-wedding Free

First Daughter Kahiyang, who is set to tie the knot with fiance Bobby Affif Nasution on Nov. 8, has shared her pre-wedding photos on her Instagram account with captions on the couples memorable dates

While many other high-profile couples prefer to have their pre-wedding photo shoot overseas, Kahiyang and Bobby chose to stay in the country, showcasing the beauty of Indonesia in the photos taken by All Seasons Photos.

Kompas.com has compiled a list of the couple's pre-wedding photo locations:

Borobudur Temple

The Borobudur Temple complex in Magelang, Central Java, features the splendor of the World Heritage Site as a backdrop to the lovebirds in matching batik attire, standing in front of the temple with two elephants.

Another photo shows Kahiyang smiling for the camera while perched against the temple's base.

Read also: Jokowi's daughter to serve 'martabak' at her wedding

Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta

The couple also selected the five-star Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta as a location for their pre-wedding photo shoot, capturing the majestic Mount Merapi rising behind the manmade structure.

Nusa Penida, Bali

A post shared by Kahiyang Ayu (@ayanggkahiyang) on Oct 7, 2017 at 5:23am PDT

Flying a little beyond the Island of the Gods, a highly popular location among couples for pre-wedding photos, the "First Couple" chose to stroll along the shores of neighboring Nusa Penida in matching batik. (jes/kes)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) China  Tue, October 31 2017

The Indonesian Embassy in Beijing took part in an international charity bazaar on Sunday to show off the countrys traditional cuisine.

Opened by Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Gongti (Workers Stadium) two kilometers from the embassy, the main theme of the event was Love without borders and it had more than 100 booths from various countries. At its booth, which the embassy said received more than 400 visitors, Indonesia aimed to promote its cuisine, arts and tourist attractions by distributing flyers to visitors.

According to the Embassy, the food offered included fried rice, fried noodles, chicken satay, sweet martabak (stuffed fried pancakes), coffee and snacks. The booth also displayed garments and handmade products. The most attractive products are sutra batik scarfs, particularly among middle-age women and teenage girls.

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Residents arrive at their house in Selat Duda village, Karangasem, Bali, from an evacuation center on Monday. They returned home after the Volcanology and Geological Hazards Mitigation Center (PVMBG) lowered the status of Mount Agung from awas (alert level 4) to siaga (alert level 3). The center also told people to stay 6 kilometers away from crater.(JP/Zul Trio Anggono)(PVMBG) lowered the status of Mount Agung from awas (alert level 4) to siaga (alert level 3). The center also told people to stay 6 kilometers away from crater.(JP/Zul Trio Anggono)
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, October 31, 2017 21:25 1841 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a26da3a3 1 Business tobacco,tobacco-growers,tobacco-leaf-price,tobacco-industry,APTI,Indonesian-Tobacco-Farmers-Association Free

The Indonesian Tobacco Farmers Association (APTI) has called on the government to control the importation of tobacco to protect local farmers who have been heavily affected by the influx of imported tobacco.

APTI chairman Agus Parmuji and the associations members from nine provinces expressed their concerns about the impacts of tobacco importation during their meeting with President Joko Jokowi Widodo at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Monday.

The farmers wanted the government allowed cigarette companies to import tobacco only if they had absorbed the local products.

There should be a regulation under which a company, which buys only a small amount of local tobacco, will get a small [tobacco] importation quota. Meanwhile, for a company that buys a big amount of local tobacco, the government can give a bigger import quota, but this should be no more than 20 percent of its total consumption of tobacco, Agus said after the meeting.

According to APTI data, Indonesia imported 28,000 tons of tobacco in 2003, but it later surged by more than three times to 90,000 tons in 2010 and again to 150,000 tons in 2012, accounting for 72.5 percent of total tobacco leaf consumption at that time.

Agus said that the increase of imported tobacco had resulted in quite a low absorption of local tobacco and their prices had continued to decline.

Local tobacco production amounts to 247,000 tons annually with prices varying from Rp 45,000 (US$3.32) per kilogram in Lampung to Rp 350,000 per kg for high-quality tobacco from Temanggung, Central Java. (ebf)
Two men were arrested on tentative charges stemming from a 39-year-old Blue Mounds man's death from an apparent heroin overdose last week, the Dane County Sheriff's Office is reporting.

Marquis S. Howard, 23, of Madison, was tentatively charged with delivery of heroin and being a felon in possession of a firearm. An additional charge of reckless homicide is pending, according to the Sheriff's Office. Donell L. Thomas, 26, of Chicago, also was tentatively charged with delivery of heroin, the Sheriff's Office said.

Detectives seized nearly $15,000 in cash, a 2013 BMW 528 as well as 130 grams of marijuana, 1.7 grams of heroin and 0.4 grams of crack upon arresting the men, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Both men were being held in the Dane County Jail.

The Blue Mounds man was found dead in his home on Apple Hill Drive last Thursday. It appeared that he died of a drug overdose and the case is under investigation by the Dane County Medical Examiner's Office, the Sheriff's Office said.

The Dane County Narcotics Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) assisted in the arrest of Howard and Thomas.
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Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, October 31, 2017 16:39 1841 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a26ce553 1 Business Garuda-Indonesia,US,flight,delay Free

National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has to postpone its plan to fly to the United States after the Japanese government refused to grant the airline fifth freedom traffic rights, which are needed to carry passengers between Tokyos Narita International Airport and the US.

In addition, Garuda has not yet completed the administrative requirements demanded by the US Department of Transportation.

"The Japanese government is less than supportive to the Indonesian airline to fly and take passengers from Tokyo [to the US]," Garuda Indonesia president director Pahala N. Mansury said on Tuesday.

The airline is considering Narita International Airport as the transit point for its route to the US.

"We are still waiting for the permit from the US Department of Transportation. The second [step] is to find a transit city," Pahala added.

Garuda Indonesia has been eyeing an expansion of its route network to the US, possibly Los Angeles, after a decision by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to upgrade Indonesias position to its International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) Category 1 rating. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, October 31, 2017 13:40 1841 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a26c2731 4 Business Lotus-Department-Store,Debenhams,7-Eleven,Matahari-Department-Store,closure Free

The government has been advised to anticipate the possibility of further job losses in the retail industry, following the closure of 7-Eleven convenience stores and the plan of Lotus and Debenhams department stores to follow suit.

Meanwhile, Matahari department stores had also closed two of its outlets in Jakarta.

Institute for Economic and Development Finance (Indef) economist Bima Yudhistira said more layoffs are expected due to the weakening of retail businesses.

[RA::Lotus, Debenhams in Indonesia to close down by year's end:http://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2017/10/26/lotus-debenhams-in-indonesia-to-close-down-by-years-end.html]

He added that in the case of the closures of 7-Eleven convenience stores, about 1,600 workers had lost their jobs. The weakening retail businesses may be followed by mass layoffs, he told kompas.com in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He estimated that about 10,000 workers would lose their jobs. He also warned that the workers would be unemployable because of job scarcity.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Retail Business Association deputy chairman (Aprindo) Tutum Rahanta said his association had no data about the number of workers who were affected.

We have no data yet, but because of the slow retail business, the sector would likely not recruit new workers, he added.

Previously, Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) chairman Hariyadi Sukamdani criticized the government for its slow response to the slowdown.

The government always denies it if there is a weakening of people purchasing power. But it also does not understand what really happened, he added. (bbn)
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Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, October 31, 2017 19:12 1841 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a26d7368 1 Business futures-contract,bappebti,monitoring-watchdogs Free

The Trade Ministry's Futures Exchange Supervisory Board (Bappebti) introduced a new system to monitor the futures commodity market to fight rampant illegal trading.

The system, called the single-monitoring system of alternative trading systems (SPTT-SPA), aims to monitor the futures market in a real-time basis and prevent market and financial fraud.

In SPA [futures] transactions, the trading database of each [trading] server is taken periodically every day, unlike in the past, where the database had been recorded one week after transactions. So we can now monitor it more accurately, said Bappebti head Bachrul Chairi in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Around 60 percent of todays futures transactions are illegal, contributing to the expected stagnation in the commodities market this year.

As of October, the total spot and futures market is recorded at around Rp 55.5 trillion (US$4.1 billion), a decrease of 3.04 percent year-on-year (yoy) due to rampant illegal trading, among other factors. The value is dominated by the futures market.

Bappebti expects the total market value to reach Rp 98 trillion by the year's end, a similar level to last year.

The system was soft-launched on Monday and is scheduled for its grand launch in January. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, October 31, 2017 11:10 1842 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a26b6515 4 Business Indosat-Ooredoo,Hutchison-3-Indonesia,auction,GHz-radio-frequency Free

Two operators -- Indosat and Hutchison 3 Indonesia -- were awarded the 2.1 GHz radio frequency for mobile cellular network operations that is worth Rp 423.08 billion (US$31.17 million).

The Communication and Information Ministry announced the result in a press statement.

Hutchison 3 Indonesia (Tri) vice president director Danny Buldansyah welcomed the decision, adding that with it, his company would be able to optimize Tris mobile broadband service.

With the additional spectrum, we will optimize our existing BTS. In certain areas, we can directly serve our customers with 4G, while in other areas, we can serve our customers with 3G, said Danny as reported by kontan on Monday.

The ministry said the 2.1 GHz frequency auction was attended by three participants -- Indosat, Hutchison 3 Indonesia and XL Axiata.

Danny expressed the hope that the government would open another tender to support efficiency in the telecommunication industry because of the increasing demand.

After winning the auction, Tri currently has a total capacity of 25 MHz -- 10 MHz in 1,800 MHz frequency and 15 MHz in 2.1 GHz frequency. (bbn)
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Linkedin Djemi Amnifu (The Jakarta Post) Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara  Tue, October 31, 2017 16:20 1841 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a26ccc52 1 National salt,NTT,Luhut-Binsar-Pandjaitan,self-sufficiency,PT-Garam Free

The province in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), with its vast bodies of water, has the potential to become the center of national salt production that can help tackle the salt production deficit in Indonesia, Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan has said.

The potential of salt production in NTT will help to fulfill domestic demand. The governor will look into this and make NTT a salt-producing province, Luhut said during his visit to the salt field, which belongs to state-owned salt producer PT Garam Indonesia in Bipolo village in Sulamu, Kupang regency on Monday.

Twelve regencies in the province, including Malaka, Alor, East Flores, Lembata and Nagekeo, have the potential to develop 26,000 hectares of salt fields that can produce up to 2.7 million tons of salt per year, Luhut said.

Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan speaks during a CEO Forum on Oct. 19, 2017 in this file photo. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)

He went on to say that this volume of production, in addition to production in other salt producer areas such as Madura in East Java, Makassar (South Sulawesi) and West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), would be able to fulfill domestic demand.

In Bipolo, for instance, the government hopes to develop salt fields on 5,000 hectares of land, Luhut said.

Read also: Modern methods required for salt self-sufficiency

Luhut added that President Joko Jokowi Widodo has called for the development of more salt fields across Indonesia as part of the countrys bid to achieve salt self-sufficiency by 2020.

We have talked with the regent and governor to provide an integrated solution [] the matter of land [acquisition] will be immediately resolved, Luhut said. (afr/bbs)
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Linkedin Andi Hajramurni (The Jakarta Post) Makassar  Tue, October 31, 2017 18:38 1841 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a26d618d 1 National corruption-case,#corruption,#SouthSulawesi,South-Sulawesi,#LandProcurement,land-purchase Free

Outgoing Takalar, South Sulawesi regent Burhanuddin Baharuddin lost a pretrial motion he lodged to challenge a recent decision of the South Sulawesi Prosecutors Office, which named him a graft suspect in a 2015 land procurement case that cost the state Rp 18.5 billion (US$1.36 million).

Riyanto Adam Pontoh, the sole judge presiding over the case at the Makassar District Court, ruled on Tuesday in favor of the prosecutors office and rejected Burhanuddin's pretrial motion on the grounds that the decision to name him a suspect was based on lawful evidence.

"The suspect naming was legitimate since it was based on evidence. Therefore, the court rejects his petition, Riyanto said during Tuesdays hearing.

Burhanuddin was named a suspect in July for reportedly abusing his authority in granting a principle business license to private company PT Karya Insan Cirebon and allowing it to develop a 150-hectare plot of land initially designated by the government to be transformed into an industrial zone for transmigration purposes.

Burhanuddin, who lost a reelection bid in February, will end his tenure as Takalar regent in December.

Investigators have also named three other people suspects in the case that came to light in Laikang village, Mangarabombang district  district head Muhammad Noer Utary, village head Sila Laidi and village secretary Andi Sose  for their alleged roles in selling land to the company. (ipa)
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Linkedin Nurul Fitri Ramadhani and Kharishar Kahfi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, October 31 2017

M, a 26-year-old private employee, was seeking justice and protection when she visited a police station in Bekasi, West Java, after being raped three years ago by her boyfriend she had dated for just two months.

What happened after meeting police officers was not what she had expected at all. Instead of being consoled, M had to endure more trauma, but this time from the police officers that she thought would defend her.

The officers asked what she was wearing at the time and whether she took off her clothes by herself when the rape occurred.

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, October 31, 2017 19:09 1841 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a26d7257 1 City Sandiaga-Uno,salary,charity Free

Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno reiterated his campaign promise to donate his salary as a government official to charity.

He said on Tuesday that he had asked the Jakarta Muslim Charitable Donations Board (Bazis) to manage his salary and channel it to the needy.

I instructed Bazis to communicate with Pak Agus of the Jakarta Employment Agency to allow them to manage my salary, Sandiaga said at the South Jakarta Mayors office on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com.

Sandiaga, a seasoned businessman, claimed that his decision to jump into politics was purely motivated by his desire to improve the city, and money was not what he was looking for from the job.

For me all activities in office are part of [religious] worship. I am not looking to seek additional income from the job, he said, adding that he already had enough savings to feed his family.

During the gubernatorial election campaign, Sandiaga had repeatedly told the public that when elected, he would channel all of his salary from the position to charity. (fac)
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Linkedin Agnes Anya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, October 31, 2017 19:46 1841 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a26d7f79 1 City bullying,school,ahok,anies-baswedan Free

An elementary school student in Pekayon, East Jakarta, has reportedly been bullied by his peers calling him Ahok, in reference to the jailed former Jakarta governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama, who is of Chinese descent.

A Facebook post, apparently by the students uncle, said the third-grader had been called Ahok ever since the legal case involving the former governor in the last gubernatorial election. The situation was [exacerbated] by the use of the word pribumi, the post read, referring to Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan using the term pribumi (indigenous people) in his inaugural speech earlier this month, in a move that was feared to stir up racial sentiment.

The Facebook post has gone viral and has prompted the parents to plan to move their son to another school.

The Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI) stated on Tuesday that, based on testimony from the boy's teacher, he had been called Ahok since he was in first grade. It is alleged that he was called so, because he has slanted eyes and a fair complexion. At the time, the name of Ahok was considered positive, because Ahok got many compliments [as governor], said Retno Listyarti, a commissioner with the KPAI.

Based on that assumption, the teachers apparently did not consider the name-calling by other students to be a form of bullying, and let them do so.

However, since Ahok was accused of blasphemy, the other students used the name with mischievous intent, said Retno.

KPAI deems this to be bullying: The names meaning turned from positive to negative. This is allegedly what made his parents plans to move him to another school, she explained.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, October 31, 2017 17:58 1841 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a26d42a9 4 National OPM,Papua,Gatot-Nurmantyo Free

Armed assailants behind the shootings at the Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) station at Mile 66 last Sunday in Tembagapura, Mimika Regency, Papua, are members of the separatist group Free Papua Movement (OPM), Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo has said.

We have identified [the gunmen]. They called themselves OPM, Gatot said in Jakarta on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com.

Gatot went on to say TNI personnel in Timika were prepared and ready to be deployed any time the Papua Police requested backup from the military to address security disturbances in the area.

Papua Police have issued the highest security alert, known as Siaga 1, effective on Sunday after a group of armed assailants fired at the Brimob station, resulting in an exchange of fire.

Read also: Papuan separatists end resistance, pledge allegiance to NKRI

Sunday's attack happened less than a week after Brimob officer First. Brig. Berry Pramana Putra was killed in an exchange of fire with unidentified gunmen on Utikini bridge in Tembagapura.

The incident occurred when Brimob personnel stationed in Timika were pursuing a group of armed assailants suspected to be behind security disturbances at PTFIs mining area in recent months.

Cendrawasih Military Command in Papua has prepared a company-level unit (SSK) as reinforcements for the police. The SSK consists of 100 personnel, the command chief Maj. Gen. George Supit said previously. (afr/dmr)
Rebecca D'Angelo/For the Washington Post(WASHINGTON) -- Tony Podesta, the brother of Hillary Clinton's former campaign chairman John Podesta, has stepped down from his namesake lobbying group citing the current news environment, according to a source familiar with the situation.



Tony Podesta is viewed as one of the most prominent Democratic lobbyists in Washington. His firm, the Podesta Group, has been a subject of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election in part because of its work on behalf of foreign interests.



"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," a spokesperson for the Podesta Group told ABC News.



The spokesperson told ABC News that the Podesta Group "filed the appropriate public disclosures of its representation" of the nonprofit group called the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine in 2012.



How investigators with the special counsels office are viewing Podestas role in the investigation remains unclear. But The Washington Post reported Monday that Podesta told his firms employees that it was impossible to run a public affairs firm while you are under attack by Fox News and the right-wing media.



The news of his departure comes the same day that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his associate Rick Gates were indicted on charges including conspiracy against the United States, money laundering and working as unregistered foreign agents. Manaforts ties to prior political work in Ukraine raised questions shortly before he resigned from the Trump campaign in August 2016. Both Manafort and Gates have pleaded not guilty to all charges against them.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
To improve public safety, Mayor Paul Soglin is proposing that all convenience stores in the city have quality security cameras covering multiple areas and that records be kept for at least 30 days.

The Police Department began discussing such an ordinance amid rising incidents of gunfire and homicides earlier this year and supports the proposal, Chief Mike Koval said.

It will enhance public safety, it will save lives and it will make it easier to apprehend criminals in areas weve identified as hot spots, Soglin said.

Jeff Lenard, vice president for strategic industry initiatives at the National Association of Convenience Stores, was cool to the proposal, saying that security cameras are not at the top of the list of validated security measures.

Generally, these types of ordinances are well meaning but may not best achieve the desired outcome, he said, explaining that the top two practices are reducing signage in windows that block a clear view, as well as effective lighting; and minimizing cash on hand by using a time-release drop safe.

The proposed ordinance, to be introduced to the City Council on Tuesday, would require high-resolution cameras that can create reproducable images, including images that can identify people, with a date and time stamp on each image.

The cameras, which must have an image quality of at least 50 pixels per foot, would have to provide an overview of each counter and register area, an image of an individuals face as they enter or exit the store, and areas surrounding all gas pumps. Stores must also have sufficient lighting so the cameras can produce clear images.

Also, all digital video records must be stored and maintained in good viewing order for 30 days. When requested by the city, the store owner must ensure the video is properly kept until retrieved by the city. The owner must also ensure adequate staff is trained in retrieving and providing the videos.

Further, all stores must conspicuously post a sign a minimum two inches tall at all entrances and exits with the minimum language: Video recording equipment in use. You may be recorded.

The proposal will be considered by committees and decided by the council at a later date. The ordinance would go into effect six months after passage.

Council President Marsha Rummel said she hasnt heard from colleagues about support or opposition, but said that video cameras at convenience stores have been helpful in the past.

Law enforcement is increasingly relying on forensics and technology to investigate and solve crimes, and the proposed ordinance would create uniformity both as a deterrent and the capacity to record criminal activity and gather evidence at ever-popular convenience stores, Koval said.

Many stores already have cameras, but its unclear how many meet the specific criteria in the proposed ordinance, Koval said, adding that hes unsure about potential costs.

Were doing good now, but we want to go from good to better to best practices, he said.

Under the ordinance, violators would face a court deposit of $200 for a first offense, $500 for a second offense and $750 for third and subsequent offenses. Each day a violation exits would be considered a separate offense.

We dont want to play gotcha police with store owners, Koval said. We want them to understand as part of a bottom line this is a reasonable cost. It will help peoples perception its safe.

Lenard said, These ordinances are relatively uncommon and thats because a one-size-fits-all approach may not be the best approach. ... (But) no one wants to be the target of crime. It is bad for business in attracting customers and in attracting employees. I hope the mayor will be reaching out to stores to determine the best course of action to accomplish our common goals.
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Linkedin Gemma Holliani Cahya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, October 31, 2017 18:52 1841 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a26d682d 1 National terrorism,terror-attack,terrorists,TerroristSuspect,Bima-West-Nusa-Tenggara,Santoso,JAD,National-Police Free

Two suspected terrorists who were shot dead during a shootout with Densus 88 counterterrorism squad personnel in Bima, West Nusa Tenggara, on Monday, were members of the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) terrorist group, National Police have confirmed.

JAD in Bima is strongly believed to be affiliated with the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT), a terrorist network in Poso, Central Sulawesi, National Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Setyo Wasisto said.

The MIT was previously led by Santoso, alias Abu Wardah, before he was killed in July last year and replaced by his followers.

According to the [police] data, the group in Bima is closely linked to the [terrorist] group in Poso, Setyo told journalists in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He went on to say that members of the MIT terror group had repeatedly entered Bima. The JAD network in Bima also received instructions from the late MIT leader to carry out attacks in the city, Setyo said.

As previously reported, the shoot-out between the polices Densus 88 antiterror squad and four terrorist suspects took place on Mawu Dalam hill, Bima. Two among the four suspects, identified as Amir (also known as "Dance") and Yaman, were killed, while the two others managed to escape and remain at large.

The dead suspects were also believed to be behind the shooting incidents in Bima on Sept. 11, during which two police officers, identified as Chief Brig. Jainal Abidin of the Bima Polices Sabhara rapid response unit and Chief Brig. Gafur of the Langgudu Police in Bima, were shot in two different locations. (afr/ebf)
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Linkedin Antoinette Chalaby-Moualla (Agence France-Presse) Paris, France  Tue, October 31, 2017 12:41 1841 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a26bb679 2 World history,Israel,Britain,independence,occupation Free

The Balfour Declaration a century ago opened the way for the creation of Israel, sowing the seeds of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that continues to tear apart the Middle East today.

The statement was made in an open letter from British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour that was published on November 2, 1917, a year before the end of World War I.

In one sentence it announced the British government's backing for the establishment within Palestine, then a region of the Ottoman Empire, of "a national home for the Jewish people".

It was a shock to the Arab world, which had not been consulted and had received vague promises of independence of its own in the post-war break up of the defeated Ottoman Empire.

The Palestinians have always condemned the Declaration, which they refer to as the "Balfour promise", saying Britain was giving away land it did not own.

This handout file photo taken in 1925 and obtained from the Israeli Government Press Office (GPO) on Oct. 24, 2017, shows a portrait of then Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour taken in 1917. Britain's Balfour Declaration turns 100 this week, hailed by Israel for helping lead to its founding, but viewed by Palestinians as contributing to a catastrophe that stole their land. The Nov. 2, 1917 declaration by then British foreign minister Arthur Balfour said his government viewed (Agence France -Presse/Handout/GPO)

Britain's interests

With the Balfour Declaration, London was seeking Jewish support for its war efforts, and the Zionist push for a homeland for Jews was an emerging political force.

The first Zionist congress in the Swiss city of Basel in August 1897 had declared: "Zionism aims at establishing for the Jewish people a publicly and legally assured home in Palestine."

It was a time of anti-semitism and pogroms in Russia and eastern Europe, and an influx of Jews in Palestine was already under way: they numbered 47,000 in 1895 against 24,000 in 1882.

The Arabs protested against the Zionist intent and the first political organizations to fight it were established in 1911.

Arab world shared out

In 1916, Britain's Sir Mark Sykes and France's Francois Georges-Picot negotiated the post-war break-up of the Ottoman Empire and shared out the Arab world.

Their secret accords put modern-day Lebanon and Syria more or less under French influence and Iraq and Jordan under Britain.

Palestine was to be placed under international administration. But Britain did not see this as in its interests. It wanted to turn Zionist aspirations to its own ends, considering that a Jewish state could assure a foothold in the Middle East.

One sentence, 67 words

Balfour sent his famous typewritten letter, which had been approved by the cabinet, to a high-ranking representative of the British Jewish community, Lord Walter Rothschild.

This handout file photo taken in 1925 and obtained from the Israeli Government Press Office (GPO) on Oct. 24, 2017, shows a copy of the Balfour Declaration dated on Nov. 2, 1917. Britain's Balfour Declaration turns 100 this week, hailed by Israel for helping lead to its founding, but viewed by Palestinians as contributing to a catastrophe that stole their land. The Nov. 2, 1917 declaration by then British foreign minister Arthur Balfour said his government viewed (Agence France -Presse/Handout/GPO)

It read: "His Majesty's Government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country."

This one line of 67 words was a major victory for the Zionist chief in Britain, Chaim Weizmann, who was to become Israel's first president and had campaigned hard to get the British government to approve the declaration.

It was a shock for Arabs in the Middle East, neither consulted nor informed. Jews in 1917 represented only seven percent of Palestine's population.

The first Arab demonstrations took place in February 1920.

Birth of Israel

The declaration was put into action in April 1920 at the San Remo conference of World War I allies which delivered a mandate on Palestine.

Approved in 1922 by the League of Nations, the mandate said Britain "shall be responsible for placing the country under such political, administrative and economic conditions as will secure the establishment of the Jewish national home".

London had to crush a 1936-1939 Arab revolt in Palestine that demanded independence and an end to Jewish immigration.

The rise of Nazism and the Holocaust during World War II gave an impetus for a new wave of Jewish arrivals. Tensions with the British authorities led to an insurgency by Zionist militias.

In November 1947, the United Nations adopted a plan to split Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab, with the holy city of Jerusalem under international control.

And on May 14, 1948, immediately after the end of the British mandate in Palestine, Jewish leader David Ben Gurion proclaimed the creation of the state of Israel.

Topics : history Israel Britain independence occupation
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Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, October 31, 2017 08:07 1842 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a26ad904 1 Business tobacco,imports,farmers,limitation Free

The Indonesian Tobacco Farmers Association (APTI) has urged the government to implement a policy to control the importation of tobacco to protect local farmers.

During a meeting between APTI members from nine provinces and President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo at the Merdeka Palace on Monday, they called on the President to allow cigarette companies to import tobacco only if they had absorbed the tobacco produced by the local farmers.

"If a company buys a small amount of local tobacco, it has to get only a small import quota. If a company buys a large amount of local tobacco, the government can give a larger quota. But it should be no more than 20 percent of its total consumption," APTI chairman Agus Parmuji said after the meeting.

According to the APTI data, the tobacco import reached only around 28,000 tons in 2003, but it surged to 90,000 tons in 2010 and again to 150,000 tons in 2012, which was about 72.5 percent of the total tobacco consumption.

The increase of imported tobacco had resulted in the lower absorption of local tobacco and the decline of prices, Agus said, adding that local tobacco production reached 247,000 tons annually with prices varying from Rp 45,000 (US$3.31) per kilogram to Rp 350,000 per kg, depending on the quality.

Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman said that he would discuss the matter with Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita. "Actually, we talked to cigarette companies last month and they agreed to buy local tobacco at good a price," he said. (bbn)

Topics : tobacco imports farmers limitation
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Linkedin Aman Rochman (The Jakarta Post) Malang, East Java  Tue, October 31, 2017 14:34 1841 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a26c8368 1 National Train,Malang,railway,incident,railway-operator-PTKAI,KAI,Transportation Free

At least three trains were stopped in their tracks after a container truck hit a rail bridge in Malang, East Java, on Monday.

The three trains were the Tawang Alun that served the Malang-Banyuwangi route, Panataran (Malang-Jakarta) and Malabar (Malang-Bandung).

The incident also affected trains arriving from Yogyakarta, Bandung and Jakarta.

Hundreds of passengers were reportedly stranded at a number of stations after authorities immediately closed the railway line.

A trailer truck is stuck under a rail bridge in Malang, East Java, on Monday. Among the affected trains are Malabar serving the Malang-Bandung route and Tawang Alun (Malang-Banyuwangi). (The Jakarta Post/Aman Rochman)

The trip supervisor at Malang's Kota Baru train station, Ahmad Saiful, said affected passengers would get a full refund from railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI).

"The Malioboro train from Yogyakarta was stuck at the Kota Lama station," he added.

The railway line was reopened on Tuesday morning, but trains were advised to reduce speed at the crash site.

Abdul Rofik, 28, the truck's driver, said he was transporting paper rolls to Surabaya. "I am from Rembang [in Central Java] and this is my first time delivering in the Malang area."

Read also: Jakarta fails to close 10 railroad crossings

The traffic accident unit head at the Malang City Police, First Insp. Boedi Junaedi, said the driver tried to escape congestion and used the left lane without knowing that the space between the road and the bridge on the lane is shorter. "The driver is currently being held [at the police station]." (bbs)
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Beijing, China  Tue, October 31, 2017 13:25 1841 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a26c168b 2 Business China,Xi-Jinping,Apple,Facebook,Mark-Zuckerberg,Tim-Cook Free

Apple's Tim Cook and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, state media said Tuesday, as the Communist Party pushes for a larger role in private firms.

The meeting came days after Xi secured his position as China's most powerful leader since Mao and as Facebook seeks to gain entry to the massive market.

"As a beneficiary of and contributor to economic globalisation, China's development is the opportunity for the world," Xi told the annual gathering of advisers to Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Mark Zuckerberg listens as Xi tells him, Tim Cook and other multinational bosses about China's open economy. https://t.co/TzxKST6oEB pic.twitter.com/9QiYWXKLg0  Chris Buckley  (@ChuBailiang) October 30, 2017

Under Xi, the Communist Party has increasingly tightened its grip on state-owned companies and has asked foreign firms to include party cells in their offices.

The move has raised concerns that the party may try to create alternative power structures within companies and potentially exercise control over management decisions, as it has in the case of state-owned enterprises.

Apple's Cook, FB's Zuckerberg meet #China's Xi in Beijing; America tech companies have been co-opted by the CCP https://t.co/WTzlQsSOvO pic.twitter.com/MzkPirJ6Yh  iyouport (@iyouport_news) October 31, 2017

Of the more than one hundred thousand foreign-funded companies in China, 70 percent had set up party organisations by the end of 2016, according to Qi Yu, deputy head of the party's Organisation Department.

Foreign companies regularly complain about the lack of access to Chinese markets and Zuckerberg in particular has made a big show of courting the country's top leadership in hopes of convincing Beijing to relax its ban on Facebook.

The Silicon Valley entrepreneur has been photographed with a collection of Xi's writings and happily jogging across Tiananmen Square in choking pollution. He has also given a lecture in China in halting Chinese.

The company has recently begun staffing up on the mainland, but appears to have made little progress in convincing Beijing to change its mind, a prospect that seems even less likely as the country tightens social media controls.

Tsinghua University's business school has attracted a bevy of A-list advisers from the worlds of tech and finance, including Blackstone's Stephen Schwarzman, Goldman Sachs' Lloyd Blankfein, and Tesla's Elon Musk, as well as China's own leading entrepreneurs, such as Alibaba's Jack Ma.
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Linkedin Stevie Emilia (The Jakarta Post) Zagreb  Tue, October 31, 2017 09:52 1842 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a26b0021 1 Destinations destination,travel,Croatia Free

The moment I arrive in the Croatian capital Zagreb, and take in my surroundings, I know Im going to love this city.

Zagreb often goes unnoticed among travelers, considered a transit city on their way to the Adriatic coastlines for which Croatia is famous for.

The city is definitely underrated. It may not be as popular as Paris or London among tourists, but thats their loss.

I was immediately charmed not just by its rich culture and history but also the capitals soul.

In many corners of Zagreb, the intoxicating cafe culture  people chatting with friends, reading or simply people gazing while lounging on open-air terraces outside cafes or restaurants  washes over me, sending out the feeling how life slowing down and letting me know its time to relax and put life on pause.

Zagreb was, in its own calming charm, for me, like a breath of fresh air  slightly smaller than Jakarta and it is home to much fewer people at just 800,000, compared to over 10 million back home. And its free of traffic jams.

Fresh offerings: Different kinds of produce are for sale at the Dolac in Zagreb. (JP/Stevie Emilia)

Keeping an open mind, with 30 hours to spend in the city, I decide not to pressure myself to religiously follow the best things to do and 10 places to see tips I read on my way there. I just embrace the moment.

In the first few hours, I get trapped into the first-time visitor habit of doing touristy things while following our guide Damjan Beusan on a walking tour.

The tour starts from the Hotel Dubrovnik, where were staying, located just steps away from Zagrebs heart and soul  the Ban Josip Jelacic Square, one of its iconic symbols that has not only stood witness to history, but also serves as a favorite meeting place among locals and visitors alike.

At its center, a statue of the countrys military hero sits proudly on horseback wielding his sword, as trams clatter around. It was easy to get lost among the crowds walking leisurely to work, to shop or to meet up with friends.

Theres no need to worry getting lost here because everything, and everyone, eventually leads back to the square, Beusan says.

I learn later in my free time that Zagreb is perfectly viewed from the 360-degree observation deck located in the square.

Zest for life: The Well of Life, located in front of the National Theatre, is one of Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic's most popular works. (Shutterstock/File)

Its cityscape, unlike most European cities, is a captivating combination of the Austro-Hungarian and socialist architectural styles.

Along its cobbled streets, most of Zagrebs famous landmarks are within a walking distance from the square: from St. Marks Church, which patterned tile roof depicts the Croatian and Zagreb coats of arms, to the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which neo-Gothic grandeur and towering twin spires are hard to miss.

Other must-visit places nearby is the Dolac open air market where traders  under the shade of red umbrellas that lend a postcard-perfect view from afar  offer fresh produce, from fruits to vegetables, and from fish to olive oil and quick bites, earning it nickname as the Belly of Zagreb.

The market is not just a place where people shop, but, just like the square, its a meeting place, where friends meet and, after finishing shopping, have coffee in nearby cafes or restaurants, Beusan says.

The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Shutterstock/File)

Croatia is probably famous for its wine, but coffee, the fragrant dark beverage, is its lifeblood.

Rows of cafe terraces are filled with people enjoying their coffee day and night, with no popular coffee chain around.

A coffee lover myself, I was in my element.

Beusan says Croats enjoy many kinds of coffee, from Italian to Turkish, but for them, coffee is all about socializing, connecting with people, whether catching up with friends or closing a business deal.

Croatia is probably famous for its wine, but coffee, the fragrant dark beverage, is its lifeblood. (JP/Stevie Emilia)

Coffee, and not a bottle of wine as is customary elsewhere, is the perfect gift when visiting someones home.

People have coffee everywhere here, so when someone orders tea, its so shocking that hed be asked if he was sick, Beusan said before bursting into laughter.

After all the walking, I think Ive earned myself a break. Taking a seat and gazing at the people strolling around while waiting for my coffee, I realize that of all the places Ive visited, Zagreb is the city that Id love to revisit, even linger in for longer, to explore all its nooks and crannies and beyond.

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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Tue, October 31, 2017 14:06 1841 1f87594453bb792833e1ece3a26c66b0 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,Ubud,ubud-writers-readers-festival,literary-festival Free

The Ubud Writers and Readers Festival 2017 that was held on Oct. 25-29 managed to attract thousands of people to come to Ubud as the number of tickets sold reached 4,000.

The ticket price was divided into two categories: US$400 for foreigners and Rp 600,000 ($44.18) for the locals. Additionally, the festival also earned their income by selling exhibition booths.

Since 2004, UWRF has contributed to the number of tourists coming to Bali. Last year alone, the event reportedly attracted more than 30,000 people.

I hope to see more varieties from UWRF in the future, just like this year where they have exhibition booths. This idea improves both the tourism business and economy, said Tourism Ministrys archipelago tourism marketing development deputy Esthy Reko Astuti.

Read also: World's largest library on Indonesia opens in Leiden

Imagine the income that hotels and restaurants in Ubud received from the 4,000 visitors. I hope other areas can hold similar events as well, added the ministry's head of man-made promotion, Ni Putu Gayatri.

Gayatri said that the event also aimed to prove that Bali is still safe amid the news on Mount Agung in Karangasem.

Meanwhile, the partnership director of the event's initiator Mudra Swari Saraswati Foundation, Saraswati Ratnanggana, thanked the ministry for their support.

The ministry is said to provide billboards, banners, posters, flyers and souvenirs as promotional materials for the event. Moreover, it also launched a book consisting of the works of 15 Indonesian writers at UWRF 2017.

We are delighted because the ministry has supported us locally and internationally. Literature has its own market, as seen from this event that has managed to attract thousands of visitors, said Saras. (kes)
The land use committee of the City Council this morning unanimously approved local Council member Margaret Chins legislation aimed at fast tracking certain applications before the City Planning Commission. The proposal is part of a larger effort to curtail three mega-towers in the Two Bridges area.

On Oct. 12, Chin and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer submitted a request to City Planning for a zoning text amendment. It would require developers to obtain a special permit and to undergo a full land use review. Separately, Chin proposed a bill that would allow elected officials to skip the citys arduous pre-application process when filing land use applications. In the Two Bridges area, time is of the essence, since the Department of City Planning is now evaluating the three massive projects on the waterfront.

The land use committee voted in favor of the legislation today, in spite of opposition from City Planning and from the Real Estate Board of New York.

In a hearing held last week, Chin complained to city officials that they can hold up applications for a year or more. She said a speedy review is essential on the Lower East Side, where the community is under attack from over-development. We just want a fighting chance, explained Chin, who called for transparency and a meaningful role for local communities when large projects are planned.

Anita Laremont, City Plannings general counsel, pushed back, saying the pre-application process identifies potential problems with applications and leads to a more orderly review. Laremont added, I would point out that we have already scheduled a meeting to discuss your application. We are committed to working with elected officials.

Chin responded that the meeting is only happening because she proposed the fast-track legislation.

There was also testimony from Michael Slattery of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY). He called the bill, an assault on as-of-right development. Slattery said, I didnt know that those (real estate) investments that create jobs and tax revenue are such an attack on communities.

Before todays vote, Chin referenced REBNYs objections. I couldnt agree more, said Chin. The legislation is a threat to as-of-right development. Chin said shes seen enormous buildings rise in her district with no public review. If REBNY is threatened by this legislation, good! She said its not the Councils job to represent real estate developers.

The new projects in the Two Bridges area include JDS Development Groups 1,000-foot tower at 247 Cherry St.; 62 ad 69 story towers from L+M Development Partners and the CIM Group at 260 South St.; and a 62-story building by the Starrett Group at 259 Clinton St. The rental buildings would add about 2,700 apartments to the area  75% market rate/25% affordable.

City Planning rejected a request from Chin last year to subject the projects to a ULURP, which would have required City Council approval. DCP ruled that the buildings amounted to minor modification of the Two Bridges Large-Scale Development Plan.

We are, of course, in teh final days of a contentious City Council election. Chin has been under fire from her opponents for acting too slowly to fight the development projects in the Two Bridges neighborhood.

UPDATE 6:49 p.m. The full City Council approved this legislation today. In a statement, a spokesperson from City Planning said:
A well known New York City chef is headed for uncharted territory on the Lower East Side.

Ryan Bartlow is leaving Quality Eats to open a place called Ernestos at 259 East Broadway (Montgomery Street). The restaurant, his first solo project, is scheduled to open in the spring. According to a press release, the menu will focus on the Basque region of Spain. The natural wine list will showcase Iberian wines.

Prior to his two year stint as executive chef at Quality Eats, Bartlow worked at Frankies Spuntino, Bar Carrera/Bar Veloce, and Tailor, as well as Grant Achatzs Alinea.

During the summer, an application for a beer and wine permit at 259 East Broadway appeared on Community Board 3s website. The space was previously occupied by Big Apple Deli, which eventually relocated a couple of blocks to the west. The storefront, which also housed a fast food Chinese restaurant, was given a high-end makeover.

Its a daring concept this far east, where there are few restaurants of any kind. Bartlow, however, knows the neighborhood. Hes lived on the Lower LES (near Canal Street and Orchard Street) for a dozen years or so. His favorite spot is Cafe Katja on Orchard Street, which we take as a good sign.
. To do so, first type the original number into the text box. Then click on the "Scientific Notation" option located at the top of the floating window. Finally, click on the "Standard" button found beneath the text box to display your result. This program is useful for scientists and engineers working with decimal-based numbers. It provides easy access to those who need to convert those numbers into more compact forms without having to do heavy math calculations first.

Scientific notation is a way to express very large or very small numbers. It is used in physics, chemistry and other fields where large numbers are common. Those numbers are written as a power of 10 followed by a number with an exponent. For example, 1,000,000 (one million) is written as 1  103. The exponent shows how many zeros are after the first digit. For example, 1,000,001 is written as 1  102. Scientific notation is a useful tool for making calculations easier. You can use it to write down very big or very small numbers in one step instead of writing out both the large and small numbers separately. You can also use it to express large or small numbers in terms of other units like centimeters or millimeters.

Scientific notation solver is an online tool that can be used to convert any number into scientific notation. Simply enter any number to the left of the decimal point and it will automatically convert it into a scientific notation equivalent. This web tool can be very helpful when you need to convert a large number into scientific notation. However, please note that this online tool can only convert numbers that are in scientific format. For example, it cannot convert a non-scientific number like "1,085" into a scientific notation equivalent. It is also important to keep in mind that this web tool only works when converting numbers from one particular format to another. For example, if you want to change a non-scientific number like "1,085" into standard format, then you will have to use another online tool like NumberFormatting.com.
This season looks set to be huge for Dubai, from having the worlds biggest ferris wheel, major hotel expansions, incredible performances of La Perle and more...

Worlds largest ferris wheel

The London Eye has competition - the largest and tallest observation wheel in the world, Ain Dubai, is now halfway complete.

Now clearly visible at Bluewater Island  where the landmark is being assembled  Ain Dubai to set to become an iconic destination for tourists and locals alike to enjoy, offering incredible 360-degree views of the city and its stunning coastline.

The marvel is 668 feet tall and will be able to carry a ground-breaking 1,400 passengers in 48 capsules.

Installation began in 2016 with the hub and spindle, and the finished structure will include roughly 9,000 tonnes of steel  thats almost 25% more than the amount of iron used to construct the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

La Perle arrives in Dubai

A brand new and one-of-a-kind theatrical experience is making waves in the city after opening on 31st August. La Perle aims to reflect the beauty and flavours of Arabia, and embody the soul of its hosting neighbourhood  Al Habtoor city.

Its the first ever resident live performance show in the UAE, with 450 performances a year planned. The 1,300-capicity theatre combines a range of technology and creative imagery to produce the spectacular visual display.

The show was conceived by the hugely famous Cirque du Soleil director, Franco Dragone, and includes 65 entertainers from 23 countries worldwide. It will include an array of impressive aerial and aquatic stunts during the popular show.

Only Orbi outside of Japan to open in the city

The high-tech, multi-sensory natural history project, Orbi, is coming to Dubai, making it the first city outside of Japan to host the popular attraction.

The project, which is from the BBC and Sega, takes visitors on a virtual voyage of discovery and consists of 12 nature zones designed to create experiences that would be impossible normally. Visitors can follow polar explorers, experience being in the middle of an elephant migration, and even soar through the planets skies.

The star of the show, however, is the Earth Theatre, a 35-metre-wide screen with 3D sound system where the natural world comes to life with the state-of-the-art tech  including fog, vibration and fragrance.

Atlantis, The Palm to undergo 77 million revamp

Dubais iconic Atlantis, The Palm hotel will be making some major changes, with a 77 million refurbishment programme set to makeover the resort. Currently home to 1,539 rooms and suites, the expansion will add 50 refurbished every six weeks, with completion due in 2019.

The UAE-based interior design studio WA International has formulated a fresh look, with contemporary carpeting to mirror the ocean outside and coral accents giving a truly aquatic theme. Other points of work include balconies, bathrooms, technology enhancements and restaurant renovations.
Netflix have announced the cancellation of US political drama House of Cards, with next years sixth season set to be its last.

The announcement comes in the midst of allegations that the shows star, Kevin Spacey, attempted to sexually assault a teen actor.

Both Spacey and Both Spacey and

Anthony Rapp, currently appearing in Star Trek: Discovery , came out with the revelations at the weekend in a Buzzfeed article, prompted by the news surrounding Harvey Weinstein and sexual abuse in Hollywood, as well as the #MeToo movement on social media.



Rapp were in a Broadway show together in 1986, with Rapp describing unwanted sexual advances at a party one evening.

While some reports argue that the cancellation of House of Cards was a decision made months ago, the timing of the announcement suggests Netflix cutting all ties with the star, a move that has been commended.

Spacey issued a statement apologising for his actions, despite being unable to remember what happened, but also within his statement came out as a gay man, which has prompted criticism from the LGBTQ+ community for conflating homosexuality with being a sexual predator.

It is unclear if other projects involving Spacey will also be cancelled.
Prue Leith has expressed regret after accidentally revealing the winner of the Great British Bake Off

The shows new judge told the Press Association she was in Bhutan when she made the slip.

An upset-sounding Leith said: Im in Bhutan. The time difference is massive. I thought that they got it six hours ago. Im in too much of a state to talk about it. I f***** up.

The judge tweeted in anticipation of tonights Channel 4 finale: No-one told me judging a GBBO final would be so emotional. I wanted them all to win. Bravo.

Prue Leiths tweet (Prue Leith)

The tweet, which was later removed, came seconds after Leith announced that she would be returning to the show next year, along with Paul Hollywood, Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig.

Leith replaced Mary Berry when the latter decided not to move to Channel 4.

Fielding raised eyebrows when his name was announced along with Toksvig as replacements for hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins.

Hollywood was criticised when he decided to move with the ex-BBC programme, with fans saying that the show could be doomed.

The series was taken to Channel 4 by its former chief creative officer, Jay Hunt, who was later hired by Apple.

Channel 4 has been contacted for comment.
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Film actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who recently launched his memoir, was quick enough to withdraw it after receiving flak from the women he had mentioned about. The Badlapur actor apologised and announced the withdrawal of his book on Twitter, Monday (October 30) night.

Nawazuddin posted on Twitter, I m apologising 2 every1 whos sentiments r hurt bcz of d chaos around my memoir #AnOrdinaryLife. I hereby regret & decide 2 withdraw my book.

I m apologising 2 every1 whos sentiments r hurt bcz of d chaos around my memoir #AnOrdinaryLife

I hereby regret & decide 2 withdraw my book  Nawazuddin Siddiqui (@Nawazuddin_S) October 30, 2017

Niharika Singh, who was Nawazuddins co-star in the film Miss Lovely, had alleged that the latter published about their affair without her consent. A complaint was reportedly filed against him for outraging the modesty of Niharika Singh.

According to reports, the complaint was filed by Delhi advocate Gautam Gulati at the National Commission for Women (NCW).

Niharika had said the way he has painted her image, it appears he doesnt mind disrespecting a woman to boost the sales of his book.

Nawaz and I had a brief relationship in 2009 during the making of Miss Lovely that lasted less than a few months. So today, when he paints me as a woman in fur enticing him into her bedroom with candles, or desperately calling him and mailing other women on his behalf, I can only laugh.

He obviously wants to sell his book and it would appear that he is willing to exploit and disrespect a woman just to do so, Niharika said.

Excerpts from An Ordinary Life (Penguin Random House/pp 240/Rs 389), a memoir that Nawazuddin has come out with Rituparna Chatterjee, reveal that the National Award winning actor has spoken extensively on his personal life and relationships. (With inputs from IANS)

READ ALSO: Nawazuddin disrespecting a woman to sell his book: Niharika Singh
Salman Khan fans have been quite excited about Bhais upcoming movie Tiger Zinda Hai ever since the first look of the film released. It will mark a comeback of the popular onscreen couple Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif.

While fans wait in great anticipation on even a small piece of information on the movie, YRF teased them with a behind the scenes picture of Tiger aka Salman Khan with Zoya, Katrina Kaif.

The two stand in the midst of a silent street wearing winter jackets, passing smiles at each other. Director Ali Abbas Zafar also stands their smirking at the actor.

YRF posted the picture on Twitter and wrote, Behind the scenes of #TigerZindaHai  Tiger & Zoya with @aliabbaszafar in #Austria @BeingSalmanKhan | #KatrinaKaif | @TigerZindaHai.

Salman Khan had earlier revealed the first poster of the upcoming film and it was quite destructive. The actor is back once again as Tiger and Katrina Kaif as Zoya.

The spy drama, which has elaborate action sequences, was filmed in the Emirates for 60 days.

Director Ali Abbas Zafar was supported by action coordinator Tom Struthers of Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises fame.

Zafar described the experience of shooting the film as gruelling, challenging and a whole lot of fun.

It seems like the year will end on an action note with this film of Salmans, which will release around Christmas.

It is also one of the most anticipated movies of this year as it brings back the popular Jodi of Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif.

The movie will hit the screens on December 22.

READ ALSO: Salman Khan reveals the first poster of Tiger Zinda Hai
Restored Indian silent film Shiraz: A Romance of India, which premiered at the BFI London Film Festival Archive Gala earlier this month, has been given a live score performed by British Indian sitar player and composer Anoushka Shankar.

The film will travel to four Indian cities as part of the UK/India 2017 Year of Culture, read a joint statement from The British Council and the British Film Institute (BFI).

The BFI holds the original negative material of Shiraz in the Archive.

Franz Ostens Indian silent classic has been remastered by the conservation team at the BFI National Archive.

The film will now travel to Hyderabad, Kolkata, New Delhi and Mumbai in India from November 1 to November 5, accompanied by live performance of a specially commissioned score by Shankar and an orchestral ensemble.

Shiraz: A Romance of India tells the love story of the 17th century princess who inspired the construction of the Taj Mahal. For the modern viewer the appeal of Shiraz is the extreme rarity of a sophisticated silent feature film made outside the major producing nations of the West, the gorgeous settings and costumes and the glories of the spectacular fort at Agra and of course the iconic Taj Mahal, a central character here in its own right.

Following the Indian tour the film will be screened around the UK in January 2018 and be released on Blu-ray by BFI.

On bringing Shiraz back to audiences in India, BFI Head Curator Robin Baker said: These gala performances of Shiraz are the culmination of the thousands of hours it has taken the BFI National Archive to restore and transform a silent film classic, ensuring that it is safely preserved for future generations.

Very few Indian silent films survive, which makes Shiraz: A Romance of India all the more important and precious. It seems particularly fitting that in this UK-India Year of Culture 2017 we celebrate with a film that brought together talent from India and the UK 90 years ago  while the new score brings the film right up to date thanks to the genius of Anoushka Shankar, Baker added.

READ ALSO: Lovely to be nominated for Grammy again: Anoushka Shankar
In a country wherein, headways in business and technology happen just about every single day it becomes a pre-requisite to keep oneself abreast with contemporary advancements in management domains. Amidst such immense activity world over, its of utmost significance that an aspiring professional is adept with the management roles and decision-making abilities. An MBA thus becomes the most sought-after recourse for leaders wishing to cause ripples in the status quo and scaling their professional careers to new heights.

This curriculum precisely caters to bridging the gap between the theoretical and the practical aspects of classroom teachings and takes the learning on field to face the real-world scenarios. The kernel of the programme lies in the pedagogy which is dynamic, innovative and adds substantial value at each stage. It acquaints the student with the understanding and skills of various dimensions of a business like marketing, economics, finance, operations, human resource and others. Inculcating case methodology/ discussions, group exercises, interactive class participation, frequent guest lectures by industry stalwarts, live projects and internships in the MBA programme imbibes the student with ample skill sets while giving them opportunities to build industry networks.

The teachings extend the classrooms and help shape an individuals personality, makes one a productive team member, improves communication skills assists in honing ones leadership qualities, makes one a problem-solver and fine tunes the analytical thought process.

The programmes are designed to prepare students for careers in industry, across functional areas. This equips them with strong conceptual skills to manage businesses in an integrated manner. These activities act as a strong foundation and help the student build an excellent career on these grounds. The emphasis is on developing a holistic manager with a vision to take on the challenges of the future in a socially sensitive manner.

Largely, an MBA aims towards shaping individuals who are well versed technically and know how to manage and lead teams which produce unparalleled results. The understanding of various business processes, strategy building, operations and other technicalities of a business are imparted to the student in an exhaustive manner at an early stage of the career. Students pursuing MBA thus, have an advantage of becoming shrewd decision makers, efficient problem solvers and leaders who envision upcoming changes and also lead them because of the comprehensive structure of the programme.

Though considered as one of the most reputed courses across academics, there have been doubts and questions by critiques about the relevance of an MBA program in todays business environment. These reservations are majorly because of the kind of investments people make to pursue in such course. It is a well-known fact that MBA graduates enjoy a certain privilege when it comes to job hiring due to their professional approach towards studies and the amount of exposure they receive in their twoyear programme.

Over the years it has evolved itself according to the changing market requirements and needs. This has become more dynamic and practical in terms of industry oriented course modules and the kind of activities that take place on the campuses across universities. The contemporary MBA courses have intelligently structured to cater to the on-going needs of the industry  be it corporate, business specific or even start-up specific. This is one of the fundamental reasons that give immense credibility.

Today, MBA is not what it used to be few years ago, modern MBA has remodelled itself entirely on grounds of the business activities occurring throughout world economies. Considering the case of our country, Common Admission Test is the entry ticket to getting into a premier B-school. Recent years have shown that MBA holds enough relevance in the industry and amongst students as well.

The number of students who wrote CAT in 2015 was 2,18,664 and this number increased to a seven year high in 2016 with total number of registrations at 2,32,434. This is one indicator of the increasing need of industry specific knowledge that MBA provides. Even experts have shown interest in the structuring of the CAT examination to suit the modern industry requirements, which again translates the need of the programme. Trends have also shown that the dominance of engineers in writing CAT does not prevail anymore.

The kind of diversity the industry demands is one factor which has led to this change. The gender diversity has also improved significantly over the years. These trends highlight the requirement of the course and the interest it has garnered amongst students because of the opportunities it provides. The industry clearly shows how candidates with an MBA accelerate their chances of securing high paying jobs with responsible job titles.

Even across companies the emphasis is laid on hiring MBA graduates over other fields. According to TNN, more than 90 per cent employers expressed that they believe recent MBAs create and add immense value for their companies. Almost 70 per cent agreed to hiring an MBA is their priority for recruitments. These figures further strengthen the case for the demand by corporates and the value addition it can bring to a persons profile.

Apart from the academics and the campus activities, the opportunities it provides in terms of networking in various domains give the student a deep understanding of the overall business environment.

(The writer is professor- marketing, International Management Institute IMI Delhi)
China on Tuesday rejected a media report that Beijing is planning to build a 1,000-km tunnel to divert the Brahmaputra waters.

This is untrue. This is a false report, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.

China will continue to attach great importance to the cross-border river cooperation, she added.

According to the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, Chinese engineers had submitted to the government a proposal to build a 1,000-km tunnel to carry water from Tibet to Xinjiang.

The newspaper said the tunnel would divert the Yarlung Tsangpo River in southern Tibet to the Taklimakan desert in Xinjiang.

The river downstream is called the Brahmaputra, which joins the Ganges in Bangladesh.

The proposed tunnel, which would drop down from the worlds highest plateau in multiple sections connected by waterfalls, would turn Xinjiang into California, a geotechnical engineer said.
The Defence Acquisition Council on Tuesday approved the first project under the new Strategic Partnership model to induct 111 helicopters in the Indian Navy at a cost of Rs 21,738 crore, informed sources said.

The DAC, chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, also cleared acquisition of nine active towed array sonar systems for the Indian naval ships and submarines at a cost of Rs 450 crore. The radars will be made in India.

An Acceptance of Necessity (AON) for the helicopters was cleared by the DAC, the highest decision-making body for defence procurement in the Ministry. An AON is a government approval for a purchase proposal.

Under the project, 16 helicopters will be in flyaway condition while 95 will be made by an Indian manufacturer. A Request For Information for 111 Naval Utility Helicopters (NUHs) was issued by the Defence Ministry in August.

The government will now start the procedure to identify a foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer and an Indian partner for the project.

The Navy needs the NUHs for replacing its aging fleet of Chetak choppers.

The Navy has been facing shortage of helicopters and requires multi-role choppers for deployment on warships.

Sitharaman, soon after taking charge as the Defence Minister, started holding DAC meetings fortnightly.

According to the sources, the Minister has been reviewing ongoing and pending projects and held discussions over delays in specific defence acquisition projects.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said that the Armys engineering wing will help build a new foot over-bridge (FOB) at the Elphinstone railway station.

Maharshtra CM made the announcement after he, along with Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, visited the railway station on Tuesday.

Earlier on 29 September, 23 people died in a stampede at Elphinstone railway stations foot over-bridge in Mumbai.

We are taking the Armys help in building a new FOB at the Elphinstone Road station and at two other suburban train stations in Mumbai, Fadnavis told media at the venue.

ALSO READ: Probe blames heavy rain for Elphinstone stampede

I have been informed that the work on these bridges will be completed by January 31, Fadnavis said.

According to media reports, Fadnavis said, additional bridges at stations including Ambivali and Currey Road railway stations on the Central Railway in Mumbai will be built as well.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sithraman said that it is a nation-building exercise and the nation is grateful that Army has accepted to build the FOB, which is usually a civil engineering project. She also commended the efforts and aid provided by the armed forces during disasters.

Earlier, Mumbai BJP President Ashish Shelar had met Sitharaman and Goyal seeking the expertise of Army engineers who are known to make durable bridges fast in critical locations.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal shared a message on social media thanking the Army for their initiatives.

#MumbaiThanksArmy for coming to the aid of the Nation. Grateful to RM @nsitharaman for immediately responding to our call for help  Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) October 31, 2017

Armed Forces to help in constructing 3 FOBs at Elphinstone Rd, Currey Rd & Ambivali Stations. Work to be done by 31 Jan18 #MumbaiThanksArmy  Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) October 31, 2017

After the discussion with BJP Mumbai president Ashish Shelar on October 6, we have decided to utilise military precision to work on completing the work of bridges. These three bridges at these stations have been specifically identified as they record higher footfall, added Railway Minister Goyal.

Clarifying the role of military, Western Railway Divisional Manager Mukul Jain said, The bridge will be a new one, independent of the one being planned and constructed by the railways. It will be located towards the Parel side at the northern end of Elphinstone Road station. He added that an Army team will identify the location and submit its foot over-bridge designs to the railways before proceeding with the work.

According to Jain, this is the first time such a civilian contract would be handled by the Indian Army, which is known to have vast engineering expertise.

After the stampede on 29 September, railway officials deployed police personnel to manage the crowd at busy platforms, evicted hawkers from suburban train stations and started speeding up infrastructure projects on suburban network.

(With agency inputs)
Veteran journalist Sam Rajappa, who has been associated with The Statesman in various capacities since 1962, has been jointly awarded the prestigious Raja Ram Mohun Roy award for his contributions to journalism. He shares the award with eminent Oriya journalist and editor, Sarat Mishra.

Announcing the National Awards for Journalism, the Press Council of India in a statement on Tuesday said Rajappa and Mishra had been selected for their outstanding contributions to the cause of journalism. They and other winners will receive their awards on National Press Day on 16 November.

Rajappa was for many years the head of The Statesmans bureau in South India and was the founder-director of the Statesman Print Journalism School. He has over the course of his distinguished career also worked with India Today and AP Times (which he edited) and was the BBCs correspondent in southern India.

The award for rural journalism and development reporting was bagged by Shalini Nair of Indian Express and the award for investigative journalism was shared by K Sujith of Mangalam daily and Chitrangada Choudhary, a freelance journalist.



The award for best single news picture was shared by C K Thanseer of Chandrika Daily and Vijay Verma of Press Trust of India. J Suresh of Malayala Manorama was selected for the best photo feature and Gireesh Kumar MP of Times of India for best newspaper art.

The National Awards for Journalism were instituted in 2012 by the Press Council of India.
A fortnight ago I had written about the equivalence commission. It is now back in the limelight, even before the earlier controversy had died. The previous commission formed in 2016, after the MoD issued a controversial letter degrading military officers rank structure, was tasked to establish equivalence between them and the civil cadre.

The commission had internal disagreements, with the military representative refusing to sign, as also the additional secretary heading the commission being moved out of the ministry. A recent press release by the MoD stated that the defence minister was re-establishing another commission on the same issue. Legally, the first commission itself was wrong in precedence. It was headed by an Additional Secretary, who stands twenty fifth in the Warrant of Precedence (WoP) issued by the Home Ministry and had as a member a Lieutenant General, who is twenty fourth in the WoP and hence senior.

Was it an intentional action by the MoD to insult the armed forces? Why was it accepted by the military? There are no answers and no clarifications. The armed forces have suffered a series of deprivations in recent times but being disciplined services maintained silence. Entitled rations, wrongly termed as free rations, were withdrawn for officers in peace stations and a meagre allowance granted in lieu, which service HQs are struggling to enhance. Furlough of two months, a facility meant to be taken in emergencies, has also been withdrawn, while in every other organisation leave without pay can be taken for upto six months.

The Prime Minister spends Diwali with soldiers in Gurez, addresses them, stating that armed forces members are a part of his family and the most respected community in the country, while the defence minister spends the same festival with troops in the Andamans. Simultaneously the government seeks to degrade its stature.

Does one deprive and degrade ones own family? Such an irony is only possible due to three reasons. Firstly, the government seeks to befool the soldier, who has no voice yet performs all assigned tasks without so much as a whimper. Secondly, visits to troops by the political hierarchy is only a photoop meant for forthcoming elections, to garner serving and veteran votes. Thirdly, despite all claims, they have no control over their own government which is run by the bureaucracy while they remain just figureheads. The battle for Non-Functional Upgradation (NFU) continues in court, with the government desperately seeking measures to delay and blunt its release, solely for the military.

The Reddy commission, appointed to resolve OROP issues, had submitted its report to the finance minister over a year ago, yet it continues to gather dust, neither being released nor implemented. There are some issues which the defence minister must ponder over, prior to reconsidering ordering another commission. Is there any reason to order an equivalence commission, as a Warrant of Precedence already exists?

Is the MoD above the government of India that it requires a separate WoP? Are the armed forces incapable of correct decision making, even on military matters, that they require approvals of junior non-military cadre? The approach of the defence minister appears to be the opposite of what it should be. She should be seeking to amalgamate service HQs with the MoD, establishing a joint and more cohesive organisation, rather than diluting one to enhance powers of the other.

She should be aiming to induct more serving officers into the MoD to improve decision making, rather than enhancing existing trust deficit. If this equivalence exercise is intended to induct junior non-military officials into service HQs in place of senior uniformed vacancies, due to additional promotions granted to them, then the harm caused would be much more. The defence minister has neither justified her decision, nor is she likely to.

The NFU battle, now in its final stages was launched not by service HQs for the welfare of its own, but by an individual who felt that the uniformed had been unjustly treated. It was accepted by the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT), whose decision the government chose to contest in the Supreme Court. The government even instructed the armys Judge Advocate Branch (JAG), to depute its officers in uniform to support government counsel in the Supreme Court opposing the case, possibly aiming to convey that even the military is against it.

The ploy failed, compelling the government to seek alternate options. This while calling soldiers the most respected community, the government battles them in courts, solely to deny them their due, whether it is war-wounded disabilities, OROP or NFU. It ignores veterans battling for their rights by protesting for almost a thousand days now for the grant of a fair OROP and has them forcibly removed from Jantar Mantar. It fails to realize that a soldier retires between 35-40, as against other central services, who retire at 60. Hence with shorter service, his pensions would be lower, thus making OROP essential.

While the bureaucracy may be least bothered, the political leaders should be aware that depriving the military of its rights is impacting morale. Social media is abuzz with comments and complaints on the governments action, at times even against the militarys senior hierarchy, but there seems to be no impact. The government is duty-bound to protect those who risk their lives daily for national security, which it is shirking knowing the military lacks a voice.

A gag order has been placed on the media  these contentious issues and even the veterans rally over the weekend was neither covered nor discussed. The veterans community, the sole voice of the soldier, stands by him in this battle.

They will continue raising their voice, employing every media including social, to inform the nation of the damage being caused to the soldier and his morale by the government. Impact is being felt and concerned citizens have begun raising their voice. The government must act now.

(The writer is a retired Major-General of the Indian Army)
The soldier would be relieved that the government is close to finalising a Rs 40,000-crore plan to procure long overdue small-arms ~ rifles, carbines and light machine-guns ~ for the generally unheralded footslogger.

Much of the time the glare of publicity over combat aircraft, warships and missiles has blinded the common folk to a grim reality that was explained thus by a former Director-General of Infantry ~ the Indian soldier is the worlds best, but is worst equipped, and he estimated that casualties could be reduced by 50 per cent if the men had better weaponry.

That observation must be seen in the context that apart from the localised action in Kargil the Army has not gone to war since 1971, so its equipment-deficit has to be gauged against what terrorists (state sponsored or otherwise) are now using.

That the plans include acquiring 770,000 rifles speaks volumes for the dud that was the much-touted INSAS (Indian small-arms system) that entered service during the Kargil conflict ~ it has outlived its utility in just 25 years or thereabouts. As much of a no-show as the Arjun MBT and the Tejas LCA. The procurement plan actually translates into a grim test for the state-run Ordnance Factory Board.

If it does not garner, on merit, a substantial share of the huge orders that will be placed it could spell doom for many of its 40-odd units, including the once-famous rifle factory at Ichapore.

Since foreign manufacturers are likely to be the OEM (ordinal equipment manufacturers) but the make in India drive will also come into play, the OFB should make determined efforts to have its units selected as the indigenous partner in the joint-production exercise. It is true that in terms of physical infrastructure and experience the Ordnance factories have a head-start in small-arms production, but the foreign principal could have reservations over their work-culture and efficiency.

Those manufacturers have global reputations to protect and might prefer to choose a private sector partner ~ restrictions on them have just been waived ~ to keep that reputation intact (the experience of aircraft producers Hawker-Siddeley, Dornier and MiG in licensed production of their transports and fighters, respectively, was not very encouraging). The OFB should not stand on false prestige and opt to play second-fiddle ~ profitably.

That would put make in India in the defence sector into the correct framework. To do that, however, the OFBs units will need to abandon their sarkari mindset. It was all very well to laud them in an era when they had a monopoly in production as well as a captive market.

Things have changed dramatically since the economy liberalised and major firms have now entered defence production. The OFB has to acquire a competitive, efficient outlook. Should it fail to carve its own niche in the upcoming procurement plans it could face curtains.
At a recent event organised in Washington by the US-India Friendship Council, the US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said that the key to India becoming a permanent member of the Security Council is not to touch the veto. She could not have been more spot-on in terms of reality. Her statement that the permanent five (P-5) members of the Security Council ~ Russia, China, UK, the US and France ~ are reluctant to forego their right to veto might be a bitter pill for India to swallow.

The fact of the matter is that reform of the Security Council would mean amendments to the Charter, and this is liable to be opposed by the US and Britain. Both countries are against radical reform and particularly against any loss of veto power.

The United States has for long been a supporter of Indias claim to a permanent seat in the Security Council. India has practically been catapulted to the enviable position of a sixth nuclear weapons state, if not eventually within the NPT system. Indias refusal to sign the NPT because it included specific prohibitions on developing countries and vague disarmament and technology transfergoals. Without the US backing, matters could have been more difficult than they actually turned out to be. However, Indias membership of NSG was blocked by China and we were livid that it was grounded on a premise of exception.

The position of privilege accorded to the veto-wielding P-5 nations made both India and Pakistan cite the discriminatory nature of global non-proliferation rules as part of the context for their decision to manufacture nuclear weapons, besides other regional imperatives. Neither was willing to accept that the veto powers would relate only to nuclear weapons, particularly when the nuclear powers were not committed to the NPT in order to move towards nuclear disarmament.

On the flip side, the power of veto is to forestall collective action against Sudan or North Korea by China; against Iran by Russia; against Israel or Pakistan by the US, thereby preempting consensus on when terrorism, weapons proliferation, and human rights violations warrant the Councils action. There is also an anomaly. While the US claims the right to use preventive force against what it considers to be credible threats, it argues that others engaged in similar actions ~ India invading Pakistan, China invading Taiwan, or Russia invading Georgia ~ would endanger international security.

The historical precedent, specifically on the need for strong institutions after World War II led to the Covenant of the League of Nations. Certain privileges were acorded to the Great Powers even at the expense of sovereign equality. This influenced the negotiations that led to the UN Charter. This was exploited by the Great Powers in their favour.

At the Dumberton Oaks conference, the US, the UK, the Soviet Union, and China reached an agreement on the general shape of the Security Council, but negotiations over voting arrangements, especially over the extent of the veto, were prolonged and difficult. None of the Great Powers was willing to accept, and they signalled their position at the San Francisco conference. Tentative proposals by many smaller states to limit the veto, the role of the permanent members of the Council, or its powers as such were vehemently resisted.

Australias proposal to exclude the veto from all arrangements relating to a peaceful settlement of disputes was put to vote, but it failed to garner enough support. In fact, more far-reaching attacks on the veto came to naught time and again because of the privileged position of the Great Powers. It was presented as a sine qua non by the sponsoring powers. The smaller countries soon realised that it was a choice between an organisation with Great Power privilege or, none at all. The reform of the Council in 1965 only resulted in an increase in nonpermanent members, and in the 1990s, attempts to abolish the veto soon gave way to greater realism. Even if numerical expansion of the institution complicated the exercise of Great Power dominance, in formal terms they hardly compromised on the voting power of the permanent members.

No new veto rights have been put in place. Nikki Haleys comment, therefore, dwells on a certain structural immobility that is inherent in the United Nations, most particularly the Security Council. Neither reform of the Charter nor any change in the Councils composition can materialise without the consent of every member of P5.

However, much of the blame for the failure of reform proposals over the decades can be attributed to P5 and its recalcitrance to shed or share power, differences among regional groups of states over whether the new members actually represent their regions (and if so, through what mechanism), or would they simply be from those regions.

These factors have contributed to what has been called a reform logjam, exemplified by Pakistans opposition to Indias candidature and Chinas against Japans. The existence and scope of the veto power, alongside the appropriate number of permanent and non-permanent members and the number of votes required to pass resolutions have been central to the idea of reforming the composition and procedures of the Security Council durings 1963-65. This led to changes in the number of nonpermanent members during 1993-97.

In 2005 two options relating to reform were proposed. Both envisaged the expansion of the Security Council from 15 to 24 members. In one model, six new permanent members were proposed ~ two from Asia (with India and Japan being leading contenders); two from Africa (where the main contending states were Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt); one from Europe (Germany); and one from the Americas (a slot Brazil was primed for). Besides, there would be three new non-permanent members on a non-renewable two-year term.

The other model envisaged no new permanent members, but instead a new category of eight semi-permanent members elected on a regional basis for a renewable four-year term; and one new non-permanent member on a non-renewable two-year term. The negotiations over both models fizzled out. Neither option involved any change in the number of vetowielding powers. In a multilateral entity like the UN, India should persuade the US to sacrifice the veto power, and then convince the other four to do the same.

The extent to which great power privilege is institutionalised in the UN Charter is exceptional in the comity of nations and anathema to the democratic spirit. The basic point is exceptionalism which is actually a culture of privilege. The veto power remains the prerogative of the five permanent members. This no longer has as much relevance to the balance of superpower interests as it did in the context of the Cold War.

In the 21st century, it is an anachronistic privilege, used too often to undercut one another or for narrow national interests. The veto has reached its sell-by date.

(The writer is a Kolkata based commentator on politics, development and cultural issues)
A profoundly important, unprecedented and dangerous decision has been taken by European leaders in the past few days. Its not made as explicit as it should be  because our leaders are always careful to erect a bodyguard of verbiage and lies to protect them if something goes wrong  but its perfectly clear that they want any foreign fighters in Isis to be killed when they are found.

Its not a question of whether they deserve to live or die  they have cut the throats of innocents, including my journalist colleagues, and they have raped women and enslaved children. We know that, and we are aware that their vicious cult has not yet ended. Isis is still alive. But what happened to justice, that staple foundation of all countries that believe in freedom, democracy, liberty? A few quotations to start with.

Here is the French minister of the armed forces, Florence Parly. If the jihadis perish in this fight, I would say thats for the best, she said. Then we have the US envoy for the anti-Isis coalition, Brett McGurk. 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. So if theyre in Raqqa, theyre going to die in Raqqa.

And here is Britains own diplomatphilosopher and Tory minister Rory Stewart. These are people who have essentially moved away from any kind of allegiance towards the British Government  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 that these people are a serious danger to us, and unfortunately [sic] the only way of dealing [sic again] will be, in almost every case, to kill them.

Now this statement by Stewart  normally a fairly sane television personality who can explain Middle Eastern history  is perfectly understandable, utterly lucid and totally deplorable. Stewart, Parly and McGurk are effectively calling for the execution of their citizens who have joined Isis. They dont say this, of course. And the Germans have actually stated that any German citizens will have consular assistance if necessary  they, of course, have to avoid the SS smell for all the obvious reasons. But we are telling Iraqi soldiers and militiamen and Kurds and anyone else that they can kill British or French or US citizens who have joined the dark and wicked forces of Isis. Fine. No probs. Who cares to take them back?

And if we allowed Brits in Isis to come home, who knows how many hijackings and mass murders would take place in an attempt to free them from prison. But what happened to international justice? When George W Bush talked about bringing the bad guys to justice after 9/11, I wrote that I very much doubted if any justice would be coming Osama bin Ladens way. And I was right. He was assassinated by the Americans.

And nobody, naturally enough, complained about it. Live by the sword, die by the sword. But bin Ladens death  and the ocean of drone attacks that followed  gave a gently, dark signal that its OK to murder these bad guys. Forget about courts, evidence, trials, justice and the rest. Just obliterate them.

Who is going to complain? But we should complain about this wretched and despicable policy. For decades, we have been condemning the dictators of the Middle East for their savagery, for their drumhead courts and their mass hangings  and rightly so. But how can we condemn them now, when we are announcing, quite publicly, that we want our own citizens dead if they joined  or are believed to have joined, or might have joined, or are said to have joined  Isis. If we are now, in effect, calling for their execution, then we have no more right to lecture any tyrant about their wickedness. The Egyptians and the Saudis and the Syrians can now chop off heads or hang or slaughter anyone they want on the basis that the only way of dealing with them (unfortunately, of course) will be to kill them.

Now if a Brit chooses to fight and die in battle for a grotesque organisation like Isis, thats his (or her) problem. But if captured, should we not deal  how I love Stewarts phraseology  with them by administering real justice, locking them up forever if thats the sentence, giving them their day in court, showing for all the world that we are not killers and that we have a higher morality than the murderers of Isis? Right now, the Egyptians are disappearing prisoners.

Last weekend, militants  which we can sensibly assume were Isis  massacred more than 50 police officers south-west of Cairo. It was a disaster which the Egyptians would like to cover up. The dead included two brigadier generals and 11 colonels. They were themselves trying to ambush the militants but it all went wrong, presumably because Isis have an informer inside the police. But when Isis members (or presumed Isis members) turn up dead on the streets of Egyptian cities in the coming days, are we in any position to talk to Field Marshal/President Sisi about justice? Thats how it goes, you see. First of all, we want our citizens dead if they joined Isis. Then well want all our citizens who are terrorists dead, whether Isis supporters or not.

This can be extended to anyone who supports Hezbollah or the Palestinians or the Kurds or any minority which we hate or are encouraged to hate. And then anyone who has moved away from any kind of allegiance towards the British Government (whatever that actually means). Now I have to add that Stewart did mention very difficult moral issues. What would these moral issues be, I wonder? But we all know, surely.

Its that we are crossing the line between justice and state encouragement of executions. If thats the line we want to cross, well lets say so clearly.

And if we dont want to cross that line, lets say so? Amnesty? Human Rights Watch? Havent heard from them yet? Whats going on?

(The Independent)
Travelling to Niger? Hold on, you may have to turn around and head some place else.

Travel to Africa is on most travellers bucket list. But, this time, going by the latest US travel advisory, you may have to think twice and avoid Niger and some other places.

On Monday. the US State Department issued a travel warning and urged American citizens not to visit Niger or surrounding areas in view of the increasing crime rate and terrorist activities.

Terrorist organisations, armed groups, and smugglers operate in the areas bordering Mali, Libya, and throughout northern Niger, the State Department stated

Recently, militants ambushed US Green Berets in Niger and killed four of them. According to reports, various extremist groups operate throughout both the Sahel and West Africa, including multiple IS and Al Qaeda affiliates.

Mali-based extremist groups have crossed the border and carried out multiple lethal attacks on Nigerien security forces (FDS) and on US forces assisting the FDS, the travel warning stated, adding, There is a high threat of kidnapping by various terrorist groups, who have kidnapped Westerners, including a US citizen, and threatened US citizens in Niger.

In the wake of the troubled situation, many organisations have suspended operations in Niger.

As a result of safety and security concerns, some organisations, including foreign companies, NGOs, and private aid organisations have suspended operations in Niger or withdrawn family members and/or staff, the State Department stated.

So, in view of security concerns, if you are planning to visit Niger, especially if you are an American, it would be best to shelve the plan.

(With inputs from agencies)
On the invitation of the Prime Minister of India Bhutans King accompanied with Queen and the Prince will travel to New Delhi, India, on a 4-day visit from today until November 3.

On the invitation of the Prime Minister of India, His Majesty The King, accompanied by Her Majesty The Queen, and His Royal Highness The Prince will travel to New Delhi, India, on a 4-day visit from today until November 3.

During the Royal visit, His Majesty will grant audiences to the President and Prime Minister of India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a dinner in honour of Their Majesties. Audiences will also be granted to the Vice President, External Affairs Minister and other Ministers and senior officials.

India and Bhutan enjoy unique ties of friendship, which are characterised by deep understanding and mutual trust. The Royal visit of Their Majesties is in keeping with the long-standing tra- dition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries.

The Royal visit would provide an opportunity to both the sides to review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation, including befitting celebrations for the golden jubilee of Bhutan and In- dias diplomatic relations in 2018, and to advance the special bilateral ties of friendship and cooperation.
The White House on Monday claimed that there is clear evidence that former presidential nominee Hillary Clinton colluded with Russia to spread wrong information about President Donald Trump.

At the same time, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders strongly refuted any reports of Trump Campaigns collusion with the Russians.

She was responding to a volley of questions on the surrender of Paul Manafort, Trumps former campaign manager, who has been indicted on 12 counts by a special counsel investigating into alleged Russian interference into last years presidential elections.

Todays announcement has nothing to do with the president, has nothing to do with the presidents campaign or campaign activity, she said.

The real collusion scandal, as weve said several times before, has everything to do with the Clinton campaign, Fusion GPS and Russia. Theres clear evidence of the Clinton campaign colluding with Russian intelligence to spread disinformation and smear the president to influence the election, Sanders said.

She was speaking at the news conference which was solely dominated by the surrender of Manafort and his business associate Richard Gates.

George Papadopoulos, a foreign-policy advisor to the Trump Campaign, has also pleaded guilty to the FBI about his contacts with a professor connected with the Russian government officials.

Papadopouloss guilty plea, she said, has nothing to do with the activities of the campaign.

It has to do with his failure to tell the truth. That doesnt have anything to do with the campaign or the campaigns activities, she said.

There are no activities or official capacity in which the Trump campaign was engaged in any of these activities.

Most of them took place well before the campaign ever even existed, she asserted.

Ruling out changing the special counsel Robert Mueller, the former FBI Director, at this time, she hoped that the investigations would conclude soon.
Arab Parliament President Mishal Al-Selmi has again asked the US to lift Sudans name from the list of countries that sponsor terrorism.

At a seminar organised by the Parliament about the future of Sudan, Al-Selmi said on Monday that he sent an official letter to the US Congress demanding the lifting of economic sanctions on Sudan as well as the removal of the countrys name from the list of countries sponsoring terrorism.

Al-Selmi said Sudan did a great job in fighting terrorism as well as in preserving Arab and African peace and security.

The seminar was held on the sidelines of a series of meetings organised by the Parliament which began on Tuesday. Arab parliamentarians will discuss various political issues.

The issues will include Arab national security, the Palestinian cause, economic integration and confronting Israeli attempts to reach out to the African continent.
The wife of a Chechen man accused by Russian authorities of plotting to kill President Vladimir Putin was shot dead in an ambush here that also wounded her husband, officials said.

Amina Okuyeva and Adam Osmayev were in a car when an assailant opened fire from bushes on a railway crossing near the Ukrainian capital on Monday, Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Herashchenko said.

Okuyeva, 34, died in the shooting and Osmayev was injured but will live, Herashchenko was quoted as saying by the BBC.

The incident is the second attempt on Osmayevs life this year. He was attacked by a gunman in June, who was in turn shot and wounded by Okuyeva.

Interior Ministry spokesman Yaroslav Trakalo said police would open an investigation into a premeditated murder.

In 2012, Osmayev was arrested and charged over an alleged plot to assassinate Putin. His extradition to Russia was halted by the European Court of Human Rights, but he was jailed in Ukraine for two years for illegal possession of explosives.

A second suspect in the case was handed over to Russian authorities in 2013 and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Osmayev and Okuyeva are well-known figures in Ukraine, after fighting as volunteers for Ukraines military against pro-Russian rebels in the east of the country.

No-one has so far claimed responsibility for Mondays attack. It comes less than a week after Ukrainian lawmaker Ihor Mosiychuk was injured in a vehicle bombing in Ukraines capital.
Montreal, CA (H4T1V6)

Today

Snow during the morning will transition to snow showers during the afternoon. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 100%. Snow accumulating 1 to 3 inches..

Tonight

Cloudy. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low 29F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.
Organization: Montrose

Duty Station: Kampala,

Uganda

About US:

Montrose is an international development project management and

consultancy company providing support to clients operating in the developing

world. Specialized in the sectors of health, education, rural livelihoods and

private sector development, our clients include bilateral and multilateral

development agencies, the private sector, Non-Governmental Organizations and

other development stakeholders. Montrose has its head office in UK, and

regional offices in Africa (Kampala) and Asia-Pacific (Yangon).

Job Summary: The Marketing

and Communications Officer will support our continued growth within the

international development sector. You will be a core member of the Montrose

team, working closely with our UK, Africa and Asia-Pacific regional offices. As

a growing company, we are looking for an individual who has bright ideas and

can implement the companys marketing and communications strategy; managing

project-specific communications including online, website and social media

platforms; communications and IT support to projects, offices and bid development;

capacity building on marketing & communications within the company; as well

as project management support. The role offers exciting opportunities for

travel within the UK, Africa and Asia-Pacific.



Responsibilities: Key Duties andResponsibilities:

Company Communications and Marketing:



Formulate and implement the marketing and

communications strategy for Montrose



Design communication and marketing materials for

the company, subsidiaries and projects



Design and manage our social media platforms,

and lead the design and content management of the company website.



Offer technical support to the Montrose team

during the development of proposal for new projects.

Project Communications:



Drive the development of marketing and

communication materials for our diverse range of projects, including project

updates on social media



Travel to the projects across a range of

developing countries, to document project impact and outcomes, and provide

communications support to project staff.

Technical Support: You will be responsible for delivering

capacity building and mentoring within the company and to Project Knowledge

Management and Communications personnel.











Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience:



The ideal candidate must hold a Bachelors

Degree in marketing and communications, web design and development, and/or

other relevant discipline



At least three to five years of relevant work

experience  preferably in developing contexts



Excellent written and spoken English 

additional languages a bonus



Excellent web development and database

management skills



Good knowledge of relevant computer software

packages



Comprehensive experience designing and managing

diverse social media platforms



Excellent editorial and writing skills



Desire to learn and take on new challenges



Right to work and reside in Kampala, Uganda



Ability to travel within Africa and Asia-Pacific

as appropriate



Familiarity with database and web design

software



Skills and experience in graphic design



Project management skills and experience



Interest in international development

How to Apply:

All suitably qualified and interested candidates are encouraged to send

an updated and detailed CV together with a covering letter explaining how you

are suited for the position at hruk@montroseint.com

NB: Please include MI-MCO-Uganda

in the subject of your email. This is a rolling recruitment and applications

will be considered before the deadline.

th

November 2017 Deadline: 12November 2017



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For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com orfind us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline






Job Title: Associate Reproductive Health Officer

Organisation: United Nations

High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Duty Station: Uganda

Reports to: Head of

Sub-Office

About UNHCR:

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was

established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly.

UNHCRs mandate under the Statute of the Office of the United Nations High

Commissioner for Refugees is to lead and co-ordinate action for international

protection to refugees; seek permanent solutions for the problems of refugees

and safeguard refugee rights and well-being. UNHCR has an additional mandate

concerning issues of statelessness, as it is given a designated role under

Article 11 of the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

Job Summary: The Associate

Reproductive Health Officer will be working closely with the Public Health Officer

in coordination, policy development, monitoring and evaluation, and advocacy

for the Reproductive Health (RH) programmes in the Northern of Uganda

Operation.



Responsibilities: Key Duties andResponsibilities:



Serve as the focal point for RH services and

provide technical advice and assistance on reproductive health to refugees and

other persons of concern and all organisations working in health and other

sectors as needed.



Liaise with national and regional authorities of

the host country when planning and implementing RH activities in refugee camps

and among the surrounding population, where appropriate.



Liaise with other sectors (protection, community

services, camp management, education, etc.) to ensure a multisectoral approach

to reproductive health.



Create/adapt and introduce standardised

strategies for reproductive health which are fully integrated within PHC.



Initiate and co-ordinate various

audience-specific training sessions on reproductive health (for audiences such

as health workers, community services officers, the refugee population,

security personnel, etc.).



Introduce/enforce standardised protocols for

selected areas (such as syndromic case management of STIs, referral of

obstetric emergencies, medical response to survivors of sexual violence,

counselling and family planning services. etc.).



Discuss and finalise reproductive health and HIV

objectives and priority activities in accordance with UNHCR standards and

global guidance.



Undertake needs and resources assessments and

redress as appropriate all issues related to programme planning, monitoring and

evaluation with regards to human, material and financial resources.



Analyse and comment on all project proposals and

budgets presented by UNHCR implementing partners and prepare all reproductive

health related implementing instruments.



Ensure that the provisions contained in the

various Memoranda of Understanding between UNHCR and other organisations are

applied as appropriate.



Guide the UNHCR office regarding all

reproductive health issues related to the installation of refugees in existing

sites and about measures to be taken relating to possible repatriation

movements. Also prepare/update contingency plans as appropriate for a possible

influx of refugees from neighbouring countries.



Ensure that particular attention is given to the

support of local reproductive health activities in order to appropriately

compensate for the added burden of services to refugees.



Undertake regular missions to refugee sites in

order to analyse, monitor, evaluate and supervise the implementation of

reproductive health services delivery.



Organise and conduct timely monitoring and

evaluation meetings with implementing partners as regards their project

implementation, in accordance with the UNHCR programming cycle.



Organise the collection, analysis and

distribution of epidemiological information regarding the reproductive health

status of the refugees and other persons of concern. This includes carrying out evaluation

exercises, surveys and studies.



Organise on-going training/familiarisation

sessions for refugees, NGO and UNHCR staff. Particular attention should be paid

to supporting refugee qualified reproductive health personnel and local NGOs,

and strengthening their capacity.



As part of the public health team act as a focal

point with regional authorities of the Ministry of Health (MoH) and disseminate

the MOH protocols, and/or UNHCR/UNFPA/WHO standards and policies among

implementing partners, particularly for all matters of public health

importance.



In conjunction with Ministry of Health support

the organisation of co-ordination meetings at sub-national levels with all

concerned parties and at suitable intervals (written minutes should be

prepared).



Provide guidance, supervise and co-ordinate the

activities of UNHCR implementing/operational partners in the reproductive

health sector.



Liaise with UNHCR Public Health Officer and

other actors working in reproductive health and HIV including national and

international NGOs and UNFPA



Prepare regular reports to be shared with the

UNHCR/ Field Offices concerned and partners as well as monthly reports (as a

minimum) to be also shared with UNHCR Country offices and with other UNHCR

Co-ordinators in the Uganda. Immediately

inform UNHCR of any happening of significance in the reproductive health

sector.



Provide back up to the broader Public Health

issues as might be required.

Key Result Areas:



Make recommendations on reproductive/public

health issues impacting on the health status of the Persons of Concern.



Represent UNHCR in relevant meetings and

technical fora in the area of responsibility.











Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience:



The ideal candidate for the United Nations UNHCR

Associate Reproductive Health Officer career opportunity should hold a graduate

degree (equivalent of a Master) with clinical background (e.g. medical doctor,

nursing, or related) with strong experience in reproductive health.



At least two to four years of relevant

professional experience, including internships and voluntary work, in the

medical or nursing field with Reproductive Health and HIV experience.



At least two years experience working with

refugees and/or in emergency settings.



Excellent writing and reporting skills.



Desirable: Graduate degree (equivalent of a

Masters degree) in Public Health or similar qualification.



Cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality

and age sensitivity and adaptability.



Good Communication, planning and organization

competencies and computer skills including word processing, PowerPoint and

excel.



Ability for analytical and creative thinking for

rapid solution(s).



Ability to produce high quality output with

desirable results.



Good Communicator with strong inter-personal and

negotiation skills to deal with persons of various cultural and educational

backgrounds.



An outgoing personality and a team player with

service-oriented attitudes.



English is essential.

Personal Competencies:



Managerial Competencies: Empowering

and Building Trust, Judgement and Decision Making, Managing Resources



Cross-Functional Competencies: Planning

and Organizing, Political Awareness and

Stakeholder Management

How to Apply:

All interested Ugandan nationals who wish to join the United Nations

High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the aforementioned capacity are

encouraged to click on the link below and follow the application instructions

after reviewing the job details.

th

November 2017 Deadline: 6November 2017
Organization: United Nations

Development Programme (UNDP)

Duty Station: Kampala,

Uganda

Reports to: Team Leader,

Peace Security and Systems Resilience (PSSR

Grade: SB3

About UNDP:

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United Nations

global development network. UNDP advocates for change and connects countries to

knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. The

UNDP provides expert advice, training, grant support to developing countries

including Uganda with increasing emphasis on assistance to the least developed

countries.

Job Summary: The Programme Associate Peace, Security and Systems Resilience

ensures effective delivery of the CO programme by entering and managing data

and supporting programme implementation consistent with UNDP rules and

regulations. The Programme Associate can supervise clerical and support staff

of the Programme Unit. The Programme Associate works in close collaboration

with the operations, programme and projects staff in the CO and field offices

and UNDP HQs as required for resolving complex finance-related issues and

exchange of information.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:



Country Programme Action Plan focusing on achievement of the following results: Supports formulation of programme strategies and implementation of theCountry Programme Action Plan focusing on achievement of the following results:



Responsible for the collection, analysis and

presentation of background information for preparation of CCA, UNDAF, CPD,

CPAP, effective application of RBM tools and establishment of management

targets (BSC).



Presentation of background information for

formulation of country programme, draft project documents, work plans, budgets,

proposals on implementation arrangements.



on the achievement of the following results: Provides effective support to management of the CO programme focusingon the achievement of the following results:



In charge of the creation of a project in Atlas,

preparation of required budget revisions, revision of project award and project

status, determination of unutilized funds, operational and financial close of a

project.



Provision of guidance to the executing agencies

on routine implementation of projects.



Presentation of information for audit of NEX

projects, supports implementation of audit recommendations.



achievement of the following results: Provides administrative support to the Programme Unit focusing onachievement of the following results:



Review of NEX projects Financial Reports;

preparation of non-PO vouchers for development projects.



Responsible for the maintenance of the internal

expenditures control system which ensures that vouchers processed are matched

and completed, transactions are correctly recorded and posted in Atlas.



Timely corrective actions on unposted vouchers,

including the vouchers with budget check errors, match exceptions, unapproved

vouchers.



Creation of requisitions in Atlas for

development projects, register of goods receipt in Atlas.



Making budget check for requisitions, POs and

vouchers.



results: Supports resource mobilization focusing on achievement of the followingresults:



In charge of the analysis of information on

donors, preparation of donors profile.



Track and reporting on mobilized resources.

Review of contributions agreement, managing contributions in Atlas.



CO focusing on achievement of the following results: Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in theCO focusing on achievement of the following results:



Tasked with the organization of trainings for

the operations/ projects staff on programme.



Synthesis of lessons learnt and best practices

in programme.



Sound contributions to knowledge networks and

communities of practice.











Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience:



The ideal applicant for the United Nations UNDP

Programme Associate Peace, Security and

Systems Resilience job placement should hold a University Degree in Business or

Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences and Social Sciences would

be desirable. Specialized certification in Accounting and Finance. An advanced

degree in the above areas will be an added advantage.



At least five to seven years of progressively

responsible administrative or programme experience is required.



Computer literacy i.e. experience in the usage

of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc) and advance

knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web

based management systems

Personal Competencies:

Corporate Competencies:



Demonstrates commitment to UNDPs mission,

vision and values.



Displays cultural, gender, religion, race,

nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge Management and Learning:



Shares knowledge and experience



Actively works towards continuing personal

learning, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills

Development and Operational Effectiveness:



Ability to perform a variety of specialized

tasks related to Results Management, including support to design, planning and

implementation of programme, managing data, reporting. Ability to perform a variety of specializedtasks related to Results Management, including support to design, planning andimplementation of programme, managing data, reporting.



Ability to provide input to business processes

re-engineering, implementation of new system, including new IT based systems



Good knowledge of Results Management Guide and

Toolkit

Leadership and Self-Management



Focuses on result for the client and responds

positively to feedback



Consistently approaches work with energy and a

positive, constructive attitude



Remains calm, in control and good humored even

under pressure



Demonstrates openness to change and ability to

manage complexities

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender,

nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups

and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications

will be treated with the strictest confidence.

How to Apply:

All suitably qualified and interested candidates who so desire to join

the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, in the aforementioned capacity

should endeavor to Apply Online by Clicking on the link below. Please further

review job requirements and if competent Click Apply Now.

th November

2017 Deadline: 8November2017



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For more of the latest jobs, please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com orfind us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline






Patnaik's close aides say that to understand him, one has to understand his empathy

By Pratul Sharma/Photos Sanjay Ahlawat
The Mersal controversy refuses to die down in Tamil Nadu. The issues between the BJP and actor Vijays fans seem to be far from over, as a fresh set of salvo has been fired by one of the BJP district secretaries against a Vijay fan who posted derogatory comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Srivilluiputhur police had registered a FIR against an engineering student S. Thirumurugan for allegedly posting comments against Modi and his foreign trips, based on a complaint filed by BJP Madurai District Secretary K. Marimuthu.

Marimuthu lodged a complaint with the Srivilliputhur police against Thirumurugan for posting comments against Modi between October 23 and 29. As per the FIR registered by the Srivillupthur police Thirumurugan has been charged under CrPC section 505 for public mischief and IPC section 67 IT ACT, 2008 for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form.

He has been remanded to judicial custody after being produced in the Judicial magistrate court II in Srivilliputhur. The FIR further gives details of the mobile number which was used by Thirumurugan to post the comments.

Also Read: Mersal GST controversy: Who said what

The comments according to the FIR are against Modi and his foreign trips. The FIR further says that Thirumurugan used abusive words in the comments against Modi and posted it with a fake name called Sachin Thiru.

Thirumurugan had been taken into custody by the Srivilliputhur police based on Marimuthus complaint for further investigation. According to Srivilliputhur police, Thirumurgan had actually reacted to a meme on actor Vijay and his GST dialogues in the Mersal movie, which was sent by Marimuthu to his FB Messenger. The meme reportedly criticises Vijay for the wrong figures given out in the movie on GST and the controversial dialogues on health care in India.

Offended by the meme and comments against Vijay, Thirumurugan had reacted to Mairmuthu in abusive words against Modi. But Thirumurgans below the belt comments made Marimuthu lodge a police complaint. Marimuthu has produced the details of the chat to the police and had demanded action against Thirumurugan. He accepted that he had sent the messages, say the Srivilliputhur police.

Also Read: Of Mersal and political ambitions: Will the real Vijay please stand up?

However with this the Mersal controversy and the ongoing tussle between the Vijay fans and BJP had moved up further.

The BJP leaders actually wanted the controversial dialogues removed from the movie saying it would mislead the public.

Mersal, which actually is a typical, average Vijay film grossed over Rs 200 crore in the first weekend.
Everyone in India will recognise Mother Teresa and her work among the destitute in Kolkata. Those ideals of service to humankind can be tracked to the mystic beliefs of St. Teresa of Avila in Spain. This week, women writers from Spain and India interacted, exchanging ideas pertaining to mystic traditions in both countrieshow the inner and outer worlds coalesced through humanistic beliefs. Designed as a retreat, called Sounds of Silence in the imposing Tijara Fort in Alwar, Rajasthan, the idea was to read poetry, reflect on spiritualism, and seek common ground among women writers responding to mystical moments.

In our troubled times of protest marches, divisiveness and violence, why is it necessary to be reminded of mysticism, a common thread in the national psyche of Spain and India? The ancient Vedikas and the women Bhakti poets of India refer to the invisible yet vital connection between various forms of being, which only focused compassion for suffering can unravel. Could writers today share comparable ideas and experiences? In her opening remarks, Namita Gokhale, novelist, and festival director, spoke emotionally of her affinity with the silent terrains of home, the Kumaon hills, and how clues to the self lay in cultural memory. Mystical awareness calls for the souls passion for God, and finding the self in God, she said. Nuria Barrios, poet, and a regular contributor to Spains leading daily, El Pais, used Penelope as a metaphor for the eternal wait to heal the world:

Penelope weaves a net for Telemachus.

She says:

food play sleep sun rain

He hears:

he will return he will return he will return

Thoughtful sessions, including one on Body, Mind, Soul, and another on What Poetry means to me, underscored the function of literatureto explore the body politic through utterance of words. Hindi writer Anamika, taking a sharp feminist stand, asked for women to be recognised as equal partners in social development: One day we said/were human too./Read us carefully. Almost in tandem, Nirupama Dutt, Punjabi writer, read from her poem Wicked Woman, where non-conformity is the preferred action of the self: The road is at my feet/ And just the sky above/I have the courage to bear/and express myself without fear. Esther Syiem, from Shillong, spoke of the undocumented repertoire of Khasi oral narratives, as in her poem Pahsyntiew about a primordial ancestress.

It would seem that fearlessness in the face of communitys censure lies at the core of womens mystic poetry. Akka Mahadevi walked naked before God, Meerabai defiantly abandoned the palace and took to the streets, singing, and Andal held her own in a dominantly male sect.

How was it in Spain? Aurora Luque, poet, translator and publisher, spoke of the influence of Greek mythology on mystic traditions and its constantly evolving signage of hope. She cited her own lines: To live is to lose ones lifes desires, who would have thought/ It is to starve the appetites. Given the recent political developments in Catalonia, conversation turned to the linguistic legacies than can unite, but also divide people. The uncertainty of todays world, according to award winning poet Menchu Gutierrez, is seen in a recurrent strangeness, as in her lines:

Strangeness,

the urgent and hesitant smile,

the thought-through,

the asymmetry in joy

Spain, known to many Indians through Cervantes and Lorca, is replete with stories of indomitable human spirit, told through many art forms including music and performance. Spanish dancer, Monica de la Fuente, who is also trained in Bharatanatyam, brought the retreat to a befitting close in a performance called Deep Song: Lorcas Aesthetics of Duende, by integrating poetry and movement from both traditions.

The Spain-India meet, soft diplomacy as one may call it, is effectively about inter-cultural dialogue, translation and mutual understanding. Fortunately, poetry continues to legislate the human imagination.

Malashri Lal is a writer and academic, and co-editor of the popular volume In Search of Sita: Revisiting Mythology.
Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of RSS and BJP, had an impressive win at the college level polls in Madhya Pradesh by defeating NSUI in six out of seven universities.

College level direct elections were held in Madhya Pradesh after a gap of 30 years. The college polls were stopped in state in 1987 when Congress chief minister Motilal Vora banned them due to extreme violence. Earlier, college elections were done on merit basis and no voting was done among students. Recently the state higher education department initiated the process of college level elections.

Elections were held on Monday in 533 colleges and six universities of the state. Among these, BJP and ABVP had claimed that it had won at over 80 percent of places. However, Congress student wing National Students Union of India (NSUI) secretary Vivek Tripathi, too, claimed that they or NSUI-supported candidates have won at 325 colleges.

Tripathi said: The elections were rigged by the BJP government through its teachers. It is surprising that we won majority of class representatives elections yet we lost college level posts.

BJP state president Nandkumar Chouhan said that winning of college level polls by ABVP is a clear approval of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh's policies.

Out of the seven universities, the results of Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya, Jabalpur, has been put on hold. Interestingly, both NSUI and ABVP have celebrated their victories in the elections. The student wing of Aam Admi partyCYSShas also registered victory at around dozen places.

Violence was reported at many places including Bhopal university and colleges in Guna. In Government College, Chachora, in Guna district, NSUI alleged that their elected class representative had been kidnapped. In three colleges of Katni and in Churhat and Tikamgarh, AAP won the elections. In most of Bhopal's colleges, ABVP candidates have won the elections. In Bhopal University, NSUI candidates won several class representatives posts while ABVP bagged the post of president, vice president, secretary and joint secretary. ABVP also won in Hoshangabad, Itarsi, Sohagpur, Seoni Malwa, Pachmari, Pipariya PG College, Girls College Pipariya and Athner.

Maitri Mahajan, granddaughter of Loksabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan, was also elected as class representative in Devi Ahilya University, Indore, where she is student of Educational Media Research Centre. She was tipped to be fielded for the post of president from the side of ABVP but later ABVP decided in favour of someone else.
Close on the heels of the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in the Doklam region of Bhutan, Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, accompanied by Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuk and Prince Jigme Namgyal Wangchuk, arrived here on Tuesday on a four-day visit to India.

The royal couple was received by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at the airport here.

"Special gesture for a valued friend. EAM @SushmaSwaraj receives Their Majesties, The King, The Queen and The Gyalsey (Prince) of Bhutan," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

On Wednesday, the King will meet President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will host a dinner in honour of the royal family, a statement from the ministry said.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and other ministers will call on the King.

"India and Bhutan enjoy unique ties of friendship, which are characterised by deep understanding and mutual trust," the statement said.

It said the visit would provide an opportunity to review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation, including plans for celebrating in 2018 the golden jubilee of the establishment of diplomatic ties, and to advance bilateral relations of friendship and cooperation.

Indian and Chinese troops were locked in an over two-month standoff at Doklam plateau in Bhutan. The crisis, which erupted in June over Chinese moves to build a road in an area claimed by Bhutan, ended in August, with both sides deciding to "disengage" from the face-off point.

While India and Bhutan said that Beijing's move violated the status quo in the India-Bhutan-China international trijunction, China claimed that it was their territory.

There are a number of institutional mechanisms between India and Bhutan in areas such as security, border management, trade, transit, economic, hydro-power, development cooperation and water resources.

India has set up three hydroelectric projects (HEPs) in Bhutan totalling 1,416 MW, which are operational and exporting surplus power to India. About three-fourth of the power generated is exported and the rest is used for domestic consumption.

India is Bhutan's largest trading partner. In 2016, bilateral trade stood at Rs 8,723 crore with total imports being Rs 5,528.5 crore (82 per cent of Bhutan's total imports) and exports recorded as Rs 3,205.2 crore including electricity (90 per cent of Bhutan's total exports).
So the unthinkable has happened. Unthinkable, yes, but just what many of us had been dreading all these days. A nations nightmare come true. The one woman who had been bearing on her frail shoulders the burdens of the worlds largest democracy, the accumulated problems of seven hundred million people, the woman who, for a decade and a half, stood four square against all the forces threatening this countryshe has been struck down. And suddenly there is a vast emptiness in Indiaan emptiness that every sensitive Indian felt in his or her heart on hearing the news.

Perhaps she knew it was coming. Day in and out she had been warning of the dangers enveloping the country, of the forces at work out to wreck the foundations of the Indian Republic, destroy our hard-won freedom and unity, and disrupt the peace of the land. She also dropped more than a broad hint that she was their prime target, being their greatest stumbling block. There was an air of desperation about her utterances in the last few weeks, like the sounding of an insistent alarm bell. And yet we did not take her seriously, Not only that. Some of uslet us confesseven ridiculed her and said she was merely crying wolf for her own purposes. All the time, the wolf was right there, creeping nearer, getting ready to spring.

Perhaps this was the way she wanted to go, too. The way of Julius Caesar, Abraham Lincoln, John Kennedy, Martin Luther King, the way the Mahatma himself wentat the height of glory, leaving behind a glowing legend for all time to come. Didn't she say long ago that the historical character she admired most was Joan of Arc and she wished to be like Joan sacrificing her life for her country?

The French woman was burnt at the stake as a heretic for waging a crusade against the foreign invaders and insisting that she did it in answer to a call from God. Indira Gandhi was killed by some treacherous men among her own bodyguards because she considered it as her sacred mission to protect the unity and integrity of the country, because she stood firm as a rock against the tides of subversion, fanaticism and violence threatening to sweep over India.

After the army action in Punjab in the first week of June, she said it was one of the most painful decisions she had ever taken, but she had to do it because she felt she owed it to the nation. In retrospect, it looks as if she was signing her own death warrant. She must have known it in her heart of hearts. But, as Margaret Thatcher said, Indira Gandhi was not the person to shrink from doing what she considered her duty for fear of any danger to her life.

She was cast in the heroic mould. Even in the last public meeting she addressed somewhere in Orissa, just a day before the fatal event, she had said that even if she died in the service of the nation, she would be proud of it. Every drop of my blood, l am sure, will contribute to the growth of this nation and to make it strong and dynamic.

Earlier, she had said at a public meeting in Lucknow that some forces were bent upon eliminating her but the worst they could do was to kill her. Even if Indira Gandhi dies, her blood would spring from the earth and thousands of Indiras will emerge to serve the people of the country...

Now we hear the ring of doom in those words. Now we understand the passion with which she was speaking, and realise how true was her perception of danger and how desperate the need to protect her. But too late, all too late.

Will the security and intelligence agencies of India ever outlive this shame?

ASI write these lines from a corner of suburban Delhi, vast crowdsmen, women and children, the old and the crippled an endless train of VIPs from far and near but mostly a stream of ordinary humanityare converging on, and besiegirig, Teen Murti Bhavan in the heart of the city for the last darshan of Indira Priyadarshini. The scenes are to be seen to be believedthe multitudes in a paroxysm of grief flowing by the owerdecked bier, like the waters from an opened flood-gate, often going out of control, and breaking the cordon, the security men frantically trying to restore order, the outbursts of anger, Rajiv Gandhi appealing with folded hands to the crowds to maintain calm, grown-up men and Women crying unashamedly and in the midst of the turmoil, like the eye of a storm, a face, a most familiar face, set at rest, unseeing and unheeding, terrifyingly still... A freeze from history caught up in the whirlpool of the present.

I was in Delhi when Nehru died and had seen the outpouring of a grieving city. But nothing like this was seen on that occasion. Then the sorrow was tempered by the peoples awareness that their beloved leader had gone in the fullness of years, his lifes labour done, gone peacefully like the setting sun. The homage was to splendour that was. Here the sense of loss was much more because his daughter had been snatched away, that too in the most cruel manner, when she was still in the prime of her political life and could have served the country for many years more. And there was anger mixed with sorrow this time. As at the time of Gandhis assassination, but unfortunately more so now. There was then Jawaharlal Nehru, also Sardar Patel to calm the popular passions. We have nobody of their stature now.

Rajiv, of course, tried to face the situation manfully. Sensing the black mood of the people as the black Wednesday turned into night, he said in his broadcast to the nation that maintenance of peace and goodwill was the need of the hour and any act of violence would be painful to the spirit of the departed leader. Unhappily, the message was lost on the hotheads in Delhi and elsewhere who by their acts of madness created a serious law and order problem for an administration already in a state of shock due to the outrage at No. l Safdarjung Road.

Napolean once said that St. Helena was written in the Book of Destiny. Perhaps, the day of the assassins in Delhi, October 31, 1984, was also written in the Book of Destiny. An epic life had to end on an epic note. So, we need not grieve for her unduly. Seeing the last act of the tragedy at Teen Murti Bhavan, where once Indira played hostess to her father in the palmy days of the Nehru era, ones thoughts went back to the great man. Maybe, his spirit was there telling his daughter, Thy work is done, and done well. And now sleep, Indu..." Yes, after life's tful fever," she sleeps.

But what a life, and whata woman! Remember 'the days when she was new to the ofce of Prime Minister, rather unsure of herself and tongue-tied in Parliament, when Ram Manohar Lohia called her goongi gudiya (dumb doll), when the Congress party bosses thought she had no choice but to toe their line. How the alchemy of power and mass adulation transformed her! It took hardly five years or so for the dumb doll to become what the world called the iron lady and the Empress of India.

Not that she was without flaws. The grief over her untimely and violent end need not blind us to the faults and failures of her leadership. It was during her reign that corruption grew to alarming proportions and the parallel economy of black money almost overtook the regular economy. She did not do much about it. The democratic institutions suffered under the twin pressures of slush funds and political interference in administration. It is true that the seeds of decay were sown during Nehrus time under what Rajaji called the permit-licence-quota-raj. It is also true that much of the rot was due to the consumerism that gripped a large section of Indian society, particularly the growing and articulate middle class, as a part of the developmental process and that this would, in all probability, have come about even if a person other than Mrs Gandhi were at the helm of affairs. All the same, she cannot altogether escape responsibility for the distortions in the system during her long regime.

Again, she did not help the growth of a healthy party system. It was not her business to build up a strong opposition to her party, no doubt. But she could have at least tried to make her own party function on the right democratic lines, in which case it would have had a salutary effect on the other parties and on the polity in general. As it happened, the Congress(I) degenerated into a loose organisation where only sycophants and climbers could prosper. Congress culture came to be a byword for political permissiveness and the other parties also showed the same symptoms.

Her authoritarian bent of mind led her to the blind alley of Emergency in 1975. The country then appeared to be set on the course that our neighbouring countries had taken but, thanks to her innate instinct for legitimacy, the trend was reversed and a peaceful change was made possible in free and fair elections something which has seldom happened under an authoritarian ruler.

In January 1980 Mrs Gandhi came back to power to the rejoicings of a people disillusioned with the Janata experiment at the Centre. This, her last phase, began with high expectations but unfortunately she could not fulfill them, whatever the reasons. Centre-state relations became strained. Law and order turned from bad to worse. Trouble in Assam continued and a new and more serious crisis developed in Punjab. Whether anybody else in her place could have found a solution to these complicated problems in the given time is a matter of opinion. However, the negative side of the picture is there.

But then, some of the great figures of history also had their own weaknesses and frailties. Akbar, Queen Elizabeth I, Catherine the Great, Mao Zedongall had their warts.

And no objective analyst of Indian politics will deny her the credit due to her on many counts. The progress made by the country under her leadership in such elds as agricultural production, industrialisation, the spread of higher education, science and technologyespecially in telecommunications, electronics, nuclear and space venturesas also in defence self-sufciency is truly remarkable. If only she had kept up her earlier zeal of the Garibi Hatao programme! In the last phase much of her time and energy was spent in unproductive politicking and manoeuvres for short-term gains for her party. Still, even this period had its redeeming aspects. Ination was contained and the economy put on a fairly even keel, the aberrations of it notwithstanding.

In the sphere of foreign policy, she was a hard-headed realist who would not take chances with Indias security. The Indo-Soviet friendship treaty, of which she was the chief architect, stood the country in good stead at a critical time. India being elected to the leadership of the Non-Aligned Movement was a tribute her statesmanship. If Indias relations with the USA, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were troubled, it is unfair to single out Mrs Gandhis government for blame. The problems were inherent in the geopolitical situation. She made India a power to reckon with in the Afro-Asian world. She would not brook any attempt to injure its vital interests. If for nothing else, Indira Gandhis place in Indian history is assured for her victorious leadership in the Bangladesh liberation war. Not since Chandragupta Mauryas time had a native ruler met a foreign threat so decisively as she did in that crisis.

For 15 years, no matter what the pressures from within or outside, this woman held India togetherno mean achievement in these troubled times. She became the symbol of resurgent Indian nationhoodan India cherishing all that is best in her tradition, but a forward-looking India. Her personality itself combined the graces of the past with a cosmopolitan culture. And while being refreshingly modern, she was not ashamed to acknowledge her devotion to Indias spiritual heritage.

And now suddenly an India without Indira. It is a disorienting blow of reality. Wherever we turn, there are clouds of uncertainty and forebodings. The ship of state seems adrift on the high seas, the tried and trusted captain gone. There are breakers and reefs ahead and an ill-wind is blowing. What is going to happen?

Will India sail on to safer waters or go to pieces? These are the doubts that assail one's equanimity, but we will be untrue to the spirit of the departed leader and the founding fathers if we lose heart and give up the struggle to preserve the unity and integrity of the country and the values of democracy and secularism enshrined in our Constitution. The cult of violence and communal hatred must be driven out, once for all, from this land. It is not only Punjab but the whole of India that needs the healing touch. No communityneither the minorities nor the majorityshould be made to feel discriminated against. If there are genuine grievances in any quarter, they have to be removed forthwith. From sectarian quarrels the attention of the nation has to be turned to the emancipation of the poverty-stricken millions of this country. That is the unfinished task of Indira Gandhi and the leaders who have gone before her. Swaraj has no meaning till this is done.

It is an irony of fate that Indira Gandhi's wish to have her son as her successor was realised in this manner. She rst groomed Sanjay for this honour but destiny willed it otherwise. Now her tragic death accomplished the fond mother's purpose. True democrats cannot but oppose dynastic succession in principle, especially if it appears to have been hustled through. However, insofar as Rajivs sudden elevation ensures a smooth transition in an hour of crisis, it may turn out to be a good arrangement, subject of course to the approval of Parliament and the electorate later. And for all we know, the young man may make good. Personality development is an imponderable factor in politics. If he fails, you can trust the system to find a better alternative. But in this critical hour, whatever the political differences, one must wish the young Prime Minister of India good luck and godspeed. The burden he has taken upon his shoulders is too heavy to admit of carping criticism and cynical disdain.

If India without Gandhi and Nehru and Patel could survive, an India without Indira should also survive. That is how she herself had visualised it with her unshaken faith in his ancient countrys future. The present storms must pass and one day this country will reach that state: Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high...

(This article originally appeared as the cover story in the issue dated November 17, 1984)
Even as the number of infants, who died at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital in the last few days has touched 25, including the death of nine kids in a single day, a probe panel appointed by the government has given a clean chit to the hospital, sparking off debates over the low birth weight of infants in the state, especially in the rural areas.

The death of nine infants on October 28 came in as a jolt for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in the election season. Gujarat votes on December 9 and 14 to elect its 182 MLAs.

Congress was quick to react to the incident with the party demanding an apology from Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and compensation for the families, who lost their new borns.

If sources are to be believed, as many as 1029 infants have died at the Ahmedabad hospital, touted to be the largest civil hospital in Asia, from January to October this year. Several of these new borns were referred to Ahmedabad from far-flung places of the state.

A three-member government team that probed the nine deaths in a single day gave a clean chit to the hospital dismissing any negligence from their side. The probe team categorically observed that the extremely low birth weight deliveries continue to be a challenge in Gujarat in view of sub-optimal nutritional status of pregnant women.

It also mentioned that the referrals from peripheral centres have been higher these days since many of the doctors and hospitals in periphery, especially in private sector are not available or closed due to post Diwali holidays.

Talking to media, associate professor at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, Dr Bela Shah attributed the deaths to pre-mature deliveries and low birth weight. Some infants also had breathing difficulties and could not survive despite being put on ventilator.

The death figures are ironical considering that the state government has time and again boasted about its schemes for pregnant mothers and infants.

As per the figures of the National Family Health Survey  4 for 2015-16, the infant and child mortality rate per 1,000 births in rural areas of Gujarat is 39 and in urban areas 27.

Mothers who have had full antenatal care is just 24 per cent in rural areas and 39.6 per cent in urban areas. Moreover, children who received a health check from a doctor/nurse, midwife or health personnel within two days of birth is only 15.8 per cent in rural areas and 15.7 per cent in urban areas. These are figures for the last birth in five years before the survey.

Questioned Jhanvi Andharia of ANANDI, an organisation working in Gujarat's remote areas for maternal health, How has it happened if all your (government's) schemes are in place? She also wondered whether these were the only cases or were just the tip of an ice-berg.

Demanding an apology from the chief minister, Congress national spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil said that the government should give Rs 10 lakh to each of the families who lost their infants.

Regardless of post Diwali vacation period or non-availability of doctors, the deaths also bring to light the issue of vacancies of doctors and para medical staff in government hospitals at every level, including taluka levels. It also raises question on the availability of basic facilities at the taluka levels.

According to Gohil, the CAG, in its reports of 2013 and 2015, had also mentioned that the neo-natal wards at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital required CCTV cameras. He claimed that till Monday, when he got video shooting of the neo-natal ICU wards done, the cameras were not put up. The CAG report had also mentioned about the air conditioners not working properly.

The Congress leader also alleged that in the last couple of years, the medical and para-medical staff of the civil hospital have not been sent for updating of their knowledge through continuous medical education.
The Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) of Kashmiri separatists on Tuesday ruled out talks with Centre's interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma calling it an exercise in futility.

"Sharma's assertion that he is coming to the Valley with the directive from the government of India to restore peace rather than addressing the dispute limits the scope of any engagement with him and makes it an exercise in futility," a JRL spokesman said in a statement.

The JRL members comprise radical Syed Ali Geelani, and two moderates, Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik.

The JRL had spearheaded the last year's uprising by issuing protest calendars for five months after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzaffar Wani and two of his associates.

The spokesman said the decision of not meeting the interlocutor was taken at a meeting at the residence of Geelani on Tuesday.

While in principle pro-freedom leadership has always advocated and supported sincere and productive dialogue as a means of conflict resolution over Jammu and Kashmir, what it inherently entails from all participants to dialogue is the basic acknowledgment that there is a dispute that has to be resolved, the spokesman said.

But the government of India continuously refuses to accept this basic premise and the reality on the ground, he added.

He said the appointment of Sharma, a former Intelligence Bureau chief, is due to international pressure, regional compulsions and abysmal failure of the state policy of repression against the people of Kashmir.

Referring to reaction on former Home Minister P. Chidambaram's statement that when people in Kashmir seek Aazdi they actually means autonomy, the spokesman said when even the demand for the restoration of autonomy guaranteed by its own constitution is termed as a betrayal with soldiers and hence unacceptable, how will such a dispensation in New Delhi address or engage with the Kashmiri people's political will and aspiration of self-determination for which people have been relentlessly struggling and sacrificing for the past 70 years.

The spokesman said unless the Kashmir dispute is understood and addressed in its historical context and international commitments made by India, a lasting peace can neither be achieved in J&K nor in the subcontinent.

While the military repression continues in Kashmir, the talk of peace and dialogue is only a ploy to strike a bargain that people of Kashmir and leadership will never succumb to, the spokesman said.

The spokesman said for any Kashmiri, to be part of this futile exercise will only undermine their internationally acknowledged legitimate struggle, nourished by the blood of their martyrs and great sacrifices and hardships rendered daily by the people.
Karnataka got its first woman police chief after Neelamani N. Raju, a 1983 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer was appointed the director general and inspector general of police on Tuesday.

Neelamani Raju

Raju (57) succeeds Rupak Kumar Dutta who retired on superannuation on October 31.

Raju, who was serving as DGP (fire and emergency services) made it to the top post owing to her clean image and her seniority over two other strong contendersIPS officers of 1984 batch: DGP (CID) H.C. Kishore Chandra (now posted as DGP, Karnataka State Police Housing Corporation) and DGP (Anti-corruption Bureau) M.N. Reddi (now posted as DGP (Home Guards, Civil Defence and Fire force).

Hailing from Roorkee in Uttarakhand, Raju holds an MA and MBA degrees. She began her career in 1985 as the Bengaluru Rural SP, and was later posted on central deputation in 1993. She served in central intelligence as the joint director before returning to Karnataka in May 2016, when she was appointed the DGP (internal security). In fact, the state government requested the Centre to sanction an additional DGP post (in addition to the existing six) for Karnataka to accommodate Raju.

She is married to retired IAS officer D.N. Narasimha Raju, who last served as additional chief secretary in the CM's secretariat.

With Neelamani Raju is set to retire only in January 2020, her two year tenure is bound to be hectic with two consecutive election years in Karnataka.
Do you feel you have one of the toughest jobs in the country right now?

Definitely. The Kashmir problem is the most difficult job, most difficult problem for the country.

What do you see as your biggest challenge?

The immediate challenge is restoring peace in Kashmir and bringing back youth who are moving away and getting disillusioned.

There have been interlocutors before. There was the K.C. Pant committee, there was the committee headed by Radha Kumar and Dilip Padgaonkar and M.M. Ansari. Those reports never really saw the light of day, they werent even tabled in Parliament. How will you convey a message that this time the government is serious about this process?

I will talk to everybody, and I hope that I will be able to convince everybody. As far as the (interlocutors) report is concerned, there must be certain reasons why the government could not place it in Parliament. For that, this government cannot be blamed. So there must be some reason, and I am not in a position to comment on that.

You have been asked repeatedlywho are these stakeholders? Because you have said that you will talk to all stakeholders. You said you will talk to every Indian citizen who lives in Jammu and Kashmir, and that, you said, includes the Hurriyat Conference because they are Indian passport holders, they are Indian citizens. Is that a fair surmise that the Hurriyat is among the stakeholders you will reach out to?

Agony of WWloss: A young girl crying during the funeral of a BSF jawan from Bandipora in north Kashmir. He was killed by terrorists in September | PTI

Definitely. You see, I have continuously been maintaining that all Indians living in Kashmir are stakeholders. They all have a stake in the peace in Kashmir. So, Hurriyat automatically comes in that. But whether I will talk or not will depend on the situation there, it will depend on the response from them.

But of course they fall within the list of Indian citizens who live in Jammu and Kashmir, and to that extent, even the agenda of the alliance between the Peoples Democratic Party and the BJP lists them as stakeholders.

Yeah, I have mentioned that any Indian is a stakeholder.

Including the Hurriyat?

Automatically, they are also Indians.

One of the challenges for you, as a veteran of Kashmir, is that people start asking, what is the framework of this dialogue? Vajpayee handled it by saying, Insaniyat ke daayre mein jo kuch bhi mumkin ho, woh hum karenge (we will do everything within the realm of humanity). Now, obviously the Constitution of India is a framework. But, apart from that, what is the mandate given to you to set the framework?

I have not been given any mandate. Mandate istotally openminded. I can talk to anybody or suggest anything.

And no boundaries?

No boundaries or limitations from the government.

Have you been told whom to talk to and whom not to talk to?

Not at all. I have been given a free hand to talk to anybody.

But, obviously within the constitutional framework?

Of course, no authority has the right to talk anything outside the Constitution.

You have dealt with radical Islam. In fact, you came up with some innovative solutions when you were dealing with Islamic State recruiting young people in Kerala. I remember one police officer saying that, pehle azadi hoti thi [earlier there was azadi], Islam was a subset of it. Now azadi has become a subset of Islam. How will you deal with this challenge of radicalisation?

You are right. Radicalisation has emerged as a much bigger challenge than the azadi issue. And, as director of the Intelligence Bureau, I was noticing this. Of course, in many other parts of the country, but more so in Kashmir.

How will you deal with it?

I will go talk to people, convince, talk to the parents, talk to the teachers [and tell them that] this is going to destroy what is called Kashmiriyat. So, youth will have to be taken out from all these radical thoughts, which are coming from across the border.

In 2015, the Jammu and Kashmir police placed a report, where they said for the first time, in ten years, local militants had outnumbered foreign terrorists. In fact, local militants made up 62 per cent of the militants, many of them educated, toppers even. How will you deal with local militants?

I think that if the overall situation improves in Kashmir, if the youth start seeing reason (that militancy is not the way to achieve what they want to achieve), then automatically they will stop going towards militancy. Definitely, local youth joining militancy is a big concern for everybody, but if we are able to raise the hopes of the youth, if they feel that they have a stake in peace, a stake in the Indian nation, then automatically they will leave that path.

Some people said that there should have been a political envoy and that the people wont talk to a police officer. I disagree with that because all backchannels have been run by the IB or the R&AW in Kashmir. How do you respond to people who say, police officer se nahi baat karenge log [people wont talk to a police officer]?

I will not like to comment on this (smiles). Only time will tell.

There is a lot of pressure on you. There are a lot of expectations. Every night there will be media debateswas this a success or failure? Was it a U-turn? First, to the criticism that the Modi government has U-turned from hardline to soft, how do you respond?

In the course of history, there is nothing like a U-turn. The government responds depending on the situation at any place. So, if Burhan Wani was killed and immediately some interlocutor was appointed, that would have also been criticised. A government responds depending on the situation. The government has thought this is the correct time to initiate dialogue.

Has the media, my fraternity, become part of the problem instead of part of the solution?

I will only say that the media has got a huge responsibility, a national responsibility, and they should play a constructive role. They should highlight issues and fulfil their responsibility by not creating further unrest in Kashmir.

You have been described as a dove in an establishment of hawks. Do you see yourself as a dove?

Let me see, let me see (laughs). But I would definitely like to meet Kashmiris with all compassion.

What about the other peace talks you are involved in, in the northeast? You have been involved in Assam, in Manipur. You have played a critical role there. There are still ongoing talks. What happens to those?

Even yesterday I was meeting the Manipuri people. Let me see, the government will decide.

One message for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

I will request all the youth to see this as a very good opportunity, to see reason and leave the path of violence.
With the amount people are now spending on their footwear, it has increased the number of people who want to look after their luxury footwear. Many...
Asda has ousted its latest chief executive as it fights to win back sales from rival supermarkets.

The chain is parting ways with Sean Clarke, who will leave at the end of the year  just 18 months after taking on the top post.

His departure comes just weeks after Asda reported its first quarterly sales growth in three years. However, the stores market share is still down under his leadership.

The move will make room for Roger Burnley, who joined Asda a year ago from rival Sainsburys.

Burnley, who is deputy chief executive, will take the role of Asdas president and chief executive at the beginning of next year.

The 50-year-old is familiar with Asda, having worked for the supermarket between 1996 to 2002 before returning as deputy chief executive last year.

David Cheesewright, chief executive of US giant Walmart International, which owns Asda, said: Roger was purposefully brought back to Asda to partner with Sean ahead of the transition to Roger taking up the position of chief executive.

'He and Sean have worked as a great team and Im really confident in Rogers ability to continue building upon our returning momentum.

Despite a recent improvement in business, Clarke oversaw Asdas worst sales fall in its 68-year history last February, after they slumped 5.8pc in the three months to the end of December.

Former chief executive Andy Clarke was ousted that June after six-years at the helm  his tenure marked by one calamity after another. Sean Clarke, who was appointed chief executive in July 2016, had previously been head of Walmart China and chief financial officer of Walmart Japan and Germany.

Retail analyst Richard Hyman said Sean Clarkes lack of experience in the UK retail sector is likely to have contributed to his early departure, adding: The industry is hard enough if you have experience of the UK market, but even tougher when your experience is largely overseas.

Burnley is tasked with increasing Asdas market share and winning customers from the big four retailers. While Walmarts US business is soaring, it has been accused of neglecting its UK arm.

Asda has fallen behind Sainsburys to third place in the list of biggest grocers.

John Mercer, senior analyst at Fung Global Retail, said: Burnley must find a way to pull shoppers back  not so much from Aldi and Lidl, but from the resurgent Tesco and Morrisons.

It will be a tough job. In a market that has been focused on lowering prices, Asda has had fewer levers to pull, given it has long been the lowest priced of the big four grocery retailers.

Alongside competitive pricing, improvements to in-store service, product availability and own-brand quality are levers at Asdas disposal, as long as its parent company is willing to invest margin to support growth.

The challenge for Burnley is that its biggest competitors are already doing these things.

Next in line

Yorkshireman Roger Burnley has been touted as the next Asda boss for more than a year. He started as a graduate at B&Q before moving to Asda where he became director of supply.

Stepping up? Roger Burnley is one of the Asda Mafia who worked under Archie Norman and Allan Leighton in Asdas turnaround years

He is one of the Asda Mafia who worked under Archie Norman and Allan Leighton in Asdas turnaround years. The married father-of-two, pictured, moved to Matalan and Sainsburys before returning to Asda last October.
Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan was suspended for levelling allegations against Vishwas - calling him a BJP agent and accusing him of offering AAP MLAs bribes to join the BJP.

By Sweta dutta: As the Aam Aadmi Party revoked the suspension of Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan, the rift between the warring factions under party supremo Arvind Kejriwal and senior leader Kumar Vishwas further widened on Monday. The move was read as a bid to sideline Vishwas, who is one of the top contenders to a Rajya Sabha seat, making way for loyalists in the dominant Kejriwal lobby.

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Khan, who was stripped from key responsibilities and suspended from the party for levelling serious allegations against Vishwas - calling him a BJP agent and accusing him of offering AAP MLAs bribes to join the BJP - was reinstated in the party following a decision late on Sunday evening.

A three-member committee comprising senior leaders Ashutosh and Atishi Marlena and headed by national general secretary Pankaj Gupta, were satisfied with the representations made by Khan to back his allegations and statements against Vishwas and gave him a clean chit, effectively putting Vishwas in the dock now. "I am happy with the party's decision. I will now be able to work for the organisation openly," Khan said.

VISHWAS SIDELINED?

Despite repeated attempts, the committee members could not be reached for a comment. The decision comes ahead of the party's annual national council meet slated for November 2 in which Vishwas finds his name missing from the list of top speakers at the opening session for the first time. Though an invitation to attend the meet has been extended to him, like the over 350-odd other NC members, Vishwas, who is among the founder members of the party, finds himself sidelined at the meet.

Cabinet minister Manish Sisodia is set to make the opening remarks followed by Gopal Rai at the meet in Delhi on Thursday.

"Amanatullah is not the issue, he is just the face of a conspiracy. I have been insisting that the party opt for optional politics and not engage in politics of options, like we did in Punjab. I will continue raising issues like I have done so far, whether people like it or not," Vishwas told Mail Today.

A Vishwas aide said, "When the dominant section wants to eliminate a member, this is how it is done. Be it Yogendra Yadav, Anjali Damania or Mayank Gandhi, a similar move was made every time." On Monday, while Khan pointed out that Vishwas had turned down all positions of power, the latter clarified he had 'never said no to a Rajya Sabha nomination'.

--- ENDS ---
Chemicals tycoon Jim Ratcliffe has bought classic motorcycle-clothing brand Belstaff.

In the latest of a series of attempts to branch out, the self-made billionaires firm Ineos is buying the British leather-jacket maker  a favourite of Hollywood actor Steve McQueen and Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara.

Ineos recently revealed plans to build an off-road 4x4 as a successor to the Land Rover Defender.

In the driving seat: The fashionable jackets went on to be worn by pioneering aviator Amy Johnson, Lawrence of Arabia and David Beckham

Bosses gave no details on their plans for Belstaff yesterday  nor the price paid  but said: This very British heritage brand, with links to automotive, returns back to British ownership.

Founded by Ratcliffe, Ineos has so far focused on oil and chemicals  snapping up ICI and BP assets to become what they claim is Britains largest privately owned company, with 30bn sales.

The companys forays into consumer goods are a huge shift for the firm  and could stumble on something of a public image problem.

Ineos is publicly best known for its attempts to kick-start fracking across the UK and battles with unions at its petrochemicals plant in Grangemouth, Scotland.

In a statement yesterday, bosses described the firm simply as a fast-growing entrepreneurial business.

Belstaff is owned by JAB Holding, a consumer goods-focused investment firm backed by the wealthy, reclusive Reimann family. Belstaff started producing its motorcycle jackets in 1924 in Stoke-on-Trent, pioneering the use of waxed cotton to make waterproof clothing that was also breathable.

The fashionable jackets went on to be worn by pioneering aviator Amy Johnson, Lawrence of Arabia and David Beckham. It also makes handbags and other accessories. JAB Holding also owns doughnut brand Krispy Kreme and has a large stake in US beauty products brand Coty. It has been selling some luxury brands, including designer shoe company Jimmy Choo to Michael Kors in July.

The deal to buy Belstaff, which employs about 200 people in the European Union, US and Asia, is expected to finalise this year. Bosses said details on plans would be announced this year.
Dulux's owner has revealed it is in talks to merge its paints business with an American rival  months after fending off a takeover bid from another US firm.

Akzo Nobel is in constructive talks with coatings and paints producer Axalta over a possible tie-up.

The deal, worth around 23bn, is the first major move by chief executive Thierry Vanlancker who is seeking to boost the business by splitting it in two.

Never a dull moment: Akzo Nobel is in constructive talks with coatings and paints producer Axalta over a possible tie-up

It is not yet clear what a potential merger would mean for the Dulux paint makers 3,500 workers in the North East, Glasgow and the Midlands who have been employed by the firm since it took over the paints and coatings division of British chemicals giant ICI in 2008.

The proposed merger comes four months after Akzo fended off a takeover from PPG.

The three-month pursuit by the Pittsburgh-based firm had soured relations with a number of Akzo shareholders  including vulture hedge fund Elliott Advisors, after the Dulux owner rebuffed 18.1bn, 19.3bn and 22.5bn offers.

To appease investor unrest over the decision, Akzo revealed it would be embarking on a strategy which involves separating its chemicals business from its paints and coating arm, increasing its financial guidance for the year and handing out 1.3bn in dividends to shareholders.

But the dispute took its toll on ex-chief executive Ton Buchner, who stepped down in July in order to focus on his health.

Vanlancker, who previously headed up the companys chemicals division, took over.

The firm is still powering ahead with its separation strategy despite losing its chief financial officer Maelys Castella due to health reasons in September and warning it would not hit its profit target for the year.

It said the separation of its chemicals business is on track for April 2018 but a fund manager at one of Akzos top 10 investors suggested the potential tie-up was an attempt to compensate for the poor results.

The manager, who preferred not to be named, said: This seems a classic attack-is-the-best-defence strategy.

Akzo over promised after defending their own company and started to fail to deliver in Q3 so need to do something transformational.

Meanwhile PPG, which faced a six-month cooling period after its third offer was rebuffed in June, is rumoured to be considering another offer.

But in a statement yesterday the American firm said it does not have any comment related to this matter.
EasyJet has signed an agreement to buy a chunk of Air Berlins business for 35m.

The budget airline is paying 35m for slots at the German capitals leading airport Tegel, and will lease up to 25 A320 aircraft, offering employment to Air Belin flying crews.

EasyJet has launched a recruitment campaign to attract around 1,000 of Air Berlins pilots and cabin crew, who will be employed on local German contracts.

Flying high: EasyJet has launched a recruitment campaign to attract around 1,000 of Air Berlins pilots and cabin crew

The move makes EasyJet the biggest airline in Berlin and is a blow to German carrier Lufthansa, as well as Europes largest budget airline, Ryanair, which had both tabled bids.

EasyJet will operate a reduced timetable at Tegel Airport during the winter, but plans to operate a full schedule from next summer.

The deal is expected to be completed in December, and routes and services will be announced in the following weeks.

Shares climbed nearly 2 per cent or 25p to 1298p.
Men employed by the City watchdog earn a fifth more than their female colleagues.

The Financial Conduct Authority pays its male staff 19 per cent extra, its own figures have revealed.

Bosses said the gap was down to more senior, high-pay-grade roles being filled by men. Women and men doing the same jobs were paid the same amount of money, they said. Just 36 per cent of top jobs were held by women in the year to March, down from 39 per cent the previous year.

Same job, same money: Bosses said the gap was down to more senior, high-pay-grade roles being filled by men

It means the watchdog is slipping away from a target for 45 per cent of its senior leadership team to be female by 2020, and 50 per cent by 2025.

The FCA said their 2018 statistics will show improvement. Diversity chairman Christopher Woolard said: We are taking positive steps to ensure that we achieve a better balance across the organisation.

The City, however, is once again facing scrutiny over its treatment of women.

Last week, Virgin Money boss Jayne-Anne Gadhia told how there was a culture of pervading sexism at Royal Bank of Scotland when she worked there from 2001 to 2007.
The Bank of England believe up to 75,000 banking jobs could be moved from Britain to the EU after Brexit, it was claimed today.

The BBC said the figure it at the heart of the Bank's contingency plans surrounding Brexit.

It has warned financial service firms and other city institutions to prepare for a no-deal Brexit that would mean British banks losing 'passporting' rights to trade across the EU.

The warnings will be seen by Brexit supporters as a renewal of the 'Project Fear' campaign and aimed at undermining the referendum result.

Bank Governor Mark Carney has been slammed by MPs for being too pessimistic.

Officials at the Bank of England (pictured) believe up to 75,000 banking jobs could be moved from Britain to the EU after Brexit, it was claimed today

Senior Conservative Jacob Rees-Mogg told MailOnline: 'UBS and HSBC have both announced in recent days they are not planning to move many people and Goldman Sachs, Mr Carney's former employer, is building a 1.1million square foot office in London for 6,000 staff.

'Thus the failed project fear is being reheated just before the Bank raises interest rates because of the economy's strength.

'The sound of the Bank of England's credibility shattering can sadly be heard across the nation.'

The emergence of the Bank's guidance comes despite two major banks scaling back threats to relocate jobs after Brexit in recent days.

HSBC dialled back its warning of 1,000 jobs being moved yesterday, admitting it 'may' now relocate fewer.

Swiss bank UBS last week cooled its own proposals for relocating jobs to Paris or Frankfurt.

By contrast, Goldman Sachs chief Lloyd Blankfein last week took to Twitter to detail a recent trip to Frankfurt where the US bank is planning to relocate some of its own business.

He said: 'Just left Frankfurt. Great meetings, great weather, really enjoyed it.

'Good, because I'll be spending a lot more time there.'

The Bank has warned financial service firms and other city institutions to prepare for a no-deal Brexit that would mean British banks losing 'passporting' rights to trade across the EU

The Bank of England's claimed estimate is higher than the Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, which forecasts 30,000 losses in London's financial sector.

But it is more positive than Xavier Rolet, the chief executive of the London Stock Exchange, who has mooted 200,000 losses.

Even if 75,000 jobs do go, London would still be by far the largest financial centre in Europe with over one million people employed in financial services in the capital and across the rest of Britain.

And the UK would still enjoy a healthy trade surplus in financial services with the rest of the EU worth many tens of billions of pounds.

The Bank of England was not available for comment when contacted by MailOnline.
The social workers will now judge the conditions of the house in a subjective manner and submit a detailed report. Further, they will asses with different parameters to see if the house deems fit for the child.

By Arpan Rai: Come November, the method to adopt a child from India is set to get stringent. A revamped method has been designed by the Women and Child Development Ministry to conduct a home study report of the prospective parents.

As opposed to the current method, the social workers will be asked to judge the conditions of the house in a subjective manner and submit a detailed report. Further, the social workers will asses with different parameters to see if the house deems fit for the child. Home study report, at present, includes questions such as "What is your motivation behind adopting a child", "Who will be responsible for caring for the child when you are at work", "if parents require any counselling in supporting the child", among others.

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"So far, the questions had direct answers in yes or no. Our social workers will now be asked to observe the surroundings of the parents' house and submit a report based on their findings," said Col. Deepak Kumar, CEO of Central Adoption Resource Authority, a statutory body for adoption process in India.

Another significant revision by CARA is that it will now ask the adoption agencies to include reports of all prescribed test of the child with details of the results. Additionally, the medical examination report will include registration number and signature of the physician who has examined the child and in case of any medical negligence will be made to pay for the losses incurred by parents. According to officials, the move was under review by the ministry from September and was not influenced by the death of three-year-old Sherin Mathews

--- ENDS ---
For a while now high profiled people in Swaziland have been talking about finding use for one of the herbs that is best produced in Swaziland, commonly known as dagga.

I concur with them, we have abundance of the plant and from the looks of things, and people will not stop growing it anytime soon. As economics would have it, when you have an abundance of something you have to take advantage of it. Marijuana can be used for making fibre, medicinal purposes and paper production. One of the products that comes out of marijuana plants is hemp. Hemp is the name of the soft, durable fibre that is cultivated from plants of the Cannabis genus. Hemp is a popular fibre because it is strong and grows quickly; it produces roughly 10 per cent more fibre than cotton or flax when grown on the same land. Some examples of these that we know include sacks, commonly known as emasaka enkhomo, jackets, which are very popular in Europe, shoes and carpets. Medical cannabis is the use of cannabis and its constituent cannabinoids such as THC as a physician recommended form of medicine or herbal therapy.

Although the extent of the medicinal value of cannabis has been disputed, it does have several well-documented beneficial effects. Among these are the amelioration of nausea and vomiting; stimulation of hunger in chemotherapy and AIDS patients, lowered intraocular eye pressure (shown to be effective for treating glaucoma), as well as gastrointestinal illness.

Other studies have shown that cannabis may be useful in treating alcohol abuse, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, collagen-induced arthritis, asthma, atherosclerosis, bipolar disorder, colorectal cancer, depression, dystonia, epilepsy, digestive diseases, gliomas, hepatitis C, Huntingtons disease, leukemia and skin tumors. Hemp has never been used for commercial high-volume paper production due to its relatively high processing cost. Currently there is a small niche market for hemp pulp, for example as cigarette paper. These are just a few of the examples of things that marijuana could be used for. I believe that if government could start talking to some of the drug companies, the Swazi nation would benefit.

This could be another way of fighting the illegal use of this plant within our country. Marijuana growers would have to sell to the producers of hemp and medicine, instead of selling to other users.
MBABANE  The Managing Director (MD) of the Swaziland Electricity Company (SEC), Meshack Kunene, has been accused of allegedly turning a blind eye on a love relationship between a senior manager and a junior staff member.

This is contained in the petition by the Swaziland Electricity Supply Maintenance and Allied Workers Union (SESMAWU) where the workers are calling for the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Sthofeni Ginindza to remove the MD.

According to the petition, there is allegedly a manager who is dating a junior staff member because she has too much money to spend on him. The union made reference to one of the parastatals clauses, which stated that management shall not behave in a manner that does not uphold the stature and responsibility to managerial positions. Such behaviour shall include but is not restricted to encouraging personal and intimate relationships with subordinates or junior employees or among members of management, reads the clause that the union made reference to in the petition. The union alleged that the senior manager and the junior staff member displayed their relationship in front of the entire staff of the organisation and that the MD allegedly knew but had never said anything against it.

According to the union, the junior staffer was allegedly always driving the senior managers vehicle even in the workplace and walked the manager into her office. We would like to remind the Chairman of the Board of Directors that this is the same manager who was paid a huge amount of acting allowance for a junior position. This means that the manager is just a god in her office, doing everything that pleases her heart, the union alleged. In its argument, the union said it was left with many questions than answers on where the organisation was headed to. The question posed by the union was if the organisation was an animal farm where other people were allowed to break policies while others were not. The feeling by the union is that if the individual was a junior staffer, she would definitely have been charged for such an offence. Another strong allegation against Kunene is that he was promoting corruption with what they termed poor leadership style when it comes to the organisations policy which stipulated objectives and gave direction on how things were supposed to be done. Detailing how the policy worked, the union stated that when it comes to acting allowances, a person of higher level was not supposed to act in a junior position and that it did not state how he or she may be paid.

A clause quoted in the petition was that the Human Resource Policy, on acting allowances, stated that employees who acted for incumbents in grade E1-F1 (only executive positions) would not receive any acting allowances unless the period of acting was in excess of 30 days. The allegation in the petition is that there was a senior manager who acted for another in a junior position who was paid an alarming amount of about E84 000 and that the payments went via the MD who endorsed it by appending his signature. When the story about the petition was broken by this newspaper yesterday, Kunene said he had not seen the petition and that he would speak to the union first prior to responding.

The union further accused the MD of being a puppet of the parastatals Legal Department. In its many concerns contained in the petition calling for the removal of Kunene, the parastatals union alleged that there was no decision that was taken without him consulting the legal office. According to the union, Kunene allegedly told them that he consulted the Legal Department whenever there was an issue or decision to be taken. To the union, such an act was just poisoned milk given to the employees.
NHLANGANO  An expectant girl shocked unsuspecting pupils and teachers inside an exam room when she suddenly went into labour.

The drama unfolded at Nhlangano Central High School when the candidate suddenly experienced labour pains in the middle of an exam. The incident occurred when pupils, together with private candidates writing at the school, were sitting for one of the papers in the ongoing Form V examinations. The girl had to be rushed to the Nhlangano Health Centre where she eventually delivered her baby, according to sources. As a result of her condition, the young girl was not able to finish her paper. Information gathered was that the private female candidate had not anticipated that she would give birth on the day even though she knew about her pregnancy. When she arrived at the school, which is also used by her private institution as an examination centre last Friday, she just joined other candidates inside the exam room without raising any suspicion. However, something strange reportedly happened to her while the exam was in progress. She later reported she was experiencing labour pains. This caused some commotion inside the exam room as teachers had to rush to her aid. An ambulance had to be called to the school.

Witnesses said paramedics who arrived at the school thereafter found the girl in a sitting position outside the exam room, with teachers giving assistance. She was whisked to hospital where she eventually gave birth. The Head teacher of the school, Mlondi Mkhonta, confirmed the dramatic incident when contacted yesterday. However, he said he was not in a position to give further details as he was not available at the school when the incident occurred. I heard about it. I gathered the matter concerned a private candidate, so the details I have are very sketchy. We have no records about her, explained Mkhonta. A relative who was contacted could not provide details either. Instead, she insisted it was a private and confidential matter. When approached for comment yesterday, Exams Council Registrar Edmund Mazibuko described the incident as unusual. Even though he conceded there were incidents where pupils fell ill while exams were underway, he said giving birth during an exam was a bit complicated.

He explained that in the case of those who fell ill while an exam was in progress, it could be possible to make arrangements for the affected candidates to sit for their next papers in hospital. However, he said because giving birth involved a long process, it might prove difficult to make the same arrangement. The most basic thing in an exam is to ensure that no candidate gets unfair advantage over others. So a special arrangement for such a candidate cannot be possible under the circumstances, he explained. Meanwhile, Shiselweni Regional Education Officer Thabile Nxumalo insisted that government policy encourages girls to complete their education. She said girls were allowed back into the schooling system once they have been able to raise their babies.
MBABANE  He allegedly took advantage that she was paraplegic, removed her disposable nappy, covered her mouth with a piece of cloth and proceeded to rape her.

This is a poignant story of a 23-year-old bedridden woman who was allegedly raped by a community police member at Mpolonjeni in Mbabane. Paraplegic is a medical word for a person who is paralysed from the waist down. If youre paraplegic, you cant move your legs or anything below the waist, and you have no feeling in those areas either. The community police member, Kenneth Cololemdlwana Ginindza, was initially part of a team of community police members who attended the complainant after she was allegedly raped by her neighbour. Ginindza is reported to have after some time returned to the complainants homestead where she proceeded to rape her in her sick bed. In her evidence, the complainant alleged that on the day of the incident, she was at home alone sitting on a mattress since she could not walk. She alleged that the accused came into the house and drew closer to her. According to the complainant, Ginindza then removed her pants and the disposal nappy she was wearing and proceeded to rape her.

According to the complainant, after the accused had finished raping her, he remained in the house for a while and then left after some time. The complainant is reported to have then reported the matter to a maid who looks after her.

In the summary of evidence annexed to the indictment, it is stated that the matter was then reported to the complainants grandmother, who then reported it to another community police member, Philemon Madolo. In her evidence in chief, the maid, who looked after the complainant, alleged that she found Ginindza kissing the complainant. When I came back from fetching water, I found the accused kissing the complainant and I chased him away, reads part of the maids evidence. She further alleged that she then left the homestead. On July 2, 2013, she came back and found the complainant crying. The complainant allegedly told her that the accused had raped her again.

The maid said she then went to report the matter to the complainants grandmother. The complainants grandmother, who is also one of the Crowns witnesses, alleged that Ginindza came to her homestead and showed her his private parts.

She mentioned that while Ginindza was showing her his private parts, he told her that he wanted to have sexual intercourse with her. The accused then went to the house where the complainant stays. I followed the accused whom I found sitting next to the complainant and I chased him away, reads part of the grandmothers statement. She told the court that she then got a report that the complainant had been raped by the accused. To prove its case beyond reasonable doubt against the accused, the Crown will parade six witnesses. According to the Crown, the rape is accompanied by aggravating circumstances in that the accused stood in locus parentis over the complainant as he was a community police member and allegedly abused the trust relationship. It is further alleged that the accused exposed the complainant to sexually transmitted diseases like HIV and AIDS as he did not use a condom.
By PTI: ingested pellets

New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) A 40-year-old Afghan national has been arrested with over 500 gm heroin, a substance he used to smuggle to India from Afghanistan in the form of ingested pellets, the police said today.

In the last few months, the Delhi Polices Special Cell has been working on different modules of international drug cartels in Delhi and other parts of India.

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It came to light that an Afghan national, Qari Mohd Hanif alias Samadi, has been involved in supplying premium quality heroin to prospective buyers in the NCR region from Afghanistan, the police said. On October 27, police said it got to know about Hanif reaching Delhi from Afghanistan with a consignment of heroin for delivering in south Delhis Mehrauli, the police said.

A trap was laid near Madhi Masjid, Sri Devpurji Ashram Marg, Mehrauli, and Hanif was arrested with 525 grammes of heroin, said P S Kushwah, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell).

During interrogation, Hanif said that he brings the ingested heroin pellets from his handlers in Afghanistan to sell it to dealers in NCR and other states, he added.

Hanif also told police that he had taken a room on rent in Lajpat Nagar here to keep drugs. Police recovered more than 575 grammes of heroin from his rented room.

He had two Afghanistan passports and had visited India five times since May with close to three kilogrammes of ingested heroin pellets worth over Rs six crore in international market, said the officer.

Hanif is a post-graduate in law from Khwaja Musafir College, Kabul (Afghanistan). He has two wives and six children, police said.

His father was in the Afghanistan Army and was killed about 10 years ago while fighting Taliban militants, said the officer.

He was having a government job in Afghanistan. In the year 2012-13, he visited Delhi for his wifes treatment and stayed here for over two months.

In March, Hanif visited Jalalabad in Afghanistan on an official tour and stayed there for a couple of days.

During this stay, he met one Jabatur who offered him USD 800 for each trip to India to carry heroin pellets. Jabatur arranged his meeting with the main drug dealer Mahpir who gave him contacts of drug receivers in India, the police said. PTI SLB ASK ASK

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The EPS faction of AIADMK has come up with a way to bypass Madras HC's ban on posters and banners of living personalities. They are now putting photos of their leaders on giant balloons.

Even as the Madras High Court has ordered that posters and banners of living personalities should not be put up, the EPS faction of AIADMK has come up with an innovative idea. The AIADMK members are no way willing to step down from promoting their leaders.

They have pasted the pictures of CM Edappadi Palanisaamy, deputy chief minister O. Paneerselvam on a flying balloon in Coimbatore. The balloon has pictures of other ministers as well.

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Chief Minister EPS will be inaugurating the first phase of Gandhipuram flyover from Park Gate to Sathy main road in Coimbatore tomorrow.

The EPS government which is currently facing criticism from all corners, is trying to reach out to the people with various projects and welfare schemes. They are also desperate to promote the names of EPS and OPS as the face of AIADMK.

One of the functionaries from the EPS faction said that they thought of this idea so as to create a recall value of brand EPS. They came up with this idea after the Madras HC banned posters and banners with photographs of people who are alive.

"Since the order came only recently we had to dispose the banners and decided on this," he added.

The Rs 162 crore Gandhipuram flyover project was announced by DMK. The work started in 2014 and first phase has been completed which is expected to ease traffic in the area.

--- ENDS ---
COHOES  Performing at the Cohoes Music Hall? Don't forget to leave an offering for the historical venue's friendly ghost: vaudeville star Eva Tanguay.

Legend has it that the performer  nicknamed "The girl who made vaudeville famous"  got restless after she died in 1947 and came back to the town where she'd once regularly toured. Tanguay supposedly hangs around just off stage left and in the center of the balcony's second row. A ghost light shines on center stage to soothe her spirit.

Employees at the 1874 theater say props tend to go missing, figures have been seen reflected in empty windows and colorful orbs show up in photos. To prove the theory right, a husband and wife who run the Cohoes Paranormal Society decided to investigate.

Carol and Robert Rymanowski took dozens of photos and video clips over the course of several afternoons at the venue. Two video clips show what appears to be a fan blade passing in front of the camera, "but there were no fans," Carol Rymanowski said. And several photographs captured white orbs distributed across the frame: some are dust, she said, but others are balls of energy that could signal paranormal activity.

Now Playing: Legend has it that the Cohoes Music Hall, built in 1874, is haunted by past performers. To test the theory, the Cohoes Paranormal Society launched an investigation. When the crew noticed a glimmer of light in the balcony one afternoon, they placed a flashlight in a nearby stairwell and watched it flashlight up on its own. Carol Rymanowski, the group's co-founder, used the light to ask the spirit some questions. (Video courtesy of Cohoes Paranormal Society and Cohoes Music Hall | Edited by Emily Masters, Times Union)

But the real breakthrough came after they saw a glimmer of light in the balcony and Carol quickly placed an unlit flashlight in a nearby stairwell. Moments later it turned itself on.

"Can you turn the flashlight off please? And we'll communicate with you by asking you questions," Carol Rymanowski can be heard saying in a video the couple made of the encounter. The flashlight flickers then goes dark.

"Thank you, thank you," she says. "OK, so we noticed some activity in this area. If it was you, can you turn the flashlight on please?" A moment passes and, as Rymanowski starts the question again, the light turns on.

Each time the technique elicited a response, the paranormal society responded with an eager and polite 'thank you.' They learned this spirit was once a male actor who disliked the spotlight and is not the only one who roosts in the theater. Rymanowski said a former hairdresser also revealed herself to them in a dressing room.

But, then, "we asked if Eva Tanguay was in the Cohoes Music Hall," Rymanowski recalled. "We got a loud 'no!' "

The Cohoes Music Hall and its biggest star

While such "findings" may point in other directions, some in the Capital Region want to keep the Tanguay theory alive.

Built in 1874, the Cohoes Music Hall is a gilded candy box with rows of red plush seats and green serpentine benches curving below a gold, pink and blue ceiling. It was sealed off by then-owner Cohoes National Bank in the early 1900s because of worries about the roof, creating a vaudevillian time capsule. The city bought the hall in 1969 for $1 and spent millions in state and federal grant money to restore it. It reopened in 1974 with the play "London Assurance," the show it opened with a century earlier.

Tanguay first appeared on the Cohoes Music Hall stage at age 12, performing in Little Lord Fauntleroy. She may have been booed off stage in 1890 but, nearly 25 years later when the racy comedian returned to the Capital Region with her feathers, beads and knee-high hemlines, she performed for packed houses with her own vaudeville company.

"She was the highest paid woman in vaudeville and launched her career as a young girl at Cohoes before going on the Broadway circuit," Capital Region conductor Brett Wery told the Times Union in 2011 when his Tanguay-inspired chamber music piece debuted. "She was the Lady Gaga of her time, with these outrageous outfits. When the Lincoln penny came out, she had a whole outfit made of pennies. Another looked like the Eiffel Tower."

Despite her flare for fashion, Tanguay was not conventionally beautiful. Born in 1878, she never bothered to try to play a pretty Victorian ingenue. She won audiences with her talent, magnetic enthusiasm and great personal style.

Fans loved her sexy songs  "It's All Been Done Before But Not the Way I Do It," "Go As Far As You Like" and "I Don't Care"  and remained loyal even as gossip columnists attacked her disastrous marriages and her romance with a black vaudeville actor who defied Jim Crow laws.

"In her lifetime, the press may have found a celebrity who was also an independent businesswoman threatening," said Hannah Milkins, who coordinates the Cohoes Visitor Center, located two floors below the Music Hall.

Why Tanguay may have chosen Cohoes

Milkins has spent hours researching Tanguay in hopes to tie the actress to the brick-and-marble music hall's history. And it's working: Musicians and drama troupes performing at the Cohoes Music Hall now leave Eva gifts for good luck. Chocolates, T-shirts and red roses are heaped in darkness backstage, near the box seat where her rich admirers once sat.

One of those men was the devoutly Catholic Danny Cosgro, who served as Cohoes' mayor from 1921 to 1929  the years when Tanguay returned to perform in Cohoes.

Cosgro reportedly fell hard for the trailblazing and untamed woman, undeterred by rumors of her tantrums. (She was once arrested for stabbing a stagehand in the abdomen with her hatpin). Rather than hide the romance, he published a love poem to Eva in a local paper. No one knows if the lifelong bachelor ever proposed, and Tanguay died single and penniless in Hollywood at age 68.

It's unfinished business like this that could explain why Tanguay's ghost allegedly returned to roost in the city where she got her start, instead of a former mansion or Broadway stage.

"Cohoes accepted Eva as she was and loved her before she was famous," Milkins said.
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Albany

On the heels of an agreement by Albany County and a private medical provider to pay $1.1 million to the estate of a former jail inmate who died of a stroke after nurses waited 12 hours to call an ambulance, jail administrators from other counties told members of the state Assembly on Monday that such private contractors usually improve medical services in jails.

At an Assembly hearing on health care in New York correctional facilities, Sheriff Jim Hanstein, administrator of the Ulster County Jail, said medical services at the Kingston facility improved after switching from a local health care provider to Correctional Medical Care.

The private firm based in Pennsylvania is the same one whose staff three years ago ignored neurological symptoms indicating a stroke in 24-year-old Mark Cannon at the Albany County Jail. An investigation ordered by the state Commission of Correction last year determined the care Cannon received was so grossly inadequate  it shocks the conscience.

Related content $1.1M payout in jail death

Within weeks of Cannon's death, the state Attorney Generals Office reached an agreement with the company that allowed it to remain in business in New York with monitoring through May 2018. Earlier this year, Albany County and CMC mutually agreed to terminate the $3.7 million annual contract the company had with the county since 2012.

Hanstein described a good experience with the firm, however. The number of nurses at the Ulster County Jails medical facility has increased, and distribution of medications is going smoother, he said.

The amount of medical attention in the medical facility, from what Im told before, is night and day, Hanstein said.

Other members of the New York State Sheriffs Association also said a move to outside vendors has been positive.

Assembly committees on health and corrections heard testimony on a number of issues pertaining to health in state prisons and local jails, including the treatment of HIV and hepatitis C, illnesses that have increased in correctional facilities with the rise in use of injectable drugs like heroin. In 2015, almost 11 percent of 4,205 incoming inmates at state prisons had hepatitis C, with more than half of them identifying as injection drug users, according to Joanne Morne, director of the state Health Departments AIDS Institute.
Albany

SUNY Polytechnic Institute officials were worried about covering the debt on buildings at the school's Albany campus long before the school's current financial woes surfaced after last year's criminal indictment of founder Alain Kaloyeros on federal bid-rigging charges.

While Kaloyeros has denied any wrongdoing as he seeks to clear his name at trial next year, school officials have sought a substantial bailout from the state worth tens of millions of dollars to shore up various academic, research and construction programs there.

The funding includes a $25 million loan from the State University of New York system as well as a $38.5 million grant from Empire State Development, the state's economic development agency that helped to fund much of SUNY Poly's expansion over the years.

ESD earmarked $31 million of the grant to "offset the debt" obligations on the school's $365 million NanoFabX building, while the rest has been budgeted for upgrades to attract new tenants.

"Part of that was always intended for these upgrades for this facility, so it's good to see this coming forward," Empire State Development CEO Howard Zemsky told board members before the money was approved without debate at the agency's Sept. 18 board meeting.

NanoFabX has been one of SUNY Poly's most ambitious projects. Kaloyeros had Washington Avenue moved to accommodate the building, which was completed in 2013 and housed the Global 450 Consortium, a $1 billion research program funded by both the state and the world's largest chip makers including Intel, Samsung and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. The other major tenant is IBM.

But just two years after its construction, school officials were looking for ways to refinance the massive NanoFabX loan as well as its NanoFab East building that houses many of the school's administrative offices.

Fuller Road Management Corp., the nonprofit entity that manages SUNY Poly's real estate, had previously retained municipal financing experts from RBC, also known as Royal Bank of Canada, to look at its loans.

Two RBC bankers, John Puig and Brad Hopper, assisted the Fuller Road Management board navigate financing issues for NanoFabX and other large construction projects such as NanoFab East and SUNY Poly's $192 million ZEN building, minutes from board meetings show.

"The driving force behind the refinancing (of NanoFab East) is the debt coverage ratio, which was not met last year and is projected not to be met this year," the minutes from Fuller Road Management's Aug. 5, 2015 board meeting state.

At the next Fuller Road Management board meeting on Nov. 4, 2015, Kaloyeros asked RBC to work with the lenders to find ways to meeting the obligations of the NanoFabX loan, which required a $40 million "prepayment" if SUNY Poly couldn't re-sign IBM as a tenant in the building through 2020.

"In addition they should seek a waiver of the IBM lease renewal confirmation and the debt service coverage ratio," the meeting minutes state in describing ideas offered by Kaloyeros.

It is unclear if Fuller Road Management was ever able to refinance the two buildings. Hannah Sloane, a spokeswoman for RBC, declined to comment on the bank's work done for SUNY Poly during that time period.

IBM has remained a tenant in NanoFabX, although the other half has been vacant after the G450C disbanded at the end of 2016.

Officials with Empire State Development, which also oversees the operations of Fuller Road Management, also declined to comment.

The $38.5 million grant for NanoFabX was scheduled to be granted final approval earlier this month by the Public Authorities Control Board, a state oversight board made up of representatives from the executives and legislative branches.

However, a resolution to approve the grant was pulled from the PACB agenda just minutes before the board's Oct. 18 meeting so that ESD could have more time to answer questions from PACB board members.

The grant's approval is expected before the end of the year at a future PACB meeting.
This spring, a popular Queensbury amusement park offered its customers a choice  use a membership pass with their photo on it, or switch to a new pass based on a scan of their fingerprint.

Most people visiting the Six Flags Great Escape park opted for the fingerprint scan, and some possibly made their first entry into the world of biometrics  a system where a person's unique individual characteristics, like fingerprints, eyes or facial features are the key to their identification.

"A very small percentage of our guests choose to process their pass with the traditional phot0," said Rebecca Wood, director of marketing and sales for the park. "Our guest feedback this season has been tremendous. Members and season pass holders have sincerely appreciated the ease of access and processing."

While such a system will make it impossible for a paying customer to share a park pass with someone else, Wood said the fingerprint system was "implemented with our guests in mind. The easy, expedited method allows guests to process their pass more quickly and eliminates the need to have their photo taken and printed on the membership or season pass."

Biometric markers, unlike passwords or personal identification numbers, should be very difficult for criminals to copy or mimic, which businesses hope should cut down on fraud.

Such fingerprint systems are already available as security on some later model smart phones. A new vending machine system at the Albany Times Union cafeteria even employs a fingerprint identification system to manage accounts.

Biometrics is entering the business world after the U.S. government invested in the technology as part of armed conflicts in the Middle East, where U.S. military officials needed a way to more accurately identify people in regions where documents were not always reliable.

But the large-scale storage of such inherently personal information also raises the possibility that hackers could gain access to the data, as has happened with millions of financial records in the recent Equifax credit reporting data breach.

A password or PIN code, once compromised, can be deleted and replaced. What happens when pilfered data is based on personal characteristics that cannot be changed?

Six Flags tells its customers that a digital finger scan is converted to "an indecipherable series of numbers" which are linked to the customer account, according to the corporate terms of service. "Biometric data collected from guests is securely stored and is not shared with third parties for marketing or other commercial purposes" and is "automatically destroyed within one year following the cancellation/expiration of a pass holder's account."

Two years ago, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman warned that the state's data security law was outdated to deal with such challenges.

He proposed an update, called the Data Security Act of 2015, that would require stronger technical and physical security measures for protecting information, as well as limit legal liability for companies that meet certain security standards.

His proposal would also update the definition of "private information" to include biometric data, as well as email addresses and passwords. Attempts to reach Schneiderman's office for comment Tuesday were not successful.

According to a report issued by Schneiderman in July 2014, the number of reported data security breaches in New York more than tripled between 2006 and 2013.

During that period, 22.8 million personal records of New Yorkers were exposed in nearly 5,000 data breaches, which cost the public and private sectors more than $1.37 billion in 2013. The report also found that break-ins to data networks by computer hackers accounted for about 40 percent of all breaches.

In an op-ed published in September in the New York Daily News, urging that lawmakers take up the two-year-old proposal, Schneiderman wrote that in 2016, there 1,300 significant data breaches in the state  up 60 percent from the year before.
By PTI: oppose move to Pakistan: Jaipur Mayor

Jaipur, Oct 31 (PTI) The practice of starting the days work with the national anthem and ending it with the national song started in the Jaipur Municipal Corporation today, with city mayor Ashok Lahoti asking all staffers to be present for the rendition, and urging those who opposed it to move to Pakistan.

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The anthem will be played at the start of the day and the national song every evening at the headquarters, Lahoti said.

After the first stanza of the national song is played on loudspeakers, employees would be free to go home, he said.

There was no opposition to the move, the mayor told reporters here, but added that anyone who opposed it should go to Pakistan, triggering a sharp reaction from the opposition Congress.

But the move, he added, had the support of everybody in the corporation, including the leader of the Opposition.

?This is to develop a positive work culture in the office. Wherever we are in the office premises, we will stand and pay respect when the national anthem and national song are played,? he said.

The national anthem -- Jan Gana Mana -- will be played at 9.50 am and Vande Mataram at 5.55 pm.

By the end of November, the two songs would be played at all zonal offices and fire stations, Lahoti said.

"The staff will all be present and pay their respect," he added.

The songs would be played on speakers in the corporation complex, which meant the staff would not have to assemble at any one place, the mayor said.

?We had been working on this for the last 15 days and there was no opposition (to the move),? he said.

?We are not asking the staff to raise slogans for a religion, But if anyone wants to oppose it, he can do so, but then he should go to Pakistan," Lahoti said.

PCC vice president Archana Sharma condemned the mayor?s comment, describing it as "unwarranted".

?There was no opposition to the move, but even then the mayor gave an unwarranted statement which shows that he wants to be in the race of BJP leaders who project themselves as nationalist leaders,? Sharma said.

Lahoti stressed that the renditions would help employees develop the habit of reaching office on time and staying on till it shut.

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"If we cannot spare time for the national anthem and national song, then we cannot do anything for the nation,? he said.

The Supreme Court recently asked the Centre to consider amending the rules for regulating the playing of the national anthem in cinema halls. PTI SDA BDS

--- ENDS ---
ALBANY - The city police department is investigating an incident in which an officer allegedly shouted at a domestic violence victim in frustration over a language barrier.

Acting Chief Bob Sears confirmed that the department was looking in to what happened where the police officer allegedly said, "If you're going to live in this country, you need to learn to speak English."

It was a very chaotic scene, the fact that the language barrier existed made it that much more difficult, Sears said. Now were just trying to find out what comments were made and in front of who and trying to figure out how to move forward.

Police were called to a location near Grand and Elm streets for a reported domestic violence incident. The victims, an elderly man and a young woman, were Burmese immigrants who did not speak English well enough to communicate clearly with the officers, according to a letter to Mayor Kathy Sheehan obtained by the Times Union.

The letter was written by a neighbor, who asked the Times Union not to identify him out of fear of retaliation. His letter describes a chaotic scene with bloody victims and frustrated police officers trying to establish the simple fact of what floor the victims lived on. At one point the officers were trying to use Google Translate to communicate with the pair.

One of the officers allegedly shouted,If youre going to live in this country, you need to learn to speak English, the letter stated and identified him as Officer Craig Apple Jr.

Sears confirmed that Apple was one of the officers who responded to the scene but said he could not confirm that he was the officer who made the comment.

Were still trying to figure out what everyones role was, he said. From my understanding, the officer did not mean for anyone to hear it, he was frustrated with the situation  but unfortunately people overheard it.

In the letter, the neighbor complained about the incident, questioning the officers conduct and the citys policies for training officers to deal with language barriers.

Sheehan wrote back, describing the departments policies, which include a translator hotline and the citys relationship with the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. The committees president, Jill Peckenpaugh, leads a training session at the Albany Police Academy for new recruits.

The city of Albany is working to ensure we are minimizing the effect of language barriers, especially when it comes to publics safety, Sheehan wrote.

The neighbor also met with the acting police chief last week to discuss the incident. The suspect in the domestic violence case has not been arrested.

Sears said the department needed to do better job of ensuring officers had the tools they need to do their job. The department has a contract with a translation company called LanguageLine Solutions but that night, a translator for the language they needed wasnt available.

This is something we take very seriously, this isnt something were going to blow off, he said. Comments are comments but still we want to make sure everyone feels safe in this city and we dont want to degrade any relationships we already have with some of these folks.
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ALBANY - A city Republican is looking to take on the role of city treasurer in a run against Democratic incumbent Darius Shahinfar in next weeks general election.

Arbor Hill resident Roberta Sims says shes going to bring more leadership and less politics as city treasurer in her challenge against Shahinfar in Tuesday's election.

I dont have the same credentials that Darius has, she said, but I think Im a fairly good judge of people. Im also a person who doesnt pretend to know everything. Ill be able to gather information from some of my other people in Albany.

The two will be speaking on their runs at a Council of Albany Neighborhood Associations-sponsored event at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Albany Public Library's Washington Avenue branch.

Sims has a bachelors degree in business, management and economics from Empire State College, and previously worked for Delta Airlines as a teletype operator. While she spent her early years in Harlem, she moved to Schenectady when she was 8.

After leaving the area for a while, Sims said she returned to Upstate New York in 1999 and settled into Arbor Hill, where she currently resides.

Shahinfar has a bachelors degree in American history with a minor in Soviet studies from Bates College, and received his juris doctorate from Albany Law School. Before being elected to city treasurer in 2013  where he is in his first-term, Shahinfar was as an attorney in various state and county organizations.

Originally from Utica, Shahinfar has lived in Albany since 1994 when he started attending Albany Law School. He lives in the Buckingham Pond neighborhood.

Shahinfar said hes looking to build upon the accomplishments of his first term with a re-election win.

I pledged to modernize the office, find efficiencies and save taxpayer dollars, he said. We have done that in my four years here. Weve implemented a new accounting system, property tax system and were on our second parking ticket system.

Because of the upgrades, Shahinfar said the city has collected additional revenue from delinquent parking tickets as well as corrected issues with property tax billing. Updating the departments technology also has made paying for parking tickets and property taxes easier, he said. Refinancing bonds also saved the city money, he added.

Weve been able to increase our online presence for paying parking tickets and property taxes. Its cheaper to do it than before, Shahinfar said.

Sims said she aims to be a better voice for the people on the various boards the treasurer sits on, including the Albany City Industrial Development Agency.

Im not quite sure that everything (Shahinfar) votes for is in the best interest of the citizens of Albany, she said.

Sims wants to analyze the need for a treasurer, assistant treasurer and deputy treasurer to find savingsand promote from within.

She said giving the assistant treasurer a roughly $7,000 increase to $75,636 in the 2018 proposed budget is inappropriate, especially since other employees are set to receive a 2 percent increase.

Shahinfar defended the need for all three positions, and said the increase in the assistant treasurers salary brought the person to the salary they received when working in Albanys Office of Audit & Control.

The incumbent also is attempting, for the second time, to reduce his salary to provide a fund for temporary help if necessary or raises next year for his staff. This would need approval from the Common Council.

Other races

Winners of the Democratic primary for city chief auditor and Common Council president also will face challengers who snagged minor party lines for the general election.

Democrat Corey Ellis, who received 49.9 percent of votes in a three-way primary for council president, will face 5th Ward Councilman Mark Robinson, a Conservative. Robinson received 14.9 percent of votes in the Democratic primary. Albany County Legislator Chris Higgins received 33 percent.

Susan Rizzo, who was appointed by Mayor Kathy Sheehan to the vacant city auditor position following Rizzos win in the Democratic primary for the post against former Councilman Glen Casey, will again face Casey on the general election ballot. Casey, who is on Reform Party line, received 28.6 percent of the vote in the primary to Rizzos 69 percent.
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Wednesday is the 10th anniversary of Jaliek Rainwalker's disappearance. To mark the date, his adoptive grandmother Barbara Reeley is imploring anyone with information on the presumed child homicide to come forward  especially if they can help point investigators to his body.

Because, until Jaliek's remains are found, Reeley said police will be hesitant to arrest the boy's parents Stephen Kerr and Jocelyn McDonald, who adopted him in 2003.

Jaliek was 12 years old when he was last seen on Nov. 1, 2007. He spent that night with Kerr at a relative's unoccupied home in Greenwich. In the morning, Kerr told police Jaliek was gone when he woke up.

Despite persistent accusations, Kerr has maintained his innocence for a decade. He and his wife hold out hope Jaliek is alive, according to their attorney, Jeffrey McMorris of Glens Falls.

"You're dealing with a family whose child is gone," McMorris said Tuesday. "They don't want to give up the idea that he's going to come home. I think there's a certain reality, but they are still hopeful. I think the police came to their conclusions in a short period of time."

Jaliek would have turned 22 in August.

In 2016 skull fragments found in a Coxsackie swamp along the Hudson River renewed interest in the case. Investigators later confirmed the bones did not belong to Jaliek.

Greenwich-Cambridge police Chief George Bell said that, even though there haven't been any new leads in Jaliek's case since the skull was tested, he isn't giving up hope.

"I would ask everybody to go back through their memory," he said. "I don't care how small or how trivial it might be. I would love to hear from you."

Investigators elevated Jaliek's missing person case to a probable child homicide case in 2012 after following more than 500 leads. That announcement came days after police acting on a tip, used cadaver dogs to search for the boy's body at a Troy property but found nothing.

While Reeley is frustrated 10 years have passed without resolution, she said, "I'd rather have it done right than have it be a hung jury and have no resolution." Her biggest wish, she said, is to lay Jaliek to rest in a proper grave.

Jaliek, who was born to a drug-addicted mother and lived in six foster homes before Kerr and McDonald adopted him, lived with the couple's four other children in a house in the Greenwich hamlet of Cossayuna that had no indoor plumbing or TV and limited electricity. The family moved to West Rupert, Vt., four months after he disappeared.

"He had a very hard 12 years and I can't imagine that last evening," Reeley said, adding she was with his family the next day and noticed several "odd" behaviors.

Reeley recalled Tuesday hearing McDonald laugh at a friend who offered to search for the boy and watching Kerr roughly rub his eyes in an apparent effort to look like he'd been crying before speaking to the media.

"They didn't walk up and down the streets or go door to door," the grandmother recalled.

"I can still feel his arms around me and his head on my shoulder. He really needed validation that he was loved," Reeley said.

The "vivacious" boy loved to go apple picking, eat ice cream at Moxies and pizza at Kay's, and stay over at his grandmother's home, which he called "Granny Camp," Reeley said. He played music, with tarot cards and on the computer, she said.

"He was going to grow up to be a strong individual, with a yearning to have a family and a stable base," Reeley said. "He had hopes and dreams for his future."

Anyone with information can contact the Greenwich or Cambridge Police Departments, the State Police, the F.B.I. or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children hotline at 1-800-843-5678.
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SCHENECTADY  A former Schenectady County legislator and veteran judge praised as a "giant" in the criminal justice system took the oath of office Tuesday as the city's new public safety commissioner.

Mayor Gary McCarthy's appointment of Michael Eidens to the high-profile post comes a week after the state's highest court unanimously ruled in the city's favor that the public safety commissioner can preside over police disciplinary hearings.

The decision ended a nine-year court battle that pitted the city against the state's Public Employment Relations Board and the Schenectady Police Benevolent Association, the powerful police union.

Also Tuesday, McCarthy filled another high-level cabinet position in his administration when he named Kristin Diotte as the city's new development director.

Eidens, a Democrat, will succeed Wayne Bennett, who died in August.

The seasoned jurist told a City Hall audience that the recent court ruling essentially makes the public safety commissioner post "quasi-judicial."

"I have evaluated police testimony and police conduct in judicial hearings for approximately 30 years, always being fair and always being impartial and always being firm, and as commissioner I will continue to do just that," added Eidens. "When misconduct occurs, we must deal with it appropriately."

Eidens has previously served as a village justice in Scotia, a Glenville Town judge, chief assistant district attorney, a county court judge and a Schenectady county legislator. He currently serves as a state judicial hearing officer.

"He brings a command presence, a tremendous knowledge of this community, and a high level of integrity to this position," said McCarthy.

The mayor said the public safety commissioner and development director jobs are interdependent: People and businesses will come to Schenectady if they feel safe.

District Attorney Robert Carney lauded Eidens as a "giant in our criminal justice system" in Schenectady because of his wisdom, integrity and knowledge of the law.

"I believe that both sides of the police community  management and labor side  will be well served by his tenure in this job," added Carney, noting the mayor "couldn't have made a better choice."

Bennett served as a confidant to the mayor, splitting his time between City Hall and the police station.

After the ceremony, McCarthy said Eidens, who will be paid $94,000 a year, will likely take on an expanded role beyond his duties as public safety commissioner.

The mayor, who has said he would like city employees to live in Schenectady, said he will probably seek a waiver for Eidens, a Glenville resident, because of his "skill sets."

The public safety commissioner presides over the police and fire departments.

Eidens was first elected to the county Legislature in 2005 after deciding not to seek a second 10-year term as a Schenectady County Court judge. He represented District 3, which consists of Glenville and Niskayuna.

Diotte, who previously served on the Planning Commission and the recreation advisory commission, said she plans to move back to Schenectady.

The RPI graduate currently lives in Troy and works as a consultant with Re4orm Architecture in Schenectady. She'll start off working part-time and assume a job on a full-time basis  drawing a $70,000 salary  at the start of the new year.

Diotte said she looks forward to tacking some of the Electric City's development challenges.

"This city has a great history of innovation, and I'm excited to build upon that through community engagement and working with all the great leaders that we have here," she said.

Diotte takes over a job that was vacated over the summer by Jackie Mancini, who resigned for a higher-paying job as the county's director of human resources.

Re4orm Architecture was involved in the $480 million Rivers Casino and Resort at Mohawk Harbor residential retail development, and is currently teaming up with the Metroplex Development Authority to revitalize a stretch of lower State Street into the Mill Artisan district.
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ALBANY  The number of New York public schools with on-site health centers has nearly doubled in the past two decades, with data showing benefits to both student health and academics.

But a looming change in the way these centers are reimbursed for Medicaid patients could cause them to scale back services or close altogether, officials warned Tuesday at a news conference in the Legislative Office Building.

State legislators and health and education leaders called on the governor to sign legislation that would halt the change, by granting school-based health centers a permanent carve-out, or exemption, from the states Medicaid Managed Care program.

Forcing school-based health centers into Medicaid managed care plans will wreck a model that works, said Assembly Health Chair Richard Gottfried, who co-sponsored the legislation with Sen. James Seward.

The centers have received a carve-out for years on the grounds that shifting to managed care plans is too great an administrative burden. The exemption is set to expire on July 1, 2018.

Under the current system, school-based health centers are paid directly by the state Medicaid program for each service provided. Starting in July, however, they will be required to negotiate the terms and conditions for reimbursement with the students health plans directly. That could put 252 centers, including three centers in Albany, two in Schenectady, two in Middleburgh and one in Lake Luzerne, serving more than 200,000 children around the state at risk of reduced payments and increased administrative costs, advocates say.

If it aint broke, we probably dont need to fix it,said David Shippee, president and CEO of Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Services, which oversees centers at Giffen Memorial Elementary School, Philip Schuyler Achievement Academy and Sheridan Preparatory Academy in Albany.

The centers differ from an average school nurses office in that they provide a wide range of services from flu shots, annual physicals and immunizations to dentistry, mental health counseling and chronic illness management, and they are typically run by hospitals or medical practices.

Theyve become increasingly popular as a method of boosting school attendance. Students who receive their health care right in school are less likely to miss school and show up late, and more likely to seek out help for mental health issues.

A study by Johns Hopkins University found reduced hospitalization and inappropriate emergency room use among regular users of school-based health centers. A study by Emory University found the centers were responsible for a reduction in Medicaid expenditures related to inpatient, drug and emergency department use.

The legislation to grant a permanent Medicaid managed care carve-out passed both the Senate and Assembly this June, and is awaiting a signature from the governor, whose office did not respond Tuesday to a request for comment.

It is supported by the New York School-Based Health Alliance, Greater New York Hospital Association, New York State United Teachers, the United Federation of Teachers and the New York State School Boards Association.
ALBANY  An attorney for one of the defendants in the upcoming corruption trial of a former top aide to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and others wants a historical exhibit in a Manhattan courthouse removed or covered out of concern it could bias the jury.

Daniel Gitner, the attorney for defendant Peter Galbraith Kelly, wrote to federal Judge Valerie Caproni last week about a hallway-length exhibit about famous cases set up outside the courtroom where the parties expect the trial will be held. The exhibit marks the 125th anniversary of the Second Circuit, which covers New York State, Connecticut and Vermont.
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Halloween is going to feel less spooky at some elementary schools this year as school officials cancel Halloween festivities and ban kids from wearing costumes on school grounds.

Some elementary schools across the country, and one in Canada, have chosen to cancel celebrating All Hallows' Eve after citing some students didnt feel included.

We want to be inclusive of all families including those families who dont celebrate Halloween or find purchasing a costume a hardship, officials at Hillcrest Elementary School in Waukesha, Wis., wrote in a newsletter to parents, the Washington Times reported.

RELATED VIDEO: Albuquerque elementary school will not celebrate Halloween

Now Playing: Parents at Armijo Elementary in the South Valley received letter in the mail saying Halloween will not be celebrated this year. APS says it's typical for schools to not celebrate the holidays in class. Video: KOAT

Yet some schools, like Armijo Elementary in Albuquerque, didnt bother to offer an explanation before they announced they were dropping the holiday festivities.

According to KRQE, the school issued a letter to parents telling them that students werent allowed to wear costumes, the school would cancel the Halloween parade and also ban Halloween parties in classrooms.

The full letter read:

Our Fall Celebration on Oct. 31 has been cancelled. Our schools Instructional Leadership Council has decided that classrooms will not have parties. Please do not send your child with any snacks. In addition, students are not allowed to wear costumes to school. Thank you for your understanding.

Needless to say, parents werent thrilled.

[It] just said some council decided to take it away, it wasnt even the PTA. We werent even notified or had a vote to get it taken away, Destiny Salazar told KRQE. I know my kids are really upset and hurt, and I know a lot of other parents are upset.

To make matters worse, some parents say, the school issued a second letter the following day to say that they would have a fall festival  10 days after Halloween.

Other schools have come up with their own ways to celebrate in lieu of Halloween by implementing new school holidays to fall on that day.

Black and orange day at Boyden Elementary School (Walpole, Mass.), Hat day at Hillcrest Elementary School (Waukesha, Wis.) or Crazy sock day at Scholls Heights Elementary (Beaverton, Ore.) are some of these new celebrations to replace Halloween.

Colleges are also taking steps to be more proactive about educating students on not wearing costumes that contain racial stereotypes or appropriations of other cultures.

A few colleges have made flyers instructing students on what are appropriate v. inappropriate costumes, while other college flyers go straight to the point and ask: Is your costume racist?

Take a look at the slideshow above to see the schools that banned Halloween and enforced stricter costume rules.
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RICHMONDVILLE  It has been 43 years since Katherine Kolodziej's body was found on a Thanksgiving morning in this Schoharie County town. The SUNY Cobleskill student was lying across a stone wall, partially clothed.

Kolodziej, 17, went missing on Nov. 2, 1974. Her body, showing several stab wounds, was discovered by hunters 26 days later near the intersection of MacDonald and Cross Hill Roads.

Investigators are still searching for her killer and the State Police put new attention on her case Tuesday as part of a weekly cold case effort.

More for you Cold case, but not forgotten

Around 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 2, 1974, Kolodziej left The Vault, a college bar at Grand and Main streets in Cobleskill, to make the one-mile walk back to campus alone. She turned down a ride with her roommate, saying she was going back with someone else, police said.

Police said a witness later reported seeing a woman get into a yellow Volkswagen at 1:45 a.m., though it was never confirmed the woman was Kolodziej. Police are still trying to identify and interview every person who was at The Vault the night Kolodziej went missing.

"That was the last time anyone saw Kathy alive," said State Police Capt. Richard O'Brien said Tuesday.

Her body was found on Thanksgiving, barefoot and naked from the waist down and carefully placed on a stone wall in the hills of nearby Richmondville. She had been stabbed in the back seven times with two different weapons. Convicted serial killers Theodore "Ted" Bundy and Lewis Lent were questioned about the case.

In 2012, troopers installed a billboard on Route 7, west of Exit 22 on I-88, and New York State Crime Stoppers, a private nonprofit organization that solicits information about violent crimes and cold cases offered a $2,500 reward for information on Kolodziej's murder.

On Oct. 9, State Police put up a new billboard on Route 7 headed east toward Cobleskill with information about Kolodziej, who was from the Long Island community of Ronkonkoma. They gathered at the billboard Tuesday to discuss the case.

The billboard has her picture along with a summary of the case. Police are offering a $2,500 reward for information on the case.

No one was ever charged in her death but State Police believe someone knows information that can help lead to the culprit.

State Police Investigator David Ayers took over the investigation in March 2016. Though Kolodziej's parents are dead, Ayers said he touches base with remaining relatives every few months. She was an only child.

Police declined to reveal what new information on the case, if any, had come to light in recent years. But billboards have been successful in other cases, so they hope to repeat that.

"There is information out there that someone has," Ayers said. "No matter how insignificant it can be, that's information we need to know."

Kolodziej would be 60 years old today. She was just two months into her first semester of college when she was killed. Police say her killer, if alive, is now likely 55 to 75 years old.

Schoharie County Sheriff Anthony Desmond is the only remaining active police officer from day one of the investigation. "I still hope that somebody, sometime, somewhere will come up and say 'I've lived with this as long as I can and I can't take it anymore,'" Desmond said in a 2011 interview.

State Police are requesting information about anyone with information call 518-783-3211.
By PTI: (Eds: Adds details, Sitharamans quotes)

Mumbai, Oct 31 (PTI) The Army will help build a new foot overbridge at the Elphinstone Road station by January 31, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said as Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Piyush Goyal visited the station, where a deadly stampede took place last month.

Fadnavis, who accompanied Defence Minister Sitharaman and Railway Minister Goyal, said the Army will also help in building foot overbridges at two other stations here.

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Sitharaman said it was probably the "first time that the Army will come in to build in what could otherwise be called civil work".

Twenty three people were killed in a stampede on the crowded foot overbridge (FOB) at the Elphinstone Road station here last month.

Speaking to reporters at the venue, Fadnavis said, "We are taking the Armys help in building a new FOB at the Elphinstone Road station and at two other suburban train stations in Mumbai".

"I have been informed that the work on these bridges will be completed by January 31," he said.

Sitharaman said, "This is probably the first time we have asked the Army to come in to build what could otherwise be called a civil work, but Elphinstone tragedy was so big."

"A call was taken to cooperate seeing the urgency of the matter as the Army has its role at the borders. The Army has come and seen, inspected and assessed where the bridge is going to be built, they will be there at every stage of the work," she said.

After the stampede on September 29, railway officials posted police personnel to manage the crowd on busy platforms, evicted hawkers from suburban train stations and started speeding up infrastructure projects on suburban network.

Goyal had earlier this month announced a slew of measures for the safety of commuters with a focus on foot overbridges (FOBs) in the country.

He had said the FOBs would now be "mandatory" at all stations. Previously, only the first FOB at a railway station was considered essential and the subsequent a passenger amenity. PTI VT GK DV

--- ENDS ---
A plan to provide CCTV in key parts of Roscrea is progressing, heard the October meeting of Roscrea Community Development Committee (RCDC).

Derek Russell from Roscrea Stands Up (RSU) said local business groups have given a very good response to approaches regarding funding. Forms applying for grants for the CCTV are to be sent off shortly, and some 2,500 has already been raised.

TALK

A TALK seminar promoting positive mental health is coming to Roscrea next March.

TALK means Talk, Ask, Listen and Keep-safe, explained a representative of the Semi Colon Project, Roscrea. About 30 people from Roscrea will take part, aged 18 and upwards. Depression and Suicide will be discussed at the meeting on March 1st next, from 5.15pm to 9pm. A list of those taking part is to completed by November 14, heard the meeting.

Anti Social behaviour

Reports of anti-social behaviour in the area of the Malthouse, are being dealt with. Cllr Michael Smith said the Community Action Forum is assisting. I do believe it will be resolved with their co-operation, said Cllr Smith.

New investment

Cllr Michael Smith said there will be a brand new footpath leading up from no. 24 Kennedy Park, after continuous pressure was put on the authorities to provide it. Hopefully the work will begin this week and be completed by the end of November, he said. In total, about 500,000 is being invested by the Co. Council and others in Roscrea in roads, footpaths and signage in the next few months, an investment not to be sneezed at. There were calls to improve the signage to Roscrea on the motorway, highlighting its heritage as Birr has done. It could be better, said RCDC Chairman John Lupton. The signs for Birr take precedence. Theres nothing about the Castle, said Cllr Smith. We need to contact the TII (Transport Infrastructure Ireland).

Market Square

Poles in Market Square need to be addressed. Cllr Smith said he will put down a motion at the Co. Council undertaking to get rid of all the poles. Cllr Smith warned locals not cut down fallen trees using chainsaws after the recent storms. There are huge health and safety implications. You cant just go out and cut them down with chainsaws for timber. There was an incident in the town. Slates above Joyces pub are also a danger to the public, heard members.
University Limerick Hospitals Group is hosting a series of public lectures over the winter to alert people to the importance of being health.

The series of lectures forms part of UL Hospitals Healthy Ireland programme, which commits the group to greater public engagement and more educational events.

The lectures, which are free and at which members of the public are encouraged to attend, will take place at the new Clinical Research and Education Centre at University Hospital Limerick.

The aim of this series of lectures is to provide appropriate health promotion information to the general public and to provide information to reduce anxieties around hospital admissions and hospital procedures, explained Laura Tobin, Healthy Ireland Project Lead, UL Hospital Group.

The next lecture will be on Tuesday, November 14. The theme will be on protecting your mental health, while, in January, (date to be confirmed) the focus will be on cardiology and heart health.

Each lecture will have speakers from across multi-disciplinary teams including medical, nursing and health and social care professionals. And each lecture will showcase the expertise, professionalism, quality care and superb facilities which exist within the UL Hospitals Group and those managed by our colleagues in HSE MidWest Community Healthcare, said Ms Tobin.

Prof Colette Cowan, CEO, UL Hospitals Group, added: Our Healthy Ireland strategy identified a need to engage more with the public around health promotion and prevention of illness.

We hope that these lectures will also provide a more convivial atmosphere for people to engage with us away from the clinics and to learn more about the services here on their doorstep.

It is also an opportunity for us to show off the wonderful new CERC Building which has been developed by the HSE along with our academic partners at the University of Limerick.

I encourage as many people as possible to attend this series of lectures.

The first event focused on winter readiness and influenza.

We hope that after the first lecture, people will have a better appreciation of how serious the flu can be and why it is important to get vaccinated, said Ms Tobin.

The CERC Building is located adjacent to the new Emergency Department / Critical Care Block at UHL. For ease of access, use car parks 2 and 3 if arriving by car.
Bangladesh's Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has detained four militant members for an alleged 'sabotage planning' of the aircraft.

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: Bangladesh's Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has detained four militant members, including pilot Sabbir Enam, for an alleged 'sabotage planning' of an aircraft.

The RAB claimed that the plan was to hit the house of a top level official of the Bangladesh government.

RAB director (media) Commander Mufti Mahmud Khan said in a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon that they were arrested in different areas of the capital's Mirpur Darshus Salam.

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Among them, Sabbir Enam is the first officer of Biman Bangladesh Airlines. He is a 'collaborator' of militant Abdullah, who was killed in the capital's Mirpur area. Besides, he is an active member of JMB.

The three arrested are Sabbir's mother Sultana Parvin, Parvin's relatives Asifur Rahman and Alam, RAB confirmed to media.

In the press briefing at RAB media centre, Mufti Mahmud Khan said that Sabbir took training in flying the aircraft from Bangladesh Flying Academy in 2009.

From 2010 to 2014, he worked at Regent Airways. That year he took a job as a pilot. Sabbir operated Boeing 737 as the first officer of the aircraft.

"On October 30, he conducted flights on Dhaka-Kolkata-Dhaka route. But he was close to militant Abdullah. Sabbir toos 'bayat' from militant Sarwar Jahan, who died in an operation of Bangladesh Police."

Mufti Mahmud Khan said, "As part of this, Sabbir has made an initial plan to attack to the top level official house. He also had plans to take the passengers of the air hostess to a Middle East country."

Earlier On 4th September, a raid conducted in the house of 'Komol Prava' of Mirpur Mazar Road, after searching for a militant base. On the fifth floor of the house, there were heavy chemical explosions in 'militant dorm' during the operation.

Militant JMB member Abdullah and his family took time to surrender in the operation. But after the explosion, Abdullah, his two wives, two children and two associates killed themselves.

--- ENDS ---
New spatial development plans being proposed by the government, are another nail in the coffin for rural towns in Tipperary, heard this months Thurles Templemore Municipal District meeting.

The District has 15% of all valid planning applications in Co. Tipperary, and there has been a reduction in refusals since the end of September, with 161 valid applications progressed. The District has 20% of enforcement cases, an official from the planning section told Councillors.

However, Cllr Jim Ryan said it would be an absolute disgrace if the new National Planning Framework (NPF) were adopted: the plans call for a change so only urban areas with a population above 10,000 are considered towns. If it is changed, it will be the final nail in the coffin for rural towns in the future, said Cllr Ryan. Housing developments will be curtailed once they bring in those limits. Thats a sad reflection of government thinking. First they get rid of the Town Councils and now they want to finish us off, with no housing developments. It was total shock and horror. This government does not give two damns about rural Tipperary, said Cllr Ryan.

Cllr Micheal Lowry said there had been positive spin put out about the NPF, put out by the Minister. When you break it down, they are trying to cap the number of people being brought into the County over the next 20 years. Clonmel will be classed as the only town in the County, applying the formula. This would mean that even one housing estate in Thurles/Templemore District would wipe out our whole quota for the area in one year. Thurles District would take three or four such applications for the whole County. This has massive implications over the next 30 years, for people engaged in business and agriculture. It will undermine schools and civic amenities, stressed Cllr Lowry. If you start pushing people away, you undermine the ability to supply or fund all these. It's an attack on rural Ireland. The NPF document would see Dublin, and five other urban centres grow at the expense of rural towns and villages. If somebody wanted to set up a factory in Thurles under this plan, they would not be allowed to, added Cllr Lowry.

Cllr John Hogan said a key element of the plan was that it targets 50% growth. The plans could be positive for us if there is balanced growth between three regions. We have to make sure our rural areas get a fair share of that, said Cllr Hogan.

Cllr David Doran said it would spell the death knell of villages.

I would share these concerns. Thurles has been the poor relation in relation to development, going back to the days of the Sugar Factory being decimated. We are in trouble here. It behoves us to all lobby national politicians and let common sense prevail. I would contest this and object to it.

Cathaoirleach Cllr Seamus Hanafin said the NPF was the follow up to the National Spatial Strategy, which the IDA used to promote industry. The NSS meant industry wasn't located in North Tipperary. When it suited, it was uses as an excuse by people who had an agenda, said Cllr Hanafin. It showed a distinct urban bias. There's a lack of concern for rural Ireland, for example in limiting rural housing.

Councillors need to meet with Tipperary's five elected Dail Deputies and outline to them urgently that this is not good enough, added Cllr Hanafin. Where is the parity of esteem for the nine towns in Tipperary?

Cllr Jim Hogan said the strategy sets out Clonmel as the top tier town and all the other towns are lower down.

Cllr Joe Bourke said that as Clonmel would be the only one to qualify as a town, Thurles and Templemore would not get the same level of funding.

There is a short window of time, before December, before the local authority can have its concerns relayed to central government.

A planning official said that if Tipperary does not feature in the NPF, it would not feature in other investment plans. That's what would concern me. This document is silent on that. The plans may also affect the Council's ability to make compulsory purchase orders.
University Maternity Hospital Limerick will hold its annual remembrance service at the Church of the Holy Rosary, Ennis Road, Limerick on Sunday, November 5, at 3pm.

Parents who have experienced the death of their baby / pregnancy loss at any stage, together with their family, friends and hospital staff, are all welcome to attend this service.

This event organised by the Counselling Department and Midwifery staff at UMHL. And people are very welcome to stay after the service for a chat and a cup of tea.

The organisers ask that those attending the service show sensitivity to newly bereaved families by using the quiet space available for crying babies/young children.

Marie Hunt, bereavement counselling midwife, UMHL, said: The death of a baby is recognised as one of the most difficult bereavements in life and something which has a lifelong impact on parents and families.

The service is an annual event which aims to acknowledge the pregnancies that were lost and the lives of babies who have died through ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death. We welcome parents and families whose babies may have died many years ago as well as those more recently bereaved.

Ms Hunt said that staff at University Maternity Hospital Limerick witness the deep grief and sadness felt by parents who had been told their baby has died.

The service provides a space for staff, the parents and extended families to reflect on the love and care they have shown to families who are bereaved and to acknowledge and express their own grief and sadness for the little lives that were lost.
[October 31, 2017] Baron & Budd Attorney Receives Nationally Acclaimed Trial Lawyer Award from America's Top 100 High Stakes Litigators for North Texas 2017

The national law firm of Baron & Budd is pleased to announce Dallas-based shareholder, Scott Summy, has been named to America's Top 100 High Stakes Litigators for North Texas in 2017. Membership to this elite group of 100 attorneys is reserved for the region's premier trial lawyers and is awarded to less than 0.5 percent of litigators in the United States. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171031005172/en/ Scott Summy, Baron & Budd Shareholder and Attorney (Photo: Business Wire) Summy was selected as an honoree after meeting the organization's stringent qualification criteria based on his role as lead counsel in legal matters with at least $2,000,000 in alleged damages at stake or with the fate of a business worth at least $2,000,000 at stake. Further assessment for this distinction included a review of Summy's track record of advocacy, litigation success, high ethical standards and overall accomplishments in high stakes legal matters. As a final measurement for selection, Summy's work was evaluated and ranked based on the America's Top 100 program's proprietary analysis. "It is an honor to be recognized on this prestigious list of America's Top 100 High Stakes Litigators for North Texas alongside some of the nation's leading trial litigators," said Summy. Summy leads Baron & Budd's Environmental Litigation Group, which litigates complex environmental contamination cases across the United States. The Grouprepresents public entities in litigation to recover costs of removing chemical contamination from public water supplies, governmental facilities, natural resources, and public property. Through this type of litigation, the Group seeks to shift the costs of remediation to the chemical manufacturers and suppliers responsible for the contamination - and away from public entities and taxpayers.



Most recently, Summy was named to the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers list for the 10th consecutive year. Summy's experience with environmental litigation has led to a number of key decisions across the country. Summy played a critical role in leading the charge against BP on behalf of over 100,000 claimants who sustained damages as a result of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. To date, BP has paid out over $13 billion to impacted claimants in the Gulf. Additionally, Mr. Summy also represented all public water providers in the United States whose water was contaminated with atrazine, a common agricultural chemical used on corn and other crops. On behalf of these water providers, the Baron & Budd Environmental Group brought claims against Syngenta, and negotiated a settlement awarding $105 million to over 2,000 water providers. The Baron & Budd Environmental Litigation Group's important work for public water providers has been recognized by the legal community on a number of occasions, including for Summy's work on MTBE contamination. As co-lead counsel in the MTBE Multidistrict Litigation in federal court in New York, Summy helped lead the charge against the major oil companies on behalf of all those impacted by MTBE and personally represented hundreds of Public Entities that were contaminated by MTBE. He also represented Public Entities and private well owners with MTBE contamination in state courts across the country. Summy has recovered over a billion dollars in recoveries in MTBE cases. He was recognized as both California Attorney of the Year and a finalist for the Public Justice Trial Lawyer of the Year Award for his work on this issue.

ABOUT AMERICA'S TOP 100 HIGH STAKES LITIGATORS It is the mission of America's Top 100 LLC to recognize annually and on a lifetime basis the most qualified and accomplished professionals in various fields of practice, including attorneys, doctors, dentists, realtors, accountants, engineers, and architects (among other professionals). Membership in each specific category is by invitation-only after a multi-phase selection process including third-party research and statistical analysis of a candidate's professional experience, achievements, significant results, community impact, peer reputation, consumer satisfaction, and other proprietary factors specific to each profession. Membership is limited to the Top 100 professionals from each state* in each category of practice who best exhibit excellence and the highest ethical standards in their respective professions. With these high standards, less than 1% of professionals in the United States will be selected for membership as one of America's Top 100 in their profession. For more Information visit: www.top100highstakeslitigators.com *Southern California, Northern California, Southern Texas, Northern Texas, Southern Florida, Northern Florida, New York City, Upstate New York, and Washington D.C. are all separated into individual regions due to the significantly greater number of attorneys in each of those regions. ABOUT BARON & BUDD, P.C. The law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C., with offices in Dallas, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Austin, Los Angeles, and San Diego, is a nationally recognized law firm with a nearly 40-year history of "Protecting What's Right" for people, communities and businesses harmed by negligence. Baron & Budd's size and resources enable the firm to take on large and complex cases. The firm represents individuals and government and business entities in areas as diverse as dangerous pharmaceuticals and medical devices, environmental contamination, the Gulf oil spill, financial fraud, overtime violations, deceptive advertising, automotive defects, trucking accidents, nursing home abuse, and asbestos-related illnesses such as mesothelioma. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171031005172/en/

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[October 31, 2017] LiveSafe Receives Washington Business Journal 2017 Innovation Award

LiveSafe, the world's leading mobile safety communications platform, was recently honored as a 2017 Innovation Award winner by the Washington Business Journal (WBJ). The WBJ Innovation Award honors the most entrepreneurial and groundbreaking people, products and places in the Washington, DC region. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171031006419/en/ 2017 Washington Business Journal Innovation Award presented to LiveSafe. (Photo: Business Wire) The award recognizes the LiveSafe mobile communications platform, and in particular the LiveSafe Software Development Kit (SDK) released in December 2016. The LiveSafe SDK enables organizations across all industries to embed LiveSafe's award winning mobile safety and security functionality into existing iOS and Android (News - Alert) applications, eliminating the need for users to download a separate app, thereby dramatically increasing user adoption. "Thanks to the LiveSafe SDK, we were able to semlessly integrate LiveSafe with the Levi's Stadium mobile app and allow guests to anonymously report safety concerns, suspicious activity, medical assistance, unattended packages and more to Levi's Stadium security officials," said Jim Mercurio, San Francisco 49ers VP of Stadium Operations and General Manager. "Being able to add this functionality onto our existing app brings added safety and value to our guests with no interruption to the app they have already become familiar with."



"The LiveSafe SDK gives our Digital Transformation and Technology team ease of integration as well as tremendous flexibility to expand our use of LiveSafe as a bi-directional communications platform moving forward," said Dr. Ken Russell, VP Digital Transformation and CIO, Pfeiffer University. "As Pfeiffer continues to build a digital foundation with the ability and agility to connect, grow and respond in a rapidly changing world, the LiveSafe SDK allows us to easily incorporate the platform into our future plans." "Enabling organizations to embed the LiveSafe functionality directly into their own apps is the next logical step in empowering students and employees to improve safety in their communities," said Carolyn Parent, CEO, LiveSafe. "We are honored to be recognized for this innovation that enables the San Francisco 49ers, Pfeiffer University, and many others to take an active role in the identification, communication and prevention of risks and incidents before they occur."

About LiveSafe, Inc.: LiveSafe is the world's leading mobile safety communications platform delivering actionable crowdsourced safety and security intelligence, preventing incidents before they occur and connecting people to the help they need. LiveSafe is used by more than 150 forward-thinking enterprises, universities and organizations including Hearst, Cox Communications, the San Francisco 49ers and many others. Follow LiveSafe on Twitter (News - Alert) @LiveSafe, and learn more at LiveSafeMobile.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171031006419/en/

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[October 30, 2017] Collectius Strengthens Its Presence in SEA Through Acquisition in the Philippines

SINGAPORE, Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Collectius reaches an agreement to purchase CJM Solutions from its current shareholders. The acquisition further strengthens Collectius' presence in South East Asia. "This deal is a major stepping stone for Collectius in its strategy to purchase debt and start helping debtors become debt-free also in the Philippines." Gustav A. Eriksson The deal combines the local knowledge of CJM Strategic Management Solutions, Inc. with international best practices and debt-purchasing capabilities of Collectius. Collectius is focusing on the Southeast Asian market with the goal to unburden debtors and to integrate them into a lifestyle free from debt again. PwC is acting advisor to Collectius in its debt acquisitions in the Philippines.



"Collectius is providing the necessary IT, knowledge and capital to our company in order to take it to the next level. I expect us to close the first debt purchase very soon thanks to this investment." Ronald Castro

"Backed by a reputable Swedish conglomerate, Collectius has the financial strength and can work swiftly and collaboratively in its deals." Mary Jade Roxas-Divinagracia, PwC Collectius Group: Collectius Group is a multinational credit management service and asset management company with operations in Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, with nearly two decades of experience in credit management service and purchasing non-performing loan portfolios of distressed consumer debt. Collectius' vision is help its debtors to become debt free and regain their freedom again. Collectius is funded through its Swiss holding company in Zug, and its largest financier is Stena, which is a Swedish shipping company conglomerate. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/collectius-strengthens-its-presence-in-sea-through-acquisition-in-the-philippines-300545389.html SOURCE Collectius Group

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[October 30, 2017] Century Fasteners de Puerto Rico Working With Local Companies on Recovery

ELMHURST, N.Y., Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Century Fasteners Corp., with facilities in the U.S. mainland, Mexico and Puerto Rico has teamed up with their suppliers, customers and transportation providers to help Puerto Rico manufacturing get back to work. Evan Stieglitz, Co-President said, "We are pleased to announce that Century Fasteners de Puerto Rico is up and running and shipping out product." Stieglitz also stated, "The key to manufacturing recovery in Puerto Rico is strong communication between all of the companies throughout the supply chain, outstanding customer service, flexibility and compassion. Our commitment is to get relief supplies to our employees and their families and to help our business partners get back to normal." See Hurricane Maria Update  here



About Century Fasteners Corp. Century Fasteners Corp. is a Master Distributor of fastener and nonfastener components to the military, aerospace, electronics, automotive, sheet metal fabrication, contract manufacturing, telecommunications and medical industries. The ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D registered company stocks more than 100,000 discrete parts, and offers a wide variety of value-added services, including VMI in-plant programs, custom kitting, engineering services, and supply chain management solutions. Century Fasteners Corp. is an authorized stocking distributor for Cherry Aerospace.

Media contact: John Ringold

Director of Marketing

Century Fasteners Corp.

800-221-0769

[email protected] Photos:

https://www.prlog.org/12673636 Press release distributed by PRLog View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/century-fasteners-de-puerto-rico-working-with-local-companies-on-recovery-300545960.html SOURCE Century Fasteners Corp.

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[October 30, 2017] STK Global Payments Launches Pre-sale

GIBRALTAR, Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- STK Global Payments, creators of the STK token, is launching a pre-sale today, ahead of its Token Generation Event beginning November 13, 2017. Built on the Ethereum blockchain as an ERC20 token, the STK token will enable instant cryptocurrency payments at point of sale -- the first such solution to bridge cryptocurrency with retail transactions in real-time. Thousands of people across more than 100 countries have registered to participate in the pre-sale for early access and premium pricing on STK tokens. A 20% discount will apply until November 12, 2017 on minimum contributions of 85 ETH. The STK token is a platform to enable instant cryptocurency payments at points of sale, providing the first integration of cryptocurrency into a mainstream financial services solution, delivered right from your smartphone.



"Part of our mission at STK is to provide a financial platform that is universally accessible, regardless of country or currency," said Miro Pavletic, Director of STK Global Payments. "The STK token is the first cryptocurrency with a working prototype to enable instant, contactless payments at point-of-sale, anywhere in the world." The pre-sale is live at www.stktoken.com.

About STK Global Payments STK Global Payments is the cryptocurrency technology solution which enables real-time cryptocurrency payments at points of sale, and the issuer of the STK token. The STK token was designed to provide a method that can allow cryptocurrency to be used instantly at retail for seamless integration into everyday transactions and financial services. The STK token will be implemented on the public Ethereum blockchain as an ERC20 token. The STK token is part of a global solution to facilitate borderless transactions through a smart contract which facilitates a real-time exchange of cryptocurrency into fiat at the POS. For more information on the STK token, visit www.stktoken.com. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stk-global-payments-launches-pre-sale-300545977.html SOURCE STK

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[October 30, 2017] 'Keeping the Promise': AHF & Heather Heyer Foundation Launch Youth Essay Contest to Honor Ms. Heyer and Empower Young Advocates; Winners to Ride on 2018 Rose Parade Float

For the seventh year in a row, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), this year in partnership with the Heather Heyer Foundation, will take part in the Rose Parade with a float titled 'Keeping the Promise.' The float will highlight community heroes by honoring the courage and sacrifice of civil rights and social justice activists throughout history-from iconic civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to Heather Heyer, who was tragically killed in the violent white supremacy demonstrations in Charlottesville, VA earlier this year. Surviving family members of Ms. Heyer and other high-profile advocates for justice will ride on the AHF float, along with three young essay contest winners. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171030006366/en/ On the 50th anniversary of his assassination, AHF's 2018 Rose Parade float, in partnership with the Heather Heyer Foundation, honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and others, like Ms. Heyer, who have given their lives in the fight for civil rights and social justice. (Graphic: Business Wire) The 'Keeping the Promise' youth essay contest will launch nationally on October 30th posing the simple question to youth ages 14-20 years old: "What are you doing to stand against hate in your community?" Essay submissions will be between 500-1,000 words each, and can be submitted through the contest website until November 15th. The top tree winners of the essay contest will receive grants up to $5,000 either for community projects or toward furthering their education and will be flown to Los Angeles and have the singular opportunity to ride on the 2018 AHF Rose Parade float, representing the next generation of American activists and community leaders.



"My daughter Heather stood bravely for unity and against hate and always believed in dialogue and discussion as the keys to peace," said Susan Bro, mother of slain activist Heather Heyer and co-founder of the Heather Heyer Foundation. "We are honored to continue Heather's legacy by partnering with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and encouraging young people across the country to promote peace." Background on AHF's 2018 Rose Parade Float

The AHF float will recreate the Edmund Pettus Bridge, which King and other icons of the Civil Rights Movement marched across in 1965 in what became known as 'Bloody Sunday,' when armed policemen attacked civil rights demonstrators with billy clubs and tear gas. Rising at the back of the float will be a rendering of Lei Yixin's 'Stone of Hope' granite statue of MLK. AHF and Heather Heyer Foundation officials also believe that its 'Keeping the Promise' theme dovetails quite effectively with this year's official Tournament of Roses theme: 'Making A Difference.' Background on #StandAgainstHate In the three days immediately following the attack on Charlottesville, AHF launched its #StandAgainstHate campaign both to honor those who were already standing up in the current white supremacist environment (like Heather) and as a call to action for others to join her in standing up to hate. AHF spread the message to #StandAgainstHate with billboards, a robust social media campaign, and town halls in Los Angeles, Miami, Brooklyn, New York and Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. AHF worked tirelessly in and with these communities to honor those who have lost their lives, inspire the community, and work toward salving the wounded spirit of a divided America. Background on The Social Justice Missions of AHF and The Heather Heyer Foundation When AHF first began its mission of service to the community in 1987, it chose the mission of "cutting edge medicine and advocacy, regardless of ability to pay." Over the last 30 years, community advocacy has been the bedrock of AHF's work, from taking on HIV and anti-gay stigma to fighting for affordable medication for the chronically ill. AHF works to combat disparities in HIV treatment and prevention across axis of gender, race, geography, income, and sexual orientation. "This year marks the 30th anniversary of AHF's founding. Fighting for the voiceless and winning remains the cornerstone of our Foundation. As both a public health and social justice organization, we will continue to stand against hate in all its forms. The youth of today are raising their voices for change, and through this youth in action essay contest and think tank, AHF will help ensure that their voices are empowered and heard. We value partnering with the Heather Heyer Foundation, and other leading celebrities, Influencers, and activist as together we fight to win equality for all. It is attainable. This is just the beginning," said Samantha Granberry, Vice President of AHF Worldwide Marketing Division. The Heather Heyer Foundation was created to honor Heather Heyer, a young civil rights activist, who was passionate about promoting equal rights for all people. The Foundation's scholarship program will provide financial assistance to individuals passionate about positive social change. Scholarships will be awarded to those seeking a degree or certification in, but not limited to, law, paralegal studies, social work, social justice, and education. About AHF AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is the largest non-profit HIV/AIDS healthcare provider in the USA. AHF currently provides medical care and/or services to over 818,000 individuals in 38 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook (News - Alert): www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) @aidshealthcare About The Heather Heyer Foundation: The Heather Heyer Foundation was founded in August 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia, to honor the memory of Heather Heyer, who lost her life on August 12, 2017, when a car plowed into a crowd of counterdemonstrators who were protesting a white nationalist rally. The Foundation provides scholarships to individuals passionate about positive social change. For more information, visit www.heatherheyerfoundation.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171030006366/en/

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On October 24, the central government administered a major shot in the arm of ailing public sector banks by announcing a Rs 2.11 lakh crore bank recapitalisation plan. The package included Rs 1.35 lakh crore via bank recapitalisation bonds to be issued to these banks and Rs 76,000 crore from budgetary support and market loans.

With the economy reeling under the twin effects of demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST), dragging down growth to 5.7 per cent in the first quarter, all eyes were on the government and how it would tackle this. Apart from banks, the Centre has also announced a road-building programme to build 83,000 kilometres of highways with an investment of nearly Rs 7 lakh crore over the next five years. This is expected to create 142 million man days by 2022. "Macroeconomic fundamentals are strong; the government has decided on the steps needed to sustain the growth momentum," Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said, while announcing the plans in Delhi.

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The biggest need for Indian banking was recapitalisation, or infusion of funds into the system, so that there is more money available to lend. While credit offtake hit bottom in the past few months-a reluctant private sector has stayed off big-ticket investments-revival will require fresh lending by the banks, especially public sector banks (PSBs), which comprise over 70 per cent of the Indian banking system. Credit offtake to all segments, including industry, agriculture, services, personal and housing loans, fell to a historic low of 3.3 per cent in February this year. The need to recapitalise banks has become all the more important as they are saddled with huge non-performing assets (NPAs) or bad loans. The total bad loans of 38 listed commercial banks crossed Rs 8 lakh crore at the end of the June quarter, nearly 11 per cent of the total loans disbursed by the banking industry (see graphic). A lion's share (90 per cent) has been racked up by the PSBs.

Experts say the recapitalisation move sends a strong signal of support to public sector banks from the government. "The package will help public sector banks accelerate provisioning for stressed assets, speed up the NPA resolution process and support the clean-up of balance sheets," says Krishnan Sitaraman, senior director with Crisil Ratings. "This will help them focus on reviving credit growth." These banks needed Rs 1.4-1.7 lakh crore additional capital to meet Basel III requirements by March 2019, so the package is adequate, he adds.

Bad loans trap

The State Bank of India (SBI) accounted for the largest share, about 22.7 per cent (Rs 1,88,068 crore) of the Rs 8,29,338 crore total of NPAs of 38 banks as of June-end 2017, accoring to Care Ratings data. SBI, Punjab National Bank, Bank of India, IDBI Bank and Bank of Baroda accounted for 47.4 per cent (Rs 3,93,154 crore) of total NPAs as of June-end 2017.

The huge pile of NPAs of PSBs has undermined their health in many ways. For one, they have shrunk exposure to their biggest areas in corporate lending-steel, infrastructure and real estate-where they have burnt their fingers. Besides, banks now have to provision for these NPAs in their books, further eroding profitability. The new Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, though touted as a big clean-up act in banking, has come a cropper. When a defaulter is referred for insolvency under the new laws, negotiations with lenders through an insolvency professional will see banks agreeing to take a 'haircut' or settle for a payment much lower than they had originally lent.

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Crisil estimates banks may have to take a haircut of up to 60 per cent-amounting to Rs 2.4 lakh crore-to settle 50 large stressed assets with a total outstanding of Rs 4 lakh crore. These companies are from the metals, construction and power sectors, and account for half of the total NPAs. Power companies would require moderate haircuts, metals and construction firms would need aggressive ones. In most cases, asset sales will recover monies.

"Currently, PSBs are fine when it comes to the capital adequacy ratio, since there is not much demand for credit. But this will change," says Madan Sabnavis, chief economist with Care Ratings. Capital adequacy ratio is a measure of a bank's capital expressed as a percentage of its credit exposures. The economy is stagnating, and without the demand for credit, the system is in a kind of stasis. "But if there is a recovery, banks will have to be the natural preference for borrowers." Many borrowers would find it difficult to approach the market for funds as they may not be investment grade (credit rating for funds regarded as carrying minimal risk to investors).

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Basel III deadline

Indian banks will need $90 billion of capital by 2019 to meet the new Basel III capital norms, to be implemented by the financial year ending March 2019. Basel III is a global, voluntary regulatory framework on aspects related to the health of banks, including capital adequacy and market liquidity risk. "The sharp rise in non-performing loans and the resultant losses have weakened banks' core capital buffers, which will be further stretched when adjusted for a higher 70 per cent provision cover on problem loans," Saswata Guha and Jobin Jacob, analysts of ratings agency Fitch, observe in a report. "Liability ratings will be under more pressure if capital levels are not addressed, either by the government or by the market."

The government had earlier allocated Rs 10,000 crore in Budget 2017-18 to recapitalise banks, while the earlier two fiscals saw Rs 25,000 crore allocations. The original idea was to provide Rs 70,000 crore to PSBs over four years, according to reports. Jaitley recently conceded that recovering money from the big defaulters is a "major challenge". "For the first time, the government is taking steps to take these big people to insolvency so that recovery can be done and that money can be utilised for the growth of the rural sector," he said in September. Moreover, the process of resolution will be slow and likely to be challenged in courts, as has happened in the case of Essar Steel. This will entail, besides substantial capital infusion for the PSBs, measures like sale of non-core assets, raising of public equity and divestments by the government.

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Merging for size

Another idea mooted is the merger of banks to create bigger banks that have the potential to raise more capital from the market. But experts say the merger of weak banks does not address the issue of their performance. The same is true in the merger of a weak bank with a strong one. "If I combine a loss-making bank with a strong bank, I will have camouflaged the weak bank but, overall, the losses have to be taken by the system," says Sabnavis. Divestment can also run into trouble as the valuations of PSBs have taken a beating in the stock markets. The recent move by SBI to merge five of its associate banks and Bharatiya Mahila Bank with itself has worked because most of these associate banks had sound financial health.

Others believe banks ought to approach the market, and not just wait for succour from the government. The concept of recapitalisation is not new. A recapitalisation boost was given to Indian PSBs in 2009 following the global financial crisis. Countries such as Indonesia have even successfully experimented with the concept of a 'bad bank' (after the Asian crisis of 1997), into which all the bad assets of commercial banks are channelled, so that the banks can be recapitalised for growth.

RBI governor Urjit Patel had called for a recapitalisation of PSBs as they are not, he said, healthy enough for big 'haircuts'. "Gross NPA ratio of the banking system at 9.6 per cent and stressed advances ratio at 12 per cent, as on March 2017, on the back of persistently high ratio in the past few years, is a matter of concern," he had said.

Creating fundamentally strong banks is essential for India's long-term growth, and resolving NPAs is crucial for this. Even as the resolution process is on, the recapitalisation boost to the banking sector is expected to give it a fresh lease of life.

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[October 30, 2017] AIG Names Chris Townsend as Chief Executive Officer, International General Insurance

American International Group, Inc. (NYSE: AIG) today announced that Chris Townsend will join the company as Chief Executive Officer, International General Insurance. In this newly created role, Mr. Townsend will lead the International operations of AIG's General Insurance business, with responsibility for executing its growth strategy and building on the company's extensive international footprint to support a profitable, client focused organization. He will report to Peter Zaffino, Chief Executive Officer, General Insurance, as a member of the General Insurance Executive Leadership Team and is expected to join the company in the first quarter of 2018. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171030006385/en/ Chris Townsend (Photo: Business Wire) "We are extremely pleased to welcome Chris back to AIG," said Mr. Zaffino. "He is a highly experienced leader in the insurance industry who knows our company well. He brings deep international expertise to our team, as well as a proven track record of delivering strong financial and operating results. I look forward to partnering with Chris as we strategically position General Insurance for the future." Mr. Townsend said: "I started my career at AIG, and it feels great to be returning and to be part of the next era in the company's long history. I look forward to working with Peter and his talented team to build on AIG's strong global footprint and contribute to a growing, successful future." Mr. Townsend has over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. He previously served as president of MetLife's Asia region, with responsibility for all businesses and operations across 11 markets in Asia, and as a member of the company's Executive Group. He joined MetLife from AIG, where he held senior roles with increasing responsibility based out of Lodon, New York, Singapore, Sydney and Hong Kong. From 2010 to 2012, Mr. Townsend was Chief Executive Officer of AIG's Asia Pacific region, with oversight of 15 countries, and helped drive capital optimization, cost efficiency and above average returns on equity. He serves on the Board of the Japan Society and holds a number of advisory positions, including as Advisor to the Asia Society, Vice Chairman of the U.S.-Korea Business Council, and a member of the international advisory council to the Guangdong Government. He is a Chartered Insurer.



# # # Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts but instead represent only AIG's belief regarding future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside AIG's control. It is possible that actual results will differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results contemplated by these statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ, possibly materially, from those in the forward-looking statements are discussed throughout AIG's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is a leading global insurance organization. Founded in 1919, today AIG member companies provide a wide range of property casualty insurance, life insurance, retirement products, and other financial services to customers in more than 80 countries and jurisdictions. These diverse offerings include products and services that help businesses and individuals protect their assets, manage risks and provide for retirement security. AIG common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Additional information about AIG can be found at www.aig.com | YouTube (News - Alert): www.youtube.com/aig | Twitter (News - Alert): @AIGinsurance www.twitter.com/AIGinsurance | LinkedIn (News - Alert): www.linkedin.com/company/aig. These references with additional information about AIG have been provided as a convenience, and the information contained on such websites is not incorporated by reference into this press release. AIG is the marketing name for the worldwide property-casualty, life and retirement, and general insurance operations of American International Group, Inc. For additional information, please visit our website at www.aig.com. All products and services are written or provided by subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group, Inc. Products or services may not be available in all countries, and coverage is subject to actual policy language. Non-insurance products and services may be provided by independent third parties. Certain property-casualty coverages may be provided by a surplus lines insurer. Surplus lines insurers do not generally participate in state guaranty funds, and insureds are therefore not protected by such funds. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171030006385/en/

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[October 30, 2017] SolarHome Attracts First Debt Funding with the Support of IIX

SINGAPORE, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SolarHome, the pioneer in Pay-As-You-Go ("PAYG") Solar for off-grid households in Southeast Asia, secured its first debt funding. The new financing comes on the heels of the pre-Series A equity funding round that the company recently closed. Impact Investment Exchange (IIX), a global leader in impact investing, played a pivotal role in the securing of this financing by providing the company with impact assessment and technical assistance services as well as connecting SolarHome with its debt-provider Kiva, an online lending platform connecting lenders to entrepreneurs. This support was provided as part of the award-winning IIX Acceleration for Capacity-building and Technical Services (IIX ACTS) program in partnership with USAID. The incremental funding will be used to support the rapid growth of SolarHome's installed system base in Myanmar. In the recent months, SolarHome ramped up its installations run-rate to over 150 systems per week. It now operates out of four hubs in Pathein, Myaung Mya, Hinthada, and Pyapon across Myanmar with a captive field force of over 30 sales representatives and installers. SolarHome has also become a member of the IFC Global Lighting Program as well as the Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA). SolarHome was seeded and developed by FORUM, the largest fintech venture builder in Emerging Asia. CEO of SolarHome, Ted Martynov, commented: "The achievement of first debt funding is a major milestone for SolarHome. As a pioneer of affordable cean energy for off-grid communities in Southeast Asia, we are dealing with an addressable market of 27 million households and over $3 bln of annual spend on legacy energy sources. We are honored to see that our high social impact business model continues to attract such high caliber investors and partners as IFC, USAID, Kiva, IIX, GOGLA. We believe that this development serves as very important validation by the market of the strength of our international team and of our execution track record. We look forward to putting this funding to work for the benefit of the off-grid communities in which we operate."



About SolarHome SolarHome (www.solar-home.asia) is the pioneer in Pay-As-You-Go ("PAYG") Solar for off-grid households in Southeast Asia. SolarHome installs integrated solar energy and appliance units in customers' homes, and offers radically affordable "rent-to-own" plans of energy service subscription. This dramatically lowers the barriers to adoption of solar technology by the bottom-of-pyramid clients. SolarHome is delivering a significant social impact in its addressable market of 27 million households across Southeast Asia living outside of the electric grid. Headquartered in Singapore, SolarHome presently operates in Myanmar. SolarHome was seeded and developed by FORUM, the largest fintech venture builder in Emerging Asia.

About IIX Impact Investment Exchange (IIX) is a Singapore-based impact enterprise that builds pathways to connect backstreets of underserved communities to the Wall Streets of the world through impact investing. IIX investment platforms and innovative financial products enable impact enterprises to accelerate their business and scale their positive impact while pushing the impact investing space from the margins to the mainstream. IIX also operates Impact Partners, a private platform that connects Impact Investors with a select group of pre-screened Impact Enterprises seeking investment capital. To date, the work of IIX has spanned 20 countries and continues to expand with the mission of unlocking US$5.6 billion of impact investment capital, impacting 300 million lives by 2022. About FORUM FORUM (www.forum-cap.com) is the largest fintech venture builder in Emerging Asia, focused on the $500 bln growth opportunity in the Consumer Lending vertical. We identify unique market segments for rapid value creation and build market-leading companies for capital gain. We are currently developing four companies across Asia: CredoLab (www.credolab.com), AsiaCollect (www.asia-collect.com), SolarHome (www.solar-home.asia) and AsiaKredit (www.asiakredit.com). FORUM is headquartered in Singapore. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20171030/1978241-1 SOURCE SolarHome

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[October 30, 2017] ProLogium Technology and Weltmeister Will Co-produce the First EV in The World Which Adopts Next Generation Lithium Ceramic Battery

HSINCHU, Taiwan, Oct. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With its' own next generation Lithium Ceramic Battery (LCB) which was invented by itself, ProLogium Technology has just signed MOU with Weltmeister(WM). In Q1, 2018, ProLogium and WM will co-produce the First EV in the world which adopts next generation lithium ceramic battery and announce it at "Beijing International Automotive Exhibition 2018". Meanwhile, ProLogium and WM will build up a production line with 5GWh capacity by join venture in 2018. This production line will finish and start to manufacture LCB by end of 2019. This partnership is showing ProLogium's strong determination to enter EV market. ProLogium will be responsible for research and development, manufacturing of cell inlay which is the core of the battery cell. Based on the cell inlay, JV will make battery cell and battery module, and WM will integrate battery pack into new-energy vehicles. "The joint venture will take advantages of two companies and aim to achieve a win-win situation," according to the Vincent, president of ProLogium Technology Co. Ltd. What's more, most of EV makers in the world already contact with ProLogium and will announce more cooperate information soon. LCB solves performances and safety core issues of conventional EV polymer battery perfectly. It has high capacity, high energy density, fast charging ability (5C charge with low temp. raise), and extremely wide operation window (storage at -65C; discharge at 105C). And it adopts solid state lithium ceramic electrolyte instead of liquid type in general polymer battery, so there is no leakage, no explosion. Moreover, cooperation method with ProLogium will be more flexible than other cell makers that only provide battery cells. ProLogium provides core contents of cell, "inlays", to other cell makers (NMC, Lead-acid or NiMH battery for instance) to assembly battery cells. With ProLogium's pioneer leading technology, ProLogium got SBCVC's continuous financial investment from 2012. "We've been seeing the fast growth of ProLogium's technology these years and we look forward to its leading a new battery technology revolution by its innovation in solid state battery field," saidby Chauncey Shey, Managing Partner of SBCVC affiliated with Japan's Softbank Group Corp.



About ProLogium(PLG) www.prologium.com

ProLogium is the first and only one company which can mass product next generation Lithium Ceramic Battery (LCB). (also known as: solid-state battery, explosion-poof Lithium battery; flexible battery,etc.) LCB is ultra-thin (thickness: 0.38mm/cell), flexible (10,000 times [email protected]), high energy density, and ultra-safe. Even after punched, penetrated, burned, gun shotted, there is no leakage, no fire, and no explosion. With its high technology content and know-how, PLG has been creating this new battery system independently from establishing on Oct 3rd, 2006. Till Oct, 2017, PLG has already obtained 62 patents and 50 filed ones all over the world, including cell materials, cell design and cell manufacturing process, even more, production equipment and unique final applications. Announced our first generation technology and product, FLCB, in Battery Japan 2012 and started manufacturing and selling from 2013. First commercial final product embedded LCB is a power flip case of hTc One Max, an official accessory made by hTc. Then with solid-state Lithium Ceramic Battery's ultra-thinness and flexibility, PLG entered wearable electronics such as power belt with GPS function, heating insole, and smart helmet, etc. In 2016, PLG also successfully enter IOT and high-end smart card field and got a big order from a card maker, JINCO, for a Korea bank's fingerprint card. After continuous improvement, PLG technology comes to 5th generation in 2017. This generation technology not only overwhelmed everyone's impression about solid-state battery, but also break the limitation of liquid type polymer battery and set up 4 unfair advantages of "fast charging"*, "not hot during fast charging"**, "extremely high and low operation window(Temp.)"***, and "outer space operation pressure"****. By these 4 unfair advantages, PLG successfully enter into special application that require severe environment such as industry, semi-conductor, and medicalFurthermore, by JV with Weltmeister, construct a 5GWh LCB plant for EV, PLG officially enter into EV ECO system supplier chain and push the battery industry to another level. (Note): * Fast Charging:charge 12mins to get 60% power; and 30mins 82% power. Compare to Tesla's 30 mins fast charging, PLG get more 23% power and more 100km than Tesla. ** Max. Temp. during charging is only 33C which is less than body temp. *** Extremely high and low operation window(Temp.): LCB is able to be charged at -20C to 85C, discharged at -25C to 105C, and storage at -65C to 105C(14D). **** Outer space operation pressure : bare cell of LCB is able to work under the pressure of 10-11atm which is equal to outer space vacuum level. More Data: 1. Extremely Safe: There is no fire or explode even after penetrate, fold or over charge. LCB also passes EUCAR Hazard Level 2~3, which is dream to achieve for all first tier cell makers. General speaking, LCB is the safest battery in the world. 2. Higher Energy Density: The latest energy density of LCB is higher than any other EV battery in the market. Comparison of energy density roadmaps with competitors, BMW i3 target at 660Wh/L (Samsung SDI) in 2020, GM Spark target at 700Wh/L (LG Chemical) in 2020. ProLogium LCB energy density will be 1.4~1.5 times higher, which will reach 1000Wh/L. 3. Ultra-Thin and Great Flexibility. LCB can be bend 10000 times and still functional. Media Contact

Lisa

Marketing Dept. Manager

No.6-1, Ziqiang 7th Rd., Zhongli Dist., Taoyuan City 32063, Taiwan

Tel: +886-3-4521991 ext.18800

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.prologium.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/prologium-technology-and-weltmeister-will-co-produce-the-first-ev-in-the-world-which-adopts-next-generation-lithium-ceramic-battery-300545258.html SOURCE ProLogium Technology

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[October 31, 2017] Basilea's Chief Medical Officer Prof. Achim Kaufhold to retire and Dr. Marc Engelhardt named as successor

Basel, Switzerland, October 31, 2017 - Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. (SIX: BSLN) reported today that Prof. Achim Kaufhold will retire after seven years with the company. Basilea named Dr. Marc Engelhardt, currently Basilea's Head of Development, to succeed Prof. Kaufhold in the role of Chief Medical Officer and as a member of the Management Committee effective January 1, 2018. Dr. Engelhardt joined Basilea in 2010 as Head of Clinical Research. In 2012, he was promoted to Head of Development. In this role Dr. Engelhardt led Basilea's clinical research and development group, and acted as Prof. Kaufhold's deputy. Prior to joining Basilea, Dr. Engelhardt served as Global Program Medical Director at Novartis Pharma AG in Basel, before which he held various positions with increasing responsibility at Bracco-Altana, Konstanz, Germany and Bracco Diagnostics in Princeton, NJ, USA. Dr. Engelhardt holds a medical degree and a PhD from the University Frankfurt/Main, Germany and is board certified in internal medicine. Ronald Scott, Basilea's Chief Executive Officer, commented: "We are very pleased that Dr. Engelhardt will assume the role of Chief Medical Officer of our company following Prof. Kaufhold's retirement at the beginning of next year. Dr. Engelhardt has profound knowledge and broad experience in pharmaceutical development and operations, from early stage development to the commercial phase. He has successfully led Basilea's global development strategy and operations. Dr. Engelhardt is uniquely qualified as a longstanding member of Basilea's development department management team and Prof. Kaufhold's deputy to succeed Prof. Kaufhold as Chief Medical Officer." Ronald Scott further commented: "Achim Kaufhold joied Basilea in 2010 and has significantly contributed to the company's success. Under his leadership, Basilea brought two novel hospital anti-infectives, the antifungal Cresemba and the antibiotic Zevtera, from the clinical stage to the market. In addition, under Achim's leadership, significant achievements were made in Basilea's early and late stage clinical development programs. Additionally, he led the team as it obtained regulatory approvals to initiate a Phase 3 program with the goal of registering Zevtera in the U.S. We sincerely thank Achim for his commitment and his valuable contribution to Basilea's progress during the past years."



About Basilea Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. is a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company developing products that address the medical challenge of increasing resistance and non-response to current treatment options in the therapeutic areas of bacterial infections, fungal infections and cancer. The company is committed to discovering, developing and commercializing innovative pharmaceutical products to meet the medical needs of patients with serious and life-threatening conditions. Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX: BSLN). Additional information can be found at Basilea's website www.basilea.com.

Disclaimer This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Basilea Pharmaceutica Ltd. is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For further information, please contact: Peer Nils Schroder, PhD

Head of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations

+41 61 606 1102

[email protected]

[email protected] This press release can be downloaded from www.basilea.com. Attachments: //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/27d3da95-e854-4f9e-bf22-c8e099a2e345

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[October 31, 2017] FastFox.com: Re-imagining Home Rentals Through Technology

GURGAON, India, October 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In today's technology-driven world, most tasks from ordering food to booking tickets get accomplished with a tap on the mobile phone. It is surprising that even today finding a rental home remains a stressful experience despite high service charges that people are paying. In top 8 cities, Indian middle-class spend $20 bn annually on home rentals, greater than the amount spent on food and clothing put together. The information available online on for-rent houses is mostly inaccurate postings by brokers. Consequently, the home-seeker is forced to deal with multiple 'less than professional' brokers making this high-value transaction a nightmare for them. FastFox.com is rental tech company, committed to transforming how homes are rented in India. Renting a house is a complex, time-consuming and critical decision for the customer who expects hand-holding and a large number of home options to choose from. FastFox.com's offering is not just better but completely different from the existing online players who do not provide any hand-holding to the customer. FastFox, through its strong technological and on-ground support, provides a complete end-to-end service which the home seekers yearn for. FastFox launched its website and mobile application in March this year. Usin its unique mix of technology and operational excellence, FastFox has served 50,000+ customers in their home search journey. FastFox's Smart Recommendation Engine suggests the best options for the customer based on combination of location, aspiration and budget of the home seeker and learnings from preferences of thousands of other similar customers. FastFox ensures real photographs and correct details of the homes are available for the user on its website and mobile application. FastFox also coordinates visits to houses and seamless paperwork to ensure that the customer has a hassle-free experience.



Talking about the vision for the company, Pallav Pandey, CEO, FastFox said, "Home buying no longer appeals to the young Indians, 40% of who are already living on rent. Home rent is the largest yearly expense for a tenant but the home search process remains broken. At FastFox, we are reimagining how homes are rented in India and delivering a transformational experience to customers." Unlike other players who try to eliminate the brokers, FastFox partners with the local brokers to provide the largest collection of rental homes available and meet the customer's expectation around large number of options to choose from. According to Pandey, FastFox leverages its partner broker network to ensure timely and correct information updates for all available homes which in turn transforms the customer experience.

In next 5 years, company is focusing on expanding its service to Top 8 cities and becoming the largest home rental marketplace, closing $1 bn in gross rental contracts annually. About FastFox: Founded by second-time entrepreneur Pallav Pandey (IITK, Co-founder, Knowlarity) and Mukul Bhati (IITG CSE, PayU, Knowlarity), FastFox has a strong leadership team with IIT-IIM background and deep technical and operational expertise. In top 8 cities, 6.6 mn middle-class households annually pay $20 bn as rent, FastFox is committed to transform their home rental experience. The company has raised USD 5.5 mn from Lightspeed India Partners, Blume Ventures, Cyber Agent Ventures and others and is operational in Gurgaon and Pune. Media Contact:

Monojeet Sinha

[email protected]

+91-9654149008

FastFox



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[October 31, 2017] Peratech Raises $12.4 Million (9.2 Million) in Financing From Merck Ventures, Arie Capital and Existing Investors to Scale Up Technology Solutions

RICHMOND, England, October 31, 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 tarting 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





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[October 31, 2017] Cubic Awarded Contract from MARTA to Move Atlanta's Breeze Card to the Cloud

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cubic Corporation (NYSE:CUB) today announced that its Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) business division was awarded a $6.5 million contract from the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) to migrate the Cubic-operated back office system for the Breeze Card to the cloud. The migration will be implemented through Cubic's collaboration with Microsoft and the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. "Throughout the years, Cubic has successfully helped MARTA and the Greater Atlanta area with many of its transportation challenges while continually improving the transit experience in the city," said Matt Cole, president of CTS. "Moving the Breeze Card system to the cloud will not only provide MARTA with enhanced functionality, but it also marks an important step in the journey to provide the best-in-class, next-generation transit service in Atlanta." Under the contract, Cubic will also upgrade the Breeze Card system to the latest release of its NextFare central system software. The upgrade will improve user experience and operational efficiency by optimizing the database performance and ata warehouse capability. This will make it easier for MARTA to maintain payment card industry (PCI) compliance and will provide enhanced network security and disaster recovery features.



"Our relationship with Cubic keeps us moving forward and into the future," said Torrey Kirby, interim assistant general manager of technology and chief information officer, MARTA. "Moving to the cloud will allow MARTA to leverage all of the new storage and security features, while becoming less dependent on often vulnerable, on-premises solutions  all to the benefit of Atlanta's travelers." "We are happy to support Cubic and the City of Atlanta as they work to upgrade Atlanta's transportation systems to meet the demands of their growing urban community," said Mike Donlan, vice president of U.S. state and local government at Microsoft. "This collaboration is a great example of how cities are leveraging our modern cloud platform, Microsoft Azure, to help cities expand their smart city capabilities and serve citizens where they work, live and play."

CTS designed and delivered MARTA's Breeze Card, a card-based automated fare collection (AFC) system that utilizes Cubic's smart card ticketing technology, in 2006. Since then, Cubic has been providing maintenance and onsite support to MARTA and maintenance support to its regional partners, the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA), Cobb and Gwinnett counties and the Atlanta Streetcar. The Breeze Card system currently generates more than 106 million rides annually. 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. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cubic-awarded-contract-from-marta-to-move-atlantas-breeze-card-to-the-cloud-300546057.html SOURCE Cubic Corporation

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[October 31, 2017] As Cyber Threats to Automobile Dealerships Grow, an Oregon Ford Dealer Employs Delivery Trust Email Encryption to Protect Customer Information

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 31, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Identillect Technologies Corp. (the "Company" or "Identillect") (TSX-V:ID) (OTCQB:IDTLF) (Frankfurt:8ID), a leading provider of email security today announced Mid Valley Ford, an automobile dealership in Dallas, Oregon, will implement Identillects email encryption tool, Delivery Trust. The decision represents a proactive choice by the dealership to protect their customers Personal Identifying Information (PII).

According to a study by Helion Technologies, 75% of small and medium sized businesses with less than 500 employees (this includes most car dealerships) have experienced at least one security breach in the previous 12 months. Automobile dealerships distribute sensitive customer financial data which is the information used for identity theft. "It's a fact - hackers are getting more sophisticated in choosing their victims," said Identillect CEO Todd Sexton. "They're choosing industries to target based on customer demographics and their perceived lack of security. With bank account information, credit card numbers and the personal data of new car buyers available on their networks, dealerships must take proactive steps to protect this data." Delivery Trust, which protects information in transit and at rest from cyber security threats, has been adopted by a growing number of small and medium sized businesses throughout North America. Dealerships are becoming more proactive as they know they are a target for cyber criminals. Delivery Trust is being implemented in a growing number of industries, because there is a need for email security tools whenhandling individuals personal identifiers. Recent surveys not only found an increase in cyber-attacks on businesses but for car dealerships in particular, they also identified a huge loss in customer confidence when a breach occurs. A poll by Total Dealer Compliance found that 84 percent of car buyers surveyed would not return to a dealership that had been the victim of a data breach.



"Taking important cyber security measures against hackers, including email encryption, can be inexpensive compared with the amount of money a dealership can lose when a breach occurs," said Sexton. About Mid Valley Ford

Mid Valley Ford, is a Ford dealer in Dallas, Oregon offering new Ford Cars, Crossovers, SUVs, Trucks and Commercial Trucks and quality pre-owned used vehicles. Located 12 miles west of Salem Oregon, and located in the central part of the Willamette Valley, Mid Valley Ford strives to be the "Lowest Cost Value Leader New Ford Dealer" in Oregon.

About Identillect

Identillect Technologies is the leading provider of email encryption service Delivery Trust, empowering enterprises of all sizes to protect their business and their clients critical information against cyber security attacks. Delivery Trust is an award-winning, multi-platform plug-in, which gives users complete control of their emails, for one low price. One simple integration complies with all regulations and most importantly provides peace of mind. For more information, or your free trial, please visit www.identillect.com.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of: IDENTILLECT TECHNOLOGIES CORP. Todd Sexton

Chief Executive Officer

Tel: (949) 468-7878

Email: [email protected] Investor Relations:

Arlen Hansen

Kin Communications

1-866-684-6730

[email protected] Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward-looking. 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 forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws.

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[October 31, 2017] WegoWise Awarded $58,000 in Workforce Training Grants from Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development

BOSTON, Oct. 31, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WegoWise, the worlds largest building analytics and energy and water benchmarking company, today announced that it was awarded $58,303 in Workforce Training Fund Grants from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development. WegoWise will match the funding, which will provide customized training to 32 WegoWise team members and create 10 additional jobs by 2019.

One of our core objectives is to foster the growth of our team members, said Laila Partridge, WegoWise president and CEO. From day one, WegoWise has taken innovative approaches to leadership development. The Workforce Training Fund Grants will enable us to continue on that path by creating customized, cross-functional leadership training and education opportunities, tailored to the interests and career objectives of each employee. WegoWise is a Boston-based data analytics company focused on improving the operational and sustainability performance of multifamily and commercial real estate. The companys software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform is used to benchmark utlity and water usage in more than 58,000 buildings, comprising 2.4 million square feet of multifamily housing in the United States. Since its inception, the company has grown from 2 to 50 employees, and the companys database is the largest collection of multifamily utility data in the world.



Earlier this month, the Baker-Polito Administration awarded a total of $11.9 million in grants provided by The Workforce Training Fund Program provided to 121 Massachusetts companies, including WegoWise, spurring workforce training of nearly 7,000 workers and creating over 1,000 projected new jobs in the Commonwealth. The grant program is administered by Commonwealth Corporation. Grants were awarded to projects focused on upgrading workers skills, increasing productivity, and enhancing the competitiveness of Massachusetts businesses. As a mission-driven company, WegoWise is committed to adding value to our customers, to our employees, and to the communities that we serve, said Partridge. We are grateful to the Commonwealth for this unique opportunity, which will help us further our mission, and continue to support environmental, social and economic sustainability.

About WegoWise

WegoWise helps the multifamily real estate industry improve the operating performance and value of its properties. Its SaaS platform provides insight into a buildings energy and water efficiency, enabling real estate professionals to achieve immediate and sustained savings, while making smarter capital investment and financing decisions. WegoWise, with the largest database of utility usage data in the world, delivers a comprehensive building analytics and benchmarking solution that tracks over 1.4 million units across 58,000 buildings, based on data from nearly 700 utilities. For additional information, visit www.wegowise.com. MEDIA CONTACT:

Crystal Woody

781-457-6112

[email protected]

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[October 31, 2017] Zighra Receives Patent for User-Device Behavioral Models

OTTAWA, Ontario, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Zighra, the AI-powered continuous authentication and threat detection company, announces its latest patent with the U.S. patent office. The patent enables Zighra to create highly personalized user-device models to guard against account take-over, social engineering, and automated bot attacks plaguing the connected economy. The patent builds on the behavioral intelligence layer of Zighra's foundational patent on N-dimensional authentication. It covers Zighra's newly-created proprietary lightweight machine learning algorithms that can run locally on a device. By leveraging device sensors including touchscreens, accelerometers and gyroscopes, Zighra's machine learning technology implicitly and invisibly authenticates both smart devices and users. The technology provides continuous proof of presence based on the way the user interacts with their devices (i.e. swipe, scroll, tap, walk with, etc.), enabling a frictionless user experience. Today, businesses still struggle to provide optimal security experiences thanks to the rise in the complexity of apps and the requirement to deliver them to smaller, faser devices. "Traditional machine learning approaches take a long time to learn and need to run in the cloud or on servers. It is critical that security solutions learn quickly and apply that learning for authentication and threat detection," says Deepak Dutt, CEO of Zighra. "This essentially requires that we have the capability to implement machine learning and anomaly detection completely on-device."



As we move into a sensor-based world driven by smartphones, IoT devices and connected vehicles, creating personalized user models is increasingly important to authenticate users, and protect against intruders and automated attacks. This latest patent comes on the heels of the company's previous patent covering its technology powering the ability to create cognitive signatures to authenticate each user through sensor-based intelligence obtained from six distinct layers of data.

Zighra is looking to work with companies that want to license the platform. Those who are interested, visit www.zighra.com. About Zighra

Zighra offers an AI-powered continuous authentication and threat detection platform. Providing a suite of intelligent analytics to create highly personalized models to authenticate the user in a transaction, Zighra's solution is accessible across web, mobile and sensor-based devices. Zighra's patented, light-weight technology tracks over 900 human and environmental traits including device, network, social, location, behavioral and biometric intelligence, as well as human-machine and machine-machine interactions. The flagship product, SensifyID, enables total identity defense that safeguards against account takeover, remote malware, social engineering, and bot attacks. SensifyID delivers transaction resiliency and secures and powers the connected economy. To learn more about Zighra and our mission to be your trusted identity defense partner visit www.zighra.com. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zighra-receives-patent-for-user-device-behavioral-models-300544638.html SOURCE Zighra

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By PTI: Dhaka, Oct 31 (PTI) Bangladesh today arrested four persons, including a pilot of the national carrier and his mother, for their alleged links with a banned militant outfit and plotting a dramatic plane attack.

The arrestees were identified as 31-year-old Sabbir Emam, a first officer of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, his mother Sultana Parvin, 55, and two other members of the banned militant outfit Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), said Mufti Mahmud Khan, director of Rapid Action Battalions (RAB) legal and media wing.

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He said the pilot revealed during primary interrogation about a possible plot to crash a plane into the homes of top politicians or hijacking it to Middle East with passengers held hostage.

Based on the information obtained from JMB activist who was arrested in an anti-militancy drive in Narayanganj on October 26, the police came to know about a plot to carry out militant activities involving sabotage of aircraft operation, he said.

"The elite force members then conducted drives at different areas in Mirpur from last night till this morning and detained the four JMB operatives," Khan was quoted as saying by the Daiy Star.

Sabbir has been working for the airline since 2014 and used to fly Boeing 737 aircraft as the first officer. Earlier, he had worked with Regent Airways from 2010 to 2014.

An official from the national carriers public relations department told the newspaper that Sabbir had refused to fly after the anti-militancy raid at a building in Mirpurs Mazar Road in September this year.

Earlier, Bangladesh police had blamed homegrown terror group JMB for the two terror attacks, including the Dhaka cafe siege, in which 22 people, including 17 foreigners, were killed in the brutal late-night attack in Gulshan area of the capital on July 1.

During a joint operation police killed six of the attackers.

Bangladesh has witnessed a number of Islamist attacks since 2013 on foreigners, liberals and religious minority with the Islamic State and the al-Qaeda making competing claims.

The government has consistently dismissed their claims, saying foreign terrorist groups have no presence in Bangladesh and the attacks were carried out by homegrown outfits.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasinas government blames the JMB for a number of deadly attacks in Bangladesh. Several foreigners, bloggers and rights activists have been targeted by the group in recent years.

The Islamic State claimed the brutal Dhaka cafe attack but the government has insisted that the group has no base in the country and the attacks were carried out by homegrown militant groups like the JMB. PTI MRJ AKJ MRJ

--- ENDS ---

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[October 31, 2017] Innovation Pharmaceuticals Phase 2b Psoriasis Study On-Track for Completion in December 2017; Company a Sponsor at Upcoming Symposium on Hidradenitis Suppurativa

BEVERLY, Mass., Oct. 31, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Innovation Pharmaceuticals Inc. (OTCQB:IPIX) (the Company), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, is pleased to report continued developments in its dermatology franchise.

The Companys randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2b clinical trial of Prurisol for chronic, moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis (see NCT02949388), enrolling a total of 199 patients, remains on-track for completion in December. Separately, building upon promising results seen to date demonstrating its anti-inflammatory, anti-infective and immunomodulatory properties, the Company is looking to expand Brilacidin into treating multiple serious chronic skin diseases. The Company plans to participate in upcoming dermatology conferences, including as a sponsor in this weeks Symposium on Hidradenitis Suppurativa Advances to be held November 4-5, 2017, in Detroit, MI. Brilacidins potential application in dermatology to provide improved treatment options for people in need is discussed below. From a scientific perspective, defensinswhich Brilacidin was designed to mimicplay an important and multifunctional role in regulating the skin micro-environment. The increased susceptibility of people with Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema) to S. aureus infections, significantly complicating this skin condition and against which Brilacidin has been shown to have potent efficacy, is thought to be influenced by the impaired expression of Host Defense Proteins (HDPs). Up to a combined 50 million people, in the U.S. and major European markets, are affected by Eczema. Brilacidin also exhibits strong anti-inflammatory effects on key effector cells involved in the etiology of Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS), a burdensome skin disease affecting 1 to 4 percent of the worlds population, and for which there currently is only one approved marketed treatment (Humira). Brilacidins antimicrobial and wound healing properties might similarly benefit HS sufferers. Pre-clinical lab work also indicates impressive Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values when Brilacidin was tested against Propionibacterium spp.a type of bacteria expressed in Acnecompared to other antibiotics, such as Erythromycin, Clindamycin, Minocycline, Doxycycline and Metronidazole. One key aspect of Brilacidins Mechanism of Action, inhibiting Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4), might also contribute to its therapeutic potential in treating skin diseases. Linked below is additional information, published on the Companys website, elaborating on Brilacidins treatment potential in various dermatological conditions.

Brilacidins Potential Application in Dermatology

http://www.ipharminc.com/new-blog/2017/6/5/brilacidins-potential-application-in-dermatology



http://www.ipharminc.com/new-blog/2017/6/5/brilacidins-potential-application-in-dermatology The Clinical Need and Market Opportunity in Atopic Dermatitis

http://www.ipharminc.com/new-blog/2017/6/21/the-market-opportunity-in-atopic-dermatitis



http://www.ipharminc.com/new-blog/2017/6/21/the-market-opportunity-in-atopic-dermatitis Toward Developing Newer Treatments for Hidradenitis Suppurativa

http://www.ipharminc.com/new-blog/2017/5/30/hidradenitis-suppurativa-acne-inversa About Prurisol



Acting through immune modulation and PRINS reduction, Prurisol is a novel dermatology compound currently in mid-stage development as an oral psoriasis treatment utilizing the advantages of the FDA's 505(b)(2) development approach. This regulatory approach helps expedite a drug candidates approval as it allows the FDA to rely, in part, on existing clinical data from an already approved drug, in this instance, Ziagen. In laboratory studies, Prurisol was found to be effective against psoriasis in animal models, both in induced psoriasis and in a xenograft model using human psoriatic tissue. In these models, Prurisol eliminated virtually all signs of psoriasis. Innovation Pharmaceuticals has successfully completed a Phase 2 clinical trial of Prurisol in patients with mild-to-moderate chronic plaque psoriasis. Overall analyses showed that the drug candidate appears to be safe, well-tolerated and demonstrated early efficacy in the highest dosing arm across 12 weeks of treatment. Patients with moderate psoriasis saw the greatest clinical improvements. An early dose-dependent response that improved as treatment duration increased was observed. Innovation Pharmaceuticals has initiated a Phase 2b clinical trial of Prurisol in moderate-to-severe psoriasis and will be assessing the drug candidates efficacy at higher dosing regimens. Learn more here:

http://www.ipharminc.com/prurisol-1/

About Brilacidin Brilacidin is Innovation Pharmaceuticals lead drug candidate in its defensin mimetic franchise. Modeled after Host Defense Proteins (HDPs), the front-line of defense in the immune system, it is a small, non-peptidic, synthetic molecule that kills pathogens swiftly and thoroughly. Just as importantly, Brilacidin also functions in a robust immunomodulatory capacity, lessening inflammation and promoting healing. Due to its unique properties, the Company is studying Brilacidins effect on Oral Mucositis (under Fast Track designation) and on Ulcerative Proctitis / Proctosigmoiditis (UP/UPS) in Phase 2 trials. Additional trials of Brilacidin are planned in other conditions, including: Atopic Dermatitis, Hidradenitis Suppurativa and Acne. Brilacidin is also being developed under FDAs Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) designation as an antibacterial product for Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infection (ABSSSI)qualifying it for Fast Track and possible Priority FDA Review and an extra 5 years of United States market exclusivity upon drug approval. Learn more here:

http://www.ipharminc.com/brilacidin-1 Alerts

Sign-up for Innovation Pharmaceutical email alerts is available at:

http://www.ipharminc.com/email-alerts About the Company Headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts, Innovation Pharmaceuticals Inc. (IPI) is publicly-traded under the company symbol IPIX. The Company is clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies in multiple diseases. The Company believes it has a world-class portfolio of first-in-class lead drug candidates and is now advancing them toward market approval, while actively seeking strategic partnerships. The Companys Psoriasis drug candidate Prurisol completed a Phase 2 trial and a Phase 2b study is ongoing. Prurisol is a small molecule that acts through immune modulation and PRINS reduction. The Companys anti-cancer drug Kevetrin successfully concluded a Phase 1 clinical trial at Harvard Cancer Centers Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the Company has commenced a Phase 2 study in Ovarian Cancer. In the laboratory, Kevetrin has been shown to modulate p53, often referred to as the Guardian Angel Gene due to its crucial role in controlling cell mutations. Brilacidin, a defensin mimetic compound, has shown in an animal model to reduce the occurrence of severe ulcerative Oral Mucositis (OM) by more than 94% compared to placebo. The Company is in a Phase 2 clinical trial with its novel compound Brilacidin-OM for the prevention of OM in patients with Head and Neck Cancer; interim results have shown a marked reduction in the incidence of severe OM (WHO Grade = 3). The Companys lead antibiotic, Brilacidin, has completed a Phase 2b trial for Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infection, or ABSSSI. Top-line data have shown a single dose of Brilacidin to deliver comparable clinical outcomes to the FDA-approved seven-day dosing regimen of daptomycin. Brilacidin has the potential to be a single-dose therapy for certain multi-drug resistant bacteria (superbugs). Topline results are now available for the Phase 2, open label Proof-of-Concept trial, treating patients with Brilacidin for Ulcerative Proctitis/Ulcerative Proctosigmoiditis (UP/UPS), two types of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The Company has formed research collaborations with world-renowned research institutions in the United States and Europe, including MD Anderson Cancer Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the University of Bologna. More information is available on the Company website at www.IPharmInc.com. Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including statements concerning projected timelines for the initiation and completion of clinical trials, our future drug development plans, other statements regarding future product developments, including with respect to specific indications, and any other statements which are other than statements of historical fact. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause the Companys actual results and experience to differ materially from anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. The Company has in some cases identified forward-looking statements by using words such as anticipates, believes, hopes, estimates, looks, expects, plans, intends, goal, potential, may, suggest, and similar expressions. Among other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements are the Companys need for, and the availability of, substantial capital in the future to fund its operations and research and development; including the amount and timing of the sale of shares of common stock to Aspire Capital; the fact that the Companys compounds may not successfully complete pre-clinical or clinical testing, or be granted regulatory approval to be sold and marketed in the United States or elsewhere. A more complete description of these risk factors is included in the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly the results of any revisions to any such forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by applicable law or regulation. INVESTOR AND MEDIA CONTACT

Innovation Pharmaceuticals

Leo Ehrlich

[email protected]

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[October 31, 2017] DiaMedica Announces Dr. Robert Stanton as Scientific Advisor for Upcoming Chronic Kidney Disease Trials

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 31, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DiaMedica Therapeutics Inc. (the DiaMedica) (TSX Venture:DMA) (OTCQB:DMCAF) is pleased to announce that Dr. Robert Stanton, Chief of the Kidney and Hypertension Section and a Principal Investigator of Vascular Cell Biology at Joslin Diabetes Center, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, will serve on DiaMedicas Kidney Scientific Advisory Board.

Dr. Stanton has an extensive and successful history of conducting research into the causes, complications, and treatment options of kidney disease. In September of this year, he published an important review paper titled The Kallikrein-Kinin System in Diabetic Kidney Disease1, stated Mr. Rick Pauls, President and CEO of DiaMedica. "Dr. Stanton will be an excellent advisor for our upcoming clinical studies in patients with chronic kidney disease." Dr. Stanton commented, "I look forward to assisting the advancement of therapies for treating patients with chronic kidney disease. About Joslin Diabetes Center Joslin Diabetes Center, affiliated with Harvard Medical School, is the world's preeminent diabetes research and clinical care organization. Joslin, through its cutting-edge research and innovative approaches to clinical care and education, is dedicated both to helping people with diabetes live long, healthy lives and to finding a cure. About Dr. Stanton Robert C. Stanton, M.D. is the Chief of the Kidney and Hypertension Section at Joslin Diabetes Center and is a Principal Investigator in the Section on Vascular Cell Biology. Dr. Stanton is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School where he is involved with teaching at all levels. Dr. Stanton has lectured all over the world. He has received three Honorary Professorships rom Universities in China. Dr. Stanton is an author of many original articles and chapters.



About DiaMedica Therapeutics Inc. DiaMedica Therapeutics is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel treatments for neurological and kidney diseases. DiaMedica's shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the trading symbol "DMA" and on the OTCQB under the trading symbol "DMCAF". For more information, please visit www.diamedica.com. Follow us on social media  Twitter, LinkedIn.

Contact: Paul Papi

Vice President of Business Development

DiaMedica Therapeutics Inc.

Phone: (617) 899-5941

[email protected] Tweet this! FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS The statements made in this press release that are not historical facts contain forward-looking information that involves risk and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, which address DiaMedica's expectations, should be considered forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on management's exercise of business judgment as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to management. When used in this document, the words "may", "will", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend" and words of similar import, are intended to identify any forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect a current view of future events and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties as contained in the DiaMedica's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, all of which are available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements. DiaMedica undertakes no obligation, and does not intend, to update, revise, or otherwise publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, or to reflect the occurrence of any unanticipated events, unless required by law. Although management believes that expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, no assurance can be given that these expectations will materialize. 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 the contents of this press release. 1Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens 2017, 26:351357.

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[October 31, 2017] Long Island Woman Meets Lifesaving Donor at Gift of Life Marrow Registry 5k

After an international search of the bone marrow registry, a Long Island transplant recipient was able to avoid a risky lung procedure thanks to the kindness of a New Jersey stranger. On Sunday, October 29, the two were introduced for the first time at the Gift of Life Marrow Registry Steps for Life 5k held at Brookfield Place in New York City. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171031005988/en/ Bone marrow recipient Florence Ivy met her lifesaving donor Harvey Pava at Gift of Life's Steps for Life 5k on October 29, 2017 in New York City. (Photo: Business Wire) East Brunwick, N.J. resident Harvey Pava, 27, joined the marrow registry while a student at Yeshiva University in New York City. When he got the call in 2015 that he was a match, the decision to donate his peripheral blood stem cells was a simple one.



"This is not an opportunity that everyone gets and I just feel blessed to have been in a position to help another in this way," said Pava. "I would do it again in a heartbeat and am waiting for the next call." Florence Ivy, 42, of Mastic Beach, N.Y., suffered from debilitating chronic pulmonary ailments since childhood. Her doctor's decision to try a bone marrow transplant in an attempt to avoid a riskier lung transplant was a turning point in her treatment. Knowing that none of her family members were a close enough match, she was floored at how quickly Gift of Life was able to locate a match.

"I want to thank my donor for giving me many more years to live - things were looking grim for a while," said Ivy. "I hope others will join Gift of Life's bone marrow registry to save another person's life, or at the very least, changing someone else's life tremendously and extending it." After the donor and recipient introduction, Gift of Life CEO and Founder Jay Feinberg and grand marshal Wendy Siegel, both leukemia survivors, started the 5k. CBRE, Inc. served as this year's Platinum Sponsor. About Gift of Life Gift of Life Marrow Registry is an international non-profit headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla. The organization, established in 1991, is dedicated to curing blood cancer through marrow and stem cell donation. To learn more, visit www.giftoflife.org. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171031005988/en/

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[October 31, 2017] Lectra Reveals how Kauno Baltija is 'Fit for the Future' at the Drapers Fashion Forum

LONDON, October 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Getting the perfect fit with Modaris 3D Lectra, the world leader in integrated technology solutions dedicated to industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles and composite materials, for the fourth year running has sponsored the Drapers Fashion Forum. Entitled 'Fit for the Future', this year's event highlighted great insights from executives from some of industry's most significant brands such as Adidas, Levi Strauss & Co, ASICS, Clarks and Zalando. Jean Patrice Gros, Managing Director, Northern Europe and UK, Lectra introduced Lectra's keynote speaking session highlighting that getting the fit right is a critical element of a products success. "When we shop we have a vast choice of product, the style we chose is a personal reflection of our identity. A poor fitting garment creates a perception of a poor low cost product," he explained. In order to illustrate how crucial fit is in the product development process, Vidas Butkus, CEO of Kauno Baltija spoke about his company's successes with using Modaris 3D. "Fit is now the most important factor in high-end fashion. Quality cannot exist without a perfect fit. People will buy new brands, but unless they fit well, the customers will not come back. Fit guarantees customer loyalty and allos you to remain competitive," he confirms. Being a manufacturer of high-end ladieswear products for a global market he detailed that using Lectra's intuitive 3D virtual prototyping solution has helped Kauno Baltija reduce development time, achieve a perfect fit and facilitate seamless communication at the product development stage.



Confirming that Kauno Baltija have been able to visualize, adjust and virtually grade styles that fit perfectly in every size sharing his results with the audience; lead time reduced by 30%, sample returns reduced by 50% and development samples reduced from 3-5 to 1-2. "Sample development time has been cut by half. We still need samples, but we have experienced a massive reduction in the time spent making them," he said closing the presentation. The Lectra hosted lunch explored what fashion businesses are doing to make their supply chains smarter and more connected, user friendly and agile. Executives form leading brands and retailers such as Adidas, Zalando, Jigsaw and Amazon shared their experience on how important a 360-degree view of the supply chain to their design and sourcing teams was and how accessing previous design and sales data was critical to the success of their product lines.

"With globalisation, strategies need to focus on improving communication both internally and externally. Having complete visibility of supply chain is key for fashion businesses to ensure the right product on the market at the right time," concluded Jean-Patrice Gros. About Lectra

Lectra is the world leader in integrated technology solutions (software, automated cutting equipment, and associated services) specifically designed for industries using fabrics, leather, technical textiles, and composite materials to manufacture their products. It serves major world markets: fashion and apparel, automotive, and furniture as well as a broad array of other industries. Lectra's solutions, specific to each market, enable customers to automate and optimize product design, development, and manufacturing. With more than 1,600 employees, Lectra has developed privileged relationships with prestigious customers in more than 100 countries, contributing to their operational excellence. Lectra registered revenues of $288 million in 2016 and is listed on Euronext. For more information, please visit http://www.lectra.com  Modaris is a registered trademark of Lectra. Contact

Lectra UK

Victoria Fothergill

E-mail: [email protected]

Tel.: +44(0)-127-462-3080

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[October 31, 2017] RENEW and the Impact Angel Network to Invest in Logistics and E-Commerce in Ethiopia

Members of RENEW's Impact Angel Network (IAN) have committed capital to Roadrunner Technology Solutions (News - Alert) LLC (Roadrunner), which will partner with Universal Courier Services PLC (Deliver Addis) to expand the burgeoning logistics and e-commerce industries in Ethiopia. Deliver Addis is a technology enabled, online food delivery company based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, launched in October 2015. To date, the company's focus has been on business-to-consumer (B2C) delivery, mainly of restaurant orders. The IAN's investment in Roadrunner is aimed at helping its partner Deliver Addis to become Ethiopia's leading technology-enabled, last-mile courier service for consumers and businesses. Deliver Addis has succeeded in building a loyal customer base in offering a service which, while common in most developed economies, has been largely unavailable in Ethiopia. The IAN's investment will provide Deliver Addis, through its partnership with Roadrunner, with the technology and operational support it requires toimprove the quality and speed of its existing services, expand its service offering to new products, and reach new consumers. Roadrunner will supply Deliver Addis with a dedicated technology platform, as well as back-office, market research and payment processing support. Deliver Addis will continue as the delivery provider in Ethiopia.



"RENEW and the IAN anticipate that this investment in Roadrunner will meaningfully contribute to the Ethiopian economy by creating jobs, reducing emission through the use of more fuel efficient vehicles, and increasing business for local restaurants, grocery stores and companies," said Matt Davis, CEO of RENEW. He added, "We are grateful to our partners in Ethiopia and the Government of Canada who make our work in Ethiopia possible." Deliver Addis' founder Feleg Tsegaye commented, "Since we launched Ethiopia's first online restaurant delivery service, people have quickly taken to it with virtually no marketing and have pushed us to expand in ways we hadn't expected. Our partnership with RENEW and the IAN will enable us to build the technology and scale our operations in order to support demands from existing and new customers, including individuals, businesses, organizations and more."

This is the Impact Angel Network's ninth investment in its portfolio of eight companies in East Africa. About Impact Angel Network and RENEW The Impact Angel Network is one of the most active private equity investors in Ethiopia. Its members seek to make both social impacts and financial returns through investments in small and medium enterprises (SMEs); a proven engine of economic growth and job creation, but lacking capital in Africa due to their size. They believe that targeting employment through SMEs, dollar-for-dollar, can help reduce poverty in a more sustainable way than charity. RENEW, with its largest office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, manages the IAN's investment operations and provides investment advisory and consulting services in support of its investments. RENEW's work in Ethiopia was piloted with USAID and is currently undertaken with financial support from the Government of Canada provided through Global Affairs Canada. The project, Accelerating Business Growth, aims at sustainable job creation for low-skilled workers, including women and young adults, through a dynamic and growing small and medium business sector in Ethiopia. To find out more, please visit www.renewstrategies.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171031006068/en/

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[October 31, 2017] Wedgewood Pharmacy Welcomes U.S. Congressman Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-Georgia)

Wedgewood Pharmacy, the largest veterinary compounding pharmacy in the U.S., welcomed U.S. Congressman Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-GA) to its pharmacy in Swedesboro yesterday. Carter toured the state-of-the art facilities and met with company executives to discuss the unique and critical role compounding plays in veterinary medicine, and the Congressional intent that it remain a state-licensed practice. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171031006146/en/ [L-R] Jeffrey A. Fiarman, general counsel, Wedgewood Pharmacy; Anthony Grzib, R.Ph., director of Pharmacy Compliance, Wedgewood Pharmacy; U.S. Congressman Earl L. "Buddy" Carter; Marcy A. Bliss, president and CEO, Wedgewood Pharmacy; and Randy Burrows, director of Business Development, Wedgewood Pharmacy. (Photo: Business Wire) Carter is a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which has jurisdiction over the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). He leads a bipartisan effort in Congress urging the FDA to conform to the statutory authority it was granted by Congress, andto leave the regulation of traditional pharmacies to the states, which have had authority over them for many years. Carter said, "The FDA's misinterpretation of certain provisions of the law and related enforcement actions against pharmacies are jeopardizing patients' access to critical compounded medications. While I've been working primarily for patients who are people, I recognize how important pets are in our lives. This meeting provided insight into animal health care markets and threats to patient access there."



Wedgewood Pharmacy makes customized medications for people and their pets when FDA-manufactured drugs cannot meet their needs. Compounded medications are prescriptions and medication orders that are written by physicians, veterinarians, and other legally authorized prescribers, and prepared by specially trained pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Marcy A. Bliss, president and CEO, added, "Buddy Carter has been an essential advocate for the rights of physicians and veterinarians to make medical decisions for people and their pets. We are very grateful for his backing in Congress. He clearly understands that veterinary medicine and human medicine are entirely different professions, with very different requirements for compounded medications and regulation."

About Wedgewood Pharmacy Wedgewood Pharmacy employs 360 people and is headquartered in Swedesboro, Gloucester County, N.J., where it maintains a 54,000-square-foot facility. George (late) and Lucy Malmberg, both pharmacists, purchased Wedgewood Pharmacy in 1981; the pharmacy was founded in 1980. In its 35-year history, the company has grown from a local community pharmacy to become one of the largest compounding pharmacies in the United States, serving tens of thousands of prescribers throughout the U.S. with customized animal-health and human-health prescriptions every year. Wedgewood Pharmacy is accredited by the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board (PCAB) for compliance with PCAB pharmacy compounding accreditation standards. PCAB is a service of the Accreditation Commission for Health Care and is a third-party accreditation organization that has developed the highest national standards that providers are measured against to illustrate their ability to effectively and efficiently deliver quality compounded medications to consumers. PCAB was established in 2007 by eight of the nation's leading pharmacy organizations to create a voluntary quality-accreditation designation for the compounding industry. Wedgewood Pharmacy was the first pharmacy in the Philadelphia area to earn this accreditation and was re-accredited in January 2015. In June 2016, Chicago-based New Harbor Capital became the majority owner of the company. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171031006146/en/

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[October 31, 2017] Ken Riddick Promoted To President And Publisher Of Three McClatchy Media Companies In California

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- McClatchy (NYSE American: MNI) today named Ken Riddick as president and publisher of The Fresno Bee, The Tribune in San Luis Obispo and Merced-Sun Star. He will assume his new role November 6. Riddick succeeds Tom Cullinan, who is retiring November 3. "Ken has demonstrated great digital leadership at The Modesto Bee, as evidenced by digital-only growth of 44 percent over two years," said Gary Wortel, McClatchy's west regional publisher. "Modesto has been one of the company's leaders in audience growth as well, and he recently completed the Bee's move to a new location that beautifully reflects the future workspace of a digital media company. "I am truly excited and humbled to be headed back to Fresno," said Riddick. "The chance to return and contribute to the digital future of these three media companies is a dream-come-true." Tom Cullinan, Riddick's predecessor added "Ken is the perfect choice at the right time. He'll continue our mission to be a digital driven media company and to serve the community with quality public service journalism." Riddick is returing to The Fresno Bee where he first started working for McClatchy in 1995, as Fresno's picture editor. In February of 1999, he was promoted to Fresno's managing editor for new media and was named director of interactive media that same year. Ken was then promoted to the executive director of interactive media for The Star Tribune in Minneapolis in 2003 and was named their senior vice president of interactive media in 2007. Ken's next role was vice president of digital for Hearst Newspapers where he was responsible for 16 locations.



Ken returned to McClatchy in 2010 as the vice president of digital for The Charlotte Observer and became president and publisher of The Modesto Bee in 2014. Ken and his wife Catherine plan to move back to the Fresno area.

About McClatchy

McClatchy is a publisher of iconic brands such as the Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star, The Sacramento Bee, The Charlotte Observer, The (Raleigh) News & Observer, and the (Fort Worth) Star-Telegram. McClatchy operates 30 media companies in 14 states, providing each of its communities with high-quality news and advertising services in a wide array of digital and print formats. McClatchy is headquartered in Sacramento, Calif., and listed on the New York Stock Exchange American under the symbol MNI. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ken-riddick-promoted-to-president-and-publisher-of-three-mcclatchy-media-companies-in-california-300546447.html SOURCE McClatchy

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[October 31, 2017] RapidFire Tools Wins 5 Industry Awards In 2 Months, Recognizing its MSP Value Proposition

ATLANTA, Oct. 31, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RapidFire Tools Inc., developer of the Network Detective line of IT assessment, automated compliance, and internal threat detection tools, has received five separate awards from major IT channel organizations since September. Such recognition is a result of RapidFire Tools dedication to the managed services provider (MSP) community, having invested critical resources to teach MSPs how to leverage IT assessments, compliance, and internal threat detection for greater profitability. Awards include:

Best Revenue Booster, ChannelPro SMB Forum, Long Beach, California, Sept. 13

Best Solution Spotlight Presentation, Autotask Community Live, Miami, Florida, Sept. 17

Best Technical Demo, ASCII IT Success Summit, Miami, Florida, Sept. 28

Best Security award, SMB TechFest, Anaheim, California, Oct. 20

Top 5 Vendor, ASCII Cup Awards, Washington, D.C., Oct. 26 RapidFire Tools has embarked on a busy schedule of Fall events in both the US and Europe, offering seminar sessions at most of these events. Topics include how to capture new customers; generate remediation projects; and offer lucrative as-a-service programs for cyber security, HIPAA Compliance, and PCI Compliance. In September and October alone, RapidFire Tools exhibited at Kaseya Connect Europe, the Continuum Navigate Show, The Totally MS Roadshow in London, a CharTec Academy event, Channelnomics Conference MSP, a Robin Robins training, the CRN Channel Conference UK, MSP Europe, the 4u2grow MSP event, SMB TechFest, and DattoCon 17 Europe.



The RapidFire Tools solutions encompass modules for Network Assessments, Security Assessments, Exchange Assessments, SQL Server Assessments, PCI Compliance, and HIPAA Compliance; plus the Inspector, Detector, and Reporter appliances. Effective network assessment tools gather a comprehensive amount of network data, analyze it, organize it, and generate a wide range of customizable reports. These reports can be utilized for client and prospect presentations, ongoing delivery of services, and long-term network documentation. Weve been tireless in our efforts to educate MSPs on the benefits of IT assessments. Our goal is two-fold: Demonstrate how MSPs can help customers mitigate risks and identify vulnerabilities, especially through regular assessments, said RapidFire Tools CEO Mike Mittel. We also explain how this process can generate significant recurring revenues and remediation work, while entrenching them as a valued advisor. In an age where internal and external threats are more pervasive and complicated than ever, end-users need effective resources that provide a holistic, ongoing view of network activity, to proactively identify patterns that signify malicious behavior. Thats what network assessments deliver, and thats the knowledge were passing along through events.

MSPs can find out more about the Network Detective solutions here. About RapidFire Tools and Network Detective

Network Detective by RapidFire Tools is the number one non-invasive IT assessment tool used by thousands of service providers around the world. It acquires a vast amount of network dataincluding assets, users, configurations, and vulnerabilitiesand generates a wide array of professionally designed, completely brandable reports by the MSP. Network Detective includes a series of different IT assessment and IT compliance modules, each sold separately or in bundles through low-cost, annual subscriptions. RapidFire Tools also offers a line of software appliances that deliver deeper assessments, cybersecurity alerts, and enhanced remote automation. All products are sold with a 30-day, money-back guarantee. Visit rapidfiretools.com, or call 678-323-1300, ext. 2. Contact: Bob Vogel

RapidFire Tools, Inc.

tel:+1-267-639-9213

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[October 31, 2017] ACC3 International receives SBA 8(a) certification

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 31, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ACC3, a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), minority-owned business, announced today that it is now certified as an 8(a)-small business from the Small Business Administration. President of ACC3, Christian Lopez, says SBA 8(a) Certification is a fantastic achievement for us and specially to receive the approval today on my mothers birthday. 2017 has been an amazing year with great achievements, challenges and many lessons learned. We are excited at our prospects and look forward to working with the SBA. The SBA 8(a) Business Development Program assists small, disadvantaged businesses by allowing them to compete for sole source government contractsfor goods and services. Certification into the SBA 8(a) Business Development Program is a stringent process in which the business needs to be controlled and owned by an individual that is at least 51% socially or economically disadvantaged. The program spans over nine years with a four-year developmental stage and five-year transition stage. Within that time, SBA closely monitors the progress of the business on each stage to make sure they are accomplishing their goals.



About ACC3

ACC3 is a minority-owned, SBA Certified 8(a), and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) skilled in providing exemplary management consulting services focusing on Program/Project Management, Information Technology (IT), and Business Process Management (BPM) with a specialization and certification in Pegasystems and its Pega Rules Process Commander (PRPC). Since it's founding, ACC3 has been hard at work building quality partner and client relationships by engaging, listening, assessing and delivering solutions meeting or exceeding client and partner needs and expectations. ACC3 has offices in San Diego, CA and Falls Church, VA. www.ACC3INT.com.

For more information contact:

Christian Lopez

ACC3 INTERNATIONAL

619-357-9733

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[October 31, 2017] Transportation Security Administration Awards Leidos Prime Contract

RESTON, Va., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), a FORTUNE 500 science and technology leader, was awarded a prime contract by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to continue to provide management, information technology (IT) security support, and engineering services in support of new, current, and legacy Transportation Security Equipment (TSE) systems in airports, TSA warehouses, and testing facilities. The single-award firm fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract has a five-year period of performance, and a total contract value of approximately $17 million. Work will be performed primarily in Vista, Calif., with on-site deployment at airports across the United States. Leidos has a long history of supporting TSA security initiatives, goals, and requirements through the design, development and deployment of Leidos Reduced-Size Explosives Detection Systems (RSEDS) for aviation security. The Reveal CT-80DR and CT-80DR+ Explosive Detection Systems (EDS) are the premiere RSEDS machines currently serving small to midsize U.S. airports, with more than 600 systems implemented at more than 200 major and regional U.S. airports. The systems are powerful, rugged, compact, and have served TSA for over a decade. Under the contract, Leidos will help TSA manage its RSEDS inventory, move and redeploy EDS assets, and augment the EDS software to meet new and emerging threats. Leidos will provide for system management support, engineering support services, and IT security support services to support all TSE systems. "We look forward to continuing the support of TSA with powerful and reliable threat detection technology, improving the safety of U.S. air travel, and protecting the nation's transportation systems which helps ensure the freedom of movement of people and commerce," said Leidos Group President Angie Heise. About Leidos

Leidos is a Fortune 500 science and technology solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and health markets. The company's 32,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $7.04 billion for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2016. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com. Statements in this announcement, other than historical data and information, constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be very different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 30, 2016, and other such filings that Leidos makes with the SEC from time to time. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.







Contact: Melissa Koskovich Jennifer Moffett

(571) 526-6850 (571) 526-6852

[email protected] [email protected]

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/transportation-security-administration-awards-leidos-prime-contract-300546467.html SOURCE Leidos

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By PTI: New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck arrived here today on a four-day visit and in a special gesture was received at the airport by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. This is the first high-level visit from Bhutan to India after the "disengagement" between Indian and Chinese troops on August 28, ending a tense 73-day-long stand-off near the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction in the Dokalam area. "Special gesture for a valued friend. EAM @SushmaSwaraj receives Their Majesties, The King, The Queen and The Gyalsey (Prince) of Bhutan," ministry of external affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted along with a picture of Swaraj with the Bhutanese King, Queen and their son.

advertisement

During his visit, the Bhutanese King will hold talks with the Indian leadership, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation.

"India and Bhutan enjoy unique ties of friendship, which are characterised by deep understanding and mutual trust. The visit of His Majesty the King of Bhutan is in keeping with the long standing tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries," an external affairs ministry statement had said ahead of the visit. PTI ASK ASK

--- ENDS ---
[October 31, 2017] Brunswick County Files Legal Action Against DuPont and Chemours for Contaminating the Cape Fear River

Today, Brunswick County, North Carolina, took the first important step of addressing the long-term contamination of the Cape Fear River by DuPont and Chemours. The national law firm of Baron & Budd announced today that it has filed suit on behalf of Brunswick County in the United States Eastern District of North Carolina against Chemours and DuPont for their role in contaminating the Cape Fear River. The firm is pursuing legal action on the County's behalf to recover costs required to investigate, manage, reduce and remove chemicals from drinking water drawn from the Cape Fear River. Harold Seagle of North Carolina-based Seagle Law will serve as co-counsel in the case. Through initial investigations, Brunswick County has obtained evidence that Chemours and DuPont not only manufactured dangerous perfluorinated chemicals ("PFCs") at the Fayetteville Works plant in Fayetteville, North Carolina since 1980, but also released PFC chemicals into the Cape Fear River over the span of many years without disclosure. The companies have continued to deposit PFCs into the river as recently as September 2017. The legal team representing Brunswick County will be led by Baron & Budd Shareholder Scott Summy, one of the most successful water contamination litigators in the U.S. Summy and the Baron & Budd team have won over $1 billion for clients facing water contamination issues. Summy also brings a lengthy track record of protecting the drinking water of North Carolina residents. In the 1990s, he filed the first MTBE lawsuit against Conoco on behalf of Wilmington residents, which was settled in 1997 after a Wilmington-based jury rendered a multi-million-dollar verdict to cover the costs of medical monitoring.



DuPont is the fourth largest chemical company in the world based on market capitalization as of 2017, and is ranked No. 117 on the 2017 Fortune 500 list. The Chemours Company was spun off by DuPont in 2015, and today, it is a publicly-traded Fortune 500 Company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange. "To think that DuPont and Chemours released their waste products directly into the Cape Fear River, which it knew was public drinking water for thousands of people, is unimaginable," said Summy. "The unfortunate challenge now facing Brunswick County is contaminated drinking water caused by the non-disclosed deposit of PFCs into the Cape Fear River. The County is dedicated to ensuring its residents' safety and quality of life are protected, which is why it has filed a lawsuit to resolve this situation."

ABOUT BARON & BUDD, P.C. The law firm of Baron & Budd, P.C., with offices in Dallas, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Austin, Los Angeles, and San Diego, is a nationally recognized law firm with a nearly 40-year history of "Protecting What's Right" for people, communities and businesses harmed by negligence. Baron & Budd's size and resources enable the firm to take on large and complex cases. The firm represents individuals and government and business entities in areas as diverse as dangerous pharmaceuticals and medical devices, environmental contamination, the Gulf oil spill, financial fraud, overtime violations, deceptive advertising, automotive defects, trucking accidents, nursing home abuse, and asbestos-related illnesses such as mesothelioma. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171031006537/en/

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Allegion to Attend Goldman Sachs Industrials Conference 2017

Allegion plc (NYSE: ALLE) Chief Financial Officer Patrick Shannon will discuss the company's long-term strategy at the Goldman Sachs Industrials Conference 2017 on Tuesday, Nov. 14. The conference will be held at The Westin Copley Place in Boston.

A live listen-only webcast will be accessible via Allegion's investor website at http://investor.allegion.com/ or directly at https://cc.talkpoint.com/gold006/111417a_as/?entity=11_2NV01Q3.







About Allegion

Allegion (NYSE: ALLE) is a global pioneer in safety and security, with leading brands like CISA, Interflex, LCN, Schlage, SimonsVoss and Von Duprin. Focusing on security around the door and adjacent areas, Allegion produces a range of solutions for homes, businesses, schools and other institutions. Allegion is a $2.2 billion company, with products sold in almost 130 countries.

For more, visit www.allegion.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171031006177/en/
[October 31, 2017] Launch of Novel Products to Boost the Sepsis Diagnostics Market | Technavio

Technavio's latest market research report on the global sepsis diagnostics market provides an analysis of the most important trends expected to impact the market outlook from 2017-2021. Technavio defines 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/20171031006394/en/ Technavio has published a new report on the global sepsis diagnostics market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire) Sepsis is a three-staged syndrome; it starts with systemic infections leading to severe sepsis and ultimately causing sepsis shock, which is regarded as a medical emergency. Population with weak immune system, which includes children, older adults, and people with chronic diseases such as cancer, AIDS, diabetes, are prone to sepsis. The global sepsis diagnostics market will grow at a CAGR of close to 7% during the forecast period, as companies are focusing on providing accurate treatment for sepsis by launching new products in the market. 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 trends driving the global sepsis diagnostics market according to Technavio research analysts are: Development of novel products

Increasing use of biomarkers for sepsis

Increasing online campaigns for sepsis awareness Looking for more information on this market? Request a free sample rport



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. Development of novel products

Increased technological advances in sepsis diagnosis will lead to a rise in the customer base, thereby increasing the adoption rate of products. For instance, in May 2017, Abionic, a developer of disrupter nanotechnology in POC diagnostic solutions, announced positive results from its evaluation studies with its rapid PSP tests for sepsis risk assessment, which was conducted at Zurich University Hospital (Switzerland) and University College London Hospital (UK). The product offers reliable results, showing an indication of sepsis in 5 minutes. Similarly, in March 2015, T2 Biosystems developed a novel diagnostic method for sepsis known as T2Candida equipment, which does not require blood culture. This will reduce the diagnosis time by 97% and is estimated to decrease mortality rate by 30%. According to Srinivas Sashidhar, a lead analyst at Technavio for in-vitro diagnostics research, "The availability of advanced products for detection of the risk assessment of sepsis will help in decreasing the TAT (News - Alert) and will increase the efficiency of the quality of test results, which augurs well for the growth of the market." Increasing use of biomarkers for sepsis Biomarkers are used as diagnostic tools for the diagnosis of a disease or abnormal conditions of sepsis, including severe sepsis. The accuracy and timely detection of sepsis are regarded as the significant challenges. Therefore, the health providers rely on nonspecific clinical and laboratory signs. The increased preference for biomarkers offers homogeneity of risk or disease status of the patient within a limited time. More than 100 different molecules have been suggested as useful biomarkers for the treatment of sepsis, which include C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), angiopoietins, endocans, and others. The use of biomarkers also reduced the cost of hospital stay, and the procedure was cost-effective. Therefore, they can be utilized in-patient diagnosis and treatment routinely. Increasing online campaigns for sepsis awareness The increasing awareness of sepsis diagnosis within the population will lead to the high adoption of the sepsis diagnostics. Various campaigns organized to educate the patients will lead to more screening of the patients, thereby creating a demand for sepsis products in the market. For instance, in the US, the CDC launched a new website known as Surviving Sepsis Campaign to increase sepsis awareness which will help in early recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of sepsis. "The sepsis awareness website offers thorough and extensive information on diagnosis and screening of sepsis which offers valuable information, and it encourages people to get examined for sepsis. Such campaigns will help in educating people and creating awareness, which in turn, will boost the sepsis diagnostic market during the forecast period," says Srinivas. Browse Related Reports: Global Paper Diagnostics Market 2017-2021

Orthodontic Services Market in China 2017-2021

Global Circulating Tumor Cell (CTC) Diagnostics 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 [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171031006394/en/

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Rakesh Singh, who is the prime accused in the hooch case in which 18 persons died after consuming spurious liquor also happens to be the JDU block president of the Udwant Nagar in Bhojpur district.

By Rohit Kumar Singh: A photo of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has gone viral where he has been clicked with an accused in the Bhojpur hooch tragedy which took place in 2012 and presently out on bail.

Rakesh Singh, who is the prime accused in the hooch case in which 18 persons died after consuming spurious liquor also happens to be the JDU block president of the Udwant Nagar in Bhojpur district. The meeting of Nitish and Rakesh happened on Sunday at 1, Anne Marg which is the Chief Minister's official residence.

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The Bihar CM who on 2nd October kick started his govt's ambitious campaign against dowry and child marriages after the success of prohibition last year had invited Harendra Singh, a former govt teacher in Bhojpur to meet him at his residence in Patna.

Singh, whose son is slated to get married on 3rd December had returned Rs. 4 lac dowry he was given to the family of the bride recently. The former teacher's action was hailed by Nitish and he had invited him to Patna.

It is then that Rakesh Singh, a local JDU leader accompanied Singh to 1, Anne Marg and got an audience with the Bihar CM.

Rakesh not just got himself clicked with the Bihar CM but also took selfie with him which has now gone viral causing massive embarrassment for Nitish, who has been aggressively campaigning for success of prohibition. After the pictures of him and hooch accused went viral, Nitish speaking at an event in Patna on Tuesday defended himself asserting that he was not aware that Rakesh was a hooch accused. He said that once he came to know about this, he sacked him from his party.

"He took pictures when he came along with the teacher at my residence. I did not know neither the state president of JDU knew that he was a hooch accused. Now, he has been sacked from the party after we came to know about him", said Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar.

The opposition RJD, has slammed the Bihar CM for adopting a double policy on the issue of prohibition. Former deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav alleged that JDU was getting political funds from mafias involved in illicit liquor trade in Bihar.

--- ENDS ---
So I have a Samsung 27" LED monitor with one HDMI input and one VGA input. I connect my desktop computer(Windows 10) to the monitor with HDMI just fine, never any issues, but when I connect either my Dell work laptop(Win10) or HP private laptop(Win10) with HDMI to the monitor, the laptops will recognise the Samsung monitor just fine but "2 out of 3 times" connecting, the display will remain blank. Changing display mode doesn't help (Extend, duplicate etc.). Restarting/powering off and on the laptop or the monitor doesn't help. This issue does not happen when using VGA. I've tried using different HDMI cables but same result.

So far I've found that when it happens, connecting with VGA and then back to HDMI will bring the picture back. Recently connecting the HDMI back to the desktop and then back to the laptop got the picture showing again, though this hasn't always helped
Family members say their loved one is the person who police found dead inside a U-Haul storage unit in Lenexa. They are mourning the death of their sister, Jessica Monteiro Rey. Her husband, Justin Rey, is in custody after he was found sleeping inside one of the storage units with the couple's newborn baby and 2-year-old child.
BJP is all set to start their Nava Karnataka Parivartana Yatra on November 2, 2017, an event which will be attended by two lakh party workers from 17 districts.

By Nolan Pinto: The BJP is getting ready for their Nava Karnataka Parivartana Yatra that will begin on November 2 and will go on for nearly 75 days. Amit Shah, BJP national president is expected to arrive in Bengaluru to flag off the much awaited event. They are expecting around two lakh party workers from 17 districts to attend the event that will be held at the BIEC Grounds on Tumakuru road.

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According to senior party leaders, one lakh motorcycles ridden by BJP Yuva Morcha workers will take part in the yatra which will criss-cross the entire state touching all the 224 assembly segments.

"We want to meet our workers and also address the public in each constituency and highlight the problems that have not been addressed by CM Siddaramaiah in the last four and half year," said Shobha Karandlaje, MP.

She also told India Today that this is a historical chariot yatra in Karnataka and central ministers as well as CMs from BJP ruled states will take part.

Revised route of chariot yatra.

CONGRESS PUTS A SPOKE IN BJP'S CHARIOT

The chariot yatra will begin on November 2 and will finally end on January 28. The BJP has come up with a rally route map detailing the cities they will be stopping in and for how many days. They were expected to reach Somwarpet and Kushalnagar on November 8 as part of this yatra but have now been denied permission by the Kodagu district authorities.

Original route of chariot yatra. Original route of chariot yatra.

Apparently, citing law and order issues, the district authorities have instructed them to skip Kodagu district. "I hope they will give us permission if not they are anti-democratic and anti-yatra," Karandlaje said.

CONGRESS RESPONDS TO BJP'S YATRA

Senior Congress leader and MLC, VS Ugrappa taunted about the BJP's yatra saying, "If at all they want to bring some parivartana, they need to bring it among the party leadership and cadre and then only go to the public."

On permission being denied to hold the yatra in Kodagu district, he said, "The concerned authorities will give or reject permission taking into account the prevailing situation in the area."

He also cited the example of Praveen Togadia, International working president of the VHP who was in January 2016 prevented from entering Mangaluru police commissionerate limits. Ugrappa also added that, "Ultimately the BJP must know that it only recently that the President had made it clear that Tipu Sultan was a patriot who fought the British, a role model and the BJP should stop making this a communal issue and get their vote bank."

--- ENDS ---
A federal judge on Monday partially blocked President Trump's ban on transgender recruits to the military. In a 76-page opinion Monday, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia said parts of the president's ban are not supported by the evidence.
GIVE TKC SOME CANDY AND JOIN THE GRASSROOTS RESISTANCE AGAINST KANSAS CITY CORPORATE WELFARE TAXPAYER SCAM QUESTION #1!!!

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- Give it to a hottie and have fun using it as a prop in your consensual love making!!!





- Be creative and send us some (work safe) pix that we can feature on the blog!!!

There's one week until the election to demolish KCI and build some unseen nightmare that will massacre air travel in Kansas City.And so . . .Inspired by the. . . We took that design, made it a little bit better and now we're selling it to our blog community.Like it or not, the opposition to Question #1 is low budget and hasn't had much fun or luck in giving the finger to the Mayor, council, development creeps and every sleazy corporation in town. So we've taken this opportunity to rev up the local discourse via this bit of grassroots tech and a luxurious, convenient and. . .
The Government hails the fact that Cyprus is playing host to the 3rd International Funds Summit, Deputy Government Spokesman Victor Papadopoulos has commented, adding that Cyprus is now a good international player and an attractive destination for these funds.

"These are the investments we would like to bring to Cyprus to further support growth and create even more jobs," he noted in statements to the press at the Presidential Palace.

To this end, the Minister of Finance Harris Georgiades underlined yesterday that "we are doing everything possible to create both the institutional framework and the business environment which these investment funds should have, in order to invest in our country.

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

Source: cna.org.cy
Saudi Arabia has awarded a major contract worth SR985 million ($262.3 million) to Turkeys Mapa Construction and Trade Company for the development of the Arafat-Taif Water Transmission System project, said a report.



Work on the strategic project, which will consist of a 45-km pipeline from Arafat to Taif as well as pumping stations and 12.5-km tunnels, is set to be supervised by Saline Water Conversion Corporation (SWCC), according to the Arab News.



The pipeline will involve the construction of a 60-inch single line from PS2E near Arafat Tanks to Taif Strategic Reservoirs, said the report, citing a top official.



"This section includes pipe installation in the tunnel and installation of pipe supports/fixed points," remarked Cihan Yilmaz, the general manager of Mapa.



"The project also includes laying of a second buried 60-inch line in the area upstream and downstream of the west portal," he added.



He revealed that a housing compound and an administration area will be built near the SWCC Taif Terminal as part of the project.

The Arafat-Taif Water Transmission System comes as part of an ambitious plan to ensure an adequate water supply and management, said the report. The entire project will be completed within the next four years, it added.
Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (SGRE), a leading provider of wind power products and solutions to customers around the globe, said the company will supply 310 wind turbines of different types for five projects in the US.



With various output ratings and rotor diameters, the projects feature Siemens and Gamesa technology of the recently merged company, said a statement from the company.



A total of 92 units of the SWT-2.3-108, 144 units of the SWT-2.625-120 and 74 units of the G126-2.625 MW wind turbines will be installed across the various project sites, it said.



Together, these five onshore wind projects will have the potential to provide clean power to nearly 240,000 US homes, it added.



The nacelles and hubs for the SWT-2.3-108 and SWT-2.625-120 will be assembled at the SGRE factory in Hutchinson (Kansas) and the majority of the blades for the five projects will be manufactured at the companys blade facility in Fort Madison (Iowa), with the excess being sourced within the North America manufacturing network, said a statement.



The company has installed more than 9,000 wind turbines (over 17 GWs) in the US and has a strong footprint consisting of manufacturing, service and offices.



Ricardo Chocarro, CEO, onshore, SGRE, said: Im very pleased that our company was selected for these five major orders in the US. These orders demonstrate the confidence that our customers have in our combined product offerings.



With our strong product portfolio we are able to provide competitive products meeting our customers specific needs in North America, a market that is critical to the success of this company, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
Batelco Group, the international telecommunications group with operations across 14 countries, reported a consolidated net profit of BD25.2 million ($66.8 million) for the nine-month period ended September 30.

The profit was a 22 per cent decline compared to the corresponding period in 2016 and quarter-on-quarter decline of 43 per cent compared to Q2 2017 and 37 per cent compared to Q3 2016, a statement said.

The group has maintained stable revenues with increases over the previous quarter and over Q3 2016, it said.

For the nine-month period, the groups gross revenues were up by 2 per cent year-on-year to BD277.6 million ($736.3 million) supported by improved revenues in the Bahrain operation, Umniah in Jordan and Dhiraagu in the Maldives. Gross revenues also showed an improvement of 6 per cent over the previous quarter in 2017 and 7 per cent over Q3 2016.

EBITDA for the period was BD91.2 million ($241.9 million), a 13 per cent decline year over year, 14 per cent quarter-on-quarter decline over Q2 2017 and 20 per cent quarter-on-quarter decline over Q3 2016. The drop in EBITDA is mainly attributed to restructuring costs incurred in Q3 2017. However, the group continues to sustain a robust EBITDA margin of 33 per cent, it said.

The reduced net profits for the period are mainly impacted by the lower EBITDA due to restructuring and the share of loss from the groups investment in Sabafon, Yemen due to the ongoing political unrest, it said.

The groups balance sheet remains strong; as of September 30 net assets were valued at BD522.6 million ($1,386.2 million) with cash balances of BD151.1 million ($400.8 million). This includes the impact of the interim dividend (10 fils per share) announced and paid during the quarter. Earnings per share for the period stood at 15.2 fils.

Batelco chairman Shaikh Mohamed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa said Batelcos operations are evolving and transforming to meet the challenges of the communications industry and to cope with the competitive environments throughout the groups locations.

Shaikh Mohamed noted that the groups efforts are focussed on transforming operations to achieve a competitive edge and long-term operational excellence. The communications world is shifting due to a thirst for more content and digital transformation. Batelco continues with its efforts to be positioned as a leading digital solutions and services provider.

Batelco Group chief executive Ihab Hinnawi said that the group is pleased to report that gross revenues are up year-on-year, the first year to show top line improvement in several years, as a result of the companys investment in fibre and both fixed and mobile LTE.

We are also delighted that our focussed strategy supported by Batelco Board of Directors has helped us to grow market share in Bahrain, the Maldives and Jordan, he added.

The group CEO said Batelco recognises the onset of a new digital era and the continuous enhanced demands of its customers.

We are very pleased to announce that overall subscriber numbers are up 7 per cent year-over-year and 1 per cent since Q2 2017. At the end of the nine month period, 59 per cent of revenues and 56 per cent of EBITDA were attributable to operations outside of Bahrain. This is compared with 59 per cent of revenues and 55 per cent of EBITDA in the first nine months of 2016.  TradeArabia News Service
KBR, a leading construction group, said it has entered into an engineering agreement for the residue hydroprocessing unit at the Jordan Petroleum Refinery (JPRC) Expansion Project.



This award follows an earlier decision for KBR as selected licensor for its proprietary Veba Combi Cracking (VCC) technology, said a statement from the company.



As per the deal, KBR will provide the basic design package for the unit using its proprietary VCC slurry phase hydrocracking technology.



This unique technology is capable of processing a wide range of feedstocks and enables production of fuels that meet environmental specifications without further upgrading, it stated.



On the contract win, John Derbyshire, the president of KBR Technology and Consulting, said: "We are excited to implement our unique VCC technology and contribute to the success of this important and prestigious project."



KBR, he stated, is committed to the success of JPRC's fourth refinery expansion.



"With its recent implementation in Russia and China, VCC technology has emerged as the most successful slurry phase hydrocracking technology to reliably produce high quality finished products from heavy feeds," added Derbyshire.



JPRC's chief executive Abdel Karim Alawin said: "We selected VCC technology from among several alternative processes for the conversion of the bottom of the barrel in its forthcoming expansion project."



JPRC, he stated, was looking for a feasible process that yields clean products with minimum negative environmental impact.



"Thorough and careful evaluation led to the selection of VCC technology which we think will be the technology of choice for future residue conversion projects," Alawin said. "We certainly look forward to working with KBR to get this project on stream," he added.



According to him, the VCC technology will be implemented at JPRC's refinery in Jordan and will be the core of the refinery's expansion plans to increase production to 120,000 barrels per day.-TradeArabia News Service
ON THE MOVE: Blackrock Snags Citi Alum; Academy Lands Macro Head

Mega-money manager Blackrock snagged Rajesh Nagella, who left Citigroup in July. Nagella had been with Citi since 2008, where he held various roles including EMEA head of algorithmic products, head of algo products for the U.S. and head of its Americas execution platform.

If you have a new job or promotion to report, let me know at jdantona@marketsmedia.com

MUFG Investor Services, the global asset servicing arm of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, has hired Ben Griffiths as Managing Director, Global Head of Fund Financing. Griffiths will lead the fund financing team globally to service clients, including funds of hedge funds, private equity lines of subscription, and FX lines for feeder funds of hedge funds. Mr. Griffiths joins from Citco Financial Products (CFP), a subsidiary of Citco Group, where he was Managing Director and CEO, responsible for lending and FX solutions. He will be based in London and will report to John Sergides, Global Head of Sales and Marketing.

OCC announced that Kurt Eckert, Partner and Head of Market Structure at Wolverine Trading, Rachelle Keller, Chief Operating Officer for Prime, Futures and Securities Services at Citi, and Stephen Luparello, Managing Director and General Counsel for Citadel Securities, have joined the Board of Directors as Member Directors.

Luparello was appointed to fill a vacancy for a term ending in 2018 created by the departure of Jamil Nazarali. Eckert was appointed to fill a vacancy for a term ending in 2019 created by the departure of Ray DiSanza. Keller was appointed to fill a vacancy for a term ending in 2020 created by the departure of Eric Noll.

Academy Securities, a registered broker-dealer, certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE), and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), said it added Peter Tchir as Director, Head of Macro Strategy. Tchir served as Managing Director of Brean Capital for the last three years where he expanded services provided to clients and produced the T-Report from research and other focus pieces. Prior to this, he founded TF Market Advisors where he built an independent research, advisory, and consulting business into one that had several top hedge funds and money managers as clients.

NEX named Ken Pigaga as the new Chief Executive Officer of NEX Optimisation following Jenny Knotts decision to step down as the divisions CEO. She will remain with the company for a period to ensure an orderly handover. Pigaga will remain in his role as a Director on the NEX Board. He will hand over his Global COO responsibilities to Sam Wren, Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of NEX, who will assume the role of Global COO in addition to her role as Group CFO. Ken will continue to work alongside Sam on the NEX Transformation program, given the material contribution that NEX Optimisation will make to this program.

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The most popular travel brands receive distinguished accolades as testament to their excellent work over the past year



(TRAVPR.COM) SINGAPORE - October 31st, 2017 - The prestigious TripZilla Excellence Awards 2017 has named 37 remarkable travel companies and organisations for service excellence, outstanding business practices and for bringing innovative travel to consumers.

These distinguished accolades are presented to Travel Agencies, Cruises, Activities and Attractions, Hotels, and other Travel Services as testament to their achievements over the last year. The winners were chosen via an intensive voting process conducted on the TripZilla platform from 16 to 22 October.

Organised by TripZilla, an independent and leading online travel media in Southeast Asia that reaches more than 25 million travellers monthly, the Awards reflect the voices of travel consumers  the heart of the travel industry.

This year has seen the addition of new categories such as Best Family Resort,Best New Attraction, and Best Vacation Rental Website. First-time winners who made their way into the TripZilla Excellence Awards 2017 include Hotel YAN, Sentosa, Avis Car Rental, HomeAway and FWD. Several winners have also made notable wins by clinching the Awards for three years running, such as Jetabout Holidays (Best for Australia) and JTB Pte Ltd (Best for Japan).

As a leading B2C digital travel publication with the largest community of travellers in Southeast Asia, TripZilla would like to salute the best in the industry for their good work in the past year. We hope the timely sharing of the results will also help the many travellers who are planning their year end vacations make more informed choices, said Winnie Tan, CEO of TripZilla.

Please refer to Annex A for the full list of 2017 winners. To find out more about these winning companies, click here.

About TripZilla Excellence Awards 2017

The prestigious TripZilla Excellence Awards honour the industrys best travel companies and organisations for service excellence, outstanding business practices and for bringing innovative travel to consumers. This year, there were 37 hotly contested categories and the winners were decided via an intensive round of voting carried out on TripZillas platform.

As an independent and leading online travel media in Southeast Asia that reaches more than 25 million travellers every month, TripZilla represents the voice of Asian travellers and is in the best position to name the most-loved travel brands. Travel companies who receive this distinguished accolade are being endorsed as market leaders by one of the largest travel community and leading digital travel media company in Southeast Asia.

For more information, please visit https://www.tripzilla.com/excellence-awards/2017.

About TripZilla

TripZilla is a leading online travel media in Southeast Asia that reaches more than 25 million travellers every month. TripZilla creates authentic content that inspires the world to travel and connects travellers to sources that can materialise their travel goals.

For more information, please visit http://www.tripzilla.com.

ANNEX A



1. Travel Agencies
Citymax Hotels was declared winner of the coveted Middle Easts Leading Budget Hotel Brand 2017 award for the 4th consecutive year at the World Travel Awards held in Dubai.



(TRAVPR.COM) UAE - October 31st, 2017 -

Russel Sharpe, COO, Citymax Hotels, said, The World Travel Awards is the most prestigious travel and tourism recognition and we are truly honoured to have been voted Middle Easts Leading Budget Hotel Brand by both industry professionals as well as travellers. This accolade is testament to the incredible hard work and dedication that our associates put into providing a memorable experience to our guests. It also recognizes the commitment to excellence which Citymax Hotels has consistently demonstrated both in terms of service and facilities together with value for money. On behalf of our entire team I would like to thank everyone for this wonderful trophy.

The World Travel Awards, now in the 24th year, serve to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry.

Elaborating on the brands unique differentiators, Russel stressed, As a brand, at Citymax Hotels we understand that whether travelling for business or leisure, our target guests desire a hotel experience that allows them to make the most of their budget and time. We are focused on offering an experience rather than a place to stay, with stories to share in person and online. We are a mid-market lifestyle brand with a vibrant and more contemporary approach to hospitality providing an elevated level of comfort, convenience and efficiency in a fun and friendly environment. Being equipped with a superb range of dining and recreational venues and located in carefully selected areas close to key business and leisure hubs, our hotels are an excellent choice for travellers.

###
According to RTI replies received by Mumbai activist Anil Galgali, only in the past one quarter, the Western Railway's staggering losses on this sector is nearly Rs 30 crore, or around Rs. 10 crore per month.

By Indo-Asian News Service: As the Narendra Modi government proceeds with the grandiose plans for a Bullet Train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, a RTI query has revealed that over 40 percent of seats on all the trains on this sector go vacant causing huge losses to Western Railway.

According to RTI replies received by Mumbai activist Anil Galgali, only in the past one quarter, the Western Railway's staggering losses on this sector is nearly Rs 30 crore, or around Rs. 10 crore per month.

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"The Indian government is over-enthusiastic and plans to spend more than Rs 1 lakh crore on the Bullet Train project, but it has not done its homework properly," Galgali said, adding it raises serious question marks on the viability of the Bullet Train project, whenever it comes up.

The Indian Railways have also admitted that they have no plans to introduce any new trains on this sector which is already in the red.

Replying to Galgali's query on seats occupancy on all the trains between the two cities, the WR revealed that in the past three months, 40 percent all seats went vacant on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad sector and 44 percent empty on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai route.

WR's Chief Commercial Manager Manjeet Singh said that between July 1-September 30, there are 32 mail/express serving this sector with a total seating capacity of 735,630 seats on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad sector.

Of these, only 441,795 seats were booked during that period generating a revenue of Rs 30,16,24,623 against the total estimated expected income of Rs 44,29,08,220 - incurring a huge loss of Rs 14,12,83,597 in the past quarter.

Similarly, on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai route served by a total of 31 mail/express trains with a seating capacity of 706,446, only 398,002 seats were booked, resulting in a revenue of Rs 26,74,56,982 against the estimated expected income of Rs 42,53,11,471, spelling a massive loss of Rs 15,78,54,489.

The WR provided the data of all the major trains plying on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad-Mumbai route like the Durantos, Shatabdi Expresses, Lokshakti Express, Gujarat Mail, Bhavnagar Express, Saurashtra Express, Vivek-Bhuj Express and others.

NO FRESH PROPOSAL TO INTRODUCE NEW TRAINS

Faced with the vacancies on existing trains, the WR Divisional Engineer, Ahmedabad informed that there is no fresh proposal to introduce any new trains on this sector.

In fact, Galgali said that the most popular train, 12009 Shatabdi Express with a capacity of 72,696 seats sold only 36,117 during the July-September period on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route and in the return direction of the total 67,392 seats, only 22,982 were sold.

This train, which once always ran packed in all seasons both ways has now proved to be a loss-maker, and the executive chair car with 7,505 seats was practically deserted with just 1,469 seats booked, plummeting revenues from the estimated Rs 1,45,49,714 to a paltry Rs 26,41,083 during the last quarter.

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The position in all other trains was similar and though there is a higher demand for sleeper class compared to seats, the WR has not done enough to augment its capacity.

Galgali pointed out that given this current alarming scenario, coupled with growing preference for flights and improved road travel, the Central and Gujarat governments must review the expensive option of the Bullet Train before it becomes a white elephant for the Indian taxpayers.

VIDEO | Are bullet trains capable of transforming the economy or merely a Tughlaq-like dream?

--- ENDS ---
People in Chennai and neighbouring districts such as Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur had to wade through knee-deep water to reach their destination.

By Akshaya Nath: The Northeast monsoon, which arrived in Tamil Nadu on Monday, brought life to a standstill in Chennai and other neighbouring districts over the next 24 hours.

Low-lying areas in Chennai were the worst hit as water entered many houses. People in Chennai and neighbouring districts such as Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur had to wade through knee-deep water to reach their destination.

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According to the meteorological department (MET), 21 places in Tamil Nadu received heavy rainfall in the last 24 hours and 16 places recorded very heavy rains. Sirkazhi, a town in Nagapattinam district, recorded maximum rainfall at 31 cm. Meenambakkam, a district neighbouring Chennai, received 17 cm rain between 8.30 pm Monday and 5.30 am Tuesday.

The MET has forecast heavy rainfall in few places in north coastal region and very heavy rainfall in south coastal region over the next 24 hours. The MET department has warned of heavy rains in the next few days. S Balachandran, Director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, said that the Northeast monsoon is vigorous in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Water being pumped out from flooded streets in Chennai. Photo: ANI.

FLOODED STREETS, FURIOUS RESIDENTS

The 24-hour rainfall was enough to bring low-lying areas in Chennai like Madipakkam, Velachery, Mudichur and Sunnambu Kolathur to their knees. Residents complained that government has failed to learn the lessons from the 2015 floods.

Residents of Sunnambu Kolathur staged a protest against civic authorities as water entered their homes and flooded streets. Shivraj, a resident said, "We have been regularly complaining to the authorities about lack of storm water drains and to ensure the area doesn't get flooded. The monsoon has just set in, and see our condition. What if it rains harder in the days to come." Another resident, Nawaz said, "Government doesn't care about us, only when elections come do they remember us."

Flooded streets in Anna Nagar West area of Chennai. Photo: ANI.

PROBLEM ALMOST SOLVED, SAYS GOVERNMENT

The government, however, maintained that it has done its best. Tamil Nadu minister D Jayakumar, after a review meeting with various officials and ministers, said: "We have taken all the measures which were taken by our Amma. That is enough for today. Ninety-eight per cent of the problem is settled, may be in one or two places the condition is like what you have indicated. We have the capacity (to solve the problem) similar to foreign countries. Whatever the problem is, our officials will settle it. You can come with us one day, we can show that 95 per cent work is over".

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Jayakumar's son Jayavaradhan, South Chennai MP, was surrounded by angry residents when he went to inspect monsoon-affected areas in the city. The MP claimed there was less water-logging this year compared to previous year which infuriated residents of affected areas who in turn complained about the terrible condition of roads following the rains. "For the last three months, the government has been working towards avoiding floods during monsoon," Jayavaradhan said while trying to pacify angry residents.

WATCH: A flooded Rama Temple in Madipakkam

#Madipakkam Lord Ramas temple has knee deep water in the last nights rain. pic.twitter.com/ZskrBWNr4a- Akshaya Nath (@Akshayanath) October 31, 2017

HORRORS OF 2015 RETURN, SAYS OPPOSITION

Opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has hit out at the ruling AIADMK government for lack of monsoon preparedness. DMK spokesperson Manu Sundaram told India Today, "Each week, the state government seems to be facing a new crisis. After just 12 hours of rains, Chennai city has brought back unhappy memories of 2015 floods. The government is ill-prepared and ill-equipped to handle another monsoon. Chennai and its residents may once again have to rise up to save each other."

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Chennai civic authorities claimed they have been pumping out water regularly and storm water drains were built in several low-lying areas. Officials said helplines and emergency relief centres have been set up. The Chennai corporation's helpline numbers are: 1913, 25367823, 25384965, 25383694, 25619206.

(With inputs from Priyamvatha P.)

ALSO WATCH: Mumbai rains: Second deluge in two months wreaks havoc in Maximum City

--- ENDS ---
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 31

A large number of people today took Rashtriya Ekta Pledge at Attari to mark the 142nd birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. The day was celebrated as National Unity Day (Rashtriya Ekta Diwas) by various organisations in the city.

The Amritsar-based unit of the Directorate of Field Publicity of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in coordination with the Border Security Force organised a special programme at the Attari-Wagah Joint Checkpost before the retreat ceremony.

Field Publicity Officer Rajesh Bali addressed the gathering and administered a pledge of preserving the unity, integrity and security of the nation.

SSP (Rural) Parampal Singh and MC Commissioner Amit Kumar administered an oath of maintaining national integration and unity. They also flagged off a run for unity from the Guru Nanak stadium. After passing through various areas of the city, it concluded at the stadium.

To mark the occasion, a special programme was also organised at Jallianwala Bagh yesterday, in which visitors took a pledge of the unity of the country. A cultural performance was also given by artistes of the song and drama division of the ministry.

A drawing competition and quiz on Rashtriya Ekta Diwas was also organised at Government Senior Secondary School, Khasa Bazar, today. The winners were awarded on the occasion.

Guru Nanak Dev University celebrated Rashtriya Ekta Diwas today to spread the message of unity. A large number of teachers, students and employees participated in a pledge ceremony organised separately in all teaching and non-teaching departments of the university.

Prof Kamaljit Singh, Dean Academic Affairs, administered an oath of the unity, integrity and security of the nation.

The day was observed at the women centre of Mission Aagaaz. On the occasion, tributes were also paid to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
By PTI: By K J M Varma

Beijing, Oct 31 (PTI) Chinas top legislature is considering tougher penalties for those who disrespect the national anthem with up to three-year jail term instead of the current 15-day detention, official media said today.

In September,

Chinas rubber stamp parliament passed a national anthem law stipulating 15 day detention for anyone disrespecting the countrys national anthem - "March of the Volunteers".

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A draft amendment was submitted for the lawmakers deliberation at the bi-monthly session of the National Peoples Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, which started yesterday.

Violators in this regard may face punishments of up to three years of imprisonment, according to the draft, Xinhua news agency reported.

The anthem will only be allowed at formal political gatherings, including the opening and closing of NPC sessions, constitutional oath ceremonies, flag raising ceremonies, major celebrations, award ceremonies, commemorations, national Memorial Day events, important diplomatic occasions, major sport events and other suitable occasions.

It will be illegal to use the national anthem during funerals, "inappropriate" private occasions, commercials or as background music in public places, the draft said.

The previous law says that violators, including those who maliciously modify the lyrics or play/sing the national anthem in a distorted or disrespectful way, can be detained for up to 15 days or held criminally liable.

The song must be included in textbooks for primary and secondary school students and people are encouraged to sing the national anthem on appropriate occasions to express patriotism.

China has already adopted laws covering its national flag in 1990 and national emblem in 1991.

"The national anthem is different from other songs, it is the symbol of our country," said well-known music composer Jin Fuzai. "The law ensures people will be more serious when playing or singing the song."

Earlier reports said the national anthem should not be used in brand logos or advertisements, performed at funerals and other improper events or played as background music at public places, it said. Students in primary and middle school might have to learn the national anthem as the draft proposes to include the anthem into their texts books.

Chinas national anthem is "March of the Volunteers," with lyrics by poet Tian Han and music composed by Nie Er. PTI KJV AMS AKJ AMS

--- ENDS ---
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 31

Two men have been found guilty for having raped their 10-year-old niece in Chandigarh on Tuesday.

The men have been held guilty of rape under Section 376 (2) (f) (i) (n) (raping a person under 12) of the Indian Penal Code as well as the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POSCO), and will be sentenced on Thursday.

The victim, who had a baby in August after Supreme Court denied her permission to abort the child because of advanced pregnancy, told police that the older of the two men raped her between Christmas of 2016 and April 2017, and the other man  the person who impregnated her  raped her later, although her delivery in August cast doubts on the victims stated timeline.

The second uncle was arrested in October after the infants DNA matched his.

The case made national headlines when a local court, and later the Supreme Court, denied the child permission to have the baby aborted because of the danger her advanced pregnancy posed to both the victim and the baby.

The child was 32-weeks pregnant when she approached the Supreme Court.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 30

The Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO) today celebrated its foundation day with a lecture on 'Indian Planetary Exploration Programme' by Dr Anil Bhardwaj, Director, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad.

He gave an overview of the country's current and proposed space exploratory programmes and discussed various success stories in this arena as well as listed out the challenges being faced by space scientists. He also highlighted research avenues that can be explored in the field of space sciences.

Dr Bhardwaj has been closely associated with Chandrayaan-I and Mars Orbiter Mission missions. He is currently involved in developing payloads for the Chandrayaan-II mission and the Aditya-L1 to probe the Sun.

Prof RK Sinha, Director, CSIO, highlighted the aims and goals of the CSIO and its contribution in the field of science and technology. He also spoke about the on-going projects and future plans of the organisation.

As a part of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research's (CSIR) platinum jubilee celebrations, the CSIO has also organised a three-day science exhibition covering the technological achievements of the CSIR in various fields. The exhibition was inaugurated by Dr Bhardwaj. The exhibition is open for students as well as the general public.

r
Chandigarh, October 31

The Engineering Department of the Chandigarh Administration has started restoration work on the Secretariat buildings in the Capitol Complex. The work to restore the buildings to their original look has been started after the Capitol Complex was declared a world heritage site by Unesco.

Mukesh Anand, Special Secretary, Engineering Department, Chandigarh, said it was a commendable decision of the Punjab Government to allow them to remove encroachments and glazing from the buildings. Anand said Abha Narian Lambah, UT heritage consultant, had prepared the blueprint for the restoration plan of all buildings in the Capitol Complex to give them the original look as designed by world famous architect Le Corbusier.

He said they had also requested the Haryana Government to help the Administration in removing violations pointed out by the consultant.

The consultant had prepared a condition assessment report on the ground realities of the buildings in which she found large-scale variations from the original plan. The consultant found loose wires and AC ducts, temporary structures, porch and large-scale violations.  TNS
Hasan Suroor

Hasan Suroor

HOW ironic. A country which worked pro-actively to crush the short-lived Arab Spring in neighbouring countries is now seen as being on the cusp of a spring of its own. And one engineered by the regime itself. Saudi Arabias new effective ruler, the 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is working overtime to persuade the world that under his guidance the country is ready to turn a new leaf, evoking the visions of an open, forward-looking, tolerant nation abandoning Wahhabism and embracing moderate Islam.

We are returning to what we were before  a country of moderate Islam that is open to all religions and to the world, he declared at an investors summit, dubbed the Davos of the Desert, in Riyadh last week, prompting a Pakistani journalist to quote Sahir Ludhianvis famous line, Sab kuch luta ke hosh mein aaye to kya kiya.

The statement came on the back of a series of heavily hyped reforms over recent months, especially relating to womens rights  once a no-go zone in whats arguably the worlds most conservative and status-quoist Islamic nation. So, Saudi women can now vote in municipal elections and run for office, though the concession comes with some absurd riders, one being that they cannot speak to male voters. Then theres a move to allow women to give fatwa, a right they once enjoyed but was taken away from them. Again, its not as bold as it has been made out to be. For, these women will be trained and mentored by conservative male clerics who, its feared, will make sure that by the time they are fatwa-ready they have been sufficiently brainwashed to sound pretty much like their mentors voice.

Now to the mother of all reforms the one which is being talked about all over the world and is seen as a real breakthrough in Saudi Arabias culture wars  namely, its decision to lift the ban on women drivers. The move unleashed the sort of excitement normally reserved for truly seminal moments. World leaders  from Donald Trump and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to Theresa May and Angela Merkel  lined up to cheer the decision. Some breathless Western commentators have even likened it to racial desegregation in America, and Britains suffragette movement that won women the right to vote. For the Saudis, more used to negative headlines, it must feel like being in jannat and, no doubt, they are loving it. Nothing matters to them more than Western, particularly American, endorsement, and now they are getting it in spades. Its celebration time in Riyadh.

So, lets see what the euphoria is about starting with unbanning women drivers?

All that has happened is that a ban that should not have been there in the first place is to be lifted if done in accordance with Shariah law. Note the small print in the decree agreed upon by the kingdoms top clerical body: The government could allow women to drive if done in accordance with the Shariah law. This seems to have gone unnoticed in all the breathless coverage. The idea of Sharia-compliant driving laws in the 21st century beggars belief. Sharia has nothing to say on whether women can or cannot drive. Its being invoked with the sole purpose of appeasing the mullahs and offer them a pretext to dilute the move.

Dont hold your breath if the final order comes with so many Sharia-loaded riders that it might not amount to more than a cosmetic change leaving women wondering if its really worth it. There are legitimate fears that the countrys deeply-entrenched conservatives will invoke Sharia to make sure that women dont get a free ride. They have already started a campaign calling on the virtuous ones to protect the kingdom from un-Islamic influences. Indeed, Saudi Arabias ambassador to America Prince Khaled bin Salman, who is a son of the current king and a brother of the crown prince, left the door wide open for a compromise with the influential conservative lobby saying that social issues might come in the way.

The truth is that these so-called reforms have little to do with a genuine desire to open up society or advance womens rights. Its more smoke-and-mirrors  a bid by the countrys young modernising crown prince to soften his countrys image abroad amid mounting criticism of its human rights record, particularly its treatment of women. The US State Departments latest human rights report presents a long catalogue of rights abuses in Saudi Arabia, pointing out that its citizens lack basic freedoms such as freedom of expression, including on the Internet, and the freedoms of assembly, association, movement, and religion. All this compounded by pervasive gender discrimination and lack of equal rights that affect most aspects of womens lives.

Its against this backdrop of growing international pressure that the flurry of bold moves coming out of Riyadh must be seen.

They are designed to build on the crown princes carefully cultivated image of a moderniser and reformer. And to assure Western patrons that MBS, as the prince is known, is delivering on his promise to liberalise Saudi society. His promise to usher in moderate Islam is clearly aimed at wooing foreign investors at a time when the Saudi economy is in serious trouble amid falling oil prices. The IMF has warned of stagnant growth this year unless there is an unexpected dramatic turnaround in energy prices.

Ironically, even as he is trying to present himself as a liberal reformer, MBS has launched a brutal crackdown against his governments critics accusing them of conspiring against the countrys national interests. As Jamal Khashoggi, a leading Saudi commentator, wrote in The New York Times, dozens of Saudis  writers, political opponents, rights activists  have been arrested in recent days for failing to offer unconditional support to the government.

Having said that, though, its also true that a country which once seemed bullishly impervious to change is showing signs of making an effort to come out of its self-induced coma. The young prince is street smart enough to realise that it cannot remain business as usual for too long because of a combination of growing domestic and international pressures. The country is facing an existential crisis and no change is not an option. But given the deep roots of the royal familys self-serving historical compact with the mullahs, it will be a hard slog to bring about real change. Meanwhile, what we are seeing is a slick PR exercise to keep the West in good humour. As for a Saudi Spring, Dilli door ast.

The writer is a London-based commentator
CP Bhambhri

CP Bhambhri

MANY movements for Other Backward Classes/Castes are at work in India - in Rajasthan, Haryana, Maharashtra and Gujarat. The demand of reservationists is that such backward castes as Gujjars, Jats, Marathas and Patidars should have a percentage-based quota of representation in public services and educational institutions in the same way it is in the case of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward classes and castes.

These recent movements for extending the quota of reservation for especially 'backward castes' have taken place in BJP-ruled states of North and North-West India and the party which claims to represent the Hindu society is finding it quite problematic to respond to the demand.

The larger question is that in an atmosphere of caste versus caste politics, conceding the demand of one caste would make another caste join the opposition camp.

Many options have been discussed that 'dominant' backward castes which are really beneficiary of the existing reservations for the OBC may be further divided into extreme backward caste or economically backward castes (EBCs) and 'quota within quota' may be created between the dominant OBCs and a percentage should be reserved for EBCs. It has not worked.

The purpose of the above narrative is that the ghost of 'caste-based' reservations has haunted the Congress. And, now the BJP, which has a copyright over monolith unitarian Hinduism, is caught very badly because Hinduism of the BJP variety is not a 'monolith' and this myth has been exploded by OBCs in different states of India.

Why caste-based quota is sought

An analytical question which needs to be addressed is why different caste groups emerge on the scene and ask for caste-based reservation in public institutions. The Constitution makers, who were the product of a powerful anti-colonial independence movement, had thought it necessary to provide 'reservations' for real Dalits or untouchables among the Hindu caste hierarchical society because that reform of social order was high on the agenda of nationalist leaders. Reservations for untouchables was based on 'moral considerations' by Gandhi and his other comrades-in-arm during the freedom movement. The votaries of other backward caste reservations cannot occupy the 'high moral ground' while demanding reservations for intermediate backward peasant castes.

An explanation for the recurring and unending demand for reservations for real 'untouchable Dalits' is this: these 'intermediate backward peasant castes', which have been beneficiaries of 'land reforms and agrarian restructuring of society', have acquired political power and either they have their own caste-based parties or they are quite influential in all-India national parties. All important regional parties such as the Akali Dal, Lok Dal, the Janata parties or Samajwadi Party, etc are controlled by dominant intermediate backward castes like Yadavas, Jats, Marathas et al.

However, political power minus representation in bureaucracy or police or judiciary renders these 'castes' only partially empowered. Hence, the demand for reservation in public institutions, public services and educational institutions on the basis of which they will be able to control the 'levers of power' and the 'structure of government'. These castes want full control over the government machinery. And, they cannot achieve this in the face of 'open competition'. Hence, 'reservation' is the only way to enter the corridors of power. The OBCs do not suffer from any caste-based 'discriminations' in society because it is only the 'real Dalit, untouchables' who are victims of discrimination, atrocities and oppression. The intermediate backward castes want 'reservations' to capture the real levers of government power and institutions for governance. The 'intermediate BC' do not have any social or moral claim for reservations. Are the Jat castes in western Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab 'victims' of any social disability? Are the Yadavas of Uttar Pradesh or Bihar kept out of places of religious worship like the Dalits and untouchables?

Impact of Modi govts stand

The Narendra Modi government, in spite of Opposition parties' protests, brought a Constitution (123rd Amendment) Bill, 2017 to provide consititutional status to the National Commission on Backward Classes on a par with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and this government action has made Backward Classes/ Castes a distinct social category for identifying sub-caste backwards to be included in the list for reservations.

An implication of the approach of Central and state governments has been that various caste and sub-caste groups have been competing for inclusion in the list for reservations in public institutions. Caste-based reservation policies followed by the Central and state governments have strengthened the institutions of caste in our society and caste versus caste and sub-caste versus sub-caste assertions of identity have taken deep roots in the country.

How can India become a casteless society when the government itself distributes public offices on the basis of caste identities? Castes and sub-castes have been competing to get caste-based reservation and such a competition has not only solidified caste-based identity, it has also made society casteist and fragmented among multiple castes.

Only untouchables deserve quota

Hence, it is not surprising that India has been witnessing the phenomenon of caste-based movements for reservations at regular intervals in one state or the other. If India has to get rid of the evils of casteism, the caste-based reservation policies should be discontinued and only untouchable Dalit castes should be given special concessions because high caste and backward caste Hindus are still oppressing the real Dalits. Hence, except giving special rights to untouchables, all other citizens, irrespective of religion, caste or creed, should compete for public services as citizens of India. India cannot get rid of the evil of caste and casteism if the governments continue to 'patronise' caste and sub-caste groups and distribute public offices on the basis of quota.

The writer is Professor Emeritus, Centre for Political Studies, JNU
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 30

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) today began a demolition drive in West Delhi's Kathputli Colony. It led to a clash between the police force and residents who opposed the demolition. A few activists sustained injuries during the clashes.

CPI leader Annie Raja was injured during the agitation, following which she was taken to the RML Hospital. However, the police and the DDA denied using any force against the protesters.

Sanjeev, an activist with the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), alleged that police personnel and DDA officials did not allow people to even take out their belongings before bulldozing their houses.

The resistance stems from apprehension in people's minds regarding DDA's assurance that the private builder with which it has entered into an agreement will build multi-storeyed buildings in the same spot within two years, he claimed.

"The Delhi High Court in 2014 had stated that the DDA cannot forcibly evict people from their homes. People also do not want to shift to the transit camp in Anand Parbat as the facilities are below par," Sanjeev said.

Annie Raja's husband and CPI leader D Raja alleged that she was "punched, beaten and dragged by the police.

Sneha Lata, a member of the Delhi Solidarity Group claimed that Annie Raja was found lying near a dustbin.

DDA Principal Commissioner J P Aggarwal said that the demolition began around 11 am, for which the latest notice was served to them five days ago. The DDA has made arrangements under which no resident will be rendered homeless, he said.

"Around 1,400 out of 2,800 families have already moved to the transit camp. The last drive took place between last December and May this year. The latest drive seeks to send the rest 1,400 to the camp and another 492 families to Narela," Aggarwal said.

Aggarwal said over 500 slums were demolished today.

A senior police official claimed, "There was no lathi-charge by the police. Instead the mob, instigated by some people, attacked the police and started pelting personnel with stones in which two to three of our personnel suffered injuries.

"A cylinder explosion took place during the drive, but no one was injured. No one has been detained. Neither has any case been registered so far," the official said.

DDA asked to expedite verification of claims

Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri today asked the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to expedite verification of the claims of 771 applicants, rejected earlier for a house under redevelopment of Katputli Colony.

Puri also spoke to Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Anil Baijal in this regard.

A statement issued by the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry said that on October 25, the DDA had requested the residents of Katputli Colony to vacate the colony and accordingly arranged vehicles and other support. The DDA teams today went to the colony to pursue those still staying there to move out. Some vested interests have tried to create trouble and resorted to stone pelting.

When this matter was brought to the notice of the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, he called the Vice-Chairman of DDA and discussed the matter in detail and gave direction to expedite verification of claims of the applicants.

Under the Katputli Colony redevelopment, taken up in 2009, 2,800 EWS houses were to be built for the identified eligible residents. To enable this redevelopment, the private developer has built transit accommodation for them at Anand Parbat.
THE killing of Vipin Sharma, district president of the Hindu Sangharsh Sena, in Amritsar marks the fifth murder of the leader of a Hindu organisation in the past two years. Police investigation should shed some light on the unfortunate event. However, till now, the police has been unable to identify the killers of several Hindu and non-Hindu religious leaders. This is in spite of the involvement of the CBI and even the National Investigation Agency, which was entrusted with the investigation of the killing of RSS leader Ravinder Gosain. With many victims being activists of the same religion, albeit different organisations, there is sufficient reason to suspect that the disturbing pattern is aimed at instigating communal trouble in the state. In other murders, the killers had their faces covered. In the latest incident, the turbaned face of one is visible. What exactly this means remains to be seen.

The number of heinous crimes in Punjab has been a cause of concern. High-profile murders have been in the spotlight, but overall, the way of the gun has gained currency, with criminals escaping too many times. Targeted murders, like the recent ones aimed at activists of a particular community, need to be solved quickly. Only facts can help lay ugly speculations to rest.

Political leaders would do well to remember that this is not a new development; the problem has been there since the time of the previous government. Trying to make political capital from this tragedy would be extremely short-sighted. On its part, the government must entrust the case to a team that can produce results, which the police has conspicuously failed to do so far. It must use its intelligence wings to ensure that no vested interests, indigenous or foreign, are given any chance to vitiate the peace in the state once again. This peace has come at a pretty steep price; it cannot be allowed to be jeopardised by petty politicians and their petty games.
IN yet another front-page news item on Tuesday, the country was informed about the governments supposedly unrelenting drive to make defence equipment in India. We may revel over the dedication of the Kalams and the Natarajans to their craft, but the hard reality is that India remains bracketed with Saudi Arabia as the worlds leading importer of military hardware. Exhaustive reports by successive parliamentary committees have laid bare the cupboard of Indian R&D in military. Hence, the drive to somehow inveigle foreign defence manufacturers into setting up shop in India. The latest government initiative to promote domestic manufacturing of military hardware is to make the licences valid for lifetime and scrapping the system of renewal.

This latest tweaking of rules is not a good advertisement for the governments avowed intention of making the country a hub for defence manufacturing. A government with very little distractions that come from having a comfortable majority in the Lok Sabha should not be engaged in breaking down inter-ministerial silos in its third year in office. The same is the fate with making big ticket items like fighter planes, tanks and warships in the private sector. The musical chairs with the Defence Ministers office contributed to delays in choosing companies that will partner global defence giants to make their equipment in India. But for a couple of exceptions, the chosen Indian partner is a novice in the complex field of defence manufacturing and may not encourage the foreign partner to test the waters for fear of being scalded.

Inexplicably, the Modi government has dragged its feet on an overhaul of the existing public sector-heavy defence manufacturing industry. A company like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited should have been hived off into specialised units  helicopters, fighters, transporters, drones etc  and privatised. A foreign partner would have felt more comfortable joining hands with companies that have domain knowledge about defence manufacturing. The only success on the horizon is for making Russian helicopters in India. For the real high-end items, the governments game plan of roping in friendly corporates with no past record of high-tech manufacturing will not yield quick results.
Tribune News Service

Karnal, October 31

Dr S. Narayanan, Member Secretary, Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), has said the board has been working to tackle violations of the ban on stubble burning in the state. It has engaged the Haryana Space Applications Centre (HARSAC) with the collaboration of ISRO to monitor stubble burning. Karnal and Patiala districts are being developed as model districts to tackle stubble burning. Reports are being collected from each district and different departments, including agriculture, revenue and panchayati raj, are also helping in it, he said.

Naryanan was at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) here today to chair a panel discussion on stubble burning: options to address it organised under national innovations in a climate resilient agriculture project. Eminent scientists, policymakers and farmers from various parts of the state participated in it.

Dr Narayanan, while talking to this correspondent, said the number of stubble burning cases was high in Karnal district last year and the situation is almost the same this year as well.

Following the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Karnal and Patiala districts are being developed as model districts for implementing the ban on stubble burning, he said.

He added this year the cases of stubble burning have reduced. As of now, around 900 cases of stubble burning had been reported in Haryana, while last year the number was almost double. Out of 900 cases, almost one third were from Karnal.

He admitted that there was a gap between the demand and supply of stubble management equipment. He said the Agriculture Department was providing subsidy to farmers for procuring stubble management equipment.

Dr RRB Singh, Director of the NDRI, said stubble burning has emerged as an important issue as it was contributing to air pollution and affecting soil health.

Dr Samar Singh, Professor and Head, Regional Research Station (CCSHAU), Uchani, Karnal, said for every 1 kg of harvested rice, about 1.5 kg of crop residue is produced. By burning the crop residue, farmers deplete 89 per cent of nitrogen, 5.5 per cent of phosphorus, 19.9 per cent of potassium and 20.5 per cent of sulfur in soil.

He added burning of crop residue also contributed to greenhouse gases while burning of rice stubble released 70 per cent of carbon dioxide, 7 per cent of carbon monoxide, 0.66 per cent of methane and 2.1 per cent of nitrous oxide into atmosphere.
Tribune Reporters

Karnal, October 31

Members of the Mahila Congress protested here today in support of their demand for 33 per cent reservation for women.

Kamal Mann, senior vice-president of the state Mahila Congress, led the protest and handed over a memorandum to SDM Narender Pal Malik at the Mini-Secretariat.

She said the NDA government led by Narendra Modi should pass a Bill in both the houses for 33 per cent reservation for women.

She was accompanied by district convener Amardeep Kaur, district president Santosh Tejan, Santosh Karalia and Sushma Nagpal.

Mann said that the UPA had passed a Bill on women reservation in Rajya Sabha and the NDA had not done anything despite being in power for three years.

Sonepat: Members of the All India Mahila Congress led by its state general secretary Premvati Bhanwala handed over a memorandum addressed to the President and the Prime Minister to City Magistrate Sweta Suhag on Tuesday, seeking 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and Assemblies.

The memorandum stated that women had proven their capability after the 73rd and 74th Amendments. It mentioned that the Women Reservation Bill was presented in Parliament in March 2010 and was passed with a majority in Rajya Sabha, but lapsed with the dissolution of 15th Lok Sabha.

Later, talking to mediapersons, Bhanwala pointed out that the BJP had promised 33 per cent reservation to women in Parliament and state Assemblies during the 2014 parliamentary elections, but no step had been taken in the past three years in this regard.

In the partys nationwide signature campaign started on May 21, over 32 lakh men and women have signed in support of the partys demand, she said.
Chinese authorities have denied reports of China planning to build a 1,000 km long tunnel to divert Brahmaputra water, claiming that China will continue to attach importance to cooperation on transborder water resources.

By Ananth Krishnan: China on Tuesday denied a media report claiming that Chinese engineers had put forward a plan to build a 1,000 km tunnel to divert the Brahmaputra's waters to Xinjiang, saying it was "a false report".

The report, in Monday's South China Morning Post, claimed that Chinese engineers had in March submitted a plan for what would be the world's longest tunnel to carry 10-15 billion tons of water from the Brahmaputra in Tibet to arid Xinjiang. It said the plan was not yet approved amid concerns on the impact and on costs, estimated at 1 trillion Yuan or five times the cost of the Three Gorges Dam.

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China's government on Tuesday denied the report, saying it was incorrect and that there was no such plan.

"This is a false report," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a briefing.

The plan would have ramifications for India and Bangladesh that lie downstream on the Brahmaputra. The SCMP report said the proposal entailed diverting water from the Yarlung Tsangpo, as the river is called in Tibet, at Sangri county which lies southeast of Lhasa, northwards to Xinjiang.

Hua said the report was untrue, and added that Beijing would take into account the interests of downstream countries.

"China will continue to attach great importance for cooperation on transborder water resources," Hua said.

China's dams in Xinjiang and in Yunnan have caused concern in neighbouring countries, from Kazakhstan to Laos and Thailand.

While its dams on the Brahmaputra are at an early stage, India and China have established a working group mechanism on cross-border resources, but this has had a limited mandate so far. In 2013, both sides agreed to allow Indian hydrological experts to travel to Tibet to monitor flows of the Brahmaputra. China also agreed that year to provide hydrological data during the flood season from May until October every year.

That cooperation worked from 2014 to 2016, but data wasn't submitted this year. Chinese officials said it was because of upgrading monitoring stations.

China has so far built one 510 MW dam at Zangmu on the river's upper reaches, and has begun work on three more dams on the river. Beijing says these are run of the river dams for hydro power generation and won't store large volumes of water, but some experts have said it could alter the river's ecosystem.

The Brahmaputra isn't entirely dependent on flows from China, with a large catchment area in Arunachal Pradesh in India. India has commissioned a study to ascertain the percentage of flows dependent on China, with varying estimates from experts.

The SCMP report said that another August project to build a 600 km water tunnel in Yunnan had already begun, and was being seen as a "demonstration project" for the Tibet tunnel. "In five to 10 years from now, the technology will be ready and the cost affordable, and the temptation of the benefits will be difficult to resist," Zhang Chuanqing, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics in Wuhan who is involved in the Yunnan plan, told the paper.

--- ENDS ---

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Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, October 31

With only a week left for election campaigning, the BJP is going all out in politically significant Kangra while the Congress is waiting for the last days to rope in its star campaigners.

The BJP has started its campaigning since Sunday. Party president Amit Shah will hold rallies almost daily till November 5 in Kangra . PM Narendra Modi will hold rallies for three days, at Rehan in Nurpur on November 2, at Chambi in Shahpur on November 4 and Palampur on November 5.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath Yogi also held rallies in Kangra district yesterday. Former Union minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy today campaigned in Nurpur for Rakesh Pathania. Besides, now the CM candidate PK Dhumal and former CM Shanta Kumar are also making extensive tours of Kangra.

On the contrary, Congress candidates are on their own for the time being. All Congress candidates, including senior leaders and ministers, have confined themselves to their own constituencies.

Sources said Congress rallies in Kangra would be held after November 5. Navjot Sidhu, Punjab minister, and Randeep Singh Surjewala would campaign for Sudhir Sharma in Dharamsala. The party is also planning to hold a rally of party vice-president Rahul Gandhi in Kangra, however, the venue is yet to be decided.

Some senior Congress leaders said there was lack of cohesiveness in the campaign. The candidates were not getting adequate support from the party high command and had been left to fend for themselves. The BJP campaign was more planned whereas Congress candidates were fighting individual battles in their own constituencies, he said. Sources said the condition was such that even Virbhadra Singh was being forced to make long journeys by road as the helicopter was not available to him.
Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 31

The J&K High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the state government and the Army in a petition seeking the whereabouts of a missing man from a remote village in the frontier district of Kupwara.

Manzoor Ahmad Khan of Devar, Kupwara, was allegedly detained by the Army along with another local Nasrullah Khan on August 1. While Nasrullah was released, Manzoor continues to remain missing. After Manzoor went missing, protests had erupted in the district.

In the petition before the High Court by the brother of the missing person, it said that Manzoor went to neighbouring Bandipora along with his uncle and paternal aunt for livestock marketing.

On way to Aloosa, the inhabitants of Devar had to cross the 27 Rashtriya Rifles Trimuk camp for entry. The detainee approached the camp for entry and took the identity card of his uncle and paternal aunt for crossing the post. The detainee while making the entry was called by Major Nishint Gupta of 27 RR inside the camp. The uncle and paternal aunt of detainee kept waiting for two hours outside the camp and thereafter they approached the Army official concerned to know the whereabouts of the detainee, the petition read.

The Army official told the relative that he would be set free after some time, but he was not released. In the evening, the relatives were told that the detainee had been set free from the other gate and was no more with them. The family approached the police and lodged a report, it added. After hearing the petition, the High Court issued notices to the state and the Army major to respond within a weeks time. While the police have registered a case, the Army has already ordered a Court of Inquiry into the issue.

The Army has promised suitable action if an inquiry finds soldiers responsible for the disappearance of the Kupwara man.
Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 31

Three key separatist leaders, whose inclusion in the Centres recently initiated dialogue process would have determined its fate, ended their silence today by describing the appointment of Dineshwar Sharma as the interlocutor as a tactic to buy time  putting a dampener on the possibility of talks.

In a joint statement, Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik who refer to themselves as the joint resistance leadership  said Sharmas comments and assertions were misleading and limited the scope of any engagement.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The hyped upon appointment is nothing more than a tactic to buy time adopted under international pressure and regional compulsions, they said. The trio added that for any Kashmiri to be part of this futile exercise will only undermine our internationally acknowledged legitimate and just struggle.

It is for the first time since the appointment of Sharma as New Delhis representative for talks that the three key separatists have issued a statement about the dialogue process and nearly rejected it.

Sharma, a former chief of Intelligence Bureau, told The Tribune that he would arrive in Kashmir in the next two to three days and said he would talk to all Indian citizens living in Kashmir who are willing to talk to him.

However, the statement by the trio is likely to lead to a deadlock even before any dialogue is formally initiated.

The separatists said Sharmas comment that he would come to Kashmir to dissuade the youth from Islam and pursue their legitimate political aspirations so that Kashmir does not become Syria is misleading.

They said the comparison between Kashmir and Syria is deception and propaganda as there is no correlation.

The separatists said they have always advocated and supported a sincere and productive dialogue as a means of conflict resolution. What it inherently entails from all participants is the basic acknowledgment that there is a dispute that has to be resolved. But the Government of India continuously refuses to accept this basic premise.
As many as 45 post-doctoral fellowship opportunities are given by Tel Aviv University's Faculty of Lawas an initiative of Israeli Planning and Budgeting Committee (PBC).

Eligibility: The applying candidate must be a post- graduate or PhD. degree holder with good English language proficiency.

Details: Scholars will be given NIS 115,000 for the period of two years and can be extended to the third year, additional expense of NIS 5000 will be given to cover international travel expenses.

Deadline: November 11, 2017

How to apply: Applications are accepted both online as well as offline.

Short Source URL: http://www.b4s.in/jc/TAU1

EPSRC-UKRI Innovation Fellowships

As many as 65-85 fellows will be funded for their research in robotics and artificial intelligence systems, development and manufacture of batteries for the electrification of vehicles, digital manufacturing, quantum technologies, cheap and clean energy technologies, integrated and sustainable cities, low energy buildings, new approaches to data science, engineering and physical sciences research by EPSRC, a UK government agency.

Eligibility: Applicants in the early stages of their researchcareer either in academia or industrywho have taken a non-standard careerpath after their primary degree. Candidateswho wish to re-establish themselves after a career break can also apply. Applicants must have Ph.D. degree or equivalent experience by the start date of the fellowship.

Details: Up to 38.9 million, additional funding of up to 1.6 million from AHRC, a minimum of 1 million from BBSRC and up to 0.4 million from ESRC will be provided to the selected scholar.

Deadline: November 9, 2017 (by 4 pm).

How to apply: Online.

Short Source URL: http://www.b4s.in/jc/EUI1

The Next Genius scholarship programme

The Next Genius Foundation, a charitable trust in India is offering scholarships to outstanding high schoolers to pursue under-graduation programme from chosen universities and colleges across North America and Europe.

Eligibility: Students who have cleared Class XII from a recognised school in India. The candidates also have to clear the two-level selection process.

Details: Selected scholar will be assisted with full and half tuition fee waiver as scholarship award in selected partner colleges.

Deadline: November 10, 2017

How to apply: Online only.

Short Source URL: http://www.b4s.in/jc/TNG

GLOBIS Scholarships

Japan-based institution GLOBIS is inviting applications for MBA programmes from young graduates with strong leadership skills and academic excellence.

Eligibility: The applicant must have enrolled in the part-time, on campus or online MBA programme. Candidate will be selected on the basis of academic performance, business experience, English language proficiency, etc.

Details: Fifty per cent of the tuition fee of the selected candidate will be covered.

Deadline: November 8, 2017

How to apply: Online.

Short Source URL: http://www.b4s.in/jc/GS26

 Inputs courtesy: www.buddy4study.com
Amarjot Kaur

The controversy surrounding Nawazuddin Siddiquis recently released, and then withdrawn, autobiography titled An Ordinary Life: A Memoir commands attention for the way the actor projected the details about the women in his life.

With salacious excerpts, about his affairs with his co-star Niharika Singh and his former girlfriend Sunita Rajwar, going viral on Internet, the 43-year-old actor took to Twitter on Monday to post an apology that read: I m apologising 2 every1 whos sentiments r hurt bcz of d chaos around my memoir #AnOrdinaryLife. I hereby regret & decide 2 withdraw my book.

The apology came three days after Sunita Rajwar wrote a copious post in Hindi, on Facebook, taking on the ostensible story of her relationship with Siddiqui as mentioned in his book. Opening her post with: kehte naseeb waqt badal sakta hai, fitrat nahi, Sunita stated that Siddiqui was one-year senior to her in NSD (National School of Drama). In the post, she blamed her breakup with Siddiqui to the fact that he was a sympathy seeker.

Siddiquis Miss Lovely co-star Niharika Singh too went on record. While Singh had admitted that she was considering legal action against Siddiqui for sharing intimate details about their relationship without her consent, Delhi-based advocate Gautam Gulati has registered a complaint at National Commission for Women (NCW) against him. Reportedly, Gulati said that he does not know Niharika Singh personally, but has lodged a complaint with NCW with a request to give direction for the registration of FIR under sections 376 (rape), 497 (adultery) and 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman) of IPC. He was evidently married when he was having an affair with Niharika and kept her in the dark about it, she was quoted saying.

Kangana Ranaut and Hrithik Roshans relationship-battle controversy and now Siddiquis filter-less stories about his relationships... all this makes you want to question the kiss and tell syndrome. Heres what actors, publishers, legal experts, and feminists have to say about the controversy.

Book wise

In any autobiography, it is an authors prerogative to say what he wants to say what he or she wants to. The only possible problems are with defamation, and (in case of political memoir) if theres national security issue. At Harper Collins, the book is always sent to a lawyer to get a legal opinion. I havent read the book yet, but he seems to have offended certain individuals. Ideally, if you are writing about someone, it is an authors prerogative to run it through the person who you are talking about.

Udayan Mitra, publisher at Harper Collins

Sauciness aside

Everything aside, I feel it is important that if you are writing about someone in your book, you should take their consent. More so, if what you are writing about could offend someone or impinge on their privacy.

Sonu Sood, Bollywood actor

Privacy violated

Nawazs is a clear case of violation of someones privacy and that too without any proof or consent. However, hes decent enough to take the story back, and that says a lot about Nawaz. Maybe he did not understand that the story would lead to such repercussions. Ive known him as a dignified gentleman, a genuine person, and now that he has apologised, one must put that matter to rest.

Aahana Kumra, recently seen in the film Lipstick Under My Burkha

amarjot@tribunemail.com
Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused by many women of sexual misconduct, has been banned for life from the Producers Guild of America.

Earlier this month, the guild voted to begin termination proceedings, but gave Weinstein time to respond to the allegations made against him. According to its rules, it is required that a member be given 15 days notice before disciplinary action is taken. But the PGA received notice that rather than face the guilds charges, Weinstein elected to resign his membership. In a statement issued by the Guild, the organisation announced that it is banning Weinstein for life from being a member of the organization.

The statement read, In light of Mr. Weinsteins widely reported behaviour, with new reports continuing to surface even now, the Producers Guilds National Board has voted unanimously to enact a lifetime ban on Mr. Weinstein, permanently barring him from PGA membership. This unprecedented step is a reflection of the seriousness with which the Guild regards the numerous reports of Mr. Weinsteins decades of reprehensible conduct. In the last several weeks, as many as 100 women have leveled charges of sexual misconduct against Weinstein. ANI
Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, October 31

The Indian Army has been roped in to build foot-over bridges at the Elphinstone Road railway station where 23 people died in a stampede more than a month ago, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told reporters here.

Fadnavis along with Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited the Elphinstone Road railway station with engineers from the Indian Army this morning.

Fadnavis told reporters that the new foot-over bridge (FoB) would be completed by January 31 next year.

The Army will also build foot-over-bridges at the Currey Road and Ambivali railway stations on the Central Railway, Fadnavis added. While Currey Road station lies in Mumbai city limits, Ambivali lies between Kalyan and Kasara on the outskirts of the city.

Earlier, the railways had floated a tender for the construction of a foot-over bridge at Elphinstone Road railway station. However, Goyal who had a meeting with railway officials was told that the new bridge would take a year to complete.

We have decided to use the military . as there is an urgent need to complete the bridges at the earliest. The three stations have been identified as they record very high footfalls, Goyal told reporters.

Sitharaman said this was the first time that the army has been called in for carrying out civil work in the country's financial capital.

The army conducted a feasibility study to assess whether they could complete the work and contribute to the process earlier this month, Sitharaman told reporters here.

A safety audit conducted by high-ranking railway officials at major train stations have pointed out to severe short-comings on both the Central and Western railway lines.

Officials say, Goyal has asked the officials to take remedial measures on a war-footing.






Tribune News Service

Mumbai/New Delhi, October 31

The Army has been roped in to build foot overbridges at the Elphinstone road railway station in Mumbai where 23 persons were killed in a stampede a month ago.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, along with Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, visited the railway station with engineers from the Army this morning. Fadnavis said the new overbridge would be completed by January 31.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The Army would also build foot overbridges at the Currey Road and Ambivali railway stations, Fadnavis said. While Currey station lies in Mumbai city limits, Ambivali lies between Kalyan and Kasara on the outskirts of the city.

Earlier, the Railways had floated a tender for the construction of a foot overbridge at Elphinstone station. However, Goyal was told that the new bridge would take a year to complete. We have decided to take help of the military as there is an urgent need to complete the bridges at the earliest. The three stations have been identified as these witness a very high footfall, Goyal said.

Sitharaman said this was the first time that the Army had been called in for carrying out civil work in the countrys financial capital. The Army conducted a feasibility study to assess whether it could complete the work or contribute to the process, Sitharaman added.

The move, meanwhile, has led to severe criticism. Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, a 1965-war veteran, said the Armys job is to train for war and protect the countrys borders, not to build bridges and clean roads. He said there could be serious implications of such misuse of the armed forces by utilising their services for non-emergency civilian jobs.

Urging Defence Minister Sitharaman to refrain from diverting critical defence resources to civilian works, he cited what he termed a mistake that Maj Gen BM Kaul, GOC of Red Eagles 4th Division, had made before the 1962 war with China. The scandalous misuse by him of military manpower to build accommodation cost the Indian Army heavily during the Sino-Indian war, the Chief Minister said.

The Defence Minister, instead of being party to this decision and announcing it with such pride, should have rejected any such suggestion in the interest of the armed forces, Capt Amarinder said.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the Army was supposed to be called in as a last resort at times of emergencies. Now, it seems like it is the first number on speed dial, he said. Congress Sanjay Nirupam said calling in the Army to construct the bridges underlines the failure of BMC. Hope the Army will not be asked to fill potholes here.
Baghpat (UP), October 31

The police on Tuesday registered an FIR against nine people, including a BJP legislator, in connection with the killing of a man over panchayat poll rivalry, following which three people were arrested.

BJPs Badaut MLA Krishnapal Malik has been charged with conspiracy to murder even as he termed it an effort to malign his political image.

The police said that on Sunday, Amit (30) was killed when he was attacked by his relative and former gram pradhan Ramvir in Hilwadi village here.

The two were rivals in the last gram pradhan elections.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

Five others were also injured in the incident that took place under the Badaut Kotwali police station area, they said.

Rubbishing the allegations, Malik said he had been falsely framed to malign his image and that he was ready for any probe.

An impartial inquiry will be conducted and action taken against those found involved,: Superintendent of Police Jaiprakash said. PTI
Ahmedabad, October 31

A "multi-millionaire" jeweller, arrested for allegedly keeping a note in a plane's washroom about hijackers and a bomb, told interrogators that he did so hoping Jet Airways would close operations and his girlfriend, who works in its Delhi office, comes back to Mumbai.

Birju Kishore Salla, 37, a resident of Mumbai, was yesterday detained by the crime branch following the emergency landing made by the Mumbai-Delhi Jet Airways plane at the Ahmedabad airport after the pilot was alerted about the alleged note which was found in the plane's washroom by a cabin crew.

He was today arrested under the stringent Anti-Hijacking Act, which came into force in July replacing the 1982 vintage law.

We have arrested him under the Anti-Hijacking Act sections. This is the first arrest under the Act after it came into force," Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) J K Bhatt told reporters here.

Under the provisions of the Act, an accused could face a maximum punishment of life imprisonment till death and his movable and immovable properties can be confiscated, police said.

Salla, a native of Dedan village under Khambha taluka in Amreli district and settled in Mumbai since the last many years, was formally arrested today, police said.

"Salla was detained from the plane which made an emergency landing at the city airport yesterday morning.

Later, he confessed that he had prepared that threat letter using his laptop and printer. He used Google translator service to convert the English text into Urdu," he said.

The note, allegedly placed by Salla, stated that there were hijackers and a bomb in the cargo area, officials earlier said.

It was a printed note in Urdu and English, asking that the plane be flown straight to POK (Pakistan Occupied Kashmir). It ended with the words, "Allah is Great".

The reference to POK made investigators suspicious because Pakistan-based terrorists call the area 'Azad Kashmir', an official said.

According to Bhatt, Salla is a multi-millionaire jeweller having his office in the Zaveri Bazar area of Mumbai and a flat in a posh locality of the metropolis.

He said Salla confessed to the crime branch sleuths that he planted the note with an intention to close down Jet Airways operations so that his girlfriend, working in the Delhi office of the airline, loses her job and shifts to Mumbai.

"Salla, who is married and has two children, claimed that his girlfriend works with Jet Airways in Delhi. Since she was not ready to change her job, he came up with this wild idea of putting a threat letter, wishing that it would shut the airline's operations and his girlfriend would be left with no other option than to come to Mumbai," Bhatt said.

"Salla, a frequent flier between Mumbai and Delhi, was in the habit of harassing the airline. Earlier, he allegedly put a cockroach in the meal served to him on one of the flights," he said.

The police have seized the laptop, printer and some pen drives used by Salla, Bhatt said.

Though the police have not found any criminal record of Salla, the crime branch is probing the case from all angles, he said.

"One of our teams has already reached Mumbai with Salla to get more information about him. We are investigating if he is in contact with any anti-social groups," Bhatt said.

The official said they were in touch with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) which may take over the case.

"Since it's a serious offence, we are keeping the NIA in the loop. If the Centre wants, we may hand over the case to the NIA. As of now, the crime branch is probing the case," the official said.

He said Salla's female friend will also be questioned.

According to the police, Salla has been arrested under sections 3(1), 3(2)(A) and 4(B) of the Anti-Hijacking Act.

Section 3(1) of the Act pertains to "whoever unlawfully and intentionally seizes or exercise control of an aircraft in service by force or threat, thereof, or by coercion or by any other form of intimidation or by any technological means he commits the office of hijacking."

Section 3(2)(A) is invoked against a person who "makes a threat to commit such offence or unlawfully and intentionally causes any person to receive such threat under circumstance which indicate that the threat is credible."

As per section 4(B), "whoever commits such an offence shall be punished with imprisonment for life which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that person's natural life and with fine."  PTI
By PTI: (Eds: Updating with background

By Lalit K Jha

Washington, Oct 31 (PTI) Ahead of President Donald Trumps visit to Beijing next month, Chinas envoy here has welcomed Americas participation in the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative, saying the two countries can have some practical cooperation on the project.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a demand of the worlds development, and it should follow the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration, Chinese Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai told reporters here.

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The BRI is a development strategy proposed by Chinas President Xi Jinping to improve connectivity and cooperation between Eurasian countries.

"This initiative is not limited by the geographical region, it is open to the world, so we welcome the US to join us. Lots of political experts and entrepreneurs are very interested in it. We already have had some discussion," he said.

"I hope we can deepen these communication, and China and US will have some practical cooperation with the Belt and Road Initiative," Cui said in response to a question amidst reports that Japan, India and the US are working on initiatives that would provide alternative financing to countries seeking investment.

Cui said there should be no "strategic competition" between China and the US.

The two countries should find a way to co-exist based on a win-win cooperation, he said.

"I think the so-called "China model," the meaning of China model, shows to the world that the development of a country does not need to follow a specific pattern. Each country should find a development path that suits its own national conditions. Every country should have a custom development model and this is the core meaning of China model. It shows possibility to the world," he said.

Noting that in Chinese there is an expression: "harmony but not uniformity," he said "to achieve a harmonious world which is set up on the basis that fully reflects diversity, if China did it, that is to show all other countries of the world that they can follow this way as well".

"In English, there is a term called "all roads lead to Rome", and every country can go its own way. China has taken the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics for so many years. It was quite a success so far," Cui said adding that he believes that that is an inspiration to many nations.

Cui said Trumps first visit to China will be a historic moment. Trump would be the first head of state to visit China after the recently concluded 19th Communist Party of China Congress, which laid the blueprint for Chinas development in next few decades.

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This conference confirmed that China will stick to the path of peaceful development and the win-win strategy of opening-up, as well as seek the common interests and strengthen the cooperation with powerful countries, he said.

"Such a situation will ensure a successful visit. I hope, and I believe that this meeting between the two leaders will give a clear direction and strategy on the development of the two nations. If an agreement can be reached in the highest strategic dialogue between the US and China, which is primarily favourable for two countries and international society," he said.

"I hope, China and the US, as permanent members of UN Security Council, as the first and the second largest economics, can take the obligations and play a role in cooperating in the international community, facing the global challenges, and strengthening the global governance. We also hope that this can be one of the achievements of Trumps visit," Cui said.

Trump will travel to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines from November 3-14. It will be Trump?s first visit to the region as president. PTI LKJ AJR NSA

--- ENDS ---

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New Delhi, October 31

As many as 33 students had a narrow escape after their school bus caught fire near Naraina today, a Delhi fire services (DFS) official said.

#Visuals from Delhi: Fire broke out in a school bus near Dhaula Kuan area, students were evacuated. Fire extinguished pic.twitter.com/VUl7ZPL4Nk  ANI (@ANI) October 31, 2017

A call was received at 10.10 am about the fire in the school bus and three fire tenders were rushed to the spot, the official said.

However, before the arrival of fire services personnel locals rescued the children on the bus, the DFS official said, adding no injuries were reported and the fire was doused by 11.20 am. PTI
Kolkata, October 31

Medica Group of Hospitals, a city-based hospital chain, has launched a health awareness programme for private school students, a top official said.

"We have launched Medica School Connect Programme, a health services awareness programme, targeting private schools in the city in the first phase before we extend the same to state assisted schools also," Medica Group of Hospitals chairman Dr Alok Roy said.

He said that many schools have shown interest already and plans are afoot to enrol around one lakh students under the programme in the city by the end of 2018-19.

Explaining the benefits, Dr Roy said the cost for a student for this programme is Rs 350 a year. It comes with a host of benfits too like insurance worth Rs 50,000 in case of accidental and general medical emergency.

"Medica will only charge for consumables and medicines and the rest will be free like hospital bed and doctor's fee," he said.

Health education and free general health checkup worth Rs 4,000 will also be part of the benefit under the programme.

Future First Insurance Broking has facilitated the school connect programme through tying up with leading insurance players to take up the financial obligation related to accidental hospitalization insurance cover' and continuity of education' in the event of untimely demise of earning parent due to some accident or natural causes.  PTI
Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 31

Congress president Sonia Gandhi today launched a veiled attack on the ruling BJP, ruing that narrow nationalism was dividing India and forces of darkness engulfing it.

Not present in person at the ceremony to present the 30th Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration to Carnatic musician TM Krishna here this evening, Sonia Gandhi, through a speech read out by her son and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, said: The idea of India that Indira Gandhi fought for has been thrown fundamentally into question by rising intolerance that we are witnessing today It (the award) reminds all of us that like her, we must be undaunted, unafraid and uncompromising against the forces of darkness that engulf our land.

She said the award was recognition of the values Indira espoused in times when the country found itself increasingly divided in the name of narrow nationalism.

Congress chief, at home due to illness, said in her speech that a view of Indianness thats one-sided, discriminatory, even warped, was being thrust upon us. The countrys heritage is now in the hands of those who are bent upon rewriting history, imposing falsehood and unscientific ideas on our people and stifling independent thinking. The liberal, tolerant Indian ethos that Indira Gandhi embodied in her life and beliefs is openly rejected and repudiated, Rahul quoted his mother as saying.

The remarks came on a day that marked the birth anniversary of Indias first Home Minister Sardar Patel and the death anniversary of Indira Gandhi, both Congress leaders. In fact, Sonia made it a point to mention among TM Krishnas credentials the fact that he has spoken on the dangers of jingoism and narrow nationalism.
Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 31

In a significant move aimed at stopping a free-run of Chinese submarines in the Indian Ocean, the Defence Acquisition Council, the top decision-making body of the Ministry of Defence, today okayed the acquisition of 111 submarine-hunting helicopters for the Navy.

These copters will be equipped with specialised radars, sensors and torpedoes to track and hunt submarines. In naval parlance, its called anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities. Such a helicopter carries sea-dunking sonars for detecting a submarine and is considered potent to hit underwater submarines. The over-flying copter itself cannot be targeted by a submarine.

The Rs 21,738-crore project was cleared under the strategic partnership model, meaning the foreign company bidding for the contract will have an Indian company as its partner. The DAC today accorded what is technically termed as an acceptance of necessity.

Of the 111 copters, termed the Naval Utility Helicopters (NUH), 16 will be taken in a flyaway condition and remaining 96 will be built under the Make in India initiative.

The Navy, in its global request for information (RFI)seen as first step towards procuring the equipmentmade it clear that it wants copters with lightweight anti-submarine torpedo along with radar and sensor package required for target detection of submarines. These copters will be based on decks of sea-going ships and will be capable of carrying out routine operations like search and rescue, medical evacuation, communication.

Currently, the Navy uses the Sea King Mk42B and the Kamov-28 copters in an ASW role. Both are of the 1980s vintage design and are now being upgraded. There are about 20 such copters.

Marine helicopters are rugged-ized versions of helicopters used by land or air forces. Sea salinity necessitates a different paint coating while equipment, avionics and radars are totally different.

In June this year, the US Department of Defence had, in its report Military and Security Developments Involving the Peoples Republic of China 2017, said: These submarine patrols demonstrate the PLANs emerging capability both to protect Chinas SLOCs (sea lanes of communication) and to increase Chinas power projection into the Indian Ocean. China has been expanding its access to logistics in the Indian Ocean.

Two months ago, Beijing opened a military base in Djibouti on the North-Eastern coast of Africa and is slated to establish additional hubs over the next decade.

Last year, China signed a pact with Pakistan for the sale of eight submarines. The first four will be built in China, with the remaining four in Pakistan. Eleven Indian private sector companies, including Tata, Adani, Bharat Forge, have proposed to form joint ventures with foreign companies like Airbus, Bell Helicopters.
Pune, October 31

A sub-inspector of Maharashtras Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) allegedly thrashed and molested a woman in Punes Shukrawar Peth area.

The victim alleged that the ATS officer thrashed and molested her after she objected to illegal construction done by him in their society.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The ATS officer has done illegal construction in our society. When I objected he beat me, pulled my hair and molested me, the woman told the media.

The CCTV footage of the incident, which took place on October 25, has also surfaced.

However, no police complaint has been filed yet. The accused officer is yet to be identified. ANI
Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 31

The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that "future prospects" of self-employed and fixed income people has to be taken into consideration while computing the amount of compensation to the dependents in fatal motor accident cases.

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Delivered by a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, the verdict is a welcome departure from the existing norm, according to which dependents of only those have permanent job with scope for increase in salaries were entitled to future prospects in deciding compensation.

Future prospects refer to what an accident victim would have earned in the form of future increase in income had he/she been alive.

The Motor Vehicles Act provides for award of compensation to be paid by insurance firms to the victim or his or her family in accident cases by using the methodology provided for in the Act. The family members have to establish the age and income of the deceased and the number of dependents.

The issue was where the deceased was self-employed or was a person on fixed salary without provision for annual increment, etc., what should be the addition as regards the future prospects. It was referred to a Constitution Bench after various smaller Benches gave conflicting verdicts.

Laying down standard criteria for computation of such claims, the bench rejected the argument that in the case those with permanent jobs, there was a certainty about what their future prospects would be unlike self-employed or those with fixed salaries for whom future prospects would be uncertain.

In fact till 2008, the practice was to award 50% of the last drawn salary as compensation in case of fatal accident claims. In 2008, a two-judge bench ruled that future prospects should be taken into account while calculating compensation to be given to the dependents of those with permanent jobs.

A specific percentage of the last drawn salary, over and above the last pay, was laid down for different age groups. Later, some other benches ruled it should also be extended to self-employed victims of motor accidents.

Now, the latest Constitution Bench verdict makes it clear that the benefits of future prospects have to be extended to dependents of even those with no fixed income or who are self-employed. The court also standardised the computing norm.

While determining the income, an addition of 50% of actual salary to the income of the deceased towards future prospects, where the deceased had a permanent job and was below the age of 40 years, should be made. The addition should be 30%, if the age of the deceased was between 40 to 50 years. In case the deceased was between the age of 50 to 60 years, the addition should be 15%. Actual salary should be read as actual salary less tax, it said.

The Bench said, In case the deceased was self-employed or on a fixed salary, an addition of 40% of the established income should be the warrant where the deceased was below the age of 40 years. An addition of 25% where the deceased was between the age of 40 to 50 years and 10% where the deceased was between the age of 50 to 60 years should be regarded as the necessary method of computation. The established income means the income minus the tax component.

The age of the deceased should be the basis for applying the multiplier, it said, adding, Reasonable figures on conventional heads, namely, loss of estate, loss of consortium and funeral expenses should be Rs 15,000, Rs 40,000 and Rs 15,000, respectively. The aforesaid amounts should be enhanced at the rate of 10% in every three years.
Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 31

A week after the Supreme Court directed the governments of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan to ban the use of pet coke and furnace oil in the industries, the Bhiwadi Industrial Association on Tuesday requested the court give more time to the affected industries to comply with the order.

The associations plea was mentioned before a Bench headed by Justice J Chelameswar which said the matter would be placed before an appropriate Bench for hearing on Monday.

The petitioner said it was ready to implement the order but the affected industries needed more time for compliance. In its October 24 order, a Bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur had warned that non-compliance would force it to ban these materials from November 1.

It had slapped a fine of Rs 2 lakh on Union Environment Ministry for not finalising pollution emission standards for industries using pet coke and furnace oil in the national capital region (NCR).

Asking the three states to stop the use of these polluting materials, the top court made it clear that it would ban the use of pet coke and furnace oil in the three states from November 1 if they did not prohibit their use by industries.

The order had come on a PIL filed in 1985 by lawyer-environmentalist MC Mehta raising the issue of air pollution in the Delhi-NCR.

The SC-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) had recommended that distribution, sale and use of furnace oil and pet coke would be strictly banned in NCR.

In its May 2 order, the court had noted that the use of furnace oil and pet coke was prohibited in Delhi.

The governments of UP, Haryana and Rajasthan had no objection if a ban was placed. Pet coke and furnace oil had ill-effects on ambient air and emissions from industrial units furnace oil and pet coke were highly toxic as these discharged high sulphur content, the court had been told.
Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, October 31

Eight-to-ten youngsters, allegedly in an inebriated condition, hurled bricks and stones at a gurdwara at Bhullar Colony here on Tuesday afternoon. Before fleeing, they tossed the turban of gurdwara priest (granthi), scuffled with his wife and abused both of them.

Three of them were nabbed by locals and handed over to police.

Located close to the railway tracks and in a residential area, this Gurdwara Singh Sabha is built in the memory of Baba Channan Singh and managed by a local committee. It does not come under the control of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

Gursangat Singh, granthi at the gurdwara, alleged, Some youngsters were shouting abuses outside the gurdwara and when I confronted them, they started hurling bricks and stones. They even entered the gurdwara complex and hurled stones towards the sanctum sanctorum. Luckily, stones did not hit the bir (holy book). When I tried to stop them, they even tossed my turban in the air. They also had a scuffle with my wife and removed her dupatta.

He further alleged, The attackers belonged (had converted) to other community. One of them was Gabbar Singh. They should be punished for this highly condemnable sacrilegious act.

In the meantime, some area residents informed the representatives of local Sikh organisations, who reached the spot. A police party led by Muktsar City SHO Tajinderpal Singh too reached the spot.

Jasvir Singh, president, Sikh Virsa Council, Muktsar, said, I was the first among those who reached the gurdwara after the incident. Three of the youths, who were allegedly drunk, were handed over to police. They are said to be natives of a locality on the other side of railway tracks.

Darbar Singh, manager, Gurdwara Darbar Sahib (which comes under the SGPC), also visited the gurdwara to take stock of the situation.

Tajinderpal Singh, SHO, City Muktsar police station, said, Three of the accused have been taken into custody and they seemed to be under influence of liquor. The accused had even clashed with some of our jawans. We are getting statement of the granthi to lodge an FIR against the accused.

Later, some people started assembling outside the gurdwara, but the cops dispersed them.

Sources said some people used to consume alcohol by sitting along the railway tracks and the granthi had tried to stop them in the past.
Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, October 31

The intelligence wings Organised Crime Control Unit (OCCU) and the Patiala police yesterday arrested two student leaders for allegedly supplying drugs and weapons to jailed gangsters.

They are Harman Virk Samana, former president, Gandhi Group Student Union (GGSU), and Armaan Cheema, incumbent president of the outfit. The GGSU is active in Panjab University, Chandigarh.

The two were in touch with Nabha jailbreak accused Neeta Deol and Gurpreet Sekhon, for whom they arranged drugs when ordered, reads a police report.

The police claimed to have seized two passports, including that of Nabha jailbreak accused Kulwinder Singh and Jasdeep Kaur, and 700 gm of psychotropic powder from them. Sources said Virk and Cheema were under the influence of heroin when they were arrested from near Rajpura.

During interrogation, they reportedly confessed to have supplied chitta (drugs) to gangsters lodged in Kapurthala and Patiala jails. Money was transferred to their accounts from Hong Kong and other countries. And the two would then arrange for weapons and drugs for gangsters, the police said.

The role of jail officials is under the scanner as drugs would be smuggled inside the prisons in bulbs, pillows and other items. Sources said the student leaders had revealed how they helped gangsters stay on university campuses in Chandigarh and Punjab, and in flats rented by them across the state.

Superintendent of Police (Investigation) Harinder Virk said the duo would be grilled further to ascertain their involvement in other crimes and links with other gangsters.

Meanwhile, Vicky Middukhera, Chandigarh president of Students Organisation of India (SOI), said: "It is shocking for us. The criminal elements should be kept away from students' politics. Leaders have to keep their record clean as students follow them."
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 31

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) chairman Mukesh Ambani have agreed to strengthen cooperation in various sectors, including telecom and data networks, as well as retail, besides boosting agricultural productivity, food processing industry and manufacturing facilities in the state.

The CM met Ambani soon after his arrival in Mumbai, where he is scheduled to address the CIIs Invest North meeting tomorrow. The two had a one-to-one meeting, followed by a delegation-level talk, during which RIL made a detailed presentation on the Jio telecom service, which it is seeking to expand in Punjab.

An official spokesperson said later that the meeting focused on augmenting RILs interests in Punjab, under the leadership of Captain Amarinder, who is keen to embark on sweeping transformational reforms to revive the states industry and economy. The Chief Minister told Ambani that his support would go a long way in providing the early impetus needed for this change.

Amarinder identified upgrading of telecom infrastructure, in terms of both connectivity and broadband, as a key area in which Punjab was exploring opportunities.

Pointing out that data had emerged as the new oil for the world, the Chief Minister said his government was keen to become a part of this Fourth Industrial Revolution and to this end, was committed to fulfilling its promise of providing a free smart phone to the youth in the age group of 18 to 35, together with free talk time/data for one year, he added.
By PTI: (Eds: Updating with additional quotes and inputs)

Mumbai, Oct 31 (PTI) InterGlobe Aviation-run IndiGo today reported a massive spike in September quarter net at Rs 551.5 crore, boosted by a one-time payment towards engine issues and delayed aircraft deliveries and higher margins.

The Gurgaon-based airline, which commands a little over 38 per cent share of the total domestic traffic, is "seriously" looking to participate in the Central Governments regional connectivity scheme, companys President and Whole-Time Director Aditya Ghosh said during the post-earnings analysts call.

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IndiGo had posted net profit of Rs 139.8 crore in the July-September quarter of the last fiscal.

For the reporting quarter, net soared 294.4 per cent.

The airline said the bottom line was boosted by a massive 710 bps spike in profit margins to 10.4 per cent from 3.4 per cent a year ago.

Profitability was favourably impacted by better revenue management and credit received from manufacturers related to aircraft grounding and delivery delays, Ghosh said.

"Year-on-year profit margin was stable. The RASK (revenue per available seat kilometre) performance last year was sub-optimal. Since then we have corrected it and put in place new people and process in the revenue management function, which has led to much better financial performance this fiscal," Ghosh said.

However, the airlines other income during the reporting quarter rose over 33.5 per cent to Rs 214.6 crore.

Ghosh said that the challenges and shortage of spare Neo engines from Pratt & Whitney (the US engine maker) led to the grounding of "as many as nine A320 Neos last quarter."

"We started receiving some of the spare engines and currently we have no A320 Neo planes on ground or waiting for spare engine," he said.

IndiGo has been facing problem with aircraft engines supplied by P&W in its A320 Neos for quite some time, which also led to grounding of these planes.

On top of it, the European aviation major Airbus has also not been able to meet delivery of some of these A320 Neos to the budget carrier on time.

"We continue to monitor situation closely and work with the manufacturer to maintain sufficient spare engines. We are also looking at various options to mitigate the shortfall in our desired capacity growth by looking at more aircraft from the secondary market on short-term leases," Ghosh said.

IndiGo added six aircraft during the quarter, including two A320Neo, taking its total fleet size to 141 planes, Ghosh said.

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He also said that IndiGo will get the first A321Neo delivery in October next year, adding, "the bunch of them soon after".

"We are looking at UDAN, the current process that is out there. Absolutely we are looking at it seriously," Ghosh said, without giving specifics.

The Government is likely to announce winners for the second phase of UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) scheme by next month end. The scheme aims at making flying affordable for the masses.

The airlines income from operations jumped 27 per cent to Rs 5,291 crore, while other income rose 33.5 per cent to Rs 214.5 crore from Rs 160.7 crore, taking the total revenue to Rs 5,505.6 crore, up 27.2 per cent from Rs 4,327.7 crore.

The load factor rose 180 bps to 84 per cent while the yield rose 8.9 per cent to Rs 3.57 from Rs 3.28.

With an average ATF price of Rs 50.17 which is 2.5 per cent up over Rs 48.96 a year ago, fuel expenses rose 6.1 per cent to Rs 1,647.3 crore while aircraft and engine rentals also rose at a similar quantum to Rs 819.3 crore. Other expenses jumped 31.6 per cent to Rs 1,455 crore while finance cost rose over 40.5 per cent to Rs 85.7 crore.

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Its cash balance rose 88.5 per cent to Rs 1292.56 crore from Rs 685.72 crore while debt declined 7.5 per cent to Rs 253.68 crore from Rs 274.28 crore.

Ghosh also said that while his airline is "supportive" of any expansion or any development of airport infrastructure (at Delhi airport), it does not want to split up operations.

"We have given several options and suggestions to Delhi airport, other airlines and the ministry," he said, adding the airline is averse to relocating partially at one terminal or the other. PTI IAS BEN RAM IAS KRK

--- ENDS ---
Jupinderjit Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 31

The police are suspecting the role of gangsters in the Vipin Sharma murder case. The investigation so far suggests that Mondays incident may not be part of the series of targeted killings in the past year and a half.

Police officers stated that unlike the previous killings, the main assailant in this case did not have his face covered. The earlier incidents had the signature of anonymity. The faces were covered and the killers left no tracks. In the Amritsar murder, the prime accused seems to have made it sure that he was seen, an officer said.

As per the police, past records indicate that when killers dont hide their faces, its usually the handiwork of gangsters.

Only one of the 10 high-profile killings since April 2016 has been solved so far. Earlier this year, the police arrested the alleged assailants who gunned down Dera Sacha Sauda follower Gurdev Singh.

The police are also probing whether a dispute over a business deal led to Sharmas murder. The victim was involved in several financial deals, which are now under scrutiny.

A state-level leader of the victims outfit, Hindu Sangharsh Sena, was present at the spot, but he was spared. Its surprising that the assailants chose to eliminate a district head, the officer said.

As the duo that killed Sharma was turbaned, the police are looking into the role of radical Sikh organisations, though it is suspected that the accused may have assumed the appearance of a Sikh.
Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, October 31

The court of the Additional District and Sessions Judge has sentenced nine persons to imprisonment in a trans-border heroin smuggling racket which surfaced here in 2015.

The court also issued summons to Leader of the Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira under Section 319 of the CrPC following an application from the prosecution. He has been told to appear on November 30.

Sources said the court had awarded punishment of 20 years each to Harbans Singh, Subhash Chander, Gurdev Chand, Gurdev Singh and Manjeet Singh.

Each convict has also been fined Rs 9 lakh. In case of their failure to deposit the fine, they shall have to undergo imprisonment of another two years.

Gurdev Singh is a former chairman of the Market Committee, Dhilwan.

Sonia, a dancer, has been sentenced to 10-year imprisonment, Manjit Singh six years, Sandeep, alias Shanty, and Nirmal Singh three years each.

These persons were arrested by the Jalalabad police on March 9, 2015, along with 2-kg heroin, 24 gold biscuits, one country-made pistol, two Pakistani SIM cards and a Tata Safari vehicle.

The police had filed a challan against the accused on September 16, 2015. The name of Khaira, former Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson, had then cropped up for his alleged association with Gurdev Singh.

Khaira had denied the allegations and claimed that then ruling party leaders were trying to malign his political image. His name did not figure in the challan.

When contacted today, Khaira said he was unaware of the development (issuing of the summons).
Tribune News Service

Nabha, October 31

Police on Tuesday arrested Bittu Singh, the contract killer in the Monik Jindal murder case.

Sources said Bittu had also been booked by Delhi Police earlier and had escaped from their custody.

Meanwhile, commission agents and police are at loggerheads over the purchase of four trolley-loads of paddy belonging to accused Sukhwinder Singh, who was arrested on Monday for the murder of Jindal.

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Commission agents refused to buy the paddy brought by the family of the accused. They raised slogans against the Kotwali SHO for allegedly pressing them to buy the paddy.

Markets in Nabha town also remained closed in support of the commission agents. The commission agents said they would not buy the paddy of the accused as they had lost a member of the association.

The accused instead of returning Rs 38 lakh to the victim had murdered him, they said.
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 31

The SGPC today unveiled portraits of three Sikh warriors  Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh, Lt Gen Harbaksh Singh and Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora  at its Central Sikh Museum in the Golden Temple complex today.

Throwing light on the valour of these soldiers, SGPC chief Kirpal Singh Badungar said the area from Beas to Amritsar would have been part of Pakistan had Lt Gen Harbaksh Singh and Marshal Arjan Singh not shown courage during the 1965 India-Pak war. Similarly, it was Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora in whose presence 93,000 Pakistani forces surrendered. Though as per Tashkand Pact 1966, the soldiers were released, but the Pakistani authorities never released Indian prisoners of war (PoWs). I appeal to PM Narendra Modi to approach the neighbouring country to ensure the PoWs release, he said.

Badungar said small handouts would be printed on the life and bravery of these soldiers to be distributed among SGPC-run educational institutions. To inspire the younger generation, we have decided to distribute these booklets among the children getting education in our 60 schools, 40 colleges and two engineering colleges and two universities, he said.

While the family members of these soldiers could not attend the ceremony, their former colleagues Surjit Singh from England and Subedar Dalbir Singh were present. The SGPC presented them siropas.

It is for the first time that the SGPC recognised the contribution of Indian Army soldiers. Established in 1958, the museum exhibits paintings of Sikh gurus, saints, Sikh warriors and other prominent Sikh leaders who have contributed to the community and religion.
PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 31

A day after the killing of Hindu Sangharsh Sena leader Vipin Sharma, the city police rounded up two suspects for interrogation, even as a special investigation team (SIT) headed by DCP (Investigation) Jagmohan Singh was formed to investigate the case.

Police Commissioner SS Srivastava said the police were looking into the alleged involvement of Sikh militant groups as well as gangsters.

Meanwhile, a protest by activists of various Hindu organisations disrupted rail and road traffic here in the afternoon. They initially refused to cremate the body till the government announced compensation of Rs 25 lakh and government jobs for Sharmas two children.

Late in the evening, the blockade was lifted and the cremation took place after senior police officers promised the protesters that their demands would be fulfilled.

Director General of Police (Law and Order) HS Dhillon held a meeting with senior police officials.
AT the present time educationists all over India and college students in particular are feeling very uncomfortable on account of the restraints placed by executive officials on the freedom of students and their zeal to study current political problems. Some of these restrictions are very stringent and college authorities are finding it impossible to set a careful watch over students' activities unless they do the work of regular spies and employ student-spies to watch their own comrades. The spirit of distrust and suspicion is spreading beyond its legitimate limits and marring the happy relationship which should prevail in educational institutions. In this connection our readers will be greatly interested to read the opinion of Professor Michael E. Sadler, the famous educationist of Leeds University, who has just arrived in India to preside over the Calcutta University Commission.
Washington, November 1

At least six people were killed and 15 others injured after a speeding truck plowed a Lower Manhattan bike path today.

The driver of the truck, hired from Home Depot, was arrested by the police not before he opened fires with his gun in his attempt to flee.

"The suspect is in custody," New York Police Department (NYPD) said.

The vehicle struck multiple people on the path, it said.

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"There are several fatalities and numerous people injured," the NYPD said. The local media, however, initially put the figures to six deaths and 15 injuries.

The vehicle continued south striking another vehicle.

"The suspect exited the vehicle displaying imitation firearms & was shot by NYPD," the police said. The NYPD was soon expected to address the media when the reports last came in.

Eyewitness Eugene Duff, 44, told New York Daily News that he saw white Home Depot truck run down a pair of CitiBike riders as the driver sped along the busy path off the Hudson River.

A police officer was apparently shot and suffered a minor injury.

A video apparently filmed at the scene and circulated online showed scattered bikes on the bike path and at least two people lying on the ground.

Both US President Donald President and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio had been briefed about the incident, their offices said. The office of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the governor was heading to the scene. - Agencies
Kabul, October 31

A suicide bomber in the Afghan capital Kabul killed as many as eight people and wounded many others, most of whom appeared to be workers leaving their offices at the start of the evening rush hour, witnesses and officials said on Tuesday.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack in Wazir Akbar Khan, a heavily fortified area of the city, which houses numerous foreign embassies and government buildings.

A Reuters television team counted eight people who appeared to have been killed, besides several wounded at the scene, which was shrouded in smoke from the explosion. All the casualties appeared to be Afghan civilians.

A public health official said three dead and 15 wounded had been taken to city hospitals but a security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said at least seven people had been killed and 21 wounded.

"The scene of the attack was covered in smoke and dust but I saw seven or eight vehicles loaded with dead and injured people coming out of the area," said Ali Nazari, the manager of a nearby travel agency.

The explosion came at a time of heightened security in Kabul following a series of attacks in October, including one on a Shi'ite mosque in the city that killed more than 50 people and a separate attack on an army training facility that killed at least 15 soldiers.

Security had already been stepped up considerably following a devastating truck bomb attack outside the German embassy on May 31 that killed at least 150 people, with a series of barriers and checkpoints across the central area of the city.

But a Kabul police spokesman said the blast appeared to have been caused by a suicide bomber on foot.

The target of the attack was not immediately clear but as well as foreign embassies, the area contains a defence ministry department dealing with foreign relations and several private businesses, including a barber and a travel agency.

Afghan and Western security officials have said in recent days that they expected more attacks in Kabul in response to pressure being exerted on the Taliban and other insurgent groups by increased US air strikes.

In recent months, the US has stepped up its campaign of air strikes as part of a new strategy aimed at reversing gains made by the Taliban and forcing the insurgents to seek peace talks with the Afghan government.

Western officials say the campaign has inflicted significant casualties on Taliban fighters in the provinces but say the battlefield losses may push the insurgents to attack Kabul and other high profile targets. Reuters
London, October 31

Britains foreign secretary has defended his predecessors role a century ago in paving the way for the creation of Israel, saying two sovereign states for Israelis and Palestinians remains the only viable solution for peace.

This Thursday marks the centenary of the Balfour Declaration-a 67-word letter from Britains then foreign secretary Arthur Balfour that threw Londons backing behind a homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine. The Balfour Declaration was issued on November 2, 1917.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to London to mark the anniversary. The statement remains controversial, setting off a chain of events that eventually led to Israels formation, the displacement of millions of Palestinians and decades of strife between the two communities that continues to this day.

I am proud of Britains part in creating Israel, current Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson wrote in the Telegraph newspaper on Sunday, adding the document was indispensable to the creation of a great nation.

But he warned that one of the key caveats of the Balfour Declaration-that the rights of non-Jewish communities shall be protected-has not been fully realised.

In the article, Johnson said he was writing his thoughts down in the same room Balfour used a century ago. He praised the 1917 letter for its incontestable moral goal: to provide a persecuted people with a safe and secure homeland.

London, he added, remained committed to a two-state solution. I have no doubt that the only viable solution to the conflict resembles the one first set down on paper by another Briton, Lord Peel, in the report of the Royal Commission on Palestine in 1937, and that is the vision of two states for two peoples, he wrote.

The borders, he added, should be as they were before the Six Day war in 1967, with Jerusalem a shared capital and equal land swaps to reflect the national, security, and religious interests of the Jewish and Palestinian peoples.

A century on, Britain will give whatever support we can in order to close the ring and complete the unfinished business of the Balfour Declaration, he wrote.  AFP
Kabul, October 30

At least eight militants have been killed in an Afghan forces' special operation in Logar province, said an official.

The raid was conducted on Sunday in Karwar district, and among those killed in the raid was a Taliban leader named Mukhtar, provincial governor spokesman Salim Salah told Xinhua.

Some arms and ammunition were also seized during the operation, according to the spokesman.

Afghan security forces have beefed up security operations against militants as Afghans have been witnessing a surge in attacks by Taliban and Islamic State (IS) militants across the country.  IANS
By PTI: New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) BJP MP Subramanian Swamy today opposed a move to make Aadhaar compulsory, saying it would be a threat to national security and be struck down by the Supreme Court.

Swamy said in a tweet he would write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue.

"I am writing a letter soon to PM detailing how compulsory Aadhaar is a threat to our national security. SC will I am sure strike it down," he tweeted.

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His Twitter post came a day after the Supreme Court said its constitution bench would start hearing a clutch of petitions challenging the Centres move to make the Aadhaar card -- which carries a 12-digit unique identity number -- mandatory for those wishing to avail themselves of services and benefits of government welfare schemes from the last week of November. PTI KR BDS

--- ENDS ---
Washington DC, October 31

A judge on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia has blocked President Donald Trump's memorandum banning transgender people serving in the military.

According to The Hill, the judge ruled on Monday that Trump's directive of changing the transgender policy back to what it was before June 2016 and banning new transgender recruits from enlisting cannot be enforced while the case is being reviewed in the court.

However, the judge denied the plaintiff's motion to block the ban on funds for gender reassignment surgery.

In a 76-page memo accompanying the ruling, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly wrote that it violates their Fifth Amendment right to due process.

The court finds that a number of factorsincluding the sheer breadth of the exclusion ordered by the directives, the unusual circumstances surrounding the President's announcement of them, the fact that the reasons given for them do not appear to be supported by any facts, and the recent rejection of those reasons by the military itself  strongly suggest that Plaintiffs' Fifth Amendment claim is meritorious, she wrote.

The plaintiffs in the case, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), celebrated the injunction Monday as a "complete victory."

This is a complete victory for our plaintiffs and all transgender service members, who are now once again able to serve on equal terms and without the threat of being discharged, Shannon Minter, NCLR's legal director, said in a statement.

This court saw straight through the smokescreen the government tried to create to hide the bias and prejudice behind Trump's change in military policy," added Jennifer Levi, director of GLAD's transgender rights project. "This clear, powerful ruling confirms that there is no legitimate reason to exclude transgender people from military service. Earlier in July, Trump had tweeted that transgender individuals would no longer be allowed to enlist or serve in the military.  ANI
Sydney, October 31

Australian private security on Tuesday vacated an asylum seeker detention centre in Papua New Guinea (PNG) ahead of its planned closure, detainees said, leaving about 600 refugees and asylum seekers barricaded inside and refusing to move.

Detainees are defying attempts by Australia and PNG to close the controversial Manus Island centre, saying they fear violent reprisals from the local community if they move to a transit centre.

Despite threats that water and power supply to the camp would be cut, asylum-seekers told Reuters after the deadline that half the camp still had power along with access to water.

The Manus centre has been a key part of Australias controversial Sovereign Borders immigration policy. The country refuses to allow asylum seekers arriving by boat to reach its shores, detaining them in camps in PNG and Nauru in the South Pacific.

Lawyers for some of the 600 men filed a last-minute lawsuit in PNG to prevent the camps closure and allow the men to be relocated to a third country. A ruling is expected tomorrow.

The detainees were left alone for the first time in more than four years after camp staff all left on Tuesday morning, Sudanese refugee Abdul Aziz told Reuters.

The camps impending closure is part of an Australian government plan to push refugees and asylum seekers to return to their home country, settle in PNG or move elsewhere, so dismantling part of the costly and controversial offshore detention programme.

The UN and rights groups have for years cited human rights abuses among detainees in the centres.  Reuters
River Spirit Casino Resort doesnt possess the pedigree of a Ritz-Carlton or Four Seasons.

But now it has some of the same swagger.

The American Automobile Association has awarded the Muscogee (Creek) Nation-owned hotel a Four Diamond rating, an honor given to only 6 percent of the AAA-approved properties in North America.

For a non-branded, independent, ground-up facility like this, this is really exceptional, Pat Crofts, CEO of Muscogee (Creek) Nation Casinos, said by telephone. If youre a Ritz-Carlton or a Four Seasons or a Mandarin Oriental or a Hyatt Regency  one of the luxury hotel chains  thats just in your DNA.

You design them that way. Your standards are that way. You expect that. But as an independent, you have to start from the ground up and set your own standards.

AAA, the worlds largest publisher of travel information and one of the worlds largest leisure travel agencies, rates more properties than any other entity. Lodging establishments and restaurants receive a rating of one to five diamonds.

AAA uses full-time, trained evaluators to conduct unannounced inspections of each property annually. According to AAA, a Four Diamond property is one that is refined, stylish with upscale physical attributes, extensive amenities, and high degree of hospitality, service and attention to detail.

The $365 million River Spirit Casino Resort opened the Margaritaville complex in August 2016, and music venue Paradise Cove and the resort pool opened in early 2017.

Crofts said he believes the 27-story, 483-room hotel was reviewed only three to four months after its December opening.

When we designed the building, we knew there are certain criteria and amenities you need to get a Four Diamond, he said of the hotel, which plays host to many regional and national conventions and trade groups. From day one, that was always one of our goals. It was expected but maybe not quite this soon.
Natural light streams into the store, leading past the floor-to-wall stacks and newsstand to the dark-wooded Algonquin Room.

This nod to the Algonquin Round Table  formed in the New York City namesake hotel where famous and infamous writers, journalists and actors met in the early 20th century to match wits  is meant to inspire.

Magic City Books, the anchor tenant of the Archer Building at Archer Street and Detroit Avenue in the Tulsa Arts District, is set for a soft opening in just a couple of weeks.

The store is owned by the nonprofit Tulsa Literary Coalition and will be the home of BookSmart Tulsa, a program of the coalition that has been hosting author events for nearly a decade.

It has grand beauty such as the Algonquin meeting room, full of heavy furniture and cozy wallpaper, and little details like the ceilings replica of the original design. Bistro tables will be set outside on nice days, and an indoor corner cafe will be selling drinks and snacks.

In the middle  the heart of the store  are books.

Last week, the indie bookstore received its first shipment of books  14,000 titles. Each was hand-picked over the course of months.

The basic idea of the bookstore is books for people to read, not books you look at, but books you use and read, said Jeff Martin, founder of BookSmart Tulsa and president of the board of the Tulsa Literary Coalition.

Sounds simple.

In practice, it means you wont find a book about building a deck. But you may find a nonfiction novel about a man living in the woods and observing wildlife and sunsets from a deck.

Think Bill Bryson, not Bob Vila, Martin says.

This is the first Tulsa independent bookstore offering new titles opening since Steves Sundry, Books and Magazines closed in December 2013. Decopolis Bookstore Toys and Gifts, 502 S. Boston Ave., opened in 2012.

Proceeds from Magic City Books will be supporting programs of the Tulsa Literary Coalition, which holds literature-related programming across the city.

Martin likens the store to the Circle Cinema, the nonprofit movie theater at 10 S. Lewis Ave. that uses film to enlighten the community about various issues and support local cinematic efforts.

Magic City Books will be hosting at least five book clubs, holding small author events and engaging with customers to help them find the perfect read. It will also help other organizations promote literary events.

Its all about individualized service in the name of sharing a love of reading.

When you buy a book here, youre doing something good, Martin said. We offer something you wont get any other way.

The store will have three full-time workers and 14 part-time staff, all who have experience in libraries or the retail book business.

Cindy Hulsey, executive director of the Tulsa Literary Coalition, retired after a career with the Tulsa City-County Library to take on the role at the nonprofit. She calls it a lifelong dream to oversee this type of store.

Magic City Books will tap into the literary city reputation Tulsa has earned through efforts of BookSmart Tulsa, the Oklahoma Center for Poets and Writers, and the library system, which have all brought leading authors to the city.

The aim wont be all high-minded literature. There will be plenty of room for lovers of romance, history, biographies, manly fiction and even Harry Potter.

Everyone has different places of entry, Martin said. If youre into mystery novels or food writing, we want to have something interesting here. If you get a passion in something, we want to help you follow it and maybe it will lead to other things.

To add to the hip vibe, the store will offer locally crafted beers, wines, coffees and teas along with light food.

The store is expecting swift foot traffic with a Holiday Inn Express being built across the street, the ONEOK Field located down the street and restaurants flanking all sides in the growing Tulsa Arts District.

The Archer Building, built in 1925, has mostly been a warehouse. The George Kaiser Family Foundation owns the building and leases space to the bookstore.

Lofts above the bookstore are occupied by the artists in the Tulsa Artist Fellowship, a national program also funded by the Kaiser foundation.

How cool would it be to live above a store like this as an artist? Martin said.

The name  Magic City  comes from the citys heyday of oil fortune and population boom around World War I and preceded the nickname Oil Capital of the World.

Magic City made it into a reference by President Harry Truman in a speech on Sept. 29, 1948, at the University of Tulsa and more recently by author Neil Gaiman in 2015. Some accounts have credited Gen. John Pershing with bestowing the name, calling Tulsa the Magic Empire as he boarded a plane for departure after the 1920 groundbreaking for what is now St. John Medical Center.

The name also sounds cool as a bookstore.

Everything will eventually come down to books, and the organizers know it.

We want books to spark discussion, Hulsey said. We want to show people who are at all levels of reading that they can dive deeper and get to another level of enjoyment. Through reading, you can gain great empathy, understand different cultures, and we want to show how beneficial reading for pleasure is.
The four hospitals requested the temporary restraining order after the insurance company told them it would slash provider reimbursement rates. One of the hospitals previously told The Oklahoman the rates would be cut by 30 percent for all services, except for those delivered in the emergency room. BCBS, which holds the greatest share of Oklahomas insurance market, has not publicly confirmed the rate proposals.
By PTI: (Eds: Correcting word in headline)

New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) The daily drug regimen for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB) under the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) was rolled out across all states today.

The Health Ministry yesterday held a meeting with all the state health secretaries, and mission directors to know about their preparedness to implement the new treatment policy.

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All drug procurement logistics and trainings have been completed by the states, a senior Health Ministry official said, adding some states have already implemented it.

Health Ministry officials also gave a presentation on the new treatment policy to the prime minister recently.

With the implementation of the daily drug regimen, there will be major shift in the treatment of tuberculosis.

The patients will be given fixed drug combinations (FDCs), three or four drugs in a single pill, on a daily basis instead of thrice a week (the intermittent drug regimen), the official said.

"Patients will be given fixed drug combinations (FDCs), three or four drugs in a single pill, as against seven tablets, which will reduce the pill burden. Besides, dosage will be determined according to the patients body weight. Previously it was same for all adults," the official said.

"Also, children suffering from tuberculosis wont have to take the bitter tablets anymore as they will be replaced with easily-dissolvable and flavoured drugs," said the official.

Since 1997, under the RNTCP, patients were being administered drugs thrice a week (the intermittent drug regimen).

"Daily treatment regimen is likely to be more effective with lesser relapses. This is expected to reduce drug resistance with greater compliance," the official said.

The World Health Organisation revised its TB management guidelines in 2010, recommending that the daily drug regimen be adopted under the RNTCP.

India topped the list of seven countries, accounting for 64 per cent of the 10.4 million new tuberculosis (TB) cases worldwide in 2016, according to a new global report which was released by the World Health Organisation yesterday.

Also, India along with China and the Russia accounted for almost of half of the 490,000, multi drug-resistant TB (MDR- TB) cases registered in 2016.

According to the report, under-reporting and under- diagnosis of TB cases continues to be a challenge, especially in countries with large unregulated private sectors and weak health systems.

Of the estimated 10.4 million new cases globally, only 6.3 million were detected and officially notified in 2016, leaving a gap of 4.1 million. India, Indonesia and Nigeria accounted for almost half of this global gap, the report stated. PTI PLB AAR

--- ENDS ---

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Third District Congressman Frank Lucas cautioned a crowd of Tulsa business leaders Monday to have patience when the draft of the new federal tax code is released later this week.

The road to a final vote includes multiple steps and debates that could significantly alter the document, Lucas said at the Tulsa Regional Chamber congressional forum held at the Doubletree Warren Place.

All bets are off until the public response, he said.

Lucas called tax reform the single biggest issue facing Congress.

The tax code was set in 1954 with a modification in 1986, he said. Each section has its own pros and cons, with factions battling for their vested interests.

Everything has been put there in the course of time by people with a targeted point of view, Lucas said. It will be an epic battle to address.

Lucas serves on three House committees: Agriculture; Financial Services; and Science, Space and Technology. Next year, he is up for a possible chairmanship on the latter two.

When asked which he would prefer, Lucas touted the merits of both, pointing out the science committee would be fun with the research resources in health and weather of particular interest to Oklahoma. That committee would also oversee NASA and some operations of the Environmental Protection Agency.

With former Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt now serving as head of the EPA and First District Congressman Jim Bridenstine nominated to run NASA, Lucas joked: Looking over the shoulders of my fellow Oklahomans would be fun.

Lucas then said the financial committee would be of better service to the state because it has oversight of banking, consumer protection, credit and securities and exchanges.

Its the place with the greatest economic impact on my constituency, he said.

Lucas said he has been to the White House three or four times in the past few months and watched President Donald Trump at live speaking events. He said those speaking events have shown that about 60 percent are from prepared text while 40 percent are from extemporaneous speech. He said Trump is not hesitant about jumping in to take action or change the tone on the spur of a moment.

Based on what Ive observed, yes, the Donald Trump you see is the Donald Trump you have  an action-oriented fella who says what he wants, when he wants in the way he wants, Lucas said.

Asked about the rifts between the political parties and factions within the Republican Party, Lucas said the environment is one where everyone seems to say everything they think in the moment.

Being civil is important, whether thats in D.C., down the turnpike or in Tulsa, Lucas said, which garnered applause.
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Brian Hecht of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will present a bass trombone recital at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 2 in Brown Auditorium.Dr. Richard Seiler, Professor of Music in the School of Visual and Performing Arts, will accompany Hecht on piano.Hecht will present a master class with the low brass studio at 11 a.m. in Emy-Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall.

S.E. Shires Custom Brass Instruments and The Band House from West Monroe will be exhibited in Biedenharn room 209 throughout the day.

All events are free and open to the public.

Hecht, a native of Dallas, joined the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in September 2013. Prior to that, Hecht held the bass trombone position with the United States Navy Band in Washington, D.C.

He has performed with other major ensembles throughout his career including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra (under the baton of Simon Rattle), San Francisco Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Naples Philharmonic, Washington National Opera, Lyric Opera of Baltimore, and the Kennedy Center Ballet.

He received his Master of Music from Northwestern University and earned his Bachelor of Music from the University of Texas at Austin.

Hecht has been on faculty at the Southeast Trombone Symposium in 2014, 2015 and 2016. He plays S. E. Shires Bass Trombones exclusively.

For more information, contact VAPA at 342-1414.
The rule comes amidst controversy over the debate of singing national anthem in movie halls.

By Ilma Hasan: Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said, there should be no debate over the National Anthem and that it should be sung proudly.

Speaking exclusively to India Today Sharma said, "This issue needs no debate. Without question every person should proudly recite it".

Sharma's comments come after the National Anthem debate once again hit the headline following Mayor of Jaipur, Ashok Lahoti's statement saying those who have a problem singing the anthem should go to Pakistan.

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When asked whether those who refuse to sing are anti-national, Sharma said, "Every Indian should recite the national anthem with pride, we need not have this discussion".

With politics peaking over this debate, leaders of the BJP had also accused the Congress of staying silent over the issue. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra had also tweeted, "Astonishing that Rahul Gandhi has time to talk about #Pidi but has no time to tweet on those Congress leaders questioning #MyIndiaMyAnthem".

On the Congress party the culture minister said, "Jan Gana Mana goes beyond politics. We should not be politicising the issue. It should be sung willingly irrespective of the party, religious or caste lines".

Earlier on Tuesday, Rajasthan's civis body had ordered all its employees to sing the national anthem in the morning, and Vande Mataram in the evening, even making attendance compulsory. The diktat also said that each employee has to stand as the the anthem will be sung at 9:50am every day and attendance will close after that.

According to Lahoti, "The song will develop a work culture, there would be positive energy".

The rule comes amidst controversy over the debate of singing national anthem in movie halls. After the Supreme Court last year made it compulsory for movie-goers to stand up before the show.

Interestingly, last week SC noted that "we don't have to wear patriotism on our sleeves".

--- ENDS ---
| By Patricia Fanning

The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) plays a role in three of the six teams that successfully competed for three-quarters of a million dollars from the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) to support incubator ideas.

TEDCO announced at the annual Entrepreneur Expo on Oct. 25 that it would award $125,000 to each of the six teams, which had emerged from a field of 51 applicants.

Collaborative teams from around the state had accepted the incubation challenge, which the quasi-public entity opened in June with a promise to give $300,000 to at least two teams. The challenge: Come up with innovative ways that incubators can encourage startups in Maryland.

After naming six finalists on Oct. 23, TEDCO delighted the competitors and the tech-transfer crowd at the Expo on Oct. 25 by funding all six teams. John Wasilisin, president of TEDCO, said its board members moved to fatten the prize to a total of $750,000 because the proposals were so strong.

The three teams with UMB input are: TrajectoryNext, Anchor Ventures, and a group led by Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (MTECH).

A faculty member of UMBs Graduate School, Jenny Owens, ScD, MS, presented at the Expo on behalf of TrajectoryNext along with two other collaborators: Jen Meyer, chief executive officer of BetaMore; and Meghan Wahler, FastForward program manager at Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures.

This new post-accelerator program will offer support and assistance to startups as they work to build up their teams and acquire new customers. UMB, Betamore, and FastForward, are among the partners.

The University System of Maryland, Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, and UM Ventures are partners in another winning team, Anchor Ventures, which proposes a monthly forum to assist entrepreneurs. UM Ventures is a joint initiative of University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State, bringing UMB and University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) together to commercialize discoveries.

The third winner with UMB ties is the MTECH-led group, which expects to create a program to help startups connect with corporations for partnerships. The Francis King Carey School of Laws Maryland Intellectual Property Legal Resource Center, which has offices in Baltimore and at UMCP, is a partner along with Bowie Business Innovation Center, Prince Georges Community College, Inncuvate Consulting, LLC, of Largo, Md., and Northrop Grumman.

The other finalists are the Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Centers F Tech Program; LaunchPort Accelerator, a program based in Baltimores Port Covington that focuses on medical device startups and is being launched by MVR Co. and the Quinn Group; and FounderTrac, a pre-pipeline incubator that piloted in Annapolis this year. The latter is a collaboration between Launch! Annapolis, MCVC Partners, Annapolis Ventures, and Maryland Tech Council.
Rohingya capsize survivors receive assistance near Imamerdail area of Ukhia south of Cox's Bazar.  UNHCR/Roger Arnold

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is deeply saddened by reports of a new shipwreck in the Bay of Bengal this morning in which at least four Rohingya refugees died when their boat capsized close to the southern Bangladesh shore. Others who were injured have been taken to local hospitals for immediate treatment.

UNHCR staff and our partners rushed to the scene to provide medical support, food, blankets and clothes to the survivors. According to survivors, six families - 42 people in total, many of them women and children - left on a fishing boat from Gozon Dia south of Maungdaw town in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state around 2 am. They ran into rough seas and approached shore in the Imamerdail area of Ukhia sub-district in Bangladesh around 8.30 am local time today.

At least four Rohingya refugees died when their boat capsized close to shore in southern Bangladesh.  UNHCR/Roger Arnold

Rohingya capsize survivors receive assistance near Imamerdail area of Ukhia south of Cox's Bazar.  UNHCR/Roger Arnold

According to survivors, 42 people  many of them women and children  left on a fishing boat from Gozon Dia south of Maungdaw town in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state.  UNHCR/Roger Arnold

UNHCR and our partners rushed to the scene to provide medical support, food, blankets and clothes to the survivors.  UNHCR/Roger Arnold

The boat was hit by large waves and eventually capsized, trapping some people underneath. A number were injured when they hit the engine. A 15-year-old boy died on the spot.  UNHCR/Roger Arnold

The boat was hit by large waves and eventually capsized, trapping people underneath. Several were injured when they hit the engine. A 15-year-old boy died on the spot. In all 22 injured people were rushed to hospitals and NGO clinics but three reportedly died en route. The remaining 19 were taken to UNHCR's transit centre near Kutupalong camp where they will receive further assistance and support. We will ensure that families are not separated in the course of the medical treatment.

UNHCR has been in touch with the Bangladesh authorities to ensure safe passage in a systematic and timely way and to step up efforts to rescue people in distress at sea.

For more information on this topic, please contact:
South Sudanese refugee Ariat Ochocka Odulla with her 18 day-old son Angakuny. Angakuny was amongst the first refugee children to receive a birth certificate in Ethiopia.  UNHCR/Diana Diaz

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, welcomes the launch of civil registration for refugees in Ethiopia. Starting today, all refugees in the country will be able to register their vital life events, including birth, death, marriage and divorce, directly with national authorities.

This is a historic first and a ground-breaking development for refugee protection in Ethiopia, not previously realized over decades.

Civil registration for refugees has been made possible following an amendment to an existing legislation. UNHCR and the UNs Children Agency (UNICEF) collaborated with the Government of Ethiopia in the preparation of the amendment.

It is one of the nine pledges made at the Leaders Summit held in New York in September 2016. Other commitments included to grant work permits to refugees, strengthen access to education, to allow a significant number of refugees to reside outside of refugee camps and to locally integrate long-staying refugees.

At the launch today, eleven refugees were issued with certificates in the capital Addis Ababa. Civil registration offices have also been established in each of the 26 refugee camps, as well as in the seven locations with a high concentration of refugees.

More than 70,000 refugee children born in Ethiopia over the last decade have not had their births registered and will soon be issued with birth certificates. Children born before the new law came into force can also now obtain a birth certificate retroactively.

Birth registration is an important protection tool  ensuring basic human rights, particularly in situations of displacement. It establishes a childs legal identity and can help prevent statelessness.

Civil registration is also important for policy development and planning in Ethiopias Development Agenda - in line with the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF). The framework aims to enhance refugee self-reliance and inclusion; provide refugees with better possibilities for solutions to their plights; and ease pressure on host countries. Ethiopia is also among the first countries to roll out CRRF.

Ethiopia currently hosts more than 883,000 refugees mainly from South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen.

For more information on this topic, please contact:
Latvia TV3 News Team has produced a documentary film about Hamid, an asylum seeker from Afghanistan who arrived in Latvia ten years ago when caught while transiting in Riga airport to another European country.

Cold weather, language barrier, financial difficulties and struggles to find work are the few challenges that refugees and asylum-seekers face in Latvia. Unable to find solutions, many leave to other EU countries. But in spite of going through tremendous difficulties, Hamid has stayed. He now calls Latvia home, has learned the language and would like to acquire the Latvian citizenship.

He tells about his long way to finding an accommodation and being able to learn, and also about the latest challenge: to become a citizen of Latvia in spite of a bureaucratic obstacles.

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Cameroonians flee separatist crackdown to Nigeria.  UNHCR/Hanson Ghandi Tamfu

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, together with the local authorities in Southeastern Nigeria, is assisting recently arrived Cameroonians seeking refuge and safety. Thousands have fled to Nigeria following renewed violence in Anglophone parts of Cameroon earlier in October.

Together with the Nigerian authorities, we have registered some 2,000 people so far, with the help of our local partners in various locations in Southeastern Nigeria. An additional 3,000 are awaiting registration, while more people might be trapped in forests on the Cameroonian side as they attempt to cross the border.

UNHCR and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) are distributing relief items in Nigerias Cross River State.

UNHCR/Nigeria teams are jointly visiting different locations to better assess the situation and register new arrivals. We have also delivered relief items such as mattresses and blankets, mosquito nets, cooking utensils or hygiene kits, as well as 40 tons of food. UNHCR will continue the distribution of relief materials in several locations this week.

UNHCR is working with the Nigerian government and other UN agencies on a contingency plan, readying humanitarian assistance for up to 40,000 people crossing into Nigeria. Our fear, however, is that 40,000 might actually be a conservative figure in a situation where the conflict might continue.

Nigeria and Cameroon are already grappling with one of the worlds worst humanitarian crises, with 2.5 million people displaced by Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad region. The current influx of Cameroonian seeking refuge in Nigeria poses additional challenges to the international community and burden to an already stretched assistance.

For more information on this topic, please contact:
At least four Rohingya refugees died when their boat capsized close to shore in southern Bangladesh.  UNHCR/Roger Arnold

GENEVA  At least four Rohingya refugees from Myanmar were killed when their boat capsized in rough seas early on Tuesday (Oct 31) in the Bay of Bengal near the coast of Bangladesh, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency said.

Injured survivors were taken to local hospitals for treatment, UNHCR spokesperson Babar Baloch told a press briefing in the Palais de Nations.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is deeply saddened by reports of a new shipwreck in the Bay of Bengal this morning in which at least four Rohingya refugees died when their boat capsized close to the southern Bangladesh shore, he said.

UNHCR staff and local partners had provided medical support, food, blankets and clothes to the survivors at the scene, Baloch added.

The boat was hit by large waves ... capsized, trapping people underneath.

According to survivors, six families  42 people in total, many of them women and children  left on a fishing boat from Gozon Dia, south of the town of Maungdaw in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state about 2:00 a.m.

They ran into rough seas and headed for the Bangladesh shore about 8:30 a.m.

The boat was hit by large waves and eventually capsized, trapping people underneath, Baloch said.

See also: Rohingya refugees build new homes on new site in Bangladesh

A 15-year-old boy died on the spot and 22 were injured, several when they hit the engine Three were reported to have died en route to hospital.

The remaining 19 injured were taken to UNHCR's transit centre near Kutupalong camp. We will ensure that families are not separated in the course of the medical treatment, Baloch said.

Rohingya capsize survivors receive assistance near Imamerdail area of Ukhia south of Cox's Bazar.  UNHCR/Roger Arnold

Rohingya capsize survivors receive assistance near Imamerdail area of Ukhia south of Cox's Bazar.  UNHCR/Roger Arnold

According to survivors, 42 people  many of them women and children  left on a fishing boat from Gozon Dia south of Maungdaw town in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state.  UNHCR/Roger Arnold

UNHCR and our partners rushed to the scene to provide medical support, food, blankets and clothes to the survivors.  UNHCR/Roger Arnold

The boat was hit by large waves and eventually capsized, trapping some people underneath. A number were injured when they hit the engine. A 15-year-old boy died on the spot.  UNHCR/Roger Arnold

One survivor, 50-year-old Amina, told UNHCR at the scene that she was related to the 15-year-old boy who died. His mother, nephew and another relative were receiving hospital treatment.

She said they had waited for a month in Gozon Dia for boats to take them to Bangladesh.

There were about two thousand of us there, she said. We were getting some food from NGOs but everyone was terrified of the military patrols that would sometimes take the girls away.

They were anxious to leave and, despite the dangers, she and others took their chance when a boat arrived late on Monday.

We left at two am. It was daylight when we came close to Bangladesh. We tried several times to approach the shore and get off the boat, but kept getting hit by the big waves.

Then the boat turned over and some people were trapped inside. Some swam to the shore."

UNHCR said it had been in touch with the Bangladeshi authorities to step up efforts to rescue people in distress at sea.
By PTI: By Gurdip Singh

Singapore, Oct 31 (PTI) A US-based air taxi service provider is planning to come up with unmanned aerial vehicles for business executives who face problem of massive traffic jams in Indian metro cities.

Vimana Global Inc, a blockchain-based air taxi service provider, said that it was working on a plan to provide aerial commuting solution for busy executives in major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai.

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Founder and CEO of the Delaware-based company, Evgeni Borisov said he sees the potential of deploying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as he prepares to market its prototype in international cities.

Noting that India was working on options to manage city traffic in major metros by introducing transportation modes such as seaplanes, boat-taxis and speed-boats, he said that vertical take-off and landing autonomous aerial vehicles (VTOL-AAVs) could also be an option.

"We have worked out daily aerial commuting solution for busy executives in major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai," he said.

Borisov has established an office here recently.

He said VIMANA would be holding demonstration flights in Dubai, Singapore, Tokyo, Dallas and Toronto.

Borisov also said that a number of parts for the first prototype have been produced in India.

"We aim to manufacture some parts for the vehicle under the Make in India initiative as it will help us keep the cost of vehicle low and compete with vehicular traffic," he said.

"Business executives are looking for ways to reduce their time in traffic jams in major cities, and we have a solution in place," he said.

VIMANA aims to use blockchain to enable management of its UAVs, while turning UAVs into blockchain nodes and thus creating a ubiquitous blockchain-based air traffic control system across Class Bravo (ground to 2,000 meters) urban airspace around the world.

In a blockchain system, transactions made between two parties are recorded chronologically and publicly in an open digital leader.

A team of aerospace engineers, led by Borisov, is currently developing a two- and four-seater unmanned aerial vehicle. PTI GS SMJ

--- ENDS ---
Participants at the Run for Unity, conducted by ESI Hospital on the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel on Tuesday in New Delhi. (Photo: Rames Sharma)

By Mail Today Bureau: Bringing together doctors from different departments, ESI Hospital on Tuesday conducted a its first-ever "Run for Unity" to mark Rashtriya Ekta Diwas.

The hospital celebrated National Unity Day with the inaugural run for two kilometres around the hospital.

The hospital also organised an exhibition-cum-health check-up camp, which was followed by a quiz on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

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In addition to this, before the run, the staff took the "Rashtriya Ekta Diwas pledge," which was led by director general IAS Rajkumar. The doctors solemnly pledged to dedicate themselves to preserving the unity, integrity and security of the nation, and to strive to spread this message among their fellow countrymen.

"I take this pledge in spirit of unification of my country which was made possible by the vision and action of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel," the doctors echoed in a celebratory mood on Vallabhbhai Patel's birthday.

The camp had a free health check-up facility.

--- ENDS ---
As smoke of hookahs in the Capital continues to grow thick, Delhi government has asked police and MCD to crack down on places serving hookah.

By India Today Web Desk: In a crackdown on Delhi's hookah bars, the Delhi government today asked the police and municipal corporations to cancel the licences of restaurants, eateries and hotels where hookah smoking is allowed.

As per the Section 4 of COTPA (Cigarette & other Tobacco Products Act); Prohibition of Smoking in Public Areas, one is not allowed to smoke in public areas.

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The Delhi Government has asked Delhi Police and the BJP-ruled Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to crack down on bars and restaurants that are serving hookah in the Capital.

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said that hookah smoking was not allowed in either non-smoking or even smoking zones in the national capital.

Jain has said that Delhi Police and municipal corporations should immediately cancel the licences of restaurants or eateries having hookah bars.

"The minister has made it clear that hookah smoking is not allowed in non smoking zone as per section 4 of COTPA (Cigarette & other Tobacco Products Act)," the government said in a statement.

It said that a recent notification of the Indian government GSR 500(E) dated May 23, 2017, from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, completely prohibits use of hookah in the smoking zones also.

Series of letters have been written to Delhi Police and MCD in the last four years to initiate action against these illegally running hookah bars and save the younger generation from the harmful effects of tobacco.

However, the action is yet awaited and the smoke of hookahs still lingers in many parts of Delhi.

"However, the action is yet awaited and the violations are still going on in many parts of Delhi. It has been noticed that hookah smoking is rampant in restaurants/eateries/hotels in metropolitan cities including Delhi these days, and has unfortunately become status symbol even in family functions," the statement said.

CDC ON HOOKAH

The government stated that as per the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an hour-long hookah session comprises 200 puffs compared to 30 puffs in a cigarette, but a number of hookah bars have been "flourishing" and flouting anti-tobacco rules and laws.

The government said that the state tobacco control cell has conducted several raids in various parts of the city.

"Chemical analysis of picked up samples have shown presence of nicotine in significant amount in almost all the samples though originally they were claimed to be herbal in nature," the statement said.

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THEN VS NOW

Government said that unlike in earlier times where hookah was mostly used by the village elders, it has now gained popularity among the youth.

People consider hookah as a safe alternative to smoking without realising that it is even more harmful and has an adverse impact on their health, it said.

--- ENDS ---
Registration timings will now begin at 7.30 am and end at 12 noon. The Delhi government hasn't changed the extended OPD timings: 8 am to 2 pm.

On October 9, the AAP-led Delhi government issued a notice announcing the extended timings of the OPD from 8 am to 2 pm.

By Priyanka Sharma: The Delhi government has reduced the OPD registration timings by 1 hour.

Now, the registration timings will be from 7.30 am to 12 noon. However, the Delhi government didn't change the extended OPD timings: 8 am to 2 pm.

The AAP-led government made this change to manage the crowd of patients at the OPD.

In its October 9 order, the government had extended the timings, saying the facilities would be functional from 8am to 2 pm to avoid crowding.

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The earlier timings were 9am to 1pm, while the OPD registration timings were from 8:30 am to 12 noon.

DOCTORS' PROTEST

At least 15,000 resident doctors across all the state-run hospitals have been protesting against the government's decision by wearing black ribbons at work and shutting down health care services.

On Tuesday, the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA), an umbrella body of the resident doctors of the city government hospitals, threatened to shut down the emergency and OPD services by not going to work if their concerns were not addressed

"A meeting was held between the FORDA and principal secretary health in connection with the proposed strike regarding the matter. It has been decided that from now on the OPD registration timings would be 7.30 am to 12 noon. It has been reduced by an hour. However, the OPD clinics would function as usual from 8 am to 2 pm, but now we have a 45-minute lunch break for the attending doctors," Dr Vivek Chouksey, president of the FORDA, told Mail Today.

He added that previously, doctors did not have lunch break timings during OPD sessions.

"The precise timings of the lunch break would be decided by medical superintendents in consultations with respective HODs as per the mutual convenience of the attending doctors," said Dr Chouksey.

A senior doctor on the condition of anonymity told Mail Today, "The extended OPD timings were seriously hampering the doctor mental health too."

"Earlier, doctors used to sit in the OPD at least till 4 pm in the evening till he sees all his patients, now the timings were increasing further. Also, he was unable to sit for his special OPD clinics as the extended timings started to crash."

'GOOD DECISION'

"It is (a) good decision that government is working to shorten the overcrowed OPD rush, these issues can also be solved by recruiting more doctors, pharmacists and putting up more registration counters," Dr Chouksey said.

Dr J C Passey, Director of Lok Nayak Hospital, who attended the meeting, said that from now on the registration for special clinics would be 1 pm to 2 pm.

"All the changes in the timings will now apply to teaching as well as non-teaching hospitals," he said. The Lok Nayak Hospital sees at least at least 1500 patients in casualty and 7500 patients in OPD.

--- ENDS ---

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UW Student with Meningitis Doing Well; Exact Type of Infection Undetermined

Additional testing was unable to determine the type of meningitis contracted by a University of Wyoming student, UW officials say.

The student remains in the hospital and is doing well. A complete recovery is expected.

As a precautionary measure, all individuals who had close, personal contact with the student before hospitalization Oct. 25 have been contacted and offered preventive treatment by UW and the Wyoming Department of Health.

The vast majority of students, faculty and staff at the university do not need to be concerned or take any special precautions.

Meningitis is a disease caused by the inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord known as the meninges. The inflammation is usually caused by an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis may develop in response to a number of causes, usually bacteria or viruses. The severity of illness and treatment differ depending on the cause.

The symptoms of meningitis include fever, headache and stiff neck. Additional symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to light and a confused mental state.

Any student who is concerned he or she may have meningitis should contact the UW Student Health Service. Faculty and staff members should contact their personal clinicians office, the Albany Community Health Clinic, an urgent care facility or the Ivinson Memorial Hospital emergency room.

The Student Health Service is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Thursday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. For questions or to schedule an appointment, call (307) 766-2130. An after-hours nurse advice line also is available to students at (307) 766-2130.

People with general questions or concerns about this situation should call the Dean of Students Office at (307) 766-3296.

Additional information on meningitis may be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov/meningitis/index.html.
Government officials referred to this move as a final warning to bars and lounges serving hookah before taking stern action.

By Arpan Rai: The state government's decision to ban hookah bars has invoked a bittersweet response among Delhiites.

While the medical fraternity has lauded the move, major bars are staring at huge losses. In line with earlier orders amid strict inspection in hookah bars, health minister Satyendra Jain has now asked Delhi Police and municipal corporations to immediately cancel the licences of restaurants and bars serving hookah.

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"A series of letters have been written to Delhi Police and MCDs in the last four years to initiate action against illegal hookah bars and save the younger generation from the harmful effects of tobacco. However, the action is yet awaited and violations are still on in many parts of Delhi," Jain said.

Maintaining that the state tobacco control cell has conducted several raids across Delhi, the minister said chemical analysis of hand-picked samples have shown presence of nicotine in significant amount in almost all the samples, though originally they were claimed to be herbal in nature.

Attesting the claim, Dr Vikas Maurya from Fortis Hospital said, "Smoke from hookah goes directly into the lungs, down till the trachea. As a result, college students and youngsters are coming to our emergency wards as early as four in the morning with breathing difficulties."

Doctors in the Capital have also expressed growing concern with adulteration in hookah. "Youngsters smoke hookah without knowing the additives. It not only makes the smoke carcinogenic, but the very combination of hookah, alcohol and non-vegetarian food can be harmful to the health," he added.

Government officials referred to this move as a final warning to bars and lounges serving hookah before taking stern action. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a one-hour-long hookah session comprises 200 puffs compared to 30 puffs in a cigarette.

Expressing helplessness, Harry, general manager of Lord of the Drinks chain, said, "This move will slash our business by 25 per cent. The dent is inevitable because we had grown accustomed to serving hookah on almost every table, be it couples or college students.

In fact, we witness 6-7 cancellations or customers exiting our bar if we cannot offer hookah due to unavailability." He further said they are serving hookah along with alcohol only to meet the growing demands.

--- ENDS ---
Storm "Hewart" had on Sunday (Oct 29) pounded the region with cold rains and heavy winds, downing trees and flooding coastal areas and the German port city of Hamburg while leaving 200,000 people without power in western Poland.

In Germany, emergency workers were on Monday trying to move a stranded freighter off a sandbank near the East Frisian island of Langeoog in the North Sea. None of the 22 crew were hurt and the ship was intact, authorities said.

German police also raised the nationwide death toll from the storm to three, some three weeks after storm "Xavier" killed seven people in northern and eastern Germany.

A 56-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman died after a pleasure boat on Sunday sank in rough waters in the Peenestrom Inlet on the Baltic coast, where another man, also 48, remained missing.

Police had earlier reported that a 63-year-old man drowned when a flash flood hit a campsite in Jade Bay on the North Sea.

In the Czech Republic, falling trees killed a woman in a forest near the central city of Trebic and an elderly man on a street in Jicin northeast of Prague.

In Poland, a driver died after crashing his car into a fallen tree branch near the northwestern city of Szczecin, and another was killed when a branch hit his car in the western city of Opole.
You can take a tour of the city with renowned experts over 11 days.

By Indo-Asian News Service: Aim to generate curiosity for the lesser known, appreciation for the unfamiliar, nostalgia for the outgoing and new possibilities for the national capital's future, the third edition of the Delhi Walk Festival is all set to help people take a tour of the city.

To be organized by Salt Experiential Marketing, the festival will run from November 2 to November 12.

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Over a span of 11 days, 170 walks will be led by renowned experts.

It is expected to celebrate the vibrancy and multiplicity of this fast transforming city while dwelling into its history, composite culture and myriad narratives.

Also Read: Gud (jaggery) is the only thing that can save your lungs from Delhi's air now

The organizations and individuals leading the walks include -- Sohail Hashmi, Sadia Dehlvi, Delhi Karavan, Aanchal Malhotra, Bombay Natural History Society, Darwesh, Baldev Gulati, Madhav Raman, Street Art Foundation, Delhi Food Walks, Delhi Bird Foundation, GointheCity, Sair-e-Nizamuddin, Seek Sherpa, Purani Dilli Walo Ki Baatein and Vicky Roy among others.

There is also a good number of celebrities who will be part of the festival. These include politician Aruna Roy, historian William Dalrymple, novelist Shahzi Zaman and director M.K Raina.

Also Read: #DelhiPollution: How you can save your lungs and skin from Delhi's air

"The DWF (Delhi Walk Festival) is obviously about walking. Walk -- to discover, to get lost, to learn, to unlearn, to know your city better. But mostly walk to find yourself through these myriad frameworks of urban existence," Festival Director Aastha Chauhan said in a statement.

"We are looking forward to taking this festival to other cities. Bangalore, Mumbai, and Jodhpur are on the cards," she added.

This edition has special walks that acknowledge and celebrate the female flaneur and the differentially abled.

--- ENDS ---
Production at the Nam Dinh Textile Garment Jsc.s factory in Nam Dinh City. - VNA/VNS Photo Hien Hanh

The CIEM reported that since 1992, Viet Nam has equitised over 4,500 enterprises, though the process has yet to meet the economys growth rate, with some targets missed, including subpar sales of shares to investors.

The number of strategic investors participating in SOEs equitisation has been lower than expected, and attracting strategic shareholders is crucial in accelerating SOEs restructuring process, said Pham Duc Trung, Head of CIEMs Corporate Development and Reform Department.

Trung also commented that the National Assembly set 2017s goal for SoE equitisation and divestment at the VND60 trillion (US$2.67 million) mark.

In the first nine months of 2017, estimated total equitised and divested value was about VND12 trillion ($534,000), with roughly half coming from equitisation.

In summation, most State level corporations and State-owned enterprises have not been successful in attracting strategic shareholders.

As reported by the CIEM and the State Securities Commission, results from SoEs sale of shares have not achieved the estimated goal of reducing the level of state budget in SoEs charter capital and attracting private investment instead.

The State still holds 81 per cent of total shares across SoEs, leaving the level of private investors involvement at only 9.5 per cent, as compared to the desired 16.7 per cent, with strategic investors participation at an even lower level of 7.3 per cent, not even half the designated level of 15.8 per cent.

Reports from 46 corporations approved equitisation process for the period from 2011 to 2016 shows that total charter capital of these 46 corporations reached VND171.2 trillion ($7.6 billion), of which the total charter capital held by the State accounted for 73 per cent, while strategic shareholders only held 16.57 per cent of total charter capital.

Furthermore, the percentage of SoEs shares sold to foreign investors was just 8.7 per cent across these 46 enterprises.

According to Trung, there are five reasons why strategic shareholders are not interested in the equitisation of Vietnamese SoEs, causing difficulties for SoEs to find strategic shareholders and slowing down the equitisation process.

The biggest obstacle named by the CIEM is the States tight control over the ownership ratio of foreign strategic shareholders, thus reducing investment incentives for shareholders as they do not guarantee the right to these corporations business management.

Other reasons include unreasonable evaluation of enterprises and prices of their stocks, lack of attractiveness towards strategic shareholders, lack of openness, transparency of information, and a complex, rigid selling method.

According to Adam Sitkoff, Managing Director of the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) in Ha Noi, foreign investors want to participate in equitisation in Viet Nam but have been deterred by unresolved issues in the matters listed above.

Nguyen Dinh Cung, Director of CIEM, said that for SoEs to attract strategic shareholders, it is necessary to change their thinking towards the perspective of investors instead of administrative authority.
Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont smiles as he speaks to residents in Girona on October 28, 2017. Catalonias secessionist leader defiantly called for democratic opposition to direct rule imposed by the central government on the semi-autonomous region after its parliament declared unilateral independence. / AFP PHOTO / Eddy Kelele

Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont smiles as he speaks to residents in Girona on October 28, 2017. Catalonias secessionist leader defiantly called for democratic opposition to direct rule imposed by the central government on the semi-autonomous region after its parliament declared unilateral independence. / AFP PHOTO / Eddy Kelele

Upping the ante in the EU country's biggest crisis in decades, Spain's chief prosecutor said he was seeking charges including rebellion and sedition against the Catalan leaders, sacked by Madrid on Friday.

Jose Manuel Maza said the officials "caused an institutional crisis that led to the unilateral declaration of independence (by the Catalan parliament) carried out on Oct 27 with total contempt for our constitution".

Meanwhile, there was so far no sign of Catalonia's dismissed regional president Carles Puigdemont. A Spanish government source told AFP that the 54-year-old was in Brussels.

Rebellion is punishable by up to 30 years in prison. A court now has to decide whether to accept the case against the leaders and bring charges.

On Sunday Belgium's immigration minister suggested Puigdemont could receive asylum in Belgium on the grounds that he might not get a fair trial in Spain. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel later insisted that was "not on the agenda."

Puigdemont on Saturday urged "democratic opposition" to Madrid's effort to take control of his region.

CLEAR YOUR DESKS

Puigdemont maintains that the result of an independence referendum on Oct 1 - outlawed by Spain's top court - gave the wealthy northeastern region a mandate to declare it was seceding from Spain.

All eyes on Monday were on the regional government building in Barcelona - where the Spanish flag was flying - to see whether Puigdemont or members of his former administration would appear.

Catalan police, now under orders from Madrid, have been told they can allow the dismissed leaders to enter the government headquarters in Barcelona, but only to clear their desks.

One member of the dismissed government, Josep Rull, tweeted a photo of himself "at the office" doing his job as a regional minister. Press reports said he left again shortly afterwards.

Late on Friday the Spanish Senate gave Madrid the power to impose direct rule on Catalonia under Article 155 of the constitution, the first time this so-called "nuclear option" has been applied.

That followed the unilateral declaration of independence by Catalonia's parliament the same day. Madrid took control of key powers and fresh Catalan elections were called for Dec 21.

A spokesman for Puigdemont's party PDeCAT said Monday that it would take part in the election. There had been speculation that it might boycott the vote.

'PSYCHOLOGICAL WAR'

Puigdemont's deputy Oriol Junqueras this weekend called Madrid's move a "coup d'etat", defiantly still signing off in a Catalan newspaper as the region's "vice-president".

But the international community including the European Union, struggling with Brexit and other challenges, has largely spurned the independence declaration and has united behind Madrid.

Donald Tusk, EU president, said Friday that Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, 62, "remains our only interlocutor".

Spain's Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis told Britain's Sky News on Sunday it was "hard to see" how Puigdemont and the others would go on government, saying that "reality is sinking in".

Sergi Sabria, a spokesperson for the separatist ERC party, appeared to agree on Monday, saying: "For now our republic is not fully able to impose itself the way that we would like."

But Sabria said that they would not give up and a separatist source described the situation as the "beginning of a psychological war" with Rajoy's government.

"What we have to do is to resist Article 155, in a symbolic manner of course, and to show that the (Spanish) state's power here is weak and cannot totally impose itself," the source said.

DEMO FOR UNITY

With its own language and distinct culture, Catalonia accounts for about 16 percent of Spain's population and a fifth of the eurozone country's economy.

After Friday's declaration of independence, Catalan lawmakers hugged and sang the Catalan anthem. The session was beamed onto giant screens outside and a crowd of 15,000 cheered every "yes" vote.

But on Sunday it was the turn of supporters of a united Spain, with hundreds of thousands taking to the streets of the Catalan capital Barcelona, waving Spanish and European flags and chanting "Viva Espana".

Municipal police said the crowd numbered about 300,000. Organisers said 1.3 million turned out and the central government's representative in Catalonia put the figure at one million.

The referendum "was an act of madness that has brought us to the brink," said Alex Ramos, the vice-president of Societat Civil Catalana, a group opposed to independence that organised the rally.

"The streets don't belong just to the separatists," he added.
Vietcombank is selling its holdings in Saigonbank and CFC

The bank will auction 13.2 million shares (4.3 per cent stake) in Saigonbank at the initial price of VND12,550 ($0.55) and 6.6 million shares (10.91 per cent stake) in CFC at the initial price of VND11,549 ($0.51).

The banks spokesperson announced that the auctions will be held in November.

With these initial prices, the bank is forecast to collect VND165.66 billion ($7.29 million) from Saigonbank and VND76.22 billion ($3.35 million) from CFC.

Up to December 31, 2016, these two investments amounted to VND123.45 billion ($5.43 million) and VND70.95 billion ($3.12 million).The divestment scheme was part of the banks proposals at the annual general shareholders' meeting (AGM) in April 2017.

In the AGM, Nghiem Xuan Thanh, Vietcombanks chairman of the board of directors, asserted that the low bidding price hindered the bank to carry out the disinvestment scheme at Saigonbank, CFC, and Oriental Commercial Joint Stock Bank (OCB).

Thanh also added that the bank is still in possession of stakes in five other credit institutions, in three of which Vietcombanks stakes exceed the stipulated holding amount of 5 per cent.

Another issue brought up at the AGM was that a financial institution is not allowed to possess stakes in more than two credit institutions, which is the reason behind the divestment in Saigonbank and CFC.

As a follow-up of the disinvestment in Saigonbank and CFC, Vietcombank handed over a proposal to divest from Eximbank.

If successful, the proceeds from the divestment could reach VND700 billion ($30.814 million).

According to the latest financial report of Saigonbank, the bank witnessed a remarkable growth in financial performance in recent years.

In the first two quarters in 2017, the banks net profit reached VND128 billion ($5.63 million), and its chartered capital of VND3.080 trillion ($135.58 million).

CFC has a total chartered capital of VND650 billion ($28.613 million), with Vietnam Cement Industrial Corporation (VICEM) being the largest stakeholder (39 per cent). In the first two quarters of 2017 the bank earned an accumulated net profit of VND5 billion.

At the moment, Vietcombank holds 8.19 per cent of the stakes in Eximbank, 7.16 per cent in MBB, and 5.07 per cent in OCB.
Viettel Group's construction arm has received permission to be listed

The first transaction day will be October 31, 2017, with the reference price of VND26,000 ($1.14).

In April 2010, the company put 6.15 million shares on sale at its initial public offering (IPO) with the initial price of VND10,000 ($0.44) apiece. The entire share volume on offer was sold at the average price of VND14,484 ($0.65). The company started operations under the JSC model in June 2010 with the initial chartered capital of VND238 billion ($10.4 million), 72 per cent of which was owned by Viettel Group.

After five years, the companys chartered capital increased to VND471 billion ($20.6 million). As of September 7, 2017, Viettel held a 73.2 per cent stake in the company.

Viettel Construction JSChas constructed the telecommunication infrastructure of Viettel Group with about 50,000 base transceiver stations (BTS) and about 140,000 kilometres of optical fiber in Vietnam, and Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Haiti, Peru, Mozambique, Cameroon, Burundi, and Tanzania, among others.

In recent years, the company reported consecutive increases in its revenue. Notably, it earned VND1.53 trillion in revenue and VND110 billion ($4.8 million) in after-tax profit in 2015 and the figures hit VND1.68 trillion ($73.7 million) and nearly VND100 billion ($4.4 million) in after-tax profit in 2016. In the first half of this year alone, it earned VND1.27 trillion ($55.7 million) in revenue and VND48.2 billion ($2.1 million) in after-tax profit.

As of late June, the company had total assets of VND1.96 trillion ($85.9 million) and VND634 billion ($28.2 million) of equity capital.
The Army will help in rebuilding the bridge at Elphinstone Road station in Mumbai, where 23 people were killed and 35 others injured in a stampede last month.

By Virendrasingh Ghunawat: A month after 23 people were killed in a rush-hour stampede at Mumbai's Elphinstone Road station, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited the site today to take stock of the situation and announced that the Army would help the Railways construct the bridge there on a war footing.

Sitharaman was accompanied by Railways Minister Piyush Goyal and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

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Goyal said three new railway bridges will be built at some of the busiest stations in Mumbai to avoid another Elphinstone-like tragedy. In a first, the government said the Indian Army will help rebuild the bridge at the busy railway station.

Bridges will be built in cooperation with the Army at Elphinstone Road, Currey Road and Ambivali by January 31, 2018, Goyal tweeted.

Sitharaman said, "The Army has come and seen, inspected and assessed where the bridge is going to be built. They will be there at every stage of the work from planning to execution. The call on seeking the Army's cooperation was taken in the wake of the urgency of the matter as the Army had its role at the borders. It is probably the first time the Army has been asked to come in to build what could otherwise be called civil work, but the Elphinstone tragedy was so big."

Goyal said that he was thankful to Sitharaman and the Indian Army for agreeing to help the Indian Railways in building the three bridges. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "After the Elphinstone stampede incident, we had asked for help from the armed forces, and the Defence Minister agreed to the same. Three bridges will be constructed by January 31."

Fadnavis said that Bharatiya Janata Party Mumbai's President Ashish Shelar had proposed construction of the new foot overbridge (FoB) on a war-footing.

Twenty-three people were killed and 35 others injured in a stampede that broke out on a narrow and crowded footover bridge linking Elphinstone Road and Parel suburban stations on September 29.

ALSO WATCH

--- ENDS ---
The Byzantine Empire and its provinces at the death of Basil II in 1025 AD

Source: wikimedia.org

Basil II was a Byzantine Emperor from the Macedonian dynasty who reigned from 10 January 976 to 15 December 1025. He was known in his time as Basil the Porphyrogenitus and Basil the Young to distinguish him from his supposed ancestor, Basil I the Macedonian. He was the second longest reigning emperor after his brother Constantine VIII whom he named co-emperor in 962 but outlived him by 3 years.

The early years of his long reign were dominated by civil war against powerful generals from the Anatolian aristocracy. Following their submission, Basil oversaw the stabilization and expansion of the eastern frontier of the Byzantine Empire, and above all, the final and complete subjugation of Bulgaria, the Empires foremost European foe, after a prolonged struggle. For this, he was nicknamed the Bulgar-Slayer, by which he is popularly known. At his death, the Empire stretched from southern Italy to the Caucasus and from the Danube to the borders of Palestine, its greatest territorial extent since the Muslim conquests four centuries earlier. His reign is therefore often seen as the medieval apogee of the Empire.

Despite near-constant warfare, Basil also showed himself a capable administrator, reducing the power of the great land-owning families who dominated the Empires administration and military, while filling the Empires treasury. Of far-reaching importance was Basils decision to offer the hand of his sister Anna to Vladimir I of Kiev in exchange for military support, which led to the Christianization of the Kievan Rus and the incorporation of later successor nations of Kievan Rus within the Byzantine cultural and religious tradition.

Related posts:

 The rise and fall of the Byzantine Empire (602  1450)

 Languages of the Byzantine Empire (580 AD)
Over the last few years, the CIA has supported secessionist movements in favour of the Luo people in Kenya, the Kurds in Iraq and the Catalans in Spain. These groups, which still believed only recently that they could create new artificial independent States, have been abandoned by the United States since Donald Trumps arrival at the White House, and are now on the brink of collapse.

United States - secession, entirely at the service of organised pillage

The United States have always maintained a variable concept of the right of peoples to self-determination.

In 1861, Washington would not accept the will of the Southern States to continue living as a Confederation, while the Northern States intended to impose a Federation with customs duties and a single central Bank. As soon as he was elected to the White House, President Abraham Lincoln put down the secession. It was only during the civil war that followed that the moral question of slavery progressively identified the two sides. It is very easy today to forget the million people who died in this war and condemn the Confederates as racists, while at the beginning of the conflict the question of slavery had nothing to do with it, and the Federation also included several  slave  states.

During the construction of the Panama Canal, just before the First World War, Washington invented a Panamanian people, supported their movement to separate from Colombia, and was the first country to recognise their independence. Washington then installed an important military base and took over the construction of the Canal, de facto, right under the noses of the French investors. As for the pseudo independence, President Omar Torrijos, who renegotiated the sovereignty of the Canal in 1977, never saw it come to fruition, and was murdered in a plane crash. The Chief of Staff, General Manuel Noriega, never saw it either, when Washington decided to get rid of him at the end of the war against the Sandinistas (Iran-Contras). Accused of having been responsible for the death of a US soldier in 1989, he was imprisoned by the United States Army, and his country was then devastated during Operation  Just Cause  (sic).

Washington therefore has no moral authority concerning the right of people to self-determination.

Kenya - the  good use  of racism

Kenya has only been independent for 53 years. Despite the influence of the Communist Party during the struggle for independence, the population remains organised along tribal lines. From then on, the conflict opposing outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta and his perennial challenger, Raila Odinga, has been a rivalry between the Kikuyus, who represent 22 % of the population, and the Luos, who represent only 13 %, but who, allied with the Kalenjins, can unite 24 % of the electorate. Over the last few years, the majority has been fluctuating ceaselessly with every change in the ephemeral alliance between the Luos and the Kelanjins. Historically, it was above all the Kikuyus who obtained the independence of their country and had to face, in the 1950s, the terrifying barbarity of the British repression [1]. It was the Kikuyus who won the Presidency in 1964, with Jomo Kenyatta. He chose as his Prime Minister a Luo leader, Oginga Odinga, who stood with him against apartheid and the monopolisation of the agricultural lands by the colonists. However, the tandem did not work, and now, half a century later, they are faced with an enduring conflict which sets their children one against the other.

Any political reading of this rivalry quickly reaches its limits, because the leaders of both sides have frequently changed their minds and their alliances  the only constant fact being their ethnic difference. No democracy can function in a tribal or ethnic society, and it takes a minimum of a century to evolve from clan-based allegiance to personal responsibility. Everyone must therefore accept Kenya for what it is  a society in transition within which neither ethnic nor democratic rules can fully function.

In 2005, the Kikuyu President formed an alliance with China. In reaction, the CIA gave its support to his Luo opponent. When they discovered that a US parliamentarian was a Luo, and that his father had been an advisor for Oginga Odinga, the CIA organised a trip to Kenya in support of Raila Odinga. Inserting himself into local political life, the senator from Illinois, Barack Obama, held electoral meetings with Raila in 2006, and went so far as to affirm that he was his cousin [2].

Since the United States organised a vast provocation by sending racist SMS messages to the Luos when the results of the Presidential elections were made public, and events degenerated, causing the death of more than a thousand people and 300,000 displaced, this operation has been expunged from memory.

Cambridge Analytica (CA), a firm close to the Pentagon which participated in the US campaign of Ted Cruz and then that of Donald Trump, acted as the advisor to Uhuru Kenyatta during the Presidential campaigns of 2013 and 2017 (in other words, while Steve Bannon was briefly a share-holder of the company) [3]. As for Odinga, he called on Aristotle Inc., a company which is possibly linked to the assassination of Chris Msando, the number 2 of the IT service of the electoral committee, who was killed by persons unknown on 29 July [4]. .

In any case, in the context of the disorder of the IT service of the electoral committee, Raila Odinga managed to have the 2017 Presidential election cancelled and then refused to present himself when the time came for a new election. The idea was to launch the secession of the Luo territory. Odinga then claimed the annexation of the Luo territories of East and Central Africa in the name of the work already completed by his father, the Ker (spiritual leader) of the Luos, Oginga Odinga.

However, the US embassy suddenly backed away from its ex-protege. Having boycotted the second ballot of the Presidential election and discovering that he had been abandoned, Raila Odinga demanded a new cancellation and a third ballot.

Iraqi Kurdistan  as in Israel and Rhodesia, independence for the colonists

In the framework of its plan for remodelling the Greater Middle East, the Pentagon had envisaged, as from 11 September 2001, to dismember Iraq into three distinct States, one of which was to be awarded to the Kurdish population. A variation of this idea rose to prominence after the proposition by the Council on Foreign Relations, in 2006, to federalise the country into three autonomous regions [5]. The project was presented as a bipartite proposition to the US Senate by Joe Biden (D.) and Sam Brownback (Rep.). However, the Israeli Chief of Staff pushed to make these three entities effectively independent so that they could install missiles on the frontiers of Northern Syria and Western Iran.

The word  Kurd  designates a nomad people who lived and travelled all over the Near East. In the 19th century, some of these people settled in what is now Turkey, in a region where they became the majority. During Operation Desert Storm, in 1991, the United States and the United Kingdom created two no-fly zones, one of which became the refuge of the Kurds opposed to President Saddam Hussein. Iraqi society was organised along tribal lines  the Sunni Kurds followed the Barzani family, while the Chiite Kurds followed the Talabani family and the Yazidi Kurds followed the Baba Cheikh (spiritual leader). With the regrouping of the population in the no-fly zone, a rivalry blew up between the Barzanis and the Talabanis. The former called on President Saddam Hussein, asking him to get rid of the latter, but Hussein was following a different agenda. In any case, when  Saddam  fell, in 2003, the United States placed the Barzanis at the head of the region which was now known as  Iraqi Kurdistan . During the second war against Syria, the CIA used Iraqi Kurdistan in particular in order to supply the jihadists with weapons. In 2014, when it organised the Caliphate, it authorised the Barzanis to profit from the confusion and conquer new territories. Their stronghold grew progressively by 80 %, annexing the Muslim Arab and Christian populations. On their way, the Barzanis allowed the jihadists to massacre or enslave the Yazidi Kurds.

When, in contradiction of his countrys imperialist policy, President Trump decided to destroy Daesh, and set his armies to work, the non-Kurdish populations living under the yoke of the Barzanis asked to be connected with Baghdad once again. In order to maintain his grip on power beyond his term, President Massoud Barzani pretended that it was impossible to organise elections during the war, and organised a referendum on independence. This was a way for him both to regularise his power and also recognise his territorial conquests.

During the referendum campaign, the Barzanis assured that they enjoyed the support of 80 States, including the USA and France, who would come to their help if Iraq and its neighbours refused independence. Barzanis allies, although they assured that this was not the right moment for independence, nonetheless avoided denying the position that the Barzanis had allotted them  with the exception of Israel, which publicly supported independence. Many States were more subtle, and sent high representatives to the region, thus showing by deed rather than words that they did indeed support the Barzanis.

However, once the results of the phony ballot were in, and the Barzanis announced that the people were 92 % in favour of independence, and thus de facto in favour of their dictatorship, Iraq, Turkey and Iran threatened military intervention. But none of the 80 States named by the Barzanis reacted. This was because in the meantime, President Trump had opposed both the project for the partition of Iraq and the recognition of the conquests of the Iraqi Kurds.

All of a sudden, the balloon deflated. Turkey and Iran, who were preparing a joint invasion of the new State, were suddenly overtaken by the Iraqi intervention. Within 48 hours, the troops from Baghdad freed the territories annexed by Erbil, while more than 100,000 Kurdish colonists fled the scene. However, they did not continue their progression to Erbil, thus admitting the legitimacy of the historical claims of the Kurdish people, but rejecting the pretentions of the Barzanis concerning an alleged Kurdistan on Arab territory.

A great number of Iraqi Kurds refused to support the independence of the pseudo Kurdistan. This was first of all the case of the Yazidis, who, on 25 July, created their own autonomous province, named Ezidikhan [6], and this was followed by the cantons of Germian and Souleimaniye, once the most severely repressed by Saddam Hussein, which boycotted the election [7], and then the Chiites and the Talabani family, who welcomed General Qasem Soleimani of the Revolutionary Guards, who had come to prepare the liberation of the Arab territories, and finally the colonists, who left to settle in Kirkuk, and who find themselves today in a similar situation to the French pieds-noirs during the independence of Algeria.

Isolated, Massoud Barzani has just resigned, probably to the profit of his nephew, Nechirvan Barzani.

Catalonia  false secessionists and real conspirators

Some people believe that Catalan independency was forged in the resistance to fascism. Theyre wrong. The first Catalan independent party, Estat Catala, was founded in 1922, in other words, just before the dictatorships of Miguel Primo de Rivera and Francisco Franco in Spain.

Some people believe that its founder, Francesc Macia (the  grand-father ), intended to create an independent State which had never existed, in order to save the region of Barcelona from fascism. Theyre wrong. He hoped to annex Andorra, the South-East of France and a part of Sardinia because, according to him,  Catalonia  is oppressed by Andorra, Spain, France and Italy.

Some people believe that Catalan independentists are pacifists. Theyre wrong. In 1926, Francesc Macia attempted a coup dEtat after having enrolled a hundred or so Italian mercenaries and organising an army.

Some people believe that the Catalan independentists are historically left-wing. Theyre wrong. In 1928, in Havana, Francesc Macia, founded the Catalan Revolutionary Separatist Party, with the help of the pro-US Cuban dictator, Gerardo Machado,..

The Catalan independentists have never been supported by the anti-imperialist States, and in particular, not by the USSR during the Spanish war (although Francesc Macia went to ask for help from Moscow as early as 1924, where he gained the support of Boukharine and Zinoviev). At the most, Macia was able to form alliances with members of the Second Internationale.

Claiming to be inspired directly by Macia, (and not his ex-leader, Jordi Pujol), and thus implicitly supporting the project for the annexation of Andorra and parts of France and Italy, Carles Puigdemont has never attempted to hide his Anglo-Saxon supporters. He is a journalist, and created a monthly magazine in order to keep his sponsors up to date with the evolution of his combat. Obviously enough, it is not in Catalan, but in English - Catalonia Today, of which his wife, the Roumanian Marcela Topor, has become the editor in chief. He also animates associations which promote Catalan independency, not in Spain but overseas they are financed by George Soros [8].

The Catalan independentists, like their Luo and Iraqi Kurd counterparts, have not integrated the change that has taken place in the White House. Relying on the Parliament, where they occupy a majority of seats, although they registered a minority of the votes cast during their election, they proclaimed independence following the referendum of 1 October 2017. They believed they could count on the support of the United States and consequently that of the European Union. But President Trump did not support them any more than he supports the Luos and the Iraqi Kurds. As a result, the European Union remains opposed to this new State.

Conclusion

The above examples of secessionism have no connection with decolonisation, which gave birth to the right of peoples to self-determination. Indeed, in these three cases, the States mentioned are not viable unless they annex other territories which have asked for nothing, as is hoped by Raila Odinga and Carles Puidgdemont, and as Massoud Barzani had anticipated.

It is common today to hear the claim that President Trump is mentally ill, that he supports those nostalgic for racist Confederacies, and that he has no foreign policy. Nonetheless, we note that he has managed for the moment to halt the operations launched by his predecessors and maintain relative stability in Kenya, Iraq and Spain. Thats worth pointing out.
Afghanistans wheat supply, which has traditionally been undertaken by China via Pakistan, is now compromised by the transit of Indian goods via Iran.

The agreement that India, Iran and Afghanistan signed last May (2017) in Teheran has just entered into force. It provides for 500 million dollars worth of supplies of cereal per year. It is proof of US support to President Rohani and their common struggle against China, Irans former partner.
On 30 October 2017, Regnery published Edward Kleins latest book, All Out War: The Plot to Destroy Trump.

Klein had been editor-in-chief of the New York Times Magazine in the eighties and is also author of a book, one of the most damning indictments against Hillary Clinton. He thinks that the FBI has probably uncovered a plot, jointly thought up by US anarchists and jihadi groups.

Last July (2017), members of Oakland (an anarchist group) probably met two leaders of al-Qaeda on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg (Klein published a copy of an FBI report on this subject as an annex to his book). Following this, one of these anarchists went to Syria to meet several Daesh leaders.

This would be the most dangerous conspiracy for the Bureau since the Weather Underground affair during the Vietnam War.

According to the FBI, the anarchists had probably received some training on how to make bombs and poison gas.
The Ministry for Heritage has announced that three new interpretation panels have been placed within our Old Town in order to provide information on our Medieval History, namely our Islamic and Spanish Periods.
Alec Baldwin. Photo: Mike Windle/Getty Images for Turner

Amid media and industry pressure to distance himself from James Toback  now accused of sexual misconduct by over 300 women  Alec Baldwin says hes heartbroken to learn of the allegations, because he only thought of his friend as a harmless Lothario. I never had any idea that Jimmys appetites took him in that direction. I had no idea, Baldwin told the Los Angeles Times. Ive never known anything about that in my entire life. I never knew of anything where Jimmy assaulted or bullied or pressured. Ive never heard anything other than that Jimmy was somebody who hit on a lot of women in a very vague way. That vague way matches how women have described their interactions with Toback: He allegedly walks up to them, shows them newspaper clippings of his accomplishments, and makes a pass at them. I never knew any details of what he did that was assault in nature or rape in nature or criminally actionable, Baldwin told the Times. Never, never, never.

The fallout from Tobacks hundreds of allegations, and the ongoing Harvey Weinstein scandal, Baldwin says, has been prompted by President Trump. Where we are now  there is some veneer to it of complexity because they cant get the guy they really want to get. [Donald] Trump is a sexual predator, Baldwin said. On the record, theres all kinds of evidence that Trump has behaved this way, and hes the president of the United States and that being just one of the things that is horrifying people about Trump, his opinions, his behavior, his methodology and theres nothing you can do about that. You cannot touch him. Baldwin said he looks back fondly on times he spent working with Toback and when their families would vacation together, and that hes spoken to him since the Times story broke: I spoke with him a couple of times. Hes obviously crushed by all of this. I did call him, and I think he understands how people are. Theres not much people can do for him now.
Dave Matthews Band is generally not considered cool anymore. Almost certainly, it never was in the downtown New York world of which the actress and writer Greta Gerwig has become a cool-girl-real-girl avatar in recent years. But in a time and place (Americas vast, yearning middle-class suburbs, in the cultural desert of the Clinton and early Bush years) and to a certain kind of person (such as a teenager aching for the jazz-adjacent cred that jam-band fandom could provide but more comfortable with white ball caps and lacrosse than ponchos and hallucinogens), Dave Matthews Band was Bob Dylan in Greenwich Village in 1966. And so there is a crucial moment in Lady Bird, Gerwigs solo directorial debut, in which the title character, a Sacramento high-school senior in 2003, confronts the cruelest heartbreak imaginable to her by blasting the bands ballad Crash Into Me: Sweet like candy to my soul / Sweet you rock and sweet you roll. The result is both sympathetic, and very funny.

There was no other song it ever was going to be, Gerwig said. In preproduction, I realized I didnt know what I was going to do if Dave said no [to its use]. I wrote him a letter. Dear Mr. Dave Matthews   

Gerwig was sitting at a small corner table near the window at Morandi in the West Village, not far from where she lives with the filmmaker Noah Baumbach. I thought it was a really romantic song when I was a teenager. I would listen to it on repeat on a yellow CD player, she said. I couldnt imagine a world in which a guy would feel that way about me.

Maybe it was because of her sexy dirndl skirt of a name, maybe because of her squinting physical resemblance to indie Gen-X avatar Chloe Sevigny, maybe simply because of her distinctive delivery. But since the very beginning of Gerwigs career, she has been a generational lightning rod of sorts. As what the New York Observer once called the Meryl Streep of mumblecore  the hyperlow-budget late-aughts movie movement led by directors like Joe Swanberg and the Duplass brothers  Gerwig was near-instantly labeled an It girl and invested with all sorts of theories about what her success and acting style meant. Her brand of hipness was confusing  was she really that earnest? Were they all that earnest? How could that possibly be cool? Critics, especially those of an older generation, were suspicious.

She was, unmistakably, a gifted actress. But the Guardian also called her the poster girl for wayward, brittle middle-youth, a galumphing work in progress. In The New Yorker, Ian Parker wrote that, despite having a precise, literate mind, Gerwig has the air, not uncommon among her contemporaries, of having swallowed a very low dose of LSD. Ms. Gerwig, most likely without intending to be anything of the kind, may well be the definitive screen actress of her generation, a judgment I offer with all sincerity and a measure of ambivalence, A. O. Scott wrote in the New York Times. Part of her accomplishment is that most of the time she doesnt seem to be acting at all. The transparency of her performances has less to do with exquisitely refined technique than with the apparent absence of any method. And then there was this sort of thing: While watching Greta Gerwig on screen, you might be tempted to kiss her, wrote Stephen Heyman in T in 2010. This is not meant purely as praise. Gerwig, 26, plays characters who are given to discursive verbal forays with oodles of ummmms. So planting an unexpected kiss would not only be a recognition of her adorableness but also a useful way to shut her up.

In a way, then, Lady Bird, a remarkably self-assured debut, feels like a rebuke. Or at least an assertion of artistic intent. At 34, and moving, finally, behind the camera, Gerwig is exiting the phase of her life where shell be asked to represent a mysterious, fascinating rising generation. The winds have shifted some, and the microgeneration after her is just as earnest (or more so) but culturally preoccupied less with its own emotional wanderings than with larger political questions of identity, and of race. Gerwig seems still to be considering, and even reclaiming, some of the traits that hers has been tagged with: nostalgia, that earnestness, parental attachment. In other words, what does it look like onscreen when millennial sincerity is treated not with mockery or puzzlement but with, well, sincerity?

Coat by Gucci. Photo: Norman Jean Roy

Gerwig appears to be a genuinely sincere person, a kind of spiritually permanent college student, in a way that might get under the skin of someone with more ironic armor. She wears a giant Hello, Dolly! sweatshirt and an even more giant backpack. She references Tina Feys Bossypants like scripture and listens to podcasts about entrepreneurship (The one about the woman who created Spanx made me sob) and religion (Krista Tippett  the host of On Being  is like my fucking queen). She quotes Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel to express her sadness over the Harvey Weinstein mess: In a free society, some are guilty; all are responsible. She goes to church sometimes, and though she doesnt subscribe to any particular denomination (The Catholic theatrics are pretty high quality, but the Protestants have better hymns), shes really into the Quakers right now: Theres nothing that you have to believe or avow. The only thing you have to believe is that the light of God exists within each person. She really, really loved her single-sex education, both the high-school portion and at Barnard, where she was delighted to discover that all the doctors at the health center were gynecologists and enjoyed her time on the parliamentary debate team.

Gerwigs enthusiasms extend also to Zumba, but what she really likes is a barre class run by this one woman from Portland, Oregon, whom she admires for her body positivity, and on the day we first met, she was, with some embarrassment, about to try something called the Class, in which Tribeca women combine burpees and cathartic screaming. It seems like maybe the fitness equivalent of the toy poodle, she said. Like, you have to admit that you love them and you want one thats tiny. Youd rather be the girl who has a German shepherd who goes for a run. Not one with a fluffy piece of lint who goes to a place where you chant with crystals. She considered. Before they poured the floor at the studio, I read, they put rose quartz everywhere, and I was like, I mean  I can get down with that. She has a friend who works for Moon Juice, and so she speaks highly of its sprouted almonds, even if I always thought it was kind of ironic when shed be stressing out about the moon powders.

The author and illustrator Leanne Shapton, who knows Gerwig and Baumbach from the neighborhood, spotted Gerwig and stopped to chitchat. Shapton, as it turned out, designed the font for Lady Birds title and credits: She made an entire uppercase and lowercase alphabet and painted it ten times the size that it needed to be and shrunk it down so it looks like a font but has enough imperfections so theres a density, Gerwig told me after Shapton had walked away. I feel like movies are presents, and credits and fonts are bows and wrapping paper. She paused. I like everything to feel like it was given a lot of time. I hate it when I watch movies and it seems like they just went and picked a font and, like, called it a day. She paused again, considering Shapton. I also have a crush on her because shes very beautiful. She is cool in the way that everyone wants to be, but shes also a real person.

Saoirse Ronan and Gerwig on the set of Lady Bird. Photo: Merie Wallace/Courtesy of A24

Ive made so many films in New York, Gerwig said, that there was an assumption I think a lot of people had that I am a New Yorker, that I am from New York, and I always felt like nothing could be further from the truth. Ive done a good job of convincing you, but Im not, as so many people who live in New York are not.

Lady Bird, which is also Gerwigs solo writing debut, is the story of a high-school senior (Saoirse Ronan) at an all-girls Catholic school in Sacramento who longs  despite her average grades  to be the star of the school play, to go to college on the East Coast, to be extraordinary. Though her name is Christine, she insists on being called Lady Bird, a pretension with which her salt-of-the-earth parents  a nurse and an out-of-work computer programmer, played with extraordinary sensitivity by Laurie Metcalf and Tracy Letts  comply. (Its a complicated dynamic: Metcalf calls the mother character totally passive-aggressive.) The plot is a gentle one. Lady Bird acquires a couple of boyfriends (each recognizable as a classic type who might appeal to a smart-in-some-ways, really-not-in-others teenage girl), chases acceptance from the popular crowd, applies to colleges her family cant afford to send her to.

Gerwig attended an all-girls Catholic school in Sacramento, with parents who worked as a nurse and a loan officer at a credit union, who sent her off to an expensive East Coast college, and although the movie has been widely discussed as a roman a clef, she says its not. For starters, Lady Bird is set in 2003, Gerwig pointed out, and she graduated in 2002. I never made anyone call me another name. I never had dyed-red hair. Shes so much more wild and outspoken, and I think I was only ever that way in my head. In a way, I felt like I kind of put into her the sheer confidence and the id I find in 8- or 9-year-old girls. Theyre just brash, and they dont know that they should feel anything but great about themselves.

When you write something you know, youre making a story that will work, whether or not theres bits taken. Its always funny to me when people say, Well, its clearly autobiographical, and I say, Well, how do you know my autobiography?  she continued. Certainly, there are things that are connected, but I just think its a very interesting assumption. In some ways, it feels akin to the assumption that Ive experienced as an actor when people say  This is you. Which Ive always taken as a compliment because it felt like you were watching a person.

The teenage Gerwig was an extensive diarist, but she didnt look up her old journals until after shed finished the script, called Mothers and Daughters in a first draft that clocked in at 350 pages. (It originally had a lot more dances, she said.) When she opened the old pages, she was pleasantly surprised to find that shed accurately remembered some of the tiny details  the rumor that clove cigarettes had fiberglass in them, the very fact of clove cigarettes at all  that make the movie so spot-on evocative of high school. But mostly it was the vividness of her feelings that struck Gerwig. I would go on for pages and pages about this crush I had, dissecting every moment. Did he notice that our arms were touching, or was that an accident? And then I wrote, Upon further reflection, I think that this mightve been a more vivid emotional experience for me than him. I was like, Oh, honey, nothing youve written is more true.

T-shirt by ATM; trousers by Gucci; boots by What Goes Around Comes Around. Photo: Norman Jean Roy

When Gerwig was young, her parents made a point of taking her to local Sacramento theater  she proudly ticks off the names of the companies, and the playwrights whose work they put on, and even the directors. At Barnard, where she studied playwriting, she became a Kims Video devotee, methodically working her way through the director-organized shelves. (It was Claire Deniss film Beau Travail, she said, that made her shift her focus from theater to movies.) She rejected traditional paths like law and medicine. Chekhov was a country doctor, spent all his time with people and in their homes. I was like, Well, thats good, and then I was like, Well, Im not interested in it, and also I dont like blood, and there are no country doctors anymore, she said. The idea that I would become a doctor to become more like Chekhov is a pretty circular route.

After college, Gerwig lived all over Brooklyn  East Williamsburg, Prospect Heights, deep Park Slope, or Park Slide, as she says fondly. She had odd jobs, including at the Box, the Lower East Side cabaret, and began working with Swanberg, whom she had met through a college boyfriend and who was making interesting movies that were unlike anything that had been done before, for almost no money.

Mumblecore was a big deal, for a small movement, in part for what it seemed to reveal about a certain slice of young, college-educated, mostly white people trying to figure out how they related to the world. It was hailed in the Times as something that bespeaks a true 21st-century sensibility, reflective of MySpace-like social networks and the voyeurism and intimacy of YouTube. It also signals a paradigm shift in how movies are made and how they find an audience.

Gerwig now physically cringes at the mere mention of the word mumblecore. I just hate it, she said. It feels like a slight every time I hear it. Because of the improvisational quality of those movies, and the fact that everyone was nonprofessional, I have had a bit of an uphill battle just to say I know how to act. I didnt stumble into this. I wasnt just a kid. But she credits her roles in those films  Nights and Weekends, Hannah Takes the Stairs, Baghead  with helping teach her to write. We called them devised films, because wed know the characters and what was supposed to happen in the scenes but not the words. It was a way of writing while I was acting.

It was also that set of films  which made a bigger splash in the indie-movie scene than in the culture at large  that put her on Baumbachs radar. (He actually recommended her to his agent before the two had ever met.) When Baumbach cast her in 2010s Greenberg, released when she was 26, it was her big break. Shortly after he divorced his wife, the actress Jennifer Jason Leigh (Gerwig had trained for the role, in part, by working as an assistant to Leighs mother), the two began their romance. Baumbach and Gerwig turned an email correspondence into a project: The duo co-wrote Frances Ha and Mistress America, both starring Gerwig and both markedly sweeter than anything Baumbach had worked on in the past. I liked what she was writing so much that it made me work harder with my own to impress her, Baumbach said.

This collaboration led to a spate of headlines referring to Gerwig not as a partner on the works but as their muse. The actress Greta Gerwig has had the same liberating effect on Noah Baumbach as Diane Keaton had on Woody Allen: she has opened him up, lending his films a giddy sense of release, went one typical summation in the Economist.

I did not love being called a muse, said Gerwig bluntly. I didnt want to be strident about it or say, Hey, give me my due, but I did feel like I wasnt a bystander. It was half-mine, and so that part was difficult. Also I knew secretly that I was engaged with this longer project, and wanted to be a writer and director in my own right, so I felt like the muse business, or whatever it was, was a position that I didnt identify with in my heart. But I think one thing I learned early because of the group of movies that are called mumblecore  she slowed down, a little archly, over the word, to acknowledge again her discomfort with it  is not to attach too much to the moment youre living through from a press perspective. I also had this sense of, Well, theyll just eat their hat one day.

TV was one idea when Gerwig hit a dry spell with acting gigs after making Frances Ha and Mistress America. I felt like I had done things that I was incredibly proud of and I felt like I had authorship over, and done good work as an actor, but my wheels werent catching purchase with whatever the Zeitgeist was, she said, forking her pasta. It was a curious double identity as an actress  plausibly the face of a generation, particularly of the privileged of that generation, and, just as plausibly, a near-anonymous actress who hadnt yet made anything that any real number of people had actually seen. She met with the producers behind How I Met Your Dad, a planned spinoff of the long-running, quietly beloved CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, and signed up for the starring role, along with a writing role. It felt like this incredible lifeline for me. It felt like a place to give myself some structure, she said of what looked from the outside like a bit of a career swerve. Not to mention that she was told it was a sure thing. The pilot wasnt picked up. They send the shows to Vegas, and people sit there with knobs, and they turn the knob down if they dont like an actor, Gerwig explained with a little embarrassment. Nobody exactly told me I tested low, but it was insinuated that America did not like it.

I did not love being called a muse.

But that allowed her to turn to directing. By the time I started, I felt like I had ten years of training. My film school was as an actor and co-writer and co-director, and whatever else I did, which included costuming, and holding the boom, and editing. It was a way for me to get my Malcolm Gladwell hours in. She also benefited from more targeted instruction, in recent years, from DPs whod heard she wanted to direct and let her sit with them while they constructed their shots. When I finished the script, I had a moment with myself where I thought, Youre either going to do this now or youre never going to do this, she said. Now you have to make your mistakes and get your gifts because you have to, at some point, jump. I think a lot of women have also particularly a need to feel that they can stand in their own expertise before doing something. A lot of my female friends will be so overqualified for what they do that by the time they do it, its like, Well, obviously.

During the press tour for Mistress America, a journalist asked about whether dating Baumbach, and then writing with him, had opened certain doors for her. Gerwig acknowledged that perhaps it had, proximally, but refused to concede the larger point. I dont mean to sound annoying, she told the reporter, but I would have done it anyway. I will find that one door and then push it wide open. Im lucky to find collaborators and kindred spirits. But I dont need a man, and I would have done it anyway.

A confident, direct version of ambition is another generational trait that Gerwig seems to comfortably inhabit. Recently, she saw Saoirse Ronan in London to promote the film; Ronan told her she was beginning to think about whether she could direct, inspired in part by watching her on set. Greta is the one that Id want to emulate, Ronan told me. She was incredibly clear about what she wanted but also supportive about finding our own way through the characters. Weve been talking in a practical way, too, about stories that Id like to do and if I could work with her in that regard. Shes a great one for the advice.

Ronan was also struck by Gerwigs actorly approach to directing. She had very clearly mapped out each characters journey, what it would be like to be a kid in post-9/11 America in California, how complicated it would be to think about leaving Sacramento for the first time, but also she gave us an awful lot of freedom to incorporate our own selves. Gerwig even gave Timothee Chalamet, who plays one of Lady Birds love interests  a self-styled high-school intellectual  a syllabus for what a paranoid anarchist type of thinker would have been reading back then, he said, which included, in addition to the requisite Howard Zinn that shows up in the movie, The Internet Does Not Exist, an essay collection that warns of the dangers of a networked world. She also asked him to watch Eric Rohmers My Night at Mauds, which she told me contains a character who is an example of a long-standing type: These guys who are just completely stuck on their ideas, whether music or progressive philosophy or whatever it is. Like, Im going to train you to like Pavement.  Gerwig also gave specific directions on how to play the many comic moments in the script: Humor was to be achieved not through comic acting but by playing the situation with all the seriousness with which a high schooler would feel it. I like things that are funny, Gerwig said, but I dont like things that are in quotes.

Gerwig plans to tip the balance of her work going forward more toward writing and directing (though shed like to keep acting). You just stay in it long enough, and eventually youll just be old. Nobody will worry over whether you are an actor or a director or a writer. Everyone will just think, Oh, shes such a wonderful 75-year-old now. Shes our lady Clint Eastwood.

She has one script, something she wrote before Lady Bird, in the drawer, but for her next project, I have an inkling of wanting to make something thats more silent, literally fewer words. She wouldnt give any more detail, however. I worry if I put an idea out in the sunlight too early, it shrivels, and I dont want to shrivel anything right now.

T-shirt by Ksubi Photo: Norman Jean Roy

Baumbachs most recent film, The Meyerowitz Stories, was released on Netflix and in theaters just a few weeks before Lady Bird, which comes out on November 3. Both movies open with a parent and child, driving together, on the cusp of the difficult moment when college is about to force that relationship into its next, more distant, phase; both puncture the sweetness of the scene by someone melting down immaturely. In Baumbachs film, its the parent. In Gerwigs, its the daughter.

With Mistress America and Frances Ha, said Baumbach, the pair were able to create a synthesis of their two voices, a kind of a third thing that allows you to try different selves on. But the couple have strikingly different tones to their independent work, although they tread the same thematic ground (and give each other notes on drafts). Family, in much of Baumbachs filmography, has been a source of neuroticism for his protagonists, often children picking up the pieces, learning to overcome the limits of a selfish, immature parents love. Lady Bird, by contrast, is about a child failing to recognize, in the moment, the expansiveness and totality of her parents love for her  as well as the complicated dynamic between teen girls and their mothers, even those who are fond of each other. Baumbach, though, sees their emotional truths as more related. Both movies, he said, are about how hard it is to acknowledge positive things in someone you need to move away from, and how hard it is to leave. Gerwigs story is, in her phrasing, a movie about wanting to leave a place thats secretly a love letter to the place, and a movie ostensibly about a daughter thats secretly about the mother.

Oh, Ive got a lot of guilt, Gerwig replied quickly when I mentioned that I had seen the film as, in part, a meditation on that particular emotion, and how deeply it can become intertwined with love. We always joked that we should put up a title card at the end of the movie that said CALL YOUR MOTHER, she said. The guilt kicked in. I need to call my mother.

Gerwig showed her parents and friends the script before shooting and screened the film for them before it premiered, but she also spent a lot of time considering how shed treated her mother as a teenager. I could only see the faults in clear relief, but as Ive gotten older, its like, Goddamn, she was right about almost everything.

For all that she insists Lady Bird isnt exactly her own story, it feels like a coming-out of sorts for Gerwigs own sensibility, her preoccupations. I only ever write from a place of love, said Gerwig, which sounds goofy but is actually true. Some writers write from a place of anger or analysis, or something that feels more didactic, but that impulse means that I also write out of real love, which is complicated and changing.

Sincerity means a lot to me, Gerwig continued. Actually, in Frances Ha, at the beginning, shes reading out of a literary-criticism book called Sincerity and Authenticity. Basically, the question shes setting up is, what do we mean by sincerity, and does it diminish the thing? She considered. But Ive always felt like it heightens it.

Production Credits: Photographs by Norman Jean Roy; styling by Bill Mullen; hair by Marco Santini for Ion Studio at Tracey Mattingly; makeup by Alice Lane using Milk Makeup at The Wall Group.

*This article appears in the October 30, 2017, issue of New York Magazine.
The coven. Photo: Corinne Dodenhoff

In TV, movies, and real life, women have been at the forefront of the years biggest stories  so this Halloween season, were looking at pop cultures most wicked depictions of female power.

On a recent October night, three witches dressed all in black made their way across the river from New Jersey to Vultures offices in Tribeca. Yema Rose, Haleigh, and Brielle are members of a coven with four other witches, most of whom identify as queer and femme. All of them are in their 20s, and most are artists or musicians. Their first meeting as a coven took place just after last Halloween, on Samhain, a pagan holiday marking the beginning of winter. They meet every other week for lessons in spellcraft  they take online courses through the School of Witchery  and vegan feasts. They also make up their own holidays, like Gaylentines Day. (Its like Galentines, but a lot more queer.)

We were gathered to discuss representation of witches in the media, and I asked them to begin by naming their favorite witch in popular culture.

God, just one? asked Yema Rose. After a moment of consideration, she declared, Sabrina. Shes my homegirl.

When I was very young, I saw Witches of Eastwick for the first time, said Brielle. Id have to say either Chers character or Susan Sarandons character. Theyre just so iconic. And their hair was amazing. (Yaas, agreed Yema Rose, lightly snapping her fingers.)

Charmed was very formative for me, said Haleigh. Alyssa Milanos character Phoebe was definitely the one who I gravitated towards, because she was the troublemaker, she didnt do things by the book, and she was also a little slutty. The girls all laughed. Actually, she was really slutty, Haleigh conceded.

Below, the highlights from our roving conversation about what pop culture gets right and wrong about witches, the feminist power of witchcraft in media, and their biggest problem with Disney movies.

I really, really love The Craft.

I asked the girls to reflect on the history of representations of witches in various artistic mediums over the centuries. Historically, they pointed out, representations have fallen into two basic categories: the ugly decrepit hag and the young hypersexualized woman who exists for male consumption.

Probably one of the most popular early witches would be the Wicked Witch of the West, said Haleigh. Shes very ugly especially in comparison to her sister, Glinda the Good Witch, who is very innocent and beautiful.

Of course, The Wizard of Oz is just one of many witch movies that sets up a conflict between good and bad witches. Take that iconic 90s witch flick, The Craft. There, the girls professed mixed feelings. I love The Craft as the epitome as the 90s witch, because the 90s witch is so iconic, said Haleigh. Its interesting, every time feminism makes a turn for a new era, theres also a resurgence in witchcraft. You saw it in the 70s, when a lot of it had to do with holistic herbal medicine, then you see it again in the 90s, and thats when you see a lot of the most iconic witches, especially for our age group: The Craft, Hocus Pocus 

Sabrina, added Yema Rose. Buffy.

You saw this resurgence of the 90s witch and the teen witch, Haleigh continued. So for that reason, I really, really love The Craft. Its so iconic aesthetically and its still super influential on a lot of modern fashion when you look in groups of witchy femmes. She raised her eyebrows, perhaps nodding to the fact that her blunt black bangs, chunky rings, and pentagram necklace could have fit in easily with the L.A. coven. And there is some real witchcraft in it, she said. Some of the rituals that they do and the spells that they do have a base in real witchcraft.

But in any movie where theres a white witch and a dark witch, thats just another way to pin women against each other, said Yema Rose. Which is what The Craft did. Instead of these women coming together and working together, theyre fighting each other.

Its like Mean Girls with witches, said Brielle. Still, its so good.

You can love something for many reasons and still criticize it, agreed Haleigh.

Why they love Practical Magic

The girls felt less conflicted about the 1998 critical flop, Practical Magic.

Thats one of my favorites because the whole story is just about the women in the movie. Yes, its a love story and there are men but they exist on the sidelines, said Haleigh.

Theyre accessories, said Brielle. Its really about these three different generations of women.

Those aunts are some of my favorite, added Haleigh, of the two older witches played with delightful campiness by Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest. Theyre who I want to grow up to be.

The girls erupted in a chorus of cheers and agreement.

The sexual awakening of The Witch

Haleigh said that one of her absolute favorites is the 2015 horror film The Witch, which shes seen six times. (When Yema Rose bemoaned the fact that she hadnt seen it yet, Haleigh promised her theyd watch it together at one of their bimonthly coven meetings.) The movie tells the story of a 17th-century familys terrifying unraveling in the New England wilderness, culminating with a young womans decision to become a witch.

Shes a young woman about to start her journey into puberty, Haleigh explained.

Even her own brother sexualizes her, Brielle said. Shes 14 and the family is already talking about selling her off to be married.

So many witch stories tell this story: Women come into their magic at the same time as they come into puberty. Their magic lines directly up with their sexual blossoming. Haleigh said. At the beginning, shes not a witch at all. But after her family is destroyed, shes like, I have nothing and Im just going to find my power. She literally walks naked into the woods and sees the fire and the witches writhing around it. Its not necessarily a realistic depiction of what witches do or ever did do, but I really connected to the idea that you find witchcraft through persecution. I think thats why a lot of people are drawn to witchcraft  they dont fit in, theyre queer or a person of color or just a little weird.

The girls nodded in agreement. They also appreciated the question the young woman must answer, poised by a devil-type character, before she decides to become a witch: Wouldst thou like the taste of butter? A pretty dress? Wouldst thou like to live deliciously? Pretty much Gaylentines Day, in a nutshell.

What Disney movies get wrong

So, what are the worst and most irritating depictions of witches in pop culture? Yema Rose mentioned The Little Mermaids Ursula; Brielle mentioned Sleeping Beautys Maleficent.

Theyre super spiteful and envious of the protagonist whos supposed to be so young and innocent and beautiful. They spend the whole movie constantly trying to sabotage the young girl, said Yema Rose. Fuck Disney.

Ive always loved the villains, admitted Haleigh.

Even Ursula, said Brielle. Her makeup was on point.

Generally what theyre going for, though, is that shes supposed to be ugly and evil, said Haleigh.

And were hot, said Brielle. Thats another thing.

On a very superficial level, witches are not ugly, nodded Haleigh. Were really cute.

The conversation turned to another Disney witch flick, Hocus Pocus. The Sanderson sisters are all so fun and whimsical, said Brielle, but the one thing that really bothered me was the idea that theres a devil behind a coven of witches and its got to be some type of masculine evil presence. I mean, that trope  its old and boring, and its just not true. Were so incredibly far removed from that.

The girls murmured their agreement. The idea that were dependent on the patriarchy, said Yema Rose.

Witches as just a servant for a man, doing a mans bidding  continued Haleigh.

When in reality  added Yema Rose.

Its just not true, finished Haleigh.

I didnt like the Sanderson sisters, said Yema Rose.

Oh, I did, said Haleigh. Theyre fun.

I did vibe with slutty one, agreed Yema Rose. But overall they werent nice to each other, and that seems counterintuitive. If youre going to be evil, be evil together.

On whitewashing in witchcraft

Brielle suggested we talk about the history of whitewashing witches in media. Even in our coven, were mostly white, she said.

We own our privilege around that hard, said Yema Rose.

An overall critique of witches in popular culture is that they are primarily white, said Haleigh. So much of witchcraft and the backbone of witchcraft comes from people of color.

African religions, suggested Yema Rose.

Vodoun, Santeria, said Brielle.

When you talk about black magic  bad, evil magic  its often stuff that stems from Vodoun, Santeria, and so on, said Haleigh.

Yema Rose offered American Horror Story: Coven as a recent example: I loved it for an aesthetic reason, but it was definitely worth a critique.

Its really hard to consume any sort of media without being like, I really love it, but heres 27 things that are wrong about it, said Haleigh. I loved Coven as well, but it definitely vilified the magic centered around people of color. Even though so much of the magic that is commonplace today is appropriated from witches of color.

As a practicing witch, you have to acknowledge that, said Brielle.

You have to do your research and find out where practices come from, Haleigh said. Be aware of the root of what your practice is.

Should witches be scary?

I asked the girls what they thought about the witch as a subject of horror films. A few nights earlier, Yema Rose watched Carrie for the first time. Shes not often classified as a witch, but thats what she is, said Yema Rose. I didnt think it was scary, I thought it was sad. A lot of her magic comes out when shes being abused by her overly religious mother or kids at school. I feel like thats a real experience.

Brielle, for her part, loves scary witches. Theres power in scaring people, she said. I do like the trope that women who cause mischief and magic are powerful. Its about exerting power when you feel like you dont have any. And it can be scary  I was harassed by someone on the street a year ago and I whispered something in gibberish to him. I was joking, but I loved his reaction. He was definitely a little concerned. And I accept that. I like being a weirdo, for sure.

I want to see more fat brown witches.

Theres definitely a parallel between people who identify as witches and people who are queer, and often times theyre the same people, said Yema Rose. Especially lesbians who have made men irrelevant. Thats extremely threatening to the patriarchy since theyre no longer reliant on the patriarchy, which is another reason youd want to demonize them and make them ugly and terrible.

At the same time, the girls pointed out that there arent many openly queer witches in popular culture. I love Willow so much, said Haleigh, of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer character who comes out of the closet in the shows fourth season.

And Lafayette on True Blood! said Brielle.

You dont see male witches that frequently, so it was pretty cool that he was not only a male witch, but also a person of color and openly queer, said Haleigh. That is a rarity.

Who else is openly queer and a witch? Yema Rose paused, then she looked around at her fellow coven members. I cant believe I cant think of any other examples. Im ashamed of myself.

Its not you, said Brielle. Its the world.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes. Well, Dumbledore! said Haleigh. Hes gay as fuck.

White cis men are the first to be represented always, said Yema Rose. I want to see more fat brown witches.

They exist everywhere IRL, said Brielle.

In 20 years, I hope the answer to that question will be very different, concluded Haleigh.
Photo: LOIC VENANCE/AFP/Getty Images

Following the avalanche of sexual-harassment, sexual assault, and rape accusations made against him, producer Harvey Weinstein has already been ousted from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, fired from the Weinstein Company, the film studio he founded with brother Bob Weinstein, and become the subject of a civil-rights inquiry by the New York attorney general. This is in addition to several police reports that have been filed against him with law enforcement in Los Angeles, New York, and the United Kingdom. Now, as the allegations continue to pile up, the Producers Guide of America has decided to ban the former studio head for life.

Per an announcement made Monday, the Wrap reports that the PGA has decided to permanently bar Weinstein from guild membership. The PGA voted to remove the studio head from the guild earlier in October, but Weinstein opted to resign instead. In light of Mr. Weinsteins widely reported behavior  with new reports continuing to surface even now  the Producers Guilds National Board has voted unanimously to enact a lifetime ban on Mr. Weinstein, permanently barring him from PGA membership, the Producers Guild said in a statement. This unprecedented step is a reflection of the seriousness with which the Guild regards the numerous reports of Mr. Weinsteins decades of reprehensible conduct. Sexual harassment can no longer be tolerated in our industry or within the ranks of Producers Guild membership. In 2013, Weinstein and his brother received the PGAs Milestone Award for their achievements in film.
By PTI: Washington, Oct 31 (PTI) Women who consume fish during pregnancy are just as likely to protect their offspring from developing asthma as those who consume fish oil supplements, a study claims.

Researchers at the University of South Florida in the US reviewed two studies that conclude children whose mothers consume high-dose omega-3 fatty acids daily during the third trimester are less likely to develop breathing problems.

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The first study included 346 pregnant women in their third trimester who took omega-3 fatty acids daily and 349 who took a placebo.

The researchers also divided the trial population into three groups based on their blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids. The population with the lowest blood levels benefited the most from fish oil supplementation.

Another study randomised pregnant women in their third trimester into fish oil, placebo and "no oil" groups.

The fish oil group took omega-3 fatty acids daily as did the placebo (olive oil) group.

The "no oil" group was informed of the trial proposal and therefore could consume fish oil or fish during the third trimester if they chose to do so.

Researchers found the fish oil and the "no oil" groups took less asthma medication as they aged to 24 years old, inferring both groups developed less asthma.

"Omega-3 fatty acids cannot be synthesised by humans and therefore are essential nutrients which are derived exclusively from marine sources," said researcher Chen Hsing Lin.

"It may be premature to recommend daily high dose fish oil supplementation during the third trimester," said Lin.

"With almost equal to slightly higher cost, consuming 8- 12 ounces (2-3 servings) of fish a week not only may attain the same asthma protection, but strengthens the nutritional benefits to infant growth and development," said researcher Richard Lockey. PTI SAR SAR

--- ENDS ---
We have seen a lot of frightening things this Halloween season, but nothing filled me with chills like seeing Victoria Denise Gunvalson Jr. suffering a fake heart attack and being wheeled out of a hotel room in Iceland, covered in a bathrobe like she is a bed-sheet ghost in a haunted house constructed by the Brady Bunch children. When they pulled her out of that room seated on a gurney covered in the finest plush terry, I jumped up off of my couch and unleashed a high-pitched squeal like someone had just filled my coochie with fire ants. I screamed to my boyfriend, who was seated next to me, Make it stop! Make it stop! like there were a bunch of demon fingers stabbing at my taint. I couldnt. I, for the life of me, could not even for one second more.

As we all so rightly surmised after last weeks episode, Vickis heart attack was entirely phony. I shouldnt say she faked it, like Brooks faked cancer, but she was having a panic attack that she thought was a heart attack. There is so much great television to come out of one womans mental discomfort that I dont really feel so badly reveling in it. My favorite moment is when she is lying in bed and a man who is a doctor arrives in her room. It seems like he is maybe a doctor staying at the hotel, because he isnt in uniform like the paramedics that arrive after him. Anyway, he asks Vicki what is wrong and she says, My heart is beating fast and my hands are numb. He asks if there is any pain and she says no.

He knows, at that moment, that this woman is absolutely full of shit. He still asks her if she has heart troubles and she says yes. Do you know what its called? he asks her. She does not. Because Vicki doesnt really have anything significantly wrong with her. This guy is like, You got me out of a hot tub full of three naked twinks for this? (In my imagination, this bitchy doctor is at the resort as part of a gay bachelor party.)

Seriously, this guy knows that if youre having a heart attack, you are going to have a significant amount of chest pain. Hell, anyone who has ever watched even one of Dick Wolfs bakers dozen shows set in Chicago will know that chest pains are the symptom of a heart attack. The women keep barging into the room and this doctor  who is probably a gay gastroenterologist in Seltjarnarnes and knows nothing about hearts  wants them all out of there. Can you talk to her, he says to Tamra, who barges to her bedside, while I take her blood pressure.

Whats odd about this medical emergency is that all of the women know it isnt a real medical emergency. Anyone who has ever watched more than two episodes of this show knows that Vicki is making something far worse out of this than it really is. Thats why they all keep barging in there when the doctors and about 1,900 paramedics are trying to do their jobs. Finally, theyre banished to the hallway because the professionals refuse to work while a bunch of hare-brained Americans shout over them and tell them how to do their jobs.

And so, they go into Peggys room next door and Lydia walks in and says, Whose room is this? Its cool. Write that down in your little notebook of ideas for Nobleman magazine. During all the conflama, Lydia decides that its time to say a prayer for Vicki in the hallway. I would say, Sweet Mary and Joseph, but that might make Lydia think I want to join her Bible study group. Vicki does not need prayers. She needs to throw up, take a Klonopin, and unclench for about seven seconds. Jesus helps those that help themselves and Vicki is helping no one but the producers of this reality television program.

Still, everyone knows that Vicki is kind of faking it and theyre starving so they go to have dinner. Lydia, the worlds most condescending stork-human hybrid, goes to see Vicki in the hospital while they eat. I do think that if youre on a group trip and someone has to go to the hospital  no matter how bogus her claims may be  someone should travel with her. It sucks to be alone in the hospital, even if you are a narcissism-based hypochondriac.

However, Lydia and Peggy holding it over everyones head is a little beyond the pale. By the time Peggy finally gets to the hospital, Lydia and Vicki are ready to turn around and come right back home. They are waiting on Peggy to leave. It is, by and large, an empty gesture. Vicki is diagnosed with high blood pressure and an acute case of being batshit. Lydia even rolls her eyes about her having a case of the Vickis  something that everyone who stayed at the table eating seafood soup could have told these newbies. Special points go to Kelly for saying in shifts repeatedly and shouting, Im enjoying myself when feeling pressured into going to the hospital. I dont always agree with Kelly, but she sure always finds a way to make me laugh, which makes me like her more than I like most of the goobers on unscripted television.

The most points go to Tamra and Meghan, who tag-team the idea of getting Vicki a casserole so that when she gets back from the hospital she would finally get the casserole that she always wanted during the whole Brooks drama. That is some passive-aggressive trolling of the highest order. Tomorrow, in Congress, Maxine Waters is going to present a bill that this stunt be given a special commendation in the reality TV arts and sciences because it is that bold and iconic.

The best part is, as soon as Vicki walks in, they dont even ask her how she is. (Please, they all know shes fine.) They just shout, We got you a casserole! The best best part is that Vicki doesnt even get its a bit. Shes like, Really?! A casserole?! For me?! Youve been listening to my catchphrases?! Thats like if the Queen of Jordan presented Donald Trump with the worlds tiniest pair of mittens and he said, These are the worlds tiniest mittens and they are in the Guinness Book of World Records because theyre so remarkable and they fit me perfectly. I have the best, record-breaking mittens.

Instead of going to bed and getting some rest like the doctor ordered, Vicki decides to stay up with the women in Shannons room drinking Champagne until 5 a.m. I have to give props to the producers of this show because we read them for filth last year when there were crazy fights in the middle of the night in Ireland and they didnt get any footage of it. I dont know if they installed some cameras in all the rooms or what, but we get gold from Shannons little coke-fueled sitting room. (Not that the women are doing the Icelanding Rowing Powder, but the furniture sure is.)

What we get is Vicki and Tamra finally hashing out all of their issues, which, we all know, really go back to Tamra being pissed at Vicki for choosing Brooks over her and Vicki refusing to see how she needs to apologize for that decision. At one point, Tamra literally screams, Just apologize to me, Vicki! and Vicki, instead of apologizing, says, I have! But, oh, she has not.

Whatever, Im not going over this half-decade-long fight once again, just like I dont need to put my wisdom teeth back into my skull to pull them out again. However, what is amazing is a drunk Shannon on the couch not ten feet away, growling, Fucking liar! repeatedly under her breath like a tiger with Tourette syndrome. This finally ends Tamra and Vickis tear-soaked love-in. I hate to say it, but Vicki is right: Shannon cant have Vicki and Tamra make up because the only bond she and Tamra share is their mutual hatred. Also, Shannon cant let go of her hatred of Vicki because it would make her examine everything that is wrong with her own life. (Yeah, I saw that she and David are separated. Thank God!)

Things get even crazier as Peggy and Kelly get into it because Kelly is sick of Peggy telling her what to do all the time. Peggy eventually tells Kelly that she is going to have her husband call Kellys husband. I dont quite understand where that came from, but it is an incredibly odd thing for one woman to say to another, especially when both women have been conscripted into Bravos Personal Assault Army that is known as the Real Housewives. Tamra finds this line so funny that she pees her pants and then continues to wear her piss-soaked drawers for another day. Well, figuratively lolling around in her own mess isnt good enough for Tamra; now she has to do it literally. (Maybe she should get Lisa Rinna to send her some of her adult diapers.)

Yes, it seems that Peggy has no clue what she signed up for. Not only is she unprepared for Kellys personal attack, but she also decides to not leave her room the next day while the rest of the women go off to terrorize a sleepy fishing village that seems like it is totally deserted. Maybe its like some kind of Brigadoon and all the residents disappear when the Six Horsewomen of the Apocalypse approach.

Yes, Peggy decides to stay home as if she is not contractually obligated to mix it up with these women for every waking moment while shes on this vacation. Someone needs to tell Peggy that this is not a vacation, it is a work trip. This is part of the job description, take it or leave it. She says she doesnt want to spend time with women who wouldnt defend her against Kelly, and shes not wrong. But this isnt real life, this is Real Housewives.

This is a realm where even the Icelandic fairies fear to tread, where they hide out in the bush and under the craggy rocks that surround their strange hotel with its themed rooms. Theyll come out and giggle for a gay doctors poppers-fueled stag party, but they retreat whenever these women come around with their plights and gripes. They take themselves considerably away into mountain or sea or sky, leaving only the demons behind to stab us with their many-pronged teeth, to sidle up into their brains making their thoughts and hearts race, making their blood boil and letting their pee run freely, forcing Peggy to cry into her leatherette sofa and call her husband on the phone, asking in a weird language that only the two of them understand how she can someday come home again.
You can take the girl out of the midway, but you cant take the midway out of the girl. Particularly not when the girl has the means to install an edible cotton-candy wall at her engagement party, and everyone in her lift is petrified to question whether thats a good idea.

But dont worry, LeeAnnes event will be more Cirque du Soleil and not Iowa State Fair, clarifies DAndra, matron-of-honor-to-be. Even LeeAnnes mom, Margaret, is coming. Itll be the first time theyve seen each other in years. For all LeeAnnes sturm und drang about their difficult relationship  and given the #theyrejusthands cyclone of fury that sprung forth from this womans loins  Im a little surprised when LeeAnnes mom proves to be a nice, normal-seeming lady from Florida who pets the dogs a warm hello. Apparently, her house looks like a shrine to LeeAnne, so shes schlepped multiple boxes of her daughters belongings (including her Miss Arizona USA tiara) up to Dallas, so that LeeAnnes house can look like a shrine to LeeAnne instead. LeeAnne wants to deepen their bond, so she invites her mom to go to therapy with her. Although she agrees, Margaret is so uncomfortable that shes nearly twitching, as am I.

DAndra has her own mommy issues to contend with. She breaks the bad news to Dee that L22, the main ingredient in their new skin-care product, wont arrive in time for their scheduled launch. At least she takes responsibility for her mistakes, which her mom appreciates. Dee appreciates it so much, in fact, that shes finally ready to hand her daughter the keys to the company, which she proves by literally handing over a single key. (What, exactly, does this one key open?) The timing is a little arbitrary  did somebody say season finale?  but Im nonetheless happy for DAndra. Business is also booming for Kameron, whos celebrating the arrival of Sparkle Dog in its first retail store. I am less happy for her, if only because Sparkle Dogs Amazon reviews are basically a burn book filled with harrowing tales of pink poops and projectile puke.

At LeeAnnes therapists office (free life advice: If your therapist is totally cool with airing your sessions on national television, seek out a different therapist), Margaret explains that shes terrified to speak openly in front of her daughter, because just about everything she says seems to upset her. Youre far from the only one, maam. LeeAnne brings up her childhood memories of begging her mother not to leave her at her grandparents house. Her mom explains that, as soon as shed walk out the door, shed weep in her car. She was a 19-year-old, unemployed single mom doing what she thought was right, she explains. Margaret is horrified to hear that LeeAnne felt unwanted, telling her how deeply shes always loved her. The two women embrace. LeeAnne seems genuinely moved by her mothers words. Im sad for her that, for whatever reason, they werent able to have this conversation years earlier.

If that last scene had you wondering whether this episode was going to be a redemption tour for our favorite nonSandra Bullock star of Miss Congeniality, think again. Stephanie and Cary sit down with Brandi for a LeeAnne-tervention lunch, at which they express their concerns that their ginger pal has fallen prey to Big Ls malicious, manipulative wiles. Brandi proves to be surprisingly receptive and contrite, citing multiple times how LeeAnne tried to poison her against Stephanie and Cary. And so House Redmond, House Deuber, and House Hollman have forged a new alliance.

Now that all of our is emotional baggage is unpacked, its party time. Everything is black, white, and gold, with Champagne-slash-cotton candy cocktails and gold flakes sprinkled liberally in all the drinks. The cotton candy wall is an honest-to-God marvel. Kameron actually approves, despite the decors egregious, borderline offensive lack of pink. Even Cary and Mark are there, out of respect for Rich, and so is plastic surgeon Dr. True, whom his favorite patients necrosis of the boobs couldnt shake from the guest list. LeeAnne, who is rolling face on all of this pure, uncut attention, takes Brandi aside to gush about how their friendship has come, and then, in the next breath, to stage-whisper, Dont fuck me over or I will slit your little throat. Soon enough, well have an opportunity to see if LeeAnne is a woman of her word.

The next morning, when the whole group comes together for an engagement brunch at DAndras, Peak LeeAnne comes out to play. She complains that Mark seemed uncomfortable at the party, rather than simply marveling that Cary and her husband showed up at all. And despite her two-years-in-and-counting campaign of anti-Mark agitprop, shes still peeved at Cary for making one dumb joke about Rich having a small penis. Brandi suddenly announces that she is call[ing] bullshit. LeeAnnes mouth drops open like a snake about to feast on an unreasonably large pig. She calls LeeAnne a liar and a shit-stirrer who takes advantage of her supposed friends and revels in turning them against each other. LeeAnne protests her innocence. I swear on my grandmothers bible, which Im happy to drive to my home and get, she says  and now so will I, anytime anyone ever should be foolish enough to doubt me.

Fuck you and good luck with your wedding, human Hallmark card Brandi tells her, before storming out of the house (and quickly thanking DAndra for having her, mid-exit). Et tu, Brandi? LeeAnne, who doesnt have the presence of mind to at least smash a glass on the floor in response, cries in Kamerons arms. Thats no fun! A graphic informs us that shes planning the wedding for next summer, and that Brandi is not invited. Well, there we have it  something of an anticlimactic ending to a great season. At least well always have Sexual Chocolate.
The momentum of this final season of The Mindy Project is really starting to build in the best way. We will, presumably, meet no more new characters. (Dr. Mary was likely the final one, and shes blended in splendidly.) All of our main characters are pairing off  even Leo!  and Jody was the only one left without someone. Now that hes got Mary, Mindy continues to work at its highest rom-com levels this season, making it feel nearly inevitable that Mindy and Danny will get their destined romantic resolution as well.

For now, our other fledgling couples are working out some generally adorable problems. Tamra, for instance, has decided to convert to Morgans religion, Siberian Orthodox, now that theyre getting married and having a baby. For the record, in case it wasnt already clear, this is not a real religion. (Google will ask if you meant Serbian Orthodox if you look it up.) I was raised Russian Orthodox, so this concerned me more than most people. I have never worn a dress like hers, we used electricity on Wednesdays and Fridays, we did not pray 12 times a day, and we did not microwave fish a lot. But I loved seeing Mindy continue its interest in religion  so much so that the writers made up a pretty plausible one  right down to the end. The catch in this story line is that Morgan is chafing (literally, at times, from the traditional garb) at actually following the rules of his religion as perfectly as Tamra. He cant even be alone in a room with a woman. That could never work long-term for his wonderfully codependent relationship with Mindy.

Jody, meanwhile, is pining for Dr. Mary, but shes resisting his advances after hearing about his playboy ways from everyone at the hospital. Its gotten so bad that Jeremy and Morgan are giving him lady advice. They call themselves the Termite Club, given that Jeremy landed Anna and Morgan landed Tamra: We weaken magnificent women until they come crashing down. Jody puts this into action by showing up to Marys office with flowers and threatening to do so every day until she goes out with him. It works suspiciously quickly; she agrees to go on a date with him that night. Oh, and she sleeps with him. That night. Turns out shes about to leave the country for three years to work for Physicians on the Front.

Mindys presumed journey toward reconciliation with Danny begins when she spots his mom, Annette, in the hospitals oncology department. Yes, Annette has breast cancer. But she warns Mindy not to tell Danny or anyone who knows him. I am Sicilian, Annette says. That means something. Even though shes sworn to secrecy, Mindy confides in Morgan about Annettes cancer, which seems like a detail that will come back later.

But Morgan has his own problems. Hes wearing a traditional Siberian shirt Tamra gave him, for instance. We would all like to wear our peasant tops around the office, Jeremy chides, but its not professional. The fact is, Morgan hates the shirt, but he feels like he has to go along with Tamras embrace of his religion. That night, things reach a breaking point when Tamra prepares her peoples traditional foods, like reindeer and the finest pickled fish and jellied meats. Theyre so disgusting that Morgan cant help spitting out the food as soon as he tastes it.

The next day at the office, Tamra explains that she just wanted to start their marriage with some grounding in tradition  any tradition  because theyre so untraditional in every other way. She agrees to take his last name instead; shell be Tamra Tookers everywhere except IMDb. No more jellied meats. On a roll, Tamra also gives Jody the advice he needs, explaining that she can do better than Morgan, but, she adds, I dont want better, I want Morgan. This inspires Jody to track Mary down in the delivery room with a patient and tell her he wants to go to Africa with her. Yay!

Mindy gets a call from bitchy Nurse Chris in the oncology department. (Great throwaway line from him: Im only happy when Brooke is teaching SoulCycle.) Apparently Annette is screaming for Mindy as she fights with her bestie, Dot, in the chemo room. Once Dot leaves and Annette settles down, Annette reveals that the fight happened because Dot suggested Annette write a will. She seems to think that writing a will means that shes definitely going to die and/or that Dot wants her stuff. When Mindy says she agrees with Dot, Annette is suddenly suspicious of her, too: What does she want? Youre right, Mindy says sarcastically. Because what I want is a lavender sweatshirt with a picture of a watering can on it.

Mindy proceeds to lecture Annette about why she should have a will, which I love for a few reasons: First, I like when Mindy surprises us with her wisdom and maturity. Second, every adult should have a will! You dont know what might happen to you or when, and you dont know if, say, some rich person will surprise you by leaving you tons of money, which you inherit just hours before you die in a tragic accident. Even if you think you have nothing, you might end up with something, and that should be accounted for. The process should also include setting your end-of-life directives, which could be even more important if, say, you dont want to be kept alive by machines for years on end while otherwise completely mentally incapacitated. Mindy points this out, too: Should I go brain dead I would like to be smothered with my Oscar Isaac pillow. (In fact, my partner, Jesse, and I recently did this and found it surprisingly simple. Heres a blog post he wrote about what we learned.)

In any case, Annette finally agrees, but theres revelation on the horizon: When Nurse Chris drops Annettes jacket off at Shulman for Mindy to return, the result is that Jeremy and Colette now know about Annettes cancer, too. Its only a matter of time before Danny finds out.
Onstage at the Public, a play about the Public: Illyria. Photo: Joan Marcus

As the lights in the Publics Anspacher Theatre began to dim at the start of Illyria  Richard Nelsons searching, anti-theatrical ode to a theater  the opening chords of the Decemberists A Beginning Song filled the space and my heart gave a little jump. The Decemberists are a Portland-based alt-folk-rock band whose lush, hyperarticulate storytelling songs changed 17-year-old Saras life forever: If youre in your early 30s and an indie fan, chances are youll catch some serious feelings when Colin Meloys voice comes over the speakers. Watching the company of Illyria move through the half-light  arranging furniture, rolling out rugs, and setting up their playing space with an unhurried, cooperative sense of calm  I was catching those feelings (and the play hadnt even really begun). I also couldnt help but wonder: Why this very contemporary  as much as I hate to say it, millennial, even  song to begin a story set half a century ago?

That story is, to put it mildly, close to home. Nelson  who has directed his own play with the unobtrusive touch of a documentary filmmaker  has created a kind of 50th-birthday present for the theater where hes made a home (over the past decade, Nelson has premiered both his election cycles, the Apple Family plays, and the Gabriel plays, as well as Conversations in Tusculum at the Public). Now he has turned his sights on the origins of that home. His characters are now the ghosts in the walls around us.

Though characters doesnt even feel like the right word. The ten actors in Illyria are doing delicate, absorbing work conjuring very real people. The play is quite literally understated: a fleet of mics hang from the ceiling to pick up the dialogue, and you lean in a bit as your ear adjusts to the muted, sometimes overlapping, ultranaturalistic flow of speech. The people were watching speak softly while carrying a pretty enormous stick. Theyre responsible for the very building in which were sitting. They are the founding fathers and mothers of the New York Shakespeare Festival  the low-budget, high-aspirations endeavor that went from angering authorities and barely scraping by in the 1950s to birthing one of the most powerful cultural institutions in the country. (Notably, about 20 years after Illyria takes place, the Public had one of its biggest breakout successes with A Chorus Line, another moody tribute to the theater life.) Central among this young, scrappy, and hungry gang is the now-legendary producer and artistic director, Joe Papp, here portrayed as a brooding, deceptively reserved, insatiably ambitious 37-year-old by the compelling John Magaro.

Its hard to imagine Illyria  which is half love-song to the Public and half anthropological study of its salad days  ever playing anywhere else. If I were feeling uncharitable, I might even call it navel-gazing  but perhaps thats all right when you have, admittedly, a very interesting navel. Nelsons play takes place between April and August of 1958, chronicling a summer of upheaval and redefinition for the young Shakespeare Festival, which has recently moved from the Lower East Side into Central Park. Over the course of five months, Papp and his comrades weather personal pettiness and betrayal, the ugly tides of McCarthyism, obstruction from New York City master builder Robert Moses and his parks department, and, as always, the question of how theyll all survive  financially, spiritually, emotionally  to go once more unto the breach the next year.

Meanwhile, of course, theyre also trying to put on a show. Illyria takes its name from the setting of Shakespeares Twelfth Night, the play that Papp and his director Stuart Vaughan are trying to mount on a makeshift stage on the Belvedere lawn in Central Park that summer. John Sanders gives a nuanced performance as Vaughan, a man whose career is taking off faster than Papps, whos smart, driven, and well-intentioned and yet  so Illyria would have us believe  hindered by self-absorption and conventional-mindedness.

Though the banter in Nelsons first scene is casual and humorous (theres lots of knowing eye-rolling about the drunken-belligerent-genius behavior of George C. Scott, Illyrias resident Sir Not Appearing in This Film), tension is in the air. Vaughan wants a young actress named Mary Bennett for his Olivia (Naian Gonzalez Norvind, playing an ingenue whos perhaps not as docile as she lets on). Papp wants the role to go to his wife Peggy (Kristen Connolly, movingly self-effacing as a new mother who longs to return to acting and who knows in her heart that shes not equal to her competition). Because Papp is Papp  undeniably the king even among his friends  Olivia will go to Peggy. But a rift is opening. Stuart Vaughan will walk, leaving Papp to direct the play himself, and the next time this pair meets, barely healed wounds will be scratched wide open.

Illyria is such a slice-of-life (re)enactment of the idiosyncratic web of intimacies, loyalties, egos, tastes, ideas, fears, and ambitions that define daily life for those that make theater that it almost feels more like documentary or museum re-creation than theater itself. But despite its conscious avoidance of the dramatic, the piece ultimately works its way between your ribs. Theres got to be a German word for that feeling of simultaneous encouragement and despair  especially as it applies to this impossible, incomparable profession. I feel it regularly as writer, theater-maker, and as audience member, and I felt it during Illyria as I watched these young titans-to-be fretting over money and mission and integrity, not knowing if theyd make it another summer, bickering and dreaming and working on relationships bound to fall apart. (Peggy and Joe Papps marriage ended in divorce, as did Stuart Vaughans with his wife, Gladys, Papps loyal assistant and ultimately the first woman to direct for the New York Shakespeare Festival, in a soft-spoken, unflappable performance by Emma Duncan.) The familiarity is both heartening and depressing. The upstarts become the Establishment. New upstarts come along. History decides who lives, who dies, who tells the stories. The needle skips back to the beginning and the record plays again.

Perhaps theres simply an English word for the feeling: melancholy. That particular kind of sadness that feels a little pleasurable in its heaviness, the sadness of Shakespeares Jaques and the sadness of that imaginary land Illyria. In the final scene of Nelsons play, Papp sits on his stage in the park after Twelfth Nights closing performance  a stage hell have to haul away and scrap tomorrow, since of course theres nowhere to store it. His most loyal friends are with him: the press agent Merle Debuskey (a generous, forthright performance by Fran Kranz) and the stage manager Bernie Gersten (Will Brill in a playful, utterly appealing turn as the man who would go on to lead Lincoln Center for almost 30 years as executive producer  a fact thats something of a wry Easter egg in Illyria, whose characters throw a good deal of shade at the Palace of Art for rich people that was just beginning construction near Columbus Circle in 1958).

As the night wears on and a storm moves in, the three men pass a flask and quietly share in that sweet, specific kind of melancholy that comes with closing a show. Even a not-very-good one. (Bernie, did you really like the play tonight? My direction? asks Joe, to which Bernie replies with affection and honesty: Didnt rain.) Its a gorgeous trio of restrained longing and uncertainty. And as I listened to the three break into snatches of Twelfth Nights closing tune, The rain, it raineth every day, I realized that whoever chose the Decemberists as the troubadours of Illyria made the right decision. A Beginning Song is an anthem to continuing the work in the face of the vast unknown. I am waiting; should I be waiting? it goes, as unresolved as Festes song from over four centuries ago. I am wanting; should I be wanting? I am hopeful; should I be hopeful? Those questions mark every day of a life devoted to making real the fantastical shores of Illyria.

Illyria is at the Public Theater, of course, through December 10.
Photo: Suzanne Tenner/Showtime

It was the scream heard around the world  or in the Twin Peaks metropolitan area, at the very least.

Fans have been speculating about the last few spooky minutes of the Twin Peaks:The Return finale since it aired in September. Let us set the scene: Agent Dale Cooper (or is it Richard?) retrieves a woman physically resembling Laura Palmer but referred to as Carrie Page from Odessa, Texas, and drives her to Twin Peaks to reunite with her mother after 25 years. However, in true Lynchian form, all hell breaks loose when they arrive. Mrs. Palmer doesnt live in the house. In fact, she never did. Cooper, dumbfounded by what is transpiring, tries to make sense of everything by asking, What year is this? Meanwhile, Carrie, hearing the voice of her mother in the air whispering Lauraaaaaa, has a sudden realization and lets out one of the most terrifying screams in television history. The houses lights turn off. Fade to black.

So what happened? The most common theory about this unsettling conclusion  and there are a lot of theories  is that Cooper and his secretary Diane Evans crossed into an alternative dimension in their car in the hopes that Cooper could save Laura from her original, grisly fate. Unfortunately, Judy, the all-powerful entity who thrives on electricity, saw through his plan, and stuck the duo in alternative dimensions for the rest of their lives with no chance of returning to the real Twin Peaks ever again. With flashbacks earlier in the finale, it was also implied that when Cooper traveled back in time to rescue Laura in the woods before she arrived at the train car for her certain death, his interference actually prevented her from dying. Co-creator Mark Frosts new book, Twin Peaks: The Finale Dossier, confirms that is indeed true.

The novel, which is a part of the shows canon, is told in the form of classified FBI files, and the last chapter picks up immediately after the events of the finale. Agent Tammy Preston stayed in town for a few days to cover the aftermath for the FBI and perused old editions of the Twin Peaks Post to aid her research. What she discovered while reading articles confirms that history was rewritten for Laura Palmers story.

You know what else I discovered, Chief, in that same article, a few sentences later? This:

Agent Cooper had come to town for a few months earlier, to aid in the investigation into the disappearance, still unsolved, of local teenage beauty queen, Laura Palmer.

Let me repeat that phrase for you: still unsolved. No mention of murder, wrapped in plastic, or father arrested for shocking crime eventually dies in police custody of self-inflicted wounds.

Its right there on the front page: Laura Palmer did not die. So, fairly certain Ive not misplaced my own mind, I go back and check the corresponding police records. They tell me this: Laura Palmer disappeared from Twin Peaks without a trace  on the very same night when, in the world we thought we knew, it used to be said she died  but the police never found the girl or, if she had been killed elsewhere, her body or made a single arrest.

Agent Preston continues by saying that when she went to speak to the employees at the sheriffs station about Laura, they all got a slightly dazed and confused expression on their faces when I brought it up, as if they were lost in a fog. Soon enough, they all responded with the exact same sentence: Yeah, that sounds right. Thats how I remember it. Lauras case, to this day, is listed as open and pending investigation, with Ronette Pulaski confirming she never emerged from the woods to get to the train car. Her disappearance began to fade from the news after a few weeks since there were no substantial leads. Leland Palmer eventually killed himself out of grief a year later. Lauras mother, meanwhile, went into a deep depression and battled alcoholism and prescription drug addiction ever since.

And with that, Carrie Pages life in Odessa began.
After the Army was called in to make foot over bridges following Elphinstone stampede, the railway seems to be on drive to give explanations to the barrage of reactions on the issue.

By Vidya : After a barrage of questions put forth by Mumbaikars and many others as to why was the Army called in to make foot over bridges (FoB) when the railways or even the municipal corporation of Mumbai (BMC) had competent people who could do it, the railways has put out an explanation.

The railways have said that army "is preferred choice in times of crisis" as they have strong operational expertise in roads and bridges construction. Army, BRO and GREF have expertise in building roads and developing infrastructure In India."

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To prove their point the railways have gone on to even cite examples such as the August 2016 collapse of a bridge on the Mumbai-Goa highway.

The examples include roads and bridge constructions following Jammu and Kashmir floods, Commonwealth Games and Kashmir earthquake in 2005.

The public relation department of the railway went on to state how the Army perform roles for betterment of citizen services across the world including the United States.

The railway officials said, "role of the Indian Armed Forces is not confined to keeping a vigil on the highest battle ground of the world, Siachen, and fighting cross-border terrorism, but it also extends to helping its countrymen in distress and during crisis situations."

Even Shiv Sena scion Aditya Thackeray had to put out a series of tweets saying - "Saw some tweets regarding the army doing the FoB at Elphinstone and "why not BMC" or civic institutions. Would like to put the record straight."

"I won't comment on whether army should/not do this work. But the Elphinstone FoB is with Railways. BMC has never been asked by Rail to do it," he tweeted.

"Without formal permissions, the BMC cannot get onto railways jurisdiction as the BMC can only do it once allowed and given requirements," read another tweet by Thackeray.

It was exactly a month ago that 23 commuters had died in a stampede on the narrow staircase outside the Elphinstone railway station on western railway.

Railways Minister Piyush Goyal had assured swift construction of foot over bridges not just at the site of horrifying incident but at other stations too that needed expansion.

However, after a month, except for painting the staircases, nothing much had been done. Since the incident there has been marked presence of policemen during peak hours at the bridge who regulate the flow of commuters.

VIDEO | Foot-over bridges that need to widened, will be done at the earliest: Piyush Goyal after Mumbai stampede

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Jammu, Oct 31 (PTI) Environmental clearance has been given to the 930-MW Kirthai-II Hydroelectricity project that is coming up in the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, a senior officer said today.

District Development Commissioner, Kishtwar, Angrez Singh Rana, said that with this clearance, the decks have been cleared for all the six major projects coming up on river Chenab, which flows into Pakistan.

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"On our side, we have now completed all the formalities with regard to the upcoming six hydro-electricity projects. Kirthai-II was the sixth and the last project, for which the environment clearance was given yesterday," Rana told PTI.

It is expected that the tenders for the project would be floated within a month, he said.

According to the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation, the estimated hydro power potential of the state is 20,000 Megawatts (MW), of which about possible sources for 16,475 MW have been identified.

These comprise 11,283 MW from the Chenab basin, 3,084 MW from the Jhelum basin, 500 MW from the Ravi basin and 1,608 MW from the Indus basin.

Out of the identified potential, only 3263.46 MW has been exploited so far, consisting of 1211.96 MW in state sector from 21 power projects, 2009 MW in central sector from seven projects and 42.5 MW in private sector from four projects, officials said.

On Sunday, an environment committee gave its nod to 390- MW Kirthai-I.

In the run-of-the-river projects, water is not held back in a reservoir, but flows back into the river after generating electricity.

The other projects coming up in Kishtwar for which the formalities were completed included Kiru (624 MW), Pakal Dul (1,000 MW), Kwar (540 MW) and Bursar (800 MW).

The official said the Kirthai-II project envisages the construction of a 165 meter high concrete gravity dam and requires a total of 225.25 hectares of state, private and reserved land of which the apportionment of private land is only 43 hectares.

More than 2,100 people would get jobs during the execution of the project, Rana said. PTI TAS ADS

--- ENDS ---
By Indo-Asian News Service: Actress Gauahar Khan, who walked the ramp for TV channel Romedy Now's LOVE.LAUGH.LIVE collection which is in collaboration with designer Ken Ferns at the India Beach Fashion Week 2017, is coming up with her own fashion line.

"In India the demand for fashion and people wanting to be fashionable is very high. It is great if a TV channel comes up with a fashion line but also it is going to be competitor to me because I am coming up with my own fashion line," Gauahar told IANS.

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Also Read: Gauhar Khan will teach you how to dress right for your weekend party

The actress however refused to comment further on her collection.

On the film front, Gauahar was last seen in Vidya Balan-starrer "Begum Jaan".

--- ENDS ---
Candy is king this time of year, when goblins and masked superheroes roam in search of treats, and economists are saying confection sales are running nearly 6 percent ahead of last year due to growing consumer confidence and falling gas prices that create more disposable income.

M&M Mars, the candy giant with a plant in Waco that employs more than 500 people, says early fall is among its busiest times of the year, as production peaks for Halloween and cold-weather holidays.

The local facility makes Snickers-branded bars, which Forbes magazine listed as the second-most popular Halloween candy, behind only Reeses Peanut Butter Cups. It also produces Skittles candies, which rank No. 9 on Forbes Top 10 list.

All told, Americans will spend $9.1 billion on Halloween-related merchandise this season, up from last years $8.4 billion, according to the National Retail Federation. It added online that candy sales should hit $2.7 billion, as the nations collective sweet tooth bows to cravings.

This is one of the higher-volume stores when it comes to candy sales, and we noticed heavy Halloween-related shopping over the weekend, said Ronnie Bush, who manages the Walmart on Hewitt Drive. Halloween, Easter and Valentines Day all are about the same in terms of quantity. We receive larger shipments almost every year, and they increase typically by at least 10 percent but some years approach 30 percent.

At the Target Greatland store on Bosque Boulevard, assistant manager Michelle Visy said candy sales this Halloween season have eclipsed those of last year, though policy would not allow her to give specifics.

The National Retail Federation expects holiday retail sales in November and December to increase 3.6 to 4 percent for a total of $678 billion, according to its annual forecast that excludes vehicle, gasoline and restaurant sales.

Our forecast reflects the very realistic steady momentum of the economy and the overall strength of the industry, NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay said in a prepared statement on the federations website. Although this year hasnt been perfect, especially with the recent devastating hurricanes, we believe that the longer shopping season and strong consumer confidence will deliver retailers a strong holiday season.

Christmas falls 32 days after Thanksgiving this year, one day more than last year, and is on a Monday instead of a Sunday, giving consumers an extra weekend day to complete their shopping, according to the NRF.

NRF spokeswoman Ana Serafin Smith said in a phone interview the organization is not predicting that registers will ring often during the last two months of the year due to brisk Halloween-related sales.

Halloween does represent the start of something, a shopping season, if you will, but there is a big difference in the reason for spending, she said. At Halloween, you are typically buying for others, especially as it pertains to candy, whereas we often shop for ourselves later in the year.

Gas prices

Consumers may not see a strong relationship between gasoline prices and candy sales, but some retail observers say one exists.

The price of regular unleaded has been steadily falling for weeks, as refining capacity on the Gulf Coast returned to normal following Hurricane Harvey. The average in Greater Waco hit $2.16 late Monday afternoon, a 1.5-cent drop from Sunday, a 4-cent dip from a week earlier and 23 cents below the $2.39 average a month ago, according to GasBuddy.com.

A year ago, Waco motorists were paying right around $2 a gallon for regular unleaded, GasBuddy.com said in its report.

Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy, said in a phone interview he does not expect prices at the pump to decline much longer.

Oil prices have rebounded in the last week, led higher by geopolitical tensions and declining inventories, leading gasoline prices in some parts of the country to make an unseasonable move higher, he said in a report Monday.

He added that exports of crude oil from the United States are flowing at a record pace, also putting upward pressure on fuel costs.

Still, for now, bargains abound in pockets of Greater Waco, with the Murphy USA kiosk outside Walmart at Franklin Avenue and New Road charging $2.06 a gallon for regular unleaded on Monday. The same price was on display at the Stripes store at Robinson and Primrose drives, while the Sams Club on East Waco Drive was asking $2.07 a gallon.

Karr Ingham, an Amarillo-based economist who tracks local trends for the First National Bank of Central Texas and the Tribune-Herald, expressed surprise Monday that gas prices locally were continuing to fall.

Enjoy it while you can, he said by phone.
McLennan Countys rate of prescription opioid distribution is higher than state and national averages, a fact that helped prompt county commissioners to file a lawsuit Tuesday against the countrys largest opioid manufacturers and wholesale distributors.

County commissioners retained the law firms of Haley & Olson P.C., and Harrison Davis Steakley Morrison Jones P.C. in what commissioners say is a first step toward holding companies responsible for flooding the community with prescription opioids and fueling an opioid-abuse epidemic by prioritizing profits over people.

For every 100 people in McLennan County, 77 opioid prescriptions were dispensed in 2015, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state average for the class of painkillers was 59.8 prescriptions per 100 people, and the national average was 70.6 prescriptions per 100 people, Haley & Olson attorney Craig D. Cherry said.

The two firms will receive a third of any settlement or judgment recovered against the pharmaceutical companies, County Administrator Dustin Chapman said. If the county does not get a favorable result, the firms will not be paid, he said.

McLennan County Judge Scott Felton said everyone has friends or family who have been impacted by the epidemic.

The commissioners want to be leaders in this fight against an epidemic that has affected McLennan County citizens of all races and socio-economic groups, Felton said. Simply put, opioid addiction and the corresponding effects of opioid addiction do not discriminate. We want to help put a stop to this and recoup taxpayer dollars that have been expended in numerous ways to combat this epidemic.

The lawsuit could take years to resolve, Cherry said.

The opioid epidemic has created a tremendous burden for counties across the country, he said. McLennan County is no exception to that rule.

Felton said he believes the two law firms are the right ones for the job.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday afternoon in the U.S. District Court Western District, Waco division. Defendants listed include: Purdue Pharma LP, Purdue Pharma Inc., The Purdue Frederick Company, Cephalon Inc., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. n/k/a Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., Janssen Pharmaceutica Inc. n/k/a Janssen, Endo Health Solutions Inc., Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc., Abbott Laboratories, Knoll Pharmaceutical Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories, Watson Laboratories Inc., Actavis LLC, Actavis Pharma Inc. f/k/a Watson Pharma Inc., Insys Therapeutics Inc., Pfizer Inc., McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Corp.

There have been a substantial number of overdose deaths as a result, in whole or part, of opioid ingestion, and opioid addiction is one of the primary reasons county residents seek substance abuse treatment, according to the lawsuit.

Manufacturing companies have pushed highly addictive, dangerous opioids falsely representing to doctors that patients would only rarely succumb to drug addiction, while the distributors breached their legal duties to monitor, detect, investigate, refuse and report suspicious orders of prescription opioids, commissioners said in a press release. The economic burden caused by opioid abuse in the United States is about $78.5 billion, including from lost productivity, an increased need for social services, increased health insurance costs, increased criminal justice presence, strain on judicial resources, and substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation, according to the release. The two law firms are evaluating what type of financial impact the epidemic has had on McLennan County, but they believe the cost has been in the millions of dollars, Cherry said.

Both firms have been contacted by a number of other counties throughout the state, he said.

We are evaluating those cases at this time, Cherry said. My belief is that we will be asked to represent additional counties going forward.

Other counties cases would be separate from McLennan Countys, but there is a chance they could be consolidated as they move forward, he said.

Cried with my clients

The CDC has provided fairly concrete and scientific information regarding the opioid problem in McLennan County, said Herb Bristow, another Haley & Olson attorney.

County leaders asked the firm to look into whether there was an issue in McLennan County, Bristow said.

Matt Morrison, a Harrison Davis Steakley Morrison Jones attorney, said his litigation experience has brought him face to face with victims of the opioid crisis.

I have cried with my clients. I have represented families of people who have died from the epidemic, Morrison said. It is overwhelming and it is across the country.

Health care providers in the United States wrote more than 289 million prescriptions for opioids in 2016, enough for every adult in the nation to have more than one bottle of pills, according to the lawsuit.

Opioids used to treat moderate to severe pain include oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine and methadone, according to the CDC. Some opioid brand names include OxyContin, Vicodin, Opana, Percocet, Percodan, Roxicodone and Avinza.

Fentanyl is an opioid typically approved to treat advanced cancer pain. Heroin is an illegal opioid that has seen increased use in the U.S. among many demographics, according to the CDC.

The prescription opioid-abuse epidemic did not occur by chance, the lawsuit states.

Defendants falsely and misleadingly downplayed the serious risk of addiction  exaggerated the effectiveness of screening tools in preventing addiction, claimed opioid dependence and withdrawal are easily managed,  promoted highly addictive opioids through souvenirs and toys, according to the lawsuit.

Misrepresentations by the defendants led doctors and patients to discount risks of the drugs, the suit states.

Some of the repercussions for residents of McLennan County include job loss, loss of custody of children, physical and mental health problems, homelessness and incarceration, which results in instability in communities often already in economic crisis and contributes to increased demand on community services such as hospitals, courts, child services, treatment centers and law enforcement.

Morrison said it would be the law firms privilege to bring the fight against opioid abuse to McLennan County. The county has been damaged, and we need to help make that right, he said.

More than six out of 10 drug overdose deaths in the nation involve an opioid, according to the CDC. The amount of prescription opioids sold to pharmacies, hospitals and doctors offices nearly quadrupled from 1999 to 2010, according to the CDC. Opioid deaths have quadrupled since 1999. On average, 91 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose, according to the CDC.

McLennan County commissioners voted 4-0 to file the suit. Precinct 2 Commissioner Lester Gibson was not in attendance.

Other Texas counties have recently engaged in litigation against pharmaceutical companies concerning the opioid epidemic.

Lawyers with the Dallas-based firm Simon Greenstone Panatier Bartlett P.C. filed a similar suit on behalf of Upshur County on Sept. 29, making it the first lawsuit by a Texas governmental body against pharmaceutical companies for their role in the opioid epidemic, which was declared a national emergency by President Donald Trump last week. Bowie and Hopkins counties have since joined the firms suit.

There is no denying that we have an opioid crisis in America and that the human misery and financial damage it causes is enormous, said Jeffrey Simon, a Simon Greenstone Panatier Bartlett attorney, in a statement. Although accidental overdoses have become the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 50, the pharmaceutical industry has not been fully held accountable for its role in creating this epidemic.
At least one biker killed in the May 2015 shootout at Twin Peaks was shot by two Waco police officers, while a second biker was shot by an officer and at least one other biker, a forensics lab supervisor testified Monday.

Forensic evidence about firearms and autopsies dominated testimony Monday in the trial of Jacob Carrizal, the first of 154 bikers indicted in the clash between Bandidos and Cossacks to stand trial.

Carrizal, 35, president of the Dallas Bandidos chapter, is on trial in Wacos 54th State District Court on charges of directing the activities of a criminal street gang, engaging in organized criminal activity with the underlying offense of murder and engaging in organized criminal activity with the underlying offense of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Court officials said Monday evening that prosecutors could rest their case against Carrizal on Tuesday, the 15th day of testimony.

Carrizals attorney, Casie Gotro, said she will be ready to present evidence when the state rests, which she said will include officers not called as witnesses thus far by the state.

April Kendrick, supervisor of the firearm and tool mark section at the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Sciences in Dallas, testified she analyzed the three rifles used by members of the Waco police SWAT team to engage bikers after the fight between rival biker gangs turned into a deadly shootout.

She said she analyzed two Bushmaster rifles and a Colt M-16, all of which fire .223-caliber bullets, and compared them to shell casings, projectiles and shell fragments found at the scene and retrieved from bikers bodies and clothing. Many of the fragments were unsuitable for comparison, she said, while others were determined to be inconclusive.

Two of the officers, Michael Bucher and Heath Jackson rode in the same car, and 11 of the 12 shell casings were found in and around the area where the car was parked, about 50 yards from the Twin Peaks patio area in the Don Carlos restaurant parking lot.

Seven of the rounds were fired by Bucher, while four were fired by Jackson, Kendrick said. One round was fired from a different location by officer Andy ONeal, who has not testified at Carrizals trial.

All three officers were cleared in the shootings by a Waco police internal investigation and by a McLennan County grand jury.

Kendrick said bullet fragments from Jacksons weapon were found in Daniel Boyetts neck, while fragments from Buchers rifle were found in Boyetts head and abdomen. Richard Kirshner, who also was killed, was shot in the hip and thigh by Bucher but also was shot by a large-caliber weapon that was too large to have come from police rifles, Kendrick said.

Fragments from Buchers weapon also were found in Richard Lockhart, who was not killed, and in Jacob Rhynes abdomen. Rhyne, who was killed, was also shot in the neck, but those fragments were not suitable for comparison, she said.

Fragments from Jacksons bullet also were found in Wayne Campbells esophagus, Kendrick said.

Kendrick eliminated the officers weapons in the shootings of William Richardson, Clifford Pearce, Reginald Weathers, Christopher Julian Carrizal, Charles Wayne Russell, Jesus Rodriguez, Richard Jordan, Manuel Rodriguez and Matthew Smith because the caliber of bullets each was shot with was too large to be a .223.

In other testimony, Dr. Reade Quinton, deputy chief medical examiner for the Dallas County Medical Examiners Office, reviewed autopsy reports on the nine dead bikers, accompanying his testimony with graphic photos.

Manuel Rodriguez, the lone Bandido who died in the gun battle, was shown wearing a black shirt that said, Respect This Patch or Youll Fear it. He was shot in the right eye and the right side of the back.

Richard Jordan, a Cossack who was shot in the back of the head, was wearing a vest with two lightning bolts, or an SS insignia, and a shirt that said, Social Outcast. Crazy White Boy.

Others killed were Wayne Campbell, Matthew Smith, Charles Russell, Daniel Boyett, Jacob Rhyne, Richard Kirshner and Jesus Rodriguez.
Prosecutors rested their case against Jacob Carrizal on Tuesday after testimony from Carrizals younger brother that showed Jacob Carrizal was aware of conflicts between Bandidos and Cossacks, and told his fellow Bandidos to bring their guns to Waco and leave their women at home.

Judge Matt Johnson recessed the trial about 11 a.m. Tuesday until 1 p.m. Wednesday to give Jacob Carrizal and his attorneys, Casie Gotro and Thomas Lane, a chance to line up witnesses.

Prosecutors have called 49 witnesses and introduced more than 1,200 pieces of evidence during 15 days of testimony.

Well, I think we are finally going to get to hear the rest of that story, Gotro said after the trial recessed. We are looking forward to it.

Gotro declined to say how many witnesses she intends to call or if Jacob Carrizal will testify. She said the trial should conclude this week.

Jacob Carrizal, 35, president of the Dallas Bandidos chapter, is charged in 54th State District Court with directing the operations of a criminal street gang and two counts of engaging in organized criminal activity.

The prosecution closed out its case by calling Carrizals younger brother, Chuck Carrizal, a Dallas funeral director and also a member of the Bandidos.

Under questioning from prosecutor Michael Jarrett, the younger Carrizal said he was a member of the Desgraciados, a Bandidos support group, before becoming a member of the Bandidos about 18 months ago.

Jarrett showed the jury a series of text messages from Jacob Carrizal to other Bandidos, including one that warned a large group of Cossacks was riding through an area of Texas. A text from March 25, 2015, showed Jacob Carrizal instructing other Bandidos to tell their old ladies not to spread word about their whereabouts.

Chuck Carrizal said that while the Bandidos had no problems with the Cossacks, the text message was sent because the Cossacks were messing with them.

Through her questioning, Gotro has tried to show the Cossacks were the aggressors the day of the Twin Peaks shootout and that they laid a trap and ambushed the Bandidos, who merely acted to defend themselves.

Jarrett showed a text message from Manuel Rodriguez, a Bandido known as Candyman who was shot and killed at Twin Peaks. The text showed a Cossacks logo with a line through it, indicating to Jarrett that the Bandidos did have problems with the Cossacks.

Other texts between former Bandidos chapter President Dave Martinez and Jacob Carrizal, in which they talk about Cossacks hanging out at a bar, also show the friction between the Cossacks and Bandidos, Jarrett said.

On May 16, 2015, the day before the Twin Peaks shootout, Jacob Carrizal notified Bandidos that he wants everyone to come to Waco and leave their women at home. A biker gang expert testified earlier in the trial that the groups dont bring their wives or girlfriends with them if they expect violence to erupt.

Jacob Carrizal sent a text that says 5/17 Bro. The next morning, he sent texts telling members to bring their tools. Jarrett asked Chuck Carrizal what tools means, and he said it means items like screwdrivers and pliers. Jarrett asked if he ever heard anyone refer to guns as tools. Chuck Carrizal said no.

Police searched the motorcycles there that day, Jarrett said. Would it surprise you to know that nobody brought a tool kit with them that day?

Police found 154 firearms and more than 400 other weapons, including knives, clubs, a tomahawk and brass knuckles, after the skirmish that left nine bikers dead and more than 20 injured.

Jarrett asked Chuck Carrizal to stand up and show the jury his Bandidos belt buckle, which says BFFB. He said that means Bandidos Forever, Forever Bandidos. Jarrett asked the younger Carrizal about his brothers vest, which Jarrett said had no Expect No Mercy patch before the Twin Peaks shootout but featured one afterward.

State gang experts testified that the patch can only be earned by committing an act of violence.

During cross-examination, Gotro asked Chuck Carrizal if he is aware that prosecutors are accusing him and his brother of being gang members.

Do you and your brother go around together committing crimes? Gotro asked. He said no.

Chuck Carrizal said his family grew up in El Paso and his brother moved to Dallas to work as an engineer for a railroad company. Chuck Carrizal said he moved to Dallas later, went to school and became a funeral director.

Gotro told Chuck Carrizal the truth is not going to hurt your brother and asked him again if he knew his brother was talking about guns when he referred to them as tools in the text. He said yes.

He agreed with Gotro that I-35 is not a safe place to ride, and people regularly carry guns when they travel. He said if he had known Jacob Carrizal and his father, Christopher Julian Carrizal, would get in a big brawl, he would have come to Waco, too, to help protect them.

He said they did not expect any violence at a meeting of the Confederation of Clubs and Independents, which was scheduled that day at Twin Peaks, although he said he had never seen any Cossacks at those meetings before.

He became emotional when he talked about learning that his father was wounded and hospitalized and his brother was in jail. He said he and his mother drove to Waco after the shootout to see them.

Zach Carrizal, another brother of Jacob Carrizal, testified earlier in the trial. Both brothers said they were reluctant to testify because many people do not understand the biker lifestyle. Zach Carrizal is president of a Bandidos chapter in Ruidoso, New Mexico.

On redirect, Jarrett noted the differences in Chuck Carrizals answers when asked about what tools means. Jarrett said Jacob Carrizal and the Bandidos were aware of conflicts between the two groups, and he told Bandidos to come armed to the meeting.

Are we supposed to believe they were surprised when a gun fight happened? Jarrett asked.

Chuck Carrizal repeated that they did not expect violence at the meeting.

Jarrett showed Chuck Carrizal a photo of his brother with his blue Harley-Davidson and yellow and black helmet with yellow-tinted visor.

A former Twin Peaks employee testified she saw a man in a big yellow helmet fire the first shot while surrounded by Cossacks.

Shaniqua Corsey testified she saw bikers gathered around in a fight circle and arguing. She said the man in the big yellow helmet pulled a large handgun that she described as a long, Dirty Harry-type pistol and shot a biker standing in front of him.

Photos introduced by prosecutors show a dead biker lying near Jacob Carrizals overturned blue motorcycle at the center of where the violence erupted.

Corsey said her attention was focused on the biker in the yellow helmet because he was arguing and appeared to be the one in charge.
By PTI: New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) In a bid to boost science and technology learning among students, the government will hold a nationwide science talent search examination through mobile application, Union minister Alphons Kannanthanam said today.

"91,000 students have registered (for national science talent examination) and we will be having examinations in 2078 centres across the country. For the first time in the world, we are going to have app based examination with such a large number of people," minister of state for electronics and IT Alphons Joseph Kannanthanam said while launching the mobile app Vidhyarthi Vigyan Manthan (VVM).

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The app will be used for National Science Talent Search examination to be held on November 26.

Alphons, who also holds portfolio of MoS (independent charge) for Tourism, said the children at present study by heart every word and reproduce the same in examination to get full marks which will not result in making India a country of "young bright and talented children".

"We want to change all that. We want students to use digital technology, to learn science, about India and famous people who have made science popular. Understand, analyse, use your brains to come to conclusion. That is why we are having this sciene talent examination across country," Alphons said.

The VVM app will be available on Android and Apples iOS platform.

Students appearing for the examination will have to register on the mobile app and will need to visit authorised centre to take the test.

The app will disconnect and free other applications of mobile or laptop once the examination starts.

"The examination will be conducted in two sections - junior classes which is class 6-8 and senior classes comprising students from class 9-12. The syllabus for the test is available online. Every student will be assessed based on class based performance," Vigyan Prasar, Scientist Arvind C Ranade said.

He said that the app will assess students knowledge as well as their intelligence.

"If a class 6 students answers question meant for class 8 students than that will be used for assessing his intelligence. Winners will get recognition, cash prize and government sponsored trip to science labs in the country and even abroad," Ranade said.

Winners at state level from each class will get cash prize of Rs 10,000, runner up Rs 7,000 and second runner up Rs 5,000 and at national the amount will be Rs 25,000 for the winner, Rs 15,000 for runner up and Rs 10,000 for second runner up.

"There will be certificate given to winners at all levels starting from the district level and mementos will be given at state and national level," Ranade said. PTI PRS BAL

--- ENDS ---

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A far more vocal crowd turned out Monday for the second of three community meetings held by the Waco Independent School District intended to help find a contingency plan to keep five schools on the verge of closure open next year.

Residents held Superintendent A. Marcus Nelsons feet to the fire in the meeting moderated by Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith at the City of Waco Multi-Purpose Center. They asked several times about how the district would tackle two issues to address change needed over the next two semesters: distrust among residents and parents, and equitable learning experiences for students in the five campuses, which are in some of Waco ISDs most low-income, high minority-populated areas.

The answer is targeted intervention: working child by child, teacher by teacher, as employees did in Laredo ISD when Nelson helped turn around nine schools before he left to come to Waco ISD in June, Nelson said.

Theres a standard, and if you cant meet the standard, then maybe you should go to another school district. If youre going to be in the Waco Independent School District, were going to expect you to tutor kids, before and after school and on Saturdays, Nelson said. Were raising expectations for everybody.

Nelson reiterated several options presented at the Oct. 23 meeting to keep Alta Vista Elementary School, Brook Avenue Elementary School, J.H. Hines Elementary School, G.W. Carver Middle School and Indian Spring Middle School open, based on state laws passed in 2015 and 2017.

The campuses have failed state academic standards for five consecutive years or more, the states legal threshold to close a campus.

If the five schools dont meet state accountability ratings in May, the 2015 law requires the campuses to close or the districts elected school board to be replaced with state appointees, according to a recent warning letter Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath sent the district. But Texas Education Agency officials recently told the district replacing the school board isnt an option because the board is doing what it should, Nelson said.

But a law passed this year gives those districts a chance to come up with an alternative plan that could keep the schools open another two years, and Waco ISD has until February to submit the plan to the state for approval, Nelson said. Waco ISD can repurpose schools with a new campus ID number, effectively making them new schools, create partnerships with a for-profit charter school or create a partnership with a nonprofit group, district spokesman Kyle DeBeer said.

With four of the five schools having a student population thats about 90 percent economically disadvantaged or higher and state accountability measures the same for every school across the state, Nelson was asked what the district would do to help those students achieve high performance.

Thats why we push our kids so hard. We have very little control of what they go home to, Nelson said. I know kids in Waco ISD right now that the biggest problem they have is are they going to go to Texas Tech or are they going to Texas A&M, because Momma went to Tech and Daddy went to A&M. ... But sitting right next to that student is a student who has no home support. They go home, and theyre the oldest in their family and have to take care of their siblings. With that kid, you have to level the playing field and have to assume personal responsibility, that this kid needs more help and support.

Waco ISD rolls out campus improvement plans for 2017-2018 With five campuses facing the possibility of closure by the state after this school year, Wa

He challenged parents to become more involved at home and at the campus level to push children toward college-readiness initiatives and dual-credit programs, or sitting down with students to do homework and help with literacy skills. But the challenge comes when educators have to serve as possible surrogate parents and the first thing a Waco ISD employee might have to do when they walk in each morning in is find something for the student to eat, Nelson pointed out.

The main thing we have to do for these poor children in these schools is we have to push the expectations higher and higher, and help them reach those expectations, Nelson said. Do you really think a kid from poverty can be successful at Baylor (University)? I emphatically believe that. We have to put systems in place that really allow for the equity in excellence were demanding.

But parents pushed back, stating theres an element of distrust with district administrators and school board members. They brought up how their children have fallen through educational gaps, despite being actively involved or communicating with Waco ISD employees, and a sense of feeling unwelcome on campuses.

They also brought up past issues and pleaded with Nelson and board members in the meeting, saying that if schools were to be repurposed, district officials heavily scrutinized any possibility of merging a struggling campus with another struggling campus, as was done in 2008.

Ive heard praise for the board, some indictment on parents, some indictment on the community, but theres a reason for that: Theres a lack of trust in communities of color with the school district, and thats been there for a long time, said Ramona Curtis, Baylors director for community engagement and Initiatives. Our parents dont look like the nuclear family, and all these kind of things. When I grew up, my parents expected the school to teach me, but I know were in a different time now. ... I want to know what were going to do differently, with the board as well. Even though these schools are in neighborhoods some of our board members dont live, I want them to also feel some sense of accountability as well.

Nelson responded by stating every parent and child was welcome to come to the table in Waco ISD because district staff cant accomplish the goal by themselves. The district has close to 15,000 students, and Nelsons trying to act quickly and be decisive about reality facing the struggling campuses, he said.

Im trying to build confidence in our community that this is no joke. This is a serious commitment. All of my love, all of my peace, all of my happiness goes into improving the educational product of every community we have, not just some zip codes, Nelson said. Until we can proclaim all kids are going to all quality schools, you have a superintendent who is going to consistently push for higher expectations. No, Im not indicting anyone. Im trying to encourage people to become part of this movement.

Nelson said opting to surrender the schools to a for-profit charter system wasnt an option because that would bring in educators and officials who arent familiar with Waco.

Instead, the districts leaning toward making an in-district charter by partnering with a local nonprofit under the law or making both middle schools single-gender campuses, creating a sixth-grade center and realigning J.H. Hines and South Waco Elementary to serve prekindergarten through second grade, while Alta Vista and Brook Avenue could be realigned to serve third through fifth grade, he said.

The last of the three meetings will be held at 6 p.m. Monday at the Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, 915 La Salle Ave.
Halloween. Mere thought of the word brings a wistful smile to my lips as I remember a small-town childhood in dusty West Texas filled with memories of witches, ghosts and goblins running in werewolf packs and joyfully demanding tribute at every door. I dont remember a single home with its porch light off. Back then every inhabitant in town and his or her porch light burned to join in this celebration of childhood.

Then I grew up and, as I changed little by little, so did the holiday. Over time, the flood of kids in the streets became a trickle. Then the Navy ordered me to Rota, Spain, in 1986.

Even though Halloween was changing stateside, Spanish kids had apparently not gotten the word. They were out in force on every corner of the Navy housing area. The Spanish around the base still celebrated much as we must have when the first little monsters took to the streets here.

Whats more, Spanish kids and their families put real thought and effort into their homemade costumes. The results were frighteningly fabulous. When those kids came to the door and yelled that heavily accented, oh-so-practiced, Trick or treat! I could see the pride in their faces as I surveyed the Draculas, demons, goblins and ghosts before me.

These kids were doing more than cashing in on free candy. They bought into the spirit of the holiday with every ounce of enthusiasm they and their creative families had. And in a period of being faraway from home and ready to confront what even then was an uncertain world, those little spirits renewed my spirit and brought out the child in me again, if only for a night.

My most memorable Halloween moment, a memory that has spanned decades (not to mention an ocean), took place in 1988, my last Halloween in Southern Spain, when a toddler of a ghost came waddling across my yellowed lawn, overseen by his brother, a vampire. I just about cracked my face grinning at those two kids as I made a show of noisily rustling the candy inside my plastic pumpkin and peered down at them and their homemade, meticulously perfect costumes. A smaller apparition had never haunted such a carefully tailored, hand-decorated sheet. And his big brother, the 7- or 8-year-old vampire with his shiny, jet-black hair slicked back, his bloody, canine teeth and flowing, aristocratic cape, looked like he had stepped straight off a street in Transylvania.

Bending down to coo over the little Casper standing there so uncertainly, I gave the friendly ghost extra candy and tried to coax a trick or treat out of him but to no avail. It seemed to me this little spirit, whose wide eyes were clearly visible through a pair of strategic cuts in his costume, didnt know whether to yell boo or boo-hoo at the guy babbling at him in a strange language. Finally, I straightened up, turned to his brother and asked in Spanish, Como se dice ghost in espanol?

The vampire instantly looked straight into my eyes, bared his frightful fangs and growled in the eeriest, guttural tone he could muster, Fantasma!

Legend has it that Dracula could look mere mortals in the eyes and mesmerize them into helplessness. Its true. I was absolutely transfixed by the scene that unfolded beneath my porch light on that warm Spanish evening. I was rendered helpless with pure, unadulterated glee. Watching the vampire shepherd his tottering little ghost to the next haunt, reveling in the few truly innocent scares left in a changing and frightening world, I was aware at some level Id never see anything like it again. I was right.

I have already gone through the motions this year and bought a bag of little chocolate bars, but only one small bag. Nothing stays the same, not even Halloween. But I still celebrate. About this time every year, I recapture a spirit lost by traveling back in time to conjure up a little, Spanish spirit and his big brother, the vampire.
Pontiff to visit American military cemetery in Nettuno and Ardeatine Caves in Rome.

Pope Francis will pay homage to war victims during a visit to the American military cemetery in Nettuno, south of Rome, on the feast of All Souls' Day on 2 November.

There the pontiff will celebrate Mass for all war dead, at 15.15, marking the annual Catholic tradition of mourning the dearly departed. This is a new departure for Pope Francis, who normally says Mass for All Souls' in Roman cemeteries.

Later that afternoon the pontiff will visit the Fosse Ardeatine to pray for the 335 victims killed on the site by the then occupying Nazi forces in 1944. The mass killing was in retaliation to a partisan attack on a column of marching German policemen on Via Rasella, near Piazza Barberini in central Rome.

On the feast of All Souls' in 2013 the newly-elected Pope Francis visited the capital's vast Verano cemetery, restoring a tradition begun by his predecessor St John Paul II but which hadn't taken place in 20 years. In 2016, for the first time, Francis celebrated Mass for the Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed in Rome's Prima Porta cemetery.
Cracks have emerged between Patidar leaders while the Congress and BJP have started campaigning in full swing ahead of Gujarat polls.

By Ilma Hasan: Cracks have emerged between Patidar leaders while the Congress and BJP have started campaigning in full swing ahead of Gujarat polls.

Hardik Patel has met with Congress and has given an ultimatum to them to take a stand on reservation by November 7. But the organisation that he once worked for, Patidar Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (PASS), has pledged their allegiance to the BJP. Calling Hardik Patel a farce, PASS said that they are more hopeful of the BJP meeting their demands.

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"We know the claims Congress is making are impossible. It looks like they won't be coming to power in 2019 or 2024, we can't keep waiting for them. Since we've traditionally supported BJP, at least we can resolve our issues through dialogue," said the National Convenor of PASS Asvin Patel.

Members of PASS will be meeting BJP National President Amit Shah soon to discuss their problems. The BJP, claims Patel, has met six of the 10 demands put forth by them.

"Since Gujarat BJP did nothing for us, it's better if we meet Amit Shah directly and raise our concerns," he said.

"Hardik led to the death of 14 of our people. He turned the movement violent. The crowds you see at his rally aren't the reality, they are all bought," Patel lashed out at Hardik.

When asked if the Patidar vote splits, their cause will get diluted he said: "Patidars are upset with Hardik's choice to support Congress. He is misguiding the people, and they see through it. Hardik is doing this for vested interests, no one from the founding members of the movement support him. We are still united as one."

PASS believed that Congress' promises of Patidars getting 20 per cent EBC quota will never be implemented since the party will have to be in majority to do so. It also goes against their original demand of quota in the OBC category, which neither party can promise as it'll upset the OBCs.

Hardik has, however, now threatened to disrupt the Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's rally in Surat on November 3 if the reservation in the OBC category isn't assured.

Hardik Patel was earlier one of the key members of PASS, he used to handle their rallies in Gujarat. Known as a great orator, he quickly rose the ranks of the organisation until he turned political with PASS alleging their intention was always to stay apolitical. They also claim he tried to fool the people, and swayed from the original cause.

WATCH: India Today-Axis My India Opinion Poll: BJP looks set to retain its bastion Gujarat

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AFL great Luke Hodge says a line in the sand has been drawn following the three-match ban handed down to Richmond premiership defender Nathan Broad, suggesting that the next player to commit a similar offence to that of the Tiger deserves a considerably heftier penalty.

Richmond - in combination with the AFL - suspended West Australian backman Broad for the first three matches of the 2018 home and away season for sending a photo of a topless woman wearing a premiership medal, taken on the night of Richmond's grand final win. Broad did not have permission to send the photo of the woman, whose head was not in the image, although while the photo went viral no charges were laid following a Victoria Police investigation into the matter.

The league said it supported the length of the ban, but while Hodge didn't say it had been overly lenient, he said players should learn from Broad's mistake, or else incur the AFL's wrath.

"People, and players especially, they've got to be smarter and respect ladies better than that," Hodge told ABC radio on Monday as he promoted his newly-released book The General.
Sydney businessman John Kinghorn, founder of RAMS Home Loans and Allco Finance Group, has pleaded not guilty to fraud offences after being charged by the Australian Federal Police following a "complex" eight-year investigation.

The AFP alleges that Mr Kinghorn, 76, fraudulently concealed his beneficial ownership and control of corporate entities, avoiding more than $30 million in tax obligations.

Mr Kinghorn was served with a court attendance notice on October 6. The matter was briefly heard at Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday morning, where a plea of not guilty was entered to all charges. The matter is adjourned until February 6.

Mr Kinghorn is charged with one count each of dishonestly influencing a commonwealth public official and defrauding the commonwealth, offences that carry a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment.
Iron ore heavyweight Fortescue Metals Group is looking for lithium in the vast Pilbara region of Western Australia, in response to the strengthening outlook for lithium and electric vehicles worldwide.

Fortescue's chief executive, Nev Power, confirmed the exploratory work on Tuesday, saying the tenements it held were "next door" to the current lithium operations of Pilbara Minerals and Mineral Resources.

"So we're in the right area. We're looking for elephants in elephant country, but whether you find the elephant, I don't know," he said.

Asked if Fortescue's interest in lithium was driven by the strengthening outlook for lithium and electric vehicles, he said: "Yeah, absolutely."
Frank Moorhouse has speculated on the sexuality of Henry Lawson, arguing that despite his image as the archetypal "bushman, the celebrator of a rugged Australian bush mateship", he actually evinced great "effeminacy, or femininity", and may very well have been gay. Moorhouse does not say there is any evidence that Lawson physically expressed that sexuality, but exults that Lawson could be a "hero to all queer Australian kids".

Outrageous supposition? The eminent historian and my friend, Clare Wright, is one who dislikes any conjecture about the sexuality of some of the inspiring turn-of-last century women's suffrage campaigners in Australia, insisting it is "not relevant, either way, to their activism".

Old engraved portraits of Robert O'Hara Burke and William John Wills, British explorers of Australia. Credit:Old Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Others insist it is simply disrespectful to their memories. I note Wright's point, and want to proceed carefully, but certainly reject the "disrespect" tag.

I would argue that while so speculating might have been disrespectful in the 1940s and 1950s  when being gay was against the law, and widely thought of as a disgusting perversity  things have changed. Now in an enlightened age, when we're about to allow same-sex marriage and it is recognised that being gay is no more problematic than having red hair, I say all the sting has gone out of the inquiry, and it is not only fascinating  which gets it over the key bar for being worthy of inclusion in any biographical sketch  but, all to the good if it adds one to the lexicon of possibly gay heroes through history. And I say it is all the more interesting if someone who came to fame in fields far removed from the gay stereotypes was possibly homosexual.
We are at something of a watershed moment where sexual harassment and institutionalised misogyny are concerned. The recent allegations regarding Harvey Weinstein's abusive conduct and frequent assaults may have rocked Hollywood, but the aftershocks have been steadily rumbling out across the world since then. The process has emboldened more victims to come forward and defy the culture of shame that has long kept these stories suppressed.

And yet amid this seismic moment, among the entirely inadequate responses from those accused of harassment, a particularly tired old card is being played: lighten up, ladies! It's not that the behaviour of various men in power is actually bad or inappropriate. It's just that you don't get it.

Following the Harvey Weinstein revelations a dam has been broken. Credit:AP

Consider the response of Charles Waterstreet to recent allegations of workplace impropriety and sexual harassment. Among the alleged behaviour highlighted by 21-year-old law student Tina Ni Huang are the claims the well-known barrister used a job interview to openly discuss his sex life and sexual preferences, and to show Huang a series of images (including a video) on his mobile phone of people engaged in sexual activity. During her second meeting with Waterstreet, Huang alleges he repeatedly expressed his disappointment that he hadn't been invited to a "sex party".

Waterstreet's rebuttal in the SMH reads as if pulled straight out of the Victim Blaming Playbook For Men Who Are Tired Of Women Not Getting Their Jokes. In detailing how he came to select Huang as a suitable candidate for employment, he writes: "Much of my writing and general persona involves irony and the 'pricking of balloons' where intolerance and hypocrisy are concerned. My alleged sense of humour has not served me as I would like." Waterstreet never really denies anything Huang says, but instead goes to great lengths to explain that things she found egregious and humiliating were evidence in cases or just great gags.
As the Supreme Court summons Hadiya in Kerala's alleged love jihad case, the Modi government, which had opposed to summoning her without going through NIA's probe report, takes yet another setback.

By Harish V Nair: At the end of a stormy hour-long hearing, the Chief Justice Dipak Misra-led bench of the Supreme Court on Monday ordered the father of the 24-year-old in Kerala's sensational 'love jihad' case to produce her before them on November 27.

After the SC's rather negative remarks on the national anthem and the Rohingya issues, this decision was yet another clear blow to the Modi government, which through the National Investigative Agency vociferously opposed to summoning the girl without going through its probe report.

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At stake was the issue of 'love jihad' which the BJP is so passionately raising in Kerala. The SC said it is not bothered about "love jihad" or "indoctrination" theories for the time being, but only about the girl's consent to marriage.

The three judges wish to ascertain the mental state of Akhila -- an adult who converted to become Hadiya -- if she married Shafin Jahan as per her wish, or if she was willing to be with her father Ashokan, to whom the Kerala High Court gave her custody after quashing her marriage?

The interaction is set to have a huge bearing on the case as CJI Misra, who has questioned the high court order, has been repeatedly saying that if the girl -- an adult -- had married Jahan as per own free will, her consent was valid and no force can separate her from her husband, and in that case the father was keeping her in "illegal confinement".

Significantly, the video clips of medical student Hadiya, in which she is saying that she has married Jahan of her own volition and is being "tortured by her father" who has kept her in forced "confinement", is already viral.

It will be a huge boost for Jahan, who has moved the SC through his lawyer Haris Beeran, seeking quashing of the high court order if she repeats the same before the SC.

It will also be a massive setback for the Centre which, using the case, is trying to prove the "rampant" love jihad in Kerala.

Additional solicitor general Maninder Singh, appearing for the Centre and NIA had vehemently pleaded with the court to go through its probe report before summoning her. However, the CJI rejected it.

The report had said that Hadiya case was not an isolated one but she was one of those trapped as part of a "well-oiled racket that uses psychological measures to indoctrinate people and persuade them to join terror groups such as ISIS" as alleged by her father and endorsed by state HC, which annulled the marriage. Singh said probe found 89 such cases of indoctrination in Kerala.

Singh argued that consent of an adult "normally, usually, generally" is valid but the one given under "indoctrination" amounted to "psychological kidnapping". However, the CJI Mishra then said: "All these aspects will be dealt with later. First we want to listen to the girl".

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When Singh said Hadiya had married a criminal, the CJI shot back: "Is there a rule that a girl cannot fall in love and marry a criminal?" Also, the father of 24-year-old Hadiya told the apex court: "She always dreamt of becoming a homeopathy doctor. And one fine day, she says she wants to rear sheep in Syria". However, even after his words, the bench remained unmoved.

NATIONAL ANTHEM

What the Centre said

We oppose recalling of the order to public to stand up for national anthem played in movie theatres. National anthem is a unifying factor in a country with diversity such as India andinstills a sense of patriotism. What the Supreme Court said

One need not wear patriotism on his sleeve. People go to movie halls for undilutedentertainment. Why should we assume that if we are not standing, we cease to be patriotic? Next you will want people to stop wearing T-shirts and shorts to cinemas, saying this is disrespect to anthem. Where does moral policing stop?

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ROHINGYAS

What the Centre said

They need to be deported. They are a serious security threat due to their links with Pak-based terror groups and ISIS. They will gradually bring a change in demographic profile of several states. They also figure in the suspected sinister designs of extremists groups, who want to achieve their ulterior motives in India - including that of flaring up communal and sectarian violence in sensitive areas of the country.

What the Supreme Court said

Strike a balance between national security and human rights of the refugees. Our constitutional ethos makes us lean sympathetically towards humanitarian issues. It's important not to ignore national and economic interests.

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Refugees and asylum seekers during a protest at the Manus Island centre. Credit:AAP Greens senator Nick McKim, who is on Manus Island, said the closure of the centre and departure of all staff had left the refugees "at the mercy of the PNG navy with no food or drinking water". He told Fairfax Media about 100 locals had rallied in the nearby town of Lorengau on Tuesday morning, asking for the refugees to be sent to Australia and not brought into their community. Refugees and asylum seekers at the Manus Island immigration detention centre in Papua New Guinea. Senator McKim said he had been given approval to visit the centre, and was on his way there on Tuesday afternoon.

One detainee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, compared the scene to the aftermath of a warzone. Posters have been put up around the camp warning food and services will be cut off on Tuesday afternoon. "I can see a lot of locals coming around the camp and taking whatever they can," he said. "It gives me an idea, when you are in a war zone and the war is over and the people come and take whatever they can  it is like a movie." Another detainee said the men were threatened after approaching the locals. "When we approached them they started swearing [at] us and using abusive words. We care about our safety, so we just said 'just take whatever you want'."

Hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers had barricaded themselves inside the compound's wire fences overnight on Monday, refusing to leave the centre amid fears they would be attacked if they ventured outside the gates. Overnight, refugees repaired and secured damaged wire on the compound's perimeter fences to protect themselves from possible attacks from outside, as tensions mounted between the detainees, authorities and locals. Refugee advocates have expressed fears the "powderkeg" situation may erupt into violence, while detainees inside the camp said they are expecting army forces to arrive by late afternoon, but do not want a confrontation. "We are peaceful, we are determined to show them how peaceful we are - we are happy to talk to them about our situation, that we don't feel safe to go outside," said one detainee on condition of anonymity. He claims he has been told by representatives from the local community that their lives will be at risk if they leave the camp.

"The locals are sending their sons, they are sending a couple of guys to deliver a message. They are saying 'if you don't want to die, stay where you are'," he said. "They say, 'we don't want you to come to our community, you are an Australian problem, you are not our problem, this is hurting us, we don't want you anywhere in our place'." Fairfax has been unable to verify these claims. PNG lawyer Ben Lomai, who in a previous Supreme Court challenge represented the men detained on Manus, was due to seek an urgent order from the court that food, water and electricity should be provided to those in the centre beyond Tuesday. "Those necessities of food, water and electricity must be maintained because that is their constitutional right," he said.

Mr Lomai said he would also seek orders guaranteeing the men's safety if and when they were moved from the compound. Australia and PNG have pointed the finger at each other, both that ultimate claiming responsibility for the men belonged to the other. In a statement, a spokesperson from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection said the centre's closure and the "management" of the men at the centre were matters for PNG. "Alternative accommodation options for refugees and failed asylum seekers are ready," the spokesperson said. "Some refugees and failed asylum seekers have already moved and they are comfortably accessing services and supports there.
Queensland toads are scaredy-cats compared to their gladiator-esque counterparts in Western Australia, a study has found.

University of Sydney PhD student Jodie Gruber collected more than 30 wild toads from an area in Queensland, where cane toads have been present for 80 years, and a site at the invasion front in Western Australia to test out their braveness in different scenarios.

Credit:DAVID GRAY

Swapping the gladiator ring for something a little more subdued, Ms Gruber used silicone balls on timers, shelters and open arenas to test each toads risk-taking capabilities.

I ran them through different behavioural trials.things that would aid invasion success such as boldness and risk-taking, she said.
A 13-year-old Perth girl pimped out by her father thought Alfred John Impicciatore was going to help her dad to get rid of another man who she believed was blackmailing her father so he could sexually abuse her.

Instead, the 47-year-old, on trial in the Perth District Court on Tuesday, raped the girl in March 2015 on her father's bed as the father watched, the state prosecuting lawyer alleged.

Alfred John Impicciatore, 46, is on trial over child sexual abuse charges. Credit:LinkedIn

In a harrowing video played to the court of the softly spoken girl being interviewed by detectives in April 2015, she described the time a "chubby man", who the state alleges is Mr Impicciatore, visited her home.

"He took me into the bedroom and had sex with me," she said.
Seoul: North Korea stole blueprints of missile-equipped ships and unspecified submarines in a heist of classified documents from the world's biggest shipbuilder, a South Korean newspaper reported, citing opposition party lawmaker Kyeong Dae-soo.

About 60 classified military documents were among the 40,000 hacked from South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Company in April 2016, Dong-A Ilbo said. They included information on construction technology, blueprints, weapons systems, and evaluations of the ships and submarines.

North Koreans dance under a flashcard display of an image of a satellite during the Arirang Mass Games celebrations in Pyongyang last year. Credit:AP

South Korea's Aegis-equipped ships and submarines are key to plans for a pre-emptive strike against North Korea should it send a submarine equipped with ballistic missiles to target key facilities in the South. Mr Kyeong told the newspaper that he received a briefing on the hack from South Korea's Defence Ministry, which inspected the shipbuilder for six months.

Earlier this month, a separate South Korean lawmaker said that North Korean hackers stole military plans developed by the US and South Korea last year that included a highly classified "decapitation strike" against leader Kim Jong-un.
George Papadopoulos, the former foreign policy adviser to Donald Trump who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI's Russia probe, may have been wearing a wire for months, several legal experts and former US government attorneys said.

Papadopoulos was arrested on July 27 but his case was kept secret until it was unsealed on Tuesday, the same day campaign officials Paul Manafort and Rick Gates were also charged as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Manafort and Gates were charged in a 12-count indictment with a series of money laundering, tax evasion and foreign lobbying crimes stemming from work for pro-Russian political leaders in Ukraine. While the crimes alleged began years before Trump's campaign, the indictment asserted that Manafort's scheme to defraud continued through last year until early this year.

Papadopoulos has admitted he spent months last year cultivating contacts in an effort to arrange meetings between Trump's campaign and Russian government officials. He said a London-based professor with extensive Russian contacts introduced him to a woman described as "Putin's niece" and told him the Russians had "dirt" on Clinton based on "thousands of emails" of hers. The offer came months before the hack of Democratic emails became public.
President Donald Trump has tried to diminish the significance of a former foreign policy adviser who during last year's presidential campaign sought to meet with Russians offering "dirt" on Hillary Clinton based on purloined emails months before the first hacked Democratic messages became public.

In his first comment on this aspect of the case being developed by the special counsel investigation, Trump did not deny that the foreign policy adviser, George Papadopoulos, worked to collaborate with Russia. He simply brushed off his significance and focused on the fact that Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI to cover up the contacts with Russia.

"Few people knew the young, low level volunteer named George, who has already proven to be a liar," Trump wrote on Twitter.

As for the indictment of his former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, the president repeated that the crimes alleged took place outside the context of the election contest.
From carving pumpkin lanterns and trick-or-treating to bobbing for apples, here are the things that make Halloween exciting.

Why is Halloween the spookiest night of the year, and what are the traditions associated with it? Picture courtesy: Instagram/kingdomgospel1

By India Today Web Desk: While we in India are still in Diwali mode, the Western world is gearing up for tonight, 31 October. Yes guys, it's Halloween, the spookiest night of the year! You might think you know what it's all about, but really, have we seen much of this festival apart from via American TV series?

You might say that these days we do have a number of Halloween parties in India itself, but ask yourself--don't we think of it as just a time to dress up in quirky costumes, and go for an all-night party?

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The fact is, Halloween, like our own ancient festivals, has a very deep and symbolic meaning. Just like we have our series of pujas and traditions like lighting diyas for Diwali, Christians across the world have their own set of rituals associated with All Hallow's Eve or Halloween.

Also Read: Halloween fever: Spooky decors and creepy-looking dishes in restaurants you just can't miss

The festival actually has pagan origins in the Celtic nations (modern day Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall, Wales--basically Britain), and was adopted by the ancient Romans and the Christians much later. A number of folk tales and rituals also became a part of it as time went by. So what makes Halloween so special today? Well, it's the culmination of all these little inclusions and the level of excitement that is now attached to it.

Samhain bonfire

Samhain was the original Celtic pagan festival (nearly 2,000 years ago) on which Halloween is based. Held at the cusp of two seasons, summer and winter, this was the night when the spirits and ghosts could slip through the cracks of nature, and roam the earth freely. A bonfire was lit in every village and town to ward off the evil spirits.

Bonfires were lit on All Hallow's Eve to keep the evil spirits and ghosts away. Picture courtesy: Instagram/nate13oarder

Another explanation suggests that the old was burnt away in the fire to usher in the fresh and new season (and crops with it). Whatever the main reason, bonfires were lit, and the morning after, the ashes were collected and distributed to keep bad luck away. Even today, Halloween bonfires are lit all over the world, and families get together to roast marshmallows and apples around it.

Dressing up like ghosts

This tradition is also Celtic in its origins. The fear of ghosts roaming the earth used to keep most folks indoors during Samhain. That was till the day people thought up a brilliant idea--if we dress up as ghosts ourselves, the real ones wouldn't be able to tell us apart from themselves.

People dressed up as creepy and scary ghosts to blend in with the evil spirits that roamed the earth. Picture courtesy: Instagram/heatherdearmakeup People dressed up as creepy and scary ghosts to blend in with the evil spirits that roamed the earth. Picture courtesy: Instagram/heatherdearmakeup

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And that's how the tradition of dressing up as ghosts, ghouls, gory corpses or zombies, and witches came about. Of course it's a tradition that's continued till date. Who can give up the challenge of tricking the spiritual realms into thinking we're one of them?

Trick or treat?

Halloween is one of the most enjoyable festivals for kids, because on this one night, they get to dress up as they like and go around the neighbourhood asking people for candies. In fact, Halloween is so popular with kids that they look forward to it as much as they do to Christmas, when Santa gets them gifts.

Trick-or-treating is a lot of fun today, but its origins are quite sad. Picture courtesy: Instagram/handt2758

But the tradition actually has a sad beginning, a reason that's been lost in time and memory. The poorer Celts sent their kids out to the richer parts of the towns to ask for food, kindling (things to light a bonfire with), and money. It was these things collected by the kids that the poor celebrated All Hallow's Eve with.

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Also Read: 8 quick and easy Halloween cocktails you must whip up for your party

Jack-o'-lantern

Carved pumpkins have become the very symbol of Halloween today, but do we know why this ritual is followed? It was because of the story of Jack, from an old Irish Christian folk tale, that this practice was started. When the Devil came for his soul on one All Hallow's Eve, Jack tricked him and bound him, some say to a tree, others to a coin.

The story of Jack-o'-lantern is used to teach kids not to be oversmart with God or the Devil. Picture courtesy: Instagram/athlete_bojan

Jack finally freed the Devil on the condition that he'd never go to Hell. But when Jack died God wouldn't let him enter Heaven, and the Devil, still angry, threw a bit of burning coal at him. Jack carved out a lantern on a turnip he had, put the burning coal inside it, and has been looking for a place to rest ever since. The turnip was replaced with pumpkins over time, but you get the idea, right?

Bobbing for apples

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Now this little Halloween game has Roman origins. When the Romans conquered ancient Britain, they merged All Hallow's Eve with their festival for the goddess of fruit trees, Pomona.

Bobbing for apples is a fun game played by kids and adults all over the world today. Picture courtesy: Instagram/bokkistar

Young unmarried people had to dunk their heads in a tub full of apples, Pomona's favourite fruit, and whoever could catch the fruit with one bite would be allowed to marry. Quite Roman-tic, right? And this also explains why apples, apart from pumpkins, are baked, candied, and sold on Halloween even today.

And we don't even have to tell you how famous this game of bobbing for apples is in the US now. Yes, we're talking about actress Priyanka Chopra competing with talk show host Jimmy Fallon over, you guessed it, who can bob for apples better!

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The Japanese sure have a weird sense of humour. Who else would make a 'zombie game' trailer about a village in the country to invite people to move there?

By India Today Web Desk: A town in Japan -- Kosugemura -- in the mountains to the west of Japanese capital of Tokyo, houses only 700 residents. Using a video game spoof which features zombies, the remote town wants to lure new residents.

Kosugemura is not left with many residents as young people have left the town for work and studying opportunities and with that, the authorities are attempting to attract new residents.

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However, the town has dropped the idea of showing its best places or the peace it has to offer. The town, instead came out with a video game trailer.

The funny video shows the residents of Kosugemura pretending to be the zombies in the town's new mock video game trailer.

In the video, the town's mayor appears too. There is a classroom full of zombie schoolgirls who make zombie-sounds in response to teacher's question.

Watch: Japanese town invites new residents showing them zombie video game trailer

As bizarre as it may sound, it still smells like a really good idea to attract new residents.

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To reinvigorate and support the reform of Central African Customs, the WCO is committed to supporting this Administration in a more sustainable way through its Mercator programme. It is in this context that the first workshop, financed by the Japan Customs Cooperation Fund, of the said programme took place in Bangui from 9 to 20 October 2017. It was a 10-day workshop on Leadership and Management, facilitated by experts from French Customs and the WCO Secretariat, for the benefit of 20 female and male Customs officers. This initiative has helped to build a visionary and cohesive leadership team that can drive and guide the ambitious reform Customs needs to move closer to the WCO vision of modern Customs of the 21st Century, and this particularly through the participants new acquisitions and their ability to manage change through leadership, strategic management, responsive management styles, modern people management, integrity promotion, and communication and negotiation skills.

This first workshop will be followed by other actions that will further professionalize managers and Customs staff, particularly in the areas of strategic management, project management and more technical aspects related to the main mission of a modern Customs, including the facilitating and securing of trade, the equitable collection of Customs revenue and the protection of society that this country badly needs.
The announcement was made by party president Amit Shah during his rally in Himachal Pradesh today.

By India Today Web Desk: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today announced Prem Kumar Dhumal its chief ministerial candidate for the poll-bound Himachal Pradesh.

The announcement was made by party president Amit Shah during his rally in Himachal Pradesh today.

"I thank my high command, workers and people of Himachal Pradesh. Congress asked their high command for a groom, but BJP has provided the groom," said Dhumal.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi also tweeted expressing his support for Dhumal.

Dhumal Ji is among our senior most leaders with rich administrative experience in Himachal. He will once again make a wonderful CM @DhumalHP https://t.co/Cogn24lIKn- Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 31, 2017

BJPs focus is politics of development. We want to make Himachal corruption-free & initiate record development initiatives in the state.- Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 31, 2017

Former chief minister Dhumal will contest election from Sujanpur. The BJP president also targeted the incumbent chief minister Virbhadra Singh over the Kotkhai rape and murder case.

Shah asked who was responsible for the incident.

Himachal Pradesh will election for 68 seats on November 9 while counting of votes will take place on December 18.

INDIA TODAY-AXIS MY INDIA PREDICTION

Earlier, an opinion poll conducted by India Today predicted a sweeping victory for the BJP in the Himachal elections.

According to the poll, BJP will garner 43 to 47 of the total 68 seats in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly. As the majority mark is 35, BJP will easily romp home victorious.

On the other hand, the Congress will bag 21 to 25 seats and will lose to the BJP, according to the opinion poll. Other parties, including independents are likely to win just two seats.

In the 2012 Assembly elections, the Congress contested under the leadership of Virbhadra Singh and won 36 seats. The BJP could garner just 26 seats. Virbhadra Singh took oath as the chief minister for a record sixth time.

VIDEO | Himachal Pradesh Opinion Poll: BJP set for big win defeating Congress CM Virbhadra Singh

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The ranking comes as a shot in the arm for the Narendra Modi government amid dissenting voices in certain quarters about implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as well as demonetisation.

By India Today: India has jumped 30 places to rank 100th in the World Bank's ease of doing business ranking, helped by a slew of reforms in taxation, licensing, investor protection and bankruptcy resolution.

The ranking comes as a shot in the arm for the Narendra Modi government amid dissenting voices in certain quarters about implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as well as demonetisation.

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In its annual report Doing Business 2018: Reforming to Create Jobs, the World Bank said that India's ranking reflects nearly half of the 37 reforms, adopted since 2003, implemented in the last four years.

The ranking, however, does not take into account business environment post implementation of GST, which weaved the country of 1.3 billion into one market with one tax and removed inter-state barriers for trade.

India, which was ranked 130th among the 190 nations, is "one of the top 10 improvers in this years assessment, having implemented reforms in 8 out of 10 doing business indicators," it said. This is the first time India has broken into top 100 nations.

India is the only large country this year to have achieved such a significant shift.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the rankings. He lauded team India in a series of tweets.

Historic jump in Ease of Doing Business rankings is the outcome of the all-round & multi-sectoral reform push of Team India. pic.twitter.com/DhrEcuurgi- Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 31, 2017

The parameters that witnessed improvement in 2016-17 were India making it faster for start business, reduction in procedures and time required to obtain building permit, easier access to credit, protecting minority investors, ease of paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and making resolving insolvency easier, the World Bank said.

But it still lags in areas such as starting a business, enforcing contracts and dealing with construction permits.

It takes 30 days now to register a new business, down from 127 days 15 years ago, but "the number of procedures is still cumbersome for local entrepreneurs who still need to go through 12 procedures", it said.

"This is a major major jump," Rita Ramalho, Acting Director for World Banks Global Indicators Group, told PTI in Washington, attributing the climb of 30 places to the series of reforms undertake by the Modi government since 2014.

The GST, which was implemented from July 1, will get reflected only in next years ease of doing business report.

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"GST reforms have not been counted this year. It would come into play for the report next year," Ramalho said, adding that demonetisation was not covered.

India was ranked 130th for last two years. In 2014, it managed to get 142nd spot.

According to the World Bank, New Zealand is the easiest place on the planet to do business, followed by Singapore, Denmark, South Korea and Hong Kong. The US and the UK are ranked 6th and 7th on the list.

Among BRICS countries, Russia tops the list with 35th position, followed by China which has retained its ranking at the 78th place for the second consecutive year.

The biggest surprise of this year, the authors of the report said, is India, which jumped 30 spots in one year by improving its score by 4.71 to 60.76 points.

"India has improved a lot (this year), but there's still room for improvement, So, I wouldn't necessarily classify it as a nice place to do business yet, but definitely is in the right direction to become a nice place. It is much easier than it was two years ago," Ramalho said.

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Santiago Croci Downes, Acting Manager, Doing Business Unit at World Bank, said that in the 15 years history of this annual report, there have been only five countries like Georgia and Rwanda which made a massive jump in one year. But none of them were as big an economy as India.

Noting that India made a very big effort in the past two years, the World Bank said the results now reflect those initiatives.

"This is a continuous effort of two or three years. But there's still a long way to go," she said. India used to be in the bottom quarter of the distribution, now its in the middle which is a big improvement.

"It (India) is still a place where there is room for improvement in making the life of entrepreneurs, less bureaucratic, making transactions simpler and more efficient and less costly. So, there's still significant room for improvement. But it was a very significant change and even not just in relative but also in absolute terms," she said.

For entrepreneurs in India, doing business is simpler now, she argued.

Referring to the series of reforms being carried out by India, Downs said there is a willingness to improve the private sector and prioritise these.

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"If youre asking me would India be 50 next year, I would say that's very very unlikely. But if you could tell me you would be 50 in five years, I will say may be," she said.

There are a few areas where there is much room for improvement such as enforcing contracts, which on an average in India is 1,445 days, besides the court system in India is very slow, she said.

"Thats one of the areas where India really lags behind compared to other countries," she said, adding that easing property registration and property transactions is another area where things are not very efficient.

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By PTI: Jammu, Oct 31 (PTI) Troops of Indian and Kazakhstan armies will engage in a 14-day joint exercisefrom November 2 in Himachal Pradesh to strengthen bilateral relations and exchange skills and experiences.

This is second joint military exercise between the two countries. The first edition of Prabal Dostyk was held in Kazakhstan in 2016, defence spokesperson Col. N N Joshi said.

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"Indo-Kazakhstan joint army exercise Prabal Dostyk 2017 will be conducted between November 2 to 15 this year in Bakloh belt of Himachal Pradesh," Col. Joshi said.

The participating Indian troops have been drawn from the 3rd Battalion of the 11th Gorkha Rifles, he said, adding approximately 20 troops from both the countries will participate in the exercise.

"The aim of the exercise is to build and promote bilateral army-to-army relations and exchange skills and experiences between Kazakhstan Army and the Indian Army," Col. Joshi said.

He said the exercise is also aimed at strengthening the ties between the two nations and will serve as a platform for exchanging drills for seamless interoperability.

The Indian troops participating in the joint exercise have undergone extensive training in counter terrorism and Low Intensity Conflict Operations at Counter Insurgency & Jungle Warfare School, Vairengte, he added.

"The vast experience and expertise of Indian troops in counter insurgency operations holds special importance to the Kazakhstan Army," he said. PTI AB TIR

--- ENDS ---
Dear Editor,

October 31st,2017 will mark the 500th anniversary of the German monk, Martin Luther, nailing his 95 theses to the door of the Wittenberg Church. It was a list of objections he had of the prevailing Church practices of the Catholic Church at the time. It is hard to imagine that his objections could have caused him his life if not for the protections afforded him by persons who were supportive of his views.

In this age the question arises as to the relevance of the Reformation. It is treated primarily as an historic event and is viewed as such, by many Christians, Churches and Pastors. However, at the time of Luthers defiance the Church was in a different place. There were practices that were not allowed. Roman Catholic priests were not allowed to marry, it was possible to pay for the sins you would commit in advance; through as system of indulgences, Priests were able to forgive sins, and the Pope was the ultimate spiritual authority on earth. The Reformation challenged this.

What is the challenge today? For those Church leaders who see their theology in a light that is similar to Luther and John Calvin the ongoing struggle is the conflict that arises when they attempt to reconcile a right theology with the rightness of the theology that they subscribe to and practice, and for many it is difficult, especially when a balance between the temporal and spiritual is attempted. Many who espouse a Reform theology perspective are essentially pragmatists when it comes to paying bills and maintaining a particular lifestyle.

The battle started by Luther is still alive as the media driven environment that we find ourselves in is unrecognizable from that which came into being , when another German who was a Catholic invented or refined the printing press, almost century before Luther made his move. We now see a modern theological framework in which everyone can be a theologian, and the rightness of our personal theology impresses, controls and modifies any right theology we may claim to have. However, the mantra of Reformers keep on Reforming is as important today as it was at the beginning of the movement.

Sincerely,

Edward Hutcheson

October 30, 2017
Fort Polk, LA (71446)

Today

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 38F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 38F. Winds light and variable.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Oct. 31, 2017 | 12:04 PM | PADUCAH, KY

The special session hasn't been called yet on Governor Matt Bevin's pension reform plan, but Kentucky lawmakers are getting ready for what State Senator Danny Carroll says will be some tough decisions.Senator Carroll tells West Kentucky Star they're trying to avoid situations that have happened in the private sector, where pensions and jobs simply disappear."We see it time and time again where people are expecting a 30 year career, they walk in the door and they're handed a shoe box and told 'here, pack your shoe box, you're done. We can't afford to pay you any longer.' That's what we're trying to avoid in this, to deal with the situation so there is a pension system in the future." Carroll said.Carroll says he is waiting on both the final bill and actuarial scores before he makes up his mind on the pension reform plan.

On the Net:
By West Kentucky Star Staff Oct. 30, 2017 | 07:40 PM | WEST PADUCAH, KY

One man was seriously injured Monday night when a semi tractor-trailer rear ended another semi tractor-trailer at a red light.According to the McCracken County Sheriff's Office, the crash happened at the intersection of US Highway 60 and KY 305. Deputies said it took fire department personnel from both Concord and Paducah fire departments over an hour to extricate the driver. Mercy Regional EMS personnel then worked to stabilize the accident victim. The driver was flown to an out of state hospital in serious condition.

Traffic traveling eastbound towards Paducah will have to detour around the accident scene. Westbound traffic is moving slowly.

Both semis will have to be off loaded by hand before the tow trucks on scene can remove the wreckage. One of the wrecked semis wad hauling a full load of eggs, many of which had spilled onto the roadway causing very slick conditions.

The accident remains under investigation. Deputies said it could be 6 to 8 hours before the scene is cleaned up and the roadway re-opened.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Oct. 30, 2017 | 09:25 PM | MAYFIELD, KY

A Graves County man was jailed Monday on an assortment of charges, including stealing a truck.

According to the Graves County Sheriff's Office, Mayfield Police officers responded to a report of a stolen truck on North 16th Street. Witnesses said the truck was seen driving recklessly along State Route 121 North.

A deputy saw the vehicle parked in a driveway in the 2000 block of State Route 945, and a man was leaning into the cab. As the deputy turned around, the man got back in the truck and turned around, preparing to pull back out onto the road.

The vehicle was stopped by deputies and the driver, 28-year-old James Ethan Blake, was taken into custody. A search of the vehicle turned up a prescription bottle of pills with no label. Blake reportedly admitted to drinking and ingesting pills.

Blake was arrested and taken to the Graves County Jail on charges of receiving stolen property under $10,000, operating a motor vehicle under the influence, 3rd offense, driving on a DUI suspended license, 2nd offense, illegal possession of a legend drug, theft of a motor vehicle, criminal mischief and leaving the scene of an accident.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Oct. 31, 2017 | 08:57 AM | EDDYVILLE, KY

Kentucky State Police arrested a California man Monday afternoon, after finding him inside a local church attempting to set it on fire.

At approximately 4:30 p.m., a Kentucky State Trooper responded to Macedonia Church in Lyon County to investigate reports of a suspicious person. Upon the arrival of the Trooper, along with an Eddyville Police Officer, the man was located inside the church.

Police said the man had broken the front glass door, removed items from the church, and was in the process of attempting to set the church on fire as well as damaging property inside the church.

The man, 24-year-old Julio C. Chevesgarcia, of Pinon Hills, California, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, criminal mischief, burglary, theft by unlawful taking under $500, public intoxication, attempted arson, two counts of assault on a police officer and resisting arrest.

He was lodged in the McCracken County Regional Jail.
Indira Gandhi, the first female PM of India, was shot dead on October 31. On the 33rd anniversary of her death, leaders across the country paid tributes to the lady.

By India Today Web Desk: Leaders across the country, including PM Modi, former President Pranab Mukherjee, former PM Manmohan Singh and Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi, are paying tribute to late PM Indira Gandi on her 33rd death anniversary today.

PM Narendra Modi paid tribute to the former PM on Twitter - "Tributes to former PM Mrs Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary."

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Senior Congress leaders also paid tribute to India's first woman Prime Minister at Shakti Sthal this morning. Former President Pranab Mukherjee, former PM Manmohan Singh and Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi were present at Shakti Sthal and paid floral tributes to the late leader.

Rahul Gandhi, Former Vice President Hamid Ansari and Manmohan Singh also visited Indira Gandhi memorial to pay their tributes.

Congress' official Twitter account also tweeted tributes to their late leader.

"We pay tribute to a dynamic leader; India's first & only female PM & 1999's 'Woman of the Millennium', Indira Gandhi," one of the tweets read.

"#RememberingIndiraji and her immense passion for India and its people. She was a leader whose conviction remains unparalleled", read another tweet.

Indira Gandhi, the first woman Prime Minister of India and also the daughter of India's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru, was assasinated on Ocotber 31, 1984 by her own bodyguards. The assasination happened few months after she ordered military forces to enter the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) to counter the rising insrugency in Punjab and curb the Khalistan movement.

She held office from January 1966 to March 1977, and again from January 14, 1980 till her death.

--- ENDS ---
By The Associated Press

By The Associated Press Oct. 30, 2017 | 08:27 PM | LOUISVILLE, KY

A state judge has struck down a Kentucky law requiring a panel of doctors to review medical malpractice lawsuits before they go to trial.

Multiple media outlets report Franklin Circuit Judge Philip Shepherd ruled Monday the law was unconstitutional because it makes it more difficult for people to file lawsuits. His order banned the state from enforcing the law.

The Republican-controlled state legislature passed the law earlier this year. It went into effect June 27. Supporters included State Sen. Ralph Alvarado, a medical doctor who said it would cut down on frivolous lawsuits.

A spokeswoman for Gov. Matt Bevin told the Lexington Herald-Leader the state would appeal the ruling.
GROUND BREAKING FOR NEW EMERGENCY SERVICES BUILDING WAS FRIDAY

JIMMY BRISSIE DESCRIBED IT AS "A GREAT EVENT"

THE OLD BALFOUR SCHOOL HAS BEEN DEMOLISHED==GROUND IS READY TO BE BROKEN FOR NEW EMERGENCY SERVICES BUILDING

Henderson County Emergency Services Headquarters Groundbreaking Ceremony

HC-2017-49Hendersonville, NC  October 31, 2017

Henderson County residents were invited to attend a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Emergency Services Headquarters on Friday, November 3rd, 11:00 a.m., at 2529 Asheville Highway (Old Balfour School site).

The new Emergency Services Headquarters will amplify our ability to provide a high level of service for Henderson County, said Henderson Countys new Emergency Services Director, Jimmy Brissie.

Planning for this project began in 2014. The new facility will be located on the site of the former Balfour Education Center. ClarkNexsen designed this new 57,000 square foot facility and Cooper Construction is the General Contractor. The new facility will house EMS, Emergency Management and Rescue Squad operations. Completion for this project is set for August 2018.

For more information regarding the groundbreaking or the construction project, please contact the Clerk to the Board of Commissioners, Terry Wilson at (828) 697-4808.

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By India Today Web Desk: King of comedy Kapil Sharma is back with a bang. The ace comedian had been missing from the limelight for a while; and now with his new film Firangi all set for November release, he is opening up to media and fans about his battle with depression, spat with colleagues and other things. Recently, the comedian-actor was spotted at Shirdi offering prayer for his film's success. He visited the holy shrine with girlfriend Ginni Chatrath and director Rajiev Dhingra.

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Few days back, reports suggested that Kapil had broken up with girlfriend Ginni and a former TKSS member is responsible for the differences between the two. But this picture proves otherwise; they seem to be very much together and going strong.

Ginni aka Bhavneet who is an MBA in Finance and helps out her father in their family business in Jalandhar, and had apparently dropped everything to be with Kapil during his treatment so that he gets on his feet as soon as possible.

And gladly so, it seems her efforts have been fruitful. Kapil looks stronger and healthier in his recent public appearances.

Firangi is all set to release on 24th November.

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By PTI: Mumbai, Oct 31 (PTI) Karan Johar once again tried to revive the debate around nepotism by calling himself its brand ambassador during a promotional event of "Ittefaq".

Johar said people like Shah Rukh Khan and Sidharth Malhotra, who do not come from a film family, can co-exist with a brand ambassador of nepotism like him, Sonakshi Sinha and Akshaye Khanna.

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"On the platform, today, there are two non-nepotistic people- Shah Rukh Khan and Siddharth Malhotra and rest of us - Sonakshi Sinha, daughter of veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha, Akshay Khanna, son of late actor Vinod Khanna, Abhay Chopra and Kapil Chopra, sons of late filmmaker Ravi Chopra, are the brand ambassador of nepotism.

"As we stand together, it speaks a volume about how worth they are equally, efficiently and correctly," Johar said.

Kangana Ranaut started the debate around the word by calling Johar, 45, the "flag bearer of nepotism" on his talk show.

Johar did not like the comments and made fun of Ranaut at an award ceremony along with Saif Ali Khan and Varun Dhawan where they shouted "Nepotism rocks!", drawing flak from all corners.

The trio later apologised for the joke but Johar once again dropped the word, indicating that he is still not ready to let go of the topic. PTI KKP RMT BK

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By PTI: Mumbai, Oct 31 (PTI) The family members of a Virar-based merchant navy officer, who along with other Indian crew members went missing after their cargo ship sank in the Pacific off the Philippines earlier this month, met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj seeking her help to trace him.

The family members of Rajesh Nair, who was the captain of the cargo ship, met Swaraj in Delhi last Friday, who assured all possible help to trace him.

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The Maritime Union of India (MUI) facilitated the meeting between Nairs kin and Swaraj.

On October 13, the 33,205-tonne cargo ship Emerald Star with 26 Indian nationals on board sank off Okinawa. While 16 Indians were rescued, a search for the missing crew members was launched by Indian missions in the Philippines, Japan and China to locate them.

"Nairs wife and sister met Swaraj and requested her to help find him. The minister was kind enough to assure extending all sort of support," Amar Singh Thakur, general secretary of the MUI said.

"Sushmaji was kind enough not only to brief Nairs aggrieved family members about the various measures taken up by the Indian missions in a few countries, but also assured them to do every bit to trace him," he added.

Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was also present on the occasion.

"The kin of the missing seafarers are distraught. Swaraj ji has assured that India will continue its search and rescue mission. She also said that the photos of the missing crew members have been shared with the officials of the neighbouring islands off Japans coast near the accident site," Thakur said.

Nair and his family reside in Virar in neighbouring Palghar district. PTI APM NP

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Alphons said he was "deeply concerned" over the incident that could have a negative impact on the image of the country.

By Kumar Shakti Shekhar: In a move to perhaps apply balm on the hurt feelings of the Swiss tourists, Tourism Minister KJ Alphons has offered hospitality to them at The Ashoka Hotel in the capital. The Swiss couple - Marie Droze and Quentin Jeremy Clerc are recovering at Apollo Hospital here after they were badly bruised in a attack by anti-social elements in Fatehpur Sikri.

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In his letter to the Swiss couple, Alphons has offered a room to the Swiss couple for two nights of their choice at the ITDC Hotel The Ashoka. In a gesture aimed at soothing the hurt feelings of the Swiss couple, the government has decided to bear the expenses of their stay.

In a letter to the couple, Alphons said, "Trust you are recovering fast and would be on your way home soon. As a token of our concern, we would like to offer you a room at our luxury hotel, The Ashoka, at Chankya Puri, New Delhi for two nights on the dates of your choice. All expenses at the hotel including food and beverages would be covered."

The couple from Lausanne in Switzerland were chased and attacked on October 22 with stones and sticks by the group of four youths in the tourist town of Fatehpur Sikri, about 40 km from Agra.

The incident prompted both External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Alphons to write to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and express anguish. Later, all five attackers were arrested.

Alphons said he was "deeply concerned" over the incident that could have a negative impact on the image of the country.

Swaraj has been monitoring the progress of Clerc, who along with his friend Droz, was admitted to Apollo Hospital. While Droz has been discharged, Clerc is still recovering.

Swaraj had also informed that External Affairs Joint Secretary S Bhattacharjee and Indian Ambassador designate to Switzerland CB George met the couple. They also spoke to the doctors concerned.

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As part of the National Drug Take Back initiative, a total of 38.2 pounds of unwanted or expired pharmaceuticals were safely disposed of on Saturday, Oct. 28, at Alma City Hall.

Alma Police Chief Kevin Glander, Buffalo County Sheriff Mike Schmidtknecht and Carl Duley helped with the collection.

A second collection was located in Mondovi, Wis., and sponsored by the Mondovi Police Department.

Home pharmaceuticals continue to be a leading source of drug use among adults and young people in local communities. Pharmaceuticals should not be flushed or thrown out in the trash, as this can cause environmental harm and could reduce the effectiveness of private or city waste systems.

Buffalo County offers a permanent collection site for pharmaceuticals during regular courthouse hours on the second floor near the sheriffs office.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice, Buffalo County Sheriffs Department and University of Wisconsin-Extension, Buffalo County, sponsored the drug take back day. Buffalo County will continue to host these collections, based on available funding.
By PTI: New Delhi, Oct 30 (PTI) Billionaire Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications, which plans to shut mobile telephony business by November-end, today said lenders will convert part of their debt to equity to gain 51 per cent control of the company.

The firm will sell telecom tower and real estate businesses to pay off Rs 27,000 crore out of Rs 45,000 crore of debt on its book, RCom said in a statement.

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"Debt of Rs 7,000 crore is proposed to be converted into 51 per cent of the companys equity, as per the SDR guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India," it said.

RCom said it has made a comprehensive "debt resolution plan to its domestic and foreign lenders".

Under the plan, lenders would not have to write off any of their loans, it said.

The no-loan write-off plan involves payment of up to Rs 17,000 crore debt out of proceeds of monetisation of spectrum, tower and fibre assets. An additional Rs 10,000 crore would be paid by selling real estate in the Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge City in Mumbai and other properties across eight metros.

"The new RCom will have sustainable and profitable B2B - non mobile business," it said without elaborating.

The new RCom will have "sustainable and conservative level of debt of only Rs 6,000 crore", it added.

"Cost of debt will be lower due to ability to raise debt funds overseas at low cost," it added.

The statement further said that the company is under a standstill period (for interest and principal repayments) till December 2018 and expects to complete the SDR (Strategic Debt Restructuring) process as per applicable RBI guidelines.

The company plans to shut down its loss-making wireless telephony business by November 30 and concentrate only on 4G Internet services.

As per sources in the industry and those privy to the development, the firm has asked its 1,500-2,000 employees to look for jobs as 2G and 3G cellphone services business will be shut down from November 30.

The company, last week, had issued a short statement, saying it will adopt a 4G focused strategy for profitable growth of its wireless business. PTI MBI ANZ MKJ

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On Sunday, Oct. 29, Winona area musicians got together to perform a highly successful benefit for Puerto Rico.

Signatures Restaurant hosted the event, which featured music throughout the afternoon including the Winona State jazz combo Jazz at First Sight directed by Lawrence Davis; The H30 Jazz Trio made up of Eric, Hans and Max Heukeshoven; Swing Inc. jazz quintet and Winona legend James Mudcat Grant.

As of this week, their efforts have brought in more than $2,000 to be directed to the Red Cross and Oxfam to assist victims of Hurricane Maria.

The organizers would like to thank the Winona audience members and online contributors plus the following vendors who supported the event by providing gift certificates that were awarded throughout the afternoon as door prizes: Signatures, The Blue Heron, Jefferson Pub & Grill and Wellingtons. A special thanks also goes to West End printing in Goodview for donating the cost of printing the posters.

If you missed the event, theres still a chance to contribute at www.gofundme.com/johnpaulson until Dec. 1.
Winona will begin hosting an entrepreneurial event starting next week as part of ongoing efforts to promote business growth and retention.

The 1 Million Cups events were founded by the Kauffman Foundation and based on the idea entrepreneurs network and problem solve over a million cups of coffee.

The free, monthly gatherings help kick start entrepreneurial communities and connect people with ideas at a grassroots level.

Beginning Nov. 8, meetings will be held on the second Wednesday of each month from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at the Outpost, located at 119 E. Third St.

At each meeting, two startup businesses in their early stages will present their companies to the audience for six minutes each, followed by 20 minutes for questions.

The events are open to entrepreneurs, innovators, funders and other interested community members.

Myron White, development coordinator, said the city has been involved in discussions about how to retain and develop business for about a year and a half and he approached the 1 Million Cups organization to suggest Winona as another destination for their event.

With Winona, there will be five communities in Minnesota participating, including Rochester and St. Paul. There are 151 cities participating across the U.S.

White said that Winona was a natural place for the gatherings due to the number of successful businesses that have started here.

If you look at the history of Winona  theres a lot of entrepreneurial stories, White said. Theres a rich history.

The first Winona event will feature presentations from Carew Halleck, owner and founder of the Mugby Junction coffee shops and from Treedome Productions, a new multimedia production service started by recent WSU students and graduates.

Winona promotion company looking to create one-stop shop for artists A Winona startup is trying to be the one-stop shop for all things music and promotion.

White said that the concentration over time in community development has shifted from primarily trying to attract large businesses to aiding and encouraging growth in existing and new businesses in the area.

Recent graduates leaving Winona after attending WSU, Saint Marys or Minnesota State College Southeast are a perfect example, he said.

We need to keep more of those, White said.

According to the announcement, The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a private, nonpartisan foundation that works together with communities in education and entrepreneurship to create solutions and empower people to shape their futures and be successful.

The Kauffman Foundation is based in Kansas City, Mo., and uses its $2 billion in assets to collaboratively help people be self-sufficient, productive citizens.

In the press release White said it would be an opportunity for entrepreneurs to work with like-minded people to solve business problems.

Entrepreneurs are encouraged to be open and honest about their business and the challenges they face, White said. Everyone in attendance will be there in support.
The Minnesota Marine Art Museum is currently recruiting new volunteer tour guides  also called docents  to apply for a free 8-week (15 total classes) training starting in February 2018.

The museum is offering an information session to learn more about this rewarding volunteer opportunity on Thursday, Nov. 9, from 9 to 10 a.m. Bloedows doughnuts and coffee will be served. Please RSVP (and request your favorite doughnut) by calling 507-474-6626 or emailing hcasper@mmam.org.

Docents are specially trained volunteers who facilitate tour experiences for visiting groups of all ages and backgrounds and bring the museums mission to life. MMAM needs more dedicated docents to meet the needs of an increasing number of school tours.

Creating 'aha moments': MMAM seeks docents for educational tours So you want to be a docent at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum.

Current MMAM docent Pauline Christensen said becoming a docent at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum was among the best decisions she made as to how she spent her free time in retirement.

It was not without some anxiety and trepidation since I am not an artist and had very little art education in my background, Christensen said. What I did have, however, was an interest in lifelong learning, and the desire to get involved in a wonderful organization right here in Winona. Being a docent has more than fulfilled my expectations. I have learned about the artworks and the artists, made many new and wonderful friends, and have been made to feel a valued partner in the work of the museum.

Ruth Marshall: Helping Minnesota Marine Art Museum visitors find the 'Wow!' As a new greeter in the Minnesota Marine Art Museum, I was walking through a gallery on a wi

A background in art or museums or previous teaching experience can be helpful, but no previous experience is required to begin the training class. New docents will learn about MMAMs collections and various touring strategies to use with different audiences. Applicants must possess an eagerness to learn and a willingness to explore and support differing points of view.

Docents are asked to give at least 6 tours a year and attend an ongoing monthly docent training class. To find out more information, or to download the docent interest form, please visit the museums website at www.mmam.org, or contact Heather Casper at 507-474-6626.
Submit an event for Around Town by emailing calendar information to bnr-news@wiscnews.com at least three business days before the event date.

Today

Trick-or-treating: 4-7 p.m., American Legion Auxiliary Post 242, Legion Hall, 116 W. Main St., La Valle. Smores in a cone for trick-or-treaters around the campfire. Canceled if raining.

Trick-or-treating: 4-7 p.m., City of Baraboo. Citywide trick-or-treating.

Trick-or-treating: 4-7 p.m., City of Reedsburg. Citywide trick-or-treating.

Trick-or-treating: 6-7 p.m., St. Clare Meadows Care Center, 1414 Jefferson St., Baraboo. Trick-or-treat with the residents and tour the spooky courtyard.

Wednesday, Nov. 1

Senior coloring: 10 a.m. to noon, Adult Coloring Time, Baraboo Area Senior Center, 124 Second St., Room 24, Baraboo. Bring a coloring book and coloring tools or use those that are available. There is no cost for this program. For more information, call Diane Pillsbury at 608-356-8464.

Gamblers meeting: 6-7 p.m., Sauk County Gamblers Anonymous, SSM Health St. Clare Hospital, Crane Room A, 707 14th St., Baraboo. Ongoing meeting meets every Wednesday and Sunday.

Acoustic jam: 7-9:30 p.m., The Village Booksmith, 526 Oak St., Baraboo. This event will take place every Wednesday. All talent levels welcome for a free-ranging evening of folk, jazz, blues and more. For more information, call 608-355-1001 or visit villagebooksmith.com.

Support group: 7:30 p.m., Al-Anon Family Group, The Comfort Zone, St. Vincent De Paul Resource Center, 1906 North St., Prairie du Sac. Support group meets every Wednesday.

Thursday, Nov. 2

Lunch presentation: 12:10-12:50 p.m., Baraboo Area Senior Citizen Organization and Sauk County Historical Society, Baraboo Civic Center, Room 21, 124 Second St., Baraboo. Learn about historical happenings in Baraboo from Paul Wolter, director of the Sauk County Historical Society. The Long-Ago Lunchtime Lessons topic will be Secrets of the Al. Ringling Theatre. A free-will offering will be accepted. Bring a lunch. Beverages will be available for $1.

Fundraiser: 4-7 p.m., Church of God, 1225 N. Dewey Ave., Reedsburg. Annual chili supper with chili and all the fixings, sandwiches, dessert and beverages will be served. Church youth will offer a bake sale to attend the International Youth Convention. Chili proceeds will go toward disaster relief. Tickets available from members of the church or at the door. Cost is $6 for adults, $4 for ages 5-12 and free for younger.

Play: 7:30 p.m, Baraboo Theatre Guild, Al. Ringling Theatre, 136 Fourth Ave., Baraboo. The Little Mermaid will be performed based on the Hans Christian Andersen story and the Disney film. Tickets are $16 in advance or $18 at the door for adults, $12 in advance or $14 at the door for students/seniors or $10 for ages 12 and younger. Tickets available at the Al. Ringling Theatre, Corner Drug or online at barabootheatreguild.org.

Friday, Nov. 3

Senior coffee hour: 9-11 a.m., Friday Senior Coffee Hour, Baraboo Area Senior Center, 124 Second St. Room 24, Baraboo every Friday in October. Gourmet coffee hour, light refreshments and fellowship free of charge. For more information call Diane Pillsbury at 608-356-8464.

Vehicle checks: 9 a.m. to noon, Hartje Farm, Home and Tire Center, S1428 Highway 33, La Valle. TRIAD program for free vehicle winterization checks for senior citizens. Services include a check of fluids, hoses, belts, lights and equipment on vehicles. No appointments are necessary and refreshments will be provided.

Blood Drive: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., American Red Cross, Culvers Corporate Headquarters, 1240 Water St., Prairie du Sac. To make an appointment or for more information, call 800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org.

Chair yoga: 10-10:45 a.m., Baraboo Area Senior Center, 124 Second St., Room 21, Baraboo. Instructor Tatsiana ONeil will lead the group in stretches while seated. This class takes place every Friday in October. There is a $1 fee. For more information call Diane Pillsbury at 608-356-8464.

Vet recognition: 6-7 p.m., River Arts Inc, River Arts Center Gallery, 105 Ninth St., Prairie du Sac. Quilts of Valor program featuring Sauk City quilter and instructor Judy Hasheider. Four local veterans will receive quilts. Part of the exhibit Sauk Prairie Salutes Our Troops. For more information, call Kristina at 608-643-5215, email riverartsinc.org" target="_blank">kcoopman@riverartsinc.org or visit riverartsinc.org.

Art discussion: 6:45 p.m., Cornerstone Gallery, 101 Fourth St., Baraboo. Hartmut Ringle will lead a discussion titled, The Joy and Experience of Art. All are welcome. Refreshments will be available. A donation of $5 is suggested. For more information, visit upliftingobjects.com.

Play: 7:30 p.m, Baraboo Theatre Guild, Al. Ringling Theatre, 136 Fourth Ave., Baraboo. The Little Mermaid will be performed based on the Hans Christian Andersen story and the Disney film. Tickets are $16 in advance or $18 at the door for adults, $12 in advance or $14 at the door for students/seniors or $10 for ages 12 and younger. Tickets available at the Al. Ringling Theatre, Corner Drug or online at barabootheatreguild.org.

Concert: 7:30 p.m., The Village Booksmith, 526 Oak St., Baraboo. Diane Michaels will perform. Bring a non-perishable food item for the Baraboo Food Pantry. For more information, call 608-355-1001 or visit villagebooksmith.com.

Saturday, Nov. 4

Astronomy: 10 a.m., Sauk City Public Library, 515 Water St., Sauk City. Local astronomer John Heasley will discuss the sky. Attendees can build a constellation and learn how to name what is seen in the sky. Good for the whole family. For more information or movie title, call 608-643-8346 or visit saukcitylibrary.org.

Gamblers meeting: 6-7 p.m., Sauk County Gamblers Anonymous, SSM Health St. Clare Hospital, Crane Room A, 707 14th St., Baraboo. Ongoing meeting meets every Wednesday and Sunday.

Play: 7:30 p.m, Baraboo Theatre Guild, Al. Ringling Theatre, 136 Fourth Ave., Baraboo. The Little Mermaid will be performed based on the Hans Christian Andersen story and the Disney film. Tickets are $16 in advance or $18 at the door for adults, $12 in advance or $14 at the door for students/seniors or $10 for ages 12 and younger. Tickets available at the Al. Ringling Theatre, Corner Drug or online at barabootheatreguild.org.

Sunday, Nov. 5

Breakfast: 8-11 a.m., St. Norberts Catholic Church, 8944 Highway Y, Sauk City. Fall Harvest Breakfast serving scrambled eggs, sausages, hash browns, assorted rolls and more. Cost is $7 for adults and $3 for children, age 10 and younger.

Finance class: 9:15-10:15 a.m., First United Methodist Church, 615 Broadway, Baraboo. Free three-part personal finance class, Enough: Discovering Joy through Simplicity and Generosity, taught by William Greenhalgh, a Baraboo estate planning attorney, financial advisor and church member. Participants will learn how to achieve personal contentment while freeing up extra resources to enable them to make a difference in their community. Free nursery care will be provided. Pre-registration is required; call 608-356-3991 to check availability.

Play: 2 p.m, Baraboo Theatre Guild, Al. Ringling Theatre, 136 Fourth Ave., Baraboo. The Little Mermaid will be performed based on the Hans Christian Andersen story and the Disney film. Tickets are $16 in advance or $18 at the door for adults, $12 in advance or $14 at the door for students/seniors or $10 for ages 12 and younger. Tickets available at the Al. Ringling Theatre, Corner Drug or online at barabootheatreguild.org.

Origami class: 1-3 p.m., Cornerstone Gallery, 101 Fourth St., Baraboo. Diane Asam, an artist at the gallery, will teach a class on how to fold Origami wreaths. The cost is $25 and all supplies will be provided. Refreshments will be served. To register and for more information, call 608-356-7805.

Full moon hike: 7 p.m., Ice Age Trail Alliance, Robertson Trailhead on Lodi/Springfield Road, Lodi. About 1- 1 -mile hike each way. Wear appropriate clothing, shoes and bring a flashlight if possible. Leashed dogs are welcome. For directions visit, https://goo.gl/maps/RE2C5. For more information, Bill at 608-843-3926.

Monday, Nov. 6

Senior Android workshop: 12:30-3:30 p.m., Baraboo Area Senior Center, 124 Second St., Room 24, Baraboo. Cell Plus Device Specialist, Gene Rolland, will lead the workshop which includes a class booklet, instruction about calls, messaging, email, apps, settings and more. There is no charge. For more information call Diane Pillsbury at 608-356-8464.
Shoplifter: Thursday at 6:48 a.m., police responded to 600 block of East Main Street for a person observed stealing newspapers.

Theft: Thursday at 12:26 p.m., police responded to the 400 block of East Spring Street to assist the principal in talking to a student about the theft of a cellphone from outside the school.

Juvenile Problem: Thursday at 4:47 p.m.k, police responded to the 400 block of East Spring Street in reference to a 5-year-old not being picked up from school. The student was picked up and Fond du Lac County Social Services was notified.

Check Welfare: Thursday at 7:55 p.m., police responded to a highly intoxicated male in 300 block of Rounsville Street.

Suspicious Person: Thursday at 10:54 p.m., police were notified of a suspicious person in the area of West Franklin and North State streets. The person was contacted by police and was arrested for threats to law enforcement, disorderly conduct and two counts of misdemeanor bail jumping.

Missing Juvenile: Thursday at 11:10 p.m., police responded 500 block of East Brown Street in reference to a missing 15-year-old boy who ran from a parent.

Traffic Stop: Friday at 8:58 p.m., police made a traffic stop of a vehicle in the 800 block of West Main Street. The driver was cited for speeding. A 21-year-old male was cited for first offense possession of a controlled substance.

Suspicious Activity: Friday at 9:24 p.m., police responded to a complaint in the 100 block of Elm Avenue of someone looking in windows.

Threats: Saturday at 1:46 p.m., police responded to the 700 block of Wilcox Street in reference to a woman threatening to take all of her ex-husbands property from his parents home.

Traffic Accident: Saturday at 2:19 p.m., police responded to the 400 block of Doty Street, where a parked Dodge County Sheriff vehicle was struck during a parking maneuver by another vehicle.

Disorderly Conduct: Saturday at 4:46 p.m., police responded to a male party shouting obscenities at children who were trick-or-treating at a group home across from the residence where he was. The subject also was swearing at officers.

Vandalism: Sunday at 8:25 a.m., police responded to the 500 block of Grandview Avenue about a car covered in mustard and maple syrup.

Disorderly Conduct: Sunday at 12:36 p.m., police responded to a male who had allegedly pushed a female when she came to pick up her child. He denies pushing her.

Domestic Incident: Sunday at 2:05 p.m., police responded to the 300 block of Monroe Street for parties arguing. A 21-year-old woman was taken into custody for disorderly conduct, domestic-related. The female was taken to the Fond du Lac County Detention Facility.

Theft: Sunday at 8:10 p.m., police responded to the theft of a 9mm handgun from a residence in the 800 block of East Main Street. The gun is believed to have been stolen by the owners son.

Dog Bite: Monday at 8:28 a.m., police responded to the 800 block of County Park Road in reference to a dog bite.

Fire: Monday at 9:13 a.m., police and fire departments responded to a fire at Subway, 3 Shaler Drive.

Theft: Monday at 12:23 p.m., police responded to a theft of a cellphone in the 900 block of Wilcox Street.

Police standoff: Monday at 3:30 p.m., Waupun Police Department and the Dodge County Sheriffs Department were called to assist the U.S. Marshals Office with a barricaded subject. A 25-year-old man wanted on several felony warrants had barricaded himself inside a residence in the 500 block of East Jefferson Street. He was reported to have a gun. Other occupants in the residence were evacuated safely. Negotiators were called to the scene, and at approximately 5:18 p.m. the man was taken into custody.
The PFI, already under NIA investigation, is accused of brainwashing Hindu women and marrying them off to Muslim men.

By Sushant Pathak, Jamshed Adil Khan : In public, it proclaims to be a champion of diversity and equality. Kerala's Popular Front of India (PFI) has consistently denied accusations of religious conversions, hawala funding, murderous assaults and terror links.

But India Today has lifted the veil off the non-profit organisation, securing stunning confessions of its top functionaries about its mass proselytizing, illegal financing and about its ultimate goal to turn India into a theocratic Islamic state.

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The PFI, already under NIA investigation, is accused of brainwashing Hindu women and marrying them off to Muslim men.

"All these allegations are baseless," claimed Zainaba A.S., the head of the group's woman wing, on Monday, responding to accusations that she "mentored" non-Muslim women into conversions.

She is suspected of playing a key role in what has come to be known as Kerala's own love-jihad case -- the marriage between Hadiya, previously known by her Hindu name as Akhila Asokan, with Shafin Jahan.

In May, the state high court annulled their matrimony after the woman's father challenged it as an act of forcible conversion for terror recruitment.

The couple's appeal is now being heard by the supreme court.

"I contacted Hadiya only after she came to (the PFI's sister organisation) Sathya Sarani for admission. Actually, she embraced Islam two years before. In 2013, she embraced Islam," insisted Zainaba on Monday. "It's no love-jihad (but) an arranged marriage."

But before Zainaba issued this denial relating to one high-profile case, she had already shared the PFI's dark secrets with India Today's undercover reporters.

Herself a member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, she was caught on tape how the Popular Front of India and its sister organization Sathya Sarani in Kerala's Manjeri carried out massive conversions.

"(In) That institute of ours... around 5,000 people have converted to Islam over the past 10 years now," Zainaba revealed. They, she admitted, included both Hindus and Christians.

Conversions, an emotive issue in Kerala, are banned in Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha if carried out through force or allurement. Recently, Jharkhand's assembly also passed an anti-conversion bill recently.

At their home in Malappuram, Zainaba and her husband, Ali, spoke candidly about their involvement in proselytising several non-Muslim women into Islam.

They didn't speak specifically about the Hadiya case though.

"We had a schoolteacher with us. She was an M.Sc. in mathematics and B.Ed," said Ali. "Now she's converted to Islam. She converted four years ago," added Zainaba.

"Did you proselytize her?" the reporter probed.

"Yes," confirmed the PFI's woman leader. "Four years ago."

The converted woman was previously called Shubha, Zainaba disclosed. "She's now Fatima." "How many non-Muslims have you proselytized?" the reporter asked.

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"There are many," replied Zainaba.

She also explained the entire modus for proselytising, emphasising conversion centres have to disguised as charitable or educational establishments in order to prevent any backlash.

"We don't have to officially declare it to be a conversion centre. It's an educational institute," Zainaba admitted. "A lot of preparation goes into it. We need resources. We have to create a trust first."

She disclosed such secret centres have to have at least 15 members to qualify for registration as a trust.

"Later, we need to figure out a place for the campus. That campus should house all facilities, such as a mosque for namaz, accommodation, a well-furnished institute like this (Sathya Sarani)," Zainaba explained. "Then we have to get it registered by the government under the Societies Registration Act."

Further, Zainaba revealed how the PFI outsourced name-change certificates after converting inmates.

"There are two ways. Getting a certificate from some institutes that such and such person has embraced Islam. Then there's another system of having it notarized on a declared affidavit," she said.

In its dossier, accessed by India Today, the NIA has also accused the PFI of terror links and hawala financing, charges the group has denied vehemently.

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But a founding member of the PFI, whom India Today reporters met in New Delhi under cover, admitted that the organization aimed at creating an Islamic state.

Ahmed Shareef, the PFI's founder member and the managing editor of its mouthpiece Gulf Thejas, also confessed to illegal funding.

"All over the world. That is the motive," Shareef acknowledged when asked whether the PFI and Sathya Sarani worked on a hidden motive to establish Islamic state in India as suspected. "All over the world. That is the motive."

"Islamic state is the final goal?" the reported probed.

"Final goal," Shareef replied. "All over the world. Why only India? After making India an Islamic state and then they will go to other states."

He also revealed how he raised funds for the PFI in the Middle East five years ago and sent them back home through hawala.

"At that time, (Rs) 10 lakh or something," Shareef said.

"Ten lakh? And how you sent it?" asked the reporter.

"Hawala," answered Shareef. He admitted both the PFI and Sathya Sarani received funding through mainstream as well as illegal hawala channels.

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REACTION TO INDIA TODAY'S OPERATION CONVERSION FACTORY

Ravishankar Prasad says PFI should be banned and these leaders should be prosecuted.

"Your investigation shows that there is a PFI, the Popular Front of India, which is having an organised racket employing people who are owning it up on your channel that they are creating a radical group by some kind of psychological brainwashing," said law minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad.

"These NGOs that profess that they stand for peace, profanity stand exposed today at your channel. That's a great job you have done. My greetings and congratulations to you," said Prasad.

"I have to point out that unfortunately none of the reporting that has come out in the papers, one finds that they haven't caught the the gist of the argument which thankfully your channel seems to have through this entire exercise in a very very good manner caught," said BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli.

"These are glaring and extremely worrisome trends showing there is a well oiled machinery and psychological kidnappings as Mr Manindar Singh told the Court and as the investigation is revealing. This is not an ordinary case," said Kohli.

"Upper caste Hindus are harassing lower Caste Hindus, that's why they are converting to Islam for equality, justice and peace nowadays. ISI members were found in Madhya Pradesh. BJP should be banned for that and the parent organization RSS should be banned. Also follow the Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel's footsteps who banned RSS once," said the media coordinator Islamic Research Foundation Ilyas Sharafuddin.

"If someone violates the law of the land he should be punished, Islam does not oppose that," said AIIA president Maulana Sajid Rashidi.

Meanwhile, NIA is monitoring India Today expose Operation Conversion Factory. The agency wants India Today to provide complete recording of investigation.

Sources say NIA will probe findings of India Today Investigation.

Operation Conversion Factory: Kerala Islamic NGO behind conversion racket?

--- ENDS ---
By Kiran Tare: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan is among those rare Congressmen who criticise the government based on factual information. He has aspirations to lead the state Congress which is not a secret.

When the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government completed three years in office, Chavan, the most educated Congress leader in Maharshtra, opened up his mind on the government's functioning.

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Q. How would you rate the government's functioning?

A. Maharashtra got a one party near majority government after a long time. However, it lost an opportunity to do better because of the CM's style of functioning, tendency of not to attend long term issues and fake promises. There is much more than they can do.

Q. Why do you say so?

A. They had promised reservation to the Dhangars, building memorial to Shivaji Maharaj as well as Dr BR Ambedkar. Nothing has been done so far. They have not solved the issue of Metro One fare. None of the infrastructure projects are going to be completed before 2019. Samruddhi Corridor is a good idea, but they are unable to convince the people about its economic benefits. There is no logic behind constructing new road while the goal can be achieved by changing the alignment of existing road.

Q. Government says new road is necessary for maintaining speed of 150 km per hour. Why you think it is illogical?

A. The speed limit of 150 km per hour is not maintained anywhere in the world except Germany. I am doubtful about the government's claim. In addition to that, the government has not yet begun inquiry into purchase of properties by top officials alongside the Samruddhi Corridor.

Q. What is your take on government's claim that Maharashtra economy is growing at a rate of 10 percent?

A. The government had announced that it had signed MoUs for investment of Rs 8 lakh crore. When we asked for the details on actual investment under the Right to Information Act, they denied us the details. The employment in small scale business is ruined. State's loan is increasing by 10 percent every year. The immaturity of this government in scrapping Local Body Tax has proved to be a damp squib. It was a stupid decision. When we were in power, I had strongly opposed the move inspite of the NCP being in its favour. There is already 30 percent cut in the budget. I think there will be further 20 percent cut in capital expenditure. This is not a sign of a good economy.

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Q. Do you agree with the government that bullet train will increase the state's Gross Domestic Product?

A. The bullet train will be a burden. Why should Maharashtra bear equal financial burden when Gujarat will have more stations? Suresh Prabhu has sacrificed the charge of Railway Ministry because he was not in favour of this project. A proposed rail link between Chiplun and Karad is another dubiosity of the bullet train. Shapoorji Pallonji (Construction firm), has withdrawn from the Chiplun-Karad rail link. I suspect, it has some connection with the bullet train project.

ALSO WATCH | Devendra Fadnavis govt's 3-year anniversary in Maharashtra: Where are the Achche Din, Mr CM?

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: By Shirish B Pradhan

Kathmandu, Oct 31 (PTI) Maoist leader Bal Krishna Dhungel was today arrested in a murder case dating back to the Maoist insurgency in Nepal, triggering protest by his party which alleged that it is against the 2006 peace agreement.

A team of Nepal Police Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) arrested CPN (Maoist Centre) leader Dhungel from his rented room in Lalitpur and presented him before Kathmandu District Court in Babarmahal.

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The court sent him to Dillibazaar prison. He has to spend over 12 years behind bars.

The Supreme Court had convicted Dhungel for the 1998 murder of Ujjan Kumar Shrestha and ordered life term with confiscation of property.

The Okhaldhunga District Court in 2004 had convicted Dhungel for the murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment, but in 2006, the Rajbiraj Appellate Court gave him a clean chit.

The apex court in 2010 overturned Rajbiraj Appellate Court?s decision and upheld the district court?s verdict.

The Baburam Bhattarai government in November 2011 had recommended presidential clemency for Dhungel, but it was rejected by the court.

Despite the Supreme Court order, Dhungel had been walking free, largely due to the protection from his party.

The arrest comes after a contempt of court writ was filed at the SC against Inspector General Of Police (IGP) Prakash Aryal.

CPN (Maoist Centre) demanded release of its leader, stating that his arrest was against the peace agreement signed in 2006 to end the 10-year armed insurgency and bring the rebels to mainstream politics.

"As per the spirit of peace agreement, the cases dating back to the war in the country are to be settled through the Truth and Reconciliation Commission," party spokesperson Pampha Bhusal said and demanded his immediate release.

Then rebel Maoist cadres under the command of Dhungel had murdered Shrestha on June 24, 1998. Later, Shrestha?s brother Ganesh Kumar filed a complaint at the District Police Office, Okhaldhunga.

The Maoist cadres on September 24, 2012 also killed Ganesh Kumar accusing him of filing complaint at the District Police Office.

Based on the complaint, the Okhaldhunga District Court in 2004 had convicted Dhungel of the murder. Following the verdict, Dhungel spent some time in jail. He was on the run since then. PTI SBP PMS

--- ENDS ---
Raymond A. Mason School of Business puts $1M diversity and inclusion gift to use

Gift announcement: Stephen R. Howe Jr. (at the podium) and Ken Bouyer (not pictured) announced the gift to more than 400 students, faculty and staff at Brinkley Commons during an Oct. 20, 2016, event. Photo courtesy of the Raymond A. Mason School of Business Photo - of - Hide Caption

William & Marys Raymond A. Mason School of Business is already seeing great impact since announcing the Ernst & Young (EY) LLPs $1 million commitment last fall. The gift, which was given by the EY Foundation and William & Mary alumni who work there, advances the universitys efforts to increase diversity and inclusion among its students, faculty and staff.

EYs culture of inclusion coincides with the Mason Schools commitment to offering world-class education programs to students regardless of their background.

The gift is supporting four related initiatives: recruiting more diverse students into the business school, providing a foundation for diversity and inclusion to all undergraduates entering the Mason School through course work, supporting faculty initiatives to promote these principles in subsequent classes and funding a campus-wide diversity symposium, said Jeanne Wilson, Brooks George Term Professor. All four of these initiatives are well underway.

These efforts include:

The second annual Diversity and Inclusion Symposium, which was held on Oct. 14, 2017, and was geared toward helping faculty and staff navigate diversity issues within their departments.

The Inaugural Student Diversity and Inclusion Symposium, which will take place on Feb. 28, 2018, seeks to increase student understanding of micro-aggressions and student activism.

The Business Perspectives and Applications course has been developed and enhanced by incorporating ethics discussions and simulations into the syllabus.

Diversity in the Workplace, Developing Your Voice, an undergraduate course designed to enhance recruitment efforts, will now be offered in an expanded format benefitting more students interested in enrolling in the course.

Work is underway for faculty to hold forums each semester focusing on integrating diversity and inclusion into their coursework.

Wilson indicated that the gift will also give student leaders the tools they need to communicate with a growing population of diverse employees and clients.

Inga Carboni, a professor of organizational behavior, is re-configuring the current Business Perspectives and Applications course required of all students entering the business school. She describes it as a course that will support the Mason Schools commitment to diversity and inclusion on a curricular level.

The course enables students to explore diversity and inclusion through in-class activities, journal entries and class discussions of team-building strategies, giving voice to values and implicit biases. Carboni is developing a week-long simulation in which students will be videotaped engaging in a team activity and then assessed on their ability to create an inclusive environment.

The undergraduate course, Diversity in the Workplace, Developing your Voice, will be expanded with the mission of encouraging students with non-traditional backgrounds to explore the business school and consider a career in business as a viable option. There is an on-campus and off-campus version of the class. The off-campus version includes a Washington, D.C., trip to meet alumni who are leaders in business. Mansfield Associate Professor Katherine Guthrie is spearheading these innovations.

Since the gift represents a partnership between EY and the Mason School, representatives from EY will be working closely with the faculty to develop biannual diversity and inclusion symposiums. Fanchon Glover M.Ed. 99, Ed.D 06, the universitys chief diversity officer, has been helping to lead such efforts.

Our efforts are well underway, and the partnership is already breathing new life into our current programs, said Larry Pulley 74, T.C. and Elizabeth Clarke Professor and dean of the Raymond A. Mason School. Our partnership with EY represents a new milestone in strengthening diversity and inclusiveness at the university.
The bench said while it would not interfere with the Centre's policy, the case was probably the only one of its kind in the armed forces and asked the Navy to consider Giri for some other job.

By Sneha Agrawal: Terming it an "out-of-the-box situation", the Delhi High Court has asked the Centre to consider giving an alternate job to a transsexual sailor who was removed from service after sex change.

The 25-year-old Manish Giri, who became Sabi Giri after the sex reassignment surgery, had moved the high court against the Indian Navy's decision recently. The matter has come before justices G S Sistani and V K Rao who have asked the ministry of defence to look into the case. The court asked the ministry to perceive this situation like that of an injured Air Force pilot who is given a ground duty instead of being ousted from the services.

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Calling for a change in mindset, the bench said while it would not interfere with the Centre's policy, the case was probably the only one of its kind in the armed forces and asked the Navy to consider Giri for some other job. "Here is an opportunity to look at it from a different perspective. It may be a first-of-its-kind situation. Here is a person struggling with gender identity. Had she suppressed the condition and continued, it would have been dangerous. It could have been fatal. Think about it and come back," the bench said and listed the matter for further hearing on November 23.

Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain appearing for the Centre as well the Navy said Giri had a chequered history of indiscipline for being absent without leave several times and suffered from gender identity disorder.

"The individual had got badly infected after undergoing the sex reassignment surgery and it was the Navy which treated her humanely and provided treatment and counseling to her. One seat in another branch or department of the force cannot be blocked for such an individual who also suffered from psychiatric and gender identity problems. Since the petitioner is a female now, she cannot be employed as a sailor in the Navy as that position is not open for women." The court with a sympathetic view towards the petitioner said it was a good thing that Giri came out in the open instead of living with the inherent gender disorder for life, which would have made it worse for her as well as the department.

However, the court believed that while the person deserved to be punished for indiscipline, but where there is a medical condition of this sort, it may be seen from a different perspective.

"In today's situation, a medical condition like this cannot be suppressed," the bench said. The court was of the view that the petitioner, who was posted onboard INS Eksila at Visakhapatnam, can give up claim for the job of sailor and may accept a clerical position so that the family, comprising aged parents, the individual's wife and child, need not suffer. The petitioner had challenged the October 6 order of the Navy removing her from service. She had claimed that she was suffering from gender identity issues since 2011 and when she told her parents, they forced her to marry a woman. She further claimed that she was absent from service without leave several times as she suffered bouts of depression, owing to her gender identity issues.

--- ENDS ---

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Agreements signed for Nigerian nuclear project

31 October 2017

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Nigeria and Russia have signed agreements on the construction and operation of a nuclear power plant and a nuclear research centre, including a multi-purpose research reactor, in the African country.

The signing ceremony in Abu Dhabi (Image: Rosatom)

The documents, as well as a roadmap for cooperation in the field of peaceful nuclear technologies, were signed in Abu Dhabi yesterday by Anton Moskin, vice president for marketing and business development of Rosatom subsidiary Rusatom Overseas, and Simon Pesco Mallam, chairman of the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC). The ceremony was also attended by Rosatom Director-General Alexey Likhachov and Nigeria's permanent representative to the international organisations in Vienna, Vivian Nwunaku Rose Okeke.

"The development of nuclear technologies will allow Nigeria to strengthen its position as one of the leading countries of the African continent," Moskvin said. "These are the projects of a large scale and strategic importance, that will determine the relationship between our two countries in the long term," he added.

Feasibility studies for the nuclear power plant project and research centre construction will include site screening and the determination of key "parameters of implementation", including capacity, equipment lists, timeframes and stages of implementation, as well as financing schemes, Rosatom said.

Nigeria has been a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) since 1964. Faced with rapidly increasing baseload electricity demand, the country's federal government in 2007 approved a technical framework for a nuclear power programme.

Nigeria has sought the support of the IAEA to develop plans for up to 4000 MWe of nuclear capacity by 2025. IAEA support has included two missions to Nigeria in 2015, which found the country's emergency preparedness and response framework to be consistent with IAEA safety standards. A 10-day IAEA Integrated Regulatory Review Service peer review mission earlier this year described the country's nuclear regulator, the Nigerian Nuclear Regulatory Authority, as a "committed" regulatory body working for the continuous improvement of nuclear and radiation safety, but noted challenges related to its independence in implementing regulatory decisions and activities.

The NAEC was set up in 1976, and the country's first research reactor - a 30 kW Chinese Miniature Neutron Source Reactor similar to units operating in China, Ghana, Iran and Syria - was commissioned at Ahmadu Bello University in 2004.

Russia signed its first intergovernmental nuclear cooperation agreement with Nigeria 2009. This was followed by agreements on the design, construction, operation and decommissioning of an initial nuclear power plant. Two sites, at Geregu in Kogi State and Itu in Akwa Ibom State, were in 2015 confirmed as preferred sites for the country's first nuclear power plants after evaluation by the NAEC.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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Excavation work starts for Bushehr 2

31 October 2017

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Excavation work has started at the site of unit 2 of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran, Atomproekt, the reactor design subsidiary of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, announced today. Construction and installation work formally started on the unit in March.

Russian-built Bushehr 1 was connected to the national grid on 3 September 2011 and became the first nuclear power plant in the Middle East. Bushehr units 2 and 3 are to be completed in 2024 and 2026, respectively.

A ceremony to mark the start of excavation work on the foundation of the main buildings for the unit was opened today by Alexey Likhachov, Rosatom director-general, and Ali Akbar Salehi, president of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran.

Atomproekt said today that, before the ceremony, Likhachov and Salehi had visited Bushehr 1, "which has become a symbol of cooperation between Russia and Iran in the sphere of the peaceful atom".

AtomStroyExport (ASE) - another Rosatom subsidiary and the general contractor for the Bushehr project - and Nuclear Power Production and Development Company of Iran signed an EPC turnkey contract for the project to build units 2 and 3, known as Bushehr II, in November 2014. The first foundation stone for the units - VVER-1000 reactors with a combined capacity of 2100 MWe - was laid in a ceremony held in September 2016. Atomproekt said today the start of excavation work marked the launch of the practical implementation of Bushehr II.

German constructor Siemens KWU began work on two pressurised water reactors at Bushehr in 1975, but work came to a halt in 1979. Russian contractors resumed work on unit 1, this time as a VVER-1000 unit, in the late 1990s under a "turn-key" contract. Extensive use was made of the infrastructure that was already in place and the German-designed components that were in storage from the original project, integrated with main reactor components fabricated in Russia, making the finished plant unique amongst VVERs. NIAEP-ASE has been responsible for the project since the 2012 merger of reactor architect NIAEP with ASE. The plant has been constructed and is operating under full International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.

Atomproekt said today: "The power unit, which Russian nuclear engineers actually developed for the previous contractor, using the original engineering know-how for the Russian VVER design and training Iranian operating personnel, was the first in the Middle East and unique in the global nuclear power industry. Since its launch in 2011, unit 1 has proven its operational reliability."

Welcoming the participants of the ceremony, Likhachov said Russia and Iran had already accumulated experience in cooperation that would assist their nuclear industry specialists in the management of the Bushehr II project. He said: "I'm confident that this, the largest of all Russian-Iranian projects, is a symbol of our cooperation, a symbol for both our generation and the generation of our children. To date, about 25 terawatt hours have already been produced at the first Bushehr unit, which is a real contribution to the Iranian economy that enables additional investment in the development of both the social sphere and the industry of the country."

Salehi said: "We are on schedule and even ahead of schedule. I hope that within seven years we will witness the commissioning of this unit, and two years after that the commissioning of the third unit as part of Bushehr II."

Atomproekt said work on the foundation of unit 3 will start next year and first concrete is to be poured for unit 2 in 2019. Iran is funding the Bushehr II project, it added.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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UAE university becomes IAEA Collaborating Centre

31 October 2017

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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is to share its experience in nuclear power infrastructure development through a cooperation agreement signed yesterday with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Under the agreement, the Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research in Abu Dhabi has been designated as an IAEA Collaborating Centre.

The signing of the IAEA Collaborating centre agreement (Image: IAEA/Dean Calma)

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21st Century, being held this week in Abu Dhabi. It was signed by Mikhail Chudakov, IAEA deputy director-general and head of the agency's department of nuclear energy, and Tod Laursen, interim president of Khalifa University. The signing was witnessed by IAEA Director-General Yukiya Amano and UAE Energy Minister Suhail Mohammed Faraj Al Mazrouei.

The agreement marks the beginning of a four-year period of close cooperation between the university and the IAEA on implementing activities in the field of nuclear power infrastructure and human resources development, the IAEA said. In particular, Khalifa University will support IAEA activities on enhancing member states' capabilities in building and assessing the infrastructure required for a nuclear power programme, as well as developing critical competencies required for infrastructure development.

Signing the agreement on behalf of the IAEA, Chudakov said: "The cooperation will enable professionals from embarking countries to benefit from the know-how which the UAE has developed in building its infrastructure, licensing and constructing its first nuclear power plant in line with the IAEA Milestones approach."

Laursen said, "We are honoured by the IAEA designation as an IAEA Collaborating Centre." He added, "Since I signed our first Practical Arrangement with the IAEA in 2010, we have engaged with the IAEA on human resources development through our Gulf Nuclear Energy Infrastructure Institute (GNEII) programme and by hosting the joint UAE-IAEA Nuclear Energy Management Schools. We look forward to enhancing our offerings in this area, both within the UAE and to support other IAEA member states."

Under the agreement, Khalifa University, in collaboration with the IAEA, will develop and implement specific courses, including modules for the GNEII programme, to train professionals in nuclear safety, security, safeguards, stakeholder involvement, legal and regulatory framework and other areas. A fellowship programme, including mentoring, will help fellows gain experience in specific areas of interest in embarking countries. In addition, the university - which was established in 2007 - will provide experts to support review missions, training courses and technical meetings organised by the IAEA.

The university's activities as an IAEA Collaborating Centre will be supported by organisations involved in the UAE's nuclear power programme, such as the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, Nawah Energy Company, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority and the Critical Infrastructure and Coastal Protection Authority.

The IAEA Collaborating Centres Scheme provides the IAEA with a mechanism to designate eligible member state institutions as partners that assist it in implementing its selected programmatic activities. The scheme - focusing on research, development and training - was launched on three-year pilot basis in 2004, before being fully implemented in 2008.

The IAEA Collaborating Centre Agreement is a legally binding document signed by both parties, which contains, inter alia, the undertakings of the parties, duration of designation, objectives, activities, and expected results and outcomes stated in the work plan.

There are now over two dozen active IAEA Collaborating Centres around the world working on areas such as environment; food and agriculture; human health; water resources; radioisotope production and radiation technology; nuclear science; and, nuclear security.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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By Lakshana N Palat: The past few weeks have quite turbulent for Nawazuddin Siddiqui, who made some explosive revelations in his memoir, An Ordinary Life. What further piqued much interest and curiosity, were his vivid descriptions of his affairs with his Miss Lovely co-star Niharika Singh, and Sunita Rajwar. The unfortunate part? He had not asked permission from either of them before going ahead and revealing these intimate details in his book.

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Niharika was irate, and said that while she had indeed been in a brief relationship with him, he had fabricated the rest on his own. She also said that he never told her that he was married. His other ex-girlfriend, Sunita Rajwar, later wrote a Facebook post saying that she left him because of his selfishness and poor thinking. She called him a sympathy seeker, and said that he would never leave an opportunity for people to feel sorry for him. She also said that she was disgusted with him, as he shared intimate details of their relationship with his friends. Not too different from what he's doing now, is it?

After many heated discussions, Nawaz tweeted that he wanted to withdraw the book, and apologised for offending sentiments. Now, why?

I m apologising 2 every1 who's sentiments r hurt bcz of d chaos around my memoir #AnOrdinaryLifeI hereby regret & decide 2 withdraw my book- Nawazuddin Siddiqui (@Nawazuddin_S) October 30, 2017

FEAR OF LEGAL HASSLES?

A Delhi advocate, Gautam Gulati, filed a case against Nawaz, with the National Commission of Women (NCW), for "outraging the modesty" of Niharika Singh. The report read, "I have lodged a complaint with NCW with a request to give direction for the registration of FIR under sections 376 (rape), 497 (adultery) and 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman) of IPC. He was evidently married when he was having an affair with Niharika and kept her in the dark about it. The actor has published it [the book] without having second thoughts about how this kind of act can ruin the married life of the victim. For minting money and garnering free publicity for his book, the actor has bargained the modesty of a woman."

This report came out in the past 48 hours. Excerpts from Nawaz's memoir have been doing the rounds of the media for the last two weeks, and creating much chaos. Nawaz hadn't seemed too perturbed at that time, and had coolly said that there would be people upset with the memoir. In fact, he also said in an interview, "I feel it's important to write the truth or else it is better not to write at all. Some people might get miffed after reading the book, because I've mentioned names in it. Ho sakta hai meri pitai vitai bhi ho (Maybe, I will get beaten up). But I've mentioned only what has actually happened."

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He seemed quite blase about even being beaten up, so doesn't look he had much guilt or worry then.

It doesn't seem likely that this sudden retraction was because of Niharika Singh and Sunita Rajwar's angry reactions. Even if he felt real remorse at upsetting his ex-girlfriends, would he have withdrawn the book? Not likely. He wanted everyone to know his story, as he clearly said.

The action of withdrawing the book seems like it stems from real fear of handling a legal case, something that Nawaz is quite familiar with.

NAWAZ'S PREVIOUS LEGAL ENTANGLEMENTS

In January 2016, an FIR was registered against Nawaz for assaulting a woman over a parking dispute. At that time, his manager denied the accusation and said, "There was an argument, but no hathaa-pai (exchange of physical blows) as claimed in the complaint." Nawaz wriggled free.

In October 2016, Nawaz's sister-in-law filed a case against him and his parents in Muzaffarnagar. She accused him of misbehaving with her, and asking for dowry. Not just this, she even said that he had kicked her in the stomach when she was pregnant. Nawaz denied the claims, and said that he was a "soft target". He actually said, "I'm an actor so, that could also be a reason for her allegations. Had it happened with a common man, it would not have made the headlines on television and newspapers."

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There is a strange pattern in Nawaz's behaviour with women, and this curious question of the sympathy card, something that both his ex-girlfriends say he uses at the drop of a hat. Without taking sides, one can just see that far from leaving a good impression on them, there's just a lot of anger and resentment.

Could all the women be lying and Nawaz be the honest and hapless victim as he perpetually portrays himself to be? Sometimes, you just can't help but think otherwise.

As Nawaz is slowly heading towards stardom in the industry, it's not likely that he will want another legal case on his head, and tarnish the reputation that he has worked so hard to build. The withdrawal of the book, seems more out of necessity for self-preservation than actual remorse for divulging intimate details without the consent of the women in his life.

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ALSO WATCH | Nawazuddin Siddiqui alleges colour discrimination: Dark side of a racist Bollywood?

--- ENDS ---
There have been nine secretary-generals of the United Nations (UNSG or just SG) since the appointment of the first position in February 1946. Trygve Liethe of Norway served as the first Secretary-General, and Antonio Guterres of Portgual serves as the current Secretary-General.

9. Trygve Lie

Trvgne Lie was a Norwegian diplomat born on July 16, 1896, in Oslo. He attended Oslo University for his law degree. After holding various positions in Norways government, Trugne Lie became the chairman of the Norwegian delegation to the United Nation General Assembly in London. On February 1, 1946, he was elected the first secretary General of the UN and officially inaugurated the following day.

8. Dag Hammarskjold

Dag Hammarskjold was a diplomat from Sweden born in 1905. He was appointed the Secretary-General of the UN in 1953 and served until he died in a plane crash on September 18, 1961. He received posthumous Nobel Prize, and he is remembered to have established the meditation room at UN head-offices under his supervision where people assembled regardless of their religion or faith to have a moment of silence.

7. U Thant

U Thant was the third Secretary-General of the UN from 1961 to 1971, appointed following the death of Dag Hammarskjold. U Thant schooled at National High School in Pantanaw and later proceeded to University College, Rangoon. He was an educationist working at various institutions until his appointment. U Thant was publicly famous for faulting the conduct of America in the Vietnam war.

6. Kurt Waldheim

Kurt Waldheim was chosen as the Secretary-General of the UN in January 1972, and re-elected in 1977. He attended the University of Vienna in 1944 as a Doctor of Jurisprudence. He was credited to have made it a habit of making trips to places of concern to the UN. Waldheim visited Namibia and South Africa in 1972 to help in establishing a convincing solution to the Namibia-South Africa conflict.

5. Javier Perez de Guellar

Javier Perez de Guellar took over as Secretary-General of the UN in January 1982. He was born on January 19, 1920, in Lima, Peru. Javier was nominated Permanent Representative of Peru to the UN in 1971 as the delegation leader. Immediately afterward, he took over as the Secretary-General Special Representative in Cyprus. He left the UN Secretary-General office despite a request to contest for the third time on December 31, 1991.

4. Boutros Boutros-Ghali

Boutros Boutros-Ghali came in as the sixth Secretary-General of United Nations on January 1, 1992, after his election on December 3, 1991. Before then, he was the Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs from May 1991 in his home country of Egypt. He led the UN at a critical stage when the world body faced global crises such as the Rwandan Genocide and the disintegration of Yugoslavia.

3. Kofi Annan

Kofi Annan served as the Secretary-General of UN between January 1997 and December 2006. Annan studied economics and international relations. He held various positions in the United Nations Headquarters until his nomination by the UN Security Council in December 1996. He left office on September 19, 2006, having established global combat of HIV, especially in Africa.

2. Ban Ki-moon

Ban Ki-moon was the Secretary-General of the UN from 2007 to 2016. He was born in June 1944, in Wonnam, Korea. He studied International Relations at Seoul National University before pursuing his Master of Public Administration at Harvard University. He became the foreign minister of South Korea between 2004 and 2006, a position that put him on the map of the world. On October 13, 2006, he was appointed Secretary-General of UN.

1. Antonio Guterres

Antonio Guterres is the current Secretary-General of United Nations. He was born in 1949 to Virgilio Dias Guterres and Iida Candida. Guterres inherited the Haiti cholera crisis in which UN peacekeepers were accused of introducing the bacteria, and he has been pushing for contributions towards $400 million for its eradication. On January 1, 2017, Guterres assured to ensure that 2017 would be a peaceful year; he said, Let us resolve to put peace first."
The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist is a masterpiece art by Italian artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. It describing the biblical event of the beheading of John the Baptist.

Biblical Account

According to the gospel of Luke 1:6779, John was the son of Zechariah the priest and Elizabeth. His parents were both old when he was born and he was considered a prophet by many. He spent his adult lifetime spreading the gospel and baptizing people in the river Jordan. Among the people he baptized was Jesus Christ which caused him to be referred to as John the Baptist. During one of his summons, John the Baptist criticized Herod, the then tetrarch serving the Roman Empire, for divorcing his wife Phasaelis and taking his brother's wife Herodias as his wife. Herod had him arrested and imprisoned. On Herod's birthday, Herodias' daughter Salome danced majestically and pleased the king and his guests. King Herod swore to provide her with anything she desired including half his kingdom. Under the influence of her mother Herodias, Salome demanded the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Herod reluctantly agreed and ordered the beheading of John the Baptist.

Description

The oil on canvas artwork depicts the beheading of John the Baptist as Salome eagerly stands close with a golden platter. Another woman is also present in the photo looking shocked and distraught; it is thought that the woman is either a servant or Herodias who realizes that he had made a mistake. A jailer is seen issuing instructions to the executioner who is bending clutching a dagger in his right hand and pinning John the Baptist to the floor using his left hand. The painting was completed in 1608 in Malta. It measures 150 inches by 200 inches; it is Caravaggio largest painting and the only one that bears his signature which is placed by the blood spilling out of the slit throat. The painting's background was drawn from his time in a prison in Malta.

The painting was commissioned as an altarpiece in 1608 by the Knights of Malta. Today it hangs St. John's Co-Cathedral, the same place it was commissioned and where he briefly served as a knight. The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist has undergone degradation over time and is severely damaged. In the 1950s some restoration work was done on the painting before an exhibition in Rome. It was after the restoration that people got to view Caravaggio's signature which is signed as f. Michelang.o. The f. indicates his Brotherhood.

Caravaggio

Caravaggio painted several other beheadings including the famous beheading of Goliath by David and Judith beheading Holofernes. There are no indicators of spiritual intervention or redemption. The painting exposes raw human expression, naked realism, and no romanticism portrayed by other artwork during the time. Caravaggio is honored for presenting his painting out of well-known stories that people can identify with. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio died mysteriously in 1910 at the age of 39 after fleeing Malta.
Skype is a social media application which provides users with the ability to have video chats, conference calls, and group chats. The messaging application allows its subscribers to communicate through voice calls and messaging. An audio codec is necessary when making telephone calls and conference calling. These features can be used between twenty-five people for free. In 2003, Niklas Zennstrom from Sweden and Janus Friis from Denmark came up with the idea, and its program was created by Estonians Ahti Heinla, Priit Kasesalu, and Jaan Tallinn. Skype has grown to become one of the most popular communications applications in the world, and its usage is expanding as the years go.

History of Skype

Skype has been acquired by different blue-chip companies starting with eBay on September 12, 2005 for 2.5 billion dollars. In September 2009, 65% of the company was sold for 2.75 billion dollars to Silver Lake, Andreesssen Horowitz, and the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board. In May 2011, Microsoft came calling with a whopping 8.5 billion dollar acquisition of Skype communications.

Following that acquisition by the Microsoft Corporation, Skype has undergone improvements into its technologies that have made it easier and more fun to use. Microsoft had to discontinue two of its products to focus on developing Skype: Windows Live Messenger on April 30, 2013 after a period of transition that started on the 8th of that month, and Lync in an announcement made on the November 11, 2014.

Challenges Faced by Skype

There are several challenges that development of Skype has faced over years, for instance on September 2016, employees at London office lost their jobs when it was closed; more than two hundred employees were sacked to focus on further development of the program. It also could not provide emergency numbers to its clients in Europe, India, Nepal and North America. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) also ruled out the claims in public domain that it was the primary provider of interconnected ViOP to Skype. All Skype users in America were encouraged to have emergency backup after the ruling, which considered section 255 of the telecommunications act.

Skype has faced allegations of data security and privacy in the past years. An article published in November 2012 explained a loophole in the programs security which allowed a person to hack into another Skype users account by using the users email, with the article providing seven steps to do so. This vulnerability was claimed to have existed long before the publishing of the article. In 2013, the massive disclosure of the surveillance done by the National Security Agency and the FBI showed that these agencies had unfettered access to Skypes data storage centers and it has been collecting data as from March 31st 2011.

Despite the challenges faced, the number of Skype users are increasing. Its traffic has increased from 2.9% in 2005 to 40% in 2014. The application can be used by smartphones through versions tailor made to suite android, apple, blackberry and Nokia X. There is also a desktop version for those with computers i.e OS X.
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According to JLL, industrial lease deals in Ireland during Q3, 2017 totaled 407,904 sq. ft across 33 deals. This is a decrease of 42% in the quarter, and a 55% decrease compared to Q3 2016. The main cause for the reduction in take-up is the decrease in the number deals, with 11 fewer deals in Q3 (33) compared to Q2 (44). There was also a decrease in the number of larger-sized deals, with only 1 transaction greater than 50,000 sq. ft compared to 4 last quarter. The greatest level of activity continues to be focused on smaller-sized space with 67% of deals for space less than 10,000 sq. ft.Combined with take-up for H1, year-to-date take-up is 1.6 million sq. ft. This is 16% lower than the same period last year.Hannah Dwyer, Divisional Director and Head of Research says, "The industrial market is performing steadily, with no real change in sentiment in the last 3 months. As we enter the final quarter of the year, the outlook for industrial remains balanced. Whilst there has been a steady level of take-up in the year-to-date, the reality on the ground is that depth in the market is swallowing somewhat, with factors such as globalization, Brexit concerns and a lack of indigenous take-up casting some caution on the sector. In addition, the lack of supply in the market is impacting occupier decisions, with limited suitable existing stock available. We are currently dealing with a number of active inquiries from large occupiers, and there is limited choice in terms of product that we can offer to them.That said, Q4 is typically the strongest quarter for industrial take-up and therefore we are expecting take-up to remain steady in the next 3 months. Take-up could potentially achieve between 2 - 2.5 million sq. ft by the year-end. This is what we were expecting at the start of the year and is only marginally down from the 2.6 million sq. ft that was occupied last year."Hannah added, "The greatest issue for the sector continues to be supply, with limited existing quality stock available across all locations. Construction activity remains limited with only 2 major schemes under construction in Dublin. The increase in construction costs continue to make development economics difficult, and therefore there is no short-term solution to resolve the supply issue. With rents increasing, it may trigger developers to undertake some additional development activity. In terms of opportunities in the market, there are a number of 35 year leases that were signed in the 1980's that are due to expire in the short-term. Whilst this may bring some additional supply to the market, many of these will require redevelopment prior to occupation and therefore will not be available in the short term.Rents are likely to continue to rise, fueled by a lack of quality supply and therefore choice for occupiers, teamed with continued steady demand. Rents could edge up to 9.00 per sq. ft. in the next 3 - 6 months, with potential for future growth as we enter into 2018."
Neelamani N Raju, a 1983 batch IPS officer, has taken over as the new Director General and Inspector General of Police of Karnataka.

By Nolan Pinto: The Karnataka government has for the first time appointed a woman to head the entire police force in the state.

Neelamani N Raju, a 1983 batch IPS officer has taken over as the new Director General and Inspector General of Police on Tuesday evening after former state police chief Rupak Kumar Dutta demitted office on superannuation.

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While addressing the media, she said that the baton handed over to her by her predecessor means a lot of responsibility considering that state election is just round the corner.

"I will carry this responsibility with a great sense of humility and commitment," she said.

POLICE STATIONS NEED TO BE MORE WOMEN-FRIENDLY

Speaking to India Today, she said that women in general avoid going to police stations and her priority would be to make them more women-friendly. She explained how the government has undertaken schemes for women officers and constables but still a lot of work needs to be done.

"I would like to see police become more friendly to everybody and women in particular so that they are not afraid to come to the police station," she said.

On police becoming more sensitive while dealing with crimes against women, she said, "I am sure they are done properly but sometimes things are not as good as one would like them to be." However, she claimed that these cases are few in number in Karnataka.

POLICE HAVE ALREADY TAKEN MEASURES FOR A SAFE TIPU JAYANTI

With the BJP already threatening the state government that they will not allow Tipu Jayanti to be held on November 10, the new top cop tells India Today that this will be her first major challenge but with her team of officers, plans are already afoot. "We will take measures to ensure that the event passes of peacefully," she added.

Neelamani has had a long stint with the Intelligence Bureau in the centre having served in that department for about 23 years. At the time of her returning to the state cadre in March 2016, she was serving as an Additional Director in the Intelligence Bureau.

Before taking over as the new DG-IGP, she was posted as DGP, Internal Security Division on May 2016 and also assumed charge of DGP, Fire Force, Home Guards and Civil Defence from March 2017.

CM Siddarmaiah took to twitter to congratulate the new top cop, "Congratulations to Karnataka's first woman DG-IGP Neelamani N Raju on her appointment. Wish her a successful tenure in the post."

--- ENDS ---

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By PTI: Lahore, Oct 31 (PTI) A newlywed woman in Pakistans Punjab province has been arrested on suspicion of killing at least 15 of her husbands close relatives with poisoned lassi, according to a media report today.

Police in Muzaffargarh city claim Asiya Bibi had intended the deadly substance for her husband, and mixed it with his milk last week - but he did not drink it.

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Instead it was turned into a batch of lassi, a yogurt drink, and served to his extended family.

Police said 15 people died and 14 others have been hospitalised, Geo TV reported.

The death toll has been rising since last Thursday, when the tainted drinks were first served and eight people initially died, the report said.

Police said the woman was upset as she had been forced into an arranged marriage in September.

The local media say the bride had tried unsuccessfully to flee her marital home and return to her parents.

Senior police official Owais Ahmad confirmed that Asiya Bibi has been charged with murder. A man alleged to be her lover, and his aunt, have also been arrested.

The suspect denied all of the allegations leveled against her when the accused was presented before the media.

The three suspects were later presented before the Anti- Terrorism Court in Dera Ghazi Khan and sent into police custody on a 14-day physical remand, the report said. PTI AKJ AKJ

--- ENDS ---
The tragic suicide last Friday of a young Ford autoworker, Jacoby Hennings, has shed light on the deplorable conditions facing temporary and part-time workers in the auto factories.

Hennings, 21, of Harper Woods, Michigan, shot himself after receiving a warning over attendance at the Ford Woodhaven Stamping Plant, south of Detroit. The young worker had been at the facility since March and, according to information received by the World Socialist Web Site Autoworker Newsletter, he had been despondent over the treatment he received as a part-time, temporary worker.

Woodhaven Stamping makes door panels, roofs, tailgates and other parts. There are 420 workers at the sprawling facility, which at one time employed 5,000. The United Auto Workers (UAW) agreed to substandard conditions at the plant for newly hired workers and lower-paid tier-two workers as part of the 2015 UAW-Ford agreement.

A tier-two worker at the Fiat Chrysler Jefferson Assembly plant who had contact with a relative of Hennings told the WSWS Autoworker Newsletter, He was a former part-time worker at [Fiat Chrysler] Warren Truck before he went to Ford. One of his gripes was they were keeping him as part-time instead of moving him to full-time. That was one of the reasons he shot himself.

He was getting frustrated with the jobs they gave him. That is the life of a part-timer.

As part of the 2015 national contract deal, the United Auto Workers agreed to expand the number of temporary and part-time workers in the auto factories to allow Ford to quickly downsize its workforce in the event of a sales slowdown. These disposable workers face constant uncertainty and get lower pay and fewer benefits than regular employees. They can work long hours one week and have few if any the next, even though they have car payments and other regular bills to meet. While in the past such workers might expect to eventually become full-time, the auto companies can keep these workers at part-time status indefinitely, often for years.

People at Warren Truck said he (Hennings) was a nice guy, the Jefferson worker said. But, they like to give the TPTs (Temporary Part Time) the shitty jobs. The UAW says it likes to focus on the full-time employees. They said that right in front of everyone in the plant.

The life of a part-time worker is hard. They give you the hardest jobs. Sometimes they work harder than the full-timers. The only time a part-time worker gets a good job is if she is sleeping with the supervisor. They can keep part-time workers forever and they can hire unlimited numbers of part-timers and never have to roll them over (to full-time).

She said part-time employment was a major factor in her decision to oppose the 2015 UAW national contract. People dont understand what we voted for [in the 2015 national contract]. They want you to dedicate your whole life to the company. If they call you to come in, and you say no, you are fired.

One part-time worker here had their lights cut off. We had to take up a collection for her. Ive been there, I know.

She said she had worked 15 years part-time before coming in as a full-time worker under the lower, second-tier pay scale. I got food stamps and Section 8 [federal housing voucher] because I didnt get enough hours.

He probably wasnt getting enough hours. Its all based on favoritism. There is one person who does the scheduling for TPTs. That is why my cousin quit. She was hardly ever getting scheduled and going broke as a result.

Back when I started you worked 120 days and were rolled over into full-time. Now they can keep you forever as part-time. I think this needs to be exposed. 

A young tier-two Ford worker, who formerly worked at the Sterling Axle plant north of Detroit, spoke about his experiences. There are lots of temporary and part-time workers where I work now. Recently they were forced to sign papers saying they would go back to being part-time temps from being full-time temps. Many were dismayed.

If they did the same thing to that young worker in Woodhaven, he could have been distressed.

The guy next to me on the line was really upset. He had taken out a car loan and his hours were reduced. It is bad enough that temps are getting less money than full-time workers.

I know that working on these kinds of jobs can be stressful if you dont have a strong family at home. If you are dealing with problems at home and facing these types of issues at work it can be volatile. I dont know if the guy at Woodhaven had his time cut back, but that can compound stresses, at the very least your hairline will start to recede, something has to give.

He noted that Woodhaven Stamping, along with Sterling Axle, was one of the plants where the UAW agreed to substandard conditions for newly hired workers, whose pay would top out at less than $20 an hour. As a consequence, management, with the help of the UAW, has been seeking to drive older, better-paid workers out of these factories in order to bring in lower-paid younger workers at the substandard scale.

I ended up leaving (Sterling Axle) because I wanted to get paid (decently).

I would like to see equal pay. Now you have someone working for $15 an hour right next to someone making $30. Everyone who gets hired now is a temp. That is how a third tier is being created. A lot of them are in constant fear for their jobs.

I had three kids and a wife and paid $875 a month in rent. I have sympathy for the temps considering what I had to go through. If you have any family responsibility it is hard to make it on what you are getting paid.

A Ford worker at the Chicago Assembly Plant said, I can understand how someone working in these plants might feel theyre better off dead. It saddens me to have to wake up and go in there every day. When it rains outside, it rains inside the factory. When it snows outside, it snows inside. If its hot out, its at least 20 degrees hotter inside. They dont care about us at all. All they care about is how many cars are being produced. You could die; it wouldnt matter.

The union is BS. They work with Ford, and theyre against us. They just use their positions to make deals with management. Ive never worked for a company thats so disrespectful. I have been struck, had things thrown in my face, been sexually harassed by people in the union, and called racial slurs. When I complain and raise a fuss, Im the one thats given time off. What kind of a job has a thing called stress leave, and were just building cars?

A second-tier worker at the Ford assembly plant in Dearborn, Michigan also spoke with the WSWS. The toughest thing is repetitive motion for 10-12 hours a day. You work like a robot for $15 an hour, or $300-400 a week in take-home pay. Before, the same job paid $30 an hour.

The problem is that all the temps are working under different conditions and a lot of it depends on your boss. They can really give you a hard time.

Theyre designing the system to squeeze everything out of the working class. You will either be very rich or very poor if we dont stop them. More and more people are opening their eyes to whats happening. We are going to have to rally together and fight for what we deserve.
A car drove into union-sponsored immigration protesters outside of GOP Representative Ed Royces office in the Los Angeles suburb of Brea last Thursday afternoon. The driver, 56-year-old Daniel Wenzek, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. He has since been released from custody pending investigation.

Widely shared video of the incident shows Wenzek inching his car into protesters who had temporarily blocked a street crossing while walking across it. As more protesters gathered around screaming at him to stop, Wenzek accelerated while a protester lay on the hood of his car. Wenzek finally stopped his car approximately 50 feet into the intersection after running into a handful of police officers there to monitor the protest (Video of the incident can be found here).

While authorities have not determined how many protesters were injured as a result of the incident, SEIU United Workers West president David Huerta says four members and two staffers were taken to the hospital for evaluations.

The incident recalls the killing of 32-year-old Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, Virginia last August. Heyer was hit by a car and killed by a 20-year-old Hitler admirer from Ohio, part of an extra-constitutional fascist movement being cultivated by the Trump administration and the presidents former chief strategist Steve Bannon.

While there were no fatalities reported after the Brea incident, the social media postings of Wenzek along with his overall personal history suggests a psychologically troubled individual with strong sympathies for the alt-right movement that inspired the Charlottesville killer.

He is reportedly a registered sex offender, having served a three-year prison sentence for an act he committed against a child under 14 years of age in 2006. After his release from prison in 2009, Wenzek became a born-again Christian and would regularly post Bible verses on his Facebook page.

More recently, Wenzek released posts criticizing Barack Obama for what he perceived to be the latters socialism and became a devotee of the right-wing Breitbart news web site. Wenzek specifically lamented the passing of Breitbart founder Andrew Breitbart in 2012. He wrote, What a huge loss! Andrew Brietbart dies at age 43. Andrew you will be missed by millions of Americans who love this country. May God bless your wife and children.

Wenzek also reportedly had difficulty maintaining employment as a result of his sex offender status, which was a source of frustration for him.

After his release Thursday, Wenzek posted messages on a friends Facebook page. I see I made the news, he wrote. Too bad they didnt show the whole video. They only showed where Im trying to get away for fear from my life. And it was not an immigrant march they had signs SEIU.

If the protesters were in any way a source of fear for Wenzek, the same could not be said for cops on the scene. After angry marchers were cleared away after his car finally stopped, video shows Wenzek being gently led away from his car by police. Based on that video footage, Wenzel was not handcuffed for at least the first 51 seconds after emerging from his car. During that time, he was not even physically touched by the police with the exception of a few reassuring taps on the shoulder.

By contrast, one angry protester who jumped on Wenzeks car immediately after the incident was viciously thrown to the ground by officers.

The protest event itself was only meant to serve as the usual scripted fare served up by the trade unions. Permits had been obtained from the city of Brea for the march and a news conference had taken place in downtown Los Angeles earlier that morning.

A delivery was then attempted to Congressman Royces office containing personal appeals by union members to keep the Temporary Protected Status for immigrants (TPS) program intact. Royce himself was traveling and the expected refusal of these letters became the pretext for the pre-planned march outside.

The protesters, associated with the Unite Here, SEIU and several other trade unions, were gathered outside of Royces office to support the preservation of the TPS program. TPS, enacted in 1990, applies to immigrants from certain countries in which deportation would imperil the immigrants safety. The list of such countries is determined by the Department of Homeland Security.

The protest was made in advance of looming deadlines for the Trump administration to recertify TPS status for several Central American Countries. These include Honduras and Nicaragua on November 5, Haiti by November 23 and El Salvador by January 8. The DHS recently terminated TPS for Sudan, prompting worries that a similar fate is in store for other TPS countries.

More than 300,000 foreign nationals covered by the TPS program currently live in the United States with the largest number195,000from El Salvador.

The TPS deadline arrives on the heels of the Trump administrations repeal of the DACA program along with a massive crackdown on immigration generally. The DACA program, enacted by the Obama administration as a cover for its mass deportation of more than 3 million immigrants, provides a temporary reprieve from deportation for children of undocumented workers.

Under the terms of the DACA repeal, no new applications will be processed by the Department of Immigration while DACA status itself will be repealed on March 8, 2018, with the exception of some recipients who applied for a temporary extension by October 5.

ICE raids are also expected to escalate in advance of the March termination date. ICE acting director Thomas Homan announced earlier this month that agents will launch a series of raids in the state of California, which had previously declared itself a sanctuary state, meaning that local police would not request immigration status of suspects during routine operations.

California has the largest population of immigrants of any state in the country. According to the American Immigration Council, as of 2015 one in four residents is an immigrant, while one in four is a native-born US citizen with at least one immigrant parent. This means that half of the states population is either an immigrant or a child of an immigrant. Moreover, 2.4 million were undocumented while 4.7 million state residents lived with at least one undocumented family member.

According to figures compiled by the Migration Policy Institute, 20,000 teachers nationwide were DACA-eligible in 2016. The loss of even a tenth of these would have a catastrophic impact on pre-college education nationwide following years of budget cutting and layoffs.

The Democrats, along with their supporters in the trade unions, are in no way opposed to the Trump administrations attack on immigrants. More undocumented immigrants, nearly 3 million, were deported by the Obama administration than any other administration. Moreover, this figure exceeds the total of all deportations carried out in the 20th century.

In September, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer met with Trump to discuss rescinding the DACA repeal. In exchange, the two promised to work with the president to increase immigration enforcement.

After the meeting, Schumer could barely contain his excitement at getting an audience with the billionaire reality television star. He likes us! He likes me, anyway, Schumer enthused. I said, Mr. President, you are much better off if you can sometimes step right and sometimes step left. If you have to step in one direction, youre boxed. He gets that.

Schumer speaks for a section of the ruling elite that worries that the more openly anti-immigrant policy of the Trump administration may encourage and ignite social opposition that the Democrats will no longer be able to contain.

A day after meeting with Trump, Pelosi was shouted down by protesters at a news conference in San Francisco. Expressing solidarity with undocumented workers as a whole, a few score protesters shouted that the congresswoman would not make them bargaining chips in her negotiations with Trump. Others shouted slogans such as, All of us or none of us and Shut down ICE!
National Investigation Agency will now probe the murder of RSS worker in Ludhiana, Punjab.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: A fortnight after the killing of a local leader of Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) in Ludhiana, the case will be officially taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the next 48 hours, highly placed sources told India Today.

"We will be sending a team to Ludhiana shortly to investigate the case," said the source. RSS leader Ravinder Gosain was killed on October 17 in broad day light.

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Though another Hindu right-wing activist, Vipan Sharma, 45, was shot dead in broad daylight in Amritsar, NIA will be focusing on the Ludhiana case.

The NIA team is likely to headed by an IG rank officers with agency sleuths establishing contact with Ludhiana police. The first clues have already come in from CCTV footage.

Senior NIA officers, however, did not rule out the role of Sikh militants with support from extremist groups in west. The officer said, "it appears that there may be a link across the border, But since Sikh groups do not just have Pakistan links, role of extremist group operating from European countries like UK, Germany and even Canada will be examined."

The killing of Gosain has brought into focus the killing of RSS Punjab coordinator and Jalandhar unit president brigadier Jagdish Gagneja who was shot dead in a similar fashion by unknown assailant on bike last year.

The case which is being probed by CBI remains unsolved till date.

The recent Amritsar killing earlier this week has become the fifth such murder of right wing outfit leaders, and the ninth of religious -political leader, in the last two years in Punjab.

Sources hint at a systematic ploy in the state. This is the third such killing since Captain Amarinder Singh took reigns of the state in March this year.

VIDEO | Another RSS worker shot dead, this time in Punjab's Ludhiana city

--- ENDS ---
DELAND, FL (AP) - A Florida man who deputies say shot at imagined intruders is now facing several charges, including false imprisonment.

Volusia County Sheriff's spokesman Andrew Gant says 71-year-old Herbert Tipton fired shots inside his home in DeLand early Sunday.

He wouldn't let his adult daughter leave the house because he thought the intruders were about to hurt them.

The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports his daughter Dawn Champion pleaded with Tipton to stop as she talked to a 911 dispatcher sobbing.

"Please Daddy, no more guns," she said.

He eventually let Champion climb out a window. He was taken into custody a short time later.

Deputies found numerous firearms in the home.

He's also charged with reckless discharge of a firearm and aggravated assault.

An attorney isn't listed on jail records.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Monday, Florida State University's president John Thrasher assembled an advisory panel meeting to discuss the naming of statues on campus.

A 15 member panel convened by Thrasher, met to review the university's policies on naming buildings, statues, and other recognitions. The committee was created in August, after national attention erupted over confederate designations in public areas.

Thrasher hopes the panel will compile feedback from the entire Florida State community. He believes a conversation needs to be held, weighing the opinions of both sides, for the panel to make the right decision.

One group, the FSU Students for a Democratic Society, presented their views supporting the removal of the statue of Francis Eppes.

"A university is a place where ideas come together and we focus on the ability of students and faculty and everybody else here to have a free expression of their ideas. That's what a university ought to be about," said Thrasher. "Those are some of the core values of FSU."

Eppes is considered one of the founders of the university and is controversial as a slave owner and confederate supporter. Last fall, 72% of students voted against the statue's removal.

The panel will continue to gather information and community input, striving to settle on future naming policies that are balanced and sensitive to a multi-ethnic student body.
WARRENTON, GA (CBS46) - A Georgia man is a hero to all fathers after a video of him comforting his infant child while the baby was getting his shots stormed the internet.

The video shows Antwon Lee comforting his young child Debias King Lee as he gets his newborn shots and vaccinations. Lee and the nurse administering the shots do everything they can to make sure the baby gets the shots with minimal discomfort.

Lee and Debias live in Warrenton, Georgia, about 110 miles east of Atlanta.

The video has been viewed over 11 million times and has nearly 170,000 shares, 107,000 interactions as well as thousands of comments.

WATCH the video below

Copyright 2017 WGCL-TV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
LEE CO., GA (WALB) - Lee County's school superintendent said the school board is considering a parent's request for monitors on each school bus.

The parent of a Lee County kindergarten student has met with school board officials about an incident on the school bus involving her child.

The parent has started a social media petition, asking other parents to demand another adult on all school buses to watch students.

But Superintendent Dr. Jason Miller says putting a rider on every school bus is not something the school system is able to do.

"We take these requests for a rider seriously," said Miller. "This is something we are evaluating. We're considering if the circumstances warrant such a measure."

Miller said the school buses are getting larger and carry more students, which he says would also make the job even more difficult for a second adult on each bus.

Copyright 2017 WALB. All rights reserved.

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Copyright 2017 WTXL via Raycom News Network. All rights reserved.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Though Halloween is a time for spooky fun, the holiday can also bring unknown dangers.

For most, Halloween means haunted houses, tons of candy, and of course, trick-or-treating. But for Florida law enforcement, the holiday is all about making sure residents are safe.

A quick search around the Florida State Capitol reveals there are nearly 500 sexual offenders and predators near the area. And that's just within a five mile radius.

While some of the offenders are transients, many of them are permanent residents in the Capitol City. That's why the Florida Department of Corrections is working with local law enforcement agencies throughout the state to monitor the offenders.

FDC says sex offenders under felony supervision in Florida have been warned not to take part in Halloween-related activities involving minors.

During designated "trick-or-treat" hours on Halloween, FDC probation officers will make personal contact with every sex offender under their jurisdiction and conduct surveillance in local communities.

They say they will also conduct surprise visits by probation officers, frequent residence monitoring, and increased surveillance at motels and treatment facilities that sex offenders use.

"Sex offenders have been given explicit instructions and our officers, in collaboration with local law enforcement, are working to make sure offenders remain in compliance so that families are able to enjoy Halloween activities safely," FDC Secretary Julie Jones said.

Sex offenders instructions regarding holiday restrictions include:

Do not give out candy or other treats.

Turn off porch lights, and close blinds.

No outside decorations to attract children.

Do not answer the door to trick-or-treaters.

Do not dress in costumes or masks.

Do not attend Halloween parties where children will be present.

Offenders who fail to obey will be subject to immediate arrest.

Both Florida and Georgia have their own sex offender registry online:

Click here for Florida

Click here for Georgia

You can also search on the National Sex Offender website.

Parents may want to check the list before taking their kids trick-or-treating.
By PTI: Gangtok, Oct 31 (PTI) NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar today called on Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling and assured him support for development of the state.

During the meeting with Chamling, Kumar praised the Himalayan state for the developments achieved by it, an official release said.

He also gave assurance to him that the NITI Aayog would support the state government for development of the state.

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The state government sought funds for a multi-speciality hospital at Sichey and upgradation of roads in the district.

The state government officials also stressed on revenue generating sectors such as hydro-power, organic farming and tourism, the release said. PTI KDK NN

--- ENDS ---
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The costumes are bought and the candy is ready, but there's one more Halloween step you might be forgetting: checking the sex offender registry.

Robert Moon helps manage the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's sex offender registry. The registry compiles data from state entities and local sheriff's offices. The registry's online website shows who's on the list, where they live and what they're charged with.

"Everybody on the website has committed a felony or they've committed a crime in another jurisdiction that would equate to a felony here in Florida," said Moon.

The website shows sex offenders, predators and if multiple offenders live at one location.

"A predator has been convicted, often it's been of multiple crimes or a capital felony or life conviction of certain offenses to qualify to be a predator," said Moon.

The registry is easy to find, but how many people actually check it? We spoke with dozens of parents in different Tallahassee neighborhoods and nearly everyone said they had no idea a sex offender was living nearby. Parents say one way they try to keep their kids safe is by going along when they trick-or-treat.

"It's always helpful to know who's around you and where you're taking your kids, especially when you're letting them go up to houses and ring doorbells," said Moon. "Our site is one way that parents can get some information to have an idea of who's in the neighborhood."

FDLE officials are now working on creating a smartphone app for the registry. They hope to release it within the next year.

You can search Florida's online registry here, Georgia's online registry here, or any state's online registry here.
VALDOSTA, Ga. (WTXL) - In Valdosta, cameras are helping solve homicide cases.

Police Chief Brian Childress says the cameras play a vital role in sharing information when the community can't.

Childress can recall up to five homicides that have been solved with the help of street cameras since they were installed.

The most recent case was last week when a man was shot and killed in the Ora Lee West Housing Authority complex. With no witnesses providing any details, Childress says investigators turned to the street cameras.

He says that these cameras are like puzzle pieces. Without them, police would face a major road block in solving cases.

Childress says law enforcement cannot solve every case with cameras alone. He says that VPD relies on community members and forensic evidence to help stop and solve crimes.

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.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - The mayor and the police chief of one Florida city plans to trick-or-treat in a neighborhood terrorized by a real-life horror.

Three people have been shot to death in October within a 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) radius in a normally quiet neighborhood in Tampa.

On Monday, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and Interim Police Chief Brian Dugan announced they will greet residents, hand out candy at Giddens Park, and join the kids for Halloween trick or treating in the Southeast Seminole Heights neighborhood on Tuesday night.

The three victims, who were killed between Oct. 9-19, didnt know each other. All three rode the bus and were alone when they were shot on the street. None were robbed.

Police are sifting through tips after a second surveillance video was released.

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) - The Tallahassee International Airport (TLH) and American Airlines announced that a new daily flight between TLH and the nation's capitol, will begin next year.

TLH officials say American Airlines will fly its 76-seat CRJ-900 aircraft to and from Washington, D.C. once a day starting February 15, 2018.

The inaugural flight from Ronald Reagan Washington Airport (DCA) will arrive to TLH at 9:57 p.m. The first departing flight from TLH is scheduled for 7:10 a.m. on February 16, 2018.

This new air service is a tremendous step forward for our airport and the regional customers we support around North Florida. The ability to move seamlessly between Floridas capital and the nations capital is extremely advantageous for our community, as we work to create new and dynamic economic opportunities to Tallahassee, Mayor Andrew Gillum said.

Commissioner Scott Maddox says Tallahassee residents and visitors want to fly directly to New York City, Ft. Lauderdale, and Washington D.C. more than any other destinations.

With the recent addition of American flying direct to D.C. and Silver Airline to Ft. Lauderdale, the missing pieces are falling into place.

"If you have to do business going from the state capital to the nations capital, you don't have that option today," said Maddox. "With this new flight, you'll be able to fly to Washington D.C., do your business and come back that night and sleep with your family here in Tallahassee."

For more information about American Airlines or to make reservations, including the new service to Washington, D.C., please visit aa.com or call 800-433-7300.
By PTI: number on speed dial: Omar (Eds:Combining related reports)

Chandigarh/Srinagar, Oct 31 (PTI) Opposition parties today condemned as "deplorable and atrocious" the Centre?s decision to rope in the Army to rebuild foot overbridges at three railway stations in Mumbai including one which witnessed a deadly stampede last month.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said it seems like the Army is the "1st number on the speed dial" while Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, a former army captain, said the Centres decision was "unprecedented and deplorable."

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But Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said a call was taken to lend cooperation seeing the urgency of the matter as the Army has its role at the borders, noting the Elphinstone station tragedy was "so big" and that this is probably the first time the government has asked the Army to come in to build what could otherwise be called a civil work.

The criticism of the Centre came hours after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the Army will help build a new foot overbridge at the Elphinstone Road station in Mumbai by January 31, as Sitharaman and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal visited the station. Twenty-three people were killed in a stampede on the crowded foot overbridge (FOB) at the Elphinstone Road station last month. Fadnavis, who accompanied Sitharaman and Goyal, said the Army will also help in building foot overbridges at two other stations. Senior Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam took a a potshot at the BJP-Sena government in Maharashtra, saying, "Hope Army will not be called to fill potholes."

Capt. Amarinder Singh said the Centres move was "an admission of the failure" of the government and the Indian Railways.

Singh, who has served the Army as a Captain before joining politics, said the Armys job is to train for war and protect the country?s borders, not to build bridges and clean the roads.

Singh termed the move as "atrocious", and said the central and state governments should put their own resources at the disposal of the Railways if the situation was so urgent and serious. "It is an unprecedented decision to rope in the Indian Army for rebuilding the Elphinstone bridge and it is deplorable and admission of failure of the government and Indian Railways."

"Whatever the urgency of the situation, it does not merit such a decision, which would have adverse long-term implications as it could encourage the civilian authorities to seek Army help for major civilian works every time they find themselves ill-equipped to handle an infrastructural or other challenge," he said in a statement in Chandigarh.

He urged Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to refrain from diverting critical defence resources of the country to civilian works, saying it would set a bad precedent.

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Singh said Sitharaman was making the same mistake that Major General BM Kaul, General Officer Commanding (GoC) of `Red Eagles? 4th Division, had made before the 1962 war with China. "The scandalous misuse, by him, of military manpower to build accommodation cost the Indian Army heavy during the Sino-Indian war," the chief minister said.

These kind of acts led to severe downgradation of the defence services then, Singh said and warned that the Army would end up suffering similar lowering of its status if the defence ministry does not withdraw its decision to use the armed forces for building civilian bridges in Mumbai.

"As it is, the Army is regularly used to help out in emergency situations such as floods and earthquakes, and is even engaged in infrastructural development in sensitive areas, such as the North-East.

"If it is now burdened with the additional task of helping out in other civilian tasks, merely because the civilian authorities are unable to handle it, it would lead to further impacting its resources," Singh said.

"It would also lower the morale of the Army personnel, who join the force with a vision to secure the country?s borders and protect its people from the enemy," he added.

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The defence minister, instead of being a party to this decision and announcing it with such pride, should have categorically rejected any such suggestion in the interest of the armed forces, the chief minister said. "The army was to be a measure of last resort to be called upon in extreme emergency. Now it seems like it s the 1st (first) number on the speed dial," Omar wrote on Twitter. PTI VSD MIJ APM GSN GSN

--- ENDS ---
YAKIMA, Wash. -- An emergency shelter where the residents of a fire-damaged downtown Yakima apartment house have stayed the past week closed Monday.
Courtesy Bob Flores Researchers have been trapping and banding burrowing owls like this one near Othello. They are also common in the Lower Valley.
By PTI: By Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Oct 31 (PTI) A Pakistani accountability court today ordered the countrys financial regulatory agency to freeze the company shares of ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs two sons in the Panama Papers case.

The shares held by Hassan and Hussain will become part of case record and will remain in the courts custody. In case, the court rules against the accused in the corruption references filed against them by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the shares will be auctioned off.

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The court had declared Hassan and Hussain proclaimed offenders earlier this month for repeatedly failing to appear before the court in connection with the cases.

NAB prosecutor Afzal Qureshi has submitted to the court a report detailing assets held by Hassan and Hussain in Pakistan. The bureau has already frozen the assets of the two brothers.

According to the report, the duo holds shares in six companies in Pakistan, as per Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan records.

The court directed SECP to attach shares held by both accused after seizing them. The proceedings concerning assets of Hassan and Hussain were subsequently adjourned until November 14.

While declaring the former premiers sons proclaimed offenders, the accountability court had also issued perpetual warrants for their arrest and separated their trial from other members of the family.

Asked at the time when her brothers, Hassan and Hussain, would appear before the court, their sister and Sharifs daughter Maryam Nawaz had said that they would take their decisions themselves.

"My brothers live abroad... the laws of here [Pakistan] dont apply to them," she had said.

The cases were registered weeks after the Supreme Court disqualified 67-year Sharif as prime minister on July 28 in the Panama Papers scandal.

A five-member bench of the Supreme Court on July 28 had directed NAB to file cases against Nawaz and his children in six weeks in the accountability court and directed the trial court to decide the cases within six months.

The Supreme Court also assigned Justice Ijazul Ahsan a supervisory role to monitor the progress of the accountability court proceedings.

The former premier and his sons have been named in all three NAB cases, while daughter Maryam and her husband retired Captain Muhammad Safdar have been named only in the Avenfield case. PTI SH UZM

--- ENDS ---
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The Pakistan government confirmed their deaths after DNA tests. The male and female Chinese nationals were named as Lee Zing Yang and Meng Li Si.

By Ananth Krishnan: China on Tuesday urged Pakistan to "bring to justice" the killers of two young Chinese nationals who had been abducted in Balochistan in May.

On Monday, the Pakistan government confirmed their deaths after DNA tests had been conducted. The male and female Chinese nationals were named as Lee Zing Yang, 24, and Meng Li Si, 26.China on Tuesday also confirmed their deaths, and said it expressed "deep condolences" to the victims and "sincere sympathies to the relatives of the victims".

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"We hope Pakistan can continue all-out efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said. "China condemns all forms of terrorism and violent attacks on innocent civilians".

Hua said China "attaches high importance to the security and legitimate rights and interests of citizens overseas" and also "urges Chinese citizens overseas to note all the alerts issued and heighten their awareness".

The abduction and killing received prominent attention in China when first reported in June, and brought attention to the issue of safety of Chinese citizens in Pakistan as Beijing goes forward with its $46 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor development plan.

Since then, there has been little information on the case, with some reports saying the two young nationals may have been missionaries working for a South Korean Christian organisation.

Pakistani media reports on Monday said an investigation had informed the Interior Ministry that the two abductees had travelled on business visas issued by the Pakistani Embassy in Beijing. They had gone to Quetta ostensibly for learning Urdu, but to work with an underground church, Pakistani authorities have said.

Also Watch : Trump slams Pakistan for harbouring terrorists, seeks bigger role for India in Afghanistan

--- ENDS ---
A group of retired security personnel, headed by former Shin Bet security service chief Yuval Diskin and former colleagues of fallen pilot Ron Arad, joined the family of Abera Mengistu and other social activists in order to raise awareness of his captivity by Hamas, which has been holding him for more than three years.

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"The case of Abera Mengistu is a humanitarian case, and it is our responsibility to enlist and help in any way possible, which is why we decided to act," says Ronen Merav, Ron Arad's friend from the pilot's course.

"This is a humanitarian case of a helpless person. Abera is not the problem of the Mengistu family but of the entire Israeli society."

Yuval Diskin (Photo: Chen Galili)

Thousands of people undertake various measures throughout the country to secure Mengistu's release. Some 500 of them will run Tuesday night in Tel Aviv with shirts bearing his name.

In the coming weeks, representatives of the Mengistu family and prominent activists will leave for the United Nations and talk with US officials.

Abera Mengistu

Abera Mengistu, 28, from Ashkelon, crossed the border into the Gaza Strip on September 7, 2014.

He is being held captive by Hamas, according to Palestinian sources, but Hamas had refused to provide any information about him.

At a rally held for him last month, family members claimed that government officials had not contacted them about their son for a year and a half.
WASHINGTON - US attorneys on Monday fought a civil rights group's quest to get a lawyer for a US citizen picked up on the Syrian battlefield for allegedly fighting with Islamic State militants.

The unidentified American, who has not been charged, surrendered to US-backed fighters around September 12. He is detained as an unlawful enemy combatant in Iraq, but has not been given access to a lawyer.

"An American citizen has been locked up for nearly two months and repeatedly asserted his constitutional right to a lawyer. But the Trump administration is doing all within its power to deny him that basic protection," said Jonathan Hafetz, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union in New York.

Earlier this month, the ACLU filed a petition in US District Court in Washington, DC, challenging his detention and seeking to provide him legal counsel.

In its response filed late Monday afternoon, US attorneys argued that the ACLU is asking to represent and provide legal counsel to an individual it does not know, has never met and does not officially represent.
ISTANBUL - President Tayyip Erdogan filed a criminal complaint against a prominent opposition lawmaker, one of Erdogan's lawyers said on Tuesday, after the deputy called the Turkish leader a fascist dictator.

In blistering criticism of Erdogan, the spokesman for the main opposition Republican People's Party Bulent Tezcan attacked what he said was a "fearful atmosphere" in Turkey.

Erdogan's lawyer Huseyin Aydin said on Twitter: "We have filed a legal petition concerning Bulent Tezcan with the Ankara chief prosecutor's office for the crime of insulting the president." Aydin also posted photos of the petition.

Tezcan's comments prompted a swift backlash from Erdogan's office and lawmakers from his ruling AK Party, with Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin saying his "hate speech is an example of disgrace for the main opposition".

Insulting the president is a crime punishable by up to four years in prison in Turkey.
Saudi pressure reportedly led to Israel postponing a vote on the Jerusalem expansion bill, according to Saudi newspaper Al-Watan.

The newspaper quoted a senior White House official who said Saudi diplomats demanded in talks with their American counterparts to stop the advancement of legislation seeking to connect a number of settlements in the West Bank to Jerusalem.

The White House official noted the Saudi objections were in line with those of Washington, which pressured Israel to halt the legislative process.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh spoke on the phone to Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Shalah on Monday after the IDF blew up a border-crossing tunnel on the Gaza border.

Haniyeh expressed Hamas's solidarity with Islamic Jihad, telling Shalah the fatalities on both sides stressed the unity of the way of the two factions.
A bill being pushed by the Likud Party seeking to shield a sitting prime minister from police investigation cannot be passed as a regular law, only as a Basic Law, according to an opinion by Knesset legal advisor Eyal Yinon obtained by Ynet on Tuesday.

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Coalition Chairman MK David Bitan (Likud) announced Sunday that he intends to promote the bill as a regular law after coalition partners Kulanu and Bayit Yehudi raised objections to the legislation , also known as the "French Bill."

Bayit Yehudi and Kulanu cited coalition agreements, which stipulate any new Basic Lawsor amendments to existing onesmust have the support of all members of the coalition. If the bill is promoted as a regular piece of legislation, however, coalition agreements would obligate the two parties to throw their weight behind it.





Knesset's legal advisor Eyal Yinon (Photo: Ido Erez)

MK Yoel Hasson (Zionist Union) has asked Knesset legal advisor Eyal Yinon to examine the legal ramifications of such a move.

In his response to Hasson, Yinon noted that "Since 1995, the basic premise in Israeli constitutional law has been that there is a hierarchy that grants the Basic Laws a higher status than that accorded to 'ordinary' laws. Accordingly, the amendment of a Basic Law should be made within the confines of a Basic law."

Yinon cited the existing Basic Law: The Government, which states that "a criminal investigation against the prime minister cannot be launched without the approval of the attorney general."

The prime minister can therefore be investigated for any offense, with the sole condition being the authorization of the attorney general.

Consequently, any legislation that seeks to impose additional restrictions on the investigation of the prime minister constitutes a change of the existing constitutional arrangement. Therefore, according to Yinon, it would require an amendment of the Basic Law.

Coalition Chairman MK David Bitan (Photo: Amit Shabi)

Yinon was also asked to provide his legal opinion on another bill proposal to impose a term limit on Israeli prime ministers, raised in an effort to convince the coalition, and particularly Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, to support the French Bill.

Yinon cited Basic Law: The Government, which stipulates that "When the need arises to establish a new government, the president of the state will task one member of Knesset to establish the government."

Because the Basic Law does not set any limitations on the president's choice, setting any restrictions to that end would also require an amendment to the Basic Law to avoid contradiction between the Basic Law and regular laws.

"In this Knesset, we've seen countless ploys and attempted ploys by the coalition and Coalition Chairman Bitan, and I therefore believe we should take preventive steps to stop any constitutional ploys in advance," MK Hasson said.

"The Knesset's legal advisor's opinion is clear, and if the government wishes to pass such extreme changes, the only way is by changing the Basic Law. There are no shortcuts," he continued.

"This is the coalition parties' opportunity to stop the Likud members' bill proposals, as they are focused solely on saving Netanyahu instead of dealing with the problems that are troubling the citizens of Israel."
The controlled explosion of an offensive tunnel infiltrating Israel from the southern Gaza Strip indicates that the tunnel-detection systems developed by the defense establishment have now reached a certain level of maturity.

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Senior defense establishment officials are still of the strong opinion that these technologies have yet to reach full maturity and are not one-hundred percent reliable and efficient yet, but we are definitely seeing resultsand more than once.

Tunnel explosion site (Photo: Barel Efraim)

The IDF had been keeping track of the tunnel that was exploded Monday for a long time, but had not taken any measures to destroy it before finding a suitable operational time. This points to a considerable growth in the IDFs self-confidence in its war on the Gazan offensive tunnels, and in the underground arena in general.

The tunnel destruction method indicates that the IDF possesses diverse abilities to accurately locate the tunnels route and destroy them in a controlled manner, using different means. These abilities are important because they didnt exist during Operation Protective Edge, which was one of the primary reasons the operation lasted more than 50 days. The slow progress in demolishing the tunnels prevented the IDF from leaving the Gaza Strip earlier.

IDF forces in the explosion area. Gaining confidence (Photo: Barel Ephraim)

Its more than likely that the timing of the tunnel explosion wasnt random and wasnt just the result of operational considerations. Theres hardly any doubt that Israel chose to bomb the tunnel at this time because the political conditions in Gaza reduces the chance that Hamas or the Islamic Jihad will respond by firing rockets into Israel.

Iron Dome batteries were placed in the Gaza vicinity area just in case, but the assumption among defense establishment officials is that Hamas isnt interested in a military escalation at the moment, as it seeks to improve its relations with Egypt and score points with Palestinian public opinion during the reconciliation process. Furthermore, the strips distressed residents wont accept another round of fighting at this time.

Palestinian rescue forces evacuate terrorists injured in tunnel explosion

For these reasons, Israel likely considered itself free to carry out the controlled explosion. There was no need for international legitimization, as the tunnel had already infiltrated Israeli territory and blatantly violated the ceasefire agreements and, most importantly, Israeli sovereignty.

The tunnel explosion was also aimed at conveying the following message to Hamas: Stop with these tunnels. We see you, and well soon see you even better while you dig. So why waste money and put lives at risk?

This message is directed at Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, and at the head of Hamas military wing, Mohammed Deif, in a bid to make them recalculate their route above and below the ground.
According to intelligence inputs, Pakistan army has joined hands with Jaish terrorists and are trying to infiltrate into Indian areas.

By Manjeet Negi: Intelligence agencies have issued a warning against the Pakistan Army Special Forces joining hands with Jaish-e-Mohammed to launch attacks in Indian bases from their side of the Line of Control.

The Pakistan Army Special Services Group Commandos are deployed on multiple locations along the LoC with Jaish terrorists trying to launch Border Action Team against the Indian Army.

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The army has also received inputs that Pakistan is also planning to launch simultaneous suicide attacks on the Indian Army units in Pantha Chowk and other important areas.

The move has come at a time when Pakistan's terrorist network has suffered immensely due to relentless action by the army in the last one year.

According to intelligence report, Pakistan army SSG jawans wearing civil dress are moving near border areas and also doing a recce. By giving input to the terrorist they are trying to infiltrate the areas. The Indian army has planned action to counter infiltration in 10 location.

The 10 locations are:

Dudhnial

Athmuqam

Kharameru

Mandakuli

Chhitrian

Chakothi

Hathlanga

Nikial

Jandrut

Intelligence reports also suggest that Pakistan army is now banking on Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists rather than LeT terrorists.

According to the report, illegal movement has been recorded in the above mentioned areas.

6 JeM terrorist were spotted in two groups in Athmuqam area, which is opposite Keran sector on the Indian side.

Two groups of JeM terrorist were spotted trying to infiltrate Kharameru and Mandakuli area just opposite Naugam.

Two groups of terrorist each of 3-4 men, with support of Pakistan Army and BAT have been trying to infiltrate Chhitrian and Chakothi area which is opposite Uri.

According to specific inputs from security forces special wing, BAT and Fidayeen of JeM were seen trying to infiltrate and target post in Chakothi area due to proximity with Indian post.

JeM and SSG personnel were also seen doing a recce near 3 Indian posts.

The security forces are worried about installation and setting up of base in Pantha Chowk and Khanbal area where terrorists can easily attack.

--- ENDS ---
The US decision to tell Israel to refrain from pushing ahead with the Jerusalem expansion bill was reportedly the result of Saudi pressure, according to Saudi newspaper Al-Watan.

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The newspaper quoted a senior White House official who said Saudi diplomats demanded in talks with their American counterparts that breaks be slammed on the advancement of legislation seeking to connect a number of settlements in the West Bank to Jerusalem.

The White House official noted the Saudi objections were in line with those of Washington, which subsequently pressured Israel to halt the legislative process.

PM Netanyahu (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

The US official also reportedly added that President Trumps son-in-law and special Middle East Advisor Jared Kushner met, together with Deputy national security Dina Powell and special envoy to the Middle East Jason Greenblatt, with senior Saudi officials to discuss the renewal of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

The American official also added that the Trump administration is opposed to the bill which would impose a de facto annexation over five municipalities in the West Bank and incorporate them into Jerusalem.

Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud (Photo: Reuters)

According to the official, Washington has the ability to stifle any move it believes could sabotage the renewal of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

The report in the pro-government newspaper appeared several days after the Saudi Foreign Ministry categorically denied rumors that the Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud had visited Israel in September.

The media report further emphasized Saudi efforts being undertaken for peace talks.

Ma'ale Adumim (Photo: EPA)

Efforts for the renewal of peace negotiations, demands from Washington to exert pressure on Israel, putting an emphasis on the legitimacy of the Palestinian state, is a continued commitment of the Arab peace initiative, the report stated.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a decision to delay the bill after Washington apparently said that it would be tantamount to annexation.

"The Americans turned to us and inquired what the bill was about. As we have been coordinating with them until now, it is worth it (to continue) talking and coordinating with them. We are working to promote and develop the settlement enterprise," sources quoted Netanyahu as saying at a government meeting Sunday.

Jared Kushner with Netanyahu (Photo: Amos Ben Gershom)

Also earlier in the week, Washington issued a statement making its position clear on the bill.

"The US is discouraging actions that it believes will unduly distract the principals from focusing on the advancement of peace negotiations. The Jerusalem expansion bill was considered by the administration to be one of those actions," the senior American official said.
Cabinet member and Education Minister Naftali Bennett expressed disapproval over a statement made by the IDF following the deaths of 7 terrorists in the detonation of the terror tunnel on Mondaywhich denied any intention to kill senior militants in the operationsuggesting it was made as an apology for the incident.

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"We must not apologize for the successful elimination of terrorists. These were terrorists who were digging a tunnel into Israel that was intended to kill Israeli women and children," tweeted the Bayit Yehudi leader.

"We have no intention of escalating matters," Bennett added, echoing the words of IDF Spokesperson, Brigadier General Ronen Manelis. "As a member of the cabinet, who since Operation Protective Edge has been leading the struggle to thwart the tunnel threat, I give my full backing to the operation.

"The IDF's goal is to defeat the enemy, and this is how we should continue."

Naftali Bennett (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Bennett's comment came on the heels of a statement by Manelis, who claimed that the tunnel blast "was not a targeted assassination and there was no intention at any stage to carry out an operation that could have been perceived as a direct attack against any senior militant. The goal was to destroy the tunnel on our side of the territory."

Seven people were killedamong them senior commanders of terror groupsand 11 wounded in an IDF explosion of a recently discovered tunnel located near the border fence which had penetrated into Israeli territory.

Preliminary evaluations, both in Israel and Gaza, deduced that the tunnels were dug by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) militantsthe second largest terror movement in the strip after the ruling government of Hamas.

Two of the people killed in the explosion belonged to the military arm of the pro-Iranian PIJ, while a third was a Hamas field commander affiliated with the terror groups elite Nukhba commando unit.

Three of the militants killed in the blast

According to a senior military source, a rescue force entered the tunnel to extricate people trapped inside after being wounded in the blast and was hit by a secondary blast likely caused by the igniting of explosive materials inside.

The IDF Spokesperson said that most of the dead in the incident were from the rescue force, killed do to "side effects that occur in such situations in a tunnel, such as falling debris, smoke and dust."

As for the possibility that members of the rescue force were killed by some other means, such as a secondary blast, Manelis clarified that it is possible that they died as a result of something placed inside the tunnel, but stressed that the IDF "did not pump anything into the tunnel and used legal and ordinary means to detonate it."
Teenagers from all over the world will come together next year to engage in multicultural and interreligious dialogue as part of a joint initiative of the international education organization World Ort and the Vatican.

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The conference, which will be held in October 2018 in Buenos Aires, will allow 500 young people from all over the world, with different religions and socioeconomic backgrounds, to participate in an open, meaningful and multicultural dialogue with the overall aim of learning to respect the other.

Earlier this month, a historic agreement was signed at the Vatican in Rome between World Ort and the Pontifical International Law Foundation, Scholas Occurrentes, with Pope Francis in attendance.

Pope Francis, center, with Dario Werthein, Chairman of the Board of World Ort, left. (Photo: Bernardo San Torcuato)

"World Ort and Scholas share a common goal that is to make the world a better place through education," said Dario Werthein, Chairman of the Board of World Ort. "This collaboration will allow us to reach more places and for each and every one of the children to develop their potential, no matter where they come from."

"We see in this cooperation an important tool to promote tolerance worldwide," said World Ort CEO Avi Ganon.
Iraq's central government has taken over control of the main land crossing into Turkey from the autonomous Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Tuesday.

Yildirim also said that Turkey had agreed to open another border gate with Iraq, as part of a route that would lead to the city of Tal Afar, some 40 kilometres west of Mosul and home to a predominantly ethnic Turkmen population.

"Habur border gate has been handed over to the central government as of this morning," Yildirim told members of his ruling AK Party in parliament. "The current route, heading down to Kirkuk will continue. We will start to put into action another border gate through Tal Afar in the short term, in agreement with the Iraqi government."
The United Nations has appointed a Norwegian national as an interim resident coordinator in Myanmar and resident representative for the UN Development Program in the country.

The UN said in a statement Tuesday that Knut Ostby, who has served as a UN resident coordinator for more than 11 years, replaces Renata Lok-Dessallien in his new role.

The announcement comes after more than 600,000 minority Rohingya Muslims have been driven out from Myanmar since late August amid a brutal crackdown by military security forces in northern Rakhine state.

Lok-Dessalien has been criticized both by the UN and other international organizations for allegedly not effectively handling the human rights concerns in Rakhine.
After more than a decade of attempts to find innovative ways of neutralizing the threat of terror tunnels dug by Hamas and other terror groups from Gaza into Israeli territory, after a series of clandestine experiments, all at the cost of billions of shekels, Israel may have finally found a solution that will enable its southern residents to sleep better at night.

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The tunnel dug by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) that on Monday was exploded by the IDF had no exit point in Israel, even though it penetrated the border into its territory.

Just one kilometer of digging is all it took for the militants to infiltrate tens of meters into Israeli territory near the border over the last few months, hoping they would not be detected.

IDF force near the Gaza border, Monday (Photo: AP)

Palestinian tunnel workers using giant jackhammers, masses of cement and dozens of trucks operated near the border fence with Gaza, near the South Gaza city of Khan Yuniswhere the Gaza obstacle project has yet to reach, as parts of the underground anti-tunnel smart barrier have been built mainly in more threatened areas in the northern Gaza Strip.

IDF engineering forces worked from time to time in direct line of the tunnel diggers who were killed Monday, but on a small scale and at a much lower frequency and narrower breadth than them. It is doubtful that those terrorists who were digging could ever have known their fate.

The IDF installed new technology on the Gaza border, which recently alerted the forces in the sector that a tunnel is being dug undergroundand crossed the border into Israel.

IDF force near the Gaza border, Monday (Photo: AFP)

The technology, which was developed by an Israeli company and is similar to the one used for the aforementioned underground anti-tunnel obstacle, relies on extremely sensitive sensors, but still manages to overcome one of the main weak points of its predecessorsthe reliability of the data interpreted from its sensors.

Since the border area is full of heavy vehicles moving daily in the area, from armored personnel carriers and IDF tanks to farmers' combine tractors, suspicious signals were picked up over the years by sensors deployed in the area, but ultimately proved to be falsecaused by the movement of vehicles on the ground.

This has often led to security forces searching for tunnels in vain. This time, it seems, the new system has proven effective.

In tandem with the new technology, the IDF has been working on the new underground obstacle, which costs NIS 4 billion, and does almost of the work to neutralize tunnels.

First, it physically blocks tunnels using a thick concrete wall that penetrates deep below ground while identifying when they are being dug with sensitive detectors. After identifying the tunnels weak points and cavities it automatically destroys the enemy tunnel by pumping them with liquid cement.

The system is also capable of overcoming another problem that raised concern in the IDF: Hamas digging lower than the wall itself.

The wall is expected to be complete within the next two years. In the meantime, the IDF will continue to locate the tunnels and destroy them by employing the same method as they did on Monday. Nevertheless, officials are more than cognizant of the fact that even when the wall is declared operational, it will not be able to fully alleviate pressure on the army. It will never be able to act as a full substitute for the soldier and human intelligence. Like any obstacle, it will have its weak points which will render it surmountable.

The field in which experiments are conducted throughout the country continue to be used constantly as soldiers and innovators work to come up with creative solutions in their bid to perfect the countrys defense against terror tunnels.

Despite the technological breakthroughs, the vast majority of tunnels that led to the deaths of soldiers and the kidnapping of Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin were inside Gaza itself.

Thus IDF soldiers are still training for the strong possibility that they will have to deal with tunnels without prior warnings.

There is no soldier who doesnt learn about the tunnels in training but the greatest and most important challenge is first of all to identify the opening of the tunnels, said one battalion commander in an interview with Ynet.

To that end, we train our forces to understand that there may not necessarily be an intelligence warning about tunnels.
The IDF demolition of an offensive border-crossing tunnel in Gaza "has removed a threat on the citizens of Israel," IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot said Tuesday.

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"This operation joins the many operationsboth covert and overtthat IDF forces are carrying out and will continue to carry out against any threat, at any time, and in any situation," Eisenkot continued. "This is an impressive operational achievement by the Southern Commandworthy of praisein response to the violation of Israeli sovereignty."

IDF Chief Eisenkot with GOC Southern Command Zamir

Eisenkot held a situation assessment at the Gaza Division on Tuesday with GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Maj. Gen Yoav Mordechai, Gaza Division commander Brig. Gen. Yehuda Fuchs and other senior commanders.

"The IDF remains ready for any scenario. We closely monitor the terror elements in the Gaza Strip," Eisenkot said. "Any retaliation or violation of Israeli sovereignty will be met decisively and with determination, as we've done in the past 24 hours."

Meanwhile, the head of the Arabic Department at the IDF Spokesman's Unit, Maj. Avichai Adraee sent a similar message in Arabic to Hamas and to Gaza residents on Twitter: "We're closely monitoring terror elements in Gaza. We will aggressively respond to any violation of our sovereignty. Do not allow Iran and Islamic Jihad hurt your interests."
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman rebuked Education Minister Naftali Bennett Tuesday over the latter hinted that an IDF statement which denied any intention to kill senior militants in Monday's tunnel detonation was made as an apology for the incident.

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"A briefing by the IDF Spokesperson should not be used as a pretext for a blatant attack on the IDF and its commanders," the Yisrael Beytenu chairman said about Bennett's comment, adding that "statements of this sort are a grave blow to the security of Israel and the entire IDF."

Bennett's comment came on the heels of a statement by IDF Spokesperson, Brigadier General Ronen Manelis, who claimed that the tunnel's detonation "was not a targeted assassination and there was no intention at any stage to carry out an operation that could have been perceived as a direct attack against any senior militant," and that its goal was "to destroy the tunnel on our side of the territory."

Avigdor Lieberman (L) and Naftali Bennett (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky, Yair Sagi)

The Bayit Yehudi chairman then took to social media, tweeting; "we must not apologize for the successful elimination of terrorists. These were terrorists who were digging a tunnel into Israel that was intended to kill Israeli women and children."

The tension between the two cabinet ministers is nothing new.

The two exchanged blows on a range of issuesincluding Bennett's plan for annexing parts of the West Bank, Bennett's criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's alleged support of the two-state solution, Lieberman's threat to close the pre-military academy in Eli over Rabbi Yigal Levinstein's disparaging remarks about women in the IDF and more.

Smoke billowing from the detonated tunnel (Photo: Barel Efraim)

Seven people were killed among them senior commanders of terror groupsand 11 wounded in an IDF explosion of a recently discovered tunnel located near the border fence which had penetrated into Israeli territory.

Preliminary evaluations, both in Israel and Gaza, deduced that the tunnels were dug by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) militantsthe second largest terror movement in the strip after the ruling government of Hamas.

Two of the people killed in the explosion belonged to the military arm of the pro-Iranian PIJ, while a third was a Hamas field commander affiliated with the terror groups elite Nukhba commando unit.

According to a senior military source, a rescue force entered the tunnel to extricate people trapped inside after being wounded in the blast and was hit by a secondary blast likely caused by the igniting of explosive materials inside.

The IDF Spokesperson said that most of the dead in the incident were from the rescue force, killed do to "side effects that occur in such situations in a tunnel, such as falling debris, smoke and dust."

As for the possibility that members of the rescue force were killed by some other means, such as a secondary blast, Manelis clarified that it is possible that they died as a result of something placed inside the tunnel, but stressed that the IDF "did not pump anything into the tunnel and used legal and ordinary means to detonate it."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended a ceremony Tuesday to pay homage to Australian and New Zealand soldiers for their role in liberating the city of Beer Sheva from Turkey a century ago, where he also used his speech to deliver a stern warning against Israel's enemies not to test the will of the State of Israel or the army of Israel.

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Speaking at the ceremony attended by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his wife and New Zealand Governor General Patsy Reddy and her husband, Netanyahu linked the themes of battle from World War I to celebrate agreements recently signed by Israel and Australia.

Netanyahu speaking at the ceremony (: Department of Veterans Affairs)

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When the Light Horse were charging here, their commanders were worried about the absence of water. Today we do not worry about that. A few months ago, we signed an agreement on water between Australia and Israel. It can apply to New Zealand. We can make water. We can change the world, Netanyahu said.

What we established here with the rise of Israel, the rise of technology, the rise of ingenuity, is that we can cooperate to better the lives of our peoples and of all people everywhere. That too we should remember at the Battle of Beer Sheba, he continued.





(Photo: Tomer Appelbaum)

(Photo: Tomer Appelbaum)

(Photo: Tomer Appelbaum)

Lauding the natural kinship between between our peoples, the Israeli premier went on to praise the ANZAC soldiers went on to capture Jerusalem, Tiberias, Megiddo, then continued northward.

We saw here in Beer Sheba 800 cavalry go against 4,000 embedded Turks with machine guns, with bunkers. The few won against the many.

Turning to Israels battle against terror movements, Netanyahu stated that while peace was the overarching policy, Israel would not hesitate to deploy force when necessary.

(Photo: Roee Idan)

"We set out a simple policy: We seek peace with all our neighbors, but we will not tolerate any attacks on our sovereignty, on our people, on our land, whether from the air, from the sea, from the ground or below the ground, he said in reference to Israels controlled explosion Monday of a terror tunnel that had crossed from Gaza into Israeli territory.

(Photo: Roee Idan)

We attack those who seek to attack us. And those who contemplate that, I strongly advise you: Do not test the will of the State of Israel or the army of Israel."

Concluding his remarks, Netanyahu highlighted the values that he said united Israel, New Zealand and Australia.

(Photo: Roee Idan)

As then, today we stand on the same side of history, on the right side of history. We stand for progress; we stand for peace; we stand for democracy. We stand against tyranny and terror. Israel salutes the sacrifice of these brave soldiers. We will never forget them. We will forever honor and treasure their memory."
Senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) member Khaled al-Batsh alluded that Monday's exploded tunnel on the Gaza border was intended for the kidnapping of Israeli civilians to be exchanged for imprisoned Hamas operatives.

"We will continue our battle out of determination," al-Batsh said. "The tunnel of freedom that was attacked last night by the enemy was meant for the release of our prisoners. The movement will have another tunnel for the release of the prisoners.

"The enemy was told that we would not allow it to reshuffle the cards or impose a new equation regarding the rules of conflict. We have the rightblood for blood; we will not give up our right to resist."
By PTI: By Gurdip Singh

Singapore, Oct 31 (PTI) Britains Prince Charles and his wife Camilla today kicked off in Singapore their 11-day Asia tour which will also take the royal couple to Malaysia and India.

Singapores first female president Halimah Yacob welcomed 68-year-old Prince Charles and the 70-year-old Duchess of Cornwall at Istana, the Presidential Palace. The prince received a ceremonial welcome at the Istana grounds and also inspected a guard of honour.

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The royal couple met local athletes participating in the Queens Baton Relay, which is travelling around the world ahead of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

At the Istana, they sat down for talks with Singapores Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife Ho Ching.

The Istana visit was followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the Cenotaph, which honours soldiers who died during the World War I and World War II.

At the war memorial in Esplanade Park, the couple also interacted with war veterans and students. The couple will be honoured with a state banquet this evening.

The four-day visit is Prince Charles second and Camillas first trip to Singapore.

It is part of their 11-day Asia trip with visits to Malaysia and finally to India. Their visit is being linked to building momentum for the Commonwealth summit to be hosted by the UK in April 2018.

The royal couple will arrive in India on November 8 for a two-day visit to be dominated by UK-India Year of Culture celebrations.

The visit, being undertaken by the heir to the British throne on behalf of the UK government, will include a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) had said.

The visit marks the first major UK royal visit to India since Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton undertook a tour of the country in April last year on the request of the British government.

According to media reports, Myanmar was considered for the trip but was excluded from the itinerary.

While officials have refused to elaborate on the reasons for the royals skipping Myanmar, it is widely believed that a spate of violence and allegations of ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims by Myanmar authorities led to the cancellation.

The displacement of over 500,000 minority Muslim Rohingyas amid violence in Myanmars Rakhine state has become a major humanitarian crisis, with Myanmar de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi facing heavy international criticism.

Charles and Camilla had met Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi at their official London residence, Clarence House, in May for talks.

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The meeting took place before violence erupted in the country, which has led to the displacement of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to neighbouring Bangladesh.

The UK government has repeatedly called on Suu Kyi to take a firm stand against the violence. PTI GS MRJ MRJ

--- ENDS ---
Senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) member Khaled al-Batsh alluded that the terrorist tunnel the IDF detonated on Monday on the Gaza border was intended for kidnapping Israeli civilians, who would then be exchanged for imprisoned PIJ terrorists.

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"The freedom tunnel that was attacked yesterday by the enemy was meant for the release of our prisoners," al-Batsh disclosed, adding that the PIJ are undeterred, and will have "another tunnel for the release of the prisoners" in the future.





PIJ militants (Photo: AFP)

Al-Batsh asserted that his organization reserves the right to resist, reasoning it using the ancient retaliation principle of "an eye for an eye."

"We will continue our battle out of determination," he said. "We have the rightblood for blood; we will not give up our right to resist."

"The arms of the resistance and the Al-Quds Brigades are long," he added. "Our response to the crime is to continue preparing for the defense of our people and our homeland.

"We will continue this until the release of the prisoners."

Al-Batsh then repeated the words of PIJ spokesperson Daud Shihab, reiterating that they will not allow Israel to "reshuffle the cards or impose a new status quo regarding the rules of engagement whenever they strike our people down.

Finally, echoing Hamas , al-Batsh concluded by stressing that the PIJ will never lay down their arms.

PIJ militants (Photo: AFP)

"Our weapons will remain in our hands; we will not allow anyone to demilitarize us," he concluded.

Seven people were killedamong them senior commanders of terror groupsand 11 wounded in an IDF explosion of a recently discovered tunnel located near the border fence which had penetrated into Israeli territory.

Preliminary evaluations, both in Israel and Gaza, deduced that the tunnels were dug by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) militantsthe second largest terror movement in the strip after the ruling government of Hamas.

Two of the people killed in the explosion belonged to the military arm of the pro-Iranian PIJ, while a third was a Hamas field commander affiliated with the terror groups elite Nukhba commando unit.

According to a senior military source, a rescue force entered the tunnel to extricate people trapped inside after being wounded in the blast and was hit by a secondary blast likely caused by the igniting of explosive materials inside.

The IDF Spokesperson said that most of the dead in the incident were from the rescue force, killed do to "side effects that occur in such situations in a tunnel, such as falling debris, smoke and dust."

One of the militants killed in the explosion carried off to be buried (Photo: AFP)

As for the possibility that members of the rescue force were killed by some other means, such as a secondary blast, Manelis clarified that it is possible that they died as a result of something placed inside the tunnel, but stressed that the IDF "did not pump anything into the tunnel and used legal and ordinary means to detonate it."

Earlier on Tuesday, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman rebuked Education Minister Naftali Bennett after the latter insinuated that the IDF should not apologize for any terrorists killed by its detonating the terrorist tunnel.

Bennett's initial comments came on the heels of a statement by IDF Spokesperson, Brigadier General Ronen Manelis, who claimed that the tunnel's detonation "was not a targeted assassination, there was no intention at any stage to carry out an operation that could have been perceived as a direct attack against any senior militant," and that its goal was "to destroy the tunnel on our side of the territory."

Bennett then took to social media, tweeting; "We must not apologize for the successful elimination of terrorists. These were terrorists who were digging a tunnel into Israel that was intended to kill Israeli women and children."

Lieberman, one of Bennett's most common sparring partners, responded to his criticism by saying, "A briefing by the IDF Spokesperson should not be used as a pretext for a blatant attack on the IDF and its commanders," adding that "statements of this sort are a grave blow to the security of Israel and the entire IDF."
MK Moti Yogev (Bayit Yehudi) visited theSamaria Regionl Council's protest tent erected opposite the Prime Minister's Residence Monday and announced he will refrain from voting with the coalition starting next week and until a solution is found to the issue of funding West Bank bypass roads and other security measures.

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Yogev's announcement came following a similar message from MK Oren Hazan (Likud), who also said he would not be voting with the coalition until an immediate solution is found.

MK Dagan threatened to break with the coalition until budget is allocated to West Bank security measures (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

One day after the start of the protest , Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he will be transferring NIS 800 million for security infrastructures in the West Bank, to be included in the coming budget, but the protest marched on.

The protest's leaders and supporters, however, deem Netanyahu's decision insufficient and demand heand the cabinetbring a budget to a debate and a vote as early as next week. To finance the measures demanded by the protest, the government will need to spend upwards of NIS one billion.

MK Yogev visited the protest tent after 10 ministers have already done so, including five cabinet members, as well as Knesset Speaker Yuli-Yoel Edelstein, deputy ministers and other MKs. A demonstration was held near the Residence Sunday attended by some 2,000 people.

The protest tent this week. Shomron Regional Council head Yossi Dagan is center with Ministers Haim Katz and Eli Cohen to his left (Photo: Shomron Regional Council)

Yogev explained his threat to abstain from voting by saying, "A coalition is not about a unilateral demand by the coalition chairman or anyone else to just vote with them. It's also about meeting the demands we consider critical. The next step is for things to be given real formto be budgeted officially, from planning to implementation.

"Moti chairs the Subcommittee on West Bank Affairs at the Knessets Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee so few people can understand how we feel better, or how much we've been given the runaround, repeatedl and for years, not just on West Bank construction but even on security issues," said head of the Samaria Regional Council Yossi Dagan, who has been leading the protest.

"We were happy to hear sums have been promised every so often, three billion at one time and 800 million on another, but we're waiting on a real solution: a decision accompanied by a budgetary article. Not the same empty promises we've been getting for three years now. And if that doesn't happen, wealong with our Knesset alliesintend to expand and escalate the struggle," Dagan threatened.
Detectives from the police's nationalistic crimes division in the West Bank noted a surge in nationalistic crimes committed in the past few months by boys aged 1416 from the Bat Ayin settlement in Gush Etzion.

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Detectives in the region have been collaborating with the Shin Bet in carrying out intelligence activities in Bat Ayin for a long time, but the uptick was fairly recent.

Bat Ayin youths were indicted for throwing Molotov cocktail at Arab cab (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

One of the young men was charged for his participation in one of the incidents, but his trial has yet to commence. According to the indictment, the boya 16-year-old minorturned to an Arab driver who entered the settlement and asked him a question to ascertain whether he was indeed an Arab. When he realized he was, the boy attacked the driver with pepper spray. Following the attack, the bus company terminated its Bat Ayin service for a week.

The defendant's attorney David Halevi, appointed by the Honenu organization, claimed his client was nowhere near the location of the attack and it was merely a case of mistaken identity.

Bat Ayin youths in court (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

All of the young men arrested over the past few months over involvement in nationalistic attacks were released without limiting conditions.

Despite the recent spate of attacks, the Bat Ayin nationalistic contingent is far from new. The Shin Bet and local police have been keeping close tabs on the settlement for the past six years, but the recent wave of attacks involved a younger generation than those previously picked up by police.

Sources close to the investigation noted this wasn't a case of a true "Jewish Underground" but boys nevertheless engaging in activities "that can easily set the entire region aflame."

A young Bat Ayin man was arrested for attacking Arab bus driver with pepper spray

Despite intelligence operations, the police also tried contact their families as well as the settlement's leaders in order to rein in the young perpetrators, but to no avail. Moreover, the families side with the teenagers, who claim they are been persecuted.

Bay Ayin has been afforded special attention from police and Shin Bet. In 2002, security forces caught three of its residentsmembers of the so-called "Bat Ayin underground"as they were planning to set an explosive device in a Palestinian all-girls' school in east Jerusalem. Two of the group's members were caught immediately and then later indicted and sentenced to jail time, which they served.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates  Iran's supreme leader has restricted the range of ballistic missiles manufactured in the country to 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles), the head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said Tuesday, which limits their reach to only regional Mideast targets.

The comments by Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari to reporters mark the first acknowledgement that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has imposed limits on the country's ballistic missile program.

It also appears to be an effort by Iranian authorities to contrast its program, which they often describe as for defensive purposes, against those of countries like North Korea, which now uses its arsenal to threaten the United States.
The Hezbollah terrorist organization severely denounced the tunnel detonated by the IDF near the Gaza border Monday.

The organization denounced "Criminal Israeli belligerence and considers it a continuation to the Zionists' policy of aggression and strangulation towards the strip and its residents. This new Israeli aggression serves as testimony to the Israeli enemy's barbarous and criminal nature, as they continue harming the Palestinian people while some try and present them as friends of the Arabs."
The IDF's Criminal Investigation Division (CID) started its inquiry into the incident in which soldiers from the Givati Brigade fired at a vehicle driving suspiciously and caused the death of Palestinian Mohammad Moussa near Neve Tzuf (Halamish) in the Binyamin Regional Council. A CID preliminary conclusion stated that Moussa was not trying to carry out a terrorist attack.

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Moussa's sister, Latifa, who was in the vehicle with him when the soldiers opened fire on it and killed him, was wounded and taken to a Ramallah hospital for treatment.

The car was shot at by Givati soldiers after its driver disobeyed orders to stop (Photo: AFP)

The driver's sister, wounded in the shooting, was taken to a Ramallah hospital (Photo: AFP)

Hours after the shooting, the IDF announced that "a preliminary inquest into the event near Nabi Salih village turned up a force stationed at the village's square received a report of a vehicle driving suspiciously and was asked to detain it."

"The force flagged the vehicle down and ordered it to stop. After the driver would not comply, the soldiers retaliated by shooting at it. As a result, the driver was killed and another occupant was wounded. The inquiry is under progress," the IDF's comment concluded.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participated Tuesday in a Tel Be'er Sheva ceremony for New Zealand soldiers killed in the battle to liberate the city from the hands of the Ottoman Turks. The event took place as part of the centennial for the city's liberation by Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) soldiers.

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During the event, a traditional Maori war danceor hakawas performed by soldiers from the New Zealand army. The prime minister was even treated to a Maori nose-rubbing kiss from soldiers, who dressed up according to Maori tribal traditions.

PM Netanyahu and his wife near New Zealand Governor-General Reddy at the ceremony (Photo: Amos Ben Gershom)

The ceremony was also attended by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and New Zealand Governor-General Patsy Reddy.

The traditional Maori ceremony attended by PM Netanyahu and his wife (: ")

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Netanyahu extolled the Anzac effort in the battle for Be'er Sheva during World War I. "In my opinion, this is the first time Maori language was officially spoken at Tel Be'er Sheva. It's beautiful, and certainly memorable. We're here to commemorate an act of heroism, which changed history. The indomitable spirit of New Zealand's soldiers here and the Australian light cavalry brigade turned the tide of history. It didn't take longthe entire thing only lasted several hoursbut it turned the wheel of fate. It necessitated bravery, determination and doggedness, especially since they were facing fierce, determined and powerful opposition. It makes their accomplishment that much greater.

"We stand here in the city of Abraham, where our ancestors stood 4,000 years ago. Now, thanks to that particular day 100 years ago, you can look at the modern city of Be'er Sheva, with its cyber headquarters and bright prospects. We have peace, prosperity and security, all of which were attained thanks to the heroes of that day," the prime minister added.

Netanyahu receives a Maori kiss (Photo: Amos Ben Gershom)

Earlier Tuesday, Netanyahu attended a memorial ceremony at the British cemetery for Australian troops killed during the city's liberation. "My thanks go out to the Anzac troops and the families of the brave Australians who fought here. 4,000 years ago Abraham arrived to Be'er Sheva, the city of 100 wells. 100 years ago, the brave Anzac soldiers liberated Be'er Sheva for the sons and daughters of Abraham and gave them the opportunity to step through the gates of history. Your sons' heroism will never be forgotten," the prime minister said.

Photo: Amos Ben Gershom (Photo: Amos Ben Gershom)

The prime minister then went on to say that when he joined the army, he was given an Australian hat. "We sat by Australian eucalyptus trees and learned of the ethos of heroism of Australian and New Zealand soldiers. We spoke about it. It was a model for us: to defend our people and our values, and the same attitude directs us today," the prime minister added.

Netanyahuin an Australian hatpresides over the haka ceremony (Photo: Amos Ben Gershom)

Netanyahu also mentioned how 800 cavalrymen fought in Be'er Sheva against 4,000 armed Turks. "The few versus the many: that is the symbol of Israel. We seek peace with all our neighbors, but we will not tolerate any attacks on our sovereignty, on our people, on our land, whether from the air, from the sea, from the ground or below the ground," he cautioned, referencing the denotation of a tunnel used by Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists Monday.

"We attack those who seek to attack us. And those who contemplate that, I strongly advise you: Do not test the resolve of the State of Israel or the army of Israel," Netanyahu concluded.
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit is set to review a stronger worded version of a bill that would prohibit the police from presenting a recommendation to indict. This despite the fact that the police does not, actually, recommend indictment, but rather states whether it has found sufficient evidence to justify an indictment.

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Last week, Mandelblit said that although he does not "like" the proposed bill, there is no judicial reason to block it. The new version, though, would also have the law apply to current police investigations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. These include the illicit gifts investigation, his alleged attempts to sway his media coverage through talks with Yedioth Ahronoth owner Noni Mozes, Netanyahu's alleged push for the Israeli Navy to purchase several German submarines and suspected forgery of meal expenses submitted by the prime minister and his wife, Sara.

In light of this change to the bill, Mandelblit is planning on convening another meeting with the Ministerial Legislation Committee next Sunday, to discuss the bill further. It is estimated that Mandelblit will strongly object to the bill. After already objecting, together with State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan, to another bill nicknamed "the French bill," which emulates a similar law that protects a sitting French president from being indicted.

Mandelblit (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

Judicial experts estimated that Mandelblit's vehement objection stems from the fact that Israeli law does not normally include personal or retroactive legislation.

Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh also voiced his objection to the bill on Tuesday. "I don't know what this new law is. When I will, I'll respond to it. But let me just say that you cannot end an investigation without offering a summation of it. This (billed.) would mean that the Attorney General's Office would have to run the investigation. Do you think the Attorney General's Office can run investigations at its current capacity? This is why you cannot avoid showing some sort of 'product,' with the product in this case being a statement that 'these are the conclusion we've reached.'"

Alsheikh (Photo: Avi Mualem)

The bill hindering the police from offering its recommendations is set to be discussed by the Ministerial Legislation Committee after a tumultuous two weeks, during which no coalition bills have been discussed by it. The legislative lockdown was the work of Coalition Chairperson David Bitan: after coalition members Kulanu and Bayit Yehudi refused to discuss the bill, Bitan said that if the French bill would not be discussed, no other coalition bills would, either. The committee then agreed to postpone discussing the French bill by one month.

The problem Bitan is now looking to tackle seemingly revolves around a critical technicality: namely, changing the bill from an amendment to a Basic Law to a regular bill. If Bitan were to succeed in doing so, he would theoretically be able to force all the coalition members to vote for it under existing coalition discipline agreements.

However, after opposition MK Yoel Hasson asked the Knesset's legal advisor Eyal Yinon on Tuesday to examine the legal ramifications of such a move, Yinon responded by saying that "the amendment of a Basic Law should be made within the confines of a Basic law."

L to R: Netanyahu, Bitan and Likud MK Yariv Levin (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

In essence, this blocks Bitan from submitting it as a regular bill. Yinon's response cited the existing Basic Law: The Government, which states that "a criminal investigation against the prime minister cannot be launched without the approval of the attorney general." This means that the prime minister can be investigated for any offense, with the sole condition being the authorization of the attorney general.

Consequently, any legislation that seeks to impose additional restrictions on an ongoing investigation of the prime minister constitutes a change of the existing constitutional arrangement. Therefore, according to Yinon, it would require an amendment of the Basic Law.

Arnon Mozes is the publisher and owner of Yedioth Ahronoth Group, which includes Ynet.
During security screening before a reception for Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, European press agency EPA's photographer Atef Safadi was asked to remove his pants.

Safadi refused, and in protest four other foreign photographers as well as a Channel 10 News team joined him in leaving the reception.

"The security division of the Prime Minister's Office follows protocol. The photographer was treated with courtesy and respect. Naturally, entering the PMO requires meticulous security screening. He chose not to complete the screening process, and we apologize for any distress he may have felt," said a commented by the Prime Minister's Office.
Iran has no need to increase the range of its ballistic missiles as they could already reach US forces stationed in the region, the head of the Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday.

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As President Donald Trump seeks to impose new sanctions against Iran's missile program, Major-General Mohammad Ali Jafari said "sanctions would only increase number of Iranian missiles, and their precision."

IRGC Commander Jafari said there was no reason to increase the range of Iran's missiles, as they can already reach US assets in the region (Photo: AP)

certify Tehran's compliance with a deal struck with world powers to curb its nuclear program in return for lifting most international sanctions.

The US House of Representatives voted last week for new sanctions on Iran's ballistic missile program and Trump has urged US allies to join Washington in taking strong action to curb "Iran's continued dangerous and destabilizing behavior", including sanctions targeting its missile development.

"Our missiles' range is 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles), and that can be increased, but we believe this range is enough for the Islamic Republic as most of the US forces and most of their interests in the region are within this range," Jafari was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency.

The restriction on the missiles' range came straight from Iran's supreme leader, Jafari said Tuesday.

Islamic Revolutionary Guards Commander Maj.-Gen. Jafari (Photo: AP)

North Korea , which poses a threat to the United States.

Speaking on the sidelines of a conference in Tehran, Jafari told journalists that the capability of Iran's ballistic missiles is "enough for now."

The Guard runs Iran's missile program, answering only to Khamenei.

"Today, the range of our missiles, as the policies of Iran's supreme leader dictate, are limited to 2,000 kilometers, even though we are capable of increasing this range," he said. "Americans, their forces and their interests are situated within a 2,000-kilometer radius around us and we are able to respond to any possible desperate attack by them."

However, Jafari said he didn't believe there would be war between Iran and the US.

Iran showcased a new ballistic missile last month (: EPA)

"They know that if they begin a war between Iran and the United States, they will definitely be the main losers and their victory will by no means be guaranteed," he said. "Therefore, they won't start a war."

By limiting their range, Iran can contrast itself with North Korea, as Pyongyang has tested developmental intercontinental ballistic missiles that could potentially reach the US mainland and conducted its most powerful nuclear test to date. Pyongyang also flew two powerful new midrange missiles over Japan, between threats to fire the same weapons toward Guam, a US Pacific territory and military hub.

"Americans are trying to impose new sanctions against the Revolutionary Guards for its missile program, but that is an excuse to harm Iran's economy," Jafari said.

Iran has one of the Middle East's largest missile programs and some of its precision-guided missiles have the range to strike Israel.

Iranian President Rouhani and the new missile during a Tehran military parade (Photo: EPA)

The United States says Iran's missile program is a breach of international law because the missiles could carry nuclear warheads in the future.

Iran denies it is seeking nuclear weapons and says its nuclear program is for civilian uses only.
The police station, where the alleged incident took place, is nearly 500 metres from the famous gurdwara Keshgarh Sahib, one of the five Takhts in Sikhism.

By Manjeet Sehgal: Despite prohibition in the holy city of Anandpur Sahib in Rupnagar district of Punjab, seven officers of the Punjab police were found allegedly violating the orders.

A video clip showing the police officers in uniform drinking and singing inside the police station in Anandpur Sahib has gone viral on social media.

The police station, where the alleged incident took place, is nearly 500 metres from the famous gurdwara Keshgarh Sahib, one of the five Takhts in Sikhism.

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Anandpur Sahib is a major pilgrimage site and besides a ban on sale and consumption of alcohol in the city, serving non-vegetarian food too is not allowed.

In the viral video clip, one of the cops sings a song that suggests 'people should not be jealous of those who drink and eat'. In the video, two officers are allegedly consuming alcohol while one is rubbing tobacco.

Police have tried to downplay the viral video clip. "The video clip is being investigated. DSP of Anandpur Sahib, Raminder Singh, has been asked to probe the matter. Departmental action will be taken against the cops if found guilty in the probe," said SSP Rupnagar, Raj Bachan Singh Sandhu.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: Punjab cops flout prohibition orders in Anandpur Sahib, hold liquor party inside police station

--- ENDS ---
WASHINGTON  US officials say an American teenage girl who was taken to Syria by her father several years ago is now with US authorities and will be returned home.

She has said her father supported the Islamic State group.

The officials say US-allied Syrian forces turned her over to the US military. She's now in State Department custody in Iraq.
YORK  Highland cattle, 82 head strong from 10 states, turned the York County Fairgrounds into something of a little Scotland over the weekend.

The Dr. David Demuth Memorial Cornhusker State Highland Classic, said Dr. Daves son Collin, was overwhelmingly successful. In recent years that was the largest gathering of (Scottish Highland) cattle aside from the National Western Stock Show in Denver.

People and cattle from the nationally close-knit Highland family began to arrive Thursday from New York, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska and other states.

A show of this magnitude and quality of cattle exhibited was kind of a like a National Western preview, he added.

This kind of re-ignited our momentum, he said of how the 10th anniversary lifted up the family that organizes and stages the American Highland Cattle Association-sanctioned point show to honor Dr. Dave. The husband, father, grandfather and doctor to many who died unexpectedly soon after the annual show series began, was known far and wide for his unwavering passion to the Hyland breed.

We dont do much as far as getting (local) people to come, Demuth said, because the event is designed and staged first and foremost to benefit professionals and enthusiasts of Highland animals. It has a reputation as one of the best shows, in the nation.

Saturday evening the curtain came down with an awards banquet at the Holthus Convention Center.

The show opened Saturday to a bagpipe tribute to Dr. Dave played by Edwin Mukusha who has played bagpipes for years since starting as a high school student in his native Zimbabwe. He competes on his instrument and also performs at weddings, birthdays, memorials and civic events in and around this part of Nebraska.

He is on staff at the University of Nebraska Administrative Systems Group as the Business Technology lead.

Kinsey Freeman from Cheyenne, Wyo., judged showmanship, market and sovereign divisions. Judging animals in the open show was Laramie, Wyo., native Cody Talbott. Marcia Matthies completed her fifth year as show announcer.
YORK  Two people have been arrested as suspects in not only three burglaries in York County but also maybe as many as nine others in seven other counties as well.

Lt. Paul Vrbka with the York County Sheriffs Department says that early Sunday morning, a Nebraska State Patrol officer pulled over a vehicle because one of its head lights was not working.

The traffic stop was initiated in York County, although Lt. Vrbka said information regarding the location is not yet being released due to the investigation still being underway.

The state patrol trooper was aware that we were in the process of investigating two burglaries in Benedict early Sunday morning at PKs and at the Bowmans automotive shop. We also were investigating the burglary at the bar in Bradshaw which took place last week. He also had information that an investigation was underway regarding a recent burglary in Polk County, as well as others.

Lt. Vrbka said suspected stolen property was found in the vehicle, as well as controlled substances and the two occupants were taken into custody.

They have been identified as Sarah Inness, 33, of Duncan, and Randall Armagost, 28, of Central City.

This investigation remains underway, but we think we are looking at a total of 12 burglaries they were likely involved in, here and in seven other counties, we believe. But again, the investigation remains underway as we continue to work with the other law enforcement agencies in those other jurisdictions.

As of Monday, both Inness and and Armagost remained in custody at the York County Jail.

Lt. Vrbka did not elaborate as to what was taken from the two Benedict burglaries early Sunday, or to what types of property was stolen in the other counties.

As that information becomes available, it will be published in the York News-Times.

As always, if anyone has information about these crimes, they are encouraged to contact the York County Sheriffs Department at 402-362-4927, the York Police Department at 402-363-2640, or Crime Stoppers at 402-362-2999.

All callers reporting information to the Crime Stoppers hotline remain anonymous.
This has been a long time in the making, but in our continuing pursuit to bring only the best of firearms, 2nd Amendment and defence related news to our readers, we are very excited to announce the next step in our evolution as a company.

As of 2020, Minuteman Review is now the proud owner and operator of Your Defence News, a website with a long history of breaking huge news stories and investigative journalism.

We hope you are equally as excited as us.

This means that now the teams of Minuteman can combine with the firepower of Your Defence News to stay at the absolute forefront for our readers.

Keep an eye. Big things are coming soon. We couldn't be more excited.

In the meanwhile, here are some of our most popular posts and categories to keep you busy.

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By Ashish Pandey: Revanth Reddy who was the working president of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) joined Congress in presence of AICC Vice-President Rahul Gandhi at New Delhi on Tuesday.

Besides Revanth, 14 other TDP leaders including ex-ministers, ex-MLAs and ex-MLCs joined the Congress party. Two ex-MLAs of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) also joined the Congress party on this occasion.

Surprising many, Revanth Reddy known for his firebrand image and a mass presence in the state, joined Congress in Telangana despite TDP being in power in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and also sharing government in central with BJP.

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He said Congress president Sonia Gandhi granted statehood for Telangana. However, after coming to power in the new state in 2014 elections, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao worked only for the welfare of his family and did not meet any of the promises that he made with farmers, students and youth. Stating that TDP has vanished and other parties have no significance in the state, he said Congress is the only alternate to TRS in Telangana.

Meanwhile, Congress has said that Revanth Reddy has joined the party without any conditions after resigning from the post of Telangana TDP Working President.

Speaking to India Today after his joining, Revanth Reddy said his decision to join Congress was not a regular switch-over from one party to the other and added that he joined the national party to fight the rampant corruption that prevailed in the state and dictatorial behavior of TRS-run government in the state.

"Despite making so many sacrifices the real objective of Telangana formation was not achieved due to Chief Minister KCR. TRS Government did not even prepare the complete list of over 1500 martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Telangana. More than 20 lakh students, who participated in the statehood movement, were denied fee reimbursement. About 10 lakh jobless youth, who gave preference to statehood agitation than focusing on their careers, were kept deprived of jobs,", said Revanth.

"KCR constructed a Rs 1,000 crore palace on 10 acres of land in the heart of the city for himself. Purchased a television channel, newspapers and made other assets. He remained focused on the welfare and growth of his own family. He is openly looting Telangana," added Revanth while targeting the chief minister of the state.

He also said that Rahul Gandhi is bound to become the next Prime Minister of India and Congress with the help of people will turn the real dream of Telangana into a reality.

Revanth belongs to the influential Reddy community and his joining Congress has charged the political atmosphere of the state, which is scheduled to go for polls in 2019. However, recent buzz suggest an early 2018 election in the state.

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VIDEO | Rahul Gandhi launches scathing attack on BJP in poll-bound Gujarat, calls GST Gabbar Singh Tax

--- ENDS ---
Arizona News

Phoenix, Arizona - Attorney General Mark Brnovich and the Arizona Corporation Commission announced a former investment adviser representative pleaded guilty to stealing more than $3 million dollars in client funds. Richard Mark Schmerman, 58, pleaded guilty to 2 counts of Theft and 2 counts of Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices.

Schmerman is a former registered securities salesman and investment adviser representative operating under Diversified Financial in Arizona. Schmerman used client investment funds to pay personal expenses including a single payment of more than $400,000 to a civil judgment issued against him. Schmerman also impersonated some of his clients to gain access to their investment accounts.

Under the plea agreement, Schmerman faces a mandatory prison sentence of 5 years, followed by a term of supervised probation up to 7 years. The plea also requires Schmerman to pay more than $3 million in restitution to his victims.

Schmerman is scheduled to be sentenced on January 10, 2018, at 8:30 am.

The Arizona Corporation Commissions Securities Division investigated this case.

Assistant Attorneys General Adam J Schwartz and Joseph Waters are prosecuting this case.
Arizona News

Bullhead City, Arizona - Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced two arrest warrants have been issued for the alleged mastermind of a Northern Arizona opioid ring and her accomplice. 29-year-old Amanda Lee Doyle is currently on the run and wanted by the Attorney Generals Office for allegedly operating an opioid ring. Special Agents are also searching for Doyles accomplice, 25-year-old Gavin Robel. Anyone with information on Doyle or Robles whereabouts should call 602-542-8419.

A State Grand Jury indicted Doyle on 26 felony charges for allegedly writing fake prescriptions in order to sell opioids in Bullhead City, AZ. Seven other defendants, including Robel, have been indicted for their alleged involvement in the opioid ring. The indictments are the result of a joint investigation by the Attorney Generals Office, the Mohave County Sheriffs Office, the Mohave Area General Narcotics Enforcement Team (MAGNET), the Bullhead City Police Department, and the Kingman Police Department.

Doyle is a former medical billing assistant employed at Silver Creek Medical Associates in Bullhead City. According to the indictment, Doyle used her position to create fake electronic prescriptions for opioids. Doyle allegedly recruited patients so she could create fictitious patient profiles in a software program used to write electronic prescriptions. According to Silver Creek Medical Associates, those patients were never seen by a doctor. Doyle allegedly wrote fraudulent prescriptions for those patients and then demanded the patients give her back a portion of the pills after the prescriptions were filled.

Defendants Indicted:

1) Amanda Doyle, 29 - WANTED

2) Gavin Robel, 25 - WANTED

3) Mark Mannor, 27 - Arrested in California by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department

4) Darcia Rohrer, 20 - Arrested in Bullhead City

5) Matthew Solari, 30 - Arrested in California by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department

6) Koryn Tinnell, 22 - Served with summons to appear

7) Jordan Waters, 21 - Served with summons to appear

8) REDACTED  Defendant not served with indictment

Assistant Attorney General Jarred McBride of the Health Care Fraud and Abuse Section is prosecuting this case.

All defendants are presumed innocent until convicted in a court of law.
Arizona News

Pine-Strawberry, Arizona - Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced a State Grand Jury indicted a former bookkeeper for allegedly stealing more than $841,000 from the Pine-Strawberry Water Improvement District and Sunny Mountain Realty, a private business. Rebecca Sigeti, 60, is currently facing 40 felony charges including Theft, Misuse of Public Monies, and Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices.

According to an investigation by the Office of the Auditor General, Sigeti embezzled more than $841,000 from her employers by issuing authorized checks to herself for her own personal use. Sigeti is alleged to have stolen $524,686 from the Pine-Strawberry Water Improvement District and $316,370 from the Sunny Mountain Realty.

The alleged embezzled district monies came from customer security deposits and water-use payments as well as taxpayer property tax payments that should have been used to support district operations. Sigeti also is alleged to have forged the signatures of Pine-Strawberry Water Improvement District Board Members.
Arizona News

Phoenix, Arizona - Governor Doug Ducey recently interviewed with the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) to discuss how Arizona is removing barriers to employment by reforming occupational licensing requirements. During the interview, the Governor discussed efforts such as removing restrictions on the sharing economy, eliminating 500 regulations this year, and lifting licensing fees on those in poverty.

FGA, a public policy organization, also interviewed Arizona resident Juan Carlos Montes de Oca to tell his story about wanting to serve Tucsons homeless population. Both interviews can be viewed below.

Executive Excellence: Governor Doug Ducey on Eliminating Regulations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=62&v=5F1YlVTS2dM

Juans Story: A Passion to Serve: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=uXhBZI3sm-M
Yuma News

Yuma, Arizona - Arizona Western College Science department invites over 70 area junior high school students to participate in Geospatial Day November 2nd. The students will learn about the scientific practices of geospatial technics and studies.

Geospatial refers to the use of science in geographic locating and characteristics of the earths surface. The AWC faculty and guest speakers will further explain the technics and the uses of geospatial methods.
Mumbai: Avantura Choppers has announced launch of its only production chopper motorcycle brand from India, Avantura Choppers.

Originating in the United States of America in the 1950s, Choppers, a special class of motorcycles rapidly became a sensation among enthusiasts across the world with innovations, competitions, and a thriving global community.

However, the Indian motor-head was yet to enjoy the authentic chopper experience despite the rapidly evolving rider community.To fill this gap, Avantura Choppers is all set to release their first models, designed with unparalleled, global best-in-class quality, engineered to suit the Indian riding conditions.

With bespoke design engineering and OEM partnerships with world-leading component manufacturers, the company prides itself on bringing Indian enthusiasts this global product which is curated for connoisseurs.

"The brand, Avantura Choppers symbolizes the premium quality and supreme power that is a chopper motorcycle. With that in mind, we have produced these masterpieces for riding connoisseurs by curating the entire experience. And the fact that we`re the first Indian company in the space, adds challenge to the pride," said co-founder Avantura Choppers, Gaurav Aggarwal.

"The evolving Indian rider has been in search for the authentic American chopper experience and with the launch of Avantura Choppers, we hope to fill that void with our state-of-the-art motorcycles. Targeted at the discerning enthusiasts who consider themselves connoisseurs, we`re all set to amaze the market with a first-time-ever experience," added co-founder Avantura Choppers, Vijay Singh.

The company is targeting a 7-8 percent share of the 1600cc and above motorcycle market in India, which is estimated to touch 15,000 units by 2022, based on reports by the Emerging Markets Automotive Advisors.The company is at the concluding stages for the ARAI certification.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court will on Tuesday hear a plea filed by the Maharashtra Government challenging the acquittal of Bollywood actor Salman Khan in the 2002 hit-and-run case.

On July 5, 2016, the apex court had admitted the Maharashtra Government's plea challenging the Bombay High Court verdict in the case.

In December 2015, the Bombay High Court had acquitted Khan of all criminal charges on account of lack of substantial evidence in the case.

Earlier, on May 6, 2015, a sessions court had held him guilty in the case, but the actor moved the High Court, challenging the verdict.

The Bollywood actor was accused of running his Toyota Land Cruiser over people sleeping on a sidewalk outside a bakery in Mumbai's Bandra on September 28, 2002.

One labourer died, while four others were injured in the accident.

With ANI inputs
Among the deceased is an unborn child whose mother was seriously injured and was operated upon to save her and the baby.

By Rohit Parihar: Eleven persons have been killed and 22 injured when a transformer exploded near a marriage function in Khatloi village in Shahpura near Jaipur on Tuesday.

Among the deceased is an unborn child whose mother was seriously injured and was operated upon to save her and the baby. The mother is still in a serious condition.

A pregnant woman seriously injured in the accident was operated upon but the baby could not be saved.

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According to eyewitnesses, a poorly maintained transformer exploded killing four.

Soon thereafter, the electricity was restored which led to the further explosion. One witness said a high voltage cable fell too. There was no cut out to switch off the power.

Kali Charan Saraf, the health minister said, condition of eleven was critical.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje cancelled her scheduled visit to Delhi and rushed to the SMS Hospital where all the injured were rushed to.

She has announced a high-level inquiry and Rs ten lakh compensation for next of kin of each deceased.

Police had a tough time controlling an angry mob that gathered at the scene of the accident.

One life is lost every day on an average in Rajasthan due to electrical faults mostly because of the negligence of the department.

Officials of electricity department said they were investigating what all led to the tragedy of such a proportion.

--- ENDS ---
Los Angeles: Salman Khan-starrer Tiger Zinda Hai has been shot across five different countries, but each location lent itself to a turning point in the film's story, says director Ali Abbas Zafar.

Shot across various destinations in Austria, Greece, Morocco, Abu Dhabi and India, the sequel of Kabir Khan's Ek Tha Tiger will bring back Salman and actress Katrina Kaif as intelligence agents Tiger and Zoya, who travel to five different countries, fighting against the odds to fulfill their life-threatening mission.

"To meet the scale of the film, we had to travel to four different countries for different reasons. Certain landscapes needed to become a part of the film, so we had to go to Austria to get the snow-covered mountains. We also had to go to Morocco to feature crucial fight sequences of horseback riding. The country's landscape and topography brings a certain texture to these sequences," Zafar said in a statement.

"It also has horses trained for some fight sequences, as many Hollywood films like Troy and Mummy Returns. Greece was absolutely picturesque and was the perfect location to shoot the celebratory anthem Swag se karenge sabka swagat'.

"Abu Dhabi gave us desert terrain. We got great support from the Abu Dhabi government be it locations, production, army and air-force requirement. They helped us create larger than life action drama sequences. We also shot a couple of scenes in North and South block, Delhi. Overall, each location has huge significance and is part of turning points in the film's script," he added.

The Yash Raj Films project is slated to release on December 22.
Chennai: A day after heavy showers, there was some respite from rains in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday.

However, water-logging affected normal life in parts of the state.

In Chennai, normal life in parts of Vyasarpadi, Otteri, Tiruvotriyur in North Chennai and Velachery and Madipakkam in South Chennai was disrupted.

Civic authorities said action was being taken to clear inundation by using water-pumps.

De-silting work was on in the Adyar river mouth and in several other locations of the river in the city, including Egmore, authorities said, PTI reported.

Several parts of the state were lashed by heavy rains yesterday. One person was killed yesterday in Thanjavur district when the mud wall of his hut collapsed under the rain impact.

Chennai collector Thiru V Anbuselvan yesterday evening had declared a holiday for all schools in the city on Tuesday.

Met predicts heavy rainfall for Chennai in next 24 hours:

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Meteorological Department on Tuesday warned of heavy rainfall at a few places in the state in the next twenty four hours.

"In 24 hours, heavy rainfall is expected in few places in north coastal region, while heavy to very heavy rainfall in south coastal region," said Met official S Balachandran, as per ANI.

"Fairly widespread rain of moderate intensity over interior region," it added.

After a break of few hours #Thunderstorms now forming around #Chennai latitude. Some isolated spells could resume in a while. pic.twitter.com/xsVAdmieUp  Chennairains (@ChennaiRains) October 31, 2017

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: Japanese firm NTT DoCoMo on Tuesday said it has received over USD 1.2 billion (144.9 billion yen) from Tata Sons, which ends the 2-year old dispute over their Indian telecom joint venture.

In a statement on its website, NTT DoCoMo said it "has received from Tata Sons payment of the award amount in accordance with the High Court of Delhi's decision regarding DOCOMO's stake in Tata Teleservices Limited."

The amount of 144.9 billion yen received by DoCoMo pertains to the arbitration award and includes interest earned and other costs awarded, it added.

Concurrent with the receipt of the amount, all shares in TTSL held by DoCoMo have been transferred to Tata Sons and companies designated by Tata Sons, it added.

In February this year, Tata Sons had said it had reached an agreement with the NTT DoCoMo "on a joint approach to enable enforcement" of a compensation award granted by the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) in 2016 in favour of the Japanese company.

However, Reserve Bank of India had objected to the transfer which was later rejected by the Delhi High Court in April, thus clearing the decks for the Tatas to pay over USD 1.18 billion to the Japanese firm.

DoCoMo had in November 2009 acquired 26.5 per cent stake in Tata Teleservices for about Rs 12,740 crore (at Rs 117 per share). This was as per a 2008 understanding that in case it exits the venture within five years, it will be paid a minimum 50 per cent of the acquisition price.

DoCoMo in April 2014 decided to exit the joint venture that struggled to grow subscribers quickly. It sought Rs 58 per share or Rs 7,200 crore from Tatas.

But the Indian Group offered Rs 23.34 a share in line with the RBI guidelines which state that an international firm can only exit its investment at a valuation "not exceeding that arrived at on the basis of return on equity".

The Japanese firm had dragged Tatas to international arbitration where it had won the USD 1.18 billion award. It had also filed a plea in the Delhi High Court seeking enforcement of the arbitration ruling.
New Delhi: Reliance Communications has completed the merger of Sistema Shyam Teleservices, which operates under MTS brand, the company said on Tuesday.

The Russian conglomerate Sistema controlled SSTL will get 10 percent stake in RCom as part of the deal.

The completion of the merger process will give a breather to RCom which is planning to shut down its loss-making wireless 2G and 3G telephony business by November 30 and concentrate only on 4G internet services.

Under the terms of the agreement between RCOM and Sistema, RCOM will acquire the telecommunications business of SSTL including its licenses.

In addition, RCOM will acquire 30 MHz of the most valuable and superior 800/850 MHz band spectrum, ideally suited for 4G LTE services and other evolving technologies, to complement its own unique nationwide footprint.

This will result in extension of the validity of RCOM`s spectrum portfolio in the 800/850 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.

In addition, RCOM will assume the liability to pay the Department of Telecommunications instalments for SSTL`s spectrum, amounting to Rs 390 crore per annum for the next eight years.

With Agency Inputs
Kolkata: A micro retailers' association on Tuesday staged a protest against the Centre's advisory to state governments, proposing a ban on tobacco and paan shops from selling food items.

The association said the suggestion, if implemented, would affect the livelihood of around five lakh shopkeepers.

A protest meeting was held on Tuesday in central Kolkata, where shop owners sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention into the matter.

"The arbitrary suggestion to disallow food items in our shops could be life-threatening for many. We request the Prime Minister to look into the matter," secretary of Paschimbango Pan Abong Tamak Bikreta Samity (West Bengal paan and tobacco sellers' association) Moloy Biswas said.

The health ministry had last month sent letters to the state governments to suggest a ban on non-tobacco products such as chips, bread, eggs and biscuits in retail shops that sell tobacco. The move, as the ministry said, would prevent children from exposure to tobacco products.

Biswas claimed they do not sell tobacco products to minors.

"To avoid a harmful product, you can't adopt a blanket ban on all the other products. It would inconvenience local people," he said.

Naba Kumar Dhar, another member of the association, said food items account for at least 50 per cent or more of their every day sale and the proposal could be fatal to their business.

The members of the retailers' body said they will send a memorandum to the Centre and the state government, seeking an immediate withdrawal of the proposal.

The retailers might have to take a legal recourse, if the governments do not consider their plight, Biswas added.
New Delhi: India has risen to 100 from 130 in the Ease of Doing Business rankings, released by World Bank. The rising economy was also rated among the top 10 countries in terms of improvement in the business climate. The rise was attributed to a number of systemic reforms taken over the past three years.



Despite the 30-place jump in the ranking, India still ranks in the bottom half of the table as far as ease of doing business is concerned. India was the only large economy, the South Asian nation and the only BRICS country in the 10 most improved places to do business.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hailed the World Bank report and said ongoing measures will further improve India's ranking. "The country has made a 30-point jump. A number of measures implemented were not considered this time. In the next report, these and the ongoing work-in-progress will ensure India's ranking improves further.



The 190-country ranking, which is run by the World Bank Group, saw India make significant improvements in the availability of credit (ranked 29 vs 44 last year), protection of minority investors (ranked 4 vs 13 last year), tax compliance (119 vs 172), enforcement of contracts (164 vs 172) and insolvency (103 vs 136). Other major factors that drove Indias upward movement on the list included the user feedback system put in place by the Centre and reforms in the corporate income tax and EPFO.



Registering property (154 vs 138), getting electricity (29 vs 26) and trading across borders (146 vs 143) were some of the areas where India fared worse compared to the last ranking.



The ranking saw India as being among the 10 most improved places to do business. The other nine countries on this list (in particular order) were Brunei, Jerusalem, Thailand, Malawi, Thailand, Kosovo, Zambia, Djibouti and El Salvador.



The Doing Business report also noted that growth in small and media enterprises (SMEs) is the only way for India to create enough jobs.



In last years ranking, India had risen 25 places in the availability of electricity, from 51 to 26th position. The other significant improvement last year was in contract enforcement, where it rose to 172 from 178.
New Delhi: India has for the first time moved into the top 100 in the World Banks Ease of Doing Business global rankings report.

Riding on sustained government reforms which include making tax paying easier, India moved from its 130th position last year.

The World Bank Group`s latest report `Doing Business 2018: Reforming to Create Jobs` recognises India as one of the top 10 improvers in this year`s assessment, though the report does not take into account the big bang reform of Goods and Services Tax (GST) which rolled out on July 1.

Here are the highlights:
New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday hailed the World Bank report which put India at 100 in the Ease of Doing Business rankings. While he said it is a result of a number of policies implemented, Jaitley added that work-in-progress means PM Narendra Modis dream of a top-50 spot for India is a real possibility.

India jumped 30 places in the 190-country ranking, which is run by the World Bank Group. Jaitley said cracking the top-50 is the next target. We were ranked 142 in 2014 and 130 last year in ease of doing business list. This year, we have taken a 30 point jump," he said. "India's 'ease of doing business' ranking does not take into account implementation of GST, which will be factored in next year. I do believe it is possible to take India to the first 50 ranks, as envisioned by PM Narendra Modi."

LIVE: India gets closer to global best practices, in Paying Taxes, according to @WorldBank's #DoingBusiness report pic.twitter.com/nkSS8iSF2Z  PIB India (@PIB_India) October 31, 2017

LIVE: India gets credit for getting credit https://t.co/EqugZjnU6A pic.twitter.com/SiEcTP3MNv  PIB India (@PIB_India) October 31, 2017

The ranking saw India as being among the 10 most improved places to do business. The other nine countries on this list (in particular order) were Brunei, Jerusalem, Thailand, Malawi, Thailand, Kosovo, Zambia, Djibouti and El Salvador.

Indias ranking jump was also the highest for any country this year and was the only country among BRIC nations to feature as a Top Reformer.
New Delhi: Backing the recommendation of a panel of state finance ministers, the Centre is expected to slash goods and services tax (GST) on restaurants. The government may withdraw input tax credit facility offered to the restaurants, as reported by a leading national daily.

The government claims that the gains pocketed by eateries in the tune of 6 percent should have been accrued to the consumers.

However, National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) has argued that government's latest move will hike prices by 6 percent to 8 percent.

The ministerial panel had on Monday suggested cutting tax rate to 1 percent for manufacturers and restaurants, while easier norms for traders opting for it.

Currently, manufacturers and restaurants with turnover up to Rs 1 crore pay GST under composition scheme at 2 percent and 5 percent respectively. The same for traders is 1 percent.

In its second meeting, the Group of Ministers, headed by Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, had also suggested doing away with the tax rate distinction between AC and non-AC restaurants, those which are not covered under composition scheme, and tax them at 12 per cent with input credit.

It also suggested that eating out at hotels, which has room tariff of more than Rs 7,500, should attract an uniform 18 per cent tax rate instead of any separate category for 5- star hotel.

The GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and comprising his state counterparts, on November 10 in Guwahati is likely to take up the recommendations of the GoM, which was set up earlier this month.
New Delhi: Small and medium enterprises account for over half of employment worldwide, Swiss envoy to India Andreas Baum said on Tuesday, noting that this sector will continue to be an important chapter in the Indian economy.

Baum, however, pointed out that access to finance and technology are two important challenges for the MSME sector, which is the "key engine" of job creation and economic growth in both developing and developed countries.

The ambassador was addressing a two-day 'National Summit on Energy Efficiency in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)' being organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), in association with the Ministry of MSME, here.

"Small and medium enterprises account for about 90 per cent of business and more than 50 per cent of employment worldwide... For a country like India, which is one of the fastest growing economies, MSMEs will continue to be an important chapter in its growth," he said.

The Ambassador of Switzerland to India also said energy efficiency is important not only to address climate change, but also to take care of environmental improvements, pollution reduction and workplace safety.

The MSME sector, He added, faces several challenges, which include access to finance and in order to address this, the Indian government has initiated several schemes and incentives. The second challenge the MSMEs are facing is technology, especially clean energy that can assist the sector in improving its productivity.
By PTI: By Lalit K Jha

Washington, Oct 31 (PTI) Social media giant Facebook estimates that Russian-backed "inflammatory" content reached as many as 126 million American users, roughly one-third of the nations population, during and after the 2016 presidential election.

Twitter and Google, which own other popular social media tools, also had similar experience of being encroached upon by Russia-backed groups that tried to influence the elections.

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The US accused Russia of meddling in 2016 presidential election in which Donald Trump emerged victorious.

Top officials of the three companies are scheduled to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee later today during which they are likely to inform the lawmakers that the figures of Russian penetration in the American social media is much more than previously seen, said multiple media outlets having access to their testimonies.

Facebook will tell Congress that some 126 million US users, a potentially large portion of the voting public here, may have seen stories, posts or other content from Russian sources, according to the Wall Street Journal and other US media.

"Russian agents intending to sow discord among American citizens disseminated inflammatory posts that reached 126 million users on Facebook, published more than 131,000 messages on Twitter and uploaded over 1,000 videos to Googles YouTube service," according to copies of prepared remarks from the companies that were obtained by The New York Times.

The new information goes far beyond what the companies have revealed in the past and underline the breadth of the Kremlins efforts to lever open divisions in the US using American technology platforms, especially Facebook, the daily said.

In a blog post, Google said that it found that two accounts linked to the Internet Research Agency spent a total of USD 4,700 on its platforms during the 2016 election cycle.

This figure covers both search and display advertisements.

Google said it found 18 channels likely associated with this campaign that made videos publicly available, in English and with content that appeared to be political.

There were 1,108 such videos uploaded, representing 43 hours of content and totalling 309,000 US views from June 2015 to November 2016.

These videos generally had very low view counts; only around 3 per cent had more than 5,000 views. These channels have been suspended by Google.

In its investigation, Facebook found that the Russia- backed Internet Research Agency purchased 3,000 advertisements in USD 100,000.

It also found that 120 pages were created by the group to disseminate its advertisements and posts. The company had previously said that it found 470 total accounts linked to the Internet Research Agency.

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Similarly, Twitter found as many as 2,752 accounts associated with Internet Research Agency.

"The new disclosures come as the tech industry is facing the threat of regulation. Tech companies are expected to face tough questions about their advertisements disclosure policy and their opposition to greater regulation," the journal said.

"The foreign interference we saw is reprehensible and outrageous and opened a new battleground for our company, our industry and our society," Colin Stretch, General Counsel of Facebook said in his prepared testimony. PTI LKJ AMS

--- ENDS ---
New Delhi: In an expected and welcome turn of events, the Indian economy received a Rs 9-trillion resolution to its bad loan and slow growth problem. The government unveiled its plan to pump Rs 2.11 trillion into over-leveraged state-owned banks over the next two years and another Rs 7 trillion into an ambitious roads project over the next five years.

I`ve repeatedly argued for these in this column and a timely roll-out of the plan should suffice in reviving the dampened animal spirits within the economy. However, now that issues on the domestic front have been tackled headfirst to the best of the government`s fiscal capabilities, the external sector should be explored for lucrative economic possibilities.

Fortunately for India, the global economies are showing signs of recovery for the first time after the financial crisis of 2008, rendering the world markets ripe for the taking. The IMF resonated this in its latest World Economic Outlook by raising the global growth forecast for 2017 to 3.6 per cent. This came due to growth improvements in countries like China, Russia and emerging Europe while India was awarded a downward revision in its growth.

Most importantly, India`s major trading partners like the US (2.2 per cent), China (6.8 per cent), Hong Kong (3.8 per cent) and Singapore (2.5 per cent) are showing better than expected growth rates. Under these circumstances, India could easily leverage the external upswing to boost its growth momentum.

Moreover, the external sector has already been showing some positive signs of late, with exports shooting up to $28.61 billion in the second quarter of this year as compared to $22.8 billion in the same period a year ago. As a result, the trade deficit has reduced from $9.07 billion in FY16 to $8.98 billion in FY17.

In fact, India`s exports have been falling since 2014 and have only seen a recent recovery. It may come as a surprise to many that India`s export performance had been deteriorating earlier because of dampened oil prices. Petroleum products constitute 25 per cent of the country`s export basket, making them a leading determinant of the export sector`s performance each year.

This raises a number of issues. A popularly accepted theory of trade dictates that a nation will specialise in goods that require resources that are plentiful in the economy. India is not an oil-rich nation by any means. It is a labour-rich country and even oil refining is a capital-intensive process. So, the dominance of refined petroleum products in its export list is inexplicable. This is clearly indicative of the fact that India is missing out on potentially lucrative export markets where it can be globally competitive.

Moreover, oil is also India`s leading import item. Even though the value of oil imports are almost three times that of the country`s oil exports, any change in global oil prices has to have an adverse impact on the external sector. Thus, even when oil prices dip, and India`s import bill does fall giving the government a fiscal bonanza, it negatively impacts exports and dampens the gains.

Another reason for India`s poor show in exports over the last few years was a sharp fall in discretionary spending among consumers as a result of subdued demand since the financial crisis. Consequently, India`s other leading items of export like diamonds and jewellery witnessed a sharp downturn. Now, as the global economy recovers both demand for petroleum products and discretionary products will see an uptick. But the fact of the matter remains that these should not be the products defining India`s export performance.

As mentioned, India is a labour-rich nation and is currently in desperate search for avenues to find employment for its workforce, which is expanding at an annual rate of over 11 million. Nudging the export sector to compete in manufactured goods should be a beneficial strategy in this case.

As China gradually vacates its position of being the world leader in low-cost manufacturing and graduates into higher value-added products, India should not miss out on the opportunity to become the next manufacturing destination. It has already lost considerable ground to Bangladesh in textiles and Vietnam in electronics.

Unfortunately, the government`s Foreign Trade Policy 2015-20 misses out on this issue. It calls for building adequate export infrastructure like better multi-modal transportation for improved road connectivity to ports, railheads, airports and inland waterways; faster throughput at ports; faster movement of rakes by railways; and quicker air cargo movement.

It also recommends the creation of a supportive infrastructure for exports, including more laboratories for testing and more tool rooms and plant quarantine facilities, among others.

However, these are merely supply-side issues which are important in themselves but do not have much impact in altering India`s export composition. To strengthen manufacturing competitiveness in India, there is a dire need of bold structural changes in the economy like labour reforms, for which I have argued at length in this column quite recently.

Another bold reform can be inspired from the early years of Chinese growth with the encouragement of entrepreneurship at the village-level.

There remain multiple avenues for India to adopt a trade-focused, pragmatic approach which can ensure long-term gains for the country`s trade competitiveness. If the government falters at this juncture, India could very well miss an inflexion point in the country`s export history.
New Delhi: Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi will visit poll-bound Gujarat on Wednesday and address a series of corner meetings in Bharuch and Surat districts.



The visit comes two days after Hardik Patel had said that his organisation Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) was agreeable to explore constitutional solutions for its demand of quotas for the Patidar community.



Patel, who met state Congress leaders Bharatsinh Solanki, Siddharth Patel and Arjun Modhwadia in Ahmedabad, has said that he was "neither against the Congress nor in its favour but am against the BJP's arrogant and autocratic attitude against the Patidars", as per IANS.

He had added that he wants clarity by November 7 on the issue of reservation to his community.

"I am not with or against anyone (Congress). I need clarity by November 7 on issue of reservation to our community", Patel had told reporters.

He had earlier given an ultimatum to the Congress to come clear on reservations for his community under the OBC category by November 3.

Meanwhile, the Congress has said that it will make a decision after consulting the matter with legal experts.

"PAAS has put forward their point, and we will go to legal expert and then take things forward," Gujarat State President Bharatsinh Solanki had said in a press conference, ANI reported.

The polls will be conducted in two phases in the state.

The polling for the first phase will be held on December 9 and for the second phase on December 14.

The counting of the votes will be held on December 18.

(With Agency inputs)


New Delhi: A Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court will on Tuesday take up the disproportionate assets case registered against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadhra Singh and his family.

According to ANI, during the previous hearing, the special court had directed the CBI to hand over certain documents to the Congress leader in connection with the case.

The court's direction came after Virbhadra, his wife Pratibha Singh and others told the court that they have not received various documents filed along with the chargesheet.

Virbhadra, his wife and other accused were earlier granted bail on May 29.

Virbhadra was asked to furnish Rs one lakh personal bond and surety of same amount. He was also asked to not leave the country without the court's permission.

Singh and the other accused in the case had moved the Special CBI court for bail on May 22.

The Special CBI court issued a notice to the CBI to reply on the bail plea of all the accused including Virbhadra and his wife.

The court had earlier summoned them after taking cognisance of the chargesheet filed by the CBI.

The CBI in his 500-page chargesheet claimed that Virbhadra had accumulated assets worth around Rs.10 crore which were disproportionate to his total income during his tenure as a Union minister

With ANI inputs
New Delhi: Today is the death anniversary of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, who was assassinated by her bodyguards Beant Singh and Satwant Singh on October 31, 1984.

Indira Gandhi was killed by her bodyguards for ordering the storming of the Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar to counter the Punjab insurgency.

According to a BBC report, when Indira Gandhi was rushed to AIIMS after being repeatedly shot by her bodyguards, 80 bottles of blood were used in attempts to save her life. Three AIIMS doctors Jagdev Singh Guleria, MM Kapoor and AS Balaram made all possible attempts to save her from the multiple bullet injuries, but all efforts went in vain.

Beant Singh, who shot three bullets, was the first one to fire at the ex-prime minister. The bullets hit her stomach, chest, back and an underarm. Another bodyguard Satwant Singh, who possessed a Thompson Automatic Carbine, pumped in 25 bullets into the body of Indira Gandhi.

Indira Gandhi was the only child of India`s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. She was born on November 19, 1917, in Allahabad.

She served as Prime Minister for three consecutive terms from January 1966 to March 1977 and a fourth term from January 14, 1980, until she was assassinated on October 31, 1984.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi in 2016 had revealed that her mother-in-law Gandhi was not "terribly keen" to join politics and given a chance, she would have led a life away from politics.

In an interview, Sonia Gandhi had said Indira Gandhi's deep sense of duty towards the country and the people brought her to politics.

"I think she herself did not want to be in politics, perhaps this is something that very few know. She was not terribly keen to join politics.

"I think, left to herself, she would have chosen to live a normal life. It was her deep sense of duty towards the country and the people that brought her to politics," she said.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and actor Shatrughan Sinha on Tuesday launched yet another attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing a statement made by the latter on Diwali milan.

The actor- politician posted a series of tweets targeting the Prime Minister, quoting his statement  Some of our own people are not on the same page.

He asked PM Modi as to what efforts have been made to find out why those leaders were not on the same page.

At Diwali Milan, PM @narendramodi stated that SOME of our own people are not on the same page".My humble submission! Has somebody tried 1>2  Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) October 31, 2017

...to find out why some of the best intellectuals/experts/ professionals/popular politicians & mass leaders are on a different page..2>3  Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) October 31, 2017

Urging the BJP leadership to go for introspection, he tweeted, What sincere efforts are being made by people in power for those some? Or is it  just leave them after utilizing.

Needs introspection - What sincere efforts are being made by people in power for those some? Or is it - just leave them after utilizing3>4  Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) October 31, 2017

Sinha also referred to the upcoming Assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, saying that the party should see the writing on the wall and make amends.

....them - on some pretext or the other??

It is never too late to make amends - especially in the wake of Gujarat & HP elections...4>5  Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) October 31, 2017

Seeing the writing on the wall, we must go for damage control soon, sooner the better... Jai BJP, Jai Hind!!  Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) October 31, 2017

On Monday, the actor had extended his support to Tamil film Mersal, which has been in controversy over actor Vijays dialogues on Goods and Services Tax (GST) and PM Modis ambitious Digital India programme. He said that people must support the movie and not remain defensive about the "perfectly legitimate issue".

"Why are we so defensive about a perfectly legitimate issue that has been raised in the Tamil film regarding healthcare and the GST? As entertainers and actors with powerful voices we have a certain duty towards the public to make them aware of socio-political issues," Sinha, who's a BJP member of Parliament from Patna, said.

He added: "Why is it such a crime if Vijay who is a very powerful Tamil actor, reminds us that the poor in our country desperately need healthcare?"

However, Sinha also said that the protestors of the movie don't represent the BJP's official view.

"Has anyone heard the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) or any of the top leaders commenting on the issue? It is only some elements in our party who are eager to prove that they are more loyal than the others," Sinha said.

"They are the ones jumping in to attack this perfectly harmless and very significant point raised in the film. Instead of attacking Vijay and questioning his credentials we should all take his words seriously and work towards improving healthcare in our country," he added.

Sinha feels there is no harm in pulling up the government for mistakes.

"We should gracefully accept that demonetisation was a mistake. I was one of the first to point it out that it was not right. So many have lost their jobs, all their savings. Likewise perhaps even the GST is not what it was meant to be," he said.
NEW DELHI: China has denied reports that it is working on a 1,000-km tunnel aimed at diverting the River Brahmaputra. It categorically denied the report, which appeared in a Hong Kong-based newspaper, and claimed that it remains committed to riparian cooperation.

This is untrue. This is a false report, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing when asked about the report. China will continue to attach great importance to cross-border river cooperation, she added.

Beijings swift denial comes after Indian news media picked up on the report published by the South China Morning Post, a popular English daily based in Hong Kong. The denial came quickly, perhaps pointing to the fact that the report threatened to affect relations not just with India, but also with Bangladesh.

The Brahmaputra is critical to Bangladeshs economy and environment. The huge river merges with the Ganga on the plains of Bangladesh to form the Padma. This mega river and its distributaries go on to create one of the largest deltas and biodiversity hotspots in the world  the Sundarbans.

Bangladesh and India are also part of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Forum, a connectivity corridor project that would give China access to the Bay of Bengal and tie in nicely to its One Belt One Road (OBOR) project.

India too has in recent times cried foul of Chinas handling of riparian issues with the Brahmaputra. China had unilaterally started constructing a dam across the river. More recently, India had accused China of refusing to share hydrological data, making it difficult to plan for water-related contingencies.

The report in the South China Morning Post had said China is perfecting the technology it will require to build a 1,000-km tunnel from Tibet to the water-starved Xinjiang region. The report had said the technology is being tested in a 600-km project linking the plains of China with water sources in Tibet.

(With inputs from PTI)
Beijing: China should follow India's move to teach Mandarin to its border troops deployed along the Sino- Indian frontiers and give lessons in Hindi to them for better communication and to avoid any "unnecessary" misunderstandings with their Indian counterparts, a Chinese expert has said.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, last week, had lauded soldiers and officers of the Indo-Tibetan Border Force (ITBP), which guards the borders with China, for introducing Mandarin during basic training of its troops in order to help them converse with PLA soldiers during face offs.

"India's concern over China has risen since the (Doklam) stand-off, so it has asked its soldiers to learn Mandarin to communicate with the Chinese directly to avoid 'unnecessary' misunderstandings," Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of International Relations, was quoted as saying by the state-run Global Times.

He suggested that frontier soldiers from both sides should learn each other's culture, language and customs.

"It helps to enhance their friendship," Hu said, adding that it is also a sign that India was learning from China, which advocates "know yourself and know your target, then you will win every time".

A Chinese frontier soldier, serving in Tibet who requested anonymity, told the Global Times that these Indian soldiers speak a little Mandarin, but speak Hindi most of the time.

He further added that soldiers on both sides usually communicate in English, and sometimes using hand signals. "Those who can speak English are in charge of communicating," he said.

In August, Indian and Chinese troops had exchanged blows and later hurled stones at each other near the Pangong Lake in Ladakh. The incident happened at a time when the India-China relations were tensed due to the row over Doklam.
New Delhi: BJP president Amit Shah said on Tuesday that India moving into the top hundred in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business global rankings demonstrated Modi government's focus on improving lives of citizens and implementation of various reforms.

"Todays results demonstrate PM Narendra Modis laser focus on improving lives of our citizens and implementation of various reforms," he tweeted.

Shah added, "Better business environment is leading to better business opportunities for our entrepreneurs particularly small and medium enterprises."

Todays results demonstrate PM @narendramodis laser focus on improving lives of our citizens and implementation of various reforms.  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) October 31, 2017

Better business environment is leading to better business opportunities for our entrepreneurs particularly small and medium enterprises. October 31, 2017

India moved into the top 100 from its 130th position last year, riding on sustained government reforms which include making tax paying easier, according to the banks report.



The World Bank Group`s latest report `Doing business 2018 - Reforming to create jobs` recognises India as one of the top 10 improvers in this year`s assessment, though the report does not take into account the big bang reform of Goods and Services Tax (GST) which rolled out on July 1.



"India has moved to 100th rank as a result of a number of reforms by the government. India is moving ahead in absolute ranking as well," Annette Dixon, Vice President, South Asia region, told reporters earlier in the day.



It will be only over a period of 1-3 years that the full impact of GST reform on ease of doing business can be assessed, she added.



The report captures reforms implemented in 190 countries between the period June 2, 2016 to June 1, 2017.

"India made paying taxes easier by requiring that payments are made electronically to the Employees Provident Fund and introducing a set of administrative measures easing compliance with corporate income tax," the report stated.



The report noted that India has adopted 37 reforms since 2003 with nearly half of these reforms having been implemented in the last four years.



"India, with eight reforms, was one of this year`s top ten improvers worldwide and the leading regional performer. This is the first year that India is in the top 100 economies globally," it said.

India moves to the 100th spot, a 30 point jump in the latest edition of the #easeofdoingbusiness : https://t.co/YLx1V2TPmY pic.twitter.com/qHvpYJtSEU  World Bank India (@WorldBankIndia) October 31, 2017

This year, the indicators on which reforms were implemented in Delhi and Mumbai, the two cities covered by the report are - starting business, dealing with construction permits, getting credit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency.

While there has been substantial progress, India still lags in areas such as starting a business, enforcing contracts and dealing with construction permits, the report notes.

(With IANS inputs)
New Delhi: India for the first time has moved into the top 100 in the World Banks Ease of Doing Business global rankings from its 130th position last year, riding on sustained government reforms which include making tax paying easier, according to the banks latest report released on Tuesday.



The World Bank Group`s latest report `Doing Business 2018 - Reforming to Create Jobs` recognises India as one of the top 10 improvers in this year`s assessment, though the report does not take into account the big bang reform of Goods and Services Tax (GST) which rolled out on July 1.



"India has moved to 100th rank as a result of a number of reforms by the government. India is moving ahead in absolute ranking as well," Annette Dixon, Vice President, South Asia region, told reporters earlier in the day.



It will be only over a period of 1-3 years that the full impact of GST reform on ease of doing business can be assessed, she added.



The report captures reforms implemented in 190 countries between the period June 2, 2016 to June 1, 2017.

Following are how PM Narendra Modi, some Union Ministers and BJP leaders reacted to the report:

Historic jump in Ease of Doing Business rankings is the outcome of the all-round & multi-sectoral reform push of Team India. pic.twitter.com/DhrEcuurgi  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 31, 2017

Easier business environment is leading to historic opportunities for our entrepreneurs, particularly MSME sector & bringing more prosperity.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 31, 2017

Over the last 3 years we have seen a spirit of positive competition among states towards making business easier. This has been beneficial.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 31, 2017

It has never been easier to do business in India. India welcomes the world to explore economic opportunities our nation has to offer!  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 31, 2017

Guided by the Mantra of Reform, Perform & Transform we are determined to further improve our rankings & scale greater economic growth.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 31, 2017

Indias 30 rank leap in the @WorldBank #EaseOfDoingBusiness is historic. It has portrayed Indias growth&success story in the last 3years.  Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) October 31, 2017

Economic reforms start bearing fruit with passage of time & Govt.s stand on Indias growth road map is vindicated with #EaseOfDoingBusiness  Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) October 31, 2017

Government is committed to further #EaseOfDoingBusiness by bringing in more reforms.  Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) October 31, 2017

Todays results demonstrate PM @narendramodis laser focus on improving lives of our citizens and implementation of various reforms.  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) October 31, 2017

Better business environment is leading to better business opportunities for our entrepreneurs particularly small and medium enterprises.  Amit Shah (@AmitShah) October 31, 2017

#easeofdoingbusiness in India just jumped 30 notches in its ranking. This is an endorsement of the economic initiatives undertaken by the govt.



Congratulations Hon'ble PM @narendramodi ji & @arunjaitley ji! pic.twitter.com/mP82tQnWxo  B.S. Yeddyurappa (@BSYBJP) October 31, 2017

The superlative 30 rank jump in #easeofdoingbusiness is just the beginning of India's asendance in global economy under PM @narendramodi ji. October 31, 2017

India makes the biggest jump in #easeofdoingbusiness of #WorldBank from 130 to 100 in just one year. Great achievement by team @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/GersYKYgah  Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) October 31, 2017

Overall improvement in the indicators of #EaseOfDoingBusiness rankings is indicative of strong growth trajectory under PM @narendramodi ji. pic.twitter.com/8ypokdLfzd  Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) October 31, 2017

(With IANS inputs)
Shimla/Nahan: With things heating up on the battleground before the upcoming Himachal elections, BJP chief Amit Shah launched a fresh salvo at the current Congress-led state government on Tuesday.

"Forget what the BJP did in the last three years, we will give every account of our development programmes in 2019. But Rahul baba should tell that what his three generations and his party did for the country in the past 70 years," said Shah while addressing a public rally at Pachhad in Himachal's Sirmaur district.

The BJP president has been addressing a series of election rallies across the state. He also announced the name of Prem Kumar Dhumal as the party's chief ministerial candidate for Himachal.

Attacking the Congress rule, Shah said Himachal Pradesh has become a land of mafias and criminals.

The Congress government in Himachal is neither competent nor capable of ensuring development and the party should be wiped out from the state, he further added.

Referring to the recent aid of Rs 71,000 crore to the state, Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's has the well being of Himachal in his heart.

Earlier flagging off a 'run for unity' to mark the 142nd birth anniversary of India's first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Shah accused the Nehru family of "undermining" his legacy and contribution.

The Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections 2017 will be held on November 9, counting on December 18.
By PTI: Panaji, Oct 31 (PTI) Goa Congress chief Shantaram Naik today said that when dealing with Pakistan, Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman should take a leaf out of Indira Gandhis page.

Naik was speaking at a function to mark the death anniversary of the former prime minister here.

"Sitharaman should take inspiration from late Indira Gandhi. She should deal with Pakistan from a position of strength and should not be a mere showpiece which Prime Minister Narendra Modi would like her to be," said Naik, a former MP.

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Since prime minister Modi has chosen a woman to helm the defence ministry, he should encourage her to be like Indira Gandhi who liberated Bangladesh showing strength and determination, and taught Pakistan a lesson of a lifetime, the Congress leader said.

The Congress remembers the role played by Sardar VallabhbhaiPatel in keeping the country united, but BJP leaders and workers, with their divisive approach, are working against Patels teachings, Naik said.

Modi made a reference to Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi in his recent Man Ki Baat address only because of the approaching Gujaratelections, he alleged. PTI RPS KRK SSB

--- ENDS ---
A Hindu organisation leader was on Monday shot dead dead by unidentified assailants in Amritsar. Vipin Sharma, the district president of Hindu Sangharsh Sena was murdered in the Bharat Nagar area near Batala Road in Amritsar.

This came less than a fortnight after Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) leader Ravindra Gosain was killed in Ludhiana.

Sharma was attacked by four bike-borne assailants, who fired at least 10 rounds on him. Of these 10 bullets, at least six hit Sharmas chest and he died on the spot.

Reports said that the whole incident was caught on CCTV camera.

As a leader of a Hindu organisation, Sharma had been vocal against terrorism and Khalistan in particular. However, the police is probing if the incident was connected to a business rivalry.

Sharma had been facing death threat since he protested against terrorism on the anniversary of operation Blue Star.

RSS leader Ravindra Gosain was killed on October 17 in a similar manner in Ludhiana.

The 60-year-old RSS leader was returning home from the RSS Shakha, when unidentified men on a motorcycle shot at him.

The assailants open fired on him and he died, Ludhiana Police Commissioner had said.

He headed the Raghunath Nagar Mohan Shakha of RSS Ludhiana. He was also the office bearer of district Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
New Delhi: The Defence Acquisition Council on Tuesday approved the first project under the new Strategic Partnership model to induct 111 helicopters in the Indian Navy at a cost of Rs 21,738 crore, informed sources said.

The DAC, chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, also cleared acquisition of nine active towed array sonar systems for the Indian naval ships and submarines at a cost of Rs 450 crore. The radars will be made in India.

An Acceptance of Necessity (AON) for the helicopters was cleared by the DAC, the highest decision-making body for defence procurement in the Ministry. An AON is a government approval for a purchase proposal.

Def Acquisition Council (DAC) under @DefenceMinIndia @nsitharaman clears 111 Naval Utility Helicopters (NUH) project under Strategic Partnership (SP) model. Huge step 2wards self reliance (in Aerospace industry) & would address critical void of helicopters for fleet (file pic) pic.twitter.com/RcuRdSBr84  SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) October 31, 2017

Under the project, 16 helicopters will be in flyaway condition while 95 will be made by an Indian manufacturer. A Request For Information for 111 Naval Utility Helicopters (NUHs) was issued by the Defence Ministry in August.

The government will now start the procedure to identify a foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer and an Indian partner for the project.

The Navy needs the NUHs for replacing its aging fleet of Chetak choppers.

The Navy has been facing shortage of helicopters and requires multi-role choppers for deployment on warships.

Sitharaman, soon after taking charge as the Defence Minister, started holding DAC meetings fortnightly.

According to the sources, the Minister has been reviewing ongoing and pending projects and held discussions over delays in specific defence acquisition projects.
New Delhi: The Gujarati jeweller who was detained on Monday for allegedly planting a note about hijackers and a bomb in the toilet of a Mumbai-Delhi Jet Airways flight, was reportedly a repeat offender. Birju Kishore Salla, who is in his late 30s usually travelled business class and seemingly had a grudge against the Jet Airways.

In an earlier trip, he had carried a cockroach and blamed the airline. He was let off by the airline then on an assurance that he would not repeat the offence.

"Salla was detained by police after preliminary investigation... It was revealed that Salla had put the threat letter in the plane's washroom. We will take necessary action against him," added an Ahmedabad Police official.

Along with a statutory criminal action against Salla, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said that he was advising airlines to put him on the no-fly list immediately.

Flight 9W 339, which had taken off from Mumbai at 2.55 am with 115 passengers and seven crew members, was diverted to Ahmedabad airport around 3.45 am "following declaration of an emergency as per established security procedures, due to the detection of an onboard security threat.

After receving the note, all passengers were deplaned and screened. They were profiled, their photographs taken and personal details sought, including their last overseas visit.

Giving details of what had happened, Ahmedabad Airport Director Manoj Gangal added that the flight was allowed to make an emergency landing on the pilot's request. "The pilot requested the ATC to make an emergency landing as he suspected that some hijackers as well as explosives were on board. The flight later left for its destination after a thorough investigation by the police," Gangal said.

The threat note had a para in Urdu on the top and English at the bottom. "Flight No 9W 339 is covered by Hijackers and aircraft should not be land and flown straight to POK. 12 people on board. If you put landing gear you will hear the noise of people dying. Dont take it as a joke. Cargo area contains explosive bomb and wl blast if you land Delhi (sic)," it said.
New Delhi: Minister of External affairs Sushma Swaraj said on Tuesday that all Indians were safe in Kabul.

"I have spoken to Indian Ambassador. He has informed me that all Indians there are safe," she tweeted.

#KabulBlast - I have spoken to Indian Ambassador Shri @VohraManpreet. He has informed me that all Indians there are safe. @IndianEmbKabul  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) October 31, 2017

A suicide bomber in the Afghan capital Kabul killed many and wounded several others, most of whom appeared to be workers leaving their offices at the start of the evening rush hour.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack in Wazir Akbar Khan, a heavily fortified area of the city which houses numerous foreign embassies and government buildings.

The target of the attack was not immediately clear but as well as foreign embassies, the area contains a defence ministry department dealing with foreign relations and several private businesses, including a barber and a travel agency.

The explosion came at a time of heightened security in Kabul following a series of attacks in October, including one on a Shi`ite mosque in the city that killed more than 50 people and a separate attack on an army training facility that killed at least 15 soldiers.

Security had already been stepped up considerably following a devastating truck bomb attack outside the German embassy on May 31 that killed at least 150 people, with a series of barriers and checkpoints across the central area of the city.

(With Reuters inputs)
NEW DELHI: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi called for unity and national integration 'against the forces of darkness' on the 33rd death anniversary of his grandmother and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Speaking at the award ceremony for Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration in the national capital on Tuesday, the Congress leader said, Like her (Indira Gandhi) we must all be unfazed and undaunted against the forces of darkness that seek to engulf our land.

He further added that idea of national integration has never been more necessary than it is today.

Idea of India that Indira Gandhi fought for has been thrown fundamentally into question by rising intolerance that we see today. The liberal, tolerant Indian ethos that Indira Gandhi embodied in her life is openly being rejected and repudiated, said Rahul.

This year, the Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration was awarded to Carnatic musician Thodur Madabusi Krishna.

The second-in-command of Congress party tweeted:

Forgiveness is a virtue of the brave: Indira Gandhi pic.twitter.com/kjlDwVslpW  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) October 31, 2017

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former PM Manmohan Singh and former president Pranab Mukherjee paid tributes to Indira Gandhi on her 33rd death anniversary.
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Tuesday that the attack on Indian students in Italy was a case of robbery and not a racial attack.

"Attack on Indian students in Italy - I have spoken to the concerned Indian student in Milan. He has told me that this was a case of robbery and not a racial attack," she tweeted.

The report of the attacks came as Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni was in India on a two-day visit and held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on boosting ties that have seen a marked downswing over recent years.



"Attack on Indian students in Milan - I have got the detailed report. Please do not worry. I am monitoring the situation personally," the EAM had said earlier in a tweet.

Attack on Indian students in Italy - I have spoken to the concerned Indian student in Milan. /1  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) October 31, 2017

He has told me that this was a case of robbery and not a racial attack. /2  Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) October 31, 2017

I appreciate @cgmilan1 for providing all help. /3 October 31, 2017

Brave Indian student who suffered the traumatic attack came to report the matter. Students maintain no racist angle in the incident. pic.twitter.com/TB9OgIYZXI  India in Milan (@cgmilan1) October 31, 2017

The Consulate is in touch with the students as well as local authorities. All help is being provided to the students.  India in Milan (@cgmilan1) October 31, 2017

Swaraj's remarks came a day after the Indian Consulate in Milan said that it has received reports of attacks and cautioned students to stay away from any area perceived to be of risk.



"The consulate has received reports of unfortunate incident of attacks on the Indian students in Milan. All Indian students are urged not to panic," the statement had said.



"Students are also requested to report such matters to the Consulate on Consul General's Cell 3290884057 immediately," the consulate had said sharing the helpline number.



"This will help the consulate take up the issue with the higher authorities in Milan so that all efforts can be made to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future. In the meanwhile, students are advised to be in touch with each other (particularly when they go out) as well as with the Consulate and spread the information among other students about the areas where they face such incidents so that such areas can be avoided or approached with greater caution," the statement had added.

Attack on Indian students in Milan pic.twitter.com/kY0qwfePm8 October 30, 2017

According to reports, the attacks took place on October 17 and October 30. Three Indians students were allegedly attacked with beer bottles, in apparent racist attacks.



There is a 180,000-strong Indian community in Italy, the third largest in the European Union after Britain and the Netherlands.



Gentiloni was in India on October 29-30 in what was the first Italian PM visit in over a decade.

(With IANS inputs)
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday paid floral tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his birth anniversary. He then made the countrymen take an oath of unity, aimed at protecting and preserving the diversity of the nation. Following a public address, the Prime Minister flagged off Run for Unity. As many as 15,000 people, of which many are government officials, are participating in the event.

Here are the latest updates:

# Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off 'Run for Unity".

# Main sabse nishtha se shapath leta hun ki main rashtra ki ekta, akhandta aur surakshha ko banaye rakhne ke liye, swayam ko samarpit karunga, aur apne deshwasiyon ke beech yeh sandesh failaane ka bhi bharsak prayatna karunga. Main yeh shapath apne desh ki ekta ki bhawna se le raha hun, jisey Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel ki doordarshita evam karyon dwara sambhaw banaya ja sakaa. Main apne desh ki antrik surakshha sunishchit karne ke liye apna yogdaan karne ka nishtha se sankalp karta hun: PM Modi asks the country to take oath of unity.

# I invite you for a oath on Bharatiya Ekta Diwas, says PM Modi.

# It is the responsibility of every Indian to ensure that the country gifted to us by Sardar Patel does not fail, says PM Modi.

# We are the country who can accept all the cultures of the world, this is our legacy, this is our path to a bright future, says PM Modi.

# We have forgotten Sardar Patel. But with 'Run for Unity', the country is again remembering its greatest hero, says PM Modi.

# Sardar Patel united the country using all possible means, says PM Modi.

# Today's generation has not been told much about the contributions of Sardar Patel, says PM Modi.

# Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a gathering ahead of flagging off 'Run for Unity'.

During his Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi had appealed to the public to participate in the Run for Unity events being organised across the country and be a part of this festival of harmony.

We can learn a lot from the extraordinary journey of this great son of India, the Prime Minister had said.

We salute Sardar Patel on his Jayanti. His momentous service and monumental contribution to India can never be forgotten. pic.twitter.com/t9TFeii3IP  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 31, 2017

Earlier in the day PM Modi paid floral tributes to India's first union home minister.

We salute Sardar Patel on his Jayanti. His momentous service and monumental contribution to India can never be forgotten, the PM tweeted.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and Home Minister Rajnath Singh also paid tributes to Sardar Patel on his birth anniversary.

The Prime Minsiter also paid tributes to former prime minister Indira Gandhi on her death anniversary.
New Delhi: Amid public outcry over mob violence unleashed by self-declared cow vigilante groups in the country, the Supreme Court is expected to decide on imposing a ban on them.

According to ANI, the apex court will today hear several pleas seeking a ban on cow vigilante groups across the nation.

One of the petitioners, in his plea, had alleged that the vigilante groups have unleashed terror on members of the minority and Dalit communities.

The apex court had earlier sought a response from the Centre and other states on the issue.

During a previous hearing on the issue, the apex court asked the Centre and six states to respond as to why such elements should not be banned for creating disharmony among communities and castes.

A bench of Justices Dipak Misra, A M Khanwilkar and M M Shantanagoudhar had directed the Centre and the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Jharkhand to respond within three weeks on a PIL seeking a ban on "gau rakshak dals" - often lawless groups that have assaulted alleged cow smugglers.

The court's direction came after a 55-year-old farmer Pehlu Khan died following an assault by cow vigilantes in Alwar, Rajasthan.

Many cases of harassment and violence in the name of "gau raksha" (cow protection) have taken place across the nation over the last few months.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in June strongly condemned the attacks in the name of cow vigilantism, saying, "Killing people in the name of cow is unacceptable. No one has the right to take law into his/her hands. We belong to a land of non-violence. Violence is not the solution to any problem."

Earlier, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar after the all-party meeting had said, "Prime Minister Modi has asked the State Governments to take strict action against the anti-social elements creating violence in the name of cow vigilantism and punish them strictly."

With ANI inputs
New York: Apple`s Tim Cook and Facebook`s Mark Zuckerberg met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, state media said Tuesday, as the Communist Party pushes for a larger role in private firms.

The meeting came days after Xi secured his position as China`s most powerful leader since Mao and as Facebook seeks to gain entry to the massive market.

"As a beneficiary of and contributor to economic globalisation, China`s development is the opportunity for the world," Xi told the annual gathering of advisers to Tsinghua University`s School of Economics and Management, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Under Xi, the Communist Party has increasingly tightened its grip on state-owned companies and has asked foreign firms to include party cells in their offices.

The move has raised concerns that the party may try to create alternative power structures within companies and potentially exercise control over management decisions, as it has in the case of state-owned enterprises.

Of the more than one hundred thousand foreign-funded companies in China, 70 percent had set up party organisations by the end of 2016, according to Qi Yu, deputy head of the party`s Organisation Department.

Foreign companies regularly complain about the lack of access to Chinese markets and Zuckerberg in particular has made a big show of courting the country`s top leadership in hopes of convincing Beijing to relax its ban on Facebook.

The Silicon Valley entrepreneur has been photographed with a collection of Xi`s writings and happily jogging across Tiananmen Square in choking pollution. He has also given a lecture in China in halting Chinese.

The company has recently begun staffing up on the mainland, but appears to have made little progress in convincing Beijing to change its mind, a prospect that seems even less likely as the country tightens social media controls.

Tsinghua University`s business school has attracted a bevy of A-list advisers from the worlds of tech and finance, including Blackstone`s Stephen Schwarzman, Goldman Sachs` Lloyd Blankfein, and Tesla`s Elon Musk, as well as China`s own leading entrepreneurs, such as Alibaba`s Jack Ma.
Srinagar: While the Central government is trying to talk to all concerned parties in Kashmir, separatist leaders in the state are not ready to budge from their demands. Separatists on Tuesday called the appointment of Dineshwar Sharma as interlocutor "a new tactic" by the Centre and asserted that they won't have any talks with him.

The Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), a conglomerate of senior separatist leaders, rejected any possibility of engaging in parleys with former Intelligence Bureau chief Dineshwar Sharma.

In a statement issued by Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), a conglomerate of senior separatist leaders said it is a 'futile exercise'.

"To be part of this so-called dialogue process would be a futile exercise for any Kashmiri since this new tactic has been adopted by the Indian government after its failure to crush the aspirations of the freedom loving people through military repression," Hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, head of moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF chief Yasin Malik said in a joint statement.

The statement added: "In principle we have always advocated and supported sincere and productive dialogue as a means to resolve the conflict in Jammu and Kashmir. Our stand on dialogue requires the basic acknowledgment that there is a dispute that has to be resolved."

"The Indian government has continuously refused to accept this basic premise and the reality on the ground," it added.

They also took strong exception to Sharma's statement that Jammu and Kashmir has to be saved from becoming another Syria. "To compare the internationally recognized 70-year-old political and humanitarian issue of Kashmir to that of the sectarian war and power struggle in Syria is deception and propaganda as there is no relation between the two situations," they said.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has tweeted about an attack on Indian students in Milan. She said that she has received the detailed report and is going to personally monitor the situation.

By India Today Web Desk: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted about an attack on Indian students in Milan.

Retweeting a statement posted by Consulate General of India in Milan, Sushma Swaraj said that she has got the detailed report and is monitoring the situation personally.

Attack on Indian students in Milan pic.twitter.com/kY0qwfePm8- India in Milan (@cgmilan1) October 30, 2017

The statement said that the Indian consulate is "taking up this matter with the highest level of law and order authorities in Milan". The consulate has requested to report matters to the Consulate on Consul General's cell immediately.

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The Consulate has also advised the students to be in touch with each other as well as with the Consulate "and spread the information among other students about the areas where they face such incidents".

More details awaited.

ITALIAN PM GENTILONI IN INDIA

Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni along with this wife and a 15-member Italian CEO delegation arrived in India on October 29 for a two-day visit.

In a bid to boost ties between Italy and India, PM Gentiloni met Sushma Swaraj and discussed issues of mutual interest. Later on, PM Narendra Modi and PM Paolo Gentiloni interacted with 12 Indian and 19 Italian business leaders for boosting economic and investment cooperation.

Held talks with PM @PaoloGentiloni on boosting economic and people-to-people cooperation between India & Italy. https://t.co/4FOGH1mNye pic.twitter.com/Spa2th6z4u- Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 30, 2017

During the meeting, six agreements/MOUs were signed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation.

The Italian prime minister's visit was the first one since 2007.

--- ENDS ---
Bhopal: Union minister Uma Bharti on Tuesday said reservation was necessary and must continue in the country for the benefit of those who remained oppressed for ages.

Bharti further said there was no discrimination in the country on the basis of religion but certainly it was there in the name of caste.

"Reservation is necessary for the country as there are many people who remained oppressed for ages in the country because of caste," Bharti told reporters when asked to comment on the issue in context of Gujarat assembly polls.

"It is a constitutional provision and hence it should continue," she said.

When asked that in some temples entry of certain people is banned on the basis of caste, she said "people should go to any temple without disclosing their caste."

On the issue of Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh's ongoing Narmada Parikrama, Bharti said "Singh and his family is very religious. I don't want to make any political comment on it.

"If he invites me for the bhandara (feast) normally organised after the successful completion of yatra, I will certainly take part in it. He is like an elder brother to me and I wish best wishes to both him and his wife on the occasion."
Mumbai: A month after 23 people were killed in a stampede at the Elphinstone Road station in Mumbai, the Army will help in building a new foot overbridge. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made the announcement after he along with Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Piyush Goyal visited the station on Tuesday.

The Army will also assist in building foot overbridges at two other stations in Mumbai. "We are taking the Army's help in building a new FOB at the Elphinstone Road station and at two other suburban train stations in Mumbai," Fadnavis said.

"I have been informed that the work on these bridges will be completed by January 31," he added.

After the stampede on September 29, railway officials posted police personnel to manage the crowd on busy platforms, evicted hawkers from suburban train stations and started speeding up infrastructure projects on suburban network.

After the tragedy, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal had announced a slew of safety measures including more manpower and additional escalators at crowded suburban stations. He had also said that the Foot Over Bridges (FOBs) would be deemed mandatory and not just a public amenity.

The Minister had also said that 200 officers from the headquarters will be relocated as field staff to enhance ground operations. "200 officers to be relocated from Head Quarters as field staff to strengthen ground operations and project implementation," Goyal had said.

He also said that to eliminate bureaucracy and delays, "I have empowered GMs to spend whatever is necessary on safety."
Mumbai: The Central and Western Railways on Tuesday said the Army was chosen to build three foot over- bridges in Mumbai due to its expertise and reputation in building roads and bridges in unfavourable situations.

Addressing a joint press conference here, chief spokespersons of Western Railway (WR) Ravinder Bhakar and Central Railway (CR) Sunil Udasi said the Army was a preferred choice in times of crises in all the countries across the globe.

They said that since the Army has an expertise in building roads and developing infrastructure, the task of constructing the foot over-bridges in Mumbai has been handed over to it.

"Not only the Indian Army, but armies across the globe, whenever a country faces a severe crisis, they come forward to help the people," Bhakar said.

"We have many cases wherein the Army was roped in to rescue the needy people during crises, such as very recently Savitri river bridge in Raigad district was swept away and the Army joined the rescue missions," he added, as per PTI.

The government has been facing severe criticism over its decision to take the help of the Army to build the over- bridges in Mumbai in the wake of Elphinstone Road station stampede that claimed 23 lives last month.

The Maharashtra government earlier today had said that the Army would build three footover bridges including the one at Elphinstone railway station where a stampede killed 23 people in September, sparking a political slugfest over soldiers being used in civil works.

The foot overbridges (FOBs) will be built on Elphinstone Road of Western Railway, and Currey Road and Ambivali stations of the Central Railway on the congested Mumbai suburban network.



"Given the Army engineers` expertise, they will construct the three foot overbridges by January 31. The Army has been very helpful to not just us but the society at large and I am very thankful to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal for this huge help to bring ease in Mumbaikars` life," Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the media, IANS reported.

Indian Army has always been very helpful to not just us but society at large and I am very thankful to #RakshaMantri @nsitharaman ji & Railway Minister @PiyushGoyal ji for this huge help to bring ease in Mumbaikars life : CM @Dev_Fadnavis pic.twitter.com/kzVFf9fEdL  CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) October 31, 2017

On the other hand, Sitharaman said, "The Indian Army has always been steadfast in the provision of aid for disaster relief issues. This is the first time when we are actually Army to help us in what essentially could be called civil work in the financial capital city of the country."

Goyal, on his part, said work on the bridges was expected to begin within 15 days, and in a later tweet, said it will be done by January 31, 2018.

Armed Forces to help in constructing 3 FOBs at Elphinstone Rd, Currey Rd & Ambivali Stations. Work to be done by 31 Jan18 #MumbaiThanksArmy October 31, 2017

The development came a little over a month after 23 commuters were killed in a stampede on a narrow FOB connecting WR`s Elphinstone Road with Parel on Central Railway on September 29.



Sitharaman, Goyal, Fadnavis, the Railway Board chief, the WR and CR general managers and other officials on Tuesday morning surveyed the Elphinstone Road station to take stock of the improvement works in progress post-stampede.



The move to involve the Army for urban civilian works in peace-time attracted strong criticism from opposition leaders, including Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and a passengers body.

(With Agency inputs)
Mumbai: Shares in embattled wireless carrier Reliance Communications Ltd rose more than 10 percent in early trade on Tuesday after the company presented a new debt repayment plan to its lenders.

The company, with $6.8 billion of net debt as of last March, said it will look to repay 170 billion rupees ($2.62 billion) of loans by selling assets such as mobile towers. It also pledged to repay another 100 billion rupees from sale or commercial development of its real estate assets.

Under a central bank debt restructuring plan, its lenders will also swap 70 billion rupees of the loans to take a 51 percent stake in the company commonly called as Rcom.

The stock was up 13 percent at 0352 GMT, compared with a 0.2 percent fall in the broader NSE Nifty.

The stock has tumbled this year, hitting a series of record lows on worries about whether it can pay back its debt.




Mumbai: After four back-to-back sessions of record-setting binge, the Sensex on Tuesday retreated from its peak, logging its first fall in seven sessions, dragged down by metal, IT, PSU and auto stocks.

The NSE Nifty also slipped from record to close at 10,335.30.

The 30-share Sensex, after opening lower, slipped further. But buying in selective counters made it settle at 33,213.13, down 53.03 points, or 0.16 per cent, from yesterday's close.

The index had closed at a life high of 33,266.16 after scaling all-time intra-day high of 33,340.17 on Monday.

The gauge had risen 876.19 points in the past six sessions.

The Nifty closed at 10,335.30, down 28.35 points, or 0.27 per cent. It had ended at a fresh lifetime high of 10,363.65 after scaling an intra-day record of 10,384.50 yesterday.

Investors are waiting for major earnings reports and a Federal Reserve policy meeting outcome.
Mumbai: Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has embarrassed its NDA ally BJP yet again. And now, one of its senior leaders has called the BJP the "principal enemy" of Shiv Sena, saying that it is part of the Maharashtra government "just for the sake of it".

These remarks were made by Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on the eve of the Devendra Fadnavis government's third anniversary.

According to PTI, the Shiv Sena lawmaker also heaped praise on Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, saying there has been a substantial change in him over the last three years.

"The BJP owns the government. We are (in the government) just for the sake of it. Instead of hitting out at the Congress and NCP, the BJP targets the Shiv Sena. They (the BJP) are thus our principal enemy," Raut was quoted as telling reporters in Nashik.

On Rahul Gandhi, the Shiv Sena leader said, ''A leader is one who is accepted by people. There is a substantial change in Rahul Gandhi since 2014. People like to listen to him now."

He also stated that the Uddhav Thackeray-led party has begun preparations for the Lok Sabha and assembly polls of 2019 and it is ready to fight elections with or without the BJP.

To a question on the Shiv Sena's stand on encroachment by hawkers on the Mumbai streets, Raut added that his party's founder late Bal Thackeray was the first to raise the issue.

"Bala-saheb was the first person to speak on this issue. Today, unless the chief minister provides police protection to corporation employees, the civic body cannot remove encroachments," he said.

Asked about former Congress leader Narayan Rane - who started his career with the Shiv Sena before a bitter parting of ways - joining the state cabinet, Raut said he had been hearing rumours of cabinet expansion for long, and he would comment on it only when it happens.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had on Monday said that the cabinet reshuffle will take place before the winter session of the state legislature, and Rane, who quit the Congress recently to form his own party, will be inducted into the cabinet.

Hitting out at the Narendra Modi-led BJP disposition, Shiv Sena had on Monday lamented that despite a "pro-Hindutva" government at the Centre, issues like Ram Temple in Ayodhya and 'ghar wapsi' of displaced Kashmiri Pandits are still unresolved.

In an acerbic editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Maharashtra-based party also countered Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's recent remark that 'Hindustan' is a country of Hindus, but it does not mean that India does not belong to "others".

With PTI inputs
Mumbai: Actress Kriti Kharbanda, who has turned 27, feels age is just a number and that one can't decide anyone's worth based on their age.

"I honestly think age is just a number. As long as you have the passion and stamina, you keep going. If you allow someone else to determine how good or bad you are and whether you're worth it or not according to your age, then it's your fault," Kriti told IANS.



"If you give up just thinking Oh, I'm old now!', that doesn't work either. I think it totally depends on your attitude towards it," she added.



Kriti turned a year older on October 29. She had a Halloween-themed birthday party.



How has the meaning of celebrating birthday changed with time?



"Honestly, it hasn't. Because when I was younger, everyone around me was having birthday parties while I was working and not acting my age. Today, I feel 19 again because I have gone back in time. I'm doing something for myself for a change. I'm thoroughly enjoying the idea. I'm trying to make up for lost time," said the actress.



Kriti will soon be seen on the big screen in "Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana".
Mumbai: A video of Pakistani beauty Mahira Khan recreating Katrina Kaifs Kaala Chashma moment has surfaced online and it is dayum cool.

The video in question has been posted on Instagram by a fan of the actress who made her Bollywood in January this year with Shah Rukh Khan starrer Raees.

Check out the video below:

Her expressions,moves are so killer! @mahirahkhan @divamagazinepakistan ap log meri video steal karke toh batao #mahirakhan #kalachasma A post shared by Verna releasing 17/11/17 (@mahirakhan8799) on Oct 29, 2017 at 10:47am PDT

Interestingly, Kaala chashma song from the film Baar Baar Dekho featured Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoors former girlfriend.

A few weeks back, Mahira made headlines after photographs of her and Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor hanging out in New York City surfaced online. She was slut-shamed for wearing a short dress and smoking by haters on social media. But her friends in India and Pakistan extended support to her by silencing haters with befitting responses.

After maintaining stoic silence for a number of days, Mahira broke her silence while answering reporters during an event in Pakistan.

According to a news report, a video of Mahira answering questions about the photographs in question had surfaced online. Mahira reportedly said, Main kya comment ker sakti hoon...It was a personal thing...I have learnt from it...because I am a very careful person otherwise and I have learnt...

When quizzed if the photographs were a part of a films scene, she said, these are personal questions....Its very normal for a girl and a guy to hangout...its a very normal thing...secondly as I have said we have all learnt from it...and we have understood that aap log (media) jo hain woh sirf yahan nahin hain har jagah hain.

The diva is currently promoting her film Verna which is slated to release on November 17 this year. The film directed by Shoaib Mansoor also stars Haroon Shahid, Rasheed Naz, Zarrar Khan and Naimal Khawar.
New Delhi: The gorgeous couple of Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu is keeping internet busy as their new pictures look dayum cutesy. The duo is back from a lovely-dovey honeymoon in London and shared some new pictures from a Chennai bash.

The most striking thing in one of the pictures is not Samantha or Naga, but yet another dashing star Rana Daggubati. Yes! Fans spotted Rana at the backdrop where he can be seen chit-chatting with Naga in a candid way and the social media is abuzz with it.

The best friend @krishnafilmmakerlove you paaps A post shared by Samantha Akkineni (@samantharuthprabhuoffl) on Oct 31, 2017 at 12:02am PDT

The fat but happy vibe. Absolutely love this @anamikakhanna.in outfit though A post shared by Samantha Akkineni (@samantharuthprabhuoffl) on Oct 31, 2017 at 12:26am PDT

Samantha even shared a picture with Rana's sister Malavika Daggubati. The duo was in a relationship for a long time before entering matrimony. Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu got married on October 5 at the beautiful locales of Goa. The beach wedding added to the grandeur of the ceremony which saw family and close friends in attendance.

My soul sista @malavikad super human#princessvibes #anamikakhannaobsessed @anamikakhanna.in A post shared by Samantha Akkineni (@samantharuthprabhuoffl) on Oct 31, 2017 at 12:00am PDT

ChaySam (that's what the couple is fondly called) also had a Christian style wedding on October 8, 2017. Naga and Samantha have featured in successful films such as Ye Maaya Chesave, Manam and Thrayam to name a few.
The foreigner slur is familiar but hard to maintain in the case of Shah Jahan, who was born in India and three of whose four grandparents were Rajputs.

For a building that many regard as a symbol of love, the Taj Mahal generates a lot of anger. It seems to have a gift for provoking some people into saying things that then make others hotand bothered-all of which seems rather remote from the intended effect of a cool marble mausoleum.

By omitting any reference to the Taj in its tourism development plan, the government of Uttar Pradesh has opened a new front. Their apparent oversight of one of the greatest and most popular of monuments, not just in the state but in the country, is calculated to enrage through silence. After the event, the chief minister and cabinet member Rita Bahuguna Joshi has become effusive in praising the Taj, but too late to control the damage; and meanwhile BJP MLA Sangeet Som has waded in by asserting that it cannot be regarded as an example of Indian culture because it was built by a foreigner.

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That familiar slur, which can be applied equally to miniskirts or anything else that the speaker dislikes, never signifies anything more than an attempt to police Indian culture. In this case, however, the ground itself is somewhat shaky. The early Mughals, for sure, were of foreign origin. But Shah Jahan was born in India, and three of his four grandparents were Rajputs-his mother and his maternal grandparents were from Jodhpur, while his father's mother was also a Rajput princess who was married to Akbar. We may assume that Som aims to be scrupulous in his definition of Indianness, but it is rather far-fetched to call ShahJahan a foreigner.

On the other hand, his view offers a riposte to the other recently revived controversy about the Taj Mahal: the contrary assertion that far from being untypical of Indian culture, it is, in fact, a thinly disguised and misrecognised ancient Shiva temple, the Tejo Mahalaya! This idea-born out of the pseudo-scholarship of Purushottam Nagesh Oak-understandably makes serious historians irritable. I am inclined to see it as a back-handed compliment. It is the modern counterpart of a conviction passionately held by some British authors in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that the Taj was designed by an Italian named Geronimo Veroneo, or a French jeweller called Austin of Bordeaux. The supposed evidence for these claims was just as feeble as for the later temple idea. Dispassionate readers will observe a common thread: in each case the writer makes a claim that brings the Taj culturally closer to himself. The Taj is just too good to let go. It is too wonderful to allow the credit for making it go to Indians/ Muslims/ any Other who is not Us.

The riposte to Som from Samajwadi Party MLA Azam Khan was to suggest-one hopes archly, to highlight the absurdity-that the Taj should be demolished, along with the Rashtrapati Bhavan, another 'symbol of slavery'. It is telling that the latter act was not contemplated in 1947. Edwin Lutyens put every fibre of his imperial being into making Viceroy's House a symbol of the world's largest-ever empire, and, at the stroke of the midnight hour, everybody forgot that particular bit. Why was it not turned into the National Memorial to the Evils of Imperialism? It served briefly as the temporary National Museum; and then the new Constitution provided for a President, who might not have required a palace, but there was one going spare so he was installed, and ever since, it has been seen as his residence and nothing else, its history erased.

Symbols mean what those who perceive them-not what those who make them-want them to mean. For at least the last hundred years or more, the Taj Mahal has even lost its exclusively Mughal connotation and serves instead as a symbol of love, as well as a symbol of India-a point that must strike one strongly if you have ever sipped Taj Mahal tea while sitting in the restaurant of a Taj Mahal hotel. Wah, Taj! n

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(Giles Tillotson is an art historian whose books include Taj Mahal)

--- ENDS ---
New Delhi: California-based space company SpaceX on Monday, launched a commercial communications satellite for South Korea  the KoreaSat 5A  and then landed the rocket on a floating drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

A SpaceX two-stage Falcon 9 rocket carrying the satellite was flagged-off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Xinhua news agency reported.

The satellite was deployed to a geostationary transfer orbit about 36 minutes after liftoff.

KoreaSat 5A, operated by KT SAT, South Korea's sole satellite service provider is a replacement for Koreasat-5, which was launched in 2006. It will provide direct-to-home broadcasting and other communications services in South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asia.

Unlike other satellites in the Koreasat fleet, Koreasat-5A will also provide maritime coverage of the Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean, South China Sea, and East China Sea, SpaceX said.

In addition to delivering the satellite, the Falcon 9 had a secondary mission of attempting to land the rocket's first-stage on the "Of Course I Still Love You" drone ship, positioned in the Atlantic Ocean.

That occurred successfully about eight minutes after liftoff.

Till date, SpaceX has returned and landed a Falcon 9's first stage 19 times on land and at sea.

Such landings are part of SpaceX's efforts to develop fully reusable rockets, which the California-based company believed could bring down spaceflight costs.

(With IANS inputs)
New Delhi: Apple Inc has designed iPhones and iPads that would drop chips supplied by Qualcomm Inc, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The change would affect iPhones released in the fall of 2018, but Apple could still change course before then, these people said. They declined to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the matter with the media.

The dispute stems from a change in supply arrangements under which Qualcomm has stopped providing some software for Apple to test its chips in its iPhone designs, one of the people told Reuters.

The two companies are locked in a multinational legal dispute over the Qualcomm`s licensing terms to Apple.

Qualcomm told Reuters it is providing fully tested chips to Apple for iPhones. "We are committed to supporting Apple`s new devices consistent with our support of all others in the industry," Qualcomm said in a statement.

The Wall Street Journal first reported that Apple could drop Qualcomm chips Monday.

Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon said Apple`s move is not totally unexpected.

Though Qualcomm has for several years supplied Apple`s modems - which help Apple`s phones connect to wireless data networks - Intel Corp has provided upward of half of Apple`s modem chips for iPhones in recent years, Rasgon said. Intel recently acquired a firm that would let it replace more of Qualcomm`s chips in iPhones, Rasgon said.

Rasgon said it`s too early to say definitively whether Apple fully intends to drop Qualcomm next year because Apple can likely make multiple contingency plans for different supplier scenarios.

"Apple is big enough that they want to support multiple paths, they can do that," Rasgon said. "Samsung (Electronics Co) did this too. A couple of years ago, Samsung designed Qualcomm out, but Qualcomm didn`t even know until it was close to time to ship" Samsung`s phones, Rasgon said.




Mumbai: Commoner contestant Jyoti Kumari who was evicted from Bigg Boss season 11 on October 29 Weekend ka Vaar episode interacted with reporters recently to narrate her experience inside the house.

Prabhat Khabar shared a video on Twitter which shows Jyoti answering a few questions about her stay in the house of Bigg Boss.

Bigg Boss 11      ,     ' ' pic.twitter.com/1f9ulSyMoP  Prabhat Khabar (@prabhatkhabar) 30 October 2017

On being asked how she was feeling on being evicted, Jyoti said, I am not feeling good about the fact that I was evicted so soon because there are weaker contestants such as Luv other than me inside the house. But its okay.

Jyoti denied favouritism on being asked if she was evicted so early because she belongs to a small town.

To put all speculations to rest, Jyoti said, No theres nothing like that. I was constantly nominated for a week and to stay back even for a month is a big deal because its the biggest reality show of India.

On being quizzed about Sapna Chaudhary, Jyoti said, She talks differently in front of people and has something else to say behind their back. So she was named fake aunty in the house.

Jyoti hails from a small town named Maussaudi in Patna. In the promo video which introduced the first four commoner contestants of season 11 ahead of the shows launch, Jyoti introduced herself as a, "Mamooli chaprasi ki beti. She said, Mamooli chaprasi ki beti ke sapne mamooli ho yeh zaroori nahin."(An ordinary peons daughters dreams need not necessarily be ordinary.

Jyoti was one of the most silent contestants of Bigg Boss season 11. She shared a special equation with Vikas Gupta and treated him like her brother. However, as a contestant, she was very inactive, to say the least, and owing to her non-competitive spirit, she was somewhat unpopular.
New Delhi: In the Weekend ka Vaar episode aired on October 29, 2017 Vikas Gupta was seen threatening Shilpa Shinde that he would reveal her secret if she made any further personal attacks on him. The threat came after Shilpa took Parth Samthaan's name who had accused Vikas of sexual assault.

If you are wondering about the 'secret' that Vikas Gupta threatened to reveal, take a deep breath because that revelation is out!

According to a report in Hindustan Times, the secret that Vikas threatened to reveal concerns Shilpa's ex, Romit Raj. Shilpa and Romit were about to get married in 2009 reportedly. However, the wedding was called off after things turned sour between the two.

Shilpa had opened up about her breakup in an interview with India Today previously.

She said-

My wedding preparations were done, my wedding outfit was ready, I had even bought my jewelry and the cards were also printed. It is very sad that I had to call off my marriage one month prior to the actual date. But I feel it is a wise decision and I am very happy that at least now I wont have to make adjustments for each and every single thing. I will now be able to take my own decisions.

In the Weekend ka Vaar episode, the housemates also got a warning from Salman Khan who said that if any contestant is found making personal attacks on someone, he/she will be asked to leave the house.


Tel Aviv: Israeli forces opened fire on a "suspect" vehicle in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, killing one Palestinian and wounding another, Israel`s army and the Palestinian health ministry said.

An army statement said a vehicle approached Israeli soldiers in a "suspect" manner near the Jewish settlement of Halamish and Palestinian village of Nabi Saleh.

"The soldiers perceived the vehicle as a threat and consequently fired towards it in order to stop it," it said.

The Palestinian health ministry said one man died, identifying him as 26-year-old Mohammed Mussa.
New Delhi: Several Pakistani senators on Tuesday raised concerns over United States' South Asia policy and urged Islamabad to follow policies independent of American designs.

A long-standing ally of the United States, Pakistan has recently been at the receiving end of strong warnings from the Donald Trump administration which has asked it to do more in battling home-grown terrorism. A recent visit from US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson further plunged relations when he reportedly told Pakistani authorities that the US will act against terror groups in the region with or without their support.

The reaction has been sharp.

While senator Taj Haider said US President Trump "wants to divide people while erecting walls", another senator - Azam Sawati - said Washington is eyeing Pakistan's nuclear assets.

According to a report in Dawn, the Pakistani senators accused United States of putting South Asian peace and regional stability at risk. Several of them said the country is trying to prop India up against China and that Pakistan must follow its own path. "We welcome the US if it wants to eliminate terrorism without the support of Pakistan," said senator Sehar Kamran. "The US should look upon its failures."

Others like senator Mian Attique attacked the US for leaving using allies and predicted that India too will learn its lesson from getting close with Washington.

While US-Pakistan relations have nosedived in recent months, US-India ties have become closer. Tillerson visited India a day after a frosty welcome in Islamabad and said that the two countries are committed to building closer relations in stand firmly against terrorism.

China - Pakistan's new-found ally - too has found recent developments in US-India relations a bit alarming. Regular opinions expressed by strategy experts in the state-owned Global Times have accused the US of cosying up to India only to counter Beijing's rise.
New Delhi: Pakistan's atomic energy commission chairman has said that the country is looking at adding an additional three to four big reactors to its current strength of five small reactors to increase nuclear power capacity to 8,800 megawatts (MW) by 2030 from its current capacity of 1300 MW.

Speaking to Reuters, Muhammad Naeem Chairman of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, outlined that work on two of these new reactors should by complete by 2021. "We have the plans in place, we are watching for proven technologies. We could award the contracts before year-end," he said on the sidelines of a nuclear conference in Abu Dhabi. While the Chinese have recently increased their role - the latest made operational last month has been built by China National Nuclear Corp - Naeem did not specify if non-Chinese bidders would be allowed.

Pakistan, which has a nuclear weapons programme, has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. So, reactor vendors from the West cannot sell here. Therefore, China assumes even more significance.

Pakistan's current line of nuclear reactors contribute just five per cent of the total electricity. At a time when the country is looking to increase this proportion and reduce dependence on oil, gas and hydropower.

The gap between supply and demand though remains glaring.

In March, Dawn reported widespread load-shedding across the country. Several urban parts of the country reported six to eight hours of power shedding while rural areas saw 18 hours of power cut for a number of days. To varying degrees, it is a problem not just in Pakistan but in the entire sub-continent with even India looking to now reduce dependece on non-renewable resources.
By PTI: Hyderabad, Oct 30 (PTI) The Telangana government aims to plant 230 crore trees by 2019 as part of its Haritha Haram green campaign.

"The total number of trees to be planted under this programme is totalling 230 crore by 2019," the government said in a statement on the programme in the Legislative Assembly today.

The programme aims at increasing the green cover in the state from the present 24 per cent to 33 per cent in the state, it said.

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The Congress government (in undivided Andhra Pradesh) during 2004-2014 spent Rs 130 crore on conservation and promotion of green cover, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said in his speech on the issue.

According to the CM, his government spent Rs 2,008 crore in the last three and half years since it assumed office.

"3.17 crore trees were planted in Telangana during 34 years, from 1980 to 2014 when Telangana was formed," he said.

According to the statement, 15.86 crore seedlings were planted during 2015-16. During 2016-17, 31.67 crore seedlings were planted. "During the current year about 34.04 crore seedlings have been planted till date," it said.

Rao took exception to Left parties supporting some Gottikoyas (who reside in forests) who were recently asked to leave the place in Bhupalpalli district by the administration as they cut down trees in forest.

The Gottikayas were "intruders" into Telangana, he said, adding they can live in the state but it was not correct to cut down trees in forests.

Union Ministers Prakash Javadekar and Harsh Vardhan appreciated the efforts of the state government to improve green cover, he added.

Rao also said the state government would bring a new law for panchayati raj bodies under which the village panchayat bodies could work for increasing green cover.

He also favoured appointing a house committee to go into the issue of promoting green cover. PTI SJR NRB

--- ENDS ---
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a second $213 million contract to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. to carry out the remaining dredging of Charleston Harbors entrance channel to 54 feet, allowing it to handle larger containerships.



The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a second $213 million contract to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. to carry out the remaining dredging of Charleston Harbors entrance channel to 54 feet, which will allow the South Carolina port to handle the largest containerships currently calling the U.S. East Coast, the South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) said Monday.

The contract will cover the removal of about 7.95 million cubic yards of material from the entrance channel. Combined with the first $47.2 million dredge contract awarded to Great Lakes on Sept. 7, the SCPA will achieve the authorized depth of 54 feet throughout the 20-mile Charleston Harbor Entrance Channel.

The dredged material will be placed at an offshore disposal site to create nine artificial reefs across 265 acres, and a berm around the site which will form more than 400 acres of additional hard bottom, SCPA said.

The award of the second contract for the entrance channel keeps us in line with our schedule, which will be the most time-consuming phase of the project, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Palazzini, the Army Corps district commander, said in a statement. The Charleston District team has been working diligently on ensuring we keep the project schedule on track so that the entire project remains on time and on budget.

Great Lakes is expected to use a combination of hopper, cutterhead and mechanical dredges for the work.

This is the final contract that will be required to complete the deepening of the entrance channel and is part of the overall $529 million project cost. Depending on full-funding, dredge availability, weather and other factors, the construction of the entire project will take 40-76 months, the Army Corps said.

We look forward to seeing dredges in our harbor within the next few months and ultimately the completion of this effort that will make Charleston the deepest harbor on the East Coast at 52 feet, said SCPA President and CEO Jim Newsome. The investment in harbor deepening, as well as the Leatherman Terminal for additional container capacity and multiple other projects to improve our existing and Inland infrastructure, will pay dividends to South Carolinas economy for many years to come.

Newsome said the progress of the Charleston deepening project would not have been possible without the strong cooperation between the Army Corps and elected officials at the federal, state and local levels. The South Carolina General Assembly in 2012 set aside $300 million to initiate the dredging work needed for the Port of Charleston. We will continue to work diligently to secure the remaining federal share of the project, he said.

Great Lakes looks forward to successfully working both Charleston 1 and 2 in the coming years, said Lasse Petterson, the companys CEO.

The company, which is the largest dredging operation in the United States, recently completed the PortMiami deepening project in 2015 and is currently working on the Savannah harbor deepening.

Our history with these types of projects, our current diverse fleet and the addition of the Ellis Island, position us well to compete on the expected additional upcoming port deepening bids at Boston and Jacksonville, Petterson added.

Correction: A previous version of this article indicated that the port would be able to handle the worlds largest containerships following the completion of the dredging project.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. Armenias delegation led by minister of economic development and investments Suren Karayan visited Syria on October 29 aimed at discussing the trade-economic cooperation prospects between the two countries, press service of the ministry told Armenpress.

The delegation included Ambassador-at-Large Levon Sargsyan, Armenias Honorary Consul in Deir ez-Zor Suren Vardanyan, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Martin Sargsyan, president of the State Tourism Committee Zarmine Zeytuntsyan, executive director of Armenias tourism development fund Arayik Khzmalyan, as well as members of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

On October 29 the Armenian delegation was hosted by Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Syria Imad Khamis. Welcoming the guests Imad Khamis said after long pause caused by war the visit of the Armenian delegation to Syria is a great event in the context of commercial relations of the two countries. The Prime Minister stated that Syria is grateful for friendly Armenias balanced stances over the Syrian crisis. Then he briefly presented the Syrian governments strategy aimed at restoring the countrys economy, as well as the new economic programs.

Minister Suren Karayan thanked for the warm reception and expressed confidence that his visit will give new impetus to the Armenian-Syrian cooperation serving a base for development and implementation of future joint effective works. The minister said Armenias experience and potential can be useful for the Syrian side on restoring different sectors of the economy, adding that Armenia is ready to provide such assistance to friendly Syria. He stated that Armenia can be a bridge for presenting the Syrian products in international markets.

Suren Karayan assured that Armenia can provide highly-qualified specialists to the Syrian side if necessary in the fields of project development, construction, road construction, agriculture and high technologies.

The Syrian PM welcomed the Armenian sides readiness to take part in Syrias restoration works and said Syria is greatly interested in seeing the Armenian products in its market, at the same time assuring that broad privileges will be provided to Armenian producers.

During the meeting the opportunity to re-launch the works of the Armenian-Syrian inter-governmental commission was discussed.
The 27-year-old suspect, Takahiro Shiraishi, confessed to cutting up the bodies and hiding them in cold-storage cases, covered with cat litter.

People gather in front of the apartment where police found dismembered bodies in coolers in Zama city, southwest of Tokyo. AP photo

By AP: Tokyo police have arrested a man after finding "multiple" dismembered bodies in coolers in his apartment in a city southwest of the capital.

The 27-year-old suspect, Takahiro Shiraishi, confessed to cutting up the bodies and hiding them in cold-storage cases, covered with cat litter, a police spokesman said Tuesday.

Investigators found the bodies while searching for a 23-year-old woman who had disappeared, the spokesman said.

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He did not give his name, in line with police policy.National broadcaster NHK and other media said police believed the bodies of eight women and one man were hidden in the apartment.

The missing woman is thought to be one of them.

This aerial photo shows the apartment, center, where police found dismembered bodies in coolers in Zama city, southwest of Tokyo. A police spokesman said Tuesday the 27-year-old suspect confessed to cutting up the bodies and hiding them in cold-storage cases, covered with cat litter.

They said the woman had contacted the man via social media seeking someone for a suicide pact.

Local media said police first found the severed heads of two victims in coolers in the apartment's entryway.

The reports cited the man's neighbors as saying they had notice foul smells near the apartment.

--- ENDS ---
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. The rules of gameplay must be equal for all businessmen, finance minister Vardan Aramyan said during parliamentary debates of the 2018 state budget draft.

Especially business entities which have dominant positions in the market will be under our spotlight. If you pay attention, the main tax collection of 2017 was from major taxpayers, moreover in conditions when tax inspections were significantly reduced. This means that conduct has changed, Aramyan said.

He added that regardless if the businesses are dominant or not, the rules must be the same for everyone, and everyone must pay their taxes.

The government is very careful in order to keep administration towards businesses within the legislation, because it very well realizes that causing negative expectations among businesses will affect economic growth. We understand this very well. And in this context I must say that the objection platform institution is functioning very well. This platform is functioning under the PM, where the state revenue service is entitled to vote. The ministries of finance, justice and economic development and investments also vote here, as well as NGOs, Aramyan said.

The finance minister says they cooperate with the state revenue service in order to improve legislations.

The changes which we have initiated with the tax code will help to get rid of various misinterpretations and to create a normal life for our businesses, so that they invest, he said.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. Armenias delegation led by Speaker of the Parliament Ara Babloyan on October 30 met with President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, press service of the Parliament told Armenpress.

During the meeting the sides discussed the current situation of bilateral cooperation and the development prospects, the inter-parliamentary cooperation, as well as outlined the cooperation directions in different spheres.

The officials said with satisfaction that the Armenian-Tajik relations are based on firm friendship traditions, respect and mutual sympathy and expressed confidence that the Tajik Presidents visit to Armenia this year in June gave new impetus to the bilateral ties. The sides expressed hope that the Armenian Parliament Speakers visit also will contribute to strengthening and deepening the inter-parliamentary ties for the benefit of the two friendly countries and peoples. In this context the officials highlighted the effective mutual partnership of friendship groups.

Speaker Babloyan said Armenia and Tajikistan have formed the necessary legal framework which covers all spheres of cooperation. According to him, there is a necessary potential for further development of mutually beneficial and multilayer cooperation.

During the meeting the sides exchanged views on the importance of intensifying the ties in economy, science, education, culture and humanitarian spheres.

The meeting also touched upon the settlement of conflicts, and in this context the President of Tajikistan attached importance to the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict through peaceful negotiations.

After the meeting the Armenian Parliament Speaker delivered a statement for media. The Armenian-Tajik relations are based on firm historical and friendly ties. Since the first day of restoration of its independence Armenia attaches a great importance to the development and expansion of cooperation with friendly Tajikistan and formation of effective ties between the two countries which will further deepen and strengthen.

The official visit of President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon to Armenia this year in June gave new impetus to the bilateral relations. The implementation of agreements reached will contribute to further expanding the political dialogue, the mutually beneficial cooperation in trade-economic, scientific-technical, cultural, humanitarian and other spheres. We appreciate the Tajik authorities attitude towards the Armenian community which is an important link connecting our two countries and peoples.

I hope our official visit will contribute also to further intensifying the mutual partnership between the legislative authorities.

We attach specific importance to the development of cooperation between the legislative bodies and parliaments of Armenia and Tajikistan based on the provisions of agreement of friendship and cooperation between the two states.

All our efforts are aimed at establishing and maintaining peace and for the welfare of our peoples, Speaker Babloyan said.

On the same day the Armenian delegation met with foreign minister of Tajikistan Sirojidin Aslov during which a number of issues relating to the bilateral cooperation were discussed.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. The people of Artsakh are entitled to peaceful and safe life as much as the people of other regional countries, Armenian Parliament Vice Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov said during the international conference titled Regional Peace: Realities and Prospects.

Our priority was and remains the fair settlement of the Artsakh issue. When we say fair settlement, we mean peaceful settlement with the Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship format and in compliance with all other international norms which are included in the UN Charter and the articles of the Helsinki Final Act, Sharmazanov said.

In his words, we cannot achieve regional peace without the realization of the God-given right to self-determination.

According to the Vice Speaker, the Azerbaijani leadership is promoting religious discord and is attempting to attach a religious nature to the Artsakh conflict, instead of respecting the realization of the self-determination right of Artsakh.

Attaching religious nature to the Artsakh conflict is inadmissible and condemnable for us, Sharmazanov said, adding that Armenia is an advocate of peace, which is proved by the friendly relations with Arab countries and the bordering Iran.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. Due to the Soviet Unions policy of divide and rule, the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. unleashed devastating wars over disputed territories. The longest running territorial dispute in the post-Soviet space has been over Nagorno-Karabakh (NKR or Artsakh) between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This conflict is unique because it is not a proxy war between Russia and the West, and it's fascinating considering Americas posture during its early stages, experts on Caucasus Movses Ter-Oganesyan and Suren Sargsyan wrote in an article in Forbes magazine.

Nagorno-Karabakh had a 90% Armenian population, but Josef Stalin transferred it to the rule of Soviet Azerbaijan to sow ethnic unrest, making both groups easier to control. In 1991, NKR held a referendum and declared its desire to become an independent state. Unable to stomach the overwhelming support for secession, the Azeri government began the indiscriminate shelling and blockade of the civilian population of the enclave. This episode was preceded by bloody pogroms of Armenians in the Azeri cities of Baku, Sumgait, and Kirovabad, as well as state sponsored deportations called Operation Ring, the article says.

The authors underscore that Armenia did not remain idle after witnessing Azerbaijans targeting of NKRs civilian population, with many fearing that the Azerbaijani belligerence was a prelude to yet greater violence akin to the Armenian Genocide, perpetrated by Ottoman Turkey at the turn of the 20th Century.

While Artsakh was receiving support only from Armenia, Azerbaijan was receiving support from Turkey, Afghan mujahedeen and Chechen Islamists.

Due to Armenias victories on the battlefield against Wahhabi and Azerbaijani extremists, the landlocked country of 3 million is blockaded by Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Due to this blockade, U.S. Congress passed Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act in 1992, banning direct aid from the U.S. to Azerbaijan unless Azerbaijan takes demonstrable steps to cease all blockades and other punitive uses of force against Armenia and NKR.

Azerbaijan thus became the only country in the post-Soviet space slated to not receive U.S. aid.

This policy remained unchanged until just after the 9/11 terror attacks. President Bush requested a waiver of 907 to allow Azerbaijan to receive aid. Every year since then, the president has waived 907 allowing this oil-rich nation on the Caspian Sea to receive $20 million in American aid.

The authors also reminded that April 2016 saw the biggest explosion of violence along the Line of Contact between NKR and Azerbaijan since the 1994 ceasefire agreement signed by Armenia, NKR, and Azerbaijan.

In launching these attacks, Azerbaijan violated the preconditions set by Section 907.

In an obvious violation of the ceasefire terms, Azerbaijani Army officers trained by the U.S. Army as part of the U.S. aid to Azerbaijan were found killed in action in the Armenian village of Talish during the fighting in April. Colonel Vugar Yusifov was trained at the U.S. Army Intelligence Center at Fort Huachuca, Arizona in 2007. On the night of April 3, 2016, he commanded the Special Forces Unit that attacked the village. Lieutenant Colonel Murad Mirzayev attended the Defense Language Institute in San Antonio, TX in 2005-6. He also completed Marine Corps officer training courses in Quantico, VA and Fort Lejeune, NC.

"What makes these violations more brazen are the heinous crimes (multiple beheadings, and the execution and mutilation of three elderly civilians) attributed to the regiments commanded by these men. The crimes prompted bipartisan calls for Leahy Law investigations by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), and Ranking Democrat Eliot Engel (D-NY).

Lest the international community wait for Azerbaijan to engage in large scale military adventurism as witnessed in April 2016, America needs to rethink its position of providing aid to an already wealthy aggressor which violates U.S. law.
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. President Serzh Sargsyan on October 31 held a meeting with Ambassador of Brazil to Armenia Edson Marinho Duarte Monteiro who completes his diplomatic mission in Armenia, press service of the Presidents Office told Armenpress.

The President thanked the Ambassador for the active and productive work in Armenia during his tenure and noted with satisfaction that this period was marked by initiatives aimed at developing the Armenian-Brazilian relations. According to the President, the Ambassador managed to present at best the Brazilian rich and multisectoral culture in Armenia and contribute to strengthening the friendship of the two countries and peoples through culture.

President Sargsyan in particular mentioned two key events during the Ambassadors tenure  the one is the 25th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties between Armenia and Brazil, which, according to the President, was a good chance to once again highlight the warmness and firmness of the bilateral relations. The next key event was the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by Brazils Federal Senate in 2015.

The officials also warmly remembered President Serzh Sargsyans visit to Brazil in 2016 and the meeting with President Michel Temer.

Serzh Sargsyan wished the Ambassador success in his further activities and expressed hope the next Brazilian Ambassador will continue Mr. Monteiros good traditions and will contribute to strengthening the relations of the two countries.

The Brazilian Ambassador thanked the President for the reception, as well as for highly appreciating his activity, stating that it was a great pleasure and responsibility for him to work in hospitable Armenia with an ancient history and rich culture which he leaves with wonderful impressions.




YEREVAN, OCTOBER 31, ARMENPRESS. Istanbuls Armenian patriarchal locum tenens Archbishop Garegin Bekchyan will make certain clarifications over his future steps today, in the evening of October 31.

Bagrat Estukyan, editor-in-chief of the Armenian language department of Istanbuls Agos newspaper, told ARMENPRESS, that Bekchyan is already in Istanbul, he returned from Germany on October 30.

As you know, while Bekchyan was not in Istanbul, three members of the Initiative group engaged in organizing the election of the Armenian patriarch, have resigned. Archbishop Bekchyan arrived in Istanbul yesterday evening, but at the moment there is no clarification over the upcoming steps. Later today Agos colleagues will meet with him in order to understand what is he thinking about and what steps he will take, Bagrat Estukyan said.

While in Germany Archbishop Bekchyan said he wants to personally meet with the Istanbul Governor to present his views on the process. Asked whether this still will take place, Estukian said it perhaps will not.
YEREVAN, 31 OCTOBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 31 October, USD exchange rate is up by 0.63 drams to 482.87 drams. EUR exchange rate is up by 0.02 drams to 561.58 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate is down by 0.05 drams to 8.30 drams. GBP exchange rate is up by 2.60 drams to 637.53 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price is up by 106.93 drams to 19747.33 drams. Silver price is up by 0.50 drams to 259.8 drams. Platinum price is up by 30.56 drams to 14251.61 drams.
AUSTIN, TexasCockyBoy Carter Dane is celebrating his birthday, and Fleshjack is ready to help him mark the occasion with his own masturbator.

Carter Dane's line of Fleshjack toys, which are molded from his penis and ass, are available for sale exclusively on Fleshjack.com.

Dane rose to porn superstardom in the past two years as a CockyBoy exclusive scooping up award after award at almost every show.

When Carter first came onto the scene, I immediately could see that he had the potential to be a star in the industry, said Felshjack Director Daniel Harvell. Then I met him and discovered what a genuinely delightful person he is - I knew after that day that he would eventually be a Fleshjack Boy. I am thrilled to add someone of his caliber to the team. As for his toys, yes, he's known for his rear assets, so his Fleshjack is exceptionally tight and fun - but don't forget about his dildo. It's one of the best we've ever produced, and they're all pretty amazing!

Carter is in good company as CockyBoy superstars Liam Riley, Boomer Banks, and Levi Karter debuted their Fleshjack products last year to much fanfare. After Carter both Ricky Roman and Allen King have Fleshjack lines that will be released as well.

CockyBoys Owner and Director Jake Jaxson said, Carter Dane is such a wonderful addition to Fleshjack. He's a perfect example of someone who is as beautiful on the inside as he is on the outside. I have no doubt that Carters will be one Fleshjacks best-selling lines!

See Carter Danes brand new Fleshjack toys and all of the CockyBoys Fleshjacks only at Fleshjack.com.
LOS ANGELESCockyBoys Tuesday announced the first release from their one-of-kind collaboration with iconic writer and filmmaker, Bruce LaBruce, is now playing. Diablo in Madrid is timed for Halloween and now playing exclusively on CockyBoys.com.

Diablo in Madrid begins with demon Allen King crawling out of an open tomb and making irreverent mischief on the hallowed grounds of a Madrid cemetery. He defiles graves, sexually teases a young mourner lured by his temptation, and struts about the cemetery, pitchfork in hand. Allen turns his wicked intentions to Colby Keller in an intense oral scene before he mocks another mourner and makes the grieving guy give him a blowjob. Eventually angel Sean Ford intervenes and attempts to stop diablo from doing anymore damage to the cemetery and its mourners. The diablo's lust for the angel is strong and intense and at one point he tries to kiss him as they wrestle and fight from the cemetery, to the city streets, and into an occupied apartment. The angel Sean Ford keeps struggling until Allen eventually breaks down all of his walls and the two deliver a 5-star sex scene where we see Allen topping Sean and creating sexual magic in this unforgettable pairing between two of CockyBoys finest. The diablo Allen and the angel Sean soon embark on a journey together..but which of them is more transformed by the experience?

Jake Jaxson says of working with Bruce LaBruce, "Working with Bruce on this anthology has been a dream come true. Bruce has been a huge inspiration to me, and his take no prisoners approach to filmmaking has greatly influenced my work, as he is constantly pushing past the boundaries imposed on gay culture and queer cinema. A few years ago we met at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, during a retrospective of his work, and at that time I was just a fan excited to see The Raspberry Reich. So, you can imagine my surprise when earlier this year, he suggested we might consider working together (thanks to Tayte Hanson for reintroducing us), and I was even more excited once I read the scripts he sent me. It was everything I have always loved in his workirreverent, satirical, funny, and sexyso wrong that it was right. And once we added our performers to the mix, I was all in.

Diablo In Madrid is the first release in an anthology of films that Bruce LaBruce will be releasing with CockyBoys.

LaBruce says, I've always been intrigued by the CockyBoys brand, and as I like to keep my hand in the porn biz, I met with Jake and the boys in the spring in New York to discuss a collaboration.The concept includes more high-end production values than are usually found in porn, with an emphasis on characters and narrative. The resulting four films - Diablo in Madrid, Uber Menschen, The Purple Army Faction, and Fleapit - represent an attempt to return to more classical forms of porn storytelling.

For an exclusive story about the history and influence of LaBruce and Jaxson, click here.
LOS ANGELESLong before he collaborated with auteur Bruce LaBruce for a series of short stories that debuted in October, CockyBoys filmmaker Jake Jaxson first became aware of the filmmaker through his interest in model/actor Tony Ward.

Thats my way to Bruce originally, because I saw Hustler White. I was right out of college, and I couldnt believe it, Jaxson recalls of the 1996 film, which LaBruce starred in (and co-wrote/directed with Rick Castro). And when I say I couldnt believe it, its because I grew up in a very religious, conservative, white environment in the South. It doesnt even matter if youre gay; youre a product of your environment.

Jaxson describes the experience as exotic and strange, and decidedly different from what he was surrounded by as a kid in school.

By the time I got to college, I realized I was gay and I started seeking out things to try to get me to understand what I was feeling, and somehow I had gotten a hold of Hustler White. When youre young and gay in Louisiana, you dont just walk into a porn store and buy a pornyou have to find other ways to figure it outso while I was in college, Tony Ward sort of led me to Bruce, just like Joe Dallesandro led me to Andy Warhol in the early Trash movies.

Jaxson was immediately drawn to the material.

They were subversive, they were so wrong that they were rightthe same thing with John Waters and Pink Flamingos. I kept coming to these very guerrilla, just out-there movies because it was everything I was not, Jaxson says. These are all key movies for me in my sort of new beginning as a gay man.

When he later saw Raspberry Reich at a film festival, he was able to connect the dots to LaBruce.

I was like, What the fuck is this?! he laughs. In some cases, people would even say it was bad, just like early Warhol or early John Waters movies. But it was tickling me in a way of, These are the kinds of films I want to make. But you have to understand, I was literally a college republican Boy Scout who is going, I wanna make guerrilla movies!

Jaxson also encountered L.A. Zombie when he was getting into the industry as a DVD distributor: I just remember thinking, Oh my God, this is insane! So fucked up on so many levels, he laughs. But its so smart! You know when you like something from someone else when youre jealous of it? Thats kind of where I was at.

The two finally met a few years ago at a LaBruce retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. By this time, Jaxson had become Jake Jaxson and was making his own movies at the increasingly successful CockyBoys.

We had had some interactions on social media, and had talked back and forth. I went up and I introduced myself. Ironically, he was not what I expected, Jaxson laughs. When I first met him, he was very shythere was not this demeanor of this kind of guy who was like, Fuck the world! His work represented him. We had a really nice conversationand I am just as shy, if not more. So everything I was saying probably sounded ridiculous and stupid. But I was so glad that I met him.

At the same time when he was becoming a pornographer, Jaxson was outed by the national media because of his connection to Glenn Greenwald. Little did LaBruce know how helpful he would be to Jaxson during the difficult time.

I was trying to figure out, how do I salvage anything good out of this? Because for pornographers, most of us will stay hidden. And I really thought, Well, this is it. My life is over. Im never going to be able to work in mainstream movies again, Jaxson says. I had done real thingsand this is a stupid person thinking real things versus porn thingsand I was still in that dynamic of thinking I was going to have this great big career, and now it was all over because I was exposed. I had lost my relationship with my family, and it was at that point that I did some soul searching.

Jaxson had an epiphany.

I thought, why not just start making the movies Ive always wanted to make? I have all these ideas Ive pitched to everybody and Ive tried to make themwhy not make them? And at that moment, thats where I thought, Well, Bruce LaBruce has done this. He has found a way. I couldnt say for sure that (his career) was the career that he even wanted, but I just knew that this wasnt the end of the world. And to that point, he was kind of a light for me. And I havent tried to be Bruce; Ive done my thing. Even still, my movies and Bruces movies are completely different. I still feel like that dorky college republican white boy from Louisiana next to Bruce, whos this super cool dude. To that degree, he was a profound influence.

It seems like destiny, then, that the two found a way to collaborate. LaBruce hadnt made a hardcore porn feature since L.A. Zombie seven years ago, but has made four feature films since then: Pierrot Lunaire, Gerontophilia, The Misandrists and Ulrike's Brain.

That has kept me pretty busy. I'm also trying to make more ambitious features lately, which takes a lot of time and effort. I made a hardcore porn short for Erika Lust last year called Refugee's Welcome, and I really enjoyed the experience, so that's why I approached CockyBoys to make four short hardcore films with interrelated themes to be released as a feature, with both softcore and hardcore versions.

The four films will begin to unroll in October with Diablo in Madrid, followed by Uber Menschen, The Purple Army Faction and Fleapit, all filmed in Madrid and Berlin.

I've always had a bit of an ambivalent relationship to porn, but that's just because sometimes sex seems so abstract to me, LaBruce says. I love 70s gay porn when it was very narrative and had characters and cool aesthetics, with avant-garde directors like Wakefield Poole, Peter de Rome and Fred Halsted. But I have made hardcore porn feature films now for five different porn companiesCazzo, Wurstfilm, Dark Alley, Erika Lust and now Cockyboysso I definitely identify as a pornographer as well as an artist/filmmaker. But I consider all pornographers artists! Many of them are bad artists, but you can say the same of artists in the art world. I'm also very amused that I won Best EU director at the Hustlaball Awards for L.A. Zombie in 2011. It's my favorite award that I've won!

LaBruce has witnessed many industry changes over the years, and notes that the advent of digital represented a kind of revolution in pornbut not always for the better.

Back in the 70s, gay porn was made on 16mm film, and straight porn on 35mm film, so it had to be made by professional filmmakers with access to equipment and who were professional filmmakers. It was also much more expensive to shoot and edit. More accessible digital technology democratized porn, allowing anyone to do it. So porn companies could churn out a lot more product, but it also ushered in an era of amateur porn. And of course the internet allowed people to distribute it on a much larger scale and at a bigger volume. This resulted in a demand for more product, so narrative pornwhich is also more expensive to makebecame vestigial, and just marketing sex scenes became the default. But there is also much more choice for the consumerall different kinds and genres of porn, and a greater expression of the average person's sexuality in the form of porn.

That freedom and opportunity gave the collaboration more lifebloodat a time when its more necessary than ever.

Initially, when we started pitching these, I saw it as sort of an anthology of short films that I think are needed right nowthis yearafter the election, Jaxson says. I have felt for years now that porn has a purposeand thats not me trying to make peace with what I do, or to sugarcoat it or make it something that its not. I really do believe it, because it basically helped me learn how to have sex and realize that I wasnt a freak or crazy when I was actually able to see two other men doing it. And more and more, I hear people say, This is how I figured out sex, because no ones teaching it to me.

Then after the election, I felt more and more that what we do is kind of part of a resistance, because we start to see more religious moralizers stepping into positions of power who are complete total hypocrites. It sort of affected me that way; I felt like more than ever, we have a responsibility for what we produce and how we produce it, and it has a purpose.

Who better to join Jaxson on his mission than LaBruce?

His work has always been part of the resistance. We need Bruces voice back. With gay culture, weve made huge strides, but the sexual side of our gay culture nowand this is my personal opinionhas almost been ghettoized in our attempt to assimilate, to not rock the boat in some of these instances. And this puts us sort of back front and center in a conversation that, like I said, its so wrong its right, Jaxson says.

He has since really found a voice within independent cinemanot just underground counter-culture movies. Hes making beautiful films, and hes a true filmmakerhe wants to always be shooting. Thats what I get from Brucehes like a shark that way. Hes always in the water and thinking, Whats next? I get the sense that he always wants to be creating. Thats how he breathes, and thats not meI like to tinker, so I was energized by this.

LaBruce was also energized by the project, and is currently shopping around another titlewith four more film scripts brewing in his head. He also has a big solo photo show in London starting October 27th (The Haus of Bruce LaBruce), and notes that he would love to film a straight porn at some point.

I jerk off to porn regularly. I just put in key words like monster Latin cock or hung dom master, and there I go! LaBruce admits unashamedly. Porn is a very good tool for masturbation. Masturbation is not counter-revolutionary!
By PTI: Udhampur

Jammu, Oct 31 (PTI) Israels Chief of Ground Forces Command, Major General Yaakov (Kobi) Barak, today visited the Indian Armys Northern Command headquarters in Jammu and Kashmirs Udhampur district.

Barak, who held discussions with senior Indian Army officials, is the first top Army commander of Israel to visit the Northern Command headquarters, an officer said.

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The Israeli commander was accompanied by his wife Orit Barak and officers of the Embassy of Israel.

The visiting dignitary called on Lieutenant General D Anbu and matters of mutual interest were discussed, a senior Army officer said today.

"The delegation expressed full satisfaction in further pursuing enhanced cooperation between the two countries", he said.

Orit Barak visited the Asha School at Udhampur along with the Army Wives Welfare Associations regional president, Gowri Anbu. PTI AB ADS

--- ENDS ---
COOK COUNTY, ILThere are more than 7,000 prisoners in the Cook County Jail, and many of them aren't happy about it. After all, depending on what crime they're in for, or what crime they're awaiting a court date for, there really isn't a lot for the inmates to do during the daybut some of them have managed to find an activity that's both personally and psychologically rewarding.

"Masturbating inmates have become a common sight on the walk to and from holding cells where defense attorneys meet clients," reported Chicago Sun-Times journalist Andy Grimm. "Last week, in a letter to Chief Judge Timothy, Public Defender Amy Campanelli said her staff has reached a breaking point."

"There have always been these incidents since I became a public defender," Campanelli, who has been in the office for more than a decade, told the Sun-Times. "But its never been like it is today, where its like the behavior were seeing now, every day, or every other day. Its just become pervasive. Weve tried everything."

Among that "everything" are special jumpsuits and shackles, but the inmates have managed to offend the defenders nonetheless.

"Of late, it has become a daily occurrence," Campanelli wrote to Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart this past March. "Male detainees constantly expose themselves and masturbate while in the lockup behind the courtrooms."

It's not as if the sheriff has done nothing, though. Since January, more than 200 detainees have been charged with indecent exposure, usually to the female jail staff.

"This is something that happens in custodial environments, period," said Cara Smith, Sheriff Dart's Policy Director, herself a former prison official. "I dont know that there is a silver-bullet answer. Were willing to do anything that protects our staff and the rest of the criminal justice system."

What isn't clear is why there's so much acting out in Cook County. According to the Public Defenders Association, public indecency in jails hasn't reached nearly the scale in other areas of the country that it has in Cook County.

Dart had proposed a solution: Enact legislation raising the indecent exposure in prisons from a misdemeanor to a felony, but the move was opposedby the county Public Defenders office, which said it couldn't in good conscience support the upgrade. Besides, the increased level of charge would also have placed those convicted of that felony on the sex offender registryfor life. Beyond that, the additional charges would potentially added more jail time for the defenders' clients, and also forced the defenders to hand off cases involving the indecent exposure to an outside attorney.

Dart did try to remedy the problem last spring by adding additional (male) sheriff's officers to monitor the jail cells more closely, and the incidents did decrease while those extra guards were helping out, but those guards were removed in August due to the cost of their overtime, and the masturbation returned in full force. Now the sheriff plans to use male department staff to watch over the prisoners, at a significantly reduced cost.

"The sheriff is committed to working to solve this problem," Smith said. "This is a very unfortunate reality."

UPDATE: Looks like the sheriff's commitment to solving the problem didn't work out so well, as six Cook County public defenders filed a lawsuit on November 8 which, according to Reuters, "alleges that more than 200 female defenders and law clerks since 2015 have endured 'heinous sexual misconduct' by male inmates in the jail and courtroom holding cells." The suit "seeks remedial action and damages," but stops short of calling for measures or legislation that "significantly increase penalties for detainees who engage in this behavior or that subject detainees to inhumane practices."
SACRAMENTO, Calif.Larry Flynt, who has much wider business interests than simply LFP Publications, has had two lawsuits in which he has an interest dismissed, one by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, and one by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The first dismissal occurred this past Friday, when U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez threw out the lawsuit filed by Flynt and two other California casino operators, Haig Kelegian Sr. and Haig Kelegian Jr., which sought to overturn the state's Gambling Registration Act, which prevents anyone who has a state gaming license from obtaining more than a 1 percent ownership in any out-of-state gambling operation, be it a card room such as the plaintiffs currently operate in California, or full-blown casino.

"Flynt and Kelegian, Sr. allege these laws made them forego lucrative business opportunities, including opportunities to purchase out-of-state casinos in 2014 and 2015," Judge Menedz noted, adding, "Kelegian, Jr. owned more than a one-percent interest in an out-of-state casino and the state made him divest it and fined him."

So Flynt and the Kelegians suedbut here's the problem: They filed their suit on November 30, 2016, which the defendants argued was not within the two-year statute of limitations, which began to run after the parties' attempts to purchase the casinos more than two years ago. However, Flynt and the Kelegians had argued their filing was timely because the statute of limitations does not apply to their claims and, even if it does, their injuries are ongoing. But Judge Mendez dismissed the trio's first complaint on that lack-of-timeliness basisso they filed a "First Amended Complaint" earlier this year, and it's that complaint that Judge Mendez dismissed on Friday.

"[T]he Plaintiffs obligation to comply with the June 12, 2014 decision and the states related investigations are a continuing impact of that June 2014 decision," Judge Mendez wrote in his dismissal order. "They are not a new action by the state. Plaintiffs have not alleged a continuous harm, so their claims are time barred. The Court also finds that any further amendment would be futile and, therefore, grants Defendants motion to dismiss with prejudice."

Sadder, however, is Monday's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to deny the cert petition filed by CMSG Restaurant Group on behalf of Larry Flynt's Hustler Club, which is based in New York City, and which had argued that it was not required to collect and pay a 4 percent "place of amusement" admission tax.

As AVN reported in September, New York's convoluted amusement tax laws on their face would appear to exempt the Hustler Club, which easily falls into the category of a place where "dramatic or musical arts performances" are presentedwomen stripping to music would seem inarguably to be a "musical arts performance"and would fall under another exemption to the tax for "a place where merely live dramatic or musical arts performances are offered in conjunction with the serving or selling of food, refreshment or merchandise, so long as such serving or selling of food, refreshment or merchandise is merely incidental to such performances." Right; nobody's eating a full course meal while watching strippers.

But when the club sued to stop collection of the amusement tax, its claim was denied first by an administrative law judge, then by the state's trial court, and finally by the New York Court of Appeals, its highest judicial body.

The Supreme Court gave no reason for denying CSMG's cert petition, but that denial appears to be the end of the road for CSMG's challenges to the taxand we're guessing that the state will move forthwith to collect it, an amount estimated to be several million dollars at this point.
PHILADELPHIA, PAThis October has been the 30th "Domestic Violence Awareness" month, and across the country, thousands of people have spoken out against sexual harassment and assaultand with more than 50 women coming forward with sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein and others, the issue is close to the top of the national narrative! Social media news feeds have been flooded with friends and family sharing using the hashtag #MeTooa movement actually started 10 years ago by Tarana Burketo stand in solidarity and share their experiences of assault and harassment.

But whether or not a survivor chooses to share #MeToo, awareness of the problem is only the first step to eradicating sexual and domestic violence. Woodhull members and supporters believe that an integral part of sexual freedom is the fundamental human right to be free from domestic and sexual violence. As part of its work to end sexual violence, Woodhull is launching a new series of Sexual Freedom Town Halls.

One of Woodhulls main goals is to end sexual violence and these town halls will include discussions of sexual and domestic violence as a human rights violations. Attendees will help craft and implement strategies to advance and secure the fundamental human right to sexual freedom at the state and local levels.

Town Halls will be one-day events in cities around the U.S., organized in partnership with local organizations focusing on sexual and domestic violence.

Local community members will be invited to come together to discuss issues at the intersection of human rights and sexual freedom, particularly those that impact the local communities.

The group will identify intersections with other issues and work together through the day to devise ways to collaborate with one another on specific campaigns addressing these issues.

Together, we will continue to stand with survivors and eliminate sexual violence.

Woodhull Executive Director Ricci Levy and the organization's Board of Directors have issued an invitation to activists everywhere to attend Woodhull's first Sexual Freedom Town Hall on Saturday, December 2, at the First Unitarian Universalist Church in Philadelphia, PA from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.. Free lunch will be served and childcare can be provided if necessary.

Future Town Halls will be held in Dallas, TX on January 20, 2018, and in Atlanta, GA in March. Check back here for more information and future Town Hall dates.
The Democrat leadership has made constant, profound and incredible pronouncements that one's supportive vote for Republicans is tantamount to surrendering Democracy forever. 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.
Hudson and McMorris Rodgers tease tax plan at Hope Mills event, saying deal could reach Trump by Christmas



Republican U.S. Reps. Richard Hudson and Cathy McMorris Rodgers answer audience questions during a tax reform town hall Oct. 27 in Hope Mills. (CJ photo by Dan Way)

HOPE MILLS On Thursday John Buie accompanied the management team from JEB Designs to a trade show in Charlotte to inspect a $60,000 machine for his small screen-printing/embroidery company.The next day Buie, the firm's chief financial officer, hosted Republican U.S. Reps. Richard Hudson of North Carolina's 8th Congressional District and Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington to hear about federal tax reform that could let his company buy that machine, and add jobs.The elected officials enthusiastically pitched the plan, expected to be rolled out this week, as pro-family and pro-growth, with a hint of America First elements. With last week's agreement in the House to pass the Senate budget plan, tax reform could be completed in early December, they said.McMorris Rodgers and Hudson added tax reform gives the GOP-led Congress an opportunity to show it can work quickly and publicly to fulfill a campaign promise - unlike their politically disastrous failures to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.she said. The House, Senate, and Trump administration have been working on a plan for months, she said, and that will have a positive impact.Hudson said.McMorris Rodgers said. As chairwoman of the House Republican Conference, McMorris Rodgers is the highest-ranking woman in Congress.Buie liked what he heard at the closed-invitation event on the company's shop floor.Buie said.and the rest of North Carolina.Hudson and McMorris Rodgers explained how tax reform could aid the company's expansion plans.McMorris Rodgers said the first version of tax reform probably would lower the corporate tax rate to 20 percent, below the 22.5 percent average of the industrialized world. President Trump could challenge Congress to meet his preferred 15 percent rate, she said.Hudson said the framework would allow businesses like JEB Designs to write off 100 percent of new capital investments starting in the first year, but allowing five years to claim the deduction.The outlined proposal cuts the top tax rate for small and family-owned businesses to 25 percent, and shrinks the current seven individual tax brackets to three: 12 percent, 25 percent, and 35 percent. It would end the estate tax. And it would repeal the individual alternative minimum tax, which requires millions of taxpayers to prepare tax returns twice and pay the higher amount owed, either the AMT or the regular income tax.Hudson said another goal is to shelve a tax preparation system that requires 2.6 billion hours of Americans' time each year, and replace it with a tax return that could be filed on a postcard or using a smartphone app.McMorris Rodgers said. She said a simpler tax code would boost employment and help those with jobs get better ones.Many details remain unresolved. Republicans have failed to agree on a final outline and Democrats aren't on board. Even so, Hudson and McMorris Rodgers expressed confidence Friday the plan would go forward.She said reviews of the tax plan by Trump's Council of Economic Advisers suggests it could increase wages 8 percent. Hudson said the average family would see as much as a $4,000 boost in income.Other economists have challenged those projections, or said they would occur over a number of years rather than immediately.Unlike Obamacare repeal bills that were written behind closed doors by legislative leaders, tax reform is moving on parallel tracks between the House and Senate. The House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee are expected to work on them publicly soon after the plan rolls out this week.The goal: Pass the bill through Ways and Means the second week of November and bring it to the floor the third week of November at the same time the Senate Budget Committee reviews it. The bill should pass the House before Thanksgiving, go to a conference committee in early December, and reach President Trump before Christmas.McMorris said it is unfair that Americans will spend more on taxes this year than on food, clothing, and housing combined. The tax reform proposal also is designed to be simpler by getting rid of loopholes and exemptions.Hudson noted the difficulty of killing deductions. He said,The standard deduction would double, to $24,000 for married couples filing jointly, and $12,000 for single filers. Taxpayers earning at or below those amounts would pay no income taxes. The home mortgage and charitable deductions would remain, but many others would be scrapped.While McMorris Rodgers and Hudson encourage people to save for retirement using tax-exempt 401(k) and IRA programs, and oppose limiting those exemptions, they would not rule out approving a tax reform bill that included limits if it was the only way to get a tax reform bill through Congress and to Trump.


Carlos Romero explains his groups concept during an icebreaker exercise at the first session of ECUs I-Corps program. (Photos by Cliff Hollis)



I-Corps is a federal program designed to enable and prepare teams to accelerate innovation and commercialization.

More than two dozen East Carolina University students, faculty and staff, as well as members of the Greenville community, have begun an entrepreneurship boot camp called I-Corps to help hone their business ideas and jump start the startup process.The pilot program, designed to encourage and embrace the ideation, innovation and commercialization process at ECU, has received a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to establish an Innovation Corps site.I-Corps is a federal program designed to enable and prepare teams to accelerate development of ideas using its proven methodology. I-Corps @ ECU will support new venture development by building a network of ECU faculty, staff and students in partnership with industry advisors using proven approaches to innovation and commercialization.Participants will assess their ideas for customer fit and develop new product and business models for development of sustainable start-up companies in eastern North Carolina. Innovators will have access to resources such as ECU's Idea Lab, Innovation Design Lab, MakerBot Innovation Center and the SEED incubator.The project is the vision of Marti Van Scott, director of the ECU Office of Technology Transfer, to improve the process of identifying, assessing and commercializing new product opportunities generated by ECU faculty, staff and students. The first phase, which began Oct. 20, consists of a five-week program in which participants will be introduced to the concepts of ideation, business model canvas, customer discovery and value proposition.said Mike Harris, director of the Miller School of Entrepreneurship in the ECU College of Business.The first session of the program kicked off with an icebreaker activity in which participants selected a variety of random items from a table and, in groups, explained how they would market different combinations of those items to the public. Creativity and quick thinking were the order of the day.Harris said the I-Corps team is thrilled with the initial response.he said.ECU departments and schools represented in the participant group included the College of Business, College of Education, Department of Nutrition Science, Student Affairs, the Brody School of Medicine simulation lab, English, psychology and Greenville SEED@ECU.Van Scott said the program will involve informational and educational presentations and videos, homework, and legwork.she said.One of the components of the program is assessing the needs of potential customers by getting out in the community and interviewing the people who make up the target market for the product.Van Scott said, and those ideas will be focused, shifted and honed throughout the program.Becky Gilbird of the clinical simulation program at the Brody School of Medicine, said she is participating in order to determine which aspects of the simulation program are marketable. Other participants have existing businesses they'd like to improve or ideas they'd like to try.Craig Becker of the Department of Health Education and Promotion, along with master of public health student McKenzie Brown, is working to develop an app to help encourage people to improve their health through an approach based on salutogenesis - focusing on factors that promote health and well-being rather than factors that prevent or cure disease.Becker said. The idea is to turn healthy behaviors into habits.added Brown.Along with key partners from the Office of Innovation and Economic Development, the Office of Technology Transfer, the Miller School of Entrepreneurship, and the Small Business & Technology Development Center, I-Corps@ECU will contribute toward the development of an entrepreneurial culture on campus, generate more innovations on campus, and result in new start-up ventures and jobs for the region.I-Corps@ECU will support 30 entrepreneurial teams per year and provide seed grants of up to $3,000 per team to help fund customer discovery and prototype development activities.ECU's pipeline of commercialized inventions includes the SpeechEasy Fluency Aid, as well as various research and educational tools. Inventions showing promise for future development include new models for diagnosis and treatment of cancer, autoimmune disease and cardiovascular disease and new tools to improve educational outcomes.
When members of the N.C. General Assembly's minority party make extraordinary doom-and-gloom predictions about the consequences of the majority party's actions, it's easy to dismiss the comments as political theater.But amid the purely partisan clatter, some of their remarks highlight legitimate concerns. Such is the case with a recent N.C. House speech from Minority Leader Darren Jackson, D-Wake.Before focusing on Jackson's comments, a brief civics lesson might prove helpful. Think of it as an extended, full-length version of the " I'm Just a Bill " song from "Schoolhouse Rock."Before a legislative bill can become a state law, both the House and Senate must approve it in the exact same form. The easiest way for this to happen is for both chambers to vote on the same bill. But it's at least as likely that a bill that passes the House in one form will get amended in the Senate, and vice versa.The amendments add a wrinkle to the process. If the Senate amends a House bill, the House then has a chance to take what's called a concurrence vote. If the House concurs with the Senate's changes, the bill heads to the governor. But if the House votes not to concur, both chambers set up a single conference committee to work out their differences.That committee of conferees produces a conference report. Both the House and Senate can vote up or down on the report. They can make no amendments. Conference reports rarely head to committees for more thorough discussion.Here's where Jackson returns to the story. On Oct. 17, as the House neared the end of its debate about overriding the gubernatorial veto of Senate Bill 656 , Jackson shared his concerns about the process that generated one of the bill's key provisions. That provision cancels all primary elections for 2018 judicial races. It appeared for the first time in a conference report.Jackson said.The idea of eliminating judicial primaries never faced any debate in a committee, Jackson reminded his colleagues.he said.Setting aside the merits of canceling judicial primaries, Jackson made a broader point about House rules dealing with conference reports.he said.The House hasn't always allowed the Senate to dictate whether its own rules remain in effect, Jackson contends. He's discussed the issue with longtime lawmakers, lobbyists, and legislative staffers.he continued.Jackson said.It's likely that a standalone bill to eliminate judicial primaries in 2018 would have faced vocal opposition from Jackson and his fellow Democratic legislators. Their ideological interest-group allies would have leaped into action as well. Email blasts and news conferences would have cast aspersions about Republican motives. Wild-eyed partisans would have shouted denunciations about legislative leaders usurping political power.This observer wouldn't blame Republican legislators for wanting to avoid that circus sideshow. But criticism - even an overheated, ill-informed diatribe - comes with the job. And a more deliberate process, including committee debate, tends to point out potential pitfalls that bill supporters can address through amendments.Legislative Democrats don't help their cause by leveling over-the-top accusations at their GOP colleagues. But that shouldn't stop Republicans from listening when the opposition makes valid points. That's especially true of comments designed to safeguard a key element of the policymaking process.


Joi Ito's Resisting Reduction manifesto rejects the idea of reducing the world to a series of computable relationships that will eventually be overtaken by our ability to manipulate them with computers ("the Singularity") and instead to view the world as full of irreducible complexities and "to design systems that participate as responsible, aware and robust elements of even more complex systems."



Ito says that Singularity thinking is at the root of unrestrained pursuit of profit that tramples human flourishing, and he says that we should focus on "vigor and health rather than scale or power" in measuring our systems and deciding which ones to preserve and which ones to change.





A lot of this stuff is abstract and hard to lay hands on, but I feel like he's onto something. I think that one way of slicing this problem is to divide interventions into "things that fail well" and "things that work well." When a system preserves the ability to audit its function, to discuss those audits, and to band together to act on them, it fails well  a system like the TSA's security practices are riven with secrecy, shot through with gag-orders and confidentiality, and are largely unaccountable to the people who they affect. That makes it hard to describe their problems and hard to fix them.

That doesn't mean that if the system was transparent and accountable that we'd find solutions to the hard problems of air terrorism, but if such a solution could be found, then transparency and accountability would make it much easier to implement.

Another example: free vs proprietary software. Software being free doesn't mean that anyone will ever look at its source-code and try to fix it, but if they do, we can all check their work. Whereas proprietary software (and super-proprietary software, like DRM, whose defects are a felony to disclose) fails very badly: mistakes in the code fester until they have been so widely exploited that they can no longer be denied. Heartbleed proved that being open wasn't a guarantee of being scrutinized and improved, but no one seriously argues that Heartbleed would have been better if it was illegal to look at the sourcecode for Openssl.



Developing a sensibility and a culture of flourishing, and embracing a diverse array of measures of "success" depend less on the accumulation of power and resources and more on diversity and the richness of experience. This is the paradigm shift that we need. This will provide us with a wealth of technological and cultural patterns to draw from to create a highly adaptable society. This diversity also allows the elements of the system to feed each other without the exploitation and extraction ethos created by a monoculture with a single currency. It is likely that this new culture will spread as music, fashion, spirituality or other forms of art. As a native Japanese, I am heartened by a group of junior high school students I spoke to there recently who, when I challenged them about what they thought we should do about the environment, asked questions about the meaning of happiness and the role of humans in nature. I am likewise heartened to see many of my students at the MIT Media Lab and in the Principles of Awareness class that I co-teach with the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi using a variety of metrics (currencies) to measure their success and meaning and grappling directly with the complexity of finding one's place in our complex world. I'm also heartened by organizations such as the IEEE, which is initiating design guidelines for the development of artificial intelligence around human wellbeing instead of around economic impact. The work by Peter Seligman, Christopher Filardi, and Margarita Mora from Conservation International is creative and exciting because it approaches conservation by supporting the flourishing of indigenous peoplenot undermining it. Another heartening example is that of the Shinto priests at Ise Shrine, who have been planting and rebuilding the shrine every twenty years for the last 1300 years in celebration of the renewal and the cyclical quality of nature.



Resisting Reduction [Joi Ito]



(via Beyond the Beyond)
By PTI: By Lalit K Jha

Washington, Oct 31 (PTI) President Donald Trump would ask China to cease "predatory" trade and investment practices, the White House today said, alleging that Chinese "distortionary" practices are effecting the US market.

The US would like to see China move towards more market- oriented, systemic changes that would be necessary to help it thrive and enhance growth in the region, a senior administration official has said.

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"On China, a big focus of the discussion, with the Chinese government and also with Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) economies is a need to have a balance in the trading relationship for bilateral economic relations to be sustainable," the official said on condition of anonymity.

Over long term, China must provide fair and reciprocal treatment not just to US firms but to firms across the region.

"That means ceasing predatory trade and investment practices," the official said ahead of Trumps 12-day visit to the Indo-Pacific region. Trump would also visit Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Noting that progress on a range of bilateral economic issues has become increasingly difficult, the official said the US believes this reflects a slowdown and even a retreat in Chinas move towards a market-oriented economy.

"China is now so large that its distortionary practices not only have effects within the US market, but in markets around the world," the official said.

"For countries to thrive in the region, we need to have a removal of these state-driven subsidies and a more market- oriented economic approach. The current trajectory is not sustainable not just for the United States but also for countries in the region," the official said.

Therefore, it will be no surprise that the president will continue to push China to follow through on commitments that its made recently and also when it joined the World Trade Organisation to take steps towards a more market-oriented economy, the official added.

There was a period where China took on a lot of underlying economic reforms and it did lead to some significant growth, both in their exports, but also opportunities for others for others to engage in that economy, the official said.

"I think what were seeing is a trajectory of retrenchment, a trajectory of moving away from market-based principles. And as member of the WTO that is not a sustainable direction. It is not a way to promote economic growth in the region. Its not a way for American and other companies to ensure fair access to that market," the official said.

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The US would like to see China move towards more the market-oriented, systemic changes that would be necessary to help really thrive and enhance growth in the region, and help all the economies thrive, the official added. PTI LKJ UZM

--- ENDS ---
Newfoundland and Labrador has the lowest percentage of immigrants in Canada. But efforts underway in central Newfoundland  led in part by a woman who happens to be a character in a Broadway play  could change that.

According to the latest Canadian census, just 2.4 per cent of the population of Newfoundland and Labrador are immigrants.

The Atlantic Canadian average is 4.9 per cent.

But the Newfoundland and Labrador number is changing: it has risen nearly one percentage point in the last five years, and there are more immigrants on the way.

In fact, volunteers are waiting for news about a Syrian family stuck in Lebanon who are heading for Gander once their paperwork clears.

This will be the fifth refugee family to arrive in Gander in the past year and a half.

"We need more people in Gander," said Diane Davis, a volunteer with the Gander Refugee Outreach committee, who have been organizing to bring Syrian families into their town.

"We need people who are willing to come here and live and work, we need people who are willing to take entry level jobs, we need more kids in our school."

'It might be the only thing they have'

Wiaam Maymouna, 14, arrived a year ago with her mother, father and six-year-old brother.

"My life here is so different than my country," she said. "The people are so nice with me."

On Maymouna's second day in Gander, Davis invited her family over to use her Wi-Fi.

They spent an entire hour huddled around the cellphone, cooing, waving and singing. They were catching up with baby Line, Maymouna's niece.

Line was 25 days old when Maymouna and her family had to leave her behind in Lebanon.

"They've been over a year now helping to raise and nurture [Line], their niece and granddaughter, over the phone," said Davis.

"The people who want to incite hate say, 'Look at them coming in with their iPhones,'" she said. "But it might be the only thing they have."

Story continues

If all goes according to communications from the government, baby Line and her mother and father  Maymouna's sister and brother-in-law  will arrive in Gander some time in early 2018.

Typecast?

Of course, it takes a lot more than paperwork to make Gander a home for these families.

With 10 kids among the four families, Davis and the Gander Refugee Outreach have been co-ordinating rides to doctors, dentists and schools.

For their parents, they've been finding jobs, groceries, and cars.

Davis and her committee even worked with the school board to get an ESL teacher hired at the school.

On the night of the Gander production of Come From Away, Davis managed to get tickets and rides to the show for all of the families, only to find that she's the inspiration for the character Buelah Davis.

"But it won't come full circle until I get one of those Syrian kids playing that Ali role on Broadway!" she said.

Encouraging a community

It's an enormous amount of work, said Davis, but it's worth it. The new families are important additions to the community.

Central Newfoundland's population is aging and declining rapidly. Gander's population is expected to fall from about 11,700 to 9,600 over the next 20 years  an 18 per cent drop.

"Our intent when we decided on five families as a committee, we picked that number with the hope that that would be a good number to encourage some settlement," said. Davis. "Because besides wanting to help people in a really bad situation, our committee was very aware of the fact that Gander needs in-migration."

'I love it, but it's a little small'

But will the families stay?

Tala Ibrahim arrived in Gander in September 2016. Before he arrived, he spent a year in Turkey after fleeing Homs, Syria.

"Here you feel peace of mind. You don't worry about tomorrow," he said. "In Syria I was worried about what would happen tomorrow. If I went to [the] market, I'm worried that maybe I would not come back to home."

Though he had to leave his parents, and he has a little nephew he's only ever seen on Facebook, he's happy to be out of Syria and in Newfoundland. But Gander, he said, has been a tough adjustment.

"I love it, but it's a little bit small," he said. "I used to live in cities."

He'd like to move to St. John's, but said he and his family  a three-year-old daughter, a five-year-old son and his wife  will be staying in Gander "for now." His wife just got a permanent job at Wal-Mart.

"[Ibrahim] was the one I thought maybe was least likely [to stay]," said Davis. "But you know how he spends his weekends? Out at the cabin. Riding quads."

"He's a bayman wannabe."
A prominent Montreal family is donating $100,000 to a fund set up to continue looking for missing 22-year-old Jesse Galganov who was last heard from while backpacking in Peru in September.

Well-known Montreal businessman Mitch Garber and his wife Anne-Marie Boucher announced Monday they are contributing to a fund set up through the Missing Children's Network.

Garber is best known for his company's $1.45-billion acquisition of Cirque du Soleil in 2015.

"We have not, despite great effort, found Jesse yet, and we are continuing to deploy every resource available both private and governmental to find him,'' Garber wrote Monday. 

The missing man's mother, Alisa Clamen, has travelled to Peru to search for any trace of her son.

She says Garber's son is a close friend of Galganov and that she's grateful for the help of those close to him.

"They've helped me coordinate this every step of the way and their generosity is unparalleled. They love [Jesse], their son is a very close friend of Jesse's and he spent a lot of time with them.''

Clamen has been working with authorities on the ground, the Canadian Embassy in Peru and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI).

Friends of Galganov, who had just been accepted to medical school, are helping by sharing his photo online and scouring social media for any trace of him.
TOKYO (Reuters) - NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg urged all United Nation members on Tuesday to fully and transparently implement sanctions against North Korea, which he said has emerged as a global threat able to fire ballistic missiles as far as Europe and North America. "North Korea's ballistic and nuclear tests are an affront to the United Nations Security Council," North Atlantic Treaty Organization Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a joint announcement in Tokyo, where he met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. "They pose a global threat which requires a global response," Stoltenberg said. Pyongyang has undertaken an unprecedented missile testing program in recent months, as well as its biggest nuclear test yet in early September. Stoltenberg's trip to Tokyo comes ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's first official visit to Asia, which starts in Japan on Sunday. Talks about North Korea are expected to dominate a trip that will include a stop in Beijing, where Trump is expected to pressure China's leadership to act more decisively against Pyongyang. China is North Korea's major ally and trading partner. "Rather than dialogue it is necessary to cause North Korea to change policies by raising the pressure to the maximum," Abe said in a joint announcement with Stoltenberg. Trump has warned North Korea it would be totally destroyed if it threatened the United States with ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons. North Korea stoked tensions last week when it reiterated a threat to conduct an atmospheric nuclear test over the Pacific Ocean in a demonstration of its nuclear capability. (Reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Minami Funakoshi and Michael Perry)
A man shovels out after a winter storm in St. Johns. N.L., on Jan. 5, 2014. Maritimers may not have to bring out their shovels too often this winter if the forecast from the Old Farmers Almanac is accurate. Photo from CP

Winter is coming, and while some people cant wait for it, others already cant wait for it to end.

Theres good news for both of these types of people. Yes, winter-like conditions are on the way, but this year is expected to be a little bit warmer than average.

Thats because according to Jack Burnett, the managing editor of the Old Farmers Almanac, this winter isnt expected to pack as much of a punch as past winters in Canada.

When you average the whole thing out, we see it being a degree or so warmer, Burnett tells Yahoo Canada News. Instead of a T. Rex of a winter, itll be more like a baby alpaca in a barn.

The publication, which was founded in 1792, is calling for above normal average temperatures in most of Canada this winter, which covers November through March.

In the entire map of Canada, we see nowhere where itll be below normal, he explains. In general, we see the entire country being a little bit warmer, a little bit drier, except for the Yukon and central Quebec and that little part of eastern Ontario that includes Ottawa.

This image shows the Old Farmers Almanac 2017-18 winter forecast for Canada. Graphic from the Old Farmers Almanac

In southeastern Ontario, Quebec and Yukon, above normal snowfall is expected. In Atlantic Canada, it should be milder than past years as more rainfall is expected, and the amount of snowfall could be near or below normal. Elsewhere, the Old Farmers Almanacs forecast calls for snowfall and precipitation amounts that are below normal.

Burnett says in three-quarters of the country, this winter should be warmer and drier than past ones by a tiny bit. However, he warns there will still be many bitter cold days across the country with snow and blizzards. After all, its still winter in Canada.

Based on an educated guess, Burnett provided some dates where he thinks Canadians will really start to feel the bitter chill of winter, and the predictions vary depending on geography.

In southern Ontario and the Maritimes, he says that point in time will be around November 15. In the Prairies, he thinks itll be earlier than that date. Quebecers may want to start bundling up around November 10 and residents of British Columbia can expect things to cool down during the last week of November, Burnett says.

Story continues

And if youre hoping for a white Christmas, Toronto might just be the place to be. According to Burnett, its expected to be a tiny bit snowier, a tiny bit warmer than a usual winter in the Big Smoke. But visitors should pack warm clothes; the last 10 days of December are forecasted as really being the coldest and snowiest, the managing editor warns.

The Accuweather forecast paints a different picture for winter 2017 in Canada:
Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

.

..nysun.com..28 October '17..British Foreign Secretary, Arthur Balfour, issued a letter to the British Jewish leader, Lord Walter Rothschild, pledging British support for a national home for the Jewish people in Palestine. The Balfour Declaration was a milestone in the Zionist effort to re-create the Jewish home in the land where, nearly two millennia earlier, it had existed for centuries.By 1922, the Balfour Declaration had become an established part of international law: endorsed after World War I by the Allies at their San Remo Conference; included in the 1920 peace treaty signed by Turkeys Sultan Mehmet VI; and incorporated in the League of Nations Mandate for Palestine in 1922, which expressly recognized the historical connection of the Jewish people with Palestine and their basis for reconstituting their national home.After receiving the League of Nations Mandate, Britain split off the eastern portion of Palestine  known as Transjordan  and recognized the Arab emir, Abdullah, as its ruler. Strife between the Arab and Jewish communities in western Palestine led Britain in 1937 to propose a two-state solution: most of western Palestine would also become an Arab state, with a minuscule Jewish state in the remainder.The Arabs rejected the 1937 partition proposal and also the 1947 United Nations two-state resolution, in favor of a war against the Jews.
OER

Ohio U Turns to Open Resources to Reduce Student Costs

Ohio University has teamed with a private partner to make open educational resources (OER) more accessible to students.

The university has teamed with Top Hat, which will make the resources available through their Top Hat Marketplace in a move estimated to save students $500,000 each semester.

"Tuition is not the only element driving affordability within higher education," said John Carey, chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education, in a prepared statement. "I am pleased that Ohio University is focused on finding new ways to make a college degree affordable for all Ohioans."

Faculty at the university will be able to use Top Hat to create their own interactive content, interactive homework, create and administer tests and find new course content through the marketplace. Top Hat also offers tools for creating interactive textbooks and to turn student devices into tools for soliciting student feedback in class or encouraging greater participation.

"Through this partnership, Ohio University continues to demonstrate its national leadership toward increasing pathways to quality academic opportunities for all students," said Ohio University President M. Duane Nellis in a prepared statement. "Providing students access to affordable course materials is an integral part of Ohio University's dual mission of educational access and educational excellence."

More information about Top Hat is available at tophat.com.
Starting off with some CARL CRAIG ahead of this Techno Pioneers appearance at CODA: https://www.facebook.com/events/2063568650530611/ Along with a preview of the ADE Demolition Panel selection of Best Track by DEAN ZLATO. We head down to Mexico City with FUNKATRONIC. This funky disco infused house is followed by our own LOCK CITY GROOVE ahead of his appearance at MERCURY LOUNGE next Saturday night with TREVOR WALKER for WHEREHAUS: https://www.facebook.com/events/140556299917456/
By PTI: Chandigarh, Oct 31 (PTI) A Chandigarh court today held two brothers guilty of raping their 10-year-old niece, who had delivered a baby in August this year after the Supreme Court dismissed her abortion plea, the lawyers for the men said.

The verdict was delivered by Additional District and Sessions Judge Poonam R Judge, said Manjit Singh, who is representing the elder of the two brothers.

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The quantum of sentence will be pronounced on November 2.

The maternal uncles of the child have been charged under Section 376 (2) (f) (i) (rape on a woman when she is under twelve years of age) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 6 (punishment for aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), the counsel said.

The crime came to light in July when the child was taken to a hospital after she complained of a stomach ache and was found to be over 30 weeks pregnant.

On July 28, the Supreme Court dismissed a plea seeking its nod to terminate the 32-week pregnancy after taking note of a medical report that abortion was neither good for the girl nor for the foetus.

The child was told by her family and the doctors that she had a stone in her stomach that had to be removed.

It was earlier suspected that her elder uncle had fathered the baby, who was delivered through C-section at a government hospital here in August.

The twist in the case came this month when a fresh DNA test showed the younger maternal uncle to be the father of the child.

The elder uncles DNA sample had not matched the newborn following which suspicion fell on the younger uncle who, too, had been accused of rape by the child.

Police had maintained that both her uncles had sexually exploited her.

Earlier, police had said the girl was repeatedly raped allegedly by her elder maternal uncle for several months.

The younger uncles counsel, Inderjit Bassi, said she had earlier argued in court that the statement of the rape victim was self-contradictory and victims father and mother were not made witnesses. PTI CHS VSD MIN

--- ENDS ---
TUESDAY, Oct. 31, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Brain scans may be able to identify when people are having suicidal thoughts, researchers report.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young adults in the United States, but suicidal risk is difficult to assess and predict.

This study included 17 people with known suicidal tendencies and a control group of 17 people without such tendencies. While in a brain scanner, the participants were presented with and asked to think about words relating to six concepts: death, cruelty, trouble, carefree, good and praise.

The researchers said an algorithm they developed was 91 percent accurate in identifying whether a person was from the suicidal or control group and 94 percent accurate in identifying people who had attempted suicide.

The study, published Oct. 30 in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, suggests a new way to assess mental health disorders, according to the researchers.

"Our latest work is unique insofar as it identifies concept alterations that are associated with suicidal ideation and behavior, using machine-learning algorithms to assess the neural representation of specific concepts related to suicide," said study co-leader Marcel Just, a professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

"This gives us a window into the brain and mind, shedding light on how suicidal individuals think about suicide and emotion-related concepts," Just added in a university news release.

He went on to say that what's "central to this new study is that we can tell whether someone is considering suicide by the way that they are thinking about the death-related topics."

But the researchers cautioned that further research is needed before this approach can be used to predict suicide risk.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on suicide prevention.
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CPJs 2017 Global Impunity Index spotlights countries where journalists are slain and the killers go free

By Elisabeth Witchel, CPJ Impunity Campaign Consultant

Published October 31, 2017

Impunity in the murders of journalists can be an intractable cycle stretching over a decade or more, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists 10th annual Global Impunity Index, a ranking of countries where journalists are murdered and their killers go free. Seven countries on this years index have been listed every year since the index launched a decade agoincluding Somalia, which is the worst country for unsolved murders for the third year in a row.

Impunity thrives in conflict environments, where powerful actors often use violent intimidation to control media coverage, while weak-to-nonexistent law and order increases the likelihood of attacks. Justice for over two dozen journalists murdered in Somalia in the past decade is one casualty of prolonged civil war and an insurgency waged by al-Shabaab extremists.

The war in Syria pushed that country into the second worst spot on the index, compared with third last year. Third on this years index is Iraq, where journalists are menaced by the militant group Islamic State and state-backed militias, among other groups.

Fighting between political factions in South Sudan, number four on the index, is the backdrop behind a 2015 ambush during which five journalists were killed. Threats from violent extremist groups operating beyond the reach of authorities underpin high impunity rates in three other countries on the index: Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria.

Afghanistan dropped off the list for the first time since CPJ began calculating the index in 2008. Though security conditions remain volatile and no convictions in journalist murders were achieved, targeted killings of journalists have declined. Instead, larger-scale acts of violence such as a truck bomb attack in downtown Kabul in May that killed 150 people, including one journalist, are responsible for recent fatalities. Over a dozen journalists have been killed there in the past decade while covering combat, by crossfire, or while covering dangerous assignments. CPJ records only two murders, both unsolved, for the period covered by this index.

The Impunity Index, published annually to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on November 2, calculates the number of unsolved murders over a 10-year period as a percentage of each countrys population. For this edition, CPJ analyzed journalist murders in every nation that took place between September 1, 2007 and August 31, 2017. Only those nations with five or more unsolved cases for the period are included on the index-a threshold that 12 countries met this year, compared with 13 last year. Read more about CPJs methodology.

Conflict is not the only cause of impunity. In countries such as the Philippines, Mexico, Brazil, Russia, and India-countries that bill themselves as democracies but have repeatedly appeared on the index-government officials and criminal groups go unpunished for murdering journalists in high numbers.

Over the decade that CPJ has published the Global Impunity Index, Somalias impunity rating shot up by 198 percent. Other countries that saw impunity ratings increase the most over the past decade are: Mexico (142 percent), Pakistan (113 percent), and India (100 percent); Syria (up 195 percent) and Brazil (up 177 percent) experienced huge increases in impunity despite not appearing on the index all 10 years.

In addition to Afghanistan, four countries that appeared on the index have come off at various times since 2008: Colombia, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Their exit from the list is attributable primarily to declines in violence associated with the end of civil wars rather than with prosecutions being achieved. Only Colombia and Nepal convicted the perpetrators of journalist killings, and only in a handful of cases.

Impunity Index Map

International attention to the issue of impunity in journalist murders has increased in the past 10 years. The United Nations has adopted a total of five resolutionsthree by the Human Rights Council, one by the General Assembly and the one by the Security Councilurging states to take measures to promote justice when journalists are attacked. This year also marked the fifth anniversary of the adoption of the U.N. Plan of Action for the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.

This year, 23 states responded to the UNESCO director generals request for information on

the status of investigations into killed journalists, including eight countries on this index. Pakistan acknowledged receipt of the request, but did not provide information. Three index countries-India, South Sudan, and Syria-failed to respond at all. CPJ and other press freedom groups advocate for full participation by all states in this accountability mechanism.

Among the other findings from CPJs data on murdered journalists:

The 12 countries on the index account for nearly 80 percent of the unsolved murders that took place worldwide during the 10-year period ending August 31, 2017.

Four countries on this years index-India, Mexico, Nigeria, and the Philippines-are on the governing council of the Community of Democracies, a coalition dedicated to upholding and strengthening democratic norms.

In five countries listed on the index, new murders took place over the past year, a testimony to the powerful cycle of impunity and violence.

Political groups, including Islamic State and other extremist organizations, are the suspected perpetrators in one third of murder cases. Government and military officials are considered the leading suspects in about a quarter of the murders.

About 93 percent of murder victims are local reporters. The majority cover politics and corruption in their home countries.

In at least 40 percent of cases, murder victims reported receiving threats before they were killed, highlighting the need for robust protection mechanisms.

In only 4 percent of total murder cases has there been full justice, including prosecution of those who commissioned the crime.

In the past 10 years, around 30 percent of murdered journalists were first taken captive-higher than the historical average of 22 percent since CPJ began tracking in 1992. The majority of those taken captive are tortured, sending a chilling message to the victims colleagues.

The Index

Abdiaziz Ali, pictured in the Radio Shabelle compound in Mogadishu in March 2014. The broadcast journalist was shot dead in 2016. (AP/Farah Abdi Warsameh)

1. Somalia

Journalists killed with complete impunity in past decade: 26

Getting away with murder: Militant groups like al-Shabaab, government officials

Targeted for murder: Local journalists covering politics, culture, and war

Progress: None since early 2016, when military courts sentenced suspects in connection to six murders

Setback: At least one journalist, Abdiaziz Ali, was murdered since last years index was compiled. Somalia has issued the death penalty against at least three individuals accused of murdering journalists, in contrast with international human rights norms. In February, newly elected President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed announced his support for media freedom, but he has failed to advance justice in the killings of any journalists.

Illustrative case: Abdiaziz Ali was walking home from his parents house in Mogadishu in September 2016 when two men on motorbikes pulled over and shot him several times. Abdiaziz had reported on the civilian toll of Somalias conflict between government forces and the Islamist militant group al-Shabaab. At least eight journalists murdered in the past decade were affiliated with Abdiazizs news outlet, the Shabelle Media Network.

2. Syria

Journalists killed with complete impunity in past decade: 17

Getting away with murder: Islamic State and other militant groups, security forces

Targeted for murder: Local journalists and international correspondents covering human rights, war, and politics

Progress: CPJ has not confirmed any murders of journalists in Syria since last years index, though it has recorded at least six other journalist fatalities in that period, including deaths by crossfire and while carrying out dangerous assignments.

Setback: Syria moved up one spot, from number three to number two, on the Impunity Index. Not a single case of a journalists murder has been prosecuted in Syria since CPJ began keeping track. Syria has never responded to UNESCOs requests for the judicial status of journalist killings in the country.

Illustrative case: In December 2015, 23-year-old Ahmed Mohamed Al-Mousa was shot twice in the head in front of his family home in Abu al-Duhur, a town in northwestern Syria. Al-Mousa was an editor for Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS), a Syrian citizen journalist group. Al-Mousas murder came amid a campaign of violence by Islamic State against members of RBSS and other Syrian journalists.

A Kurdish Muslim cleric on May 6, 2010, leads mourners in a prayer over Kurdish journalist and student Sardasht Osman who was kidnapped and killed that day in Erbil in the autonomous Kurdish region of Iraq. Seven years later, no one has been convicted of his murder. (AFP/Safin Hamed)

3. Iraq

Journalists killed with complete impunity in past decade: 34

Getting away with murder: Militias, Islamic State, government officials. More than half of the murders over the past decade took place in or near Mosul

Targeted for murder: Local journalists covering culture, politics, war, corruption, and human rights

Progress: Iraq fell to the third spot on the index from number two last year. The number of journalist murders has fallen since the mid-2000s, when sectarian violence was even more pervasive.

Setback: Iraq has failed to fully prosecute a single killing of a journalist. In only one case, the 2013 murder of Kawa Garmyanein Kurdistan, have any suspects been convicted; the mastermind behind the assassination remains at large. In addition to killings and abductions by Islamic State in recent years, Shia militias that mobilized to fight the terrorist group also menace journalists with impunity.

Illustrative case: In January 2016, broadcast reporter Saif Talal and his colleague, cameraman Hassan al-Anbaki, were driving in Diyala province in eastern Iraq when unidentified gunmen intercepted their vehicle, forced them out the car, and shot them dead. Their station, Al-Sharqiya, accused one of the militias on the loose of carrying out the murder.

4. South Sudan

Journalists killed with complete impunity in past decade: 5

Getting away with murder: Unknown

Targeted for murder: Local journalists covering politics and war

Progress: None.

Setback: No culprits have been identified, let alone convicted, in any of the five journalist murders CPJ has documented in South Sudan. In this climate of impunity, journalists have been detained, harassed, and physically attacked, as well as killed in crossfire. Several journalists have been murdered for reasons that CPJ was unable to connect to their work, such as ethnic strife. South Sudan has never responded to UNESCOs requests for the judicial status of journalist killings in the country.

Illustrative case: In January 2015, five journalists were shot, attacked with machetes, and set on fire in an ambush in Western Bahr al Ghazal state. The journalists were in a politicians convoy.

5. Philippines

Journalists killed with complete impunity in past decade: 42

Getting away with murder: Government officials

Targeted for murder: Local journalists from outside the capital covering politics, corruption, business, and crime

Progress: The Philippines dropped one place in the index from last year. In October 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte formed the Presidential Task Force on Media Security, which includes a designated team of investigators and prosecutors for the speedy probe of new cases of media killings. The commission has announced investigations into several murders, but no convictions have been achieved. Meanwhile, two people including a former policeman claimed Duterte ordered the killing of radio broadcaster Jun Pala in 2003, when Duterte was mayor of Davao City. Duterte has denied any connection to the crime.

Setbacks: There has been one murder since the previous index, the March 2017 shooting of reporter Joaquin Briones. Justice has not advanced for the 2009 Maguindanao massacre victims, among them 32 journalists and media workers. Three (out of dozens) of suspects were acquitted in July this year on grounds of insufficient evidence. The regional appeals court also upheld petitions for bail by Datu Sajid, a principal suspect, according to news reports.

Illustrative case: In April 2014, two gunmen went into the home of tabloid reporter Rubylita Garcia and shot her multiple times. She died in the hospital shortly after. Garcia had worked to expose wrongdoing in the Cavite province police force. A senior police officer was named by the justice department as the main suspect, but no one has been prosecuted.

A tribute to Javier Valdez Cardenas is left at a cafe in Culiacan that the Mexican journalist used to visit. Valdez was shot dead outside his office in May 2017. (AFP/Yuri Cortez)

6. Mexico

Journalists killed with complete impunity in past decade: 21

Getting away with murder: Criminal groups such as drug traffickers

Targeted for murder: Local journalists reporting on crime, corruption, and politics in cartel-dominated states

Progress: Partial justice was meted out in March 2017 when police commander Santiago Martinez was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the 2016 murder of reporter Marcos Hernandez Bautista. The mastermind has not been prosecuted. In May, President Enrique Pena Nieto pledged in a meeting with a CPJ delegation to prioritize combating impunity in the murders of journalists. He subsequently replaced the special prosecutor for crimes against free expression, a post tasked with investigating the killings of journalists. The move followed the release of CPJs special report No Excuse, which calls on the government to do more to break the cycle of violence in Mexico.

Setback: In 2017 alone, at least four journalists have been murdered in connection to their work.

Illustrative case: On May 15, 2017, investigative reporter Javier Valdez Cardenas was dragged from his car and shot dead in Culiacan in Sinaloa state. Valdez, who received CPJs International Press Freedom Award in 2011, dedicated his life to telling the stories of the victims of Mexicos drug war. The office of the federal Special Prosecutor for Crimes against Freedom of Expression (FEADLE) has taken charge of his case, but no one has been arrested.

7. Pakistan

Journalists killed with complete impunity in past decade: 21

Getting away with murder: Islamist militants, military and intelligence agencies, political parties, criminal groups

Targeted for murder: Local journalists reporting on war, politics, corruption, and human rights

Progress: CPJ has not confirmed any work-related murder of a journalist since 2015, though several journalists have been victims of non-fatal attacks or killings that CPJ has not been able to link to journalism.

Setback: Perpetrators have been prosecuted in only two murders that have taken place in the past decade. An investigation that was reopened last year in the 2014 New Years Day murder of journalist Shan Dahar appears to be at a standstill. A draft Journalists Welfare and Protection bill has been working its way through a broad consultation process but the independent Pakistan Press Foundation has criticized it for failing to include measures to combat impunity in attacks on the media.

Illustrative case: In April 2014, two unidentified gunmen stormed the offices of the independent news agency Online International News Network in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, and shot dead bureau chief Irshad Mastoi and trainee reporter Ghulam Rasool. Prior to the attack, Mastoi had been threatened by an array of actors, including sectarian and militant groups and security personnel, according to family and colleagues. Local journalists in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and Balochistan work under pressure from many sources: pro-Taliban groups, Pakistani security forces and intelligence agencies, separatists, and state-sponsored anti-separatist militias. More than two-thirds of the killings that took place in Pakistan included in this index took place in these areas.

8. Brazil

Journalists killed with complete impunity in past decade: 15

Getting away with murder: Government officials, criminal groups

Targeted for murder: Journalists reporting on corruption, crime, and politics outside the major cities

Progress: For the first time since 2009, CPJ has not recorded any new murders of journalists in Brazil, a possible indication that its stepped-up efforts to combat impunity-in the past four years Brazil has convicted suspects in six cases-are having an impact.

Setback: While the murders of journalists have slowed, so have prosecutions. No one has been sentenced for a journalist murder since 2015, when the gunman who perpetrated the murders of photographer Walgney Assis de Carvalho and reporter Walgney Assis de Carvalho was convicted.

Illustrative case: Gleydson Carvalho was shot live on the air while presenting his afternoon radio show in April 2015. Prior to his murder, Carvalho, who was known to be critical in his broadcasts of local police and politicians, including a local mayor, had received death threats. Five suspects, including the alleged gunman, have been arrested but not tried. The suspected mastermind remains at large.

Siberian editor Dmitry Popkov was shot dead in May 2017, ending a three year lull of targeted journalist killings in Russia. (Yulia Mullabayeva/Ton-M)

9. Russia

Journalists killed with complete impunity in past decade: 9

Getting away with murder: Government officials, political groups

Targeted for murder: Journalists reporting on corruption, human rights, politics, and war

Progress: Suspects have been convicted in three cases of journalists murdered in the past decade, though in only one, the 2009 shooting of Anastasiya Baburova, was the mastermind identified and prosecuted.

Setback: At least two journalists, Dmitry Popkov and Nikolai Andrushchenko, have been murdered in retaliation for their journalism in 2017, ending a lull of nearly three years in which CPJ did not record any targeted killings.

Illustrative case: Natalya Estemirova, contributor to the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta and an advocate for the Moscow-based human rights group Memorial, was abducted near her home in Grozny, Chechnya, early on July 15, 2009. A few hours later, her body, with gunshot wounds in the chest and head, was found in a ditch next to a highway. Estemirova had reported relentlessly on human rights violations committed by federal and regional authorities in Chechnya. No one has been prosecuted for her murder, and the investigation has been at a standstill since 2013.

10. Bangladesh

Journalists killed with complete impunity in past decade: 7

Getting away with murder: Members of extremist and criminal groups

Targeted for murder: Secular bloggers, journalists reporting on drug trafficking

Progress: In November last year, police arrested a member of the militant group Ansarullah Bangla Team who admitted involvement in the murders of two secular bloggers, Niloy Neel and Faisal Arefin Dipan, according to news reports. Since 2015, several suspects have been detained in these and other brutal attacks against secular bloggers and editors.

Setback: Only in one case, that of Ahmed Rajib Haider, who was hacked to death in 2013, have the killers been convicted.

Illustrative case: In 2015, two assailants stabbed and hacked blogger Avijit Roy to death as he was leaving a book fair in the Dhaka University campus area. Roys wife was badly injured in the attack. Roy, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Bangladeshi origin, wrote blog posts on secular issues including atheism and free expression. Despite multiple leads and arrests, no one has been prosecuted.

11. Nigeria

Journalists killed with complete impunity in past decade: 5

Getting away with murder: Extremist group Boko Haram, unknown assailants

Targeted for murder: Local journalists covering war, politics, and human rights

Progress: None.

Setback: Several nonfatal attacks and arrests of journalists took place this year. In June, editor Charles Otu was abducted and beaten by thugs who told him to stop writing critically of the Ebonyi state government.

Illustrative case: Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the October 2011 murder of Zakariya Isa, a reporter and cameraman for the state-run Nigeria Television Authority.

Indian journalists form a human chain near the Press Club of India to protest the killing of journalists in New Delhi on October 2, 2017. All murders of journalists in India have been carried out with complete impunity. (AP/Tsering Topgyal)

12. India

Journalists killed with complete impunity in past decade: 13

Getting away with murder: Criminal and political groups, government officials

Targeted for murder: Journalists reporting on local corruption, crime, and politics outside main urban areas

Progress: In April, Indias Maharashtra state passed legislation outlying stiffer penalties for incidents of violence against journalists and news outlets. The new law requires high-ranking police officers to investigate incidents of violence against journalists and designates such attacks a non-bailable offense, according to the International Federation of Journalists.

Setback: All murders of journalists in India documented by CPJ have been carried out with complete impunity. On September 5, 2017, after the research period for this index closed, independent journalist Gauri Lankesh, was shot dead outside her home in Bangalore. India has never responded to UNESCOs requests for the judicial status of journalist killings in the country.

Illustrative case: Umesh Rajput, a reporter with the Hindi-language daily Nai Dunia, was shot dead outside his home in Chhura village, on the outskirts of Raipur district in the central state of Chhattisgarh, on January 23, 2011. The 33-year-old journalist reported on allegations of medical negligence and claims that the son of a politician was involved in illegal gambling. Six years later, no one has been arrested for Rajputs murder.

Methodology

CPJs Impunity Index calculates the number of unsolved journalist murders as a percentage of each countrys population. For this index, CPJ examined journalist murders that occurred between September 1, 2007, and August 31, 2017, and that remain unsolved. Only those nations with five or more unsolved cases are included on this index. CPJ defines murder as a deliberate attack against a specific journalist in relation to the victims work. Murders make up nearly two thirds of work-related deaths among journalists, according to CPJ research. This index does not include cases of journalists killed in combat or while on dangerous assignments such as coverage of street protests. Cases are considered unsolved when no convictions have been obtained. Cases in which some but not all suspects have been convicted are classified as partial impunity. Cases in which the suspected perpetrators were killed during apprehension are also categorized as partial impunity. The index only analyzes murders that have been carried out with complete impunity; it does not include those where partial justice has been achieved. Population data from the World Banks 2016 World Development Indicators were used in calculating each countrys rating.

Statistical Table

Rank Nation Unsolved

Cases Population

(in millions)* Rating Change 1 Somalia 26 14.3 1.816 Down 18.4% 2 Syria 17 18.4 0.922 Up 0.3% 3 Iraq 34 37.2 0.914 Down 53.1% 4 South Sudan 5 12.2 0.409 Up 0.10% 5 Philippines 42 103.3 0.407 No change 6 Mexico 21 127.5 0.165 No Change 7 Pakistan 21 193.2 0.109 Down 2.1% 8 Brazil 15 207.7 0.072 No change 9 Russia 9 144.3 0.062 No change 10 Bangladesh 7 163.0 0.043 No change 11 Nigeria 5 186.0 0.027 No change 12 India 13 1,324.2 0.010 No change

*Source: population 2016 World Bank development indicators http://data.worldbank.org

CPJs Impunity Index is compiled as part of the organizations Global Campaign Against Impunity, which is made possible thanks in part to the Leon Levy Foundation.

EDITORS NOTE: The third bullet point has been corrected to reflect the number of index countries where new murders took place over the past year.
Friday in Florida, Haitian-American Mesac Damas (41) was sentenced to death by Collier County Judge Christine Greider for killing his wife and five children in September 2009.





He was sentenced after pleading guilty to 6 counts of 1st degree murder, waived his right to a jury and also waived his right to have his lawyers present mitigating evidence in his favor.





Judge Greider told the court, "Because death is a unique punishment in its finality, its application is reserved only for those cases where only the most aggravating and least mitigating circumstances exist." Note that the Mesac Damascus affair had been dragging on for almost 8 years, marked by numerous appeals by his lawyers to avoid the death penalty.





"I love my people, my wife and children. But this thing happened [...] I wish I had an answer for it, but I don't," said Damascus in court "From now on, I'm just going to put my trust in him, and say sorry to the whole world."





Let's recall that in September 2009 Damascus savagely killed in North Naples, in the family home, his wife, Guerline Dieu Damas, 32, and his five children: Michzach, 9, Marven, 6, Maven, 5, Megan , 3 years and Morgan 11 months, cutting their throats.





At the time, Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk described the killings as "the most horrible and violent event in the county's history."





After the murder Mesac Damascus had fled to Haiti where he was arrested 3 days later by the National Police of Haiti (PNH) and extradited and handed over to US justice.





Damascus said at the time that he did not run away but that he went to Haiti to say goodbye to his family and that he then intended to go to court.





After acknowledging killing his family at a "Naples News" reporter on his return to the United States, he said he wanted the jury to immediately send him to death before adding that his children and his wife were innocent...





At the reporter's question "Then why, why would you kill them ?" he would have answered "The devil exists... When I did it my eyes was closed, right now my eyes are open [...]"





A statement that had contributed, among other things, to the delay in his trial, his lawyers having claimed that he had suffered a traumatic brain injury and had a long history of mental illness that had begun during his childhood in Haiti.





A defense rejected by the court, the public prosecutor having brought elements of premeditation including the purchase of the knife a few days before the tragedy, and proved that the accused was perfectly able to distinguish what is good from what is wrong and were therefore responsible for his actions at the time of the murder.

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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde

haitilibre.com, October 29, 2017
The United States and India continue to forge ever deeper bonds and expand their partnerships, as they have for over 70 years now. During a recent meeting in New Delhi, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Indias External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj discussed how the two countries might deepen their cooperation on thorny issues such as terrorism and the stabilization of Afghanistan. They also discussed Indias potential to broaden its role in the Indo Pacific region, particularly when it comes to promoting a rules-based approach to commerce, and a transparent and sustainable approach to economic development.

These goals dovetail with President Donald Trumps new strategy for South Asia, which redoubles U.S. commitment to help achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan, and consequently, in the greater South Asian region, said Secretary of State Tillerson.India plays an important role in this effort. In the fight against terrorism, the United States will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with India. Terrorist safe havens will not be tolerated, he said:

The United States supports India's emergence as a leading power and will continue to contribute to Indian capabilities to provide security throughout the region. In this regard, we are willing and able to provide India advanced technologies for its military modernization efforts.

At the core of our strong bond is our shared values, said Secretary of State Tillerson.Our democracies were founded on a commitment to individual liberty and the rule of law. It's this foundation that underpins all that we work together on, from combating terrorism and safeguarding a rules-based Indo-Pacific region to increasing free and fair trade even as we look for more areas of cooperation, he said.

As President Trump said during Prime Minister Modi's trip to the United States in June, . . . The future of our partnership has never looked brighter. India and the United States will always be tied together in friendship and respect. We look forward to an even brighter future.
Chiara Ferragni is the undisputed queen of Instagram. Costhanzo

Milimeter-perfect poses on picture-postcard beaches; hashtags or labels that describe each and every one of their movements; and a life edited and transmitted live on social media: such is the day-to-day routine of celebrities of the millennial generation. But if there is an international celebrity that stands out above the rest on Instagram it is, without a doubt, Chiara Ferragni.

People like my story because I am a self-made woman, she proudly says. And it could not be more true. This former law student, born 30 years ago in Cremora, a village near Milan, has been named the worlds top fashion influencer of 2017 by Forbes magazine. But how does a complete unknown come to be the connection between luxury fashion brands and the masses? By taking advantage of the right moment and the perfect platform.

In 2009, shortly after moving to Milan for college, Ferragni and her partner at the time, Ricardo Pozzoli, created her blog The Blonde Salad. Camera in hand, Ferragni documented more than just her clothes. She showed her day-to-day life with images taken inside her small studio and her strolls along the streets of Milan. Without knowing it, Ferragni and Pozzoli had hit on the business model behind the so-called influencers.

While she played model and took mirror selfies, not far from her apartment Dolce&Gabanna were sitting the fashion bloggers of the moment in the front row of their Milan fashion show for the first time. Bloggers like Tommy Ton sat alongside powerful titans of the industry such as Anna Wintour  editor of American Vogue. The digital revolution had found its space in the universe of fashion.

Bloggers and Instagrammers replaced models and fashion magazines as style setters almost overnight

Almost overnight, bloggers and Instagrammers replaced models and fashion magazines as the style setters, and there was Ferragni, ready to take her piece of the pie.

In 2011, two years after starting her blog The Blonde Salad, she was reaching 110,000 visitors per month. It was then that Ferragni and Pozzoli discovered the difference between having a blog that creates trends and generates money, and simply promoting vanity online. You had to have a good sales strategy and business plan.

The blogs breakthrough offered them the perfect opportunity to diversify the business. On the one hand, The Blonde Salad sold advertising space to big brands, while Chiara sold herself on Instagram with her personal brand: the girl that everyone wanted to be.

Her followers know everything about her life, or at least the edited version that she publishes. With an average of six new photos a day on Instagram, which get between 70,000 and 80,000 likes, Ferragni is visible to millions. She knows this and exploits it. Her fans have followed her since her breakup with Ricardo Pozzoli  with whom she still has a working relationship  to her relationship with Italian rapper Fedez, broadcast live on their respective social networks.

Although each of her posts comprises a fresh and natural image, but this is a business. All photos are taken in such a way as to focus your attention on that precious bag, or on that shirt with a price tag with more zeros than the average workers wage. Ferragni has conquered the advertising market for luxury brands, something that until now was reserved for fashion magazines.

So what makes her the queen of the world of fashion communication? It is the strategy that shes followed from the outset. It is not just about getting a brand to pay a large sum to appear on her social network, but also about creating a relationship with that brand so she can eventually become its ambassador or have a capsule collection created for her. Undoubtedly, that is a much more beneficial type of contract.

Ferragni has managed to turn herself into a brand. Her followers trust her and follow, as best as they can, her style recommendations. The pants she wears and the hotel she stays in are synonymous with success  so much so, that this year Forbes crowned her the most influential blogger and Instagrammer in the world of fashion. Yet it is not the first time that shes been featured on the list from this prestigious magazine. In 2015 and 2016, she was selected as one of the most influential 30 people under 30 on social media.

On her way to achieving the status of influencer, her blog also evolved, becoming a lifestyle website from which to follow Ferragnis world travels, buy clothes that she designed for other brands, or purchase shoes from the Chiara Ferragni Collection  her footwear line. The company reinvented itself, grew and began to generate millions in profit. Her business was so successful that in 2015 the Harvard Business School included her as a case study for an MBA.

Ferragni and Pozzoli are no longer just two teenagers taking photos and uploading them to a blog, but successful entrepreneurs who earn $9.5 million a year.

English version by Debora Almeida.
Sri Sri has intensified his efforts to act as a mediator in resolution of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute in Ayodhya. It was in this regard he met Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board today.

By India Today Web Desk: Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board chairman Syed Waseem Rizvi met Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar today in Bengaluru and requested him to hold talks with only whose who want an amicable solution to the Ram Janmbhoomi-Babri Masjid issue. However, minutes after Rizvi's meeting with Sri Sri, the Hindu Mahasabha issued a statement saying that the spiritual guru has no right to mediate in the Ram temple issue.

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Sri Sri has intensified his efforts to act as a mediator in the Ayodhya Ram temple. It was in this regard he met Rizvi today.

After the meeting, the UP Shia Central Waqf Board chief told mediapersons that the whole country respects Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and expressed confidence that the vexed Ayodhya tangle issue will be solved. "Have requested Sri Sri that talks should be held only with those who want an agreement," said Rizvi.

He said those who want peace in the country are welcoming the move. But those who want violence are against any negotiation.

Speaking on behalf of the Waqf Board, Rizvi claimed that there was no mosque at the site where the Ram temple stands in Ayodhya. "There is a temple now," he said.

He said there are many mosques in Ayodhya where namaaz can be read. There should not be any fight in the name of Ram in India, he added.

Rizvi favoured negotiations with only those who are interested in finding an amicable solution to the issue. "Talks should be with parties which wish to find an amicable solution. Leaving aside some maulvis, the awam (public) is in support of a solution," he said.

SHIAS TO DECIDE WHERE MOSQUE WILL COME UP: RIZVI

"We are speaking on behalf of Shia Wakf. It is the Shias who will decide where the mosque should be built (in Ayodhya)," Rizvi claimed.

The Shia Waqf Board chief claimed that they are in the process of preparing a compromise formula. "No one wants a controversy. We have spoken to all the stakeholders in Ayodhya.

"We are a party in the case and have always been so. We have been silent all the while. It does not mean that we cannot have a say in the matter," he said.

Rizvi claimed that the Shia Waqf Board believed that there will be a solution to this problem through talks. He said the Board is hopeful that in 2018, the work to build Ram temple in Ayodhya can start.

The Shia Waqf Board chief also hoped that a solution to the long-standing issue can be found with the involvement of Sri Sri.

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However, minutes after Rizvi's support to a Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Hindu Mahasabha issued a statement rejecting his claims. The saffron organisation denied that Sri Sri Ravishankar has any right to mediate in Ram temple issue.

Hindu Mahasabha's opposition to Sri Sri's role as a mediator will put the spanner in efforts of individuals and parties to find an amicable solution to the problem will receive a jolt.

ALSO WATCH VIDEO | Uttar Pradesh CM Adityanath visits Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya

--- ENDS ---
Paul Bekaert, on the right, in 2005. Herwig Vergult (AFP / GETTY)

A lawyer with a long history of defending members of Basque terrorist organization ETA has been hired by the ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont to provide legal advice on the subject of a hypothetical asylum request in Belgium.

Paul Bekaert, 68, specializes in human rights and has worked on numerous cases to halt the extradition of ETA members to Spain.

In the 1990s, pressure from Spanish law enforcement agencies and counter-terrorism cooperation between Spanish and French authorities saw many ETA members flee southern France  their traditional safe haven  to seek a new hiding place in Belgium.

I have more than 30 years experience in extradition and political asylum of Basque citizens, and that is probably why Puigdemont has called me

Paul Bekaert

Bekaert said on Monday that Puigdemont has hired him as a legal advisor, but would not confirm whether he has met personally with the former Catalan premier.

I can confirm that Puigdemont has contacted me today. I cannot reveal what he asked me because I am bound by professional secrecy, he said in a telephone conversation with EL PAIS on Monday. Nothing has been decided yet regarding an asylum request. There will be an appearance [by Puigdemont] on the subject.

Bekaerts office is located in the Flemish town of Tielt, around 80 kilometers west of Brussels. One of his best-known cases involved an alleged ETA member named Natividad Jauregui, who was residing in Gant and was arrested after more than 30 years on the run. The case was a victory for Bekaert, after Belgium refused to turn her over to Spain in 2013.

Carles Puigdemont (top left) and the five former cabinet members who traveled to Brussels with him. EFE

Belgian courts have traditionally exhibited mistrust about the application of the rule of law in Spain, an attitude that is uncommon among EU member states. In January of this year, the family of one of Jaureguis victims resorted to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, where it challenged the Belgian courts decision to deny extradition on the grounds that there is a risk of torture in Spain.

Bekaert has also represented the alleged ETA collaborators Luis Moreno Ramago and Raquel Garcia Aranz, who were arrested in Brussels in June 1993. Bekaert managed to get them released after alleging that the suspects had confessed after being subjected to abuse and beatings.

Their release triggered a political incident between both countries, and legal cooperation was suspended. The Belgian courts finally dismissed Ramago and Aranzs asylum petition, but did not honor Spains extradition request.

This background was a determining factor in Puigdemonts decision to seek Bekaerts services.

I have more than 30 years experience in extradition and political asylum of Basque citizens, and that is probably why Puigdemont has called me. I am familiar with extradition procedures and European arrest warrants, he told the Belgian news station VRT.

In the past, Bekaert has also defended suspects from regions with territorial disputes, including several recruiters involved in the Chechnya conflict, and the Kurdish terrorist Fehriye Erdal, who was recently sentenced in absentia to a 15-year prison term for murdering three people in 1996. She is currently a fugitive from justice.

English version by Susana Urra.
Former Catalan regional premier Carles Puigdemont at todays press conference. Olivier Matthys (AP)

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More information Ousted Catalan premier to explain trip to Brussels

Ousted Catalan premier Carles Puigdemont said he does not plan to avoid legal proceedings launched by Spanish prosecutors on Monday but that he has no plans to return to Spain until he is given guarantees that he will receive fair treatment.

Speaking at a packed press conference in Brussels today, he said that he and the former ministers of the Catalan government with whom he had traveled to the Belgian capital would return to Spain immediately if they were guaranteed a fair and independent trial with a separation of powers.

Puigdemont, who continues to consider himself the premier of the Catalan executive despite his dismissal under the application of Article 155 by Spains central government, said he had traveled to Brussels with his colleagues to make clear the politicization of Spanish justice.

I am not here [in Belgium] to apply for political asylum, we are here to act with liberty and security, said Puigdemont, speaking of the threat of 30 years in prison after Spanish state prosecutors filed formal accusations of rebellion, sedition and misuse of funds against the former premier, his ministers and members of the speakers committee of the Catalan parliament.

The other part of the government, headed by [former] deputy premier [Oriol Junqueras] will remain in Catalonia as legitimate members of the Catalan government, said Puigdemont.

We have never abandoned the government. More than that, we will continue working, he added, calling on the Catalan people to prepare for a long road ahead.

At the press conference, during which he spoke in Catalan, French and Spanish, the former premier also confirmed that his PDeCAT party would run in the December 21 election called by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. Its a challenge we are going to accept, he said.

He said added that he would respect the results and called on Madrid to do the same.

Puigdemont insisted that the state that had called elections wanted to put him in jail for completing his electoral program. We have a strictly European agenda here, he said of his visit to Belgium. We have had no other type of contact.

During the press conference, Puigdemont was joined by seven members of his former cabinet who have also traveled to Brussels.
Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont in Brussels. YVES HERMAN (REUTERS)

Carles Puigdemont, the sacked Catalan premier, has accepted the regional election called by the Spanish Prime Minister for December 21.

We accept these elections as a democratic challenge () If the Spanish state wants to organize a plebiscite to legitimize (the application of) Article 155 and its policies, we will accept it and respond to it, said Puigdemont on Tuesday in Brussels, where he had secretly traveled a day earlier with five members of his cabinet.

We need to achieve a referendum thats agreed on and recognized by the state and by international institutions

Santi Vila, PDeCAT candidate

The ousted premier said he intends to stay there until he has guarantees of a fair trial back in Spain, where he could face charges of sedition and rebellion for the unilateral declaration of independence that was voted by separatist deputies in the Catalan assembly last Friday.

In a widely followed news conference, Puigdemont said he wanted this election to become a gauge of Catalan support for Madrids takeover of Catalan self-government. He was alluding to the emergency powers activated by invoking Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, aimed at restoring the law in breakaway regions. This provision had not been used since Spain transitioned to democracy in the late 1970s.

Ciudadanos leader in Catalonia Ines Arrimadas. Alvaro Sanchez (EFE)

Meanwhile, Ciudadanos is asking for a deal among unionist parties so that if they achieve more seats than the separatists, the most-voted one among them should get to head the government. So far, however, the Catalan Socialists (PSC) and the Popular Party (PP) conservatives are ruling out any pre-election agreements.

If we are able to add our strengths together, constitutionalism can beat nationalism, said Ciudadanos leader Ines Arrimadas following a meeting of the partys executive leadership. It will be practically indispensable to reach a cross-party agreement after the election. I would like for there to be a preliminary agreement.

A U-turn

In the three days since 70 separatist deputies in the 135-seat assembly approved a text paving the way for a Catalan republic, the pro-independence movement has made a rhetorical U-turn. After openly rejecting the Spanish Constitution and the takeover of regional powers by Madrid, separatist parties are now embracing an election called by the Spanish head of government under Article 155, and to be held within Spains constitutional framework.

Faced with the fact that the Catalan republic has attracted no international recognition, that businesses are fleeing the region, that public officials are not resisting control from Madrid, and that no alternative state structures exist  Mireia Boya, a deputy for the far-left CUP, admitted on Tuesday that we see now that not everything was ready  separatist parties considered their options.

We see now that not everything was ready

CUP deputy Mireia Boya

Puigdemonts own Catalan European Democratic Party (PDeCAT) and the Catalan Republican Left (ERC), the two leading members of the Junts pel Si coalition that have governed Catalonia since the 2015 election, have decided to run in the new election. The anti-capitalist CUP first announced that it would boycott the vote, then revised its position.

Possible outcomes

A poll conducted by the Catalan statistics bureau Centre dEstudis de Opinio de la Generalitat (CEO) suggests that if Junts pel Si coalition ran again, it woud secure between 60 and 63 seats, similar to the 62 it earned in 2015. The non-nationalist party Ciudadanos would come in second with 25 to 26 deputies, followed by the Catalan Socialist Party (17-19), SiQueEsPot (12-14), the Popular Party (10-11) and CUP (8-9).

This would mean 68 seats for all secessionist forces put together, just barely enough to hold on to its majority in the 135-seat chamber. As a percentage of votes, however, they would represent 45.9% compared with 50.9% for non-nationalist forces.

Candidates are already starting to step up to the plate. Santi Vila, a former member of Puigdemonts cabinet, said that he would run with the PDeCAT to give a voice to moderation.

Vila, who served as head of the business department in the Catalan government, resigned right after Puigdemont failed to call elections himself, as he had been expected to do last Thursday. I have the team, the support and the determination. Independence from a position of moderation, that would be the idea, he told the radio station RAC1.

He added that Puigdemonts trip to Brussels was a surprise to me and for the party leadership.

As head of the business department, Vila created a crisis cabinet to keep close tabs on the effects of the independence drive on the Catalan economy, including the mass departure of businesses from the region due to fears of legal and political instability.

Now it is time to reprogram how we are going to head towards these elections. I think we need to base this on three ideas: the defense of Catalan institutions, amnesty  Rajoy must instruct prosecutors to let politicians do politics  and readjust ourselves in order to achieve a referendum thats agreed on and recognized by the state and by international institutions, he said, alluding to an October 1 referendum that was held without legal guarantees, but which Puigdemont claims is a popular mandate for independence.

English version by Susana Urra.
Since the 1979 revolution, Iran has invested a large amount of money into the construction of dams. In addition to power generation, dams were considered an important tool for water management during times of hardship. However, in recent years, dams have been at the crux of one of the countrys most serious environmental crises.

While conducting research on water mismanagement, Small Media -- a London-based organization supporting civil society and human rights in the Middle East -- discovered that the data for hundreds of Iranian dams is missing.

Based on some estimates, Iran has invested more into dams than any other field save for petrochemical projects. During the presidency of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (1989-1997), a major dam was inaugurated every 45 days, which earned him the title of Construction Commander.

Iran has built 600 dams over the past three decades, with an average of 20 a year. Its aggressive dam-building policy made the country the worlds third-biggest dam builder after China and Japan.

But Iran has faced a severe drought in recent years, and the dams add to the environmental damage caused by the drought.

When President Hassan Rouhani took office in 2013, he called for a halt to the dam projects. Environmental experts maintain that in order to see some concrete, positive effects on the environment, 500 Iranian dams should be decommissioned.

However, evaluating the current status of dams is a difficult task given the lack of transparency.

Small Media looked at an online database of Iran's Energy Ministry only to discover the data regarding the majority of dams is missing. Among more than 1,000 dams, only about 100 had complete information, Small Media wrote in a report. For the rest, it is unclear who is in charge or the start and end dates. The dates in particular are crucial for estimating whether dams are cost-effective.

Small Media could not determine whether the data gap was related to mismanagement or corruption. However, the fact that a conglomerate called Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Company (KAA), controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC, has been the major stakeholder in the lucrative dam building business could be a reason for the lack of transparency.

Iranian economists say that IRGC is one of the biggest economic players in Iran, often using its political and intelligence resources to secure lucrative contracts, that no one can question later. KAA is the most visible IRGC economic player, but the Revolutionary Guards directly and indirectly control a vast array of other companies.

After his reelection, President Hassan Rouhani lambasted IRGC's dominant role in Iran's economy and called it a "government with guns".

KAA was on the United Nations sanctions list for supporting Irans nuclear program. Following the nuclear deal between Iran and major world powers, the European Union will lift sanctions against the company in eight years, while the United States will keep KAA and its subsidiaries on a blacklist.

Without having access to the complete data, it is hard to hold governmental and local institutions accountable for the potential destructive economic, social, and environmental costs of dam building for the country, Small Media wrote.
Two top Iranian commanders have said that one of the reasons Iran's ballistic missiles have a range of only 2,000 kilometers is a limit prescribed by the Supreme Leader, ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

It is not clear from their statements at what time in the past Khamenei might have imposed a limit.

This is the first time that high-ranking Islamic Republic officials directly mention a range limitation imposed by Khamenei.

Fars news agency reports that in remarks delivered in a provincial city of Urmiya, the Chief of Staff of Irans armed forces revealed that the Supreme Leader, ayatollah Ali Khamanei has limited the range of Irans ballistic missiles to 2,000 kilometers.

The particular statement by General Mohammad Hossein Bagheri was just a short reference in more detailed remarks praising Irans missile program.But Bagheri was trying to make a point that Irans missiles are not meant to carry nuclear warheads.

Our missiles have a 2,000-kilometer range, based on a limit prescribed by the commander in chief (Khamenei).

The high ranking IRGC general said that ballistic missiles are usually produced to carry nuclear weapons, and do need a lot of accuracybut the Islamic Republic considers the development and deployment of nuclear warheads against Sharia (Islamic Law). That is the reason Iranian scientists working on ballistic missiles focus on their accuracy, he added.

Bagheris remarks appear to be an attempt to show that Irans missile program is a defensive one, in contrast to countries such as North Korea.

Associated Press reports that the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps, General Mohammad Ali Jaafari also told reporters that Khamenei has prescribed a 2,000 kilometer range for Iran's ballistic missiles.

Speaking on the sidelines of a conference in Tehran, Jafari told reporters that the range of missiles is "enough for now". But he added a hawkish remark, that if there is conflict in the region, "there are enough Americans" to target.

With reporting by Fars, AP
A group of Iranian government retirees assembled in front of Planning and Budget Organization on Monday, October 30 in Tehran, to protest high cost of living, limited insurance and calling for implementation of national management services law, Iran Labor News Agency, ILNA reported.

Meanwhile, Irans Free Trade Union announced that the protest will continue for three days.

Different retirees, including teachers and former employees of the ministry of Education, attended the gathering that was organized and announced through cyberspace calls, ILNA said.

According to Irans Free Labor Unions Telegram channel, during the first day of their three-day sit-in protest, retirees were carrying banners saying, Enough of Injustice and ruthlessness, theres no food on our dining tables, Health, Honor and Making a Living are our unquestionable rights, Poverty line is forty million rials (roughly $1000), while our pension is ten million rials (roughly $250), No nation has ever experienced such injustice.

While the protest gathering was going on, the head of Supreme Center for retirees and pensioners of Social Welfare Organization, SWO, referred to a research and argued, 48% of SWO retirees have no insurance and do not receive any bonus. 52% of them do not have enough pension or income to make ends meet and 34% are deprived of appropriate medical services.

More than two months ago, on August 22, scores of retired teachers and other government pensioners had also held a protest rally in front of parliament.

Several workers syndicates and unions said hundreds of protesters participated in the demonstration.

The August 22 protest, according to Irans official state News Agency, IRNA, was organized by military retirees who were protesting against delaying the implementation of a law approved by parliament that requires matching the salary of military pensioners with the income of active personnel.

Meanwhile, Irans Free Labor Union announced, There were nearly one thousand protesters present at Tuesdays rally in front of the parliament.

Hundreds of currently working teachers and workers were also there to support the retirees, the union reported.
A person accused of roughly $146 million overdue payback related to the Teachers Savings Fund, TSF scandal has fled Iran, says a member of parliament.

Jabbar Kouchakinejad who is a member of parliaments Education and Research Commission divulged the news in an interview with Iran Labor News Agency, ILNA, on Monday, October 30.

When in 2013 the funds control was transferred from Mahmoud Ahmadinejads government to the new administration, another parliament member claimed that one billion dollars was missing; listed as non-receivable assets.

Later, conservatives accused the head of the fund, appointed by the new president, Hassan Rouhani of being responsible for at least part of the missing funds.

Both factions of the Islamic Republic regime, the reformists and conservatives now accuse one another of allowing fraud to take place.

But it is logical to assume that a such a large-scale fraud could not have happened over night and it must have started years ago.

The TSF is an investment vehicle for retired teachers, who invest their savings in one basket, which then tries to lend the money to businesses and return some profit to the teachers.

Most of the accused borrowed money from the fund and did not pay back.

Now, the whistle blowing MP, Kouchakinejad says that actually 20 people have been arrested since the start of the scandal, but most of them have been released with the condition that theyll pay back what they owe to the fund.

However, he says that some of the accused, including a man identified as Mr. M, have already fled Iran.

Without revealing the full name of the accused, Kouchakinejad maintained, Mr. Ms lawyer is currently trying to lay the groundwork for his return and settling his nearly four to five trillion rials (roughly up to $146 million) overdue debt.

Another aspect of the scandal is that although many people have been arrested and identified as debtors to the fund, no names have been released.

This is a typical practice in the Islamic Republic. In large fraud cases, rarely the full names of the accused are announced, ostensibly to protect them in case their guilt is not proven in the end.

But some say that in reality, powerful and well-connected people are involved in fraud and different political factions make sure the identities of their supporters are not exposed.

Working teachers complain that they are one of the most neglected government employees, with minimal salaries and coping with difficult conditions. Security forces persecute those who try to organize the teachers to demand their rights.

Earlier, Kouchakinejad had reported that many of the accused connected with the TSF case have been dragged out of planes while trying to flee the country.

Citing the MP, ILNA reports that others might be detained and questioned as well, if new clues emerge.

Kouchakinejad described the extent of fraud related to the Teachers Savings Fund as high, amounting to fourteen trillion to fifteen trillion rials (roughly $408 million to $440 million).

Meanwhile, he also believes that the extent of the fraud might be much larger; had the other hidden layers of the case been revealed.

The Teachers Deposit Fund has more than 800,000 members who receive annual interest on their investment.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31



Trend:



The First General Assembly of the "Armenia - Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform" was held in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Oct. 30.



Participants of the First General Assembly of the "Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform" appealed to the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.



The decision was made on the first issue on the agenda, the establishment of the "Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform" on the basis of the "Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Platform" and adoption of its Charter.



In accordance with the Charter, the decisions were made regarding the number of the members of the Steering Committee and the Central Control-Inspection Commission of the "Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform", their representation principles and the members.



Thus, the Congress decided to form the Steering Committee of the "Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform", consisting of 19 members, from the representatives of the OSCE Minsk Group countries which mediate in the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.



According to the general agreement, the proportion of members of the Steering Committee consisting of the overall 19 members is determined as follows: 5 from Armenia, 5 from Azerbaijan, and 9 from each of the other OSCE Minsk Group participating states.



At the end, the Final Decision of the General Assembly and the Statement of the General Assembly were adopted. The General Assembly has decided to open offices of the Platform in Tbilisi, Yerevan and Baku and hold meetings with the public in Armenia and Azerbaijan.



After the General Assembly was closed, the first meeting of the new Steering Committee was held.



At the meeting, in accordance with the Charter of the "Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform", the co-chairing institute was established and Rafael Isakhanyan from Armenia and Rovshan Rzayev from Azerbaijan were elected as the co-chairs of the Steering Committee for the term of one year.



Then the Steering Committee of the Platform put forward for discussions a list of the "Experts Council" of the "Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform". As a result of the voting, the "Expert Council" consisting of 29 people has been approved.
Details added (first version posted on 10:19)



Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31



Trend:



The First General Assembly of the "Armenia - Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform" was held in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Oct. 30.



Participants of the First General Assembly of the "Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform" appealed to the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.



The decision was made on the first issue on the agenda, the establishment of the "Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform" on the basis of the "Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Platform" and adoption of its Charter.



In accordance with the Charter, the decisions were made regarding the number of the members of the Steering Committee and the Central Control-Inspection Commission of the "Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform", their representation principles and the members.



Thus, the Congress decided to form the Steering Committee of the "Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform", consisting of 19 members, from the representatives of the OSCE Minsk Group countries which mediate in the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.



According to the general agreement, the proportion of members of the Steering Committee consisting of the overall 19 members is determined as follows: 5 from Armenia, 5 from Azerbaijan, and 9 from each of the other OSCE Minsk Group participating states.



At the end, the Final Decision of the General Assembly and the Statement of the General Assembly were adopted. The General Assembly has decided to open offices of the Platform in Tbilisi, Yerevan and Baku and hold meetings with the public in Armenia and Azerbaijan.



After the General Assembly was closed, the first meeting of the new Steering Committee was held.



At the meeting, in accordance with the Charter of the "Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform", the co-chairing institute was established and Rafael Isakhanyan from Armenia and Rovshan Rzayev from Azerbaijan were elected as the co-chairs of the Steering Committee for the term of one year.



Then the Steering Committee of the Platform put forward for discussions a list of the "Experts Council" of the "Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform". As a result of the voting, the "Expert Council" consisting of 29 people has been approved.
By PTI: (Eds: Updating with more inputs)

By Lalit K Jha

Washington, Oct 31 (PTI) US special forces have captured a second key militant linked to the deadly attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi in 2012 which killed the US ambassador to Libya and three other American personnel.

President Donald Trump, who made the announcement, said US special forces captured Mustafa Al-Imam in Libya and said the action signified that the four Americans who died "will never be forgotten."

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"Yesterday, on my orders, US forces captured Mustafa al- Imam in Libya," Trump said in a statement yesterday.

Al-Imam, 46, is in US custody in Libya, and upon his arrival to the US, he will be presented before a federal judge in Washington, said a Justice Department statement.

Al-Imam is the second Benghazi suspect to be taken into US custody.

His capture comes as the attacks suspected mastermind -- Ahmed Abu Khatallah -- is currently on trial in Washington.

"Because of this successful operation, Al-Imam will face justice in the United States for his alleged role in the September 11, 2012 attacks in Benghazi, which resulted in the deaths of Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Glen Doherty, Sean Smith, and Tyrone Woods?four brave Americans who were serving our country," Trump said.

"To the families of these fallen heroes: I want you to know that your loved ones are not forgotten, and they will never be forgotten," he said.

Trump said the US will continue to support Libyan partners to ensure that Islamic State and other terrorist groups do not use Libya as a safe haven for attacks against US citizens or interests, Libyans, and others.

"Libyas long-term stability and security are linked to its ability to form a unified government and military, and we encourage all Libyans to support the ongoing reconciliation process facilitated by the UN and to work together to build a peaceful and stable country," he said.

In a statement, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson welcomed Trumps decision.

"I am deeply grateful to the US military, law enforcement, and intelligence community for their efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators of the September 11, 2012 terrorist attacks," he said.

The Department of State family continues to mourn the loss of Ambassador Stevens, Doherty, Smith and Woods, and will spare no effort to ensure that justice is served for these dedicated Americans and public servants, he said.

Al-Imam has been charged for his alleged participation in the September 11, 2012, attack on the US Special Mission and Annex in Benghazi that resulted in the deaths of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

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Attorney General Jeff Sessions said, "The murder of four Americans in Benghazi on September 11, 2012 was a barbaric crime that shocked the American people. We will never forget those we lost."

According to the complaint, which was filed under seal on May 19, 2015, Al-Imam is charged with killing a person in the course of an attack on a federal facility involving the use of a firearm and dangerous weapon and attempting and conspiring to do the same.

He is also charged with providing, attempting and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists resulting in death, and discharging, brandishing, using, carrying and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. PTI LKJ AJR AKJ AKJ

--- ENDS ---
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

By Samir Ali  Trend:

The opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway is of great importance for Azerbaijan, Tahir Karimli, member of the Azerbaijani parliament, told Trend Oct. 31.

Karimli noted that this is a great historic event and Azerbaijan has proved that it is a major logistics center.

This project was implemented thanks to the activities of President Ilham Aliyev, said the MP adding that this project will ensure further economic growth in Azerbaijan, which will lead to an increase in the incomes of population and the opening of new jobs.

The official opening ceremony of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was held in Baku Oct. 30. The BTK railway was constructed on the basis a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. The railways peak capacity will be 17 million tons of cargo per year. At an initial stage, this figure will be one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of cargo.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

Trend:

Baku hosts the sixth meeting of the Azerbaijan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council Oct. 31.

In this regard, an official welcoming ceremony has been held for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. A ceremonial guard of honor was lined up for President Erdogan in the square decorated with the national flags of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev greeted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Then, the chief of the guard of honor reported to the president of Turkey, following which President Ilham Aliyev and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reviewed the guard of honor.The Turkish president greeted the Azerbaijani soldiers.

Later, the state anthems of Azerbaijan and Turkey were played. State and government officials of Azerbaijan and Turkey met with the two presidents, who observed the march of the guard of honor.

The presidents posed for official photos.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

By Samir Ali  Trend:

By commissioning the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, Azerbaijan has added another bright page to the countrys glorious history, the Azerbaijani MP Elman Nasirov told Trend Oct. 31.

He noted that the railways commissioning attracted the attention of the entire world community. He stressed that the opening of the BTK railway will have big impact on cargo transportation between Europe and Asia.

This is a very important event, Nasirov said. The BTK railway project will further strengthen positions of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey in the international arena, and all the three countries will have a greater financial benefit from it. The opening of the BTK railway will also increase Azerbaijans export opportunities.

The opening of the BTK railway once again showed the world that all projects initiated by Azerbaijan are implemented, he noted. The BTK project is another historic step of Azerbaijan. The projects implementation will lead to further strengthening of Azerbaijans cooperation with the countries located along the BTK railway.

The MP added that this project is a step, which serves cooperation in the region.

The implementation of this project upset Armenia, said Nasirov. The Armenian media recognize that as a result of the policy of the countrys President Serzh Sargsyan, Armenias economy has fallen into decay, the country is in a blockade and the poverty level of Armenias population is growing rapidly.

The official opening ceremony of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was held in Baku Oct.30. The BTK railway was constructed on the basis a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. The railways peak capacity will be 17 million tons of cargo per year. At an initial stage, this figure will be one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of cargo.
Details added (first version posted on 14:00)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

Trend:

Following the official welcoming ceremony, a one-on-one meeting was held between the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Baku on Oct. 31.

During the meeting, the sides expressed satisfaction with the successful development of friendly and fraternal relations between the two countries in all spheres.

The importance of the sixth meeting of the Azerbaijan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council was stressed in terms of determining the prospects for ties and further deepening of bilateral relations, and the importance of opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which is a global project, was noted.

Moreover, an exchange of views was held on issues of mutual interest between the two countries.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

Trend:

Turkey-Azerbaijan relations are at the highest level and at the highest peak, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev told the sixth meeting of the Azerbaijan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, held with participation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Baku Oct. 31.

Addressing the meeting, President Aliyev welcomed the guests.

Mr. President, we attach great importance to your visit. Today, we have discussed a number of issues at the one-on-one meeting, said President Aliyev.

Our views on the development of our relations coincide, noted the president.

He expressed confidence that the meeting of the Azerbaijan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council will also be very successful.

There are many issues on the agenda  political relations, joint activities in international organizations, economic cooperation, military, military-technical cooperation, and of course, energy and transportation issues, said President Aliyev, adding that there are very good results in all spheres.

Our decisions are being implemented and the intergovernmental joint commission is also operating very successfully, added the president.

The head of state expressed confidence that the issues, to be discussed today, will also bring good results.
Details added (first version posted on 15:22)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

Trend:

The sixth meeting of the Azerbaijan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council was held with the participation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Baku on Oct. 31.

Addressing the meeting, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev welcomed the guests.

Mr. President, we attach great importance to your visit. Today, we have discussed a number of issues at the one-on-one meeting, said President Aliyev, adding that the Turkey-Azerbaijan relations are at the highest level and at the highest peak.

Our views on the development of our relations coincide, noted the president.

He expressed confidence that the meeting of the Azerbaijan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council will also be very successful.

There are many issues on the agenda  political relations, joint activities in international organizations, economic cooperation, military, military-technical cooperation, and of course, energy and transportation issues, said President Aliyev, adding that there are very good results in all spheres.

Our decisions are being implemented and the intergovernmental joint commission is also operating very successfully, added the president.

The head of state expressed confidence that the issues, to be discussed today, will also bring good results.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

Trend:

It is a great honor to see the launch of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the sixth meeting of the Azerbaijan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, held with participation of President Ilham Aliyev in Baku Oct. 31.

Dear President, dear members of the delegation. First of all, I would like to thank on my own behalf and on behalf of my delegation for the hospitality you have shown since our arrival, he said.

Along with the meetings we had yesterday and today, we are observing with particular happiness the high level attained in the Turkey-Azerbaijan friendship and brotherhood.

Especially now we are very proud to see the launch of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. Our 15-minute railway journey was witnessed by our citizens, our peoples. Hopefully, soon we will all see them traveling from Kars not just to Baku but also to Beijing, London.

Erdogan also thanked everyone who contributed to implementation of the BTK project.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

Trend:

The people and state of Azerbaijan will never allow creation of a second Armenian state on Azerbaijan's historical lands, said President Ilham Aliyev.

He made the remarks at a joint press conference together with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Baku Oct. 31.

Both at the one-on-one meeting and at the meeting with participation of delegations, we have seen once again that the Turkey-Azerbaijan relations are at the highest level, said President Aliyev.

The Turkey-Azerbaijan friendship, brotherhood, unity is at the highest peak today, he noted adding that there is consensus on the discussed issues, all issues are solved, and the discussed issues are implemented.

Naturally, we have discussed today the future development of our political relations, said the president.

The head of state noted that political relations of Azerbaijan and Turkey are developing successfully.

Speaking about the high-level mutual visits, President Aliyev reminded that he has visited Turkey twice this year, and today the Turkish President is on a visit to Azerbaijan.

Ministers, other officials meet frequently, added the head of state.

Meanwhile, the two countries support each other in all international organizations, said President Aliyev.

The president said that the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, one of the most painful problems for the region today, has also been discussed.

Unfortunately, this conflict has not been solved yet. Azerbaijans historical land, Nagorno-Karabakh, and seven surrounding districts are under occupation, and as a result of the occupation, more than one million Azerbaijanis have become displaced persons, said President Aliyev. International organizations, especially the UN Security Council passed four resolutions on the conflict. These resolutions indicate that the Armenian armed forces must be withdrawn immediately and unconditionally from the occupied lands.

Unfortunately, these resolutions remain on paper, Armenia still ignores them, and the conflict remains unresolved. This is the policy of double standards against us. In some cases, UN Security Council resolutions are implemented within a few days. However, in our case, these resolutions and decisions remain unfulfilled for more than 20 years, added the president.

The head of state noted that the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be resolved on the basis of international law and within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

There is no other way. The people and state of Azerbaijan will never allow creation of a second Armenian state on our historical land. I once again thanked President Erdogan for the support of Turkey in this issue. Turkey has always supported the just case of Azerbaijan in all international organizations as a friend, as a brother, added Ilham Aliyev.

Today, we have discussed the military cooperation extensively, he noted adding that this issue is also on the agenda.

Noting that three joint military exercises have been held in Azerbaijan, two military exercises  in Baku and one military exercise  in Nakhchivan this year, President Aliyev said that this is a factor strengthening the two countries cooperation in the military sphere.

Meanwhile, the joint military-technical cooperation continues, added the president.

Turkeys growing military industrial complex is of great interest to Azerbaijan, said Ilham Aliyev, adding that Azerbaijan buys and will continue buying military products from Turkey.

President Aliyev said that the document signed today in the economic sphere is of great importance. Preferential, in other words, the privileged trade agreement is of great importance, noted the president.

He expressed confidence that once this agreement enters into force, the two countries trade turnover will increase significantly.

Speaking about the investments, President Aliyev said that to date, $10 billion have been invested in Turkey by Azerbaijan, and $11 billion have been invested in Azerbaijan by Turkey.

The volume of these investments will further increase and Azerbaijans investments in Turkey must reach $20 billion, added the head of state.

Turkish companies have been operating successfully in Azerbaijan for a long time and to date, Turkish companies, at the expense of the Azerbaijani state budget, have been carrying out various work worth $11 billion, added Ilham Aliyev.

This strengthens friendship and cooperation between businessmen, noted the president.

Of course, energy and transportation issues have been traditionally discussed at todays meeting, said the president, and added that we are moving confidently towards the set targets.

The Azerbaijani president expressed confidence that the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) project will be completed soon and there is no problem with its implementation.

The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project was put into operation yesterday. We celebrated this historic day together with my brother, our brothers and sisters who came from Turkey. This is our great success, great victory, said the Azerbaijani president.

This once again shows that all the projects involving Turkey and Azerbaijan and those initiated by the two countries are being implemented, noted President Aliyev.

Along with the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC), Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum, TANAP, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) is also a big transnational, continental-scale project, said the head of state.

Our unity, our friendship has made it all possible, he added.

Ilham Aliyev said that today the Turkey-Azerbaijan friendship, brotherhood and unity is an important factor for the region and plays a stabilizing role in the region.

Strengthening Turkey increases Azerbaijans strength, noted the president.

Thanks to the leadership of my dear brother, Turkey has become a great power today in the world, and our enemies are disappointed, added President Aliyev.
Details added (first version posted on 15:50)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

Trend:

The people and state of Azerbaijan will never allow creation of a second Armenian state on Azerbaijan's historical lands, said President Ilham Aliyev.

He made the remarks at a joint press conference together with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Baku Oct. 31.

Both at the one-on-one meeting and at the meeting with participation of delegations, we have seen once again that the Turkey-Azerbaijan relations are at the highest level, said President Aliyev.

The Turkey-Azerbaijan friendship, brotherhood, unity is at the highest peak today, he noted adding that there is consensus on the discussed issues, all issues are solved, and the discussed issues are implemented.

Naturally, we have discussed today the future development of our political relations, said the president.

The head of state noted that political relations of Azerbaijan and Turkey are developing successfully.

Speaking about the high-level mutual visits, President Aliyev reminded that he has visited Turkey twice this year, and today the Turkish President is on a visit to Azerbaijan.

Ministers, other officials meet frequently, added the head of state.

Meanwhile, the two countries support each other in all international organizations, said President Aliyev.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

By Samir Ali  Trend:

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans visit to Azerbaijan, the holding of the sixth meeting of the Azerbaijan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council strengthen the relations of friendship and brotherhood between the countries, Azerbaijani MP Elman Mammadov told Trend Oct. 31.

He said that the signed documents and the discussed issues testify to the strong Azerbaijani-Turkish strategic cooperation.

"The development of these relations from the political and economic points of view will help preserve peace and tranquility in the future," he said. Azerbaijan and Turkey are involved in significant projects, namely, the recently commissioned Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, TANAP project, which will be implemented in the future. Central Asian and European countries are already joining them.

The sixth meeting of the Azerbaijan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council was held in Baku Oct. 31 with the participation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and President Erdogan.
By PTI: New Delhi, Oct 31 (PTI) Ever regretted sending a WhatsApp message to someone and wished you could delete it?

The popular Internet-based messaging service is now making that possible with its latest update, albeit if you do so within seven minutes of sending the message.

"Deleting messages for everyone allows you to delete specific messages you have sent to either a group or an individual chat," WhatsApp said in a blogpost.

advertisement

It added that the feature would be particularly useful if users send a message to the wrong chat or if the message contains a mistake.

The deleted message will be replaced with "This message was deleted" in the recipients chats.

"You can only delete messages for everyone for up to seven minutes after sending. Once seven minutes have passed, there is no way to delete messages for everyone," the blogpost said.

WhatsApp has over a billion daily users. India is the largest market for WhatsApp with over 200 million monthly active users as of February 2017.

To delete a message, users need to tap and hold the message that is to be deleted. Users can tap more messages to delete multiple messages at once.

Users will have the option to delete the message either just on their own device (delete for me) or at the receivers end as well (delete for everyone).

However, for the deletion to be successful, both the sender and recipient must be using the latest version of WhatsApp for Android, iPhone or Windows Phone. PTI SR MKJ

--- ENDS ---
EY Azerbaijan participated in the Annual Accountants Forum, organized by the Azerbaijan Accountants and Risk Professionals Association (ARPA) on Friday 27 October. The event was titled IFRS 9  Implementation and Challenges.

Mr. Rufat Mahmud, Chairman of the ARPA Supervisory Board, opened the forum by welcoming the guests and speakers. He highlighted the importance of such events, which play an important role as a platform for discussing ways of addressing potential difficulties that may arise during the implementation of IFRS 9 Financial Instruments.

The forum speaker from EY was Andrey Eliseev, EY Moscow Financial Services Risk Management Senior. He gave a presentation on IFRS 9, providing insights into recent changes and its practical implementation.

The transition from IAS 39 to IFRS 9 is a challenge for companies all over the world, and the Azerbaijani financial market is no exception. The ARPA forum and its large number of participants demonstrate market players special focus on this issue. As the market leader in the CIS, EY can deliver exceptional client service when implementing IFRS 9, said Andrey.

About EY

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and economies around the world. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In doing so, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients, and for our communities.

EY works together with companies across the CIS and assists them in realizing their business goals. 5,000 professionals work at 20 CIS offices (in Baku, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Kazan, Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don, Togliatti, Vladivostok, Almaty, Astana, Bishkek, Kyiv, Tashkent, Tbilisi, Minsk, and other locations).

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

EY in Azerbaijan

EY made a major commitment to the development of Azerbaijan and the region by opening the office in Baku 23 years ago. Today, in addition to being the leading audit and consulting firm in Azerbaijan, we are the leading professional services firm in the region. As a result of our experience and competence, we have been able to assist both domestic and international companies as well as state-owned entities to develop and manage the challenges of the international economy.

There are currently more than 190 people working in our Baku office that serve our clients in Azerbaijan. EYs strength in the Caspian Region and the firms commitment of resources are important to the entities operating in the region. It means that as we grow, EY will continue to demonstrate a tradition of hiring and training local professionals to be leaders in our practice.
Delegation of Statoil company in Azerbaijan led by Statoils Country Manager Fawad Quraishi visited Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS) and met with the Higher School Rector Elmar Gasimov. During a round table meeting, a whole range of questions of mutual interest was discussed.

Elmar Gasimov spoke about the role played by Statoil in implementation of large-scale oil projects in Azerbaijan and successful activities of this Norwegian multinational oil and gas company in the country. He said that BHOS and Statoil Azerbaijan established effective long-term cooperation and expressed confidence that this close partnership would successfully develop in the future. In the Rectors words, BHOS students are interested in the activities and projects carried out by Statoil in Azerbaijan. Elmar Gasimov requested Fawad Quraishi to visit the Higher School again, make a presentation about Leadership and Career and share his professional experience.

Statoils Country Manager in Azerbaijan Fawad Quraishi expressed his gratitude to Rector Elmar Gasimov for the warm reception and said that he would be very pleased to make a presentation on this topic for BHOS students. Then he introduced other representatives of Statoil office in Azerbaijan including Senior Advisor, Reservoir Technologies, Gurbat Agayev, Finances; HR and Business Support Manager Emin Khalilov; Technical Manager for Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli field and Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline Endre Ivarrud and Senior Consultant, Information Management, Nigar Mamedova.

The guests were closely acquainted with activities of the High School including internship programs for BHOS undergraduates at oil companies. They highly praised the statistical data showing indicators of knowledge of the Higher School students. It was agreed that Statoils Country Manager in Azerbaijan Fawad Quraishi would visit BHOS new campus and would give a speech to the Higher School students, teachers and professors.

Favad Quraishi was appointed a head of Statoil Azerbaijan company on July 1 this year.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

Trend:

The U.S. Embassy in Baku is pleased to announce the arrival in Baku of two sitting U.S. federal judges to conduct a training seminar as part of the United States Department of Commerces Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP).

The two-day seminar for Judicial Candidates on 30-31 October is conducted with the Azerbaijani Judicial Academy and seeks to build the Judicial Candidates capacity in the specific area of Alternative Dispute Resolution. The seminar will be carried out by Judge Barrington D. Parker, a United States Circuit Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York, and Judge J. Paul Oetken, a United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York. They will also conduct meetings with local and international businesses and law firms as well as talk to law students at Baku State University.

The CLDP has presented many similar programs in Azerbaijan with the overall goal of helping Azerbaijan increase its commercial attractiveness to businesses and investors by improving its judicial capacity and rule of law practices.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkeys export to Qatar increased by 29 percent in nine months of 2017 as compared to the same period of 2016 and amounted to $382 million, says a message of the Turkish Aegean Exporters Association (EIB) published on Oct. 31.

Mainly, food products were exported to Qatar, says the message.

Total volume of export to Qatar may reach $400 million until the end of 2017.

It should be noted that the volume of Turkish investments in Qatar reaches $14.2 billion. Turkish companies are involved in implementation of about 130 projects in the country, including the construction of subway in Doha. This projects cost is $4.4 billion.

Trade turnover between Qatar and Turkey amounted to $692 million in 2016.

It should be reminded that Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE announced about breaking their diplomatic relations with Qatar June 5, accusing Doha of supporting terrorist organizations and destabilizing the situation in the Middle East.

Later, the authorities of Libya, Yemen, the Maldives and Mauritius also announced about severing diplomatic relations with Qatar.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

Azerbaijan plans to arrange the assembly of tractors produced by the Chinese company, YTO Group Corporation, says an article of Head of the OJSC Harvesting and Supply of Food Products, Abulfat Gojayev, published by the Respublika newspaper on Oct. 31.

This is envisaged in the agreement signed by the OJSC Harvesting and Supply of Food Products, YTO Group Corporation and Aqrofun LLC.

It is planned to assemble 800 tractors per year, says the article, adding that the assembly will be carried out in Azerbaijans Gusar district.

The cost of the project is estimated at $10 million, according to the article.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed an order in April 2016 on establishment of the OJSC Harvesting and Supply of Food Products.

YTO Group Corporation is a Chinese agriculture and construction machinery manufacturer. The company was created in 1955.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct.31

By Leman Zeynalova. Jani Babayeva  Trend:

The European Union and Azerbaijan have basically cleared all the text of the Common Aviation Area Agreement, Kestutis Jankauskas, head of the EU delegation to Azerbaijan, told reporters Oct.31.

We had third round of negotiations last week on the aviation agreement in Baku. Delegations worked almost 48 hours non-stop very intensively and we basically cleared all the text with except of few last remaining issues. They are not major ones. We will discuss today in the Foreign Ministry when and where we will take next steps, he added.

The second round of negotiations on the agreement was held July 4-5 in Brussels, Belgium. During the talks, both sides expressed readiness to sign relevant agreements.

Remarks and proposals by the Azerbaijani side were discussed, and a number of issues were clarified. A protocol was signed following the meeting. It was decided to hold the third round of negotiations on the EU-Azerbaijan Common Aviation Area Agreement in Baku. Until then, the EU and its member countries will receive prompt feedback from other ministries and committees of Azerbaijan. It is expected that the final version of the agreement will be prepared at the meeting in Baku.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway will increase the export potential of Azerbaijan, Anar Asgarov, former adviser to Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC Javid Gurbanov, said Oct. 31.

Commissioning of the BTK railway Oct.30 became one of the most significant economic events of the current year, he said.

This railway, which will link many countries, is important in both the economic and political spheres, he noted. All countries using this route, initiated by Azerbaijan, or rather head of state Ilham Aliyev, will have financial dividends from the BTK project.

The expert noted that with the end of the era of high prices for energy carriers, in particular oil, in order to maintain the positive dynamics of Azerbaijans GDP, steps were taken to increase budget revenues from the non-oil sector.

A lot of work was done in the field of tourism, and this immediately brought benefits due to the timely created infrastructure, Asgarov added. In the future, the BTK railway can make significant contribution to the development of tourism in Azerbaijan due to the passenger flow on this route.

The expert stressed that over the past years, big reforms under the leadership of the Azerbaijani president have been carried out for the development of agriculture.

It is no secret that in the coming years, Azerbaijan will cover its needs and will export its agricultural products in quite large volumes, Asgarov said. The BTK railway can play a key role at this stage. When the cost of agricultural products is formed, transport expenditures account for 40-60 percent of this cost. If one considers that there is a lot of competition in this sphere, a manufacturer with minimal transportation costs will win.

As for the cheapness of tariffs, only water transport is cheaper than rail transport, the expert added. For the efficient sale of agricultural products with maximum income in foreign markets, sometimes 0.05-0.1 cent price preference is enough. In the future, this may also help to conquer certain markets in the long term.

In the experts opinion, the BTK railway, as well as the International North-South Transport Corridor project, plays a great role in increasing Azerbaijans export potential. The relevance of these transport corridors will grow as the exports of products to foreign markets increase, he added.

I would also like to note that the above mentioned project was initiated by the Azerbaijani president way earlier than the recession in the energy markets began, and this again proves the far-sighted economic policy pursued by the head of state, Asgarov said.

The official opening ceremony of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was held in Baku Oct.30. The BTK railway was constructed on the basis a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. The railways peak capacity will be 17 million tons of cargo per year. At an initial stage, this figure will be one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of cargo.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Oct. 31

By Diana Aliyeva Trend:

Around 4,000 privatized and inactive enterprises were revealed as a result of the inventory conducted by the Uzbek interdepartmental commissions.

Meanwhile, investment projects were worked out for 2,701 of those enterprises.

The investments worth 2,572.7 trillion soums are planned to be made to implement those investment projects in 2017-2018.

According to the monitoring, as of October 1, 2017, investments worth 490.4 billion soums were made into the countrys economy, 4,538 new jobs were created. Commercial banks financed 86 investment projects.

Such data have been disclosed during the round table on the further diversification of the Uzbek economy organized by the countrys Committee on Budget and Economic Reforms of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis and the State Committee for Assistance to Privatized Enterprises and Development of Competition.

During the event, the participants expressed their proposals to strengthen the competitiveness of the country's economy.

The official exchange rate for Oct. 31 is 8.065 UZS/USD.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

By Ali Mustafayev  Trend:

Kazakhstan plans to hold the first green energy auction in 2018 to purchase energy generated from Renewable Energy Sources (RES), said Kazakh Energy Minister Kanat Bozumbayev during a government meeting on environmental issues, Kazakh media reported Oct. 31.

In 2018, we plan to hold the first auction on RES. I think ensuring attractive conditions for the winner of the auction would help us reduce the RES tariffs and attract major international investors, said Bozumbayev.

He stressed that the auction is expected to result positively for the country, and the tariffs for the Kazakh "green" electricity would be more acceptable for the consumers.

Previously such a practice was applied by Saudi Arabia when the Masdar company won an auction setting a price of 1.8 cents per 800 megawatt.

The minister mentioned that Kazakhstan has agreements with international financial institutions on allocating funds for development of renewable energy sector in the country. In particular the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will allocate 200 million euros to renewable energy projects in Kazakhstan.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

By Huseyn Valiyev  Trend:

Three employees of Azerbaijan's National Nuclear Research Center CJSC will continue training in the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute with the support of Russias State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, the company told Trend Oct. 31.

"Our employees have already passed all stages of the contest and they will be enrolled in the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute in the coming days," the company said. All training costs will be covered by Rosatom.

The training of our employees in this institute is of particular importance for the development of potential of Azerbaijani staff in nuclear physics, the company said.

The Azerbaijani president signed the order on the establishment of the National Nuclear Research Center under the countrys Ministry of Communications and High Technologies for the use of nuclear technologies for peaceful purposes on May 8, 2014.

The main purpose of the center is to carry out complex measures in nuclear science, technologies and power engineering, including the development of nuclear technologies for peaceful purposes.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

By Huseyn valiyev  Trend:

Free Wi-Fi is available in Izmir park of Baku, Baku Telephone Communication Ltd told Trend Oct. 31.

Residents of the capital city and its guests will be able to connect to the Internet for free in the Narimanov park of Baku soon.

The project has been implemented in Baku since March 2017 in order to expand the coverage of the wireless network of the capital city. The goal of the project is to provide residents and guests of Baku with access to the Internet in places of mass congestion.

Currently, the free Wi-Fi project covers the territory of the National Seaside Park, Icherisheher, Sahil Park, Sabir Park and Khagani Park, Heydar Aliyev Center, Winter Park, Park of Officers, Huseyn Javid, Akhundov, Samad Vurgun, Dede Gorgud, Mugan and Fashion Avenue Parks.

Since the launch of the service, over a million connections have been recorded in these territories.

To use the service, one will need to enable the option of Wi-Fi networks detection on his/her mobile device, select Baku loves you network and pass through authentication process via the phone number.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

By Nigar Guliyeva - Trend:

Uzbekistan may soon create its own rating of the top hundred enterprises (Top 100).

The government, together with the Employment and Labor Relations Ministry, as well as a number of other specialized agencies, is studying the application of the methodology for drawing up such a rating of employers by January 1, 2018.

The rating will be based on activities of the companies in terms of creating and preserving jobs, employment of graduates, former military personnel and persons with disabilities, and the provision of decent working conditions. Furthermore, it is planned to create such a ranking every year until December 15 and publish in the media.

Financing of measures to draw up the rating will be financed by the non-budgetary Employment Fund with an annual allocation of 30 million soums, the Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan - 50 million soums and the Commerce and Industry Chamber - 50 million soums.

The government also proposes to establish a national contest "Social responsibility and efficiency", during which the best companies will be encouraged. Winners will be defined in five categories.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

By Nigar Guliyeva  Trend:

The volume of industrial production in Kazakhstan hit 6.5 trillion tenge for January-September 2017, showing an increase of 5.7 percent compared to the same period last year.

Kazakh Minister for Investment and Development Zhenis Kasymbek announced about this at a meeting of the government of Kazakhstan Oct.31.

He noted that the growth was observed in pharmaceuticals (36.1 percent), light industry (9.6 percent), metallurgy (7 percent), machine building (6 percent), refining (5.8 percent), food production (5. 3 percent) and the chemical industry (4.2 percent).

"Exports of the manufacturing industry increased by 23.1 percent compared to the same period of 2017 and amounted to $ 9.9 billion in the first eight months of this year. The volume of investments in the manufacturing sector for the 9 months of this year increased by 3.5 percent compared to the same period in 2016 and amounted to 599 billion tenge, "said Kasymbek.

As a result of the implementation of the Industrialization Program, the contribution of the manufacturing sector to the development of the economy (GDP) increased from 10.1 percent in 2015 to 11.9 percent in the first half of 2017, in industry from 31.8 percent in 2010 to 40.7 percent for the 9 months of 2017, in exports - from 27.9 percent in 2010 to 32.7 percent for 8 months in 2017.

The volume of industrial production in Kazakhstan in 2016 decreased by 1.1 percent compared to 2015.

The official exchange rate for October 26 is 334 KZT / USD.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

Trend:

Kazakhstan's 'Air Astana' has decided to relocate bulk of its technical personnel to Astana.

"This year only the technical staff of the airline will be relocated and based at Astana International Airport," President of JSC Air Astana Peter Foster said at a press conference Oct.31, Kazakh media reported.

The new aviation technical center will be established in Astana by late 2017. The relocation of the technical staff is planned for early next year. The company's administrative staff will remain in Almaty, as the full redeployment requires significant financial resources.

Air Astana operates flights on 65 international and domestic routes. The company plans to expand the fleet to 64 airliners over the next ten years. The airline's staff will increase by 11 percent until 2020.

Today, the airliner requires pilots, engineers, mechanics, flight attendants and agents for passenger service.

"We are experiencing a major deficit in the field of technical personnel, since we are working on international safety standards, and these specialists must have a high level of professionalism," Foster noted.

In this regard, the airline intends to launch its own program for the training of aircraft technicians, within which will train engineers and mechanic technicians.

In addition, Air Astana conducts training of pilots in Spain and Ireland, and flight attendants - in Germany and the UK. The training programs for pilots and technical personnel are financed by the airline.

Today, the staff of Air Astana is 5,000 people, and the fleet of airliners consists of 31 aircraft.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

By Ali Mustafayev  Trend:

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are the key countries of Central Asia, having close position on many of the regional and international issues, said the director of Kazakhstan Institute of Strategic Studies Zarema Shaukenova during the press conference on 25 years of diplomatic cooperation between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Kazakh media outlets reported.

Our states have similar positions on the water and energy issues, joint infrastructure projects and the settlement of the situation in Afghanistan. The water issue is of great importance for the further development of the entire Central Asian region. Another important point of our cooperation is the problem of preserving the environment, restoring the area around the Aral Sea, which has suffered from irrational water use, said Shaukenova.

She also added that Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan play a stabilizing role in Central Asia, making an important contribution to the strengthening of peace and security of the region.

Our countries continue to work on promotion of Central Asian issues on the agenda of the UN Security Council. Primarily, it includes regional security, combating terrorism and extremism, solving economic and environmental problems.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct. 31

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

The existing relationship of fraternity and mutual respect between Morocco and Turkmenistan will continue to strengthen and develop based on mutually beneficial cooperation in the interests of the two peoples, King of Morocco Mohammed VI said in his letter to President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

The Turkmen Foreign Ministry earlier pointed out the importance of cooperation with African countries and expressed commitment to the development of relations with the African Union.

The African Union, founded on July 9, 2002, is a continental union consisting of 55 countries on the African continent.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Oct. 31

By Huseyn Hasanov Trend:

Specialists of the Dashoguz hydrogeological expedition are conducting on-site exploration and evaluation of fresh groundwater reserves, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reported.

The work is carried out to establish the level of provision of the Dashoguz district with fresh water resources in order to meet the needs of fast growing population in high quality drinking water, the report said.

It should be reminded that in 2017, Turkmenistan chairs the International Fund for saving the Aral Sea (IFAS).

The IFAS, established in 1990s in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, aims at financing joint projects and programs to save the Aral Sea and improve the ecological situation there.

The Aral problem has affected the north of Turkmenistan, in particular, Dashoguz region, where serious problems occurred associated with providing the population with clean drinking water and controlling salinization of tillable lands.

The IFAS was granted observer status at the UN General Assembly on Dec. 11, 2008.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Oct. 31

By Diana Aliyeva  Trend:

The Samarkand-Istanbul-Samarkand regular air communication of Uzbekistan Airways was launched on Oct. 30.

The flights will be carried out every Monday and, starting from November 16, also on Thursdays, said the company.

The flights will be carried out by comfortable Boeing and Airbus aircraft according to the following schedule (local time): Wednesdays  HY275 Samarkand (20:00)  Istanbul (23:00); HY276 Istanbul (00:30/+1/)  Samarkand (06:45); Thursdays  HY275 Samarkand (18:55)  Istanbul (20:55); HY276 Istanbul (22:25)  Samarkand (05:40/+1/).

The agreement on direct air services between the cities of Samarkand and Istanbul was reached during the state visit of Uzbekistans president to Turkey.

In total, more than 20 documents on various spheres of cooperation were signed between Uzbekistan and Turkey in Ankara following the high-level negotiations.

Moreover, agreements on the implementation of more than 30 joint projects worth $3.5 billion were signed during the Turkey-Uzbekistan business forum, held in Istanbul on Oct. 26.

All this indicates the timeliness of the opening of a new flight between the two countries.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Oct. 31

By Diana Aliyeva Trend:

At present, there are 4,893 state pre-school educational institutions in Uzbekistan, in which more than 706,000 children are educated.

Such data have been disclosed during a meeting at the Youth Press Club in Tashkent. Uzbek Minister of Preschool Education Agrippina Shin, her deputy Dilshod Kenjayev, kindergarten teachers attended the meeting.

Over 57,000 specialists work in preschool institutions. Such a structure as the ministry of preschool education has been established in the country for the first time upon the decision of the Uzbek president dated September 30, 2017.

Taking into account the population growth in Uzbekistan over the past 20 years, the number of state pre-school educational institutions has decreased by more than 45 percent, Shin said.

The measures are planned to be taken to increase the salary of those working in preschool education sector. The number of both state and private pre-school educational institutions will be increased. Kindergartens will be provided with all necessary medicines, information and communication technologies and necessary equipment.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:

Azerbaijan will utilize railway facilities in the northern Iranian city of Astara for at least a decade in return for the construction of a railway segment connecting the two countries, an official with Irans railways told Trend.

Nourollah Beiranvand, the deputy for planning and investment at the Railways of the Islamic Republic of Iran (RAI), has said the sides during a meeting in Baku last week finalized the negotiations for financing the Rasht-Astara railway as well as the construction of the 10 kilometers long Astara (Iran)- Astara (Azerbaijan) railway segment.

Astara-Astara

Beiranvand has said that the first phase of the Astara-Astara railway will be inaugurated within the next one month.

Speaking about plans to connect the two border namesake cities - Astara in Iran and Astara in Azerbaijan - he said that Azerbaijan will invest in the construction of railways in both cities, as well as the construction of a railway station and cargo terminals in Irans Astara.

In turn, Azerbaijan will have the right to operate the Astara-Astara railway and a railway station in Irans Astara for 15 years as well as the terminals located in Irans Astara for 25 years.

This is while the Azerbaijani side has agreed to annually transit up to 2 million tons of freight through the Astara-Astara railway.

The Azerbaijani officials have earlier agreed to provide 60 million euros for developing railway facilities in Astara city in Iran.

The agreement envisages the construction of a railway station and four terminals for fuel, general cargo, grain and containers.

Rasht-Astara

Azerbaijan will provide Iran with a $500 million loan to construct the Rasht-Astara railway segment, Beiranvand said.

In case the allocated loan fails to cover the expenses for construction of the 164-kilometer railway, the Iranian side will be committed to provide the required resources for completing the project, the official added.

In the meantime, the Islamic Republic of Iran will be obliged to purchase the lands located along the railroad.

Strategic project

Describing the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway as a "strategic project" for both Iran and Azerbaijan, Beiranvand said the loan for financing the Rasht-Astara railway will be allocated in the form of government-to-government (G-to-G) financing.

The discussions to construct the two railway segments (Rasht-Astara, Astara-Astara) take place amid plans to officially launch the International North-South Transport Corridor, which is meant to connect Northern Europe with Southeast Asia.

The corridor will serve as a link connecting the railways of Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia. The corridor is planned to transport 6 million tons of cargo per year at the initial stage and 15-20 million tons of cargo in the future.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct.30

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

There is a risk of stagnating Iranian oil supplies supplies in 2018, the US JP Morgan Bank analysts believe.

The report obtained by Trend says that Irans strong compliance with OPEC deal is mostly due to lower-than-expected new oil supply coming online since the sanctions were lifted.

"Although there is a pipeline of new oil expected from West Karoun and some southern and central Iranian fields, which is a risk in 2018 in terms of Iranian compliance, equally there is also a risk of stagnating Iranian supplies if oil companies were to take a second look at investing in Iran after the US President Donald Trumps decision to disavow the P5+1 deal, adding to uncertainty around capital investments," said the JP Morgan Bank analysts.

Earlier, the US Senate passed a bill to pose new sanctions on Iran over the missiles.

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany signed the JCPOA on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16, 2016.

Under the agreement, limits were put on Irans nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the removal of all nuclear-related bans against the Islamic Republic.

Irans oil output registered a tiny increase in September by 9,000 barrels per day month-on-month, and stood at 3.827 million barrels per day (mb/d), OPEC reported Oct. 11.

According to the report, Irans September oil output was 309,000 b/d more than the 2016 average and 991,000 b/d more than the 2015 output.

The Islamic Republics oil output was 3.848 mb/d in September, according to an OPEC report based on direct communications, indicating a 21,000-barrel difference between OPEC's estimates and Irans data.

On May 25, 2017, OPEC member countries and non-OPEC parties, Azerbaijan, Kingdom of Bahrain, Brunei Darussalam, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Sultanate of Oman, the Russian Federation, Republic of Sudan, and the Republic of South Sudan agreed to extend the production adjustments for a further period of nine months, with effect from July 1, 2017.

The reductions will be on the same terms as those agreed in November.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

By Khalid Kazimov  Trend:

Amid the ongoing large-scale military drills in central Iran, the Iranian Air Force's F-7 fighter has launched smart bombs onto hypothetical targets, as part of the Fada'eeyan-e Harim-e Velayat 7 drills, Tasnim news agency reported.

Brigadier-General Masoud Rouzkhoush said that home-grown Saege warplane, along with F5 warplanes dropped 500-pound bombs on the hypothetical targets in the first day of the drills.

Various fighter-bombers, heavy and semi-heavy transport aircraft, interceptors, reconnaissance, aerial patrols, and drones are not present at the ongoing war-games.

The air force will also test its Sukhoi Su-24 supersonic attack aircraft, F4, F5, F7, MiG-29, F14, Boeing-707 and -747 tankers, as well as long-range precision-guided munitions during the drills.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

By Fatih Karimov Trend:

Trade turnover between Iran and China stood at $27.234 billion in first nine months of 2017, according to the latest statistics released by the Chinese Customs Administration.



China's exports to Iran in the 9-month period amounted to $13.347 billion or 17.3 percent more year-on-year.

China exported $1.326 billion worth of goods to the Islamic Republic in September 2017, compared to $1.243 billion worth of exports in September 2016.

The country also imported $13.887 billion worth of goods from Iran in the 9-month period, 32.7 percent more compared to the same period of 2016.

Chinas imports from Iran amounted to $1.746 billion in September 2017, while the figure stood at $1.13 billion in September 2016.



Trade turnover between the two countries was $51 billion in 2014, 31 percent more compared to the preceding year.



The figure stood at $34 billion in 2015, indicating a 34 percent plunge.

Trade turnover between Iran and China stood at $31.2 billion in 2016, down 7.7 percent from 2015.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Irans non-oil trade turnover increased by 6.2 percent to $52.527 billion during the first seven months of the current fiscal year (started March 20, 2017), meanwhile the country experienced a negative trade balance of $3.1 billion.

Iran's non-oil exports, including gas condensate, reached $24.71 billion during the 7-month period.

The figure indicates a fall by 2.17 percent, compared to the same period of the preceding year, Iran's Customs Administration reported Oct. 31.

Iran includes gas condensate and some raw hydrocarbon products, like propane, butane, etc. in its non-oil export basket.

The volume of the exported goods had reached 68.058 million tons in the 7-month period.

During the period, the country exported $4.115 billion worth of condensates.

Liquefied propane (worth $809 million), film grade polyethylene (worth $750 million), gasoline excluded light oils and products (worth $725 million) and methanol (worth $661 million) where other top exported goods in the 7-month period (March 20-Oct. 22).

The average price for each ton of Iran's non-oil goods in the mentioned period was around $363, indicating a rise of 8.04 percent, year on year.

China was the main importer of the Iranian goods during the 7-month period. Irans non-oil exports to China registered a rise by 12 percent and stood at $5.022 billion.

Iraq ($4.013 billion, increase of 12.54 percent), the United Arab Emirates ($3.471 billion, fall of 16.11 percent), South Korea ($2.444 billion, an increase of 24.79 percent) and Afghanistan ($1.584 billion, fall of 16.11 percent) were other top importers of Iranian non-oil goods during the first seven months of current Iranian fiscal year.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct.30

By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:

A senior official with the Railways of the Islamic Republic of Iran (RAI) has said financing railway projects through public-private partnership, foreign direct investment and leasing are among methods to cooperate with foreign investors.

Nourollah Beiranvand, the deputy for planning and investment at RAI encouraged foreign investors to participate in the countrys projects to develop its railway system, saying that Iranian government offers sovereign guarantee on foreign finances.

"Diversification of financial resources, using modern financial instruments, and luring foreign investment are among the main policies of the Railways of the Islamic Republic of Iran (RAI) to finance its projects," Nourollah Beiranvand told Trend.

Beiranvand added that the railways organization has taken measures in order to launch a specialized leasing company to offer services to private firms involved in providing the railways organization with the required fleet.

"The allocation of loans in the leasing company will take place through the resources of the national development fund of Iran," he said.

Calling on foreign investors to cooperate with Iranian railways in the issue of launching specialized leasing companies, Nourollah Beiranvand said that the RAI has already privatized its fleet of freight and passenger carriages.

He added that about 30 percent of the locomotives of the country have also been handed over to the private sector.

Saying that the RAI looks to maximize the role of the private sector in the issue of providing and utilizing railway fleet, he elaborated on the organizations plans to provide investors with economic incentives.

The official highlighted that the RAI offers guaranteed purchase of services to those privet firms that have acquired locomotives. In the meantime, the railways organization facilitates the allocation process of banking loans to those private firms involved in the manufacturing of freight and passenger carriages.

Another method to support investors is to cover the risks of currency fluctuation up to 10 percent, Berianvand mentioned.

Beiranvand believes that luring investment through the countrys capital market is another way to extend support to private firms involved in supplying railways fleet.

The official said that under the initiative his organization will take measures aimed at covering the risks of the private firms, drawing investment from the capital market.

The RAI in order to develop the countrys railways system has introduced worth of 28 billion euro of investment projects expected to be completed within the next five years.

Over the past year, the organization has finalized worth of three billion euro of investment agreements and it is currently in talks to cement more deals with foreign investors.
The US Treasury Department has announced the expansion of sanctions on Iran's Revolutionary Guards, which were imposed on October 13 over IRGC allegedly "supporting terrorism," a claim strongly denied by Tehran, Sputnik International reported.

The sanctions affect the Revolutionary Guard's Aerospace Force Self Suffiency Jihad Organization, Air Force, Al-Ghadir Missile Command, and the Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization, according to the Treasury's press release.

Iran has pledged to "strongly respond to any action against its military forces," while the Revolutionary Guards commander, Mohammad Ali Jafar, vowed to equate US forces with Daesh terrorist group (ISIS) before the sanctions were imposed. According to Iranian government spokesman Mohammad Baker, labelling the IRGC a "terrorist group" would mean Washington itself supports terrorists.
Tehran, Iran, October 31

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

The senior spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic says Iran will not waver in its policy to boost its defense power, realizing that the United States will not end its "plots" against the country.

Brigadier General Masoud Jazayeri, the deputy chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, also said in an October 31 interview with Trend that the Popular Mobilization Forces are there in Iraq to stay, adding, In the future we will hear much more of the Popular Mobilization Forces in the world."

The full interview is as follows:

Q: After the US announced its Iran strategy, the main content of which was pressurizing the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, US officials put on agenda a series of trips to the Middle East. Recently Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in his trip to Saudi Arabia urged what he called Iran-trained forces to leave Iraq and go home. Also, Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin is in the region to discuss financially restricting Iranian forces. What do you think about such moves at a time when the "Islamic State" (IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) is losing vitality?

A: The question is how IS was created. There is much evidence showing that America created IS in order to cause a public phobia of Islam, unleashing it at regional countries as mercenaries in a proxy war. Using IS, they tried to destroy and disintegrate Iraq. They are making a lot of efforts to expel Syria from the resistance front. Their plan was to use the spread of IS in their long-term interest, which was facing threats. The resistance front, as well as the Islamic Republic of Iran, set for confronting this evil policy of the US, preventing it from materializing and seriously challenging Americas big strategies for the region. So, it is natural for Americans to be angry with Iran, as they have been in the past. The recent moves follow the same line: to make a new scheme to fight the resistance front and the Islamic Republic of Iran. At a time when IS is going down the path to extinction, and America having failed in the plans it wanted to pursue via IS, the US is now seeking new plots. The public mind and independent governments in the region are needed to be vigilant in order to beat the US in its new scheme.

Q: How do you evaluate Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Alabadi dismissing Tillersons request for Popular Mobilization Forces to be removed?

A: We would better call Popular Mobilization Forces a great portion of Iraqi people who try by various means, such as taking part in military defense, to safeguard their country. It is obvious that Iraqi authorities would support Popular Mobilization Forces, which, along with the Iraqi Army, managed to rescue Iraq from a grand conspiracy that had been hatched for it. As you can see, the Iraqi Army and Popular Mobilization Forces achieved great victories against the enemies of Iraq. Again, it is obvious that Popular Mobilization Forces would be loathed by Americans for they have rid Iraq of the prongs of the US. Popular Mobilization Forces will for sure stay in Iraq, go on to live, and in the future we will hear more about Popular Mobilization Forces in the world. So I think, since Popular Mobilization Forces are derived from the bulk of Iraqi people, what the US does against them would be of no consequence in the minds of Iraqs people, government, or Army. On the contrary, US antagonism will make people more sensitive and increase their attention to and care for Popular Mobilization Forces. Americans should realize that Popular Mobilization Forces will from now on comprise part of the reality in Iraq. As the Basij Organization is a highly influential body in Iran _ especially in complicated situations _ Popular Mobilization Forces will also play such a role from now on. Americans will be unable to do anything.

Q: What do you think about the reason US President Donald Trump went so far as to barely designate IRGC as a terrorist organization, but then decide not to?

A: It has been an old policy with the US to attack uprisings, independent countries, and people which might oppose its strategies and actions. Accordingly, the IRGC has always been a target of attacks by the US, some Western countries, which try by different means to weaken it if they can. Following their line of pressurizing the Islamic Republic of Iran, the US attempted putting the IRGC under greater pressure. They had planned to designate the Guards as terrorist so as to create a comprehensive barrage against the country. The IRGC and Armed Forces declared in case the US did so, they would recognize as terrorist any US military personnel, and treat them the same way they would treat terrorists and IS members. We saw that as Americans estimated their interests would be in great danger, they kind of changed course and rewound their previously-announced policy.

Q: Senior Iranian commanders, including Quds Force Commander Major General Qassem Soleimani, have promised the near-future extinction of IS. On what premises do you think such promise is made?

A: The military facts on ground in the West Asia conflict reveal consecutive defeats of terrorists and IS forces. Considering the plans made and currently underway by Iraqi fighters, the conclusive defeat of IS in Iraq will be materialized in the near future. The final defeat of IS in Iraq would pave the way for more such defeats that IS and other terrorists would suffer against regional countries. We hope that as a result, the region sees a day of peace. But of course we assume that new plots would be hatched by the US to drive regional countries into unrest.

Q: It seems that the European Union is backing the Iran deal, JCPOA, to gain Irans trust for a new round of talks, probably over Irans missile program. How strong do you think the possibility of such talks is? And how do you think Iran would respond to such policy by the EU?

A: As the Islamic Republic of Iran has said many times that it would not have any negotiations over defense issues with foreigners, I hereby reiterate that this is the definite policy of Iran, and that we would make no deals whatsoever with anybody regarding our defense capability or the means and ways of defending our country and our territorial integrity. The intentions of the US are crystal clear to us. They are trying to weaken our defense resources. Such weakening will also serve the Greater Middle East plot of the US, as well as the interests of Israel. Europe should decide if it can follow an independent policy from the US.

It is an unfortunate fact that over the past years, we have seen Europeans, despite all their claims to independence, unable to break the US spell on them. If Europe follows the same path as Americas regarding our missile and defense programs, we would obviously treat them like we do the US. I think this will turn out as a touchstone for Europe, and that history will judge if Europe can pursue its interests free of the US, i.e. not letting its interests be overshadowed by the illegitimate interests of the US.

We would obviously pursue our policy independently and based on our military goals and doctrines. We always have a clear policy in our defense issues which we try to keep unaffected by external factors. Our roadmap to help our country and the oppressed is quite clear and specified to us. We know for sure that we have some known and specified enemies who have always urged the overthrow of the Islamic Republic of Iran. As a political body, it is quite a matter of fact that when a great power conspicuously calls your destruction, you should boost your power. Fortunately, this power today is such that we enjoy considerable deterrence against hypothetical moves by the US. Americans also know quite well that a military confrontation with the Islamic Republic of Iran would have dire and dreadful consequences for them. Much American interest is in our sight and reach in near and mid ranges, and if necessary, we would influence farther targets.

So, considering that there are defined enemies, some of whom seeking destruction _ and you recently saw that the US threatened a United Nations member state with complete destruction _ countries should possess such power to deter others from daring such conduct. We will follow on this path.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct.31

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway is a hugely beneficial project for many countries, Bruce Pannier, US expert on Central Asia and energy issues, told Trend.

The official opening ceremony of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was held in Baku Oct.30. The BTK railway was constructed on the basis a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. The railways peak capacity will be 17 million tons of cargo per year. At an initial stage, this figure will be one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of cargo.

It not only links East (China and Central Asia) and West (Europe) but offers the possibility of linking North (Russia) and South (Iran and the Persian Gulf). So there are dozens of countries that stand to gain from the BTK railway, said the expert.

He pointed out that Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey will be able to export to and import goods from all these dozens of other countries.

So the three countries gain there. But even when trade is between, for example China and Europe, the three countries will receive transit fees. So every train that passes on the BTK line benefits Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey in some way, added Pannier.

He went on to added that as is true of so many projects through the Caucasus  pipelines, road, railways  Azerbaijan wins first by having new export routes but second, as being a transit country.

Azerbaijani ports and railway stations will always be making money off these deals, said the expert, adding that Azerbaijan is, at least at this moment, the primary Caspian hub for East -West trade.

Commissioning of BTK is a historical event not only for Azerbaijan and countries in the region, but also globally.

BTK is a clear evidence of the fact that Azerbaijan has turned into a transit and logistics center of international level.

This project increases the opportunities for cargo and passenger transportation from East to West and allows to significantly reduce the duration and cost of transportation. The duration of transport from Baku to Kars will take 16-17 hours.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

By Azer Ahmadbayli  Trend:

God never closes one door without opening the other one. This means that there is always possibility to find a solution even if it seems hopeless.

Iran and the US now are closing all the doors, leaving no chance to come to terms.

The sides are making mirror-like statements blaming each other in inciting terrorism and disagreement in the region.

Iran resists discussing any issues beyond JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action also known as the nuclear deal), on which Washington insists.

Iran has not stopped building missiles and has no intention of doing so, President Hassan Rouhani has said recently.

His comments came after the US House of Representatives approved new sanctions on Tehran for the development of ballistic missiles program.

"We will build, produce and store any weapon of any kind we need to defend ourselves, our territorial integrity and our nation, and we will not hesitate about it," he said.

Earlier, a number of high-ranking Iranian officials said Iran will never allow any Western country to inspect the Islamic Republics military sites.

At the same time they repeatedly say that Irans military technology development poses no threat to other countries and is purely based on the concept of deterrence. In the US there are also a number of officials adherent to soft policy towards Tehran.

From formal point of view, Irans position is quite legitimate. There is nothing in JCPOA obliging Iran to allow interference in its national missiles program development or additional inspections of its military sites not related to the nuclear agreement.

President Rouhani emphasized it, saying "no international agreements prohibit the development of such non-nuclear weapons, and that Iran has a right to produce them for its own defense."

If it keeps on going like this, Washington will most probably reimpose full-scale sanctions against the Islamic Republic and will most likely receive an adequate response from Tehran as, for instance, withdrawal from the nuclear agreement and continuation of uranium enrichment for military purposes.

In that case Washington can expect getting support from its European allies, but this is no cure and will be a pyrrhic victory. The situation will mount to new spiral of tension. Then the world will find itself on the knife-edge.

The director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano made a short visit to Tehran on October 29. Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), said Amano came to Iran at his own request, to discuss serious issues with Irans President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

Likely it is one of the last chances before mid-December to improve the situation in some way or other, and prevent it sliding into a complete fall.
Iraqi authorities took control of the main land crossing with Turkey, in the Kurdish area of Fish-Khabur, a customs official said on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

The crossing was previously managed by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) as it is located in the Dohuk province which is within the official boundaries of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq.

Iraqi authorities took control of the main land crossing with Turkey, in the Kurdish area of Fish-Khabur,
The Kremlin said on Tuesday it had noted that U.S. charges against President Donald Trumps former campaign manager Paul Manafort and another aide, Rick Gates, did not point the finger at Russia over alleged meddling in U.S. politics, Reuters reports.

Federal investigators probing alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election, something Moscow denies, charged Manafort and Gates with money laundering on Monday.

Despite the charges being brought as part of a five-month-old investigation into alleged Russian efforts to tilt the election in Trumps favor and into potential collusion by Trump aides, the charges, some going back over a decade, centered on Manaforts work for Ukraines former government, not Russias.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had noted the absence of allegations against Russia in the indictment, saying Moscow had always said it had never meddled in the U.S. election.

...Russia does not feature in the charges that were levelled in any way. Other countries and other people feature (in the charges), Peskov told a conference call with reporters.

Moscow never felt itself guilty so as to feel exonerated now, he said, when asked whether the Kremlin interpreted the indictment as proof that its repeated denials about meddling in the U.S. presidential election had been confirmed.

Peskov said the investigation was an internal matter for the United States which Russia was not involved in, but was following with interest from afar.

He also commented on details of a case against a third former Trump adviser, George Papadopoulos, who pleaded guilty in early October to lying to the FBI.

Papadopoulos told investigators about his efforts to set up a meeting between the Trump campaign and the Russian leadership during which he said he met a London-based professor boasting of contacts with Russian officials and a Russian woman whom he described as a relative of President Vladimir Putin.

The case against Papadopoulos also mentions his contacts with someone with links to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

When asked what the Kremlin made of the details about someone linked to the Russian Foreign Ministry being cited in the Papadopoulos case, Peskov said the accusation was totally unsubstantiated.

Its an absolutely laughable allegation, Peskov told reporters.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is considering calling the third snap parliamentary elections since 2014 to further cement his Progressive Partys (SNS) grip on power, he said late on Monday, Reuters reports.

Vucic, a ultranationalist firebrand during the Yugoslav wars of 1990s who a decade later has become committed to joining the European Union, said people in the SNS are overwhelmingly for elections.

The party is considering holding the parliamentary vote alongside local elections due to take place in the capital Belgrade early next year.

There are serious arguments (in favor), Vucic said in a live interview with Belgrade-based Pink TV.

To avoid splitting elections and to prepare the country for European Union entry ... as new elections would offer us an uninterrupted time until 2022.

He did not say when the vote would take place.

An alliance led by Vucics SNS won a comfortable majority of 131 deputies in the 250-seat parliament in 2016 and further consolidated power through a coalition with the Socialists that were led by late strongman Slobodan Milosevic during the Balkan wars of the 1990s.

Vucic won in a landslide in a presidential election in April, handing his post of prime minister to hand-picked technocrat Ana Brnabic.

But his rule is facing discontent from public sector employees and pensioners over austerity measures imposed under a three-year 1.2 billion euro ($1.4 billion) IMF loan deal that has stifled spending and growth.

Although it enjoys backing in rural Serbia, Vucics party is less popular in Belgrade which accounts for almost a quarter of total electorate in the 7.2 million-strong Serbia.

Serbia which wants to join the EU by 2025, must first seek to reconcile its pro-Western integration bid with keeping close ties with Russia, its traditional Slavic and Orthodox Christian ally.
Spains foreign minister said on Tuesday he would be surprised if Belgium granted political asylum to Catalan secessionist leader Carles Puigdemont, who turned up there after Madrids dismissal and takeover of Catalonias regional government, Reuters reports.

By Tuesday, the Madrid government had gained the upper hand in the protracted struggle over Catalonias independence drive.

Resistance to Madrids imposition of direct control on the autonomous region failed to materialize at the start of the week on Monday. The secessionist leadership is in disarray, and attention is now turning to a regional election called by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy for Dec. 21 as a way out of the crisis.

But Puigdemont, whose parliament declared an independent Catalan republic on Friday before being removed by Rajoy, remains a thorn in Madrids side. He was due to make a statement later on Tuesday in Brussels, where he was seen by journalists on Tuesday after having dropped out of sight for 24 hours.

Spains prosecutor called for charges of rebellion and other crimes to be laid against him, which carry combined sentences of more than 30 years in prison. Spains Supreme Court also began proceedings for rebellion against the Catalan parliament speaker and other senior lawmakers, a court spokesman said on Tuesday.

Any request for asylum in Belgium could lead to a diplomatic dispute between the two European Union nations. But Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis appeared to play down that prospect for now.

We have no certainty of what he is doing, he told Cadena Ser radio. We would be a bit surprised, given the situation regarding the right of asylum in Europe, but the actions of ex-president Puigdemont are not easy to foresee.

Any decision would be up to Belgian courts, not the government, Dastis said. If Belgium grants asylum to Puigdemont, it will not be a normal situation. Lets leave it there for now.
The European Unions chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said on Tuesday that he was ready to speed up negotiations with Great Britain, Reuters reports.

Barnier said that the agenda and dates for the next round of Brexit talks would be set in next few hours or days.
Details added (first version posted at 16:08)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31

Trend:

Turkey and Azerbaijan will strengthen relations in all spheres, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a press conference held with participation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev following the sixth meeting of the Azerbaijan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council in Baku Oct. 31.

Erdogan noted that the opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway strengthens the positions of Turkey and Azerbaijan in the issue of connecting Europe and Asia.

Today, Turkey and Azerbaijan not only connect continents, but also carry out important energy projects, implementation of which successfully continues, he said.

The Turkish president pointed out that some circles are concerned about Azerbaijan and Turkeys significant energy projects.

Even when the BTK railways construction started, there were those skeptical about the projects implementation. But, as is known, the official opening ceremony of the BTK was held yesterday, he said.

Erdogan noted that Turkey and Azerbaijan also strengthen their economic ties.

I hope that Turkey and Azerbaijan will be able to achieve a trade turnover of $5 billion in the near future, he said.

He added that Turkey and Azerbaijan strengthen relations in the defense sphere as well.

We also intend to develop ties with Azerbaijan in tourism.

Erdogan noted that Turkey will further support Azerbaijan and continue to share its experience.

The official opening ceremony of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was held in Baku Oct. 30. The BTK railway was constructed on the basis a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. The railways peak capacity will be 17 million tons of cargo per year. At an initial stage, this figure will be one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of cargo.
KYODO NEWS - Oct 31, 2017 - 12:29 | All, World

Japan and Russia have agreed to set up a task force to jointly develop tourism and four other businesses on disputed islands controlled by Russia but claimed by Tokyo, a Japanese government official said Tuesday.

Tokyo hopes joint economic activities will pave the way for settling a decades-old territorial row with Russia, while Moscow aims to attract Japanese investment to the underdeveloped islets off Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido.

(Supplied Image)

The first meeting of the task force is expected to be held early next year between Japan and the State of Sakhalin to advance the joint businesses, which also include aquaculture, greenhouse farming, wind power and waste reduction. Sakhalin administers the contested isles.

Separately, the two countries will discuss human resource development in the five business areas.

"We were able to have an image about where we should implement the five projects," Eiichi Hasegawa, a special advisor to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, told reporters at Nemuro port in Hokkaido after returning from an on-site survey of the islands.

The latest move follows an agreement between Abe and Russian President Vladimir Putin in September to carry out joint economic activities on the disputed islands in the five key areas.

Abe is expected to meet again with Putin in mid-November on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit in Vietnam and agree with him to speed up the process.

During a six-day visit through Tuesday, a group of Japanese public and private sector experts led by Hasegawa inspected 57 spots including "onsen" hot spring sites, hotels as well as salmon and trout hatcheries on Kunashiri, Etorofu and Shikotan islands.

The three islands and the Habomai islet group were seized by the Soviet Union after Japan surrendered in August 1945, ending World War II. They are called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia.
KYODO NEWS - Oct 31, 2017 - 13:28 | Arts, All

UNESCO on Monday added 78 nominations to its Memory of the World heritage program, including old diplomatic records of Korean envoys to Japan and three ancient stone monuments north of Tokyo.

Meanwhile, a panel of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization recommended postponing a decision on whether to add documents on so-called "comfort women" forced into wartime Japanese military brothels, calling for dialogue between relevant parties on the issue that has hurt Japan's ties with its neighbors.

UNESCO also did not add the records of late Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara, who helped some 6,000 Jewish refugees escape Nazi persecution during World War II, to its heritage program. The organization did not disclose the reason for the decision.

The 333 documents on envoys sent by the Korean Dynasty to Japan, mainly in the Edo period between the 17th and 19th centuries, were jointly filed by Japanese and South Korean local governments and private entities.

UNESCO to consider opposing views in world heritage register

They include diplomatic papers and pictures of the envoys stored in 12 prefectures across Japan and in parts of South Korea.

(Supplied Image)

Campaigners in Japan and South Korea working for the listing of the historic documents expressed their joy and hopes for a deeper friendship between the two countries.

Yu Jong Mok, the representative chair of the Busan Cultural Foundation, the South Korean group that promoted the registry, said, "I hope to see active exchanges and development of both South Korea and Japan based on the envoys' sincere spirit."

Kazuyuki Matsubara, the chair of the Japanese group that collaborated with the foundation, said, "We want to further strengthen the ties between Japanese and Korean sites related to the heritage."

The three ancient stone monuments called the "Three Stelae of Kozuke" in Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo, were built in the seventh and eighth centuries, with Korean immigrants who settled in the area assisting in their design.

With their inscriptions in Chinese characters, the monuments reflect cultural interactions that existed in East Asia. One of the three, built in 681, is the oldest stone monument in Japan that exists in complete form.

The addition of the documents brings to seven the number of Japanese items on the UNESCO archive register.

UNESCO this time received around 130 applications for listing under the program.

The issue of comfort women remains a thorn in diplomatic relations between Japan and other Asian countries.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said UNESCO made an appropriate response by postponing the decision on the comfort women issue while a South Korean Foreign Ministry official expressed regret, saying that the government will continue to make diplomatic efforts so that the records will be given objective and legitimate assessments.

The International Solidarity Committee, which consists of private groups from seven countries and one region, had led the campaign to seek UNESCO registry of the comfort women documents. They have demanded that the Japanese government acknowledge legal responsibility for sexual exploitation of Korean comfort women.

Japan has maintained that all legal claims were resolved under a 1965 Japan-South Korea treaty that normalized bilateral diplomatic relations.

Tokyo also says the possible registry would go against a deal struck by the Japanese and South Korean governments in 2015 to "finally and irreversibly" settle the comfort women issue.

The International Advisory Committee of the heritage program released a statement, recommending facilitating a dialogue among the nominators of the comfort women documents and concerned parties.

It also recommended "setting a place and time convenient to the parties for this dialogue, with a view to leading to a joint nomination to encompass as far as possible all relevant documents."

In 2015, Japan strongly protested against UNESCO and temporarily withheld its obligatory dues to the body after documents submitted by China on the 1937 Nanjing Massacre were added to the heritage list.

Tokyo then called on UNESCO to improve the transparency and fairness of the screening and registration process as well as take account of opposing views.

In response to such calls, UNESCO on Oct. 18 approved a plan for a new procedure that will heed the views of nations concerned with its Memory of the World heritage registration process and improve transparency.

Although the new procedure will apply from the next registration screening process in 2019, UNESCO appears to have borne it in mind during the current process.
(Updates share price)

By Caroline Humer

Oct 31 (Reuters) - U.S. health insurer Aetna Inc failed to provide any hints on reported merger talks with CVS Health Corp when discussing quarterly results on Tuesday and laid out obstacles to 2018 earnings growth, sending its shares lower.

The company reported a better-than-expected third-quarter profit despite a decline in revenue related to a scaling back of its Obamacare individual insurance business, which Aetna expects to lose about $200 million on this year.

Aetna said it expects member medical spending to stay low this year, a trend that has benefited the health insurers and dragged down hospital revenues, and that the moderated spending would likely continue into 2018.

The No. 3 U.S. health insurer did not provide a 2018 revenue or profit forecast, but executives said on a conference call with analysts that 2018 earnings growth would be hindered by a reinstated industry-wide 3 percent health insurance tax, which represents a hit of 25 cents per share.

Aetna shares were down about 0.5 percent in afternoon trading.

Evercore ISI analyst Michael Newshel called out the comments about 2018 in a research note, saying that Aetna will be better positioned to return to its long-term revenue growth target of mid- to high-single digits in 2019.

The commentary suggested that upside is limited for 2018 earnings based on the current consensus, which is for earnings of $10.14 per share, Leerink analyst Ana Gupte said.

Aetna Chief Executive Officer Mark Bertolini started the call off by declining to comment on rumor or speculation, referencing last week's reports that pharmacy CVS Health offered to buy Aetna for more than $200 per share, or more than $66 billion.

CVS currently has a contract to manage much of Aetna's drug benefits. Bertolini said that the company would make a decision about the contract internally by the end of this year, and a public decision by mid-2018.

Aetna rival Anthem Inc recently announced it would stop using drug benefit manager Express Scripts Holdings and manage more in house and through CVS.

Story continues

EXECUTIVE ORDER

Aetna has mostly pulled out of the individual markets under Obamacare for 2018 because of instability, with enrollment below expectations and premiums soaring.

In 2017, it said it still expects to lose money on the business. Bertolini said the company would consider reentering the individual market when it stabilized.

Bertolini said Aetna is considering relaunching short-term, one-year transition insurance plans for individuals, in line with U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order of earlier this month. Such plans are restricted to three months under former President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare..

Republicans want to roll back Obamacare, which established key benefits that almost all individual insurance plans must offer and set up an online market where more than 10 million people buy their insurance. Current transition plans do not provide these benefits.

NET INCOME UP

The company said net income rose 39 percent to $838 million. Revenue dipped 5 percent to about $15 billion, partly due to Aetna's reduced presence in the Obamacare business.

The insurer said its medical benefit ratio, the percent of premiums spent on claims, fell to 81.4 percent in its commercial business from 83.8 percent a year earlier.

It said that it expects its overall medical costs to rise 5.5 percent in 2017.

Excluding items, Aetna earned $2.45 per share, beating analysts' average estimate of $2.09, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Aetna said it now expects adjusted earnings for 2017 to be about $9.75, up from its previous estimate of $9.45 to $9.55 per share.

(Additional reporting by Ankur Banerjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli)
Three Airbnb hosts in Melbourne, Australia, have been accused of murdering their guest.

Ramis Jonuzi, 36, had used the popular home-sharing app Airbnb to book his stay at the Brighton East home where he was allegedly raped and murdered according to The Guardian. The men who live in the home that Jonuzi booked have been charged with his murder.

Jonuzi was reportedly paying $30 a night for the room, which he had found on the accommodation website less than a week earlier, according to the Melbourne-based newspaper, The Age. Friends say it had appeared a good way to find cheap and stable accommodation in Melbourne while he worked through some personal issues.

How Jonuzi died has not yet been confirmed, but police said he was in cardiac arrest and paramedics had tried to revive him, according to The Guardian.

Read: Airbnb CEO: Well Be Ready for IPO

Craig Levy, 36, Ryan Smart, 37, and Jason Colton, 41, didnt apply for bail when they faced the Melbourne magistrates court on Friday. Levy and Smart were charged with murdering Jonuzi, while Colton was charged with murder and also raping Jonuzi with an object, according to The Guardian.

A spokesperson for Airbnb said the company was deeply saddened and outraged by the tragedy. The family will have our full support and our hearts go out to them and all of his friends, the spokesperson said. We have removed this listing from our platform and will fully cooperate with law enforcement on their investigation.

There is no place on Airbnb for such an abhorrent act, which violates everything our global community stands for.

Read:Airbnb Apartment Complex In Florida Is Designed For Homesharing. But That Means Sharing Profits, Too.

The occurrence highlights a larger, darker side to the billion dollar sharing-economy. The disruptive shift throughout many service industries has seen companies like Uber, Airbnb and a number of other firms rival, and in many cases surpass, some of the worlds bigger businesses in transportation, hospitality and other sectors. While these peer-to-peer services provide many positive social and economic developments, the lack of regulation illustrates risks that rules have not yet caught up with. Governments are beginning to come under increasing pressure to ensure that both consumers and providers are protected, particularly in the light of such incidents.
Premium ecommerce solutions provider, Pitney Bowes Inc. PBI is slated to release third-quarter 2017 results before the opening bell on Nov 1.

Last quarter, the company reported earnings of 33 cents, exhibiting a miss of 8.3%. Overall, Pitney Bowes has a dismal earnings surprise history, having missed estimates thrice in the trailing four quarters, resulting in an average negative surprise of 4.9%.

Let's see how things are shaping up for this announcement.

Factors at Play

Pitney Bowes concerted efforts to transform its business have started to show results as evident from growth across most business lines. For instance, the new channels that the company has been developing over the last four years namely, the tele and digital channels, proved conducive to growth of in its Mail business.

The transformation initiatives and constant introduction of new products have provided a boost to its performance. This apart, the companys prolonged effort to enhance and optimize new enterprise business platform is also likely to prove conducive to operating profit and bottom-line growth for the quarter under review.

Moreover, the companys Global e-commerce business is proving to be one of the strongest profit churners, and is anticipated to boost top-line growth in the third quarter. In less than five years, Global e-commerce has grown from $20 million business to a worth of over $400 million. The company also expects segments growth rate to accelerate going forward, in light of growth in overall retail volumes and customer wins.

Further, the company remains optimistic about Commerce Cloud platform, which is expected to enhance digital capabilities and web-based solutions, along with acting as a decisive growth enabler going forward.

However, the fact remains that the companys major earnings driver  the Small and Medium Business Solutions (SMB) business  has witnessed a decline in revenues. The tepid performance was primarily due to prolonged softness in the North American Mailing business as well as International Mailing Business. This is expected to put pressure on the overall top-line performance of the company in the upcoming quarter as well.

Story continues

Moreover, continued softness in the mailing business is likely to affect Pitney Bowes growth momentum for the quarter under review. Lower recurring supplies revenues are expected to adversely affect the mailing business in the upcoming quarter. Additionally, currency fluctuations has remained one of the headwinds over the past few quarters, and is expected to impact earnings and revenues in the upcoming release as well.

This apart, the company has been experiencing a surge in operating expenses due to ERP implementation in the United States and higher marketing expenses in relation to aggressive advertising and marketing strategies. Moreover, it expects incremental marketing expense in the ERP program, related to digital capabilities enhancement, which might reflect poorly on the upcoming quarterly results.

Earnings Whispers

Our proven model does not conclusively show an earnings beat for Pitney Bowes in 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. But that is not the case here as you will see below.

Zacks ESP: Earnings ESP for the company is 0.00% as both the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate are pegged at 45 cents. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Pitney Bowes Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

Pitney Bowes Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | Pitney Bowes Inc. Quote

Zacks Rank: Pitney Bowes has a Zacks Rank #3, which increases the predictive power of the ESP. However, the companys ESP of 0.00% makes surprise prediction difficult.

We caution against Sell-rated stocks (Zacks Rank #4 or 5) going into an earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.

Stocks to Consider

Here are some companies that you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter:

Adobe Systems Incorporated ADBE has an Earnings ESP of +0.25% and a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

A10 Networks, Inc. ATEN has an Earnings ESP of +50.00% and a Zacks Rank #2.

CGI Group, Inc. GIB has an Earnings ESP of +0.67 % and a Zacks Rank #2.

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Fidelity National Information Services FIS is scheduled to release third-quarter 2017 earnings on Oct 31, before the opening bell. While the companys earnings are expected to grow on a year-over-year basis, revenues are likely to decline.

Notably, Fidelity delivered positive earnings surprises in three of the trailing four quarters, with an average beat of 3%.

In the last quarter, the company pulled off a positive earnings surprise of 5.2%. Results benefited from higher revenues and lower expenses. Also, strong liquidity position was a tailwind.

Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. Quote

Positive Surprise is Likely

According to our proven model, Fidelity has the right combination of two key ingredients  positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better  to increase the odds of an earnings beat.

You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.



Zacks ESP: Earnings ESP for Fidelity is +0.11%.

Zacks Rank: Fidelity currently carries a Zacks Rank of 3.

However, Fidelitys activities during the quarter were inadequate to win analysts confidence. As a result, earnings estimates for the quarter remained unchanged at $1.06, over the last seven days.

Factors to Influence Q3 Results

Fidelitys service revenues are expected to increase because of higher U.S. debit as well as credit card payment volumes. However, per the consensus estimate, rise in revenues from Integrated Financial Solutions of nearly 1% to $1.1 billion will offset by a decline in revenues for Global Financial Solutions of 6.4% to $1 billion. Also, the consensus estimate for overall revenues of $2.2 billion indicates a 3.3% decline from the prior-year quarter.

The companys focus on introducing new and innovative products in order to meet the growing demand of customers will likely increase expenses, as witnessed in the past.

Story continues

The Florida-based financial service provider might report worsened asset quality for the quarter. A rise in delinquency rates is likely to be witnessed as a result of Hurricane Irma.

Other Stocks Worth Considering

Ellington Financial LLC EFC is expected to report results on Nov 2. It has an Earnings ESP of +3.33% and a Zacks Rank of 3. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

LendingClub Corporation LC is slated to report results on Nov 7. It has an Earnings ESP of +5.00% and a Zacks Rank #3.

Eaton Vance Corporation EV is expected to release results on Nov 21. Its Earnings ESP is +0.57% and it carries a Zacks Rank of 3.

Zacks Best Private Investment Ideas



While we are happy to share many articles like this on the website, our best recommendations and most in-depth research are not available to the public.



Starting today, for the next month, you can follow all Zacks' private buys and sells in real time. Our experts cover all kinds of trades from value to momentum . . . from stocks under $10 to ETF and option moves . . . from stocks that corporate insiders are buying up to companies that are about to report positive earnings surprises. You can even look inside exclusive portfolios that are normally closed to new investors.



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A man looks at the screen of his mobile phone in front of an Apple logo outside its store in Shanghai, China on July 30, 2017. REUTERS/Aly Song/Files

By Liana B. Baker and Stephen Nellis

(Reuters) - Apple Inc has designed iPhones and iPads that would drop chips supplied by Qualcomm Inc, according to two people familiar with the matter.

The change would affect iPhones released in the fall of 2018, but Apple could still change course before then, these people said. They declined to be identified because they were not authorized to discuss the matter with the media.

The dispute stems from a change in supply arrangements under which Qualcomm has stopped providing some software for Apple to test its chips in its iPhone designs, one of the people told Reuters.

The two companies are locked in a multinational legal dispute over the Qualcomm's licensing terms to Apple.

Qualcomm told Reuters it is providing fully tested chips to Apple for iPhones. "We are committed to supporting Apple's new devices consistent with our support of all others in the industry," Qualcomm said in a statement.

The Wall Street Journal first reported that Apple could drop Qualcomm chips Monday.

Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon said Apple's move is not totally unexpected.

Though Qualcomm has for several years supplied Apple's modems - which help Apple's phones connect to wireless data networks - Intel Corp has provided upward of half of Apple's modem chips for iPhones in recent years, Rasgon said. Intel in 2015 acquired a firm that would let it replace more of Qualcomm's chips in iPhones, Rasgon said.

Rasgon said it's too early to say definitively whether Apple fully intends to drop Qualcomm next year because Apple can likely make multiple contingency plans for different supplier scenarios.

"Apple is big enough that if they want to support multiple paths, they can do that," Rasgon said. "Samsung (Electronics Co) did this too. A couple of years ago, Samsung designed Qualcomm out, but Qualcomm didn't even know until it was close to time to ship" Samsung's phones, Rasgon said.

(Reporting by Stephen Nellis and Liana B. Baker in San Francisco; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell and Stephen Coates)
For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL  October 30, 2017  Zacks.com releases the list of companies likely to issue earnings surprises. This weeks list includes Apple AAPL and Facebook FB.

To see more earnings analysis, visit https://at.zacks.com/?id=3207.

All-Around Strength in Q3 Earnings Season

We are past the halfway mark in the Q3 earnings season, with results from 54% of the S&P 500 members already out. This reporting season has turned out to be very good, further strengthening the narrative of a favorable earnings backdrop that has been in place over the last few quarters.

The Technology sector became the latest to come out with impressive Q3 results, which will likely get reconfirmed with this weeks results from Apple and Facebook. In total, we have almost 900 companies on deck to release results this week, including 134 S&P 500 members. By the end of this week, we will have seen Q3 results from more than 80% of S&P 500 members. Unlike the large-cap stocks in the S&P 500 index, we are still at a relatively early stage in the small-cap reporting cycle. As of Friday, October 27th, we have seen results from almost 31% of the small-cap S&P 600 members, with the reporting tally crossing the halfway mark by the end of this week.



Let me make a quick comment about expectations from Apple and Facebook before highlighting four points about the Q3 earnings season as a whole.



Apple shares have regained the ground they lost following the latest iPhone announcement in September, but there is plenty of uncertainty in the market about the outlook for the higher-end iPhone X. The stock is now up +40.1% in the year-to-date period vs. +22.5% gain for the Zack Tech sector and +14.2% gain for the S&P 500 index. This strong year-to-date performance notwithstanding, the stock has lagged the sector as well as the broader market since the September 12th product announcement.



The company is expected to earn $1.86 per share on $51.17 billion, up from $1.66 per share on $46.56 billion in the year-earlier period. The company has handily beaten estimates in each of the last three quarters. More than EPS and revenue surprises, the key metric for the market will be iPhone shipments with the Zacks Consensus estimate of 46.42 million units in the period, which will be up from 45.5 million units shipped in the year-earlier quarter.



Apple will report Q3 results after the markets close on Thursday, November 2nd.



Facebook shares have been star performers this year, with the sock up +54.3% vs. +22.5% gain for the Zacks Tech sector and +14.2% gain for the S&P 500 index. Facebook is scheduled to report results after the markets close on Wednesday November 1st, with the company expected to earn $1.30 per share on $9.88 billion in revenues, up +19.5% and +40.9% from the year-earlier level, respectively.



Performance in terms of advertising revenue and active users will be even more material for the stock price than revenues and EPS. The expectation is for ad revenues of $9.71 billion (up from $6.8 billion in the year-earlier period) and daily active users tally of 1.371 billion (up from 1.179 billion in 2016 Q3).

Story continues

About the Zacks Rank

Since 1988, the Zacks Rank has proven that "Earnings estimate revisions are the most powerful force impacting stock prices." Since inception in 1988, #1 Rank stocks have generated an average annual return of +28%. During the 2000-2002 bear market, Zacks #1 Rank stocks gained +43.8%, while the S&P 500 tumbled -37.6%. Also note that the Zacks Rank system has just as many Strong Sell recommendations (Rank #5) as Strong Buy recommendations (Rank #1). Since 1988, Zacks Rank #5 stocks have significantly underperformed the S&P 500 (+3% versus +10%). Thus, the Zacks Rank system allows investors to truly manage portfolio trading effectively.

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SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Apple Inc chief executive Tim Cook and Facebook Inc's Mark Zuckerberg met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday at an annual gathering of advisers to Beijing's Tsinghua University business school. Xi was speaking to business leaders and officials at the meeting, state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) reported. Cook and Zuckerberg are on the advisory board of the Tsinghua School of Economics and Management. The meeting comes at a particularly key time for Apple as it prepares to launch its much-anticipated iPhone X on Friday, amid hopes the anniversary smartphone can revive the firm's sales in the world's number two economy. Tsinghua's business school, founded in 1984, has seen scores of top Chinese and foreign industry leaders sit on its board, including Chinese central banker Zhou Xiaochuan and Goldman Sachs chief executive Lloyd Blankfein. Facebook's Zuckerberg has also been very active in China, eager to get his popular social network unblocked in the world's most populous nation, where it has been banned since 2009 and held behind the country's so-called Great Firewall. An Apple spokeswoman said the firm couldn't "comment on Tim's schedule and or meetings". Facebook confirmed Zuckerberg was in Beijng, but declined to comment on details of his visit. In a post on his Facebook page on Saturday, Zuckerberg wrote he was in Beijing for the annual meeting. "Every year this trip is a great way to keep up with the pace of innovation and entrepreneurship in China," he said. (Reporting by Adam Jourdan; editing by Alexander Smith)
New York (AFP) - Wall Street stocks rose Tuesday, with the Nasdaq closing at a fresh record, ahead of the release of a US tax cut proposal in Congress and a Federal Reserve policy announcement.

Anticipation of the long-awaited tax plan -- along with strong US data -- helped US stocks bounce from Monday's weakness.

London and Paris stock markets each posted smaller gains, thanks to strong corporate results, while Frankfurt was closed for a German public holiday.

Madrid rallied for the second straight day on the apparent fading of the fading prospects for Catalan independence.

"Spanish stocks have enjoyed another leg higher today, with the IBEX 35 hitting its highest level since August as the Catalan independence push has seemingly lost its way," said analyst David Cheetham at trading firm XTB.

"After declaring independence on Friday, the former regional leaders have experienced a backlash with large protests against secession seen in Barcelona over the weekend and the imposition of direct rule from Madrid yesterday."

- Strong US data -

The Nasdaq was the biggest gainer among the major US indices, advancing 0.4 percent to 6,727.67, its second record in three sessions.

Data releases showed US consumer confidence hit a 17-year high in October, while sales of single-family homes spiked in September, hitting their highest level in a decade.

"Boy have the data looked good lately and todays numbers are no different," said economist Joel Naroff.

"People are very upbeat about the labor market, as a rising percentage said it was easier to get a job right now," Naroff said of the consumer data. "If there was a cautionary note in the report, it was that respondents were a little less confident about future employment conditions."

The reports come as congressional Republicans prepare to unveil the tax plan. President Donald Trump wants lawmakers to pass the long-anticipated tax cut plan, which allows for about $1.5 trillion in tax cuts, by the end of the year.

Story continues

Prospects for lower US taxes have helped Wall Street to numerous records this year, but the plan still faces a long haul in Congress.

Analysts are also looking ahead to a policy announcement Wednesday from the Federal Reserve following a two-day meeting. While the Fed is expected to keep monetary policy unchanged, the announcement will be scrutinized for the likelihood of a December interest rate increase.

- Key figures around 2100 GMT -

New York - DOW: UP 0.1 percent at 23,377.24 (close)

New York - S&P 500: UP 0.1 percent at 2,575.26 (close)

New York - Nasdaq: UP 0.4 percent at 6,727.67 (close)

London - FTSE 100: UP 0.1 percent at 7,493.08 points (close)

Frankfurt - DAX 30: CLOSED for bank holiday

Paris - CAC 40: UP 0.2 percent at 5,503.29 (close)

Madrid - IBEX 35: UP 0.7 percent at 10,523.5 (close)

EURO STOXX 50: UP 0.2 percent at 3,672.80

Tokyo - Nikkei 225: FLAT at 22,011.61 (close)

Hong Kong - Hang Seng: DOWN 0.3 percent at 28,245.54 (close)

Shanghai - Composite: FLAT at 3,393.34 (close)

Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1647 from $1.1653 at 2100 GMT

Pound/dollar: UP at $1.3283 from $1.3207

Dollar/yen: UP at 113.65 yen from 113.17 yen

Oil - Brent North Sea: up 47 cents at $61.37 per barrel

Oil - West Texas Intermediate: UP 23 cents at $54.38 per barrel

burs-jmb/mdl
Boston Properties, Inc. BXP is likely to beat expectations in the third quarter. The company is scheduled to release its quarterly numbers on Nov 1, after the market closes.



Last quarter, this REIT, which mainly owns and develops Class A office real estates in the United States, delivered better-than-expected performance in terms of funds from operations (FFO) per share, witnessing a positive surprise of 3.09%. Results indicated an improvement in portfolio revenues, as well as development and management services revenues.



However, Boston Properties has a mixed surprise history. In fact, the company exceeded estimates in two occasions for as many misses, over the trailing four quarters, resulting in an average positive surprise of 0.93%. This is depicted in the graph below:

Boston Properties, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise



Boston Properties, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | Boston Properties, Inc. Quote

Note: The EPS numbers presented in the above chart represent funds from operations (FFO) per share.



Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement.



Why a Likely Positive Surprise?



Our proven model shows that Boston Properties is likely to beat estimates because it has the right combination of two key ingredients. A stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or at least 3 (Hold) to beat estimates, and Boston Properties has the right mix.



You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.



Zacks ESP: The Earnings ESP, which represents the percentage difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is +0.50%. This is a meaningful and leading indicator of a likely positive surprise.



Zacks Rank: Boston Properties Zacks Rank #3, when combined with a positive ESP, makes us reasonably confident of a positive surprise this season.



What's Driving the Better-than-Expected Earnings?



Boston Properties, based out of Massachusetts, concentrates on a few select high-rent, high barrier-to-entry geographic markets. The companys solid tenant and industry base, including several bellwethers, ensure steady rental revenue growth. Over the past five years, it recorded annual revenue growth rate of 8.17%. This trend is likely to have continued in the third quarter as well.



Notably, per a study by the commercial real estate services firm, CBRE Group Inc. CBG, the U.S. office vacancy rate declined to 12.9% in the third quarter amid growth in office-using jobs. In most of the U.S. office markets, vacancy declined, taking the national office vacancy rate close to its post-recession low.



In fact, with economic improvement and recovery in the job market, healthy growth in demand for office spaces is likely to have continued in the companys markets in the quarter under review. Particularly, growth in demand for office space is anticipated to have been fueled by technology and life sciences businesses in the to-be-reported quarter.



Amid these, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter revenues is currently pegged at $631.5 million, indicating estimated growth of 1% year over year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for base rent is $512 million.



The company projects third-quarter FFO per share in the range of $1.52-$1.54. Also, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the same is currently pegged at the high end of this range at $1.54.



Shares of Boston Properties have inched up 0.2% in the past three months, outperforming the 1.4% loss incurred by its industry.





Story continues





Stocks That Warrant a Look



Here are a few stocks in the REIT sector that you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to report a positive surprise this quarter:



Regency Centers Corporation REG, slated to release third-quarter results on Nov 1, has an Earnings ESP of +2.96% and a Zacks Rank of 2. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Extra Space Storage Inc. EXR, scheduled to release earnings on Nov 1, has an Earnings ESP of +1.19% and a Zacks Rank of 2.



Note: FFO, a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs, is obtained after adding depreciation and amortization and other non-cash expenses to net income.



Zacks Best Private Investment Ideas



While we are happy to share many articles like this on the website, our best recommendations and most in-depth research are not available to the public.



Starting today, for the next month, you can follow all Zacks' private buys and sells in real time. Our experts cover all kinds of trades from value to momentum . . . from stocks under $10 to ETF and option moves . . . from stocks that corporate insiders are buying up to companies that are about to report positive earnings surprises. You can even look inside exclusive portfolios that are normally closed to new investors.



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CBRE Group, Inc. (CBG) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Regency Centers Corporation (REG) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Boston Properties, Inc. (BXP) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Extra Space Storage Inc (EXR) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
SAO PAULO, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Brazilian petrochemical producer Braskem SA on Tuesday denied reports that LyondellBasell Industries NV had approached it with a takeover offer.

In a securities filing, Braskem said its controlling shareholder Odebrecht SA has reaffirmed its intention to keep the petrochemical company in its portfolio.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that an approach by LyondellBasell had valued Braskem at more than $10 billion. (Reporting by Bruno Federowski; editing by Jason Neely)
By Siddharth Cavale and Gayathree Ganesan (Reuters) - Constellation Brands Inc has bought a nearly 10 percent stake in Canadian cannabis maker Canopy Growth Corp for about C$245 million ($191 million), the first major wine, beer and spirits producer to invest in legal cannabis. The move by the maker of Corona beer and Svedka vodka comes as Canada and a growing number of U.S. states move to legalize marijuana for recreational use, raising question marks over its illegal status at the U.S. Federal level. Constellation said it had no plans to market cannabis or lobby for its legalization in the United States in the near future and analysts said the relatively small stake would allow it to take advantage of any future boom - or to exit if one does not materialize. "One of the hallmarks of our success over the years has been our commitment to identify and stay ahead of early stage consumer trends," the company said in a statement on the deal. "This is another step in that direction," it added. Eight states, including California and Nevada, have legalized marijuana, already widely approved for medicinal use, for recreational use and some studies show consumers would buy the drug instead of alcohol if it was freely available. A number of pharmaceutical companies have products that are cannabis derivatives and smaller investors have poured money into Canadian producers this year: the index of Canadian marijuana stocks calculated by research house Canaccord Genuity rose 36 percent in the month to Oct. 11. But major firms in other sectors have kept their distance, worried by the connotations of involvement with a banned substance. "Were obviously trying to get first-mover advantage," Constellation Chief Executive Rob Sands told the Wall Street Journal, adding that he expects cannabis to be legalized nationwide in the United States in coming years. THREAT Eight Capital analyst Daniel Pearlstein said that the move validated the cannabis industry as both a threat and opportunity for larger established companies in industries including alcohol and tobacco. "This move is a complete game changer, not only for Canopy, but also for the entire industry," he said. Vivien Azer, an analyst at brokerage Cowen, said that data showed 18-25 year olds - a key market for spirit makers - perceived alcohol as increasingly risky compared with cannabis, for which risk perceptions have halved in a decade. Industry watchers also say cannabis consumers have reduced their alcohol intake in U.S. states following legalization. "We were ... able to show in our research in Colorado, Washington and Oregon that there has been a negative impact in alcohol consumption ... post the legalization of adult-use cannabis," Azer said. Analysts said a more immediate option for Constellation could be to develop non-alcoholic cannabis-infused beverages for the Canadian cannabis market, which consultants estimate could be worth around $5 billion to $10 billion. The deal also comes ahead of the widely anticipated move by Canada, to legalize cannabis for recreational use nationwide by July 2018. The following year, edible and drinkable products are expected to become legal. Canopy Growth is the biggest licensed producer of medical marijuana in Canada and is traded on the Toronto Stock exchange with a market capitalization of C$2.2 billion. Constellation said the deal also gives it the option to purchase an additional ownership interest in Canopy in the future. ($1 = 1.2823 Canadian dollars) (Additional reporting by Ankur Banerjee and Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; editing by Patrick Graham)
A lone worker passes by the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, October 8, 2013. A few faint glimmers of hope surfaced in the U.S. fiscal standoff, both in Congress and at the White House, with President Barack Obama saying he would accept a short-term increase in the nation's borrowing authority to avoid a default. REUTERS/Jason Reed (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX143RN

Investors got spooked on renewed reports that President Donald Trumps lower corporate tax rate would be phased in over a number of years on Monday. FOX Business reported the idea earlier this month.

But Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Chuck Grassley, (R-Iowa), told FOX Business that Republicans have no plans of gradually lowering the corporate tax rate.

On the Senate side we have not talked about phasing that in. We have talked about starting out with the 20% rate, Grassley told FOX Business 'Stuart Varney on Varney and Co.

Grassley, however, said he is open to a gradual rollout as a last resort if there are ways to off-set within the budget that Senate Republicans approved last week.

The only way that Id be in favor of phasing it in is if there's no way you can stay within the $1.5 trillion figure that we have to as a result of the budget resolution, he said. We have to fit in with that revenue raisers we have by broadening the tax base compared to what we reduced the rates, both individual and corporate.

In Grassleys opinion, it sends a bad signal if the GOP doesnt go with the 20% tax rate.

Being that the president started out at 15 [percent], we are down to 20 [percent]. You cant really go below 23 [percent] under any circumstances for the reason that the other 35 industrialized nations, thats the average, and some are lower and some are going to go lower like the United Kingdom. So if we are going to be competitive weve got to stay at 20 [percent], he said.

Related Articles
Federal Realty Investment Trust FRT is set to report third-quarter 2017 results after the market closes on Nov 1. Both its revenues and funds from operations (FFO) are anticipated to experience solid year-over-year growth.

Last quarter, this retail real estate investment trust (REIT) delivered a positive surprise of 2.1% with respect to FFO per share. Results indicated growth in revenues and same-center property operating income.

The company has a decent surprise history. Over the trailing four quarters, it surpassed estimates in three occasions and missed in the other. This resulted in an average positive surprise of 0.9%. The graph below depicts the surprise history of the company:

Federal Realty Investment Trust Price and EPS Surprise



Federal Realty Investment Trust Price and EPS Surprise | Federal Realty Investment Trust Quote

Note: All EPS numbers presented in this write-up represent funds from operations (FFO) per share.



However, Federal Realtys shares have descended 14.5% year to date, against the industrys decline of 8.9%.





Lets see how things have shaped up for this announcement.

Factors to Consider

Federal Realty has been taking advantage of the redevelopment opportunities. Particularly, amid a fast evolving retail environment, the company is making strategic efforts to reposition, redevelop and re-merchandise its portfolio.

These efforts will not only help the company counter competition from e-retailers but will also enable it to post decent operating results in the to-be-reported quarter.

Subsequently, minimum rents from the retail and commercial segment will likely record year-over-year growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate of $148 million indicates encouraging growth of 8% as compared to the year-ago quarter. Furthermore, total rental income is projected to be $209 million, a marginal rise from the prior-quarter tally of $204 million.

However, rising consumer purchases through the Internet has emerged as a pressing concern for this REIT. These have made retailers reconsider their footprint and eventually opt for store closures. Also, retailers not able to cope with competition have been filing bankruptcies.

Story continues

Accordingly, percentage rents, which indicate additional rent based on the level of sales achieved by the tenant, are predicted to witness a considerable decline due to the tepid retail environment. The Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.44 million reflects a 5.2% dip as compared to the prior-year quarter.

Prior to the third-quarter earnings release, there is lack of any solid catalyst for becoming optimistic about the companys business activities and prospects. As such, the Zacks Consensus Estimate of FFO per share for the third quarter edged down 0.7% to $1.47 over the past two months.

Earnings Whispers

Our proven model does not conclusively show that Federal Realty will likely beat on earnings this season. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or at least 3 (Hold) for this to happen. However, that is not the case here as you will see below.

You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zacks ESP: The Earnings ESP for Federal Realty is -0.92%.



Zacks Rank: Federal Realtys Zacks Rank #3 increases the predictive power of ESP. However, we also need to have a positive ESP to be confident of an earnings beat.

Stocks That Warrant a Look

Here are a few stocks in the REIT space that you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this time around:



EPR Properties EPR,slated to release third-quarter earnings on Nov 8, has an Earnings ESP of +0.93% and a Zacks Rank of 3. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



BostonProperties, Inc. BXP,scheduled to report its numbers on Nov 1, has an Earnings ESP of +0.5% and a Zacks Rank of 3.

Paramount Group, Inc. PGRE, set to release third-quarter figures on Nov 6, has an Earnings ESP of +3.77 and a Zacks Rank of 3.



Note: FFO, a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs, is obtained after adding depreciation and amortization and other non-cash expenses to net income.

Zacks Best Private Investment Ideas



While we are happy to share many articles like this on the website, our best recommendations and most in-depth research are not available to the public.



Starting today, for the next month, you can follow all Zacks' private buys and sells in real time. Our experts cover all kinds of trades from value to momentum . . . from stocks under $10 to ETF and option moves . . . from stocks that corporate insiders are buying up to companies that are about to report positive earnings surprises. You can even look inside exclusive portfolios that are normally closed to new investors.



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Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRT) : Free Stock Analysis Report



EPR Properties (EPR) : Free Stock Analysis Report



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Paramount Group, Inc. (PGRE) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
Embraer SA ERJ reported third-quarter 2017 adjusted earnings of 41 cents per American Depository Share (ADS) that surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 30 cents by 36.7%. However, the bottom line declined 4.7% from 43 cents in the year-ago quarter.



Revenues



In the third quarter, Embraer posted total revenue of $1,310.4 million that missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1,341 million by 2.3%. The top line also declined 13.5% year over year due to lower deliveries at the Commercial Aviation segment and the Executive Jets segment.



While revenues at the companys Commercial Aviation segment decreased 8.7%, the Executive Jets segment witnessed a decline of 27.3%. Again, the same at the Defense & Security segment plunged 43.3% year over year.



Order and Delivery



Embraer reported third-quarter 2017 deliveries of 45 jets compared with 54 in the year-ago period, reflecting a 16.7% decline. The deliveries were also 23.7% lower than the second-quarter level.



The company delivered 25 and 20 jets in commercial and business aviation markets, respectively, compared with 27 jets each in the prior-year period. Deliveries to the executive aviation market included 13 light and seven large executive jets.



Markedly, Embraer exited the quarter under review with a backlog of orders worth $18.8 billion, higher than the second-quarter level of $18.5 billion.



Also, the company received orders from SkyWest Inc. SKYW for 45 new aircraft. Again in September, this Brazilian aerospace conglomerate bagged an order of 25 E-Jets worth $1.1 billion, based on current list prices. All these aircraft are scheduled to be delivered in 2018.



In the beginning of October, the company had also announced a second order from SkyWest for 20 additional E-Jets. At current list prices, the order is estimated to be valued at $914 million. Notably, this order has been added to Embraers third-quarter 2017 backlog as well.

Embraer-Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Embraer-Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Embraer-Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica Quote

Operational Highlights



In the quarter under review, Embraers cost of sales and services was $1,062 million, up from $1,229.7 million a year ago.



The companys gross profit declined 12.7% to $248.4 million in the quarter.



Embraer posted quarterly adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $139.8 million compared with $54.3 million in the prior-year quarter.



Financial Update



As of Sep 30, the companys cash and cash equivalents were $772.5 million compared with $1,241.5 million as of Dec 31, 2016.



At the end of the third quarter, Embraer had non-recourse and recourse debt of $722.8 million compared with $351 million at the end of 2016.



Net cash inflow from operating activities was $115.3 million compared with $235.3 million a year ago.



The companys free cash outflow was $22.7 million compared with outflow of $20.5 in the year-ago quarter.



Guidance



Embraer reiterated its 2017 revenue guidance in the range of $5.7-$6.1 billion. While Defense & Security revenues are still expected in the $0.80-$0.90 billion band, Commercial Aviation revenues are projected in the range of $3.25-$3.40 billion. For Executive Jets segments, the company still anticipates revenues between $1.60 and $1.75 billion.



Furthermore, the company reaffirmed its expectation to deliver 97-102 jets in the Commercial Aviation segment along with 70-80 large jets and 35-45 light jets in the Executive Jets segment for 2017.



It still expects EBIT margin in the range of 8-9% and EBITDA margin of in 13.5-14.5% band.



For 2017, Embraer restated its plans to invest $650 million including capital expenditure of $200 million.



Peer Releases



Lockheed Martin Corp. LMT reported third-quarter 2017 earnings from continuing operations of $3.24 per share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.25 by 0.3%. This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) companys bottom line also declined from the year-ago periods figure by 10.2%. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



Northrop Grumman Corp. NOC reported third-quarter 2017 earnings of $3.68 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.92 by 26%. Reported earnings were also up 9.9% from $3.35 in the year-ago quarter. The company holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).



Zacks Rank



Embraer carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).



Zacks Best Private Investment Ideas



While we are happy to share many articles like this on the website, our best recommendations and most in-depth research are not available to the public.



Starting today, for the next month, you can follow all Zacks' private buys and sells in real time. Our experts cover all kinds of trades from value to momentum . . . from stocks under $10 to ETF and option moves . . . from stocks that corporate insiders are buying up to companies that are about to report positive earnings surprises. You can even look inside exclusive portfolios that are normally closed to new investors.



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SkyWest, Inc. (SKYW) : Free Stock Analysis Report



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Embraer-Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica (ERJ) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
Essex Property Trust, Inc. ESS is scheduled to report third-quarter 2017 results on Nov 1, after the market closes.



In the prior quarter, this San Mateo, CA-based residential real estate investment trust (REIT) generated a positive surprise of 1.71% in terms of funds from operations (FFO) per share. Results reflected solid growth in revenues.



Over the trailing four quarters, the company beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three occasions  the average beat being 1.23%. This is depicted in the graph below:

Essex Property Trust, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise



Essex Property Trust, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | Essex Property Trust, Inc. Quote

Note: The EPS numbers presented in the above chart represent funds from operations (FFO) per share.



For third-quarter 2017, the company estimates core FFO per share in the $2.88-$2.98 range. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the same is currently pegged at $2.97.



Lets see how things have shaped up for this announcement.



Factors to Consider



Essex has a strong property base and a sturdy balance sheet. The companys substantial exposure to the West Coast market, which is home to several innovation and technology companies, is likely to offer scope to boost its top line in the to-be-reported quarter. Improved economy and job market strengths are anticipated to act as a catalyst and drive demand for apartments in the companys markets in the quarter.



Notably, per a study by the real estate technology and analytics firm, RealPage, Inc. RP, the U.S. apartment market reported stable rent growth, while occupancy remained healthy in the third quarter. However, the levels of rent growth have moderated from the previous years. For new leases, effective rents moved up 0.9% during the quarter and 2.6%, annually. Further, apartment occupancy came in at 95.5% for the third quarter across the countrys top 100 metros.



However, although apartment deliveries have not yet reached peak levels due to delay in delivery, the supply remained elevated in the third quarter. This elevated supply is a concern because it curbs landlords ability to command more rent and results in lesser absorption.



As such, in the to-be-reported quarter, occupancy is likely to remain nearly unchanged. Furthermore, escalating supply in certain submarkets is expected to result in aggressive rental concessions and moderate pricing power of landlords.



Amid these, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter revenues is pegged at $342.1 million, marking an expected increase of 3.9% year over year.



Moreover, in a weeks time, the Zacks Consensus Estimate of FFO per share for the third quarter inched up 0.3% to $2.97, highlighting analysts bullish sentiments.



Essex Propertys shares have rallied 12.9% year to date, outperforming the industrys gain of 5.1%.





Story continues





Earnings Whispers



Our proven model does not conclusively show that Essex Property will likely beat estimates this season. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or at least 3 (Hold) for this to happen. However, that is not the case here as you will see below.



Zacks ESP: The Earnings ESP, which represents the percentage difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is pegged at -0.18%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.



Zacks Rank: Essex Property currently has a Zacks Rank #3. Though a favorable Zacks Rank increases the predictive power of ESP, the companys negative ESP makes our 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 seeing negative estimate revisions.



Stocks That Warrant a Look



Here are a few stocks in the REIT sector that you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to report a positive surprise this quarter:



Regency Centers Corporation REG, slated to release third-quarter results on Nov 1, has an Earnings ESP of +2.96% and a Zacks Rank of 2. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.



Extra Space Storage Inc. EXR, scheduled to release earnings on Nov 1, has an Earnings ESP of +1.19% and a Zacks Rank of 2.



Note: FFO, a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs, is obtained after adding depreciation and amortization and other non-cash expenses to net income.



Zacks Best Private Investment Ideas



While we are happy to share many articles like this on the website, our best recommendations and most in-depth research are not available to the public.



Starting today, for the next month, you can follow all Zacks' private buys and sells in real time. Our experts cover all kinds of trades from value to momentum . . . from stocks under $10 to ETF and option moves . . . from stocks that corporate insiders are buying up to companies that are about to report positive earnings surprises. You can even look inside exclusive portfolios that are normally closed to new investors.



Click here for Zacks' private trades >>



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



RealPage, Inc. (RP) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Regency Centers Corporation (REG) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Essex Property Trust, Inc. (ESS) : Free Stock Analysis Report



Extra Space Storage Inc (EXR) : Free Stock Analysis Report



To read this article on Zacks.com click here.



Zacks Investment Research
An early advisor to President Donald Trump 's campaign has pleaded guilty to making false statements to FBI agents, according to court filings released Monday. The U.S. alleges that George Papadopoulos made contact with foreign nationals tied to the Russian government and subsequently lied to federal agents about those meetings.Papadopoulos was arrested on July 27 and entered a plea deal on Oct. 5.According to the documents, Papadopoulos met with a female Russian national in March 2016. This woman was allegedly introduced to Papadopoulos, then foreign policy advisor for the Trump campaign, as a relative of Russian President Vladimir Putin with ties to senior Kremlin officials.The filings also say that Papadopoulos is cooperating with the U.S. government in its ongoing investigation of Russian attempts to interfere in the 2016 election.Papadopoulos' attorneys declined to comment on the case. News of Papadopoulos' plea deal comes on the heels of a separate indictment unsealed Monday of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his longtime business partner Rick Gates. Earlier Monday, Manafort and Gates surrendered to authorities after being charged on 12 counts related to concealing foreign payments, including one count of "conspiracy against the United States." The two men had been the first people charged in the Russia investigation led by former FBI Director Robert Mueller. Trump responded to the news on Twitter , saying that the alleged crimes occurred well before Manafort joined the Trump campaign in 2016. @realDonaldTrump: Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????@realDonaldTrump: ....Also, there is NO COLLUSION!This is a developing story, please check back fo r updates. NBC News contributed to this report. An early advisor to President Donald Trump 's campaign has pleaded guilty to making false statements to FBI agents, according to court filings released Monday. The U.S. alleges that George Papadopoulos made contact with foreign nationals tied to the Russian government and subsequently lied to federal agents about those meetings. Papadopoulos was arrested on July 27 and entered a plea deal on Oct. 5. According to the documents, Papadopoulos met with a female Russian national in March 2016. This woman was allegedly introduced to Papadopoulos, then foreign policy advisor for the Trump campaign, as a relative of Russian President Vladimir Putin with ties to senior Kremlin officials. The filings also say that Papadopoulos is cooperating with the U.S. government in its ongoing investigation of Russian attempts to interfere in the 2016 election. Papadopoulos' attorneys declined to comment on the case. News of Papadopoulos' plea deal comes on the heels of a separate indictment unsealed Monday of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his longtime business partner Rick Gates. Earlier Monday, Manafort and Gates surrendered to authorities after being charged on 12 counts related to concealing foreign payments, including one count of "conspiracy against the United States." The two men had been the first people charged in the Russia investigation led by former FBI Director Robert Mueller. Trump responded to the news on Twitter , saying that the alleged crimes occurred well before Manafort joined the Trump campaign in 2016. @realDonaldTrump: Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus????? @realDonaldTrump: ....Also, there is NO COLLUSION! This is a developing story, please check back fo r updates.  NBC News contributed to this report.



More From CNBC


President Donald Trump 's onetime campaign chairman, Paul Manafort was indicted on 12 counts related to hiding foreign payments, including one count of "conspiracy against the United States." Manafort's former longtime business partner, Rick Gates, also was charged in the 31 page indictment, made public on Monday. Gates and Manafort both surrendered to authorities on Monday morning. The two men pleaded not guilty to all charges during a court appearance later Monday. A spokesman for Gates said the former lobbyist "welcomes the opportunity to confront these charges in court." A Manafort spokesman declined to comment. In a statement, Special Counsel's Office spokesman Peter Carr said the indictment "contains 12 counts: conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign [government], false and misleading [foreign lobbying disclosures], false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. The case was unsealed today after the defendants were permitted to surrender themselves to the custody of the FBI." Multiple law enforcement sources also told NBC News there was a statute of limitations issue in play that may have helped drive the timing of the indictments, which were handed down Friday.

Following news of the indictments, a White House source told NBC News that the charges had not come as a surprise to the Trump administration. "The White House has been saying for weeks the special counsel is moving far more quickly and deliberatively than people have been reporting. The fact that the special counsel is actively performing its duties does not come as a surprise to the White House," the source said. The indictments mark a new phase in Special Counsel Robert Mueller 's investigation into Russian attempts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. They also cap off a year of escalating legal problems for Manafort and Gates, who worked with Manafort for years on many of his foreign lobbying contracts.

Story continues

In late July, FBI agents under Mueller's direction raided Manafort's home in Alexandria, Virginia, and seized documents and other materials related to the probe. In September, the Times reported that lawyers working for Mueller told Manafort that they planned to indict him. Manafort joined the Trump campaign as an adviser in March 2016 and was promoted to chairman three months later. At the time, he was credited with helping Trump's campaign recover from a bruising primary battle and move on to a formal nomination at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. While Manafort was well known in Washington circles for his controversial lobbying clients, it wasn't until August 2016 that his past work became an issue for Trump.

On Aug. 16, the Times reported the existence of a secret ledger in Ukraine that showed more than $12 million in undisclosed payments to Manafort from a one-time client, Ukraine's ousted former president, Viktor Yanukovych. Days later, Trump accepted Manafort's resignation from the campaign. Since the inception of the probe, Trump has repeatedly dismissed Mueller's investigation as a "Russian witch hunt" and a "hoax" cooked up by Democrats unwilling to accept the 2016 election's results. Emboldened by a Washington Post report showing that the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton paid for the research for a hotly disputed dossier seeking to connect the president to Russia, Trump has insisted "there was NO collusion between Russia and Trump." @realDonaldTrump: It is now commonly agreed, after many months of COSTLY looking, that there was NO collusion between Russia and Trump. Was collusion with HC! Trump has adopted a tone of defiance. However, inside the White House, nearly all of Trump's top aides, and the president himself, have hired outside lawyers to represent them in the probe  a sign of how serious the situation is for the West Wing.



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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Just after Thanksgiving Day in 1983, James Downey dropped off his older brother, John, at a Houston bus station, then quickly turned away so neither the police nor a motorcycle gang affiliated with his brother could later demand details about where the bus was headed.

For 34 years, he didn't hear a word about him. Then this spring Downey received a heart-breaking call, one that more than 200 families across the country have gotten in the last few months since the FBI began using new fingerprint technology to resolve identity cases dating back to the 1970s.

Authorities reported that the remains of a man found beaten to death decades ago along a brushy path in Des Moines, 800 miles away, had been identified as his brother.

"We always figured something had happened to him," James Downey said from his home in Houston. "We all assumed he'd got killed somewhere or died in an accident."

Since launching the new effort in February, the FBI and local medical examiner offices have identified 204 bodies found between 1975 and the late 1990s. The cases stretch across the country, with the largest number in Arizona, California, New York, Florida and Texas.

"We didn't know the actual potential success. We were hoping to identify a few cases, maybe five or 10," said Bryan Johnson, a manager in the FBI's Latent Fingerprint Support Unit who proposed the effort. "We're really proud that we found another way of doing this."

Under the new program, Johnson and eight others in the FBI unit ran fingerprints from about 1,500 bodies through a new computer algorithm that could make matches from low-quality prints or even a single finger or thumb. Previously, the standard algorithm typically needed quality prints from all 10 fingers to make a match.

The unit is now urging local authorities to search through other old case files and send in smudged or partial prints that couldn't previously be matched.

The FBI's newfound ability was key to the Des Moines case because by the time Downey's body was found in February 1984, it had been buried under snow and dirt for months and was severely decomposed. Authorities sought the public's help in identifying the body, including publishing drawings of distinctive tattoos in the local newspaper, but no one came forward.

Story continues

"We know he was murdered and dumped in this area but Des Moines police never really developed any leads on it and basically forgot about the case," county Medical Examiner Greg Schmunk said.

It was one of several cases that medical examiner investigators called "shelf dwellers," referring to cremated remains that would sit for decades on storage shelves.

But the fact that this was a homicide and the unusual tattoos  including a skeleton clad in Nazi garb and a cartoon figure wearing a hat and smoking a cigarette  prompted investigators to rummage through police archives and resubmit the single available thumbprint into the Missing and Unidentified Persons System, called NamUs.

They were shocked months later when the FBI's Johnson called to confirm they had matched the thumbprint to prints of Downey taken after an earlier arrest in Texas.

About 40 percent of the identifications through the FBI's new process have been cases in Arizona. Most are people who died while attempting to make the dangerous desert crossing from Mexico.

Bruce Anderson, the forensic anthropologist for Pima County, Arizona, keeps more than 1,000 unidentified person charts filed along his office wall.

"If you can remove one of these charts, have one family reach out to you to confirm an identity, some of that weight on us is removed," Anderson said.

In nearby Yuma County, Arizona, the FBI fingerprint initiative enabled authorities to finally identify a young woman whose body was found in 1999 near the Colorado River, where she was killed with a shotgun blast to her face.

For Sgt. Ryland Croutch, the identification of the victim as 18-year-old Angel McAllister, through a match with an earlier smudged print, was a relief. He'd been assigned to the killing only a few years after starting his job with the Yuma County sheriff's office, and as the years passed had promised himself that he'd discover her identity before retiring.

"She was such a pretty young girl," said Crouch, now 58. "And it sounds like she was smart, but she had some demons, people she liked to hang out with who were dangerous." He said he's hopeful that investigators now can find leads to her killer.

Aden Naka, assistant director for forensics investigation in New York City, said many of the new identifications there were of bodies found in water, with some dating back to the early 1990s. Once they had a match, Naka said, staffers tried to find relatives or aid a criminal investigation if one is open.

"This matters tremendously," Naka said. "Everyone deserves a name."

___

Associated Press writer Margery A. Beck in Omaha contributed to this report.

___

Follow Scott McFetridge on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/smcfetridge

___

Sign up for the AP's weekly newsletter showcasing our best reporting from the Midwest and Texas: http://apne.ws/2u1RMfv
Waymo, the self-driving project owned by Googles parent company Alphabet, is preparing for the day when the century-old relationship between car and driver becomes discombobulated.

On Monday, within the confines of its typically off-limits testing facility known as Castle, the company showed off how it plans on helping people adjust to a future where the car is the driver and humans are no longer behind the wheel. The heavy subtext: were getting close to the moment when we pull our human test drivers out of our self-driving vehicles.

Waymo is still developing and testing its software and hardware, which includes a robust suite of sensors that allow its self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivans to see and hear the world around it. This includes the vision system, radars, and light detection, and ranging radar known as LiDAR.

But as that technology matures, engineers and designers are also building out user experience features that aim to help humans interact with and, eventually, trust self-driving cars.

The basic functions of a car--and its relationship with the driver--are fundamentally the same as they were when the Model T arrived in 1908. The driver uses the steering wheel, accelerator and brake pedals to navigate the vehicle on city streets, highways, and rural roads. Even when people become passengers--say while using a ride-hailing service like Uber or Lyft--there is a human driver they can communicate with.

That communication builds trust between you and the driver, said Ryan Powell, Waymos head of user experience design, during a presentation at the Castle proving grounds near Atwater, Calif.. And so you feel at ease on that ride, you feel safe, you feel secure, you know what to expect.

Waymo is trying to recreate that experience with a variety of features from audio cues and visual messages during the ride as well as an app that is still under development. For example, Waymo is looking at developing a feature that would allow the car to recognize when riders are near so it can pull over and let them in instead of continuing to the designated pick-up spot.

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Every moment in a self-driving car matters, said Juliet Rothenberg, product manager of Waymos in-car user experience. Small touches are critical for safety. Theyre also vital for creating a more convenient in-car experience.

The Rider Experience

People who are participating in Waymos early rider program, which launched this April in the Phoenix area, have been interacting with the user interface and regularly provide feedback, according to Waymo. Now the company is sharing information and images of these features with the broader public.

When riders first step into the self-driving Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan, theyll notice two displays and a button console with four choices: help, lock and unlock, pull over, and a blue button that says start ride.

The two screens, which are attached to the back of the headrests, display a welcome message.

Once the start ride button is pushed, the display message disappears and is replaced with a real-time view of the route. The displays showcase relevant information, like pedestrians, other vehicles, and objects in the road. It will also display less relevant objects like trees and buildings about every five seconds. Even here, Waymo has tinkered with what is the best mix of information for the rider, and just how to present it. For instance, greater emphasis is placed on the most relevant objects like pedestrians and bicyclists, while buildings are less visible.

At the top of the screen, an estimated arrival message constantly updates as the vehicle makes progress towards its destination.

Other messages show up towards the bottom of the display, typically to explain the behavior of the vehicle. For instance, if the self-driving minivan stops at an intersection because a pedestrian is about to cross, passengers would see a yielding to pedestrians message. They might also notice the crosswalk that the pedestrian is using is illuminated on the screen.

The screen also shows when the self-driving minivan has entered a construction zone. If there are multiple construction cones, those too will be displayed.

The company has also tried to anticipate the needs of apprehensive passengers, by mimicking the behavior of human drivers. For instance, as the self-driving minivan prepares to make a right turn, the camera angle displayed on the screen moves to the left to signal that the car is looking for objects like oncoming traffic.

Waymos designers are hardly finished with these features. The company is constantly testing and tweaking, including experimenting with using sound to alert riders who are blind when their vehicle has arrived.

See original article on Fortune.com

More from Fortune.com
GrubHub was back in court today for closing arguments around the trial involving Raef Lawson, a former delivery driver for GrubHub, who is seeking a small, estimated sum of $586.56.

This trial, Lawson vs. GrubHub, is looking to determine whether Lawson, an ex-GrubHub driver who was fired, was misclassified as an independent contractor while delivering food for GrubHub.

Those who work as 1099 contractors can set their own schedules, and decide when, where and how much they want to work. For employers, bringing on 1099 contractors means they can avoid paying taxes, overtime pay, benefits and workers compensation.

The burden, Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley said today, is on GrubHub to prove Lawson was an independent contractor versus employee.

"If you look at the facts, frankly, I don't think there is very much question" that GrubHub has failed to prove the burden that Lawson was an independent contractor, Shannon Liss-Riordan, Lawson's lawyer, said in closing arguments today. She also said she thinks it's a pretty "straight-forward case."

In her arguments, Liss-Riordan went back over the elements of the Borello test, which looks at circumstances like whether the work performed is part of the companys regular business, the skill required, payment method and whether the work is done under supervision of a manager. The purpose of the test is to determine whether a worker is a 1099 contractor or a W-2 employee.

She pointed to the level of control GrubHub had over drivers -- the main factor of the Borello test (more on that later). She noted the priority scheduling system and how the dispatchers had their favorite drivers they would give more orders to.

"Those are the types of things employers do," Liss-Riordan said.

She went on to note how driver dispatchers had computer monitors that enabled them to see where people were and how Lawson was required to take a delivery even after he declined it.

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But Judge Corley says there was not control over when drivers worked. She noted how if Lawson woke up in the morning and didn't want to make deliveries, he didn't have to. The right to control when someone work is "sort of the big distinction there," Judge Corley said.

In the trial, it came up that Lawson lied on his resume about attending a three-year program, which he did not complete. It also came up that Lawson applied to work for GrubHub during the litigation, but under a different name. In the application process, they asked if Lawson had driven for GrubHub before and he said no.

"So I know he's willing to not tell the truth, so I do have an issue with his credibility," Judge Corley said today. Still, "if he's an employee, it doesn't matter if he was lying or not."

Lawson also admitted that he started working with a lawyer before delivering for GrubHub, which suggests to some that he was preparing for a lawsuit from the get-go. But doing so doesn't mean Lawson he was properly classified as an independent contractor.

Another key element is that GrubHub had the right to terminate Lawson at-will, which is an indicator of employment status.

"Under the right to control, which is the most important factor, California courts made it clear that at-will nature of right to terminate has inordinate importance," Judge Corley said.

But GrubHub argues that the agreement was mutual and therefore weighs in favor of independent contractor status. GrubHub has also maintained that not only did the company not have control over Lawson and other drivers, but that delivery is not even part of its core business. Both of those elements are factors in the Borello test.

In closing arguments, GrubHub lawyer Michele Maryott noted that Lawson had "complete control to decide when he would be available, when to select the blocks -- that was entirely up to him."

She said Lawson called the shots, referring to how he didn't use the app for two full months after signing up.

"There's no question about what happened when Mr. Lawson didn't use the app for two months," Maryott said. "Absolutely nothing."

She also said the claims that GrubHub monitored Lawson's every move were not true. Another key element, Maryott said, is that Lawson had the right to work for GrubHub's competitors, which is something Lawson admitted to doing. Lawson also made deliveries for Caviar and Postmates.

Regarding delivery as part of the business, Judge Corley questioned Maryott about how integral delivery is to GrubHub's business. But Maryott said the company would be viable without it.

"Yes, they're growing that part of the business, but it's not the core business," Maryott said.

Judge Corley is expected to rule soon(ish). The outcome could set a precedent for other cases involving the likes of Uber, Postmates, DoorDash and other gig economy companies.
Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site.

Waymo is trying to reinvent the act of driving.

Behind miles of black-clad chain-linked fencing in a remote area of central California, the self-driving car company, started as part of Google, has taken over 91 acres of the decommissioned Castle Air Force Base near the town of Atwater. Its surrounded by strip malls, tract housing, and farms with fruit trees and vegetables. Waymo calls this place, one of the key locations in the tech industrys quest to perfect automated vehicles, Castle.

Consumer Reports was invited along for a press tour of the highly restricted facility. Our phones were confiscated before we were allowed inside the test cars. Reporters were instructed to take no photos, no tweets were allowed, and we all agreed not to reveal the Castles GPS coordinates. Heres what we saw.

A Mock Community

Within sight of the air control tower thats now part of a civilian airport, theres an unmarked gate. Passing through, theres an artificial community thats helping Waymo to program the latest generation of automated vehicles. Its a world of cul-de-sacs, roundabouts, and hidden driveways. Theres a railroad crossing, but no trains. There arent a lot of buildings, but there are Waymo employees, nicknamed fauxes (pronounced foxes), who ride bikes, jaywalk, and drive cars erratically in a bid to get the self-driving software to understand how to drive in the real world.

John Krafcik, the auto-industry veteran who is now Waymos chief executive officer, says the companys goal is to skip the stages of partial automation to get to a fully self-driving vehicle. In the wonky world of self-driving cars, this means Waymo is aiming for Society of Automotive Engineers Level 4, skipping SAE Levels 1-3, which is where a lot of the cars with advanced safety systems on the market reside today.

Technologies that assist drivers rather than completely take over control of a vehicle present a conundrum, Krafcik says.

Story continues

The better you make it, the more likely the human behind the wheel is to check out, he says.

When Google was thinking about offering advanced safety systems short of full self-driving in 2011 and 2012 , it saw its own employee test drivers quickly stop paying attention, even after being warned they needed to stay alert to back up the cars computer. They were texting, charging electronic devices, or applying makeup. One driver was sound asleep at 55 mph. Thats when Google shut down that program and turned its focus to fully self-driving cars.

At Level 4 mode, you can imagine a completely empty car, coming to wherever you are, Krafcik says. Then open the door, hop in the back seat, and it will take you, relaxed and happy, connected to WiFi, wherever you want to go.

Inside the Test Cars

Near the spot where the test drives begin, Waymo has parked four test vehicles, each outfitted with contraptions that look like a rooftop siren to house the radar and laser sensors the cars use to see.

Theres a Toyota Prius, a Lexus RX 450h, the most current Chrysler Pacifica minivan, and Googles only self-designed and manufactured vehicle, the tiny Firefly. One of the cars has its lidar unit spinning with a distinct whirring noise that sounds like mechanical locusts, like something out of a 1950s science-fiction movie. (Lidar uses laser beams to bounce off surrounding objects to detect nearby physical objects and create a three-dimensional map, like a bat uses echolocation.)

Inside the Pacifica, no one is sitting at the wheel. In the back, passengers see a panel with four buttons: start, pull over, lock or unlock the doors, or talk to Waymo representatives. The car does everything else.

The Pacifica pulls up to an intersection, pauses to virtually look both ways, and turns left into a lane. It accelerates to the next intersection and stops at a stop sign. The throttle and braking feel smooth, like an experienced person is driving, not jerky like a novice teenager behind the wheel. At the stop sign, a fast-moving Faux on a bicycle passes by and the minivan waits. The cyclist appears on the passenger screen as a moving white disc long before he enters our peripheral vision. A regular car driven by a Faux pulls up, and the Waymo Pacifica waits for it to stop before it takes off again.

Next come the more complicated scenarios. A Faux with car trouble has his hood open and is walking around a disabled vehicle holding his head, talking on a cell phone. The Waymo test car pauses, assesses nearby traffic, and pulls around. Theres a long stretch of high-speed road with an on-ramp. The Waymo test car merges into simulated traffic seamlessly. Theres an intersection with a blinking red light. Theres a roundabout with Fauxes circling around and around. Again and again, the driverless Pacifica handles the situations with no problem.

This car gets better and better, says Charlee Poineau, one of Waymos young test drivers who works at Castle. The company hasnt declared the cars ready for wide use on public roads; state and federal regulators arent there yet, either. But Poineau says she would be comfortable riding in a Waymo-programmed Pacifica in real-world traffic.

I think this car is capable in all situations, she says.

To get to this level of driving refinement, Waymo has been testing cars for eight years. The company racks up more than 3.5 million miles of driving on public roads a year. It uses computer simulations, nicknamed Carcraft (after the popular World of Warcraft video game), to amplify what it has seen on public roads and test slight variations of those scenarios. Those programs are tracking 25,000 virtual vehicles logging 10 million miles a day, Waymo officials say.

While there has been rapid progress in recent years in solving the puzzle for writing code to handle most normal driving situations, experts say solving the remaining challenges could still take years. Full self-driving in all situations could still be a decade or more away.

Waymos programmers have built highly detailed three-dimensional maps of Phoenix and Austin, two of the cities where their automated cars are deployed now with test drivers acting as backups to the computers. The strange things that humans do, like darting between parked cars or chasing ducks with brooms, get fed into the program.

So, too, does the performance of the test cars at Castle.

Stephanie Villegas, head of Waymos structured testing division, is the designer of the Castle facility. Shes been working on self-driving cars since 2011 after working at other Google jobs. The move to Castle came when the Self-Driving Car Project outgrew its initial proving ground in the parking lot of the Shoreline Amphitheater, near the Googleplex in Mountain View, Calif. There, the test drivers would have to pack up their props and vehicles whenever buses for visiting bands and their roadies showed up.

In the early days, we were scrappy, Villegas said. We were just a couple of drivers.

Learning From Intentional Interruptions

There are now more than 20,000 controlled driving situations, called structured tests, going on at Castle. In a demonstration, a group of four Fauxes pretend to be a sloppy moving crew. Theyre unpacking boxes from the back of a truck. They spill boxes out onto the road in front of a Waymo test car. Villegas calls this an FOD test, for foreign objects or debris.

Another car is approaching from the opposite direction. The Waymo car stops short of the boxes, waits for the other car to pass, and drives into the other lane, and around the boxes. The test is repeated two more times, with the Fauxes doing minor variations on the timing of the box-spilling. The Waymo cars event data recorder and cameras are logging everything. The data will be analyzed by programmers and eventually fed into the Carcraft program.

Villegas wont say how many times Waymo will repeat the procedure. She just says theyll run the tests over and over again, until the car learns what it needs to.

Unlike its competitors in the self-driving-car space, such as Tesla, General Motors, or BMW, Waymo says its not going to build cars. Krafcik, the CEO, says the company is building a better "driver," and the goal is to get this driver on public roads as soon as possible. Waymo will start small, in structured environments where company officials are the most confident the technology will work, Krafcik says.

Thats likely to mean focusing on things like ride-hailing and ride-sharing, Krafcik says. The company is also looking at software for self-driving trucks, and its working with cities that want options for residents to complete the last miles of their commutes, making the connection from home to public transit stations. Theres also the possibility that auto companies, like Waymo testing partner Fiat Chrysler, will license its self-driving-car software.



Our intention is to go fully driverless and let the public access this technology on public roads, Krafcik says. Were really close.

Exactly how close, he wouldnt say.





More from Consumer Reports:

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7 best mattresses for couples



Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization that works side by side with consumers to create a fairer, safer, and healthier world. CR does not endorse products or services, and does not accept advertising. Copyright  2017, Consumer Reports, Inc.
I am going to take a deep dive into Odyssey Energy Limiteds (ASX:ODY) most recent ownership structure, not a frequent subject of discussion among individual investors. Ownership structure has been found to have an impact on shareholder returns in both short- and long-term. Since the effect of an active institutional investor with a similar ownership as a passive pension-fund can be vastly different on a companys corporate governance and accountability of shareholders, investors should take a closer look at XYZs shareholder registry. All data provided is as of the most recent financial year end.

View our latest analysis for Odyssey Energy

ASX:ODY Ownership Summary Oct 30th 17

Institutional Ownership

With an institutional ownership of 13.67%, ODY can face volatile stock price movements if institutions execute block trades on the open market, more so, when there are relatively small amounts of shares available on the market to trade Although ODY has a high institutional ownership, such stock moves, in the short-term, are more commonly linked to a particular type of active institutional investors  hedge funds. For ODY shareholders, the potential of this type of share price volatility shouldnt be as concerning as hedge fund ownership is is not significant,indicating few chances of such sudden price moves. While that hardly seems concerning, I will explore further into ODYs ownership type to find out how it can affect the companys investment profile.

Insider Ownership

Another important group of shareholders are company insiders. Insider ownership has to do more with how the company is managed and less to do with the direct impact of the magnitude of shares trading on the market. 23.16% ownership of ODY insiders is large enough to make an impact on shareholder returns. In general, this level of insider ownership has negatively affected underperforming (consistently low PE ratio) companies and positively affected the companies that outperform (consistently high PE ratio). Its also interesting to learn what ODY insiders have been doing with their shareholdings lately. While insider buying is possibly a sign of a positive outlook for the company, selling doesnt necessarily indicate a negative outlook as they may be selling to meet personal financial needs.

Story continues

ASX:ODY Insider Trading Oct 30th 17

General Public Ownership

A big stake of 56.68% in ODY is held by the general public. This size of ownership gives retail investors collective power in deciding on major policy decisions such as executive compensation, appointment of directors and acquisitions of businesses. Such level of ownership gives retail investors the power to sway key policy decisions such as board composition, executive compensation, and potential acquisitions. This is a positive sign for an investor who wants to be involved in key decision-making of the company.

Private Company Ownership

Potential investors in ODY should also look at another important group of investors: private companies, with a stake of 6.49%, who are primarily invested because of strategic and capital gain interests. An ownership of this size indicates a strong financial backing and has the potential to influence ODYs business strategy. Thus, investors should dig deeper into ODYs business relations with these companies and how it can affect shareholder returns in the long-term.

What this means for you:

Are you a shareholder? ODYs considerably high level of institutional ownership calls for further analysis into its margin of safety. This will enable shareholders to comfortably invest in the company while avoid getting trapped in a sustained sell-off that is often observed in stocks with this level of institutional participation. Looking for ways to reinforce your current portfolio holdings? Take a look at our free platform for a list of stocks with a strong growth potential.

Are you a potential investor? Ownership structure should not be the only focus of your research when constructing an investment thesis around ODY. Instead, you should be evaluating fundamental factors like the relative valuation of ODY, which is an important driver that determines ODYs share price. Take a look at our most recent infographic report on ODY for a more in-depth analysis of these factors to help you make a more well-informed investment decision.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

To help readers see pass the short term volatility of the financial market, we aim to bring you a long-term focused research analysis purely driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis does not factor in the latest price sensitive company announcements.



The author is an independent contributor and at the time of publication had no position in the stocks mentioned.
Netflix has long used House of Cards as its tentpole show, but that could soon come to an end... and the timing couldn't be more uncanny. Variety, Deadline and Hollywood Reporter have learned that Netflix will end the political drama with its sixth season. The show was already expected to wrap up relatively soon (the end was in the works for a long time), but it comes just as Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp alleged that Kevin Spacey sexually assaulted him in 1986. While Spacey has since issued a pseudo-apology (he says he doesn't remember the incident), this really doesn't help matters -- Deadline sources even assert that Spacey's Gore Vidal biopic might be cancelled in the wake of the scandal.

When we asked Netflix for a statement (below), it said it was "deeply troubled" by Rapp's allegations and met with the cast and crew to reassure them that they're safe. Spacey isn't on set "at this time," it said. The company has previously tried to distance itself from scandal, claiming that it didn't have much connection with The Weinstein Company amid sexual assault allegations involving Harvey Weinstein, but it's clearly tackling the issue of sexual assault more directly this time.

No matter what, Netflix is in an awkward position. Although House of Cards isn't as important to the company's bottom line as it was a few years ago, it's still one of Netflix's best-known shows -- cancelling the series isn't a trivial decision, whatever the reason, and ending it with a looming scandal makes things much worse. Rapp's claims are far more important than any kind of hit to Netflix's bank account, of course, but it's hard not to wince seeing a once-crucial show fall from grace.
Paul Manafort, President Donald Trumps former campaign chairman, was indicted by a federal grand jury Monday on a number of charges including conspiracy against the United States and an alleged scheme to hide millions of dollars of foreign funds through offshore accounts.

The indictment, which includes charges against Rick Gates, Manforts longtime business partner, said Manafort used his hidden overseas wealth to enjoy a lavish lifestyle in the United States, without paying taxes on that income.

The indictment details Manaforts purchases with the $18 million he had allegedly laundered including expensive clothing, services and real estate. Among his properties, the indictment said, was a $2.85 million Manhattan apartment he purchased in 2012 with money from his offshore account in Cyprus, and rented it out on Airbnb to make thousands of dollars a week.

Manafort used the property from at least January 2015 through 2016 as an income-generating rental property, charging thousands of dollars a week on Airbnb, among other places, the indictment said. In his tax returns, Manafort took advantage of the beneficial tax consequences of owning this rental property.

Paul Manafort has never had an Airbnb account and we are confident the facts will show he was not involved in the renting of the Howard St. property over Airbnb, Jason Maloni, a spokesperson for Manafort, said in a statement to Fortune in November.

The indictment said Manafort purchased the property through a corporate vehicle called MC Soho Holdings, LLC owned by him and his family. It is unclear exactly how much Manafort made by listing the property on rental services like Airbnb.

While the indictment did not give an exact address of the property, New York property records show the condo is located at 29 Howard Street in unit four. The listing no longer appears on Airbnbs website, though details of the building featured by Sothebys show it is around 2,150 square feet, with wooden floors, large windows, two bedrooms and two bathrooms with marble features.

Story continues

Manafort has pleaded not guilty.

A representative from Airbnb did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The indictment also said Manafort falsely identified the property as a second, owner-occupied home instead of a rental property to the bank to get a better loan when he applied for a mortgage. The bank ended up giving him a loan of $3.185 million, according to court papers.

Because the bank would permit a greater loan amount if the property were owner-occupied, Manafort falsely represented to the bank and its agents that it was a secondary home used as such by his daughter and son-in-law and was not a property held as a rental property, the indictment said.

The indictment comes as a result of Special Counsel Robert Muellers wide-ranging investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to affect the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.

The Manhattan property isnt the only one of Manaforts homes mentioned in the 30-page indictment. It also includes details of a brownstone in Brooklyn Manafort purchased in 2012 with money from Cyprus. The indictment said Manafort applied for loans for the property, of which Manfort used hundreds of thousands of dollars from the construction loan to make a down payment on another property in California.

Manforts real estate purchases in New York were questioned earlier this year by an investigation from WNYC, New Yorks public radio station.

At the time, Manafort released a statement in May saying, I am sorry to disappoint the conspiracy theorists and anonymous experts out there but my personal investments in real estate are all ordinary business transactions, according to WNYC.

There is nothing out of the ordinary about them and I am confident anyone who isnt afflicted with scandal-fever will come to the same conclusion, Manafort said.
When President Trump was elected in November, it was widely believed that the hallmark healthcare legislation passed by Barack Obama, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which is perhaps best known as Obamacare, would soon be no more. A core component of Trump's election hinged on his promise to repeal and replace Obamacare, which he saw as responsible for lining insurers' pockets and increasing healthcare costs for the average American.

But more than nine months after Trump took office, the ACA remains the healthcare law of the land, and it looks as if it'll stay that way until budget discussion kicks off for the next federal fiscal year.

President Trump addressing Congress.

Image source: President Donald. J. Trump's official Facebook page. Photo by Shealah Craighead.

Trump goes nuclear on Obamacare

The inability to pass healthcare reforms in Congress has made the president none too happy, which is why he's done everything in his power since taking office to coerce cooperation on reforms from lawmakers.

Most recently, Trump announced that he would be ending cost-sharing reductions (CSRs), which are a key subsidy that more than 7 million people qualified for at the end of the 2017 enrollment period. Cost-sharing reductions are subsidies that help lower the cost of copays, coinsurance, and deductibles tied to going to the doctor. While Advanced Premium Tax Credits still apply and can help lower the cost of monthly premiums, having their premiums paid will be of little help to low-income folks if they can't afford the copays and deductibles associated with receiving care.

Trump had been tinkering with eliminating CSRs for some time. Republicans had won a lawsuit over CSR payments against the former Department of Health and Human Services, Sylvia Burwell, in 2016. The lawsuit alleged that only Congress could apportion CSR funding, and it had not been doing so. Federal Judge Rosemary Collyer agreed and sided with the GOP, although she immediately stayed her decision, knowing full well that the Obama administration would appeal. That appeal has carried over to the Trump administration, and the president had been using it as a dangling carrot to coerce cooperation on Capitol Hill over healthcare reforms. With that not happening, Trump recently triggered his nuclear option for Obamacare by dropping the appeal and ending CSR funding.

Story continues

An IRS tax agent going through paper returns at his desk.

Image source: Getty Images.

Are Trump and the IRS about to butt heads?

But the most interesting Obamacare news this past week might just come from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which announced a major tax change for the upcoming tax-filing period that could affect millions of Americans and put them on a collision course with President Trump.

According to a statement from the IRS to tax professionals, the tax regulatory agency will not accept electronic filings for the 2018 filing season (concerning your 2017 taxes) that don't indicate whether a taxpayer had healthcare coverage, and if not, whether they paid the Shared Responsibility Payment (SRP). The SRP is the penalty consumers are supposed to pay if they don't purchase health insurance, and it's the greater of $695 or 2.5% of modified adjusted gross income. The IRS also stated that paper returns would be suspended without this information.

The IRS had warned that it was set to increase enforcement of the ACA's penalties before last year's tax season, while Barack Obama was still the president. However, one of the very first executive orders Trump signed once in office was a measure that "minimized the economic burdens" on Obamacare. No one exactly knew what that meant at the time, other than that Trump disliked the ACA and wanted it repealed. However, one outcome of this order was that the IRS changed its hardline stance on not accepting tax filings with line 61 left blank (that's the line where you indicate whether you're covered or how much you paid in penalties) in the 2017 filing season. This allowed taxpayers to submit forms without indicating their coverage during the most recent tax season.

IRS tax form 1040 with a pen and calculator.

Image source: Getty Images.

In the upcoming year, though, things are changing. The IRS is once again putting its foot down, digging in its heels, and readying to collect penalties for consumers who didn't purchase health insurance. This would seem to contradict Trump's executive order, but given that I'm no lawyer and the order itself is pretty vague, it's tough to see how Trump would fight the IRS's tougher stance in the upcoming tax season. Nevertheless, a battle may ensue between Trump, who is trying to coerce healthcare reforms, and the IRS, which is set to uphold the mandates and penalties associated with Obamacare.

The Shared Responsibility Payment is mostly a disappointment

Despite this tougher stance on the ACA's mandates and penalties, a number of consumers without health insurance will still find a way not to owe a dime in SRP during the upcoming tax season.

For instance, there are well over a dozen exemptions to the SRP, of which income is probably the most commonly used. If purchasing health insurance is deemed unaffordable, you won't owe a cent in penalties. Similarly, there are a number of hardship exemptions, including medical expenses you can't pay for, a recent bankruptcy filing, or even the recent death of a family member. While you'll need to prove these hardships to the IRS, quite a many uninsured folks won't pay a penalty this tax season.

A young woman shrugging her shoulders.

Image source: Getty Images.

Even for those folks who aren't exempt, there's no guarantee that the IRS will collect anything in penalties. The IRS isn't allowed to garnish wages or seize property if a taxpayer owes the SRP and fails to include payment. In effect, the tax agency's only ammunition is to deduct the SRP from a federal tax refund, should one be owed, or to send a notice to the taxpayer requesting payment. Essentially, folks who owe the SRP could ensure they're not owed a refund and possibly skirt any responsibility. Though the IRS could take you to court over your owed SRP, it's unlikely to do so with possible hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of similar instances around the country.

The SRP itself has also been a major disappointment. Designed to encourage healthy young adults to purchase health insurance with the threat of a financial penalty, the penalty itself is nowhere near the cost of a full year of coverage. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimated a $969 household SRP for 2016, but HealthPocket finds that the average unsubsidized bronze-plan consumer around the country paid more than $3,700 in full-year premiums this year. There's been little reason for healthy young adults, whose premiums are needed to insure the stability of the healthcare system, to enroll.

It's unclear what the future holds for the SRP or Obamacare as a whole, but the upcoming tax season could be interesting, to say the least.

More From The Motley Fool

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
MUMBAI (Reuters) - Shares in embattled wireless carrier Reliance Communications Ltd (RLCM.NS) rose more than 10 percent in early trade on Tuesday after the company presented a new debt repayment plan to its lenders.

The company, with $6.8 billion of net debt as of last March, said it will look to repay 170 billion rupees ($2.62 billion) of loans by selling assets such as mobile towers. It also pledged to repay another 100 billion rupees from sale or commercial development of its real estate assets.

Under a central bank debt restructuring plan, its lenders will also swap 70 billion rupees of the loans to take a 51 percent stake in the company commonly called as Rcom.

The stock was up 13 percent at 0352 GMT, compared with a 0.2 percent fall in the broader NSE Nifty.

The stock has tumbled this year, hitting a series of record lows on worries about whether it can pay back its debt.

($1 = 64.7900 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Devidutta Tripathy; Editing by Rafael Nam)
Silicon Motion Technology Corporation SIMO reported third-quarter non-GAAP earnings of 57 cents per American Depositary Share (ADS), which declined 46.7% from the year-ago quarter and 19.7% sequentially. The figure was in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate.

Net sales decreased 20% year over year and 4% from the previous quarter to $127.2 million. The figure surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $126 million and was within the guided range.

Management noted that improved NAND supply benefitted the company but high price of NAND flash products affected the demand for certain products during the quarter.

Shares of Silicon Motion have gained 11.3% year to date, underperforming the industrys 30.3% rally.

Segment Sales

Sales from mobile storage products (which include Embedded Storage as well as Expandable Storage products) decreased 20% year over year and 4% quarter over quarter to $117.2 million. It constituted 92% of revenues.

Management noted that during the third quarter, NAND supply increased driven by improvement in flash manufacturing. The companys SSD solutions revenues were positively impacted by this. Driven by strong growth in sales of Shannon hyper-scale SSDs and Ferri industrial SSDs, this segment saw a 50% sequential increase in revenues.

However, the highly priced NAND components resulted in increased price of Client SSD Controllers, thereby resulting in lower demand for these controllers and hence lower revenues from the segment. Revenues from this segment declined almost 10% sequentially. Additionally, eMMC controller sales witnessed a 20% sequential decline.

Mobile communications product (which include mobile TV SoCs and handset transceivers) sales were $8.7 million and represented 7% of the total revenue.

Silicon Motion Technology Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Silicon Motion Technology Corporation Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Silicon Motion Technology Corporation Quote

Operational Details

Non-GAAP gross margin declined 290 basis points (bps) on a year-over-year basis and 270 bps sequentially to 46%. The sequential decrease was primarily due to growth in sales of low margin SSD solutions and decrease in high margin client SSD controller sales.

Story continues

Non-GAAP operating margin decreased 870 bps on year-over-year basis and 390 bps sequentially to 20%, within the guided range of 19%21%.

Liquidity & Cash Flow

Exiting the quarter, Silicon Motions cash, cash equivalent and short-term investments were $333 million, up from $303.6 million as of Jun 30, 2017.

Guidance

For third-quarter 2017, Silicon Motion expects non-GAAP sales to be in the range of $130$136 million, reflecting 2%7% increase on a sequential basis, driven by the comeback of the Client SSD Controller segment and a stable SSD Solutions segment.

Non-GAAP gross margin is anticipated within 45.5%47.5%, owing to anticipated growth in high margin Client SSD Controller sales.

Operating margin is expected to increase a bit driven by increasing revenues and gross margin but is likely to be offset by increased research and development costs.

Management expects the increase in the availability of 64 layer 3D NAND to bring down the high NAND prices, which will eventually improve the financial results. Improved supply of NAND flash is expected to drive growth of Ferri and Shannon SSD solutions. Additionally, as the companys pipelined product, 2nd generation PCIe NVMe client SSD controllers, enter into production, Client SSD Controller sales are anticipated to increase.

Zacks Rank & Key Picks

Silicon Motion has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

Better-ranked stocks in the broader technology sector include Applied Materials, Inc. AMAT, NVIDIA Corp. NVDA and Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. VSH, all sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The long-term earnings growth rate for Applied Materials, NVIDIA and Vishay is projected to be 17.1%, 11.2% and 20.6%, respectively.

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ANSYS Inc ANSS is set to release third-quarter 2017 earnings on Nov 1.



Notably, the company has beaten the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, with an average positive surprise of 5.02%. Last quarter, the company delivered a positive earnings surprise of 8.79%.



For third-quarter 2017, ANSYS expects non-GAAP earnings in the range of 94-98 cents per share. Net revenues are anticipated in the range of $258-$267 million. The company expects gross margin of 90% and operating margin between 47% and 48%.



The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is currently pegged at 97 cents on revenues of $264 million.



ANSYS, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

ANSYS, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | ANSYS, Inc. Quote

Notably, the stock has returned 46.8% year to date, substantially outperforming the 36.3% rally of the industry.





Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement.



Strong Demand for Simulation Tools to Drive Growth



ANSYS is a dominant player in the high-end design simulation software market. The companys solutions are in demand due to the rising complexity in product design. Additionally, increasing demand for energy efficient products is a key catalyst.



ANSYS strong simulation portfolio is helping it to rapidly grow total addressable market (TAM). This will drive top-line growth in the soon-to-be reported quarter. Moreover, growing recurring revenues base (almost 75%) is significantly positive.



During the quarter, the company unveiled ANSYS Discovery Live that supports fluids, structural and thermal simulation applications. The software enables engineers to experiment with design ideas and see instant feedback.



Notably, the combination of NVIDIA Corporations NVDA graphic processing units (GPUs) and ANSYS Discovery Live simulation software makes result calculations a thousand times faster compared with traditional methods.



We note that ANSYS simulation tools received certification from Intel Customer Foundry during the quarter. The company also collaborated with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company for an Automotive Reliability Solution Guide, which will help in accelerated development of new-age automotive features.



Moreover, collaborations with leading vendors like PTC and Synopsys SNPS are strong growth drivers for the companys products.



The Zacks Consensus Estimate for total lease revenues is currently pegged at $95 million, which reflects year-over-year growth of more than 10%.



Declining Perpetual License to Hurt



ANSYS expects the transition from perpetual license contracts to longer term, time-based licenses at some of the companys largest customers (in mature markets like the United States and Japan) to affect software license and maintenance revenues growth in the near term.



Moreover, weakness in Europe and adverse foreign currency exchange rates are other major concerns.



Further, ANSYS expects to incur additional charges of $2 million ($1.3 million, net of tax), primarily in the quarter, related to additional realignment charges. This will drag profitability.



The Zacks Consensus Estimate for total perpetual revenues is currently pegged at $54 million, which remains almost flat on a year-over-year basis.



Unfavorable ESP



We believe that ANSYS is unlikely to deliver a positive earnings surprise in the third quarter due to an unfavorable combination of Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) and Earnings ESP of 0.00%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.



We dont recommend Sell-rated stocks (Zacks Rank #4 or 5) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.



Stock to Consider



Here is a stock you may consider as our proven model shows it has the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter.



HubSpot Inc HUBS has an Earnings ESP of +26.53% and carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Story continues

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ABC News(NEW YORK) -- Some Twitter users are apparently having a hard time distinguishing a former Trump campaign adviser who has pleaded guilty in the Russia probe from another man with the same name.



George Papadopoulos, a foreign policy adviser to President Donald Trumps presidential campaign, pleaded guilty earlier this month to making false statements to FBI agents about his correspondence with Russian nationals and attempts to arrange a meeting between the campaign and Russian officials. His plea was unsealed Monday.



After news of the guilty plea broke, some Twitter users lashed out at the wrong George Papadopoulos, a man who is an independent financial planner and wealth management consultant.



Financial planner George Papadopoulos, who goes by @feeonlyplanner on Twitter, tried to end the confusion, tweeting "I am NOT Trump's foreign policy adviser!"



Another Twitter user came to his defense, noting how common the name George Papadopoulos is in Greece.



Another defender said financial planner George Papadopoulos deserves "a beer" for his online headache.



Papadopoulos -- the wealth planner, not the former Trump adviser -- is keeping a sense of humor as he calls out his haters.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Tyler Martin is a Tesla enthusiast, a software designer and co-founder of a startup in Tucson, Ariz. His YouTube channel comprises mostly videos examining various aspects of the Model S and Model 3. But his newest video, "Everything Wrong With My Tesla Model S: Build Quality Problems," won't make the electric car company or its legion of admirers very happy.

The 25-minute video details in painstaking fashion the problems he encountered during the first 10 months of ownership of his red Model S, which retails starting around $68,000. They include marred windshield glass, a door panel that separates from the door, mysterious rattles, misaligned exterior chrome trim on the door jam, and discoloration on the car's 17-inch touchscreen display. The video has gotten more than 48,000 views and 460 comments since being uploaded on Oct. 26.

Tesla chief Elon Musk has acknowledged the company is in "production hell" trying to ramp up manufacturing of its Model 3 sedan, which it envisions as its first mass-market offering. And it's not surprising to hear of quality problems for any company with as short a track history as Tesla's; Martin kicks off the video explaining that he knew Tesla had a reputation of having some small issues with build quality. But Tesla, of course, has always tried to position itself as being on another plane from the rest of its competitors, and Martin explains that he counted on the company's strong reputation for responsive customer service to fix the issues.

His first service visit, conducted after just 2,914 miles and about three months of driving, managed to fix only one of seven problems he'd documented  which becomes a familiar pattern over six different service visits in nearly 10 months and 8,844 miles of driving. And many of the issues, he explains, still haven't been fixed. The touchscreen issue made him particularly worried.

"I can deal with rattles and finicky mirrors, but when the core technology starts to fail, it really made me worry about the long term viability of this car," he says.

Story continues

Tesla has also been engaged in a running feud with Consumer Reports, most recently after the publication said the Model 3 sedan should have "average" reliability and the brand scored 21st among 27 brands ranked. Consumer Reports in 2015 initially gave its highest-ever overall rating to the Model S  giving it 103 points out of 100  but then amended its rating months later to "worse than average" after reliability survey results from 1,400 Tesla owners came in. The company did not respond to a request for comment on the video.

Martin points out that he is hardly a Tesla hater. "Driving a Tesla is still a fantastic experience, albeit a slightly flawed one," he says. But he also acknowledges that most current Tesla owners are "enthusiasts" who will likely forgive the kind of minor flaws that he describes. "The mass market is not going to nearly as forgiving as me and other current Tesla drivers," he adds.



Related Video:

Tesla fan catalogs 10 months of Model S quality issues on YouTube originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Oct 2017 13:30:00 EDT.
Now that Toyota has unveiled its latest self-driving car prototype, it needs a good test course to put the vehicle through its paces... and thankfully, there's already one lined up. Toyota has struck a deal to test its autonomous vehicle tech at GoMentum Station, the California test course known for its tough, realistic conditions. The automaker's cars will be subjected to "extreme driving events" that wouldn't be safe to test on public roads, and will experience a wide variety of conditions that include bridges and tunnels.

There's still a long way to go before Toyota's technology is ready for the street. With that said, an expansion like this is an important step. As we've seen through previous incidents, self-driving cars still have trouble accounting for every possible situation. Tests at GoMentum Station won't guarantee that Toyota's autonomous hardware can avert every potential collision, but it'll be better-prepared than if the company stuck to limited public driving and more conventional test tracks.
SAN FRANCISCO  At the close of the first trial to tackle how workers should be classified in the "gig economy," a federal judge Monday gave hints she's prepared to rule that a Grubhub driver should be treated like an employee. Raef Lawson, who drove for the app-based food delivery service for roughly four months before being terminated in 2016, sued Grubhub alleging he was misclassified as an independent contractor. Although his suit began as a class action, it is now solely an individual case. Lawson is seeking less than $600 for expense reimbursement, overtime, and unpaid minimum wage. But the suit also includes a potentially higher-dollar claim brought under California's Private Attorneys General Act, and has been seen as something of a bellwether for other gig-economy companies. Lawson is represented by plaintiffs' attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan. At closing arguments in the bench trial, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Corley of the Northern District of California drilled down on the fact that Lawson's contract with Grubhub allowed him to be terminated at willa factor she said California law gives heavy weight to in determining an employment relationship. "It's one factor, but it's of 'inordinate importance,' so I think you have that heavy burden," Corley said to Michele Maryott of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, who delivered GrubHub's closing arguments and handled much of the trial for the company. GrubHub had argued that the right to termination was "mutual," which indicated that the company did not have control over Lawson. That also did not seem to persuade the judge. "Any at-will employee can always quit because of the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution," said Corley, referring to the amendment that abolished slavery in 1865. Here are some other highlights from the final day of the trial:

1. Corley wasn't sold on GrubHub's "fraud" evidence.

In California, there are eight factors that courts are supposed to weigh in determining whether a worker is an employee, based on a 1989 California Supreme Court decision known as S. G. Borello & Sons, Inc. v. Department of Industrial Relations. The overriding consideration is whether the company has control over the employee. At trial, GrubHub offered evidence that Lawson was not controlled by GrubHub in part because he gamed its system  logging on near the end of the shift and only taking a small number of orders, but claiming full pay. According to a slide Maryott presented, he earned an average of $96.66 per delivery by doing so. "I think it makes him a non-employee because he was doing whatever the heck he wanted," Maryott added. But Corley said that evidence didn't go to the issue of whether he was GrubHub's employee. It's not uncommon for employees to do things that their employers wouldn't want them to do, or to cheat their company, she said. Plus, GrubHub "developed a system that allowed it to be" gamed, Corley added. (Grubhub never put forward conclusive evidence that Lawson was terminated by GrubHub because it learned of the fraud.) At the same time, Corley told Liss-Riordan she wasn't ready to buy her argument that GrubHub fired Lawson because he was driving for competing delivery services like Postmates at the same time as he was driving for GrubHub. "I don't think the evidence supports that," Corley said.

2. The plaintiff's credibility took a big hit in the judge's eyes.

According to Corley, Lawson fabricated part of his resume  saying he completed a three-year degree program when he actually didn't  and misrepresented his identity in attempts to sign up for Grubhub again after being terminated the first time. That hurt his credibility, weakening the persuasiveness of his testimony in the case, she said. "I know he's willing to not tell the truth," the judge told Liss-Riordan. It's not clear what overall impact that will have, but it may lessen the weight of statements Lawson gave about when he was able to schedule shifts to drive for GrubHub, for example. Still, that didn't seem to affect Corley's feelings about how Lawson viewed the nature of his employment status with GrubHub. Maryott argued that the fact that Lawson signed a contract agreeing that he was an independent contractor put one of the Borello test factors in GrubHub's favor. But Corley said the document was a "contract of adhesion" that Lawson had to sign to sign up. And either way, she said that was the "least important of all the factors" that weigh in the overall balancing test of whether he was an employee.

3. Actually, delivery is a core part of GrubHub's business.

Another of the arguments GrubHub made was that delivery services aren't actually a core part of its business, but instead are only a part of a larger business model focused on restaurant marketing. If that were true, that might be another notch in favor of GrubHub under the Borello test. But Corley was strongly skeptical of that notion. "I doubt that very much," said Corley, pointing out that delivery is critical for GrubHub to compete in major urban markets like New York City and San Francisco. She took issue with testimony by Stanley Chia, GrubHub's chief operating officer, suggesting that delivery was more ancillary. "This one, I have to say, GrubHubhe may have said it, I don't believe it."
Amorphous calcium supplement pills are seen at Israeli bio-tech company Amorphical's factory in the Arava desert in southern Israel December 4, 2016. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/Files (Reuters)

By Karen Freifeld

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A large group of U.S. states accused key players in the generic drug industry of a broad price-fixing conspiracy, moving on Tuesday to widen an earlier lawsuit to add many more drugmakers and medicines in an action that sent some company shares tumbling.

The lawsuit, brought by the attorneys general of 45 states and the District of Columbia, accused 18 companies and subsidiaries and named 15 medicines. It also targeted two individual executives: Rajiv Malik, president and executive director of Mylan NV <MYL.O>, and Satish Mehta, CEO and managing director of India's Emcure Pharmaceuticals.

Shares of Pennsylvania-based Mylan, also named as a defendant, closed down 6.6 percent.

The states said the drugmakers and executives divided customers for their drugs among themselves, agreeing that each company would have a certain percentage of the market. The companies sometimes agreed on price increases in advance, the states added.

The states said Malik and Mehta spoke directly to one another to agree on their companies' shares of the market for a delayed-release version of a common antibiotic, doxycycline hyclate.

"It is our belief that price-fixing is systematic, it is pervasive, and that a culture of collusion exists in the industry," Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen, who is leading the case, told a news conference in Hartford.

Mylan said in a statement it had found no evidence of price-fixing by the company or any of its employees, and vowed to defend itself vigorously. Malik, the company's second-ranking official, has received more than $50 million in compensation over the past three years, last year making more than CEO Heather Bresch.

"Mylan has deep faith in the integrity of its president, Rajiv Malik, and stands behind him fully," the company said.

Emcure, also a defendant in the case, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Story continues

Two former executives of Emcure's subsidiary Heritage Pharmaceuticals pleaded guilty in January to federal charges of conspiring to fix prices and divide up the market for doxycycline and the diabetes drug glyburide.

The two men, former Heritage president Jason Malek and former chairman and chief executive Jeffrey Glazer, reached a deal with 41 states and territories in which they each agreed to pay $25,000 and cooperate with the state probe.

Soaring drug prices from both branded and generic drug manufacturers have sparked outrage and investigations in the United States. President Donald Trump this year accused pharmaceutical companies of "getting away with murder" with their drug pricing.

Executives like Mylan's Bresch and former Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli have been called in front of Congress to defend the cost of their products.

MORE COMPANIES TARGETED

The original complaint, filed in December, targeted Mylan, Heritage, Aurobindo Pharma USA Inc <ARBN.NS>, Citron Pharma LLC, Mayne Pharma USA Inc and Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.<TEVA.TA>

The states are pressing a new complaint that would add Novartis AG's <NOVN.S> unit Sandoz, India-based Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd <SUN.NS>, Endo International PLC's <ENDP.O> unit Par Pharmaceutical, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, Apotex Corp, Glenmark Generics Ltd <GGLN.NS>, Lannett Company Inc <LCI.N>, Alkem Laboratories Ltd's <ALKE.NS> unit Ascend Laboratories and Cadila Healthcare Ltd's <CADI.NS> unit Zydus Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Jepsen said the investigation is continuing, and that claims would likely be brought against more companies, and possibly executives, in the future.

The news hurt shares of companies named in the expanded suit that are traded in the United States. In addition to Mylan's drop, Lannett lost 13.7 percent. Shares of Endo were up 7 percent, but down from their 12 percent peak before the news of the amended lawsuit.

Teva spokeswoman Denise Bradley said the company denied the allegations. Endo spokeswoman Heather Lubeski said the company would vigorously defend itself against the claims. Other companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The expansion of the suit requires the court's permission.

The original lawsuit centred on just two medicines, delayed-release doxycycline and glyburide.

The price of doxycycline rose from $20 for 500 tablets to $1,849 between October 2013 and May 2014, according to U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat who had been pressing for action on high drug prices.

The amended complaint would expand the number of drugs to include glipizide-metformin and glyburide-metformin, which are among the most commonly used diabetes treatments.

Others include: acetazolamide, which is used to treat glaucoma and epilepsy; the antibiotic doxycycline monohydrate; the blood pressure medicine fosinopril; the anti-anxiety medicine meprobamate; and the calcium channel blocking agent nimodipine.

The U.S. Justice Department is conducting a parallel criminal investigation. On Friday, the department asked the Pennsylvania court presiding over the lawsuit to put the lawsuit's discovery process on hold, saying it could interfere with the criminal probe.

Connecticut Assistant Attorney General Joseph Nielsen said on Tuesday the states would likely oppose that request, which could slow the lawsuit.

(Reporting by Karen Freifeld in Washington; Additional reporting by Brendan Pierson and Michael Erman in New York; Writing by Diane Bartz; Editing by Chris Sanders and Will Dunham)
WASHINGTON  White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Monday shrugged off news of criminal charges against several members of President Donald Trumps campaign, arguing they had nothing to do with the president or the activities of the campaign.

WASHINGTON  White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Monday shrugged off news of criminal charges against several members of President Donald Trumps campaign, arguing they had nothing to do with the president or the activities of the campaign.

Using a familiar refrain among Trump administration officials, Sanders attempted to distance Trump from his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort by minimizing his role in the campaign, while saying its too early in the process to comment on whether Trump would pardon Manafort.

Manafort, who wasindicted Monday on charges that included money laundering and concealing lobbying for pro-Russia groups, was hired to manage the delegate process and was dismissed not long after that, Sanders told reporters.

Omitted in her explanation: Manafort served as Trumps campaign chairman and helped the former reality television star secure the GOP presidential nomination ahead of the Republican National Convention last summer.

When it came to former foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos  who earlier this monthpleaded guilty to lying about being offered dirt on Trumps opponent Hillary Clinton from the Russian government Sanders repeatedly said he was merely a volunteer on an advisory council that met once.

When asked about a photograph showing Papadopoulos at a meeting with Trump and Jeff Sessions, who then was an adviser and now is the attorney general, Sanders again claimed it was no big deal because the president has thousands of photographs with millions of people.

Earlier this year, Sanders predecessor Sean Spicer similarly tried to put distance between Trump and Manafort, a top target in the probes, by saying the former campaign chairman onlyplayed a very limited role in Trumps campaign.

When asked about former national security adviser Mike Flynn, who resigned after lying about his contacts with Russia, Spicer called him a volunteer.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y. speaks with reporters after meeting with President-elect Donald Trump, Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016, in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) may have thought he could release his committees tax reform bill without any outrage from lawmakers whose states would be most impacted by the loss of state and local tax deductions. But after he announced the legislative text would not include a state income tax deduction, two Republican lawmakers from New York are already on the warpath of potentially torpedoing their partys mission of reforming the nations tax code.

In an interview with Rep. Dan Donovan (R-NY) on Tuesday, a lawmaker who represents constituents in the New York City borough of State Island, told FOX Business in an exclusive interview that he would be outraged if Brady goes through with his decision and he could not support a final bill that would eliminate the tax break.

I believe and trust Chairman Brady, but this would be outrageous for tax cuts to be paid for the rest of Americans on the backs of New Yorkers. I cant see myself supporting a House tax bill that compels New Yorkers to pay for the tax cuts elsewhere in the nation, Donovan said.

Donovan appeared to feel betrayed by House leadership after numerous meetings since the nine-page tax reform plan was released in September, and following a phone conference Monday with senior White House officials, including National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

When asked what he thought about Brady declaring the income tax deduction will not be part of the bill, Donovan said he hoped he and his New York colleagues were not deceived, telling FOX Business, I would be outraged if our input was all for naught. We were in constant communication. He (Brady) said there was room for debate.

Another congressman from New York, Rep. Peter King (R-NY), a close ally of Donovans, was even more blunt about Bradys decision to eradicate part of the deduction, also known as SALT, and made it clear he could not vote yes if the bill that will be released Wednesday takes away a part of the tax break.

Story continues

Im disappointed, King told FOX Business. He later added, Im not happy. When asked if he would vote no on a bill that takes away the income tax deduction, he said, Yes.

SALT affects about 30% of all taxpayers, mainly in states such as New York, New Jersey, California, Connecticut, Virginia and Pennsylvania that impose significant state income and property taxes. The GOP Congress is dominated by lawmakers from southern and western states that dont impose such levies. They have argued for ditching the SALT deduction from the tax code on the grounds that it unfairly benefits taxpayers from just a handful of states and deprives the federal government of trillions in revenue.

Brady enraged the two lawmakers when he told the Hugh Hewitt Show that he was not willing to give relief to those who make use of the SALT income tax deduction. When asked by Hewitt if his plan would include a reprieve to those taking advantage of the income tax break, Brady said, The answer is no, and heres why, because we have income taxes, reduced them across the board, and added the property tax [deduction].

On Sunday, Brady announced what appeared to be a compromise with lawmakers when he said the tax plan would include a property tax deduction.

At the urging of lawmakers, we are restoring an itemized property tax deduction to help taxpayers with local tax burdens, Brady said in a statement.

Even after the House Ways and Means Chair seemed to admit he was unwilling to include most of the SALT deduction in the tax bill, he seemed to go back on his earlier comments when he said at a press gaggle later in the day that the tax bill being rolled out on Wednesday will not be the final tax reform bill, as it will go through the traditional markup process before its called for a vote.

The Trump administration called for the elimination of the SALT deduction that would produce close to $1.3 trillion in revenues over 10 years and help pay for his plan to slash taxes for individuals and take the corporate tax rate down from its current level of 35% to 20%.

But lawmakers from these high-tax states argue that the federal government receives a disproportionate share of tax revenues from states like New York and California, where a large percentage of wealthy people reside, thus the tax break provides some degree of fairness in the governments revenue collection efforts.

Making the matter even more contentious as the Republican-controlled Congress and the Trump administration move toward the politically vital tax reform bill: close to 60 Republican members come from states that benefit most from the SALT deduction and could vote against tax reform if the tax break isnt preserved in some way.

Related Articles
Afghanistans hard-line Taliban insurgents and fighters loyal to the ultra-radical Islamic State (IS) militant group are locked in two provinces in the north and east of the country.

Afghan officials, lawmakers, and tribal leaders in eastern Nangarhar and northern Jawzjan provinces say scores of fighters have been killed in fierce clashes between the two extremist factions, which has also forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee their homes.

Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for Nangarhars governor, told journalists that civilians and fighters from both sides were killed in clashes over the weekend. He said the authorities are helping civilians displaced by the fighting after defeating IS in the region.

More than 2,000 families have been displaced, and the government and aid agencies have begun distributing food items and other aid, he told Radio Free Afghanistan late on October 29.

Lawmaker Haji Zahir Qadir represents Nangarhar in Wolesi Jirga or the lower house of the Afghan Parliament. He said local volunteers have reclaimed most territories from IS control in Khogyani district.

Local volunteers have cleansed the region from Daesh (eds: local name of IS). They did so without the governments help, he told lawmakers.

But in photographs posted on social media over the weekend, the Khorasan Province -- ISs name for its branch in Afghanistan and Pakistan -- showed gun-toting fighters purportedly celebrating a win against the Taliban in Khogyani.

The Taliban have not commented on the fighting. But a purported Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousaf Ahmadi, rejected recent claims by Afghan officials alleging that their current leader, Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada, had directed fighters to cease fighting IS.

The two rivals appear engaged in a similar battle in northern Jawzjan Province, where an IS cell overran large swathes of territory in Darzab and Qush-Teppa districts. The militants imposed harsh rules including closing most schools in Darzab.

Lutfullah Azizi, the governor of Jawzjan, says a week of clashes in the two districts forced more than 2,000 families to seek shelter in the provincial capital, Sheberghan.

The fighting is intense, and more than 1,000 fighters are involved, he told Radio Free Afghanistan. Some 500 IS fighters are taking on 600 to 700 Taliban militants pushing to capture territory from IS.

Azizi says he asked senior security officials to plan operations in Jawzjan. With the winter setting in, we are very concerned, he said.

Mohammad Radmanish, a spokesman for Afghanistans Defense Ministry, says Kabul is determined to defeat both the insurgent groups.

People are happy with our operations. Anywhere that people feel threatened, we carefully plan our interventions, he said.

Kabuls approach to the rising violence and expanding militant control since the withdrawal of most NATO troops at the end of 2014 has been similar to firefighting.

While government forces constantly claim to be killing large numbers of insurgents, the Taliban and IS seem to have an expanding footprint.

On almost a daily basis, the insurgents claim to have overrun new territory and are able to launch incessant attacks even in regions that the authorities say they have reclaimed.

Abubakar Siddique wrote this story based on reporting by Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents Khan Muhammad Seend, Shah Mahmud Shinwari, and Mustafa Sarwar.
Separatist factions in southwestern Pakistans restive province of Balochistan are claiming government forces have detained the family of a key separatist guerrilla commander.

Statements by the Baloch National Movement and the Baloch Students Organization (Azad) say government forces detained relatives of Allah Nazar Baloch on October 30.

The former physician, believed to be in his 40s, is the leader of the Baluch Liberation Front, a militant group claiming to be fighting for Balochistans secession from Pakistan.

Statements issued by the organizations and international media suggest that Allah Nazars wife was detained along two more women and three children near the provincial capital, Quetta.

Kachkol Ali Baloch, an exiled leader of the Baloch National Movement, said Allah Nazars wife was seeking treatment in Quetta.

While authorities have confirmed detaining three women, they have not revealed their identities.

Baloch separatist leaders in exile and nationalist leaders are condemning the detention.

[I] highly condemn the abduction of Dr. Allah Nazars family, Akhtar Mengal, president of the Balochistan National Party, wrote on Twitter. No culture in the world permits disgraceful acts of targeting women and children.

Anwarul Haq Kakar, a spokesman for the Balochistan provincial government, confirmed to BBCs Urdu Service that authorities detained three women in Chaman, a border town some 120 kilometers west of Quetta.

He said the government will announce the identities of the women after an investigation but that they are suspected of having links with banned factions.

The Baluch Liberation Front is one of the major Baloch nationalist groups banned by Islamabad for armed insurrection. Since 2004, thousands of civilians, soldiers, and rebels have been killed and hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced by unrest in Balochistan.

While supporters of the separatist factions accuse government forces of illegal abductions and executions, authorities blame the rebels for targeting government forces and pro-government politicians and attacking infrastructure.

In an interview with Reuters last year, Nazar vowed to continue attacking the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). More than $50 billion in Chinese investments in infrastructure and energy projects under the umbrella of CPEC are aimed at connecting western China to the Arabian Sea port of Gwadar in Balochistan.

"We are attacking CPEC every day because it aims to turn the Baloch population into a minority, he told Reuters. It is looting, plundering, and taking away our resources."

Islamabad, however, says CPEC is a game changer and will boost the Pakistani economy reeling from rising debts, a low taxation base, and a rapidly growing population.
Tahmina Khojaeva is fighting to hang on to the newly refurbished apartment in Dushanbe where she and her husband are trying to raise their newborn twins.

The problem is the other man, whom she describes as her former husband in a nearly four-year polygamous marriage.

Thirty-five-year-old Khojaeva says she split from him two years ago, after she insisted she wanted to "start a family." Now he wants Khojaeva, who has since married, out of the residence although he reportedly acknowledges it was a joint investment.

But Khojaeva knows she cannot provide legal proof of her first "marriage," making it all but impossible to exercise any rights toward what she regards as her property.

Tajik law stipulates hefty fines and up to two years of hard labor for offenders of the country's ban on polygamous marriages.

But still, such illegal unions have become a hard fact of life for many in the past two decades in post-Soviet Central Asia's least prosperous country, where economic woes have pinched and hundreds of thousands of men have fled to Russia to find work.

One of the results has been the legal limbo of "second wives" who find themselves at the mercy of already married men who feel free to exit the religiously consecrated unions without a trace.

In the predominantly Muslim country, polygamous marriages are sealed with a private religious ceremony, skipping the traditional feast and wedding party. Unlike simple romantic relationships, such unions require an Islamic divorce if the couple part ways.

Tajik law doesn't recognize religious marriages or divorces, although a majority of Tajiks adhere to Islamic marriage traditions and conduct a religious ceremony after the civil one before a registrar.

Polygamous unions in Tajikistan frequently involve relatively affluent men seeking a younger second or third wife. Such "marriages" can take place with or without the knowledge of the first wife, who remains the man's only legal wife in the eyes of a court.

Khojaeva tells RFE/RL that she agreed to become a "secret second wife" to a wealthy businessman who could provide her with financial stability.



Having lost both her parents, Khojaeva says she had to spend most of her 20s working as an entertainer to provide for herself and her younger siblings.



"He married me for my looks," she says, adding that a second wife "never becomes a real wife."

"He would come here to temporarily escape problems in his family, his first wife and their six children," Khojaeva says of her former partner. "Men visit their second wives as if they are going on a holiday, where a young and beautiful woman serves them. When I wanted children, he left me."



Khojaeva's former partner did not respond to RFE/RL's requests for comment for this story, but sources close to the man confirmed the apartment was a joint purchase.

Some men have children with their second "wives," although such women are officially single mothers under the law.



'The Alternative Isn't Any Better'



Safargul, a Dushanbe woman who asked not to use her full name, says she is the second wife of a man with whom she has two young children.



The man provides for Safargul and their children, she says, but visits them only during weekends. The most painful part is that it's all secret and she can't tell anyone they are a family, she adds.



"When we bump into each other in the street in front of his friends or family, my husband pretends that he doesn't know me or our children. He passes by like a complete stranger," Safargul says. "The children get confused."

Safargul says she is determined to stay in the relationship despite the complications, as she sees no better alternative for herself.



Jobs can be hard to come by in Tajikistan, a country of some 8 million people. Hundreds of thousands of Tajik men in their 20s, 30s, and 40s spend most of the year working as migrant laborers in Russia, returning home only in winter.



The tragic case of a 28-year-old "second wife" from the southern town of Norak made headlines in Tajikistan when she took her own life by jumping into a river in July, reportedly after being beaten by her husband.

The body of Alifmoh Khudoinazarova, who was two months pregnant at the time of her death, was found a month later.



Her family says poverty and a failed marriage prompted Khudoinazarova to become a second wife to a man "who convinced her he had a second house and resources and promised to look after her."

Divorced and unemployed, Khudoinazarova, who had left school at the age of 15, didn't see any other opportunity for herself, the family says.

Her mother, Nozanin Bobieva, says the man beat Khudoinazarova and told her to "go and complain to whomever you want."

A Tajik court found him guilty of polygamy and of driving her to suicide, but spared him a jail sentence and ordered him to pay a $1,300 fine. His family says it was unaware of any "second wife" and had never met her.

Still, many Tajiks believe polygamy is in the country to stay.

In some cases, wives are aware of each other's existence and appear to get along well.



Legalization Not An Option

The Tajik parliament's committee for social and family affairs says there are no official statistics on polygamous marriages in the country, as such couples cannot register their union.

Authorities have in the past rejected calls to legalize polygamy and insist it is incompatible with the country's secular system and would weaken the institutions of family and marriage.

Some officials from the Islamic Renaissance Party, before that party was banned in 2015, argued that allowing polygamy would reflect the realities of the country and protect the rights of women in polygamous marriages.

The government has taken the opposite tack, imposing steps to prevent such marriages. Such measures include fines and criminal liability for clergymen who conduct Islamic marriage ceremonies for couples without investigating whether either is already married.



The state religious committee wants to ban all but officially registered imams from conducted Islamic marriages, known as nikah. Tajik law does not recognize nikah, although most couples conduct such religious rites after their civil ceremony.



Prosecutors in Dushanbe's Shohmansur district say they are currently probing a complaint by a 24-year-old woman who accuses her former partner of luring her into a polygamous marriage. The woman claims her partner told her he was divorced and rushed her into a religious marriage, promising they would later go to a registrar.



She is also suing the mullah who conducted the religious ceremony. The mullah reportedly admits "making a mistake" by not checking but insists he genuinely was unaware that the man was already married.



The case is still under investigation.

Written by Farangis Najibullah. RFE/RL's Tajik Service correspondents Abdullo Ashurov, Barot Yusufi, and Zarangezi Navruzshoh contributed to this report.


U.S. Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl apologized to the troops who got hurt searching for him after he deserted his post in Afghanistan in 2009 in testimony at a sentencing hearing on October 30.

"I made a horrible mistake," Bergdahl, 31, said in his most extensive comments to date in the North Carolina military court proceedings where he pleaded guilty earlier this month to desertion charges. "Saying Im sorry is not enough."

Bergdahl suffered a blow earlier in the day when the presiding military judge said President Donald Trump had not damaged his chances of getting a fair sentence by repeatedly calling him a "traitor" who should be executed while campaigning last year.

Judge Jeffery Nance, an army colonel, said Trumps condemning and damning" statements will not influence him in determining Bergdahl's sentence.

"I am completely unaffected by any comments President Trump has made," he said, noting that he plans to retire next year and is not seeking any promotion that potentially could be blocked by the White House.

The judge said he would consider the president's comments as a mitigating factor, however, raising the possibility of a lighter punishment for Bergdahl.

Bergdahl faces a maximum sentence of life in prison after pleading guilty on October 16 to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy.

The Idaho native was captured by the Taliban after walking off his combat outpost in Paktika Province in June 2009 and spent the next five years in captivity before he was released in a controversial prisoner exchange with the militant group.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters
This last week saw a special visitor come to RFE/RL: Steve Swerdlow, the Central Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Swerdlow's visit coincided with the release of a new HRW report -- Uzbekistan: A Year Into New Presidency, Cautious Hope For Change -- so in the latest session of the Majlis podcast we looked at this topic, what has changed that is encouraging, what remains the same, and what the chances are for further changes.

Muhammad Tahir, RFE/RL's media relations manager, moderated the discussion.

Joining from Prague was Sirojiddin Tolibov from RFE/RL's Uzbek Service, known locally as Ozodlik. And I joined Swerdlow in the studio, tossing in a couple of comments of my own.

Listen to the podcast above or subscribe to the Majlis on iTunes.
TORONTO, Oct. 31, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rupert Resources Ltd (Rupert or the Company) (TSX-V:RUP) (FSE:R05) announces its results for the second quarter of 2017 and provides an update on exploration and development at its permitted Pahtavaara gold project in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt in Northern Finland. The Company spent $1.6 million on general exploration and development costs over the quarter (down from $2.6 million in Q1 2017), primarily on definition drilling of near mine mineralisation and works to permit drilling at lower depths of the underground mine. As at August 31, 2017, the Company had cash of $7.2 million.



James Withall, Chief Executive of Rupert said, We continue to make good progress with Pahtavaara and are well advanced with geological modelling work that is re-evaluating over 20 years of exploration data on the deposit. Furthermore, we have now received all assay results from our 2017 fieldwork program and in combination with our extensive geophysical surveys are ranking our near mine exploration targets for drill testing over the winter.

Pahtavaara gold mine, Northern Finland

Over the quarter Rupert progressed with activities that would allow a restart of the Pahtavaara mine and mill once sufficient resources have been defined. The Company commenced work on a new geological model with an external consultant as a basis for future resource estimation. In addition, Rupert has identified a number of potential mineralisation targets within 20km of the Pahtavaara mill. The Company also added to its land position through the application of a further 101km2 of contiguous reservation and exploration licence applications.

Gold Centre Property, Ontario and Surf Inlet Property, British Columbia

An initial review of previous work and land position of the Gold Centre and Surf Inlet properties has commenced. Opportunities to joint venture the properties to accelerate development are being explored.

During the six months ended August 31, 2017, the Company spent $nil (six months ended August 31, 2016 - $nil) on general exploration costs.

Financial Highlights

During the three months ended August 31, 2017, the Company spent $1,632,590 (three months ended May 31, 2016 - $2,651,254) on exploration and project development at Pahtavaara and $nil on its other properties.

At August 31, 2017, the Company had a working capital of $6,716,415 (May 31, 2017  $9,295,215). The decrease in working capital during the three months ended May 31, 2017 was primarily due to the decrease in cash and amounts payable and accrued liabilities as a result of operating activities and expenditures on exploration and evaluation assets and buildings and equipment. The Company had cash of $ 7,182,752 at August 31, 2017 (May 31, 2017 - $10,535,987). The decrease in cash during the three months ended May 31, 2017 was primarily due to the cash used in operating and investing activities.

The Companys interim financial statements and Managements Discussion and Analysis for the period ended August 31, 2017, which can be found under Ruperts profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). Detailed information about Ruperts exploration activities can be found in the press release dated September 25, 2017.

All references to currency in this press release are in Canadian dollars.

Appointment of Head of Corporate Development

The Corporation also announces that Thomas Credland was been appointed Head of Corporate Development and Investor Relations. A geologist with over 15 years experience in mining, Thomas began his career in the gold mining industry in Western Australia before returning to the United Kingdom to work as a mining analyst. He then moved into an institutional equity sales role at Canaccord before moving into a senior corporate position at a London listed mining company. Thomas contributed to the identification and acquisition of the Pahtavaara mine by Rupert.

About Rupert

Rupert is a Canadian based gold exploration and development company that is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol RUP. The Company owns the Pahtavaara gold mine, mill, and exploration permits and concessions located in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt in Northern Finland (see the Companys November 9, 2016 press release). The Company also holds a 100% interest in the Gold Centre property, which consists of mineral claims located in the Balmer Township, Red Lake Mining Division of Ontario.

For further information, please contact:

James Withall

Chief Executive Officer

jwithall@rupertmining.com Thomas Credland

Head of Corporate Development & Investor Relations

tcredland@rupertmining.com

Rupert Resources Ltd

82 Richmond Street East, Suite 203, Toronto, Ontario M5C 1P1

Tel: +1 416-304-9004



Web: http://rupertresources.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.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains statements which constitute forward-looking statements, including the statements with respect to those that address potential quantity and/or grade of minerals, potential for minerals and statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company with respect to the future drilling and geological activities, business activities and operating performance of the Company. The words may, would, could, will, intend, plan, anticipate, believe, estimate, expect and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made, and are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. These factors include the general risks of the mining industry, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in the Company's annual Management's Discussion and Analysis for the year ended February 28, 2017 available at www.sedar.com. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements except as otherwise required by applicable law.
orange

in which standard business transactions are handled via computer rather than on paper

in which

are handled

rather than

where

handle

rather than

in which

handle

instead of

where

are handled

but instead

in which

are being handled

in place of

1. in which vs. where

2. computers handle vs. business transactions are handled

3. rather than vs. instead of

The easiest place to start is #1: in which vs. where.

where

in which

in which

where

in which

where

in which

We can eliminate options B and D

are handled via computer rather than on paper

CORRECT

computers handle standard business transactions instead of on paper

INCORRECT

are being handled via computer, in place of on paper

INCORRECT

There you have it - option A was the correct choice!

Hello Everyone!This question has already generated some great discussion, so let's see if we can find a quick and easy way to narrow down the options to get the correct answer. First, let's take a quick look at the options and highlight any major differences inCompanies are relying more and more on networked computers for such critical tasks as inventory management, electronic funds transfer, and electronic data interchange,(A)standard business transactionsvia computeron paper(B)computersstandard business transactionson paper(C)computersstandard business transactionson paper(D)standard business transactions, not with paper,via computer(E)standard business transactionsvia computer,on paperWhile you could easily highlight all of the text on each option because they're so different, let's focus on a few key differences first:No matter which one we end up choosing, we'll eliminate 2-3 options rather quickly. There is a difference between using "where" and "in which" to modify nouns, so let's explore that first:= indicates or modifies a location(We got married at our local park, where we first met last summer, because it was beautiful and fit our whole family. --> "where" is modifying "park," which is a location.)= modifies nouns(The wedding lasted only 30 minutes, in which the officiant only stuck to the basic ceremony traditions. --> "in which" is modifying "wedding," which is a noun.)If we look closely at the original sentence, this phrase is supposed to modify the noun "critical tasks," so we know we need to use "in which" to indicate we're modifying a noun, and not a location:(A)standard business transactions are handled via computer rather than on paper(B)computers handle standard business transactions rather than on paper(C)computers handle standard business transactions instead of on paper(D)standard business transactions are handled, not with paper, but instead via computer(E)standard business transactions are being handled via computer, in place of on paperbecause they use "where," which is suppose to show location, instead of "in which," which is used to modify a noun.Now that we have it narrowed down to only 3 options, let's take a closer look at each remaining option. We need to focus on both #2 and #3 on our list: what order to put the computers and the transactions, and making sure we're using "instead of" or "rather than" properly:(A) in which standard business transactionsThis is! The two things that are contrasted here make sense (via computer vs. on paper), and everything is written clearly and concisely!(C) in whichThis isbecause the two things being contrasted here don't make sense (the computers vs. on paper). It also suggests that the computers handle the business transactions themselves, instead of a PERSON handling the business transactions by using a computer or paper. As of right now, computers can't do things like that by themselves, so it makes more sense to suggest a person is doing the action, and they're merely using different tools to do that task.(E) in which standard business transactionsThis isbecause it's overly wordy, and the phrase "in the place of" is confusing. It's too wordy to say "are being handled," and it subtly suggests that the computer is handling the transactions. Saying "are handled" is better because it's less wordy, and it doesn't suggest the computer is doing the action itself. The phrase "in place of" is also overly wordy and confusing. "In place of" means that you replace one thing with another because you need to - as if you're saying paper is no longer an option for them to use. Saying "rather than" means you PREFER to do your work via computer rather than on paper. You could still use paper, but you prefer not to!Don't study for the GMAT. Train for it._________________
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
Rhetorical exchanges on Sunday including the latest in a long series of declarations by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani that his country would pursue any weapons it saw fit, including controversial ballistic missiles. As noted in the previous INU report, ballistic missile tests are among the most prominent pieces of evidence for US President Donald Trumps conclusion that Iran has been violating the spirit of the nuclear deal spearheaded by his predecessor in 2015.

Although the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action did not include restrictions on Irans ballistic missile activity, the United Nations Security Council resolution governing the implementation of the nuclear deal did call upon the Islamic Republic to avoid work on weapons that are designed to be capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Nonetheless, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has carried out perhaps more than a dozen tests of such weapons since the conclusion of nuclear negotiations.

The IRGC has also boasted of improvements in Iranian missile technology, much of which is based on equipment purchased from North Korea, a fellow adversary of the United States and an emerging nuclear power. In a recent military parade, the IRGC claimed to premier a Khorramshahr missile that was capable of striking targets as far away as 2,000 miles, thus putting practically the entirety of the Middle East within range.

But following weeks of mutual antagonism between Tehran and Washington, as well as the passage of several executive and congressional measures for the US to impose new sanctions on the Iranian missile program, Irans Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei stepped into the fray to set the 2,000-mile range as the limit for Irans near-term ballistic missile development.

This declaration is easily interpreted as a tentative effort to forestall subsequent US actions punishing the Islamic Republic for its missile-related provocations. And this interpretation is arguably backed up by statements made by Major General Mohammad Bagheri, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian armed forces.

Bagheris statements on Monday seemed to be further examples of the ongoing war of words with the United States, but, the statements were noteworthy for the rhetorical content that they left out.

In the first place, Bagheri described the signing of the JCPOA as the decision of the Islamic Republic, thus stepping back from hardline talking points that attribute the agreement only to the administration of President Hassan Rouhani and not to the regime as a whole.

Additionally, and more significant, Bagheri also reiterated Tehrans threats of willingness to walk away from the nuclear deal, but he did so while making reference only to nuclear-related sanctions. This too is a shift away from previous hardline talking points, insofar as various officials including the supreme leader have insisted that Iran would declare the JCPOA null and void if the US violated its spirit by imposing new sanctions on any topic, including human rights abuses and support of terrorism. Under the letter of the agreement, the US and five other world powers only agreed to the suspension of nuclear-related sanctions, evidently worth tens of billions of dollars. Other sanctions remain in effect and the agreement does not bar the US or its partners from imposing more of the same. And indeed, the US has repeatedly taken advantage of this permission, as with the Counter Americas Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, which was signed into law on August 2.

Tehran responded to that incident by passing its own law, defying American pressure with new increases in financing to the IRGC and missile development. But Bagheris recent statements suggest that this is as far as the regime will go in countering such American pressure, provided that it continued to avoid directly threatening the JCPOA. President Trump has threatened to use his authority to cancel the deal if Congress and European leaders prove unable to strengthen it, but the overwhelming majority of American lawmakers appear to support strict enforcement of the agreement, even if they are personally skeptical of the value of the JCPOA.

Although Bagheri and Khamenei can be seen as reaching out to this faction of American politics with their apparent limits on Iranian provocations and reprisals, it bears noting that this shift has not entailed a noticeable reduction in overall anti-US rhetoric. While that outreach is brand new, even the announcement of Khameneis ballistic missile restrictions was accompanied by extremely boastful commentary regarding Irans military readiness and its prospects in a war with the US.

As the Associated Press pointed out, General Mohammad Ali Jafari, the head of the IRGC accepted Khameneis restrictions by saying that the Guards missile capabilities are enough for now, being capable of responding to any possible desperate attack from the United States. Jafari also asserted that the US will not dare to start a war because they know that if they begin a war between Iran and the United States, they will definitely be the main losers.

Furthermore, Jafari made a point of insisting that the IRGC is capable of increasing its missile range, even though they accept the edict of the supreme leader, who has sole authority over the hardline paramilitary organization. In fact, the AP quoted Michael Elleman of the International Institute for Strategic Studies as saying that if the IRGCs own claims are accurate, they are already capable of achieving a farther range than 2,000 miles by attaching a lighter warhead to the Khorramshahr missile. This arguably lessens the significance of Khameneis limit.

Jafaris statements on Tuesday were not the only outlet for Irans familiar militarist rhetoric. Fox News reported that the Iranian air force had also used that day to begin a demonstration over the area of Isfahan. The location of the maneuvers is significant because of its proximity to key nuclear facilities including the Natanz enrichment site. In this sense, the demonstrations could be regarded as a further statement of defiance regarding Irans commitment to future nuclear activities.

Amidst the outpouring of rhetoric that INU reported upon on Monday was a statement by Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, claiming that if Iran felt compelled to abandon the nuclear deal it would be able to enrich enough nuclear material for an atomic bomb in just four days. Taken together with the air force demonstrations, such remarks may be meant to suggest that Iranian opposition could delay an attempted military strike on its nuclear facilities for long enough to allow the regime to create a weapon of mass destruction.

Interestingly, the demonstration of defenses in the area of existing nuclear facilities closely coincided with the start of construction on a second Russian-built nuclear facility, Bushehr-2. Russia Today reported that the state atomic energy company Rosatom had announced the start of the project on Tuesday. It is expected to cost 10 billion dollars and to be completed in approximately 10 years. This places the start of its operations close to the date when sunset provisions written into the JCPOA begin cancelling the enforcement of that agreements restrictions.

Many opponents of the nuclear deal point to these sunset provisions as a particular weakness. They argue that by keeping the JCPOA in force while abiding by only its strictest and most verifiable provisions, the Iranians can advance their nuclear capabilities gradually over a period of 10 to 15 years and then rush toward the completion of a nuclear weapon in the weeks or months immediately thereafter.
It has been reported by state newspapers that Irans total foreign trade has increased six percent to $44.1 billion, while a trade deficit of $3 billion is being experienced.

In an undeveloped economy like Irans, import is regarded as a negative economic factor. Still, this doesnt mean that there should be no imports  countries need to import goods and services that cant be provided at home, and those imports are proper and necessary. However, when the goods that are imported could easily be produced domestically, those imports are destructive.

Every one billion dollars worth of imports destroys close to one hundred thousand jobs. As an example, if Iran needs 100 million adhesive bandages a year, perhaps only 15 percent are domestically produced. The remainder are imported, as Irans adhesive bandage producing factories are working at only 15 to 20 percent of their capacity, despite the fact that domestic production of the bandages is possible.

Iranian regime MP Seyed-Mohammad-Javad Abtahi says, Deputy Industry Minister has said that 5,200 small and medium industrial units have been closed last year. This is while such items like whips, pumice stones, dogfish, cobblestones, honky horns, zippers, suspenders, mouse traps, hoses, shovels, pickaxes, and almost every kind of water mineral are being imported into the country,

Upon examination, many of the imported goods can be produced domestically. In fact, although Iran has the highest quality mineral water in the world, mineral water is being imported. Fake saffron is imported and sold in Irans markets as genuine, while Iran is known as the Land of Saffron.

While the Iranian regime publicizes the domestic car industry, luxury cars are being imported, and the number of imported cars is 20 times bigger than the exported ones.

These imports have driven Irans small and medium sized industries into closure and bankruptcy, which is followed by a widespread unemployment. More than 60 percent of the countrys small industries have been closed.This is a disaster that has caused the unemployment of millions of Iranians, the real tragedy caused by excessive imports.

Despite Irans long history of fish farming, this industry is currently in facing reversal. October 11th, state-run Javan newspaper reported, With a 200 percent return, the 400-million fish-spawn import has been monopolized by a group of five.

Fish farmers criticize Iran Fisheries Organizations monopolistic policies, saying, 60 percent of the countrys fish farms are about to go belly up. Thats because the fish spawns imported last year by a group of five were carrying pathogens that have infected most fish farms.

In addition to legal imports, nearly half of the countrys imports are contraband. This has had such a negative impact on Irans industry that even many of the countrys old, resourceful companies have shut down.

Its alleged that the importers are linked to the regime, specifically the Revolutionary Guards, who have private waterfronts and airports.

State-run ISNA news agency points to smuggling of clothing, in their article on October 8, 2017. It writes, while the UNIDO has announced that the value of Irans annual clothing import is one billion dollars, Iran Customs Administration has declared that it is $61 million, namely a $940 million difference. It was later announced that the worth of smuggled clothing was $2.5 billion.

However, the regimes Industry and Mining Minister, Mohammad Shariatmadari, a few weeks after taking office, said that he doubted the figure, saying that the figure is even larger. We simply put the market at foreign producers disposal, he said. Weve had $12 billion of imported clothing while their customs duties have not been paid, meaning that theyve been smuggled into the country.
Rouhani said, We produced, are producing, and will produce We shall not hesitate in producing and storing any weapon we might need and using them at the time necessary to defend ourselves.

He alleged that the United States has undermined Syrias security, Lebanons security, Iraqs security and stability and security in Afghanistan, and that the US planned to divide Iraq. He also claimed that the regime helped the people of Iraq and Syria and did not allow the territorial integrity of Iraq to be undermined.

French, German and British leaders have, in recent weeks, repeatedly emphasized that Irans missile program and the meddling of the Iranian regime in the region are matters of serious concern, and should be confronted in coordination with the United States.

Rouhanis remarks come at a time when details are being reported regarding the regimes financial and logistical support of al-Qaeda, ISIL and the Taliban, according to Resistance spokesmen.

Rouhani disparaged the popular support of PMOI and the Iranian Resistance, and claimed that although the regime had driven the PMOI out of the country, the United States had sheltered them.

A security official described the PMOI as the cause for creating turmoil and chaos, to come on the occasion of the commemoration of Cyrus on October 26th, and said that by launching protest rallies against corruption and economic problems in the country, the PMOI is planning to divert the rallies by raising slogans against the regime.

When the new U.S. policy toward Iran was announced, on October 12th and 14th, Rouhani called Khamenei, the link between religion and politics, whose orders should be obeyed. He also said that the IRGC is not only popular among the Iranian people but also popular among the people of Iraq because it has saved Baghdad; and popular with Iraqi Kurds because it has saved Erbil; it is also popular with the people of Damascus and Syria, because it has saved Damascus; and popular among the people of Lebanon because it has been a supporter of the dignity and independence of Lebanon.

Rouhanis recent remarks raise questions about the moderation of the current regime, as once the Revolutionary Guards were included on the terrorist list, Rouhani and Zarif became passionate advocates of the IRGC and embraced Jafari, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards, and Suleimani, the commander of the terrorist Quds force.

All regime officials, regardless of fraction, are responsible for the executions, torture and massacre of the political prisoners and perpetuation of killings and war in Iran and the region, the Iranian Resistance has repeatedly stated, and add that therefore, these officials should be included in all the terrorist lists, and should be sanctioned and face justice for their crimes against humanity, as well.
Trump had lashed out at Iran in remarks during his first address to the United Nations General Assembly, saying the trappings of democracy there masked a corrupt dictatorship, and continued, Above all, Irans government must stop supporting terrorists, begin serving its own people and respect the sovereign rights of its neighbors.

Bahram Ghassemi, a spokesman for Irans foreign ministry, said a press conference on Sunday that the report carried by Fars earlier in the day was correct. Indeed a request was made by the American side but it was not accepted by President Rouhani, Ghassemi said.

According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, US President Donald Trump requested a bilateral meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in New York during this years United Nations General Assembly meeting in September, but his request was turned down.

Mehdi Fazaeli, a conservative analyst and former managing director at Fars News Agency, broke the story on October 29th. According to Fazaeli, the request came one day after Trump called the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into. Fazaeli described Trumps speech as insulting toward Iran and contextualized it as being in line with the US objective of selling arms to regional allies. Fazaeli wrote that French President Emmanuel Macron had offered to facilitate the meeting, but Rouhani had turned him down as well. Ghassemi however, did not confirm Macrons reported involvement.

Fazaeli praised Rouhani for refusing to shake Trumps velvet-covered hands and for acting within the strategic framework of the Islamic Republic.

On Monday, the White House denied the Iranian governments claim that Trump had asked to meet with his counterpart from the Islamic republic, but was rebuffed. In fact, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told NBC News in a brief email early Monday that this statement was false.

Trump has declined to certify the Iran nuclear deal, which lifted sanctions in exchange for the country curbing its nuclear program, putting its future in the hands of Congress. The decision of whether to attach new conditions or reimpose sanctions with regard to the countrys nuclear program now lies with Congress.
Company: Trivelles International

Place of Work: Bangkok

Working hours: 6 days a week

Our property development and investment company based in London have successfully been selling properties internationally for a number of years. We specialise in developing a range of projects such as residential, commercial, hotel and student properties; designed to meet any client requirements. Our expertise in the market has allowed us to provide innovative developments with great returns for our worldwide investors. Our excellent track record has allowed us to enter global markets and successfully sell our developments in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Dubai, Kuwait, Qatar and Thailand. We continue to provide new developments and investment opportunities to our clients as we are constantly expanding into new countries.

We are looking for an Intelligent, career driven Sales Manager capable to recruit and develop a sales team and work with sales agents within Thailand and neighbouring countries. This is a fantastic opportunity for anyone looking to progress in real estate market.

The primary responsibilities are detailed below:

Prepare and launch exhibtions

Respond to client enquiries, provide information regarding our current projects.

Work as a team with other overseas employees

Research new agents and sign them up

Writing weekly reports to the head of sales

Deal with the full sales procedure

Prepare power point presentation and conduct seminars

Full training will be provided upon commencement of employment. If required to travel, expenses will be covered.

Qualifications:

Male or Female

At least 2 years experiences in real estate

Good command of English

Benefits:

Salary: 30,000 THB to 32,000 THB plus Commission 1% for each sale.

Requirements - At least 2 years Real Estate experience required

Trip to the UK to visit our developments





Contact Details to Apply please send your cv to the email below;

Phone: +44 (0)208-596-5138

Email: sahar@trivellesinternational.com

Whatsapp: +44 (0)7503 728 440

Website: www.trivelles.com
Vacancy code VA/2017/B0049/12994

Position title HR Associate - Staff contract administration

Department/office CSG, GSSC, Global Shared Service Centre

Duty station Bangkok, Thailand

Contract type Local ICA Support

Contract level LICA-6

Duration 1 Year, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and funding availability

Application period 25-Sept-2017 to 24-Oct-2017

Background Information - UNOPS

UNOPS mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.



Within these three core areas of expertise, UNOPS provides its partners with advisory, implementation and transactional services, with projects ranging from building schools and hospitals, to procuring goods and services and training local personnel. UNOPS works closely with governments and communities to ensure increased economic, social and environmental sustainability for the projects we support, with a focus on developing national capacity.



Working in some of the worlds most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices in development, humanitarian and peacebuilding contexts, always satisfying or surpassing partner expectations.



We employ more than 6,000 personnel and on behalf of our partners create thousands more work opportunities in local communities. Through our headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark and a network of offices, we oversee activities in more than 80 countries.

Background information-HR Associate

The UNOPS Global Shared Service Centre (GSSC) is a Corporate Support Group (CSG) unit established for the purpose of providing internal, global and cost-effective transactional services which enhance the operational capacity of UNOPS and standardize systems and procedures. The GSSC, among other functions, carries out high-quality transactional services within the area of personnel administration, contract management, benefits & entitlements and payroll to UNOPS and its partners. To ensure increased cost-efficiency and consistency with UNOPS systems, GSSC has expanded its services to include both Individual Contractor Agreement (ICAs) and UN staff members.

Reporting to the HR Analyst, the HR Associate provides global support to HR, ensuring high quality of work, accurate, timely and properly recorded/documented service delivery.

The work area is within contract administration and benefits & entitlements for UN staff.

The HR Associate promotes a client-oriented and consistent approach with regards to UNOPS policies and UN Staff Rules and Regulations and in accordance with the Units established protocols. He/She works in close collaboration with operations personnel in field offices and with UNOPS HQ personnel to exchange information and ensure consistent service delivery.

Functional Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

Administration of UN staff contracts, benefits and entitlements

Implementation of HR strategies and procedures

Knowledge building and knowledge sharing

1. Ensures efficient administration of contracts, benefits and entitlements for UN staff, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Monitoring and tracking of transactions to ensure timely, consistent and equitable provision of services with a client focus

Research of precedents and analysis of merits of specific requests and presentation of recommendations/solutions to supervisor

Drafting of letters of appointment and separation outlining the conditions of the appointment/separations for the approval of the supervisor. Briefing to personnel on the conditions of service related to contracts

Collection, verification and follow-up on required documentation related to benefits, entitlements and contracts

Proactive coordination of the flow of work

Advice to the supervisor on the status of pending requests and work deadlines and provision of proactive customer service to internal and external clients

2. Ensures implementation of HR strategies and procedures, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Full compliance of HR processes and records with UN and UNOPS rules, regulations, policies and strategies

Input to the content of internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in HR management in consultation with the direct supervisor and office management

Support to Human Resources Analyst on management, implementation, monitoring of various HR initiatives

3. Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Participation in the trainings for the operations/ projects staff on HR

Contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice

Competencies

UNOPS Core Values/Competencies

Integrity

Professionalism

Respect for Diversity

Creativity and innovation

Commitment to continuous learning

Planning and Organizing

Results orientation

Communications skills

Teamwork skills

Client orientation

Technological awareness

Functional Competencies

Knowledge Management and Learning

Shares knowledge and experience

Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more practice areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills

Development and Operational Effectiveness

Ability to perform a variety of standard tasks and duties related to HR, screening, collecting and preparation of documentation, data input, transactions tracking, filing, provision of information

Ability to review data, identify and adjust discrepancies

Ability to produce accurate and well documented records conforming to the required standard

Ability to handle a large volume of work possibly under time constraints

Knowledge of UNOPS HR rules and procedures

Strong IT skills

Leadership and Self-Management
Learn about engineering majors offered at different universities in Alabama. Read about program requirements and classes, and get information on tuition and school enrollment figures.

View Schools

There are a number of four-year school's across Alabama offering Bachelor of Science degrees in engineering. Read on to learn about program and school information for the University of Alabama, Tuskegee University, and others.

What You Need to Know

Your engineering career could begin with earning a bachelor's degree in your preferred discipline. These degree programs typically require four years of study, and you'll take general education courses along with your engineering training. Studying in an ABET-accredited program better prepares you for employment in a position working with the public.

Engineering Bachelor's Degree Programs Offered in Alabama Universities

Alabama A&M University

Along with the courses required to earn an undergraduate engineering degree, this school also offers you a variety of summer outreach and research programs you can participate in, which are sponsored by entities such as NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF). There is also a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program sponsored by the NSF that allows you to work in areas such as carbon nanotubes and thermoelectrics. The school also houses research facilities, including the Reconfigurable Computational Lab, which is sponsored by the Missile Defense Agency.

Degree: Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science Disciplines: Civil engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, general electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, microelectronics

Civil engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, general electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, microelectronics Program Length: 4 years

4 years Tuition: In-state students pay $9,744 per year, out-of-state students pay $18,354, including fees (2018-2019)

In-state students pay $9,744 per year, out-of-state students pay $18,354, including fees (2018-2019) Prerequisites: GPA minimum 2.0 and ACT score of 18 or SAT score of 1290

GPA minimum 2.0 and ACT score of 18 or SAT score of 1290 School Type: 4-year, public; student undergraduate population approximately 5,143

Auburn University

This school offers you opportunities to take part in hands-on work during your undergraduate engineering studies. You can participate in co-op programs, internships and study abroad programs. Although traditionally students complete the program in 4 years, you can make arrangements to lighten your course load and take as long as 9 semesters to finish. If you find yourself in need of a break from a strenuous engineering program, the school also offers a Birdsong Scholarship to engineering students, which allows them to study abroad in any subject that isn't engineering.

Degree: Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science Disciplines: Aerospace engineering, biosystems engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, industrial and systems engineering, materials engineering, mechanical engineering, polymer and fiber engineering, software engineering,

Aerospace engineering, biosystems engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, industrial and systems engineering, materials engineering, mechanical engineering, polymer and fiber engineering, software engineering, Program Length: 4 years

4 years Tuition: In-state students pay $11,276 per year, out-of-state students pay $30,524, including fees (2018-2019)

In-state students pay $11,276 per year, out-of-state students pay $30,524, including fees (2018-2019) Prerequisites: SAT or ACT results

SAT or ACT results School Type: 4-year, public; undergraduate population around 24,628

Tuskegee University

As the home of the Tuskegee Airmen, it should come as no surprise that this university has an active aerospace engineering department. Research facilities include a flight vehicle design lab, a propulsion lab and a process control and unit operations lab. Other projects you'll have the opportunity to work with include multiphase functional nanomaterials, nanotechnology for robotics and alternative energy sources. You can also study how engineering affects other engineering students through pursuits such as the Exposure of Engineering Students to Nuclear Engineering project.

Degree: Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science Disciplines: Aerospace science engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering

Aerospace science engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering Program Length: 4 years

4 years Tuition: $22,170 per year, including fees (2018-2019)

$22,170 per year, including fees (2018-2019) Prerequisites: SAT score of 900 or ACT score of 21

SAT score of 900 or ACT score of 21 School Type: 4-year, private, not-for-profit; undergrad student population almost 2,529

University of Alabama

This College of Engineering encourages undergraduates to take part in research opportunities, working side-by-side with other engineers on faculty-guided projects. The school also participates in the REU program. Research facilities at this school include the Center for Advanced Public Safety, the Center for Materials for Information Technologies and the Environmental Institute. Another benefit to this school is that within the electronic engineering program, you can incorporate an option in computer engineering.

Degree: Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science Disciplines: Aerospace engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer science, construction engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, metallurgical engineering

Aerospace engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer science, construction engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, metallurgical engineering Program Length: 4 years

4 years Tuition: In-state students pay $10,780 per year, out-of-state students pay $29,230, including fees (2018-2019)

In-state students pay $10,780 per year, out-of-state students pay $29,230, including fees (2018-2019) Prerequisites: You must include the writing section in your SAT or ACT

You must include the writing section in your SAT or ACT School Type: 4-year, public; undergraduate population approximately 33,028

University of Alabama at Birmingham

This university is home to the only accredited biomedical engineering program in the state of Alabama. Some of the work in that department includes studies or research in tissue engineering, implant biomechanics and regenerative medicine. Other research projects at this university include studies in nanotechnology, new materials design and analysis of engineering phenomena. You also have the opportunity to participate in the Engineers Without Borders Study Away program.

Degree: Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science Disciplines: Biomedical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, materials engineering, mechanical engineering

Biomedical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, materials engineering, mechanical engineering Program Length: 4 years

4 years Tuition: In-state students pay $8,568 per year, out-of-state students pay $19,704 (2018-2019)

In-state students pay $8,568 per year, out-of-state students pay $19,704 (2018-2019) Prerequisites: SAT score of 950 or ACT score of 20

SAT score of 950 or ACT score of 20 School Type: 4-year, public; undergrad student population around 13,836

University of South Alabama

Once you've completed 2-3 semesters at this school, you can apply for acceptance into an internship or co-op program that will allow you to gain engineering experience and possibly income as well. You must demonstrate at least a 2.3 GPA to participate in these programs. The co-op program allows you to extend your program completion time to 5 years in order to accommodate 2 semesters of full-time work.

Degree: Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science Disciplines: Chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering

Chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering Program Length: 4 years

4 years Tuition: In-state students pay $8,396 per year, out-of-state students pay $16,292, including fees (2018-2019)

In-state students pay $8,396 per year, out-of-state students pay $16,292, including fees (2018-2019) Prerequisites: SAT 940/ACT 20 with GPA 2.0 or SAT 900/ACT 19 with GPA 2.5

SAT 940/ACT 20 with GPA 2.0 or SAT 900/ACT 19 with GPA 2.5 School Type: 4-year, public; undergrad student population around 10,293

In summary, multiple universities in the state of Alabama offer bachelor's degrees in engineering, with the opportunity concentrate in the discipline that interests you most.
Learn about financial management degree programs in the El Paso, Texas, area. See program options, degree requirements and courses for a financial management education in the region.

View Schools

Students interested in pursuing a degree in the financial management field near El Paso, TX can learn about degree options available from the local state university.

What You Need to Know

The University of Texas at El Paso offers business administration degree programs with a concentration in finance as a bachelor's or a master's degree. Both programs teach students business topics such as financial services. Aside from the general MBA, the school also offers executive and accelerated MBA programs. Students applying to the MBA program will need to submit a resume, letters of recommendation and test scores. The financial management degree programs are laid out in more detail below.

Financial Management Bachelor's Degree Program in El Paso, TX

University of Texas at El Paso

This program prepares you to work in small business, real estate and financial services or for non-financial corporations. Its core curriculum includes classes in subject such as the legal environment of business, professional writing, marketing principles, managerial finance and management accounting. Students can take classes that cover topics like investments, managerial finance, portfolio analysis, derivatives, international finance and commercial bank management.

Program: Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance

Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance Fields of Study: General finance, commercial banking and financial analysis

General finance, commercial banking and financial analysis Program Length: Four years, full-time

Four years, full-time Tuition and Fees (2018-2019): $8,198 per year for in-state and $22,629 per year for out-of-state students

$8,198 per year for in-state and $22,629 per year for out-of-state students School Type: 4-year, public; 25,151 students (approximately 21,464 undergraduate)

Financial Management Master's Degree Program in El Paso, TX

University of Texas at El Paso

In this Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, you complete a total of 48 semester hours of study. Classes cover topics like securities analysis, derivative analysis, capital formation and financial modeling. The school also offers an Executive MBA program for individuals with at least eight years work experience. This program's curriculum investigates topics like financial decisions, issues in financial markets and economic analysis. An Accelerated MBA program designed for working professionals is also offered. Courses in this program meet less frequently than in the full-time program.

Program: Master of Business Administration

Master of Business Administration Area of Concentration: Finance

Finance Program Length: 22 months, full-time

22 months, full-time Graduate Tuition (2018-2019): $6,170 per year for in-state and $14,878 per year for out-of-state students

$6,170 per year for in-state and $14,878 per year for out-of-state students Prerequisite: Bachelor's degree

Bachelor's degree Admission Requirements: GMAT scores, resume, statement of purpose, two letters of recommendation

GMAT scores, resume, statement of purpose, two letters of recommendation School Type: 4-year, public; 25,151 students (approximately 21,464 undergraduate)

The University of Texas at El Paso offers two options for degrees in the financial management field - a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and a Master of Business Administration.
Find schools near Kansas City, MO, offering engineering programs and classes. Learn about school and program options, specializations, and tuition rates for each school.

View Schools

The Kansas City, MO, area offers engineering programs at different degree levels and from both public and private institutions. Below, you'll find program and specialization options for each of these Kansas City schools.

What You Need to Know

In the Kansas City, MO, area, 4-year, public or private universities have bachelor's and master's degree programs related to engineering. At the bachelor's degree level, you could earn a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering or in information and computer science, with a specialization in engineering. These bachelor's degree programs can be completed in 4-5 years. The majority of engineering bachelor's programs found near Kansas City are accredited or approved by ABET.

At the master's degree level, you could pursue either a Master of Science degree in engineering or a Master of Engineering degree, both of which take about 2 years to complete. Some programs offer evening course options. For further information on universities that provide opportunities to study engineering in Kansas City, MO, read on.

Engineering Bachelor's Degree Programs near Kansas City, MO

University of Missouri in Kansas City

The University of Missouri's School of Computing and Engineering is situated on the main campus near Country Club Plaza, and it is the only school in the city to offer ABET-accredited undergraduate degree programs in electrical and computer engineering, civil engineering and mechanical engineering. Many of the faculty members are actively involved in research, and current topics have included water resources and river engineering, sustainable construction materials and computational intelligence.

The Bachelor of Science programs offered by the School of Computing and Engineering do not share a common course of study and include engineering classes unique to the major. Course topics include engineering graphics, physics and thermodynamics, electric circuits and computer programming for engineers.

Program: Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science Fields of Study: Electrical and computer engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering

Electrical and computer engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering Program Length: 120-126 credit hours or four years of full-time study

120-126 credit hours or four years of full-time study Tuition and Fees: $8,178 per year for in-state students; $20,207 per year for out-of-state students (2018-2019)

$8,178 per year for in-state students; $20,207 per year for out-of-state students (2018-2019) Prerequisites: Four units of high school math, including trigonometry for civil and mechanical engineering programs; written English Proficiency Test (WEPT) required before enrollment

Four units of high school math, including trigonometry for civil and mechanical engineering programs; written English Proficiency Test (WEPT) required before enrollment School Type: 4-year, public; 16,375 students with 11,319 undergraduates

Park University

The flagship campus of Park University is only ten miles away from Kansas City, MO, and offers a Bachelor of Science in Information and Computer Science with a concentration in software engineering. The core curriculum in this program includes coursework in computer architecture and operating systems, programming concepts and fundamentals, Web programming and Web programming design. While this program has not been approved by the ABET, Park University's online programs are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Program: Bachelor of Science in Information and Computer Science with a specialization in software engineering

Bachelor of Science in Information and Computer Science with a specialization in software engineering Program Length: 120 credit hours or four years of full-time study

120 credit hours or four years of full-time study Tuition and Fees: $11,572 per year (for 2018-2019)

$11,572 per year (for 2018-2019) School Type: 4-year, private (not-for-profit); 11,415 students with 9,569 undergraduates

University of Kansas in Lawrence

The University of Kansas in Lawrence is a public research school located a little less than 40 miles away from Kansas City, across the border in Lawrence, Kansas. The school's nine undergraduate degree programs in engineering are accredited by ABET, and the computer science degree program is approved by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET.

If you choose the program in engineering physics, you can specialize in one of four systems, including aerospace, chemical, digital electronics and electromechanical controls. Courses of study in chemical and mechanical engineering offer concentrations in biomedical or biomechanical engineering respectively. As a freshman who is having trouble deciding which of these undergraduate programs to pursue, the school allows you take an introductory engineering class and a core sequence of courses before declaring a major.

Program: Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science Fields of Study: Aerospace, architectural, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, mechanical and petroleum engineering; engineering physics, computer science, information technology and interdisciplinary computing

Aerospace, architectural, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, mechanical and petroleum engineering; engineering physics, computer science, information technology and interdisciplinary computing Program Length: Varies by degree; minimum of 125 credits and up to 165 credit hours or four to five years of full-time study

Varies by degree; minimum of 125 credits and up to 165 credit hours or four to five years of full-time study Tuition and Fees: $11,148 per year for in-state students; $27,358 per year for out-of-state students (2018-2019)

$11,148 per year for in-state students; $27,358 per year for out-of-state students (2018-2019) Admission Requirements: GPA of 3.0 and be in top half of graduating class

GPA of 3.0 and be in top half of graduating class School Type: 4-year, public; 27,690 students with 19,596 undergraduates

Engineering Master's Degree Programs near Kansas City, MO

University of Missouri - Kansas City

At the School of Computing and Engineering, you can earn a Master of Science in one of three engineering areas, and each program has a thesis, non-thesis or additional coursework option. The civil and mechanical engineering programs allow you to choose an area of concentration, such as environmental and water resources, construction management, thermal sciences or biomechanics.

Graduate classes for the civil engineering program are offered in the evening, and if you are a working student who wants to get ahead in your field, you are also able to take supporting classes in geosciences, management or other related subjects. The mechanical engineering curriculum gives you the chance to focus on cutting-edge areas like renewable and sustainable energy. If you decide on electrical engineering, this program can prepare you for a career in corporate research or product development.

Program: Master of Science

Master of Science Fields of Study: Civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering

Civil engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering Program Length: 30 credit hours or two years of full-time study

30 credit hours or two years of full-time study Tuition and Fees: $10,605 per year for in-state students; $25,216 per year for out-of-state students (2018-2019)

$10,605 per year for in-state students; $25,216 per year for out-of-state students (2018-2019) Prerequisites: Bachelor's degree in major area

Bachelor's degree in major area Admission Requirements: GRE scores, letters of recommendation, statement of purpose and graduate engineering supplemental application vary by department

GRE scores, letters of recommendation, statement of purpose and graduate engineering supplemental application vary by department School Type: 4-year, public; 16,375 students with 5,056 graduate students

University of Kansas at Lawrence

In addition to Master of Science degrees in 12 majors, the School of Engineering at the University of Kansas offers a Master of Engineering in Aerospace Engineering and a Master of Civil Engineering. The Master of Science programs are specific to each degree, and in addition to coursework, can include options for a thesis, project, report or special problem investigation

For example, as a graduate student in the Master of Science in Civil Engineering program, you take a minimum of nine credit hours in courses in construction, engineering mechanics, geotechnical engineering or other related subjects. The requirements for the mechanical engineering give you the opportunity to take advanced-level classes in thermal engineering, automotive design and steam power plants. If you decide to major in aerospace engineering, you can fulfill your degree requirements while studying the design, manufacturing and operation of airplanes and spacecraft.

Program: Master of Science, Master of Engineering, Master of Civil Engineering

Master of Science, Master of Engineering, Master of Civil Engineering Fields of Study: Aerospace, architectural, chemical, civil, electrical and computer, mechanical and petroleum engineering, bioengineering, environmental engineering or science, engineering management

Aerospace, architectural, chemical, civil, electrical and computer, mechanical and petroleum engineering, bioengineering, environmental engineering or science, engineering management Program Length: 30-33 credit hours or two years of full-time study

30-33 credit hours or two years of full-time study Tuition and Fees: $11,027 per year for in-state students; $24,404 per year for out-of-state students (2018-2019)

$11,027 per year for in-state students; $24,404 per year for out-of-state students (2018-2019) Prerequisites: Bachelor's degree,

Bachelor's degree, Admission Requirements: Three letters of recommendation, graduate transcripts

Three letters of recommendation, graduate transcripts School Type: 4-year, public; 27,690 students with 8,094 graduate students

Several schools in the Kansas City, MO, area offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering with different specializations.
United States officials have announced the first charges resulting from an investigation of Russian efforts to influence the U.S. presidential election last year.

A federal grand jury indicted Paul Manafort and Rick Gates on Monday. Manafort served briefly as chairman of Donald Trumps election campaign. Gates is his business partner, who also worked for the Trump campaign.

The two men were charged with 12 criminal counts. These include conspiring against the United States, acting as unregistered foreign agents, and other charges related to hiding tens of millions of dollars overseas.

Both Manafort and Gates pled not guilty in federal court.

These are the first charges Special Counsel Robert Mueller has made public in his five-month investigation, but the indictments did not relate directly to the U.S. election.

Officials say Manafort and Gates worked for years as political advisers and lobbyists. They were charged in connection with their work for the government of Ukraine, two Ukrainian political parties, and former president Viktor Yanukovych.

The indictments came on same day that Mueller announced that a former Trump campaign aide pled guilty earlier this month to lying to federal agents.

In court papers, George Papadopoulos admitted lying about his contacts with foreign nationals who he thought had close ties to Russian officials. Papadopoulos once served as a foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign. He is said to be cooperating with investigators.

Court papers show that Papadopoulos was told about the Russians possessing dirt on Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails on April 26, 2016. This was before it became public that the Democratic National Committee and John Podestas emails had been hacked. Podesta served as chairman of Clintons presidential election campaign.

At the White House, presidential spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Muellers announcement had nothing to do with the Trump campaign. Papadopoulos, she noted, was a volunteer.

It has nothing to do with the activities of the campaign. It has to do with his failure to tell the truth. That doesnt have anything to do with the campaign or the campaigns activities.

She added that the investigation should look into Clintons election campaign.

Earlier on Monday, President Trump also said investigators should be looking at his former opponent. And he tweeted that the Manafort indictment was related to events that took place before the 2016 campaign.

Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????," he tweeted.

The president added, Also, there is NO COLLUSION!

Collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia is what Mueller has been investigating since he was named Special Counsel last May.

Manafort joined Trumps election campaign in March 2016. Trump pushed him out in August because of reports about Manaforts foreign consulting work.

The indictment accuses Manafort and Gates of nearly 10 years of secretly plotting to work for Ukrainian interests. It says more than $75 million passed through financial accounts outside the United States, and that Manafort hid more than $18 million.

Manafort and Gates worked for pro-Russian groups in Ukraine between 2006 and 2015. That investigation is now also part of Muellers larger investigation.

Im Anne Ball.



Anne Ball wrote this story for VOA Learning English. The editor was George Grow.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story


India has begun using a new trade route to Afghanistan.

India sent its first shipment of wheat to Afghanistan by way of the Iranian port of Chabahar. The shipment will not pass through Pakistan, which lies directly between the two countries.

The Pakistani government refuses to let India transport goods to Afghanistan through Pakistani territory.

The new sea route is an important step in expanding trade between India and Afghanistan. Indian officials described the first shipment as a "landmark moment."

India plans to send six more shipments, representing 1.1 million tons of wheat, in the coming months. They will be sent from the port of Kandla, in western India, to Chabahar. From there, they will be taken by road to the Afghan capital, Kabul.

The shipment comes days after a top United States official, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, visited New Delhi. He spoke about President Donald Trumps decision to decertify the international nuclear agreement with Iran. Tillerson attempted to ease concerns that U.S. officials could stop Indias plans to develop the Iranian port.

Easier connectivity to Afghanistan is necessary for India to increase its economic links with Afghanistan and countries in Central Asia.

The port of Chabahar is the centerpiece of an effort to improve trade in the area. India is investing $500 million to develop ports and new transport centers, as well as connecting road and railroad lines.

Indian leaders expressed hope about the project.

Sushma Swaraj is Indias foreign minister. She called the new trade link the starting point of an effort that would lead to the unrestricted flow of trade throughout South Asia.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on Twitter that the launch of the trade route "marks a new chapter in regional cooperation and connectivity."

The sea route through the Iranian port is the second step taken by India to increase connectivity with Afghanistan. In June, India opened an air freight route to provide more Afghan goods for the Indian market.

The Chabahar project was proposed almost 15 years ago. But plans were delayed for years because of U.S.-led actions to punish Iran for its nuclear activities. The easing of those sanctions led India to sign an agreement with Iran and Afghanistan last year to develop the port.

The shortest and most cost-effective land routes between India and Afghanistan lie through Pakistan. But a long rivalry between the two countries has prevented India from sending exports through Pakistani territory. Afghanistan is only permitted to send a limited amount of goods to India through Pakistan.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Anjana Pasricha reported this story for VOANews.com from New Delhi. Jonathan Evans adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

______________________________________________________________

Words in this Story

rivalry  n. a state or situation in which people or groups are competing with each other

freight  adj. of or related to goods to be shipped

chapter  n. a part or division of a book

decertify  v. to state officially that something fails to meet requirements

landmark  adj. related to a development that marks a turning point

route  n. a line of travel
China and a group of countries in Southeast Asia are likely to talk briefly about a territorial dispute when their leaders meet next month.

But some observers say the discussions will be without language that would anger the Chinese government.

Chinese officials will meet with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) from November 10 through 14 in Manila. The Philippines, an ally of China for the past year, will be chairing the meetings.

ASEAN gatherings usually aim to strengthen general agreement, not publicize differences.

Observers expect statements from the meetings to note this dispute, over sovereignty in the South China Sea, without blaming any country.

Oh Ei Sun teaches international studies at Singapore Nanyang University. He expects the dispute to be noted at the ASEAN talks, but with very general language urging all sides to act responsibly.

China claims more than 90 percent of the 3.5-million-square-kilometer South China Sea. Since 2010, China has expanded its coast guard and military presence in the waterway, which is valued for its oil and fisheries. This expansion has angered four ASEAN members. Parts of the sea also are claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

The talks in Manila may be peaceful because China and ASEAN may be close to an agreement. Foreign ministers from the two sides agreed in August to language that would avoid sovereignty issues and work to avoid accidents at sea.

The agreement, called a code of conduct, had been stopped for five years largely because China didnt like it. Then Chinas occupation of a shoal in 2012 caused the Philippines to bring the territorial dispute to a world arbitration court. In July 2016, the court agreed with the Philippines. Since then, China has sought stronger relationships with ASEAN countries by making economic agreements.

ASEAN and China are expected to begin expanding the language of the code of conduct next year.

Usually, China avoids negotiating with groups of countries because such discussions lessen Chinas power. ASEAN countries are home to 630 million people. Many of these nations receive support from the United States military.

China wishes to call the code of conduct talks discussions to avoid the more formal word negotiations, said Carl Thayer, emeritus professor at The University of New South Wales. The Chinese government also put a condition that gives it a right to leave the talks, he noted.

China may be urging ASEAN not to let the United States or any powerful country get involved in the dispute while the talks continue, Thayer said.

But observers say ASEAN and China must recognize the deep sea dispute during the meetings in Manila.

ASEAN always discusses the South China Sea, Thayer noted. They want progress, he said.

Vietnam and the Philippines had already softened their positions toward China since the world court ruling, said Nathan Liu, international affairs professor at Ming Chuan University in Taiwan.

Last year, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte made a friendly visit to Beijing. He received Chinese promises of $24 billion in development-related aid.

Vietnam promised in May to increase maritime cooperation with China, noted Chinas official Xinhua News Agency. The pledge followed Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quangs meeting in Chinese Premier Le Keqiang.

Brunei and Malaysia, which had strong economic ties with China even before the court ruling, rarely speak about Chinas maritime activities.

The South China Sea issue is already gone, Liu said. He believes that with the Philippines and Vietnam seeking agreement, no other country will raise the issue.

China has worried other countries since 2010 when it began developing man-made islands, some apparently for military use. Other worries for ASEAN include passage of Chinese coast guard ships and deployment of oil pumping stations in the sea.

I'm Susan Shand.

Ralph Jennings reported on this story for VOANews.com. Susan Shand adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

maritime  adj. relating to sailing on the sea or doing business (such as trading) by sea

sovereignty - n. an areas right to govern itself

shoal - n. an area where the water in a sea, lake, or river is not deep

arbitration - n. a process of settling an argument or disagreement in which the people or groups on both sides present their opinions and ideas to a third person or group

emeritus  adj. retired with an honorary name from an office or position, especially in a university

pledge - v. to make a serious promise

formal  adj. involving or related to som
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.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Does listening to the same sad songs leave you feeling like a broken record? It could be time for a different beat.

I know it's a cliche, but I love music.

I express probably around 90% of my emotions through music. I'm that annoying person who bursts into song whenever you inadvertently stumble upon one of my 'trigger' words. Tell me to "turn around" and I will musically respond "bright eyes!"

I've even been known to turn to my old pal Google to find the best song to match my mood, searching "best song for (insert emotionally tumultuous event here)".

But it turns out the best song to listen to when you're feeling down might not be the one that matches your feelings but the one that matches how you want to feel.

Music amplifies emotion

When you're feeling all loved up in a new relationship, you might find yourself swooning along to some Ed Sheeran. Then if that relationship happens to meet a fiery demise, you may lick the wounds with a Taylor Swift breakup ballad.

These music choices can be made unconsciously. We feel naturally drawn to songs that reflect our current mood. But when we're in a bad place and listening to sad songs, we can be unknowingly making ourselves feel worse.

Music therapist Professor Katrina McFerran has seen this firsthand through her research with young people. She wanted to find a way to make young people more conscious of the ways they used music in the hope they wouldn't fall into these traps.

"Based on previous studies  we've noticed that some young people who already had inclination towards ruminating in particular use music to kind of reinforce ruminative tendencies," she says.

"So we decided to design a brief intervention that could provide young people information and inspire them to think about the ways that they're using their music."

Listen to your heart

Kat recruited 13 young Australians who were on the waiting list at headspace. She and two other qualified music therapists took the young people through her intervention over approximately two sessions each.

The intervention used the Healthy-Unhealthy Music Scale (HUMS)a series of 13 questionsto work out how young people were using their music.

Questions like "Do you ever try to use music to feel better but end up feeling worse?" helped Kat determine whether the young people were unknowingly using music in unhealthy ways.

"Part of that is we need to listen to them, listen to their music, listen to their opinions about music that they love and talk to them and share that experience of music with them," Kat explains, "then just gently prompt conversations that might increase their consciousness."

As most young people will tell you, music is something close to their heart. So it's not always easy to admit some of their favourite songs have been keeping them stuck in a negative loop.

But once they start reflecting on their choices, it can be a bit of a light bulb moment.

"They just went like, 'Ahh! I can see now how I've been using music to intensify my feelings and how that has actually been taking me into a darker place and I can change that'," says Kat.

So how do you make changes without compromising your music tastes?

Changing your tune

If death metal's your jam, you're not suddenly going to be able to bop along to Walking on Sunshine, no matter how much good it may do.

Luckily, it's not the types of songs that matter. And headspace cares about young people's input, so they wouldn't want them to change their tastes for treatment.

"There's no point saying to someone who's really angry 'Oh stop being angry, listen to this really happy perky-lerky song, you'll be fine'," says Debra Rickwood, Chief Scientific Advisor to headspace.

It's not about the specific songs, it's how you use them. So rather than switching off your favourite screamo, you can listen to it first, then move on to something that makes you feel a bit brighter.

"It's really cool, it's called the ISO principle," says Kat.

"If you meet people where they are and match their mood initially and gradually step them away from that to a place where they'd rather be, that can work really successfully. So playlists are a perfect structure for that."

Playlists are a great way of working through bad feelings. Let's say you're going through a bad breakup. Rather than keeping heartbreak songs on repeat all day, you can make a playlist that starts sombre and gradually becomes more empowering.

The best part is, it's easy to do and they can all be songs of your choice.

"[Young people have] got a resource there at their fingertips to help them when they're stuck in some of the feelings that are not conducive to their mental health and wellbeing," says Deb.

Playing by ear

Playlists are one way to use music to feel better. But an amazing thing that's come out of Kat's project is the ways young people began solving their own problems.

"One beautiful story of this young man, he decided that he was going tobecause he wanted to keep listening to the same musicso he decided he would reprogramme his associations with the music that he wanted to listen to," says Kat.

Kat tells me this young man would play the songs that were associated with trauma during good times to rewire his brain into having positive associations with them.

He'd play his songs when he was feeling pumped up about a night out, and if he had a good time, he'd come home and play them again!

"He overrode the previous associations with music and was able to continue listening to his old music in a way that actually made him feel better, rather than worse," says Kat.

Another 15-year-old in the study found that their 'angry music' was making them feel worse and leading them to do things they shouldn't. As a heavy metal fan, they couldn't stomach pop songs. So instead they used retro songs that made them feel happier. They now rock out to retro tunes with their mum!

Turning down distress

Though it was a small sample size, Kat was pleased to find her cohort reporting lower distress levels after the intervention.

"We got some pretty significant changes in their levels of distress from pre to post," she says.

Kat used the K10 scale to measure distress levels before and after the intervention. All participants reported some reduction in distress after the intervention.

But some of the most enlightening results came out of the qualitative data.

"The main themes that emerged were [that young people] had a greater sense of agency, so  they went away feeling that they could use music to influence how they're feeling in a positive way," says Deb.

"One of them said music is their top favourite thing to do. It's a really engaging way to work with young people."

Both Deb and Kat believe this intervention could be useful for young people seeking help for mental health issues. It's proved to be engaging with young people, and it gives them the power and tools to go away and make positive changes in their lives.

One of the main hurdles to rolling out the intervention is the time it takes to do.

The current mental health care plan in Australia covers 10 sessions per year. This music intervention takes two sessions to do, so at the moment it would take a big chunk of the overall plan.

But that doesn't mean hope is lost. Kat is continuing to research and work to find a way to get this out to young people in need of help.

In the meantime, you can start to think about the ways you're using music in your own life and experiment with making some uplifting playlists of your own. They can even double as an epic karaoke list! Because, in my opinion, there's no better way to deal with emotions than to sing them straight from your soul.

There's nothing I can say, a total eclipse of the heart!

This article first appeared on Particle, a science news website based at Scitech, Perth, Australia. Read the original article.
(HealthDay)Children up to age 36 months with at least one foreign-born parent are less likely to be up-to-date on recommended vaccinations, according to a study published online Oct. 26 in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Maureen Leeds, M.P.H., and Miriam Halstead Muscoplat, M.P.H., from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), used information from the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection and the MDH Office of Vital Records to examine early childhood immunization rates.

The researchers found that at ages 2, 6, 18, and 36 months, children with at least one foreign-born parent were less likely to be up-to-date on recommended immunizations than children with two U.S.-born parents. At age 36 months, vaccination coverage varied by mother's region of origin, from 77.5 percent among children born to mothers from Central and South America and the Caribbean to 44.2 percent among those born to mothers from Somalia. The authors note that in these communities, low vaccination coverage increases the risk for outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases among susceptible children and adults.

"Increased outreach to immigrant, migrant, and refugee populations and other populations with low up-to-date vaccination rates might improve timely vaccination in these communities," the authors write.

Copyright  2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
A new article that addresses the challenges of cancer proposes combining innovative prevention and treatment strategies in a state-of-the-art virtual European Cancer Institute/Infrastructure that promotes sharing of the highest standards of practices and big data among countries and centres across Europe and beyond.

By doing so, it will be possible to achieve a long-term survival of 3 out of 4 cancer patients in countries with well-developed healthcare systems, according to the Molecular Oncology article. Furthermore, the concerted actions will pave the way to handling economic and social inequalities in countries with less developed systems.

Implementing the mission will require the engagement of all the key stakeholders in the cancer research/care continuum, as well a full understanding of the needs of research and care across all Member States in Europe to address existing inequalities, noted co-authors Dr. Julio E. Celis, of the Danish Cancer Society Research Centre, and Dr. Dainius Pavalkis, of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences.

More information: Julio E. Celis et al, A Mission-oriented Approach to Cancer in Europe: A Joint Mission/Vision 2030, Molecular Oncology (2017). Julio E. Celis et al, A Mission-oriented Approach to Cancer in Europe: A Joint Mission/Vision 2030,(2017). DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.12143
Before and after sunscreen application. Credit: University of Liverpool

Snow fanatics are no doubt aware of the risk of getting sunburnt on the slopes, but a new study shows that it is more than a red face that skiers and snowboarders should be concerned about.

The study, published by scientists from the Department of Eye & Vision Science at the University of Liverpool, shows that people may not be taking as good care of their face and eyes as they should, with potentially devastating results.

They asked participants to apply sunscreen to their faces. Before and after photos were taken with a UV-sensitive camera, with areas covered with sunscreen appearing black (see attached before and after photographs). Analysis showed that on average people missed 9.5% of their faces, with the most commonly missed areas being the eyelids and the area between the inner corner of the eye and the bridge of the nose. Even when given extra information about skin cancers of the eyelid region, 7.7% of participants' faces were left unprotected.

The dangers of UV exposure

As more than 90% of basal cell carcinomas occur on the head or neck, and 5-10% of all skin cancers occur on the eyelids, this is worrying news, and should be of particular concern to people taking to the slopes this winter.

Before and after sunscreen application. Credit: University of Liverpool

Many people will already be aware of the combined threat to their skin of higher altitude (less atmospheric protection from UV radiation) and snow glare (reflecting sun back onto the skin), but this study shows that many people may not be taking as good care of their eyes and skin as they should.

Dr Kevin Hamill from the University of Liverpool explained:

"The eyes, and the skin around them, are especially vulnerable to UV radiation and cancers, so skiers and snowboarders who are at risk of high exposure really need to take care. A thoroughly-applied sunblock of at least SPF 30 is a good start but isn't enough. You need to make sure that you take your cream to the slopes and reapply at regular intervals. You also need to wear goggles or sunglasses. Wrap around frames that protect the whole eye area and have 100% UV protection are ideal."

More information: Harry Pratt et al, UV imaging reveals facial areas that are prone to skin cancer are disproportionately missed during sunscreen application, PLOS ONE (2017). Journal information: PLoS ONE Harry Pratt et al, UV imaging reveals facial areas that are prone to skin cancer are disproportionately missed during sunscreen application,(2017). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0185297
What makes some people better able to resist temptation than others? Lucina Uddin and Jason Nomi, cognitive neuroscientists at the University of Miami College of Arts and Sciences collaborated with Rosa Steimke, a visiting postdoctoral researcher in the Brain Connectivity and Cognition Laboratory at UM, to explore this question.

Steimke conducted a study as part of her dissertation work at Charite University in Berlin, Germany, in which participants were asked to perform a simple task: focus on one side of a screen where a letter - either an "E" or "F" - would quickly appear then disappear, and press a button indicating which letter they saw.

But before the letter was presented onto the screen, an image would pop up to the right, and this is where it gets interesting - the images that would appear were quite sensual and erotic. And participants' eyes definitely wandered to the right for a quick peek, which was captured by using eye-tracking equipment.

"Using this set-up, we were able to challenge participants' self-control in the face of temptation," said Steimke.

Adds Uddin, "This study is about individual differences in the ability to control impulses and behavior."

According to previous research, the brain's "cognitive control network" is typically involved in behavior that requires self-control. Here, the researchers explored another potential candidate brain system known as the "salience network." The salience network is a collection of regions in the brain that select which stimuli are deserving of our attention, such as when a driver responds to a person running across the street or is distracted by a large billboard while driving along the highway.

The cognitive control network is related to 'top-down' effortful control of attention while the salience network is related to 'bottom-up' automatic direction of attention.

"We were interested in comparing the roles of these two networks in self-control behavior," said Nomi.

Uddin and her team have taken a new approach to studying brain activity and its moment-to-moment variations using a method called "dynamic functional network connectivity." Using this method, the team was able to examine which brain network (cognitive control or salience) was more closely linked to participants' tendencies to glance at the sensual pictures even when they knew the goal was to focus on the letter to the left.

Surprisingly, they found that there were no links between cognitive control network dynamics and individual differences in performance on the task. However, those individuals whose brains showed a specific pattern of salience network dynamics were better able to perform the task. Specifically, for some people their salience networks were not as well-connected with the visual networks in the brain. Those individuals who showed this pattern were better able to resist tempting distractors and perform the task.

"Researchers normally study connectivity using traditional approaches, but we used the dynamic approach, which gave us new insight that traditional connectivity analysis did not reveal," said Uddin. "When we looked at the moment-to-moment, changing dynamic measures of connectivity we saw the relationship with individual differences in eye-gazing behavior emerge."

The study, "Salience network dynamics underlying successful resistance of temptation," is published in the journal SCAN.

More information: Rosa Steimke et al. Salience network dynamics underlying successful resistance of temptation, (2017). Rosa Steimke et al. Salience network dynamics underlying successful resistance of temptation, (2017). DOI: 10.1101/129676
Results from the prospective, randomized, multicenter CULPRIT-SHOCK trial found that an initial strategy of culprit lesion only percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) reduces the composite of 30-day mortality and/or severe renal failure in patients with multivessel disease and cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction.

Findings were reported today at the 29th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium. Sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), TCT is the world's premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine. The study was also simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

In acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock, early revascularization of the culprit artery by PCI improves outcomes. However, most cardiogenic shock patients present with multivessel disease, and the best revascularization strategy for non-culprit arteries is unknown, with some guidelines favoring more complete revascularization in these patients.

The CULPRIT-SHOCK clinical trial randomized 706 patients with multivessel disease and cardiogenic shock to either culprit lesion only PCI, with the option of staged revascularization, or immediate multivessel PCI. The primary efficacy endpoint was 30-day mortality or severe renal failure requiring renal replacement therapy. Safety endpoints included assessment of bleeding and stroke. Approximately half of enrolled patients had been resuscitated prior to randomization, 62% presented with STEMI, and 28% received some form of hemodynamic support.

The rate of the primary composite endpoint was significantly lower in patients assigned to culprit lesion only PCI compared to immediate multivessel PCI (45.9% vs. 55.4%; RR 0.83; 95% CI 0.71-0.96; P=0.01). There was a significant difference between study groups with respect to all-cause mortality (43.3% vs. 51.5%; RR 0.84; 95% CI 0.72-0.98, P=0.03), while the difference in the rates of renal replacement therapy was not statistically significant (11.6% vs. 16.4%, RR 0.71; 95% CI 0.49-1.03, P=0.07). There were no significant differences in the time to hemodynamic stabilization, length of intensive care unit stay, or requirement for and duration of catecholamine therapy.

"Cardiogenic shock during myocardial infarction is a relatively rare, but extremely dangerous condition, in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs," said Holger Thiele, MD, Director of the Heart Center Leipzig - University Hospital in Leipzig, Germany. "Not only is CULPRIT-SHOCK the largest randomized trial in cardiogenic shock, it is also the first randomized trial to assess a strategy of multivessel PCI versus culprit vessel only PCI with the option of staged revascularization in this patient population. Based on these 30-day results, culprit vessel only PCI reduces mortality or severe renal failure."
(HealthDay)Aspirin resistance, measured using the Platelet Function Analyzer (PFA)-100 system, is associated with cardiovascular events in aspirin-treated patients, according to a study published online Oct. 21 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.

H.Y. Chen, M.D., from Taipei City Hospital in Taiwan, and P. Chou, Ph.D., from the Yang-Ming University School of Medicine in Taiwan, assessed aspirin resistance in 465 aspirin-treated patients from the outpatient department. Patients were followed for five years for hospitalization for any acute cardiovascular event.

The researchers found that 20 percent of the patients had aspirin resistance. There was a strong correlation for prior hospitalization history of cardiovascular events with aspirin resistance (P = 0.001). Cardiovascular events had developed in 11 patients with aspirin resistance (eight stroke and three myocardial infarction) and in nine patients without aspirin resistance (four stroke and five myocardial infarction) at the five-year follow-up (12.1 versus 2.4 percent; P < 0.001). A strong correlation was seen between aspirin resistance and cardiovascular events at the five-year follow-up in multivariate analysis (adjusted odds ratio, 4.28; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.64 to 11.2; P = 0.03).

"We posit that measuring aspirin resistance by PFA-100 may play a role in clinical cardiovascular prevention," the authors write.

Copyright  2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
(HealthDay) An outbreak of a potentially deadly bacteria linked to contaminated puppy poop has spread to 15 states, a new federal report shows.

These multidrug-resistant Campylobacter infections have now sickened 67 people.

In the latest update from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the agency said cases rose from 39 in mid-September to 67 reported by Oct. 30. Ninety-three percent of these infections have been connected to puppies sold at Petland stores.

"Evidence suggests that puppies sold through Petland are a likely source of this outbreak," the CDC said in a news release issued in September. "Petland is cooperating with public health and animal health officials to address this outbreak."

Of the 62 patients for whom there was available information, 17 (27 percent) have been hospitalized, the CDC said in an Oct. 30 news release.

Campylobacter infections linked to the puppies have now been reported between September 2016 and October 2017 in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming, the CDC said. Ohio has the most cases, with 24 infections reported.

Campylobacter is a bacteria that causes people to develop diarrhea (sometimes bloody), cramping, abdominal pain and fever within two to five days of exposure to the organism, said Dr. Sophia Jan, director of general pediatrics at Cohen Children's Medical Center, in New Hyde Park, N.Y.

This is a common cause of diarrhea in the United States, she said.

"The illness typically lasts about a week without treatment," Jan said. But for people with compromised immune systems, Campylobacter infections can be life-threatening, she added.

Most cases in humans occur from eating raw or undercooked chicken, or eating foods that have been cross-contaminated by infected poultry products, Jan said.

However, humans can get infected from contact with the stool of an infected puppy, she added.

Almost all of the people sickened in this outbreak have been Petland employees, while others had either bought a Petland puppy, shopped at Petland or visited someone who had purchased a puppy from Petland, the CDC said.

Infected dogs may or may not show signs of illnesssuch as diarrhea, vomiting or a feverso it's important to take precautions when around dogs, the CDC advises.

To prevent catching Campylobacter from dogs, the CDC recommends that you:



Wash your hands thoroughly after touching dogs, their poop or their food. Take extra care that children wash their hands carefully after playing with puppies or dogs.

Pick up and dispose of dog poop, especially in areas where children might play.

Contact your veterinarian if you notice any signs of illness in your puppy or dog.

More information: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on Campylobacter

Copyright  2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Credit: CDC

A previously recommended treatment for gonorrhea, cefixime, may be an effective alternative to current treatments as clinicians battle outbreaks and emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), according to a study published this week by Xavier Didelot of Imperial College London, UK, and colleagues in PLOS Medicine.

Gonorrhea, caused by the bacteria N. gonorrhoeae, is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in England, and incidence has increased in recent years, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM). Treating gonorrhea is complicated by the rapid development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The cephalosporin antibiotic cefixime was a recommended first-line treatment for gonorrhea before increasing prevalence of cefixime-resistant strains of N. gonorrhoeae was observed around 2010, leading to the removal of cefixime from treatment guidelines. While the currently recommended dual therapy of ceftriaxone-azithromycin remains effective, emerging ceftriaxone resistance has led to fears thaat this regimen may in turn become inadequate.

To determine whether re-introduction of cefixime treatment in a minority of cases might provide an effective alternative and help prevent emergence of resistance to ceftriaxone-azithromycin, the researchers developed a mathematical model of the dynamics of cefixime resistance observed between 2008 and 2015. The model includes a fitness benefit of cefixime resistance in N. gonorrhoeae during periods of wide use of the antibiotic (explaining the increase in resistant strains up to 2010) and a fitness cost of resistance (explaining the decrease in cefixime resistance after 2010). The model estimates treating cefixime-resistant gonorrhea with cefixime to be unsuccessful in 83% (95% credible interval [CrI] 53%-99%) of cases, representing a fitness benefit of resistance large enough to counterbalance the fitness cost to N. gonorrhoeae when more than 31% (95% CrI 26%-36%) of cases are treated with cefixime. The authors therefore suggest that cefixime could be used to treat up to 25% of gonorrhea cases without risk of cefixime resistance re-emerging.

The authors note that epidemiological data for their model is restricted to MSM, the population in which the cefixime-resistant outbreak of gonorrhea was concentrated, and that assumptions made to keep the model simple and generalizable may impact predictions.

In an accompanying Perspective, Magnus Unemo of Orebro University Hospital, Orebro, Sweden, and Christian Althaus of the University of Bern, Switzerland, discuss the value of modelling studies to inform AMR management. They also note the limitations of the current evidence base informing such models, highlight the need for studies measuring the many factors that affect transmissibility of resistant strains, and suggest caution before widely reintroducing antimicrobials such as cefixime.

Both papers are included in the new PLOS Medicine Collection on Sexually Transmitted Infections.

More information: Whittles LK, White PJ, Didelot X (2017) Estimating the fitness cost and benefit of cefixime resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae to inform prescription policy: A modelling study. PLoS Med 14(10): e1002416. Journal information: PLoS Medicine Whittles LK, White PJ, Didelot X (2017) Estimating the fitness cost and benefit of cefixime resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae to inform prescription policy: A modelling study.14(10): e1002416. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002416
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Alcohol and other drug use are regularly linked to child abuse or neglect in families, but simply assuming the former causes the latter is not taking a deep enough look. A University of Kansas professor has authored a pair of studies examining how a range of parental alcohol and substance use behaviors are related to abusive and neglectful parenting behaviors and argues that a more thorough understanding can help address the associated problems to better serve families.

Research has tended to view parental substance abuse as any harmful use or substance use disorder. That has limited understanding of how a range of behaviors can contribute to child maltreatment. Nancy Jo Kepple, assistant professor of social welfare, has authored two studies examining data on severity of alcohol and other drug use among parents and the type of child maltreatment behaviors associated with them. She argues that the current ways of studying substance abuse and child maltreatment are inadequate because they frame substance use behaviors too narrowly.

"Very few of us have tried to look beyond a basic way to measure substance use. Some of the confusion regarding the relationship between parental substance use and child maltreatment has been around the fact that we look at it as an either-or proposition," Kepple said. "By definition, drug use varies widely and along many dimensions."

For her studies, published in Substance Use & Misuse and Child Abuse & Neglect, respectively, Kepple analyzed data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. The data is a panel survey of children sampled from nine regions across the United States identified as being at high risk for experiencing maltreatment based on child welfare investigation or involvement. For the studies, the sample included children who were not removed from their homes but had at least one investigation of child maltreatment conducted by a child welfare professional. The parents reported on their substance use, substance-related problems and parenting behaviors during three interviews conducted over three years.

The analysis showed that parents who reported at least light to moderate drinking of alcohol or more intensive alcohol and other drug use were associated with a higher annual frequency of physical or emotional abuse behaviors compared with those who reported no past year use of any alcohol or drugs. In contrast, only those who reported past year substance use disorders were associated with a higher annual frequency of neglect compared with other substance use behaviors. The findings show it is not enough to simply assume substance use alone will lead to the same problems for all families.

"If that were true, we should see more increasing frequency of abusive and neglectful behaviors with increasing substance use and associated problems in functioning. But I didn't," Kepple said. "When we look at different types of maltreatment, the findings showed different relationships between substance use behaviors and abuse than for neglect. These relationships are complicated and likely vary by type of parenting behaviors. You can't demonize the parents for the drug use alone; there has to be a connection between the substance use and how it impairs a parent's ability to care for their child. Practitioners and social service agencies working with these families could benefit from research re-thinking the ways we measure alcohol and drug use."

Many caseworkers and social work professionals are doing great work adopting a more nuanced view of substance use when working with families, Kepple said. But improving our approach in research could help provide practitioners with better data and support about how to screen and assess for potentially problematic behaviors before they escalate to maltreatment. Additionally, this information could help professionals in identifying families who may benefit from help early, preventing such negative behaviors before they happen, lessening the trauma to children and the need to remove them from their homes. Evaluating parents for early or high-risk substance use behaviors before they reach criteria for use disorders could greatly assist in efforts to prevent systems from being overburdened by escalating substance-related problems, such as the current opioid epidemic faced in the United States.

"Right now, the news is, 'What are we going to do with these kids who are losing parents or being removed from their families because of the opioid epidemic?'" Kepple said. "My argument is we should look at what we can do to help parents early on and help prevent these problems from escalating in the first place."

Increased understanding of the parenting behaviors associated with different aspects of substance use, such as frequency, type or associated problems in functioning, could help social work develop more effective screening, assessment and interventions. Families affected by substance-using parents may require flexible and adaptive response. Kepple said in future research she hopes to examine different aspects of substance use, such as the experiences of parents in long-term addiction recovery, and add to the body of literature on how and why certain aspects of substance use may contribute to problematic parenting behaviors.

Ultimately, Kepple said, the findings show the importance of studying the unique experiences of substance-using parents across a range of behaviors. This means thinking about them as a unique population rather than collapsing them into a general substance-using population or general parenting population. It's about combining the best approaches from addiction research and child maltreatment research to move our understanding forward.

"We can strive to improve how we measure both substance use and parenting behaviors in the research literature," Kepple said. "It's hard to do, and my studies are far from perfect. But if we make it a priority, we can greatly improve our understanding and give guidance back to the field in a way that helps to better serve families."

More information: Nancy J. Kepple. Does parental substance use always engender risk for children? Comparing incidence rate ratios of abusive and neglectful behaviors across substance use behavior patterns, Child Abuse & Neglect (2017). Journal information: Child Abuse & Neglect Nancy J. Kepple. Does parental substance use always engender risk for children? Comparing incidence rate ratios of abusive and neglectful behaviors across substance use behavior patterns,(2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.09.015
The detection of certain non-cancerous "high risk" breast lesions can lead to surgical treatment in women, but one of the largest studies of a specific type of high-risk lesion, flat epithelial atypia (FEA), calls for close observation, rather than surgical removal of these lesions in most cases, according to study results published on the web site of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons in advance of print.

The study involved a review of medical records of 208 patients diagnosed with FEA over a nine-year period and found that, after mammography, biopsy, and an operation, five cases (2.4 percent) were upgraded to breast cancer at surgery, while 30 percent were upgraded to a higher-risk, but non-cancerous, breast lesion. "Our study is one of the largest published studies on outcomes of pure FEA lesions," said lead author Leslie Lamb, MD, MSc, of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School, both in Boston. The five cases upgraded to cancer were diagnosed as noninvasive breast cancer (ductal carcinoma in situ [DCIS]), and none were upgraded to invasive breast cancer, Dr. Lamb said.

FEA is one type of high-risk breast lesion. Other types include atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH), lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), and atypical lobular hyperplasia (ALH). "Pathology results at needle biopsy are considered 'high-risk' if there are atypical cells but not cancerous cells present," explained coauthor Michelle Gadd, MD, FACS, of the department of surgical oncology at MGH. "When high-risk lesions are excised by the breast surgeon, some are found to have adjacent cancerous cellsthat is, they are upgraded to cancer at surgery."

Dr. Lamb and colleagues focused on FEA because previous studies have shown wide variability in upgrade rates, ranging from 0 percent to 40 percent. "This wide variability has led to uncertainty of its clinical significance and management and has led to unnecessary surgeries of FEA lesions that are not associated with cancer," Dr. Lamb said. The researchers' goal was to develop a way to evaluate cancer risk in women with pure FEA lesions.

Previous studies of FEA were limited by their small study populations, bias in selection of study patients and variances in surgery rates for FEA. At MGH, all patients with FEA-positive biopsy undergo an operation to excise the lesion, which allows for "relatively unbiased reporting of upgrade rates," the study authors note.

Some lesions have a higher risk than others of upgrade to cancer at surgery. ADH, for example, has approximately a 20 percent upgrade rate, the authors state. When a lesion on the mammogram is suspicious, an image-guided biopsy is typically the next step in the diagnostic process. Overall, 10 percent to 15 percent of those biopsies result in high-risk lesions, noted coauthor Manisha Bahl, MD, MPH, of the department of radiology at MGH.

Women with ADH, LCIS, and ALH have a higher lifetime risk of developing breast cancer than women without those high-risk lesions, Dr. Bahl explained. "Therefore, some believe that it is important to know if a patient has one of these higher-risk lesions in order to guide decisions about whether or not she is a candidate for chemoprevention"that is, medications that lower the risk of developing cancer, she said.

Mammography, while the most effective method for diagnosing breast cancer early on, has its limits, Dr. Bahl noted. It can result in false positives and unnecessary biopsies and operations. The small number of upgrades of FEA to cancer in the study precluded the researchers from identifying clinically reliable predictors, Dr. Bahl said. "We found that the only risk factor associated with a higher risk of upgrade to cancer at surgery was the presence of a genetic mutation associated with breast cancer; however, we had only three patients with known genetic mutations in our study," she said. "The only risk factor associated with a higher risk of upgrade to a 'higher-risk' lesion was a personal history of breast cancer."

Constance D. Lehman, MD, PhD, senior author on the paper and director of breast imaging at MGH, agreed. "Surveillance, rather than surgery, is a good option for women with FEA lesions who do not have a genetic mutation and are not interested in chemoprevention," she said. In November 2016, The American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBS) published guidelines recommending observation of pure FEA lesions with clinical and imaging follow-up. "Our results support these recommendations, given the overall low risk of upgrade to malignancy," Dr. Lehman said.

More information: Leslie R. Lamb et al. Flat Epithelial Atypia: Upgrade Rates and Risk-Stratification Approach to Support Informed Decision Making, Journal of the American College of Surgeons (2017). Journal information: Journal of the American College of Surgeons Leslie R. Lamb et al. Flat Epithelial Atypia: Upgrade Rates and Risk-Stratification Approach to Support Informed Decision Making,(2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2017.08.022
Molecules of mercaptoethanol (left) and decaborane (right) Credit: L. Turin

(Medical Xpress)As occurred in the painstaking deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphs, adherence to outmoded ideas is a lasting impediment to our understanding of how odorants are decoded by the olfactory system. The primary roadblock for hieroglyphs was the insistence that they were purely ideographic, ie. that the shapes of the pictograms owned all their meaning. It was only after Thomas Young compared the three different scripts of the Rosetta Stone that he was able to discover that the hieroglyphs also had a corresponding physicsnamely, that they had phonetics.

In other words, it was the relationships found among the previously unappreciated vibrational characters of the spoken glyphs that led to their eventual successful decoding. Using Young's phonetic foundation, Jean-Francois Champollion theorized that there should be instances where certain sounds, like that of the letter 't', come to be represented by more than one hieroglyph, much like our own 'c' and 'k'. What finally convinced the world that it must be so began with a key sound element that Champollion fortuitously discovered in the glyphs for both Ptolemy and Cleopatra.

Luca Turin has almost single-handedly created the field of olfactory molecular vibrations. Functional groups of sulfur and borane were his Ptolemy and Cleopatra. The common note shared by two very differently shaped odorants containing these molecules was one particular stretch vibration occurring at a frequency of roughly 2600 cm-1. With this first key, originally pointed out in 1912, Turin has begun to unlock a whole codex of scents. His latest work, just published with Makis Skoulakis and Klio Maniati from the Fleming Institute and University of Athens in the journal eNeuro, is a game changer in the vibration story.

I say "game changer" because traditionally, one way for budding researchers to get ahead in the shapist-dominated field of olfaction has been to take take a potshot at Turin's theories. Often this has been under the auspices of dubious peer review and editorial standards. As with many things these days, the typical result is that #fakenews headlines like 'Vibration Theory is Totally Implausible' get the prime airtime but only rarely does the rebuttal.

A recent case in point is a paper on human detection of lily-of-the-valley odorants from the lilial and bourgeonal family. The post review comments suggest that the vibrations have survived yet another challenger. Rather than dwell in that abyss, let's allow Turin to take a few paragraphs here to personally relate his recent findings, before we add some additional comments below it:

"In a shape theory, the smell of an odorant is encoded in the shape of the odorant molecule, which in turn determines the receptors in which it fits. This is a lock-and-key theory, therefore the shapes of both locks and keys matter to the pattern of receptor activation. Picture a thought experiment in which the shapes of the olfactory receptor binding sites are all altered, while leaving wiring to the brain identical. The receptor activation pattern will be different, therefore odorants will be perceived to have a different smell, or odor character.

In a vibration theory, the smell of an odorant is encoded in the molecular vibrations of the odorant itself. The large number of smell receptors present is there to make sure that enough of them bind any given odorant so that relevant bands of the odorant's vibrational spectrum are probed, as in color vision. Now do the same thought experiment and change the shape of all receptors. Odorants will now also bind to a different set of receptors, but if there are enough of them in each band binding the odorants, the spectrum bands will be correctly measured and the odor will remain the same.

This is a fundamental difference, which could experimentally test the correctness of one or the other theory. Altering the binding sites of all receptors is not possible at the moment, not least because we do not exactly know where odorants bind. However, we can ask whether animals endowed with receptors of completely different shapes perceive odorants in a similar fashion. Insect odorant receptors, for example are completely different from mammalian ones: they have no sequence homology, and a different topology. Do fruit flies smell things the way we do? Which odorants should be used to test this? To keep things simple and reduce the problem to a single vibrational band, we have made use of two remarkable observations taken from human olfaction.

(1) One of the most remarkable coincidences in olfaction is that both sulfur and boron hydrides (respectively known a thiols and boranes) and nothing else in nature smell sulfuraceous to us despite having no chemical properties in common. What they do have in common, however, is a stretch (B-H vs S-H) vibrational frequency, around 2600 cm-1. Do flies, like us, then perceive boranes to smell like sulfur? Our experiments show that the answer appears to be Yes: flies trained to avoid boranes then avoid thiols and vice versa. This suggests that they are detecting a vibration at the same frequency.

(2) A second experiment involves the intensity, rather than the frequency of a vibration. It is well known that in cyanohydrins, chemical structures in which a nitrile (-CN) and a hydroxyl (-OH) group are attached to the same carbon, the distinctive CN stretch vibration shows up very weakly in spectrometers. Interestingly, cyanohydrins also lack the distinctive "nitrilic" odor character imparted to any odorant by the -CN group. If the -OH group is moved one carbon away, both the -CN vibration intensity and the -CN odor are restored. We have tested how flies trained to avoid a nitrile respond to a cyanohydrin and its displaced congener. Our results show that they, like us, do not perceive the nitrile in cyanohydrins but do perceive it when the -OH is moved."

In addition to these discoveries, Turin also just published a much more sweeping treatise on molecular recognition in olfaction in the journal Advances in Physics: X. In it, he and his co-authors delve into more of the specifics of olfactory receptors, including particular amino acid motifs, metal binding capacities, and disulphide bridge redox status. It turns out that amino acid side chains alone frequently pull off some rather interesting electron transfer effects without the need for fancy co-enzymes or prosthetic groups. Although there are only a few cases in which this has been proposed, we can take a brief anecdotal look at how this mechanism operates in other proteins.

Green fluorescent protein (GFP), for example, possesses an all-natural endogenous fluorescence without need for any auxiliary cofactor. Instead, an intrinsic covalently-bonded chromophore is spontaneously constructed from the side chains of the tripeptide Ser65-Tyr66-Gly67. Although other kinds of biofluorescent molecules (like luciferin) can be slightly tuned by the surrounding enzymatic shell, there is huge power in directly exposing the full lumiphore construction to evolutionary sequence adjustments; GFPs of every shade, lifetime, activation or quenching ability are available to mother nature and researcher alike.

The same kinds of amino acid substitutions that control the separations and interactions of side chains in fluorescent proteins also play an essential role in tuning the proposed mechanism for vibration detectioninelastic electron tunneling. Life literally runs on electron tunneling through the respiratory chain complexes in mitochondria. These proteins employ complicated mechanisms including esoteric-soundings things like electron bifurcation and confurcation to pump protons across the mitochondrial inner membrane. When mitochondria go dark, cells can often continue to run for a short while, but it is only in the dim glow of the battery backup metabolism.

In order to make a tunneling receptor work, the authors suggest three main structural features should be present: provisions for electron transfer across the odorant binding site, for resupply of electrons to the electron donor site, and for electrochemical transduction of the current. By starting with the presumed ancestor of all GPCRs, rhodopsin, they have already found evidence of these features in other members of the receptor family. One particular conserved tryptophan in the receptor binding pockets fits the bill nicely as it has the higher possible 'HOMO' energy of all amino acids. An acceptor with a 'LUMO' energy below that would be possible if metal ions like zinc can be coordinated nearby.

Turin mentioned above that insect olfactory receptors are quite different from mammalian receptors. This raises an important question. While mammals use GPCRs that indirectly modify downstream ion channels, insects have opted for heteromeric ionotropic receptor complexes that are gated directly by odorant binding. Insects apparently have ample evolutionary access to GPRCs because they readily employ them elsewhere in their bodies. Therefore, it's perhaps not so much that insects can't use GPCRs for olfaction, but rather that they have chosen not to. Why? Even more beguiling is the devilish conundrum of how nature seems able to convergently muster up different solutions to the same problem of optimally detecting odorants, i.e., receptors with vastly different footprints that use conserved vibrational mechanisms.

Perhaps one surprising answer to the issue of ionotropic receptors is that flying insects simply don't have any time to spare on elaborate second messenger mechanisms. While one might imagine that a moth or butterfly casually meandering up an odor plume should not be constrained by synaptic delays of just a few milliseconds, the reality for smaller flies might be much different. Central pattern generators were discovered in locusts as the main control systems behind their ballistic aerial jaunts. Flies, however, must employ a direct stretch-activated myogenic flight control because there is no way that spiking motor neurons can match their rapidly beating wings one-for-one.

Researchers have found that just a few spikes in a single fruit fly ORN neuron are sufficient to trigger an upwind turn with a delay of less than 85 ms. At a 200 hz wing beat frequency, a typical turn requires the power of about 10 strokes, or roughly 50 ms. These times are not that much slower than those of fighter aces like blowflies that can pull turns to a visual stimulus in under 30 ms. In 30 ms, these flies might put out just three or four spikes across a single synaptic delay between sensing a looming stimulus and effecting a motor response away from it. The task the flies needed to perform for the 85ms odorant response were actually a bit more challenging then it might at first appear. The flies had to make an olfactory discrimination about the identity of the odorant, and then command a new heading in its direction.

Like olfactory neurons, the photoreceptors of flies are also a bit different from ours. Although flies similarly use a G protein coupled second messenger system in their phototransduction cacade, their version takes less than 20ms to go from photon excitation to cell depolarization. Among the fastest known, fly photoreceptor signal chains involve direct physical perturbations of the membrane that propagate through the cell. While receptor and synaptic events might appear to be extremely fast relative to typical axonal transmission delays found for mammalian brains, fly receptor potentials don't typically don't need to be transmitted very far. In fact, in cases where we might say fast computation 'entirely by chemisty' predominates, graded potentials carry the load and spike generation can be dispensed with altogether.

In Turin's second point above, he describes how the both the 'nitrilic' -CN spectral line intensity and its associated odor character can be restored by moving an OH group one spot further down the hydrocarbon chain of the molecule. As this was observed in both mammal and insect, one would suspect their receptors and higher order glomerular circuitry might be doing something similar. Another example where a minor tweak to an odorant molecule can predictably (at least in the vibrational world) result in large perceptual differences was highlighted last week in Phys.org. The molecule in question is now believed to be responsible for the strong metalic scent of blood. Known as trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal, or E2D for short, this lipid by-product is created when fats in whole blood break down upon exposure to oxygen in the air.

Mice and humans, who can detect E2D at concentrations of less than one part per trillion, show a strong avoidance response to it. Flies, on the other hand, love it, and wolves react like it was catnip. Fully availing myself of the powers of Google in order to sound smart, I asked Turin on social media why trans-4,5-epoxy-alk-(E)-2-enals smell metallic rather than the grassy odor of the associated aldehydes 6 carbons or the soapy-citrus for those with 8? He immediately fired back that this phenomenon can be explained by the dilution of the 1100 cm-1 C-O-C asymmetric stretch.

Although there is nothing comparable to this kind of insight into the molecular world of scent within the shapist mentality, we should probably thank its supporters for making this battle of ideas so epic. There may yet be time for two more big events in the field, one a Nobel party, and the other, a funeral.

More information: Vibrational Detection of Odorant Functional Groups by Drosophila Melanogaster. Vibrational Detection of Odorant Functional Groups by Drosophila Melanogaster. www.eneuro.org/content/early/2  /ENEURO.0049-17.2017 Molecular recognition in olfaction, www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/1  3746149.2017.1378594

 2017 Medical Xpress
STEPANAKERT.  In accordance with the arrangement reached with the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic; NKR), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Mission on Wednesday conducted a planned monitoring of the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Artsakh and Azerbaijan, in the southeast direction of Hadrut Region of the NKR.

From the positions of the Defense Army of the Republic of Artsakh, the monitoring was held by Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office (CiO), his field assistant Ognjen Jovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Office staff member Martin Schuster (Germany), as well as Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Farrely (Ireland), representative of the OSCE High-Level Planning Group (HLPG), the NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

From the opposite side of the Line of Contact, the monitoring was conducted by Ghenadie Petrica (Moldova) and Mihail Olaru (Moldova), field assistants to the Personal Representative of the OSCE CiO, as well as Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Nepokrytykh (Russia), representative of the OSCE (HLPG).

The monitoring passed in accordance with the agreed schedule.

From the Artsakh side, the monitoring mission was accompanied by representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense.
Anwar Gargash: UAE has no interest in choosing sides between great powers

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French Senate passes resolution calling for sanctions against Azerbaijan

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Secretary of Security Council of Armenia receives delegation of EU special envoys, member states

Armenian President Vahagn Khachatryan receives newly appointed ambassador of Cyprus

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Emergency power outages in Kyiv due to explosions

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Borrell announces appearance of EU rapid reaction force in 2023

Norwegian Defense Minister pledges $30 million to NATO fund for Ukraine

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Armenian and Georgian Foreign Ministries hold consultations in Tbilisi

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OPEC downgrades its forecast for global oil demand growth in 2022

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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

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Xi Jinping: China does not intend to challenge the U.S.

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Biden and Xi Jinping oppose use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine

Nikol Pashinyan receives Russian co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group

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YEREVAN.  I believe the Trump administration does not pay attention to the Karabakh conflict at the highest level. This happens because President Trump is attempting to reduce the US leaderships role in the world, including through strict budget cuts at the State Department.

[But] ultimately, the [Trump] administration will probably accept that the talks through the [OSCE] Minsk Group on peaceful settlement of the Karabakh conflict ensure a specific plan, on which the US and Russia can work jointly for peace.

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group former Co-Chair of the US, former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan, former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, and Director of the Tallinn-based International Centre for Defence Studies, Matthew Bryza, told the aforesaid to 168 Zham (Hour) newspaper of Armenia.

As per Bryza, cutting down the position of the US Co-Chair of the Minsk Group is an unwise and even a perilous move, since this can create a vacuum, as a result of which the Minsk Group process could fail, whose consequence will be the spiral increase of tension [at the Karabakh conflict zone], whose peak could be another war.

Also, Bryza noted that this move [of making budget cuts at the State Department] is senseless from the budget point of view, since the OSCE, and not the US government, covers the costs of the US co-chair, wrote 168 Zham.
The man, who on Monday had taken a 3-year-old child hostage in a kindergarten in Armavir town, underwent diaphragm and abdominal surgeries.

Armavir hospital director Sargis Khachatryan on Tuesday informed the aforementioned to Armenian News-NEWS.am. He added that this mans chest was damaged by a knife.

Khachatryan noted that the man is in the intensive care unit and in moderate condition.

Police of Armenia received a call, on Monday at 4:25pm, informing that a man armed with a knife had broken into a kindergarten in Armavir. He was holding a 3-year-old child hostage at the kindergarten, and under the threat of knife.

Law enforcement officers negotiated with him, during which they succeeded in safely removing the child from the kindergarten. Several minutes later, police officers took the hostage-taker out of the building in a vehicle with tinted windows.

Police say the man had personal reasons for his action, but they do not give details.

Even though police keep the identity of this man secret, according to preliminary information, he is Armavir resident Argam Hovikyan.
YEREVAN.  The ex-wife of the man who on Monday had taken a 3-year-old child hostage in a kindergarten in Armavir town, and who also had suffered injuries during this incident, was transferred to Heratsi N1 Hospital Complex in capital city Yerevan, on the same day at around 11pm.

Immediately after being transferred, the 23-year-old woman underwent microsurgery on her right wrist, a hospital representative informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

In addition, she had a wound between her rib cage and a cut under her jaw, both wounds were treated, and doctors say she is in satisfactory condition.

The woman is at the intensive care unit.

Police of Armenia received a call, on Monday at 4:25pm, informing that a man armed with a knife had broken into a kindergarten in Armavir. He was holding a 3-year-old child hostage at the kindergarten, and under the threat of knife.

Law enforcement officers negotiated with him, during which they succeeded in safely removing the child from the kindergarten. Several minutes later, police officers took the hostage-taker out of the building in a vehicle with tinted windows.

Police say the man had personal reasons for his action, but they do not give details.

Even though police keep the identity of this man secret, according to preliminary information, he is Armavir resident Argam Hovikyan.
WASHINGTON DC. - The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is continuing its engagement with key government, business, and civil society stakeholders in both Armenia and the United States to establish non-stop flights between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Zvartnots International Airport (EVN) in Yerevan, Armenia with a U.S. carrier.

Zanku Armenian, who is leading the ANCAs effort and Zareh Sinanyan, Glendale, California City Council Member recently traveled to Yerevan to discuss with officials the practical steps necessary to establish this proposed flight route. Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek was also in Yerevan on an official visit at the same time, arranged by the ANCA Pasadena chapter. Tornek and Sinanyan serve together on the Burbank Hollywood Airport Commission, as President and Vice President, respectively. The meetings in Yerevan build on discussions ANCA officials had earlier this year with LAX CEO Deborah Flint.

L.A. has strong and lasting bonds with the people of Armenia, said Mayor Eric Garcetti. Direct travel from LAX to our sister city in Yerevan would bring new opportunities for economic growth, cultural exchange, and family togetherness.

We see an eagerness on the part of all officials to work with the ANCA to explore this creative initiative, said Mr. Armenian, because linking the largest Armenian-American diaspora community in the United States with Armenia will boost tourism and business opportunities in both Los Angeles and Armenia.

The ANCA plans to continue pursuing this bold initiative working with relevant government officials in the United States and Armenia. The ANCA's effort aims to ensure a methodical, integrated and professional approach between the government and private sectors that is necessary to attract the serious interest of U.S. carriers.
YEREVAN.  Within the framework of its official visit Tajikistan, the delegation from the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, and led by chairman Ara Babloyan, on Monday met with President Emomali Rahmon of Tajikistan.

The parties reflected on bilateral cooperation and parliamentary collaboration, and outlined the directions of further cooperation, the NA informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

Babloyan noted that the necessary legal contractual basis has been formed between Armenia and Tajikistan.

The interlocutors exchanged views on the importance of establishing closer ties in several domains, spoke about bilateral cooperation within international platforms, and reflected on the joint efforts to address regional and international challenges.

Also, they discussed conflict resolution. In this connection, the Tajik president underlined the need to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through peace talks.

After the meeting with the Tajik president, the Armenian parliament speaker issued a statement for the media. Ara Babloyan considered it noteworthy that the NA delegations current visit to Tajikistan is taking place on the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

All our efforts will be aimed at the establishment and maintenance peace, and the wellbeing of our peoples, he noted, in particular.
YEREVAN.  The Investigative Committee of Armenia is investigating the criminal case into taking a small child hostage in a preschool in Armavir town.

On Monday at around 4pm, an Armavir resident entered the said preschool, kidnapped one of its pupilsa boy born in 2015with the threat of knife, and demanded to talk with his ex-wife in order to release the child, the Committee informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

But as a result of measures that were undertaken, the hostage-taker was neutralized, whereas the little boy was safely released.

During the respective operation, however, the man injured himself with the knife, and he was immediately taken to hospital and underwent surgery.

But information has been obtained that, before taking the child hostage, the man had inflicted knife injuries to his ex-wife who works at this preschool as a teacher, and to her grandmother, who is the director of this preschool.

Three people have been recognized as injured party.

The said knife was found at the scene.

Several forensic examinations have been commissioned.

The suspect has been arrested.
Azerbaijan must prove its adherence to democratic values.

Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE PA), Swedish MP Margareta Cederfelt, told about the aforementioned to Haqqin.az news agency of Azerbaijan.

She noted this in connection with the information that Azerbaijan wishes to withdraw from the Council of Europe (CoE).

The OSCE PA deputy speaker said they demand from Azerbaijan, Russia, Armenia, and all other countries to respect European values.

Also, Cederfelt noted that their view is that Azerbaijan must remain in the CoE and prove its adherence to democratic values.

And with respect to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the OSCE PA Vice-President stressed that this is a very complicated conflict, the OSCE Minsk Group is dealing with it, and therefore she is cautious of not making a statement that could cause some tension in the negotiation process.
YEREVAN.  An Armenian man who took 3-year-old boy hostage at a pre-school in the town of Armavir had attacked his ex-wife's family in the past, ex- father-in-law told Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent.

Edgar Hovhannisyan, the father of Argam Hovikyan's ex-wife, said that on August 8 Agram attacked him with a truncheon. The man also hit Edgar's mother on the head. Edgar contacted police and showed them the copy of a note with threats that had been sent by Argam. However, police did not respond adequately.

I wondered whether they would do something until he [Agram] killed someone from my family? Edgar says.

The man explains that Agram was not afraid of police because he said he had paid them. And, this was not the first time that police ignored Edgars warnings about the behavior of his ex-son-in-law.

A few months before the incident, Argam took a loan on behalf of Lilit, his ex-wife, by using fake papers proving her salary was 297,000 drams  much higher than a salary of a pre-school teacher. Lilits parents had to pay this loan along with penalties.

Lilits father said his former son-in-law was a gambling addict and used to sell his daughters jewelry.

Agrams father was also aware of his addiction. The man told Edgar that he had sold his apartment for $28,000 to gamble money.

Edgar is confident that if police were more attentive to his warnings, they could have avoided the incident.

As reported earlier, Agram Hovikyan seized the pre-school in Armavir taking 3-year-old-boy hostage on Monday. After long negotiations police managed to release the boy. The man hurt himself and his ex-wife. The young woman was hospitalized and underwent a surgery.
The Russian, Azerbaijani and Iranian presidents will discuss joint efforts to combat terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking and transnational crime during the summit in Tehran on November 1, the Kremlin press service reported in the run-up to the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Tehran.

"During the exchange of views on pressing international and regional issues, special attention will be paid to coordination of joint efforts to combat terrorism and extremism, drug trafficking and transnational crime," the press service said.



The presidential administration noted that the parties "are seeking to pursue a coordinated policy in the global hydrocarbon markets. Active cooperation has been maintained within the Gas Exporting Countries Forum," where Russia and Iran are the organizations members, while Azerbaijan is an observer.



"The leaders are expected to make a joint statement after the summit, which will reflect the key areas of further cooperation between the three countries," the press service said.

Situation in Syria and around Irans nuclear programs will be in focus of Russian President Vladimir Putins talks with the Iranian leaders, the Kremlin press service said.

"During talks with the Iranian leaders, it is planned to discuss a wide range of issues of the international agenda, including current regional problems, in particular the situation in Syria. It is also planned to discuss issues related to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to settle the situation around the Iranian nuclear program," the Kremlin said.
A secret team from the US provoked authorities in Iraqs Kurdistan region to hold an independence referendum despite Washingtons pretense of opposing the vote, Tasnim reported quoting Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri.

The US, via a secret advisory team, provoked the leaders of the Kurdistan region to hold a referendum so that it could later pretend to have been presented with a fait accompli and accept the outcome of the referendum, Major General Baqeri said in a speech on Tuesday.

In fact, the US government expressed fake opposition to this independence referendum held by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the commander said.

He went on to say that in this sedition, the vigilance of the Iraqi people and government as well as the religious leadership of the Arab country led to the cancellation of the result of the referendum and subsequently, without any war and bloodshed, the areas controlled by the KRG were recaptured by the Baghdad government.

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
* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati received the 2022 Adepi Award

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the World Intellectual Property Review's "Influential Women in IP" of 2020.

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2018.

* IPKat founder and Blogmeister Emeritus Jeremy Phillips listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2005, 2011, 2013, and 2014.

* Recommended by the European Patent Office as reading material for candidates for the European Qualifying Examinations, 2013.

* Listed as "Top Legal Blog" in The Times Online, March 2011.

2010 ABA Journal 100. * One of the only two non-US blogs listed in the Blawg100.

* Court Reporter Top Copyright Blog award winner, November 2010.

* Number 1 in the 2010 Top Copyright Blog list compiled by the Copyright Litigation Blog, July 2010.

* Selected by the United States Library of Congress for inclusion in its historic collections of Internet materials related to Legal Blawgs as of 2010.

* Top Patent Blog poll 2009: 3rd out of 50 in the "Favourite Patent Blog" poll and 2nd out of 50 in the "Most-read" poll.

Blog of the Year, 20 August 2008. * ComputerWeekly IT Law and Governance, 20 August 2008.
War-weary Iraq has notched huge strategic victories by routing ISIS from its strongholds across the country, yet also suffered a symbolic setback by a Kurdish independence referendum that revealed a deeply divided society. For Iraq, sectarian divisions and the battle against extremism work at cross purposes. As the country struggles to reconcile both dynamics, some market investors are encouraged about the country's upside. A June State Department report cited Iraq's "long-term potential" for foreign investment, given its vast oil reserves and massive reconstruction needs. Bolstered by a $5.4 billion financing agreement approved by the International Monetary Fund last year and a $1 billion tranche of debt guaranteed by the U.S., some investors say the country stands a solid chance of becoming a draw for international investors despite its many challenges."The almost unanimous international support for a unified Iraq should lead to financial support for its reconstruction and reinforces the argument made in the past," said Ahmed Tabaqchali, chief investment officer of Asia Frontier Capital's Iraq Fund."The realignment of interests of regional players in dealing with the root causes of the conflict  namely the deep economic and political disenfranchisement that bred such fertile ground for the rise of extremism  is one factor Iraq should focus on to dissuade further action on a split within the country."'Much more is needed'In the wake of Iraq's military victories, infrastructure rebuilding and a boost from oil will help propel the economy's recovery. Yet for the time being, the impediments are legion. Despite the huge military victory earlier this month in ISIS' so-called capital in Raqqa, Syria , many market observers are not convinced the sky's the limit for Iraq  or for other besieged Middle East countries. "While the successful campaign against Islamic State is definitely a big positive, we do not believe that the victory in Raqqa is a key game-changer for Iraq," said Raphaele Auberty, a BMI Research risk analyst for the Middle East and Africa."It does point to a reduction of security risks in the region, but [ISIS] will continue to pose security threats through bombing attacks, and Iraq is still facing several other security challenges," Auberty added.Yet glimmers of hope are emerging, mainly in the country's battered oil sector. The rebound in oil prices is definitely positive for the Iraqi economy, Auberty explained, given the over-reliance of government revenues and exports on oil proceeds."Therefore, we see this as positive for investor sentiment, but much more is needed to see a spike in investment in non-oil sectors, given the lack of economic diversification," the analyst added.Political risk within Iraq has been and remains the biggest deterrent for potential investors. Even as the Iraqi Security Forces continue working to oust ISIS from the country, various political challenges remain, according to analysts. While BMI Research expects improved growth outside the oil sector, the firm also expects it to "remain modest over the coming years, therefore limiting specific opportunities for investors." Iraq's private sector ranks near the bottom on measurements of transparency and corruption. "Iraq will also be prone to ethnic and religious tensions, as highlighted by the recent referendum," Auberty told CNBC, an independence vote overwhelmingly approved by Kurds but opposed by Iraq's central government. "This, coupled with social instability means that we could see episodes of violence re-emerging across the country," Auberty added. Still, Iraq's investment profile has improved over the past year, amid rising oil prices and the financial lifeline from the IMF. The country is OPEC's second-largest producer, pumping more than 4 million barrels per day. Separately, global ratings agency Fitch Ratings upgraded the country's outlook from negative to stable in March, enabling the government to tap international debt markets in August. According to BMI, companies that are benefiting from support from their governments are the most likely to get involved in the rebuilding of Iraq. The United Kingdom, for example, has offered loans worth at least 10 billion British pounds ($13 billion) for the reconstruction process, with British construction companies set to benefit from these contracts. Garbis Iradian, chief Mideast/North Africa economist of the Institute of International Finance, said the tension between the central government and the Kurds' regional leadership in northern Iraq is unlikely to escalate or lead to a war.Both parties, pressured by the U.S. and the EU, may eventually strike a deal on "limited independence," he said. This should keep regional tensions high, with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi authorized by parliament to send government troops to the flashpoint city of Kirkuk."Even if the Iraqi government gets bogged down in conflict with Kurds, the negative economic implications, particularly on investment, will be more than offset by the rout of ISIS," Iradian said."The impulse from the "end of war with ISIS" or their defeat, will attract significant foreign investment to the energy sector in Iraq. Most sectors of the Iraqi economy are expected to benefit, including the energy, mining and the financial sector," the economist added. War-weary Iraq has notched huge strategic victories by routing ISIS from its strongholds across the country, yet also suffered a symbolic setback by a Kurdish independence referendum that revealed a deeply divided society. For Iraq, sectarian divisions and the battle against extremism work at cross purposes. As the country struggles to reconcile both dynamics, some market investors are encouraged about the country's upside. A June State Department report cited Iraq's "long-term potential" for foreign investment, given its vast oil reserves and massive reconstruction needs. Bolstered by a $5.4 billion financing agreement approved by the International Monetary Fund last year and a $1 billion tranche of debt guaranteed by the U.S., some investors say the country stands a solid chance of becoming a draw for international investors despite its many challenges. "The almost unanimous international support for a unified Iraq should lead to financial support for its reconstruction and reinforces the argument made in the past," said Ahmed Tabaqchali, chief investment officer of Asia Frontier Capital's Iraq Fund. "The realignment of interests of regional players in dealing with the root causes of the conflict  namely the deep economic and political disenfranchisement that bred such fertile ground for the rise of extremism  is one factor Iraq should focus on to dissuade further action on a split within the country." 'Much more is needed' In the wake of Iraq's military victories, infrastructure rebuilding and a boost from oil will help propel the economy's recovery. Yet for the time being, the impediments are legion. Despite the huge military victory earlier this month in ISIS' so-called capital in Raqqa, Syria , many market observers are not convinced the sky's the limit for Iraq  or for other besieged Middle East countries. "While the successful campaign against Islamic State is definitely a big positive, we do not believe that the victory in Raqqa is a key game-changer for Iraq," said Raphaele Auberty, a BMI Research risk analyst for the Middle East and Africa. "It does point to a reduction of security risks in the region, but [ISIS] will continue to pose security threats through bombing attacks, and Iraq is still facing several other security challenges," Auberty added. Yet glimmers of hope are emerging, mainly in the country's battered oil sector. The rebound in oil prices is definitely positive for the Iraqi economy, Auberty explained, given the over-reliance of government revenues and exports on oil proceeds. "Therefore, we see this as positive for investor sentiment, but much more is needed to see a spike in investment in non-oil sectors, given the lack of economic diversification," the analyst added. Political risk within Iraq has been and remains the biggest deterrent for potential investors. Even as the Iraqi Security Forces continue working to oust ISIS from the country, various political challenges remain, according to analysts. While BMI Research expects improved growth outside the oil sector, the firm also expects it to "remain modest over the coming years, therefore limiting specific opportunities for investors." Iraq's private sector ranks near the bottom on measurements of transparency and corruption. "Iraq will also be prone to ethnic and religious tensions, as highlighted by the recent referendum," Auberty told CNBC, an independence vote overwhelmingly approved by Kurds but opposed by Iraq's central government. "This, coupled with social instability means that we could see episodes of violence re-emerging across the country," Auberty added. Still, Iraq's investment profile has improved over the past year, amid rising oil prices and the financial lifeline from the IMF. The country is OPEC's second-largest producer, pumping more than 4 million barrels per day. Separately, global ratings agency Fitch Ratings upgraded the country's outlook from negative to stable in March, enabling the government to tap international debt markets in August. According to BMI, companies that are benefiting from support from their governments are the most likely to get involved in the rebuilding of Iraq. The United Kingdom, for example, has offered loans worth at least 10 billion British pounds ($13 billion) for the reconstruction process, with British construction companies set to benefit from these contracts. Garbis Iradian, chief Mideast/North Africa economist of the Institute of International Finance, said the tension between the central government and the Kurds' regional leadership in northern Iraq is unlikely to escalate or lead to a war. Both parties, pressured by the U.S. and the EU, may eventually strike a deal on "limited independence," he said. This should keep regional tensions high, with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi authorized by parliament to send government troops to the flashpoint city of Kirkuk. "Even if the Iraqi government gets bogged down in conflict with Kurds, the negative economic implications, particularly on investment, will be more than offset by the rout of ISIS," Iradian said. "The impulse from the "end of war with ISIS" or their defeat, will attract significant foreign investment to the energy sector in Iraq. Most sectors of the Iraqi economy are expected to benefit, including the energy, mining and the financial sector," the economist added.



More From CNBC


[October 30, 2017] VirtualArmour to Feature Deception Expert at SecureWorld Conference

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Oct. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Premier Managed Services Provider, VirtualArmour International Inc. (the Company) (CSE:VAI) (3V3:F) announced today that it will be participating at the upcoming SecureWorld Cybersecurity Conference in Denver, Colorado.

The Conference, which will take place on November 1st - 2nd, 2017, will bring together experts across the Cybersecurity industry to discuss the changing threats, newest combative technologies, and opportunities to better protect businesses across all market segments. As part of the event VirtualArmour will have a deception expert with a background in interpersonal communication and expertise in human hacking on hand to offer specialist guidance and advice. The greatest threat in cybersecurity continues to be the human element, said Andrew Douthwaite, VP of Managed Services at VirtualArmour. Understanding how human behavior interacts with technology is critical to establishing a robust prevention platform for any business. To schedule a meeting at the conference please email: [email protected] or stop by booth 109 at the Hyatt Regency Denver Technology Center. About VirtualArmour VirtualArmour is an international cybersecurity and Managed Services provider that delivers customized soltions to help businesses build, monitor, maintain and secure their networks.







The Company maintains 24/7 client monitoring and service management with specialist teams located in its US and UK-based security operation centers (SOC). Through partnerships with best-in-class technology providers, VirtualArmour delivers only leading hardware and software solutions for customers that are both sophisticated and scalable, and backed by industry-leading customer service and experience. VirtualArmours proprietary CloudCastr client portal and prevention platform provides clients with unparalleled access to real-time reporting on threat levels, breach prevention and overall network security.



VirtualArmour services a wide range of clients - which include those listed on the Fortune 500 - within several industry sectors, in over 30 countries, across five continents. Further information about the Company is available under its profile on the SEDAR website, www.sedar.com, on the CSE website, www.thecse.com, and on its website www.virtualarmour.com.

Company Contact: Nick Dinsmoor

Vice President Strategy and Marketing

Office: 720-644-0913

[email protected] Media Contact Josh Stanbury

Office: 416-628-7441

[email protected] Forward-Looking Information: This press release may include forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. The forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of VirtualArmour. Although VirtualArmour believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information as VirtualArmour cannot provide any assurance that it will prove to be correct. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and VirtualArmour disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
oh wow this was hard to read

how long do those types of dogs usually live? :( so sad that she passed aww

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Where was she that the vet was so far away?



That's sad.

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The Hamptons.

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Some are in NY but the ones that are are in the city, so if she's in the Hamptons, the Animal Medical Center is near 59th and would have been an hour drive for her from Long Island. She could have taken her there but I don't think she would have made it :/

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Yes they are. There are two 24 hour animal hospitals in my city and its a medium sized city.

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The one she found was 45 minutes away. And she went there when she found out so it didn't help much.

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There are emergency 24 hour vets. I know because I spent an entire night crying/$1,500 in one.

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I'd legit have to drive 2 hours to get to one. i know that not everyone has an extreme like that

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I live in a shitty small town and there is ALWAYS an emergency vet open. You just call any vet and they connect you to the one that is open.

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True. And the ones that are, are sometimes super expensive.

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There are heaps that are open 24 hours a day

And even if she couldn't DRIVE to one, she could at least have CALLED THEM and asked what the hell to do. They do have a fucking 911 service for dogs. It's an emergency 24 hour vet.

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there are a couple of 24 hour/emergency vet places in my area and all vet clinics have the emergency place's number on the door/website.

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I can't be angry at someone who tried to help their dog.



This just prompted me to see what I can do if my dog has one.

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My dog has seizures. If they last longer than a few minutes (one or two, MAX) I would be out the door with the vet dialing on the phone. I know that the longer the seizure is/the longer it takes to come out of the seizure, the more dire it is. So 45 minutes is fucking ridiculous to me....



and the dog DIED from it? it was only 7? This is gross.

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The dog was 17.

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oh! I think I read 7 year old as the dogs age. That's an old dog. Different story. Filming it still seems gross.

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idk why she didn't call a vet but rip lil baby :( my cat just passed away three weeks ago and i still cry every day, losing a pet is rough

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That's a weird af thing to broadcast - like, who wants to see that?

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omg noooo I just googled cookie last week to see if the dog was still alive :( rip

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Eh, I went to google when my bb (who unfortunately passed) had some kind of diabetic fit.



It happened at 10pm and here wasn't a 24hr place available and as she said there's no animal 911. She was probably afraid of doing something that would make it worse and panicking.



RIP, poor baby 



Edited at 2017-10-31 02:17 am (UTC)

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I'm sure she was probably just freaked the fuck out and trying to do whatever she could think of at the moment. She obviously wasn't thinking clearly.

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My parents next door neighbors accidentally poisoned our dogs and they just came clean about it like 6 months ago. This was practically 10 years ago.

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wtf how did they do that? I'm sorry thats awful.

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They sprayed weed killer along the conjoined fence and never said anything. So dogs being dog ate grass around that area.

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Are you going to poison your neighbours?

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i just lost my dog of 12 years over a week ago and i got a shock when i opened her instastory. seems like a weird thing to post

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I'm sorry about your dog, bb. I lost my cat a while back, and he was about the same age. :(

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Did she film the seizure on her Instastory? I just saw the videos of her freaking out.

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yeah she did one snap of it and the rest are of her freaking out.

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Some vets are, some have on call vets that cost an arm and a leg. One of our German Shepard's stomach turned upside down and it was in the middle of the night, the entire thing cost over 3k. It was worth it in the end but not everyone is lucky to have that kind of money for those kinds of emergencys.

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She was in the Hamptons, which is the middle of no where basically in terms of life, so that didn't help.

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There's a 24 hour vet in riverhead. How far is that from the hamptons? I googled it in two seconds and it came up with that listing and a phone number you can reach them 24 hours a day. That's probably the vet she ended up driving to so she could've called them for advice too =(

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HFT

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i know constance wu is like at least 10 yrs too old to play mulan in the live action adaptation, but she's so pretty i want her to be in it anyway

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Whatever, old ass white dudes play 20-30somethings all the time. She can be Mulan.

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love constance sfm.

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I'm so fucking excited

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seems like a pretty busy weekend. https://www.movieinsider.com/movies/august/2018/17

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thats far :'(

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yess I can't wait. I need to read the book before this comes out!

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i would watch constance wu narrating paint dry so i am heeeeeeeere for this

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Wow, that's a long ways away. I'm going to need a reminder next summer.

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is it too early to phone my cinema asking if they'll get the movie?

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yasssss

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IMO Pushes for Ratification of Cape Town Agreement

IMO said this key instrument applicable to fishing vessels is still not in force. This means there are no mandatory international requirements for stability and seaworthiness, life-saving appliances, communications equipment, or fire protection, as well as fishing vessel construction.

The International Maritime Organization is pushing for ratification of a fishing vessel safety treaty known as the Cape Town Agreement of 2012. Sandra Allnutt, head of Maritime Technology in IMO's Maritime Safety Division, participated in an Oct. 15-20 regional seminar in Cape Town, South Africa, to promote ratification of the treaty, saying it will enhance safety and also help fight against illegal fishing.

"We want to reduce loss of life in one of the most dangerous professions in the world, and we want to enhance safety on board fishing vessels," she said, according to a report posted on the IMO website. "This agreement, once fully ratified, in force, and implemented, will be an internationally binding agreement which will facilitate better control of fishing vessel safety by flag, port and coastal states. It will also contribute to the fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing."

The Cape Town Agreement was adopted at an international conference held in South Africa in 2012 as a way to bring into effect the provisions of the 1977 Torremolinos International Convention for the Safety of Fishing Vessels, which was later modified by the 1993 Torremolinos Protocol. In ratifying the 2012 agreement, parties agree to amendments to the provisions of the 1993 Protocol so that they can come into force as soon as possible thereafter. The treaty will enter into force 12 months after at least 22 states with an aggregate 3,600 fishing vessels of at least 24 meters in length operating on the high seas have expressed their consent to be bound by it. To date, seven countries have ratified the agreement: Congo, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, and South Africa, which have a combined 884 fishing vessels of sufficient length operating on the high seas.

IMO said international treaties such as the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea have been in force for decades for commercial shipping industry, including cargo and passenger ships, but this key instrument applicable to fishing vessels is still not in force. This means there are no mandatory international requirements for stability and seaworthiness, life-saving appliances, communications equipment, or fire protection, as well as fishing vessel construction. "Implementation of the fishing vessel safety provisions is long overdue," Allnutt said, "so we have been running a series of seminars around the world to explain what the Cape Town Agreement is, why it is important, how it can be implemented into national legislation, and what the next steps are for a Party to the Agreement."
Caradaro carries on

Back in Milwaukee, Todaro had entered into a partnership with his friend Charles Mazza in 1956. Mazza, who had worked as an accountant at Borden Milk, arrived no restaurant experience whatsoever.

"Its a little confusing," says Charlie Mazzas son, Chuck. "They went into partnership on the business but not the building. About four years later, Joe went back to Italy and sold the business to my dad, who leased the building back from Joe."

Frank Todaro says that his parents needed a break and this arrangement allowed them to spend some time with friends and family in Santo Stefano.

"They were working seven days a week, 10-15 hours a day in that restaurant," he remembers. "Thats why I say its easy to make a success in the restaurant business, all you have to do is work seven days a week, 16 hours a day. Thats what my mother and father did, and thats why it was a success.

"Now my father was starting to slow down, getting tired and they more and more wanted to go back to Italy and spend time. In 1960 we went back and spent a whole year there. I was with them."

"I was only 11 years old at the time," remembers Mazzas daughter Marie Schick. "We were just excited that my father was buying a pizza restaurant. We had no idea what was involved. And neither did he."

While Mazza and Todaro will still partners, they came upon the idea of selling frozen pizzas at the restaurant and a local grocery chain.

"A year or so after they got into business together," says Chuck Mazza, "they decided theyd make these seven-inch round par-baked frozen pizzas they would sell at Red Owl stores. Frank (Todaro) and I, our job in the summers was to make the pizzas. Wed make one to eat for breakfast and then wed make 200 more and break for lunch. Wed eat another one for lunch and then go back and make another 200, 250 pizzas. I have made at last count 110,000 pizzas. Working like we did it doesnt take long to get to 110,000 pizzas!

"I was a freshman in high school and Frank was a senior at the same school when my dad bought into the Caradaro Club. When Frank went off to college, I brought in four of my friends and we had an assembly line going. The only problem was we were so good my dad couldnt sell the pizzas fast enough!"

Chuck Mazza has many fond memories of working, mainly in the kitchen, at the Caradaro Club. But hes the first to say it wasnt easy.

"Caradaro had a really good luncheon business. I went to Marquette University and my dad had a rule that I couldnt take any 11 or 12 oclock classes. Id work lunch at Caradaro and run back to my 1 oclock class. Sometimes Id make the mistake of taking a date to the restaurant or going there after a game thinking wed get a free pizza. My dad would say, Chuck were really busy here, can you give us a hand? So, Id be working while my friends were having a good time, (or my date) was waiting for me."

According to Jim Balistreri, who was hired by Mazza, "Joe Todaro, when he would come from Italy twice a year to collect money, would come in the kitchen and talk to me. He liked me. He knew that he was going to close the thing in Italy because of certain reasons over there. He knew when the lease was up he was going to take (Caradaro back) over.

"So he got to know me, he could see how I worked. I was a worker. He came up to me every time he was here (and) said to me, Jimmy when I take over the Caradaro Club I want you to stay here and I dont know what your salary is, I really dont care, but Ill double it the very first hour you work for me. And I said OK. Well he did, and within 2 or 3 years, he tripled it."

Chuck Mazza says that Todaro returned from Italy around 1966 and wanted to buy back into the business, though for whatever reason, Charlie Mazza wasnt interested.

"So Joe said, when the lease it up at the end of 67, youre out," Chuck Mazza remembers.

And thats exactly what happened. Todaro took over the Caradaro, and Mazza returned to accounting for a couple years, working at an area nursing home until his death in 1969.

When Balistreri decided to go into business for himself, it was natural that hed keep it in the family. So he enlisted Mazzas son, Chuck, and they opened four Caradaro Clubs.

"Both Joe and my dad had rights to the name," Chuck Mazza says, "but my dad didnt do anything with it, so he handed it down to his children."

Chuck Mazza says that he and Balistreri opened four Caradaro Clubs around town beginning with a takeout-only place on 59th Street and Villard Avenue. That one lasted less than a year. But in 71, the duo opened two more almost simultaneously, at 68th and Wells Streets in Wauwatosa and at 49th and Burleigh Street.

"When Jimmy (Balistreri) opened up on 68th Street," says Bill Jennaro, "people lined up out on the street, waiting in line to get that pizza."

But things didnt go as well up on Burleigh, Chuck Mazza recalls. Unable to get a liquor license, the place wilted and closed within a year or so. A location out on 159th Street and National Avenue in New Berlin suffered a similar fate.

"That place was bigger than a typical restaurant and there just werent enough people living around there at that time," says Mazza, and it, too, closed in less than two years.

Mazza at the time was employed full-time as a construction manager at Schlitz Brewery, where production was scaling back and he was tasked with converting former brewing space to more in-demand white collar office space. "Jim was running between the three places to keep them going. So we shuttered 49th and Burleigh and closed the one in New Berlin and Jim bought the one on 68th and Wells."

"(Chuck) became my friend because were the same age," Balistreri recalls. "And he and I opened a restaurant. His father was already out of business, because (Joe Todaro) had (returned) and taken over. So he and I started a business. We split up after a couple of years, and I stayed in business. He didnt. Im still friends with both families (Todaro and Mazza) today."

In 1965, Frank Todaro got out of the Army, spent a little time with his wifes family in Tucson and then returned to Milwaukee and the Caradaro Club, to which his dad had returned and which his father had decided he wanted to sell.
[October 30, 2017] Unisys Announces Third-Quarter 2017 Financial Results and Reaffirms Full-Year Financial Guidance

BLUE BELL, Pa., Oct. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 3Q 17 Total revenue of $666 million , flat on a sequential basis, an approximately 2 percent year-over-year decline

Technology revenue up 10 percent year-over-year to $91 million

Services revenue of $576 million , a 4 percent year-over-year decline; Services operating profit margin of 3 percent, a 480 basis point sequential improvement and a 60 basis point year-over-year improvement

Operating profit margin of (4) percent, relative to (1) percent in the prior-year period; non-GAAP operating profit margin (4) of 7.3 percent, up 370 basis points sequentially and up 60 basis points year-over-year

Services backlog up 1 percent sequentially at $3.7 billion

Unisys reaffirms full-year 2017 guidance for revenue of $2.65-2.75 billion , non-GAAP operating profit margin of 7.25-8.25 percent and adjusted free cash flow of $130-170 million Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) today reported third-quarter 2017 financial results. The company's revenue for the third quarter was $666 million, flat on a sequential basis and an approximately 2 percent year-over-year decline (4 percent decline on a constant-currency(2) basis), an improvement of 510 basis points versus the rate of decline in the prior-year period. Technology revenue was up 10 percent year-over-year. Services revenue saw a 4 percent year-over-year decline (a 420 basis point improvement relative to the rate of decline in the prior year), and Services operating margin was up 480 basis points sequentially and up 60 basis points year-over-year to 3 percent. "We are pleased with the revenue trends we saw in the third quarter, as well as new business TCV," said Unisys President and CEO Peter Altabef. "While we still need to make additional progress on improving the profitability of our Services business, we are encouraged by the improvement we made on that front this quarter." Summary of Third Quarter 2017 Business Results Company: Third quarter revenue of $666 million was flat on a sequential basis and an approximately 2 percent year-over-year decline (4 percent year-over-year decline on a constant-currency basis), an improvement of 510 basis points versus the rate of decline in the prior-year period. Third quarter operating profit margin was (4) percent, which includes cost-reduction and other charges and pension expense, relative to (1) percent in the prior-year period. Non-GAAP operating profit margin was 7.3 percent, up 370 basis points sequentially and up 60 basis points year-over-year. Net loss attributable to Unisys Corporation common stockholders for the third quarter was $41 million, versus a net loss of $28 million in the prior-year period. Adjusted EBITDA(5) for the third quarter was $89 million, up 1 percent year-over-year. Adjusted EBITDA margin for the third quarter was 13 percent, up 50 basis points relative to the prior-year period. In the third quarter 2017, operating cash flow was $54 million, relative to $46 million in the prior-year period. The company generated free cash flow(3) of $7 million in the third quarter, versus $9 million in the third quarter 2016. Adjusted free cash flow(6) in the third quarter was $67 million, versus $72 million in the prior-year period. Although operating cash flow was up year-over-year, free cash flow and adjusted free cash flow were impacted by higher year-over-year capital expenditures related to updating systems in our check-processing JV in the UK. Excluding these expenditures, free cash flow and adjusted free cash flow would have been up year-over-year. Total TCV(1) was down 44 percent year-over-year, largely due to a tough compare resulting from a large 12-year contract signed in the third quarter 2016. New business TCV was up 38 percent year-over-year for the third quarter. At September 30, 2017, the company had $599 million in cash and cash equivalents. On October 5, 2017, the company entered into a new 5-year $125 million revolving credit facility to replace the previous facility, which was due to expire June 2018. Services: Services revenue of $576 million, which represented 86 percent of third quarter total revenue, saw a 4 percent year-over-year decline as reported (a 420 basis point improvement relative to the rate of decline in the prior year) and a decline of 5 percent in constant-currency. Services backlog ended the third quarter at $3.7 billion, up 1 percent sequentially. Services gross margin was up 240 basis points sequentially, although down 20 basis points year-over-year to 16 percent. Services operating profit margin was 3 percent, up 480 basis points sequentially, reflective of changes implemented in the third quarter of 2017 and up 60 basis points year-over-year. Technology: Technology revenue in the third quarter was up 10 percent year-over-year as reported and in constant currency to $91 million, which represented 14 percent of total third-quarter revenue. Technology gross margin for the third quarter was 53 percent, versus 60 percent in the prior-year period, and Technology operating profit margin was 31 percent, relative to 32 percent in the prior-year period. Technology margins were lower year-over-year largely due to higher sales of lower-margin hardware and third-party products. Key Third-Quarter Contract Signings: The company in the third quarter entered into several key contracts in each of its sectors including the following: U.S. Federal : In collaboration with a partner, Unisys won an engagement to implement a Unisys Stealth  pilot solution to provide micro-segmentation capability for the U.S. Navy in its data center environment.

: In collaboration with a partner, Unisys won an engagement to implement a Unisys Stealth pilot solution to provide micro-segmentation capability for the U.S. Navy in its data center environment. Public : One of the biggest Wastewater Treatment Companies in Brazil renewed and expanded a five-year contract with Unisys to continue providing ClearPath Forward and data analytics services software licensing, support and maintenance services, as well as implementation of a backup virtual tape library and disaster recovery management services.

: One of the biggest Wastewater Treatment Companies in renewed and expanded a five-year contract with Unisys to continue providing ClearPath Forward and data analytics services software licensing, support and maintenance services, as well as implementation of a backup virtual tape library and disaster recovery management services. Commercial : Unisys signed a new contract with a leading European airline group for business consultancy and Unisys' AirCore passenger service solutions.

: Unisys signed a new contract with a leading European airline group for business consultancy and Unisys' AirCore passenger service solutions. Financial Services : A New Zealand bank engaged Unisys to manage and maintain their core banking applications - designed to better integrate within the banks' digital channels - as well as set up a disaster recovery system. Conference Call Unisys will hold a conference call today at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss its results. The listen-only webcast, as well as the accompanying presentation materials, can be accessed on the Unisys Investor website at www.unisys.com/investor . Following the call, an audio replay of the webcast, and accompanying presentation materials, can be accessed through the same link. (1) Total Contract Value - TCV is the estimated total contractual revenue related to signed contracts including option years and without regard for cancellation terms. New business TCV represents TCV attributable to new scope for existing clients and new logo contracts. (2) Constant currency - The company refers to growth rates in constant currency or on a constant currency basis so that the business results can be viewed without the impact of fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates to facilitate comparisons of the company's business performance from one period to another. Constant currency is calculated by retranslating current and prior period results at a consistent rate. Non-GAAP and Other Information Although appropriate under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), the company's results reflect charges that the company believes are not indicative of its ongoing operations and that can make its profitability and liquidity results difficult to compare to prior periods, anticipated future periods, or to its competitors' results. These items consist of pension and cost-reduction and other expense. Management believes each of these items can distort the visibility of trends associated with the company's ongoing performance. Management also believes that the evaluation of the company's financial performance can be enhanced by use of supplemental presentation of its results that exclude the impact of these items in order to enhance consistency and comparativeness with prior or future period results. The following measures are often provided and utilized by the company's management, analysts, and investors to enhance comparability of year-over-year results, as well as to compare results to other companies in our industry. (3) Free cash flow - The company defines free cash flow as cash flow from operations less capital expenditures. Management believes this liquidity measure gives investors an additional perspective on cash flow from on-going operating activities in excess of amounts used for reinvestment. (4) Non-GAAP operating profit - The company recorded pretax pension expense and pretax charges in connection with cost-reduction activities and other expenses. For the company, non-GAAP operating profit excluded these items. The company believes that this profitability measure is more indicative of the company's operating results and aligns those results to the company's external guidance which is used by the company's management to allocate resources and may be used by analysts and investors to gauge the company's ongoing performance. (5) EBITDA & adjusted EBITDA  Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) is calculated by starting with net income (loss) attributable to Unisys Corporation common shareholders and adding or subtracting the following items: net income attributable to noncontrolling interests, interest expense (net of interest income), provision for income taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA further excludes pension expense, cost-reduction and other expense, non-cash share-based expense, and other (income) expense adjustment. In order to provide investors with additional understanding of the company's operating results, these charges are excluded from the adjusted EBITDA calculation. (6) Adjusted free cash flow - Because inclusion of the company's pension contributions and cost-reduction and other payments in free cash flow may distort the visibility of the company's ability to generate cash flow from its operations without the impact of these non-operational costs, management believes that investors may be interested in adjusted free cash flow, which provides free cash flow before these payments. This liquidity measure was provided to analysts and investors in the form of external guidance and is used by management to measure operating liquidity. (7) Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share - The company has recorded pension expense and charges in connection with cost-reduction activities and other expenses. Management believes that investors may have a better understanding of the company's performance and return to shareholders by excluding these charges from the GAAP diluted earnings/loss per share calculations. The tax amounts presented for these items for the calculation of non-GAAP diluted earnings per share include the current and deferred tax expense and benefits recognized under GAAP for these amounts. About Unisys Unisys is a global information technology company that specializes in providing industry-focused solutions integrated with leading-edge security to clients in the government, financial services and commercial markets. Unisys offerings include security solutions, advanced data analytics, cloud and infrastructure services, application services and application and server software. For more information, visit www.unisys.com . Forward-Looking Statements Any statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, any projections of earnings, revenues, total contract value or other financial items; any statements of the company's plans, strategies or objectives for future operations; statements regarding future economic conditions or performance; and any statements of belief or expectation. All forward-looking statements rely on assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. In particular, statements concerning total contract value are based, in part, on the assumption that all options of the contracts included in the calculation of such value will be exercised and that each of those contracts will continue for their full contracted term. Risks and uncertainties that could affect the company's future results include the company's ability to effectively anticipate and respond to volatility and rapid technological innovation in its industry; the company's ability to improve margins in its services business; the company's ability to sell new products while maintaining its installed base in its technology business; the company's ability to access financing markets to refinance its outstanding debt; the company's ability to realize anticipated cost savings and to successfully implement its cost reduction initiatives to drive efficiencies across all of its operations; the company's significant pension obligations and requirements to make significant cash contributions to its defined benefit plans; the company's ability to attract, motivate and retain experienced and knowledgeable personnel in key positions; the risks of doing business internationally when a significant portion of the company's revenue is derived from international operations; the potential adverse effects of aggressive competition in the information services and technology marketplace; the company's ability to retain significant clients; the company's contracts may not be as profitable as expected or provide the expected level of revenues; cybersecurity breaches could result in significant costs and could harm the company's business and reputation; a significant disruption in the company's IT systems could adversely affect the company's business and reputation; the company may face damage to its reputation or legal liability if its clients are not satisfied with its services or products; the performance and capabilities of third parties with whom the company has commercial relationships; the adverse effects of global economic conditions, acts of war, terrorism or natural disasters; contracts with U.S. governmental agencies may subject the company to audits, criminal penalties, sanctions and other expenses and fines; the potential for intellectual property infringement claims to be asserted against the company or its clients; the possibility that pending litigation could affect the company's results of operations or cash flow; the business and financial risk in implementing future dispositions or acquisitions; and the company's consideration of all available information following the end of the quarter and before the filing of the Form 10-Q and the possible impact of this subsequent event information on its financial statements for the reporting period. Additional discussion of factors that could affect the company's future results is contained in its periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. RELEASE NO.: 1030/9550 Unisys and other Unisys products and services mentioned herein, as well as their respective logos, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Unisys Corporation. Any other brand or product referenced herein is acknowledged to be a trademark or registered trademark of its respective holder. UIS  Q



UNISYS CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Unaudited) (Millions, except per share data)













Three Months Ended

September 30,

Nine Months Ended

September 30,



2017

2016

2017

2016 Revenue















Services

$ 575.5

$ 600.9

$ 1,735.6

$ 1,809.8 Technology

90.8

82.4

261.4

289.2



666.3

683.3

1,997.0

2,099.0 Costs and expenses















Cost of revenue:















Services

539.7

531.3

1,570.9

1,594.1 Technology

40.5

30.4

117.3

106.5



580.2

561.7

1,688.2

1,700.6 Selling, general and administrative

102.3

120.0

325.6

345.8 Research and development

10.8

11.4

37.7

40.5



693.3

693.1

2,051.5

2,086.9 Operating profit (loss)

(27.0)

(9.8)

(54.5)

12.1 Interest expense

16.4

7.7

36.4

19.9 Other income (expense), net

3.0

2.3

(8.6)

3.7 Loss before income taxes

(40.4)

(15.2)

(99.5)

(4.1) Provision for income taxes

12.5

9.9

21.6

34.2 Consolidated net loss

(52.9)

(25.1)

(121.1)

(38.3) Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests

(11.8)

3.1

(5.3)

8.2 Net loss attributable to Unisys Corporation common shareholders

$ (41.1)

$ (28.2)

$ (115.8)

$ (46.5) Loss per share attributable to Unisys Corporation















Basic

$ (0.81)

$ (0.56)

$ (2.30)

$ (0.93) Diluted

$ (0.81)

$ (0.56)

$ (2.30)

$ (0.93) Shares used in the per share computations (in thousands):















Basic

50,471

50,082

50,388

50,052 Diluted

50,471

50,082

50,388

50,052 UNISYS CORPORATION SEGMENT RESULTS (Unaudited) (Millions)





















Total

Eliminations

Services

Technology Three Months Ended September 30, 2017













Customer revenue

$ 666.3

$ 

$ 575.5

$ 90.8 Intersegment



(4.4)



4.4 Total revenue

$ 666.3

$ (4.4)

$ 575.5

$ 95.2 Gross profit percent

12.9 %





16.5 %

53.3 % Operating profit (loss) percent

(4.1)%





3.2 %

31.1 % Three Months Ended September 30, 2016













Customer revenue

$ 683.3

$ 

$ 600.9

$ 82.4 Intersegment



(5.8)



5.8 Total revenue

$ 683.3

$ (5.8)

$ 600.9

$ 88.2 Gross profit percent

17.8 %





16.7 %

59.8 % Operating profit (loss) percent

(1.4)%





2.6 %

32.3 %

























































Total

Eliminations

Services

Technology Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017













Customer revenue

$ 1,997.0

$ 

$ 1,735.6

$ 261.4 Intersegment



(15.1)



15.1 Total revenue

$ 1,997.0

$ (15.1)

$ 1,735.6

$ 276.5 Gross profit percent

15.5 %





16.3 %

53.2 % Operating profit (loss) percent

(2.7)%





2.1 %

27.8 % Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016













Customer revenue

$ 2,099.0

$ 

$ 1,809.8

$ 289.2 Intersegment



(17.3)



17.3 Total revenue

$ 2,099.0

$ (17.3)

$ 1,809.8

$ 306.5 Gross profit percent

19.0 %





15.9 %

60.2 % Operating profit percent

0.6 %





1.8 %

36.0 % UNISYS CORPORATION CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) (Millions)











September 30, 2017

December 31, 2016

Assets







Current assets:







Cash and cash equivalents $ 598.7

$ 370.6

Accounts and notes receivable, net 511.8

505.8

Inventories:







Parts and finished equipment 17.7

14.0

Work in process and materials 15.1

15.0

Prepaid expenses and other current assets 118.8

121.9

Total current assets 1,262.1

1,027.3

Properties 915.4

886.6

Less-Accumulated depreciation and amortization 766.7

741.3

Properties, net 148.7

145.3

Outsourcing assets, net 190.6

172.5

Marketable software, net 136.4

137.0

Prepaid postretirement assets 47.9

33.3

Deferred income taxes 150.8

146.1

Goodwill 181.2

178.6

Restricted cash 21.3

30.5 * Other long-term assets 157.9

151.0 * Total assets $ 2,296.9

$ 2,021.6

Liabilities and deficit







Current liabilities:







Current maturities of long-term-debt $ 11.3

$ 106.0

Accounts payable 195.5

189.0

Deferred revenue 326.9

337.4

Other accrued liabilities 387.8

349.2

Total current liabilities 921.5

981.6

Long-term debt 631.5

194.0

Long-term postretirement liabilities 2,195.2

2,292.6

Long-term deferred revenue 108.3

117.6

Other long-term liabilities 90.3

83.2

Commitments and contingencies







Total deficit (1,649.9)

(1,647.4)

Total liabilities and deficit $ 2,296.9

$ 2,021.6











* Certain amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current-year presentation. UNISYS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited)

(Millions)

















Nine Months Ended

September 30,





2017

2016

Cash flows from operating activities









Consolidated net loss

$ (121.1)

$ (38.3)

Adjustments to reconcile consolidated net loss to net cash provided by (used for) operating activities:









Foreign currency transaction (gains) losses

(0.5)

0.4

Non-cash interest expense

6.9

4.9

Loss on debt extinguishment

1.5



Employee stock compensation

8.6

7.7

Depreciation and amortization of properties

29.6

28.6

Depreciation and amortization of outsourcing assets

39.3

39.7

Amortization of marketable software

47.1

48.0

Other non-cash operating activities

3.3

1.4

Loss on disposal of capital assets

4.5

2.0

Pension contributions

(110.8)

(104.0)

Pension expense

69.4

63.0

Decrease (increase) in deferred income taxes, net

2.3

(2.7)

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:









Receivables, net

3.1

59.9

Inventories

(2.6)

5.5

Accounts payable and other accrued liabilities

(15.3)

(44.9) * Other liabilities

(21.8)

10.5

Other assets

20.2

21.3 * Net cash (used for) provided by operating activities

(36.3)

103.0 * Cash flows from investing activities









Proceeds from investments

3,663.5

3,307.3

Purchases of investments

(3,632.8)

(3,331.6)

Investment in marketable software

(46.6)

(47.1)

Capital additions of properties

(21.8)

(18.3)

Capital additions of outsourcing assets

(60.1)

(41.4)

Other

(0.8)

(0.8) * Net cash used for investing activities

(98.6)

(131.9) * Cash flows from financing activities









Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt

445.0

213.5

Payments for capped call transactions



(27.3)

Issuance costs relating to long-term debt

(12.1)

(7.3)

Payments of long-term debt

(98.4)

(2.1)

Payments of short-term borrowings



(65.8)

Other

0.2

(0.4) * Net cash provided by financing activities

334.7

110.6 * Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

19.1

(2.3) * Increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

218.9

79.4 * Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period

401.1

396.8 * Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period

$ 620.0

$ 476.2 *











* Certain amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current-year presentation.

UNISYS CORPORATION RECONCILIATION OF SELECTED GAAP MEASURES TO NON-GAAP MEASURES (Unaudited) (Millions, except per share data)

























Three Months

Nine Months





Ended September 30,

Ended September 30,





2017

2016

2017

2016 GAAP net loss attributable to Unisys Corporation common shareholders

$ (41.1)

$ (28.2)

$ (115.8)

$ (46.5)



















Cost reduction and other expense: pretax

46.1

34.6

100.5

71.7

tax benefit

(1.2)

(2.6)

(10.2)

(4.7)

net of tax

44.9

32.0

90.3

67.0

minority interest

(11.1)



(11.1)



net of minority interest

33.8

32.0

79.2

67.0



















Pension expense: pretax

23.6

21.2

69.4

63.0

tax (benefit) provision

(0.1)

0.3

1.7

0.9

net of tax

23.5

21.5

71.1

63.9



















Non-GAAP net income attributable to Unisys Corporation common shareholders

16.2

25.3

34.5

84.4



















Add interest expense on convertible notes

4.8

4.6

14.2

9.9



















Non-GAAP net income attributable to Unisys Corporation for diluted earnings per share

$ 21.0

$ 29.9

$ 48.7

$ 94.3



















Weighted average shares (thousands)

50,471

50,082

50,388

50,052



















Plus incremental shares from assumed conversion:















Employee stock plans

241

226

308

175

Convertible notes

21,868

21,868

21,868

15,685



















Non-GAAP adjusted weighted average shares

72,580

72,176

72,564

65,912



















Diluted earnings (loss) per share



































GAAP basis















GAAP net loss attributable to Unisys Corporation for diluted earnings per share

$ (41.1)

$ (28.2)

$ (115.8)

$ (46.5)



















Divided by adjusted weighted average shares

50,471

50,082

50,388

50,052



















GAAP diluted loss per share

$ (0.81)

$ (0.56)

$ (2.30)

$ (0.93)



















Non-GAAP basis















Non-GAAP net income attributable to Unisys Corporation for diluted earnings per share

$ 21.0

$ 29.9

$ 48.7

$ 94.3



















Divided by Non-GAAP adjusted weighted average shares

72,580

72,176

72,564

65,912



















Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share

$ 0.29

$ 0.41

$ 0.67

$ 1.43 UNISYS CORPORATION RECONCILIATION OF GAAP OPERATING PROFIT TO NON-GAAP OPERATING PROFIT (Unaudited) (Millions)

























Three Months

Nine Months





Ended September 30,

Ended September 30,





2017

2016

2017

2016 GAAP operating profit (loss)

$ (27.0)

$ (9.8)

$ (54.5)

$ 12.1 Cost reduction and other expense

51.8

34.6

99.6

71.7 FAS87 pension expense

23.6

21.2

69.4

63.0 Non-GAAP operating profit

$ 48.4

$ 46.0

$ 114.5

$ 146.8



















Customer revenue

$ 666.3

$ 683.3

$ 1,997.0

$ 2,099.0 GAAP operating profit (loss) %

(4.1)%

(1.4)%

(2.7)%

0.6 % Non-GAAP operating profit %

7.3 %

6.7 %

5.7 %

7.0 % UNISYS CORPORATION

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP

(Unaudited)

(Millions)

























FREE CASH FLOW































Three Months



Nine Months







Ended September 30,



Ended September 30,







2017

2016



2017

2016

Cash (used for) provided by operations

$ 53.9

$ 46.1 *

$ (36.3)

$ 103.0 * Additions to marketable software

(17.8)

(16.9)



(46.6)

(47.1)

Additions to properties

(5.9)

(7.3)



(21.8)

(18.3)

Additions to outsourcing assets

(23.2)

(12.6)



(60.1)

(41.4)

Free cash flow

7.0

9.3 *

(164.8)

(3.8) * Pension funding

39.6

39.9



110.8

104.0

Cost reduction and other payments

20.2

23.1



49.0

62.3

Adjusted free cash flow

$ 66.8

$ 72.3 *

$ (5.0)

$ 162.5 *























* Certain amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current-year presentation.

UNISYS CORPORATION RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP (Unaudited) (Millions)



















EBITDA

























Three Months

Nine Months





Ended September 30,

Ended September 30,





2017

2016

2017

2016 Net loss attributable to Unisys Corporation common shareholders

$ (41.1)

$ (28.2)

$ (115.8)

$ (46.5) Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests

(11.8)

3.1

(5.3)

8.2 Interest expense, net of interest income of $2.5, $2.9, $7.2, $8.5, respectively*

13.9

4.8

29.2

11.4 Provision for income taxes

12.5

9.9

21.6

34.2 Depreciation

22.8

23.3

68.9

68.3 Amortization

15.3

15.6

47.1

48.0 EBITDA

$ 11.6

$ 28.5

$ 45.7

$ 123.6

















Pension expense

23.6

21.2

69.4

63.0 Cost reduction and other expense***

45.8

34.6

100.2

71.7 Non-cash share based expense

2.4

2.4

8.6

7.7 Other (income) expense adjustment**

5.2

0.6

14.9

4.8 Adjusted EBITDA

$ 88.6

$ 87.3

$ 238.8

$ 270.8



















* Included in Other (income) expense, net on the Consolidated Statements of Income ** Other (income) expense, net as reported on the Consolidated Statements of Income less Interest income and items included in cost reduction and other expense *** Reduced for Depreciation and Amortization included above View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unisys-announces-third-quarter-2017-financial-results-and-reaffirms-full-year-financial-guidance-300545830.html SOURCE Unisys Corporation

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In 1872, a Milwaukee banking executive named John Johnson offered a statement regarding local attitudes that still echoes today. Johnson decried that we dont have the "necessary blow and brag" for this "the handsomest and healthiest and happiest city in the West."

Johnsons full words are below, but before you read and share them, check your own Milwaukee pride. While theres no doubt that massive progress has been made in Milwaukee in the past 10-15 years, we all must become better and more passionate ambassadors and evangelists for Milwaukee.

We heard it recently at the MMAC Annual Meeting. "Tell the Milwaukee story." "Fly the Milwaukee flag." Executives from Froedtert Health, Quad/Graphics, Generation Growth Capital and more all expressed similar views when asked what Milwaukee needs more of.

If Ive said it once, Ive said it thousands of times: A city is only as good as the stories it tells. And we as Milwaukeeans must embrace the responsibility to tell the Milwaukee story. Find the good in greater Milwaukee, tell your neighbors, your out-of-town colleagues, the dude next to you on the airplane, your Facebook friends. Fly the flag, pump your chest, gush about Milwaukee products and talk up Milwaukee and our people whenever you can.

Just this Sunday, in Steve Jaglers regular "C-Level" feature on JSOnline, Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. CEO John E. Schlifske expressed similar sentiments saying, "Its imperative that we change inaccurate perceptions of our city so that we are seen as a growing and vibrant tech hub."

Im not blind to our areas challenges, nor are you. But packaging, promoting, protecting and positioning the greater Milwaukee story must be top of mind for all of us.

Milwaukees a great place, and we all must stand tall and boast our pride when and however we can. Its our collective and civic responsibility. Onward and On Milwaukee!

John Johnson

Marine Bank executive

1872 thoughts about Milwaukee

From "Making of Milwaukee."
Japanese police have found nine mutilated bodies hidden in containers with their heads cut off and flesh stripped in a suburban Tokyo flat, media reported Tuesday. Tokyo police have arrested 27-year-old Takahiro Shiraishi who reportedly confessed to hacking the flesh off the bodies and throwing it out with the trash, then sprinkling cat litter over the remains in an effort to cover up the evidence. According to local media, Shiraishi told police he had chopped up the bodies in a bathroom, while a saw was found in his room. The suspect reportedly told investigators he had "dumped cut flesh and organs in the trash," prompting fears he was a serial killer as police believe he killed all nine victims, according to NHK. Police and journalists swarmed around the nondescript apartment in the quiet residential neighbourhood of Zama, as locals struggled to comprehend how an act of such violence could have occurred so near them. "It's really cruel. He used a saw to dismember the bodies or something. He must be abnormal to have done such things," said neighbour Hideaki Hosogaya, 83. The Sankei Shimbun newspaper quoted another neighbour as saying he had smelled an odour he had "never smelled before". "I thought it was the smell of sewage," he said. Police used blue tarps to block views inside the two-storey building, and covered windows of the second-floor room where the bodies were discovered. Japanese social media users were quick to draw parallels with Halloween. One Twitter user wrote: "Nine dismembered bodies found on the day of Halloween. Humans are definitely scarier than ghosts." Another said: "What a psychotic event on Halloween. I don't think I could bear 10 minutes with nine dead bodies around." - 'Die with me' - Authorities had been investigating the disappearance of a 23-year-old woman and discovered a connection between her and Shiraishi. This woman had earlier tweeted "I'm looking for someone to die with me", according to the Sankei Shimbun daily. Other media said Shiraishi and the woman had connected via a website featuring information about suicides. A CCTV image showed Shiraishi and the 23-year-old woman walking together last Monday, NHK reported. She had been missing since September 21 and her older brother reported her disappearance to police, according to the Asahi Shimbun. When police visited the apartment, they originally found two heads inside a cool box at the entrance before making the grisly discovery of the other body parts, according to Jiji Press. "During the course of the investigation, the heads of nine bodies have been discovered" inside various coolers and containers in the apartment, private TV network TBS said. For the time being, police arrested Shiraishi on a charge that he dismembered one body and placed it inside a cooler, a charge that he was not contesting, according to a spokesman at Tokyo Metropolitan Police. "He has said 'I dismembered a body and placed it inside a cooler and poured cat litter over it. It was meant to hide the body that I killed and to hide evidence'," the spokesman told AFP, declining to elaborate. Japan prides itself on a low crime rate but is no stranger to high-profile violent crimes. Earlier in October, a 32-year-old father was arrested on suspicion of stabbing his daughter to death. He also admitted torching the house in which his wife and four other children were found dead. In Japan's bloodiest crime for decades, Satoshi Uematsu faces charges of killing 19 people and attempting to kill or injure 24 others at a disability centre near Tokyo in July 2016. In 1997 a 14-year-old schoolboy decapitated an 11-year-old acquaintance and placed the head at the gates of his school. kh-nf-oh-hih/ric/klm
Half a century after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, more than half of black Americans still experience some form of racial bias, with systemic effects ranging from unequal prison terms to premature death, according to a new poll from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The poll made it clear that much work remains to make healthcare, housing, and access to justice available to all, said panelists discussing the research at a Chan School Forum last week.

"We need a narrative change, and we need to work with all the agents of our culture to change that narrative," said David Williams, the Florence and Laura Norman Professor of Public Health and professor of African and African American studies and sociology. "That's not easy to do, but it can be done."

In the poll, co-sponsored by National Public Radio (NPR) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 57 percent of African-Americans said they were discriminated against in terms of equal pay, and 56 percent said they faced racism when applying for jobs. Fifty percent said they had experienced discrimination when interacting with police, and 45 percent while they were trying to rent or buy housing.

When respondents were asked whether they felt they were treated differently because of their race, the numbers were even higher: 61 percent said they were treated differently by police, and 45 percent by the courts. Thirty-one percent said that they had avoided calling police when in need, and 22 percent had avoided seeking medical care. And 52 percent said they had heard offensive comments and/or racial slurs.

Further, the poll found that blacks higher up the economic ladder were likelier to report discrimination than poorer ones.

"This is not what you'd call the American experience," said Robert Blendon, the Richard L. Menschel Professor of Public Health and senior associate dean for policy translation and leadership development at the Chan School and professor of health policy and political analysis at both the Chan School and the Kennedy School of Government. "The story goes that once you get education and become successful, these things disappear. Not true."

Those results were discussed in a Chan School Forum panel on Oct. 24, "Discrimination in America: African American Experiences," moderated by Joe Neel of NPR. (The poll's research on six other demographic groups will be discussed in the coming weeks.) Blendon said the poll was unique because rather than asking general questions about the state of the country, it dealt only with discrimination as personally experienced.

Williams said it confirmed what research has shown before.

"We have scientific evidence that discrimination is pervasive. Over 200 African-Americans die every day who would not die if they had the same health experience as whites. Think of a huge jet crashing every daythat is the kind of disparity we're talking about."

Further, he said the experience of everyday discrimination is a stressor that adds to the mortality rate. "Being treated with less courtesy, the little indignities that take place every daythat makes a stressful life experience. It literally causes premature death."

"The American criminal justice system in inherently racist," said Elizabeth Hinton, assistant professor of history and of African and African American Studies. She said that although African-Americans are responsible for only 15 percent of illegal drug use in the country, they account for nearly 50 percent of drug-related incarceration.

Hinton said those numbers eased somewhat in the Obama era, but the policy of zero tolerance has been revived under Trump.

"African-Americans do not have a high level of trust in the police. More than a quarter avoid doing ordinary activities due to fear of coming into contact with them," Hinton said. She said some current programs aim to integrate the police with their community, but do not go far enough.

Dwayne Proctor, senior adviser to the president and director of the Achieving Health Equity Portfolio at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, said his organization is especially concerned with the lack of health access for African-Americans.

"We're trying to build a culture of health in America and you can't do that until you have health equity in place. Discrimination and poverty, these things impede our systems' ability. And the word systems may sound mechanical, but what we're talking about is people."

The California-based institute PolicyLink is also working to address discrimination in jobs and housing. Speaking via Skype from Los Angeles, Deputy Director Mary Lee said that most of the city's homeless population of 66,000 are black and Latino.

"Biased beliefs have transformed society in zoning and land-use policy," she said. "Whites have benefited from homeowners' insurance, while blacks were red-lined.  When you look at the human capital that we waste, and how many people are excluded from society, it is such a loss."

This story is published courtesy of the Harvard Gazette, Harvard University's official newspaper. For additional university news, visit Harvard.edu.
Phoronidae. Credit: Aleksander Semenov

Scientists from Moscow State University have proved that lophophorates - the invertebrates with special tentacular apparatus - are relatives. Scientists have examined some representatives of one of the phylum of this group. The results were published in BMC Evolutionary Biology. The study was carried out within the framework of the "Animals" branch of the Noah's Ark project supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (RNF).

Brachiopoda is a phylum of marine invertebrates that originated in the Precambrian period, about 300 million years before the advent of dinosaurs, and exist nowadays. Recent brachiopods are small organisms: the shell of the largest one is 8.4 cm long. They usually live in cold shallow waters and lead a sedentary lifestyle. The body of a brachiopod is covered by bivalve shell. Brachiopods are bilateral animals; this means that their body can be divided into two halves that mirror each other.

The brachiopods have a lophophore - a special apparatus carrying tentacles with cilia. Cilia create current of water, which brings oxygen and particles of food to the animal. The lophophore shape differs widely among brachiopods: from round and horseshoe shaped to a complex spiral. The presence of the lophophore is a peculiarity of all lophophorates, which are traditionally regarded as united group Lophophorata and includes three phyla of invertebrate animals: brachiopods, bryozoans and phoronids. However, modern molecular phylogeny does not confirm the monophyly of the lophophorates.

"In this study, we have proved for the first time that lophophorates are the closest relatives and we have also assumed the ancestral morphology of specific tentacular apparatus - lophophore. Some unique features of the lophophore nervous system were revealed for the first time", said Elena Temereva, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences, leading researcher of the Department of Zoology of Invertebrates of the Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University.

Studied brachiopods have four nerves of the lophophore: the main brachial nerve, the accessory brachial nerve, the lower brachial nerve, and the second accessory brachial nerve, which has never been described before in brachiopods. The presence of the second accessory nerve can be considered both as an advanced and as plesiomorphic feature. In the last case, this nerve was apparently inherited from the last common brachiopod ancestor.

A comparative analysis of morphological data showed that in all lophophorates lophophoral nervous systems includes homologous (having one ancestor) nerves. Thus, the lophophore is a homologous structure, which was inherited by all lophophorates from the last common ancestor. Despite the significant morphological similarity, the lophophorates monophyly is not supported by the latest molecular phylogenetic data.

The scientists collected live brachiopods in the Kandalakshskii Bay of the White Sea, near the White Sea biological station of Moscow State University. The study involved such methods as transmission electron microscopy, immunocytochemistry, and confocal laser microscopy.

"The results obtained are undoubtedly important for our understanding of the brachiopod biology. Taking the peculiarities of brachiopod phylogeny into account, new data on their morphology is an important contribution to the fundamental questions of modern zoology about the large taxa relationships and the early evolution of all bilateral animals. The results of this research will be used in a comparative analysis in order to reconstruct a natural system of the animal kingdom", Elena Temereva concluded.

More information: Elena N. Temereva et al, The first data on the innervation of the lophophore in the rhynchonelliform brachiopod Hemithiris psittacea: what is the ground pattern of the lophophore in lophophorates?, BMC Evolutionary Biology (2017). DOI: 10.1186/s12862-017-1029-5 Journal information: BMC Evolutionary Biology
Zuckerberg has made a big show of courting China's leadership in hopes of convincing Beijing to relax its ban on Facebook

Apple's Tim Cook and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, state media said Tuesday, as the Communist Party pushes for a larger role in private firms.

The meeting came days after Xi secured his position as China's most powerful leader since Mao and as Facebook seeks to gain entry to the massive market.

"As a beneficiary of and contributor to economic globalisation, China's development is the opportunity for the world," Xi told the annual gathering of advisers to Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

Under Xi, the Communist Party has increasingly tightened its grip on state-owned companies and has asked foreign firms to include party cells in their offices.

The move has raised concerns that the party may try to create alternative power structures within companies and potentially exercise control over management decisions, as it has in the case of state-owned enterprises.

Of the more than one hundred thousand foreign-funded companies in China, 70 percent had set up party organisations by the end of 2016, according to Qi Yu, deputy head of the party's Organisation Department.

Foreign companies regularly complain about the lack of access to Chinese markets and Zuckerberg in particular has made a big show of courting the country's top leadership in hopes of convincing Beijing to relax its ban on Facebook.

The Silicon Valley entrepreneur has been photographed with a collection of Xi's writings and happily jogging across Tiananmen Square in choking pollution. He has also given a lecture in China in halting Chinese.

The company has recently begun staffing up on the mainland, but appears to have made little progress in convincing Beijing to change its mind, a prospect that seems even less likely as the country tightens social media controls.

Tsinghua University's business school has attracted a bevy of A-list advisers from the worlds of tech and finance, including Blackstone's Stephen Schwarzman, Goldman Sachs' Lloyd Blankfein, and Tesla's Elon Musk, as well as China's own leading entrepreneurs, such as Alibaba's Jack Ma.

 2017 AFP
A researcher recording the buzzing of mosquitoes in a lab. Credit: Kurt Hickman/Stanford News Service

It's a sound that can keep even the weariest among us from falling asleep: the high-pitched whine of a mosquito. This irritating buzz already makes us run, slap and slather on repellant. But if Stanford University researchers have their way, it may also prompt us to take out our cellphones and do a little science.

The Prakash Lab at Stanford, led by Manu Prakash, assistant professor of bioengineering, is looking for citizen scientists to contribute to Abuzz, a mosquito monitoring platform the lab developed to produce the most detailed global map of mosquito distribution. All that's required to participate is a cellphone to record and submit the buzz of a mosquito, which means almost anyone from around the world can take part in this work.

More than mere pests, mosquitoes can carry deadly diseases, including malaria, yellow fever, dengue, West Nile virus, chikungunya and Zika. Diseases spread by mosquitoes result in millions of deaths each year and the burden of their effects is carried most strongly by places with the fewest resources.

"We could enable the world's largest network of mosquito surveillance - just purely using tools that almost everyone around the world now is carrying in their pocket," said Prakash, who is senior author of a paper that demonstrates the feasibility of this approach, published in the Oct. 31 issue of eLife. "There are very limited resources available for vector surveillance and control and it's extremely important to understand how you would deploy these limited resources where the mosquitoes are."

With enough contributions from citizen scientists around the world, Abuzz could create a map that tells us exactly when and where the most dangerous species of mosquitoes are most likely to be present and that could lead to highly targeted and efficient control efforts.

Felix Hol, left, Haripriya Mukundarajan and Manu Prakash record mosquitoes on campus. Credit: Kurt Hickman/Stanford News Service

"If you see a mosquito and you swat it, you've saved yourself an itch for one day. But if you see a mosquito and you record it and you send the data to the Abuzz project, then you've potentially contributed to an effort that can reduce the burden of mosquito-borne disease for many generations in the future, hopefully," said Haripriya Mukundarajan, a graduate student in the Prakash Lab and lead author of the paper.

Abuzz is a low-cost, fast, easy way to gain an incredible amount of new data about mosquitoes. Contributing to this research is as simple as holding a cellphone microphone near a mosquito, recording its hum as it flies and uploading the recording to the Abuzz website. The researchers take the raw signal, clean up that audio to reduce background noise and run it through an algorithm that matches that particular buzz with the species that is most likely to have produced it.

Once the match is found, the researchers will send the person who submitted the recording information about the mosquito they found and mark every recording on a map on the website, showing exactly where and when that mosquito species was sighted.

Critical to the success of Abuzz is the fact that mosquito species can be differentiated by the frequency of their wingbeats, which is what produces their characteristic whine. Knowing this, Prakash and his team created a mosquito sound library, organized by species, which powers the matching algorithm. Overall, the researchers captured about 1,000 hours of mosquito buzzing from 18 lab-reared and two wild mosquito species, all of which were species relevant to human health.

Recognizing that people who could benefit most from Abuzz may not have access to the latest smartphones, the researchers designed the platform so that it can work off recordings from almost any model of cellphone. Most of the data they focused on in the study was recorded on a $20 clamshell-style cellphone from 2006.

Further simplifying the process, the Abuzz algorithm has worked using as little as one fifth of a second of sound - although recordings that are a second or longer are the most desirable. Such basic requirements mean that merely recording near a mosquito just as it takes off from a surface is enough to create an Abuzz-worthy recording.

To assure that Abuzz works the way they've intended, the researchers ran a field test with 10 local volunteers in a village in Ranomafana, Madagascar in 2016. It took about 10 minutes to train these citizen scientists. The next day, they returned with 60 recordings that spanned three hours.

"It was very easy to tell people what to do and people were very eager to participate," recalled Felix Hol, a postdoctoral research fellow and co-author of the paper who helped conduct this field study. "Just 10 minutes of training and they could actually produce a lot of very usable data. That was a very beautiful experience for me."

For any of the grandest aims of Abuzz to be possible, it needs engagement from citizen scientists. Without those contributions, it cannot reach its full potential. The group intends to release an app to facilitate community engagement in the near future and have already produced detailed training videos.

"What I would love to see is people engaging in the problem," Prakash said. "Try to join the platform. Record mosquitoes. Learn about the biology. And in that process, you will be supporting the kind of research and scientific data that we and medical entomologists around the world so desperately need and, at the same time, you will be making your own community safer."

More information: Haripriya Mukundarajan et al. Using mobile phones as acoustic sensors for high-throughput mosquito surveillance, eLife (2017). DOI: 10.7554/eLife.27854 Journal information: eLife
Culex cedecei biting the tail of a hispid cotton rat. Credit: Biology Letters

New research published in Biology Letters looks at how declining mammal populations in the Florida Everglades is linked to the invasive Burmese python. We talked to one of the authors, Nathan Burkett-Cadena from the University of Florida, about his research and the repercussions of what he and his co-authors found.

Tell us about yourself and your research

I'm an Assistant Professor at the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, a Research and Extension Campus of the University of Florida. My lab focuses on understanding why each mosquito species bites the animals that it does, when and where it does, and how that interaction drives the transmission of mosquito-borne viruses.

What is your article about?

This article is about how a vector mosquito, Culex cedecei, has shifted from feeding upon a variety of mammals to feeding almost exclusively on certain rodents in parts of the Everglades where the invasive Burmese python is established. The Burmese python is implicated in decimating populations of rabbits, deer, raccoons and other mammals. Rodents are the only mammals that have persisted in python-established areas, probably because of their high natural densities and explosive reproduction. Now that rabbits, raccoons and deer are all but eliminated, C. cedecei is "forced" to feed on rodents, particularly the hispid cotton rat. The hispid cotton rat just happens to be one of the only known natural hosts of Everglades virus, an encephalitis-causing pathogen. C. cedecei is the only mosquito known to transmit Everglades virus. As this mosquito feeds more and more on hispid cotton rats, this could increase the prevalence of Everglades virus and human risk to exposure.

First author, Isaiah Hoyer, with mosquito collecting gear in the Everglades, June 2016

What made you submit to Biology Letters?

Biology Letters publishes exceptional research on topics of broad impact and we felt this fitted in well with our intentions for the paper.

What are the main points readers should take from the article?

Invasive species have consequences beyond economic costs and disrupting community function. They can affect ecosystems in ways that even impact human health. Here we show that an invasive predator (the Burmese python) alters the mammal community in a way that shifts a vector mosquito's feeding patterns towards the host of a human pathogen. This theoretically increases human risk for the mosquito-borne pathogen.

What might the future hold in light of what you have reported?

Hopefully, this work could spur more research focused on the impact of invasive species for human (and wildlife) health. Voters and policy makers need to understand how human activities that affect the environment have unintended consequences, which can increase our risk of infection with dangerous pathogens.

What's next for you?

We will be investigating whether changes in the mammal community caused by the Burmese python have actual consequences for infection prevalence in the vector mosquito. The field aspects of this project will take place at several locations in Florida where the Burmese python has been established, and other locations where the snake is not yet known to occur.

More information: Isaiah J. Hoyer et al. Mammal decline, linked to invasive Burmese python, shifts host use of vector mosquito towards reservoir hosts of a zoonotic disease, Biology Letters (2017). DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2017.0353 Journal information: Biology Letters
Material science researchers are working on making combustion engines cleaner. Credit: Shutterstock

One of the elements modern diesel engines require to become energy-efficient and clean are precisely controllable injection nozzles using piezo crystals. How exactly these crystals work has not been fully understood to date. In a project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, a group of researchers from Leoben has now managed to make this technology more reliable and efficient. Their results are also of interest for medical applications or energy harvesting.

Diesel engines are currently the object of strong criticism because of their emissions. Nitrogen oxides and soot impair the image of the "clean" diesel engine. Whilst the share of nitrogen oxides can be reduced only by adding chemicals or by lower combustion temperatures and a concomitant loss of torque, the generation of soot depends on the quality of the combustion process itself. The times are long gone when it was enough to simply inject a little fuel at a given point: in most cases the injection nozzle first discharges smaller quantities of diesel fuel. Once these have ignited, the rest of the fuel is added. All of that needs to happen in a fraction of a second and requires high precision injection nozzles in common rail diesel engines. Magnetic valves are often too slow, which is why piezo crystals are used in this case. These crystals have hitherto been used by clock or watchmakers or in electron microscopy where every millionth part of a millimetre counts.

Headed by the material scientist Marco Deluca, a team of researchers from the Materials Center Leoben (MCL) has now managed to develop the basis for making the piezo elements used in the automotive industry more effective and reliable. In a project funded by the Austrian Science Fund FWF the scientists probed deeply inside these crystals.

Better than quartz

The relevant property of piezo crystals is the fact that they expand when electric voltage is applied to them. Conversely, they generate voltage when subjected to mechanical stress. Hence, an electrically activated piezo crystal can open a valve. The most well-known material with this property is quartz, which was used typically as a clockwork generator. The automotive industry uses ceramic materials that are known as ferroelectric and have slightly different properties, explains Marco Deluca: "There's a difference compared to quartz. If you exert pressure you create electrical voltage. In quartz, this property cannot be modified, but with ferroelectric materials it is possible to influence the direction of the material's expansion."

Whereas the atoms in a quartz crystal are very ordered, ferroelectric ceramics consist of tiny so-called domains that are smaller than one millionth part of a millimetre. If sufficiently high voltage is applied these domains go through a cooperative reorientation. "Because of the domains' reorientation the same voltage results in a greater expansion than with quartz-like materials that are merely piezoelectric," notes Deluca. This greater elongation is of prime importance for injection nozzles.

Investigations with laser and X-rays

In the automotive industry, common rail injection nozzles with piezo injectors have been used for several years, but there are some technical problems. The engineers struggle with cracks in the ceramic elements which is why these elements are installed with a certain amount of pre-stress. "In addition it has been observed that performance is improved if the actuators are installed in the engine under a load of about 50 mega pascal. But the manufacturers did not know why," reports Deluca. It was one of the objectives of the project to gain a better understanding of this effect. "In order to do that we investigated commercially available piezo actuators in action using Raman laser spectroscopy and x-rays." Such investigations require high-energy x-rays that can be precisely focused. They are generated in particle accelerators similar to the ones used at the CERN nuclear research centre. These rays can penetrate the material and provide an exact picture of the positions of the atoms.

For his project, Deluca cooperated with the North Carolina State University, which has access to a particle accelerator (Advanced Photon Source) where the measurements were conducted. "Raman spectroscopy, on the other hand, shows the average lattice orientation, i.e. the orientation of the domains at the level of micro-metres and thereby provides additional information on a different scale. In Leoben we already have such Raman equipment," says Deluca.

Investigations showed that mechanical pre-stressing changes the orientation of the domains: the pre-stressing orders the domains in a certain direction perpendicular to the electric field axis. Once they are electrically actuated, more domains can change phase than is possible in the absence of mechanical pre-stressing. "You thereby create greater changes in the length of the material," notes the researcher. On the basis of this knowledge they were able to determine the optimum pre-stressing for technical applications.

Avoiding cracks

Another objective of the project was to avoid the formation of cracks. "Crack formation can be stopped if you can control the original orientation of the ferroelectric domains." To do that one needs to first capture the direction in which the domains are oriented. "It was one of the goals of our project to find and fine-tune methods that can measure the orientation of ferroelectric domains."

Many possible applications

These insights are already being used by industry, reports Deluca. Not only the automotive industry is interested in this development, there are other technology sectors that also opt for piezoelectric methods. "In the end there's always one problem: which orientation is best for this application? How can the orientation of domains be changed? And under how much strain can they be put without being destroyed? This will be primarily important for energy harvesting or energy self-sufficient sensors." There are also potential medical applications. "In all of these fields, energy is generated from a deformation process. The material we analysed can be used for that purpose," declares Deluca.

More information: Soren Rohrig et al. Quantification of crystalline texture in ferroelectric materials by polarized Raman spectroscopy using Reverse Monte Carlo modelling, Journal of the European Ceramic Society (2015). DOI: 10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2015.08.003 Giovanni Esteves et al. Electric-field-induced structural changes in multilayer piezoelectric actuators during electrical and mechanical loading, Acta Materialia (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.actamat.2017.04.014 Petra Kaufmann et al. Influence of ferroelectric domain texture on the performance of multilayer piezoelectric actuators, Journal of the European Ceramic Society (2016). DOI: 10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2016.12.029
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Major volcanic eruptions in the future have the potential to affect global temperatures and precipitation more dramatically than in the past because of climate change, according to a new study led by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).

The study authors focused on the cataclysmic eruption of Indonesia's Mount Tambora in April 1815, which is thought to have triggered the so-called "year without a summer" in 1816. They found that if a similar eruption occurred in the year 2085, temperatures would plunge more deeply, although not enough to offset the future warming associated with climate change. The increased cooling after a future eruption would also disrupt the water cycle more severely, decreasing the amount of precipitation that falls globally.

The reason for the difference in climate response between 1815 and 2085 is tied to the oceans, which are expected to become more stratified as the planet warms, and therefore less able to moderate the climate impacts caused by volcanic eruptions.

"We discovered that the oceans play a very large role in moderating, while also lengthening, the surface cooling induced by the 1815 eruption," said NCAR scientist John Fasullo, lead author of the new study. "The volcanic kick is just thatit's a cooling kick that lasts for a year or so. But the oceans change the timescale. They act to not only dampen the initial cooling but also to spread it out over several years."

The research will be published Oct. 31 in the journal Nature Communications. The work was funded in part by the National Science Foundation, NCAR's sponsor. Other funders include NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy. The study co-authors are Robert Tomas, Samantha Stevenson, Bette Otto-Bliesner, and Esther Brady, all of NCAR, as well as Eugene Wahl, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A detailed look at a deadly past

Mount Tambora's eruption, the largest in the past several centuries, spewed a huge amount of sulfur dioxide into the upper atmosphere, where it turned into sulfate particles called aerosols. The layer of light-reflecting aerosols cooled Earth, setting in motion a chain of reactions that led to an extremely cold summer in 1816, especially across Europe and the northeast of North America. The "year without a summer" is blamed for widespread crop failure and disease, causing more than 100,000 deaths globally.

To better understand and quantify the climate effects of Mount Tambora's eruption, and to explore how those effects might differ for a future eruption if climate change continues on its current trajectory, the research team turned to a sophisticated computer model developed by scientists from NCAR and the broader community.

The scientists looked at two sets of simulations from the Community Earth System Model. The first was taken from the CESM Last Millennium Ensemble Project, which simulates Earth's climate from the year 850 through 2005, including volcanic eruptions in the historic record. The second set, which assumes that greenhouse gas emission continue unabated, was created by running CESM forward and repeating a hypothetical Mount Tambora eruption in 2085.

The historical model simulations revealed that two countervailing processes helped regulate Earth's temperature after Tambora's eruption. As aerosols in the stratosphere began blocking some of the Sun's heat, this cooling was intensified by an increase in the amount of land covered by snow and ice, which reflected heat back to space. At the same time, the oceans served as an important counterbalance. As the surface of the oceans cooled, the colder water sank, allowing warmer water to rise and release more heat into the atmosphere.

By the time the oceans themselves had cooled substantially, the aerosol layer had begun to dissipate, allowing more of the Sun's heat to again reach Earth's surface. At that point, the ocean took on the opposite role, keeping the atmosphere cooler, since the oceans take much longer to warm back up than land.

"In our model runs, we found that Earth actually reached its minimum temperature the following year, when the aerosols were almost gone," Fasullo said. "It turns out the aerosols did not need to stick around for an entire year to still have a year without a summer in 1816, since by then the oceans had cooled substantially."

The oceans in a changed climate

When the scientists studied how the climate in 2085 would respond to a hypothetical eruption that mimicked Mount Tambora's, they found that Earth would experience a similar increase in land area covered by snow and ice.

However, the ocean's ability to moderate the cooling would be diminished substantially in 2085. As a result, the magnitude of Earth's surface cooling could be as much as 40 percent greater in the future. The scientists caution, however, that the exact magnitude is difficult to quantify, since they had only a relatively small number of simulations of the future eruption.

The reason for the change has to do with a more stratified ocean. As the climate warms, sea surface temperatures increase. The warmer water at the ocean's surface is then less able to mix with the colder, denser water below.

In the model runs, this increase in ocean stratification meant that the water that was cooled after the volcanic eruption became trapped at the surface instead of mixing deeper into the ocean, reducing the heat released into the atmosphere.

The scientists also found that the future eruption would have a larger effect on rainfall than the historical eruption of Mount Tambora. Cooler sea surface temperatures decrease the amount of water that evaporates into the atmosphere and, therefore, also decrease global average precipitation.

Though the study found that Earth's response to a Tambora-like eruption would be more acute in the future than in the past, the scientists note that the average surface cooling caused by the 2085 eruption (about 1.1 degrees Celsius) would not be nearly enough to offset the warming caused by human-induced climate change (about 4.2 degrees Celsius by 2085).

Study co-author Otto-Bliesner said, "The response of the climate system to the 1815 eruption of Indonesia's Mount Tambora gives us a perspective on potential surprises for the future, but with the twist that our climate system may respond much differently."

More information: J. T. Fasullo et al, The amplifying influence of increased ocean stratification on a future year without a summer, Nature Communications (2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01302-z Journal information: Nature Communications
Canada's Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale says that cyberattacks on Canadian government computers carried out by gangsters, rogue states and "geeks in basements" are on the rise, but are also failing more

Cyberattacks on Canadian government computers by what a minister described Tuesday as gangsters, rogue states and "geeks in basements" are on the rise, but are also failing more, according to a report.

The nation's ultra-secretive eavesdropping agency or Communications Security Establishment (CSE) however concluded that Canada is not doing enough to fend off intruders.

"Some of it is just nuisance," Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale told reporters. "Some of it is criminal in intent."

"It comes from organized crime. It comes from rogue states. It comes from foreign militaries. It comes from geeks in the basement," he said.

In the report, the CSE found that the government blocks more than 600 million attempts each day to identify or exploit system vulnerabilities.

Between 2013 and 2015, this included more than 2,500 state-sponsored cyber attacks. The culprits were not identified, but Ottawa previously said that China was responsible for a major cyberattack on its National Research Council in 2014.

"Although more than six percent of these attempts breached the government of Canada's systems in 2013, this number had fallen to less than two percent in 2015," it noted.

Still, Ottawa's investment in security systems remains "inadequate," the CSE said.

The government's outreach to the private sector has also largely failed because, according to the agency, "private sector companies seem to lack trust in the public sector's ability to safeguard their information."

According to a senate committee studying cybersecurity and cyberfraud, eight million Canadians fell victim to a cybercrime last year.

Goodale said cyber crimes cost businesses around the world an estimated Can$400 billion each year, and that figure is predicted to rise to Can$2 trillion annually by 2020.

Given allegations of Russian meddling in last year's US presidential vote, Ottawa is also taking measures to safeguard its elections.

The CSE warned in a separate report earlier this year that "almost certainly multiple hacktivist groups will deploy cyber capabilities in an attempt to influence the democratic process in 2019," when the next federal elections are scheduled.

 2017 AFP
[October 31, 2017] SIDN and Uniregistry choose CIRA to enhance DNS security and performance

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 31, 2017 /CNW/ - Two industry-leading partners, Uniregistry and SIDN, have signed on with the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) to receive D-Zone DNS services for their top level domains. Both partnerships were announced today at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) meeting in Abu Dhabi. Key facts SIDN manages .nl, the top-level domain of the Netherlands , which counts more than 5.7 million domains under management. In addition to running one of the most successful country-code domains, SIDN helps maintain standards for internet quality, security and privacy.

, which counts more than 5.7 million domains under management. In addition to running one of the most successful country-code domains, SIDN helps maintain standards for internet quality, security and privacy. Uniregistry operates .ky, the top-level domain of the Cayman Islands , along with 25 new generic top level in domains (gTLDs) in the global marketplace, including .link, .game, .mom and .photo.

, along with 25 new generic top level in domains (gTLDs) in the global marketplace, including .link, .game, .mom and .photo. CIRA D-Zone Anycast DNS is built for resilience with a strong footprint at each node across a global, well-peered network that is recognized as best-in-class by some of the most discriminating buyers in the industry.

CIRA's solution started with the needs of the .CA TLD at its heart, and is now finding great partners around the world who are committed to building a better internet for thir users.

Establishing one or more secondary DNS footprints is considered an internet infrastructure best-practice that can help to mitigate the risks posed by DDoS that increasingly focus on DNS providers, where they can do the most damage. The DNS is fundamental to ensuring that websites, email, and web applications remain online and optimized for performance.



Executive quotes SIDN was looking for a DNS partner that could add value to its current DNS strategy and supporting infrastructure. We found that partner in CIRA, an organization that shares our local and global vision of TLD management. We feel confident that CIRA is the right partner for .nl and SIDN.

 Cees Toet, ICT Director at SIDN We chose CIRA as our secondary DNS partner because of their global infrastructure and innovation in reporting. CIRA's D-Zone Anycast DNS allows us to leverage DNS data to identify unregistered domains that have value, and use that data to show the value of registered names based on queries.  Patrick Donaldson, director of registry sales at Uniregistry. CIRA is committed to collaborating with TLD operators around the world to build resilient internet infrastructure that keeps pace with an increasingly complex digital landscape. A high-performance DNS solution that collects critical PCAP data and mitigates risk is essential for TLD operators like .nl and Uniregistry, and it's a responsibility we take very seriously.  Dave Chiswell, VP of product development at CIRA About the Canadian Internet Registration Authority The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) manages the .CA top-level domain on behalf of all Canadians. CIRA also develops technologies and services that help support its goal of building a better online Canada. The CIRA team operates one of the fastest-growing country code top-level domains (ccTLD), a high-performance global DNS network, and one of the world's most advanced back-end registry solutions. About Uniregistry Uniregistry is a domain name registration company creating innovative and intuitive products for users to connect on the Internet. Uniregistry operates 25 new extensions itself, including .link, .game, .mom and .photo, and sells internet names directly to the public through its own retail registrar, http://Uniregistry.com. About SIDN SIDN manages .nl, the top-level domain of the Netherlands, which counts more than 5.7 million domains. The company also develop and deliver services and solutions that make connected living easier and safer. SIDN's research team SIDN Labs supports those activities by devising new technologies and systems that increase the stability and security of .nl, the DNS and the internet infrastructure. SIDN is also directly or indirectly (through SIDN Fund) closely involved in numerous social initiatives designed to promote use of the internet and address its unwanted side-effects. SOURCE Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)

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With the help of the two-dimensional material graphene, the first flexible terahertz detector has been developed by researchers at Chalmers. The opportunities are great within health and Internet of Things, and for new types of sensors. Credit: Boid  Product Design Studio, Gothenburg

A flexible detector for terahertz frequencies (1000 gigahertz) has been developed by Chalmers researchers using graphene transistors on plastic substrates. It is the first of its kind, and can extend the use of terahertz technology to applications that will require flexible electronics, such as wireless sensor networks and wearable technology. The results are published in the scientific journal Applied Physics Letters.

Terahertz radiation has a wide range of uses and can occur in everything from radio astronomy to medicine. The term refers to the electromagnetic waves whose frequencies range from 100 gigahertz to 10 terahertz. Demand for higher bandwidth in wireless communications and depiction for security applications has led to intensified research on systems and components intended for terahertz frequencies.

One challenge has long been to enable low weight and cheap applications. However, advances in polymer technology have promoted the development of flexible electronics and enabled the production of high frequency units on flexible substrates.

Now, Chalmers researchers Xinxin Yang, Andrei Vorobiev, Andrey Generalov, Michael A. Andersson and Jan Stake have developed the first mechanically flexible and graphene-based terahertz detector in its kind. Thus, paving the way for flexible terahertz electronics.

The detector has unique features. At room temperature, it detects signals in the frequency range 330 to 500 gigahertz. It is translucent and flexible, and opens to a variety of applications. The technique can be used for imaging in the terahertz area (THz camera), but also for identifying different substances (sensor). It may also be of potential benefit in health care, where terahertz waves can be used to detect cancer. Other areas where the detector could be used are imaging sensors for vehicles or for wireless communications.

Flexible terahertz detector . Credit: Chalmers University of Technology

The unique electronic features of graphene, combined with its flexible nature, make it a promising material to integrate into plastic and fabric, something that will be important building blocks in a future interconnected world. Graphene electronics enables new applications for, among other things, everyday objects, which are commonly referred to as the Internet of Things.

The detector shows the concrete possibilities of graphene, a material that conduct electric current extremely well. It is a feature that makes graphene an attractive building block in fast electronics. The Chalmers researchers' work is therefore an important step forward for graphene in the terahertz area, and a breakthrough for high performance and cheap flexible terahertz technology.

The detector drew attention at the EU Tallinn Digital Summit recently, where several important technological innovations made possible by graphene and related materials were on display. At the summit, EU Heads of State and Government gathered to discuss digital innovation and Europe's digital future. The flagship focus was to show what role graphene can play.

More information: Xinxin Yang et al. A flexible graphene terahertz detector, Applied Physics Letters (2017). DOI: 10.1063/1.4993434 Journal information: Applied Physics Letters
Credit: University of Sussex

A major new report into climate change, released today, shows that the human symptoms of climate change are unequivocal and that the delayed response to climate change over the past 25 years has jeopardised human life and livelihoods.

University of Sussex academics have contributed to the 2017 annual report by the Lancet Countdown, which tracks the relations between climate change and public health.

The Lancet Countdown is an international research collaboration, providing a global overview of the relationship between public health and climate change. Publishing its findings in The Lancet medical journal each year, the initiative aims to help inform an accelerated response to climate change.

Leading academics and technical experts from across 24 partner institutions around the globe have contributed analysis included in the 2017 report. Example partner organisations include the World Bank, World Health Organization, University College London, and the University of Sussex's very own Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson and Dom Kniveton, based in the School of Global Studies.

"Our contribution with thematic working group 1 on Climate Change, Impacts, Exposure and Vulnerability mainly evolves around more comprehensive ways to measure and track disaster lethality," says Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson. "We are in a way very fortunate to have spent plenty of time in the field, such as in Bangladesh and East and West Africa, talking to people who have faced environmental shocks through generations. This allows us to dig deeper to understand the processes and real life stories beneath current health statistics."

The 2017 report presents an assessment of the progress of the global response to climate change and associated health impacts across 40 unique indicators from five thematic groups. The findings can be summarised in the following three key conclusions.

The human symptoms of climate change are unequivocal and potentially irreversible  affecting the health of populations around the world, today. The delayed response to climate change over the past 25 years has jeopardised human life and livelihoods. Although progress has been historically slow, the past 5 years have seen an accelerated response, and in 2017 momentum is building across a number of sectors; the direction of travel is set, with clear and unprecedented opportunities for public health.
SANS scattering patterns obtained for a magnetic field of 0.20 T [(a) and (b)] applied parallel to the neutron beam wavevector k _i and perpendicular to it. Panel (c) shows the intermediate scattering function I(Q=), with =2/l and l the pitch of the helix, at a magnetic field of 0.24 T illustrating the abrupt change, within 0.2 K, associated with the first order transition. Credit: C. Pappas et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 047203 (2017)

Chiral magnetism attracts a great amount of attention since the observation of chiral skyrmion lattices in the reference system MnSi. These chiral skyrmions have dimensions significantly larger than the lattice constant, are topologically protected, and may have applications in spintronics and novel devices for information storage. In systems like MnSi the non-trivial behavior emerges from a relativistic effect, the Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya (DM) interaction, that twists the magnetic moments with respect to each other.

This interaction becomes noticeable in the absence of a center of symmetry of the crystallographic structure and it is usually weak. Nevertheless, it induces a qualitatively different behavior that is not limited to the skyrmion lattice correlations. This is one of the outcomes of the work recently published in Physical Review Letters involving researchers from the Institute Laue Langevin in France, ISIS at the UK, Ames Lab in USA and Delft University of Technology. By combining Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) and high resolution Neutron Spin Echo (NSE) spectroscopy, as shown in the figure, the team monitored the influence of a magnetic field on the chiral magnetic correlations both in space and in time. The SANS measurements were performed on the newly commissioned instrument LARMOR, which is a UK-NL joint venture supported by a NWO-Groot grant of the Dutch Science foundation.

The results reveal that the twisted, helical conical or skyrmionic, long range magnetic order (dis)appears abruptly with increasing temperature, as a first order phase transition, also under magnetic fields. The origin of this abrupt change is not clear and cannot be only attributed to precursor chiral fluctuating correlations, as was assumed so far. Indeed, these fluctuating correlations build up only at low magnetic fields and their gradual suppression by magnetic fields should induce a tricritical point, for which the neutron scattering results published in Physical Review Letters show no evidence. In this light, the newly published experimental findings challenge established approaches to chiral magnetism and call for additional theoretical work to understand its subtleties including effects neglected so far, such as anisotropic magnetic interactions.

More information: C. Pappas et al. Magnetic Fluctuations, Precursor Phenomena, and Phase Transition in MnSi under a Magnetic Field, Physical Review Letters (2017). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.047203 Journal information: Physical Review Letters
The Getty Foundation and the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA, Brussels) announced today the launch of major enhancements to the website 'Closer to Van Eyck,' which provides breathtaking details of one of the most important works of art in the world, the Ghent Altarpiece. Enhancements include new images of the work under various stages of conservation treatment, a larger range of technical images, and the ability to see and compare multiple views of the painting at the same time.

Located at St. Bavo's cathedral in Ghent, Belgium, The Mystic Lamb of 1432 by Hubert and Jan van Eyck, also known as the Ghent Altarpiece, is a stunning and highly complex painting composed of separate oak panels. Since 2010, several Getty Foundation grants have supported the conservation planning, examination and training related to the altarpiece as part of its Panel Paintings Initiative. A collaboration among the Flemish government, the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage and their partners led to the first much-needed conservation treatment of the work in 2010. The panels and frames of the closed altarpiece were treated between 2012 and 2016 and the large-scale campaign now continues with the panels of the lower register of the open altarpiece. The "Closer to Van Eyck" website launched in 2012, and had yet to receive major updates until now.

"The Getty Foundation is pleased to have supported the research and study that has led to the restoration of the Ghent Altarpiece currently underway," says Deborah Marrow, director of the Getty Foundation. "The enhanced documentation now available through 'Closer to Van Eyck' brings even greater access to the genius of the artists that will both delight viewers and inspire new scholarship."

The altarpiece was painstakingly recorded at every step of the conservation process through state-of-the-art photographic and scientific documentation. Thanks to the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage's imaging team, digital processing and design led by Frederik Temmermans of Universum Digitalis and the Vrije Universiteit Brussels, and imec's Department of Electronics and Informatics, the altarpiece can now be viewed online in visible light, infrared, infrared reflectograph, and X-radiograph, with sharper and higher resolution images than ever before. Visitors to the site can now also adjust a timeline to view key moments in the conservation process, and have access to simultaneous viewing of images before, during, and after conservation. Users can zoom in even closer on details of the painting, exploring microscopic views of the work in 100 billion pixels.

"We are proud and pleased to now also offer unparalleled access to the results of the first stage of the restoration of the Ghent Altarpiece," says Dr. Ron Spronk, professor of Art History at the Department of Art History and Art Conservation at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada and Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, who initiated and coordinated Closer to Van Eyck. "Our site provides images and research materials of unprecedented quality and scope, both on and below the paint surface that will serve both specialists and general audiences for many years to come. We truly have come much, much closer to Van Eyck."

The conservation work also led to the discovery that around 70% of Van Eyck's original paint layer on the panels of the closed altarpiece had been hidden beneath overpaint for centuries, requiring painstaking removal. The removal of this paint is reflected in the images seen online.

"We are convinced that through direct comparison of the closed ensemble or details before and after overpaint removal, art professionals and amateurs alike will be startled by the spectacular result of this intervention," says Hilde De Clercq, director of the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage. "From the strengthened sense of space and restored visual unity, to the remarkable lighting effects, this website truly offers a front row seat to view the world of Van Eyck."

More information: A tour of the site can be taken here: closertovaneyck.kikirpa.be/ghe  /##home/sub=sitetour More information about the Getty Foundation and the Panel Paintings Initiative can be found at: www.getty.edu/conservation/our  tion/panelpaintings/

Provided by The Getty Foundation
Figure 1: The deep image of Messier 77 taken with the Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) mounted at the Subaru Telescope. The picture is created by adding the color information from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (Note 1) to the monochromatic image acquired by the HSC. Credit: NAOJ/SDSS/David Hogg/Michael Blanton. Image Processing: Ichi Tanaka

The galaxy Messier 77 (M77) is famous for its super-active nucleus that releases enormous energy across the electromagnetic spectrum, ranging from x-ray to radio wavelengths. Yet, despite its highly active core, the galaxy looks like any normal quiet spiral. There's no visual sign of what is causing its central region to radiate so extensively. It has long been a mystery why only the center of M77 is so active. Astronomers suspect a long-ago event involving a sinking black hole, which could have kicked the core into high gear.

To test their ideas about why the central region of M77 beams massive amounts of radiation, a team of researchers at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and the Open University of Japan used the Subaru Telescope to study M77. The unprecedented deep image of the galaxy reveals evidence of a hidden minor merger billions of years ago. The discovery gives crucial evidence for the minor merger origin of active galactic nuclei.

The Mystery of Seyfert Galaxies

The galaxy Messier 77 (NGC 1068) is famous for harboring an active nucleus at its core that releases an enormous amount of energy. The existence of such active galaxies in the nearby universe was first noted by the American astronomer Carl Seyfert more than 70 years ago. Nowadays they are called the Seyfert galaxies. Astronomers think that the source of such powerful activity is the gravitational energy released from superheated matter falling onto a supermassive black hole (SMBH) that resides in the center of the host galaxy. The estimated mass of such a SMBH for M77 is about 10 million times that of the Sun.

It takes a massive amount of gas dumped on the galaxy's central black hole to create such strong energies. That may sound like an easy task, but it's actually very difficult. The gas in the galactic disk will circulate faster and faster as it spirals into the vicinity of the SMBH. Then, at some point the "centrifugal force" balances with the gravitational pull of the SMBH. That actually prevents the gas from falling into the center. The situation is similar to water draining out of a bathtub. Due to the centrifugal force, the rapidly rotating water will not drain out rapidly. So, how can the angular momentum be removed from the gas circling near an active galactic nucleus? Finding the answer to that question is one of the big challenges for researchers today.

A Prediction Posed 18 Years Ago

In 1999, Professor Yoshiaki Taniguchi (currently at the Open University of Japan), the team leader of the current Subaru study, published a paper about the driving mechanism of the active nucleus of Seyfert galaxies such as M 77. He pointed out that a past event  a "minor merger" where the host galaxy ate up its "satellite" galaxy (a small low-mass galaxy orbiting it)  would be the key to activating the Seyfert nucleus.

Figure 2: (Left) The newly-discovered, extremely diffuse structures around M77. The innermost color part of the picture shows the bright part of the galaxy (from SDSS: see the center of Figure 1). The middle part in red-brown is the contrast-enhanced expression of the faint one-arm structure (labeled as "Banana") to the right, as well as the ripple structure (labeled as "Ripple") to the left. All the fore/background objects unrelated to M77 are removed during the process. The outermost monochrome part shows the faint ultra-diffuse structures in yellow circles (labelled as "UDO-SE", "UDO-NE", "UDO-SW"). A deep look at them indicates the latter two ("UDO-NE", "UDO-SW") constitute a part of the large loop-like structure. Credit: NAOJ

Usually, a minor merger event simply breaks up a low-mass satellite galaxy. The resulting debris is absorbed into the disk of the more massive host galaxy before it approaches the center. Therefore, it was not considered as the main driver of the nuclear activity. "However, the situation could be totally different if the satellite galaxy has a (smaller) SMBH in its center," Professor Taniguchi suggests, "because the black hole can never be broken apart. If it exists, it should eventually sink into the center of the host galaxy."

The sinking SMBH from the satellite galaxy would eventually create a disturbance in the rotating gas disk around the main galaxy's SMBH. Then, the disturbed gas would eventually rush into the central SMBH while releasing enormous gravitational energy. "This must be the main ignition mechanism of the active Seyfert nuclei," Taniguchi argued. "The idea can naturally explain the mystery about the morphology of the Seyfert galaxies," said Professor Taniguchi, pointing out the advantage of the model of normal-looking galaxies also being very active at their cores.

Probing the Theory Using the Subaru Telescope

Recent advances in observational technique allow the detection of the extremely faint structure around galaxies, such as loops or debris that are likely made by dynamical interactions with satellite galaxies.. The outermost parts of galaxies are often considered as relatively "quiet" with a longer dynamical timescale than anywhere inside. Simulations show that the faint signature of a past minor merger can remain several billion years after the event. "Such a signature can be a key test for our minor merger hypothesis for Seyfert galaxies. Now it is time to revisit M77," said Taniguchi.

The team's choice to look for 'the past case' was, of course, the Subaru Telescope and its powerful imaging camera, Hyper Suprime-Cam. The observing proposal was accepted and executed on Christmas night 2016. "The data was just amazing," said Dr. Ichi Tanaka, the primary investigator of the project. "Luckily, we could also retrieve the other data that was taken in the past and just released from the Subaru Telescope's data archive. Thus, the combined data we got finally is unprecedentedly deep."

Figure 2 shows the result. The team has identified several notable features outside the bright disk as seen in Figure 1, most of which were not known prior to the observation. There is a faint outer one-arm structure outside the disk to the west. The opposite part of the disk has a ripple-like structure which is clearly different from the spiral pattern. The detected signatures amazingly match to the result of a minor-merger simulation published by other research teams. What is more, the observing team discovered three extremely diffuse and large blobby structures farther outside of the disk. Intriguingly, it seems that two of these diffuse blobs actually constitute a gigantic loop around M77 with a diameter of 250,000 light years. These structures are compelling evidence that M77 ate up its satellite galaxy at least several billion years ago.

Subaru's great photon-collecting power and the superb performance of the Hyper Suprime-Cam were crucial in the discovery of the extremely faint structures in M77. Their discovery reveals the normal-looking galaxy's hidden violent past.. "Though people may sometimes make a lie, galaxies never do. The important thing is to listen to their small voices to understand the galaxies," said Professor Taniguchi.

The team will expand its study to more Seyfert galaxies using the Subaru Telescope. Dr. Masafumi Yagi, who leads the next phase of the project said, "We will discover more and more evidences of the satellite merger around Seyfert host galaxies. We expect that the project can provide a critical piece for the unified picture for the triggering mechanism for active galactic nuclei."

More information: Ichi Tanaka et al. Morphological evidence for a past minor merger in the Seyfert galaxy NGC 1068, Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan (2017). DOI: 10.1093/pasj/psx100
A NASA team scanned these terrestrial rock samples, all measuring two to four inches in diameter, to investigate possibilities for future in-space use of non-destructive evaluation techniques. The two rock samples on the bottom are from Earth's newest volcanic island in the Kingdom of Tonga; the sample on the upper left from kilometers deep contains large green olivine crystals and came from Oahu in Hawaii. The sample on the upper right is a 3.7-million-year old impact melt breccia from the Elgygytgyn impact crater in Siberia. Credit: NASA/W. Hrybyk

A diagnostic tool, similar in theory to those used by the medical profession to non-invasively image internal organs, bones, soft tissue, and blood vessels, could be equally effective at "triaging" extraterrestrial rocks and other samples before they are shipped to Earth for further analysis.

In an effort designed to find creative uses of technology for future robotic and human missions to the Moon, Mars, and asteroids, NASA engineer Justin Jones used an industrial X-ray Computed Tomography, or CT, scanner at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, to evaluate volcanic rocks from a newly formed island in the South Pacific and other specimens ensconced inside thick glass and metal enclosures.

"Imagine taking something this big and scaling it down to breadbox size, then readying the equipment to be spaceflight worthy," Jones said, referring to the scanner that occupies a small room inside Goddard's Non-Destructive Evaluation, or NDE, Laboratory. "Such instruments could be tested on the International Space Station and then transitioned to a future deep space gateway where crew members could analyze new samples from the Moon or asteroids or even Mars before shipping them back to Earth for further analysis."

"We're thrilled with our results," continued Jones, who carried out his technology-demonstration project with support from Goddard's Fellows Innovation Challenge, a research and development program designed to advance high-reward technologies and investigations in new, cross-disciplinary ways. "The demonstrations provided a few new insights into the 3-D structure of the samples we tested and underscored the value of potentially creating a CT capability specifically for use in space, especially for triage purposes."

Jones, who helped his management acquire the CT scanner six years ago, doesn't normally spend his days examining rocks. "When something fails, when a part fails, engineers want us to diagnose what happened, and we will use a suite of tools like those in the medical industry to help pinpoint the defect," he said.

The beauty of an X-ray CT scanner, which operates like a medical CAT scanner, is that it allows high-resolution, 3-D views inside materials that otherwise would need difficult, often-times destructive sample preparation, including cutting and use of chemicals, just to analyze the sample's composition. With Goddard's CT system, which is non-destructive, users can see details as small as a couple microns in size, which is several times smaller than a human hair.

"Our technology-driven investigation gave us a broader understanding of what our CT system can do," Jones said.

Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai Volcanic Island Evaluated

With the scanner, Jones and his team from Goddard's Materials Branch, including Ryan Kent and Olivia Landgrover, evaluated samples from a newly formed volcanic island, Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, in the Kingdom of Tonga in the southwest Pacific Ocean. This new island formed in January of 2015 after the volcano's explosive eruptiona potential analogue to some volcanic activity on Mars, said Goddard Chief Scientist James Garvin, who, along with his university partners, are using advanced remote-sensing methods to explore the island in a pilot study for NASA's Earth Sciences Division.

"CT techniques are permitting rapid assessment for understanding the potential lifetime of the fragile new volcanic landscapes in the region," Garvin said. "Already, Justin and his team have identified the possibility of minerals known as zeolites," minerals commonly used in adsorbents that purify water, among other applications, and catalysts that speed up chemical reactions. "These findings have a direct bearing on how similar processes could have operated on Mars," Garvin said.

NDE Materials Scientist/Engineer Justin Jones (right) holds a pristine lava rock containing a zeolite crystal. Goddard Chief Scientist James Garvin holds in his right hand an impact melt breccia from the Elgygytygyn impact crater in Siberia and in his left hand a hawaiite with green olivine crystals. The background graphic shows the CT scans that reveal the internal structure and unique minerology of the lava rock from Earth's newest land -- Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha'apai in the Kingdom of Tonga. Credit: NASA/W. Hrybyk

Space-Relevant Rocks Studied

The technology-demonstration project didn't end there. Garvin, who is interested in researching and advancing new technological approaches for studying extraterrestrial rocks and minerals, asked the team to evaluate rocks produced in large impact cratering events here on Earth, as well as meteorites.

Even with samples encased in protective glass and metal cases filled with nitrogen, Goddard's CT scanner revealed previously undetected minerals and 3-D arrangements," Garvin said.

"The future of in-situ and sample-based planetary exploration will revolve around new measurement techniques that reveal details at new scales and in ways that do not destroy the samples or contaminate them," Garvin continued. "Based on Justin's work, I believe that someday, astronauts on Mars or the Moon will be able to use off-planet CT laboratory techniques to do the reconnaissance of extraordinary materials on other worlds just as we do in the labs here on Earth today."
GPM passed over the northeastern US on Oct. 29 at 8:36 p.m. EDT. The approximate location of the storm's center at the time of the GPM pass is shown with a large red "L." A large area of intense rain was located in the Atlantic east of the low's center. GMI estimated that rain in that area was falling at rates of greater than 2 inches (51 mm) per hour. Credit: NASA/JAXA, Hal Pierce

The remnants of Tropical Storm Philippe had merged with another system and brought gusty winds and heavy rainfall to New England. The Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core observatory satellite flew over the northeastern United States on Sunday, Oct 29, 2017 and gathered data on the powerful storm that was affecting the region.

GPM passed over the region on Oct. 29 at 8:36 p.m. EDT (Monday October 30, 2017 at 0036 UTC). GPM had a good view of rainfall associated with a rapidly deepening developing low pressure system off the Atlantic Coast.

The remnants of tropical storm Philippe, that formed on Saturday and dissipated on Sunday, were also merging with the intensifying low.

The GPM satellite showed the distribution and intensity of precipitation on the eastern side of the low pressure center. GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) showed that a large area of intense rain was located in the Atlantic east of the low's center. GMI estimated that rain in that area was falling at rates of greater than 2 inches (51 mm) per hour. GPM's Precipitation Radar (DPR) instrument showed that the low was dropping rain at a rate of over 4.92 inches (125 mm) per hour in a small area along the Massachusetts coast.

GPM's radar data also showed the height of the freezing level in the storm. The average freezing level was indicated by DPR data to be at 2.1 miles (3.4 km). Those data indicated that the freezing level sloped from a little above .5 miles (.9 km) in southern Quebec to higher than 2.9 miles (4.7 km) in the Atlantic Ocean well east of the coast.

The 3-D images of the storm were produced at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland using GPM's radar data (DPR Ku band). These probes by GPM's radar showed the location and structure of precipitation within the low pressure system. The highest storm tops in the system were revealed by DPR to reach heights of about 5.6 miles (9 km).

Gusts of wind greater that 70 mph (61 knots) were reported within the storm.

The powerful storm led to river and flash flooding. Over a million households reportedly lost electrical power in New England.
A 6-inch MicroLink Devices high-efficiency, lightweight and flexible ELO IMM solar cell wafer. Credit: MicroLink Devices

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has entered into a license agreement with MicroLink Devices, Inc. (Niles, IL) to commercialize NREL's patented inverted metamorphic (IMM) multijunction solar cells. While high-efficiency multijunction solar cells are commonly used for space satellites, researchers have continued to look for ways to improve cost and performance to enable a broader range of applications. The IMM technique licensed by MicroLink Devices enables multijunction III-V solar cells to be grown with both higher efficiencies and lower costs than traditional multijunction solar cells by reversing the order in which individual sub-cells are typically grown.

The IMM architecture enables greater power extraction from the higher-bandgap sub-cells and further allows the use of more efficient low-bandgap sub-cell materials such as Indium Gallium Arsenide. In contrast to traditional III-V multijunction solar cells, IMM devices are removed from their growth substrate, allowing the substrate to be reused over multiple growth runs - a significant component in reducing overall device costs. Removing the substrate also reduces the weight of the solar cell, which is important for applications such as solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles.

MicroLink Devices is an Illinois-based ISO 9001 certified semiconductor manufacturer specializing in removing active semiconductor device layers from their growth substrate via a proprietary epitaxial liftoff (ELO) process. By utilizing its ELO capabilities, MicroLink will be able to make thin, lightweight, and highly flexible IMM solar cells which are ideal for use in unmanned aerial vehicles, space-based vehicles and equipment, and portable power generation applications. "IMM makes multijunction solar cells practical for a wide variety of weight-, geometry-, and space-constrained applications where high efficiency is critical," said Jeff Carapella, one of the researchers in NREL's III-V multijunction materials and devices research group that developed the technology.

"Former NREL Scientist Mark Wanlass pioneered the use of metamorphic buffer layers to form tandem III-V solar cells with three or more junctions. This approach is very synergistic with our ELO process technology, and MicroLink Devices is excited to now be commercializing IMM solar cells for high-performance space and UAV applications," said Noren Pan, CEO of MicroLink Devices.

MicroLink and NREL have collaborated to evaluate the use of ELO for producing IMM solar cells since 2009, when MicroLink was the recipient of a DOE PV Incubator subcontract from NREL. Tests of MicroLink-produced IMM solar cells conducted at NREL have demonstrated multiple successful substrate reuses and efficiencies exceeding 30%.
Proposed filaments of dark matter surrounding Jupiter could be part of the mysterious 95 percent of the universes mass-energy. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Most of the universe is dark, with dark matter and dark energy comprising more than 95 percent of its mass-energy. Yet we know little about dark matter and energy. To find answers, scientists run huge high-energy physics experiments. Analyzing the results demands high-performance computing  sometimes balanced with industrial trends.

After four years of running computing for the Large Hadron Collider CMS experiment at CERN near Geneva, Switzerland  part of the work that revealed the Higgs boson  Oliver Gutsche, a scientist at Department of Energy's (DOE) Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, turned to the search for dark matter. "The Higgs boson had been predicted, and we knew approximately where to look," he says. "With dark matter, we don't know what we're looking for."

To learn about dark matter, Gutsche needs more data. Once that information is available, physicists must mine it. They are exploring computational tools for the job, including Apache Spark open-source software.

In searching for dark matter, physicists study results from colliding particles. "This is trivial to parallelize," breaking the job into pieces to get answers faster, Gutsche explains. "Two PCs can each process a collision," meaning researchers can employ a computer grid to analyze data.

Much of the work in high-energy physics, though, depends on software the scientists develop. "If our graduate students and postdocs only know our proprietary tools, then they'll have trouble if they go to industry," where such software is unavailable, Gutsche notes. "So I started to look into Spark."

Spark is a data-reduction tool made for unstructured text files. That creates a challenge  accessing the high-energy physics data, which are in an object-oriented format. Fermilab computer science researchers Saba Sehrish and Jim Kowalkowski are tackling the task.

Spark offered promise from the beginning, with some particularly interesting features, Sehrish says. "One was in-memory, large-scale distributed processing" through high-level interfaces, which makes it easy to use. "You don't want scientists to worry about how to distribute data and write parallel code," she says. Spark takes care of that.

Another attractive feature: Spark is a supported research platform at the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), a DOE Office of Science user facility at the DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. "This gives us a support team that can tune it," Kowalkowski says. Computer scientists like Sehrish and Kowalkowski can add capabilities, but making the underlying code work as efficiently as possible requires Spark specialists, some of whom work at NERSC.

Kowalkowski summarizes Spark's desirable features as "automated scaling, automated parallelism and a reasonable programming model."

In short, he and Sehrish want to build a system allowing researchers to run an analysis that performs extremely well on large-scale machines without complications and through an easy user interface.

To search for dark matter, scientists collect and analyze results from colliding particles, an extremely computationally intense process. Credit: CMS CERN

Just being easy to use, though, is not enough when dealing with data from high-energy physics. Spark appears to satisfy both ease-of-use and performance goals to some degree. Researchers are still investigating some aspects of its performance for high-energy physics applications, but computer scientists can't have everything. "There is a compromise," Sehrish states. "When you're looking for more performance, you don't get ease of use."

The Fermilab scientists selected Spark as an initial choice for exploring big-data science, and dark matter is just the first application under testing. "We need several real-use cases to understand the feasibility of using Spark for an analysis task," Sehrish says. With scientists like Gutsche at Fermilab, dark matter was a good place to start. Sehrish and Kowalkowski want to simplify the lives of scientists running the analysis. "We work with scientists to understand their data and work with their analysis," Sehrish says. "Then we can help them better organize data sets, better organize analysis tasks."

As a first step in that process, Sehrish and Kowalkowski must get data from high-energy physics experiments into Spark. Notes Kowalkowski, "You have petabytes of data in specific experimental formats that you have to turn into something useful for another platform."

The starting data for the dark-matter implementation are formatted for high-throughput computing platforms, but Spark doesn't handle that configuration. So software must read the original data format and convert it to something that works well with Spark.

In doing this, Sehrish explains, "you have to consider every decision at every step, because how you structure the data, how you read it into memory and design and implement operations for high performance is all linked."

Each of those data-handling steps affects Spark's performance. Although it's too early to tell how much performance can be pulled from Spark when analyzing dark-matter data, Sehrish and Kowalkowski see that Spark can provide user-friendly code that allows high-energy physics researchers to launch a job on hundreds of thousands of cores. "Spark is good in that respect," Sehrish says. "We've also seen good scaling  not wasting computing resources as we increase the dataset size and the number of nodes."

No one knows if this will be a viable approach until determining Spark's peak performance for these applications. "The main key," Kowalkowski says, "is that we are not convinced yet that this is the technology to go forward."

In fact, Spark itself changes. Its extensive open-source use creates a constant and rapid development cycle. So Sehrish and Kowalkowski must keep their code up with Spark's new capabilities.

"The constant cycle of growth with Spark is the cost of working with high-end technology and something with a lot of development interests," Sehrish says.

It could be a few years before Sehrish and Kowalkowski make a decision on Spark. Converting software created for high-throughput computing into good high-performance computing tools that are easy to use requires fine tuning and team work between experimental and computational scientists. Or, you might say, it takes more than a shot in the dark.

More information: Apache Spark: spark.apache.org/
Outgoing Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev has condemned the reburial of a 1,500-year-old mummy, blaming "pseudo-Muslims" who "believe every clairvoyant"

Scientists have called for Kyrgyzstan's only mummy to be immediately dug back up after the 1,500-year-old relic was taken from a museum and hastily reburied on the eve of a presidential election in a decision celebrated by self-professed psychics.

The female mummy was put back in the ground in mid-October in the same dusty corner of southern Kyrgyzstan where it was discovered in 1956 after a sudden ruling by a state commission.

The decision was made despite strong opposition from the only archaeologist on the commission and culture minister Tugelbai Kazakov, who played the decisive role in the call, resigned on Saturday.

Kazakov said the mummy had been largely neglected by scientists and the country lacked the finances to keep it in good condition.

But some have said the timing of the reburialon the eve of a bitterly fought presidential electionindicates the influence of superstitions that have gripped the Central Asian country's turbulent politics in the past.

The reburial decision was celebrated by self-styled psychics in the Muslim-majority state, who had warned that disaster loomed if the mummy remained vacuum-packed in a state museum.

Self-described medium Zamira Muratbekova claimed she received a message from the spiritual world commanding authorities to rebury the mummy.

"She never died," Muratbekova told AFP.

"When they first found her she was still alive. She was like a sleeping girl."

"By reburying her we saved ourselves from bloodletting at the election," she said, adding that heeding scientists' calls to re-exhume the body would be a grave mistake.

"Before, the spirits spoke to us in terms of suggestions, but now they are giving us orders."

Members of a local election committee empty a ballot box. Some have said the timing of the reburialon the eve of an October 15 presidential electionindicates the influence of superstitions that have gripped the country's politics in the past

'Is she Kyrgyz?'

Kadycha Tashbayeva, the country's head archaeologist who sat on the commission, indicated the decision may have been influenced by the advice of psychics.

"You would think these people are just cultists and marginals. But they talk, and then the state echoes their position," Tashbayeva said.

While Islam is the main religion in Kyrgyzstan, shamanic practices and cultural superstition also have deep roots in the former Soviet country of six million people.

In 2011, lawmakers ritually slaughtered seven sheep in parliament to exorcise "evil spirits".

Outgoing President Almazbek Atambayev has condemned the mummy's reburial, blaming "pseudo-Muslims" who "believe every clairvoyant".

But a lawmaker in Atambayev's dominant Social Democratic Party, who is part of a parliamentary commission that has been formed to determine the mummy's fate following the burial, is against digging the body back up.

"Is she Kyrgyz? Is she Muslim? We don't know anything of this mummy!" said lawmaker Ryskeldi Mombekov of the relic, whose death almost certainly predates the birth of Islam.

"Re-excavating her again would amount to vandalism," he said during a tense session of the legislature earlier this month.

'Exhume the mummy immediately'

Archaeologists from Kyrgyzstan and around the world condemned the reburial as a backwards step for science.

A journalist looks at a baby mummy which was unearthed at an ancient tomb in Chinese city of Qarqan. The Kyrgyzstan mummy "has tremendous value in filling in the gap" as a case study between Xinjiang's Tarim Basin and Western Eurasia, experts say

"Exhume the mummy and put it back in a sealed chamber in the museum immediately," Victor Mair, a professor in the Chinese language and literature department at the University of Pennsylvania, told AFP.

Mair is among a small group of foreign academics that have studied the so-called Tarim mummies, hundreds of which were discovered in the autonomous Xinjiang region of China that borders Kyrgyzstan.

Archaeologists believe these mummies, which are preserved due to harsh climatic conditions rather than the mummification customs associated with ancient Egypt, are key to understanding historical migration patterns in the region.

Mair said the Kyrgyzstan mummy "has tremendous value in filling in the gap" as a case study between Xinjiang's Tarim Basin and Western Eurasia.

One of the official justifications for the reburial provided by former culture minister Kazakov was that the mummy was "just an ordinary woman", unlike Soviet founder Vladimir Lenin, who he said was a "chieftain" worthy of preservation.

Archaeologist Tashbayeva rejected both these arguments and said important facts about the mummy are already known.

"Her gender is known, we know she was quite youngprobably less than 30when she died," she said.

"We can see that her skull has undergone artificial deformation, which was a popular custom among nomads of our region and era.

"We could learn even more with DNA testing but we lack specialists," she added.

Tashbayeva and her colleagues have refused to share a stage with self-professed psychics as local television shows have jumped on the topic.

She accused the mediums of filling the debate with "nonsense".

"I am worried we are destined for a dark age," she said.

 2017 AFP
[October 31, 2017] Virtek Debuts Innovative Vision Driven Laser Technology in EMEA Market, Opens New Office in UK

WATERLOO, Ontario, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Virtek brings its latest advancement to the EMEA region for the composites and aerospace industry segments. The new Virtek Iris 3D with the Vision Positioning System (VPS) is an innovative combination of vision and projection, all in one integrated system. This new technology brings new levels of efficiencies only achievable with vision. Virtek's VPS is the latest addition to the Iris product line. This vision system delivers improved ease-of-use, reduction in cost of ownership, and portability, taking laser projection to applications that were too small and impractical to access. Additionally, Virtek has rolled out its new Laser Projection System, LPS-10, now available for purchase. Visit Virtek at Advanced Engineering, stand #037 where our local staff, from Virtek's new office in Manchester, will welcome you with a special demonstration of the new vision system. "The new vision integration is well suited for aerospace manufacturing and is able to move between applications with its flexible set up and portability," said Sean Francoz, senior product manager at Virtek. "The laser projection technology has proven to dramatically improve process efficiency in the composite and aerospace markets." VPS introduces a new feature called FlashAlign, which provides instant alignment to a part. It helps recognize a tool in any orientation, anywhere within the field of view. The speed, robustness and intelligence of the technology enables flawless assembly, decreasing overall set-up time. "We could save more than one minute on every alignment with FlashAlign. We no longer need to re-align before inspecting every ply. There are hundreds of plies in every ship set and these savings are huge for us," said a valued Virtek customer. The new smaller, faster scanning system, available for a variety of assembly applications, is now portable and much easier to maintain. This next-generation technology is breaking the laser barrier in the industry and extends Virtek's already leading-edge technology with a software platform that supports both targeted and targetless applications. Suchsupport helps to accelerate the aerospace assembly process by eliminating templates, manual measurements and helps reduce human error while increasing quality throughout the manufacturing process.



"With constant change in our customers' markets and processes they need flexible solutions that can move between applications," stated Todd Rhodes, Virtek's vice president and general manager. "Our customers rely on accuracy and precision because it translates to quality and safety, which are paramount to their end products. Virtek offers them more than 30 years of innovation, service and support to help them deliver reliable solutions that solve their production challenges." In addition to the VPS system, Virtek has launched a new Laser Projection System, LPS-10, as a flexible offering to those customers who only require laser projection to maximize their productivity. The LPS-10 is compatible with the current LaserEdge and Iris software and comes standard with autofocus, avoiding the need for highly-skilled labor while increasing productivity by up to 50 percent.

About Virtek

Virtek is the global leader in laser templating and quality inspection systems, providing exceptional expertise and engineering for manufacturers around the world. The Virtek name has become synonymous with precision, reliability, and innovation. Founded in 1986, and today a part of Gerber Technology, Virtek is based in Waterloo, ON, Canada and has local sales and service coverage in the USA, across Europe and in Asia. From the aerospace to the construction industry, and from sheet metal fabrication to wind energy, our tailored technology solutions featuring Iris, LaserEdge, LaserQC, and TrussLine give customers the competitive edge needed to succeed in their fields. For more information, please visit www.virtek.ca About Gerber Technology Gerber Technology delivers industry-leading software and automation solutions that help apparel and industrial customers improve their manufacturing and design processes and more effectively manage and connect the supply chain, from product development and production to retail and the end customer. Gerber serves 78,000 customers in 130 countries, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies in apparel & accessories, home and leisure, transportation, packaging and sign & graphics. The company develops and manufactures its products from various locations in the United States and Canada and has additional manufacturing capabilities in China. Based in Connecticut in the USA, Gerber Technology is owned by AIP, a New York based, global private equity firm specializing in the technology sector and has more than $3.0 billion assets under management. Visit www.gerbertechnology.com for more information. Contact: Andrea Andrade

Tel: +1 519.746.7190

[email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/virtek-debuts-innovative-vision-driven-laser-technology-in-emea-market-opens-new-office-in-uk-300546340.html SOURCE Virtek

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Siddharth Rawat, left, a Ph.D. student, and Bahram Javidi, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, operate a prototype device to examine blood samples for diseases. The portable holographic field microscope offers medical professionals a fast and reliable tool for the identification of diseased cells. Credit: Peter Morenus/UConn Photo

A portable holographic field microscope developed by UConn optical engineers could provide medical professionals with a fast and reliable new tool for the identification of diseased cells and other biological specimens.

The device, featured in a recent paper published by Applied Optics, uses the latest in digital camera sensor technology, advanced optical engineering, computational algorithms, and statistical analysis to provide rapid automated identification of diseased cells.

One potential field application for the microscope is helping medical workers identify patients with malaria in remote areas of Africa and Asia where the disease is endemic.

Quick and accurate detection of malaria is critical when it comes to treating patients and preventing outbreaks of the mosquito-borne disease, which infected more than 200 million people worldwide in 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Laboratory analysis of a blood sample remains the gold standard for confirming a malaria diagnosis. Yet access to trained technicians and necessary equipment can be difficult and unreliable in those regions.

The microscope's potential applications go far beyond the field diagnosis of malaria. The detailed holograms generated by the instrument also can be used in hospitals and other clinical settings for rapid analysis of cell morphology and cell physiology associated with cancer, hepatitis, HIV, sickle cell disease, heart disease, and other illnesses, the developers say.

In checking for the presence of disease, most hospitals currently rely on dedicated laboratories that conduct various tests for cell analysis and identification. But that approach is time consuming, expensive, and labor intensive. It also has to be done by skilled technicians working with the right equipment.

Quantitative phase profiles of healthy red blood cells (top row) and malaria infected cells (bottom row). Credit: Holographic microscope image courtesy of Bahram Javidi

"Our optical instrument cuts down the time it takes to process this information from days to minutes," says Bahram Javidi, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the microscope's senior developer. "And people running the tests don't have to be experts, because the algorithms will determine if a result is positive or negative."

The research team consulted with hematologists, and the algorithms used with the instrument are able to compare a sample against the known features of healthy cells and the known features of diseased cells in order to make proper identification. "It's all done very quickly," Javidi says.

How the Device Works

When it comes to identifying patients with malaria, here's how the device works: A thin smear from a patient's blood sample is placed on a glass side, which is put under the microscope for analysis. The sample is exposed to a monochromatic light beam generated by a laser diode or other light source. Special components and optical technologies inside the microscope split the light beam into two beams in order to record a digital hologram of the red blood cells in the sample. An image sensor, such as a digital webcam or cell phone camera, connected to the 3-D microscope captures the hologram. From there, the captured data can be transferred to a laptop computer or offsite laboratory database via the internet. Loaded with dedicated algorithms, the computer or mobile device hardware reconstructs a 3-D profile of the cell and measures the interaction of light with the cell under inspection. Any diseased cells are identified using computer pattern recognition software and statistical analysis.

Red blood cells infected with the malaria-causing Plasmodium parasite exhibit different properties than healthy blood cells when light passes through them, Javidi says.

"Light behaves differently when it passes through a healthy cell compared to when it passes through a diseased cell," Javidi says. "Today's advanced sensors can detect those subtle differences, and it is those nanoscale variations that we are able to measure with this microscope."

Ph.D. students Tim OConnor 17 (ENG), left, Siddharth Rawat, and Adam Markman 11 (ENG) operate a prototype device to examine blood samples for diseases at the Javidi lab in the Information Technologies Engineering Building. Credit: Peter Morenus/UConn Photo

Conventional light microscopes only record the projected image intensity of an object, and have limited capability for visualizing the detailed quantitative characterizations of cells. The digital holograms acquired by UConn's 3-D microscope, on the other hand, capture unique micro and nanoscale structural features of individual cells with great detail and clarity. Those enhanced images allow medical professionals and researchers to measure an individual cell's thickness, volume, surface, and dry mass, as well as other structural and physiological changes in a cell or groups of cells over time  all of which can assist in disease identification, treatment, and research. For instance, the device could help researchers see whether new drugs impact cells positively or negatively during clinical trials.

The techniques associated with the holographic microscope also are non-invasive, highlighting its potential use for long-term quantitative analysis of living cells.

Conventional methods of testing blood samples for disease frequently involve labeling, which means the sample is treated with a chemical agent to assist with identification. In the case of malaria, red blood cells are usually treated with a Giemsa stain that reacts to proteins produced by malaria-carrying parasites and thus identifies them. But introducing a chemical into a live cell can change its behavior or damage it.

"If you're doing an in vitro inspection of stem cells, for instance, and you introduce a chemical agent, you risk damaging those cells. And you can't do that, because you may want to introduce those cells into the human body at some point," Javidi says. "Our instrument doesn't rely on labeling, and therefore avoids that problem."

The holographic microscope was developed in UConn's new Multidimensional Optical Sensing & Imaging Systems or MOSIS lab, where Javidi serves as director. The MOSIS lab integrates optics, photonics, and computational algorithms and systems to advance the science and engineering of imaging from nano to macro scales.

A comprehensive report on the MOSIS lab's work with 3-D optical imaging for medical diagnostics was published last year in Proccedings of the IEEE, the top-ranked journal for electrical and electronics engineering.

More information: Siddharth Rawat et al. Compact and field-portable 3D printed shearing digital holographic microscope for automated cell identification, Applied Optics (2017). DOI: 10.1364/AO.56.00D127
Michael Brotherton, a UW professor of astronomy, played a key role in a study, published in Nature Astronomy, that suggests a newly developed computer model can more accurately explain the diversity of quasar broad emission line regions, which are the clouds of hot, ionized gas that surround the supermassive black holes feeding in the centers of galaxies. This artists impression shows how ULAS J1120+0641, a very distant quasar powered by a black hole with a mass 2 billion times that of the sun, may have looked. This quasar is the most distant yet found and is seen as it was just 770 million years after the Big Bang. Credit: European Southern Observatory/M. Kornmesser Photo

A University of Wyoming researcher played a key role in a study that suggests a newly developed computer model can more accurately explain the diversity of quasar broad emission line regions, which are the clouds of hot, ionized gas that surround the supermassive black holes feeding in the centers of galaxies.

"We are trying to get at more detailed questions about spectral broad-line regions that help us diagnose the black hole mass," says Michael Brotherton, a UW professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. "People don't know where these broad emission line regions come from or the nature of this gas."

The new study, titled "Tidally Disrupted Dusty Clumps as the Origin of Broad Emission Lines in Active Galactic Nuclei," was published earlier this month in Nature Astronomy, a monthly, online-only, multidisciplinary journal that publishes the most significant research, review and comment at the cutting edge of astronomy, astrophysics and planetary science.

Jian-Min Wang, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was the paper's lead author. Other contributing authors were from Key Laboratory for Particle Astrophysics Institute of High Energy Physics, National Astronomical Observatories of China and the School of Astronomy of Space Science, all at the Chinese Academy of Sciences; and the School of Astronomy and Space Science at Nanjing University in Nanjing, China.

Brotherton says most current computer models look at symmetrical lines in the spectral broad emission line region in active galactic nuclei (AGN), whereas the new model he helped develop looks at real lines, which are often asymmetrical.

"We see and try to reach a deeper understanding of the broad emission line region, where it comes from, its structure and how it can lead to a better understanding of quasars themselves," he says. "Our model tries to explain the full range of quasars," which Brotherton describes with humor as "the fire-breathing, bat-winged, vampire rainbow zebra unicorns of astrological phenomena."

The black hole's gravity accelerates the surrounding gas from these quasars to extremely high velocities, Brotherton explains. The gas heats up and, in turn, outshines the entire surrounding galaxy.

"People think, 'It's a black hole. Why is it so bright?' A black hole is still dark," he says. "The discs reach such high temperatures that they put out radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, which includes gamma rays, X-rays, UV, infrared and radio waves. The black hole and surrounding accreting gas the black hole is feeding on is fuel that turns on the quasar."

The gases, like wispy fires, put out colors of light, described by Brotherton as similar to "giant neon signs in space." The gases move at thousands of kilometers per second, with the blue-shifted gases moving toward us and the red-shifted gases moving away from us. This effect broadens the lines but doesn't actually make the gases red or blue, he says.

At the broad emission line region, those separate colors become a spiral of colors, a measure of the velocity of surrounding dust clouds.

The model includes what Brotherton terms "a swarming donut of dusty gas." Dusty clouds or clumps are contained in this donut that surrounds the quasar discs.

"What we propose happens is these dusty clumps are moving. Some bang into each other and merge, and change velocity," he says. "Maybe they move into the quasar, where the black hole lives. Some of the clumps spin in from the broad-line region. Some get kicked out."

The research was supported by the National Key Program for Science and Technology Research and Development, and the Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"It is an important first step forward at looking at these emission lines that form the black hole mass," Brotherton says.

More information: Jian-Min Wang et al. Tidally disrupted dusty clumps as the origin of broad emission lines in active galactic nuclei, Nature Astronomy (2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-017-0264-4 Journal information: Nature Astronomy
Credit: Eric S. Taylor, WHOI Graphic Services. Globe: Google Earth, Data Sio, NOAA, U.S. Navy, NGA GEBCO, Image Landsat, Image U.S. Geological Survey. Background: European Southern Observatory

Scientists have found lingering radioactivity in the lagoons of remote Marshall Island atolls in the Pacific Ocean where the United States conducted 66 nuclear weapons tests in the 1940s and 1950s.

Radioactivity levels at Bikini and Enewetak Atolls were extensively studied in the decades after the testing ended, but there has been relatively little work conducted there recently. A team of scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) reported that levels of radioactive cesium and plutonium have decreased since the 1970s, but these elements continue to be released into the Pacific Ocean from seafloor sediments and lagoon waters.

The levels of plutonium are 100 or more times higher in lagoon waters compared to the surrounding Pacific Ocean and about two times higher for a radioactive form of cesium. Despite these enrichments, they do not exceed U.S. and international water quality standards set to protect human health, the scientists reported Oct. 30, 2017, in the journal Science of the Total Environment.

To determine the source of these radionuclides in lagoon waters, the WHOI scientists measured the amounts and flow of radioactive material entering the ocean from groundwater seeping from the islands. They found that groundwater was a relatively low source of radioactivity.

In particular, they found that radioactive groundwater was not leaking much from beneath one suspected potential source: the Runit Dome on the island of Runita massive 350-foot-wide concrete lid that covers 111,000 cubic yards of radioactive soil and debris that were bulldozed into a bomb crater and sealed over. It was constructed in the late 1970s by the U.S. government to contain contaminated waste from the nuclear tests. The bottom of the Runit Dome is not lined and below sea level, so scientists and others have been concerned that tidal action could move water through the buried radioactive material and bring it out to sea.

WHOI geochemist Ken Buesseler carries a hand-held Geiger counter as he prepares to ascend the Runit Domea 350-foot-wide concrete lid built to contain radioactive contaminated material from nuclear weapons tests. The dome rises ten feet above sea level. Credit: Ken Buesseler, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

"The foundations of these island atolls are ancient coral reefs that have the porosity of Swiss cheese, so groundwater and any mobilized radioactive elements can percolate through them quite easily," said WHOI geochemist Matt Charette. Though that does not seem to be happening now, the scientists advise that the Runit Dome area should be continuously monitored as sea level rises and the dome deteriorates.

Using isotopes of plutonium that act like a fingerprint to pinpoint sources, the WHOI scientists found that the seafloor sediments around Runit Island seem to be contributing about half of the plutonium to the lagoon. "Additional studies examining how radioactive plutonium moves through the environment would help elucidate why this small area is such a large source of radioactivity," Buesseler said.

The WHOI scientists who conducted the study and wrote the report included Ken Buesseler, Matthew Charette, Steven Pike, Paul Henderson, and Lauren Kipp. They sailed to the islands aboard the research vessel Alucia on an expedition funded by the Dalio Explore Fund.

The team collected sediments from the lagoon with poster tube-sized collectors that were inserted by divers into the seafloor's sediments, filled with mud, capped. Back in WHOI laboratories, the cores were sliced into layers and analyzed to reveal a buried record of local fallout from the nuclear tests. The scientists also collected and analyzed samples of lagoon waters .

On the islands, they collected groundwater samples from cisterns, wells, beaches, and other sites. They analyzed these samples for the levels of radioactive cesium and plutonium from weapons tests. For the first time on these islands, the scientists also measured isotopes of radium, a naturally occurring radioactive "tracer" that give scientists key information to determine how much and how fast groundwater flows from land into the ocean.

WHOI researcher Paul Henderson, Eddy Maddison, a Marshall Islands observer and diver, and WHOI geochemist Matt Charette collect samples of groundwater from a well near the Runit Dome on Enewetak. Credit: Ken Buesseler, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

The WHOI research team also compared the radioactive contamination at the Marshall Islands to the contamination found today near Fukushima in Japan in the aftermath of the Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant disaster. "In contrast to Fukushima, where cesium is the most abundant radionuclide of concern, in these atolls, the focus should be on plutonium, given its significantly high levels," said WHOI radiochemist Ken Buesseler.

The U.S. conducted 66 nuclear weapons tests between 1946 and 1958 at Bikini and Enewetak Atolls, each a ring of low-lying reef islands that surrounds a larger lagoon. Bikini has 26 islands; Enewetak had 42 islands, but three were bombed out of existence. They became known as the western part of the "U.S. Pacific Proving Grounds."

Bikini and Enewetak are among 29 atolls that make up the Republic of the Marshall Islands, located in the equatorial Pacific, about 2,500 miles west of Hawaii. The collective land area of the thousands of small islands is equivalent to the area of Washington, D.C. but they are spread across an ocean area that exceeds the size of Alaska.

The work holds particular significance to the atolls' indigenous populations which were evacuated before the tests and thus far have only been allowed to return to one small island in the Enewtak Atoll.
Credit: Michigan State University

Michigan State University scientists are proposing a new way to economically produce biodegradable plastics with sunlight and help from an ancient microorganism.

The team, led by Taylor Weiss, a postdoctoral researcher in the Ducat lab at the MSU-Department of Energy Plant Research Laboratory, took cyanobacteria, that use sunlight to naturally produce sugar, and genetically tweaked them to constantly leak that sugar into a surrounding saltwater medium.

They paired them with natural bioplastic-producing bacteria that fed on the leaked sugar. The pairing was prolific.

Processed biomass contained a near constant 30 percent bioplastic content, four times more than similar experimental systems, and production rates were over 20 times faster.

The approach avoids fossil fuels for production and aims to reduce plastic's impact on the environment.

"A major problem is that most synthetic plastic today is not completely biodegradable, so it lasts for hundreds of years after being discarded, in landfills and in water ecosystems," Weiss said.

Although researchers have developed 100 percent biodegradable plastics made with special bacteria, it is very expensive.

These methods also tend to rely on feeding plastic-producing bacteria with loads of sugar derived from agricultural crops, like corn or beets, that also feed people and animals. There is a risk of competing for limited agricultural resources and driving food prices up in the long term.

The Ducat lab at the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory has engineered a cooperating community of bacteria that can produce renewable materials in an assembly-line fashion, each member strong in its own department. Credit: Michigan State University

Scientists are looking to genetically alter cyanobacteria, tiny photosynthetic workhorses, also known as blue-green algae, to funnel their outputs into useful products.

Weiss said that scientists create gradually more efficient bio-production systems all the time, but a major twist is that his improves over time, without human meddling.

"The cyanobacteria constantly make sugar through photosynthesis, and the bacteria constantly beef up on it, which encourages the cyanobacteria to keep producing," Weiss said. "So, the system continuously evolves in a virtuous cycle."

Looking forward, Weiss wants to partner cyanobacteria with other specialist bacteria to create cheap, environmentally friendly bioproducts, like biofuels to power jets and cars, fragrances, edible dyes and medicines.

"Ultimately, we aren't just creating alternatives to synthetic products," Weiss said. "We're trying to ask nature to do what it does best: figure out the problem for us."
A passenger checks-in his luggage using an automated booth at the newly opened Changi International Airport's Terminal 4 in Singapore

Singapore's Changi Airport opened a cutting-edge terminal Tuesday with a fully automated check-in system including facial scanning and computerised baggage drop points, but some passengers struggled with the new technology.

Terminal 4, built at a cost of Sg$985 million (US$723 million), will have an annual capacity of 16 million people and is aimed at coping with an expected increase in passenger numbers through one of Asia's top travel hubs.

It is packed with new technology, meaning passengers should in theory be able to check in and board without having to talk to airport staff.

On its first day of operations, more than 100 passengers arrived in the morning to take the inaugural service out, a Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong.

But not everyone managed to get to grips with the self check-in machines, forcing travellers to use counters manned by airport staff instead.

"I think it'll take a while for people and systems to get used to it," Loh K Ling, who tried to use two self-service machines before giving up and going to a manned counter, told AFP.

At the boarding gate, several travellers also had trouble getting used to the facial scanning technology and were redirected to manned counters.

Changi, often voted the world's best airport, is among hubs worldwide rolling out new technology as the fight intensifies for long-haul travellers.

Not everyone managed to get to grips with the self check-in machines, forcing travellers to use counters manned by airport staff instead

Along with hubs such as Hong Kong and Dubai, Singapore is scrambling to attract the growing army of travellerson trips such as Australia to Europewho can choose the routing of their journeys.

A growing number of mainland Chinese are also visiting Southeast Asia, and there is competition between Singapore and other local hubs, such as Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, to attract the new passengers.

 2017 AFP
White Eagle Memorial Preserve, US. Credit: White Eagle Memorial Preserve stewards

The secret to the survival of critically endangered wildlife could lie beyond the grave, according to a University of Queensland researcher.

The ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions' Dr Matthew Holden suggests revenue from human burials could fund nature reserves and parks for threatened species, effectively amounting to dead humans protecting living creatures.

Dr Holden said conservation burials' would go a step further than natural burials which already occur throughout Australia.

"Cemeteries could do more than prevent environmental damage caused by traditional burials which use embalming chemicals such as formaldehyde and non-biodegradable materials," Dr Holden said.

"They could improve the environment by offering conservation burials where the burial fees are used to help buy and manage new land.

"The nature reserve could be placed in an area that specifically maximises benefits for endangered wildlife, or also in cities to increase the societal benefits of natural urban greenspace."

Dr Holden from School of Mathematics and Physics and School of Earth and Environmental Sciences researcher Dr Eve McDonald-Madden evaluated the biodiversity and human health benefits of conservation burials.

Gate entrance to White Eagle Memorial Preserve. Credit: Jodie Buller

"They could generate revenue that exceeds the amount of money needed to save every threatened species on the planet," Dr Holden said.

"In the US alone, 2.7 million people die each year, with an estimated funeral revenue of US$19 billion - far more than the estimated $3-$5 billion required to protect every threatened species listed by the international Union for the Conservation of Nature.

"While not every threatened species can benefit directly from conservation burials, the hypothetical revenue demonstrates substantial potential for increased biodiversity."

Dr Holden said Halloween was the perfect time to urge the public and government and non-government organisations to contemplate how death could support future life on earth through conservation from the grave.

"If conservation burials became as commonplace as similar types of after-death charity, such as organ donation, the biodiversity benefits would be enormous," he said.

US conservation burial cemeteries include Honey Creek Woodlands, Georgia; Ramsey Creek Preserve, South Carolina; White Eagle Memorial Preserve, Washington; Greensprings Natural Cemetery Preserve, New York; Foxfield Preserve, Ohio; Glendale Memorial Nature Preserve, Florida; and Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery, Florida.

The research is published in Conservation Letters (DOI: 10.1111/conl.12421)

More information: Matthew H. Holden et al, Conservation from the Grave: Human Burials to Fund the Conservation of Threatened Species, Conservation Letters (2017). DOI: 10.1111/conl.12421 Journal information: Conservation Letters
Geographic location of Glass Window Bridge and the Cow and Bull boulders, North Eleuthera, Bahamas. Credit: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2017). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1712433114

(Phys.org)An international team of researchers has come up with a new theory to explain how two giant boulders could have made their way atop a cliff on the Bahamian island of Eleuthera. In their paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group suggests that it would not have taken a super-storm, as some have suggested.

On the Bahamian island of Eleuthera there sit two massive boulders some distance from a cliff edge. Because the boulders were not formed where they are, logic suggests they must have come from somewhere else, likely pushed by the sea. The boulders, named simply "cow" and "bull," have been objects of interest for some time, but more recently, they have attracted the attention of climatologists because they may represent an ominous future.

Two years ago, a team led by Paul Hearty suggested that the two boulders, which each weigh hundreds of tons, made their way atop the cliff from below due to the power of a raging superstorm approximately 100,000 years agoa time period during which sea levels were much higher than today due to a warmer climate. In this new effort, the researchers suggest it would it would not have taken a superstorm to move the giant boulderstheir simulations suggest a storm on the order of Hurricane Sandy would be powerful enough to drive the boulders back from the cliff edge to their current position.

Both teams agree that the boulders likely formed on land below where they now sit, but they disagree on where that might have been. Hearty's team suggested they most likely came from a lower cliff. In the more recent effort, the group traveled to Eleuthera and took a lot of measurements of the boulders, the cliffs and the seafloor beyond the cliffs. They then used what they had found to calculate the approximate weight of the boulders, 383 and 925 tons respectively. With that information in hand, they were able to create simulations showing what sorts of waves would have enough power to push them around at different sea levels. They report their simulations showed waves moving at just 20 to 25 mph had enough energy in them to push the boulders back from the cliff edge, which is where the team claims they were likely formedif sea levels were 20 to 30 feet higher than they are today.

More information: Alessio Rovere et al. Giant boulders and Last Interglacial storm intensity in the North Atlantic, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2017). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1712433114 Abstract

As global climate warms and sea level rises, coastal areas will be subject to more frequent extreme flooding and hurricanes. Geologic evidence for extreme coastal storms during past warm periods has the potential to provide fundamental insights into their future intensity. Recent studies argue that during the Last Interglacial (MIS 5e, 128116 ka) tropical and extratropical North Atlantic cyclones may have been more intense than at present, and may have produced waves larger than those observed historically. Such strong swells are inferred to have created a number of geologic features that can be observed today along the coastlines of Bermuda and the Bahamas. In this paper, we investigate the most iconic among these features: massive boulders atop a cliff in North Eleuthera, Bahamas. We combine geologic field surveys, wave models, and boulder transport equations to test the hypothesis that such boulders must have been emplaced by storms of greater-than-historical intensity. By contrast, our results suggest that with the higher relative sea level (RSL) estimated for the Bahamas during MIS 5e, boulders of this size could have been transported by waves generated by storms of historical intensity. Thus, while the megaboulders of Eleuthera cannot be used as geologic proof for past "superstorms," they do show that with rising sea levels, cliffs and coastal barriers will be subject to significantly greater erosional energy, even without changes in storm intensity. Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

 2017 Phys.org
Women CEOs are much more likely than their male counterparts to be targeted by activist shareholders, according to research conducted by a team that included two University of Alabama business professors.

The study, published this month in the Journal of Applied Psychology, found male CEOs are much less likely than female CEOs to be the target of shareholder activism, and activist investors are more likely to mob female CEOs.

Sometimes also called a "wolf-pack attack," mobbing by investors occurs when multiple activists converge on a firm with or without intentional coordination.

"Many of the media articles we were reading about shareholder activists targeting companies seemed to involve firms with women CEOs," said Dr. Vishal Gupta, associate professor in the UA Culverhouse College of Commerce and author on the paper. "Since there are so few women CEOs at large American firms, we thought it was odd that they were mentioned so often in media coverage about activists. So, we decided to investigate if activists are actually more likely to go after women CEOs."

Dr. Sandra Mortal, also co-author and an associate professor in Culverhouse, said the team sampled large, publicly traded firms for the period from 1996 to 2013.

They relied on filings required by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from those wanting to take an active position against a company, commonly called Schedule 13D filings, and merged those with data from the executive research firm ExecuComp.

The business press, such as Forbes or the Wall Street Journal, regularly have articles about some large investors targeting or threatening the management of the companies where they hold stocks, said Mortal, who has previously worked at the SEC as research analyst where she became interested in financial market transparency and fairness.

"Activists usually defend their aggressive stance against management by saying that they want to improve the way the company is being run, in effect, looking out for the common shareholders," Mortal said. "However, our research reveals there are invisible, but serious, biases in their decision to target particular firms."

Whether the activist investors are actually aware of their biases was not investigated in this research, Gupta said.

More broadly, the results of this study also reveal the greater scrutiny and monitoring women in leadership positions face, which is problematic considering widespread support for gender equality in the workplace, he said.

The paper is titled "Do Women CEOs Face Greater Threat of Shareholder Activism Compared to Male CEOs? A Role Congruity Perspective."

More information: Do Women CEOs Face Greater Threat of Shareholder Activism Compared to Male CEOs? A Role Congruity Perspective. psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fapl0000269 Journal information: Journal of Applied Psychology
[October 31, 2017] University of New Haven Hacking Team Competes Nationally After Winning Regional, Connecticut Competitions

WEST HAVEN, Conn., Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A group of computer science and cyber security majors from the Tagliatela College of Engineering at the University of New Haven will be among 10 teams from major schools around the country competing in the national Collegiate Penetration Testing Competition at the Rochester Institute of Technology later this week. The University of New Haven fended off teams from Drexel and Carnegie Mellon, one of the top universities worldwide in cyber security and technology education, among others to advance through the regional competition hosted recently on the campus of Penn State. As part of the 48-hour competition, the students performed penetration testing for a fictional company -- Gotham Elections. They met with individuals playing the role of company staff and spent the next eight to nine hours attempting to compromise various devices on the copany's network and documenting their findings. The team then had until eight the next morning to prepare a comprehensive report and a presentation.



"Experiences like this are a great opportunity for our students to practice their hacking skills, compete with other teams, and learn about professional penetration testing," said team advisor Frank Breitinger, assistant professor of computer science and codirector of the University of New Haven's Cyber Forensics Laboratory. "These events offer great opportunities to network with potential future employers. Making it to the nationals is a tremendous success for a small university like ours." The University of New Haven team also this month placed second of 23 teams at CyberSEED, a national cyber security conference hosted by the University of Connecticut. The team won $7,500, finishing behind Central Florida, which came in first and won $10,000.

About the University of New Haven 

The University of New Haven, founded on the Yale campus in 1920, is a private, coeducational university situated on the coast of southern New England. It's a diverse and vibrant community of more than 7,000 students, with campuses around the country and around the world. Within its five colleges, students immerse themselves in a transformative, career-focused education across the liberal arts and sciences, fine arts, business, engineering, and public safety and public service. More than 100 academic programs are offered, all grounded in a long-standing commitment to collaborative, interdisciplinary, project-based learning.

Information is available at www.newhaven.edu. View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/university-of-new-haven-hacking-team-competes-nationally-after-winning-regional-connecticut-competitions-300546671.html SOURCE University of New Haven

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Spain's top criminal court summoned Catalonia's axed separatist leader for questioning, hours after he appeared in Brussels insisting he remained the "legitimate president" of a region now under direct rule from Madrid. The National Audience in Madrid, which deals with major criminal cases, summoned Carles Puigdemont and 13 other former members of his administration, dismissed by Spain's central government last week, to appear Thursday and Friday. They are then set to be placed under formal investigation. On Monday, Spain's chief prosecutor said he was seeking charges of rebellion -- punishable by up to 30 years behind bars -- sedition and misuse of public funds. But the 54-year-old Puigdemont is in Brussels, where he surfaced after reportedly driving to Marseille in France and taking a plane to the Belgian capital. At a packed and chaotic news conference Tuesday, Puigdemont said he was in Brussels "for safety purposes and freedom" and to "explain the Catalan problem in the institutional heart of Europe." He denied that he intended to claim asylum but said he and several other former ministers who travelled with him would return only if they have guarantees that legal proceedings would be impartial. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said that during Puigdemont's time in the country he would be "treated like any other European citizen" with "the same rights and responsibilities". Two former ministers flew back to Barcelona late on Tuesday where they were greeted by a small group of demonstrators who waved Spanish flags in their faces and shouted "traitors!" and "Viva Espana!" at them. If Puigdemont fails to appear in court as requested, Spanish prosecutors could order his arrest. His lawyer Jaume Alonso-Cuevillas complained in a Tweet that Puigdemont had not been "given time to prepare the defence." The National Audience also gave Puigdemont and his former ministers three days to pay a combined deposit against potential penalties of 6.2 million euros ($7.2 million). - Uncharted territory - Puigdemont's departure and the court's announcement are the latest twists in the saga over semi-autonomous Catalonia's drive for independence, which has sparked Spain's biggest crisis in decades. With its own language and distinct culture, Catalonia, which accounts for a fifth of Spain's economy and 16 percent of its population, is deeply divided over independence. On October 1, the region held an unregulated referendum -- marked by a heavy-handed operation by Spanish police -- in which a large majority voted in favour of seceding from Spain. But Spain's top court had ruled the plebiscite illegal, and turnout was just 43 percent. Puigdemont insists nonetheless the referendum gave the Catalan parliament a mandate to declare independence on Friday, a decision relayed on large screens to cheering crowds in the regional capital Barcelona. But the reaction from Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's government was swift and emphatic. Invoking a never-used article of the constitution, Madrid dismissed Catalonia's leaders and imposed direct rule. On Tuesday Spain's top court ordered the suspension of the Catalan parliament's independence declaration. Spain's Civil Guard police force meanwhile searched the headquarters of Catalonia's regional police in a probe centred on the independence referendum, a spokesman said. Spain's Supreme Court also summoned the former speaker of the Catalan parliament to be put under formal investigation. - 'Slow down' - There had been speculation that Catalan leaders and civil servants might seek to disrupt Madrid's imposition of direct rule but it passed off without major incident. "We haven't come across a single civil servant who isn't doing his or her duty," Enric Millo, a central government representative in Catalonia, said Tuesday. But it appears that the crisis has converted more Catalans into independence supporters. A regional government opinion poll carried out in October suggested more Catalans now favour independence than not. The survey found that 48.7 percent said they wanted a separate state against 43.6 percent who did not. The last such poll, conducted in July, found close to 50 percent against secession versus 41.1 percent in favour. Still, a former Catalan minister, Santi Vila, told Catalan radio Rac1 on Tuesday that Puigdemont's government had been "under the illusion" that breaking away would be easy. Rajoy has called snap elections for December 21 to replace the Catalan parliament in a drastic bid to stop the secessionist drive. Puigdemont said that he accepted the "challenge" and that he would "respect" the result -- while calling on Madrid to do the same if separatists retain their majority. burs-stu/ds/pg/ceb
FILE PHOTO: Kem Sokha, leader of the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), gestures during an interview with Reuters at the CNRP headquarter in Phnom Penh, June 23, 2016. REUTERS/Samrang Pring/File Photo (Reuters)

By Prak Chan Thul

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - A top Cambodian court rejected an appeal to free opposition leader Kem Sokha on Tuesday saying his release could be a public risk as the threat of dissolution looms over his opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP).

Kem Sokha was arrested in September on charges of treason in what his supporters say is a politically-motivated case. It comes amid a crackdown on critics of authoritarian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who could face the biggest electoral challenge of his political career in a general election next year.

Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party has intensified a crackdown against political opponents, independent media and human rights groups in recent months, forcing the closure of several news outlets.

Lawyers for CNRP leader Kem Sokha, had asked the Supreme Court to rule that his detention was illegal and said that he should be granted parliamentary immunity from prosecution.

"The detention of Kem Sokha is to prevent new crimes and so that the court can guarantee public order," Judge Khim Ponn said after nearly two hours of deliberations.

"The accused will continue to be detained."

The Supreme Court is due to rule on Nov. 16 whether to dissolve the CNRP after the government last month filed a lawsuit asking to dissolve the CNRP on grounds it was involved in a plot to topple the government.

If the opposition is dissolved, rights groups say that will render the 2018 elections undemocratic.

Kem Sokha was not brought to the court hearing on Tuesday.

A handful of journalists, United Nations workers and Swedish Embassy staff attended the hearing where defense lawyers criticised the court's decision not to bring Kem Sokha to his hearing and for not allowing more public participation.

"The hearing seems fake," Hem Socheat, a lawyer for Kem Sokha, told the court.

The evidence presented against Kem Sokha so far is a video recorded in 2013 in which he discusses a strategy to win power with the help of U.S. advisors.

Story continues

Hem Socheat said that Kem Sokha's speech was about fundraising strategies and promoting democracy.

Hun Sen has said his rival was getting help from the United States. The U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh has rejected any suggestion of interference in politics.

(Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Michael Perry)
FILE PHOTO - People cool off themselves on a fountain during a heat wave called "Heat Dome" in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S., July 23, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

By Environment Correspondent Alister Doyle

OSLO (Reuters) - Climate change has caused severe harm to human health since the year 2000 by stoking more heat waves, the spread of some mosquito-borne diseases and under-nutrition as crops fail, scientists said on Tuesday.

Scant action to slow global warming over the past 25 years has jeopardised "human life and livelihoods", they wrote in a report published in The Lancet, a British medical journal.

"The human symptoms of climate change are unequivocal and potentially irreversible," said the report, entitled Lancet Countdown and drawn up by 24 groups, including universities, the World Bank and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Many governments are now trying to cut their greenhouse gas emissions under the 2015 Paris climate agreement, though U.S. President Donald Trump has weakened the pact by saying the United States, the world's second biggest greenhouse gas polluter after China, will pull out.

"This (report) is a huge wake-up call," Christiana Figueres, chair of the Lancet Countdown's high-level advisory board and the United Nations' climate chief at the Paris summit, told Reuters. "The impacts of climate change are here and now."

Among its findings, the report said an additional 125 million vulnerable people had been exposed to heat waves each year from 2000 to 2016, with the elderly especially at risk.

Labour productivity among farm workers fell by 5.3 percent since the year 2000, mainly because sweltering conditions sapped the strength of workers in nations from India to Brazil.

The report, based on 40 indicators of climate and health, said climate change seemed to be making it easier for mosquitoes to spread dengue fever, which infects up to 100 million people a year.

The number of undernourished people in 30 countries across Africa and Asia rose to 422 million in 2016 from 398 million in 1990, it said.

"Undernutrition is identified as the largest health impact of climate change in the 21st century," the report added.

Story continues

"GLIMMERS OF HOPE"

But despite the overall gloom, Anthony Costello, a director at WHO and co-chair of the Lancet Countdown study, said there were "significant glimmers of hope" in the situation.

The number of weather-related disasters such as hurricanes and floods rose 46 percent since 2000, but the number of deaths remained stable, suggesting that societies were improving protection measures against environmental catastrophes.

Almost 200 nations will meet in Bonn, Germany, from Nov. 6-17 to work on a "rule book" for the 2015 Paris climate agreement for shifting from fossil fuels.

The Lancet Countdown study did not estimate the total number of deaths from climate change. The WHO has previously estimated there could be 250,000 extra deaths a year between 2030 and 2050 because of climate change.

Nick Watts, executive director of the Lancet Countdown, said there could be a few benefits from warmer temperatures, such as fewer deaths from winter cold in nations from Russia to Canada.

"But those numbers are ... almost negligible," he said compared to the overall harm from global warming.

The Lancet study also said that the air in 87 percent of all cities, home to billions of people, exceeded pollution guidelines set by the WHO. Fossil fuels release both toxins and heat-trapping carbon dioxide when burnt.

Johan Rockstrom, director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre and who was not involved in the Lancet study, said the report could bolster efforts to limit pollution in cities from Beijing to Mexico City.

"Air pollution is in a way an old issue," he said, referring to decades of efforts to limit smog. "But it's potentially coming to the forefront again as the most rapid vehicle to get action on climate change."

(Reporting By Alister Doyle; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Hong Kong democracy activist Avery Ng was Tuesday found guilty of assault for throwing a sandwich towards the city's then-leader which hit a police officer. Ng, 40, chairman of political party the League of Social Democrats, was sentenced to three weeks in jail but released on bail pending an appeal. It was the latest in a series of cases against democracy activists which have led to accusations of interference in the judiciary as Beijing tightens its grip on the semi-autonomous city. Judge So Wai-tak said the sentence was a "deterrent" against what he described as "violent means" used in protests against government policies, although he acknowledged the fact that the weapon was a sandwich merited a shorter jail term. Afterwards Ng told reporters he believed the judicial system was being used by the city's Beijing-backed government. "Only in such a ridiculous place as the current Hong Kong will you see a sentence of three weeks," he said. Ng told the court he had thrown what he described as a "smelly fish sandwich" at Hong Kong's unpopular then-chief executive Leung Chun-ying as he was on his way to vote in the September 2016 legislative election. He said the sandwich was a protest prop to show that the poor in Hong Kong may not be able to afford even a simple breakfast. It illustrated the pro-democracy camp's demand for a universal retirement protection plan. Ng added that he had wanted to hand the sandwich to Leung but when he was blocked by police he threw it instead. Leung, in office from 2012 until July this year, was accused by opponents of overseeing the erosion of Hong Kong's freedoms. The former leader had told Ng's trial he felt "panic" at the time of the sandwich throwing. It followed an incident in 2014 where an anti-China lawmaker threw a glass at Leung in the legislature. The glass did not hit him but the lawmaker was convicted of assault and jailed for two weeks. Some online commenters poured scorn on what they saw as a surprisingly harsh sentence Tuesday. "Even treating Leung Chun-ying to a sandwich is a crime?" questioned one Facebook user. Umbrella Movement leaders Joshua Wong, Nathan Law and Alex Chow were jailed in August over their roles in the mass 2014 pro-democracy rallies after the government successfully sought to overturn previous non-custodial sentences passed by a lower court.
Iceland's president launched talks Monday to determine who could form the next government after an inconclusive general election in which a record eight political parties won seats. Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson called the snap election a month ago after a junior member of his centre-right coalition quit over a legal scandal involving Benediktsson's father. Growing public distrust of the elite in recent years has spawned several anti-establishment parties, splintering the political landscape and making it increasingly difficult to form a stable government. None of the record eight parties that won seats in parliament in Saturday's vote came close to obtaining a majority, and both the rightwing and the leftwing want a chance to form the next government. No statement was released after President Gudni Johannesson wrapped individual talks with all the party leaders around 1730 GMT, and no date was set as to when Johannesson might announce his pick. Benediktsson, whose conservative Independence Party came out on top -- though with just 16 of 63 seats -- was first out to meet with the president. Exiting the talks, Benediktsson, whose party has been the main political force in Iceland for decades, said he had told Johannesson he was ready to build a new government. "I told the president that the Independence Party is ready to try to form a government and is willing to assume responsibility," he told public broadcaster RUV. - Tainted by scandals - However, he signalled that he may need more time as "other groups might need more room before attempting to try it." Benediktsson is being challenged by the Left Green Movement and its potential allies, the Social Democratic Alliance and the anti-establishment Pirate Party. Under the Icelandic system, the president, who holds a largely ceremonial role, usually tasks the leader of the biggest party with trying to put a government together. But Benediktsson and his party have been tainted by scandals in recent years, and the party lost almost a quarter of its seats in parliament in the vote. As a result, the president could decide to ask the leader of the Left Greens, Katrin Jakobsdottir, to form a government. The Left Green Movement came in second with 11 seats, the Social Democratic Alliance obtained seven seats, and the Pirates six seats. They would need a fourth partner to hold a majority. Regardless of who receives the mandate, it could take days, weeks or even months before Iceland has a new government in place as thorny coalition negotiations await. A coalition of at least three, or four or five parties would be needed to obtain a majority in parliament. Jakobsdottir, who vowed during the election campaign to spread Iceland's economic prosperity to the health care and education sectors, said meanwhile she should be given the opportunity. "We have eight parties in parliament and right now, there doesn't seem to be any obvious majority. All parties are open for discussion," she said.
AFP file photo

Singapore filed its written observations on Malaysias request for interpretation of the International Court of Justices (ICJ)s judgment in the case regarding sovereignty over Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge on Tuesday (31 Oct), said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

Singapores written observations are a comprehensive rebuttal to Malaysias request for interpretation of the 23 May 2008 judgment. Singapore is confident of its case and its legal team, said MFA.

After the written proceedings, the next step is for both parties to present their oral arguments after the ICJ has fixed the schedule for the oral proceedings, added MFA.

Pedra Branca, which covers an area of about 8,560 sq m, is an outlying island and forms the eastern-most point of Singapore. Middle Rocks and South Ledge are two nearby maritime features. Pedra Branca has been the subject of a territorial dispute between Singapore and Malaysia since 1979. The ICJ ruled in 2008 that Pedra Branca belongs to Singapore, and that Middle Rocks is Malaysian territory.

Commenting on the filing, Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan wrote on Facebook on Tuesday morning, The Court has not yet fixed the dates for oral hearings. We hope that Malaysias interpretation request and its earlier revision application can be resolved as soon as possible, so that both countries can focus on strengthening our bilateral ties.

In February this year, Malaysia filed an application to overturn the ICJs 2008 ruling, citing new facts in the case. It cited three documents recently declassified by the United Kingdom to support the application.

In April, Singapore formed a legal team comprising Attorney-General Lucien Wong, Professor S Jayakumar, Professor Tommy Koh, and former Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong to study Malaysias application. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said then that Singapore is confident of retaining Pedra Branca as the Republic had a strong case.
Russia, Turkey and Iran pledged Tuesday in Kazakhstan to bring the Syrian regime and its opponents together for a "congress" to help nudge peace efforts towards a more lasting political settlement. A joint statement released by Russia and Iran, who support the regime, and Turkey, which backs the rebels, referred to an "initiative of Russia" to put Syrian government representatives and opposition groups face-to-face. A statement on the Russian foreign ministry website on Tuesday listed 33 Syrian organisations invited to a "Congress of Syrian National Dialogue" in the Russian city of Sochi on November 18. The proposal was one of the few notable outcomes from the seventh round of talks on Syria held in the Kazakh capital Astana, which are widely viewed as Moscow's attempt to stamp its imprint on a settlement for Syria. Russia's chief negotiator for Syria, Aleksandr Lavrentyev, urged opposition factions to "participate and present their positions" in the meeting that he said would touch on constitutional reform. But Lavrentyev could not confirm that the United Nations and its Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura would take part in the Sochi meeting, despite continuing negotiations. "We want to emphasise that this event should be part of the international community's efforts to find effective mechanisms for political settlement," Lavrentyev said. But representatives of the Syrian opposition in Astana cast doubt on the plan. Yehya al-Aridi, a spokesman for the Syrian opposition, called the suggestion "a jump in the air to another place" and said the congress risked sending "a fake message" on Syria. "We told Russia, 'First stop killing our children'," said another rebel representative, Yasser Abdelrahim, who brandished what appeared to be photos of dead children at the plenary session in Astana. The Astana talks that began in January have run parallel to negotiations taking place in Geneva with the backing of the United Nations, and the congress plan appears to be Moscow's attempt to force the pace in a bid for a political settlement. Speaking Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov credited the Astana negotiations with waking up a "dozing" Geneva process. Nevertheless, Lavrov said there had been a recent "slowing in the efforts made as part of the Geneva process." "We believe it is necessary not to hesitate but rather to seize the initiative," he said. Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to Tehran on Wednesday for talks with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, the Kremlin has confirmed. - Turkey's 'occupation' - Recent rounds of talks in Kazakhstan have focused on ironing out the details of a Russia-led plan establishing four "de-escalation" zones in Syria. The plan was first tabled in Astana in May to minimise fighting between government forces and moderate rebel factions and improve civilians' access to aid. The fourth and final zone to be established was the thorniest, taking in the northern province of Idlib where Iran and Turkey are viewed as having competing interests. In Astana, Syrian government negotiator Bashar al-Jaafari denounced Turkey's presence in the province and accused Ankara of cooperating with extremist groups. "We have emphasised that we see the presence of Turkish armed forces in Idlib as an act of occupation," al-Jaafari said. - Concern over 'de-escalation' zones - The zones were initially credited for bringing about a significant reduction in fighting. But international aid organisations say they are failing to curb a recent uptick in violence which has significantly worsened humanitarian conditions in Syria. The International Rescue Committee in the Middle East released a statement Monday that said civilian safety had "not improved with the establishment of these so-called de-escalation areas." It said the situation in rebel-held Eastern Ghouta, covered under the zones plan, is particularly dramatic, with the area facing "a malnutrition crisis". "Air attacks, as well as the impact of fighting between groups, has made it harder for food and medicine to get in," said Tom Garofalo, director of the group's public affairs. Lavrentyev had described the situation in Eastern Ghouta as "satisfactory" on the first day of taks in Astana. "Humanitarian aid is able to arrive," he said. The multi-sided Syrian war that began with anti-government protests in March 2011 has claimed more than 330,000 lives.
Visiting Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on Monday condemned the killing of an indigenous leader last week by the ELN guerrillas in violation of its ceasefire with Bogota. "Of course, we condemn the assassination as we would any assassination because to us life is the most precious thing," Santos told a joint press conference with his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau. Santos said the killing would be investigated by a verification commission comprising the United Nations. As well, he added, "we will ask the regular authorities -- the prosecutor and the justice system -- to act as necessary." The National Liberation Army, or ELN, Colombia's last active guerrilla group, acknowledged killing the indigenous governor Aulio Isarama Forastero in the northwestern department of Choco last week. In a statement released Sunday, the group said it had been holding Isarama under suspicion of links with "military intelligence" and apologized to his family and loved ones for killing him. It said he was killed after he attacked a guard "with the resulting tragic outcome." Isarama's death was the first violation of the temporary ceasefire that went into effect on October 1 and is meant to last until January 9, as the Colombian government and ELN leaders hold peace talks in Ecuador's capital, Quito. Canada, meanwhile, committed to have Canadian police officers train Colombian authorities in an effort to bolster the ceasefire. "We've agreed to work together to establish a bilateral police initiative," Trudeau said. "This effort will support post-conflict policing efforts in Colombia and will see Canadian police providing training, capacity building and strategic advice to our Colombian friends." Some Can$78 million in aid will also be invested in youth, agriculture, human rights, mine clearing, and to support for the peace process. "Canada's support has been determining," Santos said, noting 77 projects funded by Canada that are already under way.
Security fences surround buildings inside the Manus Island detention centre in Papua New Guinea, February 11, 2017. Behrouz Boochani/Handout via REUTERS (Reuters)

By Colin Packham

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australian private security on Tuesday vacated an asylum seeker detention centre in Papua New Guinea (PNG) ahead of its planned closure, detainees said, leaving about 600 refugees and asylum seekers barricaded inside and refusing to move.

Detainees are defying attempts by Australia and PNG to close the controversial Manus Island centre, saying they fear violent reprisals from the local community if they move to a transit centre.

Despite threats that water and power supply to the camp would be cut by 5 p.m. (0700 GMT), asylum-seekers told Reuters after the deadline that half the camp still had power at 10.30 p.m. (1230 GMT), along with access to water.

The Manus centre has been a key part of Australia's controversial "Sovereign Borders" immigration policy. The country refuses to allow asylum seekers arriving by boat to reach its shores, detaining them in camps in PNG and Nauru in the South Pacific.

Lawyers for some of the 600 men filed a last-minute lawsuit in PNG to prevent the camp's closure and allow the men to be relocated to a third country. A ruling is expected on Wednesday.

The detainees were left alone for the first time in more than four years after camp staff all left on Tuesday morning, Sudanese refugee Abdul Aziz told Reuters.

"The water and electricity are still on but we are vulnerable now after the staff left us all alone," Aziz said.

IMPENDING CLOSURE

The camp's impending closure is part of an Australian government plan to push refugees and asylum seekers to return to their home country, settle in PNG or move elsewhere, so dismantling part of the costly and controversial offshore detention programme.

The United Nations and rights groups have for years cited human rights abuses among detainees in the centres.

Detainees have consistently raised concerns over how they are treated by locals and authorities in PNG, a country that ranks 154th out of 185 on the United Nation's Human Development Index.

Story continues

Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton refused to comment on the departure of the Australian-employed security staff on Manus, but said the camp's closure would proceed.

"All have been informed for a considerable period of time that there is safe and secure alternate accommodation where health and other services will be maintained," Dutton said in an emailed statement.

Australia has already said it would spend up to A$250 million ($195 million) to house the men for the next 12 months. Just under 200 men have already been moved.

The relocation of the men is designed as a temporary measure, allowing the United States time to complete vetting of refugees as part of a refugee swap deal.

Asylum seekers said several unidentified local men had arrived at the camp and taken away furniture from common areas. Videos images shot by the refugees and sent to Reuters show vans loaded with furniture departing, though it is not clear where the vehicles were from.

SUPPLIES RUN LOW

Conditions for the refugees were unbearable, said Nick McKim, a senator with the Australian Greens Party who is on Manus.

"I can only describe what is happening on Manus now as a humanitarian emergency," McKim told Reuters. "It is 31 degrees Celsius (88 Fahrenheit) today and drinking water will be cut off."

PNG has sent paramilitary services to oversee the closure.

PNG's High Court ruled last year that the Manus centre, first opened in 2001, was illegal.

Most of the detainees come from war-torn countries such as Afghanistan, Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Syria.

Australia's tough offshore detention policies are backed by its two biggest political parties, although community opinion is divided.

"I would be absolutely terrified to be in that situation and I cannot understand why the government just simply will not say enough is enough ... we need to bring them here to Australia," said refugee advocate Dr Barri Phatarfod, who joined in a small protest against refugee policies in Sydney on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Colin Packham; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
The chief executive of Uber Technologies Inc, Dara Khosrowshahi (R) attends a meeting with Brazilian Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles in Brasilia, Brazil October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Adriano Machado

By Anthony Boadle and Maria Carolina Marcello

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil's Senate approved a weaker version of a hotly disputed bill to regulate car-hailing services like Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] on Tuesday after the U.S. company's chief executive warned it could make its business unworkable in the country.

Dara Khosrowshahi, who held talks with senior Brazilian officials in the capital Brasilia, had called on senators to remove rules in proposed legislation that would require Uber drivers to be licensed with their local municipalities, like taxis, and to use their own cars.

Uber has said that, if the bill was approved in its original form, it would undermine its ability to operate in Brazil, its second-biggest market, by making it too expensive and bureaucratic for many of its drivers.

That would harm the livelihoods of the 500,000 people driving for the company in Latin America's largest economy, according to Uber.

Following an appeal by Khosrowshahi for greater dialogue and more sensible regulation, senators agreed to amendments dropping requirements that drivers own their cars and have the same red number plates used by public transport vehicles like taxis.

However, lawmakers kept rules that make drivers subject to local city authorities for licensing, taxes and other rules. The bill must return to the lower house for final approval.

The regulatory crackdown in Brazil comes after authorities in London decided not to renew Uber's operating license last month and highlights the legal threats mounting against its fast-growing foreign operations.

Khosrowshahi struck a conciliatory tone in an interview with a Brazilian newspaper, suggesting Uber was open to finding compromise with local lawmakers, a break in style with his pugnacious predecessor, Travis Kalanick.

"In the past we were a bit aggressive, but we have to understand that it's not just about what we want and reach compromises," Khosrowshahi told O Estado de S. Paulo. "We are not against regulation. Regulating services like Uber is totally appropriate."

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However, after talks with Finance Minister Henrique Meirelles, the executive said the future of the ride-hailing app in Brazil depended on the decisions made in Brasilia.

UBER, TAXI DRIVERS PROTEST

Hundreds of taxi and Uber drivers lined up on opposite sides of the esplanade in front of Brazil's Congress to demonstrate for and against the bill.

Uber's executive spokesman for Brazil, Fabio Sabba, told Reuters he was punched in the face by a taxi driver as he gave a media interview inside the Senate building.

Taxi drivers bused into Brasilia by unions said Uber's lower fares had cut their income by almost half.

"Uber is destroying our age-old profession with unfair competition," said Antonio Barbosa, who traveled 26 hours from the northern state of Bahia to protest.

In a study issued hours before the Senate was due to vote, Brazils antitrust regulator CADE found that car-hailing apps had improved the market for individual passenger transport by increasing competition. CADE said apps like Uber, Cabify and 99 should lead to less regulation rather than more.

In recent days, car-hailing companies such as Uber and Cabify had urged Brazilians by WhatsApp and social media to press their senators to vote against the measure, which was authored in the lower house by a congressman from the leftist Workers Party backed by taxi cooperatives and unions.

Cabify said the Senate had listened to the outpouring of messages on social media and 825,000 signatures handed in to Congress opposing the original bill.

"The amendments have brought a more balanced bill," Cabify said in a statement.

(Reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello, Anthony Boadle and Brad Haynes; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Bill Rigby)
The United States will once again vote against an annual UN resolution condemning its embargo against Cuba, one year after it abstained for the first time in a quarter of a century. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters that US Ambassador Nikki Haley would oppose the measure when Cuba brings it before the General Assembly on Wednesday. "We've historically voted against that resolution. Last year, the United States abstained," Nauert said, looking back on a 26-year ritual that has seen Washington isolated on the issue. "Ambassador Haley will be reversing last year's abstention and will be voting against the resolution this year," she said. Nauert explained that the vote, which will likely see Haley in a minority of one or two in the General Assembly, would underscore President Donald Trump's new Cuba policy. "The Trump policy on Cuba gives greater emphasis to advancing human rights and democracy in Cuba while maintaining engagement that serves US national interests," she said. Trump's predecessor, former president Barack Obama, oversaw slowly warming ties with Havana and a loosening of the trade embargo, symbolized by last year's decision to abstain. But Trump has tightened up some of the openings that had begun to appear in the embargo and has hardened the tone against the communist-run island, casting a new chill on ties.
President Donald Trump's administration will revive Wednesday the annual US tradition of voting against a UN resolution condemning the American trade embargo against Cuba. For just over a quarter of a century, Cuba has brought the motion before the General Assembly, and every year, Washington and one or two diehard allies voted against -- until last year. Then, former president Barack Obama decided to abstain from the vote, marking with a symbolic gesture the cautious thaw in relations that his White House had begun to negotiate with Raul Castro's communist regime. Under Trump, that thaw may be over, even if the neighbors and former Cold War foes have not yet cut off diplomatic ties. In any case, on Wednesday the United States and probably Israel will once again be in a minority of two. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters that US Ambassador Nikki Haley would oppose the measure to underscore Trump's tough new stance on Cuba. "We've historically voted against that resolution. Last year, the United States abstained," she said. "Ambassador Haley will be reversing last year's abstention and will be voting against the resolution this year. "The Trump policy on Cuba gives greater emphasis to advancing human rights and democracy in Cuba while maintaining engagement that serves US national interests," Nauert said. - Sick diplomats - Trump's predecessor Obama, oversaw slowly warming ties with Cuba and Havana, including a reopening of the countries' embassies in Havana and Washington and a careful loosening of the trade embargo. But Trump has vowed to enforce more strongly the restrictions on US tourism and trade that had begun to shift, even before a more recent diplomatic spat over alleged attacks on the health of US diplomats in Havana. US officials say that at least 24 diplomats have suffered a variety of problems, including hearing loss and brain trauma, since last year due to "health attacks" that some initially blamed on a covert sonic device. After initially cooperating in an investigation, Cuba has angrily denied that the "attacks" took place and Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez over the weekend dubbed the claims "political manipulation aimed at damaging bilateral relations." But Nauert insisted that the decision to resume the symbolic opposition to the motion was not connected to this incident but part of a broader review of US policy to focus on demanding Cuban democratic reforms rather than building ties. A draft of this year's resolution, seen by AFP, notes that Trump has already rolled back some of the measures taken by Obama. - Flagrant violation - It recalls "the measures adopted by the executive of the United States in 2015 and 2016 to modify several aspects of the application of the embargo, which contrast with the measures announced on 16 June 2017 to reinforce its implementation." Ahead of the vote, Cuba's UN mission issued a statement denouncing the fact that 70 percent of Cubans were born and raised under an embargo that "hinders Cuba's economic development and constitutes a flagrant violation of the human rights of the Cuban people." "With his policy towards Cuba, President Trump reverses the progress achieved in bilateral relations after Presidents Raul Castro Ruz and Barack Obama announced on 17 December 2014 the re-establishment of diplomatic relations and the beginning of a process to normalize bilateral ties," it added. The United States restored diplomatic ties with Cuba in July 2015 and a month later re-opened its embassy in Havana. Obama made a landmark visit to the communist-ruled island in March 2016. His administration saw the thaw as a diplomatic victory But restoring full trade and financial ties with Cuba would have required legislative action by Congress, where the Republican majority has said human rights concerns must first be addressed. During his campaign, Trump visited the Cuban exile community in Miami -- traditionally led by conservative voters opposed to any rapprochement with the one-party Castro government -- and promised them his support. This year, after his election victory, he returned to Miami to address a group of activists and veterans of the failed CIA-led Bay of Pigs invasion by Cuban exiles and announced he was rolling back some of the breaches in the embargo.
Three major opposition parties in Venezuela announced Monday they will boycott municipal elections in December, saying the vote will not be free or transparent. "Taking part in these elections is not viable," said Henry Ramos Allup of Democratic Action, one of the three parties. The voting is scheduled for December. The two other parties, Popular Will led by Leopoldo Lopez -- who is under house arrest -- and the Justice First party of former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, also said they would not take part. In regional elections this month, President Nicolas Maduro's party eased to victory in 18 of 23 states but the opposition complained of irregularities. Maduro reacted angrily to the snub, threatening to jail those who he says are seeking to sabotage the polls. "I declare myself in battle against those who intend to revolt and attack the electoral system," Maduro told a meeting of governors elected in the regional polls. He said the opposition parties were obeying an "order" to sabotage the polls that the US embassy in Caracas gave them. "There are enough places in prisons for those who want to set Venezuela on fire," he said. The three parties, the main components of the Democratic Union Roundtable (MUD) opposition coalition, said they would focus on seeking better electoral conditions for the 2018 presidential election. "We are not going to participate in the municipal elections, we will fight for guarantees to freely choose a new government," said key opposition figure Julio Borges of the Justice First party. "There are no electoral or political conditions" to take part in the polls, said a spokesman for Popular Will, Freddy Guevara. The announcements came after the end of an opposition meeting Monday to decide whether to take part in the polls, which were announced on Friday by Venezuela's all-powerful Constituent Assembly, packed with Maduro loyalists. An opposition source told AFP that the parties who make up the coalition, both large and small, were divided over whether to run candidates in the polls. "It's difficult, some want to go, others do not," he said. Analysts said Maduro's socialist government had opted to bring forward the local elections to December to take advantage of the momentum gained in the sweeping regional election win, as well as disarray in the opposition ranks.
Morgan Campbells dejaglu Three Cities exhibition will open in Paris (its final stop) on November the 2nd at the Galerie Delicatessen. Peep the necessary details via the flyer and press release below and, if you can make it over the pond to see it, then we highly recommend doing so!

Morgan Campbell has been creating hand cut collages for over five years under the moniker deja glu. The material used for the pieces is only taken from vintage National Geographies. Morgan had two solo shows in 2015 and a joint show in May 2017  with street photographer Casey Foley. Morgans work has also been featured in collaborations with The 4 Skateboard Company (Aus), Magenta (France) and Butter Goods (Aus). Deja Glu  Three Cities is compromised of solo shows in Melbourne, Glasgow and Paris. Melbourne opened Friday July 21st and Glasgow  Thursday August 3rd. Both shows opened to packed houses.

As a youngster National Geographies were my only real window into the vast world that lay out there. Eventually I was given the chance to travel extensively and shortly after that The Internet rocked up. The combination qf these two factors immediately shrunk distances between countries and blurred differences between cultures. I like to delve back into these mags as they remind me qfa much larger, less fathomable planet. -MC
American-style Halloween is not obliterating the true sense of commemorating the dead in Slovakia.

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While Halloween (October 31) is spreading throughout Slovakia via company and school parties, All Saints Day (November 1) is still viewed as an intimate family occasion, ethnologist Zuzana Benuskova from the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) said, as reported by the TASR newswire.

This means that the American-style Halloween is not obliterating the true sense of commemorating the dead in Slovakia, she added.

"People make a distinction between their private lives and work. It's a well-known fact that feasts are becoming ever more 'privatised', while Halloween is still observed on a kind of institutionalised basis," said the ethnologist.

The family tops the list of priorities in Slovakia, and All Saints Day gives people an opportunity to gather together with their relatives, she added.

Source: TASR

The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
The future of Europe lies in a more integrated EU, with the eurozone due to serve as the driving force behind such integration, Finance Minister Peter Kazimir opined at the GLOBSEC Tatra Summit 2017.

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What we need to achieve is a more durable, better operating eurozone with a clear strategic orientation, Finance Minister Peter Kazimir said during his speech at the GLOBSEC Tatra Summit 2017 international conference on October 28, as cited by the Sme daily. The future of Europe lies in a more integrated EU, with the eurozone due to serve as the driving force behind such integration, he added.

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The main topic of the two-day conference that ended in Strbske Pleso (Presov Region) on October 28 was the continuation of EU integration, GLOBSECs organisation president Robert Vass told the TASR newswire.

What was special this year at the Tatra Summit

This years event was extraordinary because it was held in the High Tatras and with a smaller number of participants, but those who are decision-makers and have clout over the future of Europe, according to Vass.

This format proved its worth, Vass added, as quoted by TASR. It turned out that a smaller and more intimate summit affords a more open debate.

In terms of European policy, Vass perceives as critical the statements about the need to develop a multi-speed EU.

We wont be able to avoid this, its inevitable, he noted, as quoted by TASR. As the French minister for European affairs [Nathalie Loiseau] stated earlier, countries that are ready will go further and those that are not we understand that, but they cannot block the process of closer integration.

During the debate, Slovakia clearly demonstrated that it wants to form a part of the EU core. One of the key matters yet to be completed is the eurozone.

The banking union is not completed yet, Vass said, as quoted by TASR. It was here in which many recommendations came. If we want to be a part of the EU integration core, we need to make more active contributions.

After months of discussion on the future of the EU, it has become evident that there is not only a great interest in continuing such discussion, but also making progress in specific spheres of integration, European Commission Vice-President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic said at the Tatra Summit 2017 on October 27.

The basis of our stance must lie in unity, the effort to go as far in the 27 (countries) form as possible, but it has already become evident that we wont adapt to the pace of the slowest member, Sefcovic added, as quoted by TASR. Those countries wishing to continue with the integration will be given room to do so and will undoubtedly make faster progress.
The Public Procurement Office imposes a 10,000 fine on the Slovak Business Agency (SBA).

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The Slovak Business Agency (SBA) will have to pay a fine of 10,000, imposed by the Public Procurement Office for shortcomings in public procurement related to the TechMatch conference that took place back in 2015, the Sme daily wrote.

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It is a second-instance ruling of the office, the ethics watchdog Transparency International Slovensko (TIS) informed on a social network. Thus, we have asked the SBA if a specific person would have to pay the fine.

Read also:

Read also: TechMatch cost SBA chief his position Read more

The SBA respects the ruling of the Public Procurement Office but it does not agree with its conclusions and the amount of the imposed fine, the agency responded, as quoted by the SITA newswire. In this context, the SBA is pondering further legal action because the given ruling can be examined by a court.

The SBA was criticised for the costs of the 2015 TechMatch Slovakia conference, which was labelled overpriced by several IT experts, the public, and the political opposition. The framework agreement originally stipulated an amount of more than 1.4 million.

The SBA (known as the National Agency for Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises till February 2014) is the oldest specialised non-profit organisation for the support of small and medium-sized enterprises. It was founded in 1993 by a common initiative of the European Union and the Slovak government.
The year-round religious, social and cultural events commemorating the 500th anniversary of Reformation culminate on October 31.

Portrait of Martin Luther and Katharina Von Bora by Lucas Cranach the Elder, is on display as part of the exhibition on Reformation at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. (Source: AP/SITA)

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The Day of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession (ECAV), October 31, marks the culmination of missionary and other events connected to the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.

This day will see a Festive Service at 15:30 in the Evangelical Church of the Holy Trinity in Bratislava-Petrzalka, the SITA newswire wrote. Apart from Evangelical believers from all over Slovakia, neighbouring religious communities in Austria, representatives of state, of the diplomatic corps established in Slovakia, and ecumenical and evangelical churches from abroad will take part. The festive sermon will be conducted by the General Bishop of ECAV Milos Klatik.

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Other events include the inauguration of the special postage stamp marking the anniversary (by artist Dusan Kallay and engraver Martin Cinovsky), and the opening of the Embroidered History of the ECAV in Slovakia exhibition composed of 16 artworks embroidered for this occasion. Both are taking place in the Slovak National Theatres (SND) new building, before the festive mass. The post office box will be open for the public between 14:30 and 15:30; while the exhibition lasts until December 31.

Cultural events marking the Reformation

There will be a festive academy on this occasion in the SNDs historical building, at 18:00. At 19:30 the premiere of the spiritual opera, Hrad Prepevny by composer Vitazoslav Kubicka will begin, performed by the Symphonic Orchestra of the Slovak Radio conducted by Adrian Kokos, with soloists Marianna Gelenekyova, Andrea Hulecova, Roman Krsko and Peter Subert, the RTVS Girls Choir , the Anima Cantanda mixed choir, the Antanda mixed choir and the mixed choir of the CZ ECAV Kezmarok.

On October 31, evangelical Christians worldwide commemorate the day when theologian Martin Luther hung the 95 Theses openly opposing the papal teachings on indulgences, on the door of the castle church in the German city of Wittenberg in 1517, SITA wrote. The Reformation ranks among the globally important events that impacted not just religious but also social developments.
Credit Suisse Group AG, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial services in Switzerland, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and Asia Pacific. The company offers wealth management solutions, including investment advice and discretionary asset management services; risk management solutions, such as managed investment products; and wealth planning, succession planning, and trust services. It also provides financing and lending solutions, including consumer credit and real estate mortgage lending, real asset lending relating to ship, and aviation financing for UHNWI; standard and structured hedging, and lombard lending solutions, as well as collateral trading services; and investment banking solutions, such as global securities sales, trading and execution, capital raising, and advisory services. In addition, the company offers banking solutions, such as payments, accounts, debit and credit cards, and product bundles; asset management products; equity and debt underwriting, and advisory services; cash equities, equity derivatives, and convertibles, as well as prime services; and fixed income products, such as credit, securitized, macro, emerging markets, financing, structured credit, and other products. Further, it provides HOLT, a framework for assessing the performance of approximately 20,000 companies; and equity and fixed income research services. The company serves private and institutional clients; ultra-high-net-worth individuals, high-net-worth individuals, and affluent and retail clients; corporate clients, small and medium-sized enterprises, external asset managers, financial institutions, and commodity traders; and pension funds, hedge funds, governments, foundations and endowments, corporations, entrepreneurs, private individuals, financial sponsors, and sovereign clients. As of December 31, 2021, it operated through a network of 311 offices and branches. The company was founded in 1856 and is based in Zurich, Switzerland.
The Great British Bake Off 2017 judge Prue Leith slipped up today when she appeared to reveal a MAJOR spoiler about the shows grand final (NB. this article is spoiler-free).

Tonights final instalment of the popular baking contest will see contestants Kate Lyon, Sophie Faldo and Steven Carter-Bailey go head-to-head in a bid to be crowned its series eight champion.

However, some unsuspecting Twitter users may now know the result over nine hours early after Prue made a huge mistake.

At 10.37am this morning, she posted a message on the social networking site which seemingly revealed who the winner is.

No one told me judging a #gbbo final would be so emotional. I wanted them all to win, she wrote on @PrueLeith. Bravo [redacted].

Moments later, Prue deleted the offending Tweet and posted an apology.

According to the BBC, the food expert is currently in Bhutan, which is six hours ahead of UK time, and she blamed the time difference for her blunder.

I am so sorry to the fans of the show for my mistake this morning, she tweeted. I am in a different time zone and mortified by my error.

Responding to the controversy, a Channel 4 spokesperson told the Beeb: Prue has just tweeted an apology to fans. We have no further comment.

As it happens, this is not the first time that a Bake Off judge has accidentally let one of the shows results slip.

During the sixth series in 2015, Mary Berry revealed contestant Dorret Conways elimination in a morning radio interview on the day her exit episode was broadcast.

The Great British Bake Off 2017 final airs tonight at 8PM on Channel 4.
Police are set to step in to probe a scandal that has rocked the Vietnamese silk industry as the owner of a premier silk brand had admitted that half of its high-end Made in Vietnam scarf stock comes from China.

Following a closed-door meeting on Monday, the Ministry of Industry and Trade announced on its official website that it had ordered the transfer of the scandals documents to the criminal police division under the Hanoi Department of Police.

All documents have been sent to the police ever since.

Tag removal?

Khaisilk, a premier Vietnamese silk brand, made headlines last week when one of the companys scarves was found bearing both a Made in China label and a Made in Vietnam one, giving rise to suspicion of trade fraud.

A Facebook user, Dang Nhu Quynh, had reported that the scarf was part of a 60-item order his brother had placed with a Khaisilk store in Hanoi at VND644,000 (US$28) apiece.

In his status update, Quynh said that some of the remaining 59 Made-in-Vietnam scarves displayed signs that a Made in China tag had been cut off.

The brand owner, Hoang Khai, later confessed that 50 percent of his silk scarves were sourced from China and sold under the guise of Vietnamese products.

On Sunday, a Hanoi market surveillance agency stated in a report that it was employees of the Khaisilk outlet who had changed the tags without anyone elses knowledge, as their supply of silk scarves had fallen short of demand.

Located at 113 Hang Gai in Hoan Kiem District, the store is registered under the name of Nguyen Thi Thu Nga and has a business license granted by the Hoan Kiem administration.

The Hanoi store has been closed while two Khaisilk shops in Ho Chi Minh City have also been shut down since last weekend.

Trade Minister Tran Tuan Anh has asked Hanoi police to look into the violations of Ngas business.

He urged the establishment of an inspection group including police, customs, and tax officers to carry out a comprehensive examination of Khaisilk products.

The interior of the Khaisilk outlet on Hang Gai Street in Hanoi. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Minister Anh requested the Peoples Committees in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to direct close investigations into the activities of the firm in each locality.

According to Chu Xuan Kien, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Nga is the representative of Khai at the 113 Hang Gai store.

An official from the Hanoi market watchdog said that its report only showed initial results, as competent agencies would continue their probe to reach a final conclusion.

Incredible report

V.A., business manager of the Ho Chi Minh City-based LP Textile Company, asserted that the report of the market surveillance agency is unreliable and unacceptable.

In accordance with protocol, all products and revenues at outlets must be reported back to the company on a daily basis, A. stated.

In case of a hike in demand, store managers always inform their firm to source additional products and check the origin of all merchandise.

A former Khaisilk partner said that Khai, as the brand owner, has to supervise every step in the operations of his outlets, which makes it difficult for any manipulation by any employee to take place.

This could be a way to mitigate the firms wrongdoing, the former business partner remarked.

Tran Huu Huynh, chairman of the Vietnam International Arbitration Center, added that a business owner must take responsibility for all his merchandise under any circumstance.

Founded in the late 1990s, Khaisilk scarves are considered a premium product, popular amongst local luxury consumers and international tourists.

Khaisilk also trades wallets, bags, ties, and other items of clothing.

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With its landmark registration made and international recognition given in 1994, Vietnams national domain .vn has seen remarkable growth over the past several years.

>> The Internet turns 20 in Vietnam: P1  Forerunners

>> The Internet turns 20 in Vietnam: P2  Australian professors contribution

>> The Internet turns 20 in Vietnam  P3: The semi-illegal era

In 1993, Tran Ba Thai, one of the pioneers of the Internet in Vietnam, along with his group at NetNam, which became the countrys first Internet services provider, worked closely with Professor Rob Hurle and his associates from the Australian National University, a national research university in Canberra, to conduct experiments to connect computers in Vietnam and Australia through landline phone lines.

The experiments were 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. as Vietnams domain .vn had not yet been registered.

While working with agencies in the Philippines, Prof. Hurle learned that the .ph domain had been registered by an individual user, who wanted the government to buy it from him for a huge sum.

Foreseeing a similar predicament in Vietnam, he advised Thai to register for the .vn domain.

Without a direct communication channel to register for the domain at the Asia Pacific Network Information Center (APNIC), an organization that manages the assignment of Internet number recourses in Asia, Thai and Professor Tran Van Dac, then head of the Technology Development Department under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, collectively approved the application and authorized Prof. Hurle to work with APNIC.

The approval was said to be a courageous act, as the introduction of the Internet remained disputed and was even considered illegal at that time.

With the Australian professors assistance, the registration was a milestone.

After securing the national domain, we established the first email server with the .vn domain now directly connected to the global grid, officially adopting it on the countrys pilot network, Thai, the former NetNam director, recalled.

Despite the Internet not being officially recognized and licensed in Vietnam until late 1997, the Southeast Asian country had enjoyed the ownership and international recognition of the .vn domain since 1994.

The new domain came after the Australian .au domain had been borrowed for a short time thanks to the scientists dedication.

The acquisition of the new domain is to this day considered a national resource by experts and leaders of government agencies.

Between 1994 and 1995, Internet users in the country could all switch to or register for second-level domains under the national .vn domain.

The Institute of Information Technology, under the current Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, was initially in charge of the .vn domain.

NetNam, a group of scientists from the institute, was tasked with overseeing the domain until 1997.

Following the official launch of the Internet in Vietnam in 1997, the domains management was handed over to the National Administration of Posts (now the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group).

The national Internet address is currently under the supervision of the Vietnam Internet Network Information Center (VNNIC), founded in 2000 under the Ministry of Information and Communications.

The National Server Center stationed in the central city of Da Nang. Courtesy of VNNIC

.vn subdomains

According to the latest update published on VNNIC, 418,534 .vn subdomains are currently maintained on the Internet.

More than 100 new registrations for subdomains in the Vietnamese language are now recorded each month, compared to merely a few dozen back in 1997.

Since 2000, the VNNIC has been tasked with establishing, overseeing and exploiting two key infrastructures of the countrys Internet, namely the National Domain Name System (DNS) and Vietnam National Internet eXchange (VNIX).

In the event of technical glitches that shut down the DNS for just a few seconds, access to Internet services adopting the .vn domain such as websites and emails will disappear without warning.

Nguyen Hong Thang, VNNIC deputy director, revealed that Vietnams server system carrying the national domain currently comprises seven server clusters.

Five of them are installed in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang.

The remaining two are placed abroad with over 70 spots in major cities across five continents which see the highest density of Vietnamese expats and the most frequent access to the .vn domain.

According to the VNNIC, the .vn domain encountered difficulties competing with its foreign counterparts between 2000 and 2005.

The percentage of websites adopting the .vn domain out of the entire .vn domain space accounts for over 50 percent, with the most common ones including gov.vn (81.31 percent), edu.vn (74.48 percent) and org.vn (68.92 percent).

The ratio of the .vn domain against foreign domains in Vietnam is currently 50-50.

For years since 2011, the .vn domain has always had the highest number of registrations across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and been listed among Asias Top 10.

Inside the National Server Center located in Hanoi. Courtesy of VNNIC

The national domain .vn is the top level domain for Vietnam. Second-level domains are of equal value and meant to identify Internet addresses for servers registered in Vietnam. The second-level domain, beneath the .vn, consists of those that are categorized and those that are not categorized into sectors, as follows: - com.vn and - biz.vn: intended for commercial organizations and individuals - edu.vn: for organizations and individuals operating in the education and training sector - gov.vn: for state organizations and agencies at central and local levels - net.vn: for organizations and individuals operating in the Internet-related sector - org.vn: for organizations and agencies functioning in politics, culture and social issues - int.vn: for international organizations operating in Vietnam - ac.vn: research fields - pro.vn: highly specialized areas - info.vn: production, distribution and provision of information - health.vn: medical, pharmaceutical fields - name.vn: meant for individual Internet users Other domain names are stipulated by the Ministry of Information and Communications.

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L.A.-based touring comedian Tony Vinh will not sell you any of his vital organs. Or will he?

The Vietnamese-American comedian, who will make his Vietnam stand-up debut on Wednesday night in Ho Chi Minh City, is staying open to offers.

A regular on the comedy club scene in Los Angeles, it is Tonys first visit to the country of his parents birth.

I keep getting honked at and yelled at every time I cross the street, he told Tuoi Tre News last week.

My Vietnamese isnt great, but Im pretty sure theyre yelling, Why is there an elephant in the road? Drive around that ugly, fat elephant!

Plying his trade on the highly competitive stand-up circuit in America, Tony has become a crowd-favorite at U.S. comedy festivals like Second City L.A., Gildas Laughfest, the Funniest Person in Austin and Out of Bounds.

L.A. and New York are where the best comics in the world come to perform, he said. Its challenging trying to find stage time, because youre always fighting with the best.

Green Bamboo residents receive vocational training. Photo: Green Bamboo

Im just hoping to earn a good enough living to avoid selling my kidneys, he explained.

But seriously, if any Tuoi Tre News readers want to make a bid, let me know. My rent is due.

Held in support of Green Bamboo Warm Shelter, which helps underprivileged boys and at-risk teenagers, the gig is another initiative of the iLA Community Network, established by iLA in 2005.

Providing life essentials like shelter, food, and medical care for homeless and orphaned young boys, as well as life skills and vocational training to teenage boys and girls, Green Bamboo was set up in Ho Chi Minh City in 1994, and is officially recognized by the municipal Peoples Committee.

Hosted by Adam Palmeter, Stand Up PIU PIU will also feature some of Saigon Comedys best local openers, with 100 percent of your VND100,000 entry fee going to Green Bamboo Warm Shelter.

Stand Up Piu Piu featuring Tony Vinh is on Wednesday, November 1 at Piu Piu at 97 Hai Ba Trung Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.

The show starts at 9:00 pm, with VND100k donations at the door.

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A special envoy of Vietnamese Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong has arrived in Beijing to congratulate General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping on his appointment, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

General Secretary Xi received Hoang Binh Quan, head of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committees Commission for External Relations and special envoy of General Secretary Trong, in the Chinese capital on Monday.

During the meeting, Quan conveyed the Vietnamese Party chiefs congratulations on the success of the CPCs 19th Congress and Xis re-election as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee for its 19th tenure.

The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China took place from October 18 to 24 in Beijing.

Seven members of the CPC Politburo Standing Committee were then announced, including Xi, Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, and Han Zheng.

The Vietnamese official hoped that both countries could strive to further develop their traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

He expressed his belief that under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi as its nucleus, the Party, State and people of China could successfully achieve goals set by the 19th Congress and make greater achievements in the cause of building and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Quan affirmed that the Party and State of Vietnam treasured the development of neighborliness and comprehensive cooperation with China, hoping that both sides would join hands to realize the common perceptions reached by the two Parties and countries leaders.

Vietnam appreciates and welcomes the upcoming state visit by General Secretary Xi and his attendance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Week, which will take place in the central city of Da Nang from November 6 to 11, he added.

Replying to his guest, General Secretary Xi said the CPC and himself also treasured their ties with Vietnam.

He expressed his support for Vietnams successful hosting of the APEC summit week and extended his regards to General Secretary Trong and other Party and State leaders.

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Here are the news stories you should not miss today, October 31:

Politics

-- General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping received Hoang Binh Quan, head of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committees Commission for External Relations and special envoy of the Party chief, Nguyen Phu Trong, in Beijing on Monday.

Society

-- The water level in the Saigon River is forecast to rise due to high tide in the next few days, posing a high risk of inundation at several locations in Ho Chi Minh City, the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting reported, adding that a low-pressure zone in the southern part of the East Vietnam Sea may also strengthen, causing bad weather patterns in the city.

-- A fire broke out at a wood company in the southern province of Binh Duong at around 11:00 am on Monday, causing damage estimated at billions of dong (VND1 billion = US$44,070). The flames were put out about an hour later.

-- The Superior People's Court in Ho Chi Minh City asserted on Monday that the Drug Administration of Vietnam under the Ministry of Health is also responsible for the import of fake cancer medicines of Vietnamese pharmaceutical firm VN Pharma.

-- Police in the north-central province of Nghe An confirmed on Monday evening they had arrested two people for producing and trading fake A92 gasoline.

-- Four people were injured after the roof of an under-construction supermarket gave way in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau on Monday.

-- An 11-month-old child in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang died on Monday after swallowing a balloon.

Business

-- A variety of tours to central Vietnam have been introduced on the occasion of the 2017 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit week in Da Nang from November 6 to 11.

-- According to the National Financial Supervisory Commission, profits of Vietnams banking system in January-September reached VND47 trillion ($2 billion), up 39 percent year-on-year.

Lifestyle

-- Two contestants from Vietnam and Thailand were named the winners of the International Guitar Festival in Hanoi, which ran from October 27 to 29.

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Netflix has confirmed a sixth and final season for flagship drama House of Cards.

The news comes just a day after allegations levelled at star Kevin Spacey, surrounding a sexual assault in the 1980s by actor Anthony Rapp, then 14. Spacey apologised for inappropriate drunken behavior, subsequently coming out as gay. But he has been widely criticised for failing to adequately address the allegations.

Media Rights Capital and Netflix are deeply troubled by last nights news concerning Kevin Spacey, the companies said in a joint statement. In response to last nights revelations, executives from both of our companies arrived in Baltimore this afternoon to meet with our cast and crew to ensure that they continue to feel safe and supported. As previously scheduled, Kevin Spacey is not working on set at this time.

Former showrunner Beau Willimon stated, however, that during the four years that he and Spacey worked together on the show, I neither witnessed nor was aware of any inappropriate behavior on set or off. That said, I take reports of such behavior seriously and this is no exception. I feel for Mr. Rapp and I support his courage.

Producers claim the final season was already finalised prior to current headlines. While House of Cards had technically not been renewed before today, production was already well underway. Earlier this month, questions arose about the safety of the production when a gunman opened fire on an office park near the shows Maryland set.

Meanwhile, Anthony Rapp, now featuring on Star Trek: Discovery, has not made further comment following his interview with BuzzFeed.

GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis also issued a statement: Coming-out stories should not be used to deflect from allegations of sexual assault. This is not a coming-out story about Kevin Spacey, but a story of survivorship by Anthony Rapp and all those who bravely speak out against unwanted sexual advances. The media and public should not gloss over that.

Source: Hollywood Reporter.
Seven has claimed victory in the first night of the final ratings chapter for 2017.

The Wall won its timeslot convincingly with 974,000 viewers, beating an extended Family Food Fight on 614,000. Nines new food show was eclipsed by Australian Story on 750,000 & 7:30 on 698,000, leaving All Star Family Feud with 439,000.

Sevens new game show, which gave away more than twice the cash prize of Nines season in a single night, was also second in the demos for the night. But social media comment was divisive, meaning this battle may not be over.

By 8:30pm Have You Been Paying Attention? hit the front with 725,000 viewers -#1 in the demos for Monday  ahead of Four Corners, Liar. Nines Menendez Murders kicked in at 9:20pm.

Seven News, ACA & The Chase all won their slots.

Seven network won Monday with 30.5% then Nine 24.2%, ABC 21.2%, TEN 17.2% and SBS 7.0%.

Seven News (994,000 / 976,000) was #1 for Seven followed by The Wall (974,000), Home and Away (705,000), The Chase (585,000 / 372,000), Liar (512,000). Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders was 205,000).

Nine News (978,000 / 940,000) was best for Nine then A Current Affair (868,000), Family Food Fight (614,000), Hot Seat (491,000 / 291,000), Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders (325,000).

ABC News (773,000) was best for ABC then Australian Story (750,000), 7:30 (698,000), Four Corners (618,000), Media Watch (586,000) and Q&A (575,000).

Have You Been Paying Attention? won its slot with 725,000 for TEN followed by The Project (537,000 / 354,000), TEN Eyewitness News (440,000), All Star Family Feud (439,000), Family Feud (305,000) and Man with a Plan (301,000).

On SBS it was The Worlds Most Extraordinary People (195,000), 24 Hours in Emergency (178,000), River Cottage Australia (176,000) and SBS World News (140,000).

Hey Duggee topped multichannels with 224,000.

Sunrise: 280,000

Today: 273,000

News Breakfast: 111,000 / 47,000

OzTAM Overnights: Monday 30 October 2017.
US drama The Sinner begins on Netflix next week.

The 8 part series, stars Jessica Biel as a young mother.

Bill Pullman stars as a sympathetic detective who struggles to unlock the mystery buried in her missing memories. it also features Christopher Abbott.

This was produced for the USA Network where it premiered in August, attracting good reviews.

Tuesday November 7 on Netflix.
By Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi and Anjuli Davies

ZURICH/LONDON (Reuters) - Swiss prosecutors are seeking a court ruling that would make it easier to convict whistleblowers for breaking the country's bank secrecy law wherever they are in the world, legal documents show.

The Swiss Banking Act requires employees of Swiss-regulated banks to keep client information confidential, but a number of staff have leaked account details to foreign authorities in the past decade as Western governments crack down on tax evasion.

In the unpublished documents reviewed by Reuters, Zurich prosecutors have asked the country's highest court to interpret the law so that the secrecy obligation is widened to include people with looser working relationships to Swiss banks and their subsidiaries abroad.

The documents, dated Nov. 21 2016, form the basis for an appeal by the prosecutors to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court against the acquittal last year of former private banker Rudolf Elmer on charges brought under the secrecy law.

Elmer, who headed the Cayman Islands office of Swiss private bank Julius Baer <BAER.S> until he was dismissed in 2002, later sent documents revealing alleged tax evasion to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks and to tax authorities across the globe. Zurich's upper court ruled last year that the bank secrecy law did not apply to him as an employee of the Caribbean subsidiary, rather than of the parent bank in Zurich.

In their appeal, the prosecutors argue that if they cannot apply the law to people connected to Swiss banks outside the country, this deprives banking secrecy of its substance "with far-reaching consequences that cannot be accepted".

Under Swiss law, no public hearing will be held but the documents show the Federal Supreme Court is considering the written appeal. On June 9, 2017, it invited Elmer's side to make a written response, which his lawyer has since submitted. The court is expected to issue a written judgment next year.

Story continues

A spokeswoman for Zurich's senior prosecutors declined to comment beyond noting: "It's up to the supreme court to decide on open questions." Julius Baer also declined to comment.

"DEFAMED, CRIMINALISED AND ISOLATED"

Elmer was arrested twice in Switzerland, in 2005 and in 2011, and spent over seven months in investigative custody.

"I was defamed, criminalised and isolated," he told Reuters, adding that the prosecutors were trying to set an example of what could happen to people who speak out and to their families. "The law in this case has been bent, stretched and, most importantly, abused by the judicial system of Zurich in order to protect its money-making machine."

Switzerland is the world's largest centre for overseas wealth management and in recent years has responded to international pressure, especially from the European Union and United States, for greater transparency.

This includes participation in the Automatic Exchange of Information programme, an agreement among developed economies which aims to ensure that offshore accounts are known to tax authorities in the account holders' country of residence.

If the appeal is successful, the ruling would have no legal basis in most countries as they have no bank secrecy rules, so Switzerland could not extradite people from the likes of Britain or the United States on such charges. However, accused people would be vulnerable to arrest if they entered Switzerland or could face the stigma of being charged with a crime in their absence.

JAIL TERM

Some lawmakers in the EU are worried that the prosecutors' move, if successful, may deter potential whistleblowers from supplying information on people accused of shifting their wealth to tax havens through accounts protected by secrecy laws.

In the appeal, prosecutors called for Elmer to receive a 36-month jail sentence, 24 of which would be suspended. Last year the Zurich upper court gave him a suspended sentence for forging documents and threatening Julius Baer following his dismissal. Elmer denies all charges.

One European lawmaker expressed concern over the lack of protection for whistleblowers in Switzerland, saying the aggressive prosecution of Elmer and others confirmed the country had not really changed its ways regarding tax crimes and money laundering.

"We're going to be paying very close attention to this case," said Ana Gomes, who co-chairs the European Parliament's Committee of Inquiry into money laundering, tax avoidance and tax evasion. "We'll be putting pressure on our authorities in the way they deal with Switzerland, and of course the way the Swiss deal with whistleblowers is extremely relevant for us."

Swiss banks employ large numbers of people in London, as well as New York, and a British lawmaker said employees of bodies under UK jurisdiction cannot be subject to an extraterritorial law.

"This would be unacceptable," John Mann, a Labour Party member of parliament's Treasury Select Committee, told Reuters. "We need a position whereby people feel confident to whistle blow wherever they are based. There's a danger this could have ramifications for the Swiss banks in Britain."

SENDING A MESSAGE

The prosecutors argued that a legal precedent is needed to send a message to disgruntled people laid off from Swiss banking groups across the globe. Referring to Elmer in the appeal, they said: "A former banker, disappointed and embittered by his career, perceived himself to be in lawless territory ... and caused great damage."

The law, they argued, does not require that "the contractual activity be exercised under Swiss law" for Swiss bank secrecy to apply. Even contractors, lawyers and consultants who perform work for a Swiss bank internationally should fall under the obligation, they added.

Anti-corruption expert Mark Pieth disputed this in documents submitted by Elmer's lawyer to the court. Should Switzerland extend the Banking Act beyond lenders regulated by the country's FINMA financial watchdog or expand the definition of staff covered, parliament would have to change the law, Pieth said in a legal opinion seen by Reuters.

EROSION OF BANK SECRECY

Bank secrecy has been eroded since Switzerland agreed, beginning in 2008, to transfer details of thousands of UBS <UBSG.S> clients to U.S. tax authorities. In return, the U.S. government dropped charges against the bank for helping wealthy Americans to dodge taxes.

The scandal was set off by former UBS employee Bradley Birkenfeld, who in 2007 gave U.S. authorities information exposing the methods Swiss bankers used to help clients conceal assets.

In the aftermath, Swiss laws and bilateral treaties were amended to allow greater information-sharing on tax matters. At the same time, however, prison sentences for breaching bank secrecy were increased from a maximum of six months to up to five years.

Whistleblowers and new disclosure standards have proven costly for Swiss banks, which have suffered hundreds of billions of dollars in outflows as a result and become the subject of tax inquiries in a number of countries. Over a third of Swiss private banks have permanently closed.

An attempt to apply bank secrecy to the thousands of people working for Swiss bank subsidiaries abroad would be "way too broad", said Luc Thevenoz, who heads the University of Geneva's Centre for Banking and Financial Law.

But if Elmer were found on appeal to have been employed directly by Julius Baer rather than its Caribbean subsidiary, it would be admissible to convict him regardless of where he was based.

"They want to persuade the court that Elmer was an employee of the Swiss entity," Thevenoz said. "If they succeed, I have no problem with the conclusion that Elmer would have been bound by Swiss banking secrecy. If they fail, I don't see how the court can convict him."

(Additional reporting by Mark Hosenball, Oliver Hirt and Joshua Franklin; editing by Rachel Armstrong and David Stamp)
By Colin Packham

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers were barricading themselves inside a detention centre in Papua New Guinea (PNG) on Tuesday, defying attempts by Australia and PNG authorities to close the facility.

Human rights advocates are warning of a looming humanitarian crisis in the stand-off between detainees of the Manus Island Centre and authorities as the Oct. 31 deadline to close the Australian-funded camp arrived.

Lawyers for some 600 men who are refusing to relocated in three other facilities in PNG, citing concerns about violent reprisals from the local community, were filing a last-minute lawsuit on Tuesday seeking an injunction to prevent the camp's closure and the relocation of the men to a third country.

The Manus centre has been a key plank of Australia's controversial "Sovereign Borders" immigration policy. The country refuses to allow asylum seekers arriving by boat to reach its shores, detaining them in camps in PNG and Nauru in the South Pacific. The United Nations and rights groups have for years cited human rights abuses among detainees in the centres.

Nick McKim, a senator with the Australian Greens Party who is on Manus, said that authorities had cut power to the centre on and off overnight in a bid to encourage the men to leave.

PNG officials also posted a notice at the camp early on Tuesday warning the men that electricity and water supplies would be turned off at 5pm local time, while no further food would be delivered to the camp.

Asylum seekers said many men had now run out of food, while others were surviving on supplies that they had stockpiled.

PNG has sent paramilitary services to oversee the closure.

"This is a breach of human rights," McKim told Australian Broadcasting Corp radio. "They remain Australia's responsibility and the U.N. has repeatedly confirmed that."

PNG's High Court ruled last year that the Manus centre, first opened in 2001, was illegal. Closed between 2008 and 2011, the centre reopened in 2012 after a rise in the number of boat arrivals to a peak of 300 in 2013, carrying more than 20,500 people. Two years later, the Australian government announced that boat arrivals had stopped.

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PNG Immigration Minister Petrus Thomas warned late on Sunday that Australia will not be allowed to walk away from legal, financial and moral responsibility for the men.

Australia has already said it would spend up to A$250 million (147.68 million pounds) to house the men for the next 12 months. Just under 200 men have already been moved.

The relocation of the men is designed as a temporary measure, allowing the United States time to complete vetting of refugees as part of a refugee swap deal.

The United States has agreed to take up to possibly 1,250 refugees from Australia's two Pacific detention centres, but so far only 25 men from Manus have been resettled. In exchange, Australia said it will resettle Central American refugees.

Australia has said those detainees not resettled in the United States will be allowed to stay in PNG or Nauru. But nearly all have refused invitations to settle permanently in both locations. Thomas said PNG will not force anyone to remain.

The bulk of the detainees come from war-torn countries such as Syria and Afghanistan, and Pakistan, Iran, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

(Reporting by Jane Wardell; editing by Clive McKeef)
DOUALA, Cameroon (Reuters) - A military court in Cameroon sentenced an opposition leader on Monday to 25 years in prison, his lawyer and Amnesty International said and denounced the trial as politically motivated.

The court convicted Aboubakar Siddiki, the president of northern Cameroon's main opposition party, of hostility against the homeland as well as revolution and contempt of the president over accusations he plotted to destabilise the country.

"We are going to appeal this decision, which does not seem to us to be at all just," Siddiki's lawyer, Emmanuel Simh, told Reuters. In a statement, Amnesty said the prosecution was part of a government campaign to stifle its critics.

The government denies the charges are political.

Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds arrested in a crackdown in recent months on protests in Cameroon's English-speaking regions.

Residents there say they suffer social and economic marginalisation in the predominantly Francophone country.

The protests have become a lightning rod for opposition to President Paul Biya's 35-year rule.

Besides Siddiki, the court sentenced Abdoulaye Harissou, a well-known notary, to three years in prison for failure to denounce a crime. The court also dropped charges against three journalists arrested in connection with the same case.

(Reporting By Josiane Kouagheu; Writing by Aaron Ross; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)

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BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's armed forces have been authorised to launch air raids against crime gangs and FARC members who have refused to adhere to a peace accord with the former guerilla group and instead chose to continue drug trafficking and other criminal activity, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

As many as 1,000 members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have not abided by the terms of last year's peace agreement with the government, preferring instead to remain armed, fight the government and profit from illegal drugs and mining.

The conflict killed more than 220,000 people and displaced millions since it began in 1964.

The executive order allows troops to conduct bomb attacks against FARC dissidents and crime gangs from airplanes and helicopters, and shields the military from criminal prosecution, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Raids can only be carried out if civilians are not close by.

Air raids were the most effective weapon in the government's fight against the FARC, pushing fighters deep into inhospitable jungle and killing high-level rebel commanders.

That strategy also has been used against the National Liberation Army (ELN), now the biggest active guerrilla group in Colombia, which is in peace talks with the government. The two sides began a bilateral ceasefire in October.

More than 11,300 members of the FARC, including fighters, urban militia and prisoners are in the process of being incorporated into society after the group handed in its weapons to the United Nations and formed a political party.

(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Writing by Helen Murphy; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto addresses the 72nd United Nations General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters in New York, U.S., September 20, 2017. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz (Reuters)

By Tuomas Forsell and Jussi Rosendahl

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Any move by Finland to join NATO would need public approval via a referendum, President Sauli Niinisto told a panel debate on Monday ahead of elections in January.

The Nordic country is a member of the European Union but has stayed outside the NATO military alliance in line with its tradition of avoiding confrontation with Russia, with which it shares an 833 mile (1,340 km) border and a difficult history.

It has forged closer ties with NATO in recent years, however, sharing information and taking part in military exercises, reflecting concerns in Finland about the Ukraine crisis and increased East-West tensions in the Baltic Sea.

Niinisto, who is expected to easily win a second six-year term in the Jan. 28 election, did not indicate whether he favoured joining NATO but said a decision to apply for full membership would require a referendum.

"I am convinced that (membership) decision would require legitimacy, a wide acceptability... I would warn against making decisions where a significant part of citizens would get deep wounds," Niinisto said in a panel discussion in Helsinki.

Only 21 percent of Finns support joining NATO, while 51 percent are opposed, a poll by YLE showed in February.

Niinisto, 69, who will stand as an independent candidate after previously representing the conservative National Coalition Party, is known for cultivating good relations with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

Finland's president is in charge of foreign and defence policy together with the government.

Nils Torvalds, the only one of seven presidential candidates who advocates joining NATO, said politicians needed to show leadership on the issue.

"The thesis of a referendum blocks the discussion on membership. Everybody's waiting for a referendum and are not taking a stance on the real question ... We do have a parliament to decide on issues."

"To apply for a membership when a crisis is knocking on the door, forget that. The membership must be applied for when the weather is still rather beautiful."

Story continues

Torvalds, a politician for Swedish People's Party of Finland, had 1 percent support in a recent opinion poll while Niinisto had 76 percent.

Finland's centre-right government has said it will monitor the security situation in the region and retain the option of joining NATO.

Russia, which has opposed NATO's eastward expansion has said any move by Helsinki to join would be of "special concern".

(Reporting by Tuomas Forsell and Jussi Rosendahl; Editing by Catherine Evans)
PARIS (Reuters) - France announced a one-billion-euro plan for universities on Monday, promising to offer more places on popular courses, cut drop-out rates and build more accommodation, in a bid to assuage the concerns of politically powerful students.

President Emmanuel Macron's government has already faced down street protests over labour reform and risks more industrial action over plans to reform the pension and unemployment insurance systems.

It wants to avoid confrontation with students who have forced past governments into policy u-turns with protracted rallies. The government said the 1 billion euros (878.52 million pounds) will be spent over the five years of Macron's term in office.

Students in France who pass high school exams have the right to go to university in their home area. But this has led to popular subjects such as law and psychology being heavily oversubscribed and prompted the introduction of an unpopular lottery system where demand is highest.

That lottery system will now be scrapped and the most pressed universities will be allowed to select students on merit. The proposal stops short of a blanket UK-style selection system that student unions had opposed.

France's biggest student union, the moderate Fage, welcomed the plan. Two other unions, including the left-wing Unef, the second largest, were critical.

Unef has said it will join CGT-led protests against government reforms on Nov.16 and urged students to "make their voice heard" against the education reform.

Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the far-left France Unbowed party, has also urged students to mobilise after his early attempts to get workers onto the streets against the easing of unemployment laws failed.

Macron "has got the advantage for now, let's not hide it," Melenchon told franceinfo radio. "If youths got moving, things would be different, but it's not the case for now."

The reforms also include 60,000 new student housing units over the next five years and promise to scrap student's social security contributions and increase tutoring.

Story continues

Only 40 percent of students complete the first year of university, the government said.

"Our aim is to ensure equal opportunities," said University Minister Frederique Vidal. "We want to make university more accessible by accompanying students, in all their diversity."

(Reporting by Jean-Baptiste Vey and Ingrid Melander; Editing by Richard Lough and Andrew Heavens)
Austin Boutain, 24, wanted in connection with a shooting death on the University of Utah campus October 30, 2017, is shown in this undated photo in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., provided October 31, 2017. Salt Lake City Police Department/Handout via REUTERS

(Reuters) - A 24-year-old man accused of killing a University of Utah student from China and who is also suspected in a homicide last week in Colorado, was arrested in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, police said.

Austin Boutain was taken into custody without incident at a public library, said Detective Keith Horrocks of the Salt Lake City Police Department.

Boutain and his wife, Kathleen Boutain, 23, are also wanted in an investigation of a homicide in Golden, Colorado, according to police there.

The victim of Monday night's murder in Utah was identified as ChenWei Guo, 23, who was parked near Red Butte Canyon when he was shot dead during what investigators believe was a failed carjacking attempt.

The Salt Lake Tribune newspaper, citing police, reported that the couple was camping in the mountains just outside the city and that Kathleen Boutain had gone to the university campus to report that her husband had assaulted her. Guo was killed shortly afterward, the newspaper reported.

Kathleen Boutain was being treated for minor injuries and held in jail on unrelated charges following her arrest on Monday night, University of Utah Police Chief Dale Brophy said.

Police in Golden said they found the body of a 63-year-old man last week after being asked by Utah police to conduct a welfare check at a trailer park.

That death is being investigated as a homicide and the Boutains are suspects, the Golden Police Department said in a statement.

Classes were cancelled on Tuesday at the University of Utah, where officials remembered Guo as "extraordinarily outgoing, creative, smart and extremely engaged."

A pre-computer science student and peer adviser in the school's International Student and Scholar Services Office, Guo also was an interpreter and technology supporter at the Salt Lake City-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to a social media profile.

(Reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; additional reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee and Angela Moon in New York; editing by Dan Grebler and Grant McCool)
By Robert-Jan Bartunek and Raquel Castillo

BRUSSELS/MADRID (Reuters) - Catalonia's ousted leader Carles Puigdemont agreed on Tuesday to a snap election called by Spain's central government when it took control of the region to stop it breaking away, but he said the fight for independence would go on.

Spain's High Court issued a summons for Puigdemont and 13 members of his sacked administration to testify in Madrid on Thursday and Friday as the court starts processing charges of rebellion, sedition and breach of trust against them.

Under Spain's legal system, a judge will then decide whether Puigdemont should go to jail pending a comprehensive investigation and potential trial.

Puigdemont travelled to Brussels after the Catalan regional parliament issued a unilateral declaration of independence on Friday, and it was not immediately clear if he would heed the summons to appear before the Madrid court.

Belgium's crisis centre said it was evaluating whether Puigdemont needed to be protected by Belgian authorities while he was staying in the country, Belga news agency reported.

He had said earlier on Tuesday he would return to Spain only when given unspecified "guarantees" by the Spanish government.

Puigdemont's announcement that he would accept the regional election on Dec. 21 signalled the Madrid government had for now at least gained the upper hand in the protracted struggle over Catalonia, a wealthy northeastern region that already had enjoyed considerable autonomy.

Resistance to the central government's imposition of direct control on Catalonia failed to materialise at the start of the week and the secessionist leadership is in disarray.

But a poll released on Tuesday showed that support for the creation of an independent state of Catalonia rose to an almost three-year high in October.

Spain's Constitutional Court on Tuesday blocked the independence declaration - a largely symbolic move that gained no traction and led to the assembly's dismissal by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy less than an hour after it was made.

Story continues

"I ask the Catalan people to prepare for a long road. Democracy will be the foundation of our victory," Puigdemont told a news conference in Brussels, where he showed up after dropping out of sight over the weekend.

He also said he was not seeking asylum in Belgium.

Rajoy, who has taken an uncompromising stance throughout the crisis, is gambling on anti-independence parties taking power in the regional parliament and putting the brakes on the independence drive.

Puigdemont will hope a strong showing for the independence camp will reboot the secessionists after a tumultuous few weeks.

The Spanish government said at the weekend Puigdemont was welcome to stand in the election. The judicial process was a separate matter, it said.

The Supreme Court also began processing rebellion and sedition charges against Catalan parliament speaker Carme Forcadell and other senior leaders on Tuesday.

CATALONIA DIVIDED

The political crisis, Spain's gravest since the return of democracy in the late 1970s, was triggered by an independence referendum held in Catalonia on Oct. 1.

Though it was declared illegal by Spanish courts and less than half Catalonia's eligible voters took part, the pro-secessionist regional government said the vote gave it a mandate for independence.

The United States, Britain, Germany and France have all backed Rajoy and rejected an independent Catalan state, although some have called for dialogue between the opposing sides.

Puigdemont, Vice President Oriol Junqueras and other Catalan leaders had said previously they would not accept their dismissal. But their respective parties, PdeCat and Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, said on Monday they would take part in the election, a tacit acceptance of direct rule from Madrid.

The struggle has divided Catalonia itself and caused deep resentment across the rest of Spain, although separatist sentiment persists in the Basque Country and some other areas.

Two recent opinion polls showed support for independence may have started to wane.

But an official regional survey published on Tuesday showed some 48.7 percent of Catalans believe the region should be independent, up from 41.1 pct in June and the highest since December 2014.

Based on 1,338 interviews, the Centre d'Estudis d'Opinio poll was the first survey released since the independence declaration though the bulk of it was taken before then, between Oct. 16 and Oct. 29.

DIM HOPES

Despite his dash to the European Union's power centre, Puigdemont's hopes of engaging the bloc in his cause seem forlorn. Member states have asserted their support for Spanish unity and EU institutions in Brussels say they will deal only with Madrid and that the dispute remains an internal matter.

"Our position remains unchanged," EU Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said in Brussels on Tuesday.

But some analysts believe the dispute is not going to fade away anytime soon.

"Spain is heading for a period of disruption, and like the UK and Brexit, having its policy agenda dominated by one political issue while other key challenges fade into the background," said Raj Badiani, an economist at IHS Markit in London.

"A more tangible impact from the crisis could evolve from early 2018, with the uncertainty set to build as Catalans push harder for a legally binding referendum."

Influential Catalan business lobbies have backed direct rule and called on firms to stay in the region. The crisis has prompted more than 1,000 businesses to switch their legal headquarters from Catalonia, which contributes about a fifth of Spain's economy, the fourth-largest in the euro zone.

Spain's IBEX fell slightly as Puigdemont began speaking in Brussels but then rose again.

For some in Barcelona, the overwhelming emotion appears to be exasperation.

"It's a farcical and completely ridiculous situation," said Ernesto Hernandez Busto, 42, an editor. "This extreme nationalism, this separatism, has taken Catalonia to the most absurd situation and the worst inconvenience we have had in the last 40 years."

(Additional reporting by Paul Day and Sonya Dowsett in Madrid and Alissa de Carbonnel, writing by Angus MacSwan, editing by John Stonestreet and Mark Heinrich)
FILE PHOTO - Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha arrives to attend a weekly cabinet meeting at Government House in Bangkok, Thailand June 13, 2017. Picture taken June 13, 2017. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom (Reuters)

By Aukkarapon Niyomyat

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's military government on Tuesday said it will not yet lift a ban on political activity, despite a general election scheduled for next year and growing pressure from political parties to lift it.

The ban on political party gatherings has been in place since the military seized power in a 2014 coup but there have been growing calls from all political groups to end the ban.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha cited persistent political divisions and mud-slinging as reasons why the ban should stay.

"We will not lift the ban today but don't be frustrated," Prayuth told reporters after a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

"Today we are still speaking evil. You must stop this so that everyone is at ease," Prayuth said, urging all sides to put aside their differences.

Earlier this month, Prayuth said Thailand would hold a general election in November 2018 - the news was largely welcomed by investors in Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy.

There has been little opposition to junta rule since 2014, partly because authorities have arrested and jailed dozens of critics.

The government had said that parties needed to wait until after the funeral of Thailand's late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who was cremated last week, for a decision on when normal political life will resume.

Tensions have been festering in Thailand since 2006 when a coup removed then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Since then, the country has witnessed bouts of unrest including deadly street protests.

Thailand is divided broadly between those who align themselves with Thaksin and his sister, former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, whose government was removed in the 2014 coup, and the elite in the capital Bangkok.

Thaksin is credited by some as being the first Thai prime minister to tap into the potential of the rural electorate. But he made many enemies among the elite who accuse him of corruption - which he denies.

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Both Thaksin and Yingluck live abroad. Yingluck fled Thailand in August ahead of a verdict against her in a negligence trial for which she was later found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison.

Thaksin fled to avoid a 2008 jail corruption sentence.

Politicians from major parties were upset about the decision not to lift the political activity ban on Tuesday.

"I want the junta to show some sincerity about the election by lifting the ban," Sunisa Lertpakawat, a member of Thaksin's Puea Thai Party, told Reuters.

"We haven't got much time."

(Reporting by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Pracha Hariraksapitak; Writing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Editing by Michael Perry)
Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi has agreed to buy 1,500 patents from Microsoft, gaining some helpful intellectual property in return for carrying the US group's Office and Skype software on its devices.

Xiaomi will purchase the patents from Microsoft for an undisclosed sum, Xiaomis senior vice president of strategic cooperation Wang Xiang said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

In terms of patents we are a young company, Xiaomi said in a statement, adding that the deal with Microsoft was a big milestone for us. It will help us with operations in new markets.

Microsoft also announced that from September, Xiaomi's Android devices, including Mi 5, Mi Max, Mi 4s, Redmi Note 3 and Redmi 3, will come pre-installed with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Skype applications.
Competition for household energy customers is weak and high prices paid by vulnerable people is unacceptable, the industry regulator said.

Publishing a report into the state of the UK energy market, Ofgem's chief executive, Dermot Nolan, said more than half of customers had never switched supplier or had done so only once while 60% are on variable tariffs instead of cheaper fixed-price deals.

The number of customers on poor-value deals has come down over the past two years but not quickly enough, Nolan said.

"If competition was working really well, we'd expect to see the benefits felt by all consumers. Thats not the case at the moment," he said.

Bills have fallen from their 2013 peak but are still higher in real terms than 10 years ago. Poor customers are also less likely to shop around for better deals, Nolan said.

In early October, the prime minister announced a plan to cap energy prices to end "rip-off" bills, sending shares of Centrica, which owns British Gas and is the UK's biggest energy provider, to a 14-year low of 179p.

The government's proposed cap on standard variable tariffs is unlikely to start until winter 2019. In the meantime, Ofgem has limited prices for 1m customers this winter and plans to extend the cap to 2m more next year.

Nolan said: "Those who can afford their bills are more likely to get good deals anyway. Meanwhile, those on the lowest incomes tell us theyre least likely to have switched supplier. This disparity is unacceptable."

Centrica shares were little changed at 170p at 12:38 GMT. Shares of SSE, another of the UK's big energy providers, were also little changed.

Nolan said more investment is needed in green energy for Britain to meet targets for emissions reduction after 2022.
Financials were again to be found near the top of the leaderboard on Wednesday with shares of 'big oil' firms nipping at their heels.

According to an opinion poll conducted for the Evening Standard by Opinium, voters in London said they were overwhelmingly in favour of the UK staying inside the European Union, by a margin of 60% in favour to 40% against. The results saw cable extend its recent gains by 0.56% to stand at 1.4716 and boosted shares in the main banking groups, those of RBS in particular.

To take note of, easyJet also stood to gain in the case of the UK remaining inside the EU given the critical importance for the company of unfettered access to the rest of the Continent.

Shares in BP and Royal Dutch Shell were also in favour as cruide oil futures continued to flirt with the psychological $50 a barrel price level. As of 16:12 BST front month Brent futures were up by 1.28% to $49.24 per barrel against the backdrop of data Stateside revealing a large drop in commercial oil inventories in the States.

Marks & Spencer was out of fashion as the retailer reported an 18.5% drop in full-year profits. New chief executive Steve Rowe appeared to engage in some canny 'kitchen sinking', warning that the current year's profits will be hit by his plan to turnaround the clothing business. Rowe pushed through a 200m charge on non-underlying items that dragged down profits for 53 weeks to 26 March, with underlying pre-tax profits rising 4.3% to 689.6m on sales up 2.4% to 10.6bn.

Calculating that Tesco's sales performance at larger stores was likely to be worse than reported and that margins should be "permanently rebased lower", Credit Suisse has cut its earnings estimates and its target price on the supermarket group. The Swiss broker slashed its target to 115p from 135p but kept its 'underperform' rating.

Intertek Group was unloved despite reporting a 2.3% increase in organic sales for the first four month of the year, ahead of estimates from analysts at Shore Capital. The FTSE 100 testing, inspection and certification companys management said its resource-related business continued to suffer from challenging markets.

Taylor Wimpey was also out of favour, alongside a retreat in the likes of Persimmon and Land Securities. In the previous session, two of its directors, Pete Redfern and James Jordan, offloaded a significant amount of shares, the company said in a statement.
PARIS -- Paris Community Hospital/Family Medical Center recently awarded three $500 Nursing Foundation Scholarships to local students enrolled in nursing programs.

Recipients were Ashley Malone of Chrisman, Myranda Hays of Paris, and Natalie Sherwood of Paris. The scholarships will help each student further her education in the nursing field.

Malone is attending Lakeview in Danville. She will graduate May 2018 with a bachelor of nursing (BSN) degree.

Hays is attending Lakeland Community College in Mattoon. She will graduate in 2019 as a registered nurse (RN).

Sherwood is attending Indiana State in Terre Haute, Ind. She will graduate May 2020 with a bachelor of nursing (BSN) degree.

Now in their third year, the scholarships were established to help students further their education in the nursing field. The foundation is funded through various sources, including the annual Nursing Twilight Walk honoring all community nurses, the Nursing Honor Guard program, and private donations.
Hospitality and tourism management instructor Howard Feiertag joined Virginia Tech in 1989. He had been recruited to his new job from Servico, a hotel management company in West Palm Beach, Florida, where he had been a senior vice president for operations.



It was only going to be for a few years, he thought, of his teaching job at Virginia Tech. That was more than 28 years ago.



This year, Howard is 89 years young. He gets up every day, works out, and comes to work in his cashmere jackets and with his positive attitude, says Nancy Gard McGehee, head of the highly ranked Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management in the Pamplin College of Business.



On Nov. 2, Feiertag will be honored for his lifetime contributions to hospitality education and practice, at a gala in metro Washington D.C., where 200 alumni, students, faculty, and hospitality industry leaders are expected to gather.



Roger Dow, CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, will serve as emcee of the event at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner, which will also recognize student scholarship award winners.



The department is ranked No. 2 in the nation and No. 6 worldwide. It recently relocated its masters program to Virginia Techs Northern Virginia Center in Falls Church, where McGehee says it is experiencing considerable success. Its only our second year in D.C., and we have more than 30 students from nearly every continent in the world, she says.



In many ways, Howard is the embodiment of our program  a business focus, attitude of hospitality and service, and excellence in everything we do, says McGehee. He has had an impact on thousands of folks in the business and continues to influence and mentor students.



Feiertag, who holds certifications as a meeting professional, hospitality marketing executive, and hotel administrator, teaches meetings and sales courses.



His numerous honors include Fellow of the Institute of Certified Travel Agents, Exhibit Industry Council Hall of Fame member, Lifetime Achievement Award of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International, Virginia Society of Association Executive Career Services Award, Fellow of the American Hotel and Motel Associations Educational Institute, and Virginia Techs Outreach Award.



Feiertag has been writing a monthly column for Hotel Management magazine for more than 30 years and is co-author of Lessons from the Field  A Common Sense Approach to Effective Hotel Sales.



Feiertag earned a bachelors degree at Michigan State University.


CA, Inc., doing business as CA technologies, develops, markets, delivers, and licenses software products and services in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Mainframe Solutions, Enterprise Solutions, and Services. The Mainframe Solutions segment offers solutions for the IBM z Systems platform, which runs various mission critical business applications. Its mainframe solutions enable customers enhance economics by increasing throughput and lowering cost per transaction; increasing business agility through DevOps tooling and processes; increasing reliability and availability of operations through machine intelligence and automation solutions; and protecting enterprise data with security and compliance. The Enterprise Solutions segment provides a range of software planning, development, and management tools for mobile, cloud, and distributed computing environments. It primarily provides customers secure application development, infrastructure management, automation, and identity-centric security solutions. The Services segment offers various services, such as consulting, implementation, application management, education, and support services to commercial and government customers for implementation and adoption of its software solutions. The company serves banks, insurance companies, other financial services providers, government agencies, information technology service providers, telecommunication providers, transportation companies, manufacturers, technology companies, retailers, educational organizations, and health care institutions. It sells its products through direct sales force, as well as through various partner channels comprising resellers, service providers, system integrators, managed service providers, and technology partners. The company was formerly known as Computer Associates International, Inc. and changed its name to CA, Inc. in 2006. CA, Inc. was founded in 1974 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
ACA open enrollment begins Nov. 1 and ends Dec. 15. The sign-up period was cut in half this year, leaving consumers with less time to review their options and fill out the marketplace application.



"Navigator" is the name the ACA gives to people throughout the country who assist individuals with the enrollment process. They review the basics of health insurance, help people fill out the online application, and explain how the federal subsidies  which lower the monthly premium and defray the cost of deductibles and copays  work.



Quenga works for the Palmetto Project, a nonprofit social services organization in South Carolina. Most navigators around the country are based at community health centers, nonprofits or other social services groups.



Palmettos navigators usually spend a minimum of 45 minutes with each client. Applicants can schedule appointments by phone or via Palmettos website. Before their appointment, clients are briefed on the pertinent documents they need to bring with them.



Quengas team members not only go where the people are, they work when its most convenient for their clients. We dont want people to lose a days pay to sign up for health insurance, she says, so her team works on weekends and evenings.



Thats where Ye Ole Fashioned comes in.



Palmetto navigators first went to the ice cream shop in 2015 because its employees asked for help. Friends and acquaintances of the employees also came by. Then the word spread: You could go to Ye Ole Fashioned and get health insurance assistance while enjoying an ice cream cone or sundae.



We started setting up in a corner booth, Quenga says. We just hang out there and help. Anna Cardenas, Ye Oles manager, says she and her fellow workers appreciate the assistance because they found the website complicated. Her customers also like the guidance.



I think its really awesome, Cardenas says. People can come in and get ice cream and a sandwich and eat while theyre signing up for insurance. Palmettos team also goes to libraries and community centers by day and fast-food restaurants and coffee shops at night.



Often navigators have to deal with other issues. For example, you cant sign up for a health marketplace plan without an email address, and its not unusual for a navigator to help a client set up an email account.



A navigator also reviews a clients list of doctors and medications to help find a plan with a network that includes those doctors and that covers the applicants drugs with reasonable copays.



The great thing about having an in-person appointment or calling and speaking with someone in our office is that were not operating off a script. We have time to walk through a persons individual situation, Quenga says.



This year Quenga and her team have their hands full. She had 62 navigators last year but has only 30 to deploy this year because the amount of the federal grant that paid for their services was cut. Its going to be crazy, Quenga says.



Consumers who want in-person assistance with open enrollment can go to localhelp.healthcare.gov, enter their zip code and find a list of nearby navigators.
Shestock/Getty Images

The number of home health aides needed in the United States is projected to increase by 46.7 percent from 2016 to 2026, according to recently released government statistics. Because many such workers are immigrants, the growing need is likely to influence ongoing debates over proposals to sharply limit the number of legal newcomers to the country.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) latest figures indicate there were 911,000 home health aides in the country in 2016. Looking a decade into the future, BLS projects a need for 1,337,000 aides, as the huge boomer generation ages and increasingly requires assistance. Home health aide is among the five fastest growing jobs.
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Brown County approves Bailey Pro Rodeo as new stock provider

Bailey Pro Rodeo out of North Dakota has been selected as the new rodeo stock provider for the Dacotah Stampede Rodeo, a two-day event at the fair.
DENVER  The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is appealing an order to end deportation proceedings against a Cuban immigrant in Colorado.

Aaron Elinoff, an attorney for Rene Lima-Marin, said Monday the appeal will delay Lima-Marins release from federal custody in Aurora.

An immigration judge ordered Lima-Marins release on Oct. 5 but gave federal authorities 30 days to appeal.

Elinoff says the U.S. Board of Immigration Appeals will consider the case. He also said hes seeking his clients release on bond pending the appeal.

Lima-Marin was ordered deported in 2000 after he was sent to prison for robbing two video stores.

This year, he was freed by a judge and pardoned by Gov. John Hickenlooper.

Supporters sought his release because he started a family, held a job and stayed out of trouble during a six-year period in which he was mistakenly paroled.
Hundreds of friends, fans and family members of Al Hurricane gathered in front of Queen of Heaven Church after the musicians funeral Monday and swapped stories about the man called the Godfather of New Mexico music.

People smiled and brushed away tears as they described a man who seemed to like everyone, and treated strangers as friends.

He was just loved by so many people, said his son, Al Hurricane Jr., who followed his father into the music business.

He was an awesome man, he said. You can just tell by the people here today; he always didnt mind shaking peoples hands, talking to people.

Many shared similar opinions about Al Hurricanes personal attachment to his fans and the people of New Mexico.

Al had a heart of gold, said Dennis Roybal, 64, who described him as a friend of 30 years. He had a good word for everyone. Thats why you see so many people here today.

Al Hurricane was born Alberto Nelson Sanchez on July 10, 1936, in Dixon. The family later moved to Albuquerque, where he graduated from Albuquerque High School in 1954. He died Oct. 22 at age 81.

With encouragement from his parents, Hurricane began his professional music career in 1955 playing for tips around Old Town Plaza.

He recorded more than 30 albums in a career spanning more than five decades, and developed an international fan base, performing in Europe, Latin America and across the U.S.

Queen of Heaven was packed for the funeral Mass, with many standing against the back wall of the church. A mariachi band provided music throughout the service.

Its amazing how Al put New Mexico on the map, the Rev. Richard Alona said during the service.

He was an ambassador for New Mexico in a very real way, Alona said. Music is a common denominator. Music speaks to all of us.

Friends and fans sought out a reporter after the service to volunteer their recollections of the man that several described as New Mexicos Elvis Presley.

He was so down to earth, said Sider Esquibel, who previously owned a club in Las Vegas where Al Hurricane performed. Once he met you, he knew you forever.

Sandra Tinlin, Al Hurricanes daughter, recalled that at family gatherings, her father planted himself at a piano and sang and played long into the night with other members of his large, musical family.

He composed a song, a story for kids, that is dear to all of our hearts, Tinlin said of her father. All the kids gathered around every time he played it.

After the funeral, the family planned to celebrate Al Hurricane Jr.s 58th birthday with music and stories, she said.

There will be music, Im sure of it, Tinlin said. And there will be a lot of crying, too.
CHARLESTON -- Teresa Righter says her hope was always to "help resolve people's disputes."

Two decades as a judge in Coles County have meant she's presided over cases ranging from traffic tickets to murders. Righter said she's always tried to keep in mind that people quite often aren't happy about being in court.

"It's always been my goal to treat everyone with respect and courtesy," she said.

This year marked 20 years for Righter on the judge's bench but that ends with her retirement today. She said she picked the date because it will mean she's come "full circle" in her legal career.

A native of Macomb in western Illinois, Righter was sworn in as an attorney on Nov. 1, 1982. She worked at a law firm in Edwardsville after that until coming to Mattoon in 1993.

Righter was appointed as a Coles County associate judge in 1997 before being elected to her current circuit judge's position in 2004. The two positions differ in the types of duties they cover.

The start of Righter's time as a judge had her covering traffic, misdemeanor, ordinance violation and small claims cases. Later, as a circuit judge, she presided in medical malpractice, family law and felony cases.

When she first became a judge, Righter said, she didn't have much experience with criminal cases but she eventually came to "like it as much as anything."

The specifics of criminal law make it more "cut and dry," though much of what it addresses is "sobering," Righter said.

"A lot of what we do is dealing with people's tragedies," she said.

Righter actually spent nearly as much time talking about the court support system as she did her own career, and called the county court services department "excellent."

She said she wasn't "100 percent on board" when the county initiated its drug court and pretrial intervention programs but now thinks the changes they've made are "quite amazing."

A probation officer doing pretrial compliance checks "literally saved the lives of two people" by discovering drug overdoses, and the difference in some defendants who've gone through pretrial are obviously "life changing," she said.

Righter is the first woman to serve as a judge in Coles County and was the second in the five-county 5th Judicial Circuit.

"The job's the same no matter who's doing it but women do bring a different perspective and I think the citizens are better served if you have mixed judiciary," she said.

Righter's position will be up for election next year; circuit judges run in contested elections for their first terms then run unopposed for retention every six years after that.

Presently, there are no plans to ask the Illinois Supreme Court to appoint someone to the position on an interim basis until the election, Coles County Presiding Judge Brien O'Brien said.

Current county Associate Judge Mark Bovard is the only announced candidate for the position so far. If there ends up being no other candidates, it's possible Bovard could be appointed to it before the election, O'Brien said.

Righter said her only real plans for her retirement are to "decompress" and do "all those things you don't get to do." She said she plans to stay in Mattoon.

As far as her time as a judge is concerned, Righter said she took pride in being patient and helping people understand a system and situation with which they were likely unfamiliar.

"It's been my honor to serve," she said. "I definitely recognize the responsibility and trust. I hope I've lived up to the expectations."
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Three and a half years ago, as protests against police brutality rocked the city, a small group of activists banded together to create an alternative news outlet they called Burque Media.

Andy Christophersen told the Journal on Monday that he, Dinah Vargas and Steve Kramer eventually expanded their focus to advocate for homeless people.

So it came as a shock that Kramer is now accused of shooting and killing a man who was in the office of a former candidate for mayor on Saturday.

Vargas, who had been helping the man before he was killed, called the police. Vincent Gutierrez died on the scene.

Kramer, 42, is charged with an open count of murder and is being held in the Metropolitan Detention Center until a hearing where a judge will determine if he will stay locked up until trial.

Christophersen said the charges have stunned the local activist community. But, he said, people started noticing Kramer was having troubles about a year ago.

For instance, last November Kramer disappeared for months, Christophersen said. Eventually he resurfaced and told people he was using hard drugs and living on the streets.

He would occasionally visit Vargas at the office on the 2100 block of Central where she worked for Stella Padilla, who was trying to get on the ballot to campaign for mayor. A statement from Burque Media claims Padilla knew Kramer from community events but says he never worked on her campaign.

Christophersen said it appeared that Kramer began to see Vargas as one of the only people he could trust.

Most of the time, he was jacked up on something and one time he stripped his clothes off and said APD had a bug on him, he said.

The last time Kramer visited Vargas was Saturday around 10:30 p.m.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court, Vargas was getting her camera from the office when Kramer appeared and was acting strange, whistling and talking about losing his whistle.

Kramer asked to use the restroom and Ms. Vargas stated Steve appeared to be having a conversation with someone inside of the bathroom and described the one-way conversation as angry followed by several grunts.

Thats when Gutierrez showed up at the front door, apparently to collect some items from the office, which was shutting down.

Christophersen said Padilla and Vargas had recently befriended Gutierrez, who lived in a trailer with his partner, and had offered some of their furniture to help him get back on his feet.

Kramer sat down to talk with Gutierrez and continued to grunt and act strangely, according to the complaint.

Then, Vargas told police, she heard one pop, saw Kramer holding a gun and smoke billowing out of the barrel.

Gutierrez had been shot in the stomach.

Vargas ran out to Padillas nearby house and the two called police. When police arrived at the office building a short time later they found Kramer walking out with a gun tucked under his armpit. He was arrested.

A look at the New Mexico Courts website shows no previous criminal charges against Kramer.

Christophersen said that while he is not trying to defend what Kramer did, he is mourning the man his friend and colleague once was.

This was one of the smartest, most compassionate people who turned into a totally different person in a very short period of time, Christophersen said. The streets took him. It just shows you what those drugs do, they turn normal people into something evil.
The showdown between President Donald Trump and Sen. Jeff Flake turned out to be no contest. It wasnt Trump who was out of the GOP mainstream, but Flake.

The Arizona senator supported Gang of Eight-style immigration reform, when immigration restriction is becoming a litmus test issue in the party.

He is a Goldwaterite, libertarian-inflected conservative, when the market for libertarianism within the party is limited and diminishing by the day.

He is frankly anti-Trump, when Trump owns the party. Many Republican voters are fully aware of the presidents flaws, but they dont want to hear about them constantly from Republican officeholders.

Flakes criticisms of the president were honest, sincere and principled. If hes not a finalist for a Profile in Courage Award, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation is falling down on the job.

They were also malpractice. The most likely outcome was, at the very least, to make it more difficult to defeat the Trumpite insurgent Kelli Ward in a primary next year, which one would have thought was a paramount political goal.

Worse, Flake apparently rendered himself unelectable. Perhaps he considered speaking out more important than serving, a personal choice that no one can gainsay. But if the party isnt going to be overrun by Trump sycophants, it will need working politicians who are willing and able to better navigate these waters.

There are a few, more sensible approaches in the Senate.

Theres the Ben Sasse model  speak your mind without fear or favor, knowing that you arent facing a tough primary in a matter of months and, if you decide to run again, it wont be until 2020, when the mood might have shifted.

Theres the Mitch McConnell model  hold your cards as close to the vest as possible and try to keep things from running completely off the rails so the partys congressional majorities arent destroyed.

Theres the Lindsey Graham model  criticize Trump when hes wrong and never abase yourself in his defense, but develop a relationship with the president to maximize your sway.

But its a mistake to assume that Trump will somehow magically evaporate, leaving everything in the party as it was before he showed up.

At this point, a Trump failure will take down the party, too, and may deepen and intensify the Republican civil war rather than end it.

Its also a mistake to treat the Trump phenomenon as a fluke from which Republicans need learn no lessons.

Establishment Republicans seem to believe Trumps rise says more about the inadequacies of their voters than about the inadequacies of their own shopworn politics.

This was the problem with George W. Bushs speech attacking the president and Trumpism. Bush unquestionably has the standing to criticize Trumps character and conduct. Substantively, though, the speech had a strong whiff of nostalgia and betrayed no self-awareness of how Bushs failures, real and perceived, contributed to the rise of Trump.

Bush isnt even really taking account of the sources of his own support. He denounces nationalism, yet the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq had significant nationalist backing at the outset and, when they lost it over time, became unpopular and unsustainable.

Trumpism wont reign forever.

Whatever comes next in the party is likely to borrow from his populism and nationalism, and certainly wont snap all the way back to Bushism.

The great advantage Trump has in Republican politics is that hes a Republican president, and partisanship is an awesome political force. So is the cult of personality that inheres in the presidency, augmented by Trumps celebrity.

He has the right enemies, and his culture-war fights coupled with his traditional GOP legislative agenda offer something for everyone in the party, from the populists to the Chamber of Commerce.

All of this means that, until further notice, he occupies the commanding heights of the GOP. Full-frontal assaults may be bold and brave, but they will likely be ineffectual, if not wholly counterproductive.

Rich Lowry can be reached via e-mail: comments.lowry@national-review.com.&co>href=http://comments.low>comments.lowry@national-review.com. 2017 by King Features Syndicate.
A person was taken to a local hospital in critical condition with gunshot wounds on Monday night, according to a news release from Albuquerque police.

The shooting was reported around the 500 block of Adams NE. Police are advising people to avoid that street from Lomas to Central as police investigate.

Police didnt release any information about a possible shooter or the circumstances of the shooting.
Can you hear us now?

That essentially was the message the city of Santa Fes Finance Committee sent to Verizon when it voted 4-0 to table consideration of a four-year contract worth $373,000 with Verizon Networkfleet to replace and upgrade GPS devices installed in the citys fleet on of vehicles.

I dont know if $373,000 means anything to them, City Councilor Signe Lindell said, but until their service improves Im not inclined to support this.

Lindell said Verizon is well aware of issues residents have had with the company over its cellphone service the past six months. But despite that knowledge Verizon has yet to do anything about it, she said.

Councilor Mike Harris said the problem became so pervasive, he switched from Verizon to another service provider. He wondered out loud whether the poor coverage in the city would diminish the effectiveness of the service the city was paying for.

No representative from the company was present at the meeting.

However, City Manager Brian Snyder stepped in to say that it was his understanding that Verizon couldnt handle the load when it expanded its cellphone service to include unlimited data. He said he and County Manager Katherine Miller are scheduled to meet with Verizon representatives on Nov. 7 to discuss the problems people in the Santa Fe area are experiencing.

According to a staff memo, Verizon Networkfleet would initially install GPS modems in 250 city vehicles with up to 100 other vehicles getting the service before the end of the four-year contract. The city would pay the company $134,000 the first year and about $80,000 each of the next three years.

In response to questions from the committee, Bogi Malecki, the citys enterprise service specialist, said Verizon Networkfleet has been providing GPS service to the city for about five years. He explained the service allows the city to track where city vehicles travel and may be useful for such things as planning the best bus routes and to double check whether a garbage truck missed a stop. The contract under consideration doesnt include police vehicles, because the police department has a separate contract for GPS service, he said.

Malecki said the terms of the contract under consideration were negotiated several months ago and before Verizons service in the city became suspect.

Until we see some good faith movement from them, I dont want to do business with them, said Lindell, who made the motion to table consideration of the contract indefinitely.
DES MOINES, Iowa  Just after Thanksgiving Day in 1983, James Downey dropped off his older brother, John, at a Houston bus station, then quickly turned away so neither the police nor a motorcycle gang affiliated with his brother could later demand details about where the bus was headed.

For 34 years, he didnt hear a word about him. Then this spring Downey received a heart-breaking call, one that more than 200 families across the country have gotten in the last few months since the FBI began using new fingerprint technology to resolve identity cases dating back to the 1970s.

Authorities reported that the remains of a man found beaten to death decades ago along a brushy path in Des Moines, 800 miles away, had been identified as his brother.

We always figured something had happened to him, James Downey said from his home in Houston. We all assumed hed got killed somewhere or died in an accident.

Since launching the new effort in February, the FBI and local medical examiner offices have identified 204 bodies found between 1975 and the late 1990s. The cases stretch across the country, with the largest number in Arizona, California, New York, Florida and Texas.

We didnt know the actual potential success. We were hoping to identify a few cases, maybe five or 10, said Bryan Johnson, a manager in the FBIs Latent Fingerprint Support Unit who proposed the effort. Were really proud that we found another way of doing this.

Under the new program, Johnson and eight others in the FBI unit ran fingerprints from about 1,500 bodies through a new computer algorithm that could make matches from low-quality prints or even a single finger or thumb. Previously, the standard algorithm typically needed quality prints from all 10 fingers to make a match.

The unit is now urging local authorities to search through other old case files and send in smudged or partial prints that couldnt previously be matched.

The FBIs newfound ability was key to the Des Moines case because by the time Downeys body was found in February 1984, it had been buried under snow and dirt for months and was severely decomposed. Authorities sought the publics help in identifying the body, including publishing drawings of distinctive tattoos in the local newspaper, but no one came forward.

We know he was murdered and dumped in this area but Des Moines police never really developed any leads on it and basically forgot about the case, county Medical Examiner Greg Schmunk said.

It was one of several cases that medical examiner investigators called shelf dwellers, referring to cremated remains that would sit for decades on storage shelves.

But the fact that this was a homicide and the unusual tattoos  including a skeleton clad in Nazi garb and a cartoon figure wearing a hat and smoking a cigarette  prompted investigators to rummage through police archives and resubmit the single available thumbprint into the Missing and Unidentified Persons System, called NamUs.

They were shocked months later when the FBIs Johnson called to confirm they had matched the thumbprint to prints of Downey taken after an earlier arrest in Texas.

About 40 percent of the identifications through the FBIs new process have been cases in Arizona. Most are people who died while attempting to make the dangerous desert crossing from Mexico.

Bruce Anderson, the forensic anthropologist for Pima County, Arizona, keeps more than 1,000 unidentified person charts filed along his office wall.

If you can remove one of these charts, have one family reach out to you to confirm an identity, some of that weight on us is removed, Anderson said.

In nearby Yuma County, Arizona, the FBI fingerprint initiative enabled authorities to finally identify a young woman whose body was found in 1999 near the Colorado River, where she was killed with a shotgun blast to her face.

For Sgt. Ryland Croutch, the identification of the victim as 18-year-old Angel McAllister, through a match with an earlier smudged print, was a relief. Hed been assigned to the killing only a few years after starting his job with the Yuma County sheriffs office, and as the years passed had promised himself that hed discover her identity before retiring.

She was such a pretty young girl, said Crouch, now 58. And it sounds like she was smart, but she had some demons, people she liked to hang out with who were dangerous. He said hes hopeful that investigators now can find leads to her killer.

Aden Naka, assistant director for forensics investigation in New York City, said many of the new identifications there were of bodies found in water, with some dating back to the early 1990s. Once they had a match, Naka said, staffers tried to find relatives or aid a criminal investigation if one is open.

This matters tremendously, Naka said. Everyone deserves a name.

___

Associated Press writer Margery A. Beck in Omaha contributed to this report.

___

Follow Scott McFetridge on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/smcfetridge

___

Sign up for the APs weekly newsletter showcasing our best reporting from the Midwest and Texas: http://apne.ws/2u1RMfv
FORT BRAGG, N.C.  Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was a gold mine of intelligence, helping the military better understand insurgents and how they imprison hostages, two agents testified Tuesday as defense attorneys sought to show the soldiers contributions since he was returned in a prisoner swap.

The testimony at Bergdahls sentencing was meant to counter prosecution evidence favoring stiff punishment, including several service members who testified about wounds they suffered on search missions after Bergdahls 2009 disappearance. Bergdahl faces up to life in prison after pleading guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy for walking off his remote post in Afghanistan in 2009.

The Army judge has wide leeway to decide Bergdahls sentence because he didnt strike a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Amber Dach, who spent 16 years in military intelligence, was the primary analyst assigned to Bergdahls case for the five years after he disappeared. She described how eager he was to help intelligence officials at a hospital in Germany days after he was returned to U.S. authorities. Though his voice was weak and raspy, he helped authorities and even drew diagrams in his downtime to bring to his next debriefing session.

Dach and another official who debriefed Bergdahl both testified that his time in Germany was extended partly so he could offer additional time-sensitive intelligence.

He was very motivated to just download all of the details that he recalled, she testified. It was a gold mine. It really reshaped the way we did intel collection in the area.

An official from the military agency that helps reintegrate former captives and develops survival training for service members testified that information Bergdahl provided him was invaluable.

Terrence Russell, a division chief for the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency, developed a 1,200-page transcript from debriefing Bergdahl that was turned into a database. The information produced reports on tactics used by insurgents and hostage-takers in the region that are still used by the military.

Russell said hed like to learn even more from Bergdahl but the soldiers legal case has impeded that.

Can you give him to me tomorrow? I need him. I need him now, he said to a defense attorney. The fact that I cant get that information is wrong. I need that.

He said hed like to add Bergdahl to a roster of about 30 service members taken captive in recent conflicts dating to the Gulf War who can provide videos or lectures for military survival training.

We dont have very many examples coming out of Afghanistan, he said.

He also reaffirmed his previous statements that Bergdahls captivity was worse than any American prisoner of war has experienced since the Vietnam era.

On Monday, Bergdahl began the defense presentation by apologizing to those wounded searching for him. He also described the brutal conditions he faced, including beatings with copper wire and unending bouts of gastrointestinal problems brought on by squalid conditions. He said he was kept in a cage for four out of the five years in captivity after several escape attempts. He said his muscles became so weak he could barely stand or walk.

Russell, whos debriefed more than 100 former hostages and prisoners of war, said Bergdahls time in the cage was damaging psychologically because he was kept in isolation nearly the entire time.

They simply shut the door. Long-term isolation. Psychological abuse, he said. It was extreme neglect. They just let him nearly rot inside that cage for four years.

The defense showed the court images of a replica of the cage that Russells agency built, using Bergdahls sketches. Russell uses it for survival training.

The 31-year-old soldier from Hailey, Idaho, was brought home by President Barack Obama in 2014 in a swap for five Taliban prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. Obama said at the time the U.S. does not leave its service members on the battlefield. Republicans roundly criticized Obama, and Donald 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.

Bergdahls sentencing hearing is expected to last several more days.

___

Follow Drew at www.twitter.com/jonldrew
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump dismissed George Papadopoulos on Tuesday as a liar and a mere campaign volunteer, but newly unsealed court papers outline the former advisers frequent contacts with senior officials and with foreign nationals who promised access to the highest levels of the Russian government.

They also hint at more headaches for the White House and former campaign officials. Papadopoulos, now cooperating with Special Counsel Robert Mueller as he investigates possible coordination between Russia and Trumps 2016 White House campaign, is poised to dish.

Records made public Monday in Papadopoulos case list a gaggle of people who were in touch with him during the campaign but only with such identifiers as Campaign Supervisor, Senior Policy Advisor and High-Ranking Campaign Official. Two of the unnamed campaign officials referenced are in fact former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his business associate Rick Gates, both. charged with financial crimes in an indictment unsealed Monday.

The conversations described in charging documents cut to the heart of Muellers investigation, reflecting Papadopoulos efforts to arrange meetings between Trump aides and Russian government intermediaries and revealing how he learned the Russians had dirt on Hillary Clinton in the form of thousands of emails.

Though the contacts may not by themselves have been illegal, the oblique but telling references to unnamed people  including Professor and Female Russian National  make clear that Muellers team has identified multiple people who had knowledge of back-and-forth outreach efforts between Russians and associates of the Trump election effort.

Its a reality that challenges the administrations portrait of Papadopoulos as a back-bench operator within the campaign, an argument repeated Tuesday by White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who dismissed him as a volunteer with a minimal role.

In charging the 30-year-old Papadopoulos with lying to the FBI, Muellers team is warning of a similar fate for anyone whose statements deviate from the facts.

I think everyone to whom Mueller and his team wanted to send a message heard loud and clear the message, said Jacob Frenkel, a Washington defense lawyer.

The White House had braced over the weekend for an indictment of Manafort and for allegations of financial misconduct that it could dismiss as unrelated to the campaign or administration. Then came the unsealing of Papadopoulos guilty plea and an accompanying statement of facts that detailed his desire to set up a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and his cooperation with prosecutors since his arrest at an airport last summer.

The extent of the contacts is substantial. During a six-month period ending Aug. 15, Papadopoulos met, telephoned, Skyped or emailed his three foreign contacts or five different Trump campaign officials a total of 29 times. He also traveled twice to London and once to Italy. Another trip to Moscow was canceled.

There are clear indications that prosecutors probing possible criminal activity have leaned on Papadopoulos to gather more information about the campaign as they probe possible criminal activity.

He was arrested in July, but the case was not unsealed until Monday, giving prosecutors weeks to debrief him for information. He was initially arrested on false statements and obstruction of justice allegations, but pleaded guilty only to lying to the FBI, a possible token of leniency for further cooperation.

In court papers, prosecutors have said prematurely making the case public would restrict his ability to be a proactive cooperator, which legal experts say could including surreptitious techniques like wearing a microphone to record conversations.

I would infer from that that he was working proactively on behalf of the prosecutors, which would mean going out and obtaining evidence, said former Justice Department prosecutor Peter Zeidenberg.

Though the campaign officials and other people referenced in the complaint are not named, its nonetheless possible to ferret out the identities of several.

For instance, Joseph Mifsud is the London professor who figures prominently in the case as a would-be link between the Trump campaign and Russia, according to a comparison of court papers and emails obtained by The Associated Press. Mifsud confirmed to The Telegraph newspaper that he is the professor.

In court papers, Mifsud is described as having met repeatedly with Papadopoulos and having offered to set up meetings with Russian officials who could provide thousands of emails with damaging information about Clinton.

Papadopoulos told the FBI he did not tell anyone in the campaign about the dirt because he thought the foreign contact might be a nothing.

The professor is also credited in the document with introducing Papadopoulos to a woman referred to as a female Russian national who served as a potential link to the Russian government. Papadopoulos described her incorrectly in emails to Trump campaign officials as Putins niece. She has not yet been identified publicly.

Mifsud, a vocal Putin backer, told the newspaper the FBI case lacks credibility and that he did not tell anyone he could produce emails that would weaken the Clinton campaign.

Papadopoulos place on the Trump campaign was formalized in March when Trump adviser Sam Clovis released the names of eight foreign policy advisers amid public pressure on Trump to disclose his foreign policy team.

A lawyer representing Clovis confirmed in a statement that he was the person, identified as the Campaign Supervisor in court papers, who brought Papadopoulos onto the advisory committee. In court papers, the unnamed supervisor receives some of Papadopoulos email exchanges about his attempts to line up a meeting with the Russians, appearing to encourage the effort at one point by responding Great work. He also later encouraged Papadopoulos to travel to Russia on his own.

The lawyers statement said Clovis opposed any trip to Russia for Trump or his campaign staff but noted that Clovis may not have made his opposition known when a volunteer made suggestions on a foreign policy matter.

The foreign policy advisory council on which Papadopoulos sat met on a monthly basis throughout the spring and summer for a total of about six times, according to an official involved with the group. Papadopoulos, who was based in London at the time, did not attend all of the meetings, but he did attend a dinner meeting of the advisers in late June at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington with Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Trump released a photo of the meeting on social media.

Papadopoulos, who had no formal responsibilities, communicated most with Clovis and Manafort, according to an official involved with the group who was unauthorized to disclose internal campaign activities. Papadopoulos angered some on the foreign policy team in early May by urging former British Prime Minister David Cameron to apologize after calling Trump divisive, stupid and wrong.

___

Associated Press writers Steve Peoples in Washington and Greg Katz in London contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON  Exasperated U.S. senators harshly criticized representatives of Facebook, Twitter and Google at a hearing Tuesday for not doing more to prevent Russian agents interfering with the American political process as early as 2015.

At one point, Sen. Al Franken shook his head after he couldnt get all the companies to commit to not accepting political ads bought with North Korean currency.

The hearing by a subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary panel was moved last week into a cavernous hearing room usually reserved for high-profile events like Supreme Court confirmations. About 50 people waited to get in as senators fired pointed questions and waved at cardboard displays of outrageous ads.

People are buying ads on your platform with rubles. They are political ads, Franken fumed. You put billions of data points together all the time.  Google has all knowledge that man has ever developed. You cant put together rubles with a political ad and go like, Hmmm, those data points spell out something pretty bad? 

Technology company representatives fumbled at points. After Franken pointed out foreign spending on U.S. political campaigns is illegal, Googles director of law enforcement and information security, Richard Salgado, replied only that the search giant would refuse political ads paid with foreign currency if its a good enough signal on illegality.

In hindsight, we should have had a broader lens, said Facebooks general counsel, Colin Stretch.

The companies all pledged to do more and politely said they understood the seriousness with which lawmakers are taking the question of Russian meddling.

PRESSURED TO SUPPORT LEGISLATION

Sen. Amy Klobuchar pressured the representatives to support her Honest Ads bill, which she is co-sponsoring with Sen. Mark Warner and Sen. John McCain, and which would bring political ad rules from TV, radio and print to the internet.

She dismissed pledges from the companies this week to be more transparent about political ads as an unenforceable patchwork of self-policing.

Were not waiting for legislation, said Stretch, before Klobuchar cut him off and repeated her demand for a yes or no answer.

We stand ready to work with you and your co-sponsors on that legislation going forward, Stretch replied, echoed by Twitters and Googles representatives.

Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy browbeat Stretch into admitting that Facebook had no way of knowing the true identity of all of the 5 million advertisers that use its platform every month.

Of course, the answer is no, Stretch said.

INVESTIGATIONS HEATING UP

The hearing  the first of three this week in which the three tech giants face a public grilling  comes amid the increasing pace of investigations into the Trump administrations possible link to Russia.

Court papers unsealed Monday revealed an indictment against President Donald Trumps former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and a guilty plea by another adviser, who admitted to lying to the FBI about meetings with Russian intermediaries.

Just five of the full committees 11 Republicans attended the Senate subcommittee hearing, while all nine Democrats showed up.

On Wednesday, representatives of all three companies face hearings by the House and Senate intelligence committees.

MASSIVE REACH

In preparation for Tuesdays hearing, Facebook disclosed that content generated by Russias infamous troll farm, the Internet Research Agency, potentially reached as many as 126 million users.

The company said IRA-linked accounts generated 80,000 posts on 120 pages between January 2015 and August 2017. Possible views reached the millions after people liked the posts and shared them.

Facebook had earlier turned over more than 3,000 advertisements linked to the agency. The ads  many of which focused on divisive social issues like immigration and gay rights  pointed people to the agencys pages, where they could then like or share its material.

Twitter said it uncovered and shut down 2,752 accounts linked to the IRA, nearly 14 times as many as it handed over to congressional committees three weeks ago.

The Russia-linked accounts put out 1.4 million election-related tweets from September through Nov. 15 last year  nearly half of them automated. The company also found nine Russian accounts that bought ads, most of which came from the state-backed news service RT, previously known as Russia Today.

And Google said it found evidence of limited misuse of its services by the Russian group, as well as some YouTube channels that were likely backed by Russian agents.

Google said two accounts linked to the Russian group spent $4,700 on ads on its platforms during the 2016 election. The company also found 18 YouTube channels likely backed by Russian agents. Those channels hosted 1,108 videos with 43 hours of material, although they racked up just 309,000 views in the U.S. between June 2015 and November 2016, Google said.

MISLEADING ADS REVEALED

Sen. Richard Blumenthal revealed some of the ads taken out by Russians, including one that showed comedian Aziz Ansari holding up a sign that said Save time, avoid the line, vote from home, a message that falsely suggested voters could cast ballots by text message.

Another Twitter post urged voters to text Hillary to 59925 to cast their vote.

Blumenthal pressed Twitters acting general counsel Sean Edgett to commit to researching how many voters may have been misled into incorrectly believing they had voted because of the posts.

___

Nakashima reported from San Francisco. Barbara Ortutay in New York, Michael Liedtke in San Francisco and Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this story.
FARMINGTON  The Navajo Nation has closed sale on approximately 16,350 acres of land in south central Colorado.

The announcement about the purchase was made in a press release on Oct. 27 from the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President.

The area, known as Wolf Springs Ranch, was bought for $23 million and is in Huerfano and Custer counties.

In addition to the property, the tribe assumes ownership of approximately 200 head of cattle and more than 300 bison.

The property is located near Blanca Peak, one of the four sacred mountains to the Navajo people and known in the Navajo language as Sisnaajini.

Sisnaajini is one of two sacred mountains located in Colorado, the remaining two are in New Mexico and Arizona.

The Navajo reservation covers approximately 27,400 square miles and occupies land in New Mexico, Arizona and Utah.

Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye said in a video posted on his offices Facebook page that this is the first time the tribe has land in Colorado, and the purchase makes the tribal land whole.

Its really good to finally say Navajo Nation owns land in Colorado, Begaye said in the footage.

The press release states the tribe intends to change the ranchs name to Maiitsoh Bito, which translates to Wolf Springs in the Navajo language.

In July, the Naabikiyati Committee voted 17-1 to approve the purchase using the Land Acquisition Trust Fund.

The trust fund will also help pay approximately $39,550 in annual property taxes, according to the presidents office.

The legislation passed by the committee states the property provides economic development opportunities and space for services such as equine therapy, veteran rehabilitation therapy and for traditional practices.

Noel Lyn Smith covers the Navajo Nation for The Daily Times. She can be reached at 505-564-4636 or via email at nsmith@daily-times.com.



2017 The Daily Times (Farmington, N.M.)

Visit The Daily Times (Farmington, N.M.) at www.daily-times.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

_____
FRIENDSWOOD, Texas  The Barbie house is gone, and its important for Matilda Rose Brown, 8, to explain this.

The Galveston County Daily News reports her voice is a little raspy through her tracheostomy tube and her eyes are wide with a dreamy look as she walks through the skeleton of her Friendswood home, which flooded during Hurricane Harvey and took the Barbie house away.

The Browns house got 53 inches of floodwater, her father, Daniel Brown, said.

Daniel and Beverly Brown evacuated their six special-needs children from their home near Marys Creek on the Wednesday before Hurricane Harvey hit Texas. As soon as they heard about the potential for catastrophic floods, they packed their children and their medical equipment and left.

Were the first to leave and last to come back, Beverly Brown said. Theres too many things that could possibly go wrong.

Geronimo Brown, 8, lifts his shirt to show two tubes in his abdomen.

This is where I do my flush every night, he said as looked at his belly.

When the Browns bought their home on Shady Oaks Lane in Friendswood, 20 miles southeast of Houston, it was in a non-flood zone. Their insurance carrier told them in August, just days before Harvey hit, that a new flood zone map changed their status along with a new hefty payment due. They paid it days before Harvey made landfall Aug. 25 in Rockport.

The six children need constant attention. Five are on ventilators and feeding tubes during the night, and the family typically has five to six nurses who stay overnight, Beverly Brown said.

We have to have electricity and running water, Daniel Brown said. They could get more sick if we dont.

The Browns evacuated to the Choctaw reservation in Oklahoma where Beverly Brown grew up. Her tribe got the family a hotel room and sent food. They helped all the children get their prescriptions filled, even though the adopted children arent Choctaws. They are several different races.

The children needed to come back home, though, to see their regular doctors and therapists, Beverly Brown said.

The Browns are now staying with relatives in Deer Park, but space is cramped. The Browns are not sure when or if they will be able to move back into the Shady Oaks Lane house.

Several houses on their block have for sale signs in the pocked front yards.

Daniel Brown, who is a member of the Cocopah tribe in California, adapted the two-story home to fit his familys unusual needs. The Browns needed a space for nurses, outlets for medical equipment and strategically placed toilets.

This is the only home theyve known, Daniel Brown said. Its looking more and more like this isnt going to work.

Thats because if he has to repair more than 50 percent of the house, building codes will require him to raise the house, he said. Combined with all the other needed repairs, hes looking at spending more than $350,000, he said. Because the Browns had insurance, they wont be getting any Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance. They also never got any assistance from the American Red Cross, he said.

It probably makes more sense not to move back because the house could flood again, Daniel Brown said.

Were built on a drain, he said. Friendswood is a bathtub, and you are built on a drain.

Even if their insurance pays their mortgage value, the Browns will lose equity.

We dont want to walk away, Daniel Brown said. We dont want to ruin our credit. And we agree, its not safe to stay here. I dont want to go through this again.

Along with the furniture, the drywall, the carpet and the Barbie house, the Browns also lost their childrens school. The family home-schools, and the flood swept away all the textbooks, workbooks and records, Beverly Brown said.

Daniel and Beverly Brown adopted the six children after fostering them first.

None of the children have one single medical condition; they all have myriad conditions, Beverly Brown said.

Cesar, 12, was the first special-needs child the Browns took in when he was 16 months old. He was born prematurely, at just 23 weeks. He weighed only 12 ounces.

He was dependent on a ventilator and was abandoned. Until the Browns took him home, he had never been outside the hospital.

After Cesar, the Browns adopted Rudy, who is now 12. Then they adopted Xander, now 11. Next came Liliah, 10, and then Matilda, 8. Next came Geronimo, 8.

When Daniel and Beverly Brown were dating, she talked about adopting babies with serious medical problems who were abandoned at hospitals.

When I was finishing nursing school, they were putting a name on AIDS then, Beverly Brown said. People would leave HIV babies in the hospital. I wanted a home to take them to.

The Browns got married, had their own baby, who is now an adult, and worked at their jobs, Beverly as a nurse and Daniel as a contractor.

In 2006, they decided it was time to take in an abandoned baby in need.

We had done a lot of things we wanted to do by then, Beverly Brown said.

They started out as foster parents.

We dont make good foster parents, Beverly Brown said. We just adopt them. Its hard to take a child in your home, love them like they are yours and then let them go.

But the Browns did foster a special-needs baby once to help the mother.

That is the goal, to reunite families, she said.

But their calling is to get the children with no families to go back to.

Nobody else would step up, Daniel Brown said. And they turn out to be the most needy, most medically fragile children. For a lot of people, its too hard. We waited and we picked the hardest ones.

When they became foster parents, they got a license as an intense-level home to care for special needs children. Its not just the medical attention these children need, Beverly Brown said. Unmet emotional needs  such as love  contribute to a failure to thrive.

Nurses dont have time to touch them and cuddle them, she said. If no one is fighting for them, they just languish in hospitals or nursing homes.

The early years with Cesar, Rudy and Xander were hard and exhausting.

Id show you pictures, but all our pictures are gone, Beverly Brown said.

The Browns are teaching their children to understand their medical issues and to face adversity.

Our goal is to push self-care, Beverly Brown said. Understand why you had a tracheotomy. If they are going to have these conditions, they have to know how to take care of themselves. I push, push, push for independence.

One of her house rules is that everyone has to be able to walk by 3 if its possible, she said. Another is not to sugarcoat things.

We dont lie to them, she said. Were honest. Thats the easiest way. We help them to be strong enough to process truth. Thats what life is about.

___

Information from: The Galveston County Daily News, http://www.galvnews.com

This is an AP Member Exchange shared by The Galveston County Daily News
Detectives are investigating after they believe two men shot and injured each other during a fight near Washington and Lomas NE Monday night, according to a spokesman for the Albuquerque Police Department.

Officer Tanner Tixier said around 8 p.m. Monday officers were called to the 500 block of Adams NE for a shooting. Neighbors, who described hearing five to six gunshots, said an injured man had run to an apartment for help and collapsed on the porch.

Upon arrival officers located a male subject who was suffering from numerous gun-shot wounds, Tixier wrote in an email. That subject was transported to UNMH in critical condition, but he is expected to survive.

As officers were investigating the scene, they were told a man had shown up to the emergency room at Presbyterian Hospital with at least one gun shot wound, Tixier said. That man is also expected to survive.

Preliminary investigation indicates that both gun-shot victims were shot by each other after a dispute, Tixier said. Police are not aware of what sparked the shooting or what the underlying motive is at this time.

Detectives are still investigating to determine who will be charged with what. Tixier did not identify either of the men or say how old they are.
SEATTLE  Legendary mountain climber Fred Beckey, who wrote dozens of books and is credited with notching more first ascents than any other American mountaineer, has died. He was 94.

Megan Bond, a close friend who managed his affairs, told The Associated Press that Beckey died of natural causes in her Seattle home Monday.

He was an extraordinary mountaineer. He also had a personality and humor that almost dwarfed the mountains around him, Bond said. He was a brilliant writer. He was a scholar. He lived based on what was important to him, and he was not going to sell out.

Beckey was known as much for his eccentric personality as for his singular obsession with climbing.

He was born in Germany and immigrated to the United States as a child. His family settled in Seattle, where he got his first taste of hiking and scrambling with the Boy Scouts and later The Mountaineers club.

In 1942, he and his younger brother Helmut wowed the climbing community with an impressive second ascent of Mount Waddington in British Columbia.

He went on to accomplish hundreds of first ascents on peaks throughout the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Canada and Wyoming. In 1954, he established new routes on three of Alaskas mountains: McKinley, Deborah and Hunter. He also climbed in the Himalayas and China.

Fred got the golden age of climbing first ascents, Alex Bertulis, a former climbing partner told the AP last year. That will be his legacy.

He authored more than a dozen books, including the three-volume Cascade Alpine Guide that details hundreds of peaks in the North Cascades in Washington state.

Beckey once wrote that climbing gave him a unique sense of control over his destiny. The exaltation one can get in the presence of mountains can be a memorable lesson in humility and an aid to self-realization, he wrote.

Fred was a true American icon. His legacy is profound, and he has inspired countless people to explore this amazing planet, Dave OLeske said in a statement. He directed the documentary feature film, Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey and spent the past decade filming Beckey.

Even in his 90s, Beckey was still plotting routes and climbing  though more slowly and with the help of a cadre of fiercely protective partners.

Bond said they were planning a trip to the Himalayas next spring and she was working on arranging porters to carry him. In recent weeks, she and others took him climbing to Squamish, British Columbia. It was logistically complicated, she said, but he was able to get about half a pitch.

With Beckey, she said, there was always more to do.

Beckey is survived by his younger brother Helmut. Beckey will be buried in private services this weekend, Bond said. A public memorial service will be scheduled in November.

___

An earlier version of this story mispelled Beckey in the short headline.
LAS CRUCES, N.M.  A former state prison inmate who last year was allowed to search for evidence of abuse at the now-closed New Mexico Penitentiary has been arrested in a Las Cruces-area home invasion, Dona County authorities said.

Samuel Ponce Chavez, 58, remained jailed Tuesday after being arrested Friday at a home where three people were confronted at gunpoint.

Chavez served time in state prisons for a 1988 conviction for second-degree murder.

He claimed during a two-year court battle that the state conducted medical experiments on penitentiary prisoners, tortured them and sold their organs and blood.

Chavez didnt find any evidence during a brief 2016 search authorized by a judge despite denials and objections by the Department of Corrections.

In Fridays incident, two of the victims were bound with zip-ties and duct tape but one of the two managed to free himself and ran to a nearby home where an occupant called 911, the county Sheriffs Department said in a statement.

Responding deputies arrested Chavez as he ran out of the homes front gate while carrying a handgun and wearing a black wig, a fake beard and an earpiece connected to a radio that monitors police frequencies, the department said.

Chavez was jailed on suspicion of multiple crimes, including armed robbery and kidnapping.

Online court records dont list that he has a defense attorney who could comment on the allegations.
AUSTIN, Texas  Cox Media Group is looking to sell the Austin American-Statesman and two Florida newspapers.

The Statesman reported Tuesday that Atlanta-based Cox has put on the market the Statesman, which employs 200-plus people, its seven community newspapers and multiple websites. Also for sale are the Palm Beach Post and Palm Beach Daily News.

Cox Media Group President Kim Guthrie described the moves as difficult but strategic. Cox will continue to operate newspapers in Atlanta and Ohio.

Cox Enterprises, Cox Media Groups privately held parent company, offered the Statesman for sale in 2008 but took it off the market a year later.

In 2015, it sold the Statesmans nearly 19-acre (7 hectare) Austin lakefront property to a Cox Enterprises-associated entity that has hired a real estate group to create a redevelopment plan.

___

Information from: Austin American-Statesman, http://www.statesman.com
The gun violence prevention group co-founded by former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was severely wounded in an assassination attempt in 2011, has endorsed Tim Keller in Albuquerques mayoral race.

Giffords, the nonprofit founded by the former congresswoman and her husband, retired astronaut Capt. Mark Kelly, announced its endorsement of Keller and mayoral candidates in Seattle and Boston on Tuesday.

Our nation needs bold leaders like Tim Keller, who prioritize public safety instead of parroting the gun lobbys talking points, the former Arizona congresswoman said in a news release. Tims plan to combat gun violence includes supporting local, state, and federal regulations that target the trafficking of illegal guns.

Giffords was among 19 people shot in Tucson in 2011 by Jared Loughner, who was sentenced to life in prison. Six people died in the shooting. Giffords, who was shot in the head, is partially paralyzed and suffers from a language disorder. She said more than 36,000 Americans were killed by guns last year.

During recent debates, Keller has said there are sensible things that can be done to curb gun violence, including clamping down on the sale of unregistered guns through Craigslist-type sites and throwing the book at convicted criminals caught with illegal firearms.

Dan Lewis, his opponent, has been endorsed by the NRA. Lewis has said the Legislature should tack on a 10-year sentence for violent felons who use guns.

Election day is Nov. 14.

LOCATION POLITICS: Some of the more colorful exchanges between Lewis and Keller in recent weeks have centered on Kellers move from the International District, which he had previously represented in the state Senate, to the Albuquerque Country Club area.

Tim doesnt live in that district anymore. He moved to the Country Club, Lewis said during one such exchange at last weeks mayoral debate at the Albuquerque Press Club. Why would you move away from the district you want to fight for?

Keller said he loved serving the International District.

Look, I love my family. We had a second kid. Thats why I moved, he said. I was in infill housing. It was really small, and when Jack was born we needed a bigger house.

And when I was in high school, I dated a girl in the Country Club, and I picked her up for prom, and I saw that neighborhood and those big trees and I literally was like, some day I am going to try to move here. And I am so happy that I have that opportunity. Im thankful for it every day. Its a great neighborhood. Its a lot more diverse than I think hes making it sound.

A few minutes later, Lewis brought it up again, saying people in the International District need help.

But you moved away from there, he said. So, Im glad for you, Tim. Really happy for you. Happy for your family

Martin Salazar: msalazar@abqjournal.com
PHOENIX  Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio has hit a snag in his bid to get the courts to erase his criminal record now that President Donald Trump has pardoned his conviction for intentionally disobeying a judges order.

An appeals court on Monday issued an order questioning whether it has jurisdiction over Arpaios appeal of an Oct. 19 ruling in which a judge refused to throw out a decision that explains why the retired sheriff was found guilty of contempt of court.

The order issued by the clerk of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals explained the pardon was issued before Arpaios case came to an official conclusion at the lower-court level and cited a case that concluded appeals courts are generally barred from reviewing cases until after a person is convicted and sentenced.

The development points out a paradox for Arpaio: The pardon led the judge to call off his sentencing and dismiss the case, but it also could thwart his name-clearing efforts in the courts and stop his appeal because it never reached the final judgment phase that usually occurs at sentencing.

The appeals court has given Arpaio three weeks to say why his appeal shouldnt be dismissed.

Daniel Kobil, a pardon expert who is a professor at Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio, said Arpaios lawyers could argue that the case fits into a narrow exception to the rule that cases arent appealable until they are final. But Kobil characterized such an effort as an uphill battle.

The courts are going to be very reluctant, Kobil said.

But Arpaio lawyer Jack Wilenchik said he expects the retired sheriff to clear this legal hurdle, which he described as a routine step by the court to weed out appeals that have been filed too early. We are in a very unique situation here, and that needs to be explained to the court clerk, Wilenchik said.

The conviction stemmed from Arpaios disobedience of a 2011 court order that barred his traffic patrols that targeted immigrants. Prosecutors had accused Arpaio of prolonging the patrols for 17 months to boost his successful 2012 re-election campaign.

Arpaio, who endorsed Trump and appeared alongside him at rallies during the 2016 campaign, has acknowledged continuing the patrols but insisted his disobedience wasnt intentional.

His lawyers have said they want to appeal the Oct. 19 rulings by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton, who said pardons dont erase convictions or the facts of the case. She said the pardon only called off any possible punishments Arpaio might have faced.

Bolton had previously ruled the pardon would stand despite protests from critics who said the clemency would encourage government officials to flout similar court orders in the future.

Arpaios lawyers want Boltons blistering 14-page decision that explains the reasons behind the verdict thrown out in a bid to clear his name and prevent attorneys from using it in future court cases as an example of a prior bad act. The retired sheriff could be targeted by lawsuits from Latinos who were illegally detained while the sheriff disobeyed the order, though no such cases have yet been filed.

In the ruling Arpaio wants thrown out, Bolton cited TV interviews and news release in which the sheriff made comments about keeping up the patrols, even though he knew they were no longer allowed.

Arpaios defiance of the court order is believed to have contributed to his 2016 election loss after serving 24 years as metro Phoenixs top law enforcer.

___

Follow Jacques Billeaud at twitter.com/jacquesbilleaud. His work can be found at https://www.apnews.com/search/jacques%20billeaud.
Cheyenne Crystal, 49 (State Police) Somer Jewel, 7 and Shakti Starlight, 4 (State Police) Prev 1 of 2 Next

Police are asking for the publics help in locating a family that have been missing since Friday, according to a New Mexico Stae Police spokesman.

Officer Carl Christiansen said 49-year-old Cheyenne Crystal and her two daughtersSomer Jewel, 7 and Shakti Starlight, 4were last seen near Geronimo Lane in Taos.

The three were last seen walking and are not known to be in possession of a vehicle, he said. If not located they may be in danger.

Cheyenne is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighs 118 pounds, and has shoulder length dirty blonde hair. Somer was last seen wearing a purple ski jacket and black boots, while Shantiwho has very short blonde hairwas last seen wearing a pink and black polka-dot coat with black boots.
An internationally renowned photographer who explored New Mexicos nuclear legacy and conjured a novel about women pilots died Friday.

Patrick Nagatani died in his Albuquerque home after a long battle with colon cancer. He was 72.

A University of New Mexico emeritus professor who taught photography from 1987 to 2007, Nagatani was known for creating mythical compositions using laboratories, landscapes, military sites, memorials, Native American reservations, Japanese tourists and himself in recurring motifs.

He took on subjects as dark as the Japanese internment camps that once housed his parents to the Atomic Age and his own fanciful series on women airplane pilots. That idea germinated from a British newspaper article about the discovery of 36 Spitfire airplanes buried in Burma after World War II.

In the series of photographs, each pilot got her own biography, as well as her own constructed plastic model plane converted into a float plane.

That series would eventually become The Race, a novel Nagatani helped launch at an Albuquerque Museum book signing a week before his death.

He sat there and personalized the books for every single person who stood in line, said Kate Ware, curator of photography for the New Mexico Museum of Art. The museum houses about 145 examples of his work, many of them donated by the artist. The UNM Art Gallery also features 254 of his photographs in its collections.

The Albuquerque Museum owns more than 100 of his photographs and three of his series, including Nuclear Enchantment.

We kept joking that Patrick was living for the next event, curator of art Andrew Connors said. He was about work. He was this incredible creator who makes photographs unlike anybody elses.

His works were often disturbing, funny and deadpan at the same time.

Patrick was one of the pioneers of constructive photography in America, Santa Fe gallery owner Andrew Smith said. He might use a photograph or a photograph of a painting as the background, then he would hang objects in front of the photograph.

Nagatani was born to Japanese-American parents in Chicago just days after the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945. That personal history would lead to his development of series on both the camps and Nuclear Enchantment, 40-some photo-dramas depicting the birth of the Nuclear Age in New Mexico. The images encompass everything from a Grants restaurant named the Uranium Cafe to Navajo tract homes sprouting amidst uranium tailings and radioactive sediment in Los Alamos.

Hes a world-renowned artist who helped to put Albuquerque on the map of where important work was being made, said Suzanne Sbarge, executive director of 516 ARTS.

The theatrical nature of his work dated to his experience in the film industry during the 1970s, where he built special effects models for films such as Bladerunner (1982) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).

Later, he would create work as a self-described, self-invented tape-ist. His Tape-estries explored his Buddhist roots after being raised Catholic by his Japanese-American parents . He spray-painted Catholic and Christian images he photographed across Europe, using masking tape to protect the areas he decided to leave bare.

Valerie Roybal, curator of the recent 516 ARTS Cross Pollination exhibition, worked with Nagatani as an editor and graphic designer at UNM. In 2014 they would co-curate Adaptations: Visual Artists Work with Profound Disease and Illness.

We were cancer survivors together, she said. We were on a similar path; we really bonded that way. We have (chemotherapy) ports in our chests and he would be like, Show me your port.

It wasnt even as a joke; it was to embrace it in this honest, big-hearted way.

Roybal continued: Some people dont want to hear about it because its scary. He was very open about it. We kept track of each other. He and I would geek out on all that because it was important to both of us to understand.

I saw him at the book signing a week ago, Roybal said. I kind of figured it was his last act. Leigh Anne (his wife) said he was determined to do it.

Patrick Nagatani: Living in the Story, a documentary about Nagatani, will be released in 2018. His brother Scott Nagatani wrote the music for the soundtrack.

Services are private.
An home health care operator and an auto parts store are the latest businesses looking to set up shop along busy Coors Boulevard near La Orilla Road NW.

Site development plans on file with the city of Albuquerque identified the applicants as Legacy Home Health and Jim and Christen Shull, who are planning to build an OReilly Auto Parts store. The applicants will redevelop two vacant lots in the Bosque Plaza shopping center.

Jimmy Melton, president of Legacy Home Health, said the company will occupy a new 9,000-square-foot, two-story building on a two-acre parcel, which will serve as Legacys administrative headquarters and a retail space for sales of items such as oxygen tanks and wheelchairs.

Our business has grown tremendously, and we need that extra space for our staff members, said Melton, adding that construction will commence in the first quarter of 2018. The new enterprise, including land acquisition and construction, will cost $3.3 million, he said.

The West Side location is convenient spot for his workforce, which continues to grow to serve the health care needs of New Mexicos fast-growing population of aging adults.

Melton, a former nursing home administrator who co-founded the company in 2010 with his wife, Ramona Melton, a registered nurse, said the business has 80 employees, mostly therapists and nurses. We take care of clients in their homes, assisted living, nursing home and hospice facilities.

The citys environmental planning commission also recently approved redevelopment plans for another site at the Bosque Plaza to accommodate the nationwide auto parts purveyor. Applicants Jim and Christen Shull plan to build a 7,000-square-foot OReilly auto parts store at 6380 Coors Blvd. NW, according to documents. A construction timeline was not immediately available.

Bosque Plaza, which now is home to a Panda Express and a Village Inn, is near the Village @ La Orilla, a mixed-used development along Coors that includes the Flix Brewhouse, restaurants, retailers and a credit union.

A commercial real estate website shows other vacant lots available for development at Bosque Plaza.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017 Is She Really That Far Ahead? Poll Has Lujan Grisham Leaving Dem Rivals In Dust, Plus: Mayor '18: The Latest On The TV Spending Grisham, Cervantes & Apodaca Is she really ahead that much? That was the first reaction we heard to



The survey, done October 12-18 by Greenberg Quninlan Rosner for the progressive group



Former TV executive Jeff Apodaca placed second with 10 percent. State Senator Joe Cervantes barely registered with 3 percent. Alcohol prevention educator Peter DeBenedittis received 2 percent. Ten percent of likely voters were undecided. The poll's margin of error was put at 4.6 percent. Greenberg Quninlan Rosner has worked with Grisham, but the poll was not done for any candidate, but for the Institute.



Surely Grisham is far ahead, having the name ID of a congresswoman who has been busy campaigning for a year and raising substantial funds. But is the race closed out as some might infer from this survey?



No, the race is not closed out but it soon could be if one of her rivals does not do something radical to change the perception of the contest. Before we get to that, here's a skeptical view of the poll from a Dem consultant:



That poll should be taken with a big grain of salt. Hillary was up similarly on Bernie Sanders in the '16 NM primary and we saw how that turned out. (Clinton won by a narrow margin). People want a choice; they don't want an anointment. It's not an easy hill to climb but there's been no paid communications in the contest and no focus on that race yet.



Okay, we've taken our grains of salt.



The trouble is that Grisham's two main challengers--Apodaca and Cervantes--may be out of position. The only area where Grisham appears weak is with the left wing of her party where disgruntled but energized Bernie Sanders supporters and economic populists reside. Yet Cervantes, Apodaca and Grisham are pretty much ignoring them. DeBenedettis is running as a progressive and is not, but he's not raising the money he will meed to get that message out.



Cervantes and Apodaca have long been associated with the moderate wing of the party. Grisham has liberal positions on matters such as abortion but also has centrist instincts.



With no serious challenger to her left and with Dems hungry for a win, she is in good position with a large swath of the party. She can keep playing both liberal and centrist politics.



Cervantes and Apodaca are not going to get where they need by deriding Grisham as a professional politician. They are going to have to distinguish themselves in a much more meaningful way. That will mean taking big risks and entertaining the notion of veering left, even if it is against every instinct in their bones.



An enthusiastic, well-funded Hispanic economic populist with moderate views on social issues could give Grisham pause and have Dems voters taking a serious look. Right now there are no takers, leaving the nomination for Grisham to take. Stay tuned.



VALUABLE PRIZE



Whoever gets the Dem nomination next June will have a valuable prize indeed. A consensus has formed among the pundits that New Mexico is poised to turn the Fourth Floor into an ocean of blue after its long season of red. From the



(New Mexico) will be Democrats top pickup opportunity. After eight years of Republican Martinez and in a state that Democrats have dominated in federal races for the past decade, the winner of the contested Democratic primary will be favored over likely GOP nominee Steve Pearce. The general election would feature two House members if Michelle Lujan Grisham, who leads the field in fundraising and recently hired a campaign manager, emerges with the nomination.



KELLER FLUFF







Another fluff piece on Keller. . . Keller has accused a lot of people of misuse of public funds, but how many of these cases have resulted in restitution, criminal charges/arrest/convictions, civil lawsuits? I know the State Auditor is not responsible for the this part of it, but it is one thing to claim something and another to actually see something done.



Furthermore, Keller stated insurance companies possibly owed over $190 million in unpaid taxes. He was way off. A big number for headlines? Who knows? An outside auditor from Georgia narrowed the total to $65 million. By the way, the Office of Superintendent of Insurance has been asleep at the wheel for decades to allow this to happen.



Voters can question Keller's record as Auditor but Lewis faces a bigger challenge with his record as a longtime councilor. Reader Kelley DuPont writes:



Joe, For me, I cant separate Lewis from Mayor Berry and the do-nothing city councilors. I can see they all have failed the city. Lewis and his fellow councilors have sat helplessly on their hands just like Berry and watched Albuquerque burn, figuratively of course. As far as Im concerned Dan Lewis had his chance to improve/rescue the city. There is no evidence that he would do anything different than hes done.



A HOLDOUT?



Klarissa Pena If Keller does get elected it won't be all hugs and kisses with the Democratic-controlled City Council.



Co-Hosts: State Senators Mimi Stewart, Jerry Ortiz y Pino /Cisco McSorely, State Representative Javier Martinez, City Councilors Ike Benton, Diane Gibson, Pat Davis & Ken Sanchez.



Pena's district only went narrowly for Keller who narrowly beat out Brian Colon there.



One point of contention between Pena and Keller could be over the controversial west side planned community of Santolina. She's been supportive while Keller has not. In response Santolina has financed media attacks against him.



UPDATE: The Keller camp says Pena is "all in" for Keller and will endorse him later this week.



TV TIME



Lewis is ramping up his TV schedule as early voting escalates and the Nov. 14 Election Day nears. Media veteran Chris Brown reports Lewis late last week added almost $62,000 in TV buys for the four network affiliates through Friday, November 10. This brings his total TV budget on the network affiliates for the run-off to $123,000 and 484 spots. Also, he spent $9,000 on Comcast.



That's $132,000 in TV for Lewis. That alone is more than the publicly financed campaign budget for the run-off for Tim Keller of $125,000.



Lewis is privately financing and has reported raising over $200,000 for the run-off. Keller does have a PAC independent of his campaign helping him and that recently reported having over $90,000 in cash.



We received late word Monday that the PAC supporting Keller--ABQ Forward Together--has made a TV buy for about $90,000, matching what they recently reported having in cash. The PAC continues to have fund-raisers.



As for the PAC getting backing from land developer Santolina and that has financed TV ads against, Keller. It has gone dark. No new media buys.



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( c)NM POLITICS WITH JOE MONAHAN 2017 E-mail your news and comments. (jmonahan@ix.netcom.com) Tim Keller's aggressive record as state auditor has impressed some voters but not all. Here's reader Levi Fetta pushing back against the praise Keller has received and which was noted on last Thursday's blog.Voters can question Keller's record as Auditor but Lewis faces a bigger challenge with his record as a longtime councilor. Reader Kelley DuPont writes:If Keller does get elected it won't be all hugs and kisses with the Democratic-controlled City Council. Klarissa Pena , who represents a Valley district heavy in Hispanic voters, appears to be a holdout when it comes to Keller. A fund-raiser for the PAC that is supporting Keller drew all the Democratic city councilors as co-hosts, except one--Councilor Pena. The co-hosts included:Pena's district only went narrowly for Keller who narrowly beat out Brian Colon there.One point of contention between Pena and Keller could be over the controversial west side planned community of Santolina. She's been supportive while Keller has not. In response Santolina has financed media attacks against him.Lewis is ramping up his TV schedule as early voting escalates and the Nov. 14 Election Day nears. Media veteran Chris Brown reports Lewis late last week added almost $62,000 in TV buys for the four network affiliates through Friday, November 10. This brings his total TV budget on the network affiliates for the run-off to $123,000 and 484 spots. Also, he spent $9,000 on Comcast.That's $132,000 in TV for Lewis. That alone is more than the publicly financed campaign budget for the run-off for Tim Keller of $125,000.Lewis is privately financing and has reported raising over $200,000 for the run-off. Keller does have a PAC independent of his campaign helping him and that recently reported having over $90,000 in cash.We received late word Monday that the PAC supporting Keller--ABQ Forward Together--has made a TV buy for about $90,000, matching what they recently reported having in cash. The PAC continues to have fund-raisers.As for the PAC getting backing from land developer Santolina and that has financed TV ads against, Keller. It has gone dark. No new media buys.Rick Abraham of Data Flux is back with us to run the numbers for the run-off. He reports as of the end of Friday nearly 14,000 voters had cast ballots via absentee or early voting. He thinks we are on track for a turnout of about 70,000 or more, down from the 100,000 who voted in the Oct. 3 election. After the record smashing turnout then, we'll give him some leeway on that prediction.This is the home of New Mexico politics. Is she really ahead that much? That was the first reaction we heard to a poll that shows Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham blowing away her three challengers for the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial nomination.The survey, done October 12-18 by Greenberg Quninlan Rosner for the progressive group Majority Institute (formerly known as Project New America), has Grisham garnering support from a whopping 75 percent of likely Democratic primary voters.Former TV executive Jeff Apodaca placed second with 10 percent. State Senator Joe Cervantes barely registered with 3 percent. Alcohol prevention educator Peter DeBenedittis received 2 percent. Ten percent of likely voters were undecided. The poll's margin of error was put at 4.6 percent. Greenberg Quninlan Rosner has worked with Grisham, but the poll was not done for any candidate, but for the Institute.Surely Grisham is far ahead, having the name ID of a congresswoman who has been busy campaigning for a year and raising substantial funds. But is the race closed out as some might infer from this survey?No, the race is not closed out but it soon could be if one of her rivals does not do something radical to change the perception of the contest. Before we get to that, here's a skeptical view of the poll from a Dem consultant:Okay, we've taken our grains of salt.The trouble is that Grisham's two main challengers--Apodaca and Cervantes--may be out of position. The only area where Grisham appears weak is with the left wing of her party where disgruntled but energized Bernie Sanders supporters and economic populists reside. Yet Cervantes, Apodaca and Grisham are pretty much ignoring them. DeBenedettis is running as a progressive and is not, but he's not raising the money he will meed to get that message out.Cervantes and Apodaca have long been associated with the moderate wing of the party. Grisham has liberal positions on matters such as abortion but also has centrist instincts.With no serious challenger to her left and with Dems hungry for a win, she is in good position with a large swath of the party. She can keep playing both liberal and centrist politics.Cervantes and Apodaca are not going to get where they need by deriding Grisham as a professional politician. They are going to have to distinguish themselves in a much more meaningful way. That will mean taking big risks and entertaining the notion of veering left, even if it is against every instinct in their bones.An enthusiastic, well-funded Hispanic economic populist with moderate views on social issues could give Grisham pause and have Dems voters taking a serious look. Right now there are no takers, leaving the nomination for Grisham to take. Stay tuned.Whoever gets the Dem nomination next June will have a valuable prize indeed. A consensus has formed among the pundits that New Mexico is poised to turn the Fourth Floor into an ocean of blue after its long season of red. From the National Journal Links HOME

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Milken Institute, the International Finance Corporation (IFC, a member of the World Bank Group focused on the private sector), and The George Washington University's School of Business are working together to recruit, train and build a cohort of talented mid-career executives to support capital-market development and economic growth in their home countries and across borders.

Now in its second year, the IFC-Milken Institute Capital Markets Program brought 21 fellows from 15 countries to the United States for a rigorous eight-month program. Elements include coursework leading to a certificate in capital markets from GW, and professional internship assignments across the financial industry. Internship providers range from regulatory agencies and development finance institutions to investment managers, venture capital and private equity firms. Sponsor companies include Clayton Dubilier & Rice, Prospect Capital, Vista Equity Partners and WorldQuant, among others.

Michael Milken, chairman of the Milken Institute, hosted a gathering in Washington D.C. to introduce the new class of IFC-Milken Institute fellows to high-level financial industry representatives. The fellows discussed their personal and professional experiences, sharing insights on financial market challenges and evolutions in Haiti, Liberia, Kenya, Pakistan, Zambia and the Gambia.

"Future economic and social progress in the world's developing nations depends far less on natural resources and more on entrepreneurial talent and access to capital," said Milken. "Robust capital markets combined with informed leadership are needed to create jobs, improve education and develop infrastructure for rapidly growing populations. The IFC-Milken Institute Capital Markets Program is preparing a new generation of leaders to help assure that these societies enjoy a more prosperous and meaningful future."

Jingdong Hua, vice president and treasurer of IFC (which co-sponsors the program) highlighted the importance played by robust capital markets in enabling countries to reach their full economic potential. He remarked, "Once you have a cadre of champions of capital markets, they will have an accelerated trajectory of providing finance to the private sector, and ultimately help to fight poverty."

Vivek Choudhury, dean of The George Washington University School of Business, noted "At GWSB, we like to say that we are 'Engaging the World from the nation's Capital.' I can think of no better example than the Capital Markets Program, sponsored by the Milken Institute and IFC. The fellows are emerging leaders of their respective nations and we are proud to play a part in their professional development. This is a perfect case of an educational program that will make a difference in the world and change lives."

"The best thing I am getting out of the program is learning from such an experienced cohort  nations like Kenya and Nigeria are teaching me that it's not a one-size-fits-all solution and that it is important to tailor policy to your economy," explained Louis-Olivier Verret, an IFC-Milken Institute Fellow and senior officer at the Central Bank of Haiti. His classmate Mortima Ketter, also an IFC-Milken Institute Fellow and senior analyst at the Central Bank of Liberia, summarized his expectations for the internship, "In order for me to understand your behavior in your market, I have to work for you. That is what I will take back home so that I can effectively manage market players."

The Milken Institute and IFC have expanded the global reach of the program this year, by welcoming seven fellows from Asia and the Caribbean in addition to the fourteen from Africa. The program directors for the Milken Institute and IFC, Carole Biau and Divya Nair, noted that the proportion of women has also doubled since the program was launched, reaching nearly half the class.

The alumni network is one of the most valuable components of the program. Several alumni from the inaugural class, who graduated in April 2017, have assumed new or additional responsibilities following the IFC-Milken Institute Capital Markets Program fellowship.

For example, Walter Pacheco has gone from heading the Market Development unit of the Angolan Capital Markets Commission to working as executive director for Angola's new Stock Exchange  and met with the current class of fellows during a work trip to Washington D.C. Immaculate Nakato and Stephen Birungi, both program alumni from Uganda, have been increasing the level of policy dialogue between their country's Central Bank and Capital Markets Authority since they graduated.

The application period for 2018-19 Fellowships opens November 1, 2017. For more information on how to participate or to nominate high caliber candidates, contact Divya Nair at dnair3@ifc.org . To support the program as a sponsor, speaker or internship provider, contact Carole Biau at cbiau@milkeninstitute.org.

More details are available online at cmp.milkeninstitute.org.

IFC-Milken Institute Fellows: Class of 2017-18

Cote D'Ivoire Wotoumo Melessi Fanny , Financial Specialist, Office of the Ministry of Economy and Finance Mongolia Nandintuya Chimedtseren, Financial Markets and Insurance Division (FMID) Officer, Mongolian Ministry of Finance

Undraa Nursed, Financial Policy Department Officer, Mongolian Ministry of Finance Ethiopia Sisay Habte, Trading Operations Senior Manager, Ethiopia Commodity Exchange Nigeria Abdulkadir Abbas, Head of Securities and Investment Services, Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission

Emomotimi John Agama, Deputy Director/Head of the Exchanges Division, Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission The Gambia Halima Singateh-Jagne, Principal Bank Examiner, Central Bank of the Gambia

Sulayman Cham, Principal Financial Analyst, Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs Pakistan Iftikhar Ahmed Tari, Joint Director, State Bank of Pakistan

Najia Ubaid, Surveillance, Supervision and Enforcement Department Joint Director, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan Ghana Richard Ruttmern, Head of Finance and Capital Department, Ghanaian Securities and Exchange Commission Sierra Leone Purity Kamara, Senior Manager, Central Bank of Sierra Leone Haiti Gwendoline Darguste, Junior Officer, Central Bank of Haiti

Louis-Olivier Verret, Senior Officer, Central Bank of Haiti Sri Lanka Dilini Udugamakorala, Senior Assistant Superintendent, Central Bank of Sri Lanka Kenya Willyson Nyale Yanga, Financial Analysis Assistant Manager, Capital Markets Authority of Kenya St Kitts Kieran St. Omer, Senior Analyst, Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Liberia Wakpe Karmbor, Financial Market Analyst, Central Bank of Liberia

Mortima Ketter, Senior Analyst of Financial Markets, Central Bank of Liberia Zambia Leah Kusensela, Accounts Officer, Securities and Exchange Commission Zambia Mauritania Mohamed Salem Zein El Abidine, Head of Service of Portfolio Analysis and Monitoring Agency, Central Bank of Mauritania



About IFC

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. Working with more than 2,000 businesses worldwide, we use our capital, expertise, and influence, to create opportunity where it's needed most. In FY15, our long-term investments in developing countries rose to nearly $18 billion, helping the private sector play an essential role in the global effort to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity. For more information, visit www.ifc.org.

About The George Washington University School of Business

GW's School of Business is an international leader in education and research, which prides itself on training future leaders to be global problem solvers and socially responsible managers. The school leverages its prime locationin the heart of Washingtonby attracting visiting scholars and leaders in the business community to work, teach and engage with students. For more information, visit www.business.gwu.edu

About the Milken Institute

The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank determined to increase global prosperity by advancing collaborative solutions that widen access to capital, create jobs, and improve health. We do this through independent, data-driven research, action-oriented meetings, and meaningful policy initiatives. For more information, visit milkeninstitute.org

Contact

Geoffrey Baum

Director, Media Relations

Milken Institute

(310) 570-4689; gbaum@milkeninstitute.org

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ifc-milken-institute--gw-welcome-new-class-of-leaders-to-strengthen-capital-markets-and-encourage-investment-in-developing-countries-300546066.html

SOURCE Milken Institute
Roadrunner Technology Solutions LLC joins RENEWs portfolio

Members of RENEWs Impact Angel Network (IAN) have committed capital to Roadrunner Technology Solutions LLC (Roadrunner), which will partner with Universal Courier Services PLC (Deliver Addis) to expand the burgeoning logistics and e-commerce industries in Ethiopia. Deliver Addis is a technology enabled, online food delivery company based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, launched in October 2015. To date, the companys focus has been on business-to-consumer (B2C) delivery, mainly of restaurant orders. The IANs investment in Roadrunner is aimed at helping its partner Deliver Addis to become Ethiopias leading technology-enabled, last-mile courier service for consumers and businesses.

Deliver Addis has succeeded in building a loyal customer base in offering a service which, while common in most developed economies, has been largely unavailable in Ethiopia. The IANs investment will provide Deliver Addis, through its partnership with Roadrunner, with the technology and operational support it requires to improve the quality and speed of its existing services, expand its service offering to new products, and reach new consumers. Roadrunner will supply Deliver Addis with a dedicated technology platform, as well as back-office, market research and payment processing support. Deliver Addis will continue as the delivery provider in Ethiopia.

RENEW and the IAN anticipate that this investment in Roadrunner will meaningfully contribute to the Ethiopian economy by creating jobs, reducing emission through the use of more fuel efficient vehicles, and increasing business for local restaurants, grocery stores and companies, said Matt Davis, CEO of RENEW. He added, We are grateful to our partners in Ethiopia and the Government of Canada who make our work in Ethiopia possible.

Deliver Addis founder Feleg Tsegaye commented, Since we launched Ethiopia's first online restaurant delivery service, people have quickly taken to it with virtually no marketing and have pushed us to expand in ways we hadn't expected. Our partnership with RENEW and the IAN will enable us to build the technology and scale our operations in order to support demands from existing and new customers, including individuals, businesses, organizations and more.

This is the Impact Angel Networks ninth investment in its portfolio of eight companies in East Africa.

About Impact Angel Network and RENEW

The Impact Angel Network is one of the most active private equity investors in Ethiopia. Its members seek to make both social impacts and financial returns through investments in small and medium enterprises (SMEs); a proven engine of economic growth and job creation, but lacking capital in Africa due to their size. They believe that targeting employment through SMEs, dollar-for-dollar, can help reduce poverty in a more sustainable way than charity.

RENEW, with its largest office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, manages the IANs investment operations and provides investment advisory and consulting services in support of its investments. RENEWs work in Ethiopia was piloted with USAID and is currently undertaken with financial support from the Government of Canada provided through Global Affairs Canada. The project, Accelerating Business Growth, aims at sustainable job creation for low-skilled workers, including women and young adults, through a dynamic and growing small and medium business sector in Ethiopia.

To find out more, please visit www.renewstrategies.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171031006068/en/

Media:

KANTER

Victoria Odinotska, +1 703-685-9232

or

RENEW

Erin OConnor, +1 416-998-0058

eoconnor@renewstrategies.com
Credit Czar David Howe, SubscriberWise founder and child identity guardian, encourages his fellow citizens to access the little-known personal report called C.L.U.E.

SubscriberWise, the nation's largest issuing CRA for the communications industry and the leading protector of children victimized by identity fraud, announced today important advice and consumer empowerment from company founder and U.S. Credit Czar David E. Howe. The global FICO panjandrum and credit baron is encouraging consumers to become aware of the United States federal FACT Act.

According to the Credit Czar, the FACTA entitles a consumer to obtain one free copy of her/his consumer file from certain consumer reporting agencies during each 12-month period. Included in the FACTA is the right to access consumer reports that involve personal property and auto histories that impact an individuals rates and access to insurance products.

"Next year - before my automobile insurance renewal period - I plan to rate shop to determine if there's a more competitive price for my personal insurance requirement," acknowledged David Howe, founder and CEO of SubscriberWise and Americas child identity guardian. "And just like I've done with my personal credit and FICO scores over the past couple of decades, I keep tabs on another personal report that impacts my financial life."

Related: U.S. Credit Czar Howe Reveals FICO Secret Sauce

"The personal report that I obtain and carefully review is called a C.L.U.E. report, Howe continued. C.L.U.E. is an acronym for Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange. Its similar to a consumer credit report. Fortunately, it's federally regulated for our protection like consumer credit reports. The CLUE report is a claims history database generated by a company called LexisNexis. (https://www.lexisnexis.com/en-us/home.page). The report is accessed by insurance companies to retrieve any claims information during underwriting or for reviewing an insurance policy.

"According to LexisNexis, The C.L.U.E. Personal Property report provides a seven year history of losses associated with an individuals personal property. The C.L.U.E. Auto report provides a seven year history of automobile insurance losses associated with an individual," Czar Howe added.

Today I recommend that every consumer obtain her/his report on a regular basis, but particularly before shopping for insurance or if renewal rates change unfavorably and unexpectedly. (https://personalreports.lexisnexis.com/fact_act_disclosure.jsp).

Moreover, following the massive data breach at Equifax involving the compromise of extremely sensitive personal information, I recommend consumers generally become more familiar with personal and consumer reports while also learning how to better protect themselves.

Related: Equifax Massive Data Breach: FICO World Master Champion and U.S. Credit Czar David Howe Responds

"Consumers who have not filed any claims against their auto or property insurance companies in the last 7 years, they should have no entries on the report. Any entries that are present, they should be reviewed for accuracy and disputed and removed if not accurate," Czar Howe concluded.

Get a C.L.U.E.: https://personalreports.lexisnexis.com/fact_act_disclosure.jsp

About SubscriberWise

SubscriberWise launched as the first issuing consumer reporting agency exclusively for the cable industry in 2006. Today SubscriberWise is a risk management preferred-solutions provider for the National Cable Television Cooperative.

SubscriberWise contributions to the communications industry are quantified in the billions of dollars annually.

SubscriberWise is a U.S.A. federally registered trademark of the SubscriberWise Limited Liability Co.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171031006650/en/

SubscriberWise

David Howe, 330-880-4848 x137

President
The US government is the largest employer of physician assistants (PAs) and one-fifth of all PAs in the United States have served in uniform at some point.1 The US Army has the greatest proportion of military PAs (about 65%) compared with the Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.2,3 According to the PA assignment officer at Human Resources Command, the Army has about 850 active-duty PAs, with more than 120 in the active Reserves and National Guard (Written communication from Maj. Lauris Trimble, MPAS, PA-C, April 2016).

The roots of the military PA connect with the founding of the PA profession. Army medics and Navy corpsmen serving in the Vietnam War obtained battlefield medical skills but their training failed to translate into civilian healthcare professions. Two of the early developers of the PA profession felt that veterans with healthcare experience could be trained to fill physician shortages.4 As PAs emerged as well-trained healthcare professionals in civilian roles, the Army looked to use them. Initially, PAs were projected to provide general medical care to soldiers in their respective field units, replacing general medical officers. The experience was considered successful, and in 1971, the Army began its own PA training program.5

In an effort to document the growth, training, and use of Army PAs a historical study was undertaken. A secondary purpose was to evaluate the use of female PAs.

METHODS

Journal articles in public bibliographies and documents in the Army's research collection at its medical department Center of History and Heritage in San Antonio were searched. Historical events were researched and facts were verified via personal communication with Army PAs at Human Resources Command and throughout leadership positions.

RESULTS

Training

The Army began a PA training program in 1971; the first class of 120 PAs was graduated in 1973 from the medical field services school PA program and awarded associate degrees from Baylor University.5,6 In 1975, the Army determined that enough PAs were on active duty and terminated its training program. However, within 3 years, a PA shortage followed and the Army Surgeon General ordered the program restarted. The program resumed in September 1979 at Fort Sam Houston in Texas, granting college credit through Creighton University.7,8 The Army program was converted to a baccalaureate program through the University of Oklahoma in 1983 and to a master's level program through the University of Nebraska in 2003.7

Before 2001, only enlisted applicants could enroll in the Army PA training program. In 2001, the program was opened to all Army personnel and by 2013, half of the students were commissioned officers.8,9

By the mid 1990s, all the uniformed services had a PA program. The US Interservice Physician Assistant Program (IPAP) began in 1996 to reduce government expense by combining the four uniformed service education activities into one housed at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, where the Army had its program. IPAP is the largest PA training program in the world, graduating about 170 students per year. It has a 96% pass rate of the national certification examination.8

General medicine

Initially, Army PAs replaced physician general medical officers assigned to individual battalions. Upon initial assignment, graduates were designated as battalion surgeons, becoming first-line medical officers. In a letter to all Army physicians in 1971, Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Whelan, Jr., MD, explained that PAs were intended to fill the general medicine positions in field units so that general medical officers could be pulled back into the hospitals and specialists could remain focused in their specialty roles.10 The goal at the time was to pull 400 general medical officers from frontline units and replace them with PAs. Gen. Whelan further projected that the source of these PAs would be noncommissioned officer medics who went through the Army PA training program.10 As Army PAs filled the general medical officer role, their initial duties involved taking medical histories, completing physical examinations, running a preventive medicine program, diagnosing and treating basic conditions, and referring patients when appropriate.5 At the time of this directive in 1971, there was no intention for the Army PA to be employed in a hospital setting.6

Beginning in the 1980s, the duties of Army PAs, in addition to their clinical duties, included training medics and soldiers, specialty medicine, administration and planning, and unit leadership.9 According to Army Techniques Publication 4-02.3, PAs provide medical treatment within their scope of practice, referring patients to the supervising physician or higher level of care when necessary; provide advanced trauma management. In addition to the medical roles Army PAs assume they are also multitasked to conduct training for personnel in first-aid procedures (self-aid, buddy aid, and combat lifesaver), field sanitation, evacuation, and injury prevention; provide soldier and leader training on prevention and recognition of combat stress; support training to maintain medic certification; and ensure that medical records are maintained.11 A 2003 study of how deployed Army PAs spent their time found that 35% was spent in clinic care, 16% in administrative duties, 12% each in medic and soldier education and covering unit missions away from clinic, and 5% in treating combat-related trauma.12 In 2008, 80% of Army PAs were still used in maneuver battalions or in acute care in deployed environments.3

In order to support newly graduated PAs, the Army initiated the Professional Filler System (PROFIS) in 1980, which paired a physician assigned to a clinic or hospital with a battalion if that unit was used for combat or humanitarian missions.13 These physicians were intended to augment the medical unit and could be from any specialty. In a 2011 survey of deployed PAs and their PROFIS physicians, respondents voiced the opinion that PAs were appropriate and at least equivalent to the specialist physicians for prehospital care during combat operations.14

In the 1990s, Army PAs were integrated into the first two levels of care on the battlefieldthe medical platoon that serves every combat battalion and the medical company that serves every brigade. At the battalion aid station, PAs were equipped to provide advanced trauma management to combat casualties and to conduct routine sick call when the operational situation allows.15 This evolution of Army medical care by PAs has not gone unnoticed. Robert Mabry, MD, then director of the US Army's prehospital research center, noted in a 2011 book that it has long been a paradox of military [medicine] that the most junior and least experienced providers are the ones challenged to manage complex cases such as multiple combat trauma in a setting far from mentors or specialists.9

Specialty medicine

Although Army PAs were developed for general medicine in line units, they started working in specialty clinics almost immediately. In 1980, the Army began training programs in several medical and surgical specialties; orthopedics, cardiovascular perfusion, emergency medicine, occupational medicine, and aviation medicine.7,16,17 In 1980, the Army Surgeon General converted a number of physician positions in aviation medicine, orthopedics, and emergency medicine to PA positions. These assignments were for PAs who had completed specialty training through the Army.16 In the 1990s, the Army specialty PA programs were converted to master's degree programs in collaboration with St. Francis University.7

A doctoral-level specialty training began in 2006. The intent was to prepare specialized PAs with a substantially higher level of clinical competency who could then be deployed on the battlefield.18,19 After an 18-month residency, the first class was graduated in 2007 from the US Army-Baylor University doctor of science program in emergency medicine.18 These PAs became the first in the nation to earn clinical doctorates. Since this first graduation, the Army has developed similar doctoral programs in clinical orthopedics and general surgery.19 As of 2015, 29 PAs on active duty have completed the doctorate in orthopedics and 36 have completed the doctorate in emergency medicine (Written communication with Maj. Lauris Trimble, MPAS, PA-C, April 2016).

Administration and policy

In 1973, graduating Army PA students were commissioned as warrant officers (technical experts ranked between commissioned officers, whose primary role is leadership, and enlisted soldiers).5 PA program graduates were fully commissioned as officers in the Air Force starting in 1978 and in the Navy starting in 1989. The Army commissioned PAs the first graduates in 1992. That year, the Army also commissioned 257 previous graduates, promoting them to the ranks of second lieutenant through major based on service time.7

After the initiation of the Army PA profession, PAs began filling advisory roles within the Army. In 1976, a PA consultant to the Army Surgeon General was assigned to assist the Army medical community in defining the purpose and use of PAs. This position was formalized in 1992 when PAs were assigned their own section chief. The need for a similar advisor in the combat commands was recognized; PAs became managers and administrators in division headquarters in 1983. A PA consultant to the Army Forces Commander at the Division level was initiated in 1987. In the Human Resources Command, an Army PA career planner was first developed in 1982.20

Initially, the instructors at the Academy of Health Sciences PA program (now IPAP) were all physicians; the first PA instructors were introduced in 1979 and a PA became director of the training program in 1994.20

Because PAs largely were assigned to deployable units, their focus stayed on combat medicine. Thus, in the early 2000s, Army PAs organized programs, including tactical combat medical care training focused on the techniques required to treat preventable causes of battlefield death, tactical combat casualty care training, and a combat lifesaver course.20,21 Army PAs also contributed to development of a hemorrhage control kit now attached to every soldier's uniform.21 This kit became today's improved first aid kit, issued to every soldier during the global war on terror.21

Upon incorporation into medical units, PAs took on leadership and administrative duties in addition to their clinical responsibilities. Once PAs became commissioned officers, leadership roles expanded and some became commanders of larger and more specialized medical units. For example, a PA commanded a medical company in 2004, a combat support hospital in 2008, a forward surgical team in 2009, and a warrior in transition battalion in 2010. In addition, in the early 2010s, many PAs served as officers in charge of troop medical clinics. Both of the Army's major combat training centers have had PAs as the top medical advisor and a senior PA has served as the deputy chief of clinical services in Germany.20

Advisory and leadership positions are generally filled by higher-ranking PAs and are administrative roles with little to no clinical time. To accommodate these increased leadership roles, the Army has expanded the rank structure and authorization of PAs. (Authorizations are the cap or quota of rank for a specialty group in the military, for example, the number of Army PAs authorized for any rank level.) In 2016, there were authorizations for 48 lieutenants, 486 captains, 146 majors, 28 lieutenant colonels, and 4 colonels (Written communication with Maj. Lauris Trimble, MPAS, PA-C, April 2016).

Female PAs

As the Army transformed how it organizes itself on the battlefield, one notable way was the rising role and number of female PAs. Because most PAs were former medics, most Army PAs were men. Beginning in the mid-1980s, the Army has added more female PAs. As of this writing the ratio of male to female PAs is 5:1.3

The first female PAs to be deployed in combat roles were part of the operation in Grenada in 1983. In 1990, as part of Operation Desert Storm, the Army deployed 230 PAs, including 12 women.7 In more recent operations, female PAs were deployed to larger, more centralized bases with little limitations on their location on the battlefield. Starting in early 2012, the Army permitted limited numbers of female PAs to be assigned to combat units.22 In 2015, the Army officially removed all limitations on assignment of female PAs to combat units.22

DISCUSSION

Training

The Army and military PA education have kept pace with the civilian standards for training and degrees awarded. Backgrounds and rank have changed along with evolution of PA education. In 2001, IPAP was opened to officers; half of the students are commissioned officers compared with applicants only from the enlisted ranks.8

General medicine

In addition to some of the typical duties described by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA), Army PAs have additional roles as officers, leaders, administrators, and managers of health personnel (see Profiles of two Army PAs). These tasks may be in addition to or in lieu of clinic time depending on the unit to which the PA is assigned.

Specialty medicine

Civilian specialty certificate programs began with the profession but the Army did not initiate certificate programs until the early 1980s. From certificate to bachelor's degree to master's degree, the evolution of PA education in the Army has been steady and now includes an optional doctorate for specialty training. These Army educational achievements are among the few doctoral-level PA programs in the nation.23

Like civilian PAs, most Army PAs practice in family medicine. A 1978 study comparing military and civilian PAs found that 93% of military PAs worked in general or specialty primary care compared with 69% of civilian PAs.24 The study found that only 2% of military PAs worked in a surgical specialty compared with 21% of their civilian peers.24 In early 2016, about 4% of Army PAs were specialized in orthopedics and 4% in emergency medicine (Written communication with Maj. Lauris Trimble, MPAS, PA-C, April 2016). According to the 2015 AAPA salary report and the National Commission on the Certification of Physician Assistants, about one-fifth of civilian PAs worked in family medicine, with slightly smaller percentages working in orthopedics and in emergency medicine.25,26

Administration and policy

PA supervision in the military differs from the civilian sector. Being part of the federal government, Army PAs are required to hold a state license but may not be obligated to comply with state scope of practice laws, regulations, or credentialing bodies that direct the supervisory duties of physicians for PAs.2,24 This federal policy introduces some unique practices, such as aviation PAs, for which there is no civilian equivalent.17 In 1978, military PAs indicated that only 22.9% of their patient care time was in the presence of a supervising physician, compared with 42.1% for civilian PAs.24 In the early 1990s, the ratio of PAs to physicians across the military was 1:10.2 This continues to be the case as physician general medical officers are not as prevalent and PAs work in more numerous, decentralized clinics.14 Because of this ratio, physician supervision, direct or indirect, is limited.

As PAs progress in rank, they are afforded more leadership responsibilities that progressively take them away from clinical tasks. PAs serve in advisory roles in every level of Army command and as these roles grow, they further the PA visibility in the Army. These leadership roles give PAs input into military medical policymaking at the highest levels, something uncommon in the civilian sector. Additionally, PAs have begun to have smaller unit commands. These command positions are not required, although this could change.

Female PAs

As civilian ratios of male to female PAs gradually shifted from a 2:1 ratio in the 1970s to a 1:2 ratio in the 2000s, the Army continued to be dominated by men.1 In the military as a whole, the ratio of male to female PAs remains at 5:1.3 In the last decade, about 72% of applicants to civilian PA programs were women, compared with 72% male applicants to IPAP.8

Women have deployed with Army units since 1983 and continue to move further forward on the battlefield. In 2012, the Army began the process that permitted female PAs to be assigned to combat units and they can be assigned to any combat unit.22 This translates to female PAs providing frontline medical care that was limited to only male PAs just a few years ago.

LIMITATIONS

Although PA duties are defined by Army regulation, no repeated or comparative studies have focused on what Army PAs do on a regular basis. The last study of what deployed PAs do daily was conducted in 2004 by Tozier and colleagues and the last study that compared Army PAs with their civilian counterparts was conducted in 1978 by Perry.12,24 Data on specific numbers of deployed PAs, especially by sex, and career progression are not documented. This lack of information makes historical analysis from the institution of the Army PA to today difficult. The observations mentioned in this review may not embody the full history of Army PAs.

FUTURE

Career progression, annual productivity, adverse events both in stateside and deployed settings, regular nonmedical duty requirements, and team relationships (such as with supervising physicians) are areas that require additional study. Inclusion of NPs is critical as on the civilian side, PAs and NPs share similar roles. To date, most Army NPs do not serve in forward medical units.

CONCLUSION

The Army PA is a story of parallel evolution with its civilian counterpart but diverges and converges depending on role and responsibilities. By drawing on their broad experiences, Army PAs lead in both tactical and clinical settings, filling command roles, senior clinical positions, and administrative leadership. This study offers some insight into Army PA use with a focus on PA training, PA use in general medicine and specialty medicine, their participation in administrative and policymaking roles, and how female PAs are included. PA use in the Army is wide, diverse, and changing. Their role draws on a wide range of skills and their contribution to the military medical team appears to be critical.

Profiles of two Army PAs

Figure: Col. Pauline V. Polly Gross, US Army 1974-present

Col. Gross has served in the US Army for more than 4 decades. She has seen Army medicine through a number of conflicts and changes, including the initial use of PAs. Col. Gross now works to advise major commands on ways to preserve the fighting force.

After 9 years of enlisted service as a medic and OR technician, Col. Gross became a PA. As a warrant officer, for 9 years she saw patients in various locations. Becoming a commissioned officer opened other doors. She became an instructor in IPAP, then chief of a clinic, then deputy chief of the Army Medical Specialist Corps Branch at Human Resources Command. As a staff officer at the Office of the Army Surgeon General, she worked on policy for treating Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers closer to home. While branch chief of the PA program, she also deployed to Iraq for a year as a medical adviser to the Iraqi police.

Col. Gross is now command surgeon (medical advisor) for Army Installation Management Command, where she advises on varied topics from the Zika virus, to ambulance coverage on Army posts, to healthy eating programs, to the Army Substance Abuse Program, and to the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response Program.

Figure: Maj. Christopher Cordova, DSc, PA-CFrom left, Staff Sgt. Shane Courville of Aid Station, noncommissioned officer in charge; Sgt. Jeff Hobbs, B Troop senior medic; Capt. (now Maj.) Christopher Cordova, DSc, PA-C, squadron PA; and Spc. Cody Floyd, platoon medic.

On October 3, 2009, Army PA Christopher Cordova, then a captain, was at Combat Outpost Keating, in an Afghan valley overlooked by Taliban positions. At 0600, a heavy enemy attack began, with rifle and machine-gun fire, rocket-propelled grenades, mortars, and other heavy rounds hitting every few seconds in the perimeter. Within seconds, several Afghan National Army and US Army troops had been killed, and within half an hour, Capt. Cordova pronounced two soldiers dead while continuing to treat seven patients and supervise his medics. Five more patients arrived and Taliban fighters penetrated the outpost, so Capt. Cordova had to detail guards for the doors. The aid station almost caught on fire, and new patients continued to arrive. A critically wounded soldier required a fresh whole-blood transfusion, for which Capt. Cordova gave a unit of his own blood. After 12 hours of fighting, and treating 43 US and Afghan wounded, helicopters finally arrived to evacuate the wounded. For his actions as a leader and a clinician, Capt. Cordova received the Silver Star.
June 7, 2017

A UN-devised global education agenda known as Education 2030 proved to be one of the biggest challenges for incumbent Hassan Rouhani in Irans May 19 presidential election. Just 12 days before the polls, on May 7, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei criticized Rouhanis Cabinet for quietly adopting the measure and said, It is the Islamic Republic here! Here Islam is the benchmark! The Quran is the benchmark! It is not a place where the deficient, destructive and corrupt Western lifestyle can infiltrate! ... The UNESCO 2030 education agenda and the like are not agendas that the Islamic Republic of Iran should have to surrender and submit to.

Khameneis comments paved the way for Rouhanis conservative rivals, cleric Ebrahim Raisi and Tehran Mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, to attack the government, accusing it of making education un-Islamic. The parts of the document they criticized were gender equality  which the Principlists believe should be gender fairness and gender separation  as well as the idea of educating schoolchildren about sex and homosexuality.

In September 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution titled Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Education 2030 agenda is one of 17 goals envisioned in this plan. Based on the document, all 192 UN member states must ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning for everyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity or age, by the year 2030. Based on this document, the Rouhani administration designed its own educational plan called The Islamic Republic of Iran 2030 National Education Act: Moving Toward Quality Education and Lifelong Learning, which has so far neither been approved by the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution nor become law.

The 2030 education document is not the first of its kind to be unveiled in Iran. Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad proposed The Fundamental Reform Document of Education [FRDE] in the Islamic Republic of Iran in 2011. This document was prepared with a strong emphasis on Islamic teachings, and its first goal was to foster monotheist individuals who have faith in God and believe in the Hereafter. This document, which was approved by the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, has not reached the implementation stage yet  a fact that has been criticized by the supreme leader.

Hajar Tahriri Niksefat, the head of the womens committee in Raisis election headquarters in the northern province of Gilan, told Al-Monitor she believed that educating children on gender equality was not necessarily to the childs benefit, but could also be oppressive. Niksefat, who previously served as a legislator in Irans seventh parliament (2004-2008), also expressed opposition to how the 2030 document proposed to teach sex education and said, In our country, family, marriage, controlling sexual desire and satisfying it through proper channels are emphasized and taught at their appropriate time. We will not consider relations that in our national and religious teachings are viewed as improper and do not think its fit to teach them in our schools.

This is while the Robie H. Harris It's Not the Stork! children's book, which teaches kids about sexuality and the facts of life, was recently translated into Persian. Pictures of this book were quickly posted on Persian-language social media and described as an educational book being taught in schools. However, pro-Rouhani media outlets and social media activists were quick to respond and called the majority of campaigns against the 2030 UNESCO document a lie while trying to change the public mindset by providing translations and explanations. A short video, for instance, was used to show that teaching homosexuality was not mentioned anywhere in the document. They did, however, confirm that sex education and gender equality  one of the key demands of Rouhani supporters during the elections  were referred to in the documents text.

Attending a youth campaign rally on May 13, Rouhani responded to Khameneis criticism and blamed a lack of awareness for all the propaganda against the UNESCO document. Rouhani said, I assure the supreme leader of the Iranian nation and the great nation of Iran that the government has pledged to adhere to the document within Irans laws and cultural parameters.

In another speech on May 15 in the northwestern city of Tabriz, Rouhani addressed those who believed the government had adopted the 2030 document and said, They have become so bold that they send false reports to the supreme leader.

Meanwhile, a statement issued on the same day by the governments media center criticized political movements that were taking advantage of the timing of Khameneis comments and using it to tarnish the governments image among Irans religious community in the days leading up to the elections. The statement stressed that the 2030 UNESCO document was not binding but more of a recommendation and described the rumors about agreeing to teach homosexuality in schools and distributing books regarding sex education as being completely false.

Niksefat, meanwhile, stressed that the initial criticisms against the 2030 document were made in 2014 by members of the Supreme Council for the Cultural Revolution  which is headed by the president  and other experts, and so were not limited to the campaigning. Niksefat told Al-Monitor, Unfortunately they did not take the issue seriously until December 10, 2016, when the UNESCO national commission, in the presence of Rouhanis education minister, unveiled the document and sparked sensitivities and criticisms. This still had no impact until reports were presented to the supreme leader and he ordered that the implementation of this document be halted. Therefore, as can be seen, these criticisms are nothing new  but naturally, during elections, the weak points become more prominent.

Three days after the presidential elections, on May 22, Grand Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi brought up the 2030 UNESCO document while lecturing seminary students in the holy city of Qom. While describing many of the documents goals as beautiful and humane, Makarem Shirazi said that in general, it would consolidate the hegemonic system. He also confirmed Rouhanis comments about adopting the document as long as it did not interfere with Irans religion and culture and said, They [the Rouhani administration] have put this in writing and sent a letter, signed by three ministers, to the supreme leader and sent a copy of it to us as well. However, they seem to have forgotten that the creators of this document will only agree to those exceptions and conditions written below it that do not oppose the spirit of the document.

Niksefat, who was seen as a potential head of the Ministry of Education in Ahmadinejads second Cabinet (2009-2013), believes that Khamenei's recommendation that Ahmadinejad's 2011 reform document be implemented means that progress on implementing the 2030 UNESCO document is practically halted. She said, The 'reform plan' is in accordance with our national and religious culture and does not go against other rules and regulations in our country. On the other hand, at Mr. Rouhanis [May 22] press conference [his first after being re-elected], he announced that this document would be accepted as long as it adhered to our laws and values  which they clearly do not.
October 31, 2017

Lets establish UNESCO Egypt, said Ambassador Moushira Khattab, Egypt's candidate for the position of director general of UNESCO, after losing the runoff against French candidate Audrey Azoulay, 31 to 25 votes, on Oct. 13.

Khattab reiterated her call to establish UNESCO Egypt during an interview with Hamdi Rizk on his show "Al-Nazra" on Sada al-Balad on Oct. 19. Egypts battle at UNESCO is far from over. This is why I call on establishing UNESCO Egypt, as we have some of the finest authors, intellectuals and artists, she said, noting that this is also a call to restore peace, freedom, justice and mercy in Egypt.

Mohamed al-Orabi, Khattabs election campaign manager, told Al-Monitor, Khattabs call to establish an organization that carries UNESCOs objectives aims to restore Egypts cultural stature through a current that preserves heritage and culture, fights discrimination and supports human rights. This organization can be an Egyptian tool to support any cultural or educational project in the country.

UNESCO seeks to contribute to peace building, poverty eradication, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, science and culture. It is working toward a number of all-inclusive goals, such as ensuring quality education for all and lifelong learning, and addressing emerging social and ethical challenges, as well as promoting cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and a culture of peace.

Orabi said, The nucleus of this proposed organization will be launched from Khattabs own campaign. We will hold meetings in the coming weeks to lay out the basic steps for the implementation of the Egyptian UNESCO project, decide on an official name and identify the stages of its composition and the criteria for selecting its members.

He added, The establishment of an Egyptian organization that works to implement UNESCO's objectives will contribute to increase Egypt's chances in the next UNESCO elections in 2021. The organizations goals will help improve the cultural, educational and heritage conditions in Egypt and enhance the status of Egyptian citizens in their own society.

Orabi noted, The parliament will contribute to this organization, which will be sponsored by the parliamentary Culture and Media Committee. The project will be presented to the members of the committee so their proposals and contributions can be taken into account.

Speaking to Al-Monitor, Hassan Nafaa, a professor of political science at the faculty of economics and political science at the University of Cairo, criticized the proposal to establish an Egyptian UNESCO, saying, Establishing a UNESCO-like organization in Egypt is pointless. We already have governmental bodies with the same goals, such as the Ministry of Antiquities with its role in preserving heritage and archaeological sites, and the Ministry of Education that has an educational role.

He added, The establishment of this organization will not help Egypt win the next UNESCO elections because the real crisis is how the ruling regime deals with human rights issues and other issues of interest to UNESCO and the international community.

The priority of the ruling regime should be to solve the problems that distort Egypt's image abroad such as human rights issues, the poor educational process in Egypt and neglecting Egypts archaeology, instead of focusing on adopting Khattabs proposal to establish an organization that will not bring anything new to the table, Nafaa said. This does, however, seem like an attempt by Khattab to overcome her loss in the UNESCO elections.

The annual report of the National Council for Human Rights issued Sept. 30 found that the human rights situation in Egypt is disastrous. The report criticized the security services practice of coercive disappearances in isolation from legal guarantees, in addition to the lack of freedom in the media.

Parliamentarian Tamer Abdelkader, a member of the parliaments Culture and Media Committee, welcomed the call to establish an Egyptian organization with UNESCOs objectives. The parliament will support this organization after negotiating and discussing its specific objectives and how state institutions can cooperate with it, Abdelkader told Al-Monitor.

Establishing an Egyptian UNESCO does not conflict with the work of other ministries. There must be a representative from each ministry whose functions are linked to the organization's goals, he noted. Abdelkader believes ministry representatives would prevent any conflict and help coordinate between UNESCO Egypt and the government.

Abdelkader added, This organization should not, however, be referred to as the Egyptian UNESCO, so that it would not be interpreted as a reaction to Egypts loss at the UNESCO elections. It would be better to find another name for it.

For his part, Tarek Fahmi, a professor of political science at the University of Cairo, told Al-Monitor, We do not need an organization that meets the objectives of UNESCO. There is the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization, an Arab organization that carries the objectives of UNESCO. Egypt also has a number of civil society organizations working on spreading culture, such as the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development, an organization that promotes culture and community awareness, in addition to a number of other organizations.

He added, It would be better for Khattabs campaign to join any of the cultural development organizations working on the ground rather than establishing a new organization with alternatives in Egypt.

Fahmi noted, Khattabs campaign has gained experience in dealing with issues of interest to UNESCO, and Egypt should benefit from this experience by supporting development institutions that are already working on implementing UNESCO's goals.
October 30, 2017

Three young Egyptian women, united in their belief that music can create social change, formed a band that spotlights the problems faced by women in Egypt, from female genital mutilation to forced marriages.

The band, called Bnt Al Masarwa, Arabic for Daughter of Egyptians, consists of Marina Samir, Esraa Saleh and Mirette Abdel Moula, who decided to give a voice to womens suffering through their songs.

The three young women met in 2014 at a creative writing workshop organized by Nazra for Feminist Studies, a nongovernmental organization that seeks to enhance and support feminist movements in the Middle East and North Africa.

The workshop's goal was to write song lyrics that highlighted the discrimination faced by women in Egypt.

After 10 months, the young women produced six songs and released their first album, Bnt Al Masarwa, in June 2015.

The band's songs map out the main hurdles faced by Egyptian women, including gender-based violence, racism, sectarianism, conservatism and religious discrimination. The song They Taught Us in the Past spotlights the social norms that are deeply rooted in society and how they oppress women. "They taught us not to talk because woman's voice is awrah [Arabic word for forbidden].  They taught us in the past that ignorance is safety, goes the lyrics.

"We took the decision to form the band without any hesitation since we have good voices and worked well together to produce songs. We organized our first concert in June 2015 in downtown Cairo, Samir, a student at Cairo University's Faculty of Economics and Political Science, told Al-Monitor. The feedback was highly positive and beyond our expectations." During that concert, they formally launched their first album.

The band takes pride in its name, as they consider themselves not only the daughters of Egypt, but tell the stories of Egyptian women. "We, as Egyptian women, have special conditions. Every single Egyptian woman is fighting her own battle  for her most basic rights or for her livelihood. The name of the band reflects the core of our songs," Samir said.

Samir said her family has been supportive. "My parents attended our first concert," she said. "My mother believes the lyrics accurately depict our suffering. My father, meanwhile, thinks Egyptian society is not that oppressive. He said this because he is a man and has not experienced our suffering. Nevertheless, he did not prevent me from joining the band."

Little by little, Bnt Al Masarwa developed a solid fan base, organizing multiple concerts at Cairo University, the French Cultural Center, Goethe Institute, Upper Egypt and Lebanon.

Samir said that their songs, besides defending womens rights, also reflected womens daily experience and their inner conflicts in Egyptian male-dominated society.

In order to put themselves in the victims' shoes, the band members organize storytelling workshops in many governorates, giving women a chance to narrate their stories.

"These workshops keep us abreast of the diverse types of oppression imposed on Egyptian women. For instance, the problems faced by women living in cities are different from those facing women who live in villages. Therefore, these workshops are a must to be able to accurately depict their suffering through our songs," Samir remarked.

While the first album's songs were inspired by their own life experiences, they plan to make their second album, which will have 18 songs, about other women's suffering. Upper Egyptian women were their target in the new album.

"In Upper Egypt, which is the country's most conservative society, social norms and traditions are deep-rooted and dominate everything. We organized three workshops during the period August 2016 to February 2017 in three governorates: Minya, Assuit and Aswan," Samir said.

The visits gave them unique insight to the problems of women  and helped them see how very different they could be. In Assuit's village of Der Dronka, women voiced their anger because of the sectarianism and religious discrimination that continue to plague the governorate. Bearing the brunt of such discrimination, some Christian families banned their girls from going to schools to avoid any clashes or harassment.

In Aswan city, women felt hurt and humiliated by racist comments related to their dark skin. "We found out that women at each governorate are grappling with a different kind of discrimination. This is the core of our second album's songs," Samir said, adding that female genital mutilation (FGM) and early marriages also topped women's problems.

As funding remains one of the challenges facing the band, they recently launched an online crowdfunding campaign to cover the expenses of the second album and they reached their goal.

Samir, meanwhile, pointed out that some people criticized the band. "Last year, we held a concert at Cairo University celebrating the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. One of the male students told us that our songs aim to eliminate traditions and customs. This is completely groundless. But most of the audience supports us and encourages us," Samir recalled.

"A girl born in Egypt is exposed to violence from the first day of her birth when she is exposed to FGM. I know, we are young, but we have experienced this oppression. This issue has nothing to do with age or social background. It is about oppression that haunts women without exception," said Samir.
October 30, 2017

Following his candidacy in the May presidential elections, First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri has appeared as a capable and likely candidate for the Reformists in Irans next contest in 2021. However, the recent detention of his brother over allegations of corruption may have thrown some obstacles in his path.

Reports about the arrest of the vice presidents younger brother, Mahdi Jahangiri, first surfaced on social media networks on Oct. 6. The news was soon confirmed by official media outlets.

The vice presidents brother has appeared in pictures with Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, who was the controversial adviser and chief of staff for former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Mahdi served as deputy head of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organizations investment and projects department when Mashaei headed the organization in 2005-2009. The younger Jahangiri was forced to step down from this post following a November 2008 conference called Investment Opportunities in the Tourism Industry of Iran. During the opening ceremony of the conference, a dozen women dressed in traditional costumes came onto the stage playing music and presenting a copy of the holy Quran to the Quran reciter on the stage. The Principlist movement and some senior clerics strongly criticized the performance, prompting Mahdi to resign from his post. Despite his resignation, he went on to establish the lucrative Tourism Financial Group, followed by the Iran Cultural Heritage and Tourism Investment Corporation, which included several smaller firms such as the Tourism Bank.

Given Mahdis sudden success in business, his ties with the Ahmadinejad-Mashaei circle and the numerous financial corruption cases associated with the era of the former president, it was no surprise that he eventually came under scrutiny. The first vice president addressed this possibility directly in an Oct. 6 Instagram post, writing, I dont have any detailed information about how he was arrested or what the charges are, but in any case, he is not employed by the government or engaged in political activity.  What happened was expected and now we must wait. He added, I hope this is not a case of political abuse and that everyone will be treated equally in the quest for justice, in the fight against corruption and in accordance with the rule of law.

Eshaq once again approached the topic at an Oct. 7 conference, saying, Corruption has become an organized phenomenon in the country and I know all too well how deep it runs.  There is no red line in countering corruption, and nobody should have immunity.  Nobody has the right to take political revenge under the pretext of fighting corruption, and all the state institutions should act within the law. He concluded, Today, the countrys economy is in the hands of the private sector and no one has the right to unilaterally violate the boundaries of the private sector. This sector is also interested in fighting corruption, but when it sees how individuals in the private sector are treated, it thinks that officials only talk and dont act.

Mahdi is also the deputy chairman of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, a hub for Iranian merchants and businessmen. The heads of this privately run economic syndicate  which plays an important role in Irans economy  are elected by local Iranian merchants.

The question is whether Mahdis arrest has anything to do with his older brother. Has he been the beneficiary of rents from the administration of President Hassan Rouhani? Alireza Zakani, a former parliament member and a relatively hard-line Principlist, notably said on May 3, Mr. Jahangiris family has access to funds amounting to trillions [of Iranian rials]. They have banks. They have a hand in petrochemicals. Who does the Tourism Bank belong to? It belongs to Mr. [Eshaq] Jahangiris brother, who obtained this under the previous administration, through his ties with Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei.

On Oct. 8, without naming the first vice presidents brother, judicial spokesman Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said, One of the people who was [engaged] in banking corruption was arrested recently. He had links with 14 banks and has more than 30 trillion rials [$860 million] of debt. Around 16 trillion rials ($459 million) of this [debt] has been suspended. He received services from 14 banks which have been suspended and they need to see which rents he used. A person who has this amount of debt definitely has power, rents and influence that have enabled him to receive services from 14 banks.

On Oct. 10, a high-ranking commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Gen. Gholam-Ali Abu-Hamze, announced that it was the IRGC that had detained the vice presidents brother and said, I will be clear: The IRGC will act against anyone who wants to move in opposition to the people and the state, and we will go after every single one of them. He added, The brother of [Mahdi] says they are seeking to take revenge instead of condemning what his brother has done.

Meanwhile, the Reformists have tried hard to distance the first vice president from his brother, emphasizing that Mahdi never held a government post and is only active in the private sector.

Hossein Marashi, the spokesman of the Executives of Construction Party, to which Eshaq belongs, said in an Oct. 17 interview, There are no ties between the Executives of Construction Party and Mahdi Jahangiri. He has never even been a member of this party.

Although many details about this case have yet to be released, including whether Mahdi has any connections with the Rouhani administration, the detention itself has dealt a huge blow to Eshaqs chances as the potential Reformist candidate in the 2021 presidential elections, despite his successful performance in the televised presidential debates in May.
October 31, 2017

Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), called war between Iran and the United States an impossibility. Speaking at the World Without Terror conference Oct. 31 in Tehran, Jafari said, There is no doubt that a military confrontation between Iran and the United States is impossible, because they are extremely afraid of the consequences of this war. They are certain they will be defeated if a war begins. With tensions between Washington and Tehran heightened, reports have been circulating about the possibility of war being triggered.

Jafari said, These days, the US is planning to start imposing the sanctions called CAATSA [Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act] under the pretext of Irans missile capability. While the IRGC and [Irans] missile capability are [just a] pretext, Irans economic capacity is the [real] target.

On the possibility that the United States might try to kill the nuclear deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Jafari asked, What was the benefit of the JCPOA for us? He noted, The Iranian nation has repeatedly experienced Americans' not honoring their commitments.

The IRGC commander further said, The people of Iran know the United States well, and if they relatively trusted [it] during the last four years, [that] was for the sake of the JCPOA. [Now] Iranians have lost their trust in the US for not honoring [its commitments] and [for] deception.

Alluding to the potential counterproductive ramifications of US actions, Jafari said, The United States should know that if the economic pressure and sanctions [against Tehran] increase, the Iranian nations will to increase its defense and missile capability will grow, and the range and accuracy of the missiles will surge.

Jafari further said, The Iranian people will respond to the plots of large and small powers on the ground and that [response] will be surprising [for them]. Iran is ready for big endeavors.

Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces, responded Oct. 30 to reports that US President Donald Trump had requested a meeting with President Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting in September in New York. The one who aims to overthrow us is not worthy of holding a negotiation with, Bagheri said. The Americans' way is to use all possible methods, and [currently the] military [option]  is at the bottom of their list, and enforcing economic sanctions is at the top of their new threats.

Of the JCPOA, he said, The decision of the Islamic Republic is to accept restrictions on its nuclear program in order to [see] sanctions removed, but if these sanctions return under other excuses, the decision of the state will be that staying in the JCPOA will have no meaning [for us].

Bagheri also said, The JCPOA is not a sacred goal or [a sacred] verse of [Quran] that we must be committed to under any circumstances. The JCPOA is a two-way promise and agreement that our dear ones in the diplomatic apparatus sought to reach with the P5+1 for months, and this was also reflected in Security Council Resolution 2231 and was approved by the United Nations.

He emphasized, One part of the JCPOA was for the Islamic Republic to accept nuclear limitations, and the other part is the removal of the sanctions, but if the sanctions return, we will definitely withdraw from the JCPOA.
October 25, 2017

Once again, Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has emphasized that Tehran will not negotiate with the West over Irans ballistic missile program.

At a joint graduation, inauguration and epaulet-granting ceremony for cadets of Iran's Army Academies on Oct. 25, Ayatollah Khamenei refused any negotiation over Irans defense power.

While the US administration has signaled ambivalence about Irans implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the White House has urged Tehran to come to the negotiating table to reach an agreement over limitations on its ballistic missile program.

We have repeatedly announced and declared once more that the countrys defensive means and power are not up for negotiation and bargaining, said Ayatollah Khamenei at the ceremony, adding, When it comes to defense equipment and whatever [means] that backs up the national power, we have no bargaining and transactions with the enemy and will continue on the path of power with more strength than before.

He added, They oppose the development of the Islamic Republic of Iran's power in our region and beyond because it is the country's strategic depth.

Noting Irans enemys desire for dominance in the region, Ayatollah Khamenei said, The Islamic Republic glorified and dignified Iran. Today our fight with the arrogant powers is over their desire to dominate our region. The most pivotal element of our national sovereignty is viewed as an intrusive element by our enemies  one that needs to be fought against.

Following US President Donald Trumps Oct. 13 address, in which he decertified Irans compliance with the JCPOA and announced new measures against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the parallel Iranian army has sought to stand behind the IRGC.

"We are committed that the army will not leave the Revolutionary Guard, so that the foundations of the [Zionist] regime will fall, and the life of the Zionist regime comes to an end as soon as possible," said Maj. Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi at the Oct. 25 ceremony.

On the same day, at a ceremony to commemorate the Iranian fighters who have been killed in Syria, Hossein Salami, the deputy commander of the IRGC, said, There is no sign of a military option [against Iran] in the words of the Americans, and on the contrary, there is talk of [the US] resorting to its partners to curb Irans power.

He added, The recent speech of the president of the United States indicated the emergence of an irresistible power [Iran] that  maintains its political presence and has become a powerful regional backbone.

Mentioning the US presidents apparent determination to undermine the nuclear deal, Salami added, "No one else is willing to trust the United States anymore, and it is not possible to reach an agreement in which the US is a party, because  the credibility and trust of this power is gone.

Salami added, The enemy does not understand logic and does not have affection and feelings. It only understands the language of power and weapons: [thus] we should speak with [the enemy] based on this logic.
October 30, 2017

According to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi, US President Donald Trump requested a bilateral meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in New York during this year's United Nations General Assembly meeting in September. Iran rebuffed the request.

Mehdi Fazaeli, a conservative analyst and former managing director at Fars News Agency, broke the story with an Oct. 29 article on the alleged request. According to Fazaeli, the request came one day after Trump's speech to the assembly, in which he referenced Iran a dozen times, calling its government an oppressive regime and a dictatorship. In the same speech, Trump also called the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into. Fazaeli described Trumps speech as insulting toward Iran and contextualized it as being in line with the US objective of selling arms to regional allies.

Fazaeli wrote that French President Emmanuel Macron had offered to facilitate the meeting, but Rouhani had turned him down as well. Ghassemi, who confirmed Trumps request when asked about it by Iranian media Oct. 29, did not, however, confirm Macrons reported involvement.

The White House today denied that Trump had made such a request.

Had a face-to-face encounter taken place, it would have been the highest-level meeting between Iran and the United States since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. In 2013, US President Barack Obama and Rouhani spoke by phone during the annual General Assembly meeting. It was also reported that Obama shook hands with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif behind closed doors at a General Assembly gathering. Zarif and former Secretary of State John Kerry broke a long-standing taboo by holding bilateral talks to hammer out the nuclear deal. Those meetings played a significant role in the breakthroughs that led to agreement on the landmark deal.

Fazaeli, in line with his conservative positions, did not view a possible US-Iran meeting at the presidential level in a positive light. Efforts by the American government to negotiate with Iran are not new, and during the last four decades both Republicans and Democrats have made efforts, Fazaeli wrote. The Americans are certain that such a negotiation has benefits for them, but for Iran, other than damage, it has no other achievements.

Fazaeli further asserted, The Americans will offer no concessions, as has been experienced in the [Iran] nuclear deal, [with] Libya, North Korea, the Soviet Union and others. He praised Rouhani for refusing to shake Trumps velvet-covered hands and for acting within the strategic framework of the Islamic Republic. He claimed that the slightest flexibility by Rouhani in regard to such a meeting would have made the American-European plot successful and caused irredeemable damage to national pride.

Rouhani spoke at a parliamentary session the day Fazaeli's story appeared, but he did not mention an approach by Trump. He did, however, reference the possibility of new talks or additional negotiations with the United States over the nuclear deal, which Trump refused to recertify and wants to revisit. A government that breaks the commitments of the previous administration is not trustworthy, Rouhani said. And its ridiculous to offer an invitation for a renegotiation.
October 30, 2017

Shortly before 10 p.m. on March 17, 2015, television broadcasters prepared to release the results of exit polling for the 20th Knesset elections conducted earlier in the day. Ultra-Orthodox Mizrahi supporters of Shas, led by Aryeh Deri, gathered at a rally to anxiously await the results. When Shas seven seats appeared on a chart of party votes, the hall filled with applause, though somewhat subdued. When a column showing Yachad, headed by Eli Yishai, falling below the electoral threshold needed to win seats in the Knesset, the roof of the hall almost collapsed from the cheering. Those in attendance were thrilled that Yishai, previously pushed out of Shas, had failed to be elected to the Knesset.

What happened that night regained relevance Oct. 22 with a Channel 2 report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Likud Party intend to try to lower the electoral threshold required for a party to qualify for seats in the Knesset, from 3.25% to 2%, reversing the higher threshold approved in March 2014 by the previous coalition headed by Netanyahu and the Likud.

According to the report, Netanyahus goal is to prevent votes on the right such as those for Yachad in 2015 from being wasted. In the 2015 elections, the almost 125,000 votes for Yachad  representing almost 3% of the vote  were lost by the nationalist camp. If there had not been such a high threshold, Yachad would have won three seats, and would have come close to winning four. Netanyahu fears a situation where HaBayit HaYehudi, the second largest party on the right, splits due to differences of opinion. If Bezalel Smotrich and Uri Ariel, leaders of Ichud Haleumi, which is part of the HaBayit HaYehudi alliance, run on a separate party list, tens of thousands of additional votes on the right could be endangered.

Deris response to Netanyahus initiative surprised the prime ministers associates in its vehemence. Netanyahu is thrusting a knife in our back, the Shas chairman and current interior minister told his party associates, Shas will strengthen in the next election and doesnt need any favors from Netanyahu. Netanyahu has Shas support and in response takes initiatives that would harm Shas without consulting us. Im advising Netanyahu: Lowering the electoral threshold wont pass, dont even try it.

On Oct. 28, it was revealed that Deris opposition to lowering the electoral threshold could actually harm Shas. In a Channel 10 poll published that day, Shas' projected votes were below the current threshold. The movement, which at its height received 17 seats in the Knesset in the 1999 elections, sunk to seven in 2015. Recent polls suggest that it could fall further. Why then, does the chairman of Shas oppose an initiative that would seem to save his party from extinction?

The explanation cited by Deris opponents is simple: At the heart of Deris position is his bitter rivalry with Yishai, his predecessor in Shas. Deri is prepared to take the risk that Shas will not be in the next Knesset as long as Yishais Yachad suffers the same fate. According to a Deri associate, it is actually a well-considered move: If the electoral threshold is lowered, it would significantly increase the chances of Yishai entering the next Knesset. When voters understand that, many amid those wavering between the two parties would leave Shas and instead vote for Yishai. On the other hand, if the electoral threshold remains at its current level, Yachad voters will not want their votes to again be wasted by falling below the threshold. They will therefore return home, to Shas, potentially providing it around 10 seats.

Not everyone in Shas is so optimistic. In an interview with the ultra-Orthodox weekly Yom Le-Yom, Shas Knesset member Yakov Margi spoke about the partys fall in the polls, tying it to animosity toward it because of questions of religion and state and what the public perceives as religious coercion. In the Channel 10 poll, Yishais party would win a smaller percentage of votes than it did last time, perhaps e good for two seats if there were a low threshold. This figure could explain why a senior Yachad member told Al-Monitor that the logical solution for the two parties is to run on a joint list. The Yachad figure said that Deri might not run at all because of an ongoing criminal investigation against him on suspicion of fraud and money laundering. He added that if the investigation of Deri ends with an indictment, and the Shas chairman insists on remaining in politics, it could lead to Shas collapse.

Yishai told Al-Monitor that he supports lowering the electoral threshold for democratic reasons. According to him, the inclusion of smaller parties in the Knesset would provide representation for broader segments of the population. The threshold had been raised in 2014 at the initiative of Avigdor Liberman, the current defense minister and chairman of Yisrael Beitenu. He had suggested raising the threshold from 2% to 6%, but compromised because of opposition by the then-justice minister, Tzipi Livni. Libermans associates say that Yisrael Beitenu opposes lowering the threshold.

In 2014, the opposition claimed that the goal of raising the threshold was to harm the Arab parties, which individually had tended to receive between three and five seats. In response to the measure being passed, the Hadash, Raam, Taal and Balad parties decided to run under one list, the Joint List, which received 13 seats in the last election and became the third largest party in the Knesset.

Joint List Knesset member Ahmed Tibi told Al-Monitor that Libermans plot had been thwarted thanks to the ability of the Arab parties to overcome disagreements and differing worldviews among them to run together. According to him, regardless of whether the electoral threshold is lowered, the parties comprising the Joint List will again run as one list in the next election.

We support lowering the threshold, because the goal of the higher percentage is to hurt the Arabs, Tibi said. But in any case, we proved that the Arab public wants and is interested in a joint list, and so the politicians will comply with the will of the public. Despite what Tibi said, internal arguments within the Joint List are more strident than ever, especially between Hadash and Balad, and if the electoral threshold is lowered, the chances would be greater that the Joint List would split up.

It may be that Netanyahus initiative to lower the threshold to 2% was floated as a trial balloon to test the mood of the public and the political establishment. Continuation of the legislative process in this regard depends on his ability to convince Deri and Liberman to withdraw their opposition to the move. Either way, it attests to an atmosphere of preparation for a new election cycle.
Nebraska will receive nearly $1.3 million as part of a $120 million settlement with General Motors Co. over its use of defective ignition switches.

The settlement with 49 states and the District of Columbia was announced earlier this month. Nebraska officials at the time did not say what the state's share of the settlement was.

According to court documents filed earlier this week, Nebraska will receive $1,285,471.72.

GM recalled 2.6 million small cars worldwide in 2014 because their ignition switches could slip from the "run" position to the "off" position, shutting off the engine.

The switches played a role in at least 124 deaths and 275 injuries, according to a victims' fund set up by GM.

Every state but Arizona sued the Detroit-based automaker, saying it violated consumer protection laws by selling cars even though it knew for at least a decade that the switches were defective.
October 31, 2017

Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon traveled to the seat of the Palestinian government in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Oct. 29 to meet with Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah. According to reports of the meeting, the two discussed advancing civic administration and economic measures and Israeli-Palestinian cooperation. This is the second time within five months that Kahlon has gone to Palestinian Authority (PA) territory to meet with Hamdallah, and this time, too, the meeting was the result of US pressure on Israel to offer the Palestinians goodwill economic gestures.

The previous meeting, held late in the evening of May 31, was ostensibly to brief the Palestinians about a series of economic measures approved by the Israeli defense Cabinet 10 days earlier in a bid to curry favor with President Donald Trump on the eve of his visit to Israel and the Palestinian town of Bethlehem. The economic package was approved by majority vote despite the objections of the HaBayit HaYehudi party, which is part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus government.

At the time, Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Maj. Gen. Yoav Mordechai accompanied Kahlon to Ramallah. The two informed the Palestinians about the Cabinet decision, which they had already heard in detail from Israeli media in real time 10 days before the presidential visit.

And what has happened since? Not much, a senior source in the office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Al-Monitor, speaking on condition of anonymity. At the May 31 meeting, he said, the main issue on the agenda was the Palestinian housing crisis in the Israeli-controlled Area C of the West Bank, but the Cabinets decision [on the issue] was deliberately vague so that nothing came of it.

The source added that the only change since that meeting was progress on the construction of a new Palestinian industrial zone in the village of Tarkumiyeh near Hebron. Although the deal had been pretty much sewn up before that meeting, the plans were ready and what was left was to remove some red tape, which would not have happened to this day were it not for US pressure, the source said.

A month after the Kahlon-Hamdallah meeting, Israel gave the green light for the industrial zone project, the Palestinian government approved the plans and construction went ahead. It is scheduled to be complete in three years. The zone will include a PA customs office, grain silos and a fuel depot, providing some 20,000 future jobs. Although significant for the Palestinians, Israel has not budged an inch on the most burning issue for the Palestinians  permits for the construction of Palestinian homes in Area C, according to the source.

It would appear that the position taken by the HaBayit HaYehudi ministers did influence the government: Progress was made on the industrial park that would provide jobs for the Palestinians, but no progress was made on allowing Palestinians to build homes. The Israeli West Bank settlers perceive such a move as changing the Jewish-Palestinian balance.

And now, the Americans applied pressure once again, and Kahlon and Mordechai drove to Ramallah. The US team seems to have a well-ordered plan. First, Israel must provide significant economic benefits in order to create a conducive atmosphere of trust between the two sides that would also strengthen Abbas rule. Only then will the sides start talking about diplomatic negotiations, according to the American scenario.

The Americans have time. Theyre working without hurrying, said the Palestinian source. Every time the Palestinians think the Americans are about to unveil the blueprint for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, it turns out that theres still a ways to go, the official added.

Trumps envoy to the Middle East appears, indeed, to be in no rush. In the wake of this weeks meeting in Ramallah, Jason Greenblatt posted on his Twitter account a photo of Kahlon, Hamdallah, Mordechai and the head of Palestinian intelligence Majid Freij, all smiling. Important progress last night between Israeli & Palestinian sides, he tweeted in satisfaction. Meaningful steps forward on key economic issues  revenues, customs, and investment  that help support the search for peace."

The Kahlon-Hamdallah meeting proves the extent of the American envoys influence and his ability to advance measures that Israel would have rejected were it not afraid of the US reaction to its refusal. Netanyahus concerns are also evident in his decision to suspend voting on proposed legislation that would annex Israeli settlements to Jerusalems municipality. Netanyahu actually conceded to his ministers that even on an issue so close to his heart  Jerusalem  we must coordinate with the Americans.

The timing of Greenblatts pressure on Netanyahu to send Kahlon to Ramallah is somewhat inconvenient for the Israeli leader. Unlike the first Hamdallah-Kahlon meeting that took place in the shadow of the Trump visit, the current political-diplomatic reality is very different. Hamas and Fatah, the two main Palestinian factions, are conducting talks within the framework of their recent reconciliation agreement on the formation of a unity government of which Hamas will be a member. Netanyahu has already made his views on the subject clear in a Cabinet decision, the thrust of which is that Israel will not negotiate with any Palestinian government that relies on Hamas.

Despite it all, Netanyahu instructed Kahlon to set out for a public meeting in Ramallah with a Palestinian prime minister who will probably head a future unity government if one is established because that is what Greenblatt asked Netanyahu to do as instructed by Trump.

Kahlon explained to his fellow legislators in the center-right Kulanu Party, which he heads, that despite the Cabinets decision, such meetings are important for us, important for the defense authorities and important to the Palestinians, too. He noted that he had received permission from Netanyahu to conduct the meeting, which was also coordinated with the Trump administration.

One is left to wonder to what extent Greenblatt can lean on the Israelis, and how long Netanyahu, who is fully aware of the objections of coalition partner HaBayit HaYehudi, can keep talking tough and then caving in.
October 30, 2017

On Oct. 29, the Ministerial Committee for Legislation was supposed to approve a new bill. The bill would have mandated that numerous West Bank settlements  including those of the Etzion Bloc (Efrat and others), Givat Zeev and Maale Adumim  would be annexed to Jerusalem.

This is not to be confused with diplomatic annexation of the territory, and Israeli law would not be imposed on the annexed territories. The annexation is categorized as only municipal, and its goal is to add the residents of these settlements, about 150,000 in all, to the pool of voters for elections in the Jerusalem municipality. This was an attempt to alter the changing demographic balance of Israels capital city.

The bill is seen as a potentially explosive political hot potato. It was initiated by Knesset Member Yoav Kish (Likud) and Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz, two of Likuds most senior ministers. Still, as might have been expected, at the eleventh hour it was decided to postpone the vote in the Ministerial Committee. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a source in the environs of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that the bill was postponed because of American pressure. And indeed, a short time afterward, American sources confirmed that such a bill would not contribute to the atmosphere that the Donald Trump administration is trying to create in the region, and would not assist the efforts being made to renew the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

Simultaneously, Netanyahus government is advancing another bill, no less controversial than the first, under Zeev Elkin, the minister for Jerusalem affairs. This bill would disconnect Jerusalem from the Arab neighborhoods found outside the separation fence that was erected in the city after the eruption of the second intifada (2000-2005). Here, too, the physical disconnection would not entail diplomatic severance. It would be inconceivable for Israels most right-wing government in history to concede territories in the environs of Jerusalem. These neighborhoods would be united within the framework of a new Israeli regional council in which no Jewish-Israeli citizen would live, only Palestinians. Its goal is to complement the first bill discussed in this article: to subtract as many Arab voters as possible from Jerusalem in order to continue to improve the demographic balance for Jews in the capital.

Thus, one hand would add tens of thousands of Jewish voters to Jerusalem and the other hand would remove tens of thousands of Arab-Palestinian voters from Jerusalem  showing us that the Likud is trying to enlarge and minimize Jerusalem at one and the same time. This is, no doubt, a unique Israeli patent: to inflate on one side, and deflate on the other.

These two bills do not fit together with the bill proposed by Knesset member Anat Berko of the Likud and reported about in Al-Monitor on Oct. 2. She suggested that most of the Palestinian neighborhoods be disconnected from Jerusalem and annexed to the Palestinian Authority. Not surprisingly, this bill aroused wall-to-wall opposition in the Likud, and even Netanyahu, who had discussed the bill with Berko a number of times, was forced to renounce it. Now his government is going back to adopting its (traditional) official policy of enlarging Jerusalem as much as possible with Jews, while trying to somehow limit the Arab presence in its sphere.

And all this is going on while the American envoys Jason Greenblatt and Jared Kushner continue to consolidate the Great American Peace Plan. They are trying to square the circle and stuff inside it Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Hamas in Gaza and the Arab world outside. It has been a long time since this mission appeared to be so hopeless. Yet, with all the talk about peace, Israel has still not yet carried out what Netanyahu promised Trump when the latter visited the region in May, four months after he entered the White House.

Israel then submitted to Trump an assistance package for the Palestinians with nine clauses that were supposed to rev up the Palestinian economy and help improve the atmosphere. In fact, the clauses of the assistance package are not really being implemented on the ground and Israel has canceled additional plans to help improve Palestinians' lives. One example is Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman's plan to develop the Palestinian city of Qalqilya (which met fierce objection from Netanyahus coalition partners).

Against this background and due to heavy US pressure, Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon met with Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah on Oct. 29 to discuss burning issues on the agenda. At the top of the list is the Israeli assistance package to the Palestinians. On the very same day, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas received a delegation of Israelis in his office in Ramallah. Abbas emphasized to them that he, too, is demanding that the Hamas ministers who will be appointed to the unity government must recognize the State of Israel and renounce terror. Thus, in fact, Abbas conformed to the conditions of the international community on the subject (the Quartet principles). He made it clear that whatever Palestinian government rises after the reconciliation would recognize the State of Israel and all the agreements signed with it.

The question is, where does all this lead? The answer is in Trumps hands. But the chances are high that in the foreseeable future, he will be forced to quarrel with one of the sides. At the moment a clash with the Israeli side seems more logical. Abbas is doing everything he can to comply with the conditions that were presented for renewal of negotiations with Israel, at least in theory. Opposite him is the decision of the Israeli Cabinet not to conduct any kind of negotiations with a [Palestinian] government reliant on Hamas  which might be interpreted as a peace refusal stance.

If Trump is truly determined to renew the negotiations and leave a proposal for the ultimate deal on the table  which would include a huge transaction between Israel and the entire Arab world  he will have to roll up his sleeves and use force to push Israel into the negotiation room.

As of now, the honeymoon relations between Washington and Jerusalem continue. Israels right-wing ministers are still convinced that Trumps administration is much more accommodating to Israel than Obamas administration. They never had any expectations of President Barack Obama. The question is, what will happen if and when Trump experiences disappointment and failure with everything connected to the negotiations and places the responsibility on Israel? It was not a big problem for Jerusalem to say no to Obama in the eight years that preceded Trump.

The question also is, what will be the fate of those who dare say, or even intimate, no to Trump? Netanyahu is not really interested in finding the answer to that question.
October 30, 2017

The Donald Trump administration is pushing to keep open a disputed crossing on the border of Iraq and Syria crucial to the fight against the Islamic State (IS) amid a military standoff stemming from last month's independence vote in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Kurdish officials in the semi-autonomous Rojava region had threatened over the weekend to close the three-way crossing at Fish Khabur that joins Iraq, Syria and Turkey. They say the western side of the border has come under threat from mortar fire from nearby Iraqi troops as they advance toward Kurdish-held areas.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have received truckloads of supplies through the border crossing. The route is also used to provide heavy machinery used for de-mining, reconstruction and recovery efforts in areas that enjoy some autonomy from the Bashar al-Assad regime, such as the former IS stronghold of Raqqa.

On Saturday, Kurdish officials acknowledged the statement complaining of shelling but told Al-Monitor they had not closed the border. The US-backed military effort also said no disruptions had occurred.

In response to allegations that recent tensions between ISF [Iraqi Security Forces] and Kurdish forces is preventing coalition logistical movements in the region, that is not true, a spokesperson for the US-led international coalition told Al-Monitor. The coalition is currently able to move supplies throughout our area of operations without significant issues.

But an uptick of high-level meetings confirms that the US government is showing increasing concern that ongoing clashes between Kurdish fighters and the Iraqi army could upset the flow of American supplies through the region.

Over the past week, Brett McGurk, the top US diplomat supervising the counter-IS fight in Iraq and Syria, said he has pushed Iraqi and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) officials to return to the bargaining table to settle disputes over land, borders and airports. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi also met today with Army Gen. Joseph Votel, the top US military commander in the Middle East.

We continue to work closely with our Iraqi partners on maintaining border access into [northeastern] Syria for urgently needed humanitarian and stabilization assistance in Raqqa post-liberation, a State Department official told Al-Monitor.

Experts say the tensions over Fish Khabur, a crossing that helps supply a growing network of US military and air bases in SDF-controlled Syria, provides a window into the murky politics surrounding the Kurdish referendum in September, and an explanation for US opposition to the move.

Baghdad really does believe that [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan does intend to create a zone of influence in Iraq, but when it came to the KRG and the referendum, they closed ranks, said Nicholas Heras, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security. That was the signature moment that put Fish Khabur at risk. That was one of the major reasons the US was opposed to it.

Whats more, the United States boasts large air and logistical facilities in Erbil that handle much of the military goods, reconstruction aid and relief workers that flow into Syria. Disruption at Fish Khabur could put more pressure to supply and expand US bases inside war-torn Syria  potentially putting US service members at risk.

In two and a half years of fighting this fight with our surrogates, they've lost thousands, we've only lost two service members, US special operations commander Gen. Raymond Thomas said at the Aspen Security Forum in July. It's their fight, they've got to embrace it more than we do.

The Defense Department estimates that the three-year US-led effort to defeat IS in Iraq and Syria has cost taxpayers $17 billion. That figure is around 1% of Americas nearly $1.5 trillion in war-related spending since the Sept. 11 attacks.

But losing Fish Khabur, Heras said, would potentially reverse that course and make it much easier for Bashar al-Assad to control how reconstruction and stabilization is done. It would be a benefit to Assads effort to play by his rules.

All of this is definitely doable, it just makes the US presence in Syria have much more permanence, Heras told Al-Monitor. It increases the notion that Assad will hammer on the idea that Washington is putting in a long-term presence.
October 30, 2017

Although the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation agreement  signed Oct. 12 in Egypt  has rekindled hope, doubts remain as to whether the outstanding issues, such as the problems linked to the security services, can be overcome. There are Palestinian fears that failing to reach solutions to these issues will halt reconciliation.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas repeatedly stated, most recently Oct. 24, that the reconciliations ultimate goal is to have the West Bank experiment implemented in the Gaza Strip, particularly the security experiment that is based on a unified authority, unified law, unified arms, nonexistence of militias and a unified policy for the security services.

Hussein al-Sheikh, a member of the Fatah Central Committee and civil affairs minister, stated Oct. 16 that jobs within the Gazan security services were opened and that Abbas is the one who decides whether or not to go to war or make peace, not the factions. He noted that the security forces unification is designed to protect the Palestinian political project.

Hamas political bureau member Mousa Abu Marzouk tweeted Oct. 15 that negative statements by the Palestinian Authoritys (PA) officials do not bode well.

Ibrahim Habib, the dean of scientific research at Ribat University College, which is affiliated with the Gaza Ministry of the Interior, told Al-Monitor, The Gaza Strip and West Bank security services are expected to be merged together via a Fatah-Hamas security committee under the Egyptian umbrella. The committee would consider the agreed-upon mechanism, without pushing things to the point of having all of the Gaza security services employees replaced with their counterparts in the West Bank. An evaluation of the ranks of the Gaza high-ranking officers and an agreement on the administrative structure of the security services may take place after the merger. Nevertheless, the most important thing is to have a political vision governing the security establishment's work, which at the end of the day implements a political agenda.

Al-Monitor obtained from Palestinian security circles the following figures: The Gaza security services consist of 18,000 members, including 600 high-ranking officers of whom 150 lieutenant colonels, 30 generals and other officers serve in the national security service, the internal security service, the police, civil defense, and the security and protection services.

Gen. Adnan al-Damiri, the spokesman for the PA's security services, said Oct. 18 that a restructuring of the security forces is not linked to a particular political faction, and he noted that the PA is against partisan quotas in the Palestinian security forces.

Interior Ministry spokesman Iyad al-Bazm told Al-Monitor, The ministry embarked on the preparations to implement the reconciliation [agreement] by either merging security and military staff or unifying the security establishment, while preserving the employees rights and forming a joint committee between Gaza and the West Bank to examine each of the files separately. The committee would submit its visions in February. The West Banks security commanders will pay a visit to the Gaza Strip soon and provide suggestions on the future of the security services, which we are ready to examine.

When it comes to the thorny security dossier, Fatah and Hamas seem to be more inclined to avoid handling it at present, believing that it may undermine the reconciliation. Postponing the issue, however, will not be helpful, since it will have to be dealt with sooner or later. What they are avoiding are the answers to serious questions on the Interior Ministrys security doctrine that will govern the security services in Gaza  namely the security coordination with Israel or the prosecution of those suspected of collaboration with Israel.

Islam Shahwan, a former spokesman for Gazas Ministry of Interior, told Al-Monitor, Serious fears prevail over Gaza regarding the security dossier due to the many components it consists of. First is the likelihood that thousands of Gaza security services employees be dismissed. Second is the difficulty of merging the West Bank and Gaza Strip security services. In parallel to Gazas internal security services, there is the Palestinian Preventive Security in the West Bank, and there are two intelligence agencies in Gaza and the West Bank. Neither Hamas nor Fatah and the Egyptians have a clear merger mechanism or a clear mechanism to appoint the services commanders, assistants and deputies in administrative positions following the merger. Third is whether or not the unified Interior Ministry will recognize the dues to the security services employees who were appointed in 2007  whether or not it will sent them to retirement based on a legal mechanism that is agreed upon, or whether or not it will dismiss them immediately and give them an end-of-service gratuity. Fourth is whether or not the Interior Ministry will commit to the ranks to which hundreds of the Gaza security officers were promoted.

A Palestinian security official who declined to be named told Al-Monitor, There was a last-minute rescue of the reconciliation agreement, following differences over security issues and the future of thousands of Gazas security employees. While Hamas insisted that they remain part of the Palestinian government cadre, Fatah refused. The latter agreed on merging 3,000 employees, which Hamas appointed before taking control over Gaza in mid-2007, and refused that the other 14,000 employees, who were appointed later on, be merged.

Hani Masri, the director general of the Palestinian Center for Policy Research & Strategic Studies - Masarat in Ramallah, told Al-Monitor, The task of the security services' commanders in the West Bank will be impossible to achieve unless through a partnership with their Gazan counterparts. This is because they need to confer with one another about the mechanisms and ways to rebuild the security services. The security services need to be rebuilt, restructured, merged, renewed and reformed based on professional and national criteria, away from any interference from political parties and political and security forces. This should happen according to a new security doctrine considering that Palestinians are seeking national independence by putting an end to the occupation, rather than the need to abide by the Oslo Accord's security commitments that Israel has already bypassed.

The security dossier is perhaps the most serious obstacle to making reconciliation a success, with each party seeking to impose its views in the management of the security dossier, believing that this would necessarily imply its triumph. While the PA seeks that security coordination be implemented in the Gaza Strip, Hamas desire may be to use the doctrine of the security services that will be merged in favor of its political program, which is based on the armed resistance.
October 30, 2017

Heeding President Recep Tayyip Erdogans orders, Ankara Mayor Melih Gokcek resigned Oct. 28 after 23 years in office, joining four other mayors who have stepped down under pressure over the past two months. Gokceks resignation, however, resonates beyond the internal jitters in the Justice and Development Party (AKP) as his legacy in the capital represents an urban illustration of how Turkeys rulers have sought to settle scores with the secular republic.

Throughout his 23 years in office, Gokcek stirred controversy by destroying places of symbolic importance for the modern Turkish republic that Mustafa Kemal Ataturk created on the ashes of the Ottoman Empire in 1923. He opened to construction the Ataturk Forest Farm, a sprawling green area that Ataturk had created in the capital. He tore down Ataturks Marmara Mansion on the farm and amended construction rules in the vicinity of Ataturks mausoleum, allowing for the construction of tall buildings that would block the imposing view of the mausoleum, which sits on a hill overlooking the city.

Gokcek also ordered the demolition of the Iller Bank building  another legacy of Ataturk and a first-degree heritage site  and then posed triumphantly on the rubble in what seemed an open show of revanchism. The cleared area was then added to the yard of an adjacent mosque.

According to Tezcan Karakus Candan, the chairwoman of the Architects Chambers Ankara branch, Gokceks stint as mayor put under threat a highly symbolic area between Ankaras districts of Ulus and Cankaya, where the heart of Ataturks republic beat. All those demolitions had a common meaning  the notion of destroying the [secular] regime was reflected on city space, she said.

Gokceks controversies were not limited to urban affairs, extending also to the arts. He had one of the first sculptures of the republican era, Water Fairies, removed from a downtown square to a warehouse. In another memorable outburst, he said he spits on this kind of art as he removed an award-winning nude sculpture on grounds of obscenity.

Yet, what has haunted Gokcek the most are the never-ending allegations of corruption. Back in 1998, he was briefly detained on suspicion of tender rigging and running a criminal gang, but the investigation was inconclusive. In more recent years, members of the main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) have filed dozens of criminal complaints against him, but the Interior Ministry, which greenlights the prosecution of senior officials, never sanctioned a probe. Even when AKP heavyweight Bulent Arinc publicly accused Gokcek of selling Ankara plot by plot to the Gulen community, prosecutors decided there were no grounds for judicial action.

After robust government support for years, the countdown for Gokcek began Oct. 2, when Erdogan demanded the mayors resignation as part of in-house cleansing, which he says is an effort to rejuvenate the AKP against signs of fatigue. Gokcek refused to heed the demand immediately, which resulted in threats he would face expulsion from the party and then an investigation by the Interior Ministry.

When he finally announced his resignation, Gokcek offered no explanation on why he had to step down. I am resigning not because I believe I failed or I am tired or because of any other concern, he told reporters, stressing he was simply complying with Erdogans orders.

For Abdullatif Sener, an AKP co-founder , the resignations of Gokcek and the mayors of Istanbul, Nigde, Duzce and Bursa before him demonstrate how imperious Erdogans rule has become.

For Abdullatif Sener, an AKP co-founder and former deputy prime minister who fell out with the party several years ago, the resignations of Gokcek and the mayors of Istanbul, Nigde, Duzce and Bursa before him demonstrate how imperious Erdogans rule has become. Legally, the president cannot remove mayors," Sener told Al-Monitor. "So, why did the mayors acquiesce? They must have feared that bigger troubles would befall them [if they resisted]. They apparently thought that they could be accused and imprisoned, and stepped down to avoid going through something worse.

Indeed, if the government was able to use the threat of a probe against Gokcek, logic dictates that he has something to fear. Thats the most crucial point, Sener said. If the mayors have committed crimes, covering them up is against the norms of the rule of law. So, this means that the presidents wishes determine who goes on trial and who does not in Turkey today.

Some have speculated that the in-house cleansing is part of Erdogans purge of Gulenists ahead of a critical presidential election in 2019. Sener said that Erdogan himself is linked to the Gulenists, referring to the alliance between the AKP and the Gulen community in the past. Erdogan and those in the higher echelons of the state did favors [to the Gulenists], and now they are attempting to punish everybody for that, he said.

The way Gokcek was forced out even drew criticism from the secular quarters that used to be his chief critics, including Candan, who has faced off with Gokcek in countless court cases over urban issues. We do not approve of the way they sent him off, she said. CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, another longtime adversary of Gokcek, has said, Those who come in via elections are supposed to go out via elections.

The forced resignations of elected AKP officials have irked the partys own as well. Pro-government columnist Abdulkadir Selvi, for instance, warned earlier in October that the process has begun to wear down both the AKP and the public in general.

What political consequences could the party face? According to Sener, the internal shake-up is likely to compound the confusion that many AKP supporters feel amid the massive crackdown on alleged Gulenists since last years coup attempt. So many people have been expelled from their jobs without any justification, and now the removal of party officials  is raising suspicions among the partys own grass roots. Those actions will cost the party votes in the 2019 elections, he said.

For many in Ankara, Gokceks resignation was a cause for celebration, with some even dancing in the streets. Others staged a demonstration, demanding a trial for Gokcek. The Architects Chamber filed yet another criminal complaint against him for abuse of power and the destruction he caused in Ankara.

When it comes to Gokceks replacement, the question has generated little excitement in terms of democratic competition. His successor, after all, will be determined not according to merit or through some real election at the municipal assembly, but simply by Erdogans choice.
October 31, 2017

In authoritarian states, artistic expression is an oft-trodden path for expressing dissent. And so Zehra Dogan, a young Kurdish artist and journalist, took to the easel to pour out her emotions about the 2015 leveling by Turkish security forces of Nusaybin, a Kurdish town intertwined with the Syrian town of Qamishli on the opposite side.

In the foreground of her best known piece, an armored vehicle is portrayed as a dark, menacing scorpion-like creature. Humans file resignedly into its gaping jaws. Turkish flags hang over gutted buildings and a giant plume of smoke billows overhead in a perfectly evoked dystopian scene.

The painting and media posts Dogan shared as she covered the violence between Turkish security forces and armed Kurdish youths affiliated with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) for the shuttered all-female Jinha news agency landed the 28-year-old in jail in July 2016.

Like other towns in the southeast, where the PKK recklessly drew in the army, Nusaybin was under a round-the-clock curfew, leaving hundreds of terrified families trapped in their homes without access to food, water or medical help. Rights groups say civilians were shot dead by the security forces. Young militants' corpses were left to rot on the streets for days. Public fury lashed out not only at the state but also at the PKK. Dogan focused on the plight of the local children, sharing their fears and their pain.

She was charged with membership of and propagandizing for a terrorist organization. The first charge was dropped and she was freed 4 months later. But when prosecutors upheld the propaganda charges, Dogan was rearrested and began serving a prison sentence of two years, nine months and 22 days in Diyarbakir, the largest city in the mainly Kurdish southeast region.

In its ruling, the court declared, "The defendant photographed a scene in Nusaybin and painted Turkish flags on destroyed buildings. It is clear that the painting is against the operations that were conducted as a result of the PKK terrorist organization's violence."

In a deleted tweet, Dogan riposted that she was punished "only because I painted Turkish flags on destroyed buildings. However, [the Turkish government] caused this. I merely painted it."

They gave her the stiffest sentence they possibly could, said Kamuran Tanhan, one of Dogans lawyers, in a telephone interview with Al-Monitor.

Figures vary, because for every journalist who is freed another is jailed soon after. But with at least 100 media workers behind bars, Turkey retains the title of the world's biggest jailer of journalists. Today, for example, two reporters for the now banned pro-Kurdish Ozgur Gundem newspaper were released. But according to monitoring groups, 12 journalists were detained, 11 convicted and four arrested in October alone.

The cases of Ahmet Sik, the intrepid investigative reporter for the opposition daily Cumhuriyet whose trial resumed today, and of Deniz Yucel, a Turkish-German journalist who has been held in pre-trial detention since February 2017 accused of being a German spy and PKK operative, have received global attention.

Dogans plight has elicited a softer outcry in the English-language press. But in France, her fame is slowly spreading thanks to a roving exhibition of her paintings and a book dedicated to her called Eyes Wide Open: Journal of a Condemnation, Chronicle of an Exhibition. The volume, which contains excerpts from a journal and letters she wrote in prison, highlights her artistic genius and professional courage. Kedistan, a nonprofit web magazine, is promoting the book.

In the letters, Dogan, who won Turkeys prestigious Metin Goktepe award for her searing accounts of the torment of Yazidi women in Islamic State captivity, describes her own conditions and a stubborn determination to keep on drawing. Tanhan declined to disclose how they made their way out of prison undetected by the notoriously draconian guards.

Even the barred windows are covered over with barbed wire. Every night two stars appear in the sky. To see them, I climb toward the window. But this time, the barbed wire cuts off the view," Dogan writes. I draw constantly in my head. I transform the slightest form. I draw on newspapers. I write stories.

Prison authorities refuse to give Dogan painting supplies, but the deprivation has only sparked a fresh bout of creativity. She says she uses her fingers as brushes and crushed parsley for green, olives for black and turmeric for yellow. When she saw the feathers of a pigeon flutter through a vent, Dogan began collecting them and finally assembled enough to fashion a brush. Ballpoint pens and honey helped her produce eight new collages that were also somehow spirited out of prison and published online.

Ceren Karlidag worked with Dogan for Jinha until it was taken offline by the Turkish government in the first of a slew of decrees that followed last year's failed coup. She told Al-Monitor, Zehra is every bit as passionate about reporting the truth as she is about her art. She is unique in every respect.

Tanhan described how Dogan had drawn on the backs of fellow inmates who were recently freed. Her will to illustrate is extraordinary, he said.

Evrem Kepenek, a respected freelance reporter based in Diyarbakir, is among a band of female journalists lobbying to secure Dogans release. She told Al-Monitor, Zehra is misunderstood in these lands but when peace returns, Zehras paintings will be exhibited in museums of repentance for all the sins committed here. The proceeds from the sales of her work go to the war-affected families in Nusaybin. She will not accept a single penny for herself, Kepenek said.
October 31, 2017

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans vow to turn Saudi Arabia into a moderate Islamic country may have been welcomed by the West, but it did not go down well in Turkey  especially among Islamists  and fueled long-standing suspicions about "imperial US designs against the Islamic world."

Ever since former US Secretary of State Colin Powell declared Turkey to be a moderate Islamic republic in 2004, the concept of moderate Islam has raised the hackles of Turkish secularists and Islamists alike.

Still smarting over 9/11, Washington was searching at the time for a model against radical Islam that reflected the kind of modernity it wanted to see in the Islamic world. Turkey  with its secular parliamentary system that had still not been tampered with by its Islamist government  was the only country that appeared to fit the bill.

Powells remark, however, coincided with the rise of political Islam in Turkey, with its clear antipathy toward secularism under the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which won a landslide electoral victory in November 2002.

With growing tensions between secularists and Islamists, that was hardly the right time for Powell to bring up his idea regarding Turkey. Doing so only reflected a serious lack of awareness in Washington about what was going on in this country.

Secularists objected to his designation of moderate Islamic republic, arguing that Washington was trying to Islamize Turkey to serve its security interests. Many secular Turks are still convinced that the AKP was a US project imposed on Turkey by Washington to turn it into a moderate Islamic republic.

Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Turkeys staunchly secularist president at the time, reacted angrily, declaring, Turkey is neither an Islamic republic nor an example of moderate Islam.

Turkish Islamists, for their part, argued that Powell was attempting  with support from Israel  to undermine true Islam by imposing alien ideas on genuine Muslims to keep them at bay.

Mohammed unfolded his Vision 2023 for turning Saudi Arabia into a moderate Islamic state when he announced a massive project to invest $500 billion in a megacity along the Jordanian and Egyptian borders, which will be transformed into an economic hub aimed at reviving the countrys economy.

There were secularist columnists who gloated over the crown princes remarks in order to hit at the AKP and its Islamist supporters.

Ertugrul Ozkok, a popular columnist for the daily Hurriyet, for example, argued that every reasonable Muslim carries Ataturk in his heart. He was referring to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the secular Turkish Republic.

The true spring in the Arab world will come when the bright path shown by Ataturk to the whole Islamic world is understood, Ozkok wrote in his commentary on Mohammeds remark.

The extreme Islamist view on Mohammeds remarks, on the other hand, came from Ibrahim Karagul, the acerbic editor-in-chief of the government mouthpiece Yeni Safak.

Saudi Arabias We are switching to moderate Islam announcement contains a dangerous game. The US-Israel axis is forming a new regional front line, Karagul contended in his column. He maintained that the aim was to doom the Sunni Arab world to this axis.

Claiming that a similar project involving Turkey had failed, Karagul said, Saudi Arabia is being burdened with the same mission now and warned that this would mean suicide for that country.

Burhanettin Duran, the general coordinator of the government-sponsored Political, Economic and Social Research Foundation in Ankara, also believes that Mohammeds statement reflects a wider project for the Gulf region.

The United States, Israel and Egypt are preparing the ideological groundwork for combating Shiite militias, who are the effective element of Iranian expansionism, Duran argued in an article for government mouthpiece Sabah.

Duran added that Saudi Arabia would henceforth propagandize for an Islam that is in harmony with the world and the West, but underlined that Mohammeds vision did not amount to democratization.

He said this was merely an attempt at social liberalization to the extent that the Saudi system would permit and pointed to the lifting of the ban on women driving as an example of what should be expected.

Maintaining that Mohammed was merely trying to blame the radicalization of Wahhabism  an extreme interpretation of Islam  in Saudi Arabia on Iran, Duran said, Talk about moderate Islam is only an ideological apparatus for containing Iran.

Assistant professor Mehmet Ali Buyukkara, from the Faculty of Islamic Studies at Istanbul City University, also believes that the notion of moderate Islam is part of the United States' Greater Middle East Project.

He argued in an article for the semi-official Anatolia News Agency that the object was to serve Washingtons politically and economically motivated imperial aims in central and southern Asia as well as the Middle East.

Buyukkara added that Mohammeds Vision 2023 aimed to establish a new Dubai or Abu Dhabi, which would require vast amounts of direct foreign investment.

This investment will not come to a country whose religion and ideology is not normal. This is probably why Mohammed brought up the topic of moderate Islam during an economic congress, Buyukkara said.

He went on to declare that the notion of moderate Islam is meaningless for Saudi Arabia, which, he underlined, has been guided by Wahhabism since 1744. Buyukkara said that it was the ideology of Wahhabism and not the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran that spawned radicalism in Saudi Arabia, contrary to what Mohammed was claiming.

Secularist historian and columnist Murat Bardakci also believes that the concept of moderate Islam for Saudi Arabia is a misnomer, and he derides those who argue that Arabs will one day reach out for their own Ataturk.

In an article for daily Haberturk, Bardakci said there was no love for either Ataturk or Turkeys secular system in the Middle East, where Islam is an inseparable part of daily life. He said it was a joke to think that Saudi Arabia  the seat of Wahhabism and Salafism  could come in line with Ataturks thinking.

Even a moderate version of Saudi Arabia whose society is Salafist will be harsher than the most extreme religious currents we have [in Turkey], he added.

The government in Ankara remained silent on Mohammeds remarks, but the ruling AKPs view was expressed by Ravza Kavakci, a member of the parliamentary commission on foreign affairs.

Kavakci welcomed Mohammeds statement if this meant Saudi Arabia, which she described as Turkeys ally, will be more democratic and respectful of human rights, including womens rights. But I will never accept the term moderate Islam because Islam does not need to be moderate, Kavakci told reporters in parliament.

Clearly attempting to vilify the notion further in the eyes of her partys supporters, she said that "moderate Islam was a term also used by Fethullah Gulen and his supporters.

Gulen, who is in self-imposed exile in the United States, is accused by Ankara of masterminding last years failed coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Whatever the merits of these arguments, Turkish reactions to Mohammed  and the implication that he is only serving US and Israeli interests  show again that developments in the Middle East are still not likely to move in the simple and linear manner desired by Turkeys predominantly Islamist administration.

Mohammed is not just anyone: He is the person slated to be Saudi Arabias new ruler soon. His remarks indicate that Ankara is likely to face more situations in the region it never expected.
Googles Android Pay ecosystem expanded by 11 additional card issues earlier this week, having added support for banks and credit unions across the United States, as evidenced by the companys recently updated support pages dedicated to the service. Consumers in Wisconsin who happen to be clients of either the Central Alliance Credit Union or UnitedOne Credit Union can now use Android Pay with cards issued by their financial institution of choice, as can residents of Massachusetts who use services of the Greenfield Savings Bank or Coastal Heritage Bank. One new entity from California now also supports Android Pay as the First Northern California Credit Union was listed by Google as being part of its mobile payment ecosystem, and the same applies to the Bankwell Bank from Connecticut, Home National Bank headquartered in Indiana, and New York-based Adirondack Regional Federal Credit Union. Finally, the latest Android Pay expansion wave encompasses the Sicily Island State Bank in Louisiana, Sauk Valley Bank and Trust from Illinois, and Cumberland Valley National Bank headquartered in Kentucky.

As is usually the case with new additions to the Android Pay platform, the latest card issuers who joined the growing service are situated in all parts of the United States, having been approved as part of Googles most recent integration efforts. The Mountain View, California-based companys official support pages dont specify if any of the recently added institutions are supporting Android Pay with all of their cards or only some of them, though the former is more likely to be the case. Anyone looking to make sure their card can be connected to the Android App is welcomed to try doing so or contact their bank or credit union for additional information.

The latest development marks the likely final expansion of Android Pays list of supported entities in October, with 34 new institutions already joining the platform earlier this month. Alphabets subsidiary also clarified that the majority of Synchrony cards still arent supported by the service and gave no indication of when more of them may become compatible with the platform. Android Pays international rollout isnt nearly as swift as its domestic one, though Google still managed to debut the service in a number of large countries like Spain over the course of this year.
The Android 8.0 Oreo update released for the Sony Xperia XZ Premium last week hasnt been flawless, with user reports indicating that the cameras RGBC-IR and ToF sensors no longer work as intended, however the good news is that Sony already acknowledged the problem and devised a fix which will be rolled out in the coming weeks. The problem seems to affect only the Sony Xperia XZ Premium Dual SIM variant running Android 8.0 Oreo build 47.1.A.3.254.

According to Sony, the issue stemmed from a software configuration related to the RGBC-IR and ToF sensors in the latest Oreo build, resulting in poor pictures quality and color rendition, as well as slower autofocus in specific lighting and color conditions. Fortunately, Sony claims to have already solved the issue in an updated software version which is currently scheduled for release in November 2017. The OEM clarifies that although it plans to release the OTA update next month, exact release dates cannot be given as they will differ based on mobile operator, region, market and so on. No other details regarding the update or whether it will contain any additional improvements have been revealed. As far as Sony Xperia XZ Premium owners are concerned, they can determine whether their smartphones have been affected by this issue by dialing *#*#7378423#*#* and reading the on-screen values, which should not be negative.

Sonys latest flagship phone prides itself with its camera capabilities, boasting a 19-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, electronic image stabilization, and predictive phase detection and laser autofocus. The unit also uses the aforementioned RGBC-IR sensor designed to determine true color using RGB colors and infra-red light, as well as the ToF (time-of-flight) range imaging sensor able to determine distances by measuring the time-of-flight of a light signal traveling between the subject and camera itself. With that being said, its unfortunate that one of the best features presented by the Sony Xperia XZ Premium has now been crippled with this latest software release, but fortunately, this isnt a hardware issue and will be resolved sooner or later depending on how and where the next patch will expand its reaches.
HMD Global Chief Product Officer Juho Sarvikas recently revealed one of his companys plans for improving the user experience of Nokia smartphone owners with an updated camera application. The news comes from a tweet answering the question of whether the camera app will be updated and aside from a solid confirmation that it will, Sarvikas also hinted that the camera applications UI for Android-powered Nokia smartphones could be changed in line with the old Lumia camera UI, which is considered by some to be the best imaging interface around.

Back when Nokia was owned by Microsoft and the company was releasing Windows-powered smartphones under the Lumia brand, it focused on delivering a superior camera experience to that offered by its rivals. Terms like PureView became synonymous with powerful camera sensors and the Lumia camera app earned a lot of fans over the years. After HMD Global took over the Nokia brand from Microsoft in recent times, the Finnish company also acquired hundreds of design patents, including one for the Lumia camera user interface. With that being said, the aforementioned UI might not be forgotten for too long after all, and given HMD CPOs recent tweets, it appears that the Finnish smartphone maker is now working on bringing it back for the new generation of Android-powered Nokia smartphones. Its not clear when the camera app on existing Nokia devices will be updated with a new system patch, or if the update will be distributed through the Google Play Store. It also remains to be seen whether the updated camera application will be released on the entire family of Android-powered Nokia devices, or if it will be reserved only for select models.

Not counting the older Nokia X devices running a heavily modified version of Googles mobile OS, the Nokia brand made its first entry into the world of Android earlier this year with the unveiling of the Nokia 6 in January. Since then, HMD Global launched the Nokia 3, 5, 6, and 8, with the Nokia 7 being the most recent addition to the companys smartphone lineup. These handsets present a nearly stock version of Android and a custom Lumia-based camera UI could become one of HMD-specific proprietary features separating Nokia smartphones from the rest of the pack.

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Yep!  Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) October 30, 2017

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I agree with your assesment   Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) October 30, 2017
Few details have been released one week after Lincoln's police chief announced an officer left the department after becoming the focus of a Nebraska State Patrol sexual assault investigation.

The State Patrol's criminal investigation and the Lincoln Police Department's internal affairs probe into the allegations are both ongoing, agency officials said.

But a redacted State Patrol incident report obtained by the Journal Star via a public records request provides the latest information in the case.

The woman, identified on the report only as a Lincoln resident, went to Bryan West Campus Oct. 17 just before 9:45 p.m. and reported to emergency room staff she was assaulted by a Lincoln police officer. Hospital staff then reported the assault to the State Patrol.

Troopers began their investigation that night, and State Patrol officials notified Lincoln Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister the next day that they were looking into a reported assault and inappropriate relationship.

With news of the inquiry, the department opened an internal affairs investigation into the allegations that day, and police officials decided to place the officer on administrative leave, Bliemeister said.

The officer  a patrolman who had been with the department more than 20 years  chose to retire two days later.

The officer met the woman while on the job, the chief said.

Bliemeister has not named the officer nor provided any other identifying information, such as the officer's gender or length of service, but the Journal Star was able to determine the identity.

Lincoln police do not name the subjects of ongoing investigations until an arrest is made or charges are filed. The Journal Star is not printing the officer's name at this time for similar reasons.

Last week, Bliemeister declined to provide further information to reporters about the relationship between the officer and the woman, saying that doing so could adversely affect the ongoing investigations.

Any open cases the officer had will be reviewed and reassigned, as is the case any time an officer leaves the department. Pending prosecutions that involved the officer will be addressed by the prosecutor's office.

At a Thursday meeting of the mayor's Citizen Police Advisory Board, board member and Lincoln defense attorney Shirley Mora James brought up the case following a quarterly discussion of the police department's internal affairs investigations. She called it the "elephant in the room."

She told Bliemeister and other police officials there she had received calls from women concerned about the news after seeing national headlines about officers sexually assaulting women on the job.

Her callers, Mora James said, wanted to know if they will be safe if they get stopped.

"The women are watching," she said. "They are watching."

Mora James and another advisory board member asked the chief about the case, but he said he couldn't provide further details than what had been released earlier in the week.

"We can't do something to adversely affect a criminal investigation," which is being conducted by an outside agency, like it would be if an officer-involved shooting occurred, Bliemeister said.

The department's internal affairs investigator is somewhat limited in his work as the criminal investigation takes place, the chief told the board. In cases like these, internal affairs investigations will draw from interviews and other evidence acquired as part of the outside agency's probe.

Bliemeister told the board he was aware of the public concern.

His department is coordinating with the Nebraska State Patrol on an almost daily basis and giving investigators there "anything and everything that they want," he said.

Departments elsewhere do not always release this information right away, and he was not mandated to tell the public about the investigation or the officer's decision to leave, he said.

Bliemeister said he did so in the interest of transparency and accountability: "I just want people in the public to know we take it seriously. And if there's a determination, those individuals will be held accountable."
Lei Jun has just informed the public that Xiaomi had managed to sell over 10 million smartphones in October, which means that the company managed to do the same it did in September, when it broke its previous record. Xiaomis latest goal as far as sales go is set to 90 million units, and considering that the company already sold over 73 million smartphones thus far, that goal seems to be quite reachable for this Chinese tech giant.

Xiaomi had originally planned to sell 70 million smartphones by the end of this year, considering that 2016 wasnt exactly a great year for the company in terms of sales, but as time went by, Xiaomi realized that they will be able to do considerably better than that, which is why its goal now stands at 90 million smartphones. Its also worth noting that the company managed to ship out 23.16 million smartphones in the second quarter of this year. Having said that, the company is doing really well this year, better than expected, and its success in India definitely has something to do with that. According to the latest info, Xiaomis sales in India grew 290 percent in the third quarter of this year, compared to the same period last year, which is, needless to say, quite a boost for Xiaomi. The company is also constantly expanding its retail stores in China, which is boosting its offline sales in the country, and is also planning to expand to new markets in the near future, Xiaomi is actually coming to Spain on November 7, and other European countries may follow soon after that.

One of Xiaomis main competitors, Huawei, already shipped over 114 million smartphones this year, but Huawei is currently active is considerably more markets than Xiaomi. In addition to these two companies, OPPO and Vivo are amongst the largest Chinese smartphone manufacturers at the moment, as these two companies have been immensely successful in China lately, and it will certainly be interesting to see what will their sales look like in China by the end of this year, and if Xiaomi will be able to cross that magic 90 million smartphones goal, though chances are it will, at least based on the companys sales thus far.

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Sony has now released its Xperia Assist application to the Google Play Store for users of compatible Sony Xperia-branded devices. This is the same application that comes already installed on select Xperia devices and, as such, isnt going to be usable on non-Xperia devices or devices that it doesnt come pre-installed on. That means the news probably isnt too exciting for most users. However, this will also make things much easier on Sony and users alike, in terms of getting updates pushed out for the application in a more timely fashion  as opposed to over-the-air updates included with larger firmware.

As to what the software does, for those who dont know, it is designed to learn how users utilize their devices and optimize things under the hood to match that users individual needs. It also parcels out tips on how to make more efficient use of Xperia devices, as well as what features are available that might be beneficial to users on an individual basis. For example, the app can prompt a user with reminders to shut off an alarm or return a missed call, while being mostly non-intrusive about it, based on personal preferences. Thats done through analytics software that records daily use patterns. Sony also uses that data to improve upon Xperia Assist in future updates, though it should be said that the company claims to anonymize data collected for that purpose, as a security precaution.

Beyond those functions, the app will also guide users through some of the rudiments of customizing or using a compatible Xperia-branded device. For example, it can walk a user through something as simple as setting a wallpaper or where to find other personalization settings. But it can also provide help for something considerably more complicated, at least from the perspective of a less experienced user, like setting up a wireless hotspot or enabling the available battery savings modes. As mentioned above, none of this is likely to be too exciting for most users but it should be beneficial nonetheless. This is also the first time the application has been pushed to the Google Play Store, so there arent any new features or updates to speak of. With that said, anybody with a compatible Xperia-branded device can head over through the Play Store button below, to check it out for themselves.
A Lancaster County District judge has affirmed a four-month jail sentence for a 51-year-old Lincoln man who groped a woman last year.

Richard Kaar pleaded no contest to third-degree assault for what he did in June 2016.

A Lincoln woman reported to police that while she was leaning up to a car window to talk to a friend, Kaar, who she knows, came up behind her and put his hand between her legs, grabbing her vagina over her clothes.

She immediately turned around and struck his face. A month later, she reported it to police.

In a recorded call, the police listening, Kaar apologized for grabbing her by the p*** and said it wasn't worth grabbing.

"Big f***ing deal," he said in the call, according to court records.

Kaar ended up charged and later entered a plea.

In February, when Lancaster County Judge Matt Acton gave him 120 days in jail and put him on the state's Sex Offender Registry for 15 years, Kaar appealed.

His attorney, Candice Wooster, called the sentence excessive and said there was insufficient evidence of sexual contact to put him on the registry.

District Judge Kevin McManaman affirmed the sentence saying while Kaar did plead no contest he showed he did not take responsibility when at sentencing he said he was "more of a victim in this than anything else."

"The crime described is one involving actual aggressive penetration into (the victim's) vagina, a degree of violence he minimizes inappropriately by referencing it as an act of immaturity," McManaman wrote.

Kaar has been out on bond during the appeal and hasn't been given a date to report to jail yet. He could choose to appeal further.
BARCELONAFor the first time, in the whole of Spain more people favour a "legal, negotiated" referendum than are against it: 57.4% of Spaniards would like to see a "legal referendum, negotiated with the Spanish government", while 37.9% oppose it, according to an opinion poll published by Madrid daily El Mundo. In Catalonia, the figure is significantly higher, with three out of every four in favour of a negotiated referendum.

Taking a closer look at the figures, it is interesting to note that four out of ten PP voters also favour a negotiated referendum, a similar figure to Ciudadanos voters, while 59.2% of the PSOEs electorate would also be in favour, and 87.9% of Units Podem.

Support for independence is another matter, however. According to El Mundo, 33.5% of Catalans support independence, while 58.3% are in favour of maintaining the status quo. The opinion poll also shows that, for Spain as a whole, 80.4% of the public oppose independence, while 14.2% support it.

In any case, most Catalans and Spaniards believe that the current process will not result in independence for Catalonia. The poll was conducted between 23 and 26 October. In other words, before the Catalan Parliament declared independence.
BarcelonaThe World Free Zone Organization (WFZO) has chosen Barcelona for its Mediterranean office, and confirmed that the Consortium of the Zona Franca of Barcelona (CZFB) will be the host of the 5th World Free Zone Conference, known internationally as the World FZO Annual International Conference and Exhibition (AICE), according to a release by the Consortium on Monday.

This conference will be held together with the International Logistics Salon in June 2019, and will mean the arrival in Barcelona of more than one thousand delegates from free zones, according to a statement from the CZFB. The release stressed that the free zone sector "will gain prominence", especially after the naming of Jordi Cornet, Special Spanish Delegate in the CZFB, as president of the Spanish Free Zone Association.

Mohammed al-Zarooni, President of the Board of the World Free Zone Organization, highlighted the continuing growth of the WFZO and its usefulness as an international platform for innovation and sustainability that "demonstrates the key role of free zones in world commerce, and their contribution to socioeconomic development".

The WFZO brings together 350 free zones in 78 countries. According to this organization, there are some 3,500 free zones in 130 countries around the world, representing more than 70 million jobs, which is equivalent to approximately 1% of the registered global work force.

For his part, Cornet noted the convenience of maintaining the prominence of Barcelona in the economy "as an open, integrative, and cosmopolitan city". He added that the experience of the CZFB in hosting international fairs and conferences, together with Spain's prestige as a world logistics platform and the attractiveness of Barcelona as capital of the Mediterranean, were determining factors in attracting the conference.
MadridThe Spanish Attorney Generals charges filed against members of the Catalan government dismissed by Mariano Rajoy consists of a document which runs to 118 pages. The entire government, along with the pro-independence members of the Parliamentary Bureau, stand accused of the crime of rebellion, for which they face up to 30 years in prison. According to Spains Criminal Code, the crime consists of a "violent public uprising" in an attempt to "repeal, suspend or modify the Constitution whether totally or partially", or "declare the independence of a part of the national territory". The key term is 'violence'. How can such an indictment be justified, therefore?

In bringing the charge of rebellion, the prosecution mentions the crime of military rebellion from the now-abolished Code of Military Justice, and is based on the Supreme Courts ruling of the failed coup of 23 February 1981 [known as 23-F]. It stipulates that "violence does not necessarily require the use of weapons, engaging in combat, or the use of serious violence against individuals". According to the Courts ruling, "what is intended so as not to shed blood, turns violent and bellicose when resistance is offered to the rebels plans". In other words, the situation may become violent when the forces of law and order intervene.

In addition, the ruling adds that "the rebels are unable to declare with certainty that their uprising will be bloodless, without victims and bloodshed." It goes on to say that "the use of physical violence may not be implicit in the uprising, but due to its characteristics and the indeterminate number of people involved, it may be of such dimensions that it is sufficient to deter the possible intervention of law enforcement officers, who are aware that any opposition to the rebels plans will result in the uprising becoming violent and belligerent".

According to the public prosecutor, Jose Manuel Maza, the calls for peaceful resistance on 1 October [1-O] were an "incitement" to the pro-independence parties to resist the polices actions. Maza went on to declare that the days "before and after" 1-O constituted "insurrection, a violent uprising encouraged by the plaintiffs, in which those members of the public who are in favour of secession, encouraged by their leaders, publicly disobeyed and showed collective resistance to the legitimate authority of the State". With reference to different episodes over the last two years, Jose Manuel Maza considers the rallies to have had, as their ultimate objective, the declaration of independence. He made it clear that the Catalan government, as the entity ultimately in charge of the movement, called on the public to take part in a violent uprising.
SUV

AWD

But these vehicles have always been associated with a much higher purchase price than an equivalent gas-only model, so what you saved on fuel you essentially paid for in the actual cost of the. Financially speaking, it wasn't much of a deal.But the days when the hybrid technology was a novel thing have gone, and as manufacturers get ready to offer a powertrain solution of this type for nearly all of their models, their prices are inevitably going to go down as well.One of the first to showcase this is Toyota, the Japanese brand that backed the HEVs from their infancy through its highly successful Prius model. For the 2018 model year, the hybrid version of the RAV4 compact-sized SUV is going to bring a new entry-level trim called LE.The 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid LEis going to cost $28,130, which is just $1,325 more than a gas-powered LE with AWD. But for that money you get more than just the hybrid system: according to the bulletin sent to Toyota dealers and intercepted by CarsDirect , the HEV also receives dual-zone automatic climate control, heated exterior mirrors, roof rails, and a 4.2-inch display in the instrument cluster over the equivalent gas-only LE.Everything else about the RAV4 Hybrid remains unchanged, including its power output and fuel economy. According to the EPA, the SUV will return a 32 miles per gallon combined fuel economy, which is more than decent for a vehicle this size with all-wheel-drive capabilities.The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid uses a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and the Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive system for a total output of 197 hp. It has a top speed of 112 mph (180 km/h) and will complete the 0-62 mph (100 km/h) sprint in 8.3 seconds.
AMG

4MATIC

AWD

It's not so much something you'll hear the manufacturers talk about, though some executives might launch a few darts every now and again the other brand's way. Plus, the two have been involved in a battle for the best-selling premium carmaker over the past few years, with Mercedes-Benz finally stealing the crown from the Bavarians in 2016.But the real war is fought by the two companies' fans, and the comments section on online articles and videos are often the battlefield of choice. Passions run high and everyone has a favorite, even though not all are ready to get into an argument with someone over the matter.Naturally, the animosity extends to the performance divisions of the two German manufacturers as well, meaning a duel between anand a BMW M has all the prerequisites to cause a spark. Well, it may not be New Year's Eve yet, but we're always up for a nice fireworks show.The two contestants here are the BMW M140i - the closest thing you can get to an M version of the 1 Series after the insane 1 Series M was discontinued - and the Mercedes-AMG A45 . On paper, the two premium hot hatches are quite different.The BMW has an inline six turbocharged three-liter engine developing 340 horsepower and quite a lot of torque (369 lb-ft or500 Nm). It can be had in both rear-wheel- or all-wheel-drive configurations and comes equipped with an eight-speed automatic.The Mercedes-AMG only uses a two-liter four-cylinder engine, but it gets a whopping 380 hp out of it. It has comparable torque to the BMW (350 lb-ft or 475 Nm), comes with thesystem as standard and channels the power through a seven-speed automatic.Things seem to tilt in the AMG's favor, and their official 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) times don't do anything to change that impression. The Mercedes is quicker by 0.4 seconds, only this is a race to 155 mph (250 km/h), so the larger displacement on the BMW might help it there.We're not going to spoil it particularly since it's such a closely-fought battle, but we can't remain silent about the utterly disappointing exhaust sound of the M140i. Sure, the AMG A45 uses trickery to create those pops, but the Bavarian just feels way too subdued for its performance. It's like someone who has a nice singing voice, but is too embarrassed to use it.
ICE

Following the-only Urus, which will debut on December 4, the so-called Super SUV will usher in a plug-in hybrid powertrain related to that of the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid . But thats just the start of Lamborghinis hybridization efforts, which will be furthered by the successor of the Huracan.According to Autocar , the mid-engine supercar that will replace the Huracan will be launched in 2022. The publication had a chat with head honcho Stefano Domenicali, who made it crystal clear that hybrid technology is utmost necessary to keep the baby Lamborghini relevant, competitive, and green. Indeed, eco-friendliness is also important considering emissions standards are getting more and more difficult with every passing year, all across the world.The Huracan  that car will need hybridization. Hybridization is the answer, not electric, declared the former team principal of the Ferrari Formula 1 team. Domenicali also confirmed the Aventadors replacement will soldier on with a V12 of the naturally aspirated type. Scheduled to launch before the next-generation Huracan, the successor of the Aventador might arrive as early as 2020.On the flip side, theres talk within the Volkswagen Group to phase out big engines such as the 6.0-liter W12 and 5.2-liter V10. Audi is pushing for the V8 as the top dog in the lineup, and if the higher-ups see no business case with displacements larger than 4.0 liters and configurations of more than eight cylinders, then you can kiss the W12 and V10 farewell during the 2020s, probably the latter part of the decade.On an ending note, Lamborghini is on the right track, albeit not the most righteous of tracks according to purists. The automaker has plenty of R&D to do to optimize the gasoline-electric powertrain in both the Urus and Huracans successor. But with a little effort, Lamborghini could pull this off, convincing diehards of the benefit.
A judge sent a Lincoln woman to prison Monday for being an accessory in connection to Jamie Watson's killing last December.

Juanita Lara, 34, pleaded no contest to attempted accessory to a felony and to possession of a controlled substance for an unrelated methamphetamine case.

Lincoln police arrested her early Dec. 15 after they got called about loud banging in an apartment parking lot near 23rd and Y streets and found Watson's body wrapped in blankets and carpeting inside the trunk of a car. He had been shot.

As police arrived, Lara fled in a car with Jamez Henderson, the man who police later learned had shot Watson, but the car got stuck in a playground area. Henderson got away, but Lara and another woman, Stacey Bigelow, were caught.

On Monday, Lara's attorney, Nancy Peterson, said Lara had been caught up with bad people in Lincoln and wants to leave Nebraska to start over.

Lancaster County District Judge Susan Strong said given that Lara helped conceal information related to a killing she was not a candidate for probation.

She sentenced her to three years in prison, plus 18 months of post-release supervision, on the attempted accessory charge and two more years in prison on an unrelated drug charge from 2012.

In September, Strong gave Henderson 54 to 65 years in prison for manslaughter and possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine. Several others still are awaiting trial or sentencing on allegations they helped try to get rid of Watson's body after the killing.
AMG

kW

The electron juice sipper was spotted doing its thing at the Ring and the supercar was simply loaded with test gear (think: sensors mounted on the body and wheels, as well as cameras). However, we have to mention that the images we have here date back to 2013.This only added to the mystery surrounding the prototype and there are two main reasons we can think of that would justify the half-a-million-dollars supercar's return to the infamous German track.And no, none of those reasons have to do with the 7:56.234 lap time of the SLSCoupe Electric Drive. You see, Green Hell times have come a long way since 2013, when that chronograph number was recorded, so it is no longer relevant.Instead, we could be looking at a potential electric sportscar/supercar being developed. We're talking about more than just a spiritual successor for the SLS, since the German carmaker now runs the EQ sub-brand destined exclusively for machines that run on batteries.However, the uber-performance approach we have here seems like quite a step ahead compared to the last time we mentioned the sub-brand's name - back in September, the company introduced the EQA Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but the study stood for a 200(268 hp) compact tied to the development of the next-generation A-Class.In fact, we could be looking at Mercedes-AMG reinventing itself in the face of all the new energy changes on the market. After all, Affalterbach will have to deliver go-fast versions of the three-pointed star's future electric cars.Who knows? Maybe the rumors on the electric Mercedes-AMG GT, which is supposed to land by 2020, are true.The presence of the 552 kW (751 PS) monster could also have something to do with Mercedes' autonomous driving efforts (that would explain the array of sensors and cameras on the test car). After all, Mercedes-Benz is one of the pioneers of the field.
More than half of the Facebook's users in the United States were exposed to Russian attempts to sow discord before and after the 2016 presidential election, a company executive will tell lawmakers Tuesday, while arguing that the reach of the campaign was still limited given the platform's massive scale. Google and Twitter will also disclose that the Russian influence campaign stretched beyond what they've previously discussed publicly.

Why it matters: It demonstrates how Facebook's mechanics allowed the Russian operatives to reach far beyond just those people who followed their fake pages and account. Significantly, for lawmakers, it underscores that the roughly 3,000 ads that Facebook disclosed in September from the Russian pages were just one small piece of the puzzle.

According to written testimony obtained by Axios, Facebook General Counsel Colin Stretch will tell three congressional committees over the next two days that the company's "best estimate is that approximately 126 million people may have been served one" of the stories posted by roughly 470 Russian pages between June, 2015 and August, 2017. Facebook has 213 million monthly active users in the United States.

How it worked: Around 29 million users were exposed to content from the Russian pages directly, the company said. That amounted to approximately 80,000 pieces of content in the two-year period the company examined. That content was then shared, magnifying the reach of the pages broadly.

Decoded: When Facebook says content was "served" to users, it means that content appeared in their feeds, not that the users engaged with the content or even saw it for a meaningful amount of time. Ad buyers generally believe you have to see a message multiple times for it to have an effect on you.

Yes, but: Stretch will argue that the reach of the Russian campaign was a relative drop in the bucket compared to the large amount of content posted to Facebook during that period. "Put another way, if each of these posts were a commercial on television, you'd have to watch more than 600 hours of television to see something from the IRA," he'll say, adding, "Though the volume of these stories was a tiny fraction of the overall content on Facebook, any amount is too much."

Facebook is not the only one of the three companies testifying tomorrow that will acknowledge that the scale of Russian election meddling efforts were broader than they previously disclosed. The Washington Post reports that Google has said for the first time that over a thousand videos were uploaded to YouTube by Russian trolls on 18 separate channels.
Just minutes before the senior-most White House staff walked into Roosevelt Room for their morning meeting with Chief of Staff John Kelly, their phones lit up with news alerts of the first indictments in the Mueller probe.

The big picture: Nobody was surprised to learn that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is the first to be publicly indicted, along with his business partner Rick Gates, for alleged money laundering, failing to disclose foreign lobbying, and tax violations.

There are no TVs in the Roosevelt Room, a venue Kelly deliberately seeks out for its lack of distractions, but this distraction was unavoidable this morning.

The internal White House position, summarized by two sources: "Ty will take care of it." Ty Cobb, the White House lawyer handling the Mueller investigation, conveyed the message to staff this morning that there'd be no response to the Manafort news.

One of those sources told me "people are relieved it's Manafort and not Flynn" who was indicted:

"[Manafort] is further removed because he wasn't here when Trump was elected  because it's Manafort it's purely a campaign matter. Nobody internal will be weighing in. That's the holding position."

Other sources close to the situation admitted they're less relaxed about where these indictments could lead.

I've had dozens of conversations about this subject with administration officials over the past months, and while nobody I've spoken to genuinely thinks collusion with Russia happened on the campaign, plenty worry about what Bob Mueller's crack team of financial investigators will turn up on Trump and his allies.

Manafort left the campaign in August, but his business partner, Gates, never fully left Trumpworld:
In a Fox News interview, John Kelly said he thought an investigation was needed into funding from Hillary Clinton's campaign and the DNC for the research behind the Trump/Russia dossier, and Clinton's involvement in the Uranium One deal.

"The American people really do have a right to know what their government does have a right to know what their government is doing on any given day, and by this same token what private citizens are doing if they break the law," he said.

Russia probe

Kelly said he thought Robert Mueller's Russia investigation "should wrap up soon," and attempted to distance President Trump from any wrongdoing by the three men for whom indictments were announced Monday.

Monuments

Kelly was also asked about the removal of monuments to prominent slaveowners like George Washington and Robert E. Lee. He said it was wrong to apply modern standard to past actions, citing Christopher Columbus as an example.

"Robert E. Lee was an honorable man. He was a man who gave up his country to fight for his state," he said, adding that lessons had to be learned from history, including that "the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War."

Worth noting: The obvious counterpoint here is that slavery led to the Civil War, and Lee's army was fighting to preserve slavery.

Gold Star widow

Kelly condemned the "politicization" of Trump's conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, who was killed in Niger. He said he would not apologize to Rep. Fredrica Wilson, despite having mischaracterized statements she made.

Trump's Asia trip

Kelly said North Korea is "coming close" to having an ICBM that can successfully strike the U.S. mainland.

On China: "They beat us in trade, but that doesn't make them the enemy... they're another world power."

Why it matters: As Peter Baker noted in a recent NY Times piece, Kelly was until recently viewed as a fairly apolitical figure. With comments like these, that's clearly no longer the case.
Libyans on the grounds of the U.S. consulate in Benghazi after the attack in 2012. Photo: Ibrahim Alaguri / AP

United States forces in Libya captured an alleged participant in the 2012 Benghazi consulate attacks that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, according to the White House. The terrorist, Mustafa-al-Imam, had been captured on video at one of the attack sites, per a CNN report. It's expected that al-Imam will be transported back to the U.S. to face trial.

Don't forget: The Benghazi attack's alleged planner, Ahmed Abu Khatallah, was captured in Libya in 2014. He is currently facing the death penalty on U.S. soil after his trial in federal court began in Washington earlier this month.

President Trump's full statement on al-Imam's capture:

"Yesterday, on my orders, United States forces captured Mustafa al-Imam in Libya. Because of this successful operation, al-Imam will face justice in the United States for his alleged role in the September 11, 2012 attacks in Benghazi, which resulted in the deaths of Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Glen Doherty, Sean Smith, and Tyrone Woodsfour brave Americans who were serving our country.

To the families of these fallen heroes: I want you to know that your loved ones are not forgotten, and they will never be forgotten.

Our memory is deep and our reach is long, and we will not rest in our efforts to find and bring the perpetrators of the heinous attacks in Benghazi to justice.

I want to thank our law enforcement, prosecutors, intelligence community, and military personnel for their extraordinary efforts in gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and tracking down fugitives associated with the attack, capturing them, and delivering them to the United States for prosecution.

The United States will continue to support our Libyan partners to ensure that ISIS and other terrorist groups do not use Libya as a safe haven for attacks against United States citizens or interests, Libyans, and others.

Libya's long-term stability and security are linked to its ability to form a unified government and military, and we encourage all Libyans to support the ongoing reconciliation process facilitated by the United Nations and to work together to build a peaceful and stable country."
The International Trade Commission is recommending imposing tariffs up to 35% on solar module imports, shortly before the commission is due to make recommendations to Trump on the dispute, Bloomberg reports. Trump himself is to make the final call on tariffs.

Breaking that down: The winners here would be Suniva, which brought the case, along with SolarWorld. They're both foreign-owned. Much of the solar industry opposes tariffs, since they say inexpensive foreign panels have led to more jobs and enabled wider growth of solar power.

Go deeper: The solar groups that took out ads on Trump's favorite shows ... the ITC ruling that solar manufacturers hurt by imports
As President Trump prepares to travel to Asia later this week, he has ordered many of his top officials to stay back and campaign for tax reform around America:

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, economic adviser Gary Cohn and Ivanka Trump will hold tax-reform events in crucial states and blue House districts held by Republicans and speak with national and regional media.

Joining their campaign will be Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon, and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, among others.

Ivanka  who held a tax event last week in Pennsylvania and visited Capitol Hill  has canceled meetings she had arranged in China and South Korea as part of the Asia trip.

She's still visiting Japan, ahead of her father, to give a speech at the invitation of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, but will fly back over the weekend to begin the tax push.
Then U.S. President Barack Obama looks through binoculars to see North Korea from Observation Post Ouellette in the Demilitarized Zone in 2012. Photo: Susan Walsh / AP

A senior administration official told reporters Tuesday that President Trump will not visit the demilitarized zone on the North Korean border on his upcoming trip to Asia. The official said there isn't enough time, and that they had to choose between going to the DMZ or Camp Humphreys, and the camp prevailed.

Key quote: "There's been a minority of American presidents who have visited the DMZ since the Korean War, less than half," the official said. "[Defense Secretary James] Mattis was just there last week, we've had [Vice President Mike] Pence there... and [Secretary of State Rex] Tillerson... it's become a little bit of a cliche really."

George W. Bush looks out at North Korea at Observation Point Ouellette in the DMZ in 2002.J. Scott Applewhite / AP

Bill Clinton takes the lens caps off a pair of binoculars in 1993 from the Ouellette guard post in the DMZ.Greg Gibson / AP

Ronald Reagan from the south side of the DMZ in South Korea in 1983.Scott Stewart / AP
Senior Armenian and U.S. military officials inaugurated on Tuesday the newly renovated training center of an Armenian army brigade that contributes troops to NATO-led missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo.

The main three-story building of the Zar Military Training Facility has been refurbished and equipped as part of the first stage of the renovation mostly financed by the United States.

Speaking at a ribbon-cutting ceremony held there, Defense Minister Vigen Sargsian and Brigadier General Dawne Deskins of the U.S. militarys European Command hailed the development as another milestone in U.S.-Armenian defense cooperation. Sargsian said that the center will be further expanded and modernized in the coming years.

The reconstruction work was officially launched in March this year in the presence of Sargsian, U.S. Ambassador to Armenia Richard Mills and high-ranking officers of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Armenian armys Peacekeeping Brigade has received considerable financial and technical assistance from the U.S. and other NATO member states since it was set up in the early 2000s. NATO assigned a higher degree of combat readiness and interoperability to the brigade after monitoring a four-day exercise held by it at Zar in 2015.

More than 130 soldiers of the brigade are currently deployed in Kosovo, Afghanistan as well as Lebanon.

We greatly appreciate Armenias participation in international peacekeeping operations and NATO-led and other multinational exercises, U.S. President Donald Trump said in a September 21 letter to his Armenian counterpart Serzh Sarkisian.

Armenia plans to join more peacekeeping missions abroad with specialized medical and demining units in the near future. They will undergo U.S. training before such deployment.

In October 2016, Sargsian and Mills inaugurated a new paramedic school of the Armenian armed forces. U.S. military instructors trained the first group of Armenian teaching personnel for the school in August 2015.

Mills said in July Armenias military and political alliance with Russia does not prevent it from forging closer security ties with the U.S. The cooperation between the United States and Armenia in this area has moved forward and deepened in recent years, he said.
31 October 2017 14:21 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Suicide, not combat, is the leading cause of death of Armenian soldiers deployed to the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh. The main reason for such desperate acts are the dreadful hazing and lack of discipline in the Armenian troops.

Few days ago, Armenian soldier Rafael Hakobyan, serving in the Armenia-occupied territories of Azerbaijan, committed a suicide cutting his wrists with a razor blade, Armenian media reported. Another soldier, Soso Davitian, who serves in a military unit in Azerbaijans occupied Khojavend region, caused injuries to himself. Both servicemen were placed in military hospitals, and their heath conditions are assessed as moderate.

Another Armenian soldier Aram Gevorgyan attempted to shoot himself due to the constant duty on the fighting position. As it turned out, Gevorgyan was appointed for a permanent duty on the position due to a shortage of military personnel.

All these incidents causes discontent among the Armenian population, especially among the servicemen parents, who regularly protest against Armenias authorities.

Another such protest action was held in front of the Armenian Governments building in Yerevan on October 26.

Soldiers mothers put forward a demand of meeting with Armenian Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan. They noted that the command of the Armenian Armed Forces is engaged in only high-flown speeches and it does nothing to investigate the numerous murders committed in the Armenian army.

[Armenian President] Serzh Sargsyan nurtured Vigen Sargsyan like a plant. He passed his school. Thats why they value each other so well, said one of the protesting women.

The protesters also stressed that the Armenian government undertakes all changes in the defense sphere with the only aim of additional collection of money from the countrys population.

This year, the Armenian authorities adopted the law obliging each working Armenian citizen to contribute 1,000 drams (about $2) per month so that those who have suffered while serving in the Armenian army can receive a small compensation for the crippled health and life. This law also caused strong criticism among Armenians, who note that the government is robbing its poor population while military officers get rich.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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A 46-year-old man went to prison Monday for robbing a north Lincoln bank last year.

Tyrone Estell's attorney, Mark Rappl, said while all robberies are serious, the facts in this case weren't particularly egregious.

According to court records, on Aug. 19, 2016, Estell gave a teller a note saying to hand over the money at the Wells Fargo branch at 27th and Superior streets. What's missing, Rappl argued, was any evidence of force or violence.

Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Eric Miller said this was a serious crime and it's got to be treated that way.

Estell, who pleaded no contest to robbery in exchange for a habitual criminal allegation being dropped, said he apologized for "whatever happened."

"I was at the wrong place at the wrong time," he said.

District Judge Susan Strong said she found it troubling that Estell hasn't taken responsibility yet for his actions. And she sentenced him to eight to 12 years behind bars.

Police found all but $10 from what was taken from the bank hidden outside a north Lincoln Walmart.
31 October 2017 10:20 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 110 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on October 31.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

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31 October 2017 10:20 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway is a historic event in the political and economic life of Azerbaijan, MP Tahir Rzayev told Trend.

He noted that this project, being a result of successful policy of President Ilham Aliyev, as well as other projects, will increase Azerbaijan's international authority and make an important contribution to the development of its economy.

Along with the fact that this railway, which links Europe and Asia, turns Azerbaijan into a transit center of the continents, it will shorten the distance between China and Europe, help increase passenger and cargo transportation, bring great profit to countries, he said. Of course, Azerbaijan will get more benefits from this project, as our country is not only the initiator of the construction of this railway line: Azerbaijan exercised control over the quality and timely execution of the work and is the main organizer of the project financing.

Successful implementation of this project proved to the world that Azerbaijan pursues independent economic policy and is able to carry out the most important projects, according to the MP.

This is also a devastating blow to our enemies, for those who tried to hinder the implementation of the project, and firstly for Armenia, he noted.

The BTK railway will make an important contribution to the further improvement of the economic situation in Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia, strengthening of their unity, cooperation and friendship, said the MP.

The official opening ceremony of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was held in Baku Oct.30. The BTK railway was constructed on the basis a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. The railways peak capacity will be 17 million tons of cargo per year. At an initial stage, this figure will be one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of cargo.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
31 October 2017 10:59 (UTC+04:00)

By Rufiz Hafizoglu/ Trend

Baku today hosted opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, which was attended by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan as well as other officials.

Opening of the BTK railway, which is one of the most important transport corridors in the region, once again proves the power and potential of Azerbaijan.

Today Azerbaijan is a leading country in the South Caucasus, and it also plays an important role in global energy policy.

When in 2004 Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia offered to build the BTK railway, which will connect Europe and Asia, a number of countries did not believe in the possibility of this projects implementation.

But thanks to the clear vision of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia, implementation of this project began in 2008.

BTK is an illustrative example of how countries such as Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, unlike Armenia, can use their potential for the regional development.

The Azerbaijan-Turkey alliance is not directed against anyone.

The issue of Armenias using the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway has been discussed in the country lately. Commenting on this, Spokesman for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev said Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that Armenia will be able to take advantage of regional integration after it withdraws its troops from the Azerbaijani territories it occupied.

While Azerbaijan is developing and strengthening thanks to its economic policy, Armenia cannot abandon its aggressive policy directed against neighbors.

Yerevans occupation policy pretty much backfires against Armenia, which is now completely isolated from all important regional projects.

The most what Armenian authorities are capable of doing is distorting historical facts and thereby continuing to build their economy on the cultivation of "genocide.

---

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31 October 2017 11:26 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway is a historic event not only for the region but also for the world, member of the Azerbaijani parliament Aydin Mirzazade told Trend on October 30.

He said that the railways opening radically changes the situation in the region.

There will be closer ties between the countries; hundreds of thousands of jobs will be opened. Cargoes from China to Europe will be delivered faster, and at the same time, this project will strengthen peace and security, noted the MP.

This railway could pass through Armenia, but the ongoing occupation of Azerbaijani lands by this country deprived Armenia of participation in this promising project, he said.

Mirzazade added that the authority of Azerbaijan in the region has increased even more with the opening of this railway.

Being the initiator of such big projects, Azerbaijan turns into a desired ally, added the MP.

The official opening ceremony of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was held in Baku Oct.30. The BTK railway was constructed on the basis a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. The railways peak capacity will be 17 million tons of cargo per year. At an initial stage, this figure will be one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of cargo.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
31 October 2017 15:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

The Central Bank of Azerbaijan (CBA) does not rule out the possibility of further strengthening of the manat rate, Chairman of the CBA Elman Rustamov told reporters during the opening ceremony of the new head office of Ziraat Bank in Baku on October 31.

Today we see that the manat rate is going towards strengthening, because the balance of payments is very good, oil prices are favorable, said Rustamov.

The current account surplus of the balance of payments totaled $785.59 million in the first half of 2017. Until the end of this year, according to the expectations of the government, the current account surplus will be $1.9 billion, while by 2021 the current account surplus will reach $ 5.45 billion.

He went on to say that the CBA does not intend to give up the floating exchange rate of manat, adding that this regime has proved its effectiveness.

Azerbaijan plans to constantly use the floating exchange rate regime of the manat. In general, this is required by both the economic realities of the country and international experience. Many countries are now preparing to switch to a floating exchange rate regime, said the chairman, adding that The floating exchange rate of manat is the most effective way for maintaining the exchange rate of the national currency and ensuring its stability against negative factors.

Rustamov also noted that currently, the exchange rate of manat varies freely and does not have a certain corridor within which it could vary.

The manat rate fully operates in floating regime and depends on a number of macroeconomic and external factors, such as the cost of oil, the balance of payments, he added.

The Azerbaijani government switched to the floating manat regime on December 21, 2015. The exchange rate of Azerbaijans national currency, the manat, against the U.S. dollar has strengthened by almost four percent since the beginning of 2017, and the exchange rate was set at 1.7002 as for October 31.

Further, addressing the ceremony he added that relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey are at the highest level and added that the relations between the two countries, has always been close to Azerbaijan, including the most difficult periods for the country.



Ziraat Bank in development countrys financial sector

Commenting on the newly opened Ziraat Bank, Rustamov noted that the bank will play an important role in transition of Azerbaijan to new economic model.

Speaking at the event, Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci stressed that Ziraat Bank Finance Group will take a very important place in the economic relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Turkish entrepreneurs could receive a loan from their own bank, and this is very important, according to Zeybekci.

Touching upon customs duty the minister mentioned that Turkey hopes to introduce a zero rate of customs duty with Azerbaijan in 2018 for the supply of goods. Trade turnover between the countries amounted to $1.96 billion in January-September, more than $1 billion of which falls on exports to this country.

He explained that this is stipulated by the agreement on preferential trade, which the countries plan to sign.

Last week Turkey freed goods imported from the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic from customs duties. So goods produced annually in Nakhchivan worth $100 million will be imported to Turkey without paying import duties, in accordance with the decision of the Turkish government.

Ziraat Bank CEO Huseyin Aydin, taking his turn, stressed that Ziraat Bank will contribute to the development of relations between two brotherly countries  Turkey and Azerbaijan.

He noted that Ziraat Bank came to Azerbaijan to help the development of the countrys financial sector.

With the growing share of Ziraat Bank in the local market, we want to contribute to the development of relations between the two countries, Aydin said.

He pointed out that Ziraat Bank Azerbaijan is a very important part of the Ziraat Finance Group.

A subsidiary of Turkeys Ziraat Bank has been operating in Azerbaijan since 2015. The banks shareholders are: Ziraat Bank (99.98 percent), Ziraat Insurance (0.01 percent) and Ziraat Securities (0.01 percent). Currently, the bank has one branch and head office in Baku.

Operating since 1863, the state Ziraat Bank is the largest bank in Turkey. Outside of Turkey, the banks subsidiaries operate in Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Ziraat Bank also has representative offices in Great Britain, the U.S., Bulgaria, Georgia, Iraq, Northern Cyprus, Greece, Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Ziraat Bank has been present on the Azerbaijani banking market since 1995 as one of the co-founders of Azer Turk Bank OJSC, where currently the Turkish bank owns 12.37 percent.

---

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31 October 2017 16:38 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway is of great importance for Azerbaijan, Tahir Karimli, member of the Azerbaijani parliament, told Trend on October 31.

Karimli noted that this is a great historic event and Azerbaijan has proved that it is a major logistics center.

This project was implemented thanks to the activities of President Ilham Aliyev, said the MP adding that this project will ensure further economic growth in Azerbaijan, which will lead to an increase in the incomes of population and the opening of new jobs.

The official opening ceremony of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was held in Baku Oct. 30. The BTK railway was constructed on the basis a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. The railways peak capacity will be 17 million tons of cargo per year. At an initial stage, this figure will be one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of cargo.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
31 October 2017 18:12 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

By commissioning the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, Azerbaijan has added another bright page to the countrys glorious history, the Azerbaijani MP Elman Nasirov told Trend on October 31.

He noted that the railways commissioning attracted the attention of the entire world community. He stressed that the opening of the BTK railway will have big impact on cargo transportation between Europe and Asia.

This is a very important event, Nasirov said. The BTK railway project will further strengthen positions of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey in the international arena, and all the three countries will have a greater financial benefit from it. The opening of the BTK railway will also increase Azerbaijans export opportunities.

The opening of the BTK railway once again showed the world that all projects initiated by Azerbaijan are implemented, he noted. The BTK project is another historic step of Azerbaijan. The projects implementation will lead to further strengthening of Azerbaijans cooperation with the countries located along the BTK railway.

The MP added that this project is a step, which serves cooperation in the region.

The implementation of this project upset Armenia, said Nasirov. The Armenian media recognize that as a result of the policy of the countrys President Serzh Sargsyan, Armenias economy has fallen into decay, the country is in a blockade and the poverty level of Armenias population is growing rapidly.

The official opening ceremony of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was held in Baku Oct.30. The BTK railway was constructed on the basis a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. The railways peak capacity will be 17 million tons of cargo per year. At an initial stage, this figure will be one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of cargo.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
31 October 2017 13:25 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Today, it is very important for people of Azerbaijan and Armenia, apart from the leaderships of the two countries, to join their efforts to accelerate the early settlement of the long standing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In this connection, the First General Assembly of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform was held in Tbilisi on October 30.

During the Assembly, its participants appealed to the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs.

The issue on the agenda was the establishment of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform on the basis of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Platform and adoption of its Charter.

Based on the Charter, the decisions were made regarding the number of the members of the Steering Committee and the Central Control-Inspection Commission of the Civil Peace Platform, as well as their representation principles and members.

The Congress decided to create the Steering Committee of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform from the representatives of the OSCE Minsk Group states mediating in the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between the two countries.

Thus, the proportion of members of the Steering Committee consisting of 19 members is determined as follows: five from Azerbaijan and Armenia each and nine from each of the other Minsk Group participating countries.

At the end, the Final Decision and Statement of the General Assembly were adopted. The Assembly decided to open offices of the Platform in Tbilisi, Yerevan and Baku and hold public meetings in Azerbaijan and Armenia.

After the General Assembly was closed, the new Steering Committee held its first meeting.

At the meeting, in accordance with the Charter of the Platform, the co-chairing institute was established and Rovshan Rzayev from Azerbaijan and Rafael Isakhanyan from Armenia were elected as the co-chairs of the Steering Committee for one year.

Then the Steering Committee presented for discussions a list of the Experts Council of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Civil Peace Platform. Following the voting, the Expert Council consisting of 29 people was approved.

The decisive process of bringing together the people of Azerbaijan and Armenia on boosting the settlement of the conflict started in December 2016, when the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Platform was founded in Baku by a group of Azerbaijani and Armenian public figures and peacekeepers. It was created to bring together representatives of civil society of the two countries for creating dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the sides to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

However, this initiative was negatively perceived by the Armenian government, which started persecution of those Armenians who joined the Platform.

Despite this, many people from both Azerbaijan and Armenia and other countries continue to join the Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Platform, created to accelerate the process of peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through the people's diplomacy, and this initiative, of course, should be continued, in order to bring the desired peace to the region.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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31 October 2017 15:24 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The illegal visit of Mexican MPs to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan will be investigated, said President of Mexicos Chamber of Deputies Jorge Carlos Ramirez Marin.

He made the remarks at a meeting with Azerbaijans Charge dAffaires in Mexico Mammad Talibov, the Azerbaijani embassy in Mexico reported on October 31.

During the meeting, Ramirez Marin stressed that Mexico is interested in further strengthening of friendship and cooperation ties with Azerbaijan.

He expressed deep regret on the illegal visit of three Mexican MPs, representing political parties MORENA and RPD, to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, and stressed that these MPs actions in no way reflect the position of Mexicos Chamber of Deputies or their political parties.

Ramirez Marin also asked the Chairman of the Congressional Commission on Foreign Relations to investigate the issue and take appropriate measures to avoid such cases in future.

During the meeting, Talibov provided his interlocutor with comprehensive information on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and Armenias aggression against Azerbaijan. He noted that this incident is another provocation of official Yerevan, which once again exposed the unconstructive nature of the Armenian authorities actions.

Ramirez Marin, in turn, noted that Mexicos position on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict remains unchanged, and underscored that the Chamber of Deputies supports four UN Security Council resolutions on the conflict which demand restoration of Azerbaijans territorial integrity.

Back in 2011, Mexicos Chamber of Deputies adopted a resolution urging Armenia to implement the UN Security Council resolutions.

The Azerbaijani embassy in Mexico also noted that after it investigated the issue, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry sent a diplomatic note to the Mexican Foreign Ministry, as well as letters to the chairmen of the Chamber of Deputies and the Azerbaijan-Mexico Friendship Group. These documents expressed serious concern of the official Baku in connection with the illegal visit of Mexican MPs, and noted that such visits are provocative and unacceptable. The documents also demanded to investigate these actions and take appropriate measures to avoid their recurrence in future.

Unauthorized visits to Nagorno-Karabakh and other regions of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenia are considered illegal, and any individuals paying such visits are included in the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry's list of undesirable persons. Baku continues the work to prevent such illegal actions, and the foreign citizens should keep their eyes peeled in order not to be deceived by Armenian occupiers.

---

Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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31 October 2017 11:46 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

An upcoming trilateral meeting in Tehran between Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia will provide a unique chance for the sides to discuss international affairs, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said.

Besides international concerns, the three sides will also discuss regional issues as well as bilateral affairs among themselves, Qassemi told a press conference in Tehran October 30, Trend correspondent reported.

Fighting terrorism and coordinating efforts to that end will also be on agenda during the Wednesday talks, the Iranian diplomat noted.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev are slated to join talks with their Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani in Tehran this week.

This will be the second trilateral meeting between the three leaders. Their first such meeting took place August 8, 2016 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

---

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31 October 2017 12:57 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

The summit of the Caspian states may be held in Astana in early 2018, and the foreign ministers of Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan may meet in December in Moscow to discuss preparation for the summit.

Russian State Secretary, Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin made the remark on the Russian TV, TASS reported on October 31.

Work in this direction is underway, now we are trying to complete certain details of this document. Maybe, it will be possible to gather the foreign ministers in Moscow sometime in December in order to organize a decisive summit closer to spring. This time it should take place in Kazakhstan, most likely in Astana, he said.

Karasin also noted that the Caspian Sea should become an example of cooperation against the background of different unpredictable approaches to major international problems.

This will provide an opportunity for all five states not to wait for favors from extra-regional players, not to wait for any more rapid development of the international situation, and it will enable them to act independently and become an example of good regional interaction, he added.

The Caspian Sea with a total surface area of 371,000 square kilometers is surrounded by five countries  Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran.

The issue of determining the legal status of the Caspian Sea became relevant after the collapse of the USSR, when the emergence of new subjects of international law - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan - raised the issue of delimitation of the Caspian Sea between the five littoral countries.

The difficulties in determining the status of the Caspian Sea are linked, in particular, with the recognition of it as a lake or sea, the delineation of which is regulated by different provisions of international law.

Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan hold to the principle of dividing into national sectors based on the median line principles since it is an international boundary lake, and leaving the sea surface for general use, i.e. they are for demarcation of mineral resources and the Caspian Sea shelf, but against dividing up its waters.

Iran seeks an equal division of the Caspian into five even sectors, mainly because most of the offshore energy resources are located away from the Iranian coastline. Turkmenistan also demands division of the Sea into equal parts between the pre-Caspian countries so that each country must have 20 percent of the sea.

The status of the Caspian remains a key topic of discussions at the Caspian states summits. The leaders of the five countries met for the first time in 2002 in Ashgabat. The second Caspian summit was held in Tehran in 2007, the third one in Baku in 2010, and the fourth summit  in Astrakhan in 2014. The convention on the legal status of the sea is planned to be signed at the next summit.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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31 October 2017 13:02 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Baku hosts the sixth meeting of the Azerbaijan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council on October 31.

In this regard, an official welcoming ceremony has been held for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

A ceremonial guard of honor was lined up for President Erdogan in the square decorated with the national flags of Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev greeted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The chief of the guard of honor reported to the president of Turkey.

President Ilham Aliyev and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reviewed the guard of honor.

The Turkish president greeted the Azerbaijani soldiers.

State anthems of Azerbaijan and Turkey were played.

State and government officials of Azerbaijan and Turkey met with the two presidents.

The guard of honor marched in front of the heads of state.

The presidents posed for official photos.

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31 October 2017 14:46 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The European Union and Azerbaijan have basically cleared all the text of the Common Aviation Area Agreement, Kestutis Jankauskas, head of the EU delegation to Azerbaijan, told reporters on October 31.

We had third round of negotiations last week on the aviation agreement in Baku. Delegations worked almost 48 hours non-stop very intensively and we basically cleared all the text with except of few last remaining issues. They are not major ones. We will discuss today in the Foreign Ministry when and where we will take next steps, he added.

The second round of negotiations on the agreement was held July 4-5 in Brussels, Belgium. During the talks, both sides expressed readiness to sign relevant agreements.

Remarks and proposals by the Azerbaijani side were discussed, and a number of issues were clarified. A protocol was signed following the meeting. It was decided to hold the third round of negotiations on the EU-Azerbaijan Common Aviation Area Agreement in Baku. Until then, the EU and its member countries will receive prompt feedback from other ministries and committees of Azerbaijan. It is expected that the final version of the agreement will be prepared at the meeting in Baku.

Commenting on the the EU-Azerbaijan agreement, the head of the delegation said that the two sides are expected to advance further in the talks on the next partnership agreement until the Eastern Partnership Summit in Brussels.

The EU is currently negotiating what we call currently, the new enhanced comprehensive agreement. All kinds of issues will be covered in that agreement. Negotiations are ongoing well and intensively. We had a few rounds already in the past and we are looking even for more meetings and video conferences in November before the Eastern Partnership summit in Brussels. So, I think we will advance further until the summit. This will be the foundation for our contacts and cooperation, he said.

In late 2016, the EU Council adopted a mandate for the European Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to negotiate, on behalf of the EU and its member states, a comprehensive agreement with Azerbaijan.

The new agreement should replace the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement and better take account of the shared objectives and challenges the EU and Azerbaijan face today.

The new agreement will follow the principles endorsed in the 2015 review of the European neighborhood policy and offer a renewed basis for political dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan.

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31 October 2017 15:33 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Turkey-Azerbaijan relations are at the highest level and at the highest peak, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev told the sixth meeting of the Azerbaijan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, held with participation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Baku on October 31.

Addressing the meeting, President Aliyev welcomed the guests.

Mr. President, we attach great importance to your visit. Today, we have discussed a number of issues at the one-on-one meeting, said President Aliyev.

Our views on the development of our relations coincide, noted the president.

He expressed confidence that the meeting of the Azerbaijan-Turkey High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council will also be very successful.

There are many issues on the agenda  political relations, joint activities in international organizations, economic cooperation, military, military-technical cooperation, and of course, energy and transportation issues, said President Aliyev, adding that there are very good results in all spheres.

Our decisions are being implemented and the intergovernmental joint commission is also operating very successfully, added the president.

The head of state expressed confidence that the issues, to be discussed today, will also bring good results.

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The people and state of Azerbaijan will never allow creation of a second Armenian state on Azerbaijan's historical lands, said President Ilham Aliyev.

He made the remarks at a joint press conference together with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Baku on October 31.

Both at the one-on-one meeting and at the meeting with participation of delegations, we have seen once again that the Turkey-Azerbaijan relations are at the highest level, said President Aliyev.

The Turkey-Azerbaijan friendship, brotherhood, unity is at the highest peak today, he noted adding that there is consensus on the discussed issues, all issues are solved, and the discussed issues are implemented.

Naturally, we have discussed today the future development of our political relations, said the president.

The head of state noted that political relations of Azerbaijan and Turkey are developing successfully.

Speaking about the high-level mutual visits, President Aliyev reminded that he has visited Turkey twice this year, and today the Turkish President is on a visit to Azerbaijan.

Ministers, other officials meet frequently, added the head of state.

Meanwhile, the two countries support each other in all international organizations, said President Aliyev.

The president said that the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, one of the most painful problems for the region today, has also been discussed.

Unfortunately, this conflict has not been solved yet. Azerbaijans historical land, Nagorno-Karabakh, and seven surrounding districts are under occupation, and as a result of the occupation, more than one million Azerbaijanis have become displaced persons, said President Aliyev. International organizations, especially the UN Security Council passed four resolutions on the conflict. These resolutions indicate that the Armenian armed forces must be withdrawn immediately and unconditionally from the occupied lands.

Unfortunately, these resolutions remain on paper, Armenia still ignores them, and the conflict remains unresolved. This is the policy of double standards against us. In some cases, UN Security Council resolutions are implemented within a few days. However, in our case, these resolutions and decisions remain unfulfilled for more than 20 years, added the president.

The head of state noted that the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict must be resolved on the basis of international law and within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

There is no other way. The people and state of Azerbaijan will never allow creation of a second Armenian state on our historical land. I once again thanked President Erdogan for the support of Turkey in this issue. Turkey has always supported the just case of Azerbaijan in all international organizations as a friend, as a brother, added Ilham Aliyev.

Today, we have discussed the military cooperation extensively, he noted adding that this issue is also on the agenda.

Noting that three joint military exercises have been held in Azerbaijan, two military exercises  in Baku and one military exercise  in Nakhchivan this year, President Aliyev said that this is a factor strengthening the two countries cooperation in the military sphere.

Meanwhile, the joint military-technical cooperation continues, added the president.

Turkeys growing military industrial complex is of great interest to Azerbaijan, said Ilham Aliyev.

He added that Azerbaijan buys and will continue buying military products from Turkey.

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31 October 2017 17:57 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Baku Telephone Communication Ltd has expanded the coverage of free Wi-Fi to another park of Baku. Now visitors of the Izmir Park will be able to enjoy free Internet access.

In the near future, the operator seeks to launch free Wi-Fi on the territory of the Narimanov Park, where the network is currently being tested.

The Public Wi-Fi project has been implemented in Baku since March 2017 in order to expand the coverage of the wireless network of the capital city. The goal of the project is to provide residents and guests of Baku with access to the Internet in places of mass congestion.

Currently, the free Wi-Fi project covers the territory of the National Seaside Park, Icherisheher, Sahil Park, Sabir Park and Khagani Park, Heydar Aliyev Center, Winter Park, Park of Officers, Huseyn Javid, Akhundov, Samad Vurgun, Mugan, Dede Gorgud and Fashion Avenue Parks.

Since the launch of the service, over a million connections have been recorded in these territories.

To use the service, one will need to enable the option of Wi-Fi networks detection on his/her mobile device, select Baku loves you network and pass through authentication process via the phone number.

Azerbaijan ranks first among the countries of Post-Soviet region for the level of broadband internet penetration. Moreover, Azerbaijan is the 58th country in the world over number of its Internet users.

The number of Azerbaijani Internet users exceeded 6 million, accounting for 61.1 percent of the countrys population, in 2016, according to Statistical project Internet Live Stats.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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31 October 2017 12:42 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Russia and Turkey, which support the opposite sides in the Syrian crisis intend to further advance the negotiation process aimed at restoring peace and stability in a war-torn country.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu held a phone conversation on October 30 during which they confirmed their commitment to advancing the intra-Syrian negotiation process, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

The sides exchanged views on the situation in the Syrian settlement in the context of the 7th international meeting on Syria, being held in Astana October 30-31. In this regard, they confirmed mutual intention to continue efforts, on multilateral platforms as well, in order to further advance the inter-Syrian negotiation process, the ministry said.

Earlier on Monday, the Russian Foreign Minister held a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. In particular, the ministers discussed coordination in the Astana process on Syria.

The seventh international meeting on the settlement of the situation in Syria is taking place these days in the capital of Kazakhstan.

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, according to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry. The parties also intend to consider combating international terrorism and adopt a joint statement on humanitarian demining in Syria.

The talks, which are focused on strengthening the ceasefire that came into effect on December 30, are brokered by Turkey, which backs the opposition, and Russia and Iran, which support Bashar Assad.

Astana talks also involve Kazakhstan - as an organizing country, sides to the Syrian conflict - governmental and opposition, and observers from the U.S., United Nations 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.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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31 October 2017 13:13 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Kazakhstan has updated the list of Kyrgyz enterprises banned from the import.

The updated list includes such Kyrgyz companies as Shin Line LLC, Talas-Sut CJSC, Elimai LLC, Ak-Sut OJSC and Tuunganbayev FE, according to the Kazakh Agriculture Ministry.

These companies used to export milk and dairy products to Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan returned more than 400 tons of fruit imported from Kyrgyzstan on October 24. Out of 59 cases of import of quarantine products, 41 were recorded from Kyrgyzstan. In 11 of them, production was imported without a mandatory phytosanitary certificate (93.3 tons of apples and pears, 21 tons of grapes and 4 tons of beet). A few days later, dairy products from Kyrgyzstan were destroyed in Almaty.

On October 30, Kazakhstan seized 3.5 tons of Kyrgyz trout and 15 kilograms of trout caviar.

At present, only 20 Kyrgyz enterprises have the right to supply their products to Kazakhstan. These enterprises include ten milk processing plants, eight fish processing plants and two producers of finished meat products.

The problem of veterinary control on the border with Kazakhstan is maintained from the moment of Kyrgyzstan's entry into the EAEU. To fully participate in its activities, the country was set to create bio-laboratories designed to issue certificates of compliance of agricultural products with all-Union standards.

In January-May 2017 the supply of Kyrgyz dairy products to Kazakhstan increased by 37.1 percent and vegetables by 28.2 percent.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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31 October 2017 15:13 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Iraqi authorities took control of the main land crossing with Turkey, in the Kurdish area of Fish-Khabur, a customs official said on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

The crossing was previously managed by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) as it is located in the Dohuk province which is within the official boundaries of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq.

Iraqi authorities took control of the main land crossing with Turkey, in the Kurdish area of Fish-Khabur.

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31 October 2017 15:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Kamila Aliyeva

Russia will be ready to begin work on laying the Turkish Stream gas pipeline on the EU territory only after obtaining legal guarantees from Brussels.

This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at a meeting with members of the Association of European Businesses on October 31, TASS reported.

"The growing need of the states of South and South-Eastern Europe could be satisfied by the extending the second thread of the Turkish Stream to the European Union. We see considerable interest from a number of EU governments and we are ready for it," he said.

But given the unsuccessful experience with the South Stream, we will be ready to start such work on the Turkish Stream only after obtaining solid legal guarantees from Brussels, Lavrov noted.

In 2014, Russia announced the termination of work on the South Stream project, which was to pass through Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, in favor of a new gas pipeline towards Turkey.

The Turkish Stream envisages the construction of a gas pipeline along the seabed of the Black Sea to Turkeys European part and further on to the border with Greece. Russia and Turkey signed an intergovernmental agreement on the implementation of the Turkish Stream project in October 2016.

The first stretch will be intended for the Turkish market and the second will supply natural gas to countries of South and Southeast Europe. Each stretch will have a capacity of 15.75 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually. The pipeline is expected to annually pump 31.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas.

The realization of Turkish Stream has been frozen for some time due to the strained political relations between Moscow and Ankara, which followed the downing of Russian warplane in Syria.

Gazprom launched the construction of the Turkish Stream gas pipelines offshore section near the Russian coast of the Black Sea on May 7. The company has already built around 300 kilometers of the Black Sea segment of the TurkStream gas pipeline. The first line is scheduled for completion in March 2018 and the second in 2019.

Recently, Russian energy giant Gazprom and Hungary signed another agreement on gas supplies to the country via Turkish Stream. The continuation of the Turkish Stream to Hungary will be built before the end of 2019.

The project is beneficial for both sides. Turkish Stream will allow Gazprom to expand its presence not only in the Turkish but also in the South European market, where its share faces competition from incoming Caspian gas. At the same time, Turkey will have the chance to upgrade its position from being an energy bridge to an energy market.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

---

Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
31 October 2017 17:19 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

President of Kyrgyztsan Almazbek Atambaev signed the Law "On ratification of the credit agreement between the Kyrgyz Republic and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on the project "Rehabilitation of the Water Supply and Sanitation System in Uzgen" on October 31.

Atambaev also approved a grant agreement between the Kyrgyz Republic and the EBRD on an investment grant from the European Union provided under the project "Rehabilitation of the Water Supply and Sanitation System in Uzgen".

The city of Uzgen will receive loans of up to $ 2.75 million each from the EBRD and EIB, and an investment grant from the EUs IFCA of $ 5.5 million.

The project aims to assist in the upgrade and expansion of the water supply and sewerage system in Uzgen by financing capital investments; provision of consulting services for the preparation and implementation of these investments; providing consulting services for the preparation and implementation of the Corporate Development Program, social support and stakeholder participation.

The law enters into force ten days after the day of its official publication.

The EBRD carried out 160 projects in Kyrgyzstan, the current portfolio of projects -249 million euros and the EBRD's total investments is at the level of 654 million euros.

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31 October 2017 18:46 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

French President Emmanuel Macron has accepted an invitation to visit Russia and may fly in next year for an economic forum, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday, the RIA news agency reported.

RIA cited Lavrov as saying Macron might attend the annual St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
The Human Services Department held a public hearing discussing the possibility of New Mexico Medicaid patients paying copays and premiums Oct. 30, according to KOB 4.

Here are six key points:

1. New Mexico currently is $38 million short in covering its Medicaid costs. The federal government gives the state four dollars for every dollar New Mexico puts into Medicaid.

2. Based on the deficit, New Mexico currently may lose $152 million in federal Medicaid match funds.

3. Therefore, the Human Services Department proposed Medicaid patients pay premiums and copays for services they receive. The amount owed would be contingent on income.

4. For outpatient and inpatient surgery, copays could cost $50 per day.

5. New Mexico Medicaid patients may pay between $10 and $50 in monthly premiums.

6. The proposal says those who do not pay premiums for 90 days could lose their coverage.
The following four ASC management companies made headlines over the past week.

In a joint venture with United Surgical Partners International, Saint Thomas Health plans to build an ambulatory surgical treatment center. The surgery center's estimated cost exceeds $16 million.



Compass Surgical Partners teamed up with Stuart, Fla.-based Martin Health System and local physicians to open Port Lucie, Fla.-based Tradition Surgery Center. Tradition Surgery Center will offer general surgery, gynecology, urology, podiatry and gastroenterology.



CNBC reports Tenet Healthcare Corp., is no longer for sale, following the departure of CEO Trevor Fetter. CNBC reported the news on information provided by two anonymous sources that were "close to the matter."



Hospital Corporation of America shares fell 8.8 percent during the week of Oct. 23 to Oct. 27, trading at $13.37 per share.

If you have a question, issue or note to suggest on an ASC management and development company please contact Mary Rechtoris at mrechtoris@beckershealthcare.com.
MedPage published an article examining the reasons behind why the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs is so successful in reaching and engaging hepatitis C-infected patients.

Michelle Long, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at Boston University, examined the topic for MedPage. She cited a study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Here's what you should know:

1. The VA sees the most HCV-infected patients in the country and "is well on its way to eliminating the disease in its population." From 2014 to 2017, the VA lowered the number of HCV-infected patients from 168,000 to 51,000, treating 30,000 patients annually.

2. The VA is uniquely situated at the center of the HCV fight with its 154 medical centers and 75 ambulatory care and outpatient clinics. The VA emphasizes prevention, screening and universal treatment in care plans, which is the cornerstone of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's plan to eliminate viral hepatitis.

3. The VA also developed its National Hepatitis C Clinical Case Registry, which helps veterans find care.

4. As part of its care strategy, the VA identified it's at-risk populations and as of fall 2017 screened 79.5 percent of its baby boomer and 89.6 percent of its homeless populations, which are both at high risk.

5. Once the high-risk populations were identified, the VA contacted patients through a variety of means. The VA also set up remote screening clinics at its outpatient centers to accommodate some of its patient base.

6.The VA touts one of the highest screening rates when compared to other large U.S. health systems.

7. The VA also offers telemedicine and teleconferencing to initiate HCV treatments.

For more information, click here.
Here are seven key stories on outpatient spine trends and news.

Inspired Spine acquires Titan Brain and Spine Institute

Alexandria, Minn.-based Inspired Spine acquired Titan Brain and Spine Institute, also based in Alexandria, Minn. TBSI is now an Inspired Spine Center and serves as a training center for Inspired Spine's advanced minimally invasive procedures. Inspired Spine Centers offer diagnostic testing, non-surgical therapies and unique minimally invasive outpatient techniques, along with traditional treatments for chronic neck and back pain.

How 23-hour observation stays impact spine surgery rates at ASCs

A study found spine surgeons perform more spine procedures at ASCs with 23-hour observation stays. Many spine surgeons opt to perform spine surgeries at medical centers to allow for prolonged monitoring. If states allowed for 23-hour stays, they had between two and seven times greater rates for spine surgery compared to ASCs lacking this ability.

Health Alliance Plan of Michigan to cover Paradigm Spine's lumbar spinal stenosis device

Paradigm Spine announced it reached an agreement with the Health Alliance Plan of Michigan to cover the coflex Interlaminar Stabilization device. Through the agreement, 500,000 Michigan residents will have access to the coflex Interlaminar Stabilization device. Coflex is a nonfusion, motion-preserving, FDA PMA-approved lumbar spinal stenosis treatment.

Opportunities in outpatient spine from Dr. Frank Phillips

Frank Phillips, MD, co-founder of the Minimally Invasive Spine Institute at Rush in Chicago, lists big opportunities in spine. Among them were improving spinal diagnostics to facilitate more accurate patient and procedure selection as we evolve towards precision medicine as well as developing perioperative pain management strategies to facilitate ASC surgery.

Aetna's new spinal laminotomy/laminectomy policy updates modifier -59 instructions

Aetna issued a coverage policy update for laminotomy with arthrodesis procedures and continues to consider additional edits for upcoming policy revision, according to a letter from North American Spine Society President F. Todd Wetzel, MD. Aetna's new policy states: "We'll no longer allow modifier  59 to override the incidental denial of codes 63030, 63042, 63047 or 63048 when billed in conjunction with code 22632."

Renew Spinal Care, SpineMark enter strategic alliance

Houston-based Renew Spinal Care and SpineMark Corp. entered a strategic alliance agreement. The two companies will foster a mutually aligned mission of improving patient diagnosing, integrating minimally invasive spine surgery protocol and merging medical technology. SpineMark strives to establish a universal standard for early intervention of spinal pain.

Utah's Public Employees Health Plan approves coverage for SI-Bone's iFuse

Utah's Public Employees Health Plan issued a positive coverage policy for SI joint fusions using SI-Bone's iFuse Implant System. The policy specifies coverage for minimally invasive SI joint fusions using iFuse with prior authorization for current procedure terminology code 27279.
Privacy incidents at government departments, medical device suppliers, hospitals and other healthcare organizations captured public attention last month.

While media outlets reported on the following breaches in October, healthcare organizations experienced breaches as early as 2002.

Here are 19 incidents covered by Becker's Hospital Review.

Note: The incidents are presented in order of number of patients or organizations affected.

1. A team of Check Point researchers discovered a botnet, dubbed "IoTroop," which has infected an estimated one million organizations across the globe, according to a report the San Carlos, Calif.-based cybersecurity company released Oct. 19.

2. The protected health information of an estimated 150,000 Americans using services from Layfayette, La.-based Patient Home Monitoring was discovered on a publicly accessible and unprotected Amazon cloud server.

3. Chase Brexton Health Care, a Baltimore-based group of community health clinics, plans to notify 16,562 patients about a security incident after four employees responded to a phishing attempt.

4. A former employee of Bogalusa, La.-based Our Lady of the Angels Hospital may have accessed thousands of patient records without authorization for nearly 15 years.

5. Spokane, Wash.-based Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center notified 1,915 patients their protected health information may have been compromised in a theft earlier this year.

6. Ashland, Mo.-based Namaste Health Care notified 1,600 patients its office experienced a cyberattack in August.

7. The Iowa Department of Human Services was targeted by a phishing campaign Aug. 23, the department announced Oct. 20 and it began to notify 820 individuals their protected health information may have been accessed.

8. The hack on accounting giant Deloitte, which compromised a server that stored the email addresses of about 350 clients, may have also jeopardized emails of four U.S. government departments, the United Nations and some of the world's biggest multinational corporations.

9. Toronto-based University Health Network is in the midst of reviewing five years' worth of online patient records after officials discovered four patients' information had been misplaced.

10. Three Indiana pharmacists were issued reprimand letters by state regulators after investigators with the state attorney general's office found they had separately tried to access music star Prince's medical records shortly after his death.

11. Researchers identified a flaw in the security protocol that protects nearly all Wi-Fi networks, which could compromise almost all wireless-enabled devices.

12. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine delivered email warnings to its members regarding a recently-surfaced impostor website.

13. The Department of Homeland Security U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team issued an alert Oct. 24 for a new strain of ransomware called "Bad Rabbit."

14. Pinehurst, N.C.-based FirstHealth of the Carolinas suffered from a malware threat the health system's IT team detected Oct 17, which it determined to be a variant of WannaCry.

15. Unalaska, Alaska-based Iliuliuk Family and Health Services launched an investigation into a computer system breach that reportedly took place in August.

16. The Government Accountability Office plans to launch a probe into a cyberattack that reportedly targeted the Federal Communications Commission in May.

17. Accenture reportedly exposed sensitive customer data on four misconfigured Amazon cloud servers, which might have allowed those with the web addresses to download the information.

18. A September audit determined that Georgia's Department of Community Health "exposes itself to unnecessary risk of error, misuse, fraud or loss of data'' that could impact claims and payment processing of Medicaid members.

19. A 2015 breach to the National Security Agency may have exposed its cyberwarfare strategy.

More articles on cybersecurity:

10 tips for incorporating patient health trackers into an EHR

Survey: Only 1 in 4 providers strongly agree EHRs prepared them for new healthcare economy

Thomas Health System cuts 10 employees in consolidation effort
Cerner President Zane Burke noted during an Oct. 26 earnings call the company plans to pursue additional EHR contracts at a range of government agencies, FCW reports.

Mr. Burke said Cerner is "in the early stages of government business contributing to our growth," according to FCW. He sees opportunities for Cerner to establish EHR contracts at the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Indian Health Service, along with state Medicaid programs.

The Bureau of Prisons, for example, conducted market research to replace its record system in 2014, but hasn't solicited a product, according to FCW. The Coast Guard, meanwhile, is seeking an EHR solution to implement across its 176 sites. The agency has been using paper records since it terminated its Epic contract in 2015.

In February, Fairchild Air Force Base outside Spokane, Wash., was the first U.S. Department of Defense facility to implement the Cerner EHR. Officials at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said the agency plans to award its EHR contract to Cerner within the first two weeks of November.

Mr. Burke also said during the call he expects to close the VA contract by the end of 2017, according to FCW.
Aurora Health Care and Northwestern Mutual are joining forces to support startups in Milwaukee, where both organizations are headquartered.

They will each invest $5 million toward this effort through Northwestern Mutual's Cream City Venture Capital and Aurora's InvestMKE venture. These investments toward technology and innovation will include a multiyear monetary commitment, business resources and mentorship, officials said via news release. They noted while there will be separate investment criteria, both organizations will work together "to maximize the opportunities for funding, mentorship and technology development."

Through Cream City VC, startups will receive early-stage funding of $100,000 to $250,000, and Cream City VC's portfolio of companies will be able to access additional advisors, mentors, co-working space and technology resources via Northwestern Mutual, officials said. "Cream City VC investments will not be focused on a specific industry. The fund will look to partner with local entrepreneurs that are leveraging technology solutions to address significant problems and have a clear vision of the business they are trying to create," they added.

At the same time, Aurora will serve as a co-investor with Cream City VC and other eligible investors. Officials said the health system will specifically invest up to $1 million in early-stage companies "that make health easier, more efficient and more personalized." Companies Aurora invests in will also be able to connect with the health system's network as they make efforts toward growth.

"Technology is rapidly changing not only how we experience health care, but how we live our lives," said Aurora President and CEO Nick Turkal, MD. "Entrepreneurs right here in southeastern Wisconsin are at the forefront of this revolution, developing and implementing ideas today that will make a difference tomorrow. Investment through the InvestMKE fund will help us deliver high-quality, cost-effective healthcare, ultimately helping people live well here at home."

John Schlifske, chairman and CEO of Northwestern Mutual, expressed similar sentiments.

"We recognize technology is a key driver of Milwaukee's future and the private sector needs to play a lead role in getting us there," he said. "Cream City Venture Capital demonstrates our commitment to advancing the startup community to create a vibrant tech ecosystem in Milwaukee that attracts and retains top technology talent."

More articles on healthcare finance:

Shareholders push for changes at Tenet and CHS: 6 things to know

Florida hospital to suspend all services as it seeks capital

Man receives $52k hospital bill after his backpack was stolen in San Francisco
Medical Center Health System in Odessa, Texas, went live on its new EMR system April 1 to simplify patient billing and meet federal regulations for record keeping. However, a recently released independent consultant's report details problems related to the software conversion, including billing issues, according to the Odessa American.

After receiving a bond rating downgrade in March, Medical Center Health System, which includes a 402-bed hospital, outpatient sites and physician offices, was required to hire an independent consultant to review its operations and make recommendations on how the organization could increase revenue and cut expenses.

The consultant's report showed MCHS encountered several billing issues following the launch of its new Cerner EMR system, such as inflated discharged, not final billed numbers. At one point while the consultant's report was being prepared, a Cerner report showed discharged, not final billed totals were more than double the amount included in a report from the nThrive billing system, according to the Odessa American.

Billing delays caused by the software launch also negatively impacted the organization's cash flow, according to the report.

The consultant's report noted MCHS' management and staff were blaming each other for the rocky software implementation. There is a "significant gap between management and staff in expectations for the Cerner installations," stated the consultant's report, according to the Odessa American.

The consultant recommended MCHS hire a company with a Cerner subject matter expert who can help the facility optimize workflows and provide additional training to staff.

More articles on healthcare finance:

California hospital suspends all services, notifies 524 employees of possible layoffs

Tenet reports $366M net loss, plans to cut 1,300 jobs

Man receives $52k hospital bill after his backpack was stolen in San Francisco
Gov. Pete Ricketts kicked off his newest initiative to expand foreign trade opportunities for Nebraska products with the inaugural meeting of his Nebraska Governor's Council for International Relations.

Members of the council met with Ricketts on Monday at the Governor's Residence.

Ricketts formed the council in July to bring business, agricultural and education groups together to focus on increased trade and development of new international trading partnerships.

"International trade and engagement is a crucial part of our state's long-term growth," the governor said Tuesday.

"Whether it takes the form of beef exports, inbound foreign direct investment or student and cultural exchanges, Nebraska's relations overseas bring great benefit to the entire state," he said.

Ricketts said he has identified three goals for the council, including development of comprehensive long-term strategies to expand existing trade relationships while promoting new ones and supporting the growth of existing partnerships with new opportunities.

The council also will center on growing investments in the state.

Members of the council include representatives of agricultural organizations, chambers of commerce and the University of Nebraska.

The 50th annual Midwest U.S.-Japan Association Conference will be held in Omaha in September of 2018, Ricketts noted.
Yakima, Wash.-based Astria Regional Medical Center named Darrin Cook COO, according to a Yakima Herald report.

Here are five things to know:

1. Mr. Cook most recently served as administrative director of operations of the medical center.

2. He has worked at the hospital since 2015, previously serving as director of physician outreach and recruitment.

3. Prior to joining Astria Regional, he served in numerous leadership roles, including executive director of Virginia Mason Memorial Hospital's North Star Lodge Cancer Care Center in Yakima.

4. He was also chief clinic coordinator for several family practice clinics in Vancouver, Wash.-based PeaceHealth Medical Group's network.

5. He served as a medical specialist with the U.S. Army.
St. Mary's Good Samaritan Hospital in Greensboro, Ga., a 25-bed critical access hospital, selected Tanya Adcock, RN, to serve as president.

Ms. Adcock has worked at Athens, Ga.-based St. Mary's Health Care System, the hospital's parent, since 1997. She has served in numerous leadership roles at the health system since, including as palliative care manager and, most recently, as director of Highland Hills Village, an assisted living facility in Bogart, Ga.

In 2011, the Georgia Hospital Association named Ms. Adcock one of Georgia's Hospital Heroes. She holds a master's degree in nursing leadership and management from Walden University in Minneapolis.

Ms. Adcock succeeds Montez Carter, who left to serve as president of St. Mary's Hospital in Athens.
The Senate Finance Committee issued a discussion draft Oct. 26 that extends funding for eight Medicare programs and six other healthcare programs, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Here are seven things to know about the discussion draft.

1. Notably absent from the draft is an extension of the delay of Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payments. These payments, which offset the cost of providing uncompensated care, have been delayed for four years by Congress. Cuts to the program are scheduled to go into effect Oct. 1 and will total $2 billion in 2017 if no action is taken to delay them, according to AAMC.

2. The discussion draft would permanently repeal annual caps on Medicare outpatient therapy. This would go into effect Jan. 1.

3. The bill would extend ambulance fee increases for ground ambulance services and super-rural ambulance services through 2022. It also calls for data collection on cost, revenue and utilization of ambulance services.

4. The draft outlines an extension and an update of Medicare inpatient hospital adjustments for low-volume hospitals that do not benefit from economies of scale. The bill would extend this increased funding to qualified hospitals through 2022 and expand the qualification criteria. The program currently provides a 25 percent increase in payment to hospitals with fewer than 200 Medicare discharges annually, and adjusts this increase down to 0 percent for hospitals with 1,600 Medicare discharges or more. The discussion draft would tie payment increases to total discharges rather than Medicare discharges, giving the largest pay bumps to hospitals with fewer than 500 total discharges annually, adjusting down to 0 percent for hospitals with more than 2,500 discharges annually.

5. The bill would extend increased Medicare payment rates for five years for rural hospitals in the Medicare-Dependent Hospital Program. It also calls on the Government Accountability Office to conduct a review of this program. The bill also includes extensions on increased payments for providing home health services to Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas. This increase would be slowly phased out.

6. The bill would extend funding for Medicare quality measure endorsement, input and selection. The bill allots $7.5 million for both 2018 and 2019.

7. Among other non-Medicare extensions, the bill would extend funding for abstinence education and family-to-family health education centers through 2019. It also extends the health workforce demonstration project through 2019, which helps provide training and education for low-income individuals to secure jobs in the healthcare sector.

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The following healthcare mergers, acquisitions, partnerships and general transactions took place or were announced during the past week.

1. Steward Health Care completes integration of 2 Arizona hospitals

Boston-based Steward Health Care completed the integration of two Arizona hospitals this month.

2. Tri Valley Health to affiliate with Avera Health

Cambridge, Neb.-based Tri Valley Health System's board of directors approved a management affiliation agreement with Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Avera Health Oct. 18.

3. ThedaCare drops plan to consolidate 2 Wisconsin hospitals

ThedaCare, a seven-hospital system in Appleton, Wis., will not pursue plans to consolidate two of its hospitals in Appleton and Neenah, Wis.

4. Bankrupt North Carolina hospital attracts 7 bidders

Two health systems and three medical service companies submitted bids this week for all or part of Eden, N.C.-based Morehead Memorial Hospital's assets.

5. Tenet ditches sale plans after CEO's departure

Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare ended efforts to sell itself following the departure of longtime leader Trevor Fetter Monday, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters Thursday.

6. Wake Forest Baptist to purchase High Point Regional

Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center signed a letter of intent Oct. 25 with Chapel Hill, N.C.-based UNC Health Care to acquire High Point (N.C.) Regional Health.

7. Johns Hopkins goes global, pursues 19 healthcare ventures across 5 continents

Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Medicine International aims to spread the health system's brand and mission across the globe through several initiatives, including a hospital in the Middle East.

8. Dignity Health, Select Medical sign definitive agreement to combine select operations

San Francisco-based Dignity Health signed a definitive agreement to combine its subsidiary occupational medicine and urgent care services provider with Mechanicsburg, Pa.-based Select Medical's service provider Oct. 23.
Dimensions Health, a Maryland system serving residents of Prince George's County, argued in a motion to dismiss filed Friday that it should not face a putative class-action lawsuit alleging a former OB-GYN used a fake identity while providing care to at least 1,000 women at Dimensions' facilities.

Two former patients, Monique Russell and Jasmine Riggins, brought the lawsuit against Dimensions in Maryland federal court. They allege a physician used a false identity while providing prenatal care to Ms. Russell and delivering Ms. Riggins' baby. The two women brought their claim as a class action, as they assert there are at least 1,000 women who saw Oluwafemi Charles Igberase, MD, while he was using the fake name Charles J. Akoda, MD.

Ms. Riggins and Ms. Russell's complaint does not challenge Dr. Igberase's competence to practice as an OB-GYN. They claim they suffered significant harm due to the fact that the physician did not use his real name. They further allege Dimensions was negligent in either hiring the physician or granting him privileges that allowed him to practice at its facilities.

In its motion to dismiss, Dimensions claims the lawsuit should be tossed because plaintiffs failed to meet the arbitration requirements specified in the Maryland Health Care Malpractice Claims Act and because the health system owed the plaintiffs no legal duty to ensure Dr. Akoda was not using an assumed name or that his Social Security number belonged to him. Dimensions also argues the plaintiffs failed to show that a reasonable investigation by the health system would have turned up information that would have prevented the physician from being hired.

Dimensions argues the emotional injuries the plaintiffs allegedly suffered were not caused by learning their OB-GYN used a fake name and that the physician's actions did not put patient safety at risk.

"Whether Dr. Akoda practiced under his 'real' name of Igberase or whether he used a Social Security number that did or did not belong to him has nothing at all to do with patient safety," states Dimensions' motion to dismiss.

The plaintiffs claim the physician invaded their privacy in several ways, including by performing medical procedures on them. However, Dimensions quoted Sir William Shakespeare to argue that regardless of the physician's name, he was licensed to practice medicine.

The fact that the physician used a false name and Social Security number does not "transform routine prenatal, labor and delivery care into an invasion of the patient's privacy," states Dimensions' motion to dismiss. "As Shakespeare wrote over 400 years ago, 'What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet.' Whether the patients knew him as 'Akoda' or 'Igberase,' both names denote the exact same person, and that person was a licensed physician, who was experienced and competent in the practice of obstetrics and gynecology."

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Albuquerque, N.M.-based Presbyterian Healthcare Services agreed to pay the state $18.5 million to settle a lawsuit alleging tax fraud.

In July, New Mexico's attorney general sued Presbyterian Health Plan and two affiliated organizations for allegedly underpaying premium taxes. Attorney General Hector Balderas filed the lawsuit, which claims that since 2003, Presbyterian Health Plan, Presbyterian Network and Presbyterian Insurance Co. routinely falsified its Medicaid deductions and credits to evade taxes.



The $18.5 million settlement surpasses the $14.6 million in alleged unpaid Medicaid premium taxes identified in a recent audit. However, the settlement only covers a portion of the alleged unpaid taxes. The remainder of the $29 million uncovered by the audit remains subject to enforcement.



Dale Maxwell, president and CEO of Presbyterian, told Albuquerque Journal the system worked "alongside the Attorney General's office and mutually agreed on a settlement going forward." Mr. Maxwell said the settlement agreement dismisses the lawsuit's allegations, but does not fulfill all the tax liability discovered in the audit.



Mr. Maxwell told Albuquerque Journal Presbyterian will use reserves and operating funds to pay the settlement.
The Rhode Island Department of Health fined Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare Services $1 million for violating a state law requiring state regulatory approval to convert two of its Rhode Island hospitals into nonprofit entities, according to Rhode Island Public Radio.

According to an Oct. 30 consent agreement, Prime submitted applications to RIDOH Dec. 31, 2016, to legally convert Woonsocket, R.I.-based Landmark Medical Center and North Smithfield-based Rehabilitation Hospital of Rhode Island into nonprofit hospitals.

Prime told regulators it had not completed the transaction involving the two hospitals, and repeatedly assured regulators the deal had not been completed. However, RIDOH obtained a copy of the health system's financial records for 2016. The documents showed the transaction had been completed in December 2016.

Under the agreement, Prime agreed to pay $500,000 to the Rhode Island General Treasurer and $500,000 to the city of Woonsocket. A state department spokesperson told Rhode Island Public Radio the $1 million fine is one of the largest the state has ever leveled against a health system, according to the report.

Prime will continue to operate both hospitals to "avoid disruption" in patient care, according to the agreement.

It is unclear whether the failed acquisition deal between Prime Healthcare's nonprofit arm, Prime Healthcare Services, and Pawtucket, R.I.-based Memorial Hospital earlier this month contributed to state regulators' discovery regarding Prime's dealings with the two other hospitals, according to the report.

The RIDOH spokesperson told Rhode Island Public Radio, "The Rhode Island Department of Health never received an application from Prime to purchase Memorial Hospital, so I cannot comment on that hypothetical scenario. However, [the] character and standing in the community are factors that are considered during the approval processes for the purchase of a hospital."

"Prime Healthcare provided a good faith application acknowledging that the conversion to nonprofit was pending state and regulatory approvals. After extensive discussions with the state, and in the interest of time and moving this application forward, Prime Healthcare has entered into this consent decree. Prime Healthcare remains deeply committed to the community and patients we serve, as evidenced by our commitment to establishing a trauma center at Landmark Medical Center. We are hopeful this development will move our trauma center application further along in the process," a spokesperson for Prime told Becker's Hospital Review via email Oct. 30.

The RIDOH Health Services Council will meet Oct. 31 to discuss Prime's application to maintain Landmark Medical Center and the Rehabilitation Hospital of Rhode Island's nonprofit status, the report states.
Police arrested Gerald Picerno, executive vice president and chief strategy officer of West Orange, N.J.-based RWJBarnabas Health, in Delaware Oct. 27 and charged him with three counts of lewdness, five counts of indecent exposure, two counts of third degree trespass and one count of harassment for at least three separate incidents that took place in September, according to New Brunswick Today.

The Newark (N.J.) Police Division began investigating Mr. Picerno, 57, after the department received several complaints regarding indecent behavior.

The first incident allegedly involving Mr. Picerno took place around 10:30 p.m. Sept. 15. Police said Mr. Picerno allegedly left a "lewd and harassing note" outside the door of a 20-year-old University of Delaware student's home in Newark.

Around 1 a.m. the same evening, police said a 21-year-old student identified "an unknown white male suspect  standing naked near her vehicle while masturbating," according to the report.

Roughly a half-hour later, two 19-year-old students claimed they had been walking through a parking lot and "a naked white male emerged from behind a set of dumpsters," the report states. He was allegedly holding his clothes and spoke to both individuals before jogging away.

A fourth incident reportedly took place on the University of Delaware campus Oct. 15, police said, according to the report.

Police positively identified Mr. Picerno's fingerprints on the note he left during the first incident and used the university's surveillance cameras to identify him in the related encounters, according to the report.

A police spokesperson told ROI-NJ.com Monday authorities do not know why Mr. Picerno was at the university Sept. 15, and that he does not maintain an affiliation with the university.

Mr. Picerno was arraigned and received a $5,500 unsecured bond, police said, according to the report. He was also ordered not to have contact with the university, the city of Newark or the victims.

A spokesperson for RWJBarnabas Health told Becker's Hospital Review Tuesday, "Mr. Picerno is on leave. Any inquiries about non-RWJBarnabas Health matters should be directed to his personal attorney."

Mr. Picerno's biography has also been scrubbed from the health system's website.

Editor's note: This article was updated at 9:45 a.m. to include a statement from RWJBarnabas Health.
Elisha Cooke-Moore, 36, sued Gold Beach, Ore.-based Curry County Health District and members of her medical team for $1.8 million, alleging the medical staff misdiagnosed her and caused her to undergo multiple unnecessary surgeries to minimize her chances of getting breast and uterine cancer, The Washington Post reports.

In her lawsuit, Ms. Cooke-Moore claimed a nurse practitioner mistakenly told her she tested positive for a gene mutation that increases a woman's risk for breast cancer, and diagnosed her with Lynch syndrome, which also increases an individual's risk of cancer.

Ms. Cooke-Moore underwent a total hysterectomy in August 2016 and a prophylactic bilateral nipple-sparing mastectomy with breast implants less than two months after, according to the lawsuit. She also alleged the physicians on her medical team who performed the operations "continued to negligently rely upon the misinterpreted genetic testing results" without analyzing the results for themselves, the report states.

Representatives for the Curry County Health District and one of the physicians who conducted Ms. Cooke-Moore's surgeries did not return The Washington Post's requests for comment. A lawyer for the other physician said she could not comment on pending litigation.

"I trusted my community," Ms. Cooke-Moore told The Washington Post during a phone interview Oct. 24. "I guess shame on me. Maybe I shouldn't have, but I did."

Ms. Cooke-Moore also said she was also diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder following the incident.

To read the full article, click here.
A toddler whose kidney transplant surgery was postponed after his father violated parole was hospitalized, according to The Washington Post.

Attorney Mawuli Davis, who represents the toddler's family, told the publication 2-year-old A.J. Burgess was hospitalized Sunday with peritonitis, an abdominal inflammation condition caused by a bacterial or fungal infection.

The attorney told The Washington Post A.J. is currently undergoing antibiotic treatment.

The toddler was slated to have a kidney transplant, donated by his father, at Atlanta-based Emory University Hospital early this month. However, the operation was suspended indefinitely when his father, Anthony Dickerson, 26, was arrested in September for parole violation.

The academic medical center told the Burgess family it would reevaluate Mr. Dickerson for transplant eligibility in January 2018.

Meanwhile, Carmellia Burgess, A.J.'s mother, has created an online petition calling for her son's operation to take place.

Editor's note: Molly Gamble contributed to this report.
Becker's Hospital Review reported these 17 contract resolutions and dissolutions between payers and providers in October, beginning with the most recent.

1. Kaiser, Piedmont contract for in-network services through 2021

Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta will offer Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente health plan members in-network access to all facilities under a new contract.

2. U of Virginia Health System, Aetna launch co-branded Medicare Advantage plan

Charlottesville-based University of Virginia Health System unveiled a Medicare Advantage plan with Aetna Oct. 25.

3. Rural Oklahoma hospital to go out-of-network with BCBS over proposed 30% reimbursement cut

Stigler, Okla.-based Haskell County Community Hospital said it will have to stop accepting Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma policies as in-network if the insurer goes through with proposed rate cuts.

4. Boulder Medical Center, Humana roll out value-based payment model

Boulder (Colo.) Medical Center and Humana launched a value-based healthcare delivery model for Humana Medicare Advantage policyholders in Colorado.

5. University of Cincinnati Medical Center joins Anthem's Medicare network

Cincinnati-based Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio added University of Cincinnati Medical Center to its Medicare Advantage provider network.

6. Nearly all OSF HealthCare hospitals to leave BCBS network

All hospitals affiliated with Peoria, Ill.-based OSF HealthCare  save for Saint Anthony's Health Center in Alton, Ill.  will no longer be in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois' preferred provider organization.

7. Vanderbilt University Medical Center inks contract with Cigna, now covered under 2018 ACA exchange

Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt University Medical Center signed an agreement granting in-network status to Cigna policyholders buying coverage on the 2018 ACA exchange.

8. Cleveland Clinic enters third integrated payer partnership since June, this time with Anthem

Cleveland Clinic linked up with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Ohio to offer a Medicare Advantage plan.

9. Independence Blue Cross, Tower Health end contract dispute

Tower Health in West Reading, Pa.  formerly Reading Health System  and Independence Blue Cross inked a three-year contract, effective immediately.

10. Humana adds 2 Iora Health practices to value-based network

Two Boston-based Iora Health primary care practices joined Louisville, Ky.-based Humana's Medicare Advantage network in Arizona.

11. Humana signs value-based agreement with 248-member physician group

Humana added Community Care Physicians in Latham, N.Y., to its value-based Medicare Advantage network.



12. Detroit Medical Center, BCBS sign value-based reimbursement contract

Detroit Medical Center and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, also in Detroit, will collaborate on a value-based reimbursement model for the eight-hospital system.



13. Mission Health, BCBS end contract: 5 things to know

Asheville, N.C.-based Mission Health System's contract with Durham-based Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina expired following a monthslong feud.



14. Hartford HealthCare, Aetna reach in-network deal

Members of Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna will maintain in-network access to Hartford (Conn.) HealthCare after the payer and provider renewed a contract set to expire in three months.



15. Augusta Health to terminate in-network contract with Anthem

Fishersville, Va.-based Augusta Health notified Anthem BlueCross BlueShield in Richmond, Va., it will terminate its contract with the payer by 2018.



16. Sanford Health, HealthPartners team up for Medicare plans

Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health and HealthPartners, a Minneapolis-based health plan managing government insurance, will launch Medicare plans in North Dakota and South Dakota effective Jan. 1.



17. Cleveland Clinic, Humana unveil 2 joint Medicare Advantage plans

Cleveland Clinic and Humana created two Medicare Advantage plans for patients in Ohio's Cuyahoga County.



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The Leapfrog Group released its fall 2017 Hospital Safety Grades Tuesday, assigning A through F letter grades to 2,632 acute care hospitals for patient safety performance.

Here are six things to about the safety grades and this season's update.

1. The safety grades, which Leapfrog releases every fall and spring, are based on 27 quality measures compiled by the Leapfrog Group, CMS, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the CDC and the American Hospital Association. Areas of measurement include nurse communication, hand hygiene adherence and surgical site infection rates, among others.

2. Of the more than 2,600 hospitals graded, 832 earned an A grade, 662 earned a B, 964 earned a C, 159 earned a D and 15 hospitals earned an F.

3. Hospitals given F grades were located in California, Washington, D.C., Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Mississippi and New York.

4. Rhode Island, Maine, Hawaii, Idaho and Virginia carried the highest percentage of A hospitals among all states. North Dakota, Washington, D.C., Delaware, Maryland and New York had the lowest percentage of A hospitals.

5. Oregon, Rhode Island, Hawaii, Wisconsin and Idaho displayed the most improvement since the Hospital Safety Grade rankings launched in spring 2012. Rhode Island has demonstrated the most dramatic improvement, moving from the No. 50 position in spring 2012 to the number No. 1 position in fall 2017.

6. Fifty-nine hospitals across the nation have earned an A rating in every scoring update since the ranking system's inception.

To learn more about Leapfrog safety scores, click here.

Correction: This article was updated Nov. 1 to remove Tennessee from the list of states with F hospitals. An error in the information provided by Leapfrog mistakenly mentioned Tennessee among states with F hospitals. There are no hospitals in Tennessee with a failing safety grade from Leapfrog. We regret the error.

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First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain.





Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that.





And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details.





If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb.

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Purpose-built headquarters to support the pharmaceutical, vaccines and consumer healthcare businesses across multiple regions.

Singapore  GSK celebrated the official opening of GSK Asia House (GSKAH), the new commercial hub for more than half of its worldwide healthcare operations. The Singapore headquarters will house the senior regional leadership teams of the Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines and Consumer Healthcare businesses and will work alongside the US hub to support its Global Headquarters in the UK to manage commercial activities around the world.

Located at One-North in the Rochester Park area of Singapore, it will enable GSK to better anticipate and respond to diverse healthcare needs across different markets, placing GSK in a leading position to support patients and consumers. The inauguration ceremony was officiated by Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Singapores Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies as the Guest-of-Honour together with Emma Walmsley, Chief Executive Officer of GSK Plc, in the presence of government officials, representatives from local health institutions, academic partners and GSK employees. Emma Walmsley said: Asia represents an important growth opportunity for GSK and our investment in GSK Asia House reinforces our long-term commitment to delivering for patients, consumers and employees in Singapore and Asia.

A foundation for future growth in Asia and beyond GSKAH will serve as the global home for several key business areas, and will be the base for the pharmaceuticals business in the Emerging Markets and International regions, the Consumer Healthcare businesses in Asia Pacific, as well as the Global Classic & Established Products business. Currently home to over 800 employees, the purpose-built building designed to foster better connectivity and collaboration, will help GSK anticipate and meet the changing healthcare needs of patients and consumers. GSKAH will also increase leadership and talent development opportunities in the region. Over 33% of GSKs employees are currently based in the region.
Is AMR Modern-day FRANKENSTEINS MONSTER?

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) continues to pose a significant public health problem in terms of mortality and economic loss. The rising AMR is a matter of huge concern that needs to be tactfully handled and health authorities of several countries, including India, have formulated action plans for its containment. Significant efforts by the government, an active involvement of startups and diagnostic players is a good start. The question remains, whether this will be enough.

For Feedback, please email us at: communications@mmactiv.com
On Thursday, Nebraska Community Foundation and its affiliated funds from across the state will host community leaders and supporters at the Embassy Suites Convention Center in La Vista.

This year, the event is aptly themed "Together a Greater Nebraska," a reminder that our boldest ideas are formed when we put our heads together, and our most audacious goals are realized when we work together. After 26 years in the House of Representatives and six years serving on the Nebraska Community Foundation board of directors, I know this to be true.

Nebraska Community Foundation is a volunteer-led and community-driven organization using philanthropy, community and economic development to create more prosperous hometowns across the state. NCFs 219 affiliated funds serve 250 Nebraska communities in 80 counties. Through NCF, $29 million was invested in Nebraskas people and places last year  $290 million since 1994.

Demand is constantly increasing for the citizen-driven learning process that is at the heart of NCFs work. Neighboring communities are watching places like Pender, Ord, Imperial and even tiny Byron with 83 people, where citizens are creating quality of life solutions in hometowns that are attracting young families and growing businesses.

This is no longer an aspiration. This is happening in 52 of our most rural counties, where the population of 30- and 40-year-olds is on the rise.

In recent years, Nebraska Community Foundations Annual Celebration has been hosted in Norfolk, McCook and Columbus to showcase their impressive community development achievements.

This year the celebration, very intentionally, will be held in the Omaha metropolitan area to reflect Nebraska Community Foundation's philosophy that as Nebraskans, when it comes to community development, we are all in this together. To create an economically vibrant and attractive place for all of its citizens to live and work, Nebraskans need strong and progressive communities located throughout the state.

With half of Nebraskas citizens living in Omaha and Lincoln and their growing metropolitan areas, we all know how important they are to our states cultural opportunities and economic well-being, and we are proud of their progress. Even so, the economic health of our two largest urban centers is dependent on the vitality of our agricultural base and business connections to the thriving cities and rural communities located in what is commonly referred to as greater Nebraska.

While many Nebraskans are working in urban centers, they maintain strong ties to greater Nebraska. They are choosing to live and raise their families in surrounding smaller and rural communities. Many metropolitan citizens are just a generation or less from life in hometowns elsewhere in our state, and they are giving back generously to those communities.

Attend Nebraska Community Foundations Annual Celebration on Thursday, and you will find that a great many Nebraska hometowns of all sizes are doing really spectacular things.

Holt County, for instance, has seen 145 new business starts and 44 expansions in just 10 years. Hebron is sourcing the school cafeteria with local meat, fruits and vegetables, In Shickley, more than 65 percent of households have made a gift to their communitys unrestricted endowment. Red Cloud, a town of 1,000, is building a state-of-the-art early childhood development center.

Together, through collective vision, citizen engagement, and charitable giving, over 1,500 community volunteers in the Nebraska Community Foundation network are building stronger and more attractive communities. Through Nebraska Community Foundation, they have formed a community of communities, linked by their unwavering belief that when your community thrives, and my community thrives, Nebraska thrives.

These ambitious volunteers are demonstrating something of statewide significance worth remembering  by supporting the progress all of our hometowns, and our former hometowns, through locally-based philanthropy, we can build a stronger state-wide community of communities and, ultimately, a greater Nebraska.
Genome India Project for North East launched In the North East, Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) of over 2000 individuals spanning different ethnic and linguistic and socio-cultural sections of the North East states will be undertaken .

Genome India, a comprehensive data resource for population specific genetic variants which would enable development of personalized medicine with reduced side effects, a project for North East was launched here today at IBSD complex.

North East India is among the top 10 biodiversity hotspots of India and an interesting place to study human diversity.

The people of North East India have many things which are unique and the genetic diversity of the people is not well understood.

People spend huge amounts of money for their medical treatment and are thus left with very little money for household expenses.

In addition to that, old age related health issues are an additional burden.

This burden can be reduced by personalised medicine which can be achieved by use of the genetic information, said Prof.

Dinabandhu Sahoo, Director , Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), while launching the Genome India project for North East.

This was attended by scientists from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore, L.V.

Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) Hyderabad, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) Thiruvananthapuram , Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) Bhubaneswar, National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG) Kalyani and many other reading institutes of the country.

The Genome India Project will also lead to a new understanding of the different ethnic groups of India, which is a country with the highest diversity of ethnic groups, and which puts India in a unique position for the mapping of the human genome, said Sahoo.

The mapping and understanding of the human genome in the country, particularly in the north eastern region which has over 220 ethnic groups living in very diverse topographies, will have tremendous applications in understanding not only the genetic origins of the different ethnic groups but would lead to an increased understanding of the genetic disease burden which would help in the development of personalised medicine, said Prof.

Vijayalakshmi Ravindranath, Founder Chairperson, Centre for Brain Research, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, and former Director, National Brain Research Centre, Haryana, who is the brain behind this initiative.

Kris Gopalakrishnan, co-Founder and Executive Vice-Chairman , Infosys, contributed Rs 225 crores for this initiative.

In the North East, Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) of over 2000 individuals spanning different ethnic and linguistic and socio-cultural sections of the North East states will be undertaken .

This will help us to identify genetic disease burden of specific subsets of populations, which will have far-reaching implications in improving the healthcare landscape of this region.

In this process, IBSD will be actively collaborating with the Genome lndia initiative undertaken by the Centre for Brain Research at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).

The objective of this initiative is to systematically document the genetic information from whole genome sequencing for thousands of Indian individuals belonging to different geographical location and diverse population groups across the country, to facilitate genome wide association studies at a cheaper cost in India for any genetic disease or trait.
The model will be based on UKs state-owned National Health Service (NHS).

The Kerala government has collaborated with a UK university for making changes in its healthcare model. The main objective is to address issues surrounding capacity development for primary care, training and research.

The model will be based on UKs state-owned National Health Service (NHS), the largest and the oldest single-payer healthcare system in the world that provide healthcare benefits to every citizen.

Recently, a delegation led by Keralas Health Minister K K Shylaja Kumari concluded a two-day visit to the University of Warwick in central England to explore how the general practitioner (GP) system has adapted to pressures caused by population changes.

The delegation also visited the University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS and local general practices in Coventry city centre, along with local clinicians and members of the academic unit for primary care at Warwick Medical School.

Kerala has the highest literacy rate and the highest life expectancy in India, and is experiencing a rapidly aging population and an increase in non-communicable diseases such as diabetes. In order to address these issues, the Kerala government is planning to establish training programmes to teach primary healthcare workers such as GPs and nurses.
Biolab Pharma Ltd chooses Ontario, Canada for its First International Facility

Ontario, Canada is partnering with Biolab Pharma that develops manufactures and commercializes prescription medicine and is a leader in cardiology and dermatology drugs .

This will help the company retrofit its first international facility outside Brazil, creating 40 new highly skilled jobs in the province.

With support from Ontarios Jobs and Prosperity Fund, the company is retrofitting a 13,000 sq foot research development and innovation (RD&I) facility in Mississauga. It will also invest in new equipment and special software to improve its research capabilities. These enhancements will help the company develop and commercialize innovative products for the North American and European markets.

Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development and Growth said, Our government is excited that Biolab Pharma chose Ontario for its first international site. Todays announcement is a testament to the provinces competitive and innovative life sciences sector and highly skilled workforce. This is an excellent example of how strategic partnerships can help drive economic growth and create high value jobs in the province.

Ontario is North Americas seventh-largest economy and Canadas largest centre for banking, insurance and capital markets. Ontarios diverse and innovative economy, with its educated and talented workforce, low business costs and generous incentives for R&D make it one of the best places in the world to do business and invest.

Ontario is the largest life sciences jurisdiction in Canada with more than 50 per cent of the countrys total life sciences economic activity. Ontarios life sciences sector employs approximately 60,000 people.

Charles Sousa, Minister of Finance said, Ontarios private sector is at the forefront of economic growth, tapping into our highly skilled workforce to fill the jobs of tomorrow. Through the Jobs and Prosperity Fund alone, businesses have created or retained more than 35,000 jobs, including 40 announced today at Biolab Pharma. These partnerships contribute to the strong and sustained growth of the Ontario economy, with over 794,500 net new jobs created since the recession. We are proud that our strategic investments are helping businesses across Ontario grow and prosper.

Ontario is investing up to $2.8 million through the Jobs and Prosperity Fund for this project. This is part of a larger overall investment by the company valued at $57.4 million. The project is scheduled for completion in December 2022.

Cleiton de Castro Marques, CEO, Biolab Pharma Ltd said, We are pleased to partner with the Ontario government on this exciting initiative as we expand our operations internationally. Our new facility will help us sharpen our competitive edge and better serve our customers by continually improving and creating innovative products.
If Nebraska Nice didnt move the needle for you, you werent alone.

Nebraska has, for at least four years, ranked last in the nation among people interested in visiting, according to the Portrait of American Travelers study. And the patently blase adjective that led Nebraskas tourism campaign seemed to have no meaning  and clearly had no success selling this great state to potential visitors.

Learning that Nebraska Tourism Director John Ricks is shelving the bland motto is refreshing and welcome. Calling the news nice would be a significant understatement in the realm of the tagline itself.

With it must come a reinvention of how Nebraska promotes itself to outsiders. Tourism is big business  the third-largest industry in the state, per a University of Nebraska-Lincoln study  and needs to be treated as such if Nebraska wants to be a true player in the in the field. Growing both awareness and revenue requires a rethinking of how the state is framed and investment in that mission.

To his credit, Ricks seems to understand that. Hes trashed the tepid slogan and targeted people in adjacent states, who, by virtue of geography alone, are more likely visitors than your average American.

His suggestion of gaining access to additional spending authority over the next two years makes sense, too. Tourism is a game where you have to spend money to make more money.

Particularly with Nebraskas comparatively paltry tourism budget of $6.5 million  a third of the national average and half of the median  every dollar counts. State data from 2008 indicate that every dollar spent by tourists has an overall economic impact of $2.70. Hotel-motel taxes are also important sources of revenue for cities and the state that avoid most Nebraskans wallets.

This is an arena where Nebraska must be more competitive. But the deck is somewhat stacked against the state, despite its sizable collection of sites worth visiting that fly under the radar.

From a broader perspective, Nebraska lacks major national and international destinations, such as amusement parks, mountains and beaches that many other states can offer. After all, this is the only triple landlocked state, three states removed from a gulf or ocean. Omahas Henry Doorly Zoo, Chimney Rock and Lake McConaughy are all great  but they alone cant carry water for all of Nebraska.

The state can trumpet The Good Life all it wants. But that classic saying has no significance to people who dont understand why Nebraskas worth the collective pride. This state has breathtaking natural beauty, cultural centers, historical sites and more  but too few Americans are cognizant of them.

Nebraska appears to be on the right track to growing that awareness. Ditching the dumpy slogan was a nice first move, one we hope pays benefits for years to come.
This is in response to Tom A. Stone's letter ("NFL anthem protests are 'cowardly,'" Oct. 26) First off, as a wounded veteran, he may have the expertise to write articles such as "Do not salute your senior in a war zone," but he has no special expertise in this situation.

I did some research. The alt-right call each other by silly names and wear silly clothing and spout silly, outmoded theories in the name of a God whose representatives are busily denouncing them.

These theories are an outrage to the Constitution they claim to respect. But there is no specific victim, so their antics are legal, especially when they attend to the necessary permits.

And here comes the alt-left, bringing with them news reporters and such. After all, nothing says "there is a difference of opinion" quite like one person punching another person in the nose.

I myself wonder what would happen if the alt-left stayed away. I am thinking that if they stayed away, the alt-right would have to parade around in their underwear to get all the free publicity that they now get with the help of the alt-left.

The alt-left wants to deprive the alt-right of their rights to free assembly and free speech. But again, there is no specific victim. Their antics are legal.

I am a service brat. I grew up in a service family and my adult figures were veterans. My neighbor, the man who made me a pair of stilts, had an absolutely fascinating set of scars on his belly, placed there by a Japanese bayonet.

I was raised to revere the Constitution. If the Constitution gives them the right to do this or that silly thing, or vile thing, then all I intend to do is hold my nose. I put the Constitution above almost everything else.

Donal H. Ziegenbein, Lincoln
Its Halloween! Things can get scary.

Sen. Jeff Flake writes Conscience of a Conservative." Sen. Bob Corker freely criticizes the president. Sen. John McCain fights cancer, votes and speaks his mind on a myriad of subjects. Then, Sen. Flake announces his 2019 retirement.

Meanwhile, Nebraska Sen. Deb Fischer says of these thoughts: I dont share them" ("Fischer doesnt share concerns about Trump," Oct. 27).

Suddenly, we hear how courageous some senators are. Some say: The emperor has no clothes.

Is Sen. Flake sacrificing himself -- and his political career -- to try to shake Republicans out of their stupor? Or is he afraid of a 2018 challenger? Should he run as an independent?

Sen. Corker gets in a Twitter war and accuses Trump of lying. Should he be using his valuable time this way?

Is it courage to speak up now -- rather than nine months ago? Are their criticisms just as valid today as they would have been then? Is this bravery of men already resigned to their fates? Or should we give Trump more time to learn on the job?

Would real courage be using the next months of their terms in the Senate to vote for whats good for the U.S.? Or run as independents?

Is this a caution of what happens when you publicly cross Trump? Steve Bannon is quoted as adding another scalp to his collection. Does this portend of darker (scarier) times?

Nebraska is a red state. Republicans with a future ahead of them are conspicuously quiet. Perhaps, when they start speaking out, we will see real courage.

In Commentary magazine, Noah Rothman writes: There is a war on for the soul of the Republican Party. It seems now that its only a matter of time before its members stop pretending they do not see it.

Will we really see profiles in courage? Now, thats a scary thought!

John A. Clinton, Lincoln
Jeff Bezos is the world's richest person. But he shouldn't get too comfortable on the throne just yet.

Bezos rode a post-earnings rally in Amazon.com' s shares on Friday to take the top spot in the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. It wasn't the first time. Bezos was king for a brief moment on July 27, but Amazon shares slid before the market closed and Bezos ended the day in second place.

The top spot on the Forbes 400 - an annual list of the richest Americans - has been held by just two people for the last 25 years: Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. Gates made his first appearance at No. 1 in 1992. Buffett made his first appearance a year later.

What might have seemed like a budding rivalry between two titans in 1993 turned out to be a rout. Gates has topped the list every year except 2008, when Berkshire Hathaway's stock held up better than Microsoft Corporation's during the financial crisis. Microsoft shares tumbled 45 per cent that year, while Berkshire's A shares were down 32 per cent.
Amber Harrison described her legal battle with the Seven Network, following her affair with Seven West Media chief executive Tim Worner and subsequent dismissal from the company, as a lesson in "how many ways can you screw a girl".

When former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick is asked about the high-profile case, and why in the wake of that other women would speak about issues they face in the workplace, she says: "well exactly, why would women speak up?"

Ms Broderick, who was recently appointed as the UN as Special Rapporteur for Discrimination Against Women, says powerful leaders often feel that they cannot "step up" because it will "cost them".

She gives a hypothetical example of a man in the office who may be delivering financial gains for the company, but who is at the same time excluding and harassing women, but not being held to account.
Proposed mergers of media companies will be assessed closely on how much any deal would affect competition for news stories and the effect of diversity of published opinion as much as the advertising market, says competition czar Rod Sims.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is expected to release new guidelines on Wednesday governing media company mergers in the first such update in more than a decade.

The guidelines will lay out principles for the assessment of any deals stemming from the landmark media ownership reforms that passed through parliament earlier this year.

Mr Sims told Fairfax Media that the priority in assessing deals will be the impact on news consumers.
Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos may have surpassed Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to be the richest person in the world, but there's one title he isn't likely to claim: world's most generous.

Even with more than $USUS90 billion ($US118 billion) to his name, Bezos has yet to make a major philanthropic mark, but with the new mantle of the world's richest, the pressure on Bezos to give will only grow. Nonprofits and other foundations are desperate to see what he'll do, says giving consultant and researcher Amy Schiller. "Bezos has probably had philanthropy in his mental cart for a while," she says, "and kept clicking `save for later.'"

As Gates built Microsoft, he also faced increasing pressure from the public - and even his own parents - to give more. When his mother prodded him one night, Gates snapped back, "I'm just trying to run my company!" the Wall Street Journal reported in 2009. Gates didn't fully throw himself into philanthropy until he stepped down as chief executive officer of Microsoft in 2000, but since then he's helped build the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation into the largest foundation in the country. A representative said Gates was unavailable to comment.

"Jeff is probably not quite ready to step down yet, but this is a guy who, like Bill, is fixated on changing the world in really important ways," says Ed Lazowska, Bill & Melinda Gates Chair in Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington, who has solicited donations from Bezos. "It's a full-time job. You have to imagine he will be every bit as philanthropic as Gates. Nobody has any right to make demands, and they have to give the guy time." Amazon declined to comment.
Thousands of teachers at more than 100 Catholic schools across Sydney will go on strike on Wednesday morning as the union representing independent schools and the Catholic schools employment body struggle to negotiate a new enterprise agreement.

An estimated 3000 teachers and support staff are expected to strike this week over their right to arbitration.

An estimated 3000 teachers and support staff are expected to stop work on Wednesday morning.

On Wednesday, teachers in the Sydney and Broken Bay dioceses will walk off the job until 12.30pm and march through Sydney's CBD or rally in Gymea in Sydney's south.

Teachers at Catholic schools in Parramatta, Newcastle, Goulburn, Wagga Wagga, Albury, Tamworth, Armidale and Bathurst will also stop work throughout the week.
It is alarming authorities failed to provide mental health assessments for two Bimberi Youth Justice Centre inmates within the legal timeframe, advocates say.

ACT Health confirmed two inmates were not given an initial health assessment in the required period in the 2016/17 reporting year.

Inside one of four accommodation buildings at the Bimberi Youth Justice Centre. Credit:Rohan Thomson

Under the Youth Act, the ACT Health Director-General must ensure all inmates are assessed as soon as practical, and at least within 24 hours, to identify any immediate physical and mental health risks, including the risk of self harm.

ACT Health said both inmates were subsequently given their health assessments at the same time within 48 hours of arrival.
CALEDONIA  Dan Johnson, owner of Dannys Meats & Catering, has an agreement to buy the Roundabout Bar & Smokehouse and will use it for catering, banquets and special events.

The Roundabout, 5844 Douglas Ave., is temporarily closed because of the pending sale and changes Johnson plans to make there. The closing on his purchase of both the property and the business is set for Nov. 8.

After he takes ownership, Johnson plans to change the name to Old Hickory Hall, a return to the propertys history. At one time it was called Hickory Inn, or something close to that, he said, and immediately to the south was the Hickory Inn Motel.

No major improvements will be needed to carry out Johnsons plans. He said the Roundabouts owner, Ron Zold, had done extensive remodeling. Johnson plans to change the carpeting and ceiling tiles, repaint and next year do a lot of landscaping on the approximately 3-acre property. It will be an attractive place for wedding photos, with woods in the background, he noted.

Weve been looking to expand our catering business, Johnson said about the reason for his pending purchase. Dannys previously did the vast majority of the catering for Festival Hall and Memorial Hall, he said, but early this year he opted out of that contract. Opening Old Hickory Hall is designed to fill that void.

We needed a bricks-and-mortar place for our catering, Johnson said.

Three-part plan

There are three parts to his plans for what is now the Roundabout.

One is to host and cater events there.

The second is to use the kitchen there to cater outside events.

Also, Johnson will shut down the bar and restaurant  except for Friday nights when it will open for a Wisconsin fish fry.  We have a good fish fry recipe, Johnson said.

The limited menu on those nights will also have steaks and prime-rib dinners for people who dont want fish.

Johnson said the banquet/meeting hall can seat about 300 people for a sit-down meal and about 275 for a buffet.

The whole intent is for a banquet/meeting hall, he said. Old Hickory Hall will host weddings, funerals, parties, corporate training events, employee appreciation dinners and the like. Those types of banquet/meeting events will be booked for every day of the week except Friday.

All the years of experience we have in the catering field, we can definitely offer an awesome meal with great display and some elegance, Johnson said.

It will also be affordable, he said. We want to design something that will fit any budget, Johnson said. And do it in a classy way.

Being a meat market, he added, we can compete with a lot of different-level places.

Johnson said Old Hickory Hall will likely open in early December, but his team has already been booking weddings.
Harper Hart seemed strange from the moment she enrolled at a high school in Sydney's inner west in late 2016.

Though she said she was 13, most teachers at the Good Shepherd School thought Harper looked at least a few years older.

Samantha Azzopardi pleaded guilty to four charges of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, for the education, counselling, food, accommodation and electronics she was given while posing as a schoolgirl.

When they asked for identification, she said she was under the US Government's Witness Protection Program, and was a victim of sexual assault and human trafficking.

She produced a birth certificate from San Francisco, California, which named Burwood couple Julian and Rebekah Hart as her biological parents.
A man has shot at officers in Mackay before turning the gun on himself after a domestic violence incident on Tuesday afternoon, according to police.

The Ethical Standards Command is investigating the incident with the Crime and Corruption Commission also involved, while the man is being treated for life-threatening injuries in hospital.

Police were called to a residence in the suburb of Eton in Mackay's south-west about midday after reports of a domestic violence incident, but were told a 33-year-old man allegedly involved in the argument had fled.

A short time later officers found the man at an Amiet Street residence where he allegedly pulled a gun and fired at police during a foot chase.

The man was found on a vacant block of land with what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Holidaymakers from across Australia and overseas have had their credit card and driver licence details exposed in what one legal professional called an extraordinarily inappropriate breach of privacy.

But the angry travellers, from as far away as New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and even Germany, may not have any legal protection outside of a costly civil suit thanks to a limitation of the Commonwealth Privacy Act.

Cathedral Place contains more than 500 apartments. Credit:Robert Shakespeare/Fairfax Media

Booking details of more than 100 travellers who booked with Booking.com were found unredacted in the bin room of a 514-room Brisbane apartment complex earlier this month, prompting outrage from some visitors.

The bin room is in a car park not technically accessible to the public, but hundreds of residents of and visitors to the apartment complex have access.
A week into the most challenging solar-powered bike ride in the world, Sam Mitchell wasn't at all sure he'd make it.

The relentless waves of red sand dunes were threatening to break his body and spirit.

Sam Mitchell is the Australian Geographic Society's Young Adventurer of the Year. Credit:Kate Geraghty

Too often there was not enough power, either from his batteries and electric motors or his pedalling, to tow his trailer with its array of solar panels, its load of water containers, his tools, a month's supply of food and all the rest, over a dune.

Sam, aged 21 at the time and from Victoria's Gippsland, was required, again and again, to dismount, unhook his trailer and drag it by hand over a sand ridge, driving his body to exhaustion.
Chinese international students say they are afraid to travel to school in Canberra after recent incidents of harassment and assault in the capital.

Students who spoke to Fairfax Media said they regularly felt threatened and targeted because of their nationality, particularly in Canberra's south. An assault at the Woden bus interchange last week left three Chinese college students injured and one boy aged about 17 in hospital.

The Chinese students, who did not want to be identified, but who said that they had been frequently harassed in Woden, Dora Chen, far right, who said the Chinese community is offering free car rides to international students in the wake of the attack. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

ACT Education Minister Yvette Berry said she was very concerned about the Woden attack, but described the assault as an "isolated incident" and said the students involved had received counselling.

Police said the attack was not racially motivated. Two people had since been arrested.
Acting Prime Minister Julie Bishop has signalled Australia is open to reviving plans for a sensitive four-way diplomatic and security co-operation with the United States, India and Japan - an arrangement that has historically angered China, which sees it as a containment strategy.

It is understood that Ms Bishop recently discussed with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono the prospect of setting up formal four-way meetings among the major democracies - known as the "quadrilateral dialogue" - and how to encourage India's involvement.

Acting Prime Minister Julie Bishop Credit:AP

Ms Bishop, who is also Foreign Minister, told Fairfax Media: "Australia, the United States, Japan, India and other nations have committed to ensuring that the Indo-Pacific remains a peaceful and stable region.

"We welcome discussions between Australia, India, Japan and the US to strengthen co-operative arrangements and to maximise our opportunities within the Indo-Pacific region in which international law and the rules-based order is respected, so that countries may continue to prosper."
In a balmy TAFE workshop, the Premier launched her pitch to attack the unemployment rate in regional Queensland.

The unemployment rate in Townsville is almost 10 per cent, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and Labor is keen to stave off the threat of One Nation in the regions where disaffected voters are looking for an alternative.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is seen speaking to trainees at the Townsville Trade Training Centre on Tuesday. Credit:AAP

Marking day three of the election campaign, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced an extra $155 million to extend the Back to Work program until July 2021 to potentially create up to 10,500 jobs for regional Queenslanders.

"We know in regional Queensland, families and people have been doing it tough, especially here in Townsville with the collapse of Queensland Nickel," she said.
A 10-month criminal investigation appears to have come to an end Thursday with a 26-year-old Racine man being arrested and thousands of "fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone tablets" being recovered after two Racine homes were raided, the Racine County Sheriff's Office said Friday. Officers reported they found 3,622 fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone tablets equaling 16 ounces of fentanyl and 2.4 pounds of marijuana at two Racine residences following the execution of search warrants.
I never thought Id say this, but I actually feel sorry for Steve Dickson. Steve who? In case you forgot - and you probably did - he was the LNP state MP whom Hanson lured into jumping ship in January and becoming the One Nation Leader in Queensland.

Being leader of a party of one in an 89-seat State Parliament hardly sounds like Mr Dickson is scaling the political heights, but to each their own. The big question is how long will he remain leader?

As the leader of a party of one, Steve Dickson cuts a lonely figure in Parliament. Credit:Darren England/AAP

First of all, my sources in the Labor Party and the LNP both tell me their polling shows Mr Dickson is almost certain to lose his seat. Half of the good burghers of Buderim intend to give their first preference to the LNPs Brent Mickelberg, leaving Mr Dickson possibly trailing Labor.

Some might see this as Mr Dickson getting his just desserts, but it is more a case of his being ruthlessly played by the partys leader.
Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls has refused to commit to reducing Queenslands level of debt, and instead said he would stabilise the current debt of almost $72 billion.

On Tuesday, Mr Nicholls travelled to the marginal seat of Mount Ommaney and visited a small business as part of his announcement on cutting the payroll tax for small businesses.

Tim Nicholls campaigned in Mount Ommaney on Tuesday. Credit:Glenn Hunt/AAP

Mr Nicholls committed to keeping taxes low but has said little on how he would fund the tax cut and also how he planned to tackle the states current debt of almost $72 billion.

In the economic policy we announced yesterday we said the first thing we need to be able to do is to stabilise debt over the economic cycle, he said.
Barcelona: Hours after the Spanish authorities announced that they would seek to prosecute Catalonia's separatists for rebellion, Carles Puigdemont, the region's dismissed leader, turned up Monday in Belgium, where he may seek asylum.

Puigdemont's reputation for unpredictability has grown with every turn of Catalonia's secessionist drama. On Monday, he all but disappeared as the Madrid central government began using emergency laws to take over direct administration of Catalonia after its declaration of independence last week.

Speculation had mounted as to what he was up to over the course of the day, until a lawyer in Belgium finally ended the mystery surrounding Puigdemont's whereabouts.

"I have been consulted by Puigdemont and he asked me to protect his interests in the future in Belgium," said Paul Bekaert, a Flemish lawyer.
London: Alexander Downer, Australia's High Commissioner to Britain, has warned the EU that it must take into account the role Britain can play in upholding the Western rules-based global order, saying it is in no-one's interests for the talks to break down in acrimony.

Delivering the Menzies Lecture to the Menzies Centre for Australian Studies at the King's College in London, Mr Downer said blame would be apportioned to both sides if Britain and the EU's post-Brexit relationship was anything but harmonious.

Alexander Downer said it won't be in the interests of the Western world if Brexit negotiations break down in acrimony.

He said one of the ways Australia views Britain's vote to leave the European Union was in the "geo-politics of the times".

"What is the greatest single geo-political issue of our era? That is the rise of China," he said.
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City officials launched a new program to protect small-business owners from lawsuits after an attorney representing a disabled man sued more than a dozen Park Slope mom-and-pop shops for violating a federal accessibility law, the nabes councilman announced on Oct. 27.

Proprietors can now invite experts from the Department of Small Business Services to their shops, where they will check for compliance issues related to the Americans with Disabilities Act  which requires businesses meet certain standards in order to serve the disabled  and recommend fixes that may save owners thousands in legal fees and other penalties, according to a mayors office rep. The free program will help entrepreneurs address violations before theyre flagged in the form of litigation, said a lawyer familiar with the issue.

I think a service like that, almost a beat em to the punch type of service, is great, said Vincent Wong, who represented Fifth-Avenue restaurant Pink Lotus Gourmet after it was sued under the disabilities act.

Councilman Brad Landers (DPark Slope) announcement followed lawsuits filed by Queens resident Pedro Fontanes, who sued Pink Lotus Gourmet and at least 12 other Fifth-Avenue businesses since 2016, including Burger Bistro, Calexico, Culture American Yogurt Company, Hiroto Japanese Restaurant, Le Pain Quotidien, Lukes Lobster, Nahm Thai Kitchen, Pick Quick Foods, Pizza Town, SkyIce, Uncle Barrys, and Dizzys diner, which closed in August.

Suits like Fontanes often blindside small-business owners, according to Wong, who said the pressure of keeping their doors open can distract them from focusing on compliance issues.

Most small businesses arent worrying too much about the ADA, he said. Theyre worrying about having enough customers, and if their lease is worth putting their life savings into.

Mom-and-pop proprietors can fight the lawsuits in front of a judge, but the cost in legal fees to do so can be ruinous, and most would rather settle out of court  even if the plaintiffs lawyer collects most of the cash, according to another attorney familiar with the issue.

Why would you pay me $25,000 when this guy is saying pay me $10,000 and it all goes away, said Dennis Kearney, who represented Uncle Barrys after it was sued. These little guys get crushed on the fees, so its easier to throw cash at the plaintiffs.

Slope shopkeepers and their advocates at the Fifth Avenue Business Improvement District contacted Lander for help in response to Fontanes legal blitz, and the pol then sat down with officials from the citys small-business agency and the Mayors Office for People with Disabilities to hash out a solution, according to a rep for the councilman.

Lander announced the new program less than two weeks after Fontanes died, according to his lawyer, who perversely claimed small-business owners targeted by his client should rejoice now that he can no longer sue them.

Tell the defendants in this case that he passed away and can no longer bring law suits, said Ismail Sekendiz. They should celebrate his death.
Ryanair on Tuesday said it was on course to post record annual profits despite a rostering mess-up that forced it to cancel 20,000 flights and said it would have no problem hiring the pilots required to expand by 50 percent in the next six years.

Ryanair has seen over a billion euros knocked off its share price since it announced a first wave of cancellations on Sept. 15, an emergency measure to free up standby pilots to ensure the smooth operation of its fleet of 400 planes.

The cancellations sparked a wave of bad publicity and forced Ryanair to cut its annual growth plans for the first time in years to 129 million passengers from 131 million.

But management said it expected the cuts would lift average ticket prices above previous expectations and said the reduction will give it the opportunity to improve its operations.

"The failure has clearly shown that we have weaknesses within operations and we need to address those in the coming months," Chief Executive Michael O'Leary said in a video presentation. "We don't believe there is any risk for the summer 2018 schedule."

Ryanair shares opened up 5 percent at 16.49 euros, still leaving it 8.5 percent below its value before it announced the first wave of flight cancellations last month.

In the wake of the cancellations, Ryanair has replaced its rostering team and hired back its former director of flight operations from Malaysia Airlines, Peter Bellew, as chief operations officer to spearhead an effort to better retain and attract pilots.

O'Leary said the airline was hiring around 40-50 pilots per week and said it was seeing a "flood of applications" from pilots in the wake of the bankruptcy of Britain's Monarch Airlines and Air Berlin.

He said Ryanair was beginning to see a reversal of outflow of pilots to Norwegian Air Shuttle.

Pay increases will cost the airline around 100 million euros per year if accepted by pilots in all of the company's bases, but this would not threaten the company's cost advantage over rivals, O'Leary said.

He admitted, however, that just over 10 of the company's 87 bases had approved a new pay deal. Pilots say a majority of the bases have rejected the deal, but Ryanair said only two bases - Madrid and London Stansted - had so far rejected it.

"We are engaged to see what their concerns are and the door remains open," Chief Financial Officer Neil Sorahan said.

But he warned the pilots may end up on lower pay rates than colleagues if they do not sign up. "We ... have 30 new recruits who have benefited from increased pay," at Stansted, he said.

Ryanair said it had cut fares by 5 percent in the six months to months to Sept. 30, the first half of its financial year, in line with its guidance six months ago due to growth in capacity in Europe's short-haul market.

But it said fares for the six months to March 31 would fall less than earlier forecast - by between 4 and 6 percent rather than the 5 to 7 percent guided in July.

This is in part due to the lower number of Ryanair tickets for sale and tightened capacity in the sector after Air Berlin and Monarch collapsed and Alitalia went into administration.

Ryanair said it was seeing opportunities to expand at provincial British airports and was in talks with a number of German airports following the collapse of the two airlines.

Ryanair said its profit after tax was 1.293 billion euros in the six months to Sept. 30, in line with an average forecast of 1.298 billion euros in a company-provided poll of analysts.

Ryanair reiterated its forecast that it would make a profit after tax of between 1.4 billion and 1.45 billion euros in its financial year, which ends on March 31, 2018.

The average forecast of more than 10 analysts polled by Ryanair ahead of the release was for a profit of 1.433 billion euros, down from a forecast of 1.488 billion in a poll three months ago.

"Ryanairs attractive long-term fundamentals, underpinned by its low cost base, remain intact," Liberum analyst Gerald Khoo said in a note. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie
SOMERS  A couple who were injured during a home invasion on Friday in the 3700 block of Highway L (18th Street) in Somers are recovering from their injuries, the Kenosha County Sheriffs Department reported Tuesday.

The 84-year-old man and his 83-year-old wife were flown to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa Friday morning due to injuries sustained during an altercation with someone who broke into their home. The man suffered two gunshot wounds to the shoulder and both he and his wife experienced head injuries.

Authorities say the man woke to the sound of breaking glass at about 2:30 a.m., went to investigate and encountered a male suspect.

According to a release from the Sheriffs Department, the suspect is described as an African-American man who reportedly demanded drugs and money, and took cellphones from the victims.

The site of the incident is located just east of the of the intersection of 39th Avenue and two blocks west of 30th Avenue, where a Walgreens is located at the intersection at the intersection with Highway L.

The Sheriffs Department is continuing to investigate all possible motives and leads and is asking the community for any information that might help solve the crime. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Kenosha County Sheriffs Department at 262-605-5100. If citizens wish to remain anonymous, the numbers for Crime Stoppers of Kenosha are 262-656-7333 or (800) 807-8477.
Shanxi province's commission for the economy said that this "winter, and next spring, some areas may experience a situation of tightened coal supply, and that the "task of ensuring a stable supply of natural gas is formidable. Photo: Visual China

One of Chinas top coal-producing provinces has ordered local governments and companies in the region to ensure adequate coal, natural gas and oil supplies ahead of the peak winter consumption period, as fears grow that some parts of the country may face shortages.

Shanxi, which accounts for just under a quarter of the countrys coal output, has issued a series of demands including a requirement that localities ensure they have three days worth of emergency gas supplies, and that production at the most efficient coal mines be boosted if needed.

This winter, and next spring, some areas may experience a situation of tightened coal supply, the provinces commission for the economy and information technology said in a statement on its website dated Oct. 10, warning that with demand for natural gas rising as a result of the national coal-to-gas campaign the task of ensuring a stable supply of natural gas is formidable.

Chinas long-standing campaign to replace highly polluting coal with natural gas has led to a surge in demand for the cleaner fuel. But supply hasnt been able to keep pace partly due to a shortage of infrastructure such as storage facilities.

Coal prices, which surged this year amid the governments drive to cut capacity, have remained elevated, leaving many coal-fired power generating companies exposed to higher costs and reluctant to keep high stocks of the fuel. Many provinces have shuttered old, inefficient coal-fired power stations as part of the governments strategy to cut air pollution and reduce overcapacity in power generation. Shanxi province, for example, has said it will eliminate 49 million tons of coal capacity every year in the five years through 2020.

Faced with a squeeze from all directions, the central government launched a national drive to secure energy supplies in September to ensure the country can meet rising demand for heating over the winter months. The National Development and Reform Commission issued a document calling on "key regions," especially in northern China, to protect coal supplies and "strengthen" their use of alternative energy sources.

Responding to the commissions call, Shanxi, one of six regions included in a government campaign to reduce smog in northern China over the winter, issued a plan for the province that was posted on the website of the Shanxi Commission of Economy and Information Technology. Coal producers were told to take measures to ensure the safety of the coal supply chain, and to strictly honor medium- and long-term contracts.

The province has been aggressively following the governments coal-to-gas campaign, which aims to increase the percentage of natural gas in total primary energy consumption to 15% by 2030 from 5.9% in 2015. The provincial capital, Taiyuan, has replaced coal burners for 134,000 households in rural and urban parts of the city with electric or national gas, the official Xinhua News Agency reported earlier this month.

Earlier in October, Taiyuan announced a ban on the sale, transport, and use of coal by all individuals and companies except for some state-owned steel and power plants. The city said it hoped to cut its total coal consumption for heating by 90%.

But in its plan, the Shanxi government warned that the province must not blindly pursue the coal-to-gas policy. Officials must ensure the transition happens in an orderly manner and does not cause gas shortages, it said. Authorities should guarantee the gas supply before setting coal-to-gas conversion tasks ... and ensure a minimum three-day volume of gas storage in the local region, the statement said.

The plan also ordered the Shanxi branches of PetroChina and Sinopec, the countrys two biggest oil groups to step up their monitoring of the market, and maintain "reasonable inventory levels," especially of winter diesel fuel in colder areas.

Contact reporter Teng Jing Xuan (jingxuanteng@caixin.com)
Mobile payment platform Alipay and taxi-hailing service Didi Chuxing are following a global expansion path similar to many Chinese service operators by making their services available first to millions of Chinese traveling overseas. Photo: Visual China

Sector leaders Didi Chuxing and Alipay are moving into Japan and Hong Kong with new taxi tie-ups, catering to the growing legions of Chinese who travel overseas for work and play.

Alipay announced two new partnerships that will make its popular electronic payment service available in thousands of Hong Kongs trademark red taxis, both for mainland Chinese as well as local residents. In separate news, private car services specialist Didi is reportedly nearing an agreement that would allow Chinese users of its app to hail thousands of cabs in Japan.

Both Alipay and Didi are following a global expansion path similar to many Chinese service operators by making their services available first to millions of Chinese traveling abroad. Some 6 million Chinese traveled abroad during the recent weeklong Oct. 1 National Day holiday alone, according to the China National Tourism Administration.

While targeting Chinese travelers is relatively easy, selling their services to local consumers in overseas markets is more difficult because players like Alipay and Didi must compete with entrenched local rivals, and also provide local consumers with market-specific apps and other tools.

Alipay parent Ant Financial Services Group took one of the first major steps in targeting local consumers last month, when it announced a major new tie-up aimed at people in Hong Kong. That deal saw Ant form a joint venture with local tycoon Li Ka-shing, whose business empire includes a number of major local consumer-facing businesses in everything from groceries to mobile service.

Under its latest Hong Kong tie-up, Alipay will bring its payments service to Hong Kong taxis working with local mobile payment system developers YedPay and Valoot, it said Monday. The partners have already rolled out Alipay services for mainland visitors and local Hong Kong residents in several dozen taxis throughout the city, and plan to expand it to thousands more through November.

This partnership strengthens the cooperation between Alipay and Hong Kong (small and midsized enterprises), empowering taxi drivers with a smoother and more efficient payment method, and marks an important step for Hong Kongs transformation into a smart city, said Venetia Lee, general manager of Alipays unit for Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. With this partnership, Alipay now covers the three major scenarios of shopping, dining and transportation across the Greater Bay Area.

The latest Hong Kong tie-up comes just two weeks after Alipay announced a similar partnership that would make its service available to Chinese taxi users in the popular U.S. destinations of New York and Las Vegas.

Meantime, Didi, which merged last year with the Chinese unit of global giant Uber, is in talks for a tie-up that would let Chinese users of its app hail taxis operated by Japans Daiichi Koutsu Sangyo Co., Bloomberg reported, citing a person familiar with the matter. The two sides plan to launch a service next spring, targeting mainland Chinese visitors to Tokyo, Osaka, Kyushu, Hokkaido and Okinawa.

A Didi spokesman told Caixin that as an open platform we are exploring broad collaborative opportunities in Japan, but we do not have a timetable yet. He declined to comment further.

Such a partnership would mark one of the first allowing Didis Chinese customers to use the service outside their home market. Didi previously experimented briefly with a similar interoperability agreement with U.S. operator Lyft, but has since ended that arrangement because the service "still needs lots of improvements," the spokesman said.

It has other more technology-related partnerships with Lyft, as well as partners in Brazil, India and Southeast Asia.

The story has been updated to directly quote a Didi spokesman on the reasons for the company's decision to end its interoperability agreement with Lyft.

Contact reporter Yang Ge (geyang@caixin.com)
Modified On Dec 27, 2017 12:05 PM By Raunak for Audi Q5 2018-2020

The lighter and longer second-generation Audi Q5 is based on VW Group's MLB EVO platform and is expected to be launched before the end of this year

The second-generation Audi Q5 has been spotted in the country ahead of its expected launch by the end of this year. Although Audi Indias website still displays the current Q5, it no longer tells you the cost of the SUV. This could indicate that the new model might be launched here sooner than expected. The second-generation of the SUV made its world debut in October last year at the Paris Motor Show.

The new Audi Q5 will go up against the likes of the popular Mercedes-Benz GLC along with the upcoming BMW X3 and the second-gen Volvo XC60, which are likely to be launched in 2018.

The new Audi Q5 is based on VW Groups MLB EVO (Modular Longitudinal Matrix) platform that made its debut with the second-gen Audi Q7. Courtesy of the new platform, the second-gen Q5 is up to 90kg lighter than the first-gen model. The MLB EVO is the second iteration of the previous MLB platform. Apart from the Q7, the Q5 share this new platform with the current A4, the recently launched A5 and its brethren, the new Audi A7 Sportback, and the upcoming fourth-gen Audi A8.

Second-gen Q5 First-gen Q5 Difference Length 4663mm 4629mm +34mm Width 1893mm 1898mm -5mm Height 1659mm 1655mm +4mm Wheelbase 2819mm 2807mm +12mm

Mechanically, the India-spec model is expected to be powered by the 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine and the 2.0-litre TFSI petrol motor. In global markets, the Q5 is available in three states of tune of the 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine (India-spec model is likely to get the most powerful tune), while the 2.0-litre TFSI is available in a single state of tune. Both the engines are mated to a 7-speed S-Tronic (dual-clutch) automatic transmission with Audis Quattro AWD (All-Wheel-Drive) setup as standard.

Vitals

Second-gen Audi Q5 Diesel Petrol Engine 2.0-litre TDI 2.0-litre TFSI Displacement 1968cc 1984cc Max Power 190PS @ 3800 - 4200rpm 252PS @ 5000 - 6000rpm Peak Torque 400Nm @ 1750 - 3000rpm 370Nm @ 1600 - 4500rpm Transmission 7-speed dual-clutch auto 7-speed dual-clutch auto Drivetrain All-Wheel-Drive All-Wheel-Drive

The Audi Q5 has been on sale in Europe and other major markets since early this year. The new Q5 is being built at Audis newly constructed manufacturing plant in Mexico. When Audi launches the new Q5 in India, expect the German carmaker to continue assembling the SUV at its Aurangabad facility in Maharashtra. The second-generation of the Audi Q5 is likely to be priced in the same range as the current version of the SUV. Check out the Audi Q5 in detail, including its evolved styling and new interior, here: Paris Motor Show: Audi Unveils 2017 Q5

Recommended: Next-Gen Audi Q5 Launching On January 18
Photo: Contributed

A husband and wife from California who survived the mass shooting at a Las Vegas country music festival died several weeks after the Oct. 1 massacre in an auto crash.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that Dennis and Lorraine Carver died after their vehicle crashed into a metal gate outside their community in Riverside County, California, and burst into flames on Oct. 16.

At the music festival, Dennis Carver jumped on top of his wife to shield her from bullets. They managed to run away from the shooting and were not injured.

Brooke Carver, the couple's 20-year-old daughter, says her parents had grown deeper in love in the weeks after the shooting.

The Carvers had been together for 22 years.
Habesha Cement forced to halt production

31 October 2017

Habesha Cement, has halted its cement production at its plant near Holeta city, Oromia State due to a security threat. The decision was made after young anti-government protestors occupied the cement manufacturing plant which was inaugurated last April.



Mesfin Abi (Eng), CEO of Habesha Cement SC, explained production was suspended. "More than 20 youngsters from the locality and other places occupied the mining area hampering our operation. We are working with the local community and administration to amicably solve the problem," he explained.



The plant has production capacity of 1.4Mta and PPC increased its shareholding in the company to 51 per cent in 2014.



In a related development, five trucks belonging to the Dangote group have also been torched by protesters in Ethiopia.



Published under
RACINE  With Foxconn expected to bring up to 13,000 jobs to Racine County in the coming years, City Administrator Jim Palenick told aldermen last week that the time has come for Wisconsinites to rethink how regions pay for public transit.

Primarily, Palenick said, state lawmakers should let communities band together to form regional transit authorities.

The comments came last week as aldermen were discussing the citys bus system during a Committee of the Whole meeting on the citys 2018 budget.

There is an incredible opportunity coming to us in the sense of Foxconn as we are going to have huge numbers of people needing to be moved around our area, Palenick said. What this really cries out for is a transit authority that can generate revenues from a much wider area basis than a single, older urban core city that is taking on the burden for all of the areas around it.

Regional transit authorities

Used in other states, RTAs have taxing authority or can ask voters to approve taxes dedicated toward funding a regional transit network. In 2011, state lawmakers passed legislation essentially prohibiting RTAs. Transit advocates have long lobbied for the state to allow the systems, but those efforts have largely failed.

The citys bus system, now called Ryde, provides close to 1.3 million rides each year in Racine, Mount Pleasant, Caledonia and Sturtevant, as well as service to Grandview Industrial Park just west of Interstate 94 in Yorkville.

The bus service costs about $9.8 million annually to operate, and is funded through a variety of sources including state and federal funding, fares and money from the City of Racine, Sturtevant, Mount Pleasant, Caledonia and the Town of Yorkville.

But that funding isnt always guaranteed.

Frustrated by service they say serves people going to Sturtevant more than it serves actual Sturtevant residents, village officials have recommended cutting the villages $50,000 annual contribution to the bus system from their 2018 budget.

Broken system

The move comes as comes as Gateway Technical College is preparing for a $5 million-plus expansion of the iMet Center, 2320 Renaissance Blvd., in Sturtevant, to train people for possible manufacturing jobs at the future Foxconn plant.

If the village doesnt restore funding, the City Council could eventually face the question of whether to eliminate service to Sturtevant.

The situation itself, said Palenick, is testament to why region-wide, or multi-regional transit authority is needed.

Right now this is a broken system thats getting more broken every year, he said. Wed like to see the State of Wisconsin allow for multi-jurisdictional, regional transit authorities, and we would advocate that, in this region  particularly because of Foxconn  that it become a solution to solve not just bus transportation but potentially other kinds of mass transportation, not the least of which is passenger rail.
500 years after the Reformation, can evangelicals and Catholics make up?

The language Catholics and Protestants have used about each other in the past, particularly evangelical Protestants, is quite extraordinary. Here's CH Spurgeon, for instance: 'We must warn with judicious boldness those who are inclined towards the errors of Rome; we must instruct the young in gospel truth, and tell them of the black doings of Popery in the olden times. We must aid in spreading the light more thoroughly through the land, for priests, like owls, hate daylight.'

That's one of his milder salvoes.

It is only in very recent times that evangelicals and Catholics have learned to be civil to each other; even back in the '80s I recall a church's participation in a Billy Graham rally being questioned by some because he made a practice of having local church leaders including Roman Catholics on the platform with him.

But in this season marking the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, is it time to bury the hatchet? Evangelicals and Catholics are, after all, co-belligerents on causes dear to the hearts of both. Both are generally opposed to homosexuality and transgenderism as well as sex outside marriage. Both are generally opposed to abortion and euthanasia. They can share platforms on this kind of cause  so are hostilities over?

Evangelicalism is fractious and not particularly coherent  even in the UK, it is divided into 'tribes' which may not have much common ground. The statement of faith of the Evangelical Alliance, for instance, is far too woolly for the Federation of Independent Evangelical Churches. But there is also a World Evangelical Alliance which acts as a global body, and it engages at a high level with other organisations such as the World Council of Churches  and the Roman Catholic Church.

'Challenges and Opportunities'

One of the fruits of its dialogue with the latter is a seven-year consultation (2009-2016) whose result has just been published. 'Scripture and Tradition' and 'the Church in Salvation': Catholics and Evangelicals Explore Challenges and Opportunities begins with a note on the status of the report, saying it is 'not an authoritative declaration' of either body. It speaks of the need for unity: 'We realize that in the history of the Church, continuing even to today, divisions have damaged the visible unity of the Church and shaken the credibility of the Gospel that is to be preached in the world.' Furthermore, it recognises that different parts of the world have different problems and that relations aren't the same in different places  where they are equally persecuted, for instance, hostilities tend to evaporate.

The document covers the status of Scripture in each tradition  is authority Scripture alone (evangelical) or Scripture and tradition (Catholic)? With appropriate reservations, it says both sides have come a long way since the Reformation. 'Catholics and Evangelicals rejoice in affirming together that the Scriptures are the highest authority in matters of faith and practice,' it says. There are words of encouragement and appreciation from each tradition to the other. But there are also 'fraternal questions of concern' on both sides, too, where the weaknesses of each tradition are probed.

And what about the dogmatic pronouncements of the Church since the 19th century on, for instance, the Immaculate Conception and the bodily assumption of Mary? These, the evangelicals say with masterly understatement, seem to have little if any biblical support.

There's a similar procedure regarding 'Apostolic Tradition' and 'Scripture and Tradition': common ground, valuing tradition, words of encouragement and fraternal questions of concern. In the second part, 'God's gift of salvation in the Church', the discussion are equally rich, but the questions are, if anything, more spiky. What about purgatory, ask the evangelicals? 'If you truly believe in an all-merciful and loving God who redeems us in Christ and that it is not by your merits that you are saved and salvation is given why do you continue to use the language of the treasury of merit, satisfaction, and indulgences?'

Yet out of these clear areas of disagreement come understandings of where, in fact, it isn't as great as all that  and where there is still disagreement, at least a good many misconceptions about what is actually believed has been cleared away, and an immensely fruitful conversation is being had.

Joint Declaration

This is the kind of conversation that has also led to the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification by the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church in 1999, subsequently adopted by the World Methodist Council and the World Communion of Reformed Churches. The question of how someone was saved was at the root of the Reformation 500 years ago. Was it, as Luther argued, by grace through faith alone? Or was the Church involved as a gatekeeper who could (for a fee) hand out admission tickets? Theology moves on, old quarrels lose their heat and it turns out that in fact Catholics and Lutherans, or most of them  not everyone was convinced  could get along after all.

This did not, however, amount to an admission that they had been arguing over nothing. They agreed that the excommunications relating to the doctrine of justification set forth by the Council of Trent did not apply to the teachings of the Lutheran churches set forth in DDJ; likewise, the Lutherans acknowledged that the condemnations set forth in the Lutheran Confessions do not apply to the Catholic teachings on justification set forth in DDJ. In other words, both sides had learned more theology and were able to 'articulate a common understanding of our justification by God's grace through faith in Christ'.

As DDJ says: 'It does not cover all that either church teaches about justification; it does encompass a consensus on basic truths of the doctrine of justification and shows that the remaining differences in its explication are no longer the occasion for doctrinal condemnations.'

Anglicans too have associated themselves with DDJ, and today (October 31) the Archbishop of Canterbury is going to present Catholic and Lutheran representatives with copies of the Anglican response to the statement.

However: this sort of high-level theological engagement, involving highly skilled theologians who have several meetings over a period of years, does not necessarily convince everyone. In his book The Unquenchable Flame, for instance, British theologian Michael Reeves takes issue with DDJ and characterises it harshly. 'On the whole, when reading the Joint Declaration, it is quite hard to know what is being said, and one gets the impression that words are being used to paper over cracks rather than give clarity... Joint Declaration it may be, the curtain on the Reformation it is not.' And, he points out, the official Catechism of the Catholic Church 'contains doctrines that simply cannot be squared with a Reformational understanding of justification...no doctrine has been rescinded'.

Spanish objections

But given that the Joint Declaration has generally found wide acceptance, what about the World Evangelical Alliance/Roman Catholic document? It perceptively says that context varies widely throughout the world, and one response from the Spanish Evangelical Alliance illustrates this well. It says it views the WEA's approach to the Roman Catholic Church 'with a growing concern' shared by other national alliances; requests by Christian Today for further information received no reply. The statement by the Alianza Evangelica Espanola says Catholic doctrine 'has not subtantially changed in the last 500 years to correct the doctrinal errors that triggered the Reformation' and that 'the truth can never be subordinated to strategic issues'. It refers to questions of authority and the infallibility of the Pope, transubstantiation, the sacrifice of the Mass and the seven sacraments; the Catholic doctrines of salvation as defined by the Council of Trent and the use of indulgences; Marian doctrines, and prayers for the dead.

Furthermore, the Spanish evangelicals appear rather sceptical about Pope Francis's openness to evangelicals, whose numbers are rapidly increasing in Latin America at the expense of Catholics  they cannot accept his warnings against 'proselytism', they say, because they will never give up preaching the gospel

A response to the Alianza's critique was published by Evangelical Focus. Written by Thomas Schirrmacher, WEA associate secretary general for Theological Concerns, and Thomas K Johnson, the WEA's religious freedom ambassador to the Vatican. If there was any doubt that for some evangelicals relations with Roman Catholicism is still a live issue, this paragraph indicates the strength of feeling there is out there: 'We have been accused of entering into spiritual union with the Antichrist; some evangelicals have refused to participate in a meeting with us because we have shaken hands with Pope Francis.' Interestingly, they say wryly, 'our friendly meetings with Orthodox Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Jains, Hindus, or Sikhs do not provoke similar criticisms'.

'Is the Reformation Over?'

However, Schirrmacher and Johnson are no shrinking theological violets. The have engaged in debate before with those who are keener to stress the differences between evangelicals and Catholics than their points of agreement. The Reformanda Initiative  of which Michael Reeves is a part  believes evangelicalism 'currently has an incoherent relationship with Roman Catholicism', which it says is 'a severely flawed system in need of a radical biblical reformation in its basic theology and practice'. It produced a 'Statement of Evangelical Convictions', 'Is the Reformation Over?'  a question designed to elicit the answer, 'No'. The leopard has not yet changed its spots. Catholics have noticed how many they are losing to evangelicalism, and are responding 'strategically' by adopting evangelical language; Catholics have not changed their minds about the authority of tradition; the Joint Declaration doesn't fundamentally change anything.

Schirrmacher and Johnson responded with an article entitled 'Let the Reformation Continue!' in which they said the Reformanda statement was 'not a sufficient description of our present theological situation'. No one had ever said the Reformation was over, evangelical convictions aren't being softened by dialogue with Catholics, implying Catholics were only interested in dialogue in order to reconvert evangelicals implied the Pope was a liar and was tantamount to bearing false witness, and Reformanda had just got the Joint Declaration wrong. Following this, Reformanda writers Leonardo De Chirico and Greg Pritchard published 'The Need for Clarification: Is the Reformation Over?' addressing Schirrmacher's and Johnson's points; there are helpful links to the whole debate.

The tone of these exchanges is generally polite but extremely frosty  frostier with each other, perhaps, than either would be with their common opponent. And while only those most dedicated to the debate will want to read all of these tens of thousands of words, through their emerging subtexts as much as anything, they do help to clarify a certain choice evangelicals  and Catholics  might have to make.

That is not so much about what is being discussed  though that is crucially important  but how it is being discussed. It's possible, after all, to engage in debate purely at a textual level, and argue about what different statements mean. That could be done entirely by email, and it is not likely to be very fruitful.

The other approach, however, is to look each other in the eye and acknowledge each other as sisters and brothers in Christ, and talk together with the assumption that the other person is speaking and acting with absolute integrity. In this way it sometimes happens that we find the gulfs between us are really just gullies to step over. It doesn't always happen, of course; sometimes that indispensable theological rigour requires us to acknowledge that we believe different things.

But there's all the difference in the world between approaching dialogue with our arms folded in suspicion of an enemy, and approaching it with our arms open to embrace a friend.

Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods
A second Reformation? How the 'church from below' is shaking the Establishment

Christianity in 21st century Britain is a peripheral affair. The church is a marginal voice and while it may still retain its status of significance in some matters, that voice carries little authority.

In the wake of the Manchester bombings it was the church that was invited to provide leadership at the vigil to commemorate the victims. Yet as the Bishop of Manchester has since said, it was his role to 'curate' the community's response rather than lead it, and certainly not to dictate it.

Five hundred years ago, at the moment in history we associate with the beginning of the Reformation, the church undergirded every facet of life. On October 31, 1517, a monk named Martin Luther legendarily nailed his 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church, Wittenberg, and the church was never the same again.

Luther's radical rediscovery and application of the doctrine of grace blew apart the relationship between church and people, challenged the practices of the Catholic Church and paved the way for the Protestant movement to move from a persecuted minority to a legitimate expression of church. Five hundred years later, the dramatic shift in the positioning of religion and in particular Christianity, in the life of Britain and other western nations, has been so thorough and so fast that some have speculated if we are experiencing a second 'reformation'.

Where might we look for evidence of this transformation? There is first the story of decline, of all the mainstream denominations. Then there are stories of those who have left the church but not abandoned their faith, looking instead to gather a handful of like-minded individuals and journey together. Others are drawn to elements of Christianity, but are happy to fuse these beliefs and practices with those of other traditions and have little interest in organised religion.

Something is afoot. And whatever it is, Christianity, and its place in society, will probably never be the same again. The writer Phylis Tickle referred to what we are experiencing as another 'semi-millennial rummage sale of ideas', a kind of necessary clear-out of accumulated stuff as a means of rediscovering what really matters.

That was true of the Reformation with its three slogans, 'sola Scriptura' 'sola fides', 'sola gratia'  'Only scripture!' 'Only faith!' 'Only grace!' It was attempting to clear away the clutter of indulgences, overbearing ritual, relics and obligatory religious observance, and invite people back to a personal and individual faith. The point of these slogans was to shift authority away from the patriarchal institutions of the church and back to scripture.

Some argue that the Reformation didn't go far enough. The power of institution was not sufficiently broken and ritualistic authority was simply exchanged for an authority of doctrine. After all, you couldn't trust the ordinary man or woman to interpret Scripture on their own!

So instead of being mediators of grace, the churches became arbiters of truth and dispensers of orthodoxy. What we are experiencing in our own age is the undermining of institution as the locus of authority. And with that global shift the churches in the West find they are losing adherents at an alarming rate. Some, it is argued, were never too firm in their belief in the first place. Some are taking their well-worn faith and looking for a place to nurture it beyond the reaches of organised Christianity.

Others still are venturing out to the margins and reimagining church for the increasingly post-Christian, embryonic post-Christendom landscape. Slowly but surely a movement of pioneers and dissidents is forming. Spirit and community are the axioms that characterise this reforming movement  the equivalent of the three-fold cry of 'grace'. There are signs that the church is finally emerging from the upheavals of the last century, and is at last growing in conviction and confidence, free from the assumptions and models of Christendom.

This new breed of believers views church as a set of relationships rather than a set of prescribed practices and is free to embrace treasures such as contemplation, silence and solitude, devalued by the Reformation, and refresh them for this new age. This new 'reformed' church is free from clericalism to find the space to rediscover church as a deep expression of solidarity and love in community. And it is freed from the endless dance around the holy grail of orthodoxy to journey with others to discover what it means to live Jesus' call to live life to the full.

These new forms of church are small and numerous, fleet of foot and flexible in form. They meet in cafes and community centres, pubs and gyms. They will never have the power, prestige or public face of the traditional church. This is 'a church from below', a church with a purpose shaped not by the limited arguments of the Reformation age of right belief, but by the common hunger for spiritual community and authenticity in the service of Christ.

Paul Bradbury is Pioneer Mission Coordinator for Church Mission Society.
Ahead of Netanyahu's UK visit, Theresa May urged to raise 'corrosive occupation' of Palestinian territory

Ahead of the Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's five day visit to the UK which begins tomorrow, Amnesty International is urging the Prime Minister, Theresa May, to raise human rights issues among Palestinians  including in Gaza.

Netanyahu is visiting Britain to mark the centenary of the Balfour Declaration, the UK government's statement in 1917 outlining its intention to provide a 'national home for the Jewish people' in Palestine.

Amnesty pointed out that the visit also comes during the 50th anniversary of Israel's military occupation of Palestinian territory during the 1967 Six-Day War, and the charity is campaigning for a ban on the import into the UK of all goods produced in Israeli settlements deemed illegal under international law.

Kate Allen, Director of Amnesty International's UK section, said: 'It's not just Balfour which is being marked this year; it's also 50 years since Israel's oppressive military occupation of the Palestinian territory began  an occupation which shows no sign of becoming any less cruel for the millions of Palestinians suffering under it.

'When Theresa May meets Benjamin Netanyahu, she should urge him to address Israel's mass human rights violations in the occupied territories, including by suspending all further settlement building and lifting all arbitrary and discriminatory restrictions on Palestinian movement, as well as ending the illegal blockade of Gaza and the collective punishment of Gaza's entire population.

'Later this year the United Nations is planning to publish a list of international and Israeli businesses profiting from the illegal Israeli settlements, and the UK should pre-empt that by announcing a ban on the import into the UK of all products from illegal Israeli settlements.'

'Israel's prolonged military occupation of Palestinian territory is utterly corrosive. We don't want to be here in another 50 years still talking about mass human rights violations resulting from Israel's occupation of Palestinian land.'

Amnesty is also urging May and ministers to raise the case of two high-profile Palestinian human rights activists  Issa Amro and Farid al-Atrash  currently on trial before an Israeli military court. Amro and Al-Atrash are being tried on charges relating to their involvement in protests, including one in February 2016 against restrictions placed by the Israeli military on the movement of Palestinians in the West Bank city of Hebron.

Amro, a 37-year-old coordinator with the Youth Against Settlements group, was also arrested last month by the Palestinian authorities and charged with alleged cyber-crimes after writing about the arrest of a Palestinian journalist on Facebook. The Hebron case, which is being heard before the Ofer Military Court, began at the weekend and is set to continue on 5 November, the last day of Netanyahu's UK visit.
Alexander Skarsgard's new haircut news: Theories for shaved head surface

Alexander Skarsgard has made a bold move with his new haircut, as the actor has now gone bald, supposedly for his new and upcoming role.

The actor was seen in his new look during the Louis Vuitton's "Volez, Voguez, Voyagez" exhibition in New York where he walked the red carpet proudly with his new hairdo. The haircut left Skarsgard with a "donut" hairstyle where some of his blond hair that extended from ear to ear and the back of his head was still left behind. A close-up photo of the actor's new haircut was posted in what is assumed to be his secret Instagram account.

Moonrise. A post shared by Rex Danger (@rexdanger) on Oct 24, 2017 at 11:45am PDT

Skarsgard's new look is speculated to be for his upcoming movie, "The Hummingbird Project," since the location of the Instagram post is Quebec, Canada, and filming for the movie has just begun in the same country. It is a strong indication that the actor might be there as well or was there recently.

"The Hummingbird Project" is a drama movie directed by Kim Nguyen and involves a pair of high-frequency traders going up against their old boss in an effort to make millions in a fibre-optic cable deal. Skarsgard stars with Jesse Eisenberg and Salma Hayek in the said movie.

Meanwhile, another theory is that Keith Urban made him shave his head as payment for his kissing Nicole Kidman at the Emmys.

Needless to say, fans were in shock, as can be seen on social media. A lot of them liked Skarsgard's old hair better. Some even went as far as to exclaim curses, and one Instagram user even suggested to sue the hairdressers, humorously though.

WTFFF alexander skarsgard better win a damn oscar for whatever this movie is @TheAcademy

Skarsgard's fans on Twitter were as equally stupefied by his haircut, saying that he better win an Oscar for what is considered an embarrassment.

That said, some actually like the actor's new look. In general, most fans need not worry though, as the stubble on Skarsgard's bald spot is an indication that the hair will be growing back.
Church Calls For Government Action On 'Crack Cocaine' Of Gambling

The Church of England is calling for a clampdown on the 'crack cocaine' of gambling  fixed odd betting terminals (FOBTs).

The spin machines found in high street betting shops allow a maximum stake of 100 every 20 seconds, meaning 18,000 could be lost in a single hour.

But the Church's General Synod unanimously passed a motion calling for the highest stake to be cut to 2 per spin.

A plea tabled by the Diocese of London throws the weight of the CofE behind a campaign calling on the government to act. It described the 'destructive impact' of the high-stakes machines and called for local authorities to be given the power to regulate the machines.

The highly lucrative machines are thought to earn the Treasury 438 million in tax revenues and provide more than half of Ladbrokes' profits. Bookmakers as a whole earn around 175 billion each year.

The high profits are seen as one reason why the government has called a review but declined to regulate the machines.

Clive Scowan, bringing forward the motion, described them as an 'anomaly' as they are the only type of machine allowed outside casinos where you can bet more than 2 per stake.

He described them as a 'highly pernicious form of high street gambling' and said they 'feed off poverty and exacerbate it, often plunging people into unmanageable debt, bringing misery not just to the gamblers but to their families and especially their children'.

He said: 'God calls us as his ambassadors to stand for his justice and to defend the poor and needy, which includes speaking prophetically to those in power.'
'Detective Conan' Episode 879 Spoilers: Dressing Room Murder case featured in the next episode

"Detective Conan" fans should get dressed for action, as the next episode of the long-running anime series will see the mini detective solving a dressing room mystery murder.

Episode 879, titled "The Blindspot in the Dressing Room," is a direct television adaptation of chapter 971 of the 92nd volume of the manga. The episode takes place in a department store, where a murder of the store manager took place in the fitting room section. Police detective Juzo Megure discusses how the murder was possible with his partner, police inspector Wataru Takagi. The two speculate that the killer would have had difficulty sneaking behind his dressing victim since the mirror would signal his approach.

Shinichi Kudo, a.k.a. Conan, has proposed an ingenious plan of simulating the incident by making a pretend customer and making them guess where they would expect a killer to appear while in the dressing room. The idea also allowed Conan to explain how the killer might have struck without anyone seeing him as well as why no one else in the other fitting rooms heard her scream.

In the manga, Conan proposes to Megure and Takagi that the victim might have been incapacitated before the murder took place. Masumi Sera, Conan's detective friend, then suggests that the face cover might have been the tool used to make the victim unconscious and that the two detectives did not know what it was for since it was used by the women in the fitting rooms to cover their faces and prevent the makeup getting smeared to the clothes.

Sera and Conan suggest that the face covers were doused in chloroform and that it made the victim unconscious without the need for the killer to use brute force, making it easy for them to sneak in the dressing room and do the deed.

In the end, the detective due concluded that the killer was Yamaki-san, the assistant of the murdered store manager. Yamaki was compelled to kill the store manager since she had a debt to her and worked her like a slave.

"Detective Conan" Episode 879, "The Blindspot in the Dressing Room," will be aired on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 8 p.m. JST on Nippon TV, and 6 p.m. JST on YTV.
Evangelical Steve Chalke calls for 'new Reformation' with 95 theses 'for the 21st century'

Influential UK evangelical Steve Chalke is calling for a 'new Reformation', 500 years after Martin Luther's 95 theses ushered in the first.

The Rev Canon Chalke is today launching 'Chalke Talk', a weekly video blog through which he will offer his own 95 theses  or as he puts it 'questions'  that he says today's Church 'cannot afford to ignore'.

'In the early years of the 16th century, German priest and scholar Martin Luther came to believe that the shape of the established Church and its relationship to the State did not fit the needs of the world in which he was called to live and serve,' Chalke said.

'In the early years of the 21st century it is clear, once more, that the shape of the established Church and its relationship to the State no longer fits the needs of the world in which we are called to live and serve. It is time, once again, to reimagine the role of faith, Church and its place in the public square.'

Chalke, a Baptist minister who like Luther is no stranger to ecclesial controversy and conflict, told Christian Today that his proposed Reformation is not about division, but about debate. He seeks to honour Luther's interrogative spirit by asking: 'have we got the wrong kind of church?'

Conservatives may balk at the suggestion that the Church should seek align itself to the needs of the world, and would instead urge a faithfulness to Scripture, not the whims of society. Chalke says he agrees, and is insistent that the Church should not become so consumed by its contemporary context that it reads said context into Scripture, seeking proof texts for what its already determined to affirm. This is something Chalke says Luther himself was guilty of, at times misreading the New Testament in light of his own 16th century medieval conception of 'faith' and 'works'.

Luther 'did a lot of things right, and a lot of things wrong. We've been living with [both] ever since,' Chalke says. Both conservatives and liberals he says, are in danger of reading their own views on to the Bible, rather than letting the Bible 'read' them.

His 95 'questions', in weekly videos no more than five minutes long, will include questions flowing particularly from Luther (such as debates about faith and works, and the role of Judaism), and others looking at more contemporary ethical issues. For example, Chalke says, in a society where cohabitation is the new romantic-relational norm, what is the case for 'marriage'? Issues surrounding sexuality will also be addressed: Chalke says that while debate about homosexual relationships has been prevalent, there has been less discussion about transgenderism  something he hopes to change.

Chalke, who in recent years has come out increasingly in favour of LGBT rights within the Church, including affirming same-sex marriage, is clear that as far as he's concerned, he's still seeking the wisdom of Scripture in the challenge of applying 'timeless truths to ever-changing circumstances and moral challenges'.

Though conservatives may feel he's capitulated to popular culture, Chalke says he's actually 'quite a critic of some gay and lesbian culture...about some of their ethics. Most Christians wouldn't know I do that because they're not engaged enough' with it.

'I believe that all relationships should be lifelong and faithful and monogamous,' Chalke says. He opposes promiscuity and polygamy, but by being in conversation says he offers a 'message of hope, not sheer rejection' for the LGBT community.

Having long been in conservative evangelical circles, Chalke faced backlash for his changing views in recent years, but he says that 'anybody's theology is always emerging'. From his perspective, the Church over time has already shifted its views on divorce, remarriage, slavery and the role of women  so it's no stranger to reform.

Chalke says he's just seeking debate to enable the church to disagree 'without maligning each other'. Looking at his personal experience, he says that many jump from disagreement to assuming 'he's apostate, he's going to burn in hell, he's not a Christian, he doesn't believe the Bible anymore'.

The legacy of the 16th century Reformation may be largely one of schism and intense antagonism, but that's at the heart of Chalke's own vision for reform  one in which Christians on opposing sides can actually be known by their 'love and unity'. Reading Scripture in community that truly listens, he says, is one key to reading it faithfully.

He emphasises that he is outlining questions, not answers for the Church  but questions he believes are essential if the people of God are to meet people's needs and be faithful to God.

'We all read, we all interpret [The Bible]' Chalke says, but 'if we can't ask ourselves questions, then we are lost'.

Hosted by the Open Church Network, the first episode of 'Chalke Talk' can be found here.



You can follow @JosephHartropp on Twitter
Free speech on campus  so why not in church?

Alt-right leader Richard Spencer has been heckled by hundreds of demonstrators at a meeting he was trying to address at the University of Florida. He's a white supremacist, though he prefers to describe himself as an 'identitarian', and has called for a 'peaceful ethnic cleansing'. So vehement were the protests against him in Gainesville that the Governor of Florida declared a state of emergency. According to the BBC, roadblocks and barricades were set up to control the crowds, while helicopters and drones circled and snipers stood atop buildings. It was all very dramatic  and very expensive.

Not nearly as dramatic, and not nearly as expensive, but just as damaging, is a similar mindset when it finds its way into the Church.

Spencer is an extreme figure who appears to revel in controversy. However, there's a movement in universities both in the US and the UK to ban from the platform anyone whose views are deemed objectionable. An address by controversial social scientist Charles Murray was violently broken up at Middlebury College in March. Activists affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement shut down an event at the College of William and Mary at which a representative of the American Civil Liberties Union was to speak. Among the slogans they chanted were, 'Liberalism is white supremacy' and 'The revolution will not uphold the constitution'.

In the UK, the government is worried enough about threats to free speech for universities minister Jo Johnson to say freedom of speech must be protected or institutions would be deregistered by the new Office for Students. He told The Times: 'Freedom of speech is a fundamentally British value which is undermined by a reluctance of institutions to embrace healthy vigorous debate.'

Healthy, vigorous debate is good for society. The arguments against this are too obvious to need much time spent on them. Who decides what's settled? If bad arguments aren't exposed they'll go underground. You can't stop people thinking, you can only help them think better. Political censorship is dictatorship. Etc, etc.

But it's good for the Church, as well, and the Church is temperamentally bad at allowing it. There's a groupthink which fixes thinking in particular patterns. In heirarchical or authoritarian churches, the tone might be set from the top; in congregationally-governed ones, it might have more to do with social pressure.

Some things become unsayable. Whether it's questions about sexuality, or doctrine, or church customs and traditions, or biblical interpretation: there are places we just don't go. And if we do, the spiritual thought police are there to shut the debate down, either through social exclusion or  more or less politely  a dismissal by those in authority. 'This is what the Bible says' or, 'This is what we do.'

But the fact that something's unsayable doesn't always mean it's unthinkable. And a refusal to welcome, question and debate because it challenges the position of the leadership, or because it unsettles the faithful, is deeply damaging to the body or Christ. In some cases, it allows doubts about key issues to fester because they can't be brought out into the open. The internal pressures become so great they can only be relieved by leaving the faith altogether. In other cases, it promotes a sort of hive mentality, where everything is subordinated to the harmony of the group  and abuses, of whatever kind, go unchallenged because no one wants to disturb the status quo. And when authority is oppressive and voices aren't heard, the Spirit of God is quenched. What can't be said can't be heard; and God does not always speak through powerful people with microphones.

Doctrine is not decided by a vote, and no one is saying it should be. There's a deposit of Christian belief  its core creeds  that are open to greater understanding, but that can't be repudiated without the faith ceasing to be Christian. But church leaders and institutions that lack the confidence to open their minds to different ways of thinking  that no-platform people with ideas they believe are wrong, and assume they've already learned everything they need to learn  don't do the gospel any favours. These disruptors might be wrong, objectionable and even dangerous  but they should be heard.

Follow Mark Woods on Twitter: @RevMarkWoods
In defence of Thought for the Day: why Britain needs the BBC's religious slot more than ever

Shots have been fired at the religious slot 'Thought for the Day' (TFTD), the weekday feature on BBC Radio 4's Today programme. Presenter John Humphrys called the segment 'inappropriate' and 'deeply boring'; a 'sermon' not relevant to the news programme surrounding it.

But as several commentators have hit back, the slot plays a crucial role in dignifying Britain's diverse religious heritage and making rare space for life's spiritual dimension. In a time when religion remains decisive but frequently misunderstood, TFTD is needed now more than ever.

Humphrys suggested that 'three minutes of uninterrupted religion' was not appropriate for the Today schedule, but others would see three minutes as a meagre concession amidst otherwise dominantly secular content. Religion has made so much of the world we live in today, and certainly hasn't vanished yet  TFTD offers a nod to that past and present reality. Its 'sermons' are hardly incendiary or proselytising pieces, but give a (often challengingly) brief 'reflection' on faith in the present day.

As Today programme contributor Mishal Husain pushed back to Humphrys in their Radio Times discussion, the format breaks up the relentless new cycle, and offers a change of pace and direction. Some 'thoughts' will not be to everyone's taste but they can also provide a message that, as Nick Robinson put it, is 'just profound'.

Anglican Bishop Nick Baines criticised the 'arrogance' and 'ignorance' in Humphrys' attack. Defending TFTD on his blog, he wrote: 'Underlying the protests against Thought for the Day (so hackneyed they are in themselves boring to anyone with a brain) is what I call the "myth of neutrality". I am embarrassed to have to say it again. This myth, so effortlessly held by so many, is that there is a neutral space held by secular humanists, leaving those who have a religious world view somewhere up the loony scale.

'According to this assumption, a religious world view is so odd that it is potentially dangerous and has no place in the public square it should be imprisoned in the sphere of the "private"'.

The programme, he said, is 'not about privileging religious nutcases in order to appease an irrelevant subculture', nor simply 'presenting religious views' but rather 'looking at the world through a religious lens, opening up perspectives that subvert the unconscious (or conscious) prejudices about why the world is the way it is  shining a different light on world events that the unargued for and unarticulated secular humanist assumptions undergirding the rest of the programme miss.'

What is it about the @BBCr4today that makes sneering at religion a badge of pride? They would not be this biased on any other subject.  Giles Fraser (@giles_fraser) October 30, 2017

In an era when religion, frequently caught up amid extremism and scandal, continues to make headlines, understanding it remains essential. Most of the world's population identifies with a religious perspective, one that can't simply be isolated into a private sphere set apart from the rest of their lives. That is the point of beliefs, 'religious' or otherwise, they aren't incidental - they often define us.

To understand that perspective is to grow wiser and more sympathetic to the reality we live in. Religious groups are often decried as 'intolerant', but it's a strange kind of secular intolerance that apparently insists that the religious mindset be vanquished from public debate.

TFTD isn't perfect, like any format it can always be improved. Perhaps in an increasingly pluralistic society, TFTD should better represent non-Christian religions  that is a debate worth having. But to simply dismiss those voices as 'boring' is ungenerous to say the least: society needs diverse perspectives on life's complexity - and the humility to hear them - today more than ever.

You can follow @JosephHartropp on Twitter
WAUKESHA  Waukesha residents may pump Lake Michigan water from Milwaukee if a new agreement earns the approval of both municipalities city councils.

Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett announced Monday that they had reached an agreement to solve concerns about how to provide Waukesha residents access to safe drinking water, according to a news release.

Waukesha has been looking for a long-term alternative to its water supply. The aquifer that serves Waukesha has depleted, largely because a layer of shale rock restricts precipitation from recharging the supply. The water also shows elevated levels of radium and other naturally occurring contaminants, the release states. The city has until 2023 to achieve full compliance with radium standards, per a court order.

Under the agreement, Waukesha could access up to an average of 8.2 million gallons of drinking water per day from Lake Michigan and would return the same amount to the basin, according to the release. The project would include construction of pumping facilities and a 15.6-mile pipeline from near 60th Street and Howard Avenue in Milwaukee to Waukesha.

Once water is used in Waukesha and treated, it would return through a second pipeline from Waukeshas Clean Water Plant to an outfall point in the City of Franklin that empties into the Root River. The water would then flow back to Lake Michigan at Racine, the release states.

Construction could begin as early as 2020 and be completed in 2023, if the project earns approval. The Common Council in each city is expected to review and vote on the proposals in the coming weeks, according to the release.

Oak Creek out of the picture

Waukesha was previously negotiating an arrangement with Oak Creek to receive Lake Michigan water. The new plan, the release states, could save the City of Waukesha nearly $40 million in capital costs compared to the Oak Creek Water supply.

Water rates are expected to increase, but Waukesha households could save an average of $200 in annual water fees compared to other suppliers, the release states. Water softeners may also be reduced or no longer needed, which could present a savings.

The wholesale rate for water sold to the Waukesha Water Utility would be set by the state Public Service Commission.

Waukeshas mayor described the agreement as historic and said both cities will benefit.

Our responsibility is to ensure that Waukesha citizens receive the best choice for water at the lowest cost, Reilly said in a statement. We could not pass up the offer from Milwaukee to provide us with high-quality drinking water.

Funds from the agreement will allow Milwaukee to replace lead service lines, according to the release. Barrett said he looks forward to future collaborations with Waukesha.
Iraqi Christians who fled ISIS 'betrayed' by Western countries promising aid

Despite Iraq's liberation from ISIS, Christians in the region remain in dire need and have received nothing but 'lip service' when it comes to aid from western nations.

William Hollander, a partner with the religious persecution watchdog Open Doors, told the Christian Post that Christians in Iraq and the Middle East are being 'betrayed by the political powers'. The cost of conflict has seen many left homeless and forced to flee to refugee camps, but despite promises to the contrary, those in need have not received 'anything' by way of assistance from western countries, he said.

Last week US Vice President Mike Pence pledged to support the Christian communities seeking to rebuild their homes, and said aid would be given directly to the Christian charities supporting religious minorities in the wake of the destruction wrought by ISIS.

Although the Islamist militants have been defeated, and some refugees have returned home, Hollander said that many still fear their presence  and the possibility of continued violent persecution.

'On one side, they are hopeful they can go back, and want to go back...[but] they can see that ISIS might be defeated, but the ideology isn't.'

The Christian community's historic presence in the Iraq has been radically diminished: from a population of around 1.5 million in 2003 to around 200,000 today, according to Hollander.

He encouraged prayer and political petition on behalf of the persecuted, such as the Hope for the Middle East campaign, which will be presented to the UN in December. The campaign, which has garnered 500,000 signatures already, implores the church to stand up for the security and future of those in the Middle East.

Hollander said: 'Prayer is a big thing. Many Christians have mentioned to us that for some unexplainable reason, they just feel that prayer has been supporting them.'
'Real Housewives of Orange County' stars Tamra Judge and Vicki Gunvalson patch up fractured friendship in Iceland

The reality show "Real Housewives of Orange County" was rocked with fear on Monday when Vicki Gunvalson was rushed to the hospital after suffering what was initially thought as a heart attack. While it turned out to be just a panic attack, it was enough to move Tamra Judge to reevaluate their fractured friendship.

The two shared a sincere and spontaneous conversation during their stay in Iceland mere hours after Gunvalson returned from the hospital where she received medical attention. "Seeing Vicki being taken off to the hospital kind of puts things in perspective," Judge admitted to viewers.

The former friends have not been seeing eye-to-eye for several months now. Fans would remember that Gunvalson assisted in spreading the rumors that Judge's husband, Eddie, as gay.

Gunvalson, on the other hand, found Judge's behavior to be mean when she reminded her of her involvement in her ex-boyfriend Brook Ayers' cancer scam.

During one of their previous conversations, Gunvalson also claimed that Judge's husband only married her so he could open a gym. This remark sent Judge storming off the room in anger.

However, both women seemed very sincere about fixing their relationship when they talked after Gunvalson's hospitalization. They brought up past differences, which led them to the root of their issues.

Gunvalson thought Judge was spreading rumors about her husband Brooks. Judge defended herself, saying that she was looking out for her friend.

"I was your friend, Vicki," Judge said, before adding, "I wanted you to be happy. I knew he was lying to you."

"I fought for you," she continued. "I wanted you as a friend. I loved you as a friend and you chose him over me."

Although Gunvalson did not admit that she was wrong, she did share her true feelings. "I have no desire to hurt you," she said. "We should have never lost our friendship over a man."

Only time will tell if this will be a new chapter in the relationship between Judge and Gunvalson, or if they would be at odds again when they return to Orange County.
Reformation 500 anniversary commemorated by Protestants and Catholics

Today marks the 500th anniversary of the start of the Reformation in 1517 and will be commemorated by Protestants and Catholics around the world.

The Archbishop of Canterbury will hold a special service in Westminster Abbey at midday celebrating a key point of agreement between the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation.

The day marks the moment Martin Luther submitted his 95 theses to the University of Wittenburg, allegedly by nailing them to the door of the cathedral. The event sparked an eventual split with the Roman Catholic church and saw the start of centuries of religious conflict that divided Europe into Protestant and Catholic countries.

The service will celebrate the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification - a major document agreed by the two Lutheran and Catholic bodies in 1999 after years of study. It resolves the most contentious issue between them, dating back to the Reformation  how does someone go to heaven?

The Declaration has been affirmed by the World Methodist Council, the World Communion of Reformed Churches and the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) passed a resolution in 2016 that 'welcomes and affirms the substance of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification'.

During the service Justin Welby will present copies of the ACC's text to Roman Catholic and Lutheran representatives.

The Bishop of Coventry, Rt Revd Dr Christopher Cocksworth, said: 'The Joint Declaration was a historic breakthrough in overcoming the divisions that emerged from the Reformation through a fresh statement of its key concern, how sinners can be put right with God and empowered to live in a new way. The good news of forgiveness and freedom through Jesus Christ is what unites us as Christians. It's the word of grace and hope that  together  we want to share with all the world.'

Pope Francis is also marking the occasion telling Derek Browning, moderator of the presbyterian Church of Scotland, there was 'true fraternity' between the two churches. After five centuries of tension the two traditions were 'no longer ... adversaries, after long centuries of estrangement and conflict', the pontiff said.

'For so long we regarded one another from afar, all too humanly, harbouring suspicion, dwelling on differences and errors, and with hearts intent on recrimination for past wrongs.'

A spokeswoman for the Catholic church in England and Wales said: 'The desire for reconciliation is such that mistakes can be recognised, injuries can be forgiven and wounds healed.

'We give thanks to the joy of the gospel we share as Christians, express repentance for the sadness of our divisions and renew our commitment to common witness and service to the world.'
Row Over Thought For The Day As BBC Clarifies Editorial Policy After New Editor's Comments

The BBC has said that there are 'no plans to make changes' to the Thought for the Day slot on BBC Radio 4's 'Today' after the programme's incoming editor singled it out for potential changes at the weekend.

The BBC clarification comes after Sarah Sands, the former editor of the London Evening Standard who is taking over at the Today programme, wrote in the Financial Times (FT) that humanists should be included in the traditionally religious slot and implied that she would change its name. 'I admire religion and believe it is robust enough to have challengers,' she added.

However, BBC sources pointed out that Thought for the Day is part of BBC's religious programming and not part of the editorial remit of the Today programme.

A BBC Radio 4 spokesperson told Christian Today: 'Thought for the Day is editorially looked after by the BBC's Religion and Ethics team in radio and features speakers from the world's major faith traditions. There are no plans to make changes to it.'

Sands wrote in the FT: 'Given there are some who say I must change nothing, I was amused to chat to an old Today hand, Robert Fox, who pointed out how much the programme had developed over the years. In his day it was much more informal and had an engaging air of jeopardy about it. So I will try not to be overwhelmed by the institution. And if we are to start in deep waters, what about Thought For The Day? This slot, it seems to me, is about the meaning of life, so the title hardly does it justice. It is much, much more than platitudes about Jesus and Brexit, balanced now and then with a view from another faith. And if this is about profound faith, surely we should also include humanists? I admire religion and believe it is robust enough to have challengers. I wonder what the listeners think of this . . .'

Christian Today has learned that the comments will be discussed on BBC Radio 4's 'Feedback' programme this Friday.

A senior BBC source said: 'Sarah wasn't recommending editorial changes to Thought for the Day. Rather she was discussing her personal experience and a more general open minded approach to taking on the editorship of Today.'

But a leading Christian campaigner warned that plans to 'dilute' the slot -- which is broadcast at 7.45am on Mondays-Saturdays and runs for two minutes and 45 seconds  should be 'firmly resisted'.

Andrea Williams, the Chief Executive of Christian Concern said: 'The concept for Thought for the Day was originally rooted in our Christian heritage. Many people rightly recognise that it is Christianity which has provided the foundations of Britain's values and institutions, despite the loud voices of a small secular lobby. Sadly this foundation has been lost as Britain has walked away from Jesus Christ and Thought for the Day is reflecting the moral vacuum in society. Calls to dilute the programme any further should be firmly resisted otherwise there will be nothing left.'

Peter Hitchens, the Mail on Sunday columnist appeared to agree with Sands's approach. Hitchens, who is a practising Anglican, author of The Rage Against God and the brother of the famous atheist Christopher, told Christian Today: 'Yes, let's have some atheists too. Many of them will probably be more interested in God and religion than some of the supposedly Christian contributors we have now. Indeed, what would Christians do without atheists? They are among the few people in our society who still care about religion. Far better than indifference.'
Rowan Williams: Repentance is appropriate after sins of the Protestant Reformation

The former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has said that 'repentance' is an 'appropriate' way of looking back on the Protestant Reformation, the 500th anniversary of which is celebrated today.

In a wide-ranging interview he said it was 'impossible' to say whether Britain was a Christian country and admitted having an established Church of England reflected an 'odd' view of church and state.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme about the legacy of Martin Luther for church and society today, he said: 'Looking back at the Reformation now, a lot of Protestants say, "there were things that we did to make it worse".'

He told interviewer Sarah Montague: 'We all need to look back at that history and say, "how did we end up executing one another, massacring one another?" It happened on both sides, and so repentance is a very appropriate way of looking back at that.'

Williams said it was 'impossible' to answer whether Britain was a 'Christian country' today, as although the nation was built on certain religious symbols and language, 'we're not a nation of practising Christians', and religiosity is simply perceived as 'weird' by many today. But, he said, a persistent interest in church remains and 'we're not quite as secular as we think'.

Asked if it was time for the CofE to be disestablished, he said: 'I've often thought of the establishment of Church of England: "I wouldn't start from here". It reflects a rather odd 16th century view of the absolute inseparability of the church and the state, which is realistically not where we are now.

'But I guess at the same time I'm a bit reluctant to think of disestablishing the church at this particular point, simply because it would feel like a concession to public secularism, pushing religious voices out of debate...it's not as if the church has huge legal privileges or power any longer, but it's there as part of a contribution to public debate which I think is quite important, as with other religious communities.'

He also suggested that the seismic schism which followed Martin Luther's rebellion could have been avoided with a more conciliatory approach, and less of a 'zero-sum game' attitude from both Catholics and Protestants. Such dialogue could have led to the Protestant Church of England, which Williams once led, never being established.

'I'd like to think it might have been possible for a Pope of a rather different colouring [responding to Luther] to say "you know the man's got a point, let's work on this, let's see what can be changed in church that avoids these obvious corruptions."'

Summarising what Luther's revolution was about, Williams said: 'What really exercises Luther...was the idea that the Church had simply failed to be itself. It had become another political organisation, a self-serving political organisation, the language of piety and devotion was being conscripted into fundraising and maintaining a particular structure, and Luther's personal passion was to cut through all that.

'He didn't think that he was starting a new church, he really didn't, he thought he was scrubbing the grime off what existed, but of course as soon as he raised that question, the issue of authority came up. Because who has the right to say the Church is corrupt?'
Simon Cowell news: Could miss 'X-Factor' episodes due to fall

The iconic British reality television judge, Simon Cowell, has been hospitalized recently. Many of his fans were worried about his overall health after Cowell was rushed in the hospital last Friday due to fainting and falling down a flight of stairs. He is now resting comfortably in the confines of his home in London.

In a report by Deadline, Cowell was seen being assisted by paramedics out of his house, wherein he was wearing a neck brace due to his fall. Fortunately, he is now in a stable condition, and has been given the green light by his doctors to go home. The timing of the incident was rather unfortunate, since the reality television competition "X-Factor" was scheduled to have its first live show the following day.

Cowell is a very lucky individual despite his fall, since the medical emergency did not even affect the show's schedule. According to Vanity Fair, Cowell had woken up in the dead of night due to feeling nauseated and ill, which prompted him to go downstairs to get himself a cup of warm milk to alleviate his condition. However, as he was about to return to his room upstairs, he suddenly passed out and fell down the stairs.

At this point, it is still unclear when Cowell will be all set to return to his judging commitments for "X-Factor." It appears that there is no chance of him appearing at all in the meantime. However, an official decision has yet to be made. So, it is safe to assume that Cowell's health is simply being monitored in order to ascertain whether he will be fit to appear on the live performance of the show.

This is not the first time that the former "American Idol" judge has experienced this kind of condition. According to The Daily Mail, Cowell had told his close friends that his job has caused him to experience "nervous exhaustion" from time to time, which is due to the stressful nature of his job and the constant travel.
Suicide, crime and debt: One peer's attempt to fight against the 'crack-cocaine of gambling'

When Ryan Myers left a betting shop in May 2014 he had just lost 500. On certain machines known as the 'crack-cocaine of gambling', this is possible in less than two minutes.

Later that day Myers hanged himself. In a Facebook post beforehand, he apologised for "letting people down" and said he "didn't mean to break anyone's heart".

This was not the first time Myers had lost hundreds of pounds in a matter of minutes. Several times he had lost his entire monthly salary and had spent thousands in betting shops and online gambling sites.

Fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBTs) are electronic roulette machines where players can bet on a variety of different games. There is a maximum stake of 100 every 20 seconds, meaning 300 can be lost in a single minute  more than a week's wages for many.

The combination of high speed play and high maximum stake is toxic. Anna Henry, a clinical psychologist and ex-gambling addict has said the machines are "designed to foster addiction". She continued: "These machines isolate the player so there is nothing to distract them from that screen. Its speed is to encourage frenzy and thus more spending."

It's easy to see why the gambling industry is so keen on them. For companies such as William Hill and Ladbrokes, each machine rakes in 1,000 every single week. There are nearly 35,000 FOBTs machines.

Christian campaigners and many others have long called for tighter restrictions. Lord Clement-Jones, a Liberal Democrat peer, has now teamed up with Christian public policy charity CARE to lead a drive to see the maximum stake cut drastically to 2.

In an interview with Christian Today he said the real problem lay in how "problem gamblers are managed".

"Until they lose their homes and jobs and families, even after concerns are raised, staff are told to carry on. I think they have a case to answer," he said.

CARE's CEO Nola Leach said: "The gambling industry makes millions from these machines and let's be honest, it's hardly in their interests to curb these profitable machines.

"That is why Lord Clement-Jones' attempt to reduce the maximum stake on FOBTs from 100 to just 2 through his Private Members Bill is so significant and necessary."

Clement-Jones is his party's spokesman on creative industries in the House of Lords, and his private members bill to be debated on Friday would fundamentally change the effect of FOBTs. But surprisingly, he does not join Leach and many others who have piled criticism on gambling companies.

He refused to endorse Henry's claim that FOBTs are designed to encourage addiction but admitted it was "strange" that betting shops are overwhelmingly concentrated in deprived areas. In the 55 poorest boroughs in the UK, high streets are lined with 2,691 betting shops. By comparison, there are just 1,258 shops in the 115 richest areas.

Clement-Jones stopped short of saying this was deliberate but many others have not given the betting industry such leeway. A study by Landman Economics concluded that "bookies are preying on the poor" but the Association for British Bookmakers (ABB) denied this was a deliberate policy. The chair of ABB said: "We do not target the poor."

"I try to look on the bright side and hope there is some accommodation to be reached," Clement-Jones told Christian Today.

"The industry tries to convince people they are doing the right thing and I can't see why they would not have an interest in helping problem gamblers.

"There is an argument that problem gamblers are their best customer but I can't believe for the reputation of the industry that is a sensible thing for them to believe.

"They would be much better off everyone being satisfied that everything is being done to avoid problem gambling."

But at this stage "the penny has not dropped" with government ministers, he added.

"You would have thought Conservative philosophy would be about protecting the vulnerable which is my motive. We have an obligation to help.

"In all sorts of ways we help people who can't help themselves. And something of this sort is crucial. FOBTs are devastating for families... It is broadly a compassionate case," he said.

"The ongoing damage to families, to communities is huge," he said. That's before related violence is considered, which is also "hugely important".

"Police were called out 11,000 times to 9,000 betting shops last year alone," said Clement-Jones. "FOBTs account for 97 per cent of all police call outs for gambling venues."

Bookmakers rarely press charges though because often the culprits are also regular customers.

"The other aspect is money laundering which is a big problem," Clement-Jones continued. Fraudsters can pay thousands of pounds in low-risk bets into the terminal in a matter of minutes. Hot-money can then be transferred into vouchers at a loss of just a few pence per pound and exchanged for cash at the shop's terminal.

But beyond the cases of crime, violence and family-breakdown, it is cases of suicide such as Myers' that are the biggest motivation for the Lib Dem peer. CARE helped draft Friday's bill, and Leach agreed that legislative action is vital to put an end to suicides that are "a result of these addictive machines".

She described the bill as an "historic attempt" to legislate against the damaging effects of FOBTs.

"We know that curbing the maximum stake will not solve the issue of problem gambling but it will undoubtedly help," she said.

"It is vital, therefore that the government throw their support behind this bill and give serious consideration to what action they might take to help problem gamblers across the UK."
Why the forbidden fruit in Genesis is probably not the apple

After the celebrations of Simchat Torah and the reading of Deuteronomy where Moses gives up the mantle to Joshua to lead the Children of Israel into the Promised Land, we start again with the story of Genesis, culminating in the creation of Adam on the 6th day (when G-d was rushing to get his work finished before Shabbat started on the 7th day).

By the way, 'rest' didn't just happen: 'rest' was there before creation and G-d activated it at just the right time, but that is another story.

And, just to confuse you further, Genesis is not a scientific account of how creation works in the modern sense, but simply a statement that it happened!

One of the most famous Adam and Eve stories is the one about eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge.

However, which fruit was it? In Christianity (and therefore in general society) the fruit was deemed to be an apple. So I asked Dr Rowan Williams why this should be the case, and this was his response:

'As far as I know, the apple identification is relatively late, and it's normally regarded as bound up with the malum pun; it couldn't therefore have been earlier than the fourth/fifth century when the Latin Bible was standardised, and I suspect that it must be a good deal later  from an era when the different lengths of vowel in malum / apple (long a) and malum / evil (short a) had been forgotten as Latin wasn't widely spoken. We have other examples of confusion over words because different vowel lengths were no longer observed. What may have started as a sort of scholarly joke could then become taken as fact. Greek Christians seem to have gone for the fig as the forbidden fruit, as this is what tends to appear in Byzantine art. No visual representation as an apple before the early Western Middle Ages. But no hint in the literature of the rabbinic debates either.'

So it appears that people confused the word malum which means 'evil' with the word malum, pronounced differently, which means 'apple' and somehow conflated the two different meanings in the vernacular.

However, what is particularly interesting is the Byzantine Greek Christian tradition (alive and kicking in the State of Israel) holds that the forbidden food was actually a fig.

In Jewish tradition, four different alternatives are suggested, none of them the poor maligned apple.

These are:

1) The fig, hence the term 'fig-leaf'

2) Wheat, which was originally supposed to grow on trees, but after the sin was condemned to grow in the ground

3) The vine, which intoxicates

4) The Etrog

The Etrog is the citrus fruit which is shaken together with the Lulav at Succot. A great deal of trouble is taken to obtain the right sort of Etrog for this festival. It is regarded as beautiful and good in every way and therefore incredibly desirable.

One reason why special blessings are said over the wine and the bread at meal-time (and not simply generic benedictions as in other cases) is in order to atone for the possibility that the fruit in question was the vine or wheat.

So which is it: the fig, wheat, the vine or the Etrog?

The Etrog seems to be the most obvious choice. It is beautiful in every way: it links to the Succot and in Aramaic the word 'etrog' means 'desire'.

Which also teaches us something about language. Just as 'malum' the fruit may also be 'malum' evil, so 'etrog' the fruit may also be 'etrog' the desire.

In any case, desire is not intrinsically evil in Judaism. Desire is necessary for the building up of life in all its facets  but that is probably another article.

Happy eating!

Dr Irene Lancaster is a Jewish academic, author and translator who has established university courses on Jewish history, Jewish studies and the Hebrew Bible.
Jona Rechnitz, a Brooklyn-based real-estate developer, self-described political fixer, and confessed felon, testified in federal court last week that he [gave] money to the mayor of New York in exchange for favors. Its a startling allegation, even in the context of the cloud of corruption that has hung over the de Blasio administration. But is it credible? Could it be true that Rechnitz enjoyed official consideration in exchange for some $200,000 in campaign contributions? Specifically, could it be, as Rechnitz testified, that Bill de Blasio personally solicited from him $102,000 to help fund a key mayoral project: the election of Democrats to the state senate in 2014?

De Blasio, according to Rechnitzs testimony, called and told me it would mean a great deal to him if I could help out with that campaign. The businessman agreed to go along, he said, as a personal favor to [the mayor]. In return, it seems, Rechnitz got political access, and the ability to dispense favors, such as NYPD courtesy cards that can help the bearer avoid traffic tickets. But the mayor is having none of it. Youre going to hear these stories from a felon facing jail, de Blasio said Saturday, calling Rechnitz a horrible human being. His Honor has a point: Rechnitz is a dubious character. Having pled guilty to official corruption charges of his own, he was testifying against an accused accompliceNorman Seabrook, former boss of the powerful correction officers unionsin exchange for sentencing leniency.

That doesnt necessarily mean hes lying. Theres some reason to believe himExhibit A being the statement that federal prosecutors issued when they closed former U.S. Attorney Preet Bhararas years-long corruption investigation of de Blasio and his administration last March. Consider this, from acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim, when he shut down the lengthy mayoral probe: [We found] several circumstances in which Mayor de Blasio and others acting on his behalf solicited donations from individuals who sought official favors from the city, after which the mayor made or directed inquiries to relevant city agencies on behalf of those donors. That tracks well with this, from Rechnitz: Whenever we would call [de Blasio fundraiser Ross] Offinger for access or for a favor, we were getting the response that we expected and the results we were expecting. Theres an intriguing symmetry here that enhances the plausibility of Rechnitzs testimony and raises a question: If federal prosecutors believe Rechnitzs testimony is trustworthy enough to justify awarding him star-witness status in their case against Seabrook, why isnt it credible enough to anchor a case against Team de Blasio?

Further, Rechnitz claims that Mayor de Blasio asked him to speak to Seabrook to get him to stop criticizing Joe Ponte, the former corrections commissioner. A corroborating email from Rechnitz to de Blasios account says that he, Rechnitz, had the labor boss under control. The mayor ducked questions about the exchange, saying that he had no recollection of the email. That might be true, but it doesnt explain why Rechnitz would email the mayor about Seabrook out of the blue. The exchange lends credence to the thesis that there was an operational, transactional relationship between the mayor and the macher.

Bharara spent years creating a public perception that he was digging into de Blasios shenanigansconcentrating largely, though not exclusively, on the Campaign for One New York, a now-shuttered political-action nonprofit that solicited special-interest cash to fund its work. In the end, nothing came of that probe. President Trump fired Bharara as part of a general housecleaning of U.S. attorneys, and Kim simultaneously shut down the investigation. At the same time, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. dropped his own investigation of de Blasios gamey effort to flip the state Senateadvancing a bizarre explanation. Vance said that he had uncovered fundraising that ran contrary to the intent and spirit of the laws that impose candidate contribution limits, but that since the mayors lawyers had told him that everything was okay, that made everything okay. Ignorance of the law served as an excuse, at least in Vances eyes. (It turns out that some of those mayoral lawyers had made hefty donations to Vances campaignsomething the D.A. now said he regrets.)

Mayor de Blasio is a shoo-in for reelection next week, thanks in large measure to a pair of remarkably un-rigorous prosecutors who had the tools to do better.

Photo by Giovanni Marino/Getty Images
The British Red Cross has launched a campaign to recruit 10,000 volunteers by the end of 2019 to help out in their communities when a major crisis hits.

Launched yesterday, the campaign aims to attract community reserve volunteers to work as a "practical taskforce" and help others by filling sandbags, preparing equipment or sorting food for a flooded community.

The campaign will start off recruiting in communities that have recently been hit by major flooding, such as Cumbria, Somerset and North Wales. But community reserve volunteers could also help during other types of major incidents, like the Manchester and London terror attacks, or the Grenfell Tower fire.

The sign-up process takes ten minutes, with volunteers needing to watch a short video, answer a few questions and register their details. Volunteers must be over 18, have a mobile phone and be prepared to carry out practical tasks during an emergency.

Simon Lewis, head of crisis response for the British Red Cross, says: Weve seen, through the events of this year, including the Manchester Arena and London Bridge attacks and the Grenfell Tower disaster, extraordinary compassion shown by ordinary people from local communities, when a crisis hits. It shows you dont always need special skills to help others. Small acts of kindness, and coming together as a team, can make a huge difference.

We recognise people have busy lives and cant always commit to volunteering all year round. This project is a way for people to be there to help others in their communities, by registering their willingness in advance. We would only call upon people at times of major crisis, which hopefully wont happen often, but when it does, and extra help is needed, people will have the opportunity to do small things that make a big difference. There are many different ways of helping your community, but this is a new one.

For more information and to volunteer, click here.
The chief executive of the Fundraising Regulator has revealed that since the Fundraising Preference Service launched in July more than 9,000 suppressions have been made.

Speaking at the Westminster Social Policy Forum keynote seminar in London this morning, Stephen Dunmore said that the FPS has now processed over 9,000 suppressions from over 3,700 individuals.

He said that over 8,000 have been suppression requests for contact across all the available channels  direct mail, telephone, email and SMS.

Dunmore said that only a relatively small number of people had been using the FPS to make multiple suppressions of multiple charities.

In terms of overall complaints, Dunmore said the Fundraising Regulator had now received over 800 complaints from the public since its launch last summer. He said it was averaging around 80 complaints a month, and had received some 107 complaints in October.

Fundraising Regulator budget set at 1.8m for next financial year

The chief executive of the Fundraising Regulator has said that organisations budget for the next financial year has been set at 1.8m.

Dunmore said that the Fundraising Regulators 1.8m budget was being drawn from the now over 1,400 levy paying charities as well as from nearly 1,000 smaller charities who have registered with it from outside of the levy.

Dunmore said that the 1.8m budget figure was rather less than had been envisioned in the Etherington Review, but will enable us to do most of what we need to do. However he said this means the Fundraising Regulator will be doing less proactive work, such as sharing learning, than we would have wished.

The regulators chief executive again criticised the 100 or so charities who wont even answer our communications, and said that this number of charities remain blissfully unaware of the Etherington Review, the creation of the Fundraising Regulator, the Charity Commissions CC20 guidance, and the fundraising requirements in the 2016 Charities Act.

Dunmore went on to say that he asked himself whether this lack of awareness meets the requirements for good governance that were entitled to expect.

Youll have gathered that rolling out the levy has not been easy and that some smaller charities  although theyre not that small if they spend 100,000 or more a year on fundraising  some of them seem blissfully unaware of the Etherington Review, the creation of the Fundraising Regulator or the Charity Commissions CC20 guidance, and the fundraising requirements in the 2016 Charities Act.

I do ask myself whether this lack of awareness meets the requirements for good governance that were entitled to expect.

Priority to raise profile in Northern Ireland and Wales

In terms of priorities for the next 12 months, Dunmore said that the Fundraising Regulator needed to raise its profile both Northern Ireland and in Wales, in particular with smaller charities and would be setting aside some marketing budget for that purpose.

He also said that events around Grenfell Tower and various terrorist attacks in the UK had made the regulation of digital giving platforms something of a political priority and the regulator was aiming to get all of the major platforms to register with it.

He also said that the regulator would be opening a fresh consultation looking to reorganise and rationalise the Code of Fundraising Practice to make it more accessible to charities and the public, which he said would begin in the new year.




20 killed, 8 injured in two road accidents

At least 20 people died in two separate road accidents in Gulmi and Udayapur districts on Monday. Eight were injured, one critically.
Stonewall has announced a partnership with a Northern Irish charity Rainbow Project to deliver a workplace equality programme in Northern Ireland and create a benchmarking tool for employers.

The Rainbow Project plans to expand a workplace programme it has been running for the past five years, with the number of employers working on the scheme expected to increase from 10 to 40 in the next year. It will employ a new member of staff at its Belfast office, who will be supported by Stonewalls membership team in London.

The client account manager will deliver seminars, networking opportunities and help foster relations between organisations across Northern Ireland.

A key aim of the partnership is for the two charities to be able to name Northern Irelands top LGBT inclusive employer by 2019.

Stonewall, which currently works with more than 750 employers, already announces top LGBT inclusive employers for England, Wales and Scotland each year as part of its Workplace Equality Index.

Ruth Hunt, chief executive of Stonewall, said: By combining our resources, expertise and reach, Stonewall and The Rainbow Project can help transform the lives of many more LGBT people in Northern Ireland.

Employers want to get the best out of their staff and we know that people perform better when they can be themselves.

This partnership enables us to share the expertise and skills we have developed over the past decade, and to better understand how we can support LGBT movements in places where the law is different.#

The cover theme for the November issue of Charity Finance magazine, published by Civil Society Media, is collaboration. It will be published in print and online tomorrow. Find out more about subscribing here.
Camila Batmanghelidjh responds to criticism of her book about Kids Company.

Dear Civil Society,

I am assuming that you are interested in fair reporting and in this context, I thought I would respond to Kirsty Weakleys article dated 24 October 2017.

Kirsty has been very selective in her choice of evidence from the book KIDS: Child Protection in Britain: The Truth. So, I thought I would remind her of her omissions, and use her own titles to do so.

Conspiracy to shut the charity down

In your article, you suggest there was no conspiracy against Kids Company. Whereas, Steve Hilton who was David Camerons special adviser and the architect of Big Society, begs to differ.

"She (Camila Batmanghelidjh) was seen as a poster child for the Big Society. And that was a conscious decision on our part. As a result, she became a victim of attacks on the Big Society from the civil service and the media.

"I do think there was a conspiracy. Not an organised one, but among parts of the establishment that she threatened."

In 2015, the Cabinet Office forced me to resign from Kids Company for no legitimate reason. They then leaked that they were forcing me to resign, into Newsnight. I had not had any complaints against me from any government departments in 19 years.

Central government over twelve years made some 48 quarterly and half yearly payments to Kids Company. We received each payment after we were audited both clinically and financially by government appointed officials and researchers. Kids Company received grants from the Treasury, Cabinet Office, Department for Education, Home Office, Department of Health. The National Audit Office could not find a single letter of complaint regarding Kids Companys functioning from government departments sent to the charity.

At no time was there any question of us having failed in reporting, accountability or honouring government contracts financially and clinically.

When the National Audit Office reviewed Kids Companys functioning in 2015, they were not given all the reports Kids Company had provided for various government departments. These reports were described as being lost; which made the National Audit Office Report into Kids Company short of appropriate evidence.

When PKF Littlejohn independent charity auditors, appointed by the Cabinet Office, audited Kids Company in 2014, they gave the organisation a clean bill of health, but raised concerns about lack of cashflow which were precisely the concerns we were addressing with government. Some civil servants inside the Cabinet Office, perhaps had wished for a more negative report, so they tried to put pressure on the auditor to change his report, giving it a darker tone. Kids Company raised the concerns with a law firm.

When Kids Company closed in 2015, the Cabinet Office leaked into the BBC a false allegation suggesting I had misspent the 3m grant they had given Kids Company. They claimed it shouldnt have been spent on staff salaries and they wanted it back. A judge has since said that the money was spent according to contract and Kids Company can keep the remainder. This misinformation led the public into thinking I had stolen the governments money and gone to expensive restaurants with it.

The reason I was photographed outside an expensive restaurant, was because the event was set up. I was invited by a foreign government to a private lunch. They insisted I go to that restaurant, whereas I wanted somewhere more low key. Either the representative was genuine or not, but when I came out of the restaurant, photographers were there. The headline in the newspapers the next day suggested I had lunched using government grant money.

Id like to remind you that Kids Company closed because of false sexual abuse allegations being taken to Newsnight and not because of lack of funding, we had a years funding confirmed ahead. However, funders withdrew their grants because they were being led to believe that Kids Company had facilitated the abuse of children and young people. The police cleared the organisation of any wrongdoing and stated that they could not find fault with Kids Companys safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults. Who took these malicious allegations to Newsnight and why? No parliamentary inquiry, the Official Receiver nor the Charity Commission are looking into the people who created these false allegations and who fed the media false stories. We know who they are, but for legal reasons I cannot name them.

You could put all the above down to a series of ugly coincidences, however, I have good reason to believe that they are more than that.

See the Child. Change the System

Your article wrongly suggested that See the Child. Change the system had no funder and had failed to commence work. This is not true.

See the Child. Change the System did have a funder. It is a project, in partnership with sector leaders to redesign childrens services across social care and mental health, making them more fit for purpose, both for workers, children and families.

It was launched in 2014, films were shown across cinemas. 28,000 members of the public signed to support the campaign. Some charities and other organisations did sign up as partners, we had started the process of interviewing staff and had received applications. However, before we could go ahead, the charity had to close.

The agenda of See the Child. Change the System has continued, and we have received funding for the work from a philanthropist. Part of the model has been created as a result of this funding and the work is ongoing with an international agenda being added to it.

Newsnight sat on abuse claims

You suggest that Newsnight reported the information which was taken to them regarding sexual abuse allegations immediately to the police.

Both the police and Kids Company believe that Newsnight had the allegations against Kids Company for a while. I know this for sure because Chris Cook from Newsnight and Alan White from Buzzfeed News who was collaborating with him, had sent Kids Company some questions. Although we didnt know that they would use these questions to create the false narrative of Kids Company having allegedly facilitated the abuse of children.

If Chris Cook is right, and he did report the allegations straight away to the authorities, then he acted irresponsibly by continuing to communicate with potential witnesses to an ongoing police investigation in order to make his film. His behaviour could be classed as interfering with witnesses and victims as well as interfering with the criminal justice process.

Kids Company had 36,000 beneficiaries

In your article, you claimed we did not have 36,000 beneficiaries. This is not true.

A reporter who has integrity relies on evidence and not opinion. You have not approached me before writing your article. Had you done so, I would have been able to show you evidence that we did serve 36,000 children, young people and families.

For a start I have a communication from the Official Receiver regarding the numbers of case files they hold, which would have helped you present more accurate information.

Government had promised to give Kids Company 20m

You claim this did not happen.

I have a letter confirming my conversations with Oliver Letwin regarding the 20m he wanted to identify for Kids Company. His civil servant has confirmed receiving it. I would have been happy to share this with you had you made contact. Therefore, your suggestion that this statement is false, is inaccurate. Had it been false, then Oliver Letwin or his civil servant should have written to us challenging our perception of the events.

Sir Chris Wormald, the Permanent Secretary for the Department for Education explained to the Parliamentary Inquiry of 2015, led by Meg Hillier MP, that government was thinking of giving Kids Company a direct grant on a consistent basis, by saying:

There was a wish to explore whether there was another route to fund Kids Company via a direct grant, which is something the Department does quite a lot; we do it with quite a lot of other charitieswe do it with ChildLine, for example, and in a number of other cases."

It was not the NSPCC's report which gave me the idea that the government would fund Kids Company as it had done Childline, as your article wrongly suggests; it was the discussions we had been having with government and civil servants behind the scenes.

As you can see, Sir Chris Wormald confirms it in his evidence.

There have been false suggestion that Kids Company took too much money away from other charities, this is not true, Sir Chris Wormald confirms this:

If you look at the total volume of what we give to the voluntary sector, you see that it comes to a bit over 200m a year, and Kids Company was receiving about 2 per cent of what we gave to the voluntary sector over that period.

There were also suggestions that Kids Company received exceptional favour when being awarded grants. This too is not true. We competed for funding, submitted applications that were subjected to scrutiny. We legitimately often scored the highest point. Sir Chris Wormald confirms it.

It is of course true that the money went up, mainly because Kids Company was extremely successful in a series of bidding rounds, where its bids were measured against the criteria of those schemes.

I do not think there is any disagreement about thisfor some highly innovative work with some extremely vulnerable people (Kids Company) was value for money. I can only tell you what we thought at the time, which was that, that Kids Company did represent value for money.

He also confirmed that they reviewed the charitys outputs and found them to be a reasonable set of outputs for that sum of money.

We had enough money

In your article, you suggest that funders pledged funding, but didnt confirm that they would give the grants to Kids Company. This is not true.

In order for Kids Company to get its government grant of 3m in 2015, we had to present to the Cabinet Office a detailed evidence document demonstrating philanthropists would pay their grants once the government had paid their 3m grant. We had confirmations in writing from all the philanthropists which we submitted to the Cabinet Office. Therefore, the pledges were confirmations.

We had a house donated to the charity by Morgan Stanley, which was worth 1.7m and that was the cushion that the charity had created in the event of an emergency.

The reason the charity couldnt build reserves was because it had too many maltreated and mentally ill children and young people self-referring, with no one being prepared to pay for them. That is what led to Kids Company raising concerns with just under 100 politicians about our lack of funding to support self-referring children and young people. In addition, local mental health and social services were unofficially sign-positing vulnerable clients to Kids Company without paying for them.

These challenges led to government sending us two civil servants in 2012, who tried to resolve the difficulties and left after a year unable to raise any statutory funding for Kids Company. This is because of the self-referral challenges.

Britain never imagined there would be children asking for help directly and therefore the financial modelling doesnt exist to fund self-referral. This was Childines problem and it had to be absorbed by the NSPCC when it couldnt survive without payments for self-referring children.

85p in the pound going to the front line

Kids Company was very proud of keeping its administrative costs low. Only ten staff were focused on fundraising at any given time and we managed to raise 2m a month.

People will be discouraged from becoming trustees

We have been informed by charities that their trustees are resigning as a result of anxiety generated by the way the trustees of Kids Company were treated. Had you checked with me, I would have given you the names of some of these charities.

Response to your article dated 18 October 2017

Your article dated 18 October 2017 is similarly playful with the truth. At no time have I suggested that we had 3m available in reserves. What I actually said was that in 2015, we had three months worth of reserves and a years funding confirmed ahead. I did not imply as you suggest that the police investigation into false sexual abuse allegations taken to Newsnight was a minor event. You also suggest that the parliamentary inquiries into Kids Company were rigorous, the problem is that they were not. I will happily demonstrate that to you.

May I suggest that next time you write an article about Kids Company, or myself, that you do what all good journalists do, which is check your facts before going to print. Otherwise you leave yourself open to legal action.

At no time have you contacted me and offered me an opportunity to respond, or verify the information you publish.

Fact vs Fiction

I wonder whose fact vs fiction should we be addressing? Your selection of evidence from the book fell short of the truth. I would hate to think Civil Society might be a mouthpiece for elements of the government wishing to discredit Kids Companys work. Or perhaps your journalism is yet to evolve and acquire some rigour. In the meantime, I suggest your readers buy the book: KIDS Child Protection in Britain the Truth, and judge for themselves. By the way, my share of the money from the sales of the book is being spent on the very children and young people whose existence the local authorities and Cabinet Office denied.

I hope you will have the moral courage to print this in full.




In the Las Vegas attack on a country music festival, the gunman, Stephen Paddock, was quickly labeled a lone wolf, meaning he acted alone.

While the term lone wolf has been used for centuries, it is increasingly being co-opted for political and polemical reasons.

The implication is that theres something wrong with a lone wolf. After all, wolves are very social animals that usually run in packs. The lone wolf is sometimes an outcast who has to hide from the main pack, but theyre actually rare.

First, the history. Merriam-Webster defines lone wolf as a person who prefers to work, act, or live alone. That certainly seems to describe Paddock, who news reports called a loner, someone not outgoing or friendly to neighbors. (The meme of the mass killer as such a quiet guy was turned into a 2007 movie, with a twist.)

ICYMI: Site sparks uproar on social media with Vegas massacre headline

As Ben Zimmer wrote in The Wall Street Journal, lone wolves have been with us for centuries. Not unexpectedly, Native Americans had some legendary chiefs or warriors named Lone Wolf, though, as members of tribal communities, they were not really lone wolves.

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The figurative use of lone wolf can be traced to popular fiction. Zimmer noted that a human lone wolf appeared in H.G. Wellss The Invisible Man, published in 1897, as the invisible man is being urged: Dont be a lone wolf. Publish your results. The novelist Steven Crane called war correspondents lone wolves in his 1899 novel, Active Service.

Detectives were soon on the case: Zimmer cites a series of 1914 novels where a jewel thief turned detective is called a lone wolf. The Oxford English Dictionary says the figurative usage showed up in the United States in 1909 in the F.H. Tillotson book How to Be a Detective: Occasionally the police run across Panhandlers known as lone wolvesthat is they do not mix with others of their class.

Soon the thieves themselves were lone wolves if they werent part of a gang.

RELATED: The phrase journalists used to describe Vegas shooter, and the unspoken implication

More recently, attacks carried out by a single person have often been labeled as lone-wolf attacks, whether they were inspired by a terrorist group or, like the Las Vegas attack, seemingly independent.

In August, one of President Trumps aides, Sebastian Gorka, claimed the Obama administration invented the term lone-wolf terrorist, saying that every attack deemed terrorism was connected to ISIS or Al Qaeda. That claim was labeled Pants on Fire by PolitiFact, which listed lots of places where the term had been used years earlier.

The politicization of the term lone wolf continued after the Las Vegas attack, when Shaun King of The Intercept wrote in The White Privilege of the Lone Wolf Shooter that Whiteness, somehow, protects men from being labeled terrorists. The Associated Press continued the discussion with a story examining whether the term lone wolf was used in a racial context, mostly for whites accused in attacks. The crimes of people of color, these articles say, are usually tied to their race or their connection to radical Islam, which sometimes becomes quite a stretch, while white lone wolf crimes are reported as anomalies.

Lone wolf is another label that brings connotations, intentionally or not. As weve frequently said, labeling people rather than acts, without more specific descriptions of those people, leads to an oversimplification. Rather than calling any killer a lone wolf, a straightforward description is less prone to spin: he acted alone.

ICYMI: One questions that turns courageous journalists into cowards

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Merrill Perlman managed copy desks across the newsroom at the New York Times, where she worked for twenty-five years. Follow her on Twitter at @meperl.
After Superstorm Sandy flooded the first floor of his New Jersey home with 4 feet of water, Rich Bindell shelled out tens of thousands of dollars to a contractor he knew was approved by the state and had done other work in his town.

Five years after the storm, the construction project remains unfinished and the contractor faces up to 10 years in prison after admitting this month to scamming more than 30 homeowners and employees of about $1.9 million.

James Jaime Lawson is one of more than 200 people charged in New Jersey with $11 million worth of Sandy-related fraud in a list that continues to grow five years after the storm. Most of those cases involved homeowners filing fraudulent applications for relief funds, but others have been contractors like Lawson.

Others including engineering companies and mortgage brokers have been charged with fraud in New York after authorities say they scammed federal loan programs after the storm.

Prosecutors and victims say their experience after Sandy in choosing contractors who saw opportunity in chaos can provide lessons to residents in Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico after recent devastating storms there.

The cases involving contractors defrauding victims, to me, are the worst of the worse, Attorney General Christopher Porrino said. Youve got people down and out trying to put their lives back together. Its like getting hit twice.

Complaints started coming in about a month after Sandy, said Sgt. Mark Malinowski of the Ocean County prosecutors office economic crimes unit. The county was one of the states hardest hit by Sandy.

Malinowksi believes people let their guards down when theyre using government grant money to pay for repairs. Its different than taking money out of their personal checking accounts, he said.

Bindell contacted contractors to get price quotes and through word of mouth he learned about Lawson in the summer of 2015.

He did some jobs in town and I went to look at them. He was cheaper than the other guys and he was listed as an approved contractor, Bindell said.

The nearly $150,000 project would take six to eight months to complete, Bindell said he was told. However, it took Lawson almost a year to complete the plans and Bindell said when he started work, Lawson was fined for elevating the home without a permit.

The project sat while Bindell and his family, in their rented home, reached out to Lawson by phone and texts. It was then Bindell received a call from an adviser with the governments Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation and Mitigation program, which had revoked Lawsons permit for lack of insurance.

Bindell received much of his money back from the government, but is still out about $20,000 from the scam. He then had to tap into his retirement savings and use a home equity loan to come up with the extra $160,000 to fix the work Lawson had started. The project to raise the house and repair flood damage is ongoing and he has been renting a home elsewhere with his wife and two children since.

Based on his experience, he advises other storm victims to take their time rebuilding.

Id do my own background check. Dont take the states word for anything, he said. Make sure the contractor is not taking on so many jobs.

Porrino has written attorneys general in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico with the identities of some of the fraudsters.

You have to be really skeptical, Porrino said. Anytime youre paying in advance for service youre at risk.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
New Jersey is warning parents to look out for people slipping their kids marijuana-laced candy while trick-or-treating. But with no apparent evidence thats ever happened, advocates for legalizing the drug say its nothing more than a Halloween scare tactic.

The state attorney generals office published a document being shared by law enforcement agencies around New Jersey and beyond, including a warning about a significant presence of marijuana candy and other edible forms in New Jersey and nearby states.

The presence of these edible forms of marijuana poses a great risk to users, especially to children, who may accidentally receive marijuana candy during Halloween, the warning said.

The warning cites the case of a 10-year-old New York boy who police said became ill after eating candy infused with cannabis found in the back seat of his familys car, but that had nothing to do with Halloween.

Advocates say marijuana candy has seemingly become the new razor blades in the apples Halloween urban myth, with police around the country sharing the message despite the lack of any known cases.

Cannabis consumers are not looking to dose children with cannabis. That is not something that Ive ever heard of anybody ever being interested in doing or wanting to do or would think is ethical, said Evan Nison, executive director of the New Jersey chapter of NORML, which is pushing to legalize marijuana. This is just something that some police officers sometimes say every year, never really comes to fruition, and is just a scare tactic.

Sharon Lauchaire, a spokeswoman for the state attorney general, said there have been several instances in the state and elsewhere of children becoming ill after eating edible marijuana. She declined to respond to follow-up questions to cite specific cases and evidence of anyone doing this on Halloween.

Our job is to try to prevent accidents whenever possible, and given the striking similarities between these edible drugs and legitimate candy products, a warning was necessary and appropriate. We want our children to have a safe and happy Halloween, she said.

Cannabis-infused candy can take the form of gummy bears or can be made to look like fruit-flavored hard candy or chocolate bars.

Al Della Fave, spokesman for the Ocean County prosecutors office, which shared the message this week, concedes that the likelihood of someone giving a trick-or-treater marijuana candy is very slim.

But you never know, he said. All were saying is check your kids candy. If somethings not in a manufacturers wrapper  throw it out. Were not trying to scare people.

Nison said the idea of police being concerned about cannabis candy being wrapped to look like regular candy is another good reason to legalize and regulate it. Colorado, for instance, prohibits the packaging of edibles from having the word candy on it, and it bars edibles from taking the shape of humans, animals or cartoons.

The Democratic front-runner in New Jerseys Nov. 7 governors race supports full marijuana legalization in the state, which could happen as soon as next year if hes elected and the Democratic-controlled Legislature passes it. His Republican challenger opposes marijuana legalization. New Jersey already has a medical marijuana program.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Mississippi Woman Arrested in Workers Comp Fraud Case

A Mississippi woman has been arrested in a workers compensation fraud case.

Attorney General Jim Hood said Wednesday, in a news release, that 35-year-old Francine Owens is accused of giving misleading statements to Indemnity Insurance Company of North America, claiming she was not receiving secondary income while receiving workers compensation benefits. While receiving those benefits, however, it was discovered that she had another job and did not provide that information to the insurance company.

Owens turned herself into the Hinds County Sheriffs Department. Bond information was not available. Jail officials did not know if she was represented by an attorney.

Hoods office says Owens, if convicted, would face up to five years in prison and $15,000 in fines.

Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Disaster Aid

A Louisiana man has pleaded guilty to stealing federal disaster aid he received for last years catastrophic flooding in East Baton Rouge and 11 other south Louisiana parishes.

Acting U.S. Attorney Corey Amundson, in a news release Thursday, said 42-year-old Courtney D. Hickman, of Baton Rouge, admitted stealing $26,362 in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds. He entered the plea to theft of government funds.

Hickman filed a fraudulent claim with FEMA seeking disaster assistance for a home that he claimed was his primary residence. At the time of the storm, however, Hickman was living elsewhere and was renting his home to a tenant for four months before and throughout the period of the August 2016 flooding.

Connecticut Man Faces Prison for Staging Crashes

Federal prosecutors are seeking more than a year in prison for a Norwich man convicted in an insurance scam involving staged car crashes in eastern Connecticut.

Jonas Joseph is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday in U.S. District Court in New Haven.

Prosecutors say Joseph was involved in six bogus accidents in and around New London County between March 2013 and February 2014, which resulted in a total loss to insurance companies of more than $95,000.

They say he was part of a group that staged more than 50 crashes dating back to 2011.

Prosecutors say most of the crashes were single-vehicle wrecks on remote roads, where the drivers would hit a tree or other object, then leave the scene while the policyholder entered the vehicle and called for help.

Florida Woman Accused of Sinking SUV for Insurance Money

Authorities say a Florida woman had her SUV driven into Grand Lagoon and then pretended the vehicle had been stolen.

The News Herald of Panama City reported Saturday that 65-year-old Debra Jenkins was charged with insurance fraud. She was arrested after a man spotted a submerged SUV in the waters.

The Bay County Sheriffs Office said in a report that a stick was found inside the vehicle on the drivers floorboard to possibly hold the gas pedal.

Jenkins initially told authorities that the SUV had been stolen the night before. According to an arrest report, Jenkins later told police that she and a friend had devised the plan to get rid of the vehicle and claim the insurance money.

Its unclear if she has a lawyer.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
An ode to governance

The Constitution has to be amended to re-engineer the subpar multi-party parliamentary system
roup revenues at the bank totaled 10.3 billion euros, down 1.8 percent year-on-year due to an unfavorable exchange rate, the bank said.

The logo of BNP Paribas SA sits outside a branch of the bank in Paris, France. Balint Porneczi | Bloomberg | Getty Images

French bank BNP Paribas posted forecast-beating third-quarter earnings Tuesday with net profit seeing an 8 percent rise from the same period last year. Here are the highlights: Net income up 8.3 percent at 2.04 billion euros ($2.37 billion), versus Reuters poll of 1.91 billion euros

Revenue down 1.8 percent to 10.39 billion euros, versus Reuters poll of 10.6 billion euros

Third-quarter costs down 1.2 percent to 7.13 billion euros, compared to a year ago Earnings were boosted by the sale of a stake in Indian life insurance company SBI Life which led to a 326 million euro capital gain for the bank. However, group revenues at the bank totaled 10.3 billion euros ($11.9 billion), down 1.8 percent year-on-year, due to an unfavorable exchange rate, the bank said. It also reported a weak performance at its corporate and institutional banking (CIB) division against what the bank called "unfavorable" market conditions. There was also a steep drop in revenues at its fixed income division.

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The bank's chief financial officer (CFO) told CNBC that the earnings reflected a challenging environment for certain parts of the bank. "It's only the fixed income which has been relatively challenging this quarter," Lars Machenil said. "Maybe this challenge came from uncertainty, people waiting to do investments or whatever depending on how things would clarify. So one could assume that now going forward the elements will clarify somewhat and therefore that fixed income will pick up further. So that is what we'll have to see."

Cost cutting
The U.S.-South Korea relationship has been on shaky footing as both nations espouse different views on reigning in a belligerent Pyongyang. At a time of heightened alarm on the Korean Peninsula, President Donald Trump has a chance to strengthen the 67 year-old military alliance when he visits Seoul in a week. His trip will be especially vital in rectifying the sense of exclusion felt by both officials and civilians in Asia's fourth-largest economy. Many South Koreans feel their country has been sidelined during the North Korea crisis  an idea that domestic media has dubbed "Korean passing." News outlets regularly point out how Trump's engagement with Seoul on the issue pales in comparison to his relationship with Tokyo, reflected by the frequency and intensity of phone conversations with leaders of both countries.

President Donald Trump gestures to South Korean President Moon Jae-in during the 72nd United Nations General Assembly on September 21, 2017. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shares Trump's hard-line stance on tackling Pyongyang, while South Korean President Moon Jae-in has a toned-down approach of engagement. "Korea passing is a genuine concern," said Robert Kelly, associate professor at Pusan National University, noting that Moon's critics often use it against him. "It is clearly the case that Trump and his flamboyant style have taken over the North Korea debate in 2017 and pushed Seoul aside. I would be worried if I were the South Koreans."

Some in South Korea even fear that a major provocation from their northern neighbor could result in Washington staging unilateral military operations. In response to Trump's "fire and fury" threat against dictator Kim Jong Un, Moon warned in August that "no one should be allowed to decide on a military action on the Korean Peninsula without South Korean agreement." Further exacerbating the matter is the fact that the White House still hasn't nominated an ambassador to South Korea, a position that's been vacant since Trump took office in January. To strengthen the bilateral alliance, there are four key principles the U.S. leader must follow when he meets Moon on Nov. 7, experts said.

Present a united front

Trump "must convincingly reassure President Moon and the South Korean public that the United States and South Korea are in lockstep on the North Korea issue," Jung H. Pak, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution's Center for East Asia Policy Studies, said in a recent note. "There must be no daylight between the two leaders." In September, Trump rebuked Moon's policy of outreach with Pyongyang. Donald J. Trump tweet: South Korea is finding, as I have told them, that their talk of appeasement with North Korea will not work, they only understand one thing! "From the standpoint of both alliance management and of showing the North Korean regime that they cannot drive a wedge between the two allies, it is essential to present a united front," said Daniel Sneider, visiting scholar at Stanford University's Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center. Seoul and Washington may share fundamental differences on strategies, but the two are on the same page when it comes to the underlying goals of denuclearization and standing up to Kim's threats, Sneider noted.

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Place Tokyo and Seoul on equal footing

Trump's Asia tour will see him spend two days each in Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines but only one day in South Korea. That could further heighten the sentiment of neglect in Seoul. "Koreans tend to get exercised about these things, particularly the Korean media," Sneider said. White House officials should ensure parity in Trump's trips, Pak said: "That means don't spend one day in Seoul if you're going to spend two days in Tokyo." But Kelly of Pusan National University warned against reading too much into the situation, calling it more of a scheduling issue than anything else.

Stress a combined defense network

South Korea is a non-nuclear state, but talk of nuclear armament has been high amid the North's increased missile launches. Last month, South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo and U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis discussed the prospect of returning American tactical nuclear weapons to South Korean soil. Washington had stationed weapons there in 1958 but withdrew them in 1991.

Meanwhile, a recent Gallup poll indicated nearly 60 percent of South Koreans supported national development of nuclear weapons, local media reported. Both scenarios are seen as dangerous and high risk so Trump may wish to reiterate America's military support. "As the [recent] visit of Defense Secretary Mattis made clear, it is vital that the U.S. guarantees of extended deterrence be credible and visible," said Sneider, referring to the American policy that it will defend Seoul under all circumstances. Moon has played down calls for a return of U.S. tactical weapons and independent nuclear capabilities so by highlighting joint defense, Trump will be supporting Moon, said Pak.

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Don't bring up the free trade agreement

Trump has threatened to withdraw from the United StatesKorea Free Trade Agreement and repeatedly criticized the five year-old pact during Moon's first visit stateside earlier this year. That "unnecessarily created an appearance of frosty ties, even as the North Korea threat loomed," Pak said. If Trump must bring up the deal in Seoul, "then do so quietly," she continued. Sneider, on the other hand, said he saw no reason for Trump to take up the issue in any way: "I hope the President does not focus on this."

WATCH: President Trump will not visit DMZ on Asia trip
Newly sworn-in White House Chief of Staff John Kelly looks on in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 31, 2017.

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly on Monday said, "the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War."

Speaking to Fox News, Kelly offered a view of history in which both sides of the Civil War  a pro-slavery Confederacy and the opposing Union  were made up of "men and women of good faith."

Kelly's views echoed those of his boss, President Donald Trump, who claimed that "both sides" were to blame after violence broke out during a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia that claimed the life of an anti-racism protester.

"There are certain things in history that were not so good, and other things that were very, very good," Kelly said. "I think we make a mistake as a society, and certainly as individuals, when we take what is accepted as right and wrong, and go back 100, 200, 300 years or more and say, 'What Christopher Columbus did was wrong.'"

"Five hundred years later, it's inconceivable to me that you would take what we think now and apply it back then. I just think it's very very dangerous. It shows you how much of a lack of appreciation of history and what history is," said Kelly, a retired Marine Corps General.

Kelly then explained his view of the Civil War: "[Confederate General] Robert E. Lee was an honorable man who gave up his country to fight for his state," Kelly said. "One hundred and fifty years ago, that was more important than country  it was always loyalty to state back in those days. Now it's different. But the lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War, and men and women of good faith on both sides made their stand where their conscience had them make their stand."

Kelly did not elaborate about what compromise would have prevented a war fought over the future of slavery in the United States. Southern U.S. states began seceding from the Union in December 1860, following the election one month earlier of President Abraham Lincoln, whose Republican Party had strong anti-slavery sentiments. The economy of the mostly agricultural South was at that time dependent on massive-scale, slave labor.

CNBC reached out to the White House late Monday to clarify what compromises Kelly believes were lacking in the lead-up to to the Civil War, and will update this post with any response.
88kg gold smuggling: APF personnel colluded with smugglers

The Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD) of Nepal Police has said that the Armed Police Force (APF) personnel deployed at the Rasuwa-Kerung border, the only trade route currently in operation between Nepal and China, had colluded with smugglers to illegally bring 88 kg gold to Kathmandu.
Several casino stocks received a lift Tuesday after a report from Nomura suggested the Macau gaming market showed a "noticeable pickup in demand" in the last part of October.

In early afternoon trading, Wynn Resorts stock was up just over 5.5 percent, Las Vegas Sands was up 2.8 percent, and MGM was ahead just over 2 percent.

"Our latest consultant checks point to a noticeable pickup in demand following the 19th Party Congress in China, with VIP and mass revenue up about 30 percent and 9 percent year-over-year, respectively," Nomura analyst Harry Curtis said in a research note Tuesday.

Macau, the world's largest gambling mecca, appears to have been spared any harsh new regulations during the recent Communist Party Congress in Beijing. A previous downturn in Macau was blamed on the Beijing government's corruption crackdown on the junket business, the specialists that bring in the high-value Chinese gamblers to the Macau casinos.

Given "strength in the last 10 days of October," Nomura said it lifted the firm's Macau gross gaming revenue estimate to a range of 19 percent to 21 percent growth for October on a year-over-year basis. A Consensus Metrix survey showed the Street was forecasting Macau's October GGR would increase by 15.9 percent on a year-over-year basis.

Macau posted 16.1 percent year-over-year growth in casino GGR during September.

According to Nomura, Macau's October GGR has typically risen between 12 and 13 percent sequentially from September, which it said would indicate 13 to 14 percent growth on a year-over-year basis.

"However, post-Golden Week demand this year has trended much  better than expected," Nomura said. China's National Day began on Oct. 1, but the week-long celebration that followed is known as "Golden Week" and is a popular time for Chinese to travel to Macau and other destinations.

Meantime, the Nevada Gaming Control Board on Tuesday reported that Nevada casinos won nearly $980 million in September, a 3 percent increase from the same month a year ago.

The Las Vegas Strip posted even stronger gains just before the deadly shooting on Oct. 1. The Nevada state agency said the Las Vegas Strip casinos collected $567.9 million in September, up 4.7 percent from September 2016. Still, the September tally was below the double-digit percentage growth achieved in August  a month lifted by the Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor super-welterweight fight.

Las Vegas Strip casinos accounted for 58 percent of the state's gambling revenue in September.
Deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont said he was not trying to escape justice by travelling to Brussels and that he wanted to "put the Catalan problem at the heart of the European Union."

Puigdemont traveled to the Belgian capital on Monday as Spain's chief prosecutor called for criminal charges of rebellion, sedition and embezzlement to be brought against him and a number of his pro-independence administration.

Speaking at a press conference in Brussels Tuesday, he said criminal charges brought against him and other Catalan politicians for their role in the independence bid were groundless.

He said he had come to Belgium to put forward the Catalan issue at the heart of the EU.

"I am not here to demand political asylum," he told reporters in Brussels. "I'm here in Brussels as the capital of Europe." He added that he would return to Catalonia when given "guarantees" of "fair and independent treatment," he said.
People hold signs reading 'No to the impunity of coup plotters' and '(Catalan regional president Carles) Puigdemont to prison' while waving Spanish flags during a demonstration calling for unity at Plaza de Colon in Madrid on October 28, 2017 JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/Getty Images

Catalonia's leaders have sought safety in Brussels as they face criminal charges for spearheading the region's independence movement, throwing up a potentially awkward situation between Belgium, the EU and Spain. Deposed Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and several members of his pro-independence administration traveled to Brussels in Belgium on Monday and hired a lawyer, fueling speculation that they could try to seek asylum there in order to avoid possible prison sentences for trying to secede from Spain. Puigdemont appeared before the press in Brussels Tuesday, however, and said he was not in the country to claim asylum but wanted to bring the Catalan issue to "the heart of the European Union (EU)." The EU has previously refused to mediate between Spain and Catalonia and has firmly sided with Madrid. Belgian lawyer Paul Bekaert confirmed he has taken on Puigdemont as a client, according to Reuters, but said he was only providing Puigdemont with advice at that point. Paul Bekaert was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.

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Puigdemont's self-imposed exile came after Spain's chief prosecutor on Monday called for charges of rebellion, sedition and embezzlement to be leveled against the Catalan leader, his deputies and other Catalan officials. The charge of rebellion alone carries a maximum prison sentence of 30 years. Speaking to the press, the Catalan politician said he would only go home when there were "guarantees" of "fair and just treatment." Spain's chief prosecutor called for charges to be brought against Puigdemont and his colleagues but under Spain's legal system a judge decides on whether to proceed. Jose Ramon Garcia-Hernandez, secretary of international relations in Spain's ruling Partido Popular (PP), told CNBC Tuesday that it would be very strange if Belgium granted the Catalan politician asylum. "The law is the law and to concede asylum for any government inside the EU you have to fulfil criteria and there is a protocol that is linked to Lisbon Treaty and it will be very, very strange for him to get asylum there," he said. "Spain is a modern democracy, you see the rest of the pro-independence politicians are back in Catalonia and we never prosecute anyone for their political ideas, it's because they are outside the law," he added, insisting that Madrid had no control over how and whether judges would proceed with charges against the Catalan secessionists. "The government doesn't have a say regarding justice," he said. At the weekend, Belgium's migration minister suggested Puigdemont could seek asylum in the country and Puigdemont is believed to have travelled to Brussels on Monday when Spain took control of the region's governmental institutions. The constitutional crisis between Spain and Catalonia came to a head Friday after the pro-independence Catalan government declared independence. Spain promptly responded by imposing direct rule on the wealthy northeastern region, sacking the Catalan government and calling for snap elections on December 21.

Desperate measures

Puigdemont's presence in Brussels could potentially jeopardize diplomatic relations between Spain and Belgium and put the country at odds with its EU counterparts who have all expressed support for the government in Madrid. Puigdemont was effectively offered asylum in Belgium by the country's migration minister, Theo Francken, who said at the weekend that his asylum application was "not unrealistic" and questioned whether Puigdemont would have a fair trial in Spain. Francken's comments provoked a furious response from Madrid. Esteban Gonzalez Pons, a spokesman for the Partido Popular, said the comments by Belgian's migration minister were "unacceptable." "Without having any reason or powers to do so, and ahead of any event, Francken is allowed to assess a possible trial Puigdemont making serious accusations to the Spanish judicial system, the work of Spanish judges, and the rule of law in Spain," Gonzalez Pons said on Sunday. "This is an unacceptable attack by a member of the Belgian Government to another state of the EU such as Spain, which I hope will be corrected immediately," he added. Meanwhile, Belgium's Prime Minister Charles Michel appeared to counter Francken's comments, however, saying Sunday that an asylum request was "absolutely not on the agenda" and asking his colleague "not to fan the flames" with regards to the crisis between Spain and Catalonia.

'Impeccable reaction from the EU institutions'

Brussels is effectively the European Union's capital with many of its government institutions there and the EU has shown unequivocal support for Madrid and Spanish unity, thus making Puigdemont's potential asylum in Belgium problematic. Spain's ruling conservatives met in Madrid on Monday and one official from Prime Minister Marian Rajoy's Partido Popular (PP) said that Puigdemont's trip to Brussels was proof of the ousted leader's "desperation." "Him going to Brussels, the headquarters of the European institutions, where one of the great values of the EU is the defense of the rule of law, the defense of legality, of constitutional values, it's a contradiction in itself," Fernando Martinez Maillo told reporters.

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China has flown bomber jets near the United States territory of Guam and practiced attacks against the island, according to U.S. military officials, Defense News reported Tuesday.

Chinese firepower, along with its host of provocative military activities, is causing the United States to worry about the country as a primary danger in the Pacific region  even as rogue nation North Korea continues to threaten international attacks, the report said.

Tensions with Pyongyang have not dissolved, but conflict with the country is still viewed as "a fight we can win," officials reportedly said.

With China however, which remains a "long-term challenge in the region," U.S. officials "worry about the way things are going," they said.

Chinese bombers are also flying in the vicinity of the state of Hawaii, according to the report.

Read the full story on Chinese military activity in the Pacific on Defense News.
Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen, who is leading a coalition of states suing generic drugmakers, told CNBC on Tuesday that the industry is rife with collusion.

"We've uncovered through emails, text messages and telephone patterns, plus cooperating witnesses, a very compelling case of systematic and pervasive price fixing within the industry," Jepson said in a "Power Lunch" interview.

On Tuesday, 45 states, including Connecticut, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico moved to expand their lawsuit to 18 companies and 15 medicines. The suit also names two individual executives, including Rajiv Malik, president Pennsylvania-based Mylan .

Shares of Mylan were down about 8 percent after news broke of allegations against Malik.



Bernstein senior analyst Ronny Gal said the stock's drop was justified.



"It's a relatively small industry where people move from company to company, and generally know each other," Gal said on "Power Lunch." "When people are trying to make their numbers, and they are sitting in the same location, yeah, once in a while a conversation crosses over the line."

Gal clarified that he had not personally witnessed an incriminating conversation, but that he could "completely see how something like this could happen."

In a statement, Mylan said it found no evidence of price fixing by the company or any of its employees, and vowed to defend itself vigorously. "Mylan has deep faith in the integrity of its president, Rajiv Malik, and stands behind him fully," the company's statement said.

As for how much the alleged collusion cost consumers, Jepson couldn't be specific. But he did emphasize that in an industry valued at about $75 billion, where 88 percent of prescriptions are written for generic drugs, the cost was likely massive.

Since there is evidence the collusion stretches back about a decade, Jepson said he's confident more players are involved. "We are uncovering new information almost every day," he added. "I can't stress enough this is just the tip of the iceberg."

The original complaint, filed in December, had focused on six companies and two medicines.

 Reuters contributed to this report.
International beverage conglomerate Anheuser-Busch InBev has purchased 10 formerly independent U.S. craft brewers within the last few years, starting with Goose Island in 2011 and most recently Wicked Weed out of North Carolina this year. The beer giant plans to continue to buy small breweries across the country. Now small and independent craft brewers are fighting back. To shine a light on the inequities in the marketplace, TakeCraftBack.com has launched the #TakeCraftBack campaign, seeking to crowdsource pledges of support to buy Anheuser-Busch  for $213 billion  before ABI can buy up any more craft brewers. Indie craft brewers have a powerful collective voice, and  while the campaign is a humorous rally call to draw attention to a serious issue  they are using it. After all, craft brewers have turned the beer world upside down, evolving the U.S. beer scene into a new and more meaningful place. In the United States, craft beer means more than it ever has before. It means culinary advancement, variety and innovation. And as the beverage of moderation, it means liquid enjoyment that delivers advanced kilned and roasted malt flavors, pleasing hop profiles and yeast-driven goodness unmatched by any other fermented beverage.

Goose Island's India Pale Ale is pictured with Budweiser beer on March 29, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. Getty Images

Yet craft beer also means entrepreneurs, collaboration and philanthropy. It means economic development and it means  jobs. In 2016, small and independent craft brewers were responsible for more than 456,373 full-time equivalent jobs, with 128,768 jobs at breweries and brewpubs. What does this all mean? It means revitalizing neighborhoods and giving back in exponential ways. Last year craft brewers contributed $67.8 billion to the U.S. economy. The figure is derived from the total impact of beer brewed by craft brewers as it moves through the three-tier system (breweries, wholesalers and retailers), as well as from all non-beer products, like food and merchandise that brewpub restaurants and brewery taprooms sell. In 2016 the overall U.S. beer market was $107.6 billion in sales, with independent craft brewers representing $23.5 billion. Talk about a small-business contribution to our country! Mind you, these successes are happening amid changing and challenge times.

Last year craft brewers contributed $67.8 billion to the U.S. economy.
Unauthorized drones are flying an average of twice a day above critical military infrastructure just 4 miles from the White House, according to new study from drone-detection start-up Dedrone and the Department of Defense.

"This is a concerning rate," Dedrone CEO Jorg Lamprecht told CNBC, "especially in light of international incidents where drones have crashed into other aircraft, and been used by terrorists, and used in other illicit activities."

In one recent example, the Islamic State used a small drone to bomb an ammunition dump at a stadium in Syria, setting off a chain of explosions. And this September, a civilian drone crashed into a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter.
Emerson Electric wants to own Rockwell Automation , and over the last three months has made a series of offers to that company, according to people familiar with the situation.

Emerson's most recent offer for Rockwell, worth more than $27 billion, was in early October for $215 a share, split evenly between cash and stock. Like the $200 a share offer in early August and one a few weeks later, Rockwell gave a terse rejection, according to people with knowledge of the correspondence.

Rockwell Automation shares were up 12.7 percent at the opening bell in response to CNBC's report. Emerson Electric shares were fractionally lower.

An Emerson official confirmed the company has made recent offers to purchase Rockwell, but would offer no comment beyond that.

Rockwell, a fiercely independent Midwestern company with a relatively new CEO, has been no stranger to Emerson as that company has looked for opportunities to consolidate in the industrial automation sector. But after years of trying to engage with Rockwell, Emerson for the first time made a formal offer to buy Rockwell in August. That offer was for $200 and when met with rejection, Emerson came back with both a higher price and with concessions on social issues that it hoped would bring Rockwell to the negotiating table.

The effort, which included a willingness to rename the resulting combination Emerson Rockwell, has been met with continued rejection. In addition, Rockwell's stock price has moved up by more than 13 percent since Emerson made its first offer.

The latest offer for $215 in cash and stock valued Rockwell at over 20 times its expected earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization for 2017 and roughly 32 times analysts EPS estimates for this year. It would have a total value of more than $27 billion.

Emerson's offer stems from its desire to be a leader in all areas of automation and to present a stronger competitive offering to industrial companies as European giants such as Siemens, ABB Automation Group and Schneider Electric become more aggressive in the field.

Emerson believes the combination could bring capitalized synergies worth $6 billion.

It is unclear whether Emerson is willing to mount a full on hostile bid for Rockwell, which is incorporated in Delaware.

Rockwell confirmed later Tuesday that it had rejected the two unsolicited proposals from Emerson, noting that the board of directors had carefully reviewed both offers and determined they were not in the best interest of shareholders.

Sources close to Rockwell tell me the company's rejection of Emerson stems from a number of concerns including what they say is Emerson's inability to successfully integrate previous acquisitions. The sources termed the bid a "Hail Mary" from CEO David Farr as he "struggles" at Emerson to move more firmly into automation.

Rockwell has a staggered board of directors and no ability to act by written consent to call a special meeting, making a hostile approach more difficult.
Facebook , Google and Twitter plan to tell congressional investigators this week that the scope of Russia's campaign to spread disinformation on their sites  and to potentially disrupt the 2016 U.S. presidential race  is much broader than the companies initially reported.

At Facebook, roughly 126 million users in the United States may have seen posts, stories or other content created by Russian government-backed trolls around Election Day, according to a source familiar with the company's forthcoming testimony to Congress. Previously, Facebook had only shared information on ads purchased by Kremlin-tied accounts, revealing that they reached more than 10 million U.S. users.

Google, which previously had not commented on its internal investigation, will break its silence: In a forthcoming blog post, the search giant confirmed that it discovered about $4,700 worth of search-and-display ads with dubious Russian ties. It also reported 18 YouTube channels associated with the Kremlin's disinformation efforts, as well as a number of Gmail addresses that "were used to open accounts on other platforms."

More from Recode:

Sen. Feinstein is demanding more information from Facebook and Twitter about Russian users on their sites

Russian meddling in the 2016 election: Facebook, Twitter, and Google are testifying to Congress

Coursera has ousted several senior executives along with many rank-and-file staffers

And Twitter will tell Congress that it found more than 2,700 accounts tied to a known Russian-sponsored organization called the Internet Research Agency, according to sources familiar with its testimony. Twitter initially informed lawmakers about just 200 known accounts. The company will also release a new study that shows the extent to which Russian-based automated accounts, or bots, of all sorts tweet on its platform.

In sharing these findings with congressional investigators, the three tech giants plan to emphasize that Russian-fostered disinformation  while troubling  amounted to only a small portion of the ads and other content published regularly on their platforms. Facebook, for example, hopes to highlight that its U.S. users are served more than 200 stories in their News Feeds each day, according to a source familiar with its thinking.

Still, the companies' explanations may not satisfy an ever-expanding chorus of critics on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers are increasingly demanding that Facebook, Google and Twitter step up their efforts to counter the Kremlin's attempts to sow political and social discord  or else face more regulation by the U.S. government.

For the tech industry, the first test comes on Tuesday: A crime- and terrorism-focused committee led by Republican Sen. Lindsay Graham will grill Colin Stretch, the general counsel of Facebook; Richard Salgado, the director of law enforcement and information security at Google; and Sean Edgett, the acting general counsel of Twitter.

On Wednesday, Facebook's Stretch and Twitter's Edgett will return to the Capitol and submit to two back-to-back sessions before the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. There, they'll be joined by Kent Walker, the general counsel of Google.

Upon entering the hearings, these tech giants each pledged to improve their handling of political advertising  seemingly in a bid to stave off congressional scrutiny. Facebook and Twitter, for example, in October promised more manual review of those ads, along with greater disclosure as to who is paying for them in the first place.

And Google newly revealed on Monday that it would do the same. The company announced that it sought to create a new database for election ads purchased on AdWords and YouTube, along with stronger disclosure rules and a new ad transparency report due in 2018. Google said it would also put in place new procedures to verify that advertisers running political ads are based in the U.S.

But lawmakers' concerns aren't limited to ads. Members of Congress are likely to press some tech executives on their handling of organic posts  the stories, status updates or other content published and shared on social media sites without cost. In many ways, this content is harder to identify, and at times it is impossible to regulate in a way that doesn't trigger free-speech concerns.

At Facebook, for example, Russian trolls created 80,000 pieces of organic content between January 2015 and August 2017, the company plans to tell lawmakers at the hearing. About 29 million Americans saw those posts directly in their News Feed over that two-year period. And those users also liked, shared and followed these posts and pages, exposing them to their friends  meaning 126 million U.S. users in total might have seen at least some Russian-generated content, according to a source familiar with the findings.

On Instagram, meanwhile, Facebook deleted roughly 170 accounts tied to Russian trolls that posted about 120,000 pieces of content, the company plans to reveal in its testimony.

Taken together, those organic posts had a much greater reach than the 3,000 ads purchased by Russian agents on Facebook around Election Day. In October, the company provided key congressional committees with copies of the ads, which sought to sow social and political unrest around contentious topics, including immigration and Black Lives Matter.

Muck like its peers, though, Facebook plans to stress to U.S. lawmakers that the activity represents only a fraction of what happens daily on its site. Russian-generated disinformation during the election amounted to four-thousandths (0.004) of one percent of content in the News Feed, according to a source familiar with the company's findings.

Google, meanwhile, plans to tell Congress that it "found only limited activity on our services," wrote general counsel Walker and Salgado, a company security executive, in a blog post published before the hearing.

Initially, sources had flagged $4,700 in ad spending by Russia's so-called Internet Research Agency, and Google finally confirmed the number Monday. In doing so, it said search and display ads were not targeted based on users' geography or political preferences.

Its audit of YouTube, meanwhile, turned up 18 channels tied to Russian trolls, which had uploaded 1,108 videos. In total, they had been viewed roughly 309,000 times between June 2015 and November 2017; about 3 percent of those videos had more than 3,000 views. The channels have been suspended.

Yet one of Google's biggest challenges  much like Facebook and Twitter  is its handling of organic content, including videos uploaded by RT, a Russian government-funded news network. Called a propaganda arm of the Kremlin, RT videos have millions of views on YouTube. In Google's investigation, however, the tech giant said it "found no evidence of manipulation of our platform or policy violations." As a result, Google said that RT and other state-sponsored media outlets are still "subject to our standard rules."

Twitter, for its part, recently banned RT from advertising on its platform, though the publication is still allowed to tweet there. Facebook has announced no change.

For its part, Twitter plans to unveil two new key findings during its testimony to Congress, sources told Recode on Monday. Chief among them: The company's acting general counsel, Edgett, will note that the company had discovered  and suspended  roughly 2,752 accounts tied to known Kremlin trolls.

Initially, Twitter pegged this number at about 200 accounts. And while the company at the time described it as an early estimate, it still faced sharp criticism from lawmakers like Sen. Mark Warner, who charged that the company hadn't done an exhaustive investigation.

Twitter also sought to study election-related tweets sent between Sept. 1 and Nov. 15, 2016. Among a pool of 189 million tweets, the company identified about 1.4 million sent by automated Russian-affiliated accounts.

In Twitter's estimation, that's less than three-quarters of a percent of all of the election-sampled tweets sent using its service over a roughly two-month window  and Edgett will stress they "underperformed" in generating impressions on the site when compared to an average, normal tweet. In contrast, Twitter also noted that tweets from accounts including WikiLeaks tended to benefit from significantly more engagement by Russian bots.

By Tony Romm and Kurt Wagner, Recode.net.

CNBC's parent NBCUniversal is an investor in Recode's parent Vox, and the companies have a content-sharing arrangement.
Grail, the cancer detection start-up backed by tech giants Alphabet and Amazon , is already seeking new funding, mere months after it closed a $900 million round in March. The company had previously raised $100 million in 2016.

Grail is primarily pitching sovereign funds, with mixed success, according to two sources familiar. It has approached Softbank and Mubadala, Abu Dhabi's $125 billion sovereign fund, according to one of the people.

The start-up is primarily planning to use the funds for its massive breast cancer trial that it announced in April of this year. That study involves analyzing the blood of 120,000 women in many different locations.

But the company has also had some other expenses that may be pushing it back to the fund-raising market.

Grail announced in March that some of the proceeds from its financing would be used to buy a large portion of its shares from parent company Illumina , reducing Illumina's ownership to a minority stake. The aggregate purchase price was $278 million, according to a public filing.

It also shelled out more than $100 million to merge with a Chinese company called Cirina, according to one of the sources. Cirina is developing an early-stage commercial test for a type of cancer called nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Additional funds were earmarked for another expensive clinical study, its Circulating Cell-Free Genome Atlas Study (CCGA), which involves enrolling 10,000 participants. This study is meant to give Grail a more detailed map of cancer genetics.

The company declined to comment on its financing plans, but said "we are always in touch with the capital markets."

Meanwhile, the company has seen multiple senior leaders depart in recent months, including former CEO Jeff Huber, formerly of Google; data scientist Franz Och; and former head of clinical development Mark Lee. These departures were previously reported by Buzzfeed. Business development lead Elaine Cheung also departed recently, according to her LinkedIn profile.

When Grail burst onto the scene in 2016, it announced an ambitious objective to have its first test on the market within three years.

The idea behind such early-detection tests, which are in development by Grail and its chief competitors Guardant Health and Freenome, is to catch cancer early by picking up signals of free-floating tumor DNA in the bloodstream. The hope is that at that point, it would be easier and cheaper to treat.

The biggest challenges to get these tests to market include price -- the tests might be too expensive to get covered by insurers -- and high rates of both false positives and negatives. For that reasons, these companies need to invest heavily on clinical studies.
Birtamod Curfew lifted

The local administration has lifted curfew in Birtamod, Jhapa since Monday afternoon.
Changes abound in the Middle East and North Africa, but the pace of economic and social reforms needs to increase, according to one senior voice at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Global growth will be 3.6 percent for the fiscal year of 2017, with this falling to 2.6 percent for the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan (MENAP) region, according to the IMF's 2017 Regional Economic Outlook for the Middle East and Central Asia report out Tuesday.

Jihad Azour, the IMF's director for its Middle East and Central Asia department, told CNBC: "Reforms are now accepted by all as a positive move toward creating additional growth." But he added, "If we don't grow at 6 and 7 percent it's going to be very difficult to find enough jobs for the 25 million young men and women that will enter the labor market in the region in the next five years."

Azour discussed Saudi Arabia's impetus to "genuinely move into a private sector-led economy." For him, the Kingdom needs to improve "access to finance, by reforming the financial sector; access to talent, by reforming education; (and) access to market by opening up the economy and improving the business environment."

"Sequencing and keeping the momentum is important" in achieving this, he added.
watch now

India's persistent buying of the U.S. dollar to keep its local currency cheap has caught the attention of the U.S. Treasury, increasing the risk that Asia's third-largest economy could soon face the ill effects of a "currency manipulator" branding. India came under the spotlight after an increase in the "scale and persistence" of its buying up other nations' money, the Treasury said in an October report outlining the foreign exchange policies of the U.S.'s major trading partners. But even without the official "currency manipulator" label, being called out by the U.S. Treasury can already limit New Delhi's freedom in managing the rupee, analysts said. To avoid the designation, the Reserve Bank of India may be looking to reduce its foreign exchange purchases. Doing so at a time when capital inflows are still strong, however, could be costly for the economy, as its domestic currency may become expensive and hurt the country's competitiveness. The RBI did not respond to CNBC's request for comment about the report.

watch now

India's net currency purchases rose to around $42 billion, or 1.8 percent of its gross domestic product, in the 12 months from July, 2016 to June, 2017, the Treasury said. Compared to the $10 billion, or 0.4 percent of GDP, net purchases in calendar year 2016, New Delhi has been on a buying spree. "Over the first half of 2017, there has been a notable increase in the scale and persistence of India's net foreign exchange purchases," the Treasury said, adding that it will be "closely monitoring India's foreign exchange and macroeconomic policies." The RBI intensified the buying of foreign currencies this year after a surge in capital inflows into India's stocks and bonds sent the rupee appreciating to its strongest in two years against the U.S. dollar. The purchases  to ensure the rupee does not rise to a level that would harm its exporters and other internationally operating firms  also saw India's foreign reserves hitting an all-time high of $402.51 billion in September. Those currency moves could potentially lead to India's inclusion on the U.S. Treasury's manipulator watchlist, and so the RBI may be looking to pull back on its defense of a cheap rupee. That would see the Indian currency jump in relative value, which would cause negative effects for wide swaths of the economy. And, if India feels limited in its ability to buy up international currencies, that will also affect its efforts to create robust foreign reserves that would protect against economic shocks. That's something that New Delhi should be doing more of, according to Rajiv Biswas, APAC chief economist at IHS Markit. The country should increase its reserves "significantly further" as its current account deficit makes it particularly vulnerable in the event of a capital flight, he explained. "Increased FX (foreign exchange) reserves help to reassure global financial markets that India is resilient to external shocks, particularly hot money outflows," Biswas said in an email. "FX reserves are essentially like a fire insurance policy  in good times you complain about the cost, but you only fully understand their value when markets are in meltdown and a currency crisis looms."

Dhiraj Singh | Bloomberg | Getty Images

But the RBI's options are limited if India wants to avoid further scrutiny by the Treasury. The report, published twice a year, is intended to flag any unfair currency practices, and lists three criteria that define an unfair practice. The first is that a country has at least a $20 billion trade surplus with the U.S. (meaning the value of goods it exports to the U.S. exceeds the value of its American imports by that much). The second criterion is that a country has net foreign currency purchases of at least 2 percent of GDP over a 12-month period. And the final characteristic is if a country has a current account surplus that's at a minimum 3 percent of GDP. The current account is a measurement of goods, services and investments that go in and out of a country. Economies that fulfill two out of the three criteria are put on a monitoring list, which increases the risks of trade sanctions from the U.S. and earning the label "currency manipulator." Five countries are now officially being watched: China, Japan, South Korea, Germany and Switzerland. India, however, currently meets only one of those criteria: Its trade surplus with the U.S. came in at $23 billion in the 12 months to June  higher than the $20 billion threshold. The country's current account deficit and net foreign exchange purchases of 1.8 percent of GDP are helping it avoid being placed on the monitoring list for now.

watch now

"We reckon that the U.S. is paying more attention to India this time around as the economy is very close to meeting (the foreign exchange criterion)," Radhika Rao, economist at DBS Group Research, wrote in a note. "This reflects strong rupee appreciation in the first half of the year, which forced the central bank's hand to intervene to keep real gains in check." To avoid a place on the monitoring list, India could reduce its trade surplus with the U.S., but analysts said the pressure to do so is low given that countries such as China and Japan have far larger trade surpluses with the world's largest economy. That leaves the RBI with only one possibility: slow down its intervention in the currency markets to keep net foreign exchange purchases below the stipulated 2 percent of GDP. That is "an important step" to take, even if it could result in the rupee appreciating in the short-term, Biswas said. But DBS' Rao said the central bank will likely face less pressure to buy foreign currencies as much as it did before as capital inflows have slowed in recent weeks. "Interest in the Asian emerging markets may be cooling off as flows into the region have moderated in recent weeks," she said. "In all, we see little risks that India might be officially included in the list of economies monitored (by the U.S. Department of Treasury)."

WATCH: How can India's government address the country's bad loans issue?
Republican nominee Donald Trump and Campaign Manager Paul Manafort do a walk thru at the Republican Convention, July 20, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., the Manhattan district attorney, and Eric T. Schneiderman, the New York state attorney general, have been pursuing their own investigations into Mr. Manafort, a former campaign chairman to Mr. Trump. Although those investigations are unfolding separately from the federal case that the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, filed against Mr. Manafort, the New York authorities are examining some of the same activity highlighted in the federal indictment, underscoring the relevance of their exemption from a potential pardon.

Although it is not known whether Mr. Manafort will receive or even request a presidential pardon, he also faces scrutiny from authorities in New York whose prosecutions would not be subject to one.

But for Paul J. Manafort, who surrendered to the F.B.I. on Monday after being indicted on federal criminal charges, Mr. Trump's power has a limitation of potential significance: a presidential pardon does not apply to charges from state and local authorities.

In July, President Trump wrote on Twitter that "all agree the U.S. President has the complete power to pardon."

The two New York prosecutors, both Democrats, have issued subpoenas and sought financial records about Mr. Manafort's real estate and business activities in New York, according to three people briefed on the investigations who were not authorized to discuss law enforcement matters that were continuing. Possible violations being pursued by Mr. Vance could carry prison sentences of up to four years for Mr. Manafort, who has denied any wrongdoing.

The two New York prosecutors, both Democrats, have issued subpoenas and sought financial records about Mr. Manafort's real estate and business activities in New York, according to three people briefed on the investigations who were not authorized to discuss law enforcement matters that were continuing. Possible violations being pursued by Mr. Vance could carry prison sentences of up to four years for Mr. Manafort, who has denied any wrongdoing.

Neither of the prosecutors has determined whether any state charges are warranted, and if they did, those cases would most likely advance only in the event of a presidential pardon.

Asked about the possibility of a pardon for Mr. Manafort from Mr. Trump, the White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said: "I haven't had any conversations with him about that. I think we should let the process play through before we start looking at those steps."

The New York investigations focus in part on Mr. Manafort's relationship with the Federal Savings Bank of Chicago, a small lender that provided him some big loans. The bank, which received a subpoena but is not itself under investigation, is led by Stephen M. Calk, a onetime economic adviser to Mr. Trump.

Mr. Vance's office is questioning whether Mr. Manafort misled the bank when applying for the loans, the people briefed on the investigation said, a previously unreported development that hews closely to the federal indictment announced on Monday. In examining the loan documents, Mr. Vance's office is seeking to determine whether Mr. Manafort used the loan money for an unauthorized purpose, which could amount to filing a false business record, a crime in New York State.

The New York prosecutors are also seeking to trace cash that Mr. Manafort moved in and out of American bank accounts, partly to verify whether he paid state taxes on income earned overseas, the people said. Investigators working for the New York prosecutors have obtained documents suggesting that at least some of the money came from a bank in Cyprus, the Mediterranean nation considered a tax haven and a magnet for Russian money.

This is another area of inquiry that overlaps with Mr. Mueller's case, a 12-count indictment that accused Mr. Manafort and a business partner of conspiracy to launder money from accounts in Cyprus and elsewhere.

The overlap will most likely mean that Mr. Mueller's case will take priority over Mr. Vance's and Mr. Schneiderman's.

And while Mr. Vance's office is continuing to investigate Mr. Manafort, Mr. Schneiderman has deferred his inquiry into the former Trump campaign chairman, at least temporarily, so as to not interfere with the federal case, according to one of the people briefed on the matter. Mr. Schneiderman would most likely resume his investigation if Mr. Manafort received a presidential pardon, the person said.

This year, The Wall Street Journal and Reuters reported the existence of Mr. Vance's investigation and his subpoena of the Chicago bank, while The New York Times and others have reported Mr. Manafort's extensive financial ties to Cyprus and Mr. Calk's relationship with the Trump campaign.

The status of Mr. Schneiderman's investigation, and the focus of Mr. Vance's, were not previously known. A spokeswoman for Mr. Vance declined to comment, as did a spokesman for Mr. Schneiderman.

Mr. Schneiderman has clashed with Mr. Trump or his associates on a number of occasions. He sued the Trump administration to preserve an Obama-era program that shields young undocumented immigrants from deportation, and he sued Trump University, contending that it used high-pressure sales tactics and false claims to woo students. Mr. Trump settled the case after winning the election.
Investors are speculating that JAB Holding could be looking to scoop up another major company  Dunkin' Brands.

Shares of the coffee and donut company jumped nearly 8 percent on Monday on market speculation that JAB may be interested in acquiring the brand. On Tuesday, the stock was up 1.6 percent.

"While this isn't the first time a deal has been speculated between the two companies, the market reaction appeared to imply more credibility this time around," Jeremy Scott, senior research analyst at Mizuho Securities, wrote in a research note Monday. "JAB has been an aggressive acquirer over the past three years, paying substantial premiums for coffee and bakery brands in both retail and restaurants."

JAB, a privately held company headquartered in Luxembourg, may not be a household name but its brands are. The company owns Keurig Green Mountain, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and acquired Panera Bread in a deal valued at about $7.5 billion in April.

"Buying Dunkin' would give JAB an enviable position in the coffee and snack space," Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, told CNBC via email. "The deal would certainly create a whole host of synergistic cost savings and new sales opportunities."

"However, Dunkin' would be a very expensive buy for JAB and it is far from clear that the synergies would pay for such an extravagant purchase," Saunders said. "Moreover, while Dunkin' is a solid business, due to its saturation in the U.S., its growth opportunities mostly come from expanding into third-party channels like supermarkets. This means there are not a lot of growth vectors for JAB to exploit."

Representatives from Dunkin' and JAB declined to comment on the speculation.

JAB has been selling off several of its luxury brands in order to focus on faster-growing consumer sectors. On Monday, the company announced the sale of its Belstaff fashion brand to Ineos and in July it sold shoe company Jimmy Choo for $1.2 billion to Michael Kors.



"While the closure of these transactions reflects the completion of previously announced

plans, investors may be considering it a smoke signal that the company is primed to bid again," Scott wrote.



And Dunkin' would fit well in the company's portfolio. JAB has been steadily creating a coffee and breakfast empire over the last five years.

The company began building that position in 2012 when it took a stake in D.E. Master Blenders. The company told Bloomberg then that it had no plans to purchase the Amsterdam-based coffee company.

But later that year, it bought Peet's Coffee & Tea for $974 million and Minnesota-based Caribou Coffee for $340 million. In the years that followed, JAB would go on to spend billions expanding its coffee empire.



Eventually in 2013, JAB agreed to pay $9.8 billion to purchase D.E. Master Blenders.

That company became Jacobs Douwe Egberts when JAB merged it with the coffee division of Mondelez International in 2015, which it bought for around $4 billion.

JAB in 2014 scooped up Einstein Bagels' parent company, Espresso House and Baresso Coffee.

In 2015, JAB purchased Keurig Green Mountain for $14 billion and coffee roaster and retailer Stumptown Coffee and coffee bar chain Intelligentsia coffee. The next year, Krispy Kreme was added to the portfolio.

"While not completely clear if JAB Holdings would be interested in making additional investments in the restaurants space, the historical pattern suggests additional transactions are possible," David Tarantino, senior research analyst at Baird, wrote in a research note Monday.

"We would hesitate to assign a high probability to [Dunkin'] being acquired, but we suspect [Dunkin'] could represent an appealing acquisition target for JAB at some stage given the brand's strong position in the growing U.S. coffee category and the opportunity for continued global growth via an asset-light business model," he said.

Dunkin' has been pressured by competitors like McDonald's and Burger King to make itself known for more than just its donuts. The brand recently said it is contemplating changing its name to just "Dunkin'" to show that the company was a "beverage-led brand and coffee leader."

It will also begin to streamlining its menu, which has grown to include numerous breakfast sandwiches and sides, to make the stores "less complicated to operate," Dunkin' CEO Nigel Travis said on CNBC's "Closing Bell" last week.

The decision came after the company reported an unexpected fall in same-store sales at Baskin-Robbins during the third quarter, which weighed on Dunkin's overall profit for the quarter.

Same-store sales for Dunkin' Donuts, which make up about 70 percent of the brand's overall sales, also missed analyst expectations, but were slightly positive for the quarter.
Microsoft on Tuesday confirmed that a longtime executive, Julie Larson-Green, is leaving the company. The news comes a few months after Larson-Green stepped back from her role as chief experience officer for Office productivity as she was recovering from surgery.

Larson-Green joined Microsoft in 1993, a year after the arrival of the company's current CEO, Satya Nadella. She was once seen as a potential candidate to replace former CEO Steve Ballmer, but Nadella was ultimately chosen for that task.

Larson-Green has held top roles in Microsoft's Windows and hardware groups, but most recently she was focused on Office in the age of the cloud. She was one of Microsoft's most prominent female executives. Tuesday is her last day there.

"We thank Julie for the numerous contributions she's made to Microsoft over the last 25 years, and we wish her the very best in her new endeavors," a Microsoft spokesperson told CNBC in an email. ZDNet previously reported the news.

Larson-Green's role was leading "engineering and design of the Office productivity experiences that make it easy for people to access information, connect with others and accomplish tasks across all their devices," she wrote on her LinkedIn profile.

Larson-Green previously worked under another Microsoft veteran, Steven Sinofsky, until Sinofsky left his position as head of Windows in 2012. At that point she took over Windows software and hardware engineering.

tweet

Last year Larson-Green told Business Insider that she was the one who removed the Clippy virtual assistant from Office apps like Microsoft Word in 2007. "We were just ahead of our time with the technology," she said.

In May, The Information said that most of the people who had been reporting to Larson-Green will now report to company veteran Jeff Teper, corporate vice president of Office, OneDrive and SharePoint.
The food industry is changing faster than ever before, said Mondelez's outgoing CEO Irene Rosenfeld.

"I mean, we have seen the most profound changes in the consumer, in the customer base, in the channel penetration, in our competitive actions. And as a result, it's been probably the magnitude and the speed of those changes is bigger than any I have seen in my career," Rosenfeld told CNBC's"Squawk on the Street" on Tuesday.

Despite the changes, Rosenfeld said she's still confident in the food industry and Mondelez. She has led the global snack powerhouse since 2012 when it was spun off from Kraft , where she served as CEO since 2006.

Mondelez, which makes brands such as Oreo cookies and Ritz crackers, and Big Food companies' scale is critical in today's global economy, she said. But companies still need to keep their ears to the ground.

Wall Street has hammered food companies facing changing consumer preferences, a competitive retail environment and growing e-commerce platforms like Amazon . Rosenfeld told investors on Tuesday that today's challenges are radically different from other "cosmic changes" that occur every few years.

In Rosenfeld's last quarter as CEO, Mondelez posted earnings of 57 cents per share, beating Wall Street's predicted 54 cents per share. Revenue grew 2.1 percent from the year-ago quarter, reaching $6.53 billion and surpassing estimates of $6.45 billion.

Shares of Mondelez climbed 5.2 percent on Tuesday.

Rosenfeld told CNBC the recovery of emerging markets' economies and stabilizing foreign exchange helped Mondelez in the quarter. She touted growth on both the snack food company's top and bottom lines as proof that its focus on margins and cost-cutting is paying off.

"At the same time, we always understood that someday, these markets would come back, and we wanted to make sure that we would be well-positioned when that happened. We have invested in our brands, our routes to market, and it's starting to pay dividends," she said. "I feel very good that the business is poised to continue the momentum that we're starting to see."

Rosenfeld's successor, Dirk Van de Put, will take over as CEO on Nov. 20. He comes from McCain Foods Limited, a privately held Canadian company known for its french fries.

Rosenfeld's advice to Van de Put? It's all about profitable growth.

"I think we've got the fundamental foundation in terms of our margin structure setup. Obviously, we'll continue to see opportunities there," she said. "But the biggest opportunity now is to figure out which are the best bets to place so that we can further accelerate our top-line growth.

"I truly believe that the combination of a strong top line together with a strong bottom line is what makes for a sustainable business."
"If all the Republicans are doing is increasing some taxes to make up for cuts elsewhere, then all of this is just an elaborate game of robbing Peter to pay Paul."

And it's that fear of making spending cuts that's fueling so many bad ideas to raise revenue instead.

Here are the leading members of that Hall of Shame:

They floated the Border Adjustment Tax idea that America's retailers rightfully opposed as a move that would have hurt some of the nation's poorer consumers.

They're looking to eliminate or slash the state and local tax deductions that would bring brutal overall federal tax bill increases to people living in highly-populated coastal blue states.

They've floated the idea of limiting tax-free contributions for 401(k) plans that could destroy the retirement plans for millions of Americans who rely on those plans.

And now we have this similar push on mortgage interest tax breaks that's drawing massive ire from home builders, realtors, and others who believe such a move would really hurt home prices and values.

And Republicans still think all of these ideas and the extreme anger that comes with them are better than what they'd face from some common sense spending cuts?

All of these ideas come with more negative baggage than any accusation that the Republicans are spendthrifts or irresponsible on deficits. Compare that problem with being blamed for rising prices at the store, hurting retirees, cratering the housing market, and inflicting cynical financial pain on people living in Democratic Party dominated states.

The truth is, there really is no comparison and the Republican leadership is particularly tone deaf not to see that. But somehow, that leadership is still pressing on with an obsession over revenues and deficits.

The bottom line is the GOP doesn't believe in the simple, across-the-board tax cuts that President Ronald Reagan promoted so unapologetically 36 years ago. Economists will argue for decades to come over whether those tax cuts he got through Congress were the reason for the economic boom of the 1980s. But that boom is undeniable as GDP grew by as much as 7.8 percent at the height of the economic turnaround in the years immediately following those tax cuts.

Not all of the blame lies with the congressional Republicans. President Trump has let this go way too far. On one hand, he's promoted a message on tax reform that always very simple and persuasive. He talks about the "biggest tax cuts ever," and has cited a study that says the corporate tax cut plan could lead to $4,000 in wage growth for American families.

But while he delivers this clear message, he hasn't put a stop to the GOP in Congress continuing to work on those complicated and contradictory ideas that create more and more problems. The same guy who riddled his presidential campaign with controversial statements and continues to have little trouble calling out his political opponents with public insults isn't calling for Congressional Republicans to drop the arduous schemes and just cut the taxes and the spending. What exactly is he afraid of?

This is no way to run a government or win over the voters. And unless something big changes in their thinking and strategy, the Republicans are dooming the tax reform effort from within.

Commentary by Jake Novak, CNBC.com senior columnist. Follow him on Twitter @jakejakeny.

For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.
Caan fails to pass budget as minister scraps meet

The board of directors of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (Caan) could not pass its Rs43.58 billion budget for fiscal 2017-18 as planned on Monday after Chairman of the Board and Tourism Minister Jitendra Narayan Dev abruptly called off a scheduled meeting.
British Prime Minister Theresa May walks through the headquarters of the United Nations on September 19, 2017 in New York City.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has promised to take action to protect government staff against sexual harassment, as allegations grow of inappropriate behavior by male members of parliament (MPs).

A series of claims about the behavior of senior politicians have emerged in recent days, after the Harvey Weinstein scandal encouraged women in all professions to share their experiences of inappropriate sexual conduct.

At present, women who work for U.K. politicians are effectively self-employed and have no formal procedure to air grievances against their employers.

In a letter to the speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, May wrote that the current set-up must change.

"It does not have the required teeth as contractually an MP does not have to follow the procedure. I do not believe this situation can be tolerated any longer," May said in her letter Sunday.

Commons leader Andrea Leadsom said Monday that the Cabinet Office is now investigating specific allegations about whether individuals had broken the ministerial code.

So far, three MPs have been openly implicated in wrongdoing. However, media reports suggest a secret list on the messenger smartphone app WhatsApp is being used by women to warn each other about the predatory behavior of a much larger group of MPs.

The list is said to be shared by parliamentary researchers, secretaries, and aides who use it to identify politicians with a reputation for sexually inappropriate behavior.

Paul Goodman is the editor of center-right blog Conservative Home. He said in a blog post Tuesday that May faces a tricky choice should fresh revelations break.

"If she keeps any besieged ministers in place, she'll be accused of stubbornness. Sack them, and she'll be accused of panic," the political analyst wrote.

Goodman added that employees close to May would likely be preparing a draft cabinet reshuffle as a contingency against any breaking allegations.
David Becker | Getty Images

Sony reported fiscal second-quarter earnings and revenue that beat forecasts thanks to a strong performance from its PlayStation gaming business, and said it expects its best profit since 1998. The Japanese electronic giant reported the following numbers for the three months to September 30: related investing news These stocks were hurt the most by inflation, but now they could lead this relief rally Sales of 2.06 trillion Japanese yen ($18.2 billion) vs 1.86 trillion yen expected, according to Reuters data. This was also a 22.1 percent year-on-year rise.

Operating profit of 204 billion yen vs 135.6 billion yen expected. This market a 346.4 percent rise. Sony also raised its dividend in the second quarter to 12.50 Japanese yen from 10 Japanese yen. The Japanese giant said it now expects operating income for the year ending March 31 to be 630 billion Japanese yen. If realized, this would be the highest ever profit for the company since its record-breaking year in 1998 when it earned 526 billion yen. During this period, Sony's first PlayStation console was proving very successful.

PlayStation boost

Sony's gaming and network services business saw operating revenue rise 35.4 percent year-on-year to 433.2 billion yen, with operating income hit 54.8 billion yen, marking a 188.3 percent rise. PlayStation has been the crown jewel for Sony for a long time and the latest quarter was helped by increased game and hardware sales. Major game titles such as "FIFA 18" and "Unchartered: The Lost Legacy" were released during the quarter. On Monday, the company also announced a number of new games coming out over the next couple of years. These included some virtual reality (VR) games. Sony released the PlayStation VR headset last year, and has since sold over 1 million units, making it the second-largest VR headset by market share, according to IDC.

Chips perform well

Under Chief Executive Kazuo Hirai, Sony has been on a turnaround path, slimming its struggling businesses while doubling down on the big profit drivers. PlayStation has been one of those. And so has the components business.

watch now

Sony's semiconductor business saw profit of 49.4 billion yen in the quarter, up from a 4.2 billion yen loss in same period a year before. The loss was due to an earthquake which hit production. Sony said that the increase in profit was due to increased sales of image sensors for mobile products which are used in some of the top smartphones around the world.

What next?

Sony shares were trading around 2.7 percent higher after the results and so far this year are up around 35 percent year-to-date. The company's shares recently hit a nine-year high, but there are also questions about where the future growth will come from. Sony has been investing in areas such as VR and artificial intelligence (AI).

watch now
During his time at Apple, Kawasaki worked closely with the late Steve Jobs, and says he learned a crucial lesson from the tech visionary.

"One of the most important lessons that I learned from Steve Jobs is that changing your mind, changing what you're doing, reversing yourself at an extreme," Kawasaki told CNBC Make It at the Synergy Global Forum, "is a sign of intelligence."

"It's a sign of competence," he adds.

When Jobs first introduced the iPhone in 2007, it was a closed system  no one outside of Apple could create an app for it. Software developers had to use a Safari plugin to make their app work on the phone, as they weren't able to access the iPhone's system directly in order to ensure the phone's security.

Just one year later, however, Jobs made a complete "180-degree reversal," Kawasaki says. The founder opened the iPhone system to the public after realizing how much more the device could offer customers with apps written by anyone with a good idea.
Big tech will be under the gun in Washington this week, with Facebook , Twitter and Google scheduled to testify at congressional hearings on foreign election intervention.

But investors shouldn't worry much about potential fallout, Bob Peck, head of internet investment banking at Credit Suisse, said Tuesday.

"It's very important and very serious," Peck told CNBC's "Squawk Alley," "but as far as impacts to the financials, not as significant."

Facebook said Monday that Russian-bought election content reached 126 million Americans, but as Peck noted, that's out of a "2 billion or so base."

Google, for its part, was fined $2.7 billion by the EU in June for advertising antitrust violations.

But, Peck said, $2.7 billion on a market cap of more than $700 billion isn't likely to move the needle.

"Don't forget the way these models work in advertising  Google and Facebook  it's an auction basis, so as one large bidder drops out, the rest of the market sort of fills that," Peck said.

To be sure, the week's hearings could still represent a turning point for the internet giants as discussions of foreign influence and regulation continue to swirl. Twitter and Facebook have each moved to increase transparency around advertising, after public comments by CEOs Jack Dorsey and Mark Zuckerberg.

The hearings could signal whether Congress intends to more strictly oversee these companies in the future, but even that wouldn't impact financials or scare investors, Peck said.

Facebook stock is up 37 percent on the year. Google is up 27 percent and Twitter more than 15 percent.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he hopes tax reform can be accomplished by year-end.

"I want the House to pass a bill by Thanksgiving. I want all of the people standing by my side when we get ready to sign by Christmas  hopefully before Christmas," he said at a hastily scheduled press availability.

When asked if he was looking into phasing in corporate tax rate reductions, Trump responded, "We're not looking for that, hopefully not."

The president made his remarks after meeting with business leaders including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers and the Business Roundtable.

House Republicans are expected to release a draft their long-anticipated tax bill Wednesday.

Trump is scheduled to depart for a trip to several countries in Asia on Friday. While the president is overseas, some White House officials will stay behind to work on the tax overhaul effort, including Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and top economic advisor Gary Cohn.

 The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump has requested for a heightened vetting program following Tuesday's terrorist attack in New York.

@realDonaldTrump: I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program. Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!

Trump signed an executive order in January that imposed tighter screening on foreigners entering the U.S., known as extreme vetting. At the time, he called the measure a safeguard against terrorism. Recently, he attempted to enforce an open-ended ban on citizens from eight countries, including Iran, Libya, Syria, and Yemen.

Many of the president's actions regarding travel and immigration  including three attempts to ban travelers from certain countries  have been met with legal resistance and unfavorable court rulings.

His remarks on Tuesday came after a motorist struck several people earlier in the day, leaving at least eight people dead and a dozen injured. NBC News reported the attacker's name is Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, an Uzbek national who entered the U.S. in 2010. After being shot in the abdomen by a police officer, the suspect was taken to a hospital, where he refused to answer an initial round of questions, according to NBC News.

Tuesday's incident was done for ISIS, according to a note law enforcement officials found, WNBC reported.

Trump tweet 2

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said authorities are treating the incident as a terrorist attack. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said there's no evidence to suggest there's a wider threat or plot, warning that people will still see more security forces out of caution.

In a separate tweet, the president referred to the suspect as a "sick and deranged person."

@realDonaldTrump: In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person. Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!

Later, the president also expressed his condolences for the victims and their families.

Trump tweet 3

First lady Melania Trump tweeted, "My heart breaks for #NYC today. Thoughts & prayers as we monitor the situation."

@FLOTUS: My heart breaks for #NYC today. Thoughts & prayers as we monitor the situation.

In an official statement released by the White House, Trump said his administration "will provide its full support to the New York City Police Department," including a joint investigation with the FBI, for the "cowardly attack."

 CNBC's Angelica Lavito contributed to this report.
Vistra Energy President and CEO Curt Morgan told CNBC on Tuesday that even with his energy company's $1.74 billion acquisition of Dynegy, Vistra will be less debt-ridden that its rivals.

"At the end of the deal, when we close, that day, ... we'll have roughly four times gross debt to our earnings, or EBITDA. That's still the lowest, after the deal closes, of anybody else in the business," Morgan told "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer in an exclusive interview.

The gross-debt-to-EBITDA ratio measures a company's total debt against its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization and helps analysts determine a company's ability to lower its debt.

"Within two years, we're back to our target of the three times gross debt to EBITDA, and that allows us, obviously, given the earnings power of the company and the cash flow power of the company, to deploy capital during the low parts of the cycle," Morgan said.

Vistra's acquisition comes as power companies laden with debt, like Dynegy , watch their profit margins shrink as low natural gas prices drive electricity costs down.

As a power generator with a retail energy business, Vistra's position is unique, Morgan said. Its unregulated revenue streams help the company deliver higher returns than its competitors, and its business components drive the company regardless of industry pricing, he told Cramer.

"The thing about our company is it's resilient in both low and high gas prices," the CEO said. "We're probably more leveraged to higher natural gas prices because that translates into higher power prices, but given our strong combined-cycle gas fleet, our natural-gas-fired generation fleet, we actually can make money on the downcycle of the gas business, which is really important to us."

Morgan called Vistra's retail energy business, which provides products and services and frequently develops new types of power products, "a differentiator."

Still, Dynegy will provide Vistra with new and improved business opportunities, the CEO said. Before the acquisition, Vistra only operated in Texas, where it has 24 percent market share.

"This is a complimentary deal," Morgan said. "We were exclusively in Texas and now we're in multiple states. It's also complimentary from the standpoint of fuel type. We're going to be a lot more natural-gas-fired generation, which is really the fuel of the future for the next 10 years, at least. And so, yeah, this is a great deal for us to diversify our business."
The first of three highly anticipated Senate hearings with executives from Facebook , Twitter and Google regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election is scheduled to start on Tuesday.

A subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee is holding the hearing on how to combat extremist content and Russian disinformation online.

Facebook general counsel Colin Stretch, Twitter acting general counsel Sean Edgett and Google's director of law enforcement and information security Richard Salgado are slated to represent their companies.

The stream is set to start at 2:30 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.




i changed the folowing :

player.loadbmpformfil( ,_T("player.bmp)) ;



my sprite looks like this now :

class Sprite { public : int x , y , w , h ; bool visable ; HBITMAP hbmp ; HDC bmphdc ; Sprite(){;} void loadbmpfromfile( HINSTANCE hinstance , TCHAR * file ) { hbmp = LoadBitmap( hinstance , file ) ; w = hbmp.i ; h = hbmp.i ; visable = true ; } void show( HDC hdc ) { if ( visable ) { BitBlt( hdc , x , y , w , h/2 , bmphdc , 0 , 0 , MERGECOPY ) ; BitBlt( hdc , x , y , w , h/2 , bmphdc , 0 , h/2 , MERGEPAINT ) ; } } bool hit( Sprite spr ) { if ( x + w < spr.x ) return false ; if ( x > spr.x + spr.w ) return false ; if ( y + h < spr.y ) return false ; if ( y > spr.y + spr.h ) return false ; return true ; } } ; Sprite player ;

i know this is wrong . how do i do this ?

my wm_paint :

case WM_PAINT : GetClientRect( hwnd , &rect ) ; winx = rect.right ; winy = rect.bottom ; player.bmphdc = CreateCompatibleDC(hdc); player.show( hdc ) ; DeleteDC( player.bmphdc ) ; EndPaint( hwnd , &paint ) ;

this can be wrong . how do i do this ?



must call BeginPaint inside your WM_PAINT code. So it needs to be:

C++ case WM_PAINT : hdc = BeginPaint( hwnd , &paint ); EndPaint( hwnd , &paint ) ; break ;





how do i proseed next ?

case WM_PAINT : hdc = BeginPaint( hwnd , &paint ) ; GetClientRect( hwnd , &rect ) ; winx = rect.right ; winy = rect.bottom ; player.bmphdc = CreateCompatibleDC( hdc ) ; player.show( hdc ) ; DeleteDC( player.bmphdc ) ; EndPaint( hwnd , &paint ) ; break ; case WM_DESTROY :



bluatigro wrote: how do i proseed next ? What do you mean? As far as I can see the above code does not do anything.







if i knew what to do i won't ask



this is new to me



what do i ad / change so it does work as expected ?



it shoot show a sprite 'player.bmp' whit cursor control



bluatigro wrote: by me pc its giving error's What errors? Where do they occur? What is your code trying to do? Please provide proper information so we can try to help. Also, if this is all new to you then you would do well to study some tutorials on Windows programming. Here are two that are very useful:



EFNet #Winprog[^]

Win32 Programming - FunctionX[^]



i m trying as coding exersise

a verry simple VR system



error :

the picture isn't Always right

#if defined(UNICODE) && !defined(_UNICODE) #define _UNICODE #elif defined(_UNICODE) && !defined(UNICODE) #define UNICODE #endif #include <tchar.h> #include <windows.h> #include <vector> #include <math.h> int winx , winy ; class d3d { public : double x , y , z ; d3d() { x = 0 . 0 ; y = 0 . 0 ; z = 0 . 0 ; } d3d( double a , double b , double c ) { x = a ; y = b ; z = c ; } } ; d3d operator + ( d3d a , d3d b ) { return d3d( a.x+b.x,a.y+b.y,a.z+b.z) ; } d3d operator / ( d3d a , double b ) { return d3d( a.x/b,a.y/b,a.z/b) ; } d3d pnt[256] ; void setpoint( int no , double a , double b , double c ) { pnt[ no ] = d3d(a,b,c) ; } class triangle { public : d3d punt[ 3 ] , mid ; COLORREF color ; triangle() { ; } triangle( d3d p1 , d3d p2 , d3d p3 , COLORREF kl ) { punt[ 0 ] = p1 ; punt[ 1 ] = p2 ; punt[ 2 ] = p3 ; mid = ( p1 + p2 + p3 ) / 3 ; color = kl ; } void show( HDC hdc ) { POINT p[ 3 ] ; int i ; if ( mid.z > -900) { for ( i = 0 ; i < 3 ; i++ ) { p[i].x=(LONG)(winx/2+punt[i].x/ (punt[i].z+1000. 0 )*1000) ; p[i].y=(LONG)(winy/2-punt[i].y/ (punt[i].z+1000. 0 )*1000) ; } HBRUSH brush = CreateSolidBrush( color ) ; HPEN pen = CreatePen( PS_SOLID , 0 , color ) ; SelectObject( hdc , pen ) ; SelectObject( hdc , brush ) ; Polygon( hdc , p , 3 ) ; SelectObject( hdc , pen ) ; DeleteObject( pen ) ; SelectObject( hdc , brush ) ; DeleteObject( brush ) ; } } } ; const COLORREF red = RGB( 255 , 0 , 0 ) ; const COLORREF green = RGB( 0 , 255 , 0 ) ; const COLORREF yellow = RGB( 255 , 255 , 0 ) ; const COLORREF blue = RGB( 0 , 0 , 255 ) ; const COLORREF magenta = RGB( 255 , 0 , 255 ) ; const COLORREF cyan = RGB( 0 , 255 , 255 ) ; bool key[ 256 ] ; triangle triangles[100] ; int tritel ; #define FRAME_TIMER 1 void show_al( HDC hdc ) { int i , j ; triangle h ; for ( i = 1 ; i < tritel ; i++ ) { for ( j = 0 ; j < i - 1 ; j++ ) { if ( triangles[i].mid.z > triangles[j].mid.z ) { h = triangles[i] ; triangles[i] = triangles[j] ; triangles[j] = h ; } } } for ( i = 0 ; i < tritel ; i++ ) triangles[i].show( hdc ) ; } void tri( int p1 , int p2 , int p3 , COLORREF kl ) { if ( tritel >= 100 ) return ; triangles[ tritel ] = triangle(pnt[p1], pnt[p2], pnt[p3], kl) ; tritel++ ; } void quad( int p1 , int p2 , int p3 , int p4 , COLORREF kl ) { d3d p = ( pnt[p1]+pnt[p2]+pnt[p3]+pnt[p4])/4; setpoint( 255 , p.x,p.y,p.z ) ; tri( 255 , p1 , p2 , kl ) ; tri( 255 , p2 , p3 , kl ) ; tri( 255 , p3 , p4 , kl ) ; tri( 255 , p4 , p1 , kl ) ; } d3d rotatey( d3d a , double b ) { double s = sin( b ) , c = cos( b ) , x , z ; x = c * a.x - s * a.z ; z = s * a.x + c * a.z ; return d3d( x , a.y , z ) ; } triangle roty( triangle t , double b ) { t.mid = rotatey( t.mid , b ) ; t.punt[2] = rotatey( t.punt[2] , b ) ; t.punt[1] = rotatey( t.punt[1] , b ) ; t.punt[0] = rotatey( t.punt[0] , b ) ; return t ; } LRESULT CALLBACK WindowProcedure (HWND, UINT, WPARAM, LPARAM); TCHAR szClassName[ ] = _T( " CodeBlocksWindowsApp" ); int WINAPI WinMain (HINSTANCE hThisInstance, HINSTANCE hPrevInstance, LPSTR lpszArgument, int nCmdShow) { HWND hwnd; MSG messages; WNDCLASSEX wincl; wincl.hInstance = hThisInstance; wincl.lpszClassName = szClassName; wincl.lpfnWndProc = WindowProcedure; wincl.style = CS_DBLCLKS; wincl.cbSize = sizeof (WNDCLASSEX); wincl.hIcon = LoadIcon (NULL, IDI_APPLICATION); wincl.hIconSm = LoadIcon (NULL, IDI_APPLICATION); wincl.hCursor = LoadCursor (NULL, IDC_ARROW); wincl.lpszMenuName = NULL; wincl.cbClsExtra = 0 ; wincl.cbWndExtra = 0 ; wincl.hbrBackground = (HBRUSH) COLOR_BACKGROUND; if (!RegisterClassEx (&wincl)) return 0 ; hwnd = CreateWindowEx ( 0 , szClassName, _T( " Rotating cube 1.0" ), WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW, CW_USEDEFAULT, CW_USEDEFAULT, 800 , 600 , HWND_DESKTOP, NULL, hThisInstance, NULL ); ShowWindow (hwnd, nCmdShow); while (GetMessage (&messages, NULL, 0 , 0 )) { TranslateMessage(&messages); DispatchMessage(&messages); } return messages.wParam; } LRESULT CALLBACK WindowProcedure (HWND hwnd, UINT message, WPARAM wParam, LPARAM lParam) { int t ; PAINTSTRUCT paint ; HDC hdc ; RECT rect ; GetClientRect( hwnd , &rect ) ; switch (message) { case WM_CREATE : tritel = 0 ; setpoint( 0 , 100 , 100 , 100 ) ; setpoint( 1 , 100 , 100 , -100 ) ; setpoint( 2 , 100 , -100 , 100 ) ; setpoint( 3 , 100 , -100 , -100 ) ; setpoint( 4 , -100 , 100 , 100 ) ; setpoint( 5 , -100 , 100 , -100 ) ; setpoint( 6 , -100 , -100 , 100 ) ; setpoint( 7 , -100 , -100 , -100 ) ; quad( 0 , 1 , 3 , 2 , red ) ; quad( 7 , 6 , 4 , 5 , cyan ) ; quad( 0 , 1 , 5 , 4 , green ) ; quad( 7 , 6 , 2 , 3 , magenta ) ; quad( 0 , 2 , 6 , 4 , blue ) ; quad( 7 , 5 , 1 , 3 , yellow ) ; SetTimer(hwnd,FRAME_TIMER, 40 ,NULL) ; break ; case WM_TIMER : if ( wParam == FRAME_TIMER ) { for ( t = 0 ; t < tritel ; t++ ) { triangles[t] = roty(triangles[t],. 1 ); } InvalidateRect( hwnd , NULL , true ) ; } break ; case WM_KEYDOWN : if ( wParam == VK_ESCAPE ) PostQuitMessage( 0 ) ; break ; case WM_PAINT : GetClientRect( hwnd , &rect ) ; hdc = BeginPaint( hwnd , &paint ) ; winx = rect.right ; winy = rect.bottom ; show_al( hdc ) ; EndPaint( hwnd , &paint ) ; break ; case WM_DESTROY : PostQuitMessage( 0 ) ; break ; default : return DefWindowProc (hwnd, message, wParam, lParam); } return 0 ; }



bluatigro wrote:

the picture isn't Always right And that means what exactly?

"One man's wage rise is another man's price increase." - Harold Wilson



"Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons



"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." - James D. Miles







i want to get rid of showing drawing

it gives ugly effects



i want double buffering



i have no idea where / what i have to change in the code

to that effect



i got now : WS_POPUP | WS_MAXIMIZE

how do i get fulscreen ?



bluatigro wrote: i have no idea where / what i have to change Well you cannot expect anyone here to understand all that code in a few minutes. You need to narrow down where the problem is and gather some more information about what is happening.



Your Window style should be based on WS_OVERLAPPEDWINDOW , not WS_POPUP . Google for "set Window full screen".





"One man's wage rise is another man's price increase." - Harold Wilson



"Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons



"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." - James D. Miles





yes its a lot of code i wrote it myself

and i don't expect the error's to be fount fast



the problem whit my code is that you see the drawing of the triangles

over eatch other



i think i have to change somthing in WM_PAINT

but i m not sure



Hi I know the CDialog constructer takes two parameters an id template and Parent Cwnd



if my derived CDialog wanted to pass a parameter woud be the first or last



in my case I passed it as the first and got a warning



C++ RTMDialog::RTMDialog(LPARAM mylparam, CWnd* pParent ) : CDialog(IDD_DIALOG9, pParent)



the extra param is mylparam





If the brain were so simple we could understand it, we would be so simple we couldn't.  Lyall Watson



C++ progDebug.cpp( 356 ): warning C4930: ' RTMDialog Abenddialog(LPARAM,CWnd *)' : prototyped function not called (was a variable definition intended?)



Here is the source



C++ RTMDialog Abenddialog(LPARAM mylparam, CWnd* pParent );



C++ class RTMDialog : public CDialog { DECLARE_DYNAMIC(RTMDialog) public: RTMDialog(LPARAM mylparam,CWnd* pParent = NULL);





"One man's wage rise is another man's price increase." - Harold Wilson



"Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons



"You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him." - James D. Miles



Most vexing parse - Wikipedia[^]



This line:

C++ RTMDialog Abenddialog(LPARAM mylparam, CWnd* pParent ); ..has the signature of a function declaration but the name and arguments of your class constructor.



I'm a bit confused about where it could be "located" as you've shown your class declaration with a proper constructor declaration and the proper (beginning) of the constructor implementation. Maybe it's just needless?

If the brain were so simple we could understand it, we would be so simple we couldn't.  Lyall Watson



RTMDialog object. Firstly, is that what you wanted, and secondly, what is this to do with your original question? Where exactly in your code is this declaration?



it works fine until the 3 column but in the 4th column it doesn't.





C++ #include < conio.h > #include < stdio.h > long int factorial( int num); int main(){ int row, col_1, col_2, i, j; long int k; printf( " Enter the number of rows:

" ); scanf( " %d" , &row); col_1 = row- 2 ; for (i= 0 ; i < =row- 1 ; i++){ for (j= 0 ; j < =col_1; j++){ printf( " " ); } col_1--; for (col_2= 0 ; col_2 < =i; col_2++){ k = factorial(i)/( factorial(i-col_2) * factorial(col_2) ) ; printf( " %ld " , k); } printf( "

" ); } return 0 ; } long int factorial( int num){ int total, i; if (num== 0 || num== 1 ){ total= 1 ; } else { total = 1 ; for (i= 1 ; i < =num; i++){ total = total*num; num--; } } return total; }



modified 28-Oct-17 15:42pm.


Call for effective enforcement of lead safety standards

Amid reports that public health is at risk of lead poisoning through various sources including paints, the countrys private sector has committed to make efforts to further reduce the levels of lead content in paints.
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
Anup Ojha is a reporter for The Kathmandu Post primarily covering social issues and human interest stories. Before moving to the social beat, Ojha covered arts and culture for the Post for four years.
One of the best known nudge-nudge-wink-wink features of Windows 7 and 8.1 is about to fade into the sunset. As of Dec. 31, the offer to upgrade from either version of Windows to Win10 for free will end. At least, it looks like the offer will end. With no clear announcement from Microsoft, the nods and winks seem more furtive than ever.

At the core of the conundrum: Microsoft has officially permitted genuine Windows 7 and 8.1 machines to upgrade to Win10 for free, long after the original free upgrade program expired on July 29, 2016. The trick? You had to verify by asserting, Yes, I use assistive technologies.

You might think that assistive technologies would encompass all of the parts of Windows that help those with disabilities cope with their computers. It does. But, by Microsofts definition, it also includes features that many folks use every day. For example, if you use Ctrl + Alt + scroll to adjust your screen magnification, thats an assistive technology. So is Reading view in Edge. If you follow the links in Microsofts description, any keyboard shortcut (including, say, Ctrl + C) is an assistive technology.

Windows is full of assistive technologies, and if you use any of them, you qualify for a free upgrade from Win7 or 8.1 to 10. Per the official upgrade page:

We are not restricting the upgrade offer to specific assistive technologies. If you use assistive technology on Windows, you are eligible for the upgrade offer.

A year ago, Microsoft posted a retraction  or perhaps it was a clarification  on Reddit. Swaggy_McSwagSwag, in a thread marked Official," wrote:

Please do not use the "Assistive Technologies" webpage tool to late upgrade to Windows 10 if you have missed the free upgrade offer. It is only for those with disabilities, and is being changed soon to prevent abuse of the system.

That's quite a change from the statement on the official upgrade page. The official page says the upgrade offer is available to anyone who uses assistive technology, while Swaggy on Reddit says that it isnt. You be the judge.

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As I said at the time:

Im 100% convinced that the brass at MS knew about the loophole long before it was set up. Its very likely that this is a nod n a wink pressure relief valve for those who forgot to upgrade for free. But you have to wonder: Is there one, single Windows 7 or 8.1 user on the face of the planet who doesnt know that the free upgrade period expired on July 29?

At any rate, sometime after Oct. 20, Microsoft inserted one line on its official upgrade page. On Oct. 20, the page said:

If you use assistive technologies, you can upgrade to Windows 10 at no cost as Microsoft continues our efforts to improve the Windows 10 experience for people who use these technologies.

Today, the page says:

If you use assistive technologies, you can upgrade to Windows 10 at no cost as Microsoft continues our efforts to improve the Windows 10 experience for people who use these technologies. Please take advantage of this offer before it expires on December 31, 2017.

A very astute observer, Jurgen, on German-language site deskmodder.de, discovered the change and it was translated/amplified by Martin Brinkmann on ghacks.net. As Brinkmann notes:

Windows users who are not sure if Windows 10 is right for them can take advantage of the offer, and roll back their systems afterwards. The license is linked to the Microsoft Account if you use it, or the hardware ID, so that you have it in case you want to upgrade to Windows 10 in the future.

Its important to note that this new deadline applies to one, specific upgrade path  in order to take advantage of the assistive technologies offer, you have to upgrade from the official upgrade page. But that isn't the only free upgrade method in town.

As Paul Thurrott noted yesterday on Thurrott.com, Microsoft still allows you to perform a clean install of Win10 on any machine and validate it with an unused Windows 7 or 8.1 product key. Says Thurrott:

Microsoft first introduced this capability over two years ago, and in doing so it erased what had been one of the early install/activation issues with the then-new Windows 10. Almost a year later, I reported that this capabilitywhich was supposed to be temporary, by the waystill worked. Since then, Ive tested this scenario on a very regular basis, probably roughly once a month. And as people have asked me about it, on Twitter or via email, Ive told them that it still works.

Of course, its in Microsofts best interests to get every Win 7 and 8.1 (and XP!) machine onto Win10 -- whether you want to or not. Its not at all clear why it's being so coy about it.

Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

Join the discussion on the AskWoody Lounge.
While they go high, do we need to go low? Amidst the preoccupation among national politicians for big ideas I sense a local revival of pavement politics.

Naturally the Lib Dems will be in the Zeitgeist. In the local elections in London next year Richmond will be a top target for them. They are complaining that the pavements in the Conservative-run borough are not clean enough. From my visits there I think the criticism is distinctly less valid than elsewhere  and some of us have learnt over the years to develop a certain doubt regarding the veracity of Lib Dem campaigning messages.

Yet for the Lib Dems, the logic of taking up mundane local concerns is obvious. If the anti-Brexit message failed to get them anywhere in the General Election then pushing such a futile theme in local elections in future years would be absurd. The grey beards in that Party will naturally demand a return to the hyper-local community politics  with its cynical application by the Lib Dems of dishonest boasting and incompatible promises to those in one street, with others just a few streets away.

The Lib Dems had become a bit grand during the Coalition years. In his illuminating Coalition Diaries, David Laws briefly switches from his accounts of the high level power struggles involving Michael Gove, Oliver Letwin, and Nick Clegg, to say:

At 9.30 a.m. I had a telephone call with Gerald Vernon-Jackson, our council leader in Portsmouth and head of the Lib Dem local government group. At the end of our conversation he insisted on giving me a couple of good ideas about our next general election manifesto. One of them was a dog poo strategy. Gerald explained that were now going to microchip all dogs, and that a big issue in Portsmouth is people who allow their dogs to poo in public streets without clearing it up. Gerald said that what we ought to do is take DNA samples of the dog turd and then match it up to the dogs through the micro-chipping process. I said to him: Very interesting idea. However, I dont propose to put dog shit in our general election manifesto  theres enough of it already. He was disappointed.

Barking and Dagenham have been giving microchipping a try and I am trying to find out whether it has done any good. But I can well remember shortly before I was elected a councillor and asked residents their top three priorities and they told: Getting rid of dog poo, getting rid of dog poo, getting rid of dog poo.

So ignoring pavement politics is to disregard the concerns of voters. That does not mean that Conservative councillors should only be concerned about it. We certainly should be applying our bolder ambitions at local government level  such as wider home ownership and lower taxation. We should challenge social work orthodoxy that keeps far too many children in care rather than having the chance of a permanent loving home that adoption could provide.

There are many other ways that Conservative principles should be applied in a radical and effective way in town halls across the country. Nor should embracing pavement politics mean getting down into the gutter with the Lib Dems with their duplicity. But we cant afford to ignore the basics. Where I think we can beat the sandal wearing element is by embracing new technology and the private sector to achieve our aims. This means that keeping the streets clean should be getting easier and cheaper to achieve as innovation advances.

The pavement polisher from the Addex Group, featured in the film below, which removes chewing gum stains was something I was impressed to see demonstrated the other day. The cost of the machines are pretty modest in the context of a Councils budget  while having clean rather than stained pavements to walk along is one of those things that makes a difference to the morale of people going about their daily lives.

Then we have litter bins overflowing because they are not emptied enough. Dead trees that are not replaced. Park swings that are broken. The fly-tipping, the dog poo, the chewing gum stains  those councillors who lose interest in such battles will get their comeuppance at the ballot box as the electorate wreaks vengeance.
Henry Newman is Director of Open Europe.

In less than two months, EU member states will again meet and decide whether the UK has made sufficient progress in Brexit negotiations. If the European Council gives a green light, then the UK can start discussing a transition period and its future relations with the EU. The key stumbling block remains the so-called Brexit bill. Its now time for Theresa May to give more clarity about what the UK is prepared to pay Brussels. But she must be clear that any money would only be paid if the EU continues to negotiate in good faith, and reaches agreement both on the UKs withdrawal and the outline of future UK-EU trade and customs relations.

The legal position seems reasonably clear: if theres no deal, liabilities will not be settled. Although David Cameron signed off the EUs multi-annual financial framework for 2014-2020, EU budgets are agreed annually each calendar year. Yet even though the UK could walk away, leaving without an agreement would be highly disruptive to the economies of the UK and EU, and would (almost by definition) mark a breakdown in relations, which would have serious wider consequences.

In her Florence speech, the Prime Minister successfully shifted the tone of the negotiations. She said that no member state would pay more or receive less over the remainder of the current budget plan as a result of our decision to leave. The EU welcomed this clarity but say  with some justification  that its still not exactly clear what the UK meant by this, nor what May meant by the UK will honour commitmentsmade during the period of our membership. They say that its not possible to negotiate on the basis of lines in a speech, that they need a technical paper.

May seems to be saying that the UK will continue paying, as if we were a member, until the end of 2020 (a year and three quarters after we technically leave at the end of the Article 50 process). The transition, or implementation period, should allow the UK to pay to play with the EU. But is the Prime Minister also committing to cover a reasonable proportion of other project commitments not yet paid? And, what about, for example, structural funds promised to EU members which run up to 2023, or the pensions of UK nationals currently working in EU institutions? She needs to spell out some more of these details  even if there are still large question marks hanging over them or if they are disputed by either side.

Theres no easy way to calculate the UKs Brexit liabilities. Theres no single document to point to which clarifies things. A House of Lords report on the matter noted that the absolute sum of any posited settlement is hugely speculative and that almost every element is subject to interpretation. During the referendum, Vote Leave came under fire for quoting 350 million a week as the UKs contribution to the EU  a gross figure excluding the rebate negotiated by Thatcher. Some may find it ironic that the Financial Times Alex Barker noted, in a Centre for European Reform report, that some EU officialswant to calculate Britains share based on its gross national income alone  they want to exclude the UKs rebate when determining the Brexit bill.

The UK negotiating team has, rightly, been challenging, line-by-line, the EUs financial demands. Back in August the Daily Telegraph quoted an EU source who was completely flabbergasted that a young man from Whitehall called into question the EUs figures on the financial settlement. That young man was probably Jonathan Black, a Treasury director  a slight challenge to the simplistic view that Treasury officials are desperate to give Brussels whatever it wants. The UK has, however, not yet published its own determination of our financial commitments. Thats partly because any such document would create obvious political difficulties for the Government, and because the concession would likely have been banked prior to Octobers meeting without producing the required breakthrough.

In advance of Decembers summit, the European Commission will (again) be asked to determine whether the UK has made sufficient progress to switch to discussing trade and the future. That determination is first and foremost political. Of course, when I claimed that sufficient progress was not really a technical judgement, Michel Barniers adviser Stefaan de Rynck protested that this is not a finger in the air decision. But just last week, senior diplomats of a major EU power confirmed to me in private that they insisted on including the phrase sufficient progress in the Commissions negotiation mandate precisely because it was a flexible, not a fixed, judgement.

Given that the decision on sufficient progress is political, the UK needs to play the politics carefully. The EU was never going to green light the UK switching to parallel talks at the first opportunity, so there was little point giving further details earlier on the money  a key UK negotiating card. To get the UK over the line in December, May will need to put more on the table. DExEU people are whispering 48 as the upper end of the UKs potential liability. But that level of commitment or specificity is not necessarily required at this stage. Instead, the Government needs to provide detail about what the Prime Minister has already committed and to show movement on other areas. And if there are some particularly difficult areas, the UK could consider offering to put them to arbitration  long-grassing the issue politically.

It was always going to be difficult for any Prime Minister to sign a cheque without knowing what was on offer in return. Thats why the offer must be contingent on the UK reaching overall agreement with the EU. If we reach an amicable overall agreement and negotiate a comprehensive free trade deal, then settling a reasonable Brexit bill will be a price worth paying for a smooth exit and good future relations. And if we show the EU the colour of our money, the pressure from member states on the institutions itself to sign a deal will be all the greater  how else will they balance their books?
1. Is the media really treating these facts and claims in the same way as the expenses scandal?

Yes, Britains media pack is a feral beast. Yes, its aggression is intensified by it hunting both in alliance and competition with social media. And, yes, many publications would like to do the current claims and facts what the Daily Telegraph did to expenses, forcing suspensions, resignations and by-elections to boot  perhaps even the collapse of the Government. Furthermore, a media ramp like this one can acquire a momentum of its own.

However, there are signs that the pursuit is more hesitant this time round, for three reasons. First, there was a list of MPs expenses claims. Second, there was abuse of public money. Third, the media was not itself implicated.

In this instance, there is to date a list of allegations, not of facts. There is no evidence of misappropriation of public money. And some journalists can behave no better or worse than some MPs. The lack of a media ramp for Mark Garniers resignation is significant.

Furthermore, the issues are not always clear-cut. For example, it was doubtless inappropriate  to deploy that chilly word  for Michael Fallon to put his hand on a journalists knee. But she didnt work for him, and Parliamentary staff are the focus of these claims. The incident took place over 15 years ago. And she does not seem to be complaining now. Perhaps this is an exploratory probe, but the story is not the stuff of which resignations are made.

2. Not all the alleged abuse is male-MP-on-female-staff

As Mark Wallace wrote over the weekend, some if true are certainly criminal (such as spiking drinks); others are arguably purely private (such as what one paper referred to as good, honest fun with other peoples wives, though local parties and voters might take a different view).

But many fall into a grey area that is neither. These are not necessarily connected with sex at all. They include bullying, harassment and unreasonable behaviour. Furthermore, the cast list of perpetrators and victims is mixed. There is MP-on-MP harrassment. There is male MP on female staff, presumably the most common category. There is male MP on male staff. There is a claim of a female MP harrassing male staff. There is senior staff on junior staff

3. The accountability of MPs to their constituents, rather than to the whips and party machines, must be safeguarded



If a Minister faces claims of harassment or abuse, Theresa May must decide whether or keep or sack him. If the person in question is a Shadow Minister, Jeremy Corbyn must make the same decision. And so on.

But the Prime Minister does not appoint backbench MPs to their seats. Though the Party has the right to withdraw the whip from them, they are not the property of Downing Street or the Whips Office. This is why they, and not the central party machines, employ their staff.

John Bercow insinuated yesterday that the 1922 Committee previously blocked a mandatory grievance scheme for the staff of Conservative MPs, placing them at a disadvantage compared to those employed by MPs representing other parties. He was doubtless right to suggest that some MPs will be resistant some of the measures that Andrea Leadsom announced yesterday (a beefed-up helpline and mediation service, for example)  though not all of them will be Tories.

However, the Speaker, whose affection for most of his former colleagues is legendary, was not telling the full story. The 1922 Committee resisted the proposals primarily because they included severing the link between MPs and their staff.

Those staff would instead have been employed by the Conservative Party centrally. The idea will doubtless be refloated. It must be resisted at all costs. Any new corporate scheme, as suggested by the Prime Minister in her letter to the Speaker, must respect this principle.

4. May is in a less powerful position now than Cameron was at the time of expenses

There is another expenses parallel. As the scandal gathered pace, the main political parties tried to hold their line of asserting that the system was solely a matter for the Commons authorities.

This didnt and couldnt last. David Cameron attempted to get ahead of the political game by devising a system whereby Conservative MPs would be required to pay back certain claims.

He was then Leader of the Opposition, widely expected to win a majority, and thus had room for manoeuvre. Theresa May has less.

5. And she faces a choice. If she keeps any besieged Ministers in place, shell be accused of stubborness. Sack them, and shell be accused of panic.

She may thus find herself faced with agonising choices, if claims against some Ministers are made but not proven  or are proven, but are on the margin of what is inappropriate. Keep them, and she will be accused of stubborness, and having a tin ear for the voters. Sack them, and she will be charged with panicking, and offences against natural justice  not to mention risking her own standing within the Parliamentary Party.

And if she takes the latter course, there will be nothing to stop the person concerned bunging in a no confidence letter to Graham Brady. In any event, expect to hear more of that obscure document, the Ministerial Code of Conduct. You can bet that the Gavins, Barwell and Williamson, will be working on an emergency reshuffle list now, just in case it is needed.

6. Pressure for the right of recall may return, if the Government whips seek to avoid by-elections

The dismissal or resignation of Ministers will not necessarily be the end of the matter. The Government does not employ backbenches as it does Ministers, but the Conservatives have the right to withdraw the whip from them. The exposure of and apologies by backbenchers may not be enough. There will be calls for the suspension of the whip  to propel those concerned into the company of Anne-Marie Morris, who currently occupies a Parliamentary no-mans land. There will also be demands for the suspension of MPs and for by-elections. Expect calls for the right of recall to return and redouble.

7. Watch Labours Absolute Boys

The Labour Party will do what any opposition would do in its shoes. Thats to say, it will haver between kicking up a fuss (demanding Ministerial resignations and vilifying Tory sleaze) and withdrawing into its shell (mindful that there will be more Jared OMaras out there). Yesterdays lead story was a list of 36 Conservative MPs accused of improper behaviour, but tomorrows may be all about Jeremy Corbyns party. With OMara, Clive Lewiss colourful use of language and John McDonnells aggressive swagger, there is more than a hint of the Labour Party now being one for  how shall we put this?  absolute boys.

8. Will the whips be helping the police with their inquiries?

Watch out for the role of the whips offices. These are sometimes believed, mistakenly, to be human resources departments  concerned primarily with looking out for those in their charge. This is not so. They have somehow to square the circle of looking after colleagues with looking out for their Partys interests, which they usually but not invariably identify with their leaders. In particular, the Government whips will be desparate to avoid by-elections. The mythical Conservative whips black book, stuffed with their colleagues indiscretions, does not actually exist. But this is not to say that information which might potentially lead to criminal charges isnt written down  or known. Will some enterprising police operation be launched to interview Government and Opposition whips (under caution or otherwise)?

9. Disciplinary procedures for MPs: all those belts and braces  but no trousers



There is already a code of conduct for MPs, a Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, a Standards Committee, and a Committee on Standards in Public Life. But these are pieces of a faulty jigsaw. The code of conduct sets out a series of abstract principles as sweeping as they are vague. The Commissioner has no apparent legal training. The Chairman of the Standards Committee has himself been subject to an investigation. The Committee on Standards in Public Life has no direct power. All these belts and braces  but no trousers.

10. Staff are vulnerable, and so are Parliamentarians

As Mark wrote, young and impressionable staff are especially vulnerable to abuse. But the new safeguards that Leadsom announced  rightly, in our view  may have the unintended consequence of leaving MPs open to false claims.

11. No special inquiry, please

If there must be an inquiry into a culture of harassment and bullying at Westminster, sexual or otherwise, it will need to be undertaken on the basis of more evidence than is currently available. In any event, the taxpayer should not have to fork out for another Bloody Sunday or Savile or child abuse-type inquiry  with the all added fun and games for journalists of being able to force the resignation of chairmen. The Committee on Standards in Public Life could do any investigation just as well (and a lot cheaper).

12. Brexit and electoral cross-currents

No political event takes place in a vacuum. Resignations, sackings, reshuffles or by-elections mean turbulence, tarnished Ministerial authority  and potential leadership challenges. How current events might impact on the Budget  or, on a grander scale, Brexit  is anyones guess.

13. If you employ your spouse as your secretary, youre less likely to stray with your researcher.

We quote a Conservative backbencher: discuss.

14. Not much mention of the Lords yet.

Expect more in due course.

15. And finally

A few of our readers, on perusing the details that have emerged so far of Tory MPs got up to, will say of some of the women concerned: what a bunch of snowflakes. We strongly disagree. At the core of the claims against Harvey Weinsten  of which this Parliamentary saga is a kind of mutation  is a disparity of power, and the abuse of it. The heart of the matter at Westminster is the same.

That said, this rolling story is part of a wider culture clash. On the one hand, we have recent legal freedoms, greater than at any time in history, to form attachments as we choose. (Coming next are new liberties to reinvent our own identity  or to seek to.) On the other, there are new informal constraints on those freedoms. These will be dismissed by some as mere political correctness.

There is force to the claim. But there is another way of thinking about the way we live now. It is not acceptable that names for womens anatomy are used as swear words, Valerie Vaz said from the Opposition front bench. One can see in her words the code of todays rising class, with its view of what is and isnt appropriate, linking hands across time with the take of the Victorian middle class, with its judgements of what was and wasnt moral. For political correctness, in this case, read good manners.

However, there is a wider difference. The old puritanism was based on traditional ethical codes, as expressed in Christianity. The foundations of its successor are less sure, and a thousand complications follow from their mutability. We will pose only one of them. There is a long list of former MPs who married their secretaries  Nigel Lawson; Douglas Hurd; Norman Fowler, and so on. Would their modern equivalents, if similarly struck by romantic desire, feel that their love dare speak its name? Or would they think it not worth the risk of an affronted call to Leadsoms reinforced hotline?
Excellence in service is what makes Venus Cruise stand out, said Yasuo Iritani, CEO, Venus Cruise.

Iritani said that while the company does not have a fleet of ships, the size and cozy atmosphere aboard the Pacific Venus mixes well with the level of service offered, creating a premium product.

We listen to the needs of our clients, and plan accordingly, he explained. This includes both the onboard product and our deployment.

Theme cruises are mixing more and more into the lines product offering, according to Iritani

During the summer, the one-ship line sees more families, and also offers more weekend cruises to attract younger couples. Weekend summer cruises have been performing well, according to Iritani, in an interview with Cruise Industry News.

The company is marking its 20th anniversary since operations started with the Pacific Venus which launched from Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries in 1998.

Venus will offer a celebratory cruise to commemorate the anniversary, leaving on January 10 and sailing to Myanmar and Southeast Asia.

Most summer sailings are short, staying close to home from Osaka, but also using other big cities in Japan as turnaround ports.

Voyages are primarily domestic, with the ship sailing to the northern parts on Japans mainland and Hokkaido in the summer. The company also offers the occasional adventure to South Korea, Russia, and Taiwan.

Read the full interview with Yasuo Iritani in the Cruise Industry News Fall 2017 Quarterly Magazine.

---

For insight and in-depth analysis of the Asia-Pacific and Japanese 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.
In college, students fear showing up late to class, but dont want be first to show up at a party. Many financial institutions have struggled in a pioneering effort to appeal to the unique emotional bond that a college town niche can present for differentiation and growth.

For financial institutions trying to find unique ways to market to a rapidly growing millennial or college population, aiming for relevance is hard to grasp. Whether their brand is in need of a transformation, or just in need of articulation to reach this younger generation, the thought of diving all in to overhaul a struggling brand is intimidating.

Sometimes a company struggling with growth needs a complete overhaul to build a successful brand. Sometimes logo adjustments, a new color palette, identity, and a renewed vision are all it takes to unearth new opportunities, and reach the unique target theyve been aiming at.

Tigers Community Credit Union, a subsidiary brand of West Community Credit Union (WCCU), had tried for years to focus their niche brand to the University of

Missouri (Mizzou). WCCU created the sub-name (Tigers) after the schools mascot and out of a desire to better relate to college students and faculty, a valuable part of the Columbia, MO population. The Tigers brand and branch would hopefully help truly connect to the Mizzou community and lifestyle, attracting the sought-after college market.

Tigers Credit Union operates in the highly competitive market among scores of credit unions and community, regional, and national banks. Some marketplace confusion was created due to a saturation of similar sounding organizations using the Tigers name. So the opportunity to differentiate the brand with a new identity could set Tigers apart.

A dated on-campus branch was struggling to grow business or traffic, as it was only accessible to students and faculty. To grow membership, the branch was moved off campus to a high visibility central location to reach a larger community audience including young professionals. West Community reached out to Weber Marketing to design a new transformational branch and provide members with an experience, building off of a new Tigers brand.

Our initial brand and marketing assessment provided valuable insights into overcoming the credit unions growth challenges, said Ruth Kapcia, Weber Marketings Director of Retail Experience. Immediately, a big hurdle identified was a vague brand promise that few staff could identify, let alone share. Additionally, a lack of target audience definition significantly hindered West Communitys growth potential and progress. Tigers was trying to be everything to everyone. Not a spot a brand wants to be in.

Once the credit unions challenges and goals were defined, they led to building a brand articulation project. West Community expressed a desire to focus on the link, or gaps, between the internal organization and its target market and brand, so Weber Marketing developed a tangible set of recommendations for improvement.

The Tigers brand strained West Communitys resources, brand consistency, and budget. To alleviate this pressure, the brands were unified more closely, while still maintaining distinct personalities.

In order to appeal to distinctly different target audiences and articulate a shared brand identity between West Community and Tigers, the logos were redesigned with a more consistent look.

The new logos unified the two brands, while maintaining a separate and creative identity.

West Communitys old brand tagline  More Than You Imagined  was also not working hard enough. It was missing the opportunity to link every interaction between the employees, communities, and members. The new tagline  Banking On You  is not only more clear and concise, but captures the credit unions brand essence to support people in pursuit of their dreams.

The new Tigers branch prototype included everything from revamped merchandising to a refreshed organizational brand. The newly designed merchandising material helped the credit union reach out to prospective new members in the wider surrounding markets.

The design of the branch has allowed us to staff very efficiently, which has helped us achieve a faster break-even on the location. We were able to get into positive earnings territory in just under three years, which is a bit faster than normal for a new branch location. Overall, the branch has a modern appearance that seems to align with the university culture but also helps us connect with the broader community in downtown Columbia, shared West Community President/CEO, Jason Peach.

Transforming the brand identity and merchandising gave the Tigers Credit Union branch a new look and a fresh start, appealing to its new target audiences.
Controversial NOC chief Khadka transferred

The Ministry of Supplies on Monday transferred controversial Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) Managing Director Gopal Bahadur Khadka to the ministry, stating Khadkas expertise would be used to devise policies to strengthen the petroleum sector.
Trump announces his 2024 presidential run as GOP debates future

Donald Trump announced he will run for the White House, even as weak midterm showings prompt debate about whether the GOP should move past him.
Ag Growth International Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and distributes grain and rice handling, storage, and conditioning equipment in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company offers storage equipment comprising grain and bolted bins, hopper bins, smooth wall bins, temporary storage equipment, unloads and sweeps, water tanks, fuel tanks; and conditioning equipment, such as mixed flow dryers, fans and heaters, aerations, airaugers, aeration floors, vents and exhausters, stirrings, and accessories. It also provides portable handling equipment, such as portable augers, conveyors, grain vacs, post pounders, seed treaters, and accessories; and permanent handling equipment, including bucket elevators, chain and belt conveyors, enclosed belt conveyors, distributors, feed handling equipment, screw feeders and conveyors, and spouts and connections. In addition, the company offers towers, catwalks, ladders, all-steel buildings, flat storage buildings; batch blenders, bulk scales, declining weight blenders, vertical blenders, micro-dosing systems, mixers, milling equipment; and controllers, hazard monitoring equipment, monitoring and automation equipment, sampling solutions. Further, it provides cleaning and destoners, rice milling and processing equipment, bin unloads, blending and control systems, Liquid and dry fertilizer blending and conveying equipment, turnkey design and build construction solutions for seed and fertilizer facilities, and farm management software. The company markets its products under the AGI, Airlanco, Batco, Brownie, CMC, Compass, Danmare, Ezee-dry, Frame, Grain Guard, Grainmaxx, Hi Roller, Hutchinson, Improtech, Junge, Keho, Mayrath, Milltec, MMS, Neco, PTM, REM, Sabe, Sentinel, Storm, Suretrack, Tramco, Twister, Westeel, Westfield, Wheatheart, and Yargus brand names. It provides its equipment for agricultural commodities. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Winnipeg, Canada.
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.
CPN (MC) demands prompt release of Dhungel

The CPN (Maoist Centre) has demanded release of its leader and former lawmaker Bal Krishna Dhungel, who was arrested from Satdobato of Lalitpur on Tuesday.
The following companies are subsidiares of Transocean: 15375 Memorial Corporation, Agon Shipping Inc., Aguas Profundas Limitada, AngoSantaFe - Prestacao de Servicos Petroliferos Limitada, Angola Deepwater Drilling Company (Offshore Services) Ltd, Arcade Drilling AS, Asie Sonat Offshore Sdn. Bhd., Barents Rigco Limited, Blegra Asset Management Limited, Blegra Financing Limited, Caledonia Offshore Drilling Services Limited, Challenger Minerals Inc., Covent Garden - Servicos e Marketing Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Deepwater Drilling (Transocean Ghana) Limited, Deepwater Drilling North Africa LLC - Free Zone, Deepwater Pacific 1 Inc., Deepwater Supply Inc., Drillship Alonissos Owners Inc., Drillship Hydra Owners Inc., Drillship Kithira Owners Inc., Drillship Kythnos Owners Inc., Drillship Paros Owners Inc., Drillship Skiathos Owners Inc., Drillship Skopelos Owners Inc., Drillship Skyros Owners Inc., Eastern Med Consultants Inc., Entities Holdings Inc., GSF Leasing Services GmbH, Global Marine Inc., Global Offshore Drilling Limited, GlobalSantaFe (Labuan) Inc., GlobalSantaFe B.V., GlobalSantaFe C.R. Luigs Limited, GlobalSantaFe Denmark Holdings ApS, GlobalSantaFe Drilling (N.A.) N.V., GlobalSantaFe Drilling Company, GlobalSantaFe Drilling Company (North Sea) Limited, GlobalSantaFe Drilling Company (Overseas) Limited, GlobalSantaFe Drilling Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., GlobalSantaFe Drilling Operations Inc., GlobalSantaFe Drilling Services (North Sea) Limited, GlobalSantaFe Drilling Trinidad LLC, GlobalSantaFe Drilling Venezuela C.A., GlobalSantaFe Financial Services (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., GlobalSantaFe Group Financing Limited Liability Company, GlobalSantaFe Holding Company (North Sea) Limited, GlobalSantaFe Hungary Services Limited Liability Company, GlobalSantaFe International Drilling Corporation, GlobalSantaFe International Drilling Inc., GlobalSantaFe International Services Inc., GlobalSantaFe Nederland B.V., GlobalSantaFe Offshore Services Inc., GlobalSantaFe Operations (Mexico) LLC, GlobalSantaFe Saudi Arabia Ltd., GlobalSantaFe Services (BVI) Inc., GlobalSantaFe Services Netherlands B.V., GlobalSantaFe Servicios de Venezuela C.A., GlobalSantaFe South America LLC, GlobalSantaFe Tampico S. de R.L. de C.V., GlobalSantaFe Techserv (North Sea) Limited, GlobalSantaFe U.S. Holdings Inc., Indigo Drilling Limited, Inteliwell JV GP Limited, Inteliwell JV LP, Kalambo Operations Inc., OCR Falklands Drilling Inc., OR Norge Operations Inc., Ocean Rig, Ocean Rig 1 Inc, Ocean Rig 2 Inc., Ocean Rig Canada Inc., Ocean Rig Cuanza Operations Inc., Ocean Rig Cubango Operations Inc., Ocean Rig Deepwater Drilling Limited, Ocean Rig Investments Inc., Ocean Rig Management Inc., Ocean Rig Operations Inc., Ocean Rig UDW Inc., Ocean Rig UDW LLC, Offshore Ghana Transocean Limited, Offshore Rig Operations AS, Olympia Rig Angola Holding S.A., Olympia Rig Angola Limitada, Orion Holdings (Cayman) Limited, Orion RigCo (Cayman) Limited, P.T. Santa Fe Supraco Indonesia, PT. Transocean Indonesia, Platform Capital N.V., Platform Financial N.V., Primelead Limited, R&B Falcon (A) Pty Ltd, R&B Falcon (Caledonia) Limited, R&B Falcon (M) Sdn. Bhd., R&B Falcon (U.K.) Limited, R&B Falcon B.V., R&B Falcon Deepwater (UK) Limited, R&B Falcon Drilling Co. LLC, R&B Falcon Exploration Co. LLC, R&B Falcon International Energy Services B.V., RBF Rig Corporation LLC, Ranger Insurance Limited, Reading & Bates Coal Co. LLC, SDS Offshore Limited, Safemal Drilling Sdn. Bhd., Santa Fe Braun Inc., Santa Fe Construction Company, Santa Fe Drilling Company of Venezuela C.A., Saudi Drilling Company Limited, Sedco Forex International Inc., Services Petroliers Transocean, Servicios Petroleros Santa Fe S.A., Ship Investment Ocean Holdings Inc., Songa Offshore Delta Limited, Songa Offshore Drilling Limited, Songa Offshore Enabler Limited, Songa Offshore Encourage Limited, Songa Offshore Endurance Limited, Songa Offshore Equinox Limited, Songa Offshore Equipment Rental Limited, Songa Offshore Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Songa Offshore Management Limited, Songa Offshore Pte. Ltd., Songa Offshore Rig 2 AS, Songa Offshore Rig 3 AS, Songa Offshore SE, Songa Offshore SE, Songa Offshore Saturn Limited, Songa Offshore T & P Cyprus Limited, Songa Saturn Chartering Pte. Ltd., Spitsbergen Rigco Limited, Sub-Saharan Drilling Inc., T. I. International Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., TILAM Holdings Limited, TRM Holdings Limited, TSSA - Servicos de Apoio Lda., Transocean Africa Drilling Limited, Transocean Asia Services Sdn Bhd, Transocean Asset Holdings 1 Limited, Transocean Asset Holdings 2 Limited, Transocean Asset Holdings 3 Limited, Transocean Atlas Limited, Transocean Barents ASA, Transocean Brasil Ltda., Transocean Britannia Limited, Transocean Canada Drilling Services Ltd., Transocean Conqueror Limited, Transocean Conqueror Opco LLC, Transocean Corporate Services Limited, Transocean Cyprus Capital Management Public Limited, Transocean Cyprus Drilling Operations Public Limited, Transocean Deepwater Drilling Services Limited, Transocean Deepwater Holdings Limited, Transocean Deepwater Inc., Transocean Deepwater Mauritius, Transocean Deepwater Nautilus Limited, Transocean Deepwater Seafarer Services Limited, Transocean Discoverer 534 LLC, Transocean Drilling Enterprises S.a.r.l., Transocean Drilling Israel Ltd., Transocean Drilling Limited, Transocean Drilling Namibia Inc., Transocean Drilling Offshore S.a.r.l., Transocean Drilling Sdn. Bhd., Transocean Drilling Services (India) Private Limited, Transocean Drilling U.K. Limited, Transocean Eastern Pte. Ltd., Transocean Employee Support Fund, Transocean Enabler Limited, Transocean Enabler Rigco Limited, Transocean Encourage Limited, Transocean Encourage Rigco Limited, Transocean Endurance Limited, Transocean Endurance Rigco Limited, Transocean Entities Holdings GmbH, Transocean Equinox Limited, Transocean Equinox Rigco Limited, Transocean Finance Limited, Transocean Financing (Cayman) Limited, Transocean Financing GmbH, Transocean Guardian Limited, Transocean Holdings 1 Limited, Transocean Holdings 2 Limited, Transocean Holdings 3 Limited, Transocean Holdings LLC, Transocean Hungary Holdings LLC, Transocean Hungary Investments LLC, Transocean Hungary Ventures LLC, Transocean Inc., Transocean Innovation Labs Ltd., Transocean International Holdings Limited, Transocean International Resources Limited, Transocean Investimentos Ltda., Transocean Investments Holdings LLC, Transocean Investments S.a.r.l., Transocean Ltd., Transocean Management Services GmbH, Transocean Minerals Holdings Limited, Transocean Nautilus Limited, Transocean North Sea Limited, Transocean Norway Operations AS, Transocean Offshore (North Sea) Ltd., Transocean Offshore Canada Services Ltd., Transocean Offshore Deepwater Drilling Inc., Transocean Offshore Deepwater Holdings Limited, Transocean Offshore Drilling Limited, Transocean Offshore Gulf of Guinea II Limited, Transocean Offshore Gulf of Guinea VI Limited, Transocean Offshore Gulf of Guinea VII Limited, Transocean Offshore Gulf of Guinea XII Limited, Transocean Offshore Gulf of Guinea XIII Limited, Transocean Offshore Holdings Limited, Transocean Offshore International Limited, Transocean Offshore International Ventures Limited, Transocean Offshore Limited, Transocean Offshore PR Limited, Transocean Offshore USA Inc., Transocean Onshore Support Services Limited, Transocean Orion Limited, Transocean Phoenix 2 Limited, Transocean Phoenix 2 Opco LLC, Transocean Pontus Limited, Transocean Pontus Opco Inc., Transocean Poseidon Limited, Transocean Poseidon Opco Inc., Transocean Proteus Limited, Transocean Proteus Opco LLC, Transocean Quantum Holdings Limited, Transocean Quantum Management Limited, Transocean Quantum Rig Holdings Limited, Transocean Quantum Sentry Holdings Limited, Transocean Rig 140 Limited, Transocean Rig Management Limited, Transocean SPSF Holdings Limited, Transocean Sedco Forex Ventures Limited, Transocean Sentry Limited, Transocean Services (India) Private Limited, Transocean Services AS, Transocean Services UK Limited, Transocean Skyros Limited, Transocean Spitsbergen ASA, Transocean Sub Asset Holdings 1 Limited, Transocean Sub Asset Holdings 2 Limited, Transocean Sub Asset Holdings 3 Limited, Transocean Support Services Limited, Transocean Support Services Nigeria Limited, Transocean Support Services Private Limited, Transocean Technical Services Egypt LLC, Transocean U.S. Holdings LLC, Transocean UK Limited, Transocean Voyager 1 Limited, Transocean Voyager 2 Limited, Transocean West Africa Holdings Limited, Transocean Worldwide Inc., Triton Asset Leasing GmbH, Triton Capital I GmbH, Triton Capital II GmbH, Triton Capital Mexico GmbH, Triton Conqueror GmbH, Triton Corcovado LLC, Triton Financing LLC, Triton Gemini GmbH, Triton Holdings Limited, Triton Hungary Asset Management LLC, Triton Hungary Investments 1 Limited Liability Company, Triton Industries Inc., Triton KG2 GmbH, Triton Management Services LLC, Triton Mykonos LLC, Triton Nautilus Asset Leasing GmbH, Triton Nautilus Asset Management LLC, Triton Offshore Leasing Services Limited, Triton Pacific Limited, Triton Poseidon GmbH, Triton Voyager Asset Leasing GmbH, and Wilrig Offshore (UK) Limited.

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United Rentals, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as an equipment rental company. It operates in two segments, General Rentals and Specialty. The General Rentals segment rents general construction and industrial equipment includes backhoes, skid-steer loaders, forklifts, earthmoving equipment, and material handling equipment; aerial work platforms, such as boom and scissor lifts; and general tools and light equipment comprising pressure washers, water pumps, and power tools for construction and industrial companies, manufacturers, utilities, municipalities, homeowners, and government entities. The specialty segment rents specialty construction products, including trench safety equipment consists of trench shields, aluminum hydraulic shoring systems, slide rails, crossing plates, construction lasers, and line testing equipment for underground work; power and heating, ventilating, and air conditioning equipment, such as portable diesel generators, electrical distribution equipment, and temperature control equipment; fluid solutions equipment for fluid containment, transfer, and treatment; and mobile storage equipment and modular office space. This segment serves construction companies involved in infrastructure projects, and municipalities and industrial companies. It also sells aerial lifts, reach forklifts, telehandlers, compressors, and generators; construction consumables, tools, small equipment, and safety supplies; and parts for equipment that is owned by its customers, as well as provides repair and maintenance services. The company sells used equipment through its sales force, brokers, website, directly to manufacturers, and at auctions. The company operates a network of 1,360 rental locations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. United Rentals, Inc. was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut.
The following companies are subsidiares of Thermo Fisher Scientific: 236 Perinton Parkway LLC, 27 Forge Parkway LLC, ABR--Affinity BioReagents, ACI Holdings Inc., ARG Services LLC, ASPEX Corporation, Abgene Inc., Abgene Limited, Acoustic Cytometry Systems Inc., AcroMetrix LLC, Acros Organics B.V.B.A., Advanced Biotechnologies Limited, Advanced Scientifics (ASI), Advanced Scientifics Inc., Advanced Scientifics International Inc., Affymetrix Biotech Participacoes Ltda., Affymetrix Biotech Shanghai Ltd, Affymetrix Inc, Affymetrix Japan K.K., Affymetrix Pte Ltd, Affymetrix UK Ltd, Afora S.A.U., Ahura Scientific, Alchematrix Inc., Alchematrix LLC, Alfa Aesar, Alfa Aesar (China) Chemical Co. Ltd., Alfa Aesar (Hong Kong) Limited, Allergon AB, Alphine Mountain Limited, Ambion Inc., Apogent Denmark ApS, Apogent Finance Company, Apogent Holding Company, Apogent Technologies Inc., Apogent Transition Corp., Apogent U.K. Limited, App-Tek International Pty Ltd, Applied Biosystems B.V., Applied Biosystems Finance B.V., Applied Biosystems International Inc., Applied Biosystems LLC, Applied Biosystems Taiwan LLC, Applied Biosystems Trading (Shanghai) Company Ltd., Applied Biosystems de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Applied Scientific Corporation, Avances Cientificos de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Avocado Research Chemicals Limited, B.R.A.H.M.S. Biotech GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. GmbH, B.R.A.H.M.S. UK Ltd, BAC BV, BAC IP BV, Barnstead Thermolyne LLC, Beijing Phadia Diagnostics Co Ltd, Bender MedSystems GmbH, BioTrove Corporation, BioTrove International Inc., Bioanalysis Labsystems S.A., Biochemical Sciences LLC, Biolab, BmT GmbH Laborprodukte, Bonsai Tecnologies - Sistemas para Biotecnologia e Industria Unipessoal Lda, Brammer Bio, Bumi-Sans Sendirian Berhad, CAC Limited, CB Diagnostics AB, CB Diagnostics Holding AB, CEPH International Corporation, CHK Holdings Inc., CRS Robotics, CTPS LLC, Capitol Scientific Products Inc., Capitol Vial Inc., Cellomics Inc., CellzDirect Inc., Cenduit GmbH, Cenduit LLC, Cezanne S.A.S., Chase Scientific Glass Inc., Chromacol Limited, Clintrak, Clintrak Clinical Labeling Services LLC, Clintrak Pharmaceutical Services LLC, Cohesive Technologies (UK) Limited, Cohesive Technologies Inc., Columbia Diagnostics Inc., Compendia Bioscience Inc., Comtest Limited, Consolidated Technologies Inc., Consultores Fisher Scientific Chile Ltd, Core Informatics, Core Informatics LLC, Core Informatics UK Ltd., D-finitive Technologies Inc., DCG Systems B.V., DCG Systems C.V., DCG Systems G.K., DCG Systems GmbH, DCG Systems Korea Ltd., DCG Systems LLC, DPI Newco LLC, DSM Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Dharmacon, Diagnostix Ltd., Dionex (China) Analytical Ltd, Dionex (Switzerland) AG, Dionex (UK) Limited, Dionex Austria GmbH, Dionex Benelux B.V., Dionex Brasil Instrumentos Cientificos Ltda, Dionex Canada Ltd., Dionex China Limited, Dionex Corporation, Dionex Denmark A/S, Dionex Holding GmbH, Dionex I LLC, Dionex Pty Ltd., Dionex S.A., Dionex S.p.A., Dionex Singapore Pte Ltd., Dionex Softron GmbH, Dionex Sweden AB, Distribution Solutions International Inc., Doe & Ingalls Investors Inc., Doe & Ingalls Limited, Doe & Ingalls Management LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties II LLC, Doe & Ingalls Properties LLC, Doe & Ingalls of California Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Florida Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Maryland Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of Massachusetts Operating LLC, Doe & Ingalls of North Carolina Operating LLC, Doublecape Holding Limited, Doublecape Limited, Drakeside Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Duke Scientific Corporation, Dynal Biotech Beijing Limited, EGS Gauging Ltd., EGS Gauging Technical Services Company, EP Scientific Products LLC, Ecochem N.V., EnviroEquip Pty Ltd, Epsom Glass Industries Limited, Equibio Limited, Erie Electroverre S.A., Erie Finance Limited, Erie LP Holding LLC, Erie Scientific Company of Puerto Rico, Erie Scientific Hungary Kft, Erie Scientific LLC, Erie U.K. Limited, Erie UK 1 Limited, Erie UK 2 Limited, Erie UK Holding Company, Erie UK Senior Holding Limited, European Laboratory Holdings Limited, Eutech Instruments Europe B.V., Eutech Instruments Pte Ltd., Eutech Instruments Sdn Bhd, Ever Ready Thermometer Co. Inc., FEI Asia Pacific Co. Ltd., FEI Australia Pty Ltd, FEI CPD B.V., FEI Company, FEI Company Japan Ltd., FEI Company of USA (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd., FEI Czech Republic s.r.o., FEI Deutschland GmbH, FEI EFA Inc., FEI EFA International Pte. Ltd., FEI Electron Optics B.V., FEI Electron Optics International B.V., FEI Europe B.V., FEI France SAS, FEI Global Holdings C.V., FEI Hong Kong Company Limited, FEI Houston Inc., FEI Italia Srl, FEI Korea Ltd., FEI Melbourne Pty Ltd., FEI Microscopy Solutions Ltd, FEI Munich GmbH, FEI Norway Holding AS, FEI SAS, FEI Saudi Arabia LLC, FEI Servicos de Nanotecnologia Ltda., FEI Technologies Inc., FEI Technology de Mexico S.A. de C.V., FEI Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., FEI Trondheim AS, FEI UK Ltd., FHP LLC, FRC Holding Inc. V, FS (Barbados) Capital Holdings Ltd., FS Casa Rocas Holdings LLC, FS Mexicana Holdings LLC, FSI Receivables Company LLC, FSII Sweden Holdings AB, FSII Sweden Holdings I AB, FSIR Holdings (UK) Limited, FSIR Holdings (US) Inc., FSUK Holdings Limited, FSWH Company LLC, FSWH II C.V., FSWH International Holdings LLC, Fermentas China Co. Ltd, Fermentas Inc., Fermentas International, Fermentas Sweden AB, Fermentas UK Limited, Fiberlite Centrifuge LLC, Finesse Scientific Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Finesse Solutions AG, Finesse Solutions Inc., Finnzymes Oy, Fisher Alder S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Asia Manufacturing Ventures Inc., Fisher Bermuda Holdings Limited, Fisher BioImage ApS, Fisher BioPharma Services (India) Private Limited, Fisher BioSciences Japan G.K., Fisher BioServices Inc., Fisher Bioblock Holding II SNC, Fisher CLP Holding Limited Partnership, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 1, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 2, Fisher Canada Holding ULC 3, Fisher Canada Limited Partnership, Fisher Chimica BVBA, Fisher Clinical Logistics LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services (Bristol) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Colombia) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Korea) Co. Ltd, Fisher Clinical Services (Mexico) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Peru) LLC, Fisher Clinical Services (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services Colombia S.A.S., Fisher Clinical Services GmbH, Fisher Clinical Services Inc., Fisher Clinical Services Japan K.K., Fisher Clinical Services Latin America S.R.L., Fisher Clinical Services Limited Liability Company, Fisher Clinical Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Clinical Services Peru S.R.L, Fisher Clinical Services Pte Ltd., Fisher Clinical Services U.K. Limited, Fisher Emergo B.V., Fisher Germany Holdings GmbH, Fisher Hamilton China Inc., Fisher Hamilton Mexico LLC, Fisher Holdings ApS, Fisher Internet Minority Holdings L.L.C., Fisher Laboratory Products Manufacturing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Fisher Luxembourg Danish Holdings SARL, Fisher Manufacturing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Maybridge Holdings Limited, Fisher Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific (Austria) GmbH, Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Fisher Scientific (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific (SEA) Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific A/S, Fisher Scientific AG, Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Limited, Fisher Scientific Biotech Line ApS, Fisher Scientific Brazil Inc., Fisher Scientific Central America Inc., Fisher Scientific Chile Inc., Fisher Scientific Colombia Inc., Fisher Scientific Company, Fisher Scientific Company L.L.C., Fisher Scientific Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Fisher Scientific Europe Holdings B.V., Fisher Scientific GTF AB, Fisher Scientific Germany Beteiligungs GmbH, Fisher Scientific GmbH, Fisher Scientific Holding Company LLC, Fisher Scientific Holding HK Limited, Fisher Scientific Holding U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific Holdings (M) Sdn Bhd, Fisher Scientific Holdings (S) Pte Ltd, Fisher Scientific International LLC, Fisher Scientific Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Fisher Scientific Ireland Investments Unlimited, Fisher Scientific Ireland Limited, Fisher Scientific Japan Ltd., Fisher Scientific Jersey Island Limited, Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd, Fisher Scientific Latin America Inc., Fisher Scientific Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Fisher Scientific Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Fisher Scientific Mexico Inc., Fisher Scientific Middle East and Africa Inc., Fisher Scientific Norway AS, Fisher Scientific Operating Company, Fisher Scientific Oxoid Holdings Ltd., Fisher Scientific Oy, Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Fisher Scientific S.A.S., Fisher Scientific S.L., Fisher Scientific SPRL, Fisher Scientific The Hague I B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague II B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague III B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague IV B.V., Fisher Scientific The Hague V B.V., Fisher Scientific U.K. Limited, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company 2, Fisher Scientific UK Holding Company Limited, Fisher Scientific Unipessoal Lda., Fisher Scientific Venezuela Inc., Fisher Scientific Worldwide (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Holdings I C.V., Fisher Scientific Worldwide Inc., Fisher Scientific de Mexico S.A., Fisher Scientific of the Netherlands B.V., Fisher Scientific spol. S.r.o, Fisher Servicios Clinicos (Chile) LLC, Fisher Servicios Clinicos Chile Ltda, Fisher WWD Holding L.L.C., Fisher Worldwide Distribution SPV, Fisher Worldwide Gene Distribution SPV, Flux Instruments, Fuji Partnership, G & M Procter Limited, G V Instruments Limited, GV Instruments Canada Ltd., GV Instruments Inc, Gatan Inc, General Scientific Company Sdn Bhd (M), Genomed molekularbiologische und diagnostische Produkte GmbH, Gerhard Menzel B.V. & Co. KG, Gold Cattle Standard Testing Labs Inc., Golden West Indemnity Company Limited, Goring Kerr Detection Limited, Greenville Service Company Inc., HENO GmbH i.L., Hangar 215 Inc., Helmet Securities Limited, Henogen, HighChem, HyClone International Trade (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Hybaid Limited, I.Q. (BIO) Limited, IDnostics AG, ILS Laboratories Scandinavia AB, Inel Inc., Inel SAS, InnaPhase Inc., InnaPhase Limited, IntegenX, Intrinsic BioProbes Inc., Intrinsic Bioprobes Inc., Invitrogen (Shanghai) Investment Co. Ltd., Invitrogen Argentina SA, Invitrogen BioServices India Private Limited, Invitrogen Europe Limited, Invitrogen Finance Corp., Invitrogen Holdings LLC, Invitrogen Holdings Ltd., Invitrogen Hong Kong Limited, Invitrogen IP Holdings Inc., Invitrogen Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ion Torrent Systems Inc., Ionalytics Corporation, JSC Thermo Fisher Scientific, Jouan LLC, Jouan Limited, Jouan SA, Kendro Containment & Services Limited, Kendro Laboratory Products Ltd, Kettlebrook Insurance Co. ltd., Keystone Scientific, KonTEM GmbH, Kyle Jordan Investments LLC, LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION, LTC Tech South Africa PTY Ltd., La-Pha-Pack GmbH, Lab Vision (UK) Limited, Lab Vision Corporation, Lab-Chrom-Pack LLC, Lab-Line Instruments Inc., Labomex MBP S. de R. L. De C.V., Laboratoire Service International - L.S.I, Laboratory Management Systems Inc., Laboratory Specialties Proprietary Ltd., LambTrack Limited, Laser Analytical Systems Inc., Liberty Lane Investment LLC, Liberty Lane Real Estate Holding Company LLC, Life Sciences International (Poland) SP z O.O, Life Sciences International Holdings BV, Life Sciences International LLC, Life Sciences International Limited, Life Technologies AS, Life Technologies Australia PTY Ltd., Life Technologies BPD AB, Life Technologies BPD UK Limited, Life Technologies Brasil Comercio e Industria de Produtos para Biotecnologia Ltda, Life Technologies Chile SpA, Life Technologies Clinical Services Lab Inc., Life Technologies Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Czech Republic s.r.o., Life Technologies DaAn Diagnostic (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Life Technologies Europe B.V., Life Technologies Finance Ltd., Life Technologies Finland Oy, Life Technologies GmbH, Life Technologies Holdings PTE Ltd., Life Technologies Inc., Life Technologies International B.V., Life Technologies Japan Ltd., Life Technologies Korea LLC, Life Technologies Limited, Life Technologies Magyarorszag Kft, Life Technologies New Zealand Ltd., Life Technologies Norway Investments US LLC, Life Technologies Polska Sp z.o.o., Life Technologies SA, Life Technologies SAS, Life Technologies s.r.o, Linkage Biosciences Inc., Linkage Biosciences S.a.r.l., Loftus Furnace Company, Lomb Scientific, Lomb Scientific (Aust) Pty Limited, MTI-GlobalStem, Marketbase International Limited, Matrix MicroScience Inc., Matrix MicroScience Ltd., Matrix Technologies Corporation Limited, Matrix Technologies LLC, Maybridge Chemical Company Limited, Maybridge Chemical Holdings Limited, Maybridge Limited, Medical Analysis Systems Inc., Medical Analysis Systems International Inc., Medical Diagnostics Systems Inc., Metavac LLC, Microgenics Corporation, Microgenics Diagnostics Pty Limited, Microgenics GmbH, Microm International GmbH, Microm Laborgerate S.L.U, Molecular BioProducts Inc., Molecular Probes Inc., Molecular Transfer Inc., NAPCO Inc., NERL Diagnostics LLC, NOVODIRECT GmbH Labor- und Industrie- Megerate, Nalge (Europe) Limited, Nalge Nunc International (Monterrey) LLC, Nalge Nunc International Corporation, Nanjing WeiKangLe Trading Industrial Co Ltd, NanoDrop Technologies LLC, National Scientific Company, Navaho Acquisition Corp., Neomarkers Inc., New FS Holdings Inc., NewcoGen PE LLC, Nihon Dynal K.K., Niton Asia Limited, NovaWave Technologies Inc., Nunc A/S, ONIX Systems Inc., OXOID CZ s.r.o., Odyssey Holdings Corporation, Odyssey Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 1 S.a r.l., Odyssey Luxembourg IP Holdings 2 S.a r.l., Odyssey Venture Corporation, Omega Data Systems, One Lambda Inc, Onix Holdings Limited, Orme Scientific Limited, Owl Separation Systems LLC, Oxoid (ELY) Limited, Oxoid 2000 Limited, Oxoid AS, Oxoid Australia Pty. Limited, Oxoid Company, Oxoid Deutschland GmbH, Oxoid Holding SAS, Oxoid Holdings Limited, Oxoid Inc., Oxoid International Limited, Oxoid Investments GmbH, Oxoid Limited, Oxoid N.V., Oxoid New Zealand Limited, Oxoid Pension Trustees Limited, Oxoid Senior Holdings Limited, Oxoid UKH LLC, PAX - DSI Acquisition LLC, PE AG, Pacific Rim Far East Industries LLC, Pacific Rim Investment LLC, Panomics L.L.C., Panomics S.R.L., Patheon, Patheon API Inc., Patheon API Manufacturing Inc., Patheon API Services Inc., Patheon Austria GmbH & Co KG, Patheon B.V., Patheon Banner U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon Biologics (NJ) LLC, Patheon Biologics Australia Pty Ltd, Patheon Biologics B.V., Patheon Biologics LLC, Patheon Calculus Merger LLC, Patheon Cooperatief U.A., Patheon Development Services Inc., Patheon Finance LLC, Patheon France SAS, Patheon Holdings B.V., Patheon Holdings I B.V., Patheon Holdings II B.V., Patheon Holdings SAS, Patheon I B.V., Patheon I Holding GmbH, Patheon Inc., Patheon International AG, Patheon Italia S.p.A., Patheon KK, Patheon Life Science Products International GmbH, Patheon Manufacturing Services LLC, Patheon Pharmaceuticals Inc., Patheon Pharmaceuticals Services Inc., Patheon Puerto Rico Acquisitions Corporation, Patheon Puerto Rico Inc., Patheon Regensburg GmbH, Patheon Softgels B.V., Patheon Softgels Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings Inc., Patheon U.S. Holdings LLC, Patheon UK Limited, Patheon UK Pension Trustees Limited, Pelican Acquisition Corporation, Perbio Science (Canada) Company, Perbio Science AB, Perbio Science BVBA, Perbio Science France SAS, Perbio Science Inc., Perbio Science International Netherlands B.V., Perbio Science Invest AB, Perbio Science Nederland B.V., Perbio Science Projekt AB, Perbio Science Sweden Holdings AB, Perbio Science Switzerland SA, Perbio Science UK Limited, Phadia AB, Phadia Diagnosticos Ltda, Phadia GmbH, Phadia Holding AB, Phadia International Holdings C.V., Phadia Korea Co. Ltd, Phadia Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., Phadia Malta Holdings Limited, Phadia Oy, Phadia Real Property AB, Phadia Sweden AB, Phadia Taiwan Inc., Phadia US Inc., Phadia s.r.o., Pharmacaps Mexicana SA de CV, Phenom-World B.V., Phenom-World Holding B.V, Phenom-World Innovations B.V., Phinotex, Pierce Biotechnology Inc., Pierce Milwaukee Holding Corp., Pierce Milwaukee Inc., Polychromix, Power Sweden Holdings I AB, Power Sweden Holdings II AB, Power Sweden Holdings III Aktiebolag, Princeton Gamma-Tech Instruments LLC, Princeton Security Technologies, Prionics AG, Prionics Asia Ltd., Prionics Deutschland GmbH, Prionics France SAS, Prionics Italia S.r.l., Prionics Lelystad B.V., Prionics USA Inc., Priority Air Express LLC, Priority Air Express Pte. Ltd., Priority Air Express UK Limited, Priority Air Holdings Corp, Priority Solutions International, Promedica Pty Limited, Proxeon, Proxeon Biosystems ApS, Qiagen, REP GBP I-B Blocker Inc., Raymond A Lamb Limited, Remel Europe Limited, Remel Inc., Richard-Allan Scientific Company, Robbins Scientific LLC, Robocon Labor- und Industrieroboter Gesellschaft m.b.H, Rupprecht and Patashnick, Rupprecht and Patashnick (R&P), Russell pH Limited, S.C.I. du 10 rue Dugay Trouin, SCI Inno 92, STC Bio Manufacturing Inc., Samco Scientific (Monterrey) LLC, Samco Scientific LLC, Saroph Sweden AB, Schantz Road LLC, Seradyn Inc., Shanghai Life Technologies Biotechnology Co. Limited, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (C-I) Trading Co. Ltd, Shanghai Thermo Fisher (S) Trading Co. Ltd, Southern Trials (Pty) Ltd., Specialty (SMI) Inc., Spectra-Physics AB, Spectra-Physics Holdings Limited, Spectra-Physics Holdings USA LLC, Spectronex, Staten Island Cogeneration Corporation, Sterilin Limited, Stokes Bio Ltd., Sweden DIA (Sweden) AB, SwissAnalytic Group GmbH, Systems Manufacturing Corporation, TFLP LLC, TFS Breda B.V., TFS LLC, TFS Singapore HK Limited, TFSL Financing GP LLC, TFSL Senior GP Holdings 2 LLC, TK Partnership, TKA Wasseraufbereitungssysteme, TMOI Inc., TPI Real Estate Holdings LLC, TSP Holdings I LLC, TWX LLC, Technology Design Solutions Pty Ltd, Thermedics Detection de Argentina S.R.L, Thermo Allen Coding Limited, Thermo Asset Management Services Inc., Thermo BioAnalysis LLC, Thermo BioAnalysis Limited, Thermo BioSciences Holdings LLC, Thermo CIDTEC, Thermo CRS Holdings Ltd., Thermo CRS Ltd., Thermo Cambridge Limited, Thermo Cayman Holdings Ltd., Thermo Corporation, Thermo DMA Inc., Thermo Detection de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Dutch Holdings Limited Partnership, Thermo EGS Gauging LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings I LLC, Thermo Eberline Holdings II LLC, Thermo Eberline LLC, Thermo Electron (Calgary) Limited, Thermo Electron (Chile) S.p.A., Thermo Electron (Karlsruhe) GmbH, Thermo Electron (Management Services) Limited, Thermo Electron (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Electron A/S, Thermo Electron Australia Pty Limited, Thermo Electron Export Inc., Thermo Electron Holdings SAS, Thermo Electron Industries, Thermo Electron LED GmbH, Thermo Electron LED S.A.S., Thermo Electron Limited, Thermo Electron Manufacturing Limited, Thermo Electron Metallurgical Services Inc., Thermo Electron North America LLC, Thermo Electron Pension Trust GmbH, Thermo Electron Puerto Rico Inc., Thermo Electron SAS, Thermo Electron Scientific Instruments LLC, Thermo Electron Sweden AB, Thermo Electron Sweden Forvaltning AB, Thermo Electron Weighing & Inspection Limited, Thermo Elemental Limited, Thermo Environmental Instruments LLC, Thermo Fast U.K. Limited, Thermo Finland Holdings LLC, Thermo Finland Holdings MT1 B.V., Thermo Finland Holdings MT2 B.V., Thermo Finnigan LLC, Thermo Finnigan Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher (CN) Malta Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher (CN-I) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (CN-II) Luxembourg LLC, Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings I Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Cayman) Holdings II Ltd., Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings 2) LLC, Thermo Fisher (Finland Holdings) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) II Limited, Thermo Fisher (Gibraltar) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Heysham) Limited, Thermo Fisher (Kandel) GmbH, Thermo Fisher CHK Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust, Thermo Fisher China Business Trust II, Thermo Fisher Costa Rica Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Thermo Fisher Cyprus Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Detection Mexico LLC, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics (Ireland) Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AB, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AG, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics AS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Aps, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Austria GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics B.V., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics GmbH, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics K.K., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Limited, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics NV, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.L.U., Thermo Fisher Diagnostics S.p.A. , Thermo Fisher Diagnostics SAS, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics Sociedade Unipessoal Lda, Thermo Fisher Eurobonds Ltd., Thermo Fisher Financial Services Inc., Thermo Fisher GP LLC, Thermo Fisher German Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Germany B.V., Thermo Fisher India Divestco Private Limited, Thermo Fisher India Holding B.V., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Insurance Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Investments (Cayman) Ltd., Thermo Fisher Israel Ltd., Thermo Fisher Production et Services SAS, Thermo Fisher Project Cyprus LLC, Thermo Fisher Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Asheville) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Australia) C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Barbados) Holdings Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Breda) Holding BV, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Bremen) GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific (CN) Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (China) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (China-HK) Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (DE) Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Ecublens) SARL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance I) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance II) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Finance III) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Fuji) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Holding II) B.V. & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Hong Kong) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (IVGN) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Johannesburg) (Proprietary) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mexico City) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Milwaukee) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Mississauga) Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Monterrey) S. De R.L. De C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (NK) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) Austria Holding GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) UK LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN) UK Limited Partnership, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN-I) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN-II) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific (PN1) UK Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Panama) B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Panama) Dutch LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Praha) s.r.o., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Real Estate 1) GmbH & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Real Estate 1) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Schweiz) AG, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Shanghai) Instruments Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific (Suzhou) Instruments Co. Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific AL-1 LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific AU II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific AU Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Africa Proprietary Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Aquasensors LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Australia Pty Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific B.V.B.A., Thermo Fisher Scientific BHK (I) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific BHK (II) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics UAB, Thermo Fisher Scientific Beteiligungsverwaltungs GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Biosciences Corp., Thermo Fisher Scientific Brahms LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Brasil Instrumentos de Processo Ltda., Thermo Fisher Scientific Brasil Servicos de Logistica Ltda, Thermo Fisher Scientific C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cayman Investments LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Chemicals Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific China (C-I) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific China (S) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings I B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings III B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific China Holdings IV B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Chromatography Holdings Aps, Thermo Fisher Scientific Chromatography Holdings S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus I Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus II Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus III C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus III Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus IV C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Cyprus V C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Denmark Senior Holdings ApS, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie 1 Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Erie Financing S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Europe GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC Finance C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific FLC LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSIR Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSIR Financing S.a.r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific FSUKHCO Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Falcon Senior Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Finance Company BV, Thermo Fisher Scientific GENEART GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Germany BV & Co. KG, Thermo Fisher Scientific GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific HR Services Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) I, Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings (Cayman) II , Thermo Fisher Scientific Holdings Europe Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific IT Services GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific India Pvt Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Luxembourg) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Malta) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments (Sweden) S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Investments Malta (Sweden Financing) Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Invitrogen Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings I B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings II B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Japan Holdings III B.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific K.K., Thermo Fisher Scientific Korea Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific LSI Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life CV GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Enterprises GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Financing Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings III C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings I C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life International Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments III S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments IV S.a.r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta Holding II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments Malta II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Investments US Financing II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life NL Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Netherlands Holding C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior GP Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings II C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Senior Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Switzerland Holdings GP LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Tech Korea Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Enterprise Holding Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment I LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment II LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investment UK II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Investments Holding LP, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment I Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Israel Investment II Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Technologies Luxembourg Holding LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Enterprise Holdings S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg German Holdings S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Life Technologies UK Holding S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings I S.a r.l, Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Sweden Holdings II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings I S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Luxembourg Venture Holdings II S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Malta Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Messtechnik GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Mexico City S. de R.L. de C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific Middle East Holdings Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific Milano Srl, Thermo Fisher Scientific NHK Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific New Zealand Holdings, Thermo Fisher Scientific New Zealand Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Norway Holdings AS, Thermo Fisher Scientific Norway US Investments LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Odyssey Financing (Barbados) SRL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Odyssey Holdings Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Operating Company LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Oy, Thermo Fisher Scientific PN2 C.V, Thermo Fisher Scientific PN2 LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific PRB S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Panama I Cayman Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific Peru S.R.L., Thermo Fisher Scientific Pte. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Re Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific SL, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Financing LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Senior Holdings Australia LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific South Africa Proprietary Ltd, Thermo Fisher Scientific SpA, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra S.a.r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg I S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Holdings Luxembourg II S.a r.l., Thermo Fisher Scientific Spectra-Physics Investments Malta Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Switzerland Holdings C.V., Thermo Fisher Scientific TR Limited, Thermo Fisher Scientific Taiwan Co. Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific West Palm Holdings LLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific Wissenschaftliche Gerate GmbH, Thermo Fisher Scientific Worldwide Investments (Cayman), Thermo Fisher Scientific eCommerce Solutions LLC , Thermo Fisher Senior Canada Holdings LLC, Thermo Foundation Inc., Thermo Gamma-Metrics Holdings Pty Ltd., Thermo Gamma-Metrics LLC, Thermo Gamma-Metrics Pty Ltd, Thermo Holding European Operations LLC, Thermo Hypersil Ltd, Thermo Hypersil-Keystone LLC, Thermo Informatics Asia Pacific Pty Ltd., Thermo Instrument Controls de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Thermo Kevex X-Ray LLC, Thermo Keytek LLC, Thermo LabSystems Inc., Thermo LabSystems S.A., Thermo Life Science International Trading (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Thermo Life Sciences AB, Thermo Luxembourg Holding S.a.r.l., Thermo Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Thermo MF Physics LLC, Thermo Measurement Ltd, Thermo Measuretech Canada Inc., Thermo Neslab LLC, Thermo Nicolet Limited, Thermo Onix Limited, Thermo Optek (Australia) Pty Ltd., Thermo Optek Limited, Thermo Optek S.A., Thermo Orion Inc., Thermo Portable Holdings LLC, Thermo Power Corporation, Thermo Process Instruments GP LLC, Thermo Process Instruments L.P., Thermo Projects Limited, Thermo Quest S.A., Thermo Radiometrie Limited, Thermo Ramsey Italia S.r.l., Thermo Ramsey LLC, Thermo Ramsey S.A., Thermo Re Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Pte Ltd., Thermo Scientific Microbiology Sdn Bhd, Thermo Scientific Portable Analytical Instruments Inc., Thermo Scientific Services Inc., Thermo Securities Corporation, Thermo Sentron Canada Inc., Thermo Sentron Limited, Thermo Shandon Inc., Thermo Shandon Limited, Thermo Suomi Holding B.V., Thermo TLH (UK) Limited, Thermo TLH L.P., Thermo Trace Pty Ltd., Thermo-Fisher Biochemical Product (Beijing) Co. Ltd., ThermoLase LLC, ThermoSpectra Limited, Trek Diagnostic Systems LLC, Trek Diagnostic Systems Ltd., Trek Holding Company II Ltd., Trek Holding Company Ltd., Trex Medical Corporation, USB Corporation, Union Lab Supplies Limited, United Diagnostics Inc., VG Systems Limited, Westover Scientific Inc., ZAO PE Biosystems, eBioscience GmbH, eBioscience Ltd, eBioscience SAS, and picoSpin LLC.

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EC tells court separate ballots being printed

The Election Commission (EC) informed the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday about its decision to print separate ballot papers for the first-past-the-post system for the provincial and federal elections scheduled for November 26 and December 7.
PennyMac Financial Services, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the mortgage banking and investment management activities in the United States. It operates through three segments: Production, Servicing, and Investment Management. The Production segment is involved in the origination, acquisition, and sale of loans. It sources first-lien residential conventional and government-insured or guaranteed mortgage loans. The Servicing segment engages in the servicing of newly originated loans, and execution and management of early buyout transactions and servicing of loans. It performs loan administration, collection, and default management activities, including the collection and remittance of loan payments, response to customer inquiries, accounting for principal and interest, holding custodial funds for the payment of property taxes and insurance premiums, counseling delinquent borrowers, and supervising foreclosures and property dispositions, as well as administers loss mitigation activities, such as modification and forbearance programs. The Investment Management segment is involved in sourcing, performing diligence, bidding, and closing investment asset acquisitions; managing correspondent production activities for PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust; and managing acquired assets. PennyMac Financial Services, Inc. was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Westlake Village, California.
Resolute Forest Products Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates in the forest products industry in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Market Pulp, Tissue, Wood Products, and Paper. The Market Pulp segment offers virgin and recycled bleached Kraft pulp, which is used to make a range of consumer products, including tissue, packaging, specialty paper products, diapers, and other absorbent products. The Tissue segment provides various tissue products, such as recycled and virgin paper products for the away-from-home and retail markets; and sells parent rolls. The Wood Products segment produces construction-grade and spruce-pine-fir lumber products, wood chips, bed frame components, finger joints, and furring strips for pulp and paper mills, as well as I-joists for the construction industry. The Paper segment offers newsprint to newspaper publishers, as well as to commercial printers for uses comprising inserts and flyers. This segment also provides various uncoated mechanical papers, including supercalendered and white papers, as well as uncoated freesheet papers. Its specialty papers are used in books, retail inserts, direct mail, coupons, magazines, catalogs, bags, and other commercial printing applications. This segment sells specialty papers to commercial printers, direct mailers, publishers, catalogers, and retailers. The company also produces electricity at cogeneration facilities and hydroelectric dams. Resolute Forest Products Inc. is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.
The Travelers Companies, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides a range of commercial and personal property, and casualty insurance products and services to businesses, government units, associations, and individuals in the United states and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance, and Personal Insurance. The Business Insurance segment offers workers' compensation, commercial automobile and property, general liability, commercial multi-peril, employers' liability, public and product liability, professional indemnity, marine, aviation, onshore and offshore energy, construction, terrorism, personal accident, and kidnap and ransom insurance products. This segment operates through select accounts, which serve small businesses; commercial accounts that serve mid-sized businesses; national accounts, which serve large companies; and national property and other that serve large and mid-sized customers, commercial trucking industry, and agricultural businesses, as well as markets and distributes its products through brokers, wholesale agents, and program managers. The Bond & Specialty Insurance segment provides surety, fidelity, management and professional liability, and other property and casualty coverages and related risk management services through independent agencies and brokers. The Personal Insurance segment offers property and casualty insurance covering personal risks, primarily automobile and homeowners insurance to individuals through independent agencies and brokers. The Travelers Companies, Inc. was founded in 1853 and is based in New York, New York.
Under Armour, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the developing, marketing, and distributing performance apparel, footwear, and accessories for men, women, and youth. The company offers its apparel in compression, fitted, and loose fit types. It also provides footwear products for running, training, basketball, cleated sports, recovery, and outdoor applications. In addition, the company offers accessories, which include gloves, bags, headwear, and sports masks; and digital subscription and advertising services under the MapMyRun and MapMyRide platforms. It primarily offers its products under the UNDER ARMOUR, UA, HEATGEAR, COLDGEAR, HOVR, PROTECT THIS HOUSE, I WILL, UA Logo, ARMOUR FLEECE, and ARMOUR BRA brands. The company sells its products through wholesale channels, including national and regional sporting goods chains, independent and specialty retailers, department store chains, mono-branded Under Armour retail stores, institutional athletic departments, and leagues and teams, as well as independent distributors; and directly to consumers through a network of 422 brand and factory house stores, as well as through e-commerce websites. It operates in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. Under Armour, Inc. was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.
Thomson Reuters Corporation provides business information services in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in five segments: Legal Professionals, Corporates, Tax & Accounting Professionals, Reuters News, and Global Print. The Legal Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on legal research and integrated legal workflow solutions that combine content, tools, and analytics to law firms and governments. The Corporates segment provides a suite of content-enabled technology solutions for legal, tax, regulatory, compliance, and IT professionals. The Tax & Accounting Professionals segment offers research and workflow products focusing on tax offerings and automating tax workflows to tax, accounting, and audit professionals in accounting firms. The Reuters News segment provides business, financial, and international news to media organizations, professional, and news consumers through news agency and industry events. The Global Print segment offers legal and tax information primarily in print format to legal and tax professionals, governments, law schools, and corporations. The company was formerly known as The Thomson Corporation and changed its name to Thomson Reuters Corporation in April 2008. The company was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Thomson Reuters Corporation operates a subsidiary of The Woodbridge Company Limited.
Girl dies of hornet sting in Darchula

A girl died after being stung by a hornet in Darchula on Tuesday.
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 following companies are subsidiares of PepsiCo: Alimentos Quaker Oats y Compania Limitada, Alimentos del Istmo S.A., Amavale Agricola Ltda., Anderson Hill Insurance Limited, Asia Bottlers Limited, BAESA Capital Corporation Ltd., BFY Brands, BFY Brands LLC, BFY Brands Limited, BUG de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Balmoral Industries LLC, Bare Foods Co., Barrhead LLC, Be & Cheery, Beaman Bottling Company, Bebidas Sudamerica S.A., Beech Limited, Bell Taco Funding Syndicate, Bendler Investments II Ltd, Bendler Investments S.a r.l, Beverage Services Limited, Beverages Foods & Service Industries Inc., Bishkeksut OJSC, Blaue NC S. de R.L. de C.V., Blue Cloud Distribution Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arizona Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Arkansas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Colorado Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Florida Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Georgia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Illinois Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Indiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Iowa Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Kentucky Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Louisiana Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Minnesota Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Mississippi Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Missouri Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nebraska Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Nevada Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of North Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Ohio Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Oklahoma Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Pennsylvania Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of South Carolina Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Tennessee Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Texas Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Virginia Inc., Blue Cloud Distribution of Wisconsin Inc., Blue Ridge Sales LLC, Bluebird Foods Limited, Bluecan Holdings Unlimited Company, Bokomo Zambia Limited, Bolsherechensky Molkombinat JSC, Boquitas Fiestas LLC, Boquitas Fiestas S.R.L., Bottling Group Financing LLC, Bottling Group Holdings LLC, Bottling Group LLC, Bronte Industries Ltd, C & I Leasing Inc., CB Manufacturing Company Inc., CEME Holdings LLC, CMC Investment Company, Caroni Investments LLC, Centro-Mediterranea de Bebidas Carbonicas PepsiCo S.L., Ceres Fruit Juices Pty Ltd, ChampBev Inc., China Concentrate Holdings Hong Kong Limited, Chipsy International for Food Industries S.A.E., Chipsy for Food Industries S.A.E., Chitos Internacional y Cia Ltda, Cipa Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cipa Nordeste Industrial de Produtos Alimentares Ltda., Cocina Autentica Inc., Comercializadora CMC Investment y Compania Limitada, Comercializadora Nacional SAS Ltda., Comercializadora PepsiCo Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., Compania de Bebidas PepsiCo S.L., Concentrate Holding Uruguay Pte. Ltd., Concentrate Manufacturing Singapore Pte. Ltd., Confiteria Alegro S. de R.L. de C.V., Copella Fruit Juices Limited, Copper Beech International LLC, Corina Snacks Limited, Corporativo Internacional Mexicano S. de R.L. de C.V., CytoSport Holdings Inc., CytoSport Inc., Davlyn Realty Corporation, Defosto Holdings Limited, Desarrollo Inmobiliario Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Dilexis S.A., Donon Holdings Limited, Drinkfinity USA Inc., Drinkstation Inc., Drinkstation Innovation Co. Ltd., Drinkstation Limited, Dutch Snacks Holding S.A. de C.V., Duyvis Production B.V., EPIC Enterprises Inc., Echo Bay Holdings Inc., Elaboradora Argentina de Cereales S.R.L., Enter Logistica LLC, Environ at Inverrary Partnership, Environ of Inverrary Inc., Eridanus Investments S.a r.l, Evercrisp Snack Productos de Chile S.A., FL Transportation Inc., FLI Andean LLC, FLI Colombia LLC, FLI Snacks Andean GP LLC, Fabrica PepsiCo Mexicali S. de R.L. de C.V., Fabrica de Productos Alimenticios Rene y Cia S.C.A., Fairlight International SRL, Far East Bottlers Hong Kong Limited, Food Concepts Pioneer Ltd., Forest Akers Nederland B.V., Forty-Six Peaks Holding Inc., Fovarosi Asvanyviz es Uditoipari Zartkoruen Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag, Freshwater International B.V., Frito Lay Gida Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Frito Lay Poland Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay Sp. z o.o., Frito Lay de Guatemala y Compania Limitada, Frito-Lay Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Frito-Lay Dip Company Inc., Frito-Lay Dominicana S.A., Frito-Lay Global Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Inc., Frito-Lay Investments B.V., Frito-Lay Manufacturing LLC, Frito-Lay Netherlands Holding B.V., Frito-Lay North America Inc., Frito-Lay Sales Inc., Frito-Lay Trading Company Europe GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company GmbH, Frito-Lay Trading Company Poland GmbH, Frito-Lay Trinidad Unlimited, Fruko Mesrubat Sanayi Limited Sirketi, GB Czech LLC, GB International Inc., GB Russia LLC, GB Slovak LLC, GMP Manufacturing Inc., Gambrinus Investments Limited, Gamesa LLC, Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Gas Natural de Merida S. A. de C. V., Gatorade Puerto Rico Company, General Bottlers of Hungary Inc., Golden Grain Company, Goveh S.R.L., Grayhawk Leasing LLC, Green Hemlock International LLC, Grupo Frito Lay y Compania Limitada, Grupo Gamesa S. de R.L. de C.V., Grupo Mabel, Grupo Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Gulkevichskiy Maslozavod JSC, Hangzhou Baicaowei Corporate Management Consulting Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co, Hangzhou Haomusi Food Co. Ltd., Hangzhou Tao Dao Technology Co. Ltd., Health Warrior, Health Warrior Inc., Heathland LP, Helioscope Limited, Hillbrook Inc., Hillgrove Inc., Hillwood Bottling LLC, Hogganfield Limited Partnership, Holding Company "Opolie" JSC, Homefinding Company of Texas, Hudson Valley Insurance Company, IC Equities Inc., IZZE Beverage Co., Inmobiliaria Interamericana S.A. De C.V., Integrated Beverage Services Bangladesh Limited, Integrated Foods & Beverages Pvt. Ltd., International Bottlers Management Co. LLC, International KAS Aktiengesellschaft, Inversiones Borneo S.R.L., Inversiones PFI Chile Limitada, Inviting Foods Holdings Inc., Inviting Foods LLC, KAS Anorthosis S.a r.l, KAS S.L., KFC, Kevita Inc., Kinvara LLC, Kungursky Molkombinat JSC, Larragana S.L., Latin American Holdings Ltd., Latin American Snack Foods ApS, Latin Foods International LLC, Lebedyansky, Lebedyansky Holdings LLC, Lebedyansky LLC, Limited Liability Company "Sandora", Linkbay Limited, Lithuanian Snacks UAB, Mabel, Marbo Product d.o.o. Beograd, Marbo d.o.o. Laktasi, Matudis - Comercio de Produtos Alimentares Limitada, Matutano - Sociedade de Produtos Alimentares Lda., Mid-America Improvement Corporation, Mountainview Insurance Company Inc., Muscle Milk, NCJV LLC, New Bern Transport Corporation, New Century Beverage Company LLC, Noble Leasing LLC, Northeast Hot-Fill Co-op Inc., Office at Solyanka LLC, Onbiso Inversiones S.L., One World Enterprises LLC, One World Investors Inc., P-A Barbados Bottling Company LLC, P-A Bottlers Barbados SRL, P-Americas LLC, PAS Luxembourg S.a r.l, PAS Netherlands B.V., PBG Canada Holdings II LLC, PBG Canada Holdings Inc., PBG Cyprus Holdings Limited, PBG Investment Partnership, PBG Midwest Holdings S.a r.l, PBG Soda Can Holdings S.a r.l, PCBL LLC, PCNA Manufacturing Inc., PR Beverages Cyprus Holding Limited, PR Beverages Cyprus Russia Holding Limited, PRB Luxembourg S.a r.l, PRS Inc., PSAS Inversiones LLC, PSE Logistica S.R.L., PT Quaker Indonesia, Papas Chips S.A., Pei N.V., Pep Trade LLC, Pepsi B.V., Pepsi Beverages Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bottling Group Global Finance LLC, Pepsi Bottling Group GmbH, Pepsi Bottling Group Hoosiers B.V., Pepsi Bottling Holdings Inc., Pepsi Bugshan Investments S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Colombia Ltda, Pepsi Cola Egypt S.A.E., Pepsi Cola Panamericana S.R.L., Pepsi Cola Servis Ve Dagitim Limited Sirketi, Pepsi Cola Trading Ireland, Pepsi Logistics Company Inc., Pepsi Northwest Beverages LLC, Pepsi Overseas Investments Partnership, Pepsi Promotions Inc., Pepsi-Cola Advertising and Marketing Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bermuda Limited, Pepsi-Cola Bottlers Holding C.V., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company Of St. Louis Inc., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Ft. Lauderdale-Palm Beach LLC, Pepsi-Cola Company, Pepsi-Cola Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Pepsi-Cola Far East Trade Development Co. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Finance LLC, Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers Poland Sp. z o.o., Pepsi-Cola Industrial da Amazonia Ltda., Pepsi-Cola International Cork, Pepsi-Cola International LLC, Pepsi-Cola International Limited, Pepsi-Cola International Limited U.S.A., Pepsi-Cola International Private Limited, Pepsi-Cola Korea Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Management and Administrative Services Inc., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Company Of Uruguay S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing International Limited, Pepsi-Cola Manufacturing Mediterranean Limited, Pepsi-Cola Marketing Corp. Of P.R. Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mediterranean Ltd., Pepsi-Cola Metropolitan Bottling Company Inc., Pepsi-Cola Mexicana Holdings LLC, Pepsi-Cola Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Pepsi-Cola National Marketing LLC, Pepsi-Cola Operating Company Of Chesapeake And Indianapolis, Pepsi-Cola Sales and Distribution Inc., Pepsi-Cola Technical Operations Inc., Pepsi-Cola Thai Trading Co. Ltd., Pepsi-Cola de Honduras S.R.L., Pepsi-Cola of Corvallis Inc., PepsiAmericas Nemzetkozi Szolgaltato Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, PepsiCo ANZ Holdings Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Alimentos Antioquia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Colombia Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Ecuador Cia. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos Z.F. Ltda., PepsiCo Alimentos de Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Amacoco Bebidas Do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCo Asia Research & Development Center Company Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Cyprus Limited, PepsiCo Australia Financing Limited Partnership, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 1 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Partner 2 LLC, PepsiCo Australia Financing Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Australia Holdings Pty Limited, PepsiCo Australia International, PepsiCo Austria Services GmbH, PepsiCo Azerbaijan Limited Liability Company, PepsiCo BeLux BV, PepsiCo Beverage Sales LLC, PepsiCo Beverage Singapore Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Beverages Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Beverages International Limited, PepsiCo Beverages Italia Societa' A Responsabilita' Limitata, PepsiCo Canada Finance LLC, PepsiCo Canada Holdings ULC, PepsiCo Canada Investment ULC, PepsiCo Canada ULC, PepsiCo Captive Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Caribbean Inc., PepsiCo China Limited, PepsiCo Consulting Polska Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo De Bolivia S.R.L., PepsiCo Del Paraguay S.R.L., PepsiCo Deutschland GmbH, PepsiCo Eesti AS, PepsiCo Euro Bermuda Limited, PepsiCo Euro Finance Antilles B.V., PepsiCo Europe Support Center S.L., PepsiCo Finance Americas Company, PepsiCo Finance Antilles A N.V., PepsiCo Finance Antilles B N.V., PepsiCo Finance South Africa Proprietary Limited, PepsiCo Financial Shared Services Inc., PepsiCo Food & Beverage Holdings Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo Foods A.I.E., PepsiCo Foods China Company Limited, PepsiCo Foods Group Pty Ltd, PepsiCo Foods Guangdong Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Nigeria Limited, PepsiCo Foods Private Limited, PepsiCo Foods Sichuan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Taiwan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Foods Vietnam Company, PepsiCo France SAS, PepsiCo Global Business Services India LLP, PepsiCo Global Business Services Poland Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Global Holdings Limited, PepsiCo Global Investments B.V., PepsiCo Global Investments S.a r.l, PepsiCo Global Mobility LLC, PepsiCo Global Real Estate Inc., PepsiCo Global Trading Solutions Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Golden Holdings Inc., PepsiCo Group Finance International B.V., PepsiCo Group Holdings International B.V., PepsiCo Group Spotswood Holdings S.a r.l, PepsiCo Gulf International FZE, PepsiCo Hellas Single Member Industrial and Commercial Societe Anonyme, PepsiCo Holding de Espana S.L., PepsiCo Holdings, PepsiCo Holdings LLC, PepsiCo Holdings Toshkent LLC, PepsiCo Hong Kong LLC, PepsiCo Iberia Servicios Centrales S.L., PepsiCo India Holdings Private Limited, PepsiCo India Sales Private Limited, PepsiCo Internacional Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., PepsiCo International Hong Kong Limited, PepsiCo International Limited, PepsiCo International Pte Ltd., PepsiCo Investments Europe I B.V., PepsiCo Investments Ltd., PepsiCo Ireland Food & Beverages Unlimited Company, PepsiCo Japan Co. Ltd., PepsiCo Light B.V., PepsiCo Logistyka Sp. z o.o., PepsiCo Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., PepsiCo Management Services SAS, PepsiCo Manufacturing A.I.E., PepsiCo Max B.V., PepsiCo Mexico Holdings S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo Nederland B.V., PepsiCo Nordic Denmark ApS, PepsiCo Nordic Finland Oy, PepsiCo Nordic Norway AS, PepsiCo Nutrition Trading DMCC, PepsiCo One B.V., PepsiCo Overseas Corporation, PepsiCo Overseas Financing Partnership, PepsiCo Panimex Inc, PepsiCo Products B.V., PepsiCo Products FLLC, PepsiCo Puerto Rico Inc., PepsiCo Sales Inc., PepsiCo Sales LLC, PepsiCo Services Asia Ltd., PepsiCo Services CZ s.r.o., PepsiCo Services LLC, PepsiCo Twist B.V., PepsiCo UK Pension Plan Trustee Limited, PepsiCo Ventures B.V., PepsiCo Wave Holdings LLC, PepsiCo World Trading Company Inc., PepsiCo Y LLC, PepsiCo de Argentina S.R.L., PepsiCo de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PepsiCo do Brasil Industria e Comercio de Alimentos Ltda., PepsiCo do Brasil Ltda., PepsiCola Interamericana de Guatemala S.A., Pet Iberia S.L., Pete & Johnny Limited, Pine International LLC, Pine International Limited, Pinstripe Leasing LLC, Pioneer Food Group Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Groceries Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Group Ltd., Pioneer Foods Holdings Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods Pty Ltd, Pioneer Foods UK Ltd, Pioneer Foods Wellingtons Pty Ltd, Pipers Crisps Limited, PlayCo Inc., Pop corners, PopCorners Holdings Inc., Portfolio Concentrate Solutions Unlimited Company, Premier Nutrition Trading L.L.C., Prestwick LLC, Prev PepsiCo Sociedade Previdenciaria, Productos Alimenticios Rene LLC, Productos S.A.S. C.V., Productos SAS Management B.V., Punch N.V., Punica Getranke GmbH, Q O Puerto Rico Inc., QFL OHQ Sdn. Bhd., QTG Development Inc., QTG Services Inc., Quadrant - Amroq Beverages S.R.L., Quaker Development B.V., Quaker European Beverages LLC, Quaker European Investments B.V., Quaker Foods, Quaker Global Investments B.V., Quaker Holdings UK Limited, Quaker Manufacturing LLC, Quaker Oats Asia Inc., Quaker Oats Australia Pty Ltd, Quaker Oats B.V., Quaker Oats Capital Corporation, Quaker Oats Europe Inc., Quaker Oats Europe LLC, Quaker Oats Limited, Quaker Sales & Distribution Inc, Raptas Finance S.a r.l., Rare Fare Foods LLC, Rare Fare Holdings Inc., Reading Industries Ltd, Real Estate Holdings LLC, Rockstar Energy Drink, Rolling Frito-Lay Sales LP, S & T of Mississippi Inc., SIH International LLC, SVC Logistics Inc., SVC Manufacturing Inc., SVE Russia Holdings GmbH, Sabritas LLC, Sabritas S. de R.L. de C.V., Sabritas Snacks America Latina de Nicaragua y Cia Ltda, Sabritas de Costa Rica S. de R.L., Sabritas y Cia. S en C de C.V., Sakata Rice Snacks Australia Pty Ltd, Sandora Holdings B.V., Saudi Snack Foods Company Limited, Sea Eagle International SRL, Seepoint Holdings Ltd., Senselet Food Processing PLC, Senselet Holding B.V., Servicios GBF Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada, Servicios GFLG y Compania Limitada, Servicios Gamesa Puerto Rico L.L.C., Servicios SYC S. de R.L. de C.V., Seven-Up Asia Inc., Seven-Up Light B.V., Seven-Up Nederland B.V., Shanghai PepsiCo Snack Company Limited, Shanghai YuHo Agricultural Development Co. Ltd, Shoebill LLC, Simba (Proprietary) Limited, Simba Proprietary Limited, Sitka Spruce, Smartfoods Inc., Smiles and Bites Holdings S.de R.L. de C.V., Smiths Crisps Limited, Snack Food Investments GmbH, Snack Food Investments II GmbH, Snack Food Investments Limited, Snack Food-Beverage Asia Products Limited, Snacks America Latina S.R.L., Snacks Guatemala Ltd., So Spark Ltd., Soda-Club CO2 Atlantic GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 GmbH, Soda-Club CO2 Ltd., Soda-Club Switzerland GmbH, Soda-Club Worldwide B.V., SodaStream, SodaStream Australia Pty Ltd, SodaStream CO2 SA, SodaStream Canada Ltd., SodaStream Enterprises N.V., SodaStream France SAS, SodaStream GmbH, SodaStream Iberia S.L., SodaStream Industries Ltd., SodaStream International B.V., SodaStream International Ltd., SodaStream Israel Ltd., SodaStream K.K., SodaStream New Zealand Ltd., SodaStream Nordics AB, SodaStream Poland Sp. z o.o., SodaStream SA Pty Ltd., SodaStream Switzerland GmbH, SodaStream USA Inc., SodaStream Osterreich GmbH, South Beach Beverage Company Inc., South Properties Inc., Spitz International Inc., Sportmex Internacional S.A. de C.V., Springboig Industries Ltd, Spruce Limited, Stacy's Pita Chip Company Incorporated, Star Foods E.M. S.R.L., Stokely-Van Camp Inc., Stratosphere Communications Pty Ltd, Stratosphere Holdings 2018 Limited, Streamfoods Ltd, TFL Holdings LLC, Tasman Finance S.a r.l, The Gatorade Company, The Good Carb Food Company Ltd., The Pepsi Bottling Group Canada ULC, The Quaker Oats Company, The Smith's Snackfood Company Pty Limited, Thomond Group Holdings Limited, Tobago Snack Holdings LLC, Tropicana Alvalle S.L., Tropicana Beverages Limited, Tropicana Europe N.V., Tropicana United Kingdom Limited, Troya-Ultra LLC, United Foods Companies Restaurantes S.A., V-Water, VentureCo Israel Ltd, Veurne Snack Foods BV, Vitamin Brands Ltd., Walkers Crisps Limited, Walkers Group Limited, Walkers Snack Foods Limited, Walkers Snacks Distribution Limited, Walkers Snacks Limited, Whitman Corporation, Whitman Insurance Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Beverages JSC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Brands Co. Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann Central Asia-Almaty LLP, Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods LLC, Wimm-Bill-Dann Georgia Ltd., Wimm-Bill-Dann JSC, and Wimm-Bill-Dann Ukraine PJSC.

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Goat farmer generates Rs6m in annual revenue

Simthali Goat Farm, which was established three years ago in Hetauda with an initial investment of Rs15 million, is doing wonders currently with annual revenue of Rs6 million.
United Parcel Service, Inc. provides letter and package delivery, transportation, logistics, and related services. It operates through two segments, U.S. Domestic Package and International Package. The U.S. Domestic Package segment offers time-definite delivery of letters, documents, small packages, and palletized freight through air and ground services in the United States. The International Package segment provides guaranteed day and time-definite international shipping services in Europe, the Asia Pacific, Canada and Latin America, the Indian sub-continent, the Middle East, and Africa. This segment offers guaranteed time-definite express options. The company also provides international air and ocean freight forwarding, customs brokerage, distribution and post-sales, and mail and consulting services in approximately 200 countries and territories. In addition, it offers truckload brokerage services; supply chain solutions to the healthcare and life sciences industry; shipping, visibility, and billing technologies; and financial and insurance services. The company operates a fleet of approximately 121,000 package cars, vans, tractors, and motorcycles; and owns 59,000 containers that are used to transport cargo in its aircraft. United Parcel Service, Inc. was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Carter's, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, sources, and markets branded childrenswear under the Carter's, OshKosh, Skip Hop, Child of Mine, Just One You, Simple Joys, Carter's My First Love, little planet, and other brands in the United States and internationally. The company operates through three segments: U.S. Retail, U.S. Wholesale, and International. Its Carter's products include babies and young children products, such as bodysuits, pants, dresses, knit sets, blankets, layette essentials, bibs, booties, sleep and play products, rompers, and jumpers; and OshKosh brand products comprise playclothes, such as denim apparel products with multiple wash treatments and coordinating garments, overalls, woven bottoms, knit tops, and bodysuits. The company also provides products for playtime, travel, mealtime, bathtime, and homegear, as well as kid's bags and diaper bags under the Skip Hop brand. In addition, it offers bedding, cribs, diaper bags, footwear, gift sets, hair accessories, jewelry, outerwear, paper goods, socks, shoes, swimwear, and toys. The company operates 18,800 wholesale locations, including department stores, national chain stores, and specialty stores. As of December 31, 2021, it operated 980 retail stores. The company also sells its products through its eCommerce websites, such as carters.com, oshkoshbgosh.com, oshkosh.com, and skiphop.com, as well as other international wholesale accounts and licensees. Carter's, Inc. was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Anil Giri is a reporter covering diplomacy, international relations and national politics for The Kathmandu Post. Giri has been working as a journalist for a decade-and-a-half, contributing to numerous national and international media outlets.
Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the electric utility, banking, and renewable/sustainable infrastructure investment businesses in the state of Hawaii. It operates in three segments: Electric Utility, Bank, and Other. The Electric Utility segment engages in the production, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, and Molokai. Its renewable energy sources and potential sources include wind, solar, photovoltaic, geothermal, wave, hydroelectric, municipal waste, and other biofuels. This segment serves suburban communities, resorts, the United States armed forces installations, and agricultural operations. The Bank segment operates a community bank that offers banking and other financial services to consumers and businesses, including savings and checking accounts; and loans comprising residential and commercial real estate, residential mortgage, construction and development, multifamily residential and commercial real estate, consumer, and commercial loans. This segment operates 42 branches, including 29 branches in Oahu, 6 branches in Maui, 4 branches in Hawaii, 2 branches in Kauai, and 1 branch in Molokai. The Other segment invests in non-regulated renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure in the State of Hawaii. Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. was incorporated in 1891 and is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Han urges parties to prioritise tourism

Hotel Association Nepal (Han) on Monday urged the key political parties to give special priority to the countrys tourism development in their election manifestos for the upcoming federal and provincial elections.
Tyler Technologies, Inc. provides integrated information management solutions and services for the public sector. The company operates in three segments: Enterprise Software; Appraisal and Tax; and NIC. It offers financial management solutions, including modular fund accounting systems for government agencies or not-for-profit entities; utility billing systems for the billing and collection of metered and non-metered services; products to automate city and county functions, such as municipal courts, parking tickets, equipment and project costing, animal and business licenses, permits and inspections, code enforcement, citizen complaint tracking, ambulance billing, fleet maintenance, and cemetery records management; and student information and transportation solutions for K-12 schools. The company also provides a suite of judicial solutions comprising court case management, court and law enforcement, prosecutor, and supervision systems to handle multi-jurisdictional county or statewide implementations, and single county systems; public safety software solutions; systems and software to automate the appraisal and assessment of real and personal property, as well as tax applications for agencies that bill and collect taxes; planning, regulatory, and maintenance software solutions for public sector agencies; software applications to enhance and automate operations involving records and document management; and data and insights solutions. In addition, it offers software as a service arrangements and electronic document filing solutions for courts and law offices; software and hardware installation, data conversion, training, product modification, and maintenance and support services; and property appraisal outsourcing services for taxing jurisdictions. The company has a strategic collaboration agreement with Amazon Web Services for cloud hosting services. Tyler Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Plano, Texas.
Haribodhani Ekadashi today

Hindus are observing the Haribodhini Ekadashi, a religious ritual dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the god responsible for upkeep and sustaining life on Earth on Tuesday.
House for 60pc quake survivors before monsoon

The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has said it aims to shift around 60 percent quake survivors to their own concrete houses before monsoon.
Left bloc reaches deal on Valley, State 2 candidates

The left alliance of the CPN-UML and the CPN (Maoist Centre) has completed sharing of constituencies in Kathmandu Valley and Province 2. As per the understanding, the Maoist Centre will take Constituencies 6, 8 and 10 in Kathmandu, leaving seven for the UML.
Ministers love for policy imperils health system

Frequent change of ministers and their desperate attempts to formulate new health policies during their tenure has affected the functioning of health system, especially in annual planning and prioritisation of works.
Zain CEO Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi has confirmed that the firm will continue to sell off its infrastructure assets in pursuit of more lucrative investment strategies.

In the last quarter, Zain confirmed the sale of its Kuwaiti tower infrastructure to IHS Holdings for KWD50 million ($165 million), in a deal set to close imminently. Zain will then lease the towers back from IHS, with the deal giving it greater freedom of capital to invest in other avenues of business.

Al-Kharafi noted that the deal with IHS marked the beginning of a strategy to unlock value from our fixed infrastructure, which can be more efficiently deployed in new technologies and higher yielding investments. Zain expects to extend this strategy to other markets.

Zains refocusing of its strategies has been prompted by socio-economic unrest in Sudan hitting its earnings and revenue from the market, in which it is the largest operator. Both its net income and revenue for Q3 fell 6% year-on-year, to KWD40 million and KWD259 respectively. During this quarter, the Sudanese pound devalued by 63%, which Zain has cited as the cause of this drop.

At the end of September, the operator had 12.9 million subscribers in Sudan  a figure which accounts for 29% of Zain Groups overall customer base. The currency devaluation during Q3 cost Zain KWD44.7 million in revenue and KWD6 million in net income.

Addressing this issue, Al-Kharafi said: It is unfortunate that one main factor outside of our control, the Sudan currency devaluation issue, has impacted overall results for the quarter and year-to-date. Nevertheless, we draw confidence from the future prosperity of Sudan given the recent lifting of the US sanctions and expected appreciation of the countrys currency.
MoH to launch orientation programmes for local reps

The Ministry of Health (MoH) has decided to launch orientation progrmmames for local representatives to encourage them to include more health related activities in their planning and budget allocation.
Jio has said that they are not ceasing the production of the JioPhone and will soon announce the second round of pre-bookings for the 4G feature phone.

A report surfaced yesterday which said that Reliance Jio is stopping the production of its JioPhone. The company was reported to be in talks with Google to manufacture an Android based smartphone. Soon after the report surfaced, Jio issued a statement denying the information and said, JioPhone, India ka smartphone is committed to fulfilling the countrys digital vision. Jio welcomes the initial 6 million Indians who are moving to digital life with the JioPhone and will soon announce the next JioPhone booking date.

Reliance Jio has said that the second round of pre-bookings will commence soon, however, no exact date has been stated yet. JioPhone works on KaiOS, which is a forked version of the Firefox OS. Currently, the JioPhone only supports Jio apps such as JioMusic, JioTV and more. Popular apps such as Facebook and Whatsapp are not supported yet, but the company is said to be working towards bringing these apps on the feature phone.

The JioPhone is an effectively free phone as customers need to pay a refundable security deposit of Rs 1,500, which will be refunded after three years on returning the device. Pre-bookings for the JioPhone touched the 6 million mark in the first phase, and Reliance Jio has started shipping the phones. However, some consumers who booked the JioPhone have been complaining of not receiving their units yet.

Soon after the deliveries for the JioPhone commenced, Airtel launched a low-cost 4G smartphone as its rival. The telecom operator partnered with Karbonn to offer the A40 Indian 4G smartphone at an effective price of Rs 1,399. Airtel then went on to announce another low-cost 4G phone, the Celkon Smart 4G, in partnership with Celkon. It is available at an effective price of Rs 1,349.

Micromax partnered up with BSNL and Vodafone to launch two low cost feature phones, the Bharat 1 and the Bharat 2 Ultra, respectively. The phones are priced at Rs 2,200 and Rs 999. However, the Bharat Ultra 2 has to be purchased at Rs 2,899, and buyers would need to perform a recharge of Rs 150 per month in order to get the phone at effective price of Rs 999.
Avesoro Resources has entered into a conditional agreement to acquire the Youga Gold Mine and Balogo Gold Mine in Burkina Faso, it announced on Tuesday, through the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of MNG Gold Burkina , Cayman Burkina Mines , MNG Gold Exploration , AAA Exploration Burkina and Jersey Netiana Mining and their subsidiaries from Avesoro Jersey .

The AIM-traded firm confirmed Avesoro Jersey is a related party to itself, being its majority shareholder with a 73.5% holing, with total consideration for the transaction of $69.5m.

It confirmed it has conditionally raised approximately 15.2m through a placing of new common shares to new and existing sophisticated and accredited investors at a placing price of 1.9p per share.

Of the proceeds from the placing, $18.5m will be used to fund the cash component of the acquisition consideration, and the remainder will be used for general working capital purposes.

Up to a further $2.5m may be raised for working capital purposes by way of a broker option as determined by the brokers, which will remain open for exercise by the brokers until 1700 GMT on Tuesday.

Avesoros board said the $69.5m acquisition consideration was to be funded through $51.0m of common shares issued to Avesoro Jersey as well as the $18.5m of cash raised via the placing.

It described the transaction as a transformational acquisition for the company, which would add two producing mines to its portfolio.

I am delighted to announce that we have entered into an agreement with Avesoro Jersey to acquire the Youga Gold Mine and Balogo Gold Mine in Burkina Faso, said chief executive Serhan Umurhan.

The Assets will provide Avesoro with geographic diversity within West Africa and are highly complementary to our existing New Liberty mine, significantly increasing Avesoro's gold production, in addition to adding high quality exploration upside that will provide for further future organic growth.

In conjunction with the turnaround at New Liberty, this acquisition marks a significant next step in achieving our long-term plan to become a premier mid-tier African gold producer.
The CEO of Kibo Mining , Louis Coetzee, is expected to present at the One Belt Road [OBOR] summit in Beijing this week, the multi-asset resource, development and energy company announced on Tuesday, to highlight the critical energy situation in Southern Africa and the development of the Tanzania-based Mbeya Coal to Power Project.

During this trip, Mr Coetzee, a South African national who has worked in Tanzania for the past 20 years, was to meet the company's Chinese development partners, SEPCO III, and visit manufacturing facilities where "it envisaged some of the critical Mbeya Power Plant components will be manufactured."



The OBOR summit, according to the company, congregates internationally recognised individuals, companies as well as organisations to discusss the future of industry and investment, to further the Chinese leadership's ambition of developing beneficial investment and trade links with Africa, Asia and Europe.

Mr Coetzee, will be joining the 'Developing Successful Power Projects in Africa' panel to discuss how to best address the acute power shortage in Africa, where half the population are reportedly deprived of electricity.

MCPP was also awarded awarded the Environmental & Social Impact Assessment ('ESIA') certification from the Tanzanian government last week, enabling the further development of the nationally important power project, the company said.

He will also meet with potential project funding partners to discuss gaining exposure to MCCP.
Sistema PJSFC has completed the merger of its Indian telecommunications business with Reliance Communications [Rcom], one of India's leading telecommunications firms, the company reported on Tuesday.

The publicly traded diversified Russian holding company said the merger had been approved by all relevant Indian regulators and courts, with the telecommunications business of Sistema's subsidiary, Sistema Shyam TeleServices [SSTS] and its licences and obligations, transferred to RCom, in which SSTS now owns a 10% equity stake following a new share issue by the Indian operator.

Management said that SSTS may be entitled to an earn-out payment from RCom, should the Department of Telecommunications and the courts of India confirm that its 800-850 MHz spectrum range could be used for deployment of the 4th generation networks without any further payments.

Furthermore, SSTS's minority shareholders would have the right to convert their stock into RCom shares in proportion to their equity stakes in the company as part of a tender offer to be announced by the end of January 2018.

Sistema President Mikhail Shamolin said: "We welcome the completion of this deal, which marks another chapter in consolidation of the Indian telecom sector. As a shareholder of RCom we are confident that this merger will help strengthen the operator's position in the industry and deliver on its strategic plans."
Bitcoin prices set a fresh record higher after the Chicago Mercantile Exchange unveiled plans to launch futures on the crypto-currency before the year was out.

As of 1651 BST, the price of a Bitcoin was 4.06% higher to $6,370.15, according to Coindesk, after hitting a record high of $6,416.39 earlier in the session.

"It's a huge development for bitcoin and a giant leap into the mainstream. Although this was a surprise, its was well known that the winkelvoss twins are talking to the CBOE about listing bitcoin options. The CME got in there first.

"After its price gains, popularity and volatility in this low vol environment it is no surprise that bitcoin is going mainstream," Kathleen Brooks, Research Director at City Index told WebFG.

The futures contracts were to be settled in cash on the basis of the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate which the trading venue and Crypto Facilities had begun calculating and publishing back in November 2016.

According to the CME, Bitcoins now accounted for over 54% of the total cryptocurrency market capitalization which had reached $172bn.

In parallel, trading in the Bitcoin spot market had reached a notional value of approximately $1.5bn a day.
Former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont has denied he travelled to Brussels in order to seek political asylum in Belgium.

At a packed press conference in the Belgian capital, Puigdemont issued a statement and answered questions in several different languages one day after he left Spain as Madrid imposed direct rule on Catalonia.

Spanish prosecutors have called for charges of rebellion and sedition to be brought against Puigdemont and other leaders of the independence movement in Catalonia, which has plunged the region into crisis in recent weeks.

Puigdemont said he would return to Spain "immediately" if he and other former members of the local government were guaranteed justice.

"If there were immediate guarantees of fair treatment, which allowed me fair justice with separation of powers as we see in the majority of European countries, without doubt I would come back immediately," the politician said.

ELECTIONS

He also added that he would accept the result of elections in Catalonia on 21 December, which were called by Mariano Rajoys government as part of its implementation of Article 155.

"We will accept the elections as a democratic right,2 he said. "We give this answer to the state as voting is how the problems are solved."

Regional and federal government have been at loggerheads in recent weeks after a controversial referendum on 1 October in which local authorities said a large majority had cast their ballots in favour of independence.

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Barcelona on Sunday in support of Spanish unity, while pro-independence groups have called for acts of civil disobedience on the part of civil servants.
The percentage of Catalans who now support independence for the region has shot higher in the last few months, according to a poll conducted by the regional government.

Of the 1,500 people canvassed between 16 and 29 October by the Centre d' Estudis d'Opinio, 48.7% answered that they supported independence, 7.6 percentage points more than in June.

Meanwhile, the proportion of those who said they did not back independence fell by 5.8 percentage points to hit 43.6%.

Somewhat surprisingly, the same poll also revealed that the main Catalan nationalist parties would again win a majority of seats in the regional assembly after the 21 December elections.

That result was in stark contrast with the results of separate poll published by daily El Mundo, on 28 September, and conducted between the 23 and 26 of the same month, showing that the nationalists would suffer a moderate setback and lose their narrow majority.

Also on Tuesday, recently sacked Catalan president Carles Puigdemont claimed he did not travel to Belgium to seek asylum and that he would return to Spain "immediately" if he were offered the necessary 'guarantees'.

He also challenged Madrid "to accept" the results of the 21 December elections.

To take note of too, another poll published the same day, this time by Sigma Dos for daily El Mundo, revealed that over the past two months and at the national level, the far-left party Podemos had lost just over four percentage points of voters' backing, to reach 15.3%.
Stocks in Europe are little changed in afternoon trading with better-than-expected economic data roughly offsetting a weak reading on Chinese factory sector activity.

At 1356 BST, the benchmark Stoxx 600 was up by 0.23% or 0.91 points at 394.85, alongside an advance of just 0.18% or 41.62 points to 22,794.75 for the FSTE Mibtel, while the Cac was eking out a gain of 0.11% or 5.93 points to 5,499.81.

Spain's Ibex 35 on the other hand was again heading higher, albeit well off its best levels of the session, adding 0.48% to 10,500.90, while the yield on the benchmark 10-year Spanish government note was off by two basis points to 1.48%.

Making headlines, former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont offered a press conference in Belgium, assuring he would return to Spain "immediately" if he received sufficient "guarantees" from officials in Madrid.

Also in the spotlight, a poll carried out by the regional Catalan government's social research centre reportedly revealed a sharp 7.6 percentage point increase since June, to 48.7%, in support for independence among the electorate.

According to the same poll, whose results were sharply at odds with the results of other recent ones, the region's nationalist parties would hold on to their lead after the 21 December elections.

Yet another poll, conducted at the national level by Sigma Dos for El Mundo, showed far-left Podemos losing over four percentage points of support over the past two months to 15.3% with most other parties making gains, particularly the centrist Ciudadanos.

Further north, the Frankfurt bourse was closed for trading in observance of a bank holiday.

In parallel, euro/dollar was trading lower by 0.09% at 1.1632.

Meanwhile, on the economic front, euro area gross domestic product growth surprised to the upside in the third quarter, with the economy expanding by 0.6% in comparison to the prior three months (consensus: 0.5%).

Despite that, prices pressures weakened, with the rate of gain in headline CPI in the single currency block slipping from 1.5% year-on-year in September to 1.4% for October, according to Eurostat.

Core CPI also fell short of economists' forecasts, dropping to a 0.95 pace of gains from 1.1% in the month before.

In related news, China's official factory sector purchasing managers' index dropped from a level of 52.4 for September to 51.7 in October.

On a more positive note, joblessness in the Eurozone dipped from 9.0% in August to 8.9% for September.

According to INSEE, French gross domestic product grew at a quarterly clip of 0.5%, as expected, boosting the year-on-year rate of growth to 2.2% - the fastest pace since 2011.

Tuesday's solid reading on French GDP was despite a 0.6 percentage point drag from net foreign demand which was more than offset by a 1.1% rise in final demand.

In corporate news, stock in Ryan Air Holdings was heading higher after the budget carrier posted an 11% rise in profits at the interim stage of the year.

BNP Paribas shares on the other hand were on the back foot even after the lender reported an 8% increase in quarterly net profits.
Stocks in Europe have started slightly higher with stronger-than-expected economic data offsetting profit-taking overnight on Wall Street and a weak reading on Chinese factory sector activity.

At 0945 BST, the benchmark Stoxx 600 was up by 0.22% or 0.85 points at 394.79, alongside an advance of just 0.01% or 1.61 points to 22,754.42 for the FSTE Mibtel, while the Cac was eking out a gain of 0.15% or 8.45 points to 5,501.26.

Spain's Ibex 35 on the other hand was again heading higher, adding 0.58% to 10,505.90, while the yield on the benchmark 10-year Spanish government note was off by three basis points to 1.46%.

Further north, the Frankfurt bourse was closed for trading.

In parallel, euro/dollar was trading lower by 0.10% at 1.1632.

Commenting on the market backdrop, Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK said: "European markets had a fairly positive day yesterday, as we come to the end of another record breaking month for equity markets.

"Despite the fallout from a new series of political surprises across Europe, the Teflon rally that weve seen since the beginning of the year shows no signs of slowing down apart from the occasional pause, with markets across Europe set to post significant gains in another good month for stocks."

Meanwhile, on the economic front, euro area gross domestic product growth surprised to the upside in the third quarter, with the economy expanding by 0.6% in comparison to the prior three months (consensus: 0.5%).

Despite that, prices pressures weakened, with the rate of gain in headline CPI in the single currency block slipping from 1.5% year-on-year in September to 1.4% for October, according to Eurostat.

Core CPI also fell short of economists' forecasts, dropping to a 0.95 pace of gains from 1.1% in the month before.

In related news, China's official factory sector purchasing managers' index dropped from a level of 52.4 for September to 51.7 in October.

On a more positive note, joblessness in the Eurozone dipped from 9.0% in August to 8.9% for September.

According to INSEE, French gross domestic product grew at a quarterly clip of 0.5%, as expected, boosting the year-on-year rate of growth to 2.2% - the fastest pace since 2011.

Tuesday's solid reading on French GDP was despite a 0.6 percentage point drag from net foreign demand which was more than offset by a 1.1% rise in final demand.

In corporate news, stock in Ryan Air Holdings was heading higher after the budget carrier posted an 11% rise in profits at the interim stage of the year.

BNP Paribas shares on the other hand were on the back foot even after the lender reported an 8% increase in quarterly net profits.
Burberry 's top designer and former chief executive Christopher Bailey will leave the fashion house at the end of next year.

Bailey, Burberry's chief creative officer, will step down from the FTSE 100 company's board on 31 March 2018. After that he will provide support to Marco Gobbetti, Burberry's new chief executive until 31 December.

Burberry said Bailey will be paid his salary, a bonus and other benefits for the year to 31 March. He will receive his salary and benefits for the nine months to the end of December but no bonus for the period.

Bailey, who is 46, has worked at Burberry for 17 years. He became chief creative officer in 2009 and was credited with revitalising Burberry's brand and alongside chief executive Angela Ahrendts turning Burberry into a global luxury brand with a large fanbase among newly affluent consumers in China.

When Ahrendts left to join Apple in 2014, Bailey became chief executive despite never having run a public company.

Burberry suffered operational problems and weaker financial performance during Bailey's tenure. Some shareholders were unhappy about his dual role and rebelled against his big pay awards.

Last year Bailey announced plans to step down from the chief executive's job. Gobbetti, aged 58 and an industry veteran, took over in July with Bailey remaining as chief creative officer and taking the title of president.

Burberry said on Tuesday that Bailey had decided it was time for him to pursue new creative projects. The company said Gobbetti understood his decision and would start the search for a replacement.

Gobbetti said: "While I am sad not to have the opportunity to partner with Christopher for longer, the legacy he leaves and the exceptional talent we have at Burberry give me enormous confidence in our future. We have a clear vision for the next chapter to accelerate the growth and success of the Burberry brand and I am excited about the opportunity ahead."
Mugu youths leaving in droves to India for jobs

Youths of Mugu have started going to Indian cities in search of jobs even as the election atmosphere is gradually heating up in the district.
NAC up to its neck in debt

Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) has become a highly leveraged company with debt reaching critical levels. According to Managing Director Sugat Ratna Kansakar, the companys current debt-to-equity ratio is 76 percent.
NC, RPP to go in tandem despite Jhapa-3 dispute

Though a broader Nepali Congress-led democratic alliance failed to take shape, the NC has managed to rope in the Kamal Thapa-led Rastriya Prajatantra Party despite differences over electoral alliance in Jhapa 3.
The 2018 Dakar Rally will be the 10th Dakar entry for Joan Pedrero, a Spanish rider with a lot of experience in off-road racing. Joan Pedrero had joined the Sherco TVS Racing team in 2014 and has been riding for them since 2015.

Hailing from France, Adrien Metge will be taking part in the Dakar for the third time. He too has a lot of experience in riding having been involved in motorcycle racing since he was five-years-old.

All eyes though will be set on Aravind KP who will have his second run at the Dakar rally in 2018. The 32-year-old hails from the city of Udupi in Karnataka and will be one of the only two Indian riders at the Dakar 2018, the other being CS Santosh, racing with Hero MotoSports.

Sherco is a Spanish motorcycle manufacturer specialising in the production of various off-road motorcycles. It has been four years since the company got into a partnership with TVS Racing with an aim of taking part in International rallies.

Together, both companies have developed the RTR 450 which has been a reliable motorcycle with excellent performance.

For the 2018 Dakar rally, the RTR 450 has been lightened and is running a higher state of tune. It now has a maximum power output of around 69bhp, 3bhp more than the previous version of the motorcycle.

Arun Siddharth, the Vice President, Marketing - Premium Two Wheelers, International Business & TVS Racing, said, "TVS was the first Indian manufacturer to participate at Dakar and this year we have stepped up our participation in, and preparation for, international rally raids. We are aiming for a Top 10 finish at the Dakar 2018."

The Dakar rally is the toughest and most brutal motorsport event in the world. The 2018 edition will happen between January 6th and 20th, 2018. The route consists of sand dunes, river crossings, rocky mountains, etc. Basically no roads for 9,000 kilometres.

The Sherco TVS RTR 450s have been prepped and are ready to face the challenge. The riders themselves are well-prepared too, through participation in international rallies such as the Baja Aragon, Merzouga rally, Oilibya rally, etc.

DriveSpark Thinks!



The Sherco TVS Racing Team is therefore fielding experienced riders on a faster, more reliable machine, for the next edition of the Dakar - the makings of a winning team. How they will actually fare is something to be seen. Watch this space for more, as we follow TVS Racing's journey at the Dakar.
The rumor that Amazon has set its sights on disrupting the pharmaceutical industry has gained greater currency recently, just months after the company set the grocery business on fire with its acquisition of Whole Foods, and in the midst of its widely publicized search for a second U.S. headquarters location.

Amazon reportedly has taken major steps toward becoming a drug distributor and seller  actions that have caused concern among potential competitors and may have figured heavily in CVS negotiations to buy health insurance firm Aetna for US$66 billion.

Amazon has obtained licenses to sell drugs as a wholesaler in 12 states, including Nevada, Arizona, Alabama, North Dakota and Louisiana, according to a report in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The E-Commerce Times was able to obtain documents showing that Amazon has licenses to sell wholesale drugs in New Jersey and Connecticut, two other states on the papers list.

If Amazon wanted to get into the business of shipping pharmaceuticals directly to consumers, it also would have to obtain pharmacy licenses, the report notes.

The newly obtained licenses are related to the companys growing healthcare supply business, which is part of a growing B2B segment at Amazon, said spokesperson Lori Torgerson.

As part of that business, Amazon sells professional medical supplies to doctors, dentists and other medical professionals.

Wholesale licenses are required for Amazon Business to sell professional-use only products to healthcare companies, Torgerson told the E-Commerce Times.

B2B Boom

Amazon this summer announced that its Amazon Business segment, which launched in 2015, had reached more than one million customers. The procurement business had grown to reach more than 85,000 business sellers, providing professional supplies to a range of healthcare and other business customers.

Amazon has licenses to sell to various healthcare providers, including hospitals, doctors, dentists and healthcare clinics, in most states.

The news that CVS Health was in talks to buy Aetna, the nations No. 3 health insurance firm, surfaced last week in a Wall Street Journal report. The rumored $66 billion deal values the Aetna stock at $200 a share. CVS is not only one of the largest retail pharmacy chains, but also one of the largest pharmacy benefit managers in the U.S.

The negotiations, which have been ongoing for months, directly involved the top executives at both firms  CVS CEO Larry Merlo and Aetna CEO Mark Bertonlini  according to multiple reports.

A major reason cited for the talks was rampant speculation that Amazon has been making moves to enter the prescription drug business, following its blockbuster $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods, a move that shook the U.S. grocery industry to its foundations.

CVS officials did not respond to our request to comment for this story.

We dont comment on rumors or speculation, Aetna spokesperson T.J. Crawford told the E-Commerce Times.

Ripe for Disruption

Amazon may be poised to disrupt the retail pharmacy business because it is a highly competitive market where the majority of profits are taken not on the drugs themselves, but on the household products, supplements, groceries and other purchases that customers make while browsing the aisles.

With Amazons focus on customer convenience and reorders/auto-orders, this is a logical next step for the company, said Cindy Zhou, principal analyst at Constellation Research.

Bulk orders for regular prescriptions have been offered by the insurance carriers for decades, but Amazon can deliver it to the end customer conveniently, she told the E-Commerce Times.

Reordering prescription drugs easily could be accomplished using voice-operated Alexa commands or Amazon Dash buttons, Zhou suggested.

I think the logical reason Amazon would want in is that when consumers go to drug stores they have to walk all the way to the back to pick up their prescriptions, said Paula Rosenblum, managing partner at RSR Research.

Thats how the chain stores get real profit. They have much bigger margins on the products they pick up on the way back there or on the way out, she told the E-Commerce Times. So I suppose its another way for them to increase their share of the wallet.
Apple and General Electric on Wednesday announced a new software development kit for Apples mobile operating system, iOS. The SDK, which will be available for download next week, enables developers to create applications for Predix, an Internet of Things platform made by GE.

Together, Apple and GE are fundamentally changing how the industrial world works by combining GEs Predix platform with the power and simplicity of iPhone and iPad, said Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Working together, GE and Apple are giving industrial companies access to powerful apps that help them tap into the predictive data and analytics of Predix right on their iPhone or iPad, said GE CEO John Flannery.

Closing Information Loop

Applications developed with the new SDK could give industrial operators more insight and visibility into the performance of their equipment and operations on an iPhone or iPad.

For example, a worker who was notified of a problem by phone would be able to check it out immediately and even collaborate with others on the scene to address the problem. The idea is to close the information loop faster, ultimately increasing cost savings and minimizing unplanned downtime.

GE already has some apps in Apples App Store, such as its Asset Performance Management Cases app, and it plans to collaborate with Apple to create more apps, not only for internal use but also for its customers.

Apple is known for setting the standard on hardware and simple software interfaces, said Brian Hoff, director of corporate innovation at Exelon, which uses the APM app. When you combine this with the power of Predix and all of the data Exelon is aggregating and analyzing, the possibilities for game-changing solutions are endless.

In addition to collaborating with Apple on apps, GE will be standardizing on the iPhone and iPad for its global workforce of 330,000 employees, and promoting Mac computers as a choice for its workers. Meanwhile, Apple will be promoting Predix to its customers and developers as its choice of industrial IoT analytics platform.

Resistance to Apple

Although both Apple and GE benefit from the partnership, Apple may benefit more.

Apple is not always accepted in the enterprise environment and definitely not down into industrial applications, said Jim McGregor, principal analyst at Tirias Research.

I know a couple of companies where IT managers are trying to keep Apple from coming into their shops, he told TechNewsWorld. This is an opportunity for Apple to become more ingrained as an enterprise-wide solution.

The partnership is likely to have the greatest impact in regions where consumers prefer Apple over other brands, like the United States, McGregor added. It offers a way for Apple to expand the enterprise presence not only of the iPhone and iPad, but also the Mac platform, with GEs pledge to offer the computers to its global workforce.

Apple certainly wants enterprise adoption of its mobile devices, noted Sam Lucero, a senior principal analyst at IHS Markit.

However, it is also important to the company that it expand sales of its Macs beyond consumers, creative professionals and educational institutions, he told TechNewsWorld.

Apple Developers

The partnership could be a boon for Apples army of developers.

The partnership will provide for native integration of iOS into GE industrial solutions, said Mario Camilien, an engineer with TDI.

It will make it easier for Apple developers to make apps that can interact natively with GEs industrial strength products solutions, he told TechNewsWorld.

Before Apple developers enter the industrial app market, though, they need to do their homework.

Developers must understand their targeted market, Camilien said. There is a need for developers who a have keen understanding of targeted markets.

They also need to realize that any apps developed for the industrial market dont have the bestseller potential found in the consumer market.

You have to remember that many of these apps are highly customized by the suppliers or customers, Tirias McGregor cautioned. So, it is difficult to develop an app for the industrial segment with large market appeal.

Good Approach

The industrial sector  which includes manufacturing, logistics and supply chain industries  has the hottest demand for commercial and industrial IoT apps, followed by the energy sector, according to Gartner. Theres also demand in the smart cities, transportation and retail sectors.

Apple is taking the right approach by going after the biggest market segment, said Gartner research vice president Mark Hung.

Theyre offering GE customers enhanced capabilities and a better user experience than they may be used to, he told TechNewsWorld.

Meanwhile, GE hopes it can work some Apple magic in the industrial sector.

GE is expanding its efforts to leverage third-party innovation for its industrial IoT efforts, similar to what it perceives Apple was able to do originally with the App Store, IHS Markits Lucero explained. It already has an App Showcase featuring both apps it provides, as well as apps from partners, such as Tech Mahindra.

The market for industrial IoT apps is still nascent, Lucero noted, with interest in the market exceeding investment in it.

Furthermore, while the iPhone and iPad may work well in some industrial environments, other environments will require ruggedized devices, he pointed out, and not be appropriate for Apples consumer-grade devices.
A recent New York Times story about a conference held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, chilled me to the bone. The headline supplies all the reasons: Saudi Arabias Grand Plan to Move Beyond Oil: Big Goals, Bigger Hurdles.

At first glance, this doesnt ring any CRM bells, but maybe it should. Why would any business or business-state contemplate moving out of its sweet spot if it werent required to? What happens to the customers that have become dependent? Thats the point.

Beyond oil means running out  as in we wont be in that business in so many years because there will be nothing left to pump.

Peak Oil Snapshot

If you havent been following the oil markets or the somewhat arcane discussion of peak oil, heres a brief primer: In the U.S., oil discovery peaked in the 1960s, and it has been declining ever since.

The recent revolution in hydraulic fracturing has brought more oil to market, but its been from old wells that didnt have much left. This is called secondary recovery, and its like wringing out a damp sponge  you usually can get a few more drops.

Globally, oil discovery peaked in the 1970s, and exploration has not yielded another barrel since 2003. Were essentially using up the reserves discovered back in the day, and as with any finite entity, its beginning to run out. Theres lots of scholarly work on the subject that you can find online, so I am not going to belabor the point.

However, as additional evidence, both GM and Ford recently announced elaborate plans to bring electric vehicles to market within the next few years. Why would GM and Ford get out of the internal combustion car market if they didnt have to?

Fossil Carbon

As luck would have it, if  or more likely when  we stop burning fossil fuels, well be able to rely on electricity derived from a variety of sources, including solar, wind and something you might not be aware of, geothermal, which I encourage you to look into. However, theres a lot of work to be done and investment to be made before electricity can take over the workload that fossil fuels currently support.

The sooner we stop burning fossil fuels, the better off well be. You might think this means curtailing pollution, which of course will happen  but more importantly, fossil carbon is the basis or feedstock of hundreds of products that make modern life possible. From fertilizers to rubber and synthetics like nylon, to carbon fibers and plastics and much more, we depend on starter materials derived from fossil carbon.

For instance, did you know that an average car tire requires seven gallons of petroleum to manufacture? It takes five gallons to make the rubber and another two gallons to drive the manufacturing process.

Did you know that coal is the source of more than 500 pharmaceuticals and of the original dye that makes blue jeans blue? The oil and other fossil fuels left in the ground now are too valuable to burn.

Give credit to the Saudis for at least telegraphing their oil depletion issue to the marketplace. Other countries are in similar positions and have said nothing. Thats not exactly a best practice for dealing with a global customer base that has grown dependent on your product.

Ticking Clock

How long before we run out is speculative. Proven reserves typically are numbers that few nations share with the world, so there is ambiguity in almost any description of oil supply compared with the consumption data that many governments and oil companies keep.

Even an entry in Wikipedia listing countries and their reserves offers this caveat: Some statistics on this page are disputed and controversial. Different sources (OPEC, CIA World Factbook, oil companies) give different figures.

Even the CIA doesnt know how much oil is left in the ground, but the 2014 BP annual report pegged it at a 53-year supply, not taking into account demand increase, which currently runs at about 2 percent per year.

We would do well to follow the Saudis lead  at least by acknowledging that a problem with peak oil exists. With that, it will be possible to have an overdue conversation about how to organize our lives on this tiny planet, and to plan for a time at mid-century when Earth will host an additional 2.5 billion people.

Without a new energy infrastructure, its hard to say how well be able to grow enough food or provide fresh water to this mass of people.
Once just a hangout for teenagers, Snapchat has matured into an engaging and effective social media platform. If youre trying to reach a younger demographic, its somewhere you probably want to be.

Snapchat is the best channel to reach young people, as they count for more than two-thirds of its audience and are very active users, said Melissa Sanchot, head of marketing and communication atMakeMeReach.

Snapchat is its own world, though, and using it for marketing and advertising means working creatively with its unique features. With that in mind, here are five ways you can use it to interact with your audience, find new customers, and build your brand.

1. Engage Directly

Snapchat users typically are highly motivated and engaged, and youll want to find ways to use that engagement to your advantage.

Its a way to leverage instantness, Sanchot told the E-Commerce Times. Lets say youre a clothes brand and youre wondering which fabric is the best for your next collection. You can directly ask your followers and have immediate responses.

Updating your content regularly gives users a reason to interact with you and enhances their direct engagement with your brand.

Snapchat users are engaging with the app at a very high rate, observed Dario Sheikh, strategic partnership manager at Bidalgo.

They use it throughout the day. While its user base is relatively small, it has a highly relevant user base thats engaging with the app on a regular basis at a high frequency, he told the E-Commerce Times.

2. Influence the Influencers

One of the key features of Snapchat is the ability it offers to reach the followers of influential users. The ability to work with influencers expands your scope, so that your message travels far beyond those who directly follow your brand.

Its an incredible channel for influencers strategy, noted MakeMeReachs Sanchot. You can ask followers to post stories using your product, and make viral campaigns at very low cost.

3. Make Use of Filters

Snapchat offers various filters to business that want to promote their brand, their location, a particular event or a promotion. Experiment with these filters, since theyre a way of personalizing your message and getting it out there  not just to your followers, but to the followers of your followers.

Its a really organic way for your users to self-advertise your business or your offering to their Snapchat followers, said Sheikh. Its a great way for your own users to be brand advocates within their own network.

4. Tell Your Story

Snapchat allows you to use video, photos and text to tell the story of your company. Just remember that its a casual, informal platform. Dont worry about using perfect photos, and avoid any sense of staging, preplanning, or even official messaging.

Snapchat works best for telling behind-the-scenes stories  giving a personal and authentic glimpse into the workings of your company and brand.

5. Be Snappy

If theres one thing thats unique to Snapchat, its the ephemeral nature of snaps and stories. Make use of the fleeting nature of these posts, encouraging quick and direct engagement.

That might mean offering coupon codes to be used almost immediately, or telling stories that are as close to real time as possible.

You only have a day to get your message across and make an impact, which means marketers are pushed to make ads more fleeting and creative, remarked Elizabeth Closmore, global head of product evangelism at Sprinklr.

Snapchats Unique Style

Most importantly, make sure to use the unique marketing and advertising features of Snapchat, and create content thats designed specifically for this platform. In particular, Snapchat users like to do things, and to engage them you have to be fun and interactive.

The ads on Snapchat can be  and have to be  focused on actions to take: product to buy, events to go, things to do, said Sanchot. You cant be descriptive  its not enough.

In other words, become familiar with the language and rhythm of Snapchat, and use that awareness to your advantage.

Snapchat ads are not one-size-fits-all-social-networks, Closmore told the E-Commerce Times.

Marketers cant necessarily copy and paste their Facebook and Twitter strategies onto Snapchat, she pointed out. As such, Snapchat demands that brands create fresh content for its platform and really become familiar with its unique language and style.
REINACH  Colour chemicals and dye company Archroma has announced it has partnered with New Zealand based outdoor brand Kathmandu for the brands new range of hoodies. Archromas EarthColors range of plant-based dyes are to be used, the company says.
SUZHOU  Dutch chemicals company Stahl, which supplies the to the automotive and textile industries has revealed that the construction of its new centre of excellence in Suzhou, China is expected to be completed in September 2018.

This will be its second centre of excellence in China, as it aims to meet the growing demand for textile chemicals, colorants, coatings and auxiliaries that have less impact on the environment.
By Andrew Amelinckx

Lab-grown meat goes by many namesclean meat, cultured protein, animal-free meat, and so onand all the various producers, of which there are eight around the world, use the same basic premise. At its most elementary, the process involves taking stem cells from a living animal, say, a chicken, then feeding those cells various nutrients until enough tissue is produced for the desired outcome: a burger, fried chicken or duck a lorange.

According to boosters of this technology, there are fewer environmental problems with clean meat than the traditional method of raising and slaughtering animals. Producing meat without actually growing and feeding an animal requires fewer resourcesa tenth of the land and water, and less than half of the energy conventional meat needs, according to Uma Valeti, the CEO of Memphis Meats, whom Modern Farmer interviewed earlier this year.

This seems to be Chinas main reason for their interest. The Chinese government has been steadily trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially in the face of a growing middle class thats consuming more meat. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, about 14.5 percent of all greenhouse gasses comes from the livestock sector. Among Chinas efforts was a recent move to implement more sustainable agricultural practices, like organic growing methods.

The Chinese market for meat is still growing while fighting climate change, pollution and food safety issues are high on the agenda of the Chinese leadership, Peter Verstrate, CEO of the Dutch company Mosa Meat, told Modern Farmer. Theres no better way to combine the two than by developing and scaling clean meat.

Mosa Meat was born in the lab of Mark Post of Maastricht University in the Netherlands, where the first clean hamburger (their nomenclature of choice? tissue-cultured meat) debuted in 2013. Verstrates company wouldnt see any direct advantages from the China-Israel deal nonetheless sees it as a positive. The Chinese investment in clean tech, including clean meat, is even more validation of the fact that this is a field worth exploring and developing, he says.

The biggest winners from the deal will likely be the three Israeli clean meat companies, SuperMeat, Meat the Future, and Future Meat Technologies, since it would allow them to break into the potentially lucrative Chinese market. Shir Friedman, co-founder and CCO of SuperMeat said the companys very excited to see the global and mutual interest in clean technology.

Bruce Friedrich, head of the The Good Food Institute, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit that lobbies on behalf of the alternative meat industry, called Chinas interest in clean meat a colossal market opportunity for everyone involved in the burgeoning field. This could put [lab-grown] meat onto the radar of Chinese officials who have the capacity to steer billions of dollars into this technology, Friedrich recently told Quartz.

China isnt alone in their interest in clean meat. Billionaires Bill Gates and Richard Branson, and the agricultural giant Cargill, have all this year invested in the Bay Area startup Memphis Meats as part of their $17 million Series A funding round. Something similar might happen in Europe too, said Verstrate.

All these clean meat startups, which are mostly based in Silicon Valley and Israel, are vying to be the first to get their products to market, whether it be beef, chicken, pork or duck. (Some, like Memphis Meats, have done prototypes, but theres not yet a product you can buy at your local grocery store.)

The problem is how to scale in a way that gets lab-grown meat to a reasonable price point, and production costs are coming down quickly. Back in 2013, it cost a whopping $330,000 to produce the first patty-sized hunk of lab-grown beef. At the time, Post said he believed lab-grown meat wouldnt be in grocery stores for another 10 to 20 years. But now, the price of producing that size burger is already down to $11.36. Quite a difference.

The biggest impediment in moving clean meat forward is mass production and scale, says SuperMeats Friedman, whose company hopes to reach the market in about five years.

Four to five years seems to be the general goal to get lab-meat on retail shelves, although Mosa Meat is aiming for a small scale and premium market introduction in two to three years, according to Verstrate. From there they would continue to improve and scale the product and be ready for a full rollout a few years later.

Reposted with permission from our media associate Modern Farmer.
Flint, Michigan doesnt just have a water problemit has a water bottle problem. Ever since the 2014 lead contamination crisis, city residents have had no choice but to turn to bottled water for their daily H2O needs.

The state is required to give each Flint resident 14 bottles daily, and when you multiply that with its population of approximately 97,000, thats more than 1.3 million bottles that could be handed out in a single day. Thats a lot of plasticand its not always recycled.

But artist Mel Chin has come up with a genius solution for this massive water bottle surplusthe Flint Fit project. Hes teamed up with fashion designer and Detroit native Tracy Reese and the Queens Museum in New York City to turn the bottles into raincoats, swimwear and other clothing items.

According to mlive.com, empty plastic water bottles are currently being gathered from homes, community centers and other locations and will be sent to Greensboro, North Carolina-based processing facility, Unifi Inc. There, the bottles will be transformed into thread and fabric to be used for the clothing.

The thread and fabric will then come back to Flint, where participants of the St. Lukes N.E.W. Life Centers sewing program will put together the patterns designed by Reese.

Chin, who helped spearhead the Fundred Dollar Bill project to eliminate lead poisoning in children, commented about the importance of having Flint residents contribute to the project.

Its about something that is empty, like a water bottle, fulfilling the potential of jobs and manufacturing that has also been lost, he told FOX 66 News, referring to the once-thriving Vehicle City that was the original home of General Motors.

This project would only work with the people in this city, Chin added. Having the people finish all of the designs in Flint is what makes this a very amazing opportunity.

A fashion show of the designs is planned for New York City in April 2018. A show in Flint will follow.
NC taps billionaire Binod Chaudhary as its PR candidate

The Nepali Congress (NC) has picked Binod Chaudhary, the countrys first and only billionaire, as its candidate for the federal parliament under the proportional representation (PR) system.
The House Committee on Homeland Security abruptly cancelled Wednesdays

hearing with FEMA Administrator Brock Long on the federal governments response and recovery efforts for recent disasters, including hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria and the wildfires in the West.

San Juan Mayor

Carmen Yulin Cruz, who has been highly critical President Trump and FEMAs relief efforts in Puerto Rico, arrived in Washington, DC yesterday after being invited to testify at the hearing. In a video posted to social media, she raised questions about the sudden cancellation.

Im just wondering, what are they afraid of? Cruz asked.

The hearing had been canceled twice before due to hurricanes Harvey and Irma. No reason was given for the latest cancellation and a rescheduled date has not been announced.

But CBS News reporter David Begnaud, who has been

extensively covering the crisis in Puerto Rico, wrote: A source says the suspicion is some of the committee members didnt want a confrontation between Long and the Mayor.

Republicans cancel Hearing where Brock Long FEMA Dir and myself where to testify on FEMAs readiness in PR. What are they afraid of? pic.twitter.com/8kEePG9F7a  Carmen Yulin Cruz (@CarmenYulinCruz) October 31, 2017

Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), ranking member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, released a statement criticizing the committee for attempting to silence the mayor and shield the Trump administration from another bad news story.

I invited the Mayor of San Juan to testify before our Committees hearing on FEMAs preparedness and response capabilities so our entire Committee could receive an accurate picture of what is happening in Puerto Rico from someone who has been on the ground since day one, Thompson said.

It is inexcusable that the Republicans have delayed this hearing for the third time with no rational reason in a blatant attempt to silence the Mayor and shield the Trump Administration from another bad news story. It is clear that House Republicans and the Administration fear the Mayor and her telling her story. he continued.

Now the Committee on Homeland Securitythe authorizing committee of DHSwont be hearing from the Mayor or FEMA Administrator Long even though they will both be on Capitol Hill this week.

Thank you, Mayor Cruz. We will not stop until Republicans acknowledge the hurdles the people of Puerto Rico are facing. https://t.co/IelyTOvnLt  Bennie G. Thompson (@BennieGThompson) October 31, 2017

Many questions are being raised about the federal governments relief response to the storm-wrecked U.S. territory.

As of Tuesday, less than 30 percent of Puerto Ricos electricity has been restored.

The Homeland Security committee was expected to grill Long and other officials at the hearing over several issues including

Whitefish Energy Holdings controversial, and recently cancelled, $300 million contract to help rebuild Puerto Ricos power grid.

I visited Puerto Rico earlier this month and it is painfully clear that the real story of the plight of our fellow Americans in a humanitarian crisis is not being told, Thompson continued in his statement. The federal response to hurricanes hitting Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands is inadequate in almost every respect and the situation is still dire. The American people deserve to know what went wrong during this Administrations first hurricane season so we can make sure none of our fellow Americans ever have to go through this again.

Meanwhile,

Buzzfeed News reported Friday that the Puerto Rican government has allowed 911 bodies to be cremated since Hurricane Maria made landfall but not one of them were physically examined by a government medical examiner to determine if it should be included in the official death toll.

The cremations were carried out between Sept. 20 and Oct. 18. and the people are listed as having died from natural causes.

But directors of the funeral homes and crematoriums told Buzzfeed they were not given official guidance on what was considered a hurricane-related death. This confusion could mean that the official death count might not include all the deaths that resulted from the Category 4 storm.

Puerto Rican officials stand by the official hurricane death toll of 51.
By Casey Ivanovich

Halloween has arrived, and its time once again for goblins, gremlins and ghost stories.

But theres another threat brewing thats much more frighteningbecause its real.

An unrecognizable world is quickly creeping up on us as climate change progressesand the anticipated impacts are enough to rattle anyones skeleton.

Here are five of the scariest aspects of climate change. Read on if you dare

1. Extreme Weather is Becoming More Extreme

A changing climate paves the way for extreme weather events to live up to their name.

In 2017 alone we saw fatal events worldwide, including:

A heat wave in India.

The most severe drought in Somalian history.

Devastating wildfires in northern California.

An onslaught of record-breaking hurricanes in the Caribbean, U.S. and Ireland.

Weeks of heavy rainfall and flooding in Nepal, Bangladesh and India.

The fingerprints of climate change can be found on each of these events.

As global temperatures continue to rise, heat waves are expected to become more intense, frequent and longer lasting.

Scientists also predict that rainfall patterns will continue to shift, increasing regional risk for widespread drought and flooding.

Drought conditions may also prompt wildfires to occur more frequently and within a longer fire season. The wildfire season in the western U.S. is already weeks longer than in previous years.

Hurricanes are also influenced by climate change. Rising sea surface temperatures, a moister atmosphere and changing atmospheric circulation patterns have the potential to increase hurricanes power and travel paths.

Extreme weather intensification impacts human health and development in many waysextreme heat events directly generate health hazards such as heat stroke, while drought and wildfires threaten crop and ecosystem stability.

The 2017 hurricane season has already demonstrated the shocking consequences of intensified hurricanes and flooding, with Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria killing more than 150 people and causing as much as $300 billion in damages in the U.S. alone.

2. Tipping Points Loom in Near Future

A particularly alarming facet of climate change is the threat of irreversible changes to climate conditions, called tipping elements.

These components of the climate system earn their title from a possession of critical thresholds, or tipping points, beyond which a tiny change can dramatically alter the state of the system.

Many tipping elements have been identified by scientists and some may have already passed their critical threshold. For example, a vicious cycle of sea ice melt has already been triggered, leading scientists to predict that Arctic summers will be ice-free before mid-century.

Imminent tipping points also exist for melting ice sheets, particularly those of Greenland and West Antarctica, where full ice sheet collapse could result in global sea level rise of up to 20 feet and 16 feet respectively.

Coral reefs too are rapidly approaching a grave tipping point. Essential relationships between algae and corals begin to break down as ocean waters rise in temperature and acidity. Without stabilizing these changes, the majority of global reef systems may collapse before global temperatures reach a two-degree Celsuis warming threshold.

3. Coastal Communities Battle Sea Level Rise

Sea level rise is one of the most visible impacts of climate change, as increased coastal erosion physically erases continental borders.

As the climate warms, ocean waters expand and ice sheets and glaciers melt. Both factors contribute to a rising sea level at an accelerating rate. Communities in Alaska and several Pacific Islands are already fleeing rising seasrelocating as their villages are engulfed and eroded.

Rising sea levels also intensify damages from extreme weather events such as hurricanes. A higher sea level allows storm surges to grow in height and volume, exacerbating flooding and associated damages.

As water levels continue to rise, more coastal communities will feel the consequences. Many major cities are located on coastlines, with almost 40 percent of U.S. citizens living in coastal cities.

Protecting people from this creeping threat will be difficult and costlyas weve already seen in the aftermath of coastal storms such as Superstorm Sandy.

4. Humans Are Nearing Uncharted Climate Territory

A globally averaged two-degree Celsius (or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming over preindustrial levels is the most widely suggested threshold we need to stay well below.

The threshold was first proposed by William Nordhaus in the 1970s, in part because of its historical significancethe human species has never lived during a time in which global temperatures were equivalent to two-degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.

The unprecedented nature of this benchmark provided a foundation for alarm that carried the two-degrees Celsius value into political and scientific discussions for decades.

In a changing climate, unprecedented events will become the norm.

In some cases, they already have.

As infectious disease s spread to previously untouched regions and an Arctic ozone hole threatens to open, people are beginning to catch the first glimpses of the new world we are creatingone that is in many ways more hostile and dangerous than the one we leave behind.

5. Many American Politicians Deny the Problem

Perhaps the only thing more terrifying than the impacts of climate change is the overwhelming denial of their existence by some political leaders in the U.S.

The Paris agreement served as a major step forward in promoting climate change mitigation policy on an international scale, with almost every nation agreeing to tackle this looming threat.

Then in June, President Trump announced his intent to withdraw from the agreement. That means the U.S. will be one of only two countriesout of almost 200failing to participate in the accords.

The same efforts towards dismantling U.S. climate progress can be seen in recent national policy. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt (who recently claimed that carbon dioxide is not a major contributor to global warming) is perhaps the most visible of an exhausting list of leaders within the current administration who deny climate science. The administration is trying to undermine or reverse policies addressing climate change, including the Clean Power Plan and information about climate change is vanishing from official agency websites.

The rest of the globe is striving to implement meaningful climate policy, including Chinas unparalleled growth in renewable energy support. Soon the U.S. will be left in the dust in the race for a greener world.

Be afraid. Be very afraid. Then do something about it.

We cant protect you from the monsters hiding under your bed. But combating the ominous impacts of climate change is a much more hopeful endeavor.

For more information on how you can help, click here.
The Trump administration proposed a rule Tuesday to federalize regulation of drift gillnets used to catch swordfish on the West Coast. The rule would end Californias right to prevent the deadly entanglements of sea turtles, whales and dolphins in these underwater, mile-long nets.

The Obama administration last year proposed a rule that would shut down the fishery for two years if two large whales or sea turtles were harmed by the nets, but the Trump administration withdrew that proposed rule in June. Legislation to phase out drift gillnets was introduced in California in 2014 and 2016, and the new federal rule would preempt such efforts in the future.

The Trump administration is seizing control of this fishery to stymie efforts to protect sea turtles, whales and dolphins from these deadly nets, said Catherine Kilduff, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity. This cynical move perpetuates the status quo. Leatherback sea turtles, humpback whales and sperm whales have to dodge this dirty fishery when they need to feed in the rich waters off California.

The new proposal to federalize oversight was recommended in March by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, which manages fisheries in California, Oregon and Washington. The recommendation was opposed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) and a coalition of more than 15 environmental groups, including Turtle Island Restoration Network and the Center for Biological Diversity.

Trumps move to federalize the drift gillnet fishery is irresponsible and puts reasonable resource management and the well-being of our ocean ecosystem at serious risk, said Cassie Burdyshaw, advocacy and policy director at Turtle Island Restoration Network. Drift gillnets are walls of death that need to be phased out, not shielded from reasonable state regulations.
From a national park to geology

When asked if he had always planned on working in palaeoclimatology, the researcher grinned: I originally wanted to be a rabbi. He says this was mainly because of the ethical and philosophical questions he would have confronted on a daily basis. Nor did his upbringing put him on a clear course towards his current field of research either  his father is a physics professor and his mother is a lawyer.

Rugenstein became interested in climate change in high school. His first encounter with geology was in the Cibola National Forest, where at the age of 18, he worked as a park ranger and guide for visitor groups.

It was not until later that he would discover the link between rocks and climate: during his undergraduate studies in the natural sciences in Houston, Texas, he attended a lecture about the link between geology and climate change. Thats when it became clear that geology could help me answer questions about climate change, says Rugenstein. Ive been a geologist ever since.

Climate change over the past 65 million years

The 30-year-old researcher is primarily interested in fossil soils from the most recent geological time period, the Cenozoic era, which encompasses the last 65 million years  in other words, from the dinosaurs extinction through to the present day. His teaching experience becomes obvious when he begins describing the geological era during which mammals and flowering plants began spreading across wide landmasses.

It was warmest around 50 million years ago. Its very likely that there were no landmasses on earth permanently covered in ice. We had palm trees in Antarctica and crocodiles frolicking around Greenland, says Rugenstein, describing the scenery of that time period. He is particularly interested in why since then, average temperatures have fallen by ten to fifteen degrees Celsius and the carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere has fallen from around 2,000 parts per million to under 400.

Volcanoes and marine organisms

The young scientist, who is clearly pursuing an academic career, is currently focusing on the weathering of rock and understanding how this process is linked to the atmospheres CO 2 content.

He explains: In a world without modern, industrialized society, most of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere comes from volcanoes. However, the majority of it is then removed again by the weathering of rock. In short, it works as follows: CO 2 dissolved in rainwater creates acid and reacts with silicate rock. This produces bicarbonate, which is washed into the ocean in the course of the water cycle. Marine organisms, such as corals, absorb the bicarbonate and use it to build reefs. As a result, the CO 2 is taken out of the global carbon cycle for a long time.

New perspectives at ETH

To better understand the role of silicate rock weathering in the carbon cycle, Rugenstein has been carrying out research since January 2017 as an ETH Fellow in the Earth Surface Dynamics group. His work includes puzzling over computer models used to simulate weathering processes.

As a geochemist, Rugenstein has found it enriching to be surrounded by geophysicists in his research group at ETH. He enjoys considering his research questions from different perspectives and bringing his own expertise to other research fields. For this reason, he attaches great importance to connecting with other researchers. With that in mind, he considers the relatively large size of the ETH research group with which he works to be more of a disadvantage: Im rarely able to discuss my work with scientists outside of the group.

A penchant for public transport

Rugenstein really enjoys being in Switzerland. During his free time, he loves hiking in the Alps. As a huge fan of public transport  he didnt have a car in the USA either  he is enjoying the extensive Swiss transit network: Here, I can reach almost any hiking trail by train or bus in just a short time. Only at the very end is he able to think of something that Switzerland is lacking. He grins: Theres no real desert here.
A new Tel Aviv University study finds that young bats adopt a specific "dialect" spoken by their own colonies, even when this dialect differs from the bat "mother tongue."

Researchers Dr. Yossi Yovel of the School of Zoology and the Sagol School of Neuroscience at TAU's Faculty of Life Sciences and his students Yosef Prat and Lindsay Azoulay say that the study offers insight into the evolutionary origins of language acquisition skills, calling into question the uniqueness of this skill in humans. The study was published today in PLoS Biology.

"The ability to learn vocalizations from others is extremely important for speech acquisition in humans, but it's believed to be rare among animals," Dr. Yovel says. Reseachers had believed that this is what makes human language unique.

"The most common animal models for this 'vocal learning' are songbirds, which learn songs from specific tutors. Bird researchers usually emphasize that a bird learns to sing from one parent, but we have shown that bats listen and learn from an entire colony of several hundred bats, not just from their parents.

"In other words, young bats pick up the dialect vocalized by their surrounding roost-mates."

For the research, the team raised 14 pups with their mothers in three different colonies. In these artificial colonies, the scientists used speakers to play three specific subsets from a collection of recordings of natural bat vocalizations. The researchers exposed the bats to the recordings over a period of one year, until the young bats reached adulthood.

"The pups were raised with their mothers and could communicate with them. But even though they were exposed to their mothers' 'normal' dialect, each group instead developed a dialect resembling the one of the crowd it was exposed to through our recordings," Dr. Prat says.

"The difference between the vocalizations of the mother bat and those of the colony are akin to a London accent and, say, a Scottish accent," Dr. Yovel explains. "The pups heard their mothers' 'London' dialect, but also heard the 'Scottish' dialect mimicked by many dozens of 'Scottish' bats. The pups eventually adopted a dialect that was more similar to the local 'Scottish' dialect than to the 'London' accent of their mothers."

Next, the researchers will examine how the acquisition of a new dialect influences the ability of bats to integrate into foreign colonies. "Will they adopt the local dialect or will they be rejected by the group? Or maybe the local colony will change its dialect to adopt that of our bats," Dr. Yovel says. "There are many interesting avenues yet to explore."

###

American Friends of Tel Aviv University (AFTAU) supports Israel's most influential, comprehensive and sought-after center of higher learning, Tel Aviv University (TAU). TAU is recognized and celebrated internationally for creating an innovative, entrepreneurial culture on campus that generates inventions, startups and economic development in Israel. For three years in a row, TAU ranked 9th in the world, and first in Israel, for alumni going on to become successful entrepreneurs backed by significant venture capital, a ranking that surpassed several Ivy League universities. To date, 2,400 patents have been filed out of the University, making TAU 29th in the world for patents among academic institutions.
DALLAS, Oct. 31, 2017 - Chinese subjects who enjoyed spicy foods appeared to eat less salt and have lower blood pressure, potentially reducing their risk of heart attack and stroke, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Hypertension.

"Previously, a pilot study found that trace amounts of capsaicin, the chemical that gives chili peppers their pungent smell, enhanced the perception of food being salty," said senior study author Zhiming Zhu, M.D., professor and director of the Department of Hypertension and Endocrinology at the Third Military Medical University in Chongqing, China. "We wanted to test whether this effect would also reduce salt consumption."

The study enrolled 606 Chinese adults and determined their preferences for salty and spicy flavors. Researchers then linked those preferences to blood pressure.

They found that, compared to those who least enjoyed spicy foods, participants with a high spicy preference:

had 8 mm Hg lower systolic (upper) and 5mm Hg lower diastolic (bottom) blood pressure numbers; and

consumed less salt than participants who had a low spicy preference.

Researchers also used imaging techniques to look at two regions of the participants' brains -- the insula and orbitofrontal cortex -- known to be involved in salty taste. They found that the areas stimulated by salt and spice overlapped, and that spice further increased brain activity in areas activated by salt. Authors said that this increased activity likely makes people more sensitive to salt so that they can enjoy food with less of it.

All participants of this study are from China, so further research is needed to determine if these findings may be generalized to other countries.

"If you add some spices to your cooking, you can cook food that tastes good without using as much salt," Zhu said. "Yes, habit and preference matter when it comes to spicy food, but even a small, gradual increase in spices in your food may have a health benefit."

Salt and sodium are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same. More than 75 percent of the sodium Americans eat comes from processed, prepackaged and restaurant foods - not from the salt shaker. The American Heart Association recommends no more than one teaspoon of salt (2,300 mg sodium) or less per day.

###

Co-authors are Qiang Li, M.D.; Yuanting Cui, M.S.; Rongbing Jin, M.D.; Hongmei Lang, M.D.; Hao Yu, M.D.; Fang Sun, M.S.; Chengkang He, M.S.; Tianyi Ma, M.S.; Yingsha Li, M.S.; Xunmei Zhou, M.S.; Daoyan Liu, Ph.D.;Hongbo Jia, Ph.D. and Xiaowei Chen, Ph.D. Author disclosures are on the manuscript.

The National Basic Research Program of China and the National Natural Science Foundation of China funded the study.

Additional Resources:

Available multimedia is on the right column of the release link - https://newsroom.heart.org/news/spicy-food-may-curb-unhealthy-cravings-for-salt?preview=24611562419b234b1a99fbb30241d193

After October 31st, view the manuscript and editorial online.

Sodium and Salt

Why Should I Limit Sodium?

Shaking the Salt Habit to Lower Blood Pressure

Follow AHA/ASA news on Twitter @HeartNews

For the updates and new science from the Hypertension journal follow @HyperAHA

Statements and conclusions of study authors published in American Heart Association scientific journals are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect the association's policy or position. The association makes no representation or guarantee as to their accuracy or reliability. The association receives funding primarily from individuals; foundations and corporations (including pharmaceutical, device manufacturers and other companies) also make donations and fund specific association programs and events. The association has strict policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the science content. Revenues from pharmaceutical and device corporations and health insurance providers are available at http://www.heart.org/corporatefunding.

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke - the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
NEA accused of misleading public over Tamor project

The Department of Electricity Development (DoED) on Monday accused the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) of hyping up hydropower development and misleading the public following media reports that the capacity of the Tamor Hydropower Project would be boosted to 762 MW from 200 MW.
TOKYO, JAPAN (October 31, 2017)--The Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund, a unique Japanese public-private partnership formed to battle infectious diseases around the globe, today announced US$16.7 million to support development of new compounds for fighting malaria and tuberculosis, a leishmaniasis vaccine and drug, and a treatment for a long-ignored flesh-eating infection. The new investments also will allow scientists to pursue a critically needed diagnostic tool for detecting a relapsing form of malaria when it is hiding in the liver during its dormant phase.

Breakthroughs in Malaria: in Children and in Novel Drug Compounds

Among new support for malaria drug development is US$1.59M to Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) and Takeda Pharmaceuticals to develop an antimalarial drug candidate DSM265. DSM265 targets an essential enzyme, dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH), which is a critical part of the parasite making its own DNA. This completely new mode of action for an antimalarial drug will be critical in the face of resistance to both the artemisinin and partner-drug components of the current gold standard artemisinin combination treatments (ACTs) for malaria. In early-stage human testing, DSM265 has exhibited an exciting potential to both cure and prevent malaria caused by the deadly Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasite. It has already been tested in patients, where, in a study last year, 12 out of 13 patients with P. falciparum malaria were cured with a single dose of 400-milligrams. The final medicine would be a combination of DSM265 with another active compound, and so we expect even better results with a combination medicine.

"It's very exciting to see how far this partnership has progressed since the study we funded back in 2013, because the need for new malaria drugs has intensified significantly," said BT Slingsby, MD, PhD, MPH, who is CEO of the GHIT Fund. "We are optimistic that this team--which like all GHIT work combines Japanese innovation and leadership with deep expertise in global health--has all the skills necessary to overcome the remaining challenges."

Funding from GHIT will allow MMV and Takeda to develop an oral formulation of the drug that is more suited for children. DSM265 is a low-solubility, high-permeability drug and therefore needs investment in formulation technologies to improve its bioavailability. In addition, the projected cost to make the drug is higher than for other antimalarials, and so efforts are underway to improve the synthesis and lower the cost of material. The ideal final formulation has to use as low a volume of liquid as possible, since it has to be given to children who have fever and are feeling sick.

New treatments for malaria are a top global health priority. Parasites resistant to the world's most potent malaria drug, artemisinin, are reportedly spreading in Southeast Asia, prompting concern that artemisinin resistance could eventually emerge in Africa, where 90 percent of the world's malaria deaths occur. Disease experts fear if that happens, a decade of progress that has seen malaria deaths in Africa fall dramatically could be severely eroded.

To further assist the search for new malaria drugs, GHIT Fund also announced today new support of US$2.64M for an ongoing partnership between Eisai Co., Ltd. (Eisai) and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) to further develop compounds, coming from earlier studies using the GHIT Fund's Hit-to-Lead Platform. The Hit-to-Lead collaboration identified compounds belonging to Eisai that were capable of killing the malaria parasite in vitro. This new work has also demonstrated the mode of action of these compounds. Analyses by Eisai and MMV have shown that the compounds inhibit the synthesis of an important molecule, glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI), which is used by many proteins as a way to anchor themselves to a parasite's cell surface. What is exciting is that these new compounds stop key GPI-anchored proteins appearing on the surface of the malaria parasite. This is a completely new mode of action for an antimalarial drug.

Flushing Out a Secretive Form of Relapsing Malaria

GHIT is also investing US$728,833 in a partnership among the Institute of Tropical Medicine at Nagasaki University, the Netherland's-based Biomedical Primate Research Centre, and the National Institute of Technology at Japan's Kumamoto College to advance their efforts to develop a diagnostic tool for identifying a relapsing form of malaria while in its dormant phase.

The Plasmodium vivax parasite is one of the two most common causes of malaria in humans. While not as deadly as malaria caused by P. falciparum, after a patient recovers from a vivax malaria infection, a form of vivax parasites known as hypnozoites remain in the liver where they can be reactivated weeks, months or even years later to cause another round of illness. And equally important, every time they remerge, they can be passed along to mosquitoes that feed on the infected individual, which means vivax malaria is particularly difficult to eliminate from areas where it is common.

However, if there were a reliable test for detecting dormant vivax malaria, it would be possible to identify who was still carrying the disease, treat them with drugs that can kill the hypnozoites, and wipe out what malaria fighters call the "hidden reservoir" of vivax malaria.

The GHIT-funded work to develop a diagnostic tool is based on the scientists' collective expertise in identifying products or "metabolites" generated by dormant vivax hypnozoites that they believe can be detected outside of the liver and detecting subtle changes in liver activity and metabolism that may signal the presence of dormant vivax.

Screening Japanese Compound Libraries for New Breakthroughs

In addition, GHIT is providing new funding of US$49,500 for MMV and Eisai, and US$65,836 for MMV and Astellas to screen compounds from their library that have yet to be assessed for their potential to fight malaria infections.

Fighting a Severely Neglected Tissue Destroying Infectious Disease

Mycetoma, a serious, and one of the most neglected tropical diseases, is known for slowly and progressively destroying soft tissue, particularly on the feet. In advanced cases, it often leads to amputation of the limb. It is endemic in tropical and subtropical countries in the so-called "mycetoma belt" that includes, among other countries, Venezuela, Ethiopia, India, Mexico, Sudan, Senegal and Somalia. The main victims of this neglected tropical disease are poor, young individuals who contract mycetoma from either bacteria or fungi, probably through a minor injury on the foot. While bacteria may be treated successfully with repeated courses of antibiotics, the fungal type is much more difficult to treat. Currently, only itraconazole is available but it is expensive and must be taken twice a day for at least a year--and even then, surgery is needed and the infection may recur.

GHIT is awarding US$2.52M to the Eisai Co., Ltd. and DNDi to help fund a Phase IIb clinical trial in Sudan with the Mycetoma Research Center in Khartoum. The trial will compare a new drug candidate, fosravuconazole, with itraconazole. Fosravuconazole is already being tested in humans as a potential treatment for Chagas disease; results so far have provided evidence that it is safe and well tolerated. For the Sudan trial, researchers plan to recruit 138 patients who will be divided into three groups or "arms." Two study arms will receive the fosravuconazole in weekly oral doses of 200 and 300 milligrams respectively. In a third arm, patients will receive itraconazole, the standard treatment. After three months, an interim analysis will be done to see which fosravuconazole dose appears best in terms of efficacy and safety so that the study will continue with two arms; one arm with fosravuconazole and one arm with itraconazole (in the world of clinical trials, this is sometimes called a "drop the loser" design).

Novel DNA Vaccine That Could Both Prevent and Treat Leishmaniasis

GHIT is also investing US$4.09M to pursue a potentially groundbreaking vaccine candidate that is being formulated to either prevent or treat leishmaniasis. The project partners are drawn from the European Vaccine Initiative (EVI), Nagasaki University, German biotech firm Mologen AG, Charite--Universitatsmedizin Berlin (corporate member of Freie Universitat Berlin, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health), and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). Support from the GHIT Fund is intended to help the team complete preclinical development of their leishmaniasis vaccine candidate and lay the groundwork for conducting a Phase I clinical trial to test safety and immune response in humans.

Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by parasites spread by sand flies. It is common in parts of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, where it can cause a variety of problems for those infected. The cutaneous form of the disease can lead to moderate or disfiguring skin sores, while visceral leishmaniasis, which attacks internal organs, is frequently fatal. No vaccine is currently licensed for any form of human leishmaniasis, and available drug treatment options are limited. Moreover, drugs are increasingly compromised by drug resistance.

The GHIT Fund is supporting work on a candidate vaccine that takes aim at leishmaniasis with an innovative design that aligns with the complex immune mechanisms that must be triggered to effectively treat or prevent the disease.

Survivors of leishmaniasis, who develop lifelong immunity, have found that they needed more than antibodies to fight off an infection and T cells, known as key workhorses of the human immune system, are important for immunity against leishmaniasis. Yet conventional vaccines do not effectively rally the required T cells.

To overcome this obstacle, the team supported by GHIT has developed what is known as a DNA vaccine that is "T cell-directed." This type of vaccine employs a different approach to delivering disease antigens. Instead of using the disease antigens themselves, this leishmaniasis vaccine candidate employs various sequences of DNA that are intended to instruct human cells to produce five different leishmaniasis antigens that in turn will serve as targets for the immune response.

In a related project, the GHIT Fund has awarded US$4.92M to the Geneva-based Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and the Japanese oligonucleotide specialized contract development & manufacturing organization GeneDesign, Inc. to advance a drug candidate for fighting cutaneous leishmaniasis towards human clinical trials. The GHIT investment will support manufacturing, formulation and preclinical safety studies to determine whether the drug candidate, known as CpG D35, has the potential to be used as a treatment by itself or to improve patient outcomes by being combined with the chemotherapy drugs currently used to deal with the disease.

Intensifying the Search for New TB Drugs

Finally, GHIT Fund has awarded US$99,986 to Astellas Pharma Inc. and the TB Alliance to screen compounds from Astellas' compound library to search for potential drug candidates for fighting tuberculosis. The screening work will be conducted at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) campus. Drug-resistant TB is a major public health concern worldwide, prompting an intense hunt for new drugs to fight the disease. Also, even when existing drugs are effective, the treatment regime can require patients to take four harsh drugs every day for six months.

###

The first of its kind in Japan, the GHIT Fund is a public-private partnership between the Japanese government, multiple pharmaceutical companies, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, and UNDP. Launched in April 2013 with an initial commitment of more than US$100 million and now with capital of over US$140 million, the organization taps Japanese research and development (R&D) to fight neglected diseases. GHIT Fund invests and manages a portfolio of development partnerships aimed at neglected diseases that afflict the world's poorest people. GHIT Fund mobilizes Japanese pharmaceutical companies and academic and research organizations to engage in the effort to get new medicines, vaccines, and diagnostic tools to people who need them most, with Japan quickly becoming a game-changer in global health. For more information, please visit http://www.ghitfund.org

*All amounts listed at the exchange rate of USD1 = JPY100
Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017, Cleveland: Cleveland Clinic researcher Emina Huang, M.D., a colorectal surgeon in the Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute and a staff member in the Lerner Research Institute's Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, has been awarded a collaborative five-year, $2.6 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to create innovative models of colorectal cancer that will enhance understanding of how the disease develops and spreads.

This grant - a collaboration between Cleveland Clinic, Duke University and Cornell University - is the newest project funded by NCI's Cancer Tissue Engineering Collaborative (TEC) Research Program. The program supports the development and characterization of state-of-the-art tissue engineered technologies for cancer research. There are only four other TEC-funded research institutions nationwide. NCI is part of the National Institutes of Health.

"I'm very excited to lead a project that brings together some of the top surgeons, researchers and biomedical engineers in their respective fields," said Dr. Huang. "Colorectal cancer affects millions of adults in the United States. In some cases, the five-year survival rate is less than 13 percent. In order to develop effective treatment and prevention therapies for such a serious and complex disease, and deliver them to the patients and families who so desperately need them, we'll need to work collaboratively across specialties and disciplines. With this new project, I think we're well on our way."

Dr. Huang and her team will work to develop three leading-edge models of colorectal cancer that will help researchers uncover the role inflammation, messenger RNA (transcriptome) and epigenetics play in the spread, or metastasis, of colorectal cancer. What is unique about these models is that they will all use human tissues, both from the colon and other sites throughout the body. Studying colorectal cancer using cells from people will maximize the applicability of findings and may speed the time of discovery.

This project is also innovative in that other conditions aside from colorectal cancer--including hypoxia, or lack of oxygen, and altered glucose levels--are reflected in these models. This will help mimic the extreme complexity of the colorectal cancer microenvironment. Additionally, the models are scalable and will allow for comparison between various cell types and combinations within and between the three models.

While Dr. Huang is the principal investigator for the project, each collaborating organization will take the lead on developing one of the three models. Dr. Huang's lab will develop what is called an organotypic model. They will remove native cells from human colons, taken from resected colons and cancerous lesions, and repopulate them with new cells, including healthy cells as well as various types of cancer cells. Studying how the different classes of cells respond will help researchers understand the roles inflammation and cellular invasion and differentiation play in metastasis.

Michael L. Shuler, the Eckert Professor of Engineering at Cornell University, will develop the second model that will utilize new body-on-a-chip technology. This technology will use human cells to create tiny, organ-like structures that simulate the function of a human colon. These structures will be placed on a chip, which mimics the body and explicitly connects the colon to a meme of the liver.

The team at Duke University - led by Professor Xiling Shen, Department of Biomedical Engineering - will validate the two previously described models in an animal metastasis model, with the goal of better understanding how the immune system may play a role in shaping colorectal cancer metastasis.

Dr. Huang co-directs Lerner Research Institute's Center of Excellence in Colon Cancer Metastasis Research. This program brings together top scientists with front-line physicians to speed the translation of lab discoveries into real benefits for patients. The center is currently working on several projects, including examining colon cancer's cellular microenvironment, reversing the effects of angiogenesis, as well as understanding how genetic changes may make colon cancer cells more aggressive in some individuals and how those changes may be reversed. This project is the newest addition to the center's impressive portfolio.

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About Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. Among Cleveland Clinic's 51,000 employees are more than 3,500 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 14,000 nurses, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic's health system includes a 165-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 10 regional hospitals, more than 150 northern Ohio outpatient locations - including 18 full-service family health centers and three health and wellness centers - and locations in Weston, Fla.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2016, there were 7.1 million outpatient visits, 161,674 hospital admissions and 207,610 surgical cases throughout Cleveland Clinic's health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/ClevelandClinic. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.

Editor's Note: Cleveland Clinic News Service is available to provide broadcast-quality interviews and B-roll upon request.
It's not easy to bounce a single particle of light off a single atom that is less than a billionth of a metre wide. However, researchers at the Centre for Quantum Technologies at the National University of Singapore have shown they can double the odds of success, an innovation that might be useful in quantum computing and metrology. The findings were published 31 October in Nature Communications.

In their experiment, researchers Chin Yue Sum, Matthias Steiner and Christian Kurtsiefer fired a red laser at a carefully-trapped Rubidium atom. They compared how much of the light gets scattered away when the light comes from just one direction, versus when it comes from two.

"If an atom sends out a photon, the photon can go any direction. Our idea is that to get stronger interactions between single photons and single atoms, we want to reverse whatever the atom does. So here the illumination comes from all directions," explains Steiner.

First, they focused the red laser through a strongly-focusing lens positioned in front of the atom. The atom was manoeuvred to lie at the lens's focal point. In this configuration, roughly 1 in 5 of the laser photons bounced off the atom.

Next, the team split the laser beam, sending half round the front and half round the back of the atom. At the back, the laser again passed through a strongly-focusing lens to reach the atom.

This double-lens configuration is known as 4Pi microscopy. It's a super-resolution imaging technique invented by Nobel laureate Stefan Hell. The name comes from the way angles are described in three dimensions: four  describes a full sphere.

With the light coming at it from both sides, the atom scattered around 2 in every 5 photons - double what was seen with just one lens.

The atom not only changed the photons' direction, but also their spacing. In laser light, photons are randomly spaced, with some arriving close together and others separated by big gaps. The team detected that, after passing the atom, the photons were less likely to arrive together. This is evidence of an interaction between the atoms and photons that is 'nonlinear'.

"There's a lot of physics to investigate in nonlinear interactions with photons," says Chin. The effect is crucial for processing information stored in light, for example in optical quantum computing.

###

Reference: Yue-Sum Chin, Matthias Steiner & Christian Kurtsiefer "Nonlinear photon-atom coupling with 4Pi Microscopy" Nature Communications DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01495-3 (2017) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-01495-3

Preprint available at https://arxiv.org/abs/1705.10173

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education in Singapore (AcRF Tier 1) and the National Research Foundation, Prime Minister's office. Matthias Steiner acknowledges support by the Lee Kuan Yew Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Researcher contacts:

Chin Yue Sum

PhD Student

wcys@u.nus.edu

Matthias Steiner

Lee Kuan Yew Research Fellow, Centre for Quantum Technologies, National University of Singapore

phymats@nus.edu.sg
DENVER - October 30, 2017 - Results from the prospective, randomized, multicenter CULPRIT-SHOCK trial found that an initial strategy of culprit lesion only percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) reduces the composite of 30-day mortality and/or severe renal failure in patients with multivessel disease and cardiogenic shock complicating acute myocardial infarction.

Findings were reported today at the 29th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium. Sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF), TCT is the world's premier educational meeting specializing in interventional cardiovascular medicine. The study was also simultaneously published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

In acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock, early revascularization of the culprit artery by PCI improves outcomes. However, most cardiogenic shock patients present with multivessel disease, and the best revascularization strategy for non-culprit arteries is unknown, with some guidelines favoring more complete revascularization in these patients.

The CULPRIT-SHOCK clinical trial randomized 706 patients with multivessel disease and cardiogenic shock to either culprit lesion only PCI, with the option of staged revascularization, or immediate multivessel PCI. The primary efficacy endpoint was 30-day mortality or severe renal failure requiring renal replacement therapy. Safety endpoints included assessment of bleeding and stroke. Approximately half of enrolled patients had been resuscitated prior to randomization, 62% presented with STEMI, and 28% received some form of hemodynamic support.

The rate of the primary composite endpoint was significantly lower in patients assigned to culprit lesion only PCI compared to immediate multivessel PCI (45.9% vs. 55.4%; RR 0.83; 95% CI 0.71-0.96; P=0.01). There was a significant difference between study groups with respect to all-cause mortality (43.3% vs. 51.5%; RR 0.84; 95% CI 0.72-0.98, P=0.03), while the difference in the rates of renal replacement therapy was not statistically significant (11.6% vs. 16.4%, RR 0.71; 95% CI 0.49-1.03, P=0.07). There were no significant differences in the time to hemodynamic stabilization, length of intensive care unit stay, or requirement for and duration of catecholamine therapy.

"Cardiogenic shock during myocardial infarction is a relatively rare, but extremely dangerous condition, in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs," said Holger Thiele, MD, Director of the Heart Center Leipzig - University Hospital in Leipzig, Germany. "Not only is CULPRIT-SHOCK the largest randomized trial in cardiogenic shock, it is also the first randomized trial to assess a strategy of multivessel PCI versus culprit vessel only PCI with the option of staged revascularization in this patient population. Based on these 30-day results, culprit vessel only PCI reduces mortality or severe renal failure."

###

The CULPRIT-SHOCK trial was funded by the European Union, German Heart Research Foundation, and the German Cardiac Society. Dr. Thiele reported no other conflict of interest.
Elephants live in a social structure with a level of complexity that rivals that of human societies. Given this context, researchers are concerned about the impacts of poaching that targets older individuals on the animals' social functioning.

A new study led by Colorado State University analyzed the social interaction patterns of juvenile female elephants and found that orphans have less access to mature, dominant individuals than non-orphaned elephants, whose primary social partners are their mothers and aunts.

Social integration with surviving adults in the population may offset the costs to orphans of losing their mothers, but researchers said the findings indicate orphans are not able to fully compensate for their lost bonds, at least not during the initial years following disruption.

"Previous work in this and other elephant populations has shown that like other social species, elephants strengthen existing bonds if they lose important social partners," said author Shifra Goldenberg, a postdoctoral researcher in CSU's Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology and with Save the Elephants, a nonprofit conservation organization in Kenya. "Our study suggests that despite this compensatory social behavior, orphans experience a social disadvantage compared to non-orphans."

The study was conducted in the Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves in northern Kenya, the site of Save the Elephants' long-term elephant monitoring project. Over the last decade, the population has experienced increased ivory poaching and a severe drought, which left many young elephants without mothers and grandmothers.

"Access to older, dominant individuals is critical for juveniles, as mature individuals are knowledge repositories and have preferential access to resources," said co-author George Wittemyer, associate professor at CSU and chairman of the scientific board of Save the Elephants. "Losing this access may have long-term ramifications for orphans."

Elephants are highly expressive, and the friendly interactions recorded in this study -- including body rubbing and greeting -- reflect the degree to which animals are socially integrated. The team observed little interaction of orphans with mature females while feeding, though it was less pronounced when the elephants were resting. This tendency for orphans to strengthen bonds with non-dominant animals highlights the indirect effects of poaching on elephant social behavior, and one that may put orphans at risk in terms of survival.

Goldenberg and Wittemyer said they will follow up this study by looking at the larger population-level implications of the findings, like whether survival and reproduction differ between orphans and non-orphans.

The new findings are published in the journal Scientific Reports.

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Over the last decade, Florida's famous citrus industry has been battered by a disease called citrus greening, which has destroyed acres of crops and cost untold billions in revenue.

Combining expertise in soil, plant pathology, entomology and chemistry, a Colorado State University team will research how the disease propagates, and how it can be stopped. Their efforts are supported by a $1.2 million gift from Cutrale, one of the largest suppliers of orange juice in the world.

Citrus greening (or the Chinese "Huanglongbing"), is caused by a bacterium transmitted from tree to tree by the Asian citrus psyllid, an insect that feeds on the leaves and stems of citrus trees. Diseased trees produce green and stunted fruit; eventually, the bacterium, Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, can kill entire groves of trees.

The CSU team is led by Thomas Borch, a professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences with joint appointments in civil engineering and chemistry. Together, the researchers will assess how effective pesticides have been at controlling the psyllids, and whether these insecticides could be distributed differently to better manage the psyllid populations.

"We know that the insects transfer the pathogens to the citrus trees," Borch said. "So controlling the insects is vitally important - prevention is the key since there is no cure for citrus greening."

The team will sample and analyze the spatial distribution of pesticides within the grove and individual trees using dye techniques and passive air sampling devices.

Borch and colleagues also want to know if the psyllids have become resistant to pesticides. Better understanding this resistance will help entomologists, including team member Paul Ode, integrate other techniques like parasitic wasps and mating disruption approaches. Ode is a professor in the Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, part of CSU's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Identifying how the insects move from grove to grove, and whether and how infected psyllids are likely to disperse, will also be important to the study, according to Ode. Some of the psyllids come from abandoned citrus farms that remain in close proximity to active citrus operations. It is yet unclear whether storms like Hurricane Irma have worsened the impacts of citrus greening by contributing to its spread.

Other efforts to control psyllids have included the use of reflective ground cover, thought to discourage psyllids from feeding; adding plants known to attract or repel psyllids to citrus groves; and implementing biocontrol agents such as fungi and parasitic wasps in the groves.

Team member Pankaj Trivedi, assistant professor of bioagricultural sciences and pest management, will lead the development of recommendations for an advanced citrus production system. In such a system, grove design and cultural practices would be altered to maximize biological interactions and soil health, which can increase production and better control citrus greening.

Along with Borch, Ode and Trivedi, other team members include Jan Leach, University Distinguished Professor and a professor in bioagricutural sciences and pest management; and Chuck Henry, professor and chair in CSU's Department of Chemistry.

In Florida, citrus greening has already contributed to $7.8 billion in lost revenue, destroyed 162,000 acres of crops, and resulted in the loss of more than 7,500 jobs. The CSU researchers hope their efforts can aid in relief for a region recovering not only from an industry-killing disease, but also from recent hurricanes and floods.

By supporting the CSU work, Cutrale officials hope the outcomes benefit the entire citrus industry, both in the United States and across the globe.

"Citrus greening continues to devastate our industry, and Cutrale is looking forward to being involved in this endeavor," said Joe Birge, president of Cutrale Citrus Juices USA, Inc. "Our industry looks to the scientific expertise and insights of world-class researchers at CSU to help us understand how to control and prevent the spread of this disease that has ravaged citrus groves around the globe."

"We are pleased to engage in this important effort to curb the effects of a devastating scourge," Borch said. "Our goal is to contribute knowledge and best practices around a disease that has wreaked untold havoc on citrus groves across the planet."

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Cutrale is one of the world's largest processors and growers of oranges. Cutrale services customers in over 80 countries from its facilities in Brazil, Florida and southern Europe.
OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Oct. 31, 2017--Two researchers from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have been elected fellows of the American Nuclear Society (ANS), a professional society that promotes the advancement and awareness of nuclear science and technology.

Guillermo Daniel (Bill) DelCul was cited by the ANS for his outstanding accomplishments in actinide and fission product separations, uranium processing chemistry and advanced fuel cycle development.

"Dr. Del Cul has developed new concepts to improve the nuclear fuel cycle and advance separations and waste treatment technologies. His innovations are being applied to many nuclear processes both nationally and internationally," the ANS citation reads.

DelCul's long career in nuclear science and engineering includes research and development activities in actinide separations, processing of used nuclear fuel, high temperature molten salts, technical support of enrichment activities and national security-related research.

The distinguished research staff member in the Process Engineering & Research group of ORNL's Nuclear Security and Isotopes Technology Division was also honored with the Glenn T. Seaborg Award at the 40th Actinide Separations Conference in 2016.

Brian David Wirth, who holds the University of Tennessee (UT)-ORNL Governor's Chair of Computational Nuclear Engineering, is a joint appointee of UT and ORNL, where he leads Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing (SciDAC) projects on fusion plasma surface interactions and fission gas bubble evolution in nuclear fuel. Wirth previously served as a focus area lead for Fuels, Materials and Chemistry with DOE's Consortium for the Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors modeling and simulation hub, where he continues to study nuclear fuels and structural materials to improve future nuclear energy production.

He was cited by the ANS "for seminal contributions to fundamental understanding of radiation damage in nuclear reactor materials providing the scientific basis for improved predictions of reactor performance and development of more damage tolerant materials for advanced fission and fusion power systems."

Wirth is a recipient of the 2014 DOE Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award in Energy Science and Innovation, as well as the 2016 Mishima Award from the ANS for outstanding work in nuclear fuels and materials research.

DelCul and Wirth were recognized as new fellows Monday at the ANS Winter Meeting's opening session in Washington, D.C.

###

UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the Department of Energy's Office of Science. 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.
Most buyers aren't thinking about energy performance certification when they're house shopping. That's the conclusion of a team of researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) after they conducted a thorough assessment of how the labels affected home pricing.

"Energy labeling has zero effect on the price. The scheme doesn't seem to be achieving its intended purpose," says Professor Olaf Olaussen at the NTNU Business School.

The Norwegian energy labeling system for homes and dwellings was implemented in 2010. One of the arguments for the system was that a good energy performance rating would be an advantage for the seller as well.

Energy performance is rated from A to G. It's intended as a tip for buyers so that they know just how much energy a home requires. With energy-efficient housing, you can save a lot of money over the years and thus, you may be willing to pay more for the property. The EU uses the same system.

But most buyers don't give a hoot.

Other studies showed a benefit

"We found that some European studies, especially a Dutch one, showed that the energy labeling made a big difference to the price, but it seemed strange," says Olaussen.

These studies had weaknesses. They only showed the impact after energy labeling was introduced, not before, and usually only relied on data from a single year.

Olaussen and his colleagues Are Oust and Jan Tore Solstad believed that a price premium might be due to something other than a high energy performance rating. They set out to test this.

In Norway, energy labeling was not implemented gradually. It was launched in full in July 2010. Norwegian data on the prices of most home sales are easy to access. This makes it relatively easy - albeit time consuming - to compare price developments both before and after energy labelling was introduced.

The Norwegian researchers did find an apparent effect of the energy labeling system when they used the same method as the Dutch study. But this effect disappeared when they used a more thorough procedure.

Same advantage before and after

Instead, the researchers took the home sales figures from 2000 to July 2010 and from July 2010 to 2014, which gave a picture of how prices for houses developed over the long term. They also compared houses with similar characteristics, such as homes in the same area and of the same type.

"We found that the homes that had a price premium after energy labeling was introduced had that advantage before it, too," says Olaussen.

The advantage had to come from something else. Perhaps, homes with better energy performance were generally of higher quality. Or maybe something else was a factor.

What may be more important than whether your home has an energy rating of A or G is whether it is in a child-friendly area, or near shops, or has ocean views or other things that buyers are willing to pay a premium for.

Quick bidding rounds may play a role

"I don't think most people care about the energy rating when they buy a home. Other factors play a role, especially in a market like ours [in Norway], with fast bidding rounds. Then you're not thinking about whether 'this property has an A-rating and I can afford a little more'," says Olaussen.

Simply stated, Norway's home sales system works like this: potential buyers go to a house showing, and sign a list with their names and mobile phone numbers if they are interested in participating in the bidding for the house. Once the bidding process begins, it can be fast and furious, especially if there are many bidders eager to buy a single property.

This kind of bidding on housing isn't common in very many other countries. You find it mostly in Norway, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and to some extent in Scotland and Ireland.

In other countries, you usually work from a fixed price, with a little bit of wiggle room. You often have much more time when buying. Maybe energy labelling would have greater significance in that scenario. But new studies from Europe aren't indicating that. They match the results from NTNU.

Researchers at the NTNU Business School are now studying whether variations in the price of electricity affect how the energy rating impacts house sales.

Measures that may work

But if the energy label doesn't matter for sales, how are you going to get people to make their homes more energy efficient?

"You can require energy labeling for home sales. You can give other financial benefits for upgrading homes. You can actively use available support schemes and create different incentives," says Olaussen.

Norwegians can apply for financial support from a government funded entity called Enova if they want to make their home more energy efficient.

And you can still upgrade your home for other reasons, such as a desire to be more environmentally friendly or to save electricity. But you definitely don't want to invest your money here if you simply want to sell your home for a higher price.

###

Reference: Olaussen, Jon Olaf; Oust, Are; Solstad, Jan Tore. (2017) Energy performance certificates- Informing the informed or the indifferent? Energy Policy. Vol. 111.
Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have recently discovered a mechanism that could explain how the brain retains working memory when faced with distractions. These findings could endow cognitive flexibility to neural networks used for artificial intelligence.

Working memory is a form of short-term memory responsible for storing and managing the information required to carry out everyday cognitive tasks such as reasoning and language comprehension. It operates over short time scales and allows us to focus our attention, resist distractions and guide our decision-making. For instance, when we remember a telephone number that we want to dial or perform a mental calculation, we are using our working memory. Importantly, we are able to carry on with these tasks even in the presence of temporary distractions, for instance, when the task is being interrupted or when we receive new information.

The prefrontal cortex plays a central role in the maintenance of working memory and the suppression of distractors. Past studies have shown that working memory is stored in the activity of populations of neurons in the prefrontal cortex through unchanging neural activity, suggesting that activity of the neurons is unaffected by distractions, allowing for information to be retained.

However, studies conducted by the NUS team suggest that distractions do change the activity of the neurons, but they are able to retain information by reorganising the information within the same population of neurons. In other words, the "code" used by the neurons to maintain memory information morphs to a different code after a distractor is presented. This unexpected finding has strong implications for our understanding of how the brain processes information, which in turn may lead to inspiration for research in artificial intelligence, as well as neuropsychiatric research, where deficits in memory and attention are common.

The research team behind this novel discovery was led by Assistant Professor Yen Shih-Cheng from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at NUS Faculty of Engineering and Assistant Professor Camilo Libedinsky from the Department of Psychology at NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

The team's findings were published online in the prestigious scientific journal Nature Neuroscience on 9 October 2017.

Inspiration for novel and more efficient neural networks

The brain uses incredibly sophisticated mechanisms to store information very efficiently and reliably. The findings of this study provide new insights into how the brain works, and suggest a mechanism for small populations of neurons to flexibly store different types of information.

"Our study could potentially provide inspiration for new types of computer architectures and learning rules used in artificial neural networks modelled after the brain. This could potentially enhance the neural network's ability to store information flexibly using fewer resources, and to exhibit greater resilience in retaining information in these networks - for instance, in the presence of new incoming information or disruption to the activity," said Asst Prof Yen.

"Another interesting aspect of this study is to consider the results within the context of abnormal brain function. We found that when memory is disturbed, the code fails to reorganise the neurons appropriately. Patients with Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia and dementia show declines in working memory. We would like to explore whether the mechanisms we uncovered could help explain these memory deficits," said Asst Prof Libedinsky.

Moving forward, the team plans to conduct further studies to understand the conditions that trigger the reorganisation of information in the populations of neurons in the prefrontal cortex. The team is also interested to study how the information is reorganised, and whether this affects activity in other parts of the brain. Furthermore, the researchers hope to use the findings of the study to develop novel neural network architectures.

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A previously recommended treatment for gonorrhea, cefixime, may be an effective alternative to current treatments as clinicians battle outbreaks and emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), according to a study published this week by Xavier Didelot of Imperial College London, UK, and colleagues in PLOS Medicine.

Gonorrhea, caused by the bacteria N. gonorrhoeae, is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in England, and incidence has increased in recent years, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM). Treating gonorrhea is complicated by the rapid development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The cephalosporin antibiotic cefixime was a recommended first-line treatment for gonorrhea before increasing prevalence of cefixime-resistant strains of N. gonorrhoeae was observed around 2010, leading to the removal of cefixime from treatment guidelines. While the currently recommended dual therapy of ceftriaxone-azithromycin remains effective, emerging ceftriaxone resistance has led to fears thaat this regimen may in turn become inadequate.

To determine whether re-introduction of cefixime treatment in a minority of cases might provide an effective alternative and help prevent emergence of resistance to ceftriaxone-azithromycin, the researchers developed a mathematical model of the dynamics of cefixime resistance observed between 2008 and 2015. The model includes a fitness benefit of cefixime resistance in N. gonorrhoeae during periods of wide use of the antibiotic (explaining the increase in resistant strains up to 2010) and a fitness cost of resistance (explaining the decrease in cefixime resistance after 2010). The model estimates treating cefixime-resistant gonorrhea with cefixime to be unsuccessful in 83% (95% credible interval [CrI] 53%-99%) of cases, representing a fitness benefit of resistance large enough to counterbalance the fitness cost to N. gonorrhoeae when more than 31% (95% CrI 26%-36%) of cases are treated with cefixime. The authors therefore suggest that cefixime could be used to treat up to 25% of gonorrhea cases without risk of cefixime resistance re-emerging.

The authors note that epidemiological data for their model is restricted to MSM, the population in which the cefixime-resistant outbreak of gonorrhea was concentrated, and that assumptions made to keep the model simple and generalizable may impact predictions.

In an accompanying Perspective, Magnus Unemo of Orebro University Hospital, Orebro, Sweden, and Christian Althaus of the University of Bern, Switzerland, discuss the value of modelling studies to inform AMR management. They also note the limitations of the current evidence base informing such models, highlight the need for studies measuring the many factors that affect transmissibility of resistant strains, and suggest caution before widely reintroducing antimicrobials such as cefixime.

Both papers are included in the new PLOS Medicine Collection on Sexually Transmitted Infections.

###

Research Article

Funding:

This work was funded by the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit (HPRU) in Modelling Methodology at Imperial College London in partnership with Public Health England (PHE) (grant HPRU-2012-10080), the MRC Centre for Outbreak Analysis and Modelling (grant MR/K010174/1), and the Medical Research Council (grant MR/N010760/1). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing Interests:

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Citation:

Whittles LK, White PJ, Didelot X (2017) Estimating the fitness cost and benefit of cefixime resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae to inform prescription policy: A modelling study. PLoS Med 14(10): e1002416. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002416

Author Affiliations:

Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom

MRC Centre for Outbreak Analysis and Modelling, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom

NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Modelling Methodology, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom

Modelling and Economics Unit, National Infection Service, Public Health England, London, United Kingdom

IN YOUR COVERAGE PLEASE USE THIS URL TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE FREELY AVAILABLE PAPER:

http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002416

Perspective Article

Funding:

The authors received no specific funding for this work.

Competing Interests:

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Citation:

Unemo M, Althaus CL (2017) Fitness cost and benefit of antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae: Multidisciplinary approaches are needed. PLoS Med 14(10): e1002423. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002423

Author Affiliations:

WHO Collaborating Centre for Gonorrhoea and other STIs, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Orebro University, Orebro, Sweden Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

IN YOUR COVERAGE PLEASE USE THIS URL TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE FREELY AVAILABLE PAPER:

http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002423
Nepal likely to rely on foreign aid to replenish forex reserve

Nepal needs to attract more foreign aid, including loans and grants, in the coming days to offset the pressure created by rapid deceleration in remittance income and ensure the countrys foreign exchange (forex) reserve is not badly hit.
HOUSTON - (Oct. 31, 2017) - The DNA in a human cell is 2 yards long and wraps around millions of bead-like histone proteins to fit inside the cell's nucleus. Researchers at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine showed that examining the chemical state of these proteins makes it possible to predict how an entire DNA chromosome will fold.

Researchers based at Rice's Center for Theoretical Biological Physics (CTBP) have constructed computer models to analyze epigenetic marks, which include proteins bound to DNA as well as chemical modifications to histone proteins. They harvested the information encoded in these markings to predict how the chromosomes fold in three dimensions.

Their findings move the field of genetics closer to the ability to predict the folded structure of entire genomes, which could someday help identify misfolding-related genetic diseases.

The work appears this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Packed into the nucleus, DNA folds into a functional form that differs in various types of cells. Because every cell in an organism contains the same DNA, epigenetic marks help it find the right form for the type of cell it inhabits.

"Something on top of the genetic code tells the cell what it's supposed to be and determines which parts of the chromosome are going to be read at any given time," said biophysicist Peter Wolynes, a co-author of the paper. "These are the so-called epigenetic marks."

Collectively, epigenetic marks help package the genome into the loose but highly organized compartments it adopts during interphase, the working "middle age" in the life of a cell. These compartments bring transcription-related genes into close proximity and allow them to communicate and function.

Epigenetic marks can be revealed by an established technique called ChIP-sequencing, which maps protein-binding sites along DNA.

"We don't understand exactly how the genome gets marked, but we can measure it through ChIP-sequencing, which has become a fairly straightforward experiment," Wolynes said. "In the same way that we can view genetic code (the DNA), we can also measure these marks directly in many different cells. They've become the next layer of sequence on the genome."

"It's another tier of information," said co-author and biophysicist Jose Onuchic. "Every one of your cells' DNA is the same. However, different kinds of cells have different epigenetics, so their expression patterns are different."

Co-lead authors and Rice postdoctoral fellows Michele Di Pierro and Ryan Cheng used ChIP-sequencing data for a human lymphoblast cell that probes 84 different DNA-binding proteins and 11 chemical modifications of histones. Histone proteins help organize the genome by acting as spools around which DNA wraps.

Using data from just some of the chromosomes, they trained a custom neural network called MEGABASE (Maximum Entropy Genomic Annotation from Biomarkers Associated with Structural Ensembles) to output a sequence of chromatin types. That revealed how the epigenetic marks were related to the compartments, they said. Once trained, they validated the MEGABASE model by feeding it data from the remaining chromosomes. That produced a fresh set of structural types for analysis by the Rice team's MiChroM program, a cousin of the lab's AWSEM energy landscape algorithm that predicts the structures of proteins. The MiChroM algorithm predicted the 3-D structures of the chromosomes.

"Our findings support the idea that compartmentalization in chromosomes arises from the phase separation of different chromatin types in the nucleus, like the separation of oil and water," Cheng said.

When the researchers reduced the original dataset to just the 11 histone markings and ran the calculations again, the results were only marginally different. Ultimately, they determined histone data alone are sufficient to predict a chromosome's form. "There's a well-defined code that connects the histone markings to the structure," Di Pierro said. "It's well-conserved, so it's likely that it has a function."

To validate their theory, the researchers compared their results with contact maps of lymphoblast cells generated by Hi-C. This experimental technique, which uses high-throughput sequencing to identify folding patterns in DNA, was developed by co-author Erez Lieberman Aiden, director of Baylor's Center for Genome Architecture and a senior investigator at the CTBP.

"This paper says we can take one-dimensional information about histones and use it with our big-data tools to predict three-dimensional structure," Wolynes said.

Their success gets the team closer to the ultimate goal of a theory that predicts the architecture of an entire genome. However, a chicken-or-the-egg problem remains: Does chromatin fold because of the markers, or do the markers appear because of the folding?

"It's all part of our fascination with how life works," Di Pierro said. "It's a beautiful problem."

###

Onuchic is the Harry C. and Olga K. Wiess Chair of Physics, a professor of physics and astronomy, of chemistry and of biosciences at Rice and co-director of the CTBP. Wolynes is the D.R. Bullard-Welch Foundation Professor of Science, a professor of chemistry, of biochemistry and cell biology, of physics and astronomy and of materials science and nanoengineering at Rice and a senior investigator at the CTBP.

The research was supported by the National Science Foundation, the Welch Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the National Human Genome Research Institute, the NVIDIA Research Center, an IBM University Challenge award, Google Research, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas and the McNair Medical Institute.

David Ruth

713-348-6327

david@rice.edu

Mike Williams

713-348-6728

mikewilliams@rice.edu

Read the abstract at http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2017/10/30/1714980114.abstract

This news release can be found online at http://news.rice.edu/2017/10/31/chromosome-organization-emerges-from-1-d-patterns/

Follow Rice News and Media Relations via Twitter @RiceUNews

Related materials:

Core proteins exert control over DNA function: http://news.rice.edu/2016/06/21/core-proteins-exert-control-over-dna-function-2/

Rice biophysicists model genome mechanics: http://news.rice.edu/2016/09/26/rice-biophysicists-model-genome-mechanics-2/

Onuchic bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jose_Onuchic

Wolynes bio: https://chemistry.rice.edu/FacultyDetail.aspx?p=ACC7DC090095C11C

Aiden Lab: http://www.aidenlab.org

Center for Theoretical Biological Physics: https://ctbp.rice.edu

Rice Department of Bioengineering: http://bioe.rice.edu

Images for download:

http://news.rice.edu/files/2017/10/1030_CHROMOSOME-1-WEB-299zjiv.jpg

Researchers at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine have developed a computational pipeline to convert one-dimensional ChIP-sequencing data about DNA to three-dimensional structures of human chromosomes. (Credit: Ryan Cheng/Michele Di Pierro)

http://news.rice.edu/files/2017/10/1030_CHROMOSOME-2-WEB-2ki3uce.jpg

Experiments at Rice University and Baylor College of Medicine show how segments of chromatin with the same epigenetic marking patterns localize together in a process related to phase separation. Naked DNA is decorated by epigenetic markings that encode the three-dimensional arrangement of chromosomes. The genome architecture and marking patterns are characteristics of the cell type, in this case a nerve cell with its characteristic myelin sheath. (Credit: Sigrid Knemeyer/Center for Theoretical Biological Physics at Rice University)

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.
Treating Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection of the stomach could lead to a marked reduction in the risk of stomach cancer -- particularly in the elderly -- according to results of a study presented today at the 25th UEG Week in Barcelona

(Barcelona, Oct. 31, 2017) Treating Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection of the stomach could lead to a marked reduction in the risk of stomach cancer - particularly in the elderly - according to results of a study presented today at the 25th UEG Week in Barcelona. The population-based study, which involved more than 63,000 people who had received antibiotic-based treatment for H. pylori infection, showed a 22% reduction in the risk of developing stomach cancer in those aged 60 years and over compared with the general population.

The research analysed the risk of gastric cancer development in a large group of individuals who had received antibiotic therapy to treat H. pylori infection - a type of bacteria that lives in the lining of the stomach. Of those who had been treated over the age of 60, 0.8% developed gastric cancer, in comparison to 1.1% of patients in an age-matched general population sample.

Gastric cancer is the fourth largest cancer killer in the world, accounting for 754,000 deaths in 2015. It mainly affects older people, with an average age of 69 years at the time of diagnosis.

Classified as a carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the H. pylori infection is the most significant factor leading to the development of gastric cancer, representing 78% of all global gastric cancer cases. The infection is thought to affect more than 50% of the world's population, although most people do not know that they are infected until they develop symptoms of gastric irritation, such as heartburn or dyspepsia. A diagnosis is usually made using a blood or breath test, but can also be made through an endoscopy or a stool test.

Presenting the results of this major study at the Opening Plenary session of the 25th UEG Week in Barcelona, Professor WK Leung from the Department of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong, explained; "We saw a significantly lower risk of gastric cancer in people over 60 who received antibiotic therapy for their H. pylori infection, in comparison to the general population. The 22% reduction is remarkable, and suggests that there is real value in the treatment of this infection."

"Although it has been commonly thought that it may be too late to give H. pylori eradication therapy to older subjects, we can now confidently recommend that the H. pylori infection should be treated in the elderly to help reduce their risk of developing gastric cancer" added Professor Leung.

###

References

1. Leung WK, Wong IO, Chan EW et al. Benefits of H. pylori eradication in preventing gastric cancer in the older population: Results from a population-based study. Presented at UEG Week Barcelona 2017.

2. World Health Organisation. Cancer Fact Sheet 2017. Available from: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs297/en/. Accessed 18 August 2017.

3. American Cancer Society. What are the key statistics about stomach cancer? Available from: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/stomach-cancer/about/key-statistics.html. Accessed 18 August 2017.

4. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Helicobacter pylori Working Group (2014). Helicobacter pylori eradication as a strategy for preventing gastric cancer. Lyon, France. Available from: http://www.iarc.fr/en/publications/pdfs-online/wrk/wrk8/Helicobacter_pylori_Eradication.pdf. Accessed 18 August 2017.

Notes to Editors

For further information, or to arrange an interview with Dr Karsenti, please contact Luke Paskins on +44 (0)1444 811099 or media@ueg.eu

About Professor WK Leung

Professor WK Leung is currently the Li Shu Fan Medical Foundation Professor in Gastroenterology of the University of Hong Kong. His research interests are on prevention and early detection of gastric and colon cancer.

About UEG Week

UEG Week is the largest and most prestigious gastroenterology meeting in Europe and has developed into a global congress. It attracts over 14,000 participants each year, from more than 120 countries, and numbers are steadily rising. UEG Week provides a forum for basic and clinical scientists from across the globe to present their latest research in digestive and liver diseases, and also features a two-day postgraduate course that brings together top lecturers in their fields for a weekend of interactive learning.

About UEG

UEG, or United European Gastroenterology, is a professional non-profit organisation combining all the leading European societies concerned with digestive diseases. Together, its member societies represent over 22,000 specialists, working across medicine, surgery, paediatrics, gastrointestinal oncology and endoscopy. This makes UEG the most comprehensive organisation of its kind in the world, and a unique platform for collaboration and the exchange of knowledge.

To advance standards of gastroenterological care and knowledge across Europe and the world, UEG offers numerous activities and initiatives, including:

25th UEG Week, celebrate with us at our jubilee meeting, the biggest congress of its kind in Europe, and one of the two largest in the world

UEG Education, the universal source of knowledge in gastroenterology, providing online and classroom courses, a huge online library and delivering the latest GI news, fostering debate and discussion

Activity Grants, funding Live Educational Events, Online Courses and Standards & Guidelines Initiatives organised by UEG Member Societies and other providers.

>UEG Journal, 10 issues per year covering translational and clinical studies from all areas of gastroenterology

EU Affairs, united for digestive health in Europe - prioritising Gastroenterology on the EU health agenda

Find out more about UEG's work by visiting http://www.ueg.eu or contact Luke Paskins on 44-0-1444-811099 or media@ueg.eu

Follow UEG on Twitter: @my_ueg
The long-term use of aspirin has been shown to significantly reduce the incidence of digestive cancers, new research presented today at the 25th UEG Week has found

(Barcelona, Oct. 31, 2017) The long-term use of aspirin has been shown to significantly reduce the incidence of digestive cancers, new research presented today at the 25th UEG Week has found.

In a study involving over 600,000 people, researchers compared patients who were prescribed aspirin over a long period (for at least six months, average duration of aspirin prescribed was 7.7 years) with non-aspirin users and assessed the incidences of a number of cancers. Those prescribed with aspirin showed a 47% reduction in liver and oesophageal cancer incidence, a 38% reduction in gastric cancer incidence, a 34% reduction in pancreatic cancer incidence and a 24% reduction in colorectal cancer incidence.

Digestive cancers account for almost a quarter of cancer cases in Europe. Colorectal, gastric and pancreatic cancer are within the top five cancer killers throughout the continent, with digestive cancers representing 30.1% of cancer deaths.

The effect of long-term use of aspirin on cancer incidence was also examined for cancers outside of the digestive system. Here, a significant reduction was shown for some (leukaemia, lung and prostate) but not all (breast, bladder, kidney and multiple myeloma) cancers.

Aspirin is used across the globe to treat a number of health conditions, ranging from short-term pain relief to long-term prescriptions. Whilst the use of aspirin is subject to debate within the medical community, a recent study found that patients who stopped taking aspirin were 37% more likely to have an adverse cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke, than those who continued with their prescription.

Lead researcher, Professor Kelvin Tsoi from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, presented the study today at the 25th UEG Week in Barcelona. "The findings demonstrate that the long-term use of aspirin can reduce the risk of developing many major cancers" commented Professor Tsoi. "What should be noted is the significance of the results for cancers within the digestive tract, where the reductions in cancer incidence were all very substantial, especially for liver and oesophageal cancer."

###

References

1. Tsoi, K. et al. Long-term use of aspirin is more effective to reduce the incidences of gastrointestinal cancers than non-gastrointestinal cancers: A 10-year population based study in Hong Kong. Presented at UEG Week Barcelona 2017.

2. GLOBOCAN, IARC (2012). Section of Cancer Surveillance.

3. Stopping aspirin treatment raises cardiovascular risk by over a third (2017). Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319541.php

Notes to Editors

For further information, or to arrange an interview with Professor Kelvin Tsoi, please contact Luke Paskins on +44 (0)1444 811099 or media@ueg.eu

About Professor Kelvin Tsoi

Professor Kelvin Tsoi is a research associate Professor of the Stanley Ho Big Data Decision Analytics Research Centre, and an associate Professor of the School of Public Health and Primary Care in the Chinese University Hong Kong. He is a digital epidemiologist and his research interests are in cancer epidemiology and big data research on digital health.

About UEG Week

UEG Week is the largest and most prestigious gastroenterology meeting in Europe and has developed into a global congress. It attracts over 14,000 participants each year, from more than 120 countries, and numbers are steadily rising. UEG Week provides a forum for basic and clinical scientists from across the globe to present their latest research in digestive and liver diseases, and also features a two-day postgraduate course that brings together top lecturers in their fields for a weekend of interactive learning.

About UEG

UEG, or United European Gastroenterology, is a professional non-profit organisation combining all the leading European societies concerned with digestive diseases. Together, its member societies represent over 22,000 specialists, working across medicine, surgery, paediatrics, gastrointestinal oncology and endoscopy. This makes UEG the most comprehensive organisation of its kind in the world, and a unique platform for collaboration and the exchange of knowledge.

To advance standards of gastroenterological care and knowledge across Europe and the world, UEG offers numerous activities and initiatives, including:
Thomas H. Epps, III, the Thomas & Kipp Gutshall Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and a Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Delaware, has been named a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS).

No more than one-half of one percent of APS members are elected to Fellow Status. Fellows have made significant contributions to the field of physics through research, applications, teaching, or participation in society activities.

"It is a great honor to be elected as an APS Fellow," said Epps. "Several of my colleagues at UD are APS Fellows, along with many people who I admire in the polymer physics community. It is a great privilege to become a part of this esteemed group in physics. I am extremely grateful to all of my students, postdocs, and collaborators who have contributed to my activities."

Darrin Pochan, chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Eric Furst, chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, nominated Epps for this honor.

"Prof. Epps' accomplishments in the research and engineering of block-copolymers and his service and leadership in the American Physical Society forum make him exceptionally qualified for this honor," said Furst. "He is an extraordinary researcher and educator whose work has had a major impact on macromolecular and soft matter science and engineering."

Pochan, who is also an APS Fellow, said: "Prof. Epps' interdisciplinary work involving the design, synthesis, and physical understanding of new polymer nanomaterials reveals the complex core of modern materials and physics research. His ability to wield such a diverse set of tools to succeed in his fascinating work makes him a perfect APS fellow recipient."

Epps' research focuses on four main areas: polymeric materials from renewable feedstocks, ion-conducting block copolymers for battery applications, nanostructured polymer films for templating and surface coating applications, and stimuli-responsive polymers for drug delivery and gene therapy.

Potential applications for his work are wide-ranging: from master templates for circuits in electronic devices to patterns for portable biosensing arrays that could screen and treat a wide array of diseases to targeted drug delivery systems to safer electrolytes for lithium batteries.

Epps is the 26th person to be selected for an APS Fellowship while on the UD faculty. In 2016, the APS also recognized Epps with the John H. Dillon Medal "For significant advancement in the control, characterization, and understanding of polymer nanoscale-structure and energetics."

These accolades from APS complement many other awards and honors Epps has received in just over a decade at UD.

For example, he was awarded the Owens Corning Early Career Award by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers in 2015.

In 2009, Epps received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on young professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers. In 2007, he received the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award.

Epps earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a doctoral degree from the University of Minnesota. He then was a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow in the Polymers Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology before joining the UD faculty in 2006 in chemical and biomolecular engineering. He is also the director of the UD Center for Molecular & Engineering Thermodynamics.

###
The epic flooding from Hurricane Harvey has gotten most of the attention, but scientists say the impact of so much freshwater rushing into Galveston Bay - an estimated 34 trillion gallons fell along the Texas-Louisiana coast - may have a dramatic impact of its own.

Researchers from the University of Houston will survey the sea bottom and collect sediment samples, comparing their findings with the results of similar tests conducted just weeks before Harvey came ashore.

"We are trying to understand extreme event sedimentation patterns, which may or may not follow our assumptions," said Will Sager, a geophysics professor in the UH College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics' Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Sager is principal investigator for a $64,644 grant from the National Science Foundation to better understand how Harvey's extraordinary rains affected sedimentation at tidal inlets on Galveston Bay. "We don't know what we will find."

But they have some ideas. Water flow volumes were so high and currents so strong that sand deposits were left along the banks of Houston's bayous, which the researchers say indicates large volumes of coarse sediment were mobilized by the storm, much of which likely ended up in Galveston Bay.

Sager is working with colleagues Rob Stewart, Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished University Chair in Exploration Geophysics, and Julia Wellner, an assistant professor in the department. Sager and Wellner will conduct the surveys and collect data; Stewart is director of the Allied Geophysical Lab at UH, which is assisting with logistics and analysis for both surveys.

The project - part of a series funded by NSF in the wake of hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria - will be compared with earlier work by the researchers and their students to image the seafloor and collect sediment cores from Bolivar Roads and San Luis Pass, the two natural inlets to the bay.

It was coincidence that the studies were done immediately prior to Harvey, but Wellner said the surveys provide the perfect opportunity to learn more about the impact of massive rainfall along the coast. Just weeks before the hurricane, UH scientists had completed geophysical sonar surveys of the inlets, producing high-resolution depth maps and acoustic images of the inlet floors, showing sediment types, thickness and vertical layering.

"We're repeating the surveys as a way to see what the intense flood did to move sediment," Wellner said.

In addition to the mapping, they will analyze samples in the lab to measure details of grain size, which she said reveals information about the velocity of the current. The new insights gained from the planned research will be valuable not only for academic understanding of coastal sedimentation patterns during extreme rain events, but will also be important for state and federal agencies that administer the coast.

###
Scientists at the University of Liverpool and Public Health England have used Salmonella genome data from a UK public health surveillance study to gain new insights into the Salmonella epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa.

Invasive non-typhoidal Salmonellosis (iNTS) currently kills an estimated 400,000 people a year in sub-Saharan Africa. It is caused by a type of Salmonella Typhimurium (ST313) that generally affects individuals with weakened immune systems, is highly resistant to antibiotics and can develop into bloodstream infections.

New research published today in Genome Medicine, has identified a different and far less dangerous strain of ST313 bacteria in the UK, and identified key genomic differences that are helping scientists understand why the African strain causes such high levels of disease.

The research team analysed the DNA of more than 3,000 Salmonella Typhimurium samples collected by Public Health England since 2014, and discovered that 2.7% were ST313 bacteria. However, the UK-ST313 are different to the variants of ST313 found in sub-Saharan African. The infection caused by UK-ST313 is generally a less severe gastrointestinal illness, and the bacterial strains were susceptible to most antibiotics.

Further analysis revealed distinct and potentially important differences between the UK and African Salmonella, with the African bacteria all containing the DNA of two viruses integrated into their chromosomes.

Joint lead author Sian Owen, from the University's Institute of Integrative Biology, said "Our findings suggest that these two viruses are always found in the African ST313 Salmonella, yet never in the UK variant. Such a strong association suggests that the acquisition of these viruses may have been an important event for the development of the African strain. The UK ST313 genomes are helping us to piece together the puzzle of how the African Salmonella evolved."

The team also analysed the Salmonella genomes for genetic mutations that could affect the ability of the bacteria to cause disease. One of the ST313 isolates identified, which had been transported to the UK from Africa, carried a mutation that could have implications for future vaccine development, as well as a new combination of antibiotic resistance genes.

Professor Jay Hinton, who leads the University of Liverpool research group, explained: "Although the clinical picture of the Salmonella epidemic in Africa is well-established, little is known about the biology of the ST313 pathogen, making it harder to develop effective control strategies. This study highlights the valuable role that routine genomic sequencing here in the UK can play to improve our understanding and help tackle a really important health problem in the developing world."

Dr Tim Dallman, from Public Health England, added: "Identifying this novel UK population of Salmonella has only been made possible by the recent introduction of routine whole genome sequencing of the Salmonella samples that cause human disease in England and Wales, allowing us to make important discoveries that would be missed by conventional microbiological methods."

The researchers are now carrying out a detailed comparison of the UK and African ST313 variants to try and understand why the African Salmonella is causing such a high level of disease.

###

The study received funding support from the Wellcome Trust and was carried out in collaboration with the University's Centre for Genomic Research and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.

>Notes to editor:

The paper 'Public health surveillance in the UK revolutionises our understanding of the invasive Salmonella Typhimurium epidemic in Africa' is published in Genome Medicine (DOI: 10.1186/s13073-017-0480-7).

The University of Liverpool is one of the UK's leading research institutions with an annual turnover of 495 million, including 126 million for research. Liverpool is ranked in the top 1% of higher education institutions worldwide and is a member of the Russell Group. Visit http://www.liv.ac.uk or follow us on Twitter @LivUniNews

Public Health England (PHE) exists to protect and improve the nation's health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities. It does this through advocacy, partnerships, world-class science, knowledge and intelligence, and the delivery of specialist public health services. PHE is an operationally autonomous executive agency of the Department of Health. For more information on PHE visit http://www.gov.uk/phe or follow us on Twitter @PHE_uk
Snow fanatics are no doubt aware of the risk of getting sunburnt on the slopes, but a new study shows that it is more than a red face that skiers and snowboarders should be concerned about.

The study, published by scientists from the Department of Eye & Vision Science at the University of Liverpool, shows that people may not be taking as good care of their face and eyes as they should, with potentially devastating results.

They asked participants to apply sunscreen to their faces. Before and after photos were taken with a UV-sensitive camera, with areas covered with sunscreen appearing black (see attached before and after photographs). Analysis showed that on average people missed 9.5% of their faces, with the most commonly missed areas being the eyelids and the area between the inner corner of the eye and the bridge of the nose. Even when given extra information about skin cancers of the eyelid region, 7.7% of participants' faces were left unprotected.

The dangers of UV exposure

As more than 90% of basal cell carcinomas occur on the head or neck, and 5-10% of all skin cancers occur on the eyelids, this is worrying news, and should be of particular concern to people taking to the slopes this winter.

Many people will already be aware of the combined threat to their skin of higher altitude (less atmospheric protection from UV radiation) and snow glare (reflecting sun back onto the skin), but this study shows that many people may not be taking as good care of their eyes and skin as they should.

Dr Kevin Hamill from the University of Liverpool explained:

"The eyes, and the skin around them, are especially vulnerable to UV radiation and cancers, so skiers and snowboarders who are at risk of high exposure really need to take care. A thoroughly-applied sunblock of at least SPF 30 is a good start but isn't enough. You need to make sure that you take your cream to the slopes and reapply at regular intervals. You also need to wear goggles or sunglasses. Wrap around frames that protect the whole eye area and have 100% UV protection are ideal."

###

Notes for editors

1. The full study can be read here https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0185297

2. The study asked 57 participants, male and female, to apply sunscreen to their face with no further information or instructions given by the researchers. Photos were taken of each of the participants with a UV-sensitive camera before and after the application of sunscreen, with areas covered with sunscreen appearing black due to the UV camera. These images were then segmented and analysed by a custom-designed program to judge how successful each person was at covering their whole face.

On average people missed 9.5 per cent of the whole face, with the most commonly missed areas being the eyelids (13.5 per cent) and the area between the inner corner of the eye and the bridge of the nose (77 per cent).

The researchers then asked the participants back to repeat the experiment, this time giving extra information about skin cancers of the eyelid region. Armed with this information there was a slight improvement in the level of sunscreen coverage with 7.7% per cent of the face left unprotected.

3. Dr Hamill and colleagues are available for interview on request. Please contact Karen Miller on 0151 706 4098 or Simon Wood on 0151 794 8356.

4. The Department of Eye & Vision Science is part of the Institute of Ageing & Chronic Disease at the University of Liverpool. The department is working to transform understanding of the eye and the process of 'seeing'. Scientists, engineers and clinicians work from cornea to cortex and from bench to bedside, to uncover how basic mechanisms, processes and structures relate to vision. This work is having life-changing results for patients of all ages right across the globe.

5. The University of Liverpool is one of the UK's leading research institutions with an annual turnover of 480 million, including 102 million for research. Liverpool is ranked in the top 1% of higher education institutions worldwide and is a member of the Russell Group. Visit http://www.liv.ac.uk or follow us on twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/livuninews
New monoclonal antibody to prevent rabies is cheaper, more potent and easier to manufacture than current immune globulin therapy; will be used in conjunction with rabies vaccine

The Serum Institute of India today announced the global launch of Rabishield, a rabies monoclonal antibody developed in partnership with the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Rabies, a fatal disease caused by the bite or scratch of an infected animal, kills an estimated 20,000 people every year - two people every hour - in India. Rabishield, a U.S.-patented product, will help close the gaps in rabies prevention and is expected to significantly reduce the overall mortality rate.

An event announcing the global launch of Rabishield was held today in Mumbai.

"The launch of RabiShield represents a watershed moment in the history of treating this disease. While rabies is rare in the United States, worldwide it kills more than 50,000 people a year who often don't have access to the treatment they need," UMass Medical School Chancellor Michael F. Collins, MD, said. "Rabishield will go a long way toward dramatically reducing rabies deaths. We are proud to have partnered with the Serum Institute of India to make treatment available and gratified by the global public health impact of the commonwealth's only public medical school."

"Scientists at MassBiologics and the Serum Institute of India are focused on improving the health of people around the world," said Mark S. Klempner, MD, executive vice chancellor for MassBiologics of UMass Medical School and professor of medicine at UMMS. "We identified the very real need for an alternative to the existing rabies immune globulin treatment so that more people in dire need will have access to this life-saving therapy designed to prevent rabies infection. This new monoclonal antibody for rabies is more potent and easier to manufacture than existing treatment, which is expensive and in short supply."

The current treatment for someone bitten by a potentially rabid animal is to be vaccinated against rabies, but the vaccine alone is not enough as, in some cases, the disease develops before the vaccine can take effect. The only way to adequately protect the victim is to provide passive immunization via rabies immune globulin, which provides immediate protection with neutralizing antibodies before the immune system begins making its own antibodies.

However, rabies immune globulins are in short supply. Equine rabies immune globulins, while inexpensive, are obtained from horses and can cause allergic reactions and serum sickness. Human rabies immune globulins, derived from human blood, are safer but very expensive. It is estimated that only about 2 percent of patients who require the rabies immune globulin receive appropriate post-exposure treatment.

To address this global public health issue, scientists at MassBiologics developed a rabies monoclonal antibody that might be used in place of human and equine immune globulins. MassBiologics then partnered with the Serum Institute to develop and manufacture the monoclonal antibody in India.

Rabishield is manufactured by recombinant DNA technology. It offers passive immunization against rabies and is active against all rabies serotypes found in India. It is more potent and therefore requires a lower dose than current rabies immune globulins and it is much more cost effective.

"Our new drug--Rabishield--is a first-of-its-kind rabies human monoclonal antibody in the world," said Adar Poonawalla, chief executive officer of Serum Institute of India.

"We have completed the scale-up of the manufacturing process as well as the clinical development of Rabishield. The drug is being distributed nationwide in India," Poonawalla said.

###

About the University of Massachusetts Medical School

The University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), one of five campuses of the University system, comprises the School of Medicine, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, the Graduate School of Nursing, a thriving research enterprise and an innovative public service initiative, Commonwealth Medicine and MassBiologics. Its mission is to advance the health of the people of the commonwealth through pioneering education, research, public service and health care delivery with its clinical partner, UMass Memorial Health Care. In doing so, it has built a reputation as a world-class research institution and as a leader in primary care education. The medical school is best in New England for primary care education according to U.S. News & World Report and, with more than $250 million in annual research funding, including $151 million from the National Institutes of Health, is ranked by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research among the top 30 medical schools in the U.S. for NIH funding.

MassBiologics of UMass Medical School, located in Boston and Fall River, is the only non-profit, FDA-licensed manufacturer of vaccines in the United States. For more than 100 years, MassBiologics has worked to improve public health through applied research, development and production of biologic products, including vaccines, plasma derivatives and most recently, monoclonal antibodies. MassBiologics currently manufactures Tetanus and Diphtheria Toxoids, Adsorbed (Td) vaccine.

About Serum Institute of India:

Serum Institute of India, a part of Cyrus Poonawalla Group, is the world's largest manufacturer of vaccines. It sells about 1.3 billion doses a year globally across 147 countries. About 65 percent of children in the world have received at least one vaccine made by Serum Institute of India, whose products are available in over 147 countries. Started in 1966 by Dr. Cyrus Poonawalla, Serum Institute of India has over the years metamorphosed into the world's largest manufacturer of vaccines, thus saving millions of lives.
The secret to the survival of critically endangered wildlife could lie beyond the grave, according to a University of Queensland researcher.

The ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions' Dr Matthew Holden suggests revenue from human burials could fund nature reserves and parks for threatened species, effectively amounting to dead humans protecting living creatures.

Dr Holden said conservation burials' would go a step further than natural burials which already occur throughout Australia.

"Cemeteries could do more than prevent environmental damage caused by traditional burials which use embalming chemicals such as formaldehyde and non-biodegradable materials," Dr Holden said.

"They could improve the environment by offering conservation burials-- where the burial fees are used to help buy and manage new land.

"The nature reserve could be placed in an area that specifically maximises benefits for endangered wildlife, or also in cities to increase the societal benefits of natural urban greenspace."

Dr Holden from School of Mathematics and Physics and School of Earth and Environmental Sciences researcher Dr Eve McDonald-Madden evaluated the biodiversity and human health benefits of conservation burials.

"They could generate revenue that exceeds the amount of money needed to save every threatened species on the planet," Dr Holden said.

"In the US alone, 2.7 million people die each year, with an estimated funeral revenue of US$19 billion - far more than the estimated $3-$5 billion required to protect every threatened species listed by the international Union for the Conservation of Nature.

"While not every threatened species can benefit directly from conservation burials, the hypothetical revenue demonstrates substantial potential for increased biodiversity."

Dr Holden said Halloween was the perfect time to urge the public and government and non-government organisations to contemplate how death could support future life on earth through conservation from the grave.

"If conservation burials became as commonplace as similar types of after-death charity, such as organ donation, the biodiversity benefits would be enormous," he said.

US conservation burial cemeteries include Honey Creek Woodlands, Georgia; Ramsey Creek Preserve, South Carolina; White Eagle Memorial Preserve, Washington; Greensprings Natural Cemetery Preserve, New York; Foxfield Preserve, Ohio; Glendale Memorial Nature Preserve, Florida; and Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery, Florida.

The research is published in Conservation Letters (doi: 10.1111/conl.12421)

###
A new study finds that precision medicine for oncology -- genetic testing to determine the best drug treatment for each cancer patient -- is not always so precise when applied to people of non-European descent.

In precision medicine for oncology, scientists identify mutations that transform healthy cells into tumor cells. In an ideal world, they would then be able to compare genetic variations from the tumor to the patient's normal tissue. However, a normal tissue sample is often not available. So scientists use a stand-in: population databases that filter out benign genetic changes from those that may cause cancer.

Patients whose tumor-cell sequencing cannot be compared to their normal-cell sequencing run the risk of being misdiagnosed, researchers said.

"The field of precision medicine isn't taking into account population differences. The approaches being used are imprecise when you look at very specific populations," said John Carpten, one of the study's lead authors and director of the Institute of Translational Genomics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

The study, published Oct. 19 in the journal BMC Medical Genomics, found that precision medicine using a tumor-only approach to guide therapeutic intervention is less precise for people whose ancestors are from Latin America, Africa and Asia.

"You might be getting the wrong therapy simply because of our lack of understanding of the genetic architecture of your ancestry," said David W. Craig, the study's senior author and vice chair of the Keck School of Medicine's Department of Translational Genomics. "These findings argue that we're really not doing a very good job of doing precision medicine for many populations."

A multi-pronged problem

Many hospitals, especially in underdeveloped nations, collect tumor tissue for research purposes without collecting normal tissue for comparison. Without normal cell samples, it is difficult to determine which mutations potentially cause cancer and which are benign variants in the human genome.

"It is very difficult to identify a somatic, or potentially cancer-causing, variant when you don't have a germline, or normal, sample," said Rebecca Halperin, an Arizona-based Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) assistant research professor and the study's other lead author.

The other part of the problem is that most of the tens of thousands of individuals worldwide who have undergone whole-genome sequencing -- the spelling out of the nearly 3 billion chemical bases in their DNA -- are of European descent. This creates a bias in existing databases, which are used to exclude potentially inaccurate results called false-positive variants.

European ancestry turns out to be among the least diverse genetically. This population, particularly Scandinavians, has the fewest genetic variants, the study said.

There is a need to sample more people from more diverse parts of the world, Carpten said.

People whose ancestry can be traced to less developed parts of the world -- areas that have experienced the most rapid population increases in recent history -- have the most genetic variants. Bangladeshi people, for example, possess one of the world's most diverse genomes.

The scientific community is beginning to see the shortfalls of precision medicine, said Rick Kittles, a premier scientist in population genetics and cancer.

"This study goes beyond the barriers to participation and provides insight on the lack of genetic data from diverse populations and its impact on the value and utility of precision medicine," said Kittles, a founding director of the Division of Health Equities at the City of Hope. "There is still much work to be done in order for all communities to benefit from precision medicine."

Lighting up the problem areas

USC and TGen are trying to move precision medicine forward. To help researchers sort out potentially inaccurate results, USC and TGen researchers created a computational tool called LumosVar: Lumos means light and Var refers to genetic variance. LumosVar lights up the genome's potentially cancer-causing genetic mutations.

"Simply sequencing more individuals from various populations is not enough," Craig said. "We really need access to the cells that were passed on from previous generations. But when those aren't available, we need better tools. LumosVar is one such tool."

###

Craig and Halperin are the co-creators of LumosVar, an open-source tool to search for potentially cancer-causing mutations. LumosVar is available for download at https://github.com/tgen/LumosVar.

The study was funded by The Ben & Catherine Ivy Foundation and the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.
New foreign policy draft in offing

A draft of Nepals foreign policy, reflecting the changed regional and global contexts, is ready, people working on it have said.
40-year UTIA administrator Steve Sutton is one of seven Tennesseans to have received this honor

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Of the four "H's" in 4-H - head, heart, hands and health - it was his heart that he gave away so willingly. Some five decades ago, Steve Sutton pledged his heart to greater loyalty. Now years later, he is being recognized as someone who has made a lifetime commitment to Tennessee youth.

Sutton was inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame in Chevy Chase, Maryland, Oct. 6, 2017. He is one of 16 people to be inducted this year, and one of seven Tennesseans to have received this honor. Sutton will be presented with a medallion, plaque and memory book during the ceremony. He was nominated for the award by his home state, the National 4-H Council and National Association of Extension 4-H Agents.

Sutton worked more than 40 years for University of Tennessee Extension as a 4-H agent, specialist and eventually as leader of the entire statewide organization. He began as a 4-H'er himself in his native Newport, and after graduating from the University of Tennessee, became an agent in Washington County. In 1986, he joined the state 4-H staff in Knoxville, and later was named director. He was recognized in 2015 with Tennessee's prestigious Friend of 4-H Award.

"4-H has been good to me," Sutton says. "As a youth, it helped me develop confidence and skills to achieve things beyond my wildest dreams. As a profession, it has allowed me to make a difference in the lives of countless young people. Throughout my career, I have had the support of a loving family, excellent mentors, dedicated co-workers and caring volunteers. I would be remiss not to share my success I may have achieved with them. I humbly accept this award on their behalf."

Citizenship education has been a priority for Sutton. Providing leadership for the Tennessee 4-H Know Your Government program, he created opportunities for thousands of high school students to experience government through mock legislative sessions in the state house and senate chambers. He was also a leader in the Tennessee Seeds of Service program. Almost 300,000 youth and adults have donated more than half a million hours of service.

Sutton was a founder of the Junior High Academic Conference where 4-H members are afforded learning opportunities with UT professors, and he co-founded 4-H Electric Camp, where young would-be scientists and engineers learn the world of energy and power. He also has provided leadership for 4-H Congress and 4-H Roundup, and led a 4-H delegation to Japan.

On a national level, Sutton was a member of the National 4-H Congress design team for five years serving as chair of the headquarters committee in 2012. He also served two, 2-year terms on the National 4-H Congress Board of Directors.

As a 30-year member of NAE4-HA, Sutton has been recognized with the Distinguished Service Award, American Spirit Award, Meritorious Service Award, and Air Force Recruiting Award. He is also a member of Epsilon Sigma Phi, Phi Kappa Phi, Gamma Sigma Delta, and the UTIA Retirees Association.

In his retirement, he continues with his favorite hobby -- travel. In addition to several trips to Japan, he's visited Korea, Thailand, Russia, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Canada; and he looks forward to adding to this list.

"It's so fitting that Steve Sutton is being recognized in the National 4-H Hall of Fame," says UTIA Chancellor Tim Cross. "He's literally devoted his entire life to 4-H -- as a youth, Extension agent, as State 4-H program leader, and now as a volunteer and donor. His father was an Extension agent, so Steve's blood has always run green. And he's committed to making the best better."

"We are proud to recognize the 2017 National 4-H Hall of Fame honorees for the passion, dedication, vision and leadership they have shown toward young people during their many years of service to 4-H," says Jeannette Rea Keywood, National 4-H Hall of Fame Committee chair.

###

Other Tennesseans who have been inducted into the 4-H Hall of Fame are Peggy Adkins, Jim Byford, Lloyd Downen, George Foster, Ben Powell and Martha Jo Tolley.

Through its mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. ag.tennessee.edu.
A new article that addresses the challenges of cancer proposes combining innovative prevention and treatment strategies in a state-of-the-art virtual European Cancer Institute/Infrastructure that promotes sharing of the highest standards of practices and big data among countries and centres across Europe and beyond. By doing so, it will be possible to achieve a long-term survival of 3 out of 4 cancer patients in countries with well-developed healthcare systems, according to the Molecular Oncology article. Furthermore, the concerted actions will pave the way to handling economic and social inequalities in countries with less developed systems.

Implementing the mission will require the engagement of all the key stakeholders in the cancer research/care continuum, as well a full understanding of the needs of research and care across all Member States in Europe to address existing inequalities, noted co-authors Dr. Julio E. Celis, of the Danish Cancer Society Research Centre, and Dr. Dainius Pavalkis, of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences.

###
New Haven, Conn.-- A new study casts doubt on a promising application of the timeworn theory -- posited by thinkers such as Rousseau, Alexander de Tocqueville, and John Stuart Mill -- that political engagement, such as voting, fosters good citizens and makes people more likely to obey the law.

The study, published in the journal Political Behavior, confirms prior research that those who vote are much less likely to be convicted of crimes than non-voters, but it also shows that voting alone does not directly reduce criminality.

"While voting is a worthy activity, it does not appear to prevent people from committing crimes or set them on a virtuous path toward good citizenship," said Gregory A. Huber, professor of political science at Yale University and a co-author of the study. "This does not mean that participatory democracy has no positive transformative effects on people, but it suggests that scholars should reconsider whether the simple act of voting or other civic engagement is sufficient to promote other pro-social behaviors."

The study represents the first large-scale field experiment to examine whether political participation reduces involvement in the criminal justice system. The researchers analyzed a randomized controlled trial involving about 550,000 non-white young adults aged 18 to 20 during the 2010 U.S. election cycle.

A portion of the study sample was randomly assigned to receive non-partisan voter registration materials before the election. Following the election, the researchers merged data from the experiment with government records on incarceration. They found that the individuals who received the registration literature were more likely to cast ballots than those who did not receive the materials, but no less likely to subsequently commit a crime.

Overall, study subjects who voted in November 2010 were 55% less likely to be under state supervision -- incarceration, parole, or probation -- two years after the election than those who did not vote. The individuals in the treatment group -- those who received voter registration materials -- voted at a rate 19% higher than those in the control group. However, they showed no reduction in subsequent criminality, according to the study.

"Our findings have important policy implications," Huber said. "For example, if voting prevented criminal behavior, then measures encouraging people to vote would be a cost-effective way to reduce incarceration. Unfortunately, our study shows this kind of intervention is unlikely to succeed."

###

In addition to Huber, the study was co-authored by Alan S. Gerber, the Charles C. & Dorathea S. Dilley Professor of Political Science at Yale; Daniel R. Biggers, assistant professor of political science at the University of California-Riverside, and former postdoctoral associate at Yale Institution for Social and Policy Studies; and David J. Hendry, assistant professor of methodology at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

To read the study, visit https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11109-016-9385-1
Petition seeks voting rights for civil servants

An employee of Attorney Generals Office has filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court on Monday, demanding voting rights to civil servants and security forces in the upcoming federal and provincial polls.
Monday, October 30, 2017

The human, economic and environmental toll of natural disasters in the last few months has been nothing short of overwhelming. Even if we sit miles away from danger ourselves, the stories and images of those in need call us to act. But the desire to help those in need after natural disasters can quickly lead to a confusion. There are hundreds of worthy agencies where you could potentially make a gift, but how do you know what charitable investment will deliver the greatest impact?

My suggestion? Consider a community foundation. Community foundations are essentially philanthropic hubs that provide leadership, stewardship and leverage for a broad range of individual charitable contributions. They supply charitable support to nonprofit organizations, but also build charitable endowments to ensure the needs of communities will be met far into the future. To me, they are perfect solutions for disaster giving. Here are ten reasons why:

1. Community knowledge. Community foundations are rooted in the communities they serve, so they know firsthand of the needs following a disaster and the assets that can be deployed to respond.

2. Vetting. Community foundations are in the business of making effective grants to reputable nonprofits. Theyve done their homework so you dont have to.

3. Partners. Because they are truly community-grown institutions, community foundations are used to working in close partnership with other organizations. These relationships come in especially handy when multiple organizations must work together to recover from a natural disaster.

4. Leadership and Reputation. Community foundations are created by community members, which means they are usually among the most trusted institutions around. They are also considered leaders of the philanthropic community. They can use their leadership and reputations to help influence action among others, especially when disaster strikes.

5. Give any amount. Community foundations offer options for donors who wish to give any amount. Make smaller or one-time gifts to the community foundations disaster relief fund, or consider a gift to an unrestricted fund that will allow the community foundations board to determine the best use of charitable dollars. For larger or longer-term gifts, consider a donor advised fund from which you can provide direction on how grants are made. Community foundations also offer field of interest funds in which donors can leverage their gifts with others who share the same focus or priorities.

6. Immediate relief. Community foundations can mobilize targeted relief funds in short order, meaning gifts are deployed quickly to agencies that need them. And because of their community knowledge and connections, relief dollars from community foundations can easily adapt to the needs at hand, whether its food, medical supplies, shelter or something completely unforeseen.

7. Long term strategic impact. Community foundations are created with a long-term view, which means even a short-term gift in the wake of disaster is helping move a community toward a longer-term vision and goals. Unlike some other charities, community foundations wont make a short investment and then move on. Instead, theyll be there to help bring community members together not only for short-term recovery, but to rebuild better than before.

8. Give here or there. Many community foundations across the country have developed disaster relief funds to lend aid to those outside their own service areas. Chances are, you can help those in other parts of the US or around the globe by making a gift to your local community foundation. You can also easily make gifts online to community foundations in affected areas.

9. Impact and accountability. Because community foundations are accountable to a number of donors and partners, they must be able to explain their approaches and demonstrate their impact.

10. Planning for the next time. In many cases, when communities gather to plan ahead for the next disaster, the community foundation is a leader in that effort, if not the convenor. And advance preparation is incredibly important to minimizing negative impacts of violent storms, wildfires, or other natural disasters.

The desire to support those in need after a disaster is both noble and good, but it pays  for you and those you wish to help  if you can ensure your gift has maximum impact. A community foundation may just be your best bet for disaster relief, recovery and rebuilding.

For more specific examples of community foundation relief funds tips on disaster response, see 4 Ways to Respond to Hurricane Harvey (or Any Disaster) and Community Foundations Keep Giving When Disasters Keep Coming. You can also find a community foundation near you or in an area affected by natural disasters by visiting the Community Foundation Atlas.

This article was originally written for and published by Forbes.com.

 2017 Kris Putnam-Walkerly. All rights reserved. Permission granted to excerpt or reprint with attribution.

______________________________________________________________________

Kris Putnam-Walkerly, MSW, has helped to transform the impact of top global philanthropies for over 18 years. A member of the Million Dollar Consultant Hall of Fame and named one of Americas Top 25 Philanthropy Speakers. Author of the award-winning book Confident Giving: Sage Advice for Funders, which was named one of The 10 Best Corporate Social Responsibility Books. For more ways to improve your giving, visit Putnam Consulting Group.

______________________________________________________________________

Trusted Advisory Services

Kris Putnam-Walkerly serves as a trusted advisor to foundation leaders and high-wealth donors across the globe. As an advisor, Kris transfers learning to leaders and their teams so they have the ability to build their own internal capacity to be successful in their work. Kriss clients report immediate and dramatic improvement in both personal performance and philanthropic impact.

Whether you are the CEO of a larger foundation, the sole staff member charged with decision-making, or a high-net worth donor, the questions Kris can address cover a broad spectrum of professional and personal issues. As an advising client, youll have unlimited access to Kris during regular business hours by phone, Skype, email and, when desired, face to face. With over 18 years of experience working with top global philanthropies, Kris understands how to build an impactful organization that integrates your philanthropic passions and the challenges that must be overcome to get there.

Learn more about this and other services offered or contact Kris today to begin a trusted advisor relationship.

Upcoming Speaking Events

Looking for a provocative yet practical speaker at your next event? Kris Putnam-Walkerly was named one of Americas Top 25 Philanthropy Speakers in 2016 and 2017. Learn more or book Kris today for your next conference or event.

November 2, 2017  The Michael Chatman Giving Show http://www.unity.fm/program/TheMichaelChatmanGivingShow

November 10, 2017  Forefront Webinar

Poverty, Abundance, and Delusional Altruism

November 14, 2017  Southeastern Council on Foundations Annual Conference, Trustees-Only Luncheon, Orlando, FL

How Will Trustees Lead Into the Future?

Book Kris for your next conference or event!
Monday, October 30, 2017

Capitol Communicator is running a series featuring an in-depth look at communicators in the mid-Atlantic. In this Up Close and Personal profile, we feature Kerry-Ann Hamilton. Photography for the series is by Cade Martin, wardrobe styling by Pascale Lemaire and Sybil Street for THE Artist Agency; and hair and makeup by Patti D Nelson, Janice Kinigopoulos and Lori Pressman for THE Artist Agency.

Kerry-Ann, please provide us a short bio.

I am Vice President at GMMB, an advocacy PR and creative agency in Georgetown. I specialize in branding, media relations and reputational management. My clients work on a variety of issues, from education to global health and a host of others in between. Prior to GMMB, I worked in higher education as a senior communications executive. I grew up in Jamaica and moved to D.C. in 1999, but I feel at home anywhere in the world. I am a nature lover, a travel enthusiast and a photographer.

Are you involved in any other organizations?

I am chair of the Board of Directors for Girls Inc. of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Girls Inc., a chapter of a national organization dedicated to inspiring and equipping girls to be strong, smart and bold. We know that less than 10 percent of girls study engineering and less than three percent of corporate board members are female. Through our research-based curriculum, we focus both on giving the girls we serve technical competencies in the STEM areas as well as the tools and confidence needed to put that knowledge to good use. I am also a mentor with Generation Hope which is devoted to providing direct sponsorships and one-on-one mentoring opportunities to teen parents who are attending college in the Washington metro area.

What are the things you are most proud of?

I am really proud of how my personal values align with my professional and civic work and how the assorted tough challenges and opportunities that have colored my career path have strengthened me and made me eager to deploy what I have learned in the service of creating real and lasting change in the world.

Who are your personal role models?

I have been fortunate to have many people who have inspired me and whom I have sought to emulate. In some cases, the mistakes of others have been a source of guidance. As a young communicator, I was inspired by two highly respected journalists. WAMUs Kojo Nnamdi was my first boss when he was host of Evening Exchange, a flagship current-affairs news program on WHUT-TV, a PBS affiliate owned by Howard University. On my first day on his staff, I was writing scripts and researching stories for the reporters roundtable. I was just shy of 20 years old and still a green journalist. I learned about the perpetual value of preparation, the endless quest for excellence and the inevitable necessity for true hard work. My dream opportunity as an undergraduate was to work with the late host of NBCs Meet the Press, Tim Russert. Once I earned that chance, I found the experience was transformative. I saw dedication and a tireless commitment to the truth up close. I learned that attaining a mastery at asking tough questions, as Tim did, need not diminish a professional commitment to civility and dignity.

Did these role models offer professional advice that helped you in your career?

After my assignment with the Associated Press in Trinidad and Tobago, I left journalism for a career as a communications and marketing professional at Howard University. It was there that I met many powerful women who impressed upon me the importance of rigorous preparation and the importance of leaning in  finding ones voice  long before it was in vogue.

What professional advice do you have for others?

The best advice I can offer is to find your true passion. It is not cliche. Highly competent people can do just about anything they put their minds to. The question is where can an individual make the best and highest impact? While passion is important, persistence is less flashy but even more important.

Whats on your Spotify and Pandora playlists?

Global Fusion  Beres Hammond, Dave Matthews, Enya, Machel Montana, Melissa Etheridge, Hugh Masekela and Lizz Wright.

Whats your favorite restaurant?

It is tough to name a single favorite, but my top five include, Busboys and Poets, Doi Moi, Founding Farmers, Blue Duck and Due South.

Is there anything else you would like us to know about you?

As an island girl, I am totally at my best wherever there is water  whether its kayaking on Cape Cod, snorkeling in Belizes Blue Hole, salmon fishing in Alaska or swimming in a cool lake on a hot summer day.

My passport and camera are my most prized possessions. I started my fourth passport at age 32. I love photography, particularly travel photography. I have a wide assortment of Nikon bodies and lenses depending on my needs and the subject  the 85 mm for portraits, my 18-200 which gives me a view of breathtaking landscapes and my 400 mm, which allows me to capture one of my favorite fauna, the elusive humming bird.

And, finally, my ideal day begins with a rigorous work out and ends with watching NBC Nightly News  thankfully it is now on-demand as I am rarely home at 7 p.m. for the live broadcast. If I get some time to journal and read before bed, I have truly had a wonderful day.
Schools to conduct grade 11 final exam

Beginning with the next academic year, higher secondary schools will be authorised to conduct Grade 11 examinations on their own, ending a three-decade long practice of holding the test at the central level.
The European and US dairy markets are leading international recovery in milk markets, the International Dairy Federation (IDF) World Dairy Summit has explained.

The IDF has launched the World Dairy Situation Report 2017 at the Summit in Belfast.

It shows an annual survey containing information on worldwide milk and dairy production, processing, companies, consumption, trade and prices.

Veronique Pilet, editor in chief of the IDF report said: "The global dairy market remains uncertain and the only thing that we can say for sure is the volatility which is a result of supply and demand issues is here to stay.

She said "dynamism" in the European and US markets is leading recovery and production prospects over the next few months remain good.

Butter prices are at an all-time high, however skimmed milk powder prices are still eroding, she said.

Ms Pilet said that recovery this year had followed a year when both global production of dairy and consumption were stagnant and in some areas showed a slight decrease.

She said contributing factors to this could be the Russian ban on importing dairy products from the EU, decreasing purchasing power in oil producing countries and the economic situation in some South American countries.

New Zealand remains the world's largest exporter of dairy with a 29% share of the market, closely followed by the EU at 28% and the US at 24%.

Overall production of milk rose by 0.9% in 2016 compared with growth rates of 2.0% and more in recent years.

"Historical lows are giving way to a period of recovery", said Ms Pilet. "And we are now seeing a stronger demand for dairy in 2017."
The first cargo into the UK of the worlds most advanced stabilised nitrogen fertiliser has been unloaded in Lincolnshire.

The 3,200t shipment of Alzon neo-N was imported by Gleadell Agriculture. It was manufactured by SKW Piesteritz, Germanys largest producer of ammonia and urea and a specialist manufacturer of stabilised urea products.

The cargo, unloaded on 27 October, is the first of five booked to the end of January to meet rising demand for stabilised urea in the UK.

Although the UK continues to be a favourable location in terms of climate, temperatures are getting higher, with drought and extreme rainfall increasing in the growing season in particular.

Losses in the form of ammonia, nitrate and nitrous oxide, plus the availability of fertilising nitrogen, are becoming an ever greater problem in relation to nitrogen efficiency and adherence to legal regulations.

Growers are turning to the product to cut rising losses to the environment and improve fertilisation efficiency.

Alzon neo-N, a granular 46% N urea fertiliser, is the worlds first integrated all-weather fertiliser. It takes stabilisation technology to a new level, containing two inhibitors to reduce both ammonium and nitrate losses, said Gleadell fertiliser manager Calum Findlay.

These losses are an increasing problem, driven by increasing temperatures and moisture extremes during the growing season, said Mr Findlay.

Trials have shown have shown Alzon neo-Ns integrated inhibitor system can reduce nitrate leaching by up to 50% and nitrous oxide emissions by up to 75%, and prevent ammonia losses almost completely.

'Good for the pocket'

As with some other existing stabilised urea products, Alzon neo-N contains a urease inhibitor, which slows down the conversion of urea to ammonium reducing the risk of losses by volatilisation.

It also contains a nitrification inhibitor that reduces the rate at which ammonium is converted to highly mobile nitrate, which is prone to leaching or being lost to the atmosphere.

This combination ensures a higher proportion of nitrogen is taken up by the plant, which is good for the pocket as well as the environment, says Mr Findlay.

The UK has set ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which will continue to be in place a long time after the UK has left the EU, he added.

Under the EUs National Emissions Ceiling Directive, updated in December 2016, the UK has signed up to reducing five key pollutants, including ammonia.

Detailed within this, the Air Pollution Action Plan, due to be published in 2019, will include an ammonia code, which will contain advice on how farmers can reduce emissions.

Although voluntary, it will be important that high levels of take-up are seen to help the UK to meet its commitments, otherwise regulation may result.

In Germany, legislation is already agreed. From 2020 farmers must either inject urea-based fertilisers or use ones that include an inhibitor to reduce ammonia emissions, said Mr Findlay.

Manufacture of Alzon neo-N began in early summer. Sales have and will remain mainly focused on Germany, but Gleadell is one of a small number of selected partners in a few other countries where Alzon neo-N will be marketed.
A warning has been issued about the dangers sky lanterns pose to animals as Britain prepares to mark Halloween.

Sky, or Chinese, lanterns, can be a popular part of the Halloween celebrations - but the RSPCA has reminded the public that they can be fatal to animals.

The devices - which are lifted into the air via an open flame heat source - can be ingested by animals, or cause entanglement or entrapment. This can lead to livestock suffering injury, stress or even death.

When ingested the sharp parts of sky lanterns can tear and puncture an animals throat or stomach causing internal bleeding.

Lanterns also pose danger as a fire hazard - destroying habitats, and potentially setting animal housing, feed and bedding alight.

NFU chief land management adviser Sam Durham said sky lanterns pose a 'very serious risk' to livestock.

The NFU continues to encourage councils to ban the lanterns in order to ensure that farmers are able to continue their work without worrying about additional, unnecessary dangers, Mr Durham said.

It's important to point out that it's not just farm animals which can be affected. Sky lanterns can cause fires to crops, grassland on moors and bales of hay and straw that have been stacked, which could lead to a loss of buildings.

The NFU has already seen some councils ban the use of sky lanterns and we would encourage more to follow suit.

Last month, a ten-year-old girl created a petition calling for the ban on the sale and use of Chinese sky lanterns. It has now reached 3,000 supporters.

Outright Welsh ban

An outright ban on their use across Wales remains the primary objective for the RSPCA Cymru.

However, they have welcomed considerable progress in recent years, with 17 of Wales 22 Local Authorities having implemented local bans on their release on the land which they control.

Martin Fidler Jones, RSPCA Cymrus political campaigns manager, said: Sky lanterns may look pretty - but, in truth, theyre actually just pretty dangerous.

We know sky lanterns can be a popular part of the Halloween celebrations - but it's important people know they can be fatal to animals. Instead, we urge people across Wales to explore safe alternatives - like stationary candles, nightlights or static lanterns.

Ultimately, what goes up, must come down - and when these lanterns return to land, animals are at risk of ingesting the material, or even entanglement or entrapment. As a dangerous fire hazard, they can also destroy habitats.

The public is being urged to take action, and sign RSPCA Cymrus campaign which urges Councils to implement a ban on their land on the release of sky lanterns - with more than three quarters in Wales now having done so.

The remaining five yet to do so are Ynys Mon, Flintshire, Wrexham, Merthyr and Newport - though the latter is due to discuss the issue at Cabinet level, after full council voted in favour of a ban.
The President of the National Farmers' Union (NFU) has announced that he will stand down by February 2018.

NFU president Meurig Raymond, in an email to NFU council members, said he has decided not to stand for re-election as president of the farming union in February 2018.

Mr Raymond has held two four-year terms as president.

The email by Mr Raymond read: This has been a very difficult decision for me, but it has become increasingly clear that the complex negotiations for the UK to leave the EU will go well beyond the next two years.

I had always been clear that I would not want to serve as an officeholder beyond 2020 and so, for the sake of continuity and consistency throughout this critical period for British farming, I believe it is right that I should step back now rather than in 2020.

Our thinking on Brexit is well-developed, we have built effective alliances across and beyond our own industry and the NFU has built up a significant reservoir of cross-party political support.

We have successfully made the case for this most important of industries and moved food and farming up the political agenda while at the same time the NFU has made, and continues to make, a real difference for its members on so many fronts.

I am passionate about this industry and I look forward to working hard to represent our farmers and growers as NFU president over the next four months.

I will continue to support and champion this great industry in whatever way I can in the coming years.

Successors tipped to be the next NFU president include vice-president Guy Smith and deputy president Minette Batters.
The National Farmers' Union has teamed up with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to improve health and safety within the farming sector.

75 farmers and delegates attended a workshop held in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, which highlighted the importance of a proactive attitude towards minimising risk on the farm.

Discussion focused on ways farmers can take a more preventative approach to health and safety.

NFU Vice President and Farm Safety Partnership Chair Guy Smith opened the event, alongside HSE Chair Martin Temple.

Mr Smith said: By far the most difficult part of my job as NFU Vice President is when the HSE notifies me of fatalities or injuries on farms.

It is particularly disheartening that most of these accidents involve similar and reoccurring circumstances such as working in enclosed spaces with animals or on live machinery.

All industries involve an element of risk that must be managed, but at the moment we recognise the farming sector has a very poor safety record and we are doing all we can to address this.

In most instances, it only takes a bit of thought or simple precaution to make safe what could be a fatal or life-changing situation.

'Unnecessary risk'

Mr Smith said he doesn't believe that farming is inherently dangerous, yet every day farmers are placed in situations of unnecessary risk.

We need to adjust this culture as a matter of urgency, learn from each other and our past mistakes, and start preventing the risk from forming in the first place, he said.

I think younger farmers are leading the way here, and that everyone working in agriculture can learn a lot from their younger counterparts.

Accidents are not inevitable. By sharing ways to prevent or minimise risk with friends and neighbours we can drastically improve the safety record within the farming sector.

In October alone, a North Yorkshire farmer had to be airlifted to hospital following a farm machinery accident where his legs became trapped in the equipment.

An incident on a farm in West Yorkshire led to a man's death following a head injury.

And a crash on the A50, involving a tractor and a combine harvester, closed both lanes of the road in early October, highlighting the need for better road safety education.
Pig farmers concerned with reducing antibiotic use could learn from practises used in the poultry industry to promote herd health, according to an animal health group.

Targets to slash antibiotic use in farming have been announced, with the pig sector facing the biggest task to reduce out of all the sectors.

A reduction in use of antibiotics in pigs by over 60% between 2015 and 2020 was announced.

Antibiotic reduction is a hot topic right now, following the publication of the new targets.

Overall sales of antibiotics to treat and prevent disease in UK farm livestock have achieved a record low following a 27% reduction over the past two years.

Poultry leads the way

In particular, the poultry industry has made huge developments recently, without compromising on health status.

According to Applied Bacterial Control, applying the same principles to the pig sector could provide answers for livestock producers across the UK.

While there is pressure from all angles to cut down on antibiotic usage, its not simple case of just deciding to not use them, explained Richard Turner, director at Applied Bacterial Control.

However, focusing on the microbiome in pigs can be a useful tool in a producers armoury to minimise usage.

Microbiome

The microbiome is the collective name for the microbials that inhabit animals and play a key role in influencing health in livestock.

While there is still much to be discovered about the microbiome in pigs there is a lot that can be learnt from the work of the poultry industry, added Mr Turner.

The key thing we have derived is that the correct balance of bacteria has a direct correlation with improved health status.

Good management practises on farm will encourage the development of good bacteria in the pigs gut  promoting a strong immune system and reducing the need for antibiotics.

Water management

Sows are responsible for the transfer of healthy bacteria to piglets during birth  therefore, its crucial to carefully manage the rearing environment, warned Mr Turner.

Water management is one area to focus on and its important to ensure a clean supply and a cleanable water system is in place. As well as this, pig producers should ensure not only that housing is washed down properly but also the correct products are used to ensure all harmful bacteria is removed.

The use of probiotics is also a useful tool to avoid antibiotic treatment, in combination with short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) to encourage healthy bacteria in the gut.

This can reduce the risk of the development of salmonella and E-Coli bacteria and help to promote a healthy gut flora.

Stress

Stress is an often overlooked factor but can seriously impact the well-being of a herd. One of biggest periods of stress occurs at weaning, explained Mr Turner.

Stress often leads to disruption of the gut and more importantly the microbiome.

While antibiotics are useful as a one-off treatment  with immediate impact on sick animals  its important to take a holistic approach to animal health and management, he urged.
The UK pig industry faces a labour crisis unless the Government takes steps to preserve access to EU workers after Brexit, a new survey has warned.

The National Pig Association (NPA) has published the results of a survey of its farmer members from across the sector.

It confirms that businesses are already suffering problems accessing EU labour as a result of the Brexit vote.

Two-thirds of businesses employing EU labour said it had become more difficult to find EU labour since the vote, while nearly one in three have already seen workers leave.

On Friday (October 27), the association submitted its response to the Migration Advisory Committees (MAC) call for evidence to inform the Governments post-Brexit immigration and labour policy.

The key message from the NPA was that the Government must take steps to ensure that so-called low-skilled permanent EU workers remain accessible to the sector.

The survey received 138 responses from producers of all sizes and systems, pork processors and members of the allied industries.

'Uncertainty'

The survey shows that just over a half of respondents employed at least one non-UK worker, with 24% hiring more than a quarter of their labour from overseas.

Around 90% of businesses are using non-UK labour employed them on a permanent basis, with 94% of non-UK workers coming from the EU.

29% of businesses employing EU labour said at least one EU worker had left since the Brexit vote due to changing circumstances, for example exchange rate and concern over immigration policy.

64% of those employing EU labour said it had become harder to find EU labour since the vote. None said it had got easier.

Nearly half of those employing EU labour said EU workers they employed were considering leaving the UK due to uncertainty over Brexit.

Sourcing labour

The survey also highlighted the industrys fears for the future as the UK plans its departure from the EU.

63% of all respondents are less confident in their ability to source enough labour to meet their requirements than before the Brexit vote, including 40% much less so. 1.5% are more confident.

46% said it would be very difficult or impossible to source all their labour from the UK in future. 11% said it would be very easy, while 42% said it would be possible but not straightforward.

17% said their businesses would not survive without migrant labour, while 28% would have to alter how they operate.

In its submission to the MAC, the NPA said EU workers have provided a "welcome solution" to the historic difficulty of attracting domestic labour for the UK pig sector.

'Low-skilled'

The NPA said the response highlights the "misleading nature" of the official term low-skilled to describe many of the EU workers employed by UK pig farms.

They are anything but low-skilled. Animal husbandry clearly requires a high degree of technical skill but many roles do not require graduate level training, said NPA chief executive Zoe Davies.

The Government has made it clear it wants to restrict permanent so-called low-skilled workers after we leave the EU. The NPA is making the argument in the strongest possible terms lower skilled workers employed in the pig sector should be included on the shortage occupation list and prioritised after we leave the EU.

We are already seeing the effects of Brexit on our ability to secure EU workers and our survey highlights the scale of the crisis this sector faces if we get our immigration policy wrong.

Without the workers, we simply cant produce and process the fabulous British pork enjoyed by millions of consumers. Exporting pork production is in nobodys interest, Ms Davies explained.

'Desirable career'

NPA senior policy advisor Ed Barker said the survey highlighted the difficulties the UK pig sector currently faces in recruiting labour from the UK.

He said farming is not often seen as a "desirable career choice".

Four in every five respondents said farming was not being offered as an attractive proposition by UK educational establishments, while more than half said colleges were not providing employees with the necessary skills.

Mr Barker added: The talent and enthusiasm is out there. It is critical that, as we leave the EU, the agricultural industry works with Government and the educational sector to champion agriculture as a great place to work and to provide the right training and skills to meet the sectors needs.

Worry across industry

Across the farming industry, farmers are worrying about the lack of labour and if it will get worse after the UK leaves the EU.

Farms were nearly a third short of workers in September, a new survey by the NFU has revealed.

The farming union has warned that the supply chain could face "significant disruption" next year unless the government takes action to prevent a shortfall of workers for agriculture.

Another report has stated that there is just less than a year left to put a new seasonal workers scheme in place.

Without such a scheme, the fresh fruit and vegetable sector will face a "catastrophe".

Prime Minister Theresa May has already suggested a seasonal agricultural workers scheme could be reintroduced after Brexit.
World dairy leaders have issued a call for the industry to remain united and embrace the challenge of securing consumer confidence amid a period of anti-dairy activism.

Speaking at the International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit in Belfast, industry leaders from the UK, China, Japan and Australia underlined the importance of communicating effectively with consumers.

Increasingly, Brits are looking for reassurance on the integrity and quality of dairy foods.

It follows news that anti-dairy activism is on the rise in the UK, which led farmers to promote a campaign calling out the benefits of dairy.

Paul Vernon, chief executive of Glanbia Cheese and chairman of Dairy UK, the UK industry trade association, said the world and the dairy sector has "changed massively" over the past 30 years and the way the industry communicates with consumers has changed too.

"Dairy is a superfood and we need to ensure that message is heard loud and clear by consumers who are under a constant barrage of misleading and ill-informed messages about dairy," he said.

'Myths and scare stories'

Tomas Pietrangeli, managing director of Arla UK the world needs more nutritious food, and dairy should be a critical part of the solution.

"However, the myths and scare stories that are being presented about dairy does give the industry a potential crisis and in the UK and Europe we could be facing an existential threat from anti-dairy campaigning," he said.

"We have a bright future, we have the ammunition and we need to play to our strengths. Changing the visual image of milk and focusing on young women is essential in establishing the message that one of the greatest sources of foods is still relevant and part of modern day life.

"It's time to get behind the goodness and time to debunk the anti-dairy myths and unsubstantiated claims."

'Intolerant to milk'

The comments follow news that nearly half of young people say they are intolerant to milk, according to a report published by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

In its latest Food and You survey, which it conducts every two years, the FSA found that 46 per cent of people aged between 16 and 24 reported having an adverse reaction to cows' milk.

This compared with just eight per cent of people over the age of 75 who said they had a problem with milk.

However, Dr Judith Bryans, president of the International Dairy Federation, said the message from across the global sector is "clear" - that the industry must be committed to highlighting the nutritional benefits of dairy and confronting myths that are peddled by the anti-dairy lobby.

"It is a major challenge but one that dairy can rise to," she said.
UK-Australia trade deal 'gave away far too much', Eustice admits
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Nawazuddin Siddiqui APOLOGISES, withdraws his Biography: Here's Why | FilmiBeat

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui recently issued an apology for "hurting the sentiments" of women whose names he had mentioned in his memoir, An Ordinary Life, allegedly without their consent and has decided to withdraw the book.

The 43-year-old actor took to Twitter in the wake of the controversy surrounding his autobiography, co-written by Rituparna Chatterjee, in which he detailed his relationships and flings with former Miss India Niharika Singh and actor Sunita Rajwar.

"I'm apologising to everyone whose sentiments are hurt because of the chaos around my memoir 'An Ordinary Life'. I hereby regret and decide to withdraw my book," he tweeted.

A spokesperson from the publisher Penguin Rand-om House has confirmed to PTI that they were withdrawing the book.

The critically-acclaimed actor drew a lot of flak for revealing personal details about his "passionate" affair with his Miss Lovely co-star Niharika.

Excerpts from the book started doing the rounds on October 23 and Niharika issued a statement a day later slamming Nawaz for "exploiting and disrespecting" a woman to sell his autobiography.

While Rajwar took to Facebook to blast the actor for spreading lies and claiming that she dumped him for his "poor status". "I did not dump you for your poor status but for your poor thinking," Rajwar said. PTI
The taxi revolution

Travelling in a public vehicle in Kathmandu is often taxing, to say the least. Right from when you board the vehicle to when you disembark, the experience is invariably always draining.
Sunita Admits Her Affair With Nawazzuddin

"I am a married woman today. Yes, I was with Nawaz for a period of 6-7 months. But how does that matter after so many years when he is a father of 2 kids and I am a married woman?"

Sunita Is Upset As Nawazzuddin Didn't Inform Her About It

"How dare he writes about me in his book without informing me? Surely I wouldn't have given him permission to do the same but that does not mean that he has a right to write sh** about me. He has caused perhaps an irreparable damage in my life."

Sunita's In-laws & Parents Came To Know About Her Affair

"Look, I am married. I had told my husband about Nawaz before we tied the knot- but I hadn't told the same to my parents or in-laws."

"Who talks about break-ups with parents and in-laws? So, they were not in the know and now I am feeling very embarrassed."

Sunita Feels Humiliated

"If they ask, how can I lie? I am a very straightforward person, but I don't think they will ask. The story is not what they will do; the story is the humiliation he has imparted to me."

Will Nawazzuddin Apologies On National Televison?

"His apology on Twitter is NOT enough. He is not a popular figure on social media. He unabashedly threw out the excerpts of his book in leading publications."

"So now, he should give a public apology in print, websites and national television. Ek twitter pe bolne se kya hoga?"

Sunita Says It Was Not 'Love' From Nawazzuddin's Side

"He was always like this. Telling everything to everyone. You know from my yesterday's FB post that my problem with him was that he was revealing all our personal moments to his friends, who in turn were coming to me and having a good laugh about it."

"Is this how a woman should be treated if you really love her? So surely it was not love from his side."

Why Sunita Fell For Nawazzuddin?

"Look, if you are asking me what brought us close, it was my respect for him. He was senior to me in NSD." That respect blossomed into love? "You can say that," replied Sunita.
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Yeh Hai Mohabbatein : Divyanka Tripathi along with whole starcast celebrated HALLOWEEN | FilmiBeat

Yeh Hai Mohabbatein team is in Budapest and we must say they are having the best days of their lives. The actors are not only shooting for a sequence, but are also having a lot of fun in Budapest.

Recently, we reported as to how the actors are having a blast in Budapest. Also, Aditi Bhatia, who plays the role of Ruhi on the show, turned 18 and had her best birthday with the YHM team. Looks like the team took some time out to put on their spookiest Halloween looks! The actors shared a few pictures from their Halloween party. Have a look . . .
Pfizer's (PFE -1.36%) overall story so far in 2017 has been a mediocre one. The big pharma company's stock is up year to date, but barely half as much as the S&P 500 index. Although Pfizer topped earnings estimates in the first two quarters of 2017, its top-line growth was either weak or nonexistent. But even in the midst of general mediocrity, there has been some good news.

Investors were hoping for more good news when Pfizer announced its third-quarter earnings results before the market opened on Tuesday. And they got some. However, they also received some bad news, along with some so-so news as well. Here's what you need to know the most from Pfizer's third-quarter earnings results.

Bad news

Let's get the bad news out of the way first. Pfizer's essential health segment continued to weigh down the rest of the business. The company reported revenue for the unit of $5.05 billion, down 12% year over year. However, that decline was worsened by the negative impact of Pfizer's divestiture of its Hospira Infusion Systems (HIS) business in February. Essential health's revenue dropped 7% from the prior-year period adjusting out the HIS impact.

Pfizer continues to feel the sting of losses of exclusivity for several products, which caused a 22% year-over-year operational decline in sales in the third quarter. In the U.S., competition for antidepressant Pristiq hurt significantly, while in Europe Pfizer experienced the most pain from loss of exclusivity for Lyrica and antifungal medication Vfend.

Even an area where Pfizer investors had come to expect better results fared poorly. Revenue from sterile injectable pharmaceuticals fell 12% on an operational basis from the third quarter in 2016, primarily due to legacy

Hospira product shortages in the U.S.

There were also at least a couple of notable problems in Pfizer's innovative health segment. Sales for Viagra plunged 31% from the prior-year period to $206 million. Autoimmune disease drug Enbrel continued to face headwinds, with revenue falling 13% year over year to $613 million. And Pfizer's top-selling product, pneumococcal vaccine Prevnar 13, saw a 1% slip in sales to $1.52 billion.

So-so news

Pfizer didn't report a revenue decline in the third quarter, but there was nothing to get excited about with its top line. The company announced total revenue of $13.2 billion, up less than 1% over the same period in 2016. Pfizer's challenges with its essential health segment and a handful of top drugs weighed on its overall revenue.

The drugmaker also provided uninspiring tightening of its guidance for full-year 2017 revenue. Pfizer now expects 2017 revenue between $52.4 billion and $53.1 billion. The company previously guided toward full-year revenue of $52 billion to $54 billion.

Good news

Despite blahs on the top line, Pfizer reported third-quarter earnings of $2.84 billion, or $0.47 per diluted share. That was well above earnings from the prior-year period of $1.36 billion, or $0.22 per diluted share. However, year-over-year comparisons are skewed by the impact of acquisitions and divestitures.

Pfizer's adjusted earnings provide a better sense of the company's progress. Third-quarter adjusted earnings came in at $4.06 billion, or $0.67 per diluted share. That reflects an 8% year-over-year jump for Pfizer's bottom line, and a 10% increase on a per share basis. It also beat the consensus analysts' adjusted earnings estimate of $0.65 per share.

The company also boosted its full-year 2017 earnings outlook. Pfizer now expects adjusted diluted earnings per share of $2.58 to $2.62. Previously, the company projected full-year revenue between $2.54 and $2.60.

Quite a few of Pfizer's innovative health products performed well in the third quarter. Sales for smoking cessation medication Chantix, for example, increased 21% over the prior-year period.

Even some essential health legacy products shined. Lipitor was one of the most impressive, with sales growing 16% year over year. Pfizer's biosimilar to Remicade, branded as Inflectra in the U.S., generated revenue during the third quarter of $112 million, up from $49 million in the same period last year.

Best news

Pfizer's best performers, though, were in a league of their own. Cancer drug Ibrance generated revenue of $878 million in the third quarter, soaring 60% higher than the prior-year period. Sales for rheumatoid arthritis drug Xeljanz jumped 48% year over year to $348 million. Anticoagulant Eliquis, which Pfizer co-markets with Bristol-Myers Squibb, brought in revenue for Pfizer of $644 million in the third quarter, up 43% from the same period in 2016.

The best news of all for Pfizer is in its future. Eliquis, Ibrance, Xeljanz, and prostate cancer drug Xtandi have years of patent exclusivity remaining and plenty of runway for growth. Pfizer's pipeline should provide what CEO Ian Read refers to as "an expected multiyear wave of potential new product launches and product line extensions." Even the current weak link for the company, its essential health segment, should see revenue declines taper off in the next few years.

Pfizer also announced recently that it is considering selling or spinning off its consumer healthcare business. The only mention of this in the company's announcement of third-quarter results was a reminder from CFO Frank D'Amelio that Pfizer is "reviewing strategic alternatives" for the unit. If Pfizer does eventually decide to sell or spin off consumer healthcare, it could be very good news for investors.
Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD 2.72%) shocked investors last quarter by announcing that it would tap the brakes on its 2017 growth forecast due to some drilling issues. That decision, as well as the revelation that wells in the Permian Basin were producing more gas than anticipated, fueled a steep sell-off in the shale driller's stock. While it has recovered some of that loss, it's still down a disappointing 19% this year despite the fact that oil has only fallen about 3%.

One reason the stock remains down is that investors seem worried that the company might disappoint them again when it reports third-quarter results later this week. That's not farfetched since it has already warned that output was lighter than expected due to several unanticipated setbacks. However, an even greater concern is what will happen with the company's long-term growth forecast given some recent changes in the industry.

A sneak peek at Q3

Earlier this month, Pioneer Natural Resources announced that production for the third quarter averaged 276,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOE/D). While that was up 6% from last quarter and was within the company's 274,000 to 279,000 BOE/D guidance range, it wasn't as high as it could have been because the company battled some unexpected headwinds during the quarter.

First, Hurricane Harvey drenched south Texas, which caused producers in the Eagle Ford Shale to shut in production and stop completing new wells. As a result of that storm, Pioneer lost 900 BOE/D during the quarter from that region. Further, Pioneer stated that it had to limit 1,300 BOE/D of output in the Permian Basin due to outages at third-party facilities that fractionate its natural gas liquids (NGLs) by separating them into the various streams such as ethane and propane.

In addition to those two storm-related impacts, Pioneer noted that a third-party natural gas plant that processes its production from the West Panhandle field in Texas into natural gas and NGLs caught fire in mid-September and experienced some unexpected downtime. Because of that, the company had to shut in its production from that entire field, or about 8,000 BOE/D. While the impact for the quarter was only 1,300 BOE/D, and repairs are underway, it could be months before it's back online. Because of that, Pioneer is working to reroute the volumes from this field so that it can resume production.

Overall, these issues lopped 3,500 BOE/D from Pioneer's output during the quarter. If it wasn't for these problems, production would be toward the high end of its guidance range.

No impact on future growth...yet

Despite the low-end result, Pioneer noted in its mid-October production update that it expects full-year output to be within its watered-down guidance range of 15% to 16% above last year's average. That said, this forecast anticipates that Pioneer gets its Panhandle field back online by early November at the latest, and that it doesn't run into any more drilling or storm-related issues.

However, even if the company meets its full-year guidance, there's growing concern that its ambitious plan to increase output by a more than 15% compound annual rate through 2026 -- which would push daily production up over 1 million BOE/d -- might not come to fruition. For starters, the company needs crude to average $55 a barrel to pay for that plan with cash flow, which is below the current price. Meanwhile, investors don't seem to be as excited about how fast a company can increase production as they had been, especially since many rivals are shifting their focus toward growing cash flow and shareholder returns.

For example, Anadarko Petroleum (APC) recently announced plans to return $2.5 billion in cash to shareholders over the next year via share repurchases. One reason Anadarko chose a buyback over accelerating production growth is that it could deliver a meaningful impact without flooding the market with more oil. That's because its repurchase program would boost output and earnings by 10% on a per-share basis.

Meanwhile, Encana (OVV 5.01%) recently shifted its message to shareholders. Last year, the theme of its Analyst Day was that it could boost production 60% in five years. However, this year, Encana's message was that it could grow cash flow at a 25% compound annual rate through 2022. Further, Encana said that its updated five-year plan would generate $1.5 billion in free cash over its lifespan at $50 oil, which the company could eventually return to shareholders. If more producers embrace this mindset shift, Pioneer's focus on production growth might work against it if investors see the company as part of the industry's problem and not a solution.

Don't expect a blowout or bombshell

Because Pioneer Natural Resources pre-announced third-quarter production, it doesn't look like the company's results will contain any surprises. That is unless it unexpectedly decides to back away from its long-term growth forecast due to persistently low oil prices and the shifting focus of its peers from growing output to shareholder returns. That said, a similar shift by Pioneer would be a wise move since investors would rather see the company pull the most value out of its vast resource base instead of just trying to pump out as much oil as possible.
Wow CerrillosHauler59 that sucks that trying to get your rig up and running is all on your dime. I feel for you. As I said could it be done, sure but it takes time and money.It really is going to be how much do you want to spend to try and get it back on the road. Honestly my best advice to you would be to look for another 7.3 that has blown engine that someone has decided to not fix and bought something else or just didnt have the cash to repair or put in a rebuilt 7.3.If you could find a truck same year options with a blown or dead 7.3 in it, you could swap the good from your truck into the other truck including your good engine.Dont get me wrong you could try a cab swap, but the amount of work to rewire everything and then make sure it works before it can be certified to be on the road might make it more costly then to find a good donor truck.There are lots of 7.3's out there that have gone a lot of miles on the engines and are at that point where guys arent willing to rebuild the engine or fix it due to high miles. If you could find one of those or a truck that was written off because insurance thought it was more to repair then it was worth, that would be a good candidate for you to swap your good parts into, I think you'd be better off than a re-wire on your current truck.I am not saying you couldnt do it, but I just think you'd encounter more wiring issues and module issues and as the others have said issues with cab structure strength with the metal from the heat of the fire.You would still need to have donor part from another truck to put into your current truck, so in reality one way or another you would still need to lay your hand on the parts from another truck which would be the cab and all the interior parts, dash , steering column, seats, headliner flooring wiring.I would look for a truck where the engine is toast or one that was totaled by the insurance for the owner ( even theft recovery trucks can be a good choice because usually the thieves are just swiping parts ( and yes engines) I would check Craigslist and auction sites ( some auctions have section for vehicles that are called mechanical salvage where its vehicle that have had mechanical issue or have a dead engine etc and rare in the auction by dealers or insurance companies and yes even repo-ed vehicles )One of the sites I haunt looking for salvage/wrecks is at this linkYou would be amazed at some of the trucks in there ( some I wonder why they are listed and some that really arent that bad) but might be worth looking at. I am sure some of the other guys may have some links or places you could check as well and hopefully they will see this and share them.Now are you going to find one right in you area? Maybe...maybe not. But I would look at different auction sites and in different states as well. One of my neighbours buys trucks at auction and fixes them up, and yes including written off accident vehicles, and he fixes em up gets them inspected and turns around and sells em and makes a good buck doing it. ( he retired ages ago but he does it to keep busy ( tells me the wife says she drives him nuts when he has nothing to do...lol) But I would scan craigslist and auction sites etc.You'd just have to try and look for a truck that's as close to yours and year , vehicle features, gears etc etc etc. Liek I said there are lots of good parts on your truck, but either way you do it, your still going to need a donor vehiclejust my thoughts
YCL demands immediate release of Dhungel

Young Communist League (YCL), youth wing of CPN (Maoist Centre), has demanded immediate release of its leader Bal Krishna Dhungel, who was arrested from Satdobato of Lalitpur on Tuesday.
ESRB does not consider loot boxes to be gambling. While theres an element of chance in these mechanics, the player is always guaranteed to receive in-game content (even if the player unfortunately receives something they dont want).

--Official ESRB statement explaining why these mechanics are good for children

It occurs to me that the ESRB may not understand what an element of chance implies, and some readers may not either. It's actually the case that these systems don't need to have any element of chance. In other cases, the chance is implied to be one rate, and is actually a very different rate. I thought this was a good time to explain what an element of chance means in gaming, and hopefully the ESRB will read this and have a moment of remorse for throwing our children under the bus.

Let's say I send my child, GamerX, to the store to buy a loaf of bread and some other things. I know the bread costs $2 but I gave my child a list of things to buy and equipped them with my debit card. When they get there the store has decided it can make more money on bread by using an element of chance. GamerX is asked to put my card in a slot and then spin on a roulette wheel for the bread. The store could have set up the game in a variety of ways:

Truly Random : In this situation, there are 20 slots, on the wheel, with 10 of them rewarding with a small pretzel. The other 10 reward a loaf of bread. The odds look 50/50 and actually are. If you have to pay $1 per spin, on average you will pay $2 per loaf of bread, but you could pay as little as $1 and as much as...well you might run out of money before you get a loaf. While this system still exists in real regulated gambling establishments, it does not exist in online gaming!

Truly Non-Random : The wheel is set to always give a pretzel the first 5 spins. On the sixth spin a loaf of bread is always awarded. So the price of bread is $12 but only if you made it to the sixth spin. If you quit early, the price was essentially infinite since you paid and only got a small pretzel.

Compounding Non-Random : Here the roulette wheel has 20 slots, and each time it lands, that slot is removed from play. So after 20 tries you will get each item on the wheel exactly once. Since there is only one slot that gives bread, the first spin only costs $0.10. So if it was random, the bread would cost $2 at most. But this is not random, it just looks random. Every spin after the first costs twice as much as the previous spin, and the bread is only awarded on the 20th spin. The cost is $0.10 per spin times (2^X-1) where X is the number of slots on the wheel, which is 20 in this case. So $0.10*(2^20-1) or $104,857.50 for one loaf of bread.

Rigged : There is so much going on here that I'm just going to call it what it is. This is actually the most common version of element of chance in gaming today. Here you see three people ahead of you spin once and get a loaf of bread every time. You are like oh wow, this is going to be easy, the odds of winning appear to be 100%! You don't know that the three people ahead of you were store employees. The buyer is encouraged to keep spinning, thinking the odds must be good, when they actually might be zero, a very small positive number, or a combination of the two.

In gaming this normally looks like a new player starting with four characters/avatars but they only see the first three initially. Then the player spins/opens a wheel or chest and a fourth avatar pops out, and it happens to miraculously be way more powerful than the first three. If the customer is subject to inductive reasoning (almost everyone uses inductive reasoning unless trained not to) they will make the following assumptions:

The best bread comes from inside a box, The odds of getting bread are really high

While #1 is probably true, #2 always is false but is made to look true. Since the odds or payouts are never disclosed (as opposed to regulated gambling) they could be any rate or even zero in a non-random setup.

Psychometric Sandwich : This is today's special and only the biggest players have access to it. Here my debit card was scanned when it was inserted to see how much money I had. Then the odds of winning are set to zero or almost zero until I am almost out of money and then I win automatically. Or if I give up some store employees rush up and win bread on the first try until I go back to gambling for my bread.

While gaming companies can't literally read your bank account, the biggest players are starting to use something called psychometric modeling which allows the developer to predict very accurately your behavior by gathering data from a variety of sources, like your Facebook likes. The technology has gotten amazingly accurate in predicting consumer behavior. While it can't figure out exactly how much money you have (it can get close), it can tell pretty accurately if you will quit after 2 tries, or keep going for 100 spins on the bread wheel. Stores (and casinos) will pay good money to get the latter compulsive bread wheel spinner to walk into their store.

Facebook just happens to have this technology, and for the right price can also send customers to your store. So Facebook is currently the best all in one partner for psychometric modeling. Eventually they really will do it all, and so will the other platform providers, and then this won't be just available to the biggest companies.

...........

So bread prices are skyrocketing for gamers, and they will keep going up as long as there is no regulation. Game developers using elements of chance in their games can do pretty much anything they want. But how can regulators regulate this without actually regulating anything? Well I am sure they consulted with platform holders and major gaming companies prior to making their determination, just like EU regulators did in 2013. Except that EU regulators actually then regulated gaming in the EU.

The ESRB, after talking to industry, told us This isn't the gambling you are looking for, and used their Jedi Mind Trick on consumers. We didn't really need help from our regulators because these elements of chance (which sometimes aren't) are not gambling. They just look like gambling and cause the brains of consumers to act in the same way as gambling. But it's not gambling. Why?

Because you got a pretzel.

So these elements of chance are fine for children of all ages, and there is absolutely no need to warn parents of children about these systems either. If it was possible some parents might object to their children being tricked out of their bread money, then yes a warning would be in order. But no rational parent would object to such wholesome and benevolent content in their children's games, so no need to burden parents with such decisions.

I also heard a rumor that the ESRB has set up a pretzel factory in an undisclosed location.

So what happened in China recently when they required gacha loot box reward payouts and odds to be made public to consumers? Some game developers went to extreme lengths to avoid doing so. Activision Blizzard scrapped their gacha box system completely in Overwatch rather than reveal how it worked. They replaced it with a system of giving a free random gift with every premium currency purchase. So when paid bread spinners were outlawed, they set up a system where you get a free spin on the bread wheel for every $20 you spent on other groceries. Rational shoppers don't buy bread, so there is no chance they might be forcing consumers to buy other groceries to spin on the bread wheel.

Why would Activision Blizzard redesign their game just to move the bread spinner to a different part of the store? They may have had no choice. Asking a company to show their odds implies that those odds don't change, but in games we can change anything we want constantly in response to analytics. This is the hottest thing in the gaming industry right now. So Activision Blizzard might literally have been unable to comply with the regulations because the regulations were created with 20th Century technology in mind and we are way past that now.

So the bread spinner got moved from aisle 3 to the checkout. Problem solved...

I use Overwatch as an example here not because this is the only such product. It is possibly the biggest product and as such it is the alpha trend setter. Other developers will follow the lead of the alpha. Chinese regulators, despite their best intentions, got gamed. American regulators did nothing other than open up a pretzel factory. The next move is on the part of EU regulators, who seem to be approaching the situation cautiously but deliberately. I warned them in 2013 when they summoned me to the ICPEN summit in Panama that they would be playing regulatory Whack-a-Mole with our industry for years to come, and they are finally realizing just what I meant. I am going to pull up a chair and watch the show, while I eat my popcorn. This show has been going on for years now but it can't go on forever. I'm guessing it lasts longer than Benny Hill but not as long as Dr. Who.
The shortest route between Europe and Asia running through Tbilisi opens - GeorgianJournal
Top 10 trending smartphones last week Features oi -Harish Kumar

In the smartphone market there are almost new announcements every week. Hence our top trending list also keeps on changing to keep up with the latest smartphones that create a buzz in the market.

However, as new smartphones hit the market many consumers are also continuously searching for smartphones that in-turn take them to the top of the list of trending phones.

SEE ALSO: Best 6GB RAM smartphones to buy under Rs 30,000

That being said, currently the smartphones that are creating buzz among the consumers are from brands like Apple, Samsung, Nokia, Huawei, Oppo, Xiaomi, and Sony.

The manufacturers have indeed come up with interesting products such as Apple iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and there are a lot more. Meanwhile, apart from the Chinese brands, Nokia smartphones have also been gaining a lot of popularity these days.

Best Battery Backup smartphones under Rs 15,000

In any case, without further ado let's go through the list of the top 10 trending smartphones that have managed to outshine others last week. These smartphones offer the right mix of performance and features as a result of which they are trending in the market right now.

Oppo F5 Key Features

6-inch (2160  1080 pixels) 18:9 FHD+ full-scren 2.5D curved glass display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection

2.5GHz Octa-Core MediaTek Helio P23 16nm processor with 800MHz ARM Mali G71 MP2 GPU

4GB RAM with 32GB storage

6GB RAM with 64GB internal storage

expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD

Android 7.1 (Nougat) with ColorOS 3.2

Dual SIM

16MP rear camera with LED flash, f/1.8 aperture

20MP front-facing camera

4G VoLTE

3200mAh built-in battery Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro Buy At Price of Rs 20,890

Key Features

5.5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD Super AMOLED 2.5D curved glass display

1.6GHz Octa-Core Exynos 7870 processor with Mali T830 GPU

3GB LPDDR3 RAM

64GB internal memory

expandable up to 256GB with microSD

Android 7.0 (Nougat)

Dual SIM

Samsung Pay

13MP rear camera with LED flash, f/1.7 aperture

13MP front camera with LED flash, f/1.9 aperture

4G VoLTE

3600mAh battery Xiaomi Mi A1 Buy At Price of Rs 14,999

Key Features

5.5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD 2.5D curved glass LTPS display, 450nit brightness

2GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 625 14nm processor with 650MHz Adreno 506 GPU

4GB RAM

64GB storage

expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD

Android 7.1.2 (Nougat), upgradable to Android 8.0 (Oreo)

Hybrid Dual SIM (micro + nano/microSD)

12MP rear camera with wide-angle lens

secondary 12MP camera with telephoto lens

5MP front-facing camera

4G VoLTE

3080mAh (typical) / 3000mAh (minimum) battery Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Buy At Price of Rs 67,900

Key Features

6.3-inch Quad HD+ (2960  1440 pixels) Super AMOLED Infinity display with 522ppi, 18.5:9 aspect ratio

Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 with Adreno 540 GPU / Octa-Core Samsung Exynos 9 Series 8895 processor with Mali-G71 MP20 GPU

6GB LPDDR4 RAM with 64GB/128GB/256GB storage

expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD

Android 7.1.1 (Nougat)

Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD)

12MP Dual Pixel rear camera with LED Flash with secondary 12MP camera with telephoto lens

8MP auto focus front-facing camera

4G VoLTE

3300mAh battery with fast charging both on wired and wireless (WPC and PMA) Nokia 7 Key Features

5.2-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) 2.5D curved glass display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection

2.2 GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 630 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 508 GPU

4GB / 6GB LPPDDR4 RAM

64GB (eMMC 5.1) internal memory

expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD

Android 7.1.1 (Nougat), upgradable to Android 8.0 (Oreo)

Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD)

16MP rear camera with dual-tone LED flash

5MP front-facing camera

4G VoLTE

3000mAh built-in battery with fast charging (9V/2A) Apple iPhone X Key Features

5.8-inch (2436 x 1125 pixels) OLED 458ppi Super Retina HD display display

Six-core A11 Bionic 64-bit processor with three-core GPU, M11 motion co-processor

64GB and 256GB storage options

iOS 11

Water and dust resistant (IP67)

12MP wide-angle (f/1.8) and telephoto (f/2.4) cameras

7MP front camera

4G VoLTE

Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery with Qi wireless charging, fast charging Nokia 6 Buy At Price of Rs 14,999

Key Features 5.5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) 2.5D curved glass display with 450 nits brightness, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection

Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 with 64-bit processor with Adreno 505 GPU

4GB LPDDR3 RAM

64GB internal memory

expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD

Android 7.0 (Nougat)

Dual SIM

16MP rear camera with dual-tone LED flash

8MP front-facing camera

4G LTE

3000mAh built-in battery Sony Xperia R1 and Sony Xperia R1 Plus Key Features 5.2-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD 2.5D curved glass display

Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 with 64-bit Mobile Platform with Adreno 505 GPU

2GB RAM with 16GB (UFS) storage (R1), 3GB RAM with 32GB (UFS) storage (R1 Plus)

expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD

Android 7.1 (Nougat), upgradable to Android 8.0 (Oreo)

Dual SIM

13MP rear camera with LED Flash, Exmor Sensor, Predictive Hybrid Autofocus

8MP front-facing camera with Predictive Hybrid Autofocus

4G VoLTE

2620mAh built-in battery Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 Buy At Price of Rs 12,999

Key Features

5.5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD 2.5D curved glass display, up to 72% NTSC color gamut, 1000:1 contrast ratio

2GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 625 14nm processor with Adreno 506 GPU

2GB / 3GB RAM with 32GB storage

4GB RAM with 64GB storage

expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD

MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)

Hybrid Dual SIM (micro + nano/microSD)

13MP rear camera with PDAF

5MP front-facing camera

4G VoLTE

4000mAh (minimum) / 4100mAh (typical) battery Huawei Mate 10 Pro Key Features

6-inch (2160 x 1080 pixels) Full HD+ 18:9 FullView display

Octa-Core Huawei Kirin 970 with 10nm processor + i7 co-processor, Mali-G72 MP12 GPU, NPU

6GB RAM with 128GB storage

4GB RAM with 64GB storage

expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD

Android 8.0 (Oreo) with EMUI 8.0

Hybird Dual SIM (nano SIM + nano SIM / microSD)

20MP (Monochrome) + 12MP (RGB) Dual rear cameras

8MP front-facing camera

4G VoLTE

4000mAh battery with fast charging

Source

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Apple now has another reason to stop using Qualcomm modems in its devices News oi -Vijeta Qualcomm is allegedly holding back the software that Apple needs to test the modems used in its iPhone and iPad prototypes. Qualcomm stopped sharing the software after Apple filed a lawsuit against it

The dispute between two of the biggest technology brands seems to be getting sore with each passing day. The latest reports state that Apple will no longer use Qualcomm's modem chips and instead it will go ahead and use Intel's or MediaTek's chips in its upcoming devices.

The report comes from The Wall Street Journal and this isn't the end of it. Qualcomm is allegedly holding back the software that Apple needs to test the LTE chips used in its iPhone and iPad prototypes. It has also come to light that Qualcomm stopped sharing the software after Apple filed the lawsuit against it. This has not only drawn Apple further away from Qualcomm in professional terms but it has also disrupted Apple's development efforts.

Qualcomm has stated, "The modem that could be used in the next generation iPhone has already been fully tested and released to Apple." Qualcomm also claims that it is committed to supporting Apple's new devices as it does for others in the industry.

Apple and Qualcomm have been giving each other some really hard time and it seems their business relation isn't getting better any sooner.

Qualcomm has faced a lot of trouble lately and the world's leader in chipset manufacturing has been on target for its terms and conditions that benefit it highly. Recently, one of the Taiwanese fair trade association had fined Qualcomm heavily for its term agreements with smartphone manufacturers in Taiwan.

The brand has already faced similar allegations in South Korea and the US as well.

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Evan Blass leaks OnePlus 5T render; elongated design and thin bezels News oi -Chandrika What's interesting is that the wallpaper of this OnePlus 5T is the same as the one seen on the leaked photo shared by Android Authority.

OnePlus 5T has been leaked in renders quite a few times now, but most of them are sketchy. The most recent one was shared by the publication Android Authority, which showed only a part of the phone.

Now, reliable tipster Even Blass has posted an image said to be of the OnePlus 5T. Unfortunately, though, the image shows the top half of the phone. Keeping in with the rumors, the device seems to have an elongated design. Compared to OnePlus 5, the smartphone appears to have a thinner upper bezel. The upper bezel houses only the selfie camera and the earpiece. The power button is placed on the right edge of the OnePlus 5T.

What's interesting is that the wallpaper of this OnePlus 5T is the same as the one seen on the leaked photo shared by Android Authority. This gives some authenticity to the latest leak. Having said that, Evan Blass hardly goes wrong with his leaks or speculations. Hence, we are not that skeptical about his latest leak as well.

Top-half of OnePlus 5T (2.5t? Ha). pic.twitter.com/pmfhdQSgWQ  Evan Blass (@evleaks) October 30, 2017

Going by the information we have obtained so far, the OnePlus 5T will differ with OnePlus 5 mostly in terms of design. For instance, it will have a larger 6-inch display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. Also, the fingerprint scanner will be repositioned to the rear panel as there won't be enough space at the front-side.

As for specifications, OnePlus 5T is expected to come with a larger battery and improved camera department. A larger display needs a larger battery, no surprises there. While the alleged OnePlus 5T camera samples shared by the company's top executives suggest better cameras on the phone.

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Vodafone launches new plan for pre-paid customers News oi -Priyanka The Rs.49 plan gives 1GB 3G/4G data and the Rs 96 is offering 2GB 3G/4G data for 28 days.

India's second largest telecom service provider Vodafone has announced new tariff plans for pre-paid customers in Rest of Bengal circle who wish to join Vodafone's network by availing the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) facility.

Arvinder Singh Sachdev, Business Head, Kolkata and West Bengal, Vodafone India, said, "We, at Vodafone, always try to offer maximum value to our customers, in terms of service, network and price. The West Bengal circle is predominantly a Pre-Paid market. Keeping the wide Pre Paid customer base in mind, we are very pleased to extend Vodafone's value for money offers for pre-paid customers wanting to switch over to the Vodafone network."

The company has launched two plans starting from Rs 299 to Rs 493.

Reliance Jio may launch FTTH service to early next year: Reports

The Rs. 299 plan will provide unlimited Vodafone to Vodafone calls and 1GB 3G/4G data and Rs 493 will offer free 84GB data (1GB 3G/4G data) and unlimited voice calling to any network.

Recently, the company has announced the launch "Bharat2 Ultra" budget smartphone at Rs 999 in partnership with telecom operator Vodafone.

The existing and new Vodafone users will have to buy the smartphone priced at Rs.2,899 and will have to simply do a recharge of at least Rs 150/- per month for three years and at the end of 18 months, users will receive a cashback of Rs. 900/- and after another 18 months, a cashback of Rs. 1,000/- respectively, in their Vodafone M-Pesa wallets, enabling them to transact digitally or withdraw cash, as per their convenience.

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Dunford Hosts Trilateral Meeting With South Korean, Japanese Military Leaders

DoD News, Defense Media Activity

CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii, Oct. 30, 2017  The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff hosted a trilateral conference with South Korean and Japanese military leaders here yesterday.

Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford and his counterparts, South Korean Air Force Gen. Jeong Kyeong-doo and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force Adm. Katsutoshi Kawano, met at the U.S. Pacific Command headquarters.

The leaders focused on trilateral cooperation in Northeast Asia to respond to increasingly provocative actions from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The North Korean leader is persisting in developing nuclear weapons and the missile systems to deliver them. He is continuing this effort in the face of nearly universal condemnation and in defiance of a number of United Nations Security Council resolutions.

This was the fifth trilateral meeting among the leaders since July 2014. The military defense chiefs were joined by Navy Adm. Harry Harris Jr., the Pacom commander; Army Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea and the United Nations Command; and Air Force Lt. Gen. Jerry P. Martinez, the commander of U.S. Forces Japan.

Violations of International Norms

The chiefs of defense exchanged views and information on the North Korean violations of international norms. These include testing a nuclear device on Sept. 3 and missile launches that overflew Japan's Hokkaido island in July. The men "agreed to firmly respond to the acts in full coordination with each other," according to a Joint Staff statement describing the meeting.

In addition, the statement said, the three chiefs also discussed multilateral and trilateral initiatives designed to improve interoperability and readiness. Both Japan and South Korea have mutual defense treaties with the United States, and each country has excellent military-to-military relations with the U.S. military, officials added in the statement.

"They agreed to explore their collective capabilities in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, as well as leveraging their unique competencies in the cyber domain" through the 2016 General Security of Military Information Agreement, the statement said.

'Ironclad Commitment'

The three chiefs called on Kim to stop his provocative behavior, and "walk away from its destructive and reckless path of [weapons of mass destruction] development," the Joint Staff statement said.

For his part, Dunford stressed America's "ironclad" commitment to defend South Korea and Japan, and he reaffirmed the extended deterrence guaranteed by the full spectrum of U.S. military capabilities, including conventional, nuclear and missile defense assets.

The senior leaders vowed to continue to work together on mutual security concerns to enhance peace and stability in the region, the statement said.

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Grandmasters of combat: the 173rd Airborne Brigade's role in Exercise Eagle Strike

By Sgt. David Vermilyea October 30, 2017

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany -- October skies filled with grey clouds hover over skyscraping trees abandoning their red, orange, yellow and purple leaves as the untouched ground below is lightly trod upon by unidentifiable specters carrying heavily camouflaged cold steel. They continue along silently, steadily, motivated. They are armed. They are alert. The specters are ready. They are the Sky Soldiers.

The 173rd Airborne Brigade is constantly training all over the continent of Europe, with the intent of becoming the best it can possibly be. Every year, Sky Soldiers kiss their families goodbye and link up with their brothers and sisters in arms on new adventures to forge bonds with foreign armies and sharpen their unique skills in exciting places.

This week, the Italian-based Sky Soldiers made their way up to Grafenwoehr Training Area, conjoining the German-based Sky Soldiers, to conduct training in Exercise Eagle Strike. It is a time away from the diplomatic hat the Brigade often wears, and a perfect opportunity to build chemistry within the unit.

"We are focusing on platoon and company level collective training, utilizing our internal assets such as the 4th Battalion, 319th Field Artillery, Shadows, Ravens and we have external 12th Combat Aviation Brigade support for AH-64 Apache helicopters," said 173rd Airborne Brigade Battle Captain, Cpt. Fernando Chavez. "We're concentrating on doing collective training, so we can build internal combat power."

"The purpose of this exercise is to execute live-fire iterations, synchronizing direct and indirect fires across our artillery battalion, all the way up to a Table 18, which is essentially firing all of their guns in the entire artillery battalion," said 173rd Airborne Brigade Commander Col. James B. Bartholomees. "Additionally, we're enhancing the ability for our rifle companies to fire and move around terrain, clear buildings, breach wire-obstacles and clear trenches, in conjunction with our mounted elements shooting .50 caliber machine-guns and Mk 19 explosive rounds."

The live-fire exercise is most easily explained by breaking down the combat elements within the Brigade. The simplest way to achieve this is to liken the exercise to a game of chess, with each element representing chess pieces.

First, at the top of the hierarchy, is the king. The objective to chess is to place the king in a position where it must surrender. The king must be protected at all costs; therefore, all the piece movement revolves around the king, which is similar to the command team in a live-fire exercise.

Everything begins with command because everyone under looks to it for guidance.

"The commander has three levels of duties in the exercise," said Bartholomees. "First, it's planning. The commander has to think through the challenges presented in the operation order, work with his leaders to plan direct and indirect fires to mass at his decisive point in the operation. The second part is rehearsals. He must figure out how he is going to put together the pieces to ensure it's going to work. The only way to do that is through practice. The third piece is synchronizing that rehearsal in action."

In this chess metaphor, command is the king, but it also represents the chess master. If command is vanquished, all units under it lose their coordinated effectiveness.

Next, in the order of precedence on a chess board is the queen. The queen is the most deadly and agile piece on the board with an ability to go wherever it desires, and however far it desires, quickly. The closest resemblance to those characteristics is the forward observer, known as the FO, because the FO has the most powerful weapon on the battlefield -- the radio.

The FO is positioned on the front line, embedded with the infantry, which enables him to pinpoint exactly where rounds drop down and accurately give reports to the assets he directs.

"FOs should be one of the most feared elements in your arsenal," said Forward Observer, Sgt. Cory A. Demster of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion 503rd Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade. "If given the chance, we will make it rain like Sodom and Gomorrah. Fire and brimstone will scorch everything the enemy holds so dear."

The radios FOs possess can request and direct air support, artillery and mortar fire. With all three capabilities in its arsenal, the FO is one of the most potent assets for the Brigade.

The next piece on the board is the bishop. The bishop operates under-the-radar, to attack the opponent from the flank, while a more prominent piece can be used as a decoy. The bishop is shifty, sly, stealthy and lethal; similar to scouts in a brigade. For this exercise, the scouts are part of the infantry battalions participating. Infantry scouts are composed of a reconnaissance element and a sniper section.

"The infantry companies have scouts attached in a forward observation post observing fires for the battalion's deep fight -- for the long-range artillery asset," said 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade Fires Support Officer Cpt. Marvin Perez-Cruz.

Their job is to sneak up to the front-lines unseen to provide intelligence to the units who stage the attack, and if necessary, kill the enemy covertly.

"We shoot targets of opportunity, assist in call for fire missions by calling and correcting fires, provide advance reconnaissance before the line companies are emplaced and help the heavy-weapons assets identify targets," said Sgt. Adam L. Spencer, a scout sniper team leader from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion 503rd Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade.

Next to the bishop, is the knight; an unorthodox piece of versatility that is allowed to jump over other pieces, be it their own or the opponent's pieces, acting as a breaching unit and enabling force, providing openings for other pieces to engage.

There are two combat factions that fit the knight's characteristics -- the indirect fire infantrymen (mortars) and the engineers.

Mortarmen are versatile. They can fight in close quarters next to their light infantry brethren and then, at the drop of a hat, can push explosive rounds farther downrange to give the front-line room to maneuver.

"Lethal mortar rounds can be: high-explosive, point-detonating high-explosive and proximity, which allows the air-burst, raining shrapnel onto enemy positions," said Perez-Cruz.

The key to their success is their ability to perform the task at lightning speed.

"Mortars provide that quick-responsive initial fire support on ground, massing fires as fast as possible in order to establish and set the conditions for a support by fire to cease and retain the initiative from the enemy," said Perez-Cruz.

"Expert time for complete setup is one minute," said Mortar Team Leader Pfc. James S. Gillihan of Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade. "You got to get the gun up, because the quicker you get it up, the quicker the rounds go down."

Engineers are versatile as well. They do everything from moving earth to create pathways for vehicles with their heavy-machinery, to sweeping roads, airstrips and fields for mines, to detonating volatile charges on obstructions to the objective.

"Our main role in the live-fire is providing the Sappers to conduct the combined-arms breach," said 54th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 173rd Airborne Brigade Commander Lt. Col. Andrew John Baker. "Bastion and Castle companies are integrated in; they have been training with both infantry battalions."

In this exercise, a concertina-wire blockade occludes all entrances the infantrymen can use to reach the bunker and the trench they must clear after performing an urban assault, so the engineers have prepared the perfect charge to assist them.

"We are using the Brazier charge for this breach, which is a picket with C-4 explosive attached to it," said Baker. "We appreciate any opportunity to work with live demolition and to work next to our infantry brothers. This is a great opportunity for our Sappers to train with them."

The last piece on the back row of a chessboard is the rook. The rook has the capability to attack lengthy distances with a linear approach -- either vertical or horizontal. In that respect, the rook is very similar to two assets on the battlefield -- artillery and heavy-weapons infantry. First, the artillery's Howitzers provide the greatest maximum effective range of all the ground asset weapons with a colossal amount of firepower.

"Our long-range artillery, the 155mm and 105mm guns, allow the artillery commander to shape his deep fight and set the conditions for when he gets to that stage of the operation," said Perez-Cruz.

Within the live-fire, the artillery works jointly with the FOs.

"The forward observers plan targets on the objectives," said 4th Battalion, 319th Field Artillery, 173rd Airborne Brigade Commander Lt. Col. Jim Peay. "When they call in the fire missions, the Howitzer batteries fire on those."

The artillery's ability to destroy far-away targets with precision, enables the front-line to advance.

"We're providing artillery fires for the company of platoons going through the live-fire lanes," said Peay. "Once they're on the objective, if they see they have to plan for enemy reinforcements coming, we can engage those targets as well."

Second, there is the heavy-weapons infantry, which is a company full of infantry Soldiers who operate large machine-guns, automatic explosive guns and anti-tank missile systems. They are all mounted on HMMWVs to provide expeditious fires for their light-infantry brothers.

"Integrating mounted heavy-weapons with dismounted units adds another benefit to this live-fire," said Perez-Cruz. "They have four to five up-armored HMMWV's, M2 .50 caliber and M240B 7.62mm machine guns mounted on gun trucks. They have Tube-launched Optically-tracked Wire-guided (TOW) systems which can destroy tanks and they have ITAZ systems that can laze targets with a categoric two grid with an accuracy of 7-15 meters."

Finally, away from the protection of surrounding pieces, positioned on the front-lines of battle are the pawns. They are the under-appreciated grunts that have the greatest chance of being destroyed. They are used for protection of the other elements and specialize in close-quarter battle. The odds are stacked against them, they are limited in speed, but can move omnidirectionally.

In these regards, the pawn is like the light infantry. The light infantry carries everything on foot and goes through the vilest crevices of the earth to reach the objective.

"In thousands of years of warfare, the only job that has never changed is the infantry," said Grenadier Spc. Riley J. Hines from Charlie (Chosen) Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry, 173rd Airborne Brigade. "At the end of the day you still need the guy on the ground taking and holding terrain because that is ultimately what wins wars. You can name any MOS and I promise its main purpose, above all, is to support the infantry and their mission."

Light infantrymen bring a multitude of assets to the fight.

"In an organic light-infantry squad, you have a few riflemen with M-4 semi-automatic rifles, two M249 machine-gunners and two grenadiers wielding M320 guns that shoot 40mm explosive rounds," said Perez-Cruz. "Then you have the weapons squad that has a M240B machine gun and also the M3 Carl Gustav 84mm weapons that have high-explosive and anti-tank rounds."

Light infantrymen constantly put their lives on the line, running to the bullets, with aim to find, fix and finish with the enemy, so that the rest of the pieces may move forward.

Just as the pawn makes the first move, the light infantry is warfare's vanguard.

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Sustainment community flexes muscle during armor rotation

By Sgt. DJ Borden October 30, 2017

ZAGAN, Poland -- The 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division deployed from Fort Riley, Kansas to seven Intermediate Staging Bases throughout Poland during the 16th Sustainment Brigade's reception, staging, onward movement, and integration of the unit into the European theater.

This marks the beginning of 2-1 ABCT's nine-month heel-to-toe deployment in support of U.S. Army Europe and Atlantic Resolve. The 2-1 ABCT, also known as the Dagger Brigade, is one of U.S. European Command's regionally allocated forces tasked to build the alliance among allied and partner nations and to deter aggression in the European region through multinational training. The Dagger Brigade relieved the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, from Fort Carson, Colorado, after the unit completed its nine-month rotation.

The 16th Sustainment Brigade ensured 2-1 ABCT's smooth transition, integration, and rapid speed of assembly starting late September. The recent implementation of rotational armored brigade combat teams in Europe provides the USAREUR commander with greater flexibility in decision making.

"Our Soldiers are adaptive and empower junior leaders at the lowest level to make decisions that enable 2-1 [ABCT] to meet the 'ready-to-fight' criteria," said Lt. Col. Brian Ketz, 16th Special Troops Battalion commander. "Without our sustainers in place who understand the mission, the context of the operation, and the forward presence of Poland, this would not have been a success."

The RSOI enhances deterrence capabilities in Europe by maintaining armored combat power readiness throughout the duration relief-in-place/transfer of authority process between 2-1 ABCT and 3-4 ABCT. Defense capabilities in Europe remain robust with the persistent presence of U.S. troops spread from the Baltics to the Black Sea. The rotation also tests the speed in which the U.S. Army can deploy an armored brigade to Europe.

The 16th Special Troops Battalion established ISBs to rapidly receive the 2-1 ABCT equipment and personnel. The sustainment brigade's support of 2-1 ABCT at the bases allowed the ABCT to hit the ground running and focus on "ready to fight" tasks instead of having to worry about food, shelter, fuel, and ammunition.

"The ISBs set the stage for the operation and help with speed of assembly and operational reach," Ketz said. "We receive the equipment at the port, and once it's received at the ISBs it's our job to integrate it and prepare it for further onward movement."

Different companies within the 16th STB controlled each ISB. They each had a fusion cell that integrated into 2-1 ABCT's formation, enabling them to work together to complete warfighting tasks.

Before the equipment was received at the ISBs, it first arrived to the seaports. The 39th Transportation Battalion and 330th Transportation Battalion were responsible for tracking movements at the ports in Bremerhaven, Germany and Gdansk, Poland, respectively. The battalions worked with incoming 2-1 ABCT Soldiers at the ports to provide all sustainment requirements necessary for the Dagger Brigade to stage themselves throughout Europe.

Obstacles arose in the deployment of the Dagger Brigade and its equipment, most notably with the 299th Brigade Support Battalion's equipment, due to the effects of Hurricane Harvey at the port of embarkation in Texas.

With the deployment of the BSB's equipment delayed, 2-1 ABCT's armored vehicles that were able to depart before the hurricane were arriving to Europe without organic sustainment.

The battalions of the 16th SB, USAREUR's sole logistics brigade, flexed sustainment capabilities to provide the 2-1 ABCT with an equal level of support that their own BSB would provide despite the unforeseen weather obstacles that occurred at the port in Texas. The 16th SB used their pre-existing equipment and personnel to receive, maintain, and enable the 2-1 ABCT to achieve its warfighting tasks.

Col. Michelle Donahue, commander of the Knights Brigade, said she believes the brigade demonstrated the resiliency of the sustainment community in its actions and adaptability.

"Our plan was to quickly adapt to two hurricanes," Ketz said. "We developed a process that seamlessly integrated the sustainment operation without stopping the 10-day ready-to-fight model."

Capt. Frank Che, 16th SB S-3 Current Operations OIC, worked as a liaison for the brigade during the RSOI. He said the S-3 worked as a buffer and coordinated operations with support from the battalions.

"While we were receiving equipment from 2-1 [ABCT] we also received equipment from 3-4 [ABCT] because they were staging to return stateside," Che said.

Che and his team ultimately pulled double-duty working with the 3-4 ABCT equipment, while traveling from Garlstadt to Bremerhaven, Germany daily to receive equipment from 2-1 ABCT, sending daily reports to track the equipment's movement, and linking units and personnel to distribute responsibilities.

"We coordinated with 2-1, 21st [Theater Sustainment Command] and civilian contractors," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Nolan Bendon, Missile Maintenance Technician of Support Operations, 16th Sustainment Brigade.

Bendon worked with the S-3 providing insight on maintenance requirements. He dealt with many maintenance issues from dead batteries in M1 Abrams tanks to familiarizing civilian contractors with specific types of equipment.

The 16th SB facilitated the movement of approximately 3,500 Soldiers, 400 wheeled vehicles, 140 Bradley fighting vehicles, 80 M1 Abrams tanks, 15 Paladin artillery systems, and more to Poland throughout the integration process.

Signal assets and communication was also vital to the success of the RSOI.

"Once the equipment was on ground my team reacted quickly and we began by putting up the first very small aperture terminal for the supply support activity along with its components, including the combat service support automated information system interface (CAISI), juniper router, and computers," said Sgt. Crystal Moran, unit supply specialist of the 16th SB Automation Support Management Office (SASMO). "It was challenging at first when setting up the VSATs in theater, but once we set up the first [one] through trial and error it became fully operational and the same tactics were used for the remaining fourteen."

Moran and her three team members set up the satellites needed for communication and completed their mission in three days. It was a faster time than last year's RSOI with the 3-4 ABCT, spotlighting the unit's ability to improve on last year's lessons.

The 3-4 ABCT completed their RSOI in ten days with the help of the Knights Brigade. The goal for those who participated in this year's rotation was to achieve "ready to fight" status in an equal or shorter amount of time.

"Our emphasis is getting ready to fight," said Capt. Joseph Laplante, commander of Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment. "Our tanks are going straight from the railhead to the range to certify that they are ready to fire."

Laplante said he believes as more armored brigades rotate to Europe, the timing will improve with each step in the logistics pipeline.

"I think it's phenomenal that you have U.S. Soldiers working with Polish civilian dockworkers offloading our equipment without accident or injury," said Capt. Douglas Ritchie, 16th SB S-3 Operations. "Everything went pretty smooth."

Ritchie worked in the fusion cell at Bremerhaven and witnessed firsthand the hard work and contributions of the 16th SB and 2-1 ABCT. He said the integrated operation within the fusion cell was an improvement on last year's RSOI due to the speed at which problems could be solved.

The 16th SB and 2-1 ABCT worked together during the RSOI, receiving quality training and improving unit proficiency. With the help of the Knights Brigade the 2-1 ABCT is "ready to fight" and ready to continue the support of a Strong Europe with multinational Allies and partners.

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Kenyan President Kenyatta wins 98 percent of vote in repeat election

Iran Press TV

Mon Oct 30, 2017 07:19PM

Incumbent Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has been declared the winner of the east African country's election re-run, amid fears of further violence in flashpoint opposition strongholds.

Kenya's electoral commission announced on Monday that Kenyatta had garnered 98.2 percent of the vote in the October 26 repeat presidential election, in which the voter turnout was almost 39 percent of the 19.6 million registered voters.

Wafula Chebukati, chairman of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), said the incumbent president had received 7,483,895 votes from a total of 7,616,217 cast ballots.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga, who had boycotted the Thursday protest-hit election, collected 73,228 votes, less than one percent of the ballots cast.

Odinga accused the IEBC of not implementing reforms to prevent widespread procedural irregularities and mismanagement that had culminated in the annulment of the initial vote in August. The opposition leader won 44.7 percent of the vote after Kenyatta in the previous round that saw a turnout of nearly 80 percent.

In his victory speech on Monday, Kenyatta once again that his triumph in the original August 8 election was legitimate and that dialogue over political peace and stability in the future would have to wait if the opposition was going to file lawsuits again.

"My victory today is just part of a process that is likely to once again be subjected to a constitutional test through our courts ... I will submit to this constitutional path regardless of the outcome," Kenyatta said.

"Those who are going to ask me: 'Are you going to engage in dialogue?' ... Let them (the opposition) first and foremost exhaust all their constitutional options," he noted.

The incumbent president also reiterated that his victory was a "revalidation" of the people's will after a vote that had already been branded by Odinga's supporters as a farce.

Prior to the announcement of the election results, Kenyan police stepped up security in flashpoint areas in the country's west, including the capital Nairobi's slum of Mathare and the coastal city of Mombasa.

Shortly after the announcement, demonstrators began burning tires in the western city of Kisumu as well as in Nairobi's Kibera slum, according to reports.

At least nine people have been killed by gunshot wounds and beatings by police in the post-election violence since Thursday, taking the death toll since the first presidential election in August to 49.

The turmoil over the election has been polarizing the nation and hampering growth in East Africa's most vibrant economy. Kenya is also considered a major regional trade hub and a key security ally for Western countries.

The European Union has called on Kenyan security forces to provide protection to all citizens and avoid the excessive use of force.

A decade ago, some 1,200 Kenyans were killed in violence after another disputed poll.

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Millions of Yemenis in desperate health situation, warns MSF

Iran Press TV

Mon Oct 30, 2017 06:51PM

The international medical charity Doctors Without Borders has warned that millions of Yemenis face a "desperate" health situation on top of the ravages of war as Saudi Arabia continues its military aggression against its impoverished neighbor.

Doctors Without Borders, known by the French acronym MSF (Medecins Sans Frontieres), warned on Thursday that thirty months of war have had a devastating effect on lives of civilians, including a large number of children.

"Thirty months of war, high prices for consumer goods and unemployment have had a massive impact on people," MSF said, adding that a "great number of children" suffered from malnutrition.

Meanwhile, Ghassan Abou Chaar, head of the MSF mission in Yemen, said in a statement that "millions of Yemenis who cannot access primary health care (are in a) desperate situation."

According to MSF, health workers have not been paid for the past 13 months across the conflict-ravaged country.

Mark Lowcock, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), who visited the Middle East's poorest country last week said "it has been shocking to see the terrible impact of this man-made conflict."

The United Nations has already described the ongoing conflict in Yemen as the "largest humanitarian crisis in the world." The war has left seven million people at risk of famine and an estimated 17 million, or about 60 percent of the overall population of the country, food insecure.

On Sunday, the World Food Programme (WFP) said that food was being used as a "weapon of war" in Yemen at a time when millions of people faced an impending famine in the country.

Saudi Arabia has been incessantly pounding Yemen since March 2015 in an attempt to crush the popular Houthi Ansarullah movement and reinstate the former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a staunch ally of the regime in Riyadh.

Recently, the United Nations added Riyadh and its allies to a blacklist for the "killing and maiming of children."

Riyadh's deadly campaign has seriously damaged Yemen's infrastructure. Local Yemeni sources have put the death toll from Saudi airstrikes at over 14,000 people.

Another 2,100 people have died of cholera since April as hospitals struggle to secure basic supplies across the country.

Yemen's army spokesman, Brigadier General Sharaf Luqman, has recently said that Saudi Arabia's massive bombing campaign with poison gas is to blame for the humanitarian crisis and cholera epidemic in the Arabian Peninsula country.

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Bahrain FM calls for freeze on Qatar's GCC membership

Iran Press TV

Mon Oct 30, 2017 05:18PM

Bahrain has called for Qatar's membership of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council to be suspended until it accepts the demands of its neighbors as a diplomatic standoff continues between Doha and a Saudi-led group of nations.

Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifah said on Twitter on Monday that Manama would not attend GCC meetings alongside Doha. "The correct step to preserve the GCC would be to freeze Qatar's membership until it sees reason and accepts the demands of our countries. If not, we will be fine with it leaving the GCC."

Later on Monday, Bahraini King Sheikh Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifah also announced during a cabinet meeting that his country would not take part in any future GCC meeting if Qatar was to attend.

"Qatar has proved today that it does not respect charters, treaties and bonds upon which the GCC was founded," the king said, cited by Bahrain's official BNA news agency.

The king also accused Qatar of undermining the security of other GCC member states.

"So long as Qatar continues on this path, Bahrain will not attend any [Persian] Gulf summit or meeting in the presence of Qatar unless it rectifies its policy and accepts the demands" of the Saudi-led bloc, he said.

The remarks come as GCC members are scheduled to meet before the end of the year, but the Gulf crisis could see the bloc's annual meeting postponed or cancelled.

Back in June, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and the UAE imposed a trade and diplomatic embargo on Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism, an allegation strongly denied by Doha.

The Saudi-led quartet presented Qatar with a list of demands and gave it an ultimatum to comply with them or face consequences. The demands included closing the Al Jazeera broadcaster, removing Turkish troops from Qatar's soil, scaling back cooperation with Iran, and ending ties with Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood movement.

Doha, however, refused to meet the demands and denounced them as unreasonable.

In an interview aired on Sunday, Qatar's emir accused Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies of seeking to topple his government. He also warned that any military action against the Persian Gulf country would plunge the region into chaos.

"They want a regime change. It's ... so obvious," Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani told CBS's 60 Minutes. "History as well tells us, teaches us. They tried to do that before, in 1996 after my father became the emir. So, and they made it also so obvious in the last couple of weeks."

Experts have warned that the nearly five-month-long diplomatic crisis could lead to the GCC's demise.

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Trump distances himself from Manafort: 'No collusion' with Russia

Iran Press TV

Mon Oct 30, 2017 05:00PM

US President Donald Trump has distanced himself from his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort who was indicted with conspiracy against the United State and other charges as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

Shortly after the indictment was announced on Monday, the president took to Twitter to say the charges belonged to misdeeds that happened "years ago." Trump also denied that there was any collusion between his campaign and the Russians.

The president also tried to deflect attention by asking why Hillary Clinton, his Democratic rival in last year's election, and other Democrats were not the focus of the Russia inquiry.

"Sorry, but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????" he tweeted.

"Also, there is NO COLLUSION!" the president added.

Manafort, 68, arrived at the FBI's Washington field office on Monday morning and surrendered to federal law enforcement authorities.

Manafort and his longtime business associate Rick Gates are facing a total of 12 charges, which also include conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading statements and violating federal lobbying and banking laws.

The charges are related to work done by Manafort and Gates on behalf of a pro-Russia political party in Ukraine.

Trump and his legal team have tried to discredit Mueller and his investigation about alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.

'Charges have nothing to do with Trump'

The White House said Monday that the charges against the two former campaign officials were not connected to Trump's campaign or his presidency.

The charges had "nothing to do with the president, nothing to do with the president's campaign or campaign activity" and proves there is "no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion," said Press Secretary Sarah Sanders.

Sanders also said there is "no intention or plan to make any changes in regards to the special counsel" when asked about the possibility of Mueller being fired.

"We have been saying from Day 1 there has been no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion, and nothing from the indictment today changes that at all," she said.

Democrats warn Trump against meddling

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer warned the president not to interfere with the Russia investigation after Manafort was indicted.

"The president must not, under any circumstances, interfere with the special counsel's work in any way. If he does so, Congress must respond swiftly, unequivocally, and in a bipartisan way to ensure that the investigation continues," Schumer, Democrat of New York, said in a statement.

Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, also called on Congress to take steps to protect the "independence of the special counsel."

"Members of Congress ... must also make clear to the president that issuing pardons to any of his associates or to himself would be unacceptable, and result in immediate, bipartisan action by Congress," Warner added.

Another senior Democrat, Senator Dianne Feinstein of the Judiciary Committee, said she would "continue to support Bob Mueller as he follows the facts  his independence must remain sacrosanct."

"Congress must get to the bottom of possible obstruction of justice and collusion as well as Russia's interference with our democratic institutions," Feinstein said.

In addition to Mueller's investigation, several congressional panels, including the Senate Judiciary and Intelligence committees, are looking into allegation of Russia's interference.

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Spain chief prosecutor files rebellion charges against Catalan leaders

Iran Press TV

Mon Oct 30, 2017 04:42PM

Spain's chief prosecutor says he is seeking criminal charges against Catalonia's ousted leaders following the region's declaration of independence from Madrid.

Jose Manuel Maza said on Monday that his office would seek charges of rebellion, sedition and embezzlement against members of Catalonia's deposed secessionist government after the region's disputed independence bid threw the country into political turmoil.

Speaking at a press conference, Maza said the leaders had created "an institutional crisis that culminated with the unilateral declaration of independence made with total contempt for our constitution on October 27."

The chief prosecutor said he had filed criminal complaints of 118 pages with the Spanish High Court and Supreme Court, which will consider the charges against a range of senior Catalan figures, including ousted president Carles Puigdemont and all members of his former cabinet.

Maza stopped short of ordering the immediate arrest of Puigdemont and others in Catalonia, but said they would be summoned to appear in court in the coming days.

Catalonia's separatist leaders could land in jail for up to 30 years if found guilty.

The Monday announcement came as Catalan officials and civil servants defied instructions from Madrid and returned to work for the first time since Spain sacked the separatist regional government and imposed direct control.

Meanwhile, Spanish government sources said that Puigdemont, accompanied by others from his former administration, was in Brussels, amid calls for him to be charged with rebellion over his drive for Catalan independence.

The Belgium Immigration Ministry had earlier suggested that Puigdemont could receive asylum in the European country on the grounds that he might not get a fair trial in Spain, saying it was "not unrealistic" that Belgium could offer protection to the 54-year-old leader.

Spain has been in turmoil since the Catalan independence referendum that took place on October 1 and was declared by Madrid as illegal. Puigdemont claimed that 90 percent of the voters in the referendum had backed secession, but the turnout had been put at only 43 percent.

Tensions have been running high between Madrid and the autonomous region after the declaration of Catalonia's independence on Friday.

Speaking during a televised speech later on that day, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said his cabinet had dismissed the regional president and parliament and ordered regional elections to be held on December 21.

Apart from removing the Catalan president, the Spanish premier also fired the region's police chief and ordered central government ministries to take over the Catalan administration.

In reaction to Madrid's move, the main secessionist group, the Catalan National Assembly, urged civil servants to respond with "peaceful resistance" and disobey the Spanish government's orders.

The independence movement in the region argues that Catalonia has an identity distinct from Spain, granting its people the moral, cultural, economic and political right to self-determination.

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15 Afghan policemen killed in separate Taliban attacks

Iran Press TV

Mon Oct 30, 2017 03:39PM

A total of 15 police officers have been killed in the east and south of Afghanistan in separate attacks by the Taliban militant group.

Nine policemen were killed Monday in an attack by the Taliban on a checkpoint in eastern Ghazni province.

Arif Noori, spokesman for the provincial governor, said police forces in the area engaged in a shoot-out with the militants, killing seven of them and injuring five others. He said four police officers were also injured in the battle that lasted an hour.

The attack was the second by the Taliban in less than 24 hours. Militants of the group targeted another police checkpoint in the southern province of Zabul late on Sunday. The clashes that erupted afterwards left six police officers dead while eight others were injured. Local officials said eight militants were also killed in the confrontation while 12 others were injured.

Meanwhile, there were reports of a bomb blast in a market in northern Baghlan province, which injured 13 people on Monday. There has been no claim of responsibility.

The Taliban, which ruled Afghanistan before the US-led invasion in 2001, have increased attacks on security forces and foreign troops over the past two years.

The group, mostly based in the south and east of Afghanistan, has been behind many attacks in the north of the country in the recent past.

Afghanistan still suffers from continued violence despite the presence of thousands of foreign troops in the war-torn country.

Some 200 people have been killed in attacks by the Taliban across Afghanistan this month.

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Trump ex-campaign manager charged with conspiracy against US

Iran Press TV

Mon Oct 30, 2017 01:57PM

The former campaign manager for US President Donald Trump, Paul Manafort, has been charged with conspiracy against the United States as part of the Russia inquiry.

Manafort arrived at the FBI's Washington field office on Monday morning and surrendered to federal law enforcement authorities.

The 68-year-old is facing a total of 12 charges, which also include conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) statements and violating federal lobbying and banking laws.

The charges stem from the investigation of Justice Department special counsel Robert Mueller into alleged Russian interference in last year's US presidential election.

Manafort's former colleague and longtime business associate Rick Gates is facing the same charges. Gates, 45, also surrendered to federal authorities.

Manafort and Gates plead not guilty

Manafort and Gates appeared in federal district court in Washington after turning themselves in earlier in the day. The pair pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against them.

Manafort ran the Trump campaign from June to August of 2016, and served as his deputy on the campaign. He had resigned amid allegations that he received millions of dollars in illegal payments from a pro-Russian political party in Ukraine.

Gates has been a business partner of Manafort for a long time and allegedly has ties to the same Russian and Ukrainian oligarchs.

American intelligence agencies claimed in January that Russia interfered in the 2016 US presidential election to try to help then Republican candidate Trump defeat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

The intelligence agencies said Moscow's interference included a campaign of hacking and releasing embarrassing emails, and disseminating propaganda via social media to discredit her campaign.

Mueller, a former director of the FBI, is investigating whether Trump election officials cooperated with those Russian efforts.

Sources familiar with Mueller's investigation said he has used his broad authority to investigate links between Trump associates and foreign governments, as well as to determine whether the president or any of his aides tried to obstruct justice.

Trump has repeatedly denied allegations that his campaign colluded with Russians and has condemned the investigations. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also denied the allegations.

Mueller was appointed by the US Justice Department to lead the probe a week after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, who was leading a federal investigation into possible Russia collusion.

Trump has denounced the federal investigation led by Mueller as a "witch hunt."

Just two days after reports that a grand jury approved the first charges in the investigation, Trump took to Twitter on Sunday to condemn the probe, as well as the Democratic Party.

"Instead they look at phony Trump/Russia, collusion, which doesn't exist. The Dems are using this terrible (and bad for our country) Witch Hunt for evil politics," Trump said.

He also said it was not a coincidence that news surrounding Mueller's investigation was surfacing at the same time Republicans were pushing tax reform.

"All of this 'Russia' talk right when the Republicans are making their big push for historic Tax Cuts & Reform," Trump tweeted.

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10 villagers killed in Cameroon in suspected Boko Haram attack

Iran Press TV

Mon Oct 30, 2017 01:52PM

A suspected raid by terrorists of Nigeria-based Boko Haram Takfiri group has left at least 10 people dead in a village in neighboring Cameroon.

The army and local officials in northern Cameroon said Monday that the attack, which took place in Gouderi village at 11 p.m. on Sunday, was presumably carried out by Boko Haram in retaliation for operations by Cameroon's army against the group.

"It looks like revenge because the army killed Boko Haram members in this village and forced others to retreat to Nigeria," said an army source.

Another senior source in the army said 11 villagers were killed after militants blitzed the village. However, local officials put the death toll at about 10.

More than 20,000 people have been killed and some three million displaced since Boko Haram launched its insurgency in Nigeria in 2009.

The attacks swiftly spread to neighboring countries of Chad, Niger and Cameroon -- the three countries that have contributed to a regional anti-militant drive in Nigeria.

Boko Haram extremists, who are mostly based in areas to the north of Nigeria, have also taken shelter in neighboring countries to reorganize and resume attacks in Nigeria's Borno state and other regions.

Cameroon's semi-arid Far North region, where the Sunday attack took place, has been among the main territories targeted in Boko Haram attacks over the past eight years.

The Nigerian military claims that Boko Haram has become a spent force as a result of massive military operations that started in 2015. However, government forces have struggled over the past months to contain an increasing number of attacks by the group, especially those affecting civilians in crowded urban places.

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Abbas says Hamas ministers must recognize Israel: Report

Iran Press TV

Mon Oct 30, 2017 10:26AM

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has reportedly said he would not appoint officials from the resistance movement Hamas to his cabinet if they did not openly and publicly recognize Israel.

Abbas made the remarks in a meeting with former Israeli lawmakers visiting his party's headquarters in Ramallah on Sunday, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported, citing a member of the delegation.

Earlier this month, Hamas reached a national reconciliation deal with Abbas's Fatah party with the aim of ending a decade-long political rift mainly over the governance of the Gaza Strip.

The deal has enraged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has said the Israeli regime would not accept "imaginary appeasement where the Palestinian side is reconciling at the expense of our existence."

After the deal was reached, Netanyahu demanded that the new government recognize Israel, dismantle the military wing of Hamas and cut ties with Iran.

The US has echoed the demand, saying any Palestinian government must "unambiguously and explicitly" adhere to certain "basic requirements," namely recognizing Israel.

Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, has said the organization will not disarm, recognize Israel or cut off ties with Iran. "The discussion is no longer about recognizing Israel but about wiping Israel out," he said this month.

Fatah and Hamas have been at odds ever since the latter scored a landslide victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006.

Since 2007, Hamas has been governing Gaza, with Fatah based in the autonomous parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The two rival Palestinian factions finally agreed on a unity government in April 2014, but it fell apart months later.

In his Sunday's remarks, Abbas criticized Netanyahu for preventing progress toward peace, Haaretz reported.

According to one member of the Israeli delegation, Abbas "was very agitated" and said Israel would not allow progress toward a solution which envisaged the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

"Netanyahu doesn't want to renew the peace process, he thinks I'm going to stay here and guard the occupation," Abbas reportedly said.

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Millions at risk of starvation in conflict-torn areas of DR Congo: WFP

Iran Press TV

Mon Oct 30, 2017 09:35AM

The United Nations food agency has appealed for urgent aid to avert a humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where more than three million people are at risk of starvation.

David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Program (WFP), warned that several hundred thousand children will die in the next few months in the province of Kasai "if we don't get first funds, and then second food, and then third access in the right locations."

"We need help, and we need it right now," he said. "If we wait another few more weeks before we receive funds to pre-position food, I can't imagine how horrible the situation is going to be."

According to him, the WFP had only one percent of the funding it needed to help people in the conflict-ridden province.

"Our teams are out in the field, we saw burned huts, burned homes, seriously malnourished children that had been stunted, obviously many children have died already," he said.

Violence began in Kasai last year when a traditional chief, known by his title Kamuina Nsapu, openly challenged the authority of President Joseph Kabila's government.

He set up a militant group but was killed in a police operation in August 2016. His death, however, was not the end of clashes as more and more people joined the fighting, which has now spread to five provinces.

More than 3,000 people have so far been killed.

Back in March, militants killed at least 40 police officers in an ambush in Kasai.

They also killed two UN workers, a Swede and an American, after abducting them in the same region in March.

The UN, which has discovered dozens of mass graves in the area, accuses both security forces and the militants of gross human rights violations.

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Former Trump Campaign Chairman, Business Associate Plead Not Guilty To Charges In Russia Probe

RFE/RL October 30, 2017

U.S. President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, and his associate Rick Gates have pleaded not guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States in their dealings with Ukraine.

Manafort and Gates appeared in federal court in Washington and pleaded not guilty to all charges against them after turning themselves into authorities earlier on October 30.

A federal judge ordered home confinement for both men and set bond at $10 million for Manafort and $5 million for Gates.

They were indicted by a federal grand jury on 12 counts including conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, acting as an unregistered foreign agent, making false statements, and several charges related to failing to report foreign bank and financial accounts.

Court documents unsealed on October 30 also showed that George Papadopoulos, a former foreign policy adviser for Trump's presidential campaign, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia.

The indictment is the first to stem from Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible collusion by associates of Trump.

"Today's announcement has nothing to do with the president, has nothing to do with the president's campaign or campaign activity," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told a news briefing.

She also said that the indictment shows no evidence of collusion between Trump's campaign and Russia.

The spokeswoman added that Papadopoulos's role was "extremely limited" in the campaign, saying he was in a "volunteer position" and "no activity was done in an official capacity."

Despite an indictment that included alleged activities taking place as recently as this year, Trump tweeted that "this is years ago, before Manafort was part of the Trump campaign."

In a separate tweet, he said: "Also, there is NO COLLUSION."

He asked why "the focus" was not on what he suggested was wrongdoing by his presidential election opponent, Hillary Clinton, and the Democratic Party.

The indictment against Manafort and Gates said that they "generated tens of millions of dollars in income" from work they did for Viktor Yanukovych, the Moscow-friendly politician who was president of Ukraine from 2010-14, the Ukrainian government, Yanukovych's Party of Regions, and the Opposition Bloc, a successor party formed after Yanukovych was driven from power by pro-European protests and fled to Russia.

The indictment alleges that "in order to hide Ukraine payments" from U.S. authorities, Manafort and Gates "laundered the money through scores of United Sates and foreign corporations, partnerships, and bank accounts" from about 2006 through 2016 at the earliest. It said that they also hid their work and revenue as agents of Ukrainian political parties.

Court papers said that Papadopoulos, through his "false statements and omissions," had "impeded the FBI's ongoing investigation into the existence of any links or coordination between individuals associated with the campaign and the Russian government's efforts to interfere with the 2016 presidential election."

Mueller, a former FBI director, was appointed as special counsel in May to lead the Justice Department's investigation, which is conducted in parallel with U.S. congressional probes.

U.S. intelligence officials concluded in January that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an "influence campaign" targeting the 2016 election in the United States, aiming to undermine confidence in U.S. democracy, tarnish the reputation of Trump's rival, Hillary Clinton, and help Trump.

Russia denies meddling in the election, despite substantial evidence. Trump, who won the election on November 8, denies there was any collusion between his associates and Moscow.

As part of his probe, Mueller has scrutinized Manafort's role in the Trump campaign as well as his dealings in Ukraine.

Manafort stepped down as Trump's campaign chairman in August 2016, following reports about his lobbying work for Yanukovych's party and failure to register as a foreign agent. He has denied any wrongdoing.

FBI agents raided Manafort's home in July and prosecutors warned him at the time that they planned to indict him, prompting speculation that he might try to reach a deal with U.S. authorities to avoid prosecution.

Trump's lawyer, Ty Cobb, told The New York Times last week that there was no concern that Manafort might offer damaging information about the president in exchange for such a deal.

Manafort has handed over files to the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Senate and House Intelligence Committees for their respective Russia investigations.

The files reportedly include notes he took during a meeting with Donald Trump Jr., the president's son, and a Russian lawyer in June 2016.

Reports said e-mails from Trump Jr. show that the meeting was set up to discuss potentially damaging information about Clinton.

With reporting by CNN, The New York Times, Reuters, AP, and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/manafort- surrender-u-s-authorities-mueller -trump-ukraine/28824021.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.

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Guilty Plea By Former Trump Campaign Aide Ratchets Up Pressure On White House

Mike Eckel October 30, 2017

WASHINGTON -- If President Donald Trump has anything to worry about with the unfolding investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, it may not necessarily be from the newly issued indictments against his former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, and an associate.

It may be in the guilty plea from another, lower-level campaign adviser.

According to court documents released on October 30, that official, George Papadopoulos, said he met and communicated with Russian officials during the campaign and in at least one instance was told Russia had "thousands of e-mails" belonging to Trump's Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. He also claimed that he had met with the niece of Russian President Vladimir Putin in London in early 2016.

The admissions from Papadopoulos, who was arrested in July, charged with lying to FBI agents, present some of the strongest evidence to date about links between Trump associates and Russian officials -- and possible collusion. Court documents say he has been cooperating with U.S. law enforcement.

Despite Trump's repeated denials of any collusion or improper contact with Russian officials, the issue has dogged his presidency since even before he took office. Just weeks before his inauguration, the U.S. intelligence community released a report that concluded that Russia had engaged in a hacking-and-propaganda campaign seeking to influence the 2016 presidential race.

Papadopoulos's statement "shows that a Trump campaign adviser was told early on that the Russians had dirt on Clinton in the form of thousands of e-mails. He lied about it when questioned, and was taken to task," Norm Eisen, who served as President Barack Obama's special counsel and special assistant from 2009 to 2011, told RFE/RL. "It's another piece of the puzzle of how the campaign may have worked with Russia to affect our elections."

At least three different congressional committees are investigating aspects of possible Russian meddling and interactions with Trump associates.

Mueller, backed by a team of criminal prosecutors, has pushed forward with his investigation and issued his probe's first indictments, unsealed on October 30, of Manafort and his longtime business partner, Rick Gates, on charges of conspiracy against the United States and other financial crimes. Manafort has denied any wrongdoing.

On January 27, 2017, FBI agents looking into links between the Trump campaign and the Russian government interviewed Papadopoulos, who had joined the Trump campaign in early March 2016. At that time, Trump was not yet the nominee for the Republican Party.

During that interview, according to the guilty plea filed in U.S. federal court in Washington, D.C., Papadopoulos lied to the agents about the nature and timing of meetings he had in early 2016 with Russian citizens in London. Lying to a federal agent is a felony in the United States.

Papadopoulos's whereabouts were not immediately clear on October 30. His lawyers, Thomas Breen and Robert Stanley, issued a statement saying: "It is in the best interest of our client, George Papadopoulos, that we refrain from commenting on George's case."

Papadopoulos's profile on the social-networking site LinkedIn lists his former profession as "Advisor- Donald J. Trump for President" and lists the dates March 2016 to January 2017. It also includes a short endorsement from Trump.

According to the federal court documents, Papadopoulos met in London on April 26, 2016, with a man identified only as "the professor."

Papadopoulos told agents that the professor was "nothing" and "just a guy talk[ing] up connections or something." But he later acknowledged that he knew the man had "substantial connections to Russian government officials."

"Over a period of months, defendant Papadopoulos repeatedly sought to use the professor's Russian connections in an effort to arrange a meeting between the [Trump] campaign and Russian government officials," the court papers said.

On March 24, 2016, at least two weeks after being named to Trump's foreign policy campaign team, Papadopoulos met in London with "the professor," along with the Russian ambassador and an unnamed Russian woman.

It wasn't immediately clear who the unnamed professor or the Russian woman were, though at least one e-mail quoted in the court documents makes mention of the Valdai Discussion Club, a high-level, Kremlin-backed policy forum that brings together academics and policy experts from the West and Russia.

Papadopoulos told Trump campaign officials in an e-mail that the woman was Putin's niece, something he later learned was not the case, according to the documents.

In a series of e-mails exchanged in April 2016, Papadopoulos wrote to the Russian woman, asking about setting up a "potential foreign policy trip to Russia."

On April 11, 2016, the woman responded to Papadopoulos, saying: "I have already alerted my personal links to our conversation and your request.... As mentioned we are all very excited by the possibility of a good relationship with Mr. Trump. The Russian Federation would love to welcome him once his candidature would be official announced," according to the court papers.

On April 26, 2016, Papadopoulos met "the professor" at a London hotel, where he told Papadopoulos that he had just returned from a trip to Moscow where he had met with high-level Russian government officials.

The man told Papadopoulos "the Russians had obtained 'dirt' on then-candidate Clinton." "The professor" told Papadopoulos that "'they [the Russians] have dirt on her'; 'the Russians had e-mails of Clinton'; 'they have thousands of e-mails,'" according to the documents.

That assertion dovetails with the conclusions of the U.S. intelligence community, which concluded that Russian government-backed hackers were responsible for stealing e-mails from Clinton's campaign staffers and Democratic Party officials. Many of those e-mails were later published by the anti-secrecy site WikiLeaks, which has also been accused of colluding with Russia.

In May 2016, Papadopoulos was said to be in contact with an unidentified person reportedly from the Russian Foreign Ministry, discussing how to set up a meeting between Trump and Russian government officials.

On May 21, 2016, Papadopoulos e-mailed a Trump campaign official, forwarding an e-mail from May 4 from the Russian Foreign Ministry along with a note reading: "Russia has been eager to meet Mr. Trump for quite some time and have been reaching out to me to discuss."

On January 27, 2017, 10 days after Trump's inauguration as president, Papadopoulos met with the FBI for the first time. About three weeks later, on February 16, 2017, Papadopoulos met again with them, this time with a lawyer. During the meeting, he "reiterated his purported willingness to cooperate with the FBI investigation," according to the court papers.

Papadopoulos was arrested by U.S. agents on July 27, 2017, as he arrived at Washington's Dulles International Airport. Following his arrest, according to the documents, he "met with the government on numerous occasions to provide information and answer questions."

Trump fired the head of the FBI, James Comey, on May 9, 2017, and a day later he reportedly told a delegation of visiting Russian officials, including the Russian ambassador, that he did it because he "faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off."

Mueller, a former director of the FBI, was later appointed by the U.S. Justice Department to take over the Russia investigation after Comey's dismissal.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/papadopoulos- trump-russia-lying-fbi- manafort-collusion/28824647.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.

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US Judge Blocks Trump Ban on Transgenders Serving in Military

Sputnik News

21:00 30.10.2017

The decision by a US federal judge comes after US President Donald Trump's decision to revise transgender admission to the US military.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  A US federal judge on Monday blocked enforcement of President Donald Trump's directive to ban transgender individuals from military service, according to a court document.

"Plaintiffs' motion for preliminary injunction is granted, however, in that the court will preliminarily enjoin Defendants from enforcing the following directives of the Presidential Memorandum, referred to by the court as the Accession and Retention Directive."

Trump first announced his intention to reinstate a ban transgender people serving in the US military in any capacity on July 16. The president's message on Twitter sparked immediate criticism of Democrats and prompted rights group to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration.

Despite all the critisism, Trump has ordered the US military to abandon an Obama administration initiative to recruit transgender individuals for military service and also banned the Defense Department from providing medical treatment  including sex-change operations  to service members suffering from a condition known as gender dysphoria.

The Trump administration has argued that gender dysphoria is a medical condition that should disqualify people from military service.

 Sputnik

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US Provides $60 Mln to Support Counterterror Efforts in Africa's Sahel Region

Sputnik News

17:01 30.10.2017(updated 19:13 30.10.2017)

The money is expected to bolster the US' African partners in their fight against Daesh terrorist group (Islamic State, ISIS, banned in Russia).

WASHINGTON (Sputnik)  The United States has allocated $60 million in additional assistance to support counterterrorism efforts in Africa's Sahel Region, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced in a statement on Monday.

"Defeating terrorism depends on making sure terrorist organizations cannot have safe havens on any continent," Tillerson said. "To that end, pending consultation with Congress, the United States is today pledging up to $60 million dollars to support the G5 Sahel Joint Force's counterterrorism efforts."

According to Tillerson, the money would bolster the US' African partners in their fight to combat the Islamic State (banned in Russia) terror group and other terrorist networks in order to ensure security and stability in the region.

"This is a fight we must win, and these funds will play a key role in achieving that mission," he said.

The Group of 5 Sahel is a regional bloc consisting of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger. Earlier this year, the five countries, backed by France, launched a multinational force aimed at fighting terrorists in the Sahel region. The initiative has been supported by the United Nations.

French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian will lead a United Nations Security Council meeting on Monday that will seek to identify ways to shore up the G5 Sahel force.

"While I regret I cannot personally attend today's meeting at the United Nations on ensuring security in the Sahel, I thank Foreign Minister Le Drian for his invitation, and commend France and all our other partners' eagerness to win this fight," Tillerson said. "I have asked UN Ambassador [Nikki] Haley to represent the United States and our full commitment to security in the Sahel region in my place."

Among all Sahel countries, Mali has been hardest hit by the outbreak of terrorism and instability, as it has been in turmoil since the 2012 military coup, which was triggered by the government's failure to deal with a separatist Tuareg uprising in the country. Following the coup, various Islamist groups were attracted to the country, including al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, outlawed in Russia.

The United Nations has been running a stabilization mission, MINUSMA, in the turbulent African country since 2013 to counter Islamist militants.

 Sputnik

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Incoming: US B-2 Nuclear-Capable Bomber Arrives in Asia Ahead of Trump Visit

Sputnik News

01:56 30.10.2017(updated 02:07 30.10.2017)

The Pentagon has deployed a B-2 stealth bomber fitted out for carrying nuclear weapons to unidentified areas of the western Pacific ahead of next week's planned visit to the region by US President Donald Trump.

The flight plan for the nuclear-equipped bomber has not been released by the US Strategic Command (STRATCOM) or the White House, although various US bases in the region, including those in South Korea and Japan, make up a short list for the long-range warplane to resupply.

The last documented time a B-2 visited the area was during a 2013 Pentagon promotional show-of-force tour over the Korean Peninsula, according to the Japan Times.

Flying to the Pacific area from its Missouri home at the Whiteman Air Force Base during the weekend, the B-2  with a range of over 6000 miles  can be refueled in mid flight, making it possible for the aircraft to deliver a nuclear weapon anywhere on the planet.

STRATCOM downplayed the bomber overflight, stating that the globetrotting mission was routine, and was being conducted to "familiarize aircrew with air bases and operations in different geographic combatant commands, enabling them to maintain a high state of readiness and proficiency," cited by Japantimes.com.

The STRATCOM statement also included remarks intended to allay the fears of regional US allies Japan and South Korea ahead of Trump's visit, suggesting that the B-2 visit should be considered as "a visible demonstration of commitment to our allies and enhancing regional security."

Over the weekend US Defense Secretary James Mattis accused the People's Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) of engaging in "outlaw" activity, promising that Washington and its allies will never accept Pyongyang as a nuclear weapons-capable state.

"I cannot imagine a condition under which the United States would accept North Korea as a nuclear power," Mattis declared.

"North Korea has accelerated the threat that it poses to its neighbors and the world through its illegal and unnecessary missile and nuclear weapons programs," he stated, adding that recent developments  including a purported successful hydrogen bomb detonation by Pyongyang in September  have created "a new urgency" for the region.

 Sputnik

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United States Pledging up to $60 Million in New Support for Security Assistance in the Sahel Region

Press Statement

Rex W. Tillerson

Secretary of State

Washington, DC

October 30, 2017

Defeating terrorism depends on making sure terrorist organizations cannot have safe havens on any continent. To that end, pending consultation with Congress, the United States is today pledging up to $60 million to support the G5 Sahel Joint Force's counterterrorism efforts. This money will bolster our regional partners in their fight to ensure security and stability in the face of ISIS and affiliated groups and other terrorist networks. This is a fight we must win, and these funds will play a key role in achieving that mission.

While I regret I cannot personally attend today's meeting at the United Nations on ensuring security in the Sahel, I thank Foreign Minister Le Drian for his invitation, and commend France and all our other partners' eagerness to win this fight. I have asked UN Ambassador Haley to represent the United States and our full commitment to security in the Sahel region in my place.



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UN warns of 'looming humanitarian catastrophe' in DR Congo's strife-torn Kasai region

30 October 2017  Some 3.2 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) conflict-ravaged south-central Greater Kasai region are severely food insecure, struggling to feed themselves and in urgent need of assistance, the head of the United Nations food relief agency warned Monday.

"As many as 250,000 children could starve in Kasai in the next few months unless enough nutritious food reaches them quickly", said World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley as he wrapped up a four-day mission to the vast central African country that included a visit to Kasai.

"We need access to those children, and we need money  urgently," he added.

Kasai's traditionally high malnutrition rates were exacerbated further after last year's inter-ethnic violence  characterized by large-scale killing, wholesale destruction of villages and crops, and targeting hospitals, clinics and schools. The region now accounts for more than 40 per cent of the DRC's 7.7 million severely food insecure.

WFP is ramping up emergency assistance there, planning to reach 500,000 of the most vulnerable by end-December  and many more by early next year. Dozens of staff are being deployed, 80 additional off-road trucks are being brought in to deliver food to remote areas, and the WFP-run UN Humanitarian Air Service is, presently flying aid supplies and workers to seven regional locations, is being expanded.

However, WFP's emergency operation, launched in August, has so far been financed by internal borrowings, and only one percent of the $135 million required through mid-2018 has been secured from the international community.

Although violence in Kasai has diminished in recent weeks, banditry and extortion are commonplace. Moreover, in a region the size of Germany with multiple active militias and a road network that is largely impassable during the September-December rainy season, humanitarian access is set to remain a challenge.

Mr. Beasley also witnessed WFP's work in eastern North Kivu province, which is also constrained by access challenges and limited funding. Just 250,000 of the province's one million displaced people  victims of two decades of conflict  are receiving assistance, and only half rations.

Much of DRC's population is dependent on subsistence farming, with competition for land often at the heart of the violence. Many conflict-displaced families who had returned to their villages in North Kivu and Kasai told Mr. Beasley they could not resume working their fields for fear of being attacked.

"I have met too many women and children whose lives have been reduced to a desperate struggle for survival", Mr. Beasley pointed out. "In a land so rich in resources, that's heart-breaking. And it's unacceptable."

The WFP chief acknowledged donor concerns about limited returns on investing in a better future for the Congolese, noting that some Governments have threatened to redirect such funding to countries where they say it will have more impact.

"I hear those concerns," said Mr. Beasley. "But let's not hold innocent women and children responsible for the failings of others."

"What the brave people I met over the last few days want most of all is peace  peace to be able to grow their own food, to rebuild their lives and to build a brighter tomorrow for their children. It's a simple, powerful message. I have conveyed it to President [Joseph] Kabila and members of his Government, urging that they do more to help this come about,' he concluded.

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Pakistan, US Divided on How to Initiate Afghan Peace Talks

By Ayaz Gul October 30, 2017

Pakistan has cautioned the United States that "cooperation," not "coercion," is the way forward for the two countries to find a politically negotiated end to an increasingly deadly war in Afghanistan.

The message was conveyed to U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson when he undertook his inaugural visit to Islamabad last Tuesday for detailed talks, led by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, with civilian and military leaders, say Pakistani officials.

The discussions focused on regional counterterrorism efforts and promoting peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

During his four-hour stay in Pakistan, Tillerson also went into a "one-on-one" meeting with General Qamar Javed Bajwa, the chief of the military institution accused of covertly maintaining ties and sheltering Taliban leaders. Tillerson also called for Pakistan to take action against terrorists on its soil. "If Pakistan fails to act against terrorists, the U.S. will get it done in a different way," he said.

Army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor, while speaking to VOA Monday, described Bajwa's discussions with Tillerson as "candid, frank and without mincing words."

Peace process

The army chief reiterated that "cooperation will take us forward; confrontation or coercion will not," Ghafoor said. Pakistan re-emphasized that it supports an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process and believes "reconciliation" is the way forward to end the war.

"We have done our part [on our side of the border] and shall continue to contribute toward enduring peace and stability in the region, keeping Pakistan's interest supreme," said the army spokesman. Pakistan denies allegations of havens on its soil, saying its security forces have cleared the country of militants.

Other stakeholders, said Ghafoor, also need to adopt a "methodology" which encourages progress for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan. He did not elaborate.

Officials in Pakistan say U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is also relying on its military might, like its predecessor did, to pressure the Taliban to come to the negotiating table, despite knowing the policy has not worked during the past 16 years.

Trump, in his recently unveiled Afghan strategy, authorized deployment of several thousand U.S. troops and more use of American military power in support of Afghan forces' operations against the Taliban.

"They [the United States] do want to go for reconciliation but they need to review their current strategy for achieving results," said a Pakistani government official while speaking to VOA on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

The official added that the Afghan government also needs to do "a lot" in terms of creating conditions to encourage the Taliban to engage in a peace process.

Pakistani officials maintain Kabul and Washington need to offer the Taliban a peace dialogue first and that the Qatar-based political office of the insurgents could be utilized for that purpose. It may help, they say, to separate those Taliban leaders who are in favor of talks from those who oppose reconciliation and, eventually, it will justify military operations against "irreconcilables."

Officials acknowledge that Islamabad and Washington continue to hold widely divergent views on how to kickstart an Afghan peace process and last week's discussions did not bring the two sides closer on the issue.

Growing regional influence

Pakistan also points to the Taliban's growing contacts with countries like Russia, China and Iran, saying these countries are now better placed than Islamabad to influence the insurgents to engage in peace talks with the Afghan government.

Islamabad's influence over the Taliban is "often overestimated" in Washington," according to a Pakistani Foreign Ministry official who also spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity.

In his post-Pakistan visit comments, Tillerson said the United States is in contact with the Taliban through "back channels" and the Doha office, saying there is a role for the insurgent group in the Afghan government.

"Please come. Please come and take up your role, but you must come on the condition that you renounce terrorism, you renounce violent extremism, and you will never take up those efforts again," Tillerson said while speaking to reporters Friday in Geneva.

He went on to say the Afghan government has a special responsibility to create the conditions to invite the Taliban to the negotiating table.

The Taliban has long maintained it will not engage in any peace talks until all American and NATO forces leave Afghanistan and allow Afghans to determine a political reconciliation process.

The insurgency has extended its control to more than 40 percent of Afghanistan since international combat troops left the country in 2014 and it continues to make battlefield gains.

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US Pledges $60M for Sahel Counterterror Force

By VOA News October 30, 2017

The United States has pledged up to $60 million to support counterterrorism efforts by nations in Africa's Sahel region.

The funding, announced Monday by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, will support the Group of Five Sahel Joint Task Force, a military unit set up by Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger earlier this year.

"Defeating terrorism depends on making sure terrorist organizations cannot have safe havens on any continent," Tillerson said in a statement. "This money will bolster our regional partners in their fight to ensure security and stability in the face of ISIS and affiliated groups and other terrorist networks."

At a U.N. Security Council meeting about the Sahel Joint Task Force Monday, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley made clear that the funding would be on a bilateral basis, subject to congressional approval, and not given through the United Nations, which is trying to establish sustained funding and assistance to the force.

"We believe that the G5 force must be, first and foremost, owned by the countries of the region themselves," Haley said, referring to the group of five African nations. "We also have serious and well-known reservations about using U.N. resources to support non-U.N. activities," she added.

In the coming weeks, the Security Council will discuss four options for U.N. support to the force to make its work fully operational. They range from expanding the mandate of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Mali  known as MINUSMA  to establishing a dedicated U.N. support office to deliver logistics and other soft support on a limited scope.

On December 14, the international community will meet in Brussels for a pledging conference to support the G5 force. The five countries are looking for a total of $490 million for the task force.

Mali's foreign minister Abdoulaye Diop welcomed the U.S. announcement, but said major powers could do more.

"We know that in some of the foreign operations, in some regions of the world which I don't want to say it, they can spend this money in just one day," Diop told reporters. "One could wonder why the Sahel is not also getting the attention while we are facing a similar threat."

He noted that a poor country like Niger is spending 70 percent of its gross domestic product on military expenses to combat terrorism and transnational criminal networks, while at the same time trying to improve the country's infrastructure, education and other services.

"We are also ready to play our part," Diop said. "We are taking risks; we are putting our soldiers at risk; we are putting our financial resources." But he noted that what is at stake is a global threat and the Sahel countries should not be expected to combat it on their own.

Earlier this month, fighters affiliated with Islamic State ambushed a team of U.S. and Nigerien troops in southwestern Niger. Four U.S. soldiers were killed and two others wounded in the attack.

Military officials have said the team was in the area to conduct surveillance on a terrorist leader.

Along with Islamic State, several al-Qaida-linked groups operate in the Sahel region, including al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Nigeria-based Boko Haram.

Chad and Niger have battled Boko Haram incursions for the past three years, while Mali saw jihadist groups take over the northern half of the country in 2012.

VOA's U.N. correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report.

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Transfer of Power from Catalan to Central Spanish Government Begins

By VOA News October 30, 2017

Spain's state prosecutor says he will seek charges of sedition and rebellion against ousted Catalan Cabinet officials.

Attorney General Jose Manuel Maza also called Monday for charges of embezzlement against Catalonia's leaders over their push to separate from Spain.

Catalonia's separatist party, however, announced it would run in an upcoming snap election in December, set up by the Spanish government after it dissolved the regional parliament.

Both announcements came as as Catalonia entered its first week after the Spanish central government's assertion of control over the would-be breakaway region.

There were no signs that now fired regional elected leaders, including the head of government, Carles Puigdemont, and other members of his deposed Cabinet would try to go to their offices Monday.

Puigdemont is likely to be accused of rebellion as early as Monday for pushing ahead with secession.

'Viva Espana'

Sunday, hundreds of thousands of supporters of a united Spain took to the streets of Barcelona to voice their rejection of Catalonia's declaration of independence.

Chanting "Viva Espana" and waving Spanish, Catalan and European Union flags, the protesters marched in Catalonia's capital to show they supported the Spanish central government's dismissal of Catalonia's cabinet and quashing of the region's secession push.

Protesters also held banners reading, "We won't let Spain be torn apart into pieces'' and "The awakening of a silenced nation,'' among others.

"We have organized ourselves late, but we are here to show that there is a majority of Catalans that are no longer silent and that no longer want to be silenced,'' said Alex Ramos, head of the pro-union Catalan Civil Society.

Organizers said the rally attracted more than one million people, but police put the figure at 300,000.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy dissolved Catalonia's parliament, just hours after the regional body voted Friday in favor of independence from Spain.

In addition to dismissing the regional parliament, Rajoy has called for snap Catalan elections on December 21 and has stripped Catalonia's most senior police officials of their powers.

Spanish government spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo has said Puigdemont and all other Catalonian leaders would be eligible to run in the December election.

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Indictment Against Manafort, Gates Details Elaborate Scheme

By Masood Farivar October 30, 2017

The indictment against Donald Trump's former campaign chief, Paul Manafort, and a longtime business associate alleged the two carried out an elaborate scheme that involved the use of a little-known outfit to mask years of lobbying on behalf of Ukraine's former president, his pro-Russia political party, and the Ukrainian government.

Manafort and his former business partner, Rick Gates, are charged in a 12-count indictment including conspiracy, money laundering, and making false statements. The two could faces decades in prison if convicted, and both have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The allegations do not include collusion with Russia during the presidential campaign.

The indictment was approved by a federal grand jury on Friday and unsealed after Manafort and his right-hand man and former Trump campaign adviser, Gates, turned themselves in to the FBI. It represents the first charges brought by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is looking into allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

Manafort's consulting work for Ukraine started in 2006 when the Republican political strategist was retained by Ukraine's pro-Russian Party of Regions to "advance its interests" in Ukraine. In 2010, Viktor Yanukovych, the party's candidate, was elected president. Four years later, he fled to Russia following popular protests.

Eight-year lobbying campaign

The indictment alleges that during the eight-year period, Manafort and Gates "engaged in a multimillion-dollar lobbying campaign" in the U.S. on behalf of Yanukovych, the Party of Regions, and the Ukrainian government. The two hid their activities from U.S. authorities and used offshore accounts to launder millions of dollars in Ukrainian payments.

As part of their effort to mask their lobbying from U.S. authorities, the pair used a little-known outfit called the European Center for Modern Ukraine. The Brussels-based outfit called itself "an advocate for enhancing EU-Ukrainian relations" but in reality served as "a mouthpiece" for Yanukovych and his Party of Regions, according to the indictment. Manafort and Gates used the nonprofit to carry out lobbying and public relations campaigns, according to court records.

Manafort and Gates then hired two Washington, D.C., firms to lobby members of Congress about Ukrainian sanctions, the "validity" of Ukraine elections, and the "propriety" of Yanukovych's imprisonment of his political rival, former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

"Manafort and Gates did so without registering and providing the disclosures required by law," the indictment alleges.

The two lobbying firms are Podesta Group Inc. and Mercury LLC, the Associated Press reported last year. The Podesta Group is headed by Tony Podesta, the brother of John Podesta, who was campaign chairman for Hillary Clinton. Politico reported on Monday that Tony Podesta was stepping down from the firm.

To conceal the lobbying effort, Manafort and Gates allegedly arranged for the two lobbying firms to be ostensibly working for the European Center for Modern Ukraine, which in fact was "under the ultimate direction" of Yanukovych, the Ukrainian government and the Party of the Regions, according to the indictment.

Manafort and Gates are also accused of using their offshore accounts to secretly pay $4 million for a report about Tymoshenko's trial commissioned by the Ukrainian government.

Ties to Trump

Manafort and Gates joined the Trump campaign in March 2006. Gates was later promoted as deputy campaign manager and Manafort served as campaign chairman. He was fired in August after reports of his lobbying for pro-Russia interests in Ukraine.

The Department of Justice began looking into Manafort's and Gates' lobbying for Ukraine last year. The indictment says the two partners told investigators in 2016 that they merely "provided an introduction" between the Brussels center and the Washington lobbying firms, and that their efforts "did not include meetings and outreach within the United States."

In fact, according to the indictment, Manafort and Gates were deeply involved in the scheme. They had weekly phone calls and email communications with officials of the two companies, directed them on "specific lobbying steps," received regular reports from them, and updated Yanukovych about the lobbying activities. For their efforts between 2012 and 2014, the firms were paid $2 million.

Charges

The charges against Manafort and Gates include conspiracy to defraud the United States, money laundering, failure to report foreign bank holdings to the U.S. Treasury Department, lobbying for a foreign government without registering with the Justice Department, and making false statements about their lobbying efforts.

Manafort and Gates are accused of serving as unregistered foreign agents of Ukrainian interests in violation of Department of Justice registration requirements.

Between them, Manafort and Gates controlled 17 domestic entities, 12 Cyprus-based entities and 3 other foreign entities, according to the indictment. In all, $75 million passed through the offshore accounts. Manafort is alleged to have laundered more than $18 million. Gates is accused of laundering more than $3 million from offshore accounts.

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White House Distances Trump from Mueller Probe Indictments

By Peter Heinlein October 30, 2017

The White House went on the defensive Monday, distancing President Donald Trump from charges filed against two former campaign aides by Special Counsel Robert Mueller in connection with the probe into Russia's attempt to influence last year's presidential election.

The pair, former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and longtime business associate Rick Gates, were named in a 12-count indictment Monday charging money laundering, tax evasion and other violations. They pleaded not guilty Monday in a federal court in Washington.

At Monday's White House briefing, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders emphasized that the indictment made no mention of Trump or of any collusion between his presidential campaign and Russia.

"Today's announcement has nothing to do with the president, has nothing to do with the president's campaign or campaign activity," Sanders said. "We've been saying from day one there's no evidence of Trump-Russia collusion, and nothing in the indictment today changes that at all."

Sanders also said the White House has been given an indication that Mueller's Russia probe would end soon.

The press secretary rejected a reporter's suggestions that the activities of a volunteer Trump foreign policy adviser could be seen as evidence of collusion.

The adviser, George Papadopoulus, pleaded guilty in July to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials. He could face up to five years in jail.

Sanders on Monday called Papadopoulus a low-level unpaid campaign volunteer whose illegal activities were not campaign-related. "It has nothing to do with the activities of the campaign, it has to do with his failure to tell the truth. That doesn't have anything to do with the campaign or the campaign's activity," she said.

Manafort's attorney Kevin Downing, in a statement after his client's arraignment, noted that the indictment made no mention of Trump, Russia or collusion. "I think you all saw today that President Donald Trump was correct," Downing said. "There is no evidence that Mr. Manafort or the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government."

Downing argued that his client's activities were legal and aimed at helping a nation struggling to establish democracy after being freed from the Soviet Union.

"Mr. Manafort represented pro-European Union campaigns for the Ukrainian government. And in that, he was seeking to further democracy and to help the Ukraine come closer to the United States and the EU," Downing said. "Those activities ended in 2014, over two years before Mr. Manafort served in the Trump campaign."

'No collusion'

Trump tweeted "There is NO COLLUSION!" shortly after the indictment was unsealed Monday morning.

Senior Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah called Manafort's indictment "an overreach." He told reporters on Monday "frankly I'm having a rough time seeing why in the world they're indicting him.''

Hatch's comments came during a news conference held by Judiciary Committee Republicans and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to talk about judicial nominees but when reporters tried to raise questions about the indictments, McConnell left without addressing the issue.

Another Trump tweet noted that the allegations contained in the indictment against Manafort involve activities that took place before he was briefly head of Trump's campaign last year. The tweet also pointed an accusative finger at Trump's opponent in the election, asking "Why aren't Crooked Hillary and the Dems in the focus?????"

Veteran observers say the indictment's lack of any links to Trump, his campaign or collusion could be seen as an encouraging sign for the president and his administration.

"There is nothing in the indictment that says anything about any kind of collusion, and the truth is this indictment doesn't have anything to do with Russia, it has everything to do with Ukraine," said Bill Mateja, who headed the Justice Department's white-collar crime division under James Comey during the George W. Bush administration.

In comments to VOA, Mateja said he finds it significant that Mueller's indictment targeted only Manafort and Gates.

"A number of people thought there might be additional charges against other people coming right out of the gate," he said. "I think they would have put everything they had evidence for out in the open right here and now. Obviously, they haven't done that."

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Mueller Indictments Explained

By VOA News October 30, 2017

What happened Monday?

Political consultant Paul Manafort and his business partner Rick Gates were indicted on charges including conspiracy against the United States, money laundering, tax fraud and failure to register as lobbyists for the former government of Ukraine.

The two men, who worked on Donald Trump's presidential campaign, held offshore bank accounts through which more than $75 million flowed, according to the indictment. They are the first charges Department of Justice Special Counsel Robert Mueller has made public in his five-month probe into Russian meddling in the U.S. election.

Separately, the Justice Department announced that Trump campaign foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos has pleaded guilty to making false statements to FBI agents about his contacts with Russia-linked individuals who claimed to possess damaging information on Trump's election opponent, Hillary Clinton. There is no indication that Papadopoulos, an international energy lawyer with very little foreign policy experience, ever received such information.

How does this relate to investigations into Russia's alleged interference in the last U.S. presidential elections?

Manafort served as Trump's presidential campaign chair before resigning last August after media reports investigating his ties to pro-Russian Ukrainian political groups.

Gates held a series of positions inside the Trump campaign. None of the charges in Monday's indictment appear to directly involve their work as Trump aides, although some of the alleged crimes were said to have taken place during their time on the campaign.

Although Papadopoulos' position in the campaign was minor compared to Manafort's, his case could be more serious. That's because it involves possible collusion between Trump campaign officials and Moscow, which is the main focus of Mueller's investigation.

What are Manafort, Gates and Papadopoulos accused of doing?

The indictment lists a series of charges largely relating to Manafort's and Gates' work lobbying on behalf of pro-Russian Ukrainian political groups from 2006 to 2015. The men allegedly hid millions of dollars in payments using offshore bank accounts, failed to disclose their lobbying work on behalf of foreigners to U.S. officials, and later lied to federal investigators about their relationship with foreign groups. Both men have previously denied any wrongdoing.

Papadopoulos pleaded guilty in early October to lying to FBI agents about his contacts and communications with Russian intermediaries during his time working for the Trump campaign. His guilty plea was unsealed Monday, after the Manafort's and Gates' indictments had been announced.

According to a DOJ statement, Papadopoulos told FBI agents he had been in touch with an unnamed foreign professor who claimed to have "dirt" on Clinton in the form of "thousands of emails." Papadopoulos also initially downplayed the nature of the professor's contacts with Moscow, saying he "was a nothing." But according to the indictment, Papadopoulos understood that the professor had "substantial connections to Russian government officials," and the professor had met with some of those officials immediately prior to telling Papadopoulos about the "dirt" on Clinton.

How serious are these charges?

The indictment against Manafort and Gates may fall short of what many Democrats had predicted or hoped, since they don't prove, or even allege to show, collusion. But still, a president's former campaign chair being indicted on multiple felony counts, including allegedly conducting a secret campaign to influence U.S. politics in a pro-Russia direction, is no small matter.

It's unclear, however, what the indictments signal about the direction of Mueller's Russia probe. Some legal analysts have suggested that Mueller may try to use the charges against Manafort and others to compel them to testify about other alleged crimes. In this respect, the Papadopoulos case may be crucial, since a DOJ statement indicates he already may be cooperating as a witness.

How has the White House reacted?

In a Twitter post, Trump said: "Sorry but this is years ago, before Paul Manafort was part of the Trump campaign. But why aren't Crooked Hillary & the Dems the focus?????" In a follow-up tweet, he said: "...Also, there is NO COLLUSION!"

At a White House briefing, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders downplayed the importance of the special counsel developments. "Today's announcement has nothing to do with the president, has nothing to do with the campaign," she said.

What happens next?

Bail for Manafort was set at $10 million and at Gates for $5 million. Both men were forced to surrender their passports and will be under house arrest.

In a statement, Gates' spokesman vowed his client would "confront these charges in court," saying "the fight is just beginning."

Papadopoulos's lawyer released a statement saying it was "in the best interest of our client ... that we refrain from commenting on George's case."

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California Army National Guard unit brings 1900-plus Soldiers to wildfire relief support

By Staff Sgt. Edward Siguenza October 30, 2017

SANTA ROSA, Calif. -- Never before has this battlefield been seen.

Even with the 49th Military Police Brigade's storied career -- one of multiple successful overseas deployments and a current homeland security mission -- this California Army National Guard unit has never witnessed a natural disaster so destructive as October's fire inferno in Northern California.

"From Jan. 1 to Oct. 8 of this year, we saw almost 234,000 acres burned," said CAL FIRE's Scott McClain, public information officer. "But from Oct. 8 until (Oct. 22), we were looking at over 263,000 acres burned. This, by far, is the worst fire season California has ever been in."

This led the 49th's entire command into an emergency activation. At its peak, more than 1,500 troops responded, with hundreds more from other commands falling under the 49th task force that stretched into three North Bay counties northeast of San Francisco. The bulk of the Soldiers activated were military police, while others were comprised of drivers, mechanics, food services and more supporting members.

This marked the first time since the 1992 Los Angeles Riots that the 49th was activated entirely. Subordinate units have assisted in fire missions before, but hardly more than a company size.

"We got the call to deploy forces in support of local law enforcement in Sonoma County and the request quickly escalated," said Command Sgt. Maj. Richard S. Gibson, 49th operations command sergeant major. "The 49th has become the premiere unit for civil support on the ground during times of disaster or civil unrest. We are trained to quickly alert and mobilize for all hazard response as shown during the Oroville Dam crisis earlier this year. We have shown that we can quickly respond with a multitude of assets and attain results."

The 49th's Fairfield, California headquarters was the main operations site for three battalions that are based in Pittsburg, Lancaster and Santa Rosa. Nearly two dozen subordinate units were called up, some coming from Los Alamitos and National City in Southern California about 500 miles away. The mission was to supplement several thousand local and state police officers, and assist agencies under the California Office of Emergency Services, or CAL OES, with security.

Hundreds of military policemen hit the streets, controlling traffic points and other areas of entry. Additional Soldiers performed assistance patrols along hard-hit areas in Napa and Santa Rosa. "We're sending Soldiers out in vehicles to show our presence," said 1st Sgt. Frank Camacho of the 330th Military Police Company. "It's to let the community know we're there if they need us. The local police [are] doing so many things, and we're here to help them and the community in any way we can."

Gibson tracked more than 100 official tasks that were completed. In addition to controlling traffic points, troops were sent to help secure emergency shelters. They were sent to schools, colleges, and local businesses to transport food, hygiene and medical supplies to other areas of need. Soldiers united with civilian volunteers to build up a donation site, while others were called to break down evacuation centers once residents were allowed to return to their homes. The task force also utilized its bilingual Soldiers to serve as interpreters at disaster centers where they assisted FEMA representatives helping non-English speaking victims.

"This was our chance to truly help our community and lend a hand wherever needed," Gibson said. "Our Soldiers performed traffic control, security and tent setup for evacuation centers, cleanup efforts at Sonoma County Developmental Center, decontamination of first responders during search and rescue operations and more."

Gibson continued, "We helped in the transportation of evacuees, cleanup of high schools, clearing debris from roads, and filled buckets with masks, gloves, and sifters to assist civilians searching for personal belongings left behind in the fires."

California Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. activated the Cal Guard in early October, declaring, "the circumstances of these fires by reason of their magnitude, are, or are likely to be beyond the control of the services  of any single local government; the California National Guard shall mobilize  to support disaster response and relief efforts."

In an official release, CAL FIRE announced that the Tubbs Fire, which killed at least 22 people in Santa Rosa, was the most destructive wildfire in California history. Three other North Bay fires that swept through the region on the same morning -- two of them in Sonoma County -- rank in the state's Top 20 list: the Nuns Fire in Sonoma Valley is No. 6; the Atlas Fire in Napa Valley at No. 10; and the Redwood Valley in Mendocino County fire ranks 16th.

In these October blazes alone, more than 8,000 homes and structures burned; more than 100,000 people were displaced, many of them finding temporary homes in evacuation centers; more than 40 killed, and more than 500 were unaccounted for, per CAL FIRE statistics.

"That fire," says McClean, referring to the Tubbs Fire that decimated an area called Coffey Park in Santa Rosa, "was like a blowtorch laying on its side and blowing through whatever it came across."

Since the start of the fire on Oct. 8, CAL FIRE responded to 250 new wildfires. At the peak of the wildfires, roughly 11,000 firefighters were battling 21 major wildfires that consumed 245,000-plus acres. Cal Guard forces were assigned to areas that were affected by the Tubbs, Pocket, Atlas and Nuns fires, the most destructive wildfires in the wine counties.

"Out of the 20 most destructive wildfires in the state of California, Tubbs is now No. 1," said Santa Rosa Fire Chief Tony Gossner. "Nuns is No. 6, and we were dealing with both of those fires under this one incident management team, and they're complex."

This fire season marked one of the Cal Guard's most historic in terms of assets used. As the 49th dispersed its land troops, Cal Guard air assets continued the fight from above with helicopters and air tankers dropping millions of gallons of water and fire retardant. A force of 300 troops was training at the Cal Guard's Camp Roberts in preparation for ground support, where they follow fire lines and perform mop up operations.

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South Korea considering no more THAAD deployment: FM

Iran Press TV

Mon Oct 30, 2017 10:59AM

South Korea's foreign minister says Seoul is not considering any additional deployment of a controversial US missile system, THAAD, which has sparked anger both inside and outside the country.

Addressing lawmakers in parliament on Monday, Kang Kyung-wha said, "We are not considering any additional THAAD deployment."

The first pieces of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD) started arriving at the Osan Air Base in South Korea in March this year. A THAAD battery, comprising six interceptor launchers and a radar, was also sent by the US military to the air base in April.

A THAAD battery is capable of firing up to 48 interceptor missiles and consists of six truck-mounted launchers, fire control and communication equipment as well as a powerful X-band radar.

China, which has long opposed the deployment of the missile system so close to its borders, called on Washington and Seoul to remove the system. The two, however, say THAAD is needed in the face of threats from North Korea, which is developing nuclear weapons.

Asked by the main opposition Liberty Korea Party if Seoul would express regret to China over the missile system deployment, the foreign minister said that "there is nothing to apologize for."

Kang further explained to lawmakers that THAAD deployment has nothing to do with another US missile system, known as MD.

"Let me be clear on this. As explained on many occasions before, the THAAD system is a self-defense measure that has nothing to do with the MD," the minister added.

THAAD deployment raised speculations that Seoul will invariably become part of MD system, but the south's government repeatedly said it has no intention of joining the MD system and that it wants to build up its own "Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD)" system.

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South Korea Not Considering Additional US THAAD Deployments - Foreign Minister

Sputnik News

19:56 30.10.2017(updated 20:04 30.10.2017)

Seoul has reiterated the purpose of the THAAD deployment in South Korea amid the aggravation of the North Korean crisis.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha has told lawmakers that Seoul is not mulling any additional deployments of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense system.

Kang reiterated that the THAAD system deployment is aimed at protecting South Korea and US troops stationed in the country from missile threats from North Korea.

"Let me be clear on this. As explained on many occasions before, the THAAD system is a self-defense measure that has nothing to do with the MD [US-led missile defense networks]," the minister said.

The final units of the THAAD were deployed in early September after North Korea had launched several missiles and conducted a nuclear test, however, the military unit and specialists operating were not fully in place at that time.

China and Russia have strongly opposed the deployment of the THAAD, which is designed to intercept short, medium and intermediate ballistic missiles at the terminal incoming stag, citing national security concerns.

Most recently, Beijing has again urged the US to remove THAAD from South Korea, with officials from the South Korean presidential office saying that the issue would be discussed ahead of a planned November meeting of the countries' leaders.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are expected to meet on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Vietnam on November 10-11.

 Sputnik

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One More Nuke Test Could Cause Collapse at North Korean Test Site

Sputnik News

00:40 31.10.2017

According to a Nam Jae-cheol, the director of the Korea Meteorological Administration, just one more nuclear test by North Korea could destabilize its underground testing site and shoot radioactive material into the atmosphere.

"Should another nuclear [test] take place, there is that possibility," Jae-cheol told South Korean lawmakers concerned about possible radioactive fallout on Monday, according to a New York Times report.

North Korea has conducted a grand total of six nuclear tests since 2006, all but one in the same spot  Mount Mantap  which is the cause of these concerns.

Situated in the country's North Hamgyong Province, the mountain, officials say, is starting to show some geological changes that suggest another test could be a disaster. The entire top of Mount Mantap could collapse in on itself  and push nuclear material out into the environment.

According to the New York Times, Pyongyang's September 3 test, also considered the most powerful by officials, produced between 50 and 300 kilotons of explosive energy and triggered a series of tremors, landslides and even underground cave-ins. By comparison the outlet noted that the bombs dropped on Hiroshima were measured at 15 kilotons.

"What we are seeing from North Korea looks like some kind of stress in the ground," Paul Richards, a seismologist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, told the Washington Post. "In that part of the world, there were stresses in the ground, but the explosions have shaken them up."

Per experts, what Mount Mantap is suffering from isn't exactly unknown. Referred to as "tired mountain syndrome," the condition arises from repeated underground nuclear testing that fractures and weakens rocks, thus creating an unstable area.

And yet, while the worst-case scenario would have radioactive material shoot out into the atmosphere following the collapse of the mountain's top, some experts believe it won't quite come to that.

"While radioactive material would be released into the environment if the collapse occurred right after a test, the amount of fallout, even from a weapon in the 100 kiloton range, would likely only cause significant contamination in the vicinity of the site and perhaps a few hundred miles downwind," Edwin Lyman, a senior scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, told the Times.

"Nevertheless, any amount of radioactive contamination of the environment from North Korea's abhorrent nuclear test program is unacceptable and would add insult to injury," Lyman later added.

 Sputnik

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Rouhani: US statesmen seeking to disappoint Iranian nation

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Oct 30, IRNA -- President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that the American statesmen are seeking to hatch plots regarding the 2015 nuclear deal and their main conspiracy is to make the Iranian nation hesitant towards the country's future economy and prosperity.

He made the remarks after a meeting with the heads of judiciary and parliament on Monday when he appreciated the nation for maintaining their solidarity against foreign plots.

The US is determined to create frustration and despair among the nation, but received a decisive response from them, the chief executive said.

Chiefs of three branches of power convened on Monday to discuss major issues of the country.

During the meeting, Rouhani said, economic issues were also dealt with extensively, as the nation will fully feel security and know that their country is safe enough for investment and economic activities.

Regional developments were also at the center of attention during the meeting, Rouhani said, noting that the arrogant powers have always been seeking insecurity and instability and create rift among the nations.

'However, Iran believes that regional issues should be resolved by the regional states themselves,' he added.

Referring to the efforts of the global arrogance to create insecurity and promote terrorism in the region, Rouhani hoped that regional states will get rid of the scourge of terrorism one day so that the arrogant powers will fail to achieve their nasty goals.

Lambasting the global arrogance's attempts to change geographical borders of the region, the president said that it also failed to achieve its goals in the field.

The arrogant powers are still continuing their endeavors to sow the seeds of discord among the regional countries to sell its arms, he said, noting, "We will find solutions for the regional disputes."

Massacres and bombings should be stopped in the region, Rouhani said.

8072**2050

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Iran dismisses UN Jahangir's report as 'based on false information'

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Oct 30, IRNA -- Iran's Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani said on Monday that a recent report by Asma Jahangir, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, has been based on false information.

Speaking during a meeting with top judicial officials, Ayatollah Larijani said that the text of her report was a repetition of the claims against the Islamic Republic of Iran by anti-revolutionary sources and Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO).

The report provides support for those tried and convicted on espionage charges as well as MKO members who have carried out blind terrorist operations against the Islamic establishment, Ayatollah Larijani said.

The report also contains false claims in respect to some executions which have either not actually occurred or there has been no compelling ground for them, the Judiciary chief added.

On Western countries' double-standard policies in dealing with the issue of human rights, the official said that while adopting resolutions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Western countries prevent adoption of any resolution against the brutal acts of the Zionist regime and Saudi Arabia.

They support a spy while turning a blind eye on the massive massacre in Yemen and the occupation of Gaza Strip, Ayatollah Amoli Larijani said.

Translated by: Ahmad Mohammadi

9341**2050

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Executive construction operation of 2 nuclear plants to start in Bushehr tomorrow

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Bushehr, Oct 30, IRNA -- The executive construction operation of two nuclear plants will kick off on Tuesday in Bushehr, south of Iran, Head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi.

'The event will be held with the attendance of the Director General of Russian Nuclear power company 'Rosatom' Alexey Likhachev,' Salehi told reporters at Bushehr airport on Monday.

'The trip aims to review the procedures of the operation as well as financing issues,' he added.

Implementation of Iran nuclear deal also known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) has paved the way for building the two mentioned units in Bushehr Power Plant, Salehi said.

The two units are supposed to be constructed within the framework of safeguard agreements with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as well, he said.

The agreement was signed three years ago in Moscow, he added.

Salehi had previously mentioned that the second and third units of Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant have1,057 MW capacities each.

The operation is reported to be worth about $10 billion.

9376**2050

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Iran unveils new radar system for defense purposes

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Oct 30, IRNA -- Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami unveiled a new radar system named Afaq (Horizons) on Monday.

The new radar system developed by the electronics industries affiliated to the Defense Ministry was unveiled in attended by General Hatami.

'The radar, he said, would be used for coastline surveillance,' the Iranian defense minister said.

General Hatami said that Afaq radar system could monitor a 200-kilometer-long stretch and reconnoiter airborne targets as well.

'The system has remarkable electronic warfare technological capabilities and could monitor and track as many as 100 mobile targets simultaneously,' the Iranian defense chief added.

He appreciated all experts and directors for such valuable achievements.

1391**2050

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Iran Air Force to launch drills on Tuesday

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Mon / 30 October 2017 / 16:34

Tehran (ISNA)  The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force plans to launch air maneuvers on Tuesday recruiting the service of all the bases under its command throughout the country.

The two-day drills, codenamed Fada'ian-e Harim-e Velayat 7 (Death-defying Defenders of Velayat's Sanctuary) 7, are to begin on Tuesday and all air bases of the IRIAF will participate in the aerial exercises.

Brigadier General Massoud Rouzkhosh, the spokesman for the drills, said on Monday that the Air Force's Shahid Babayi Airbase in Iran's central Isfahan Province would be playing the pivotal role among the bases.

Dozens of the Air Forces' strategic Sukho-24, F-4, F-5, F-7, F-14, MiG-29, and Sa'egheh (Lightning bolt) fighter bombers would be participating in the maneuvers, alongside interceptor and refueling aircraft, and manned and unmanned reconnaissance planes, Boeing 707 and 747 cargo planes, and logistical aircraft.

The Air Force is to drill air-to-surface and surface-to-air firing, and test-fire highly-destructive air-to-air munitions, as well as to practice aerial fire control and surveillance.

The missiles to be used are of the laser-guided, television-guided, radar-guided, and thermal types.

The exercises, Rouzkhosh said, carry the message of security, stability, friendship, and lasting peace for the countries of the region.

End Item

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Iran says Rouhani rejected Trump's request for meeting

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Mon / 30 October 2017 / 13:59

Tehran (ISNA)  Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi announced that Iranian President rejected a meeting requested by his American counterpart in the sideline of the 72nd UN General Assembly in New York.

Answering to the question if US President Donald Trump had wanted to meet the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani while in New York, Qassemi said, "Such a meeting was suggested by the American side but was not accepted by Mr. Rouhani".

This issue was published in a note by a news agency.

He went on to dismiss other speculations mentioned in the note, adding "all speculations about other individuals, particularly the one about the measures by French President Emanuel Macron, are completely false and cannot be confirmed."

End Item

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Iran abiding by nuclear-related commitments: Amano

Iran Press TV

Mon Oct 30, 2017 01:58PM

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has once again reiterated Iran's adherence to the 2015 nuclear agreement with the P5+1 group of countries, stressing that UN inspectors are facing no problems in their verification efforts.

"The IAEA can state that such nuclear-related commitments are being implemented," the IAEA chief, Yukiya Amano, told a news conference in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, on Monday, a day after he met with senior Iranian officials in Tehran.

"I requested that Iran ... fully implement the nuclear-related commitments. This [was] the main thrust of the meeting in Iran... Regarding the activities of our inspectors, they are discharging their responsibility without problem," Amano, whose inspectors are tasked with monitoring compliance with the JCPOA, said.

The IAEA chief made a day-long visit to Tehran and held talks with President Hassan Rouhani, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Ali Akbar Salehi, and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Amano and Salehi also attended a joint press conference.

The Iranian president told Amano that the Islamic Republic sought to boost long-term cooperation with the IAEA and stressed the importance of maintaining the independence and impartiality of the UN nuclear agency.

Rouhani also emphasized the significance of showing respect for international regulations and treaties, saying Iran had repeatedly announced that it would not be the first country to walk away from the landmark nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), reached between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries more than two years ago.

"We will remain committed to the JCPOA as long as we are able to enjoy the benefits mentioned in it," the Iranian president said.

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 limits on its nuclear program in exchange for the removal of nuclear-related sanctions imposed against Tehran.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Amano said he had told Iranian officials that the JCPOA was a "significant gain for verification."

US President Donald Trump delivered an anti-Iran speech on October 13, in which he said he would not continue to certify Iran's compliance with the terms of the JCPOA, reached under his predecessor Barack Obama, and warned that he might ultimately terminate the agreement.

The US Congress now has less than 60 days to decide whether to reimpose economic sanctions on Tehran that were lifted under the nuclear accord.

The other parties to the accord -- Britain, Germany, France, Russia, China and the European Union -- have all reaffirmed their commitment to it and urged the United States not to back out.

The IAEA is the only official institution in charge of verifying Iranian compliance and it has repeatedly verified Iran's adherence to its contractual obligations.

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New US policy on Iran 'serious threat': Baqeri

Iran Press TV

Mon Oct 30, 2017 01:52PM

Iran's military Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Baqeri says a new policy announced by the Trump administration is a "serious threat" aimed at toppling the Islamic Republic.

"After months, the Americans have come up with a strategy that can put our country or the independent countries in trouble," he told a national conference on civilian defense in Tehran Monday.

"The main purpose of the Americans in formulating new strategies is to overthrow the Islamic Republic, which US Secretary of State has publicly announced in recent days," he said.

Iran complained to the United Nations this month after Rex Tillerson said the US policy was to "work toward support of those elements inside of Iran that would lead to a peaceful transition of that government."

On August 2, US President Donald Trump signed into law the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) and imposed new sanctions on Iran over its missile tests.

Earlier this month, Trump refused to certify the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran, punting the issue to Congress with a threat to withdraw the US from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) if new sanctions are not imposed on the country.

Baqeri said, "The Americans' method is to use all possible ways, and in this regard, they have put military warfare and the hard way at the bottom of the list and the implementation of economic sanctions and livelihood strangulation at the head of their new threats."

"In terms of instruments, the Americans have come up with some ideas. In the recent past, we have been witnessing the adoption of laws in the United States, such as CAATSA," he said.

"The goal behind the implementation of this law is to create a gulf between the people and the establishment in Iran and to put us at a crossroads where we have to choose between defending our honor and dignity along with economic hardships or accept humiliation and destruction plus American promises to reduce the constraints."

Baqeri dismissed any negotiations with the US, saying Iran will "definitely" leave the JCPOA if new US measures provide for sanctions to "snap back" into place.

"The one who aims to overthrow us is not worthy of negotiations. One can negotiate with someone who is not after an overthrow and where there is a one-percent chance of an understanding," the commander said..

He also said, "It is the decision of the Islamic Republic to accept restrictions on the nuclear issue in order to have sanctions related to this area removed, but if these sanctions return under other pretexts, staying in the JCPOA will have no meaning."

Last week, the US House voted overwhelmingly to impose new sanctions against Iran's ballistic missile program, pending a decision in Senate and Trump's endorsement before going to force.

With Trump declining to certify the JCPOA, the US Congress has 60 days to decide whether to reimpose sanctions on Tehran suspended under the nuclear agreement.

Baqeri said, "The JCPOA is not a goal or a holy verse that we have to adhere to under any circumstances. The JCPOA is a two-way pledge and promise ... but if the sanctions were to come back, our withdrawal would be definitive."

The commander further said the US "is a system that, despite being formed of various parties and organizations, is united in hostility to the Islamic Revolution."

"For example, you saw how the adoption of sanctions against our country's missile power secured a high vote in Congress. In one government, the iron hand of the Americans is evident, but in the other, it is hidden under a velvet glove," he added.

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Iran will lift border restrictions with Iraq's Kurdistan soon: Top commander

Iran Press TV

Mon Oct 30, 2017 05:48PM

A senior Iranian commander says the country will remove its border restrictions with Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region "in the coming days," lifting curbs imposed after last month's independence referendum in the region.

"Border restrictions between Iran and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region will be lifted soon and within the next few days," Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri told reporters on Monday, ISNA reported.

He added that if Kurdistan had implemented its plan to break away from Iraq, the country would have faced "war and long-term bloodshed," which would have also affected neighboring countries.

A spokesman for Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Keyvan Khosravi, said on September 24 that Iran had closed its airspace to all flights to and from the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in Iraq at the request of the country's federal government.

"At the request of the central government of Iraq, all flights from Iran to Sulaymaniyah and Erbil airports as well as all flights through our country's airspace originating in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region have been halted," Khosravi added.

In defiance of Iraq's stiff opposition, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) held a non-binding referendum on September 25 on secession from the central government in Baghdad, which slammed the vote as unconstitutional.

The Iraqi government responded to the referendum by taking a number of punitive measures, including a campaign to seize back positions held by Kurdish forces since 2014, when they joined the fight against Daesh terrorists.

On October 16, the first day of the Iraqi military operations, federal forces retook control of the Kurdish-held city of Kirkuk.

In a letter sent to the Kurdish parliament on Saturday, the KRG president, Massoud Barzani, announced that he would not extend his presidential term beyond November 1 after the independence referendum he championed backfired.

Barzani was elected president by the KRG parliament in 2005. He was re-elected in 2009 by a popular vote  Kurdistan's first direct presidential election. The parliament extended his mandate until August 20, 2015 after his second term expired in 2013.

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Kurdistan's Barzani fires parting shots at US

Iran Press TV

Mon Oct 30, 2017 07:28AM

Masoud Barzani, who resigned as the president of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region on Sunday, has delivered pointed remarks against the United States for ditching its putative allies, the Kurds.

In a televised speech shortly after Kurdistan's regional parliament accepted his resignation, Barzani said no one had stood up to back Kurdish aspirations for independence.

Under Barzani's supervision, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) defied the central government in Baghdad by holding a referendum on secession on September 25. Baghdad reacted by saying that the results of the plebiscite had to be annulled and that Kurdistan had to turn over the control of its border posts to the federal government.

The Iraqi military also launched operations to drive Kurdish militants out of territory that they had overrun in the course of fighting against Daesh but had refused to hand over after pushing the terrorists out.

The US had voiced muted opposition to the Kurdish referendum before it was held. But the Kurds seemed to believe that once the vote was held, Washington would be faced with a fait accompli and would come out in support of the Kurdish ambitions to break up Iraq. It did not.

"Nobody stood up with us other than our mountains," Barzani said bitterly in his speech, standing in front of Kurdish and Iraqi flags.

"Why would Washington want to punish Kurdistan?" he said.

The US has for long worked with the Kurds as its most trusted allies in the region. In neighboring Syria, the US has been regarding Kurdish militants as its best regional partners in a purported fight against Daesh over the objections of NATO ally Turkey.

Barzani, who was largely blamed for an injudicious decision to call the referendum at a time when the Iraqi government was busy fighting Daesh terrorists, said American-supplied weapons had been used against Kurdish militants by the Iraqi forces.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered military operations against Kurdish militants only after they defied several ultimatums to leave seized territory and after the KRG refused to annul the referendum results.

But days later, on Friday, Abadi also ordered a ceasefire to facilitate an agreement on the peaceful handover of all Kurdish border posts to federal forces.

In a statement on that same day, Abadi called Iraqi and Kurdish forces "children of the same country."

On October 16, the first day of the Iraqi military operations, federal forces retook control of the Kurdish-held city of Kirkuk.

Barzani said the forces in oil-rich Kirkuk, who largely left the Iraqi city on their own, had committed "high treason" for handing over the city without a fight.

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US Commends Kurdish Leader Barzani for Stepping Down

By VOA News October 30, 2017

The United States is commending Masoud Barzani's decision to step down from his position as president of Iraq's Kurdistan region.

"President Barzani is a historic figure and courageous leader of his people, most recently in our common fight to destroy ISIS." State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a statement Monday. "This decision represents an act of statesmanship during a difficult period."

The statement called on Iraq and Kurdish Regional Government to "work urgently to resolve pending issues under the Iraq constitution".

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi called for calm and respect for the law in the northern Kurdistan region, a day after Barzani announced he was stepping down.

He said the central government in Baghdad wants to establish safe conditions in every province and protect the interests of every citizen.

Abadi said he is closely following the developments in the Kurdistan region and the attacks on the headquarters of the parties "as well as the media and attempts to cause chaos and disturbances in Irbil and Dahu.

Sunday, Barzani asked lawmakers to dissolve the position of the president and distribute its duties among the Kurdish prime minister, parliament and the judiciary.

Dozens of Barzani's supporters broke into the building and attacked lawmakers and journalists, while a crowd outside waved Kurdish flags in support of him.

Barzani said Abadi's government used a September Kurdish independence referendum as "an excuse" to retake much of the territory the Kurds had controlled for years after peshmerga and coalition forces ousted the Islamic State militants who captured vast swaths of northern Iraq in 2014. The referendum resulted in more than 92 percent of Iraqi Kurds choosing independence.

Abadi called the independence referendum illegal.

The Iraqi military and the Kurdish minority had been clashing for several weeks in mostly low-level firefights until Friday, when they agreed to a cease-fire, and Kurdish forces abandoned the land they held, largely without resistance.

Kurdish leaders offered to freeze the referendum results and start dialogue with the central government in Baghdad, but Abadi rejected that offer.

Abadi said he would accept only an annulment of the referendum and respect for the country's constitution.

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Analysts: Turkey May Pay Heavy Price for Iraqi Kurdish Leader's Resignation

By Dorian Jones October 30, 2017

Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani's announcement he plans to step down was greeted with jubilation in Turkey's pro-government media. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Barzani, his once close ally, of betrayal for his decision to hold an October independence referendum.

"Ankara, whether or not it indicated clearly, would be clearly happy with the removal of Mr. Barzani as president and replaced with someone else, so that would be seen by a welcome development," said former senior Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen, who established Turkey's consulate in the Iraqi Kurdish regional capital, Irbil.

Ankara has been in the forefront of using its diplomatic and economic muscle to force the Iraqi Kurds to recant after voting overwhelming in favor of independence, which Turkey fears could incite its own large restive Kurdish minority.

But Ankara could yet pay a heavy price for Barzani's ousting. "We have lost our most important ally in the region," warned political analyst Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners, a New York analysis firm. Since the late 2000s, Erdogan developed a close political relationship with Barzani, facilitated by burgeoning trade and shared distrust of Baghdad's leadership.

Erdogan repeatedly accused Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and his predecessor Nouri al-Maliki of pursuing policies against Iraq's Sunni minority, a stance consistent with the Turkish president's tendency to present himself as a defender of Sunnis' rights across the region. In one of many tit-for-tat insult exchanges between the leaders, Erdogan last year scolded al-Abadi, saying, "You are not my equal."

Dramatic change

But in a dramatic diplomatic reversal, Erdogan embraced Abadi in common cause over the threat of Iraqi Kurdish independence. Last week, the Turkish president hosted the Iraqi prime minister in Ankara to coordinate the latest efforts against the Iraqi Kurds. Despite the warm words exchanged by both leaders, analysts warn the newfound love affair, may be short lived. "Ankara doesn't seem to display a strategic rational in these issues," warns analyst Yesilada. "The current policy of antagonizing Iraqi Kurds ignores the bigger threat of Iran completely dominating Iraqi politics," he said.

Turkey and Iran are jockeying for influence in Iraq and Syria.

In June, Erdogan accused Tehran of embarking on "Persian expansionism." Ankara cultivated close ties with Barzani and his Kurdish Regional Government, KRG, enabled Turkey to project its influence in Baghdad and counter Tehran's growing power. Now, Erdogan has dropped rhetoric against Tehran and is working together with Baghdad to quell Iraqi Kurdish independence.

Diplomatic influence lost

But Erdogan's turn against Barzani means the loss of an important diplomatic card, say observers.

"Ankara will have less say over Baghdad with a diminished influence over KRG because Ankara worked through KRG Kurdistan in Baghdad. This is a fact," said Selcen. "In the mid and long term Ankara's and Tehran interests will not overlap," he said.

The cost to Ankara of undermining Barzani and his KDP Party is not only confined to diplomatic influence. The main beneficiary could be the Kurdish rebel group the PKK that is fighting for greater autonomy for Kurds in Turkey.

The PKK has many of its bases in the Iraqi Kurdish region. "The political arena is the more forthcoming for the PKK presence because the KDP was the strongest ally in Ankara's fight against the PKK. I don't know how that will continue from now on," notes Selcen. "But the fight against the PKK has become an agenda for Baghdad and Ankara," he said.

"Assuming in Iraqi Kurdistan, the PKK gains strength at the disadvantage of Barzani, I don't see what Ankara can do but intervene one way or another," warns Yesilada. On Oct.13 and for the first time in nine years, Turkish forces carried out a cross border military operation into Iraqi Kurdistan against the PKK. But analysts question whether Baghdad or Tehran would be agree to any major Turkish operation into Iraq against the PKK.

Base a point of contention

The presence of a Turkish military base in the Iraqi town of Bashiqa remains a major point of contention with Baghdad, which has repeatedly called for its removal.

With the Iraqi Kurdistan region facing an economic crisis and political turmoil under ongoing pressure from Baghdad, Tehran and Ankara, the region could yet face more instability.

"It's true the KRG runs the risk of an imminent implosion and the first test (is) upcoming elections in Iraq, which should be held March 2018," notes former diplomat Selcen. Analysts say the PKK would likely benefit from any chaos. "Realistically speaking, in the near term, we might witness a readjustment by Ankara toward the Kurds, in particular. And as far I can see, the rhetoric of Ankara, through various actors, the prime minister and foreign minister, is a bit toned down since the referendum," said Selcen.

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New round of Syria talks begins in Astana

Iran Press TV

Mon Oct 30, 2017 05:01AM

A new round of Syria peace talks brokered by Iran, Russia, and Turkey has begun in Kazakhstan's capital of Astana.

It is the seventh round of talks in what is referred to as the Astana peace process for Syria.

Delegations from the Syrian government and armed opposition groups as well as the three guarantor states are present at the talks. So are representatives from the United Nations, Jordan, and the United States, according to reports.

The Iranian delegation, headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari, arrived in the Kazakh capital on Sunday.

Expert-level talks began that same day, and the high-level talks will continue until Tuesday.

Syria has been beset by conflict since March 2011.

Another peace process for Syria has been ongoing under the auspices of the UN. Known as the Geneva peace process, it has achieved little in comparison with the Astana process, which began just this year and has already cultivated in the establishment of four deescalation zones which are expected to ease the conflict now in its seventh year.

Meanwhile, there are unconfirmed reports of plans to enforce no-fly zones over these areas.

Iran and Russia are the Syrian government's allies, while Turkey is a supporter of anti-Damascus groups.

The agenda of the 7th round

Jaberi Ansari, the Iranian chief negotiator, told IRIB before the start of the talks that the first item on the agenda of the negotiations was reviewing the activities of the three guarantor states within the framework of the deescalation zones, particularly in Idlib, in northern Syria.

He said the latest developments and any potential breaches of the deescalation agreement would be discussed.

Other issues to be addressed, he said, are two documents that have humanitarian significance, one on the exchange of captives and bodies, and the other on the clearance of mines in various areas in Syria. He said the Islamic Republic would "seriously" pursue the two issues because of their humanitarian importance and to contain the losses inflicted on the people of Syria over the course of the Syrian conflict.

Jaberi Ansari said some parties had also floated ideas on the political process to be pursued in Syria. He said viewpoints would be exchanged and consultations would be made on those ideas. If an agreement is reached, he said, it will be publicly announced.

Russia hopes Turkey will stabilize Idlib

Meanwhile, RIA news agency cited Russia's special envoy for Syria and chief negotiator at the Astana talks as expressing hope that Turkey would help stabilize the situation in Idlib.

"There is a pretty high level of tension there (in Idlib) and there is still a threat of offensives by radical groups deployed there," Alexander Lavrentiev said. "But we hope that our Turkish partners will in the end fulfil their part of the obligations concerning the Idlib deescalation zone and will stabilize the situation there."

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New Round Of Syrian Peace Talks Starts In Astana

RFE/RL October 30, 2017

A seventh round of Syrian peace talks has started in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana.

The Kazakh Foreign Ministry said all participants for the talks had arrived on October 30 for two days of bilateral and multilateral meetings.

Two separate series of peace talks are being conducted in an attempt to end the six-year civil war in Syria. Along with the Astana talks, United Nations-sponsored negotiations are held in Geneva in search of an overall political solution.

The Astana talks -- sponsored by Russia, Iran, and Turkey  focus on cease-fire and other battlefield matters.

Representatives of the Syrian government and some rebel groups attend the sessions, and the United States, the United Nations, and Jordan generally send observers.

De-Escalation Zones

Russia and Iran back the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while the United States and Turkey support differing rebel groups.

A key issue in recent talks has been the establishment, organization, and coordination of at least four de-escalation zones in Syria.

Reports have said the sponsors could call for a six-month cessation of hostilities between government and rebel forces.

Any cease-fire would not apply to the battle to defeat Islamic State (IS) extremists holding out in the country, officials have said.

Al-Jazeera cited sources as saying the meeting will also discuss the release of hostages and prisoners, delivery of food and aid to besieged areas, the return of dead bodies, and the search for missing persons.

On October 26, the UN's Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, announced his intention to convene the next round of separate negotiations in Geneva on November 28, the eighth round of talks since early last year.

With reporting by TASS, Al-Jazeera, and Anadolu

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/astana-syria-peace-talks-d e-escalation-zones/28823474.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.

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Russian Envoy for Syria Discussed Political Settlement With Assad

Sputnik News

11:27 30.10.2017(updated 14:25 30.10.2017)

According to the Russian special presidential envoy for Syria, Syrian President Bashar Assad wants to stick to commitments undertaken previously concerning the transition to the political settlement after the main military phase of the fight against terrorism is completed.

Russian special presidential envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentiev said in an interview to RT and Rossiya-24 that the Russian delegation visited Damascus to discuss the issue of the future political transition with Syrian President Bashar Assad. The talks were focused on the government's vision of the further political settlement.

"We wanted to see whether Damascus is maintaining its commitment to the obligations it previously undertook. In particular, concerning the transition to a political settlement after the main military phase of the fight against terrorism is completed," Lavrentiev said.

Lavrentiev underlined the importance of the recent Assad's press statement, confirming Syria's commitment to political reforms, the preparation of a new constitution and the start of preparations for parliamentary and presidential elections, as set in the UN Security Council's Resolution 2254.

"It is vital that Bashar Assad is really willing to find ways to attain national reconciliation. We spoke in detail about the launch of the process for national dialogue between various parts of Syrian society," Lavrentiev said.

The statement was made amid the seventh round of the Astana-format talks on the Syrian settlement that kicked off in the Kazakh capital. The talks, in particular, will focus on creating a working group that will deal with hostage and prisoner release, the return of fallen soldiers bodies, and searches for those missing.

"We hope that these issues will be resolved during the seventh round of talks, at least in a particular part to promote confidence-building between the conflicting parties," Lavrentiev said.

The envoy added that the Russian delegation hoped to encourage Syrian opposition to hold a constructive dialogue with Damascus.

Earlier in the day, a well-informed source told Sputnik that the Congress of the Syrian people aiming to bring together a large number of representatives of the Syrian opposition and government forces would most likely take place in mid-November in Russia's Sochi.

"It is unclear where it would take place or when. We shall discuss this today and tomorrow with our colleagues from the guarantor states, but we believe nevertheless that this forum is an important milestone on the path towards the political reconciliation. We always said that the Syrian people should determine their future themselves, so if all representatives, respected people meet there and discuss what they should do and in which form further participation in political reforms is envisioned, then I think it will be very important," Lavrentiev said.

Assad's Removal From Power

Commenting on the precondition for holding Syrian settlement talks, the Russian presidential envoy has said that demanding Assad's resignation won't bring about results in the process.

"We strongly encourage the opposition to absolutely abando, as we believe, incorrect preconditions for joining the negotiation process. As you know, it is the the removal [of Assad] from his current post of president. This is absolutely unrealistic, and if we continue the negotiation process under such preconditions, of course, this will not lead to positive results.

According to Lavrentiev, the Syrian leadership and Assad have voiced interest in the political process moving forward. Assad understands the necessity of holding national political dialogue in order to find a way for national reconciliation, the Russian envoy added.

While the US and its regional and European allies have been calling for Assad's removal from power, Moscow has repeatedly stressed that it is up to the Syrian people to decide their leadership's future.

Assad himself has commented on the issue, saying that he is ready to step down if the Syrians decide so.

Guarantor States and De-escalation Zones

Lavrentiev also praised the decision to establish de-escalation zones as "very right," adding that it was possible to "stabilize the situation on the ground to a great extent."

"Of course there are some difficulties because of the provocations of various groups in the de-escalation zones, but we're trying to prevent such negative incidents as much as we can. Observation posts work really well  The situation is a bit more complicated in Idlib zone where our Turkish colleagues so far have not fully put observation points in place. The tension level is still pretty high there, and there is a danger of offensives from some groups that are present there. We hope that Turkey will carry out its obligations on Idlib zone," he said.

Control over the de-escalation zone in Idlib is supposed to be carried out by the forces of all three guarantor states (Russia, Turkey and Iran), while in three other zones it is done only by Russian military police.

Lavrentiev has also commented on the possibility to include other actors as guarantors of the peace settlement.

"So far, this issue has not come up [on the other states participating as observers]. Several countries have expressed their willingness to take part in the Astana format as observers. But during the preparation for Astana-7 with guarantor states we decided to put this issue on hold, in order to work out criteria that any state should meet if it wants to enter the Astana process as an observer," Lavrentiev said in an interview to RT and Rossiya-24.

Post-War Restoration

According to Russian special presidential envoy to Syria, the country will be fully liberated from Daesh in coming weeks.

"The Kurds control a significant part of the Syrian territory and made a significant contribution to the eradication of terrorist structures on the country's territory, first and foremost Daesh I think that the Syrian territory will be fully cleared of Daesh formations in coming weeks. The issue is arising on involving the Kurds more actively in the post-war restoration and political resolution," he said.

Lavrentiev has also named the demining issue as one of the key factors of the country's restoration, saying that almost every building in the recently liberated Deir ez-Zor, Mayadin and other areas is mined. He urged the international community to support Russia's efforts on the creation of conditions necessary for the locals to return to their peaceful lives.

The Syrian government and Russia consider the humanitarian demining a key issue at the ongoing Astana talks, while Turkey and the opposition see the release of detainees as a priority. The discussions are circulation around two draft documents on the Syrian settlement. The first one suggests establishing a Working Group comprising the representatives of the Syrian government, opposition, the UN and possibly the ICRC, which would work at the release of detainees and searches for missing persons.

The other draft document specifies the creation of the international coalition, involving the UN Mine Action Service and UNESCO to manage the humanitarian demining.

Russian Military Operation

Meanwhile, head of the State Duma Defense Committee Vladimir Shamanov has announced that the Russian military actions in the country have almost been completed.

"In general, the main tasks of the Russian military operation in Syria may be considered nearly fulfilled. We expect that the government forces will regain control over the eastern Syrian border by the end of the year and Daesh [outlawed in Russia] will cease its existence as an organized military body," Shamanov said at a meeting between the committees of the State Duma and the Mazhilis, the lower house of the Kazakh parliament.

Russian media has lately reported citing military sources in the country that Moscow was planning to reduce its military presence in Syria.

 Sputnik

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Russia Mulls Reducing Its Military Presence in Syria - Reports

Sputnik News

05:49 30.10.2017(updated 10:32 30.10.2017)

Russia is reportedly considering a partial reduction of its military presence in Syria amid successes of the Syrian government forces in the fight against terrorists.

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  The plan prescribes that only military police units and military advisers as well as a contingent necessary for the protection of facilities in Hmeymim and Tartus will remain in Syria, Russia's Kommersant newspaper reported Monday citing its military and diplomatic sources.

The number of warplanes of the Russian Aerospace Forces in Syria may be also reduced, however the air defense systems protecting the Russian objects will remain in Syria, the sources said.

"In any case [Russian President and] Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Vladimir Putin will make the final decision," a source told the media outlet adding that no final decisions have been taken so far.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the media outlet that "such decisions are not being announced."

The Russian Defense Ministry, for its part, has refuted this information and said that there are no plans to reduce the Russian military presence in Syria.

The publication comes amid numerous reports about the successes of the Syrian government's army in the fight against Jabhat Fatah al Sham (formerly known as al-Nusra Front) and Daesh terrorist groups.

Earlier, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman that the operation against terrorists in Syria was coming to an end.

On October 24, Shoigu said at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers' Meeting that Daesh controls less than 5 percent of Syrian territory. According to the minister, since the start of the Russian anti-terrorist operation in Syria, Russian planes have destroyed 948 training camps, 666 plants and workshops producing weapons and 1,500 units of military equipment of terrorists.

Russia launched its military operation in the Arab country on September 30, 2015, at the request of the Syrian government.

 Sputnik

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President Tsai vows to increase Taiwan's defense budget by 2%

ROC Central News Agency

2017/10/30 14:40:07

On board the presidential plane, Oct. 30 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen () has promised to boost Taiwan's defense budget by at least 2 percent each year, taking into consideration the United States' concern over a growing military imbalance between Taiwan and China, Tsai Ming-yen (), deputy secretary-general of the National Security Council (NSC), said Monday.

The 2 percent annual hike will be in line with the projected growth of Taiwan's economy, the president said, adding that the defense budget may even be increased by 3 percent if the need arises, according to Tsai Ming-yen.

In addition, a special reserve fund will be allocated for major military procurements, Tsai Ming-yen told reporters, citing the president, who is on the first leg of a state visit to three of Taiwan's diplomatic allies in the Pacific.

He said President Tsai made the pledge during a meeting in Honolulu on Saturday with James Moriarty, chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), after Moriarty urged her to heed the U.S.' concerns about Taiwan's comparatively small defense budget.

Noting that China's military spending has been seeing double-digit growth each year, Moriarty warned President Tsai that such a trend could result in an even greater imbalance in military strength across the Taiwan Strait, according to Tsai Ming-yen.

In response, the president told Moriarty that Taiwan is drawing up a comprehensive plan to meet its long- and short-term military needs, particularly to strengthen its defense capabilities, Tsai Ming-yen said.

Taiwan's military procurement budget for 2018, which has already been approved, is NT$83.3 billion (US$2.76 billion), lower than this year's NT$88 billion, according to a China Times report.

(By Lu Hsin-hui and Flor Wang)

Enditem/pc

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Turkey resumes mass trial of 221 'coup ringleaders'

Iran Press TV

Mon Oct 30, 2017 10:08AM

Turkey has reopened a mass trial of 221 suspects over their alleged involvement in a failed July 2016 coup against the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The hearings, which had begun at the Sincan prison complex near the capital Ankara on May 22, resumed at the facility on Monday.

The prime suspects are alleged members of the so-called Peace at Home Council, a group on whose behalf a coup declaration was read on state television on July 15 last year.

They include Gen. Akin Ozturk, a former air force commander.

Other defendants include US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, a former Erdogan aide, who is accused of having masterminded the putsch. Gulen has denied the accusation.

Aside from Gulen, eight other defendants are being tried in absentia.

The charges range from using violence with the aim of overthrowing the government and parliament to killing the nearly 249 people, who died on the night of the coup.

By some estimates, the case constitutes the biggest legal proceedings in the country's modern history.

Over 140,000 people, including public sector employees, have been sacked or suspended over alleged links to the coup, while 50,000 people have been arrested over similar suspicions.

Erdogan has outraged human rights organizations for what they call a sweeping crackdown on dissent under the guise of patriotism.

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Warning NATO Operations at Serious Risk If Britain Sells Warships

Sputnik News

17:51 30.10.2017(updated 17:53 30.10.2017)

Future NATO operations and Britain's naval power could be seriously damaged if the UK goes through with the sale of two amphibious assault warships, Whitehall sources have warned.

Arrangements with European countries, including a joint expeditionary force, would be put at risk, if Britain's plans to sell front-line warships and landing platforms  HMS Bulwark and HMS Albion  proceed as part of a cost-cutting defense review, despite a warning from military chiefs that it will pose a serious future threat to the UK's already over-stretched naval resources.

Britain's 'Unique Selling Point'

Whitehall says any attempt to sell-off the ships would affect Britain's plan to become the lead nation for NATO's immediate follow-on forces group in 2019, which is the second wave of personnel that would be deployed in a crisis following the initial response. Such lead responsibility is normally carried out on a rotation basis by the member states.

Both Bulwark and Albion, loaded with landing craft, provide command and control in a maritime operation, according to a Whitehall insider, who added:

"This is what we bring as our unique selling point to the party, alongside our world-class Royal Marines."

Under the present NATO arrangement, Britain is committed to providing at least one landing platform, as well as a commando group of marines. It is required also to provide an amphibious assault ship in 2019 to support the Netherlands when Amsterdam takes the lead.

The UK's amphibious capability is also an important factor within a UK-led joint expeditionary force, involving Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Holland and Lithuania. Similarly it has strong ties with America and France to provide these front-line warships on any military exercises  something it would no longer be able to do if the ships are sold.

MoD Response 'Delusional'

The suggestions by UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) that two new aircraft carriers  HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales  would assume the role of the assault landing platform ships in future are "at best delusional, at worst mendacious," according to Lieutenant-General Sir Robert Fry, the former head of the Marines.

Sir Robert said that an amphibious operation was complex and required command-and-control facilities that only existed on landing platform docks. While troops could be transported by helicopter from the aircraft carriers that have still to come into service, the same did not obviously apply when it came to shipping heavy equipment and logistic support during exercises which have always been done by amphibious landing platforms, he explained.

Another option being touted is cutting 1,000 British Royal Marines, a move that has already incurred the wrath of the United States Marine Corps, who claim it would hamper UK-US military ties in the future.

"We are a leading member of NATO and national security capability review will mean Britain is better placed to work with allies. No decisions have yet been made and at this stage, any discussion of the options is pure speculation," and MoD spokesman said.

The Sell-Off

Both Chile and Brazil have been informed the front-line warships could become available for sale next year, along with two Type-23 frigates, according to a proposals put forward earlier in October by Admiral Sir Philip Jones, head of the Royal Navy, in order to solve a major funding crisis.

It has also been hinted the amphibious assault ship and helicopter carrier HMS Ocean  currently the largest vessel in the Royal Navy  could also be either retired from service despite not even being 20-years-old or sold off for a bargain price of US$100,950,000.

The possible sell-off comes after it was revealed this month that HMS Atherstone and HMS Quorn, two of the Royal Navy's 15-strong fleet of mine-hunting vessels were scrapped instead of undergoing planned upgrades in order to reduce costs.

The new generation of frigates to replace the Duke-class vessels will not be available until 2020 at the earliest.

Defense Cuts Scrutiny

Military chiefs have already met to examine ways of saving nearly a billion pounds (US$1.3 billion) during the current financial year, as well as even greater cost-cutting measures in the next decade.

Sir Michael Fallon, Britain's defense secretary, came under scrutiny when he appeared before the Commons Defense Committee on Wednesday, October 25, to answer a barrage of questions from MPs concerned over future military cover and protection.

He dismissed reports of selling warships and reducing manpower numbers as "pure speculation."

NATO has, so far, refused to comment on the situation.

 Sputnik

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Defence Secretary visits Tyneside shipyard as industry develops plans for new frigates

30 October 2017

As part of his nationwide tour of UK shipyards, Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon paid a visit to A&P Tyne near Newcastle today, one of the yards that could be involved in building a new class of ships for the Royal Navy.

The MOD spent 400 million with UK industry in the North East last year, 150 per person, supporting over 2,600 jobs in the region. A&P Tyne have played a crucial role in major defence programmes, such as building blocks for the UK's new aircraft carriers and key parts for nuclear submarines. The company also maintains support ships, including Mounts Bay that was instrumental in the relief effort following Hurricane Irma.

Following the launch of the Government's National Shipbuilding Strategy last month, industry has developed over 20 different proposals for new Type 31e frigates. A&P are involved in one of the early plans with Cammell Laird and BAE Systems to deliver the new class of ships.

Shipyards across the country were invited to provide initial high-level proposals to build the initial order of five ships at a maximum average price of 250 million each. The Defence Secretary has personally committed to attend every major UK shipyard in the run up to the start of the formal competition to procure the new class of Type 31e in the New Year.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said:

"It is very encouraging to witness the renaissance of shipbuilding around the UK first hand. Having helped build our new aircraft carriers and the Astute Class submarines, A&P Tyne have the skills and expertise to bid for our brand new class of frigates."

"The whole industry is clearly excited about the opportunity to build cutting-edge ships for our growing Royal Navy, which will protect our nation and interests across the world."

From building blocks for the innovative modular construction of the Royal Navy's new Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers, which were assembled in Rosyth, to providing key parts for the Astute nuclear submarine programme, sustaining jobs and bringing work worth some 7 million to the region, A&P Tyne have been pivotal to UK defence.

The Defence Secretary was given a guided tour of the Hebburn-based yard which employs 300 workers including 11 new apprentices and boasts the largest dry dock on the north-east coast of England. With the commitment to build the Type 31e warships in the UK, A&P have the opportunity to compete for this latest programme to build ships for the Royal Navy.

The frigates will be designed to meet the needs of the Royal Navy, but also with the export market in mind. The Government will work with industry to provide support to become internationally competitive, boosting the UK economy and jobs, while also helping to create a more stable and well-protected world.

Having already paid visits to Cammell Laird in Merseyside, Harland and Wolff in Belfast and Ferguson Marine on the Clyde, the Defence Secretary has carried out extensive engagement with industry in recent weeks. Sir Michael also visited BAE Systems' Scotstoun yard in Glasgow for the naming of the latest Offshore Patrol Vessel, HMS Medway, and Babcock in Rosyth for the naming of the second aircraft carrier, HMS Prince of Wales, in further engagement with UK shipyards.

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British soldiers arrive in Estonia

30 October 2017

1st Battalion The Royal Welsh have deployed to Estonia

British soldiers from 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh have deployed to Estonia, renewing the UK's commitment to our NATO allies in Europe and providing reassurance in the face of any potential aggression.

Taking over from 5th Battalion The Rifles, which has been in the country since March, 800 soldiers from the Royal Welsh battlegroup arrived this week.

Following an official ceremony earlier today, The Royal Welsh will now lead the multinational enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup, supported by elements from the King's Royal Hussars, the Royal Engineers and the Royal Artillery as well as soldiers from France and Denmark. The battlegroup will be part of the 1st Estonian Infantry Brigade.

The arrival of the Royal Welsh coincides with the second in a series of visits from four RAF Typhoons to Estonia, ready to train and work with UK personnel on the ground as well as our NATO allies.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said:

"Nobody should be in any doubt of our unwavering commitment to the security of Europe through NATO in the face of Russian belligerence."

"In the face of intensifying threats, the UK has stepped up across Europe, with soldiers, tanks and Typhoons deployed from Estonia to Romania."

"Our enhanced Forward Presence is a strategic tripwire that we will maintain on an enduring footing."

Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Owain Luke added:

"Having completed a demanding period of training in the UK and Canada earlier this year, we are delighted to have finally arrived in Estonia."

"We now look forward to training and operating with the 1st Estonian Infantry Brigade and our French and Danish allies as part of NATO's wider defensive posture across the Baltic states and Poland."

The UK's battlegroup forms part of the wider NATO enhanced Forward Presence, with multinational forces deployed across the Baltic States and Poland, led by the US, Canada and Germany. The UK has a further 150 soldiers based in Poland, part of the US led battlegroup and RAF Typhoons have recently completed a four month deployment to Romania, patrolling the Black Sea skies.

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Manafort Indictment Welcomed In Ukraine, Long Plagued By Rampant Corruption

Christopher Miller October 30, 2017

KYIV -- Ukrainians long angered by Paul Manafort's work to bring what they regard as a kleptocratic, pro-Russia administration to power in Kyiv celebrated news of the American political consultant's indictment on October 30.

Manafort, who spent months as chairman of U.S. President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, surrendered to the FBI along with his longtime business partner Rick Gates after days of speculation as to who was targeted in a sealed indictment from Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

The charges from Mueller -- who was tasked by the U.S. Justice Department with investigating alleged Russian attempts to meddle in the election and possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russian officials -- maintain that Manafort laundered millions of dollars in Ukrainian payments through overseas shell companies and used the money to buy real estate, luxury cars, and fancy suits.

Already a seasoned Washington hand, Manafort was widely credited with masterminding the political comeback in Kyiv of Viktor Yanukovych in 2010, six years after Yanukovych's flawed election victory sparked Ukraine's pro-democracy Orange Revolution.

The indictment is chiefly about Manafort's work in Ukraine and does not directly tie Manafort to Moscow or name him as a suspected collaborator in the alleged Russian operation to disrupt the election.

"That's great news!" Serhiy Leshchenko, the Ukrainian lawmaker who helped expose the notorious "black ledger" that appeared to show $12.7 million in secret cash payments earmarked for Manafort from Yanukovych's Party of Regions between 2007 and 2012, told RFE/RL by phone from the Barcelona airport.

Since Yanukovych fled to Russia in 2014, Ukrainian officials and journalists have accused him and his administration of stealing millions of dollars in public funds, and authorities are currently trying him for allegedly ordering troops to fire on peaceful demonstrators at the height of the 2013-14 unrest.

"I'm very much satisfied, because Manafort was involved in high-level corruption in Ukraine. He helped one of the most corrupt persons in the world to be elected president," Leshchenko said, alluding to Yanukovych.

Leshchenko added: "I believe this is money stolen from Ukrainian taxpayers."

The "black ledger" revelations in August 2016, first reported by The New York Times, led to Manafort's resignation from the Trump campaign.

Mueller's office said in a statement that Manafort and Gates were indicted by a federal grand jury on 12 counts including "conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading FARA [Foreign Agents Registration Act] statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts."

If convicted, Manafort could face decades in U.S. prison.

Specifically, the indictment asserts that between at least 2006 and 2015 -- a period that exceeds the "black ledger" dealings -- Manafort and Gates acted as unregistered agents for Yanukovych, his government, his Party of Regions, and that party's successor, known as the Opposition Bloc,

Yanukovych fled Ukraine with many of his allies in 2014, in the wake of the so-called Euromaidan protests -- for pro-Western policies and against widespread corruption -- that turned violent. Opposition Bloc leaders, many of whom remain in Kyiv, could not immediately be reached for comment on the indictment.

Manafort's longtime associate, Konstantin Kilimnik, who told RFE/RL in an exclusive interview in February that during the 2016 election campaign, "I was briefing him on Ukraine," also did not reply to multiple attempts to reach him for comment.

Manafort laundered more than $18 million "to enjoy a lavish lifestyle in the United States without paying taxes on that income," the indictment reads.

Gates is accused of transferring more than $3 million from offshore accounts.

Fresh Ukraine Probe?

The news was welcomed by many in Ukraine, where Manafort has not been actively pursued, much to the dismay of many Ukrainians, especially anti-corruption campaigners and investigative journalists.

"While American journalists report about the 'surrender' of Manafort, Ukrainians openly rejoice," tweeted Novaya Vremya investigative journalist Kristina Berdynskykh.

"[T]oday is a holiday on the street of Serhiy Leshchenko," popular Ukrainian blogger Alyona Yakhno wrote on Facebook. "Without any irony. He was the first to start all this."

It also led some in Ukraine to speculate that Ukrainian authorities would open their own investigation into Manafort's dealings there.

But the country's chief anti-corruption prosecutor, Nazar Kholodnytsky, who has worked on the "black ledger" investigations and said he was surprised by news of Manafort's indictment, told RFE/RL it was too early to say whether Kyiv would open its own probe.

"It's interesting," Kholodnytsky said when told of the U.S. charges against Manafort, adding that he welcomed the news. He said his office is now studying Mueller's indictment.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's administration declined to comment on the indictment. A leading member of Poroshenko's ruling party in parliament, Volodymyr Ariev, told RFE/RL, "I cannot say [Manafort's indictment] is good or bad. We'll see."

If U.S. authorities reach out to Kyiv for assistance in this or other investigations, Ariev said, "all legal assistance will be provided by the Ukrainian side, no doubt."

U.S. authorities did get assistance from Leshchenko, who confirmed that he turned over documents to the FBI in March that allegedly show Manafort tried to hide $750,000 tied to his work for Yanukovych.

Ukraine does not appear to have actively pursued Manafort or his associates here.

Ukrainian prosecutors have wanted to interrogate Manafort in the case since 2015, and several times requested help from U.S. authorities to do so. But those requests have reportedly gone unanswered.

In September, Kilimnik, who told RFE/RL he has not been on Manafort's payroll since 2014 but has remained in contact with him, seemed to allude to an impending indictment of Manafort.

"They are tough investigators and probably will get Manafort for some financial crap," Kilimnik said of the Mueller investigation via WhatsApp. "With that many years of international clients no one can be 100% clean."

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/manafort-indictment- ukraine-renewed-focus/28824594.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.

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HDFC Life IPO Price Band Set At Rs 275-290 Business oi-Nithya Nair

HDFC Standard Life Insurance, which opens its Rs. 8,700 crore IPO on November 7, today said it has fixed its price band at Rs. 275-290 per equity share. The private insurer's Initial Public Offer will open on November 7 and close on November 9.

"The funds raised will be used by HDFC Ltd for its business purposes as the insurance arm has the adequate capital needed for growth," HDFC Chairman Deepak Parekh told reporters here. HDFC Life IPO Price Band Set At Rs 275-290

The company will raise Rs. 8,700 crore. The IPO is offering up to 299,827,818 equity shares of the face value of Rs. 10 each. This comprises an offer for sale of 191,246,050 equity shares by Housing Development Finance Corporation and up to 108,581,768 equity Shares by Standard Life (Mauritius Holdings), the promoters of HDFC Life.

The global coordinators and book running lead managers of the IPO are Morgan Stanley India Company, HDFC Bank, Credit Suisse Securities (India), CLSA India and Nomura Financial Advisory and Securities (India). The book running lead managers are Edelweiss Financial Services, Haitong Securities India, IDFC Bank, IIFL Holdings and UBS Securities India.

The equity shares offered in the IPO are proposed to be listed on the BSE and the NSE.

HDFC Standard Life was one of the first private life insurance companies to register in India and was established as a joint venture between HDFC and Standard Life Aberdeen Plc (global investment company), initially through its wholly owned subsidiary The Standard Life Assurance Company and now through its wholly owned subsidiary, Standard Life Mauritius.

The company has a pan-India presence, comprising 414 branches across India as of September 30, supported by a workforce of 16,544 full-time employees.

Goodreturns.in

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Story first published: Tuesday, October 31, 2017, 10:38 [IST]
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Rumors of newly rekindled talks about a merger between Sprint and T-Mobile started popping up in September. Then at the beginning of this month it was claimed that the two companies were actually in the final stages of negotiation, so at this point we were expecting an official announcement on the matter.

That, however, isn't going to happen, a Nikkei exclusive report says. Sprint owner SoftBank has allegedly decided to call off the merger. It will approach T-Mobile owner Deutsche Telekom as soon as tomorrow to let it know.

Telekom and SoftBank had apparently reached "a broad agreement" to integrate T-Mobile and Sprint, the third and fourth largest carriers in the US, respectively. All that was left to do was iron out such details as the ownership ratio. And that's exactly where things went wrong.

Telekom has insisted on having a controlling stake in the new entity formed, and "some at SoftBank were initially amenable as long as the Japanese company retained some influence". But SoftBank's board discussed this issue specifically at a meeting on Friday, and in the end decided that the company would not agree to give up control. Following this, today SoftBank made up its mind about calling off the talks.

So there you have it: it looks like everything was going very well for this deal, but unfortunately both parent companies of the merging carriers wanted to retain control of the new corporation that would be formed as a result. And so, once again, the existence of a combined T-Mobile + Sprint entity has been thwarted. Previously, SoftBank wanted to buy T-Mobile from Deutsche Telekom in 2014, but it gave up amid opposition from regulatory authorities.

Source
Police Accountability Boards starting work in most Maryland counties

Mandated by state law after the killing of George Floyd, Police Accountability Boards have begun work in the majority of Maryland counties.
Rosewood Sand Hill, the luxury hotel located in Menlo Park, California, has appointed Luca Bruno as Restaurant General Manager at Madera, the hotels Michelin-starred signature restaurant. In his new role, Bruno will continue the ongoing success of Madera and oversee all restaurant operations including staff management and guest interactions. Bruno will also work closely with both front and back of house staff to optimize the restaurant experience for guests. Bruno joins Madera as a seasoned professional in the food and beverage industry, with over 17 years of experience. Prior to joining Madera, Bruno worked as the Assistant General Manager and Wine Director at The Culina at Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles. Throughout his career, Bruno has also worked in world-renowned, Michelin-starred establishments, such as The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire and The French Laundry in Napa, California. In addition to his varied restaurant management experience, Bruno also earned his official sommelier certification with the Court of Master Sommelier organization, and graduated from University of California, Los Angeles with a concentration in Fundamentals of HR Management and General Business Studies of Entrepreneurship.
London UK/Spokane WA  At Magnuson Worldwide, America's fastest growing hotel brand, we are proud to announce the branding of the Magnuson Grand Desoto.

Located off I35 and 11 miles from Downtown Dallas and 22 miles from Arlington, the Magnuson Grand DeSoto is near the Dallas Convention Center, Cowboys Stadium, Six Flags Over Texas and Six Flags Hurricane Harbor.

Formerly a Clarion Hotel, Magnuson Grand Desoto will upgrade its market position to attract travelers via an affiliation with Magnuson Worldwide's international portfolio of over 1,000 hotels and state-of-the-art, global distribution platform.

The Magnuson Grand DeSoto offers guests free breakfast, free high speed internet access, and free parking. There is an indoor pool, whirlpool, fitness center, a relaxed restaurant and a lounge bar. The hotel also has a business center, guest laundry facilities, and meeting space.

Thomas Magnuson, CEO of Magnuson Worldwide says: "We are delighted to be welcoming the full team at the Magnuson Grand Desoto to the Magnuson family."

About Magnuson Hotels

Founded in 2003 as the world's first independent hotel chain, today hotel owners can affiliate with Magnuson as an independent or a franchised brand. With a footprint that includes North America and Europe, the company remains true to the original ethos; providing comprehensive personalised support and customised technology for hotel owners to succeed in their local markets without typical corporate franchise expense or requirements.

For more info: https://magnusonhotelsworldwide.com/.

Alysha Smith

VP of Operations & Development

8000148132

Magnuson Hotels
Best Western Hotels & Resorts today announced its eleventh brand  and newest soft brand  BW Signature Collection by Best Western. With the arrival of this new product, Best Western now offers soft brand options to hotel owners in most chain scale segments - upper economy and midscale (SureStay CollectionSM by Best Western), upper midscale (BW Signature Collection by Best Western) and upscale and upper upscale (BW Premier Collection).

"An increasing number of hotels in North America and overseas are going independent because they want flexibility and freedom from brand requirements, but they are also looking for an alternate source of business, a loyalty program and a robust reservation system," said David Kong, President and CEO of Best Western Hotels & Resorts.

"No one is offering a soft brand in the upper midscale segment right now, so by diversifying our offerings in the space, it is clearly an opportunity for us to capture market share and achieve scale," Kong said. "At the same time, we are happy to provide a home, and serve as a resource, to high quality independent hoteliers who have great potential to succeed. We believe this is a win-win."

The first two hotels to join BW Signature Collection by Best Western are Killington Mountain Lodge in Killington, Vermont and Brooklyn Way Hotel in Brooklyn, New York. Hotels joining this new brand will be on boarded in a rapid ramp-up, with near immediate access to Best Western's robust revenue management systems, tradeshow and sales support, marketing programs, award-winning BWR loyalty program, global reservation system and more.

"Best Western is a trail-blazer in the soft brand space. Since launching our BW Premier Collection in 2015, and last year, SureStay Collection, we've seen incredible results, with continued opportunity to grow," said Ron Pohl, Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of Best Western Hotels & Resorts. "We anticipate a successful launch of BW Signature Collection by Best Western and look forward to welcoming many more independent hoteliers to our family in the near future."

While targeting rapid growth for its most recent soft brand, Best Western will be selective and focus on quality over quantity. To qualify, properties must maintain a TripAdvisor score of at least 4.0 and meet other standards, as well. Best Western anticipates 100 hotels to be in the BW Signature Collection by Best Western pipeline by 2020.

For more information on BW Signature Collection by Best Western, please visit BestWestern.com.

About BWH Hotel Group

BWH Hotel Group is a leading, global hospitality network comprised of three hotel companies, including WorldHotels Collection, Best Western Hotels & Resorts and SureStay Hotel Group. The global network boasts approximately 4,500 hotels in over 100 countries and territories worldwide*. With 18 brands across every chain scale segment, from economy to luxury, BWH Hotel Group suits the needs of developers and guests in every market.

WorldHotels

WorldHotels Collection is a privately held hotel soft brand within the BWH Hotel Group global network. Founded by independent hoteliers dedicated to the art of hospitality, and celebrating its 50th year anniversary in 2021, WorldHotels offers one of the finest portfolios of independent hotels and resorts around the globe, expertly curated to inspire unique, life enriching experiences that connect people and places. WorldHotels is comprised of four unique collections, each with its own personality and style to appeal to the needs of today's traveler. The collections include: WorldHotels Luxury, WorldHotels Elite, WorldHotels Distinctive and WorldHotels Crafted. For more information visit WorldHotels.com.

*Numbers are approximate, may fluctuate, and include hotels currently in the development pipeline.
WASHINGTON, D.C.  Katherine Lugar, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) today presented a national non-profit career development organization, Grads of Life, with a commitment to provide $500,000 in grants to community-based organizations to recruit and develop "Opportunity Youth" in high-demand markets, such as Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago and Baltimore. U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta joined Lugar and Grads of Life Principal Shawn Jacqueline Bohen to announce this investment for Opportunity Youth.

Currently, six million young people  "Opportunity Youth"  are between the ages of 16 to 24, and out of school and out of work. Connecting them to potential employers is an important step in securing their future. The hospitality industry has some 600,000 job openings and this grant commitment will help fill a critical labor shortage in the long-term by joining with community-based organizations to attract youth for careers in the hospitality industry. This grant, provided to Grads of Life, a nationally recognized leader in working with employers to bring Opportunity Youth into the workplace, the funding needed to help us impact 1000 youth over two years.

On the heels of the Apprenticeship Task Force announcement, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is working closely with the hotel industry  which has a proven track record in creating career pathways for employees  to help close the skills gap and provide our nation's youth with meaningful and impactful careers.

The event, in conjunction with the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AHLEF), is part of AHLA's Empowering Youth Project, an initiative of the industry's Dreams Happen Here campaign, a national awareness effort to showcase career advancement opportunities, community commitment, and economic importance of hotel and lodging businesses to every city and state across America.

Present at the announcement were several students enrolled in AHLA's pre-apprenticeship program with the DOL. After announcing the grant, Secretary Acosta and Lugar met with the staff members of the Canopy by Hilton Washington, D.C. hotel to hear their stories and learn about their roles.

"This Administration is committed to unlocking more opportunities for Americans to get the family-sustaining jobs they deserve," said Secretary Acosta. "I thank the American Hotel and Lodging Association and Grads of Life for working together to bring young people into the hospitality industry. We need more programs like these so that young people can have avenues for advancement, including apprenticeships."

"The hotel industry supports more than eight million jobs in the United States, and this grant is another step in our continued commitment to creating opportunity and economic mobility by investing in our workforce," said Katherine Lugar, President and CEO of AHLA. "We commend Secretary Acosta for taking a leadership role in prioritizing apprenticeships which are critical to career development. By partnering with the Labor Department and Grads of Life, we are taking a meaningful step to close that jobs gap and provide our nation's youth with the skills to launch long, prosperous careers in the hotel industry."

"At Grads of Life, we work each day to match employers in need of talent with innovative solutions that also provide Opportunity Youth with the skills and access necessary for meaningful career pathways," Grads of Life Principal Elyse Rosenblum said. "AHLA's grant commitments and partnership with the Department of Labor will help advance our mission to close the Opportunity Divide and aid countless young people looking to gain stable employment in the hotel industry."

About the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA)

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is the sole national association representing all segments of the U.S. lodging industry. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AHLA focuses on strategic advocacy, communications support, and workforce development programs to move the industry forward. Learn more at www.ahla.com.

Katie Longo

AH&LA
Radisson Mumbai Andheri MIDC Hotel Announced for 2019

Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group today announced the entry of its hotel brand Radisson in Mumbai, Maharashtra with the signing of a 112-key hotel located in the Andheri suburb of the city. The signing of Radisson Mumbai Andheri MIDC, in the key, strategic city of Mumbai is set to accelerate Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group's overall growth and expansion plans in the country. The hotel is being developed in partnership with GHV Hospitality India Private Limited, and will be managed by Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.

"We are delighted to sign the management agreement for Radisson Mumbai Andheri MIDC which is significant to us in many ways. Radisson is a firmly established global brand with over 200 hotels in operation and development throughout the world. The brand inspires service standards of the highest level and is very well positioned to serve the bustling market of Mumbai. I thank GHV Hospitality India Private Limited for partnering with us in this unique opportunity to introduce the brand to Mumbai," said Raj Rana, chief executive officer, South Asia, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group.

"Radisson is a strong and well-established brand in India and we feel proud to be associated with it. We are happy with the professionalism and market expertise demonstrated by the brand and confident of the operational competence that Carlson Rezidor brings to the table. We are looking forward to successful returns on our investment overtime," said Mehttab Siddiqui, chief operating officer, GHV Hospitality India Private Limited.

Radisson has become one of the best-recognized hotel brands, offering an upscale hotel experience for business and leisure guests. The World of Radisson features solutions that are empathetic to the challenges of modern travel, including the 100% Guest Satisfaction Guarantee. Radisson hotels are located in major urban and suburban settings, leisure destinations, airports, and business districts throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific and the Caribbean. Every staff member has a passion for Yes I Can!SM hospitality, the signature service philosophy of Radisson, which ensures the total well-being and satisfaction of each guest.

Radisson Mumbai Andheri MIDC islocated in MIDC; one of the prominent industrial zones of Mumbai and home to numerous successful manufacturing units. The hotel is located 2.5 kilometers from the Mumbai International Airport and is expected to generate corporate as well as leisure demand due to its excellent location. The hotel's location offers easy access to major residential and infrastructural developments, commercial buildings, retail, and health care facilities. The hotel constitutes pre-function and function space of approximately 500 square meters, a fitness center and swimming pool. The hotel is expected to be operational by 2019.

Carlson Rezidor currently holds a portfolio of 140 hotels in operation and under development across 60 Indian cities, including 16 state capitals.
The Canton, Ohio rapper Trippie Redd and Atlantas Lil Wop just released their five-track project Angels & Demons in light of todays spooky holiday, Halloween.

The chill bangers are produced by Digital Nas and 4Point0Lehgo, where we hear the duo revert from the dark turn-up tracks to something you could listen to while hanging mellow.

A standout tune is In A Daze where Trippie handles the hook rapping about, of course, being in a daze courtesy of his purple cup. Wop takes the main verse talking about being with a gyal who looks straight out a magazine.

Wop, who is also Famous Dexs blood cousin, is signed to Gucci Manes 1017 Eskimos. In a recent chat with XXL Magazine the 22-year-old said his standout moment to date has been joining forces with Gucci.

I mean getting signed with Gucci. My most favorite song is Broadway. Thats the song that got me signed, he said. Its my mood 24/7. On Broadway, everything Im saying is my mood. Everything Im saying is how I feel. Im not saying Im walking around with a chopper and 3,000 people but if I got to do that, I will do that.

As for his overall goal in the industry, he detailed how hes going to be the next star adding how he cant be compared to anyone really.

Just to be successful and be great. he said. I dont really got no accomplishment list as far as Grammys. I just want to be as great as I can be as me. I would be happy by that. Michael Jackson, hes great.

Listen to the new track and tell us what you think.

Quotable Lyrics

Wasnt love it was fucking pain

Im just tired of the fucking hate

I rock the crowd with the fucking rage

This purple cup got me in a daze

This little thot got me in a daze aye

This little bitch got me in a daze
Omarions career hasnt aged as well as he does. His success is largely due to the fact that he was once the leading male of B2K but has since seen a major decline in his career. Its not to say hes a one hit wonder but its looking like his shows arent getting as packed as they once were.

Omarion recently performed in front of an empty venue in Windhoek, Namibia on Friday night. According to reports, Omarion was supposed to be part of a press conference prior to his performance but he apparently fell through on those plans. His press run was part of his agreement for the show but his manager says that Omarions lengthy flight caused him exhaustion which ultimately led him to fall back on the press conference. However, fans were allegedly heated by the fact that he decided to fall back that they decided to boycott his show that evening. Due to his contractual obligations, Omarion was forced to pull up to the show and perform. He later posted a video of the concert with the caption As long as you had a good time.

The funny thing is former B2K group member, Lil Fizz, told the cast members and fans of Love & Hip Hop Hollywood that B2K has been dodging phone calls pertaining to a B2K reunion.

South African entertainer, Phil Mphela, later went on a series of tweets addressing not only Omarion, but American guests, behavior in Africa.

Big up to Namibian press, influencers & people for teaching Omarion & future American guests a lesson. DONT DISRESPECT US!! he tweeted, Good to know tht other African countries, you disrespect their media, they dont suck up & push yr event anyway. Love u Namibia & Nigeria.

While Omarion may have been exhausted from his flight to do a press conference, its fair to say the excuse didnt cut it for his fans and the media in Nambia. Maybe hell return one day and follow through with his promises to his fans.

Check the posts below:
Sad news this morning after a gunman fatally shot a man last night near the University of Utah. The suspect is 24-year-old Austin Boutain, who is still at large in the Salt Lake City Area, Daily News reports. Austin was reportedly shot and killed an international student by the name of ChenWei Guo, when he was carjacking just east of the campus.

Just after 9PM students were advised to Shelter in Place after a call to the police reported a man with a gunshot in his head. University of Utah Police Chief Dale Brophy reports that Austins wife later appeared on campus injured, saying her husband assaulted her while they were camping in a nearby canyon. Its unclear whether the hijacking is linked to the shooting. The campus remained on lockdown for more than two hours as police were searching for Austin, he is still at large.

Austin was last seen in a beanie and black hoodie with a cross tattoo on his face. Campus security report that he was driving a forest green pick-up truck with Colorado license plates.

Austins brother, Lee Boutain, told the publication that he was shocked to hear the news of his brother being involved in a shooting. He had not heard from his sibling in a number of months. The last he knew of his whereabouts was when he skipped his parole in Wisconsin. Lee would not give further detail on his brothers criminal history, but Daily Mail reports that he has been arrested in Ohio and Alabama.
Elon Musk Welcomes Ligma and Johnson, Admits to Mistake After 'Firing' Them From Twitter
Talks between the DUP and Sinn Fein have broken up for the evening after failing again to reach agreement.

Secretary of State James Brokenshire is expected to update Parliament on Wednesday about the ongoing crisis.

The parties are planning to resume negotiations in the morning in a bid to break the political deadlock.

Earlier on Tuesday Sinn Fein said they were not prepared to accept a deal to save Stormont at "any price".

Sinn Fein negotiation Conor Murphy MLA insisted the party stands firm over the issue of rights for all citizens including language, legacy and gay marriage.

Referring to the SDLP he challenged Sinn Fein critics to say if they want a deal "at any price".

Mr Murphy added this is a "very key time" in the talks process with the DUP, saying: "The people who are criticising us for standing firm in these negotiations need to explain what they mean by get a deal at any price.

"For our part in Sinn Fein we are here engaged, not on party political interests but actually on issues that are rights for people who support us and for many, many people who don't support us.

"We are here to protect people's rights and ensure that any legislation which is put back in place is done so on the basis of the Good Friday Agreement."

Mr Murphy also said that if Mr Brokenshire decides to legislate for a budget for the region at Westminster, "this phase of the talks process is over".

He also admitted there is a "credibility issue" the longer the talks drag on.

Ireland's Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney and Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire arrived back at Stormont on Tuesday in a bid to help break the political deadlock.

They said progress was made on Monday between the DUP and Sinn Fein during talks aimed at restoring powersharing.

Both men and the parties arrived back at Stormont on Tuesday morning to resume discussions after a late night of negotiations.

Mr Coveney tweeted that "everyone (is) working hard to get a deal across the line".

Mr Brokenshire has extended the deadline for the parties to reach agreement and will review the situation on Tuesday night.

They were warned by the Secretary of State they had until Monday to produce a written agreement or he would be forced to legislate for a budget for the region at Westminster.

However he decided on Monday night that the parties had made progress and he was going to defer his decision.

In a statement he said: "The parties have made further progress during the course of (Monday). They are making certain additional requests of the UK Government which we need to consider.

"In the light of this, I believe it is right to defer the assessment on whether to introduce legislation to Parliament this week to enable an Executive to be formed.

"The parties will recommence talks in the morning (Tuesday) and I will reassess the position (on Tuesday) night."

The Northern Ireland Executive collapsed in January and the region has been without a powersharing government since then.

Despite endless rounds of discussions, a deal to restore devolution has proved elusive, with the introduction of an Irish language act seen as the main issue.
Australians are taking part in a survey on whether gay marriage should be legalised.

A total of 77% of eligible Australians have so far had their say on whether gay marriage should be legalised - with seven days left until the survey closes.

The turnout is already significantly higher than when Ireland held a referendum on the same issue in 2015.

Some 1.95 million people went to the polls that year - a turnout of 61% - as the country voted overwhelmingly in favour of gay marriage.

More than 16 million registered voters in Australia, which has a population of 24 million, received voting papers asking for their views on whether same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.

On Tuesday, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said an estimated 12.3 million surveys had so far been returned to them ahead of the end of the voting at 6pm on November 7.

The results of are due to be announced on November 15, but legislators in Australia are not bound to accept the outcome.
The chief executive of Goldman Sachs has raised concerns that the US banking giant may not be able to fill its new European headquarters in London due to Brexit.

Lloyd Blankfein took to Twitter yesterday, posting a birds-eye photo of the under-construction headquarters that is set to open in 2019, as he expressed worries over continued uncertainty.

He tweeted: "In London. GS still investing in our big new Euro headquarters here. Expecting/hoping to fill it up, but so much outside our control.#Brexit"

The new office - which is being built just off Farringdon Street and near its Peterborough Court headquarters - is expected to be around nine storeys high when it is ready to house staff in two years' time.

However, it is understood that Goldman has kept the option of letting out remaining space to other tenants, depending on how much square footage it needs for its local workforce.

It is the second time this month that Mr Blankfein has aired his Brexit views on the social media site.

On October 19, he detailed a recent trip to Frankfurt, where the US bank is planning to shift a portion of its UK operations after Brexit. He said: "Just left Frankfurt. Great meetings, great weather, really enjoyed it. Good, because I'll be spending a lot more time there."

Goldman Sachs, which employs around 6,500 people in the UK, has previously confirmed that it is looking to at least double its 200-strong employee base in Frankfurt as part of its Brexit contingency plans.

A raft of international banks, insurers and asset managers are preparing to shift portions of their UK operations to the Continent in preparation for Britain's divorce from the EU.

Many have turned to Dublin, while others have reached out to the likes of Paris and Luxembourg. But Frankfurt has emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries of Brexit so far as London-based financial firms increasingly opt to relocate staff to Germany's financial centre.
A university has backed a lecturer's right to display a slide in class which read "Brexit is shit".

Steven Kettell, an associate professor in politics and international studies at the University of Warwick, showed the message during a first-year introduction to politics lecture on Tuesday.

He was said to have joked of his disappointment not to have yet been reported for so-called Brexit bias, in remarks published in student newspaper The Tab.

His comments follow a letter written by Government whip Chris Heaton-Harris to universities asking for the names of academics teaching about Brexit.

A university spokesman said: "Our academic staff and students are all adults and fully entitled to hold and express opinions on both the leave and remain positions on Brexit, and it is no surprise that these opinions would be a topic in the context of a lecture on UK politics such as this."
The Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed has announced that farmers in 1,100 Knowledge Transfer groups are due to get payments from the first year of the scheme.

The Minister said that payments under the programme have now commenced.

"The Knowledge Transfer Programme is a key element of the 4 billion Rural Development Programme, and seeks to help farmers develop the skills and knowledge which will enable them to address sustainability, productivity and competitiveness challenges.

The Minister added that approximately 1,100 Knowledge Transfer Groups are catered for under the Programme, which builds on the success of the previous Discussion Group model.

"In addition to helping to upskill farmers, the group model has also been shown to have significant social benefits for farmers in terms of helping to address issues linked to rural isolation.

Payments are now rolling out on a sector-by-sector basis and payments for farmers in sheep Knowledge Transfer Groups have already issued, and payments in respect of beef Groups will issue later this week.

Payments for dairy, tillage, poultry and equine Groups will follow shortly after, he said.

Individual farmer payments will issue to the facilitator who will then pass this payment to the farmer. Where a farmer has met all the requirements of Year 1 of the scheme, the payment is 750. In cases where a farmer is in two Knowledge Transfer Groups, he/she will receive a total payment of 1,225.

I have always been very supportive of the group model underpinning the Knowledge Transfer Programme," the Minister said.

"Not only do farmers get expert advice from a trained facilitator, but they can also share their experience and learn from each other in the group setting. This interaction between farmers has proven to be very popular and successful, and I am confident that the 19,000 farmers currently in Knowledge Transfer Groups will continue to see the very real benefits of this approach.
Bank of Ireland's new chief executive, Francesca McDonagh, has drafted in global consultancy firm AT Kearney to help overhaul the lender's culture.

The new CEO is moving swiftly to set her own stamp on the organisation amid increasing competition and an escalating tracker mortgage scandal.

Over the past fortnight senior management have attended a string of "workshops" aimed at forging a new attitude within the bank after years of cost-cutting and restructuring.

Emails sent to staff, and seen by the Irish Independent, describe the sessions as part of a 'Group Culture Journey'.

They are organised by Chicago-based AT Kearney, as well as the bank's human resources department and members of its executive committee, which includes Liam McLoughlin, head of retail banking.

The meetings, according to sources who attended, emphasised that core principles revolve around customers, staff and communities.

In a sign that Ms McDonagh is reshaping the managerial style of predecessor Richie Boucher, the email to senior management characterises this culture shift as an "important strategic objective".

Sources claimed executives are keen to embrace a more "inclusive" and "consultative" style now that the group has faced down the challenges generated by the financial crisis.

It is understood Ms McDonagh opted to enlist the services of AT Kearney - one of the best-known names in management consulting - as she had previously worked with the firm at HSBC.

Ms McDonagh was head of retail banking and wealth management for the UK and Europe at the global banking giant.

According to sources, AT Kearney also helped engineer Ms McDonagh's meetings with Bank of Ireland's top-level executives over the summer.

As reported by this newspaper, the informal gatherings were held in London, prior to Mr Boucher's departure.

Yet news of the planned culture overhaul comes as Ms McDonagh grapples with the escalating tracker mortgage scandal that dates back almost a decade and now threatens to further dent the balance sheet.

So far the lender has set aside 45m in provisions to absorb the costs of the saga, although this figure is widely expected to increase when Ms McDonagh updates the market next month.

As this newspaper reported at the weekend, Bank of Ireland has so far owned up to 9,400 tracker cases and has pledged to pay redress and compensation to 4,300 customers.

But the lender has so far refused to return some 2,000 staff to trackers or refund them.

The bank now faces the prospect of an enforcement investigation by the Central Bank into its handling of the issue.

It follows criticism of the bank at last month's Oireachtas finance committee hearing at which the lender, represented by Mr McLoughlin, Stephen Mason, group head of operations, and Pat Farrell, group head of communications.

The attempts to alter the workplace culture - broadly welcomed by staff, according to sources - also comes as the bank reportedly prepares to axe up to 1,000 jobs following a revamp of its technology system.

However these cuts were agreed prior to Ms McDonagh's arrival. She is understood to be reviewing the technology programme, dubbed Project Omega.
Current backers of CWSI include Enterprise Ireland and a number of private investors.

A Mobile phone security business has made a number of senior board and management appointments amid a drive to raise fresh funds.

CWSI, whose clients include AIB, Ryanair and Irish Life, has appointed St Vincent's Healthcare Group chairman Jimmy Menton, a former partner at accountancy firm KPMG, as chairman of its board.

It has also appointed experienced industry player Conor English as a non-executive director.

Mr English has expertise at providing insurance services to mobile operators and has launched businesses in Asia and the Caribbean.

The company has also appointed Paul Line as head of managed services for the UK.

Mr Line was part of the management team that listed Australian telecoms business Inabox Group on the Australian Stock Exchange in 2013. CWSI founder and CEO Ronan Murphy said the appointments reflected "the company's ambitious plans to grow its business operations in Ireland, the UK and Europe".

The business has appointed corporate finance advisers Focus Capital to manage a fundraising round set to value it at 10m.

It is reportedly looking to raise 1m.

Current backers of CWSI, which employs 30 people, include Enterprise Ireland and a number of private investors.

Mobile industry veteran Mr Murphy sold retail business Cellular World to Digifone in 2001 and has been involved in a number of businesses in the sector since then.

Other CWSI clients include bookmakers Paddy Power Betfair and UK Asset Resolution - the UK Government Agency responsible for managing banking bad debts.
PwC projects that assets under management in Ireland have the potential to grow to 7trn by 2025, from 4trn last year.

The accountancy giant has conducted a global study of the industry and believes a shift towards areas where Ireland performs well means there are promising prospects for the industry here.

"Shifts in global investment patterns to passive and alternatives, where Ireland punches well above its weight, will further fuel growth in Ireland," said Olwyn Alexander, PwC global asset and wealth management leader.

"However, with the uncertainties caused by Brexit and other geopolitical challenges, we cannot be complacent. Technology, and particularly the rise of AI and robotics, provides great opportunities to further manage the cost base and deliver even better products to consumers," she added.

The report projects global assets under management will grow to $145.4trn (125trn) in 2025 - compared to $84.9trn (73trn) last year.

It predicts so-called "passive management" to grow to 25pc of global assets under management by 2025.

This is an investment strategy designed to track the performance of a particular market, compared to active management where managers try to beat the market. Active management is seen falling to 60pc from 71pc.

"In the ongoing debate of active versus passive investing we are optimistic for both. While we anticipate a faster pace of growth for passives due to rising allocations, we still predict growth in active investments, which will continue to preserve active management's dominant market share," Ms Alexander said.

"It is important to remember that in a rising market, passive returns are very attractive at a low cost but that inevitable market corrections will bring a continued appreciation for the value of active investments.

"Both will be key building blocks in balanced portfolios to meet specific investor outcomes."

The report projects "alternative asset classes" - including private property, private equity and private debt - will more than double in size by 2025 to account for 15pc of assets under management. PwC is also predicting that the industry's involvement in niche areas like peer-to-peer lending and infrastructure will increase substantially. It warns fund managers to be cognisant of developments in technology, and says they should design new products to meet changing needs.

"Machine learning and AI are set to change the way research and portfolio management is conducted and robotic process automation will revolutionise the back and middle office."
The High Court has appointed a receiver over shares in three Irish registered aviation firms linked to a fugitive Russian businessman.

The orders were made over shares which are held in trust for the benefit of Rashid M Mursekayev.

Mr Mursekayev, who has extensive interests in the aviation industry, is the subject of a criminal investigation for alleged fraud arising out of financial difficulties of Vim Avia Airlines, which he co-owns.

The situation concerning Vim Airlines has drawn the ire of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who publicly criticised his own government's transport Minister and Deputy Prime Minister over their handling of the matter.

Mr Mursekayev, the court heard, has fled Russian and his current whereabouts are unknown.

On Tuesday, lawyers representing US registered firm , Volgadnepr-Unique Air Cargo Inc, obtained temporary High Court orders against Mr Mursekayev, aka Mursekaev, and the firms Fastway Leasing DAC, Avion Leasing Ltd DAC and City Leasing DAC.

The orders also apply to Orpheus Shareholder Ltd which is the legal owner of the shares in Fastway and City.

The interim orders are that Jim Luby, of McStay Luby, act as receiver over all the shares in Fastway, Avion, and City Leasing.

The order also prohibits the shares being transferred or deposed in any way pending further order of the court.

Andrew Fitzpatrick SC, instructed by Whitney Moore, solicitors for Volgadnepr, said his client obtained a 4m judgment in the German Courts against a German registered firm called ACG Air Cargo which became insolvent in 2013.

The loan, which was not repaid, was guaranteed by Mr Mursekayev, counsel said.

The judgement was granted in 2016, but since then his client had been unable to serve Mr Mursekayev at his Moscow home.

The orders were being sought in the Irish courts against the three companies in order to enforce the judgment obtained in Germany.

The three companies have registered addresses in Dublin and Limerick, and the matter was urgent as the plaintiff fears that there is a danger that any assets could be moved outside of the jurisdiction by Mr Mursekayev.

Counsel said that Mr Mursekayev is under investigation by the Russian authorities for alleged fraud.

The orders were granted, on an ex-parte (one side only represented) basis, by Mr Justice Paul Gilligan.

He adjourned the case to next week.
Tech firm Novi has launched a new off-site data recovery service which is expected to help Irish companies protect their data in the event of attack.

AirGap, which is designed to help businesses achieve compliance to GDPR and Central Bank regulations, was launched following a 120,000 investment.

Managed IT services provider Novi specialises in helping companies with ongoing IT issues and against constantly evolving threats, by assessing and updating their infrastructure and delivering increased security, performance and reliability.

The investment includes development of new infrastructure and enhanced security.

According to the firm, AirGap is a direct response to the threat posed by cybercrime to Irish firms, which is becoming increasingly sophisticated.

"The data stored by companies is perhaps their most valuable asset, businesses need to do everything that they can to minimise the risk of data corruption or loss," Managing Director George ODowd said.

"As well as this, new Central Bank regulation as well as impending GDPR legislation will require companies to be able to provide details of their disaster recovery plans.

"Availing of AirGap will enable companies to outline a clear path towards getting back online while guaranteeing the security of their customers data."

AirGap operates by taking snapshots of customers servers - which includes files and data, but also essential server operating systems - and automatically copying them to Novis cloud, based in an ISO 27001 certified Irish data centre.

Backups can be scheduled according to individual users needs, and hourly, daily or weekly backups are all possible.

All information transmitted to Novis servers is encrypted to further ensure that it remains secure.

Earlier this year, Novi announced an investment of more than half a million euro in its infrastructure ahead of new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules.

The firm stated that the rising level of cybercrime and the upcoming GDPR was a 'key driver for the investment'.

The investment at the centre in Naas, Co, Kildare is aimed at allowing Novi to help companies to better control their data in to meet GDPR and Central Bank requirements.
The trial of a former senior Anglo Irish Bank official charged with conspiring to destroy or falsify records of accounts allegedly connected to the bank's former chief executive Sean FitzPatrick has collapsed.

Judge Martin Nolan told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that he intends to direct the jury tomorrow to acquit Tiarnan O'Mahoney (58), former chief operations officer with the bank, of all counts against him.

Mr O'Mahoney of Glen Pines, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow had pleaded not guilty to conspiring to destroy, mutilate or falsify books and documents affecting or relating to the property or affairs of Anglo Irish Bank Corp PLC.

He also pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Court to conspiracy to defraud the Revenue Commissioners, who were conducting an investigation into bogus non-resident accounts which may have been liable for Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT).

The offences are alleged to have occurred between March 25, 2003 and December 31, 2004 and refer to eight named bank accounts, all of which were connected to Sean FitzPatrick.

Judge Nolan's ruling came after a submission from the defence arguing that the case should not go before the jury because the prosecution had not proved the necessary connection between the accused and Aoife Maguire, former assistant manager at Anglo Irish Bank and Mr O'Mahoney.

Lawyers for the Director of Public Prosecution argued the case could be decided by a jury if a direction was given by Judge Nolan to combine all the circumstantial evidence together to form a compelling conclusion.

Judge Nolan said that after considering the arguments from both sides he had reluctantly come to the conclusion that the case was too tenuous to go to the jury and a conviction would be perverse.

The evidence of conspiracy to do the acts with which Mr O'Mahoney is charged is too tenuous, too remote in both substance and in time, he said.

He said he was not satisfied that any properly directed jury could convict in these circumstances, as they would be asked to speculate and to fill in gaps in the evidence adduced during the trial.

Judge Nolan said there was every reason to be suspicious of Mr O'Mahoney's activities in October and November 2003, and his subsequent dealings with gardai. But he said in the absence of formal evidence of conspiracy with Aoife Maguire this was not enough.

He said that evidence given by witnesses during the trial demonstrated that Aoife Maguire was a mere conduit for more powerful voices.

She was being directed. Of that there is no doubt, he said.

Judge Nolan said that the evidence showed that the defendant had an insight into the relevant accounts and that he made enquiries from other employees in relation to the deletions made to the accounts.

He also said that it was clear from evidence that Mr O'Mahoney was instrumental in getting certain people removed from the internal team, tasked with compiling a list of Anglo accounts which may have been liable for Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT).

He said that it was obvious that the person who benefited from the deletion of the accounts in question was Sean FitzPatrick.

Sean FitzPatrick used the accounts to deal in Anglo shares in a prohibited period. For a petty reward he breached the rules in relation to insider trading, Judge Nolan said.

Judge Nolan praised the gardai, who he said investigated the matter in an exemplary fashion.

The prosecution had alleged that Mr O'Mahoney conspired to delete six accounts from the bank's electronic record system, and to disguise the identity of two further accounts.

During the trial the court heard that all eight bank accounts were to a greater or lesser extent connected to Sean FitzPatrick. The alleged offences took place at a time when Revenue was investigating Irish banks in relation to bogus non-resident accounts.

In 2003 a High Court order was made with a view to getting a list of accounts which may have been liable for Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT).

The prosecution's case was that Aoife Maguire, a member of staff at Anglo, approached members of the bank's IT team during the Revenue audit in 2003 and requested that certain accounts be deleted from the bank's system.

However the IT department members were uncomfortable with this instruction, and archived the accounts rather than deleting them. When the archived accounts were recovered it transpired that some details pertaining to the accounts had been altered.

The prosecution had argued that Tiarnan O'Mahoney was part of an agreement to make a deliberate, concerted effort to alter the details of these accounts and to defraud Revenue.

This trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was a retrial after the Court of Appeal quashed Mr O'Mahoney's 2015 conviction in April 2016.

Judge Nolan said it would be churlish to prevent the media from reporting on his ruling today and that though members of the jury may read of his decision in a newspaper they should be in no doubt that they should show up for court on Wednesday when he will formally acquit Mr O'Mahoney.

The application by the defence began this morning and lasted into the afternoon.
Head of RTE2 Bill Malone is to leave for TV3. Photo: Gareth Chaney / Collins

UTV Ireland will be re-branded as be3 when it winds down next month.

The TV3 group launched its new three-channel line-up at a media event in Dublin this afternoon.

The new changes will come into effect on Monday, January 9 as the media group ploughs ahead with its plans to challenge RTE as a major media player.

TV3's new Group Director of Programming Bill Malone described it as an "historic shift" in the media landscape with the focus on "confident and Irish content."

He also announced a new centralised news hub called 3 News Ireland which will provide content for all three channels.

Asked what will happen to the 61 staff at UTV Ireland, he told independent.ie there was an ongoing "consultation process" and staff would be invited to apply for the 40 new positions within the group.

In a statement the group revealed that TV3 will be the group's "flagship channel" focusing premium Irish content and the "best of acquired programming".

3e will be the exclusive home of Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother while the newly formed be3 "will give viewers a second chance to see their favourite soaps".

The statement continues: "be3 will be home to popular programmes such as Midsomer Murders, Loose Women and Benidorm.

"be3s programming schedule will complement and enhance the TV3 and 3e output and will keep its audience up to date with national and international news with two half hour news bulletins every weekday evening. 3Kids, TV3 Groups daily three hour childrens programming block also moves to be3 from Monday 9th January."
Revenues at online takeaway ordering service JustEat increased 47pc to 138.6m (157m) in the three months to 30 September.

Revenues for the year to-date are 385.2m (437m), an increase of 45pc year-on-year.

The increase in revenues was driven by strong order growth and the inclusion of SkipTheDishes, their North American arm.

Total orders were up 29pc to 43.1 million in the three month period, a statement from the company said.

In releasing its results, the company, which operates in a number of Irish cities including Dublin, Limerick, Cork, and Waterford, said that its proposed acquisition of Hungryhouse had received provisional clearance from the Competition and Markets Authority in the UK.

Looking forward JustEat said that it was raising its guidance for the full year 2017 to between 515-530m from 500-515m.

It expects its underlying earnings before interest taxation, depreciation, and amortisation to be between 157-163m.

"It is great to see the UK business in good health and positive momentum across our international markets, particularly in Canada where SkipTheDishes' delivery expertise and relentless focus on customer service are driving excellent results," Peter Plumb, CEO of JustEat, said.

JustEat also said that it was ceasing publication of its January trading update. It will continue to report full financials at the full and half year, alongside first and third quarter trading updates.

Its next market update will be its full year 2017 results on 6 March 2018.

In Ireland, the company has over 2,000 takeaway restaurants online and its app has been downloaded over a million times since it was launched.
"Kevin Spacey has just invented something that has never existed before: a bad time to come out."

That was comedian Billy Eichner's succinct response to Kevin Spacey's statement after historic sexual assault allegations against him came to light.

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Eichner, an out and proud entertainer, was recently presented with a visibility award from the Human Rights Campaign for never shying away from discussing LGBT issues. In his passionate acceptance speech, he expressed the importance of LGBT role models for gay young people.

"If [my work] has encouraged or inspired or comforted people, especially young LGBTQ people, then that fills me with delight and pride, as well as a appreciation for the platform and responsibility that I now have to be authentic and be out and speak out and encourage other people to come out," he said.

This is the type of role model Kevin Spacey could have and should have been.

Instead, the two-time Academy Award winner chose to publicly step out of the closet as a tactic to distract from the serious accusation of sexual assault made by fellow actor Anthony Rapp.

In an interview with BuzzFeed, Rapp said Spacey, then aged 26, placed him on a bed and climbed on top of him following a party at his apartment. He was then aged 14.

Spacey's sole response to the serious allegation was, of course, through Twitter. He that he is "beyond horrified" by the claim, but that he does not remember the alleged incident.

"I choose now to live as a gay man," the 58-year-old added; a nine-word blow to the LGBT community that Spacey had consistently denied being part of.

By doing this, Spacey has linked his homosexuality with vile accusations. Whether intentional or not, the American Beauty actor has handed hatemongers fuel to spread bigoted and archaic stereotypes about the LGBT community.

At a time where countries like Northern Ireland and Australia are facing battles for marriage equality and transgender people are fighting to win back rights they have lost, rhetoric like this is a giant leap backwards.

It will never been known how many people Spacey's calculated response has deterred from coming out.

Video of the Day

Through that one tweet, he has exploited a community which he has never used his profile to help or advance in any way, but has actively tried to distance himself from. He has defused questions about his sexuality by constantly stating his desire to keep his private life private.

The fact he has only now used his homosexuality as method to deflect from an allegation of paedophilia should come with deep shame.

It goes without saying that it's game over for Spacey. Like the titles of his now-cancelled Netflix show, his house of cards has come crashing down around him. The International TV Academy has already withdrawn a planned award he was scheduled to receive next month.

In his statement, Spacey alludes to other "stories out there" and other members of the Hollywood elite have, yet again, chalked this down as another open secret. Comedian Rosie O'Donnell tweeted her knowledge of his alleged reputation, while a decade-old Family Guy reference to Spacey has also re-emerged.

At a time when an old man who has been recorded making lewd comments about women can become President of America and a culture of victim-blaming remains prevalent in online commentary, it must be incredibly daunting for victims of assault to come forward.

It's important that these voices are elevated above the too-little-too-late apologies of those who have preyed on them. For the gay community and their allies, it's voices like Billy Eichner's we should be amplifying to those who now need to hear them more than ever.

If you have been affected by the above content, you can contact Dublin Rape Crisis Helpline on 1800 77 88 88, Gay Switchboard on 01 872 1055 or Samaritans on 116 123.
Prue Leith has expressed regret after accidentally revealing the winner of the Great British Bake Off, saying: "I'm in too much of a state to talk about it."

The show's new judge told the Press Association she was in Bhutan when she made the slip.

An upset-sounding Leith said: "I'm in Bhutan. The time difference is massive. I thought that they got it six hours ago. I'm in too much of a state to talk about it. I f***** up."

The judge tweeted in anticipation of tonight's Channel 4 finale: "No-one told me judging a GBBO final would be so emotional. I wanted them all to win. Bravo...."

The tweet, which was later removed, came seconds after Leith announced that she would be returning to the show next year, along with Paul Hollywood, Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig.

Leith replaced Mary Berry when she decided not to move to Channel 4.

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Fielding raised eyebrows when his name was announced along with Toksvig as replacements for hosts Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins.

Hollywood was criticised when he decided to move with the ex-BBC programme, with fans saying that the show could be doomed.

The series was taken to Channel 4 by its former chief creative officer, Jay Hunt, who was later hired by Apple.

Channel 4 has been contacted for comment.
Letters giving an insight into how the Dail operated in its infancy are to be made public for the first time, the Irish Independent understands.

As part of a 2m scheme of digitising State records, correspondence between Diarmuid O hEigeartaigh, secretary to Dail Eireann, and members of Cabinet in 1919 will be released.

Culture Minister Heather Humphreys is expected to announce the approval of a number of other key releases in the coming weeks.

This comes in the approach to 2019, the centenary of the first Dail.

The cultural Digitisation Scheme is being run under the auspices of the Creative Ireland programme, which hinges on investing in our creative and cultural infrastructure.

It will initially provide funding to the National Cultural Institutions and cultural heritage organisations that hold collections of national significance.

Ms Humphreys opened the Scheme last May to provide grants for the digitisation of and online access to cultural heritage collections.
A boy who suffered a brain injury just before his birth after his mother was thrown from a car while on her way to have a final pregnancy scan has settled his High Court action for 7.5m.

Cian Hammel (now 8) had to be delivered by emergency caesarean section in hospital after his 17-year old mother, who was a passenger in the seven seater car, was thrown from the vehicle after it overtook another car, went out of control, and ended up overturned in a field.

The court was told the driver of the car was not insured. Ms Hammel had been on her way for final scan a few days before her due date.

Cian, of Ford Court, Kilmuckridge, Co Wexford, through his grandmother Ann Hammel, sued the driver of the car she was in, Simon Jordan, of Monaseed, High Fort, Gorey, Co Wexford.

The Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland (MIBI), which compensates victims of uninsured driving, was also sued as a result of the accident on February 3, 2009 near Manhanagh,Screen, Co Wexford.

It was claimed the vehicle which was driven by Mr Jordan went out of control, turned over causing Cian's mother Roisin Hammel, who was in a rear seat, to be thrown from the vehicle.

It was further claimed Mr Jordan had overtaken another vehicle when it was not safe to do so and and he was allegedly driving at a speed which was in all the circumstances including the weather conditions excessive.

The claims were denied.

Senior Counsel Rosario Boyle told the court that Roisin, who was studying for her Leaving Cert, had accepted a lift to attend her final scan.

Counsel said Ms Hammel was not wearing a seat belt but the MIBI later accepted and acknowledged that, had she been wearing a seat belt, the outcome for Cian would not have been better.

She said Ms Hammel's waters broke and she had to have an emergency caesarean section in hospital due to foetal distress.

Ms Hammel, counsel said, was told to expect the worst and when Cian was born.

He had to be resuscitated and there was multi-organ failure.

The boy now has difficulty walking and is unsteady on his feet and also has difficulties with language.

Mr Justice Kevin Cross approved the settlement.
A protester who was accused of wilfully obstructing a ministers car and assaulting a garda inspector during a political demonstration has had the case against her dismissed.

Regina Ward (49) had allegedly prevented the free passage of then-Minister James Reillys car after Tanaiste Joan Burton opened a social welfare office in Balbriggan in 2016.

A court heard Ms Ward was struck by Mr Reillys car and ended up on the bonnet.

Judge Kathryn Hutton dismissed the case after hearing the prosecution had only disclosed some of the video footage available of the incident to the defence.

Ms Ward's lawyer argued the prosecution had been a "heavy-handed", political one.

Ms Ward, from Clonuske Drive, Hamlet Lne, Balbriggan, had pleaded not guilty to obstructing the free passage of a person and vehicle, assaulting Garda Inspector Neil Curran and threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour.

The offences were alleged to have happened at Mill Street, Balbriggan on January 6, 2016.

At Dublin District Court, Brian Storan BL, defending, asked Judge Hutton to prohibit the trial.

The court heard both Mr Reilly, who was then Minister for Children and Ms Burton had attended the opening of a social welfare office and were leaving when a political protest took place.

During the protest, Mr Storan said, Ms Ward was hit by the car in which Mr Reilly was a passenger.

He said two sets of footage were furnished by the defence - a 95-second piece taken on the phone of Mr Reillys advisor Mark Costigan inside the car, and another consisting of nine snippets taken from a computer seized from a protester during a later dawn raid.

In the clip, Mr Storan said, someone who appeared to be Mr Reilly was heard saying keep going, go, go, go after Ms Ward was hit by the car, while someone else said she jumped against the f***ing bonnet.

Mr Storan said it was alleged Insp Currans hat was knocked off and he was not injured in the alleged assault.

Ms Ward had been exercising her Constitutional right to protest and had accepted she was at the demonstration so the prosecution did not have to identify her, Mr Storan said.

Despite this, he said, her home was raided five months later by gardai who said they were looking for a red coat.

This was oppressive, he said, and had been worrying, difficult and stressful for Ms Ward.

Mr Storan maintained there was an abuse of process by the prosecution in not providing all the footage and that he was not able to properly defend the accused as a result.

State solicitor Michael Durkan said the prosecution had disclosed all the footage it had. He confirmed that it was not proposed to call Ms Burton or Mr Reilly to give evidence but there were 14 other prosecution witnesses in the case.

There was a statement alleging that Ms Ward threw herself in front of the car and he rejected that there was any abuse of process.

Mr Storan said the decision not to call the politicians to give evidence was to save face.

Dismissing the case on the basis that the defence had not received full disclosure, Judge Hutton said the prosecution could appeal her decision.
A man found in possession of 160,000 worth of cocaine in his Dublin launderette will be sentenced next month.

Mark Donovan (49) with an address at Liscarne Court, Clondalkin, Dublin, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing cocaine for sale or supply at his rented unit in Rowlagh Shopping Centre, Clondalkin, on March 21 this year.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Donovan told gardai he'd been holding the drugs for about six weeks, but claimed: I forgot about it to be honest, saying he had been under significant financial pressure due to his failing business.

Garda Gemma Collins told John Quirke BL, prosecuting, that the unit's landlord contacted gardai after he discovered a large bag of suspicious powder while carrying out repairs on the premises.

Gardai obtained a search warrant and seized the drugs, which amounted to 2.3kg of cocaine. They also found part of a Colombian bank note and a suspected drug 'tick list' of people's names.

Donovan was arrested by gardai shortly afterwards. He had rented the unit in the shopping centre and was operating a dry cleaners and launderette service out of it, the court heard.

When interviewed by gardai, Donovan admitted to storing the drugs, but would not say who he was holding them for. He said he was fearful for his safety, that he had significant debts and was about to file for bankruptcy.

The court heard the cocaine was held in a number of bags, only one of which was sealed. Donovan admitted to taking out a small amount of the drugs on one occasion and giving them to the supplier.

The list of names was found to be written in Donovan's handwriting. He denied it was a drug tick list of people connected to the drugs and said it was a list of people he had business dealings with.

Donovan has one minor conviction for a road traffic offence.

Defence barrister, Dominic McGinn SC, said Donovan was not someone who was on the garda radar, describing the drug find as a fortuitous discovery. He submitted that Donovan fully co-operated with gardai.

Mr McGinn said Donovan was a hard-working business man whose life has been otherwise law-abiding and constructive. He said Donovan was someone who was holding the drugs. He was not actively dealing with drugs, he said.

He said Donovan, a father-of-two, was a constructive member of society and was acting completely out of character when he agreed to hold the drugs.

The court heard Donovan, who has been in custody since the offence, knows he is facing a custodial sentence. Judge Karen O'Connor adjourned the matter for sentencing on November 16.
A mother-of-three forwarded a child pornography clip which showed a child being raped, a Dublin court has heard.

Jadesola Agbalade (51) pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly distributing child pornography on July 20, 2016.

Agbalade told gardai she forwarded on the video clip via the messaging platform Whatsapp in a bid to warn a friend about the dangers of leaving her kids alone with her boyfriend, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard today.

The court heard Agbalade, formerly of Deerhaven Avenue, Clonee, Dublin, is currently living in temporary homeless accommodation. She will be sentenced on November 9.

Garda Enda Ledwith told Karl Finnegan BL, prosecuting, that he arrested a man in Dublin Airport in July 2017 in relation to credit card fraud. That man's phone was investigated and the child pornography clip was discovered.

The court heard the clip showed a child between the ages of two and five being raped by a man. Upon further investigation, gardai discovered it is an international clip that has been in circulation since about 2014.

Gardai traced the phone number from which the clip was sent back to Agbalade. When they called the number, Agbalade answered and agreed to meet them at Blanchardstown shopping centre.

She handed over her phone to gardai and admitted to receiving the child pornography clip and sending it on. As well as the male recipient identified by gardai, she told gardai she sent the clip to a female friend who has three young children in a bid to warn her not to leave her children with her boyfriend. That lady has never been identified.

Agbalade has no previous convictions.

Gda Ledwith agreed with Michael Bowman SC, defending, that Agbalade didn't understand the enormity of the situation when she was interviewed. She told gardai, I didn't know it wasn't right. I'm sorry.

Mr Bowman told the court it was a remarkably unusual case. He said there was no suggestion Agbalade profited in any way from distributing the video clip, nor was she involved in the generation of the material.

He said the usual circumstances surrounding child pornography distributors, who are usually found in possession of hundreds or thousands of images, were completely absent in this case.

The court heard no further material was found on Agbalade's two phones which she handed over to gardai.

Mr Bowman said Agbalade has one teenage child still living with her and two adult sons who are in university. He said she is a single mother, originally from Nigeria, who came to Ireland in 2001. There were no concerns regarding Agbalade's fitness as a mother, he said.

He submitted the stigma of a conviction would be punishment enough for Agbalade.

She will now be a sex offender and as a mother, that is a significant stigma in the community, he said. Agbalade comes to the court absolutely aghast at what she has allowed herself to become involved in, he added.

Judge Karen O'Connor ordered a probation report and remanded Agbalade on continuing bail.
Two brothers have been charged in connection with a stabbing which left the victim needing 500 stitches to his head, neck and back.

Daniel Harty (19) and Martin Harty (20), both of Lisheen Park, Patrickswell, Co Limerick, were each charged with assault causing harm to Seamus Byrnes at Church Road, Ballycummin, on October 28.
A 16 months old child who allegedly developed acute bronchitis because of damp and mouldy conditions at his mothers rented home, was today awarded 20,000 against her former landlords.

Barrister Lydia Bunni told the Circuit Court President, Mr Justice Raymond Groarke, that Dawid Szafirowski, now aged six, had three times been referred to accident and emergency units and twice detained for treatment of his illness.

Ms Bunni, who appeared with Emer Herlihy of Maguire McClafferty solicitors, said the defendants Damien and Natasha Long and Ray Cooke Auctioneers, had entered a full defence to the claim lodged on his behalf by Dawids mother, Urszula Szafirowska.

She told the Circuit Civil Court that the defendants had pleaded that water running down the walls and conditions of condensation and mould had been caused by Ms Szafirowska and her husband having blocked up air vents in the property.

She said this had been fully denied by the boys parents, neither of whom had been joined to the proceedings by the defendants.

Ms Bunni said the family had rented Longs house at Cherrywood Grove, Clondalkin, Dublin, which had been managed by Clondalkin-based Ray Cooke Auctioneers. In September 2012 condensation and then mould appeared and during that autumn Dawid had started to develop severe chest infections and respiratory problems.

Dawids mum, now living at St Johns Wood, Clondalkin, said in a statement to the court that the dampness had been reported to all of the defendants but they had failed to rectify the issue.

She claimed their inaction had led to Dawid having to be hospitalised on two occasions and attend on a number of others with his GP.

Ms Szafirowska said she had become extremely concerned about Dawids ability to breathe and so severe was his initial complaint that the family doctor had advised her to take him immediately to the Paediatric Unit of Tallaght Hospital where x-rays revealed he had acute bronchitis in his left lung.

Ms Bunni told the court that following treatment as an in-patient Dawid had been discharged to the care of their GP whom he continued to attend with ongoing respiratory difficulties, developing a recurrent wheeze which would be exacerbated by bad weather.

He had been hospitalised at age 16 months and again when aged two years and three months.

In August 2014 Respiratory Paediatric Consultant Peter Greally reported that Dawids respiratory symptoms had been induced by adverse damp mouldy conditions.

Ms Bunni said that on an earlier occasion the defendants had made a settlement offer of 10,000 to Dawid but this had been rejected by the court.

She said Dawid had ongoing asthma and the defendants had since doubled the offer to 20,000 which she was recommending to the court.

Judge Groarke approved the offer.
A woman who broke her wrist when she allegedly tripped on stairs at the well known Lillie's Bordello night club in Dublin has settled her High Court action.

Rachael Sheridan told the court she was leaving the nightclub four years ago at around 3am when her heel got caught and she fell to the bottom of the six steps set of stairs.

Account manager Ms Sheridan (39), of Darley Court, Palatine Square. Arbour Hill, Dublin, told the judge she was wearing regular high heel sling backs.

Ms Sheridan told the court she later had to have an operation on the wrist, was in a cast for five weeks and was out of work in total for six weeks as a result of the accident in May 2013.

She said on the night of the accident she had cooked dinner for a friend and they had "a couple of glasses of wine" before meeting two friends in a city pub where she had one beer.

She said one of her friends wanted to dance and they went to the nightclub and she had a "couple of drinks."

She said at around 3am she went looking for her friends as she wanted to go home. She said she was stepping from the first to the second step on a flight of stairs when her heel got caught.

Ms Sheridan sued Noyfield Ltd with offices at Nassau Street Dublin and trading as Lillie's Bordello, Grafton Street, Dublin as a result of the accident on May 19, 2013.

She claimed the stairs at the night club were fitted with anti slip nosing which was defective and which constituted a dangerous slip and trip hazard.

Noyfield denied the claims and contended Ms Sheridan was wearing inappropriate footwear and had allegedly consumed sufficient alcohol so as to impair her ability to negotiate stairs.

The case opened last Friday and when it came back before the court on Tuesday, Mr Justice Michael Hanna was told it had been settled and could be struck out.
A woman was allegedly sexually assaulted in the early hours of yesterday morning.

Gardai have launched an investigation into the alleged incident, which is said to have happened at College Road in Galway City.

A Garda spokesman said in a statement: "Gardai at Galway are investigating an alleged sexual assault on a female which occurred at College Road Galway at approximately 3.30am on Monday.

"No arrests have been made and investigations are continuing."
Ivana Rubisova and David Hucko, on holidays from Slovakia, struggle to make it up the hill from the beach as Ophelia hit the Lahinch coastline of Co Clare. Photo: Brian Arthur

Mark Breen is not one to soften his words when it comes to safety - and he found himself increasingly annoyed earlier this week when considering that some people were suggesting there had been an overreaction to Storm Ophelia.

The crowd safety expert vented his frustration on Twitter - "Status Red is not an overreaction. Don't be such thicks. 3 people died from it" - and days after Ophelia had come and gone, he was still smarting from it.

"Not only was it not an overreaction, but it was a textbook example about how best to handle a weather event of such magnitude," he says. "This was the worst storm to hit the country in over 50 years and there was brilliant, coordinated work from Met Eireann, the emergency services and the media to ensure the message got out there. It's terrible that three people lost their lives, but had the messaging not been so strong, it's certain that more people would have died."

Social media was especially busy on Monday - not least because so many people were told to stay home from work - but while there was much praise for the sometimes maligned forecasters of Met Eireann, there were some who questioned why certain parts of the country, including Dublin, had gone into shutdown.

Senior government figures, including housing minister Eoghan Murphy, felt compelled to justify the safety plan, but Breen reckons they shouldn't have bothered.

"I'd be the first to criticise the government, but on this occasion, they were correct to take such steps. You'd hope that people will be mindful of Storm Brian this weekend and the fact that it could do some residual damage, but, if we're to take anything from the experience of Monday, it's the importance of heeding the warnings of experts, doing our best to make safe any items that could become 'missiles' in a gale and to stay indoors whenever possible.

"And just because Dublin didn't get the brunt of it, doesn't mean that other places didn't. Just ask someone living in Cork if they thought there was an overreaction."

A Cork-based volunteer with the Coast Guard laughs at suggestions the safety plan was over the top. "It's such an arrogant, self-absorbed way of looking at it," he says. "I've never seen anything like the conditions in Cork Harbour on Monday morning. It felt like a once-in-a-generation or once-in-a-lifetime storm. The wind was as wild as something you'd see on the news during a Florida hurricane and I've never seen waves like that before.

"Thankfully, people down here really seemed to heed the warnings and the streets were deserted. You only needed to think of the roof being blown off that school [Douglas Community School in Cork City] or the roof of the stand collapsing at Turner's Cross [Cork City's home ground] to get a sense of how destructive Ophelia was. I think it's a miracle that only three people died - but that's no consolation to their poor families and friends."

The decision on Sunday night to close all schools and third-level institutions nationwide was widely welcomed, but there were questions about the wisdom of shutting every school in the country on the Tuesday, when conditions had - for the most part - returned to normal.

Damage at schools

Education minister Richard Bruton stressed that the measure was taken to ensure that each school would be able to assess any damage and decide on a course of action - something that would may not have been feasible if pupils were present.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Hurricane 'Ophelia'.... fallen trees Marina Park, Cork City Pic Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision Hurricane 'Ophelia'.... fallen tree Knocknaheeny, Cork City Pic Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision Advertising hoarding is ripped off during Storm Ophelia near Kent Station Cork city. Pic Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision City council workers begin the clean up begins following Storm Ophelia, Cork city. Pic Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision City council workers begin the clean up begins following Storm Ophelia, Cork city. Pic Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision Douglas Community School sports hall roof which was ripped off during Storm Ophelia, Cork city. Pic Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision Hurricane 'Ophelia'.... fallen trees, N25 Cork City Pic Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision Hurricane 'Ophelia'.... fallen trees, N25 Cork City Pic Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision Hurricane 'Ophelia'.... fallen tree Knocknaheeny, Cork City Pic Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision City council workers begin the clean up begins following Storm Ophelia, Cork city. Pic Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision City council workers begin the clean up begins following Storm Ophelia, Cork city. Pic Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision / Facebook

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Whatsapp Hurricane 'Ophelia'.... fallen trees Marina Park, Cork City Pic Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision

And that was the experience of one primary school in west Dublin. "On the face of it, there wasn't much damage at all," says its principal, "but slates had come badly loose, a drainpipe was hanging down at the entrance and several of the trees at the perimeter of the playground had lost some branches. It took hours on Tuesday to put it right - you couldn't have had children there on health and safety grounds."

The perception that Dublin was barely affected by Storm Ophelia doesn't stand up to scrutiny when one considers that Dublin City Council reported that there were 150 incidents of damage caused. By the end of the evening, some 70 felled trees were having to be dealt with. The following day, Dublin Fire Brigade tweeted a map of the city festooned with pins showing the large volumes of call-outs it had experienced the previous day.

For the most part, transport services returned to normal on the Tuesday but the Luas didn't run until late that night. Pat Kenny led a chorus of irritation among Dublin commuters on his Newstalk morning show, but Luas management said its hands were tied in the matter: Ophelia had severely damaged the roof of the technical room of the Red Cow depot which runs the overhead cables and tram locator system. It had initially been assumed that the service wouldn't restart until 5.30am on Wednesday, but maintenance crews worked around the clock from Monday evening and the service was restored early.

The storm was considered by Met Eireann to have been the most severe since Hurricane Debbie waged destruction across the country in 1961. On that occasion, 18 people on both sides of the border lost their lives - a statistic that may have been attributable to the comparatively crude weather forecasting at the time and the fact that there wasn't a coordinated message to the nation to stay indoors and out of harm's way.

Met Eireann began to talk up the dangers of Ophelia almost a week before it hit Irish shores. Over the weekend, as it got closer to the south-western coast, a Status Red warning was issued in several counties along the western seaboard, and on Sunday evening it was extended to the entire country. It's the first time ever that every county in the Republic has had such a designation - the most severe in safety terms.

And it's a warning that the vast majority appear to have taken. Many businesses gave their staff the day off work, or allowed them the option of working from home, and there was a noticeable reduction in traffic from the earliest hours on Monday throughout the country.

Dublin's streets were largely deserted and one newspaper report of an eerily quiet Grafton Street noted that only one store had opened its doors for business. And yet, a number of people chose not just to go outside but to take to the sea in what was interpreted as a show of defiance. The Coast Guard was called to a number of windsurfers of the Louth coast - they had been notified by concerned members of the public - but the water-sports enthusiasts claimed to have been perfectly safe in the water.

Later, video footage emerged on social media that showed swimmers taking to the wild waters at Salthill, Galway. Rescue services were not required, but when approached afterwards, one swimmer said he was a seasoned open-water devotee who swam here every day and was able to handle himself even in stormy conditions.

And, in Wexford, the RNLI was called to a yacht that had found itself in difficulties among the huge waves. There was no loss of life at sea on Monday, but there were robust views on all sides about the rights of thrill seekers to pursue their passion in stormy conditions. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was among those who insisted that the time had come for legislation to be drafted to make it an offence to needlessly put the lives of 'first-responders' at risk.

His views were shared by Niamh Fitzpatrick, sister of the Coast Guard helicopter pilot Dara, who was one of four crew members killed earlier this year on a rescue mission. She tweeted that "reckless idiots" who put rescuers' lives at risk should be aware of endangering others and should "stay in for one day".

It's a sentiment echoed by Michael, an RNLI volunteer. "I've never known so much advance attention on a storm like Ophelia and how dangerous it was going to be," he says. "There's no way that any of those people who were in the sea or messing about on piers didn't know about the warnings. But, there's an arrogance in people, too - this idea, that they know best, and no nanny state will tell them otherwise. It's very frustrating and I've been on rescue operations before in stormy conditions where people had gone out in boats when they clearly weren't experienced enough to handle the dangers.

Stop and think

"In Status Red conditions there are no excuses whatsoever for anyone to go swimming or surfing, and I don't care how experienced they think they are. You could be an Olympic swimmer but when you consider how quickly the waves crash against the shore in storms like Ophelia, you could easily find yourself smashed to bits, too. I think anyone who volunteers in this area would love to see some kind of fine introduced for those who just blindly go ahead and do as they want."

Niamh Stephenson, RNLI's media manager, says it is up to legislators to decide whether or not to punish transgressors. "It's not something for us to think of," she says. "Our primary goal is to rescue people, irrespective of the circumstances. If they get into difficulties, the RNLI will try to be there for them."

But Mark Breen hopes Ophelia will change the conversation. "Maybe it will make thrill seekers stop and think for a second," he says. "Yes, nobody died in the water on Monday, but how would those people who went out anyway have felt if the lifeboat had been sent for them and consequently someone a few kilometres up the coast died because the rescue service was occupied?

"It all boils down to people working out that there are experts in different fields and it really is worth listening to them, so the next time there's a Status Red warning let's hope nobody decides it's an opportune time to swim - or demonstrates their ignorance by going on Twitter to tell everyone that there's been an overreaction."

@johnmeaghermuso
Conor David Dunne has been found dead in Bahrain

An Irishman who went missing in Bahrain nearly two weeks ago has been found dead.

Conor David Dunne, originally from Dublin, was reported missing in the Gulf country after failing to turn up for work.

The 43-year-old is understood to have been working with a construction company in Bahrain at the time of his disappearance.

Extensive searches were carried out by authorities in the vicinity of where he was last seen.

The body of a man was recovered from a canal in the country's Amwaj Islands.

It has since been established the remains were those of Mr Dunne.

His body was taken to the Salmaniya Medical Complex where a formal identification process took place.

Mr Dunne's employers, Nass Contracting Company, reported him missing after he didn't arrive for work.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that they were aware of the case and consular assistance was being provided to Mr Dunne's family.

It is understood the circumstances surrounding his death have not yet been established.

Mr Dunne is the third Irish person to tragically pass away abroad in a short number of days.

Last week an Irish toddler died while on a family holiday in the Maldives. Max Musgrave (2) drowned in a private pool in one of the luxury resorts in the Indian Ocean.

Just days earlier, Dubliner Andrew Roddy (30) lost his life while swimming on honeymoon with his wife Gill.

Mr Roddy, who was from Killester on the capital's north side and had only just celebrated his birthday, was in the Maldives when he got into difficultly swimming in the ocean off the south Asian island nation.

He was later pronounced dead.
A young man has died and a woman is in a serious condition in hospital following a single-vehicle car crash in Co Clare in the early hours of yesterday morning.

A silver coloured convertible hit a tree at Woodcock Hill, Meelick, off the old Limerick to Cratloe Road, at around 3.30am.

It is understood that two male passers-by arrived on the scene and called emergency services.

The male driver of the car, believed to be in his 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene, despite the best efforts of emergency services who administered CPR.

Last night, gardai had yet to identify the driver whose body was taken to University Hospital Limerick for a post-mortem.

Sources said the passenger, a 25-year-old woman, was discovered semi-conscious at the scene.

She was rushed by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick with serious head injuries.

Munster Regional Fire Control upon receiving a 999 alert at 3.35am, deployed five fire engines from Limerick and Shannon as well as a fire service vehicles. Two ambulances from Limerick and Tipperary, and gardai, also responded to the alert.

Gardai at Mayorstone Park in Limerick are investigating the crash.

A Garda statement said: "The male driver - unidentified at this stage - of the car was seriously injured and pronounced dead at the scene, his body has been removed to University Hospital Limerick.

"The female passenger was injured and taken to University Hospital Limerick injuries described as serious."

Gardai have appealing for witnesses to contact Mayorstone garda station on 061 456980, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station.
A young couple who stumbled upon a 20 ft inferno in the middle of the city said as celebrations got out of hand with an anti-social element spilling over.

Children as young as around 11 stood in Railway Street in the north inner city of Dublin unloading fireworks and sparklers into the air as a gang of hundreds of teenagers played loud dance music as they watched the huge fire rise higher as it's flames licked the air dangerously close to hundreds of apartments.

Expand Close 20ft bonfire on Railway Street, Dublin 1. Photo: Laura Lynott / Facebook

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Whatsapp 20ft bonfire on Railway Street, Dublin 1. Photo: Laura Lynott

There was a high garda presence and fire crew were nearby to monitor the fire within the small grounds of the apartments.

Mehdi Sellami, (26), from France and Ines Casarigeo, (25), from Spain, were taking an evening walk when they stumbled upon the huge fire.

"Welcome to Beirut," Ines said. "This is like a war zone. I've never seen anything like it - it's totally unorganised and dangerous and little kids are carrying and firing off fireworks."

Medhi told Independent.ie: "I used to live in this place but I moved out I came back to see at Halloween. A couple of months ago I moved out because the apartment was sold - I had no problem but for some of my room mates and some girls who came visiting us this place was not secure as their were cars being burnt out."

Ines added: "We have this tradition where I am from but not fireworks as they are illegal but this looks like war, there are little children using huge fireworks.

"The fireworks could hit someone. There's no rules, I've seen anything like this."

Expand Close Lisa, David, Maggie and Frances Deegan enjoying the bonfires on Halloween in Darndale on Dublin's north side. Picture: Arthur Carron / Facebook

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Whatsapp Lisa, David, Maggie and Frances Deegan enjoying the bonfires on Halloween in Darndale on Dublin's north side. Picture: Arthur Carron

Mothers walked by the huge fire with children and one little girl burst into tears in her clown costume as a firework narrowly missed her.

A large number of young people who looked well under 18 were drinking larger from boxes and spirits from plastic bags as they watched the fire.

.@DubFireBrigade not only dealing with this fire, but also people lighting fireworks all around them. Huge respect to those men and women! pic.twitter.com/u6gC3FPJHN  Jason Kennedy (@jasonpkennedy) October 31, 2017

Meanwhile parents are keeping their young children far back from bonfires in the capital tonight as concerns are growing about aerosols and other dangerous products exploding.

Loud bangs are ringing out from bonfires across the north side of the city, as some adults and teenagers are throwing wooden pallets full of nails, fridges, sofas and plastic bin bags, onto vast piles to be burnt.

Expand Close The bonfires on Halloween in Darndale on Dublin's north side. Picture: Arthur Carron / Facebook

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Whatsapp The bonfires on Halloween in Darndale on Dublin's north side. Picture: Arthur Carron

Darndale resident Suzanne Bollard, 41, was out at one of the fires with her friends young children but she was one of many adults ensuring the kids were far away from the huge infernos.

"All the kids want to come out to see the fires but at the end of the day we dont know just whats in them, so we keep the kids back. Everyone is keeping the youngsters safe tonight," she said.

Expand Close Young people enjoying the bonfires on Halloween in Darndale on Dublin's north side. Picture: Arthur Carron / Facebook

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Whatsapp Young people enjoying the bonfires on Halloween in Darndale on Dublin's north side. Picture: Arthur Carron

Shards of metal fell down through the air at some of the fires as children played nearby in their Halloween costumes.

As the fires grew across the north side of the city, gangs of teenagers also began to parade close by to the flames with plastic bags.

Jennifer and her aunt, Frances Egan, took young children from their families out for the evening in Darndale and they were also cautious in not letting them stray anywhere near the fires.

Frances said: "Its very peaceful and thats the way we like it but theres no way any of the children are going near the fire because no one knows whats in them."

One mother with young children said: "Its quiet now but we do worry what itll be like later into the night, as you can see the teenagers are very close to the fire and they tend to start drinking later on.

Expand Close Natalie Daly, Jade McCarthy, Jeanette Walsh, Toma Daly and Natalie Wall enjoying the bonfires on Halloween in Darndale on Dublin's north side. Picture: Arthur Carron / Facebook

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Whatsapp Natalie Daly, Jade McCarthy, Jeanette Walsh, Toma Daly and Natalie Wall enjoying the bonfires on Halloween in Darndale on Dublin's north side. Picture: Arthur Carron

"I have relatives who actually go away for the weekend to avoid Halloween. They are on edge the whole time with the fires going, the bangers and the teenagers out drinking, so they just go away instead to not deal with it."

In Railway Street in the north inner city, youths were out building fires earlier in the evening using tyres and wooden pallets.

The Herald asked one local man if he was concerned about the toxic gas that could be released from burning tyres or the danger of aerosols and wooden pallets riddled with nails being thrown on a fire.

"No, Im not concerned," the 38-year-old said, "Because I used to build these fires the same way when I was a kid and the kids here arent bothered about the environment. The bonfires are run by the kids now."

Dublin Fire Brigades Rathfarnham fire engine Delta 81 was fighting a Halloween fire near Ticknock, Sandyford. It also dealt with a fire on a roof after a firework landed on a house in Rathfarnham. And Kilbarrack Fire Station were alerted to a car fire. The stations B watch used breathing apparatus to deal with the inferno.

The citys fire officers had been putting out Halloween fires across the capital from as early as noon.
Heartbroken newlyweds have been separated by thousands of miles due to a visa issue, just weeks after they suffered a devastating miscarriage.

Nathan Anderson (29), from Castlereagh in Belfast hasn't been able to comfort his American wife of just four months as Rachel is 3,000 miles away and unable to live in Northern Ireland as she has recently been refused a visa.

Indeed, it could be next year before the couple - who have only spent three weeks together since they got married in June - will be reunited, and that's just on a temporary basis.

It's an incredibly tough start to married life for the newlyweds, who were forced to cope with the unbearable loss of their first child in snatched conversations over the telephone.

Belfast native Nathan said that as well as seeking legal advice to resolve the issue, he is also putting his faith in God.

"When Rachel told me she was pregnant two weeks after I returned home it was a great surprise and we were very happy about the prospect of a new life," he said.

"But the following day she was sick, then she became violently ill and her parents rushed her to hospital... we lost our baby. I was so worried about Rachel.

"It was heartbreaking for me not being there for her. I wanted to put my arms around her and hug her.

"It was so hard for me to leave my new bride in the first place and it was so difficult for her to be separated from her new husband.

"Then, suddenly, we were both grieving for a child and we were so far apart."

Nathan said the news that Rachel's visa had been rejected came as a hammer blow to both of them, particularly as it meant that Rachel almost certainly won't be at his brother's forthcoming wedding in Dungannon.

"I've been sitting with my head in my hands in tears many times; but it was a very dark day when I heard about the visa," he said.

"Rachel is a very strong girl, but she's been crying, too. She's very teary at times, although I know she's trying to contain her sorrow and keep her tears from me. I know she feels lonely."

With younger brother Joel's nuptials to fiancee Amy (21) scheduled for December 22, Nathan said he had accepted there's "a very strong possibility that she'll miss the wedding" in the absence of a solution.

"She's the only member of the family who won't be there," he said, adding that his sisters Rachel (21), Hannah (25) and parents Deborah and David, who are in their 50s, are very upset.

"We're all just praying about it. We're trying to trust God through this situation."

He added: "I'm really happy for my bro, and I'm best man at his wedding, but I just wish my wife could be there to share in the joy that day and that the two of us would have a chance to start our lives together, too."

Nathan and music teacher Rachel (30), who is involved in missionary work across the world, first met at Queen's University in Belfast, where he was a student and she was doing an internship.

They "saw each other around" informally and chatted, and soon afterwards they became Facebook friends.

After a year she returned to Lancaster, California, in 2015, to become a carer for her dying grandparents, but, undeterred by distance, they reconnected and started dating in early 2016 following an unusual coffee date.

"She asked me how that would work, with me being in Northern Ireland and her in the US, so I sent her a coffee machine, coffee beans, mugs and stuff and we did it over Skype; she was quite impressed by that," he said. After a civic ceremony - "our legal wedding" - in Lisburn on June 22 this year, the new Mr and Mrs Anderson travelled to the United States in August for a blessing, spiritual ceremony and subsequent honeymoon.

"We didn't have a reception in June; it was planned for January 2018 after Rachel's visa came through- which we expected at the end of August - but now that's going to have to be cancelled," he said. "Originally our honeymoon was supposed to be in the Republic of Ireland, but we had to switch to California because the visa hadn't come through in time.

"There are worst places to spend your honeymoon, but it put the cost up quite a bit and it was money we didn't have, to be honest. Looking back, though, at least we did have that time to enjoy each other's company."

Nathan initially became aware there was a problem when he received an email saying there was a delay in the visa process last month, which was when he was expecting the visa itself.

But things were to get worse. Shortly afterwards he was told the spousal visa application had been rejected by the UK Border Agency.

Despite enlisting the help of party colleagues, including Lagan Valley MP Jeffrey Donaldson and Baroness Paisley, to whom he is "extremely thankful", he said their plight remains unresolved.

He now suspects that a missing document could be behind the UKBA decision.

"There is an appeal process, which can take up to two years, the other option is to reapply, so we're currently taking legal advice on our options," he said.

"Maybe there is a way to get her into the country for Joel's wedding, but we don't want to do anything to jeopardise any future visa application."

Nathan, who currently spends his time between his parents' house and the marital home in Lisburn, said it was so difficult not knowing what lay ahead.

"We never got to start off married life properly; I think about that often, but words can't describe what it actually feels like," he said.

"We speak twice a day on the phone, but it's hard not knowing when we'll see each other again. If needs be, I'll go out to her for New Year."
A solicitor providing personal injury advice said that even fraudulent claimants are hardly ever pursued for costs.

The advice was given during an undercover consultation with a firm that is advertising 'no win, no fee' legal representation - despite the Law Society having strict regulations against this.

The scenario presented to the solicitor was a slip and fall in a Dublin nightclub. The solicitor said: "The nightclub is bringing you in and charging you for drinks, so on their back be it."

The solicitor went on to describe how two clients who fraudulently claimed "didn't end up paying costs".

The same law firm advertised a 'no win, no fee' advice - even though regulations prohibit this. Advertising this type of representation was banned in Ireland because it constitutes "ambulance chasing".

Independent.ie asked the solicitor in question if the legal advice given "encourages fraudulent claiming" and has not received a response.

The firm had changed its site to say 'no win, no fee fully explained' after the Law Society contacted it earlier this year and has since changed it again to include 'no win, no fee' in the hyperlink. The firm also did not respond to requests for comment about its advertising.

Concerns about a lack of punishment for fraudulent claimants were recently raised after a 60,000 personal injuries claim by a 25-year-old Dublin home care worker was dismissed as it emerged that it had arisen out of "a contrived traffic accident".

Head of fraud for Aviva Insurance Rob Smyth said after the case: "Every effort will be made to ensure we recover our costs and we will co-operate with gardai to ensure that anyone involved in staged accidents faces criminal prosecution."

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Mr Smyth said Aviva is currently investigating 1,200 cases from 2017, which it believes to be fraudulent.

"They certainly go largely unpunished because by and large, apart from having their cases dismissed, there is no sanction," he said.

Shane English BL acts for defendants in personal injury cases, and has uncovered a number of exaggerated claims in the past few years.

One case was that of Rita Milinovic, who was involved in a minor collision in a car park. Ms Milinovic claimed she had to give up her job as a waitress and could no longer work out in the gym.

Her case collapsed when Mr English showed the court a collection of pictures which she had posted online since the accident, including exercising in a gym and posing at body sculpture competitions.

"In most cases, awarding costs against them is useless because the plaintiff has no money in any event, so it makes no difference to them," Mr English said.

"Some solicitors on behalf of insurers will pursue them and register judgments so that if they win the lottery or if they come into money, it may come against them. It can make life difficult for them, but in terms of getting your money, in 90pc of cases that never happens."

A study carried out by Liberty Insurance revealed 82pc of Irish drivers believe a 'claims culture' is more prevalent in Ireland today versus 10 years ago, while 88pc think those who submit fraudulent claims should face harsher penalties.

However, legal professionals are concerned that those who fraudulently claim are deterring people with genuine injuries from claiming as they fear being tarred with the same brush.

A hotel worker told how she hasn't made insurance claims for legitimate injuries because of bogus claims made by others and is afraid about how it might be viewed by others.

Describing her most recent injury, the worker said: "The gas grill was faulty and it shot gas up into my face, singeing my eyebrows and eyelashes and burning my cheeks. I didn't log the claim; I just got on with it and now use a pencil to fill in my eyebrows."

In 2016, the total awarded by the courts for personal injury claims was 147,145,000 in the High Court; 17,314,830 in the Circuit Court and 4,059,854 in the District Court.
The UKs Secretary of State James Brokenshire has warned the Norths budget may have to be legislated for at Westminster. Picture: PA

Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire has extended the deadline for the region's two main parties to reach a deal to restore powersharing.

The DUP and Sinn Fein left Stormont shortly before 9pm last night having failed to reach an agreement.

Stormont's power-sharing crisis has raised the prospect of a return to Westminster rule for Northern Ireland.

The parties had been warned by Mr Brokenshire that they had until Monday to produce a written agreement or he would be forced to legislate for a budget for the region at Westminster. However, he later said that progress had been made, and he was therefore going to defer his decision to legislate for a budget.

In a statement he said: "The parties have made further progress during the course of today. They are making certain additional requests of the UK Government which we need to consider.

"In the light of this, I believe it is right to defer the assessment on whether to introduce legislation to Parliament this week to enable an Executive to be formed.

"The parties will recommence talks in the morning and I will reassess the position tomorrow night."

The Northern Ireland Executive collapsed in January and it has been without a powersharing government since then.

Despite endless rounds of discussions, a deal to restore devolution has proved elusive with the introduction of an Irish language act seen as the main issue. Mr Brokenshire and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney were in Belfast yesterday to try to help find a breakthrough to the political deadlock.

Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald also joined their party's negotiating team at Stormont.

Throughout the day the DUP, Sinn Fein and the Irish and UK Governments stayed tight-lipped about any progress in the negotiations.

Before talks began on Monday morning the DUP called on Mr Brokenshire to set a budget to ensure a "measure of good government" in the region.

The party said it would not accept "a bad agreement cobbled together to suddenly suit the timetables of others".

Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy said while a deal can still be done, it "needs to be a deal for all in our society and not just for the political leaderships of unionism".

UK Prime Minister Theresa May's official spokesman said the government was still working with the parties on reaching an agreement.

Earlier SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said that if a deal is not reached by Monday's deadline, his party will not accept direct rule from Westminster but only joint rule from both London and Dublin.

"It would be a significant and serious breach of our political accommodation in the North and therefore must not be the automatic and the only fall-back option," he said.
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire has urged the region's politicians to reach a powersharing deal

The UKs Secretary of State James Brokenshire has warned the Norths budget may have to be legislated for at Westminster. Picture: PA

Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire has extended the deadline for the region's two main parties to reach a deal to restore powersharing.

The DUP and Sinn Fein left Stormont shortly before 9pm on Monday having failed to reach an agreement.

They had been warned by Mr Brokenshire that they had until Monday to produce a written agreement or he would be forced to legislate for a budget for the region at Westminster.

However, on Monday night he said that the parties have made progress and he was therefore going to defer his decision to legislate for a budget.

In a statement he said: "The parties have made further progress during the course of today.

"They are making certain additional requests of the UK Government which we need to consider.

"In the light of this, I believe it is right to defer the assessment on whether to introduce legislation to Parliament this week to enable an Executive to be formed.

"The parties will recommence talks in the morning and I will reassess the position tomorrow night."

The Northern Ireland Executive collapsed in January and the region has been without a powersharing government since then.

Despite endless rounds of discussions, a deal to restore devolution has proved elusive with the introduction of an Irish language act seen as the main issue.

Mr Brokenshire and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney were in Belfast on Monday to try and help find a breakthrough to the political deadlock.

Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald also joined their party's negotiating team at Stormont.

Throughout the day the DUP, Sinn Fein and the Irish and UK Governments stayed tight-lipped about any progress in the negotiations.

The region's smaller parties held a meeting earlier in the day to discuss the lack of openness and transparency in the talks.

Before talks began on Monday morning the DUP called on Mr Brokenshire to set a budget to ensure a "measure of good government" in the region.

The party said it would not accept "a bad agreement cobbled together to suddenly suit the timetables of others".

"Our position has not changed, we want to see an executive set up - we would have done it March and sorted these issues in tandem," said the party in a statement.

"Given Sinn Fein have dragged their feet over the last 10 months the secretary of state should bring forward a budget to bring a measure of good government to Northern Ireland," the statement added.

The DUP said it will continue the discussions as it believes "devolution is best for Northern Ireland".

But it warned that it would not be a part of a "bad agreement cobbled together to suddenly suit the timetables of others".

Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy said while a deal can still be done it "needs to be a deal for all in our society and not just for the political leaderships of unionism".

"If the political institutions are to be sustainable then they must be restored on the basis of equality, rights and respect.

"That requires an end to the DUP's denial of rights citizens enjoy everywhere else on these islands, language rights, marriage rights and the right to a coroner's court," Mr Murphy added.

Prime Minister Theresa May's official spokesman said the government was still working with the parties on reaching an agreement.

"We have had progress but there are still significant gaps which remain and we continue to work with them to overcome these.

"You can expect James Brokenshire to update Parliament later this week on how that is progressing.

"We continue to work with the parties on trying to overcome the differences between them and to restore devolved government, which is in the interests of all communities in Northern Ireland," the spokesman said.

He added: "We are clear we don't want to see a return to direct rule, we want a return of devolved government in Northern Ireland, so that local decisions can be made by local politicians.

"James Brokenshire has been clear that the latest we can practically introduce legislation to enable the executive's formation would be this week in order for it to be in time for a new executive to set a budget."

Earlier SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said that if a deal is not reached by Monday's deadline, his party will not accept direct rule from Westminster but only joint rule from both London and Dublin.

Alliance Party leader Naomi Long has called on Mr Brokenshire to reduce MLAs' pay by 30pc if no progress is made.
Q. I have a lump in my breast which was thoroughly assessed at a breast clinic, and found to be a small cyst. The clinic said it was too small to worry about, and I was cleared again at my six-month check-up. However, I continue to get shooting pains going through that area. Should I return to my GP? Or should I trust that the hospital is doing its job?

Dr Nina replies: Breast lumps always strike fear in women and it is important to get any lump checked out, but it is also important to know there are many causes of breast lumps and pain for which there are simple benign explanations.

Mastalgia (breast pain) is a common complaint in premenopausal women. This often is worse premenstrually. It can be present in both breasts. It is a benign condition and often responds to checking that bras fit correctly, using evening primrose oil and/or simple analgesia such as ibuprofen.

There are a number of benign breast lumps. One of the most common in women below 30 is a fibroadenoma. This feels like a small marble and is painless and mobile within the breast.

Adenosis is general thickening in the breast tissue, which may be painful. It is due to enlarged lobules (milk-producing glands) and may be particularly sensitive to hormonal flux during the menstrual cycle.

Fat necrosis is a localised thickening in the tissue or a lump that can occur in areas of previous trauma or injury. It can be painful in some people. Fluid-filled cysts can appear and enlarge quickly. They can be very painful and may require draining. They are most common in women premenstrually or in those on HRT. The fluid from cysts is often sent to the lab for analysis but these are virtually always benign.

Wart-like growths in the milk ducts close to the nipple are called intraductal papillomas. They can cause discharge from the nipple along with pain or a lump and are most common in women aged 35 to 55.

Some lumps show pre-cancerous change. The change in these lumps is very localised within the breast. They are very treatable. If diagnosed, regular follow-up is required. The outlook with these conditions is very good.

Breast cancer is relatively common, occurring in approximately one in 12 women at some stage in their life; 80pc of these cancers occur in those over 50 years of age. People always worry about their genetic risk but the truth is that only about 5-10pc of breast cancers have a genetic basis. Those who are at an increased risk need closer monitoring.

Having very dense breasts slightly increases the risk; it can also make mammograms more difficult to assess.

Those who had their first menstrual period before the age of 12 or those who have a late menopause are at an increased risk. This is thought to be due to the longer periods of exposure to hormone cycles. This also increases the risk in those who have no children or have their first child after the age of 30.

Being on the oral contraceptive pill or taking combined HRT in menopause will increase the chance of developing breast cancer. The risk is higher on HRT than on the pill. Those who had radiation to their chest as children or young adults also appear to be more at risk.

Many are not aware of the lifestyle issues that increase the risk of breast cancer. Being obese, especially after menopause, is associated with an increased risk. This is strongest in those who gained their weight as an adult.

The risk between smoking and breast cancer has always been suggested. More recent studies suggest that those who smoke heavily for many years and even second-hand smoke may increase the likelihood that you will develop breast cancer.

There is a strong link between alcohol intake and the risk of breast cancer. Drinking one unit a day can increase your risk by 9pc, whereas regularly drinking more than two units daily increases the risk by 41pc.

Exercising even an hour and a half to two hours weekly can reduce your risk by 18pc. Breastfeeding (especially for over a year) also reduces the risk.

It sounds like your GP acted appropriately and that you have been thoroughly checked out. It may be worth trying to take something like evening primrose oil or simple over-the-counter painkillers to see if that helps.

However, if you feel the lump has changed since last checked or if you have new symptoms, then it is worth reviewing with your GP to see if another hospital review is appropriate. The most important thing is to modify the risks you can, do regular self-exams and attend for age-appropriate screening.

Can you get the HPV vaccine for boys privately through your GP?

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is a group of viruses that can cause infection the throat, anus, cervix, vagina and external genitalia. It is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections we know and it is estimated that most people come in contact with this virus within 18 months of commencing sexual activity.

There are more than 100 types of HPV. Most are harmless but certain types are associated with cancers of the area they infect. Types 16 and 18 are considered high risk and are known to increase the risk of cancer of the cervix and throat. Types six and 11 are low risk and are associated with the development of warts.

However, 90pc of those infected will clear the virus within two years. Most wont even be aware that they ever had it. Those who are infected with the virus can pass it on even if they have no symptoms.

The virus is spread through direct contact with the infected area, usually through skin-to-skin contact or kissing, or oral, anal or genital sexual contact. The only way the virus can be diagnosed is through direct testing or upon the development of genital warts. Since 2010 we also can give two vaccines, which can prevent infection with certain strains of the HPV virus, which will further reduce the incidence of cervical cancer in Ireland.

The vaccine is offered to girls in first year in secondary school. It is most effective when given to those who are not yet sexually active which is why this age group have been selected. The vaccine can prevent seven out of 10 cases of cervical cancer. There have been media reports of adverse events related to vaccination but more than 80 million doses of the HPV vaccine have been given in the US alone. There is no scientific evidence that backs up the claim that the vaccine is anything but safe and well tolerated.

Many people think that HPV is only of concern in women but this is not true. Men also develop HPV associated cancers and genital warts and they can pass the infection to women. Unfortunately our mass vaccination campaign is only offered to girls but there is an increasing push to offer this to boys here too. HPV vaccination in boys is recommended already in the USA and Canada. You can indeed get the HPV vaccine for your son through your GP. It is safe and effective. Your GP can order the vaccine from a supplier and administer it for you. The main barrier for many is the cost because you will have to pay for doses to be purchased and administered.
It's that time of year again -the mornings suddenly seem chilly, the trees are changing colour and leaves are falling to the ground. I'm lucky, I enjoy autumn, but I know that there are many who do not. I usually look forward to the winter months too, but this year I notice myself being more influenced by 'doom and gloom' conversations about the weather, traffic, politics and the day-to-day pressures we all face.

I know I am not the only one who may be affected by others' dislike of winter. Here are 10 things you can do that will help turn things around and change your mindset for the better.

1 Stay in the present

It can be tempting to rush forward into the future. Advertisers are hoping that we do exactly that. How many ads have you seen already for children's toys? How many shops are already displaying Christmas decorations? Instead of jumping ahead and living in the future, check what date it is. Even better, first thing, every day, plan one thing that you will do before bedtime that will give you pleasure - and do it.

2 Keep a sense of balance

Yes, we will have dark mornings and we will have dark evenings. But we will have bright afternoons. We will have rain, but we will have beautiful winter sunshine. We will have slippery roads, but we will have grit. When you notice others focus on upsetting things, why not see if you can gently introduce some balance into the conversation by talking about something joyful that you associate with the colder months?

3 Keep warm

Yes, it does get colder, so this is an ideal time to get our cosy boots, hats, scarves and gloves all sorted. It is also the time to have porridge, hot soup and stews. While it is tempting to stay close to heat, it is also the time to get warm and keep warm through exercise. Just think of arriving home warm and relaxed from a brisk walk before you settle down to relax for the evening.

4 Reach out for fun

Some people copy the hedgehogs and do their best to hibernate for a few months. It can be tempting to do this. It takes effort to meet friends when the wind is howling and the rain is pouring. The technology that we often complain about means that we can speak to people we love without leaving home. We can even see them if we use Skype or Facetime. That is fine but not all the time. There are some family and friends who are absolutely worth the effort it might take to meet them in person.

5 Reach out to support

The Dalai Lama said: "Taking care of others, helping others, ultimately is the way to discover your own joy and to have a happy life." It can take very little to ensure that vulnerable people in our community are supported and cared for. Every community has groups of volunteers who are committed to ensuring that others have heat, food and companionship. They welcome and usually need more members, so maybe this is the time for you to put yourself forward to support others.

6 Learn a new skill

The concept of 'life-long education' has taken firm hold in Ireland. People gather in secondary schools and community halls throughout the country to learn a new language, or to develop their skills in a range of activities including cookery, music, art, painting or writing. Some sign up for evening classes for fun, not realising that they have just embarked on a whole new journey that can result in new friends and even new careers. Yes, it takes effort to get up and get out, but the effort is so worth it.

7 Take time out to play

Those of you of a certain age may remember a television programme from years ago called 'Why Don't You Just Switch off Your Television Set and Go Out and Do Something Less Boring Instead?' or 'Why Don't You?' for short. I remember watching it puzzled, knowing that if I turned off the television, I would not know what they were suggesting I did instead. The fear of missing out, (FOMO) attacked me at a young age. There is definitely merit in turning of the television and doing something that is fun instead. When did you last bake for pleasure? When did you last play Snakes and Ladders, Scrabble or card games? It is easy to forget how much enjoyment we can get from games that we used to play when we were children.

8 Clear out and tidy

This might not be as much fun as the other suggestions, but it can bring a deep sense of peace and relief. It only takes an hour here and there to clear presses of 'stuff' that we don't even know we have. Charity shops welcome clothes, shoes and books that we won't miss. Put on music you like and, even better, see if you can get some help and discover just how much extra space you can create in a few hours. You never know, you might even enjoy it.

9 Reflect

Do you remember those promises you may have made last January? They could well be the same ones that you will make next January. It is easy to focus on what we haven't done, should have done, wished we had done and absolutely will do sometime. Instead, why not take time during the next few months to reflect on what you have done during the year that you are proud of? Then think about things the people you love and care about have done that you are proud of too. You might even write these down in a notebook to be presented to them as a gift for Christmas. A great day to reflect is December 21. It marks the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. You can create your own way to reflect and celebrate.

10 Appreciate

As the Psalm and song says: 'To everything there is a season'. Let's make time to appreciate the gifts that the winter months bring us. These might be different for each person, but there will be at least one thing that each of us can anticipate with joy that is unique to this time of year. It might be Halloween, it might be Christmas or it might be an excuse to sit beside a warm fire. Whatever it is, let's notice it, appreciate it and tell others about it. Let's turn the conversation away from doom and gloom to what we enjoy and get pleasure from. Let's deliberately look forward to and enjoy the next few months.

* Dr. Claire Hayes is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and author of 'Finding Hope in the Age of Anxiety' and 'How to Cope'
Senator Joan Freeman, the Founder of Pieta House in Ireland, has announced that she is leaving the charity.

Ms Freeman said she is leaving the charity on December 31 to focus her efforts on growing the suicide and self-harm service, Solace House.

Ms Freeman founded Solace House, which serves the Irish Diaspora and others in New York, in 2014 when she stepped down as CEO of Pieta House.

During her nine years as CEO, Pieta House helped over 20,000 people in its then-nine centres throughout the country.

Senator Freeman was the creator of and instrumental in, the phenomenal growth of Darkness Into Light, the charitys annual flagship fundraising and awareness event, that is today the single biggest fundraising event in the country.

Senator Freemans new venture, Solace House, will provide a free of charge crisis intervention counselling service to those who experience suicidal ideation and who may otherwise engage in self-harm.

Her focus will be on the Irish Diaspora based in New York, with the expectation of growing the service in other cities across America.

Solace House is to be officially launched tomorrow at ceremonies at the New York Irish Center in Queens. Katherine Zappone, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, and Ciaran Madden, the Consul General of Ireland in New York, will attend the event.

I am so grateful for the generosity, courage and vision of the Pieta Board who allowed me to work in America to identify and meet the need for Helping The Irish Wherever They Are, Senator Freeman said.

I also want to acknowledge everyone who gave their time in making Pieta House the incredible organisation it has become today.

Pieta House would not exist except for the courage of the people who came through our service and not only survived, but thrived.

Senator Freeman was appointed to the Seanad by Minister Micheal Martin in May 2016. Most recently, she was appointed Chair of the new Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Mental Health.

Solace House begins its new undertaking with its first office located at the New York Irish Center in Queens in New York City.